22x14 - Close to Home

[bunniefuu]

[PHONE RINGS]

Hey, Dad.

JIMMY: Hey, sweetheart, how are you?

Fine. Just...

wrapping up at the library.

Ah, you girls must be having a blast

with the science fair prep, huh?

Yeah, it's, uh,

kind of hard to get excited
over plant microbials.

Said no one ever.

A-Anyway, I'll...

see you when I get home.

Yeah, well, bring your appetite.

I am ordering a Tito's Supreme.

double pepperoni, double cheese.

Oh!

Sounds good.

Yeah, I figure we can stuff our faces

and maybe watch a scary movie,
you know, unless you're

busy with your friends
or homework or something.

Yeah.

Okay, I'm taking that as a soft yes.

Maybe. I got to go.

Careful walking...

home.

Love you.

Did you bring it?

It's right here.

♪ ♪

Could be from a drug deal.

Maybe extortion?

Or maybe it was a librarian fight club.

Ooh. Clearly, I picked
the wrong day to be late.

Who is in a librarian fight club?

KNIGHT: Torres. In his dreams.

PARKER: Jimmy's daughter found $35,000

behind a Navy library dumpster.

Oh, wow. All my kids
ever bring home are germs.

Except she didn't bring home the cash.

Instead she called Uncle Nick
and had him pick it up.

Not sure I would've turned in
found money when I was 14.

[SCOFFS] Actually,
I know I wouldn't have.

Only thing I don't get is why

she ended up calling
Uncle Nick and not me.

PARKER: Maybe because

you and Jimmy aren't a couple anymore.

Well, Victoria and I are still tight.

We have our weekly matcha date.

Mm, I think she just wanted

to call the coolest cop she knew.

Well, real question is why didn't

she call Jimmy? He's her dad.

Jimmy doesn't know?

Of course he knows.

Victoria said she was gonna
tell him when she got home.

She didn't tell him.

What makes you say that?

Because if Jimmy knew
that his daughter found

$35,000 behind a library,

we all would have gotten


and he'd be standing here
right now asking for an update.

Wow, she didn't tell him.

No.

[SIGHS] Jimmy ain't gonna like this.

You think?

[PHONE DINGS]

Oh, that's Kasie.

She got a hit on the mystery cash.

What about Jimmy?

Probably best I see what Kasie

has to say before I tell him.

Unless Ms. Matcha
wants to tell him for me.

Oh, no, no, no.

See, I've hit my yearly quota

of awkward conversations
with Jimmy, so...

Guess Uncle Nick will handle the case

of, uh, the mystery dumpster money

all by himself.

So, what you got, Kase?

Well, there is no mystery
about this dumpster money.

And by that, I mean
there is a ton of mystery.

So, I ran the serial numbers
through BCS.

And it turns out
that this cash came from

an unsolved bank heist
in upstate New York.

So, what's it doing here?

Well, to answer that, you'd have
to ask the Saratoga Specter.

That is, if you can find him.

- The Saratoga...
- Specter.

As in ghost.

So, 15 years ago,

some guy slipped through the back door

of the Saratoga Springs Bank,
single-handedly stole

five million dollars and then
disappeared without a trace.

No one even knows what he looks like.

I mean, but the cops
must have some ideas.

- Suspects. Evidence.
- Nothing.

That is why they call him
the Saratoga...

Uh, Specter. Yeah, I got it.

And the Specter hasn't even attempted

another robbery since.

He's, like, right up there
with the legends, you know,

like D.B. Cooper.

Ooh, the Barefoot Bandit.

And little Victoria Palmer
found his stash.

Well, some of it, at least.

That's not all she found.

Oh, my gosh, this is huge.

I was able to pull

a partial off one of the bank
bands and we got a match.

Carson Marcone,

a local HVAC repair person
out of McLean.

Oh, but look at where
he's registered to vote.

Saratoga Springs.

Oh, my gosh, this is...

the first break in
this case in 15 years.

Looks like we're going to McLean.

Oh, uh, hey.

You might want to stop at Autopsy

before you do. Uh,
I talked to Jimmy this morning.

I'm no mind reader,
but it really seemed like

he did not know about
the Victoria thing.

Okay.

Hey, Kase. What Victoria thing?

Hmm? Uh...



Lock is busted.

That's never a good sign.

Ready?

NCIS.

Carson Marcone?

Looks like somebody was
searching for something.

Yeah, like the rest of the
stolen five million dollars.

Our bank robber?

