The Spencer Sisters (2023) s01e02 Episode Script
The Executive's Elegy
1
[SOLEMN, MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]
♪
MARLINA: I'll need you to
finalize those travel details
for the conference in Frankfurt.
And get Kevin to send me
my keynote speech, please.
ASSISTANT: [ON PHONE] On its way, ma'am.
Okay, I'll be in shortly.
But I want the results of that
double-blind study in my inbox
by the time I arrive.
[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Danny?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
♪
♪
[MUSIC SWELLS OMINOUSLY]
♪
Danny?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
♪
♪
[MUSIC SWELLS OMINOUSLY]
[SCREAMS]
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Uh, ma'am, you cannot be here.
This is an open crime scene.
I am Victoria Spencer.
Uh
Marlina, oh my God, are you all right?
Vic, thank you for coming.
I didn't know who else to call,
and I knew we were
meeting for lunch, so
VICTORIA: It's okay, I'm here for you.
What happened? Are they saying anything?
I just keep expecting to wake up.
Like this is just some awful nightmare.
I remember the feeling when Sam died.
It's awful. I'm so sorry.
Danny and I were supposed
to be married next month.
I know.
At my age, it's so easy to feel
invisible.
But when he looked at me,
it was like I was the
only person in the world.
Uh, Ms. Briggs?
Excuse me, I just want to let you know
that we have our best people on this,
and I'm gonna do
everything in my power
Thank you, Detective Harris.
Uh
That man couldn't find a
cow's ass in a barnyard.
VICTORIA: Sounds like
you don't have much faith
in our newest detective.
MARLINA: Oh, please.
You remember that useless
excuse for an investigation
when my research lab was broken into?
VICTORIA: Oh, yes, that was unfortunate.
You know
Darby and I solved that
admissions scandal case
You told me.
Maybe, if you like, we
could look into this for you.
[HOPEFUL MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
DARBY: Will I ever get out of here?
Aw
[PHONE RINGS, HORROR MOVIE SFX]
Ugh
Is this how you're waking me up now?
Waking you up? It's past 10 o'clock!
Okay, never mind.
I am so glad I caught
you before you left town.
You need to get down here right away.
There's been a murder!
What? Who?
My friend Marlina's
fiancé, Danny Moreau.
Poor thing, she found
him drowned in a pool.
And he was a lifeguard.
You remember Marlina.
She's the CEO of Zanotec.
They make that drug you took
for your acne in middle school.
Yeah, I remember my acne. Thank you.
But, Mom, this is a police matter.
We shouldn't get involved.
Well, Marlina doesn't trust
our new local detective,
and frankly, neither do I, and besides,
we work so well together!
No, I gotta get a real job. I
have to get my life together!
Okay, fine, but just to look into it,
she offered us $10,000.
♪
So, I'll be seeing you soon?
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
DARBY: Psst!
What are you doing here?
I thought you were
headed back to the city.
I was.
But then my mom called me
about all this craziness.
Where is she, by the way?
Upstairs with Ms. Briggs.
But even if you were still a
cop, this isn't your jurisdiction.
Oh wow, news sure spread
fast about the dynamic duo.
Pretty sure Victoria does her own PR.
ZANE: So Marlina Briggs
hired to look into this?
DARBY: Apparently she's not
a fan of your new detective.
And for the record, as soon
as I get a job, I'm outta here.
Oh, hey, you have a contact at
the Hamilton Precinct, right?
Do you think you could
put in a good word for me?
I'll babysit every time I'm in town!
That's a terrible deal!
You're never in town.
I'll see what I can do.
Thank you!
- Hey, hello? Murder scene?
- Right. So what's the story here?
Come on, you're not actually
afraid of Joe Hardy boy, are you?
No, no, I mean, he is my supervisor
and I have to at least pretend
to care about what he thinks.
DARBY: So, what do we know?
Based on the mess, it
looks like someone was
rifling through Marlina's files
and was surprised by Danny.
A struggle ensued, and they spilled into
the kitchen and the pool,
where Danny was drowned.
DARBY: Mm. What about that thing?
ZANE: [LAUGHS] Yeah
You'll be shocked to
learn the security cameras
were turned off during the incident.
Any eyewitnesses? Suspects?
Only any of Marlina's competitors.
Three months ago, Marlina
started throwing around
accusations of corporate espionage.
We didn't find any proof,
but judging by the state of this office,
she might have been onto something.
DARBY: Hmm.
♪
Maybe.
Why does your face look like that?
What? This is my thinking face.
That's not your thinking face.
That's your "something's off" face.
Fine.
♪
It's just if you're willing
to make this much of a mess,
in my opinion, you're
not concerned about
people knowing about the break-in.
- ZANE: Okay
- DARBY: Why not take the laptop?
If it's corporate espionage,
hack into it later.
Maybe they panicked after
the murder and bolted.
Maybe.
HARRIS: Officer Graham?
Look, uh, do yourself a favour
and stay out of Harris' way.
I don't know what he was like
before he got to Alder Bluffs,
but he is dangerously insecure.
Noted.
♪
Hmm
♪
What did you find out?
It's good to see you too, Mom.
Geez.
According to Zane, the cops
think it's corporate espionage.
And according to you?
- I'm not entirely convinced.
- VICTORIA: Exactly! Think about it:
Marlina is worth over
200 million dollars,
and Danny was murdered mere weeks before
their un-prenupped
union became official.
How does someone as successful
as Marlina not sign a prenup?
I don't know.
Abs make you do crazy things.
So you think this is about inheritance?
I would bet the profits
of my last book on it.
Ballpark those for me?
A while back, Marlina's
last man-friend du jour
started floating around
the word "marriage,"
and you should have seen how
her three awful kids reacted!
Sounds like we should talk to them.
Yeah, let's start with Noelle.
She's the eldest and
arguably the most difficult.
You two should get along swimmingly!
[LAUGHS]
♪
PAUL: I don't understand.
I thought the cops were looking
into Marlina's competitors.
DARBY: They are. But we're not the cops.
We're private investigators,
hired by your mother-in-law.
Oh, makes sense.
Hiring a washed-up mystery
writer to investigate
does sound like Marlina.
Nice. That's very nice.
So sorry. My husband has a condition.
- He's a jackass.
- [TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATION]
Are you all right, Noelle?
You seem a little on edge.
It's the caffeine.
She's an addict.
Actually, I'm VP Comms for a
billion-dollar pharmaceutical
company and my mother's
fiancé was killed this morning,
so I've been trying to
handle things in her absence.
So, no, everything is not all right.
We're completing clinical
trials on a major new drug
and our investors don't really care much
for personal drama, so
Mm-hm. Where were you this morning
between 9 and 10 am?
What, are you serious?
It's fine, Paul. I was riding.
I keep a horse over
at Blackwood Stables.
I saw her leave in
her riding gear myself.
Do you ride often?
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
It keeps me sane.
Hm.
Look, I appreciate
you're doing your job,
but what motive could I
possibly have for killing Danny?
You don't want to
share your inheritance.
Money can be a great motivator.
NOELLE: Oh! [SCOFFS]
Take a look around we're
not exactly slumming it.
[PHONE BUZZES]
I have to take this.
But if the inheritance
has anything to do
with Danny's murder, you should
talk to my sister, Andrea.
♪
This is Noelle
♪
♪
♪
♪
ANDREA: Of course my
sister would say that.
But I don't want my mother's money.
DARBY: How's business, Andrea?
Photography slash kombucha,
it's a very niche market.
Contrary to my mother's philosophy,
I chose to pursue my passions,
not the almighty dollar.
And how did Marlina feel about
you avoiding the family business?
I don't think she was thrilled about it.
But I wasn't thrilled
when she shacked up
with a 12-year-old gigolo.
But I try not to dwell.
That's a little bit harsh.
I take it you didn't like young Danny?
He was a hustler.
Always looking for some
sucker to fund his stupid
energy drink business venture.
And then, quelle surprise, he's
captivated by an older woman
who happens to own a
billion-dollar empire.
It is a little on the nose.
My mother was a fool to fall for him.
So no, I wasn't a big fan of Danny's.
And I assume you have an
alibi for this morning?
I was preparing for my
upcoming photography show:
"From Rich to Roughing It."
So were you alone or ?
Yeah.
You don't really think I did it.
Why aren't you picking
on my brother, Silas?
He had a massive screaming
fight on the phone
when he was at my place the other day.
I'm pretty sure he said, "Danny".
What was the fight about?
I don't know.
