- Hey. - What did I miss?
We just got here.
Glad you guys could make it.
We don't live in the Valley on purpose, Mel.
Team, this is fire marshal Pierni.
We've been discussing scenarios. Mel, bring us up to speed.
Welcome to the 7th unexplained property fire
in LA county in the last 3 months.
The fire marshal suspects a serial arsonist.
He's invited us in to see if we can link the incidents together,
maybe drop a suspect profile.
I know that arson's not the sexiest crime for you guys.
We sure appreciate the assist.
It's a bitch to solve.
Fire has destroyed all the evidence.
Most of it, anyway.
- Excuse me. - Thank you.
Here. Carter wants stills independent to the ERT guys.
Chart pattern, structural context.
- And? - And, I brought the wrong shoes.
- These are italian. - Look, I went last time.
Rebecca, looks like your shoes are ready.
Chief?
Majority of these torch jobs are insurance scams, right?
On average, we'd say 7 out of 10 are related to insurance fraud, yeah.
What about the other 3?
Bad luck, or human stupidity.
- Thanks. - Yeah.
- Did he answer all your questions? - All but one.
Why are we really here, Web?
Becky...
- What happened? - What's wrong?
What happened?
Nevermind.
I think I know why we're here.
Episode 11 POINT OF ORIGIN
Subtitles: Nathbot
Under Hoover, agents weren't even allowed to bring coffee into the office.
Sorta undermined the whole Vigilant G man image.
And they couldn't ask why the director wore garder belts.
Anyway... Rules changed, but the tradition remained.
We got our machine, the coffee sucks...
Which is why we come here.
- Hey, Julie, just a coffee. - Morning.
Morning. So I'm gonna... Are you gonna eat that toast?
I am now.
Ok. Anyway...
I did some checking. The story behind our new case.
Guess what?
Fire chief never asked for an FBI assist on this one.
Web just volunteered.
He lied to us.
So you're suggesting that our fearless leader has an agenda?
Don't be silly. Web doesn't have an agenda. Web is love.
That was real sweet what happened to Rebecca out there.
Are you talking about your poor defenseless sparrow
with a broken wing again?
No, I'm talking about Virgil Webster and his new toy...
A toy he hasn't found all the buttons to yet.
Sure you're not the one who wants to know where her buttons are?
This isn't about her.
This is about Web.
And he knows something about one of us that we don't.
And that's not healthy for any of us.
- Here you go. - Thank you.
I just think we gotta do...
some behind the scenes digging, find out what he's got on her.
Nope, not me. Not hearing this.
Are you scared?
Hell, no.
But when Blondie finds out you two have been
diggin' around in her bone pile,
I'll be there with arms full of comfort.
See ya.
Look, I think maybe he's right.
Well, half right.
You're looking for buttons. Not Rebecca's. Web's.
Paul, has it ever occured to you that maybe he wants us
to pursue this case because it's legit?
The case is legit.
His motives? I don't buy'em.
Something happened to Rebecca at that burn site.
Web knows what it was.
Now I wanna find out what it was, too.
What happened back at the burn site, Rebecca?
I'm not sure.
You screamed.
Yes.
- You saw something? - No.
So your response was in reaction to nothing at all?
I felt like... I was suffocating.
And the smell, it...
You know, the olfactory sense...
is the one that's the closest to memory.
Any combination of smells can transport one back to another place.
Another time.
I wasn't transported. I just...
I couldn't breathe.
I see.
Alright.
I think... I'll have you set this one out.
No.
I mean, I don't think it's necessary, sir.
It won't happen again, I promise.
What won't happen again?
My behaviour...
...was unprofessional.
If you allow me, I'm confident. I can deliver a suspect profile.
Maybe work here, with Carter, on the forensics end?
No. If you want to stay in, you have to stay all the way in.
Where do you want me?
Based on the extent of fire damage,
we know the flames had to reach this level of intensity.
Who the screamings are supposed to be? Building was empty.
I know, I just added them. You think I should take it out?
- No. - Allright, cool.
So, factoring known variables:
room dimensions, fuel oil, initial ventilation
and working backwards,
we get our suspected point of origin.
Which match our other seven.
How did you know?
He thinks Web set them all. Did I hear screaming?
Mel and Danny.
I've requested copies of all the media coverage
including crowd photos.
By standard inventory.
Check em out.
See if we've got any repeat spectators.
Paul, you've got 3 boxes from LAFD arson at your desk.
Narrative statements, evidence reports.
View em, chart the similarities.
Sounds like a party.
We'll reconvene in three hours.
Where's Rebecca?