Guess somebody else figured out
he was the Specter.

Hey, Jimmy. We should talk.

My hands are full with the body

of the most elusive bank robber
of the last generation.

But, uh, what do you want to talk about?

Victoria.

Oh, you want to talk about Victoria now

instead of last night or this morning?

Look, man, I should have double-checked,

okay, that Victoria
told you about the money.

So, that's on me.

Okay? And I'm sorry.

Thanks, Nick.

I'm glad that you two
are so close. It's just...

Don't understand why she didn't tell me.

I get it, Jimmy. I absolutely get it.

But, look, it could have
been worse, right?

She could have found a GL*CK.

She could have been pushing
kilos of heroin

in the streets, right? Like...

That's not helping. No, you know what?

Let's focus on the Specter.

All right, good plan.

Okay, the victim appears to
have died from asphyxiation

caused by, you know, the plastic bag
around his head.

He also has a cluster
of bruising on his face,

which suggests that
he was beaten beforehand.

Maybe they were, uh, trying
to get information from him.

Yeah, like where
his stolen millions are.

Well, Carson was, uh,
definitely a big fan of himself.

Got Specter newspaper clippings,
got some crime scene photos,

found a pen
from the Saratoga Springs Bank.

No sign of the rest
of the money, though.

Maybe the k*ller got it.

Or Specter spent it all.

I mean, it's been 15 years.

On what? Look at this place.

Well, there's another problem
with that theory.

Carson's not the Specter.

Carson Marcone. He was on an oil rig

in Alaska during
the Saratoga Springs heist.

Then how did his fingerprints

get on some of the Specter's cash?

Mm, maybe Carson was the one

who figured out who the Specter was.

I mean, he was a fan.

He frequented multiple chat
rooms dedicated to the Specter.

- This guy has his own chat rooms now?
- Oh, yeah.

Fugitive robber enthusiasts are a small

but vocal subcategory
of the true crime fan base.

Though the D.B. Cooperists

take up most of the oxygen.

You seem to know a lot about this.

Well, I've done a few, uh,
convention panels in my time.

Yours truly may have had a hand

in catching Iggy Proctor.

- Iggy who?
- The Philly Phantom?

Third biggest jewel thief
in Philadelphia history?

Anyway. So, uh,

tracking the Specter, clearly,

is a hobby of our victim.

Well, he did what the cops couldn't do.

Found him. And it got him k*lled.

Well, if that's the case,
then we just need to follow

Carson's trail and that could
lead us back to the k*ller.

Start at the library,

where Victoria found the money.

[SIGHS] I just came from there.

Combed through weeks
of security footage.

Victoria wasn't anywhere
near the library.

Then how did she find the cash there?

She didn't.

Oh.

She lied to us.

Yeah. Jimmy's definitely
not gonna like that.

Why are we questioning Victoria
in our interrogation room

instead of literally anywhere else?

Because this is where the liars go.

Jimmy, she is a 14-year-old girl.

She is not a hardened criminal.

She lied to federal agents

about where she found stolen money.

Fine.

Let's just get this over with.

Victoria.

- [DOOR CLOSES]
- I'm...

guessing that you know why you're here.

You lied.

- Jimmy.
- No, I didn't.

There was no money at the library.

There was no you, either.

That's not true.

We have video of you not there.

Hey, guys. Don't mind me, just

dropping off some snacks here.

Victoria, we got some string cheese.

We've got some almonds.

Got these little, uh,
chocolate bear snacks.

- My kids love these guys, so...
- Tim.

We're kind of in the middle
of a confession here.

All right, I'll put the juice boxes down

and then I'll go, okay?

[DOOR CLOSES]

I can see you want those snacks.

That's guilty hunger you're feeling.

Sit with it.

Actually...

Honey, you are looking a little pale.

Your blood sugar's probably low.

Why don't you just
have some of the almonds.

But don't enjoy them.

Victoria.

I'm not here to judge you.

But I really need to know
where you found that money.

It's important, sweetie.

I wasn't at the library.

[EXHALES]

I was...

hanging out in the woods
with Violet and Ella.

- All right. You-you...
- Ooh, ooh, no...

You can tell me.

So, you weren't prepping
for the science fair?

I'm not doing the science fair.

Of course you are. "A Day
in the Life of the Compost Bin."

I-I signed the permission slip.

Okay, guys, if we could get back to the

But I never turned it in.

- active...
- What are you talking about?

- You love science fairs.
- m*rder investigation at hand.