Maybe Danny finally found his sucker.
It feels like we're done here.
Unless you're gonna
finish that kombucha.
Yeah, finish it, Mom.
We have time, thank you.
- I'm okay.
- Drink up! I'll wait.
Num num num!
♪
VICTORIA: So, what do
we think about Andrea?
Not much of an alibi, huh?
And what about her throwing
her own brother under the bus?
Of course, she's not big enough
to overpower bodybuilder Danny,
but who's to say she didn't
hire someone else to do it?
Feel free to jump in anytime now, honey.
Andrea was right about
Danny's business venture.
I found a website for his
sugar-free energy drink.
VICTORIA: TurboSlam?
DARBY: Huh I guess he
did have some investors.
VICTORIA: Wait, go back
that's Marlina's son.
"Angel investor" Silas Briggs.
♪
Because at TurboSlam,
we slam you with sugar-free energy!
- Every time!
- [DANCE MUSIC]
- Woo!
- [EXPLOSION SFX]
TurboSlam!
So you found it. And me.
According to the website,
you made a substantial
investment in TurboSlam.
Two hundred and fifty grand.
Wow.
It was supposed to go into R&D,
but all Danny cared about
was rushing it to market.
We didn't even have a product yet
and we had more social media
accounts than a teenager.
We spoke to your sister,
Andrea. She said
I had an argument with
Danny three days ago?
"Massive screaming fight"
were her words, but yes.
Look, the narrative that
I'm a deadbeat has served
both of my sisters our entire lives.
Noelle's the fancy VP and
successor to the throne.
Andrea's the free thinker who
chose to blaze her own trail.
And I'm the loser who can't be
trusted with the family wealth.
So you didn't, say,
squander your mom's handouts
with entitled abandon?
Of course, you're pals with my mom.
I might have spent
money a little recklessly
here and there, but
I didn't kill anyone.
DARBY: Out of curiosity,
where were you between
9 and 10 am this morning?
- SILAS: Out of curiosity?
- DARBY: Mm-hm.
I was fishing, alone,
up at Lake Nipissing.
I wanted to clear my head.
No offence, but you don't
seem like the kind of guy
who goes fishing to clear his head.
How do you suppose I clear my head?
Jell-O shots, dog fights, mud-wrestling?
Okay.
You know the real irony?
I thought that supporting
Danny would put me
in my mom's good graces for a change.
Instead, I just gave my
sisters even more ammunition.
♪
♪
VICTORIA: What a little snot,
giving us a sob story like that!
I don't know, part of
me feels for the guy.
Growing up with a mom
who prioritizes her work
above all else couldn't have been easy.
Okay, what are you trying to say?
Nothing.
Just that it's no wonder he's made
some questionable life choices.
People do crazy things
to be seen and loved.
Hmm, so true.
What a monster his mother is.
Of course, Silas has lived a
life of immeasurable privilege
precisely because of
his mother's sacrifices.
Sacrifices she made so that
he would want for nothing.
Nothing but his mother.
Speaking of wanting for nothing,
I'm just gonna make you dinner.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Hello?
ZANE: Hey, Darbs, how's it goin'?
Oh, it's you.
ZANE: Ouch!
No offence taken.
Sorry, it was an unknown number.
I thought it might be
the Hamilton Precinct.
What's up?
ZANE: You sound like
you could use a drink.
If it gets me out of here
I'll be there in ten.
I'm making paella.
I took a Catalonian
cooking class a month ago
and I have been dying to
use these guajillo peppers.
Oh, I just made a plan
to meet Zane for a drink.
Sorry, I didn't know you
were doing a whole thing.
Oh.
Well, that's okay. You have a life.
You should live it.
Great!
Um, but do eat something
while you're out.
Yeah, I will.
Yeah, 'cause you're so pale.
I said I would eat something!
Okay.
Go. Have fun!
Okay.
♪
♪
I don't know why I feel guilty.
So she's eating dinner alone? Big whoop!
Do you know how many
dinners I had to eat alone
when I was a kid because she
was off promoting some book
at a book launch thing?
ZANE: I
It's like "Cat's in the
Cradle" and all that crap.
I don't have to tell
you. You know my mom.
- You get it.
- [PHONE RINGING]
Actually, I, uh gotta get this.
Okay.
[SIGHS]
You've gotta release some
of that resentment, Darby.
It's not healthy.
Honestly, I don't even care anymore.
Okay. Got it, got it.
But it sounds like you do care a lot.
And that's totally fine.
People we love always disappoint.
Yeah, no kidding.
Because our expectations are too high.
The way I see it,
you've got two options.
Number one, you can wait for
Victoria to magically transform
into someone she's never gonna be,
or, number two,
you can let go of expectations.
Third option?
Eat your empanada.
Okay.
[IN A WHISPER] Your turn again.
- DARBY: Hey.
- ZANE: Hey!
- DARBY: What?
- Nothing.
Oh, come on. You're
the world's worst liar.
Is it about the case?
This stuff's confidential, Darbs.
You know I'll be more of a help
to you than Detective Harris.
And you saw the crime scene.
Admit it. It was off.
Yeah.
How about a trade?
I'll show you mine, you show me yours.
Disturbing.
But I'm listening.
DARBY: Okay, get this.
So, Marlina's son, Silas, had
an ugly blow-up with the victim
the night before the murder.
And his alibi that morning ?
Yeah?
Fishing alone.
Now you.
♪
VICTORIA: Yes, Sarita, I'm
working on it right now.
SARITA: Still at it?
You and I really need to get a life.
So feeling good about the new pages?
Oh, yeah.
This new story is
absolutely riveting, it's
SARITA: Terrific.
We'll connect next week.
I can't wait to read them.
Bye, love.
I can't wait to read them either.
♪
[SIGHS]
Oh!
How could you sneak up
on a person like that?
Since when is walking through
an open door sneaking?!
Anyway, the autopsy just came in.
Apparently, there was no
water in Danny's lungs.
He didn't drown.
Well, how did he die?
Cardiac arrest.
But they don't know what caused it,
so they're running additional tests.
Drugs?
Nothing in the tox report.
Huh.
So then what exactly killed Danny?
That is the $10,000 question.
♪
♪
♪
What the hell is this?
It's a case board!
It's what all the pros use.
I'm the pros, Mom.
And no, we don't.
Well, I do.
When I write, I'm a visual thinker.
I need to see all the
pieces in front of me.
Okay, well, I need to see
coffee.
VICTORIA: So, I was thinking,
if Danny didn't drown,
perhaps he was placed in the pool
to throw the cops off the trail.
But if there was nothing in
the tox report, how did he die?
♪
You can't test for something
you don't know to look for.
Okay
Tox reports are effective,
but a standard panel
only tests for about
10 or 15 different drugs.
How many drugs are currently
in development at Zanotec
that forensics wouldn't
even know to look for?
Wow, keep going.
What if Danny died from a drug
that hasn't hit the market yet?
Think about it.
Someone could've stolen
a syringe from Zanotec,
snuck up on Danny Boom!
See, someone else is a visual thinker!
Hm.
Well, how do we find this mystery drug?
We'd have to compare
Danny's blood report
to the Zanotec clinical trials.
We should talk to Marlina.
No, no, we are not talking to her.
Why not?
Because she's mourning
the loss of her fiancé.
The prime suspects are her children.
What if she finds out that her
company's own drug killed him?
No, we are not talking to her
unless we are 100 percent certain.
So then what are we supposed to do?
Start with the easy part.
We get Danny's blood report
from the hospital morgue.
That's the hard part, Mom!
We don't have access to the morgue.
What
is that face?
♪
♪
♪
No, no, no. Absolutely not!
You're not posing as a doctor.
Do you have a better idea?
That's not the point!
This is false impersonation
and it's illegal.
Ugh! Look, we are going to a morgue.
Literally no one wants to be there.
You are so uptight.
That's what living in
the city does to a person.
Your nervous system is
just all out of whack.
You have to see my acupuncturist.
I don't need an acupuncturist!
[SIGHS] Fine, suit yourself.
But you have to take your cop cap off
and start thinking like a PI.
Fine.
But if we get arrested,
you're covering bail.
No problem, I'm rich.
I don't know why you're
so confident right now.
This is a small town.
Anyone could see us. What
if we bump into Lucas?
Is that wishful thinking, I hear?
No, it's anxiety.
Oh, no, it's just
because you are pushing 30
and the most eligible bachelor in town.
The most eligible bachelor in town?
This isn't a Jane Austen novel, Mom.
