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7. The Charm Offensive Recap

A woman, Jillian, is caught in the middle of a traffic jam on a bridge. As the police arrive, a badly beaten man runs by Jillian’s car and begs her to help. The police close in on him, and the man, Anton Bergstrom, runs toward the police. One of the officers tasers him, and Anton bursts into flame as the officers realize that he was doused in petrol.

Later, Harry and Suri arrive at the burns unit at the hospital and Suri explains that the taser set off the fumes. The nurses give the detectives five minutes with Anton, and Harry notices the clear glass that they pulled out of Anton. Suri figures that the man’s attackers beat him with a bottle, but Harry points out that the glass is plate. He figures that Anton went through a window... just as Anton grabs Harry’s left wrist. He tells Harry that he was running from Golding and then flatlines.

Later, Harry walks Daisy to school. The girl complains about how Nikhail is coming around and is trying to be nice to her. Once she goes in, Harry calls Suri and she says that she talked to a glassier who was called out to repair the window in a derelict house. The detectives go there and the owner, Zack McGinnis comes out with his guard dog and asks what they want. Harry remembers him as a former Whitecross inmate, and Zack insists that he was rehabilitated and released early. He lets the detectives in and explains that he got his job through the Whitecross outreach program. Zack shows them the broken window and the detectives confirm that someone went through it from the inside. The dog, Gina, runs off, and Harry goes after Zack when he goes after Gina.

Gina is trying to go up to the next floor, and Harry smells petrol. Zack says that he doesn’t know what’s up there, and Harry goes up. He finds a can of petrol, a chair, and discarded clothing. Zack brings Suri up, and Zack insists that it has nothing to do with him. He starts to leave to call his boss, but Harry orders him back and checks the clothing. There’s a charred charge card among the garments.

At the station, Suri reports that they sent Anton’s fingerprints to the prints department. Harry has found a camera shot of Anton using the card, and they watch as a masked man grabs Anton and drags him into a van. The card has a limit of 10,000 pounds, and belongs to a student, Indira Kemal. They go to house where Indira lives with her boyfriend Wakim, and Indira says that she doesn’t keep track of her charge cards. She doesn’t recognize Anton, but Wakim does and says that they’re all students. Harry tells them that Anton is dead, and neither student knows if Anton had any relatives in London or where he lived. As they leave, Harry and Suri both wonder why Indira didn’t react to Anton stealing from her. The torture signifies that it was more than a kidnapping gone wrong. The prints department identifies Anton and confirms that Anton had a history of fraud and petty theft. His real name was Tony.

Karl meets with Alistair in Alistair’s office and suggests that they bring an official action against Harry. Alistair warns that Harry is effective and lucky, and doesn’t take it well when Karl makes a veiled threat to have Alistair ousted. The superintendent hands him a complaint form, and Karl tells Alistair to find a way to get rid of Harry and keep Karl’s name out of it.

Harry and Suri go to Tony’s apartment and find it filled with expensive toys. There are fake IDs for every college in London, and they figure Tony has been posing as a rich foreign student. Harry stumbles across a jar filled with jewelry, including a watch with an inscription: “To Sasha in friendship, from Golding.” Suri dismisses it as nothing and Harry pockets it.

When Suri returns to the station, Alistair gives her a flash drive from IT, and asks her what led Harry to Karl. He assures Suri that whatever she tells him won’t have to go any further, and Suri mentions that Harry became interested in Karl after her partner bumped into Jim Stepton. Harry meets Suri at her desk, and she uses the password cracker on the flash drive to hack Tony’s laptop. Tony made files on all of his targets, including Indira. There’s also video of Indira with Kalim having sex, and they realize that Tony was blackmailing the girls that he targeted. Harrytakes out the watch and finds a video file of Sasha with Kalim. They realize that Kalim is seducing the girls and then Tony moves in and blackmails them.

