01x02 - Smoking g*n

[bunniefuu]

WOMAN: They call Los Angeles
the City of Angels.

Fallen angels, if you ask me.

Look in any window late at night,

and you'll see the lonely swiping right,

the innocent reveling in their dreams,

and the wicked in the cheating embrace

of an illicit affair.

You could almost smell his cologne

- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
- wafting over the crashing surf.

The scent had a name... Betrayal.

You done?

C'mon!

It's classic voice-over,
like in every P.I. movie.

Yeah, I know what it is.

And it, too, has a name... annoying.

You know, if you're bored,
you don't have to be here.

The deal was you show up
for client interviews,

you make 'em believe they're hiring us,

and for that,
you get a piece of the take.

No one said you had to be part
of the investigations.

Well, I just thought that
we would be helping people,

- saving people.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]

You know, changing lives for the better.

Watching this so doesn't feel like that.

Well, that's the job, Sam.

Background checks, lost pets,

staking out a cheating jerk's
beach house at 4:00 a.m.

Not like TV.

We don't get front-page cases every week.

You know, honestly...

most detective work is like this... dull.

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nshots]

♪

♪

[SWITCH CLICKS]

[GASPS]

I-I didn't do it.

Define "dull."

♪


[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]

BRAD: I swear. You gotta believe me.

I was in love with her. I didn't do this!

I didn't sh**t her!

We practically caught him red-handed.

How can he still deny it?

They all do.

Wait here.

Vic's name is Daria Passmore,

film student down at
San Bernardino University.

And the sh**ter?

Her teacher... Brad Marsh.

B-movie producer, made a fortune
off those k*ller-puppet movies.

Apparently, he's trying
to make art house films now.

His soon-to-be-ex hired us to
provide proof of the affair.

Oh, the poor stiff.

He probably thought
he'd get away with it.

But little did he know that
the legendary Detective McNair

was lying in wait outside his window.

He just seems so certain.

Well, I guess you're not
the only thespian in the room.

- EDDIE: Then we heard g*nf*re.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]

Ran in to find Mr. Marsh there
holding the weapon.

I'm gonna need copies of those photos.

Yeah, happy to...

for a favor.

I just... I wanna be the one to
tell our client what happened.

I just think it'd be easier

if she heard it from someone,
you know, she knows.

I'm sure it has nothing to do
with you wanting to get paid

before you client finds out
her husband k*lled his mistress,

making your photos
pretty much unnecessary

in her divorce case.

No, that... that never crossed my mind.

Two hours.

How's your... nefarious plan
working out so far?

A couple more shoe-leather cases,

a few more overnights,
I'll be free of her.

She's starting to get bored.

She doesn't look bored.

SAM: We will help you with this.

Maybe you wanna get her away
from my m*rder suspect?

♪

Hey.

What the hell are you doing?

- Getting us a new client.
- What? Who?

Brad Marsh. He said he didn't do it.

He's hired us to prove it.

Damn it, Sam.

You cannot, should not ever take a case

without talking to me.

Well, you take cases
without talking to me.

Because I know what I'm doing.

Well, I know what you're doing, too.

The guy was standing over
the victim's body

holding the m*rder weapon.

That is the literal definition
of "smoking g*n."

There's no case. He's guilty.

No, he's not.

Look, Eddie, I know
when someone's acting.

Those tears were real.
H-His devastation was, too.

He's innocent.

Then explain the dead girl.

Well, maybe someone else
was in the house...

you know, someone we didn't see.

Maybe the k*ller
was trying to set Brad up.

You know what you're trying to do?

You're just trying to make this case
more exciting than it actually is.

We're not taking it.

Well [SCOFFS] a girl died tonight, Eddie.

Don't you want someone to pay?

You know what I want more?

Is for someone to pay me
and then to go home.

So please, when we get to Mrs. Marsh's
house, let me do the talking.

And do not, under any circumstances,

tell her about the m*rder
until after we get paid.

Got it? [SIGHS]

♪

CINDY: [SCOFFS] I knew it.

Once a cheater, always a cheater.

With me, on his first wife.

Ah. Yeah.

Well, here's the proof.

I knew he wasn't at the beach house

working on his new passion project.

Well, he kind of was.

Had a feeling you were
the right people for the job,

given what your fiancé did to you.

Hmm.

Out of curiosity,

you were just getting home
when we were pulling up.

Where were you coming from, Mrs. Marsh?

Don't call me by his name. It's "Cindy."

And... I had an early meeting.

Who with?

My therapist, if you must know.

At 6:00 a.m.?

