Sugar (2024) s01e02 Episode Script

1
[JOHN] We got off to a rough start.
It happens.
With cases like this.
Missing rich girl.
Dead guy in the trunk.
Then me, with all my,
um I don't know
issues.
I'm not being modest.
I'm really good at what I do.
And a man like Jonathan Siegel
wouldn't have called me otherwise.
I just needed a moment to settle in.
Anyway, back to business.
Bernie Siegel,
Olivia's father and former
husband to the late Rachel Kaye.
Also a movie producer, although
not in his father's class.
Please, call me Bernie.
Hey, I love this place.
[JOHN] His last big hit
was about a surfing monkey.
It's, uh, class.
When I'm in town, I
won't stay anywhere else.
Yeah, a man of discerning
taste. I appreciate that.
[SERVER] Yes, gentlemen.
What would you like?
Two slices of white toast.
Side of cottage cheese.
- A pot of hot water with lemon.
- Just coffee. Black.
[CHUCKLES] What I really
want is bacon and eggs,
but I'm on what they call a bland diet.
Anyway, what can I do for you?
I'd like to talk about Olivia.
Yeah. I gotta tell you, Sugar.
[STAMMERS] I think you're wasting
your time and my father's money.
Olivia will come back any day
now. Just like she always does.
Ready to go to rehab again.
If I was her father,
I'd find that concerning.
You're not, and I don't.
- Your father does.
- [BERNIE CLICKS TONGUE]
[SERVER] And here we are.
[BERNIE] I'll tell you something.
I know Olivia better than anyone.
Certainly better than my father.
[SCOFFS] And I know her a hell
of a lot better than Melanie.
I'll tell you that.
You had quite a time with
her last night, didn't you?
I'm a little upset about
that. I have to say.
I mean, she is my ex-wife.
Oh, you didn't know that, did
you, Mr. Private Investigator?
You and Melanie Matthews were
married in Las Vegas, Nevada
on New Year's Eve 1999.
Three days later you were both arrested
for malicious destruction of property,
possession of narcotics,
drunk and disorderly conduct,
and discharge of a firearm. [CHUCKLES]
Hmm. It was a hell of a honeymoon.
Please. Discreetly.
Where did you get this?
That type of Polaroid film
was introduced in 1996.
You were married to Rachel
Kaye then, weren't you?
You know I was.
Did you take that photograph?
No, I did not.
Thank you for telling me the
truth, Bernie. I appreciate it.
Mm-hmm. [SMACKS LIPS] Hmm.
Did you ever love someone?
I mean, really love them?
Like if the grim reaper
came to you and said,
"I'm gonna take the life of this person
that you love unless
you give me your life."
Well, I would have. For Rachel.
And Olivia's all I got left of her.
And if you think that I don't
care about my daughter, you fuck,
then fuck you and fuck off.
And I'm paying for your fucking coffee.
Thank you.
[JOHN] He's hiding something.
Or at least I hit a nerve.
I mean, being told to fuck off
is usually a sign of progress.
[METAL CLANKS]
[JOHN] Davy Siegel and
Kenny, his guy Friday.
- Let's be quick, huh?
- [KENNY] Yeah.
- [DAVID] You check in here?
- Check the bedroom.
[DAVID] Hey, uh, uh, uh, get
the, uh, listening device going.
Copy that.
[JOHN] Spying on the person
hired to find his sister.
Why would he do that?
What's he afraid of?
[DAVID] Hey, uh, uh, uh
[KENNY] Find anything?
[DAVID] Yeah, but Just
some weird magazines
- [BEEPS]
- or whatever. Noth
- There's no wallet. There's no
- [CHUCKLES]
- [JOHN] It helps when they're stupid.
- [DAVID] Hold on. I got some letters.
[KENNY] Well, bring 'em here.
Let me take some photos.
[JOHN] It's not always as much
fun, but helps move things along.
- [KENNY] Got ourselves a cinephile.
- [JOHN] Hey, Helen. It's me.
- [DAVID] Yeah, we do.
- Someone's gonna call you.
