02x02 - The Mystery of the Cure to Loneliness

[bunniefuu]

Oh, we got one.

It's working, it's working.

Ooh!

Come on! Do it! Do it!

What! Oh, man.

Man!

Let's try that building.

Yeah!

This one, right here?

Yeah.

What? What's that?

I don't know. Zoom in.

(GASPS)

Shh!

The boys'll hear you.

(MOANS)

Shh.

Ow! Ow!

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

That's a first.

Yeah, for what?

(SIGHS) That I've been called the loud one.

I guess that's what you do to me.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

Oh, God.

No, no, no! Don't! Don't check it.

(GROANS)

(SIGHS) Jake.

Hey. You up?

(EXHALES) What's up?

We have a case.

Dead female in Soho.

Okay. I'll be out front in 20.

Oh, no!

When I said 20, I built in two for post-game spooning.

(SIGHS) You got a case, and I should get going anyway.

Little guys will be up any second.

Thanks for indulging me.

The boys are still a little raw.

It's only five months since their dad was almost k*lled.

But wasn't.

Thankfully.

Yeah. Of course, thankfully.

But, look, I'm in this for the long haul.

You know that.

But...

But, it's always this for work or, that for the kids.

What about you, Laura Diamond?

When do you get to be happy?

You know I love it when you say both my names.

Mmm...

Encore tonight?

(WHISPERS) I'll throw some pebbles at your window.

(CHUCKLES)

(DOOR CLOSES)

It's just an old night light.

I'm sure there's another one in the garage.

It's a bad-ass ninja nightlight that always travels with them for a reason.

Without it they get completely disoriented, and half of their pee misses the toilet.

All right, all right. I will bring it by.

Is that a... Is that a hickie on your neck?

You know what, just don't look at my neck.

Look at your own neck.

Just don't let Santiani see it.

I'm sure it violates some NYPD-no-hickie policy.

Really?

So, you are fine with it?

Of course.

After everything you've done for me this last year, if anyone deserves to be happy, it's you.

Ah.

Thanks.

Inviting female, single, mid '20s.

Yep. Nina Dickerson.

23 and a month.

As I said.

All her cash is here, and her credit cards.

So, not a burglary.

Chips, cheese strudel.

Excellent choices.

Linguine Bolognese, another winner.

Dessert before dinner?

Oh, she's my kind of gal.

Might be an actress. (SIGHS)

Make up, photos for reference.

Maybe for a zombie movie.

Can't imagine what else you'd use all that white and gray for.

She had a big night planned.

Fancy dress, great manicure, candle-lit dinner for two.

Jake: She's sick.

The recycling bin is filled with spent prescription bottles.

Why pull all the labels?

Reynaldo: Well, so you recycle, but didn't need the rest of the world knowing your business.

I say, good habit for anybody.

No hair, no eyebrows, foam in the corners of her mouth.

Chemo.

Sure seems like it.

Jake: I say we're looking at a su1c1de.

What makes you think that?

Only thing in the world that smells like hemlock?

Hemlock!

Oh, that's old school, but still effective.

All right. Well, I'm calling it as a su1c1de.

Whoa, hey, hey. Hang on. Let's run the hemlock bottle for prints first.

On what grounds?

There's no su1c1de note.

The pill bottle on the floor is nearly full.

Don't do that.

What?

Make a mountain out of a molehill.

The captain already doesn't like us working together.

Why the hell not?

Because you make mountains out of molehills, and I indulge you.

I don't see a molehill.

I see two cops doing their job.

Hemlock and pills to k*ll yourself?

Why both?

And, who goes through all of this trouble to end their life, and not leave a su1c1de note?

Well, maybe she didn't have anything to say.

Or, she didn't have enough time to say it.

Okay, fine.

Look at the table. Who's the plus one?

You know what, you may be onto something. Lansoprazole.

It's for acid reflux. Can't k*ll yourself with this.

So if she wolfed down a box of strudel and a bag of chips, then that would explain the upset stomach.

Well, who cares about a stomachache when you're offing yourself?

I'm telling you, someone wanted this to look like a su1c1de.

(THEME SONG PLAYING)

(SIGHS)

She was my favorite tenant.

Sweet, sweet girl.

I can't say I'm surprised she ended it.

Why's that?

Nina was a beautiful, shapely girl before the chemo, but then she lost all that weight, and that beautiful hair of hers.

She was just wasting away.

What about family?