That's a little early
for unburdening yourself

on someone's couch. [LAUGHS]

Excuse me.

♪

What are you doing?

- [SCOFFS] Isn't it obvious?
- No.

[WHISPERING] She's the k*ller.

Did you look at her?
She's wearing all black...

perfect for not being seen at night.

She had motive,
access to the beach house.

That story about her therapist?
I mean, come on.

She's obviously
having an affair with him.

How do I know?
Her shirt was on inside out.

Those are walk-of-shame clothes.

She k*lled Daria, set up her husband,

and then went to
her lover's house to celebrate.

The most genius part... she hired us

so we would witness her husband
committing the m*rder.

m*rder? What m*rder?

- Um, Mrs. Mar...
- [CLEARS THROAT]

Cindy...

maybe you should have a seat.

I don't want to have a seat.
I want to know what's going on.

Well, there was a sh**ting
at your beach house

early this morning.

And it appears that your husband
may have k*lled his lover.

Oh, my God.

Or someone else k*lled her
and your husband's being set up.

Are you accusing me?

No. Of course not.

You are!

That's why you asked where I was earlier.

You two are supposed to be
working for me.

Cindy! We...

Get out. Get out of my house.

EDDIE: Five minutes.

You just had to be quiet
for five minutes.

If she has nothing to hide,
why'd she get so upset?

Because you practically
accused her of m*rder.

You're supposed to be helping us
make money, not enemies.

So we lost a client. Big deal.

We have another one waiting for us

who will pay us 10 times as much
to prove he's innocent.

Except he's not.

Fine. What if he's not?

What's the worst that can happen...

we take money from a guilty man?

Isn't there justice in that?

♪

BRAD: You must think
I'm a terrible person,

cheating on my wife.

But being with Daria
was like I-I found something

I never knew was missing...
something real.

And... And now...

I know what this looks like. I-I do.

But I never would've hurt her.

Alright. Can you, um...

Why don't you just tell us
exactly what happened?

We... We had been talking
about our future...

about me leaving Cindy,
about us leaving town,

about starting our lives
together somewhere else.

A-And then we... we... we...
we fell onto the bed,

and we turned off the light.

We started kissing.

And then Daria was yanked from my arms.

And... And she tried to scream,
but her voice was muffled,

like somebody had put their hand
over her mouth.

And she was fighting.

I tried to get to her,
but I got knocked off the bed.

And then I... I heard the... the g*nsh*t.

And... And... And then the flash.

I saw Daria fall back.

I-I tried to get to her,
but I tripped over something.

I reached down and... and...
and... and picked it up.

The g*n.

That's when you came in the room.

♪

Who knew you were gonna be
at the beach house that night?

No one.

Not even your wife?

[SCOFFS] As vindictive as Cindy is,

she would never touch a g*n,
let alone fire one.

Besides, I had been tracking her phone.

She was screwing her therapist
that night.

Yeah. I knew. Can't say I cared.

Do you know if Daria had any enemies

or anyone who would've wanted her dead?

No.

But come to think of it,
she seemed very shaken up

when she first came out to the house.

I asked her what was wrong,

and... and she just shrugged it off

and said she wanted to talk
about the future

and starting our lives together.

♪

Did you hear that? She was shaken up.

She wanted to start a new life.

Maybe she was running from something.

Or maybe he's lying
so we'll take his case.

Sam, he's using us.

Wha... Using us? For what?

He's laying the groundwork
for his defense.

L-Like O.J. hiring those P.I.s
to find the "real K*llers"?

Why do you immediately assume
the worst of people?

Saves time.

- Sam, I can prove it.
- How?

He said that Daria
was struggling with the k*ller.

If it was as violent as he said...

There'd be DNA under her fingernails.

Bingo.

Victim is 23 years old,
appears to be in good health

- [DOOR OPENS]
- with the exception

of the holes in her chest.

And...

Oh, my God. Sam Swift
just walked into my morgue.

Please, Lord, remember
this moment. I've gotta go.

Eddie! Sam.

If I'd known you were coming,
I'd have tidied up...

or, at the very least, put the body away.

Actually, it's the body that
we want to talk to you about.

Oh.

Right.

I ran every test I could
trying to prove your theory,

but there is no evidence
of defensive wounds,

no evidence of a struggle of any kind.

So no DNA under her nails?

Just her boyfriend's.

Honestly, if you two hadn't been
out there to hear the shots,

I think he'd have probably carved her up

and dumped her in the sea.

Like I said, saves time.

Mick, when we would find a body
on the show,

we would always run their fingerprints.

