White Collar s04e09 Episode Script

30 years ago, Ellen asked the marshals to give this to me if we never saw each other again.
What's on that cassette? Just my name and a date.
I'm happy you decided to watch that with us.
You got to pick who you can trust, right? Whatever's on here I know.
You ready to see what Ellen wanted to show you.
When you were 3 years old? I am.
That's the Ellen I grew up with.
She was a looker.
Ellen: Neal.
It may be a while before you get to see this, so I'll just start from the beginning.
I was your father's partner in the Washington, D.
C.
, metro police department.
I, uh I'm still trying to make sense of this week This year, really.
I'm making this tape, hoping it finds its way to you.
In case you don't get to see me or your father again.
That's the first time I've said that out loud.
By now, I assume you know that your father's been accused of a very serious crime.
He told me he was innocent, and I believed him.
I've worked with him a long time.
He's no killer, Neal.
The man I know can't be.
After he was arrested, your dad told me that our department is filled with dirty cops and they set him up.
So I've spent the last few months running down leads, trying to back up his story.
And he's right about one thing.
There are dirty cops a lot of them.
But did they set him up? I thought maybe they had.
And then yesterday, your father confessed to the murder.
I tried to talk to him, but all anyone will tell me is that he turned state's evidence And you, your mom, and I are being placed into witness protection.
All the information I've found on the others since james' arrest.
Only me, your father, and one other cop know about it.
And the other cop I'm not gonna tell you his name for his own safety.
He works undercover.
He's a good man.
I'm gonna keep this box safe.
And, Neal, if it you need it The key inside this locket will lead you to it.
That means we get that key and Shh! Shh! The marshals are shipping us out soon.
I've requested to be placed near you and your mom.
And they say there's a good chance, given the circumstances.
Know this I will do everything I can to keep you safe.
Goodbye, Neal Until we meet again.
I'll talk to him.
You okay? Well, he turned state's evidence to save himself.
And he left us.
He forced his family into witsec.
Maybe he did it to protect you.
You don't have all the pieces yet.
We need that key in Ellen's locket.
I'll call the marshals, see if it's still in her personal effects.
No, we cannot go on record requesting that locket.
What do you propose? I show Sam the tape, get his take.
Okay.
We'll go see him.
Peter, we talked about this.
No FBI.
Neal, the scope of this Systemic corruption, missing evidence, Ellen's murder, it's We can't go outside the lines on this one.
All right.
Just give me enough time To figure out how we can work together.
Okay.
But in the meantime, we make a pact.
Neither you or I will discuss this The tape, the key, the locket with anyone, not even Sam.
Or Diana or Jones.
A handshake? That's official.
Would you prefer a blood pact? I'm not a big fan of agreements that require cutting.
Elizabeth: Neal appears to be handling it well.
Well, clearly, they're lying to each other, making some sort of bargain neither of them can keep.
know this I will do everything I can to keep you safe.
Goodbye, Neal Until we meet again.
Hey, Sam, it's Neal.
We need to meet today.
Diana: Neal.
Hey.
Peter in the conference room? Yeah, listen, Rossmeyer Global's v.
P.
Has been keeping a false set of books Behind the flat-screen in his midtown office.
Really? How did you find out? I turned his assistant last night.
Nice.
You want me to break in? No need.
Asac's reviewing the paperwork now.
I'm spearheading the takedown.
All right, when's the raid? Everything goes smoothly, tomorrow morning.
Perfect.
Hey.
Hey.
How you feeling today? Peachy.
Good, have you had time to think about The conversation we had yesterday? Yeah, I did.
Thanks.
Listen, there's a lot I'm still I got to sort through.
Sure, sure.
Take your time.
What's the new case? The S.
E.
C.
Has asked us to look into what they believe Is an enormous insider-trading ring.
Yeah, but these guys aren't leaving much of a footprint.
We have a list of probably 30 suspects, Including some fairly well-known traders.
Over the last year, they've each made massive trades Within hours of a stock skyrocketing or nose-diving.
Mm, combined profits of over $100 million not bad.
The best the S.
E.
C.
Could do is target this man As a potential ringleader.
Our job is to prove it.
Eric dunham, head of eric dunham capital.
You know him? Yeah, our paths crossed a couple times When I was head of acquisitions for Vincent Adler.
