I Care a Lot (2020) Movie Script
["Death in Vegas" plays]
[woman]
Look at you, sitting there.
You think youre good people.
Youre not good people.
Trust me, theres no
such thing as good people.
I used to be like you...
thinking that working hard
and playing fair
would lead to success
and happiness.
It doesnt.
Playing fair is a joke
invented by rich people
to keep the rest of us poor.
[song continues]
And Ive been poor.
It doesnt agree with me.
Cause theres two types
of people in this world:
the people who take...
and those getting took.
Predators and prey.
Lions and lambs.
My name is Marla Grayson,
and Im not a lamb.
I am a fucking lioness.
[no audible dialogue]
[song continues]
[song fades]
[man] Shes my mother.
I should be able to see her whenever I want.
She doesnt need
to be in a care facility.
She doesnt need
a court-appointed guardian.
She has a loving son
to take care of her.
I dont understand how the court
can entrust my mother
to this stranger.
Miss Grayson forced my mother
into the home
when she made it very clear
that she didnt wanna go.
And now she has auctioned off
my mothers house, her car,
her personal belongings.
And she uses the proceeds
to pay herself.
And now Miss Grayson has barred me
from seeing my mother at all.
Its a goddamn nightmare.
She has kidnapped my mother!
Please, sir, calm down.
Marla Grayson is a well-respected
professional guardian
and has been appointed
by this court, by me,
to look after the best interests of your mother now
that she cannot look after herself.
How is it in my mothers best interest
to have her son barred from seeing her?
Miss Grayson doesnt care
about my mother at all.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
May I speak?
[judge]
Go ahead, Miss Grayson.
Mr. Feldstrom, sir,
I sympathize.
But the court doesnt
appoint me for no reason.
Your mother couldnt cope
on her own.
- That is not true.
- A doctor diagnosed her with dementia
and wrote an affidavit recommending
immediate action be taken for her safety.
You had ample opportunity
to move your mother into a care facility
or into your home.
You did neither.
She didnt want to
leave her home.
She begged me not to...
You cant care for her
by doing what she wants.
You have to do what she needs.
And that is why I can care better
than a family member,
because I have
no skin in the game.
I just do what is right
for your mother.
I manage your mothers money
because someone has to.
Shed let it run
into quite a mess.
And I have to pay for
her care in the facility,
so, yes, I oversaw the sale
of some of her assets
to finance that.
And, yes, I pay myself too.
Because caring, sir,
is my job, its my profession.
This is what I do.
All day, every day, I care.
I care for those who are
in need of protection,
protection from apathy,
protection from their own pride
and, quite often, protection
from their own children.
- Hey! No! - [Marla] Your Honor, you and I
have seen it many times,
offspring who are willing to let
their parents starve in squalor
and struggle with pain
rather than dip into what they see
as their inheritance
to pay for the necessary care.
Mr. Feldstrom, sir...
I sympathize, I do,
but your visits
to your mother upset her,
and the last time
you visited her,
you assaulted a staff member
and vandalized a reception area.
Is that not true?
Well...
[Marla] Your Honor,
I think its obvious
why the non-visitation order
must be upheld.
This court is doing its best
to protect and help Mrs. Feldstrom,
and the actions of her son
are undermining
our every effort in that fight.
I agree. Order upheld.
[gavel raps]
[Feldstrom] What? No.
- You won?
- I did.
I knew you would.
Hey! Bitch!
You! Bitch!
I think hes talking to you.
- Then he can use my name.
- Bitch. Hey.
I dont know how you live with yourself.
Our lives are being ruined.
Im just doing my job.
Your fucking job?
- Fuck you!
- Hey.
I hope you get raped
and murdered,
and I hope you get killed.
You fucking... fucker.
Oh! Fuck, no, motherfucker!
Ill fucking get...
Does it sting more
because Im a woman?
That you got so soundly beaten in there
by someone with a vagina?
Having a penis doesnt automatically
make you more scary to me,
just the opposite.
You may be a man,
but if you ever threaten,
touch or spit on me again...
I will grab your dick and balls
and I will rip them clean off,
you understand?
Ill tell your mom
you send your best.
Thanks.
Curtis.
Hey. Good going.
Hi, boss.
Congrats on the win.
Thanks, Addie.
So, what time is it now?
Its 2:17. Thats...
Door to door, thats just over five hours.
Round it to six.
Charge it to the Feldstrom account,
full rate.
Okay. Oh. Sam Rice called.
- Asked that you return.
- Ill take it inside.
Fran, call the Realtor.
Check progress
on the Bather property.
The savings account
is nearly empty.
It wont cover the facility bill
after this month.
Got ya.
[hold music on phone]
[coffee machine stops]
- [Addie] Sams on.
- Sam. How are you?
Hey. Im good, Marla.
How about you?
Oh, working hard, playing hard.
- Fucking A.
- You called.
Yeah, uh, I got some news.
Good news or bad news?
Uh, sort of both.
Your ward, Alan Levitt,
here at our Berkshire Oaks facility,
he just died.
- What?
- Alan died.
This morning. Sorry.
No. Alan Levitt? Really?
- How?
- Stroke, big one.
- But he was young.
- Just 69 and a quarter.
Oh, God.
[clicks tongue]
[sighing] Alan. Fuck.
I only had him six months.
I thought hed last us
at least another five years.
Fuck, now I have to
cash him out,
turn over everything to his inheritors.
What a fucking waste.
Maybe he took a shine to you
and wrote you into his will.
- Yeah, right.
- [laughs]
So, whats the good news?
Well, due to
Alans tragic departure,
we now have a vacancy.
His room. Huh.
Thats a corner deluxe.
- Yes, it is.
- Hold it for me.
Marla, youre not the only game in town.
Theres a waiting list.
Fuck the waiting list.
How much?
Two grand a week
till its filled.
Two grand?
It cost 500 last time.
If you dont pay,
someone else will.
Oh, fuck you, Sam.
All right, two grand.
- Thanks, Sam.
- Pleasure, Marla.
[Sam hangs up]
- ["Rocksteady" plays]
- Fly with me, come on
- [song continues in car]
- Rocksteady
Fly with me
Come on, rocksteady
What?
You know.
Keep your eyes on the road.
You a thunderstorm
Walk into a room everybody turn
Hi, Petra.
Dr. Karens expecting me.
Uh-huh.
["Sunday Will Never Be The Same" plays]
Wed walk together
Hand in hand till it was almost dark
Alan Levitt? Fuck.
Sorry. I thought he had legs.
I know. So, now were
in the market for a new client.
Got anyone for us?
Theres a few I wouldnt mind
getting off my books.
You know, the real
high-maintenance assholes.
But there is actually someone
I have been meaning to talk to you about.
Ive been feeling her out,
and I think she...
- I think she might be...
- No.
- I dont even wanna say it.
- A cherry?
Yes. Maybe. I think so.
Dont tease me.
Give me the details.
Come on, Marl. I cant just give you
a cherry for free.
I need something in return.
You hold stock in
Golden Light Care Homes, right?
Yeah, we have a chunk.
- Sign some over to me.
- [chuckles]
Come on. Im helping you
feed the money monster,
but I hardly see
any of the gold for myself.
Give me a taste.
Done.
But it has to be
a real cherry, bona fide.
- Jennifer Peterson.
- Shes in reasonably good health.
But recently she has shown some signs
of memory loss and confusion.
- Significant?
- No.
We can tickle that to make
an emergency hearing go our way.
She has no kids, no husband,
no living family.
- No family at all?
- She has very good insurance.
She told me she used to work in finance
in Chicago and moved here to retire.
Can I get a copy of this?
You bet,
all except her test results.
That wouldnt be ethical.
Of course.
[Fran] Jennifer Peterson.
Born April 15th, 1949.
She lives at 41 Williams Street
in Shallcross.
Its a real nice neighborhood,
expensive.
She bought the house
seven years ago, owns it outright.
Credit check came back A1,
totally clean.
No debt, no criminal record,
never been married.
She worked at the same company
for 40 years.
Looks like she downsized
when she retired, liquidated,
and now shes sitting
on a nest egg.
Like a golden fucking goose.
Look at this.
From her tax records, it says that
she has three separate saving accounts,
all earning monster interest.
She likes to go
during the day to the movies.
She reads a lot,
likes gardening.
Just your regular old lady.
- And she is sitting on a pile of cash.
- Mm-hmm.
Shes rich, independent,
literate.
That lady right there,
shes my fucking hero.
Karen. Its Marla.
Pull the trigger
on Jennifer Peterson.
Youll get the stock you want.
[Karen]
Miss Peterson is often confused
and has exhibited
memory and coping issues.
Her mobility is compromised.
She cannot take
adequate care of herself,
and I believe she is at high risk
if left alone in her own home.
She has no family?
She has no one to care for her,
except us.
Thats terrible. Poor woman.
[sighs]
Okay, Miss Grayson.
Do you think you can take her on
as one of your wards?
I know you have a lot
in your fold already.
Um...
Yes, Your Honor, I...
If you need me
to take care of her,
I can take care of her.
[judge]
Thank you, Marla.
[kettle whistling]
[piano music playing]
[knocking on door]
Miss Peterson?
My name is Marla Grayson.
I work with Dr. Karen Amos,
your physician.
May I speak with you
for a minute?
Good morning, Miss Peterson.
Im sorry to disturb you so early.
- Youre a doctor?
- No, maam.
May I show you this?
Oh, Im gonna need my reading glasses.
Ill be right back.
You know,
Im not sure what this is.
- Its a court order, maam.
- A court order?
But whats that
got to do with me?
Thats your name, correct?
Jennifer Peterson.
Your date of birth,
social security number and this address.
Oh, my goodness.
Have I done something wrong?
Oh, no, maam.
This is to help you.
The court has ruled,
under the guidance of your doctor,
that you require assistance
in taking care of yourself.
The court has appointed me
to be your legal guardian.
What?
When we cease to be able
to take care of ourselves,
the state steps in to help.
We cant just sit by
while people struggle.
[laughs]
Yeah, but Im not struggling.
Im fine. Im more than fine.
I dont need help.
Im afraid its not
up to you or me to decide.
The court has ruled that you do need help and,
as your legal guardian,
its my duty to ensure that adequate care
is supplied to you at all times.
Let me tell you something.
I never went to court.
This is the first thing
Ive heard about court.
In emergencies,
the court can convene
without the presence
of the prospective ward.
Wow. Thats crazy.
Well, maam...
You have to come with me.
- Im not going anywhere.
- This is a court order.
And if you dont comply with it,
Im afraid you may be in some trouble.
[Jennifer]
Oh, my God.
If you feel
theres been an error,
report it to the court,
request a hearing.
But, for now,
I suggest you come with me
temporarily
to the care facility
Ive found for you,
and if theres been a mistake,
we can address it from there.
This is Frances.
She will help you pack a suitcase.
Good morning, Mrs. Peterson.
Pleasure to meet you.
- I dont believe this is happening.
- Its totally fine.
- Dont touch me.
- Im sorry. Ill help you.
Dont touch me.
Beautiful house, Mrs. Peterson.
Let me help you with those.
Ill be overseeing the upkeep of your property
until you sort this out.
[Fran] Lets go.
We just wanna make sure
that your propertys
taken care of safely.
Thanks, Curtis. Seat belt.
[ring back tone]
[Sam] Marla, hows it going?
You have to drag her out by her ankles?
No, she packed and walked.
Hardly any of them fight.
They see the official paper,
they see the cops, they go right along.
- Yeah, Id fucking fight.
- You say that,
but at heart most of us are weak,
compliant and scared.
