Sight Unseen (2024) s02e07 Episode Script

1
(DYNAMIC MUSIC)
♪
(TEXT ON SCREEN)
[MIKE] What else do you see?
[TESS] I don't at least not much.
Solving cases isn't
always about what you see.
Hey, hey, hey, sis!
You don't want to hear
crap about my wedding.
Tell me everything.
It's going pretty great, actually.
[SUNNY] I feel like I'm
getting retraumatized
every night.
[GASPS]
I think that's PTSD.
Tess, I'm so stuck.
Have you thought about therapy?
Talking to someone?
25% of our tenants are therapists.
Maybe you could call one.
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
There's something in the shadows ♪
[♪♪♪]
[PHONE RINGS]
[VOICE ASSISTANT] Unknown caller.
Hello?
[LUCAS] Tess, I messed
up. I'm in trouble.
Lucas?
What is it, what happened?
I was trying to do something good.
You know, I thought if I could
maybe make enough for
for a honeymoon,
or a downpayment on
a house or something,
you know, maybe surprise
Craig for the wedding,
but then everything went wrong
Okay, just slow down.
What what did you do?
I lost it!
Everything!
They said it would double in a week.
They even took my phone!
Okay. Lucas
And now I can't go
home. I can't go home.
- It's over.
- Nothing is over.
Listen to me.
I want you to call Craig
No! I can't talk to him.
I can't see him.
Hey, listen to me.
Tell me where you are.
I'm coming to get you.
It's over.
[CALL DISCONNECTS]
Lucas.
Lucas!
[FAST BUSY SIGNAL]
[SUNNY] Tess.
Tess!
Hey?
What's going on? You okay?
Can you tell me a bit
about your daughter,
Mrs. Okeke?
She looks frightened.
We're here to help.
I promise.
I get nervous being here.
My community has had
bad experiences.
You ask for help and you don't get it.
Or you end up being a suspect yourself.
I hear you
and if it makes any difference,
I'm not an officer.
I'm just a consultant.
Why don't you tell me
something about your daughter?
What's her favourite food?
Cream of mushroom soup.
- Oof.
- I know.
My husband and I can't stand it.
Good. She's relaxing.
Aretha's in her last year of college,
so she's busy.
Always on the go.
But
she always makes time to
sing in our church's choir.
My husband's the pastor.
He teases the new members
"Once you hear our daughter sing "
We'll need to speak to
your husband as well.
He doesn't know that I'm here.
He wants to keep the police out of it.
When's the last time you spoke to her?
Two days ago.
Um
This is a video
from the church's security camera.
It was taken the night
Aretha disappeared.
[SUNNY] It's black and white
security footage of a woman.
She's wearing a hoodie.
She's trying to get into the church,
but it's locked.
Mrs. Okeke, do you have any idea
who your daughter might be running from?
I don't know. I don't I don't know.
We're going to find her.
I promise.
[LUCAS] Hi. I'm super busy
and totally not screening
your call right now, I swear.
- Leave a message.
- [BEEP]
Lucas, I know you don't have your phone,
but I hope you're
checking your messages.
What is going on?
Craig keeps calling me
and I don't know what to tell him.
Look, I know you're scared,
but nothing is unfixable, okay,
so just let me help you.
Just let me know you're okay.
[SUNNY] Veer to your
right, five paces ahead.
[NNAMDI] Despite what you think,
money cannot solve everything, Stephen!
[STEPHEN] But it can help, Nnamdi.
Life does not consist
in an abundance of possessions
- Dad, he doesn't want it
- So why not?
Two older men are arguing.
The younger one's
trying to calm them down.
[NNAMDI] Have you forgotten
that "the love of money
is the root of all kinds of evil"?
[SUNNY] Wow, this must be the pastor,
Dionne's husband, Nnamdi.
I am offering a reward to
help find your daughter.
I do not need your help
to take care of my family.
- Hey.
- [SUNNY] It's getting physical.
