Original subtitles

- I want a million dollars. - Previously on "The Assets"...

Five years since your last poly.

If you control your body, you control the test.

You passed. Enjoy Italy.

You are charged with espionage.

GT Top Hat has been compromised.

I quit.

I'm worn out. And heartbroken.

If I was to reopen the investigation

into the asset losses, would you stay for that?

Whatever you decide, don't leave the job half done.

Consider my resignation withdrawn.

Someone betrayed us.

I know they're still here, and I'm gonna get the bastard.

It was hard to believe, and it was all so real.

We knew the Party Boss Erich Honecker was in trouble.

Mikhail Gorbachev was here,

making it clear that East Germany had to change.

But four weeks ago, we didn't have the vaguest idea

that the Wall would be breached so quickly,

and nor did most governments.

Tonight, in this city, on both sides of that wall,

you can feel the power of a people's revolution.

The idea of freedom is as powerful here now

as it is anywhere or has been at anytime.

_

Good to be home.

Well, I'm gonna miss Rome.

Well, we're gonna make it just as nice here.

Won't we, Paul? Huh?

Welcome to America, baby.

Gonna see a new house on Tuesday.

- I spoke with the realtor. - Oh, really?

Half a million bucks. You're gonna like it.

I like that.

_

We've been at this hunt a long time now,

and I think I can safely say

we're all terribly frustrated by the lack of progress.

To that end, Jeanne and I have been talking

and we'd like to try an experiment.

As you know, Jeanne asked the Office of Security

to draw up a list of names of everyone

who had access to our compromised assets' information.

I went through that list.

I did a lot of pruning, and I got it down to 160 names.

Then I made some deductions and narrowed the list further.

What kind of deductions?

I eliminated people I believe

would never betray their country.

You're kidding me, right?

A- are you comfortable with this?

- It's a starting point. - Starting point.

Jim, you're FBI liaison. You want to chime in?

The Bureau is comfortable

with a certain amount of speculation,

provided it's immediately backed up with evidence.

I know it's subjective.

Subjective? Well, that's putting it mildly.

We can't rule people out because of your conjecture.

We have to start someplace.

Our new house!

This just gives us a quicker way in.

We want to conduct a straw poll.

Go through all these names,

pick five you think we should focus on,

and rank them from highest to lowest.

Highest to lowest what? Um, fashion sense?

Possibility of being the traitor.

We just want to take the temperature of the room.

Then I would like to assign numerical values

to everyone's choices...

six points for your most-worried pick...

- Rosario! - five points for your

second-most worried pick, et cetera.

Then I'll sort the results,

and maybe the results will surprise us.

Let's get on it.

As you can see,

there are a lot of names on people's lists,

but the only person who made it

onto almost everyone's list was Rick Ames.

I was the only person who put him on top.

You guys, you gave him a two, a three, a four, or a nothing.

But when you add numerical values

to everyone's vote and re-rank,

he becomes the number-one suspect.

Sandy, are you serious? Do you really think...

Whoa, whoa, whoa. We have to be very careful here.

We just can't make huge leaps of logic.

This isn't a leap of logic. It makes perfect sense.

I just want to take his name up to the Seventh Floor

so we can get the go-ahead to intensify the probe.

No. Absolutely not, Sandy.

Before we take any name to the DCI,

everyone here must agree.

We must have complete consensus he's our number-one suspect.

Then and only then will we tear someone's life apart.

All right. Let's get out of here for the weekend.

Hey, Jeanne, wait up.

You didn't back me in there.

Because I didn't agree with you.

What do you mean?

You want to find the mole. I want to find the mole.

We're on the same side, so we got to dig into Ames.

And every other suspect.

We polygraph and interview them all.

- But why? He's the... - Because we don't know it's ames.

That's why.

You're overreaching, Sandy. Facts, not emotions.

Well, the facts are he scored the highest, remember?

Yes, but he wasn't the first on everybody's list, only yours.

Look, I know you're frustrated, and we all want to find

the person who sold out our assets.

Do we? I mean, the Berlin Wall is down.

The Cold War is over.

Does anyone really care about assets we lost five years ago?

I don't want to wake up and find

another five years have gone by

and we are no closer to finding the traitor.

Look at him. He's changed.

He bought new clothes in Italy.

I think he looks nice.

He seems so confident.

Does that make him a traitor?

Hello?

Hey. I'm on my way home.

- Great. - What are we doing for dinner?

Uh...

How about Chinese?

- Sorry? - Chinese.

You know, egg rolls, lo mein, fortune cookies.

Yeah. Chinese sounds great.

- Bye. - Great.

Ah, Louisa.

I've been meaning to catch up with you.

Uh, Rosario wanted to invite you over for dinner

to our new place.

Oh, that would be great, Rick. Yeah.

