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Despite Adam's skepticism, Stella notes that the boy could have strangled his father by applying pressure to the right places. Because the transfer occurred right around the time of death, Stella wonders if Jake killed his father. Adam matches eyelashes on the balloons Kaplan fell with to his son, Jake, and he and Stella posit that the boy is likely OCD. Gillian is determined to get her hands on Kaplan's financial records, and Mac points out that before being named Deputy Mayor, Kaplan was the Commissioner for Construction and Renovation. Deputy Inspector Gillian Whitford pays Mac a visit: someone left a copy of The Ledger, Dunbrook's paper, on her windshield after the gala with the words "Follow the money" written over Kaplan's picture on the front page. Stella recovers a small bloody wood chip from Brendon's clothes, while Lindsay discovers several hairs on his body came from a horse. Hawkes is irritated when he gets a call to fill in for Danny on a court case and expresses his frustration to Lindsay, who defends Danny. Mac questions Miller, who admits to confronting the deputy mayor over the pay cuts and confesses they got into physical fight, but insists he left Kaplan alive.
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The team gets a lead when Hawkes finds a broken off part of an NYPD badge belonging to a detective named Stan Miller at the scene.
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At the morgue, Sid determines Kaplan was strangled, noting an odd bruise pattern on the side of his neck, possibly made by the murder weapon. Stella tracks Brendon down and retrieves his clothes. He's able to draw him out with the offer of a soda and the use of his iPod. Adam searches for the boy and finds him hiding in a cabinet. Neal Weston, Kaplan's brother-in-law comes looking for Kaplan's thirteen-year-old son, Jake. She goes off to collect his clothes, leaving Hawkes and Adam to process the scene. Stella finds a circular trace pattern of blood on the floor and thinks that the origin of it might lie with Brendon, who rushed to help Kaplan after his body landed. Hawkes and Danny arrive at the scene, but Danny quickly pleads illness and, despite Hawkes' scorn and skepticism, leaves the scene. The reason is quickly revealed: a multitude of balloons are released from above, and with them falls the body of the deputy mayor. The two watch wealthy newspaper publisher Robert Dunbrook unveil a million dollar donation to Deputy Mayor Stuart Kaplan's charity, but when he calls for Kaplan to accept the check, the man doesn't appear. Stella is at the function with fireman Brendon Walsh as her date. Mac Taylor, on his way to a charity function for the Manhattan Museum Restoration, notes the lack of cops on the street and at the precinct when he stops a shooter himself. The blue flu sweeps the NYPD following a pay dispute for officers, resulting in 40% of the force calling in sick. See Also: 'The Party's Over' Episode Guide