They want to talk to my mom.
Obviously they think that's you.
God bless paper trails.
They're on their way. Uh-huh.
Just because I could see Davy coming
doesn't mean he isn't dangerous.
I can't have him digging
into my past, for one thing.
No, that won't do at all.
With Bernie being no help and Davy
being something even less than that,
hopefully I can get some leads
talking to Olivia's friends.
You know, just like in the movies.
[OLIVIA'S FRIEND] The first time
we got high was, like, sixth grade.
Sixth grade? How old?
- [FRIEND SCOFFS] Like, 11.
- Wow.
- [FRIEND CHUCKLES]
- But we haven't hung out with her
in almost a year.
Because she was sober?
Why do you think she was getting sober?
Was she using more than
anyone else or drinking more?
Yeah. I think she started to
get a little out of control.
- Are you sure?
- You should have seen her in her heyday.
She did some shit that would
have landed most kids in jail.
Like what?
- A lot of drugs, dude. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES] Okay.
But I think she had, like,
a life-changing moment
that just kind of freaked her out.
[JOHN] Do you know anything about
her romantic life? Boyfriends?
- No.
- You're not lying to me, are you, sunshine?
[JOHN] You remember her being with him?
No, not that I could recall.
Nothing regular? No guy she saw?
- Not the way we were partying.
- Oh, yeah?
It was a different guy all
the time. You know how it goes.
I would have no idea, but
I I trust what you say.
- Hey. John Sugar.
- [FRIEND 2] Hey.
Did you ever see her with this guy?
- Never saw him.
- You sure?
Positive. She only buys from me.
She hasn't bought in a long time.
- Like months, weeks? What's a long time?
- I don't know. At least a year, man.
What about you guys? You still
doing drugs? What's going on?
[CHUCKLES] I'm finishing my degree.
- I'm gonna I've gotten it together.
- You are?
- You?
- No comment.
- I thought so. Okay.
- [FRIEND LAUGHS]
Well, if you think of anything
else, call this number. Thank you.
- Thanks for taking the time. All right.
- [FRIEND 3] Yeah. Of course.
[JOHN] Sounds like Olivia really
had moved on from her old life.
That's the good news.
The bad news is her new life,
well, it somehow seems to have
gotten her into even worse trouble.
It's time to update Jonathan Siegel.
I got some questions for him too.
The Boy in the Corner was
a massive hit. It was a phenomenon.
The Man in the Corner
is gonna be one too.
This is David's big comeback,
and nothing's gonna change that.
If this story comes out, no
studio is gonna release this movie,
and you'll be out 60 million bucks.
You broke the cardinal
rule of producing, Bernie.
You used your own money.
The story's not gonna come out, right?
No. We have signed ironclad NDAs
from seven of the eight victims.
Don't use the word "victim."
But what worries me is
accuser number eight.
[BERNIE] Oh, she's a pain in the
ass, but we'll get there. Trust me.
One way or the other,
she'll come around.
Well, the other seven certainly
feel you've been generous.
[SCOFFS] Hold on a second. Bernie,
are you saying that Davy is guilty?
Did I say that, sweetheart?
- He did not say that.
- And it's David.
What if we don't get
there with number eight?
If we don't, then it's he said, she
said, and we'll see her in court.
We'll get there.
[BERNIE'S WIFE] Do not
use the word "victim."
No one is to use the word "victim."
- [RUBY] Well, what are you thinking, John?
- [JOHN] I don't know.
I mean, this Siegel
family is something else.
Hmm. Okay. Why?
- You want a drink?
- Uh, no, thanks.
- I went back to see Jonathan again.
- [RUBY] Oh, wow. So?
[JOHN] Since you and I last spoke,
I met a few of your family members.
Oh, I'm sorry about that.
Let me guess. Bernie.
Yeah. He doesn't share your concern
- about Olivia's disappearance.
- [JONATHAN] Of course, he doesn't.
- [RUBY] Oh, really?
- Really.
Yeah, he sent his son
Davy and his bodyguard
to snoop around my hotel room
- while we were having breakfast.
