The Spencer Sisters (2023) s01e08 Episode Script
The Virtuoso's Vexation
1
GRACE: It's time to pack up!
Rachmaninoff will still
be there in the morning.
I'm locking up in five!
Goodnight.
♪
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- [CHEERING]
- BILLY: Whoa!
- SARITA: Whoa, yeah!
- Oh, bubbly!
BILLY: Nothing's too good for my lady.
SARITA: Oh, thank you.
BILLY: And what better way to
celebrate finishing your new book?
Which is killer, by the way.
Couldn't agree more, and I
can really see the character
of Clodagh becoming a fan favourite.
You read the manuscript?
He hounded me until I let him.
SARITA: A toast to
"The Progeny's Puzzle"!
- Yes!
- To Victoria!
- Aww!
- ALL: Cheers!
Mmm!
Thank you so much, you guys.
It really means a lot to me.
This was a very
challenging book to write.
BILLY: It's a total thrill-ride.
And your description of
Monaco was just so exciting!
I actually want to check it out.
Maybe a celebratory vacation's in order?
I'd like that!
Hold on, didn't you say you
have an office in Monaco?
Hmm?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure
you told us your company
has an office in Monaco,
last week, when we were talking
about Mediterranean food.
Did I? I-I must have misspoken.
We've got an office
in Morocco, in Rabat.
Yeah, you must have misheard.
It's an easy mistake to make.
- I guess.
- [PHONE BUZZES]
Oh, it's Grace Davis.
Hi, Grace, sweety.
Um, could I call you back later?
Oh, no! Oh, yes, of course.
We'll be right there.
It's Grace, my pickleball partner.
So sorry, but there's been an emergency.
Could we take a rain check?
- Definitely.
- Of course.
- I'm so sorry, honey.
- Duty calls.
Come on. I'll call you, Sarita!
I'll just take this
[VIOLIN PLAYING]
It's a Gagliano.
It was stolen out of this
case some time this evening.
It's valued at $200,000.
Whoa! What makes it so valuable?
It was hand-crafted by one of
the world's finest violin-makers
Alessandro Gagliano, in 1729.
There aren't many left in the world.
And the school owns it?
No, it was on loan from the
Metropolitan Music Foundation,
one of our main benefactors.
One of the students
was supposed to play it
at the year-end concert
on Saturday night.
The violinists are in competition
to see who gets to play it.
Grace, why didn't you call the police?
It's my hope this is a prank.
It's a tradition among
seniors this time of year.
Could be much ado about nothing.
I want to quietly solve the problem
without the Foundation ever finding out.
If word got back to them
that their violin got stolen
under our care, they'd
likely pull their funding.
VICTORIA: Hmm
Well, I don't see anything broken
Who has the keys to this case?
There are only two sets.
I have one and my assistant
Eliza has the other.
What about that security camera?
The power to the system was cut,
so every camera in
the school was offline.
What time did the system lose power?
The footage cuts out around 8 pm
and I noticed the violin missing at 9.
Okay. That's the window to our theft.
Grace, you can count on us.
We'll get that violin back to you
faster than Glinka's Ruslan
and Lyudmila Overture.
I'm gonna have to Google that one,
but it sounds hilarious.
♪
[THEME MUSIC]
♪
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
This is my assistant, Eliza.
Victoria and Darby are going
to help us find the Gagliano.
Oh, thank you so much.
It's just heartbreaking.
I understand you two are the only ones
with keys to the display case?
Yes, and we keep them
on us at all times.
Huh, wow!
Is that the list you
mentioned on the phone?
Staff and students who we
know were here last night,
but there could have been others too.
GRACE: The one I think most likely
to have pulled off the
prank is at the top.
Atticus Carr?
He's a talented violinist
but a real rebel.
He's been responsible for some
kind of stunt every spring,
despite not being a senior.
But now that he is, he might
have gone for a bigger one.
Hmm, do you know where we
could find Atticus right now?
He and his friends hang out at
the café just around the corner.
Ah, the cool kids' hangout.
Every school has one.
What would you know about cool kids?
She was a hall monitor in high school!
Oh, me too!
Rules are cool!
We had an office.
Whatever. We're on it.
- Okay, thank you.
- Thank you.
♪
DARBY: Any idea where
Billy went to school?
High school, no.
His father was in international finance
so they moved around a lot.
But he did his undergraduate
and grad at Cambridge.
- I know that.
- Oh.
And what does his company do, exactly?
Import/export, I think. Why?
No reason.
I can just tell things are
getting sort of serious.
Serious? Never.
Exclusive? Maybe.
And sometimes, when we're
in the heat of the moment,
we can let passion cloud our judgement.
Oh, like when you
thought you could pull off
that Miley Cyrus undercut?
Wow, high school me is taking
a serious beating today.
I'm just I'm a little worried
that you don't really
know him that well.
Knowing someone is about
knowing their character,
not their résumé.
Besides, we can't all date hot
winemakers we met in high school.
To think
I had him at my Miley Cyrus undercut!
Mm-hm?
[QUIET CHATTER]
I think those are the cool kids.
- Hm.
- And yes, I would know.
Excuse me? Hi.
- Um, are you Atticus?
- Yeah.
Can we ask you a few questions?
About ?
Um, well, uh, my sister and I
are researching music
schools for my niece,
and Grace Davis told me
that you were a star pupil.
Really?
How do you like school?
It's fine.
One-word answer kind of guy, huh?
Yup.
Oh, we heard about your senior prank.
It's the one time of
year we get to have fun.
Huh, so I assume you have a
prank planned for this year?
Oh, yeah.
My last year's prank on
Maestro Oscar was epic.
- It was insane, right?
- OLIVIA: It was pathetic.
Give it a rest, Olivia.
We are an elite school,
we should act like it.
Burnout.
She's a snob.
Doesn't think I take music seriously.
Hmm.
Well, back to that prank.
How big are we talking?
I want to get Maestro
Oscar again, right?
But it's so hard to
sneak around his back.
- He's always at school.
- Always?
But he wasn't there last night, was he?
Sure he was. Around 8.
I asked him about
getting my bow re-strung
just before the concert.
Oh, for the big competition?
Man, I really want to play the Gagliano.
Hmm
Um, anyway, we should get to rehearsal.
♪
Atticus really didn't seem to
know the Gagliano's missing.
- No.
- Who's next on the list?
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
♪
Ray and Jasmine.
Two of the school's best students.
And they were on the
premises last night?
Yes.
JASMINE: Nice, guys!
[APPLAUSE]
- That was awesome!
- VICTORIA: Yes!
Can we talk to you, Ray and Jasmine?
- Yeah!
- About what?
Uh, well, my sister here has a daughter
that's a very talented pianist,
and so we're touring music schools
and wanted to talk to the
best and brightest pupils.
Oh, well, what do you want to know?
How often are you able to practice?
Is it just during the school day?
Oh no, it's all hours.
We usually skip dinner and
stay to play in the evenings.
- Yeah.
- VICTORIA: Ah!
Well, we heard about
the competition to play
- the antique violin.
- Yeah!
Yeah, and Jasmine's actually
the best violinist here.
Well, Ray is gonna be
the next John Coltrane.
You said you're often
here in the evenings.
Last night, did you
see anything unusual?
- No.
- No.
MAESTRO OSCAR: All right,
folks. Let's wrap it up.
If you're not in my class,
please get to where you need to be.
Thank you so much for talking to us.
JASMINE: No problem.
You must be Oscar.
Or do we call you Maestro?
But I guess then you'd
be Mister Maestro,
and I don't know how that works.
Quit while you're behind, sweety, okay?
- Okay.
- Oscar is fine.
You're investigating the Gagliano?
You know about it?
The sign in the display said
it was "out for cleaning,"
but I happen to know
there's no 18th century
violin cleaning service in Alder Bluffs.
I got the truth out of Eliza.
Well, we've been asked to be discreet,
but I'm just curious
which of the kids is on track
for winning the competition
to play the Gagliano?
Well, all of the students
are extremely talented
and very hard-working.
The top contenders right
now are Jasmine and Olivia.
But not Atticus?
- Atticus?
- Mm-hm.
Uh, well, he's very gifted
I'm not sure how serious he is.
Or do you not want
to reward a prankster?
I didn't enjoy being the butt
of the joke last year, no.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised
if Atticus was behind this.
Well, we're talking to
everyone who was on the premises
at the time the violin went missing,
but you don't seem to
be on this list at all.
