Previously on Elementary:
If you're looking for Sherlock, he's downstairs.
Okay.
His name is Harlan Emple.
He is the Rachel P. Hanson Professor
for Applied Mathematics at Columbia University.
What I don't get is why he isn't wearing a shirt.
Every great thinker has a process, Watson.
In Harlan's case, he doesn't like anything
to come between him and the numbers.
If I wanted a distraction, Watson,
I'd pay another visit to Athena
and thrust myself into work more aerobic
than crime scene reconstruction.
One of them led a killer into this very apartment.
He was never identified.
Justice is like an orgasm.
It can never come too late.
Watson, wake up.
Who the hell are you?
What do you mean, who am I?
Is there something wrong with the image?
I mean, who is this stranger in my bedroom
with your face strapped to his face?
It's Wiggins.
I needed to speak with you, and you've
obviously turned off your phone.
So you let a stranger into our house?
He's not a stranger. He's done the odd task for me
from time to time. Thought you two had met.
Perhaps you don't recognize him because his face is covered.
And why does he keep waving his hands around like that?
He likes to pantomime as his client speaks.
I'm not the only person he surrogates for, you see.
He thinks it helps sell the illusion.
Ugh. Uh, what is so important, anyway?
I thought you were working on a cold case with Athena.
I was. We finished.
Hi, Joan.
With her help, I solved the 1926 case
of Fitzroy McPherson, a scientist found dead
in his apartment in Sheepshead Bay.
You may recall that the police
thought he'd been beaten to death
because of the welts on his back.
Oh, yeah, I remember you showing me the photos.
I thought I recognized the welts from somewhere,
but I was never able to place them until now.
They're the marks of a lion's mane jellyfish.
Sheepshead Bay is right by the beach.
He must have gone swimming that day.
Between the fact that he made it home
before succumbing to the toxins
and the fact that lion's mane stings
aren't typically fatal,
no one, myself included, had made the connection.
I'm confused. What part of the crime scene
did you need Athena to reenact?
We didn't reenact anything. We just had sex.
I was having trouble jogging my memory,
and I needed a potent distraction.
Athena provided one.
Okay, so you woke me up because...?
You remember my friend, Harlan Emple,
brilliant mathematician?
He likes to work in a state of undress?
Yeah, of course I remember Harlan. What about him?
Well, he just called, and he would like to hire us.
Really appreciate you guys coming.
I-I didn't know who else to call.
It's Lily.
- Of course it is. - Who's Lily?
She's one of my doctoral students.
She was supposed to make the oral defense
for her thesis this morning, but she never showed up.
And I tried calling her, and she's not answering.
This morning.
So that can't be more than, what,
a couple of hours ago?
Did you try her family or friends?
I-I know she has a roommate,
and, uh, her family is somewhere in California,
but I don't know them.
I just called you.
Because there could be plenty of explanations.
Family emergency.
Or just that a thesis defense is a lot of pressure.
Maybe she got cold feet.
She would have called me
if she couldn't make it.
And Lily does not get cold feet.
I mean, not that I would know.
I mean, not literally.
Uh, you know what I mean.
Look, something happened to her. I'm sure of it.
Yet you called us, not the police.
So there's something
you're not telling us, Harlan.
If I'm right,
and if something has happened to Lily,
there's a pretty good chance that I'm gonna be a suspect.
? Elementary 6x19 ? The Geek Interpreter
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man
That's Lily. Wait, you know, I think there's a better one.
You're pretty familiar with her social media.
Is she your girlfriend?
If only she were his girlfriend.
Hey. There's a reason I haven't made a move.
Myriad reasons, endless reasons.
Someone want to catch me up?
I have been advising Lily
for a couple of years.
We've spent a lot of time together.
And yes...
I like her.
Like, like her like her.
But you never told her.
I'm her supervisor.
It's not appropriate.
Besides, the university forbids faculty-student relationships.
So now you think other people have become aware
that you're attracted to her, and this will make you a suspect
if she comes to some harm?
I got a warning from the Dean of Mathematics
a couple weeks ago.
Apparently, some students and faculty
had taken notice and complained.
So you're worried that if something's happened to her,
that people are gonna think you're responsible.
Look, I don't want to make this seem like it's all about me.
The most important thing to me is that Lily is okay.
I care about her.
