So Help Me Todd (2022) s01e01 Episode Script
Pilot
1
(MUZAK PLAYING)
Case log A275.
21st and Johnson, corner grocery.
SUBJECT: Betty Hogenson.
Turning down aisle nine.
Approaching in five, four,
three, two
Ooh, hi. Sorry. Sorry.
Uh, the, uh
Behind you, up there. The Oat Mix Plus.
Can you grab me one of those, please?
Sure.
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
Thank you very much.
You've been assessed
and photographed for
OreMark Cross insurance.
My name is Todd Wright,
- and I'm assigned your case.
- Wait. What's going on?
- Are you a lawyer?
- Uh, no. Private detective.
Well, I was. Now I'm doing this.
You are not wearing your neck brace,
you are clearly fine,
but you are still collecting disability
from your employer,
the Portland Airport,
where you were injured while vacuuming?
I really need that money.
I'm sorry, it's just my job.
I need money, too.
- Okay?
- Mom?
Can we get these with the SNAP card?
Please, Mommy?
BETTY: Please.
All right. Delete photos.
But you have to go back
to work at the airport.
Soon. Okay?
And wear your neck brace.
Yes, I will. Thank you.
And don't get that cereal,
okay? It rots your teeth.
And the prizes inside are total junk.
♪
Look, if you don't
pay some sort of rent,
I'm gonna get grief from Mom.
This is how you put away the hose?
It's coiled.
And why is a tiny little room
- in your garage her concern?
- (PHONE RINGING)
She doesn't want you
freeloading off of Chuck and me.
(MUTES PHONE)
Yeah, that's why I'm paying rent.
Or why I will. Next week, half.
- (PHONE RINGING)
- A third.
Mom. Hello.
MARGARET: Put your brother on the phone.
No. Allison, say I'm not here. I
- You're here.
- Hello. What? Hi.
I'm not speaking to you.
You are coming to my new condo tonight,
and you are picking up
all the boxes of crap
that you left in your old room
that I have now paid good
money to haul across the city.
Yeah, tonight's not great, actually,
and as you well know, I don't have
a lot of room over here.
You can jam some stuff in our basement.
No, no, no, no, no, Todd,
you are not turning
Allison's house into a dump,
- like you did mine.
- (ALLISON MUTTERS)
I turned your home into
a dump with three boxes?
It is four boxes, and
your sister and her husband
have done enough for you already.
Good God, Todd!
Careening through life, making
the rest of us pick up the pieces.
- You still owe me $9,000.
- (FACETIME BEEPS)
Mom, you hit the FaceTime button.
I did not. I can hear you perfectly.
Yes, and I can see you. You're on video.
No, I am Oh.
Well, okay.
I need for you to put together a plan
to live an adult,
financially solvent life.
Great. And I think that plan
begins with not talking to you
when things are super crappy for me.
God, I lost my job.
Two years ago.
And that is a mess
you walked right into.
How is this helpful?
A-and should you really be
FaceTiming while driving?
I am in the parking lot of Best Buy,
picking up my new television set.
Oh, congrats. Must be nice.
Guess you don't really
need that $9,000 back, huh?
Good God. I have to get to work,
but you will pick up your boxes tonight.
Oh
♪
Have you lost your mind yet? ♪
To get free tonight ♪
Are we wrapping this couch in plastic?
I have no idea. Ask the owner,
whatever his name is. Uh, Harry.
Oh, there he is. Excuse me, sir.
Are we wrapping this couch?
Sir?
We wrapping this couch? Excuse me.
Hello? Hello?! Where's he going?
Get free tonight ♪
- Are Kim's family here yet?
- Yep.
- Got 'em in conference room B.
- Okay.
- And the girlfriend's with them.
- Oh.
Oh, by the way, the father
is very crotchety today.
Of course he is, they've
been stewing for two weeks.
(MUTTERING): Did they
wrap the gray couch?
Hello? Harry, where are you?
Good afternoon. Kim,
how are we doing today?
I just want this whole
thing to be over with.
This delay has been awful.
Did the prosecutor
recover from his thing?
The concussion?
The trial will resume
on Monday, as planned.
- Just three more days.
- My daughter's life is in your hands, Margaret.
I will do everything I
can to clear her name.
But right now,
we need to refocus
and go over all of our
testimonies. You ready?
I didn't kill him.
Let's prove that to the jury.
And Kim's ankle monitor will be updated
- so she can go to court Monday.
- Okay.
Good God.
Nadia should be working from home.
She's still looking for
witnesses who saw Kim on the bus.
She is gonna have that baby
all over this brand-new carpeting.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
Uh, I'm paying you back.
I could give you $1,000
a month for nine months,
but don't cash it until
Mom?
Mom, are you okay?
Harry has
I think Harry has
I came here after work,
and he wasn't here.
And I thought maybe he was back
at the old house with the movers.
But he-he never came.
It's 10:00.
Okay, well, maybe he's
been in a car accident.
- We should call the police.
- He disconnected his phone.
And I got to looking around, and, um,
the only thing that he
took was a small suitcase
and his laptop and
(GASPS) Oh, my God.
That All He's
taken all of his pills.
That box was full of his medications.
Wait. What medications?
TODD: Did you know that
Harry has Parkinson's disease?
Yes, I knew.
What do you mean "disappeared"?
He's disconnected his phone.
Wait, you knew?
You knew, and I didn't?
You have been fighting
with Mom for two years.
- How long has he been gone?
- Uh
Five or six hours.
Todd
Harry's father killed himself.
Like, 20 years ago, he was
diagnosed with brain cancer,
and he couldn't deal with it, so he
he jumped off the Fremont Bridge.
WOMAN (OVER P.A.): Dr. Wright to
the ICU. Dr. Wright to the ICU.
ALLISON: Todd, I'm sorry,
I I'm being paged.
I'll call you back as soon as I can.
(CALL BEEPS OFF)
Okay, no.
This isn't happening.
This is crazy. This is bananas.
He's not just gonna disappear on you.
Todd, Harry might've gone off to
No, no, no, no. Wh-wh-why
take a-all of your medications
if your plan is to off
yourself? And his laptop?
No, no. This isn't that.
Okay? This is something
else, and we're not gonna
let him get away with it. I'm not.
All right, uh, okay.
D-does he have a credit
card that's just his?
I-I need, I need a receipt
for something that he bought.
The new TV.
Maybe the receipt is
taped up there on the top.
3752. Okay, that's an Amex card.
Uh, call American Express
from my address book.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Call Amex
late payment department.
No, no, no, no.
Just call regular Amex customer service.
- (PHONE BEEPS, DIALS)
- What?
- Okay, I need Harry's social security number
- (LINE RINGING)
date and city of birth,
and mother's maiden name.
Just write it down.
- Right here, right now. Go.
- Okay. Okay.
AMEX OPERATOR: Good
evening. American Express.
Oh, yes, hi, hello, good evening.
This is Harry McDonald, and I just need
some information about
my recent purchases.
- Todd, this is illegal.
- AMEX OPERATOR: Just a moment, sir.
This is identity theft.
Want me to play by the rules,
or you want me to find your husband?
- (CELL PHONE RINGS)
- Oh. Hello?
- Mom
- Oh, no, no, no. I can't talk ri
What? Oh.
My investigator Nadia, her water broke.
Mom, get off the phone.
Oh, uh, uh, uh, I I I No.
Just, whatever info you
have, email it to my phone,
- and I
- You don't have to say, "Email it to your phone."
If you get email on your phone,
it just goes to your phone.
AMEX OPERATOR: Mr. McDonald,
I'll need your birthdate
and your mother's
maiden name to continue.
Uh, yes, oh, yes, of course. Uh, 8/21/59
- and, uh, Bottlethwaite.
- AMEX OPERATOR: And it looks like
you've recently moved and changed your
home address to the one in Gresham.
Um no, I did not move to Gresham.
That's 45 minutes from here.
What address do you have?
AMEX OPERATOR: I'm sorry, I
can't give you that information.
Unless (SIGHS)
AMEX OPERATOR: you
can verify that you are,
in fact, Harry McDonald.
Yes, damn it, I am Harry McDonald.
Born in Houston, Texas.
Social security: 913-86-1536.
And I just bought a TV from Best Buy
for $1,347. What the hell am I doing?
AMEX OPERATOR: Mr. McDonald,
the address I have for you is
1683 South East Carnola
Way, Gresham, 97030.
But now I'll need to
bring on a security adv
(GASPS) Todd.
Don't hang up. Now they might
contact the police or something.
Great. Let them.
Harry is missing. The
police can help us find him.
But then what do we do now?
Now, we drive to Gresham
to find your husband.
♪
It's empty.
Looked in all the windows.
No furniture, nothing.
- I could probably pick the lock in back, but
- No.
Todd, no. That's criminal.
Six months minimum.
While you were gone,
I was picturing him in there.
What if he hung himself in that garage?
Like Bradley Coopman
in that Madonna movie,
Starborn.
Like Bradley Cooper
in the Lady Gaga movie A Star Is Born?
And why would he send his bills
to a house where he's dead?
That doesn't make any sense.
(PHONE RINGING)
- It's Allison.
- Don't answer that.
I don't want anyone in the
family to know what's going on.
You know I'm in the family, right?
- Hang up.
- Fine.
- So, what do we do now?
- (SIGHS)
Sit here? Waiting?