Well, I left about 6.
You did?
- That's weird.
- Huh.
Atticus said he spoke to you about
having his bow re-strung, around 8.
Right!
Uh, I did come back.
Uh, I had forgotten my briefcase.
But it was only for a moment.
Uh, if you'll excuse me,
I really should attend to my students.
Sure.
VICTORIA: Interesting.
It seems we caught the Maestro in a lie.
But would he really
risk his entire career
just to steal the violin?
He'd have to be pretty hard up for cash.
ALASTAIR: Yeah, he's hard up, all right!
I found his work history, his mortgage,
his custody agreement, his massive debt.
- Cold-pressed guava juice?
- Oh!
My favourite! Thank you so much!
Oh, did you want one?
No, I'm good, thanks.
I've hit my guava limit for the day.
Okay.
So tell us about his massive debt.
Right. Oscar needed money badly,
especially if he was going
to keep paying child support.
Hmm!
I assume you can't just sell
a rare violin at the local pawn shop.
In your travels as an "IT consultant"
where would someone go
to sell a high-end violin?
Billy thought the Dark Web.
- Mm-hm.
- Oh, uh who's Billy?
Oh, he's the new man I'm seeing.
Whoa, hey!
Oh, did you guys see that? There's a
a bee. Um
It's gone.
[LAUGHS] Just
I'm bee-phobic.
Huh!
The violin?
Yeah, if
well, if the violin's on the Dark Web,
I'll just poke around
and see what I can find.
Okay!
- Thank you.
- Yeah!
♪
Maestro Oscar needed cash.
Plus, he lied and said he wasn't
on the premises last night,
but he was.
- That is so strange.
- I know!
[SOUND OF PIANO KEYS BEING HIT]
- Get behind me!
- What on Earth was that?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
♪
GRACE: There's not supposed
to be anyone in there!
[DISSONANT CHORD ON PIANO]
- [SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- Whoa!
- [GASPS]
- [BOOMING PIANO NOTES]
Well, I thought we heard a bang.
GRACE: I can't believe this.
How long has this been going on?
[CLEARS THROAT] A few months.
Since my divorce was finalized.
So, staff are not allowed
to be in relationships
with each other?
There's no official rule against it.
But why are you two fooling
around on school property?
We have nowhere else to go!
My brother lives with me and
And I live with my mom.
She moved in to help with the kids!
Well, it's completely inappropriate.
And it stops now!
We happen to know that
you're in quite a bit of debt.
We saw your alimony agreement.
You went into my personal files?
How is that even legal?
I mean, fair point.
Well, there's no need for defensiveness,
we're just covering all our bases.
You're on the hook for over a
quarter of a million dollars.
And selling a Gagliano would
cover a lot of that for you.
I would never do that, okay?
I care too much about these students!
We just need the truth, Oscar.
Okay, fine, fine.
Yes, I'm I'm in debt.
It's why I took a second job,
teaching Mommy & Me music
classes on the weekends.
Okay, we didn't ask, but that's fine.
ELIZA: Hang on!
He couldn't have taken the
Gagliano because we were
together at the time of the theft.
VICTORIA: So you two
are each other's alibis?
- I mean, yeah.
- I didn't do anything!
Well
He may be telling the truth.
I found this.
Where did you get those?
In your jacket pocket over
there when you were distracted.
Imagine what would happen if
you were really distracted
Someone could have taken
them and returned them
before you even knew they were gone.
ELIZA: Oh my God.
Grace, I'm I'm so sorry!
♪
Thank you.
♪
DARBY: Hey, I got your message.
- Did Victoria see you leave?
- She didn't suspect a thing.
Did you look into Billy's business?
Mm-hm.
It all seems legit, including
his office in Morocco.
Really?
Well, emphasis on the word "seems."
Billy's online history is very weird.
Weird how?
Well, his records birth,
employment, education
it's all way too tidy.
Still not following.
People's records, if you
cast a wide enough net,
are a mess.
For instance, when I ran your history
You ran my history?
Yeah, of course. Look.
Okay, so the Toronto
Public Library, right?
They think that your name is
spelled "Darrby" with two Rs.
And then there's the,
you know, dumb, shameful,
embarrassing things.
Like here, you were the
President of the Alder Bluffs
Twilight Fan Club and only member!
- [CHUCKLES]
- Hey!
I almost got the school
librarian to join.
Yeah. Look
People's lives are complex, right?
They're full of
mistakes, full of secrets.
But Billy's history isn't like that.
It just, you know, it's all
put together, like a story.
Maybe he's just boring.
No. No, look.
His name is never misspelled.
DOB's always correct.
There's no gaps in his work history.
He worked as a teller at
Barclays Bank while at Cambridge,
then immediately got a job in finance,
and then upper management.
There's nothing embarrassing.
This all scans perfectly.
So what are you saying?
I'm saying his history is crafted.
It's not real.
[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]
♪
BILLY: Hey, good morning!
Oh, I see you invested
in a pair of sweatpants.
But even with an office in Monaco
you can't afford your own robe?
Morocco.
And I could always
leave more clothes here,
if that's what you'd like.
I forget, Billy, where did
you say you went to university?
I don't think I mentioned it.
- Cambridge.
- Right, right.
And you worked to put yourself
through school, at Windsor Bank?
Barclays, actually.
Trying to see if I'm on the level?
No, I'm just naturally inquisitive.
Well, I get it.
You're trying to protect your mom.
And although that's laudable,
it's also quite insulting.
To her.
Victoria is not attractive
enough to warrant attention?
There's gotta be some
kind of ulterior motive?
Um, that
VICTORIA: Honey, Grace just called.
She's got a new lead.
- Hi!
- Hello!
VICTORIA: Let's go!
♪
- [QUIETLY] Wait, Mom?
- [QUIETLY] What?
What are we doing, just leaving
Billy alone in the house now?
I promise you, he has no interest
in your My Little Pony collection.
VICTORIA: Grace?
GRACE: I received a note from
the school suggestion box.
In the other recommendations
that I go "shaft" myself
- I got this.
- Hmm.
"Charlie Morgan stole the Gagliano."
Charlie is the school's caretaker.
Huh!
Charlie's not in yet.
Feel free to look around.
Okay.
♪
DARBY: Huh, rubber gloves.
Well, those gloves could
be used for cleaning.
Or for not leaving
finger-prints on anything.
- True.
- [GASPS]
Look. A lock-pick kit!
Maybe no one used
Eliza's keys after all.
Let's check his computer.
[KEYBOARD TAPPING]
VICTORIA: Look at that!
He was searching the Gagliano's value.
What?
I can't believe it.
I fought to hire Charlie, even
though he has a criminal record.
I truly believed he was reformed.
Grace?
What's going on?
The violin, Charlie.
We aren't calling the
police at this point,
but you have to give it back.
Pfft, you think I did it?
Grace, I love my job here.
I would never do that!
Well, what about the internet
search for the Gagliano?
Come on.
No! I didn't do any of that.
If you found that there [SIGHS]
I'm being framed.
Framed? Who would do that to you?
I'm not sure.
Is there anyone on my staff I can trust?
CHARLIE: No No, Grace, please!
I'm disappointed in you, Charlie.
If the violin is returned
to me before Saturday night,
I won't press charges.
But you're fired.
- No, Grace
- Get out of my school!
♪
DARBY: You know, something's bugging me.
I'm not convinced it was Charlie.
All the evidence points to him.
I know, but doesn't it
seem a little too perfect?
It's like we're being told a story.
All the pieces are just
lining up really easily.
Mm-hm.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Schwarzenegger?
Freud. I worry about your generation.
My point is there doesn't always
have to be a hidden agenda.
Billy told me about your conversation.
Oh, right.
Billy.
I just think we should
be looking for more leads.
The evidence against Charlie is flimsy.
Unless, of course, you have
lunch plans with Mr. Perfect.
Hmm, no, I have lunch plans with Sarita
and that's right now, but I
can cancel it if you want me to.
Oh, no. Go do your thing.
- Leave it with me.
- I will.
♪
Hey, what are you doing right now?
[MUSIC AND CHATTER IN THE BACKGROUND]
Are you ready for some good news?
Yes
I heard from the publisher
They love your new manuscript!
They read it already?
That is astonishing!
Yes, and they want to fast-track
it through the pipeline
so it'll be released this year.
You'll be back on top
before you know it.
Oh!
Thank God, Sarita.