- [RUBY] Oh, God.
Olivia is a screwup. She always will be.
That's a narrative that
suits Bernie the best.
Lets him focus on making
bad movies and his idiot son.
Oh. [SIGHS] I shouldn't
have said that, should I?
Um, not all Bernie's pictures are bad.
- Ouch.
- [CHUCKLES]
David is, uh, Bernie's
son by Margit Sorensen?
- [JONATHAN] Have you met her yet?
- No.
[SCOFFS] Another paradigm of clawing
self-interest. Horrible woman.
I'm sensing yours is not
the closest of families.
Well
[SWALLOWS] we have our reasons.
[RUBY] John, do you
mind giving me a hand?
Hmm?
Well, we seem to have covered
everything under the sun
except for my granddaughter.
Thank you for your patience.
Sorry.
- This is a record of the GPS from Olivia's car.
- Hmm.
- [RUBY] Oh, come on.
- [JOHN CHUCKLES]
[RUBY] John, sit.
Um, I found that the week
before she disappeared,
she made repeat trips to a
location that caused me concern.
A woman who lived at this
address, Carmen Vasquez,
was raped and murdered recently.
Olivia's car was there the night
that Miss Vasquez was killed.
And this may have something
to do with the death
of the man who killed Miss Vasquez.
Why would you think that?
[JOHN] Because his body is in the
trunk of Olivia's car right now.
Shit.
[JOHN] Clifford Carter.
Arrests for assault, rape
and human trafficking.
[RUBY] John.
[JOHN] Now lying dead in the car
of missing Hollywood royalty.
Sit. [SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
[JOHN] I'm obligated
to report to the police
the discovery of any
homicide victim, Mr. Siegel.
You haven't though, have you?
I'm gonna pretend like I never
opened the trunk of that car.
I'd appreciate it.
But still, I feel that her
life could be in danger.
- Jesus. God.
- Yeah.
[RUBY] John.
There's a lot going on. It's
These people, you know, these places.
I-I should be narrowing
things down by now
- [RUBY] Sit.
- but the case just keeps growing.
To me the question is
there a connection between
Olivia's disappearance
- and whatever else is going on with this
- [RUBY] Okay. [SIGHS]
That's what I mean.
What?
Nothing. Missed you, Sugar.
I missed you too.
Yeah. Which is why I
thought it would be nice
for us to enjoy one another's company.
- Ah. The case. Okay. Okay.
- Can we do that? Can we just enjoy
- each other's company
- Sure.
- and eat together?
- Sure. Let's
- Let's give it a shot, shall we?
- Okay.
- [CHEWING] This was a great idea.
- Mm-hmm.
- Lunch. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
- How've you been?
- Good. Busy.
- Look at you.
- [CHUCKLES]
I bet chef extraordinaire.
- More than 15 of us you manage now?
- [CHUCKLES]
Even though there was
no cooking involved.
- Nineteen.
- Wow, 19, huh? Hmm.
- Bye, Mirembe.
- [CHUCKLES]
[JOHN] Just, before I forget,
I already called Charlie,
- you know, to help with surveillance.
- Wow. Without consulting me?
I was being proactive.
Ah, proactive. Okay. Well, remember,
you have to keep a low profile.
I know. I know.
Okay. How often does that happen?
[GRUNTS] It's good.
Have you called Dr. Vickers?
- I've thought about it.
- John.
I'll see him at the meeting
tomorrow. I'll talk to him then. Okay?
No, not okay. Call him today.
[ENGINE STARTS]
It's good. Thanks for lunch.
[JOHN] Ruby likes to worry,
and I love her for it.
But I've got work to do.
Right now the best link I have to
finding Olivia is Melanie Matthews,
which is convenient because she
called and said she'd like to meet.
[MELANIE] Hi, I'm Melanie.
[GROUP] Hi, Melanie.
I'm an alcoholic.
I haven't been to a
meeting in a long time.
And I mean a long time.
I was 23 years sober.
But as of two weeks ago, I
started drinking like a fish.
