Backstrom (2015) s01e12 Episode Script
Corkscrewed
Trippi? cigar smoke that killed him.
The victim had no wallet or I.
D.
First officers on the scene identified him - as Dante Trippi.
- Never heard of him.
Trippi was the guy who you warned to never come near Valentine again.
Remember? You put the thing in his mouth.
And you was like, "I'll kill you.
" You threatened the man who ended up murdered at your doorstep? - Well, that looks good.
- You know Moto.
To him, all white guys look the same.
- It was probably Niedermayer.
- Lieutenant, if you will.
The victim he stood here.
He was shot from here.
Pop now, the bullet pierced his lung, but he kept breathing because the chest is a negative-pressure space, and when the cavity's punc - Niedermayer! - I'm sorry.
The blood pattern shows that he accelerated before going over the railing, which indicates that he was thrown into the water, uh, presumably to finish him off without having to fire an additional shot and attract unwanted attention, but the murderer did not stay to make sure the victim was dead.
Instead, he fled, stumbling over this disposal drum, spraying, uh, antifreeze in a pattern that suggests that he was running quickly.
Well, that rules out the lieutenant as a suspect.
Thank you.
Good point.
Meanwhile, the victim swam all the way around over to here where he managed to climb up this ladder note the diluted blood on the rungs.
Weakened, he crawls along this path before running into you.
So, why was Dante Trippi at your house boat? - Your houseboat.
- What the hell's going on here? I haven't been woken up by this many cops since the police pride parade after party.
You want to know why Trippi came to my boat? To see him.
Trippi? Whoa! That was a fake scream.
Why you looking at me like that? I have not seen Trippi since you broke his jaw! You broke his jaw! If this is even the guy I'm thinking of.
Oh.
Hmm.
Sorry.
Late-night murder investigation.
It's a young man's game.
Speaking of age, you look surprisingly good.
Oh, I could bask in your compliments all day, but I came to give you a heads-up about the Trippi case.
Oh, save it.
Scumbag-on-scumbag murders never get solved.
Well, this one has to.
You got five days.
Because we're on a reality show? No, that's when the civilian-oversight committee meets next, and there are rumors circulating that you broke Trippi's jaw.
That is completely false.
It was broken when I got there.
- And what was Trippi doing at your barge? - I have no idea.
To see Valentine, your brother, who Trippi beat up the night you may or may not have broken his jaw? - I didn't kill him.
- Well, that's beside the point.
Your eyelashes.
- What? - Wow, they're like Like spiders nesting on your face.
What are you talking about? You got stripper shoes on.
You smell like peach cobbler.
You're dating someone.
Okay, you need to focus on yourself right now.
Find the killer before all this blows up and gets you kicked off the S.
C.
U.
Men who like peach cobbler don't like women! What? Get off your lazy asses and go catch the killer.
You did four years for stripping cars.
Trippi didn't do one day for selling them.
So, after your strip joint mysteriously burned down, you took on a new partner Dante Trippi.
Dante Trippi posted your bail After nine of those times, you told 911 that he was gonna kill you.
After you were fired for stealing, you were beaten within an inch of your life in an empty warehouse owned by this man.
You had four years to plan your revenge, then you got it.
I'm on parole.
How am I gonna get a gun? Son, who said anything about Trippi being shot? Lieutenant, I got motive and no alibi.
Nothing ends extortion like a murder.
I got a girl out there who might have killed Dante Trippi, and she definitely scares the hell out of me.
This is useless.
I'm a better suspect than any of these losers.
Oh, God.
Niedermayer, stop miming.
Get down to the port, find some evidence that points at anybody other than me! Out! Whoa! Oh! Okay.
Hey.
Where do you keep your spare gun? It's like the O.
K.
corral over here.
S01E12 Corkscrewed Talk.
Now.
How? I'm still shaking with terror.
See? Well, at least on the inside.
Isn't somebody supposed to be tenderly stroking my hair and promising to avenge m ohh, hmm, speak of the devil.
The bullets fired at Valentine came from the same gun that killed Trippi.
Note the matching striation marks from the rifled barrel.
So, Valentine and Trippi must be connected.
It's not gonna look good at your oversight hearing.
Trippi and I are not connected.
You're lying.
Melodramatic gestures like that might hurt your hand.
Trippi was a big-time fence, and you're nothing but a little low-level Boutique collector.
All Trippi wanted was a piece of your action.
Which piece? Wine.
I'm warning you.
I'm telling you.
Collector-grade wine.
Bottles that sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
- What's the scam? - It's legit.
I resell undervalued bottles I find at estate sales.
Trippi found out about it and took over my business.
How many old ladies with precious unopened bottles of wine can you possibly track down in a month? One? Trippi would never waste his time with that.
Where are you getting your supply from? What difference does it make? Because your collector-grade wine was stolen, and the person you stole it from is very angry.
They killed Trippi, and they're gonna keep trying to kill you until I can work my way up the supply chain and find the murderer.
So, where are you getting your wine? This contact in Washington, but they don't steal it! Well, they're either the killers, or they're dead.
- Who else? - They're the only ones I know of.
Oh, God.
Look, every month, they put a crate on a tugboat.
The tugboat comes down the river.
I unload said crate that's me, by the way I hide it in the woods, and then Trippi's guys pick it up and distribute to their buyers.
- Who are the buyers? - That I sincerely don't know.
Take me to your vineyard guys.
I'll check in with the river supervisor Altano, see what he's found.
- Wait Hank Altano? - Yeah.
He was just in front of the civilian-oversight committee.
Being unfairly framed for what? I don't know 'cause the case is still open, but I heard something about taking bribes.
New plan Niedermayer, take Moto and Valentine.
Find out where these guys are getting their wine from.
You and I we'll talk to the river cop.
I've just got a stop to make first.
I can't tell you anything about Altano.
'Cause you don't have anything on him yet and you're keeping the case open until you do.
Or you've burned your tongue.
Which is it? The river unit's a special group inside the sheriff's office led by an arrogant, self-aggrandizing pig who thinks he's above the rules.
His crew hates and pities him, but they lie to keep him out of trouble.
Sound familiar? I'm sure they don't hate him.
Well, I'm sure he's too blinded by his ego to notice.
That's why guys like him can't see when they've crossed the line.
I see what you're doing.
Very clever, insulting me in that way.
Oh, yeah, I was worried that the comparison might be too subtle.
No, no, no.
Not too subtle at all.
I'm just wondering if you insult your current boyfriend in the same way.
You know, that nordic freak from corrections.
- Everett, don't.
- No.
Not him.
I meant the guy from vice with the hipster mustache - who irons his jeans.
- Stop it.
- Okay? Look, yes, fine.
What's his name? - Geno something? I am seeing someone, but it's no one that you've ever met.
See how good the truth feels? Don't be afraid to use your scary preacher voice.
We're gonna bust this scumbag with God cop, bad cop.
Mr.
Altano.