True. Hey, you ever hear
about the Milgram experiment?
Not now, Sam.
Were already in transit.
- [Sam] All right.
- [Marla] Oh, Sam.
I need the full works
for this one.
[Sam] Copy that.
[muted]
[muted]
Welcome home.
Come on in.
- Wow.
- [Sam chuckles]
- Id forgotten how big they are.
- [Sam] Yes.
Why dont you take a seat?
So you feel at home.
They have all your medical details,
all your prescriptions.
You dont have to worry.
Theyll take care of all of it.
Now, if you need me at any time,
night or day, you just ask, okay?
You have a cell phone?
Unlock it.
Ill store my number.
If you need to make a call,
you just ask, okay?
Now, Miss Peterson,
I wanna say Im honored to be your guardian.
[softly] And remember,
Im on your side. Im here to help.
Sam, you treat this lady
like a queen. You hear me?
- Anything she wants.
- Absolutely.
You take care, Miss Peterson.
Well talk soon.
[door closes]
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct]
Can you open the door?
I just wanna get some air.
- You gotta go that way.
- I just wanna get some air.
Could you open the door
so I can get some air?
- You gotta go back that way.
- Huh?
- Sorry?
- I just need to get you back...
[Fran]
Hey, can you grab those?
Thank you, sir.
Its been a pleasure.
Sold.
[drops keys]
[Marla]
God, I love your ass.
Hi. I wondered
if you could help me, please.
I need my cell phone.
Could you find it for me?
Miss Peterson, cell phones are kept secure
for the safety of our guests.
- My cell phone wont hurt you.
- Our policy is to get your guardian involved.
No, no, no, no.
I dont want my guardian.
- Can I speak to the manager?
- Mr. Rice is unavailable.
Mr. Rice is here,
but hes unavailable.
[shouting]
Mr. Rice!
- Calm down.
- Dont touch me.
- Why are you touching me like this?
- Everythings gonna be fine.
Go away from me. No, no, no,
dont let her do that.
- Calm down.
- Dont let her do that to me.
Nice to see you.
[muted]
Okay.
Is this the key to one of
your safety deposit boxes?
[indistinct]
[knocking on door]
Taxi for Miss Peterson.
Oh, she doesnt live here
anymore.
What?
She moved.
Miss Peterson moved.
Oh. My mistake. Thank you.
Excuse me. Who called you?
Excuse me!
Fuck.
Sir, hes alone.
So, where is she?
She wasnt at the house.
- You were there on time?
- Yes. Yes, sir.
Mm... No. In seven years,
shes never missed an appointment.
[Alexi panting]
The house was changed, uh...
It had been, um, cleared out
and there was
a "For Sale" sign out front.
Theres people inside.
They were painting walls.
I spoke to a woman
with some swatches
and she said that
she didnt live there anymore.
I dont understand.
What people were in there?
Where is she now?
Oh, I dont know.
I came straight here.
You didnt think to ask?
Even though you know
how important this is to me,
you didnt think to get
some basic information on the situation?
[car door closes]
[Alexi, mumbling]
Sir, if...
[exhales deeply]
Please, sir... Please.
[stammering] I figured...
I would... Before any...
You fucked up, Alexi.
I love my mother very much.
And these days, these rare days
that we get to spend together,
are a blessing for me.
Yes, sir. Of course.
So, you find her
and bring her to me.
- [whispering] Now.
- Of course. Yes, sir.
[taxi engine revs]
[tires screeching]
[Marla] And I open the pouch,
and whats inside?
Diamonds. Lots.
- Just loose diamonds?
- Mm-hmm.
This is her insurance
for the safe deposit box.
She lists the gold,
the jewelry, the bonds,
but not the diamonds.
She insures a $600 watch,
but not millions of dollars
worth of diamonds.
Do you think theyre stolen?
Probably.
[Fran]
She doesnt seem that type.
[Marla]
Dont get fooled by old people.
Even sadistic,
immoral assholes get old.
But youre missing the point.
These diamonds dont officially exist.
So...
no one would ever miss them.
[door closes]
- You wanna steal them.
- No.
I wanna change their location
for a while for safekeeping...
and see what happens.
[choral music playing]
[knocking on door]
Yes?
Sorry, sir.
I can come back later if...
Did you find my mother?
Uh...
Sort of.
[man] Shes in a care home?
As far as I can tell, sir.
I couldnt get access.
[knocking]
[door opens]
Sir, the latest batch of mules
arrived this morning.
- Did we lose any in transit?
- Three.
Were getting the product from the others
at the Medfield property.
Is that my smoothie?
[whispering]
I dont understand.
She checked herself
into a care home?
No. Uh, shes there
by court order.
Shes now a ward of the state.
Your... Your mothers doctor
deemed her incapable
of taking care of herself.
[slurping]
- But thats bullshit.
- [chuckles]
Yes, sir. Yes.
So how did this happen?
Um...
Marla Grayson.
I believe she made it happen.
Shes your mothers guardian.
She now has full control
of your mothers life and assets.
Fuck!
[grunts]
Call Dean.
Get my mother out of that home
and keep her out.
Do it quietly,
do it legally, do it fast.
Keep me away from it.
Yes, sir.
No, no, no, no.
Leave the photograph.
[door opens]
[door closes]
Marla Grayson?
Pleasure to meet you.
- Dean Ericson.
- He says he has an appointment.
- Hes not in the book.
- I need five minutes of your time.
Its very important.
You can have two minutes.
[Addie sighs]
[exhales deeply]
This is a beautiful office.
Very stylish.
These all your wards?
What can I do for you,
Mr. Ericson?
That must be a hell of a responsibility,
all these people.
I imagine the paperwork
is brutal.
Take a seat, get to the point.
- Im a lawyer.
- I dont need a lawyer.
I represent Jennifer Peterson.
- Really?
- Yes. And I think theres been a mistake.
You see, my client is very capable
of taking care of herself.
She has no need for the care
of a guardian like yourself.
Of course, this is
no reflection on you.
Im sure youre providing absolutely
stellar care for Miss Peterson.
But the fact of the matter is she
does not need nor want your care.
She was perfectly fine
on her own.
- She called you?
- What?
Jennifer called you
from the facility?
She did.
Hmm. When did you
last see Jennifer?
- Not long ago.
- How long ago?
- Just a few weeks.
- A few? Two, three, four?
Three, maybe four...
Three. And she was fine, more than fine.
She was fitter and more focused
than I am most of the time.
[chuckles]
Im afraid that explains it.
Two weeks ago Jennifers health
took a severe downwards turn.
She has memory loss
indicative of dementia.
And her doctor
was so worried about her,
she referred her to the courts
for emergency help.
Thats simply not true,
Miss Grayson.
You know it, I know it.
If the doctor wrote a note, he knows it too.
- She.
- What?
She. The doctor, shes a she.
Of course.
Now, I know what you do here.
I know your game, your hustle.
- You do?
- I do, and honestly, its a good one.
You saw an opportunity
and you grabbed it.
Look at all these cash cows
on your wall
just leaking money into your account
one overpriced hour at a time.
Good for you. Im not here
to ruin your business.
Im happy for you to keep milking these
poor vulnerable people
for as long as you
damn well please.
Hell, if your whole enterprise isnt
the perfect example of the American dream,
I dont know what is.
But not Jennifer Peterson.
Shes off-limits.
And I understand
why you targeted her.
I just responded to a call
from a doctor.
Right, sure, lets stick with that.
But her doctor is mistaken.
Understand? He...
Sorry, she fucked up.
Jennifer needs to be released
from your care ASAP
and you need to get that she-doctor
to write another letter
saying Jennifer has made
a full recovery
and no longer needs to be
in the care of a guardian.
Now, why the fuck
would I do that?
Well, I can think
of two reasons.
One, it is
the right thing to do,
but I doubt that means
anything to you.
And two, because she has
very powerful... friends
who can make life
uncomfortable for you,
extremely unpleasant
and uncomfortable.
- Is that a threat?
- No.
No, thats just data
for you to... collate.
How uncomfortable
are we talking?
Uh, you know, aggressively
and excessively uncomfortable
and then eventually, well...
uh...
lets just say
youll not be comfortable
or uncomfortable ever again.
- Because Ill be dead?
- Well, I didnt say that.
[Marla laughs]
But we all die, right?
Some of us die sooner in a more horribly
protracted and painful way.
- Who do you work for?
- Jennifer Peterson.
- Liar.
- Excuse me?
Liar. Jennifer did not call you
from the facility.
You think Im stupid enough to let new wards
anywhere near a working phone?
And I know from her paperwork
her lawyer is a local guy
who deals in family law.
And thats not you.
Youre a shark,
which intrigues me,
and I wanna know who hired you.
- Release her from your care.
- No, Dean.
I dont think I will.
[sighs]
I didnt wanna have to do this.
[sighing]
Its $150,000 in cash.
Well, thats very pretty.
Its yours when you release her.
You know what I think, Dean?
I think if your opening gambit
is 150 grand,
then Jennifer Peterson must be worth
a lot more than that
to whoever it is
who sent you here.
I can go to 250.
How about... five million?
[chuckles]
- Three hundred.
- Million?
Thousand. Final offer.
Dean, I have a legal duty.
Jennifer Peterson is in need
of my protection.
How can I just abandon her?
- Are you saying no?
- Im saying no.
Im saying, "No, thank you."
[Dean]
In the days to come,
youll replay this conversation
in your head over and over,
and youre gonna wish
you played it differently.
Right now look at what you have.
A thriving business, employees...
a nice face, unbroken bones,
a life.
When this is through,
youre not gonna have
any of those things.
None of them.
- Last chance.
- Goodbye, Dean.
Curtis will validate
your parking on the way out.
[Fran] Ive looked
all through her records,
all the way back
to her birth certificate.
I cant find anyone in her life
that we should be scared of.
[Marla]
Then who is this lawyer?
Maybe he knows about
the diamonds.
Yeah, thats my thought too.
Maybe hes cut in on them.
Hes scared well find them.
Maybe you should just
take the money.
And give away the biggest opportunity
we ever had?
What if hes saying the truth?
- With what?
- With threats.
You know how many times
Ive been threatened by a man?
Thousands.
You know how many of them
ever came to anything?
Two.
He made threats cause threats
are all he had left.
You cant convince a woman
to do what you want,
then you call her a bitch
and threaten to kill her.
Im not scared of him.
Okay.
So, what are you thinking?
Im gonna talk to someone
who has all the answers.
[Marla] How is she?
[nurse] Shes been pretty unsettled
since she got here.
- [Marla] They always are.
- [nurse] Yeah, but shes extra extra.
The doctor had to adjust
her medication to calm her down.
- Twice.
- Hmm.
Shes in the games room.
I have to warn you,
we had to bump her sedatives,
so she might be out of it.
Jennifer.
How are you feeling?
- Why do I know you?
- Im your guardian, Marla.
Oh, thank God. I need help.
I need my cell phone.
- To call who?
- What?
- Who do you need to call?
- Why?
Jennifer, do you know a man
named Dean Ericson?
- Who? What?
- Dean.
Dean Ericson. You know him?
- Dean... No, I dont.
- No?
He says he works for you.
He says hes a lawyer.
Lawyer.
Does he look expensive?
Well... yeah, I guess.
Whats the date?
The 15th.
Last week was the 8th.
Right on.
[laughs]
[Marla chuckling]
Oh...
Youre in trouble now.
- Really? Why?
- Yeah.
- Hes coming.
- Who? Dean?
No.
Hes coming.
- Who?
- Just you wait.
