Coroner (2019) s01e05 Episode Script

So I've been seeing dogs.
A dog shows up whenever I have anxiety.
I was in the military.
I don't really like to talk about it.
Can you fix the bridge - over the stream, by my house? - Sure.
I'm actually helping Liam with the bridge.
You need to make your school year.
It's the one thing your dad would've wanted.
You can't fire me! You are arrogant, you cut corners, and you are not gonna change.
I'm officially reopening all of the cases of former pathologist, Dr.
Ian Peterson.
Every lawyer with a convicted murderer in the past ten years is about to file an appeal.
Then we deal with them.
That's my mom and her sister.
She died.
She never talks about her.
You must've killed in Shop Class.
And Home Ec.
We don't need the foot to determine if she died of multiple organ trauma.
True.
But when I return this young woman's body back to her family, I'd like it to be whole.
I brought you a present.
Is it a foot? 'cause if it is, we've already got a matching set.
Even better.
A fine upstanding citizen found these bones in his backyard when he was putting on a deck.
Detective McAvoy, these are pig bones.
Someone probably got a cute little piglet, and it grew into a gigantic sow, and they got rid of it in their backyard.
That's your department.
Not mine.
If this is a "screw-you" for opening Dr.
Peterson's files, save it.
My phone's been ringing off the hook with screw-yous.
Alison, hey.
What? Sorry, um Gerald Henry Who is? Uh, look, I'll just, I'll be up there in a minute, okay? Thanks.
- Gerald Henry JONES? - You know him? Hepatic artery is shredded.
So is the abdominal aorta.
Is the cava intact? Not even remotely.
Then she died on impact.
Thankfully.
I'm Gerald Henry Jones lawyer.
I'm applying to trial court to get my client's conviction overturned.
If you could just wait and take this up with Dr.
Cooper Gerald Henry Jones has been rotting in a prison cell for 12 years because of Dr.
Peterson's flawed pathology report.
Well, if that's true, then he'll get a new trial.
Dr.
Cooper.
This office made mistakes, but we're rectifying them.
I have a subpoena for all records, and all physical evidence pertaining to my client's case.
Okay Sure.
Fill your boots.
But we want the same thing, Richie.
- Which is? - The truth.
I don't care about the truth.
I care about getting my client out of prison.
No, just, just let it ring.
I need to start keeping booze in my desk.
Most choose the easiest path to get what they want.
But not you.
Nope.
It's my least favourite quality in myself right now.
Do you want me to get your pills? Hm.
I don't know why I said that.
It's none of my business.
You are a recently-widowed single mother who is in the midst of a professional shit-storm.
I only have one one-hundredth of that stress and I bake three pies a night.
- What? - I bake, uh, to manage my stress.
Does it help? I find the precision of it very calming, very centering.
Plus, when I'm done, There is pie.
- How's your pumpkin pie? - Solid B plus.
- Do you have plans Sunday? - No.
Okay.
Thanksgiving dinner.
My house.
- Bring a pie.
- Seriously? Yeah.
We, uh, we need a break from all the stress.
I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving, but I do love a dinner party.
Great.
Wait, stop, stop, STOP! Hi.
Hi.
Uh don't move.
Look down.
Um what is this? It's a tripwire.
Could you just step back? - Just a little.
- Okay.
And why do you have a tripwire and what would happen if I touched it? Bears.
You know, just some noise.
Hey.
What's going on? So I turned on the sink and there was this, like, "eeeee" noise, and then there was a gush of water, a rumble, and then nothing.
Wait, wait, wait.
You sure it was like a "eeeee" and not a "uuuuu"? Uh - Okay.
- Hi! I let myself in.
Hey.
This is Liam, my uh handyman.
Uh, this is Alison, my, my co-worker.
I'm more like a lifesaver.
And I'm more of a neighbour.
Nice to meet you.
You too.
- Um - Yup.
Yup.
Alison, when I said, bring a pie, I meant, like, bring like one pie.
Well, I know, but I felt like I owed you, after that thing I said at the office.
