Episode 314: Partners in Crime

Partners in Crime
Season 3, Episode 14
Air date	February 18, 2010
Written by	Michael Horowitz
Directed by	Dirk Craft
Episode Guide
previous Enemies Closer	next Good Intentions

Partners in Crime is the fourteenth episode of the third season and the forty-second episode overall.

Notes

• Clients: Isabella
• Bad Guys: Damon, Rick Peterson

Synopsis

Michael wants to find out what Gilroy is after, and in order to fund this operation, he takes on a case at a fashion house, which Sam is very happy about. But everything turns when their client is found murdered.

Spy Facts

When you need to locate a foreign spy office, it's all about the food. Spies like home cooking just like everyone else. Find out who serves their regional delicacies, tip the bartenders and delivery boys well, and they'll usually tell you who placed the big orders on the last national holiday. If some of those orders head to an office with tight security and scowling workers with short haircuts, you're in business.

Playing on people's loyalties is an art, especially when those loyalties can be murky and malleable. Poke around too much and you'll look suspicious. Sometimes your best move is to just commit. Of course, commit too hard to the wrong side and there's not much wiggle room. Instead of an instant ally, you've just made an instant enemy.

When you're conducting surveillance from a dusty cave in Afghanistan, you daydream about air conditioning, swimming pools and iced tea. But spend a little time waiting for a socialite to hand off her tiny dog to a canine beautician and that Afghan cave looks a little better.

Recruiting an asset is about making your target feel important. Everything from the clothes you wear to the location of the meeting should communicate how vital the mission is. Wear the right outfit, pick the right deserted bar and your target will be ready to engage in some good old-fashioned espionage. Some assets work for money, others believe in a cause. The most effective incentive, though, is a combination of the two.

If you're dealing with a trained operative, there are hundreds of places to hunt for documents. If you're searching a desk jockey's office, it's a far shorter list. Before you can say, "in the cabinet," "behind the bookshelf," or "under the desk," you've usually found what you're looking for.

Spies are trained to keep track of multiple conversations at the same time. Standing alone while you eavesdrop is too obvious. You need to engage in a cover conversation near your target.

Pure lip-reading takes years to master. But confirming what you're hearing by checking lips is a much easier skill to pick up.

It doesn't take long working in combat situations before you start paying a lot of attention to little things. Things that don't feel right, like an open gate or a pampered dog running around loose often lead to much bigger things. Like a body floating in a swimming pool. Of course, knowing something's wrong and being able to do something about it are two different things. Sometimes the damage is already done.

When dealing with a pathological liar, don't bother looking for signs of a guilty conscience. True deceivers enjoy the lie. They know to look you dead in the eye and usually shed a few tears on demand. So if you want to know when they're lying, look for the little smile that comes when deceiving a room full of people.

When you make an approach as a spy, you need to choose a role that puts you in the center of the action and explains why no one's ever heard of you before. Claiming to be a criminal can kill two birds with one stone. You throw around some names and places and dates to confuse them, throw in some account books to make it sound credible and make the dollar figures big enough to play to their greed.

Contact microphones pick up sound vibrations through walls, allowing you to eavesdrop on conversations. Pair one with a wireless transmitter and you have a bugging device that doesn't need to be in the same room as your target. Of course, bugging a room from the outside makes it impossible to see potential pitfalls. Just as a cell phone reacts when it's placed too close to your alarm clock, a roomful of speakers can create radio frequency interference if you're spying on someone with a wireless signal.

Law enforcement cover I.D.'s are tricky. Pose as a lead detective and you'll have unlimited access but a single call to the station and you're caught. You need to think smaller. Nobody questions the credentials of a lowly crime scene investigator.

It's tough to get someone to compromise their values in only a couple of meetings. The only way to do that is to compromise a few values of your own.

One of the many weapons in the spy arsenal is sabotage. Your enemy won't fight back when their vehicles won't drive and their weapons won't fire. If you're handing a bad guy a gun and you need it to jam accidentally, fatiguing the trigger assembly to break under pressure is probably your best move. It's undetectable. So nobody get's suspicious, and nobody gets hurt.

Full Recap

Michael tracked a flight plan from Miami to Poland and decided to track a Polish government official. He eventually finds a Polish Military Office based in Miami. Michael and Fiona discussed Gilroy's business. Fiona proposes to shoot him and get it over with. Michael wishes it was that easy, but it had been to Michael that Gilroy was hired by someone else to retrieve the flight plans Sam took before. He selected a bureaucrat named Conrad to obtain information on what the flight from Miami to Poland is transporting. Michael's Polish is rusty, so he opted to use a Russian cover identity due to Conrad's mother being Russian.

Michael met Conrad at a bunker close to a lighthouse on the Miami shore. His Russian came through, apparently earning Conrad's trust. Unfortunately, Conrad saw through the ruse and pulls a gun on Michael. He suspected that Michael is an FSB agent who tried to coerce him to betray his country by releasing the flight information. Conrad escorted him at gunpoint and demanded his endgame. Fiona ambushed Conrad, knocked him out, and freed Michael.