Yes, one of the delightfully
authentic aspects

of your production.

We don't need fingerprints.
We know who she is.

Yeah, but how well?

Maybe she has priors or a criminal past

that would explain why she was k*lled.

We know why she was k*lled.

Her boyfriend was trying
to cover up his affair.

Can I see the report?

Oh, I'm not sure
we have it back, but, um...

Oh!

Yes. We have it.

Right.

So, I...

Huh.

"Huh"? "Huh," what?

No, that can't be right.

What?

Her fingerprints...

the system found a match,
but it's not to Daria Passmore.

What are you talking about?

She's not who she said she was.

Well, who is she?

Her name is Tina Flores.

According to this,
she's been dead for eight years.

BERTO: Daria Passmore, AKA Tina Flores.

Foster kid, frequent runaway.

Raised in the kind of group homes I was.

See? Criminal past.

Yeah, but we're talking
petty theft, a couple of B&Es...

nothing that would get her k*lled.

Which time?

So, how did she supposedly die?

Indigo warehouse fire
in Oakland, eight years ago.

Whoa. The Indigo fire?

We did a ripped-from-
the-headlines episode on that.

A bunch of runaways
and homeless kids died in it.

Well, that's making it
the ideal opportunity

for someone looking to
disappear to fake their death,

steal a new identity, and start over.

There's only one reason someone would

go through that much trouble.

She was running from something!

Or, you know, maybe because of her record

and her outstanding warrants,

she saw an opportunity for a fresh start.

Look me in the eye and tell me
you really believe that.

[ELECTRICITY BUZZING]

♪

Who's that?

Oh, that's Monica, my new assistant.

What? Whoa.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Timeout.

Having an assistant is
definitely not part of our deal.

You're not paying for her,
Scroogely. Neither am I.

She's working in exchange
for living in my guest house.

She's getting her psych PhD.

She's putting stuff in my kitchen.

Our kitchen.

Your snacks suck.

- Hey!
- Yo!

So, I bought everything
that bordered on healthy.

- This Eddie and Berto?
- Yep.

Monica. Look forward to working with you.

Sorry about the lights. I'm a grinder.

- Grinder?
- A body hacker.

I have implants in my hands

that can affect electromagnetic fields.

I'm basically a cyborg.

And you're gonna be working here?

Really? That's your takeaway?

Dude, no. I'm completely mobile,

and this situation is strictly part-time.

You're disappointed. You like me.

[SCOFFS] What? No.

No.

Part-time, full-time...
whatever's cool with me.

Hm.

I copied your key.

Your mail's on the kitchen counter,

and I brought you a fresh pair of socks

in case you do another all-nighter.

And hey, I called everyone on
the film-crew list you gave me

who worked with that Brad Marsh guy.

Before this, worst thing I unearthed

is he likes younger women.

No underage stories, though,

and no one I talked to said "#MeToo."

She's doing case research now?

She is.

Oh, and you asked me to remind you

about that thing
you have downtown tomorrow.

Um... can you just text me
a couple hours before?

Yeah, no prob.

Later, studs!

[ELECTRICITY BUZZING]

[SKATES ROLLING]

I do kinda like her.

Ju...

Fix the damn lights, huh?

What's this thing downtown?

It's just a girl thing.

Wait... where are you going?

Talk to our client, see how much
he knew about his girlfriend.

You're taking the case?

- We're taking the case!
- Shut up.

BRAD: I don't understand.
Why didn't she tell me all this?

Why... Why did she lie?

Maybe she was trying to protect you.

No! We told each other everything.

At least... At least, I thought we did.

You said she was upset when
she came to see you last night.

What about before that,
in the last few weeks?

Was she anxious or scared?

No, more like distracted.

She was pushing for me
to end things with Cindy

so we could go out of town.

We had tickets for Cancún
at the end of the week.

What else can you tell us
about her life, hmm?

People she hung out with, friends?

I... I don't really know.

How do you not know?

You said you guys
were practically soul mates.

Well, we were having an affair.

We weren't ready for our friends to know.

How about where she lived?

We never went to her place.

She said she was embarrassed
by how small it was.

What did you know about her?

[SIGHS]

Mr. Marsh, if you want us
to prove your innocence,

we need a place to start.

We have to figure out who she really was

and why someone might've wanted her dead.

What... What about her driver's license?

Can't you get her address off of that?

We checked. It's fake.

I hate to say it,

but it's almost like
you were dating a ghost.

What we had was... was... was real.

I know it was real!

W-Wait. She ordered a Lyft.

A few weeks ago, she ordered
a Lyft from my account.

