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If you're found eating,
drinking or smoking,
you could be fined $250.
Yah!
Please stand clear.
Please stand clear.
Doors are closing.
Original air date on November 1, 2011
♪
You sure it wasn't you?
Because the guy had
your same little surfer drawl.
Uh, I do not speak
with a drawl.
The way you just said "drawl"?
You said it with a drawl.
What are we talking about?
Nothing.
We are talking
about absolutely nothing.
Someone called into
a talk radio show
last night.
Sounded
exactly like Deeks.
Did he now?
What was he calling about?
Oh, he just wanted to
talk about his feelings.
For a coworker.
Don't you think it's strange
that Callen is a talk radio guy?
Why's that?
I don't know,
I've just always kind of
considered you more of a, uh
you know, a
TV static, white-noise
kind of guy.
I have no idea what
you're talking about.
Well, I am a man of mystery.
Mystery or misery?
Oh.
It's going to be
that kind of day, isn't it?
Buddy, you have no idea
how lucky you are
to have a male partner.
What is that supposed
to mean? Hmm?
- I just
- You know what?
- Don't even answer that question.
- I'm not.
Speaking of partners,
where is Sam?
Mr.
Always Five Minutes Early
is late again.
And he's taken three long
weekends this month.
You know what that means.
He's in rehearsals for an
off-Broadway revival of Cats.
I'll tell him you said that.
You don't have to do that.
Sounds like he's on
a new assignment.
Is he on a new assignment?
That is a question for Hetty.
- You rang?
- Ooh.
Hi, Hetty.
Hi.
So
Yes?
Do you think Deeks
speaks with a drawl?
Well, Mr.
Deeks' intonation
certainly reflects
the motley milieu
in which he was raised.
But I have to admit,
I find I'm rather fond
of his idiosyncrasies.
Did you hear that?
Hetty is rather fond
of my idiosyncrasies.
Well, take it easy, Mr.
Deeks.
That was just a
polite way of saying that
I agree that you have a drawl.
Well.
On with it.
On with what?
- Your new case, of course.
- Aha.
Save it.
What? Hetty straight up
ganked my whistle?
This was pulled from a Metro
security camera last night.
The victim was Nori Ito,
a Japanese accountant
who arrived in Los Angeles
three days ago, along with a
tourist group.
He died
early this morning.
The man giving Nori not quite
the warmest L.
A.
welcome
is Connor Maslin.
He's a former Marine.
How former is former?
Maslin was discharged
earlier this year.
He was administratively
separated.
I'm assuming that's not
an honorable discharge.
What did he do?
Japanese authorities accused him
of sexually assaulting a woman
while he was
stationed in Okinawa.
And this second victim
is also Japanese?
Could be a possible
hate crime.
What else do we
know about Maslin?
We have his home address
in Playa Del Rey,
as well as a list of
his current employers.
Employers? Plural?
According to
what I found,
he's currently
working three jobs.
Well, you know what they
say about idle hands.
Hetty wants us to locate Maslin.
And bring him in quickly
so he can't hurt anyone else?
And quietly,
because the military
can't afford this
kind of publicity.
That's actually exactly
what Hetty said,
except with fancier words
and more syllables.
All right, clock's ticking.
Let's get to it.
Maslin's managed to stay
out of trouble for months.
Why don't you to talk
to his employers, see if
anything happened yesterday
that could've set him off.
- Yeah.
- Done.
Sam and I will visit his place.
I'll fill you in in the car.
What's the two-second version?
I don't think you're
going to like this guy.
You want to know where
Connor Maslin is?
Join the club.
Begs for extra shifts
like a little girl,
and then leaves me high and dry.
Marisol!
You going to clean up the
spill some time this week?
Si, señor.
Uh, has Connor ever
missed a shift before?
Nope.
Frankly, I had no beef
with him-- until today.
What was he like?
Did Connor play nice
with the other coworkers?
Who's this guy? Dr.
Phil?
Did he ever get into a fight
with anyone? A customer, maybe?
Not that I know of.
He pretty much kept to himself.
And in general,
he wasn't a pain in my
Marisol!
Mop!
He did work here
yesterday, right?
Did he seem at all
off to you?
Emotionally
unstable, maybe?
This one make you sing
"Kumbaya" in the car?
- All right.