Working the case.
All right.
Watch your step there, Madam.
He was Javier Tobias, 33, busboy.
Fellow employees said that he'd work double shifts,
sometimes he would sleep at the restaurant.
The owner denies any knowledge of this.
Looks like he couldn't get out the door,
tried to escape through the vent system.
Roasted alive before the flames even reached him.
Fire marshal Pierni actually had him as a suspect.
Since he'd been missing, up until about an hour ago.
He was pretty sure he'd mentioned that to you.
Was he?
You can inform fire marshal Pierni
that we've ruled out Mr Tobias as a suspect.
Unless you have any evidence that he set the fire himself
and got caught in it.
No.
Agent Locke, who are we looking for?
Nobody.
At least, that's how arsonists usually see themselves.
And our UNSUB's no different.
It's what he's desperately trying to change.
He feels powerless to control his own environment.
And when he feels powerless, he starts a fire.
It's the only thing he can control.
The simultaneous acts of creation and destruction
provide him with a sense of importance.
An importance he lacks in his everyday life.
Excuse me? Excuse me.
Hello?
Oh, sorry. How can I help you, sir?
I wanna buy a satellite TV system.
The most expensive one.
That one on the end.
That's a very good unit, sir.
Does it let you record all the news channels at once?
Yes. But we do have another one with a little better value...
No, I want the good one.
You can... put it on this.
Fine. Now, we do offer a extent of warranty.
Yes, absolutely. The best.
Excellent.
This was the scene early Sunday morning
when a four alarm fire ripped through Petorus restaurant in Woodland Hills.
We initially thought that no one was hurt in the fire,
but crews were later shocked by a body
in the wreckage. The victim is identified...
Can you check out a credit card... Barbra Salt?
Javier Tobias, 33.
He worked in the establishment as a dishwasher and busboy.
When fire crews arrived, the structure was engulfed in flames.
Additional crews were called, firefighters put water on the flames
from both the ground and the roof of the structure.
The fire origins are being described as "under investigation".
Arson investigators privately noted that the *** strongly hint at arsons...
What are you doing?
You're not supposed to touch those.
We got a problem.
This card belongs to a Barbra Salt.
It's alright, it's my mother's.
Yeah?
Well your mother doesn't pay her bills, apparently.
The credit card company told me to cut it up.
Don't... touch that.
Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
Fine. Whatever.
Going.
Hi, Mel.
I can't tell you how creepy this makes me feel
but I think you're right. This is about her somehow.
So you called up your ex at the naval hospital?
Less an ex and more of a why as in "Oh, God, why?", but yes.
Rebecca Locke.
Academy entrance physical: totally useless.
- So what, physically... - She's disgustingly perfect.
The psych dirt is restricted, as we all know.
- So, I went back a little further. - What, before her entrance exam?
Before Rebecca Locke.
The medical records from the children's hospital in Augusto
where they treated Becky George after she showed up on her front porch
all alone, after 18 months missing.
You know she didn't speak for the first month and a half
when she got back? - Yes.
How did you get this?
Tag, from the county chair support, and I'm that good.
Yes, you are.
Wait, wait. "Patient demonstrated an irregular breathing pattern.
Bronchial exam shows max expiratory flow at 25% of vital capacity.
Common indicator of someone who suffered smoke inhalation.
There was a fire.
Night.
I was able to link the first seven burns
based on common ignition patterns.
Now the fire last night at the electronic store was different.
In the other cases, accelerants spread would diffuse.
Here, traces lead directly into the manager's office,
where Mr Sarkesian was alone.
Or so he thought.
Yeah, and smoke detectors were smashed and fire alarms cut.
So much for unintentional deaths.
- Sarkesian's not dead. - Yet.
80% burns. You think he's walking out ot that hospital?
The death at the restaurant must have excited him.
Triggered his power drive.
The other fires were crimes of opportunity.
He's evolved. Move on to targeted attacks.
You think our UNSUB knew Sarkesian?
I don't think our UNSUB really knows anyone.
That's most likely their paths crossed.
Sarkesian probably insulted him somehow.
Alright, we need to figure out anyone this Sarkesian guy
came in contact with during the last month.
Especially anyone he might have insulted.
Bitter employees. Disatisfied customers. Angry neighbours.
We're on it.
Bad news from the hospital.
- Sarkesian died. - Worse.
He woke up.
You better talk to him while he lasts.
Ola. Who you're looking for?
My girlfriend, Rosie.
Oh, you're the novio, she mentioned you.
Good choice.
Yes, I figured she gets roses all the time,
cause of her name.
Well Rosie's not here.
