NCIS New Orleans (2014) s03e08 Episode Script
Music to My Ears
1 Dustin, get up.
Come with me.
What's wrong? (whispering): Stay inside and not a sound.
Is this a game? Dustin I need you to be brave.
MAN: Where is it?! WOMAN: You can't be in my house! MAN: Shut up! Where did you hide it?! (woman grunting) WOMAN: Get out of my house! (glass shatters) I'm gonna call the cops! MAN: You are not calling anyone! (groans) (glass shatters) (woman shouting) (man grunts) (woman cries out) NCIS:New Orleans 3x08 Music to My Ears Boom, boom, boom, boom Bang, bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom, boom How, how, how, how Hey, hey @elderman You gotta come on.
Yo, Lasalle, let's hustle.
Hey there.
Hi.
- I'm Melody.
- Uh-huh.
I hate diaper changes as much as you do, bud.
MELODY: You are? Really confused right now.
Percy.
What are you doing here? Um excuse me.
We've got a case nearby.
I told Pride I'd swing around and pick you up.
Well, you should've called.
I did call and text, so I guess I hadn't checked my phone.
Oh, he's been a little busy.
Tucker's been having a hard time adjusting to his new home.
Oh, Melody, this is Sonja Percy, my co-worker.
And, uh, Percy, this is Melody.
We well (laughs) Aw, we have a son together, yes.
A son? Yeah, Tucker.
Yeah.
You got questions.
So many but we got a case right now, so yeah.
Hi.
Guess I better get going.
You think you'll be gone long, Christopher? Ah, well I don't know.
Sorry.
I'll call you later, all right? (smooches) Hey.
(smooches) (chuckles) Bye.
(indistinct conversations) You okay? Peachy.
'Cause you didn't say a word on the way over here.
Don't have any words.
(sighs) I should've told you sooner.
Which you said a dozen times in the car.
You don't have to.
I'm not mad.
Really? You seem mad.
No.
It's your private life, nothing to do with work and it's none of my business.
Okay Just like it's none of my business you told everyone else on the team about your love child except me.
Doesn't mean a thing.
We're good.
So, wait you are mad.
PRIDE: NOPD got a domestic disturbance call last night.
Neighbor heard screaming.
Patrol found Petty Officer Heather Cobb dead.
She's a member of the Commodores, the Navy Jazz Band.
Think this simple burglary went aggravated? This is more than just a burglary.
This place is turned upside down.
Suspect searching for something specific? Whatever the killer was looking for, our victim didn't want it found.
She has defensive wounds on her forearm, hands Pre-mortem bruising and contusions on torso, throat, face.
Put up a fight.
Sadly, not a good enough one.
It's too soon to tell, but I'm guessing blunt force trauma as cause of death.
LASALLE: King, check this out.
What'd you find? Master bedroom's on the other end of the hall.
Yeah, so? Who was sleeping in this bed? Maybe someone else was staying in the house? Spread out and look around.
Hey, Gregorio.
Hey.
Nice of you to stop by.
Well, FBI's still my day job.
You guys are more of a hobby.
What'd I miss? One victim upstairs dead.
Possible second victim made it out of the house.
We're gonna search the area.
You're with me.
You know, ever since we plucked that Ciudad Natal accountant out of the bayou, D.
C.
's been turning the screws on Isler to try to get indictments on the cartel.
And Isler's been turning the screws on you.
That's the way the game works.
Not everywhere.
Yeah, well, Isler wants to find the cartel embeds in New Orleans before Thanksgiving.
That means you'll be in town for the holiday? Gives me an excuse to avoid family.
Yeah, well always got a place at my Thanksgiving table if you if you want it.
Don't expect me to cook.
SEBASTIAN: You can always bring pie.
PRIDE: Sebastian.
Yeah? PRIDE: What are you doing here? I'm gathering evidence.
Crime scene's inside the house.
SEBASTIAN: Or is it? Check this out.
So, I found this door.
Thought maybe it was the killer's entry point except it was unlocked and broken from the inside.
Now, that's when I also noticed what Looks like footprints.
SEBASTIAN: Exactly.
Now, these tracks lead either to a locked gate over here PRIDE: Yeah? or to this door over here.
Under the house? Yeah.
You guys are good at this, you know that? Hey, you want to check it out? PRIDE: No, no, no, no, no.
Thank you.
Get Percy and Lasalle.
Oh, okay, I'll get Percy and Lasalle.
No, no! No! No! Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me! Don't hurt me, please! Oh.
Hey.
No! No! It's all right.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
- No, it's all right.
It's all right.
- Don't hurt me.
We're not gonna hurt you.
Please.
It's okay.
(panting) I promise.
You're safe now.
(jazz plays through headphones) GREGORIO: He say anything? Other than his name is Dustin, and his mom's in the Navy? I went to Heather Cobb's house to get him some clean clothes.
According to neighbors, that's her nephew, and he's been staying with her.
Well, it makes sense.
Mom's deployed at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.
She's on her way back now.
Dad's deceased.
Contact Child Protective Services? Yup.
Got 'em to grant us custody until his mom returns.
I want eyes on him.
He might be our only witness to Heather Cobb's murder.
Here you go.
(jazz plays through headphones) Could you take them? Sweet potato pancakes.
After you eat, maybe we can, uh talk about what happened, okay? But take take your time.
If he doesn't eat them, I will.
Yeah.
Always make extra.
Got to say, I'm gonna miss your cooking and your coffee.
FBI coffee is swill.
That sounds like a good-bye.
Cartel case is gonna close or blow up soon.
Either way, I'm out of here.
(Dustin coughing loudly) You okay, kid? (coughing and wheezing) Dustin? (air hisses, sniffles) Is this for asthma? Dustin, we're gonna take care of you till your mom comes home, okay? Okay.
Hey, King? I think we got something.
SONJA: Canvassed Heather Cobb's neighborhood.
Absolutely nothing suspicious last night.
But several people did see a white Jeep driving down her street the last couple weeks.
Well, someone get a license plate? SONJA: That's the thing.
Jeep has no plates.
We put a BOLO out anyway.
PRIDE: Mysterious white Jeep.
Heather Cobb's beaten to death, her house ransacked, her nephew traumatized.
Why? SONJA: Well, we're still not sure, 'cause Heather was a straight arrow.
Masters from Berklee College of Music, played trumpet in the Navy Jazz Band, and in her free time, she taught the kids at Crescent City Music Academy.
Yeah, basically, she was Mary Poppins.
Well, someone wanted her dead.
Let's dig into her life.
You two talk to the Navy Band, I'll hit the music academy.
We're on it.
(phone ringing) Yeah.
I need to get this.
Melody.
Yeah, I can't really talk right now.
What? How does someone lose a remote? Short leash, Country Mouse.
Okay.
PRIDE: Hey, uh, I got to head out.
Can you watch Dustin for me? No, I can't.
Isler just called, and by the sound of it, sounds like he wants me back at FBI full-time.
What? You make me go through that stack of résumés again? (laughs) Thought you'd be around a little bit longer.
Hey, if it was up to me Well, what if it was? I got a space on my team.
If you want it, it's yours.
Join NCIS? That's a really nice offer.
But I got a job, you know? Duty calls.
Well, why don't you think about it at least, huh? I'm flattered, really, and as fun as it's been, this was always gonna be temporary, you know? You and me, kid.
(lively jazz playing) MAN: Well, it's been weeks since the attack.