- What'd you say? - Hmm? Uh less talking, more fixing.
Well, at least the turkey's on schedule.
Hey, what's cooking, mo-fos? - I brought you some lasagna - Hey.
and four different types of artisanal baguettes.
You're welcome.
Uh, Sabina, I thought I thought you said you weren't coming.
The first holiday after You've lost somebody? It's it's the hardest.
I just, I wanted to be here for you.
Also, I broke up with, uh, Shannon.
All right.
Then I'm here for you too.
Thank you.
- Hi, I'm Alison.
- Hi, I'm, I'm Sabina.
I brought pies.
- You certainly did.
- Yeah, she did.
So we can we talk about that total smokeshow under the sink? Get it, girl.
Well, I mean, it's certainly not a condo in the city, but it's home-ish.
Well, the city, that was always kinda your dad's speed, but your mother always loved the country.
You know we used to have a cottage in the Kawarthas when the girls were little.
You knew that.
No.
I mean, well, like Mom never ever talks about that, right, so "They were the worst of times, they were the best of time.
" Where's that from? - Okay, that's not fair - You don't know.
Don't even fake it.
Okay, so, right through here, um there's like this beautiful creek.
- Really? - and I'm helping my buddy, Liam, build a little footbridge.
- You are? - Yeah.
I don't wanna, like, jump the gun, but I'm kind of a carpenter now.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
Well, I'll tell you what.
Since the last time I saw you, you're a new man.
Well, I mean, it's not surgery like Dad - or what Mom does, but - You're finding your own way.
I like working with my hands, you know? And the calluses on your hands, they look good on you.
- Yeah, they kinda hurt though.
- I feel so good today.
- Yeah? - My mind's clear, I feel strong.
Maybe it's the country.
Yeah, that's probably it.
Nature's the best thing that could've happened to this family.
Perhaps that it.
What do you think? I agree.
Well, maybe.
We'll see.
Beautiful view.
You must be Greer.
I know I'm early, but what can I say? I was excited when you called.
Thank you so much for coming.
I saw your photo in the paper, and read about the work you've been doing.
Yeah.
Happy to help.
Though to be honest, I'm not really sure how I can help.
Let me worry about that.
Did you bring - Barbecue? - Seemed fair.
I think I might get more out of this than you will.
Somebody raised you right.
All right, follow me.
I bunked with Jenny in university.
Um, we only recently reconnected.
Lucky you.
She's one of the good ones.
Don't tell her I said that.
Oh, can you grab me that baster? Alison, I just met you.
You know, the last time I was this close to one of these, it cost me $30 grand.
I'm, as they say, with child.
I have a bun in my oven that I basted there myself.
I bow down.
To a woman who knows what she wants.
Geez, the water's not reaching your house, which means there's a leak in the communication pipe.
Uh the city's pipe is broken.
But with the holiday, who knows when they'll turn up to fix it.
Oh gosh please tell me there is a Plan B.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
These old country houses have wells.
I could power yours up.
- You can do that? - Oh yeah.
I can do lots of things.
Like, uh, like secure the perimeter? I mean, I'm just saying, I haven't seen any bears around here.
Yeah, um I don't like to be surprised in my home, - Hmm.
- even though I'm a "smokeshow.
" That's okay, I've been called worse.
Like um "Handyman.
" Okay, look, I just, I I didn't know what to say.
And calling you my boyfriend doesn't feel right, does it? I don't know.
What do you want us to be? Uh, I don't' know.
I guess I just, with everything else in my life being so complicated, - I like that we were - Easy? - Yeah.
- Oh.
Yeah.
But not in like a not in like a a, a slutty way.
It's just I don't like lying to Ross about us.
- Momaney! Hi.
- That's my mother-in-law.
Oh.
So how was the drive, Muna? As good as can be expected, I suppose.
Okay, we are in Dundas, not New Mexico.
Momaney, you don't have to keep doing that.
Your job is to get good grades and to swim.
So Okay, I won't say anything.