And he's not eligible
because he's engaged.
That doesn't mean anything.
Stop being so pedantic.
Besides, if he shows
up, just cover for me.
How am I supposed to cover?
Uh, use your imagination?
Distract him?
Flirt?
Ugh! Hi, this is reality!
I can't just beguile him
with my powers of seduction.
Not with that attitude, you can't.
Besides, I'm not worried.
What are the chances we bump into him?
Darby?
You've gotta be kidding me.
Lucas! Hey!
- LUCAS: Hey!
- DARBY: Hi, how are you?
Good! Is that your mom?
What? No!
Who? What, stop.
[FORCED LAUGHTER] Busy day?
[SNEAKY MUSIC]
Excuse me.
Oh! Uh
I am a visiting
pathologist from Chicago.
I don't know where the
hell my ID badge is,
but I am working with cadavers
studying the effects of RISRs,
radiation-induced skin reactions,
and their effect on DNA mutations.
The X and the Ys, the chromosomes.
Sorry, I don't really understand.
I'm so sorry. I just I go on and on.
I I get overzealous
about my research.
But, you know, with radiation
therapy so prevalent these days,
and if I could just change
one life with my work,
it would be
My wife is actually going
through it right now.
Oh, really? I'm so sorry.
LUCAS: What are you doing here?
Um, I'm here waiting for my mom.
Who isn't here yet.
She will be because she's
researching a new novel.
It's a medical mystery.
How's she doing?
It's a struggle every day.
Is it?
- That's why my work is so important.
- Right.
It could affect your wife or anyone.
Oh, anything I can help with?
Uh, I don't think so,
because it has to do with obstetrics.
Mm.
It's a classic who-done-it, huh?
Yeah!
Obstetrics is on the fifth floor.
Right. I'll see you later.
LUCAS: All right.
Guess I got turned around.
Yeah, it reminds me of that
trip we took to Wasaga Beach
where you insisted on navigating.
Hey, those exit signs were
invisible to the naked eye!
Sure they were.
Gimme a second, I gotta check
on something in the morgue.
Okay. No, no, no, no!
Um Wait.
How's Lindsay?
I've been meaning to ask.
Great.
She's busy with the wedding prep mostly.
I'll bet.
Exciting!
Yeah. I mean, it's all a bit much
to be honest.
You know me, it's just
KISS!
What?
Keep It Simple Stupid.
Nothing extravagant.
You're a simple guy.
Thank you.
No, you're right.
Um, as long as she's happy,
the day does seem to be mostly
about the bride right?
Hmm, I dunno.
Isn't it just as much about the groom?
[SNEAKY MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
♪
Martinez
Moore
Danny Moreau.
Gotcha!
♪
♪
LUCAS: Now I'm starting
to feel, you know,
like I'm a guest at my own party.
Have you talked to Lindsay about that?
No, I should, shouldn't I?
Yeah.
[NERVOUS LAUGHTER]
♪
♪
Hello.
♪
This is nice.
It's like old times.
Sort of like old times.
I gotta go.
Okay.
But we should, um
Let's have coffee, or, you know,
somewhere other than a hospital hallway?
Yeah. No, I'd love that, definitely.
- LUCAS: Okay.
- DARBY: Okay.
Elevators are that way.
Right. Thank you.
Look for the signs.
DARBY: Yes.
Not the exit signs.
Right? [LAUGHS]
♪
[HANGS UP PHONE]
You got it?
Whoa, I can't believe that worked!
All it takes is confidence
and a few key acronyms.
Works every time.
Huh, all right.
Well, we've got Danny's blood report.
Now we have to evaluate
it against all the drugs
Zanotec has in clinical trials.
That could be dozens of drugs!
I know, which is why, and
I cannot stress this enough,
we need to talk to Marlina.
I already told you! We're
not talking to Marlina.
But I've got a better idea.
[SNEAKY MUSIC]
♪
DARBY: Ugh, take it easy!
Slow down!
VICTORIA: Oh, relax, we got
here in one piece, didn't we?
DARBY: I feel like there should
be a higher bar than that.
Where are we, anyway?
♪
DARBY: This is your better idea?
VICTORIA: Trust me!
♪
What the hell is this place?
You'll see.
♪
[DOOR BUZZES]
Mom?
Mom
So, let me get this straight,
you want me to hack
into Zanotec's database
and find a drug that
matches this random,
unknown substance right here?
Precisely.
Is this for a book?
Um yes?
I know you well enough to know
when you're lying, Victoria.
Hard pass.
We totally understand.
And you know me well enough to know
that I can't turn down a challenge!
So if it's a biometric security system,
I'll need to harvest
the unsecured images
with the scanner or find a back door,
which that may take
a little bit more time.
So if you'll excuse me okay?
Okay. All right.
DARBY: [QUIETLY] Hey, come here!
Do you maybe want to explain this?
- VICTORIA: Alastair?
- DARBY: Yeah!
He's been my consultant for years.
How else do you think I wrote
"The Hacker's Handwriting"
or "The Technician's Tirade"?
It's all above board.
Whose board?
Fine, whatever.
But it would have been a hell
of a lot cheaper and easier
if we just talked to Marlina.
Even if she is in mourning.
Disagree!
I don't understand.
Wouldn't she want to help
us considering she's the one
who hired us in the first place?
I mean, for God's sake,
the woman is paying us
ten grand to do this.
She isn't paying us ten grand, is she?
She will I'm almost sure of it.
Did she even hire us at all?
Well, she didn't protest
when I offered our services.
You off Oh my God.
You offered.
I'm so dumb.
I can't believe I fell for this.
Well, in your defence, I can
be quite convincing, so
Am I a joke to you?
Am I just a little
toy that you play with?
No, I no! What are you talking about?
What was all of this about, Mom?
Is this just some
twisted attempt to keep me
from going back to the city?
You bribe me with ten
grand to trap me here?
To alleviate the boredom
of your sad, lonely life?
You're unbelievable.
[PAINED SIGH]
Darby!
♪
[DOOR SLAMS]
♪
♪
DARBY: It's classic Mom.
Every time I think things
could be different, maybe,
she just reverts back to type.
Well, well, well,
still hanging on to
expectations, are we?
[IN A WHISPER] Surrender, Darby.
Surrender
Like, she made me go to
this shady hacker's warehouse
to try to illegally breach
Never mind.
Okay ?
I just need to put
miles between me and her.
We're too different.
Speaking of which, have you heard from
the Hamilton Precinct contact?
She hasn't called me yet.
She's probably just busy.
Right.
You know, your mother
is a lot of things.
- A bit of a narcissist
- DARBY: Yeah.
A neat freak, a complete over-sharer.
Definitely.
But she isn't the monster
you make her out to be.
She's willing to pay ten grand
just to spend time with you.
It's low-key sad, but
also kind of sweet.
I'm gonna tell you something,
and I don't want you to take it badly.
Okay ?
You have to promise not to freak out.
- I'm scared.
- Swear it.
Okay, God! I won't freak out.
Okay.
I think you and Vic are a
lot more alike than you think.
Okay, I'm freaking out a little.
I'm serious.
You both are smart,
headstrong, and opinionated.
Maybe the problem isn't
that you're too different.
It's that you're too
Do not finish that sentence.
I gotta go.
It's probably for the best.
But, you know, you might want
to give your mother a break.
Oh, by the way, I looked into Silas.
Remember, you didn't hear this from me,
but his alibi checks out.
It does?
Morning of the murder,
he swiped his credit card
at a gas station 20
klicks from Lake Nipissing.
- DARBY: Huh!
- ZANE: Seriously.
- DARBY: Weird.
- ZANE: Yeah.
- DARBY: Thanks!
- ZANE: Yeah.
♪
♪
♪
♪
Hey, Mom.
VICTORIA: Darby.
Listen, I just wanted to say
that I'm sorry for earlier.
I I may have overreacted
and said some things
that I didn't really mean.
But I've had a really crazy
week, as you can imagine.
Or maybe you can't, because
you're not a 29-year-old,
grown-ass woman with no job
who has to wake up every morning
at her mother's house in a
graveyard of broken dreams,
to the sight of a shirtless
teen werewolf staring at her.
We can take the poster down.
It's not about the poster.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
Is there anything you'd like to say?
I am sorry that this has
been so painful for you,
but having you here has been
the highlight of my year.
♪
♪
Maybe I shouldn't have strung you along,
but if it's any consolation,
you have terrific
investigative instincts.
I got a text from Alastair.
Turns out your theory was bang-on.
