I'm Gage Jensen and this is On the Line.
Today we're with the ATF agents as they prepare to infiltrate a group
of suspected gunrunners.
Going after criminals is one thing, but going after those
who deal in weapons practically guarantees a violent confrontation.
These agents have no idea
just how much firepower they're gonna have to go up against.
Everything from machine guns to grenades,
to even rocket launchers have been used against them.
- Agents are storming inside. - ATF! No one move!
- Clear. - I'm not hearing any shots,
so they're going from room to room looking for guns and perps.
- All clear! - All right, that's us. Let's go.
Alpha team, clear. Building's secure.
Copy that, Alpha team.
We're gonna need a forensic unit.
Copy.
They're already dead.
My God, they're already dead.
Cut it.
I said cut it.
What the hell happened here?
Oh, morning, Hetty. Where is everybody?
Upstairs waiting to be briefed on a case.
- Waiting for who? - For you.
- Oh, okay. - But first,
you owe me some paperwork.
- Oh, I already dropped that report off. - Mm-mm.
Everyone received a list of potential new recruits.
And everyone has returned his recommendation but you.
We don't need a new recruit. Dom is missing, not dead.
I'm not trying to replace Agent Vail.
I'm trying to give the team the support it needs
until his return.
This isn't an office job, Hetty. We don't need a temp.
You're right, this isn't an office job.
- I'll get to it when I have a chance. - Uh-huh.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Have a good day.
I will.
Now, you want me to go upstairs or not?
I'm sorry I had bothered you with this.
You're not bothering me.
My mistake.
My experience has been that your need to get in the last word
is a sign of annoyance.
- Ah, she found you. - She always does.
Yeah. Go ahead, Eric.
The night before last, the reality TV show On the Line
was following ATF agents on a raid of suspected gunrunners
when they found this.
Five dead, no obvious signs of death, two in Marine uniforms.
Uniforms are authentic. The men are not.
- They're not Marines? - Not even close.
Both guys are career criminals.
I know that guy.
Lan Albers. Small-time con.
We bust him before?
No. Not according to his record.
Maybe one of those militia guys we rounded up in the bush
- a few months back? - No, I remember the guys I bust.
I've met him somewhere.
If these guys aren't real Marines, it isn't our problem.
- L.A.P.D. Should handle. - They are.
But Director Vance wants to know
why these two criminals were impersonating Marines
with some very authentic-Iooking military IDs and what they were up to.
He wants assurances that the security of our bases
has not been compromised.
What is this place?
Eric said it was registered to a La Grange Enterprises.
Turns out it was a bogus company.
Well, it's a lab.
But they weren't making meth.
Not with what they have here.
So, what were they cooking?
I don't know. Maybe something that killed them.
Well, a drug overdose would show up on an autopsy.
So would a communicable disease.
Fumes of some sort?
Which brings me back to my first question.
What were they making? Where is it?
Someone cleaned this place out.
Someone who didn't get killed.
What was with the Marine uniforms?
You know, feel free to chime in here any time.
Looks like those men weren't the only ones who died here.
Yeah. KENSI It's Kensi.
Eric and I have been sifting through electronic records
of the dead men. We found a vector between a recurring phone number
and GPS activity of one of their vehicles.
You have an address?
Yeah. It's, uh, 299 North Sierra Bonita.
Mm... Owner's name is Balmore.
All right. Have HAZMAT team come here and sweep this place.
HAZMAT? Callen, what did you guys find?
- I don't know. - Well, if you and Sam
have been exposed, the medical officer has to look at you.
Your health could be at risk.
So could yours if you keep eating the breakfast burritos.
- How did you, um...? - The cheese.
Makes your voice phlegmy. Not good.
Goodbye.
- That's 13 birds, two squirrels. - What are the chances
these guys were cooking up some sort of biochemical weapon?
Sure as hell hope not because if they were, then we've been exposed to it.
It's a nice neighbourhood.
Hate to see small-time cons hanging out around here.
Yeah. Small-time cons aren't running this operation.
Whatever it is.
Lawn could use a rake.
What a mess.
Mrs. Balmore?
I'm just all butterfingers today.
I just have to clean this up.
I'm Special Agent Sam Hanna. Special Agent G. Callen. NCIS.
- Could we ask you a few questions? - Well, of course, dear.
But I need to clean this up.
It was full of sugar water for the hummingbirds.
So if I don't hose it off right now, it's gonna be
"Leiningen Versus the Ants" back here.
- Let me help you with that. - Okay.