Jennifer, who are you?
So much drugs.
Drugs. I cant think.
Tell me who you are.
Tell me.
You know I have access
to your safety deposit box?
I know whats in there.
Theres an envelope inside a book.
- Oh.
- Tell me who you are.
Oh, youre a robber.
No, Im your guardian.
Youre my guardian robber.
- Tell me who you are.
- [groggily] Ooh.
Jennifer. Jennifer.
Tell me.
Im the worst mistake
youll ever make.
Tell me.
- Tell me.
- Cell phone.
Tell me.
You dont give me my cell phone,
you dont let me
get out of this place...
I got nothing to say.
- Listen to me.
- Nothing.
I control your drugs,
your food, your comfort.
- Everything. Me.
- [chuckles]
- Not you, me.
- Yeah.
And I can make things
very bad for you.
You hear me?
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Then have at it,
you little crock of cunt.
Have at it.
[nurse]
Excuse me. Uh...
Marla Grayson, my favorite lady.
[clears throat]
Sam, I want you to adjust
Jennifer Petersons routine.
Shoot.
Take her arthritis
and pain meds down to minimum,
push her physical exercise
to grade four level.
- Marla...
- Give her an upper at 9:00 at night,
then sedatives in the day.
Put her on
the basic food package.
No solids,
just oatmeal and soup.
No games, no TV
and only 30 minutes a day
out of her room.
Are you sure?
Im sure as fucking sure.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Sam.
Yeah.
Your Honor, Jennifer Peterson is being held
against her will in a care facility.
She was put there by this woman
who has falsely asserted
that Jennifer is of ill health
when, in fact, shes perfectly fine.
Who are you, sir?
Ive not seen you in here before.
Dean Ericson, Your Honor.
These are my associates.
We represent the interests
of Jennifer Peterson,
and Im here to undo
a miscarriage of justice.
Are you saying I am responsible
for a miscarriage of justice?
Not deliberately, Your Honor.
You were lied to.
My client was not invited
to the original hearing,
and neither was her representative.
Thats perfectly normal
for an emergency hearing.
But there was no emergency
in this case.
It was a fiction
created by Miss Grayson
to keep Jennifer out of sight
and trick the court.
I have an affidavit here
from an ex-employee from Dr. Amos practice
who testifies to the fact
that Miss Grayson and Dr. Amos
regularly colluded on cases
to game the system.
I quote: "Karen would palm off
difficult patients to Marla
whether they needed
a guardian or not
and then embellish symptoms
to sway the court."
[scoffs]
Your Honor...
this is scandalous.
[Marla]
Judge, may I?
Fiona Jacobs is your witness?
Yes. Shes the employee, yes.
Judge, you know
Fiona hates Karen.
Shes not an impartial witness.
Fiona has a vendetta
against Karen
because Karen fired her
for being useless at her job.
Or maybe Karen fired her
because she uncovered
the true nature of your operation.
I know Fiona. She was useless.
[stifled laughter]
Judge, can I ask why Jennifer
is again not present today?
Jennifer is unwell.
Im afraid shes unable to attend.
I have submitted a letter
from her current doctor attesting to that fact.
Also Ive been denied
any access to her, Judge.
Its as if Miss Grayson has purposely
just kept me away from her.
[judge]
Have you denied him access, Marla?
You cant deny an attorney
access to his client.
This man claims
to be her lawyer.
He can produce no piece of paper to prove it.
No contract, no retainer.
He just suddenly appeared in my office
making threats and accusations.
Your Honor, more than once you and I
have seen unscrupulous lawyers
seeking to exploit the elderly
for their hard-earned savings.
I think this is why Mr. Ericson
wants Miss Peterson out of my protection.
Thats the exact opposite
of what is happening.
Can you present any paperwork
that proves you are Miss Petersons lawyer?
If I could just
get access to her,
I guarantee you,
she would sign a retainer.
So Jennifer Peterson hasnt
retained you as her lawyer?
I am acting on behalf
of concerned parties
who are extremely worried
about Jennifer
and the outrageous treatment
shes been given.
Who are these concerned parties?
Im not at liberty
to reveal that information.
They are friends of Miss Peterson
who wish to remain anonymous.
Sir, were going around
in circles.
Either you show me
some paperwork
that proves you are
Miss Petersons lawyer
or you bring these concerned parties
into a hearing
and let them speak
for themselves.
But for now, Mr. Ericson,
your request to dissolve
this guardianship is denied.
[gavel raps]
[Dean]
Sir. Sir. Sir.
Look... Whoa!
Okay! Its family court, okay?
The judge is an asshole. Hes an idiot.
He doesnt even know law.
- He drives a fucking Subaru!
- [yelling] Stop talking!
Stop!
Fuck this.
Good morning.
[Smarmy] Good morning.
My name is Walter Smith.
These are my brothers,
Tony and Chad.
I spoke to your manager,
Mr. Rice, this morning
about a tour of the facility.
Great. Ill get him
on the phone for you.
Thank you.
- Mr. Smith?
- Mr. Smith, yeah.
- Marla.
- Mm-hmm?
- Shes dead.
- Who?
Jennifer Petersons dead.
What?
- When?
- In 1949.
When she was three months
and nine days, from polio.
The woman we have
isnt Jennifer Peterson.
She just stole the identity
of a dead child.
[indistinct]
And look at this.
I found an obituary of the dead girl
in an old newspaper.
And, of course,
we have superb medical staff
and facilities on site.
- So, any questions?
- Actually, yes.
My father has a friend
whos a resident here.
Wed love if we could say a quick hello.
It would mean a lot.
- Oh, of course. What is the name?
- Jennifer Peterson.
- Is there a problem?
- No, uh... Jennifers been unwell. Shes resting.
Well be very quick.
We promised our father. You understand.
Of course. The thing is,
Jennifers guardian has stipulated
that she have
only approved visitors.
Thats odd. She sounds a bit more like
a prisoner than a guest.
[laughs]
No. No, um...
No.
Um... tell you what.
Why dont I try and get Jennifers guardian
on the phone and see what I can do?
Of course.
[sniffs]
[grunting]
- Hey! Hey, what did you do to him?
- Oh, shit.
- Find her! Go!
- Somebody help Mr. Rice!
- Help!
- Gerry!
Oh, shit!
Lock it down. Lock it down.
[alarm blaring]
[Sam groaning]
- Then who do we have?
- I dont know.
This stolen identity
is incredibly sophisticated.
Were talking about passports,
drivers license, employment,
tax records going back 40 years.
Theyve scrubbed all trace
of the real Jennifer Peterson,
including her death certificate.
[cell phone ringing]
Marla Grayson. Yeah.
Fuck. Im on my way.
[alarm blaring]
Madam.
Madam?
Chad.
Thank you.
Madam!
Get down on the ground!
[gunshots outside]
- Madam?
- [toilet flushes]
Hello?
Out of the way!
Get out of the way!
About fucking time.
[alarm beeps]
Open the door.
- You dont wanna do this.
- Open it!
Listen to me. I am prepared
to kill you to get out of here.
Are you prepared to die
to stop me, hmm?
[alarm blaring]
I didnt think so.
[beeps]
[Alexi] Thank you.
Right this way, madam.
- Hi.
- [Jennifer screams]
- [Alexi] Get the fuck off me!
- That way.
[Alexi] Fuck you.
[siren wailing]
- We got you. We got you.
- No, you dont.
Yeah, vacation is over.
Lets go.
- [officers shouting]
- [man] Get down.
What is your name?
Whyd you wanna kidnap
that little old lady?
Wanna make your phone call?
Want a doughnut?
He doesnt know it yet,
but we found him in our system.
- Hes done time before.
- [Marla] Who is he?
Alexi Ignatyev.
Brother of Nicholas Ignatyev
who was once a brigadier
in the Cleveland Russian mafia.
- Was? - Hmm. Nicholas died
seven years ago in a fire,
along with his boss,
Roman Lunyov.
It was arson, a hit.
Theyd been caught skimming.
These assholes
were drug smugglers
and implicated
in a bunch of murders.
We thought Alexi died
in the fire too, but here he is,
trying to kidnap your ward.
- Who is she anyway, your ward?
- [Marla] Nobody.
Shes a retired businesswoman.
- Rich?
- So-so.
Well, maybe it was just
a stickup job.
You guys did good stopping him.
This guys a bad dude.
Do me a favor. Keep us in the loop
if you hear anything else.
- Hmm. Sure thing, Frankie.
- [groans] Lou?
- Hmm?
- Dont call me Frankie.
You used to like
being called Frankie.
Yeah, not anymore.
[door buzzes open]
- Frankie?
- It used to be a thing for a second.
I like it.
- Frankie.
- No.
[quietly]
Yeah. Its me.
I need something.
Oh. Hello.
Sorry. Im just closing up.
Did you have an appointment?
[anchor] Lets go live now
to Lucille OMara who is at the scene.
The well-loved family doctor
was found dead at her place of work.
Dr. Karen Amos was a highly popular
and respected doctor...
Police will not yet confirm
that it was suicide.
- Fran?
- Marla?
- You heard about Karen.
- Yeah. Oh, my God, baby.
Quick, pack a bag.
We gotta go. If they killed her,
theyre coming for us.
We dont know they killed her.
Karen may have had trouble.
Oh, really?
Do you believe that?
Okay, then. Marla, I dont want you
to get shot in the head.
- I dont wanna get shot either.
- So we dont get shot in the head.
We went after Jennifer Peterson
because she was a cherry
with no strings attached, baby.
But shes a spider web,
and were gonna get
trapped in it.
Well, maybe, but maybe not.
They brought guns into a care home.
Theyre the Russian mafia.
- Ex-Russian mafia.
- Marla, pack a fucking bag!
[quietly] Fuck.
[line ringing]
Curtis, its Marla.
Yeah, we saw.
I know. I know.
Yeah, you should close the office.
Hang tight for a while, okay?
Can you send me a list
of all the empty,
unsold properties on our books
as soon as you can?
Okay. Thanks. Goodbye.
[whispering]
Its gonna be okay.
Jennifer, how are you feeling?
Good.
Heard about Dr. Amos.
- Is Alexi your son?
- What? No. That idiot?
But you are connected
to the Russian mafia?
Hell kill you next.
I mean, that is unless
you get me out of here now.
Then he might let you live.
Jennifer,
listen to me carefully.
I dont lose. I wont lose.
Im never letting you go.
I own you.
And I will drain you
of your money, your comfort
and your self-respect.
Not because I want to,
not because Ill enjoy it
or because I planned for it,
but because your people
didnt play by the rules.
You wanna beat me?
Well, come at me fair and square.
You get me in a courtroom.
You outplay me.
You dont bring guns
into a care home.
You dont murder
one of my friends.
This is your life now, Jennifer.
You are just another
old lady in a care home,
with dementia,
with incontinence,
with arthritis.
With no one.
Except me.
Jennifer,
or whoever the hell
you really are...
youre gonna die in here.
Alone and in terrible pain.
Hey! Let her go!
Come on. Come on.
There you go. Let her go.
Nice and easy.
[Jennifer]
Dont. Shes the one.
[judge] Good Lord.
Marla, are you okay?
- Did she hurt you?
- Only superficially.
I got lucky.
But what about next time?
As you can see, her mental health
has severely deteriorated.
As this doctors note describes,
Miss Peterson has become
delusional, paranoid
and violent.
Shes a danger to others
and herself.
And her doctor and I recommend
that she be moved immediately
to a secure psychiatric facility
where her needs will be
more adequately taken care of.
I agree.
Dont worry.
This belong
to one of your wards?
