Betrayal s01e03 Episode Script

1 Previously on "betrayal" Frank perkins.
Lou's partner? Is he here? No.
He's in hong kong on business.
Thatcher karsten thought your husband was stealing from him.
That's why karsten sent t.
J.
To take care of him.
If anyone asks, you were with brandy.
T.
J.
Karsten, you're under arrest.
What happened was a mistake, and I'll never forgive myself.
It isn't like that.
We'll figure out what this is.
Meet me tonight, 8:00, here.
If you don't come, I will never bother you again.
[ indistinct conversations .]
[ air brakes hiss .]
Elaine: God, I hate this.
I mean, I don't know how can they hold t.
J.
Since when has the legal process ever been about fairness? Since when did you get so cynical? I think it was the first time I ever walked into a courtroom.
Yeah, it doesn't help that aunt connie told them That she saw t.
J.
And lou argue that night.
Well, what else could she do? Anyway, he's innocent.
Yeah, he's also a karsten.
[ scoffs .]
So t.
J.
's being used as a scapegoat That my father has pissed off over the years? We should have gotten away from this screwed-up family When we had a chance.
When was that, exactly? Can you zip me? We could still do it, you know.
Escape, show the kids the world.
We should get going.
That would really give them some perspective.
We have a bail hearing in an hour.
Drew: That sleaze mcallister has a hooker as an alibi.
I have a widow's sworn statement Placing t.
J.
Karsten at the scene.
What's a hooker? Nothing, honey.
Eat your cereal.
A sleaze is somebody who doesn't play by the rules.
Like a cheater? Exactly.
Oliver: Why do they cheat? Oliver, you're gonna be late.
Honey, no, look, there's -- There's certain harsh truths in this world That you just can't avoid, You can't sweep under the rug.
He's too smart for it.
Sleazes cheat because they think They're better than everybody else, And it's my job to tell them they aren't.
So sleazes are bad guys.
Right.
But I need to make sure they don't get away with being bad.
Like I said, the kid's a genius.
Go get your stuff, baby.
Okay.
My client is a young man with roots in this community.
And the means to flee, your honor.
Furthermore, the state has no direct evidence Linking him to this crime.
Over the missing money and the widow's statement.
The first or the second one you pressured her into? She places him as the last known person There's no gun, your honor, and he has a strong alibi.
Will testify that at the time of the murder -- A girlfriend? Is that what we're calling her now? Put away the swords, boys.
Considering the seriousness of the crime And the defendant's risk of flight, I find for the state.
Counselor, you're free to petition for another hearing.
We'll get you out, son.
You be strong.
Like you were, right, dad? When you went away when I was little.
[ chuckles .]
that's right.
Just like that.
You take care of yourself, "teej," okay? He shouldn't be in there with regular criminals.
The only alternative was a psychiatric facility.
Would that have been better? At some point, you are going to have to acknowledge That he's different.
What he needs is for us to get the cops off his back And bring him home.
Jack.
Saying perkins is back from hong kong.
Lou's partner on the lofts project.
We think he stole some money, lou found out about it.
Perkins may have killed lou to keep it quiet.
So, as long this guy perkins is out there, T.
J.
Is gonna be stuck in jail.
Give these bastards a better theory Than the one they've got.
Sara: I only sold three? And two were to the same guy Who spent three hours in the back room deciding.
Turns out most of our clients aren't so into staged realism.
Okay, well, I have a new idea I've been thinking about.
It's a series on obsession.
I'm -- I'm trying to capture How things can take over your thoughts and consume you.
Sara, your portraits are stunning.
But your work is too commercial for us, Too controlled, too vanity fair.
Yeah, but this new obsession story, It's a different direction.
It's more conceptual.
When you have something to show me, But in the meantime, my two cents -- don't force it.
You're good with glossy.
You could be the next annie leibovitz.
Run with that.
[ elevator bell dings .]
I'd really appreciate you getting back to me.
It's urgent.
Numbers came in on the river project.
Oh, thanks, fred.
Break them down for me, will you? Laura: Hey, jack, a couple of things -- And osha is dropping all charges against the park development.
That'll probably depend on whether you were charming jack Or ball-buster jack.
Can't I be both? Not at the same time.
Hey, mr.
Mcallister, do you have a sec? I'm jules whitman from I.
T.
It's that closet full of nerds Over there by the service elevator.
How old are you? 20In April.
I was looking into reorganizing our corporate database, And there's a major issue.
Oh, jack, I forgot -- Someone waiting in the conference room.
Been here a while.
