Stalker (2014) s01e14 Episode Script
My Hero
Ha ha! People are staring.
Well, let them stare.
God, you're incredible.
Dave.
These last 6 months have been the happiest of my life.
Mine, too.
You're the one, Nicole.
Nicole Clark Will you marry me? Yes.
Absolutely, yes.
Ha ha! Oh, no.
I guessed.
I wanted it to be a surprise.
It's OK.
I love it.
I'll have it resized first thing tomorrow.
You should probably hold on to it.
OK.
I love you so much.
I love you, too.
Oh, yeah.
Ha ha ha! That's a good one.
To stand out.
You sure you don't want to get that one? Thanks.
Whoa! Hey! Watch where you're going, pal! I need a oh.
Oh, my God.
He took the ring.
Get the police.
Ugh! Ohh! Ugh! There are no recent charges on Perry's credit card, nothing to indicate where he and Ray went.
They're in Los Angeles.
Are you sure? Yeah.
I know Ray.
He's an obsessive compulsive psychopath.
Once he knew where I was, he'd have to come.
He couldn't help himself.
Then how do we find him? We don't.
He'll make contact when he wants.
And you're OK with that.
No, but I have to be.
In the meantime, I have a life.
Santa Monica PD sent us a young couple, possible stalking incident on the pier this morning.
They're in reception.
I can take it.
Send them to my office.
- No.
We can do it.
- Are you sure? It's OK.
I need to work.
So what makes you think this is more than just a random pick-pocketing? Because for the last 3 weeks there's been a red truck following us on dates, at home, to the store.
We thought we were just being paranoid until we saw the same red truck today the pier.
Did you get a license plate number? No.
I kept trying.
Couldn't make it out.
It did have one of those "Keep Honking, I'm Reloading" bumper stickers.
Those aren't that common.
OK.
Let's say this is stalking.
Stealing the ring indicates that someone's not happy about your engagement.
Can you two think of anyone would wouldn't want you to be together? I mean, no.
We were we were both dating other people when we met.
Neither of our exes took the breakup very well.
In what way? I mean, my ex Stephanie, she kind of had a little bit of a meltdown.
I work at this tech startup, and after I ended it, she e-mailed all of my co-workers, telling them what a jerk I was.
It was it was really embarrassing.
And your ex? How'd he react? He had a hard time letting go.
He was always very possessive, controlling.
If I even looked at another guy, he'd get jealous.
I met him once.
I mean, he was pretty intimidating.
I mean, I wouldn't mess with him.
I know he's not happy about Dave and I dating.
We're gonna need both of their full names.
Miss Beekman, how long did you an Dave Knox date? Dave and I were together for 3 years.
We talked about getting married, starting a family.
So you must have been pretty upset when he ended it.
You could say that.
I mean, one day, we're making plans for our future, and the next day, he's telling me that he met his soul mate.
You sound skeptical.
Just cynical.
Nicole's a lifeguard.
I've seen what she looks like in a bathing suit.
I'd probably choose her over me, too.
And that hasn't made you bitter? No.
I'm not bitter.
I mean, maybe I was 6 months ago, but I got over it.
That's not what Dave says.
All right.
Yes, I wasn't happy.
Yes, I might have expressed it, but who wouldn't? And I'm not saying that I don't regret what I did.
He hurt me, but I got my revenge.
I'm dating a new guy who makes a lot more money than Dave.
And you haven't been following Dave and Nicole around in a red truck? Anyone who knows me knows I wouldn't be caught dead in a truck.
Total gas guzzler.
I prefer to ride my bike everywhere.
Where were you this morning between 10:00 and noon? Asleep in bed.
I'm a night owl.
Can anyone confirm that? Your new boyfriend perhaps? I was alone.
Look.
I know that you don't believe me, but if Dave wants to spend the rest of his life getting skin cancer with little miss "Baywatch," then I'm happy for him.
I'm just glad that I found out how shallow he was before I made a lifelong commitment.
Mr.
Harris, where did you meet Nicole Clark? We work together, Santa Monica's lifeguard division.
I am a Beach Captain, she's a Ocean Lifeguard Specialist.
You're her supervisor? I cover Nicole's beach, check in with her throughout the day.
You never requested reassignment? Why would I? After she dumped you, weren't things a little awkward, seeing her every day at work, knowing she's with someone else? It was hard at first, but it got easier.
I try not to let it get in the way of our work relationship.
But you still love her.
Yeah, I guess.
You don't just stop loving someone.
How do you feel about Nicole and Dave getting married? I didn't know about the engagement until you told me.
I'm happy for her if that's what she wants.
So you're not the least bit jealous? I'm not the jealous type.
That's not what she told us.
She said that you were possessive and controlling.
She did? Mm-hmm.
Well, maybe I came off that way, but I didn't mean to.
I just really cared for her.
Then you must have been pretty angry when Dave stole her from you.
Is it the way I wanted things to turn out? Of course not, but Dave's a good guy, and Nicole deserves someone who would be good to her.
That's awfully forgiving of you.
I just want Nicole to be happy.
Where were you this morning? North headquarters, filling out paperwork.
A dozen people saw me.
I can get you their names.
Jack, you got a minute? Sure.
What's up? Is Ethan OK? Yeah, Ethan's great.
He really loved Saturday.
The movie was a big hit.
It wasn't that good.
He said the same thing, but spending time with you Thanks for letting it happen.
Dinner Friday? Ethan's gonna have some friends and pizza and games, and he'd like to introduce you if you're up for it.
Are you up for it? I'm cautiously optimistic.
Then I'm there.
OK.
I'll let him know.
Thank you.
I don't know if I buy it.
It's got to kill him to see her every day and know she loves someone else.
His alibi checks out.
He was at the lifeguard headquarters all morning.
Stephanie on the other hand has no alibi, and she certainly didn't hide her dislike of Nicole.
But she's not clinging to the past the way a stalker would.
She's moving on with her life.
Eh, so she says.
What if it's neither of them? Dave works in tech, startup.
That's pretty competitive.
Nicole's a lifeguard.
Could make her the target of all sorts of unwanted attention.
Let's take a look into their professional lives, see what we can find.
Ha ha ha! I can't believe you lost the ring, bro.
Smooth move.
I didn't lose the ring, OK? Nicole, you sure you want to marry this schmuck? Positive.
Heh heh.
Ooh! I'm so excited.
We're gonna have a wedding! Is it too early to stress? Never.
Burgers and hot dogs coming up.
Hey.
This is the last beer, so someone's got to make a run.