- Just answer the question, please.
Look.
He punched in, he stocked
shelves for ten hours,
he punched out.
That's as "emotionally stable"
as I need him.
Okay.
If you think of anything else,
anything useful
See ya.
Bye.
Don't worry.
You're
nothing like Dr.
Phil.
Thank you.
With that speech impediment,
you'd never make it on TV.
Now, imagine having to
stock shelves all day
and answer to that guy.
Sounds almost as bad
as my gig as a lifeguard
when I was in high school.
Sorry, shouldn't you
have loved that?
Well, I was at a pool,
got to have a God complex,
plenty of skin, all true.
But I was working at a YMCA,
so I had to watch senior
citizens perform water aerobics.
There was this woman,
I'll never forget her:
Gertrude Norland.
She was a
big, big woman.
Skin condition.
Overly flirty.
Did she ever,
uh, you know
Pretend to be choking so
I would have to perform CPR?
Yeah.
She did.
All the time.
It's probably the most action
you saw in high school.
Okay.
You know what?
And that is why I
don't open up to you
right there.
Hey.
Hey.
What do you got?
Yeah, Maslin was a no-show
for at least one of his jobs.
Well, let me know if
he makes an appearance
at his other two jobs.
Okay.
Our boy on the run?
Maybe.
Got a late start
this morning.
Huh.
If you say so.
Been a lot of late
starts lately, huh?
You know, they say coffee
usually does the trick.
Yeah, well, Hetty just
got me a new coffeemaker.
Except this one takes an
extra long time to brew.
Waiting can be
the hardest part.
Can take a lot out of you.
The waiting,
I can deal with.
But this, uh, coffeemaker
came with a special mug.
An incredibly stunning mug.
Ah.
That can be tricky.
'Cause if you get
distracted by the mug
I know.
- Or if you let things heat up
- I know.
That's when you get burned.
Clear.
Clear!
Hospital corners.
At least the military
taught Maslin something.
Place is immaculate.
Whoever broke in here
didn't look very hard.
Maybe because what they were
looking for was Connor Maslin.
No plates.
New to town and lost?
Something tells me
they're not waiting around
for a Thomas Guide.
Apparently, we're not
the only one looking for him.
Okay.
Nell is helping Eric
locate the black Caddy
you saw outside of
Maslin's apartment.
No dice yet.
That SUV was waiting for
Connor Maslin to show his face.
I'm going out on a limb here,
but could it be connected
to the Japanese tourist
that Maslin just beat to a pulp?
Something tells me these guys
weren't exactly
the tour group type.
Maslin stole Nori Ito's wallet.
Well, maybe he
owes people money.
And the Caddy was
there to collect.
Kind of coincidental he chose
to rob a Japanese person.
Hey.
I've been tracking
Maslin's accounts.
He just used his credit card.
- Where?
- Culver City.
At a gun shop.
Wow.
Somebody just
upped the ante.
Find him.
And once you do,
don't take your eyes off him.
We got eyes yet, Eric?
I'm driving blind out here.
Doing the best I can.
This guy is a ghost.
Maslin took a beating
last night, too,
so look for someone wearing
sunglasses, hiding his bruises.
And long sleeves
to cover his hands.
All right.
Found him.
He's on foot,
east side of the boulevard,
headed north a block
in front of you.
I'm sending the coordinates
to your phones now.
Got it.
Keep eyes on him just in case.
There he is.
White shirt.
What are you looking at?
Nothing.
- Is there a problem?
- No.
It's just
noticed you guys are
wearing the same shirt.
So? Man has taste.
I'd say maybe he's pulling it
off a little better than you.
Ha.
You giving me
fashion tips?
- Focus.
- I am focused.
I'm the one that
noticed the shirt.
Yeah? Remind me again how
you pronounce Balenciaga?
The fact that you even know
that word is very unsettling.
Connor, you're going to
want to, but do not run.
I'm a Federal agent, NCIS.
I'm about as good a friend
as you've got right now.
Eric, black Caddy
headed east on Weddington.
Already got it.
Try not to lose them.
Please.
You're really a federal agent?
Considering the alternative,
I don't sound so bad, do I?
Come on!
The man you beat up
is dead.
What?
Nori Ito died
in the ambulance
on the way to
the hospital.
Makes you
a murderer.