- Thank you very much. Huh? - Mrs. Balmore.
Do you recognise these men?
I know Corporal Ames.
Oh, and that's Corporal Bishop. They're my Marine Corps drivers.
- Where did they drive you? - The research facility.
I wasn't supposed to say that.
It's classified.
National security.
You can tell us. We're NCIS.
Oh, you are.
Yeah.
- How's your research going? - Very well.
I thought I would be rusty after all of these years,
but I was able to isolate several grammes
of Clostridium botulinum last week.
- Botulism? - Mm-hm.
Most dangerous toxin known to man.
Would either of you gentlemen like some lemonade?
I never wanted to be an Army wife,
but I was in love with my husband.
- There you go. - Oh, you're so kind.
Thank you, Steve.
- Sam, ma'am. - Ah.
- You're welcome. - Sam. I'm so sorry.
Sometimes I think I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached.
It's fine. It's okay.
So you enlisted and wound up working in the Army's medical unit.
Yes. Now, that was an old boys' network back there.
Well, it's so nice of Steve to bring tea. Are you married?
- No. Ha. No, um... Let's talk about... - A handsome young man like yourself?
I work a lot.
- My husband, Roger... - That was Kensi.
Coroner has confirmed it was botulinum poisoning.
Vance, Homeland Security and CDC have all been alerted,
along with the local medical services.
And HAZMAT's doing a sweep of Esther's place.
Who knows what else granny was cooking up there.
Should Nate be wearing a mask?
No, he's safe. You don't catch botulism from other people.
But we might've been exposed because we were in the lab.
You feeling okay?
Yeah. Nothing a couple weeks of vacation can't cure.
I hear that.
You're very tall.
My husband, Marty, was tall.
He died of a heart attack at Santa Anita several years ago.
We loved the ponies.
Let's talk about your work at Fort Detrick in the late '60s.
Bacterial purification.
The work we did revolutionised the production
of antibiotics and other drugs.
Wow. And what about your most recent work?
Oh, well, I'm long retired.
And your research at the lab?
Lab?
Where your two drivers took you?
Well, yes. I forgot about that.
I helped them isolate proteins.
A neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium C. Botulinum.
Yes. Of course, that's it.
- Thank you for reminding me. - Mm.
Why did they need the botulinum toxin?
Antidote research.
So our boys in uniform will be safe.
She seems like just a sweet old lady.
She is a sweet old lady.
Someone tricked her into creating biochemical weapons.
- Would you excuse me a moment? - Mm-hm.
Well?
I think she's delightful and, um, extremely dangerous.
She's suffering from Alzheimer's.
She remembers the '60s and '70s, vivid detail,
but has memory lapses about more recent events.
All right. Well, it is one thing to forget to feed your dog,
it's another when you forget security protocols
and you're dealing with bioweapons.
She may be responsible for those men's deaths.
Or the person behind this used what she created
to tie up the loose ends.
And if that's the case, she could be in danger.
Botulinum is a neurotoxin protein.
Very popular in Hollywood where it is known as Botox.
Kills the muscles that cause wrinkles
for that "Don't I look 20 even though I'm 50" look.
It can paralyse your breathing muscles
and you suffocate to death.
In fact, it is the deadliest substance known to man.
So the housewives of Beverly Hills should be classified
as biochemical weapons.
Do you guys know what LD50 is?
It's the median lethal dose.
The amount of toxin needed to kill half of the people exposed.
Lower the LD50, the more dangerous the substance.
Exactly. Now, the botulinum toxin has the lowest LD50 there is.
So a sample only this small could kill up to a quarter million people.
And if what Esther told us is accurate,
then she isolated enough to kill 10 times that.
She's like the evil Martha Stewart.
Only she's not evil. She's vulnerable because of her Alzheimer's.
Whoever is behind this, knew that.
They must've sought her out,
tricked her into thinking her expertise was needed for national security.
Yeah, she's an easy mark. But an unreliable witness.
Poor thing.
She must've enjoyed the company and attention.
The real question is who's behind this and where the hell's the toxin?
Oh, we may have a lead.
Remember this guy?
- Lan Albers? - I've been trying to.
Well, he used to be a bouncer at Club Halo for our old pal, Dallas.
I knew I recognised him.
Maybe he's moved on from blackmail to dealing in bioweapons.
You think Dallas is behind this?
If he is, he's gonna wish he wasn't.
Dallas closed the Halo Club after the Safar incident.
He's been keeping a low profile since. Apparently not low enough.
