NCIS New Orleans (2014) s03e20 Episode Script
NOLA Confidential
1 Hey, y'all sing it with me Hey, hey, hey Come on, don't call it a comeback I been here for years I ain't trippin', I'm just making it clear What you know about blood, sweat and tears? You're lookin' for me, then the man's right here It'll come to ya, it'll come to ya It'll come to ya, it'll come to ya, it'll come to ya I don't know why I had to pay a cover to meet you in here just to turn around and go back out.
I like the music.
That what they call it? You should've left it where it should've been I heard the monkeys on the sticks and the Ya (song continuing faintly in distance) All right, show me yours.
Come on.
How am I supposed to know it's all there? Business relationships are built on trust.
(thump nearby) What the hell was that? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Just relax.
You brought someone? Look, I'm alone, okay? And you're a little freakin' high right now.
Just get this deal done You playing me? (gunshot) MAN: Richard! Richard.
Richard, you okay? Are you okay?! This is Spencer.
Officer down.
Officer down! I need help immediately.
Come on.
Officer down! I need help! Boom, boom, boom, boom Bang, bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom, boom How, how, how, how Hey, hey NCIS:New Orleans 3x20 NOLA Confidential You gotta come on.
RITA: Roasted spiced leg of lamb, braised baby artichokes, and there may be a banana cinnamon pudding in the oven, which I'm hoping I didn't burn.
(romantic jazz music playing) Here I thought I was the chef in this relationship.
(chuckles) You may want to taste the food before you relinquish the title.
(chuckles) Well, you know, you didn't really have to do all of this.
And you don't have to do that.
I got this.
Okay.
To be honest, I might have an ulterior motive.
There are a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about.
And I was thought the food and wine might make it a little easier.
This about Clearwater? Ah! So, few weeks ago Yeah.
on the Brossette case, we learned several housing developments were shelved there.
Police resources were curbed.
Yeah, Mayor Hamilton was behind all of it, but we never found out why.
Well, I may have.
Someone's been buying properties in Clearwater at a huge rate, pushing people out when they don't want to sell.
And you think it's Hamilton? Well, it makes sense.
Deny services to the residents, and then sweep in and buy their houses.
It's a poor immigrant community.
Property values are rock-bottom.
No profits to be made.
I have to figure out Hamilton's angle.
Well, this is a city matter.
You're NCIS.
No jurisdiction.
Me, on the other hand, go to Clearwater, question some of the complainants, figure out who's buying the property, try and put a case together for the D.
A.
Hamilton basically got the D.
A.
elected.
He's kissing cousins with half the office.
You'd be putting a target on your back at work.
That's the second thing I wanted to talk to you about.
Um I may not be staying at the D.
A.
's office, Dwayne.
What? I got a job offer.
Department of Justice.
National Security Division.
It's in Washington, D.
C.
Wow, that's-that's that's a big deal.
Yeah, it is.
They want me ASAP, and I've been putting them off.
Why? You have to ask? Look, I'm not one to cut and run, and neither are you.
But whatever this is between us, it deserves a chance, don't you think? Yes, I do.
(phone beeping) Oh, yeah.
I know what that means.
No, no.
No, not neces It's Gregorio.
We caught a case.
I'm sorry.
Eh, more bread pudding for me.
(chuckles) Talk later.
Yeah.
You got the dishes.
There are plenty of 'em.
(chuckles) (camera clicking) Victim's name is Nathan Kelly.
A Navy contractor working the port by day, drug dealing by night.
Didn't turn out too well for him.
Mr.
Kelly was shot three times with a Glock Model 17.
Don't you usually have to get the body back to the morgue before you know that? This time, we have the weapon and the shooter.
Kelly acted crazy during the deal.
NOPD Vice had to take him out.
He was dealing drugs to an undercover cop? Fentanyl, according to NOPD.
A synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin.
About a kilo of it over there.
LASALLE: That's some heavy weight.
How does a dock worker get his hands on it? We're hoping you could answer that question.
If you Feds can spare some of your precious time.
Special Agent Lasalle.
Hey, always willing to step in and fix the locals' messes, Sergeant Spencer.
Hey, he's Lieutenant Spencer, actually.
For real? Yep.
You got promoted again? Always failing upward.
(laughter) LASALLE: Good to see you.
Let me guess, you guys go back.
Spencer.
Gregorio.
(laughs) Detective Aubrey.
We taught LaSalle everything he knows about being a cop.
Yeah, it took an hour, and I improvise the rest.
And then Pride stole him away from vice.
Forgot about his pals.
Haven't seen you for Tuesday drinks in a while.
Ah, my partying days are curtailed.
Busy fighting crime.
Speaking of which, any idea what Kelly was into here? City's been fentanyl-free for a year.
Couple weeks ago, it's back on the street with a vengeance.
You think Kelly's the supplier? Nah.
Kelly's on the thug end of the spectrum.
But Marino's been working him for the past couple days.
Pretty sure he's got a hookup down at the ports though.
Maybe a Navy connection.
Hoping you guys could check that out.
Where's Marino anyway? He working another monster hangover? You didn't hear? Deal went bad, Chris.
Marino took a bullet.
(siren wailing) (groans softly) (knocks) Hey.
Whoa.
It's my former partner, huh? And the new guy.
Been almost ten years since Chris joined NCIS.
I don't think you can call me the new guy anymore.
I'm the one that broke him in.
And I'm still not convinced this whole NCIS thing isn't just a phase.
You want me to come visit, you should just call, not get in a shootout.
Wasn't much of a shootout.
I didn't even get to my weapon.
You're still wearing your gun on your ankle.
Just like in that movie.
French Connection, baby.
Look at that.
It's a modern-day classic.
I bet you still haven't seen it.
It's on my list.
Sure you should be doing that? Celebrating my miraculous survival.
Shot point-blank, barely a scratch.
Looks like more than a scratch to me.
MARINO: Yeah, well.
- You should see the other guy.
- Yeah, we did.
Since he can't talk, we're hoping you will.
Sure, Dwayne.
I don't think there's much to tell.
You think Kelly was getting his fentanyl in through the port? Must've.
I mean, we shut down the local operation last year.
Took out one of his big drug labs.
Confiscated 50 keys.
That's quite a haul.
Yeah, biggest of my career.
Though somehow, Spencer got all the credit and the big promotion.
Well, you're a team.
Good for him, right? He got the reward, and I got the bullet.
Uh, that's a fair deal.
Well, Kelly must've had some kind of connection bringing in the drugs.
Huh? I mean, he was loading and unloading Navy cargo off ships from all over the world.
Had special clearance.
You think Navy personnel are smuggling drugs into New Orleans? (chuckles) I'm just a street cop.
They pay me to bust down doors.
I'll leave it to the, uh, professional investigators to put the pieces together.
Maybe we can work together on this.
You lay off the booze and get some rest.
Molly picking you up? Ooh.
I guess it has been a while, Chris.
Um Molly left me.
Guess I'm an acquired taste.
Sorry to hear that.
Mm.
Come on.
I'll take you home.
All right.
Okay.
According to NOPD, Kelly was smuggling fentanyl off of incoming cargo ships.
Problem is, the vessels he was off-loading come from the Southern Hemisphere.
Fentanyl's usually manufactured in China and East Asia.
If Kelly was a part of an international drug ring, there'd be signs in his digital life-- phone calls, e-mails, activity in the Dark Web-- but there's nothing.
There is one discrepancy.
Kelly was loading a ship that was bound for the Panama Canal yesterday.
A hundred crates of dry goods for the USNS Tacoma.
He ended up loading 101 crates.
Did a manual correction in the ship's log.
I contacted the Navy logistics officer.
There's no record of this extra crate.
King, what if Kelly wasn't smuggling drugs in to New Orleans But smuggling them out.
Skimmed a key off the top to sell on the side, got clipped by the cops.
Still doesn't answer the question of who supplied him.
Keep digging into Kelly's life; there's got to be something.
Well, I might not be able to tell you about Kelly's life, but I can tell you about the drugs that he had.
