01x05 - Just Ask

[bunniefuu]

Previously on The Better Sister

- [Nicky] You don't have to touch me!

- [Guidry] Ethan Macintosh,

you are under arrest

for the m*rder of Adam Macintosh.

They sent me a therapist.

Hey, that's good, right?

[McCabe] Some of these threats are coming

from a computer registered to

- The Real Thing.

- Well, that's my office.

Yeah.

Holding on to secrets?

Slow poison.

[laughs]

[Ken] Tell your sister what happened.

Your end.

He got into bed with me, Chlo.

You're gonna bring this up now?

May I offer you a martini?

[Chloe] Nicky, let's go home.

- Please.

- You brought me here.

Now I'm staying.

[tense music playing]

[Chloe] Sid Evans. He's a reporter.

You know, I'm not hiding my sister

for my sake.

- It's for Ethan.

- You want to talk about it?

Off the record.

[line ringing]

- [phone buzzing]

- It's her.

[chuckling]

[Bill] I need you to check

something out for me.

Before this girl gets herself k*lled.

- [Wanda Jackson sings "Whirlpool"]

- You've got me ♪

You've got me falling down and down ♪

Down and down and down and down ♪

You've got me spinning round and round ♪

Round and round and round and round ♪

Loving good and loving true

Five pounds

of strawberry shortcake for you.

[chuckles]

Can I tell you how boring

antitrust law is?

Is it as boring as this shift?

Because it is so slow today.

Hmm.

Maybe we need a little [clicks tongue]

I [stammers] I've got to concentrate.

All right. Of course, of course.

- Sorry, sorry.

- Time and place.

Yes, the time might be now.

Crazy, crazy over you

Uh, yeah, maybe I should go.

I don't want to

I don't want to get you fired here.

What? Don't you dare.

I love seeing you sitting back here

building our future.

[chuckles]

Your customers are coming.

[Nicky] Oh. Blanche.

Hello.

How are you today? You guys look so great.

We want to sit in your section.

[Nicky laughing] Oh, you better.

[Blanche] Is that your husband?

Now, no flirting, ladies.

He's busy studying.

He's gonna be a big-time lawyer.

We starting with Cokes or coffee today?

[quiet, tense music playing]

- [insects trilling]

- [birds chirping]

[groans]

[sighs]

[sighs]

♪

[moaning]

[panting]

Yes.

[moans] Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

♪

[groaning]

[sighs]

[match strikes]

[Chloe] Hi.

[Catherine over phone] Sid's holding

the article until closer to the trial.

It'll have more impact.

What's the target date?

That's out of our hands now.

[sighs] I'm not feeling good about this.

Maybe we should pull it?

Go for a run.

Hope my sister didn't outstay her welcome.

She's certainly got charisma.

Oh, God.

I'm afraid to ask what that means.

Nicky?

[quiet, tense music playing]

[sighs]

[sniffs]

♪

"As the legal guardian of Ethan Macintosh,

I hereby grant permission

to administer the antidepressant

fluoxetine, effective immediately."

Can we smoke in here?

You with the health department?

Yeah. Here's my badge.

Bloody Mary. Triple.

[sighs]

[sighs] Now I'm seeing things.

No sh*t.

My sister's schizo.

She sees floating lamps.

My father, dead five years.

My ex-husband, just m*rder*d.

- Oh.

- Mm-hmm.

All kinds of lamps.

Maybe she's looking

for the light, your sister.

[chuckles] Not the type.

It's these f*cking ghosts.

It would be nice if I could get an answer

if they're gonna just drop in.

I mean, my ex,

I don't even know what's there with us.

And, you know, he was right about me.

I was f*cking right about him.

But my dad,

my dad, I would like

Aw, f*ck.

Use me.

That's what I'm here for.

[quiet, ominous music playing]

What, you shy all of a sudden, Dad?

Hey.

You know the rules.

Do I?

Hmm. You're loaded,

you don't get him.

Ask.

Just ask.

How do you make peace

with all the terrible things you've done?

Can you be more specific?

He knows what I mean.

[barfly] No one talks about it.

Give me something.

He would've died.

For the country.

[laughing] Oh, f*ck no.

Sometimes you got to fight your way out,

and country disappears.