- Muna, hi.
- Hello.
Hi, welcome.
For your new home.
- Oh, thank you.
- Let me get your coat.
- They smell really good.
- They are.
Can you um can you put these in a vase for me? - Yeah.
No worries.
- Thank you.
I better help him.
Thanks, Dad.
- Yeah, water in there.
- Okay.
If you're gonna supervise me then why don't you do it? It's different than I imagined.
Yeah.
It needs, it needs restoring, but, uh, we have time.
I mean, we're not going anywhere.
Wonderful.
You don't like it.
If you and Ross like it, I like it.
You can be, uh, you can be honest, Muna.
I'm finding it difficult to imagine David living here.
- Is that your office? - Hmm? Oh, uh No, that is my, uh, that's my bedroom.
It's just a, it's a little disorganized right now.
Working on the holiday weekend? Yeah, but I'd actually like to leave my work out of today.
What is that stench? I don't know.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I hooked up the well like you asked.
Decomposing organic matter by the look and smell of it.
Are those chunks? Uh do you mind telling family that we are running a little bit behind, and passing these out? You want me to serve? Yup.
You are a godsend.
Thank you so much.
- Geez.
- Whew! Want some camphor for your nose? No, I'm I'm good.
It's just uh it's been a while.
How did an animal fall down the well with a cap on? Could've been down there a while.
Hey.
Is it just me or is that? - Right - There's something down there? Not something Someone.
There's a dead body in your well.
Yeah, looks like.
I have, uh, hip waders if you wanna take a better look.
Yeah.
That's a great idea.
You're going in the murder well? Nobody said anything about murder.
I'll see you back here in five.
Woo-hoo! This is Jenny Cooper.
Senior Coroner for the region of Ontario West.
It is 3:10 PM on Sunday, October 13th.
Okay - You okay? - Yup.
Hey, are you okay in there? Yup.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Face, ears and neck have all sustained soft tissue injuries.
Presumably by vermin bites.
His face is pretty chewed up.
- Rats ate his face? - Yeah.
Yeah, but not in here now.
They must've gone out through a hole, deeper down.
Crush injuries on the cranium, and the body is saponified.
Wha the body's what? Uh saponified.
It's like, like turned to soap.
That's disgusting.
No, actually, it's it's kinda neat.
When a body decomposes in moist or wet conditions, the fat turns to wax, which should make it easier for me to figure out how he died.
Okay.
Ungh.
- You feeling okay? - Yeah, I'm great.
You sure about that? Yeah.
You can't spook me with one dead body.
How many dead bodies does it take? I mean, you just look a little waxy yourself.
Oh, okay.
Hey, I can handle this.
So if you, you Oh no, no, no, no.
No, I'm okay.
'Kay, thanks.
You really wanna play that ace? I could close my eyes real quick.
You can scoop it up, play another one.
You're just trying to get in my head.
I'm trying to stop a bloodbath.
Boom goes the dynamite.
Uh, you're right.
This is a bloodbath.
Still better than having Thanks-for-taking with my super square family.
Same.
You wanna put a pig skeleton together? Mm.
Game on.
Go slowly.
Slowly, please.
You don't wanna compromise the body.
Hold up, I'm Detective Mills, Hamilton Police.
Step away from the body.
I have to ask you a few questions.
She's the coroner.
She didn't kill that guy.
The body's been in the water a while.
It's covered in grave wax.
- That explains the smell.
- Yeah.
Let's get to the body, shall we? Yeah.
- Jesus.
- Oof.
The decedent is male, 50s.
Blunt force cranial trauma suggests that his his skull was smashed.
- Do you think he was attacked? - Maybe.
The injuries could be caused from a a bat or a pipe.
So we're looking at foul play? Because then I have to call Homicide.
Uh, let's try to identify him first before we jump to conclusions.
No wallet.
- Hey.
What's that green spot? - Hmm? Mold? I can't believe I'm watching you scrub "grave wax" off a body.
Hm.
Shamrock.
It's an identifying tattoo.