See, every batch of synthetic narcotics has its own unique chemical recipe, kind of like DNA.
Well, the brick of fentanyl that was in Kelly's car, that was manufactured here in New Orleans.
GREGORIO: From the same drug lab that vice busted last year.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, from the same batch that was confiscated in that bust.
By all accounts, this should be in an NOPD evidence locker.
Somehow, Kelly got possession of the drugs.
GREGORIO: Well, if that's true, then he definitely couldn't have done it alone.
He had to have help from inside the NOPD.
Not just NOPD.
The vice squad.
My old unit.
I mean, that's what you're suggesting, isn't it? So we're saying that someone stole 50 kilos of fentanyl from the NOPD, gave it to Kelly to smuggle out of the country.
Probably a vice cop.
We have no proof of that.
Well, I-I tested the drugs.
They're from the same batch; that's pretty strong evidence.
Not to me, Sebastian.
Not when you're talking about my old unit being corrupt.
SEBASTIAN: I'm just saying that the drugs match, that's all.
You don't know these guys.
After Katrina, my house was destroyed, Marino took me in.
The rest of the unit, they helped rebuild; every day, after work, they pitched in.
All right, guys like that don't do this! PRIDE: Christopher.
Let's take this one step at a time.
Okay, we know that Kelly had the fentanyl, and it looks like he loaded it onto a cargo ship.
Which is currently headed for the Panama Canal.
PRIDE: Contact the Coast Guard.
Get on that ship.
Find the extra crate.
Oh, you know what, I should go, too.
I thought you and boats don't get along so well.
No, I love boats, it's just the water that makes me want to hurl.
But the point is you're gonna need me to test the fentanyl.
Besides, I'm an NCIS agent now, right? I got to get my sea legs at some point.
Take him.
Come on.
If you throw up on me, I'll shoot you.
No pressure, though, right? (sighs) Now, I came up with these cops.
They're like family.
You know 'em, too.
Now, they seem like the kind of people who would take a penny that doesn't belong to 'em? We're not talking about a penny, Christopher.
Look, they're good guys, but we-we got to investigate.
This is all kinds of personal for you, so if it's too close to home, then No, I'm good.
Let's go to vice.
GREGORIO: You gonna be all right? SEBASTIAN: Yeah.
That flight was a little choppier than I would've liked.
Think I'm all out of patches.
All right, well, look, take one of these.
What is it? What do you know about Chinese medicine? I'm more of a dabbler than an expert, really.
I went to get acupuncture once, but then I just kept thinking about Hellraiser and that guy with all the needles in his face, I freaked out.
Okay, well, I have a great acupuncturist.
He put this herbal blend together; it helped me with seasickness.
- I'm all right, thanks.
- What do you mean you're good? You don't trust me? No, I trust you.
It's just, you know, I like to do a full spectrum analysis of anything new before I, uh before I ingest it.
It's fine.
All right, look at you.
Come on.
Beggars can't be choosers, okay? All right, okay.
Come on.
Come on, sweetie.
You'll be fine.
Hey, I'm Captain Gaines.
Welcome aboard the USNS Tacoma.
Special Agent Gregorio and Lund.
Thanks for having us.
Yeah, I wasn't given much of a choice, and I'm not sure why you're here.
We just need to inspect some cargo that you're hauling.
Inspections are traditionally done in the port of exit or entry.
Yeah, well, this is one of those nontraditional inspections.
Just follow me below deck; I'll bring you to your cargo.
PRIDE: So we ask for the case file on the fentanyl bust.
We need access to the evidence locker.
No reason to make any accusations till we know exactly what's going on, right? Yeah.
Pride.
We go in there together, they're gonna tense up, think we're fishing for something.
You want to go in solo? I know you're friendly with 'em and all, but I'm still an outsider.
They'll be more at ease with me.
You sure? Yeah.
I don't expect to find anything suspicious anyway.
I'll be right back.
All right.
(siren wailing in distance) (phone ringing) Hey, Rita.
Sorry about last night.
RITA: Don't be.
Work is work.
Yeah, well, I was hoping you'd still be at NCIS when I got back, but it was 2:00 in the morning.
Oh, we'll pick up that conversation later.
Right now, I want to ask what you know about Audubon Industries.
Never heard of 'em.
Why? RITA: They're the company buying up all the properties in Clearwater.
I'm about to go knock on their door.
Why don't you wait for me.
We'll go in together.
Well, I'm here now.
And you're working.
I'll call you after.
Don't worry.
(line clicks, phone beeps) MARINO: Let me show you what we got on that fentanyl bust.
Got to be around here somewhere.
Yeah, nothing ever changes.
Sloppy ten years ago, sloppy today.
How do you work like this? (chuckles) I do have a system.
But you're wrong.
I haven't changed, but you have.
When I first met you, you were a punk kid who thought he knew everything.
Now look at you.
Yeah, still a punk.
Yeah, but you're no longer a kid.
Seriously, though.
You were smart to get out of this place, make something of yourself.
I should've done the same thing when I had the options.
Well, you can always change units.
Take the sergeant's exam.
(chuckles) Not with my history.
Public Integrity's come knocking a few too many times.
Drinking at work now? It's medicinal.
Seriously, Richard, you got me a little worried.
Look, you may have that federal badge, but you're still a rookie in my books, okay? Let me do the worrying.
Here's everything we have on the fentanyl bust, but Nathan Kelly's not involved.
How can you be so sure? 'Cause it was a group of chemistry majors that watched too much Breaking Bad, thought they'd start a gang.
Every single one of them is doing time, and every ounce of their drugs ended up in the evidence locker.
I'd like to take a look at those drugs.
Why do you want to do that? 'Cause the fentanyl we took off of Kelly is an exact chemical match.
So you think Kelly broke into the NOPD evidence locker and stole the drugs? (chuckles) Clearly you've never met him.
Ah.
You think a cop did this.
Well, I don't want to believe that, but it's a legitimate lead.
We need to follow up on it.
Or you could just ask me.
I am asking.
Can I see the drugs? No.
They're gone.
They were taken to the incinerator last week.
Well, who signed them out? I did.
I took them there myself, okay? So consider that lead followed.
Unless, of course, you don't believe me, in which case, you might want to get Public Integrity involved.
Hey, Richard, I'm the rookie here, right? Of course I believe you.
Must be some other explanation how Kelly got the drugs.
Must be.
GAINES: Unit number U.
S.
2537-B.
Ah, here we are.
This is your locker.
Inside is your crate.
All right, thank you.
Here it is.
Just need to break the seal.
Uh, this seal's already been broken.
Someone's been inside the locker? No, that's not possible.
Hmm, guessing that's the crate we're looking for? Yep, and whatever was in it is gone now.
(exhales) (siren wailing in distance) You get access to the fentanyl? (sighs) What's going on? Drugs are gone, King.
Signed straight out of evidence, right into Kelly's hands.
You know who did it? Yeah, but I sure as hell wish I didn't.
It was Marino.
GREGORIO: So, we searched the Navy locker.
The extra crate that Kelly loaded was completely empty.
Any idea if the drugs were ever in it? Sebastian tested the crate, came back positive for the same fentanyl Kelly was dealing.
Hi.
It wasn't just fentanyl though, it was a whole gamut of narcotics.
Talking cocaine, marijuana, all your heroins.
I mean, you got your black tar, your Colombian white, your Afghan brown LASALLE: We get it Sebastian.
Lot of drugs.
500 pounds, worth millions on the street.
And it's much more than what Kelly got from the NOPD evidence locker.
You need to search the ship.
SEBASTIAN: Well, you know, that's easier said than done, you know, 'cause this is a T-AKR class vessel.
That means it's 965 feet long, it's 40 feet deep, it's got a 3000 TEU capacity.
I mean, do the math, you know? Actually, I'm gonna do the math.
Sebastian.
Seasickness getting to you? Actually, you know what? No.
Tammy gave me some dynamite Chinese medicine, and I feel great; it's so awesome.
