Blood Money

Plot

The episode begins with Wesley and Gunn playing Risk at Cordelia’s apartment. She comes out of her room and wants them to leave. The three of them decide that they need a new office and new business cards. Cordelia has a vision of a two-headed, fire-breathing monster under a school for girls. Wesley and Gunn leave to find it.

Angel runs into and knocks down a woman carrying a box full of clothes for a teen girls' shelter. After talking to her for a bit, he goes back to a room and pulls out her driver’s license that he stole. There are surveillance photos of the woman on the wall, one of which includes her and Lindsey.

Wesley and Gunn find the monster in the sewers. They see that it is enormous but attack it anyway.

Angel goes to the demon Merl’s lair. He asks Merl for the information that he needs. Merl says that the girl from the shelter is clean and the shelter is legit. However, Wolfram & Hart paid off all the loans for the shelter when it got into financial trouble.

Angel goes back to the shelter and brings some of Cordelia’s clothes to donate. Anne (the girl he is watching) gives him a tour. She explains how the shelter is run on donations and help from Wolfram & Hart. She also tells Angel about “the big hold-up,” a charity ball set up by Wolfram & Hart to raise money for the shelter.

A big, blue demon knocks Merl down at his place and asks him what he does for Angel. He tells Merl that he and Angel have an unfinished history. Merl explains to the demon how Angel is out to get two Wolfram & Hart lawyers.

Lilah gets into her car in the parking garage and Angel is waiting for her in the back seat. He frightens her and tells her that he understands the game now and the fact that there are no rules. He says that they screw with him all the time and now it is his turn.

Lilah tells Lindsey about her talk with Angel and says that he isn’t playing by the old rules. The big blue demon barges into their office. He tells them his name is Boone and that he has a grudge against Angel. Boone says they once fought for three hours, but he had to let Angel go when the sun came up. He also tells Lindsey and Lilah that Angel is planning to take them down, and when Angel comes for them, he is going to him instead. Lindsey wants to hire him but Lilah objects because the senior partners want Angel alive.

Gunn and Wesley explain to Cordelia how they defeated the monster, even though they were deathly afraid. Cordelia tells them how she started looking for an office. The three of them argue over the name of their new agency as they leave to go look at the building.

Lilah goes to Merl’s lair and wants to know what he does for Angel. Merl tells her about following Anne.

Angel shows up at the shelter and tells Anne about how he has been stalking her. He tries to tell her that Wolfram & Hart is really stealing the money meant for the shelter. He tells her that he can prove it. Lindsey shows up and tells Anne that Angel is dangerous and unbalanced. Boone is with him and fights with Angel, who ends up running away. Anne tells Lindsey Angel said that Wolfram & Hart is planning on stealing money from the charity ball and that he has proof.

Lilah and Lindsey talk in public about Angel having proof and start panicking. They think he is going to humiliate them at the charity ball by playing it there. Lindsey doubles security and brings in a vampire detector.

Angel shows up at the shelter again to talk to Anne. She says she doesn’t care if an evil law firm wants to help her. Angel tells her that the money that Wolfram & Hart steal from her is blood money used to hurt people. He asks her to help him get into the part because it’s the right thing to do. She says no.

At the ball, Lilah introduces the celebrity bandits who go into the audience and “steal” their donations. Angel is watching above in the cloak that the vampire detector was wearing.

Angel and Boone fight on the roof and then tumble into the audience. Lindsey frisks Angel for the tape. Boone asks if Angel is all right, and Angel thanks him for getting him in. Lindsey realizes they were working together and sees Anne moving toward the video monitor with a tape in her hand. Lindsey and Lilah race to stop her. She puts the tape in, and the monitor shows a video of Cordelia and Wesley playing around with the video camera.

Angel explains to Lindsey and Lilah that he did it to humiliate them. Boone took the charity money while they were distracted. As Angel is leaving, Anne slaps him and is angry he used her for this. Angel says he just wanted to shake them up and that the money was tainted.

Lilah and Lindsey get in trouble with their boss, Nathan Reed. Lindsey is upset and asks why they can’t kill Angel. The boss explains that Angel is a major player in the Apocalypse and which side he is on isn’t clear. They want him on their side when the time comes. Reed tells them that they are expendable and Angel is not.

Back at the hotel, Boone returns. He and Angel have a western style face-off.

Angel is next seen in Anne’s office with all the donations from the ball. She asks what the gunk is on the money. He tells her it is blood, to which she replies, “It’ll wash.”