NCIS New Orleans (2014) s01e20 Episode Script
Rock-A-Bye-Baby
We're bound to no land Starting our own dance Fading, liberating Oh, oh, way, oh, oh Way, oh, this time, I'm telling you We shot the sun down, we shot the sun Oh, boy.
They kept me late at the base, so we're late for Daddy and Me again, kiddo.
My schmiddo, diddo.
God, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Just going to drop off the ice cream so it doesn't melt on us, 'Kay? I'll be back.
Two shakes! Kiddo, schmiddo, diddo, liddo middo (exhales) (engine starts) (tires screeching) No! No! Wait! Wait! Stop! No! No! Wait! Wait! No! My baby's in the car! Please! Please! No! (grunts) No! My baby's in the car! My baby's in the car! Boom, boom, boom, boom Bang, bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom, boom How, how, how, how Hey, hey You gotta come on.
(indistinct chatter) PRIDE: Let me know.
Will do.
BRODY (sighs): Baby is how old? Nine months.
Name's Lucy.
That the father there? PRIDE: Yeah.
Naval Commander Josh Newman, out of Belle Chasse.
He get a good look at the driver? No.
Only made out that the driver was wearing a hoodie.
Couldn't be sure if it was a male.
Assumed so.
We got JPSO and Coast Guard assisting with air support, NOPD on the ground.
AMBER Alert? Got citywide checkpoints, live monitoring of city traffic cams.
So thief took the car keys from the door.
I'll dust for prints, talk to the neighbors, see if anyone saw anything.
Stolen car, right? Means our thief wanted property, not responsibility.
Got to hope that as soon as he realizes the baby's there that he wants to return her somewhere unharmed.
I'll alert safe surrender sites, fire stations, hospitals.
From Florida to Texas, thank you.
(car engine roars) Hey.
Let me through.
This is my house.
That's my husband.
Let me see.
Thank you.
What is wrong with you? You left her in the car?! It was just for a second.
I-I was coming right back out.
Special Agent Pride.
He's in charge.
This is my husband.
Marlon Hart.
So what do you know about where Lou-Lou is? Not much yet, but it's early.
We got every branch of law enforcement out there looking.
It's already been, what, an hour? Sh-Shouldn't you know something?! Mr.
Hart, I know that every second feels like an eternity, but the best thing you can do is try and stay calm.
JOSH: Please.
Please.
Lou-Lou.
She's-she's Your daughter.
Believe me, I understand.
I got one of my own.
(phone ringing) Excuse me.
Tell me you got something.
BORIN: Yes and no.
Air support spotted your stolen vehicle just under the surface of the water.
(helicopter blades whirring) MAN: I'm circling around for another pass.
ETA on the divers? WOMAN: Copy that.
Divers are 30 seconds out.
(tow truck whirring) What do we got? Car seat's gone.
Seat belt's been cut.
Divers said they didn't find her in the water, either.
All right, so get on the phones, reset the agenda.
We're not looking at a stolen car anymore.
We're talking about an abduction.
(barking) Anything? Baby's car seat was cut clean out of the seat belt.
Thinking box cutter or razor.
BORIN: Hey, guys.
Take a look at this.
Got a tire track.
From the Jeep? Too deep.
Seems like a bigger vehicle.
We'll make a cast of the tread, get it to Sebastian.
There was a second car waiting.
Which means more than one person involved.
Or it was planted by the abductor.
But regardless It was planned in advance.
Well, less than one percent of infants are taken by a stranger.
It's usually someone in the baby's world.
A noncustodial parent, a friend, a neighbor.
But after the first 48 hours, the chances of finding Lou-Lou just decrease significantly.
You guys finish processing the scene.
Then I'll circle back to the parents, get a list of possibles.
Hey, Dwayne.
You mind if I stay on this? You know I love having you around, but, uh, jurisdiction-wise Well, jurisdiction can go to hell.
(teakettle whistling) Loretta? Ah.
Saw it on the news.
Came to see what you knew.
I found the parents, offered to make 'em some tea.
Just trying to help.
Anything else you need? Not at the moment.
Well, as a coroner, I'm hoping this is the extent of my involvement.
(sighs) Probably too upset to drink it, but a little warmth in the hands always helps.
MARLON: Look into Cassie Palms.
PRIDE: Who is she? JOSH: Our surrogate.
A money-hungry surrogate.
Gay adoption is not legal in Louisiana, so we went through an agency to find a surrogate.
They led us to Cassie.
And we treated Cassie like a queen.
We gave her everything she needed.
And she needed a lot.
Then right before she gave birth, she changed her mind about signing the pre-birth order, demanding more money.
But we-we held firm and she dropped it.
She, um she didn't totally drop it.
Every once in a while, for the last few months, she's called me, and I've given her a few dollars.
How much is a few dollars? I'm not sure exactly.
A thousand.
Maybe two.
If you give her some, then she'll ask for more! From my account, not from yours.
What is that supposed to mean? I didn't think it was a big deal to help the woman who helped us start a family.
Why d why didn't you tell me? Because I knew you'd disapprove.
And when was the last time she asked you for money? It was about a month ago.
She wanted another $6,000.
Did you give that to her? No.
I-I told her enough was enough.
She knows where you live? She knows everything.
We had her to the house for dinner.
She-she knows all about our lives.
She knows.
We're already monitoring your e-mails, your phone, in case whomever took Lou-Lou makes a ransom demand.
You've worked cases like this? A couple.
Don't worry.
We got those kids back safe and sound.
Right now, what we need: Cassie Palms' current address.
LASALLE: We're in position, King.
NCIS! Cassie Palms, open up! Cassie Palms! Here we go.
Clear.
Clear.
BORIN: In here, guys.
Got something.
(sighs) Baby clothes, toys, bottles.
Brand-new.
MAN: Hey, what's going on in here? Federal agents.
We got a rabbit! Stay here.
You got her? Got her.
We need to have a little conversation.
(panting) (grunting) Come here! And down goes the couyon.
Josh and Marlon want to pretend like they're saints.
They're not.
They rented her womb at a bargain basement rate.