I'm not sure why NCIS is here now.
What attack are you talking about? Petty Officer Gordon.
Former second trumpet.
Broke my arm with a chair.
We're here about Heather Cobb.
She was murdered last night.
(exhales) I can't believe it LASALLE: We're wondering if you know of anyone who might've wanted to do her harm.
Yes.
The same man who did this to me.
Petty Officer Gordon.
He was in line to be first trumpet.
But when Heather auditioned, she blew him away.
It was no contest.
So you gave her the job.
Guessing Petty Officer Gordon didn't agree with that.
He never gave Cobb a moment's peace.
Harassed her during rehearsals and after hours.
Cobb complained to me, I decided to have him transferred.
And that's when he attacked you? Ending his Navy career.
LASALLE: Giving him even more of a reason to have it out for Heather Cobb.
Petty Officer Gordon doesn't drive a white Jeep, does he? As a matter of fact, he does.
SEBASTIAN: This doesn't make any sense.
I've been studying these crime scene photos for hours.
Shouldn't you be processing evidence? I did already.
All the DNA and fingerprints from the crime scene all belong to Heather or Dustin.
And the only trace I came up with was a foreign dirt sample in the kitchen sink.
I'm running that through the Mass Spec right now.
What doesn't make sense in the crime scene photos? Just L-Look at this mess.
I mean, the killer must've been searching for something.
NOPD said all her possessions were accounted for.
Oh, man.
It's so obvious.
I've I've been staring at it this whole time.
What are you talking about? Heather was a trumpeter in the Navy Band, right? Mm-hmm.
Okay.
So Where's the trumpet? It's not in the house.
So you think Petty Officer Cobb was murdered for her trumpet? Yeah.
That sounds really stupid, doesn't it? It's an interesting theory.
But I found actual evidence in Heather's fingernails.
Skin cells that may belong to the killer.
Okay, right.
Yeah, sure.
Just analyze the epidermis.
What's going on? A few weeks ago, I was abducted, forced to break an international criminal out of prison, and then helped bring him and the kidnappers to justice, right? Today, I'm your friendly neighborhood lab monkey analyzing nail scrapings.
You don't enjoy the lab anymore, Sebastian? No.
I do.
I do, it's just Is that all there is for me? I have stomach contents.
I'll come back for those.
PRIDE: Crescent City Music Academy.
Your Aunt Heather worked at a pretty cool place, huh? WOMAN: Dustin! (indistinct chatter) I'm glad you're okay.
I am so sorry about your aunt.
We'll all miss her very much.
And you must be Special Agent Pride.
Yes, ma'am.
- You know Dustin? - Of course! One of our most talented young musicians.
Thank you.
I'll be inside.
He's a student here? He didn't tell you? Well, he has hasn't been doing a lot of talking.
(sighs) That's our Dustin.
How long has he been at your school? Uh, a couple years.
Heather brought him to us.
He's He's a true prodigy.
Had you noticed anything out of the ordinary with Heather? (exhales) I can't say.
Been distracted these days.
We've got a huge construction project on the grounds.
Some kind of virus that has half my students out sick.
Thanksgiving coming up.
Just a lot.
(clears throat) Mr.
Garcia.
I don't mean to interrupt, but Theo and I were discussing how to modify the construction schedule so that his trucks don't disturb the children during school hours.
Ah I'd appreciate that, Mr.
Garcia.
Those trucks have been moving in and out all morning.
Yeah.
I'll-I'll take care of it.
We were just running behind schedule and I figured I could make up some time Just apologize, Theo.
THEO: Um Sorry, Ms.
McGuire.
Won't happen again.
Thank you.
Again, I'm I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Uh, especially with Ms.
Cobb's death.
Mr.
Garcia and his son Mario are new to the Academy.
He was gracious enough to donate a new state of the art auditorium.
Construction's been a bit of a nightmare, but That's very generous.
(trumpet playing "Born Under a Bad Sign") (trumpet continues playing) This is Petty Officer Gordon's Jeep.
Probably went down Royal.
Shouldn't be too far away.
(exhales) You look tired.
Yeah, Tucker was up all night.
Melody says he's teething.
Well, karma's a bitch.
(sighs) Percy.
You know, I'm really trying not to make a big deal out of this, but I'm really surprised I was the last to know.
Thought we were close.
We are.
And I wanted to tell you.
I just (sighs) I knew you'd be disappointed.
Well, look.
Chris, I'm your friend.
I'm not here to judge you.
Friends should judge.
I'm a total zero at bein' a dad.
Look, how long have you been doing this? Like, a minute? Give yourself a chance.
For the kid's sake.
Thank you.
Yeah.
It's not gonna be easy.
Petty Officer Gordon could be anywhere.
(trumpet playing) Lucky for us, he plays trumpet.
Wrap up the solo, Gordon.
Time to talk.
Oh.
Yeah.
Sure.
(grunts) (bystanders gasping) Move! Move! NCIS! Federal agents! Stop right there! Come on, Lasalle! (grunting) Nice job, slowpoke.
Really need to get this new daddy thing figured out.
(sighs) GORDON: Whatever you think I did, you screwed up.
'Cause I'm innocent.
P.
O.
Gordon, you have psychological issues, right? Yeah, yeah.
If you ask my psychiatrist.
He thinks I suffer from paranoia.
Let me guess, you think he's out to get you.
That's funny.
Look, this isn't a therapy session.
This is an interrogation and we deal in fact.
LASALLE: Like the fact that you harassed Heather Cobb for taking first chair in the band.
Or the fact that you broke your band leader's arm when he decided to transfer you.
I'm an artist.
They wanted to put me on some boat.
I get seasick.
You joined the Navy.
Finally, we got your car on Heather's street two weeks leading up to her murder.
Her what? Whoa! This is exactly what I'm talking about! I'm being set up! SONJA: So you're saying your car wasn't at Heather's house? GORDON: No, it was.
I played in that band for two years.
I earned first chair.
We can see him, but he can't see us.
I kind of need your help here.
Okay, do you do you recognize him? Look close, okay? Why did you break into her house? I didn't.
I never saw his face.
Okay.
You didn't see him.
Did you hear him? LASALLE (volume increasing): Seems like a trophy you'd want.
I'm the one being persecuted here.
You guys decided I was guilty the second you laid eyes on me.
I'm the one who had everything taken away! And you call me paranoid.
There is a word for what you are.
Is this the man who attacked your aunt? GORDON: When you really think about it, I'm the victim in this situation.
I'm definitely not a murderer.
Listen, you're right Okay.
I was following Heather, okay? But that's all I did.
Last time I saw Heather was a couple nights ago.
She jumped the fence at the music academy into a construction site.
Came back a few minutes later covered in dirt.
That's all I know.
Anyone to confirm Heather at the music academy that night? Yeah.
There was a kid with her.
In the passenger seat.
(music playing faintly through headphones) Dustin says no, he is not the killer.
I say we keep that creep in there awhile just on principle.
Hey, honey, did your aunt ever take you to the music academy at night? PRIDE: Did your aunt ever take you to the academy after dark? Any idea why? No.
Okay.
Kid's been through a lot.
Might be worth getting him a counselor.
Maybe.
But he's warming up to you, Pride.
May have an idea how to reach out to him.
SONJA: Well, we'll go to the music academy.
See what was so compelling to Heather.
All right, we're on it.