Pete.
You did drink most of it.
Oh, yeah.
Make the drunk guy drive.
I'll go.
It's always me anyway.
Thanks, honey.
"Thanks, honey.
" You're so whipped.
That attitude is why you'll be single for life, Pete.
What? Hello? Who's that? Pete, is that you? Hey.
What are you doing? No! No! Aah! Aah! No! Ha ha ha! Is somebody screaming? Dave? Come on, guys.
Oh, my God! Dave! Help! Help! Help! No! Dave! Dave! What brings you fellas out here? Our case.
Dave Knox.
As a half-hour ago, it became my case.
Dave Knox didn't make it through the night.
Any eyewitnesses? Jack, this is Robbery Homicide's show now, so why don't you tell me what you know? The case originated with TAU.
We're gonna run lead.
Is this like a power play? Not a power play.
We're invested, and we'd like to see it through, that's all.
Of course, Jack.
It's all yours.
Your witnesses are right over there.
I'll talk to the witnesses.
I want to thank you.
For what? Amanda told me you played a part in me seeing my son.
I grew up without a father, Jack.
Anything I said to Amanda really didn't have anything to do with you.
It was about Ethan.
I know I've been around lately.
Not every guy would be cool with that, so thanks for understanding.
You gonna be there Friday night? Friday? No.
I can't make it.
Crime scene's this way.
I'll walk you over.
Come on.
Did you guys see anything weird, anyone at the party who shouldn't have been there? People were coming and going.
I-I don't know.
I was pretty wasted.
I couldn't keep track of where everybody was.
Did Nicole or Dave have any enemies that you knew of? Dave's a great guy.
They're both good people.
They're the couple everyone wants to be.
I can't think of anyone would do something this awful.
I can't believe it.
It doesn't seem real.
They were so happy.
S.
I.
D.
Found traces of an accelerant in the tunnel.
Evidence points to the ignition source being some kind of zippo-style lighter.
You find the lighter? No.
The intent here wasn't just to kill the victim.
They wanted him to suffer.
You thinking a jealous ex or something? It's personal, definitely revenge.
I'm not sure about the ex.
Well, I'll let you know if anything comes back from forensics on the accelerant.
Thanks, Trent.
What did you find out about Nicole and Dave's professional life? No workplace drama on Dave's side.
It's just like their friends said.
He was well-liked by everyone.
And Nicole? In her 5 years with the lifeguard division, she had an exemplary record, that is until 3 months ago.
A 12-year-old boy Pedro Vasquez drowned on her watch.
The boy's parents brought suit against the city.
What was their claim? Criminal negligence.
They felt Nicole didn't do enough to save their son.
They were asking for a million in damages.
Did they get it? No.
The judge ruled in favor of the city.
Nicole was cleared of any wrong-doing.
That's not the outcome they were hoping for.
After the ruling, the boy's father was quoted in the press as saying, "that lifeguard deserves to suffer the same way we have suffered.
" He lost his son, so he takes someone Nicole loves.
Eye for an eye.
He gave me this on our second date.
We went to the aquarium.
He carried on a whole conversation with a dolphin.
He was always so goofy.
That's what I loved about him.
His, uh his parents are flying out from Michigan.
They don't even know about the engagement yet.
We know this is a difficult time, Nicole, but we need to ask you about Pedro Vasquez.
Pedro? What does he have to do with any of this? We understand his parents blamed you for his death.
That wasn't my fault.
Can you tell us what happened that day? Pedro was playing with his friends.
It was October, our off season.
There were only 100 guards working a whole 40-mile coastline.
That meant that some towers were left empty.
There must have been signs warning people not to swim in those areas.
Pedro and his friends ignored the signs, and there were no parents around to stop them.
Where were his parents? I don't know.
All I know is that Pedro got pulled into a rip current, um, and by the time that one of his friends got to my tower, it was already too late.
You told his parents all of this? What, you don't think that they have anything to do with this? It's something we're exploring.
My supervisors told me that the lawsuit was just a financial grab.
Are they capable of doing something so horrible? No way my boy went swimming in an area without a lifeguard.
He knew better than that.
Are you saying Nicole lied? I don't blame her for covering her own ass.
I blame the judge for not seeing through it.
The system's rigged to favor the pretty white girl.
I know the score.
I've seen it too many times.
Yeah, I get it Juan.
System failed to deliver justice, so you took justice into your own hands.
I had nothing to do with what happened to that lady's fiancee.
We don't wish that on anyone.
But you did, Juan.
You told the press she deserved to suffer.
I was grieving.
I would have said anything if it'd make me feel better.
Where are you last night? Home.
Can your wife confirm it? Me and Isabella, we're not together anymore.
After Pedro, things were never good between us.
I ran background on you, Juan.
You have a record, 3 years in Chino for arson.
I made a stupid mistake when I was a kid.
I served my time.
Makes me wonder, though.
See, our victim was lit on fire.
You have a thing for a fire.
I am not that person anymore.
Having a kid changed me.
Maybe losing him.
Changed you back.
If you're gonna arrest me, then arrest me, but don't come into my place of business and make accusations you can't back up.
Thank you for your time, Mr.
Vasquez.
We'll be in touch if we have any more questions.
What was that? I had him.
We don't know he's our guy.
He has motive, means, and no alibi to speak of.
We have nothing concrete liking him to the crime scene.
It won't be enough for the D.
A.
Fine.
I'll put a unit on him.
We'll wait for him to slip up.
Hey.
I'm just at my tower, packing up my things.
I'll be back at the house in about half an hour.
Thanks, Zo.
You're the best.
Hello? Hey.
Ohh! Mike, what are you doing here? I know you're taking some time off.
I thought you might need some help packing up.
You OK? Did you hear something under the pier? No.
I thought I-I heard someone calling out.
I should check it out.
No, no, no.
You sit tight.
I'll go.
Unh! Mike? Is everything OK? Mike? Mike? Mike? Mike! Mike! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Nicole, whoever did this came here looking for you.
They first came to your lifeguard tower, and then they followed you to the pier, where they knew you'd be vulnerable.
Mike just got in the way.
Do you remember anything about the attack? Nothing, not until I was pulling him out of the water.
I didn't see the attacker.
They must have come up behind me and hit me with something.
Can you identify the weapon? No.
Maybe a piece of driftwood.
They wash up all the time.
Just wondering why the injury to the front of your head when you were hit from behind.
Are you accusing me of something.
No.
I'm just asking.
I heard a noise behind me, I turn around, and whack.
