Franklin and Bash (2011) s03e05 Episode Script
By the Numbers
Admit it, you wanted Noelle Gardner to die.
I wouldn't say that.
You tracked down a dying young woman, bought her insurance policy, paying her pennies for it.
It was $100,000.
So you could be the beneficiary and collect $250,000 when she died six months later.
Admit it.
You killed Noelle Gardner.
- I can't admit that.
- Why not? Because she's sitting right there next to your partner.
And that's why you're suing her because she lived.
Because she lied.
Because she lived, thanks to a miracle Amazon cure.
Noelle knew about that cure before her trip to Amazonia and before I bought her policy.
It wasn't a miracle.
It was fraud.
And I don't believe in miracles.
He doesn't believe in miracles.
Well, I hope you'll excuse me, Mr.
Singletary, if I still do.
I'm an actuary.
I believe in facts and numbers.
Numbers never lie.
No, because the fact is, no matter how many lawsuits you bring, you'll be on the hook to pay Noelle's premiums for what we can only hope is a long and happy life.
- Objection, Your Honor! - Sustained.
- We got him on the ropes.
- Hope he has a good cut man.
Well, the judge should stop it before someone gets brain damage.
Hey! Can I pack my bags for mount Whitney? My sister wants to blow all Wendell's money scaling the seven summits.
What good's his money if it can't fund my new lease on life? Well, we had one good day, but it's it's far from over.
I'm gonna take that as a "yes.
" Okay, come on, Rayann.
- It wasn't a "yes.
" - Noelle, it's hmm.
- It was like a "no.
" - Yeah, it was.
You were wrong about me.
It's nothing personal, Mr.
Singletary.
It's our job.
My lawyer will be calling you.
I've instructed him to settle, in spite of the facts.
- Okay.
- Well, why settle? You're a gambling man.
Roll the dice.
I don't gamble.
I predict.
I gauged the jury's reaction, combining your shallow, - albeit theatrical, performance - Thanks.
With a statistical analysis of the jury's gender, race - Hi.
- Hello.
And social-demographics evaluation.
I'll have my lawyer draw up the settlement papers immediately.
But you are wrong about me - and Noelle.
- Yep.
Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Looks like we got the rest of the day off.
- Surf Topanga? - Go-karts? Let's do both.
- Actuary hypothetical.
- Hit me.
You get to have sex with one Victoria's secret angel every year for the rest of your life.
I don't see the actuarial part, but I'm with you and I'm digging it so far.
You have to kill me.
The angels are a death benefit.
- It was good knowing you, buddy.
- Ho ho.
- Hey-hey.
- Hey.
It's a thank-you gift.
Noelle sent it before she went to climb Mount Whitney.
Wow.
Hey, is it just me or does anybody else feel kind of bad for Wendell? Creepy numbers guy? That's just you.
What is up with that? I saw you sneaking looks with him during the trial.
- Something you want to say? - Yeah.
You're insane.
Uh-huh.
- It's a weird gift, right? - Yeah.
I thought she swore off all processed foods after her cure.
It's called irony, my dear.
It's called delicious these are discontinued, and she spent a fortune on them.
Check it out.
- Wow! - Yep.
Well, thank you, Noelle.
- Yeah.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
Tink! Oh, see, that that is dedication.
Did you call her yet? Don't want to seem too eager.
Dude, you're gonna lose her if you don't take your thumb out.
- I know what I'm doing.
- Really? Uh-huh.
- All right, fine, be that way.
- Uh-huh.
Whatever.
These have beef fat in them.
I can't eat this.
I'll give you $8 to eat every one.
$9! Good morning.
At the risk of sounding completely ridiculous, Twinkie? Breakfast of champions.
You should indulge a little bit.
Once in a while is not gonna kill you.
I'm not really into junk food.
I was talking about me.
We should have some fun.
We should go out.
Come on, you and me.
I'm not really into anything potentially addictive.
Too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
One dinner.
We could we could call it a neighborhood watch meeting or something.
Anything.
Okay.
Friday.
Okay.
Great.
- A date.
- A dinner.