As if I was just some place for them to stick their baby.
Shut up.
They controlled her life.
What I ate, where I went.
Shut up.
As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with asking for what's owed to me.
ALL: Shut up! Where's Baby Lou-Lou, Cassie? (chuckles) With her fathers.
Right? She was abducted in front of their home.
We didn't do that.
Why'd you run? I've had some trouble with the law.
I see cops, I run.
What about everything we saw in the bedroom? Infant clothes? Bottles? They're for my baby.
(sighs) I'm three months pregnant.
Having a girl.
That's why I asked Marlon and Josh for more money.
This one I'm keeping.
NOPD confirms.
Cassie's idiot boyfriend spent the last two nights in a drunk tank.
All right, so we start over.
Go back to the parents' lives, scour for everything.
See what we're missing.
Since it was likely planned, check everywhere Josh took the baby in the hours leading up to the abduction.
We'll go back to the post office and car wash.
LASALLE: And the grocery store.
Borin, you're with me.
BRODY: Nothing helpful at the first three places Josh took the baby.
What's next? Supermarket, two blocks up.
You ever consider kids? Consider? Yeah.
But living life as an agent all you ever see is things gone bad.
Makes it hard to think about bringing home a little bundle of Potential things to go bad.
Yeah.
I got to say I'm into having a whole basketball team full of little Lasalles.
(laughs) But procreating in my family is like playing the gene pool lottery.
My brother Cade, he's not the only branch off the family tree with issues.
I get it.
But a Lasalle family basketball team? That'd be pretty cool.
WOMAN: They're regulars.
Such a cute couple.
Michelle jokingly calls them her power gays.
(laughs) BRODY: You both work yesterday? Mm-hmm.
We did.
Did you see Josh and his daughter here about 3:30? I believe I did.
I know I saw 'em 'cause I was just about to take my break, and I remember smiling to myself about him squeezing his kiwi twice before buying any.
I mean, his husband, he shops like a frat boy stocking up for a tailgate.
You think it started here? We're trying to determine that.
MAN: Jorge, got a delivery for you.
I wish I was more help.
I hope the baby's all right.
Thank you.
What about the nanny? Don't think there is a nanny.
Oh, I just assumed that's who she was.
She wasn't with Josh, but the other one.
Marlon.
Yeah, him.
Was it this woman? Cassie Palms? No.
Pretty Asian girl.
Tallish, about this high.
Asian, mid-30s.
Height between five-two and five-five.
That case you talked to the parents about, infant abduction-- Matthew Johnson case? Yeah, back in 2010.
And the Armida Marquez abduction two years before that.
And if you want to take a trip in the way-back machine, there's always the Abigail Borin disappearance.
When I was 13, I wanted to climb Campbell Hill.
About 1,500 feet in central Ohio.
Parents weren't too keen on the idea, so I got a few things together, and then I hitchhiked.
At 13? Mm-hmm.
Incredibly stupid, I know.
My parents were convinced I'd been snatched.
Loretta? After about nine hours, I was terrified, found my way to a pay phone.
When I got home I'd never seen my dad like that.
Long time, nine hours.
And these parents they're going on 18.
Pride, Sebastian's got something to show you.
As predicted, the car being submerged underwater wiped clean most of the DNA evidence.
Yeah, but not all.
So I went through everything, and after the discovery of some loose change, a couple Tic Tacs and some moldy cashews, I found this.
It's a strand of hair, dark.
Consistent with an Asian woman, mid-30s? Yeah, that's right.
How did You're good.
He's so good.
He's good.
Uh, anyway, we ran the hair through DNA analysis, and ding, ding, ding.
PRIDE: Chen Han.
You mind if I? Oh, no.
My computer is your computer.
Thank you, sir.
Well, it's not actually your computer.
Just for this moment, for your needs, you know.
Don't worry, I feel you, Sebastian.
Okay, Chen Han.
Naturalized American citizen born in China.
Studied literature at Yale.
Schmancy.
She abruptly switched to biomedical engineering after a trip to Shanghai.
Looks like the last few years, she's been working at multiple European biomedical firms, all of whom have had their Intel compromised by the Chinese government.
Currently in New Orleans as an employee for a Chinese multinational conglomerate that has suspected ties to People's Liberation Army? With a dossier like that We may be looking for a spy.
JOSH: I I don't get it.
Why would a spy be interested in us? I'm a supply officer.
Your previous duty assignment was on a nuclear submarine.
And, Marlon, contractor working for DARPA, right? Either one of you could be targets for espionage.
We found her hair in your Jeep.
And you think (sighs) you think this woman took our daughter to get information? Not unprecedented.
NCIS handled a case back in the late '90s.
South Africa.
Naval attaché was approached by a foreign agent, someone he thought was a friend asking for classified documents.
The diplomat refused, but didn't report the incident.
A week later, his 14-year-old daughter was abducted outside her school.
It wasn't until we set up a meet, handed over falsified Intel that we were able to get the diplomat's daughter back.
Josh, can you give us a moment? What? Why? Anything you say to them, you can say to me.
Marlon clock's ticking.
I met her, uh I met her a year ago.
Uh, she said her name was Elena.
I met her at a bookstore.
We both shared a thing for military history.
Started talking, got a drink, and one thing led to another.
What are you saying? Marlon, was this an affair? Before Josh, I was I was living on the DL.
Josh, he he helped me come out.
And then there was Lou-Lou in the picture, and one day, I woke up and suddenly I was a gay father trying to live life out and proud.
Chen, she was just a she was just a mistake I-I made because I just felt I felt overwhelmed.
Did Chen Han ever talk to you about your work? In passing.
I Just, you know, âgetting to know youâ stuff.
I always, always shut it down.
When was the last time you saw her? It's been months.
I swear I swear to you, she was never in that car.
We need you to set up a meeting with Chen Han.
I don't see her anywhere.
(over radio): What if she doesn't come? He's jumping out of his skin.
Probably how your father felt.
When you went to climb the mountain.
It's hard to say.
Once he realized I was in one piece, he put me on three months house arrest and we have not talked about it since.
He was terrified.