We have no other leads,
he is linked to this house,
and he has to sleep somewhere tonight.
(SMACKS LIPS)
(SMACKS LIPS)
MARGARET: This is insane.
I mean, this seat is filthy. (STAMMERS)
What is all this junk
down here at my feet?
Is that a telescope?
It's a lens for a camera, a long lens.
Todd, without your license,
you are not allowed to
work as a private detective
- in the state of
- Yes, I know that. Thank you very much, Mother.
I am just finding
people and taking photos
for health insurance
companies, okay? Pays the bills.
- Almost.
- Well, I had hoped
that you would get out
of this field altogether,
considering the amount of
trouble you got yourself into.
Mom, I am a private detective.
- You were.
- It is all I've ever wanted to be.
You gave me that copy of
Harriet the Spy when I was nine,
and I am very, very good at this job.
- Well
- And if it weren't for me,
you would still be in
your empty condo alone
with no idea where your husband is.
As opposed to where we are,
which is nowhere.
(ELECTRIC RECLINER HUMMING)
(OWL HOOTING)
(CAT YOWLING)
TODD: Who was having
a baby on the phone?
Oh, that's Nadia.
- She's the investigator on my current case.
- Oh.
- You remember my sorority sister Celia?
- No.
And her daughter Kim.
- No.
- Todd, Kim.
We tried to set you up with her once,
but she thought you were weird.
She has now been accused
of murdering her boss.
Oh. Oh, great. That's nice.
He sexually assaulted her
at the office Christmas party.
- Oh.
- Anyway,
the boss leaves the
party a few hours later,
goes to the rooftop
of a nearby parking garage,
and is shot to death sitting in his car.
Oh. But she didn't do it?
No forensic evidence,
no gunpowder, nothing.
Though she did own a gun once.
- Oh.
- But she lost it two years ago when
she moved back in with her parents.
In any event, we're trying
to nail down witnesses
who saw her on the bus
before the trial resumes on Monday.
- Resumes?
- Yes.
The state prosecutor fell
down the stairs in his home
and gave himself a serious concussion.
So the judge granted them
a two-week continuance.
He has a serious concussion
- and he's coming back to work in two weeks?
- Yes.
I've tracked down a
few concussed people,
and if you've really got one,
you're on strict bed
rest for a month, minimum.
So the state prosecutor is a liar.
What's the name of this concussion guy?
- Christopher Barrett.
- Christopher Barrett.
Wait, so you're gonna look him
up on your phone. Wonderful.
- Your generation is addicted to your devices.
- Mr. Barrett. Oh.
- His daughter
- Try to solve everything through apps, and
Who has a TikTok, of course.
- then beepMo and podcasts.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh. Oh, yes. There.
- Oh, God,
- I cannot keep my eyes open.
- Oh, hello,
- Mr. Serious Concussion Man.
- How do you ignore the odor in this car?
Mom, take a look at this.
What is this? What is she doing?
Is that Tok-Tok?
Is that him?
That's him exercising, what's that,
six, seven, eight days ago?
Looks fine to me.
But then, this is a lie.
If he is not injured,
then they are stalling.
They are waiting for a piece of evidence
that they don't have, so that they
We have to get down to
the courthouse right now.
Start the car. Oh, my God,
it's 2:00 in the morning.
Oh, God, but then who's gonna stay here
to watch the house for Harry?
Here, hold this.
These burners could be our eyes.
Disposable phones, Mom.
TODD: This place is closed.
MARGARET: But by law,
the records room has to
be attended 24 hours a day,
and, if you play your cards right,
you just might get in there.
Damn it.
Okay, you stay here,
I'll go around front.
Can I help you?
Uh, yes. I am Inspector Clip
with the Portland Gas Company,
and someone has reported
a leak in the records room,
so I just need access to
that so I can check on it.
A gas leak?
- Mm-hmm.
- MARGARET: Todd.
What are you doing?
- How are you, Jenny dear?
- Hi.
- The, uh, new guard let me in.
- Uh-huh.
- Edgar.
- Mm-hmm.
Will you please let us
into the records room?
I have a pressing matter.
And this is my son Todd.
Hi.
MARGARET: I must have spent
years of my life down here
filing and sorting briefs.
Once I passed the bar,
I got my nails done
and swore I'd never break
another one pulling files.
Ah, found it. Right here.
Okay, bring it.
All right, so this is my case.
Now, I want you to flip to
the evidence log in the back.
How many pieces of evidence
have been logged and tagged?
It's the back flap, yes? Red box.
- Nine.
- Nine, okay, same here.
Maybe not new evidence.
Try the front flap, gray
box. How many witnesses?
Witnesses 15.
- Fifteen or 50?
- Fifteen.
- One, five. Fifteen.
- Okay.
13, 14, 15.
Sixteen.
They're introducing a new witness.
- Isn't that something that happens?
- Yes.
But they're required to file
weeks in advance, and inform me.
Witness OA1
They must have found someone
after the start of the trial,
and they're filing in secret
because they don't want me
to find out and block it.
So, like, someone who saw her kill him.
She didn't kill him, Todd.
Okay, someone who thinks
they saw her kill him.
Witness OA16.
"Witness in possession of
a Vex800-MP9." What is
MP9 is a kind of digital video file.
Like, from a security camera.
So they have a new
witness who has a video
of something bad for you.
Something bad enough to
make them fake an injury
and slow down the case.
Are you sure she didn't kill him?
- (ALARM SOUNDING)
- (GASPS)
Todd Wait, Todd. What did you touch?
That's not me. I don't
Oh, wait, no, that's my phone.
It's the burners. The
cameras that we left.
There's activity at that house.
(GASPS) Who was that? Was that Harry?
He's locking the door.
What does he have in his hands?
- What is that?
- It's a baby.
TODD: That's not Harry.
Who the hell was that?
Our in-house investigator,
Lyle, who is remarkably precise,
is right down there.
He can get you access
to the RMLS website,
and maybe you can find out more about
that house that Harry
In Gresham.
Mom, it's okay.
I'll find him, I promise.
No, no. I am fine.
Kim will be here any minute,
and I do not let my personal
life interfere with my work.
The way I'm slippin' away ♪
I turn my feelings on ♪
You made me untouchable ♪
Hey. Morning.
Ooh.
And you wasn't polite ♪
Hey, are you Lyle?
I need access to the RMLS
property info database.
And you are?
Todd. Wright.
My mother Margaret Wright
is a partner here, so
- she's basically your boss.
- (CHUCKLES)
Your mother is not my boss.
I'm an employee of the firm,
answering only to the
bylaws of the corporation.
None of us share investigative
database access with nonemployees.
- Okay.
- Nor with former investigators
stripped of their licenses
following criminal charges
for illegal wiretapping and forgery.
I had nothing to do with the forgery.
Oh, I remember your defense.
You were seduced and
deceived by your mentor.
You thought you were equal partners
in your little detective agency,
and you had no idea she was making you
the fall guy for her
criminal activities.
Yeah. That's right.
Well, your mother could
keep you out of jail,
but she can't force you in my office.
- Good day.
- Look,
I just need information about a house.
It's personal, for my mom.
Personal searches are
strictly forbidden.
And so is eating in my
office. Crumbs. Get out!
(VACUUM WHINING)
(SIGHS HEAVILY)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Oh, my God. Todd.
Hi.
Susan. Hi.
You work for my mother?
I work with your mother.
Wow, I haven't seen you since we
We? Since you. I mean, I didn't
- Okay, since I
- I would never. You were the
Well, it ended.
I didn't
You're married.
Oh, engaged, just last month.
- Peter.
- Peter. Cool.
You know, I have to
tell you that your mom is
such a wonderful woman.
She's so encouraging and supportive.
- Uh, okay.
- (DOOR SHUTS)
Hey, listen,
maybe you'd be willing to
do my mother a little favor.
You see, uh, there's
this house in Gresham
NIKI: Kim is my girlfriend.
Her house arrest should be at my place.
She says you just cry
and he's yelling all day.
Who the hell do you think you are?
She's my daughter, damn it.
KIM: Can both of you
please stop fighting?
Walter, Niki,
go somewhere else, please.
CELIA: They're just upset.
WALTER: Just don't say
anything. Come with me.
MARGARET: Just relax, Kim, relax.
(WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)
MARGARET: It's all gonna be fine,
I promise you.
Take a deep breath, all right?
(GRUNTS)
Just, uh
NIKI (OVER EARBUD): I
only wanted to protect her.
WALTER (OVER EARBUD): And
that is our secret, okay?
If anyone can get her off, it's
this bitch lawyer that Celia hired.
- Just keep it
- (DOOR OPENS)
Good morning.
I want to thank you
all for coming back in
on such short notice.
I have discovered that the
prosecution has a new witness.
(OVER EARBUD): And
this witness may possess
security camera footage
that incriminates Kim.
Now, Kim, we've been
through this many times,
but when you left the party, did you go
straight to the bus stop,
- or did you go into or near any buildings?
- No.
She was home by 12:30, Mar.
I heard her come in.
Is there any chance anyone saw you
with a gun that night?
- I know you lost your gun
- Two years ago.
(OVER EARBUD): My God,
what is going on here?
I am the victim, not him.
Oh, here you are.
- Hi.
- Hi. I got the info that you wanted.
That house is a rental owned by
Lodging and Rental Incorporated.
- Thank you.
- That's their info.
Is it really for your mom?
Yeah.