If you have a computer issue, you take it up with -- I can't talk now.
Somebody's waiting.
Jack.
Sorry about the short notice.
I just got in from hong kong.
I am so sorry about your loss.
And you are? Oh, god, what a dummy.
My name's perkins -- frank perkins.
I hear you're looking for me.
[ camera shutter clicking .]
So, were you and uncle lou close? No, not really.
You know, I'm a money guy.
I went in as a silent partner on the lofts project Lou was managing for you guys.
I met him six months ago to hammer out a deal.
Dealt with him via phone mostly since then.
I've got a bookkeeping issue you might have heard about? I'm hoping you can help clear things up.
Sure.
Anything I can do.
A million dollars allocated for the lofts project vanished.
I thought we might be able to answer some questions By comparing lou's records with yours.
I'll have my guys send the financials right over.
Oh, I brought you something.
This was taken on the day we broke ground on the lofts.
I guess you knew lou was a big bulls fan.
Well, he ended every phone call saying, "just wait till rose comes around.
" [ chuckles .]
Thanks.
Thatcher will appreciate it.
Least I can do.
It's a terrible tragedy, what happened.
Yeah, it is.
Any idea why someone would want lou dead? No, not at all.
But, you know, the way street crime is, It could've just been a mugging gone bad.
I appreciate your time, mr.
Perkins.
Please -- "frank" is fine.
And if you think of any other way I can be helpful, let me know.
Lou wouldn't pay a contractor.
Wanted to manage it all himself.
I'll have to find someone to finish the work, I guess.
I don't think t.
J.
Did it.
He loved lou.
But I couldn't keep lying, Even though I promised jack and your father.
They asked you to lie to the cops? They were just looking out for t.
J.
They thought lou was stealing.
That's the only reason he agreed to work with the feds.
And after thatcher talked to him, He promised he wouldn't go through with it.
A few hours later Oh, connie, that's crazy.
Dad wouldn't do this.
Then who? I don't know.
What about that perkins guy? Maybe he's involved.
Perkins? No, I can't imagine.
Lou liked him.
[ sighs .]
God, I feel like a bird in a cage.
[ chuckles .]
that's charlie.
He works days.
Is all this protection really necessary? The prosecutor thought I needed it.
Lainie, I-I want to go.
JustGo.
What do you mean? Where? Escape.
See the world.
I-I I can't spend my life afraid.
Connie, no one is trying to hurt you.
You don't know that.
My father is capable of a lot of things, But nothing like what you're saying.
He threatened me, too, lainie.
At lou's memorial.
Connie -- I know it's hard to hear.
But sometimes people are capable of things we never imagine.
Sorry.
Hotshot argentinean pianist is doing a series of concerts At the conservatory.
We're running a feature.
You are going to photograph his rehearsal today.
Do you think wagner could do it? Wagner is shooting milkshakes.
To spend the day on my obsession series.
Cool.
When you're done with the musician, Well, I-I don't know anything about classical music.
So? So I'm thinking it might not be a great fit for me.
What are you talking about? This is totally up your alley.
It's -- it's personalities and portraits.
It's what you do.
I'm thinking that maybe I should just get away From portraits for a while.
Sara, what's going on with you today? Natalia stark from the gallery Said my stuff is too commercial.
Natalia stark is a snob.
She only sold three of my prints.
Well, so you have to be edgy and experimental And sell stuff? Did I mention I hate art? [ chuckles softly .]
Look, I adore you, But if you are becoming somehow disillusioned Then we need to have a bigger conversation.
Aurelio voltan -- he's got a good face.
And she's back.
Hallelujah.
They're expecting you in an hour.
[ indistinct shouting .]
Get off me! Stop it! Hey! Come on! That's it -- to the office! Why did you have to fight him, vic? You want me to let some jerk say stuff about our family? I'm sorry, but this is now an actual emergency.
Karsten allied has a security breach.
A big, fat worm is working its way through your system.
It's what we call a blended threat -- A worm/virus/trojan horse with a time-to-live field That's getting shorter by the minute.
Speak english, please.
I searched our system algorithms, And we are now t-minus 12 from total takeover.
Guess what happens then.
The computers shut down? And the water and the electricity It's gonna look like "the walking dead" in here.
What can you do to fix it? I need your authorization to modify the a.
C.
L.
I don't know what you're saying.
Just -- you have my authorization.
Just fix it.
All right, I'm gonna run with that.
[ elevator bell dings .]
Hey.
I got your message.
You tell your father what happened.
I need to talk to my dad.
