Checkmate (2025) Movie Script
[gentle music]
[siren blaring in distance]
Freeze!
[gunshot]
No!
[panting]
[gentle music]
[board beeps]
[cell phone rings]
[chimes]
[board beeps]
I am standing here in front of
the old Louisville courthouse
which is scheduled to be
demolished later on this week.
As a part of the festivities,
the city will be holding
a ceremony later on today
to honor the retired Judge Miles Jones,
who had served on the bench for 30 years.
- Judge Jones...
- [remote clicks]
[cell phone chimes]
[sighs]
WOMAN #1: Tell me about the nightmares.
WOMAN #2: I've told you everything already.
I don't see how rehashing
things is gonna help.
- And if it happens again?
- It won't.
How can you be so sure?
Look, if you wanna return to active duty,
you're going to have to open up,
talk about those things
you find uncomfortable.
They're all the same.
I'm running down a dark alley,
chasing a suspect.
Next thing I know, she's lying in my arms.
Blood is everywhere.
How does that make you feel?
How do you think it makes me feel?
Are you still taking the medication?
Makes me a little funny, dizzy. I don't...
I don't like taking them.
Those side effects will wear off.
You need to let them get into your system.
They'll help.
Now, let's talk about your father.
What does he have to do with this?
Look, I'm not here to
talk about family issues.
I'm here because I discharged my weapon.
To be precise, you shot a hostage,
and the department wants to make sure
you're fit to return to duty.
And I was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Yet you've been having nightmares.
You're complaining about a lack of focus.
And you've begun to alienate
yourself more and more.
Don't you see how this impacts your ability
to do your job effectively?
I'm better.
I'm also late, and I
need to get back to work.
Brittany, avoiding difficult
topics is not going to help.
You still have 15 minutes left.
[cell phone rings]
- I got to take this.
- [ringing]
[sighs]
- [ringing]
[officers chattering]
[ringing]
[line ringing]
BRITTANY: Hey, what's up?
Hey, you. This is your friendly reminder
that I am picking you up at 7 p.m. tonight.
Ugh. I don't think I can make it.
I got a lot of paperwork to finish up,
logs to close out, all that sort of thing.
Can I get a rain check?
You said the exact same thing last time.
I know. It's just... I just...
You just what? Come on,
baby. I was really looking forward
to spending some quality
time together away from work.
Thank you.
Just reconnect.
Let me see how my day goes,
and I'll get back to you. I promise.
Okay. Tell you what.
How about I just bring over
some takeout, some Thai?
Okay. 7:00. And then an early night.
Okay. Look forward to it.
All right.
Hey, how's it going with the psychologist?
- Just peachy.
- [chuckles]
It won't be forever.
Just keep your head down, your nose clean,
and let her make her assessment.
Captain, I need to
know I have a place here,
that I'm not gonna get
transferred out the division.
It took me too long to get where I am.
I just wanna get back out there.
Look, you're one of the
best detectives I have, okay?
I'm not gonna cut you loose that easy.
Can I take that as a promise? [laughs]
I'll do what I can.
That's what I'm good at.
If I can't do that, be a cop...
I don't know.
Hey, it's just policy.
You're not the first officer to
go through something like this,
and you're not gonna be the last.
Just do the sessions, okay?
That's the only way this is gonna work.
And I need your head straight.
Can you do that for me?
- Yeah. I got you, Cap.
- Okay.
[owl hooting]
[ominous music]
[panting]
- [door slams]
[electricity zaps]
- [woman grunts]
This case is a real bear.
The guy wants to take a plea deal,
but it's no way they'll accept it
if he doesn't take the possession charge.
That's nice.
That's nice?
Are you serious?
You didn't hear a word I said, did you?
I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.
I told you I wouldn't be good company.
- Oh.
- [chuckles]
Don't be ridiculous.
You're the best company I've had all day.
- [chuckles] Whatever.
- [cell phone rings]
[board beeps]
You still playing?
It helps me think.
The games are all online, anonymous.
Look, everyone has their
thing that helps them relax.
You run. This is my thing.
Yeah, but when I run, at least
I know who I'm interacting with.
You gotta be careful these days.
You never know who you'll run into online.
Okay, well, I'm a big girl.
I think I can take care of myself.
Okay, big girl.
So, have you given any more
thought to our conversation?
We've been through this, Brad.
I think taking a break is
good for both of us right now.
You've got this case
you're working on, and...
I just need to focus on
getting my life back together.
That's all I can think about right now.
Duly noted.
I can stay if you want.
Not tonight. I'm tired.
I haven't been sleeping well lately.
Just need some time.
[kisses]
All right.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[officers chattering]
[Captain] Good morning.
All right, everybody, listen up.
This is our victim, Mary Joe Alice,
34, two kids.
This is her now.
Not only was she stabbed
multiple times in the chest,
but as you can see here...
this was carved in her forehead.
And we don't know what it means.
Um, maybe the perps
didn't get a chance to finish.
Maybe they heard something,
got spooked and took off.
Maybe.
BRITTANY: Any sign of rape?
Detective.
Initially, no.
But we're still waiting on
the full report from the M.E.
I thought you weren't supposed
to get involved with any cases.
It's the public I'm
supposed to stay away from
and little shits like yourself.
[scattered snickering] -
Hey, okay. That's enough.
Any thoughts on this, Detective?
Was there anything
else found on the victim?
As a matter of fact, there was.
This was found lodged
in the victim's throat.
Is that a chess piece?
Oh, shit. That's some sadistic shit.
Prints?
I think the killer did finish his message.
And what message would that be?
They go together.
Pawn to C4.
It's a chess move.
A chess move. What
are they trying to tell us?
It's hard to say. It could
be a number of things.
But one thing's for sure.
He's telling us the game's
begun and he wants us to play.
Okay. This stays right
here in this room with us.
Not a word to anybody. Not your spouse,
not your friends, not your family dog.
This prick wants to play a
game, it's got to stay in this room.
- Is that understood?
- Understood.
Sergeant, would you look
into any unsolved cases,
see if you can match the M.O.
- Yes, sir. Will do.
- All right, people,
let's get out there and find this prick
before he kills somebody else.
OFFICER: Yeah. Let's catch this guy.
- All right.
- Let's set out.
I don't remember
inviting you to the briefing,
but that being said,
it was good detective work out there.
The press is going to be all over this.
I can help. I'm ready.
Not until you finish your sessions.
Those are the rules.
That's not what happened
with the Velasquez case.
All sorts of rules were broken there.
You trying to strong-arm me?
That's not gonna look pretty in your file.
I can finish the sessions
while I work the case.
You know you need the help.
It's clear. The killer is
playing a game of chess.
I know chess. No one
knows chess the way I do.
I can solve this.
Give me a chance.
You answer only to me.
And you're on a short leash.
All right. Thanks, Cap.
You won't regret this.
Oh. And, uh, take Rodriguez.
He needs the field work.
And you and I could use the cover
in case that psychologist starts some shit.
But Rodriguez?
Come on, Cap. The guy is green.
He's only gonna be in my way.
Not to mention he acts
like a chauvinistic prick.
He's just waiting for me to make a mistake.
You haven't said anything
that I don't think you can handle.
You want the case or not?
[knocking]
- Captain Sommers.
I wasn't expecting you.
Did we have an appointment today?
No. I'd just like you to level with me.
Do you think Detective Jones is ready
to get back out there in the field or...
You know I can't discuss that with you.
I'm not asking for specifics.
Detective Jones has
suffered a traumatic event,
and trauma can manifest
itself all sorts of ways.
Like what?
Hard to say. Each person's different.
So you're saying she's not ready?
I'm saying these things take time.
I just need you to keep me informed,
let me know if there's any
change in her behavior.
That's all.
You could be putting
everyone at risk, especially her.
Let me worry about that, okay?
[sirens blaring in distance]
- What time was our body found?
- Around 6:30 this morning.
Does the report mention any witnesses?
Just one. A jogger.
Says he was out for his normal
run when he spotted the victim.
Looks like she was killed over there
and her body was dragged to this area.
See if you can find something...
fiber, anything that might
have gotten snared up.
- Hey.
- Hi, Judge.
- What's going on?
- A woman was murdered.
I missed you at my ceremony.
I'm on a new case.
I needed to double-check the crime scene,
make sure nothing was missing.
You know, it looks bad
when the honoree's own
daughter doesn't show up.
I told you I didn't
know if I could make it.
Look around. There's been a murder,
and it's my job to investigate it.
You look like you haven't slept in days.
Look, I'm fine.
Can we not do this right now?
What are you doing here?
I play chess in the park
on Tuesdays. Remember?
Yeah, well, it's a crime scene now,
so I guess you won't be able to play today.
My daughter, by the book.
My father, parenting from a distance.
That's all for now. Let's head back.
[sirens blaring in distance]
[horse whinnies, snorts]
[eerie music]
Hey. [clicking teeth]
[rustling]
[horse whinnies]
[electricity zaps]
-[grunts]
[stabbing]
[suspenseful music]
[gunshot]
No!
[panting]
[cell phone buzzing]
- [clock ticking]
Yeah.
There's been another murder.
Did you see anything
Or hear anything unusual?
Tell us about what happened
as best you can remember,
the details being as specific as possible.
Captain?
Detective.
Who called it in?
That young lady right there.
She said she came in early,
cleaned the stables
and found him like that.
BRITTANY: Okay, let's see what we got.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
It seems the killer snuck up on him,
tased him in the neck from behind,
probably to subdue him.
Well, if this was about money,
the killer definitely would
have took this piece of jewelry.
[haunting music]
Don't tell me you're squeamish
about a dead body
and a little bit of blood.
It's definitely a chess piece in here.
White knight.
From the carving on his head,
it's safe to assume it's
another chess move.
Just one for the hounds, man.
Son of a rich businessman.
The press is gonna
have a field day with this.
They're gonna say we got another
serial killer on our hands here.
I can see it. They're gonna
call him the Chess Killer.
I don't want anybody
coming in or out of here.
This stays uncontaminated.
Everything gets bagged and recorded.
Yes, Captain.
Captain, the father's here.
I'll speak to him. I want you
to talk to the M.E. after the autopsy,
see if you can find out anything.
You have to catch the
son of a bitch, and soon.
I got you, Captain.
MAN: Time of death. It's
somewhere around midnight?
Yeah. That tracks with the
last time he spoke to someone.