It was self-defense.
You beat him up,
and then you stole his wallet.
I mean,
he stole my wallet.
I was just
getting it back.
So the guy you beat to
death was a pickpocket.
You're going to have
to do better than that.
It's the truth.
I swear.
Why would a Japanese tourist
steal your wallet?
Well, maybe he
wanted a souvenir.
Oh.
They ran out of
Hollywood sign snow globes.
I like those.
Okay, Marine.
You've had run-ins with
the Japanese in the past.
Like your discharge
for assaulting
a young woman in Okinawa.
I never assaulted anyone.
Really?
'Cause it says right here
well, Sam,
maybe I'm reading
this wrong.
That woman
is my girlfriend.
Her father forbid us
from seeing each other,
but we ignored him.
Romeo and Juliet.
I would never
hurt a woman,
especially
not Maeko.
Her father, Akio Tanaka,
created these trumped-up charges
so I'd be transferred
back to the States.
Billionaire environmentalist
of the year, Akio Tanaka?
He had arranged for Maeko
to marry some politician
to secure kickbacks
for his business.
I was getting in the way
of his grand plan,
so he made me
pay for it.
This is all very convenient.
That's an awful lot of effort.
The guy's got an
answer for everything.
He has had enough time to
get his story straight.
All right,
I'm calling LAPD Evidence,
figure out what happened
to Nori Ito's wallet.
It was never mentioned
in the coroner's report.
I just don't see
the connection
between what happened
on the subway platform
and the fact that maybe he
had a girlfriend in Japan.
Maybe he's got a story
for that, too.
Hey, it's Deeks.
I hate to break it to you pal,
but there's not a whole hell
of a lot you can do
when you're here
and she's over in Japan.
After I was
transferred,
Maeko came here
to be with me.
When Tanaka found out,
he sent his men
to bring her home
and to teach me a lesson.
You're saying the man you killed
worked for Tanaka?
That's my guess.
What about the guys
in the black Caddy?
Probably also
on Tanaka's payroll.
Where is Maeko now?
Hiding out at my buddy's trailer
in Malibu.
It's parked
at Malibu Creek.
Will you make sure
she's okay?
We'll start by making sure
she's there at all.
You say you're not a threat.
You're not dangerous.
Then how do you explain
putting a down payment
on a gun this afternoon?
I need to protect Maeko
from her father.
Now, I'm telling you,
Akio Tanaka is not the man
Time magazine
makes him out to be.
Yeah, okay.
All right.
Thanks, Miguel.
That was
my buddy in LAPD Evidence.
Turned out that Nori Ito
didn't have a wallet on him
when he died.
Oh.
What are the
chances Maeko Tanaka
is hiding out in Malibu?
I'd say zero to none.
Yeah, we still have
to check it out.
Road trip to the 'Bu?
Please don't call it that.
It just encourages the people
who live there.
But I really want to be a member
of the 'Bu-Tang Clan.
Please make him stop.
Let's see if anything Maslin
told us actually holds water.
Maeko Tanaka gave up
a penthouse
in Japan for this?
That's assuming she had
a choice in the matter.
Federal agents!
Don't see any bags
or suitcases.
Or a sign
that any female
has ever stepped
foot in here.
Maybe Connor
and his buddy
are starting a little
something on the side?
That's the most believable thing
I've heard all day.
Nell, no sign of Maeko here.
There's no sign
of Maeko Tanaka anywhere.
What do you mean?
Well, I checked
with Immigration
and Border Control twice.
Maeko Tanaka's never set foot
in this country.
Well, we spoke
to your buddy.
Confirmed he was letting
you use his trailer.
But he's never heard
of any Maeko Tanaka.
Well, that's 'cause
I didn't tell him
in order
to protect her.
There was no one
in the trailer.
They they must
have found her.
Or she was never here.
There's no record
of any Maeko Tanaka
ever entering this country.
Well, that's because
I smuggled her
into the U.
S.
from Vancouver.
It was the only way
to keep her safe
and from being sent back
to her father.
This is getting a little
melodramatic, don't you think?
Here's our
problem, Connor.
When we first saw you, you ran.
That's never a good sign.
And nothing we've turned up
supports a single thing
you've told us.
Not the wallet,
not the girl, nothing.
I don't know what to tell you.
Please find her.