There's nothing left but you and it.

And "it" is?

Whatever's between you and the exit.

♪

You forgive yourself?

You act like a man,

live with what you did.

And if you're a woman?

More so.

You bear the burden of your choices,

and you move on

because sitting still will k*ll you.

Can I touch him?

♪

[Nicky] Yeah.

[breathes deeply]

That's good.

[crying]

[gentle music playing over speakers]

[engine revving outside]

[hip-hop playing quietly

over truck stereo]

The f*ck?

Oh, f*ck, Chloe.

- Sorry.

- [music stops]

I just saw you from in there

and thought I would come and say hi.

Well, hello.

Hi.

Hey, dawg, not now. Come on.

How's Ethan?

Do you know how many times

Ethan covered for you?

Yeah. Uh, I guess.

But this?

This was different.

I didn't expect you to lie to the police.

But I did want you to tell

the whole truth about my son.

'Cause he is loyal and kind,

despite the fact that his father

came down so hard on him.

Ethan didn't like Adam.

Do you like your dad?

Yeah, sure. He's all right.

Well, that's not what Ethan confided.

Fistfight you got into

right in front of him in your kitchen.

It was stupid. It was about Pizza Rolls.

Yeah.

Now imagine he

- turns up m*rder*d.

- [scoffs]

You're f*cked up.

How does that look

to the rest of the world?

Ethan never said a word to Adam

about you dealing drugs.

That pot he found in our house,

that was yours.

Maybe he should've.

[quiet, tense music playing]

What do you want?

If the court calls you to the stand,

just remember the good things, too.

You say anything to my mom

about, you know

what I do?

Clean this car.

It's f*cking disgusting in here.

[Kevin scoffs]

[Dee] Working on those records

from those online threats, Nan,

those f*cking

messaging platforms take forever.

Double-encrypted, end-to-end bullshit.

Think they're the flag-bearers

of the First Amendment.

Really, they're just providing

safe haven for pederasts.

- Am I right?

- What a world.

Meaning to say

[clears throat] Poppit stuff's on its way,

emails associated with all the usernames

making posts about Chloe Taylor.

Get it to you soon as possible.

All right, thanks, Dee.

Sooner's better, you know?

Yeah, of course.

[Guidry sighs]

- What's up with tech?

- Uh

Dee's working on the threats to the widow

coming from the office computer.

Cross our T's.

Path of thoroughness.

Listen, we're gonna time comes,

we're gonna want you on the stand

on this, Nan, representing us.

Yeah.

Nothing against Bowen.

No, no, he never

liked the kid for this anyway.

Heart wouldn't be in it.

Yours is the face that makes sense.

Right.

That is, if you think

you can stand the attention.

Uh, I can, most definitely.

All right, that's it.

Keep me posted.

[Bnny sings "Promises"]

I haven't been happy in years ♪

So what's a few more tears? ♪

[Ken] I read this in a

favorite book of mine this morning.

Mm, it's funny

how different lines strike you

different times, different ways.

"If I begin to feel daunted,

I'll go off by myself.

I'm like a cat that way."

Isolating, it can restore people like us.

But salvation is with each other.

f*ck yeah.

Our brothers

and lone sister.

Oh.

This is a stag meeting?

Because I'm I'm cool with it.

Before we begin, anyone counting days?

Yes?

Um

hours, actually.

Does anybody got a watch?

It's, like, maybe 45 minutes.

You want to share?

I just did.

I'm here.

You were a cat.

Now welcome back.

Anyone else?

[tense music playing]

[inhales deeply]

[exhales]

- [Nicky sighs]

- Excuse me.

You want to grab a coffee?

I-I got things to do.

Mm, wallowing?

[chuckles] Yep.

Using?

Not today.

My kid's trial date got set.

Well, that's a good thing, yeah?

Uh, depends how it goes, I suppose.

How are you here every day?

Like, what do you do for work?

I write books.

- Really?

- Mm-hmm.

- Like, self-publish?

- No.

Simon & Schuster does that for me.

Do you do you want one?

Wow, yeah.

I could, uh I could use

a good doorstop.

Shades off when you're insulting me.

You on an amends tour today?

I'm miles away from the steps.

Your advice sucked.

Just so you know.