Anything else you can give me?
Yeah. The killer is left-handed.
How can you tell?
Well, look at the strokes.
You see here, the way the C is drawn.
Left-handed people have a tendency
to make cross strokes
from the right to the left
rather than from the left to the right.
And when they draw
circular letters and numbers,
they use clockwise strokes
rather than counterclockwise strokes
like right-handed people do.
And you're sure these markings
were made by the same person.
The patterns are the same.
So unless you have two killers out there...
And, yeah, they were
made by the same person.
Well, that is something.
I'll be in touch if I have
any more questions.
- One more thing.
- What's that?
This was one angry person.
- What makes you say that?
- The chess pieces.
They weren't just placed
in the victim's mouths.
They were shoved in forcefully,
enough to break the
two victims' front teeth.
Rigor mortis hadn't set in.
So opening the mouth
and placing a piece in,
it would have been easy.
Not so in this case.
[suspenseful music]
In breaking news overnight,
another murder victim has been found.
Vincent Hathaway,
son of real estate
developer Derek Hathaway,
was discovered in his horse stable,
his family's estate, in the
Glenview section of the city,
leaving this once quiet
suburb in a state of shock.
Are these two murders isolated,
or do we have a serial killer on the loose?
And most importantly, what
are the police doing about it?
Captain wants to see you. In his office.
Nothing in their files indicate
that the victims knew one another.
He came from a wealthy family,
went to Ivy League schools.
She was married with kids.
He was gay. There was no
known love affair between them.
Nothing connects them that I can find.
It might be time just to
bring in another team,
just to get a fresh pair of eyes on this.
Maybe they'll see something that you don't.
Look, it's still early
in the investigation.
I just need a little more
time to work the clues.
The chief of police called me.
He got a call from the mayor this morning.
- I understand, sir.
- Do you?
Let me show you something.
The first move, the opening move.
Here. It was white pawn to C4.
Now, I'm not sure why they chose the pawn
as the opening move,
but that's what they did.
Okay, well, I play a little chess,
but shouldn't there be,
like, a counter move?
Shouldn't the piece in the
next victim's mouth be black?
Yes, that's correct. But
the killer chose to use
one side of the board, the white side.
I don't know what that means yet,
but I'll figure it out.
But I did figure out...
So, the white knight in this move.
It's likely that the previous
move was this one.
Because whoever controls
the center of the board
wins the game.
So, what do you think
the killer is trying to tell us?
Well, the answers are in the
movements of the white pieces.
I just need more time
to decipher the meaning.
I can solve this, Captain. I know I can.
I'm getting this from all sides, right?
The public, the mayor,
they all want answers.
I can give you another... 48 hours.
But if you don't have a lead by then,
I gotta hand this off to someone else.
Okay.
[knocking]
Hi.
Hi.
I need to talk to you.
If you need to make an appointment,
you can contact my office.
No, I'm not here for me.
I came to talk to you about
Detective Brittany Jones.
You're District Attorney
Brad Miller, aren't you?
That's right. And Brittany's
a very close friend of mine.
But I'm worried about her.
I'm afraid I can't talk to you about her.
It would violate
patient-client confidentiality.
As a district attorney,
you should know that.
Brittany's in over her head.
Allowing her to work on a case
that involves a murder
so close to what happened,
it can't be good for her.
You can see that, can't you?
What I see from you is
someone who has trust issues.
Oh, this has nothing to do with trust.
Doesn't it?
If I were you, I'd stay out of this.
I'd hate to have to
call up the D.A.'s office
and tell them that one of their own
is trying to interfere
with one of my patients.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I'm expecting someone.
[scoffs]
[footsteps departing]
[door opens, closes]
[crickets chirping]
[dog barking in distance]
What am I not seeing?
[knocking]
BRAD: Hey, Brit, you in there?
It's me.
Can you open up?
[knocking]
It's late. What are you doing here?
I need to talk to you.
Look, I've got a lot
going on and I'm tired.
That's why I came.
What do you mean?
You need to back away from this case.
Why would I do that?
'Cause it's turning into
a political nightmare.
Someone's going to take the fall for this,
and I don't want it to be you.
It sounds like you don't think
I'm capable of doing my job.
This has nothing to do
with what you're capable of.
We all know you can handle this.
But if you don't solve
this case, like, really soon,
it could cost you your job.
Can't you see I'm just
trying to protect you?
I don't need your protection.
Besides, this is not about me.
It's about catching a killer
and preventing more deaths.
I can't let what might happen to
me stop me from doing my job.
Fair enough.
Well, can you at least
promise to be extra careful?
That's all I'm asking.
I appreciate your concern,
and I promise I'll be careful.
Right now I need to get back to work.
Can we talk about this later?
All right. I'll call you tomorrow.
[gentle music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[knocking]
- Really?
- [knocking]
Look, I said I don't
have time for this. What...
There's been another murder.
[board beeps]
[chattering]
- [siren chirping]
[siren blaring in distance]
[heartbeat echoing]
- Something wrong?
- I'm fine.
Looks like he's homeless.
Yeah. Taser in the back of the neck.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
Like the others.
What's up?
That man over there
looks like the same man from the stables.
Are you sure?
I'm positive. He has on
the same baseball cap.
[thrilling music]
Freeze!
Put your hands behind your head. Back up.
Back it up.
I didn't do anything.
You're under arrest.
I've told you everything I know.
I was just curious. That's all.
Is that why you were at the stables also?
I'm a ham operator.
That's... That's what I do.
You know, I get the
calls through my CB radio
and I just... I just wanted
to check things out.
Nothing more. I swear.
- Would you care for some water?
- Thank you.
- Oh, thank you.
- I just need one more thing.
Do you mind writing your name for me?
No, ma'am.
Well...
Well, that'll be all for
now. You're free to go.
If I need anything else, I'll let you know.
- He didn't do it.
- Are you sure?
Besides having an
alibi for the first murder,
he's right-handed.
I just got off the phone with the mayor
who just got off the
phone with the governor.
They want to send in the feds to help us.
The feds? Why?
Officially? [scoffs]
They have resources we don't.
And unofficially?
The Hathaways have political clout.
As you can see, things
are heating up around here
for both of us.
You got to find something
and you got to find it quick.
[scoffs]
Checkmate.
[sighs]
Ah, this lesson's free.
Next time, it's gonna cost you.
Right on.
[chuckles]
You look like you haven't slept in days.
I didn't come here to
talk about my sleep habits.
Yeah? Then why did you come?
Oh, wait. Maybe you wanted to apologize
for not showing up at
my ceremony yesterday.
Or maybe you wanted to tell me
that you're gonna stop avoiding me
and pretending like I don't exist.
You're the one for years
that acted like I didn't
exist, so don't you dare.
You know what? I don't need this shit.
I don't know why I
thought I could talk to you.
Stop. Stop. I'm sorry.
Look, I... I don't know why I said that.
Please. Come back.
Obviously something's wrong
unless you wouldn't have came.
It's this case.
Wait. I don't understand the doubt.
I mean, you've never
questioned yourself before.
Yet, why the change?
I'm on a short leash.
And if I don't solve it soon, I'm off.
And not just the case.
Well, I'm not as young as I used to be,
but I could still beat up somebody
who threatens my daughter.
Other than that, I don't
know how I can help you.
We've been keeping some
information from the public.
What kind of information?
All the victims had a
chess piece in their mouth
and a corresponding chest
move carved into their heads.
And that all means what?
Look, that's just it.
I haven't been able to
figure out what it means.
I need your help.
Let's play.
Dad, I don't have time
to play a game of chess.
- I'm trying to catch a killer.
- Exactly.
Now, if you want to catch a killer,
you gotta think like one.
Now, what was the victim's first move?
BRITTANY: White pawn to C4.
What's... What's the significance?
Are you sure that was the first move?
Yeah. Why?
Because the opening move
usually is to secure the center.
So that really doesn't make sense.
I thought the same thing.
But, yeah, that was the first move.
And the news said that
the victim was a woman.
That's right. A mother of two.
She was short in stature?
Yeah. Why do you... Why do you ask?
Because there's several meanings
throughout the history of the pawn.
One of which is a small woman.
It's your move.
Next victim had a white knight in his mouth
and C3 carved into his head.
The equestrian rider.
Correct.
Now I gotta protect my king.
- What's wrong?
- [cell phone rings]
Detective Jones.
I'm on my way.
I gotta go. Possible lead.
Can we finish this later?
Yeah. We can strategize.
Yeah, listen.
Go easy on Brad.
He really loves you.
I know he does.
So, the entry wounds on all the victims
indicate the stun gun was
deployed at close range.
That's correct.
If you're close enough to use a stun gun,
then you're close enough to use a knife.
Why... Why use the gun?
That's a good question.
Maybe they needed to for some reason.
Stun guns don't render you unconscious.
They simply immobilize you.
The victims remain awake.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking the killer wants the victims
to know who's killing them.
[gentle music]
So...
what about the third
victim, the homeless guy?
What chess piece did they find on him?
A pawn.
And he had D4 carved into his forehead.
But it doesn't fit.
You told me a pawn was a small woman.
Look, maybe they were right.
Maybe I shouldn't have taken on this case.
Maybe who's right?
Brad. The police psychologist. The captain.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
When you were a little girl,
your mom and I wanted
to enroll you in gymnastics,
and you fought us tooth and nail.
Do you remember what you said?
[scoffs]
You said this wasn't for me
and that your heart wasn't in it
and that you would never succeed.
You were so sure, even back then.
Well, maybe I'm not that person anymore.
You are that person.
And don't you forget it.
Now, I told you one of the
meanings was a small woman.
But there are other ones.
One of them is a foot soldier.
A foot soldier.
A soldier. [chuckles]
BOTH: The military.
- All right?
- [laughs]
Check to see if your
victim served in the military.
Well, let's figure out
the killer's next move.
Why are you hesitating?
You know where the battle takes place.
Then...
my only next move...
is this one.
And that's your next victim.
I mean, that's great and all,
but that could be anybody.
How do I zero in on finding
them before he does?
I just thought it might help.
No. No. It... It does.
I appreciate all of this. I do.
It's after 11:00. I
gotta... I gotta get going.
I'll call you tomorrow?
Yeah.
[door opens]
- [crickets chirping]
[door closes]
[crickets chirping] -
[dog barking in distance]
[soft jazz playing]
Ooh. [chuckles]
I'll take that.