She had no one left.

Poor soul was all alone until the cancer.

It was ironic.

What was?

She was so sad. Alone.

And then the cancer came and suddenly people started coming around.

Who were the people?

Who knows? Friends, helpers?

Did Nina ever talk to you about her cancer?

Oh, yes.

We'd talk about our funeral arrangements together.

(CHUCKLES) I told her I wanted a brass band.

(LAUGHS)

And Nina?

She was never married, so she wanted a white dress.

A chance to wear it for something.

So, I gave her mine so she wouldn't have to spend the money.

You're positive she said a white dress?

Oh, yes. Like I said, I gave her mine.

Santiani will never go for it.

Go for what? Evidence?

Not wearing the white dress indicates that Nina wasn't preparing to k*ll herself.

Not everyone plans like you do.

Or wears white after Labor Day.

If dying is anywhere on the horizon, you make a plan.

Oh, that's a bit of a generalization.

Why do you think we doubled our life insurance once we started working together?

We doubled our life insurance when we started working together?

I doubled our life insurance.

We're partners.

One bad situation and our kids are being raised by Grandpa Leo.

And living like kings off their zillion dollar insurance payout.

Which my dad would manage to lose at the track.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

Look.

If you had known that you were going to take a b*llet, you damn well would have made a plan.

Maybe.

And if Nina had known that she was going to drink hemlock, she damn well would have put the white dress on.

Again, maybe.

Well, "maybe" is enough for an investigation and Santiani should see that.

Santiani is all about the stats.

Keeping our unsolveds down to a minimum, so that her weekly reports to 1PP get high marks.

That's why she's got that homicide board.

Oh, I hate that damn board!

Just because you write something in dry-erase marker doesn't make it true.

Still, I don't think Santiani is gonna go for your m*rder theory.

Let me do the talking.

So, it's m*rder because she was in the wrong colored dress?

Who k*lled her? The fashion police.

You weren't even there! What makes you so sure it's su1c1de?

Because I, unlike you, rely on hard evidence, of which we have none. Correct, Broderick?

We didn't come away with a single workable print, other than from the victim.

There we go.

On the other hand, it did all appear too placed and perfect for there to be no note.

Well, who's she gonna write?

She's a lonely woman with a fatal disease who simply couldn't take it anymore, so she checked out.

Or, someone forced Nina to drink hemlock then dumped out the pills to make it look like su1c1de.

Please, have you any idea how hard it is to force hemlock into someone?

Max, do you mind?

Hmm?

(GASPS)

Stubborn twins teach you how to give medicine when they don't want it.

Thank you.

Happy to help.

That in conjunction with a full pot of linguine, a table setting for two.

Maybe there was another person, a co-conspirator.

Assisted su1c1de?

Possible, but it still doesn't explain the dress.

Enough with the dress, already.

This was in the recycle bin too?

LoveReach, NYC. They're the people who deliver meals to the sick.

Right. They are all about dying with dignity.

I would not put it past 'em to facilitate a mercy k*lling.

Then why not protect themselves?

Why not make Nina write a note that made it very clear that it was her intention to die.

All right.

This investigation needs a dose of objectivity.

Billy and Meredith will check out LoveReach.

Are you kidding... I... What?

With all due respect, Captain, Billy and Meredith have no working knowledge of this case. We do.

Which makes sending them a crap idea.

I'm sorry. Was I not clear?

Billy and Meredith will check it out.

And unless there is something hinky about LoveReach, then I'm taking that case off my homicide board.

You have a client, Nina Dickerson?

Parker: Yes.

Sorry to tell you, she passed.

Oh, my goodness.

We have reason to believe she may have taken her own life.

That's hard to believe. I never saw anyone fight as hard as she did.

She was one of those, you know, the ones that inspire.

Ms. Parker, did Nina ever ask about procuring hemlock?

I didn't assist Nina with su1c1de, if that's what you're getting at.

Though if she had asked me to I would have.

Well, that would be illegal.

What we're asking is, did you ever deliver anything besides food to Nina?

There are a lot of unlabeled meds in her place.

When clients die, they often leave expensive medications behind.

I sometimes pass those onto other clients in dire financial straits.

Well, that's not kosher either.

(CHUCKLES)

Nina had an awful life that was ending in an awful way.

If easing her pain was wrong, you can arrest me right now.

Okay. That won't be necessary.

Can you just tell us which one of your volunteers made the last delivery to Nina?