GREGORIO: Just might be a side effect or two.
But we got another problem.
That crate was emptied while the ship was at sea.
Means Kelly's got an accomplice on the crew.
Find the accomplice, you'll find the drugs.
Any luck figuring out who gave Kelly access to the confiscated drugs in the first place? We got some ideas.
PRIDE: But nothing confirmed yet.
This is a sophisticated operation.
We need to shut it down before that ship makes the Panama Canal.
Copy that.
You seen this thing? It's nuts.
Get out of here.
You're gonna get me in trouble.
You really think Richard Marino would steal drugs? The Marino that was my mentor and partner? No.
But he's not that guy anymore.
Well, the drinking's one thing.
We're talking a major felony.
Well, he admitted he signed for the confiscated fentanyl out of evidence to be destroyed.
And now it's on that cargo ship.
If it's true, Marino was in league with Kelly.
And we have no connection between them except last night's bust.
PATTON: You might not have the connection, but I do.
Follow me.
Here we go, right here.
Brian Cooper.
Who's Brian Cooper? Brian Cooper graduated Western High School in 2010 with Nathan Kelly.
They played varsity baseball, and they're still part of a summer ball league together.
What's Cooper's connection to Marino? PATTON: Cooper works the incinerator for the New Orleans Police Department.
Let's pay him a visit.
Good work, P.
SEBASTIAN: There are hundreds of crates on this ship.
There's no way we search them all before we reach the Panama Canal.
GREGORIO: And we know at least one of the crew is involved in the smuggling operation.
No one can be trusted.
Not even us.
Ah, I'm kidding.
I'm just going with a thing.
I'm sorry.
I totally trust you, just Okay, well, I mostly trust you, but you've been acting weirder than usual.
Well, yeah.
It's these Chinese herbs that you gave me, you know? They're making me feel all wired and tense and itchy.
Is that normal? I should've never given them to you.
I like it, though, you know? I feel like I'm firing on all cylinders.
Oh, good, well, maybe you can use those cylinders to lead us to where the narcotics are hidden.
I was just kidding, Sebastian.
We have to do it the old-fashioned way.
We need to check every locker.
No.
No, we don't.
W-We're thinking about this all wrong.
Why hide 500 pounds of drugs in a locker just to take them out before you reach port? It's too risky, unless They were never meant to reach the port in the first place.
But where do you get rid of 500 pounds of drugs in the middle of the ocean? Can't just throw them overboard.
Follow me, I got an idea.
But it's gonna be smelly.
Smelly? Wait, where are we going? Incinerator's going.
(car alarm chirps) Cooper must be here.
Oh, Patton just sent me everything he's got on Brian Cooper.
He's been working the incinerator for seven years, destroying drugs for NOPD, state police and DEA.
Gives him access to a lot of narcotics.
Opportunity to make a profit.
(knock on door) Brian Cooper, federal agents.
We need to talk.
Open up.
It's locked.
(both groaning) That's not drugs being burned.
(coughing) (groans): Oh, God.
(coughing) Oh, that's Brian Cooper.
Cooper? What the hell is going on? (phone ringing) Call it in, Chris.
Rita.
Hey, Rita, listen, I I'm on my way.
Everything all right? She got run off the road.
(tires screech) Rita? Rita, are you here? RITA: Dwayne.
Rita.
It's okay.
I'm not hurt.
I'm good.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
No.
You're bleeding.
I am? Oh, I Oh.
Must have cut myself getting out.
I was I just was moving so fast.
I was trying to get to safety.
I Just tell me what happened.
Well, this truck came up behind me fast.
I-I tried to move out of the way.
It kept coming, and then just rammed into me, and the next thing I know, my car was flipped over, and then the truck was speeding away.
Did you get a look at the plates? No.
But I've seen the truck before.
It was following me.
All day in Clearwater.
This wasn't an accident.
You should have called 911.
But if you're right, and Hamilton's behind all this, how can I trust anyone but you? Yeah.
Okay, come on.
You weren't wrong about the smell.
Why do you think the drugs are here? Well, on a ship, recycling is stacked and sorted to be off-loaded at port.
But compost is dumped in the ocean before the ship reaches its, uh, destination.
You think the drugs are gonna be dumped? Yeah, and then picked up by whoever else is part of the smuggling ring, which means we have to search all these garbage containers right now.
Come on, let's get gross.
(whoops) Okay, I'll be over here.
Believe it or not, this doesn't even rank my top ten most disgusting places to search.
Glamorous life of a field agent.
Sebastian, I think I hit pay dirt.
(grunting) (screams) (Sebastian yells) (panting) That was unexpected.
You did great, baby.
You did great.
Uh, let's put cuffs on him or whatever happens next.
Do these fit him? Loretta.
Ah.
Is Dwayne joining us? No.
Rita got in some kind of accident.
She's okay, but he took her to NCIS to be sure.
Okay.
What can you tell me about Brian Cooper? Uh, I can tell you he wasn't burned alive.
Died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Killer was trying to get rid of the body and evidence.
If he was, he did a poor job of it.
A drug incinerator usually has an automatic cut-off function whenever foreign materials are introduced.
And that's why I was able to recover these.
Pretty badly burned.
On the outside, yes, but I pulled biologicals from the inside of the gloves.
Christopher, not sure you're gonna like what I came up with.
(indistinct police radio chatter) (siren wailing in distance) MARINO: I can't believe it.
You called in the rat squad after all.
I'm so disappointed.
Nothing compared to how I'm feeling.
MARINO: You see this? This is how they treat a 25-year veteran.
No more lies, Marino.
You're breaking my heart.
No need to make a scene, Richard.
âNo need to make a Scâ Me make a scene? What were you gonna do, arrest me for theft? No.
We're gonna arrest you for murder.
(handcuffs clicking) Why am I looking at this? It's Brian Cooper, incinerator operator for the City of New Orleans.
You think I killed Brian? We know you did.
And why did I do that? O-Over some fentanyl I supposedly liberated from evidence? Not just fentanyl.
Hundreds of pounds of other narcotics, too.
You took the drugs before they were destroyed.
Gave 'em to Nathan Kelly at the port to smuggle onto a ship.
Do I look like some sort of criminal kingpin? I don't know what I see anymore.
Ah.
(chuckles) So I'm a disappointment to you, hmm? You're way past disappointing to me.
All right, you're a disgrace.
I didn't kill anybody, and I'm not a thief.
We got your DNA off of gloves that were dumped by the body.
Someone's trying to frame me, Chris.
LASALLE: Yeah, 'cause you never take responsibility for anything.
MARINO: No, no, no, no, no.
Listen to me, okay? I-I know I do a lot of things.
I drink too much, I'll cut corners on a case, and I'll manhandle a suspect, but nothing nothing like this! We don't have much time.
Nothing like this, Chris.
LASALLE: Come on, do the right thing, Richard.
Give me the members of the smuggling ring, every last one of 'em maybe I can cushion the blow.
You want to help me? You can start by believing me.
I'm not the guy you're looking for.
(door opens, closes) I tried, King.
He's too far gone.
Maybe.
But there's something off here.
Come on.
You don't really believe he was set up.
Everything's a little convenient-- Cooper's body, the gloves-- like it's tied up in a bow for us.
Well, that's just Richard being sloppy.
There's more.
Come on.
Patton ran financials on Kelly and Cooper.
Both of them had an infusion of cash recently, but Marino flat broke.
That's just him being careful.
Is he sloppy or is he careful? Think about it.
That's the man who taught you how to be a cop.
People change.
Not that much.
If it were me in the interview room, would I get the benefit of the doubt? (computer beeping) Gregorio, Sebastian, tell me things.
Suspect's name is Mitchell Castor.
He's the maintenance officer on the ship.
First, he refused to talk until I threatened to leave him with Sebastian for round two.
Heard you did quite a job backing up your partner, Sebastian.
I don't know what came over me.
It's like I had superpowers.
LASALLE: What did Mitchell Castor have to say? Well, Kelly's the one who brought him into the operation.