Vic, what's going on? But in his defense, the kid was talking crap.
About what? About uncle t.
J.
, about us, and our family.
Look, I don't want to talk about this here.
Dad, he's, like, totally losing it.
Look, I'll be right in.
We just have a bit of a situation here.
Okay.
Hey.
Hey.
Shouldn't you be averting a crisis? I did not threaten her -- ever! Then why is she so scared? How the hell should I know? Because she's senile.
Her memory's fading.
She never could keep anything straight anyway.
Dad, come on.
Connie's fine.
Then why did she change her story? And why is she feeding you all this crap About us forcing her to lie? Guys, I can hear you down the hall.
Connie's doing a number on elaine.
You know, she's holed up in her house.
She's got police guarding her.
Because she didn't do what you asked her to, Because she thinks dad is involved in lou's murder.
Now she's not playing along, he's gonna go after her, too.
That's absurd.
Just listen to yourself! Look, we only asked connie to be selective.
JackWhen did you become that guy? Pressuring people -- my own aunt -- Into lying to the police? When I started trying to get your brother out of jail.
[ sighs .]
Wow.
Wow, dad.
You really do know how to turn people Into exactly what you need them to be, don't you? Oh, do I know that look.
So critical.
So absolute.
Everything's black and white, isn't it? No shades of gray for you.
People are either good or they're rotten.
You love or you hate.
I don't know when our relationship switched From one to the other, lainie, butI miss it.
I miss being the father who loves you.
I'm surprised you remember that Because I sure don't.
[ mechanical hum .]
Well, if you'd listened to me in the first place -- Uh, slight power outage -- we're working on it.
Don't call me "boss.
" you got it, chief.
Or that, either.
[ sighs .]
So, he's your dad, huh? Yeah.
Nice guy.
These things can be pretty pesky.
You ever hear of the morris worm? Code red? Mafiaboy? No idea what you're talking about.
Iloveyou? What? Iloveyou -- it was this worm That spread throughout the whole world in a day, Disguised as a love letter.
Proving love really does suck, I guess.
Yeah.
[ chuckles .]
So do worms.
Let's go on a mission to make them both obsolete.
[ chuckles .]
Thatcher: My footwork stunk, But I had a hell of a right hand And I could always take a punch.
They used to call boxing the manly art.
Because it forces you to deal with your fear and your rage, Not just physically, but also up here.
You need to answer the question, "what's the balance between self-defense And naked aggression?" Hitting the other guy harder than he hits you.
If you want to be powerful -- really powerful -- You need to develop self-restraint.
Power without self-control counts for nothing.
[ door opens .]
Vic, we have to finish our talk.
[ sighs .]
I don't want to talk.
You can't hit people.
It doesn't matter what they say.
You take things too personally.
You can take things as personally as you want, vic, If you can handle yourself.
Yeah, thatcher, I've got this, really.
Oh, come on, jack.
He's becoming a man.
Don't baby him.
Power's back.
[ cellphone chimes .]
[ cellphone chimes .]
[ cellphone chimes .]
Val, come on.
We're going.
You need to shore up the security system So that doesn't happen again.
I'm assuming, with your particular skill set, You'd know how to hack into someone's financial records Without them knowing.
In my sleep.
All right, check this guy out.
See what his deal is, his history.
Frank perkins -- you got it, big mac.
That's not working for you, either, is it? Got it.
[ soft piano music playing .]
[ tempo increases .]
[ camera shutter clicks .]
[ sour note plays, music stops .]
[ breathing heavily .]
Are you all right? Mr.
Voltan? [ sighs .]
The first movement always makes me feel sick.
What do you mean? The brooding progressions, the unresolved dissonance, The relentless tumult -- it's torture.
But I thought this was one of your favorite sonatas to play.
It's a concerto.
Sorry.
Concerto.
Why play something that makes you want to throw up? In argentina, we say, "el que algo quiere, algo le cuesta.
" "if you want the fruit, you must climb the tree.
" Okay.
The first movement of the brahms -- it is torture.
But it is the struggle that makes -- Makes the joy of the rest so sweet.
Isn't that something one tells oneself Just to justify being miserable? I don't have to justify anything.
You are an artist, right? I mean, do you not sometimes see things That both inspire you and hurt you? The fantasy that you have to make real? There's no -- no passion without pain.
I suppose I always thought it was a bit of a cliché.
[ chuckles softly .]
You would make a very lazy pianist.
[ music resumes .]
Your boy perkins is a colorful dude.
Bunch of fiscal inconsistencies, the financials are whack, No cellphone, no utilities.