I insisted so she wouldn't have to pay.

We're gonna need
your account and password.

With any luck,
maybe we'll beat the cops there.

♪

It's creepy. It's like the house
doesn't know she's dead.

Hey, house. She's dead.

Now it knows.

Burner phones... a lot of them.

Whatever she was doing,
I'm pretty sure it wasn't legal.

Eddie.

♪

A wig for every phone.

These are real hair.
They cost thousands of dollars.

Looks like Daria took
her disguises pretty seriously.

Look at all that makeup.

Disguises for what?

♪

Serial number's been filed away.

Look at the IDs.

All different looks, all different names.

What do you think she's got in there?

♪

What are you hiding?

♪

♪

Like 500 grand in here.

Who'd this woman think she is,
Jason Bourne?

- Sam!
- [SCREAMS]

[SWITCH CLICKS]

Sorry.

Sorry.

This door's reinforced.
I can't break it down.

Who do you think that was?
You think it was Daria's k*ller?

I think it was Daria's k*ller.

- Who are you calling?
- [LINE RINGING]

Berto... see if he can
get us out of here.

What up? This is Berto. Leave a message.

Voicemail.

You mean we're stuck?

Hey, let us out!

Hey! Shh! [WHISPERING] Stop! Shh.

I'd rather the bad guy not
come back and try to k*ll us.

[GRUNTS]

Who are you texting?

Monica, to see if she can help...

unless you'd rather me
call your cop girlfriend.

She's not my girlfriend.

And the less she knows
about this, the better.

Oh, yeah? Which part... breaking in

or you being locked
alone in a closet with me?

What, you think you're irresistible?

Well, you do seem
pretty excited right now.

That's my g*n.

Oh.

[SWITCH CLICKS]

Thank God.

Bet you're glad I have an assistant now.

Yeah, 'cause I've always wanted
to be rescued by an android.

Cyborg.

You're right... he is a buzzkill.

So, is this kinda thing
part of my job description?

'Cause if so, that's cool.

Eddie, all the wigs... they're gone.

Yeah, so's the g*n and IDs.

Burner phones and computer, too.

He scrubbed the place.

Well, whatever Daria was up to,

he didn't want anyone to find out.

Should I be taking notes?

Now we have no leads.

Maybe we do.

We spent the last couple days
following her and Brad.

Maybe there's some clue

as to who she is in one
of those photos we took.

♪

Alright, what are we looking for?

Anything unusual, out of the ordinary,

something we might've missed.

- [GASPS] Oh!
- What?

My favorite ice cream place!

They make it from scratch.
Super-pricy, though.

What? It's awesome.

Hey!

There. You see it?

See what?

Same car.

Oh, yeah! It's also at the café.

Three different locations,
three different days,

and it doesn't belong to either of them.

What's it mean?

We weren't the only ones
following Brad and Daria.

We need to zoom in, enhance the license,

and track down the owner.

Right. [CHUCKLES]
"Enhance"... not a thing.

- It's not TV.
- Mm.

- I'm sure you know that.
- Yeah.

And we don't need to enhance it,

because I know exactly whose car that is.

♪

Max Duchemin.

Well, well, well.

Eddie V.

I guess what I read about you
in the papers is true, huh?

You've gone Hollywood.

And here, I thought
you didn't like the spotlight.

- You two know each other?
- Oh, yeah.

Eddie and me, we go way back, don't we?

He didn't tell you about me?

This dirtbag used to work for me
before he went solo.

Would've made him partner, too,

if not for the knife in my back.

What do you want, V? A handout?

Want me to throw a little work your way,

for old times' sake?

You were following this girl.

Why?

Maybe I was lonely.

Maybe you deserve to be.

Who hired you?

You know, I didn't learn much from you,

but I did learn how to keep a secret.

And I don't talk about
my cases or my clients.

Hey, pal, this girl is dead.

So if you're protecting her k*ller,

that makes you an accessory to m*rder.

That's cute.

You know, you were
a lot more believable on TV.

I'll see ya around, V.

♪

What an asshat!

He worked for you?

Predictable asshat.

He told us what we needed to know.

He didn't tell us anything.

He confirmed he was
following Daria for a client.

- Well, so he knows something.
- Yep.

The only way to find out what
would be risky and ill*gal.

So there's nothing we can do?

I didn't say that.

♪

♪

Really? You brought me to a bar?

You do know I'm in recovery, right?

We're not here to do shots.

You.

I should rip you in half,
Valetik, for what you did to me.

W-What'd you do to him?

I talked him into buying this bar.