[sighs] Smuggler's Gulch?

I'm excited.

- Wow.

- [car door closes]

- [Chloe] Yes, um

- [engine starts]

hi, Agent Olivero.

You knew my late husband Adam Macintosh.

My name is Chloe Taylor.

Would you please return my call?

It's very important.

Thank you.

[suspenseful music playing]

f*cking disgusting.

[typing]

Wow.

- [typing]

- [whispering] You're a real loser, Chad.

[scoffs]

[knocking]

[gasps softly]

God, put some clothes on.

Come in for a minute.

Why are you ignoring

my messages and calls?

- 'Cause I don't want to talk to you.

- Why?

You told Bill about us.

Oh. So you went through

my phone when I left?

I'm not apologizing.

Th-That's not the only thing I saw.

What does Bill want you

to find in my house?

Bill wanted me to make sure

Adam didn't leave anything out here

that he shouldn't have.

Work stuff.

And I didn't want to bother you

about that,

so I told him I did it

just to get him off our backs.

And, uh

look, the other thing about us--

Yeah, beyond idiotic, pathetic.

f*cking Bill of all people.

He loves to leverage that sh*t.

- He's got a selective moral compass.

- Okay, wait.

I told Chuck, not Bill.

At the health club one night.

- [sighs] f*ck.

- I I was drunk.

- It was a mistake.

- Yeah.

I'm sorry.

What exactly did you tell him?

I I told him

I told him that

I was in love with you.

I told him I-I didn't know

if you felt the same way.

Hey.

How can I make this up to you?

Don't.

Stop, stop, stop, stop.

- Please. You know I can't.

- Shh.

- It's okay.

- Just stay away from me.

Stay away from me.

Is that what you want me to do?

[door opens and closes]

- [whispers] You got to go, you got to go.

- [Nicky coughing]

Uh, thank you so much,

uh, for stopping by.

What's going on there?

Nothing. Jake lives down the beach.

- [Nicky chuckles]

- You know, he's the one

that gave us the referral for Sanders.

That's a sick bod.

Hard to pull off that outfit.

Well, it's a wet suit, not an outfit.

- You were out late.

- Yeah.

Broke curfew. Sorry, Mom.

Well, I found your dress

outside by the pool,

and I did your laundry

and found this in your jacket.

Okay.

- Listen, I agree, okay? I agree.

- [Nicky stammers]

I think getting Ethan

on antidepressants was right.

Just, next time, when you're making

decisions for him, I want to discuss it.

Okay, yeah.

Of course.

So, what happened at Catherine's?

The worst wake I ever went to.

- What happened with the drinking?

- [sighs]

One phony douchebag after another

and you parading me around

in front of them.

You're right.

I'm sorry. It was awful.

Yeah.

Just

It's scary when you drink.

I just wanted to eat gazpacho with you.

[scoffs]

[quiet, tense music playing]

[sighs]

Hey, um

you want to continue

that conversation we started

about Dad, I'm here for it.

I've had enough of Hank today.

Can't bring that in.

They're just treats for my son.

He's only 17.

Food is easy to hide contraband in.

It's not allowed.

Sorry.

[dramatic music playing]

Mom. [sighs]

Hi.

- Oh, my God.

- I asked Nicky not to say anything.

- I'm fine. I'm fine. Really.

- Oh, my God.

[sighs] Okay.

I'm so sorry. I had things for you.

I had, um, food,

and they wouldn't let me bring it in.

I even had the dumpling soup

that you love.

- That cheap one.

- [laughs]

When I get out of here

- Right.

- we can eat

canned dumpling soup together.

[laughing] Okay.

- Have you been exercising?

- [laughs]

Why? Do I look good?

- Yes.

- [laughs]

I know you're on medication and

I just want to say I'm sorry I didn't

help you with that sooner.

How does it make you feel?

Comfortable in my skin.

Good.

- I really miss you.

- I miss you, too.

And everything just

- sucks without you.

- [laughs]

[laughs]

[sniffling]

- It's been good seeing Nicky.

- Yeah.

I bet it's been nice to get to know her.

Baby, what is it?

[sighs] It actually hasn't been

that long since I talked to her.

- Wh-What do you mean?

- We text.

