Original subtitles

HERM: My Grandma said you can keep using her shed.

She mentioned something about you building a boat.

MARY JO: You know he's only dating that Diane

because he can't take the thought of losing you.

- You're never home. - That's over. For months now.

- OAKLEY: How's the family? - WHEELER: Oh, Shelly thinks divorce

is for people with more disposable income.

("CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE" BY QUEEN PLAYING)

♪ This thing... ♪

OLDER GIBBS: Cliff Wheeler.

He was the kind of guy that spent

- a lot of time alone. - (DOOR CLOSES)

Alone in his big office with the door shut.

♪ I must... ♪

He spent a lot of time

alone at home, too.

Least, that's what I heard.

♪ Crazy little thing called love ♪

♪ There goes my... ♪

Even though I saw him every day back then,

he was kind of a mystery.

But from what I could tell, he didn't seem like the kind of guy

that liked being alone.

He seemed like the kind of guy that wanted to be heard.

- I'm not taking responsibility. - That is my fault?

- No. - That is your fault!

OLDER GIBBS: Seemed like even a "How was your day?"

probably would have gone a long way.

♪ And get on my tracks... ♪

But I never really heard anyone ask him things like that.

We asked him things about budget cuts and protocol,

but that probably only made him feel

more like what he already was.

A guy that didn't like being alone.

♪ Called love... ♪

A guy that wanted someone to ask about his day

and care about the answer.

If Cliff Wheeler had somebody like that,

well, he probably would have been a whole new man.

♪ I ain't ready... ♪

SHELLY: You've been seeing him again.

♪ Called love, crazy little... ♪

We need to talk.

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Crazy little thing called love. ♪

Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com

- DIANE: Ready, and go. - GIBBS: No talking this time.

- Song! - Song!

- RANDY: Yes, okay. - GIBBS: Uh...

- DIANE: Uh, little. Baby. - "Baby Got Back."

- "Baby Baby." - "Baby Love."

- JUNIE: "Be My Baby Tonight." - Is it a baby?

- Amy Grant. "Baby Baby." - "Baby Love," "Baby Love."

- Is it a baby? - Weasel!

DIANE: Is it a baby?

- "Ice Ice Baby"? - Uh...

- Do something else! - (RANDO SHOUTS)

Seriously? The news said no more blackouts.

No, I heard this morning that if as this heat sticks around,

- blackouts are imminent. - I got some flashlights.

Hey, sit your ass down.

I made this whole blackout kit and I put it in your cabinet.

I'm gonna get us another round.

In case anyone was wondering,

it was "Sweet Child o' Mine."

Clearly, I was being a child.

GIBBS: Well, it looked like a rodent to me.

(QUIETLY): Hey. He really likes you.

I can see it on his face.

Yeah. I-I really like him, too.

(LOUDLY): Except I hate that he refuses

- to show me his secret woodshed. - (LAUGHS)

- It's a guy thing. - Oh, no, don't rope me in.

Okay. That's horribly exclusionary,

so I'm gonna change the subject

to Junie and how much

I psychotically love your dress.

- She made it. Mm-hmm. - What?

That's incredible. (GROANS)

My wardrobe's about to get so boring

if I get any of these corporate accounting jobs

I'm applying for.

No, you can be cute

- on the weekend. - GIBBS: Okay,

- are we doing this, or... - RANDY: Yes! Quick,

before he changes his mind. Ready, go!

- Uh... - ALL: Movie.

RANDY: Got to move your body, bud.

- Thumb. - JUNIE: What the hell is that?

- Back to the Future. - Yes. Yes.

- What?! - DIANE: Yes,

- yes! That was awesome! - RANDY: Are you kidding me?

- RANDY: I'm impressed. - Thank you.

- RANDY: What the... - (LAUGHING)

FRANKS: You need a hand with something?

Uh, I forgot my razor.

Mary Jo said she'd be right down with one.

You never forget your grooming tools.

Yeah, well, I had a night last night.

Wife? You want to talk about it?

I can plug my ears if you want to talk about it.

- I don't want to talk about it. - MARY JO: Here you go.

WHEELER: (SIGHS) What took you so long?

That's a horrible question to ask someone

who just moved heaven and earth to get you a grooming tool.

So, you know I have to leave for an hour this afternoon.

Dang blackout took out my oven.

- You love that oven. - I know.

Repair guy's coming at 2:30. I'm hoping he can fix it.

Hello, fair coworkers.