Why were you out here at all? I wanted Nicole to know I'm here for her if she needs me.
Is that a security camera? No.
It's a weather camera for the surfers to check the A.
M.
break on the city web site.
- 24/7? - Yes.
Is it a live feed, or is it recording? I don't know.
I'm not in charge of the weather cameras.
Who is? The city, I guess.
Got anything? I had to search through hours of footage to find this.
I've zoomed in.
- A red truck.
- Does it match the description Dave and Nicole gave? Same bumper sticker.
It arrives an hour before the attack and leaves two hours later.
Can you see who's driving? It's the wrong angle.
You can't really see anyone entering or exiting the vehicle.
Zoom in on the license plate.
Truck is registered to Isabella Vasquez.
That's Juan Vasquez's ex-wife.
You think I attacked those people? I've never hurt anyone in my life.
Your truck, your license plate, Nicole Clark's beach.
It's not looking good, Mrs.
Vasquez.
That's employee parking by the pier.
I work as a manager at one of the gift shops.
So you were working at the time? That's right.
We spoke to your shop.
They said you took the day off yesterday.
According to the owner, you've been calling in sick a lot lately.
We know you've been following Nicole and Dave.
Would you care to change your statement? Sometimes, I sit in my truck and stare at her in her lifeguard tower.
I didn't hurt anyone.
I just watched.
You followed her home and other places.
I wanted to see her and her life.
I had to know if she was happy.
She doesn't deserve to be.
Is that all? No.
I want proof that she's not good at her job.
They told me Pedro's death was an accident, but I know that girl wasn't watching.
She wasn't paying attention, and my son died.
Nicole told us that Pedro was with his friends that day.
Pedro came to work with me.
We couldn't always afford after-school care.
I told him to go play with his friends while I worked.
I told him to stay by the lifeguard tower.
He was a good boy.
He always listened to me.
It's completely understandable that you'd want to blame someone for what happened.
It was her fault.
I know it was.
Pedro was a good boy.
It shouldn't have happened to him.
That's almost a confession.
She blames Nicole, and this is how she's gonna make the girl suffer.
Sounds more like she's projecting her own guilt onto Nicole.
That woman ultimately blames herself.
You saw that.
I saw a woman that was angry, who we can place at the scene of the crime.
Motive, opportunity.
We can charge her.
It won't stick, Trent.
Charge her, and I'll build a case.
I'm sorry, Trent.
I got to go with Jack on this one.
This is all circumstantial.
Seriously? I can support a search warrant on her house.
Write it up, and we can file it today.
I can't believe this.
We'll write the warrant, we'll search the house and see if we can come up with something more concrete.
No short cuts on this one.
Find me some real evidence.
What was that about? You think I'm wrong about the case? I didn't say that.
You should have had my back in there.
I do have your back.
You're rushing an investigation.
What is wrong? Nothing.
I know you, Trent.
This is about Jack.
What's going on Friday night? Ethan is having friends over to meet Jack.
How did you know? Jack invited me.
Well, great.
I was gonna tell you.
We had plans Friday night.
I'm sorry.
I completely forgot.
So should we try not watching something else? I'm sorry.
I'm just so scattered.
It's OK.
You're allowed to be.
It's late.
I should probably try not sleeping for a while.
OK.
I'll just chill here on my couch fort.
I appreciate the company, Zo.
Come here.
We'll get through this, OK? We're all OK here? Yeah.
Don't worry about me.
Nicole.
Zoe! Zoe! Zoe! Aah! Aah! What is it? What happened? There's somebody in my bedroom.
Call 911.
There's a pillow and a blanket and a bunch of fast food wrappers.
They cut a hole in the floor and the cabinet.
Someone's been living in the crawlspace under the house? Creepy.
This doesn't seem like revenge stalking.
This person wanted to be close to Nicole, watch her shower, see her naked, that kind of thing.
Yeah.
Implies a romantic obsession.
Have S.
I.
D.
Collect everything, get it back to forensics for testing.
Will do.
Someone was under my house, watching me? For how long? It looks like they've been there a while, weeks maybe.
That is seriously messed up.
Did either of you see anything that could help us identify anyone? No.
I heard someone call my name, and I took off.
I wasn't about to stick around and see who it was.
What about you, Zoe? No.
I was in the living room, and I heard Nicole scream, and the next thing I knew, she's coming down the hallway, and then we just got outside and waited for the police.
All right.
It's unlikely they'll come back, but I'm gonna put a unit outside anyway.
I can't stay here, not after what happened.
I don't feel safe.
Do you have someplace you can go? You can stay with me as long as you need.
I don't want to put you in danger, Zo.
No, no.
It's OK.
You'll put police outside, right? I can arrange that, yeah.
Beth.
Excuse me.
S.
I.
D.
Found this in the crawlspace.
M.
H.
? Mike Harris, Nicole's ex.
Gotcha, Mike.
You used that to set the fire that killed Dave Knox.
There's been a big mistake.
I didn't kill anyone.
It's got your initials on it.
We found it in your little love nest under Nicole's house.
I don't know what you're talking about.
The lighter's mine, I'll admit that.
It was a gift from my dad, but I quit smoking years ago.
Oh.
So you found a new use for it.
No.
I keep it in my desk at the headquarters.
Somebody must have stolen it.
I'm being set up.
Why would I leave the lighter there? It makes no sense.
That's what happens, Mike.
People slip up in a moment.
Killing somebody takes a toll.
You panic, you make mistakes.
But why would I do it? Dave was a good guy, Nicole loved him.
Look.
My job is to save people.
I could never take somebody's life.
You were jealous of Dave.
He stole your girl, so you killed him, and then you faked that little attack under the pier to get Nicole's sympathy.
You're wrong.
And now you are looking at a first-degree murder charge.
I want a lawyer.
Yeah.
That that sounds like a good idea.
He's right.
The lighter is too obvious.
It's called evidence, Jack.
We found it, we got him.
But we didn't find it.
We were led to it.
Why would he attack Nicole in her house now? There were plenty of opportunities when she was alone, unprotected.
Why risk it? Because they knew we'd find the crawlspace and the lighter.
This was planned and calculated.
You are giving this killer way too much credit, Jack.
Come on.
I thought you were a homicide detective in a previous life.
What's going on? I thought we were working well together.
Yeah? Well, everyone has a threshold.
Forensics sent over the items pulled from the crawlspace.
No useable prints or DNA.
It's mostly trash, but there are photos of Nicole in her lifeguard uniform and newspaper clippings about her rescues.