Really?
Did he hack into Zanotec's database?
Mm-hm!
And one of the drug
profiles seems to match
an unknown substance in Danny's blood.
Something called Troactis.
Well
Okay, fine, we can talk to Marlina now.
♪
MARLINA: I I don't understand.
Where did you get these
chromatography reports from?
Well, we may have taken a
slightly unorthodox approach,
but I assure you we are the
only ones who have seen this.
The point is, the unknown
substance in Danny's blood
is a perfect match to Troactis.
Someone injected it, but
in a much higher quantity
than your clinical trial.
Is it possible that's what killed him?
No. No, absolutely not.
Troactis was developed to treat
asthma sufferers of all ages.
It's incredibly safe.
Are you sure?
We were on the verge of
submitting our final report
to the Ministry of Health.
The only thing holding us back
was the drug's adverse effects
in
VICTORIA: In ?
People with type 1 diabetes.
Danny's was so under control,
you'd barely know he had it.
Danny was diabetic?
He had to inject himself
daily with insulin.
God knows what effects a
massive dose of Troactis
would have done.
What does this mean?
I-I
I'm s I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
Marlina, I
Someone with type 1
diabetes "under control"
would generally avoid copious
amounts of sugar, right?
Of course. Why do you ask?
Come with me.
Do you have any idea how much
sugar there is in these things?
Well, a massive amount.
Maybe that's why Danny was
developing that TurboSlam drink.
There was one open on the workout bike
the morning of Danny's murder.
If Danny wasn't drinking it, who was?
That is a good question.
Do you think Marlina will let
us look at her security footage?
Whoever killed Danny knew
he had type 1 diabetes,
and had access to not only
Troactis but to the test results.
VICTORIA: Showing the
adverse interaction, sure.
But what does this prove?
We already know that the cameras
were turned off on Thursday.
I'm not interested in Thursday.
I'm interested in Tuesday.
Okay, what happened on Tuesday?
Check it out.
The camera was also turned
off on Tuesday morning,
from 9 am to 10.
And on the Thursday before that.
And the previous Tuesday.
And so on, and so on.
Every Tuesday and Thursday
between 9 and 10 am?
Energy drinks are full of sugar,
but they're also chock-full of caffeine.
Know any hopped-up caffeine
addicts who keep a suspiciously
similar morning schedule?
Oh, Marlina's daughter, Noelle.
Looks like she was never at the stable.
She was riding a
different kind of stallion.
Why must you?
You can't possibly think
that I killed Danny.
[SCOFFS] This is crazy!
Is it?
You knew he had diabetes and
you had access to the studies.
Because I work there.
We checked the logs
at Blackwood Stables.
There's no record of you signing in
every Tuesday and Thursday
morning for months.
Coincidentally, those are
the same times that Danny
turned off the home security cameras.
Now, what could that possibly mean?
Fine. Okay, you're right.
I wasn't at the stables.
I was with Danny.
But I-I swear he was alive when I left.
I mean, why would I kill him?
I don't know, maybe he
wanted to call it off.
Maybe he threatened to
tell your poor mother
about your torrid affair.
Danny and I were good.
It's easy to feel like
you're never enough
with a mother like mine.
But with Danny?
It was just the way he looked at me.
It was like I was the
only person in the world.
We called Zanotec.
Your key card was swiped in
the research lab at 10:48 pm
the night before Danny's murder.
That's impossible.
That's when you got your hands
on the drug that killed him.
No, it isn't,
because I wasn't at the
lab on Wednesday night.
I was at the club celebrating
my girlfriend's 40th.
I bought a round of drinks.
There's at least a dozen
people who can vouch for me.
♪
DARBY: So, do you believe her?
VICTORIA: It's an easy
alibi to look into.
DARBY: Honestly, I just
think she's too smart to be
that bad of a liar.
VICTORIA: Well, someone
swiped that keycard!
[CAR APPROACHING]
Someone sure did
♪
PAUL: Oh great, Miss
Marple and Nancy Drew.
Are you here to harass
my wife some more?
VICTORIA: Actually,
we'd rather harass you.
You didn't happen to borrow
Noelle's company keycard
on Wednesday evening, did you?
No, I didn't. What is this about?
Troactis, the new drug
Noelle's company was developing.
You knew all about it and its
effects on type 1 diabetics.
What are you talking about?
You also knew that your wife
was having an affair with Danny,
so you stole a massive
amount of Troactis
and you followed her Thursday
morning when she left.
And then you hid outside Danny's,
waiting for Noelle to leave.
VICTORIA: And you knew
that the security cameras
would be turned off. Or
you were too angry to care.
And that's when you went inside,
and when Danny's back was turned
you jabbed him with the syringe
you stole from the lab.
And then in order to cover your tracks,
you dragged Danny's body into the pool
and made it look like a break-in.
- Are we close here?
- No, no, no, no. None of this is true.
Okay, well, how about if we check
the security cameras at Zanotec?
Or if we told Forensics to
dust the keycard for prints,
we wouldn't find yours?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Oh, okay.
Wow. Um, I guess I'm going after him?
I'm more of a pilates gal, hon.
PAUL: Argh!
Ah! Ow
Okay, hold this.
Call Zane!
Will do.
- [LINE RINGING]
- DARBY: Oh, don't even think about it!
Hey, Zane. Man down.
[BOSSA NOVA MUSIC]
VICTORIA: Thank you,
Antonio, it was so delicious.
- DARBY: So good!
- ZANE: Hey, gang.
- VICTORIA & DARBY: Hey!
- ZANE: Hey!
NEWS REPORT: Paul was taken to hospital.
Ankle sprain.
Well, that will have
plenty of time to heal
when Detective Harris charges
him with Danny's murder.
Yeah, about that, you two
should lay low for a while.
Harris is
HARRIS: There you are, Miss Spencer!
To what do we owe the
honour, Detective Harris?
I just came from the hospital.
Your little antics
blew up my investigation
and now the suspect is lawyering up.
Well, then, congratulations!
On what?
Well, that must mean you have
ample evidence against him.
Like Noelle's confession
that she was having
an affair with Danny, right?
Right.
Yeah, well, that would make
Paul the natural suspect.
But without any hard evidence,
we can't actually charge him.
Like his prints all over the lab?
Which you already had Officer
Graham dust for, I'm sure.
There's a team there now.
- DARBY: Great call!
- ZANE: Mm-hm!
Because obviously, Paul
doesn't have clearance
to access Zanotec's
lab, only his wife does.
But I'm not telling you
anything you don't already know!
Of course.
No, that's, um
That's good.
Good work, Officer Graham,
following my orders.
And if all else fails,
you can always check
Zanotec's security
cameras on Wednesday night.
I'm sure you'll find them
tremendously revealing.
Well, we're already on that!
HARRIS: Mm-hm.
Wow, you move fast!
- HARRIS: Mm-hm!
- VICTORIA: Well done!
Ha!
You know, it's funny, though,
how quickly you veered away
from the obvious COD.
- COD?
- Oh yeah, it's cause of death.
No one says COD.
Yes, they do.
People say that.
Okay, wait, you and Officer Graham,
you guys are friends, right?
We know each other.
Hmm, and he didn't happen to feed you
confidential information
on, say, well, I don't know,
an autopsy report, now did he?
Absolutely not, Detective. I
would never do such a thing.
It would be unethical.
Hmm, wow.
Seems like your talents
transcend the written word,
Miss Spencer, and
I don't think we've
actually met yet, have we?
My goodness, how rude of me!
Detective Harris, this is
my daughter, Darby Spencer.
Daughter?
Wow, I had you pegged as sisters.
Ugh!
[IN A WHISPER] Surrender!
♪
♪
So, dinner later?
Paella?
I'd love that.
The saffron would do
wonders for your blood sugar.
My blood sugar thanks you.
You know, honey, I can't stop
thinking that solving one case
might be a fluke, but two
Don't say it.
I'm pretty sure that's
what they call "on a roll."
What are these?
VICTORIA: Just something to think about.
DARBY: "The Spencer
Sisters Detective Agency"?
When did you have
time to get these made?
Oh yeah, and Marlina did
end up paying us after all.
You've gotta be kidding me! 20,000?
Seems like I underestimated
her gratitude.
But this was a team effort, Mom.
Half of this is yours.
Okay, I'll take it, but
I'm gonna put my half
back into the business.
If there is a business.
♪
All right. We'll give it a shot.
On a trial basis.
We'll see how it goes.
Okay, we'll see how it goes.
