03x14 - Leave It All Behind

[bunniefuu]

Hey, Sweet.

It's me... again.

I decided to play hooky from work.

Make it a long weekend.

Drove up early from the city
to surprise you.

Where are you?

Looks like you finished the book.

Congratulations.

Just sh**t me a call or a text
when you can.

Let me know you're all right.

Evening, Mr. Raynor.

Hi. Um...

- Chris.
- Chris. Right.

Sorry. It's a long week.

Haven't seen you in a while.

Three months, I think.

Since the premiere
of the last Springers movie.

Mm-hmm.

Is Mrs. Raynor ready to go?

I'm sorry. Go where?

FantasyCon. In the city.

I'm here to drive her in,
keep the fans at bay.

You sure you have the right date?

She cleared it
with her publishers last week.

Ava's not here.

What do you mean?

Uh, she's been up here
finishing her book.

But I don't know where she is.

Okay. Um...

So when was the last time
you spoke with Mrs. Raynor?

Well, uh, I left her messages.

But, uh, we haven't actually
spoken in, uh... a couple days.

Monday.

So...

You haven't heard
from your wife in three days?

So you know Ava Lewis Raynor?

I don't know her.

My friend's married to her.

I think we've all had
dinner twice in years.

Eh, I read her books to my godson.

Took him to see the movies.

Said the second he reported Ava missing,

it was obvious the cops thought
he was a suspect.

Well, there's a reason for that.

All my years in the D.A.'s office,

every time a wife disappeared,

it was almost always the husband.

How long she been gone?

Four days now.

That's a long time.

You know what they say
about the first hours.

Yeah. I watch cable TV.

Mr. Raynor,

the fact that you didn't report

your wife missing for three days...

I didn't know she was missing.

She was finishing a novel.
She was on a deadline.

She's done it before.
I didn't think much of it.

When she did it before,

did she not return your calls
for days at a time?

No... Yes.

Sometimes.

Never this long.

That's why I drove up yesterday.

Make sure she was all right.

Yeah, but when you
drove up and she wasn't here,

why did you wait six hours
before you called the police?

Look, I married an artist.

And I learned a long time ago

that if I wanted to stay married to her,

that I had to respect her space,

her privacy, her moods.

Sometimes she just needed
some alone time.

She'd turn her phone off,
she'd go to a spa

or a B and B to regroup.

I have to tell you, Mr. Raynor.

Your story? To an outside observer?

You have to know,
it sounds very convenient,

very suspicious.

I know our marriage isn't the
most conventional, but it works.

For us.

Ava once told me she was like a ship...

and I was the dock.

And she just had
to venture out sometimes...

alone, but she would always come back,

that I could count on that.

And I do.

That's why I know we have to find her.

She's out there.

You familiar with luminol?

Of course. Luminol spray
reacts when it makes contact

with iron and hemoglobin.

Glows fluorescent under black light.

The k*ller thought he was pretty smart.

Bleached the whole floor

so none of this would be visible
to the naked eye.

But the chemicals don't lie.

A lot of blood was shed here.

Oh, Nate.

Oh, man.

You're very fortunate to have the meansh!

To make bail on a m*rder charge,

but you need to understand that the terms

of home confinement are strict.

You can't leave your New York apartment

except to go to court in Westchester

or consult with us at our offices.

Thank you.

Thank you both for getting me out.

Thanks for the ride into the city.

I know the... lake house

is close to the court, but...

I just can't go back in there.

I can't believe I was
just walking around where...

You guys know... right?

It's not her blood.

It can't be.

There was so much blood revealed

by the luminol, that the D.A.'s
actually willing to go

to trial even though no body was found.

Did they test the blood?

Is... is it hers?

They tested the blood.

It turns out the bleach degraded
the DNA so much

they can't actually make
an identification, but...

I told you. Sh-She's still out there.

There's more, Nate.

They dredged the lake.

They found a butcher's Kn*fe
from your kitchen.

The water washed away
any fingerprints, but...

your wife's DNA, your DNA,

they found both embedded in the handle.

Okay. It's a Kn*fe from our kitchen.