Taking a quick break before solving your murder? If I have to work on an empty stomach, everyone loses.
Uh-huh.
Just like home.
Yeah, but usually with unorthodox cops, there's an investigative brilliance and an unbroken track record to back it up.
I got the same record as you, detective.
No one outsmarts me on this river, not ever.
Uh-huh, well, hang on to your hoagie, 'cause we think we've unearthed a wine-smuggling operation going on right under your very nose.
You mean Gregory Valentine's? You know about it.
Didn't I just say so? I'm you.
I'm a greasy, greedy river rat.
I won't lift a finger unless I'm getting paid.
Well, if that were true, your boyfriend would have made me rich.
He's my brother.
What? So, that fine piece of harassment, Amy Gazanian, didn't dump you for being gay? No.
Drunk.
Been there.
Ah, I'm just busting your balls.
I look the other way to save you trouble.
You've been overlooking criminal activity because of Backstrom? Sure.
Me and Backstrom are cut from the same cloth.
Uh, no.
Your cloth smells like dead fish.
What matters is we get the job done.
So, whatever happens between you and Valentine and Trippi, I figure you're handling it.
There's nothing going on between me and Trippi.
That's exactly what I'll tell anyone who asks me.
Even your ex.
When we're getting nasty.
You okay.
Hey, hey.
Thank you for your time, officer.
Oh, yeah.
You got a problem there.
I'll get Altano another way.
No, I'm talking about Valentine.
The boy's got to start taking responsibility for his actions.
Yeah, what Valentine does on his own time is his business.
Except getting you kicked off the force for defending him.
Look, if Altano had busted Valentine when he should have, Valentine doesn't work with Trippi, none of this happens.
- That's my brother.
- He's jeopardizing your career and the careers of people you lead.
It doesn't sound too brotherly to me.
Hey, boys.
Anybody home? - Gregory! What a lovely surprise.
- Hey.
- Sorry to drop in unannounced - With cops.
Nonsense.
Since when don't cops like to drink? Come on in.
We've just opened a bottle of our best.
They're not really buyers, boys.
We'll see about that.
Uh, none for me, please.
Not while I'm working, thanks.
That's why we chose this line of work.
Unfortunately, we suck at making wine.
But as dealers, we rock.
How do you guys get such rare wine for so little? Well, sometimes people don't want to wait for auctions or pay the big commissions.
In case you couldn't guess, they're just here to find out about Trippi, so can you just tell them whatever you know? Well, it isn't much.
We never - Even met the guy.
- Even met the guy.
We haven't talked to Trippi since he took over from Valentine even when he asked to double this last order, he had someone else make the call.
- Double? - Two crates.
Impossible, right? We tapped out every contact we had and still barely managed to get it on the boat in time.
This is what Trippi looks like.
And whoever killed him tried to kill Valentine, and we believe that they're trying to kill you, as well.
Why us? Is this wine stolen? No! Absolutely not.
And can you prove that? Of course.
Got receipts, inventory lists, whatever you need.
Bless you.
Sorry, we keep the whole place regulated to cellar standard of 59 degrees.
It's good for the wine.
No, it's not that.
It's the dust.
Ooh.
We probably should clean a bit more often.
If this whole place is cooled to 59 degrees, then why is there condensation on the other side of this glass door? Uh, that's just the extractor.
Moto, hold them.
Okay.
Huh.
That's clever.
Red dust used to sediment.
You won't find that in a week-old box of wine.
What are you implying? Really? - Backstrom.
- Lieutenant, Valentine and Trippi are not dealing with stolen wine.
It's counterfeit! Yeah, the vineyard guys in Washington soak the labels off of vintage bottles, and then they are refilling it with a cheap red wine, and then they are re-labeling and re-corking the bottles.
It's pretty amazing.
How do you want me to proceed? Arrest 'em.
Arrest 'em all, even Valentine.
- Are you sure? - Yes! Arrest him! I swear I had no idea the wine was fake.
Somebody is trying to kill you, and you need to start helping us.
All right.
I may have known the wine was counterfeit.
So what? So, that suggests a whole new motive like one of Trippi's buyers was looking for revenge after being tricked into spending 20 grand on a $2 bottle of wine.
Who was Trippi ripping off? I swear on a stack of holy condoms, I don't know.
All I ever did was pick up the shipment from the boat and I took it to the drop-off spot.
I never saw who picked it up ever! - He's telling the truth.
- Thank you.
Which means I know how to find the buyers.
- How? - You said your wine guys already loaded up the next shipment, right? It's a schedule.
The tugboat should be in today around 4:00.
Great.
So, you pick up the crates like normal.
We wait and catch the killer/buyer at the drop-off.
You think we can trust Valentine? About as much as we can trust Backstrom.
Hey! Hey! Hey, stop! Well, that's not good.
Whoa-ho-ho! Never been on a high-speed boat chase before! Oh, man, I love it! Yeah, I bet you do.
You're bald.
This is the Portland Police.
Cut your engine.
Do I need a lawyer? Now, look, it turns out some of the wine was counterfeit.
I know.
I was just as shocked as you are.
Why didn't you stop back there on your regular route? I heard someone killed Dante Trippi.
So? So, I didn't think it was smart to stop at an isolated jetty where no one could hear me scream.
- You should have texted me.
- You should have texted me.
- Where's the wine? - It's right here.
Um, I was gonna take it back to the Backman brothers.
You know where it's supposed to go? To him.
You know, I give it to Valentine.
And he pays me my cut.
That's all I know.
Mm, no.
Not today, sweetie.
It's evidence now.
Valentine's tugboat captain didn't make the drop, so we didn't track the buyer.
Then it's a good thing I've been watching traffic.
Come see.
So, these cameras are positioned on the only road that goes near the drop-off spot.
And so far, I have spotted one vehicle that passes by within one hour of every drop that Valentine has made.
Hmm.
What's the logo? "PGC"? Find out.
I'll call the lieutenant.
Gentlemen.
It turns out that Mr.
Trippi was selling all of his wine to the Portland governors club.
- Brilliant! - Yeah.
Well, Paquet helped, but thank you.
No, Trippi.
One-stop shopping for a who's who of the rich society people.
Should have thought of it myself.
Yeah, Trippi's a genius And dead.
So, you gonna bust them or what? - No But you are.
- He's not a cop.
He's bait.
But you mean not in a bait way, right? Uh, I kind of do.
You are gonna go to the Portland governors club.
You are gonna bring the missing shipment of wine and lure out the killer.
You want me to waltz in pretending to be the new Trippi to get the guy who killed Trippi to, what, kill me? What better way to catch a murderer than to catch him murdering? You could use my bulletproof vest.
No, Moto, white people don't kill each other inside the club.
They wait till they get outside, where we'll be waiting.
Yeah, waiting to call the ambulance.
You know, we might have caught him already if you hadn't wasted our time with your lies.
So, what, are you punishing me? Don't be paranoid.