[SOFT, INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[EXHALES]
[SOLEMN, MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]
♪
MARLINA: I'll need you to
finalize those travel details
for the conference in Frankfurt.
And get Kevin to send me
my keynote speech, please.
ASSISTANT: [ON PHONE] On its way, ma'am.
Okay, I'll be in shortly.
But I want the results of that
double-blind study in my inbox
by the time I arrive.
[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Danny?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
♪
♪
[MUSIC SWELLS OMINOUSLY]
♪
Danny?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
♪
♪
[MUSIC SWELLS OMINOUSLY]
[SCREAMS]
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Uh, ma'am, you cannot be here.
This is an open crime scene.
I am Victoria Spencer.
Uh
Marlina, oh my God, are you all right?
Vic, thank you for coming.
I didn't know who else to call,
and I knew we were
meeting for lunch, so
VICTORIA: It's okay, I'm here for you.
What happened? Are they saying anything?
I just keep expecting to wake up.
Like this is just some awful nightmare.
I remember the feeling when Sam died.
It's awful. I'm so sorry.
Danny and I were supposed
to be married next month.
I know.
At my age, it's so easy to feel
invisible.
But when he looked at me,
it was like I was the
only person in the world.
Uh, Ms. Briggs?
Excuse me, I just want to let you know
that we have our best people on this,
and I'm gonna do
everything in my power
Thank you, Detective Harris.
Uh
That man couldn't find a
cow's ass in a barnyard.
VICTORIA: Sounds like
you don't have much faith
in our newest detective.
MARLINA: Oh, please.
You remember that useless
excuse for an investigation
when my research lab was broken into?
VICTORIA: Oh, yes, that was unfortunate.
You know
Darby and I solved that
admissions scandal case
You told me.
Maybe, if you like, we
could look into this for you.
[HOPEFUL MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
DARBY: Will I ever get out of here?
Aw
[PHONE RINGS, HORROR MOVIE SFX]
Ugh
Is this how you're waking me up now?
Waking you up? It's past 10 o'clock!
Okay, never mind.
I am so glad I caught
you before you left town.
You need to get down here right away.
There's been a murder!
What? Who?
My friend Marlina's
fiancé, Danny Moreau.
Poor thing, she found
him drowned in a pool.
And he was a lifeguard.
You remember Marlina.
She's the CEO of Zanotec.
They make that drug you took
for your acne in middle school.
Yeah, I remember my acne. Thank you.
But, Mom, this is a police matter.
We shouldn't get involved.
Well, Marlina doesn't trust
our new local detective,
and frankly, neither do I, and besides,
we work so well together!
No, I gotta get a real job. I
have to get my life together!
Okay, fine, but just to look into it,
she offered us $10,000.
♪
So, I'll be seeing you soon?
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
DARBY: Psst!
What are you doing here?
I thought you were
headed back to the city.
I was.
But then my mom called me
about all this craziness.
Where is she, by the way?
Upstairs with Ms. Briggs.
But even if you were still a
cop, this isn't your jurisdiction.
Oh wow, news sure spread
fast about the dynamic duo.
Pretty sure Victoria does her own PR.
ZANE: So Marlina Briggs
hired to look into this?
DARBY: Apparently she's not
a fan of your new detective.
And for the record, as soon
as I get a job, I'm outta here.
Oh, hey, you have a contact at
the Hamilton Precinct, right?
Do you think you could
put in a good word for me?
I'll babysit every time I'm in town!
That's a terrible deal!
You're never in town.
I'll see what I can do.
Thank you!
- Hey, hello? Murder scene?
- Right. So what's the story here?
Come on, you're not actually
afraid of Joe Hardy boy, are you?
No, no, I mean, he is my supervisor
and I have to at least pretend
to care about what he thinks.
DARBY: So, what do we know?
Based on the mess, it
looks like someone was
rifling through Marlina's files
and was surprised by Danny.
A struggle ensued, and they spilled into
the kitchen and the pool,
where Danny was drowned.
DARBY: Mm. What about that thing?
ZANE: [LAUGHS] Yeah
You'll be shocked to
learn the security cameras
were turned off during the incident.
Any eyewitnesses? Suspects?
Only any of Marlina's competitors.
Three months ago, Marlina
started throwing around
accusations of corporate espionage.
We didn't find any proof,
but judging by the state of this office,
she might have been onto something.
DARBY: Hmm.
♪
Maybe.
Why does your face look like that?
What? This is my thinking face.
That's not your thinking face.
That's your "something's off" face.
Fine.
♪
It's just if you're willing
to make this much of a mess,
in my opinion, you're
not concerned about
people knowing about the break-in.
- ZANE: Okay
- DARBY: Why not take the laptop?
If it's corporate espionage,
hack into it later.
Maybe they panicked after
the murder and bolted.
Maybe.
HARRIS: Officer Graham?
Look, uh, do yourself a favour
and stay out of Harris' way.
I don't know what he was like
before he got to Alder Bluffs,
but he is dangerously insecure.
Noted.
♪
Hmm
♪
What did you find out?
It's good to see you too, Mom.
Geez.
According to Zane, the cops
think it's corporate espionage.
And according to you?
- I'm not entirely convinced.
- VICTORIA: Exactly! Think about it:
Marlina is worth over
200 million dollars,
and Danny was murdered mere weeks before
their un-prenupped
union became official.
How does someone as successful
as Marlina not sign a prenup?
I don't know.
Abs make you do crazy things.
So you think this is about inheritance?
I would bet the profits
of my last book on it.
Ballpark those for me?
A while back, Marlina's
last man-friend du jour
started floating around
the word "marriage,"
and you should have seen how
her three awful kids reacted!
Sounds like we should talk to them.
Yeah, let's start with Noelle.
She's the eldest and
arguably the most difficult.
You two should get along swimmingly!
[LAUGHS]
♪
PAUL: I don't understand.
I thought the cops were looking
into Marlina's competitors.
DARBY: They are. But we're not the cops.
We're private investigators,
hired by your mother-in-law.
Oh, makes sense.
Hiring a washed-up mystery
writer to investigate
does sound like Marlina.
Nice. That's very nice.
So sorry. My husband has a condition.
- He's a jackass.
- [TEXT MESSAGE NOTIFICATION]
Are you all right, Noelle?
You seem a little on edge.
It's the caffeine.
She's an addict.
Actually, I'm VP Comms for a
billion-dollar pharmaceutical
company and my mother's
fiancé was killed this morning,
so I've been trying to
handle things in her absence.
So, no, everything is not all right.
We're completing clinical
trials on a major new drug
and our investors don't really care much
for personal drama, so
Mm-hm. Where were you this morning
between 9 and 10 am?
What, are you serious?
It's fine, Paul. I was riding.
I keep a horse over
at Blackwood Stables.
I saw her leave in
her riding gear myself.
Do you ride often?
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
It keeps me sane.
Hm.
Look, I appreciate
you're doing your job,
but what motive could I
possibly have for killing Danny?
You don't want to
share your inheritance.
Money can be a great motivator.
NOELLE: Oh! [SCOFFS]
Take a look around we're
not exactly slumming it.
[PHONE BUZZES]
I have to take this.
But if the inheritance
has anything to do
with Danny's murder, you should
talk to my sister, Andrea.
♪
This is Noelle
♪
♪
♪
♪
ANDREA: Of course my
sister would say that.
But I don't want my mother's money.
DARBY: How's business, Andrea?
Photography slash kombucha,
it's a very niche market.
Contrary to my mother's philosophy,
I chose to pursue my passions,
not the almighty dollar.
And how did Marlina feel about
you avoiding the family business?
I don't think she was thrilled about it.
But I wasn't thrilled
when she shacked up
with a 12-year-old gigolo.
But I try not to dwell.
That's a little bit harsh.
I take it you didn't like young Danny?
He was a hustler.
Always looking for some
sucker to fund his stupid
energy drink business venture.
And then, quelle surprise, he's
captivated by an older woman
who happens to own a
billion-dollar empire.
It is a little on the nose.
My mother was a fool to fall for him.
So no, I wasn't a big fan of Danny's.
And I assume you have an
alibi for this morning?
I was preparing for my
upcoming photography show:
"From Rich to Roughing It."
So were you alone or ?
Yeah.
You don't really think I did it.
Why aren't you picking
on my brother, Silas?
He had a massive screaming
fight on the phone
when he was at my place the other day.
I'm pretty sure he said, "Danny".
What was the fight about?
I don't know.
Maybe Danny finally found his sucker.