- Mm.
- Absolutely.
No, no, I'm helping her
You just needed me to get
around Lyle, didn't you?
Yeah, just kind of put me in
an awkward position with him.
Well, I'm sorry, I
I lost my PI license,
and I can't run my
own municipal searches.
But you like to
- Play by the rules.
- Yeah. Right. And I'm
Oh, uh, no, no, no, don't, don't.
- I'm not, uh, that's
- (INDISTINCT VOICES OVER EARBUD)
That's not I'm not, um
Can I just I'm sorry.
- Thank you. No. No, thank you.
- I'm just gonna go back to Bye.
Susan, wait. (SIGHS)
Hey, Mom, I got the info
on that Gresham house.
- (GASPS) Oh.
- The man we saw, "Tomas," is the landlord.
He lives down the street.
He's married to Rosa,
and I found her on Instagram
holding their newborn baby.
So he was probably out for a walk
- trying to get the baby back to sleep.
- Yeah.
And maybe dropping off something
for his new tenant, Harry.
Anyway, I just left a
voice mail for Tomas.
And by the way, I noticed
that you have photos
of Allison and Lawrence on
your desk, but none of me.
So thank you.
Todd, those are your
siblings' wedding photos.
- Get married and I'll be glad to include you.
- (PHONE VIBRATES)
(SCOFFS) Allison has
called me four times
since I was in my meeting.
I wonder what's going on.
Oh, well, she knows.
I told her about Harry before
you told me not to tell anybody.
Anyway, she would like both of us
to come over for dinner tonight.
She invited you for family dinner?
Oh, hi, Mom. Chuck, they're here.
- Mom, I'm I don't even know what to say.
- I know.
Come on in, please, please, please.
- Yeah.
- Hey. So Harry just disappeared in the night
to go kill himself?
(HARSH WHISPER): Chuck.
What are you doing?
It was just a question.
- Why would you say that?
- Coat, please.
- No, I don't need a hug.
- Um
Why would you say that? Todd,
would you shut the door, please?
- Why are you giving this to me?
- Oh. Wait. Actually, no, don't.
- Hi, Chet. Perfect timing.
- Hey.
- I'm just gonna murder everybody.
- Oh.
Where's your invisible husband Lawrence?
Well, he can't make it.
- Your brother's a busy guy.
- To be expected.
Your daddy's working?
And this daddy needs a beer.
Okay. I just
ALLISON: Todd, shut the door.
I'm holding a human being.
TODD: You've been having
family dinner without me?
Without Uncle Todd?
Every week? You dinner? No me?
ALLISON: Mom, again,
Chuck and I are so sorry
to hear this crazy, awful news.
And we will do whatever
we can to support you.
Allison, thank you.
Um, it is nice to have my whole
family together at this time.
Well, almost whole. Uh,
is your brother com
Chet, is Lawrence coming?
No. Unfortunately, he's
still stuck in Hood River
dealing with the flood.
Oh, of course, of course.
His job is very important.
He is the chief of staff
for the governor of Oregon.
(MARGARET CHUCKLES)
Allison, is this the
only wine that we have?
What about that nice bottle of cabernet
- I bought you for Chuck's birthday?
- Oh, yeah.
- I think we still have that.
- Oh, and, um,
maybe some nicer napkins.
- These ones are so thin.
- ALLISON: Sure. Of course.
Chuck, would you get the wine?
- But it's my cabernet.
- Chuck, please?
Okay.
Thank you.
And how is Celia's case doing?
I mean her daughter; the one
who thought Todd was weird.
MARGARET: Oh, Kim.
Well, the prosecution
is playing very dirty.
They are trying to
slide a surprise witness
- into the entire
- Niki and the dad,
they have solid alibis, right?
Yes, Todd.
- And they are not suspects.
- Okay.
And what were they? Their alibis?
What are you so suspicious of?
I just don't trust this Niki person.
Or the dad.
They were acting really weird today,
and frankly, I don't like how
they were talking about Mom.
When were they talking about me?
Well, before the meeting,
they were huddled up
and talking about protecting Kim
and their secret,
and he called you a
And how do you know this?
My phone ended up in the
I heard them, okay?
It was just a little
digital eavesdropping, and
MARGARET: You were recording
my clients' private conversation?
No, I wasn't recording
them, but I should have.
- Didn't your business partner
- But it's no big deal.
go to jail for this?
I was collecting information for you.
Todd! I think I'm gonna
take Clem upstairs.
I think we should finish
this in the living room.
How could you be so stupid?
You were spying on
- After everything I've done for you.
- Oh, come on.
I lent you money, I have
defended you in court,
and yet you are hellbent
on destroying yourself.
No, I'm not. What is
this, a German opera?
God, I have been by your side
for two whole days
while Allison's at work.
And Lawrence isn't even here, but I am.
I am here for you in your time of need.
Even though you didn't
quite do the same for me
when Dad died, did you?
Excuse me?
"I don't let my personal life
get in the way of my work."
Yeah, very clear. Very clear.
Dad dies, suddenly poof, gone.
They're off in college
and I'm at home, alone,
while you're, what, taking the bar exam,
breaking nails in the
courthouse basement?
And now you're all,
"What's wrong with you?
Why is your life always a mess?"
I mean, seriously, honestly, back then,
it was like both my parents had died.
(DOOR OPENS, SHUTS)
- It just came out.
- (PHONE CHIMES)
(TODD MUTTERS INDISTINCTLY)
(RECORDING): Hi, my
name is Tomas Garcia,
and I'm returning a call
to Todd Wingo of the FBI.
I really don't want any trouble.
You asked about Harry McDonald,
but I don't know who that is.
We do have a rental in Gresham,
but our new tenant is not him.
Our new tenant is actually a magician,
Morris the Magnificent.
A magician?
ALLISON: So this magician has a shop?
TODD: Apparently.
Thank you for driving me.
My car just needs a new engine.
Why are you still looking for Harry
- if you're so mad at Mom?
- I'm not looking for her,
I'm looking for me.
I just want to know where he is
and what the hell he thinks he's doing.
You never liked him.
Yeah, well, neither did you.
I liked him for Mom.
They were happy, I guess. I don't know.
Marriage is complicated.
(SIGHS)
Are you and Chuck okay?
Yeah. Why?
You seemed kind of
upset with him at dinner,
when Mom was ordering you around.
Chuck is Chuck.
And it's just easier
to let Mom have her way.
You should have learned that by now.
Yeah, but once you let her
choose the wine and napkins,
then she's choosing your career,
your clothes, your house.
I mean, where do you end up?
You end up an ER doctor,
married to Chuck.
Yeah, well, I'm not doing this for her.
I'm doing it for me.
Thanks for the ride.
(CAR PULLS AWAY)
"Beloved local magician
Morris the Magnificent
presumed lost at sea."
What?
"Disappeared off cruise ship
after terminal cancer diagnosis."
So he's declared dead two months ago,
and now he's renting a house in Gresham?
- That is magic.
- (LOUD THUD)
(SIGHS)
Someone's coming to get this.
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
Text Mom.
Multnomah Parking Garage.
That's that's where
Kim's boss got shot, right?
Okay.
Gets out of the elevator.
He parked here
under the broken cameras.
Doesn't see who's hiding over there.
Gets into his car blammo!
(SIGHS)
The convention center.
Huh.
NIKI (ON VIDEO): She gets so depressed
I thought she might hurt
herself or do something.
Mom, I know who witness
OA16 is, or might be.
I went by the convention
center and spoke to Bob, and,
night of the murder,
huge expo for this company
that makes those little cameras
that go on your dashboard.
Anyway, bunch of people in
town from foreign factories.
So maybe some German guy came into town,
puts the device in his rental car.
But convention center
parking was full that night,
so he had to park in the overflow lot
the murder lot.
And his little dash cam,
which uses MP9 files,
like it said on that form,
happened to catch
footage of the murderer.
Huge job to contact all those drivers,
so maybe they didn't
hear back from Germany
until after the trial starts,
and then, oop, gotta stall
because suddenly here's footage of
Niki blazing away with Kim's gun.
Todd,
if the prosecution had video
of Niki murdering someone,
they wouldn't be proceeding
with a case against Kim.
(SNAPS FINGERS)
You're right. My theory
was only half-cocked.
Everything about you is half-cocked.
But (SIGHS) Niki and the
dad are guilty of something.
- (COMPUTER BEEPING)
- I I know it.
What is that? What is that sound?
Ooh, ooh, ooh. It's the tNAB, my tNAB.
It's a little tracking device.
I put it inside that
box, and it's-it's moving.
Oh, it's going up Vista.
It's turning on Fairmont.
Look, Mom,
it's the perishable box
of the dead magician.
- MARGARET: And we're following this magician where?
- To wherever he's going, okay?
And could you speed up for once?
This is technically a car chase.
MARGARET: I will not
break the speed limit.
- TODD: You're going under the speed limit.
- (PHONE CHIMES)
(SIGHS) Wait, uh Oh, stop.
There it is.
Hmm.
- It's moving day.
- Yeah.
I'll go in there, and I'll say
we're buyers for this house,
and then you come up with, like,
- a limp, and
- No, Todd.
No more lies. It feels fraudulent.
We will tell them who
we are and what we need.
The truth.
(SIGHS)
Excuse me? Hello?
Are you "Morris the Magnificent"?
- Yes?
- TODD: You're Morris, but you're dead.