No.
It just so happens that putting you in danger coincides with my self-interests, so win-win.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Hi.
Wine delivery.
- Delivery? Since when? Uh, the usual pick up got botched.
Just here to straighten things out.
Elevator's down there.
Go to the third floor.
Thanks.
Third floor.
That's where you'll find my perfect dead body.
And when they lay me on the gurney, preferably by the strong hands a strapping EMT Just remember, Backstrom, you don't always tell me the truth, either.
Our relationship isn't based on truth.
- It's based on trust.
- Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick.
We tell each other what the other needs to know.
And even though I've made many bad choices, I always have your back.
I trust you have mine, too.
And, no, I'm not just saying this because I'm about to walk into a death trap.
But also because of that.
Is that a gun at my head, or are you just happy to see me? Stay exactly where you are.
- He's in trouble.
Let's go.
- Not yet, not yet.
He's got a gun to his head! You're the one who said that he's got to learn some responsibility.
You can't learn if you're dead.
It's easy to underestimate him.
Just just trust me.
Who the hell are you? I'm Gregory Valentine.
Is that supposed to mean something to me? Just that I have your wine.
What do you know about it? I work with Dante Trippi.
Worked with.
And I'm just trying to make things right with his clients.
That's all.
So, if you're not interested, I have plenty of other people who are.
It's a little late to be making threats, don't you Start walking.
We lost him.
Let's go.
I don't want to blow his cover if we don't have to.
Well, police presence ought to be a good distraction.
- Portland P.
D.
- How can I help you? You can start by showing us where you keep the dead hookers.
That's insane.
Then you don't mind if we look around? - Well, no, but I - I'll take that as permission granted.
Okay, all right, listen up.
This is a raid.
Officer Moto, go search for their secret-society sex dungeons.
I'm sorry about this.
I heard about Trippi's murder.
I've been completely freaked out about it ever since.
Ohh.
Well Nobody's Nobody's mad at me, right? Not that I know of.
Okay, good.
Yeah, it's all good.
Thank God.
The fact is, you know what? I'm relieved you're here.
My clients are very demanding.
The last thing I need is my supply drying out.
A Romanée-Conti Pinot 2005.
Hmm.
Oh, yeah.
Uh Listen, this is, uh it's for one crate, right, not two? Oh, uh, I thought you doubled your order.
No no, it's like I told Trippi, one is all I can unload at a time.
Until you produce a warrant, I cannot allow you to take one more step.
I'm going to call the mayor.
He happens to be an esteemed member here.
Say hi from me.
I'd do it myself, but I got to go.
So long, everybody.
Moto, let's go.
- That's the buyer.
- Arthur Towne.
Degrees from Yale, the culinary institute of America, and a sommeliers certification from the court of master sommeliers.
And with his unmatched supply of fine wines, he has single-handedly shaped the PGS into the envy of every wine club in the world.
If they love him that much, they can't know the wine's fake.
- Well, he didn't seem to, either.
- How is that possible? Well, for one, the wine is too valuable to open.
And when it is, without anything to compare it to, very few people can tell the difference between a decent wine and the most exclusive wines on the planet.
So, who was the second crate for? Hmm.
Towne didn't want it.
Trippi is dead.
You didn't even know it existed.
So Who stands to profit from Trippi's murder? Oh, the crook who raced right past us on their way to a rich person's auction.
Tugboat Annie.
Girls can barly drive a car so who let you drive a tugboat? I've worked the rivers since high school.
I started out as a deckhand, made captain by the time I was 25.
So, you weren't smart enough for a high-paying job.
I don't do it for the money.
I love the water, the freedom.
I'm you Crazy enough to think that freedom smells like a dirty, old tugboat, old enough to recognize that I'm gonna die broke.
So for extra money, I transport stolen goods for known criminals, but I want more.
Yes, I run a delivery service, but I had no idea that the wine was stolen or fake.
Sure you did! You killed Trippi, you were gonna run away with his crates, sell them for a fortune, and never look back.
Run away to where? My whole life is this river.
Rich fugitives don't need rivers.
They sip mimosas and get massages by infinity pools.
I don't care about that! I just want to do my job! Wow, you really do love the river.
Yes! Are you deaf?! But Trippi knew the sommelier didn't want an extra case of wine, so why did he order another one from the brothers? He didn't.
I want to talk to a lawyer.
You were transporting goods for someone else, someone who could ruin your life if you didn't cooperate, someone who could take you off the river for good.
Let's make a deal.
- Altano? - Yeah.
- Really? - Yeah.
And we're not the same, Amy.
Okay? I might be a little bit dirty.
This guy is dipped in slime and rolled in rat turds.
Well, no real winners in that comparison, but sure.
Do you have proof? Yeah, Analeigh Kee, tugboat driver, is willing to testify that not only did he turn a blind eye to Trippi's smuggling, he tried to profit off of it, as well.
Threatened to pull her captain's license unless she cooperated.
What, and then he killed Trippi? No.
I wish he's just a parasite, parasites usually don't kill their hosts.
Thank you.
Yeah.
It's pretty great.
Want to celebrate? Get a little dinner? What do you say? I'm famished.
Lieutenant.
Captain Rocha? You looking for me? - Everett, um - Oh, no.
Let me guess.
You're trying to get in on the case 'cause Trippi's, what, You going in there? Huh? Oh.
You're going in there.
Don't talk to Amy like Shut up, Tonto.
You lied to me.
With this guy?! He tried to screw me over with my dad.
How did you do it, Rocha? Huh? Did you get one of your medicine men to make a little Amy doll out of corn husks? I show respect to Amy.
I don't show up drunk and needing a shower.
Yeah, well, your aftershave smells like casinos and federal aid.
- Okay, that's enough.
- You lied to me, Amy! Come on.
Uh-huh.
Son of a bitch! Hello? Hey, you still at the office? Yes, can I help you with something? The contents of Trippi's stomach, specifically if he had any wine? Hold on, I'll pull it up.
Your voice sounds especially annoying.
Is Paquet there? Bonsoir, Backstrom.
I'll have you know that what you're doing is a terrible idea.
Good thing I'm not doing anything.
You're just gonna get bored and leave.
He'll have a breakdown, and you'll have to lie about what you're up to.
And then I'll be stuck with an even worse version of Niedermayer.
I'm still here, sir.
Yes, there was undigested alcohol in his stomach.
Why? Because I found a half-empty bottle of wine at the barge, recently opened, and I never leave a bottle half-empty.
And Valentine doesn't drink wine because of the calories on his hips.
Well, he had to open it for somebody else then.
Exactly.
What else did you find in his stomach? Cracked wheat wafers, havarti cheese, and surprisingly lean beef.
Look at that empty cracker box.
And I've got a fancy cheese-shop paper.
And Styrofoam still wet with meat juice.
The bastard was cooking for him.
So, you think Trippi was in your barge? Yeah, which means that Trippi wasn't killed on his way to see Valentine.