I'll check missing persons.
Uh, Jenny, Jenny.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa! Hey, hey! Grab the, grab the snake! Grab it! - No way.
No way! - It's evidence, grab it! - It's a snake! - Just Okay.
Ungh.
All right, got it.
Now what? - Is that - A dead body? I'm I'm really sorry that you that you saw that.
It's uh - What was that? - A saponified corpse.
Which presumably means it was in your well, and, oh God, I'm gonna be sick.
You didn't drink any of it, it wasn't in any of the food.
So what I'm feeling is psychosomatic? Great! I'm still gonna barf! Hey, let me take you home.
All right? You guys are just going? 'Kay, bye.
Who is he, Mom? The dead guy? I don't know, but it is my job to figure out what happened to him.
And what do we do in the meantime? Just pretend we didn't see that poor soul rotting in your backyard? We could get some fresh air.
We could ask Ross if he might show us this bridge that he's working on with Liam.
We could do that, right, Ross? It's a beautiful day.
Yeah, yeah, great idea.
Come on, Momaney.
Come on, let me show you something.
- You sure? - Yeah, yeah.
Totally.
Tell me about your work.
I know gist but give me the long version.
I've dedicated my PhD to researching at-risk populations in the GTA.
Specifically, the homeless.
Governments collect data through the census, election results, things like that.
But at-risk populations with no fixed addresses aren't counted, so they don't count.
Not to the government, not to the police.
Tell me what you know about Gerald Henry Jones.
Bay Street Banker.
Went for a jog by Tent City.
Claims a homeless man Floyd Shipman tried to rob him.
Jones stabbed him 26 times with a pair of scissors he had in his running pack.
You don't buy his story? Even kids know not to run with scissors.
I think that he was a rich white man who felt entitled to take the life of a man who didn't count.
Jones may get released from prison soon, thanks to the new coroner.
Help me make sure this doesn't happen.
Sit tight.
This'll take a minute.
So I got an ID on our body.
James Grigson.
Daughter said he went missing while hiking the Bruce Trail.
Or someone murdered him and stuffed him in your well.
- Again with the "murder well"? - Well, his head's caved in.
So it's easier for you to believe that another human being did this, rather than believe it was an accident? Yeah.
Okay, well one thing I do know is that he wasn't shoved into my well.
See this line of sediment? It suggests that he was laying at the bottom of a lake for a considerable amount of time.
The snake you caught, do you know what kind it was? Well, a Northern Water Snake.
Yeah, they're all over the place in Dundas, - especially near Tews Falls.
- What's Tews Falls? It's this huge waterfall just outside of town.
Did Mr.
Grigson go missing hiking near Tews Falls? Yup.
Then I have a theory.
Which is what, exactly? He was hiking.
He fell into the Falls.
He sank to the bottom of the lake, and an aquifer washed his body into my well.
Yeah, I'm not buying this was misadventure.
Grigson had a million dollar accidental death insurance policy.
It was put in place a few weeks before he died, and his daughter is the sole beneficiary.
On the plus side, she couldn't collect cause they never found a body.
Well, I won't know until the autopsy is complete.
I'm done here.
Can you wait for the truck so I go back to my family? - Oh, for sure.
- Okay.
.
- Okay, one.
- Hmm? Only one.
That's how many bodies it took to mess me up.
The first time that I shot someone it took away a part of me.
I'm trying to get that part back.
Do you um you wanna come in? For dinner? Okay.
Okay.
Hello? Hi! Um is this Lisa Grigson? Yes.
Who's this? My name's Jenny Cooper.
I am the senior Coroner for Ontario West.
I believe we found your father's body.
Are you sure it's him? I'm gonna need you to come in and ID it, but yeah, yeah, I'm-I'm I'm pretty sure it's him.
What happened? Where did you find him? Uh in a water well, in Dundas.
It's a little complicated, so I'm gonna need a couple of days to determine the cause of death, but Mommy? Who is this? What's wrong? Nothing, baby.
Just go sit at the table.
