Having reached out to Sam in IDENTITY CRISIS, Neal isn't taken completely by surprise when Ellen's mysterious confidant finally shows up in New York. But while Neal wants answers, Sam is the one asking the questions, leaving Neal with little idea of whom he is dealing with. Mozzie hesitantly suggests turning to Peter to bring some clarity to the situation, but with Sam's distrust of the FBI, Neal fears bringing Peter in will only scare Sam away. That doesn't mean he and Mozzie can't do a little investigating of their own, though.
Meanwhile, Peter and the team must take on high-powered "fixer" Landon Shepard when she blackmails an Assistant US Attorney into tanking a case. An intimidating opponent, the well-connected Shepard is as notorious for her questionable tactics as she is for her high profile client list - which happens to include Sara's employer, Sterling Bosch.
Peter and Neal draft Sara into a scheme to catch Shepard in the act of extortion, but Shepard proves too savvy to be beaten so easily. And when the formidable fixer nearly scuttles Neal's attempt to keep his investigation into Sam off of Peter's radar, Neal blows the sting. Now, with both an important case and an attorney's reputation on the line, Neal will have to come up with a new plan to expose Shepard, even if it means putting Peter in a compromising position.