But I'm also not an idiot.
I know how this could look.
I get slapped on the wrist for taking an interest in her,
and then she disappears.
We'll talk to her roommate and her family,
but to be honest, she could be safe and sound.
But if something has happened,
and from what you're describing,
I don't think anyone is gonna
suspect you of hurting her.
Harlan Emple?
I'm Agent Polk. This is Agent Spinoza.
We're with the FBI.
We need to speak to you about one of your students,
Lily Zavala.
Is she all right?
Miss Zavala was kidnapped.
We'd like to ask you some questions.
My boss talked to your captain,
said I should bring you up to speed.
Far as we can tell, Miss Zavala was last seen
leaving the campus library
around 11:00, night before last.
Her apartment's only a few blocks away,
at 108th and Amsterdam, but it
doesn't look like she ever made it home.
This morning, her parents got a call
from the kidnappers, demanding half a million dollars
in exchange for her return.
That's when we were notified.
Does her family have that kind of money?
Mom owns a successful software company,
so the parents are ready to pay.
Our counterparts in San Jose are set up there,
awaiting instructions from the kidnappers.
Meantime, we're doing our best to find Miss Zavala.
So I take it you became interested in Harlan
after you visited the school?
And I take it you're aware
of Mr. Emple's fixation on the victim?
"Fixation" is a rather loaded word.
Is it wrong in this case?
Well, it is if you're suggesting that he could do her harm.
The captain vouched for us.
I, in turn, can vouch for Harlan.
He wouldn't hurt a fly.
Well, the dean we spoke to cited multiple reports
of Mr. Emple's inappropriate behavior.
Showing Miss Zavala favoritism in class,
giving her gifts.
One student even used the term "longing looks".
If you don't like "fixation",
how does "obsession" strike you?
I understand you wanting to help your friend,
but we have a responsibility to investigate every lead.
If Mr. Emple is innocent, he's got nothing to worry about.
Now, if you'll excuse me, my partner's waiting.
Harlan's fear of getting himself in trouble
is the very thing that has made him appear suspicious.
I don't think it's fair.
He did not kidnap her.
But if she disappeared between the library
and her apartment, I'm sure that the FBI
is definitely canvassing that area.
I think we should, too.
Maybe we'll find something they missed.
You go. I'd like to stay here.
Obviously, the Bureau is barking
up the wrong tree with Harlan, but they are
several hours ahead of us in their investigation,
so I'd like to find out what they know.
Sorry. Like I already told the FBI guys,
our cameras haven't worked here in ages.
I think the owner just likes them there for show.
What about someone who was working here
around 11:00 two nights ago... maybe they saw something?
We close by 10:00, so by 11:00, everyone who works here is gone.
Hey!
I told you to stop emptying your toilet
in our toilet!
Was there anything else?
No.
You've been really helpful. Thanks.
Excuse me.
Sir, do you live in your car?
Hey, look, it's parked legally.
Alternate side isn't until tomorrow.
No, no, no, I'm not hassling you.
A woman was kidnapped in this area
two nights ago, around 11:00.
I was just looking for anyone who might have seen something.
Uh... oh, well, then no, I don't live in the car,
and I wasn't around then,
but I did have a guest booked that night.
He might have seen something.
You had a guest?
I'm sorry, people pay you to sleep in your car?
Yeah, it's called AwayKay Mobile. It's part of the app.
You know, like you'd rent out an apartment for the night,
only this is a lot cheaper.
It's totally legal, as long as I obey
the parking laws and keep it clean.
Okay, so you were parked here
two night ago, and someone was sleeping here.
Do you mind giving me their information?
Oh, yeah, sure, totally. Um, I-I just...
gotta make a quick phone call first, okay?
Hey, Tori. Hey, hey, it's Eli.
Yeah, just wanted to let you know
your AwayKay Mobile is ready for check-in.
How's Harlan holding up?
As well as can be expected.
Hasn't been arrested yet.
Anything come of your lead...
the man who spent a night in a minivan?
He saw a woman matching Lily's description
being forced into a car by a man.
He didn't come forward sooner
because he thought it was just a domestic spat.
Also, he was in the city,
spending as little money as possible,
because he was cheating on his wife.
Did our frugal philanderer get a look at the kidnapper's face?
No, it was too dark, but he did describe the car...
a blue Toyota with a white door panel.