[TESS] Pastor Okeke.
I understand you're upset,
but our best shot at
finding your daughter
is by working together.
- Who are you?
- I'm Tess Avery.
I'm a consultant with the police.
Dionne spoke to you?
Sir, your wife is scared.
And she just wants the
same thing you want
the same thing I want
your daughter Aretha home,
safe and sound.
I protect my family.
Not you!
I'm sorry about this.
We're all very worried.
I'm Stephen,
the church's choir director.
And this is my son, Reggie.
How can we help?
Holy, holy, holy ♪
[SUNNY] Aretha's singing.
Stephen's playing piano.
She has a real talent.
God in three persons ♪
Blessed Trinity ♪
When's the last time you saw Aretha?
Four days ago.
We rehearsed together.
And did either of you
notice anything unusual
about her behaviour recently?
The last few months,
she'd been showing up
pretty late to choir,
and I noticed she was
kind of distracted
Which was not like her.
I assumed it was college-related.
She puts a lot of pressure
on herself to achieve
something I pray that
Reggie learns one day.
The son has more to say.
After my wife died,
the Okekes were there for us.
Helped me take care of
Reggie while I worked.
If you need ripe breadfruit ♪
A.S.A.P ♪
Call us up at ♪
S.T.P. ♪
Okay, Dad, cut it out.
[PHONE RINGS]
[PHONE RINGS]
S.T.P. needs some TLC.
[PHONE RINGS]
We just finished a reno.
Pastor Nnamdi insists
on perfection, so
- [SUNNY] Watch your left.
- [REGGIE] he did most of it himself.
Good, right?
- [TESS] Yeah
- [SUNNY] Reggie straight ahead.
[REGGIE] This is where
Aretha keeps all her music stuff.
She's always rehearsing with my dad.
[SUNNY] A notebook
cool design
sheet music
Reggie, I got the sense
there was something else
that you wanted to share earlier.
Aretha dropped out of
school three months ago,
but she told me not to tell anyone.
Do you know why?
No, but it might have
something to do with the guy
she's been seeing secretly.
Why wouldn't she tell
anyone she had a boyfriend?
The pastor and his wife are very strict.
You don't want to disobey them.
[SUNNY] Parking lot's 30 feet ahead.
All clear.
Aretha dropped out three months ago,
and there's no sign of a boyfriend
on her socials,
although, apparently,
she's good at hiding things.
She kept posting selfies from college
for three months
after she dropped out.
Anything else?
I found an old post of a family photo.
I think Aretha might have a brother.
He looks a couple years older.
- Left.
- Dionne never mentioned him.
Oh, there's Leo, seven steps ahead.
- He's standing next to a car.
- Leo.
- Hey.
- Hey. This Aretha's?
Yeah.
Parking attendant found it
with the driver's door wide open,
the key fob in the cup holder.
Any CCTV?
No.
But we do have signs
of a potential struggle.
The rearview mirror's banged up,
there's makeup on the driver's seat
and a whole lotta sequins.
Can I get a closer look?
Uncover your camera.
There's something on the carseat.
Stop.
Red lipstick.
Glittery makeup.
Plus the sequins.
This is far more glamorous
than the Aretha I've seen.
On the security footage at the church,
she was wearing sweats and a hoodie.
- Thanks.
- [LEO] Tess?
- [TESS] Yeah?
- I also found this.
It's a guitar pick.
"For my #1 soloist,
love S.T.P."
And some kind of spiral sticker.
S.T.P. Importers
that's Stephen's
company and his initials.
A gift from her choir director.
[SUNNY] That's the same symbol
as the one on Aretha's music book
at the church.
Okay, I'm doing an image search.
Redux Bar
I think I might know
where Aretha's been
wearing that red lipstick.
We are here in this world ♪
And we can't be messin' around ♪
Wow. What am I listening to?
Aretha's band
Coco and Dasheen.
I found them on the bar's Instagram.
You know, they've performed there
almost a dozen times over
the last three months.