Oh, no, you must mean my
father, the original Morris.
He-he passed.
- So, there's two magicians.
- Oh.
How can I help you?
I believe you know my
husband, Harry McDonald.
Harry who?
He's having his bills sent to your
- new home in Gresham.
- LAURA: Eddie? Did you order
fresh carrots for the rabbit?
They went to the shop. Oh. Who's this?
They're looking for a Harry McDonald.
I'm sorry, I can't
divulge client information.
Client?
Client for what? Who are you?
LAURA: I'm sorry,
attorney-client privilege.
- TODD: What kind of attorney?
- LAURA: End of life.
- Estate planning. I really shouldn't say anything more.
- TODD: Wait, so he's getting all
of his bills sent to you?
A-a-and where is he?
Is he already dead?
We are so sorry to bother you.
Thank you very much. Let's go, Todd.
I was just getting
somewhere with that woman.
Just get in the car, just stop
talking. Get in the car, please.
And smile. Just smile like we're happy
- we were here.
- You look insane right now, Mom.
Why are you acting crazy?
It's Harry's laptop.
I found it in a box marked "Goodwill,"
along with a-a pair of his shoes
and a shirt that I recognized.
They're giving away all of his things,
So, you don't want me lying,
but it's okay for you to
steal from the Goodwill?
Just open it.
Find out where he is.
Track him. Do your thing.
- Do it.
- Mom, it's a laptop, not a crystal ball.
- Do it!
- And he probably already
See, he already deleted all his files.
But I'll bet he forgot to
wipe all his stored passwords.
Yeah, here we go, still
has all his passwords,
but maybe his junk mail folder
A-ha. "Walk-in bathtub,
increase libido, goodbye belly fat "
"Frequent flyer."
He booked a flight with miles.
What?
- Where is he going?
- It doesn't say.
It's just some junk
receipt from his credit card
for redeemed miles. That's it.
Well, wait, wait, what are
all those little numbers there
down at the bottom by the barcode?
I don't know, that might be
Wait, that's the date
of his flight. 9/26/22.
That's tomorrow, Monday,
and 10:10 a.m. is his departure time,
so he'll be at the airport
tomorrow morning at 10:10 a.m.
Mom, we got him.
(SIGHS) I have to be in
court tomorrow morning.
The trial resumes at 9:00 a.m.
I might have a way for you
to be in both places at once.
♪
TODD (OVER EARBUD): Okay.
Concourse B now, still no sign of him,
and we only got nine
minutes left. Sorry.
- (GAVEL BANGS)
- JUDGE: All right, the prosecution
has a motion to introduce
Uh, what is this, Barrett?
Oh, and by the way, how are you feeling?
Oh, thank you, Your Honor.
Yes, I'm feeling much better.
MAN (OVER P.A.): Flight 256 to Iceland,
Gate 47, final boarding.
Flight 256 to Iceland,
Gate 47, final boarding.
(WATCH CHIMES)
"Bucket list." Uh
We have filed to insert a crucial
new witness into the lineup.
MARGARET: Your Honor, I have to object.
This last-minute witness
is a blatant attempt to circumvent
the state's known duty to disclose
all witnesses prior to trial.
I'm sorry, I'm going to allow it.
I'm not gonna be able
to get through security.
I I don't even have a ticket.
Hey. You.
Betty Hogenson.
Oh, my God.
I'm wearing the neck brace.
No, no, no, this isn't about
that. Um, I-I need a favor,
and, uh
you owe me.
And, Mrs. Lin, would you please
tell the members of the
jury why you were here,
in Portland, on the evening
of December 10 last year?
(MRS. LIN SPEAKING CHINESE)
I was here for a work
conference. Uh Sorry,
- a convention.
- (MRS. LIN CONTINUES SPEAKING CHINESE)
STEWARDESS: Excuse me, sir?
Can I help you?
Yeah, I'm, uh, Betty with maintenance,
and I left a thing in the back
of the plane. Can I just ?
- STEWARDESS: Yeah.
- I'm just gonna
And, Mrs. Lin,
this is your portable
travel dashboard camera,
which you had with you on your trip?
You're gonna have to put that away, sir.
(SIGHS)
(GRUNTS)
Got him.
BARRETT: The video
that you're about to see
is taken from Mrs.
Lin's dashboard camera.
Now, first, we're going
to show you raw footage
of her car in the parking lot.
Is the, uh, TV ready?
Sorry, this may take a moment.
CAPTAIN (OVER EARBUD):
Please fasten your seatbelts
and prepare for departure.
Hey, what do you know?
Iceland's on my bucket list, too.
You're not dying.
I never meant to hurt her, Todd.
She doesn't have to
know about any of this.
TODD (OVER EARBUD): You stupid coward,
what are you doing?
HARRY: I'm leaving your mother.
TODD: Yeah, way ahead of you.
I'm leaving the whole world behind.
My doctors, they told me that
I only have seven to
ten years left to live.
Seven to ten years?
I don't want to live them with her.
She's too controlling, too critical.
She never let me be
who I really want to be.
I'm gonna go to Iceland and
live in a hut and farm and fish
and be naked under the stars.
It's my life, and this
is how I want to spend it.
You are a freak and an idiot.
Did you actually want my
mom to think you were dead?
And now, in an enhanced
section of the same footage,
there she is. Kim Marquette
- with a gun
- (GALLERY GASPS)
- in her hand.
- (MURMURING)
I know this will be hard on her, but
she has you, her kids.
And, Todd, let's be honest,
it's time for you to stop
this ridiculous fight with her.
Are you joking? You're telling
me how to deal with my mom?
- After you literally
- Your mother loves you.
Why do you think she spent two years
fighting the city trying
to reinstate your license?
Wait, she what?
Because she's your mother,
and she'd do anything for you.
Anything.
BARRETT: Ladies and gentleman
of the jury, as you can see,
Ms. Marquette was clearly
at the scene of the crime
the night of the murder.
SECURITY OFFICER: Sir, you need
to come with us. Let's go. (GRUNTS)
You better die in Iceland
in seven to ten years,
and don't you ever, ever come back here.
- Let's go.
- I'm sorry, Mom.
I'm so sorry.
Margaret, your witness.
Don't say a word, no matter what I do.
Trust me.
Your Honor,
in light of this
overwhelming new evidence,
my client would like to
change her plea to guilty.
- (ALARMED MURMURS)
- What?
And while we recognize
that in the state of Oregon,
first-degree murder carries
a mandatory life sentence
- What are you doing?
- I would ask
that you consider the nature
of my client's assault,
and perhaps reduce the prison sentence
to 50 or 60 years.
No.
No. She didn't do it.
That's not her, Mar.
I only meant to scare him.
And then he tried to take the gun,
and it just
I never thought they'd blame her.
I just hoped that it would save her.
You didn't mean to kill him.
I can make a jury understand that.
REPORTER (OVER RADIO): And the charges
against Kim Marquette were dropped
- as her mother was taken into custody
- (SLURPING)
following an emotional
outburst in the courtroom.
And now, for traffic and weather.
Tomorrow looking much like today,
- and as we head into the next
- (RADIO SWITCHES OFF)
You're in jail.
Worse. Airport jail.
How'd you get in here?
- You have a good lawyer.
- (CHUCKLES)
So, Niki and the dad,
what was their secret?
Uh, Kim didn't lose
her gun two years ago.
They took it. They hid it from her.
They were worried she
would harm herself.
She was struggling with depression.
But what they didn't know was that
That the mom knew where
the gun was hidden. Aha.
And what about witness OA16? German?
- Italian? Romanian?
- Chinese.
Chinese.
You are very good at this job.
Yeah, I-I know.
Maybe I should just let
you be who you want to be.
Yeah.
But there is one thing
I could do for you
to help you get back on your feet.
Uh, help us both, actually.
If you'll let me.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
It is 1:00 p.m., and it's gonna be fine.
You're a detective
again, an investigator.
- This is what you want.
- (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
This is the way back.
Okay? Right.
- Right? Okay.
- Todd?
- Susan.
- Congratulations.
I heard you were coming aboard.
Thanks. Thank you. Yeah.
Well, it's not a permanent thing.
I'm just covering for the
investigator on maternity leave.
Right. Nadia.
- She had twins.
- Yeah, yeah.
And I'll be around now, so, you know,
if maybe a lunch happens
I mean, we'll be working together,
and you'll need me.
Professionally.
Okay, yeah. That sounds great.
You know, actually, I have
to get to a Zoom, but
I'll see you around.
Yeah.
♪
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-
- Gotta live it up ♪
Gotta be strong ♪
I'm getting on, getting on ♪
Getting on ♪
-
- WOMAN: Good, right?
(LAUGHTER)
- (KNOCK ON DOOR)
- TODD: Hello?
- You look so handsome.
- You look like an accountant.
Thank you. Thank you.
Wait, are you guys going
out to lunch without me?
You have far too many
cases to catch up on.
Now, the ties, the socks,
shirt and belt in that bag
are more professional
than what you're wearing.
We can take it out of
your first paycheck.
And this is your bus pass,
because you are not driving
that jalopy into this building.
Okay? See you soon.
Good luck.
I'm coming up ♪
Get on, get up and ♪
I'm coming up ♪
Getting on ♪
Getting, getting ♪
Oh, get on, get up and ♪
Getting ♪
Get on, get up and ♪
I will wear the shirt,
I will wear the tie,
but I will not take the bus.
