Numb3rs s03e09 Episode Script
Waste Not
You've got to finish this weekend! Don't worry.
Kids will have a new playground by Monday morning.
All right, kids.
He'll be here all day with that backhoe, so you can watch for a while.
But stay back.
That's not a backhoe.
That's a Skid loader.
A backhoe is bigger.
Thank you, Malik.
Welcome.
Trudy, make sure they stay behind the fence.
I got that, Mrs.
Come on, guys, you go watch him over here.
Well, change is good.
Not always.
Let me rephrase: Change is inevitable, and those who adapt most quickly are the most likely to survive.
You already have tenure.
It's not an issue for you like it is for some.
Has our new division chair Mildred said anything to you? We can protect you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed colleagues and friends.
We celebrate the appointment of Dr Mildred French to the Physics/Math/Astronomy division chair.
I just want you to know I'm willing to the battlefield with Dr French.
No thanks, Charlie.
means that she speaks your languages.
All of them.
I give you Dr Mildred French.
Thank you, thank you.
I am delighted to be back home with you all.
If she has any sense she'll make you tenure track.
She already has.
Already? Tenure? The higher salary.
to attract young brilliant minds.
We're going to reinvigorate this division, hmm? Now, one of the advantages of having worked here for so long is that I know where all the bodies are buried, so be careful.
That was really predacious.
Oh, change is good.
Where did Dr Fleinhard get to? Oh, he recalled an obligation.
Congratulations.
Honestly, do you know how wonderful it is to have a chair conversant in math, physics and cosmology? I intend to encourage more collaborative spirit among the departments.
And I like that.
And collaboration takes time, Charlie.
Your time.
Of course.
Dr Ramanujan, have you considered my offer? I have, and I would love to work with you on the research.
Excellent.
And you will serve on the curriculum committee.
OK.
Well- Hey! - Hi! Sorry.
This is Dr Mildred French, she's our new chair.
This is my father Alan.
Millie.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
You too.
Dr French has returned from an Antarctica? What were you studying, penguins? Or ice? Actually, I insinuated myself into a minor position and amended the Giant Neutrino Telescope.
An engineering job I was completely ill-suited for.
My father's an engineer.
I adjusted a dial three times a week.
And really I just went to think in peace.
So how did that work out for you? I came back with a strong sense of what's important and what's not.
Which is what? Not wasting time.
Hey, a few more minutes, then snack time.
We wanna stay outside! Malik, don't you want some cookies? Help me! Get it! Trudy! Mrs Perez! No! Oh, Mrs Perez! Mrs Perez, Mrs Perez! Three children have been pulled from the sinkhole, two remain trapped.
The rescued children and their caretaker, Trudy Perez, are en route to county hospital.
We're awaiting word on their condition.
We'll continue Why are we called in on this? Apparently, the DOJ has been investigating *Kentmill Construction for 2 years.
Bribery, bio fraud, kickbacks past to cover half-ass work.
Company's offices are all across the Western states.
Big birds.
You guys all remember USA Howard Makes, right? Kentwell Construction built the school? The playground.
Ten years ago.
My fraud case has languished.
Hard to prove.
Hard to get anybody excited about it.
Unfortunately, now we have victims.
And publicity.
We want the FBI to take over the field investigation.
I've talked to the local DA about holding up any potential homicide charges until we take a shot at these guys.
Did one of the kids die? No.
The older lady, Trudy Perez, is not expected to make it.
So what's the plan? Well, since the kids are out, we're gonna go in.
Let's start with seeing if we can find any negligence on Kentwell's part.
They're innocent.
What about the guy who was tearing up the place with a *backo? Local parent doing a good deed.
It's not his fault.
This has *Kentmill's fingerprints all over it.
You really don't like these guys.
Money keeps them above the line.
It pisses me off.
I want them in prison, not just paying a fine.
I'll start working on finding a construction specialist.
My father might be able to help you with that.
And we should see if we can find out how these guys got the contract to begin with.
Yeah, they had to deal with someone at the school.
It was a favor, man! You volunteered to repave the playground off the books.
The pavement was cracked! Kids can't play ball on that! And you were digging up the old surface and bam! I've got to call the parents.
*Yvonne! What in the hell are you thinking? You can't go to work without school board approval! I have begged for help for years! I am holding you personally responsible for this travesty.
School Superintendent Daria Samson.
The old lady died.
Trudy? This isn't asphalt.
It's too brittle.
It's shattered like a windshield.
I have no idea what this is.
Hey, did they get the children out? The last two boys were inside the structure when it went down.
So they're buried.
And the structure is really instable, so it's moving kinda slowly.
Are they able to talk to the kids? One, but he's getting weak.
And we need to know if this sinkhole could occur naturally, or if it's from faulty construction.
Well, sinkholes are rare in California.
It's the wrong geology.
Chances are that this was triggered by altering the underground water flow.
I can model groundwater flow using soil samples and geological maps.
OK, tell me what you need.
First off, construction blueprints.
We got one! Bringing one up! Are those the parents? Would you excuse me for a second? You got them? Uh, one so far.
What's your son's name? Malik.
Damage control has arrived.
What, Kentwell? Their attorney, Reed Parkman.
Unlegally obstructing my case from every direction for two years.
Very inventive guy.
Mr Parkman? - Right.
So, I'm gonna need a copy of blueprints from that playground.
I need the geology reports, environmental, the whole works.
I've got a subpoena.
No problem.
If Kentwell has any culpability, don't make it right.
Like they've done in the past, good citizens that they are.
Did they rescue the last boy yet? Actually, they think he's unconscious, so they haven't been able to find him.
Are those parents from the school? I'd like to talk to them.
No contacts with the families.
You're not gonna buy them off.
Wouldn't dream of it.
My clients want to express their concern and support.
What, no one from Kentwell is coming down here? They've instructed me to cooperate fully.
I bet.
I got very sympathetic victims for a jury this time, Reed.
I want a copy of that report ASAP.
All right.
Fair enough.
Yeah, the magical element of water.
Penetrates the impenetrable like a sleeping mind dreams the solution to a problem.
Can you hand me that map? You know, water not only moves around rock, it actually flows right through it.
Nature has so much to teach us.
You know, it's possible that the construction company caused a slow drainage of the aquifer that then created an underground cavern which became the sinkhole.
Yeah, or water eroded limestone over a thousand years and this was the day, the hour, the very minute of catastrophic failure fated for aeons.
I like that.
Larry, I've been looking for you.
Oh yeah? Actually, I was just on my way out to.
.
To? to, um, just office hours.
On Saturday? We have been trying to send you an invitation for my reception, and we were flummoxed to discover we have no home address for you.
Why don't you just email? It's best.
Larry, where you live, that's up to you.
That is your business, and I respect your privacy.
That's good, 'cause privacy is important to me.
Unless you're living in a steam tunnel.
You know, we used the steam tunnels to play Dungeons&Dragons when I was an undergrad.
But it seems that someone has set up house down there.
Which is no good.
It's a liability.
So I'm gonna seal the steam tunnels, Larry.
I see.
Good.
OK, have a very good weekend.
You too, sir.
He's living in the steam tunnels.
I didn't say that.
But maybe you should check and make sure he's OK.
Yeah, of course.
He was kinda staying with us, but I think he felt like he was a burden.
Ground water flow.