Th... Uh, it's, like, our thing.

- And that's why I didn't tell you.
- He could strike again.

- I mean, I knew you'd be disappointed.
- I am not disappointed.

I'm... Look at me, I'm not disappointed.

I'm not disappointed. I'm...
Okay, I'm a little disappointed.

I knew it.

Palmers!

Where in the woods
did you find the money?

- I found it over by the...
- [KNOCKING]

Snack break. Who wants

Portuguese pastel d...

Okay. I'll just, uh,

set these right here and back out.

[DOOR CLOSES]

You were saying?

I found the money at Hunter's Point.

Outside the campground,

near some... kind of burrow.

Thank you, Victoria.
That is a really big help.

Okay. So, I am going to leave you alone

with your dad now.

Good luck with that.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

I was going to tell you...

...Dad.

Eventually.

I know.

I know, sweetie, I...

I just wish that
you could be honest with me.

We shouldn't lie to each other.

I know.

I'm sorry.

I'm gonna ask you one more question.

All right?
Now, when you found the money...

...why did you call Nick and not me?

Well, 'cause he's a federal agent.

And you're just...

you know, the M.E.

Okay. Right, yeah, yeah.

I see.

That makes perfect sense.

KASIE: So, this is where Victoria

actually found the Specter's money.

McGee and Torres searched the area.

They didn't find any more cash,
but they did find a fox's den.

Please don't tell me

that Fantastic Mr. Fox
is our main suspect now.

Uh, no, not a suspect,
but, uh, a fox of interest

who probably found
the money somewhere else

and dragged it back to his den.

So, we're back to square one.

No Specter, no k*ller.

No, actually,
we're probably at square two

with this new location.

Uh, I found a trace
of a bactericide on the cash.

Didn't know what it meant.

It is used to combat
extreme outbreaks of root rot.

As it turns out, an outbreak
was recently reported

at a gated community
nearby where Victoria

found that cash, which means...

Carson Marcone must have
spent some time there.

And according to his work van's GPS,

he spent a lot of time there,

probably servicing HVAC units.

Wait a minute.

Briarwood?

- That's where Jimmy and Victoria live.
- Yeah.

It also might also be where
the Saratoga Specter lives.

There are 135 residents

in Jimmy's town house community.

Which means 135 potential suspects.

I'm gonna go out on a limb
and say Muriel Whitehaven

can be taken off the list.

She was 80 when the heist occurred.

Well, if we whittle it down by age,

still leaves us with about 70.

New York State Police
are sending over the case file

from the original heist.

Spoiler alert: there's not much.

Doesn't take much.

I caught the Philly Phantom
off a hundred-dollar tip

he left at a bar.

Mm, I'm sure you k*ll
with that story at CrimeCon.

I do indeed, Nick. The people love it.

Anyway. We should, uh,
we should go to Briarwood,

see whose HVAC systems Carson serviced.

One of those people
could be our Specter.

Well, you got to be careful.
If the Specter

is actually there,

he might get spooked
by feds coming around.

Not if you send me.

Over at Briarwood, I'm known
as Jimmy's ex-girlfriend.

Uh, yeah, Jimmy's ex-girlfriend
who is a fed.

They love me over there.

Even after you broke
their neighbor's heart?

Uh... Just in case,

take Jimmy along, too.

Well, Vic is all set up
in the conference room

at NCIS doing homework.

Now we can focus on catching a k*ller.

So, uh... what is our cover?

You... Do we have, like, a code word

in case things get dicey or...

Uh, well, our cover is that we are us,

and I am helping you because
Victoria's bike was stolen.

Right. Guess I'm, uh, a little excited.

The thought of catching
a legendary bank robber

and potential m*rder*r, you know,

it might boost my image with Victoria.

Is this because of that
"just the M.E." comment?

Okay, I'm not gonna lie,
that stung a little.

I'm sure she didn't mean
"just the M.E.,"

like-like that's all you are.

Yeah? What did she mean?

Well, you know,
"just-just... just the M.E.!"

Like... like, that's
the perfect thing to be.

- You're bad at pep talks.
- Yeah.

No, I... Jess, this
isn't about my ego, okay?

Uh, Victoria and I
used to be inseparable.

You know? She used to
tell me everything.

Now... she hardly says anything at all.

- Girls that age are tricky.
- Mm.

I mean, trust me, I used to be one.

Half the time,
they want to push you away

and the other half, they don't
want you out of their sight.