I'm really sorry to pull you away from your family, and give you such horrible news on a day like today, but Oh no.
I'm grateful that you called.
The past 2 years have been horrible, not knowing what's happened to him.
Yeah.
I just, uh I wish that we had found him sooner.
We still set a place for him at the table.
Mostly for my son.
They were so close.
I completely understand.
Guess the family curse finally caught up to him.
Family curse? What? Sorry, uh Ross has dropped out of school? When were you going to tell me about it? Um, I'm so sorry, Lisa, I'm gonna have to call you back and find a time for you to come ID the body.
Again, I am really sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
Muna, Muna, I was in the middle of a very sensitive phone call.
My grandson is not going to be a carpenter.
I tried to be as supportive as possible while you took my only grandchild away from me, and moved him all the way into the woods with no one looking after him! Well, I I look after him.
Is that why you're burying yourself in your work instead of spending time with your family? Is that why there are no pictures of his father around? Why none of David's things are in the house? I am doing the the very best that I can here.
Okay? Just okay, hey hey let's not take our grief out on each other, okay? I'm sorry.
I never understood why you left your ER doctor job.
A job healing people.
I did it so that Ross and I could have a more balanced life.
If today proved anything, it's that your life is more unbalanced than ever.
And so are you.
I'm sorry, what? You have a very unhealthy fascination with death.
- And the worst part is - Oh wow.
I think you like it.
First your sister, then my David.
All these people, these bodies, that man in your well.
It would break David's heart, all of this Muna, David is dead, okay?! His heart is the least of his problems! Do you We can hear you yelling.
Oh shit.
Um I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
That was a horrible it was a horrible thing to say.
Look, I think that we're all just a little bit hangry - right now.
- Mm-hmm.
- Maybe we could just go eat? - Yeah.
- Okay? - Yup.
Sorry.
I'm sorry.
- That's gorgeous.
- Thanks.
So uh Okay I uh uh Okay, personally, I'm thankful for Liam because he is such a rad boss.
And for you, Momaney, yeah, for coming all this way and seeing us.
Just thank you.
I think all of us together, breaking bread today, would've made your father very happy.
Hear, hear.
Yes, indeed.
So to David then.
To family.
Happy Thanksgiving.
- Happy Thanksgiving.
- Happy Thanksgiving.
- Okay - Shall I carve? - I guess, eh? - Yeah, let's eat.
Uh Are you expecting more guests? Uh, I'd better I better just What next? Aggghhhh! Aggghhhh! Aggghhhh! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell are you doing? I know we're not exclusive, - but I am still a person.
- Yeah.
You said you wanted to have dinner.
I-I-I cooked a turkey for you.
- No, but you're vegetarian.
- Exactly! So if you wanna bail on me for her, then at least do it before I compromise my values.
All right, just calm down.
Calm down.
Come with me and I'll explain everything to you, all right? Liam! Are you and my Mom? Okay, wait, wait, wait.
You'll have to talk to your Mom about it, all right? I'm sorry.
- You're hooking up with Liam? - Ross - That's great.
- Ross.
No, hey - That's just great.
- Ross? Honey! Just great, Mom.
Go away.
Ross, please! I'm gonna go stay at Grandma's.
- For how long? - That depends.
How long were you sleeping with Liam? Please don't run away from me.
What was the plan, Mom? Hmm? Get a new job, in a new house, with a new boyfriend, and just erase Dad? I didn't have a plan, okay? I am flying by the seat of my pants here, and I am trying to do what is right for this family! But I don't always know what that is.
And sleeping with my boss was a good way to do right by the family? Okay.
You know what the truth is, Liam is a good guy and I was lonely! Dad is dead! You are supposed to be lonely! You're right.
You're right.
You're right.
Ross I'm so sorry.
I just I just need to get out of here.
- I have to go.
- Ross - At least until I'm done - Ross.
Until I'm done being pissed off, or until the water's back on.
- Just - Okay.
- I'll call you.
- Mm-hmm.