Starting when she
dropped out of college.
Exactly.
Oh, and Tess,
she's wearing a pink wig,
heels, sequin dress,
and red lipstick.
This is definitely not the
Aretha her parents know.
We should talk to her band mates.
And Stephen, again.
You know that personalized
guitar pick he gave her?
He might know more than he's saying.
Maybe he's the reason
she was at the church that night.
[SUNNY] Yeah, maybe.
Maybe he's why she was scared.
Why is she running in that video?
I mean, why run to the church
instead of going home?
Shame
for dropping out
or having a boyfriend,
or the assault.
It's hard for first-generation kids.
The pressure to be perfect
can feel like life or death.
Or maybe she's not running anymore.
Maybe whoever was chasing her caught up.
- Let's see how close she and Stephen are.
- [PHONE RINGS]
[VOICE ASSISTANT] Call
from Superintendent Bennett.
Hang on.
- Sir?
- Tess, Stephen Pearson was attacked.
He was found in a pool of blood.
- When?
- Unclear.
We need you at the church, ASAP.
Okay, I'm coming in right now.
[SUNNY] There's Leo, 11 o'clock.
[TESS] Leo, hey, what happened?
[LEO] Stephen Pearson,
the church's choir director,
was found stabbed multiple times.
Ambulance just took him to VGH,
but he's gonna need a miracle.
He's in critical condition.
Your missing persons case
may have just turned into a homicide.
I know that smell, it's so
familiar, but I can't place it.
I can't believe we were just
talking to him earlier today.
[LEO] Tess, Forensics just got
the download from the surgical team.
They found flecks
of a white substance in the wound
and a couple strands of
pink hair on Stephen's body.
Entry wound was jagged,
suggesting a serrated blade.
Anything else from FIS?
His phone and wallet
are missing as well.
The church has had break-ins before,
but never a violent attack like this.
Whoever it was
ripped the security cameras
right out of the wall.
Tess, the wig.
Aretha Okeke
she wears a pink wig on stage.
Where is he?
- Where is he?
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
You need to calm down.
[SUNNY] It's Reggie.
With Aretha's parents.
Hey, Reggie, hey.
Look, I am sorry,
but until we've had the
chance to talk to him,
nobody is going in there.
This is an attempted
homicide investigation.
Investigation?
This boy is talking about his father.
Sweetheart, please.
I understand everyone is upset
but the best thing you can do right now
is help us find who did this.
Help you?
You were supposed to help us!
Now look at what's happened!
I am done talking to you people.
I thought you were different.
Are you still searching for my daughter?
Or is a missing Black girl
not as exciting as Stephen's attack?
Did you know that your daughter
dropped out of school three months ago?
[SUNNY] Gonna say he didn't.
That is impossible.
We also have information
indicating that she
might have a boyfriend.
Do you have any idea who that could be?
I do not.
You and the choir director
don't seem to get along too well.
I have known Stephen for over 20 years.
He is like a brother to me,
and like brothers, we
we sometimes disagree.
Yes, I witnessed one
of those disagreements.
I think I'd call it more of a fight.
[SUNNY] Tess, there's a
bandage on his right hand.
What happened to your hand?
I cut myself.
Installing drywall.
[LEO] Do you know anyone
who would want to hurt your father?
He runs a successful business.
Clients or competitors?
Disgruntled employees?
No.
Everybody loves my dad.
He gives a lot to the community.
He gives everything to the community.
I mean, he's barely home.
Where were you when your
father was attacked, Reggie?
I was at a pastor's meeting.
I came home after my wife was asleep.
Was she home all night?
Yes.
She had a zoom with her sister.
You have a son, correct?
His name is Fraser?
Does Aretha have contact with him?
[SUNNY] He does not look happy.
No.
None of us do.
He got involved with drugs.
He has not been part of our family
for a long time now.
[TESS] Do you recognize this?
"Love, S.T.P."
Those are Stephen's initials.