Yeah, but you'd think after all these years he could at least joke about it.
You'd think, but fathers and daughters.
I got eyes on Chen Han.
She's coming in the west entrance of the park.
PRIDE: Here we go.
Hey.
Hey.
(chuckles) How are you, Marlon? Hey.
You okay? Of course.
Uh I just missed you.
Good, Marlon.
Keep her talking.
Brody, Lasalle, you're good to go.
BRODY: Got it.
About to enter Chen Han's apartment.
BRODY: Clear.
Clear.
CHEN: Do you want to get out of here, go somewhere? MARLON: No, no, we don't have to go anywhere.
I just I just wanted to talk.
Talking and drinking is even better.
(laughs) I don't want a drink.
Oh, come on.
Baby Lou-Lou isn't here.
What do you have? Laptop, no password protection at all.
Browser's filled with social media and home decorating sites.
Hard drive's got a thousand photos of what has to be the world's most boring trip to Cabo.
Some spy.
We got this wrong? You, uh, remember some of the questions you were asking me? About work? What if I told you? Tell me what? Everything.
My-my work for DARPA.
Biochemical engineering.
No, no, no, no, that's too soon.
Actually, I think I have to go, Marlon.
Just give me my daughter.
I-I can get it.
Your daughter? Okay, we got to get out there.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Marlon? Where is my daughter?! Tell me, where is she? Where is she?! Tell me, where is she?! Marlon.
Marlon.
Let her go.
Hands behind your back.
Sebastian, what you working on? SSL.
SSL? Secure Sockets Layer.
Footage downloaded to an encrypted hard drive from Chen Han's computer.
You're a hacker now? Where's Patton? Aruba.
Oh.
Well, how are you doing? Good.
Good? Good.
Fine.
Locked in.
It's a little monosyllabic for me.
Sorry.
It's just, uh, baby Missing baby.
Gone for 35 hours, trying to stay focused and simple and on task and just nothing off-topic.
I don't know.
A little Lund levity might lighten the load.
Five Ls, one sentence.
See how I did that? Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to Gandalf? Not in the physical appearance, per Se, but more the prophetic, sage wisdom.
And he's back.
Okay, so apparently the Chinese government doesn't let their own operatives access acquired Intel once they've uploaded it to one of these encrypted hard drives.
I just need to figure out some way that I can get inside.
We got data.
I got it.
Way to go.
I got it.
(laughs) All right, catch phrase.
Super-Yahtzee.
Thank you.
I don't know anything about Marlon's baby.
And I'm tired of repeating myself.
Well, I'll stop asking questions when you start answering honestly.
Oh, I don't have to answer you at all.
You're right.
You can walk out.
You might even get as far as two blocks before you got grabbed.
Grabbed? By whom? CIA.
DIA.
NSA.
What interest would they have in me? Hold that thought.
(sighs) It's illegal to take pictures of palm trees and beaches? It is when there's ciphered data hidden inside your photos.
Security through obscurity.
Beautiful sunset once decrypted contains schematics for unmanned antisubmarine vessels.
Long-range missiles specs.
Highly classified and highly valuable to the Chinese government.
We already found your e-mails where you sent all this back to your handlers in China.
Busy girl.
Now, I got two phone calls I can make.
First gets you a one-way ticket home.
Second sends you to Guantanamo.
They got beaches there.
Not so much with the palm trees.
Tell me how your hair got inside Marlon's car.
My handlers wouldn't accept that Marlon shut me out.
They wanted me to keep working him, so I broke into his car a few weeks ago to try to plant a listening device, but was interrupted.
Lot of pressure to find a new way in.
New way? Like abducting their baby? I don't know where the baby is.
But I might have something that'll help.
Something? A surveillance camera with a view of Marlon's house.
Placed it there months ago.
You send me home and I'll tell you where you can find it.
This is off Chen Han's camera.
Picked up every move Josh and Marlon made.
What about on the day of Lou-Lou's abduction? No.
Moving van obscured the view, but we did get four screen captures of four random days over the last two months.
Got the same white truck-- it was parked on the street all four days.
We blew up one of the photos to get a view of the tire.
The tracks match the set we found near Josh's abandoned car by the river? Yes, and take a look at this.
Logo on the driver's-side door.
Acquistapace-- supermarket where Josh had just come from.
You talk to anyone? Yes.
Anyone suspicious? Not really.
I'm way ahead of you.
Just talked to the store's manager.
Of all the employees with access to the truck, only one didn't show up for work today.
In fact, he left early yesterday afternoon.
Jorge Gomez.
The guy we spoke with yesterday.
Let's roll.
Back door.
Got it.
We got an open door.
Jorge Gomez.
NCIS.
Suspect's down.
Entering.
No Lou-Lou? Looks like our best lead to finding Lucy Is a dead end.
(beeping) Where we at? No sign of forced entry.
Suggests Gomez knew his killer.
Couple of brews here.
Looks like things started off friendly.
Yeah, didn't end that way.
Cause of death? Judging by the contusions on his skull, I'd say blunt force trauma.
But Jorge didn't go down without a fight.
Defensive wounds on both arms.
Hopefully he's got a piece of the killer under his fingernails, 'cause whoever did this to Jorge is our best lead to Lou-Lou.
Hey, Josh.
Marlon's not here? We both needed a little space.
You must think we're terrible parents.
Nobody's perfect.
(scoffs) One us is having an affair, and the other one leaves his child in the car for someone to take.
What the hell was I thinking? Imagine you weren't.
Lou-Lou's nine months, right? Guessing, uh, Lou-Lou just gave up her afternoon nap? Probably pretty tired, taking care of her all day.
How old are yours? Oh, I just got the one.
Laurel Anne.
She's, uh There.
She's in college now.
She's beautiful.
Yeah, yeah.
When she was a baby, she loved the rain.
One night, I took her outside during a cloud burst.
Next morning, Laurel woke up with croup.
Could barely catch her breath.
God knows I stopped breathing myself.
Terrifying.
Yeah.
Her mother called 911, I took Laurel, threw her in a hot shower, pj's and all.
