Leverage

You ok, buddy?

Evening, sir.

- Your name.. - Sir, this is a private function.

Are you here to kill me, Nate?

Not tonight.

Well, in that case, come in.

There's shrimp.

I do love shrimp.

My wing at the museum opens this week.

Little celebration for the fund-raisers.

Yeah, blood money buys the best art.

I heard a rumor that you'd -

I'm here to sell you something, ian.

I don't need anything, Nate.

You're lying.

Lying to you would not be worth my time.

Portia?

Portia, this is Nathan Ford.

He used to work for me.

This is Portia Delduccio from the Vatican museum.

Buona sera, signore Ford.

Hello?

Where is everybody?

All right, guys, what's going on?

Ian Blackpoole.

C.E.O. of I.Y.S. Insurance.

Millionaire, famous art collector.

Who two years ago, refused the claim for your son's treatment,

- Leading to his - - Enough!

Drunk again?

Are we still unclear?

I'm a functioning alcoholic, you know?

And the trick is not to get hung up on the "alcoholic. "

But celebrate the "functioning" part of the sentence.

You're getting worse.

This - This is messing you up, man.

We can't keep watching you do this to yourself.

Is this my intervention?

Are my bags packed and in the car, ready to take me to rehab?

You don't need rehab, Nate.

You need revenge.

Portia here is negotiating for a loan

For some of the Vatican collection to my wing.

Ian has the most wonderful collection of renaissance art

I've seen outside of Roma.

Well, his collection's gonna be better than Rome's

If he writes me a check.

Where is your art expert?

There is, uh, professor Sinclair.

Yeah, you can believe what you want, but I...

you want I call him over?

No.

No, not yet.

Come on.

Follow me. My restoration vault.

Oh.

What's this about?

He's found the second David.

Oh!

Michelangelo's David.

The most famous statue in the world.

Sculpted between 1501 and 1504,

Commissioned by the city of Florence.

Like all sculptors, Michelangelo made small scale models,

Or, well, what's commonly known as maquettes, first.

I- I know all this.

No, no, no. See, while you are well-versed in dead-guy art,

I myself am not.

My entire criminal career is based on technology built after 1981.

So I am riveted. Quite so.

Please, do go on.

He famously made two models for the statue,

Clay-fired, then bronzed, identical.

Over the last 400 years, they have been sold,

Lost, stolen, rediscovered dozens of times.

Who has them now?

Well, the second David was stolen from the Vatican 10 years ago.

And, well, it's never been found.

And the first David...

...well...

this way.

I'm giving you a sneak preview.

And now the main attraction.

Randomized laser grid repeats every five minutes.

Serious security.

This is an old vault that I converted -

4-inch steel behind these plaster walls.

Infrared detection.

Vibration detection.

And...

...the first David.

Man, am I glad I don't have to break in there.

That is one sick security system.

What, with our tools?

Give me three days of prep,

It'd be like taking diamonds from the French National Bank.

That's like taking candy from a baby.

I got it.

A very easy thing to do.

Got... it.

Oh, look, little buddy.

That's your new home!

Can you please not play with the little naked man?

- Please. - I'm not.

We sell Blackpoole a fake second David.

You know he's going to insure it with I.Y.S.

Then we let him put it on display in his museum.

And when it's discovered as a fake,

His own company, I.Y.S.,

Accuses Blackpoole of fraud.

He loses his company.

He loses his money.

His reputation's ruined.

Nobody will ever work with this guy again.

Only one problem.

He is not gonna buy the fake David

Until he has it verified by an expert.

That's right.

By one of us.

And how do you guarantee that?

The London examiner, dated just three days ago.

It looks genuine.

$8 million.

I don't have that much liquid.

So sell something.

Second David will be in the country tomorrow

And tomorrow only.

You in or out?

'Cause I have a Canadian oilman

That wants to slap something on his mantelpiece.

- Oilman? - Yes.

We're talking a missing Michelangelo.

It's practically the holy grail.

Are you in or out?

You must return this item to the Vatican museum immediately.

Listen, lady, the sheikh who owns this piece

Doesn't give a damn about the pope, the vat- Anything.

So, of course, you could pay,you know,

Five times the going rate.

- Look, Portia, let me buy it. - There we go.

I'll buy it, and then after my death,

I'll donate it to the Vatican.

I mean, let's not give that heathen a dime more than he needs.

I'm gonna assume that the heathen isn't me.

We have to keep this out of the papers.

Of course.

I want our expert, professor Sinclair,

To do the verification.

No one outside of this room can know we're cutting this deal.

Agreed.

Eliot.

Eliot.

What?

Give me a second. I'm hitting it off here.

Bring her along.

It'll help sell the character,

But now - Do it now.

Nate.

Why did you come to me?

Well, I knew you'd pay the best price.

Renaissance art is your life.

Guilt was a bonus.

- You hate me. - Yeah.

Of course I hate you.

I mean, what - What?

You think I want to be here?

I don't have a choice, all right?!

I'm drunk, I'm broke, I'm living out of my car,

I just want the paycheck,

And at this point, I don't care where it comes from.

Nate?

Maggie.

You guys -

You know each other?

Of course.

Maggie is Nate's ex-Wife.

What is she doing here?

Guys, guys,

S- Stay in character.

Nate Ford.

Hi. Adam Sinclair.

Yeah, Maggie here is, uh, my ex-Wife.

Yeah. Caught that.

That's a mighty fine grip you have there, Mr. Ford.

Signora Ford?

Collins. I use my maiden name.

Oh. Scusi.

Do you mind if I borrow professor Sinclair for a moment?

Yes, uh, we must talk with Mr. Blackpoole.

- Grazie. - Of course.

Maggie

Which conversation do you want to listen to?

That's what stereo was invented for.

Why are you working for him?

I'm not.

I'm under contract with this museum.

I'm just helping him set up his exhibit.

Nate, I heard what you were saying before.

I had no idea things were so awful for you.

Oh, no, no. It's -