01x78 - Episode 78

[bunniefuu]

-You and I need to talk.
-Yeah, what's up, Pops?

Special Operations says

that you used your badge
to bypass red tape

and return some homeless lady's
belongings to her?

Yeah. June.

She got caught up
in this sweep, and I--

I came to tell you how proud
I am that you're my son.

Oh, thanks, Pops.

I'm just trying to follow
the lead of the best cop I know.

[phone vibrating]

I got to take this.
We'll catch up later.

-All right, cool.
-All right.

Thanks for seeing me.

It sounded important.

Look, if this is about
that story you're doing

on my partner,
it'll have to wait.

This can't wait.

You lost the man?!
You had one job!

Keep tabs on him and loop me in.

He falls off your radar,
and I don't even get a call?!

You have put my family
in an untenable position.

Trust me,
you will pay the price.

My manager said
you were missing some keys?

No more games.

Are you who I think you are?

Confused? I get that.

I look real different
from the last time you saw me.

And where was that?

On a dark road.

You've got friends
in high places,

and they saw to my... care.

But if you think
time made me forget, well,

you got another thing coming.

What are you after?

I'm an avenging angel,

here to make sure
you pay for your sins.

♪ ♪

Don't worry.

I'm the exclusive agent
on that property.

When we meet there,
you'll have complete privacy

to evaluate all the... assets.

I thought we were done
with fake reasons to meet.

We're not, but I'm flattered

you've put your faith in me
and my services.

Oh, you mean
when you blackmailed me

into cutting you in for a share
at a thief's percentage?

Oh, you've forgotten.

It's a commercial building
with a working... laundry.

Don't let your clever mouth
lead you astray, Vanessa.

It led me to you.

And this is the beginning
of a beautiful friendship,

as they say.

I'll call you to plan.

Let me guess who that was.

I've come up
with a brilliant way

for Joey and me
to discuss business.

Empty homes for sale.

No prying eyes or ears.

Well, remember to leave
the bedroom like you found it,

unless you restrict that part
of your business to card tables.

Why'd you pretend you were okay
going into business with Joey?

You're clearly not.

Oh, I-I wasn't expecting you.

I know, but I need to see you.

-Is everything all right?
-I just wasn't expecting

the door to open
before I had a chance to knock.

No, I-I mean
the reason you're here.

Are things good at home,
with the kids?

Of course.

I, uh, got your flowers earlier.

-Mm.
-And the arrangement
before that.

And the day before that.

You don't need
to keep doing this, Ted.

But we did share
a big house, you know?

Lots of rooms
to fill with fragrance.

I mean, there's no need.

I don't take the flowers home.

You don't?

I give them to the nurses.

Mm.

I don't want to make you
uncomfortable, Nicole.

I know you don't.

It's the opposite.

I know that, too.

Nicole, I'm confused.

You came by
to talk about flowers?

I spoke to our lawyer.

He thinks that if the separation
is going to continue,

that we should discuss
revising our living trust.

All right. Have a seat.

Let's talk about
what's on your mind.

Do you think we can
maybe go somewhere else?

Why?

To be blunt, privacy.

I'm here about
some pretty sensitive stuff.

You do realize this
is a cop shop, right?

People come through here
day and night

to confide all kinds
of sensitive things.

But how many of them
are confiding in things

about a police officer?

What are you saying?

I'm saying that I...

have come across
some information

about irregular payments made to
a certain member of the force.

One for $5,000, the other
for 100 times that amount.

[playing sentimental tune]

♪ ♪

[phone vibrating]

What now?

I was calling
to see how you are.

I guess I got my answer.

I'm sorry.

I didn't expect you
to call back today.

That was clear. But who are--

[stammers] It was the painter.

Um... We're not happy

with the work that he's doing
at the guest house,

so, uh, I thought
he was calling back.

Now, Vernon,
you can lash out at me

when you're
frustrated and angry,

I can take it,

but the contractor?

You might scare him off
and he won't finish the job.

Sage advice, as always,
but that's minor stuff.

Tell me, how are you doing?
And how's the girls?

