Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (2024) s01e06 Episode Script

1
[NARRATOR]: In Toronto's war on crime,
the worst offenders are
pursued by the detectives
of the specialized criminal
investigations unit.
These are their stories.
- So we're set then?
- [MAN OVER THE PHONE]: What?
So we're set then?
Everything's good on your end?
Yeah, all systems go.
So what happens now?
Just as discussed.
Right. But when?
Because there is a time factor here.
- [SIGHS]
- Listen.
[CLEARS THROAT] Moment's gotta be right.
You don't want me to rush this.
No.
You want me to do it half-cocked?
Listen, I was assured
that you could handle this,
so what I need is for you to
tell me it's happening soon.
It's happening soon.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[KNOCKING]
Yeah, one sec.
Where do I sign?
We have been evolving
for over a century.
And while our stores
may be getting bigger,
our goal is the same:
Good food at good prices.
I'm Nadia Betts, and like
my grandfather used to say:
Food tastes better when you're smiling.
- And cut.
- Great job!
- Hair and makeup. Quiet.
- [CREW CLAPPING]
- Thank you.
- Back to one. Back to one.
[CROWD PROTESTING LOUDLY]
- Tax Nadia Betts!
- Tax Nadia Betts!
No more millionaires!
Corporate greed!
With me, with me, let's go.
Make way. Back up. Back up.
No more millionaires!
Tax Nadia Betts!
Back up! Back up!
- [CROWD SHOUTING]
- Where you going, Nadia?!
We're not going away!
How'd they know I was here?
Sorry ma'am. I'll talk to the team.
Just try not to take
it personally, Nadia.
Zoe, please. It's my
name they're shouting.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
- I'm home.
- Hi, honey.
Hi, Mom.
- Hey, you.
- Hi.
Okay, clingy, wow.
Suffer through. I need it.
- You look tired.
- I am.
Don't ask me how school was.
Why not?
'Cause it's a boring question.
It's what tired people ask.
I like this. When did this happen?
Like two weeks ago.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- Did you eat?
- Ugh
We got Indian.
Oh, I just have to go right out again.
It's work, it's immovable.
You just got here, Zo.
Well, now that I've
disappointed you both,
I guess my work here is done.
- You're gonna wait up for me?
- Hmm, I won't.
Yes, you will.
[CHUCKLES]
Love you both.
You've been here a while.
Maybe your date's not coming.
Patience is very important
in my line of work.
So lonely ♪
I'm crazy ♪
Are you Clayton?
[YELPS]
[CHOKING]
[THEME MUSIC]
She was found by a dog walker.
Looks like a suicide,
but the boss wanted you guys anyways.
Because of her fingers?
What about her fingers?
Well, her right thumb is on top,
almost nobody clasps
their hands that way.
Feels unnatural.
So maybe somebody
positioned her after death.
Zoe Vaughn, 46,
Chief Operating Officer for Best Betts.
- The grocers.
- I shop at Best Betts.
- Everybody shops at Best Betts.
- I don't.
She's a big shot, so
she gets the A-team.
The area is pretty busy during the day,
so she likely rolled in after dark.
Yeah, matches the
rigour. Eight, ten hours.
Script bottle's unlabelled.
You recognize the pills?
Purse is still here.
We got wallet
Phone
No sign of a struggle. So robbery.
Pills scattered like popcorn.
You might even say it
looks like a suicide.
Except the view.
What about the view, Graff?
Well, a dark alley will do the job.
The vista here is a little
I don't know, cinematic?
See, that's the problem
with your partner, Bateman.
He's got a sick mind, he
sees sickness everywhere.
Won't argue with that.
Do I wanna know?
Abrasions in the soft palate.
Well, you're not wrong.
It does look like suicide.
Ah, gee, thanks.
The killer made sure of that.
Pills were shoved down her throat
after she was unconscious.
Sickness everywhere.
You're saying someone killed her?
Well, it's too soon to say,
but we have reasons to
believe it's a possibility.