I just need
an approximate valuation, Vee.
Its a real nice stone, not the usual
dog shit people bring in.
What are we talking retail?
Mm, 175, maybe 200 grand.
Its a nice one.
You mind holding on to it,
keep it in your safe?
- Is it trouble?
- Oh, no.
No, I have some errands to run.
I dont want it in my purse
all day.
Thanks.
Fran says hello. Oh, she told me
to ask after your brother Mikey.
- Mikey?
- Yeah. He still in the trade?
Why? You need a fence
for this?
In the future, maybe.
Michael still moves stuff
here and there.
Good to know.
Hey, howd it go?
Did she take the bait on Mikey?
Oh, yeah.
He may be a solution.
- Good.
- Hey.
- Did you pack our passports?
- Passports.
Fuck.
Shit, baby. No, I didnt.
Didnt you?
- Fuck. No.
- Im close to the house.
I can go pick them up
if you want me to.
I think we should have them
just in case.
- But be careful.
- Okay.
- See you back at the place?
- Yeah, okay.
- Okay.
- Bye.
[gasps]
What happened?
Oh, my God. Are you okay?
- I dont know. I think somebody...
- Oh, my God.
[rattling]
Hello, Marla Grayson.
I dont like you.
You only just met me.
You know, you remind me of someone
I knew when I was younger.
She was fiery, like you.
Amusing, confident.
Uncooperative.
I cut all her fingers off
with a bread knife.
Shes buried underneath
a Jimmy Johns now.
Dont underestimate me.
Who are you?
A dangerous man.
It says that on
your business card?
You should be scared right now.
Why? Are you gonna make
another big fucking speech?
Ow!
Ow. Jesus fucking Christ.
You stole something from me.
Something more than an old lady.
You know what Im talking about.
Right now I have men searching
for what you stole.
They are tearing apart
your office, your home.
And if they do not find
what theyre looking for,
I will tear you apart until
you tell me where they are.
Do you recognize that woman?
Thats your mother, isnt it?
After I destroy you,
I will destroy her.
Go ahead. I dont give a shit
about that fucking sociopath.
You know, I...
I dont like being angry.
I much prefer to be calm.
But you... have compromised a life
I spent years carefully building.
Do you know who I am?
No, but I think I can guess.
Youre either Nicholas Ignatyev
or Roman Lunyov.
My bet is youre Roman, cause you seem
more like a boss than a soldier.
So, you faked your own death
and then were afraid your Cleveland friends
would use your mother to flush you out,
so you turned her
into Jennifer Peterson.
Im going to kill you now.
Okay.
Youre not afraid of death?
Do you remember
how scary it was in 1807?
[scoffs] No, me neither
because I wasnt alive yet.
Itll feel the same way
when Im dead.
Not even nothing.
Why be scared of that?
Anyway, you dont need
to kill me.
When you sent that lawyer
with a case full of money,
your instinct was right,
Im willing to be bought off.
Your man just came in too low.
- Do you have a figure in mind?
- Yeah.
I want $10 million.
Of course you do.
You are... brave, Miss Grayson.
Stupid, but brave.
Well, to make it in this country,
you need to be brave.
And stupid and ruthless
and focused.
Because playing fair, being scared,
that gets you nowhere.
That gets you beat.
You know that.
And I wanna be rich, Mr. Lunyov.
I wanna be very...
fucking rich.
And my bet is that $10 million,
thats not such a big deal for you.
But for me, thats a start.
Thats enough to be able
to use money as a weapon,
like a bludgeon,
the way real rich people do.
Thats what I want.
- You hold no cards.
- I have your mother and your diamonds.
Ive made sure that if I die,
youll never see those diamonds
and itll be so... complicated
to extricate your mother
from her situation...
that itll take years
before she sees freedom.
If she even lives that long.
Just pay me off.
Its the easiest way.
Get rid of her.
- [whimpering]
- Make sure it looks organic.
[muffled screaming]
[door beeping]
[doors beeping]
[screaming]
[gasping]
[gasping continues]
[panting]
[angry screaming]
[grunting]
["System Addict" playing]
Never would believe it
This cant be happening
Boxes that go beep
Little lights that leap
Tapping on a keyboard
Whats happening to me?
And when the electricity
Starts to flow
The fuse thats on my sanity
Got to blow
System addict
I never can get enough
System addict
You got a pay phone?
Ill give you $50 if youll let me
make a call on your cell.
[line ringing]
Hey, its Fran.
Leave a message.
Can you call me a cab?
[glass breaking]
[gas hissing]
[coughs]
Oh, Fran!
Oh, baby! No!
Oh, thank God.
Oh.
[coughs]
[coughs]
[grunting]
[Fran coughs]
Fran?
Fran.
Marla.
I thought...
I thought...
I thought we were dead.
No, were alive, hon.
[Fran coughs]
[car alarm blaring]
- Im scared.
- Im so fucking sorry.
Im so sorry.
Its okay.
[car door closes]
[door opens]
How are you feeling?
[groans softly]
Feeling better.
Whats that, Marla?
Its the license plate of the car
our Russian friend was driving.
Fran, say the word
and were gone.
We start again somewhere new.
Just us.
And do what?
Hmm?
We lost everything.
Not quite everything.
We can take them and run.
Or you can make a call
and get me the address
that that license
is registered to.
If we run, well always be
looking over our shoulders.
Well always be waiting
for him to find us.
Isnt it better
to finish this now?
You have a plan?
I do.
Will it work?
I dont know.
Give me the phone.
[dialing]
[Fran] Okay, here we are.
This is the address
for plate F8T 444.
[Marla] That one?
- Yeah.
- He cant live here.
Maybe the plate was stolen.
No, the plate definitely
matched a black Yukon.
Go around the back.
I wanna get a closer look.
[car beeps]
[car starts]
[knocks]
Its not him, its his driver.
Go. Hes on the move.
There. Follow him.
Hes pulling up.
- [knocking on door]
- [door opens]
[man]
Sir, your car is downstairs.
Be careful.
Hi. Uh... I have
an appointment with, uh...
Mr. Naylor
at Galen and Hersch.
Its on the third floor,
I think.
Im actually a little early.
Uh, is there a restroom
I could use while Im waiting?
Sure. Right around this corner
and to your left.
Thanks.
Hi. Can you help me?
I think Im on
totally the wrong level,
and I cant find the exit.
Is this B1?
This is level 2. The exits back
that way around the corner.
Cant I use that elevator?
Thats a private elev...
[groaning]
Where is Jackson?
- Hello again.
- [screams]
Sir?
Hey! [grunting]
Is he in there?
Lying in a pool
of his own urine.
[Marla sighs]
You wanna go get rid of him?
Lead the way.
[Marla] How much do you think
he weighs? A hundred pounds?
[Fran] 110, yeah.
[Fran]
Sleep tight, motherfucker.
[door opens, closes]
[birds chirping]
[siren wailing]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[monitor beeping]
[slurping]
[slurping]
There you are.
How are you feeling?
[soft grunt]
Dont try to talk.
You have a tube in your throat.
See that?
Youre a John Doe.
You nearly died of an overdose.
Youre lucky
they found you in time.
You wanna hear
an interesting fact?
When an incapacitated
John Doe is found,
the state automatically
appoints them a legal guardian
to oversee their treatment
and welfare.
You know where
this is going, right?
Im now your legal guardian.
I got you, John Doe.
I can do whatever
I want with you.
Lets find a nurse to get
that tube out of your throat
so you can arrange for $10 million
to be moved into my account.
[chimes]
Ding-dong.
[Marla]
Hows the throat?
[Roman]
Still painful.
[Marla]
I know you dont like losing.
But as your guardian, I suggest
you swallow your pride and pay me off.
You can have your mother,
your diamonds, your freedom.
Youll never see me again.
[Roman]
Even if I pay you off,
are you not afraid
Ill still kill you?
Im not afraid, no.
- I can make it happen easily.
- I know.
But I could just as easily kill you
if this thing continues any longer.
Okay.
- Okay?
- Lets end this now.
Ill give you the $10 million.
I can arrange that.
- However...
- However?
Id like to propose
an alternative.
Instead of me giving you
$10 million...
we become partners,
go into business together.
- Are you fucking with me?
- No, Im serious.
I mean... I hate you...
but, oh,
the money we could make.
Youre a rare person, Marla.
Your determination is...
Frankly, its scary.
But this guardianship grift,
its ripe,
but right now
its small potatoes.
I propose we create a monster...
a countrywide
guardianship corporation,
with you as CEO and co-owner.
Use my money, use your...
skills.
Destroy the competition.
Take control
of the entire market.
You wanna start
a company with me?
Not just one company,
a corporation with 80 different companies,
all registered offshore,
charging each other invoices,
burying profit.
A real estate arm, a legal arm,
a training arm,
a medical arm,
a pharmaceutical arm.
- Our own chain of care homes.
- Exactly.
With thousands of guardians
working for us.
With hundreds of thousands
of wards in our care.
That way, you win.
But I win too.
And we make each other
billions of dollars.
Legally.
Mostly.
What about the diamonds?
Fuck the diamonds.
Split them, 50-50.
How do we trust each other?
If we make each other rich,
the trust will follow.
So, are you in?
["Blood On The Motorway" plays]
[Marla] Every fortune ever accumulated
started with a leap of faith.
But before you take that leap...
first take a long,
hard look at yourself.
Know who you are.
[no audible dialogue]
Ask yourself:
am I an insider?
Or am I an outsider?
Am I a lamb?
Or am I a lion?
Am I a predator?
Or am I prey?
Am I good at money?
Or am I good at people?
What am I willing to sacrifice
to achieve my dreams?
Marla Grayson, CEO and founder.
[Marla]
What lines will I not cross?
Dont try to be anyone else.
Just know who you are
and use that to your advantage.
[Peter]
So, who are you?
[Marla] Me?
Im just someone who cares.
Have not betrayed
Your ideals
Your ideals betrayed you
[Peter]
So, are you lion or a lamb?
What are you gonna do?
[Marla] Im a lioness.
And I will do
whatever I need to do
to protect the people
I care about.
Your tongue barely speaks
[Peter] Youve had amazing success
in such a short period of time.
Marla, whats your secret?
Whoo! Whoo!
There is no secret, Peter.
All it takes is hard work
and the courage and
determination to never give up.
[revving]
Let the changes in
Come on
[Peter]
So now you are a rich woman.
How much are you worth?
How much do you have in the bank?
[Fran] You were great.
[groans] My cheeks are aching
from forcing that smile for so long.
I havent counted recently.
But you are firmly in the top slice
of the one percent.
- What should we do now?
- Whatever the fuck we want.
[Feldstrom]
Hey, bitch!
And youre still only 39.
That must feel good.
Hey, bitch!
[both chuckle]
- Oh, listen. I dont have time...
- Marla!
[Fran]
No! Security!
My mom died!
[Fran] Help! Help!
You never let me see her!
She died in there alone! You fucking bitch!
- Drop the weapon!
- Fucking bitch!
Someone call help! Marla?
Baby, youre gonna be fine.
No, no, no.
Look at me, baby.
Look at me. Look at me.
Listen to me. Youre gonna be fine.
Youre gonna be fine. Marla?
Help. Help!
Marla.
No, Marla!
[crying]
No, no, no, no, no.
- [Peter] So, with all the success...
- [Fran] Help!
...are you still ambitious?
Are there dreams
you still wanna achieve?
[sirens wailing]
Peter, I am only
just getting started.
[Peter] Marla Grayson, CEO and founder
of Grayson Guardianships,
thank you.