And talk on the phone sometimes.

She gave me a flip phone, like,

five years ago at Grandpa's funeral.

We didn't actually start, you know,

um, talking until recently.

[tense, dramatic music playing]

[sighs]

Um

You know, I found that secret phone

in my office.

Yeah, Michelle said.

It's evidence now.

Is there anything in there

that I should know?

Anything incriminating?

Not about me.

Kevin's the only other person

who had the number.

Oh.

How's it been with Nicky?

She's-she's come a long way, right?

With her drinking and stuff?

I just can't wait for you to come home.

[birds chirping]

I love how he sleeps

with his little butt in the air.

- Are you okay?

- God, you know,

I always wanted a pool, and I just feel

like the blue of this pool is so weird.

Right?

All your art stuff is in the basement.

I just saw it.

Why don't you bring it out here,

keep your hands busy?

Yeah. Yeah, you're right.

Just f*ck these f*cking hormones.

Are you going to be able

to take care of our son today?

Of course.

Bye.

[mysterious music playing]

It's worse.

Like, like, she can't get out of it.

Chloe, I can't keep track

of the lies anymore.

Yeah, maybe. I

I don't know

if I can trust her around him.

[sighs]

You scared me.

Ethan told me about the phone

you gave him at Dad's funeral.

Then you sat in my car, lying,

pretending you don't know whose it is,

letting me believe

that it might be Adam's.

- I was protecting him. I--

- S-Stop.

Then you tell me this Dad story

right as we're trying to leave

to attend a memorial

for our m*rder*d husband.

And it's, uh

it's bewildering to you

that I can't address it.

[scoffs] You said it didn't happen.

It did.

You were trying to sh*t on every little

bit of good that I got from our family.

I told you,

because I'm tired of carrying it alone--

You taught Ethan to lie to me.

And out of all the damage

that you have done--

Our lives are a lie.

Your life is a lie!

What did Ethan tell you?

[slow, mysterious music playing]

Look, um

You're right.

I'm sorry.

I am truly sorry

for everything.

- [sniffles]

- Really.

Yeah, well, it's not like

your apology just ends it.

'Cause one trespass leads to another,

leads to another,

and you're just nothing

without this constant drama.

Just a

f*cking empty hole.

You're so mean sometimes, you know?

I'm gonna head to the city for a while,

till I can visit him again.

How was he?

You mean besides all

the f*cking bruises on his face?

He asked me not to worry you. I--

You love this control.

- [sighs]

- Yeah, maybe you should just

try to act halfway clean

next time you see him.

Try to hide the fact

that we f*cking hate each other.

[Sanders] Two sisters diverged

in the woods.

The pariah they erased

from their family history

now has sole access to that son.

It's the luckiest break

this broken woman has ever had.

Time alone with her sweet boy

while he's in the joint.

You like the kid.

- Yeah.

- [phone ringing]

He's the only mature one in that family,

- that's for sure.

- [chuckles] Yeah.

- Chloe's tech detective keeps calling.

- Why?

Must be following up

on the threats from her office.

So, an employee or two hates her.

Doesn't mean that they k*lled her husband.

And not to mention,

none of it's admissible in court.

- Right.

- Okay.

- So

- Mother-aunt and

Subpoenas are in process,

all the communications from the accounts

found on Ethan Macintosh's computer.

- And what about the burner phone?

- Irrelevant.

- Wasn't the defendant's.

- Uh, Adam Macintosh's work files?

The-the boss, Braddock, he-he got cagey

when we asked him about the case

that Adam had been working on,

the Gentry Group--

Why would we undermine our case

by looking like we were searching

for additional suspects?

The strength of our case relies upon

there being no other suspect

with as much supportive evidence.

Any evidence that might introduce

another potential suspect

would be the reasonable doubt

a jury needs to acquit.

So, why would we,

we, the prosecution, go looking for that?

Dom, that kind of dramatic effect

probably works in trial,

but at present, sounds like

you're reading slam poetry to slow kids.

- [scoffs]

- [laughs]

You cops are so thin-skinned.

Don't let him get to you.

That little kerchief in his pocket

invalidates anything he might say,

far as I'm concerned.

Listen to me.

His job is to speak in technicalities.