Of course, back then, my name was Nick Halden.
Yeah.
Welcome back, nick.
The FBI requires your services.
You want to see if Nick can get in on the action? Well, having worked for the biggest swindler on wall street Might work to your advantage.
Any idea on how to make the approach? Yeah.
Come out swinging.
Still taking it easy on your opponents, eric? Nick halden.
I thought you were dead.
That was adler.
You've been M.
I.
A.
Almost as long.
What happened to you? Doesn't matter.
Important thing is I'm back.
not important to me.
We made a lot of money together, Eric.
We can do it again.
I'm ready to get back in the ring.
You got two minutes to convince me.
Neal: I served my time, Eric.
Let me show you what I can do now.
How much did you know about the Adler ponzi scheme? Enough to know when to get out.
Well, he was a fraud, And the people that he swindled were idiots.
Look, go back to Hong Hong, okay? Or, better yet, go to Cupertino 2 in Russia, Where they're overflowing in cash and wanting in charm.
Charm has its purposes.
It's a great way to gather information.
Tell me something I don't know.
Are you familiar with Rossmeyer Global? Is he about to tell an inside trader About an active investigation? Caffrey, do not do this.
Short 'em.
Why? Rossmeyer's about to take a massive dive.
Get out, fast.
Keep in touch.
I want a tap on dunham's phone now.
Peter: You're jeopardizing a 2-year federal investigation And allowing Dunham to make millions off of it.
Oh, no.
Technically, it's either one or the other.
If he makes millions, He won't jeopardize the investigation.
He's working with at least 30 other traders.
If he puts it out there He won't.
And why? Because he's thorough.
He's not a day trader who's gonna call his broker Because he overhears gossip on the subway.
He's gonna watch Rossmeyer Global And see what happens.
I want us working on the Same page here on all fronts.
I hear you.
Shotgun.
No, Jones called it.
What? I wasn't even here yet.
He called it.
I wasn't even here yet.
He can't call it until I'm done with Yeah, he can call it.
He can.
All right, here we are.
You've done wellfor yourself.
Well, there are worse accommodations.
For a convicted felon.
Can I get you something beer, wine? Blue label? Nah, just water, thanks.
Make yourself at home.
Thanks.
Ellen said my dad made a deal before he went into witsec.
Back to the ground rules.
I ask the questions.
No, not anymore.
Goes both ways now.
You got something for me? Maybe.
I was undercover with the flynn organization Back in the early '80s.
They were a local crime family with some p.
D.
On the payroll.
Including my father? Including your father.
Did he turn on the cops? He turned state's on the flynns.
His testimony brought down almost the entire organization.
Where is he now? I got to be honest with you I ain't looking for him.
Are you? No.
Can you tell me anything about him? I already told you he played a mean game of darts.
Okay, we were in the Same class at the academy, So I knew him about as well as anybody.
And I can tell you this he never shut up about you.
You'd think he was the only guy on the planet who had a son, The way he carried on.
One day, he brought you down to the precinct And he introduced you around as a junior detective To every cop in the house.
I mean, you just loved that.
And then, I remember, at some point, you drifted away.
Man, did he panic.
He had about 10 detectives looking for you.
We finally found you in the captain's office, wearing his hat.
I guess you always had a thing for hats.
I don't remember that.
Well, you were young.
I'd really like you to meet Peter.
Your handler? That's not gonna happen.
He's a friend.
He's not You gave me your word no feds, or I'm gone.
All right.
Listen, with your skill set, You can help me find Ellen's killers.
And I'll make deal with you as soon as we do that, I will tell you everything I know about your father.
That's not really what I'm asking for.
Yeah, it is.
You want to know what happened to him, Why he never contacted you, and where he is now.
But for now, you brought me here for a reason.
So, do you have something to share with me? You expecting somebody else? No.
All right.
In there is fine.
Elizabeth.
Hey.
What's this? Dessert, homemade.
Thank you.
Well, come on in.
Wow.
What did I do to deserve, uh Pistachio gelato? I know you're going through a lot right now, With Ellen sending you that Yeah, I know.
It's wild, right? Yeah, look, I just thought maybe you couldUse a friend.
I know sometimes, well, Peter's a little difficult and hard to talk to.
No.
He is, and he understands that, Which is why I think he was grateful That you chose him to share the tape with Even before you knew what was on it.