(CLEARS THROAT)

(DOOR OPENS)

It was Ted.

Oh, Ted, did you deliver to Nina Dickerson yesterday?

Yeah. Why?

NYPD. Ms. Dickerson d*ed yesterday under mysterious circumstances.

Oh, my God!

According to this manifest, you're the last person to deliver her food.

Which makes you, very likely, the last person to see her alive.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out.

I was not the last person with Nina.

What's her name? Maureen Ross came in right when I was leaving.

Should be there on the calendar.

Who's Maureen Ross?

She provides grief support to our clients.

To prepare them for passing.

Yes, it's what we call an End-of-Life counselor.

So, Maureen Ross was face-to-face with our victim discussing the end of our victim's life around the time her life did end.

I lent a compassionate ear for her sorrow...

Trying to help her reach a satisfying sense of life completion.

Life completion?

Looks like you had perfect timing.

I would never hurt Nina.

Or help her hurt herself.

For God's sake, I had just taken her to chemo.

When was that?

Every Tuesday.

We're not supposed to, but I never saw the harm in just dropping her off and picking her up.

Including yesterday, Tuesday?

Yes.

It was an especially rough day of treatment.

Can anyone verify that you were with her?

A nurse, receptionist?

As a matter of fact, no.

Hmm.

Nina never let me go inside the clinic.

She didn't want to appear helpless.

This time it appears she may have had help.

You mentioned doing something you weren't supposed to do because you never saw any harm in it.

Could Nina's death have been one of those occasions?

The table was set for two.

You listen to me.

I was there to help her fight all the way until her final days.

Ask the people on her block. They saw me last night.

I walked her from my car to the stairs.

I offered to get her some saltines or chicken soup, but she just wanted to sleep.

She was too nauseous to eat.

And what time was this?

I'm not feeling it.

Whatever happened in that apartment happened after she dropped Nina off.

Nina was too nauseous for broth and crackers?

I've heard when you're getting chemo even the smell of food can turn your stomach to knots.

And, yet, she crushed all that junk food?

Maybe before the chemo?

Maybe there was no chemo.

But this lady just said...

She never went inside the clinic with Nina.

The cooking, her healthy nails that should have been ravaged by the treatment.

Uh, where are you going?

Whoa! Whoa! Was not ready to see that.

What do you think you're gonna see when you come in here?

There should be a red light over the door or something.

Red light? (CHUCKLES)

(SIGHS)

You know why I'm here, right?

Well, I am guessing it is for the same reason that I was just about to call you.

Wouldn't have anything to do with Nina Dickerson not having cancer.

God, I'm good!

There is no sign of any fatal systemic activity.

Lymph nodes, bone marrow, no tumors, no metastasis in the blood stream.

This woman was cancer free.

But pretended to be dying of cancer, down to the bald head.

And yet, there's a preponderance of active hair follicles.

There shouldn't be any follicles at all.

Looks like she was trying to keep the growth under control by waxing.

And, that's why her nails are better than mine.

I have seen a lot of things, but why fake cancer?

I don't know, but she was up to something, and I'm guessing it got her k*lled.

(SIGHS)

Techs checked every cabinet, every drawer.

Even Nina's closets.

Are you kidding me?

What do you think you're going to find in there?

(LAURA CHUCKLES)

Very clever, Nina.

My name is Laura.

And where do you think I hid my chocolate from you all those years?

(CHUCKLES) Dirty laundry?

In the crock pot that your mom insisted we get.

Okay.

Wax to remove the hair from her face and head.

Make it look she lost it through chemo.

StairMaster for weight loss.

Diuretics. Speed.

Take care of everything the StairMaster couldn't.

You on board now?

Well, it's hard to deny.

She spent a lot of money, yet Max confirmed that she was broke.

That's how she qualified for LoveReach.

Probably blew her limited funds on the scam.

What's that?

Oh.

"You must do the things you think you cannot do."

Eleanor Roosevelt.

"Anything's possible, if you have the nerve."

J. K. Rowling.

This isn't about survival, this is about keeping up the ruse.

All these photographs of cancer spots and bruises they were just to help her do makeup.

Mmm-hmm.

(SIGHS)

Jake: That's Riverside Park.

Mmm-hmm.

That's recently.

Okay, if we're gonna figure out who was in the apartment when Nina d*ed we're gonna have to untangle her make-believe life.

Could be the key.