Which opens some unpleasant
doors, Mr. Vaughn.
Did your wife have any
enemies that you're aware of?
Feuds, grudges?
No. No, she was admired.
She was, uh, respected.
What about here at home?
- You mean me?
- We have to ask.
She was my whole world.
I don't know how else to say that.
Did you notice any change
in her behaviour recently?
Moods, patterns.
I don't know. Just more.
More hours.
More stress.
And did she happen to mention
where she was going last night?
It was a work thing.
At 9 PM on a Tuesday? Was that normal?
That was the one thing we'd battle on.
She worked too much.
I told myself
when she got to the top of the mountain,
we'd see each other ag [SOBBING]
I'm sorry.
Dad. Dad.
[CRYING]
Sorry.
We'll be in touch.
To the mountaintop.
[CRYING]
I'm stunned. Zoe was unstoppable.
Poor family.
Mrs. Vaughn mentioned to
her husband she was going
to a work thing last night.
Well, if she was, I'm not aware of it.
Zoe was your COO, is that right?
What does that mean?
She managed your day-to-day operations?
That's right. Personnel,
resources, logistics.
And you're more "big picture" yeah?
I'm sorry, my brain when
it comes to corporate stuff
just explodes.
Well, you've essentially described it.
I set the long-term
vision for the company.
Because your grandad started it.
It's a very different beast now.
Oh, I see.
"An omnichannel food
and wellness retailer
with 64 billion dollars in revenue."
Could I ask what does this
have to do with Zoe's death?
64 billion. Big number.
Big number, little number
I worked a case once
where a kid was killed for 19 bucks.
And his earbuds, not even wireless.
I see. And yes, of course, it's true,
with so much at stake,
there this tension.
Differences. But on this battlefield,
we settle our conflicts
with a call to HR.
You've been in the news a
bit these days, personally,
- with the protests?
- Unfortunately.
Times are tough.
Groceries are expensive.
People get angry.
I'm the face of the company.
It comes with the territory.
Do you think a protester
was involved in this?
Do you? What about you?
That would be your
department, wouldn't it?
Brandon has been my head
of security for three years.
- Prison or ex-military?
- Excuse me?
The scar tissue around your tattoo.
Skin got infected because
the tools were unclean.
Did you get it in prison
or is it a barracks tattoo?
Armoured unit. Six years.
I was young.
So what do you think?
Anyone in the protest
crowd catch your eye?
Honestly?
They're a pain in the ass.
But it's more bark
than bite in that scene.
- Hmm.
- Uh, just before we go,
we'll need access to
Mrs. Vaughn's work agenda
- and correspondence.
- Of course.
[MAN]: Yeah?
- [BREATHING HEAVILY]
- Okay, it's all there.
Great. Well, that
concludes our business.
Hang on, hang on. Um, listen.
You didn't hurt her, right?
What are you asking?
I'm asking if it was painful.
You know what? Uh
You sleep on it and
call me in the morning
if you still feel sad.
I'll give you a full refund.
Alright, you prick. Have a nice life.
[DEEP BREATH]
The sedative was acepromazine.
There was enough in her system
to do the job ten times over.
- It's a veterinarian drug.
- Rare?
No, but these quantities are.
It's a lot more than
you get when your corgi
sprains his shoulder.
Maybe a break-in at
a vet or a supplier.
I'll check occurrences.
There were 29 partially digested tablets
in her stomach and two more
lodged in her epiglottis.
Lodged as is inserted?
You called it. The damage to the palate
and the throat tissue is consistent
with manual insertion.
Well, that's not easy unless
she was pretty doped up already.
Does this acepromazine
come in liquid form?
Right again, Graff.
Here.
Fresh injection site in
the medium cubital vein.
So he puts her under with a shot,
stuffs the pills down her throat
while she's unconscious,
makes it seem like
she ingested them herself.
No sign of a struggle, view to the lake.
To all the world, suicide.
[SIGHS] There's some craft here.
[PHONE CHIMES]
We got results from Mrs. Vaughn's phone.