The dude's proven he has friends in high places.
- And low places. - He's gonna call his D.C. Buddies
to shut us down like last time. He's not gonna cooperate.
At least not willingly.
And get this, supposedly he replaced his security
with a bunch of retired East German Secret Police.
The latest Hollywood accessory. Special ops security team.
Hetty, any suggestions on getting Dallas?
Yes. I suggest we don't have this conversation.
Forget diamonds.
In this business, plausible deniability is a girl's best friend.
Now, sit down and say, "Ah."
Hetty, honestly, I'm fine.
Asset protection is part of my responsibility
and you are an asset.
When you're not being a pain in the asset.
Now, open wide.
- "Ah." - Ah... Agh.
What was that for?
It's a healthy gag reflex.
It's the first thing to go in botulinum poison.
Stop laughing. You're next.
Dallas hid his electronic footprint pretty well. He was hard to find.
For the record,
I walked away 30 seconds ago.
Always was careful. Last time, we had to go to his club
- just to look at his computer. - But he didn't hide his credit cards.
At least not well enough to hide them from Eric.
Apparently the crime syndicate is recession proof.
Five days a week, Dallas has been getting massages
at a place called the Ahimsa Retreat.
- What is that? - A wonderful day spa.
They have the best foot rescue packages.
It's like sending your toes to heaven.
I'm not through with either of your evaluations.
Hetty, we're both fine. We really need to move on this.
Well, then you'll just have to make it quick.
- You look good in a robe. - I look good in anything.
- Ready? - Yeah.
- What the hell...? - Relax.
Don't be so tense.
You have no idea who you're dealing with.
Come on. What are you, stupid, Dallas?
You think this is a random robbery? You're butt-naked.
I have friends. Lots and lots of friends.
Right now, all you have is a gun pointed at your head.
What do you want?
I want information on biochemical weapons,
specifically botulinum toxin.
- Oh, come on. I'm not involved with... - I didn't ask you if you were involved.
I said I want information.
Now, you've got two seconds to come clean
or I guarantee this massage won't have a happy ending.
I don't mess with that crap.
But there's a guy.
Call him the Dutchman. Supposedly he's made some.
Now he's selling. That's all I know. I swear to God.
God doesn't like when you swear to him.
And I don't like to be lied to.
Now, if I have to come back here, if I find out you played me,
I'm gonna shiatsu your ass into dog food.
- You hear me? - Mm-hm.
Make sure you drink plenty of water.
Stay facing down.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Dutchman,
a.k.a. Jacobus Troyger, a.k.a. Sebastian Boon,
a.k.a. Jurgen Vanderveer, a.k.a. Yada-yada-yada.
Guy's got more aliases than Callen.
Somehow I doubt that.
European terrorist.
Technically he's an arms dealer.
He sells weapons to radicals and insurgents.
- Ipso facto, he's a terrorist. - And in Los Angeles.
Haven't been able to find record of him entering the country.
Well, he probably used an alias that wasn't on our watch list
and then entered through a port
which doesn't have a facial recognition system in place.
If he's staying to sell his bioweapon,
there's a good chance people are coming to buy.
I'll check with Homeland Security and Border Control.
I'll contact Interpol,
see if they've picked up chatter or tracked any movement overseas.
Eric, check the flight manifest,
port surveillance. We might just get lucky.
Mr. Callen, a moment.
If she puts on her rubber gloves, run.
Hetty, I appreciate the concern,
but I draw the line at turning my head and coughing.
I'm going to pretend you didn't say that.
Now, first,
how is our elderly bioweaponeer, Esther Balmore?
- Getting her medical evaluation. - Oh, good.
That was first.
- What's second? - Oh, uh, your partner.
Sam has been reluctant to weigh in on the selections for a temporary agent.
Sam doesn't play well with others and doesn't like to share his toys.
But times like these only emphasise the void left
by the absence of Agent Vail, however temporary.
Sam is eternally hopeful that Dom is going to return to his post.
Sam sees the glass as half full. I see it as half empty.
That's why we make good team.
Kensi just drinks right out the bottle,
Nate wonders why it has to be glass, and Eric breaks the glass
- by putting his feet up on the table. - Nevertheless, I want his input
if only to begin to move him forward.
Maybe you could give him a little nudge.
Big guy does not like to be nudged.
I'll be gentle.
Thank you.
Tell me something good.
Sam was right. Interpol has various persons of interest
who were stopped boarding planes bound for L.A.
In Berlin, London and Madrid.
