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Holmes: I am. Only it was unintentional. The Kelleys are casualties of a crime committed elsewhere in the building.
 
Holmes: I am. Only it was unintentional. The Kelleys are casualties of a crime committed elsewhere in the building.
   
While it was difficult to detect beneath the Kelleys' How did you put it? - Ripeness, I could smell traces of butadiene around the air vent in their bedroom.
+
Holmes: While it was difficult to detect beneath the Kelleys' how did you put it...ripeness, I could smell traces of butadiene around the air vent in their bedroom.
And butadiene is? Is a toxic, gaseous by-product of burning rubber.
+
Bell: And butadiene is?
It's what you're smelling now.
+
Holmes: Is a toxic, gaseous by-product of burning rubber. It's what you're smelling now. The rest of it dissipated days ago, so we're in no danger.
  +
Watson: What, you think someone set a fire down here?
The rest of it dissipated days ago, so we're in no danger.
 
  +
Holmes: Of sorts. This building is a converted brownstone. Each of the three floors above have been turned into an apartment. But the vents still allocate air from a main return line. Kelleys live on the first floor. They took the brunt of the gas.
What, you think someone set a fire down here? Of sorts.
 
  +
Watson: Do we know if the other residents are okay?
This building is a converted brownstone.
 
  +
Bell: Uh, the third-floor apartment is vacant and the second floor is occupied, but we checked. The owner wasn't home.
Each of the three floors above have been turned into an apartment.
 
  +
Holmes: Be curious to know if he owns a pair of teal running shoes.
But the vents still allocate air from a main return line.
 
  +
Bell: Why?
Kelleys live on the first floor.
 
  +
Holmes: Because it would mean he was home after all.
They took the brunt of the gas.
 
  +
Do we know if the other residents are okay? Uh, the third-floor apartment is vacant and the second floor is occupied, but we checked.
 
  +
Watson: So that's him. Dead guy in the basement.
The owner wasn't home.
 
  +
Holmes: It's gonna take dental records to confirm it, but I believe so. The man downstairs has the same arrangement of moles on his hand.
Be curious to know if he owns a pair of teal running shoes.
 
  +
Watson: "Clay Dubrovensky." He's got a doctorate in botany and genetic engineering.
Why? Because it would mean he was home after all.
 
  +
Holmes: Doesn't look like average doctor, does he?
So that's him.
 
  +
Watson: No. Looks like Point Break and Magic Mike had a baby. They're uh...
Dead guy in the basement.
 
  +
Holmes: Trifles of the cinema, I take it.
It's gonna take dental records to confirm it, but I believe so.
 
  +
Watson: No Kitty today?
The man downstairs has the same arrangement of moles on his hand.
 
  +
Holmes: She's working a case of her own.
"Clay Dubrovensky." He's got a doctorate in botany and genetic engineering.
 
  +
Watson: So how's everything going? Last time I saw you, you weren't doing so well.
Doesn't look like average doctor, does he?
 
  +
Holmes: I'm better. Thank you. I still have disappointments with regards to my sobriety, but I've resumed attending meetings. How are you?
No. Looks like Point Break and Magic Mike had a baby.
 
  +
Bell: Well, according to the super, Clay Dubrovensky was a dream tenant. He was living off an inheritance, he always paid his rent on time.
They're uh, trifles of the cinema, I take it.
 
  +
Holmes: His method of execution suggests a tie to organized crime.
No Kitty today?
 
  +
Bell: Micro-ondas.
She's working a case of her own.
 
  +
Holmes: A.k.a. necklacing. Take a tire, you hang it on the victim's neck, you fill it with petroleum, light a match.
So how's everything going? Last time I saw you, you weren't doing so well.
 
  +
Bell: Doesn't get much more cartel than that.
I'm better.
 
  +
Watson: I remember there were a couple of similar murders last summer.
Thank you.
 
  +
Holmes: There have in fact been 10 killings in New York over the last five years. In each case, the suspects were soldiers for a Brazilian syndicate called the SDS or Sangue do Sangue.
I still have disappointments with regards to my sobriety, but I've resumed attending meetings.
 
  +
Bell: Dubrovensky had an emergency contact on his lease, a woman by the name of Courtney Stever. She's on her way to [[11th Precinct|the station]]. Maybe she can tell us why the SDS would have wanted him dead.
How are you?
 
  +
Well, according to the super, Clay Dubrovensky was a dream tenant.
 
  +
Courtney Stever: And you're sure that it was Clay? I mean, you're really sure?
He was living off an inheritance, he always paid his rent on time.
 
  +
Bell: The ME won't make an official ruling for at least a few hours...
His method of execution suggests a tie to organized crime.
 
  +
Holmes: It was him. The more photographs I saw, the clearer it became. Mr. Dubrovensky is quite dead.
Micro-ondas.
 
  +
Bell: Can I ask how the two of you knew each other?
A.k.a. necklacing.
 
  +
Stever: Clay was my ex, sort of. We broke up last year. He was cheating on me. He kind of did that a lot. A few months ago, we ran into each other in a club and, I don't know, we just fell back into old rhythms.
Take a tire, you hang it on the victim's neck, you fill it with petroleum, light a match.
 
  +
Watson: You slept together?
Doesn't get much more cartel than that.
 
  +
Stever: And a few weeks later it happened again and then again. We weren't back together, but we were enjoying ourselves.
I remember there were a couple of similar murders last summer.
 
  +
Holmes: Plus, he had excellent cannabis, no?
There have in fact been 10 killings in New York over the last five years.
 
  +
Watson: The evidence suggests that he was killed by a drug cartel.
In each case, the suspects were soldiers for a Brazilian syndicate called the SDS or Sangue do Sangue.
 
  +
Bell: We did find bricks of cash, growing supplies, doctorates in botany and genetics.
Dubrovensky had an emergency contact on his lease, a woman by the name of Courtney Stever.
 
  +
Holmes: Your ex was a grower for the SDS cartel, was he not? Specifically, a cultivator of marijuana.
She's on her way.
 
  +
Stever: Clay did not just grow pot. Okay? He engineered it. He was an artist. And the people that he worked for never got that.
Maybe she can tell us why the SDS wanted him dead.
 
  +
Watson: What do you mean?
And you're sure that it was Clay? I mean, you're really sure?
 
  +
Stever: He told me that he started messing with marijuana strains in grad school. Mixing, matching. But he never even smoked the stuff. He just knew how to help it, knew how to make it better. A few dealers took notice, only they didn't wanna hurt him.
The ME won't make an official ruling for at least a few hours It was him.
 
  +
Bell: They wanted to hire him?
The more photographs I saw, the clearer it became.
 
  +
Stever: Yeah, and he worked for the SDS cartel ever since.
Mr. Dubrovensky is quite dead.
 
Can I ask how the two of you knew each other? Clay was my ex, sort of.
+
Holmes: Can you think of any reason why they would want to hurt him?
  +
Stever: He got bored. He wanted a real lab, real equipment. I don't know. Maybe he just finally pushed them too far.
We broke up last year.
 
  +
He was cheating on me.
 
  +
Kitty: This is new.
He kind of did that a lot.
 
  +
Holmes: Complete inversions allow the human body to flush and detoxify the adrenal glands, which studies have linked to more positive thinking and an increase in reasoning skills. You really must try it sometime.
A few months ago, we ran into each other in a club and, I don't know, we just fell back into old rhythms.
 
  +
Kitty: Clay Dubrovensky, is that the name you texted me?
You slept together?
 
  +
Holmes: Yeah. His lover was unable to name any of his cartel associates but she did know that the grow house where he worked was, I quote, "Somewhere in Brooklyn." I'm attempting to divine its specific whereabouts. Any luck, there will be personnel that we can question. How goes your investigation?
And a few weeks later it happened again and then again.
 
  +
Kitty: I spent better part of the day talking to the missing girl's friends and poking around her laptop. I applied your many and varied rules of observation and yielded a single deduction. She's a brat.
We weren't back together, but we were enjoying ourselves.
 
  +
Holmes: You don't think she's in danger?
Plus, he had excellent cannabis, no? The evidence suggests that he was killed by a drug cartel.
 
  +
Kitty: There's no doubt she's in the habit of running away.
We did find bricks of cash, growing supplies, doctorates in botany and genetics.
 
  +
Holmes: And nothing bad ever happens to runaways.
Your ex was a grower for the SDS cartel, was he not? Specifically, a cultivator of marijuana.
 
  +
Kitty: But the evidence would seem to suggest that she'll just come home when she's ready. That said, I will renew my hunt in the morning.
Clay did not just grow pot.
 
  +
Holmes: Sure you don't want a go?
Okay? He engineered it.
 
  +
Kitty: Quite. Ahem. Did Watson talk to you today?
He was an artist.
 
  +
Holmes: No. We communicated telepathically. Of course we spoke. She's helping me with my investigation. Why do you ask?
And the people that he worked for never got that.
 
  +
Kitty: She just hasn't been around for a while. Just say hello for me, will you?
What do you mean? He told me that he started messing with marijuana strains in grad school.
 
  +
Mixing, matching.
 
  +
Watson: Hello?
But he never even smoked the stuff.
 
  +
Holmes: Smoothie?
He just knew how to help it, knew how to make it better.
 
  +
Watson: You broke into [[Watson's apartment|my apartment]]?
A few dealers took notice, only they didn't wanna hurt him.
 
  +
Holmes: You break into [[The Brownstone|my home]] all the time.
They wanted to hire him? Yeah, and he worked for the SDS cartel ever since.
 
  +
Watson: That is because you force me to.
Can you think of any reason why they would want to hurt him? He got bored.
 
  +
Holmes: I think I may have found the address of Clay Dubrovensky's Brooklyn grow house.
He wanted a real lab, real equipment.
 
  +
Watson: How?
I don't know.
 
  +
Holmes: Rubles. There was change found in his pocket. Three dimes, a nickel, two coins just like this one. It's a five-ruble piece. It's similar in size and texture to an American quarter. There were similar coins found on his counter. As you can see, they're also mixed in with American currency. Now, these coins are the very opposite of collectible. It's most likely he received them mistakenly as change in a Russian neighborhood.
Maybe he just finally pushed them too far.
 
  +
Watson: There's a big Russian community in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
This is new.
 
  +
Holmes: Now, as you are no doubt aware, a grow house would require an extremely high volume of grow lamps to be running at all times. So with the help of [[Thomas Gregson|the Captain]], I identified the largest non-commercial consumer of kilowatt hours in the area. He and a phalanx of ESU officers are on their way as we speak.
Complete inversions allow the human body to flush and detoxify the adrenal glands, which studies have linked to more positive thinking and an increase in reasoning skills.
 
  +
Watson: Well, I'll get dressed.
You really must try it sometime.
 
  +
Holmes: Oh, before you do, I think it's best if we talk.
Clay Dubrovensky, is that the name you texted me? Yeah.
 
  +
Watson: About?
His lover was unable to name any of his cartel associates but she did know that the grow house where he worked was, I quote, "Somewhere in Brooklyn." I'm attempting to divine its specific whereabouts.
 
  +
Holmes: Whatever it was you wanted to discuss with me yesterday. You seemed quite pregnant at Dubrovensky's apartment. You've obviously already discussed it with Kitty.
Any luck, there will be personnel that we can question.
 
  +
Watson: How could you...
How goes your investigation?
 
  +
Holmes: The motives of some women are inscrutable. Their most trivial action may mean volumes. Their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin. You two are not like that.
I spent better part of the day talking to the missing girl's friends and poking around her laptop.
 