I passed the information on to Agent Polk.
Now, the kidnapper and Harlan's body type do not match,
but Agent Polk did not seem to care.
Of course he didn't.
Harlan could have hired someone
to abduct Lily for him.
You seem annoyed by him.
Agent Polk's just doing his job.
Not him. By Harlan.
I noticed yesterday at the apartment.
It's almost like you blame him
for making himself a suspect.
For two years, I've listened to him whine about Lily.
I suggested that he break the school rules
if he really cares about her that much.
Or resign his position,
find a job elsewhere.
Or just forget about her, move on.
At the very least, I urged him
to find out where he stands.
But he wouldn't do that.
No. I think, on some level,
he likes having his affections set on the unattainable.
It's safer.
As long as he loves someone that he can't have,
then he never has to put himself at risk.
It's Marcus.
A vehicle matching the description of the kidnapper
was spotted outside an abandoned school.
Feds led the way in 30 minutes ago.
Miss Zavala?
I'm told there's evidence she was being held here,
but she isn't here anymore.
Any idea where they took her
or if she's alive?
I'm about to head in myself.
I heard one more thing.
Feds found a body in there.
His name is James Cantrell.
Ex-con, goes by Jimmy.
Spent three years in Otisville for armed robbery.
Well, he fits the description of the kidnapper
that the AwayKay witness gave us.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say
we're looking at the murder weapon.
Probably means this wasn't planned.
We think Mr. Cantrell had an accomplice.
Could be things went south between them.
What about the Toyota parked outside?
Any idea who owns it?
I ran the registration.
It was reported stolen a week ago.
So far, looks like a dead end.
You said there was evidence
that Lily Zavala was held here.
In here.
It looks like Miss Zavala was tied up over there.
There's duct tape on the legs of the chair.
Those are from Lily's glasses.
I recognize them from the photos.
We got scuff marks from shoe heels
leading out the door.
Figure she put up a fight on her way out.
Hopefully, whoever has her will still make contact
with the ransom instructions.
I'm not so sure they will.
What, you think she's already dead?
No, I didn't say that.
But I'm starting to doubt whether this
was ever about ransom.
I know from conversations with Harlan
that this is the particular energy drink
that Miss Zavala likes to keep her mind sharp
when she's working on
particularly difficult equations.
So?
Kidnappers bring their victims
special food requests all the time.
Helps keep them compliant.
But there's also this packet
for a scientific calculator.
I don't think they were just holding her here.
I think they had her doing mathematics.
Maybe they took her
because they want her to work on a problem for them.
Well, if they did,
there's much less chance they'll let her go free
when she's finished... ransom or no.
Even if she hasn't seen the kidnappers' faces,
she could tell us what kind of work they had her doing.
And that could help us identify them.
Or, at the very least,
thwart whatever plans they have
for the data she was providing.
Meaning, if she is still alive right now,
as soon as she's done with what they need her to do...
There's every chance she's a dead woman.
Lily was kidnapped so she could do math?
At the moment, it's just a theory.
But how else to explain the items we found at the scene?
Don't get me wrong... it makes sense.
Lily is a genius.
But if the people who took her only wanted her for math,
then what's up with the ransom demand?
Well, I have a theory about that, as well.
But first... do you recall her
ever mentioning a man named Jimmy Cantrell?
No.
He's the man who was killed.
The FBI found a burner phone in his pocket.
It's the same phone used to contact Lily's parents.
So, that's why his partner killed him?
He was just tying up a loose end?
No, I think it's more complicated than that.
I think Jimmy went off-script.
He and his partner
kidnapped Lily to apply her to a problem
that involved complicated mathematics.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I submit that, subsequently,
Jimmy discovered that Lily came from a wealthy family.
How?
Well, it's possible she told him herself
in a bid to buy her freedom,
or perhaps her social media had indications.
In any event,
they now had a second way to profit from her abduction.
He made the ransom demand without telling his partner.
And then his partner found out about it and killed him.
There was ample evidence that the murder was not premeditated.
If Jimmy was a loose end,
why not kill him elsewhere,
and with a weapon more traditional
than a rusty fire extinguisher?
Also, since his demise, Lily's parents have received
no additional instructions.
Okay, but why wouldn't the partner want the ransom money?