He was killed after he left, which means Valentine was the last person to see him alive.
Don't worry.
I'm safe.
A closeted jock from the gym walked me home.
Terrible kisser.
Why not give him some wine, cheese, and meat? I know where his meat's been.
Not interested.
You lie to me one more time, I swear to God I will leave you locked out of this barge until somebody shoots you.
All right.
I saw Trippi the night he was killed.
Saw? More like seduced, or tried.
What, he rejected you? So, you shot him and took his wallet as a trophy? I may have stolen his wallet, but nobody rejects me, and I definitely didn't kill Trippi.
- Tell that to the judge! - Okay, all right.
Okay Look.
After Trippi took over my wine business, I started looking for other opportunities, right? And I stumbled across cultured meat.
Stop it, Valentine.
Just stop it.
Just listen to me for a second, please.
Go.
In-vitro meat, grown in a test tube, no animals murdered, no grass destroyed.
But the FDA hasn't approved it yet, so the profit margins are ridiculous.
Now, Trippi demands to have a taste of the meat and my operation that's it.
Then he leaves, and I hear a gunshot.
I run out, and I see him being pushed into the water, but the murderer ran off before I could see who it was.
That's why I thought telling you this was pointless.
But the murderer doesn't know what you saw, right? - Right.
- They've been pursuing you because they think you might be a witness! May uh, yeah.
Maybe.
And we didn't know that! Okay?! We have been looking for someone in business with Trippi and you.
All right.
All right! I get it.
More information might have been helpful.
Sorry.
I was just trying to protect you.
No.
No.
You lied because you didn't want to look like an idiot in front of me by making deals with Trippi again.
That's what you want to think? Fine.
Not only did you put our lives in danger, you jeopardized my career and the careers of my team! Not very brotherly of you.
I wasn't making a deal.
You think Trippi makes deals? Trippi blackmails.
What could Trippi possibly blackmail you about that wouldn't turn back around on him?! You! He was blackmailing me with you! Because he has an EMT driver from that night ready to testify that you broke his jaw.
And if I didn't do what Trippi asked, he was gonna destroy you! When I say I'm protecting you, I really am protecting you.
Is that not brotherly enough, you son of a bitch? Stay in the barge.
I got to go catch this killer.
So, we're back to the murderer being anyone, including you.
It was someone Trippi was blackmailing.
They finally broke under the pressure.
Okay, so I'll rearrange the photos and prioritize suspects who were in bad deals with him.
Are you drinking the evidence? Am I? That's $150,000 bottle of fake wine, sir.
Not bad.
For $20,000, I'll give you a sip.
- I must say, I'm curious.
- Oh.
Look, they mix different wines together, and then they add a non-fermentable sugar to improve the taste it can be very effective.
"Drink that wine with a merry heart" Ecclesiastes, chapter 9, verse 7.
Cheers.
- Oh, wow.
That's good.
- That's impressive.
Mnh.
Anyone fooled by this should just kill themselves.
Powerful people being duped don't kill themselves.
Oh It's about blackmail and wine.
I need to speak to the president.
Good evening, lieutenant.
I need to see a warrant.
I came to apologize.
The last time I was here, I was chasing a murderer, but that's no reason for me to act like a boor.
And it may surprise you to know that when I'm not keeping the city safe, I happen to be a little bit of a wine enthusiast.
That would surprise me to no end.
And I couldn't help but notice your extraordinary collection.
With your permission, of course, I'd love to purchase a few bottles, share them with you and with some of your esteemed guests.
It's the least I can do to make up for my behavior.
Uh, which bottles exactly? The best you've got.
What a rare opportunity it is to sample wines of such caliber side by side, don't you think? Rare, indeed, but without sounding indelicate, I should, uh, warn you that such a tasting would run in excess of $250,000.
I'm good for it.
So what do you say? I'd have to be crazy to dine and dash, huh? By all means, lieutenant, and may I invite you to discuss your selections with our brilliant sommelier.
- Arthur? - Arthur.
How can I be of service? Your finest wine, sir, for all my new friends.
Hear, hear! And none of the counterfeit crap.
I'm you.
I'm an ambitious sommelier doing a deal with Trippi fancy wines for cheap.
Then I realize they're counterfeit, and I want out, but he blackmails me.
I need to keep selling them, or he'll expose me to the most connected, powerful egomaniacs in the state.
They'll destroy me.
Is there a particular bottle you'd like to try? As a matter of fact, how about a 2005 Romanée-Conti Pinot Noir, hmm? Excellent choice! And 1945 Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
And a '47 Chateau LaFleur.
Hear! You truly are an aficionado.
Let's see if anyone else here is.
They love what I tell them to.
To Arthur.
To Arthur! I had a bottle of the same wine in Italy last week, and it tasted a lot better than that! Uh, it could be it could be that the, uh that the cork has been compromised.
This Rothschild tastes exactly the same as the Chateau LaFleur.
Now, how's that possible? I distinctly taste some Brandy.
Yeah, well, actually, uh, oftentimes I found this in Arthur Towne's desk 357 Magnum.
But it's loaded with the same .
38 caliber bullets found in the body of Dante Trippi.
Arthur Towne, you're under arrest for forgery I, trafficking forged goods, and murder in the first degree.
Caught my assassin? Yeah.
I was alone with him and his gun.
He must have been waiting to see if I'd recognize him as the killer.
Hey.
We got to make some changes.
I agree.
Can you promise me that you've got nothing else going on that could possibly get me in trouble? Nothing in my barge that could be possibly mistaken for stolen merchandise, hmm? I promise.
Good.
Can you promise to never stick your nose in my business again? Absolutely.
Okay.
Then we're good.
Don't wait up.
I wouldn't dream of it.
Forget your penis? Oh.
It's you.
Taking some time off from skinning pelts? I imagine that Rocha's a pretty lousy hunter considering what a terrible cop he is and you guys are gonna be pretty cold this winter, gonna need a polyester teepee.
You know why I didn't tell you the truth about Rocha? You were lying to protect me.
It's fine.
Everybody's doing it.
I didn't lie to protect you.
I lied to protect me.
Because the less you know, the less urge you have to interfere in my life.
You're just afraid of hearing the truth.
It's you that scares me.
Being around each other is toxic.
It's why I broke up with you and nothing's changed.
Yeah, something's changed.
You're no fun anymore.
Yeah, I'm sure you see it that way.
I think I'm much healthier.
Until I'm around you, and then all my progress disappears.
You know why I wanted to get Altano so badly? Because you're heading down the same road as him.
And I guess I thought deep down that by putting him away, I would somehow release myself from you.
Didn't work.
Know what I think? I think deep, deep down, you don't want to be released from me.
No, because I need to deal with you directly, so here I am asking you in person to please stay out of my life, and I promise I'll do the same.
We'll both be better off.
Great! 'Cause all your psychobabble is giving me a headache.
Excellent.