You got your mojo back and then some!
Any idea what turned things around?
I think it's having Darby back home.
I feel more grounded.
And us being the Spencer Sisters,
I feel inspired by all
these new mysteries.
Oh!
To the Spencer Sisters.
The Spencer Sisters.
Sarita, enough about me.
How is it going with the kite-surfer?
Oh, he's very good.
Once he's up, he stays up.
- [CHUCKLES]
- I'll drink to that!
- Yeah!
- [LAUGHTER]
♪
ZANE: You want me to run a
background check on Billy?
DARBY: I'm looking into him as well,
but whatever's in his police
records would really help.
Why, do you suspect him of something?
It's a gut feeling.
Sometimes your gut tells you to watch
eight straight hours
of "90-Day Fiancé."
It's a good show!
What's your point?
Just maybe, in this case, you
could be looking for reasons
not to let Billy in?
I'm worried about my mom.
Billy could be a hustler.
He could be a con artist who
preys on wealthy older women.
I don't know.
What am I supposed to do,
sit around and do nothing?
You could try trusting her judgement
and letting her be happy.
I also need one more favour.
I just need you to look into
this guy named Charlie Morgan.
Seriously, Darby?
The Spencer Sisters aren't a trio.
- This is for
- A case, I know.
I've heard this before.
I just can't be at your
beck and call every time.
But Zane, this could help
a wrongfully accused man
get his job back.
I just need to track down
some of his former associates.
Fine. This is the last time.
Okay. Last one.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
Excuse me, are you Elvis?
Can I ask you a few questions
about Charlie Morgan?
I ain't saying squat.
You've got "cop" written all over you.
It's my walk, isn't it?
I'm working on it.
Anyway, I'm a private citizen now.
I'm a PI.
An ex-cop.
I know how you people think about us:
once a criminal, always
a criminal, right?
I'm trying to help Charlie.
I'm not convinced he did anything wrong.
Go ahead, then. Ask the questions.
Off the record, do you know
anything about a stolen violin?
If our crew was still
active, which we are not,
but if we were, we would be bank guys.
Not antiques dealers.
Okay, and if you were active,
would Charlie in
theory be back with you?
Not a chance.
He came to see if we knew
anything about the violin,
seeing as I used to be
a well-connected guy.
Well, then how come he
didn't defend himself
when his boss accused him
of stealing the violin?
Because who's she gonna believe,
an ex-criminal or some spoiled rich kid
with lawyers on speed dial?
Rich kid?
Talk to Charlie about
the paper he found.
I think we're done here.
♪
OLIVIA: Framing the janitor?
[SCOFFS] That's crazy.
Why would I care about the hired help?
Perhaps you held a grudge against him.
No idea what you're talking about.
DARBY: Maybe this'll jog your memory.
This is the tip that Principal Davis got
in her suggestion box,
pointing her to Charlie Morgan.
And this is a page of math
answers from a recent exam.
Both are written on
the same kind of paper.
What did you call it, Mom?
VICTORIA: Doublet Thoreau stationery,
20 lb stock, in "linen."
Very expensive.
Where did you get that?
Charlie gave it to us.
A few months ago, you
hid this sheet of answers
in a bathroom stall and went
to look at it during your exam.
But Charlie had already
found it and he caught you.
But he didn't turn you
in because, guess what?
The help believes in second chances.
But you couldn't stand that
he had something over you.
If Charlie would have told anyone,
it would go on my record
and I would never get into Juilliard!
So, what, you heard
about the missing violin
and then saw it as an
opportunity to frame Charlie?
I just wanted him gone.
Charlie might have had to go to jail!
And I might have had to go to Yale!
GRACE: I've heard enough.
First, you cheated. Now this?
Consider yourself expelled, Olivia.
- You can't do this!
- Just watch me.
And of course, I will
be re-hiring Charlie,
with my sincerest apologies.
One last question, Olivia.
Where were you between 8
and 9 Wednesday evening?
Visiting my grandparents.
My family will confirm it.
Right after they sue this
school into the ground!
DARBY: Charming girl!
Delightful.
And another dead end.
♪
Hey, got your voicemail.
What's up?
I know I was hard on you
about looking into Billy,
but I need you to hear me when I say
I can't be looking
stuff up for you anymore.
I hear you. I do.
Okay, I gotta be
thinking of my own career.
No, I know. I get it, totally.
But did you maybe find something?
[SIGHS]
Thank you.
I ran his name through the
system anyway, and in 2019,
Billy West was pulled over in Vancouver.
He was almost asleep at the wheel.
Inebriated?
They thought so, but he
passed two breathalyzers.
Apparently he'd driven
straight from San Francisco
and was barely awake.
When police asked his
name, he said, "James West."
But when they took his
license and registration,
it said "William."
- Weird.
- Yeah.
They issued him a fine
for careless driving,
but the officers noted the name thing.
What do you think it could mean?
Either Billy isn't
who he claims to be
Or it's a slip from a tired guy.
- I'm gonna need a drink.
- Yeah.
♪
BILLY: What are we gonna do?
VICTORIA: About what?
The fact that I'm
falling in love with you.
VICTORIA: [GIGGLES]
We'll take it one step at a time.
Thank God one of us has some sense!
VICTORIA: [GIGGLES]
I gotta go.
Oh, no! Don't go!
BILLY: Well, sweet dreams.
And I hope I'm in 'em!
VICTORIA: [GIGGLES]
♪
VICTORIA: For an ex-cop,
you have all the stealth
of a marching band!
Oh, hey!
Didn't see you there.
I know you're worried
about Billy and me.
You think that we're moving too fast.
But honestly, honey, do you
think I was born yesterday?
No, that's not what I was thinking.
Uh-huh. I know what you're thinking.
Like something out of one of my novels.
A woman of a certain age with a fortune,
a man comes out of nowhere,
sweeps her off her feet,
they have wonderful sex
in all kinds of places
I-I wasn't thinking that last part.
But that's not what this is.
Billy and I have a real connection.
See, I know you think that, Mom,
but a lot of women do,
and then they get hoodwinked.
I just don't want you to get hurt.
You don't want me to get
hurt? Okay, okay, fine, fine!
Look, if it makes you feel any better,
my lawyers have multiple
safeguards in place
to make sure that
that there's no
hoodwinking taking place!
Okay!
I didn't know that, and
I'm glad you told me.
It's good.
Honey, I know I have strong feelings
about your love life,
but all I really want
is for you to be happy
and to just live your life.
And I hope that you can
just trust me to live mine.
DARBY: Alastair? How'd you get in?
Your acquaintance, your, uh, boy
boyfriend, let me in. Willy?
- Billy.
- Yes, him.
Okay, so
I found the Gagliano on the Dark Web.
It's just been sold!
Okay, there you go.
Someone with the handle "Bach2TheFuture"
is bragging online that
they're gonna pay $180,000
to someone with the handle "Equinox32"
for an original Gagliano violin.
Now, they already put down a 5K deposit
and the rest is gonna be paid
upon receipt of the instrument.
That has got to be our violin.
Can you access the real names
of the buyer and the seller?
That's the point of the Dark Web.
Everyone has made up profiles;
nothing connects to the real names.
Hmm.
Well, could you look and see
if the buyer or the seller
have posted anything before?
Maybe that'll give us a clue
as to where they're from.
- Yeah.
- [KEYBOARD TAPPING]
Ah, well, the seller is brand new,
but the buyer pops up
a couple different times
and mentions Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Do you think that's
where the buyer's from?
It's far away from Alder Bluffs.
What about the payment?
How does it work if
everyone's anonymous?
Well, the buyer is
gonna send cryptocurrency
to the seller's wallet.
- All anonymous.
- Ugh!
Why does the Dark Web
have to be so dark?
Okay, how do you get your
money out of a digital wallet?
You transfer it to a
regular bank account,
or you would just take cash
out directly from a crypto ATM.
Oh, the café!
There was a crypto ATM there.
I remember noticing it and thinking,
"What does that do?"
See, she has such an
attention for detail.
♪
DANIEL: Oh, please!
Don't put this on me.
This is all your daughter's fault!
- I know she's with your son!
- How do you know that?
We haven't heard one way or another!
Everybody needs to keep calm.
VICTORIA: What is going on, Grace?
Jasmine's mother; Ray's father, Daniel.
Both kids called in sick today.
And I explained about the stolen violin.
Nancy says Jasmine was fine at breakfast
but now she's not answering her phone.
