Nancy Drew (2019) s01e09 Episode Script
The Hidden Staircase
1 Previously on Nancy Drew ACE: Lucy Sable was crowned Sea Queen.
Disappeared after the celebration, never seen again.
MCGINNIS: Someone in this town has been tampering with the spirit world.
GEORGE: Since Lucy communicates through electronics, we can have her answer questions through the dragon.
(GASPS) Are you haunting me because of what I found in the attic? That was Lucy Sable's bloody dress in the attic that you lied about.
- I didn't kill anyone! - NICK: I used to worry there was no room in your future for me, but there's barely room in your present.
Hi, Mom.
A lot has happened since you died.
I am starting to believe in ghosts.
GEORGE: All right, shorty.
You've been adequately good today.
Ted? (BELL JINGLES) Ted?! Fever in me NANCY: Who am I supposed to trust after what I've learned about the secrets being kept by my father? The Hudsons' former lawyer and fixer who accepted $50,000 from a Hudson-owned shell company two days after Lucy's murder and then stayed in Europe with me and my mom for a year.
To control the air Sapphire in the air (PHONE BUZZING) Hey, George, it's my day off, so I need your help.
I can't find my little sister.
Ted disappeared last night.
I'm on my way.
GEORGE: I haven't called the cops, because I don't want them to send Child and Family Services to come poking around my house.
Besides, Ted just does this sometimes.
Once, she was playing hide-and-seek and fell asleep under her bed, and stayed asleep for hours, even with everyone yelling for her.
But I checked every room at home.
I called all of her friends.
She's not at school, she's not at the library.
You know, I really don't need this right now.
It's bad enough I'm already worried about Ace.
Don't tell him I said that.
Hey, he is in a coma from a car accident.
It's okay to worry.
Now I have to deal with this while my mom's on a weekend booze cruise with the harbormaster.
She is on the return leg, but the boat won't be back until tomorrow, which is why I had to drag you guys in.
- I'm sorry.
- NICK: Nothing to be sorry for.
We'll help you find Ted.
Yeah, let's check the storeroom.
I'm telling you guys, I already checked there.
Well, let's check outside by the water.
Ted hates water.
Fine.
Do you smell that? It's like burnt matches, or sulfur.
Oh, my God.
What is that? When I was 12, this girl, Rose Turnbull, was kidnapped by a local realtor Nathan Gomber.
GIRL: Rose! I followed a hunch and found her behind a hidden staircase.
This wax is in the same pattern that I found at the playground when Rose was taken.
Did you say "when you were 12"? It was my first case, but only the police and I knew about the wax.
It was, like, a signature from Gomber.
But that wax smelled like sulfur, too.
It was never made public.
What was never made public? Ted has been kidnapped.
Nancy Drew 1x09 The Hidden Staircase MCGINNIS: We have issued an Amber Alert.
And we've asked volunteers to answer the tip lines at our station.
My people are looking into Gomber's old warehouse right now.
Okay.
This is a picture of her yesterday.
Ted was wearing her favorite shirt.
It's a cat with laser eyes.
(GARBLED RADIO TRANSMISSION) (GARBLED RADIO TRANSMISSION) Where's Nancy? Hello, Nathan.
Do you remember me? Vaguely.
A little girl went missing last night.
And? There was melted red wax at the crime scene.
That's something you did in 2013.
Maybe it wasn't me who left the wax.
I know you took Rose Turnbull.
But, hey, only 14 more years to go on your sentence.
In the meantime, why is there a copycat? You pulling somebody's strings? You were wrong about me six years ago in that warehouse.
You pointed the finger at me and said that I was the kidnapper, but you were confused and afraid and desperate for attention.
You wanted to be the hero, rather than admit the truth.
What truth is there, other than you being a kidnapper who was brought to justice by a seventh-grader? Do you mind? I'm ready to go now.
(LINE RINGING) - WOMAN (ON PHONE): Hello.
- NANCY: Hey, is this Rose? It's Nancy Drew.
I found your mom on social media.
She said that I could talk to you? Hi, Nancy.
How's California? Pretty cool.
I like it.
My mom said you had some questions for me? Yeah, um, I know this is hard, but I-I just wanted to ask you more about what happened with Nathan Gomber.
Did he ever have anybody with him, like a friend, or ? No.
He was always alone.
He took me from the playground, and drove me around in his car all day.
And then, when it got dark, he brought me to the warehouse.
I had some weird dreams, and then, you woke me up.
Dreams? I dreamt about Nathan Gomber, talking to something in the dark? The tall thing.
The tall thing.
Simon? (RUMBLING, GROWLING VOICE) Nancy? Are you still there? Hello? You know, it's-it's funny.
I just, um, remembered something for the first time ever.
Do you have those dreams, too? No.
It-It's nothing to worry about.
Have a great day at school, Rose, and and thank you.
NANCY: Why do I remember Rose's dream about the tall thing in the dark? Maybe because it wasn't a dream? Maybe because I saw it, too, and I don't think it was human.
Nick's been driving around all over town, and so far, he's seen no sign of Ted.
But meanwhile, we did an Internet dive on Nathan Gomber.
It turns out that in 2013, right before he kidnapped Rose, he was in the middle of a real estate deal with a local developer: Pine Hill.
Oh, that's the Marvins' corporation.
I'll reach out to Owen.
George, it's okay.
We're gonna find her.
All right, well, we've got people on these tip lines, so if you think of anything else, you can give us a call.
All right, thanks.
Cindy from the Ice Cream Emporium hasn't seen Ted since last week.
All right, listen up.
What we need Carson.
What is it? After McGinnis relayed the theory about the copycat, I started checking the visitor logs for Gomber's prison.
Nancy went to see him this morning.
- Are you serious? - Yeah.
Can't say I'm surprised, but here's what I didn't expect.
Gomber's had a weekly visitor for the last year and half.
Always the same woman, like clockwork Moira Baker.
Last visit was yesterday.
Chief, I have a name for you.
Hart's sending us a patrol car to meet us at Moira Baker's residence.
GIRL: Rose! (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) I let someone punch me in the face last night.
It was a favor for a friend.
Okay.
Thank you for meeting me here.
Yeah, sure.
Not a problem.