Oh, here you are.
- Hey.
- I thought the body was gone.
- It is - But you can't quit him.
Something's just not sitting right.
Oh yeah? I talked to James's daughter, Lisa, and she said that the family curse finally caught up with her father.
She actually used those words? Family curse? Yeah.
Well, it seems like maybe tragedy runs in their family too.
Could be.
Wow, family curse, eh? - Holy shit.
- What? Medullary thyroid cancer.
James had a tattoo of a shamrock on his chest and I thought it was an Irish thing, but there.
What do you see? To me, that's a very small blue cross.
Yeah.
What does it mean? It means it's not an Irish thing, it's a, - it's a cancer thing.
- Oh, okay.
During radiation therapy, oncologists mark you with a little cross so that they know where to point the laser.
And some people, they get it permanently tattooed.
James Grigson, and uh, he knew he was dying.
That's why he put the accidental death policy on his insurance.
And then he killed himself.
And makes it look like an accident.
Worth a shot.
Only he didn't know that his body wouldn't get found and his daughter would get nothing.
Nothing? No.
No, she gets closure now, right? You want a drink? I think we've earned one, don't you? - Yeah.
- Okay, I'll grab it.
Thanks, Dad.
My research on Gerald Henry Jones shows that besides Shipman, four other murders happened in Tent City between 1999 and 2002.
The press said that it was homeless junkies stabbing each other because of bad Bolivian crack.
The Drug Squad said the same thing.
Do you really think a junkie pulled off 4 meticulous murders without leaving behind any DNA and then just slipped away? You think Gerald Henry Jones killed them.
After you put him away for killing Shipman, the murders stopped.
Correlation does not imply causation.
What are you doing? This is what we know for sure.
Jones killed Shipman.
We have nothing to tie him to the other murders.
My theories are sound.
Yes, but I can't take them to the prosecutor, and I definitely can't take 'em to a judge.
Jones is canny and meticulous.
I had trouble proving he murdered one person, let alone all this.
I need proof.
Then I guess you have work to do, Detective.
And I have a lecture in the morning.
- Can I keep all this? - I have copies.
Greer Thank you.
How's the home? Please don't call it "the home".
Makes me feel so old.
The home? Then what should I call it? Call what? The home.
- Jen, - Hey.
whose house is this? Where are we? Dad, hey.
What? I can't help myself, sorry.
It's the little dementia jokes just to lighten you up, - you know? - That is not funny.
Listen, I don't want you worrying about Ross, okay? That is a waste of your time.
He's not gonna last a week under Muna's regime, okay? - Yeah.
- There something else? It's just I uh I feel like I broke something between us today, and I just, I-I I don't know how to fix it.
Well, you just gotta give it time.
- Ross adores you.
Okay? - Yeah.
What else? Muna said something today that got under my skin.
More than usual.
Oh, really? And what is she saying? That death is attracted to me.
And that I like it.
But you've always been a person that was full of questions.
That's the best way to say it.
You were eight when your sister died.
And maybe you picked the job because it did bring you closer to death, but so what? What you're doing now is providing answers.
Thanks.
- My chariot has arrived.
- Yeah.
Listen to me.
You're in no way messed up, my girl.
In fact, you're exceptional, and you make me so proud.
Thanks, Dad.
Okay.
Where's my hat? Oh, here we go.
Oh God, you and Katie just loved that mutt.
That was our dog? Arski.
What a good boy he was.
Poor old thing, he just took off after Katie died.
You were so young.
He just couldn't handle the grief, poor dog.
God, I gotta go.
I love you, sweetheart.
Yeah This guy is gonna kill me out here.
Shit! Shit! God Daddy! This is Jenny.
Hey, it's Dwayne.
We have a problem.
What kind of problem? That bucket of pig bones Detective McAvoy dropped off? There's an extra bone.
What do you mean? No matter how many times we put the skeleton together, we always end up with an extra rib.
Well, pig ribs look like human ribs.
But that's why I called you.
The extra rib, we think it's human remains.