And now every month, I gotta do
all this damn paperwork.

Eddie, I hate paperwork.

[LAUGHS]

Samantha Swift! [LAUGHS]

- [STRAINED] O-kay. Alright.
- [CHUCKLES]

It's about time he brought you around.

This is Zeus. He's kinda shy.

Eddie tell you he's alive today
because of me, hmm?

No, no, because I haven't told her

- you're alive because of me.
- [LAUGHS]

- Zeus is my old partner from the force.
- Ah.

He runs a high-end
security consulting firm now.

He's big-time... corporate alarm systems,

surveillance systems, firewalls.

When I'm not running this damn bar.

You love this bar.
You met your wife in this bar.

I know that two of your kids,
they were conceived right...

I... think the lady
gets the picture, hmm?

- You love this bar.
- Mm-hmm.

So, is this a social call?

Business.

There's this office
in a high-security building.

Kinda need your help getting in.

Eddie, you know I can't...

Ask me whose office.

Whose office?

Max Duchemin.

Duchemin?

Oh, that sounds like fun.

♪

Here's what you're facing.

Duchemin's office is in Wycroft Tower.

Other tenants include banks,
law offices, tech firms...

making the building highly secure.

How secure?

The building sports a networked
IVS surveillance system...

all entry points, every floor.

Elevators are keycard-controlled.

The main office has
a C27 multi-point alarm system.

It sounds impossible.

He always makes it sound impossible.

Makes him seem more impressive
when he actually gets us in.

Don't give away all my secrets, dawg.

So, how do we get in?

I rep the alarm company, so that's easy.

I can spoof the elevator keycard.

LED cap should blind surveillance.

But there's one thing
I can't help you with...

the night guard in the lobby.

In order to get to the elevators,
you have to get past him.

He also monitors the camera feed,

so he'll see any tampering.

A night guard? That's what
you're worried about?

You know how they caught
the Watergate burglars?

It wasn't an alarm system or cameras.

It was a night guard.
He spotted tape on the door.

Human assets are
the hardest variable to control.

Yeah, well,
we have something they didn't.

Me.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

♪

[POUNDING]

[CLANK]

[BUZZER, CLICK]

♪

Hey! Are you okay?

♪

♪

Hey!

Can you hear me?

[GASPS]

Am I dead?

Are you an angel?

No, ma'am. I think you passed out.

Maybe you had
a little t-too much to drink?

[GRUNTS]

No!

I am... not drunk.

I am so not drunk.

I-I know how this looks, okay?

[BEEP]

You don't know. You can't understand!

[BEEP]

This night has been a disaster.

Is there someone I can call for you?

No! No, no!

Don't call him!

What I need... I need to charge my phone

a-a-and call a Lyft.

But not back to his place,
because he ruined it!

[BEEP]

- I am not talking to him.
- [BEEP]

[BEEP]

[GASPS]

I'm sorry, but it's after hours.
You have to leave.

Who says I have to go?

Ma'am. Peters.

Ma'am!

- Peters.
- Ma'am?

[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]

♪

[SINGSONG] Keep away from Peters!

[LAUGHS]

Ma'am!

- Peters! Ohh!
- That's it!

[LAUGHS] I'm calling the police.

Oh, please, please don't.

You seem like a nice guy.

I really need nice right now.

Okay, I've had a bad night.

You don't even know
what I've been through.

Let me tell you, Peters.

♪

[BEEP]

Okay, you're on.

So, you and Sam... how's that goin'?

- [BEEPING]
- She's like a circus

that never leaves town.

[LAUGHS]

Come on, brother.
Who doesn't like a circus?

- [BEEPING]
- Mm-hmm.

And... you are welcome.

[RAPID BEEPING]

And then, not only did he dump me,

he left me at the club!

Can you believe that?
Why would he do that?

♪

I got it. I'm heading down.

Sam, he's coming down.

Keep the guard away from the elevator.

Look, lady.

I'm really sorry
you had a bad night, okay?

But I could lose my job here,
so this is your last chance.

Get down, or I'm gonna call the police.

Fine.

♪

♪

That's it! Out... now!

Wh... Oh! No, no! Lemme go! Lemme go!

Oh, c'mon, Peters!

Oh, let go! Let go of me!

I thought we were cool!

- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
- Oh! [GRUNTS]

- [SPRAYING]
- Aah!

Sorry, Peters! I had no choice!

Aaaaah!

[GROANING]

You were supposed to keep him
occupied, not Mace him.

I improvised! And it was hair spray.

Where's the file?

[SIGHS]

So, Duchemin was hired to follow Daria

by a man named Jace Buckner.