It's magical, Vernon.

It's coming together
in the most unexpected ways.

Our voices have matured

since we last sang together.

Of course.

But we're finding creative ways
to work around that.

[chuckles]
And relationship-wise,

well, we have
our scratchy moments.

Always did.

But we're all on the same page

about making this
a night to remember.

And it will be, I am sure.

I'm so excited for you

and-and so glad
that you decided to do this.

Me, too.

But I miss you so much.

And I want to hear
what's going on back there.

-How's everyone doing?
-Everything is fine here.

Don't worry about
anything going on here.

You just focus on the show,
and the work you're doing

and the girls.

What are you not telling me,
Vernon?

I know when you're holding back.

You caught me.

I'm holding back that I
miss you more than I can say.

That's all. And I love you.

You're an avenging angel?
How dramatic.

And what sins do you propose
need be paid for?

Don't insult me by asking.

If you don't want
to clarify, I will.

Cranks call me
in my office daily,

knowing things,
private information.

Then they turn out to be frauds

who have been easily availed
to public scraps of knowledge

about my family and me.

Or, they want a handout.

That could be me.

Some kind of scam artist
taking a risk.

But you know what's
an even bigger risk?

You not believing the guy

that can give you a blow-by-blow
of a particular night.

You're gonna have to be
more specific than that.

Dark road, you changing
the driver-side back tire.

Had that special

"member of Congress"
license plate on it?

When I say blow-by-blow,
you know I mean it.

Care to hear more of this story?
Maybe a little louder?!

You say you're looking
for a handout?

Yeah. I want to see
what color's your money.

But first, I intend
to have myself a little fun.

Fun? What the hell
do you mean, "fun"?

You'll know it when you see it.

Like I did when I saw you.

How much to make you disappear?

And for good this time?

Tell me,
what are we talking about?

You have no idea

what it's like to have
two years of your life

flushed down the can, do you?

To be up late
with a bottle of Jack,

thinking,
"Maybe it would've been better

if you were left to die
on that back road."

Nah. How could you?

Black royalty don't live
like the rest of us.

Senator's grandson
can get away with anything.

He's got fortune on his side.

Paying for your crimes
is what other people do.

Folks like you
and your famous grandpa

just hide behind
these fancy gates

and snub your noses at
the roadkill you've left behind.

I hate you, Congressman.

I hate you and everything
you stand for.

And if my brother were here,
he would say the same thing,

but he's not.

So it is up to me
to finish what youstarted.

Wait for it, Congressman.

Like night follows day,
it's coming.

You want my help
going after a cop?

Jacob, we're more than friends.
We're basically family.

Look, I will show you
everything that I have,

but can we please
just get out of here?

-Okay.
-SMITTY: Okay.

We need to meet.

Right. The usual spot.

What is your problem?

Is it that I've beaten Joey
at his own game,

figured out how you and I
both can profit from it?

Or are you annoyed

because I've got
a relationship with the man?

I can't believe
that you would think

that I would be okay
with you breaking the law

to pay off my gambling debt.

Doug, you're into Joey for
a quarter of a million dollars.

What is it about Joey
that excites you so much,

besides the obvious?

I don't know. H-He just does.

You don't even see it, do you?

Your color's up.

You're practically bouncing
with excitement.

Because this is dangerous.

Joey is dangerous.

And that turns you on.

Maybe.

Do you know how many years
in prison you--

I do, all too well.
I am not dumb, Doug.

Before this is done,
I will know everything

there is to know
about Joey Armstrong.

Don't worry.
I will cover my sweet derriere.

I thought you'd work better
with it uncovered.

I'm sorry, V, I-I--

Don't you dare judge me.

Don't dare.

If you left your hands
off a deck of cards

for more than five minutes,
we wouldn't be in this position.

I own that.

But tell me, what position
are we going to be in

when this is all done?

And here's the answer.

You don't know
because you can't know.

And that's the problem.

All right, got that covered.

Next on the agenda, Samantha
and Tyrell's trust funds.

What about them?

We should adjust
how we contribute.

I think we should
start making payments

from our individual accounts.

