01x09 - Legacy

Episode transcripts for the 2015 TV show "Ties That Bind". Aired August 12 - October 14.*
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"Ties that Bind" revolves around a tough and experienced police detective, mother and wife in suburban Seattle. When she and her police partner have to arrest her brother, her world drastically changes as he's convicted and sent to prison, leaving his two teenagers teetering on the brink of foster care. Ultimately, she takes them into her home, ending up with four teenagers to raise as well as her demanding job solving local crimes.
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01x09 - Legacy

Post by bunniefuu »

Mariah, you look great. Your mom's gonna love your outfit.

Will Mom be here when we get home from school?

No. Uncle Matt and I are getting her at two o'clock.

You and Rachel are going home with Hailey and her mom.

And boys: you're gonna go with Mr. Watkins.

All right.

But Mom will be staying here? Like, all of us? Here?

Yeah. We want your mom to take her time finding a job and getting organized, before she looks for another place.

Wait, so we're not leaving?

No, not until your mom's ready.

We don't want to rush her.

Uncle Matt even cleaned out his office for her.

We don't want her to feel uncomfortable.

Best foot forward and all that.

So cool of you, Uncle Matt. Thank you!

No problem. But before any of that happens, we've got to get to school, right?

Come on people, let's go! This is you. There you are.

Wow. When we sit down for dinner tonight, Mom will be with us.

[Police sirens]

[Police radio]


Good morning Leslie.

Allison, Devin.

Andrew Wheeler. Sixty-six years old.

Cause of death... pretty obvious.

Is that a soda bottle?

Yeah, part of one. I may go back to drinking from cans.

Watch and wallet are gone.

Uniforms found a stack of business cards in the car.

CEO of Surge Fiber Optics.

Any other signs of trauma?

Light contusions consistent with a struggle, but I'll go over him more carefully when I get him back.

Nothing stands out. Well, except the...

Robbery gone wrong?

Something gone wrong. Big chunk of glass to the heart?

Lot of anger in that choice.

First Uniform on scene is the man paramedics found with the body. Terrence Figg, says he worked for the victim.

Thanks Leslie. Let us know what else you find.

Yup!

Mr. Figg?

Yes, I'm Terrence Figg.

Detective McLean, Detective Stewart. We understand you were with the body when our people arrived?

Yes. When I got here he was just...

Andrew was my boss and my mentor.

We're very sorry for your loss.

Thank you. It's not just a loss for me, it's a loss for our entire industry.

Did he have a family?

Yes, it's a tragedy for them.

Were you two scheduled to meet out here?

No. He missed his first appointment of the day, which is not like him, so I called a couple of times.

He didn't pick up, also not like him.

I left messages, but he never returned them.

Also not like him?

We're two weeks from our IPO. His schedule is booked by the minute and we're in constant contact 24/7.

And the park wasn't on his schedule?

So, how did you know he was here?

His car. Our company cars are equipped with GPS transponders.

When he didn't make his appointment, I called security.

I knew something was wrong, but I never imagined...

Do you have any idea why he would be at the park this morning?

Believe me, he was not a sit-in-the-sun type of guy.

I wanted to ask you about his briefcase.

The officer said there was nothing in the car?

No briefcase in the car, no wallet on the body.

There was a mark on his wrist from a watch, but no watch.

He wears a Tag Heuer Carrera and he carries a Pontevedra briefcase. They're both worth thousands.

But the IPO paperwork in that briefcase is beyond value.

Well, we hope to find all of it.

Please let us know if you have anything else.

I will, thank you.

So, Wheeler doesn't come into work. Doesn't say anything, because he doesn't want anyone to know where he's going.

And then he's intercepted by the robber, who doesn't bring his own w*apon, so has to grab something nearby?

Could be a crime of opportunity.

Don't think there are a lot of Tag Heuers and Pontevedra's floating around that park.

Maybe.

But Figg was worried about what was in the briefcase.

Detectives, I just spoke to Angelo Russo, owner of Russo's Pawnbrokers.

Says items matching descriptions of the victim's belongings turned up at his store.

Mr. Russo and me, we go way back.

I sell to him all the time. He's the fairest guy in town.

Shanahan, over on Tidewater, he's a cheat.