I'll get a sitter.
Oh, we can help you.
Pindy loves pets.
I have a daughter, Peter.
Her name is Tess.
She's 9 years old.
I have her this weekend.
Oh.
Oh, for for real? Yeah.
You a little weirded out? No, no.
I'm not I'm not weirded out at all.
It's just the name "Tess.
" Does she know you call her that? Really? No, I I love kids.
We could bring her along.
Yeah.
Now you're overcompensating, but it's fine.
I'll get a sitter, okay? Okay.
- See you Friday.
- All right.
Okay.
Can't wait.
Sure? Relax a lot of women dating these days have kids.
I can't take care of a kid.
I can barely take care of myself.
Okay, seriously, one date's not gonna make you the kid's new dad.
Single moms are protective, but it could be months before she trusts you enough to meet the kid, anyway.
At dinner, if the conversation is all - What's the kid's name? - Tess.
The conversation's all Tess all the time, then you know she doesn't have enough time for you, but if there's a balance, you're all good.
I'm saying I should have fortune cookies.
Hello? Wow.
Um Okay.
Yeah, thank you.
Noelle Gardner's dead.
Noelle? What happened? She fall off Mount Whitney? She never even made it.
She was murdered.
How was Noelle killed? By banana.
Banana? She developed an intense allergy by-product of her cure.
Banana was deliberately laced into her food and sent over by the regular delivery service.
My God.
And you two are going to represent the man charged with doing it.
- Wait.
What? - I'm not gonna represent her killer.
Alleged killer.
Come.
Everyone has the right to a defense.
I myself was accused of murder.
We know.
We defended you.
Three times, twice falsely.
Look, I met with him.
I'm convinced that he didn't do it.
Get Karp! Why us? Because the client asked for you.
He believes that you and you alone understand how he ticks.
Boys meet your new client.
What do you know about honeybees? What don't I know about honeybees? A beekeeper in Venice is being sued by the city for public nuisance.
A couple of bees flew into some kid's birthday party.
Kids.
They are trying to shut the beekeeper down.
I'd like you to handle the case in front of the community association.
Problem? No, it just it seems a little lighter than our usual fare.
Then I'm sure you can dispense with it in an afternoon.
Awesome.
So, they're charging you with manslaughter.
Coroner's report says Noelle was poisoned by banana extract injected into the food that she had delivered to her building's lobby every day between 3:00 and 4:00 A.
M.
And since her, uh, allergy came on after the cure, only three people knew about it besides Noelle's family her insurance agent, her allergist, and And you.
Where were you between 3:00 and 4:00 A.
M.
The day the food was delivered? I was sleeping alone, so no alibi.
But I I do have a motive.
After Noelle's death, her benefits inure to me.
And up until she found her Amazon cure, - we were lovers.
- Wait.
What, now? I suspect that she instigated it to encourage me to buy her policy.
And she dumped me, so you can add that to my list of motives for killing her.
- Sure.
We'll do that.
Yep.
- Okay.
- We're done.
- Yeah.
We don't validate.
Wendell, how did it go? Not well.
This is my assistant, Jill.
I don't drive.
You're not gonna represent him? It's okay.
No, I have worked with Wendell for six years.
He helps people.
By short-buying their lives? By allowing terminally ill patients a chance to live out their dreams and have a full life before they die.
Explain what you do with the money.
No, it's not worth it.
They don't care.
Actually, go ahead.
Tell us.
He donates 30% to the foundation of the illness they die of.
and the other 27.
5% I'm saving to retire in Italy, my spiritual home.
Look, I understand that my job doesn't make me the most sympathetic person, but I did not kill Noelle.
Give us a moment.
What are you thinking here? Do we have a choice? - Well, Stanton believes him.
- Yeah.
You know, if we take the case, the judge isn't gonna let us use any of the evidence from Noelle's civil case.
It's gonna be a firewall.
Okay.
All right, we'll, uh, take your case.
Wow.
Great.
Coming here, I put the odds of you taking this at 8-to-1, factoring in your antipathy towards me, and also what I perceive to be - your willingness to take on a challenge.