Location data says she
left her house at 9 PM,
got to the lookout point at 10:15.
Any stops?
One brief one at a
diner off the highway.
No, sorry. Don't recognize her.
Think I'd remember. It was
pretty quiet last night.
Any customer stand out?
There was this one guy. Mousy dude.
Sort of pleased with himself.
Said his name was Clayton.
Why did you notice him?
He was low-key flirting.
He ordered decaf, sat here for an hour.
But whoever he was waiting
for didn't show up, so he left.
Well, if he happens to turn up again,
- give us a call, would you?
- Sure thing.
Thanks.
Sits for an hour announcing his name.
Doesn't read killer to me.
More like who Zoe was coming to meet.
But she didn't make it through the door.
[PLANES ROARING OVERHEAD]
So, killer ambushes her here,
down she goes,
then he drives her car to the lookout
to finish the job.
Yeah, well he certainly
doesn't have to worry
about anyone hearing her scream.
Not this close to Pearson.
So
if he's planning
on leaving in her car,
how'd get here, huh?
All those tickets.
Stole a car for the gig?
Yeah, Melissa. Henry Graff.
I need you to run a
plate for me, please.
My stolen car? It was right here.
Good spot, close to my apartment.
I came out to go to
Fiesta Farms and poof.
And you said it sometimes
just sits here for a while?
Yeah. I'm trying to
ride my bike more. Why?
Car thieves, they tend
to case their target
before they move on it.
It's likely he works
or lives in the area.
Hey, we'll be in touch.
Let me give you my card.
Thanks.
Feel like a walk?
There's three veterinarian
clinics in the neighbourhood.
If he lives in the area,
the drugs are likely
from one of those clinics.
The car's just here
and I wore my tight shoes today.
You'll survive.
Ugh
We'll take Kit Kat in two minutes.
Just have a seat.
Afternoon.
Hey.
I'd like to buy some acepromazine.
- Excuse me?
- Yeah, it's for a large animal,
about 137 pounds,
but we need it in both
pill and liquid form.
Okay, that's a prescription medication,
and I need to see the animal first.
Are you clients here?
Okay, let's start again.
We're gonna need to
check your inventory,
see if any acepromazine is missing.
It's Vicki, isn't it?
Come on, Vicki. You can take us out back
and help us count the pills,
or you can just tell us where they went.
Down on the ground! Face down! Now! Now!
What the hell's going
on? I didn't do anything.
- On the ground! Now!
- I didn't do anything! Ow!
- [GRUNTS]
- Out back, clear!
- East side, clear!
- Room secured.
Sean Grierson,
you're under arrest for
the murder of Zoe Vaughn.
Sean, your counsel's on the way,
so you're under no
obligation to talk to us.
You understand that?
We're just gonna lay a
few things out for you.
Now, this
this affidavit from your friend Vicki
confirms she sold you acepromazine.
Now, she claims to have
thought you were using it
- recreationally, but
- Yeah, I was.
Honestly, Sean.
That's your best move here.
Yeah. The quantity found at the scene
of Mrs. Vaughn's murder
matches the stolen inventory
down to the pill.
Your DNA is at the lab,
so unless you were walking
around in a hazmat suit,
we're going to find
traces in Mrs. Vaughn's car
and on her body as well.
And the SIM for your
phone is with the techs,
so that'll tell us your whereabouts
on the day of the
killing. And finally
we found $150,000 in
cash in your apartment.
Do you know what we call it
when the evidence is
this conclusive, Sean?
Neither do I, because as
long as I've been doing this,
I've never seen it.
We're gonna have to
come up with a new word.
Stuperdependence.
I'll keep thinking.
The only blank spot left, Sean, is who.
Who hired you?
We don't need it to put you away.
- [BATEMAN CHUCKLES]
- God, no.
But we are curious people, Sean.
So if you do feel like
talking about that,
it is the one card
you have left on Earth.
Contract kill. Straight up.
Sean never met the client,
no names were exchanged.
He took a call, did the job.