You should shut him down.

Mr. Russo said the wallet and briefcase were empty when you traded them in.

I left the credit cards in the wallet, I only took the cash and the watch.

Other than that, the briefcase was empty.

When you found it beside Mr. Wheeler's body in Winston Park.

What body?

I took all that stuff out of a dumpster.

In the alley off Lincoln, behind the Royal dr*gs.

I find a lot of great stuff in there.

Did it occur to you, for nice things to be in a dumpster, something bad might've happened?

Bad things happen all the time.

Wasting nice stuff makes it worse.

Did you spend the night in Winston Park last night?

And hang around there a little bit this morning?

Why should you care what... I didn't k*ll anybody.

And I didn't sleep in Winston last night.

It looked like rain, so I went to the shelter at St. Sebastian.

Harry, we're gonna need to keep you overnight, until we can check your story.

Sure. Still looks like rain, and a dry bed's one of those good things you shouldn't waste.

Babies, mama's home!

Mommy!

I'm hoping the fact she can quote her rehab counsellor in excruciating detail means she took the process seriously.

After that drive, I can quote her rehab counsellor in excruciating detail.

Seriously, we want her to know that we want her to be successful.

I don't want her to let her kids down.

Yes and we need to be supportive and encouraging, and help her find a job and a place and a program.

Let's get through dinner first.

Breakfast is ready!

Whoa, Momma.

I was coming to get you up, but you're all...

This is really nice.

I have an interview today, so I wanted to start my day in a peaceful and meditative space.

An interview? Like for a job?

For a receptionist position.

One of the counsellors arranged it for me.

Aunt Jackie! This is amazing.

Yeah!

Wow, I wish we didn't have to leave for school.

Mom? You did all this?

Sure did! Morning honey.

Morning.

Wow, should we take this feast to go?

Yeah, bring extra napkins.

Don't want any goop on the upholstery or sleeves.

Good luck, Mom.

Thanks babe.

Good luck, what for?

You're gonna do great.

Mariah...

Bye guys!

Sorry we didn't get a chance to enjoy your beautiful breakfast.

No worries.

I didn't think about how hard it must be to get all six of you out of the house on time.

Some days are easier than others. Do you need a ride?

No, I have the bus schedule on my phone so I'm okay.

Okay, good luck.

Have a good day.

There's Harry.

Behind Royal dr*gs, just like he said.

This is the only camera in the area, but if we back up from here, we might get a look at whoever dropped Wheeler's belongings.

Wait, can you go back?

Can you zoom in?

Yep.

There... that's our k*ller.

Yep.

[Birds chirping]


Yes, we can confirm that these items belong to my father.

Our father.

It must sound shallow, but to be able to hold this, even through the plastic, just for a moment; it comforts me.

I gave him this for our twenty-fifth anniversary.

It's engraved, "To my one and only". Did you notice that?

Yes, ma'am, we did.

What about his medallion?

What kind of medallion?

Small, bronze. On a chain. He wore it every day.

A Latin phrase I couldn't remember...

How embarrassing.

Andrew would be so disappointed in all of us.

We'll follow up on that, Mrs. Wheeler.

So this is all you brought us?

Other than the medallion, is there anything else you think your father may have had with him?

I'm looking for news, Detective.

I'd like to think you've made some progress finding the maniac who couldn't stop with robbing my father, but had to k*ll him too?

We now think his belongings were taken to make it look like a robbery. To cover the homicide.

He was... deliberately m*rder*d?

We think he went to the park to meet someone, and that person k*lled him.

Is there anyone you can think of who'd want to hurt Mr. Wheeler?

No. No one at all.

Maura, Rick, you work for your father, don't you?

Yes.

Dad believed that his children should continue his legacy.

Two-thirds of his children.

Kyle, our youngest, is a professor at McGregor in Portland.

Kyle rejects everything we stand for.

This is not a time to display our differences.

Terrence Figg told us that Surge is coming up with an IPO soon.

Of course he did. You need to go back and talk to him again.

What did I just say?

It's important for them to know this, Mother.

Terrence thinks he's worked harder than the rest of us have.

He and Dad had a huge fight about stock options and the IPO.

Everyone on the floor heard it. It was loud and ugly.

Hi Aunt Jackie.