I think she went to the store.
- Come in. - Thank you.
You can wait for her right here.
Thank you. Gracias.
Looks like you peed.
You think this is funny?
You did this on purpose, didn't you?
Hey!
Kids didn't do nothing.
Sprinkler's been going off all day.
Hey.
Has he said anything?
Nah, waited on you.
I think he may have only one interview in him.
Uh, restrooms.
There.
She's young.
Yeah.
I dredged the system for old fires.
Small stuff. Dumpsters, vacant lots.
I thought you could cross-reference against your campus list,
sort of focus the hunt.
Arsonists usually start close to home.
Thank you, that's very helpful.
Listen, how complete is the LAFD database?
Like if I wanted information from another part of the country?
You think this guy may not be local?
I could be wrong.
Here's http and password.
- Don't throw it around. - Right.
Barbra Salt.
Thank God, this one's a bad credit card. The bounced cheques are so depressing.
Yeah?
Yeah, thanks.
I'll review'em and call you back.
Carter e-mailed this morning's crowd photos.
I got this one if you wanna go ahead.
Nah, I'll check'em after.
We're not even through the first page, Danny.
So while I admit that Barbra Salt, a 72 year-old widow with a home-based
sandwich delivery service and a penchant for high in electronic
sounds like a criminal mastermind,
I think I can take her.
Mr Sarkesian, we're with the FBI, we'd like to ask you a few questions.
I don't think she's home.
You a neighbour?
Who are you?
Special Agent Melody Sim.
FBI.
Yeah, I'm her neighbour.
Jerry's Hardware, I love that store!
They don't make you feel stupid for asking a lot of questions.
Yeah, I was just out, picking up some engines and stuff.
Do you know Mrs Salt?
Why? Something happened?
Mr Sarkesian, can you tell us if you had any kind of...
running or altercation with anyone recently?
A neighbour, a customer...
a stranger?
Special Agent Locke, I don't think we're doing this man any favours.
Mr Sarkesian.
Mr Sarkesian, I'm gonna leave my card with your nurse.
Card...
It's a nice old lady, makes sandwiches...
Kinda hard of earing.
Takes out her ear-thingy sometimes, could be in there asleep.
Thank you so much for your help.
Do you mind if I get your last name? I need to fill out the report.
Excuse me.
This is Mel.
Mel, it's me.
Sarkesian said there was this guy, had his mother's credit card...
Her son? Yeah?
Yeah, I'm there right now.
Mel?
Yeah, it's Danny.
It's Rebecca. I was just talking to Mel, and... something happened.
That had to be the easiest warrant we ever snagged, huh?
Glad I could help.
We're sure this is his place? Looks like just the old lady lives here.
I'd say his personality was subsumed in hers,
but I'm not even sure he has one.
Neighbours say Mrs Salt died 4 months ago but bureaucracy's still catching up.
Louis here has been cashing her socials.
Using his mommy's credit card.
And her car, green old Mobile, just recovered at Sepulveda Park.
No sign of Louis. APB out and wide.
Guys?
If he wasn't already our prime suspect, this would be exciting.
At least he doesn't have any of that with him.
He won't need it. He'll make do.
He's not gonna wait another two weeks either.
We've humiliated him.
He's on the run, he's desperate, he'll escalate.
Tonight.
He has to do something to restore his sense of power.
So what, we just wait 'til his next fire
and then hope that somebody gets there fast enough?
Actually, I'm thinking that's exactly what we do.
Prometheus has his wings on.
Should I even comment on the Prometheus thing?
Let the man have his fun.
Is that exactly what they're seeing in the chopper?
It comes direct of the thermal imaging camera that's mounted between the skids.
There's a slight delay, but it's live.
What's that white spot?
Danny? You see that?
Yeah, that's just a carfire up by Scurball.
Scurball? That's going to mess up my commute.
We'll be up...
Yep, right, we're probably not going home tonight.
I should check the teams.
- Team one. - Still here.
Roger that, Red. Team two?
Copy you. Team three?
Carter. We have 17 view cars deployed out here
plus 14 LAPD backups.
All checked in the last ten minutes.
Now, please tell me you'll stop.
Team four?
- Team five? - Copy that.
- Team six... - What's that?
Danny, pan at east.
I see that, that's no carfire. That's a big hot spot.
Got it now. Here we go.
That's right, you little firebox, scurry scurry,
we're coming with our big shoes.
We've got a hot spot on the 86th under the block of Vernon.
All teams affected proceed to perimeter.
We're on our way.
Hey, Carter, you seeing that?
- Yeah, tell me that's not... - It is.