I don't know, that's how they love.

You're a great father, Jimmy.

But you're still not
taking anyone down today.

We're just gonna talk
to security and get the footage.

- MAN: Hey, Jimmy!
- You know,

if people see us walking
around here like this,

the app is gonna be hopping.

The app?

That's a place where Briarwood
residents go to, uh, communicate.

I. E., gossip about each other?

Yeah. Exactly. Oh...

- Hmm.
- [HORN HONKS]

Dr. Palmer? Oh.

You are a miracle worker.

Been using that skin tip
you gave me. Look.

Cheeks as smooth as a spinner dolphin.

Little petroleum jelly
right underneath the eye,

it's all you need.

Seriously.

- Ronnie, you remember Jess?
- Hi.

How could I forget? God, I missed you

around these parts, sister. [GRUNTS]
[EXCLAIMS]

Ah. What can I, uh, do for you two?

Uh, well, Victoria's bike is missing,

- and we think it was stolen.
- Mm-hmm.

[SIGHS]

Wow.

I was hoping this day would come.

You were?

You two, working as a team for Victoria.

Clearly, you're back together.
Thank the Lord! [LAUGHS]

- Oh, no...
- Have you updated

your relationship status in the app?

Because I can take care of that for you.

No, no, no, we, uh...

- Uh... uh...
- You know, we were... we were hoping

that we could get some security
footage from the past few days.

Yeah, that's gonna be a problem.

Monitoring system's
been glitchy for weeks.

Most of the cameras are offline.

Called to have it fixed,
like, a hundred times.

Ah, so much for state-of-
the-art security, huh?

Eh. We got the front fountain, though.

It's beautiful, right?

It's like I'm guarding Versailles.

One day I'll get there,

and maybe even have a croissant.

So, Rhonda, how are you
still on the market?

I mean, there has to be
some lucky guy out there.

RHONDA: Aw... [LAUGHS]

They're either too short,
too broke or too married.

Not like Dr. Palmer, though.

When was the moment you knew
you couldn't live without him?

Oh, you know, I d... I wouldn't...

I don't know that
I'd put it that way, uh...

No, go ahead, Jess. Be honest.

Tell her everything. Everything.

Okay.

- I think it was when he surprised me...
- [MOANS]

- ...in an RV in the woods.
- Oh...

- How romantic.
- Yeah.

So romantic.

It was like, uh,

Prince Charming just
waking me up from a deep slumber

of utter contentment.

Okay. So nice talking to you.

Thank you for all of this. Thank you.

Uh, I-I could order a pizza.
I've got some time.

You know, when I heard you guys
had a break in the Specter case,

I grabbed our file
and I hightailed it over here.

We appreciate it.

Little did I know that I would be

having coffee with a living legend.

I'm sorry. Who's this?

Man, that's Alden Parker.

He single-handedly took
down the Philly Phantom, kid.

Oh, I'm aware.

Please don't call me kid.

Son, we are amongst

law enforcement royalty here.

And it's my honor

to give this case over to NCIS.

You paid him to say that.

I did not.

But I'm not complaining.

Now, I've been chasing
the Specter for 15 years.

And if you want to catch him,
you can't think like a cop.

'Cause he's a mastermind.

All these years and this is it?

A single hair?

Yeah, came from the bank vault.

That's the only reason why we know

that the Specter isn't actually a ghost.

PARKER: You get a follicle?

Could we use it for a DNA match?

Yeah, but a match against who?

I mean, you need a suspect first.

Wait a minute.

You guys got a suspect?

Seventy of 'em.

- Seventy?
- PARKER: But...

we're about to narrow it down.

Anyway, thanks, Detective.

H-Hey, sport.

You mind, uh,

taking a picture of me
and the living legend?

All right. On three. "Living legend."

One, two, three.

[CHUCKLES] Thank you.

According to the
Briarwood visitors' log,

Carson Marcone

serviced six town homes
in the past few months.

Which makes these residents
our most likely suspects.

So, what now? It's not like
we can just knock on their door

and ask for a cheek swab.

Well, that would definitely
spook the Specter.

All right, we need to think
outside the box here,

find a way to get their DNA
without them knowing,

- and do it fast.
- How about

my spicy sangria?

Care to elaborate?

Well, I used the app to invite
all the Briarwood residents

to the inaugural community happy hour.

So far, I have an 80% RSVP rate,
including

all six of our suspects.

Well, that's got to be
some good sangria.

And, um,

what exactly is the plan here?