Steam opened up her lungs, and, uh, by the time the paramedics got there, it was all over.
That's lucky.
Yeah, we were.
And if we're not? We're gonna do everything in our power to make sure that's not the case.
King.
I need to borrow you.
Excuse me.
Any leads on Gomez? No criminal history.
Squeaky clean.
Guy lived modestly, paycheck to paycheck.
$220 in his checking account.
Rules out any connection to a baby smuggling ring.
And none of his neighbors have seen Jorge with a baby.
Okay, so then how's Jorge connected to this abduction, and where the hell is the baby? BORIN: Hey, guys, I got something in here.
I have been digging around in Jorge's iCloud, and I found this draft letter.
It's a character reference for a potential adoption.
Couple named Phil and Anne.
Unfortunately, no last names.
(phone beeps) Sebastian.
He got a hit on the DNA.
I got it.
Start calling adoption agencies and the parish registrar.
Need to identify this Phil and Anne.
All right, just to warn you, I know this case is ultra time-sensitive, but I'm trying to remain in STSM, which is Standard Time-Sensitive Mode.
Might seem like it's at cross-purposes, but I'm getting results.
Whatever works, bud.
Okay, so Loretta was able to retrieve enough tissue from under Jorge Gomez's fingernails to run a search.
And you got a hit? I did.
Skin particles.
They identify a suspect? No, nothing on CODIS or any other relevant database, but along with the skin, I did get a hit on something entirely nonhuman.
We're talking Metazoa.
See, the animal kingdom is a veritable rainbow of DNA.
You got your canines, your felines, your bovines, your gallines, your elapines-- you got to watch out for them.
Elapines are poisonous snakes.
I'll catalogue that for later.
This is, uh, bovine DNA, with trace amounts of E.
coli, salmonella and listeria.
Jorge's killer and the likely abductor of Baby Lou Works with meat.
But not just any kind of meat.
I found elevated levels of sodium offset by very low levels of blood proteins and almost no fat cells.
Wherever they're processing this meat, they answer to a higher authority.
What are you trying to tell me? Meat's kosher.
Question is: Who supplies kosher meat to Acquistapace? Yes, I supply Acquistapace, but I promise you I got no use for a baby.
I got four kids and two ex-wives.
Where were you two days ago? Where I always am-- amongst the meat.
I got six employees who'll tell you the same.
Who does your deliveries? I got two different guys who bring it over in trucks we lease from the supermarket's corporate offices.
Don't ask.
Insurance nightmare.
And who made the delivery on Thursday? Yeah.
Phil.
Phil who? Burke.
Why? Where's Phil now? Let me check.
Pride, truck's here.
Manager said Phil Burke was loading at the meat locker.
We're here.
Phil Burke submitted numerous applications for adoption with his wife, Anne, all of which were rejected.
So Phil could've run into Josh and Baby Lou multiple times when he was dropping off.
Phil Burke? NCIS.
Hey.
Easy.
Hands on your head.
Get 'em up.
Where is she? Where's Lou-Lou? You're not gonna find her.
Where's Lou-Lou? She's long gone.
You're facing kidnapping charges, Phil.
Life in prison without the possibility of parole.
But if you cooperate with us, we can work something out.
Understand? We just need the baby.
We need to talk.
(door shuts) So we went and searched the house.
The wife's drawers were half empty.
Looks like she left in a hurry.
Dumped their financials.
They emptied their bank accounts two days ago.
$1,500 withdrawal.
Someone's going on the run.
We also found these.
Prescriptions for the wife.
Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, sleeping pills.
Looks like Anne was struggling.
Yeah, and we think we know why.
(door opens) Most people think fatherhood begins at birth.
The moment I heard my daughter's heartbeat on the ultrasound, she was instantly my whole world.
My first primal thought was, âI will do everything in my power to protect her.
â And I can't even imagine how devastating it must be when even everything isn't enough.
Brystal Ellen Burke.
She was named after Annie's mother.
SIDS, right? And when we lost the baby Annie just shut down.
Stopped eating, sleeping.
(chuckles) Living.
And I would go to work every day, not sure what kind of state she would be in when I got home.
So you applied for adoption.
We never made it past the home visits.
Each time, the caseworkers would say the same thing.
You know, just give it more time.
Heal first.
But the only way that Annie was going to heal was to get another baby.
Just Annie? You stole a baby, Phil.
You killed a man.
I just thought I could fix everything.
I never meant for anybody to get hurt.
Not those-those fathers.
Uh Jorge.
I mean, he-he was a he was a good friend.
He knew Annie and I's story and knew how desperate I was.
So when you questioned him, he, uh he asked me to come to his house.
He-he asked me if I took the baby.
And I just I I lost it.
I We fought and Well, you know how it ended.
I do, Phil.
Where are they? Take the back.
Back, Chris.
(baby crying in distance) Let me talk to her.
Anne.
Who are you? NCIS.
Special Agent Dwayne Pride.
Your husband told me where to find you.
Why? Where's Phil? He's at the squad room.
He sent us to make sure that you and the baby were safe and sound.
Phil sent you here? For Baby Lou-Lou.
Lou-Lou? This is Julia.
We adopted her.
Did you sign papers? Go to an office to receive the baby? No.
He said our application finally went through.
Told me we were moving.
For a fresh start.
But he was gonna work for a few weeks, finish up the month.
Is is that not true? No.
Baby Lou-Lou was stolen.
(crying) Please.
Just one more minute.
(crying) Let me have her.
Let me have her.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Shh, shh (crying) You like that watch? That's my watch right there.
Hey.
How's she doing? A little gassy but, uh, otherwise in good spirits.
(chuckles) Loose ends all tied up? Yeah, federal marshals took Phil into custody.
He's facing kidnapping and murder charges.
And the wife? She believed her husband, so hopefully the judge will take it easy on her.
We will all be born again Look who's here.
JOSH (chuckles): Hey.
Hey, kiddo.
Look.
Look what I got for you.
Oh! (chuckling): Oh! (sniffles, chuckles) Oh.
Good luck, fellas.
Thank you.
We are beautiful We got to do Better by each other.