I know she'd... she'd love to see you,

and I can't wait for you to meet my son, Paul.

- He's just lovely. - Sweet.

She's been a bit low

since we moved back here from Rome, and, uh...

So, what do you say? Sunday?

Um...

Sure. Yeah.

That's excellent.

I'll, um... I'll let her know.

Okay, great.

Good night, Sandy.

Have a great weekend.

Hello?

Hey. I haven't left yet.

Um... Something came up.

I'm sorry.

Sure.

We'll pick up some stuff for you.

I love you.

Yeah, I love you, too.

_

_

Okay, Rick.

It's just you and me now.

Let's see what you got.

Could you take a look at this? It's your log book.

You know someone there?

Everyone.

So, solve GT weigh?

Not yet.

Does she suspect you?

How long have you been there?

I don't know. A while.

Can't sleep.

All you do is worry about money.

All you do is spend it.

In case you haven't noticed, Rosario, there is a recession...

I know, Rick. I read the papers.

Well, then you will also know the Cold War is over.

There aren't that many secrets left to sell.

Besides...

they're reshuffling the department.

I'm being moved to counter-narcotics.

But the good news is...

the further away we get...

the less likely we get caught.

Sometimes I wish they would catch us.

Hello?

Just tell me one thing.

Okay, if I can.

Tell me this is over something really important.

Not just, you know, garden-variety important.

Tell me this is over something monumental.

It's monumental.

I'll see you when you get back.

See you when I get back.

The house is fantastic, Rosario.

You picked a great place to raise Paul.

Louisa, I can't begin to tell you

how good it is to see you.

I know. It's been too long.

So, you ready for a drink?

- Chardonnay? - That's a good idea.

- Rosario? - I'll have the same.

- Thank you, honey. - Okay, two Chardonnay.

- He's adorable. - Adorable.

- Who, Rick? - Oh. Please.

Brought some Rome style back home with you.

Well, we were there for three years, so...

But actually, I could use your help.

Mm-hmm.

So, we're changing the drapes, okay?

And I was hoping

- Ah. - you could take a look at these

and tell me what you think.

Wow. They're all amazing.

I like that one.

The waterfall pleat... my favorite.

Of course, they're the most expensive, so...

Oh. Um...

Well...

Well, I like this, too.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No.

To be honest, Rick was hoping

you'd talk me into something cheaper.

But why would two women get together

and choose the cheaper drapes?

- Well... - Really?

Besides, it's not like we really need to worry about cost.

Everything's paid for.

- Everything? - Yeah.

This house?

Well, don't tell anyone, but we paid cash.

Cash?

- Yeah. - Really?

Well, it's best. No mortgage. It's done.

So now I can spend it on drapes.

Do you mind if I ask?

What?

- How much? - Yeah.

$540,000.

- What? - Shh. Shh.

Okay. Right. Here you are... Chardonnay.

So, you made any decisions about the drapes?

What do you like? Oh, yeah.

The most expensive ones, right?

Hmm?

Of course not.

Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

That's my friend from work. That's my friend from work.

You know...

I used to think it was cool...

not knowing what you did all week.

But now?

I know. You can't explain.

As usual.

How much longer is this gonna go on?

Taking a shower. I'll make you some breakfast.

Good morning.

Hey.

Hey, Sandy.

There's a new timeline up in the back room.

You worked all weekend, didn't you?

- You never left the building. - Don't be ridiculous.

- Morning, ladies. - Morning.

Sandy worked all weekend.

She didn't even leave the building.

- I... - Really?

Morning, everyone.

Morning.

I'll make this real quick...

There'll be a series of routine security interviews

with about a dozen case officers.

Now, I want to stress that these interviews are routine.

We'll be running separate polygraphs, as well.

It's just to, uh... get some holes out of the system.

So, uh, John, you'll be interviewed.

Uh, Dave, Roger, Rick.

I'll post the rest of the times and names outside my door, okay?

All right. Let's go to work.

Oh, Rick, sorry. You'll be first up.

I need you to be polygraphed at lunch today.

Polygraph with lunch, huh?

I have a glass of wine with that?

Might help the results.

Depends. You got something to hide?

- Haven't we all? - Mm.

Did you hear that?

He was kidding.

- Hey. - Hey, Sandy.

How was your weekend?

Okay.

Do anything fun?

Not really. Just hang out.

Went over to Rick's.

Yeah? How was that?

Fine.

You know, it was nice to see him and Rosario again.

Uh, catch up. It's been a while.

But?

No "Buts. "

We had a nice time.

Something happened, didn't it?

Yes.

I found a secret radio transmitter in their basement.

But I destroyed it, so everything's fine now.

People died, Louisa, and someone is...

That's right... "Someone. " We don't know who.

- Rick's name was... - Number One, yes. I get it.

But that doesn't mean that he's the mole.

I honestly do not understand

where your obsession with him is coming from.