But that all ended last
[BREATHES SHAKILY] night.
'Cause last night I brought a
total stranger into my house,
and that's something I haven't
done since I was in my 20s.
But because I was fucked-up, I
brought a stranger into my home.
I think the reason we
get fucked-up is simple.
- [JOHN] They're lonely.
- We're lonely.
[MELANIE] And we're afraid.
And here we live in a world
with millions of people
all with the capacity to love
and be loved, and somehow
[BREATHES SHAKILY] we just
can't get our shit together.
And I think it's because we're afraid.
We've been hurt in the past, and
we don't want to be hurt again.
So we get fucked-up,
make bad choices
and settle for any kind
of connection we can find.
But you know what happened last night?
The guy didn't hurt me.
He didn't steal from me.
He didn't even fuck me,
even though at the time I
told him I wanted him to.
No. You know what he did?
He took care of me.
He tucked me in [INHALES
SHARPLY] and then he left.
[JOHN] I was technically
working. Still am.
[MELANIE] And, um And
this morning when I woke up,
I was struck by the possibility
that this man might have been
sent to me by my Higher Power.
Or he's just a decent guy.
Or he's gay.
- [CHUCKLING]
- [MELANIE] Ha ha. [CHUCKLES]
But, you know, it-it doesn't
matter what he was or is.
What matters is how he made me feel,
and he made me feel like
I deserve a second chance.
So, thanks.
[GROUP APPLAUDING]
[MELANIE] Thanks for coming.
Thanks for asking me.
- You want to talk about Olivia?
- I do.
[CLICKS TONGUE] Ah. I'm still
hungover. You wanna get some food?
- Sure.
- Can I get a ride?
- Uh-huh.
- Good.
When I woke up, I dumped all the booze,
so sparkling water is all you get.
- That's fine.
- Yeah [SIGHS] I know.
You can't get drunk.
- You remembered.
- Yeah, that I will never forget.
So, yesterday, were you
following me, John Sugar
- No. No, complete coincidence.
- private investigator? No? Mmm.
I was just following another lead.
Oh, this one.
- Yeah, that's the one.
- Yeah.
Well, if you wanted to talk about
Olivia, you could have just asked.
I'm not sure I would have believed
everything you said last night.
I hate to break it to you.
Drunk, I'm an open book.
Sober, I'm cagey as hell.
You feel the need to be
cagey when it comes to Olivia?
I didn't say that.
Can I ask you a question?
Why was she here almost every night
the week before she disappeared?
What makes you think she was here?
- I know she was here.
- How do you know?
- GPS system in her car keeps a record.
- Oh.
[CHUCKLES] How do you
know she was driving?
How do you know a friend
didn't take her car? [LAUGHS]
Is that what happened?
I guess this is what you
call being cagey, huh?
Mmm.
[BUZZING]
Well, I've been through most
of Olivia's social media posts
over the past six months.
And it's mostly pretty normal stuff,
but it changed when you two
started spending more time together.
You know, her focus, it shifted.
- It turned to women's rights issues.
- What What's wrong with that?
No, not a not a thing.
[STAMMERS] I think she
finally found something
she was passionate about.
But two weeks ago, when
she disappeared, well,
her online presence disappeared
also, and that's concerning.
Well, when you're
talking about an addict,
there's a reason for
a shift in behavior.
She's probably using
again. [SIGHS] Look, i-it
She's probably gonna
walk in here any day now,
just hungover and strung out
and ready to get back to rehab.
That's funny.
Your ex-husband told me
the same thing this morning,
using almost exactly the same words.
[JOHN] Of course, he
did. Circling the wagons.
Yeah, well, he called me after
you had breakfast with him.
Bernie was a terrible husband, but
he's always been a great friend.
- Is that right?
- Yeah.
- [JOHN] That hair touch, that's her tell.
- Look at this.
I need you to tell me if
you've ever seen this man.
Melanie, if you're in trouble or
if you know Olivia's in trouble,
I can help. Just tell me what happened.
I've never seen that
man before in my life.
- Why are you doing this?
- Doing what?