Well, I imagine he stands to profit more
from the work that Lily is doing.
We won't know until we catch him.
Do you think that she saw it?
This jackass getting his head bashed in?
Oh, well, that's difficult to say.
She was being held in an adjoining room.
You're upset.
Look, look, if you...
if you need to disrobe, feel free.
You're in a safe place.
Just-just mind the furniture.
No, I only get naked for math.
This, this... this is the opposite of math.
This doesn't make any sense.
Kidnapping someone like Lily,
putting her through all that...
Oh, my God.
What if the FBI thinks that I'm the partner?
Well, the thought did cross their mind,
but I was quick to point out that your mathematics skills
far exceed Lily's.
There isn't a problem that exists
that you couldn't tackle on your own.
In the meantime,
Joan and one of our colleagues are meeting
with Jimmy Cantrell's parole officer.
With any luck, we'll find the name of the partner
on a list of known associates.
Guess I was wrong about Jimmy.
He did have brains.
I can see 'em all over his shirt.
How long were you his parole officer?
Little over six months.
I told him, just like I tell all my guys,
keep your nose clean, you'll be fine.
Obviously, Jimmy didn't listen.
And now his nose is at the back of his skull.
This is everything I got on him.
It's not a lot, huh?
Like I said, only had him for six months.
Do you know if he was hanging out
with some people that he shouldn't have?
Far as I could tell, he was on the straight and narrow.
No drinking, no drugs.
Only problem he had was finding work,
but that's par for the course with these guys.
What about Jimmy's two brothers?
Says here they were his codefendants
in the liquor store robbery he went to prison for.
Mmm, Conrad and Geno.
They're both still locked up.
Jimmy was just their wheelman, so he got a shorter sentence.
Obviously, neither one of them did this kidnapping with him.
Can you think of any reason why he would have needed help
from an applied mathematician?
Sure.
Someone asked him what two plus two was.
Jimmy was a simple guy.
Abducting this girl and putting her to work
on some mystery math problem?
It doesn't sound simple; it sounds complicated.
I gotta think it was the partner's idea.
You see the business card I stapled to the folder?
"Marvin Hathaway."
Jimmy's landlord. You should call him.
Ask him to let you into Jimmy's apartment.
That was the last place I saw Jimmy.
Popped in on him three days ago.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but who knows?
Maybe you'll see something I missed.
I didn't have any complaints against Jimmy.
I'd even go so far as to say he was a good tenant,
if he didn't owe me three months back rent.
I guess I can kiss that good-bye.
Oh. I see why Jimmy was behind on his rent.
He was a betting man.
These numbers are the lines he was getting from his bookie.
I'm guessing these X's are games that didn't go his way.
If they are,
then he was as habitual a loser
as he was a gambler.
That son of a bitch.
He told me he was sending the money home to his mother.
If you find any here, does it go to pay the people he owed?
I think maybe you should wait outside, Mr. Hathaway.
We'll find you when we're done.
What do you make of these?
Ink stains?
Look how they're all clustered.
The spacing is even, but the pattern
is always different.
Bingo.
Literally.
These are made by a bingo dauber,
a pen used to mark bingo cards.
And they were created when an especially damp dauber
bled through a set of cards.
So Jimmy wasn't just placing sports bets.
He was spending time in a bingo parlor?
There's a lot of math in bookmaking, right?
So maybe Jimmy's bookie was his partner.
He needed a mathematician for something complicated,
so Jimmy kidnapped Lily for him.
Could be.
But there are hundreds of bookies
in the New York area.
We've got no indication which one he was using.
Actually, I think you're wrong about that.
N-36.
N-three-six.
I-30.
I-three-zero.
Sylvia Kozar.
Detective Bell. You remember me?
I used to work Vice.
Arrested your son a few years back.
He was collecting for you.
Broke the arm of a guy who owed you money.
I remember you.
Sylvia may not look it, but she's one of
the baddest bookmakers in the city.
She's been at it a long time.
I'm just the humble owner of a bingo parlor.
You want to play, Detective?
First card's on me.
No. We want to know
about Jimmy Cantrell. We think that, in addition
to playing bingo here, he also placed bets with you.
- I never heard of him. - A few nights ago,
Jimmy kidnapped a woman named Lily Zavala.
She was a mathematician.
When my colleague wondered if it
might have something to do with bookmaking,
I thought of you.