That is, assuming we can get Santiani on board.

(LAUGHS SARCASTICALLY)

I don't buy it. How would this girl get a doctor to go along with faking cancer?

She didn't. She had no history with an oncologist, no doctor record, no hospital record, no bills.

She didn't need any of those things.

What kind of person asks a cancer patient for proof?

But why would anyone fake something like this?

It's funny you should ask. Laura has a theory.

Of course she does.

I'll take that as a compliment.

From the most hardened convict to my own twins, people will do anything to avoid being alone. You said it yourself, this was a lonely girl.

Which the neighbor confirmed. No family, no friends.

She was so desperate to connect with somebody, that she took on the identity of a cancer victim, so she could become part of a sympathetic community.

She used make up to look like she was getting injections, to make herself look more gaunt, more pale.

It's all part of Nina's elaborate ruse.

This is hardcore.

And it worked.

As soon as she started her con, her life suddenly turned around.

Turns around how?

I'll show you.

(TYPING)

Even with a simple search, nothing shows up for Nina before 2013.

Do you know how hard it is to not show up on the Internet these days?

(SNAPS FINGERS) Meredith has the floor.

Then, boom, cancer. She sets up a blog, learns the vernacular, joins virtual cancer support groups.

Borrows bits and pieces of everyone's story and shapes them into one that suits her.

But still... (SNAPS FINGERS)

Meredith has the floor.

Here she's blogging about stage two in November.

December she's worse, white blood cell count dropping.

January, blogging about stage three.

And as she gets more sicker, more reposts, more likes, more followers.

She went from having no one to being showered with affection and support.

A worldwide network of friends, from here to the Philippines.

(STUTTERS) What's in the corner?

Our big finish.

We found it on Nina's hard drive. A draft of an unposted blog entry.

"Amazing news, warriors. White cell count up! Could this be the miracle I was hoping for? Could it be the word I thought I'd never hear? Remission?"

It was her end game.

To finally dump the lie and still keep the friendships she had made.

She was ready to put her story to rest.

Yeah, and look at the date. This one was gonna post today.

Doubt that's a coincidence.

Well this worldwide network of friendships, any of 'em in New York?

A lot, but one pops up more than the rest.

Her. (SIGHS)

They call themselves the Warriors of the Ward.

This woman is in nearly every photo with Nina.

A girl who thinks she's fighting the good fight with her best friend who understands truly.

Or she has the same make-up kit as the victim and they were working this scam together.

Also a possibility. But if not, if this woman's cancer was real and she found out Nina's wasn't?

We're looking at a possible motive for m*rder.

Which means we need to keep investigating, starting with the BFF.

Knock yourselves out, but I am not waiting forever.

(CLICKS TONGUE)

(HORNS HONKING)

Jake: I'm sure this is a shock, April, but it's true.

But it can't be. I saw her.

We went through the same treatments. She helped me through the worst of it.

I'm sorry, but we do have evidence that proves that she was faking.

So...

So...

Oh.

So, you want me to prove I'm not faking it?

Well, maybe you could ask my nurse?

Watch her jam these into me.

Happens so often I hardly even notice anymore.

Does this look fake?

How about these?

And my chemo nails.

Pretty, huh?

Call my radiologist, my oncologist, my hematologist, they can get you up to speed, trust me.

April, we really are sorry. Truly.

How did you and Nina meet?

Uh, at um, a charity picnic.

The moderator asked how many of us had been diagnosed, and Nina seemed reluctant.

I just told her that she didn't need to be nervous or shy, I'd been through it.

Yeah, she raised her hand, she hugged me, and we were friends ever since.

Where were you last night, April?

Here, with my mom.

We watched Pitch Perfect 2, which was worse than cancer.

This group, The Warriors of the Ward, how did that get started?

Some Internet reporter called us that, and it just took off.

That's what grew into the foundation that Nina and I started to help raise money for the children's cancer ward at Eastern Memorial.

How much money did you raise?

Oh, I have no idea.

Nina handled all that.

We were saving it all. You don't think that...

How did the Warriors go about raising money?

After we appeared on the nightly news, it really just started pouring in.

Reporter: Through unimaginable pain and fighting battles of their own, these two courageous ladies found the strength to inspire hundreds of children with cancer to be strong.

I'm Ryan Clarke,

NBC News, New York.

They did some pretty incredible things together, especially for the sick kids.

Read books, brought art supplies, put on plays.