We are beautiful, we are beautiful Now there's something I got to do.
What's that? Call my dad.
I owe him a long overdue apology.
We are beautiful, we are beautiful.
They kept me late at the base, so we're late for Daddy and Me again, kiddo.
My schmiddo, diddo.
God, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Just going to drop off the ice cream so it doesn't melt on us, 'Kay? I'll be back.
Two shakes! Kiddo, schmiddo, diddo, liddo middo (exhales) (engine starts) (tires screeching) No! No! Wait! Wait! Stop! No! No! Wait! Wait! No! My baby's in the car! Please! Please! No! (grunts) No! My baby's in the car! My baby's in the car! Boom, boom, boom, boom Bang, bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom, boom How, how, how, how Hey, hey You gotta come on.
(indistinct chatter) PRIDE: Let me know.
Will do.
BRODY (sighs): Baby is how old? Nine months.
Name's Lucy.
That the father there? PRIDE: Yeah.
Naval Commander Josh Newman, out of Belle Chasse.
He get a good look at the driver? No.
Only made out that the driver was wearing a hoodie.
Couldn't be sure if it was a male.
Assumed so.
We got JPSO and Coast Guard assisting with air support, NOPD on the ground.
AMBER Alert? Got citywide checkpoints, live monitoring of city traffic cams.
So thief took the car keys from the door.
I'll dust for prints, talk to the neighbors, see if anyone saw anything.
Stolen car, right? Means our thief wanted property, not responsibility.
Got to hope that as soon as he realizes the baby's there that he wants to return her somewhere unharmed.
I'll alert safe surrender sites, fire stations, hospitals.
From Florida to Texas, thank you.
(car engine roars) Hey.
Let me through.
This is my house.
That's my husband.
Let me see.
Thank you.
What is wrong with you? You left her in the car?! It was just for a second.
I-I was coming right back out.
Special Agent Pride.
He's in charge.
This is my husband.
Marlon Hart.
So what do you know about where Lou-Lou is? Not much yet, but it's early.
We got every branch of law enforcement out there looking.
It's already been, what, an hour? Sh-Shouldn't you know something?! Mr.
Hart, I know that every second feels like an eternity, but the best thing you can do is try and stay calm.
JOSH: Please.
Please.
Lou-Lou.
She's-she's Your daughter.
Believe me, I understand.
I got one of my own.
(phone ringing) Excuse me.
Tell me you got something.
BORIN: Yes and no.
Air support spotted your stolen vehicle just under the surface of the water.
(helicopter blades whirring) MAN: I'm circling around for another pass.
ETA on the divers? WOMAN: Copy that.
Divers are 30 seconds out.
(tow truck whirring) What do we got? Car seat's gone.
Seat belt's been cut.
Divers said they didn't find her in the water, either.
All right, so get on the phones, reset the agenda.
We're not looking at a stolen car anymore.
We're talking about an abduction.
(barking) Anything? Baby's car seat was cut clean out of the seat belt.
Thinking box cutter or razor.
BORIN: Hey, guys.
Take a look at this.
Got a tire track.
From the Jeep? Too deep.
Seems like a bigger vehicle.
We'll make a cast of the tread, get it to Sebastian.
There was a second car waiting.
Which means more than one person involved.
Or it was planted by the abductor.
But regardless It was planned in advance.
Well, less than one percent of infants are taken by a stranger.
It's usually someone in the baby's world.
A noncustodial parent, a friend, a neighbor.
But after the first 48 hours, the chances of finding Lou-Lou just decrease significantly.
You guys finish processing the scene.
Then I'll circle back to the parents, get a list of possibles.
Hey, Dwayne.
You mind if I stay on this? You know I love having you around, but, uh, jurisdiction-wise Well, jurisdiction can go to hell.
(teakettle whistling) Loretta? Ah.
Saw it on the news.
Came to see what you knew.
I found the parents, offered to make 'em some tea.
Just trying to help.
Anything else you need? Not at the moment.
Well, as a coroner, I'm hoping this is the extent of my involvement.
(sighs) Probably too upset to drink it, but a little warmth in the hands always helps.
MARLON: Look into Cassie Palms.
PRIDE: Who is she? JOSH: Our surrogate.
A money-hungry surrogate.
Gay adoption is not legal in Louisiana, so we went through an agency to find a surrogate.
They led us to Cassie.
And we treated Cassie like a queen.
We gave her everything she needed.
And she needed a lot.
Then right before she gave birth, she changed her mind about signing the pre-birth order, demanding more money.
But we-we held firm and she dropped it.
She, um she didn't totally drop it.
Every once in a while, for the last few months, she's called me, and I've given her a few dollars.
How much is a few dollars? I'm not sure exactly.
A thousand.
Maybe two.
If you give her some, then she'll ask for more! From my account, not from yours.
What is that supposed to mean? I didn't think it was a big deal to help the woman who helped us start a family.
Why d why didn't you tell me? Because I knew you'd disapprove.
And when was the last time she asked you for money? It was about a month ago.
She wanted another $6,000.
Did you give that to her? No.
I-I told her enough was enough.
She knows where you live? She knows everything.
We had her to the house for dinner.
She-she knows all about our lives.
She knows.
We're already monitoring your e-mails, your phone, in case whomever took Lou-Lou makes a ransom demand.
You've worked cases like this? A couple.
Don't worry.
We got those kids back safe and sound.
Right now, what we need: Cassie Palms' current address.
LASALLE: We're in position, King.
NCIS! Cassie Palms, open up! Cassie Palms! Here we go.
Clear.
Clear.
BORIN: In here, guys.
Got something.
(sighs) Baby clothes, toys, bottles.
Brand-new.
MAN: Hey, what's going on in here? Federal agents.
We got a rabbit! Stay here.
You got her? Got her.
We need to have a little conversation.
(panting) (grunting) Come here! And down goes the couyon.
Josh and Marlon want to pretend like they're saints.
They're not.
They rented her womb at a bargain basement rate.
As if I was just some place for them to stick their baby.
Shut up.
They controlled her life.
What I ate, where I went.
Shut up.
As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with asking for what's owed to me.