(MUZAK PLAYING)
Case log A275.
21st and Johnson, corner grocery.
SUBJECT: Betty Hogenson.
Turning down aisle nine.
Approaching in five, four,
three, two
Ooh, hi. Sorry. Sorry.
Uh, the, uh
Behind you, up there. The Oat Mix Plus.
Can you grab me one of those, please?
Sure.
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
Thank you very much.
You've been assessed
and photographed for
OreMark Cross insurance.
My name is Todd Wright,
- and I'm assigned your case.
- Wait. What's going on?
- Are you a lawyer?
- Uh, no. Private detective.
Well, I was. Now I'm doing this.
You are not wearing your neck brace,
you are clearly fine,
but you are still collecting disability
from your employer,
the Portland Airport,
where you were injured while vacuuming?
I really need that money.
I'm sorry, it's just my job.
I need money, too.
- Okay?
- Mom?
Can we get these with the SNAP card?
Please, Mommy?
BETTY: Please.
All right. Delete photos.
But you have to go back
to work at the airport.
Soon. Okay?
And wear your neck brace.
Yes, I will. Thank you.
And don't get that cereal,
okay? It rots your teeth.
And the prizes inside are total junk.
♪
Look, if you don't
pay some sort of rent,
I'm gonna get grief from Mom.
This is how you put away the hose?
It's coiled.
And why is a tiny little room
- in your garage her concern?
- (PHONE RINGING)
She doesn't want you
freeloading off of Chuck and me.
(MUTES PHONE)
Yeah, that's why I'm paying rent.
Or why I will. Next week, half.
- (PHONE RINGING)
- A third.
Mom. Hello.
MARGARET: Put your brother on the phone.
No. Allison, say I'm not here. I
- You're here.
- Hello. What? Hi.
I'm not speaking to you.
You are coming to my new condo tonight,
and you are picking up
all the boxes of crap
that you left in your old room
that I have now paid good
money to haul across the city.
Yeah, tonight's not great, actually,
and as you well know, I don't have
a lot of room over here.
You can jam some stuff in our basement.
No, no, no, no, no, Todd,
you are not turning
Allison's house into a dump,
- like you did mine.
- (ALLISON MUTTERS)
I turned your home into
a dump with three boxes?
It is four boxes, and
your sister and her husband
have done enough for you already.
Good God, Todd!
Careening through life, making
the rest of us pick up the pieces.
- You still owe me $9,000.
- (FACETIME BEEPS)
Mom, you hit the FaceTime button.
I did not. I can hear you perfectly.
Yes, and I can see you. You're on video.
No, I am Oh.
Well, okay.
I need for you to put together a plan
to live an adult,
financially solvent life.
Great. And I think that plan
begins with not talking to you
when things are super crappy for me.
God, I lost my job.
Two years ago.
And that is a mess
you walked right into.
How is this helpful?
A-and should you really be
FaceTiming while driving?
I am in the parking lot of Best Buy,
picking up my new television set.
Oh, congrats. Must be nice.
Guess you don't really
need that $9,000 back, huh?
Good God. I have to get to work,
but you will pick up your boxes tonight.
Oh
♪
Have you lost your mind yet? ♪
To get free tonight ♪
Are we wrapping this couch in plastic?
I have no idea. Ask the owner,
whatever his name is. Uh, Harry.
Oh, there he is. Excuse me, sir.
Are we wrapping this couch?
Sir?
We wrapping this couch? Excuse me.
Hello? Hello?! Where's he going?
Get free tonight ♪
- Are Kim's family here yet?
- Yep.
- Got 'em in conference room B.
- Okay.
- And the girlfriend's with them.
- Oh.
Oh, by the way, the father
is very crotchety today.
Of course he is, they've
been stewing for two weeks.
(MUTTERING): Did they
wrap the gray couch?
Hello? Harry, where are you?
Good afternoon. Kim,
how are we doing today?
I just want this whole
thing to be over with.
This delay has been awful.
Did the prosecutor
recover from his thing?
The concussion?
The trial will resume
on Monday, as planned.
- Just three more days.
- My daughter's life is in your hands, Margaret.
I will do everything I
can to clear her name.
But right now,
we need to refocus
and go over all of our
testimonies. You ready?
I didn't kill him.
Let's prove that to the jury.
And Kim's ankle monitor will be updated
- so she can go to court Monday.
- Okay.
Good God.
Nadia should be working from home.
She's still looking for
witnesses who saw Kim on the bus.
She is gonna have that baby
all over this brand-new carpeting.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
Uh, I'm paying you back.
I could give you $1,000
a month for nine months,
but don't cash it until
Mom?
Mom, are you okay?
Harry has
I think Harry has
I came here after work,
and he wasn't here.
And I thought maybe he was back
at the old house with the movers.
But he-he never came.
It's 10:00.
Okay, well, maybe he's
been in a car accident.
- We should call the police.
- He disconnected his phone.
And I got to looking around, and, um,
the only thing that he
took was a small suitcase
and his laptop and
(GASPS) Oh, my God.
That All He's
taken all of his pills.
That box was full of his medications.
Wait. What medications?
TODD: Did you know that
Harry has Parkinson's disease?
Yes, I knew.
What do you mean "disappeared"?
He's disconnected his phone.
Wait, you knew?
You knew, and I didn't?
You have been fighting
with Mom for two years.
- How long has he been gone?
- Uh
Five or six hours.
Todd
Harry's father killed himself.
Like, 20 years ago, he was
diagnosed with brain cancer,
and he couldn't deal with it, so he
he jumped off the Fremont Bridge.
WOMAN (OVER P.A.): Dr. Wright to
the ICU. Dr. Wright to the ICU.
ALLISON: Todd, I'm sorry,
I I'm being paged.
I'll call you back as soon as I can.
(CALL BEEPS OFF)
Okay, no.
This isn't happening.
This is crazy. This is bananas.
He's not just gonna disappear on you.
Todd, Harry might've gone off to
No, no, no, no. Wh-wh-why
take a-all of your medications
if your plan is to off
yourself? And his laptop?
No, no. This isn't that.
Okay? This is something
else, and we're not gonna
let him get away with it. I'm not.
All right, uh, okay.
D-does he have a credit
card that's just his?
I-I need, I need a receipt
for something that he bought.
The new TV.
Maybe the receipt is
taped up there on the top.
3752. Okay, that's an Amex card.
Uh, call American Express
from my address book.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Call Amex
late payment department.
No, no, no, no.
Just call regular Amex customer service.
- (PHONE BEEPS, DIALS)
- What?
- Okay, I need Harry's social security number
- (LINE RINGING)
date and city of birth,
and mother's maiden name.
Just write it down.
- Right here, right now. Go.
- Okay. Okay.
AMEX OPERATOR: Good
evening. American Express.
Oh, yes, hi, hello, good evening.
This is Harry McDonald, and I just need
some information about
my recent purchases.
- Todd, this is illegal.
- AMEX OPERATOR: Just a moment, sir.
This is identity theft.
Want me to play by the rules,
or you want me to find your husband?
- (CELL PHONE RINGS)
- Oh. Hello?
- Mom
- Oh, no, no, no. I can't talk ri
What? Oh.
My investigator Nadia, her water broke.
Mom, get off the phone.
Oh, uh, uh, uh, I I I No.
Just, whatever info you
have, email it to my phone,
- and I
- You don't have to say, "Email it to your phone."
If you get email on your phone,
it just goes to your phone.
AMEX OPERATOR: Mr. McDonald,
I'll need your birthdate
and your mother's
maiden name to continue.
Uh, yes, oh, yes, of course. Uh, 8/21/59
- and, uh, Bottlethwaite.
- AMEX OPERATOR: And it looks like
you've recently moved and changed your
home address to the one in Gresham.
Um no, I did not move to Gresham.
That's 45 minutes from here.
What address do you have?
AMEX OPERATOR: I'm sorry, I
can't give you that information.
Unless (SIGHS)
AMEX OPERATOR: you
can verify that you are,
in fact, Harry McDonald.
Yes, damn it, I am Harry McDonald.
Born in Houston, Texas.
Social security: 913-86-1536.
And I just bought a TV from Best Buy
for $1,347. What the hell am I doing?
AMEX OPERATOR: Mr. McDonald,
the address I have for you is
1683 South East Carnola
Way, Gresham, 97030.
But now I'll need to
bring on a security adv
(GASPS) Todd.
Don't hang up. Now they might
contact the police or something.
Great. Let them.
Harry is missing. The
police can help us find him.
But then what do we do now?
Now, we drive to Gresham
to find your husband.
♪
It's empty.
Looked in all the windows.
No furniture, nothing.
- I could probably pick the lock in back, but
- No.
Todd, no. That's criminal.
Six months minimum.
While you were gone,
I was picturing him in there.
What if he hung himself in that garage?
Like Bradley Coopman
in that Madonna movie,
Starborn.
Like Bradley Cooper
in the Lady Gaga movie A Star Is Born?
And why would he send his bills
to a house where he's dead?
That doesn't make any sense.
(PHONE RINGING)
- It's Allison.
- Don't answer that.
I don't want anyone in the
family to know what's going on.
You know I'm in the family, right?
- Hang up.
- Fine.
- So, what do we do now?
- (SIGHS)
Sit here? Waiting?
We have no other leads,
he is linked to this house,
and he has to sleep somewhere tonight.