This is everything from the company files about my family's dealings with Gomber.
Believe it or not, when I first met him, - seemed like a decent guy.
- Wait.
You knew him? Yeah, he came to my aunt's house at Thanksgiving once.
I was visiting from college.
- God, you're old.
- Calm down.
I was only a freshman.
Was Gomber there to talk about his warehouse property? Yeah.
He'd partnered with my family for a development loan.
He was excited to become a real estate mogul.
He started visiting that warehouse all the time.
Aunt Diana said he was obsessed with it.
But when I saw him at the end of the winter holidays, he just seemed like a different guy cold, distant, kind of - unbalanced.
- That was, what? January 2013? He kidnapped Rose in March.
I have to get back to George, um, but do you mind if I No.
Keep 'em as long as you need to.
I'm gonna be here in town, helping put up flyers.
You're growing on me.
(CHUCKLES) Well, then the day's not a total loss.
NANCY: The warehouse is the key.
Something inside that warehouse changed Gomber's personality.
The warehouse is where the voice came from.
- What voice? - The inhuman entity.
Nancy heard it back in 2013.
Okay, you know he's gonna say this is crazy.
No, I was gonna say we already had a run-in with one of those entities.
Using Ted's dragon toy.
(QUIETLY): Whoa.
Okay, what happened here? When we did the séance with the burial coins, we ended up activating a bunch of dead souls and, possibly some evil spirits.
What if this entity from the séance is the same one that I heard Gomber talking to in the warehouse? Simon, when do I get what was promised to me? (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): When I get what was promised.
And what if it's back because of us? He called the voice "Simon".
How does a disembodied voice kidnap a little girl? That voice was in the warehouse in 2013.
I have no idea where it's been since then, but we got its attention 48 hours ago.
That gave it enough time to find a new human accomplice.
Yesterday, that accomplice found Ted here at The Claw.
Bess, how many customers did you serve yesterday - while Ted was here? - I don't know.
Um, there was an older couple.
There was a lady who only had coffee but gave me a huge tip.
Yeah.
Tell me more about her.
Um she had a fresh manicure.
Uh, deep mauve.
That did not go with the tattoo on her hand.
Like, no.
NANCY: Did the tattoo - look like this? - (GASPS) You're psychic.
I'm not psychic.
I saw this tattoo on Nathan Gomber's hand this morning.
NICK: Bess's customer could be friends with Gomber.
Someone who visits him every week? - Like the chief mentioned.
- (BESS EXHALES) My big tipper was Moira Baker.
She would've seen Ted while she was at The Claw.
Moira's not just Gomber's friend.
I think she's the new kidnapper.
So, Moira took Ted and left Gomber's wax spiral for everyone to find.
But why has she taken Ted now? Because Simon is back.
Maybe he chose the victim he wanted after he emerged from our séance.
Now, Moira wants something in return, - some sort of reward from Simon.
- A reward? - Like what? - It's a deal with the devil, so money or fame or her heart's greatest desire.
Yeah, she wants Gomber out of jail.
Maybe that's her heart's desire.
She could be in love with him.
Ew.
You know, people need to have higher standards.
D-Deal with the devil.
Great.
But where is she keeping my sister? (PHONE BUZZING) MCGINNIS: We got a search warrant for Moira's apartment.
This might be a letter from Gomber.
Does this cipher jog any memories? Uh, I don't remember Gomber having anything like that when I was with him.
Yeah.
Why is his letter so tiny? It's called a kite.
Prisoners pass 'em around.
Gomber could've slipped that to Moira when she visited yesterday.
All right.
Thought I'd check.
Tell Ms.
Fan to sit tight.
Could I see that? Nick, have you seen a code like this before? Oh.
Um, okay.
F-Five letters.
Bet you that spells "Moira".
Okay.
We got to figure this out.
I'm e-mailing this to my laptop.
Yeah, we can spread the word ourselves.
Someone in this town must've heard of Moira Baker.
Uh, Nancy, wait.
You're going to Gomber's warehouse, right? I mean, haven't the police already checked it out? They don't know where the hidden staircase is.
Yeah, okay, listen, it may not be so easy for you to go back there.
It's just an abandoned building.
Yeah, where you experienced something pretty intense.
Look, trust me, when-when you put yourself in the physical space where that all went down, it's gonna have an impact.
I could go with you.
Why? You were there for me.
When I was coming to terms with my past.
I thought maybe I could do the same for you.
You don't owe me anything.
Especially now.
Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean I don't care about - what you're going through.
- I'm not going through anything.
- Just trying to help find a missing kid.
- Okay.
And all I'm saying is let me help.
I think it's better if I do it alone.
(DOOR OPENS, BELL JINGLES) KAREN: I didn't realize how much testimony Nancy gave.
It's amazing how she handled that.
CARSON: Yeah.
She was different after Gomber.
It was like she put up a wall between herself and the world.
It was subtle, but it was there.
Kate and I brought her to a therapist to try and help her talk about what happened, but Nancy just kept saying she was fine.
(PHONE RINGS) Hello? NICK: Mr.
Drew, it's Nick.
Nancy's not home.
Uh, I know.
Um she's driving across town right now.
But you're a lot closer to where she's headed.
(BRAKES SQUEAK) (SIGHS) You have got to be kidding me.
(ENGINE SHUTS OFF) It's not too late to change your mind.
Actually, it is.
In that case, I'll come with you.
Or I could call the cops.
Add another breaking and entering charge to your docket.
Either way, I'm not letting you go in there alone.
- I don't need a bodyguard.
- (LOCK CLICKS) How 'bout a father? Just don't slow me down.
You realize this look says "cat burglar".
Do I criticize your weekend sweater-vests? Commentary rescinded.
Okay, we will save a lot of time if we use the same entrance I used as a kid.
I don't remember which one it was.
That's not like you.
Your memory is relentlessly specific.
Yeah, but with this, it's different.
I don't know why.
I keep thinking back.
It's like my mind's blank.
You know, if you'd stayed home, I could've asked you to send me a picture of the newspaper clipping on my bulletin board.
That photo was taken where Rose and I came out.
Karen's at the house.
She was rereading the Gomber transcripts from my files.
Hey, I need you to do me a favor.