It's a second fire.
You have a second hot spot.
Melrose, vicinity of David.
What the hell...
All over the city.
How's he doing this?
It's simple. He's better than us.
Timers. Ironically, generally used for home sprinkler systems.
Found three of them out of last night fire burn sites.
My guess is, we'll have an uneven five before the day's out.
So that's how he was able to be in all 5 places at once.
Sure you're right.
- Thanks, Carter. - You're welcome.
So, our suspect is using timers.
We should check the local hardware stores, see if anyone can ID Salt.
Find one how many of these things he bought.
Even if we find him...
it doesn't mean there won't be five more fires tonight.
Or every night for the next month.
Who knows how many of these things he has already set?
What are you doing?
Media coverage. Suspect search.
We've already identified our UNSUB, Danny.
Which is why it's gonna be a lot easier to spot him,
now that I know who I'm looking for.
You won't find him.
He's not about the fires.
Or the destruction or the death.
He never was.
The kind of heat Louis Salt need to feel,
you won't get from any fire.
He's about this, and this, and this.
The aftermath. That's his power.
Making the world jump.
Making us jump.
He doesn't just feel important. He is important.
He needs attention.
Like fire needs oxygen.
Which is why we're gonna take it away.
Rosie.
Louis, hi.
I'm saving there.
I... How are you doing?
I heard about your mother. I'm so sorry.
Don't worry about it. I mean...
Thank you, though.
So... I was wondering if maybe I could talk some time.
If we could talk.
To you. Together.
Sure, yeah.
Can I help you?
Oh, can I have two coffees, please?
And a piece of carrott cake with two forks.
Okay.
Hey, babe!
Louis, Mitch.
What's up?
Did you hear? About the fires?
Yeah, I heard about it.
- Mitch is a fire fighter. - Oh, good.
Breaking news on the Southland fires,
suspect identified.
On behalf of the FBI, I would like to acknowledge
the LA fire departments, investigators and the arson squad.
Without them and their efforts, we wouldn't have been able to find our man.
Will you comment on the FBI suspect profile leak to the press,
it indicated that you have essentially been looking
for a criminal genius. Is that true?
Yes, it's true that the man responsible is well above average intelligence.
Now, one can say brilliant. Brilliant, but dangerous.
Rosie, are you hearing this?
Do you have somebody in custody?
Special Agent Ryan, is this the guy?
Is that your man, Special Agent?
What's his name, Special Agent?
All I can say at this time is that the suspect
that we have in custody has signed a full confession.
And as soon as the DA files a formal complaint and charge
we will be able to release him.
What are the details of the confession?
Until that, the story is, we have our man.
Thank you very much.
Special Agent Ryan, one more question.
Anything?
No, not yet.
Could be he hasn't seen it.
It'll run again tonight.
Tonight may be too late.
I just hope this wasn't a big mistake.
Louis Salt take the bet yet?
No, not yet.
But...
Rebecca has.
April 5th, 1991. Berlin, New Hampshire.
The DeSoto Motel burned to the ground
2 days before Becky George showed up on her own doorstep.
With evidence of smoke inhalation.
You think that's where she was held, don't you?
And fire is how she got away.
If you read the case file, you know that the details
of Rebecca's escape are unknown.
She can't even recall'em.
Right. Post-traumatic amnesia.
Yeah. I read the file.
There was no one else left to make a report.
The DeSoto was a transit hotel,
they couldn't identify any of the three bodies they pulled out of there.
But you think that one of them was her abducter, don't you?
Hadn't considered it.
Interesting theory, though.
Have you shared that with Rebecca or...
would that be awkward?
Putting her on an arson investigation...
is sadistic.
Someone with that kind of unresolved trauma
has no business being on this case.
Assume you're right.
Have you considered...
that maybe someone who understood the power of fire...
of lighting a match...
could be the perfect person for this case?
What're you saying?
That she started the fire herself?
That would be conjecture.
But it's all conjecture.
Even the part where I wonder how far you're gonna bend this girl
before she breaks.
We got him.
What do we think?
He smells rude, like bad cologne.
I meant his state of mind.
Impatient. Agitated.
So much too important to be kept waiting.
He's ready, Locke.
He saw me on TV, Web.
I'm the one he's gonna want to convince, not her.
This is why you'll be round two.
He asked for a glass of water.
Louis Salt. L.O.U.I.S ?
- Who are you? - Special Agent Locke.
You're FBI.
How old are you?
I wanna talk to someone more important.
That makes two of us.
What?
We've got over 50 walk-ins right now, all who swear
they're the one that set the fire.