Of course our DNA is on it.

But nobody else's was.

And there was no signs of forced entry.

And, apparently, you weren't
in your office that Monday,

the last day anyone heard from your wife.

I-I wasn't feeling great.

I worked from the apartment.

I'm sure that's all true.

The A.D.A. is gonna say

you weren't working at home,

you were stabbing your wife to death

in the kitchen of your lake house.

You threw the Kn*fe in the water,

you dumped the body somewhere,

and you drove back into the city

and waited for the trail to go cold.

You don't believe that.

That's crazy.

I love my wife.

You talk to anybody

while you were working
at home that Monday?

E-mail? Ordered some food
to be delivered?

Sent out some laundry?

Anything that we could use
to substantiate your alibi?

I slept.

Nathan? I'm done.

I can't do this anymore.

I can't stomach the idea
of you doing it anymore.

Talk about wreckage.

It's kind of all that's left
of this marriage, isn't it?

Wreckage.

I think we need to get together
and figure out

an exit strategy... for both of us.

The police got it off your cell phone.

You've heard it before?

Your wife left it for you Sunday night.

That's motive.

How?

It sounds like your wife is leaving you

and that's why you k*lled her.

Well, it may sound that way,
but that is not what...

But what?!

What is the truth here, Nate?

I'm your friend. I want to help you.

But that message
along with everything else,

none of this looks good,

at all!

You married?

No.

You I know about.

Well...

Marriage is a tricky deal.

You make a promise about the future...

but you make it at a moment in time

where you don't really have any idea

of what the future is gonna bring.

I was a hungry junior investment banker.

She was writing fiction
no one was reading.

Five years later,

I was controlling $ billion in assets,

and she was the most read writer
on the planet.

People change.

Circumstances change.

Needs change.

I spoke to my wife
after she left that message.

She didn't want to be done
with the marriage.

She wanted to be done
with our... understanding.

What understanding?

She and I spent a lot of time apart.

Her up at the lake.

Me here in the city.

We both made mistakes.

At a certain point,
we made a set of rules.

When we were together,
it was just the two of us.

But when we were apart, it was...

we were not together.

Sorry. This is not the sort of thing

you share with college buddies.

The point is, the last time
I spoke to her, she...

she said the whole thing
had just gotten exhausting.

You know, emotionally.

She just wanted to end it
with her friend.

She just wanted it...

She wanted it to be just us again.

And how'd you feel about that?

I thought she was being melodramatic.

I didn't have the heart to do it, but...

tomorrow I need to ask him the names

of anyone he consorted with.

And obviously... her, too...

- anyone she was...
- You're really shocked, aren't you?

He's my friend.

It was one of those marriages.

Even when I was married to your sister...

when our marriage started
to fall apart...

I held on to hope,
because this friend of mine,

this guy that I admired,

who was married to this
really accomplished woman,

he was somehow making it work.

Sorry.

Doesn't make sense to me.

Why bother staying married
if you can't be faithful?

Maybe you don't want
to lose someone, so you...

start making compromises with yourself.

I don't understand it.

And by the way, neither will a jury.

I don't know how to sell this to a jury.

Well, then let's not sell it.

Yeah, but... we have to present a case.

You heard Nate... he believes
his wife isn't actually dead.

So maybe our defense is: she isn't.

Jury-wise,

I'm guessing we'll be looking to get rid

of any potential Ava
Lewis Raynor superfans.

They're gonna be looking
for someone to blame,

and Nathan will be sitting right there.

I don't know, I'm still
kind of hoping they'll be

the most desperate to believe
Ava is still with us, you know?

It's like the people who think
Tupac faked his own death

or Elvis never left the building.

I need a jury who will go for our

"no body, no death" narrative.

I need people for whom
seeing is believing.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Anybody here believe in ghosts?

Your Honor, we'd like to thank

and excuse these three jurors.

I'm confused. Isn't he supposed
to ask them a question?

Somebody said they believe in ghosts.

Well... if they're willing
to believe in ghosts,

they might be willing to
believe someone was k*lled

without anybody being
able to find a body,

and those are not the
kind of jurors we need.