Thanks. Its been fun.
[woman]
Look at you, sitting there.
You think youre good people.
Youre not good people.
Trust me, theres no
such thing as good people.
I used to be like you...
thinking that working hard
and playing fair
would lead to success
and happiness.
It doesnt.
Playing fair is a joke
invented by rich people
to keep the rest of us poor.
[song continues]
And Ive been poor.
It doesnt agree with me.
Cause theres two types
of people in this world:
the people who take...
and those getting took.
Predators and prey.
Lions and lambs.
My name is Marla Grayson,
and Im not a lamb.
I am a fucking lioness.
[no audible dialogue]
[song continues]
[song fades]
[man] Shes my mother.
I should be able to see her whenever I want.
She doesnt need
to be in a care facility.
She doesnt need
a court-appointed guardian.
She has a loving son
to take care of her.
I dont understand how the court
can entrust my mother
to this stranger.
Miss Grayson forced my mother
into the home
when she made it very clear
that she didnt wanna go.
And now she has auctioned off
my mothers house, her car,
her personal belongings.
And she uses the proceeds
to pay herself.
And now Miss Grayson has barred me
from seeing my mother at all.
Its a goddamn nightmare.
She has kidnapped my mother!
Please, sir, calm down.
Marla Grayson is a well-respected
professional guardian
and has been appointed
by this court, by me,
to look after the best interests of your mother now
that she cannot look after herself.
How is it in my mothers best interest
to have her son barred from seeing her?
Miss Grayson doesnt care
about my mother at all.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
May I speak?
[judge]
Go ahead, Miss Grayson.
Mr. Feldstrom, sir,
I sympathize.
But the court doesnt
appoint me for no reason.
Your mother couldnt cope
on her own.
- That is not true.
- A doctor diagnosed her with dementia
and wrote an affidavit recommending
immediate action be taken for her safety.
You had ample opportunity
to move your mother into a care facility
or into your home.
You did neither.
She didnt want to
leave her home.
She begged me not to...
You cant care for her
by doing what she wants.
You have to do what she needs.
And that is why I can care better
than a family member,
because I have
no skin in the game.
I just do what is right
for your mother.
I manage your mothers money
because someone has to.
Shed let it run
into quite a mess.
And I have to pay for
her care in the facility,
so, yes, I oversaw the sale
of some of her assets
to finance that.
And, yes, I pay myself too.
Because caring, sir,
is my job, its my profession.
This is what I do.
All day, every day, I care.
I care for those who are
in need of protection,
protection from apathy,
protection from their own pride
and, quite often, protection
from their own children.
- Hey! No! - [Marla] Your Honor, you and I
have seen it many times,
offspring who are willing to let
their parents starve in squalor
and struggle with pain
rather than dip into what they see
as their inheritance
to pay for the necessary care.
Mr. Feldstrom, sir...
I sympathize, I do,
but your visits
to your mother upset her,
and the last time
you visited her,
you assaulted a staff member
and vandalized a reception area.
Is that not true?
Well...
[Marla] Your Honor,
I think its obvious
why the non-visitation order
must be upheld.
This court is doing its best
to protect and help Mrs. Feldstrom,
and the actions of her son
are undermining
our every effort in that fight.
I agree. Order upheld.
[gavel raps]
[Feldstrom] What? No.
- You won?
- I did.
I knew you would.
Hey! Bitch!
You! Bitch!
I think hes talking to you.
- Then he can use my name.
- Bitch. Hey.
I dont know how you live with yourself.
Our lives are being ruined.
Im just doing my job.
Your fucking job?
- Fuck you!
- Hey.
I hope you get raped
and murdered,
and I hope you get killed.
You fucking... fucker.
Oh! Fuck, no, motherfucker!
Ill fucking get...
Does it sting more
because Im a woman?
That you got so soundly beaten in there
by someone with a vagina?
Having a penis doesnt automatically
make you more scary to me,
just the opposite.
You may be a man,
but if you ever threaten,
touch or spit on me again...
I will grab your dick and balls
and I will rip them clean off,
you understand?
Ill tell your mom
you send your best.
Thanks.
Curtis.
Hey. Good going.
Hi, boss.
Congrats on the win.
Thanks, Addie.
So, what time is it now?
Its 2:17. Thats...
Door to door, thats just over five hours.
Round it to six.
Charge it to the Feldstrom account,
full rate.
Okay. Oh. Sam Rice called.
- Asked that you return.
- Ill take it inside.
Fran, call the Realtor.
Check progress
on the Bather property.
The savings account
is nearly empty.
It wont cover the facility bill
after this month.
Got ya.
[hold music on phone]
[coffee machine stops]
- [Addie] Sams on.
- Sam. How are you?
Hey. Im good, Marla.
How about you?
Oh, working hard, playing hard.
- Fucking A.
- You called.
Yeah, uh, I got some news.
Good news or bad news?
Uh, sort of both.
Your ward, Alan Levitt,
here at our Berkshire Oaks facility,
he just died.
- What?
- Alan died.
This morning. Sorry.
No. Alan Levitt? Really?
- How?
- Stroke, big one.
- But he was young.
- Just 69 and a quarter.
Oh, God.
[clicks tongue]
[sighing] Alan. Fuck.
I only had him six months.
I thought hed last us
at least another five years.
Fuck, now I have to
cash him out,
turn over everything to his inheritors.
What a fucking waste.
Maybe he took a shine to you
and wrote you into his will.
- Yeah, right.
- [laughs]
So, whats the good news?
Well, due to
Alans tragic departure,
we now have a vacancy.
His room. Huh.
Thats a corner deluxe.
- Yes, it is.
- Hold it for me.
Marla, youre not the only game in town.
Theres a waiting list.
Fuck the waiting list.
How much?
Two grand a week
till its filled.
Two grand?
It cost 500 last time.
If you dont pay,
someone else will.
Oh, fuck you, Sam.
All right, two grand.
- Thanks, Sam.
- Pleasure, Marla.
[Sam hangs up]
- ["Rocksteady" plays]
- Fly with me, come on
- [song continues in car]
- Rocksteady
Fly with me
Come on, rocksteady
What?
You know.
Keep your eyes on the road.
You a thunderstorm
Walk into a room everybody turn
Hi, Petra.
Dr. Karens expecting me.
Uh-huh.
["Sunday Will Never Be The Same" plays]
Wed walk together
Hand in hand till it was almost dark
Alan Levitt? Fuck.
Sorry. I thought he had legs.
I know. So, now were
in the market for a new client.
Got anyone for us?
Theres a few I wouldnt mind
getting off my books.
You know, the real
high-maintenance assholes.
But there is actually someone
I have been meaning to talk to you about.
Ive been feeling her out,
and I think she...
- I think she might be...
- No.
- I dont even wanna say it.
- A cherry?
Yes. Maybe. I think so.
Dont tease me.
Give me the details.
Come on, Marl. I cant just give you
a cherry for free.
I need something in return.
You hold stock in
Golden Light Care Homes, right?
Yeah, we have a chunk.
- Sign some over to me.
- [chuckles]
Come on. Im helping you
feed the money monster,
but I hardly see
any of the gold for myself.
Give me a taste.
Done.
But it has to be
a real cherry, bona fide.
- Jennifer Peterson.
- Shes in reasonably good health.
But recently she has shown some signs
of memory loss and confusion.
- Significant?
- No.
We can tickle that to make
an emergency hearing go our way.
She has no kids, no husband,
no living family.
- No family at all?
- She has very good insurance.
She told me she used to work in finance
in Chicago and moved here to retire.
Can I get a copy of this?
You bet,
all except her test results.
That wouldnt be ethical.
Of course.
[Fran] Jennifer Peterson.
Born April 15th, 1949.
She lives at 41 Williams Street
in Shallcross.
Its a real nice neighborhood,
expensive.
She bought the house
seven years ago, owns it outright.
Credit check came back A1,
totally clean.
No debt, no criminal record,
never been married.
She worked at the same company
for 40 years.
Looks like she downsized
when she retired, liquidated,
and now shes sitting
on a nest egg.
Like a golden fucking goose.
Look at this.
From her tax records, it says that
she has three separate saving accounts,
all earning monster interest.
She likes to go
during the day to the movies.
She reads a lot,
likes gardening.
Just your regular old lady.
- And she is sitting on a pile of cash.
- Mm-hmm.
Shes rich, independent,
literate.
That lady right there,
shes my fucking hero.
Karen. Its Marla.
Pull the trigger
on Jennifer Peterson.
Youll get the stock you want.
[Karen]
Miss Peterson is often confused
and has exhibited
memory and coping issues.
Her mobility is compromised.
She cannot take
adequate care of herself,
and I believe she is at high risk
if left alone in her own home.
She has no family?
She has no one to care for her,
except us.
Thats terrible. Poor woman.
[sighs]
Okay, Miss Grayson.
Do you think you can take her on
as one of your wards?
I know you have a lot
in your fold already.
Um...
Yes, Your Honor, I...
If you need me
to take care of her,
I can take care of her.
[judge]
Thank you, Marla.
[kettle whistling]
[piano music playing]
[knocking on door]
Miss Peterson?
My name is Marla Grayson.
I work with Dr. Karen Amos,
your physician.
May I speak with you
for a minute?
Good morning, Miss Peterson.
Im sorry to disturb you so early.
- Youre a doctor?
- No, maam.
May I show you this?
Oh, Im gonna need my reading glasses.
Ill be right back.
You know,
Im not sure what this is.
- Its a court order, maam.
- A court order?
But whats that
got to do with me?
Thats your name, correct?
Jennifer Peterson.
Your date of birth,
social security number and this address.
Oh, my goodness.
Have I done something wrong?
Oh, no, maam.
This is to help you.
The court has ruled,
under the guidance of your doctor,
that you require assistance
in taking care of yourself.
The court has appointed me
to be your legal guardian.
What?
When we cease to be able
to take care of ourselves,
the state steps in to help.
We cant just sit by
while people struggle.
[laughs]
Yeah, but Im not struggling.
Im fine. Im more than fine.
I dont need help.
Im afraid its not
up to you or me to decide.
The court has ruled that you do need help and,
as your legal guardian,
its my duty to ensure that adequate care
is supplied to you at all times.
Let me tell you something.
I never went to court.
This is the first thing
Ive heard about court.
In emergencies,
the court can convene
without the presence
of the prospective ward.
Wow. Thats crazy.
Well, maam...
You have to come with me.
- Im not going anywhere.
- This is a court order.
And if you dont comply with it,
Im afraid you may be in some trouble.
[Jennifer]
Oh, my God.
If you feel
theres been an error,
report it to the court,
request a hearing.
But, for now,
I suggest you come with me
temporarily
to the care facility
Ive found for you,
and if theres been a mistake,
we can address it from there.
This is Frances.
She will help you pack a suitcase.
Good morning, Mrs. Peterson.
Pleasure to meet you.
- I dont believe this is happening.
- Its totally fine.
- Dont touch me.
- Im sorry. Ill help you.
Dont touch me.
Beautiful house, Mrs. Peterson.
Let me help you with those.
Ill be overseeing the upkeep of your property
until you sort this out.
[Fran] Lets go.
We just wanna make sure
that your propertys
taken care of safely.
Thanks, Curtis. Seat belt.
[ring back tone]
[Sam] Marla, hows it going?
You have to drag her out by her ankles?
No, she packed and walked.
Hardly any of them fight.
They see the official paper,
they see the cops, they go right along.
- Yeah, Id fucking fight.
- You say that,
but at heart most of us are weak,
compliant and scared.
True. Hey, you ever hear
about the Milgram experiment?