There's a newspaper clipping on Nancy's bulletin board.
The photo about the Rose Turnbull case.
Can you take a picture of it and text it to me? Okay, thank you.
(SHUTTER SOUND EFFECT) Just sent it.
Stay safe.
(BEEPS) (DOOR OPENS, ENTRY BELL JINGLES) BESS: We're closed today.
Um, so come again.
I heard about George's sister.
Wanted to see if I could help.
Okay, then join us.
Um, Nick is translating instructions from a madman.
Okay, um, Gomber used a substitution cipher.
And he said some pretty crazy things.
(EXHALES) "Go to the shrine.
Light the candles.
Call out to Simon and cut yourself with the knife.
Leave your blood.
It will link you to him.
Simon will hide the child.
Bring the child after night falls" Um " and use the knife to" (EXHALES) Use the knife to what? The letter says, after nightfall, Simon requires the soul of a child as payment.
We should tell Nancy about this.
Yeah.
I guess if I hadn't found Rose, he would have stabbed her with a knife, as a means to delivering her soul to Simon.
But we still have a couple hours of daylight left, so I bet Ted is somewhere else with Moira, somewhere that Moira feels safe.
Okay.
We'll keep looking for connections as to where Moira could be.
And look into anyone else named Baker.
She might have relatives in the area.
Okay.
I'll offer a cash reward for any information that helps us find Ted.
Let's keep it anonymous.
Okay.
I remember.
When I was here as a kid, after Rose was safe, I brought the cops back in here to show them where I'd been.
And I couldn't find this shelf again.
It was so (CREAKING) GOMBER: Simon? Simon, when do I get what was promised to me? (RUMBLING GROWL) (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): As soon as you get me the child.
(GASPS) My flashlight fell.
I remember these flashes of light.
Uh, the light helped me focus.
It helped me isolate the details.
It helped me see what to do.
I wish I had known you went through this.
In fairness, I didn't even know I went through this.
And even now, it's just, like, glimpses.
Like the rest of it has been redacted.
What's the next thing you remember? (SIGHS): I I got away from Gomber.
I-I found Rose.
I untied her.
We ran.
I I pulled the fire alarm.
We hid.
Gomber tried to find us, and that's when the fire trucks came.
Maybe you don't remember any of the other details because they were too frightening at the time.
I know that when your mom and I got here, you were extremely calm.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER) Are you okay? You didn't have to worry.
I'm fine.
Your mom and I tried so many times to get you to talk to us about what happened that night, but you'd always claim that it was no big deal.
I get why you put those walls up.
It was a survival mechanism.
(SIGHS) But maybe it's not serving you anymore.
NANCY: No way.
This fell out of my bag when I was here as a kid.
I had forgotten all about this.
The tattoo helped him remember where to find Simon.
(CLACKS) (CREAKS) What is this? I think this is Simon's shrine.
This wasn't in the police report.
NANCY: Yeah.
I never told anyone about this, because I didn't remember it.
I must have repressed the memories.
Uh, that's the same pattern that we found in The Claw.
So maybe it's an occult symbol? Some of these are from late 2012, and other ones are early 2013, when Rose was kidnapped.
Gomber must have visited here.
H-H-He built the shrine during that time, and slowly, Simon corrupted him.
Who is Simon? Wh-When Gomber whispered to the tall thing in the dark, he called out its name.
GOMBER: Simon! (GRUNTING) You know, Rose never mentioned any of this, either.
She said that her memory was fuzzy because she was drugged.
But what if that's just what Simon does to children? Makes me think it's a dream.
Like the Sandman? What if Simon made us forget? Maybe that's why my memory's in pieces, because of him.
That's where Gomber made his deal.
Deal for what? Money, power, I'm guessing.
In return for the life of a child.
He was mentally unwell.
What makes you think that there was a-a supernatural presence involved? What makes you think that there wasn't? Look.
This was clearly a ritual.
Superstitions and rituals are all evidence of human behaviors, not proof of something inhuman.
Some kind of entity affected my memory the last time I was here.
What affected you was trauma.
What affected me was a voice in the dark.
And I think that's who Moira came to see.
And this theory is based on ? Gomber's letter.
He-he told her what to do.
She linked herself to Simon with blood and now she's completing what Gomber couldn't and kill a child as payment to Simon.
I'm looking for an eight-year-old girl with glasses.
What you just described to me is a 25-year-old man! Why don't you go get your eyes checked instead of offering me inaccurate tips?! But we appreciate your willingness to help.
Thank you.
(WHISPERS): Sorry.
No, it's okay.
We'll try the next one.
You know, I've been meaning to ask you.
I I saw you at Tiffany Hudson's funeral.
Oh.
Y-You were there? Yeah, I was standing in the back.
I noticed my Aunt Diana said something to you, and then you ran off.
Why? GEORGE: Okay.
(PANTING): Thank you.
Thank you.
Hey, what happened? Some friend of a friend of a friend says that Moira Baker's grandparents own an antique shop in Trenton I'm gonna check it out.
George.
My truck's out front.
Where the hell is it? Did you know that Ted gets all A's in school? Even in P.
E.
You know, she's the one Fan sister who's gonna make it out of this town.
I mean, me, I'm obviously stuck here.
And Jesse actually wants to stay here so she can do marine mammal rescue.
And Charlie she has no ambition.
And I say that with affection.
- I mean, you know what it's like with siblings.
- Uh, only child.
Oh.
Lucky you.
Let's go.
I feel sorry for the door that gets in your way.
MCGINNIS: Accessory to kidnapping of a minor means your sentence gets doubled.
Or you could tell me where to find the little girl and Moira Baker.
You help us with that, and maybe we could talk about the possibility of parole.
My conviction will be overturned.
This time it's gonna work.
(GLASS SHATTERS) GEORGE: Ted? Ted? Ted? Are you here? In Gomber's letter, there was a-a a ritual with a knife.
NANCY: Cut your arm and link yourself to Simon with blood.
What happens if we get rid of the blood? Here.
You actually believe this ritual is real? (SIGHS): Well lately I've found belief to be a time-saver.
(DECISIVE PUFFS) (GRUNTS IN PAIN) (SCREAMS) (GRUNTS, GASPS) (GRUNTING IN PAIN) Nick.