Fifty thousand down, and
another hundred thousand
when the job was done.
The money was dead-dropped
in non-sequential bills.
Nothing in the system.
Is this guy a first-timer
or are we gonna find a trail of bodies?
Seems to be a general thug-for-hire.
- Coercion, intimidation.
- [PHONE RINGING]
But it's our sense it's his only kill.
We're sharing with Homicide to be sure.
And the guy who hired
him, nothing to work with?
- Detective Bateman?
- Oh, lots.
Male, adult, in a hurry.
So, if it's all arm's length,
how does one get Sean's
number in the first place?
Word of mouth.
He says the people who know, know.
Word of mouth, isn't that nice?
Guess who?
It's Clayton. Our mystery diner man.
Turns out he's a private investigator.
I went back to the dinner today,
and the waitress there
gave me your card.
Only then did I, you know,
start to connect the dots.
This is about the
executive who was murdered.
- Why do you say that?
- Zoe Vaughn.
Well, it's all over the news. I
I mean, I
I was there to meet a woman named Zoe.
- Did she have a job for you?
- She called me that afternoon,
said she wanted to
have somebody followed.
- You get a name?
- She was gonna give me
the details in person. She
was very cautious that way.
No text, no email.
She didn't want to
leave a digital trail.
I'll tell you, though,
it wasn't the husband.
You seem very sure of that.
Oh, you can sniff out
an infidelity client
straight away.
- Hmm.
- You know, the
the vibe. Shame, anger.
And how would you
describe Zoe's vibe?
Hmm assured.
She never showed up, though, so
I'm afraid that's all I can tell you.
What percentage of your calls are, um
cheating spouses, would you say?
Well, we can't all solve
murders now, can we?
I guess what I'm asking is,
when it's not infidelity, what is it?
Dirt. Leverage.
Opposition research.
She did say, though, that
it was a prominent citizen.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
[BATEMAN]: Thank you for your time.
So, Zoe was sticking her
nose where it wasn't welcome.
Maybe she sniffed something
out, or got too close.
Close enough she was
killed to keep it buried.
Info from Sean Grierson's burner phone.
He received one call on
the day Mrs. Vaughn died
and one the day after,
both from the same payphone.
It's a good place to call
in a murder. No cameras.
Well, let's hit the shops.
Bound to be some CCTV somewhere.
Means more walking.
Sure you can handle it?
Oh, I opted for the crepe soles today.
Had a hunch.
Between the traffic cams and the CCTV,
we've identified 19 vehicles
that were in the proximity
of the payphone at the time
the calls were made to Sean.
- Anyone pop?
- Not in our system.
No priors, no outstanding warrants.
We're searching names for any connection
to Mrs. Vaughn. An ex, a
family member, anything.
Or the competition.
A corner store down on Dundas.
Yeah, I go there all the time.
There's a hot dog stand I like.
Street food, huh?
- You're surprised?
- You're a wealthy man.
You're the owner of the largest
commercial bakery in the country.
Which I built from the ground up.
I remember where I come from, Detective.
And I am certainly not
above a good hot dog. Please.
Can I ask what this is about?
We're investigating the
murder of Zoe Vaughn.
Yes, I heard about it. Awful.
Did you know Mrs. Vaughn?
Just by reputation.
And what was that exactly?
Oh How to put this
They're not an especially friendly crew
- over there at Betts.
- How's that?
Well, I do a healthy business,
but I'm just a wholesaler.
These guys, they're the Death star.
Wholesale, retail, distribution.
And their approach to
independent operators like me
is to crush or devour.
And yet here you are, still standing.
You must be doing something right.
I make good bread.
I'm, you know, stubborn about it.
Most commercial bakers,
they scrimp on their ingredients,
but I use the good stuff.
Do you often get down
onto the bakery floor?
[CHUCKLES]
Not as often as I'd like.
But that's an old story, isn't it?
Never make your passion your job.
Yeah, the higher you climb,
the farther you get from what you love.
I'm sorry, I'm still trying
to understand how I can help you.