I Googled his name,
and this photo came up.

Look familiar?

Whoa. That's the guy
who locked us in the closet.

♪

Jace Buckner... he's vice president

of product sales at Simon Industries.

Married, two kids.

Simon Industries...

don't they make
those TrueTrash trash cans?

Yeah. So what's the V.P.
of trash doing following Daria?

What's he doing locking us in a closet?

As far as I can tell,
their lives didn't intersect.

The only commonality is
they both have criminal records.

Before his life as a husband, father,

and vice president of wastebaskets

at daddy-in-law's company,

Buckner here had multiple arrests.

For what?

Uh, possession with intent to distribute.

He was selling drugs? What kind?

Luxury, not street...
Coke, X, Study Buddies.

Got his start young.

He was the Pablo Escobar
of his prep school.

That's what this is about.

Burner phones, cash, the g*n...

it all screams "drug dealer."

Maybe Jace was still into drugs
and Daria was his supplier.

Yeah, I know, but why hire
Duchemin to follow Daria?

Well, maybe she and Jace
were working together

and they had a falling-out.

Maybe Jace hired Duchemin
to track her movements

to gain the upper hand.

[GASPS] Ooh!

And then, when he found out

that she was having an affair
with a married man,

he had a way to get rid of her

by making Brad Marsh the fall guy.

What?

I'm sorry. It's just...

you look like Beetlejuice.

[LAUGHS]

[CLEARS THROAT]

You know I'm right.

Either way, Jace wanted
something from Daria.

I think it's time we ask him what.

- [DOOR OPENS]
- [SNICKERING]

[CHUCKLES]

JACE: Thanks, everyone.

Monthly projections on my desk by Friday.

LINDA: Mr. Buckner.

There are a couple of people
here to see you.

Said they met you at
a closet organizers convention.

Yeah, you know the one...

- [DOOR CLOSES]
- where you locked us in a closet?

Who are you... cops?

Private investigators.

But the cops...
they're gonna be our next call

if you don't answer our questions.

Now, what's your relationship
to Daria Passmore?

You want to know the nature
of our relationship?

She was blackmailing me.

♪

But when I knew her,
her name was Vickie Westbrook.

We met at a sales conference.

She made me feel...

- Special?
- Yeah.

But then came the pictures.

- Pictures?
- Of us in bed.

She threatened to send them to my wife.

I... I would've lost everything.

Maybe you should've thought about that

before you slept with her.

- Well, what did she want?
- Money.

A few thousand at first, then a lot more.

I couldn't keep up with the payments,

and I couldn't go to the police

because I would've had to
admit the affair.

Is that why you k*lled her...

so she couldn't destroy your family?

I told you I didn't k*ll her.

I was with my folks that night, alright?

There were witnesses.

[RINGTONE PLAYS]

[RINGTONE STOPS]

Sorry.

Why'd you hire Duchemin?

To find out where she lived.

She was bleeding me dry.
I had to get the evidence back.

But... But then,
the weirdest thing happened.

[CELLPHONE VIBRATING] Sh...

♪

Sorry... you were saying?

A couple of days ago, Vickie called me.

She said it was over.

She said she was done with the blackmail

and she was gonna burn all the evidence.

She said she was sorry.

Wait... your blackmailer apologized?

Why the sudden change of heart?

No idea.

But I've never felt so relieved
in all my life.

Then why were you at her apartment?

Duchemin calls me.
He says she's been m*rder*d.

All I could think about was
the police finding the photos.

When I saw you there, I... I panicked.

You locked us in. You took everything.

That's how I found out about the others.

Others?

♪

I went through her phones, her laptop.

I wasn't the only one
that she was blackmailing.

You want a suspect?

There were dozens of us.

We're gonna need you to hand over

everything that you took from her place.

♪

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

Gotta admire her stamina.

And her business savvy.

She had over $2 million in the bank.

You okay?

I just keep wondering which one
of these girls she really was.

What was she running from?

I don't know. Maybe she was
running from herself.

Something in her life must've changed,

'cause I just got off the phone

with Daria's other blackmail victims.

They all had the same story...

Daria had called them
just before she died

and let them all off the hook.

She was getting out of the game. Why?

I don't know, but I'm pretty sure
it had to do with Brad Marsh.

What do you mean?

Well, she was blackmailing all these men.

Why not Brad? He has money.

And why was she so eager to leave town,

but not so eager that she
didn't just leave without him?

Maybe she did love him.

Yeah, I don't think that was it.

I went through her e-mails
and found this.