  +
Watson: I'm folding my private detective business and I'm going to go work for Leda. They're a global insurance company. I'm gonna be one of their in-house investigators. I did some freelance work for them and they were impressed so they asked me to join on a more permanent basis. This isn't really gonna change the work that you and I do. This balance that we've struck, my cases, your cases, our cases, that is not gonna change. I'm gonna have time for Leda and the department. That is the only way I agreed to sign on.
I applied your many and varied rules of observation and yielded a single deduction.
 
  +
Holmes: An insurance company.
She's a brat.
 
  +
Watson: Yeah, I like the people there. Listen, I was gonna tell you a few weeks ago, but you were struggling. And the last time I told you I wanted to make a change, you took off to London.
You don't think she's in danger? There's no doubt she's in the habit of running away.
 
  +
Holmes: It's the Captain. The residence we identified is Dubrovensky's grow house. He's expecting us.
And nothing bad ever happens to runaways.
 
  +
But the evidence would seem to suggest that she'll just come home when she's ready.
 
  +
[[Thomas Gregson|Captain Gregson]]: No one was here when we took the door. Which is not so weird in and of itself, but take a look at these plants.
That said, I will renew my hunt in the morning.
 
  +
Holmes: They're dying.
Sure you don't want a go?
 
  +
Gregson: Not all of them, but a lot. At least a couple of hundred grand's worth. Says to me that Dubrovensky was the only guy who worked here. He died, his plants started to follow.
Quite.
 
  +
Watson: Only they were never his plants, right? They were the cartel's, so why would they just let them die?
Ahem.
 
  +
Holmes: Perhaps they didn't know he'd been killed.
Did Watson talk to you today?
 
  +
Gregson: Aren't we thinking that they killed him?
No.
 
  +
Holmes: Are either of you familiar with the Wutai Pingtung orchid? It originated in the remote Wutai region of Taiwan. Decades of commercial development saw the extinction of the moths that pollinated them. The orchids died off until only one remained, making it the absolute rarest of rare flowers. There is only one living in the entire world and it has an estimated value of a quarter million dollars.
We communicated telepathically.
 
  +
Gregson: Fascinating. What has it got to do with any of this?
Of course we spoke.
 
  +
Holmes: Just over a year ago, the Wutai Pingtung was stolen from an international flower show. And it's sitting right over there. We thought Mr. Dubrovensky was killed over plants that you can smoke. Perhaps he was killed over one you cannot.
She's helping me.
 
  +
Why do you ask? She just hasn't been around for a while.
 
  +
Holmes: Autopsy report on Clay Dubrovensky. I'm now quite certain the SDS did not kill him.
Just say hello for me, will you? Hello? Smoothie? You broke into my apartment? You break into my home all the time.
 
  +
Watson: Still think he died over a flower?
That is because you force me to.
 
  +
Holmes: As I explained, this is no mere flower. This is the...
I think I may have found the address of Clay Dubrovensky's Brooklyn grow house.
 
  +
Watson: Wutai Pingtung. It's rare. I get it.
How?
 
  +
Holmes: An honest politician is rare. A marriage worth the bother is rare. This is the only orchid of its kind in existence.
Rubles.
 
  +
Watson: It says here that Dubrovensky was dead before he was lit on fire.
There was change found in his pocket.
 
  +
Holmes: Succumbed to blunt force trauma in the back of his skull.
Three dimes, a nickel, two coins just like this one.
 
  +
Watson: But isn't the point of necklacing to burn the victim while he's alive?
It's a five-ruble piece.
 
  +
Holmes: Mmm. Would've been quite sporting of them to kill him prior to ignition.
It's similar in size and texture to an American quarter.
 
  +
Watson: Maybe it was a rival gang. They kill Dubrovensky and then frame the SDS.
There were similar coins found on his counter.
 
  +
Holmes: Cartels don't frame people. They sign their work repeatedly and aggressively.
As you can see, they're also mixed in with American currency.
 
  +
Watson: So this orchid was stolen over a year ago by Dubrovensky?
Now, these coins are the very opposite of collectible.
 
  +
Holmes: That's one possibility. Another possibility is that he bought it on the black market.
It's most likely he received them mistakenly as change in a Russian neighborhood.
 
  +
Watson: There's a black market for flowers?
There's a big Russian community in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
 
  +
Holmes: Ish. Most transactions are completed via online auction sites. The thief lists a more innocuous item. This can, for example. And then positions it in front of the item that he really wishes to sell. To the untrained eye, the flower looks like mere backdrop.
Now, as you are no doubt aware, a grow house would require an extremely high volume of grow lamps to be running at all times.
 
  +
Watson: Okay. So, what happens when my soda sells for $250,000? Won't that raise a few eyebrows?
So with the help of the Captain, I identified the largest non-commercial consumer of kilowatt hours in the area.
 
  +
Holmes: You keep the auction private. And it's established beforehand that a bid of $1 is worth $100 or 1000 so an item that appears to have sold for $15...
He and a phalanx of ESU officers are on their way as we speak.
 
  +
Watson: Is actually going for 15 grand.
Well, I'll get dressed.
 
  +
Holmes: It's possible that Dubrovensky successfully bid on the orchid and then the losing bidder came looking for him.
Oh, before you do, I think it's best if we talk.
 
  +
Watson: What about the flower's original owner?
About? Whatever it was you wanted to discuss with me yesterday.
 
  +
Holmes: Less original owner and more discoverer. I don't like him for a flaming tire murder, do you?
You seemed quite pregnant at Dubrovensky's apartment.
 
  +
You've discussed it with Kitty.
 
  +
Kitty: Lexi?
How could you? The motives of some women are inscrutable.
 
  +
Lexi: Cool place. Do you have any coffee here? Maybe an espresso machine?
Their most trivial action may mean volumes.
 
  +
Kitty: You texted me. You told me that you might be able to help me find Tess.
Their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin.
 
  +
Lexi: Yeah, I heard you were asking about her. A friend gave me your number. Look, she called me last week. She thought some guy in a white Jaguar was following her. I told her it was the stuff we smoked that day and she was paranoid.
You two are not like that.
 
  +
Kitty: She's been gone four days now. Do you still think she was paranoid? When she called, did she describe the driver?
I'm folding my private detective business and I'm going to go work for Leda.
 
  +
Lexi: No. But I do have the license plate.
They're a global insurance company.
 
  +
Kitty: You thought she was paranoid yet took down the plate number?
I'm gonna be one of their in-house investigators.
 
  +
Lexi: I guess.
I did some freelance work for them and they were impressed so they asked me to join on a more permanent basis.
 
  +
This isn't really gonna change the work that you and I do.
 
  +
Holmes: Murderers.
This balance that we've struck, my cases, your cases, our cases, that is not gonna change.
 
  +
Bell: Who?
I'm gonna have time for Leda and the department.
 
  +
Holmes: All of them.
That is the only way I agreed to sign on.
 
  +
Barbara Conway: Detective Bell. Barbara Conway. I'm senior vice president of...
An insurance company.
 
  +
Holmes: Of AgriNext's GMO research. Quite the corporate monstrosity, AgriNext. Hmm? In addition to your dominance in agricultural industries, there is powerful evidence to suggest that your neonicotinoid insecticides are the culprits in the ongoing bee genocide known as colony collapse disorder. Would you care to comment on that?
Yeah, I like the people there.
 
  +
Conway: When you told my assistant you had questions, was that just a lie to get in and harass me?
Listen, I was gonna tell you a few weeks ago, but you were struggling.
 
  +
Bell: Miss Conway, are you familiar with the name Clay Dubrovensky?
And the last time I told you I wanted to make a change, you took off to London.
 
  +
Conway: No.
It's the Captain.
 
  +
Watson: What about the Wutai Pingtung orchid?
The residence we identified is Dubrovensky's grow house.
 
  +
Conway: I'm sorry. What?
He's expecting us.
 
  +
Holmes: You are very good at feigning innocence. Perhaps it's all that lying about the bees.
No one was here when we took the door.
 
  +
Bell: Clay Dubrovensky was found murdered yesterday. My colleagues checked his Internet history 'cause they thought it might have had something to do with the orchid.
Which is not so weird in and of itself, but take a look at these plants.
 
  +
Holmes: Instead, we found record of him selling it. To you. Please don't ask us to believe you paid $89 for a bureau that just happens to have one of the world's rarest flowers sitting on top of it. We are well aware of the codes and price multiples employed in such illegal transactions.
They're dying.
 
  +
Watson: The day after the auction ended, Dubrovensky deposited a cashier's check for $89,000 into a bank account.
Not all of them, but a lot.
 
  +
Holmes: You thought you were getting the only Wutai Pingtung orchid in the world for a virtual steal. Only Mr. Dubrovensky never delivered. He kept it for himself.
At least a couple of hundred grand's worth.
 
  +
Watson: But you couldn't complain to the auction site or the police. Not without admitting that you had tried to purchase a very valuable stolen object.
Says to me that Dubrovensky was the only guy who worked here.
 
  +
Holmes: You track Mr. Dubrovensky down, you confront him, things go poorly. I'm not sure how you knew to frame the SDS cartel for his murder but perhaps you bought furniture from him before.
He died, his plants started to follow.
 
  +
Conway: You're right, I did buy that bureau. But if you're saying this Dubrovensky person was the seller, okay, sure. I only ever knew him by his account name.
Only they were never his plants, right? They were the cartel's, so why would they just let them die? Perhaps they didn't know he'd been killed.
 
  +
Holmes: Miss Conway...
Aren't we thinking that they killed him? Are either of you familiar with the Wutai Pingtung orchid? It originated in the remote Wutai region of Taiwan.
 
  +
Conway: He threw the flower in for free. It's in the conference room if you'd like to see it.
Development saw the extinction of the moths that pollinated them.
 
  +
The orchids died off until only one remained, making it the absolute rarest of rare flowers.
 
  +
Conway: It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. But I would never pay $89,000 for it. If you need it for your investigation, by all means take it. I'm sorry I'm not the murderer you were hoping I was.
There is only one living in the entire world and it has an estimated value of a quarter million dollars.
 
  +
Fascinating.
 
  +
Grant Perryman: For the last time, I've never seen this girl before in my life.
What has it got to do with any of this? Just over a year ago, the Wutai Pingtung was stolen from an international flower show.
 
  +
Gregson: But you do own the vehicle that was described to us. The plates we were given come back to you.
And it's sitting right over there.
 
  +
Perryman: Which can only mean that someone's playing some sort of prank.
We thought Mr. Dubrovensky was killed over plants that you can smoke.
 
  +
Kitty: What about this girl? You ever seen her before?
Perhaps he was killed over one you cannot.
 
  +
Perryman: This is amazing. Why don't you show me photos of every missing girl in the city? It's not like I don't have anything else to do.
Autopsy report on Clay Dubrovensky.
 
  +
Gregson: This girl told a friend that she saw your car following her last Saturday, so if you want us to get you...
I'm now quite certain the SDS did not kill him.
 
  +
Perryman: Wait, wait. Wait a second. Last Saturday? Was she in Baltimore?
Still think he died over a flower? As I explained, this is no mere flower.
 
  +
Kitty: No.
This is the Wutai Pingtung.
 
  +
Perryman: Well, that's interesting, because I was. My son's lacrosse team had a tournament. We took the Jag. You wanna ask me more questions, contact my attorney.
It's rare.
 
  +
Kitty: Mr. Perryman, before you go, has anyone ever told you that you have a queer left thumb?
I get it.
 
  +
Gregson: What was that about?
An honest politician is rare. A marriage worth the bother is rare. This is the only orchid of its kind in existence.
 
  +
Kitty: I don't think he did it. I don't think he took Tess. But I think I know how to find her.
It says here that Dubrovensky was dead before he was lit on fire.
 