This. Your little act. I
I know you're lying. I
just can't figure out why.
Maybe you're hiding something.
[CHUCKLES] Like what?
Like where she is.
Or where her body can be found.
Get out of my house.
I know you think you're helping her,
but you're doing her
more harm than good.
- Okay, get out of my house.
- Let me make this clear.
I will find Olivia.
It's what I do.
I'm very good at it.
[MELANIE CHUCKLES]
Now.
[JOHN] Hey, Charlie.
I think she knows where the girl is,
and she'll take us there tomorrow.
Let's get the van ready, yeah?
I'll see you in the
morning. All right. Bye.
You know, I think that
movies are a conspiracy.
I mean it.
They are actually a conspiracy
because they set you up, Florence.
They set you up from the
time you're a little kid.
They set you up to
believe in everything.
In ideals and strength and
good guys and, of course, love.
[CHUCKLES] But there's no Charles
Boyer in my life, Florence.
I never met Clark Gable. I
never met Humphrey Bogart.
I never I never met any of them.
- You know who I mean.
- [FLORENCE STAMMERS]
[ACTRESS] I mean, they don't
exist, Florence. That's the truth.
[JOHN] That car again.
Someone keeping an eye on me.
On and off, keeping their distance.
[CHUCKLES] They're pretty
good, but I see 'em.
[CAR HORN HONKING]
[PERSON] Hey! Hey! Hey!
[JOHN] Carl?
Wiley.
Hey, anyone seen Carl?
- Tall guy. Blond hair. A-Anyone? Carl.
- No.
- [CLICKS TONGUE] Carl!
- [PERSON] Get the hell out of here, man.
[LINE RINGING]
- [LINE BEEPS]
- [AUTOMATED VOICE] We're sorry.
- You have reached a number
- Shit.
- that has been disconnected.
- Come here. Come here.
In you go. Come on. Attaboy. Attaboy.
[JOHN] I know. I know.
What do I care?
What business is this of mine?
Yeah. I often ask myself
the same question.
[GRUNTS] All right.
[WHINING]
[WILEY PANTING]
Goddamn it, Carl.
[TOILET FLUSHES]
Who the fuck are you?
What did you give him?
What did you give him?
Fuck off.
[BOTH GRUNTING]
[GRUNTING]
Hey!
[GASPING]
[GRUNTS, COUGHS]
- [JOHN] I don't like hurting people.
- [DRUG DEALER COUGHING]
[JOHN] I really don't.
[DRUG DEALER GRUNTING, COUGHING]
[COUGHING]
I was never here.
But this is what I mean. [STAMMERS]
A drug overdose. Happens every day.
Why do I care?
[SIGHS] Why do I feel angry?
Why do I feel anything at all?
- [SIGHS]
- [WILEY WHINES]
- [WHISTLES]
- [BARKS]
- [JOHN] Hey.
- Hi.
You're interrupting my bridge club.
Ah, right. Tuesday night bridge. Fun.
[CHUCKLES] All right. Good night, John.
[JOHN] Can I come in?
Is there something urgent
regarding the Siegel case?
No. No, not really. No. I-I, um
[MEOWS]
- He needs a place to stay.
- John.
[MEOWS]
- [WILEY BARKS]
- This is Mirembe's house.
- [BARKS]
- [MIREMBE HISSES]
And Mirembe only has one rule.
- No dogs.
- Yeah.
Okay.
Oh, uh [STAMMERS]
gray Volkswagen.
[STAMMERS] What?
Today I was being tailed by a gray VW.
You got any idea who that might be?
Do you think it could be the
Siegels, like, keeping tabs on you?
No, I I think it was someone else.
Did you take care of
our friend in the trunk?
- Do it.
- [MIREMBE MEOWS]
- [WHINING]
- [JOHN] Come on, Wiley.
Big mistake. They
could have been friends.
[WILEY BARKING]
He just left. He said
he was being tailed.
No, obviously they are watching him.
[BEEPING, CHIMES]
I'll be a son of a bitch.
[JOHN] So much for body disposal.