Well, the payphone at the corner store
was used to call Zoe Vaughn's killer.
Two calls were made, and you happened
to be there both times.
Now, we learn that Zoe's your rival
I didn't describe her
that way, Detective.
That's your word.
Okay.
Look, Best Betts is a bully,
but they've got one move, they're big.
How do you beat big? Brains.
Brains and a soul.
A good product for a
good price. Your words.
Very good.
So, is there anything else
I can do for you, Detectives?
Yeah, what's your
favourite hot dog topping?
Are you a sauerkraut, onions guy,
or do you prefer that ketchup stuff?
How does that matter?
Well, one of your visits to
the corner store was at 9 AM,
so I'm just wondering
what a gourmand like you
would put on an all-beef
jumbo hot dog for breakfast.
Bakers' hours, Detective.
I'm up at 4. 9 AM is lunch for me.
Well, thank you for your time,
Mr. Hill. Have a nice day.
- My pleasure. You too.
- Most appreciated.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Mr. Bread likes to win.
But he hates to lose even more.
Zoe Vaughn was a shark.
Her track record as COO was
one takeover after another.
You think she had her
sights set on Hill Breads?
It's the best Betts playbook.
Gobble up the little guy.
But Douglas is too proud to sell.
See, now that's the funky part.
If someone makes a bully
offer on your house,
you don't kill them, you just say no.
Unless Zoe found some leverage.
Something in Douglas's life,
something to force his hand.
The PI said she was investigating
- a prominent citizen.
- So Dougie had her killed
before she could expose him.
Okay. What's his dark secret?
Find that, and maybe
you're on to something.
[GRAFF SIGHS]
Did Zoe mention any competition at work?
Any people from rival companies?
No, she barely brought that stuff home.
What's that?
Uh, pricing charts.
Best Betts inventory.
Goes back for years.
Did your wife like photography?
Not particularly.
She would take pictures with the camera
on her phone sometimes. Why?
There's a receipt for a new DSLR.
Phones get hacked, cameras don't.
Where is your wife's camera?
- Do you know where she keeps it?
- I'm not sure.
- Do you know who killed my mom?
- Mackenzie.
We have a lot of
people working very hard
to find that out. I promise you that.
Her camera is in the foyer.
She didn't use it much.
She'd take it sometimes
on her way to work.
And yet you noticed. Why?
'Cause it meant she
was gonna be out late.
Does that mean anything to you?
I have no idea.
Just give us a moment
if you could, thank you.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Same column, different number.
Wow. Hello, Mr. Douglas Hill.
What on earth are you doing?
I don't know what, but I do know where.
That's down on Lakeshore.
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Painted over dozens of
times, by the look of it.
We're gonna need every
layer, as far back as it goes.
Picasso's Blue Room, do you know it?
No.
Before he was famous, he was broke,
so he reused his canvases,
painted one masterpiece over another.
Can you imagine?
If not for reflectography,
we'd never know.
I'm not hoping for a masterpiece.
I just want the work to make me think.
Six dash two twenty-one
Eight dash four nine
Nine dash five one four
Six dash two twenty-one
Eight dash four nine
Seven dash three six
Nine dash five one four
They're price fixing.
Hill Breads and Best Betts,
the so-called rivals?
They're colluding.
Hill Breads and Best
Betts are in cahoots.
They're gouging their customers.
If one of them jacks
up their price too fast,
they lose market share to the other,
- so they moved in lockstep.
- A secret agreement.
No contact, no phone calls, no emails,
nothing for the
Competition Bureau to find.
Paint on a wall.
Six cents per loaf on February 21st.
Eight cents on April 9th.
It's gone on for years.
Douglas writes it up,
somebody from the Betts side reads it,
and up the prices go.
If the customer complains, so what?
It's inflation, what are you gonna do?
It's the definition of
a criminal conspiracy.
Forensic accountant estimates
so far it's worth 40 million dollars.
It's bread. Can't we just have bread?
- Afraid not.
- Explain this to me.