We think we know why.
This is security camera footage
from the café around the corner.
DARBY: We think they stole the Gagliano.
They took out a lot of money.
And we know they were on school grounds
the night of the theft.
- Oh, no
- It's not possible!
NANCY: They're blowing
up their whole lives?
Maybe that's the point.
♪
We're going to lose our
crazy strict schedules
- Mm-hm!
- Play music together
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
- No more nagging parents.
- Nope!
[INHALES] Oh, man!
Hey, uh, where are we gonna
stay when we get there?
We got money for a hotel.
And when we finish the deal,
we'll have enough to live on for years.
And we can rent a house of our own, huh?
Will people even rent
a place to us, though?
Why the doubt, all of a sudden?
I'm I'm not doubting.
It's just starting to feel real now.
That's all.
Trust me. It's gonna be so much fun.
Yeah.
- [LOUD METALLIC SNAP]
- Nice!
Thank you, Charlie.
No, thank you.
There's nothing in here!
Except for a portrait of this dude.
- John Coltrane.
- VICTORIA: Hmm!
Remind me not to invite
you to a trivia night
[LOUD METALLIC SNAP]
Ugh, there's nothing in
Jasmine's locker, either!
Where has your son taken my daughter?
Calm down, Nancy. It's okay.
Daniel, did you ever have the feeling
that Ray was unhappy at school?
He gets to train with the
best musicians possible.
I mean, every dollar I
earn goes to his education!
I would have died for this
chance when I was a kid.
But what about Ray?
Is it possible that he doesn't
want the life that you wanted?
He complains a lot about early mornings
and how he doesn't get to play
the music he wants to play.
Anything else?
He wanted to spend
more time with Jasmine,
but I wanted him to focus on practising.
I've always thought that if
you have something special
you have to pursue it.
You think I pushed him too hard.
Listen, sometimes as parents
we try to carve a path
for our children instead of
letting them find their own way.
DARBY: Wait a second.
There is something in here.
Look.
I didn't know you
knew how to read music.
I don't. I'm reading numbers.
VICTORIA: 1530, 1605, 1655, 1740
Important dates in musical history?
VICTORIA: No
Those aren't dates, those are times!
This is a schedule.
VICTORIA: Yeah, but there's
no airport in Alder Bluffs.
No, but we do have a bus station.
You want to ride with me?
[L SPEAKERS]
Our new life begins now.
Now what?
I just
I think we're making a mistake.
[QUIETLY] This is the plan.
We're so close!
Well, let's just explain
to everyone what happened.
- Please?
- It's too late!
No, but if we just go
back, we could fix it.
No, I'm never going back to
that school, to that life.
I want you to come.
But I'm leaving, with or without you.
♪
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMEN
OVER BUS TERMINAL SPEAKERS]
♪
VICTORIA: I wonder what bus they're on.
I don't know. Let's look.
Okay, Toronto, New York, Philadelphia.
I don't see Atlantic City!
I'll check the ticket booth.
[SAXOPHONE PLAYING IN DISTANCE]
Huh
I know this is a super weird question,
but do you happen to know
where John Coltrane was from?
Yeah, he's from some little
town in North Carolina.
Oh. Damn it.
But he did most of his
playing in Philadelphia.
- Okay!
- Yeah!
Thank you!
[PLAYING SAXOPHONE]
I think they went to Philadelphia.
VICTORIA: It leaves in two minutes.
Let's go!
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMEN
OVER BUS TERMINAL SPEAKERS]
♪
♪
Hold the bus!
Jasmine?
Go! See if he's on there.
- Hey
- Hi.
Aw
♪
Ray?
The lady with the niece?
We were actually investigating
the stolen Gagliano.
Aw, crap.
The buyer, were they in Atlantic City?
Uh yeah.
Well, he agreed to meet us in
meet me in Philadelphia
to complete the sale.
Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen,
and you're gonna have to,
as they say, face the music.
Yeah, no. No way!
No, that's not happening!
Ray, do you really want
to leave your whole life
and everything that you've accomplished?
That is not a life, okay?
Those aren't my accomplishments!
But nobody really cares about that, huh?
I mean, you've seen what
that school is like, right?
They
they don't let me play any of my music!
I saw you and your friends
play that jazz piece.
It was wonderful!
Well, yeah, because
we worked hard on it.
Outside of class.
Tell me this
Do you think that you would
be able to play that well
without the school's help?
And all that practice,
it really paid off.
You are an accomplished musician.
Yeah, tell that to my dad.
He says I don't practice enough.
Well, your dad
your dad pushes you too hard.
But I think deep down you
both have the same dreams,
just different ways
of making it come true.
You should try talking to
him instead of running away
from your problems.
Ray, look, you're lucky.
We have not gone to the police.
You can make this all right.
Just give me the violin.
♪
Jasmine!
Are you okay?
- DANIEL: Where's Ray?
- He's on that bus.
Wait!
A little compassion would go a long way.
♪
Thank you.
I can't go home, okay?
My dad will never forgive me.
DANIEL: That's not true.
Ray, I wanted for you
what I didn't have,
but not if it makes you unhappy.
♪
♪
Let's go home.
Thank you.
Hey, maybe I should sell
this thing and run away.
You don't know how to use TikTok,
let alone the Dark Web!
Besides, you'd miss me too much.
[VIOLIN PLAYING A BACH SOLO]
♪
♪
♪
So the rebel prankster
won the competition?
There's no denying he has
heart and talent to spare.
Thank you for returning the violin
on behalf of myself and the school.
The Spencer Sisters are
always happy to help.
I'm so glad you stopped Jasmine and Ray
from making a huge mistake.
We've made some changes.
Mental health check-in
days with the kids
to help with the
pressure they're under
and we're implementing a jazz program.
Will Ray and Jasmine be able to join?
After their six months
of community service
If there's anything I've
learned out of this entire thing,
it's that most people
deserve a second chance.
And what happened to
the buyer of the violin?
When Ray tried to undo
the deal, they disappeared.
But there is the matter of the $5,000
that Ray and Jasmine received.
They donated the money.
New security system for the school.
It'll be monitored
24/7 by a security team
led by one of the most
dedicated employees here.
Oh!
That's great.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
The evening's going off without a hitch.
Plus, the senior prank
wasn't on me for once!
- Ladies.
- Yeah.
Oh! [GIGGLES]
[JAZZY SPY MUSIC]
[APPLAUSE]
That's good.
[CROWD LAUGHING]
ALASTAIR: Hey, it's good you're here.
- Hey, you found something?
- Yes.
Okay, so I searched various countries'
facial recognition databases,
okay, for Billy's image.
And I got a strong lead!
That is Billy, outside
of a club in Dubrovnik.
- It is?
- Yeah.
And that there is Nigel
Westlake from Scotland Yard.
Now, this photo was taken
when Billy was supposedly
working in Copenhagen.
[SIGHS] Okay
Okay, there you have
it Billy's a liar!
Well
Sorry, that could be anyone.
I mean, it could be Billy, sure,
but it just as easily could not.
It's him!
Alastair, if you wore
sunglasses and a hat
and you stood in profile,
that guy could be you!
No, it's it's definitely him!
Billy has secrets,
okay? Very suspicious.
Maybe he's a bad guy,
or at least he's not
who he says he is, and
Victoria deserves better.
You're pretty invested
in this, aren't you?
What? No, it's
No. No no!
You care about my mom a lot. Don't you?
I Yes no I, um
That's irrelevant, okay?
I'll tell you what's important.
What's important is that Billy
is talking to Scotland Yard, okay?
Now, maybe Billy is a criminal
who's gone into witness protection,
or maybe he's an undercover
MI6 agent gone rogue!
- Oh my God.
- Hmm?
Is this what I've been sounding like?
Okay, listen, Alastair,
I know I started this,
but I'm done digging into Billy.
I have to trust my mom and
[SIGHS] just let her be happy.
And if you really care about her,
you'll do the same.
♪
♪
[QUIETLY] I do care about her!
That's what I'm saying!
BILLY: It is a good one, right?
VICTORIA: [CHUCKLES] Yeah.
And keep in mind, anything changes
- Hey.
- Oh, hey.
Why don't you join us for some Malbec?
Oh, Darby's more of a beer kind of gal.
There's a six-pack in the fridge, honey.
You know what?
I'd love to try what you're having.
I'll get another glass.
♪
♪
♪
What?
Thank you.
The wine's symbolic.