Maybe you made him a deal.
He kidnaps someone
who can help you set better lines on games,
you forgive his debt.
I told you when you arrested my son: I'm no bookie.
No, you're a bingo queen.
The thing is, a mathematician
could be equally helpful to you
in that capacity, 'cause you cheat.
I've been looking at your blower,
and I have yet to see a number six or 29.
Perhaps that's not the extent of your chicanery.
The arrangement of the numbers
on the bingo cards can be manipulated
to favor the house. It's not easy,
'cause places like this are highly regulated,
and inspectors are trained to look for such things.
But who knows?
With the help of a genius mathematician...
Sylvia...
if I stop the game right now and check the machine,
am I gonna find two balls missing?
'Cause I don't see that
going over too well with your patrons.
Yeah, could be enough to shut this whole place down.
All right, fine.
I know Jimmy.
But I don't know anything about any kidnapping.
And if he said different, he's lying to you.
Jimmy's dead.
Someone bashed his skull in last night.
We think the person who put him up
to the kidnapping is the one who did it.
Yeah, well, I don't need any mathematician.
Why would I?
I set my own lines. I always have.
And those cards are legit.
I don't know, Sylvia.
Based on the notes Jimmy was keeping,
he was into you for at least five grand.
Try ten.
But we were square.
He paid me off in full the other day.
You see those cameras?
They run 24-7.
I'll show you. He walked in here,
- and he handed me an envelope. - Say we believe you.
Did Jimmy mention how he got the ten grand?
He said he was hired to do some work.
He was paid in advance.
Maybe the work
was to get the girl.
But whoever hired him...
wasn't me.
Look, I-I don't know what to tell you.
We had a lead, and then we didn't.
Yes, of course I'll keep you apprised.
Yes. Okay.
Good-bye.
Harlan again?
Six calls in less than an hour.
He's worried about Lily.
I'm worried about Lily. Been 72 hours,
and we're officially out of suspects.
Have you heard anything else from the FBI?
Only that Harlan is still a person of interest.
I thought they agreed with you
that Lily was being forced to do math.
Harlan doesn't need help doing math.
No, but perhaps he takes perverse pleasure
in watching her slave over a particularly difficult problem.
Perhaps he gave her those items
because he's the mathematical equivalent of a sadist.
- Is that what they think? - I don't know what they think.
You know, I was thinking about what you said last night.
About how Harlan chose to fall in love with Lily
because she was unattainable.
Because it was safer.
How is that different from what you do with Moriarty?
- Excuse me? - You can't be with her,
but you haven't let her go.
Is that because it's safer?
Are you comparing my relationship with Moriarty
to Harlan's relationship with Lily?
Yeah. Because of what you said last night.
And because I think you're lonely.
I have for a while now.
Lonely?
You're forgetting I called you
yesterday from Athena's bedroom.
I'm not talking about sex.
I'm talking about a relationship... a real one.
You think you're annoyed with Harlan? Try being me.
You're annoyed with me?
Yeah, I am.
I have been since you broke up with Fiona.
She was great. You really liked her.
- Watson. - And you know
why you broke up with her?
Because she's not Moriarty.
Harlan is not the only one
who needs to get out of his own way.
Neither of you has to be alone.
You'll be surprised to learn there have been
zero leads since your last call.
Actually, I have a lead.
Big one.
It's Lily.
She isn't missing anymore.
She's here with me.
She escaped.
Are you sure you're up for this?
Between the E.R. docs and the Feds last night,
I'm not sure you got much sleep.
We know you've been through a lot.
We can talk later if you want.
Thanks.
But I'd rather be helpful right now.
Besides, Harlan says that
if anyone's gonna get whoever did this,
it's you guys.
All right.
What can you tell us about them?
Well, I'm pretty sure there were only two of them.
They wore masks, so I never saw their faces.
But I could tell one was older than the other.
Does he look familiar?
Only because the FBI showed me the same photo.
They say they think he's the one who grabbed me.
That he's dead now.
Jimmy Cantrell.
Does that name sound familiar?
He put a hood over my head,
and he kept it on until we got to this abandoned school.
The older guy was already there.
He gave me supplies.
He told me what he wanted me to do
and that he was gonna let me go when it was done.
Do you think the older man was the boss?
It felt that way.
