Provenance

You are being watched.

The government has a secret system,

a machine that spies on you every hour of every day.

I designed The Machine to detect acts of terror but it sees everything.

Violent crimes involving ordinary people.

The government considers these people irrelevant. We don't.

Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret.

You'll never find us

but victim or perpetrator, if your number's up, we'll find you.

This is Agent Bouchard.

We have a suspect in custody, but have not recovered the artifact.

I believe our thief is still at large.

Ah! Welcome back, Mr. Reese.

I see your time in Italy was a sartorial success.

What can I say? New suit, new man.

New number. Welcome back.

I do wish we had time for a homecoming,

but we just received one about an hour ago.

Meet Kelli Lin. Born in Shanghai, raised mostly abroad,

and recently immigrated to the U.S. or so says her visa paperwork.

She naturalized as a citizen six months ago.

- Is she a spy? Certainly possible.

Right now, she's working as a professional event planner.

Based on her international reputation, she's quite good.

I found her resume online. Impeccable references.

Easiest way to get close to an event planner is to attend an event.

AWOL and air travel and he hasn't missed a beat.

Ms. Lin has been hired to run the new exhibit opening

at the Metropolitan Museum of History.

A bit of clever computer work

put Ms. Shaw on the platinum guest list.

I'm a sucker for watered down booze and a mini quiche.

As a donor who RSVP'd, you'll be my plus one, Mr. Reese.

- Black tie optional. - I'll steam my tux and oil my...

Finch, where's my spare weapon?

I moved it to the history section a week ago.

Update your arsenal, John.

It appears that the storm has yet to pass, Mr. Reese.

Will you need an umbrella?

Only if it doubles as a tactical weapon, Finch.

- I'll give this one to Ms. Shaw. - I'll just make a dash for it.

Hand-sewn button holes, including one on the lapel.

Impeccable craftsmanship.

I see that Gianni has spared no detail.

Oh, I gotta raise my game up if I'm gonna be seen with you, Finch.

It's just like a shoelace, Mr. Reese.

I find that it helps if you practice on a leg or a collarless neck,

if you're out of practice.

I can field strip a .45 upside down in the dark, Finch.

- I think I can handle a bow tie. - Of course.

Is it butterfly or batwing?

Never mind, take your time.

Hate to interrupt this mildly erotic moment, gents,

but the invitation advises us not to be late.

What?

Well, I see you updated your arsenal, Shaw.

Oh, I can work it.

Along with the .38 I've got in my handbag, so watch it.

Can we go now?

Special exhibit, Finch?

A partnership of museums around the world

loaned some of their most significant cultural artifacts

to use in this one single exhibit.

Something like that doesn't happen often.

Abomination! Misappropriation!

Sounds pretty aggressive out there.

They believe that cultural artifacts

belong to the cultures they came from.

Sounds like a bunch of hippies and art nerds to me.

Still, they could be a threat to Kelli. She is running the event.

Speak of the devil.

Kelli, what am I hearing?

I've got head of security on my ass

about coolers of dry ice in the event space...

Yes, sir, I've heard that too.

I don't have a PO for those. I think it was a shipping mistake.

I won't pay for the mistake.

I spoke to my suppliers. The museum won't be charged a dime.

Plus, they've offered to upgrade tonight's champagne selection

from yellow label to rose'.

Oh, well, I do enjoy a nice rose'.

Oh, my. Dear!

Dear?

Finch, there's no sign of danger in here,

not counting the shrimp puffs.

That was an impressive move.

Saved me having to get paramedics in here.

- Right place, right time. - Do you know who he was?

Warren Zimm, big-time investment banker.

Think, that whole empire down the drain.

- From one cunning shellfish. - Mm-hm.

You know, you have a beautiful accent

and I have an ear for it. But I can't place it.

Where are you from originally?

I spent a few years in Hong Kong. Some international schooling.

Since then, I've picked up traces from a little bit of everywhere.

Huh.

- Enjoy the rest of your evening. - Oh, yes, thank you.

Kelli's good in this crowd. Charming, casually evasive.