- We put LAX on full alert. - And we got a hit.
Simon Amputuan.
He's a Filipino militant with ties to Abu Sayyaf.
Also known as Al Harakat Al Islamiyya.
Or Islamic Movement.
They've been waging a bloody campaign of kidnappings,
bombings and assassinations
in their fight for an independent Muslim state in the Philippines.
Call ICE. Hold Amputuan for questioning.
And have Nate meet us at the boathouse.
I don't know any Dutchman.
Okay. You realise you're on the terrorist watch list, Mr. Amputuan?
There are many Amputuans in the Philippines.
You must be mistaking me for someone else.
I've heard there are well over a million people on those watch lists.
- It must be easy to make mistakes. - Mm.
What about your involvement with the militant group Abu Sayyaf?
Again. I'm afraid you have the wrong information.
I run a business call centre.
Oh, great. He's not just a terrorist. He's a telemarketer.
That's almost worse.
I don't appreciate your racial profiling.
This isn't about race, Mr. Amputuan. It's about terrorism.
Like your involvement with the 2004 SuperFerry bombing
killing 116 people.
That was a tragedy.
That had nothing whatsoever to do with me.
Clock's ticking, Nate.
- Time to turn up the heat. - Please.
Okay. Here's the deal, Simon. Uh...
The Dutchman was arrested this morning
and he started naming names.
- Look, I told you. I don't know him. - Really?
Because if you didn't know the guy,
then you would've at least been curious to see who I was talking about.
Sorry. Too late.
So you're either gonna cooperate and work with us
or you're gonna get fingered by Jacobus.
Or whatever name you know him by.
I would feel better if I was provided with legal counsel.
From here on in, just so as to ensure there are no, uh,
misunderstandings.
Fortunately for us, you're an unlawful combatant.
Unfortunately, the boys at Guantanamo Bay have no vacancy.
So much for that sunny Caribbean getaway.
We do know some Mossad agents
that would gladly buy you an all-expense-paid trip to Tel Aviv.
Can you say "shalom"?
Okay.
There is a rumour that the Dutchman is auctioning off
- the botulinum toxin. - Where?
I don't know.
You've come a long way to not know where you're going.
I didn't say I was here for the auction.
I said I heard rumours of it.
I also heard of a rendezvous point. I imagine it could be someplace
where a would-be bidder could be picked up
- and taken to the proceedings. - Did you ever meet the Dutchman?
- No. I told you. He's... - Yeah. You know what? We got it.
We want an address, we want code words
and everything else you've heard rumours about.
What if the Dutchman's seen pictures of Amputuan?
He must've screened these guys.
I'll go in as his muscle.
I'm gonna review the files, learn the history, his associates.
- Know it cold. - I don't like this.
I don't either, but the auction's today.
We don't have time to plan anything.
Besides, I'm the only one who's been vaccinated for botulism.
SEALs are inoculated for everything.
Except suicidal tendencies.
And he knows I'm right or else he'd argue to go instead of me.
I don't want either of you to go.
Nate, relax.
Sam's the best man for this job.
Besides, what's the worst that could happen?
Oh, I don't know. Let's see, Sam gets made, they kill him.
You, Kensi, and the others storm the place
and the Dutchman releases the toxin,
killing all of you and half of Los Angeles.
- Which half? - Which half?
I'm gonna go brief the director.
You have had your shots, right?
Yeah, I had a shot.
Annual boosters?
Hmm. I'm gonna go suit up.
Oh.
Vest is tight.
It's rubbing.
Well, better chafed than dead, I say.
The camera is right here.
They'll probably sweep you, so the electronics we're providing you
can be remotely activated and deactivated
so as not to be detected. All right?
Eric, let's give it a try.
Turning Sam on now.
Whoa.
Scary.
They'll take your phone and any gun so I'm providing you with this.
It's a ballistics briefcase. It'll stop most bullets.
Inside are $3 million in marked bearer bonds.
And twist, pull.
And voilą. A ceramic blade.
That's it? No, uh, you know, parachute or shark repellent?
I put that in your shoes.
Botulinum protocols?
Ingest it or inhale it, you die.
Get it in an open wound, you die.
Let's hope the vaccine works.
I almost forgot.
In here is an ampoule of an experimental antidote.
Click for the needle.
If you're exposed, use it.
Just for good measure.
Callen and the rest of us will run a box around you
- the entire time. - Keep it loose.
No helicopters.
These guys'll be paranoid.
You're not ready?
Take longer to get dressed than Kensi.