I... I think the other guy
was there mostly just to keep an eye on me.
At one point, the older guy came back,
and he was very mad at the other one.
So they went to the hall.
I-I couldn't hear what they were fighting about.
But then there were these loud noises.
And then it went silent.
And then just the older guy came back.
He put the hood back on me,
and then he forced me into the trunk of a car.
What about where he took you next?
Anything you can tell us?
It was a basement.
We went down a flight of stairs.
He made me get back to work.
When I was finished, he put the hood
back on and put me back in the trunk of his car.
Only this time, I...
I felt a shovel next to me.
And I realized that he was gonna kill me.
So, how did you escape?
I used the edge of the shovel
to cut the tape around my wrists.
And I got the hood off,
and the trunk had one of these
glow-in-the-dark handles inside.
So, eventually, I just felt the car stop
at a light or something, and...
I just made a break for it.
I just ran.
So, why did you go to Harlan's?
Why not go to the police or go home?
I was too afraid to go back home.
And I thought I needed to warn Harlan.
I thought he might be next.
Why would Harlan be next?
Because that math they had me working on... it was his.
They wanted me to make changes to it.
Is there a way that I could
print out some maps?
This is a FEMA flood map.
Kidnappers were making you redraw flood zones?
Care to let the rest of us in?
Uh, sure.
FEMA, the federal government,
is in charge of determining the risk of flooding
for everywhere in the country.
And maps like this break the flood risks down into zones.
Red is the highest risk, orange is second, and so on.
They're used to plan emergency responses
and to say who needs flood insurance, and how much.
But with climate change and rising sea levels,
FEMA has been redoing all the old maps.
And you were involved in that work?
Uh, I was... three years ago.
There is a staggering amount of data
that goes into these maps.
And a lot of it comes down to statistical analysis,
the likelihood of X event happening
in Y number of years.
It takes forever.
I mean, I heard from a colleague recently
that the maps we were working on back then
are just entering the public review phase now.
So your maps aren't official yet?
No.
And your captors wanted you
to change the math that Harlan was doing
in order to make the maps look different.
Mm-hmm.
Could you show us what that would look like?
These maps show what Brooklyn flood zones look like now,
which is how they've looked, like, since the '80s.
So, if the work Harlan did becomes official,
then this red zone would come all the way out here.
And how did your kidnapper want the flood zone to look
using the math he made you do?
He wanted you to move the projected flood waters
to a different neighborhood... on paper, at least.
Mm-hmm.
So, if Mr. Emple did the math the first time,
why didn't they just take you?
Best guess... I was one of a group of experts
working on the project.
My name wasn't on it.
Why take Lily? From what you've told us,
she wasn't involved at all.
Well, I've been wondering about that, too.
I went to the Floodplain Coordinator's Office
a few weeks ago. I wanted to see the math
behind the maps.
Harlan had talked about it in class,
about the work he did, and I wanted to study it.
They copied my I.D. when I was there.
What I don't get is, why would someone want to mess
with flood maps in the first place?
The area the new map puts at a higher risk
is some of the hottest real estate in the city.
Which also makes it subject to the highest insurance premiums.
Now, you said that this map is used
to set insurance requirements, right?
Mm-hmm.
So, if this map became official,
it would make it really good for anyone
selling flood insurance to this neighborhood.
Wow.
You're right. If FEMA adopted this map,
it would be really good for me.
Assuming I don't care if the homes and businesses
of half my clients are underwater in ten years.
And my clients will tell you... I do care.
Maybe.
But if you were behind Lily Zavala's kidnapping,
you made her generate that map,
so you'd know the projections are false.
We looked into who makes money selling insurance
to that specific neighborhood affected by that map.
Your name keeps coming up.
It even says it over there: "Adam Braun,
leading independent agent four years in a row."
Yeah, no one comes close to the volume you do.
And if that area becomes a high-risk zone,
flood insurance would become mandatory for everyone in it.
You'd be looking at commissions on hundreds of new policies.
That's over six figures a year.
Easy money.
You think worse of me than I thought.
If you're suggesting I committed a kidnapping and a murder
just so I could change a flood map,
you have to believe I'm some kind of psychopath.
Prove us wrong.
We're pretty sure Lily's kidnapper
killed his accomplice sometime early yesterday afternoon.
Can you tell us where you were?