Uh, and then we also
have to adjust this, too:

our medical power of attorney.

Uh, we should probably
each assign a personal designee.

Do you agree?

Let me move back in,
before it's too late for us.

Are you kidding me right now?

I'm not talking about
getting back together.

I'll sleep in one
of the other bedrooms,

but we'll be near each other.

There'll be a daily reminder
of what we lost.

I have a daily reminder.

I know I made a mistake.

And I should have manned up
and admitted what I'd done.

I should have told you
about the affair.

Told me?

Of course I shouldn't have
slept with her to begin with.

We both know that.
And you've made it clear.

The years of me
perpetrating the lie

is what drove the knife
through the marriage.

But if I could go back in time
and change it, I would.

But I can't.

All I can do is show you
that I'm still somehow worthy

of your love and of your trust.

Teddy...

Nicole, I know I said
I wasn't going to push.

I said I was going
to give you space

to sort through your feelings.

But look where we are, Nicole.

Revisiting our trust.

-You know what happens next.
-It's necessary.

We're documenting
us being apart,

and I'm not ready for that.

How could you be?

[sighs] I need this.

Why?

To get me back!

Most of our lives, it's been us.

I have been one half of
the Ted and Nicole dynamic duo.

You were proud of that.

When I had no right to be.

Not when it was all a lie.

You know better than that.

-Ted--
-I love you.

And you know that to your core.

Now, were there lies?
Yes, but was it all a lie?

No, it wasn't.

Baby, it wasn't.

I need to do this.

This? You need to do this?

Pave over everything
we had brick by brick,

as if it never existed.

And then you want to do it here

in this room that's
supposed to be impersonal?

But when you walk in a room,
baby, it's personal.

The clothes you wear, I've
seen you put on and take off.

-Clothes that I've taken off.
-Ted...

Personal.

And when I'm within inches
of touching you...

You need to do this.

Let's get it done.

About you coming back home...

I'm not saying I don't miss you.

I do.

I-I keep practicing
the words in my mind.

"All is forgiven."

"Please come home."

But since
I can't believe them...

...I can't say those words
to you.

Nicole...

What you said about
it not all being a lie,

that's the catch
I can't get past.

I can't separate it out,
compartmentalize it

with us on one side
being in love,

and on the other...

...imagining what you had
with her,

did with her.

That wound is too fresh.

Then let me come home,
and help heal it.

Heal it? You broke me.

You think I don't know that?

[sighs heavily]

I look in the mirror
every morning

and I curse the image
that's looking back at me.

What do you see?

I see the man that hurt you.

When I look at you...

...I see Leslie.

Smug, hateful Leslie.

She's everywhere.

If I let you back,

it would be like
inviting that...

devil into our home.

I can't wake up with that
every day.

I don't have the strength
for it.

Then stop trying to do it alone.

That woman doesn't
have power over us.

There are no more lies
to expose,

no more truths to unearth.

She'll take her toxicity

and heap it
on some other poor soul.

But you and I, we don't
have to fight anymore, Nicole.

We survived her.

Now, we've been
together since Maui.

We fell in love
at that conference,

and we knew our lives
would be intertwined forever.

We got so much more to give

that's good and real.

Don't let Dana
steal that from us.

You're trying
to save our marriage.

But right now...

I'm working on trying
to save me.

[door opens]

Okay, so you know
that I was assigned

to write a puff piece
about your partner,

Marcel Malone, right?

Malone's the cop you suspect
of being on the take?

There are indications--

That's my partner.
My career is tied to his.

How am I supposed to share a car
with someone if--

Why do you think
that I'm coming to you?

You think I want
this to be true?

Or what's worse,
that I accuse this guy

and ruin his rep,
and there's nothing there?

All right, what have you got?

[clears throat] Okay.

So, before I even did
the interview with Malone,

I was doing some research,

and I found a series
of documents and photos

that put him in the same orbit
as Joey Armstrong.

Armstrong's never been indicted.

-This could be why.
-That's speculation, not fact.

You said Malone is in the same
orbit as Armstrong, how?