I'm taking a few sips and
then I'm getting a beer.
It still counts
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
GRACE: It's time to pack up!
Rachmaninoff will still
be there in the morning.
I'm locking up in five!
Goodnight.
♪
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- [CHEERING]
- BILLY: Whoa!
- SARITA: Whoa, yeah!
- Oh, bubbly!
BILLY: Nothing's too good for my lady.
SARITA: Oh, thank you.
BILLY: And what better way to
celebrate finishing your new book?
Which is killer, by the way.
Couldn't agree more, and I
can really see the character
of Clodagh becoming a fan favourite.
You read the manuscript?
He hounded me until I let him.
SARITA: A toast to
"The Progeny's Puzzle"!
- Yes!
- To Victoria!
- Aww!
- ALL: Cheers!
Mmm!
Thank you so much, you guys.
It really means a lot to me.
This was a very
challenging book to write.
BILLY: It's a total thrill-ride.
And your description of
Monaco was just so exciting!
I actually want to check it out.
Maybe a celebratory vacation's in order?
I'd like that!
Hold on, didn't you say you
have an office in Monaco?
Hmm?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure
you told us your company
has an office in Monaco,
last week, when we were talking
about Mediterranean food.
Did I? I-I must have misspoken.
We've got an office
in Morocco, in Rabat.
Yeah, you must have misheard.
It's an easy mistake to make.
- I guess.
- [PHONE BUZZES]
Oh, it's Grace Davis.
Hi, Grace, sweety.
Um, could I call you back later?
Oh, no! Oh, yes, of course.
We'll be right there.
It's Grace, my pickleball partner.
So sorry, but there's been an emergency.
Could we take a rain check?
- Definitely.
- Of course.
- I'm so sorry, honey.
- Duty calls.
Come on. I'll call you, Sarita!
I'll just take this
[VIOLIN PLAYING]
It's a Gagliano.
It was stolen out of this
case some time this evening.
It's valued at $200,000.
Whoa! What makes it so valuable?
It was hand-crafted by one of
the world's finest violin-makers
Alessandro Gagliano, in 1729.
There aren't many left in the world.
And the school owns it?
No, it was on loan from the
Metropolitan Music Foundation,
one of our main benefactors.
One of the students
was supposed to play it
at the year-end concert
on Saturday night.
The violinists are in competition
to see who gets to play it.
Grace, why didn't you call the police?
It's my hope this is a prank.
It's a tradition among
seniors this time of year.
Could be much ado about nothing.
I want to quietly solve the problem
without the Foundation ever finding out.
If word got back to them
that their violin got stolen
under our care, they'd
likely pull their funding.
VICTORIA: Hmm
Well, I don't see anything broken
Who has the keys to this case?
There are only two sets.
I have one and my assistant
Eliza has the other.
What about that security camera?
The power to the system was cut,
so every camera in
the school was offline.
What time did the system lose power?
The footage cuts out around 8 pm
and I noticed the violin missing at 9.
Okay. That's the window to our theft.
Grace, you can count on us.
We'll get that violin back to you
faster than Glinka's Ruslan
and Lyudmila Overture.
I'm gonna have to Google that one,
but it sounds hilarious.
♪
[THEME MUSIC]
♪
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
This is my assistant, Eliza.
Victoria and Darby are going
to help us find the Gagliano.
Oh, thank you so much.
It's just heartbreaking.
I understand you two are the only ones
with keys to the display case?
Yes, and we keep them
on us at all times.
Huh, wow!
Is that the list you
mentioned on the phone?
Staff and students who we
know were here last night,
but there could have been others too.
GRACE: The one I think most likely
to have pulled off the
prank is at the top.
Atticus Carr?
He's a talented violinist
but a real rebel.
He's been responsible for some
kind of stunt every spring,
despite not being a senior.
But now that he is, he might
have gone for a bigger one.
Hmm, do you know where we
could find Atticus right now?
He and his friends hang out at
the café just around the corner.
Ah, the cool kids' hangout.
Every school has one.
What would you know about cool kids?
She was a hall monitor in high school!
Oh, me too!
Rules are cool!
We had an office.
Whatever. We're on it.
- Okay, thank you.
- Thank you.
♪
DARBY: Any idea where
Billy went to school?
High school, no.
His father was in international finance
so they moved around a lot.
But he did his undergraduate
and grad at Cambridge.
- I know that.
- Oh.
And what does his company do, exactly?
Import/export, I think. Why?
No reason.
I can just tell things are
getting sort of serious.
Serious? Never.
Exclusive? Maybe.
And sometimes, when we're
in the heat of the moment,
we can let passion cloud our judgement.
Oh, like when you
thought you could pull off
that Miley Cyrus undercut?
Wow, high school me is taking
a serious beating today.
I'm just I'm a little worried
that you don't really
know him that well.
Knowing someone is about
knowing their character,
not their résumé.
Besides, we can't all date hot
winemakers we met in high school.
To think
I had him at my Miley Cyrus undercut!
Mm-hm?
[QUIET CHATTER]
I think those are the cool kids.
- Hm.
- And yes, I would know.
Excuse me? Hi.
- Um, are you Atticus?
- Yeah.
Can we ask you a few questions?
About ?
Um, well, uh, my sister and I
are researching music
schools for my niece,
and Grace Davis told me
that you were a star pupil.
Really?
How do you like school?
It's fine.
One-word answer kind of guy, huh?
Yup.
Oh, we heard about your senior prank.
It's the one time of
year we get to have fun.
Huh, so I assume you have a
prank planned for this year?
Oh, yeah.
My last year's prank on
Maestro Oscar was epic.
- It was insane, right?
- OLIVIA: It was pathetic.
Give it a rest, Olivia.
We are an elite school,
we should act like it.
Burnout.
She's a snob.
Doesn't think I take music seriously.
Hmm.
Well, back to that prank.
How big are we talking?
I want to get Maestro
Oscar again, right?
But it's so hard to
sneak around his back.
- He's always at school.
- Always?
But he wasn't there last night, was he?
Sure he was. Around 8.
I asked him about
getting my bow re-strung
just before the concert.
Oh, for the big competition?
Man, I really want to play the Gagliano.
Hmm
Um, anyway, we should get to rehearsal.
♪
Atticus really didn't seem to
know the Gagliano's missing.
- No.
- Who's next on the list?
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
♪
Ray and Jasmine.
Two of the school's best students.
And they were on the
premises last night?
Yes.
JASMINE: Nice, guys!
[APPLAUSE]
- That was awesome!
- VICTORIA: Yes!
Can we talk to you, Ray and Jasmine?
- Yeah!
- About what?
Uh, well, my sister here has a daughter
that's a very talented pianist,
and so we're touring music schools
and wanted to talk to the
best and brightest pupils.
Oh, well, what do you want to know?
How often are you able to practice?
Is it just during the school day?
Oh no, it's all hours.
We usually skip dinner and
stay to play in the evenings.
- Yeah.
- VICTORIA: Ah!
Well, we heard about
the competition to play
- the antique violin.
- Yeah!
Yeah, and Jasmine's actually
the best violinist here.
Well, Ray is gonna be
the next John Coltrane.
You said you're often
here in the evenings.
Last night, did you
see anything unusual?
- No.
- No.
MAESTRO OSCAR: All right,
folks. Let's wrap it up.
If you're not in my class,
please get to where you need to be.
Thank you so much for talking to us.
JASMINE: No problem.
You must be Oscar.
Or do we call you Maestro?
But I guess then you'd
be Mister Maestro,
and I don't know how that works.
Quit while you're behind, sweety, okay?
- Okay.
- Oscar is fine.
You're investigating the Gagliano?
You know about it?
The sign in the display said
it was "out for cleaning,"
but I happen to know
there's no 18th century
violin cleaning service in Alder Bluffs.
I got the truth out of Eliza.
Well, we've been asked to be discreet,
but I'm just curious
which of the kids is on track
for winning the competition
to play the Gagliano?
Well, all of the students
are extremely talented
and very hard-working.
The top contenders right
now are Jasmine and Olivia.
But not Atticus?
- Atticus?
- Mm-hm.
Uh, well, he's very gifted
I'm not sure how serious he is.
Or do you not want
to reward a prankster?
I didn't enjoy being the butt
of the joke last year, no.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised
if Atticus was behind this.
Well, we're talking to
everyone who was on the premises
at the time the violin went missing,
but you don't seem to
be on this list at all.
Well, I left about 6.