If Zoe discovered it, then
her side is guilty too.
It's one division in
the Betts juggernaut.
If this came out, they could weather it.
But for Douglas, it's
his whole business.
Fines, lawsuits, jail It'd ruin him.
And he wasn't gonna let that happen.
[GRAFF]: No, ma'am.
Tell me that you have
something linking Douglas
to the hitman other than
he was near a payphone
- once or twice.
- I wish we could.
We've been going through their lives,
we can't find any link.
Well, we're not close on murder.
Press on the collusion.
See what oozes out.
Gleefully.
These hieroglyphics mean what, exactly?
Oh, this is a multi-million
dollar crime, Ms. Harlock.
And, uh, Mr. Hill is
right at the centre.
Well, I see an overworked
man blowing off steam.
He'll cop to vandalism if you
want to write up the ticket.
Mr. Hill, you take pride in
your work, that's obvious.
You care for your employees.
You're a fighter, but you
you value an honest game.
But an honest game won't cut it against
a behemoth like Betts.
They squeeze you on pricing,
squeeze you on quality.
I mean, they can even pull your bread
from their shelves altogether.
Doesn't matter how hard you
work or how much you care,
they win.
It's no wonder you had to
do whatever you needed to do
- to flip the script.
- That is not how I do business.
Your prices rose in lockstep
for years. To the penny.
Because we operate in the same world.
Same market forces, same supply chain.
Well, it's one explanation.
Didn't really wash with Zoe Vaughn.
I have never met Zoe Vaughn.
Sean Grierson sure did.
Okay, I'll remind you,
Mr. Hill agreed to speak
about his business as a courtesy.
That whole fantasy gets
this shut down fast.
No, it's okay, Wanda.
They're just doing their job.
Okay, let's talk about this guy.
You said he charged 150 grand?
You think I have that
kind of cash lying around?
You're a resourceful man.
You want to look at
my books? Be my guest.
Count on it.
The Competition Bureau is gonna
come and live in your books.
Thank you for coming, Detectives.
Uh, and just so I've got the takeaway,
your premise is that Mr. Hill
used money he doesn't have
to hire a man he's never heard of
to kill a woman he's never met
for accusing him of doing
something he didn't do.
Is that about the gist of it?
Trevor Moore?
- Can I help you?
- We sure hope so,
because it's taken nine
people and three departments
- to get to you.
- You're the person who enters
the product pricing
into the system, right?
- Uh-huh.
- So you set the numbers,
and then those become
the official prices
in the stores?
Oh, I don't [CHUCKLES]
I don't set them. No, that's
that's all modelled out
by the category managers,
depending on demand elasticity
and how they're positioning
the product in the store
- Trevor, Trevor, Trevor.
- Yeah?
Please. You're given a number.
- Yes.
- And then you enter the number.
Correct.
And you enter that number exactly?
- Yes.
- For sure?
Well Occasionally, it gets tweaked.
Tweaked, by who? By you?
No. No, God, no.
From above.
Which is, of course, her prerogative.
Her?
How far above are we talking, Trevor?
So the thinking is,
in light of everything,
that we should delay the earnings call.
Nadia?
Sorry. [CLEARS THROAT]
[SIGHS] Where were we?
The earnings call.
The board thinks it's
best if we push it off.
Absolutely not.
A show of stability is what's needed.
Zoe was gonna handle the MD&A.
- I'll cover it.
- I
I'll cover it, Robert.
You know what?
I'd like a moment to breathe, please.
Five minutes, please.
- Ms. Betts.
- Five minutes! Please.
It's just there are some
detectives here to see you.
Collusion is a serious charge.
Obviously, there's been a mistake.
Well, we spoke to one
of your product managers.
He said sometimes you
set prices personally.
When you told us you were big picture,
I wasn't imagining
pennies on a loaf of bread.
My responsibility is to
find gains wherever I can.
The analyst might tell you one thing,
but your gut says another.
Ah, the human touch.
Like your grandfather.