- Yeah, yeah.
Wendell, Wendell, Wendell, please.
Yeah, don't make us change our mind, okay? Uh, and that moves the bike-plan hearing from 6:00 to 7:00 P.
M.
on Thursday to accommodate the vegan raw foods class clean-up.
It's a straightforward case, Summer.
You're gonna be back at your hives by lunch.
My hives are my living.
I sell the honey, and I help other people start their farms.
I i if I can't keep that going we're gonna be fine.
Uh, with a big thanks to Willow for her enlightened meditation demo on disaster prep.
And, uh, that leaves us with, uh Uh, Damien Karp, representing Summer Wallace, Mr.
Bixby.
Uh, Summer retained counsel, huh? Every bee deserves its day, right? Uh, I'm here for the city, Bix.
Hey, there.
Lyle.
So, mister Bix, this is just a simple misunderstanding.
Now, bees disrupted the birthday party of summer's neighbor, but venice is full of bees.
How can we be sure the bees were Ms.
Wallace's? Can Mr.
Karp prove they weren't Ms.
Wallace's bees? Actually, the burden of proof's on you.
Well, what about footage from Achilles' birthday party - Achilles? - Showing Ms.
Wallace's bees going over her fence into her neighbor's yard? - Would that help? - Helps me.
I move we schedule an official hearing.
All in favor? Aye! Aye! Aye! Aye! I'll see you at the next meeting.
We're out! Namaste.
Awesome.
Rachel.
Hey.
Yeah, we had, um we had a little setback, but we're gonna get them at the hearing.
This is going to a hearing? I gave you a simple task, like taking out the garbage.
Okay, that's an overreaction.
No, course correction.
You're getting help.
You're getting Franklin and Bash.
Hey.
Good news.
You know that $250,000 in benefits? Turns out there was a rider on Noelle's policy that wasn't mentioned in discovery.
Where is, uh, Wendell? Kind of thought he would be here.
We switched it to later.
Why? Yeah, you could have texted us this information.
You didn't have to come all the way down.
Yeah, I kind of wish I had now.
So, the rider? Makes Wendell sole beneficiary, unless, of course, he is convicted of causing Noelle's death.
Interesting.
Who's next in line? It's intestate family succession.
Rayann.
That's good work, Carm.
And we'll call you next time Wendell's here.
And you can explain the weird attraction women have to him.
You wouldn't understand.
- That's true.
- I understand weird attraction.
- I love that movie.
- It's a great movie.
What do you want to do with your office? Use it as a steel-cage octagon? Eh, it's too small.
How about a recording studio? You know what would be really cool? I have a job for you.
- Clever.
- Right? We already have a job a murder job.
Now you have another job bee case.
Ooh, I'd like to take the case of the bees with Damien, if that's all right.
You have more important work to do.
Let them take it.
Is the death of honey not important? Last winter, on my trip, I was moved by the Egyptian tombs of Pabasa, from the 26th dynasty, depicting the ancient art of apiculture.
"Apiculture"? I didn't know they had monkeys in Egypt.
Dude, "Raiders of the lost ark," the monkey ate the poison date.
Oh.
Right.
Bees, gentlemen.
- It was a monkey.
- No.
Bees I myself will join the fight for these marvelous insects, saving them so that they may, in turn, save us.
That desk goes back into Peter's office after your playdate.
You know, when she talks like that and looks like that Blood flow changes.
Yeah.
We're gonna make a left turn here.
Don't go to your right.
That's water.
- Okay.
- Almost there.
Seriously, can I please open my eyes? No, you got to keep them closed the entire date.
- It's a blind date.
- Really? Yeah.
- We're almost there.
- Okay.
You got it.
- Ready? - Okay.
Open your eyes.
Oh, wow.
You don't mess around on first dates.
Uh, j just dinner.
Really? I also rented some doves to circle us, but they got loose in my car, and Yeah, they're probably over Koreatown by now.
- I think we'll manage.
- Yeah.
- After you.
- Thanks.
Jared and I give our clients the best defense we can, even if it means bending a few rules.