- Thank you.
- Of course.
Ooh.
Man, that was really good.
I didn't realize I was that hungry.
- Yeah, you devoured it.
- I did.
What?
Do you remember how we met?
Of course. How can I forget?
You were...
fresh out of the academy,
green as all hell.
And you called me in as a witness
on a case you were prosecuting.
I did. And you had the audacity
to challenge me on the stand.
I did. [laughs]
Like...
Oddly enough,
it was at that very moment that I knew...
I was gonna fall in love with you.
Listen.
I was an ass the other day,
and all those things that I said, I...
I didn't really mean it.
No, we're both under a lot of pressure.
It's fine.
You know what?
After you solve this case
and I'm done with my trial,
we should take a quick
little getaway somewhere.
Just you and I.
I would love that.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
[jazz continues, fades]
Babe, it's early. Where you going?
Yeah, I wanted to get to the office early,
follow up on something.
- Call you later?
- Yeah.
[kisses]
BRITTANY: Is there anything else
you can tell me about
your husband, Mrs. Davis?
Okay, thank you.
If you think of anything
else, please call me.
[receiver hangs up]
Yes, sir. I understand.
The feds are coming day after tomorrow.
Okay, well, look, here's
what we've put together so far.
Um, the homeless man
was a soldier, aka a pawn.
The jogger, a petite woman, also a pawn.
The equestrian rider...
Wait. Who's we?
Um, my father.
I've been consulting with him on the case.
I see.
Well, he is an expert.
I'm glad you decided to bring him in.
We need a different kind of help now.
Look, the next victim
is gonna have a white
bishop in their mouth.
How do you know?
Because I figured it out
playing the game with my father.
It's the only move that makes sense.
I can solve this.
You know I can.
I'll place guards at the rectory.
But the second the feds show
up, it's out of both of our hands.
Okay.
I would advise your
client to take the plea deal
that's on the table,
'cause you and I both know
it's not going to get any
better than what's offered.
And he doesn't want
this thing to go to trial.
Yeah.
Okay. Well, have it your way.
[electricity zaps]
- [grunts]
[electricity zaps]
- [grunts]
Every once in a while, this happens.
Right now you got to
listen. It was out of nowhere.
- Detective.
- [Brittany gasps]
- No!
- No, no. You don't belong here.
- You should not be.
- Oh, my God! No!
I'll be able to get an exact time of death
once I get him back to the lab.
But I'd say he's been dead
for at least a couple of hours.
Thank you, Carl.
- I got it. I need to do this.
- You don't have to do this.
I need you to let me do my job.
Okay.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
F4 carved into the forehead.
Same M.O. as the others.
- What about cameras?
- We're on it.
- There's something here.
- What is it?
Get this to the lab ASAP.
They should be able to
tell us who it belongs to.
- SOMMERS: Go ahead.
- Okay.
These killings are all over the place.
Got a mother of two. Son
of a wealthy businessman.
Attorney. I don't see the connection here.
On the surface, it looks random.
- But you're not convinced.
- No.
I think the killer is angry that
we haven't figured it out yet.
He's so angry, he's gonna up his game.
He wants the world to
know how brilliant he is.
He wants more media attention.
What better way than to
kill a prominent attorney.
Well, then that means
he's getting desperate.
Desperation leads to mistakes.
- I'm so sorry.
- Just give me a sec...
[heartbeat echoing]
[gunshot]
[heartbeat echoing]
[screams]
[clock ticking]
- [panting]
[ticking continues]
PSYCHOLOGIST: Let's talk about Brad
and how you're coping with his death.
I'd rather talk about the killer.
The killer?
You know psychology.
You can help me get inside his head.
This session is supposed to be about you.
You want to help me?
This is where I need help.
I'm not exactly sure what
you want me to tell you.
I'm...
trying to figure out why...
someone would kill in
such a vicious manner.
People kill for all reasons. You know that.
Money. Jealousy. Revenge.
No, I think... I think it's personal.
I think the killer knew the victims.
I think he had some type
of grudge against them.
I get how important
this case is to you, but...
I feel like you're avoiding talking
about something even more important.
What could be more important?
Brad.
And the fact that his
death is affecting you
more than you're willing to admit...
to the point of clouding your judgment.
There's nothing wrong with my judgment.
Why don't you tell me
what's really bothering you?
I had another dream.
This time it was Brad lying in my arms,
and he was covered in blood.
Maybe your dream has more to
do with guilt than anything else.
Why would I feel guilty?
Because you couldn't save him.
It's a natural response.
Look,
I intend to find out who did this.
I owe it to Brad.
I owe it to all the victims.
I'm going to change the
dosage on your medication.
Look, I'm not taking any
more of the medication.
And why is that?
The medication is designed
to alleviate stress and anxiety.
The fact that you're
continuing to have nightmares
tells me we need to tweak the dosage.
Give it time.
I gotta get back to work.
Listen, Captain. I'm giving
you my professional opinion,
and I suggest that you remove
her from the case immediately.
Whoa. What proof do you have?
Detective Jones is exhibiting
classic signs of PTSD.
I know you're gonna slap a name on this,
but we're trying to catch
a serial killer out there.
And from where I sit,
she's doing an excellent job on the case.
And I've assigned someone to work with her.
So if things go south,
I'll be the first to know.
Are you aware she's having
reoccurring nightmares
and that the last one was about Brad?
She's a powder keg ready to blow, so...
don't say I didn't warn you.
I'll take it into consideration.
Thank you for coming.
[sobbing]
[dramatic music]
Okay. As you can see, he was tasered twice.
Once here in the back of the
neck and once in the chest.
Why do you think that was?
I think it's possible that the
one on the back of the neck
wasn't strong enough
to put him on the ground,
but instead it spun him around.
And then this one to the chest,
that was enough to put him down.
Where the killer then stabbed him.
This is where things get interesting.
Now, you see these three stab wounds.
What about them?
This one here, this is
the one that killed him.
Straight to the heart. Fatal.
These two were postmortem.
- It was personal.
- Very personal.
Now, the lab put a rush on the analysis.
It'll be ready by the morning.
Thanks.
I hope you find whoever did this.
I will.
[haunting music]
[whispery breezes begin]
[clock ticking]
- [panting]
[board beeps]
[board beeps]
Are you sure?
Thanks.
I appreciate you rushing the results.
That was the lab.
Based on the hair analysis
they were able to complete,
we're looking for either a Caucasian
or Hispanic individual.
Did they get anything else?
No. But at least we can add this
to the profile we've built so far.
Look, I was right about the bishop.
Maybe not about who the victim was,
but the chest piece was spot-on.
You know, I put a
security detail on a priest.
But, Brittany, did it ever occur to you
that maybe this was the
killer's way to get you to back off,
that it's now too personal and about you?
Maybe too personal for
you to stay on the case.
Yes, I have.
I also think we can use
this to our advantage.
I hope so.
[pensive music]
Brad was a runner.
That was the meaning of a bishop.
You were right.
Oh, excuse me.
[whispery breezes begin]
Oh, oh, oh. Sit down, baby. Whoa.
Are you all right?
I'm just tired.
I haven't slept in a couple days.
When's the last time you ate?
What's going on, baby girl?
I've been having nightmares.
Ever since I shot the hostage,
I can't seem to get over it.
I've been seeing the police
psychologist because of it.
It was an accident.
It was dark. She... She
came out of nowhere.
It happens.
Now, I'm not going to
tell you to forget about it
because that's not gonna happen.
But what I'm saying to you is
you have got to find a way to
forgive yourself and move on.
I'm trying.
But with this case,
it feels like I'm back there...
in that alley and I'm gonna make a mistake.
Maybe I already have.
And it cost Brad his life.
Brad's death is not your fault.
The blame lies on that
psychopath who did it.
Besides, no daughter of mine
is gonna give up that easy.
- You hear me?
- Yeah.
Let's get back to the game, all right,
and see if we can find this son of a bitch.
Your move.
Okay.
Well, this is Brad.
Well...
these moves seem familiar.
And... And... Never mind.
- It's just a coincidence.
- No, tell me.
It's just that these moves, they...
they are similar to the
ones my opponent used
in the Chess Masters tournament.
With the exception of the
opening one, of course.
Was the opening move the pawn?
No. It was knight to F3.
- Did you win that game?
- Yeah, I won.
My opponent was disqualified.
Turns out he was playing
someone else's game.
Apparently, he lost track of his objective.
And the objective was?
To protect his king.
Protect.
[pensive music]
Wha-Wha-What are you
doing? We haven't finished.
Don't you want to see the move?
I gotta look into something.
But I want you to stay at my place
for the next couple of days.
Your place? Why?
I don't know. It's just a feeling.
Maybe it's Brad's death, but...
I'm feeling overly protective.
I know it doesn't make sense,
but I don't want anything else
to happen to anybody
else that I care about.
Well, I can take overly protective any day.
Let's see if we can start
to get this father-daughter
thing back on track.
We'll talk about that when I get back.
Right now I gotta go to the
office for a couple of hours,
but we'll finish this when I get back.
[phone ringing]
Detective Jones.
WOMAN: I just sent the
Hathaway surveillance footage
over to your computer.
It begins two weeks before he was killed.
Thanks.
[suspenseful music]
What are you doing?
Going over footage
from the Hathaway estate.
- What do you hope to find?
- A connection.
Have you?
You had to know I'd eventually find this.
It's not what you think.
Then what is it?
Let's have it. And don't lie.
I know my rights.
I don't have to tell you anything.
For all we knew, you could be the killer.
You're facing a list of potential charges.
Impeding an investigation.
Withholding evidence.
You're a cop. You know the drill.
So I suggest you start talking
if you want any chance of saving your ass.
Or should I add murder to the list?
We had an affair.
It lasted a year.
He broke it off a month ago.
Why didn't you divulge
this information to us before?
Because he didn't want his father to know.
And... I didn't want anyone thinking
I had anything to do with his death.
Why should I believe you?
Maybe you killed him
because of a lover's quarrel.
Maybe you wanted to hide it
to make it seem like his
death linked to the others
to hide your tracks.
Because it's the truth.
I swear it.
I would never hurt Vincent.
You gotta believe me.
I don't think I need to tell you
that you're in a shitload of trouble.
Jose Rodriguez, you have
the right to remain silent.