Okay, they both belong
to the same yacht club.

That's where Malone
keeps his yacht, the Sheila.

He plans to sail her
to the Caribbean

as soon as he retires.

He's not hiding that.

He told me about his boat
and the place on the islands.

What else?

As soon as I brought up
Armstrong

in the interview, it got tense.

So I did some digging and I got
a copy of Malone's bank records.

That's ill*gal.

For you, you're a cop.
Not for me, I'm a journalist.

And I got it
from an anonymous source.

The law's on my side.

In any case, I saw a few...
interesting deposits.

Okay, I'm listening.

Okay, the first one
was April 2nd.

It was for $5,000, in cash.

Wait, did you say April 2nd?

Yeah. Why?

Keep going.

Okay, there was another one,

also cash, two years ago.

For another five grand?

Half a million.

You know something, Jacob.
What is it?

There might be a connection,
but I'm not sure.

Tell me anyway.

I witnessed a handoff
between Marcel and Armstrong

back in April.

-That's huge.
-No, wait.

I asked my father about it.

He told me it was part
of a police sting.

A secret operation

where Armstrong
had to work for the cops.

When would a cop
handling money for a sting

deposit it into his own account?

I can't think of a reason,

but that doesn't mean
there isn't one.

I can tie them together
through the yacht club.

Now you can tie them together
through a secret handoff

and a subsequent deposit.

When my father told me about it,

something seemed off,
but I let it go.

You need to trust
your instincts, Jacob.

No, listen to me, Smitty.

Marcel being dirty is one thing,

but you're saying
the chief of police,

my father, lied to my face?

There's no way.

-We got a problem.
-You're telling me.

I just got an alert today

that an unknown computer
hacked into my bank accounts

but didn't steal any money.

Five will get you ten,

it was that reporter
or somebody he hired to do it.

No bet.
I know for a fact it was him.

Look, things just snowballed.

Smith isn't keeping
his suspicions about you

to himself anymore.

What do you mean? Who's he told?

My son. I just overheard
Smith tell Jacob

about a certain cop
making large cash deposits.

Why the hell did I agree
to that interview?

If this punk took
a dance through my accounts,

he knows all about the half-mill
gift from two years ago.

-And he also know about--
-JOEY: The 5K gift

I gave you several months ago,
as well.

-[door closes]
-You were right to call me.

You were not right to go back
and confront that man,

especially when I said
let it go.

But when you spoke to him,
you knew it was him.

The same guy from that night.

I knew, but just to be sure

and to get some more information
about what he might be doing,

I-I had to make a call.

It's been confirmed.

That nightmare
from two years ago

has come back to haunt us.

I knew it.

You did.

But you kept discouraging me.

I mean, my nightmares
were bad enough,

but you kept telling me
I might be wrong, and so--

That must have hurt, Martin.

And I'm sorry.

I guess I didn't want
to believe it myself.

Even though when you
first mentioned your suspicions,

I sensed something
about that man.

Something familiar,
but insidious.

[chuckles wryly]
Now we've removed all doubt.

And what he knows, he could
destroy our entire family.

What did he say?

That I should think of him
as the avenging angel.

When he was the one who started

what happened
on the road that night?

If anyone should
declare vengeance, it's us.

When has fairness and good sense
ever stopped a man like that?

What else did he say?

He said that he hated our kind
and made a dig at us

for being a successful,
influential Black family.

And he reiterated that term
last night.

"Let's see what
color's your money."

So it's pretty clear
what he's trying to do now.

Blackmail.

At the very least.

But, Granddad,
the hatred in his voice...

he wants to destroy us.

That's not happening.

I won't let it.

You think I'm digging us
into a hole? I'm not.

I'm building a ladder
so we can climb

out of the hole you dug for us.

Fine. You think
you can handle them?

Knock yourself out.

But just know,
whatever deal you made with him,

he's gonna hold you to them.

And what will you do?

Watch the train wreck.

It's not like
I can go to the police.

I'm just as guilty
as you two are.

Yeah, just not enjoying it
half as much.

Now you're rubbing it in.