Hi.

Hey, Mom.

Hi honey.

How'd the interview go?

It was really good.

Hey Cam.

Hey, Mom.

Did Uncle Matt go back to work?

Great. Come on in. Sit down. Come on. Sit down.

I've been wanting to talk to you guys.

You know in rehab I learned that you have to make amends to the people that you hurt when you were using.

And I had this really big realization.

I should've kept the house up more and I should've been more involved in your school, and I should've got to know your friends, I should've taken better care of myself.

But I want you to know that I know that now, and I'm doing that, I'm making those changes, and you're going to see that in me.

That's it?

Glad you got that all worked out.

Potential investors need to understand that the promise of Surge is as... I'm sorry we'll have to end here.

Andrea will reach out to schedule a new time.

Okay, thanks Terrence.

Detectives, how can I help you?

By answering some questions, Mr. Figg.

We'll reconvene in Andrew's office.

Most of my files are there already.

You're working out of Mr. Wheeler's office already?

It's a critical time for the company, someone had to step in.

Oh, because of the IPO.

It's what Andrew would have wanted. Please, have a seat.

How can I help you?

We believe that Mr. Wheeler was k*lled by someone he knew.

That's hard to believe.

Your dedication to this company is obvious, but was there ever any tension between you two?

Tension? You've been talking to Rick.

You and Rick don't get along?

Rick's always been jealous of my relationship with his father.

And while Rick does what Rick does best, which is complain about me, I do what I do best, which is run Surge.

Exactly as Andrew wanted.

What about your loud, ugly fight with Andrew a few days ago?

Is that how he described it?

I would have expected something more hyperbolic.

What were you two fighting about?

We weren't. It was a passionate negotiation.

Andrew wouldn't have respected me if I had accepted his first offer. That's how the game is played.

What game were you playing when you hurt your hand?

I'm not proud of this, but after the news yesterday I went home and I drank a lot of scotch.

At some point, I slammed my glass down it shattered and...

My assistant just helped me change the bandage.

I will show you if you like.

I'm an idiot, but I'm not a k*ller.

You should show a doctor.

Later. Business first.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have three meetings.

One of my assistants will show you out.

Sorry, do you have a trash can?

In the corner by the coffee machine.

If you have any ideas about who Mr. Wheeler might have been meeting in the park you'll give us a call, You'll be the first to know.

Thank you. We appreciate your cooperation.

Thanks for the distraction.

You get it?

Now we'll know if Mr. Figg's blood was at the scene.

Guys, it's a school night. Time for bed.

Good night.

Night.

Night.

Night, honey.

Just a little bit longer? We used to do this all the time.

I'm done. Track practice was brutal this afternoon, so...

Night.

Night.

You know what? Your Aunt Allison's right.

It's a school night, so... up you go.

Night.

Good night.

Guess it's my bedtime too, right?

Good night, Jackie.

Coffee?

No, thanks. I have the results on the crime scene blood sample versus the bandage sample.

Was it Terrence Figg's blood at the scene?

No. But have a look.

The blood on the victim is a descendant selector to the victim himself. Which means...

Andrew Wheeler was m*rder*d by one of his children.

Yeah.

I want to thank you all and not just for your support and kind words over the last few days, But for your dedication to this company, and everything Andrew valued.

I hope you'll offer that same support to our children as they carry on.

I look forward to seeing each one of you at the service.

Your husband was a great man.

Detectives. My brother, Professor Kyle Wheeler.

I came up from Portland as quickly as I could.

Our condolences, Professor.

We're sorry to intrude, but could we speak to the two of you and your sister in private?

Has there been a development?

Maybe we could use your office?

What have you found out? Tell us.

Why are you here? What's going on?

They won't tell us.

We need DNA samples from all three of you.

You think one of us k*lled Dad?

We use DNA to rule out people as well.

That's absurd. And I'm not voluntarily giving you a DNA sample. Get a warrant.

From our experience, Professor, that's a guilty man's response.

Anything else you want in there?

We're good. You two can use swabs if you prefer.

Can I have everyone's attention, please? I'd like to say a few words while we're all here.

I can't believe him.

No one loved Andrew Wheeler more, or did more to enact his vision...

This is not about you, Figg.