  +
Succumbed to blunt force trauma in the back of his skull.
 
  +
Watson: So there are two Wutai Pingtung orchids left, not one. So what?
But isn't the point of necklacing to burn the victim while he's alive? Mm.
 
  +
Holmes: It was my understanding that was impossible.
Would've been quite sporting of them to kill him prior to ignition.
 
  +
Watson: And your understanding can never be wrong? Did you notice these bags the AgriNext lady left in the box with the orchid?
Maybe it was a rival gang.
 
  +
Holmes: Yep. They're plant food.
They kill Dubrovensky and then frame the SDS.
 
  +
Watson: So, what do you think they look hungry?
Cartels don't frame people.
 
  +
Holmes: You wish to kill them?
They sign their work repeatedly and aggressively.
 
  +
Watson: You just said this was food.
So this orchid was stolen over a year ago by Dubrovensky? That's one possibility.
 
  +
Holmes: For some other plants. Can you not tell by the smell? That's ground coffee and mackerel. Mackerel has an extremely high nitrogen content. Too high for orchids. Miss Conway gave us that bag by mistake. The correct one is the other bag.
Another possibility is that he bought it on the black market.
 
  +
Watson: What, were worried I was gonna kill them before you could?
There's a black market for flowers?
 
  +
Holmes: Root structures are like fingerprints. No two are the same. These are identical.
Ish.
 
  +
Watson: Okay, how could you possibly...
Most transactions are completed via online auction sites.
 
  +
Holmes: They're also the root structures of plants no older than 6 months. The real Wutai Pingtung is 5 years old.
The thief lists a more innocuous item.
 
  +
Watson: Wait a minute, are you saying that these are fakes?
This can, for example.
 
  +
Holmes: Clones. Mr. Dubrovensky's lover said he had grown bored. He has doctorates in botany.
And then positions it in front of the item that he really wishes to sell.
 
  +
Watson: And genetics.
To the untrained eye, the flower looks like mere backdrop.
 
  +
Holmes: If he never laid hands on the original orchid he at least acquired a cutting. That would've been more than enough to make him the floral forger.
Okay.
 
  +
Watson: The AgriNext exec, Barbara Conway. Maybe she realized she bought a fake, and confronted him.
So, what happens when my soda sells for $250,000?
 
  +
Holmes: Dubrovensky could've produced dozens, which means his scam could've been executed dozens of times. Miss Conway should return to our suspect list. But we should also look for evidence of other victims. What are you doing?
Won't that raise a few eyebrows?
 
  +
Watson: Well, they may be fakes but they're still beautiful. I am going to water them.
You keep the auction private.
 
  +
Holmes: It occurs to me I haven't congratulated you on your new venture with the insurance company, Leda. Congratulations.
And it's established beforehand that a bid of $1 is worth $100 or 1000 so an item that appears to have sold for $15 Is actually going for 15 grand.
 
  +
Watson: Thanks.
It's possible that Dubrovensky successfully bid on the orchid and then the losing bidder came looking for him.
 
  +
Holmes: I understand why you waited to tell me. Um, I do tend to react poorly to change.
What about the flower's original owner? Less original owner and more discoverer.
 
  +
Watson: Well, like I said, this shouldn't be much change at all. I'll still be at the precinct all the time.
I don't like him for a flaming tire murder, do you? Lexi? Cool place.
 
  +
Holmes: Even if you weren't, it's your life, Watson. I've no right to a monopoly. Uh, the truth is, I've been considering a change of my own. Mmm. It's completely unrelated to your news, I assure you, but it has been weighing on my mind and I thought I should apprise you of it.
Do you have any coffee here? Maybe an espresso machine? You texted me.
 
  +
Watson: Um, isn't that your phone?
You told me that you might be able to help me find Tess.
 
  +
Holmes: It can wait.
Yeah, I heard you were asking about her.
 
  +
Watson: It's Captain Gregson.
A friend gave me your number.
 
  +
Watson (phone): Hello.
Look, she called me last week.
 
  +
Gregson (phone): Is Holmes with you?
She thought some guy in a white Jaguar was following her.
 
  +
Watson (phone): Yeah, he's right here.
I told her it was the stuff we smoked that day and she was paranoid.
 
  +
Gregson (phone): I thought you two would wanna know there were two more necklace murders tonight. The killers left a message this time. "Guerra e Guerra."
She's been gone four days now.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Portuguese vernacular. It colloquially translates as "This means war."
Do you still think she was paranoid? When she called, did she describe the driver? No.
 
  +
Gregson (phone): Usually I would've figured it was for another gang but this is the opposite of gang territory. I'm standing in front of the AgriNext corporate headquarters in Whitestone. You guys were here today, right?
But I do have the license plate.
 
  +
Watson (phone): We were.
You thought she was paranoid yet took down the plate number? I guess.
 
  +
Gregson (phone): I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this wasn't a coincidence.
Murderers.
 
  +
Who? All of them.
 
  +
Gregson: William Keller, AgriNext's CFO. And this is Nelson Shelby, one of their board of directors. Now, as far as we can tell, they were abducted as they reached their residences last night, presumably by members of the SDS.
Detective Bell.
 
  +
Watson: But why does the cartel wanna kill off AgriNext executives?
Barbara Conway.
 
  +
Bell: I talked to a company spokesman. The official line is "no idea." But off the record, their best guess is political retaliation. Brazil's a billion-dollar market for AgriNext, so they pump millions into local elections. Buys them influence over policy decisions. Guy says sometimes the drug cartels don't like the candidates they back.
I'm senior vice president of...
 
  +
Holmes: That's bollocks. On the record and off. In your experience, detective, how often does the party on the receiving end of a cartel assassination say "If only we knew what we'd done to upset them"? No. When a criminal organization sends a violent message it does so with a certainty that that message is clear. AgriNext knows and they're just not telling us.
Of AgriNext's GMO research.
 
  +
Gregson: You guys were at AgriNext yesterday. You talk to another executive?
Quite the corporate monstrosity, AgriNext.
 
  +
Watson: Yeah. We thought she might have something to do with the Dubrovensky murder.
Hmm? In addition to your dominance in agricultural industries, there is powerful evidence to suggest that your neonicotinoid insecticides are the culprits in the ongoing bee genocide known as colony collapse disorder.
 
  +
Gregson: She?
Would you care to comment? When you told my assistant you had questions, was that just a lie to get in and harass me? Miss Conway, are you familiar with the name Clay Dubrovensky?
 
  +
Watson: Her name is Barbara Conway and she runs the GMO.
No.
 
  +
Gregson: Well, she's in the clear for these two. Witness saw a Hispanic male light them up. Thirties. We're getting a sketch going. Maybe he's also the guy who did Dubrovensky.
What about the Wutai Pingtung orchid?
 
  +
Holmes: The rope used to bind the victims' hands and feet, it's intact. And most rope would disintegrate at the temperature of a burning tire. This is para-aramid rope. It's made for the express purpose of resisting extreme heat. It's a logical choice for an organization in the habit of burning people alive, right?
I'm sorry.
 
  +
Bell: Can't be too many places that sell this. Military surplus, fire and rescue gear. I'll make a few calls and get that sketch out there.
What? You are very good at feigning innocence.
 
  +
Holmes: You will recall, however, that Clay Dubrovensky was not bound with para-aramid rope. Further suggesting he was not killed by the cartel.
Perhaps it's all that lying about the bees.
 
  +
Bell: You still like Barbara Conway?
Clay Dubrovensky was found murdered yesterday.
 
  +
Holmes: Watson and I still believe that she had motive to want him dead. Plus, she worked with these two.
My colleagues checked his Internet history.
 
  +
They thought it might have had something to do with the orchid.
 
  +
Conway: You're right, I was not entirely forthcoming with you yesterday. I started collecting flowers ten years ago. I'd been promoted, I was making real money. I could afford an expensive hobby.
Instead, we found record of him selling it.
 
  +
Holmes: So you admit you thought you were buying the real Wutai Pingtung orchid from Mr. Dubrovensky.
To you.
 
  +
Conway: It was the craziest thing I'd ever done, but it was so beautiful. It was so unique that I...eventually I realized it was a fake, just like you said.
Please don't ask us to believe you paid $89 for a bureau that just happens to have one of the world's rarest flowers sitting on top of it.
 
  +
Gregson: And you'd been conned out of 89 grand.
We are well aware of the codes and price multiples employed in such illegal transactions.
 
  +
Conway: That was nothing to me. I know how that sounds, but it's true. Besides, I wasn't angry. I was impressed. Duplicating something as delicate as that orchid, something as complex, it's, it's more than a science. It's an art. I showed it to a few of my colleagues, and they agreed. I used the company's resources to track Clay down. I offered him a job at AgriNext. That's when I found out about his other business.
The day after the auction ended, Dubrovensky deposited a cashier's check for $89,000 into a bank account.
 
  +
Watson: He told you he was a grower for the SDS.
You thought you were getting the only Wutai Pingtung orchid in the world for a virtual steal.
 
  +
Bell: How did that go over with the Human Resources?
Only Mr. Dubrovensky never delivered.
 
  +
Conway: It made us want him even more. It's nothing we've been advertising, but AgriNext has been preparing for legalized marijuana for years. As soon as the legislation catches up, we'll be ready to move.
He kept it for himself.
 
  +
Holmes: So you wanted to hire him, but he already had an employer.
But you couldn't complain to the auction site or the police.
 
  +
Conway: It was complicated. Clay was excited about the possibility of going legit, not to mention getting his hands on AgriNext's resources. He knew he could do great things with us, but he couldn't just quit the SDS. We had to buy him out.
Not without admitting that you had tried to purchase a very valuable stolen object.
 
  +
Holmes: So you entered into a negotiation with a drug cartel. Right. Decorum forbids me from showing my emotions during an interview such as this one, but I assure you, on the inside I am doubled over with laughter.
You track Mr. Dubrovensky down, you confront him, things go poorly.
 
  +
Conway: Clay went to the cartel. They set a price. Ten million dollars. The company countered at five.
Not sure how you knew to frame the SDS cartel for his murder but perhaps you bought furniture from him before.
 
  +
Holmes: And now "inside me" is soiling himself.
You're right, I did buy that bureau.
 
  +
Conway: He called me the night he was killed. He told me that he was gonna meet with the cartel, tell them to accept the offer. Because he had decided that he was gonna come and work for our company, no matter what. Obviously, they didn't appreciate that. They killed him, and then they killed Nelson and William last night for good measure.
But if you're saying this Dubrovensky person was the seller, okay, sure.
 
  +
Gregson: These higher-ups you mentioned, can we assume that they'll confirm everything you just told us?
I only ever knew him by his account name.
 
  +
Conway: If they don't, I have the memos that will.
Miss Conway...
 
  +
He threw the flower in for free.
 
  +
Kitty: Morning, Tess.
It's in the conference room if you'd like to see it.
 
  +
Tess Jantzen: Who the hell are you?
It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
 
  +
Kitty: I'm a friend of your mum's. I know what you're trying to do. Lexi told me everything. This is her aunt's apartment. Her aunt who's away for the next few months. She gave you a key, you gave her a license plate number that would lead any and all interested parties to a man by the name of Grant Perryman. I know he's your father, Tess.
But I would never pay $89,000 for it.
 
  +
Tess: He's not my father.
If you need it for your investigation, by all means take it.
 
  +
Kitty: He is. He just also happens to be your mother's rapist. That must've been really hard finding out. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I'm not the murderer you were hoping I was.
 
  +
Tess: Then go. And don't tell anyone you found me.
For the last time, I've never seen this girl before in my life.
 