Not higher math.
It's a case from my brother.
You know what? We're gonna have to tighten up on that area as well.
Tighten up? Yes.
Teamwork, Charles.
I need you to take more responsibility here in this department and spend less of your time on your forensics pursuits.
Clear? Mildred You will chair the PhD admissions committee.
Congratulations.
I don't have time for that.
No.
Not a request, my friend.
Mr Shabaz - Won't be long.
I think they can get him up pretty soon.
OK? Is there anyone else that you'd like me to call for you? Maybe someone that can meet you at the hospital? My wife's flying in from a business trip to Chicago.
We have the whole city praying for Malik right now.
If you make me do this, I'm getting them out of here.
Out of Los Angeles? Out of the neighborhood.
You guys show up for a big disaster, but tomorrow we're on our own again.
We got classrooms with no books.
Teachers have to provide toilet paper and pencils.
Kids get sick with mental illness, birth defects, cancer.
Malik has a growth on his spine.
Now the doctor is telling me not to worry.
But children shouldn't have tumors on their spines.
Or get trapped in 20-foot hellholes.
Coming up! We got him! Get him out! What is going on in this place? Kentwell Constructions is trying to snow you guys with these meaningless blueprints and reports.
Still, there's gotta be a smoking gun in here somewhere.
Look, we got some new files.
Something about what that dad said is really bugging me, about that lot of sick kids.
How are those little boys doing? Serious condition.
But the prognosis is good for both of them.
You know, I cannot figure out this paving material.
I've read something about that.
I have two cases of leukemia at the school now, and three cases in children who attended in the past.
Charlie, what are the odds of this many cancers in a small school? Do me a favor.
I need one of these new boxes, please.
You guys gonna make me get up, aren't you.
This is a lot of leukemia.
You're talking about cancer clusters.
Statistically, rare.
More likely, this is a case of Texas sharp-shooting.
I'd say there's a guy who's never held a gun before, and he aims at the side of a barn, and he shoots.
And when he's done, he draws a circle around the closest shots, ignores the others, and he declares himself a Texas sharp-shooter.
- Right.
And cancer clusters are just like that.
People overinterpret the evidence.
Here we go.
The stuff they paved with is called composite.
It's patented.
- Patented? May I? Made from recycled materials.
Here.
PCEs, heavy metals, perchlorates.
Oh my heavens.
That is toxic waste.
- No.
Is that legal? Put it down! Well, the patented process supposedly makes it inert.
But it's new, so Are you saying this stuff's actually breaking down? Eroding substrate creating a sinkhole Causing cancer! So much for the Texas sharp-shooter.
You signed every contract between Kentwell Construction and the school board.
I sign a lot of contracts.
Mrs Samson? Are you aware the stuff they used for the pavement is made from toxic waste? Toxic waste? We had EPA clearance.
It's harmless.
You knew about it.
It's irrelevant.
Is it also irrelevant that you leased a vacation home from Kentwell on Catalina Island for a few hundred dollars a year? I came in here to help.
If you're accusing me of something, speak to my attorney.
Whoa.
How long do you have an attorney? Is it Reed Parkman? Same as Kentwell Construction? When we connect you to this, you'll be on the hook for Trudy Perez's death.
And the injury to those children.
How is Malik doing? Surgery went well.
He won't be awake for another few hours.
My wife is with him.
All these parents have sick kids? This school has lots of neurological disorders as well as cancers.
Learning disabilities, behavioral problems.
It's all documented.
Is this related to the playground caving in? All the kids who fell in have rashes.
What's going on? We don't know.
But that's why I asked you to bring all those folks here.
Hi everyone.
Thank you for coming.
Have you seen Larry? No, not this weekend.
Hey.
Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? Excuse me.
Dr Ramanujan.
Are you Dr Epps's personal assistant? At his beck and call 24/7, as they say? What? - Nice.
That's not fair.
I see that you've been on the supercomputer for well, a while now, so I have to deprioritize your job.
Is this an FBI case? We're working with odds ratios.
It's all right, Amita.
Yes, it is an FBI case.
We're analyzing childhood cancers, birth defects and neurological deficits related to a potentially toxic material.
So Well, it is now low priority on the server.
Dr French, the supercomputer is the only way to analyze large datasets quickly, for proper comparison.
I have sympathy for the families, Charly.
I lost my father through cancer.
I don't take it lightly.
But I'm also aware that the person who could discover the cure for cancer may be one of our students who would benefit greatly from the use of this computer, not to mention the attentions of Professor Eppes and Ramanujan.
Not one student has suffered from our work at the FBI.
Not one.
To the contrary.
There are many ways to contribute to improving the world, Charly.
Excuse me.
We'll take this up again, Mildred.
Millie! I don't appreciate being disrespected.
Especially in front of a colleague.
You might want to behave more like a colleague.
I beg your pardon? You know, you're dating your thesis professor, you dress like a kid Sorry, I didn't realize there was a dress code.
Amita.
You have the most promising career of any of the faculty highers.
I just want you to have the major career that you are capable of.
I appreciate that.
So you have to redefine yourself as a professor, not a grad student.
As an individual, not some appendage of Charlie Eppes.
OK, well, thanks for clearing that up.
Which means, taking your own research more seriously than you take his.
What year did your granddaughter start at Mathison? Katie was in kindergarten during construction in 1994.
She was always on the swings.
Loved tumbling.
Said she was going to the Olympics.
My wife noticed the tumor at the gymnastics tournament.
Neuroblastoma.
And what year was she diagnosed? - 99.
I'm not sure if it was the chemo that killed her or the cancer.
Ms Reeves, who did this? What's going on here? I don't know, Mr Bowden.
But I'm gonna try and find out.
All right, what you got? Mathison Elementary has a substantial elevation of cancer and neurological deficit rates compared to the national average.
Right, and? The normal background rate is one incident of, let's say, leukemia in every 10,000 kids.
Mathison has seven times that frequency.
Sounds like a cluster.
Yeah.
This is a statistical map of pediatric toxicology in LA county.
Each dot represents one sick child.
Blue is for AML, Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.
Red are for neurological disorders.
Green are birth defects.
To me, this is a much bigger problem than Kentwell, right? It would seem that way, but take a look at this.
These are schools in LA county with playgrounds paved by Kentwell.
No way.
Don, we don't have one, we have seventeen cancer clusters.
So has Charlie been able to find a link between the paving material and the cancer? The circumstantial stuff seems harmless.
Yeah, but everywhere it shows up, there's a cancer cluster.
You'd think Kentwell's manufacturing it, isn't it? No, their parent company Desert Shell, who is payed to receive toxic waste from 48 states.
They don't do what they're supposed to.
They don't dispose of it.
No, that's too expensive, so Desert Shell melts it into aggregate.
And then sells it to their own company, who sells it to schools? Jackasses.
They're making money coming and going.
It's a brilliant scheme.
I knew about the fraud, but not the potential environmental crimes.
And you said this is all over the west? That's true, Howard.
This case just got huge.
Oh yeah.
These people will not wanna go in front of a jury.
They'll want a deal, but Right, you wanna lock 'em up.
So do I.
We have to do this right, Don.
Well, let's be smart about it.
Thought you were Mildred! Where have you been? I have a life.
That's where I've been.
A life I'm clearly unaware of.