[handcuffs clinking]
They're processing Rodriguez now.
Do you believe his story?
He has an alibi the
night of the first murder.
He's not our guy. But he
should have known better.
Well, it's too late for that now.
Benson case? Why are you looking at that?
Something my father said
about the opening move not making sense.
It made me think.
So I'm taking a second
look at these unsolved cases.
You think we missed something?
I don't know, but if what he said is right,
the jogger's murder isn't the first one.
I remember that one, about a month ago.
A high school track coach.
Found him dead on the field at night.
Three witnesses. Teenagers.
Said they came across
his body on their way home.
It says here he had some
type of cut in his forehead.
Yeah, but I don't remember
there being a chess piece.
There was also damage
done by an animal to the skull,
so we couldn't make it out.
Going somewhere?
To interview those
boys again. I'll be back.
Okay. We... We didn't see anything.
We went to the field, found the body,
and called the cops immediately after.
And I told the police everything
when they interviewed me.
Look, why don't you tell
me about that night again?
I've already told the cops everything.
I get the sense you're
holding something back.
You spent some time in
juvie, but now you're 18,
and withholding evidence in
an ongoing murder investigation
is the sort of thing that
can get you some real time.
Okay, look, look, they...
they dared me, okay?
The others I was with.
They called me a bitch
and said they were going
to tell everybody at
school that I was scared.
So I took it.
But I didn't kill the
guy, I swear. I just...
I simply took it as a souvenir. That's it.
You took what?
[door opens, closes]
[whispery breezes begin]
Here.
[suspenseful music]
[door closes]
[sighs]
Ooh.
[door squeaking]
Is anybody there?
[suspenseful music]
[rapid footsteps
approach] - [electricity zaps]
[body thuds]
My father was right.
There was another victim before the jogger.
Yeah, but there was no
mention of a chess piece.
The kid admitted he took
the chess piece on a dare.
Oh, and get this.
The victim wasn't just the
coach of the track team.
He was also a hurdler in high school.
A jumper, a knight.
So he's been trying to communicate with us
from the beginning.
Why wrap up now?
I don't know.
But when I catch them, I'll be sure to ask.
All right, I'm convinced, okay?
How does Miles tie into this?
[suspenseful music]
[groaning]
[grunting]
Who's there?
My father said his opponent used
these moves in this exact order
when he won the championship game ages ago.
The answer has to be in one of his cases.
The connection is my father.
How do you know it's not about you?
You're the common denominator.
No, this is about my father.
It's been about him all along.
I gotta go.
[crickets chirping]
[suspenseful music]
Dad?
Dad, are you here?
Dad?
[line ringing]
- Come on.
MILES: Hello. No one is
available to take your call.
Oh, my God.
[loud ticking]
They've been toying with me
all along, and I didn't even see it.
Look, the FBI's gonna be
here in a couple of hours.
Let them handle it.
I mean, even if your father
was taken... let's say it's true...
you are too close to
the situation, Brittany.
Either way, you...
you just gotta step back
and let them do their job.
Look, my father doesn't
have a couple of hours.
And this is my job.
How do you connect? I know you're there.
What is it that you said, Dad?
He was playing someone else's game.
Whose game?
What are you looking for?
The game my father played
when he became Grand Master.
Okay.
Okay, it says here...
his opponent patterned
the opening moves of Bobby Fischer.
Okay, look.
Knight to F3.
High school hurdler.
Pawn to C4.
BOTH: Jogger.
BRITTANY: Knight to C3.
The equestrian rider.
Pawn to D4. Military veteran.
Okay, what next?
Now we find out games Fischer played
and see who he played with these moves.
Who are you?
WOMAN: You don't remember me, do you?
Should I? What do you want from me?
What I want is to make you pay.
Who am I?
Well, that's another story entirely,
one I'm going to enjoy telling you.
Look, obviously, there's
some kind of mistake.
- My name is...
- I know who you are.
Miles Jones, retired judge.
[screams] And murderer!
Might as well stop that.
You're not getting out of here.
At least not alive.
Because of you, I
decided to take my own life,
and I almost succeeded.
Listen. I... I don't know what
you think I've done to you.
Not just me. My entire family.
Didn't anybody ever
tell you not to interrupt
the prosecution's opening statement?
Look, just put down the knife.
Let me go and we can talk about it.
Seven minutes.
That's how long they said I was dead.
Do you know that the brain
actually starts to lose oxygen
after about three minutes?
And around five they say
there's no way you can come back.
Or if you do, you'll be brain dead.
But there's a small percentage
of people, only about 5%,
who can return with full brain function.
That makes me special.
I mean, I always knew I was, but...
this just proves it.
Don't you think so?
Okay, let's compare these
to cases my father worked on.
There's hundreds of
cases. It could take hours.
I mean, there's civil.
There's criminal. There's bankruptcy.
Where do we start?
Let's just start at criminal
and work our way down.
Read them off to me.
You don't have to do this.
I'm not finished.
When I took those pills to kill myself,
I never saw a thing.
No red lights,
no singing angels, nothing.
You know what I came to realize?
What?
This...
is all there is.
Do you know how liberating that is?
No consequences.
All those dumb saps
who think God is gonna
get them for their actions.
There is no God. There are no consequences.
There's only now.
And now means you can do whatever you want.
And you know what I want to do?
To cut you up into little pieces.
No consequences.
[gavel bangs]
Your trial's about to begin.
[typing]
This is the last one.
It's a criminal case about 15 years ago.
And who's the defendant?
Um, Barnes. Dennis Barnes.
Wait a minute.
Fischer played Dennis Barnes
in what they called "the game of games."
Look. The first move.
- Knight to F3.
- [beeps]
You found it.
What else does it say?
Um, it says Barnes was convicted
of killing four women
and sentenced to death.
Wait a minute.
What?
This is about revenge.
You think you're so clever, both of you.
Poor Miles and his
fucked-up daughter Brittany.
A screwed-up cop and her absentee father.
What's my daughter have to do with this?
You leave her out of it.
Like you left her out for so many years?
What was it she said?
Oh, yeah. That's right.
"My father cared about the
law, chess, and his family."
In that order.
You're the psychologist she's been seeing.
[scoffs]
Once I'm done, she's gonna
need more than a psychologist.
Who the hell are you?
I'm the daughter of the man you
sentenced to death 15 years ago.
A man who was innocent of his crimes.
A man who hung himself in his jail cell.
I don't know who you're talking about.
- Don't lie to me!
- Okay, okay. Calm down.
Calm down, all right?
Just give me a second.
It'll come to me. G-Give me a second.
- Too late, asshole.
- Oh!
Donald Barnes. Remember?
You were the judge.
Brad. That arrogant prick of a prosecutor.
And that heartless jury
who couldn't see what
it would do to my mother.
That she would lose her
friends and commit suicide.
I swore I would make
every last one of you pay.
And I intend to.
SOMMERS: Does it give any information
about family or any relatives?
Mm-mmm.
It says here the wife testified
in her husband's defense.
Hmm.
That's about it. Let me see
if I can find anything else.
[typing]
Okay. It says right here there
was a wife and a daughter.
That's it? No other relatives?
That's it. Wait, wait, wait, wait.
What was the wife's name?
[typing]
- SOMMERS: Uh...
Roslyn. Roslyn Barnes.
[typing]
Okay, this article is
dated a year after the trial.
It says the wife committed suicide
and the daughter was sent
to live with a distant cousin.
The young girl's name was...
[sighs]
What's her name?
Stephanie.
Her name is Stephanie Barnes.
What's that?
Something Stephanie prescribed.
Something I think is making me dizzy
and making my nightmares worse.
And... she's left-handed.
They could be anywhere. He could...
What are you thinking?
Where else would you take the person
you think unfairly sentenced your father
if you wanted them to
suffer for what they did?
Back to the scene of the crime.
The old courthouse.
Brittany. Brittany.
Wait. Wait for backup.
[siren blaring in distance]
[tense music]
[Miles shouting]
STEPHANIE: Shut up!
BRITTANY: Freeze. Don't move.
Drop the knife.
Now.
Glad you could join us.
Look. Jury's finally here.
Now we can conduct a fair trial.
Something my father never got.
Drop the gun or I'll slit his throat.
Not gonna happen.
Let him go and you might
make it out of here alive.
You know, you're not as
smart as you think you are.
You were so busy blindly crying
over that little girl you killed,
you missed my first clue.
You mean the high school coach?
Oh, so you found him. Took you long enough.
Feeling dizzy?
You bitch.
I know about the pills.
I said drop the gun.
Okay. Okay.
On the floor.
That's more like it.
Now, let's get on with the trial.
Wait. Why would you kill him now?
You haven't gone
through all the jurors yet.
Your boyfriend asking too many questions,
sticking his nose in
where it didn't belong.
Not to mention you getting an award.
That was the last straw.
I knew that I needed to
accelerate things a little.
As for the others, don't worry about them.
I'll get to them soon enough.
Now, take a seat in the juror's box
and let's begin.
Do it or he's dead!
[Miles grunts]
How does the jury find the defendant?
Innocent.
- Wrong answer!
- No!
Give me one good reason
why I shouldn't kill him.
Look, I get it.
My mother died when I was young, too.
I blamed my father for a long time.
But this is not the same.
Your father was guilty.
He did kill those women.
You're lying. He told me he didn't do it.
He was framed by Brad, by the jury, by you.
They found his DNA at
each of the crime scenes.
I read the file.
No. It was planted. All of it.
They did it to make him look guilty.
It wasn't.
Listen, your father was guilty.
He confessed.
Before he was executed, he admitted it.
He even admitted why he did it.
Why... Why would he?
Because they were all
blonde. They were all petite.
They were... the opposite of your mother.
- Liar!
- [Miles grunts]
[thrilling music]
[suspenseful music]
[music shrieks]
[thrilling music]
[body thuds]
[Brittany panting]
[gentle music]
- Dad.
- You all right?
- Yeah. You okay?
- Yeah. Yeah.
Okay.
Let's get you there.
[footsteps approach]
[officers chattering]
You okay?
[Brittany sobbing]
- MILES: I love you.
So, you really okay?
Yeah.
I am.
Well, I hear you're
in line for a promotion.
Congratulations.
Word really does travel fast.
Well, you deserve it. You solved the case.
No.
We solved the case.
You saved my life.
I'm glad you're okay.