You ask me, his company isn't a company at all.
Can you get me some paper copies, please? Paper is so 2010, jack.
Consider the environment.
So he's a con man? His business address -- it's a p.
O.
Box.
Frankie boy's running this thing out of a post office.
Son of a bitch.
Hello, frank.
Jack.
What a surprise.
Jack: How about we take a ride? You know what? I'm right around the corner.
Look, I know you think I stole your money.
Did you? I-I -- no! I -- hey! Did you kill lou to cover it up? I didn't kill anybody! Look, times are tough, okay? I got in on the lofts project with lou To help me get back on my feet.
Shut up.
Where's our money? I don't have it, jack.
Me and lou, we were on the up-and-up.
All right, all right, I was skimming a little, okay? I can help you figure out where it went.
What about who killed lou? I got nothing for you there.
Honestly.
You have a cellphone? Yeah, yeah.
I'm gonna see what you've been up to.
In the meantime, you stay in touch, Or I swear, I will track you down, And I won't be so friendly next time.
All right, all right.
Get off my car.
Let go of me! Hey, hey! Calm down, connie.
What's going on? When they offered me protection, I didn't think it meant house arrest.
You're under a lot of stress right now.
You don't understand.
No, I do.
Well, then make these cops go away, Because I can't live like this.
Okay, let me go with her, and if you really need to, You can just follow behind us.
Ma'am, I have my orders.
I know, but please -- it's gonna be fine.
All I want to do is get milk for my tea.
I can't even breathe.
[ car alarm chirps .]
Oh, it's like a chess game, vic.
Got to have a strategy, got to use your head.
Unh-unh.
Get your feet under you.
We tie the car bomb to karsten, We get him on attempted murder, Intimidating a witness, Impeding a criminal investigation.
Come on, drew, I already have a phone sheet Littered with calls from the fbi.
Let's turn it around, then.
Make the feds want to work with us.
It's not all about throwing punches, you know.
You've got to be in control.
Just as important to know when not to punch.
Drew: It's all wrapped together, larry -- The old man's death, the attempt on the widow, The embezzlement scheme, the federal probe.
You pick that fight, you either win or you lose bad.
Control yourself.
Contain your emotion.
Don't get carried away, drew.
Feel that anger, that rage? Good.
Now use it.
Don't let it use you.
Larry, you're retiring in, what, a few weeks, right? Why not bring down the karsten empire on your watch But don't force it.
Spend your last day signing the arrest warrant For the great man himself? If you're gonna go for the knockout You take a shot at the king You better know how to land it.
Be sure you don't miss.
We can't risk anything happening to you.
Our entire case depends on your testifying at trial.
You want to m-move me somewhere? Yes -- Under the cloak of protection.
What happened yesterday will never happen again.
I need time to say goodbye to my family And get things in order.
Now is better.
Now is safest.
I need a day.
What's all this? I'm a dedicated guy, you know that.
But this karsten case, this guy mcallister -- It's like nothing I've ever experienced.
I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't think about anything else.
Well, I-I am taking photos of a classical concert tonight.
I have two v.
I.
P.
Passes.
And I was thinking we could both go.
Drew? I would love to, babe, but I am on a roll here.
It's right next to that sushi place.
We could get a bite first.
I have janey coming over to babysit.
Honey, I know my work craziness May be hard for you to understand.
No.
No, it's not.
So why is this so important to you, sarah? It's just a concert.
And besides, we hate classical music.
[ sighs .]
Lou was gonna testify to the feds.
You threatened him the night he died.
Who told you that? Elaine, who got it from connie.
Of course she did.
So what does elaine think? She's shook up.
She thinks you're behind it all.
I knew about lou and the feds.
And I did have a fight with him that night, and that's it.
And why did you fail to mention any of this to me? Lou was dead.
What was the point? If you're lying, if you're letting t.
J.
Take the heat -- It wouldn't be the first time we lied to the police After a family tragedy, now, would it, jack? The accident with t.
J.
, that was -- that was different.
Why? Because it involved you? Do your job, jack, okay? So, where do we stand with frank perkins? [ sighs .]
his company was a shell.
Then he stole the money? He was skimming a little off the top but not much -- The guy's crooked, but he's small-time, And I doubt he's a killer.
Anyone can be a killer, jack.
You just need to make the effort.
I'm not a killer, lainie.
You got to tell them that.
We are gonna get you out of here very soon.
I heard aunt connie told them that I did it.
No.
N-- she told them that she saw you that night Before it happened.
They said my own aunt ratted me out.