Ever since the press of our capture went out, they've just been lining up.
They're all liars.
They're deaf, too.
We found our guy.
He is a liar, too.
Did he tell you how he set five fires at once?
Yes, he did.
Sprinkler timers? Nine volt? Say how he rigged them?
I bet not.
I saw him on TV, too.
I can tell by looking at him
he's too stupid to set up something like that.
I'm offended on your behalf.
I was going for stupid.
Did he tell you how to start a fire
with a remote that'll melt in the first ten minutes?
Does he know that aluminium iodine powder
burst into flames once emerged in water?
Can he start a fire in no oxygen?
Did he tell you about number six?
Careful.
'Course not.
'Cause only I know about it, since I set it.
Just before I walked in today.
Look, you're welcome to tell me your story...
I have evidence.
What kind of evidence?
Well... First of all, I hit one of you over the head with it.
Some redhead.
You... struck an agent?
When did this happen?
You're a liar, too.
Damn it.
You know it's me.
I can see it...
in your eyes.
See what?
You want me.
Now I get the girls!
- Louis. - You're gonna burn.
And you know it.
Where?
Tell me where, Louis.
Are you recording this?
Yes.
Hello, you.
How does water start a fire?
Aluminium iodine powder. Just add H2O and...
Probably used an engine base, coated himself
into skin, clothes and all that bad cologne he was wearing.
Accelerant.
You know, rehashing the magic act is not gonna get the next one.
He told us there'd be a sixth.
Maybe he was the sixth.
No, no. He was talking about another timer.
If that wasn't the finale, then six is gonna be big.
No. It'll be personal.
Probably smaller in scale that what we've been seeing.
Harder to spot.
He had nothing left to lose, that's why he was willing to murder himself.
But this last one...
It's not about the attention anymore.
He just wants it to succeed.
So, he took out the one person that could tell us how to stop it:
himself.
That's what he thought.
But he's still going to tell us.
The first fire. We need to identify the first fire.
The original act will tell us about the final act.
The first fire was Miller's Matresses. Factory fire.
No. That was the first successful fire.
We should be focusing on something more... tentative.
- A starter. - I think I've got something.
Pierni gave me some possible starter fires.
Split'em up.
We'll find it.
The answer is here...
We just have to go back.
- Buenas noces, Marisol. - Ola, Rosie.
Your boyfriend find you?
Mich was here?
He stopped by again today.
That's one devoted gringo.
Yeah.
Sure is.
Homework.
Here's something. A small fire in a vacant lot
about three blocks from Salt home, a year before the mattress factory blaze.
The kids claim to have seen a bum setting fire to trash.
Could be Salt.
Or a ghost. The two witnesses, the kids? They started this one.
We should be looking for a precipitating event.
Some sort of tipping point.
Salt's mother. When did she die?
June of this year.
That's it. We should look for something in June.
How about July?
Fire fighters were sent to an office building at Riverside Dr.,
but the time they got there, the blaze was contained.
Riverside Drive. Mrs Salt's Gourmet Sandwich Delivery.
That was part of the route.
Louis was in that building.
What's the point of origin?
Fire started in the corner office.
Who was working in that office?
It's Rosie. Marisol says you came by.
I'm gonna take a nice long shower
and I'll try again after.
I love you.
Rosalinda Ochoa. She's an accountant.
Her co-workers say that the fire changed her life.
They joked that she set the fire herself.
She began dating one of the fire fighters who responded to the call.
Now they're engaged.
Salt couldn't bring himself to speak to her directly
so he tried to smoke her out.
And ended up driving her into the arms of another man.
I get nothing from her home number.
We're still trying to track down the fianc�.
Works out of a heap of rot house, lives in Pasadena.
Go. Pasadena. Where does Ms Ochoa live?
Glendale.
Go, we'll send the fire cruise.
- I want you to take Carter... - I'll go with Paul.
Ok, go.
Dammit.
We get everybody out.
Everybody out! Out! Fuego!
Please, my children are in my apartment, I can't carry them.
Tell me where.
Rosie.
Alright, come on. You gotta get up.
Come on.
We'll have to repaint.
You have to be angry... to do what he did.
To kill with fire?
Yes.
I imagine that's true.
The motel, I didn't know what...
Imagine how many bodies we might have found
if it hadn't have burned.
It was that kind of place.
You were right.
I saw something.
It was him.
It was the man who took me and I saw him...
burning.
How did you know?
I didn't. I suspected.
But now you know.
So let him burn, Rebecca.
Consign him to the ashes.
That's where he belongs.
Vanilla, please.
Thank you.