(SMACKS LIPS)
(SMACKS LIPS)
MARGARET: This is insane.
I mean, this seat is filthy. (STAMMERS)
What is all this junk
down here at my feet?
Is that a telescope?
It's a lens for a camera, a long lens.
Todd, without your license,
you are not allowed to
work as a private detective
- in the state of
- Yes, I know that. Thank you very much, Mother.
I am just finding
people and taking photos
for health insurance
companies, okay? Pays the bills.
- Almost.
- Well, I had hoped
that you would get out
of this field altogether,
considering the amount of
trouble you got yourself into.
Mom, I am a private detective.
- You were.
- It is all I've ever wanted to be.
You gave me that copy of
Harriet the Spy when I was nine,
and I am very, very good at this job.
- Well
- And if it weren't for me,
you would still be in
your empty condo alone
with no idea where your husband is.
As opposed to where we are,
which is nowhere.
(ELECTRIC RECLINER HUMMING)
(OWL HOOTING)
(CAT YOWLING)
TODD: Who was having
a baby on the phone?
Oh, that's Nadia.
- She's the investigator on my current case.
- Oh.
- You remember my sorority sister Celia?
- No.
And her daughter Kim.
- No.
- Todd, Kim.
We tried to set you up with her once,
but she thought you were weird.
She has now been accused
of murdering her boss.
Oh. Oh, great. That's nice.
He sexually assaulted her
at the office Christmas party.
- Oh.
- Anyway,
the boss leaves the
party a few hours later,
goes to the rooftop
of a nearby parking garage,
and is shot to death sitting in his car.
Oh. But she didn't do it?
No forensic evidence,
no gunpowder, nothing.
Though she did own a gun once.
- Oh.
- But she lost it two years ago when
she moved back in with her parents.
In any event, we're trying
to nail down witnesses
who saw her on the bus
before the trial resumes on Monday.
- Resumes?
- Yes.
The state prosecutor fell
down the stairs in his home
and gave himself a serious concussion.
So the judge granted them
a two-week continuance.
He has a serious concussion
- and he's coming back to work in two weeks?
- Yes.
I've tracked down a
few concussed people,
and if you've really got one,
you're on strict bed
rest for a month, minimum.
So the state prosecutor is a liar.
What's the name of this concussion guy?
- Christopher Barrett.
- Christopher Barrett.
Wait, so you're gonna look him
up on your phone. Wonderful.
- Your generation is addicted to your devices.
- Mr. Barrett. Oh.
- His daughter
- Try to solve everything through apps, and
Who has a TikTok, of course.
- then beepMo and podcasts.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh. Oh, yes. There.
- Oh, God,
- I cannot keep my eyes open.
- Oh, hello,
- Mr. Serious Concussion Man.
- How do you ignore the odor in this car?
Mom, take a look at this.
What is this? What is she doing?
Is that Tok-Tok?
Is that him?
That's him exercising, what's that,
six, seven, eight days ago?
Looks fine to me.
But then, this is a lie.
If he is not injured,
then they are stalling.
They are waiting for a piece of evidence
that they don't have, so that they
We have to get down to
the courthouse right now.
Start the car. Oh, my God,
it's 2:00 in the morning.
Oh, God, but then who's gonna stay here
to watch the house for Harry?
Here, hold this.
These burners could be our eyes.
Disposable phones, Mom.
TODD: This place is closed.
MARGARET: But by law,
the records room has to
be attended 24 hours a day,
and, if you play your cards right,
you just might get in there.
Damn it.
Okay, you stay here,
I'll go around front.
Can I help you?
Uh, yes. I am Inspector Clip
with the Portland Gas Company,
and someone has reported
a leak in the records room,
so I just need access to
that so I can check on it.
A gas leak?
- Mm-hmm.
- MARGARET: Todd.
What are you doing?
- How are you, Jenny dear?
- Hi.
- The, uh, new guard let me in.
- Uh-huh.
- Edgar.
- Mm-hmm.
Will you please let us
into the records room?
I have a pressing matter.
And this is my son Todd.
Hi.
MARGARET: I must have spent
years of my life down here
filing and sorting briefs.
Once I passed the bar,
I got my nails done
and swore I'd never break
another one pulling files.
Ah, found it. Right here.
Okay, bring it.
All right, so this is my case.
Now, I want you to flip to
the evidence log in the back.
How many pieces of evidence
have been logged and tagged?
It's the back flap, yes? Red box.
- Nine.
- Nine, okay, same here.
Maybe not new evidence.
Try the front flap, gray
box. How many witnesses?
Witnesses 15.
- Fifteen or 50?
- Fifteen.
- One, five. Fifteen.
- Okay.
13, 14, 15.
Sixteen.
They're introducing a new witness.
- Isn't that something that happens?
- Yes.
But they're required to file
weeks in advance, and inform me.
Witness OA1
They must have found someone
after the start of the trial,
and they're filing in secret
because they don't want me
to find out and block it.
So, like, someone who saw her kill him.
She didn't kill him, Todd.
Okay, someone who thinks
they saw her kill him.
Witness OA16.
"Witness in possession of
a Vex800-MP9." What is
MP9 is a kind of digital video file.
Like, from a security camera.
So they have a new
witness who has a video
of something bad for you.
Something bad enough to
make them fake an injury
and slow down the case.
Are you sure she didn't kill him?
- (ALARM SOUNDING)
- (GASPS)
Todd Wait, Todd. What did you touch?
That's not me. I don't
Oh, wait, no, that's my phone.
It's the burners. The
cameras that we left.
There's activity at that house.
(GASPS) Who was that? Was that Harry?
He's locking the door.
What does he have in his hands?
- What is that?
- It's a baby.
TODD: That's not Harry.
Who the hell was that?
Our in-house investigator,
Lyle, who is remarkably precise,
is right down there.
He can get you access
to the RMLS website,
and maybe you can find out more about
that house that Harry
In Gresham.
Mom, it's okay.
I'll find him, I promise.
No, no. I am fine.
Kim will be here any minute,
and I do not let my personal
life interfere with my work.
The way I'm slippin' away ♪
I turn my feelings on ♪
You made me untouchable ♪
Hey. Morning.
Ooh.
And you wasn't polite ♪
Hey, are you Lyle?
I need access to the RMLS
property info database.
And you are?
Todd. Wright.
My mother Margaret Wright
is a partner here, so
- she's basically your boss.
- (CHUCKLES)
Your mother is not my boss.
I'm an employee of the firm,
answering only to the
bylaws of the corporation.
None of us share investigative
database access with nonemployees.
- Okay.
- Nor with former investigators
stripped of their licenses
following criminal charges
for illegal wiretapping and forgery.
I had nothing to do with the forgery.
Oh, I remember your defense.
You were seduced and
deceived by your mentor.
You thought you were equal partners
in your little detective agency,
and you had no idea she was making you
the fall guy for her
criminal activities.
Yeah. That's right.
Well, your mother could
keep you out of jail,
but she can't force you in my office.
- Good day.
- Look,
I just need information about a house.
It's personal, for my mom.
Personal searches are
strictly forbidden.
And so is eating in my
office. Crumbs. Get out!
(VACUUM WHINING)
(SIGHS HEAVILY)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Oh, my God. Todd.
Hi.
Susan. Hi.
You work for my mother?
I work with your mother.
Wow, I haven't seen you since we
We? Since you. I mean, I didn't
- Okay, since I
- I would never. You were the
Well, it ended.
I didn't
You're married.
Oh, engaged, just last month.
- Peter.
- Peter. Cool.
You know, I have to
tell you that your mom is
such a wonderful woman.
She's so encouraging and supportive.
- Uh, okay.
- (DOOR SHUTS)
Hey, listen,
maybe you'd be willing to
do my mother a little favor.
You see, uh, there's
this house in Gresham
NIKI: Kim is my girlfriend.
Her house arrest should be at my place.
She says you just cry
and he's yelling all day.
Who the hell do you think you are?
She's my daughter, damn it.
KIM: Can both of you
please stop fighting?
Walter, Niki,
go somewhere else, please.
CELIA: They're just upset.
WALTER: Just don't say
anything. Come with me.
MARGARET: Just relax, Kim, relax.
(WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)
MARGARET: It's all gonna be fine,
I promise you.
Take a deep breath, all right?
(GRUNTS)
Just, uh
NIKI (OVER EARBUD): I
only wanted to protect her.
WALTER (OVER EARBUD): And
that is our secret, okay?
If anyone can get her off, it's
this bitch lawyer that Celia hired.
- Just keep it
- (DOOR OPENS)
Good morning.
I want to thank you
all for coming back in
on such short notice.
I have discovered that the
prosecution has a new witness.
(OVER EARBUD): And
this witness may possess
security camera footage
that incriminates Kim.
Now, Kim, we've been
through this many times,
but when you left the party, did you go
straight to the bus stop,
- or did you go into or near any buildings?
- No.
She was home by 12:30, Mar.
I heard her come in.
Is there any chance anyone saw you
with a gun that night?
- I know you lost your gun
- Two years ago.
(OVER EARBUD): My God,
what is going on here?
I am the victim, not him.
Oh, here you are.
- Hi.
- Hi. I got the info that you wanted.
That house is a rental owned by
Lodging and Rental Incorporated.
- Thank you.
- That's their info.
Is it really for your mom?
Yeah.
- Mm.
- Absolutely.