- (LALA GASPS) - MARY JO: (GASPS) Your hair.

Oh, my God! You look hot, señorita.

Thank you. My curls kept getting caught in my helmet.

Plus, I rewatched, uh, Working Girl this weekend,

and, uh, you know how I love me some Tess McGill.

(IMITATES MELANIE GRIFFITH): "If you want to be taken seriously,

- you need serious hair." - (LAUGHING)

I liked it how it was before.

FRANKS: Oh, come on, Cliff.

Get your head out your ass and give the woman a compliment.

(REGULAR VOICE): No, it's okay, I don't need it.

What I need from you, sir, is a recommendation.

- For what? - Joint Criminal Intelligence Team.

Personnel from FBI, DEA, CID, NIS,

sharing information to take down bad guys.

It's happening in D.C.

They're looking for somebody to head it up.

Sounds right up your alley.

How long would you be gone for?

Well, it's a... it's a permanent assignment.

- What? - No, it's okay.

You all can come visit me.

- Party in the U.S. capital. - You're trying to move

across the country and you didn't tell me?

Well, I didn't tell her yet, either,

but she looks pretty stoked.

- (BOTH LAUGH) - (PAGERS BEEPING)

Dominguez, let's roll.

Hey.

It's not even for sure yet.

You think she's really mad at me?

WHEELER: Yes.

RANDY: Ooh. Gibbs!

- It's a hot one, eh? - Yeah.

Power's still out at my place.

Pager woke me up.

Yeah, last night was a blast, man.

Oh, Junie sent a gift for Diane.

Left it in the trunk. Hey.

You hear Vera got a haircut and might be moving to D.C.?

- What? - SAWTELLE: Morning, gentlemen.

The body is straight east,

behind the barracks, past the tree line.

Your people are already out there.

Victim was ID'd as a 21-year-old lance corporal.

Natasha Horvat.

- (CHATTER IN DISTANCE) - She lived in this building.

- Any witnesses? - No.

Game warden came upon her body this morning

- while he was doing his rounds. - (PEOPLE CLAMORING, SHOUTING)

She's counting on us! Go!

Save Mary Poppins!

What's going on over there?

They call themselves cougar crazies, sir.

You ever hear of Number Three?

Female cougar, lives here in the floodplain.

Couple months ago, a kid wandered off in the area,

broke his leg.

Rescuers said they saw this cougar watching over him.

Group of civilian delinquents found the story to be

- life-altering. - Cat groupies. Got it.

They get high, hop the fence,

try to catch a glimpse of Mary Poppins.

- That's the cat? - Yes, sir.

They call her that 'cause she looked after that kid.

...is not guilty!

GIBBS: The hell are they yelling about?

- Mary P. - SAWTELLE: Sorry,

- is not guilty! - I buried the lede.

The cougar killed your victim.

They don't want it to be euthanized.

MAN: We love you, Mary Poppins!

PRICE: Cougar attacks on humans are rare,

but when hunting dries up,

they start showing up where they don't belong.

No trauma to the neck, though.

Quite the hoopla going on back there.

Yeah, those cougar crazies are a bunch of nutjobs.

They think Female Three floats around on an umbrella,

entertaining kids.

They got zero understanding of territorial behavior.

Doc Tango, Kent Price.

Game warden. How you doing?

So, what did you mean about the neck?

Well, you got your telltale dirt and leaves

to deter from scavengers,

but cougars suffocate their prey.

You think there'd be trauma around the neck.

BANKS: Excuse me.

Can you help me out? I got to get to that transformer.

- GIBBS: Whoa. - Whoa. Hold up.

GIBBS: We need to clear the area first.

- Is the power out here? - Yeah, yeah.

- Since yesterday. - (GASPS)

Hey, is that one of those Whatever Weather pens

that can write in the rain and stuff?

Yeah, it is. Take it. They give them out to us.

GIBBS: Randy, quit stalling.

- We need to get them out of there. - RANDY: Yeah.

I thought maybe if we waited over here,

the MPs would get it calmed down.

That's really their purview.

I don't like physical action in the heat.

I get rosy real fast.

I think it's calming down.

Save Mary Poppins!

She didn't mean to eat that girl!

TANGO: Got a foreign object inside this wound.

- LALA: The tip of a knife? - FRANKS: Dominguez.

Got two sets of footprints back there.

Possible she was with someone else when she was attacked.

We got a knife here.

It's projecting through the left lung.

Let's flip her.

- I got it, I got it. - Oh...