We're always gonna be here for you.
Did Peter put you up to this? No.
But I do know about the pact Which I meant every word of.
He'll find her killer if you let him.
I know.
Anyway, thank you, again, for everything.
Listen, uh, thank you again.
You know how I love pistachio.
Hey, hon, I'll be home soon.
Well, I may not be.
I just re-parked in front of Neal's place.
Is he home? Yeah, I just dropped off gelato.
Oh, shoot.
That wasn't for me? I made plenty.
Good.
How's he doing? Well, um, I'm sitting here.
And I wasn't planning on spying.
But I think he's with someone.
He rushed me out the door.
I saw that there was two glasses of ice water One in the sink and one on the table.
I figured if it was a date, There'd be lipstick on one of them And he'd be serving wine instead of water.
That's good spying.
No wine? We can rule out mozzie.
Yeah.
Oh, wait.
Someone's coming out.
I'll take a picture.
So, you were delivering ice cream, huh? Gelato.
I'm e-mailing you now.
Did you get it? Yeah, I got it.
It's Sam.
What does that mean? It means I should have made a blood pact.
Neal broke our agreement.
Peter: Morning.
Neal: Morning.
How was your night? Sweet.
Thank you for the gelato.
That was all Elizabeth's doing.
Pistachio still your favorite? Truth be told, I've been leaning more toward the sorbets of late.
Good to know.
And thank you for your honesty.
Always the best policy.
Anything else you'd like to share? My socks itch.
Hmm.
All right.
Now that we're done catching up, Diana's moving on Rossmeyer Global as we speak.
News should hit by the morning bell.
Well, dunham moves fast.
He'll have me working for him by lunch.
Here.
We'll be listening.
Nice job, Neal.
Good strategy yesterday.
You were absolutely right, and I was overly concerned.
We'll see.
Went off without a hitch.
We should have everything cleared out by noon.
ExcEllent.
I knew you could handle Rossmeyer Global.
Thank you.
Samuel phelps.
Diana: Neal's elusive friend, yeah.
Peter: Did you uncover anything else about him? There wasn't much I could find Without running an official request.
Why? Neal met with him again Not that he shared that information with me.
Well, I can put in for a background check, But it's gonna make some noise.
Sam's got Neal convinced they can only investigate off-book.
So, he can do it his way, I'll do it mine, And we'll both pretend neither are doing either.
You got it, boss.
Thanks.
Dunham: Of course I didn't short Rossmeyer Global.
Neal: Well, you should have.
I didn't know if your information was good.
Now I do.
So I'm hired.
This company is survival of the fittest.
Your salary is minimum wage, And your bonus is based entirely on what you bring in.
We eat what we kill.
I get it.
Here you go, Kelly.
Thanks.
Hey.
Save paper.
Send an e-mail.
Right.
You have no shot, by the way.
Bye.
Every Tuesday after market close, we hit my club.
You familiar with white-collar boxing? Battle of the one-percenters.
This isn't a boy's fight club.
It's for people like you, who value information.
Information isn't cheap.
No.
You'll find out the rest if you join.
Yes? I got this.
Going to lunch.
How's my portfolio? Good.
Good.
You been listening to the news? Every word.
You want me to authorize 25 grand So you can watch guys in suits beat up on each other? It'll pay off.
Listen, we need two things In order to bust dunham for insider trading.
I'm listening.
You've got to record dunham giving out this information.
Hearsay isn't enough to make an arrest.
I'll make that happen for you.
Second, you have to find out Where dunham's getting this information.
I hear you loud and clear Which reminds me you may want to warn el.
The flowers that were charged to your credit card Aren't for another woman in your life it was my doing.
She'll have to take my word for it.
Neal just sent us these photos of the wolfson report, Wall street's bible on emerging market stocks.
Dunham had it hand-delivered, And he put it under lock and key in his office.
This report that dunham received goes out tomorrow, Yet he received it today.
Dunham must be paying someone off To messenger him an advance copy.
Because the stock price of any company Featured in the "one to watch" column is gonna spike.
I've contacted wolfson to start an investigation, But the bigger fish is dunham.
He's charging his buddies For this insider information.
Neal will be sitting next to him at the fight this afternoon.