No, no, I'm helping her
You just needed me to get
around Lyle, didn't you?
Yeah, just kind of put me in
an awkward position with him.
Well, I'm sorry, I
I lost my PI license,
and I can't run my
own municipal searches.
But you like to
- Play by the rules.
- Yeah. Right. And I'm
Oh, uh, no, no, no, don't, don't.
- I'm not, uh, that's
- (INDISTINCT VOICES OVER EARBUD)
That's not I'm not, um
Can I just I'm sorry.
- Thank you. No. No, thank you.
- I'm just gonna go back to Bye.
Susan, wait. (SIGHS)
Hey, Mom, I got the info
on that Gresham house.
- (GASPS) Oh.
- The man we saw, "Tomas," is the landlord.
He lives down the street.
He's married to Rosa,
and I found her on Instagram
holding their newborn baby.
So he was probably out for a walk
- trying to get the baby back to sleep.
- Yeah.
And maybe dropping off something
for his new tenant, Harry.
Anyway, I just left a
voice mail for Tomas.
And by the way, I noticed
that you have photos
of Allison and Lawrence on
your desk, but none of me.
So thank you.
Todd, those are your
siblings' wedding photos.
- Get married and I'll be glad to include you.
- (PHONE VIBRATES)
(SCOFFS) Allison has
called me four times
since I was in my meeting.
I wonder what's going on.
Oh, well, she knows.
I told her about Harry before
you told me not to tell anybody.
Anyway, she would like both of us
to come over for dinner tonight.
She invited you for family dinner?
Oh, hi, Mom. Chuck, they're here.
- Mom, I'm I don't even know what to say.
- I know.
Come on in, please, please, please.
- Yeah.
- Hey. So Harry just disappeared in the night
to go kill himself?
(HARSH WHISPER): Chuck.
What are you doing?
It was just a question.
- Why would you say that?
- Coat, please.
- No, I don't need a hug.
- Um
Why would you say that? Todd,
would you shut the door, please?
- Why are you giving this to me?
- Oh. Wait. Actually, no, don't.
- Hi, Chet. Perfect timing.
- Hey.
- I'm just gonna murder everybody.
- Oh.
Where's your invisible husband Lawrence?
Well, he can't make it.
- Your brother's a busy guy.
- To be expected.
Your daddy's working?
And this daddy needs a beer.
Okay. I just
ALLISON: Todd, shut the door.
I'm holding a human being.
TODD: You've been having
family dinner without me?
Without Uncle Todd?
Every week? You dinner? No me?
ALLISON: Mom, again,
Chuck and I are so sorry
to hear this crazy, awful news.
And we will do whatever
we can to support you.
Allison, thank you.
Um, it is nice to have my whole
family together at this time.
Well, almost whole. Uh,
is your brother com
Chet, is Lawrence coming?
No. Unfortunately, he's
still stuck in Hood River
dealing with the flood.
Oh, of course, of course.
His job is very important.
He is the chief of staff
for the governor of Oregon.
(MARGARET CHUCKLES)
Allison, is this the
only wine that we have?
What about that nice bottle of cabernet
- I bought you for Chuck's birthday?
- Oh, yeah.
- I think we still have that.
- Oh, and, um,
maybe some nicer napkins.
- These ones are so thin.
- ALLISON: Sure. Of course.
Chuck, would you get the wine?
- But it's my cabernet.
- Chuck, please?
Okay.
Thank you.
And how is Celia's case doing?
I mean her daughter; the one
who thought Todd was weird.
MARGARET: Oh, Kim.
Well, the prosecution
is playing very dirty.
They are trying to
slide a surprise witness
- into the entire
- Niki and the dad,
they have solid alibis, right?
Yes, Todd.
- And they are not suspects.
- Okay.
And what were they? Their alibis?
What are you so suspicious of?
I just don't trust this Niki person.
Or the dad.
They were acting really weird today,
and frankly, I don't like how
they were talking about Mom.
When were they talking about me?
Well, before the meeting,
they were huddled up
and talking about protecting Kim
and their secret,
and he called you a
And how do you know this?
My phone ended up in the
I heard them, okay?
It was just a little
digital eavesdropping, and
MARGARET: You were recording
my clients' private conversation?
No, I wasn't recording
them, but I should have.
- Didn't your business partner
- But it's no big deal.
go to jail for this?
I was collecting information for you.
Todd! I think I'm gonna
take Clem upstairs.
I think we should finish
this in the living room.
How could you be so stupid?
You were spying on
- After everything I've done for you.
- Oh, come on.
I lent you money, I have
defended you in court,
and yet you are hellbent
on destroying yourself.
No, I'm not. What is
this, a German opera?
God, I have been by your side
for two whole days
while Allison's at work.
And Lawrence isn't even here, but I am.
I am here for you in your time of need.
Even though you didn't
quite do the same for me
when Dad died, did you?
Excuse me?
"I don't let my personal life
get in the way of my work."
Yeah, very clear. Very clear.
Dad dies, suddenly poof, gone.
They're off in college
and I'm at home, alone,
while you're, what, taking the bar exam,
breaking nails in the
courthouse basement?
And now you're all,
"What's wrong with you?
Why is your life always a mess?"
I mean, seriously, honestly, back then,
it was like both my parents had died.
(DOOR OPENS, SHUTS)
- It just came out.
- (PHONE CHIMES)
(TODD MUTTERS INDISTINCTLY)
(RECORDING): Hi, my
name is Tomas Garcia,
and I'm returning a call
to Todd Wingo of the FBI.
I really don't want any trouble.
You asked about Harry McDonald,
but I don't know who that is.
We do have a rental in Gresham,
but our new tenant is not him.
Our new tenant is actually a magician,
Morris the Magnificent.
A magician?
ALLISON: So this magician has a shop?
TODD: Apparently.
Thank you for driving me.
My car just needs a new engine.
Why are you still looking for Harry
- if you're so mad at Mom?
- I'm not looking for her,
I'm looking for me.
I just want to know where he is
and what the hell he thinks he's doing.
You never liked him.
Yeah, well, neither did you.
I liked him for Mom.
They were happy, I guess. I don't know.
Marriage is complicated.
(SIGHS)
Are you and Chuck okay?
Yeah. Why?
You seemed kind of
upset with him at dinner,
when Mom was ordering you around.
Chuck is Chuck.
And it's just easier
to let Mom have her way.
You should have learned that by now.
Yeah, but once you let her
choose the wine and napkins,
then she's choosing your career,
your clothes, your house.
I mean, where do you end up?
You end up an ER doctor,
married to Chuck.
Yeah, well, I'm not doing this for her.
I'm doing it for me.
Thanks for the ride.
(CAR PULLS AWAY)
"Beloved local magician
Morris the Magnificent
presumed lost at sea."
What?
"Disappeared off cruise ship
after terminal cancer diagnosis."
So he's declared dead two months ago,
and now he's renting a house in Gresham?
- That is magic.
- (LOUD THUD)
(SIGHS)
Someone's coming to get this.
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
Text Mom.
Multnomah Parking Garage.
That's that's where
Kim's boss got shot, right?
Okay.
Gets out of the elevator.
He parked here
under the broken cameras.
Doesn't see who's hiding over there.
Gets into his car blammo!
(SIGHS)
The convention center.
Huh.
NIKI (ON VIDEO): She gets so depressed
I thought she might hurt
herself or do something.
Mom, I know who witness
OA16 is, or might be.
I went by the convention
center and spoke to Bob, and,
night of the murder,
huge expo for this company
that makes those little cameras
that go on your dashboard.
Anyway, bunch of people in
town from foreign factories.
So maybe some German guy came into town,
puts the device in his rental car.
But convention center
parking was full that night,
so he had to park in the overflow lot
the murder lot.
And his little dash cam,
which uses MP9 files,
like it said on that form,
happened to catch
footage of the murderer.
Huge job to contact all those drivers,
so maybe they didn't
hear back from Germany
until after the trial starts,
and then, oop, gotta stall
because suddenly here's footage of
Niki blazing away with Kim's gun.
Todd,
if the prosecution had video
of Niki murdering someone,
they wouldn't be proceeding
with a case against Kim.
(SNAPS FINGERS)
You're right. My theory
was only half-cocked.
Everything about you is half-cocked.
But (SIGHS) Niki and the
dad are guilty of something.
- (COMPUTER BEEPING)
- I I know it.
What is that? What is that sound?
Ooh, ooh, ooh. It's the tNAB, my tNAB.
It's a little tracking device.
I put it inside that
box, and it's-it's moving.
Oh, it's going up Vista.
It's turning on Fairmont.
Look, Mom,
it's the perishable box
of the dead magician.
- MARGARET: And we're following this magician where?
- To wherever he's going, okay?
And could you speed up for once?
This is technically a car chase.
MARGARET: I will not
break the speed limit.
- TODD: You're going under the speed limit.
- (PHONE CHIMES)
(SIGHS) Wait, uh Oh, stop.
There it is.
Hmm.
- It's moving day.
- Yeah.
I'll go in there, and I'll say
we're buyers for this house,
and then you come up with, like,
- a limp, and
- No, Todd.
No more lies. It feels fraudulent.
We will tell them who
we are and what we need.
The truth.
(SIGHS)
Excuse me? Hello?
Are you "Morris the Magnificent"?
- Yes?
- TODD: You're Morris, but you're dead.
Oh, no, you must mean my
father, the original Morris.