Yours is to find anything

that goes in either column.

We still got a few weeks left till trial.

I know you don't love the kid for this,

and while I may disagree,

it either is or isn't him.

Is that Yogi Berra?

[laughs softly]

[phone chimes]

Oh. Google Alert for Chloe Taylor.

Tides have turned.

This is your problem.

Keeping tabs on there,

not in the real world.

Say what you're saying.

Look, go up there in the cloud and get the

messages off the burner phone yourself.

Go into town, make trouble

at the husband's office.

Rattle the boss's cage.

Be proactive, okay?

As long as it doesn't

take you too far astray,

be thorough,

follow the path as far as it goes.

You're a good detective.

Thank you, Nan.

- Shut the f*ck up.

- [laughs]

[Ken on audiobook] "The meat stewed

in its own liquor, a near beige in tone.

A healthy oyster at least.

He had learned early

how to tell if one went bad.

Its flesh would be weathered, cloudy.

Brown, gray or black meant contamination.

Pink once in a while.

Red if it was really gone.

He always had a hard time

throwing the red ones out.

[slow, suspenseful music playing]

It felt odd that the sickest ones

were the brightest hue,

the most vital.

The ones that seemed closest to life

were nearest to death.

But there was no helping it.

They never came back from red.

He tossed them and went back, searching

for the fleshy beige

that meant there was life."

Jury selection is complete

in the case of Ethan Macintosh,

with the trial set to begin in two weeks.

The New York City teenager

who's been charged in his father's m*rder,

in what some have dubbed

the "Hamptons Homicide,'"

has benefited

from a speedy process all around.

Here today to provide analysis

is Michael Bachner.

[phone ringing]

This is Chloe Taylor.

[Olivero] This is Agent Olivero

returning your call.

You want to talk?

[Guidry] Yes, I want you

to be comfortable.

We just have different definitions

what that means.

Three fans in one bedroom

is excessive, that's all.

Your body is in revolt.

Please take some

of that primrose oil that I bought.

Hey, Detective.

Uh, honey, let me call you right back.

Yeah, I will.

Time for a change at the house, huh?

- That your wife?

- Perimenopause.

Tried to prepare her for it,

but she wasn't having it.

Blaming hot flashes on global warming.

But you know how that is.

I really don't.

Well, it's nothing to have shame about,

natural order of things.

I'm doing fine,

but they sell lube at the checkout.

Your sister here?

You know damn well she's in Manhattan.

Your partner's all over it.

- He's got a real hard-on for her.

- What a crazy turn, right?

Going from beloved do-gooder

to the world knowing

you stole your sister's life.

[slow, pensive music playing]

"Raised a monster, living in luxury."

And you out there working two shitty jobs

just to pay rent on

a Shaker Heights-adjacent apartment.

Where are you getting this from?

My partner and his Google Alerts.

Yeah. Not a lot of sympathy

left out there for your sister, though,

no matter how many Latin checkout girls

she pretends to care about.

- Here. I got you.

- No. I-I got--

You came off looking good, though--

the wronged mother.

You'd think

you were the one with the publicist.

All right, thank you, Cagney and Lacey.

I'm sure your wife's

sweating her menopausal ba*ls off.

Oh, yeah, it's been hot at night,

I'll give her that. No relief.

You're living out there,

though, by the water,

central AC, the works.

Who could've predicted that?

See you in a couple weeks.

Oh, by the way, "Cagney and Lacey,"

it's a compliment.

It's gonna look great in there.

Twat.

[indistinct chatter]

[Olivero] Ms. Taylor.

I'm Special Agent Edward Olivero.

This is, uh, Special Agent Troy Younger.

- Hello.

- Let the lady sit, please.

Thank you.

Not a lot of room in here.

[Olivero] This one is breaking

my ba*ls all day about my waistline.

- So, um, my husband.

- [Olivero] Oh.

- Our condolences.

- Thank you.

Thank you. Um

he told me he was working with you

before he died.

You know what's coming.

We can't confirm or deny that.

I can confirm

that he is dead because of it.

- Because of his work with you.

- [Olivero sighs]

Have you talked

to the detectives working this case

- about this theory?

- No.

'Cause there's not much we can do for you.

Well, I talked to the people

that I know at the law firm.