Where have you been staying? Uh, no, seriously Seriously, I thought you've been staying with Megan these last few weeks.
We have decidedly not gotten that structured in the expansion of our complexity.
Do you need something? I've got class in 5 minutes.
Are you sleeping in the steam tunnels? Only as a fallback.
A fallback to what? Why don't you come stay over at our place.
You know, you're welcome.
I thank you sincerely, but you and your father's generosity, it's going beyond what any friend could expect.
Yes, I'm so generous.
Look, just come over.
Stay with us.
I can't afford the distraction.
The distraction of what? The distraction of a place to live? Of sharing a bathtub.
Bathtub? Yes.
See, if I'm so much as around a bathtub, I can't seem to stay out of it.
Which is no problem if I'm alone.
But you have one bathtub.
It just doesn't work.
So you've been sleeping in the steam tunnels.
One copes as one does.
We have to accept our funny little ways.
Where will you go when Mildred seals those steam tunnels? The Royal Parkways Suites.
What? I could use your help later.
All right.
You bet.
We've taken every precaution to protect anyone who gets in contact.
We got 17 cancer clusters saying your That's Kentwell Construction's liability.
It's one company.
I'll pierce that corporate veil so fast.
If we prove you knew this material was toxic, and you used it anyway, you're going to prison.
The product is inert.
We've established that through repeated testing.
We have an EPA compliance officer who knows every inch of the business.
Call him.
Let me guess, he's got a vacation house in Catalina? I'm sending a new EPA officer.
Desert Shell is a legitimate business.
No one wants to deal with this kind of chemical garbage.
But this company has mad a good-faith effort to recycle industrial waste.
And they do so within every rule and regulation in the books.
Yeah, we have this problem.
What we don't know about the aggregate is how it breaks down over time.
Uh - - We'll work with the government to get to the bottom of this.
If I have to liquidate Kentwell to pay for it, I will.
Let's just take this one step at a time.
I got kids and grandkids.
I'm not leaving them a company with this legacy.
We'll straighten out the problem with the aggregate.
Meanwhile, let's compensate the families and re-pave every site with asphalt.
So Mildred wants me to chair the PhD admissions committee.
She didn't ask me to do it, she just announced it, and I won't do it.
Yeah, she is a trifle pushy, our Mildred.
I really don't appreciate her trying to throw you out.
I mean, I agree.
I don't think you should sleep in the steam tunnels.
But that is your choice.
It's not her choice.
Have you made your reservation at the Royal Parkway Suites? Charles, I have to say: I don't think this material is active.
This rock is 12 years old.
It's still completely inert.
You would have to eat a pound a day of this to become ill.
Well then - if the aggregate is not causing kids to get sick, what is? I don't know.
The recycling process, it seems sound.
They heat waste chemicals to they test it for toxicity, if any remains, they process again.
And how much evaporates? No, they capture the evaporate.
Very little escapes.
Well, then the amount of waste that they take in should roughly match the amount of aggregate that they put out.
That's correct.
It doesn't.
Here, check it out.
I've developed a set of inequalities that indicate with high confidence that Desert Shell has taken in over 154,000 tons of waste over the last 10 years.
The aggregate that the produce is I mean, they're missing nearly So what caused the sinkhole? I mean, the acid didn't just seep into the groundwater from the aggregate.
Right.
Right what? Desert Shell.
It's missing 80,000 tons of acidic chemical sludge.
Here is it.
Oh, they wouldn't.
Don.
Hey.
So, we found benzene residue in the sinkhole.
Now that is probably what killed the elderly lady and probably would cause the children's rashes.
This is benzene from the aggregate? No, from acidic sludge in the groundwater.
Well, if it wasn't from the aggregate, where the hell did the acid come from? Well, we think that Desert Shell buried toxic waste in the ground, and then it seeped into the water table there.
They're dumping toxic waste at elementary schools? OK, Charlie, time to clear the area.
OK.
Fire in the hole! - 1- Seismic imaging, huh? Yup.
Locating the source of the acid.
What do you think happened here, man? Well, the acid effect was like Swiss cheese.
Bacteria devour lactic acid, giving off carbon dioxide which cannot escape, producing bubbles in the cheese.
Now, here acid and groundwater ate into the rock, creating pockets of gas which became the sinkhole when the surface was breeched.
So what about the explosion? Seismic imaging.
It's the same as in their oilfields.
They use them to picture what's underground.
That's right.
We send controlled vibrations through the ground to receivers A sonar, like a bat.
like thousands of bats, all sending their information back to the computers.
We get a precise map of the geology, plus it pinpoints anomalies just like these.
OK.
J28-AE87.
That means, they're over here? Right, there.
OK, yeah, 3 feet down.
- Copy that.
If you need Charlie, all right But they - we're not just guessing here.
There are 3,000 barrels down there.
We got them, man.
They got a couple of barrels.
I can't believe this.
Dad, why don't you get away from that.
I see iron ore rust.
Those cold-blooded bastards.
Those barrels of poison they got there.
The ID numbers were sanded off the barrels.
I can't prove they came from Desert Shell.
We're testing for a match with the aggregate.
*Resnick knew about the barrels, which is why he offered to re-pave every site.
Yeah.
That makes him look like he's doing the right thing.
district have leukemia.
How in God's name do you rationalize something like that? They told me it was harmless, and I believed them.
I didn't know! You knew.
I didn't know what was in the barrels.
What did we do? Please! I would never Do you know that grandmother was an asthmatic? She died from inhaling benzene.
That's a death that we can link to you.
I can't go to prison.
You should be forced to inhale that crap! Oh God.
Can we make a deal? OK, so what do you have to say? Boyd Resnick paid for my school board campaign.
He put me in office so that I would give them contracts.
She's a drunk.
Just not credible.
This is your client.
We're talking about your client.
And as for the barrels, by law the School District is responsible for any contamination on its grounds.
And unless it can be tied specifically to Desert Shell, you got nothing.
I thought you were representing Kentwell Construction.
My firm represents both companies.
Come on, who do you think you're talking to here? It's one company.
You better get your own lawyer.
We're looking at you as a co-conspirer.
When will you depose her? You seem a little rattled, Counselor.
You better get your game face off.
He tried to appaise the Samson off.
Send her to Aruba or some place.
You think they'd try and whack her? These guys don't like to get their hands dirty.
They'll do it with money if they can, but She's the link between Resnick and the barrels.
All right, so I better get her into protective custody.
Kac-Moody algebras! It's nice to see you in teacher mode.
Mildred.
We need to talk.
Millie.
And same here, mister.
I did not like the way that you walked out of our last encounter.
Rude.
It was urgent, or else I wouldn't have taken off.
I must say, I don't think it's right for you OK, so here is the rule.
No canceling class for FBI consulting.
And if you use the supercomputer, they have to pay for it.
I've adhered to those standards all along.
Yeah? - Yeah.
Great.
Wonderful.
We're good then.
Shouldn't you apologize? For what? For harassing me.
Inappropriately.
It's a harassment? Harassment is what you're in store for if you give me any more trouble about your PhD committee.
I don't have time for that.
I told you.
You know what, you're gonna make time.
And you're gonna be great.
We need you.
We need a young professor there to attract the best students.
And understand their issues.
Come on, face it.
As far as math professors go, you are the Sean Connery.