And you know what? I'm starting to feel released myself.
Good.
About time.
The victim had no wallet or I.
D.
First officers on the scene identified him - as Dante Trippi.
- Never heard of him.
Trippi was the guy who you warned to never come near Valentine again.
Remember? You put the thing in his mouth.
And you was like, "I'll kill you.
" You threatened the man who ended up murdered at your doorstep? - Well, that looks good.
- You know Moto.
To him, all white guys look the same.
- It was probably Niedermayer.
- Lieutenant, if you will.
The victim he stood here.
He was shot from here.
Pop now, the bullet pierced his lung, but he kept breathing because the chest is a negative-pressure space, and when the cavity's punc - Niedermayer! - I'm sorry.
The blood pattern shows that he accelerated before going over the railing, which indicates that he was thrown into the water, uh, presumably to finish him off without having to fire an additional shot and attract unwanted attention, but the murderer did not stay to make sure the victim was dead.
Instead, he fled, stumbling over this disposal drum, spraying, uh, antifreeze in a pattern that suggests that he was running quickly.
Well, that rules out the lieutenant as a suspect.
Thank you.
Good point.
Meanwhile, the victim swam all the way around over to here where he managed to climb up this ladder note the diluted blood on the rungs.
Weakened, he crawls along this path before running into you.
So, why was Dante Trippi at your house boat? - Your houseboat.
- What the hell's going on here? I haven't been woken up by this many cops since the police pride parade after party.
You want to know why Trippi came to my boat? To see him.
Trippi? Whoa! That was a fake scream.
Why you looking at me like that? I have not seen Trippi since you broke his jaw! You broke his jaw! If this is even the guy I'm thinking of.
Oh.
Hmm.
Sorry.
Late-night murder investigation.
It's a young man's game.
Speaking of age, you look surprisingly good.
Oh, I could bask in your compliments all day, but I came to give you a heads-up about the Trippi case.
Oh, save it.
Scumbag-on-scumbag murders never get solved.
Well, this one has to.
You got five days.
Because we're on a reality show? No, that's when the civilian-oversight committee meets next, and there are rumors circulating that you broke Trippi's jaw.
That is completely false.
It was broken when I got there.
- And what was Trippi doing at your barge? - I have no idea.
To see Valentine, your brother, who Trippi beat up the night you may or may not have broken his jaw? - I didn't kill him.
- Well, that's beside the point.
Your eyelashes.
- What? - Wow, they're like Like spiders nesting on your face.
What are you talking about? You got stripper shoes on.
You smell like peach cobbler.
You're dating someone.
Okay, you need to focus on yourself right now.
Find the killer before all this blows up and gets you kicked off the S.
C.
U.
Men who like peach cobbler don't like women! What? Get off your lazy asses and go catch the killer.
You did four years for stripping cars.
Trippi didn't do one day for selling them.
So, after your strip joint mysteriously burned down, you took on a new partner Dante Trippi.
Dante Trippi posted your bail After nine of those times, you told 911 that he was gonna kill you.
After you were fired for stealing, you were beaten within an inch of your life in an empty warehouse owned by this man.
You had four years to plan your revenge, then you got it.
I'm on parole.
How am I gonna get a gun? Son, who said anything about Trippi being shot? Lieutenant, I got motive and no alibi.
Nothing ends extortion like a murder.
I got a girl out there who might have killed Dante Trippi, and she definitely scares the hell out of me.
This is useless.
I'm a better suspect than any of these losers.
Oh, God.
Niedermayer, stop miming.
Get down to the port, find some evidence that points at anybody other than me! Out! Whoa! Oh! Okay.
Hey.
Where do you keep your spare gun? It's like the O.
K.
corral over here.
S01E12 Corkscrewed Talk.
Now.
How? I'm still shaking with terror.
See? Well, at least on the inside.
Isn't somebody supposed to be tenderly stroking my hair and promising to avenge m ohh, hmm, speak of the devil.
The bullets fired at Valentine came from the same gun that killed Trippi.
Note the matching striation marks from the rifled barrel.
So, Valentine and Trippi must be connected.
It's not gonna look good at your oversight hearing.
Trippi and I are not connected.
You're lying.
Melodramatic gestures like that might hurt your hand.
Trippi was a big-time fence, and you're nothing but a little low-level Boutique collector.
All Trippi wanted was a piece of your action.
Which piece? Wine.
I'm warning you.
I'm telling you.
Collector-grade wine.
Bottles that sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
- What's the scam? - It's legit.
I resell undervalued bottles I find at estate sales.
Trippi found out about it and took over my business.
How many old ladies with precious unopened bottles of wine can you possibly track down in a month? One? Trippi would never waste his time with that.
Where are you getting your supply from? What difference does it make? Because your collector-grade wine was stolen, and the person you stole it from is very angry.
They killed Trippi, and they're gonna keep trying to kill you until I can work my way up the supply chain and find the murderer.
So, where are you getting your wine? This contact in Washington, but they don't steal it! Well, they're either the killers, or they're dead.
- Who else? - They're the only ones I know of.
Oh, God.
Look, every month, they put a crate on a tugboat.
The tugboat comes down the river.
I unload said crate that's me, by the way I hide it in the woods, and then Trippi's guys pick it up and distribute to their buyers.
- Who are the buyers? - That I sincerely don't know.
Take me to your vineyard guys.
I'll check in with the river supervisor Altano, see what he's found.
- Wait Hank Altano? - Yeah.
He was just in front of the civilian-oversight committee.
Being unfairly framed for what? I don't know 'cause the case is still open, but I heard something about taking bribes.
New plan Niedermayer, take Moto and Valentine.
Find out where these guys are getting their wine from.
You and I we'll talk to the river cop.
I've just got a stop to make first.
I can't tell you anything about Altano.
'Cause you don't have anything on him yet and you're keeping the case open until you do.
Or you've burned your tongue.
Which is it? The river unit's a special group inside the sheriff's office led by an arrogant, self-aggrandizing pig who thinks he's above the rules.
His crew hates and pities him, but they lie to keep him out of trouble.
Sound familiar? I'm sure they don't hate him.
Well, I'm sure he's too blinded by his ego to notice.
That's why guys like him can't see when they've crossed the line.
I see what you're doing.
Very clever, insulting me in that way.
Oh, yeah, I was worried that the comparison might be too subtle.
No, no, no.
Not too subtle at all.
I'm just wondering if you insult your current boyfriend in the same way.
You know, that nordic freak from corrections.
- Everett, don't.
- No.
Not him.
I meant the guy from vice with the hipster mustache - who irons his jeans.
- Stop it.
- Okay? Look, yes, fine.
What's his name? - Geno something? I am seeing someone, but it's no one that you've ever met.
See how good the truth feels? Don't be afraid to use your scary preacher voice.
We're gonna bust this scumbag with God cop, bad cop.
Mr.
Altano.
Taking a quick break before solving your murder? If I have to work on an empty stomach, everyone loses.