Not now, Sam.
Were already in transit.
- [Sam] All right.
- [Marla] Oh, Sam.
I need the full works
for this one.
[Sam] Copy that.
[muted]
[muted]
Welcome home.
Come on in.
- Wow.
- [Sam chuckles]
- Id forgotten how big they are.
- [Sam] Yes.
Why dont you take a seat?
So you feel at home.
They have all your medical details,
all your prescriptions.
You dont have to worry.
Theyll take care of all of it.
Now, if you need me at any time,
night or day, you just ask, okay?
You have a cell phone?
Unlock it.
Ill store my number.
If you need to make a call,
you just ask, okay?
Now, Miss Peterson,
I wanna say Im honored to be your guardian.
[softly] And remember,
Im on your side. Im here to help.
Sam, you treat this lady
like a queen. You hear me?
- Anything she wants.
- Absolutely.
You take care, Miss Peterson.
Well talk soon.
[door closes]
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct]
Can you open the door?
I just wanna get some air.
- You gotta go that way.
- I just wanna get some air.
Could you open the door
so I can get some air?
- You gotta go back that way.
- Huh?
- Sorry?
- I just need to get you back...
[Fran]
Hey, can you grab those?
Thank you, sir.
Its been a pleasure.
Sold.
[drops keys]
[Marla]
God, I love your ass.
Hi. I wondered
if you could help me, please.
I need my cell phone.
Could you find it for me?
Miss Peterson, cell phones are kept secure
for the safety of our guests.
- My cell phone wont hurt you.
- Our policy is to get your guardian involved.
No, no, no, no.
I dont want my guardian.
- Can I speak to the manager?
- Mr. Rice is unavailable.
Mr. Rice is here,
but hes unavailable.
[shouting]
Mr. Rice!
- Calm down.
- Dont touch me.
- Why are you touching me like this?
- Everythings gonna be fine.
Go away from me. No, no, no,
dont let her do that.
- Calm down.
- Dont let her do that to me.
Nice to see you.
[muted]
Okay.
Is this the key to one of
your safety deposit boxes?
[indistinct]
[knocking on door]
Taxi for Miss Peterson.
Oh, she doesnt live here
anymore.
What?
She moved.
Miss Peterson moved.
Oh. My mistake. Thank you.
Excuse me. Who called you?
Excuse me!
Fuck.
Sir, hes alone.
So, where is she?
She wasnt at the house.
- You were there on time?
- Yes. Yes, sir.
Mm... No. In seven years,
shes never missed an appointment.
[Alexi panting]
The house was changed, uh...
It had been, um, cleared out
and there was
a "For Sale" sign out front.
Theres people inside.
They were painting walls.
I spoke to a woman
with some swatches
and she said that
she didnt live there anymore.
I dont understand.
What people were in there?
Where is she now?
Oh, I dont know.
I came straight here.
You didnt think to ask?
Even though you know
how important this is to me,
you didnt think to get
some basic information on the situation?
[car door closes]
[Alexi, mumbling]
Sir, if...
[exhales deeply]
Please, sir... Please.
[stammering] I figured...
I would... Before any...
You fucked up, Alexi.
I love my mother very much.
And these days, these rare days
that we get to spend together,
are a blessing for me.
Yes, sir. Of course.
So, you find her
and bring her to me.
- [whispering] Now.
- Of course. Yes, sir.
[taxi engine revs]
[tires screeching]
[Marla] And I open the pouch,
and whats inside?
Diamonds. Lots.
- Just loose diamonds?
- Mm-hmm.
This is her insurance
for the safe deposit box.
She lists the gold,
the jewelry, the bonds,
but not the diamonds.
She insures a $600 watch,
but not millions of dollars
worth of diamonds.
Do you think theyre stolen?
Probably.
[Fran]
She doesnt seem that type.
[Marla]
Dont get fooled by old people.
Even sadistic,
immoral assholes get old.
But youre missing the point.
These diamonds dont officially exist.
So...
no one would ever miss them.
[door closes]
- You wanna steal them.
- No.
I wanna change their location
for a while for safekeeping...
and see what happens.
[choral music playing]
[knocking on door]
Yes?
Sorry, sir.
I can come back later if...
Did you find my mother?
Uh...
Sort of.
[man] Shes in a care home?
As far as I can tell, sir.
I couldnt get access.
[knocking]
[door opens]
Sir, the latest batch of mules
arrived this morning.
- Did we lose any in transit?
- Three.
Were getting the product from the others
at the Medfield property.
Is that my smoothie?
[whispering]
I dont understand.
She checked herself
into a care home?
No. Uh, shes there
by court order.
Shes now a ward of the state.
Your... Your mothers doctor
deemed her incapable
of taking care of herself.
[slurping]
- But thats bullshit.
- [chuckles]
Yes, sir. Yes.
So how did this happen?
Um...
Marla Grayson.
I believe she made it happen.
Shes your mothers guardian.
She now has full control
of your mothers life and assets.
Fuck!
[grunts]
Call Dean.
Get my mother out of that home
and keep her out.
Do it quietly,
do it legally, do it fast.
Keep me away from it.
Yes, sir.
No, no, no, no.
Leave the photograph.
[door opens]
[door closes]
Marla Grayson?
Pleasure to meet you.
- Dean Ericson.
- He says he has an appointment.
- Hes not in the book.
- I need five minutes of your time.
Its very important.
You can have two minutes.
[Addie sighs]
[exhales deeply]
This is a beautiful office.
Very stylish.
These all your wards?
What can I do for you,
Mr. Ericson?
That must be a hell of a responsibility,
all these people.
I imagine the paperwork
is brutal.
Take a seat, get to the point.
- Im a lawyer.
- I dont need a lawyer.
I represent Jennifer Peterson.
- Really?
- Yes. And I think theres been a mistake.
You see, my client is very capable
of taking care of herself.
She has no need for the care
of a guardian like yourself.
Of course, this is
no reflection on you.
Im sure youre providing absolutely
stellar care for Miss Peterson.
But the fact of the matter is she
does not need nor want your care.
She was perfectly fine
on her own.
- She called you?
- What?
Jennifer called you
from the facility?
She did.
Hmm. When did you
last see Jennifer?
- Not long ago.
- How long ago?
- Just a few weeks.
- A few? Two, three, four?
Three, maybe four...
Three. And she was fine, more than fine.
She was fitter and more focused
than I am most of the time.
[chuckles]
Im afraid that explains it.
Two weeks ago Jennifers health
took a severe downwards turn.
She has memory loss
indicative of dementia.
And her doctor
was so worried about her,
she referred her to the courts
for emergency help.
Thats simply not true,
Miss Grayson.
You know it, I know it.
If the doctor wrote a note, he knows it too.
- She.
- What?
She. The doctor, shes a she.
Of course.
Now, I know what you do here.
I know your game, your hustle.
- You do?
- I do, and honestly, its a good one.
You saw an opportunity
and you grabbed it.
Look at all these cash cows
on your wall
just leaking money into your account
one overpriced hour at a time.
Good for you. Im not here
to ruin your business.
Im happy for you to keep milking these
poor vulnerable people
for as long as you
damn well please.
Hell, if your whole enterprise isnt
the perfect example of the American dream,
I dont know what is.
But not Jennifer Peterson.
Shes off-limits.
And I understand
why you targeted her.
I just responded to a call
from a doctor.
Right, sure, lets stick with that.
But her doctor is mistaken.
Understand? He...
Sorry, she fucked up.
Jennifer needs to be released
from your care ASAP
and you need to get that she-doctor
to write another letter
saying Jennifer has made
a full recovery
and no longer needs to be
in the care of a guardian.
Now, why the fuck
would I do that?
Well, I can think
of two reasons.
One, it is
the right thing to do,
but I doubt that means
anything to you.
And two, because she has
very powerful... friends
who can make life
uncomfortable for you,
extremely unpleasant
and uncomfortable.
- Is that a threat?
- No.
No, thats just data
for you to... collate.
How uncomfortable
are we talking?
Uh, you know, aggressively
and excessively uncomfortable
and then eventually, well...
uh...
lets just say
youll not be comfortable
or uncomfortable ever again.
- Because Ill be dead?
- Well, I didnt say that.
[Marla laughs]
But we all die, right?
Some of us die sooner in a more horribly
protracted and painful way.
- Who do you work for?
- Jennifer Peterson.
- Liar.
- Excuse me?
Liar. Jennifer did not call you
from the facility.
You think Im stupid enough to let new wards
anywhere near a working phone?
And I know from her paperwork
her lawyer is a local guy
who deals in family law.
And thats not you.
Youre a shark,
which intrigues me,
and I wanna know who hired you.
- Release her from your care.
- No, Dean.
I dont think I will.
[sighs]
I didnt wanna have to do this.
[sighing]
Its $150,000 in cash.
Well, thats very pretty.
Its yours when you release her.
You know what I think, Dean?
I think if your opening gambit
is 150 grand,
then Jennifer Peterson must be worth
a lot more than that
to whoever it is
who sent you here.
I can go to 250.
How about... five million?
[chuckles]
- Three hundred.
- Million?
Thousand. Final offer.
Dean, I have a legal duty.
Jennifer Peterson is in need
of my protection.
How can I just abandon her?
- Are you saying no?
- Im saying no.
Im saying, "No, thank you."
[Dean]
In the days to come,
youll replay this conversation
in your head over and over,
and youre gonna wish
you played it differently.
Right now look at what you have.
A thriving business, employees...
a nice face, unbroken bones,
a life.
When this is through,
youre not gonna have
any of those things.
None of them.
- Last chance.
- Goodbye, Dean.
Curtis will validate
your parking on the way out.
[Fran] Ive looked
all through her records,
all the way back
to her birth certificate.
I cant find anyone in her life
that we should be scared of.
[Marla]
Then who is this lawyer?
Maybe he knows about
the diamonds.
Yeah, thats my thought too.
Maybe hes cut in on them.
Hes scared well find them.
Maybe you should just
take the money.
And give away the biggest opportunity
we ever had?
What if hes saying the truth?
- With what?
- With threats.
You know how many times
Ive been threatened by a man?
Thousands.
You know how many of them
ever came to anything?
Two.
He made threats cause threats
are all he had left.
You cant convince a woman
to do what you want,
then you call her a bitch
and threaten to kill her.
Im not scared of him.
Okay.
So, what are you thinking?
Im gonna talk to someone
who has all the answers.
[Marla] How is she?
[nurse] Shes been pretty unsettled
since she got here.
- [Marla] They always are.
- [nurse] Yeah, but shes extra extra.
The doctor had to adjust
her medication to calm her down.
- Twice.
- Hmm.
Shes in the games room.
I have to warn you,
we had to bump her sedatives,
so she might be out of it.
Jennifer.
How are you feeling?
- Why do I know you?
- Im your guardian, Marla.
Oh, thank God. I need help.
I need my cell phone.
- To call who?
- What?
- Who do you need to call?
- Why?
Jennifer, do you know a man
named Dean Ericson?
- Who? What?
- Dean.
Dean Ericson. You know him?
- Dean... No, I dont.
- No?
He says he works for you.
He says hes a lawyer.
Lawyer.
Does he look expensive?
Well... yeah, I guess.
Whats the date?
The 15th.
Last week was the 8th.
Right on.
[laughs]
[Marla chuckling]
Oh...
Youre in trouble now.
- Really? Why?
- Yeah.
- Hes coming.
- Who? Dean?
No.
Hes coming.
- Who?
- Just you wait.
Jennifer, who are you?
So much drugs.