Shut Up!

[Crowd gasping]
Yes detective, I would like to press charges.

Okay, that's the sample, now we need the alibi.

Your brother and sister gave us both.

Rick? Where were you on the morning your father was k*lled?

Stalling only makes it worse.

Sitting in the restaurant at the Four Seasons.

Waiting for him.

Did you meet there often?

No. But I had to invite my own father to breakfast just to have a conversation with him. I needed to be clear on my role in the company after we go public.

Terrence got all of Dad's attention in the office.

How long did you wait for him?

Over an hour. I kept staring at the door, thinking, "another five minutes, another five minutes".

I didn't want to believe that my own father would stand me up.

It never occurred to me that something horrible had happened.

I should have called Dad, but I'm his son and I shouldn't have to grovel for his love, but if I'd reached him, if I'd gotten him to come to me instead of going to the park, then he'd still...

[Knocking on door]

I'm sorry, Yes?

Excuse me, Detective McLean, your sister-in-law's here.

Who brought her in?

The bus?

Jackie! Is everything okay?

Oh, yeah, yeah. Sorry for barging in.

Come this way.

I had a great idea that I wanted to share with you.

An idea about what? Have a seat.

Everything's been going so great.

The kids, the interview, it just feels so good, and I wanted to maybe make everyone dinner to celebrate.

You wanna cook?

Is that okay?

Yeah.

I had this idea what I want to make, but I need to pick up some stuff, and you know groceries on the bus is hard.

So, I wanted to borrow your car?

Yeah, absolutely. I'll just have Devin drive me home.

Thank you.

It's space 28, Just past the flagpole.

28, okay.

Wait, why don't you take this?

Yeah. Thank you, Allison.

Rick says he was at breakfast. Motive?

Jealousy. Terrence was taking over the company.

And his father's love.

Maura said she was at spin class.

Goes to the same one every Wednesday.

She's pretty locked down.

But she doesn't seem to have a specific issue with her father.

And Kyle was at an anti-fracking protest in Portland.

Rick said Kyle despised everything his father stood for.

Maybe he despised the man, too.

We need to dig into these alibis more deeply.

Somebody isn't telling the truth.

[Pots and pans clanging]

What's going on?

Jackie needed some space while she finished cooking dinner.

We offered to help, but...

Everything's fine!

[Pots falling on ground]

Hey.

Hi! So my roommate in rehab, she was a chef.

She says that the key to a great meal is in the timing.

Well, it smells fantastic. What can I do to help?

Nothing, I have it all under control, I'm just... Oh, sh**t!

I'm sure they'll be fine, I hope.

Just get them off... and...

I think that my timing is a little bit off, but...

Did you want these whipped?

Um, sure... No, not with butter!

I'll get you some...

Oh no, no no no... No!

[Oven door slamming]

Oh, Jackie.

I didn't get the job.

Apparently I'm not qualified to sit behind a desk and say Welcome, please have a seat.

I'm so sorry Jackie.

I guess it's official: you're better than me at everything.

What are you looking for?

Paperwork for the Ramsay estate.

What is this?

Mariah asked me to put them someplace else, for Jackie's sake.

And there was nowhere else that could go?

Do you want some help?

Yeah, find the Ramsay file, That would be great!

It's in the study. Am I allowed to go down there?

Can I ask Jackie whether it's okay if I go look for it?

I'll go.

Don't worry about it, I'll get it in the morning. I'm just...

Babe, I know this has been hard.

But I really believe we're doing the right thing...

I am so sick of doing the right thing!

You know what the right thing means around here?

It means us picking up everybody else's slack, us cleaning up after everybody else's mistakes.

We both agreed that...

No, you agreed. I went along with you.

Out of love for you. Not some greater good.

You have to admit that Cameron and Mariah are better here.

They're great.

Yeah. And I've also seen that our children have been cheated on time and space and attention.

And our savings is basically toast. And now Jackie?

Shhh!

Tell you what? Why don't I build an addition, that way when Tim gets out of prison, we can have your strung out, paroled brother move in.

I want to teach our children that when people are in trouble, you help them. When they're hurting, you comfort them.

When they need you, you're there for them, even if it's not easy or convenient.

And when that's repaid with ingratitude? And anger?