Uh-huh.
Just like home.
Yeah, but usually with unorthodox cops, there's an investigative brilliance and an unbroken track record to back it up.
I got the same record as you, detective.
No one outsmarts me on this river, not ever.
Uh-huh, well, hang on to your hoagie, 'cause we think we've unearthed a wine-smuggling operation going on right under your very nose.
You mean Gregory Valentine's? You know about it.
Didn't I just say so? I'm you.
I'm a greasy, greedy river rat.
I won't lift a finger unless I'm getting paid.
Well, if that were true, your boyfriend would have made me rich.
He's my brother.
What? So, that fine piece of harassment, Amy Gazanian, didn't dump you for being gay? No.
Drunk.
Been there.
Ah, I'm just busting your balls.
I look the other way to save you trouble.
You've been overlooking criminal activity because of Backstrom? Sure.
Me and Backstrom are cut from the same cloth.
Uh, no.
Your cloth smells like dead fish.
What matters is we get the job done.
So, whatever happens between you and Valentine and Trippi, I figure you're handling it.
There's nothing going on between me and Trippi.
That's exactly what I'll tell anyone who asks me.
Even your ex.
When we're getting nasty.
You okay.
Hey, hey.
Thank you for your time, officer.
Oh, yeah.
You got a problem there.
I'll get Altano another way.
No, I'm talking about Valentine.
The boy's got to start taking responsibility for his actions.
Yeah, what Valentine does on his own time is his business.
Except getting you kicked off the force for defending him.
Look, if Altano had busted Valentine when he should have, Valentine doesn't work with Trippi, none of this happens.
- That's my brother.
- He's jeopardizing your career and the careers of people you lead.
It doesn't sound too brotherly to me.
Hey, boys.
Anybody home? - Gregory! What a lovely surprise.
- Hey.
- Sorry to drop in unannounced - With cops.
Nonsense.
Since when don't cops like to drink? Come on in.
We've just opened a bottle of our best.
They're not really buyers, boys.
We'll see about that.
Uh, none for me, please.
Not while I'm working, thanks.
That's why we chose this line of work.
Unfortunately, we suck at making wine.
But as dealers, we rock.
How do you guys get such rare wine for so little? Well, sometimes people don't want to wait for auctions or pay the big commissions.
In case you couldn't guess, they're just here to find out about Trippi, so can you just tell them whatever you know? Well, it isn't much.
We never - Even met the guy.
- Even met the guy.
We haven't talked to Trippi since he took over from Valentine even when he asked to double this last order, he had someone else make the call.
- Double? - Two crates.
Impossible, right? We tapped out every contact we had and still barely managed to get it on the boat in time.
This is what Trippi looks like.
And whoever killed him tried to kill Valentine, and we believe that they're trying to kill you, as well.
Why us? Is this wine stolen? No! Absolutely not.
And can you prove that? Of course.
Got receipts, inventory lists, whatever you need.
Bless you.
Sorry, we keep the whole place regulated to cellar standard of 59 degrees.
It's good for the wine.
No, it's not that.
It's the dust.
Ooh.
We probably should clean a bit more often.
If this whole place is cooled to 59 degrees, then why is there condensation on the other side of this glass door? Uh, that's just the extractor.
Moto, hold them.
Okay.
Huh.
That's clever.
Red dust used to sediment.
You won't find that in a week-old box of wine.
What are you implying? Really? - Backstrom.
- Lieutenant, Valentine and Trippi are not dealing with stolen wine.
It's counterfeit! Yeah, the vineyard guys in Washington soak the labels off of vintage bottles, and then they are refilling it with a cheap red wine, and then they are re-labeling and re-corking the bottles.
It's pretty amazing.
How do you want me to proceed? Arrest 'em.
Arrest 'em all, even Valentine.
- Are you sure? - Yes! Arrest him! I swear I had no idea the wine was fake.
Somebody is trying to kill you, and you need to start helping us.
All right.
I may have known the wine was counterfeit.
So what? So, that suggests a whole new motive like one of Trippi's buyers was looking for revenge after being tricked into spending 20 grand on a $2 bottle of wine.
Who was Trippi ripping off? I swear on a stack of holy condoms, I don't know.
All I ever did was pick up the shipment from the boat and I took it to the drop-off spot.
I never saw who picked it up ever! - He's telling the truth.
- Thank you.
Which means I know how to find the buyers.
- How? - You said your wine guys already loaded up the next shipment, right? It's a schedule.
The tugboat should be in today around 4:00.
Great.
So, you pick up the crates like normal.
We wait and catch the killer/buyer at the drop-off.
You think we can trust Valentine? About as much as we can trust Backstrom.
Hey! Hey! Hey, stop! Well, that's not good.
Whoa-ho-ho! Never been on a high-speed boat chase before! Oh, man, I love it! Yeah, I bet you do.
You're bald.
This is the Portland Police.
Cut your engine.
Do I need a lawyer? Now, look, it turns out some of the wine was counterfeit.
I know.
I was just as shocked as you are.
Why didn't you stop back there on your regular route? I heard someone killed Dante Trippi.
So? So, I didn't think it was smart to stop at an isolated jetty where no one could hear me scream.
- You should have texted me.
- You should have texted me.
- Where's the wine? - It's right here.
Um, I was gonna take it back to the Backman brothers.
You know where it's supposed to go? To him.
You know, I give it to Valentine.
And he pays me my cut.
That's all I know.
Mm, no.
Not today, sweetie.
It's evidence now.
Valentine's tugboat captain didn't make the drop, so we didn't track the buyer.
Then it's a good thing I've been watching traffic.
Come see.
So, these cameras are positioned on the only road that goes near the drop-off spot.
And so far, I have spotted one vehicle that passes by within one hour of every drop that Valentine has made.
Hmm.
What's the logo? "PGC"? Find out.
I'll call the lieutenant.
Gentlemen.
It turns out that Mr.
Trippi was selling all of his wine to the Portland governors club.
- Brilliant! - Yeah.
Well, Paquet helped, but thank you.
No, Trippi.
One-stop shopping for a who's who of the rich society people.
Should have thought of it myself.
Yeah, Trippi's a genius And dead.
So, you gonna bust them or what? - No But you are.
- He's not a cop.
He's bait.
But you mean not in a bait way, right? Uh, I kind of do.
You are gonna go to the Portland governors club.
You are gonna bring the missing shipment of wine and lure out the killer.
You want me to waltz in pretending to be the new Trippi to get the guy who killed Trippi to, what, kill me? What better way to catch a murderer than to catch him murdering? You could use my bulletproof vest.
No, Moto, white people don't kill each other inside the club.
They wait till they get outside, where we'll be waiting.
Yeah, waiting to call the ambulance.
You know, we might have caught him already if you hadn't wasted our time with your lies.
So, what, are you punishing me? Don't be paranoid.
No.