(GROANS)

(STRAINING)

Handle's broken off.

KENT: It could be she was fighting

the animal and fell on her knife.

No.

I count three stab wounds.

She was dead before the cougar got to her.

MAN: She's just an animal!

The hell's going on over there?

(SHOUTING, CLAMORING)

Okay. We've got to get this area clear! Please...

GIBBS: Get these guys out of here.

We need to get to the transformer.

We need to get the power on.

Yeah.

Don't let them kill Mary Poppins!

(GRUNTING)

Mary Poppins must live!

It's way too hot for this.

- Yeah. - You murderers! Aah!

Should be quiet now.

MPs transported the cougar folks off base.

Hopefully, the power will be back on soon.

Natasha said someday her grandkids

would show this picture off.

GIBBS: Is there a fourth lady living here?

PHILLIPS: It's just the three of us.

We have the whole floor to ourselves.

We're all in different battalions,

but since there's so few women, they put us together.

LALA: He knows.

- Marine. - Oh.

Gibbs.

You mind helping Franks and Randy out there

going through Natasha's car?

(DOOR CLOSES)

I'm one of you.

I used to bunk over in 21 Area.

You guys ever had any problem

with any men in the building?

Anyone sneak onto the floor?

Off-color pranks?

Pressuring you in any way?

You know how it is.

But Natasha was tougher than both of us put together.

And really smart.

Yeah. Saw the crossword puzzles.

She was starting a new temporary additional duty.

She was in here all day yesterday prepping for it.

What was the assignment?

Signal intelligence.

It was all super classified.

They recruited her 'cause her dad was Croatian

and she spoke the language.

So, she was here in the morning and then she reported for duty?

She was panicked 'cause her car wouldn't start,

but the colonel came to pick her up himself.

Lieutenant Colonel Montgomery. He's the signal battalion CO.

We-we figured she just went home

to her mom's after work.

We were both in and out all day, but...

we never saw her come back.

Lieutenant Colonel Casey Montgomery.

According to Natasha's roommates,

he picked her up for a new TAD.

That was the last they saw her.

- Sold. Let's bring him in. - It's not that easy.

Colonel Montgomery is heading up a highly classified op

with satellites over Europe and the former Soviet Union.

With the breakup of Yugoslavia...

- The guy's in Yugoslavia? - LALA: No, Mike.

I told you, he picked up our victim

from her barracks yesterday.

Okay, you ain't got to get snippy.

- I wasn't getting snippy. - You were just getting snippy

on account of you being mad at Vera.

- I'm not mad at Vera. - Sure you are.

She's making life moves without telling you.

Boss, the colonel has a lot of connections

in a lot of high places.

If we question him without giving a heads-up

- to his superiors... - So, you think we're gonna get blowback

for bringing this clown in and Cliff's gonna stomp around

- with his little Cliff feet. - GIBBS: Yeah.

Why didn't you just say that, Dominguez?

(DOOR OPENS)

Oh. Thank God for the ceiling fans.

Don't stop what you're doing.

I just got to hand this off before I forget.

- Oh. - Is that evidence?

No. No, it's totally non-work-related.

Junie made it for Diane.

Junie made this? For Diane?

Pretty sure that's what the man just said.

I know, but I didn't know Junie and Diane

were close enough to exchange handmade clothes.

I mean, that's nice. Isn't it?

I feel like you're mad about the Vera thing, so...

I don't know what to say.

Woman stuff, probie. There ain't no right answer.

Come on. Let's go run this Yugoslavia crap past Cliff.

Hey. Franks. There you are.

I've been looking all over for you.

Watch it, Carl, men at work.

Franks, I got an update relevant to your case.

I received a call from Game Warden Price.

Uh, he, uh, caught wind

of my renowned work at Fish & Wildlife.

Great, Carl, you should tell your ma about it

- when you go home tonight. - Warden Price

recruited me for his cougar task force.

Once he has eyes on, uh, Female Three,

he'll activate me, we'll track her,

see if we can locate any evidence

that she might have dragged or buried

outside of your crime scene.

Good to know.

And if you're looking for Wheeler,

he's in the rec room.

MARY JO: Now, Cliff,

- Oh... - I'm not gonna pretend to know

- No... - what's going on with you,

but I can't have you hiding out in here day-drinking.

I tried to work, but everyone keeps coming into my office.

I-I need a moment.

Am I not allowed to have a moment, Mary Jo?

FRANKS: The hell are you doing in here?