Does he often give Aretha gifts?
[SUNNY] You caught him off-guard.
[LEO] The missing girl
she remains a person of interest
in the attempted homicide.
The gift from Stephen,
the pink hair that could
place her at the scene,
her continued disappearance
- it adds up.
- Let's see what comes back on the hair.
What about Stephen's son?
Reggie has an alibi.
- We're checking it.
- We should check the pastor and his wife, too.
If Aretha and Stephen
do have a relationship,
I can't imagine him
reacting with a cool head.
And he has a cut on his hand.
Have you spoken with Aretha's band?
Their alibis all check out.
But no one was aware of a boyfriend.
Nnamdi was refusing Stephen's offer
of a reward to help find Aretha.
You think he'd be happy
to have a reward posted.
Well, definitely not from Stephen.
Well, maybe Nnamdi knows
something about Stephen's
business that we don't.
His company's financials just came in.
I know somebody who
can help check them out.
I don't want to know.
So you still haven't
heard from Lucas either?
Not since the day before yesterday,
but he sounded like a million bucks.
Yeah, well, yesterday,
he sounded like he'd lost it all,
and now
I don't even know where he is.
You think he did this on purpose?
To blow things up with Craig?
Felt the white picket
fence closing in on him.
[TESS] I don't know.
Maybe.
[MATT] In my experience,
if Lucas doesn't want to be found,
you ain't gonna find him.
But he always comes back.
He's gonna be okay, Tess.
Trust me.
That's what I told Aretha's mom.
Okay, so I created an algorithm
to flag anomalies in Stephen's finances,
and we've got
several small payments
made three months ago
to a Dionne Okeke.
[SUNNY] Aretha's mother.
[MATT] Looks like they total 10,000.
Tess,
that timing lines up
with when Aretha dropped
out and joined the band.
I'm starting to feel like
Dionne knows more than she's letting on.
You're gonna have to eat humble pie
to get back into her good books.
Want to drive me to the pie shop?
You're buying.
- Yup. Uh-huh.
- [BENNETT] Leo.
Thank you.
A uniform at the church
found a cell phone in a garbage bin.
They think it belongs
to Stephen Pearson.
They're bringing it in now.
What did you learn?
Reggie's alibi holds.
He signed into an
editing suite at college
the night his father was attacked.
And a zoom log confirms
Dionne and her sister
talked for two hours
that same night.
What about Nnamdi?
This is where it gets interesting.
He never showed up at
his pastor's meeting.
Also,
someone fitting Aretha's description
was caught on CCTV near the church
the night Stephen was attacked there.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking maybe Nnamdi
found his daughter with Stephen
and didn't like what he saw.
So Nnamdi could be our attacker.
I'm sorry, for how
I was at the hospital.
Can you talk to me
about the money Stephen gave you?
That was for my son.
Fraser.
A way to make up for the
time he spent on his own.
He lives across the country
now. He's doing well.
He has student loans.
I was told you weren't
on speaking terms.
We reconnected a few months ago.
Nnamdi doesn't know.
Or he pretends not to.
I called Fraser today
to see if he'd heard from Aretha.
And
to tell him the news about Stephen.
And what did he say?
He hadn't heard from Aretha,
but he knew she was playing in a band.
I was so upset he hadn't told me,
or at least to tell me
that he and Aretha were speaking again.
But then I realized
I'm doing the same thing
with Fraser and Nnamdi.
[SUNNY] This family's got secrets.
Does your husband know
about the money from Stephen?
[SUNNY] You've hit on something.
I think so.
I think that's why he's
been so angry lately.
He just hated the fact
that I brought Stephen
into our private business.
That's why he was so
upset at the church.
Stephen's offer of a reward
your husband thought
he was throwing money
at your family again.
Nnamdi is gentle.
Compassionate.
But he has a temper. Always has.
He tries to fight it, but
it's always there
inside him.
And when this temper gets hold of him,
what do you think he's capable of?