It feels like we're done here.
Unless you're gonna
finish that kombucha.
Yeah, finish it, Mom.
We have time, thank you.
- I'm okay.
- Drink up! I'll wait.
Num num num!
♪
VICTORIA: So, what do
we think about Andrea?
Not much of an alibi, huh?
And what about her throwing
her own brother under the bus?
Of course, she's not big enough
to overpower bodybuilder Danny,
but who's to say she didn't
hire someone else to do it?
Feel free to jump in anytime now, honey.
Andrea was right about
Danny's business venture.
I found a website for his
sugar-free energy drink.
VICTORIA: TurboSlam?
DARBY: Huh I guess he
did have some investors.
VICTORIA: Wait, go back
that's Marlina's son.
"Angel investor" Silas Briggs.
♪
Because at TurboSlam,
we slam you with sugar-free energy!
- Every time!
- [DANCE MUSIC]
- Woo!
- [EXPLOSION SFX]
TurboSlam!
So you found it. And me.
According to the website,
you made a substantial
investment in TurboSlam.
Two hundred and fifty grand.
Wow.
It was supposed to go into R&D,
but all Danny cared about
was rushing it to market.
We didn't even have a product yet
and we had more social media
accounts than a teenager.
We spoke to your sister,
Andrea. She said
I had an argument with
Danny three days ago?
"Massive screaming fight"
were her words, but yes.
Look, the narrative that
I'm a deadbeat has served
both of my sisters our entire lives.
Noelle's the fancy VP and
successor to the throne.
Andrea's the free thinker who
chose to blaze her own trail.
And I'm the loser who can't be
trusted with the family wealth.
So you didn't, say,
squander your mom's handouts
with entitled abandon?
Of course, you're pals with my mom.
I might have spent
money a little recklessly
here and there, but
I didn't kill anyone.
DARBY: Out of curiosity,
where were you between
9 and 10 am this morning?
- SILAS: Out of curiosity?
- DARBY: Mm-hm.
I was fishing, alone,
up at Lake Nipissing.
I wanted to clear my head.
No offence, but you don't
seem like the kind of guy
who goes fishing to clear his head.
How do you suppose I clear my head?
Jell-O shots, dog fights, mud-wrestling?
Okay.
You know the real irony?
I thought that supporting
Danny would put me
in my mom's good graces for a change.
Instead, I just gave my
sisters even more ammunition.
♪
♪
VICTORIA: What a little snot,
giving us a sob story like that!
I don't know, part of
me feels for the guy.
Growing up with a mom
who prioritizes her work
above all else couldn't have been easy.
Okay, what are you trying to say?
Nothing.
Just that it's no wonder he's made
some questionable life choices.
People do crazy things
to be seen and loved.
Hmm, so true.
What a monster his mother is.
Of course, Silas has lived a
life of immeasurable privilege
precisely because of
his mother's sacrifices.
Sacrifices she made so that
he would want for nothing.
Nothing but his mother.
Speaking of wanting for nothing,
I'm just gonna make you dinner.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Hello?
ZANE: Hey, Darbs, how's it goin'?
Oh, it's you.
ZANE: Ouch!
No offence taken.
Sorry, it was an unknown number.
I thought it might be
the Hamilton Precinct.
What's up?
ZANE: You sound like
you could use a drink.
If it gets me out of here
I'll be there in ten.
I'm making paella.
I took a Catalonian
cooking class a month ago
and I have been dying to
use these guajillo peppers.
Oh, I just made a plan
to meet Zane for a drink.
Sorry, I didn't know you
were doing a whole thing.
Oh.
Well, that's okay. You have a life.
You should live it.
Great!
Um, but do eat something
while you're out.
Yeah, I will.
Yeah, 'cause you're so pale.
I said I would eat something!
Okay.
Go. Have fun!
Okay.
♪
♪
I don't know why I feel guilty.
So she's eating dinner alone? Big whoop!
Do you know how many
dinners I had to eat alone
when I was a kid because she
was off promoting some book
at a book launch thing?
ZANE: I
It's like "Cat's in the
Cradle" and all that crap.
I don't have to tell
you. You know my mom.
- You get it.
- [PHONE RINGING]
Actually, I, uh gotta get this.
Okay.
[SIGHS]
You've gotta release some
of that resentment, Darby.
It's not healthy.
Honestly, I don't even care anymore.
Okay. Got it, got it.
But it sounds like you do care a lot.
And that's totally fine.
People we love always disappoint.
Yeah, no kidding.
Because our expectations are too high.
The way I see it,
you've got two options.
Number one, you can wait for
Victoria to magically transform
into someone she's never gonna be,
or, number two,
you can let go of expectations.
Third option?
Eat your empanada.
Okay.
[IN A WHISPER] Your turn again.
- DARBY: Hey.
- ZANE: Hey!
- DARBY: What?
- Nothing.
Oh, come on. You're
the world's worst liar.
Is it about the case?
This stuff's confidential, Darbs.
You know I'll be more of a help
to you than Detective Harris.
And you saw the crime scene.
Admit it. It was off.
Yeah.
How about a trade?
I'll show you mine, you show me yours.
Disturbing.
But I'm listening.
DARBY: Okay, get this.
So, Marlina's son, Silas, had
an ugly blow-up with the victim
the night before the murder.
And his alibi that morning ?
Yeah?
Fishing alone.
Now you.
♪
VICTORIA: Yes, Sarita, I'm
working on it right now.
SARITA: Still at it?
You and I really need to get a life.
So feeling good about the new pages?
Oh, yeah.
This new story is
absolutely riveting, it's
SARITA: Terrific.
We'll connect next week.
I can't wait to read them.
Bye, love.
I can't wait to read them either.
♪
[SIGHS]
Oh!
How could you sneak up
on a person like that?
Since when is walking through
an open door sneaking?!
Anyway, the autopsy just came in.
Apparently, there was no
water in Danny's lungs.
He didn't drown.
Well, how did he die?
Cardiac arrest.
But they don't know what caused it,
so they're running additional tests.
Drugs?
Nothing in the tox report.
Huh.
So then what exactly killed Danny?
That is the $10,000 question.
♪
♪
♪
What the hell is this?
It's a case board!
It's what all the pros use.
I'm the pros, Mom.
And no, we don't.
Well, I do.
When I write, I'm a visual thinker.
I need to see all the
pieces in front of me.
Okay, well, I need to see
coffee.
VICTORIA: So, I was thinking,
if Danny didn't drown,
perhaps he was placed in the pool
to throw the cops off the trail.
But if there was nothing in
the tox report, how did he die?
♪
You can't test for something
you don't know to look for.
Okay
Tox reports are effective,
but a standard panel
only tests for about
10 or 15 different drugs.
How many drugs are currently
in development at Zanotec
that forensics wouldn't
even know to look for?
Wow, keep going.
What if Danny died from a drug
that hasn't hit the market yet?
Think about it.
Someone could've stolen
a syringe from Zanotec,
snuck up on Danny Boom!
See, someone else is a visual thinker!
Hm.
Well, how do we find this mystery drug?
We'd have to compare
Danny's blood report
to the Zanotec clinical trials.
We should talk to Marlina.
No, no, we are not talking to her.
Why not?
Because she's mourning
the loss of her fiancé.
The prime suspects are her children.
What if she finds out that her
company's own drug killed him?
No, we are not talking to her
unless we are 100 percent certain.
So then what are we supposed to do?
Start with the easy part.
We get Danny's blood report
from the hospital morgue.
That's the hard part, Mom!
We don't have access to the morgue.
What
is that face?
♪
♪
♪
No, no, no. Absolutely not!
You're not posing as a doctor.
Do you have a better idea?
That's not the point!
This is false impersonation
and it's illegal.
Ugh! Look, we are going to a morgue.
Literally no one wants to be there.
You are so uptight.
That's what living in
the city does to a person.
Your nervous system is
just all out of whack.
You have to see my acupuncturist.
I don't need an acupuncturist!
[SIGHS] Fine, suit yourself.
But you have to take your cop cap off
and start thinking like a PI.
Fine.
But if we get arrested,
you're covering bail.
No problem, I'm rich.
I don't know why you're
so confident right now.
This is a small town.
Anyone could see us. What
if we bump into Lucas?
Is that wishful thinking, I hear?
No, it's anxiety.
Oh, no, it's just
because you are pushing 30
and the most eligible bachelor in town.
The most eligible bachelor in town?
This isn't a Jane Austen novel, Mom.
And he's not eligible
because he's engaged.