I-I, uh, pass out free drinks, you know?

I bag and tag each one
of our six suspects' cups.

You guys run the DNA. I... [SCOFFS]

- What could go wrong?
- I could think of a few things.

One, this is an intricate
undercover operation

and you're not a trained agent.

And two, it's dangerous.

I mean, if the Specter
figures out what you're doing,

he could disappear.

- I...
- TORRES: Or three, even worse:

he could stuff you into a closet
with a bag over your head.

I actually think it's a good idea.

I do.

I mean, collecting DNA

is kind of in Jimmy's wheelhouse.

Thank you, Jess.

And he's so harmless that nobody

would suspect him of being this crafty.

Could have stopped at "wheelhouse."

And you said it yourself: we
need something outside the box.

You'll need to be stealthy about it.

Oh, he was stealthy
when he snuck those photographs

of that visitors' log.

He can do it.

You think you're up for this?

Agent Parker, this is my community.

This is where my family lives.

If ever there was a time for me
to step outside my comfort zone,

this is it.

Put me in, coach.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

JIMMY: Spy glasses. Super cool.

Wow, this is really happening.

You wanted in the game. This is it.

Let's go over the plan.

Cool, cool, cool. Right, yes.

Um, I serve my spicy sangria

and then I collect, bag and tag
all six of our suspects' cups

without ever letting on this
entire party's an elaborate ruse

to catch the most elusive bank robber

of the last 15 years and... [CHUCKLES]

It's gonna be great.

That is the gist.

You're not gonna throw up, are you?

Probably not. I'm a little concerned

about the undercover part.

'Cause you're a terrible liar?

What are you talking about?
I am an excellent liar.

KNIGHT: Oh.

Well, what about
my special birthday dinner

that I made you?

Jess, that was delicious.

Okay, the halibut was a little dry.

Halibut is always dry.
That is why I made a sauce.

The sauce was dry, too.

I... Golly, I can't lie. She's right.

All right, okay.

[CLEARS THROAT] Jimmy, remember,

you're just going undercover
as yourself.

- Mm-hmm.
- KNIGHT: You got this.

You are everybody's favorite neighbor

and they are all coming to the party

because they want to hang with you.

And the free booze.

Just being honest.

- Yeah.
- KNIGHT: All you have to do

is collect the six cups.

And that's just cleaning.

And who is a better cleaner than you?

You're right. Thank you. [LAUGHS SOFTLY]

I mean, I've got this.

I am not just an M.E.

I'm not just the doctor
with the good calves.

Uh, what was that?

It's something the ladies
around here say about me.

Huh.

I've been running a lot
since we broke up.

All right, Good Calves. It's go time.

It is go time.

Oh, wait. Almost forgot my party shoes.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.

- ♪
♪
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

Who wants some more sangria? [CHUCKLES]

You're looking a little
empty there, Mrs. Applebaum.

Can I tempt you with a fresh one?

Jimmy, will you take a look
at Lady Marmalade's sciatica?

Now, M... [SIGHS]

Lady Marmalade is a cat, Mrs. Applebaum.

Remember, I am not a veterinarian.

APPLEBAUM: Oh, that's right.

Then will you take a look
at my sciatica?

JIMMY: O-Okay, maybe later. [CHUCKLES]

[WHISPERS]: One down.

I never trusted her.

Always sitting by her window,
judging me.

You talking about, uh,
Mrs. Applebaum or the cat?

Elvin.

[CHUCKLES]
They're listening to everything.

The homeowners association?

The government.

- Oh. Right, yeah.
- Shh!

Close your eyes.

Mm-hmm.

You hear the buzzing?

- Oh, I think I do.
- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah, I think I do.
- Mm-hmm.

- Stay vigilant, Elvin.
- I will.

[WHISPERS]: Two to go, four to go.

My money's on Crazy Elvin
being the Saratoga Specter.

TORRES: You're doing great, Jimmy.

Oh... [GASPS] Oh, I am so sorry.

It's my fault, it's my fault.
I'm clumsy. Hi.

- Hi.
- Are you new here?

Yeah. Hi, uh, Wendy Hill.

I moved in two weeks ago.

JIMMY: Uh, hello, Wendy Hill, I am...

Jimmy. I know.

JIMMY: You do? How?

I've been watching you for a week.

Oh.

Not in a creepy way.

No, sorry. I'm a runner, too.

I've seen you doing laps
around the neighborhood.

Yeah, I really admire
your nice... shoes.