Once he gives him a tip bam lights out, dunham.
fight! The guy in the maroon what's his story? Oh, latham yeah, he's a tough son of a bitch.
Do you pick the opponents? Yep.
Five fights a night.
If you throw your hat in the ring, I make sure you get an even match.
So, what does my 25 grand get me? A night of entertainment, my friend.
I was under the impression You were gonna give me some information to trade on.
No, I'm afraid that's not how it works.
But you step into my ring, you'll finally get a fair fight.
Ohh! Get up, you bum! It's over! That's it! So, to get the tip, I have to get in the ring? No.
You have to win.
And until then, you're outside.
Excuse me.
Dunham: All right, gentlemen, gather up.
Guys, we got a major problem.
What? I'll get the tip next week.
Only if we fix the wolfson report.
They revised the column after I told them they had a leak.
Ohh.
So, tomorrow, when the new one comes out That's different than dunham's, He's gonna know his source has been compromised.
We have to sell dunham on a plausible reason He would believe a revisal on the report.
Dunham's not the only one with an inside source.
You want to give him a tip that would conflict with wolfson? Yeah.
So you feed dunham some breaking inside information Get dunham to assume wolfson heard the Same information And retracted their pick.
Oh, but that's gonna feel pretty convenient That you happen to have info on the Same company In the wolfson's report.
Not if I bury it in a laundry list of overnight intel.
So, what you come in with a bunch of tips, And then make the off-handed mention That a scandal's about to break at caleros coffee? Okay, I'll admit it needs some finessing.
Anybody have a better idea? All right, let's get cracking on that laundry list.
We've only got a few more hours until the market opens.
Hey, Eric.
Hey, man, I've been thinking about it.
I want to get in the ring.
I want to box.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Do you want me to call a press conference? Please tell me that's not the only reason you stopped me.
It's not.
I also wanted to show you my revised numbers on corn futures.
Anything else? And a few pieces of intel I've been hearing about in the ether.
This one caleros coffee.
But apparently the c.
E.
O.
Has been involved In some kind of scandal they're keeping it quiet.
Okay, how do you know about a secret scandal And emergency board meeting in bogotá, colombia? It's better that you don't know.
That's not good enough.
Well, it's gonna have to be.
I don't need you.
So, one of two things is gonna happen here Either you're going to tell me who your source is Or you're gonna crawl back Into whatever hole you crawled out of, Never to be heard from again.
Okay, the reason I stand behind my information Is because I'm getting it directly from the FBI.
And here we go again! Former FBI, to be clear, white collar division.
Who? Peter Slauson he runs a small private hedge fund.
Never heard of him.
Yeah, I mean, that's exactly how he likes it.
I only know him because of the Adler ordeal.
I want to meet him.
Well, he's not exactly a warm and fuzzy guy, And he doesn't want to make any new friends.
I don't care.
Set it up.
We're going to his offices.
all right.
He's in midtown, on 47th and park.
Quick.
Rossmeyer Global is it empty? We cleaned it bare.
All right, call the harvard crew.
Get them over there.
We got to make it look like a hedge fund.
Hello.
Neal: Peter, it's Nick Halden.
And I realize this is probably an inconvenience, But I have a colleague who wants to meet with you today.
We're actually gonna be in your neighborhood, And this meeting is pretty time-sensitive.
It could also be highly lucrative, so how about 11:00? Highly doubtful.
Try after lunch.
Perfect.
I'll see you at 11:00.
don't come inside.
I'll be at the doors.
Diana: They're a block away.
Peter: All right, Diana, Can you make sure there's money in the account? You got it.
I have an idea.
Turn this meeting into our favor.
He's not gonna be happy about this I'm just telling you right away.
Neal: Mr.
Slauson.
This is Eric dunham.
Peter: Eric Dunham capital.
Right.
You two are working together.
Nick, you're not supposed to be here.
Yeah, listen, I made an exception because Well, actually, I insisted.
I understand you have a background with the FBI.
White collar division.
Why? Well, nick here speaks very highly Of your ability to get information.
People can't keep secrets from me.
The FBI has unparalleled reach.
Yeah, from here all the way to bogotá, colombia.
Oh, yeah.
That's right caleros coffee.
You have skin in the game? You're a sports fan, huh? The three b's baseball, basketball, and boxing.