Plan was to dump the drugs in the ocean, marked with geotrackers, then the buyers would collect them later in a small boat.
It's a good way to avoid Coast Guard and Navy patrols.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, well, until this morning when the Coast Guard swept up the buyers.
And who are they? Mexican drug cartel.
They were buying back drugs that were confiscated here and redistributing them in new territories.
Yeah, we essentially uncovered a drug recycling operation.
Well, it takes cash, planning.
None of our suspects fit the bill.
There must be a bigger player involved.
Mitchell has no idea who's in charge, but we did look into his bank account information.
Yeah, a company has been wiring him payments.
Uh, some offshore corporation called Audubon Industries.
You're kidding.
That name mean something to you, King? Good morning.
Morning for me.
Pretty sure you never came to bed.
This case is keeping me busy, but I like knowing that you were up here safe.
Well, if I don't take that job in Washington, we could make it a habit.
Ah, I like the sound of that.
(sighs) Okay.
Audubon Industries.
And he's back, folks.
(chuckles) Company's been buying up properties in Clearwater.
Think they're involved in our drug smuggling ring.
What did you learn about them? Not much.
It's a glorified shell company.
They've got an empty office, no more than a desk and a phone, really, and millions invested in Clearwater.
Yeah, probably financed from the sale of confiscated narcotics.
And if Hamilton is connected to Clearwater, he must be connected to the drugs.
He's too smart to have any direct contact.
So, what? Someone's working on his behalf? That vice cop you arrested? Marino.
He's been plagued by complaints for years.
Hard to believe Hamilton would trust him.
Prefer a partner beyond reproach.
So we're looking for another cop.
Someone who Hamilton knows well.
Means they have history.
Find that cop, we bring down Hamilton.
I'll go to City Hall and request NOPD's personnel records.
No, no, no, no, that's not a good idea.
Well, you don't have the authority to make the request-- I do.
Someone tried to kill you yesterday.
I'm going to City Hall, not an abandoned warehouse.
And I'm not asking permission.
Okay, well, fine, then.
Fine, then I'll come with you.
And I'm not asking for permission eith (door closes) Man, I got to give it to you, Rita.
You're as good as your word.
You got every file on every cop who worked vice in the last 15 years.
What can I say? I don't take no for an answer.
Sort of like my second ex-wife.
Though she didn't care much for yes either.
We're looking for any cop who has a relationship with Hamilton.
Well, that's half the department, right? He considers himself a friend to law and order.
We need more than photo ops.
We need deep ties, favors done.
Someone who owes him.
How about a cop who was in deep with Public Integrity? I'm talking about a confidential investigation into drugs that went missing from the evidence locker five years ago.
Well, how could he still be on the job? Drugs magically reappeared in evidence.
Investigation never went public, thanks to a letter from Hamilton, who headed up the Criminal Justice Committee for the city council.
Marino? No.
Jordan Spencer.
He almost lost his job for it, and he went up on charges.
And now he runs the vice unit? That is quite a change of fortunes.
Patton, ping whatever you got to ping, trace whatever you got to trace.
We got to find Spencer now.
RITA: And they're off.
PATTON: Yeah.
We do all the work, they have all the fun.
Kind of makes you want to tag along for the takedown.
Nah, we'd just get in the way.
Give Pride one more thing to worry about.
(gate buzzes) What's going on? You locked up in Orleans Parish is no good.
Too many people know you here.
SPENCER: Got permission to transfer you to St.
Charles till this gets figured out.
(siren wailing) Spencer wasn't at NOPD, Patton.
Where are you on his location? I got GPS on his cell phone.
Spencer just left Orleans Parish jail.
According to the records, he got custody of Marino.
He's gonna kill Richard and make sure he takes the fall.
Unless we stop him.
(tires screeching) (siren continues wailing) (siren wailing) You got yourself into a real mess here, Richard.
You know I didn't do what they're accusing me of, right? Yeah, of course we do, Marino.
Even you're not that much of a screw-up.
(chuckles) Aubrey, pull the car over here.
What's going on? MARINO: Hey! What are you, what are you doing?! No witnesses.
Get out of the car.
Get out! You lost your mind?! PATTON: Spencer is no longer on the move.
He pulled over off the highway.
We need an exact location.
There's an access road.
Zeroing in on his precise coordinates now.
You shot him! No, you shot him, Richard.
After you managed to get out of your cuffs.
You're out of your mind! Cost of doing business.
Turn around, Richard! This'll go fast.
Screw you.
(siren wails) Cover me! You got it.
(yells) It's over, Spencer! Drop it now! Drop the weapon! Richard, you all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
PRIDE: Spencer.
Hey, hey, Spencer.
You're gonna be all right.
Chris, call 911.
Hurry.
Spencer, we're gonna cut you a deal.
A deal, you understand? You're gonna be all right, all right, and then you're gonna talk to me, and you're gonna tell me everything about Mayor Hamilton.
All right? We're gonna take him down.
You're gonna help me take him down, you understand?! Spencer! You underst Spencer! (panting) Our only link to Hamilton is dead, which puts us back at square one.
Not necessarily.
We got a link to Audubon Industries.
Taking profit from selling illegal drugs to buy property in Clearwater.
Still no connection to Hamilton, though.
Dude, what's with all the negativity here? I'm sorry.
I don't know.
It's just, I feel like I'm coming down from a high or something, you know? Must be the pills that Gregorio gave me.
Sebastian, you're not coming down from a high.
It's okay, all right? I don't blame you.
It's just that my body is a delicate ecosystem.
Okay, so the pills were not even Chinese herbs.
Regular allergy medicine, over the counter, nothing exotic.
PATTON: Dude, you got placebo'd.
(laughs) Hold on, all right.
Wait a minute.
Now, I wasn't seasick.
Right.
Mm.
I wasn't nervous.
But I-I kicked that guy's ass.
Yeah, you did.
That's right, no special drugs.
Just Forensic Agent Lund.
So what you're saying is I'm kind of awesome.
Okay, that's my cue to go.
Wait, can you not? Don't leave me.
No.
Here, how about this? How about you go onto Twitter, and you tweet: hashtag âSebastian's awesomeâ? Now you're thinking it.
You're thinking I'm awesome.
I mean, you're thinking âSebastian's awesomeâ" I wasn't sure you was coming in.
I was at the hospital seeing Roger.
Yeah? How's he doing? He'll be good, eventually.
What are you doing here? Pride and I was just wrapping up the case.
Listen, I If you're gonna apologize, don't.
You got nothing to be sorry for.
You did your job, and you saved my life.
Still, what I put you through No, Chris.
I'm a mess.
Have been for quite a while now.
You know it doesn't always have to be like that.
Consider this a wake-up call.
Time to make some real changes.
You know, I haven't had a drink since you arrested me.
That's good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm here if you need anything, all right? Look at you, all grown up.
I mean it, Richard.
Me, too.
Me, too.
(sighs) (trumpet playing jazz music in distance) I'm glad you're still here.
And you're just getting in-- again.
Yeah, well, a lot to wrap up with Spencer dead.
Yeah, sorry you couldn't take him alive.
But you'll figure out another way to get to Hamilton.
Not me.
We.
We're a great team.
We just need to tie Hamilton to Audubon, and I got a couple ideas how.
What do you say we hash 'em out over breakfast? And then what? You rush off into the night again, while I wait here? Well, you're safe here, Rita.
I'm a prosecutor, Dwayne.
I lead the charge.
I don't stay back and keep the home fires burning.
Well, Hamilton's different than any case you've ever had.
Okay? And I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you.
I don't want to worry about my safety, and I don't want you to, either.
What's this? It's a list of jazz clubs in D.
C.
, where musicians can sit in any Sunday night.
Is that what you want? Not sure it's what I want, but it's what I need.
Look, we're not kids anymore.
We don't rush in head first.
We've got lives and careers.
Whatever we're doing here deserves attention.
I'm paying attention, Rita.
I know you are.
But you need your full focus to go after Hamilton.
You don't need to worry about me.
Take him down, Dwayne, and get closure.