JIMMY: Thank you, yeah.

You know, I'd actually love

to get a running club
started here at Briarwood.

Just hoping to enlist
some like-minded folks.

Well, don't let me stop you.

Okay.

Whoa, that was a close one.

[LAUGHS]: No kidding.

That woman wanted to eat you.

I-I was talking about the cups.

I-I almost lost them.

What are you talking about?

Well, I mean, she was flirting with you.

Really? You think so?

TORRES: Only one way to find out,
Dr. Good Calves.

Oh.

I see suspect number three.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Mr. Chu.

You, my friend, are looking thirsty.

All right, all six of our
suspects' prints and DNA,

bagged and tagged inside.

Well done, Agent Palmer.

Your shift is officially over.

And, uh, you're cool with
Victoria staying at your place?

You know, at least
until we catch the k*ller?

Of course. For as long as she wants.

Great. All right.

Well, I better get back to the party.

Don't want anyone wondering
where I disappeared to.

What do you mean "anyone"?

Like, uh, the woman
that was flirting with you?

What? [LAUGHS]

I did promise her that I would show her

a ten-minute post-running
stretching routine.

That's all.

Good night.

Anyone need a hug in here?

Please. He can stretch

with whoever he wants to stretch with.

So, you're a doctor
and you solve crimes?

JIMMY: Well, I'm a medical examiner,

so I don't solve crimes, per se,

but I-I do act as a voice.

Oftentimes, the body is the only
story the victim leaves behind.

That's fascinating.

Well, I... You're fascinating.

Gosh, I feel like I've been
talking about myself for ages.

- No...
- Uh, thank you for helping me clean up.

Who knew Briarwood could
throw such a rager?

- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- Uh...

I got a cheese plate here
if you're feeling peckish.

Only if it comes with another
round of that sangria of yours.

Yeah, looks like you're in luck.

Okay.

[CHUCKLES]

VICTORIA: She seems fun.

Totally fun.

Maybe a little too sporty.

Says the woman who vacations in an RV.

You know, cyberstalking the woman

who was flirting with Jimmy...

That's kind of a weird activity
for you guys.

Uh, we are not cyberstalking.

We're not?

No, we're not.

We are researching. And besides,
it is ladies' matcha night

and we can do whatever we want, McGee.

That is, of course, until Kasie
finishes running the DNA.

Well, you could help me comb through

the Briarwood town house deeds.

You know, help us catch the Specter.

Mm. You know what?
That seems like a one-man job.

Dads, am I right?

- Yep.
- [LAUGHS]

I'm living with a 24/7

helicopter dad these days.

Oh, I remember that.

I always felt like
my dad wouldn't leave me alone.

He's just always there.

I mean, constantly checking in.

Wondering if I'm okay,
offering me grilled cheese.

You know, that sounds awful.

Actually, it sounds pretty good.

A-And I know he's great, but...

That can put a lot of pressure on you.

And I'm not a kid anymore.

I-I mean, in four years,
I'll be off to college

and... on my own.

Whew.

Sorry. Allergies.

[SNIFFLES]

Listen, Victoria, I understand
everything that you're saying,

but lying to your dad is not the answer.

Yeah.

Really messed that up.

Then just talk to him.

I mean, Jimmy is...

Best dad.

He really is.

Ooh. Uh, Jess?

You're a great dad, too, McGee.

Thank you, but that's not
what this is about.

You really need to see this.

I'm assuming I'm not down
here to play flip cup.

Well, how about we play a game
of good news, bad news:

DNA edition?

Not as fun, but okay.
Let's start with the bad news.

Ran rapid DNA tests
on all six of our suspects.

None of them match the Specter.

Oof. All right,
what about the good news?

On a lark, I decided to test
all of the unlabeled party cups

from the recycling
that Jimmy gave us, and...

I got a partial match.

Good news. Who's the match?

No idea. It was unlabeled.

So... Bad news.

Think I know who the Specter is.

Wendy Hill.

The girl that was flirting with Jimmy?

Yes. How do you know about that?

Oh, Jimmy and I text.

Wendy told Jimmy
that she moved into Briarwood

two weeks ago,

but McGee was digging
into the land deeds

and discovered that Wendy
purchased her house



Right after
the Saratoga Springs robbery.

And she paid in cash.

Where's Wendy now?

Last I heard, she was with Jimmy.

But he's not answering his phone.

What if Wendy knows that Victoria's

the one that found her money?

Or that NCIS is onto her?