Someone beat me to it.
[BERNIE] What am I looking at?
[DAVID] Magazines about
movies. Movies I never heard of.
- Movies nobody's ever heard of.
- [BERNIE] Mm-hmm.
What are these?
Letters from his mother, sir.
[DAVID] Yeah, here. [CHUCKLES]
You took this?
What? He already read it.
- [BERNIE SIGHS] Next time, Davy
- David.
Next time, David, let Kenny
take his pictures, okay?
All right. What the hell is this?
[DAVID] Uh, an invitation.
Yeah. [STAMMERS] I can
see that, but to what?
I don't know. I [STAMMERS]
I googled it. I I
couldn't find anything.
[STAMMERS] It doesn't even
have a location, Mr. Siegel.
Just a date and time. Tomorrow night.
What about the bug?
Nothing. He must have found it.
[SIGHS, STAMMERS] Listen
to me and learn something.
I think of my life as an ecosystem.
- You know what that is?
- Yes, I know what an ecosystem is.
[BERNIE] Good, then pay
attention. Because in my ecosystem,
there's me, there's my
wife, there's my children,
and there's my production company.
All I care about is my ecosystem.
So when a foreign body comes into
it, I go on fucking high alert
and I wonder, "Is this a
positive or a negative force?"
And the only way I can truly answer that
is to truly understand the foreign body.
The last thing we need is him
looking beyond Olivia to anyone else,
like you, David.
So, find out everything you
can about this Mr. John Sugar.
Fuck yeah.
- I want a report by tomorrow evening.
- [DAVID] You got it, Dad.
[JOHN] Clifford Carter
and Carmen Vasquez.
What's the connection to
Olivia? Why can't I see it?
I'm not supposed to get this involved.
Just observe and report.
Write it down.
That's the real mission.
That's the idea anyways.
[GLASS THUDS]
That's what Ruby keeps telling us
but I can't help it.
I can't stop.
I'm involved.
She reminds me of Djen.
I hope this case has a
different ending. But, yeah
she reminds me of my sister.
[FAMILY SINGING IN SPANISH]
[JOHN] I'm gonna find her.
She's out there somewhere.
[ALL SINGING IN SPANISH]
[SINGING IN SPANISH, CHUCKLING]
[PARENT SINGING IN SPANISH, LAUGHING]
[GASPS, SCREAMS]
- [SPEAKS SPANISH]
- [BURGLAR 1] No.
No, no, no. Back in the apartment.
[BURGLAR 2] Buenas noches.
- [WHISPERING IN SPANISH]
- Teresa, right?
So, she's gonna take the
kids into the bedroom
- [BOTH SPEAK SPANISH]
- to watch some television.
Or I will give them to him.
[BURGLAR 3] Come on.
Let's go watch a movie.
Ándele. Okay? [SPEAKS SPANISH]
[BURGLAR 2] So, Teresa, uh, I'm
looking for my friend. [SIGHS]
Clifford Carter. He
was fucking your sister.
I don't know him.
[BURGLAR 2] Don't lie to me, Teresa.
All right, I'll give you one of those.
But if you lie to me again, I'm gonna
punch you really hard in the face.
Deal? [INHALES SHARPLY]
Hey, Clifford's my main man.
You know, he knows things
about me and my clients
I don't want anybody else knowing.
And he stored all this shit
my shit on his phone.
But now I haven't seen or heard
from Clifford in over two weeks.
Makes me nervous.
Can you understand that?
Yes.
[BURGLAR 2] This was the last
text he sent before he disappeared.
It's your sister Carmen, right?
- Yes.
- [BURGLAR 2 CHUCKLES]
Took me two weeks to figure
out who this bitch was.
So, obviously, in a perfect
world we'd be talking to Carmen
about what the hell
happened to our main man.
But it's not a perfect
world because she's dead.
But we can talk to you, right, Teresa?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
So, this is the text he sent after that.
You have any idea who this is?
- [TERESA CRIES]
- Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
- She She knows.
- [SIGHS DEEPLY]
We'll talk to her next.