So, white-collar boxing club $25,000 gets you in the club, But you have to fight to get the real reward, correct? It, uh, takes a certain type to join my club.
Good.
I want in the ring.
I don't know if that's a good idea.
What's your skill level? About the Same as nick's.
I've got youth.
I have experience and a longer reach.
Well, looks like we got ourselves a fight.
Good.
What was that about? I wanted in on the fight.
No, I figured that out, So one of us is guaranteed to win And hear Dunham give his tip.
Beats a 50/50 chance Of some aggro wall street hustler beating your brains out.
No.
What else were you trying to imply? "people can't keep secrets from me.
The FBI has an unparalleled reach.
" You tell me.
This is about Sam.
Peter, there is nothing to tell you.
Okay.
Is there something you want to share with me About the FBI's unparalleled reach? No, Neal, there's nothing to tell.
Okay.
Okay.
Great.
Great.
Let's talk about the fight.
Let's talk about the case.
Diana: Hey.
I'll be the ring girl If that's what it takes to watch you two duke it out.
Yeah, my money's on Peter.
Now, why would you say that? Because we're gonna choreograph it so Peter wins.
But you could choreograph it so that I win.
But we won't because it's better if Dunham gives the tip Directly to an FBI agent.
I just think it's more realistic if I win.
All right.
Let's take a vote.
Who thinks I should win the fight? Man: That would be you, boss.
Man 2: All you.
Yeah.
But they work for you.
As do you.
Let's put this plan in motion.
Jones: Sounds good.
Sam, special agent Peter burke, FBI.
I'm Neal's friend and handler.
You must be Sam.
Come on in.
Peter: Sam, you're a tough man to find.
Your former colleagues speak very highly of you.
You investigated me? I investigate anyone who comes into Neal's life, Especially when it's tied in to murder and conspiracy.
Did he send you? No.
He doesn't know I'm here.
You're running around behind his back.
You sure that's in his best interests? He doesn't want to break his word with you And involve the FBI.
With good reason, agent burke.
Who are you afraid of, Sam? I don't know.
I still don't know who killed Ellen.
Then let's figure it out.
What do you want Me to tell Neal that the three of us should work together? Yeah, I do.
And then what? We combine resources.
Why don't you suggest it? I have.
The idea has to come from you.
Oh? And why is that? You know the agent/c.
I.
Relationship.
He doesn't get that I'm trying to protect him.
I got to think this through.
It's not what I was planning.
I'm asking you, From one law-enforcement official to another.
I understand.
he's your asset.
Yeah, that's part of the arrangement.
I think Peter told the FBI about the tape.
What do you expect? Him to trust me.
Yeah, a man who trusts no one is apt not to be trusted.
Listen, I kept up my end of the bargain.
Neal, this is me Mozzie, the human lie detector, And I'm buzzing off the charts here.
I met with Sam, but I didn't show him the tape.
Oh, welcome to gleason's uptown.
What's he doing here? Mozzie's got experience as a cornerman.
And a marginally good day to you, too, sir.
Real experience, or you just fix fights? What? Rigged boxing matches? Say it ain't so! Jones has actual experience.
He's gonna be my ringman, And he's gonna place a microphone ringside So we can record Dunham after the fight.
Okay.
It should be epic.
This battle should be legend in Dunham boxing lore.
Okay.
Let's re-create a classic.
How about the heavyweight title bout, Ali vs.
Foreman? Rumble in the jungle I like it.
Let's go.
All right.
So, Neal, you're gonna come out swinging.
Peter, you're gonna bide your time, Absorb some punches, Wait till the moment is right to strike.
Listen, stylistically, Neal is more muhammad Ali.
Well, historically, Ali won.
Neal needs to lose.
No problem.
I'll be george Foreman.
Oh, he makes a fantastic grill.
Easy, don king.
Can we practice a few things? If I'm coming out swinging, I'm just gonna start throwing some light jabs, Light hooks, just knock it down.
Yep.
Pop.
Okay.
That's good.
Let me get in and do this combination here.
That's good.
Okay.
Right to the body.
Mm-hmm.
Uh-huh.
Left to the body.
Okay.
Left up top.
Duck.
Swing at me.
Uh-huh.
Uppercut.
Right? Peter: Ooh, yeah.
Jones: That's good.