So Nnamdi hated that Stephen
got involved in his family's affairs.
Add in Stephen's connection to Aretha
and the fact that she goes missing
it could be an explosive cocktail.
[MATT] My dad would have kicked some ass
if he ever thought
one of his friends was
hitting up my sister.
Sounds like my mom.
The amount of fear
she would put into
people twice her size.
You know, I remember one time
she was screaming at my teacher
for giving me a B-minus.
Everyone at school could hear her.
That's how she showed love.
She would have killed for her kids.
[TESS] You never talk about her.
Her name is Varneet.
It means calm.
She's anything but.
[MATT] Hang on. We're
just turning into the hospital.
[♪♪♪]
[SUNNY] Reggie's seated against the wall
and to the right, three paces.
Hi, Reggie.
They told me your
dad's still unconscious,
but he can have visitors now.
Don't you want to be in there with him
in case he wakes up?
I can't go in there.
I can't see him like that.
My whole life,
my father's always been invincible,
untouchable.
He was the strongest man I knew.
He's still strong.
He's alive.
You know, a lot of people
would never survive
what he's gone through.
You think he'll wake up?
[TESS] I don't know.
They're doing the best they can.
So have you guys found Aretha, or?
No.
Did you know she was
playing in a band at night?
No,
but that makes sense
why she was always tired.
I wish she'd told me.
I thought you two were close.
We grew up together like siblings,
but
the last few months,
she's been really distant.
I've only seen her when
she was rehearsing with Dad.
He seems to give her a lot of his time.
That's because
she reminds him of my mother.
Um
she was a singer, too.
When it comes to me,
I think I just remind him
of everything he's lost.
Tell me about Aretha's brother, Fraser?
Um
he was older,
did his own thing.
I heard he got really
messed up with drugs.
Did you know your father
was helping him out?
[SUNNY] He definitely didn't.
There's something he's not telling us.
Tess, I think we'd better
look at that crime scene.
There are still evidence
markers in place.
You know, it's so strange,
growing up and realizing
that you don't know as
much about your parents
as you thought.
My mom kept her sight
loss a secret from us.
Who knows what else she didn't tell us.
Some secrets are better left hidden.
I'm guessing you haven't
picked a therapist yet?
Look, I'm not seeing anything here.
The choir room is down
the hall to the left.
Let's go there.
And let's
stay focused.
Find the wall on your left.
Follow it five paces.
Steps down.
Four
three
two
Shelves to your right.
15 paces to the music room.
[TESS] Oh
that's weird.
- What?
- This spot
it feels different.
Well, Nnamdi was doing repairs.
Yeah, but all the other
spots he patched were smooth.
This one's rough and flaky.
The paint feels damp.
[SUNNY] Stick your camera in.
I'll go to night vision.
[TESS] Do you see anything?
[SUNNY] No. There's just a
bunch of wires and wall studs.
Wait, wait, wait. Stop.
I saw something shiny.
Twist your camera
10 degrees right.
Oh, my God
What? What is it?
I think we just found
the weapon that was used in the attack.
Good job, Avery.
Forensics confirmed,
the blood on the jab saw is Stephen's.
And the debris in his
wound is drywall dust.
Nnamdi was doing
renovations the tools were his.
But they didn't find
any prints on the saw?
Doesn't matter
because we just pulled this voicemail
off Stephen's phone,
left hours before the attack.
[NNAMDI] I told you to stay
away from my family, Stephen.
I don't care how much
money you throw around,
you cannot buy my daughter
to replace your wife.
I know what you've been doing to her,
so listen to me and listen to me well
if I catch you with Aretha again,
I'll kill you.
Maybe Nnamdi's more
than just a man of God.
[DOOR OPENING]
Thanks for coming in
voluntarily, Mr. Okeke.
If you think my story will change,
you are mistaken.
I am still innocent.
[PHONE PLAYING VIDEO OF ARETHA'S BAND]
[ARETHA] We are here in this world ♪
And we can't be messin' around ♪
[SUNNY] Oh, he's surprised.