You've become so single-minded, it's like you're on a vendetta,

like you have something personal against Rick.

This isn't personal, Louisa.

He's the only one that makes sense.

There are other names on the list.

With everyone else, it's technically possible.

With Rick, it's an easy fit.

No, that is circumstantial.

Why are you fighting with me?

Because he's a fellow human being

who deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

If we rush into this, we could make a horrible mistake.

If we did, I couldn't live with myself.

Raise your arms, please.

Okay, you can sit down.

Hey. No tickling.

Sorry, sir.

Did you have a good weekend?

- Yes, thanks. - What did you do?

I went fishing.

You take your polygraph machine along?

You know, hoping to catch some honest fish, huh?

Well, I didn't catch a thing.

I guess all fish are kind of slippery, huh?

He's smart. That's how you beat it...

become friendly with the examiner,

get him to like you.

- It's clever. - Or it's friendly.

Okay. We'll get started.

Please state your name for the record.

Aldrich Hazen Ames.

Have you ever been offered money for classified information?

Yes.

Have you ever accepted money for classified information.

No.

Have you ever spied for a foreign government?

No.

Do you know anyone who has spied for a foreign government?

Are you including assets?

- Our assets. - Yes.

Then yes.

God, he's smooth.

Maybe he's just telling the truth.

Well?

He passed with flying colors.

You got on pretty well with him in there.

Sandy.

What are you implying, ma'am?

You have to admit, he got on your good side.

The examiner's job is to remain objective

at all times.

So there was nothing out of the ordinary?

Not unless you consider

an unblemished graph out of the ordinary.

The machine doesn't lie.

You mean his results were too perfect?

No, they're exactly perfect...

a decent range, steady but not flat.

They indicate a normal amount of anxiety regarding the truth.

Could he be a sociopath?

Sandy!

Sociopaths are utterly flat,

devoid of any emotional response.

So he's telling the truth.

Or he's the best liar I've ever seen.

Hey, Jim. Can we talk a sec?

What can the FBI do at this point?

You mean aside from being on this joint task force?

Could you just poke around?

I'm sorry. You mean with Ames?

Yeah.

Did I miss something? He passed his polygraph.

The examiner said he could be lying.

No. The examiner said he passed his polygraph.

You said he could be lying.

And, anyway, you can't get a warrant with "Could be. "

Well, could you do something off the books?

Us simply having this conversation

verges on breaking around 10 different federal laws,

not to mention a host of FBI guidelines.

I hardly know you, Sandy, but for your sake,

and for the sake of your career,

I'm gonna pretend you never asked me that question.

Paul Ames, huh?

Rick?

Uh-huh?

I was wondering, how will people know

or find out what you've been doing?

No one will ever figure it out.

But what if they did? How would it happen?

Loose lips, I suppose.

Or if we spend too much too obviously.

Right.

They've been trying to figure out what happened

since 1985, and they've gotten nowhere.

They put two women on the job, and they will never catch me.

Never.

It won't happen.

I promise.

At the end, after you've asked them everything else,

I'd like you to ask them this.

Just to throw a wrench into the questions,

see how they react.

Okay. Let's get started.

How long were you in Moscow?

Uh, two years.

I was never in Moscow.

'81 through '89.

I've been there a lot but always on short trips.

I was never stationed there.

Have you ever been approached by the KGB?

Five times.

They attempted to recruit me in '84 in Argentina.

At the Soviet embassy in Moscow, I was approached by a diplomat

who asked me if I had anything I needed

to go back to the U.S.A. in his diplomatic pouch.

Oh, yes. Many times.

And did you report this to your direct superior?

Yes. Check my logs. I always reported it.

Yes. Although not until two months had passed.

My station chief was ill and I wasn't reporting to anyone else.

I believe I did. In fact, I'm sure.

But since it was no actual offer,

there was little to report.

Of course I did. Every time.

Finally, if you were to sell information to the KGB,

how would you do it?

It'd be easy... Uh, all we'd have to do

is go to the gas station near Lubyanka.

All the senior case officers get their gas there.

Just have to pass them a note.

I think I'd walk right into their embassy...

I mean, right here in D.C.

All you have to do is dine at Caf� Pushkin

every night for a week.

All their agents eat there.

You'd be approached, I'm sure.

Finally, one last question.

If you were to sell information to the KGB,

how would you do it?

Uh...

Rick, how would you sell intelligence to the KGB?

I- I don't understand.

What do you mean?

Well, as a hypothetical,

if you were to spy, how would you do it?

Oh, God. I mean, that's just not, uh...

I- I'd have to think about that.

That's just not something I've ever r-really considered.

No. Never.

No, no.

Did you guys see what I saw?

I mean, come on.

Well, he certainly looked guilty.

- Exactly. - That doesn't mean that he is guilty.