She doesn't want to go back.
That's the truth.
Well,
it'd better be,
or you're going to jail
for a very long time.
So long that I bet you'll wish
you got in that black Caddy.
Any luck?
I don't know if you
can call it luck.
Connor fed us yet another
chapter in his story.
Who knows what to believe
at this point?
Simple.
If there are theoretical holes
in the proverbial story,
then answer them.
Thanks, Hetty, but this one
is slightly more complicated
than that.
Mr.
Callen, it's never
more complicated than that.
We don't even know if Maeko
is actually in the States.
And if she is,
like Connor said,
she could be being
held against her will.
Whoever was driving
that black Caddy
has certainly taken
an interest in Maslin.
I'm just going
to put it out there--
he may be a liar,
but I'm not getting
an aggro hate crime vibe
from this guy.
These all sound
like outstanding places
to start.
I look forward
to their swift resolution by
mm, let's say tomorrow?
Maeko Tanaka may not be
in the country,
but her father is.
And he's been here
since Saturday.
He's attending an event
at the Japanese Cultural
Center this afternoon.
Could be a coincidence.
Could be a lot of things.
That's him.
Akio Tanaka?
Yes?
Federal Agent
Callen.
NCIS.
This is
my partner, Sam Hanna.
How can I be of assistance,
Officers?
- What brings you to Los Angeles?
- Business.
What is this about?
It's about your daughter.
My daughter?
What about her?
How is she?
Very well.
Do you know
where she is?
She's home, giving a particular
South Korean rail line
hell over contract terms.
She's in Japan?
Why the interest in my daughter?
Do you have a number
where we could reach her?
Right now?
As I mentioned, she
is rather busy at the moment.
And with the time
difference
It's 7:30 in the morning there.
With Maeko being a worker bee,
I'm sure she's wide awake.
Maeko-san.
And for yours.
Apologize
for the intrusion.
Enjoy your stay
in Los Angeles.
Yo.
Eric, see if you can trace
the last call Tanaka made.
Let me know when you do.
I got it.
All right.
So how many
holes is that
in Connor Maslin's
story now?
Enough to sink him.
Yes.
I don't like the
looks of this.
Well, then,
you're really not
going to like
the sound of it.
- Right.
- What's going on?
The State Department
has suddenly gotten
involved in our case
and has graciously requested
NCIS stand down.
Yes, sir.
- Stand down?
- Yeah.
As in
withdraw, acquiesce,
retrocede, cease and desist.
Your thesaurus
runneth deep, Hetty.
And your drawl
still runneth over, Mr.
Deeks.
The State Department
wants us to stand down?
Excellent.
Now we're all on the same page.
This is Akio Tanaka's handiwork.
Make no mistake
how deep his contacts run
within our government.
Why would Tanaka
have us taken
off the case
if he has nothing to hide?
Because, at this point,
it's the word
of a well-respected,
well-connected businessman
Against a dishonored,
discharged Marine
who we watched
commit ***.
About that?
You should see this.
We already have.
Yeah, but you left
before the final credits.
And that's not Maslin,
because he's on the train.
Wow, good Samaritans
do exist in L.
A.
And he's cute, too.
You think he's a doctor?
Just keep watching.
I'll never meet anyone, will I?
Really?
You guys can't even muster up
the "lots of fish in the sea"
speech?
No? All right.
Let's just concentrate
on the case.
So, Nori Ito had
two wallets on him
when he was
at the subway station.
Maybe the one
that Connor took was his own.
That's the first thing
Connor Maslin told us
that's actually panned out.
But
But?
Look who he's up against.
Tanaka makes one phone call,
and a federal investigation
is DOA.
Semper Fi.
Tanaka and
the State Department
forced us to choose sides.
I'll side with
a Marine every time.
This is bull.
Yep.
- What are we gonna do about it?
- I'm thinking.
All right, we did
a little more digging
into Tanaka's business dealings.
Even though the State Department
told us to stand down?
Well, we figured we do
our due diligence in the case
in case they ask us about
our involvement in the case.
There is no case at this point.
Tanaka is here to try
and win a bidding war
for a multi-million-dollar
government contract
for underwater
fiber optic cable installation.
So he's here legitimately?
It looks that way.
Well, and we know his daughter,
Maeko, is still in Japan.