It's your move.
Checkmate.
[siren blaring in distance]
Freeze!
[gunshot]
No!
[panting]
[gentle music]
[board beeps]
[cell phone rings]
[chimes]
[board beeps]
I am standing here in front of
the old Louisville courthouse
which is scheduled to be
demolished later on this week.
As a part of the festivities,
the city will be holding
a ceremony later on today
to honor the retired Judge Miles Jones,
who had served on the bench for 30 years.
- Judge Jones...
- [remote clicks]
[cell phone chimes]
[sighs]
WOMAN #1: Tell me about the nightmares.
WOMAN #2: I've told you everything already.
I don't see how rehashing
things is gonna help.
- And if it happens again?
- It won't.
How can you be so sure?
Look, if you wanna return to active duty,
you're going to have to open up,
talk about those things
you find uncomfortable.
They're all the same.
I'm running down a dark alley,
chasing a suspect.
Next thing I know, she's lying in my arms.
Blood is everywhere.
How does that make you feel?
How do you think it makes me feel?
Are you still taking the medication?
Makes me a little funny, dizzy. I don't...
I don't like taking them.
Those side effects will wear off.
You need to let them get into your system.
They'll help.
Now, let's talk about your father.
What does he have to do with this?
Look, I'm not here to
talk about family issues.
I'm here because I discharged my weapon.
To be precise, you shot a hostage,
and the department wants to make sure
you're fit to return to duty.
And I was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Yet you've been having nightmares.
You're complaining about a lack of focus.
And you've begun to alienate
yourself more and more.
Don't you see how this impacts your ability
to do your job effectively?
I'm better.
I'm also late, and I
need to get back to work.
Brittany, avoiding difficult
topics is not going to help.
You still have 15 minutes left.
[cell phone rings]
- I got to take this.
- [ringing]
[sighs]
- [ringing]
[officers chattering]
[ringing]
[line ringing]
BRITTANY: Hey, what's up?
Hey, you. This is your friendly reminder
that I am picking you up at 7 p.m. tonight.
Ugh. I don't think I can make it.
I got a lot of paperwork to finish up,
logs to close out, all that sort of thing.
Can I get a rain check?
You said the exact same thing last time.
I know. It's just... I just...
You just what? Come on,
baby. I was really looking forward
to spending some quality
time together away from work.
Thank you.
Just reconnect.
Let me see how my day goes,
and I'll get back to you. I promise.
Okay. Tell you what.
How about I just bring over
some takeout, some Thai?
Okay. 7:00. And then an early night.
Okay. Look forward to it.
All right.
Hey, how's it going with the psychologist?
- Just peachy.
- [chuckles]
It won't be forever.
Just keep your head down, your nose clean,
and let her make her assessment.
Captain, I need to
know I have a place here,
that I'm not gonna get
transferred out the division.
It took me too long to get where I am.
I just wanna get back out there.
Look, you're one of the
best detectives I have, okay?
I'm not gonna cut you loose that easy.
Can I take that as a promise? [laughs]
I'll do what I can.
That's what I'm good at.
If I can't do that, be a cop...
I don't know.
Hey, it's just policy.
You're not the first officer to
go through something like this,
and you're not gonna be the last.
Just do the sessions, okay?
That's the only way this is gonna work.
And I need your head straight.
Can you do that for me?
- Yeah. I got you, Cap.
- Okay.
[owl hooting]
[ominous music]
[panting]
- [door slams]
[electricity zaps]
- [woman grunts]
This case is a real bear.
The guy wants to take a plea deal,
but it's no way they'll accept it
if he doesn't take the possession charge.
That's nice.
That's nice?
Are you serious?
You didn't hear a word I said, did you?
I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.
I told you I wouldn't be good company.
- Oh.
- [chuckles]
Don't be ridiculous.
You're the best company I've had all day.
- [chuckles] Whatever.
- [cell phone rings]
[board beeps]
You still playing?
It helps me think.
The games are all online, anonymous.
Look, everyone has their
thing that helps them relax.
You run. This is my thing.
Yeah, but when I run, at least
I know who I'm interacting with.
You gotta be careful these days.
You never know who you'll run into online.
Okay, well, I'm a big girl.
I think I can take care of myself.
Okay, big girl.
So, have you given any more
thought to our conversation?
We've been through this, Brad.
I think taking a break is
good for both of us right now.
You've got this case
you're working on, and...
I just need to focus on
getting my life back together.
That's all I can think about right now.
Duly noted.
I can stay if you want.
Not tonight. I'm tired.
I haven't been sleeping well lately.
Just need some time.
[kisses]
All right.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[officers chattering]
[Captain] Good morning.
All right, everybody, listen up.
This is our victim, Mary Joe Alice,
34, two kids.
This is her now.
Not only was she stabbed
multiple times in the chest,
but as you can see here...
this was carved in her forehead.
And we don't know what it means.
Um, maybe the perps
didn't get a chance to finish.
Maybe they heard something,
got spooked and took off.
Maybe.
BRITTANY: Any sign of rape?
Detective.
Initially, no.
But we're still waiting on
the full report from the M.E.
I thought you weren't supposed
to get involved with any cases.
It's the public I'm
supposed to stay away from
and little shits like yourself.
[scattered snickering] -
Hey, okay. That's enough.
Any thoughts on this, Detective?
Was there anything
else found on the victim?
As a matter of fact, there was.
This was found lodged
in the victim's throat.
Is that a chess piece?
Oh, shit. That's some sadistic shit.
Prints?
I think the killer did finish his message.
And what message would that be?
They go together.
Pawn to C4.
It's a chess move.
A chess move. What
are they trying to tell us?
It's hard to say. It could
be a number of things.
But one thing's for sure.
He's telling us the game's
begun and he wants us to play.
Okay. This stays right
here in this room with us.
Not a word to anybody. Not your spouse,
not your friends, not your family dog.
This prick wants to play a
game, it's got to stay in this room.
- Is that understood?
- Understood.
Sergeant, would you look
into any unsolved cases,
see if you can match the M.O.
- Yes, sir. Will do.
- All right, people,
let's get out there and find this prick
before he kills somebody else.
OFFICER: Yeah. Let's catch this guy.
- All right.
- Let's set out.
I don't remember
inviting you to the briefing,
but that being said,
it was good detective work out there.
The press is going to be all over this.
I can help. I'm ready.
Not until you finish your sessions.
Those are the rules.
That's not what happened
with the Velasquez case.
All sorts of rules were broken there.
You trying to strong-arm me?
That's not gonna look pretty in your file.
I can finish the sessions
while I work the case.
You know you need the help.
It's clear. The killer is
playing a game of chess.
I know chess. No one
knows chess the way I do.
I can solve this.
Give me a chance.
You answer only to me.
And you're on a short leash.
All right. Thanks, Cap.
You won't regret this.
Oh. And, uh, take Rodriguez.
He needs the field work.
And you and I could use the cover
in case that psychologist starts some shit.
But Rodriguez?
Come on, Cap. The guy is green.
He's only gonna be in my way.
Not to mention he acts
like a chauvinistic prick.
He's just waiting for me to make a mistake.
You haven't said anything
that I don't think you can handle.
You want the case or not?
[knocking]
- Captain Sommers.
I wasn't expecting you.
Did we have an appointment today?
No. I'd just like you to level with me.
Do you think Detective Jones is ready
to get back out there in the field or...
You know I can't discuss that with you.
I'm not asking for specifics.
Detective Jones has
suffered a traumatic event,
and trauma can manifest
itself all sorts of ways.
Like what?
Hard to say. Each person's different.
So you're saying she's not ready?
I'm saying these things take time.
I just need you to keep me informed,
let me know if there's any
change in her behavior.
That's all.
You could be putting
everyone at risk, especially her.
Let me worry about that, okay?
[sirens blaring in distance]
- What time was our body found?
- Around 6:30 this morning.
Does the report mention any witnesses?
Just one. A jogger.
Says he was out for his normal
run when he spotted the victim.
Looks like she was killed over there
and her body was dragged to this area.
See if you can find something...
fiber, anything that might
have gotten snared up.
- Hey.
- Hi, Judge.
- What's going on?
- A woman was murdered.
I missed you at my ceremony.
I'm on a new case.
I needed to double-check the crime scene,
make sure nothing was missing.
You know, it looks bad
when the honoree's own
daughter doesn't show up.
I told you I didn't
know if I could make it.
Look around. There's been a murder,
and it's my job to investigate it.
You look like you haven't slept in days.
Look, I'm fine.
Can we not do this right now?
What are you doing here?
I play chess in the park
on Tuesdays. Remember?
Yeah, well, it's a crime scene now,
so I guess you won't be able to play today.
My daughter, by the book.
My father, parenting from a distance.
That's all for now. Let's head back.
[sirens blaring in distance]
[horse whinnies, snorts]
[eerie music]
Hey. [clicking teeth]
[rustling]
[horse whinnies]
[electricity zaps]
-[grunts]
[stabbing]
[suspenseful music]
[gunshot]
No!
[panting]
[cell phone buzzing]
- [clock ticking]
Yeah.
There's been another murder.
Did you see anything
Or hear anything unusual?
Tell us about what happened
as best you can remember,
the details being as specific as possible.
Captain?
Detective.
Who called it in?
That young lady right there.
She said she came in early,
cleaned the stables
and found him like that.
BRITTANY: Okay, let's see what we got.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
It seems the killer snuck up on him,
tased him in the neck from behind,
probably to subdue him.
Well, if this was about money,
the killer definitely would
have took this piece of jewelry.
[haunting music]
Don't tell me you're squeamish
about a dead body
and a little bit of blood.
It's definitely a chess piece in here.
White knight.
From the carving on his head,
it's safe to assume it's
another chess move.
Just one for the hounds, man.
Son of a rich businessman.
The press is gonna
have a field day with this.
They're gonna say we got another
serial killer on our hands here.
I can see it. They're gonna
call him the Chess Killer.
I don't want anybody
coming in or out of here.
This stays uncontaminated.
Everything gets bagged and recorded.
Yes, Captain.
Captain, the father's here.
I'll speak to him. I want you
to talk to the M.E. after the autopsy,
see if you can find out anything.
You have to catch the
son of a bitch, and soon.
I got you, Captain.
MAN: Time of death. It's
somewhere around midnight?
Yeah. That tracks with the
last time he spoke to someone.