Either way, I don't think
Jimmy's getting lucky tonight.

I was reading Victoria
her favorite bedtime story,

just praying she'd go to sleep.

And then she looks up at me with
tears in her eyes and she says,

"I can't sleep, Daddy.
My eyelids are broken."

[LAUGHS]: Oh.

- Victoria sounds amazing.
- Yeah.

Well, it's clear you're a wonderful dad.

She's lucky to have you.

So, uh, one more for the road?

For sure.

- Thank you.
- Yeah.

- WENDY: So...
- _

where's Victoria tonight?

Uh, she's at a friend's house.

Uh, my ex-girlfriend, actually.

Well, good.

That means I have you all to myself.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

[LINE RINGING]

PALMER: Hey, it's Jimmy Palmer.

- Please leave a...
- [SIGHS]

Jimmy's still not answering.

I'm going to the back entrance.

Jimmy's not at his home.
Wendy's place is empty, too.

All right, Kasie says his
phone's definitely pinging

from the rec room.

It's locked. Bolted from the inside.

[GLASS SHATTERS]

Go, go, go!

- [WENDY SHRIEKS]
- NCIS!

Hands in the air.

What?!

What the hell is happening?

Oh, my God.

You remember the ex-girlfriend
I mentioned?

You doing okay, Jimmy?

Yeah, I'm just disappointed.

I thought she was into me for real.

Yeah, that's the life
of an undercover agent.

Mm.

Sometimes you get played.

You know why you're here, Wendy?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure
it's because I was making out

with her ex-boyfriend.

- What? No.
- Okay.

Then why did you bust in on us
in the rec room?

Because Jimmy Palmer was in danger.

You see what I mean? She's crazy.

She just wanted to make sure
that what happened

to Carson Marcone
didn't happen to Jimmy, too.

I'm sorry, the-the HVAC guy?

What happened to him?

He's dead.

What? Oh, my God.

When was the last time you were
in Saratoga Springs, Wendy?

Uh, what makes you think

I've ever been to Saratoga Springs?

Because you were born
and raised two hours from there.

Until 15 years later, when you

came to Virginia to buy a town home

in Briarwood for cash.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

That's a lot of money for
a 20-something year old.

Yeah. Unless, of course,

she robbed a bank.

You think I'm the Saratoga Specter.

And I'm sorry, based off of what... uh,

a real estate deal?

And a hair found
at the scene of the bank robbery

that we're running
your DNA against as we speak.

Well, I'll save you the trouble.

It's going to come back positive.

For a familial match.

Look, I did not rob any banks.

But my father did.

[LAUGHS SOFTLY]

He told me when he was
in hospice a month ago.

Your father confessed
to being the Specter?

He was hours away from dying
when he told me.

I... Look, we weren't close.

I mean, I didn't even believe him

until now, like...

right now.

And the town house in your name?

Yeah, my father told me
he bought it in my name.

Wanted me to have something
of his when he passed.

Look, it's, uh, easy enough to confirm.

If her father did die last month,

then he couldn't have k*lled Carson.

Oh, poor Carson.

He seemed nice.

You knew him?

N-No, not really.

I mean, he's been coming
to my unit for a few weeks.

The heat's been on the fritz.

Wow.

She wasn't playing you.

She just, uh, liked you.

It's been known to happen.
But I have a question.

Uh, Wendy said
that Carson came to her place

multiple times over the last few weeks?

Yeah.

Why wasn't that in the visitor log?

Rhonda is the reason Carson
isn't in the visitors' log.

Well, no surprise. She's not exactly

security guard of the year.

Well, I can understand if she forgot

to write it down once or twice,

but Carson went to go visit
Wendy four times.

And according to Kasie's analysis...

...all four were erased.

Rhonda's hiding something.

Oh, a lot of things, actually.

For one, she's no tech dummy.

Graduated top of her class

from Virginia Institute of Technology.

So, those, uh,
glitchy Briarwood cameras?

My guess is she was shutting
them on and off herself.

Made it look like a malfunction.

That's not all, either. I was looking
into the Briarwood resident app.

Rhonda is the administrator.

Would that give her access to
everyone's personal information?

She can spy on all of them

from the comfort of her security room.

Yeah, she might have got hip to the fact

that Carson found the Specter's cash?

I mean, you said Rhonda's up
in everybody's business, right?

So, Rhonda confronts Carson,

demands to know where he
found the money,

he won't talk...

She kills him. And that means

Rhonda's still looking for the cash.