He-he passed.
- So, there's two magicians.
- Oh.
How can I help you?
I believe you know my
husband, Harry McDonald.
Harry who?
He's having his bills sent to your
- new home in Gresham.
- LAURA: Eddie? Did you order
fresh carrots for the rabbit?
They went to the shop. Oh. Who's this?
They're looking for a Harry McDonald.
I'm sorry, I can't
divulge client information.
Client?
Client for what? Who are you?
LAURA: I'm sorry,
attorney-client privilege.
- TODD: What kind of attorney?
- LAURA: End of life.
- Estate planning. I really shouldn't say anything more.
- TODD: Wait, so he's getting all
of his bills sent to you?
A-a-and where is he?
Is he already dead?
We are so sorry to bother you.
Thank you very much. Let's go, Todd.
I was just getting
somewhere with that woman.
Just get in the car, just stop
talking. Get in the car, please.
And smile. Just smile like we're happy
- we were here.
- You look insane right now, Mom.
Why are you acting crazy?
It's Harry's laptop.
I found it in a box marked "Goodwill,"
along with a-a pair of his shoes
and a shirt that I recognized.
They're giving away all of his things,
So, you don't want me lying,
but it's okay for you to
steal from the Goodwill?
Just open it.
Find out where he is.
Track him. Do your thing.
- Do it.
- Mom, it's a laptop, not a crystal ball.
- Do it!
- And he probably already
See, he already deleted all his files.
But I'll bet he forgot to
wipe all his stored passwords.
Yeah, here we go, still
has all his passwords,
but maybe his junk mail folder
A-ha. "Walk-in bathtub,
increase libido, goodbye belly fat "
"Frequent flyer."
He booked a flight with miles.
What?
- Where is he going?
- It doesn't say.
It's just some junk
receipt from his credit card
for redeemed miles. That's it.
Well, wait, wait, what are
all those little numbers there
down at the bottom by the barcode?
I don't know, that might be
Wait, that's the date
of his flight. 9/26/22.
That's tomorrow, Monday,
and 10:10 a.m. is his departure time,
so he'll be at the airport
tomorrow morning at 10:10 a.m.
Mom, we got him.
(SIGHS) I have to be in
court tomorrow morning.
The trial resumes at 9:00 a.m.
I might have a way for you
to be in both places at once.
♪
TODD (OVER EARBUD): Okay.
Concourse B now, still no sign of him,
and we only got nine
minutes left. Sorry.
- (GAVEL BANGS)
- JUDGE: All right, the prosecution
has a motion to introduce
Uh, what is this, Barrett?
Oh, and by the way, how are you feeling?
Oh, thank you, Your Honor.
Yes, I'm feeling much better.
MAN (OVER P.A.): Flight 256 to Iceland,
Gate 47, final boarding.
Flight 256 to Iceland,
Gate 47, final boarding.
(WATCH CHIMES)
"Bucket list." Uh
We have filed to insert a crucial
new witness into the lineup.
MARGARET: Your Honor, I have to object.
This last-minute witness
is a blatant attempt to circumvent
the state's known duty to disclose
all witnesses prior to trial.
I'm sorry, I'm going to allow it.
I'm not gonna be able
to get through security.
I I don't even have a ticket.
Hey. You.
Betty Hogenson.
Oh, my God.
I'm wearing the neck brace.
No, no, no, this isn't about
that. Um, I-I need a favor,
and, uh
you owe me.
And, Mrs. Lin, would you please
tell the members of the
jury why you were here,
in Portland, on the evening
of December 10 last year?
(MRS. LIN SPEAKING CHINESE)
I was here for a work
conference. Uh Sorry,
- a convention.
- (MRS. LIN CONTINUES SPEAKING CHINESE)
STEWARDESS: Excuse me, sir?
Can I help you?
Yeah, I'm, uh, Betty with maintenance,
and I left a thing in the back
of the plane. Can I just ?
- STEWARDESS: Yeah.
- I'm just gonna
And, Mrs. Lin,
this is your portable
travel dashboard camera,
which you had with you on your trip?
You're gonna have to put that away, sir.
(SIGHS)
(GRUNTS)
Got him.
BARRETT: The video
that you're about to see
is taken from Mrs.
Lin's dashboard camera.
Now, first, we're going
to show you raw footage
of her car in the parking lot.
Is the, uh, TV ready?
Sorry, this may take a moment.
CAPTAIN (OVER EARBUD):
Please fasten your seatbelts
and prepare for departure.
Hey, what do you know?
Iceland's on my bucket list, too.
You're not dying.
I never meant to hurt her, Todd.
She doesn't have to
know about any of this.
TODD (OVER EARBUD): You stupid coward,
what are you doing?
HARRY: I'm leaving your mother.
TODD: Yeah, way ahead of you.
I'm leaving the whole world behind.
My doctors, they told me that
I only have seven to
ten years left to live.
Seven to ten years?
I don't want to live them with her.
She's too controlling, too critical.
She never let me be
who I really want to be.
I'm gonna go to Iceland and
live in a hut and farm and fish
and be naked under the stars.
It's my life, and this
is how I want to spend it.
You are a freak and an idiot.
Did you actually want my
mom to think you were dead?
And now, in an enhanced
section of the same footage,
there she is. Kim Marquette
- with a gun
- (GALLERY GASPS)
- in her hand.
- (MURMURING)
I know this will be hard on her, but
she has you, her kids.
And, Todd, let's be honest,
it's time for you to stop
this ridiculous fight with her.
Are you joking? You're telling
me how to deal with my mom?
- After you literally
- Your mother loves you.
Why do you think she spent two years
fighting the city trying
to reinstate your license?
Wait, she what?
Because she's your mother,
and she'd do anything for you.
Anything.
BARRETT: Ladies and gentleman
of the jury, as you can see,
Ms. Marquette was clearly
at the scene of the crime
the night of the murder.
SECURITY OFFICER: Sir, you need
to come with us. Let's go. (GRUNTS)
You better die in Iceland
in seven to ten years,
and don't you ever, ever come back here.
- Let's go.
- I'm sorry, Mom.
I'm so sorry.
Margaret, your witness.
Don't say a word, no matter what I do.
Trust me.
Your Honor,
in light of this
overwhelming new evidence,
my client would like to
change her plea to guilty.
- (ALARMED MURMURS)
- What?
And while we recognize
that in the state of Oregon,
first-degree murder carries
a mandatory life sentence
- What are you doing?
- I would ask
that you consider the nature
of my client's assault,
and perhaps reduce the prison sentence
to 50 or 60 years.
No.
No. She didn't do it.
That's not her, Mar.
I only meant to scare him.
And then he tried to take the gun,
and it just
I never thought they'd blame her.
I just hoped that it would save her.
You didn't mean to kill him.
I can make a jury understand that.
REPORTER (OVER RADIO): And the charges
against Kim Marquette were dropped
- as her mother was taken into custody
- (SLURPING)
following an emotional
outburst in the courtroom.
And now, for traffic and weather.
Tomorrow looking much like today,
- and as we head into the next
- (RADIO SWITCHES OFF)
You're in jail.
Worse. Airport jail.
How'd you get in here?
- You have a good lawyer.
- (CHUCKLES)
So, Niki and the dad,
what was their secret?
Uh, Kim didn't lose
her gun two years ago.
They took it. They hid it from her.
They were worried she
would harm herself.
She was struggling with depression.
But what they didn't know was that
That the mom knew where
the gun was hidden. Aha.
And what about witness OA16? German?
- Italian? Romanian?
- Chinese.
Chinese.
You are very good at this job.
Yeah, I-I know.
Maybe I should just let
you be who you want to be.
Yeah.
But there is one thing
I could do for you
to help you get back on your feet.
Uh, help us both, actually.
If you'll let me.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
It is 1:00 p.m., and it's gonna be fine.
You're a detective
again, an investigator.
- This is what you want.
- (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
This is the way back.
Okay? Right.
- Right? Okay.
- Todd?
- Susan.
- Congratulations.
I heard you were coming aboard.
Thanks. Thank you. Yeah.
Well, it's not a permanent thing.
I'm just covering for the
investigator on maternity leave.
Right. Nadia.
- She had twins.
- Yeah, yeah.
And I'll be around now, so, you know,
if maybe a lunch happens
I mean, we'll be working together,
and you'll need me.
Professionally.
Okay, yeah. That sounds great.
You know, actually, I have
to get to a Zoom, but
I'll see you around.
Yeah.
♪
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-
- Gotta live it up ♪
Gotta be strong ♪
I'm getting on, getting on ♪
Getting on ♪
-
- WOMAN: Good, right?
(LAUGHTER)
- (KNOCK ON DOOR)
- TODD: Hello?
- You look so handsome.
- You look like an accountant.
Thank you. Thank you.
Wait, are you guys going
out to lunch without me?
You have far too many
cases to catch up on.
Now, the ties, the socks,
shirt and belt in that bag
are more professional
than what you're wearing.
We can take it out of
your first paycheck.
And this is your bus pass,
because you are not driving
that jalopy into this building.
Okay? See you soon.
Good luck.
I'm coming up ♪
Get on, get up and ♪
I'm coming up ♪
Getting on ♪
Getting, getting ♪
Oh, get on, get up and ♪
Getting ♪
Get on, get up and ♪
I will wear the shirt,
I will wear the tie,
but I will not take the bus.