What do you think about handsome? Suave, he solves crimes Come on.
Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore are little girls compared to Connery.
With the exception of Timothy Dalton, who had a little something going on, it's been a downhill slide since George Lazenby.
So believe me, you want to be the Sean Connery of the Math department.
First meeting, my office? Good.
You speak of collaboration.
I must tell you that this feels more like tyranny.
Well, you say potahto.
You know what? We should get some publicity from your FBI thing.
You figure out a leverage it for fundraiser.
Dr French - Good idea? Mildred - Good! Have a good class! - Millie! Hi handsome.
Hey.
What are you doing here? Oh, I'm sorry.
Is it Wednesday already? Did I miss our lunch? Forgive me.
It's Monday.
Oh.
All right.
I'll see you later.
Hey! I just wanted to have a conversation! No limes, no dinner.
Is this - the use of the wildcard? I think I should get to use the wildcard for something wild! OK? - OK I was thinking you should come and stay with me.
Oh no.
Oh, no no no, my God, no.
That would just be - untenable.
Larry told me you're staying in a hotel.
I have an extra room.
No.
That would be a serious breech in the protocol that we've so carefully and thoughtfully established, and What? Oh, this is just my floss.
I don't know, I think that would mark the end before we've even really begun.
I'm not going to be there.
- Oh.
I'll have to go stay with the witness for a couple of days.
You can use the space and sort out your life, which is a friendly offer with no strings attached.
Have you a bathtub? - Why? So? Any luck? - Not yet.
When we get the specifical chemical makeup for each barrel, we might be able to trace it back to the company of origin.
They're the chemical equivalent of a fingerprint.
We're going through garbage.
We'll be lucky to figure out which industry each barrel came from.
All right, let us know what you get.
So the whole thing's gonna ride on Samson's testimony.
I'll set up the deposition for her tomorrow.
I'm also done.
We'll have her delivered to the DA's office at 9am.
Thanks.
How long do we have to keep up this witness protection routine? Until you're deposed or relocated, whichever comes first.
And after I'm deposed I'm free? For a shot, to testify.
Sure you wanna drink that right now? Believe me, agent, you do not want to spend the evening with me if I'm not drinking.
Davidson to Megan.
Approaching your location.
Copy.
Cobb salad for the ladies, cheeseburger for me.
Did you get that from Dominic's? I watched the old man cook it myself.
Ugh, this is ridiculous.
I'm gonna lie down.
You don't want something to eat first? Daria! Daria, breathe! Davidson, call an ambulance! This is Agent Davidson.
We have a medical emergency.
Breathe.
*David! I don't believe that.
That's what killed her.
Ventricular tachycardia.
Her heart basically exploded.
The food is clean.
We checked with the restaurant.
She didn't even eat the food.
I have no idea how this happened.
All the hotel glasses were laced with peanut oil.
She's extremely allergic.
Anaphylactic shock? - Yeah.
She was allergic, and *Hartman and Resnick knew this? I bet it's in her medical records at the school board.
I'm sorry.
I had no idea.
Hey, no.
Come on.
Look, this could happen to anybody.
Without Daria Samson's testimony, we don't have a case.
We have to nail these animals.
Each one of these kids was attacked by these men.
For money.
And each of these families will never be the same.
We gotta get these guys on tape somehow.
Eavesdropping wiring could take weeks.
And who knows how long after that before we get them saying something incriminating.
Or just enough to help him along.
Who's the EPA sending? Guy at the Chicago office.
Lyle Grant.
What do we know about him? Enough.
Walk him through, same as before.
Just get it done.
Yeah.
Send him over.
Our new EPA officer is here.
That's Grant.
I'm Howard Resnick.
OK.
Here we go.
I need full access to all areas of your plant, Sir.
Of course.
Reed'll take good care of you.
Anything you need.
That's Resnick doing.
- What a desperate.
Let's take a walk.
Mr Resnick and I intend to do whatever we can to cooperate.
An attitude like that helps a lot.
Which is why we want to be sure things are being done carefully.
Slowly.
I can't help you there.
I'm under a lot of pressure from the POJ to speed up the process.
It's just that We'd really like to be your partner on this.
If we can.
EPA records indicate your company received about 12,000 barrels of .
Correct? That's not correct.
We got a background noise.
I need a clean transfer.
Beleive me I've cleaned that up.
That's the slack furnace.
They fill it with chemical waste, heat it to 3,000°, and out comes harmless aggregate.
It's really a recycling miracle.
What is a miracle is that Desert Shell only uses 52% of the weight it takes in to make this paving material.
Where does the rest of that toxic waste go to? They have a warehouse.
I need to have a look there as well.
I want a chemical team out of here to check this store's safeguards.
The other EPA officer was able to accomplish his work with just a visual inspection.
We're paying close attention now.
I think you understand.
Still, it would be a shame for all of our reputations to be destroyed on the basis of an error in your judgment.
Excuse me? An error in my judgment? If one looks hard enough, one is bound to find something, isn't that right? They're totally buying it.
For instance, you vacation in Vegas quite a lot, don't you, Mr Grant? Her report shows you in substantial debt to several casinos, as well as some serious arrears in your child support obligation.
Are you trying to blackmail me? No.
Just the opposite.
Like I said, we'd like to be your partner on this.
There's a chance here for all of us to benefit.
You gonna buy me off? We can arrange a loan from a legitimate source on very long terms.
If I fix the records.
We send our trucks of waste for burial, and you mark them as aggregate.
As simple as that.
And all of my problems go away? You really can't imagine the kind of future we can offer you, Mr Grant.
Just need one more thing.
What about the money? Mr Resnick controls a number of legitimate lending institutions.
We offer you an offshore account number.
He just implicated Resnick.
Which means we got them all.
Let's go.
Let's go.
We're gonna move in.
OK, let's move in.
Move in.
No one will ever know any money even changed hands.
FBI! Nobody move! Resnick, get your hands behind your back.
Easy.
Easy.
What's going on? What's going on is, you're under arrest, partner.
This way.
Parkman! What the hell? All right, get them out of here.
Maybe you need yourself a new lawyer.
Let's go.
So, um I've been thinking, and I'm not sure if it's such a great idea for us to go out.
What? Why? What happened? Don't know.
But I don't even know if I mean that.
I just I mean, College protocol frowns on it.
And we don't even seem sure if we want to be together.
And I'm massively confused, and you're ambivalent, and I'm about to get incredibly busy working with Mildred on this research.
It's something I'm interested in.
It would be a great stretch for me.
Not to mention, it's just smart to have her as my mentor.
I know that I shouldn't even consider I just never know what's personal and what's professional with us.
I know.
It's been That was nice.
- I concur.
Hello! Oh! Dr French, what are you doing here? Oh my God, I'm so sorry.
Are you checking up on us? Absolutely not, I'm looking for Alan, I My father? Pretend I wasn't here.
OK, I'm gone.
What is up with that woman? I can't just pretend that she wasn't just here.
She was here.
I saw the woman.
Shall we? - Let's go! What's going on here? Uh - we're going to the movies.
A movie? You and - Mildred? Millie.
- Millie.
Thank you.
Uh, Millie wanted to see the new 007 film? Right.
We are going.
OK? See you later.
Shall we? - Yep.
Good night.
- Bye "Millie".
Yeah, "Millie".