  +
Kitty: I can't.
But you do own the vehicle that was described to us.
 
  +
Tess: She was only a few years older than me. She'd never even...he got her drunk at a party, and he uh...she was afraid. And stupid. I mean, she didn't tell anyone for weeks. When she did, she couldn't prove it. His parents were so rich, they offered a settlement anyway. All my mother had to do was keep her mouth shut. She did. She was so good at it, she didn't even tell them when she found out she was pregnant.
The plates we were given come back to you.
 
  +
Kitty: That's why I didn't recognize your picture the other day.
Which can only mean that someone's playing some sort of prank.
 
  +
Tess: How did you recognize him? Did my Mom tell you?
What about this girl? You ever seen her before? This is amazing.
 
  +
Kitty: I have this friend. He has a habit of drilling all sorts of facts into my head. Did you know, for example, that 0.4 percent of Caucasians have brachydactyly type D thumbs. Also called clubbed thumbs. Of those, three-quarters have them on both hands, but I couldn't help noticing in your pictures that you have a type D thumb on your left hand only. Just like Grant Perryman. Your mum put everything behind her, but you wanted to dredge it all up again and force her to talk about it, to the press and to the police. Everyone would find out exactly what kind of man he is.
Why don't you show me photos of every missing girl in the city? It's not like I don't have anything else to do.
 
  +
Tess: He deserves it.
This girl told a friend that she saw your car following her last Saturday, so if you want us to get you Wait, wait.
 
  +
Kitty: But your mum doesn't. What she went through was terrible. It was unspeakable. But she chose to focus on the good in her life. She chose you. And your mum wanted to make sure...
Wait a second.
 
  +
Last Saturday? Was she in Baltimore?
 
  +
Watson: According to these memos, everything Barbara Conway told us was true. I mean, the language is deliberately vague and they never refer to the cartel by name, but it's pretty obvious that AgriNext wanted Dubrovensky on the company payroll. Maybe we were wrong about the murder. Maybe it really was the SDS. They wanted to burn him alive, but there was a struggle and he died from a blow to the skull. The killers still had to sign their work.
No.
 
  +
Holmes: Utterly and annoyingly possible.
Well, that's interesting, because I was.
 
  +
Watson: Mmm. Why does it smell like coffee and fish in here? Is that the plant food that Barbara Conway gave us? The one that you said would kill the orchid?
My son's lacrosse team had a tournament.
 
  +
Holmes: Mm-hm. While it might be an annoyance to your senses, it is an onslaught to mine. I was hoping that the barrage might trigger some new thoughts, but so far, mm-mm...we never finished our conversation the other night.
We took the Jag.
 
  +
Watson: Yeah, you said you wanted to make a change.
You wanna ask me more questions, contact my attorney.
 
  +
Holmes: You know how much I value you. I've made that clear on numerous occasions, sometimes embarrassingly so. You've been a good friend and a good partner. It was you, in fact, that helped me understand the concept of partnership, the value of it.
Mr. Perryman, before you go, has anyone ever told you that you have a queer left thumb? What was that about? I don't think he did it.
 
  +
Watson: Are you leaving New York again?
I don't think he took Tess.
 
  +
Holmes: No, quite the opposite.
But I think I know how to find her.
 
  +
Watson: I don't understand. What is the change you wanna make?
So there are two Wutai Pingtung orchids left, not one.
 
  +
Holmes: Kitty, I'm sure you'll agree, has made an excellent protégée. But I believe that a matriculation is in order.
So what? It was my understanding that was impossible.
 
  +
Watson: So you wanna make Kitty your new partner.
And your understanding can never be wrong? Did you notice these bags the AgriNext lady left in the box with the orchid?
 
  +
Holmes: That she had the makings of a detective was never in doubt. But I confess to having my concerns regarding her history. The many traumas visited upon her. And I was certain that it would take time to develop her. Years. I was wrong. Mostly thanks to you. Your instruction has been crucial, and in certain areas, more crucial than mine. I'm proud of her, Watson. I think she's ready.
Yep.
 
  +
Watson: Wow. I um, I'm happy for her. And you. I think it's a great idea.
They're plant food.
 
  +
Holmes: The other day you made reference to the balance we'd struck. Your cases, my cases, our cases. This won't change that.
So, what do you think They look hungry? You wish to kill them?
 
  +
Watson: It's Marcus. He says they've got the guy who killed the AgriNext execs.
You just said this was food.
 
  +
- For some other plants.
 
  +
Gregson: That tip about the rope paid dividends. Marcus canvassed the shops that sell it, and one of the owners remembered this guy, Marco Gonçalves, coming in to buy a bunch of it.
Can you not tell by the smell? That's ground coffee and mackerel.
 
  +
Bell: Security cameras outside the store caught his license plate. We put a FINEST message out, and a radio car got lucky. Now, the prints place him at the AgriNext executives' murders. So does the witness.
Mackerel has an extremely high nitrogen content.
 
  +
Holmes: I take it from the legal pad, he's writing his confession.
Too high for orchids.
 
  +
Bell: In addition to copping to killing the AgriNext execs, he wants to take credit for a dozen other hits.
Miss Conway gave us that bag by mistake.
 
  +
Watson: He's trying to maximize his value to the SDS, absorb as many charges as he can since he already knows he's going away for life.
The correct one is the other bag.
 
  +
Gregson: But here's the thing. Only murder he won't take the rap for is Clay Dubrovensky's.
What, were worried I was gonna kill them before you could? No two are the same.
 
  +
Bell: He does seem to have an idea as to who did do it, but he won't give us a name. Best guess right now is a rival cartel. Maybe they identified Sangue do Sangue's grower in New York and killed him to mess with their business.
These are identical.
 
Okay, how could you possibly...
+
Gregson: We'll keep you posted.
  +
They're root structures of plants no older than 6 months. The real Wutai Pingtung is 5 years old.
 
  +
Watson: You said the other night that if another cartel killed Dubrovensky, they would've signed their work.
Wait a minute, are you saying that these are fakes?
 
  +
Holmes: A cartel would. A corporation would not.
Clones. Mr. Dubrovensky's lover said he had grown bored.
 
  +
Watson: Hey, take everything Barbara Conway told us and flip it. Dubrovensky didn't tell the SDS he wanted out of the deal. He told AgriNext. They were the ones who got angry.
He has doctorates in botany.
 
  +
Holmes: Perhaps they were worried he knew too much. Or they didn't wanna have to compete with his weed further down the line.
And genetics.
 
  +
Watson: Well, either way, they framed the SDS and the cartel retaliated.
If he never laid hands on the original orchid he at least acquired a cutting.
 
  +
Holmes: Immolating two of the top brass, and leaving them on an AgriNext lawn. I propose another conversation with Miss Conway. If she wasn't a part of what happened, perhaps she can tell us who was.
That would've been more than enough to make him the floral forger.
 
  +
Watson: Did you give Dubrovensky's ex-girlfriend my number?
The AgriNext exec, Barbara Conway.
 
  +
Holmes: You know I don't like to give out my own.
Maybe she realized she bought a fake, and confronted him.
 
  +
Watson: Well, she wants to talk. Says it's important.
Dubrovensky could've produced dozens, which means his scam could've been executed dozens of times.
 
  +
Holmes: A case of the munchies, perhaps. You go. I'll locate Miss Conway.
Miss Conway should return to our suspect list.
 
  +
But we should also look for evidence of other victims.
 
  +
Watson: Hey.
What are you doing?
 
  +
Stever: I wasn't sure you'd come.
Well, they may be fakes but they're still beautiful.
 
  +
Watson: Why did you want me to meet you here?
I am going to water them.
 
  +
Stever: The super lives next door. Only he won't let me into Clay's apartment unless someone from the department signs off.
It occurs to me I haven't congratulated you on your new venture with the insurance company, Leda.
 
  +
Watson: And why do you wanna go inside Clay's apartment?
Congratulations.
 
  +
Stever: Clay gave me this. He made it. He grew it. It's a yellow clivia.
Thanks.
 
  +
Watson: When you texted me, you said it was important.
I understand why you waited to tell me.
 
  +
Stever: He used to give me special food. Even after we broke up. He made it himself. And it's inside. I thought that maybe if you spoke to the super...
Um I do tend to react poorly to change.
 
  +
Well, like I said, this shouldn't be much change at all.
 
  +
Stever: You must think I'm an idiot, starting up again with a guy who cheated on me getting sentimental about a flower he gave me.
I'll still be at [[11th Precinct|the precinct]] all the time.
 
  +
Watson: Well, I'm not here to judge you.
Even if you weren't, it's your life, Watson.
 
  +
Stever: You know what the really stupid thing is? Is that he gave these to all the girls.
I've no right to a monopoly.
 
  +
Watson: What do you mean?
Uh, the truth is, I've been considering a change of my own.
 
  +
Stever: Girls he was sleeping with. He would give them a yellow clivia. Just like mine. It's like his move. He told me that when we started hooking up again. I probably should've been mad, but we weren't back together, you know? I actually thought it was kind of funny. Found it. Plant food. Like I told you, it's gross. It smells like coffee and...
Mmm.
 
  +
Watson: Fish.
It's completely unrelated to your news, I assure you, but it has been weighing on my mind and I thought I should apprise you of it.
 
  +
Stever: It's Clay's special recipe. Made just for the clivia.
Um, isn't that your phone?
 
  +
It can wait.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Watson.
It's Captain Gregson.
 
  +
Watson (phone): Hey. Conway's coming to the station tomorrow?
Hello.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Yes. She claims to have no knowledge of an AgriNext conspiracy to kill Dubrovensky, but she has a few ideas as to who might.
Is Holmes with you?
 
  +
Watson (phone): That's because you were right all along. She's the one who did it.
Yeah, he's right here.
 
  +
I thought you two would wanna know there were two more necklace murders tonight.
 
  +
Watson: Please, take a seat.
The killers left a message this time.
 
  +
Conway: Is Mr. Holmes coming?
Portuguese vernacular.
 
  +
Watson: No. It's just us today.
It colloquially translates as "This means war." Usually I would've figured it was for another gang but this is the opposite of gang territory.
 
  +
Conway: He caught me off guard last night. This idea that someone from AgriNext may have killed Clay. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered. The company's been accused of much worse. Usually overseas, but still...
I'm standing in front of the AgriNext corporate headquarters in Whitestone.
 
  +
Watson: I know it was you, Barbara.
You guys were here today, right? We were.
 
  +
Conway: Excuse me?
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this wasn't a coincidence.
 
  +
Watson: I know you killed Clay. When you gave us the orchid the other day, you accidentally included some food for a yellow clivia, a very special one that Clay gave you. The two of you were involved.
William Keller, AgriNext's CFO.
 
  +
Conway: I don't see how that has anything to do with what you...
And this is Nelson Shelby, one of their board of directors.
 
  +
Watson: I don't think you planned to kill him. That's important. You realized he was sleeping with his ex, and you confronted him. But it didn't go well.
Now, as far as we can tell, they were abducted as they reached their residences last night, presumably by members of the SDS.
 
  +
Conway: I think I should call my lawyer.
But why does the cartel wanna kill off AgriNext executives? I talked to a company spokesman.
 
  +
Watson: You could, but I wouldn't. He'll tell you to leave. And this is your one, best chance to show contrition, to try and make people understand that you did not mean to kill Clay or the Kelleys. Like I said, I don't think you went to Clay's that night with the intention of killing him. You didn't show up with a hollowed-out tire which means you had to go out and get one right after it happened. Now, my colleagues are combing the area around Clay's apartment right now. It is only a matter of time before someone recognizes your picture. Now, they know I'm talking to you right now, Barbara. So the longer you wait, and the more you make them work for this, the harder it's gonna be for you.
The official line is "no idea." But off the record, their best guess is political retaliation.
 