"Santa Monica lifeguard saves drowning children," "lifeguard rescues drowning man from dangerous riptide.
" Looks like hero worship.
And we're attracted to heroes because we see them as the embodiment of our undeveloped potential.
Freud called it the ego ideal.
So more than likely, we're looking for someone with low self-esteem.
Mike doesn't fit the profile.
He's confident.
I mean, he's a hero himself.
No.
This is someone who's seen Nicole on the job.
They may have even been rescued by her.
All right.
Contact lifeguard headquarters.
Let's get a record of everyone Nicole's ever saved.
Wait.
I have it.
My contact at the lifeguard division gave me access to their secure database.
They keep a record of every rescue.
There's a medical component.
It'll even have the victim's name and address.
How many rescues has Nicole been a part of? Uh, in the last 5 years Janice, back up.
Back, back.
What is it? Zoe Parsons.
Nicole's best friend.
According to this, Nicole saved Zoe after she jumped off the Santa Monica pier.
Could she be? She was at the party at the beach.
She had access to the tunnel.
Yeah, but she was in the living room during last night's attack.
How could she be in two places at once? The distance from the bathroom to the bedroom is shorter from the outside than from the inside.
Wait.
Did she have enough time? Yeah.
She scares Nicole here and has plenty of time to crawl out from under the house and into the living room.
Where Nicole found her like she'd been there the whole time.
She had it all planned.
She was leading us to Mike Harris' lighter.
Nicole's with Zoe now.
Alert the unit outside of Zoe's house.
Send backup.
Thanks for taking me out, Zo.
I needed some fresh air.
Now's no time to be cooped up all alone.
When's your family coming to town? Um, my mom flew out this morning, and my dad gets here tomorrow.
Australia is a long way.
I can't believe that this is happening.
How is this happening? I'll take care of you, OK? You saved me.
Now it's time for me to save you.
I don't know what I'd do without you, Zoe.
You're a good friend.
I love you.
Oh.
We should go.
I left my cell in the car.
Dave's sister's been trying to reach me.
I have to start dealing with this.
Wait.
No, Nicole.
I mean, I-I love you.
Ever since the day you rescued me, I I felt like we had something, you know? I felt Our connection.
Nobody's ever given a damn about me.
For the first time, I felt like I had a-a reason to be here.
It's to be with you.
Zoe, what are you doing? I went with Dave to pick out your engagement ring.
I knew it was the wrong size, but he wouldn't listen.
It was all wrong anyway.
You're more of a vintage girl.
Zo, don't.
I know.
I'm sorry.
My timing sucks.
Zoe, we're just friends.
That's all we'll ever be.
It was you.
Ohh! - They're not at Zoe's place.
- Where's security? We had a unit on the street, but they weren't notified the girls were leaving.
Nicole's not answering her cell.
We put out a BOLO on Zoe Parsons.
We've got every cop in the area searching for her.
What if this is more than just hero worship? What do you mean? It's similar to the Florence Nightingale effect where the patient falls in love with the caregiver, only in this case maybe Zoe fell in love with the woman who saved her life.
And Dave's proposal made Zoe realize she had to get rid of him.
So she snuck away from the bonfire, attacked him in the tunnel.
And used Mike Harris' lighter to frame him because she knew that Mike still loved Nicole.
It all makes sense except for one thing.
If Zoe loves Nicole, why scare her under the pier? So Nicole would come to her, seeking emotional support except Zoe didn't count Mike showing up and ruining the moment.
With the police involved, she's gonna act fast.
Where would she take her? Where would you take someone to profess your love? I would take her to the place where we first met.
The pier.
She saved her at the pier.
Ohh! Unh! Zoe, don't.
You know, all I ever wanted was for us to be together.
Zoe, please just let me go.
It was all for you, Nicole.
You killed Dave.
Look.
I know that that it's hard for you to hear this, but I did it for you, for us.
Zoe, no.
It's OK now because we're together, and now we can be together forever.
What are you talking about? Because we're gonna jump together.
Come on.
Nicole, come back here.
Lock it down.
Check the parking lot.
Set up a perimeter.
Nobody gets off the pier unless I say.
Yes, ma'am.
Come on.
You heard her.
Let's go.
Come on, Nicole.
You go first.
Come on, Nicole! Come on.
Unh! Get away from me! Stay away! Stay away from me.
Zoe, don't! Zoe, come on down.
Let's talk about this.
No.
There's nothing to talk about.
Zoe, just let them help you.
No.
I have to do this.
No because then then you can save me, you know, like you did before, and and we can start over.
That's not how this works.
Yes, it is! Just let me help you now.
Just please come come down from there.
Can you forgive me? Yes.
Just please don't make me hurt anymore.
I can't lose you, too.
No! Ohh! No! Let go of me! Nicole! Nicole! I love you, Nicole! I love you! The arresting officer found this on Zoe.
I believe it belongs to you.
Thank you.
I'm so sorry.
Nice job today, guys.
I'll meet you back at the house? You don't have to keep switching off.
I know you guys have lives.
Go live them.
I'm not missing anything, and we're happy to hang.
Thank you.
I appreciate it, but I have a Uni outside my house.
I'll be fine.
We know that.
Not the point.
Go home.
Get some sleep.
I'll see you in the morning.
Do we buy it? Maybe we're smothering her.
Do we let it ride? She's the boss.
Trent.
Coming by tonight? I don't think that's a good idea.
Why not? Amanda You know, what we do here, our work, it's really complicated, and life is complicated, but when I go home, things have to simplify, they have to get easier.
They can't always be easy, Trent.
I know they can't always be easier, but they have to be honest.
I know that Jack showing up has made things very difficult, but I have tried to be honest with you, Trent.
I know.
You have tried.
You're not quite there yet, though, with yourself.
We both know what I'm talking about here.
Trent, don't look.
I know Jack is Ethan's father, and and I get it.
It's not even about that.
Things are getting too complicated here, Amanda.
So I'm gonna sit this out for now.
Everything OK? Yeah.
You know, before I screwed everything up, you and I were good friends.
I remember.
So if you need to talk Thank you.
I'm fine.
Good night, Jack.
Good night.
Hey, Jack.
What's up? Can I come in? Oh, yeah.
I was just doing the dishes.
I said back at the office that I was fine.
You're fine, and you're good, and you appreciate what we're doing.
I know.
I got it.
Just stop all that.
I'm here now, and I just I just needed some company tonight, and I brought food.
We got sweet, we got something salty, something sweet and salty, and look at this.
Movies.
You want to watch a movie? - Jack.