(GROANS, SOBS) Are you Moira? Where is my sister!? Where is Ted!? (DEEP, DISTORTED GROWLING) What the hell is that? I think I made him angry.
Tell me where my sister is! (SOBBING): I only wanted to free Nathan.
You are insane.
And I swear, if I find out that anything has happened to Ted, I'm gonna come back here and kill you.
Get in there.
Ted! TED: Yeah? Hey, hey, hey, hey.
How you doing? You all right? Oh, my God.
Ted! Oh! Ted.
Hi.
Ow.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
(PANTING): Are you all right? - Yeah.
- Are you sure? - Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
Thank you.
Can we go now? (SIGHS) Yeah.
(DEEP, DISTORTED RUMBLING AND GROANING) (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): I Who's there? (LOUD GROANING) Simon? (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): I will find another child.
He's he's just gonna find another human to bargain with.
He'll just keep victimizing children unless we stop him.
Simon preys on children.
He lulls them to sleep.
He made me forget.
He made me forget! (GRUNTING) Nancy! He made me forget! If I send him away, maybe I'll remember.
(SCREAMS) (RUMBLING ECHOES FADE) (NANCY CRYING) I-I was so scared.
I thought I'd never see you and Mom again.
I thought I was gonna die.
You didn't die.
You saved yourself.
It's over now.
It's over.
I'm here.
I'm here.
(NANCY PANTING) (SOBBING) Moira Baker confessed and she named you as an accessory.
She said you gave her a letter that told her to go to Simon's altar in the warehouse.
Just out of curiosity, how did you know that Simon was back? A few nights ago pain in my scars woke me up.
Because of something shifting.
Something awakening.
Well, he won't be able to hurt anyone ever again.
Because I sent him away.
I wouldn't be so sure of that.
I can still smell him on you.
I'll be seeing him sooner than you think.
Goodbye, Nathan.
(DOOR BUZZES) (LATCH CLICKS) Hey.
How was it? Satisfying.
Mostly.
I'm fine.
For real, this time.
Got a bunch of missed calls from Bess.
Hey, did something happen? Ace woke up from his coma! Yeah, I know, I spoke to the doctor.
She said we can visit him tomorrow.
That's really good news.
I'm gonna make him a vision board to celebrate.
I Zillowed a really cute bungalow out in Seal Cove.
Oh, and Owen says hi.
Uh, tell him I said thank you for putting up the anonymous money for the crowd-source tips.
I don't know what you're talking about, but I will say hi to him for you.
(WHISPERS): It's Nancy.
Okay, I'll speak to you later.
Well, we found Ted, Ace is on the mend, the kidnappers are both locked up and the community came together.
As my uncle used to say, we can enter our homes justified tonight.
- Yeah.
- It's from an old western.
You okay? Um, there is one more thing, now that everything has turned out right.
I want to talk to you about my mother.
Her name is Regina Turani.
But she always told me her maiden name was Marvin.
And that her older brother was called Sebastian.
She had a younger brother, Thaddeus, your father.
And now i-if what my mom says is true, you and I are-are - cousins.
- No offense, Bess, but my uncle Sebastian and my dad didn't have any sisters.
My mom said that was the family story, you know, after she ran off with my father.
I've heard so much about the Marvins.
And-and I came to Horseshoe Bay to find out if I'm one of you.
This might sound crazy but would you consider comparing DNA? (EXHALES) Sure.
- Wait, really? - Yeah.
It's good to know the facts.
Oh, okay, great! Okay, so, all I would need from you is saliva, which I know sounds gross, but I have gloves and sanitizer in the kitchen.
- Okay, one request, though.
- Yeah.
Nothing personal, but families like mine get approached for DNA comparison more often than you might think.
- Okay.
- So, I'd like to have an independent test done on your DNA, too.
Just so we can verify the results.
Yeah, sure.
The more tests, the better.
Okay.
(INSECTS TRILLING) This was in the journal I found today.
Why did she write this to me? When you were in kindergarten, she had her first health scare.
And you could sense something was wrong, because you were you.
And you started asking her questions about death and mortality.
And this was her answer to you.
(QUIET LAUGH) We were running out to get somewhere, and you said, "Mommy, when you go to heaven, what part of heaven will you be in?" And she just blurted out, "The northeast corner".
(LAUGHS) Just so we could get in the car.
And then later when you were half-asleep at bedtime, you asked her if she could draw you a map of the northeast corner of heaven, so that you could find her when you got there.
(PAPER RUFFLING) "When you get to heaven ask them where the northeast corner is KATE: " and you'll see me sitting under a big, green tree on a sunny hill, watching you with a smile, waiting for you to come find me.
No rush, of course.
I love you, always KATE AND CARSON: always, always.
Mom".
(PAPER RUFFLES) I really miss her.
(SNIFFLES) I know.
I'm sorry I had all those walls up.
And I'm sorry that I shut you out.
I'm sorry you felt like you had to.
You don't have to, anymore.
You know that, right? Yeah.
And I'll keep this safe this time.
(BOTH LAUGH) (SNIFFLES) ("WILL IT EVER BE THE SAME" BY YOUNG SUMMER PLAYING) NANCY: Maybe it's okay to let people help.
Falling Underneath Because that leads to a connection, which can lead to revelations.
And we battle and we break it and And closure.
Easy And new beginnings.
Doesn't seem to play And maybe some connections deserve to be held especially close, like a letter, tucked away safe inside the cover of a trusty Hey, have you seen my journal? I left it in my room.
Karen found it in plain sight.
MCGINNIS: It's what helped us get the arrest warrant.
What? CARSON: You had quite the list of evidence against me.
Your notes had us looking into the $50,000 payoff your father received, right after Lucy died.
That's all circumstantial.
MCGINNIS: We also have physical evidence.
Your father's fingerprints were on the knife from Lucy's crime scene.
We checked it against the prints he left on his water glass at the police station today.
Tell them that's a mistake.
Carson Drew, you're under arrest for the murder of Lucy Sable.
- No - You have the right to remain silent You can't be serious.
Why, why are you letting this happen? - right to an attorney - Best thing you can do is just take a step back.
He can explain.