- Lawyers close ranks.

- But our door is always open to you.

So we can have

another elliptical conversation.

It's a condition of our position.

[sighs]

Do you want a cup of coffee?

My son is good.

And he will die in prison

for a crime he didn't commit.

He didn't do this.

He didn't do this.

[Olivero] I'll walk you out.

[whispers] I'll be right back.

[siren wailing]

Ms. Taylor, wait.

- Off the record?

- Yes.

Get into his office files

and ping me if you find something.

We need intel on the Gentry Group.

They'll never let me do that.

Don't ask. You're his wife.

His property is yours now.

So this is definitely part

of what happened to him?

If you can get me

something concrete, firm,

I can give you something real.

What'll I get?

You mention this conversation,

particularly to anyone

involved in your son's case,

prison time.

Other than that,

let me know what you want.

[uneasy music playing]

[sighs]

[camera shutter clicking]

[clicks]

[grunts]

I feel so betrayed.

- Like, how could she leave all this out?

- Right?

She mentions her mother

in her Congress testimony

but never a sister.

Exactly. Not a word.

She invented this whole other life.

"The Real Thing." Give me a break.

[Content Creator 1] I know, right? Like,

- what truth are we supposed to believe?

- [Nicky sighs]

[Content Creator 2] This is

triggering for you.

[Content Creator 1] It is.

She was on my vision board.

And I feel for her-- it's awful--

but you know karma, she always comes back.

Good episode title.

- Dipshits.

- [clicks]

[dog barking]

Oh. [chuckles]

Uh, I-I came for the Tupperware.

[Catherine] It's Nicky, Chloe's sister.

My daughter says hello.

[Nicky] Oh. Hey, hey, Janie.

[Catherine] Get your dog

or I'm gonna put it in a cab.

You said one night and a week later,

f*cking Franzen is still here.

They may have thrown your Tupperware out.

- The dog's name is Franzen?

- Who cares?

Oh. Seems like more of a "Buck" to me.

Want a cappuccino?

This machine does everything.

Ah, no, I'm okay.

Good, because I don't know how it works.

Deena, please, the dog, it stinks.

[groans]

[Nicky chuckles]

[sighs] Sit.

I'm the only one

allowed to flutter in place.

Um, about your party, I just

You think I never

f*cked a waiter at a wake?

I invented that move.

Still, I-I apologize.

Unnecessary.

Oh, but do stay away from my daughter.

She likes nothing more than an unavailable

hot mess of a straight woman.

Who said I'm unavailable?

[chuckles]

- She just wanted to buy my jewelry.

- Not even Etsy.

I'll buy some.

[chuckles] Yeah.

If you like it, great.

Look, I don't I don't really trust you.

But I think you love Chloe.

You don't like women very much, do you?

Excuse me?

Oh, you white girls and your mama issues.

Your mothers send you out in the world

just thinking about men,

so you f*ck each other over

just to get one.

Thank God we don't do that sh*t.

We don't have the luxury.

We stick together.

We talking about white women right now

or Black women or?

You are sitting in my kitchen, so yes,

we are talking about Black women.

Well, just so you know, I don't see color.

[laughs]

You're f*cking with me.

And I only hate some women.

Well, while you're hating on each other,

the man's world that we live in

just keeps on spinning.

You selfish b*tches

just won't share with each other.

And all the while, the men, those f*ck,

they're moving the ball

down the field together.

They work together.

So, you want to grow up, play together?

Get some sh*t done?

Like a Black woman?

Like a m*therf*cking king.

[chuckles softly]

It's bad, the press.

We got to do something

to make Chloe look better.

I'll handle the optics.

[sighs] Thank you.

Anything else?

Yeah. You ever get lonely

in a house this big?

Stop it.

Never. [laughs]

[uneasy ambient music playing]

[sighs softly]

[phone beeps]

Hey, Nicky, um

I'm coming back to the house, so

clean up whatever mess you made

before I get there.

[sighs]

[Chloe] Um, what about sculpture garden

at MOMA, and then dinner at the Carlyle?

[Sheila] My sister and I went

to Carnegie Deli

on her 21st birthday trip.

I have seen that picture.

- Very big sandwiches. We could split one.