(indistinct chatter) ISLER: Gregorio, wake up.
Like you're a million miles away.
Not that far.
I need you present right now.
Hey, I'm not sure why you pulled me from NCIS.
We've had no valid info on Ciudad Natal in weeks.
That's not exactly accurate.
Walk with me.
A significant amount of cartel cash has been flooding into New Orleans over the last few months.
Tens of millions.
Maybe more.
You saying New Orleans is being used to launder drug money? Not just laundering.
The cartel's laying down roots, funding legitimate businesses.
Creating a base of operations.
Any leads on who's running this laundering operation? Maybe.
Details are sketchy.
You have 12 hours to get up to speed.
Leave tomorrow for D.
C.
We're briefing the director and the attorney general.
That's assuming you don't have any Thanksgiving plans.
Well, all I (chuckling): It's a joke, Gregorio.
I know you don't have plans.
Actually, sir, I do have something.
You've been itching to get back to D.
C.
for the last two months.
Now I'm offering you face time with the two most important people at DOJ.
This is the part where you thank me, ask what time do we leave for the airport.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
PRIDE: Now, I know it doesn't look like much, but, um, it's all mine.
Best part of it is, I can play anytime I want, as loud as I want, as long as I want.
I think you might know this one.
"Born Under a Bad Sign.
" You're good.
Not as good as you are.
The song's been stuck in my head since I heard you play it at the academy.
Not many kids your age like old-time blues.
Hey.
Think fast.
Booker T.
Jones or Eric Clapton? Booker T.
all the way.
You know, I saw him play live in this bar, on this very stage.
For real? For real.
When I was not much older than you.
My mama was a singer.
Sang with some of the best.
My mama's on the ship.
I miss her.
I miss my mama, too.
Haven't seen her in a while.
But whenever I play the piano I feel closer to her.
We could play if you if you're up to it.
Come on.
What do you say? (both playing "Born Under a Bad Sign") (coughs) You okay? Yeah.
Look, we need to talk about last night.
I know you're scared.
My aunt told me to be brave.
(sighs) And you're doing great.
And I know she'd want you to help.
Tell us what happened.
I was hiding.
I didn't really see anything.
"Didn't really see" means maybe you saw a little bit? I should have done something.
Helped her.
There was nothing nothing you could have done then, Dustin.
But now, with me, you can make a difference.
I bet if you hear a song once, you can instantly play it.
Right? Yeah.
So this is just like that.
I know, I know you can do it.
He wa-- he was yelling at her.
Where is it? She told him to get out.
Threatened to call the cops.
HEATHER: I'm calling the cops.
(man grunting) That's when they started to fight.
And then he punched her.
(Heather cries out) He punched her hard.
LASALLE: It's the third time I've tried contacting Melody.
No response.
What's up with that? Maybe she's taking the baby for a walk or a nap.
(scoffs) Anyway, you should be glad she's not bugging you, family man.
(scoffs) That's a new name for me.
Mm-hmm.
Kid's still freaking you out, huh? Well, there's a learning curve, that's for sure, but he is a lovable fella.
And the girl? She's lovable, too? Melody? Sure.
It's just We had a good time a couple years back, but I was a different guy then.
She's definitely not my idea of a wife.
She doesn't have to be your wife.
You just have to have her back.
Care for the kid.
Right? Melody definitely wants more from me than that.
The question is, what do you want? (chain fence rattles) I want to know what's going on behind this fence.
NCIS.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
I'm a good guy.
Hold on.
Ow! (groaning) Sebastian.
What are you doing here? (groans) Hopefully not bleeding internally.
I think I landed on my keys.
Thank you.
(grunts) (grunts) I found a strange soil sample in the victim's house.
Analysis came back with evidence of PCBs.
Stuff they used for insulation for electrical equipment back in the day.
Really toxic, right? Yeah.
It's been banned since the '80s.
Anyway, I checked Heather's property, no sign of the same levels of toxicity, so I figured I'd come to all the places she's been to recently and gather some samples.
Yeah, but you could have called us.
We would have brought you a sample.
Nah, it's good to get out in the field.
You know? Away from the lab.
Breathe in the fresh air, even if it's filled with deadly fumes.
Whoa.
How dangerous is this stuff? Well, on a scale from one to lethal? Even limited exposure can lead to serious respiratory illnesses.
It's, it's the real deal.
(coughs) (cell phone ringing, Dustin playing trumpet) Pride.
Got a problem, King.
It looks like Heather found sediment containing PCBs behind Dustin's school.
It could be the reason she was killed-- to keep her quiet.
PCBs can make someone sick? Yeah.
It affects the respiratory system, especially in kids.
(coughing) Okay.
Good.
I-I-I got to go.
(coughing) Dustin Oh, no.
Oh, no.
We got to get you to the hospital.
(coughing) I got you, I got you.
There's a doctor here.
All right? Secure.
Dustin's okay now.
But his blood test came back positive for PCBs.
That's the same toxin Sebastian found at the construction site by Dustin's school.
Yeah.
Hospital's contacting the other students for testing.
Probably why so many of them got sick.
Doc says that Dustin's asthma exacerbated his reaction.
Luckily, it's treatable.
Music academy's been on that location for 20 years.
Nothing like this ever happened before.
Well, maybe the construction workers uncovered the PCBs when excavating the site.
Or they brought it in with them.
Either way, Heather discovered the problem, killed before she could expose it.
(scoffs) It's hard enough keeping them safe from the normal worries of life, and then you've got to wonder if their school's on a toxic dump? That's a lot.
Look You take care of them the best you can.
Teach them how to take care of themselves.
It takes work, sleepless nights, a lot of faith.
How did you balance it out, King? Working, marriage, raising Laurel? You do your best.
Sometimes you fail.
I still worry about Laurel every day.
(sighs) Gift of fatherhood.
What's our next move, King? Need to figure out the origin of the toxic sediment.
It could lead us to Heather's killer.
Okay.
SEBASTIAN: Dirt pulled from the construction site had only trace amounts of PCBs.
And there's not enough there to get one kid sick, let alone half the student body.
But the construction crews were working overtime at the school the last day or so; I saw the bulldozer tracks.
Maybe they moved the toxic soil.
Well, if they were dealing with PCBs, then they would have had to pull a ton of safety permits.
And they definitely wouldn't have allowed kids to be anywhere nearby until it was all cleared.
Then they moved it illegally.
Okay.
So Heather figured it out, was gonna expose them, and got killed for it.
We got to get to that construction company, now.
- Hey, Sebastian - Yeah? Whatcha doing? I'm gonna follow the next lead.
(chuckling): That's kind of my thing.
Your thing's staying here, analyzing evidence, crackin' wise, that's your thing.
Yeah, but I'm-I'm-I'm tired of analyzing evidence, you know? Never seeing a case through to the end.
Well, if you're unhappy, make a change.
- You mean like quit my job? - (scoffs) No.
I meant, like, taking up a hobby.
Yeah.
I don't think that, uh, golf lessons are gonna fill the empty space inside me.
Right now we need evidence this construction company moved the toxic waste and Heather was trying to expose them.
I tried, though.
I mean, her-her phone and her computer were wiped, restored to factory settings.
I assume that she went to a lab to test the soil, but there's no proof of it.
You know, it's like the killer covered all his tracks.
What about the construction company? Well, that's, uh, Avery Builders and Dredging.
They've been around for decades.