I know he can explain! Don't make it worse! Dad! Tell them you didn't kill her.
Disappeared after the celebration, never seen again.
MCGINNIS: Someone in this town has been tampering with the spirit world.
GEORGE: Since Lucy communicates through electronics, we can have her answer questions through the dragon.
(GASPS) Are you haunting me because of what I found in the attic? That was Lucy Sable's bloody dress in the attic that you lied about.
- I didn't kill anyone! - NICK: I used to worry there was no room in your future for me, but there's barely room in your present.
Hi, Mom.
A lot has happened since you died.
I am starting to believe in ghosts.
GEORGE: All right, shorty.
You've been adequately good today.
Ted? (BELL JINGLES) Ted?! Fever in me NANCY: Who am I supposed to trust after what I've learned about the secrets being kept by my father? The Hudsons' former lawyer and fixer who accepted $50,000 from a Hudson-owned shell company two days after Lucy's murder and then stayed in Europe with me and my mom for a year.
To control the air Sapphire in the air (PHONE BUZZING) Hey, George, it's my day off, so I need your help.
I can't find my little sister.
Ted disappeared last night.
I'm on my way.
GEORGE: I haven't called the cops, because I don't want them to send Child and Family Services to come poking around my house.
Besides, Ted just does this sometimes.
Once, she was playing hide-and-seek and fell asleep under her bed, and stayed asleep for hours, even with everyone yelling for her.
But I checked every room at home.
I called all of her friends.
She's not at school, she's not at the library.
You know, I really don't need this right now.
It's bad enough I'm already worried about Ace.
Don't tell him I said that.
Hey, he is in a coma from a car accident.
It's okay to worry.
Now I have to deal with this while my mom's on a weekend booze cruise with the harbormaster.
She is on the return leg, but the boat won't be back until tomorrow, which is why I had to drag you guys in.
- I'm sorry.
- NICK: Nothing to be sorry for.
We'll help you find Ted.
Yeah, let's check the storeroom.
I'm telling you guys, I already checked there.
Well, let's check outside by the water.
Ted hates water.
Fine.
Do you smell that? It's like burnt matches, or sulfur.
Oh, my God.
What is that? When I was 12, this girl, Rose Turnbull, was kidnapped by a local realtor Nathan Gomber.
GIRL: Rose! I followed a hunch and found her behind a hidden staircase.
This wax is in the same pattern that I found at the playground when Rose was taken.
Did you say "when you were 12"? It was my first case, but only the police and I knew about the wax.
It was, like, a signature from Gomber.
But that wax smelled like sulfur, too.
It was never made public.
What was never made public? Ted has been kidnapped.
Nancy Drew 1x09 The Hidden Staircase MCGINNIS: We have issued an Amber Alert.
And we've asked volunteers to answer the tip lines at our station.
My people are looking into Gomber's old warehouse right now.
Okay.
This is a picture of her yesterday.
Ted was wearing her favorite shirt.
It's a cat with laser eyes.
(GARBLED RADIO TRANSMISSION) (GARBLED RADIO TRANSMISSION) Where's Nancy? Hello, Nathan.
Do you remember me? Vaguely.
A little girl went missing last night.
And? There was melted red wax at the crime scene.
That's something you did in 2013.
Maybe it wasn't me who left the wax.
I know you took Rose Turnbull.
But, hey, only 14 more years to go on your sentence.
In the meantime, why is there a copycat? You pulling somebody's strings? You were wrong about me six years ago in that warehouse.
You pointed the finger at me and said that I was the kidnapper, but you were confused and afraid and desperate for attention.
You wanted to be the hero, rather than admit the truth.
What truth is there, other than you being a kidnapper who was brought to justice by a seventh-grader? Do you mind? I'm ready to go now.
(LINE RINGING) - WOMAN (ON PHONE): Hello.
- NANCY: Hey, is this Rose? It's Nancy Drew.
I found your mom on social media.
She said that I could talk to you? Hi, Nancy.
How's California? Pretty cool.
I like it.
My mom said you had some questions for me? Yeah, um, I know this is hard, but I-I just wanted to ask you more about what happened with Nathan Gomber.
Did he ever have anybody with him, like a friend, or ? No.
He was always alone.
He took me from the playground, and drove me around in his car all day.
And then, when it got dark, he brought me to the warehouse.
I had some weird dreams, and then, you woke me up.
Dreams? I dreamt about Nathan Gomber, talking to something in the dark? The tall thing.
The tall thing.
Simon? (RUMBLING, GROWLING VOICE) Nancy? Are you still there? Hello? You know, it's-it's funny.
I just, um, remembered something for the first time ever.
Do you have those dreams, too? No.
It-It's nothing to worry about.
Have a great day at school, Rose, and and thank you.
NANCY: Why do I remember Rose's dream about the tall thing in the dark? Maybe because it wasn't a dream? Maybe because I saw it, too, and I don't think it was human.
Nick's been driving around all over town, and so far, he's seen no sign of Ted.
But meanwhile, we did an Internet dive on Nathan Gomber.
It turns out that in 2013, right before he kidnapped Rose, he was in the middle of a real estate deal with a local developer: Pine Hill.
Oh, that's the Marvins' corporation.
I'll reach out to Owen.
George, it's okay.
We're gonna find her.
All right, well, we've got people on these tip lines, so if you think of anything else, you can give us a call.
All right, thanks.
Cindy from the Ice Cream Emporium hasn't seen Ted since last week.
All right, listen up.
What we need Carson.
What is it? After McGinnis relayed the theory about the copycat, I started checking the visitor logs for Gomber's prison.
Nancy went to see him this morning.
- Are you serious? - Yeah.
Can't say I'm surprised, but here's what I didn't expect.
Gomber's had a weekly visitor for the last year and half.
Always the same woman, like clockwork Moira Baker.
Last visit was yesterday.
Chief, I have a name for you.
Hart's sending us a patrol car to meet us at Moira Baker's residence.
GIRL: Rose! (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) I let someone punch me in the face last night.
It was a favor for a friend.
Okay.
Thank you for meeting me here.
Yeah, sure.
Not a problem.
This is everything from the company files about my family's dealings with Gomber.
Believe it or not, when I first met him, - seemed like a decent guy.