I was here, working.
Can anyone corroborate that?
No.
But let me show you something.
It's a site for selling boats.
Yeah, but this sailboat, this beautiful lady,
is the Maria Madera, my baby.
My wife is strongly encouraging me
to sell her.
Upkeep is too high.
All the maintenance,
slip fees, registration...
it's thousands of bucks a year.
So, even though I love this boat,
I'm doing what my wife says.
You have a point here, Mr. Braun?
Take a look at when I posted the listing.
It's two nights ago.
That's during the time you said this girl was being held, right?
If I was in the middle of doing this,
you think I'd be saying good-bye to my baby?
Don't you think I'd tell my wife,
"Don't worry, things are looking up.
We can afford it"?
Because I promise you, if my ship was coming in,
my sailboat would not be going out.
Harlan, what is it?
Thank you.
For what?
What do you think?
Harlan, you hired us to find Lily.
- We didn't. She escaped. - No, I know.
I just... it's... I-I finally did it.
Did what?
Told her... how I really feel about her.
I-I was nervous, but I was...
I was thinking about you the whole time,
about how you would tell me to just do something.
Why were you nervous?
Why do you think?
It was obvious that your feelings for her
were going to be reciprocated when she went to study
the work you did for FEMA.
She didn't go there because she liked mathematics.
She went there because she liked you.
Oh, duh.
Yeah, obviously.
Hmm. Went right over your head, didn't it?
Yeah, way over.
Cut me a little bit of slack.
You know, me and social cues are like...
relativity and quantum mechanics.
Point is,
you were right the whole time.
I just needed to act.
Last couple of days...
almost losing her...
put everything into perspective.
What about your job?
Oh, we talked about that, and, um, you know,
we're just gonna hold off a little longer,
just till Lily gets her doctorate.
Um, after that, the university can't fire me for dating her,
'cause we will be peers.
Sort of. I mean, I'll still be way better at math,
but, um, you know, she won't be my student anymore.
Very happy for you, Harlan.
Are you?
'Cause you don't look happy.
Respectfully, you just caught me in the middle of some work.
Lily may be safe, but the man
who was holding her is still unaccounted for.
And, as you said, you and social cues...
Ah. Totally get it. I just, um...
If you're thinking of hugging me again, don't do that.
Right.
Sorry. I will go.
But, um...
thank you again.
Never been this happy.
It's because of you.
Okay.
I got your text.
Neither you nor Marcus is liking
the insurance agent for Lily's co-kidnapper?
No. Everything he told us panned out.
As far as I can tell, no one else stood to profit
from an increased danger of flooding in that neighborhood.
So I've been looking at Lily's map with fresh eyes,
shifting my focus from areas where the flood risk increased
to areas where it decreased.
Could be the point of the map wasn't to make
this part of Brooklyn higher risk,
but to keep this part lower risk.
Okay, but most of the land in that area is industrial,
so the insurance rates would already
be pretty low, wouldn't they?
Yeah, but flood maps don't just dictate insurance rates.
They dictate zoning and development standards, as well.
So, if you own land in that area and you want to develop...
Higher insurance rates and flood risk
could make new construction untenable.
We need to find out who owns property
in that part of the city.
I'm awaiting a list from the City Register's Office.
Any luck, we'll have it soon.
So, um...
what makes you think I'm lonely?
Last night, you said you thought I was lonely.
Wh-Why did you say that?
There was a time when you were with Fiona
when you were different.
Happier somehow.
I don't know.
It's hard to explain.
Harlan came around.
He, um, wanted to tell me
he finally let Lily know how he felt about her.
And?
The feeling was mutual.
He was practically aglow.
I felt a little envious.
Just a smidge.
So it, uh, just...
made me think about what you said.
It's not bad that you felt that way.
It's natural.
But there's no need to be envious.
You can have everything he has.
Well, that's just it, you see.
I'm-I'm... not sure I can.
You were right.
I mean, every potential romantic partner I have
pales in comparison to Moriarty.
That might sound strange,
given what we know about her, but...
I'm a strange bloke, aren't I?
She fit.
And I fear that...
what we had can't be replicated.
Probably can't.
But that's okay.
I mean, falling in love with someone
is not supposed to be the same experience every time.
Someone else will be someone else.
Suppose you're going to suggest I try online dating next.