- What? Nothing.
Well, let them stare.
God, you're incredible.
Dave.
These last 6 months have been the happiest of my life.
Mine, too.
You're the one, Nicole.
Nicole Clark Will you marry me? Yes.
Absolutely, yes.
Ha ha! Oh, no.
I guessed.
I wanted it to be a surprise.
It's OK.
I love it.
I'll have it resized first thing tomorrow.
You should probably hold on to it.
OK.
I love you so much.
I love you, too.
Oh, yeah.
Ha ha ha! That's a good one.
To stand out.
You sure you don't want to get that one? Thanks.
Whoa! Hey! Watch where you're going, pal! I need a oh.
Oh, my God.
He took the ring.
Get the police.
Ugh! Ohh! Ugh! There are no recent charges on Perry's credit card, nothing to indicate where he and Ray went.
They're in Los Angeles.
Are you sure? Yeah.
I know Ray.
He's an obsessive compulsive psychopath.
Once he knew where I was, he'd have to come.
He couldn't help himself.
Then how do we find him? We don't.
He'll make contact when he wants.
And you're OK with that.
No, but I have to be.
In the meantime, I have a life.
Santa Monica PD sent us a young couple, possible stalking incident on the pier this morning.
They're in reception.
I can take it.
Send them to my office.
- No.
We can do it.
- Are you sure? It's OK.
I need to work.
So what makes you think this is more than just a random pick-pocketing? Because for the last 3 weeks there's been a red truck following us on dates, at home, to the store.
We thought we were just being paranoid until we saw the same red truck today the pier.
Did you get a license plate number? No.
I kept trying.
Couldn't make it out.
It did have one of those "Keep Honking, I'm Reloading" bumper stickers.
Those aren't that common.
OK.
Let's say this is stalking.
Stealing the ring indicates that someone's not happy about your engagement.
Can you two think of anyone would wouldn't want you to be together? I mean, no.
We were we were both dating other people when we met.
Neither of our exes took the breakup very well.
In what way? I mean, my ex Stephanie, she kind of had a little bit of a meltdown.
I work at this tech startup, and after I ended it, she e-mailed all of my co-workers, telling them what a jerk I was.
It was it was really embarrassing.
And your ex? How'd he react? He had a hard time letting go.
He was always very possessive, controlling.
If I even looked at another guy, he'd get jealous.
I met him once.
I mean, he was pretty intimidating.
I mean, I wouldn't mess with him.
I know he's not happy about Dave and I dating.
We're gonna need both of their full names.
Miss Beekman, how long did you an Dave Knox date? Dave and I were together for 3 years.
We talked about getting married, starting a family.
So you must have been pretty upset when he ended it.
You could say that.
I mean, one day, we're making plans for our future, and the next day, he's telling me that he met his soul mate.
You sound skeptical.
Just cynical.
Nicole's a lifeguard.
I've seen what she looks like in a bathing suit.
I'd probably choose her over me, too.
And that hasn't made you bitter? No.
I'm not bitter.
I mean, maybe I was 6 months ago, but I got over it.
That's not what Dave says.
All right.
Yes, I wasn't happy.
Yes, I might have expressed it, but who wouldn't? And I'm not saying that I don't regret what I did.
He hurt me, but I got my revenge.
I'm dating a new guy who makes a lot more money than Dave.
And you haven't been following Dave and Nicole around in a red truck? Anyone who knows me knows I wouldn't be caught dead in a truck.
Total gas guzzler.
I prefer to ride my bike everywhere.
Where were you this morning between 10:00 and noon? Asleep in bed.
I'm a night owl.
Can anyone confirm that? Your new boyfriend perhaps? I was alone.
Look.
I know that you don't believe me, but if Dave wants to spend the rest of his life getting skin cancer with little miss "Baywatch," then I'm happy for him.
I'm just glad that I found out how shallow he was before I made a lifelong commitment.
Mr.
Harris, where did you meet Nicole Clark? We work together, Santa Monica's lifeguard division.
I am a Beach Captain, she's a Ocean Lifeguard Specialist.
You're her supervisor? I cover Nicole's beach, check in with her throughout the day.
You never requested reassignment? Why would I? After she dumped you, weren't things a little awkward, seeing her every day at work, knowing she's with someone else? It was hard at first, but it got easier.
I try not to let it get in the way of our work relationship.
But you still love her.
Yeah, I guess.
You don't just stop loving someone.
How do you feel about Nicole and Dave getting married? I didn't know about the engagement until you told me.
I'm happy for her if that's what she wants.
So you're not the least bit jealous? I'm not the jealous type.
That's not what she told us.
She said that you were possessive and controlling.
She did? Mm-hmm.
Well, maybe I came off that way, but I didn't mean to.
I just really cared for her.
Then you must have been pretty angry when Dave stole her from you.
Is it the way I wanted things to turn out? Of course not, but Dave's a good guy, and Nicole deserves someone who would be good to her.
That's awfully forgiving of you.
I just want Nicole to be happy.
Where were you this morning? North headquarters, filling out paperwork.
A dozen people saw me.
I can get you their names.
Jack, you got a minute? Sure.
What's up? Is Ethan OK? Yeah, Ethan's great.
He really loved Saturday.
The movie was a big hit.
It wasn't that good.
He said the same thing, but spending time with you Thanks for letting it happen.
Dinner Friday? Ethan's gonna have some friends and pizza and games, and he'd like to introduce you if you're up for it.
Are you up for it? I'm cautiously optimistic.
Then I'm there.
OK.
I'll let him know.
Thank you.
I don't know if I buy it.
It's got to kill him to see her every day and know she loves someone else.
His alibi checks out.
He was at the lifeguard headquarters all morning.
Stephanie on the other hand has no alibi, and she certainly didn't hide her dislike of Nicole.
But she's not clinging to the past the way a stalker would.
She's moving on with her life.
Eh, so she says.
What if it's neither of them? Dave works in tech, startup.
That's pretty competitive.
Nicole's a lifeguard.
Could make her the target of all sorts of unwanted attention.
Let's take a look into their professional lives, see what we can find.
Ha ha ha! I can't believe you lost the ring, bro.
Smooth move.
I didn't lose the ring, OK? Nicole, you sure you want to marry this schmuck? Positive.
Heh heh.
Ooh! I'm so excited.
We're gonna have a wedding! Is it too early to stress? Never.
Burgers and hot dogs coming up.
Hey.
This is the last beer, so someone's got to make a run.
Pete.
You did drink most of it.
Oh, yeah.