And-and when you have, I'll be in D.
C.
I'm not convinced that we have to end this.
Nothing's ending, we're just hitting pause.
It's like a fermata.
(chuckles) I'm gonna hold you to that.
I like the music.
That what they call it? You should've left it where it should've been I heard the monkeys on the sticks and the Ya (song continuing faintly in distance) All right, show me yours.
Come on.
How am I supposed to know it's all there? Business relationships are built on trust.
(thump nearby) What the hell was that? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Just relax.
You brought someone? Look, I'm alone, okay? And you're a little freakin' high right now.
Just get this deal done You playing me? (gunshot) MAN: Richard! Richard.
Richard, you okay? Are you okay?! This is Spencer.
Officer down.
Officer down! I need help immediately.
Come on.
Officer down! I need help! Boom, boom, boom, boom Bang, bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom, boom How, how, how, how Hey, hey NCIS:New Orleans 3x20 NOLA Confidential You gotta come on.
RITA: Roasted spiced leg of lamb, braised baby artichokes, and there may be a banana cinnamon pudding in the oven, which I'm hoping I didn't burn.
(romantic jazz music playing) Here I thought I was the chef in this relationship.
(chuckles) You may want to taste the food before you relinquish the title.
(chuckles) Well, you know, you didn't really have to do all of this.
And you don't have to do that.
I got this.
Okay.
To be honest, I might have an ulterior motive.
There are a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about.
And I was thought the food and wine might make it a little easier.
This about Clearwater? Ah! So, few weeks ago Yeah.
on the Brossette case, we learned several housing developments were shelved there.
Police resources were curbed.
Yeah, Mayor Hamilton was behind all of it, but we never found out why.
Well, I may have.
Someone's been buying properties in Clearwater at a huge rate, pushing people out when they don't want to sell.
And you think it's Hamilton? Well, it makes sense.
Deny services to the residents, and then sweep in and buy their houses.
It's a poor immigrant community.
Property values are rock-bottom.
No profits to be made.
I have to figure out Hamilton's angle.
Well, this is a city matter.
You're NCIS.
No jurisdiction.
Me, on the other hand, go to Clearwater, question some of the complainants, figure out who's buying the property, try and put a case together for the D.
A.
Hamilton basically got the D.
A.
elected.
He's kissing cousins with half the office.
You'd be putting a target on your back at work.
That's the second thing I wanted to talk to you about.
Um I may not be staying at the D.
A.
's office, Dwayne.
What? I got a job offer.
Department of Justice.
National Security Division.
It's in Washington, D.
C.
Wow, that's-that's that's a big deal.
Yeah, it is.
They want me ASAP, and I've been putting them off.
Why? You have to ask? Look, I'm not one to cut and run, and neither are you.
But whatever this is between us, it deserves a chance, don't you think? Yes, I do.
(phone beeping) Oh, yeah.
I know what that means.
No, no.
No, not neces It's Gregorio.
We caught a case.
I'm sorry.
Eh, more bread pudding for me.
(chuckles) Talk later.
Yeah.
You got the dishes.
There are plenty of 'em.
(chuckles) (camera clicking) Victim's name is Nathan Kelly.
A Navy contractor working the port by day, drug dealing by night.
Didn't turn out too well for him.
Mr.
Kelly was shot three times with a Glock Model 17.
Don't you usually have to get the body back to the morgue before you know that? This time, we have the weapon and the shooter.
Kelly acted crazy during the deal.
NOPD Vice had to take him out.
He was dealing drugs to an undercover cop? Fentanyl, according to NOPD.
A synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin.
About a kilo of it over there.
LASALLE: That's some heavy weight.
How does a dock worker get his hands on it? We're hoping you could answer that question.
If you Feds can spare some of your precious time.
Special Agent Lasalle.
Hey, always willing to step in and fix the locals' messes, Sergeant Spencer.
Hey, he's Lieutenant Spencer, actually.
For real? Yep.
You got promoted again? Always failing upward.
(laughter) LASALLE: Good to see you.
Let me guess, you guys go back.
Spencer.
Gregorio.
(laughs) Detective Aubrey.
We taught LaSalle everything he knows about being a cop.
Yeah, it took an hour, and I improvise the rest.
And then Pride stole him away from vice.
Forgot about his pals.
Haven't seen you for Tuesday drinks in a while.
Ah, my partying days are curtailed.
Busy fighting crime.
Speaking of which, any idea what Kelly was into here? City's been fentanyl-free for a year.
Couple weeks ago, it's back on the street with a vengeance.
You think Kelly's the supplier? Nah.
Kelly's on the thug end of the spectrum.
But Marino's been working him for the past couple days.
Pretty sure he's got a hookup down at the ports though.
Maybe a Navy connection.
Hoping you guys could check that out.
Where's Marino anyway? He working another monster hangover? You didn't hear? Deal went bad, Chris.
Marino took a bullet.
(siren wailing) (groans softly) (knocks) Hey.
Whoa.
It's my former partner, huh? And the new guy.
Been almost ten years since Chris joined NCIS.
I don't think you can call me the new guy anymore.
I'm the one that broke him in.
And I'm still not convinced this whole NCIS thing isn't just a phase.
You want me to come visit, you should just call, not get in a shootout.
Wasn't much of a shootout.
I didn't even get to my weapon.
You're still wearing your gun on your ankle.
Just like in that movie.
French Connection, baby.
Look at that.
It's a modern-day classic.
I bet you still haven't seen it.
It's on my list.
Sure you should be doing that? Celebrating my miraculous survival.
Shot point-blank, barely a scratch.
Looks like more than a scratch to me.
MARINO: Yeah, well.
- You should see the other guy.
- Yeah, we did.
Since he can't talk, we're hoping you will.
Sure, Dwayne.
I don't think there's much to tell.
You think Kelly was getting his fentanyl in through the port? Must've.
I mean, we shut down the local operation last year.
Took out one of his big drug labs.
Confiscated 50 keys.
That's quite a haul.
Yeah, biggest of my career.
Though somehow, Spencer got all the credit and the big promotion.
Well, you're a team.
Good for him, right? He got the reward, and I got the bullet.
Uh, that's a fair deal.
Well, Kelly must've had some kind of connection bringing in the drugs.
Huh? I mean, he was loading and unloading Navy cargo off ships from all over the world.
Had special clearance.
You think Navy personnel are smuggling drugs into New Orleans? (chuckles) I'm just a street cop.
They pay me to bust down doors.
I'll leave it to the, uh, professional investigators to put the pieces together.
Maybe we can work together on this.
You lay off the booze and get some rest.
Molly picking you up? Ooh.
I guess it has been a while, Chris.
Um Molly left me.
Guess I'm an acquired taste.
Sorry to hear that.
Mm.
Come on.
I'll take you home.
All right.
Okay.
According to NOPD, Kelly was smuggling fentanyl off of incoming cargo ships.
Problem is, the vessels he was off-loading come from the Southern Hemisphere.
Fentanyl's usually manufactured in China and East Asia.
If Kelly was a part of an international drug ring, there'd be signs in his digital life-- phone calls, e-mails, activity in the Dark Web-- but there's nothing.
There is one discrepancy.
Kelly was loading a ship that was bound for the Panama Canal yesterday.
A hundred crates of dry goods for the USNS Tacoma.
He ended up loading 101 crates.
Did a manual correction in the ship's log.
I contacted the Navy logistics officer.
There's no record of this extra crate.
King, what if Kelly wasn't smuggling drugs in to New Orleans But smuggling them out.
Skimmed a key off the top to sell on the side, got clipped by the cops.
Still doesn't answer the question of who supplied him.
Keep digging into Kelly's life; there's got to be something.
Well, I might not be able to tell you about Kelly's life, but I can tell you about the drugs that he had.
See, every batch of synthetic narcotics has its own unique chemical recipe, kind of like DNA.
Well, the brick of fentanyl that was in Kelly's car, that was manufactured here in New Orleans.