Would that be so bad?
Try something else.
Such as?
You're the one who loves experiments, so experiment.
City Register's Office.
Yep. The list of every owner of property in the area
that would have been positively affected
by Lily's version of the map.
I recognize one of the names.
I don't.
You're right, you don't,
but if I'm right
we've already met Lily's kidnapper.
Sorry to keep you waiting,
Mr. Hathaway.
Detective Bell.
We met when you let us into Jimmy Cantrell's apartment.
Right. I got a call.
They, uh, said you did find some of Jimmy's assets.
Something that can cover his back rent?
Come with me.
We'll go over everything in here.
Have a seat, Mr. Hathaway.
What is this?
Well, that phone call you received was a lie.
We've been executing a search warrant
on some properties you own.
We didn't want you to know,
so we invited you down here, made you wait.
Why were you searching my properties?
To see which one
you moved Lily Zavala to
after you killed Jimmy Cantrell.
Lily's kidnapper made her generate
a false flood map for part of Brooklyn.
This is a list
of property owners who would benefit
if that map were adopted.
Now, your company's name is on that list.
I recognized it from when Jimmy's parole officer
gave us your contact information.
You own a large parcel of land in Red Hook.
A rep from the Department of City Planning
told us that the tech company Odker
is considering buying that land from you
to make it the site for their new headquarters.
It's all in the early stages,
but you stood to make millions.
That is, until FEMA released their new flood maps
for community review last month.
Your property was suddenly gonna be in a high-risk zone,
which not only meant the site
would be subject to higher insurance rates,
it represented an actual high risk of flood damage.
You knew that if that map became official,
Odker would probably back out of the deal.
But you also knew that FEMA allows the public
to appeal the maps by submitting revised data.
So you reached out to an ex-con you knew...
Jimmy Cantrell.
Together, you kidnapped Lily
and forced her to fake the math you needed
to put your property back in a low-risk zone.
Asking for ransom was never part of the plan.
Jimmy came up with that on his own.
If he hadn't, you probably could have
finished with Lily and then killed her
before anyone realized that she was abducted.
You caved in his skull.
This is crazy.
How do I even know this Lily girl that...?
She mentioned she'd been to the city's Floodplain Office
to look at some of the work behind the real maps.
We showed your photo around. Someone recognized you.
He said that you had been in the same day as Lily.
You were upset about the new maps.
We're guessing that you overheard her
talking about them.
A little while ago, our guys
found what we were looking for in the basement
of one of your buildings.
You tried to clean it up,
but you missed a couple hairs.
DNA will take a while to come back,
but they're a visual match for Lily's.
"A visual match"?
Do you know how many people
come and go through my buildings?
And even if this hair
is from the kidnapped girl, you said Jimmy was involved.
So, he has her hair on him,
I walk through his apartment the other day...
what do the lawyers call that? "Transfer"?
It's true.
Your lawyer could try that argument
in front of a jury.
But our guys also found
a fresh stain on the floor.
We didn't need DNA to identify it.
Its smell is pretty distinct.
It's Biorade energy drink.
Kiwi-flavored.
The kind you brought Lily to help her work.
So you tell us, Mr. Hathaway,
still want to take your chances with a jury?
Hey.
Come on in.
Did I, uh, miss a text from you?
No, just thought I'd pop by.
Well, your timing is perfect.
I just got off work.
Need help with a case?
Uh, no, actually just finished one.
My docket is clear.
Oh.
Well, then you must be looking for...
How did you put it the other day?
"A potent distraction"?
Uh, no, I was actually wondering
if I might, uh, take you to dinner.
W-Would that be strange?
No.
It's just that you usually only call me
when you have to work on a weird experiment.
Well, it's funny you should use that word.
'Cause, actually, tonight, the experiment would be... us.
I mean...
you've been more than a helper to me over the years.
Y-You've been a... a friend, and, um...
it just occurred to me that you might be more.
? All in all, despite my question... ?
Obviously, I-I, uh...
I-I can't be certain, and, um, I'd just...
I-I'd hate to jeopardize the relationship
that we already have,
but I just thought I-I'd be remiss if I didn't...
at least explore it.
? The same things bring me joy... ?
Well...
I love a good experiment.
? I will follow, follow till I one day ?
? I will follow, follow till I one day understand. ?
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man