- Wait.
You knew him? Yeah, he came to my aunt's house at Thanksgiving once.
I was visiting from college.
- God, you're old.
- Calm down.
I was only a freshman.
Was Gomber there to talk about his warehouse property? Yeah.
He'd partnered with my family for a development loan.
He was excited to become a real estate mogul.
He started visiting that warehouse all the time.
Aunt Diana said he was obsessed with it.
But when I saw him at the end of the winter holidays, he just seemed like a different guy cold, distant, kind of - unbalanced.
- That was, what? January 2013? He kidnapped Rose in March.
I have to get back to George, um, but do you mind if I No.
Keep 'em as long as you need to.
I'm gonna be here in town, helping put up flyers.
You're growing on me.
(CHUCKLES) Well, then the day's not a total loss.
NANCY: The warehouse is the key.
Something inside that warehouse changed Gomber's personality.
The warehouse is where the voice came from.
- What voice? - The inhuman entity.
Nancy heard it back in 2013.
Okay, you know he's gonna say this is crazy.
No, I was gonna say we already had a run-in with one of those entities.
Using Ted's dragon toy.
(QUIETLY): Whoa.
Okay, what happened here? When we did the séance with the burial coins, we ended up activating a bunch of dead souls and, possibly some evil spirits.
What if this entity from the séance is the same one that I heard Gomber talking to in the warehouse? Simon, when do I get what was promised to me? (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): When I get what was promised.
And what if it's back because of us? He called the voice "Simon".
How does a disembodied voice kidnap a little girl? That voice was in the warehouse in 2013.
I have no idea where it's been since then, but we got its attention 48 hours ago.
That gave it enough time to find a new human accomplice.
Yesterday, that accomplice found Ted here at The Claw.
Bess, how many customers did you serve yesterday - while Ted was here? - I don't know.
Um, there was an older couple.
There was a lady who only had coffee but gave me a huge tip.
Yeah.
Tell me more about her.
Um she had a fresh manicure.
Uh, deep mauve.
That did not go with the tattoo on her hand.
Like, no.
NANCY: Did the tattoo - look like this? - (GASPS) You're psychic.
I'm not psychic.
I saw this tattoo on Nathan Gomber's hand this morning.
NICK: Bess's customer could be friends with Gomber.
Someone who visits him every week? - Like the chief mentioned.
- (BESS EXHALES) My big tipper was Moira Baker.
She would've seen Ted while she was at The Claw.
Moira's not just Gomber's friend.
I think she's the new kidnapper.
So, Moira took Ted and left Gomber's wax spiral for everyone to find.
But why has she taken Ted now? Because Simon is back.
Maybe he chose the victim he wanted after he emerged from our séance.
Now, Moira wants something in return, - some sort of reward from Simon.
- A reward? - Like what? - It's a deal with the devil, so money or fame or her heart's greatest desire.
Yeah, she wants Gomber out of jail.
Maybe that's her heart's desire.
She could be in love with him.
Ew.
You know, people need to have higher standards.
D-Deal with the devil.
Great.
But where is she keeping my sister? (PHONE BUZZING) MCGINNIS: We got a search warrant for Moira's apartment.
This might be a letter from Gomber.
Does this cipher jog any memories? Uh, I don't remember Gomber having anything like that when I was with him.
Yeah.
Why is his letter so tiny? It's called a kite.
Prisoners pass 'em around.
Gomber could've slipped that to Moira when she visited yesterday.
All right.
Thought I'd check.
Tell Ms.
Fan to sit tight.
Could I see that? Nick, have you seen a code like this before? Oh.
Um, okay.
F-Five letters.
Bet you that spells "Moira".
Okay.
We got to figure this out.
I'm e-mailing this to my laptop.
Yeah, we can spread the word ourselves.
Someone in this town must've heard of Moira Baker.
Uh, Nancy, wait.
You're going to Gomber's warehouse, right? I mean, haven't the police already checked it out? They don't know where the hidden staircase is.
Yeah, okay, listen, it may not be so easy for you to go back there.
It's just an abandoned building.
Yeah, where you experienced something pretty intense.
Look, trust me, when-when you put yourself in the physical space where that all went down, it's gonna have an impact.
I could go with you.
Why? You were there for me.
When I was coming to terms with my past.
I thought maybe I could do the same for you.
You don't owe me anything.
Especially now.
Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean I don't care about - what you're going through.
- I'm not going through anything.
- Just trying to help find a missing kid.
- Okay.
And all I'm saying is let me help.
I think it's better if I do it alone.
(DOOR OPENS, BELL JINGLES) KAREN: I didn't realize how much testimony Nancy gave.
It's amazing how she handled that.
CARSON: Yeah.
She was different after Gomber.
It was like she put up a wall between herself and the world.
It was subtle, but it was there.
Kate and I brought her to a therapist to try and help her talk about what happened, but Nancy just kept saying she was fine.
(PHONE RINGS) Hello? NICK: Mr.
Drew, it's Nick.
Nancy's not home.
Uh, I know.
Um she's driving across town right now.
But you're a lot closer to where she's headed.
(BRAKES SQUEAK) (SIGHS) You have got to be kidding me.
(ENGINE SHUTS OFF) It's not too late to change your mind.
Actually, it is.
In that case, I'll come with you.
Or I could call the cops.
Add another breaking and entering charge to your docket.
Either way, I'm not letting you go in there alone.
- I don't need a bodyguard.
- (LOCK CLICKS) How 'bout a father? Just don't slow me down.
You realize this look says "cat burglar".
Do I criticize your weekend sweater-vests? Commentary rescinded.
Okay, we will save a lot of time if we use the same entrance I used as a kid.
I don't remember which one it was.
That's not like you.
Your memory is relentlessly specific.
Yeah, but with this, it's different.
I don't know why.
I keep thinking back.
It's like my mind's blank.
You know, if you'd stayed home, I could've asked you to send me a picture of the newspaper clipping on my bulletin board.
That photo was taken where Rose and I came out.
Karen's at the house.
She was rereading the Gomber transcripts from my files.
Hey, I need you to do me a favor.
There's a newspaper clipping on Nancy's bulletin board.
The photo about the Rose Turnbull case.