The hospital invited them to a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new children's play facility.

The story ran on the news, the station was flooded with calls and emails, all from people wanting to know where they should send donations.

(CLEARS THROAT)

You have something, Carnegie?

Uh, yeah.

So, when $28,000 rolled in on the first day, the local station set up a trust fund, like you do, to receive the donations.

And they signed over control of that fund, to guess who?

I don't do, "Guess who?"

Nina Dickerson.

Bank statement says they raised somewhere in the neighborhood of, hmm, 80 grand.

That's some neighborhood.

Maybe somewhere.

In Manhattan, 80 grand will buy you a half bathroom.

And don't count on the toilet flushing.

How much is in the account now?

Big fat donut.

You asked for evidence?

I'd say evidence sprung.

So, that's why she pretended to be sick. It was all about the money.

It'd certainly appear that way.

Run with it before the trail goes cold.

Find out how these withdrawals were made, who made them, and where the money is now.

We will. And when we find the money, we will find us a k*ller.

Nancy: Hmm.

And, uh, you might want to button up.

Oh! You're already here! Good. I have the financial timeline.

Okay, let's see it already.

Give me 60 seconds to load in.

Oh, uh, Tony left word for you.

Want me to get him on the horn?

Get the timeline.

You haven't mentioned Tony lately. Things cooling off?

Oh, not at all. Saw him last night.

And by saw him, I mean... (SINGSONG VOICE) Saw him.

Ooh, roger that. So, Tony in, Jake out?

(CHUCKLES)

Not running back to Jake just because he got hurt.

He betrayed me, he ruined our marriage, he turned my life...

The kids' lives, upside down.

He's got a long way to go before I would even consider.

I take it pledging his undying love from his deathbed was not enough.

Oh, you mean the pledge he made while doped up on morphine and now doesn't remember making?

Maybe he remembers, but he's keeping his game face on with Tony in the picture.

Maybe. But regardless, I'm protecting my family.

When you have kids, you'll understand.

Kids? (CHUCKLES)

I'm not even seeing anyone.

Of course you're not.

Hi.

Hi.

Hey.

Just whipped up a little something.

Okay. Ready?

Here's where the story aired on the news.

As you can see in this graph, Nina and April's Warriors of the Ward account balance starts just under $30,000. You like the graph?

I was thinking pie chart, but at the last minute I went graph.

It's a nice graph, Max.

Thank you.

You know, when the news ran with it, both Nina and April's blogs spiked in subscribers.

Online posts went through the roof.

No visuals? Oh, okay.

'Cause I thought we were all doing visual aids, so...

On this graph, you can see the spike in funds that accompany their cyberspace attention. See how it goes up and up?

Okay. So where did that money go?

According to April, the money was earmarked for the cancer ward at Eastern Memorial Children's Hospital.

Here's a picture of Nina and April reading to kids at the ward.

But I checked. None of the money ever goes there.

Instead, it's entirely withdrawn in small increments over the last year.

So, either Nina or April had to make those withdrawals?

You would think so, but you'd be wrong.

Only Nina had the check books for the account, but no checks were written.

The withdrawals were made via ATM.

(ATM CHIMING)

Oh, come on.

So, both Nina and April had ATM cards for the account, but there's no record of either one of them ever even activating their card.

Well, somebody had to get their hands on one.

Any card with a magnetic strip can be cloned.

Uh, hotel key cards, uh, gift cards.

Return that original ATM card to its rightful owner, you can drain an account without anyone noticing.

So, somebody in Nina's widening social circle removed increments over an extended period of time.

No red flags to the bank or Uncle Sam.

I would say, "Who?", is the $80,000 question here. Or is it "whom"?

My guess, it's the same person who forced hemlock down her throat.

Okay. We need to talk to April again, and we need footage from the ATMs.

Someone was withdrawing funds? Who?

That's under investigation.

Was there anyone Nina was associated with that could've been involved?

I can't think of anyone. God...

We have got to get this money back.

It is for life-saving dr*gs that so many people cannot afford.

At least I thought it was.

Nina really had me fooled.

Don't b*at yourself up.

(INCOMING EMAIL ALERT)

Seems she had everybody fooled.

Finally, the bank sent the security video.

This is the man that made the withdrawals from the ATMs.

Do you recognize him?

I don't know.

God, it's really hard to make out his face.

Can I see it?

Ah! Actually, I can make it out.

You know who that is?