- I'm having a moment. - Well, we'll be quick, then, sir.

Just need you to clear a path for us to interview a suspect.

FRANKS: He's one of those SIGINT big shots.

Name's Colonel Montgomery.

Hey. I thought the foosball tournament

- was postponed till next week. - It is.

Cliff's just in here clearing his head.

Oh, phenomenal. I'll be quick. Sir, about that rec for D.C...

- I w... - Sir, MPs faxed over the files

on their encounters with these cougar crazies.

A lot of them have records.

And we know they've been hopping the fence,

getting in trouble with all these Marines on base.

Just saying, the colonel isn't our only suspect,

so you can spin it like that when you make your phone calls.

Sir, the game warden's office just couriered this over.

I need your signature here and here

to officially place me on the cougar task force.

Okay, back of the line, Carl. I was here first.

Oh, is this about the D.C. thing?

I said I was sorry.

- No, you didn't. - MARY JO: Okay!

Let's give Cliff a minute.

Go upstairs, form a line, he'll meet you up there.

(ALL CLAMORING)

MARY JO: I just asked you all to form a line!

(VOICES DISTORTING, ECHOING)

MARY JO (CLEARLY): Form a line.

For the love of God! Can I please have a moment

with my Rob Roy?!

My wife of 17 years

is divorcing me, for frick's sake.

Hey!

Everyone out here get that?!

I've become a statistic!

I'm getting a frickin' divorce!

Congrats on the cougar task force, Carl.

RANDY: Okay, good times, things are happening.

Colonel's on his way in.

Got a few more files on his super-secret job. Hey.

Am I the only one that can't stop thinking about

the look on Wheeler's face?

You think he was having a breakdown?

I've never seen one in real life before.

Well, at least he set us up

to bring in the colonel before he left.

He didn't go home willingly, you know?

I heard Mary Jo used, like, a Jake the Snake

DDT-kind of move to... (IMITATES THUD)

...get him into the taxi

- and she quick-shut the door. - VERA: Hey.

If you two boys can't work quietly,

I'm-a have to ask you to get the hell out.

Can we bring the big fan with us?

No, Randolf.

Colonel encouraged Natasha Horvat to be a cryptographer.

They were gathering intel on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

- Op was called Iron Phantom. - How are you getting that?

The only thing that's not redacted on mine

was the colonel was a hero in Grenada '83.

You think someone could have killed her

because she knew too much?

After one day on the job?

How'd you come to know Lance Corporal Horvat?

I screened her myself when she was in basic SIGINT training.

Fluency in Serbo-Croatian is a rarity.

She was a bright kid.

Her proficiency marks were exemplary.

It didn't hurt that she was a woman.

Different perspectives are valuable to my team.

This was for your new operation, Iron Phantom?

Classified, but yes.

It was her check-in day.

What exactly are y'all into over there?

Signal intelligence.

The amount I can share is in the files.

That don't amount to much, does it?

Why'd you pick her up at her barracks?

She called my office at 0800 because her car wouldn't start.

I offered to give her a lift.

You drove her home, too?

Affirmative.

About 1830.

When she got out of the car,

she started talking to someone outside.

Male, civilian clothes, short brown hair.

- Six foot, give or take. - She knew him?

She seemed to. She was smiling at him.

Where'd you go after you dropped her off?

Temecula. I got back this morning at 0700.

What's in Temecula?

Classified.

Anyone verify that you were there?

No. I went alone.

Where'd you stay at, Colonel?

I dropped Lance Corporal Horvat at her barracks.

She started talking to a young man.

That's your lead.

I suggest you follow it.

(DOOR OPENS)

- You're home early. - I made an ass of myself at the office.

Mary Jo put me in a taxi.

(KEYS CLATTER)

You okay?

What if I stop seeing him?

I did it once, I can do it again.

Noah Oakley isn't the problem here.

Cliff, you know I'm right.

No, it's just, um...

I've never heard you say his name before,

so that makes it real.

Listen to me.

This isn't the end of the world.

Our son will be fine,

I will be fine...

...and so will you.

People will talk.

They'll ask questions.

What will I say?

I love you so much, but...

I can't take that on anymore.

(CLEARS THROAT)

I need to go in early tomorrow.

Sensitive case, some big shot colonel's a suspect.

You know how it goes.

LALA: I'm telling you, I know the colonel

was weird about his alibi,

but any one of these cougar people

was crazy enough to kill somebody.

Uh-huh.