It just so happens that putting you in danger coincides with my self-interests, so win-win.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Hi.
Wine delivery.
- Delivery? Since when? Uh, the usual pick up got botched.
Just here to straighten things out.
Elevator's down there.
Go to the third floor.
Thanks.
Third floor.
That's where you'll find my perfect dead body.
And when they lay me on the gurney, preferably by the strong hands a strapping EMT Just remember, Backstrom, you don't always tell me the truth, either.
Our relationship isn't based on truth.
- It's based on trust.
- Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick.
We tell each other what the other needs to know.
And even though I've made many bad choices, I always have your back.
I trust you have mine, too.
And, no, I'm not just saying this because I'm about to walk into a death trap.
But also because of that.
Is that a gun at my head, or are you just happy to see me? Stay exactly where you are.
- He's in trouble.
Let's go.
- Not yet, not yet.
He's got a gun to his head! You're the one who said that he's got to learn some responsibility.
You can't learn if you're dead.
It's easy to underestimate him.
Just just trust me.
Who the hell are you? I'm Gregory Valentine.
Is that supposed to mean something to me? Just that I have your wine.
What do you know about it? I work with Dante Trippi.
Worked with.
And I'm just trying to make things right with his clients.
That's all.
So, if you're not interested, I have plenty of other people who are.
It's a little late to be making threats, don't you Start walking.
We lost him.
Let's go.
I don't want to blow his cover if we don't have to.
Well, police presence ought to be a good distraction.
- Portland P.
D.
- How can I help you? You can start by showing us where you keep the dead hookers.
That's insane.
Then you don't mind if we look around? - Well, no, but I - I'll take that as permission granted.
Okay, all right, listen up.
This is a raid.
Officer Moto, go search for their secret-society sex dungeons.
I'm sorry about this.
I heard about Trippi's murder.
I've been completely freaked out about it ever since.
Ohh.
Well Nobody's Nobody's mad at me, right? Not that I know of.
Okay, good.
Yeah, it's all good.
Thank God.
The fact is, you know what? I'm relieved you're here.
My clients are very demanding.
The last thing I need is my supply drying out.
A Romanée-Conti Pinot 2005.
Hmm.
Oh, yeah.
Uh Listen, this is, uh it's for one crate, right, not two? Oh, uh, I thought you doubled your order.
No no, it's like I told Trippi, one is all I can unload at a time.
Until you produce a warrant, I cannot allow you to take one more step.
I'm going to call the mayor.
He happens to be an esteemed member here.
Say hi from me.
I'd do it myself, but I got to go.
So long, everybody.
Moto, let's go.
- That's the buyer.
- Arthur Towne.
Degrees from Yale, the culinary institute of America, and a sommeliers certification from the court of master sommeliers.
And with his unmatched supply of fine wines, he has single-handedly shaped the PGS into the envy of every wine club in the world.
If they love him that much, they can't know the wine's fake.
- Well, he didn't seem to, either.
- How is that possible? Well, for one, the wine is too valuable to open.
And when it is, without anything to compare it to, very few people can tell the difference between a decent wine and the most exclusive wines on the planet.
So, who was the second crate for? Hmm.
Towne didn't want it.
Trippi is dead.
You didn't even know it existed.
So Who stands to profit from Trippi's murder? Oh, the crook who raced right past us on their way to a rich person's auction.
Tugboat Annie.
Girls can barly drive a car so who let you drive a tugboat? I've worked the rivers since high school.
I started out as a deckhand, made captain by the time I was 25.
So, you weren't smart enough for a high-paying job.
I don't do it for the money.
I love the water, the freedom.
I'm you Crazy enough to think that freedom smells like a dirty, old tugboat, old enough to recognize that I'm gonna die broke.
So for extra money, I transport stolen goods for known criminals, but I want more.
Yes, I run a delivery service, but I had no idea that the wine was stolen or fake.
Sure you did! You killed Trippi, you were gonna run away with his crates, sell them for a fortune, and never look back.
Run away to where? My whole life is this river.
Rich fugitives don't need rivers.
They sip mimosas and get massages by infinity pools.
I don't care about that! I just want to do my job! Wow, you really do love the river.
Yes! Are you deaf?! But Trippi knew the sommelier didn't want an extra case of wine, so why did he order another one from the brothers? He didn't.
I want to talk to a lawyer.
You were transporting goods for someone else, someone who could ruin your life if you didn't cooperate, someone who could take you off the river for good.
Let's make a deal.
- Altano? - Yeah.
- Really? - Yeah.
And we're not the same, Amy.
Okay? I might be a little bit dirty.
This guy is dipped in slime and rolled in rat turds.
Well, no real winners in that comparison, but sure.
Do you have proof? Yeah, Analeigh Kee, tugboat driver, is willing to testify that not only did he turn a blind eye to Trippi's smuggling, he tried to profit off of it, as well.
Threatened to pull her captain's license unless she cooperated.
What, and then he killed Trippi? No.
I wish he's just a parasite, parasites usually don't kill their hosts.
Thank you.
Yeah.
It's pretty great.
Want to celebrate? Get a little dinner? What do you say? I'm famished.
Lieutenant.
Captain Rocha? You looking for me? - Everett, um - Oh, no.
Let me guess.
You're trying to get in on the case 'cause Trippi's, what, You going in there? Huh? Oh.
You're going in there.
Don't talk to Amy like Shut up, Tonto.
You lied to me.
With this guy?! He tried to screw me over with my dad.
How did you do it, Rocha? Huh? Did you get one of your medicine men to make a little Amy doll out of corn husks? I show respect to Amy.
I don't show up drunk and needing a shower.
Yeah, well, your aftershave smells like casinos and federal aid.
- Okay, that's enough.
- You lied to me, Amy! Come on.
Uh-huh.
Son of a bitch! Hello? Hey, you still at the office? Yes, can I help you with something? The contents of Trippi's stomach, specifically if he had any wine? Hold on, I'll pull it up.
Your voice sounds especially annoying.
Is Paquet there? Bonsoir, Backstrom.
I'll have you know that what you're doing is a terrible idea.
Good thing I'm not doing anything.
You're just gonna get bored and leave.
He'll have a breakdown, and you'll have to lie about what you're up to.
And then I'll be stuck with an even worse version of Niedermayer.
I'm still here, sir.
Yes, there was undigested alcohol in his stomach.
Why? Because I found a half-empty bottle of wine at the barge, recently opened, and I never leave a bottle half-empty.
And Valentine doesn't drink wine because of the calories on his hips.
Well, he had to open it for somebody else then.
Exactly.
What else did you find in his stomach? Cracked wheat wafers, havarti cheese, and surprisingly lean beef.
Look at that empty cracker box.
And I've got a fancy cheese-shop paper.
And Styrofoam still wet with meat juice.
The bastard was cooking for him.
So, you think Trippi was in your barge? Yeah, which means that Trippi wasn't killed on his way to see Valentine.