ALL: Shut up! Where's Baby Lou-Lou, Cassie? (chuckles) With her fathers.
Right? She was abducted in front of their home.
We didn't do that.
Why'd you run? I've had some trouble with the law.
I see cops, I run.
What about everything we saw in the bedroom? Infant clothes? Bottles? They're for my baby.
(sighs) I'm three months pregnant.
Having a girl.
That's why I asked Marlon and Josh for more money.
This one I'm keeping.
NOPD confirms.
Cassie's idiot boyfriend spent the last two nights in a drunk tank.
All right, so we start over.
Go back to the parents' lives, scour for everything.
See what we're missing.
Since it was likely planned, check everywhere Josh took the baby in the hours leading up to the abduction.
We'll go back to the post office and car wash.
LASALLE: And the grocery store.
Borin, you're with me.
BRODY: Nothing helpful at the first three places Josh took the baby.
What's next? Supermarket, two blocks up.
You ever consider kids? Consider? Yeah.
But living life as an agent all you ever see is things gone bad.
Makes it hard to think about bringing home a little bundle of Potential things to go bad.
Yeah.
I got to say I'm into having a whole basketball team full of little Lasalles.
(laughs) But procreating in my family is like playing the gene pool lottery.
My brother Cade, he's not the only branch off the family tree with issues.
I get it.
But a Lasalle family basketball team? That'd be pretty cool.
WOMAN: They're regulars.
Such a cute couple.
Michelle jokingly calls them her power gays.
(laughs) BRODY: You both work yesterday? Mm-hmm.
We did.
Did you see Josh and his daughter here about 3:30? I believe I did.
I know I saw 'em 'cause I was just about to take my break, and I remember smiling to myself about him squeezing his kiwi twice before buying any.
I mean, his husband, he shops like a frat boy stocking up for a tailgate.
You think it started here? We're trying to determine that.
MAN: Jorge, got a delivery for you.
I wish I was more help.
I hope the baby's all right.
Thank you.
What about the nanny? Don't think there is a nanny.
Oh, I just assumed that's who she was.
She wasn't with Josh, but the other one.
Marlon.
Yeah, him.
Was it this woman? Cassie Palms? No.
Pretty Asian girl.
Tallish, about this high.
Asian, mid-30s.
Height between five-two and five-five.
That case you talked to the parents about, infant abduction-- Matthew Johnson case? Yeah, back in 2010.
And the Armida Marquez abduction two years before that.
And if you want to take a trip in the way-back machine, there's always the Abigail Borin disappearance.
When I was 13, I wanted to climb Campbell Hill.
About 1,500 feet in central Ohio.
Parents weren't too keen on the idea, so I got a few things together, and then I hitchhiked.
At 13? Mm-hmm.
Incredibly stupid, I know.
My parents were convinced I'd been snatched.
Loretta? After about nine hours, I was terrified, found my way to a pay phone.
When I got home I'd never seen my dad like that.
Long time, nine hours.
And these parents they're going on 18.
Pride, Sebastian's got something to show you.
As predicted, the car being submerged underwater wiped clean most of the DNA evidence.
Yeah, but not all.
So I went through everything, and after the discovery of some loose change, a couple Tic Tacs and some moldy cashews, I found this.
It's a strand of hair, dark.
Consistent with an Asian woman, mid-30s? Yeah, that's right.
How did You're good.
He's so good.
He's good.
Uh, anyway, we ran the hair through DNA analysis, and ding, ding, ding.
PRIDE: Chen Han.
You mind if I? Oh, no.
My computer is your computer.
Thank you, sir.
Well, it's not actually your computer.
Just for this moment, for your needs, you know.
Don't worry, I feel you, Sebastian.
Okay, Chen Han.
Naturalized American citizen born in China.
Studied literature at Yale.
Schmancy.
She abruptly switched to biomedical engineering after a trip to Shanghai.
Looks like the last few years, she's been working at multiple European biomedical firms, all of whom have had their Intel compromised by the Chinese government.
Currently in New Orleans as an employee for a Chinese multinational conglomerate that has suspected ties to People's Liberation Army? With a dossier like that We may be looking for a spy.
JOSH: I I don't get it.
Why would a spy be interested in us? I'm a supply officer.
Your previous duty assignment was on a nuclear submarine.
And, Marlon, contractor working for DARPA, right? Either one of you could be targets for espionage.
We found her hair in your Jeep.
And you think (sighs) you think this woman took our daughter to get information? Not unprecedented.
NCIS handled a case back in the late '90s.
South Africa.
Naval attaché was approached by a foreign agent, someone he thought was a friend asking for classified documents.
The diplomat refused, but didn't report the incident.
A week later, his 14-year-old daughter was abducted outside her school.
It wasn't until we set up a meet, handed over falsified Intel that we were able to get the diplomat's daughter back.
Josh, can you give us a moment? What? Why? Anything you say to them, you can say to me.
Marlon clock's ticking.
I met her, uh I met her a year ago.
Uh, she said her name was Elena.
I met her at a bookstore.
We both shared a thing for military history.
Started talking, got a drink, and one thing led to another.
What are you saying? Marlon, was this an affair? Before Josh, I was I was living on the DL.
Josh, he he helped me come out.
And then there was Lou-Lou in the picture, and one day, I woke up and suddenly I was a gay father trying to live life out and proud.
Chen, she was just a she was just a mistake I-I made because I just felt I felt overwhelmed.
Did Chen Han ever talk to you about your work? In passing.
I Just, you know, âgetting to know youâ stuff.
I always, always shut it down.
When was the last time you saw her? It's been months.
I swear I swear to you, she was never in that car.
We need you to set up a meeting with Chen Han.
I don't see her anywhere.
(over radio): What if she doesn't come? He's jumping out of his skin.
Probably how your father felt.
When you went to climb the mountain.
It's hard to say.
Once he realized I was in one piece, he put me on three months house arrest and we have not talked about it since.
He was terrified.
Yeah, but you'd think after all these years he could at least joke about it.
You'd think, but fathers and daughters.
I got eyes on Chen Han.