Uh, but they were recently purchased by a guy named Javier Garcia.
SONJA: Okay.
Who's Javier Garcia? No idea.
Let's see.
We're not the only ones who are wondering.
I just searched the federal databases.
FBI's looking into him, too.
You look like a woman in need of a lifeline-- cappuccino Ah and cannoli.
From Angelo Brocato? Mm-hmm.
You're officially my favorite person.
Need a little reciprocity.
Sugar for sugar? What do you need? Everything you got on Javier Garcia.
Yeah.
Sorry.
No can do.
(scoffs) You're kidding me.
No, I'm not.
And I don't know how you got that name, but if Isler finds out, he's gonna think I gave it to you.
Why does Isler care about toxic soil at a local music school? Wait a minute.
Is this connected to the Heather Cobb murder? Yeah.
We think she got hip to the PCB's in the soil making the kids sick, started looking into the construction and dredging company responsible.
Javier Garcia owns it.
Avery Builders.
We know all about it.
Listen, you need to back off.
Is this some kind of state secret? It's a cartel front.
Probably laundering drug money, though we can't prove it yet.
So Javier Garcia's an imbed? He arrived in New Orleans months ago, been buying companies and properties all over the city-- he's probably gonna be our new focus in the investigation.
(whispers): Listen you need to stay away, Percy.
Dustin's in the hospital, his aunt is dead, and the man who may be responsible is off-limits? Come on, Gregorio, you know we're not staying away.
And you wouldn't, either.
Special Agent Pride, right? That's right, Mr.
Garcia.
(sighs) We have a warrant to search your offices.
Sounds very official.
What are you looking for? Evidence of mishandling toxic soil at the Crescent City Music Academy.
As well as evidence about Heather Cobb's murder.
Let's go.
Well, if you think I had anything to do with that tragedy at the school, you don't know me very well.
I don't know you at all, Mr.
Garcia.
But we found PCB's at your construction site.
Heather Cobb did, too, and you know what happened to her.
My son goes to that school.
He's under a doctor's care for a respiratory infection, as much a victim as the other children.
This is your construction company.
I own many companies-- don't run the day-to-day.
I just found out about the PCB's.
That's why I'm here-- to handle the situation.
King.
Take a look at this.
I found this inside that cabinet.
Heather's trumpet case.
Inside, a container of dirt, along with lab report.
Taken from Heather's house.
This is the man I saw you with yesterday at the school.
Theo Beattie, my foreman.
I-I've been looking into this since yesterday.
Seems Theo used substandard materials to cut costs.
Contaminated soil.
You know where he is? He's supposed to be here waiting for me.
I was going to deal with him.
I found this e-mail that Theo tried to delete.
It's from Heather Cobb.
She confronted him about kids getting sick.
Was going to the EPA.
The guy's in the wind, King.
Probably in Mexico by now.
He'll have to go further than that if he wants to escape me.
Uh, we'll take care of Theo Beattie.
(ringtone playing): Born under a bad sign I been down Since I began to crawl What's up, King? "Born Under a Bad Sign.
" It's the song Dustin's been playing the whole time.
Theo's ringtone? PRIDE: That's what he's been trying to tell me.
Just too scared to say it.
Maybe he heard it the night of the murder.
Which means Dustin can put Theo at the crime scene.
We got to get to the hospital.
Get inside.
Now.
Not a sound.
What do we know? Theo Beattie snuck into the hospital, stole scrubs and an ID, pulled a gun on the guard.
Where are they now? Theo took Dustin.
There's no sign of 'em.
Yet.
Couldn't have gotten far.
Hospital went on lockdown minutes after Theo took the kid.
They got to be here somewhere.
I thought you weren't supposed to play with us.
What can I say, I just can't quit you.
Come on, Dustin, where are you? SONJA: Look, Pride, there are cops at every exit.
We will find them.
Think we just did.
Let's go.
Gregorio, with me.
Lasalle, Percy, right hallway.
SONJA: NCIS! Stop! Theo.
Let the boy go.
He's sick.
Needs to be in the hospital.
You do not want to hurt anybody else.
Stay away from me.
(Dustin panting) It was an accident.
Haven't you done enough to him already? I didn't know that soil was toxic.
She didn't give me a chance to fix it.
You're saying Heather Cobb's to blame? She was gonna report me.
(coughing) I-I had to keep her quiet.
I was as good as dead.
You don't know who I work for! Garcia doesn't forgive mistakes.
You can't help me.
Yes, I can.
You are not gonna hurt that boy.
(coughing) (coughing continues) You got to let him go, Theo.
He needs his inhaler.
(Dustin continues coughing) Dustin, you okay? (coughing) Theo! He's sick.
Let him go.
(coughing) He can't breathe! Let him go! Drop your weapon.
LASALLE: Theo! Drop it! Now! GREGORIO: Don't move! All right, against the wall.
Hands behind your back.
It's okay.
All right.
(sirens wailing in distance) PRIDE: You did good.
You did real good, Dustin.
You're safe now.
(sirens approaching) (sirens stop) Hey.
Hey.
Petty Officer Matthews? Special Agent Dwayne Pride.
You saved my son.
I don't know how to thank you.
Send me his first album.
I'll have him autograph it for you.
Not exactly protocol, but I got Heather's trumpet released from evidence.
Think you should have it, Dustin.
As a reminder to keep playing for your aunt.
And you keep playing, too.
For your mom.
That's a deal.
Hey.
Take care of each other.
You still here? I figured Isler would be wondering where you are about now.
Probably.
I just wanted to see this case through.
Hm.
Don't be a stranger, Gregorio.
(takes deep breath) Explain something to me.
I put you front and center on the Ciudad Natal investigation.
Career-making case.
Yet you drop everything to help NCIS.
They were shorthanded.
Not to mention almost exposing us to Javier Garcia.
He has no idea we suspect him of cartel ties.
I thought Theo Beattie might provide evidence against him.
The construction worker? Who dumped the toxic waste at the school? Not likely.
He wasn't involved in cartel business.
(sighs) I got to ask, Gregorio-- are you happy at FBI? Honestly, sir I don't know.
(exhales) Well, you better figure it out quick, because we head for D.
C.
in a couple of hours, and I need to know whose team you're on.
PRIDE: I'll be honest.
I'm surprised.
I know you haven't been satisfied lately, but this is a big life change.
You sure you're ready for it? Well, I-I don't know if I'm ready for it, but I know I I need to give it a shot.
I want to be part of the team.
You are part of the team.
I know, I know, and lab work is rewarding.
Or it used to be.
I just I don't know, I-I feel like I can offer more.
I want to do what you guys do.
It's a hard job, Sebastian.
Yeah, look, this is not a whim, okay? I already submitted my application to be a special agent-- I-I I am all in.
I was, uh, actually kind of hoping that maybe I could get a recommendation? Training is tough, Sebastian.
Tougher than anything you've ever been through before, but if you pass I'll give you more than a recommendation, I'll give you a job.
Oh, my God, really? (chuckling): Yeah, Sebastian, really.
You're family, after all.
(exhales) (sighs) (takes deep breath) Hey, you get a chance to talk to Pride? He's out back with Sebastian.
Oh, stick around-- he'll be done soon.
Actually, I got a plane to catch.
Aw, man, I thought you were staying put for Thanksgiving.
Change of plans-- heading to D.
C.
That's all I was gonna tell Pride.
Happy Thanksgiving, guys.