Make the drunk guy drive.
I'll go.
It's always me anyway.
Thanks, honey.
"Thanks, honey.
" You're so whipped.
That attitude is why you'll be single for life, Pete.
What? Hello? Who's that? Pete, is that you? Hey.
What are you doing? No! No! Aah! Aah! No! Ha ha ha! Is somebody screaming? Dave? Come on, guys.
Oh, my God! Dave! Help! Help! Help! No! Dave! Dave! What brings you fellas out here? Our case.
Dave Knox.
As a half-hour ago, it became my case.
Dave Knox didn't make it through the night.
Any eyewitnesses? Jack, this is Robbery Homicide's show now, so why don't you tell me what you know? The case originated with TAU.
We're gonna run lead.
Is this like a power play? Not a power play.
We're invested, and we'd like to see it through, that's all.
Of course, Jack.
It's all yours.
Your witnesses are right over there.
I'll talk to the witnesses.
I want to thank you.
For what? Amanda told me you played a part in me seeing my son.
I grew up without a father, Jack.
Anything I said to Amanda really didn't have anything to do with you.
It was about Ethan.
I know I've been around lately.
Not every guy would be cool with that, so thanks for understanding.
You gonna be there Friday night? Friday? No.
I can't make it.
Crime scene's this way.
I'll walk you over.
Come on.
Did you guys see anything weird, anyone at the party who shouldn't have been there? People were coming and going.
I-I don't know.
I was pretty wasted.
I couldn't keep track of where everybody was.
Did Nicole or Dave have any enemies that you knew of? Dave's a great guy.
They're both good people.
They're the couple everyone wants to be.
I can't think of anyone would do something this awful.
I can't believe it.
It doesn't seem real.
They were so happy.
S.
I.
D.
Found traces of an accelerant in the tunnel.
Evidence points to the ignition source being some kind of zippo-style lighter.
You find the lighter? No.
The intent here wasn't just to kill the victim.
They wanted him to suffer.
You thinking a jealous ex or something? It's personal, definitely revenge.
I'm not sure about the ex.
Well, I'll let you know if anything comes back from forensics on the accelerant.
Thanks, Trent.
What did you find out about Nicole and Dave's professional life? No workplace drama on Dave's side.
It's just like their friends said.
He was well-liked by everyone.
And Nicole? In her 5 years with the lifeguard division, she had an exemplary record, that is until 3 months ago.
A 12-year-old boy Pedro Vasquez drowned on her watch.
The boy's parents brought suit against the city.
What was their claim? Criminal negligence.
They felt Nicole didn't do enough to save their son.
They were asking for a million in damages.
Did they get it? No.
The judge ruled in favor of the city.
Nicole was cleared of any wrong-doing.
That's not the outcome they were hoping for.
After the ruling, the boy's father was quoted in the press as saying, "that lifeguard deserves to suffer the same way we have suffered.
" He lost his son, so he takes someone Nicole loves.
Eye for an eye.
He gave me this on our second date.
We went to the aquarium.
He carried on a whole conversation with a dolphin.
He was always so goofy.
That's what I loved about him.
His, uh his parents are flying out from Michigan.
They don't even know about the engagement yet.
We know this is a difficult time, Nicole, but we need to ask you about Pedro Vasquez.
Pedro? What does he have to do with any of this? We understand his parents blamed you for his death.
That wasn't my fault.
Can you tell us what happened that day? Pedro was playing with his friends.
It was October, our off season.
There were only 100 guards working a whole 40-mile coastline.
That meant that some towers were left empty.
There must have been signs warning people not to swim in those areas.
Pedro and his friends ignored the signs, and there were no parents around to stop them.
Where were his parents? I don't know.
All I know is that Pedro got pulled into a rip current, um, and by the time that one of his friends got to my tower, it was already too late.
You told his parents all of this? What, you don't think that they have anything to do with this? It's something we're exploring.
My supervisors told me that the lawsuit was just a financial grab.
Are they capable of doing something so horrible? No way my boy went swimming in an area without a lifeguard.
He knew better than that.
Are you saying Nicole lied? I don't blame her for covering her own ass.
I blame the judge for not seeing through it.
The system's rigged to favor the pretty white girl.
I know the score.
I've seen it too many times.
Yeah, I get it Juan.
System failed to deliver justice, so you took justice into your own hands.
I had nothing to do with what happened to that lady's fiancee.
We don't wish that on anyone.
But you did, Juan.
You told the press she deserved to suffer.
I was grieving.
I would have said anything if it'd make me feel better.
Where are you last night? Home.
Can your wife confirm it? Me and Isabella, we're not together anymore.
After Pedro, things were never good between us.
I ran background on you, Juan.
You have a record, 3 years in Chino for arson.
I made a stupid mistake when I was a kid.
I served my time.
Makes me wonder, though.
See, our victim was lit on fire.
You have a thing for a fire.
I am not that person anymore.
Having a kid changed me.
Maybe losing him.
Changed you back.
If you're gonna arrest me, then arrest me, but don't come into my place of business and make accusations you can't back up.
Thank you for your time, Mr.
Vasquez.
We'll be in touch if we have any more questions.
What was that? I had him.
We don't know he's our guy.
He has motive, means, and no alibi to speak of.
We have nothing concrete liking him to the crime scene.
It won't be enough for the D.
A.
Fine.
I'll put a unit on him.
We'll wait for him to slip up.
Hey.
I'm just at my tower, packing up my things.
I'll be back at the house in about half an hour.
Thanks, Zo.
You're the best.
Hello? Hey.
Ohh! Mike, what are you doing here? I know you're taking some time off.
I thought you might need some help packing up.
You OK? Did you hear something under the pier? No.
I thought I-I heard someone calling out.
I should check it out.
No, no, no.
You sit tight.
I'll go.
Unh! Mike? Is everything OK? Mike? Mike? Mike? Mike! Mike! Help! Help! Help! Help! Help! Nicole, whoever did this came here looking for you.
They first came to your lifeguard tower, and then they followed you to the pier, where they knew you'd be vulnerable.
Mike just got in the way.
Do you remember anything about the attack? Nothing, not until I was pulling him out of the water.
I didn't see the attacker.
They must have come up behind me and hit me with something.
Can you identify the weapon? No.
Maybe a piece of driftwood.
They wash up all the time.
Just wondering why the injury to the front of your head when you were hit from behind.
Are you accusing me of something.
No.
I'm just asking.
I heard a noise behind me, I turn around, and whack.
Why were you out here at all? I wanted Nicole to know I'm here for her if she needs me.