Actually, we don't know that.
I thought Sam spoke
to her this morning.
Sam spoke to a woman claiming
to be Tanaka's daughter.
And even if it was Maeko,
how do we know she was in Japan
and not coming
straight out of Compton?
Compton?
I said it for dramatic effect.
Eric's still tracing
Tanaka's call.
Well, what about
the Japanese tourist
that was beaten to death?
Nori Ito was identified
by his brother, Takai,
this morning.
Was his brother part of
the same tour group?
Uh, no.
Then his brother got here
pretty damn fast,
considering Ito's been dead
for less than 24 hours.
Eric, what are the chances
we could break into
the morgue's surveillance?
Slim to none.
Unless you possess mad skills.
What time was
the body identified?
Uh, 11:38 this morning.
One city morgue
coming right up.
Thank you, Eric.
It's a busy place.
People are dying
to get in there.
No?
Come on,
that's pure Catskills.
You people have no appreciation
for the classics.
Right there.
Sam?
That's one of the two guys
that were shadowing Maslin.
The deeper we dig, the more
our Marine's story rings true.
Where's Tanaka staying?
I'm sorry, this entire floor
is occupied.
Well, you still
need housekeeping.
If we do,
we'll call down.
What about fresh towels
or a minibar?
We'll contact you
if we require your services.
Thank you.
Let me know
if you need anything.
Tanaka's got
the entire floor
locked down.
Time for plan D.
No one here
ordered room service.
Oh, it's compliments
of the hotel manager.
This is an assortment
of seasonal fresh fruit,
and this is a dessert sampler
that is highlighting
the best pastry shops
in Beverly Hills.
Yes, okay.
Thank you.
- Okay.
- We'll take it.
It's okay.
I can bring it.
No, that won't
be necessary.
It's actually not a problem.
No, really.
It's my job, sir.
Not today.
You need something else?
Well, I wouldn't say
I technically need anything,
but, um, it's usually
considered a nice gesture
when services
are rendered that--
That's very kind of you.
You didn't have to do that.
But thank you so much.
Be sure to try
the snickerdoodles,
because it's like biting into
a little piece of heaven.
You know what I mean?
Wonderful.
I bet you got stonewalled, too.
Quite the contrary.
I thought those guys were great.
They even tipped me.
In fact, they even invited me
to hang out by the pool later.
Ten bucks says
they got a cabaña.
Let's see what
we got here.
That room is bigger
than my house.
And a lot cleaner.
Look at that.
Is that Maeko?
That's her.
That's Maeko Tanaka.
Well, never underestimate
the power of free food.
Seems like she's not
in Tokyo after all.
Imagine that.
There has to be something
you can do about this.
Not if we want to keep our jobs.
Director Vance
has me on a very short leash.
He's even threatened
to bring in
an assistant director
to oversee
West Coast operations
just to keep an eye on us.
So we're supposed to forget
this ever happened?
An illegal Japanese immigrant
and the reputation
of a former Marine
are hardly matters
of national security.
Is that so?
A fire team
is composed of three Marines
and their leader.
Three fire teams
make a squad.
Three squads make a platoon.
Three platoons, a company.
And so on and so on,
all the way up to
an entire division.
But it all starts
with one Marine.
SEALs never leave
a man behind.
But that's exactly
what we're doing.
You know he's right, Hetty.
Maeko is the only one that
can prove Connor is innocent.
If we let Tanaka get away
with this, it's like saying that
his money is worth more
than an innocent life.
Why do I feel as if my short
leash is about to strangle me?
You can't go at it
guns blazing.
Tanaka is a modern-day samurai,
which means, to pull this off,
you guys have to be
modern-day ninjas.
Ninjas.
No one can know this was us.
Who's more discreet than us?
Guys, we got something.
Tanaka's pilot
just filed
a flight plan with the FAA.
He's leaving
Burbank International
in one hour bound for Tokyo.
Any additional women
listed on the manifest?
Just one-- a Mrs.
Kimi Ito.
Her husband Nori's body
is being shipped back with them.
Tanaka's trying to smuggle
his daughter, Maeko,
out of the country
disguised as Ito's widow.
Eric,
do whatever it takes to slow
them down before they get
to the airport.
Tell Kensi to call Rose
at the L.
A.
Coroner's office.
We're gonna need a favor.