(trumpet playing "What a Wonderful World") @elderman
Come with me.
What's wrong? (whispering): Stay inside and not a sound.
Is this a game? Dustin I need you to be brave.
MAN: Where is it?! WOMAN: You can't be in my house! MAN: Shut up! Where did you hide it?! (woman grunting) WOMAN: Get out of my house! (glass shatters) I'm gonna call the cops! MAN: You are not calling anyone! (groans) (glass shatters) (woman shouting) (man grunts) (woman cries out) NCIS:New Orleans 3x08 Music to My Ears Boom, boom, boom, boom Bang, bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom, boom How, how, how, how Hey, hey @elderman You gotta come on.
Yo, Lasalle, let's hustle.
Hey there.
Hi.
- I'm Melody.
- Uh-huh.
I hate diaper changes as much as you do, bud.
MELODY: You are? Really confused right now.
Percy.
What are you doing here? Um excuse me.
We've got a case nearby.
I told Pride I'd swing around and pick you up.
Well, you should've called.
I did call and text, so I guess I hadn't checked my phone.
Oh, he's been a little busy.
Tucker's been having a hard time adjusting to his new home.
Oh, Melody, this is Sonja Percy, my co-worker.
And, uh, Percy, this is Melody.
We well (laughs) Aw, we have a son together, yes.
A son? Yeah, Tucker.
Yeah.
You got questions.
So many but we got a case right now, so yeah.
Hi.
Guess I better get going.
You think you'll be gone long, Christopher? Ah, well I don't know.
Sorry.
I'll call you later, all right? (smooches) Hey.
(smooches) (chuckles) Bye.
(indistinct conversations) You okay? Peachy.
'Cause you didn't say a word on the way over here.
Don't have any words.
(sighs) I should've told you sooner.
Which you said a dozen times in the car.
You don't have to.
I'm not mad.
Really? You seem mad.
No.
It's your private life, nothing to do with work and it's none of my business.
Okay Just like it's none of my business you told everyone else on the team about your love child except me.
Doesn't mean a thing.
We're good.
So, wait you are mad.
PRIDE: NOPD got a domestic disturbance call last night.
Neighbor heard screaming.
Patrol found Petty Officer Heather Cobb dead.
She's a member of the Commodores, the Navy Jazz Band.
Think this simple burglary went aggravated? This is more than just a burglary.
This place is turned upside down.
Suspect searching for something specific? Whatever the killer was looking for, our victim didn't want it found.
She has defensive wounds on her forearm, hands Pre-mortem bruising and contusions on torso, throat, face.
Put up a fight.
Sadly, not a good enough one.
It's too soon to tell, but I'm guessing blunt force trauma as cause of death.
LASALLE: King, check this out.
What'd you find? Master bedroom's on the other end of the hall.
Yeah, so? Who was sleeping in this bed? Maybe someone else was staying in the house? Spread out and look around.
Hey, Gregorio.
Hey.
Nice of you to stop by.
Well, FBI's still my day job.
You guys are more of a hobby.
What'd I miss? One victim upstairs dead.
Possible second victim made it out of the house.
We're gonna search the area.
You're with me.
You know, ever since we plucked that Ciudad Natal accountant out of the bayou, D.
C.
's been turning the screws on Isler to try to get indictments on the cartel.
And Isler's been turning the screws on you.
That's the way the game works.
Not everywhere.
Yeah, well, Isler wants to find the cartel embeds in New Orleans before Thanksgiving.
That means you'll be in town for the holiday? Gives me an excuse to avoid family.
Yeah, well always got a place at my Thanksgiving table if you if you want it.
Don't expect me to cook.
SEBASTIAN: You can always bring pie.
PRIDE: Sebastian.
Yeah? PRIDE: What are you doing here? I'm gathering evidence.
Crime scene's inside the house.
SEBASTIAN: Or is it? Check this out.
So, I found this door.
Thought maybe it was the killer's entry point except it was unlocked and broken from the inside.
Now, that's when I also noticed what Looks like footprints.
SEBASTIAN: Exactly.
Now, these tracks lead either to a locked gate over here PRIDE: Yeah? or to this door over here.
Under the house? Yeah.
You guys are good at this, you know that? Hey, you want to check it out? PRIDE: No, no, no, no, no.
Thank you.
Get Percy and Lasalle.
Oh, okay, I'll get Percy and Lasalle.
No, no! No! No! Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me! Don't hurt me, please! Oh.
Hey.
No! No! It's all right.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
- No, it's all right.
It's all right.
- Don't hurt me.
We're not gonna hurt you.
Please.
It's okay.
(panting) I promise.
You're safe now.
(jazz plays through headphones) GREGORIO: He say anything? Other than his name is Dustin, and his mom's in the Navy? I went to Heather Cobb's house to get him some clean clothes.
According to neighbors, that's her nephew, and he's been staying with her.
Well, it makes sense.
Mom's deployed at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.
She's on her way back now.
Dad's deceased.
Contact Child Protective Services? Yup.
Got 'em to grant us custody until his mom returns.
I want eyes on him.
He might be our only witness to Heather Cobb's murder.
Here you go.
(jazz plays through headphones) Could you take them? Sweet potato pancakes.
After you eat, maybe we can, uh talk about what happened, okay? But take take your time.
If he doesn't eat them, I will.
Yeah.
Always make extra.
Got to say, I'm gonna miss your cooking and your coffee.
FBI coffee is swill.
That sounds like a good-bye.
Cartel case is gonna close or blow up soon.
Either way, I'm out of here.
(Dustin coughing loudly) You okay, kid? (coughing and wheezing) Dustin? (air hisses, sniffles) Is this for asthma? Dustin, we're gonna take care of you till your mom comes home, okay? Okay.
Hey, King? I think we got something.
SONJA: Canvassed Heather Cobb's neighborhood.
Absolutely nothing suspicious last night.
But several people did see a white Jeep driving down her street the last couple weeks.
Well, someone get a license plate? SONJA: That's the thing.
Jeep has no plates.
We put a BOLO out anyway.
PRIDE: Mysterious white Jeep.
Heather Cobb's beaten to death, her house ransacked, her nephew traumatized.
Why? SONJA: Well, we're still not sure, 'cause Heather was a straight arrow.
Masters from Berklee College of Music, played trumpet in the Navy Jazz Band, and in her free time, she taught the kids at Crescent City Music Academy.
Yeah, basically, she was Mary Poppins.
Well, someone wanted her dead.
Let's dig into her life.
You two talk to the Navy Band, I'll hit the music academy.
We're on it.
(phone ringing) Yeah.
I need to get this.
Melody.
Yeah, I can't really talk right now.
What? How does someone lose a remote? Short leash, Country Mouse.
Okay.
PRIDE: Hey, uh, I got to head out.
Can you watch Dustin for me? No, I can't.
Isler just called, and by the sound of it, sounds like he wants me back at FBI full-time.
What? You make me go through that stack of résumés again? (laughs) Thought you'd be around a little bit longer.
Hey, if it was up to me Well, what if it was? I got a space on my team.
If you want it, it's yours.
Join NCIS? That's a really nice offer.
But I got a job, you know? Duty calls.
Well, why don't you think about it at least, huh? I'm flattered, really, and as fun as it's been, this was always gonna be temporary, you know? You and me, kid.
(lively jazz playing) MAN: Well, it's been weeks since the attack.
I'm not sure why NCIS is here now.