So if you were to, say,
squeeze an extra 40 million dollars
out of the bakery division,
that'd show them that
you're up to the task.
- What task is that?
- Running a multi-billion-dollar
business that dropped in your lap.
I didn't inherit this job,
Detective. I was hired.
- I answer to the board.
- What luck,
the most qualified person
already has her name on the sign.
Hmm, saves on stationary.
[SIGHS]
I've heard that all my life.
I mean, you opt for the
parties and the boats,
and they call you Marie-Antoinette.
If you enroll at Rotman
and you work your ass off,
you're the legacy kid?
Yeah, you know what's really hard?
Coming up short at the cash register
and having to decide what goes back,
the milk or the diapers.
Everyone's waiting. I
really should get back.
[GRAFF]: You live in Rosedale, right?
What route do you take to work?
Oh, I leave that up to my driver.
And if we ask your driver,
would he tell us that
sometimes you prefer to go down
along the Lakeshore? See
all the sites down there
through all the graffiti?
I'm sorry, Detectives.
I really do have to get back.
Dirty, but how dirty?
Yeah, let's find out.
You understand I can't
discuss internal board matters.
We're just looking for
some general impressions.
How would you describe
Nadia Betts's tenure as CEO?
Obviously, her name still
carries a lot of weight,
her family still owns the
majority of the shares.
Okay, but her. Her performance.
Oh, come on, guys. Anything of
Anything of that nature
would be a violation
of about 19 different NDAs.
Well, you might enjoy this then,
because those don't apply to us.
So, you can go ahead and unload.
Let's just say there is an
appetite to go another way.
- Modernize our image.
- Remove her.
Friendly neighbourhood
billionaire is a tough sell
right now. The protests,
the tone-deaf commercials.
There are those on the board
who believe she's a liability.
The company is doing well.
In this climate, how could we not?
It's in spite of her.
We need talent in the
big chair, not legacy.
And that talent,
no doubt the board's
got somebody in mind.
[SIGHS] We did.
Zoe Vaughn.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Are you out of your mind?
I told you never to contact!
The police are all over me.
And if they had anything,
they'd move on it.
They're close on the numbers.
They're not. It's too complex,
too much plausible deniability.
No, we just need to keep
our cool and ride it out.
This whole thing was a mistake.
Zoe was coming after us, Doug.
We had no choice.
[DISTANT ANIMAL SCREECHING]
I thought that you said
that Douglas was our guy.
Well, Nadia Betts may have been on it.
You know, at the very least,
she was his accomplice in
the price-fixing scheme.
Wonderful. Hand them both
over to the regulators
and find me a murderer.
- We're circling it.
- Mm-hmm
Well, I'm getting dizzy, and late.
Pin someone down, Detectives,
with something other than math.
Hi, honey. Yeah. I'm on my way.
- [SIGHS]
- If we could just link Douglas
to the hitman, Sean
Grierson, we'd have him.
We looked. No luck.
Well, there are new
pieces on the board now.
Sean has a cousin in the system.
He served eight months for assault
as a CAF corporal in Petawawa.
A military man.
Ah, look who else was
stationed in Petawawa.
Hey, Brandon.
If someone were to come to you
looking for some muscle-for-hire,
think you could provide a name?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Well, you should concentrate,
'cause what we're talking about
is conspiracy to commit murder.
Murder? What ? No.
No to which part, Brandon?
Hey, what does that
silence sound like to you?
That sounds like
accessory after the fact.
Yeah, keep not talking, Brandon.
We'll pile on some more.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
Look, Ms. Betts said there was
a guy harassing her daughter.
She needed someone to
rough him up, scare him off,
so I made some calls.
And an old buddy from
the base came through, eh?
Said he had a cousin who could
handle this kind of thing.
I never met the guy, I just
passed along his number.
Oh, word of mouth.
Would you look at that?
- Who is he?
- Some guy named Sean.
I-I swear, no one said
anything about killing anyone.
- Go get his number.
- Now.
Nadia provided the killer,
Douglas took it from there.