Not the guy, but I know a junkie when I see one.

Look how jittery he is.

Yeah, I see what you're saying.

Where were those ATMs?

Clustered around the West Village. Mostly one at 6th and Waverley.

That's about a block away from Washington Square Park, doper central.

And, the last withdrawal was made the same day Nina was k*lled.

Okay, this could be our k*ller.

You two finish up, send me that info. I'm gonna go take a stroll through the park.

Okay.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(WHISPERING)

Five-O!

Come on, man. Don't make me run. Hey!

Argh!

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(HORN BLARING)

(HORN HONKS)

(THUD)

Ahhh!

Help, please! Somebody! Help!

Okay, listen! Listen! I'm gonna get help, all right?

Help is on the way.

ESU, airbag and bus needed at 20 Washington Square.

Okay, when I say reach, reach with one hand. All right?

All right, reach!

(GRUNTS)

(STRUGGLING)

You gotta get rid of the bag. It's too heavy.

You'll never reach me.

Trust me, one shoulder at a time.

(GRUNTING)

Okay, okay, okay!

I can't.

I'm gonna count to three.

On three, give me all you got!

One, two, three!

(GRUNTS) No!

No!

(CAMERA CLICKS)

He was a mess long before he took that fall.

Get a look at his arms?

Yeah. Long Island railroad, up and down.

Dark circles, emaciated, two different sneakers. Addict with a capital "A."

He still managed to steal all of Nina Dickerson's money.

It was plain as day in the bank surveillance video.

Maybe.

Yeah, but we could have squeezed him.

But junkies don't you play the long game. You know that...

That kid was at least a conspirator!

Okay, okay. Look at me.

There is nothing you could have done.

Yeah, I know. (SIGHS)

Thank you.

I bet my overtime, this kid was nothing more than a patsy for someone else.

The kid was a dealer.

Could pretty much tell you what you're going to find in there.

Not in it, on it.

Look.

LoveReach?

What the hell's this kid doing with LoveReach swag?

You get his ID?

Here you go.

Okay.

I'm gonna call this in to Laura and Jake.

All right.

Okay?

His name was Danny Tolson.

Is there a Tolson on your delivery list?

Oh, sure is. Anna Tolson, 82.

She's been a care recipient for a few years now.

Danny's probably her grandson.

Who here is in charge of deliveries to the grandma?

Ted Burns. He's had that route since 2012.

I know that name from Billy's report.

Yes, he also delivered to Nina.

We're gonna need all of his information. Social security, address, phone number.

Okay, so Ted stole Nina's ATM card during one of his food deliveries.

And while he's delivering, he gets to know Danny, the junkie.

Okay, so Ted doesn't want his face to be seen on the ATMs security cameras, so he hires Danny to make the withdrawals.

No junkie can turn down a payday.

He figures, by the time he drains the account, cancer will have claimed both Nina and April.

And nobody's the wiser. It's a perfect plan.

But then, maybe, Ted discovers whoopsie, that Nina's been faking the whole thing.

She's a con artist just like he is, meaning she'll be around to figure out what happened to all the money.

And suddenly the plan's not perfect anymore and he has to dispose of Nina the old-fashioned way.

(SMACKS HER HAND)

Ted lives in Long Island City just over the bridge.

Uh, is he working today?

I haven't seen him all afternoon.

He's on the run.

Or about to be.

NYPD! We have a warrant. Open up.

Police department!

It's clear!

Laura: Clear!

Jake: Clear.

All clear.

Okay, tell Command, suspect's 90Z.

All LoveReach clients.

People Ted delivered to.

Ugh!

Methodical bastard. He studied the lives and habits of everyone he visited.

All these terminally ill patients were just a mark for him.

You can bet he was stealing from all of them.

And...

He was making very good scratch from the sales.

Which probably seemed like small potatoes once he found out how much bank Nina was putting away.

Yeah, with all the publicity she and April were getting, he turned it into his own cottage industry.

You wondered how she paid for all the makeup? She didn't.

It was all Ted.

So, you're right. He figured out her scam and instead of exposing her, he taught her how to be a better fake, appear more sick.

Knowing it would boost the donations, which he put right into his pocket.

So, why k*ll her when he's making all this coin?

Because she was over it.

The unposted blog draft, remember?

The remission? She was ready to walk away from their scam.

The dinner, the junk food she was eating, that was to celebrate.

She could eat again, it was over.