  +
Conway: I kept it. The clivia. I know how crazy that sounds, but I loved him.
Brazil's a billion-dollar market for AgriNext, so they pump millions into local elections.
 
  +
Buys them influence over policy decisions.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Would it have been more satisfying to eviscerate a corporate behemoth? Unquestionably. But the true killer has confessed. We can ask for little more.
Guy says sometimes the drug cartels don't like the candidates they back.
 
  +
Watson (phone): I know. It's just...
That's bollocks.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): You're doing that wrong. Sorry. Kitty's agreed to take part in an exercise.
On the record and off.
 
  +
Watson (phone): Have you told her about the uh, matriculation yet?
In your experience, detective, how often does the party on the receiving end of a cartel assassination say: "If only we knew what we'd done to upset them"? No.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Nope, but it is on today's agenda.
When a criminal organization sends a violent message it does so with a certainty that that message is clear.
 
  +
Watson (phone): Well, I'm working at Leda today, so maybe I'll come by with some pizzas, and offer my congratulations in person.
AgriNext knows and they're just not telling us.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): The Captain's calling me. Do you wish to hold?
You guys were at AgriNext yesterday.
 
  +
Watson (phone): No. Take it. I'll see you later.
You talk to another executive? Yeah.
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Captain.
We thought she might have something to do with the murder.
 
  +
Gregson (phone): A body just turned up. I need you at the scene.
She?
 
  +
Holmes (phone): Right, we'll leave immediately.
Her name is Barbara Conway and she runs the GMO.
 
  +
Gregson (phone): No. Just you.
Well, she's in the clear for these two.
 
  +
Witness saw a Hispanic male light them up.
 
  +
Gregson: Her name is Melanie Vilkas, 24 years old. She went missing a few days ago. Whoever took her kept her alive until last night and then he dumped her.
Thirties.
 
  +
Holmes: And the reason I couldn't bring Kitty with me?
We're getting a sketch going.
 
  +
Gregson: Take a look at her back. They're the same markings I saw in those files you gave me, the same ones that are on Kitty's back.
Maybe he's also the guy who did Dubrovensky.
 
  +
Holmes: So the man who hurt her is here in New York.
The rope used to bind the victims' hands and feet, it's intact.
 
And most rope would disintegrate at the temperature of a burning tire.
 
This is para-aramid rope.
 
It's made for the express purpose of resisting extreme heat.
 
It's a logical choice for an organization in the habit of burning people, right? Can't be too many places that sell this.
 
Military surplus, fire and rescue gear.
 
I'll make a few calls and get that sketch out there.
 
You will recall, however, that Clay Dubrovensky was not bound with para-aramid rope.
 
Further suggesting he was not killed by the cartel.
 
You still like Barbara Conway? Watson and I still believe that she had motive to want him dead.
 
Plus, she worked with these two.
 
You're right, I was not entirely forthcoming with you yesterday.
 
I started collecting flowers I'd been promoted, I was making real money.
 
I could afford an expensive hobby.
 
So you admit you thought you were buying the real Wutai Pingtung orchid from Mr. Dubrovensky.
 
It was the craziest thing I'd ever done, but it was so beautiful.
 
It was so unique that I Eventually I realized it was a fake, just like you said.
 
And you'd been conned out of 89 grand.
 
That was nothing to me.
 
I know how that sounds, but it's true.
 
Besides, I wasn't angry.
 
I was impressed.
 
Duplicating something as delicate as that orchid, something as complex, it's It's more than a science.
 
It's an art.
 
I showed it to a few of my colleagues, and they agreed.
 
I used the company's resources to track Clay down.
 
I offered him a job at AgriNext.
 
That's when I found out about his other business.
 
He told you he was a grower for the SDS.
 
How did that go over with the Human Resources? It made us want him even more.
 
It's nothing we've been advertising, but AgriNext has been preparing for legalized marijuana for years.
 
As soon as the legislation catches up, we'll be ready to move.
 
So you wanted to hire him, but he already had an employer.
 
It was complicated.
 
Clay was excited about the possibility of going legit, not to mention getting his hands on AgriNext's resources.
 
He knew he could do great things with us, but he couldn't just quit the SDS.
 
We had to buy him out.
 
So you entered into a negotiation with a drug cartel.
 
Right.
 
Decorum forbids me from showing my emotions during an interview such as this one, but I assure you, on the inside I am doubled over with laughter.
 
Clay went to the cartel.
 
They set a price.
 
Ten million dollars.
 
The company countered at five.
 
And now "inside me" is soiling himself.
 
He called me the night he was killed.
 
He told me that he was gonna meet with the cartel, tell them to accept the offer.
 
Because he had decided that he was gonna come and work for our company, no matter what.
 
Obviously, they didn't appreciate that.
 
They killed him, and then they killed Nelson and William last night for good measure.
 
These higher-ups you mentioned, can we assume that they'll confirm everything you just told us? If they don't, I have the memos that will.
 
Morning, Tess.
 
Who the hell are you?
 
I'm a friend of your mum's.
 
I know what you're trying to do.
 
Lexi told me everything.
 
This is her aunt's apartment.
 
Her aunt who's away for the next few months.
 
She gave you a key, you gave her a license plate number that would lead any and all interested parties to a man by the name of Grant Perryman.
 
I know he's your father, Tess.
 
He's not my father.
 
He is.
 
He just also happens to be your mother's rapist.
 
That must've been really hard finding out.
 
I'm sorry.
 
Then go.
 
And don't tell anyone you found me.
 
I can't.
 
She was only a few years older than me.
 
She'd never even He got her drunk at a party, and he uh...
 
She was afraid.
 
And stupid.
 
I mean, she didn't tell anyone for weeks.
 
When she did, she couldn't prove it.
 
His parents were so rich, they offered a settlement anyway.
 
All my mother had to do was keep her mouth shut.
 
She did.
 
She was so good at it, she didn't even tell them when she found out she was pregnant.
 
That's why I didn't recognize your picture the other day.
 
How did you recognize him?
 
Did my mom tell you?
 
I have this friend. He has a habit of drilling all sorts of facts into my head. Did you know, for example, that 0.4 percent of Caucasians have brachydactyly type D thumbs. Also called clubbed thumbs. Of those, three-quarters have them on both hands, but I couldn't help noticing in your pictures that you have a type D thumb on your left hand only.
 
Just like Grant Perryman.
 
Your mum put everything behind her, but you wanted to dredge it all up again and force her to talk about it, to the press and to the police.
 
Everyone would find out exactly what kind of man he is.
 
He deserves it.
 
But your mum doesn't.
 
What she went through was terrible.
 
It was unspeakable.
 
But she chose to focus on the good in her life.
 
She chose you.
 
And your mum wanted to make sure According to these memos, everything Barbara Conway told us was true.
 
I mean, the language is deliberately vague and they never refer to the cartel by name, but it's pretty obvious that AgriNext wanted Dubrovensky on the company payroll.
 
Maybe we were wrong about the murder.
 
Maybe it really was the SDS.
 
They wanted to burn him alive, but there was a struggle and he died from a blow to the skull.
 
The killers still had to sign their work.
 
Utterly and annoyingly possible.
 
Mmm.
 
Why does it smell like coffee and fish in here? Is that the plant food that Barbara Conway gave us? The one that you said would kill the orchid?
 
Mm-hm.
 
While it might be an annoyance to your senses, it is an onslaught to mine.
 
I was hoping that the barrage might trigger some new thoughts, but so far, mm-mm We never finished our conversation the other night.
 
Yeah, you said you wanted to make a change.
 
You know how much I value you.
 
I've made that clear on numerous occasions, sometimes embarrassingly so.
 
You've been a good friend and a good partner.
 
It was you, in fact, that helped me understand the concept of partnership, the value of it.
 
Are you leaving New York again?
 
No, quite the opposite.
 
I don't understand.
 
What is the change you wanna make? Kitty, I'm sure you'll agree, has made an excellent protégée.
 
But I believe that a matriculation is in order.
 
So you wanna make Kitty your new partner.
 
That she had the makings of a detective was never in doubt.
 
But I confess to having my concerns regarding her history. The many traumas visited upon her. And I was certain that it would take time to develop her.
 
Years.
 
I was wrong.
 
Mostly thanks to you.
 
Your instruction has been crucial, and in certain areas, more crucial than mine.
 
I'm proud of her, Watson.
 
I think she's ready.
 
Wow.
 
I um, I'm happy for her.
 
And you.
 
I think it's a great idea.
 
The other day you made reference to the balance we'd struck. Your cases, my cases, our cases.
 
This won't change that.
 
It's Marcus.
 
He says they've got the guy who killed the AgriNext execs.
 
That tip about the rope paid dividends.
 
Marcus canvassed the shops that sell it, and one of the owners remembered this guy, Marco Gonçalves, coming in to buy a bunch of it.
 
Security cameras outside the store caught his license plate.
 
We put a FINEST message out, and a radio car got lucky.
 
Now, the prints place him at the AgriNext executives' murders.
 
So does the witness.
 
I take it from the legal pad, he's writing his confession.
 
In addition to copping to killing the AgriNext execs, he wants to take credit for a dozen other hits.
 
He's trying to maximize his value to the SDS, absorb as many charges as he can since he already knows he's going away for life.
 
But here's the thing.
 
Only murder he won't take the rap for is Clay Dubrovensky's.
 
He does seem to have an idea as to who did do it, but he won't give us a name.
 
Best guess right now is a rival cartel.
 
Maybe they identified Sangue do Sangue's grower in New York and killed him to mess with their business.
 
We'll keep you posted.
 
You said the other night that if another cartel killed Dubrovensky, they would've signed their work.
 
A cartel would.
 
A corporation would not.
 
Hey, take everything Barbara Conway told us and flip it.
 
Dubrovensky didn't tell the SDS he wanted out of the deal.
 
He told AgriNext.
 
They were the ones who got angry.
 
Perhaps they were worried he knew too much.
 
Or they didn't wanna have to compete with his weed further down the line.
 
Well, either way, they framed the SDS and the cartel retaliated.
 
Immolating two of the top brass, and leaving them on an AgriNext lawn.
 
I propose another conversation with Miss Conway.
 
If she wasn't a part of what happened, perhaps she can tell us who was.
 
Did you give Dubrovensky's ex-girlfriend my number? You know I don't like to give out my own.
 
Well, she wants to talk.
 
Says it's important.
 
A case of the munchies, perhaps.
 
You go.
 
I'll locate Miss Conway.
 
Hey.
 
I wasn't sure you'd come.
 
Why did you want me to meet you here? The super lives next door.
 
Only he won't let me into Clay's apartment unless someone from the department signs off.
 
And why do you wanna go inside Clay's apartment? Clay gave me this.
 
He made it.
 
He grew it.
 
It's a yellow clivia.
 
When you texted me, you said it was important.
 
He used to give me special food.
 
Even after we broke up.
 
He made it himself.
 
And it's inside.
 
I thought that maybe if you spoke to the super You must think I'm an idiot, starting up again with a guy who cheated on me getting sentimental about a flower he gave me.
 
Well, I'm not here to judge you.
 
You know what the really stupid thing is? Is that he gave these to all the girls.
 
What do you mean?
 
Girls he was sleeping with.
 
He would give them a yellow clivia.
 
Just like mine.
 
It's like his move.
 
He told me that when we started hooking up again.
 
I probably should've been mad, but we weren't back together, you know? I actually thought it was kind of funny.
 
