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When Patty tells Ellen to stop investigating Arthur Frobisher's connection to Calder Security, she decides to hire a private investigator on her own. When she sees Phil, Patty's husband, leaving her hotel she suspects he may be having an affair. When her investigator provides her with the incriminating photos, Ellen makes sure Patty gets them. Claire Maddox is disgusted with Walter Kendrick's underhanded dealings and starts planting seeds of doubt about his leadership with a member of the Board. When it's suggested that she take over the company Claire accepts but learns just how tough Kendrick can be. The FBI inform Ellen of Agent Harrison's death.—garykmcd

Ellen looks at a picture of Agent Harrison, dead of what seems to be an OD. Agent Werner and his boss know better, but they aren't saying. Ellen can't believe Harrison had a problem. They tell her they've investigated and there's nothing suspicious about it. They can still go after Patty.

One Month Later Ellen and Patty in the hotel room. Ellen picks up the gun and fires three times, Patty stumbles to the elevator, bloody. Werner finds her and calls someone: "My informant just shot Patty Hewes."

Back in the past, Ellen walks into her hotel lobby and sees Phil and his mistresses, coyly saying good-bye.

She reports back immediately to Werner, who finds it interesting. He tells Ellen to save the info for later.

Claire waits as Kendrick signs forms dedicating a library. She scowls at his back. She apologizes for questioning him the other day. She was just trying to protect him. He apologizes for over-reacting.

Tom tells Ellen that Patty has agreed to a profile in "New York Style" magazine on her and Phil. The reporter may want to talk to Ellen. It's the first personal interview Patty's given in over a decade. Tom reminds Ellen that Patty is a saint, her marriage is perfect and she's a great boss.

Tom chats with the interviewer about how hard it is to balance a job and a kid, praising the way Patty juggles everything. The interviewer asks if Patty has any flaws. Off the record Tom says: "not a one."

Ellen drops by Patty's loft where they're getting made up. Patty says Ellen would be a great interview; she knows all her secrets. Ellen watches them play perfect couple for the camera and seethes. Ellen storms into Patty's office, upset that Patty has put a halt to the investigation of Frobisher. Patty doesn't want anyone looking into it while they're under investigation by the FBI. Patty tells Ellen her priority is UNR and if Ellen has a problem, she should quit. Ellen storms out.

Ellen interviews a private investigator, who wants to know why a young woman with Patty's resources at her disposal needs someone like him. She says it's a private matter.

Claire complains about Kendrick to Daniel Purcell. He tells her to resign, saying they should find out what's going on with them. But she can't just let Kendrick get away with it. She wants to oust Kendrick and run the company herself. But the board just brought Mitch McCullen in to be second in command. (The dude who Kendrick tried to set Claire up with a few eps back, when she picked up the waiter instead.)

Kendrick meets with the Deacon at the office, who is pleased with what he's brought for Kendrick. He gives Kendrick an envelope and Kendrick tells him to get rid of the Escalade they've been using for coordinates.

Patty's security guard Malcolm watches the SUV and calls her, saying no one's come near it. When she gets off the phone Phil inoculates himself against Ellen, telling Patty that he ran into her at her hotel. He had a meeting. That's nice, Patty says.

Patty walks up to Ellen the next morning, mentioning what Phil said. Then Ellen apologizes for pushing her to look into Frobisher. Ellen says she was over the line. "We've talked about your temper before, Ellen," Patty says, condescendingly. "It's a shame you can't control it."

Claire meets with Mitch, Kendrick's heir apparent. She tells him she doesn't think Kendrick can win the shareholder suit against Patty Hewes. She tells him about the settlement he authorized. She tells him that Kendrick is in over his head with the merger. She's worried about the company, and Mitch could right the ship. She says if he can line up the votes for a change in leadership, she won't stand in his way.

Claire meets with Kendrick, telling him she had drinks with Mitch and he wanted to talk about Kendrick. She tells him the board is unhappy with his performance and Mitch is angling to oust him. She tells Kendrick she told Mitch she'd go along, but she thinks he already had the votes he needs.