I get that there's no exit.

I just wish you'd had
a little less confidence

and a little more common sense.

The second Joey is satisfied

that he's gotten
his money's worth from us,

I'm done, with all of it.

I have to get back to work.

This is not the face
of a happy camper.

Tell me, why do we get married?

Is that a real question?

As real as it gets.

You and Doug at a crossroads?

"Crossroads." [chuckles]

As in the righteous path
versus the corrupt one?

I suppose you could say that.

Vanessa, I'm asking.
Are you okay?

I'm working on it.

What I do know is I am embracing
the life I want to live.

Other people's judgments
be damned.

Well, you've never
been one to settle, I suppose.

Damn straight.

All aboard who's coming aboard.

Everyone else can eat my dust.

He's letting you squirm.

Wringing every last ounce
of guilt

and pain and fear from you

before he makes
his demands clear.

So what do we do? Just wait?

Absolutely not.

[chuckling]:
No...

That man has unwittingly
given us something precious.

Something money cannot buy.

That's time to prepare.

Yeah. He may think
he holds all the cards.

He's sorely mistaken.

JOEY:
Raise a hundred.

I fold.

Yeah, so do I.

Well, you two should
play poker a little more often.

Doug McBride
has better poker skills

than either one of you.

A man could get rich and retire.

We're playing poker
while our whole house of cards

are threatening to crash down
on our heads?

Cards are life.

We gamble as we live.

And who are you,
the Gambling Buddha?

We took a gamble two years ago.

Now we have to play the hand
we dealt ourselves.

Pure poetry,
if it made any freaking sense.

How do we shut this down?

I'll talk to my son.

Your son? My partner?

Aka Mr. Goody Two-shoes?

I was able to get him off
your scent once before, Marcel.

Maybe we'll get lucky
a second time.

Fine. But what
about the reporter?

Whatever you do,
don't avoid Smith.

It'll only make him
more suspicious.

Just make nice
and soothe his curious mind.

I'd like to take
a tire iron to it.

Now...

when did violence
ever solve anything?

Another hand?

Nah, deal me out.

Life is enough of a gamble
these days.

Do you really think
it's possible

your dad's involved in this?

If you're right
about Joey Armstrong

and Marcel Malone,
do you know what this means?

That my partner has been jerking
me around this whole time.

I'm sorry, Jacob.

W-What if he's doing
the same thing to my dad?

Your dad is the chief of police.

Yeah, and he's been
a cop's cop my whole life.

He's as straight an arrow
as they come.

He's taught me right from wrong

and that there's no gray area
in police work.

If something's going on,
Marcel is playing him.

It's got to be.

We're wasting time here.
That damn reporter

is filling my son's head up
with stories as we speak.

Uh...

Oh, am I interrupting?

No, no, not at all.

These are
my private poker buddies.

Police Chief Elon Hawthorne

and Detective Marcel Malone.

Gentlemen, this is my business
partner, Vanessa McBride.

VANESSA:
I know your son Jacob.

He's married
to my best friend's niece.

Of course, I couldn't ask

for a better
daughter-in-law than Naomi.

Well, I just took these
gentlemen for a month's salary,

so forgive their attitude
as they exit.

Sorry, guys,
but I look forward to next time.

Yeah, well, wish I could share
his sentiment.

It was nice meeting you,
Ms. McBride.

MARCEL:
Later.

Well... whatever that was about,

-it wasn't poker.
-[door closes]

Want to tell me what's going on?

SMITTY:
Okay, fine. We'll put a pin

in your dad's involvement
for now.

Or non-involvement.

Whichever. We will table it.

Whatever is going on, the $5,000
from April, that's one thing,

but $500,000 in cash from
two years ago, that's another.

Yeah, I wasn't partner with him
back then.

I get that.

So, I guess just think back
about what was going on.

Was there any big investigations
that suddenly dried up?

Or maybe there was a cold case
that suddenly froze?

Well, I was on patrol back then,

but I would have heard
about something major.

I'll look into it,
see what I can find.

-Okay.
-But, Smitty,

this could all be nothing.