What attack are you talking about? Petty Officer Gordon.
Former second trumpet.
Broke my arm with a chair.
We're here about Heather Cobb.
She was murdered last night.
(exhales) I can't believe it LASALLE: We're wondering if you know of anyone who might've wanted to do her harm.
Yes.
The same man who did this to me.
Petty Officer Gordon.
He was in line to be first trumpet.
But when Heather auditioned, she blew him away.
It was no contest.
So you gave her the job.
Guessing Petty Officer Gordon didn't agree with that.
He never gave Cobb a moment's peace.
Harassed her during rehearsals and after hours.
Cobb complained to me, I decided to have him transferred.
And that's when he attacked you? Ending his Navy career.
LASALLE: Giving him even more of a reason to have it out for Heather Cobb.
Petty Officer Gordon doesn't drive a white Jeep, does he? As a matter of fact, he does.
SEBASTIAN: This doesn't make any sense.
I've been studying these crime scene photos for hours.
Shouldn't you be processing evidence? I did already.
All the DNA and fingerprints from the crime scene all belong to Heather or Dustin.
And the only trace I came up with was a foreign dirt sample in the kitchen sink.
I'm running that through the Mass Spec right now.
What doesn't make sense in the crime scene photos? Just L-Look at this mess.
I mean, the killer must've been searching for something.
NOPD said all her possessions were accounted for.
Oh, man.
It's so obvious.
I've I've been staring at it this whole time.
What are you talking about? Heather was a trumpeter in the Navy Band, right? Mm-hmm.
Okay.
So Where's the trumpet? It's not in the house.
So you think Petty Officer Cobb was murdered for her trumpet? Yeah.
That sounds really stupid, doesn't it? It's an interesting theory.
But I found actual evidence in Heather's fingernails.
Skin cells that may belong to the killer.
Okay, right.
Yeah, sure.
Just analyze the epidermis.
What's going on? A few weeks ago, I was abducted, forced to break an international criminal out of prison, and then helped bring him and the kidnappers to justice, right? Today, I'm your friendly neighborhood lab monkey analyzing nail scrapings.
You don't enjoy the lab anymore, Sebastian? No.
I do.
I do, it's just Is that all there is for me? I have stomach contents.
I'll come back for those.
PRIDE: Crescent City Music Academy.
Your Aunt Heather worked at a pretty cool place, huh? WOMAN: Dustin! (indistinct chatter) I'm glad you're okay.
I am so sorry about your aunt.
We'll all miss her very much.
And you must be Special Agent Pride.
Yes, ma'am.
- You know Dustin? - Of course! One of our most talented young musicians.
Thank you.
I'll be inside.
He's a student here? He didn't tell you? Well, he has hasn't been doing a lot of talking.
(sighs) That's our Dustin.
How long has he been at your school? Uh, a couple years.
Heather brought him to us.
He's He's a true prodigy.
Had you noticed anything out of the ordinary with Heather? (exhales) I can't say.
Been distracted these days.
We've got a huge construction project on the grounds.
Some kind of virus that has half my students out sick.
Thanksgiving coming up.
Just a lot.
(clears throat) Mr.
Garcia.
I don't mean to interrupt, but Theo and I were discussing how to modify the construction schedule so that his trucks don't disturb the children during school hours.
Ah I'd appreciate that, Mr.
Garcia.
Those trucks have been moving in and out all morning.
Yeah.
I'll-I'll take care of it.
We were just running behind schedule and I figured I could make up some time Just apologize, Theo.
THEO: Um Sorry, Ms.
McGuire.
Won't happen again.
Thank you.
Again, I'm I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Uh, especially with Ms.
Cobb's death.
Mr.
Garcia and his son Mario are new to the Academy.
He was gracious enough to donate a new state of the art auditorium.
Construction's been a bit of a nightmare, but That's very generous.
(trumpet playing "Born Under a Bad Sign") (trumpet continues playing) This is Petty Officer Gordon's Jeep.
Probably went down Royal.
Shouldn't be too far away.
(exhales) You look tired.
Yeah, Tucker was up all night.
Melody says he's teething.
Well, karma's a bitch.
(sighs) Percy.
You know, I'm really trying not to make a big deal out of this, but I'm really surprised I was the last to know.
Thought we were close.
We are.
And I wanted to tell you.
I just (sighs) I knew you'd be disappointed.
Well, look.
Chris, I'm your friend.
I'm not here to judge you.
Friends should judge.
I'm a total zero at bein' a dad.
Look, how long have you been doing this? Like, a minute? Give yourself a chance.
For the kid's sake.
Thank you.
Yeah.
It's not gonna be easy.
Petty Officer Gordon could be anywhere.
(trumpet playing) Lucky for us, he plays trumpet.
Wrap up the solo, Gordon.
Time to talk.
Oh.
Yeah.
Sure.
(grunts) (bystanders gasping) Move! Move! NCIS! Federal agents! Stop right there! Come on, Lasalle! (grunting) Nice job, slowpoke.
Really need to get this new daddy thing figured out.
(sighs) GORDON: Whatever you think I did, you screwed up.
'Cause I'm innocent.
P.
O.
Gordon, you have psychological issues, right? Yeah, yeah.
If you ask my psychiatrist.
He thinks I suffer from paranoia.
Let me guess, you think he's out to get you.
That's funny.
Look, this isn't a therapy session.
This is an interrogation and we deal in fact.
LASALLE: Like the fact that you harassed Heather Cobb for taking first chair in the band.
Or the fact that you broke your band leader's arm when he decided to transfer you.
I'm an artist.
They wanted to put me on some boat.
I get seasick.
You joined the Navy.
Finally, we got your car on Heather's street two weeks leading up to her murder.
Her what? Whoa! This is exactly what I'm talking about! I'm being set up! SONJA: So you're saying your car wasn't at Heather's house? GORDON: No, it was.
I played in that band for two years.
I earned first chair.
We can see him, but he can't see us.
I kind of need your help here.
Okay, do you do you recognize him? Look close, okay? Why did you break into her house? I didn't.
I never saw his face.
Okay.
You didn't see him.
Did you hear him? LASALLE (volume increasing): Seems like a trophy you'd want.
I'm the one being persecuted here.
You guys decided I was guilty the second you laid eyes on me.
I'm the one who had everything taken away! And you call me paranoid.
There is a word for what you are.
Is this the man who attacked your aunt? GORDON: When you really think about it, I'm the victim in this situation.
I'm definitely not a murderer.
Listen, you're right Okay.
I was following Heather, okay? But that's all I did.
Last time I saw Heather was a couple nights ago.
She jumped the fence at the music academy into a construction site.
Came back a few minutes later covered in dirt.
That's all I know.
Anyone to confirm Heather at the music academy that night? Yeah.
There was a kid with her.
In the passenger seat.
(music playing faintly through headphones) Dustin says no, he is not the killer.
I say we keep that creep in there awhile just on principle.
Hey, honey, did your aunt ever take you to the music academy at night? PRIDE: Did your aunt ever take you to the academy after dark? Any idea why? No.
Okay.
Kid's been through a lot.
Might be worth getting him a counselor.
Maybe.
But he's warming up to you, Pride.
May have an idea how to reach out to him.
SONJA: Well, we'll go to the music academy.
See what was so compelling to Heather.
All right, we're on it.
(indistinct chatter) ISLER: Gregorio, wake up.