But we also need to be wary
of jurors with a propensity

to blame the husband.

That is a very real
and a very powerful bias.

Anyone who feels wronged or slighted

by a current or former partner
might be more likely

to hold Nathan responsible
regardless of the facts.

So we need to weed out
anyone with an a* to grind.

Good morning.

Now, I couldn't help but notice
your beautiful wedding ring.

How long have you been married?

- Almost nine months.
- Nine months.

Wow. You're practically a newlywed.

Congratulations.

And how is it going so far, if I may ask?

Hmm. I keep pinching myself.
My husband's a dream.

I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Marissa, is there a reason not to?

Yeah, I know she presents well, Bull,

but juror number two is
on husband number three.

And she was so vindictive
toward her last ex

that she papered his Yelp page
with bad reviews

until his business closed down.

Oh, my.

We'd like to thank and excuse
this juror, Your Honor.

Juror number two, you're excused.

What about you, Ms. Nelson?

Are you married?

Nope. Single as single could be.

Ah. And how do you feel about that?

Feeling good.

I like dating.

I've met lots of great guys.

I just... always find
a reason to break it off.

I think I'm just one of those people

that doesn't want to be tied down.

I think I've found "the one."

Free spirit. Doesn't hold a grudge.

Please don't tell me
she's a serial k*ller

with men buried under her house.

All sunshine and rainbows
on my end, Bull.

She doesn't spend a lot of time
on social media,

but when she does,
she's usually trying to debunk

her aunt's conspiracy theories.

She likes facts.

So we like her.

This juror's acceptable to
the defense, Your Honor.

Then, ladies and gentlemen,

we have our jury.

Clara?

Yes.

Are you Danny?

Thanks for coming down.

I have a desk
at Ava's publisher's office,

but this was her
favorite spot in the city.

How long have you been her assistant?

Seven years.

So you must really like the job.

Well, if you love books,

if you love writing, it's...

it's kind of like winning the lottery.

Ava let me edit her drafts.

She helped me with my own writing.

Even offered to pass along
my work to her publisher.

I mean, there was the normal stuff, too:

pick up her dry cleaning,
run her dog to the vet.

But that notwithstanding, it was...

kind of like a dream job.

Well, she sounds like
a very nice person to work for.

I know that these last few
days have had to be difficult.

And I appreciate you taking
the time to meet with me.

I'm told that you were
involved in almost...

every aspect of Ava's life.

I guess. And we know that Ava

sometimes kept company with
people other than her husband.

It would be incredibly helpful

for Nathan and his defense

if you could provide me
with some of those names.

I don't know where you're
getting your information,

but Ava loved her husband.

Ava adored her husband.

I don't doubt that. And I appreciate

that you're trying
to protect Ava's legacy.

But we know she was seeing someone else

and wanted to call it off.

We just don't know who.

Look...

I don't know anything for sure,

but after the last
Springers movie premiere,

Ava left a necklace in her hotel room.

I... went over the next day

to get it...

and I also found a man's watch.

It wasn't Nathan's.

Do you know whose it was?

Not for sure.

But Chris wore one just like it.

Who's Chris?

Her driver.

Her bodyguard.

Your Honor, in light of
the ubiquitous media coverage

surrounding this case, the People move

to sequester the jury.

Your Honor, please.

Jury sequestration is

an extraordinary and unwarranted step.

That's why it's rarely used

in the state of New York.

It costs the taxpayers

an exorbitant amount of money
and puts an undue burden

on jurors by taking them away
from their homes

and their families.

Furthermore, this jury was not selected

based on who could bear
the burden of sequestration.

There could be, uh, medical issues,

- childcare considerations...
- Your Honor, the People realize

this is an extreme ask,

but if ever a case warranted it...

Though your argument

is well-taken, Mr. Colón, given
the extraordinary attention

this case has received,
the People's motion is granted.

I order the jury sequestered.

I don't understand.

Why is a sequestered jury so bad for us?

This jury's gonna be cut off
from the outside world.

They will be angry and
want someone to blame.

And in their minds, you're
the reason they're here,

so that someone will be you.