That doesn't mean anything.
Stop being so pedantic.
Besides, if he shows
up, just cover for me.
How am I supposed to cover?
Uh, use your imagination?
Distract him?
Flirt?
Ugh! Hi, this is reality!
I can't just beguile him
with my powers of seduction.
Not with that attitude, you can't.
Besides, I'm not worried.
What are the chances we bump into him?
Darby?
You've gotta be kidding me.
Lucas! Hey!
- LUCAS: Hey!
- DARBY: Hi, how are you?
Good! Is that your mom?
What? No!
Who? What, stop.
[FORCED LAUGHTER] Busy day?
[SNEAKY MUSIC]
Excuse me.
Oh! Uh
I am a visiting
pathologist from Chicago.
I don't know where the
hell my ID badge is,
but I am working with cadavers
studying the effects of RISRs,
radiation-induced skin reactions,
and their effect on DNA mutations.
The X and the Ys, the chromosomes.
Sorry, I don't really understand.
I'm so sorry. I just I go on and on.
I I get overzealous
about my research.
But, you know, with radiation
therapy so prevalent these days,
and if I could just change
one life with my work,
it would be
My wife is actually going
through it right now.
Oh, really? I'm so sorry.
LUCAS: What are you doing here?
Um, I'm here waiting for my mom.
Who isn't here yet.
She will be because she's
researching a new novel.
It's a medical mystery.
How's she doing?
It's a struggle every day.
Is it?
- That's why my work is so important.
- Right.
It could affect your wife or anyone.
Oh, anything I can help with?
Uh, I don't think so,
because it has to do with obstetrics.
Mm.
It's a classic who-done-it, huh?
Yeah!
Obstetrics is on the fifth floor.
Right. I'll see you later.
LUCAS: All right.
Guess I got turned around.
Yeah, it reminds me of that
trip we took to Wasaga Beach
where you insisted on navigating.
Hey, those exit signs were
invisible to the naked eye!
Sure they were.
Gimme a second, I gotta check
on something in the morgue.
Okay. No, no, no, no!
Um Wait.
How's Lindsay?
I've been meaning to ask.
Great.
She's busy with the wedding prep mostly.
I'll bet.
Exciting!
Yeah. I mean, it's all a bit much
to be honest.
You know me, it's just
KISS!
What?
Keep It Simple Stupid.
Nothing extravagant.
You're a simple guy.
Thank you.
No, you're right.
Um, as long as she's happy,
the day does seem to be mostly
about the bride right?
Hmm, I dunno.
Isn't it just as much about the groom?
[SNEAKY MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
♪
Martinez
Moore
Danny Moreau.
Gotcha!
♪
♪
LUCAS: Now I'm starting
to feel, you know,
like I'm a guest at my own party.
Have you talked to Lindsay about that?
No, I should, shouldn't I?
Yeah.
[NERVOUS LAUGHTER]
♪
♪
Hello.
♪
This is nice.
It's like old times.
Sort of like old times.
I gotta go.
Okay.
But we should, um
Let's have coffee, or, you know,
somewhere other than a hospital hallway?
Yeah. No, I'd love that, definitely.
- LUCAS: Okay.
- DARBY: Okay.
Elevators are that way.
Right. Thank you.
Look for the signs.
DARBY: Yes.
Not the exit signs.
Right? [LAUGHS]
♪
[HANGS UP PHONE]
You got it?
Whoa, I can't believe that worked!
All it takes is confidence
and a few key acronyms.
Works every time.
Huh, all right.
Well, we've got Danny's blood report.
Now we have to evaluate
it against all the drugs
Zanotec has in clinical trials.
That could be dozens of drugs!
I know, which is why, and
I cannot stress this enough,
we need to talk to Marlina.
I already told you! We're
not talking to Marlina.
But I've got a better idea.
[SNEAKY MUSIC]
♪
DARBY: Ugh, take it easy!
Slow down!
VICTORIA: Oh, relax, we got
here in one piece, didn't we?
DARBY: I feel like there should
be a higher bar than that.
Where are we, anyway?
♪
DARBY: This is your better idea?
VICTORIA: Trust me!
♪
What the hell is this place?
You'll see.
♪
[DOOR BUZZES]
Mom?
Mom
So, let me get this straight,
you want me to hack
into Zanotec's database
and find a drug that
matches this random,
unknown substance right here?
Precisely.
Is this for a book?
Um yes?
I know you well enough to know
when you're lying, Victoria.
Hard pass.
We totally understand.
And you know me well enough to know
that I can't turn down a challenge!
So if it's a biometric security system,
I'll need to harvest
the unsecured images
with the scanner or find a back door,
which that may take
a little bit more time.
So if you'll excuse me okay?
Okay. All right.
DARBY: [QUIETLY] Hey, come here!
Do you maybe want to explain this?
- VICTORIA: Alastair?
- DARBY: Yeah!
He's been my consultant for years.
How else do you think I wrote
"The Hacker's Handwriting"
or "The Technician's Tirade"?
It's all above board.
Whose board?
Fine, whatever.
But it would have been a hell
of a lot cheaper and easier
if we just talked to Marlina.
Even if she is in mourning.
Disagree!
I don't understand.
Wouldn't she want to help
us considering she's the one
who hired us in the first place?
I mean, for God's sake,
the woman is paying us
ten grand to do this.
She isn't paying us ten grand, is she?
She will I'm almost sure of it.
Did she even hire us at all?
Well, she didn't protest
when I offered our services.
You off Oh my God.
You offered.
I'm so dumb.
I can't believe I fell for this.
Well, in your defence, I can
be quite convincing, so
Am I a joke to you?
Am I just a little
toy that you play with?
No, I no! What are you talking about?
What was all of this about, Mom?
Is this just some
twisted attempt to keep me
from going back to the city?
You bribe me with ten
grand to trap me here?
To alleviate the boredom
of your sad, lonely life?
You're unbelievable.
[PAINED SIGH]
Darby!
♪
[DOOR SLAMS]
♪
♪
DARBY: It's classic Mom.
Every time I think things
could be different, maybe,
she just reverts back to type.
Well, well, well,
still hanging on to
expectations, are we?
[IN A WHISPER] Surrender, Darby.
Surrender
Like, she made me go to
this shady hacker's warehouse
to try to illegally breach
Never mind.
Okay ?
I just need to put
miles between me and her.
We're too different.
Speaking of which, have you heard from
the Hamilton Precinct contact?
She hasn't called me yet.
She's probably just busy.
Right.
You know, your mother
is a lot of things.
- A bit of a narcissist
- DARBY: Yeah.
A neat freak, a complete over-sharer.
Definitely.
But she isn't the monster
you make her out to be.
She's willing to pay ten grand
just to spend time with you.
It's low-key sad, but
also kind of sweet.
I'm gonna tell you something,
and I don't want you to take it badly.
Okay ?
You have to promise not to freak out.
- I'm scared.
- Swear it.
Okay, God! I won't freak out.
Okay.
I think you and Vic are a
lot more alike than you think.
Okay, I'm freaking out a little.
I'm serious.
You both are smart,
headstrong, and opinionated.
Maybe the problem isn't
that you're too different.
It's that you're too
Do not finish that sentence.
I gotta go.
It's probably for the best.
But, you know, you might want
to give your mother a break.
Oh, by the way, I looked into Silas.
Remember, you didn't hear this from me,
but his alibi checks out.
It does?
Morning of the murder,
he swiped his credit card
at a gas station 20
klicks from Lake Nipissing.
- DARBY: Huh!
- ZANE: Seriously.
- DARBY: Weird.
- ZANE: Yeah.
- DARBY: Thanks!
- ZANE: Yeah.
♪
♪
♪
♪
Hey, Mom.
VICTORIA: Darby.
Listen, I just wanted to say
that I'm sorry for earlier.
I I may have overreacted
and said some things
that I didn't really mean.
But I've had a really crazy
week, as you can imagine.
Or maybe you can't, because
you're not a 29-year-old,
grown-ass woman with no job
who has to wake up every morning
at her mother's house in a
graveyard of broken dreams,
to the sight of a shirtless
teen werewolf staring at her.
We can take the poster down.
It's not about the poster.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
Is there anything you'd like to say?
I am sorry that this has
been so painful for you,
but having you here has been
the highlight of my year.
♪
♪
Maybe I shouldn't have strung you along,
but if it's any consolation,
you have terrific
investigative instincts.
I got a text from Alastair.
Turns out your theory was bang-on.
Really?