He's definitely never seen that before.
I take it you had no idea
your daughter was in a band?
I have not seen her
smile this big since
You have found her?
[BENNETT] We're still searching.
And you still haven't given us an alibi
for the night of Stephen's attack.
He reminds me of my dad.
He would rather be drenched in the rain
than admit that he should
have brought an umbrella.
You remind me of my father.
- I just said that.
- [BENNETT] He's a proud Jamaican man.
He could talk for hours about
his favourite cricket team,
but I can count on one hand
the number of times that
man told me he loved me.
It wasn't until my 20s
that I realized that
he saw sentimentality as weakness.
I had to learn to break
that cycle with my own kids.
Sometimes, the best way
to support our children is to
show them our vulnerabilities.
"My grace is sufficient for you,
for my strength is made
perfect in weakness."
Second Corinthians 12.
Second Corinthians 12, right?
[SUNNY] Oh, he liked that.
You're speaking his language.
[TESS] Mr. Okeke, the best
way for you to help your daughter
is to tell us the truth.
What's the point in being strong
if it breaks your family apart?
Where were you the night
Stephen was attacked?
When I first came to Canada,
it was a bigger shock than I expected.
I missed Nigeria.
I started drinking.
It helped dull the fear I felt.
And I did some things I
was not always proud of.
But when Fraser was born, I stopped.
I found my faith again
and I thought I had finally beaten
that demon.
That is why I kicked Fraser out.
I found drugs in his room
and I was terrified
he would make the same mistakes I made.
But I didn't know how to help him.
And then Aretha went missing.
I broke.
It was only two days,
but it was two days I
I cannot remember.
The night Stephen was attacked,
I went to my first AA
meeting in 33 years.
I did not even tell Dionne.
I did not want her to think less of me.
Seeking help isn't a weakness.
[NNAMDI] I know that,
but we demand a lot of each other
perhaps too much.
Like many, our
relationship is complicated.
I thought the evidence
would set me free,
but the police say
there's a recording of
me threatening Stephen.
It is not true.
You just said
you can't remember the last two days.
No. You must listen to me.
I would never have
done a thing like that.
I have no idea where it came from.
Say that again?
I said you must listen to me.
I never
[DOOR OPENS]
- What have you got?
- The recording.
- It's a fake.
- What are you talking about?
It was on Stephen's phone,
he received it hours before the attack.
You're saying someone planned the murder
and framed Nnamdi?
Leo, pull it up.
I told you to stay away
from my family, Stephen.
- Fast forward.
- I don't care how much
money you throw around,
you cannot buy my
doing to her.
So, listen to me and
listen to me well
- See?
- If I catch you with Aretha again
The way he pronounces "listen".
When we were talking to Nnamdi in there,
he emphasized the "T",
but in the recording, he doesn't.
[SUNNY] And the recording
shortens "I will" to "I'll".
Nnamdi is much more formal.
Wouldn't it take a huge amount of time
- to fake a recording like this?
- Well, I mean, these days,
anybody can make a convincing deepfake
in a matter of minutes.
We're going to need more
than one mispronounced word
to throw out this piece of evidence.
Still nothing from Lucas?
Do you think I would field a call from
your missing brother and not tell you?
Lucas is like a stray dog.
He'll come home when he's ready.
Okay, I'm gonna tell my
brother you called him a dog.
I call him a dog to
his face all the time.
Okay.
Audio file was actually
created at 22:37.
Wait, but that's after
we found Stephen at the church
and after we got the voicemail.
If you know what you're doing,
you can mess with that stuff
reset the internal clock,
make it look like it was sent earlier.
Any idea who's going
to all this trouble?
Someone who's trying
to get away with murder.
[TESS] Someone close to the family.
Someone who knows about the tension
between Stephen and Nnamdi.
[SUNNY] So, basically,
anyone at their church.