Ohh! Oh, you okay? Peter.
gotcha.
I want to kill you.
Oh, you're crazy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm rough and tough.
We need some kind of signal for the knockout punch.
Okay.
Let the signal be tapping the gloves.
Okay, I'm I'm gonna check in with you.
All right, yeah.
I'm gonna acknowledge that.
Eyes and then Peter, give the signal.
I did.
Then you're gonna go up top, left feint.
Uh-huh, block it.
And then you're gonna right cross to the body.
Bam.
Ohh.
Uh-huh, and then you're gonna finish with a left hook.
Boom.
Ohh.
Okay.
All right, now, the timing's got to be right with that one.
Or? You'll break his jaw.
All right.
Jones: Yeah.
Touch gloves.
Let's try it again.
oh, oh, oh-oh-oh How's your dental coverage? Run by the federal prison system.
Oh.
Let's go over the plan again.
Sam.
Sam? Sam: Listen, Neal, it's not safe for me here anymore.
What's wrong? I don't know if he was followed Or his investigation into me raised a red flag, But it's getting too hot here.
Somebody's on my trail.
Whose investigation? Peter, from the FBI.
Listen, it was a smart play.
I think we could have worked together, But I warned you about this no federal involvement.
No, Sam, I didn't say anything to him, okay? You got I'm sorry, Neal.
Sam! What did he say to you? calm down.
Dunham: Okay.
All right, three 2-minute rounds.
No low blows, no punches after the bell, And the fight stops when the ref calls it.
Winner takes all.
Look, I don't know what Sam said to you, but it's gonna be fine.
Don't worry about it, okay? Stick to the plan.
Fighters.
In the event of a knockdown, You'll be directed to a neutral corner.
Protect yourself at all times.
Obey my command.
Touch gloves.
At the sound of the bell, come out fighting.
You went to Sam.
What? Don't lie to me! You went to Sam.
You didn't leave me with a choice.
Fight.
No, it's too early.
We're ending this now.
Ref: Neutral corner! Neutral corner.
Get up.
Get up.
You okay? Yeah.
How many fingers I have up? Three.
All right, good.
Fight.
Let's go.
Fight.
Break it up! To the corner! This fight is far from over.
You stick to the plan.
Wait for his signal.
He went to Sam.
Sam is gone.
Listen, I know the answer Is not assaulting a federal agent Who also happens to be your second-best friend.
Now get back in the zone.
All right.
Any advice? Kick his ass.
Fight! Break! Come on.
I'm trying to protect you.
Ref: Let's go, fighters.
Fight! 4 It's over.
That's it.
It's over.
we got a winner! Well, gentlemen, we have a winner Peter Slauson.
Congratulations.
Hey, halden.
Nice job out there.
Maybe next time, huh? Gentlemen, listen up.
I need all the winners of tonight's fights in the ring.
Everybody else, have a good night.
Nice work.
Good job.
Nice fight.
Thank you.
Strength wasn't enough to get you here today.
It took speed, stamina, endurance.
You did what it took, whatever it took, to win.
You exploited your opponents' weaknesses.
Right now, they're walking home, Licking their wounds, while you, my friends, get to act.
Celestar biotech.
Celestar biotech.
Limit your trades to half a million.
And if any of you share this information outside of this room You're going to jail.
Excuse me? No, really.
You're going to jail.
Jones: FBI.
Cuff him.
Where's Neal? I got a pretty good idea.
Peter: Hey.
Stop! What did you do, run him through the database? Neal, stop.
And then you met with him, the one thing he didn't want.
Give me a break.
All bets were off once you showed him the tape.
I never showed him the tape! The point is you said you weren't gonna meet with him.
No.
No.
I said I wouldn't show him the tape.
I met with him Because he's the only person who has any connection to Ellen.
He knew her.
He knew my father.
You should have told me.
I don't have to report to you every move I make.
Yes, you do.
No! I get to have a private life.
Not about this you don't.
Well, that's the heart of our problem, isn't it? You don't trust me.
You still don't trust me.
The door's open.
Stay here.
He's gone, Peter.
I'll call it in.
We'll find Sam.
This is exactly why Sam didn't want you running his name.
They found him because of you.
They found Ellen because of you.
Neal I may be a ward of the state, And I will do my job for the FBI.
But as far as my personal life goes, we are done.