GREGORIO: From the same drug lab that vice busted last year.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, from the same batch that was confiscated in that bust.
By all accounts, this should be in an NOPD evidence locker.
Somehow, Kelly got possession of the drugs.
GREGORIO: Well, if that's true, then he definitely couldn't have done it alone.
He had to have help from inside the NOPD.
Not just NOPD.
The vice squad.
My old unit.
I mean, that's what you're suggesting, isn't it? So we're saying that someone stole 50 kilos of fentanyl from the NOPD, gave it to Kelly to smuggle out of the country.
Probably a vice cop.
We have no proof of that.
Well, I-I tested the drugs.
They're from the same batch; that's pretty strong evidence.
Not to me, Sebastian.
Not when you're talking about my old unit being corrupt.
SEBASTIAN: I'm just saying that the drugs match, that's all.
You don't know these guys.
After Katrina, my house was destroyed, Marino took me in.
The rest of the unit, they helped rebuild; every day, after work, they pitched in.
All right, guys like that don't do this! PRIDE: Christopher.
Let's take this one step at a time.
Okay, we know that Kelly had the fentanyl, and it looks like he loaded it onto a cargo ship.
Which is currently headed for the Panama Canal.
PRIDE: Contact the Coast Guard.
Get on that ship.
Find the extra crate.
Oh, you know what, I should go, too.
I thought you and boats don't get along so well.
No, I love boats, it's just the water that makes me want to hurl.
But the point is you're gonna need me to test the fentanyl.
Besides, I'm an NCIS agent now, right? I got to get my sea legs at some point.
Take him.
Come on.
If you throw up on me, I'll shoot you.
No pressure, though, right? (sighs) Now, I came up with these cops.
They're like family.
You know 'em, too.
Now, they seem like the kind of people who would take a penny that doesn't belong to 'em? We're not talking about a penny, Christopher.
Look, they're good guys, but we-we got to investigate.
This is all kinds of personal for you, so if it's too close to home, then No, I'm good.
Let's go to vice.
GREGORIO: You gonna be all right? SEBASTIAN: Yeah.
That flight was a little choppier than I would've liked.
Think I'm all out of patches.
All right, well, look, take one of these.
What is it? What do you know about Chinese medicine? I'm more of a dabbler than an expert, really.
I went to get acupuncture once, but then I just kept thinking about Hellraiser and that guy with all the needles in his face, I freaked out.
Okay, well, I have a great acupuncturist.
He put this herbal blend together; it helped me with seasickness.
- I'm all right, thanks.
- What do you mean you're good? You don't trust me? No, I trust you.
It's just, you know, I like to do a full spectrum analysis of anything new before I, uh before I ingest it.
It's fine.
All right, look at you.
Come on.
Beggars can't be choosers, okay? All right, okay.
Come on.
Come on, sweetie.
You'll be fine.
Hey, I'm Captain Gaines.
Welcome aboard the USNS Tacoma.
Special Agent Gregorio and Lund.
Thanks for having us.
Yeah, I wasn't given much of a choice, and I'm not sure why you're here.
We just need to inspect some cargo that you're hauling.
Inspections are traditionally done in the port of exit or entry.
Yeah, well, this is one of those nontraditional inspections.
Just follow me below deck; I'll bring you to your cargo.
PRIDE: So we ask for the case file on the fentanyl bust.
We need access to the evidence locker.
No reason to make any accusations till we know exactly what's going on, right? Yeah.
Pride.
We go in there together, they're gonna tense up, think we're fishing for something.
You want to go in solo? I know you're friendly with 'em and all, but I'm still an outsider.
They'll be more at ease with me.
You sure? Yeah.
I don't expect to find anything suspicious anyway.
I'll be right back.
All right.
(siren wailing in distance) (phone ringing) Hey, Rita.
Sorry about last night.
RITA: Don't be.
Work is work.
Yeah, well, I was hoping you'd still be at NCIS when I got back, but it was 2:00 in the morning.
Oh, we'll pick up that conversation later.
Right now, I want to ask what you know about Audubon Industries.
Never heard of 'em.
Why? RITA: They're the company buying up all the properties in Clearwater.
I'm about to go knock on their door.
Why don't you wait for me.
We'll go in together.
Well, I'm here now.
And you're working.
I'll call you after.
Don't worry.
(line clicks, phone beeps) MARINO: Let me show you what we got on that fentanyl bust.
Got to be around here somewhere.
Yeah, nothing ever changes.
Sloppy ten years ago, sloppy today.
How do you work like this? (chuckles) I do have a system.
But you're wrong.
I haven't changed, but you have.
When I first met you, you were a punk kid who thought he knew everything.
Now look at you.
Yeah, still a punk.
Yeah, but you're no longer a kid.
Seriously, though.
You were smart to get out of this place, make something of yourself.
I should've done the same thing when I had the options.
Well, you can always change units.
Take the sergeant's exam.
(chuckles) Not with my history.
Public Integrity's come knocking a few too many times.
Drinking at work now? It's medicinal.
Seriously, Richard, you got me a little worried.
Look, you may have that federal badge, but you're still a rookie in my books, okay? Let me do the worrying.
Here's everything we have on the fentanyl bust, but Nathan Kelly's not involved.
How can you be so sure? 'Cause it was a group of chemistry majors that watched too much Breaking Bad, thought they'd start a gang.
Every single one of them is doing time, and every ounce of their drugs ended up in the evidence locker.
I'd like to take a look at those drugs.
Why do you want to do that? 'Cause the fentanyl we took off of Kelly is an exact chemical match.
So you think Kelly broke into the NOPD evidence locker and stole the drugs? (chuckles) Clearly you've never met him.
Ah.
You think a cop did this.
Well, I don't want to believe that, but it's a legitimate lead.
We need to follow up on it.
Or you could just ask me.
I am asking.
Can I see the drugs? No.
They're gone.
They were taken to the incinerator last week.
Well, who signed them out? I did.
I took them there myself, okay? So consider that lead followed.
Unless, of course, you don't believe me, in which case, you might want to get Public Integrity involved.
Hey, Richard, I'm the rookie here, right? Of course I believe you.
Must be some other explanation how Kelly got the drugs.
Must be.
GAINES: Unit number U.
S.
2537-B.
Ah, here we are.
This is your locker.
Inside is your crate.
All right, thank you.
Here it is.
Just need to break the seal.
Uh, this seal's already been broken.
Someone's been inside the locker? No, that's not possible.
Hmm, guessing that's the crate we're looking for? Yep, and whatever was in it is gone now.
(exhales) (siren wailing in distance) You get access to the fentanyl? (sighs) What's going on? Drugs are gone, King.
Signed straight out of evidence, right into Kelly's hands.
You know who did it? Yeah, but I sure as hell wish I didn't.
It was Marino.
GREGORIO: So, we searched the Navy locker.
The extra crate that Kelly loaded was completely empty.
Any idea if the drugs were ever in it? Sebastian tested the crate, came back positive for the same fentanyl Kelly was dealing.
Hi.
It wasn't just fentanyl though, it was a whole gamut of narcotics.
Talking cocaine, marijuana, all your heroins.
I mean, you got your black tar, your Colombian white, your Afghan brown LASALLE: We get it Sebastian.
Lot of drugs.
500 pounds, worth millions on the street.
And it's much more than what Kelly got from the NOPD evidence locker.
You need to search the ship.
SEBASTIAN: Well, you know, that's easier said than done, you know, 'cause this is a T-AKR class vessel.
That means it's 965 feet long, it's 40 feet deep, it's got a 3000 TEU capacity.
I mean, do the math, you know? Actually, I'm gonna do the math.
Sebastian.
Seasickness getting to you? Actually, you know what? No.
Tammy gave me some dynamite Chinese medicine, and I feel great; it's so awesome.
GREGORIO: Just might be a side effect or two.
But we got another problem.
That crate was emptied while the ship was at sea.
Means Kelly's got an accomplice on the crew.
Find the accomplice, you'll find the drugs.
Any luck figuring out who gave Kelly access to the confiscated drugs in the first place? We got some ideas.