At The Loft, Michael pulled schematics on the Polish office to break into Conrad's office. Fiona decided against it and volunteered to pose as American intelligence to gain Conrad's trust. She told Michael it costed money for the operation, so he called Sam to accept a fashion house robbery gig. Sam reassured Michael the money to be paid would be well worth the trouble.

Sam's client was a fashionista named Isabella, who owned the Corvina Fashion House and had a particular interest in Sam. She told Sam and Michael to shadow an employee named Tim Hastings, a Vice President, whom she suspected of embezzling from her fashion house. Isabella paid Sam $30,000 by check for the job.

Fiona met Conrad at a bar, posing as an American intelligence agent. She informed Conrad that a Russian spy attempted to coerce him to give up flight information. Fiona insisted that Conrad disclose the information, but Conrad refused. She slipped him some money to assure him that she can protect Conrad after he disclosed what he was protecting.

After the meeting, Fiona called Michael the operation was a success. However, she promised to bring a CIA file to Conrad. Fiona needed pictures from Michael's military life to forge the documents. Michael did not want to involve his mom, but Fiona assured him everything would be okay.

Sam's initial scouting turned up nothing on the person of interest, Tim Hastings. He showed no previous criminal records. After a coin flip, Sam decided to break into Tim's office while Michael kept close to Isabella.

At the party, Michael kept close to Isabella while Sam broke into Tim's office. He found the ledger underneath Tim's desk and took pictures of the relevant pages. Meanwhile, Isabella pointed out Tim to Michael so he can spot him while acting casually. The two notice Tim talking to Damon, Isabella's business partner. She wanted to go home and look at Damon's designs. Michael okays her to go so he can shadow Tim. He starts a conversation with a woman positionally close to Tim and Damon so he can read their lips. Michael learned that Tim planned to go to Isabella's home. He got what he wanted and left.

Sam called Michael and told him he found Tim's books. Michael told him to meet him at Isabella's place.

At Isabella's home, Michael approached Tim to let him know he was hired by Isabella to track him. Tim went on the defensive, but Michael told him he had information on him. However, the house gate was left wide open and Isabella's chihuahua was found barking in panic. Michael and Tim go to the backyard to find Isabella shot and killed. Her body was found floating face down in her pool. Tim wanted to call the police, but it was immediately apparent that he was being framed for his death. Michael suggested the backyard, but Tim said there was a wall. They both climbed over to safety, but Michael chimed to himself "Easy money?"

The team meet back at The Loft with Tim in the trunk of Michael's charger. Police arrived at Isabella's house to investigate the murder. Tim told the team that he tried to warn her of Damon, but she did not listen. They figured out that Damon had the setup done perfectly. Michael deduced that Damon had a partner, so they decide to punch holes into his alibi.

Damon gave his eulogy at the Corvina Fashion House, only to have Michael and Sam there to figure out his tells. After the eulogy, Michael approached him aggressively as a drug smuggler named Max, who started heroin into her fabrics. He claimed that he made $4 million a week working with Isabella. Damon is surprised that Isabella was running a side gig with distributing heroin to her clients. He used the information from the books to sell his story. Damon tried to assure him the police will link the evidence to Tim and eventually arrest him. Michael warned him that Tim was to be linked, or Damon dies. Later, he called Sam to work Damon.

At Madeline's House, Fiona asked Madeline Westen for family pictures to reminisce on the past. Madeline is more than happy to do so.

Sam and Michael followed Damon to a music store. They surveiled Damon and his partner-in-crime. While Sam spied on the criminals, Michael attempted to tap into the back wall of the store. Unfortunately, it backfired when the microphone's feedback bounced off the speakers. Damon's partner, Ric, investigated the back alley and found nothing. Michael is seen perched above the doorway. A truck passed by and Michael hops on top of its roof to escape safely.

That same evening, Michael listened to the recording from the record store. Sam arrived and updated Michael on Tim's situation. Tim stayed at a motel to lay low for a while. The police were looking for Tim for Isabelle's murder. They also found a half-empty box of bullets in Tim's garage. Sam expanded on Damon's partner, Rick Peterson. Rick is a night club DJ who ran the shop during the day. He was previously arrested for dealing ecstasy and for one count of assault. This was supposed to be the last meeting they had before they parted ways. No paper trail was found, so the two plot to force them to meet again.

At the Corvina Fashion House, Sam posed as CSI Chuck Finley to investigate the house and update Damon with a new working theory about two guys working together. Ala Horatio Caine, Sam donned his shades, quoting "looks like murder is in style this season."

Not too long after, Max called Damon, infuriated that the police have not stopped investigating the Corvina Fashion House murder. He threatened to burn the place down, but Damon guaranteed him that Miami PD did not have anything on them. Max was not satisfied and ordered him out to the parking lot.