A background check on the
bodyguard, Chris, turned up

a couple of misdemeanor
as*ault charges in his past,

all domestic, all dismissed.

Which is why the security firm
was able to hire him, but...

he's a strong guy with a
quick temper and no alibi.

Claims he was home alone when
the cops think Ava was m*rder*d.

Well, that sounds promising.

- Keep digging.
- Okay, uh,

how are we gonna deal
with the sequestration problem?

I still don't get why it's a problem.

I mean, is it just me,
or doesn't a hotel stay

with someone else footing
the bill sound like heaven?

- Mm.
- I mean, who cares

if the jury doesn't
get to watch the news?

They aren't supposed to anyway.

It's not just the news.

All the computers and televisions
are removed from their rooms.

Their only entertainment
will be group viewings

of preapproved DVDs.

They also handed over their cell phones.

Any calls with family
have to be on speaker

from a court officer's phone
with him or her listening.

Big Brother, anyone?

Hey!

It's not like they're
in some -Diamond property

with a spa and day trips
to the local museum.

They'll have takeout
from the same three restaurants

every day.

Hmm. Point of information.

We have takeout from the same
three restaurants every day.

But we don't spend /

with only each other to talk to.

A sequestered jury does,

and that creates a groupthink mentality.

Okay, uh, not to pour salt on the wound,

but we go second, right?

We are the defense.

By the time we get to make our case,

won't they just be...
sick of the whole thing?

Yep.

Unless they aren't.

Well, the A.D.A. is smart.
To Chunk's point,

she'll want to slow-play her hand

so that the jury is

out of patience
by the time it's our turn.

We can't let that happen.
We got to keep things moving.

We need to show those jurors

that we're on their side...
we want this thing

to be over with as quickly as they do.

So, is it fair to say

that the Kn*fe was the m*rder w*apon?

Objection! Asked and answered.

The jury has already heard
Mr. Richards say

- it was the Kn*fe.
- Sustained.

Isn't it true, Mr. Richards,
that DNA was discovered

from both the defendant and the deceased

- on the handle of the Kn*fe?
- Your Honor,

we just keep going over
the same ground again and again.

The defense will happily stipulate

to the evidence at the scene.

Anything to keep these
proceedings moving.

Marissa, can you break out
some numbers for me

on how the jury's feeling
towards the A.D.A.?

Wow, show's you what I know.

I wasn't sure your strategy
would actually work,

but the jury seems annoyed with her.

Even better, they're starting
to view Benny as their champion,

and some of that goodwill is
starting to flow Nathan's way.

In light of this stipulation,

do you have any more questions,
Ms. Truman?

If not, I'm gonna turn
this witness over to Mr. Colón.

As a matter of fact, I do.

In addition to the w*apon,

what, if anything,

do these spatter patterns tell
us about the crime itself?

About who might have done it and why?

Well, there are two types
of violent crimes:

what we call instrumental crimes
and expressive crimes.

An instrumental crime is likely
to occur between strangers

and is usually a means to an end.

How do you mean?

Someone kills a guy
in a convenience store

to get the money in the cash register.

What you'll usually see

is just enough v*olence
to get the job done.

- But that's not what happened here?
- No.

In this case, we're looking
at multiple s*ab wounds

when one or two would have been enough

to end the victim's life.

That's why we call it expressive.

It usually happens
when emotion runs high.

It suggests an intimate relationship

between the victim and the k*ller.

An intimate relationship.

Like a husband and wife?

Like a husband and wife.

So,

if I were to surmise that Nathan Raynor

flew into a murderous rage

at the news his wife was leaving him

and stabbed her multiple times...

Objection!

Sustained. You're pushing it, Ms. Truman.

Apologies, Your Honor.

I'll withdraw.

No further questions.

Remember what I said
about goodwill towards Nathan?

I do.

I think I may have spoken too soon.

Forensic Specialist

Joaquin Richards.

Let's talk about expressive v*olence.

v*olence committed by an intimate.

Now, that intimate

wouldn't have to be a husband, would it?

What do you mean?

Well, couldn't it
just as easily be... a lover?

I suppose.