- [chuckles]

Sure. But don't you want to see a show?

I could get some really good seats

through the magazine.

Great sorrow of my life, losing my sister.

I know.

[somber music playing]

I want you to know

that I'm quite proud of you.

All that you've done here.

Thanks, Mom.

What a view. [chuckles]

Yeah, you want to go sit outside?

[sighs] No.

But you know what would

really make me proud,

is if you made up with your sister.

[sighs]

Yeah, it's not really that simple.

I know. I know.

But make it happen.

You did all this. You can do that.

For me.

[Nicky] Really, Hank?

You got nothing for me, huh?

I thought you'd have

all kinds of tips and tricks

for getting bloodstains out.

[sighs] Maybe, uh,

human's different than

fish or rabbit.

[quiet, tense music playing]

[breath trembling softly]

[line ringing]

[Ken over phone] Hello?

Hi. I-I got your number

off the stag sign-in sheet.

I-I'm listening to your book.

Oh, yeah? Which one?

I don't know. Uh

I just like the sound of your voice.

I-I like what you said about

red oysters.

Mm. What are you doing?

Uh, sprucing up a bit, for my sister.

What does it look like where you write?

Uh, well, there are lots of books,

lots of windows.

You doing okay?

I need a favor, if you've got a minute.

Yeah. I'm right here.

Would you pray with me?

- [sighs]

- Sure.

I'm on my knees.

You're on your way to standing up.

[shaky exhale]

[door opens]

[door closes]

[tense ambient music playing]

[soft knock on door]

[door closes]

- Oh, hey.

- Hey.

I moved out here.

Give us space.

You've been busy.

[sighs]

Your hair looks really good.

Yeah.

Yours, too.

[chuckles]

So, um

What are we wearing to this thing?

All right, um

- Try this one.

- [sighs]

That's the back?

This is like a little baby bib.

No, it's beautiful.

Um [sighs]

Okay, just so you know,

I-I might have some information

about what Adam was involved in.

Some good he was trying to do

that pissed off some really bad people.

Did you give Sanders this vague update?

I can't really be specific, okay?

It's-it's very serious,

and I could get in a lot of trouble.

Okay, we're picking outfits to wear

to our son's m*rder trial, Chlo.

[ominous music playing]

All right, there are other

parties with other interests involved.

- Okay?

- Uh-huh. Okay.

Um

and they think I might have access

to something that

they may have use of.

Maybe something

that might have made Adam a target.

And what do these other people

with other interests

maybe want you to do about it?

Get it for them.

Okay.

Whatever Deep Throat garage

you meet these f*ck in,

you tell them they don't get sh*t

unless they publicly

state that whatever Adam was into

could've led to this,

that there are other people with

legitimate reasons for wanting him dead.

[sighs] Good.

Okay.

Looks like he was keeping busy, too.

[sighs] Yeah.

♪

Ooh. Wow.

Oh, you look good.

[Nicky chuckles softly]

Because I look like you.

[sighs]

[phone chimes]

f*ck.

[phone chimes]

"According to our sources,

Nicole Macintosh drank and popped pills

and was dangerously neglectful

to young Ethan,

leading one day to his near-drowning.

Chloe Taylor didn't steal her husband

and son from her sister.

She saved them."

[inhales deeply]

[exhales]

[Nicky] Chlo, you ready to go?

[tense music playing]

Yeah.

Nicole, did you try to drown your own kid?

What happened that night?

Nicole, Nicole!

What kind of drugs were you on?

- Oxy? Molly? Quaaludes?

- Wait. What is going on?

- Nicole, are you still using?

- f*ck off.

Ethan stabbed his father to death

because you're a terrible mother.

- What do you have to say about that?

- Move back. Move back.

- Keep walking. Just keep walking.

- How long did you stay

in the psychiatric hospital?!

- Leave us alone!

- Did you tell them all this?

- Move back.

- Huh?

- Thank you.

What did you do?

♪

[mouthing]

All rise.

[Arty] When Ethan was a little guy,

he used to like

to help me shovel snow

from the front of the building.

He liked to sprinkle salt on the sidewalk,

make sure no one slipped.

He loved

watching it chew through the ice,

you know?

And not for nothing. Uh

his mom is one of the best.