She's coming in the west entrance of the park.
PRIDE: Here we go.
Hey.
Hey.
(chuckles) How are you, Marlon? Hey.
You okay? Of course.
Uh I just missed you.
Good, Marlon.
Keep her talking.
Brody, Lasalle, you're good to go.
BRODY: Got it.
About to enter Chen Han's apartment.
BRODY: Clear.
Clear.
CHEN: Do you want to get out of here, go somewhere? MARLON: No, no, we don't have to go anywhere.
I just I just wanted to talk.
Talking and drinking is even better.
(laughs) I don't want a drink.
Oh, come on.
Baby Lou-Lou isn't here.
What do you have? Laptop, no password protection at all.
Browser's filled with social media and home decorating sites.
Hard drive's got a thousand photos of what has to be the world's most boring trip to Cabo.
Some spy.
We got this wrong? You, uh, remember some of the questions you were asking me? About work? What if I told you? Tell me what? Everything.
My-my work for DARPA.
Biochemical engineering.
No, no, no, no, that's too soon.
Actually, I think I have to go, Marlon.
Just give me my daughter.
I-I can get it.
Your daughter? Okay, we got to get out there.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Marlon? Where is my daughter?! Tell me, where is she? Where is she?! Tell me, where is she?! Marlon.
Marlon.
Let her go.
Hands behind your back.
Sebastian, what you working on? SSL.
SSL? Secure Sockets Layer.
Footage downloaded to an encrypted hard drive from Chen Han's computer.
You're a hacker now? Where's Patton? Aruba.
Oh.
Well, how are you doing? Good.
Good? Good.
Fine.
Locked in.
It's a little monosyllabic for me.
Sorry.
It's just, uh, baby Missing baby.
Gone for 35 hours, trying to stay focused and simple and on task and just nothing off-topic.
I don't know.
A little Lund levity might lighten the load.
Five Ls, one sentence.
See how I did that? Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to Gandalf? Not in the physical appearance, per Se, but more the prophetic, sage wisdom.
And he's back.
Okay, so apparently the Chinese government doesn't let their own operatives access acquired Intel once they've uploaded it to one of these encrypted hard drives.
I just need to figure out some way that I can get inside.
We got data.
I got it.
Way to go.
I got it.
(laughs) All right, catch phrase.
Super-Yahtzee.
Thank you.
I don't know anything about Marlon's baby.
And I'm tired of repeating myself.
Well, I'll stop asking questions when you start answering honestly.
Oh, I don't have to answer you at all.
You're right.
You can walk out.
You might even get as far as two blocks before you got grabbed.
Grabbed? By whom? CIA.
DIA.
NSA.
What interest would they have in me? Hold that thought.
(sighs) It's illegal to take pictures of palm trees and beaches? It is when there's ciphered data hidden inside your photos.
Security through obscurity.
Beautiful sunset once decrypted contains schematics for unmanned antisubmarine vessels.
Long-range missiles specs.
Highly classified and highly valuable to the Chinese government.
We already found your e-mails where you sent all this back to your handlers in China.
Busy girl.
Now, I got two phone calls I can make.
First gets you a one-way ticket home.
Second sends you to Guantanamo.
They got beaches there.
Not so much with the palm trees.
Tell me how your hair got inside Marlon's car.
My handlers wouldn't accept that Marlon shut me out.
They wanted me to keep working him, so I broke into his car a few weeks ago to try to plant a listening device, but was interrupted.
Lot of pressure to find a new way in.
New way? Like abducting their baby? I don't know where the baby is.
But I might have something that'll help.
Something? A surveillance camera with a view of Marlon's house.
Placed it there months ago.
You send me home and I'll tell you where you can find it.
This is off Chen Han's camera.
Picked up every move Josh and Marlon made.
What about on the day of Lou-Lou's abduction? No.
Moving van obscured the view, but we did get four screen captures of four random days over the last two months.
Got the same white truck-- it was parked on the street all four days.
We blew up one of the photos to get a view of the tire.
The tracks match the set we found near Josh's abandoned car by the river? Yes, and take a look at this.
Logo on the driver's-side door.
Acquistapace-- supermarket where Josh had just come from.
You talk to anyone? Yes.
Anyone suspicious? Not really.
I'm way ahead of you.
Just talked to the store's manager.
Of all the employees with access to the truck, only one didn't show up for work today.
In fact, he left early yesterday afternoon.
Jorge Gomez.
The guy we spoke with yesterday.
Let's roll.
Back door.
Got it.
We got an open door.
Jorge Gomez.
NCIS.
Suspect's down.
Entering.
No Lou-Lou? Looks like our best lead to finding Lucy Is a dead end.
(beeping) Where we at? No sign of forced entry.
Suggests Gomez knew his killer.
Couple of brews here.
Looks like things started off friendly.
Yeah, didn't end that way.
Cause of death? Judging by the contusions on his skull, I'd say blunt force trauma.
But Jorge didn't go down without a fight.
Defensive wounds on both arms.
Hopefully he's got a piece of the killer under his fingernails, 'cause whoever did this to Jorge is our best lead to Lou-Lou.
Hey, Josh.
Marlon's not here? We both needed a little space.
You must think we're terrible parents.
Nobody's perfect.
(scoffs) One us is having an affair, and the other one leaves his child in the car for someone to take.
What the hell was I thinking? Imagine you weren't.
Lou-Lou's nine months, right? Guessing, uh, Lou-Lou just gave up her afternoon nap? Probably pretty tired, taking care of her all day.
How old are yours? Oh, I just got the one.
Laurel Anne.
She's, uh There.
She's in college now.
She's beautiful.
Yeah, yeah.
When she was a baby, she loved the rain.
One night, I took her outside during a cloud burst.
Next morning, Laurel woke up with croup.
Could barely catch her breath.
God knows I stopped breathing myself.
Terrifying.
Yeah.
Her mother called 911, I took Laurel, threw her in a hot shower, pj's and all.
Steam opened up her lungs, and, uh, by the time the paramedics got there, it was all over.
That's lucky.
Yeah, we were.
And if we're not? We're gonna do everything in our power to make sure that's not the case.