You did?
- That's weird.
- Huh.
Atticus said he spoke to you about
having his bow re-strung, around 8.
Right!
Uh, I did come back.
Uh, I had forgotten my briefcase.
But it was only for a moment.
Uh, if you'll excuse me,
I really should attend to my students.
Sure.
VICTORIA: Interesting.
It seems we caught the Maestro in a lie.
But would he really
risk his entire career
just to steal the violin?
He'd have to be pretty hard up for cash.
ALASTAIR: Yeah, he's hard up, all right!
I found his work history, his mortgage,
his custody agreement, his massive debt.
- Cold-pressed guava juice?
- Oh!
My favourite! Thank you so much!
Oh, did you want one?
No, I'm good, thanks.
I've hit my guava limit for the day.
Okay.
So tell us about his massive debt.
Right. Oscar needed money badly,
especially if he was going
to keep paying child support.
Hmm!
I assume you can't just sell
a rare violin at the local pawn shop.
In your travels as an "IT consultant"
where would someone go
to sell a high-end violin?
Billy thought the Dark Web.
- Mm-hm.
- Oh, uh who's Billy?
Oh, he's the new man I'm seeing.
Whoa, hey!
Oh, did you guys see that? There's a
a bee. Um
It's gone.
[LAUGHS] Just
I'm bee-phobic.
Huh!
The violin?
Yeah, if
well, if the violin's on the Dark Web,
I'll just poke around
and see what I can find.
Okay!
- Thank you.
- Yeah!
♪
Maestro Oscar needed cash.
Plus, he lied and said he wasn't
on the premises last night,
but he was.
- That is so strange.
- I know!
[SOUND OF PIANO KEYS BEING HIT]
- Get behind me!
- What on Earth was that?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
♪
GRACE: There's not supposed
to be anyone in there!
[DISSONANT CHORD ON PIANO]
- [SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- Whoa!
- [GASPS]
- [BOOMING PIANO NOTES]
Well, I thought we heard a bang.
GRACE: I can't believe this.
How long has this been going on?
[CLEARS THROAT] A few months.
Since my divorce was finalized.
So, staff are not allowed
to be in relationships
with each other?
There's no official rule against it.
But why are you two fooling
around on school property?
We have nowhere else to go!
My brother lives with me and
And I live with my mom.
She moved in to help with the kids!
Well, it's completely inappropriate.
And it stops now!
We happen to know that
you're in quite a bit of debt.
We saw your alimony agreement.
You went into my personal files?
How is that even legal?
I mean, fair point.
Well, there's no need for defensiveness,
we're just covering all our bases.
You're on the hook for over a
quarter of a million dollars.
And selling a Gagliano would
cover a lot of that for you.
I would never do that, okay?
I care too much about these students!
We just need the truth, Oscar.
Okay, fine, fine.
Yes, I'm I'm in debt.
It's why I took a second job,
teaching Mommy & Me music
classes on the weekends.
Okay, we didn't ask, but that's fine.
ELIZA: Hang on!
He couldn't have taken the
Gagliano because we were
together at the time of the theft.
VICTORIA: So you two
are each other's alibis?
- I mean, yeah.
- I didn't do anything!
Well
He may be telling the truth.
I found this.
Where did you get those?
In your jacket pocket over
there when you were distracted.
Imagine what would happen if
you were really distracted
Someone could have taken
them and returned them
before you even knew they were gone.
ELIZA: Oh my God.
Grace, I'm I'm so sorry!
♪
Thank you.
♪
DARBY: Hey, I got your message.
- Did Victoria see you leave?
- She didn't suspect a thing.
Did you look into Billy's business?
Mm-hm.
It all seems legit, including
his office in Morocco.
Really?
Well, emphasis on the word "seems."
Billy's online history is very weird.
Weird how?
Well, his records birth,
employment, education
it's all way too tidy.
Still not following.
People's records, if you
cast a wide enough net,
are a mess.
For instance, when I ran your history
You ran my history?
Yeah, of course. Look.
Okay, so the Toronto
Public Library, right?
They think that your name is
spelled "Darrby" with two Rs.
And then there's the,
you know, dumb, shameful,
embarrassing things.
Like here, you were the
President of the Alder Bluffs
Twilight Fan Club and only member!
- [CHUCKLES]
- Hey!
I almost got the school
librarian to join.
Yeah. Look
People's lives are complex, right?
They're full of
mistakes, full of secrets.
But Billy's history isn't like that.
It just, you know, it's all
put together, like a story.
Maybe he's just boring.
No. No, look.
His name is never misspelled.
DOB's always correct.
There's no gaps in his work history.
He worked as a teller at
Barclays Bank while at Cambridge,
then immediately got a job in finance,
and then upper management.
There's nothing embarrassing.
This all scans perfectly.
So what are you saying?
I'm saying his history is crafted.
It's not real.
[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC]
♪
BILLY: Hey, good morning!
Oh, I see you invested
in a pair of sweatpants.
But even with an office in Monaco
you can't afford your own robe?
Morocco.
And I could always
leave more clothes here,
if that's what you'd like.
I forget, Billy, where did
you say you went to university?
I don't think I mentioned it.
- Cambridge.
- Right, right.
And you worked to put yourself
through school, at Windsor Bank?
Barclays, actually.
Trying to see if I'm on the level?
No, I'm just naturally inquisitive.
Well, I get it.
You're trying to protect your mom.
And although that's laudable,
it's also quite insulting.
To her.
Victoria is not attractive
enough to warrant attention?
There's gotta be some
kind of ulterior motive?
Um, that
VICTORIA: Honey, Grace just called.
She's got a new lead.
- Hi!
- Hello!
VICTORIA: Let's go!
♪
- [QUIETLY] Wait, Mom?
- [QUIETLY] What?
What are we doing, just leaving
Billy alone in the house now?
I promise you, he has no interest
in your My Little Pony collection.
VICTORIA: Grace?
GRACE: I received a note from
the school suggestion box.
In the other recommendations
that I go "shaft" myself
- I got this.
- Hmm.
"Charlie Morgan stole the Gagliano."
Charlie is the school's caretaker.
Huh!
Charlie's not in yet.
Feel free to look around.
Okay.
♪
DARBY: Huh, rubber gloves.
Well, those gloves could
be used for cleaning.
Or for not leaving
finger-prints on anything.
- True.
- [GASPS]
Look. A lock-pick kit!
Maybe no one used
Eliza's keys after all.
Let's check his computer.
[KEYBOARD TAPPING]
VICTORIA: Look at that!
He was searching the Gagliano's value.
What?
I can't believe it.
I fought to hire Charlie, even
though he has a criminal record.
I truly believed he was reformed.
Grace?
What's going on?
The violin, Charlie.
We aren't calling the
police at this point,
but you have to give it back.
Pfft, you think I did it?
Grace, I love my job here.
I would never do that!
Well, what about the internet
search for the Gagliano?
Come on.
No! I didn't do any of that.
If you found that there [SIGHS]
I'm being framed.
Framed? Who would do that to you?
I'm not sure.
Is there anyone on my staff I can trust?
CHARLIE: No No, Grace, please!
I'm disappointed in you, Charlie.
If the violin is returned
to me before Saturday night,
I won't press charges.
But you're fired.
- No, Grace
- Get out of my school!
♪
DARBY: You know, something's bugging me.
I'm not convinced it was Charlie.
All the evidence points to him.
I know, but doesn't it
seem a little too perfect?
It's like we're being told a story.
All the pieces are just
lining up really easily.
Mm-hm.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Schwarzenegger?
Freud. I worry about your generation.
My point is there doesn't always
have to be a hidden agenda.
Billy told me about your conversation.
Oh, right.
Billy.
I just think we should
be looking for more leads.
The evidence against Charlie is flimsy.
Unless, of course, you have
lunch plans with Mr. Perfect.
Hmm, no, I have lunch plans with Sarita
and that's right now, but I
can cancel it if you want me to.
Oh, no. Go do your thing.
- Leave it with me.
- I will.
♪
Hey, what are you doing right now?
[MUSIC AND CHATTER IN THE BACKGROUND]
Are you ready for some good news?
Yes
I heard from the publisher
They love your new manuscript!
They read it already?
That is astonishing!
Yes, and they want to fast-track
it through the pipeline
so it'll be released this year.
You'll be back on top
before you know it.
Oh!
Thank God, Sarita.
You got your mojo back and then some!
Any idea what turned things around?