PRIDE: But nothing confirmed yet.
This is a sophisticated operation.
We need to shut it down before that ship makes the Panama Canal.
Copy that.
You seen this thing? It's nuts.
Get out of here.
You're gonna get me in trouble.
You really think Richard Marino would steal drugs? The Marino that was my mentor and partner? No.
But he's not that guy anymore.
Well, the drinking's one thing.
We're talking a major felony.
Well, he admitted he signed for the confiscated fentanyl out of evidence to be destroyed.
And now it's on that cargo ship.
If it's true, Marino was in league with Kelly.
And we have no connection between them except last night's bust.
PATTON: You might not have the connection, but I do.
Follow me.
Here we go, right here.
Brian Cooper.
Who's Brian Cooper? Brian Cooper graduated Western High School in 2010 with Nathan Kelly.
They played varsity baseball, and they're still part of a summer ball league together.
What's Cooper's connection to Marino? PATTON: Cooper works the incinerator for the New Orleans Police Department.
Let's pay him a visit.
Good work, P.
SEBASTIAN: There are hundreds of crates on this ship.
There's no way we search them all before we reach the Panama Canal.
GREGORIO: And we know at least one of the crew is involved in the smuggling operation.
No one can be trusted.
Not even us.
Ah, I'm kidding.
I'm just going with a thing.
I'm sorry.
I totally trust you, just Okay, well, I mostly trust you, but you've been acting weirder than usual.
Well, yeah.
It's these Chinese herbs that you gave me, you know? They're making me feel all wired and tense and itchy.
Is that normal? I should've never given them to you.
I like it, though, you know? I feel like I'm firing on all cylinders.
Oh, good, well, maybe you can use those cylinders to lead us to where the narcotics are hidden.
I was just kidding, Sebastian.
We have to do it the old-fashioned way.
We need to check every locker.
No.
No, we don't.
W-We're thinking about this all wrong.
Why hide 500 pounds of drugs in a locker just to take them out before you reach port? It's too risky, unless They were never meant to reach the port in the first place.
But where do you get rid of 500 pounds of drugs in the middle of the ocean? Can't just throw them overboard.
Follow me, I got an idea.
But it's gonna be smelly.
Smelly? Wait, where are we going? Incinerator's going.
(car alarm chirps) Cooper must be here.
Oh, Patton just sent me everything he's got on Brian Cooper.
He's been working the incinerator for seven years, destroying drugs for NOPD, state police and DEA.
Gives him access to a lot of narcotics.
Opportunity to make a profit.
(knock on door) Brian Cooper, federal agents.
We need to talk.
Open up.
It's locked.
(both groaning) That's not drugs being burned.
(coughing) (groans): Oh, God.
(coughing) Oh, that's Brian Cooper.
Cooper? What the hell is going on? (phone ringing) Call it in, Chris.
Rita.
Hey, Rita, listen, I I'm on my way.
Everything all right? She got run off the road.
(tires screech) Rita? Rita, are you here? RITA: Dwayne.
Rita.
It's okay.
I'm not hurt.
I'm good.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
No.
You're bleeding.
I am? Oh, I Oh.
Must have cut myself getting out.
I was I just was moving so fast.
I was trying to get to safety.
I Just tell me what happened.
Well, this truck came up behind me fast.
I-I tried to move out of the way.
It kept coming, and then just rammed into me, and the next thing I know, my car was flipped over, and then the truck was speeding away.
Did you get a look at the plates? No.
But I've seen the truck before.
It was following me.
All day in Clearwater.
This wasn't an accident.
You should have called 911.
But if you're right, and Hamilton's behind all this, how can I trust anyone but you? Yeah.
Okay, come on.
You weren't wrong about the smell.
Why do you think the drugs are here? Well, on a ship, recycling is stacked and sorted to be off-loaded at port.
But compost is dumped in the ocean before the ship reaches its, uh, destination.
You think the drugs are gonna be dumped? Yeah, and then picked up by whoever else is part of the smuggling ring, which means we have to search all these garbage containers right now.
Come on, let's get gross.
(whoops) Okay, I'll be over here.
Believe it or not, this doesn't even rank my top ten most disgusting places to search.
Glamorous life of a field agent.
Sebastian, I think I hit pay dirt.
(grunting) (screams) (Sebastian yells) (panting) That was unexpected.
You did great, baby.
You did great.
Uh, let's put cuffs on him or whatever happens next.
Do these fit him? Loretta.
Ah.
Is Dwayne joining us? No.
Rita got in some kind of accident.
She's okay, but he took her to NCIS to be sure.
Okay.
What can you tell me about Brian Cooper? Uh, I can tell you he wasn't burned alive.
Died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Killer was trying to get rid of the body and evidence.
If he was, he did a poor job of it.
A drug incinerator usually has an automatic cut-off function whenever foreign materials are introduced.
And that's why I was able to recover these.
Pretty badly burned.
On the outside, yes, but I pulled biologicals from the inside of the gloves.
Christopher, not sure you're gonna like what I came up with.
(indistinct police radio chatter) (siren wailing in distance) MARINO: I can't believe it.
You called in the rat squad after all.
I'm so disappointed.
Nothing compared to how I'm feeling.
MARINO: You see this? This is how they treat a 25-year veteran.
No more lies, Marino.
You're breaking my heart.
No need to make a scene, Richard.
âNo need to make a Scâ Me make a scene? What were you gonna do, arrest me for theft? No.
We're gonna arrest you for murder.
(handcuffs clicking) Why am I looking at this? It's Brian Cooper, incinerator operator for the City of New Orleans.
You think I killed Brian? We know you did.
And why did I do that? O-Over some fentanyl I supposedly liberated from evidence? Not just fentanyl.
Hundreds of pounds of other narcotics, too.
You took the drugs before they were destroyed.
Gave 'em to Nathan Kelly at the port to smuggle onto a ship.
Do I look like some sort of criminal kingpin? I don't know what I see anymore.
Ah.
(chuckles) So I'm a disappointment to you, hmm? You're way past disappointing to me.
All right, you're a disgrace.
I didn't kill anybody, and I'm not a thief.
We got your DNA off of gloves that were dumped by the body.
Someone's trying to frame me, Chris.
LASALLE: Yeah, 'cause you never take responsibility for anything.
MARINO: No, no, no, no, no.
Listen to me, okay? I-I know I do a lot of things.
I drink too much, I'll cut corners on a case, and I'll manhandle a suspect, but nothing nothing like this! We don't have much time.
Nothing like this, Chris.
LASALLE: Come on, do the right thing, Richard.
Give me the members of the smuggling ring, every last one of 'em maybe I can cushion the blow.
You want to help me? You can start by believing me.
I'm not the guy you're looking for.
(door opens, closes) I tried, King.
He's too far gone.
Maybe.
But there's something off here.
Come on.
You don't really believe he was set up.
Everything's a little convenient-- Cooper's body, the gloves-- like it's tied up in a bow for us.
Well, that's just Richard being sloppy.
There's more.
Come on.
Patton ran financials on Kelly and Cooper.
Both of them had an infusion of cash recently, but Marino flat broke.
That's just him being careful.
Is he sloppy or is he careful? Think about it.
That's the man who taught you how to be a cop.
People change.
Not that much.
If it were me in the interview room, would I get the benefit of the doubt? (computer beeping) Gregorio, Sebastian, tell me things.
Suspect's name is Mitchell Castor.
He's the maintenance officer on the ship.
First, he refused to talk until I threatened to leave him with Sebastian for round two.
Heard you did quite a job backing up your partner, Sebastian.
I don't know what came over me.
It's like I had superpowers.
LASALLE: What did Mitchell Castor have to say? Well, Kelly's the one who brought him into the operation.
Plan was to dump the drugs in the ocean, marked with geotrackers, then the buyers would collect them later in a small boat.
It's a good way to avoid Coast Guard and Navy patrols.
SEBASTIAN: Yeah, well, until this morning when the Coast Guard swept up the buyers.