Did he hack into Zanotec's database?
Mm-hm!
And one of the drug
profiles seems to match
an unknown substance in Danny's blood.
Something called Troactis.
Well
Okay, fine, we can talk to Marlina now.
♪
MARLINA: I I don't understand.
Where did you get these
chromatography reports from?
Well, we may have taken a
slightly unorthodox approach,
but I assure you we are the
only ones who have seen this.
The point is, the unknown
substance in Danny's blood
is a perfect match to Troactis.
Someone injected it, but
in a much higher quantity
than your clinical trial.
Is it possible that's what killed him?
No. No, absolutely not.
Troactis was developed to treat
asthma sufferers of all ages.
It's incredibly safe.
Are you sure?
We were on the verge of
submitting our final report
to the Ministry of Health.
The only thing holding us back
was the drug's adverse effects
in
VICTORIA: In ?
People with type 1 diabetes.
Danny's was so under control,
you'd barely know he had it.
Danny was diabetic?
He had to inject himself
daily with insulin.
God knows what effects a
massive dose of Troactis
would have done.
What does this mean?
I-I
I'm s I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
Marlina, I
Someone with type 1
diabetes "under control"
would generally avoid copious
amounts of sugar, right?
Of course. Why do you ask?
Come with me.
Do you have any idea how much
sugar there is in these things?
Well, a massive amount.
Maybe that's why Danny was
developing that TurboSlam drink.
There was one open on the workout bike
the morning of Danny's murder.
If Danny wasn't drinking it, who was?
That is a good question.
Do you think Marlina will let
us look at her security footage?
Whoever killed Danny knew
he had type 1 diabetes,
and had access to not only
Troactis but to the test results.
VICTORIA: Showing the
adverse interaction, sure.
But what does this prove?
We already know that the cameras
were turned off on Thursday.
I'm not interested in Thursday.
I'm interested in Tuesday.
Okay, what happened on Tuesday?
Check it out.
The camera was also turned
off on Tuesday morning,
from 9 am to 10.
And on the Thursday before that.
And the previous Tuesday.
And so on, and so on.
Every Tuesday and Thursday
between 9 and 10 am?
Energy drinks are full of sugar,
but they're also chock-full of caffeine.
Know any hopped-up caffeine
addicts who keep a suspiciously
similar morning schedule?
Oh, Marlina's daughter, Noelle.
Looks like she was never at the stable.
She was riding a
different kind of stallion.
Why must you?
You can't possibly think
that I killed Danny.
[SCOFFS] This is crazy!
Is it?
You knew he had diabetes and
you had access to the studies.
Because I work there.
We checked the logs
at Blackwood Stables.
There's no record of you signing in
every Tuesday and Thursday
morning for months.
Coincidentally, those are
the same times that Danny
turned off the home security cameras.
Now, what could that possibly mean?
Fine. Okay, you're right.
I wasn't at the stables.
I was with Danny.
But I-I swear he was alive when I left.
I mean, why would I kill him?
I don't know, maybe he
wanted to call it off.
Maybe he threatened to
tell your poor mother
about your torrid affair.
Danny and I were good.
It's easy to feel like
you're never enough
with a mother like mine.
But with Danny?
It was just the way he looked at me.
It was like I was the
only person in the world.
We called Zanotec.
Your key card was swiped in
the research lab at 10:48 pm
the night before Danny's murder.
That's impossible.
That's when you got your hands
on the drug that killed him.
No, it isn't,
because I wasn't at the
lab on Wednesday night.
I was at the club celebrating
my girlfriend's 40th.
I bought a round of drinks.
There's at least a dozen
people who can vouch for me.
♪
DARBY: So, do you believe her?
VICTORIA: It's an easy
alibi to look into.
DARBY: Honestly, I just
think she's too smart to be
that bad of a liar.
VICTORIA: Well, someone
swiped that keycard!
[CAR APPROACHING]
Someone sure did
♪
PAUL: Oh great, Miss
Marple and Nancy Drew.
Are you here to harass
my wife some more?
VICTORIA: Actually,
we'd rather harass you.
You didn't happen to borrow
Noelle's company keycard
on Wednesday evening, did you?
No, I didn't. What is this about?
Troactis, the new drug
Noelle's company was developing.
You knew all about it and its
effects on type 1 diabetics.
What are you talking about?
You also knew that your wife
was having an affair with Danny,
so you stole a massive
amount of Troactis
and you followed her Thursday
morning when she left.
And then you hid outside Danny's,
waiting for Noelle to leave.
VICTORIA: And you knew
that the security cameras
would be turned off. Or
you were too angry to care.
And that's when you went inside,
and when Danny's back was turned
you jabbed him with the syringe
you stole from the lab.
And then in order to cover your tracks,
you dragged Danny's body into the pool
and made it look like a break-in.
- Are we close here?
- No, no, no, no. None of this is true.
Okay, well, how about if we check
the security cameras at Zanotec?
Or if we told Forensics to
dust the keycard for prints,
we wouldn't find yours?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Oh, okay.
Wow. Um, I guess I'm going after him?
I'm more of a pilates gal, hon.
PAUL: Argh!
Ah! Ow
Okay, hold this.
Call Zane!
Will do.
- [LINE RINGING]
- DARBY: Oh, don't even think about it!
Hey, Zane. Man down.
[BOSSA NOVA MUSIC]
VICTORIA: Thank you,
Antonio, it was so delicious.
- DARBY: So good!
- ZANE: Hey, gang.
- VICTORIA & DARBY: Hey!
- ZANE: Hey!
NEWS REPORT: Paul was taken to hospital.
Ankle sprain.
Well, that will have
plenty of time to heal
when Detective Harris charges
him with Danny's murder.
Yeah, about that, you two
should lay low for a while.
Harris is
HARRIS: There you are, Miss Spencer!
To what do we owe the
honour, Detective Harris?
I just came from the hospital.
Your little antics
blew up my investigation
and now the suspect is lawyering up.
Well, then, congratulations!
On what?
Well, that must mean you have
ample evidence against him.
Like Noelle's confession
that she was having
an affair with Danny, right?
Right.
Yeah, well, that would make
Paul the natural suspect.
But without any hard evidence,
we can't actually charge him.
Like his prints all over the lab?
Which you already had Officer
Graham dust for, I'm sure.
There's a team there now.
- DARBY: Great call!
- ZANE: Mm-hm!
Because obviously, Paul
doesn't have clearance
to access Zanotec's
lab, only his wife does.
But I'm not telling you
anything you don't already know!
Of course.
No, that's, um
That's good.
Good work, Officer Graham,
following my orders.
And if all else fails,
you can always check
Zanotec's security
cameras on Wednesday night.
I'm sure you'll find them
tremendously revealing.
Well, we're already on that!
HARRIS: Mm-hm.
Wow, you move fast!
- HARRIS: Mm-hm!
- VICTORIA: Well done!
Ha!
You know, it's funny, though,
how quickly you veered away
from the obvious COD.
- COD?
- Oh yeah, it's cause of death.
No one says COD.
Yes, they do.
People say that.
Okay, wait, you and Officer Graham,
you guys are friends, right?
We know each other.
Hmm, and he didn't happen to feed you
confidential information
on, say, well, I don't know,
an autopsy report, now did he?
Absolutely not, Detective. I
would never do such a thing.
It would be unethical.
Hmm, wow.
Seems like your talents
transcend the written word,
Miss Spencer, and
I don't think we've
actually met yet, have we?
My goodness, how rude of me!
Detective Harris, this is
my daughter, Darby Spencer.
Daughter?
Wow, I had you pegged as sisters.
Ugh!
[IN A WHISPER] Surrender!
♪
♪
So, dinner later?
Paella?
I'd love that.
The saffron would do
wonders for your blood sugar.
My blood sugar thanks you.
You know, honey, I can't stop
thinking that solving one case
might be a fluke, but two
Don't say it.
I'm pretty sure that's
what they call "on a roll."
What are these?
VICTORIA: Just something to think about.
DARBY: "The Spencer
Sisters Detective Agency"?
When did you have
time to get these made?
Oh yeah, and Marlina did
end up paying us after all.
You've gotta be kidding me! 20,000?
Seems like I underestimated
her gratitude.
But this was a team effort, Mom.
Half of this is yours.
Okay, I'll take it, but
I'm gonna put my half
back into the business.
If there is a business.
♪
All right. We'll give it a shot.
On a trial basis.
We'll see how it goes.
Okay, we'll see how it goes.
[SOFT, INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[EXHALES]