Yeah, or else she'd be
in Versailles by now.

TORRES: We have to find
that money first,

before she does and disappears.

And I know one person who can help us.

[PHONE RINGS]

Hey, Dad.

Hey, sweetie.

Do I get to come home today?

Uh, no. No.

I don't think so. We still
haven't caught the bad guy.

That's actually why I'm calling.

- What's up?
- Hey, we really appreciate

all your help with this case.

Finding that stolen money...
that was a really big deal.

Yeah, well, I was just
trying to do the right thing.

And it was very mature of you
to be honest

about where you found it, you know?

Even though you lied about it
the first time.

Dad,

I already apologized.

I-I mean, to you and Uncle Nick

- and Jess.
- Uh, right, right, right. Uh...

The problem is...

[SIGHS]

the problem is,

we searched every square inch
of Hunter's Point

and we didn't find
any more of that money.

Mm, that's weird.

Maybe there wasn't any more?

Yeah, maybe. Maybe. Or

the money was never
at Hunter's Point at all.

Are you seriously accusing me
of lying again?

Stop treating me like a child!

Sweetheart, you are a child.

I don't care about this case.
I don't care about the money.

But I do care that I'm raising
a young woman of integrity.

Vic, if you tell me that there's
nothing else you're hiding,

I will believe you, but

I want you to think hard

before you continue.

I left something out.

Okay.

We weren't at Hunter's Point.

We were at the vacant
construction site nearby.

Yeah, the old Simpson buildings,

where all the high school kids
go to make out.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah? Like... like, you...

you-you were with a boy? I...

Wow, okay, I-I wasn't
expecting that, and I...

But that's okay. Because you
were honest with me, right?

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Vic, I need you to tell me

exactly where you found that money.

[DOOR CLOSES]

KNIGHT: You don't want to know
what's in those bottles.

Teenagers are disgusting.

PARKER: You're under arrest
for the m*rder of Carson Marcone.

- m*rder? No, I...
- We know you've been using

the residents' app to spy
on people's phone calls.

So we faked a call to trap you.

You really think Jimmy
would handle his daughter

sneaking off to kiss a boy that well?

You need to read people better.

Look,

nobody else needs to know about this.

Why don't we just, uh, split the money,

go our separate ways?

Rhonda.

There is no money here.

- What?
- That call was a ploy.

- No. Where is it, then?
- We'll send word

to the penitentiary
as soon as we find out.

[GRUNTS]

RHONDA: Come on.

Don't do this.

So, that is what five million
dollars looks like.

Actually, that is $2.6 million.

Yeah, it was sitting in the vent
of the Specter's town house.

And once he died,
Carson started stealing

a little bit of the cash at a time.

Just, uh, waiting to see if anyone

would notice that the money was missing.

JIMMY: And the whole time,
Wendy had no idea there were millions

stored in her A.C. vents.

Just that she apparently
had very dirty ducts

that needed repeated cleanings.

Yeah, good news is
you can probably see her again.

You know, after her
federal charges are cleared.

You know, I'd be open to it, but, um,

I sensed a distinct cooling off

once Jess led her away in cuffs.

Yeah. Maybe give her
a little bit of space.

Mm.

All right, let's get this money to,
uh, Barbara in Accounting.

What, you can't handle this?

Well, yeah, but I need you as backup.

Uh, I still owe her those spreadsheets.

Dad!

Hey. Oh... [LAUGHS]

Well, that is a nice hello.

Yeah, I heard we took down Rhonda.

Well, it was mostly
Jess and Agent Parker.

Oh, but we would not have
been able to do that without you.

That call was the coolest thing
I've ever done.

Really? You weren't nervous?

No, I want to do it again.

Maybe we should start
our own detective agency.

Maybe we should finish
ninth grade first.

You know what, I'm gonna
leave that, uh, to you.

Hey, uh, Jess.

I just want to say thank you, for...

No, you don't have to.

That's just what family does.

Let's go home, Dad.

Sure. I have one question first.

No. There's no boy.

I was improvising.

That's great to hear.

But I want to know if you want

to get ice cream on the way home.

We can invite the rest of the team.

Nah.

Oh, right. You probably want to
hang out with your friends, right?

No. Dad, I meant, let's...

just go the two of us. Yeah?

Really? I mean... Yeah, of-of course,

uh, if that-that's what you want.

I... Agents are probably busy anyway.

Yeah, but...

thankfully, you're just the M.E.