Look at this.

This woman was a kindergarten teacher.

She was responsible for shaping the youth of America.

Assaulted an MP with her hiking stick

because they told her she couldn't hop the fence

to chase a mountain lion.

I thought the colonel said your victim

was talking to a guy, not a lady.

He did. Brown hair, six foot.

That's what I'm looking for.

(PATRONS EXCLAIM)

- Oh, Lord, not again. - (SIGHS)

Can I tell you what happened with my oven?

LALA: Vera's here?

Seriously?

Oh, yeah. I invited you both

so you could smooth things over.

Hey.

Didn't know you'd be here.

I invited you both so you could smooth things over.

- No. No need. I'm good. - Yeah.

I'm good, too.

Well, that's a load of BS,

but let me tell you about my oven.

- Mm. - (PAGER BEEPING)

Be right back.

I was supposed to go and meet the repair guy,

but then when Cliff had his breakdown,

- I felt like I couldn't leave the office. - Oh, no.

So, I called my neighbor,

I said to her, "Lonnie,

just tell him to fix it."

Guess what he did.

He took out the whole dang thing and trashed it.

Now I got to get a brand-new oven.

Yeah.

(CHUCKLES) Hey.

You know Lala hurt me, too, not being happy for me.

Right? But this?

- I can't take this. - All right, thanks.

Shh, shh, shh, shh. She's coming.

There was a cougar sighting.

Carl is abandoning night duties

so he can do his task force thing,

so I got to go take over.

I'll see you guys later.

Sorry, honey, I tried.

I could just let her punch me in the face.

Carl.

You can go now.

I'm here.

- Carl! - (KEYS JINGLING)

What took you so long?

Oh... my God.

(LAUGHING)

- What? - I-I...

I like your hat.

It's all fun and games till someone

gets mauled by a cougar

because they weren't properly outfitted.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

Aw...

Oh. Damn.

Ugh.

- (BANGING ON DOOR) - MAN: Please!

I hit my head! I need help!

What happened?

I hit my head. I need help.

You're one of those cougar advocates, right?

Look what I found.

It's from the knife that killed that girl.

Even the news said that it...

that it was a person that killed her, not a lion.

Set it down on the desk and raise your hands

- for me, okay? - What?

No, no. I-I found it.

I-I... Look. Look, it's...

I... I found it in the dirt.

You can't kill Mary Poppins cat.

She didn't do anything wrong.

Put it down on the desk.

No one is going to kill that cougar,

I promise.

You're lying! You're-you're...

You lie. You lie.

- You lie! - Put it down!

You lie!

- Put it down! - You're gonna kill her!

I don't want to live if she's dead!

You lie. You lie.

- (TWO GUNSHOTS) - (GASPS)

(GUNSHOT)

Drop it.

Slide the weapon to me or I will shoot you.

I don't want to live if she's dead.

Slide the gun to me.

Slide it!

MAN: She's just a cat.

She didn't do anything wrong.

On your stomach now.

I found y'all that knife handle.

You should be thanking me.

- Coming in hot, Randolf. - Whoa, okay.

- Shut the door. Shut the door. - Okay.

If you're trying to ward off predators,

- (DOOR CLOSES) - Kowalski's bread is already gone.

You hear what happened with Lala last night?

No. What?

One of those cougar crazies showed up with a bleeding head

and the handle from our murder weapon.

Then he pulled a gun.

He accused her of wanting to kill the cougar,

took off running.

Next thing you know... pop!

Pop, pop! He fires three rounds

into a filing cabinet, and what?

What happened?

She neutralizes him without incident.

Also, the power was out, so, it was a big, scary deal.

Can't believe she didn't tell you.

- Is she okay? - Yeah.

Oh, wait. Um, she didn't tell you 'cause she's still upset

you didn't share your D.C. dream with her.

D.C.'s not even for sure yet, okay?

I'm-I'm still waiting for the right time

to get Wheeler to recommend me.

Is he back yet or is he still having his divorce meltdown?

You know what, never mind.

Leave me be.

Copy.

Lala, Vera's in the kitchen if you want to tell her

- what happened last night. - Knife handle's with Forensics.

Cougar crazy from last night is on an involuntary psych hold.

His name is Huck Crowley.

He doesn't match the colonel's description

of the guy that was talking to Natasha.

Plus, his alibi checks.

We saw this guy at the crime scene.

He was screaming about Mary Poppins.

Yeah, I think he was just off his meds,

he happened to find the knife handle,

and he loves that cat an unhealthy amount.