It's from an anonymous account.

They claim to have hacked
her laptop and stole enough

to bring her entire
blackmail scheme to light.

They were gonna turn it over to the cops

if she didn't do exactly what they said.

Did it say what they were after?

To run her honey-trapping scheme
on Brad Marsh.

Why?

Sounds like spy stuff.

They wanted her to infiltrate his life,

gather information.

But the guy makes k*ller-puppet movies.

What kind of information
could he possibly have?

Don't know. Details were handled
with a phone call.

But when she refused,
they threatened to k*ll her.

Even sent photos of her sleeping

just to prove that
they can get to her at any time.

Well, that's not terrifyingly creepy.

There's no indication in there
what they were after?

Look at these follow-up e-mails
from the same account.

Came a week ago.

"Did you get the information
on C.D. yet?"

[KEYS CLICKING]

Two days later, "Anything on C.D.?"

I swept her hard drive...

no other mention of "C.D."
anywhere else on her laptop.

But, Eddie, I think

- this is why she was k*lled.
- [TELEPHONE RINGING]

Well, who's C.D.?

I bet Brad Marsh knows.

Valetik Investigations.

Uh, Sam. Yep.

It's Monica.

Why's she calling me here?

Hello?

No, my phone was off. Why?

Oh!

God, no! I... I totally forgot.

I'm coming. You tell them I'm coming?

- [RECEIVER SLAMS]
- This is bad. This is really bad!

Why? What'd you forget?

Remember that thing downtown
I said wasn't a big deal?

Well, it was a really big deal!

Well, what is it?
What are you talking about?

[SIGHS] My probation hearing!

♪

Miss Swift, don't for a second think

that your celebrity status
gives you permission

to ignore the obligations
of your probation.

I don't. Your Honor, I am sorry.

I had every intention of being here.

I'm not interested in excuses,

and you've shown remorse before...

like how sorry you were
at your first DUI hearing,

only to have
your alcohol bracelet trigger

that very same night
at an MTV after-party.

I see no reason why the court
should give you another chance.

MELVIN: Your Honor,
Miss Swift has done everything

this court has asked for.

She's found gainful employment.

Yes, we've all read the headlines.

And she successfully completed

her court-mandated alcohol
and substance abuse treatment.

She's maintained her sobriety since.

Really?

Then why do I have photos of her

coming out of a bar
in the middle of the day?

♪

Oh, no. N... Your Honor.
That is not what it looks like.

Do you know how many times a day
I hear that?

It seems to me the best way to
get your attention, Miss Swift,

is for you to spend the rest
of your sentence in prison.

In the case of the State of
California vs. Samantha Swift,

the defendant is to be
remanded into custody

and ordered to serve
the rest of her pro...

Your Honor, wait.

♪

Mr. Valetik. Haven't seen you in a while.

You have something to add?

I led her to that bar.

We were working a case.
No alcohol was consumed.

She still violated
the terms of her parole

by missing her court date.

She lost track of time because
she was gathering evidence

to prove our client's innocence.

She missed her court date

because she was pursuing justice.

The people who took those photos,

they follow her around all the time,

hoping that she'll screw up.

And if she doesn't, they're just
gonna make it look like she did.

Who can live with that kind of scrutiny?

I know I couldn't.

Now, is she disruptive? Yes.

Annoying? Absolutely.

But...

she's trying...

just about as hard
as I've ever seen anybody

try and turn her life around.

♪

Your Honor, you've known me
since I was a rookie cop.

Have I ever stood up for anybody

who didn't deserve another chance?

[SIGHS]

My instincts tell me that time in jail

would do you a world of good.

But if Eddie Valetik is willing
to vouch for you,

then I'm willing to let you off
with a warning,

under one condition...

she remain in your employ for
the duration of her probation...

- six months.
- Your Honor.

It's the court's opinion that

Miss Swift is in serious need
of boundaries.

So either I sentence her to jail

or I sentence her to you, Mr. Valetik.

Your choice.

♪

What?

Nobody's ever stood up for me
like that before.

Thank you.

Yeah, well, don't be too grateful.

It was a business decision.

Couldn't have you making me look bad.

Of course.

If you're done with all this nonsense,

can we get back to the case?

Mm-hmm.

BRAD: I can't believe I was such a fool.

I don't suppose you want
our tickets to Cancún tonight?

I'd have gone myself,

but I surrendered my passport
when I made bail.

Brad, I know how hard this must be.

I was about to upend my life
for this girl.

Someone coerced her into dating you.

They wanted something.

Look.

Brad, this is important.