Harry and Suri go back to Indira’s flat and Suri asks who Golding is. He says that it’s a cover name for dangerous career criminal, but he doesn’t have any facts to share with Suri. They knock at Indira’s door but get no answer, and Harry has Suri use Indira’s birthday on the keypad while concentrating on his bracelet. They go inside and spot Wakim and Indira heading down the fire escape. They drive off before the detectives can catch them.

Alistair meets Jim at a pub, claiming that he wanted to pick his brains about a case. The superintendent admits that he lied and asks if Harry saw Jim. Jim says that they bumped into each other, and Alistair asks about Marie’s murder file. It was reassigned to Jim and Karl, and figures that Harry talked to Jim about Marie’s death. Jim admits that Harry was right and Marie’s murder could have been solved, and walks off.

At the station, Harry and Suri confirm that Wakim is actually Jeff Hartley, Tony’s partner. Sasha is Sasha Terekhova of St. Petersburg, and her father owns the biggest adult cable network in Eastern Europe as well as a number of criminal operations. Harry figures that the boys picked Sasha as a mark, and her father had Golding’s people torture Tony to give up Jed. He figures that Golding’s men are looking for Jed with Indira caught in the middle.

Jed and Indira rent a hotel room, and Indira wonders why he ran from the police. He finally says that he and Tony may have annoyed some bad people, and he has to get far away from London. Jed tells Indira to get far away from him, but Indira refuses to leave him. He claims that his father has locked up his trust fund, and Indira offers him all the money that they need so that they can go aboard.

The next day, Harry and Suri go to the yacht where Sasha leaves. Charles Collins, a “friend’ of Sasha’s father, is looking after the girl. He steps aside as Sasha leaves the yacht. She recognizes the watch and Harry explains that they found it in Tony’s apartment, and Tony is dead after he defrauded women. Sasha points out that she doesn’t appear vulnerable, and Suri assures her that if she was tricked then her parents don’t need to know. The girl isn’t impressed and refuses to cooperate, and Harry asks her who Golding is. She doesn’t say anything and Harry refuses to hand over the watch. After Sasha leaves with Charles, Harry receives a text from Anna.

Charles accompanies Sasha to a car, and she wonders if their own people should have handled it. Charles says that the point was not to put her at risk. He admits that his people botched the job, and now they have to set it right. Sasha warns Charles that he had his chance, and now her father will deal with the police. Charles warns that she’s far from home, and that there are consequences for policemen... particularly Harry.

Later, Charles secretly puts a device in the detective’s car wheel as she waits outside the park. Inside, Anna meets with a waiting Harry and says that he was right about Kevin’s suicide. She repeats the name Golding that she got from Billie, and Harry warns his ex-wife that it’s incredibly dangerous and she should walk away. Anna figures that he’s jealous about Nikhail and leaves. Harry goes back to the car and Suri confirms that someone has accessed Indira’s accounts from a hotel. As they pull out, Charles follows them.

As they drive, Harry sets that they’re getting close to Golding. Suri figures that it’s all in Harry’s mind, and insists that they need a proper plan if they’re going to catch Golding. Behind them, Charles triggers the device and it blows out the tire. Harry concentrates on the bracelet and lets go of the wheel, and the car spins repeatedly as he holds Suri’s hands away from the wheel. The car screeches to a halt, and a surprised Charles watches from down the street.

Later at the garage, Suri points out that Harry let go of the wheel and doesn’t believe his explanation that the brakes locked. She figures that he knows what he was doing. The mechanics replace the wheel and Suri insists on driving.

Paul calls for an escort and Eve takes her place. She goes to Paul’s penthouse and admires a painting of his mother. They share a toast and Eve admits that she’s been hiding. Paul says that she upset people when she gave Harry the bracelet, and Eve demands to know who Golding is. She knows that Paul is afraid of Golding, and warns that Golding will try to kill Harry and take the bracelet. Eve warns that Harry is strong now, and they can take down Golding if Paul helps them.