- I have been ready for five minutes. - Let's do it.
- Sam looks like he's getting impatient. - He is.
And in about 10 seconds, he's gonna complain about it.
They're late.
You guys know each other pretty well, huh?
Well, we should.
We've been together longer than most married couples in this town.
You worried about him?
Right now I'm worried about all of us.
Yeah.
Ah, what if Amputuan lied?
- Hollywood Boulevard. - I'm sorry, I'm not from around here.
Oh, where are you from?
Lots of places.
What's your name?
None of your business.
He was grabbed at the airport.
I beg your pardon.
Amputuan.
I got through. I'm authorized to negotiate on his behalf.
Sorry. I don't know what you're talking about.
I have $3 million in bearer bonds that says your boss does.
Excuse me.
Think he bought it?
We'll find out soon.
Follow me, please.
This way.
Close the door.
I'm so sorry for the hood, mister?
Cook. Felix Cook.
That's him. That's the seller.
Jacobus Troyger. The Dutchman.
Just one more little security protocol.
Blondie patted me down good back there.
What do they say during those American football broadcasts?
Any recording of this game without the NFL's consent is prohibited.
Same courtesy applies here.
Okay.
Cut his equipment.
Let's hope we can get him back again.
He's good.
Thank you.
Please.
L.A.P.D., SWAT and HAZMAT are en route.
Rendezvous is at 7th and Santa Fe. Nolan, you coordinate SWAT.
I want them in position, but out of sight until they see us go in.
Morris, you've got HAZMAT. They've gotta be right on our heels.
I don't want anyone else dying from this.
Start at the rear perimeter, move forward.
All right, let's go.
Eric? What's it looking like in there?
- Well, without Sam's feed we're blind. - Turn him back on.
Ugh, Troyger must be employing a jamming device.
I can enhance this later, but for the live op, this is it.
He look familiar to you?
You're gonna have to turn a little more, Sam.
That's it.
My, my. Benno Dragovic.
Supplies Serbian mercenaries worldwide.
There are a lot of people in Washington
who will wanna see what we've stumbled upon here.
We're not seeing any more cars, Sam. You think the gang's all here?
Looks like this party's starting.
What kind of firepower are we talking about, Sam?
You ever seen the Dirty Dozen?
A dozen?
- You ready? - Let's do it.
Tracking.
All teams moving into position.
Welcome.
In 1969, when the U.S. Army stopped making biochemical weapons
they were far more advanced than they admitted publicly.
I have recruited an Army scientist that remembers the recipes.
On offer today,
a botulinum that is highly flexible.
It can be vaporised against troops on the battlefield.
Or you can spread it on bullets.
And even a flesh wound becomes lethal.
Abu Nasim, the old warhorse.
He's not on Troyger's list of known associates.
Oh, sure he is.
Abu Nasim isn't the name. It's an honorific from the culture
where older people are revered with marks of respect.
His name is Sadiki Hassan.
He's on there, Your Honour Lady Lange.
This party favour is a vaccine to the botulinum.
Uncle Sam would never let you have this.
I hope we don't need it.
Get in positions.
Now,
you should all know the value of what you are buying.
And as many of you will resell in your various markets,
I thought a demonstration would add value.
What kind of demonstration?
The kind that makes international news.
The mall.
Is there a more iconic place of American consumerism?
Within the hour, an associate of mine will deploy
just a few micrograms of the botulinum,
cut with the vaporising powder that will carry it throughout the mall.
What mall?
I can't tell what we're looking at.
Where is that?
Here in Los Angeles.
But don't worry, Mr. Cook. You're safe here.
Yeah? What if I wanna do a little shopping before I go home?
Isn't that the Hollywood Town Centre?
Or is it the Sunset Avenue Mall?
Let's just concentrate on the shopping in here first, shall we?
Assault teams back to covert positions.
Eric, Kensi and I will take the Hollywood Town Centre.
Send agents over to Sunset.
And HAZMAT teams in both places. Already on it.
I don't wanna spook Troyger. Nobody move on the warehouse
until we find this guy at the mall.
Big guy, we've got some bad news.
You're gonna have to stall for a while.
Now, as you all know, the bidding will begin at $1 million.
Excuse me. I'm sorry.
But I'm concerned about your demonstration.
We still have to get this stuff out of the country.
If a whole bunch of people get killed in a biochemical attack,
they're gonna lock the whole city down.
You would rather pay $7 million for something
that, as far as you know, could be crushed aspirin?