Can you take a picture of it and text it to me? Okay, thank you.
(SHUTTER SOUND EFFECT) Just sent it.
Stay safe.
(BEEPS) (DOOR OPENS, ENTRY BELL JINGLES) BESS: We're closed today.
Um, so come again.
I heard about George's sister.
Wanted to see if I could help.
Okay, then join us.
Um, Nick is translating instructions from a madman.
Okay, um, Gomber used a substitution cipher.
And he said some pretty crazy things.
(EXHALES) "Go to the shrine.
Light the candles.
Call out to Simon and cut yourself with the knife.
Leave your blood.
It will link you to him.
Simon will hide the child.
Bring the child after night falls" Um " and use the knife to" (EXHALES) Use the knife to what? The letter says, after nightfall, Simon requires the soul of a child as payment.
We should tell Nancy about this.
Yeah.
I guess if I hadn't found Rose, he would have stabbed her with a knife, as a means to delivering her soul to Simon.
But we still have a couple hours of daylight left, so I bet Ted is somewhere else with Moira, somewhere that Moira feels safe.
Okay.
We'll keep looking for connections as to where Moira could be.
And look into anyone else named Baker.
She might have relatives in the area.
Okay.
I'll offer a cash reward for any information that helps us find Ted.
Let's keep it anonymous.
Okay.
I remember.
When I was here as a kid, after Rose was safe, I brought the cops back in here to show them where I'd been.
And I couldn't find this shelf again.
It was so (CREAKING) GOMBER: Simon? Simon, when do I get what was promised to me? (RUMBLING GROWL) (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): As soon as you get me the child.
(GASPS) My flashlight fell.
I remember these flashes of light.
Uh, the light helped me focus.
It helped me isolate the details.
It helped me see what to do.
I wish I had known you went through this.
In fairness, I didn't even know I went through this.
And even now, it's just, like, glimpses.
Like the rest of it has been redacted.
What's the next thing you remember? (SIGHS): I I got away from Gomber.
I-I found Rose.
I untied her.
We ran.
I I pulled the fire alarm.
We hid.
Gomber tried to find us, and that's when the fire trucks came.
Maybe you don't remember any of the other details because they were too frightening at the time.
I know that when your mom and I got here, you were extremely calm.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER) Are you okay? You didn't have to worry.
I'm fine.
Your mom and I tried so many times to get you to talk to us about what happened that night, but you'd always claim that it was no big deal.
I get why you put those walls up.
It was a survival mechanism.
(SIGHS) But maybe it's not serving you anymore.
NANCY: No way.
This fell out of my bag when I was here as a kid.
I had forgotten all about this.
The tattoo helped him remember where to find Simon.
(CLACKS) (CREAKS) What is this? I think this is Simon's shrine.
This wasn't in the police report.
NANCY: Yeah.
I never told anyone about this, because I didn't remember it.
I must have repressed the memories.
Uh, that's the same pattern that we found in The Claw.
So maybe it's an occult symbol? Some of these are from late 2012, and other ones are early 2013, when Rose was kidnapped.
Gomber must have visited here.
H-H-He built the shrine during that time, and slowly, Simon corrupted him.
Who is Simon? Wh-When Gomber whispered to the tall thing in the dark, he called out its name.
GOMBER: Simon! (GRUNTING) You know, Rose never mentioned any of this, either.
She said that her memory was fuzzy because she was drugged.
But what if that's just what Simon does to children? Makes me think it's a dream.
Like the Sandman? What if Simon made us forget? Maybe that's why my memory's in pieces, because of him.
That's where Gomber made his deal.
Deal for what? Money, power, I'm guessing.
In return for the life of a child.
He was mentally unwell.
What makes you think that there was a-a supernatural presence involved? What makes you think that there wasn't? Look.
This was clearly a ritual.
Superstitions and rituals are all evidence of human behaviors, not proof of something inhuman.
Some kind of entity affected my memory the last time I was here.
What affected you was trauma.
What affected me was a voice in the dark.
And I think that's who Moira came to see.
And this theory is based on ? Gomber's letter.
He-he told her what to do.
She linked herself to Simon with blood and now she's completing what Gomber couldn't and kill a child as payment to Simon.
I'm looking for an eight-year-old girl with glasses.
What you just described to me is a 25-year-old man! Why don't you go get your eyes checked instead of offering me inaccurate tips?! But we appreciate your willingness to help.
Thank you.
(WHISPERS): Sorry.
No, it's okay.
We'll try the next one.
You know, I've been meaning to ask you.
I I saw you at Tiffany Hudson's funeral.
Oh.
Y-You were there? Yeah, I was standing in the back.
I noticed my Aunt Diana said something to you, and then you ran off.
Why? GEORGE: Okay.
(PANTING): Thank you.
Thank you.
Hey, what happened? Some friend of a friend of a friend says that Moira Baker's grandparents own an antique shop in Trenton I'm gonna check it out.
George.
My truck's out front.
Where the hell is it? Did you know that Ted gets all A's in school? Even in P.
E.
You know, she's the one Fan sister who's gonna make it out of this town.
I mean, me, I'm obviously stuck here.
And Jesse actually wants to stay here so she can do marine mammal rescue.
And Charlie she has no ambition.
And I say that with affection.
- I mean, you know what it's like with siblings.
- Uh, only child.
Oh.
Lucky you.
Let's go.
I feel sorry for the door that gets in your way.
MCGINNIS: Accessory to kidnapping of a minor means your sentence gets doubled.
Or you could tell me where to find the little girl and Moira Baker.
You help us with that, and maybe we could talk about the possibility of parole.
My conviction will be overturned.
This time it's gonna work.
(GLASS SHATTERS) GEORGE: Ted? Ted? Ted? Are you here? In Gomber's letter, there was a-a a ritual with a knife.
NANCY: Cut your arm and link yourself to Simon with blood.
What happens if we get rid of the blood? Here.
You actually believe this ritual is real? (SIGHS): Well lately I've found belief to be a time-saver.
(DECISIVE PUFFS) (GRUNTS IN PAIN) (SCREAMS) (GRUNTS, GASPS) (GRUNTING IN PAIN) Nick.