And pain? Then what, Allison? Then what?

He's my brother.

And I'm your husband.

Mrs. Wheeler.

I'm sorry, no one told me that you were here.

Which one of my children do you think k*lled their father?

The Medical Examiner is running the DNA tests again.

There was a problem, the results were inconclusive.

No, wait. The smart money should be on Maura.

Why Maura?

She can be very cold, and very calculating.

Just like her father. But she didn't do this.

Maura idolized Andrew. She would never do anything to hurt him.

That leaves Rick and Kyle.

Never ask a mother to choose between her sons.

I'm supposed to sign some paperwork so they'll finally release Andrew's body. Do you know where I do that?

Yes, of course. Officer? Can you escort Mrs. Wheeler to the Medical Examiner's office, please?

Sure.

Thank you.

Did you ever find Andrew's medallion?

No, I'm sorry, we haven't.

I look forward to your catching the k*ller.

Hey, so I just got off the phone with Mr. Carl Snyder.

Twenty-two years with Seattle PD, now a private investigator with great reviews on Yelp.

And how is Mr. Snyder?

He's very, very happy with the big fat check Maura Wheeler wrote him.

Did you find that in Maura's financials?

Yeah.

What did Mr. Snyder have to say about her?

Hr didn't want to comment at all initially, but when I told him it was a m*rder, memories of his days in blue convinced him to share.

What did Maura have him do?

Find out if her father was cheating on her mother.

Which he was.

How did she feel about that.

I want to get this just right.

In regards to her father, Ms. Wheeler said to Mr. Snyder, and I quote: That cheating snake, I'm going to k*ll him.

You cannot be serious.

So are you saying you weren't furious when you found out your father was having an affair?

Of course I was, who wouldn't be? But I got over it.

By k*lling your father.

By going to therapy. You people are unreal.

There's also the matter of your alibi.

I spoke with your spin teacher.

The class you claimed you were taking when your father was k*lled? She cancelled it.

That wasn't a lie, that was a half-truth.

I didn't take the class, but I was at the gym.

My swipe card confirms that.

Yes, it does, but since we know that the class was cancelled, how do we know you didn't skip back out?

Because I was playing racquetball with Jim Watanabe.

My father's biggest competitor.

Our game was an under-the-radar job interview.

Oh, so you didn't want anybody at the company to know that you were leaving.

Exactly.

I couldn't come in here every day and look my father in the eye and pretend that I didn't know he was a lying, duplicitous piece of scum.

But that does not mean I k*lled him.

Come on!

Dad, you need something?

A bigger house? Less occupants?

I thought you and Mom said we need to be loving and supportive.

Did I mention anything about, Do as I say, not as I do?

Do you still like Aunt Jackie?

Of course I do. This is just a challenging situation.

Remember when we were little and we all wanted to go to that midnight screening of Harry Potter, and you and Mom and Uncle Tim all said it was insane to go out that late?

So Aunt Jackie took us, and bought us the biggest popcorns and talked in this really bad British accent the whole time.

Yeah, that was cool of her.

We're helping her because that's what you do when someone you love needs you, right?

Yeah, you're right. That's what we do.

Jim Watanabe confirms that he was playing racquetball with Maura at the time of the m*rder.

And we have footage of Kyle at the protest in Portland, and a waitress at the Four Seasons remembers Rick.

All the Wheeler children's alibis hold.

Wait. What about the woman Maura's PI discovered Andrew was having the affair with... what's her name?

Marilyn Gibbons.

Yeah, from Yakima.

There's a Marilyn Gibbons in Yakima.

Owns One More Time antique furniture.

We need to talk to her.

Can't. Here's her obit. She d*ed three weeks ago.

Oh, but what about that?

Hey. Are you two looking for something special?

Yes, we are. We're looking for Michael Gibbons.

That's me.

Was Marilyn Gibbons your mother?

She was.

And Andrew Wheeler was your father?

Hey!

Come on...

Michael? Stop!

It's not fair. This isn't fair!

Let's go back to Crestview and talk about that.

Please don't!

I'm willing to bet that cut came from the glass you drove into Andrew Wheeler's chest.

We have DNA that proves one of Andrew's children k*lled him, and all his recognized heirs have alibis.