And Ted got himself invited to the party. (CLICKS TONGUE)

And, what do we have here?

Hemlock.

Ah.

And I am willing to bet that you are the same strain that we found in Nina's system.

All right, all this will help us convict him, but it's not gonna help us find him.

This might.

Once again, I have little choice but to bow down before you, Detective Diamond.

(CHUCKLES)

Talk to me.

How charming was our Ted?

Honestly, I can't believe what I'm seeing.

These LoveReach people did actually leave Ted items in their wills.

I knew it! Okay.

Run every person who Ted ever delivered food to.

Yeah, done. 54 to be exact.

I'm not even half way through this list and probate court records are already spitting back stuff.

Six out of 31 so far, have distributed assets to Ted Burns.

Let me guess, the vintage watches, antique China.

Signed card collections from the '36 Yankees.

The entire collection?

Don't know, don't care. And get this.

A 75-year-old Bayside widow left our conartist her husband's 26-foot outboard.

Outboard? As in a boat?

As in, yes.

Docked, at... Oh, at Dyckman.

I'd be on a boat right now, if was looking for a getaway.

Okay, Max tell Meredith and Billy to get over there. We're on our way.

Pier three, slip nine.

This is it.

Yeah.

Billy: Looks empty.

This is a dead end.

Billy.

Does that look like him? What do you think?

I think we b*at him to the boat.

Hey, Ted Burns! Put down the boxes and put your hands in the air.

No, no, no! Don't make... Argh!

Not again!

(TIRES SCREECHING)

Did you cross?

Just crossing Sherman Avenue, westbound on Dyckman.

Good! Cause he's coming right at you.

(TIRES SCREECH)

(POLICE SIREN BLARING)

(HORN BLARING)

He's in a black sedan, plate ends in 2723.

Get the hell out of the way! Get the hell out of the way!

Aviation One has them turning south.

Okay, this route wouldn't have been my first choice.

Let the driver drive, for the love of...

Oh, that's him!

Like the route now?

Meh.

(LOUD CRASH)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(EXCITED CHATTER)

Get out of the car! Get out of the car!

Put your hands in the air and get out of the car!

Turn around!

Laura: Are you kidding me?

What are you, a Neanderthal?

The money that you're stuffing in your $3,000 suit?

It comes from a cancer charity.

Give me that.

Come on, people. Cough it up!

What would your mother think?

Nina was wasting the perfect con on making friends, being popular.

It never even occurred to her there was money to be made.

I couldn't risk her finding out, getting in my way.

Congratulations.

Now, you're on your way to a cozy six by eight.

He used her.

The sicker she looked the more money the two of you raised.

Her losing all that weight, her hair, Ted decided that for her.

So many lies!

Yes, but what you and Nina shared, that was not a lie.

She was doing it for you and the Warriors.

She was desperate to be a part of something, to have a friend like you.

All the money we raised, will it still go to the children?

Of course.

"Don't worry, Lilly. Wherever we go, whatever we do, family is family through and through."

Bedtime!

It's not even time yet!

It's so unfair!

No, uh, uh, uh. You gotta pay the toll.

(CLICKS TONGUE)

Thank you.

Good night.

Love you. Sweet dreams.

Mmm.

Good night, Momma.

Laura: Good night.

(CELL PHONE VIBRATING)

__

Mmm-mmm.

I just put them down.

No lights and sirens for just a few more minutes.

(SOFTLY) Okay. No lights, no sirens, copy that.

How about this?

(CHUCKLES)

Is this stealth enough for ya?

(CONTINUES CHUCKLING)

Incredibly stealth.

Undercover.

Navy Seal, Special Ops.

Stop it.

(DOOR BELL RINGING)

Oh!

Really?

What... What are you doing? I just put the boys down to bed.

Ta-da! No more sticky bathroom floor.

Laura: Bless you.

(WHISPERS) Hey, man. How you feeling?

Good.

Sorry to interrupt.

Nah, nah. No worries.

Ah.

Behave, you two.

Hey. Um...

The Tony thing, it's strictly on the DL.

The boys don't even know that he's here.

It's okay if they did.

And I take it that it's okay with you.

We already covered this.

I know. I just thought that maybe because you saw us together that it might make you feel differently.

It doesn't really matter what I feel.

Laura, is there something you're trying to tell me?

Or that you want me to say?

(SCOFFS)

You already did.

Said what?

Good night, Jake.