Anything else you can give me?
Yeah. The killer is left-handed.
How can you tell?
Well, look at the strokes.
You see here, the way the C is drawn.
Left-handed people have a tendency
to make cross strokes
from the right to the left
rather than from the left to the right.
And when they draw
circular letters and numbers,
they use clockwise strokes
rather than counterclockwise strokes
like right-handed people do.
And you're sure these markings
were made by the same person.
The patterns are the same.
So unless you have two killers out there...
And, yeah, they were
made by the same person.
Well, that is something.
I'll be in touch if I have
any more questions.
- One more thing.
- What's that?
This was one angry person.
- What makes you say that?
- The chess pieces.
They weren't just placed
in the victim's mouths.
They were shoved in forcefully,
enough to break the
two victims' front teeth.
Rigor mortis hadn't set in.
So opening the mouth
and placing a piece in,
it would have been easy.
Not so in this case.
[suspenseful music]
In breaking news overnight,
another murder victim has been found.
Vincent Hathaway,
son of real estate
developer Derek Hathaway,
was discovered in his horse stable,
his family's estate, in the
Glenview section of the city,
leaving this once quiet
suburb in a state of shock.
Are these two murders isolated,
or do we have a serial killer on the loose?
And most importantly, what
are the police doing about it?
Captain wants to see you. In his office.
Nothing in their files indicate
that the victims knew one another.
He came from a wealthy family,
went to Ivy League schools.
She was married with kids.
He was gay. There was no
known love affair between them.
Nothing connects them that I can find.
It might be time just to
bring in another team,
just to get a fresh pair of eyes on this.
Maybe they'll see something that you don't.
Look, it's still early
in the investigation.
I just need a little more
time to work the clues.
The chief of police called me.
He got a call from the mayor this morning.
- I understand, sir.
- Do you?
Let me show you something.
The first move, the opening move.
Here. It was white pawn to C4.
Now, I'm not sure why they chose the pawn
as the opening move,
but that's what they did.
Okay, well, I play a little chess,
but shouldn't there be,
like, a counter move?
Shouldn't the piece in the
next victim's mouth be black?
Yes, that's correct. But
the killer chose to use
one side of the board, the white side.
I don't know what that means yet,
but I'll figure it out.
But I did figure out...
So, the white knight in this move.
It's likely that the previous
move was this one.
Because whoever controls
the center of the board
wins the game.
So, what do you think
the killer is trying to tell us?
Well, the answers are in the
movements of the white pieces.
I just need more time
to decipher the meaning.
I can solve this, Captain. I know I can.
I'm getting this from all sides, right?
The public, the mayor,
they all want answers.
I can give you another... 48 hours.
But if you don't have a lead by then,
I gotta hand this off to someone else.
Okay.
[knocking]
Hi.
Hi.
I need to talk to you.
If you need to make an appointment,
you can contact my office.
No, I'm not here for me.
I came to talk to you about
Detective Brittany Jones.
You're District Attorney
Brad Miller, aren't you?
That's right. And Brittany's
a very close friend of mine.
But I'm worried about her.
I'm afraid I can't talk to you about her.
It would violate
patient-client confidentiality.
As a district attorney,
you should know that.
Brittany's in over her head.
Allowing her to work on a case
that involves a murder
so close to what happened,
it can't be good for her.
You can see that, can't you?
What I see from you is
someone who has trust issues.
Oh, this has nothing to do with trust.
Doesn't it?
If I were you, I'd stay out of this.
I'd hate to have to
call up the D.A.'s office
and tell them that one of their own
is trying to interfere
with one of my patients.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I'm expecting someone.
[scoffs]
[footsteps departing]
[door opens, closes]
[crickets chirping]
[dog barking in distance]
What am I not seeing?
[knocking]
BRAD: Hey, Brit, you in there?
It's me.
Can you open up?
[knocking]
It's late. What are you doing here?
I need to talk to you.
Look, I've got a lot
going on and I'm tired.
That's why I came.
What do you mean?
You need to back away from this case.
Why would I do that?
'Cause it's turning into
a political nightmare.
Someone's going to take the fall for this,
and I don't want it to be you.
It sounds like you don't think
I'm capable of doing my job.
This has nothing to do
with what you're capable of.
We all know you can handle this.
But if you don't solve
this case, like, really soon,
it could cost you your job.
Can't you see I'm just
trying to protect you?
I don't need your protection.
Besides, this is not about me.
It's about catching a killer
and preventing more deaths.
I can't let what might happen to
me stop me from doing my job.
Fair enough.
Well, can you at least
promise to be extra careful?
That's all I'm asking.
I appreciate your concern,
and I promise I'll be careful.
Right now I need to get back to work.
Can we talk about this later?
All right. I'll call you tomorrow.
[gentle music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[knocking]
- Really?
- [knocking]
Look, I said I don't
have time for this. What...
There's been another murder.
[board beeps]
[chattering]
- [siren chirping]
[siren blaring in distance]
[heartbeat echoing]
- Something wrong?
- I'm fine.
Looks like he's homeless.
Yeah. Taser in the back of the neck.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
Like the others.
What's up?
That man over there
looks like the same man from the stables.
Are you sure?
I'm positive. He has on
the same baseball cap.
[thrilling music]
Freeze!
Put your hands behind your head. Back up.
Back it up.
I didn't do anything.
You're under arrest.
I've told you everything I know.
I was just curious. That's all.
Is that why you were at the stables also?
I'm a ham operator.
That's... That's what I do.
You know, I get the
calls through my CB radio
and I just... I just wanted
to check things out.
Nothing more. I swear.
- Would you care for some water?
- Thank you.
- Oh, thank you.
- I just need one more thing.
Do you mind writing your name for me?
No, ma'am.
Well...
Well, that'll be all for
now. You're free to go.
If I need anything else, I'll let you know.
- He didn't do it.
- Are you sure?
Besides having an
alibi for the first murder,
he's right-handed.
I just got off the phone with the mayor
who just got off the
phone with the governor.
They want to send in the feds to help us.
The feds? Why?
Officially? [scoffs]
They have resources we don't.
And unofficially?
The Hathaways have political clout.
As you can see, things
are heating up around here
for both of us.
You got to find something
and you got to find it quick.
[scoffs]
Checkmate.
[sighs]
Ah, this lesson's free.
Next time, it's gonna cost you.
Right on.
[chuckles]
You look like you haven't slept in days.
I didn't come here to
talk about my sleep habits.
Yeah? Then why did you come?
Oh, wait. Maybe you wanted to apologize
for not showing up at
my ceremony yesterday.
Or maybe you wanted to tell me
that you're gonna stop avoiding me
and pretending like I don't exist.
You're the one for years
that acted like I didn't
exist, so don't you dare.
You know what? I don't need this shit.
I don't know why I
thought I could talk to you.
Stop. Stop. I'm sorry.
Look, I... I don't know why I said that.
Please. Come back.
Obviously something's wrong
unless you wouldn't have came.
It's this case.
Wait. I don't understand the doubt.
I mean, you've never
questioned yourself before.
Yet, why the change?
I'm on a short leash.
And if I don't solve it soon, I'm off.
And not just the case.
Well, I'm not as young as I used to be,
but I could still beat up somebody
who threatens my daughter.
Other than that, I don't
know how I can help you.
We've been keeping some
information from the public.
What kind of information?
All the victims had a
chess piece in their mouth
and a corresponding chest
move carved into their heads.
And that all means what?
Look, that's just it.
I haven't been able to
figure out what it means.
I need your help.
Let's play.
Dad, I don't have time
to play a game of chess.
- I'm trying to catch a killer.
- Exactly.
Now, if you want to catch a killer,
you gotta think like one.
Now, what was the victim's first move?
BRITTANY: White pawn to C4.
What's... What's the significance?
Are you sure that was the first move?
Yeah. Why?
Because the opening move
usually is to secure the center.
So that really doesn't make sense.
I thought the same thing.
But, yeah, that was the first move.
And the news said that
the victim was a woman.
That's right. A mother of two.
She was short in stature?
Yeah. Why do you... Why do you ask?
Because there's several meanings
throughout the history of the pawn.
One of which is a small woman.
It's your move.
Next victim had a white knight in his mouth
and C3 carved into his head.
The equestrian rider.
Correct.
Now I gotta protect my king.
- What's wrong?
- [cell phone rings]
Detective Jones.
I'm on my way.
I gotta go. Possible lead.
Can we finish this later?
Yeah. We can strategize.
Yeah, listen.
Go easy on Brad.
He really loves you.
I know he does.
So, the entry wounds on all the victims
indicate the stun gun was
deployed at close range.
That's correct.
If you're close enough to use a stun gun,
then you're close enough to use a knife.
Why... Why use the gun?
That's a good question.
Maybe they needed to for some reason.
Stun guns don't render you unconscious.
They simply immobilize you.
The victims remain awake.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking the killer wants the victims
to know who's killing them.
[gentle music]
So...
what about the third
victim, the homeless guy?
What chess piece did they find on him?
A pawn.
And he had D4 carved into his forehead.
But it doesn't fit.
You told me a pawn was a small woman.
Look, maybe they were right.
Maybe I shouldn't have taken on this case.
Maybe who's right?
Brad. The police psychologist. The captain.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
When you were a little girl,
your mom and I wanted
to enroll you in gymnastics,
and you fought us tooth and nail.
Do you remember what you said?
[scoffs]
You said this wasn't for me
and that your heart wasn't in it
and that you would never succeed.
You were so sure, even back then.
Well, maybe I'm not that person anymore.
You are that person.
And don't you forget it.
Now, I told you one of the
meanings was a small woman.
But there are other ones.
One of them is a foot soldier.
A foot soldier.
A soldier. [chuckles]
BOTH: The military.
- All right?
- [laughs]
Check to see if your
victim served in the military.
Well, let's figure out
the killer's next move.
Why are you hesitating?
You know where the battle takes place.
Then...
my only next move...
is this one.
And that's your next victim.
I mean, that's great and all,
but that could be anybody.
How do I zero in on finding
them before he does?
I just thought it might help.
No. No. It... It does.
I appreciate all of this. I do.
It's after 11:00. I
gotta... I gotta get going.
I'll call you tomorrow?
Yeah.
[door opens]
- [crickets chirping]
[door closes]
[crickets chirping] -
[dog barking in distance]
[soft jazz playing]
Ooh. [chuckles]
I'll take that.