Just think, she could be your boss and stepmom.
Kids will have a new playground by Monday morning.
All right, kids.
He'll be here all day with that backhoe, so you can watch for a while.
But stay back.
That's not a backhoe.
That's a Skid loader.
A backhoe is bigger.
Thank you, Malik.
Welcome.
Trudy, make sure they stay behind the fence.
I got that, Mrs.
Come on, guys, you go watch him over here.
Well, change is good.
Not always.
Let me rephrase: Change is inevitable, and those who adapt most quickly are the most likely to survive.
You already have tenure.
It's not an issue for you like it is for some.
Has our new division chair Mildred said anything to you? We can protect you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed colleagues and friends.
We celebrate the appointment of Dr Mildred French to the Physics/Math/Astronomy division chair.
I just want you to know I'm willing to the battlefield with Dr French.
No thanks, Charlie.
means that she speaks your languages.
All of them.
I give you Dr Mildred French.
Thank you, thank you.
I am delighted to be back home with you all.
If she has any sense she'll make you tenure track.
She already has.
Already? Tenure? The higher salary.
to attract young brilliant minds.
We're going to reinvigorate this division, hmm? Now, one of the advantages of having worked here for so long is that I know where all the bodies are buried, so be careful.
That was really predacious.
Oh, change is good.
Where did Dr Fleinhard get to? Oh, he recalled an obligation.
Congratulations.
Honestly, do you know how wonderful it is to have a chair conversant in math, physics and cosmology? I intend to encourage more collaborative spirit among the departments.
And I like that.
And collaboration takes time, Charlie.
Your time.
Of course.
Dr Ramanujan, have you considered my offer? I have, and I would love to work with you on the research.
Excellent.
And you will serve on the curriculum committee.
OK.
Well- Hey! - Hi! Sorry.
This is Dr Mildred French, she's our new chair.
This is my father Alan.
Millie.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
You too.
Dr French has returned from an Antarctica? What were you studying, penguins? Or ice? Actually, I insinuated myself into a minor position and amended the Giant Neutrino Telescope.
An engineering job I was completely ill-suited for.
My father's an engineer.
I adjusted a dial three times a week.
And really I just went to think in peace.
So how did that work out for you? I came back with a strong sense of what's important and what's not.
Which is what? Not wasting time.
Hey, a few more minutes, then snack time.
We wanna stay outside! Malik, don't you want some cookies? Help me! Get it! Trudy! Mrs Perez! No! Oh, Mrs Perez! Mrs Perez, Mrs Perez! Three children have been pulled from the sinkhole, two remain trapped.
The rescued children and their caretaker, Trudy Perez, are en route to county hospital.
We're awaiting word on their condition.
We'll continue Why are we called in on this? Apparently, the DOJ has been investigating *Kentmill Construction for 2 years.
Bribery, bio fraud, kickbacks past to cover half-ass work.
Company's offices are all across the Western states.
Big birds.
You guys all remember USA Howard Makes, right? Kentwell Construction built the school? The playground.
Ten years ago.
My fraud case has languished.
Hard to prove.
Hard to get anybody excited about it.
Unfortunately, now we have victims.
And publicity.
We want the FBI to take over the field investigation.
I've talked to the local DA about holding up any potential homicide charges until we take a shot at these guys.
Did one of the kids die? No.
The older lady, Trudy Perez, is not expected to make it.
So what's the plan? Well, since the kids are out, we're gonna go in.
Let's start with seeing if we can find any negligence on Kentwell's part.
They're innocent.
What about the guy who was tearing up the place with a *backo? Local parent doing a good deed.
It's not his fault.
This has *Kentmill's fingerprints all over it.
You really don't like these guys.
Money keeps them above the line.
It pisses me off.
I want them in prison, not just paying a fine.
I'll start working on finding a construction specialist.
My father might be able to help you with that.
And we should see if we can find out how these guys got the contract to begin with.
Yeah, they had to deal with someone at the school.
It was a favor, man! You volunteered to repave the playground off the books.
The pavement was cracked! Kids can't play ball on that! And you were digging up the old surface and bam! I've got to call the parents.
*Yvonne! What in the hell are you thinking? You can't go to work without school board approval! I have begged for help for years! I am holding you personally responsible for this travesty.
School Superintendent Daria Samson.
The old lady died.
Trudy? This isn't asphalt.
It's too brittle.
It's shattered like a windshield.
I have no idea what this is.
Hey, did they get the children out? The last two boys were inside the structure when it went down.
So they're buried.
And the structure is really instable, so it's moving kinda slowly.
Are they able to talk to the kids? One, but he's getting weak.
And we need to know if this sinkhole could occur naturally, or if it's from faulty construction.
Well, sinkholes are rare in California.
It's the wrong geology.
Chances are that this was triggered by altering the underground water flow.
I can model groundwater flow using soil samples and geological maps.
OK, tell me what you need.
First off, construction blueprints.
We got one! Bringing one up! Are those the parents? Would you excuse me for a second? You got them? Uh, one so far.
What's your son's name? Malik.
Damage control has arrived.
What, Kentwell? Their attorney, Reed Parkman.
Unlegally obstructing my case from every direction for two years.
Very inventive guy.
Mr Parkman? - Right.
So, I'm gonna need a copy of blueprints from that playground.
I need the geology reports, environmental, the whole works.
I've got a subpoena.
No problem.
If Kentwell has any culpability, don't make it right.
Like they've done in the past, good citizens that they are.
Did they rescue the last boy yet? Actually, they think he's unconscious, so they haven't been able to find him.
Are those parents from the school? I'd like to talk to them.
No contacts with the families.
You're not gonna buy them off.
Wouldn't dream of it.
My clients want to express their concern and support.
What, no one from Kentwell is coming down here? They've instructed me to cooperate fully.
I bet.
I got very sympathetic victims for a jury this time, Reed.
I want a copy of that report ASAP.
All right.
Fair enough.
Yeah, the magical element of water.
Penetrates the impenetrable like a sleeping mind dreams the solution to a problem.
Can you hand me that map? You know, water not only moves around rock, it actually flows right through it.
Nature has so much to teach us.
You know, it's possible that the construction company caused a slow drainage of the aquifer that then created an underground cavern which became the sinkhole.
Yeah, or water eroded limestone over a thousand years and this was the day, the hour, the very minute of catastrophic failure fated for aeons.
I like that.
Larry, I've been looking for you.
Oh yeah? Actually, I was just on my way out to.
.
To? to, um, just office hours.
On Saturday? We have been trying to send you an invitation for my reception, and we were flummoxed to discover we have no home address for you.
Why don't you just email? It's best.
Larry, where you live, that's up to you.
That is your business, and I respect your privacy.
That's good, 'cause privacy is important to me.
Unless you're living in a steam tunnel.
You know, we used the steam tunnels to play Dungeons&Dragons when I was an undergrad.
But it seems that someone has set up house down there.
Which is no good.
It's a liability.
So I'm gonna seal the steam tunnels, Larry.
I see.
Good.
OK, have a very good weekend.
You too, sir.
He's living in the steam tunnels.
I didn't say that.
But maybe you should check and make sure he's OK.
Yeah, of course.
He was kinda staying with us, but I think he felt like he was a burden.
Ground water flow.
Not higher math.
It's a case from my brother.