(GASPS)

You guys!

Come on. I've had crazier nights than last night.

(SHRIEKS)

The apple-butter lotion is the best.

- Who did this? - Ah, sorry.

This is for Junie.

It's from Diane. It's a thank-you for the dress.

Thanks.

That's nice.

(PHONE RINGS)

(DOOR OPENS)

We confirm the colonel's alibi?

RANDY: Classified red tape, boss.

We're waiting on some calls back.

I spoke to Horvat's bunkmates.

None of them saw anyone

that looked like the guy the colonel described.

Dominguez, you were a lady Marine. Let's work that angle.

Remember what I taught you, Mike?

You don't say "lady Marine"

or "woman Marine." We're just Marines.

Right, but I'm asking you to get inside

the lady Marine's head.

Suppose we believe the colonel.

Who was she talking to when he dropped her off?

You think I'm psychic?

Women's intuition, Dominguez.

You got some of that or not?

That was Phil. He's got something.

Woody's not here.

I keep a more serious tone in the lab.

I'm asking you both to adhere to that, please.

Last time he was out of town, you kind of lost your marbles.

He isn't out of town.

He is down the hall in the biohazard lab,

processing the ungodly amount of cougar feces

that Carl dropped off from his tracking expedition.

Can he take a shower before he comes back in here?

Ah, your bigger concern should be your evidence,

don't you think, Leroy? Here. Put these on, take a look.

As you can see, the handle that

your cougar enthusiast dropped off

pairs with the murder weapon.

Break pattern matches exactly.

Those goggles look ridiculous on you, by the way.

Yeah, I know.

- Pull any prints off the handle? - Negative.

Thing was smudged to hell.

(BEEP)

That'll be Woodrow. Yeah.

(WOODY SCAT SINGING)

(LAUGHS) What is up, y'all?

Daddio is in the scat room.

You get it? Scat, like cougar dung,

but also... (SCAT SINGS)

Yeah, we got it, Woody. Do you have something?

Okay, Sir Philip, I'm sensing

you're in there trying to do your serious tone.

Great. Listen, uh, I just finished

digging through this big old pile of poop.

I can definitely confirm that this cat

ingested pieces of your dead Marine.

You want specifics?

We're good.

D'okey dokey. I'm gonna hit the showers, then.

Oh, did you show them the thing, Phil?

No, because you said you wanted to talk to them about it.

No, I didn't want to talk to them.

I just wanted to do the scatting, like, timed perfectly

to when you toss it to them. Ready?

(SCAT SINGS)

Woody pulled that out of the cougar excrement.

- Oh. - We've sanitized it, for God's sake.

FRANKS: It's a challenge coin, huh?

GIBBS: "America's Battalion. 1983." Grenada.

That's the same unit Colonel Montgomery served in.

This is his coin.

That puts him at the scene.

WHEELER: Mike!

- You're back. Good for you. - So you know, I'll be observing

your interrogation of the colonel.

You're afraid I'll flip a table and ruffle some fancy feathers

or is it 'cause folks are still bugging you in your office?

(SIGHS) Both.

Look, we got evidence on the guy.

Just don't flip the table, all right?

- Hey, Cliff? - Yeah?

You know, when Tish left, everyone thought

it was Gary Callahan that got me through.

There's truth to that, sure.

What also kept me going was knowing

that even though it was over, it mattered.

The memories... they mean something.

Ain't nothing can take that away.

You and Tish broke up?

Mike, you want some company in there?

Yeah, let's go.

Lieutenant Colonel Montgomery. How you doing?

- MONTGOMERY: Confused, to be honest. - Sir.

Do you want to explain to me what I'm doing here again?

You need the room to hide out? I can watch the tape later.

FRANKS: Tell you what, Colonel.

- We respect your position. - Okay.

We are grateful for all you've done for this country.

'Cause of all that, I ain't gonna B.S. you.

LALA: Turned up at the crime scene.

I understand how this looks.

Did you have an interest in Lance Corporal Horvat

beyond a professional one?

No. Gave her this coin as a gift.

She was feeling out of her depth on the project.

I had very similar doubts back in Grenada.

Gave her this coin to make her feel part of the team.

You said you asked for her.

Said you picked her 'cause she was a woman.

Seemed like you had a real special...

Is this how he usually gets before he flips the table?

(FRANKS CONTINUING INDISTINCTLY)

Hey. Bartender from Campion's Pub called in a tip.