King.
I need to borrow you.
Excuse me.
Any leads on Gomez? No criminal history.
Squeaky clean.
Guy lived modestly, paycheck to paycheck.
$220 in his checking account.
Rules out any connection to a baby smuggling ring.
And none of his neighbors have seen Jorge with a baby.
Okay, so then how's Jorge connected to this abduction, and where the hell is the baby? BORIN: Hey, guys, I got something in here.
I have been digging around in Jorge's iCloud, and I found this draft letter.
It's a character reference for a potential adoption.
Couple named Phil and Anne.
Unfortunately, no last names.
(phone beeps) Sebastian.
He got a hit on the DNA.
I got it.
Start calling adoption agencies and the parish registrar.
Need to identify this Phil and Anne.
All right, just to warn you, I know this case is ultra time-sensitive, but I'm trying to remain in STSM, which is Standard Time-Sensitive Mode.
Might seem like it's at cross-purposes, but I'm getting results.
Whatever works, bud.
Okay, so Loretta was able to retrieve enough tissue from under Jorge Gomez's fingernails to run a search.
And you got a hit? I did.
Skin particles.
They identify a suspect? No, nothing on CODIS or any other relevant database, but along with the skin, I did get a hit on something entirely nonhuman.
We're talking Metazoa.
See, the animal kingdom is a veritable rainbow of DNA.
You got your canines, your felines, your bovines, your gallines, your elapines-- you got to watch out for them.
Elapines are poisonous snakes.
I'll catalogue that for later.
This is, uh, bovine DNA, with trace amounts of E.
coli, salmonella and listeria.
Jorge's killer and the likely abductor of Baby Lou Works with meat.
But not just any kind of meat.
I found elevated levels of sodium offset by very low levels of blood proteins and almost no fat cells.
Wherever they're processing this meat, they answer to a higher authority.
What are you trying to tell me? Meat's kosher.
Question is: Who supplies kosher meat to Acquistapace? Yes, I supply Acquistapace, but I promise you I got no use for a baby.
I got four kids and two ex-wives.
Where were you two days ago? Where I always am-- amongst the meat.
I got six employees who'll tell you the same.
Who does your deliveries? I got two different guys who bring it over in trucks we lease from the supermarket's corporate offices.
Don't ask.
Insurance nightmare.
And who made the delivery on Thursday? Yeah.
Phil.
Phil who? Burke.
Why? Where's Phil now? Let me check.
Pride, truck's here.
Manager said Phil Burke was loading at the meat locker.
We're here.
Phil Burke submitted numerous applications for adoption with his wife, Anne, all of which were rejected.
So Phil could've run into Josh and Baby Lou multiple times when he was dropping off.
Phil Burke? NCIS.
Hey.
Easy.
Hands on your head.
Get 'em up.
Where is she? Where's Lou-Lou? You're not gonna find her.
Where's Lou-Lou? She's long gone.
You're facing kidnapping charges, Phil.
Life in prison without the possibility of parole.
But if you cooperate with us, we can work something out.
Understand? We just need the baby.
We need to talk.
(door shuts) So we went and searched the house.
The wife's drawers were half empty.
Looks like she left in a hurry.
Dumped their financials.
They emptied their bank accounts two days ago.
$1,500 withdrawal.
Someone's going on the run.
We also found these.
Prescriptions for the wife.
Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, sleeping pills.
Looks like Anne was struggling.
Yeah, and we think we know why.
(door opens) Most people think fatherhood begins at birth.
The moment I heard my daughter's heartbeat on the ultrasound, she was instantly my whole world.
My first primal thought was, âI will do everything in my power to protect her.
â And I can't even imagine how devastating it must be when even everything isn't enough.
Brystal Ellen Burke.
She was named after Annie's mother.
SIDS, right? And when we lost the baby Annie just shut down.
Stopped eating, sleeping.
(chuckles) Living.
And I would go to work every day, not sure what kind of state she would be in when I got home.
So you applied for adoption.
We never made it past the home visits.
Each time, the caseworkers would say the same thing.
You know, just give it more time.
Heal first.
But the only way that Annie was going to heal was to get another baby.
Just Annie? You stole a baby, Phil.
You killed a man.
I just thought I could fix everything.
I never meant for anybody to get hurt.
Not those-those fathers.
Uh Jorge.
I mean, he-he was a he was a good friend.
He knew Annie and I's story and knew how desperate I was.
So when you questioned him, he, uh he asked me to come to his house.
He-he asked me if I took the baby.
And I just I I lost it.
I We fought and Well, you know how it ended.
I do, Phil.
Where are they? Take the back.
Back, Chris.
(baby crying in distance) Let me talk to her.
Anne.
Who are you? NCIS.
Special Agent Dwayne Pride.
Your husband told me where to find you.
Why? Where's Phil? He's at the squad room.
He sent us to make sure that you and the baby were safe and sound.
Phil sent you here? For Baby Lou-Lou.
Lou-Lou? This is Julia.
We adopted her.
Did you sign papers? Go to an office to receive the baby? No.
He said our application finally went through.
Told me we were moving.
For a fresh start.
But he was gonna work for a few weeks, finish up the month.
Is is that not true? No.
Baby Lou-Lou was stolen.
(crying) Please.
Just one more minute.
(crying) Let me have her.
Let me have her.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Shh, shh (crying) You like that watch? That's my watch right there.
Hey.
How's she doing? A little gassy but, uh, otherwise in good spirits.
(chuckles) Loose ends all tied up? Yeah, federal marshals took Phil into custody.
He's facing kidnapping and murder charges.
And the wife? She believed her husband, so hopefully the judge will take it easy on her.
We will all be born again Look who's here.
JOSH (chuckles): Hey.
Hey, kiddo.
Look.
Look what I got for you.
Oh! (chuckling): Oh! (sniffles, chuckles) Oh.
Good luck, fellas.
Thank you.
We are beautiful We got to do Better by each other.
We are beautiful, we are beautiful Now there's something I got to do.
What's that? Call my dad.
I owe him a long overdue apology.
We are beautiful, we are beautiful.