You know what? We're gonna have to tighten up on that area as well.
Tighten up? Yes.
Teamwork, Charles.
I need you to take more responsibility here in this department and spend less of your time on your forensics pursuits.
Clear? Mildred You will chair the PhD admissions committee.
Congratulations.
I don't have time for that.
No.
Not a request, my friend.
Mr Shabaz - Won't be long.
I think they can get him up pretty soon.
OK? Is there anyone else that you'd like me to call for you? Maybe someone that can meet you at the hospital? My wife's flying in from a business trip to Chicago.
We have the whole city praying for Malik right now.
If you make me do this, I'm getting them out of here.
Out of Los Angeles? Out of the neighborhood.
You guys show up for a big disaster, but tomorrow we're on our own again.
We got classrooms with no books.
Teachers have to provide toilet paper and pencils.
Kids get sick with mental illness, birth defects, cancer.
Malik has a growth on his spine.
Now the doctor is telling me not to worry.
But children shouldn't have tumors on their spines.
Or get trapped in 20-foot hellholes.
Coming up! We got him! Get him out! What is going on in this place? Kentwell Constructions is trying to snow you guys with these meaningless blueprints and reports.
Still, there's gotta be a smoking gun in here somewhere.
Look, we got some new files.
Something about what that dad said is really bugging me, about that lot of sick kids.
How are those little boys doing? Serious condition.
But the prognosis is good for both of them.
You know, I cannot figure out this paving material.
I've read something about that.
I have two cases of leukemia at the school now, and three cases in children who attended in the past.
Charlie, what are the odds of this many cancers in a small school? Do me a favor.
I need one of these new boxes, please.
You guys gonna make me get up, aren't you.
This is a lot of leukemia.
You're talking about cancer clusters.
Statistically, rare.
More likely, this is a case of Texas sharp-shooting.
I'd say there's a guy who's never held a gun before, and he aims at the side of a barn, and he shoots.
And when he's done, he draws a circle around the closest shots, ignores the others, and he declares himself a Texas sharp-shooter.
- Right.
And cancer clusters are just like that.
People overinterpret the evidence.
Here we go.
The stuff they paved with is called composite.
It's patented.
- Patented? May I? Made from recycled materials.
Here.
PCEs, heavy metals, perchlorates.
Oh my heavens.
That is toxic waste.
- No.
Is that legal? Put it down! Well, the patented process supposedly makes it inert.
But it's new, so Are you saying this stuff's actually breaking down? Eroding substrate creating a sinkhole Causing cancer! So much for the Texas sharp-shooter.
You signed every contract between Kentwell Construction and the school board.
I sign a lot of contracts.
Mrs Samson? Are you aware the stuff they used for the pavement is made from toxic waste? Toxic waste? We had EPA clearance.
It's harmless.
You knew about it.
It's irrelevant.
Is it also irrelevant that you leased a vacation home from Kentwell on Catalina Island for a few hundred dollars a year? I came in here to help.
If you're accusing me of something, speak to my attorney.
Whoa.
How long do you have an attorney? Is it Reed Parkman? Same as Kentwell Construction? When we connect you to this, you'll be on the hook for Trudy Perez's death.
And the injury to those children.
How is Malik doing? Surgery went well.
He won't be awake for another few hours.
My wife is with him.
All these parents have sick kids? This school has lots of neurological disorders as well as cancers.
Learning disabilities, behavioral problems.
It's all documented.
Is this related to the playground caving in? All the kids who fell in have rashes.
What's going on? We don't know.
But that's why I asked you to bring all those folks here.
Hi everyone.
Thank you for coming.
Have you seen Larry? No, not this weekend.
Hey.
Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? Excuse me.
Dr Ramanujan.
Are you Dr Epps's personal assistant? At his beck and call 24/7, as they say? What? - Nice.
That's not fair.
I see that you've been on the supercomputer for well, a while now, so I have to deprioritize your job.
Is this an FBI case? We're working with odds ratios.
It's all right, Amita.
Yes, it is an FBI case.
We're analyzing childhood cancers, birth defects and neurological deficits related to a potentially toxic material.
So Well, it is now low priority on the server.
Dr French, the supercomputer is the only way to analyze large datasets quickly, for proper comparison.
I have sympathy for the families, Charly.
I lost my father through cancer.
I don't take it lightly.
But I'm also aware that the person who could discover the cure for cancer may be one of our students who would benefit greatly from the use of this computer, not to mention the attentions of Professor Eppes and Ramanujan.
Not one student has suffered from our work at the FBI.
Not one.
To the contrary.
There are many ways to contribute to improving the world, Charly.
Excuse me.
We'll take this up again, Mildred.
Millie! I don't appreciate being disrespected.
Especially in front of a colleague.
You might want to behave more like a colleague.
I beg your pardon? You know, you're dating your thesis professor, you dress like a kid Sorry, I didn't realize there was a dress code.
Amita.
You have the most promising career of any of the faculty highers.
I just want you to have the major career that you are capable of.
I appreciate that.
So you have to redefine yourself as a professor, not a grad student.
As an individual, not some appendage of Charlie Eppes.
OK, well, thanks for clearing that up.
Which means, taking your own research more seriously than you take his.
What year did your granddaughter start at Mathison? Katie was in kindergarten during construction in 1994.
She was always on the swings.
Loved tumbling.
Said she was going to the Olympics.
My wife noticed the tumor at the gymnastics tournament.
Neuroblastoma.
And what year was she diagnosed? - 99.
I'm not sure if it was the chemo that killed her or the cancer.
Ms Reeves, who did this? What's going on here? I don't know, Mr Bowden.
But I'm gonna try and find out.
All right, what you got? Mathison Elementary has a substantial elevation of cancer and neurological deficit rates compared to the national average.
Right, and? The normal background rate is one incident of, let's say, leukemia in every 10,000 kids.
Mathison has seven times that frequency.
Sounds like a cluster.
Yeah.
This is a statistical map of pediatric toxicology in LA county.
Each dot represents one sick child.
Blue is for AML, Acute Myelogenous Leukemia.
Red are for neurological disorders.
Green are birth defects.
To me, this is a much bigger problem than Kentwell, right? It would seem that way, but take a look at this.
These are schools in LA county with playgrounds paved by Kentwell.
No way.
Don, we don't have one, we have seventeen cancer clusters.
So has Charlie been able to find a link between the paving material and the cancer? The circumstantial stuff seems harmless.
Yeah, but everywhere it shows up, there's a cancer cluster.
You'd think Kentwell's manufacturing it, isn't it? No, their parent company Desert Shell, who is payed to receive toxic waste from 48 states.
They don't do what they're supposed to.
They don't dispose of it.
No, that's too expensive, so Desert Shell melts it into aggregate.
And then sells it to their own company, who sells it to schools? Jackasses.
They're making money coming and going.
It's a brilliant scheme.
I knew about the fraud, but not the potential environmental crimes.
And you said this is all over the west? That's true, Howard.
This case just got huge.
Oh yeah.
These people will not wanna go in front of a jury.
They'll want a deal, but Right, you wanna lock 'em up.
So do I.
We have to do this right, Don.
Well, let's be smart about it.
Thought you were Mildred! Where have you been? I have a life.
That's where I've been.
A life I'm clearly unaware of.