Yeah, you know,
that's entirely possible.

But if my career as a journalist
has taught me anything,

it's if it smells,
there's usually a reason.

I don't know what happened,
but what I do know

is something happened to Malone
two years ago,

and he benefited to the tune
of half a million dollars.

That's a lot of somethings.

But think about what
that kind of money could do

to a long-tenured,
seemingly untouchable detective.

There you go again.

Okay, who do we know in the DMV

that has easy access
to that kind of money?

In the DMV? Lots of folks.

True. But one of them
is Joey Armstrong.

I connected those two
through the yacht club.

Long way from sailing together
to doing crime together.

But then you connected those two
through the envelope of money.

That tells me
that we are onto something.

I don't know, Smitty.
I'm not seeing it.

Okay, let me ask you a question.

Does Malone have
any other known associates?

Anybody that can be involved?

Just give me names
and I'll look into it.

Fine. I'll do it myself.

But you and I both know

the quickest way to clear Malone
and your father

is to keep digging.

Look, Granddad,
I respect your opinion,

but I'm not clear what you mean

when you say that creep
is giving us time to prepare.

You leave that up to me.

I told you, I didn't
want you involved last time.

I want it even less now.

Then what am I supposed to do?

Go about your schedule as usual.

Don't vary your routine.

And as tempting
as it might seem,

don't stay out of sight,
or avoid the country club.

And if that man approaches you,

and he will make the next move,

you come straight to me
with his list of demands.

-But, Granddad--
-But nothing.

[sets down glass]

Straight to me.

You understand, Martin?

You are a Dupree.

Of necessity, we're strong.

We will fight this,
and we will win.

You sound so sure about that.

Life in the trenches
teaches you a lot of things.

Among them...
is how to find a way out.

♪ ♪

[elevator dings]

[sighs]

We've gotten close in a short
amount of time, haven't we?

Sure. So?

Just an observation.

We've taken it
to the next level,

one that some
unimaginative souls

might call... ill*gal.

But even with
this new closeness,

there are and there
should be boundaries.

Things we don't know
about each other,

questions we should never ask.

That's your take.

Me, I'm the type that likes
to know everything.

No, you don't.
Even if you won't admit it.

You're inching closer to a full
understanding of my livelihood.

And I know,
as sure as I know

we've had some good times
on this table...

...that if I pulled back
the curtain

on what I do on a daily basis,

you would disappear
in a heartbeat.

Try me.

Well, I'll take that
under advisement.

Okay. What is it?

I've been undercover before.

There's a certain amount
of acting involved.

Okay.

Now I have to go
into the police station,

do my job, clock in and out,

all while keeping
an eye on everyone,

especially my partner?

That's right.

And I'm supposed to act
like everything's okay?

I'm not sure Denzel could do
all that and make it believable.

I'm sorry for dumping
all that on you.

And I get that I get to go home
and spend time with my family.

And that's going to be different
than what you're going through.

It's not fair.

But that is the situation.
So we have to deal with it.

Let's go.

Look, grandson,
I know you're nervous.

You think?

I have spent my life
facing obstacle after obstacle

in situations where
those people who were against us

were virtually
the entire society.

I'm standing because
I don't back down from a fight.

[scoffs] Not when the stakes
are this high.

And I plan to be standing
when this fight is done.

I will take care of this family
the way I have for years.

One thing, Granddad.

You suspected I was right
about that man being who he was.

But you kept it from me.

-I told you--
-I know.

I'm just saying,
don't do that again.

And I'll do everything
about acting normal

and all of that,

but I want...

...I needto know
everything that you know.

All right.

Thanks, Granddad.

♪ ♪

He's back.

You think that Hayley
is pretending to be in pain?

She faked the fetus
to hold on to the man.

Now it's hard to fake
a swollen belly.

So she's faking a miscarriage
and trying to pin it on me.

What the hell?
Now you're pulling him into it?

Your father's
known from the beginning.

Tell me that's not true.

And what if this
is just the first layer?

But I thought Elon
explained that away.

Is there something you're not
telling me about our kingdom?