I think it's having Darby back home.
I feel more grounded.
And us being the Spencer Sisters,
I feel inspired by all
these new mysteries.
Oh!
To the Spencer Sisters.
The Spencer Sisters.
Sarita, enough about me.
How is it going with the kite-surfer?
Oh, he's very good.
Once he's up, he stays up.
- [CHUCKLES]
- I'll drink to that!
- Yeah!
- [LAUGHTER]
♪
ZANE: You want me to run a
background check on Billy?
DARBY: I'm looking into him as well,
but whatever's in his police
records would really help.
Why, do you suspect him of something?
It's a gut feeling.
Sometimes your gut tells you to watch
eight straight hours
of "90-Day Fiancé."
It's a good show!
What's your point?
Just maybe, in this case, you
could be looking for reasons
not to let Billy in?
I'm worried about my mom.
Billy could be a hustler.
He could be a con artist who
preys on wealthy older women.
I don't know.
What am I supposed to do,
sit around and do nothing?
You could try trusting her judgement
and letting her be happy.
I also need one more favour.
I just need you to look into
this guy named Charlie Morgan.
Seriously, Darby?
The Spencer Sisters aren't a trio.
- This is for
- A case, I know.
I've heard this before.
I just can't be at your
beck and call every time.
But Zane, this could help
a wrongfully accused man
get his job back.
I just need to track down
some of his former associates.
Fine. This is the last time.
Okay. Last one.
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
Excuse me, are you Elvis?
Can I ask you a few questions
about Charlie Morgan?
I ain't saying squat.
You've got "cop" written all over you.
It's my walk, isn't it?
I'm working on it.
Anyway, I'm a private citizen now.
I'm a PI.
An ex-cop.
I know how you people think about us:
once a criminal, always
a criminal, right?
I'm trying to help Charlie.
I'm not convinced he did anything wrong.
Go ahead, then. Ask the questions.
Off the record, do you know
anything about a stolen violin?
If our crew was still
active, which we are not,
but if we were, we would be bank guys.
Not antiques dealers.
Okay, and if you were active,
would Charlie in
theory be back with you?
Not a chance.
He came to see if we knew
anything about the violin,
seeing as I used to be
a well-connected guy.
Well, then how come he
didn't defend himself
when his boss accused him
of stealing the violin?
Because who's she gonna believe,
an ex-criminal or some spoiled rich kid
with lawyers on speed dial?
Rich kid?
Talk to Charlie about
the paper he found.
I think we're done here.
♪
OLIVIA: Framing the janitor?
[SCOFFS] That's crazy.
Why would I care about the hired help?
Perhaps you held a grudge against him.
No idea what you're talking about.
DARBY: Maybe this'll jog your memory.
This is the tip that Principal Davis got
in her suggestion box,
pointing her to Charlie Morgan.
And this is a page of math
answers from a recent exam.
Both are written on
the same kind of paper.
What did you call it, Mom?
VICTORIA: Doublet Thoreau stationery,
20 lb stock, in "linen."
Very expensive.
Where did you get that?
Charlie gave it to us.
A few months ago, you
hid this sheet of answers
in a bathroom stall and went
to look at it during your exam.
But Charlie had already
found it and he caught you.
But he didn't turn you
in because, guess what?
The help believes in second chances.
But you couldn't stand that
he had something over you.
If Charlie would have told anyone,
it would go on my record
and I would never get into Juilliard!
So, what, you heard
about the missing violin
and then saw it as an
opportunity to frame Charlie?
I just wanted him gone.
Charlie might have had to go to jail!
And I might have had to go to Yale!
GRACE: I've heard enough.
First, you cheated. Now this?
Consider yourself expelled, Olivia.
- You can't do this!
- Just watch me.
And of course, I will
be re-hiring Charlie,
with my sincerest apologies.
One last question, Olivia.
Where were you between 8
and 9 Wednesday evening?
Visiting my grandparents.
My family will confirm it.
Right after they sue this
school into the ground!
DARBY: Charming girl!
Delightful.
And another dead end.
♪
Hey, got your voicemail.
What's up?
I know I was hard on you
about looking into Billy,
but I need you to hear me when I say
I can't be looking
stuff up for you anymore.
I hear you. I do.
Okay, I gotta be
thinking of my own career.
No, I know. I get it, totally.
But did you maybe find something?
[SIGHS]
Thank you.
I ran his name through the
system anyway, and in 2019,
Billy West was pulled over in Vancouver.
He was almost asleep at the wheel.
Inebriated?
They thought so, but he
passed two breathalyzers.
Apparently he'd driven
straight from San Francisco
and was barely awake.
When police asked his
name, he said, "James West."
But when they took his
license and registration,
it said "William."
- Weird.
- Yeah.
They issued him a fine
for careless driving,
but the officers noted the name thing.
What do you think it could mean?
Either Billy isn't
who he claims to be
Or it's a slip from a tired guy.
- I'm gonna need a drink.
- Yeah.
♪
BILLY: What are we gonna do?
VICTORIA: About what?
The fact that I'm
falling in love with you.
VICTORIA: [GIGGLES]
We'll take it one step at a time.
Thank God one of us has some sense!
VICTORIA: [GIGGLES]
I gotta go.
Oh, no! Don't go!
BILLY: Well, sweet dreams.
And I hope I'm in 'em!
VICTORIA: [GIGGLES]
♪
VICTORIA: For an ex-cop,
you have all the stealth
of a marching band!
Oh, hey!
Didn't see you there.
I know you're worried
about Billy and me.
You think that we're moving too fast.
But honestly, honey, do you
think I was born yesterday?
No, that's not what I was thinking.
Uh-huh. I know what you're thinking.
Like something out of one of my novels.
A woman of a certain age with a fortune,
a man comes out of nowhere,
sweeps her off her feet,
they have wonderful sex
in all kinds of places
I-I wasn't thinking that last part.
But that's not what this is.
Billy and I have a real connection.
See, I know you think that, Mom,
but a lot of women do,
and then they get hoodwinked.
I just don't want you to get hurt.
You don't want me to get
hurt? Okay, okay, fine, fine!
Look, if it makes you feel any better,
my lawyers have multiple
safeguards in place
to make sure that
that there's no
hoodwinking taking place!
Okay!
I didn't know that, and
I'm glad you told me.
It's good.
Honey, I know I have strong feelings
about your love life,
but all I really want
is for you to be happy
and to just live your life.
And I hope that you can
just trust me to live mine.
DARBY: Alastair? How'd you get in?
Your acquaintance, your, uh, boy
boyfriend, let me in. Willy?
- Billy.
- Yes, him.
Okay, so
I found the Gagliano on the Dark Web.
It's just been sold!
Okay, there you go.
Someone with the handle "Bach2TheFuture"
is bragging online that
they're gonna pay $180,000
to someone with the handle "Equinox32"
for an original Gagliano violin.
Now, they already put down a 5K deposit
and the rest is gonna be paid
upon receipt of the instrument.
That has got to be our violin.
Can you access the real names
of the buyer and the seller?
That's the point of the Dark Web.
Everyone has made up profiles;
nothing connects to the real names.
Hmm.
Well, could you look and see
if the buyer or the seller
have posted anything before?
Maybe that'll give us a clue
as to where they're from.
- Yeah.
- [KEYBOARD TAPPING]
Ah, well, the seller is brand new,
but the buyer pops up
a couple different times
and mentions Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Do you think that's
where the buyer's from?
It's far away from Alder Bluffs.
What about the payment?
How does it work if
everyone's anonymous?
Well, the buyer is
gonna send cryptocurrency
to the seller's wallet.
- All anonymous.
- Ugh!
Why does the Dark Web
have to be so dark?
Okay, how do you get your
money out of a digital wallet?
You transfer it to a
regular bank account,
or you would just take cash
out directly from a crypto ATM.
Oh, the café!
There was a crypto ATM there.
I remember noticing it and thinking,
"What does that do?"
See, she has such an
attention for detail.
♪
DANIEL: Oh, please!
Don't put this on me.
This is all your daughter's fault!
- I know she's with your son!
- How do you know that?
We haven't heard one way or another!
Everybody needs to keep calm.
VICTORIA: What is going on, Grace?
Jasmine's mother; Ray's father, Daniel.
Both kids called in sick today.
And I explained about the stolen violin.
Nancy says Jasmine was fine at breakfast
but now she's not answering her phone.
We think we know why.
This is security camera footage
from the café around the corner.