Where have you been staying? Uh, no, seriously Seriously, I thought you've been staying with Megan these last few weeks.
We have decidedly not gotten that structured in the expansion of our complexity.
Do you need something? I've got class in 5 minutes.
Are you sleeping in the steam tunnels? Only as a fallback.
A fallback to what? Why don't you come stay over at our place.
You know, you're welcome.
I thank you sincerely, but you and your father's generosity, it's going beyond what any friend could expect.
Yes, I'm so generous.
Look, just come over.
Stay with us.
I can't afford the distraction.
The distraction of what? The distraction of a place to live? Of sharing a bathtub.
Bathtub? Yes.
See, if I'm so much as around a bathtub, I can't seem to stay out of it.
Which is no problem if I'm alone.
But you have one bathtub.
It just doesn't work.
So you've been sleeping in the steam tunnels.
One copes as one does.
We have to accept our funny little ways.
Where will you go when Mildred seals those steam tunnels? The Royal Parkways Suites.
What? I could use your help later.
All right.
You bet.
We've taken every precaution to protect anyone who gets in contact.
We got 17 cancer clusters saying your That's Kentwell Construction's liability.
It's one company.
I'll pierce that corporate veil so fast.
If we prove you knew this material was toxic, and you used it anyway, you're going to prison.
The product is inert.
We've established that through repeated testing.
We have an EPA compliance officer who knows every inch of the business.
Call him.
Let me guess, he's got a vacation house in Catalina? I'm sending a new EPA officer.
Desert Shell is a legitimate business.
No one wants to deal with this kind of chemical garbage.
But this company has mad a good-faith effort to recycle industrial waste.
And they do so within every rule and regulation in the books.
Yeah, we have this problem.
What we don't know about the aggregate is how it breaks down over time.
Uh - - We'll work with the government to get to the bottom of this.
If I have to liquidate Kentwell to pay for it, I will.
Let's just take this one step at a time.
I got kids and grandkids.
I'm not leaving them a company with this legacy.
We'll straighten out the problem with the aggregate.
Meanwhile, let's compensate the families and re-pave every site with asphalt.
So Mildred wants me to chair the PhD admissions committee.
She didn't ask me to do it, she just announced it, and I won't do it.
Yeah, she is a trifle pushy, our Mildred.
I really don't appreciate her trying to throw you out.
I mean, I agree.
I don't think you should sleep in the steam tunnels.
But that is your choice.
It's not her choice.
Have you made your reservation at the Royal Parkway Suites? Charles, I have to say: I don't think this material is active.
This rock is 12 years old.
It's still completely inert.
You would have to eat a pound a day of this to become ill.
Well then - if the aggregate is not causing kids to get sick, what is? I don't know.
The recycling process, it seems sound.
They heat waste chemicals to they test it for toxicity, if any remains, they process again.
And how much evaporates? No, they capture the evaporate.
Very little escapes.
Well, then the amount of waste that they take in should roughly match the amount of aggregate that they put out.
That's correct.
It doesn't.
Here, check it out.
I've developed a set of inequalities that indicate with high confidence that Desert Shell has taken in over 154,000 tons of waste over the last 10 years.
The aggregate that the produce is I mean, they're missing nearly So what caused the sinkhole? I mean, the acid didn't just seep into the groundwater from the aggregate.
Right.
Right what? Desert Shell.
It's missing 80,000 tons of acidic chemical sludge.
Here is it.
Oh, they wouldn't.
Don.
Hey.
So, we found benzene residue in the sinkhole.
Now that is probably what killed the elderly lady and probably would cause the children's rashes.
This is benzene from the aggregate? No, from acidic sludge in the groundwater.
Well, if it wasn't from the aggregate, where the hell did the acid come from? Well, we think that Desert Shell buried toxic waste in the ground, and then it seeped into the water table there.
They're dumping toxic waste at elementary schools? OK, Charlie, time to clear the area.
OK.
Fire in the hole! - 1- Seismic imaging, huh? Yup.
Locating the source of the acid.
What do you think happened here, man? Well, the acid effect was like Swiss cheese.
Bacteria devour lactic acid, giving off carbon dioxide which cannot escape, producing bubbles in the cheese.
Now, here acid and groundwater ate into the rock, creating pockets of gas which became the sinkhole when the surface was breeched.
So what about the explosion? Seismic imaging.
It's the same as in their oilfields.
They use them to picture what's underground.
That's right.
We send controlled vibrations through the ground to receivers A sonar, like a bat.
like thousands of bats, all sending their information back to the computers.
We get a precise map of the geology, plus it pinpoints anomalies just like these.
OK.
J28-AE87.
That means, they're over here? Right, there.
OK, yeah, 3 feet down.
- Copy that.
If you need Charlie, all right But they - we're not just guessing here.
There are 3,000 barrels down there.
We got them, man.
They got a couple of barrels.
I can't believe this.
Dad, why don't you get away from that.
I see iron ore rust.
Those cold-blooded bastards.
Those barrels of poison they got there.
The ID numbers were sanded off the barrels.
I can't prove they came from Desert Shell.
We're testing for a match with the aggregate.
*Resnick knew about the barrels, which is why he offered to re-pave every site.
Yeah.
That makes him look like he's doing the right thing.
district have leukemia.
How in God's name do you rationalize something like that? They told me it was harmless, and I believed them.
I didn't know! You knew.
I didn't know what was in the barrels.
What did we do? Please! I would never Do you know that grandmother was an asthmatic? She died from inhaling benzene.
That's a death that we can link to you.
I can't go to prison.
You should be forced to inhale that crap! Oh God.
Can we make a deal? OK, so what do you have to say? Boyd Resnick paid for my school board campaign.
He put me in office so that I would give them contracts.
She's a drunk.
Just not credible.
This is your client.
We're talking about your client.
And as for the barrels, by law the School District is responsible for any contamination on its grounds.
And unless it can be tied specifically to Desert Shell, you got nothing.
I thought you were representing Kentwell Construction.
My firm represents both companies.
Come on, who do you think you're talking to here? It's one company.
You better get your own lawyer.
We're looking at you as a co-conspirer.
When will you depose her? You seem a little rattled, Counselor.
You better get your game face off.
He tried to appaise the Samson off.
Send her to Aruba or some place.
You think they'd try and whack her? These guys don't like to get their hands dirty.
They'll do it with money if they can, but She's the link between Resnick and the barrels.
All right, so I better get her into protective custody.
Kac-Moody algebras! It's nice to see you in teacher mode.
Mildred.
We need to talk.
Millie.
And same here, mister.
I did not like the way that you walked out of our last encounter.
Rude.
It was urgent, or else I wouldn't have taken off.
I must say, I don't think it's right for you OK, so here is the rule.
No canceling class for FBI consulting.
And if you use the supercomputer, they have to pay for it.
I've adhered to those standards all along.
Yeah? - Yeah.
Great.
Wonderful.
We're good then.
Shouldn't you apologize? For what? For harassing me.
Inappropriately.
It's a harassment? Harassment is what you're in store for if you give me any more trouble about your PhD committee.
I don't have time for that.
I told you.
You know what, you're gonna make time.
And you're gonna be great.
We need you.
We need a young professor there to attract the best students.
And understand their issues.
Come on, face it.
As far as math professors go, you are the Sean Connery.
What do you think about handsome? Suave, he solves crimes Come on.
Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore are little girls compared to Connery.
With the exception of Timothy Dalton, who had a little something going on, it's been a downhill slide since George Lazenby.
So believe me, you want to be the Sean Connery of the Math department.
First meeting, my office? Good.
You speak of collaboration.
I must tell you that this feels more like tyranny.
Well, you say potahto.
You know what? We should get some publicity from your FBI thing.
You figure out a leverage it for fundraiser.
Dr French - Good idea? Mildred - Good! Have a good class! - Millie! Hi handsome.
Hey.
What are you doing here? Oh, I'm sorry.
Is it Wednesday already? Did I miss our lunch? Forgive me.
It's Monday.
Oh.
All right.
I'll see you later.
Hey! I just wanted to have a conversation! No limes, no dinner.
Is this - the use of the wildcard? I think I should get to use the wildcard for something wild! OK? - OK I was thinking you should come and stay with me.
Oh no.
Oh, no no no, my God, no.
That would just be - untenable.
Larry told me you're staying in a hotel.
I have an extra room.
No.
That would be a serious breech in the protocol that we've so carefully and thoughtfully established, and What? Oh, this is just my floss.
I don't know, I think that would mark the end before we've even really begun.
I'm not going to be there.
- Oh.
I'll have to go stay with the witness for a couple of days.
You can use the space and sort out your life, which is a friendly offer with no strings attached.
Have you a bathtub? - Why? So? Any luck? - Not yet.
When we get the specifical chemical makeup for each barrel, we might be able to trace it back to the company of origin.
They're the chemical equivalent of a fingerprint.
We're going through garbage.
We'll be lucky to figure out which industry each barrel came from.
All right, let us know what you get.
So the whole thing's gonna ride on Samson's testimony.
I'll set up the deposition for her tomorrow.
I'm also done.
We'll have her delivered to the DA's office at 9am.
Thanks.
How long do we have to keep up this witness protection routine? Until you're deposed or relocated, whichever comes first.
And after I'm deposed I'm free? For a shot, to testify.
Sure you wanna drink that right now? Believe me, agent, you do not want to spend the evening with me if I'm not drinking.
Davidson to Megan.
Approaching your location.
Copy.
Cobb salad for the ladies, cheeseburger for me.
Did you get that from Dominic's? I watched the old man cook it myself.
Ugh, this is ridiculous.
I'm gonna lie down.
You don't want something to eat first? Daria! Daria, breathe! Davidson, call an ambulance! This is Agent Davidson.
We have a medical emergency.
Breathe.
*David! I don't believe that.
That's what killed her.
Ventricular tachycardia.
Her heart basically exploded.
The food is clean.
We checked with the restaurant.
She didn't even eat the food.
I have no idea how this happened.
All the hotel glasses were laced with peanut oil.
She's extremely allergic.
Anaphylactic shock? - Yeah.
She was allergic, and *Hartman and Resnick knew this? I bet it's in her medical records at the school board.
I'm sorry.
I had no idea.
Hey, no.
Come on.
Look, this could happen to anybody.
Without Daria Samson's testimony, we don't have a case.
We have to nail these animals.
Each one of these kids was attacked by these men.
For money.
And each of these families will never be the same.
We gotta get these guys on tape somehow.
Eavesdropping wiring could take weeks.
And who knows how long after that before we get them saying something incriminating.
Or just enough to help him along.
Who's the EPA sending? Guy at the Chicago office.
Lyle Grant.
What do we know about him? Enough.
Walk him through, same as before.
Just get it done.
Yeah.
Send him over.
Our new EPA officer is here.
That's Grant.
I'm Howard Resnick.
OK.
Here we go.
I need full access to all areas of your plant, Sir.
Of course.
Reed'll take good care of you.
Anything you need.
That's Resnick doing.
- What a desperate.
Let's take a walk.
Mr Resnick and I intend to do whatever we can to cooperate.
An attitude like that helps a lot.
Which is why we want to be sure things are being done carefully.
Slowly.
I can't help you there.
I'm under a lot of pressure from the POJ to speed up the process.
It's just that We'd really like to be your partner on this.
If we can.
EPA records indicate your company received about 12,000 barrels of .
Correct? That's not correct.
We got a background noise.
I need a clean transfer.
Beleive me I've cleaned that up.
That's the slack furnace.
They fill it with chemical waste, heat it to 3,000°, and out comes harmless aggregate.
It's really a recycling miracle.
What is a miracle is that Desert Shell only uses 52% of the weight it takes in to make this paving material.
Where does the rest of that toxic waste go to? They have a warehouse.
I need to have a look there as well.
I want a chemical team out of here to check this store's safeguards.
The other EPA officer was able to accomplish his work with just a visual inspection.
We're paying close attention now.
I think you understand.
Still, it would be a shame for all of our reputations to be destroyed on the basis of an error in your judgment.
Excuse me? An error in my judgment? If one looks hard enough, one is bound to find something, isn't that right? They're totally buying it.
For instance, you vacation in Vegas quite a lot, don't you, Mr Grant? Her report shows you in substantial debt to several casinos, as well as some serious arrears in your child support obligation.
Are you trying to blackmail me? No.
Just the opposite.
Like I said, we'd like to be your partner on this.
There's a chance here for all of us to benefit.
You gonna buy me off? We can arrange a loan from a legitimate source on very long terms.
If I fix the records.
We send our trucks of waste for burial, and you mark them as aggregate.
As simple as that.
And all of my problems go away? You really can't imagine the kind of future we can offer you, Mr Grant.
Just need one more thing.
What about the money? Mr Resnick controls a number of legitimate lending institutions.
We offer you an offshore account number.
He just implicated Resnick.
Which means we got them all.
Let's go.
Let's go.
We're gonna move in.
OK, let's move in.
Move in.
No one will ever know any money even changed hands.
FBI! Nobody move! Resnick, get your hands behind your back.
Easy.
Easy.
What's going on? What's going on is, you're under arrest, partner.
This way.
Parkman! What the hell? All right, get them out of here.
Maybe you need yourself a new lawyer.
Let's go.
So, um I've been thinking, and I'm not sure if it's such a great idea for us to go out.
What? Why? What happened? Don't know.
But I don't even know if I mean that.
I just I mean, College protocol frowns on it.
And we don't even seem sure if we want to be together.
And I'm massively confused, and you're ambivalent, and I'm about to get incredibly busy working with Mildred on this research.
It's something I'm interested in.
It would be a great stretch for me.
Not to mention, it's just smart to have her as my mentor.
I know that I shouldn't even consider I just never know what's personal and what's professional with us.
I know.
It's been That was nice.
- I concur.
Hello! Oh! Dr French, what are you doing here? Oh my God, I'm so sorry.
Are you checking up on us? Absolutely not, I'm looking for Alan, I My father? Pretend I wasn't here.
OK, I'm gone.
What is up with that woman? I can't just pretend that she wasn't just here.
She was here.
I saw the woman.
Shall we? - Let's go! What's going on here? Uh - we're going to the movies.
A movie? You and - Mildred? Millie.
- Millie.
Thank you.
Uh, Millie wanted to see the new 007 film? Right.
We are going.
OK? See you later.
Shall we? - Yep.
Good night.
- Bye "Millie".
Yeah, "Millie".
Just think, she could be your boss and stepmom.