Found it.
 
Plant food.
 
Like I told you, it's gross.
 
It smells like coffee and...
 
Fish.
 
It's Clay's special recipe.
 
Made just for the clivia.
 
Watson.
 
Hey.
 
Conway's coming to the station tomorrow? Yes.
 
She claims to have no knowledge of an AgriNext conspiracy to kill Dubrovensky, but she has a few ideas as to who might.
 
That's because you were right all along.
 
She's the one who did it.
 
Please, take a seat.
 
Is Mr. Holmes coming?
 
No.
 
It's just us today.
 
He caught me off guard last night.
 
This idea that someone from AgriNext may have killed Clay.
 
But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered.
 
The company's been accused of much worse.
 
Usually overseas, but still...
 
I know it was you, Barbara.
 
Excuse me?
 
I know you killed Clay.
 
When you gave us the orchid the other day, you accidentally included some food for a yellow clivia, a very special one that Clay gave you.
 
The two of you were involved.
 
I don't see how that has anything to do with what you I don't think you planned to kill him.
 
That's important.
 
You realized he was sleeping with his ex, and you confronted him.
 
But it didn't go well.
 
I think I should call my lawyer.
 
You could, but I wouldn't.
 
He'll tell you to leave.
 
And this is your one, best chance to show contrition, to try and make people understand that you did not mean to kill Clay or the Kelleys.
 
Like I said, I don't think you went to Clay's that night with the intention of killing him.
 
You didn't show up with a hollowed-out tire which means you had to go out and get one right after it happened.
 
Now, my colleagues are combing the area around Clay's apartment right now.
 
It is only a matter of time before someone recognizes your picture.
 
Now, they know I'm talking to you right now, Barbara.
 
So the longer you wait, and the more you make them work for this, the harder it's gonna be for you.
 
I kept it.
 
The clivia.
 
I know how crazy that sounds, but I loved him.
 
Would it have been more satisfying to eviscerate a corporate behemoth? Unquestionably.
 
But the true killer has confessed.
 
We can ask for little more.
 
I know.
 
It's just...
 
You're doing that wrong.
 
Sorry.
 
Kitty's agreed to take part in an exercise.
 
Have you told her about the, uh, matriculation yet? Nope, but it is on today's agenda.
 
Well, I'm working at Leda today, so maybe I'll come by with some pizzas, and offer my congratulations in person.
 
The Captain's calling me.
 
Do you wish to hold? No.
 
Take it.
 
I'll see you later.
 
Captain.
 
A body just turned up.
 
I need you at the scene.
 
Right, we'll leave immediately.
 
No.
 
Just you.
 
Her name is Melanie Vilkas, She went missing a few days ago.
 
Whoever took her kept her alive until last night and then he dumped her.
 
And the reason I couldn't bring Kitty with me? Take a look at her back.
 
They're the same markings I saw in those files you gave me, the same ones that are on Kitty's back.
 
So the man who hurt her is here in New York.
 
   
 
</poem>
 
</poem>

Revision as of 12:28, 21 December 2018

S03E10-Holmes Watson Gregson flower
Transcript
This page is a transcript for the episode "Seed Money" from the third season of Elementary.

Kitty Winter: "Life is stranger than anything the mind could invent." That's something my friend likes to say. When I agreed to come to New York with him, I was still hurting. He'd offered an education, and I was gonna take it. I was gonna use it. I'd just listen and I'd learn and when the time was right, I would move on. But then I made another friend. And another one. My friend was only half right. Life is strange, but it's also good.

Miranda Jantzen: Kitty, right? I'm Miranda. Your friend, the one that you talk about sometimes, he's teaching you to be a detective? I was wondering if you could help me with something. Her name is Tess.
Kitty: How many days has she been gone now?
Miranda: Three. She's done this before. Let me worry while she partied and crashed with friends. But I've called everyone I can think of. They say she isn't with them.
Kitty: You're not wearing a wedding band. Is Dad not in the picture?
Miranda: Tess doesn't have a dad. Not really. He's the reason I'm a part of this group.
Kitty: He was your rapist?
Miranda: I always told her that her father was someone I loved, that he died before she was born. But kids grow up. They get curious. Last year she started asking questions. I figured it was time I told her the truth. That's when the partying started, the running away. I've been to the cops four times in the past six months. I can tell they don't take me seriously anymore. So I thought of you. Will you help me find her?

Detective Bell: You've been standing there for a while now.
Sherlock Holmes: I'm thinking.
Bell: Well, can you think a little faster? The ME's van just pulled up, and the Kelleys are pretty ripe.
Joan Watson: Hey.
Holmes: Watson. Wasn't expecting you so soon. Thought you were with a private client.
Watson: Wasn't the job for me. So, what's up?
Holmes: Certainly not the Kelleys. They've been dead for days.
Bell: The housekeeper found them a couple hours ago. They were both in their 80s, but the odds that they died naturally and at exactly the same time are slim. He's just been staring at them.
Holmes: I was waiting for Watson. As you know, nothing helps clear up a case like stating it to another person.
Bell: What am I?
Holmes: The detective is right to be suspicious of the Kelleys' deaths. It's unlikely they'd shuffle off this mortal coil simultaneously.
Watson: Well, I don't see any signs of a struggle. Maybe it was a suicide pact. They both took poison?
Holmes: While I do believe that poison was involved, they most assuredly did not take their lives.
Bell: You saying someone else poisoned them?
Holmes: I am. Only it was unintentional. The Kelleys are casualties of a crime committed elsewhere in the building.

Holmes: While it was difficult to detect beneath the Kelleys' how did you put it...ripeness, I could smell traces of butadiene around the air vent in their bedroom.
Bell: And butadiene is?
Holmes: Is a toxic, gaseous by-product of burning rubber. It's what you're smelling now. The rest of it dissipated days ago, so we're in no danger.
Watson: What, you think someone set a fire down here?
Holmes: Of sorts. This building is a converted brownstone. Each of the three floors above have been turned into an apartment. But the vents still allocate air from a main return line. Kelleys live on the first floor. They took the brunt of the gas.
Watson: Do we know if the other residents are okay?
Bell: Uh, the third-floor apartment is vacant and the second floor is occupied, but we checked. The owner wasn't home.
Holmes: Be curious to know if he owns a pair of teal running shoes.
Bell: Why?
Holmes: Because it would mean he was home after all.

Watson: So that's him. Dead guy in the basement.
Holmes: It's gonna take dental records to confirm it, but I believe so. The man downstairs has the same arrangement of moles on his hand.
Watson: "Clay Dubrovensky." He's got a doctorate in botany and genetic engineering.
Holmes: Doesn't look like average doctor, does he?
Watson: No. Looks like Point Break and Magic Mike had a baby. They're uh...
Holmes: Trifles of the cinema, I take it.
Watson: No Kitty today?
Holmes: She's working a case of her own.
Watson: So how's everything going? Last time I saw you, you weren't doing so well.
Holmes: I'm better. Thank you. I still have disappointments with regards to my sobriety, but I've resumed attending meetings. How are you?
Bell: Well, according to the super, Clay Dubrovensky was a dream tenant. He was living off an inheritance, he always paid his rent on time.
Holmes: His method of execution suggests a tie to organized crime.
Bell: Micro-ondas.
Holmes: A.k.a. necklacing. Take a tire, you hang it on the victim's neck, you fill it with petroleum, light a match.
Bell: Doesn't get much more cartel than that.
Watson: I remember there were a couple of similar murders last summer.
Holmes: There have in fact been 10 killings in New York over the last five years. In each case, the suspects were soldiers for a Brazilian syndicate called the SDS or Sangue do Sangue.
Bell: Dubrovensky had an emergency contact on his lease, a woman by the name of Courtney Stever. She's on her way to the station. Maybe she can tell us why the SDS would have wanted him dead.

Courtney Stever: And you're sure that it was Clay? I mean, you're really sure?
Bell: The ME won't make an official ruling for at least a few hours...
Holmes: It was him. The more photographs I saw, the clearer it became. Mr. Dubrovensky is quite dead.
Bell: Can I ask how the two of you knew each other?
Stever: Clay was my ex, sort of. We broke up last year. He was cheating on me. He kind of did that a lot. A few months ago, we ran into each other in a club and, I don't know, we just fell back into old rhythms.
Watson: You slept together?
Stever: And a few weeks later it happened again and then again. We weren't back together, but we were enjoying ourselves.
Holmes: Plus, he had excellent cannabis, no?
Watson: The evidence suggests that he was killed by a drug cartel.
Bell: We did find bricks of cash, growing supplies, doctorates in botany and genetics.
Holmes: Your ex was a grower for the SDS cartel, was he not? Specifically, a cultivator of marijuana.
Stever: Clay did not just grow pot. Okay? He engineered it. He was an artist. And the people that he worked for never got that.
Watson: What do you mean?
Stever: He told me that he started messing with marijuana strains in grad school. Mixing, matching. But he never even smoked the stuff. He just knew how to help it, knew how to make it better. A few dealers took notice, only they didn't wanna hurt him.
Bell: They wanted to hire him?
Stever: Yeah, and he worked for the SDS cartel ever since.
Holmes: Can you think of any reason why they would want to hurt him?
Stever: He got bored. He wanted a real lab, real equipment. I don't know. Maybe he just finally pushed them too far.

Kitty: This is new.
Holmes: Complete inversions allow the human body to flush and detoxify the adrenal glands, which studies have linked to more positive thinking and an increase in reasoning skills. You really must try it sometime.
Kitty: Clay Dubrovensky, is that the name you texted me?
Holmes: Yeah. His lover was unable to name any of his cartel associates but she did know that the grow house where he worked was, I quote, "Somewhere in Brooklyn." I'm attempting to divine its specific whereabouts. Any luck, there will be personnel that we can question. How goes your investigation?
Kitty: I spent better part of the day talking to the missing girl's friends and poking around her laptop. I applied your many and varied rules of observation and yielded a single deduction. She's a brat.
Holmes: You don't think she's in danger?
Kitty: There's no doubt she's in the habit of running away.
Holmes: And nothing bad ever happens to runaways.
Kitty: But the evidence would seem to suggest that she'll just come home when she's ready. That said, I will renew my hunt in the morning.
Holmes: Sure you don't want a go?
Kitty: Quite. Ahem. Did Watson talk to you today?
Holmes: No. We communicated telepathically. Of course we spoke. She's helping me with my investigation. Why do you ask?
Kitty: She just hasn't been around for a while. Just say hello for me, will you?

Watson: Hello?
Holmes: Smoothie?
Watson: You broke into my apartment?
Holmes: You break into my home all the time.
Watson: That is because you force me to.
Holmes: I think I may have found the address of Clay Dubrovensky's Brooklyn grow house.
Watson: How?
Holmes: Rubles. There was change found in his pocket. Three dimes, a nickel, two coins just like this one. It's a five-ruble piece. It's similar in size and texture to an American quarter. There were similar coins found on his counter. As you can see, they're also mixed in with American currency. Now, these coins are the very opposite of collectible. It's most likely he received them mistakenly as change in a Russian neighborhood.
Watson: There's a big Russian community in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.
Holmes: Now, as you are no doubt aware, a grow house would require an extremely high volume of grow lamps to be running at all times. So with the help of the Captain, I identified the largest non-commercial consumer of kilowatt hours in the area. He and a phalanx of ESU officers are on their way as we speak.
Watson: Well, I'll get dressed.
Holmes: Oh, before you do, I think it's best if we talk.
Watson: About?
Holmes: Whatever it was you wanted to discuss with me yesterday. You seemed quite pregnant at Dubrovensky's apartment. You've obviously already discussed it with Kitty.
Watson: How could you...
Holmes: The motives of some women are inscrutable. Their most trivial action may mean volumes. Their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin. You two are not like that.
Watson: I'm folding my private detective business and I'm going to go work for Leda. They're a global insurance company. I'm gonna be one of their in-house investigators. I did some freelance work for them and they were impressed so they asked me to join on a more permanent basis. This isn't really gonna change the work that you and I do. This balance that we've struck, my cases, your cases, our cases, that is not gonna change. I'm gonna have time for Leda and the department. That is the only way I agreed to sign on.
Holmes: An insurance company.
Watson: Yeah, I like the people there. Listen, I was gonna tell you a few weeks ago, but you were struggling. And the last time I told you I wanted to make a change, you took off to London.
Holmes: It's the Captain. The residence we identified is Dubrovensky's grow house. He's expecting us.