Max introduced Damon to his package in his trunk. His package was Tim's girlfriend (posed by Fiona). In Damon's presence, Tim's girlfriend from Homestead was interrogated by Max, demanding his location. She eventually gave up information that Tim was going to the docks on 64th Street at noon the next day. He intended to let the cops know that Damon conspired to murder Isabella. Max got angry and nearly killed Damon, but Damon asked him to take the opportunity to kill Tim. Michael acts satisfied, but specifically instructs him to shoot him in the head twice when they see him. In return, He will give him his life back.

Back at the bar where they met, Fiona passed along a forged file with picture of Michael in his army days to Conrad. In exchange, Conrad would agree to retrieve the flight information she requested. He was reluctant at first, but Fiona let slip there's a mole in the Polish Military Office working for Russia. Conrad finally agreed to retrieve the file for Fiona.

At The Loft, Tim emerged from the motel he was staying to discuss the next step to proving his innocence. Michael and Sam go over the docks plan to open an opportunity for Damon and Rick to kill Tim.

Tim arrived at the docks by taxi while the team spotted him. Damon and Rick arrived in separate cars to find Tim. After, Sam called the police to report the two men. However, Sam noticed the men are not moving to shoot Tim. Sam noticed the bench was moved. They all noticed the bench was rigged with wired C4 and Rick with the detonator. Michael successfully shot and detonated the C4, saving Tim's life. Moments later, the police hone in on the explosion, prompting Damon and Rick to escape. Fiona tried to rescue Tim, but Tim panicked and was arrested by the police while Fiona slipped away.

The team had less than two hours to stop Damon and Rick before the police report Tim's arrest. Micheal called Damon, disappointed at him for not following his instructions. He demanded Damon to come down to the Corvina Fashion House immediately.

A stressed-out Damon arrived at the Fashion House to see CSI Finley on his way out. Finley took a phone call from his superiors (Michael) that the tips really helped out. Michael realized Damon's eavesdropping and Finley responds "Yes, sir" before hanging up. Finley is upset at Damon for listening in on his phone call during an ongoing investigation. He assured Damon he's getting close. He donned his shades again, ala Horatio Caine, quoting "looks like the killer's plan...(puts on his shades)...is coming apart at the seams."

Damon finally arrived in his office to a steamed Micheal. Rick thought a bomb was safer, but the plan failed anyway. Michael wanted total assurance from Damon that no one else knew. Then he proceeded to close the curtains so he can eliminate Damon personally. Damon begged and pleaded to Max for an alternative to his own death, but Michael would not have any of it. Damon decided to stage Rick's own suicide, having him confess to Isabella's murder. Michael agreed, but ordered Damon to kill Rick himself.

Fiona is back at The Loft, sabotaging Damon's gun by fatiguing the trigger assembly.

Max arrived at Rick's record store with the sabotaged gun. He handed it to Damon, who went into the store to murder Rick. Damon angrily confronted Rick about the situation with Tim. He pulled the gun on Rick and pulled the trigger several times, only to see it misfire. Damon and Rick begin to slug it out as the police arrive to break them up and arrest them.

At the Fashion House, Tim announced he is free and clear of Isabella's murder. His people planned to sell the Corvina Fashion House to a label in Milan and use the profits to benefit Isabella's charity projects including pet rescue shelters. Sam asked Tim to take care of Colonel Peabody, Isabella's prized chihuahua. Tim thanked Michael before walking away with Sam. Fiona called to tell Michael to see Madeline.

Madeline confronted Michael about a missing picture from her albums. Michael explained that Fiona used his military picture to forge an FSB dossier. He did not want to involve his mother any more than he needed to.

Conrad met Fiona at a the restaurant with the document. He found the information to be worse than he thought. The flight package is not "what", but "who." He translated the document for Fiona before leaving. Michael arrived and they went over the document together. The information is on a maximum security prisoner to be flown to a black site in Poland. He was considered dangerous enough such that only he could be flown alone. Michael realized that Gilroy wanted him to help break him out.

Cast

Main

• Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen
• Gabrielle Anwar as Fiona Glenanne
• Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe
• Sharon Gless as Madeline Westen

Recurring

• Chris Vance as Mason Gilroy

Guest

• Christina Moore as Isabella
• Rick Kelly as Tim Hastings
• Jeffrey Vincent Parise as Damon
• Todd Cahoon as Ric Peterson

Trivia

• In the scene where Michael failed to plant a bug at the record store, Ric investigated the back with the caption reading "Ric - Damon's Partner." However, in the next scene at The Loft, Michael opens Ric's file with the name tab labeled "Rick Peterson."
• The car driven by Fiona is a Hyundai Genesis coupe, a major sponsor for the show - they even have a competition to win one.
• When Sam poses as an CSI agent he talks while putting on his glasses mimicking Horatio Caine from CSI Miami.