(GROANS, SOBS) Are you Moira? Where is my sister!? Where is Ted!? (DEEP, DISTORTED GROWLING) What the hell is that? I think I made him angry.
Tell me where my sister is! (SOBBING): I only wanted to free Nathan.
You are insane.
And I swear, if I find out that anything has happened to Ted, I'm gonna come back here and kill you.
Get in there.
Ted! TED: Yeah? Hey, hey, hey, hey.
How you doing? You all right? Oh, my God.
Ted! Oh! Ted.
Hi.
Ow.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
(PANTING): Are you all right? - Yeah.
- Are you sure? - Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
Thank you.
Can we go now? (SIGHS) Yeah.
(DEEP, DISTORTED RUMBLING AND GROANING) (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): I Who's there? (LOUD GROANING) Simon? (RUMBLING, DEEP VOICE): I will find another child.
He's he's just gonna find another human to bargain with.
He'll just keep victimizing children unless we stop him.
Simon preys on children.
He lulls them to sleep.
He made me forget.
He made me forget! (GRUNTING) Nancy! He made me forget! If I send him away, maybe I'll remember.
(SCREAMS) (RUMBLING ECHOES FADE) (NANCY CRYING) I-I was so scared.
I thought I'd never see you and Mom again.
I thought I was gonna die.
You didn't die.
You saved yourself.
It's over now.
It's over.
I'm here.
I'm here.
(NANCY PANTING) (SOBBING) Moira Baker confessed and she named you as an accessory.
She said you gave her a letter that told her to go to Simon's altar in the warehouse.
Just out of curiosity, how did you know that Simon was back? A few nights ago pain in my scars woke me up.
Because of something shifting.
Something awakening.
Well, he won't be able to hurt anyone ever again.
Because I sent him away.
I wouldn't be so sure of that.
I can still smell him on you.
I'll be seeing him sooner than you think.
Goodbye, Nathan.
(DOOR BUZZES) (LATCH CLICKS) Hey.
How was it? Satisfying.
Mostly.
I'm fine.
For real, this time.
Got a bunch of missed calls from Bess.
Hey, did something happen? Ace woke up from his coma! Yeah, I know, I spoke to the doctor.
She said we can visit him tomorrow.
That's really good news.
I'm gonna make him a vision board to celebrate.
I Zillowed a really cute bungalow out in Seal Cove.
Oh, and Owen says hi.
Uh, tell him I said thank you for putting up the anonymous money for the crowd-source tips.
I don't know what you're talking about, but I will say hi to him for you.
(WHISPERS): It's Nancy.
Okay, I'll speak to you later.
Well, we found Ted, Ace is on the mend, the kidnappers are both locked up and the community came together.
As my uncle used to say, we can enter our homes justified tonight.
- Yeah.
- It's from an old western.
You okay? Um, there is one more thing, now that everything has turned out right.
I want to talk to you about my mother.
Her name is Regina Turani.
But she always told me her maiden name was Marvin.
And that her older brother was called Sebastian.
She had a younger brother, Thaddeus, your father.
And now i-if what my mom says is true, you and I are-are - cousins.
- No offense, Bess, but my uncle Sebastian and my dad didn't have any sisters.
My mom said that was the family story, you know, after she ran off with my father.
I've heard so much about the Marvins.
And-and I came to Horseshoe Bay to find out if I'm one of you.
This might sound crazy but would you consider comparing DNA? (EXHALES) Sure.
- Wait, really? - Yeah.
It's good to know the facts.
Oh, okay, great! Okay, so, all I would need from you is saliva, which I know sounds gross, but I have gloves and sanitizer in the kitchen.
- Okay, one request, though.
- Yeah.
Nothing personal, but families like mine get approached for DNA comparison more often than you might think.
- Okay.
- So, I'd like to have an independent test done on your DNA, too.
Just so we can verify the results.
Yeah, sure.
The more tests, the better.
Okay.
(INSECTS TRILLING) This was in the journal I found today.
Why did she write this to me? When you were in kindergarten, she had her first health scare.
And you could sense something was wrong, because you were you.
And you started asking her questions about death and mortality.
And this was her answer to you.
(QUIET LAUGH) We were running out to get somewhere, and you said, "Mommy, when you go to heaven, what part of heaven will you be in?" And she just blurted out, "The northeast corner".
(LAUGHS) Just so we could get in the car.
And then later when you were half-asleep at bedtime, you asked her if she could draw you a map of the northeast corner of heaven, so that you could find her when you got there.
(PAPER RUFFLING) "When you get to heaven ask them where the northeast corner is KATE: " and you'll see me sitting under a big, green tree on a sunny hill, watching you with a smile, waiting for you to come find me.
No rush, of course.
I love you, always KATE AND CARSON: always, always.
Mom".
(PAPER RUFFLES) I really miss her.
(SNIFFLES) I know.
I'm sorry I had all those walls up.
And I'm sorry that I shut you out.
I'm sorry you felt like you had to.
You don't have to, anymore.
You know that, right? Yeah.
And I'll keep this safe this time.
(BOTH LAUGH) (SNIFFLES) ("WILL IT EVER BE THE SAME" BY YOUNG SUMMER PLAYING) NANCY: Maybe it's okay to let people help.
Falling Underneath Because that leads to a connection, which can lead to revelations.
And we battle and we break it and And closure.
Easy And new beginnings.
Doesn't seem to play And maybe some connections deserve to be held especially close, like a letter, tucked away safe inside the cover of a trusty Hey, have you seen my journal? I left it in my room.
Karen found it in plain sight.
MCGINNIS: It's what helped us get the arrest warrant.
What? CARSON: You had quite the list of evidence against me.
Your notes had us looking into the $50,000 payoff your father received, right after Lucy died.
That's all circumstantial.
MCGINNIS: We also have physical evidence.
Your father's fingerprints were on the knife from Lucy's crime scene.
We checked it against the prints he left on his water glass at the police station today.
Tell them that's a mistake.
Carson Drew, you're under arrest for the murder of Lucy Sable.
- No - You have the right to remain silent You can't be serious.
Why, why are you letting this happen? - right to an attorney - Best thing you can do is just take a step back.
He can explain.
I know he can explain! Don't make it worse! Dad! Tell them you didn't kill her.