And you two are gonna need
a hall pass from Hetty.
What in the world?
All right, please remove
all shoes, hats, belts.
Place them in a bin.
Take your laptops
out of your cases
and place them
in a separate bin.
Thank you.
I have a private plane.
I'm afraid we're on
a heightened threat level
today, sir.
All passengers and planes
are being screened.
I demand to speak
to your supervisor.
Is there a problem here,
gentlemen?
You're the supervisor?
Uh-huh.
I have my own plane.
Hmm, lucky.
Specifically so I
don't have to deal
with this nonsense.
Right.
Well, Homeland Security
has been alerted to the
possibility of a private plane
being used in an act of terror,
so all passengers, commercial
and private, must pass through
all security checkpoints
until further notice.
This is ridiculous.
Well, you could
postpone your flight
and wait until the
threat level has lowered.
My plane is scheduled
to leave in 20 minutes!
Then I suggest you start
taking off your shoes,
because you're
holding up the line.
Uh, arms out
for me, please.
Thank you.
We need a female agent!
- Okay.
- What now?
Right this way,
please, ma'am.
Wh-Where is she going?
Uh-uh-uh.
I'm gonna have to ask you
to wait your turn, sir.
Maeko?
I'm Special Agent Kensi Blye,
NCIS.
I need to ask you some questions
about Connor Maslin.
All right,
please step back
and remove all metal objects
out of your pockets.
That's change, pens, keys.
I have nothing in my pockets.
Your machine is
malfunctioning.
Put your arms out, please.
All right.
Do you have any artificial
metal implants?
Hip or knee
replacement perhaps?
No.
All righty, I'm gonna
have to pat you down.
I can do that in private
if you prefer.
Just get it over with.
Arms out, please.
All righty, thank you.
You have a safe
and pleasant flight, sir.
We'd like to welcome all passengers
to our private terminal.
Please feel free to enjoy
the fresh baked cookies
and beverages in our lounge.
♪
Maeko!
I'm in.
Eric, I still need
those schematics.
All right, I'm sending them
to your phone.
You don't have it
in flight mode, do you?
That was a joke.
That is debatable.
Maeko.
Maeko.
Maeko.
What am I, a contortionist?
Don't answer that.
Deeks, that goes
especially for you.
Ready.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Kensi's clear, Deeks,
but we still need
a little time.
I'm on it.
Sierra Tango, be advised.
You have ground crew
in the area.
We have them in sight,
Sierra Tango.
Oh, gee.
Got a baggage spill
on runway five.
Sierra Tango,
please hold position.
You are clear to taxi on Charlie
after ramp personnel
has clearance.
Will hold, Sierra Tango.
Good to go, Deeks.
Maeko!
Maeko!
Maeko?
Connor!
How did your father
agree to let you go?
He didn't.
It's a long story
and I'm sure
she'll tell you
all about it.
With Maeko's testimony
and our case report,
you should get upgraded
to an honorable discharge.
Really?
You'll have to jump
through some hoops
with the Board for
Correction of Naval Records,
but we'll back you up.
I We don't know
how to thank you.
Stay out of trouble, don't
miss your court hearings.
Good luck.
They're so sweet.
All right, Sleepless in Seattle,
you want to grab a beer?
If you ask me nicely.
You know what, forget about it.
Why?
I know where
this is headed.
Every time you see something
like these two,
you get all Eat, Pray,
Lovesick on me.
You don't like
happy endings?
I'm sorry, what?
Why do you have
to go there?
Oh, my gosh.
I just want to have
some beers with my partner.
I can do that.
Yeah? Can you?
Partners-- just have
some burgers, watch the game.
Of course.
I'm just one of the guys.
Well, if that's the case, maybe
we should hit up a strip club.
- Don't be an idiot.
- All right.
Fair enough.
- Want me to drive?
- No.
All right.
All went down
as planned.
Oh.
So glad to hear that,
Mr.
Callen.
Where's Sam?
He went home to spend some time
with his family.
Ah.
That's good.
He needs that.
Especially now.
What about you?
You ever regret not
settling down, having a family?
Well, I think
about it sometimes.
Maybe when I'm older.
And you?
I think I'll keep looking
for my own first.
Good night, Hetty.
Good night, Mr.
Callen.
Good night, Walter.