But I'm not aware of any evidence

indicating that to have been the case.

Ah, evidence.

You know, I-I must be missing something,

but it looks to me
like all of this evidence

that everyone's been discussing

is very much open to interpretation.

Now, here's an example.

Can you say without a doubt

how many times

the victim was actually stabbed
in that kitchen?

- Well, the patterns suggest...
- It's a yes or no question,

Mr. Richards.

No. I cannot.

Hmm, I didn't think so.

And can you remind the jury, please?

Is there any non-circumstantial
evidence that proves my client,

Nathan Raynor, was the one

who committed whatever v*olence
occurred in that kitchen?

Well, no. But...

No! Of course not.

And is there any real proof,

any scientific proof

that the blood found in that kitchen

is that of my client's wife,
Ava Lewis Raynor?

Mr. Richards?

No. The bleach degraded the blood.

But we did get enough DNA in our sample

to indicate a likely match
to Ava Lewis Raynor.

Ah. Likely, but not certainly?

Not certainly.

So you have

neither conclusive proof
that Ava is actually dead

or that Nathan k*lled her.

Objection! Compound.

Overruled. The witness
will answer the question.

No.

I cannot prove
that Ava Lewis Raynor is dead

or that her husband k*lled her.

Thank you.

No further questions, Your Honor.

Well, that worked out quite nicely.

Where did Nathan
say he was gonna meet us?

Sooner we can round him up and
head into the city, the better.

Traffic heading into town is
gonna be horrible at this hour.

- I got this.
- Okay.

Nate, you coming?

We really need to head back into town.

All that stuff your lawyer said
in court today...

Neither of you guys really believe that.

Do you?

I believe you're my friend.

I believe you love your wife.

And I believe it's my job
to do everything I can

to keep you out of prison.

That's very well said.

You're a clever man, Jason.
You always were.

Attorney-client privilege apply
to lifelong friends

even though you're not a real attorney?

I'm part of your legal team.

You can say anything you want.

- And even if I weren't...
- I did it.

I did this.

I didn't k*ll her.

But I...

but I caused it.

I was the one.

I cheated first. I...

I broke us.

I was this wildly successful finance guy,

and she was my adoring wife.

Then the first Springers book hit,

and suddenly she belonged
to the whole world.

Not just to me.

I couldn't handle it.

My ego couldn't handle it.

I don't know why
I let her success do that to me.

Makes no sense, but...

then I needed...

Then I needed a shoulder to cry on.

So I went out and found one.

And then another.

And another.

And then she found shoulders of her own.

So if some angry lover k*lled Ava...

...it was my fault.

I set the whole thing in motion.

I did it.

I'll be right back.

Sorry to pull you away,
but we have a problem.

The A.D.A. just called.

A hunter and his dog just found
a corpse in the forest

miles north of here.

They found the body.

They found Ava.

Look at these jurors. They're all red,

and they're all miserable.

They haven't even had the thrill

of being in court for the last two days

while they wait for the medical examiner

to finish examining the body.

They miss their families.
They miss their own beds.

They miss food
that doesn't come out of a box.

I don't think it can get any worse.

Oh, it can.

And it will.

We chose a "seeing is believing" jury,

and as soon as
the forensic testing is done

and court resumes,

they are going to actually see
that there actually is a body.

A body that was stabbed times.

By a kitchen Kn*fe.

Most likely by an intimate.

Everything the A.D.A. asserted.

Sounds like it's time for a plan B.

What if we put the
driver/bodyguard on the stand?

Chris?

Ask him about the watch he
left behind at the hotel.

Let the jurors pick up on the inference.

Maybe rile the guy up a bit.

Show the jurors his temper.

Let them see that he could just
as easily have been Ava's k*ller

- as Nathan.
- Not bad.

More reasonable doubt.

I don't think you want to go there.

I've been going back over the
medical examiner's report,

and there's a lot of postmortem
bruising on Ava's corpse.

That points to somebody
really manhandling the body.

Struggling with it.

Having a hard time moving it, burying it.

Ava weighs pounds.

Her bodyguard could bench-press
that in his sleep.