No, t.
J.
, it's not like that.
Look -- she had to tell the truth.
There's a new truth.
Did she tell them about that, the new truth? Don't -- don't -- don't -- let's not talk about that.
Don't talk about that with anyone.
What happened to your eye, t.
J.
? I can take care of myself, lainie.
I know how to.
Of course you do.
You're a karsten, after all.
We both are.
Till the day we die.
[ rock music plays .]
Whiskey neat -- a girl after my own heart.
I've never seen you in here before.
Just passing through.
On vacation? No.
Work.
What do you do? I'm a classical pianist.
I'm on tour.
I've never really understood classical music.
Well, it's like any other kind of music.
There's tiny vibrations that make you feel things.
And if you're really listening, It can make you feel joy Or pain.
Or both.
[ music continues .]
Later, mom.
Wait.
Wait.
Where are you going? Uh, batting cage with mike.
Oh, okay.
Come here.
First things first.
I love you, kid.
You know that, right? [ door opens .]
Be careful.
[ door closes .]
Mom? Yeah.
Is everything okay? Yeah.
Because you're acting kind of weird.
Oh, I'm just worried about uncle t.
J.
He'll be fine.
Dad will get him out.
Yeah.
Yes, he will.
[ cellphone chimes .]
I'll be back in a minute.
What? Where are you going? [ groans .]
If you're gonna go for the knockout, You better know how to land it.
[ mouse clicks .]
A treasure trove.
He's got the racetrack on speed dial, A serious relationship with a hemp clinic in skokie, The phone was registered to an m.
Hendricks.
Perkins isn't even the guy's real name.
So who was perkins? Nobody.
An alias.
But get this.
Hendricks makes 87 phone calls In the past month to one number.
Who was he calling? Lou mrozek.
Bingo.
But here's where it gets weird.
The calls get more frequent in the past week After your uncle died.
You know why? Because he wasn't calling uncle lou.
Connie? Connie? [ dialing .]
[ ringing .]
Connie? I'm sorry, jack.
I didn't want it to be like this.
Frank perkins.
She embezzled the million dollars He let thatcher take advantage of him for 30 years.
I had to get us our due.
A small-time accountant named matthew hendricks.
She paid him a cut to help siphon the money.
I came up with the name frank perkins.
A shell company that allowed them unmonitored access To our project money.
Perkins was a silent partner, almost never around.
Hendricks -- well, he played the role At the occasional project meeting.
And after I tracked him down, hendricks got panicky.
He talked to connie.
She knew it was only a matter of time Before it all fell apart.
So she convinced hendricks To help her do something drastic.
Why would she stage this elaborate piece of theater To convince elaine that her life was in imminent danger.
Connie needed her help to escape.
She stole a million dollars of your father's money.
He's not gonna miss it.
Why would you agree to help her After she manipulated you like that? Ja-- I'm used to being manipulated, jack.
Handled.
That's normal to me now.
You know, connie was a good person.
She just got all turned around by this family.
And my brother is innocent.
He's gonna get eaten alive in jail.
So with connie gone, they're both free.
Two birds, one stone, jack.
You really are a karsten after all.
Until the day I die.
Do you ever think about How things could have been different? Oh, come on.
No.
Do you? [ sighs .]
Yeah, I do sometimes.
Connie had a shot at escape and a chance to start over.
I mean, that's -- that's more than I can say for us.
Whoa.
You're working hard.
What are you doing here so late? Clearance issues, the bane of my existence.
How was the concert? It was, um -- it was kind of incredible.
Look.
[ mouse clicking .]
Sara.
Wow.
[ mid-tempo piano music playing .]
It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.
He was totally consumed, Transported to this other plane.
And suddenly everything he said to me made sense.
I've been lazy.
Lazy? How? Avoidant.
Afraid.
What are you talking about? W-what are you afraid of? Joy, pain, all of it.
I want to do a series on obsession, But what do I know about it? What do I know about anything? All I've ever done throughout my life Is be on the outside observing because I'm just afraid.
I'm afraid of feeling.
Feeling what? The magnitude of things.
I can hear the things you're dreaming about Something happened to me a week ago, And it changed me.
Changed you how? I've been trying to make it go away, but I can't.
It's like there's this door, And once I opened it, everything shifted.
What happened a week ago? I met someone.
I hear the secrets that you keep And now there's no going back.
I hear the secrets that you keep when you're talking in your sleep I hear the secrets that you keep when you're talking in your sleep I hear the secrets that you keep when you're talking in your sleep when you're talking in your sleep