No, but it means we can take his name up to the Seventh Floor.

I told you. Everyone here has to agree he's our guy.

Okay. Fine. You all saw what happened in there.

What do you think?

Who would put Ames at the top of their list now?

He certainly did not like that last question I threw in.

I'm not saying he's guilty,

but he's gone to the top of my list.

Okay. I'll just keep trying.

Like a dog with a bone.

I heard that.

Hey, Sandy! Sandy, wait up.

You ever hear of project slammer?

No.

It's an FBI study of a bunch of convicted spies.

It looks for similarities, tries to help profile them.

And?

If you want...

I can send over Ames' file and see what the project...

Yes!

That would be great, Jim.

Really great. Thank you.

Okay. I'll take care of it.

_

In an interview early in his career,

a CIA psychologist called Ames Sheepish,

as though he was hiding something.

Now, lots of people hide things,

plus people are often nervous talking to psychologists.

But in a return visit later that year,

the same psychologist noted that Ames had changed.

He developed a "Wall. "

He appeared better able to hide his feelings.

Is that a big deal?

Taken on its own, no, but taken

in conjunction with other variables,

it can be damning.

- Are there other variables? - There are.

Ames has a history of bad performance reviews.

That can precipitate bitterness towards an employer,

and that bitterness can translate

into motivation for espionage.

And then there's his finances.

He's had collection agencies after him in the past.

He's got his wife's money now. She has an inheritance.

Reckless spending in the past can be

a potential indicator of future espionage.

You should double-check his finances.

Are you absolutely positive

that the money comes from her family?

Anything else?

Yes. One last thing.

His new persona...

the playboy, calm, affable, confident...

You mentioned that he wasn't nervous

during his polygraph, right?

- Correct. - Everyone is nervous during a polygraph.

Even innocent people?

Especially innocent people.

Honestly, you ask me,

Aldrich Ames fits the profile of a spy...

to a "T."

When you put it all together, it means there is

a very strong likelihood that he's our guy.

Not good enough. Sorry.

What about everyone else?

I mean, Jim, you were there. You heard the profiler.

The interview...

combined with the profiler...

Ames is on the top of my list.

Mitch?

No. Not yet.

Sorry, Sandy.

What about you?

I... I don't know.

Not good enough. Keep digging.

We all have to keep digging... on everyone.

Hey.

Can I talk to you a second?

Sure. Come on in.

Shut the door.

I just...

What is it?

I don't want to hurt anyone, Sandy.

Of course not.

Neither do I. I promise you.

This might not mean anything.

We're talking about his career, you know?

A man's life.

He has a family.

Louisa...

It's just what you said in there

about Ames having money problems.

What about it?

Rosario told me a few years ago,

before she and Rick left for Rome...

that she wasn't rich growing up in Colombia.

Her family had no money.

Nothing?

His new house... it's a very nice house.

Rosario said they paid over $500,000 for it.

Okay. And?

They paid in cash.

Where are his bank records?

You've got them in your hand.

No, these are his tax returns.

Oh. Hang on.

Here.

Thanks.

Thanks for staying late.

The answer's in the money. I know it.

Wow.

Lots of cash deposits here back in '85.

But all just under 10 grand each.

Really?

Is that legal?

If they aren't over 10 grand,

the bank is not required to report it to the IRS.

Hang on a second.

On may 14th, he logged a meeting with his KGB contact.

That's interesting.

'Cause on may 15th, he made a deposit for $9,500.

On June 4th, he logged another meeting.

On June 5th, he deposited $9,850.

He meets a KGB officer and the next day,

deposits money in the bank, twice in a row?

Awfully big coincidence.

Give me some more dates.

July 8th.

$9,999 deposit on the 9th.

August 27th.

$9,100 deposit on the 28th.

October 15th.

$9,200 deposit on the 16th.

Mitch, we got him.

We got the son of a bitch.

We should get everybody in here. Call them. Wake them up.

No. We've waited this long.

I want to go through everything.

Make sure it's right.

I want this airtight.

Good Lord. You sure this is accurate?

We can't be wrong on this.

We could get a forensic accountant to look it over,

but, yeah, I'm pretty sure.

- "Pretty"? - Positive.

Well...

A show of hands...

is Aldrich Ames at the top of your list?

What about you, Art?

Yeah.

Oh, this is really great.

Oh, Jim, can we get a warrant

to, uh, tap his phone, bug his house?

No promises, but it should be enough.

All right.

I'll take it upstairs.

I am so sorry, Louisa.

Oh.

You're not the traitor.

Rick is.

Sandy. Hey.

Hey, Rick.

I was just wondering how the interviews are going.

They're going well, Rick... really, really well.

Oh, that's good. That's great to hear.

Well, you let me know if there's anything else I can do

'cause I'm... I'm happy to help.

I'll let you know. I promise.