- Who'd wanna put a bull's eye on her? - We don't know that anyone did, yet.

Wren, Harold.

Of course, Harold Wren and guest.

Please keep these on tonight to show you're all checked in.

Oh, my, he's gorgeous.

Fancy stuff, fancy guests.

A job like this could give Kelli access to all of them.

And maybe all of their dirty little secrets.

Mr. Reese, do you know what this is?

It's the Nowell Codex. It's over a thousand years old.

Yeah, that's beautiful,

but I think we should keep our eyes on the prize in here,

don't you think?

Everyone, everyone, there seems to be a problem.

Please stay where you are until the lights...

- Mr. Reese? - I'm on it.

Excuse me. Pardon me. Excuse me.

Finch, they're dry ice bombs

packed in airtight coolers with water.

And the perfect smokescreen.

But who delivered them to the museum?

It could be the protestors.

I don't think so, Ms. Shaw.

I think someone's trying to make off with the Cezanne.

Hey! Stop!

Got it, Finch.

- "Right place, right time." - I guess we're both liars, huh?

Boys, you're not gonna believe this, but I know who the thief is.

Sorry, Miss. Crime scene.

Officer, I was just working this event

when, boom, smoke, uh, chaos.

People were running, screaming.

I got swept out the door without my bag. Sir, please...

Whoa, miss, it's 01:00.

What can I do to make you stop talking?

Let me get my bag.

I promise, I won't touch anything

or bump into any of your NCCSI guys, I swear.

I remember what table the staff put their bags under.

Let me know if you find Kelli's.

I hope in the rush she forgot it, after she grabbed that painting.

I'll do you one better, Finch. I got her bag and her computer.

Of course she went for the Cezanne. She has good taste.

I've been hunting her for INTERPOL for over a year.

Female, 25 to 35 of Asian ethnicity. I believe Chinese.

That's all anyone can say, really.

No one's ever gotten a good look at her face.

I almost had her in Dubai six months ago.

I came to New York following a passport of hers.

Dead end, when I got this call.

She's hard to track. She uses accomplices,

vagrants that she pays off if they'll do a little jail time.

She kills them after, you see?

Tell your detectives to be ready.

Anywhere this woman goes, bodies follow.

You hear that about decoys and dead accomplices?

- Kelli's dangerous. - The guard is still alive.

And we haven't seen her hurt anyone seriously yet.

But if we received her number, it could just be a matter of time.

I already looked. Waste of time.

Everything on there supports her cover as an event planner.

Um, shipping orders, receipts, that kind of thing.

If she ditched it, it's worthless.

Maybe it's not what's on the device, but rather where it's been.

All portable devices have GPS chips these days.

If we're trying to track her down,

it will likely be some place she frequents.

There, down on Pearl Street.

A bar called The Purloined Letter. That's appropriate.

Let's go see who Kelli meets for drinks.

Given our proximity and the likelihood

that Kelli is in that bar,

I can use software to Bluejack every phone line in the place.

Dude, I'm telling you... - No.

Excuse me. Can I get a beer? - No.

But I just can't get her out of my... - No.

I got the painting. - Wait, I found her. It's definitely Kelli.

The guys I put you in touch with, you got what you wanted, the ice?

It was where it needed to be. I had to hurt a guard, Cyril.

He should've stayed out of the way.

Your Cezanne. Satisfied?

Only if you are, milacku.

- We're done here. - Hey.

I've been all around the world. So have you.

But you're far from done.

My associates in Prague are appreciative of all your work.

But this next job...

This next job is a masterpiece, Jiao.

You have everything to gain from it, and just as much to lose.

Then I shouldn't waste any more time talking to you.

She used a key, Finch.

At least we know she isn't robbing the place.

I think I've found Kelli's apartment. Only one without a name.

In the bar, the man Kelli was meeting called her "Jiao."

We know that Kelli Lin, Event Planner, is a dead end.

Let's take a look into Jiao Lin.

It seems there are a number of sites

with data relating to a former Olympic gymnast Jiao Lin,

who competed for the Chinese national team.

She won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games.

China had a fine showing in gymnastics that year.