The Bearded Man meets with a stern looking guy in a suit about a "female" loose end, fallout from the Frobisher case. The Calder Security guy tells Bearded Man (Rick) to clean up his own mess.

Wilcox, Ellen's PI, briefs her on Calder Security. He says it'll take money to find out more about the police department connections. She says he can use everything she has. And she was right about that other thing, he says, handing her an envelope of pictures.

Ellen goes in to work. She drops a FedEX package in the mail bin and keeps walking. Patty calls Ellen into her office. The reporter wants to interview Ellen. The mail guy brings by the envelope as Patty babbles about how she makes her marriage work, trust and commitment. Ellen waits anxiously as Patty pulls out the photos. They're of Phil, kissing a woman.

Patty remains calm as Ellen plays dumb. Patty says everything is fine.

Later, Ellen tells the interviewer that Patty and Phil are devoted to each other and that Patty is an inspiration.

Kendrick meets with Mitch, calling him out for trying to oust him. Mitch tells Kendrick he won't survive the next vote. Kendrick says there won't be a vote. He thinks the FCC would be interested to hear how Mitch made his first million. Mitch says Kendrick will go down with him.

The Deacon arrives to deal with the Escalade. It's gone.

Patty, Ellen, Tom and the security guy Malcolm listen to a car guy explain what he found in the picked apart Escalade. He tells them about the longitudes in the GPS. He'll hack more.

Claire meets with Mitch. He says he can't move against Kendrick. He knows things. But, hey, Mitch thinks of all by himself, why doesn't Claire do it? Oh, really? She wonders. Could he really do it? Yes, the votes are already lined up. She just has to say the word. Well, look at how nicely that played out.

Malcolm briefs Patty on Phil's tart. He met her overseas. "London," Patty says, "of course." They meet once a month. Malcolm also looked into Phil's financials. He tells her she should expect to be blackmailed. Whoever sent them wanted to hurt her. She tears up just thinking about all the people that could be.

Michael hangs out with his much older girlfriend, who tells him about his mom's visit. He mentions that he never applied to college.

At home, Phil tries to relate to Michael, waxing philosophical about the allure of the older woman as Patty grits her teeth. Michael loves Jill's energy. Phil tells him the most important thing is that he be honest with her.

Claire gloats to Purcell, who's looking forward to dealing with the Aerocyte clean up.

She strides in to the board vote, but finds only Kendrick there. Uh oh.

She tells him she knows about his energy fixing and Aerocyte. She'll tell them everything and he'll be out.

But he tells her an hour ago they voted her out for having a relationship with Purcell, a UNR contractor, which is forbidden according to the company guidelines she wrote.

She goes home, where Kendrick sent her a present. It's a CD-Rom.

She puts it in her computer. It's the video footage of her and Purcell in a bedroom. Claire takes it in.

Cut to Claire telling Patty she wants her to destroy the son of bitch. She can't help because of privilege, but she warns her that Kendrick plays dirty. Claire tells Patty she can trust Daniel Purcell now. He wants to set things right.

Ellen tells Katie she hired her own investigator. Ellen gets a call from Tom, telling her to turn on the news. It's a pack of reporters swarming Phil. They broadcast the photos of him with the tart. Ellen realizes Patty must have leaked them.

Ellen goes to Patty's, where she's sitting in her bedroom, cleaning out her closet with clothes strewn everywhere. Patty says it wasn't the affair, it was that he got caught. That bothers her. Patty looks at Ellen. She can't figure out whether she should thank Ellen for sending her the pictures. Ellen doesn't bother denying it. Patty wonders if Ellen was trying to warn her, or being vindictive. Patty thinks Ellen is angry. Patty takes a drink, telling her Ellen has to let things roll off her back. In response, Ellen asks why she leaked the photos. It's not so easy to let things roll, is it? Patty tells Ellen that things may be required of them relating to the case. It's going to get ugly. As Ellen goes to leave, she turns and says to Patty: "Maybe we're both the vindictive type."

Cut to 1 month later, Ellen firing, Patty slumping in the elevator, bloody. Werner arrests Ellen.