Do you know anyone or anything
with the initials C.D.?

Something worth k*lling for?

No, I...

Oh, my God. C.D.?

What? What's C.D.?

Carlina Del Rio.

She's the ex-girlfriend
of Fernando Salazar.

Fernando Salazar?

Godfather of
the Guadalajaran Drug Cartel?

W-Wait. I thought he was in prison.

He is... because of Carlina's testimony.

The Feds put her in Witness Protection.
You know her?

I bought her life rights for a movie...

my chance to be something more
than the k*ller-puppet guy.

We... We would meet in secret
to go over the screenplay

in places the FBI didn't know about.

But once she trusted me,
we met at her place.

And Salazar suspected.

But he knew you wouldn't betray her

if he confronted you directly,

so he sent Daria
to burrow into your life,

to find a clue to Carlina's whereabouts.

If Salazar finds her, do you
know what he'll do to her?

t*rture and k*ll her. Where is she?

Place has been tossed.
Somebody's already been here.

♪

She's not here.

SAM: Eddie.

- Is that flight information?
- Yeah.

Look, the tickets are booked
under "Ellen Holder,"

Carlina's Witness Protection name.

She's out of town.
She still may be alive.

Yeah, well, not for long.
She's flying back tonight.

I think I know why
Daria wanted to go to Cancún.

I just checked the plane's manifest.

There's an Ellen Holder on that flight.

And, Sam, you were right...
it arrives at the same terminal

that Daria and Brad were
supposed to leave from tonight.

SAM: Daria knew she was signing
Carlina's death warrant

by sharing that information.
She couldn't live with it.

She planned that Cancún trip

so she could meet Carlina
as she got off the plane.

Because Daria was trying
to save her life.

Hey, Berto, when does that plane land?

11 minutes.

♪

[ INDISTINCT P.A. ANNOUNCEMENT]

♪

Eddie, the plane just landed.

[SIGHS] We're still 20 minutes away.
We're not gonna make it.

♪

♪

♪

[GRUNTING]

[CROWD GASPING, SCREAMING]

[GRUNTS]

[COUGHING]

[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]

His name's Juan Benero.

He's a sicario for the Salazar
cartel... 28 known hits.

You had called me a minute
later, it would've been 29.

Daria's the one who saved her.

Despite everything
she'd done in her past,

she decided to risk her life
to save someone else.

Do you still believe Brad k*lled her?

Ohh. You want me to say it, don't you?

Is it so hard?

Yes.

Fine.

You were right... Brad didn't k*ll Daria.

It was a setup.

And?

And?

If I hadn't been there...

And if you hadn't been there
the night Daria was shot,

Carlina would be possibly dead, too.

And most impressive...

she got you to admit you were wrong.

[SMACKS LIPS]

I'd say my work here is done.

♪

So, I guess your plan backfired.

Whatcha gonna do now?

Suffer.

If you need consoling later,
come by my place.

♪

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

♪

And near as we can figure,
Daria got on Salazar's radar

when she ran one of her schemes

on someone connected to his organization.

They knew they could use her
to target you.

We spoke to the D.A.

Juan's rental car mapped a trip
to your beach house

the night of the m*rder.

It's enough evidence to dismiss
all charges against you.

I know I should be relieved,

but knowing that she lost
her life because of me...

You did not k*ll Daria.

In fact, I think it was because of you

that she decided to put
all of her schemes behind her

and become a better person.

The only reason she was even with me

was because she was forced to.

I'm not so sure.

I've been trying to make sense of it...

why this coldhearted blackmailer
would risk her life,

why she would call all
of her victims and apologize.

It's because something changed her.

I think it was you.

With all that money she had,

she could've disappeared on her own.

But she didn't.

Why?

Because she wanted to leave with you.

She planned to start a new life with you.

And the only explanation I can think of

is that she really did love you.

♪

Thank you.

♪

SAM: This seems so final.

It's a bad idea to get emotional
in cases like this.

How can I not?

Daria, Tina, Victoria...

You know, I understand how hard it is

when you have to play
a lot of roles to survive.

It's easy to lose a grip on who you are.

Sounds like she finally
figured it out with Brad.

She did.

She found true love.

She saved the day.

Hey, look at you,
pointing out the bright side.

Mnh. Yeah, didn't mean to.

Speaking of other things
I didn't mean to do...

well, since apparently,
I'm stuck with you for a while,

I figured you'd need a place to be.

♪

[DOOR OPENS]

You're giving me an office?

Clean it up, and it's all yours.

Seriously? You want me
to move all your boxes?

Good thing you have an assistant.

♪