Said he saw someone matching Natasha's description there

two nights ago drinking with a guy.

- They sure it was her? - Yeah.

Clothes and description matched.

Hey, uh, is this escalating?

'Cause I-I think it's escalating.

- Answer the question! - I have, I've answered every...

You were nowhere near Temecula!

You were here on base, killing that girl!

Negative, sir.

I dropped her off at 1830.

LALA: Colonel Montgomery, look at me!

With this new evidence, we got clearance

to look at the schedule for every sensitive mission

occurring on base this month.

There were no classified happenings

in Temecula two nights ago.

I dropped Lance Corporal Horvat off at 1830.

She was very much alive and talking to the man I described.

I drove straight from Pendleton to Temecula.

I stayed at the Gardenia Motel.

He's lying, or he would've said that before.

LALA: Can anyone verify that?

The motel can.

I stayed in room 228 all night.

The room was rented out to an Alex Vernon.

FRANKS: You made up a bogus mission because she was married?

No.

Alexander Vernon.

I was with him all night.

You saying you're gay?

I'm saying Alex can vouch for me.

Did not see that coming.

Mary Jo, get me General Alvin Jeffers on the phone.

I need to make a report of misconduct.

(DOOR OPENS)

I told you to get me Jeffers.

I know what you told me.

I'm not doing it.

You have no idea what's going on here, Mary Jo.

Oh, I got an idea, honey, believe me.

If you report the colonel for being gay,

he could be discharged.

His homosexuality makes him vulnerable to blackmail.

It's a potential security risk.

- He can lose his benefits. - I know that.

- He could lose everything. - I said I know that.

Yeah, well, it seems like you forgot.

This isn't your concern, Mary Jo.

Go back down to your desk,

please, and get me General Jeffers on the phone.

No.

I know about you, Cliff.

And I'm not gonna let you do this.

I... You know what about me?

I know about you.

I know about you and Noah Oakley.

And I know you're standing there thinking the same thing I am.

What if that were you in the colonel's shoes?

Barrett could strip you of your security clearance,

he could take your job.

And I don't know if you think you have some sort of duty

to report this man,

or maybe you think you've got something to prove,

but if you do this, Cliff,

you'd never forgive yourself.

I can't stand by and let that happen.

This conversation is over.

- Cliff. - I told you to get me Jeffers,

and that is an order.

So, for once in your life,

stop doling out unsolicited advice

in rooms that are above your station,

and do your job.

I'm gonna walk out of here

and I'm gonna keep this whole place running,

because that's the job I do here.

But I tell you what, Cliff.

You can dial your own damn phone.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(CLEARS THROAT SOFTLY)

Alexander Vernon confirmed he was with the colonel all night.

Yeah, hotel receptionist put him there, too.

His alibi checks. He didn't kill Natasha.

Article 125 says homosexual conduct should be reported.

- FRANKS: Colonel's alibi check? - Yeah, boss.

- Yeah. - All right.

Whether or not he gets reported for being

a little light in the loafers... it's above our pay grade.

Let's get cracking.

One of y'all tell me who killed our lady Marine.

Uh, just Marine, boss.

- Okay? - You know what I mean.

Colonel's off the table. Who could have done this?

Bartender from Campion's was right.

Natasha was definitely there the night she died.

I spoke with the whole staff.

Three of them saw her drinking at a table with a white guy,

mid to late 20s, brown hair.

Could be the same guy

the colonel saw her talking to outside her barracks.

The barback remembered cleaning this off the table

at the end of the night.

Who does thinking games at a bar?

Well, Natasha liked crosswords.

She had a bunch in her locker.

- You dig this out from the pub trash? - LALA: Yeah.

It was traumatic. But I found this, too.

The barback said he was pretty sure

that was on Natasha's table.

If her and this guy were doing the puzzle together,

maybe we can pull his print off it.

Is that a Whatever Weather pen?

FRANKS: Public Works Department gives you boys

all them pens you need, huh?

So y'all can write in whatever weather?

Hands on your head.

FRANKS: Aw, hell.

- Probie, you mind? - Nope.

(GRUNTING)

Get off me!

WHEELER: Public Works Department employee

- Ow, ow! - Wilhelm Banks

was apprehended by our agents earlier today.

We searched his truck,

found blood evidence.

He then confessed to the murder of Lance Corporal Horvat.

According to his statement,

he saw Horvat outside her barracks earlier in the day.

He was working there, on the transformer?