So if we swab your hand, what's your DNA gonna tell us?

Let's talk about your relationship with your father.

What relationship?

How about your mother?

Did she have a continuing relationship with him?

She never stopped loving him for a minute.

That's what she would tell me when I asked her why we were living the way we did, hidden away like we weren't worthy.

She'd tell me about how he came into the diner where she was working, how it was like time stopped and...

Twenty years, and she loved him until the day that she d*ed.

She knew about his other family, she just didn't care, love is love I guess.

But you cared, didn't you?

How often did you see your father?

Twice a year, if we were lucky.

Not for holidays, or my birthday.

It was just when he was in town on business.

That must have hurt.

It was inspiring. I made a plan.

I studied his company, and his industry, and I decided I wanted to get a job where he worked when I got out of college.

Work my way up to the top, until I was there next to him.

Just like his other kids.

So that's why you met in the park?

To talk about the future?

He called me. Two days after my mother's funeral.

Said he wanted to talk about something important.

So he arranged the meeting?

I thought, you know, I lost my mom, and I get my dad now.

He's going to give me a job. And recognize me.

But you didn't get a job offer, did you?

He wrote me a big, fat check.

He said, now that your mother is gone, it's gonna be too painful for me to stay in contact.

I'm sorry, Michael.

He thought he could buy me off!

That I would be grateful for these scraps, like she was all those years. But I'm his son! I'm worthy more than that.

So I ripped up the check up, and threw it in his face.

What did he think of that?

He said it was my loss. My loss. He said he didn't love me!

That had to hurt.

I tried to follow him.

I said that I wanted to prove myself.

And he said that was never going to happen.

He told me to stop following him, and I yanked him back because I wasn't done with him, I had more to say.

And then somehow the bottle was in my hand.

And then the glass was in his chest.

And then it was all over. I don't know, I don't know.

Everything that I thought I wanted.

Gone. All of it.

So you faked the robbery to cover your tracks?

Grabbed his belongings and tossed them a few blocks away?

Yes.

But not everything.

Why was the medallion still in your pocket when we picked you up, Michael?

I helped my mom pick it out.

For his birthday, when I was ten.

It's all I have, okay?

And I also told the Montgomery's they should probably tear this section here down to a landing...

Great use of space. I can work up a bid quickly.

I appreciate that.

Hey, here she is. Jackie, this is my buddy Ernie, the best landscape architect in Crestview.

Ernie, this is my sister-in-law, Jackie.

Nice to meet you.

Matt tells me you're job-hunting.

Yeah, I am.

I could use someone to handle my phones, while my assistant's on maternity leave.

Would that be something you're interested in talking about?

It sure would, yes.

Great!

Come on, sit down. You guys can chat for a sec.

You okay?

Yeah.

It's just so sad.

One decision after another after another that destroys them.

And they had all these chances to make things right that they just ignored.

Andrew Wheeler was apparently a man used to doing things his way. Not necessarily the right way.

People take all kinds of different paths to reach our interrogation room.

All that we can be responsible for is making sure they tell the truth when they're in there.

The rest is on them. On each of us.

I know. Just some cases, you know?

Maura? What can we do for you?

This whole process has been extremely difficult on my family.

We understand.

Still, we should have behaved better.

So I wanted to come and thank you. In person.

For finding the man who m*rder*d my father.

He's... my brother?

Yes.

Did he say... why?

He felt your father didn't love him.

That is the one thing all of Andrew Wheeler's children have in common.

So, I wanted to talk to you guys.

Do you remember that conversation we had about what I learned in rehab?

I don't think I expressed myself completely and there was more I wanted to say.

Mom. It's fine. We get it.

It's not fine. There was more that I needed to say.

I needed to say that I love you.

More than you'll ever know.

And I'm sorry that I hurt you.

I love you too, Mom.

Sorry.

No, it's okay. We're good.

And dinner's ready. So, Cameron, do you want to...

Dinner!

Did Matt tell you that I met with his friend Ernie, about a job?

He said I might be a good fit for his office.

So he's gonna let me know in a couple of days.

That's awesome, Mom.

Hey, I might not get it, but every interview is one step closer, right?

Cheers to that.

[Glasses klinking]

♪♪
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