I mean, their antagonism
was hardly a state secret.
[VOICE ASSISTANT] Voice memo from Leo.
[LEO] Hey, Tess. The scent
we found at the church
was a mixture of feldspar,
linear sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate
and oxalic acid.
[SUNNY] Okay, so the first result
is a cleaning product
called "Bar Blitz".
"Bar Blitz"?
What was the name of the
bar where Aretha performed?
[MUSIC THROBBING]
[SUNNY] I think you're gonna need
a tetanus shot after this.
Okay. Waitress 12 o'clock.
- That's it.
- What is it?
I know that smell.
I remember it from the crime scene.
What can I get ya?
I'm Tess Avery.
I'm a consultant with Metro PD.
My answer's the same as
it was for the last cop
I haven't seen Aretha
since she disappeared.
You know, this place smells
just like a guy I know
who was almost killed last night.
A guy that was very close
to your friend, Aretha.
You can tell me where she is
or we can keep talking
somewhere less comfortable.
I told you already
I haven't seen her.
All right, less comfortable it is.
[ARETHA] Who was hurt?
Was it Stephen?
Is he all right?
I can't hide anymore.
I'm Aretha.
She's nervous
She's playing with her water.
She won't meet your eye.
So, you've been hiding at
the bar this whole time.
Jade let me crash in the back.
I've been helping out.
Earning my keep.
That explains the Bar
Blitz on Stephen's jacket.
What happened between you and Stephen?
Why did you run away?
I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.
I just didn't know what else to do.
[SUNNY] She looks scared, Tess.
Like really scared.
Whatever happened to her
I don't think it was good.
I get it.
I doubt that.
You know,
when I was a kid,
and things would get messy
sometimes, I would just leave,
just pretend that
whole mess didn't exist.
Of course, it still did.
My brother still does that sometimes.
[SUNNY] She's looking at you now.
Keep going, you're getting through.
[TESS] This one time
I was fighting with my mom.
I don't remember what about
but after she fell asleep,
I snuck out the window,
and, um
What happened?
A house fire.
My brother managed to
get out. She didn't.
And I always wonder
[EXHALES]
would she still be
here if I had stuck around.
That's a heavy thing to carry around.
Aretha, I have spent the last two days
getting to know your family
and it seems like you're all carrying
way more than your fair share.
Don't you think maybe it's
time to set some of that down?
[SUNNY] Reggie's sitting
in the corner of his
father's hospital room.
Oh, Tess, the bed's empty.
[KNOCKING]
[REGGIE] The doctor just left.
He told me he passed 20 minutes ago.
I'm sorry.
Maybe that's not why you're here.
We've talked to a lot of people
about your father, Reggie.
And about Aretha.
You think she had
something to do with this?
I mean
I don't see it, but
then again, it's not like
any of us knew who
she really was, right?
Were you ever jealous
of her and your father?
It was cool.
It gave me more time
to focus on the things
I actually cared about,
like school,
instead of spending my time
trying to be the son he wanted me to be.
Right? What did you study again?
Audio engineering.
Did you offer to help
Aretha and her band?
Coco And Dasheen aren't exactly
ready for recording yet.
They're still figuring out their sound.
I thought you didn't
know Aretha was in a band.
He knows he's stepped in it.
No, she she told me.
I guess I'm so used to
keeping her secrets for her.
Look, aren't you supposed to be here
to ask me about Nnamdi killing my dad?
Is that the plan?
He's getting angry. Careful, Tess.
You think I killed my father?
Just because I was jealous of Aretha?
[ARETHA] No.
Because I told him you tried to rape me.
You tried to kiss me in my car,
and when I pushed you
off, you wouldn't stop.
[REGGIE] That's a lie. She's lying.
You said you were going to
tell my parents everything,
and they'd disown me,
just like my brother.
When I didn't give you what you wanted,
you tried to take it.
- That's not how it happened!
- I didn't know what else to do.
I just wanted to hide.