Captain Gregson: No one was here when we took the door. Which is not so weird in and of itself, but take a look at these plants.
Holmes: They're dying.
Gregson: Not all of them, but a lot. At least a couple of hundred grand's worth. Says to me that Dubrovensky was the only guy who worked here. He died, his plants started to follow.
Watson: Only they were never his plants, right? They were the cartel's, so why would they just let them die?
Holmes: Perhaps they didn't know he'd been killed.
Gregson: Aren't we thinking that they killed him?
Holmes: Are either of you familiar with the Wutai Pingtung orchid? It originated in the remote Wutai region of Taiwan. Decades of commercial development saw the extinction of the moths that pollinated them. The orchids died off until only one remained, making it the absolute rarest of rare flowers. There is only one living in the entire world and it has an estimated value of a quarter million dollars.
Gregson: Fascinating. What has it got to do with any of this?
Holmes: Just over a year ago, the Wutai Pingtung was stolen from an international flower show. And it's sitting right over there. We thought Mr. Dubrovensky was killed over plants that you can smoke. Perhaps he was killed over one you cannot.

Holmes: Autopsy report on Clay Dubrovensky. I'm now quite certain the SDS did not kill him.
Watson: Still think he died over a flower?
Holmes: As I explained, this is no mere flower. This is the...
Watson: Wutai Pingtung. It's rare. I get it.
Holmes: An honest politician is rare. A marriage worth the bother is rare. This is the only orchid of its kind in existence.
Watson: It says here that Dubrovensky was dead before he was lit on fire.
Holmes: Succumbed to blunt force trauma in the back of his skull.
Watson: But isn't the point of necklacing to burn the victim while he's alive?
Holmes: Mmm. Would've been quite sporting of them to kill him prior to ignition.
Watson: Maybe it was a rival gang. They kill Dubrovensky and then frame the SDS.
Holmes: Cartels don't frame people. They sign their work repeatedly and aggressively.
Watson: So this orchid was stolen over a year ago by Dubrovensky?
Holmes: That's one possibility. Another possibility is that he bought it on the black market.
Watson: There's a black market for flowers?
Holmes: Ish. Most transactions are completed via online auction sites. The thief lists a more innocuous item. This can, for example. And then positions it in front of the item that he really wishes to sell. To the untrained eye, the flower looks like mere backdrop.
Watson: Okay. So, what happens when my soda sells for $250,000? Won't that raise a few eyebrows?
Holmes: You keep the auction private. And it's established beforehand that a bid of $1 is worth $100 or 1000 so an item that appears to have sold for $15...
Watson: Is actually going for 15 grand.
Holmes: It's possible that Dubrovensky successfully bid on the orchid and then the losing bidder came looking for him.
Watson: What about the flower's original owner?
Holmes: Less original owner and more discoverer. I don't like him for a flaming tire murder, do you?

Kitty: Lexi?
Lexi: Cool place. Do you have any coffee here? Maybe an espresso machine?
Kitty: You texted me. You told me that you might be able to help me find Tess.
Lexi: Yeah, I heard you were asking about her. A friend gave me your number. Look, she called me last week. She thought some guy in a white Jaguar was following her. I told her it was the stuff we smoked that day and she was paranoid.
Kitty: She's been gone four days now. Do you still think she was paranoid? When she called, did she describe the driver?
Lexi: No. But I do have the license plate.
Kitty: You thought she was paranoid yet took down the plate number?
Lexi: I guess.

Holmes: Murderers.
Bell: Who?
Holmes: All of them.
Barbara Conway: Detective Bell. Barbara Conway. I'm senior vice president of...
Holmes: Of AgriNext's GMO research. Quite the corporate monstrosity, AgriNext. Hmm? In addition to your dominance in agricultural industries, there is powerful evidence to suggest that your neonicotinoid insecticides are the culprits in the ongoing bee genocide known as colony collapse disorder. Would you care to comment on that?
Conway: When you told my assistant you had questions, was that just a lie to get in and harass me?
Bell: Miss Conway, are you familiar with the name Clay Dubrovensky?
Conway: No.
Watson: What about the Wutai Pingtung orchid?
Conway: I'm sorry. What?
Holmes: You are very good at feigning innocence. Perhaps it's all that lying about the bees.
Bell: Clay Dubrovensky was found murdered yesterday. My colleagues checked his Internet history 'cause they thought it might have had something to do with the orchid.
Holmes: Instead, we found record of him selling it. To you. Please don't ask us to believe you paid $89 for a bureau that just happens to have one of the world's rarest flowers sitting on top of it. We are well aware of the codes and price multiples employed in such illegal transactions.
Watson: The day after the auction ended, Dubrovensky deposited a cashier's check for $89,000 into a bank account.
Holmes: You thought you were getting the only Wutai Pingtung orchid in the world for a virtual steal. Only Mr. Dubrovensky never delivered. He kept it for himself.
Watson: But you couldn't complain to the auction site or the police. Not without admitting that you had tried to purchase a very valuable stolen object.
Holmes: You track Mr. Dubrovensky down, you confront him, things go poorly. I'm not sure how you knew to frame the SDS cartel for his murder but perhaps you bought furniture from him before.
Conway: You're right, I did buy that bureau. But if you're saying this Dubrovensky person was the seller, okay, sure. I only ever knew him by his account name.
Holmes: Miss Conway...
Conway: He threw the flower in for free. It's in the conference room if you'd like to see it.

Conway: It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. But I would never pay $89,000 for it. If you need it for your investigation, by all means take it. I'm sorry I'm not the murderer you were hoping I was.

Grant Perryman: For the last time, I've never seen this girl before in my life.
Gregson: But you do own the vehicle that was described to us. The plates we were given come back to you.
Perryman: Which can only mean that someone's playing some sort of prank.
Kitty: What about this girl? You ever seen her before?
Perryman: This is amazing. Why don't you show me photos of every missing girl in the city? It's not like I don't have anything else to do.
Gregson: This girl told a friend that she saw your car following her last Saturday, so if you want us to get you...
Perryman: Wait, wait. Wait a second. Last Saturday? Was she in Baltimore?
Kitty: No.
Perryman: Well, that's interesting, because I was. My son's lacrosse team had a tournament. We took the Jag. You wanna ask me more questions, contact my attorney.
Kitty: Mr. Perryman, before you go, has anyone ever told you that you have a queer left thumb?
Gregson: What was that about?
Kitty: I don't think he did it. I don't think he took Tess. But I think I know how to find her.

Watson: So there are two Wutai Pingtung orchids left, not one. So what?
Holmes: It was my understanding that was impossible.
Watson: And your understanding can never be wrong? Did you notice these bags the AgriNext lady left in the box with the orchid?
Holmes: Yep. They're plant food.
Watson: So, what do you think they look hungry?
Holmes: You wish to kill them?
Watson: You just said this was food.
Holmes: For some other plants. Can you not tell by the smell? That's ground coffee and mackerel. Mackerel has an extremely high nitrogen content. Too high for orchids. Miss Conway gave us that bag by mistake. The correct one is the other bag.
Watson: What, were worried I was gonna kill them before you could?
Holmes: Root structures are like fingerprints. No two are the same. These are identical.
Watson: Okay, how could you possibly...
Holmes: They're also the root structures of plants no older than 6 months. The real Wutai Pingtung is 5 years old.
Watson: Wait a minute, are you saying that these are fakes?
Holmes: Clones. Mr. Dubrovensky's lover said he had grown bored. He has doctorates in botany.
Watson: And genetics.
Holmes: If he never laid hands on the original orchid he at least acquired a cutting. That would've been more than enough to make him the floral forger.
Watson: The AgriNext exec, Barbara Conway. Maybe she realized she bought a fake, and confronted him.
Holmes: Dubrovensky could've produced dozens, which means his scam could've been executed dozens of times. Miss Conway should return to our suspect list. But we should also look for evidence of other victims. What are you doing?
Watson: Well, they may be fakes but they're still beautiful. I am going to water them.
Holmes: It occurs to me I haven't congratulated you on your new venture with the insurance company, Leda. Congratulations.
Watson: Thanks.
Holmes: I understand why you waited to tell me. Um, I do tend to react poorly to change.
Watson: Well, like I said, this shouldn't be much change at all. I'll still be at the precinct all the time.
Holmes: Even if you weren't, it's your life, Watson. I've no right to a monopoly. Uh, the truth is, I've been considering a change of my own. Mmm. It's completely unrelated to your news, I assure you, but it has been weighing on my mind and I thought I should apprise you of it.
Watson: Um, isn't that your phone?
Holmes: It can wait.
Watson: It's Captain Gregson.
Watson (phone): Hello.
Gregson (phone): Is Holmes with you?
Watson (phone): Yeah, he's right here.
Gregson (phone): I thought you two would wanna know there were two more necklace murders tonight. The killers left a message this time. "Guerra e Guerra."
Holmes (phone): Portuguese vernacular. It colloquially translates as "This means war."
Gregson (phone): Usually I would've figured it was for another gang but this is the opposite of gang territory. I'm standing in front of the AgriNext corporate headquarters in Whitestone. You guys were here today, right?
Watson (phone): We were.
Gregson (phone): I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this wasn't a coincidence.

Gregson: William Keller, AgriNext's CFO. And this is Nelson Shelby, one of their board of directors. Now, as far as we can tell, they were abducted as they reached their residences last night, presumably by members of the SDS.
Watson: But why does the cartel wanna kill off AgriNext executives?
Bell: I talked to a company spokesman. The official line is "no idea." But off the record, their best guess is political retaliation. Brazil's a billion-dollar market for AgriNext, so they pump millions into local elections. Buys them influence over policy decisions. Guy says sometimes the drug cartels don't like the candidates they back.
Holmes: That's bollocks. On the record and off. In your experience, detective, how often does the party on the receiving end of a cartel assassination say "If only we knew what we'd done to upset them"? No. When a criminal organization sends a violent message it does so with a certainty that that message is clear. AgriNext knows and they're just not telling us.
Gregson: You guys were at AgriNext yesterday. You talk to another executive?
Watson: Yeah. We thought she might have something to do with the Dubrovensky murder.
Gregson: She?
Watson: Her name is Barbara Conway and she runs the GMO.
Gregson: Well, she's in the clear for these two. Witness saw a Hispanic male light them up. Thirties. We're getting a sketch going. Maybe he's also the guy who did Dubrovensky.
Holmes: The rope used to bind the victims' hands and feet, it's intact. And most rope would disintegrate at the temperature of a burning tire. This is para-aramid rope. It's made for the express purpose of resisting extreme heat. It's a logical choice for an organization in the habit of burning people alive, right?
Bell: Can't be too many places that sell this. Military surplus, fire and rescue gear. I'll make a few calls and get that sketch out there.
Holmes: You will recall, however, that Clay Dubrovensky was not bound with para-aramid rope. Further suggesting he was not killed by the cartel.
Bell: You still like Barbara Conway?
Holmes: Watson and I still believe that she had motive to want him dead. Plus, she worked with these two.