Is that a security camera? No.
It's a weather camera for the surfers to check the A.
M.
break on the city web site.
- 24/7? - Yes.
Is it a live feed, or is it recording? I don't know.
I'm not in charge of the weather cameras.
Who is? The city, I guess.
Got anything? I had to search through hours of footage to find this.
I've zoomed in.
- A red truck.
- Does it match the description Dave and Nicole gave? Same bumper sticker.
It arrives an hour before the attack and leaves two hours later.
Can you see who's driving? It's the wrong angle.
You can't really see anyone entering or exiting the vehicle.
Zoom in on the license plate.
Truck is registered to Isabella Vasquez.
That's Juan Vasquez's ex-wife.
You think I attacked those people? I've never hurt anyone in my life.
Your truck, your license plate, Nicole Clark's beach.
It's not looking good, Mrs.
Vasquez.
That's employee parking by the pier.
I work as a manager at one of the gift shops.
So you were working at the time? That's right.
We spoke to your shop.
They said you took the day off yesterday.
According to the owner, you've been calling in sick a lot lately.
We know you've been following Nicole and Dave.
Would you care to change your statement? Sometimes, I sit in my truck and stare at her in her lifeguard tower.
I didn't hurt anyone.
I just watched.
You followed her home and other places.
I wanted to see her and her life.
I had to know if she was happy.
She doesn't deserve to be.
Is that all? No.
I want proof that she's not good at her job.
They told me Pedro's death was an accident, but I know that girl wasn't watching.
She wasn't paying attention, and my son died.
Nicole told us that Pedro was with his friends that day.
Pedro came to work with me.
We couldn't always afford after-school care.
I told him to go play with his friends while I worked.
I told him to stay by the lifeguard tower.
He was a good boy.
He always listened to me.
It's completely understandable that you'd want to blame someone for what happened.
It was her fault.
I know it was.
Pedro was a good boy.
It shouldn't have happened to him.
That's almost a confession.
She blames Nicole, and this is how she's gonna make the girl suffer.
Sounds more like she's projecting her own guilt onto Nicole.
That woman ultimately blames herself.
You saw that.
I saw a woman that was angry, who we can place at the scene of the crime.
Motive, opportunity.
We can charge her.
It won't stick, Trent.
Charge her, and I'll build a case.
I'm sorry, Trent.
I got to go with Jack on this one.
This is all circumstantial.
Seriously? I can support a search warrant on her house.
Write it up, and we can file it today.
I can't believe this.
We'll write the warrant, we'll search the house and see if we can come up with something more concrete.
No short cuts on this one.
Find me some real evidence.
What was that about? You think I'm wrong about the case? I didn't say that.
You should have had my back in there.
I do have your back.
You're rushing an investigation.
What is wrong? Nothing.
I know you, Trent.
This is about Jack.
What's going on Friday night? Ethan is having friends over to meet Jack.
How did you know? Jack invited me.
Well, great.
I was gonna tell you.
We had plans Friday night.
I'm sorry.
I completely forgot.
So should we try not watching something else? I'm sorry.
I'm just so scattered.
It's OK.
You're allowed to be.
It's late.
I should probably try not sleeping for a while.
OK.
I'll just chill here on my couch fort.
I appreciate the company, Zo.
Come here.
We'll get through this, OK? We're all OK here? Yeah.
Don't worry about me.
Nicole.
Zoe! Zoe! Zoe! Aah! Aah! What is it? What happened? There's somebody in my bedroom.
Call 911.
There's a pillow and a blanket and a bunch of fast food wrappers.
They cut a hole in the floor and the cabinet.
Someone's been living in the crawlspace under the house? Creepy.
This doesn't seem like revenge stalking.
This person wanted to be close to Nicole, watch her shower, see her naked, that kind of thing.
Yeah.
Implies a romantic obsession.
Have S.
I.
D.
Collect everything, get it back to forensics for testing.
Will do.
Someone was under my house, watching me? For how long? It looks like they've been there a while, weeks maybe.
That is seriously messed up.
Did either of you see anything that could help us identify anyone? No.
I heard someone call my name, and I took off.
I wasn't about to stick around and see who it was.
What about you, Zoe? No.
I was in the living room, and I heard Nicole scream, and the next thing I knew, she's coming down the hallway, and then we just got outside and waited for the police.
All right.
It's unlikely they'll come back, but I'm gonna put a unit outside anyway.
I can't stay here, not after what happened.
I don't feel safe.
Do you have someplace you can go? You can stay with me as long as you need.
I don't want to put you in danger, Zo.
No, no.
It's OK.
You'll put police outside, right? I can arrange that, yeah.
Beth.
Excuse me.
S.
I.
D.
Found this in the crawlspace.
M.
H.
? Mike Harris, Nicole's ex.
Gotcha, Mike.
You used that to set the fire that killed Dave Knox.
There's been a big mistake.
I didn't kill anyone.
It's got your initials on it.
We found it in your little love nest under Nicole's house.
I don't know what you're talking about.
The lighter's mine, I'll admit that.
It was a gift from my dad, but I quit smoking years ago.
Oh.
So you found a new use for it.
No.
I keep it in my desk at the headquarters.
Somebody must have stolen it.
I'm being set up.
Why would I leave the lighter there? It makes no sense.
That's what happens, Mike.
People slip up in a moment.
Killing somebody takes a toll.
You panic, you make mistakes.
But why would I do it? Dave was a good guy, Nicole loved him.
Look.
My job is to save people.
I could never take somebody's life.
You were jealous of Dave.
He stole your girl, so you killed him, and then you faked that little attack under the pier to get Nicole's sympathy.
You're wrong.
And now you are looking at a first-degree murder charge.
I want a lawyer.
Yeah.
That that sounds like a good idea.
He's right.
The lighter is too obvious.
It's called evidence, Jack.
We found it, we got him.
But we didn't find it.
We were led to it.
Why would he attack Nicole in her house now? There were plenty of opportunities when she was alone, unprotected.
Why risk it? Because they knew we'd find the crawlspace and the lighter.
This was planned and calculated.
You are giving this killer way too much credit, Jack.
Come on.
I thought you were a homicide detective in a previous life.
What's going on? I thought we were working well together.
Yeah? Well, everyone has a threshold.
Forensics sent over the items pulled from the crawlspace.
No useable prints or DNA.
It's mostly trash, but there are photos of Nicole in her lifeguard uniform and newspaper clippings about her rescues.