He returned later that night, uh, to ask her out for a drink.

"On the way to the bar, she saw a newspaper in my car.

"She started joking around and doing the crossword puzzle.

We finished it together in the bar."

He drove her home, wanted more than a kiss good night,

she fought him.

He dumped her body out there like it was nothing.

She had her whole life ahead of her.

Sir, I'm aware NIS can very well report me

and initiate Article 125 proceedings for homosexual conduct.

Lieutenant Colonel,

you have spent the past two and a half decades

serving this country with honor,

and your assistance in this investigation was invaluable.

I have no intention of destroying your career

or your life.

Frankly, I'd never forgive myself.

Thank you, Special Agent Wheeler.

Your discretion won't be forgotten.

You headed home?

Yeah. Doing something with Diane tonight.

Think I was supposed to plan it. (CHUCKLES)

You know that note she put in the gift basket?

Really meant a lot to Junie. Seriously,

it got her, like, super inspired

- with the whole dressmaking thing. - Really?

Yeah, she's thinking about designing some to sell now.

And, uh, I always told her she should do it, but...

I don't know.

Something about the way Diane says stuff, man.

She's a keeper.

See you tomorrow?

Yeah, see you tomorrow.

(DOOR OPENS)

VERA (QUIETLY): Oh, God.

It's supposed to be a fancy lotion basket,

but I didn't have time to go to the mall.

It's all the ones I had in my apartment.

(LAUGHS SOFTLY)

Oh, yes. SPF 15... that's awesome.

Did you rub lotion here on the side, too, or...

Oh. No.

That's probably grease.

It's my popcorn bowl.

It's a really good bowl.

No, it looks like a phenomenal bowl.

Listen, I really hope you get that D.C. thing.

They'd be idiots to not have you head that up.

No, no va pasar.

- ¿Por qué? - I typed up this whole thing,

you know, for-for Wheeler to say when he was recommending me.

And-and I'm standing there, and I'm handing him the paper,

and then I think,

"The hell would I want to leave here for?"

I could set up my own NIS intelligence team

with better coordination between Pendleton

and Los Angeles and who-whomever, and I...

I am so glad you're staying.

OLDER GIBBS: I spent a lot of my time alone.

Alone in my kitchen, eating dinner.

Alone in my basement, building a boat.

Oh, my God.

Your secret woodshed?

I thought it was a guy thing.

Changed my mind.

OLDER GIBBS: You spend a lot of your time alone...

...you get used to it.

- (LINE RINGING) - If you're not careful,

it starts to become a habit.

HARLAN: This is Director Harlan.

Uh, hello, Director. This is Cliff Wheeler,

Special Agent in Charge at NIS Pendleton.

I understand you're leading the search for a candidate

to head up the Joint Criminal Intelligence Team.

I am. You got someone for me?

I do. But not from my office, actually.

Uh, someone at the Bureau.

I think that Special Agent Noah Oakley would serve you well.

We have worked together for years,

and I've seen him grow into an outstanding leader.

No one from the West Coast has thrown their hat into the ring.

Think he has any interest in relocating to D.C.?

Perhaps he could be convinced.

Well, I'd have to run it by my superiors...

OLDER GIBBS: Things are simpler when you're alone.

You got nothing to lose.

So you push people away until they leave.

Or you go someplace no one can follow.

Like the middle of Alaska.

Seat taken?

I decided not to report the colonel.

Yeah, I'm aware.

I discreetly made Team Franks aware, too.

(BOTH LAUGH)

They were glad to hear it.

I don't know if you heard,

but the repair guy trashed my oven.

Before my daddy died...

...he taught me every recipe he knew on that old thing.

I know an oven is insignificant

in the scheme of things, but...

...I didn't want to let it go.

Mary Jo.

Nothing about you is insignificant.

And anyone who kicks you out of their office is a damn fool.

Thing about all those hours

in the kitchen with my daddy...

they were sacred.

Whatever we said in there stayed between us.

We could be ourselves,

no judgement,

no worries.

He taught me how to be like that.

When it comes to you...

...I'm the only one who knows.

And I don't see why that ever has to change.

Unless you want it to.

Thank you.

You want to order food?

My oven doesn't get here till Friday.

Yes. Yes. Uh, Smitty?

- Can we get a couple of menus? - You betcha.

OLDER GIBBS: I learned to like being alone.

- Uh, this is on me. - Or maybe that's just

the thing I tell myself

until someone shows up

to share a steak by the fire.