Drugs. I cant think.
Tell me who you are.
Tell me.
You know I have access
to your safety deposit box?
I know whats in there.
Theres an envelope inside a book.
- Oh.
- Tell me who you are.
Oh, youre a robber.
No, Im your guardian.
Youre my guardian robber.
- Tell me who you are.
- [groggily] Ooh.
Jennifer. Jennifer.
Tell me.
Im the worst mistake
youll ever make.
Tell me.
- Tell me.
- Cell phone.
Tell me.
You dont give me my cell phone,
you dont let me
get out of this place...
I got nothing to say.
- Listen to me.
- Nothing.
I control your drugs,
your food, your comfort.
- Everything. Me.
- [chuckles]
- Not you, me.
- Yeah.
And I can make things
very bad for you.
You hear me?
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Then have at it,
you little crock of cunt.
Have at it.
[nurse]
Excuse me. Uh...
Marla Grayson, my favorite lady.
[clears throat]
Sam, I want you to adjust
Jennifer Petersons routine.
Shoot.
Take her arthritis
and pain meds down to minimum,
push her physical exercise
to grade four level.
- Marla...
- Give her an upper at 9:00 at night,
then sedatives in the day.
Put her on
the basic food package.
No solids,
just oatmeal and soup.
No games, no TV
and only 30 minutes a day
out of her room.
Are you sure?
Im sure as fucking sure.
- Okay.
- Thank you, Sam.
Yeah.
Your Honor, Jennifer Peterson is being held
against her will in a care facility.
She was put there by this woman
who has falsely asserted
that Jennifer is of ill health
when, in fact, shes perfectly fine.
Who are you, sir?
Ive not seen you in here before.
Dean Ericson, Your Honor.
These are my associates.
We represent the interests
of Jennifer Peterson,
and Im here to undo
a miscarriage of justice.
Are you saying I am responsible
for a miscarriage of justice?
Not deliberately, Your Honor.
You were lied to.
My client was not invited
to the original hearing,
and neither was her representative.
Thats perfectly normal
for an emergency hearing.
But there was no emergency
in this case.
It was a fiction
created by Miss Grayson
to keep Jennifer out of sight
and trick the court.
I have an affidavit here
from an ex-employee from Dr. Amos practice
who testifies to the fact
that Miss Grayson and Dr. Amos
regularly colluded on cases
to game the system.
I quote: "Karen would palm off
difficult patients to Marla
whether they needed
a guardian or not
and then embellish symptoms
to sway the court."
[scoffs]
Your Honor...
this is scandalous.
[Marla]
Judge, may I?
Fiona Jacobs is your witness?
Yes. Shes the employee, yes.
Judge, you know
Fiona hates Karen.
Shes not an impartial witness.
Fiona has a vendetta
against Karen
because Karen fired her
for being useless at her job.
Or maybe Karen fired her
because she uncovered
the true nature of your operation.
I know Fiona. She was useless.
[stifled laughter]
Judge, can I ask why Jennifer
is again not present today?
Jennifer is unwell.
Im afraid shes unable to attend.
I have submitted a letter
from her current doctor attesting to that fact.
Also Ive been denied
any access to her, Judge.
Its as if Miss Grayson has purposely
just kept me away from her.
[judge]
Have you denied him access, Marla?
You cant deny an attorney
access to his client.
This man claims
to be her lawyer.
He can produce no piece of paper to prove it.
No contract, no retainer.
He just suddenly appeared in my office
making threats and accusations.
Your Honor, more than once you and I
have seen unscrupulous lawyers
seeking to exploit the elderly
for their hard-earned savings.
I think this is why Mr. Ericson
wants Miss Peterson out of my protection.
Thats the exact opposite
of what is happening.
Can you present any paperwork
that proves you are Miss Petersons lawyer?
If I could just
get access to her,
I guarantee you,
she would sign a retainer.
So Jennifer Peterson hasnt
retained you as her lawyer?
I am acting on behalf
of concerned parties
who are extremely worried
about Jennifer
and the outrageous treatment
shes been given.
Who are these concerned parties?
Im not at liberty
to reveal that information.
They are friends of Miss Peterson
who wish to remain anonymous.
Sir, were going around
in circles.
Either you show me
some paperwork
that proves you are
Miss Petersons lawyer
or you bring these concerned parties
into a hearing
and let them speak
for themselves.
But for now, Mr. Ericson,
your request to dissolve
this guardianship is denied.
[gavel raps]
[Dean]
Sir. Sir. Sir.
Look... Whoa!
Okay! Its family court, okay?
The judge is an asshole. Hes an idiot.
He doesnt even know law.
- He drives a fucking Subaru!
- [yelling] Stop talking!
Stop!
Fuck this.
Good morning.
[Smarmy] Good morning.
My name is Walter Smith.
These are my brothers,
Tony and Chad.
I spoke to your manager,
Mr. Rice, this morning
about a tour of the facility.
Great. Ill get him
on the phone for you.
Thank you.
- Mr. Smith?
- Mr. Smith, yeah.
- Marla.
- Mm-hmm?
- Shes dead.
- Who?
Jennifer Petersons dead.
What?
- When?
- In 1949.
When she was three months
and nine days, from polio.
The woman we have
isnt Jennifer Peterson.
She just stole the identity
of a dead child.
[indistinct]
And look at this.
I found an obituary of the dead girl
in an old newspaper.
And, of course,
we have superb medical staff
and facilities on site.
- So, any questions?
- Actually, yes.
My father has a friend
whos a resident here.
Wed love if we could say a quick hello.
It would mean a lot.
- Oh, of course. What is the name?
- Jennifer Peterson.
- Is there a problem?
- No, uh... Jennifers been unwell. Shes resting.
Well be very quick.
We promised our father. You understand.
Of course. The thing is,
Jennifers guardian has stipulated
that she have
only approved visitors.
Thats odd. She sounds a bit more like
a prisoner than a guest.
[laughs]
No. No, um...
No.
Um... tell you what.
Why dont I try and get Jennifers guardian
on the phone and see what I can do?
Of course.
[sniffs]
[grunting]
- Hey! Hey, what did you do to him?
- Oh, shit.
- Find her! Go!
- Somebody help Mr. Rice!
- Help!
- Gerry!
Oh, shit!
Lock it down. Lock it down.
[alarm blaring]
[Sam groaning]
- Then who do we have?
- I dont know.
This stolen identity
is incredibly sophisticated.
Were talking about passports,
drivers license, employment,
tax records going back 40 years.
Theyve scrubbed all trace
of the real Jennifer Peterson,
including her death certificate.
[cell phone ringing]
Marla Grayson. Yeah.
Fuck. Im on my way.
[alarm blaring]
Madam.
Madam?
Chad.
Thank you.
Madam!
Get down on the ground!
[gunshots outside]
- Madam?
- [toilet flushes]
Hello?
Out of the way!
Get out of the way!
About fucking time.
[alarm beeps]
Open the door.
- You dont wanna do this.
- Open it!
Listen to me. I am prepared
to kill you to get out of here.
Are you prepared to die
to stop me, hmm?
[alarm blaring]
I didnt think so.
[beeps]
[Alexi] Thank you.
Right this way, madam.
- Hi.
- [Jennifer screams]
- [Alexi] Get the fuck off me!
- That way.
[Alexi] Fuck you.
[siren wailing]
- We got you. We got you.
- No, you dont.
Yeah, vacation is over.
Lets go.
- [officers shouting]
- [man] Get down.
What is your name?
Whyd you wanna kidnap
that little old lady?
Wanna make your phone call?
Want a doughnut?
He doesnt know it yet,
but we found him in our system.
- Hes done time before.
- [Marla] Who is he?
Alexi Ignatyev.
Brother of Nicholas Ignatyev
who was once a brigadier
in the Cleveland Russian mafia.
- Was? - Hmm. Nicholas died
seven years ago in a fire,
along with his boss,
Roman Lunyov.
It was arson, a hit.
Theyd been caught skimming.
These assholes
were drug smugglers
and implicated
in a bunch of murders.
We thought Alexi died
in the fire too, but here he is,
trying to kidnap your ward.
- Who is she anyway, your ward?
- [Marla] Nobody.
Shes a retired businesswoman.
- Rich?
- So-so.
Well, maybe it was just
a stickup job.
You guys did good stopping him.
This guys a bad dude.
Do me a favor. Keep us in the loop
if you hear anything else.
- Hmm. Sure thing, Frankie.
- [groans] Lou?
- Hmm?
- Dont call me Frankie.
You used to like
being called Frankie.
Yeah, not anymore.
[door buzzes open]
- Frankie?
- It used to be a thing for a second.
I like it.
- Frankie.
- No.
[quietly]
Yeah. Its me.
I need something.
Oh. Hello.
Sorry. Im just closing up.
Did you have an appointment?
[anchor] Lets go live now
to Lucille OMara who is at the scene.
The well-loved family doctor
was found dead at her place of work.
Dr. Karen Amos was a highly popular
and respected doctor...
Police will not yet confirm
that it was suicide.
- Fran?
- Marla?
- You heard about Karen.
- Yeah. Oh, my God, baby.
Quick, pack a bag.
We gotta go. If they killed her,
theyre coming for us.
We dont know they killed her.
Karen may have had trouble.
Oh, really?
Do you believe that?
Okay, then. Marla, I dont want you
to get shot in the head.
- I dont wanna get shot either.
- So we dont get shot in the head.
We went after Jennifer Peterson
because she was a cherry
with no strings attached, baby.
But shes a spider web,
and were gonna get
trapped in it.
Well, maybe, but maybe not.
They brought guns into a care home.
Theyre the Russian mafia.
- Ex-Russian mafia.
- Marla, pack a fucking bag!
[quietly] Fuck.
[line ringing]
Curtis, its Marla.
Yeah, we saw.
I know. I know.
Yeah, you should close the office.
Hang tight for a while, okay?
Can you send me a list
of all the empty,
unsold properties on our books
as soon as you can?
Okay. Thanks. Goodbye.
[whispering]
Its gonna be okay.
Jennifer, how are you feeling?
Good.
Heard about Dr. Amos.
- Is Alexi your son?
- What? No. That idiot?
But you are connected
to the Russian mafia?
Hell kill you next.
I mean, that is unless
you get me out of here now.
Then he might let you live.
Jennifer,
listen to me carefully.
I dont lose. I wont lose.
Im never letting you go.
I own you.
And I will drain you
of your money, your comfort
and your self-respect.
Not because I want to,
not because Ill enjoy it
or because I planned for it,
but because your people
didnt play by the rules.
You wanna beat me?
Well, come at me fair and square.
You get me in a courtroom.
You outplay me.
You dont bring guns
into a care home.
You dont murder
one of my friends.
This is your life now, Jennifer.
You are just another
old lady in a care home,
with dementia,
with incontinence,
with arthritis.
With no one.
Except me.
Jennifer,
or whoever the hell
you really are...
youre gonna die in here.
Alone and in terrible pain.
Hey! Let her go!
Come on. Come on.
There you go. Let her go.
Nice and easy.
[Jennifer]
Dont. Shes the one.
[judge] Good Lord.
Marla, are you okay?
- Did she hurt you?
- Only superficially.
I got lucky.
But what about next time?
As you can see, her mental health
has severely deteriorated.
As this doctors note describes,
Miss Peterson has become
delusional, paranoid
and violent.
Shes a danger to others
and herself.
And her doctor and I recommend
that she be moved immediately
to a secure psychiatric facility
where her needs will be
more adequately taken care of.
I agree.
Dont worry.
This belong
to one of your wards?