Yeah, but we don't need
to prove that Chris did it.

Just that he could have.

Well, I don't think he could have.

Dr. Bull.

Oh, what do we have here?

"Further investigation revealed

"that the vast majority of the wounds

were on the left side
of the victim's body."

And she was stabbed from the front,

which means the k*ller was right-handed.

Chris is left-handed.

So, what's our play?

The only one we have.

We put Nathan on the stand.

Let him tell the truth and...

hope to God the jury believes him.

Did you k*ll your wife, Mr. Raynor?

No.

We made mistakes.

I made mistakes.

But there wasn't a moment

from the time we met

that we weren't together here.

Here.

Thank you.

No further questions, Your Honor.

No real movement here.

Well, that's better than the alternative.

Let's brace for impact.

Mr. Raynor,

do you, by any chance,
wear reading glasses?

Yes. I wear reading glasses.

Could you describe those glasses for me?

Uh, well, I have quite a few.

Um, they're inexpensive.

Usually get them at the drug store.

Usually buy black. . .

Marissa, why are we talking

about reading glasses? I don't know,

and I don't like that I don't know.

I'm sorry, Bull. I-I'm
not seeing anything

in discovery about reading glasses.

Nothing in the reports.

Are these your glasses, Mr. Raynor?

I don't know.

They look like they could be.

Your Honor, the People would
like to enter into evidence

this pair of reading glasses
found in a forest preserve

five yards from Ava Lewis Raynor's corpse

and this report

stating that several
of Nathan Raynor's cells

were found on these glasses.

I don't really have
any great answers for you.

Ava would borrow my glasses sometimes.

That's all I can think of.

The problem is,

our "seeing is believing" jury

is now convinced that,
when they're looking at you,

they're looking at your wife's k*ller.

Are they right?

I'm not a k*ller, Jason.

You know that.

You know me.

Yeah, well,

I thought I did.

What, you mean my-my marriage?

What do you want me to say?

It's not something
you share with friends.

It's not something I'm terribly proud of.

It does not make me a k*ller.

I know.

And I know this sounds ridiculous, but...

I thought you guys were it.

Nobody's "it."

We're all just people,

living our lives.

Yeah.

We were all thinking
of getting out of here.

Do you need anything before I go?

I think my friend

is gonna spend the rest
of his life in prison.

And I think I failed him.

And I'm embarrassed to say that,

at one point today,

I actually made the conversation

about how he might have failed me.

Bull, come on.

You haven't failed anybody.

This thing isn't over yet.

They just want to know if they can go.

It's okay! Go ahead!
I'll be leaving in a minute.

Can I show you something I was
just finally able to decrypt?

Do you mind if I turn on the light?

What am I looking at?

Text messages. Every number Ava texted

during the last week of her life.

There are only four.

Nathan, Chris, her assistant,

and her publisher.

And where do I start?

"I want to spare you
the soul-crushing pain

of reading Clara's attempt at a book."

And who is she texting, her publisher?

Hmm.

"Her novel is excruciating.
Unpublishable.

"I'm just gonna tell her

"you passed and let her down gently.

I'm just giving you a heads-up
in case she asks about it."

And this Clara...?

She's Ava's assistant.

She told me that she was writing a book

and that Ava promised to help
get it to the right people.

And that proves...?

I mean,

if this Clara was angry
that her publisher rejected her,

why would she go after Ava?

What if she saw
Ava's phone, saw the text,

found out Ava never even sent
the manuscript?

Mm. Well, the problem is,
it's just a theory,

and the jury needs proof

if they are going to acquit Nathan.

What about the postmortem bruising?

I mean, it makes sense
that a female k*ller

would have a much harder
time moving Ava's body

than some big burly guy.

A female k*ller.

We were scouring for sightings of a man.

A supposed lover, not a woman.

Let me go back through the database,

see if there are
any statements that mention

a woman fitting Clara's description.

And I'll try and trace
where she was the day Ava d*ed.

Maybe there's traffic cameras
near the lake house?

I'm sorry,

you were saying something
about failing someone?

Did I even say "come in"?

Can't a man wallow in self-pity

without his employees barging in
and pelting him with hope?