"Santa Monica lifeguard saves drowning children," "lifeguard rescues drowning man from dangerous riptide.
" Looks like hero worship.
And we're attracted to heroes because we see them as the embodiment of our undeveloped potential.
Freud called it the ego ideal.
So more than likely, we're looking for someone with low self-esteem.
Mike doesn't fit the profile.
He's confident.
I mean, he's a hero himself.
No.
This is someone who's seen Nicole on the job.
They may have even been rescued by her.
All right.
Contact lifeguard headquarters.
Let's get a record of everyone Nicole's ever saved.
Wait.
I have it.
My contact at the lifeguard division gave me access to their secure database.
They keep a record of every rescue.
There's a medical component.
It'll even have the victim's name and address.
How many rescues has Nicole been a part of? Uh, in the last 5 years Janice, back up.
Back, back.
What is it? Zoe Parsons.
Nicole's best friend.
According to this, Nicole saved Zoe after she jumped off the Santa Monica pier.
Could she be? She was at the party at the beach.
She had access to the tunnel.
Yeah, but she was in the living room during last night's attack.
How could she be in two places at once? The distance from the bathroom to the bedroom is shorter from the outside than from the inside.
Wait.
Did she have enough time? Yeah.
She scares Nicole here and has plenty of time to crawl out from under the house and into the living room.
Where Nicole found her like she'd been there the whole time.
She had it all planned.
She was leading us to Mike Harris' lighter.
Nicole's with Zoe now.
Alert the unit outside of Zoe's house.
Send backup.
Thanks for taking me out, Zo.
I needed some fresh air.
Now's no time to be cooped up all alone.
When's your family coming to town? Um, my mom flew out this morning, and my dad gets here tomorrow.
Australia is a long way.
I can't believe that this is happening.
How is this happening? I'll take care of you, OK? You saved me.
Now it's time for me to save you.
I don't know what I'd do without you, Zoe.
You're a good friend.
I love you.
Oh.
We should go.
I left my cell in the car.
Dave's sister's been trying to reach me.
I have to start dealing with this.
Wait.
No, Nicole.
I mean, I-I love you.
Ever since the day you rescued me, I I felt like we had something, you know? I felt Our connection.
Nobody's ever given a damn about me.
For the first time, I felt like I had a-a reason to be here.
It's to be with you.
Zoe, what are you doing? I went with Dave to pick out your engagement ring.
I knew it was the wrong size, but he wouldn't listen.
It was all wrong anyway.
You're more of a vintage girl.
Zo, don't.
I know.
I'm sorry.
My timing sucks.
Zoe, we're just friends.
That's all we'll ever be.
It was you.
Ohh! - They're not at Zoe's place.
- Where's security? We had a unit on the street, but they weren't notified the girls were leaving.
Nicole's not answering her cell.
We put out a BOLO on Zoe Parsons.
We've got every cop in the area searching for her.
What if this is more than just hero worship? What do you mean? It's similar to the Florence Nightingale effect where the patient falls in love with the caregiver, only in this case maybe Zoe fell in love with the woman who saved her life.
And Dave's proposal made Zoe realize she had to get rid of him.
So she snuck away from the bonfire, attacked him in the tunnel.
And used Mike Harris' lighter to frame him because she knew that Mike still loved Nicole.
It all makes sense except for one thing.
If Zoe loves Nicole, why scare her under the pier? So Nicole would come to her, seeking emotional support except Zoe didn't count Mike showing up and ruining the moment.
With the police involved, she's gonna act fast.
Where would she take her? Where would you take someone to profess your love? I would take her to the place where we first met.
The pier.
She saved her at the pier.
Ohh! Unh! Zoe, don't.
You know, all I ever wanted was for us to be together.
Zoe, please just let me go.
It was all for you, Nicole.
You killed Dave.
Look.
I know that that it's hard for you to hear this, but I did it for you, for us.
Zoe, no.
It's OK now because we're together, and now we can be together forever.
What are you talking about? Because we're gonna jump together.
Come on.
Nicole, come back here.
Lock it down.
Check the parking lot.
Set up a perimeter.
Nobody gets off the pier unless I say.
Yes, ma'am.
Come on.
You heard her.
Let's go.
Come on, Nicole.
You go first.
Come on, Nicole! Come on.
Unh! Get away from me! Stay away! Stay away from me.
Zoe, don't! Zoe, come on down.
Let's talk about this.
No.
There's nothing to talk about.
Zoe, just let them help you.
No.
I have to do this.
No because then then you can save me, you know, like you did before, and and we can start over.
That's not how this works.
Yes, it is! Just let me help you now.
Just please come come down from there.
Can you forgive me? Yes.
Just please don't make me hurt anymore.
I can't lose you, too.
No! Ohh! No! Let go of me! Nicole! Nicole! I love you, Nicole! I love you! The arresting officer found this on Zoe.
I believe it belongs to you.
Thank you.
I'm so sorry.
Nice job today, guys.
I'll meet you back at the house? You don't have to keep switching off.
I know you guys have lives.
Go live them.
I'm not missing anything, and we're happy to hang.
Thank you.
I appreciate it, but I have a Uni outside my house.
I'll be fine.
We know that.
Not the point.
Go home.
Get some sleep.
I'll see you in the morning.
Do we buy it? Maybe we're smothering her.
Do we let it ride? She's the boss.
Trent.
Coming by tonight? I don't think that's a good idea.
Why not? Amanda You know, what we do here, our work, it's really complicated, and life is complicated, but when I go home, things have to simplify, they have to get easier.
They can't always be easy, Trent.
I know they can't always be easier, but they have to be honest.
I know that Jack showing up has made things very difficult, but I have tried to be honest with you, Trent.
I know.
You have tried.
You're not quite there yet, though, with yourself.
We both know what I'm talking about here.
Trent, don't look.
I know Jack is Ethan's father, and and I get it.
It's not even about that.
Things are getting too complicated here, Amanda.
So I'm gonna sit this out for now.
Everything OK? Yeah.
You know, before I screwed everything up, you and I were good friends.
I remember.
So if you need to talk Thank you.
I'm fine.
Good night, Jack.
Good night.
Hey, Jack.
What's up? Can I come in? Oh, yeah.
I was just doing the dishes.
I said back at the office that I was fine.
You're fine, and you're good, and you appreciate what we're doing.
I know.
I got it.
Just stop all that.
I'm here now, and I just I just needed some company tonight, and I brought food.
We got sweet, we got something salty, something sweet and salty, and look at this.
Movies.
You want to watch a movie? - Jack.
- What? Nothing.