Does anyone else share Mr. Cook's concerns?
Apparently, you are the only one who seems to be bothered by this,
Mr. Cook.
And why is that?
I just wanna do this smart.
Seriously. Are we here to buy weapons or for you to perv on me?
Because if these pants come off, I want a discount.
A big discount. Know what I'm saying?
All I know is that you're a very stupid man.
I'm stupid? Heh.
At least I don't have these two in the same room together.
- Drago there killed Hassan's boy. - Don't listen to him.
Chechnya, 2002.
Hassan's boy is over there, you know, paying his jihadi dues.
And old Drago was running black ops for, uh, Putin.
Code name Crusader.
- Move, move, move. - Go, go, go.
Hold it! Stay where you are! L.A.P.D.!
You still haven't done me the courtesy.
I'm a ghost.
Come on.
Hands behind your back and shut up.
Stay where you are!
I'm not seeing anyone from the file of known associates at either place.
Nobody acting like they're about to kill hundreds of people.
Any luck there, Hetty?
Working on it.
I can't do this.
I mean, all those people and it's my fault.
Esther, try not to think about why.
Let's pretend that we are looking for old friends.
Our friend that we're looking for would be right there.
Now, whom do you know?
Listen to you using the objective case properly.
Oh! Oh, look. That's Captain Hogue.
There. There with the backpack.
Callen.
Hollywood Town Centre.
Eric, could you go back to the last feed?
Callen, level six.
Tall Caucasian male, 30s, bald, yellow backpack.
I can't see him.
Guys, he's forcing himself to walk casually,
but he's trying to hide an adrenaline surge.
This guy is moments away from deploying.
I got him. He's heading for the food court.
Hey, can I just take this for a second? Thank you.
- Oh, my gosh. I am so sorry. Unh! - Ugh!
Everybody down!
Run! Run!
- Get out of the way! - No, no, no.
No!
Hey.
Sam!
Keep the vial in the water.
Keep it out of the air.
We stay right here till HAZMAT scrubs us.
You know I hate needles.
It's an antidote, G. I just saved your life.
I don't even get a warning?
Oh, now I gotta warn you to save your life?
Just keep the vial underwater.
Understood, director.
That's why I like my job.
Okay. Got it.
The FBI is doing the press conference announcing the arrest
of Troyger and the others.
And stealing our credit. That was all us. Sam and you and me.
Right.
But we don't exist.
That's why you like your job. Because we don't exist.
I like my job because I never have to do press conferences.
Oh.
Well, it's true. You do have a better face for radio.
Miss Blye, if you touch that thermostat, it will be to turn it down.
But I'm cold and Callen was pushed in a fountain today.
Which is exactly why we need cost-cutting.
The koi fish in that fountain went belly-up from the botulinum.
Oh, dear. One so rarely uses that phrase literally.
Poor things.
Anyway, the mall has billed us $72,000.
- For fish? - Yes.
Do you know what I could buy with that?
I have a pretty good idea.
Apparently, they're a prized lineage of Taisho Sanke from Japan.
The dead fish will be here in the morning,
so I can see them myself.
What? I know the difference between koi and carp and crap.
All done.
My psychological evaluation of Esther Balmore
and my strong recommendation that she not be charged.
She thought she was serving her country.
She won't be charged.
That's not all she needs, though.
I mean, someone to adjust her medications,
consistent home nursing.
Yeah.
I'll take care of it.
You've come to offer to call the ADA for Esther Balmore
because you think watching an old lady go batty
has set off a nerve in me.
I came for a cup of tea because I'm cold.
You know, in nursing homes they only have tea in bags.
So it just taste like paper.
When the time comes, I'll bring you the good stuff.
Smuggle it in if I have to.
Ah. Go undercover?
As an orderly?
Whatever you need.
Mm-hm.
You know,
it's not the Ioneliness I fear.
But you are scared of something.
Yes.
Spilling everything I know.
All my secrets being blathered out into a world
that should never hear them.
So when the times comes, as you put it,
there's something you can do.
You can smother me with a pillow.
Make sure it's synthetic. I'm allergic to feathers.
Okay.
Oh, the birds will be so happy.
The delivery man just left them out front
and I just couldn't move them.
You are so kind, Steve.
That's not it.
What is it, dear?
I'm Sam.
Sam. Right.
Sam.
Uh, say, Sam?
Yes.
- This stone fountain. - Mm-hm.
Don't you think it would look better if it was over there?
Sure.
Piece of cake, Esther.
Oh, careful, Steve.