He was killed after he left, which means Valentine was the last person to see him alive.
Don't worry.
I'm safe.
A closeted jock from the gym walked me home.
Terrible kisser.
Why not give him some wine, cheese, and meat? I know where his meat's been.
Not interested.
You lie to me one more time, I swear to God I will leave you locked out of this barge until somebody shoots you.
All right.
I saw Trippi the night he was killed.
Saw? More like seduced, or tried.
What, he rejected you? So, you shot him and took his wallet as a trophy? I may have stolen his wallet, but nobody rejects me, and I definitely didn't kill Trippi.
- Tell that to the judge! - Okay, all right.
Okay Look.
After Trippi took over my wine business, I started looking for other opportunities, right? And I stumbled across cultured meat.
Stop it, Valentine.
Just stop it.
Just listen to me for a second, please.
Go.
In-vitro meat, grown in a test tube, no animals murdered, no grass destroyed.
But the FDA hasn't approved it yet, so the profit margins are ridiculous.
Now, Trippi demands to have a taste of the meat and my operation that's it.
Then he leaves, and I hear a gunshot.
I run out, and I see him being pushed into the water, but the murderer ran off before I could see who it was.
That's why I thought telling you this was pointless.
But the murderer doesn't know what you saw, right? - Right.
- They've been pursuing you because they think you might be a witness! May uh, yeah.
Maybe.
And we didn't know that! Okay?! We have been looking for someone in business with Trippi and you.
All right.
All right! I get it.
More information might have been helpful.
Sorry.
I was just trying to protect you.
No.
No.
You lied because you didn't want to look like an idiot in front of me by making deals with Trippi again.
That's what you want to think? Fine.
Not only did you put our lives in danger, you jeopardized my career and the careers of my team! Not very brotherly of you.
I wasn't making a deal.
You think Trippi makes deals? Trippi blackmails.
What could Trippi possibly blackmail you about that wouldn't turn back around on him?! You! He was blackmailing me with you! Because he has an EMT driver from that night ready to testify that you broke his jaw.
And if I didn't do what Trippi asked, he was gonna destroy you! When I say I'm protecting you, I really am protecting you.
Is that not brotherly enough, you son of a bitch? Stay in the barge.
I got to go catch this killer.
So, we're back to the murderer being anyone, including you.
It was someone Trippi was blackmailing.
They finally broke under the pressure.
Okay, so I'll rearrange the photos and prioritize suspects who were in bad deals with him.
Are you drinking the evidence? Am I? That's $150,000 bottle of fake wine, sir.
Not bad.
For $20,000, I'll give you a sip.
- I must say, I'm curious.
- Oh.
Look, they mix different wines together, and then they add a non-fermentable sugar to improve the taste it can be very effective.
"Drink that wine with a merry heart" Ecclesiastes, chapter 9, verse 7.
Cheers.
- Oh, wow.
That's good.
- That's impressive.
Mnh.
Anyone fooled by this should just kill themselves.
Powerful people being duped don't kill themselves.
Oh It's about blackmail and wine.
I need to speak to the president.
Good evening, lieutenant.
I need to see a warrant.
I came to apologize.
The last time I was here, I was chasing a murderer, but that's no reason for me to act like a boor.
And it may surprise you to know that when I'm not keeping the city safe, I happen to be a little bit of a wine enthusiast.
That would surprise me to no end.
And I couldn't help but notice your extraordinary collection.
With your permission, of course, I'd love to purchase a few bottles, share them with you and with some of your esteemed guests.
It's the least I can do to make up for my behavior.
Uh, which bottles exactly? The best you've got.
What a rare opportunity it is to sample wines of such caliber side by side, don't you think? Rare, indeed, but without sounding indelicate, I should, uh, warn you that such a tasting would run in excess of $250,000.
I'm good for it.
So what do you say? I'd have to be crazy to dine and dash, huh? By all means, lieutenant, and may I invite you to discuss your selections with our brilliant sommelier.
- Arthur? - Arthur.
How can I be of service? Your finest wine, sir, for all my new friends.
Hear, hear! And none of the counterfeit crap.
I'm you.
I'm an ambitious sommelier doing a deal with Trippi fancy wines for cheap.
Then I realize they're counterfeit, and I want out, but he blackmails me.
I need to keep selling them, or he'll expose me to the most connected, powerful egomaniacs in the state.
They'll destroy me.
Is there a particular bottle you'd like to try? As a matter of fact, how about a 2005 Romanée-Conti Pinot Noir, hmm? Excellent choice! And 1945 Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
And a '47 Chateau LaFleur.
Hear! You truly are an aficionado.
Let's see if anyone else here is.
They love what I tell them to.
To Arthur.
To Arthur! I had a bottle of the same wine in Italy last week, and it tasted a lot better than that! Uh, it could be it could be that the, uh that the cork has been compromised.
This Rothschild tastes exactly the same as the Chateau LaFleur.
Now, how's that possible? I distinctly taste some Brandy.
Yeah, well, actually, uh, oftentimes I found this in Arthur Towne's desk 357 Magnum.
But it's loaded with the same .
38 caliber bullets found in the body of Dante Trippi.
Arthur Towne, you're under arrest for forgery I, trafficking forged goods, and murder in the first degree.
Caught my assassin? Yeah.
I was alone with him and his gun.
He must have been waiting to see if I'd recognize him as the killer.
Hey.
We got to make some changes.
I agree.
Can you promise me that you've got nothing else going on that could possibly get me in trouble? Nothing in my barge that could be possibly mistaken for stolen merchandise, hmm? I promise.
Good.
Can you promise to never stick your nose in my business again? Absolutely.
Okay.
Then we're good.
Don't wait up.
I wouldn't dream of it.
Forget your penis? Oh.
It's you.
Taking some time off from skinning pelts? I imagine that Rocha's a pretty lousy hunter considering what a terrible cop he is and you guys are gonna be pretty cold this winter, gonna need a polyester teepee.
You know why I didn't tell you the truth about Rocha? You were lying to protect me.
It's fine.
Everybody's doing it.
I didn't lie to protect you.
I lied to protect me.
Because the less you know, the less urge you have to interfere in my life.
You're just afraid of hearing the truth.
It's you that scares me.
Being around each other is toxic.
It's why I broke up with you and nothing's changed.
Yeah, something's changed.
You're no fun anymore.
Yeah, I'm sure you see it that way.
I think I'm much healthier.
Until I'm around you, and then all my progress disappears.
You know why I wanted to get Altano so badly? Because you're heading down the same road as him.
And I guess I thought deep down that by putting him away, I would somehow release myself from you.
Didn't work.
Know what I think? I think deep, deep down, you don't want to be released from me.
No, because I need to deal with you directly, so here I am asking you in person to please stay out of my life, and I promise I'll do the same.
We'll both be better off.
Great! 'Cause all your psychobabble is giving me a headache.
Excellent.
And you know what? I'm starting to feel released myself.
Good.
About time.