And who are they? Mexican drug cartel.
They were buying back drugs that were confiscated here and redistributing them in new territories.
Yeah, we essentially uncovered a drug recycling operation.
Well, it takes cash, planning.
None of our suspects fit the bill.
There must be a bigger player involved.
Mitchell has no idea who's in charge, but we did look into his bank account information.
Yeah, a company has been wiring him payments.
Uh, some offshore corporation called Audubon Industries.
You're kidding.
That name mean something to you, King? Good morning.
Morning for me.
Pretty sure you never came to bed.
This case is keeping me busy, but I like knowing that you were up here safe.
Well, if I don't take that job in Washington, we could make it a habit.
Ah, I like the sound of that.
(sighs) Okay.
Audubon Industries.
And he's back, folks.
(chuckles) Company's been buying up properties in Clearwater.
Think they're involved in our drug smuggling ring.
What did you learn about them? Not much.
It's a glorified shell company.
They've got an empty office, no more than a desk and a phone, really, and millions invested in Clearwater.
Yeah, probably financed from the sale of confiscated narcotics.
And if Hamilton is connected to Clearwater, he must be connected to the drugs.
He's too smart to have any direct contact.
So, what? Someone's working on his behalf? That vice cop you arrested? Marino.
He's been plagued by complaints for years.
Hard to believe Hamilton would trust him.
Prefer a partner beyond reproach.
So we're looking for another cop.
Someone who Hamilton knows well.
Means they have history.
Find that cop, we bring down Hamilton.
I'll go to City Hall and request NOPD's personnel records.
No, no, no, no, that's not a good idea.
Well, you don't have the authority to make the request-- I do.
Someone tried to kill you yesterday.
I'm going to City Hall, not an abandoned warehouse.
And I'm not asking permission.
Okay, well, fine, then.
Fine, then I'll come with you.
And I'm not asking for permission eith (door closes) Man, I got to give it to you, Rita.
You're as good as your word.
You got every file on every cop who worked vice in the last 15 years.
What can I say? I don't take no for an answer.
Sort of like my second ex-wife.
Though she didn't care much for yes either.
We're looking for any cop who has a relationship with Hamilton.
Well, that's half the department, right? He considers himself a friend to law and order.
We need more than photo ops.
We need deep ties, favors done.
Someone who owes him.
How about a cop who was in deep with Public Integrity? I'm talking about a confidential investigation into drugs that went missing from the evidence locker five years ago.
Well, how could he still be on the job? Drugs magically reappeared in evidence.
Investigation never went public, thanks to a letter from Hamilton, who headed up the Criminal Justice Committee for the city council.
Marino? No.
Jordan Spencer.
He almost lost his job for it, and he went up on charges.
And now he runs the vice unit? That is quite a change of fortunes.
Patton, ping whatever you got to ping, trace whatever you got to trace.
We got to find Spencer now.
RITA: And they're off.
PATTON: Yeah.
We do all the work, they have all the fun.
Kind of makes you want to tag along for the takedown.
Nah, we'd just get in the way.
Give Pride one more thing to worry about.
(gate buzzes) What's going on? You locked up in Orleans Parish is no good.
Too many people know you here.
SPENCER: Got permission to transfer you to St.
Charles till this gets figured out.
(siren wailing) Spencer wasn't at NOPD, Patton.
Where are you on his location? I got GPS on his cell phone.
Spencer just left Orleans Parish jail.
According to the records, he got custody of Marino.
He's gonna kill Richard and make sure he takes the fall.
Unless we stop him.
(tires screeching) (siren continues wailing) (siren wailing) You got yourself into a real mess here, Richard.
You know I didn't do what they're accusing me of, right? Yeah, of course we do, Marino.
Even you're not that much of a screw-up.
(chuckles) Aubrey, pull the car over here.
What's going on? MARINO: Hey! What are you, what are you doing?! No witnesses.
Get out of the car.
Get out! You lost your mind?! PATTON: Spencer is no longer on the move.
He pulled over off the highway.
We need an exact location.
There's an access road.
Zeroing in on his precise coordinates now.
You shot him! No, you shot him, Richard.
After you managed to get out of your cuffs.
You're out of your mind! Cost of doing business.
Turn around, Richard! This'll go fast.
Screw you.
(siren wails) Cover me! You got it.
(yells) It's over, Spencer! Drop it now! Drop the weapon! Richard, you all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
PRIDE: Spencer.
Hey, hey, Spencer.
You're gonna be all right.
Chris, call 911.
Hurry.
Spencer, we're gonna cut you a deal.
A deal, you understand? You're gonna be all right, all right, and then you're gonna talk to me, and you're gonna tell me everything about Mayor Hamilton.
All right? We're gonna take him down.
You're gonna help me take him down, you understand?! Spencer! You underst Spencer! (panting) Our only link to Hamilton is dead, which puts us back at square one.
Not necessarily.
We got a link to Audubon Industries.
Taking profit from selling illegal drugs to buy property in Clearwater.
Still no connection to Hamilton, though.
Dude, what's with all the negativity here? I'm sorry.
I don't know.
It's just, I feel like I'm coming down from a high or something, you know? Must be the pills that Gregorio gave me.
Sebastian, you're not coming down from a high.
It's okay, all right? I don't blame you.
It's just that my body is a delicate ecosystem.
Okay, so the pills were not even Chinese herbs.
Regular allergy medicine, over the counter, nothing exotic.
PATTON: Dude, you got placebo'd.
(laughs) Hold on, all right.
Wait a minute.
Now, I wasn't seasick.
Right.
Mm.
I wasn't nervous.
But I-I kicked that guy's ass.
Yeah, you did.
That's right, no special drugs.
Just Forensic Agent Lund.
So what you're saying is I'm kind of awesome.
Okay, that's my cue to go.
Wait, can you not? Don't leave me.
No.
Here, how about this? How about you go onto Twitter, and you tweet: hashtag âSebastian's awesomeâ? Now you're thinking it.
You're thinking I'm awesome.
I mean, you're thinking âSebastian's awesomeâ" I wasn't sure you was coming in.
I was at the hospital seeing Roger.
Yeah? How's he doing? He'll be good, eventually.
What are you doing here? Pride and I was just wrapping up the case.
Listen, I If you're gonna apologize, don't.
You got nothing to be sorry for.
You did your job, and you saved my life.
Still, what I put you through No, Chris.
I'm a mess.
Have been for quite a while now.
You know it doesn't always have to be like that.
Consider this a wake-up call.
Time to make some real changes.
You know, I haven't had a drink since you arrested me.
That's good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm here if you need anything, all right? Look at you, all grown up.
I mean it, Richard.
Me, too.
Me, too.
(sighs) (trumpet playing jazz music in distance) I'm glad you're still here.
And you're just getting in-- again.
Yeah, well, a lot to wrap up with Spencer dead.
Yeah, sorry you couldn't take him alive.
But you'll figure out another way to get to Hamilton.
Not me.
We.
We're a great team.
We just need to tie Hamilton to Audubon, and I got a couple ideas how.
What do you say we hash 'em out over breakfast? And then what? You rush off into the night again, while I wait here? Well, you're safe here, Rita.
I'm a prosecutor, Dwayne.
I lead the charge.
I don't stay back and keep the home fires burning.
Well, Hamilton's different than any case you've ever had.
Okay? And I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you.
I don't want to worry about my safety, and I don't want you to, either.
What's this? It's a list of jazz clubs in D.
C.
, where musicians can sit in any Sunday night.
Is that what you want? Not sure it's what I want, but it's what I need.
Look, we're not kids anymore.
We don't rush in head first.
We've got lives and careers.
Whatever we're doing here deserves attention.
I'm paying attention, Rita.
I know you are.
But you need your full focus to go after Hamilton.
You don't need to worry about me.
Take him down, Dwayne, and get closure.
And-and when you have, I'll be in D.
C.
I'm not convinced that we have to end this.
Nothing's ending, we're just hitting pause.
It's like a fermata.
(chuckles) I'm gonna hold you to that.