I wanted to hide so bad,
but I didn't want you to win.
So I thought if I told
Stephen, he could help me,
maybe even help you,
but you killed him
before he got the chance.
Because he chose you over me!
Why?
I was his son.
Everything you touched turned to gold
and everything I touched
You led me on for months
while I hid your secret
life from your parents.
And then the one time
I return your affection,
you run to my father and you cry rape?
I didn't mean to hurt him.
He he just wouldn't listen to me
and then he tried calling the cops
on his only son.
So you attacked him with
whatever you could find
the drywall saw.
You made it look like a robbery.
You ripped out the security cameras,
you took his wallet and his phone
But when you realized we
were interested in Nnamdi,
you saw an even better option.
You used AI on a school computer
to create the voicemail deepfake.
My father always looked out for you.
Why you and not me?
He's moving towards Aretha.
Okay, take a step back, Reggie.
I took from you?
What about what I lost?
What about what you took from me?
I said take a step back!
I didn't mean to hurt
her, okay? I swear.
You "didn't mean to"?
What, you just lost control,
and somehow it's my
fault and your father's?
I didn't mean to hurt anyone
- Tess!
- You've got to believe me.
Get down!
Security! Stay down.
[SUNNY] All those secrets
almost destroyed that family.
Yeah, but
now that everything is out in the open,
maybe they can start to rebuild.
Yeah.
Maybe Lucas can do that with Craig?
I don't know.
I just hope he's okay.
Do you really think
that laying it all out there
is the only way to move forward?
I don't know.
I mean, I'm not exactly an open book.
You were with Aretha.
Well, that was a tactic for the case.
But what's that saying?
"The truth will set you free"?
[SUNNY] Well, if that's the case,
then that shirt is at
least three seasons old.
Okay, style guru
then how about this?
[SUNNY] Better.
Complements your undertones.
Undertones
Where do you get this stuff?
What if they tell me I'm crazy?
They who?
A therapist.
Look, Sunny
in my time on the force,
I worked with a lot of
really strong people,
so believe me when I say
you are one of the most
badass women I've ever known.
Maybe I could get, like,
a two-for-one discount,
and we can sort out all
of our issues together.
I don't have issues.
[LAUGHS]
I forget how funny you are.
How does this look?
You look like you're going
to an Eastern European
grunge discotheque.
Perfect.
Perfect.
[MUSIC THROBBING]
To sticky floors and ringing
ears tomorrow morning.
Yeah.
Hey, so where's Mia tonight?
Sorry, what? I can't
I can't hear you.
It's too loud.
- You're spilling my drink.
- I'll buy you a new one.
Hey. Hey.
He's gonna be okay.
Your brother is a survivor.
[ARETHA, OVER MIC] Hello!
[CHEERING]
Hope you're all having a good night.
We're Coco And Dasheen.
But before we start
I want to thank my parents
for staying up past their bedtime
and going way outside
of their comfort zone
- to come out here tonight.
- [APPLAUSE]
But just because they're here
doesn't mean we can't have some fun.
[CHEERING]
Let's kick it.
[CHEERING]
[♪♪♪]
Hey! ♪
No, no, no, no, no ♪
We are out here in this world ♪
And we can't be messing around ♪
Take that fire you got deep inside ♪
And burn this house to the ground ♪
You're gonna know my name ♪
You're gonna know my name! ♪
[♪♪♪]
Whoo!
[♪♪♪]
Baby, baby ♪
Let's set this world on fire ♪
Baby, baby ♪
Let's set this world on fire ♪
Fire burning hot ♪
Fire burning hot ♪
Fire burning hot ♪
Fire burning hot ♪
Let it go! ♪
Mama, give this warrior child a name ♪
To stand out in the crowd ♪
We all got 15 minutes
to do this sh ♪
And I'm gonna do her proud ♪
You're gonna know my name ♪
From the Mississippi to the Rhine ♪
You're gonna know my name ♪
You're gonna know my name ♪