DARBY: We think they stole the Gagliano.
They took out a lot of money.
And we know they were on school grounds
the night of the theft.
- Oh, no
- It's not possible!
NANCY: They're blowing
up their whole lives?
Maybe that's the point.
♪
We're going to lose our
crazy strict schedules
- Mm-hm!
- Play music together
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
- No more nagging parents.
- Nope!
[INHALES] Oh, man!
Hey, uh, where are we gonna
stay when we get there?
We got money for a hotel.
And when we finish the deal,
we'll have enough to live on for years.
And we can rent a house of our own, huh?
Will people even rent
a place to us, though?
Why the doubt, all of a sudden?
I'm I'm not doubting.
It's just starting to feel real now.
That's all.
Trust me. It's gonna be so much fun.
Yeah.
- [LOUD METALLIC SNAP]
- Nice!
Thank you, Charlie.
No, thank you.
There's nothing in here!
Except for a portrait of this dude.
- John Coltrane.
- VICTORIA: Hmm!
Remind me not to invite
you to a trivia night
[LOUD METALLIC SNAP]
Ugh, there's nothing in
Jasmine's locker, either!
Where has your son taken my daughter?
Calm down, Nancy. It's okay.
Daniel, did you ever have the feeling
that Ray was unhappy at school?
He gets to train with the
best musicians possible.
I mean, every dollar I
earn goes to his education!
I would have died for this
chance when I was a kid.
But what about Ray?
Is it possible that he doesn't
want the life that you wanted?
He complains a lot about early mornings
and how he doesn't get to play
the music he wants to play.
Anything else?
He wanted to spend
more time with Jasmine,
but I wanted him to focus on practising.
I've always thought that if
you have something special
you have to pursue it.
You think I pushed him too hard.
Listen, sometimes as parents
we try to carve a path
for our children instead of
letting them find their own way.
DARBY: Wait a second.
There is something in here.
Look.
I didn't know you
knew how to read music.
I don't. I'm reading numbers.
VICTORIA: 1530, 1605, 1655, 1740
Important dates in musical history?
VICTORIA: No
Those aren't dates, those are times!
This is a schedule.
VICTORIA: Yeah, but there's
no airport in Alder Bluffs.
No, but we do have a bus station.
You want to ride with me?
[L SPEAKERS]
Our new life begins now.
Now what?
I just
I think we're making a mistake.
[QUIETLY] This is the plan.
We're so close!
Well, let's just explain
to everyone what happened.
- Please?
- It's too late!
No, but if we just go
back, we could fix it.
No, I'm never going back to
that school, to that life.
I want you to come.
But I'm leaving, with or without you.
♪
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMEN
OVER BUS TERMINAL SPEAKERS]
♪
VICTORIA: I wonder what bus they're on.
I don't know. Let's look.
Okay, Toronto, New York, Philadelphia.
I don't see Atlantic City!
I'll check the ticket booth.
[SAXOPHONE PLAYING IN DISTANCE]
Huh
I know this is a super weird question,
but do you happen to know
where John Coltrane was from?
Yeah, he's from some little
town in North Carolina.
Oh. Damn it.
But he did most of his
playing in Philadelphia.
- Okay!
- Yeah!
Thank you!
[PLAYING SAXOPHONE]
I think they went to Philadelphia.
VICTORIA: It leaves in two minutes.
Let's go!
[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMEN
OVER BUS TERMINAL SPEAKERS]
♪
♪
Hold the bus!
Jasmine?
Go! See if he's on there.
- Hey
- Hi.
Aw
♪
Ray?
The lady with the niece?
We were actually investigating
the stolen Gagliano.
Aw, crap.
The buyer, were they in Atlantic City?
Uh yeah.
Well, he agreed to meet us in
meet me in Philadelphia
to complete the sale.
Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen,
and you're gonna have to,
as they say, face the music.
Yeah, no. No way!
No, that's not happening!
Ray, do you really want
to leave your whole life
and everything that you've accomplished?
That is not a life, okay?
Those aren't my accomplishments!
But nobody really cares about that, huh?
I mean, you've seen what
that school is like, right?
They
they don't let me play any of my music!
I saw you and your friends
play that jazz piece.
It was wonderful!
Well, yeah, because
we worked hard on it.
Outside of class.
Tell me this
Do you think that you would
be able to play that well
without the school's help?
And all that practice,
it really paid off.
You are an accomplished musician.
Yeah, tell that to my dad.
He says I don't practice enough.
Well, your dad
your dad pushes you too hard.
But I think deep down you
both have the same dreams,
just different ways
of making it come true.
You should try talking to
him instead of running away
from your problems.
Ray, look, you're lucky.
We have not gone to the police.
You can make this all right.
Just give me the violin.
♪
Jasmine!
Are you okay?
- DANIEL: Where's Ray?
- He's on that bus.
Wait!
A little compassion would go a long way.
♪
Thank you.
I can't go home, okay?
My dad will never forgive me.
DANIEL: That's not true.
Ray, I wanted for you
what I didn't have,
but not if it makes you unhappy.
♪
♪
Let's go home.
Thank you.
Hey, maybe I should sell
this thing and run away.
You don't know how to use TikTok,
let alone the Dark Web!
Besides, you'd miss me too much.
[VIOLIN PLAYING A BACH SOLO]
♪
♪
♪
So the rebel prankster
won the competition?
There's no denying he has
heart and talent to spare.
Thank you for returning the violin
on behalf of myself and the school.
The Spencer Sisters are
always happy to help.
I'm so glad you stopped Jasmine and Ray
from making a huge mistake.
We've made some changes.
Mental health check-in
days with the kids
to help with the
pressure they're under
and we're implementing a jazz program.
Will Ray and Jasmine be able to join?
After their six months
of community service
If there's anything I've
learned out of this entire thing,
it's that most people
deserve a second chance.
And what happened to
the buyer of the violin?
When Ray tried to undo
the deal, they disappeared.
But there is the matter of the $5,000
that Ray and Jasmine received.
They donated the money.
New security system for the school.
It'll be monitored
24/7 by a security team
led by one of the most
dedicated employees here.
Oh!
That's great.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
The evening's going off without a hitch.
Plus, the senior prank
wasn't on me for once!
- Ladies.
- Yeah.
Oh! [GIGGLES]
[JAZZY SPY MUSIC]
[APPLAUSE]
That's good.
[CROWD LAUGHING]
ALASTAIR: Hey, it's good you're here.
- Hey, you found something?
- Yes.
Okay, so I searched various countries'
facial recognition databases,
okay, for Billy's image.
And I got a strong lead!
That is Billy, outside
of a club in Dubrovnik.
- It is?
- Yeah.
And that there is Nigel
Westlake from Scotland Yard.
Now, this photo was taken
when Billy was supposedly
working in Copenhagen.
[SIGHS] Okay
Okay, there you have
it Billy's a liar!
Well
Sorry, that could be anyone.
I mean, it could be Billy, sure,
but it just as easily could not.
It's him!
Alastair, if you wore
sunglasses and a hat
and you stood in profile,
that guy could be you!
No, it's it's definitely him!
Billy has secrets,
okay? Very suspicious.
Maybe he's a bad guy,
or at least he's not
who he says he is, and
Victoria deserves better.
You're pretty invested
in this, aren't you?
What? No, it's
No. No no!
You care about my mom a lot. Don't you?
I Yes no I, um
That's irrelevant, okay?
I'll tell you what's important.
What's important is that Billy
is talking to Scotland Yard, okay?
Now, maybe Billy is a criminal
who's gone into witness protection,
or maybe he's an undercover
MI6 agent gone rogue!
- Oh my God.
- Hmm?
Is this what I've been sounding like?
Okay, listen, Alastair,
I know I started this,
but I'm done digging into Billy.
I have to trust my mom and
[SIGHS] just let her be happy.
And if you really care about her,
you'll do the same.
♪
♪
[QUIETLY] I do care about her!
That's what I'm saying!
BILLY: It is a good one, right?
VICTORIA: [CHUCKLES] Yeah.
And keep in mind, anything changes
- Hey.
- Oh, hey.
Why don't you join us for some Malbec?
Oh, Darby's more of a beer kind of gal.
There's a six-pack in the fridge, honey.
You know what?
I'd love to try what you're having.
I'll get another glass.
♪
♪
♪
What?
Thank you.
The wine's symbolic.
I'm taking a few sips and
then I'm getting a beer.
It still counts
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