Let's get them both.
Detective Henry Graff for
Crown Attorney Forrester.
Shouldn't be much longer.
What is this?
Please.
Where is the Crown Attorney?
Mr. Forrester will be here shortly.
I don't suppose
introductions are necessary.
We didn't agree to a summit.
He's got something you'll want to hear,
and it's best if you hear it together.
Welcome, everyone. I'll get right to it.
In the matter of the
alleged price-fixing scheme
between your companies,
well, the case is a slam dunk.
But it'll take months
of accounting to prove.
So for all parties involved,
we'd like to shortcut that.
I have here an offer of immunity
in exchange for cooperation.
But here's the thing.
You have to accept this
deal here in the room,
and only one of you can take it.
Are you serious?
Forrester, this is beneath you.
Well, you can't both cooperate, so
who's going to jail today?
We're not going to
agree to take anything
under these terms, and you know it.
I'll take it.
Let's be cautious here, Nadia.
We take these accusations
very seriously.
If there was wrongdoing
on Mrs. Vaughn's watch,
we are as eager to get to
the bottom of it as you are.
Done.
Although it doesn't surprise me.
Ms. Betts here is in a
position to negotiate,
hobnobbing with the
Beau Monde of society,
while the rest of us just
scuffle about in the dirt.
Payphones. Underpasses. Cash.
Right. Enough. Douglas, let's go.
Oh, before you do, Ms.
Hill, ask yourself this:
Zoe Vaughn had all the evidence
she needed to prove the scheme,
to prove your involvement.
You saw the photo.
But she sat on it. Why?
Because she wasn't gunning for you.
She never intended
for this to go public.
She was gunning for Ms. Betts.
Enough.
If this immunity deal is
real, let's get on with it.
Oh, it's real.
You were just caught in
the crossfire, Mr. Hill.
A beleaguered CEO versus
her hard-charging lieutenant.
If Zoe could show the board
that Ms. Betts was price-fixing,
that'd be the knockout punch.
She just needed one last piece.
Proof that Ms. Betts was
receiving your signals.
She hired a PI to follow
a prominent citizen,
and we thought that was you.
But no, it was Nadia Betts.
Yeah, she knew Zoe was onto her,
so she told you that she
was a threat to you both.
Don't say anything.
Rein in your guys, Mr. Forrester.
Oh, your client is free to leave.
I'm sure we can continue without her.
Hold your nerve, Douglas.
They're just trying to manipulate you.
She gave you motive.
She gave you a killer.
And then she gave you
the money to pay for it.
Isn't that right?
150,000 in cash.
Not easy for a wholesaler like you,
but a retailer with
64 billion in revenue?
- Piece of cake.
- The price-fixing investigation
will get us your phone
and car GPS, Mr. Hill.
Which will put you at
the dead-drop location
- where you paid Sean.
- You're going down for murder.
Zoe's gonna wear the
price-fixing. And Nadia
she's just gonna walk away.
You were just a man in an apron
trying to sell good
bread to hungry people
at a fair price.
Until Nadia Betts came into your life.
And now you're just stealing pennies
from families desperate
to make ends meet.
What does it feel like, Douglas?
Reaching into the pockets of people
just trying to feed their kids?
Nadia Betts, she used you.
She turned you into the
very thing that you despise.
And for what?
Was forty million dollars
worth your integrity?
Was is worth the life
of a vibrant young woman
with a loving family?
Douglas. Be smart.
Your grandpa, he was real.
He built something.
He contributed to the world. But you
You're nothing.
It was her idea. Her killer, her money.
Not a word until I
- Nadia Betts, Douglas Hill
- Wait!
You're under arrest for
the murder of Zoe Vaughn.
Andrew, do something!
- We'll figure this out.
- They can't prove any of it!
Douglas, you're gonna regret this!
- Be quiet!
- Wanda!
[SHOUTS FADE]
You good, partner?
Food with a smile. Bread with a soul.
Then can both go to hell.
[SOFT MUSIC]
[THEME MUSIC]