I just need
an approximate valuation, Vee.
Its a real nice stone, not the usual
dog shit people bring in.
What are we talking retail?
Mm, 175, maybe 200 grand.
Its a nice one.
You mind holding on to it,
keep it in your safe?
- Is it trouble?
- Oh, no.
No, I have some errands to run.
I dont want it in my purse
all day.
Thanks.
Fran says hello. Oh, she told me
to ask after your brother Mikey.
- Mikey?
- Yeah. He still in the trade?
Why? You need a fence
for this?
In the future, maybe.
Michael still moves stuff
here and there.
Good to know.
Hey, howd it go?
Did she take the bait on Mikey?
Oh, yeah.
He may be a solution.
- Good.
- Hey.
- Did you pack our passports?
- Passports.
Fuck.
Shit, baby. No, I didnt.
Didnt you?
- Fuck. No.
- Im close to the house.
I can go pick them up
if you want me to.
I think we should have them
just in case.
- But be careful.
- Okay.
- See you back at the place?
- Yeah, okay.
- Okay.
- Bye.
[gasps]
What happened?
Oh, my God. Are you okay?
- I dont know. I think somebody...
- Oh, my God.
[rattling]
Hello, Marla Grayson.
I dont like you.
You only just met me.
You know, you remind me of someone
I knew when I was younger.
She was fiery, like you.
Amusing, confident.
Uncooperative.
I cut all her fingers off
with a bread knife.
Shes buried underneath
a Jimmy Johns now.
Dont underestimate me.
Who are you?
A dangerous man.
It says that on
your business card?
You should be scared right now.
Why? Are you gonna make
another big fucking speech?
Ow!
Ow. Jesus fucking Christ.
You stole something from me.
Something more than an old lady.
You know what Im talking about.
Right now I have men searching
for what you stole.
They are tearing apart
your office, your home.
And if they do not find
what theyre looking for,
I will tear you apart until
you tell me where they are.
Do you recognize that woman?
Thats your mother, isnt it?
After I destroy you,
I will destroy her.
Go ahead. I dont give a shit
about that fucking sociopath.
You know, I...
I dont like being angry.
I much prefer to be calm.
But you... have compromised a life
I spent years carefully building.
Do you know who I am?
No, but I think I can guess.
Youre either Nicholas Ignatyev
or Roman Lunyov.
My bet is youre Roman, cause you seem
more like a boss than a soldier.
So, you faked your own death
and then were afraid your Cleveland friends
would use your mother to flush you out,
so you turned her
into Jennifer Peterson.
Im going to kill you now.
Okay.
Youre not afraid of death?
Do you remember
how scary it was in 1807?
[scoffs] No, me neither
because I wasnt alive yet.
Itll feel the same way
when Im dead.
Not even nothing.
Why be scared of that?
Anyway, you dont need
to kill me.
When you sent that lawyer
with a case full of money,
your instinct was right,
Im willing to be bought off.
Your man just came in too low.
- Do you have a figure in mind?
- Yeah.
I want $10 million.
Of course you do.
You are... brave, Miss Grayson.
Stupid, but brave.
Well, to make it in this country,
you need to be brave.
And stupid and ruthless
and focused.
Because playing fair, being scared,
that gets you nowhere.
That gets you beat.
You know that.
And I wanna be rich, Mr. Lunyov.
I wanna be very...
fucking rich.
And my bet is that $10 million,
thats not such a big deal for you.
But for me, thats a start.
Thats enough to be able
to use money as a weapon,
like a bludgeon,
the way real rich people do.
Thats what I want.
- You hold no cards.
- I have your mother and your diamonds.
Ive made sure that if I die,
youll never see those diamonds
and itll be so... complicated
to extricate your mother
from her situation...
that itll take years
before she sees freedom.
If she even lives that long.
Just pay me off.
Its the easiest way.
Get rid of her.
- [whimpering]
- Make sure it looks organic.
[muffled screaming]
[door beeping]
[doors beeping]
[screaming]
[gasping]
[gasping continues]
[panting]
[angry screaming]
[grunting]
["System Addict" playing]
Never would believe it
This cant be happening
Boxes that go beep
Little lights that leap
Tapping on a keyboard
Whats happening to me?
And when the electricity
Starts to flow
The fuse thats on my sanity
Got to blow
System addict
I never can get enough
System addict
You got a pay phone?
Ill give you $50 if youll let me
make a call on your cell.
[line ringing]
Hey, its Fran.
Leave a message.
Can you call me a cab?
[glass breaking]
[gas hissing]
[coughs]
Oh, Fran!
Oh, baby! No!
Oh, thank God.
Oh.
[coughs]
[coughs]
[grunting]
[Fran coughs]
Fran?
Fran.
Marla.
I thought...
I thought...
I thought we were dead.
No, were alive, hon.
[Fran coughs]
[car alarm blaring]
- Im scared.
- Im so fucking sorry.
Im so sorry.
Its okay.
[car door closes]
[door opens]
How are you feeling?
[groans softly]
Feeling better.
Whats that, Marla?
Its the license plate of the car
our Russian friend was driving.
Fran, say the word
and were gone.
We start again somewhere new.
Just us.
And do what?
Hmm?
We lost everything.
Not quite everything.
We can take them and run.
Or you can make a call
and get me the address
that that license
is registered to.
If we run, well always be
looking over our shoulders.
Well always be waiting
for him to find us.
Isnt it better
to finish this now?
You have a plan?
I do.
Will it work?
I dont know.
Give me the phone.
[dialing]
[Fran] Okay, here we are.
This is the address
for plate F8T 444.
[Marla] That one?
- Yeah.
- He cant live here.
Maybe the plate was stolen.
No, the plate definitely
matched a black Yukon.
Go around the back.
I wanna get a closer look.
[car beeps]
[car starts]
[knocks]
Its not him, its his driver.
Go. Hes on the move.
There. Follow him.
Hes pulling up.
- [knocking on door]
- [door opens]
[man]
Sir, your car is downstairs.
Be careful.
Hi. Uh... I have
an appointment with, uh...
Mr. Naylor
at Galen and Hersch.
Its on the third floor,
I think.
Im actually a little early.
Uh, is there a restroom
I could use while Im waiting?
Sure. Right around this corner
and to your left.
Thanks.
Hi. Can you help me?
I think Im on
totally the wrong level,
and I cant find the exit.
Is this B1?
This is level 2. The exits back
that way around the corner.
Cant I use that elevator?
Thats a private elev...
[groaning]
Where is Jackson?
- Hello again.
- [screams]
Sir?
Hey! [grunting]
Is he in there?
Lying in a pool
of his own urine.
[Marla sighs]
You wanna go get rid of him?
Lead the way.
[Marla] How much do you think
he weighs? A hundred pounds?
[Fran] 110, yeah.
[Fran]
Sleep tight, motherfucker.
[door opens, closes]
[birds chirping]
[siren wailing]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[monitor beeping]
[slurping]
[slurping]
There you are.
How are you feeling?
[soft grunt]
Dont try to talk.
You have a tube in your throat.
See that?
Youre a John Doe.
You nearly died of an overdose.
Youre lucky
they found you in time.
You wanna hear
an interesting fact?
When an incapacitated
John Doe is found,
the state automatically
appoints them a legal guardian
to oversee their treatment
and welfare.
You know where
this is going, right?
Im now your legal guardian.
I got you, John Doe.
I can do whatever
I want with you.
Lets find a nurse to get
that tube out of your throat
so you can arrange for $10 million
to be moved into my account.
[chimes]
Ding-dong.
[Marla]
Hows the throat?
[Roman]
Still painful.
[Marla]
I know you dont like losing.
But as your guardian, I suggest
you swallow your pride and pay me off.
You can have your mother,
your diamonds, your freedom.
Youll never see me again.
[Roman]
Even if I pay you off,
are you not afraid
Ill still kill you?
Im not afraid, no.
- I can make it happen easily.
- I know.
But I could just as easily kill you
if this thing continues any longer.
Okay.
- Okay?
- Lets end this now.
Ill give you the $10 million.
I can arrange that.
- However...
- However?
Id like to propose
an alternative.
Instead of me giving you
$10 million...
we become partners,
go into business together.
- Are you fucking with me?
- No, Im serious.
I mean... I hate you...
but, oh,
the money we could make.
Youre a rare person, Marla.
Your determination is...
Frankly, its scary.
But this guardianship grift,
its ripe,
but right now
its small potatoes.
I propose we create a monster...
a countrywide
guardianship corporation,
with you as CEO and co-owner.
Use my money, use your...
skills.
Destroy the competition.
Take control
of the entire market.
You wanna start
a company with me?
Not just one company,
a corporation with 80 different companies,
all registered offshore,
charging each other invoices,
burying profit.
A real estate arm, a legal arm,
a training arm,
a medical arm,
a pharmaceutical arm.
- Our own chain of care homes.
- Exactly.
With thousands of guardians
working for us.
With hundreds of thousands
of wards in our care.
That way, you win.
But I win too.
And we make each other
billions of dollars.
Legally.
Mostly.
What about the diamonds?
Fuck the diamonds.
Split them, 50-50.
How do we trust each other?
If we make each other rich,
the trust will follow.
So, are you in?
["Blood On The Motorway" plays]
[Marla] Every fortune ever accumulated
started with a leap of faith.
But before you take that leap...
first take a long,
hard look at yourself.
Know who you are.
[no audible dialogue]
Ask yourself:
am I an insider?
Or am I an outsider?
Am I a lamb?
Or am I a lion?
Am I a predator?
Or am I prey?
Am I good at money?
Or am I good at people?
What am I willing to sacrifice
to achieve my dreams?
Marla Grayson, CEO and founder.
[Marla]
What lines will I not cross?
Dont try to be anyone else.
Just know who you are
and use that to your advantage.
[Peter]
So, who are you?
[Marla] Me?
Im just someone who cares.
Have not betrayed
Your ideals
Your ideals betrayed you
[Peter]
So, are you lion or a lamb?
What are you gonna do?
[Marla] Im a lioness.
And I will do
whatever I need to do
to protect the people
I care about.
Your tongue barely speaks
[Peter] Youve had amazing success
in such a short period of time.
Marla, whats your secret?
Whoo! Whoo!
There is no secret, Peter.
All it takes is hard work
and the courage and
determination to never give up.
[revving]
Let the changes in
Come on
[Peter]
So now you are a rich woman.
How much are you worth?
How much do you have in the bank?
[Fran] You were great.
[groans] My cheeks are aching
from forcing that smile for so long.
I havent counted recently.
But you are firmly in the top slice
of the one percent.
- What should we do now?
- Whatever the fuck we want.
[Feldstrom]
Hey, bitch!
And youre still only 39.
That must feel good.
Hey, bitch!
[both chuckle]
- Oh, listen. I dont have time...
- Marla!
[Fran]
No! Security!
My mom died!
[Fran] Help! Help!
You never let me see her!
She died in there alone! You fucking bitch!
- Drop the weapon!
- Fucking bitch!
Someone call help! Marla?
Baby, youre gonna be fine.
No, no, no.
Look at me, baby.
Look at me. Look at me.
Listen to me. Youre gonna be fine.
Youre gonna be fine. Marla?
Help. Help!
Marla.
No, Marla!
[crying]
No, no, no, no, no.
- [Peter] So, with all the success...
- [Fran] Help!
...are you still ambitious?
Are there dreams
you still wanna achieve?
[sirens wailing]
Peter, I am only
just getting started.
[Peter] Marla Grayson, CEO and founder
of Grayson Guardianships,
thank you.
Thanks. Its been fun.