You know, she takes care of us.

Not just at Christmastime, either.

Coffee and the like.

She listens, remembers names.

She's good people.

Ethan's cool. You know?

Not like the other kids from the city.

Doesn't care how big your house is

or what kind of car you drive.

[chuckles softly] Dude's even got

a knight costume under his bed.

[Kevin chuckles]

Like, one he takes really good care of.

Dude even polishes it.

[light laughter]

But, yeah, he's real cool.

And he's my brother.

When we went to Kevin Dunham's house

to deliver the news,

Ethan Macintosh acted

as if the information wasn't new to him.

Fifteen years-plus on the job,

that type of reaction,

that was a first.

Like he wasn't surprised.

Like he knew it was coming.

Like he'd thought about it before.

I've been the headmistress

at Casden High School for 20 years.

Ethan's father wanted to transfer him

to military school after junior year.

And Adam discussed this with me,

and I told Ethan about it.

I thought it might get him to comprehend

the gravity of his situation.

What did Ethan say when you told him about

his father's plan for military school?

He said

"He can't do that to me.

I'll find a way to stop him."

[sighs]

[reporters clamoring]

[reporter] These last weeks, the defense

has tried to paint Ethan Macintosh

as a good kid,

while the prosecution

has aimed to shed light

on his oftentimes threatening relationship

with his father.

As he takes the stand

for cross-examination today,

everyone is wondering

what the young man might say.

Just came in from tech.

Took her long enough.

Got to get it to Dom Willis.

Are you sure about this, Nan?

You're the one who always says

what happens up there online isn't real.

Well, this sure is.

Would you say the circumstances

around your moving

to New York and Chloe becoming

your mother were traumatic?

I was two.

[Willis] What was the story you were told?

My mom always said

that my biological mother had issues

and that she needed to deal with them

and she couldn't be the mother I needed

and everything happens for a reason.

Was this reinforced?

This version of events.

We didn't talk about my-my other mom.

So it wasn't mentioned ever?

Forbidden even?

Like, without saying it was.

Keeping secrets and leading double lives--

this is what your family is about.

Objection, Your Honor.

Overruled. Go on, please.

We see it in ghettos,

what some refer to

as "underserved communities."

Mostly Black, brown.

The corrosive impact of neglect.

The link between early trauma

and propensity for violence later in life.

[Sanders] Objection.

Your Honor, spare us the irrelevant

- cultural observations.

- [Edelman] Overruled.

But, uh, let's wind it down, counselor.

We're used to drawing these parallels

in low-income communities.

But it's also true for wealthy white kids.

Human.

No matter how much money your folks have.

They broke you early

and they broke you good, didn't they?

[Nicky] Oh, this f*cking as*h*le.

Quiet in the courtroom, please.

[whispers] Where the f*ck

is he going with this?

Unfortunately,

many of these things

were beyond your control.

And yet here we are,

living with the results.

- [Nicky scoffs]

- We talked about

how Chloe was a busy

and committed public figure.

We also talked about Chloe's public role.

How it led to threats against her

on various platforms.

Some of these threats

were coming from a computer

that was registered

to The Real Thing magazine.

We know this.

But what we have yet to talk about

was that that computer was stored

in Chloe Taylor's home

- and used by Ethan.

- [whispers] What is that?

And one of the most avid posters

on those sites,

someone by the name of Kurt Lo Mein,

that account was linked

to your email, Ethan.

It was you, wasn't it?

Reading posts that were threatening r*pe.

r*pe.

Against your mother.

Death threats.

Threats you read from users

with whom you engaged.

But some of these posts

were actually about your father.

In one exchange, Kurt Lo Mein posts--

Objection. The counselor is testifying.

Ethan, would you mind reading this for me,

starting with the username?

[tense music playing]

"Kurt Lo Mein:

She'd be better off if he were dead."

"CHAD69: You want her

all to yourself, Kurt?"

"Kurt Lo Mein:

Off him? I'd do it.

Look at that face.

You know he deserves it."

Ethan, did you make these comments?

Yes.

[gallery gasping, murmuring]

Why?

'Cause it's how I felt.

How did you feel?

♪

[shuddering]

Like there were times I wanted him gone.

[somber music playing]

♪