- Thank you.
- Of course.
Ooh.
Man, that was really good.
I didn't realize I was that hungry.
- Yeah, you devoured it.
- I did.
What?
Do you remember how we met?
Of course. How can I forget?
You were...
fresh out of the academy,
green as all hell.
And you called me in as a witness
on a case you were prosecuting.
I did. And you had the audacity
to challenge me on the stand.
I did. [laughs]
Like...
Oddly enough,
it was at that very moment that I knew...
I was gonna fall in love with you.
Listen.
I was an ass the other day,
and all those things that I said, I...
I didn't really mean it.
No, we're both under a lot of pressure.
It's fine.
You know what?
After you solve this case
and I'm done with my trial,
we should take a quick
little getaway somewhere.
Just you and I.
I would love that.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
[jazz continues, fades]
Babe, it's early. Where you going?
Yeah, I wanted to get to the office early,
follow up on something.
- Call you later?
- Yeah.
[kisses]
BRITTANY: Is there anything else
you can tell me about
your husband, Mrs. Davis?
Okay, thank you.
If you think of anything
else, please call me.
[receiver hangs up]
Yes, sir. I understand.
The feds are coming day after tomorrow.
Okay, well, look, here's
what we've put together so far.
Um, the homeless man
was a soldier, aka a pawn.
The jogger, a petite woman, also a pawn.
The equestrian rider...
Wait. Who's we?
Um, my father.
I've been consulting with him on the case.
I see.
Well, he is an expert.
I'm glad you decided to bring him in.
We need a different kind of help now.
Look, the next victim
is gonna have a white
bishop in their mouth.
How do you know?
Because I figured it out
playing the game with my father.
It's the only move that makes sense.
I can solve this.
You know I can.
I'll place guards at the rectory.
But the second the feds show
up, it's out of both of our hands.
Okay.
I would advise your
client to take the plea deal
that's on the table,
'cause you and I both know
it's not going to get any
better than what's offered.
And he doesn't want
this thing to go to trial.
Yeah.
Okay. Well, have it your way.
[electricity zaps]
- [grunts]
[electricity zaps]
- [grunts]
Every once in a while, this happens.
Right now you got to
listen. It was out of nowhere.
- Detective.
- [Brittany gasps]
- No!
- No, no. You don't belong here.
- You should not be.
- Oh, my God! No!
I'll be able to get an exact time of death
once I get him back to the lab.
But I'd say he's been dead
for at least a couple of hours.
Thank you, Carl.
- I got it. I need to do this.
- You don't have to do this.
I need you to let me do my job.
Okay.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest.
F4 carved into the forehead.
Same M.O. as the others.
- What about cameras?
- We're on it.
- There's something here.
- What is it?
Get this to the lab ASAP.
They should be able to
tell us who it belongs to.
- SOMMERS: Go ahead.
- Okay.
These killings are all over the place.
Got a mother of two. Son
of a wealthy businessman.
Attorney. I don't see the connection here.
On the surface, it looks random.
- But you're not convinced.
- No.
I think the killer is angry that
we haven't figured it out yet.
He's so angry, he's gonna up his game.
He wants the world to
know how brilliant he is.
He wants more media attention.
What better way than to
kill a prominent attorney.
Well, then that means
he's getting desperate.
Desperation leads to mistakes.
- I'm so sorry.
- Just give me a sec...
[heartbeat echoing]
[gunshot]
[heartbeat echoing]
[screams]
[clock ticking]
- [panting]
[ticking continues]
PSYCHOLOGIST: Let's talk about Brad
and how you're coping with his death.
I'd rather talk about the killer.
The killer?
You know psychology.
You can help me get inside his head.
This session is supposed to be about you.
You want to help me?
This is where I need help.
I'm not exactly sure what
you want me to tell you.
I'm...
trying to figure out why...
someone would kill in
such a vicious manner.
People kill for all reasons. You know that.
Money. Jealousy. Revenge.
No, I think... I think it's personal.
I think the killer knew the victims.
I think he had some type
of grudge against them.
I get how important
this case is to you, but...
I feel like you're avoiding talking
about something even more important.
What could be more important?
Brad.
And the fact that his
death is affecting you
more than you're willing to admit...
to the point of clouding your judgment.
There's nothing wrong with my judgment.
Why don't you tell me
what's really bothering you?
I had another dream.
This time it was Brad lying in my arms,
and he was covered in blood.
Maybe your dream has more to
do with guilt than anything else.
Why would I feel guilty?
Because you couldn't save him.
It's a natural response.
Look,
I intend to find out who did this.
I owe it to Brad.
I owe it to all the victims.
I'm going to change the
dosage on your medication.
Look, I'm not taking any
more of the medication.
And why is that?
The medication is designed
to alleviate stress and anxiety.
The fact that you're
continuing to have nightmares
tells me we need to tweak the dosage.
Give it time.
I gotta get back to work.
Listen, Captain. I'm giving
you my professional opinion,
and I suggest that you remove
her from the case immediately.
Whoa. What proof do you have?
Detective Jones is exhibiting
classic signs of PTSD.
I know you're gonna slap a name on this,
but we're trying to catch
a serial killer out there.
And from where I sit,
she's doing an excellent job on the case.
And I've assigned someone to work with her.
So if things go south,
I'll be the first to know.
Are you aware she's having
reoccurring nightmares
and that the last one was about Brad?
She's a powder keg ready to blow, so...
don't say I didn't warn you.
I'll take it into consideration.
Thank you for coming.
[sobbing]
[dramatic music]
Okay. As you can see, he was tasered twice.
Once here in the back of the
neck and once in the chest.
Why do you think that was?
I think it's possible that the
one on the back of the neck
wasn't strong enough
to put him on the ground,
but instead it spun him around.
And then this one to the chest,
that was enough to put him down.
Where the killer then stabbed him.
This is where things get interesting.
Now, you see these three stab wounds.
What about them?
This one here, this is
the one that killed him.
Straight to the heart. Fatal.
These two were postmortem.
- It was personal.
- Very personal.
Now, the lab put a rush on the analysis.
It'll be ready by the morning.
Thanks.
I hope you find whoever did this.
I will.
[haunting music]
[whispery breezes begin]
[clock ticking]
- [panting]
[board beeps]
[board beeps]
Are you sure?
Thanks.
I appreciate you rushing the results.
That was the lab.
Based on the hair analysis
they were able to complete,
we're looking for either a Caucasian
or Hispanic individual.
Did they get anything else?
No. But at least we can add this
to the profile we've built so far.
Look, I was right about the bishop.
Maybe not about who the victim was,
but the chest piece was spot-on.
You know, I put a
security detail on a priest.
But, Brittany, did it ever occur to you
that maybe this was the
killer's way to get you to back off,
that it's now too personal and about you?
Maybe too personal for
you to stay on the case.
Yes, I have.
I also think we can use
this to our advantage.
I hope so.
[pensive music]
Brad was a runner.
That was the meaning of a bishop.
You were right.
Oh, excuse me.
[whispery breezes begin]
Oh, oh, oh. Sit down, baby. Whoa.
Are you all right?
I'm just tired.
I haven't slept in a couple days.
When's the last time you ate?
What's going on, baby girl?
I've been having nightmares.
Ever since I shot the hostage,
I can't seem to get over it.
I've been seeing the police
psychologist because of it.
It was an accident.
It was dark. She... She
came out of nowhere.
It happens.
Now, I'm not going to
tell you to forget about it
because that's not gonna happen.
But what I'm saying to you is
you have got to find a way to
forgive yourself and move on.
I'm trying.
But with this case,
it feels like I'm back there...
in that alley and I'm gonna make a mistake.
Maybe I already have.
And it cost Brad his life.
Brad's death is not your fault.
The blame lies on that
psychopath who did it.
Besides, no daughter of mine
is gonna give up that easy.
- You hear me?
- Yeah.
Let's get back to the game, all right,
and see if we can find this son of a bitch.
Your move.
Okay.
Well, this is Brad.
Well...
these moves seem familiar.
And... And... Never mind.
- It's just a coincidence.
- No, tell me.
It's just that these moves, they...
they are similar to the
ones my opponent used
in the Chess Masters tournament.
With the exception of the
opening one, of course.
Was the opening move the pawn?
No. It was knight to F3.
- Did you win that game?
- Yeah, I won.
My opponent was disqualified.
Turns out he was playing
someone else's game.
Apparently, he lost track of his objective.
And the objective was?
To protect his king.
Protect.
[pensive music]
Wha-Wha-What are you
doing? We haven't finished.
Don't you want to see the move?
I gotta look into something.
But I want you to stay at my place
for the next couple of days.
Your place? Why?
I don't know. It's just a feeling.
Maybe it's Brad's death, but...
I'm feeling overly protective.
I know it doesn't make sense,
but I don't want anything else
to happen to anybody
else that I care about.
Well, I can take overly protective any day.
Let's see if we can start
to get this father-daughter
thing back on track.
We'll talk about that when I get back.
Right now I gotta go to the
office for a couple of hours,
but we'll finish this when I get back.
[phone ringing]
Detective Jones.
WOMAN: I just sent the
Hathaway surveillance footage
over to your computer.
It begins two weeks before he was killed.
Thanks.
[suspenseful music]
What are you doing?
Going over footage
from the Hathaway estate.
- What do you hope to find?
- A connection.
Have you?
You had to know I'd eventually find this.
It's not what you think.
Then what is it?
Let's have it. And don't lie.
I know my rights.
I don't have to tell you anything.
For all we knew, you could be the killer.
You're facing a list of potential charges.
Impeding an investigation.
Withholding evidence.
You're a cop. You know the drill.
So I suggest you start talking
if you want any chance of saving your ass.
Or should I add murder to the list?
We had an affair.
It lasted a year.
He broke it off a month ago.
Why didn't you divulge
this information to us before?
Because he didn't want his father to know.
And... I didn't want anyone thinking
I had anything to do with his death.
Why should I believe you?
Maybe you killed him
because of a lover's quarrel.
Maybe you wanted to hide it
to make it seem like his
death linked to the others
to hide your tracks.
Because it's the truth.
I swear it.
I would never hurt Vincent.
You gotta believe me.
I don't think I need to tell you
that you're in a shitload of trouble.
Jose Rodriguez, you have
the right to remain silent.