Jed and Indira return to the hotel and discover that their room keys don’t work. The clerk, Donato, confirms that Indira’s card has been declined. Indira says that Tony had her other card, and Donato hands Jed a phone so he can call the bank. Once Donato leaves, Jed tells Indira to call her friends and get money. He snaps at her and realizes that he’s been lying to her. When Indira tries to walk away, Jed grabs her and Harry and Suri arrive in the lobby. When Donato comes over and asks Harry what’s going on, Jed head-butts Suri and runs into the boiler room. Harry chases after them and Jed uses Indira as a hostage. Suri staggers in and then collapses, convulsing, and Jed escapes with Indira as Harry catches his partner.

Harry takes Sasha home when she refuses to go to the hospital. She collapses in bed and Harry tells her to get some sleep. He gets her into bed and sits down after she passes out.

In a parking garage, Jed takes Indira to her car. Once she dozes off, Jed calls Kalim to get passports to France. Kalim denies payment, and Jed says that Indira’s father is a steel magnate and Indira is good for it. The strip club owner demands a high price and Jed has no choice but to agree to pay... unaware that Indira is awake and secretly listening.

Steve goes to an expensive club to meet with Karl. The deputy mayor warns that Alistair doesn’t have the stomach to do what it takes, and wonders if Steve has. Steve asks what’s involved, and Karl says that he needs an honest man with honest ambitions. He warns Steve that Alistair will blame Steve for Harry’s implosion when he finally goes before the hearing board.

Kalim calls Charles and says that he can put him in contact with Jed. Charles gets the number that Jed called from and tells him not to talk to Harry.

Someone knocks at Suri’s door, waking Harry up. He answers it and finds Eve there. They talk in the stairwell and Eve says that Karl held her hand and told her that he’d do everything possible to solve Marie’s murder... and then covered up the killer’s identity. Harry admits that he was too new to recognize the cover-up, and warns eve that Karl is onto him now. Eve wonders if Karl is Golding, and tells Harry to be careful. The bracelet will protect him but he’s not invincible.

The next day, Nikhail takes Anna and Daisy to the park. Anna secretly asks Daisy to give Nikhail a chance. As they walk, Anna gets a text and hands behind to take it. It’s Harry, and he wonders if his daughter believes that Anna and Nikhail are just close friends.

As they walk, Nikhail asks Daisy if they could just get along. She takes one of his pretzels as Anna arrives. Nikhail offers her some pretzels and Anna takes one.

Harry takes Suri to a café and she insists that she’s fine. Sasha calls Harry and admits that she wasn’t honest with him, and wants to make an unofficial statement. She asks Harry to meet her at the marina, and Harry tells Suri to stay put while he deals with the case.

Jed takes Indira to the marina to the boat that Kalim asked him to meet at. When Indira refuses, Jed slaps her and says that it’s too late for her to have second thoughts. They arrive at Sasha’s yacht and go aboard. As Jed tries to work out the controls, figuring Kalim is responsible, Charles calls and points out the gun on the dashboard. Charles tells Jed that if he kills Harry then Jed will have clear passage to France.

Harry walks up to the yacht and calls to Sasha. He gets no answer, and Jed comes out with Indira behind him. Harry figures out the deal Jed has made, and warns that it isn’t so easy to shoot someone with a handgun. He invites Jed to take his best shot, but warns that when he gets lucky, someone always loses out. Jed fires and hits the sign behind Harry, and Harry invites Jed to shoot again. Jed fires four more times and misses. He takes one last shoot and misses Harry, and Jed shoves Indira off the side of the yacht. Harry jumps in to rescue her, and Jed manages to start the yacht. Charles comes up and tells Jed that he served his purpose, knocks him out, and drags him to a waiting van.

Harry gets Indira to the dock and watches as the van drives off.

Jed wakes up in the van, tied up, and finds Sasha waiting for him with an x-acto knife.

Later, the police find Jed’s body at the derelict house. Harry and Suri go there, and find Jed and Zack both beaten to death. Harry figures that it’s an execution staged as suicide, and Golding killed the guard to cover his tracks.

Written by Gadfly on Mar 5, 2016

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