Jim makes his way into a closed-down theater where he’s briefed on Robert Townsend, a high-ranking intelligence agent and double-agent. The U.S. government fed him fake information to give to his superiors and embarrass their country, but Townsend’s contact Simpson has found out the information is faked and reported that Townsend was defecting. But Simpson is known to be jealous of Townsend so Stefan Miklos, their top intelligence operative, is coming to investigate. The IMF must convince Miklos that Townsend’s information is real.
In the apartment, the team discuses Miklos, who has a photographic memory and no flaws or weaknesses… except himself. They discuss setting up a series of clues without making it too easy for Miklos to figure out. Their only other advantage is that Miklos and Townsend have never met. Rollin practices lighting a cigarette left-handed and shows a faked non-working version of Miklos’ lighter.
Miklos is to get the government’s fake data and a picture of Simpson from a hollow statue at an art gallery owned by Girard. Jim is working as a gas company representative and has the backroom evacuated, claiming a gas leak. Meanwhile, Rollin goes into Townsend’s apartment after he leaves and bugs the phone with a microphone to pick up voices in the room. He then breaks into Townsend’s safe.
Barney and Willy come in as gas workers while Cinnamon is in the gallery. They cut through the wall and cut open the bottom of a case where a statue is. Cinnamon uses a radioactive ring so Barney can use a Geiger counter to find the precise point to burn through using acid. He then takes the papers with the fake data out and Wally substitutes in the papers with even more fake data along with Rollin’s photo substituted for Simpson. However, outside Willy spots Miklos as he arrives and warns Barney. Miklos takes possession of the statue from Girard just as Barney reseals the bottom.
Rollin goes to Simpson’s glassware store and pretends to be Miklos. He demands the proof from Simpson who reveals it’s with another agent, Willoughby. Simpson calls Willoughby while Miklos opens the statue to find the data (which he memorizes and burns) and the photo identifying Rollin as Simpson. Willy and Barney leave the art gallery while Cinnamon makes a purchase, all on the gallery’s security cameras. Simpson briefly tries to test Rollin’s cover, then Willoughby arrives with the proof. As Rollin examines it, Jim calls for Rollin and warns him that Miklos is on his way.
Rollin tells Simpson his cover has been exposed and has Jim get Simpson and Willoughby out of the building, passing by Miklos. Rollin then steps in as Simpson and greats Miklos. Miklos tests Rollins to see if he’s left-handed, then demands the evidence and Rollin says it’s in the hands of Willoughby and needs 24 hours to take delivery. Miklos and his aide Vincent go to Townsend’s apartment and open the safe. They find a false compartment and journal that Rollin planted earlier, with information that could incriminate Townsend to the Americans… unless he had nothing to fear from them. There’s also a photo of Cinnamon and on cue she calls from an apartment and Miklos picks up. She hangs up and plants a partly-burned matchbook cover in the fireplace.
Miklos determines Cinnamon's apartment address from the photo and he and Vincent break in. They find her bags packed and the matchbook cover, as well as two unknown keys in her purse. The painting that Cinnamon bought at the art gallery is also on the wall. Miklos also finds a matchbook with several matches missing on the left-hand side. Miklos takes an impression of the keys and puts them back, and also finds a phone number on the burned matchbook cover. He calls it and acting as an IRS agent gets hold of Barney, pretending to be a broker. Barney asks for a face-to-face meeting, and then Miklos contacts Rollin-as-Simpson to get the necessary fake IRS pages. Jim has Rollin tell Simpson to be at Townsend’s apartment at 3.
At 3, Simpson meets with Townsend to tell him he’ll be going home. Under Rollin’s direction, Simpson sends Townsend to get new codes and the information on his new contact at an airport locker and gives him a key. Miklos gets the papers from Rollin, who secretly replaces Miklos’ lighter with the non-working duplicate. When it doesn’t work, Rollin hands him a prepared book of matches with the left-hand side sticks stripped out. Miklos almost leaves the matches behind, but picks them up at the last moment, much to Rollin’s relief.
Barney meets with Miklos and informs him that Cinnamon recently sold $200,000 in stocks and converted them into a cashier’s check. Vincent is watching Cinnamon’s apartment and sees her leave for the airport. He follows her, sees her put some items into two lockers, then calls Miklos. Barney slips into Townsend’s apartment, puts a hidden microphone in his shirt, and sets the double-agent’s watch back by a half hour.
Using a key made from the ones he found at Cinnamon’s apartment, Miklos opens the locker and finds passports for Cinnamon and Townsend to Rio de Janeiro. At 5 p.m., Miklos and Vincent watch as Cinnamon and then Townsend arrive at the lockers. Miklos and Vincent draw a gun on them, and Townsend is surprised when Miklos shows him the passports. Willy, who has been listening in on Townsend’s microphone, comes to her rescue and Miklos leaves with Townsend.
At Townsend’s apartment, Miklos destroys the evidence and Townsend tries to defend himself. The team listens in as Townsend appeals to Miklos’ friendship. Miklos prepares to shoot Townsend who talks about how he met with Simpson at 3. But Miklos also met with Simpson (Rollin) at 3. Townsend mentions he was at the airport at 4:30 and Miklos notices the discrepancy. He discovers that Townsend’s watch has been set back a half hour, and notices the matchbook with the missing left strip. He connects it to the similar matchbook he saw in Cinnamon’s apartment and remembers that she’s right-handed. Since Simpson is left-handed, Miklos concludes they’re linked. He reveals the contents of the data Townsend gave him, which Townsend confirms isn’t what he sent. Miklos remembers the painting that Cinnamon had at her apartment from the art gallery, and decides that’s where they were set up.
Miklos and Townsend go to the art gallery and review the security tapes. They spot first Cinnamon on the tape, then Jim as the gas inspector. Fast forwarding, Miklos sees Barney and Willy and recognizes them as well. Miklos checks the base of the statue and finds where Barney made the substitution. Miklos concludes the Americans are involved and that Simpson defected, and they’re trying to discredit Townsend’s information (in reality the fake information the government planted on Townsend). Miklos arranges a meeting with Simpson to get the proof against Townsend and Jim comes in as Willoughby. Since Miklos saw him on the art gallery tape, this confirms his theory. Miklos leaves them and prepares to leave with Townsend. He figures since the Americans tried to discredit Townsend’s information, it must be true. He leaves “Simpson” and “Willoughby” to their unforgiving superiors, and expresses his admiration for the mastermind behind the operation.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 5, 2015