Conway: You're right, I was not entirely forthcoming with you yesterday. I started collecting flowers ten years ago. I'd been promoted, I was making real money. I could afford an expensive hobby.
Holmes: So you admit you thought you were buying the real Wutai Pingtung orchid from Mr. Dubrovensky.
Conway: It was the craziest thing I'd ever done, but it was so beautiful. It was so unique that I...eventually I realized it was a fake, just like you said.
Gregson: And you'd been conned out of 89 grand.
Conway: That was nothing to me. I know how that sounds, but it's true. Besides, I wasn't angry. I was impressed. Duplicating something as delicate as that orchid, something as complex, it's, it's more than a science. It's an art. I showed it to a few of my colleagues, and they agreed. I used the company's resources to track Clay down. I offered him a job at AgriNext. That's when I found out about his other business.
Watson: He told you he was a grower for the SDS.
Bell: How did that go over with the Human Resources?
Conway: It made us want him even more. It's nothing we've been advertising, but AgriNext has been preparing for legalized marijuana for years. As soon as the legislation catches up, we'll be ready to move.
Holmes: So you wanted to hire him, but he already had an employer.
Conway: It was complicated. Clay was excited about the possibility of going legit, not to mention getting his hands on AgriNext's resources. He knew he could do great things with us, but he couldn't just quit the SDS. We had to buy him out.
Holmes: So you entered into a negotiation with a drug cartel. Right. Decorum forbids me from showing my emotions during an interview such as this one, but I assure you, on the inside I am doubled over with laughter.
Conway: Clay went to the cartel. They set a price. Ten million dollars. The company countered at five.
Holmes: And now "inside me" is soiling himself.
Conway: He called me the night he was killed. He told me that he was gonna meet with the cartel, tell them to accept the offer. Because he had decided that he was gonna come and work for our company, no matter what. Obviously, they didn't appreciate that. They killed him, and then they killed Nelson and William last night for good measure.
Gregson: These higher-ups you mentioned, can we assume that they'll confirm everything you just told us?
Conway: If they don't, I have the memos that will.

Kitty: Morning, Tess.
Tess Jantzen: Who the hell are you?
Kitty: I'm a friend of your mum's. I know what you're trying to do. Lexi told me everything. This is her aunt's apartment. Her aunt who's away for the next few months. She gave you a key, you gave her a license plate number that would lead any and all interested parties to a man by the name of Grant Perryman. I know he's your father, Tess.
Tess: He's not my father.
Kitty: He is. He just also happens to be your mother's rapist. That must've been really hard finding out. I'm sorry.
Tess: Then go. And don't tell anyone you found me.
Kitty: I can't.
Tess: She was only a few years older than me. She'd never even...he got her drunk at a party, and he uh...she was afraid. And stupid. I mean, she didn't tell anyone for weeks. When she did, she couldn't prove it. His parents were so rich, they offered a settlement anyway. All my mother had to do was keep her mouth shut. She did. She was so good at it, she didn't even tell them when she found out she was pregnant.
Kitty: That's why I didn't recognize your picture the other day.
Tess: How did you recognize him? Did my Mom tell you?
Kitty: I have this friend. He has a habit of drilling all sorts of facts into my head. Did you know, for example, that 0.4 percent of Caucasians have brachydactyly type D thumbs. Also called clubbed thumbs. Of those, three-quarters have them on both hands, but I couldn't help noticing in your pictures that you have a type D thumb on your left hand only. Just like Grant Perryman. Your mum put everything behind her, but you wanted to dredge it all up again and force her to talk about it, to the press and to the police. Everyone would find out exactly what kind of man he is.
Tess: He deserves it.
Kitty: But your mum doesn't. What she went through was terrible. It was unspeakable. But she chose to focus on the good in her life. She chose you. And your mum wanted to make sure...

Watson: According to these memos, everything Barbara Conway told us was true. I mean, the language is deliberately vague and they never refer to the cartel by name, but it's pretty obvious that AgriNext wanted Dubrovensky on the company payroll. Maybe we were wrong about the murder. Maybe it really was the SDS. They wanted to burn him alive, but there was a struggle and he died from a blow to the skull. The killers still had to sign their work.
Holmes: Utterly and annoyingly possible.
Watson: Mmm. Why does it smell like coffee and fish in here? Is that the plant food that Barbara Conway gave us? The one that you said would kill the orchid?
Holmes: Mm-hm. While it might be an annoyance to your senses, it is an onslaught to mine. I was hoping that the barrage might trigger some new thoughts, but so far, mm-mm...we never finished our conversation the other night.
Watson: Yeah, you said you wanted to make a change.
Holmes: You know how much I value you. I've made that clear on numerous occasions, sometimes embarrassingly so. You've been a good friend and a good partner. It was you, in fact, that helped me understand the concept of partnership, the value of it.
Watson: Are you leaving New York again?
Holmes: No, quite the opposite.
Watson: I don't understand. What is the change you wanna make?
Holmes: Kitty, I'm sure you'll agree, has made an excellent protégée. But I believe that a matriculation is in order.
Watson: So you wanna make Kitty your new partner.
Holmes: That she had the makings of a detective was never in doubt. But I confess to having my concerns regarding her history. The many traumas visited upon her. And I was certain that it would take time to develop her. Years. I was wrong. Mostly thanks to you. Your instruction has been crucial, and in certain areas, more crucial than mine. I'm proud of her, Watson. I think she's ready.
Watson: Wow. I um, I'm happy for her. And you. I think it's a great idea.
Holmes: The other day you made reference to the balance we'd struck. Your cases, my cases, our cases. This won't change that.
Watson: It's Marcus. He says they've got the guy who killed the AgriNext execs.

Gregson: That tip about the rope paid dividends. Marcus canvassed the shops that sell it, and one of the owners remembered this guy, Marco Gonçalves, coming in to buy a bunch of it.
Bell: Security cameras outside the store caught his license plate. We put a FINEST message out, and a radio car got lucky. Now, the prints place him at the AgriNext executives' murders. So does the witness.
Holmes: I take it from the legal pad, he's writing his confession.
Bell: In addition to copping to killing the AgriNext execs, he wants to take credit for a dozen other hits.
Watson: He's trying to maximize his value to the SDS, absorb as many charges as he can since he already knows he's going away for life.
Gregson: But here's the thing. Only murder he won't take the rap for is Clay Dubrovensky's.
Bell: He does seem to have an idea as to who did do it, but he won't give us a name. Best guess right now is a rival cartel. Maybe they identified Sangue do Sangue's grower in New York and killed him to mess with their business.
Gregson: We'll keep you posted.

Watson: You said the other night that if another cartel killed Dubrovensky, they would've signed their work.
Holmes: A cartel would. A corporation would not.
Watson: Hey, take everything Barbara Conway told us and flip it. Dubrovensky didn't tell the SDS he wanted out of the deal. He told AgriNext. They were the ones who got angry.
Holmes: Perhaps they were worried he knew too much. Or they didn't wanna have to compete with his weed further down the line.
Watson: Well, either way, they framed the SDS and the cartel retaliated.
Holmes: Immolating two of the top brass, and leaving them on an AgriNext lawn. I propose another conversation with Miss Conway. If she wasn't a part of what happened, perhaps she can tell us who was.
Watson: Did you give Dubrovensky's ex-girlfriend my number?
Holmes: You know I don't like to give out my own.
Watson: Well, she wants to talk. Says it's important.
Holmes: A case of the munchies, perhaps. You go. I'll locate Miss Conway.

Watson: Hey.
Stever: I wasn't sure you'd come.
Watson: Why did you want me to meet you here?
Stever: The super lives next door. Only he won't let me into Clay's apartment unless someone from the department signs off.
Watson: And why do you wanna go inside Clay's apartment?
Stever: Clay gave me this. He made it. He grew it. It's a yellow clivia.
Watson: When you texted me, you said it was important.
Stever: He used to give me special food. Even after we broke up. He made it himself. And it's inside. I thought that maybe if you spoke to the super...

Stever: You must think I'm an idiot, starting up again with a guy who cheated on me getting sentimental about a flower he gave me.
Watson: Well, I'm not here to judge you.
Stever: You know what the really stupid thing is? Is that he gave these to all the girls.
Watson: What do you mean?
Stever: Girls he was sleeping with. He would give them a yellow clivia. Just like mine. It's like his move. He told me that when we started hooking up again. I probably should've been mad, but we weren't back together, you know? I actually thought it was kind of funny. Found it. Plant food. Like I told you, it's gross. It smells like coffee and...
Watson: Fish.
Stever: It's Clay's special recipe. Made just for the clivia.

Holmes (phone): Watson.
Watson (phone): Hey. Conway's coming to the station tomorrow?
Holmes (phone): Yes. She claims to have no knowledge of an AgriNext conspiracy to kill Dubrovensky, but she has a few ideas as to who might.
Watson (phone): That's because you were right all along. She's the one who did it.

Watson: Please, take a seat.
Conway: Is Mr. Holmes coming?
Watson: No. It's just us today.
Conway: He caught me off guard last night. This idea that someone from AgriNext may have killed Clay. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered. The company's been accused of much worse. Usually overseas, but still...
Watson: I know it was you, Barbara.
Conway: Excuse me?
Watson: I know you killed Clay. When you gave us the orchid the other day, you accidentally included some food for a yellow clivia, a very special one that Clay gave you. The two of you were involved.
Conway: I don't see how that has anything to do with what you...
Watson: I don't think you planned to kill him. That's important. You realized he was sleeping with his ex, and you confronted him. But it didn't go well.
Conway: I think I should call my lawyer.
Watson: You could, but I wouldn't. He'll tell you to leave. And this is your one, best chance to show contrition, to try and make people understand that you did not mean to kill Clay or the Kelleys. Like I said, I don't think you went to Clay's that night with the intention of killing him. You didn't show up with a hollowed-out tire which means you had to go out and get one right after it happened. Now, my colleagues are combing the area around Clay's apartment right now. It is only a matter of time before someone recognizes your picture. Now, they know I'm talking to you right now, Barbara. So the longer you wait, and the more you make them work for this, the harder it's gonna be for you.
Conway: I kept it. The clivia. I know how crazy that sounds, but I loved him.

Holmes (phone): Would it have been more satisfying to eviscerate a corporate behemoth? Unquestionably. But the true killer has confessed. We can ask for little more.
Watson (phone): I know. It's just...
Holmes (phone): You're doing that wrong. Sorry. Kitty's agreed to take part in an exercise.
Watson (phone): Have you told her about the uh, matriculation yet?
Holmes (phone): Nope, but it is on today's agenda.
Watson (phone): Well, I'm working at Leda today, so maybe I'll come by with some pizzas, and offer my congratulations in person.
Holmes (phone): The Captain's calling me. Do you wish to hold?
Watson (phone): No. Take it. I'll see you later.
Holmes (phone): Captain.
Gregson (phone): A body just turned up. I need you at the scene.
Holmes (phone): Right, we'll leave immediately.
Gregson (phone): No. Just you.

Gregson: Her name is Melanie Vilkas, 24 years old. She went missing a few days ago. Whoever took her kept her alive until last night and then he dumped her.
Holmes: And the reason I couldn't bring Kitty with me?
Gregson: Take a look at her back. They're the same markings I saw in those files you gave me, the same ones that are on Kitty's back.
Holmes: So the man who hurt her is here in New York.