[handcuffs clinking]
They're processing Rodriguez now.
Do you believe his story?
He has an alibi the
night of the first murder.
He's not our guy. But he
should have known better.
Well, it's too late for that now.
Benson case? Why are you looking at that?
Something my father said
about the opening move not making sense.
It made me think.
So I'm taking a second
look at these unsolved cases.
You think we missed something?
I don't know, but if what he said is right,
the jogger's murder isn't the first one.
I remember that one, about a month ago.
A high school track coach.
Found him dead on the field at night.
Three witnesses. Teenagers.
Said they came across
his body on their way home.
It says here he had some
type of cut in his forehead.
Yeah, but I don't remember
there being a chess piece.
There was also damage
done by an animal to the skull,
so we couldn't make it out.
Going somewhere?
To interview those
boys again. I'll be back.
Okay. We... We didn't see anything.
We went to the field, found the body,
and called the cops immediately after.
And I told the police everything
when they interviewed me.
Look, why don't you tell
me about that night again?
I've already told the cops everything.
I get the sense you're
holding something back.
You spent some time in
juvie, but now you're 18,
and withholding evidence in
an ongoing murder investigation
is the sort of thing that
can get you some real time.
Okay, look, look, they...
they dared me, okay?
The others I was with.
They called me a bitch
and said they were going
to tell everybody at
school that I was scared.
So I took it.
But I didn't kill the
guy, I swear. I just...
I simply took it as a souvenir. That's it.
You took what?
[door opens, closes]
[whispery breezes begin]
Here.
[suspenseful music]
[door closes]
[sighs]
Ooh.
[door squeaking]
Is anybody there?
[suspenseful music]
[rapid footsteps
approach] - [electricity zaps]
[body thuds]
My father was right.
There was another victim before the jogger.
Yeah, but there was no
mention of a chess piece.
The kid admitted he took
the chess piece on a dare.
Oh, and get this.
The victim wasn't just the
coach of the track team.
He was also a hurdler in high school.
A jumper, a knight.
So he's been trying to communicate with us
from the beginning.
Why wrap up now?
I don't know.
But when I catch them, I'll be sure to ask.
All right, I'm convinced, okay?
How does Miles tie into this?
[suspenseful music]
[groaning]
[grunting]
Who's there?
My father said his opponent used
these moves in this exact order
when he won the championship game ages ago.
The answer has to be in one of his cases.
The connection is my father.
How do you know it's not about you?
You're the common denominator.
No, this is about my father.
It's been about him all along.
I gotta go.
[crickets chirping]
[suspenseful music]
Dad?
Dad, are you here?
Dad?
[line ringing]
- Come on.
MILES: Hello. No one is
available to take your call.
Oh, my God.
[loud ticking]
They've been toying with me
all along, and I didn't even see it.
Look, the FBI's gonna be
here in a couple of hours.
Let them handle it.
I mean, even if your father
was taken... let's say it's true...
you are too close to
the situation, Brittany.
Either way, you...
you just gotta step back
and let them do their job.
Look, my father doesn't
have a couple of hours.
And this is my job.
How do you connect? I know you're there.
What is it that you said, Dad?
He was playing someone else's game.
Whose game?
What are you looking for?
The game my father played
when he became Grand Master.
Okay.
Okay, it says here...
his opponent patterned
the opening moves of Bobby Fischer.
Okay, look.
Knight to F3.
High school hurdler.
Pawn to C4.
BOTH: Jogger.
BRITTANY: Knight to C3.
The equestrian rider.
Pawn to D4. Military veteran.
Okay, what next?
Now we find out games Fischer played
and see who he played with these moves.
Who are you?
WOMAN: You don't remember me, do you?
Should I? What do you want from me?
What I want is to make you pay.
Who am I?
Well, that's another story entirely,
one I'm going to enjoy telling you.
Look, obviously, there's
some kind of mistake.
- My name is...
- I know who you are.
Miles Jones, retired judge.
[screams] And murderer!
Might as well stop that.
You're not getting out of here.
At least not alive.
Because of you, I
decided to take my own life,
and I almost succeeded.
Listen. I... I don't know what
you think I've done to you.
Not just me. My entire family.
Didn't anybody ever
tell you not to interrupt
the prosecution's opening statement?
Look, just put down the knife.
Let me go and we can talk about it.
Seven minutes.
That's how long they said I was dead.
Do you know that the brain
actually starts to lose oxygen
after about three minutes?
And around five they say
there's no way you can come back.
Or if you do, you'll be brain dead.
But there's a small percentage
of people, only about 5%,
who can return with full brain function.
That makes me special.
I mean, I always knew I was, but...
this just proves it.
Don't you think so?
Okay, let's compare these
to cases my father worked on.
There's hundreds of
cases. It could take hours.
I mean, there's civil.
There's criminal. There's bankruptcy.
Where do we start?
Let's just start at criminal
and work our way down.
Read them off to me.
You don't have to do this.
I'm not finished.
When I took those pills to kill myself,
I never saw a thing.
No red lights,
no singing angels, nothing.
You know what I came to realize?
What?
This...
is all there is.
Do you know how liberating that is?
No consequences.
All those dumb saps
who think God is gonna
get them for their actions.
There is no God. There are no consequences.
There's only now.
And now means you can do whatever you want.
And you know what I want to do?
To cut you up into little pieces.
No consequences.
[gavel bangs]
Your trial's about to begin.
[typing]
This is the last one.
It's a criminal case about 15 years ago.
And who's the defendant?
Um, Barnes. Dennis Barnes.
Wait a minute.
Fischer played Dennis Barnes
in what they called "the game of games."
Look. The first move.
- Knight to F3.
- [beeps]
You found it.
What else does it say?
Um, it says Barnes was convicted
of killing four women
and sentenced to death.
Wait a minute.
What?
This is about revenge.
You think you're so clever, both of you.
Poor Miles and his
fucked-up daughter Brittany.
A screwed-up cop and her absentee father.
What's my daughter have to do with this?
You leave her out of it.
Like you left her out for so many years?
What was it she said?
Oh, yeah. That's right.
"My father cared about the
law, chess, and his family."
In that order.
You're the psychologist she's been seeing.
[scoffs]
Once I'm done, she's gonna
need more than a psychologist.
Who the hell are you?
I'm the daughter of the man you
sentenced to death 15 years ago.
A man who was innocent of his crimes.
A man who hung himself in his jail cell.
I don't know who you're talking about.
- Don't lie to me!
- Okay, okay. Calm down.
Calm down, all right?
Just give me a second.
It'll come to me. G-Give me a second.
- Too late, asshole.
- Oh!
Donald Barnes. Remember?
You were the judge.
Brad. That arrogant prick of a prosecutor.
And that heartless jury
who couldn't see what
it would do to my mother.
That she would lose her
friends and commit suicide.
I swore I would make
every last one of you pay.
And I intend to.
SOMMERS: Does it give any information
about family or any relatives?
Mm-mmm.
It says here the wife testified
in her husband's defense.
Hmm.
That's about it. Let me see
if I can find anything else.
[typing]
Okay. It says right here there
was a wife and a daughter.
That's it? No other relatives?
That's it. Wait, wait, wait, wait.
What was the wife's name?
[typing]
- SOMMERS: Uh...
Roslyn. Roslyn Barnes.
[typing]
Okay, this article is
dated a year after the trial.
It says the wife committed suicide
and the daughter was sent
to live with a distant cousin.
The young girl's name was...
[sighs]
What's her name?
Stephanie.
Her name is Stephanie Barnes.
What's that?
Something Stephanie prescribed.
Something I think is making me dizzy
and making my nightmares worse.
And... she's left-handed.
They could be anywhere. He could...
What are you thinking?
Where else would you take the person
you think unfairly sentenced your father
if you wanted them to
suffer for what they did?
Back to the scene of the crime.
The old courthouse.
Brittany. Brittany.
Wait. Wait for backup.
[siren blaring in distance]
[tense music]
[Miles shouting]
STEPHANIE: Shut up!
BRITTANY: Freeze. Don't move.
Drop the knife.
Now.
Glad you could join us.
Look. Jury's finally here.
Now we can conduct a fair trial.
Something my father never got.
Drop the gun or I'll slit his throat.
Not gonna happen.
Let him go and you might
make it out of here alive.
You know, you're not as
smart as you think you are.
You were so busy blindly crying
over that little girl you killed,
you missed my first clue.
You mean the high school coach?
Oh, so you found him. Took you long enough.
Feeling dizzy?
You bitch.
I know about the pills.
I said drop the gun.
Okay. Okay.
On the floor.
That's more like it.
Now, let's get on with the trial.
Wait. Why would you kill him now?
You haven't gone
through all the jurors yet.
Your boyfriend asking too many questions,
sticking his nose in
where it didn't belong.
Not to mention you getting an award.
That was the last straw.
I knew that I needed to
accelerate things a little.
As for the others, don't worry about them.
I'll get to them soon enough.
Now, take a seat in the juror's box
and let's begin.
Do it or he's dead!
[Miles grunts]
How does the jury find the defendant?
Innocent.
- Wrong answer!
- No!
Give me one good reason
why I shouldn't kill him.
Look, I get it.
My mother died when I was young, too.
I blamed my father for a long time.
But this is not the same.
Your father was guilty.
He did kill those women.
You're lying. He told me he didn't do it.
He was framed by Brad, by the jury, by you.
They found his DNA at
each of the crime scenes.
I read the file.
No. It was planted. All of it.
They did it to make him look guilty.
It wasn't.
Listen, your father was guilty.
He confessed.
Before he was executed, he admitted it.
He even admitted why he did it.
Why... Why would he?
Because they were all
blonde. They were all petite.
They were... the opposite of your mother.
- Liar!
- [Miles grunts]
[thrilling music]
[suspenseful music]
[music shrieks]
[thrilling music]
[body thuds]
[Brittany panting]
[gentle music]
- Dad.
- You all right?
- Yeah. You okay?
- Yeah. Yeah.
Okay.
Let's get you there.
[footsteps approach]
[officers chattering]
You okay?
[Brittany sobbing]
- MILES: I love you.
So, you really okay?
Yeah.
I am.
Well, I hear you're
in line for a promotion.
Congratulations.
Word really does travel fast.
Well, you deserve it. You solved the case.
No.
We solved the case.
You saved my life.
I'm glad you're okay.
It's your move.
Checkmate.