Like you're a million miles away.
Not that far.
I need you present right now.
Hey, I'm not sure why you pulled me from NCIS.
We've had no valid info on Ciudad Natal in weeks.
That's not exactly accurate.
Walk with me.
A significant amount of cartel cash has been flooding into New Orleans over the last few months.
Tens of millions.
Maybe more.
You saying New Orleans is being used to launder drug money? Not just laundering.
The cartel's laying down roots, funding legitimate businesses.
Creating a base of operations.
Any leads on who's running this laundering operation? Maybe.
Details are sketchy.
You have 12 hours to get up to speed.
Leave tomorrow for D.
C.
We're briefing the director and the attorney general.
That's assuming you don't have any Thanksgiving plans.
Well, all I (chuckling): It's a joke, Gregorio.
I know you don't have plans.
Actually, sir, I do have something.
You've been itching to get back to D.
C.
for the last two months.
Now I'm offering you face time with the two most important people at DOJ.
This is the part where you thank me, ask what time do we leave for the airport.
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
PRIDE: Now, I know it doesn't look like much, but, um, it's all mine.
Best part of it is, I can play anytime I want, as loud as I want, as long as I want.
I think you might know this one.
"Born Under a Bad Sign.
" You're good.
Not as good as you are.
The song's been stuck in my head since I heard you play it at the academy.
Not many kids your age like old-time blues.
Hey.
Think fast.
Booker T.
Jones or Eric Clapton? Booker T.
all the way.
You know, I saw him play live in this bar, on this very stage.
For real? For real.
When I was not much older than you.
My mama was a singer.
Sang with some of the best.
My mama's on the ship.
I miss her.
I miss my mama, too.
Haven't seen her in a while.
But whenever I play the piano I feel closer to her.
We could play if you if you're up to it.
Come on.
What do you say? (both playing "Born Under a Bad Sign") (coughs) You okay? Yeah.
Look, we need to talk about last night.
I know you're scared.
My aunt told me to be brave.
(sighs) And you're doing great.
And I know she'd want you to help.
Tell us what happened.
I was hiding.
I didn't really see anything.
"Didn't really see" means maybe you saw a little bit? I should have done something.
Helped her.
There was nothing nothing you could have done then, Dustin.
But now, with me, you can make a difference.
I bet if you hear a song once, you can instantly play it.
Right? Yeah.
So this is just like that.
I know, I know you can do it.
He wa-- he was yelling at her.
Where is it? She told him to get out.
Threatened to call the cops.
HEATHER: I'm calling the cops.
(man grunting) That's when they started to fight.
And then he punched her.
(Heather cries out) He punched her hard.
LASALLE: It's the third time I've tried contacting Melody.
No response.
What's up with that? Maybe she's taking the baby for a walk or a nap.
(scoffs) Anyway, you should be glad she's not bugging you, family man.
(scoffs) That's a new name for me.
Mm-hmm.
Kid's still freaking you out, huh? Well, there's a learning curve, that's for sure, but he is a lovable fella.
And the girl? She's lovable, too? Melody? Sure.
It's just We had a good time a couple years back, but I was a different guy then.
She's definitely not my idea of a wife.
She doesn't have to be your wife.
You just have to have her back.
Care for the kid.
Right? Melody definitely wants more from me than that.
The question is, what do you want? (chain fence rattles) I want to know what's going on behind this fence.
NCIS.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
I'm a good guy.
Hold on.
Ow! (groaning) Sebastian.
What are you doing here? (groans) Hopefully not bleeding internally.
I think I landed on my keys.
Thank you.
(grunts) (grunts) I found a strange soil sample in the victim's house.
Analysis came back with evidence of PCBs.
Stuff they used for insulation for electrical equipment back in the day.
Really toxic, right? Yeah.
It's been banned since the '80s.
Anyway, I checked Heather's property, no sign of the same levels of toxicity, so I figured I'd come to all the places she's been to recently and gather some samples.
Yeah, but you could have called us.
We would have brought you a sample.
Nah, it's good to get out in the field.
You know? Away from the lab.
Breathe in the fresh air, even if it's filled with deadly fumes.
Whoa.
How dangerous is this stuff? Well, on a scale from one to lethal? Even limited exposure can lead to serious respiratory illnesses.
It's, it's the real deal.
(coughs) (cell phone ringing, Dustin playing trumpet) Pride.
Got a problem, King.
It looks like Heather found sediment containing PCBs behind Dustin's school.
It could be the reason she was killed-- to keep her quiet.
PCBs can make someone sick? Yeah.
It affects the respiratory system, especially in kids.
(coughing) Okay.
Good.
I-I-I got to go.
(coughing) Dustin Oh, no.
Oh, no.
We got to get you to the hospital.
(coughing) I got you, I got you.
There's a doctor here.
All right? Secure.
Dustin's okay now.
But his blood test came back positive for PCBs.
That's the same toxin Sebastian found at the construction site by Dustin's school.
Yeah.
Hospital's contacting the other students for testing.
Probably why so many of them got sick.
Doc says that Dustin's asthma exacerbated his reaction.
Luckily, it's treatable.
Music academy's been on that location for 20 years.
Nothing like this ever happened before.
Well, maybe the construction workers uncovered the PCBs when excavating the site.
Or they brought it in with them.
Either way, Heather discovered the problem, killed before she could expose it.
(scoffs) It's hard enough keeping them safe from the normal worries of life, and then you've got to wonder if their school's on a toxic dump? That's a lot.
Look You take care of them the best you can.
Teach them how to take care of themselves.
It takes work, sleepless nights, a lot of faith.
How did you balance it out, King? Working, marriage, raising Laurel? You do your best.
Sometimes you fail.
I still worry about Laurel every day.
(sighs) Gift of fatherhood.
What's our next move, King? Need to figure out the origin of the toxic sediment.
It could lead us to Heather's killer.
Okay.
SEBASTIAN: Dirt pulled from the construction site had only trace amounts of PCBs.
And there's not enough there to get one kid sick, let alone half the student body.
But the construction crews were working overtime at the school the last day or so; I saw the bulldozer tracks.
Maybe they moved the toxic soil.
Well, if they were dealing with PCBs, then they would have had to pull a ton of safety permits.
And they definitely wouldn't have allowed kids to be anywhere nearby until it was all cleared.
Then they moved it illegally.
Okay.
So Heather figured it out, was gonna expose them, and got killed for it.
We got to get to that construction company, now.
- Hey, Sebastian - Yeah? Whatcha doing? I'm gonna follow the next lead.
(chuckling): That's kind of my thing.
Your thing's staying here, analyzing evidence, crackin' wise, that's your thing.
Yeah, but I'm-I'm-I'm tired of analyzing evidence, you know? Never seeing a case through to the end.
Well, if you're unhappy, make a change.
- You mean like quit my job? - (scoffs) No.
I meant, like, taking up a hobby.
Yeah.
I don't think that, uh, golf lessons are gonna fill the empty space inside me.
Right now we need evidence this construction company moved the toxic waste and Heather was trying to expose them.
I tried, though.
I mean, her-her phone and her computer were wiped, restored to factory settings.
I assume that she went to a lab to test the soil, but there's no proof of it.
You know, it's like the killer covered all his tracks.
What about the construction company? Well, that's, uh, Avery Builders and Dredging.
They've been around for decades.
Uh, but they were recently purchased by a guy named Javier Garcia.
SONJA: Okay.