People take all the fun
out of feeling bad.

Good morning, Ms. Larson.

Really appreciate you being here.

I know you must still be reeling
from Mrs. Raynor's death.

I'm not sure I'll ever stop reeling.

Ah.

Can you please explain to the jury

exactly who you were
to the late Ava Lewis Raynor?

I was her personal assistant.

Mm. In fact,

she called you her other,

- didn't she?
- Mm.

I'm sorry, I'm gonna need you
to speak your answers.

Uh, yes.

- That's what she called me.
- Ah.

And just to help the jury
paint a picture here,

you were Ava's personal
assistant for over seven years.

Isn't that correct?

Yes. Seven years-plus.

And what does being a personal assistant

for a famous novelist entail?

Well, in the beginning,
it was mostly mundane things.

Um, pick up her cleaning,

take her to doctors' appointments.

But, over the years,

it got much more...

creative, much more intimate.

Copy edit her early drafts,

discuss plot points,
function as a sounding board.

Wow.

So you really had a front row seat.

I-I'm guessing you weren't just...

intimately involved in her creative life.

You must have been

very aware of what was
happening in her personal life.

Well...

to an extent.

Um, we were really close.

- Which, I suppose, was to be expected.
- Mm.

And how were you compensated
for your work, Ms. Larson?

Compensated?

You mean paid?

Mm.

I got a salary.

Every week.

Anything else?

Any... perks?

I mean, you wanted to be a writer, right?

Did she offer any tips?

Uh, promise to open up
some doors for you or...?

Objection. Where are we going?

What are we doing? Relevance?

I can assure the court
that the relationship

between Ms. Larson and the deceased

is extremely relevant
to my client's defense.

Overruled.

Thank you.

Didn't Mrs. Raynor

offer to show your work to her publisher?

Yes.

Yes, she did.

And I'd bet you'd be
pretty upset if she didn't.

Huh?

After all of these years
of doing everything for her,

if she went back on her word...

Objection. Counsel is testifying.

Sustained.

Now, you mentioned

dropping Mrs. Raynor off at appointments.

You own a car, Ms. Larson?

I do.

A gray sedan?

- Is that correct?
- Yes.

And where were you on Monday the th,

the night the police believe

Ava Lewis Raynor was m*rder*d?

I was at home.

By myself.

Ah. Really?

That's...

that's interesting.

Because a young lady
with blonde hair, about...

your height, your weight,

your age was seen

driving a sedan

on the very night in question.

Here it comes.

Wait for it.

A few days ago,

after Ava's body was found in the forest,

the owner of a nearby hardware store

had reported that he'd sold a shovel

to a young blonde woman

on the night we now know
Ava was m*rder*d.

Yeah, he said that she was

pretty anxious,

even shaking a little.

And after we reviewed the in-store video,

ooh, he was absolutely right.

She sure was anxious.

She was shaking.

See,

that's the thing about crimes of passion.

They're very difficult to plan for.

Someone's always forgetting a shovel.

Come on,

was that worth the wait or what?

You sure you weren't shovel
shopping that night, Ms. Larson?

Order!

The witness will answer the question.

Ooh, that's okay. That's all right.

She doesn't need to answer.

See, the store owner
got a partial license plate,

and my office handed it over
to the FBI this morning.

Th-They're actually searching
your car as we speak.

I'm sure their findings

will make the answer abundantly clear.

Thank you. No further questions,
Your Honor.

Still can't bring myself
to go inside the house.

I should probably just sell it.

But the lake...

the lake reminds me of Ava.

When I'm here, it's like she's...

still with me, you know?

Nathan,

I'm sorry.

I owe you an apology.

Are you kidding me?

You kept me out of prison.

I owe you.

I said some things.

I made some judgments.

I wasn't there.

I wasn't inside your marriage.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

You're just a guy who loved
his wife the best he could.

Nothing else really matters.

I just hope Ava knew.

I'm pretty sure she did.

Her last manuscript.

Read the dedication.

"Nathan... the dock to my boat,

"my lighthouse in the storm,

"you are my whole heart.

Always."