Who's Javier Garcia? No idea.
Let's see.
We're not the only ones who are wondering.
I just searched the federal databases.
FBI's looking into him, too.
You look like a woman in need of a lifeline-- cappuccino Ah and cannoli.
From Angelo Brocato? Mm-hmm.
You're officially my favorite person.
Need a little reciprocity.
Sugar for sugar? What do you need? Everything you got on Javier Garcia.
Yeah.
Sorry.
No can do.
(scoffs) You're kidding me.
No, I'm not.
And I don't know how you got that name, but if Isler finds out, he's gonna think I gave it to you.
Why does Isler care about toxic soil at a local music school? Wait a minute.
Is this connected to the Heather Cobb murder? Yeah.
We think she got hip to the PCB's in the soil making the kids sick, started looking into the construction and dredging company responsible.
Javier Garcia owns it.
Avery Builders.
We know all about it.
Listen, you need to back off.
Is this some kind of state secret? It's a cartel front.
Probably laundering drug money, though we can't prove it yet.
So Javier Garcia's an imbed? He arrived in New Orleans months ago, been buying companies and properties all over the city-- he's probably gonna be our new focus in the investigation.
(whispers): Listen you need to stay away, Percy.
Dustin's in the hospital, his aunt is dead, and the man who may be responsible is off-limits? Come on, Gregorio, you know we're not staying away.
And you wouldn't, either.
Special Agent Pride, right? That's right, Mr.
Garcia.
(sighs) We have a warrant to search your offices.
Sounds very official.
What are you looking for? Evidence of mishandling toxic soil at the Crescent City Music Academy.
As well as evidence about Heather Cobb's murder.
Let's go.
Well, if you think I had anything to do with that tragedy at the school, you don't know me very well.
I don't know you at all, Mr.
Garcia.
But we found PCB's at your construction site.
Heather Cobb did, too, and you know what happened to her.
My son goes to that school.
He's under a doctor's care for a respiratory infection, as much a victim as the other children.
This is your construction company.
I own many companies-- don't run the day-to-day.
I just found out about the PCB's.
That's why I'm here-- to handle the situation.
King.
Take a look at this.
I found this inside that cabinet.
Heather's trumpet case.
Inside, a container of dirt, along with lab report.
Taken from Heather's house.
This is the man I saw you with yesterday at the school.
Theo Beattie, my foreman.
I-I've been looking into this since yesterday.
Seems Theo used substandard materials to cut costs.
Contaminated soil.
You know where he is? He's supposed to be here waiting for me.
I was going to deal with him.
I found this e-mail that Theo tried to delete.
It's from Heather Cobb.
She confronted him about kids getting sick.
Was going to the EPA.
The guy's in the wind, King.
Probably in Mexico by now.
He'll have to go further than that if he wants to escape me.
Uh, we'll take care of Theo Beattie.
(ringtone playing): Born under a bad sign I been down Since I began to crawl What's up, King? "Born Under a Bad Sign.
" It's the song Dustin's been playing the whole time.
Theo's ringtone? PRIDE: That's what he's been trying to tell me.
Just too scared to say it.
Maybe he heard it the night of the murder.
Which means Dustin can put Theo at the crime scene.
We got to get to the hospital.
Get inside.
Now.
Not a sound.
What do we know? Theo Beattie snuck into the hospital, stole scrubs and an ID, pulled a gun on the guard.
Where are they now? Theo took Dustin.
There's no sign of 'em.
Yet.
Couldn't have gotten far.
Hospital went on lockdown minutes after Theo took the kid.
They got to be here somewhere.
I thought you weren't supposed to play with us.
What can I say, I just can't quit you.
Come on, Dustin, where are you? SONJA: Look, Pride, there are cops at every exit.
We will find them.
Think we just did.
Let's go.
Gregorio, with me.
Lasalle, Percy, right hallway.
SONJA: NCIS! Stop! Theo.
Let the boy go.
He's sick.
Needs to be in the hospital.
You do not want to hurt anybody else.
Stay away from me.
(Dustin panting) It was an accident.
Haven't you done enough to him already? I didn't know that soil was toxic.
She didn't give me a chance to fix it.
You're saying Heather Cobb's to blame? She was gonna report me.
(coughing) I-I had to keep her quiet.
I was as good as dead.
You don't know who I work for! Garcia doesn't forgive mistakes.
You can't help me.
Yes, I can.
You are not gonna hurt that boy.
(coughing) (coughing continues) You got to let him go, Theo.
He needs his inhaler.
(Dustin continues coughing) Dustin, you okay? (coughing) Theo! He's sick.
Let him go.
(coughing) He can't breathe! Let him go! Drop your weapon.
LASALLE: Theo! Drop it! Now! GREGORIO: Don't move! All right, against the wall.
Hands behind your back.
It's okay.
All right.
(sirens wailing in distance) PRIDE: You did good.
You did real good, Dustin.
You're safe now.
(sirens approaching) (sirens stop) Hey.
Hey.
Petty Officer Matthews? Special Agent Dwayne Pride.
You saved my son.
I don't know how to thank you.
Send me his first album.
I'll have him autograph it for you.
Not exactly protocol, but I got Heather's trumpet released from evidence.
Think you should have it, Dustin.
As a reminder to keep playing for your aunt.
And you keep playing, too.
For your mom.
That's a deal.
Hey.
Take care of each other.
You still here? I figured Isler would be wondering where you are about now.
Probably.
I just wanted to see this case through.
Hm.
Don't be a stranger, Gregorio.
(takes deep breath) Explain something to me.
I put you front and center on the Ciudad Natal investigation.
Career-making case.
Yet you drop everything to help NCIS.
They were shorthanded.
Not to mention almost exposing us to Javier Garcia.
He has no idea we suspect him of cartel ties.
I thought Theo Beattie might provide evidence against him.
The construction worker? Who dumped the toxic waste at the school? Not likely.
He wasn't involved in cartel business.
(sighs) I got to ask, Gregorio-- are you happy at FBI? Honestly, sir I don't know.
(exhales) Well, you better figure it out quick, because we head for D.
C.
in a couple of hours, and I need to know whose team you're on.
PRIDE: I'll be honest.
I'm surprised.
I know you haven't been satisfied lately, but this is a big life change.
You sure you're ready for it? Well, I-I don't know if I'm ready for it, but I know I I need to give it a shot.
I want to be part of the team.
You are part of the team.
I know, I know, and lab work is rewarding.
Or it used to be.
I just I don't know, I-I feel like I can offer more.
I want to do what you guys do.
It's a hard job, Sebastian.
Yeah, look, this is not a whim, okay? I already submitted my application to be a special agent-- I-I I am all in.
I was, uh, actually kind of hoping that maybe I could get a recommendation? Training is tough, Sebastian.
Tougher than anything you've ever been through before, but if you pass I'll give you more than a recommendation, I'll give you a job.
Oh, my God, really? (chuckling): Yeah, Sebastian, really.
You're family, after all.
(exhales) (sighs) (takes deep breath) Hey, you get a chance to talk to Pride? He's out back with Sebastian.
Oh, stick around-- he'll be done soon.
Actually, I got a plane to catch.
Aw, man, I thought you were staying put for Thanksgiving.
Change of plans-- heading to D.
C.
That's all I was gonna tell Pride.
Happy Thanksgiving, guys.
(trumpet playing "What a Wonderful World") @elderman