Yeah, I'm with you when it comes to my patients, I don't let the insurance get in the way.
Well, here's to breaking the rules.
We are so bad-ass.
You're not like other lawyers, Peter.
And you're the first kinesiologist I've ever met, so I have nothing to compare it to.
Oh, that's raw.
Yeah.
That's not lit.
Oh, boy.
Well, I guess the wind blew it out.
This is gonna take a while.
Counselor Bash up against a jury of one.
All right, what else have you got? Well, for starters, you need to finish this.
Okay.
Okay, let me see what we have here.
We have chocolate to melt.
Cheese to melt.
Strawberries, bread, balsamic muddled strawberry bruschetta.
Eh, this is an epic fail.
I wouldn't call it an epic fail.
I'll give you a do-over, anyway.
Okay.
I owe you dinner or dessert, whatever that wasn't.
Okay.
So, good? Yeah, I'd say it was a perfect date.
Like top-10, all-time perfect? Top five.
You know, we just talked a lot, about everything.
No mention about the kid.
You'll know Charlie likes you in a different way - when you meet the kid.
- What do you mean? Like a pre-interview for a stepdad? No, stupid I'm just saying you'll know - she takes you seriously.
- I'm just saying I don't want anything serious, stupid.
All I know is that I'd be having some serious sex right now if you hadn't forgotten to put the lighter back in the bag after we shot off those bottle rockets into the ocean.
Let me get this straight you're saying it was a done deal if it wasn't for the lighter.
Yeah, I'm saying it was I would have been done - You would have closed if it wasn't for the lighter? - I would have been I'm sticking with the lighter.
- So it was just the lighter.
- I'm sticking with the lighter.
Breaking news.
Proof that Noelle knew about her cure before she sold her policy to Wendell.
Turns out that trip that she reported to her insurance company was her second trip.
She never mentioned the first one.
Wait, so Wendell was right? Noelle did defraud him? - Which makes us, who are her lawyers - Equally duped.
- There's more.
- Oh, good.
You know her sister, Rayann? Yeah, the one that's not returning our phone calls? Well, a neighbor did she said she saw Rayann entering Noelle's building at 3:30 A.
M.
The morning she died.
Rayann lives in Santa Monica.
What was she doing all the way across town the morning Noelle died? You don't know anything about how a dog park works.
You're supposed to put the dog down, let her run around.
It's a loaner.
I don't want her to get eaten by one of these big dogs.
No, I don't.
All right, you're you're you're embarrassing me.
Stop it.
- You're embarrassing.
You don't have a dog.
- Stop it.
Hey, hey, hey.
There she is.
There she is.
Rayann! - Hi.
- Hi.
Well, well.
The dirtbags that represented my sister are now representing her murderer.
We prefer Peter and Jared.
I have nothing to say to you.
You are money-hungry bloodsuckers.
First, nice dog.
But like you, we just want to know who killed Noelle.
Oh, well, here's a clue you're sitting next to him in court.
See, someone else was in her building the night she died, someone who knew about her allergy and when her food was delivered.
What are you talking about? We have a witness who puts you there at 3:30 A.
M.
You think I killed her? I am the one who took care of her, quit my job when she was diagnosed.
And traveled with her to the Amazon both times.
Did you suggest that Noelle defraud Wendell by selling her insurance policy, even though she was cured? I did that was Noelle's id I don't have to talk to you.
Okay, well, you could do it here or on the stand.
That is a stupid-looking dog.
You shouldn't have insulted her.
- Good Lulu.
- That's a good Lulu.
Dogs can sense evil.
I think that's earthquakes, buddy.
It doesn't take a dog to see that is an angry woman.
Angry enough to kill her sister? Did you know that the medieval French believed that the first beesting of the year meant that a stranger was en route? And here we are.
I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but Rachel told me that Bash and Franklin were coming on.
No, no, no.
I overruled that.
- They're far too busy.
- Oh, really? So, okay, because of your African epiphany, now we're knocking on Venice doors, and they get to handle murder trials? Damien, listen, I wanted on this.
I feel that you and I have not been on the best of terms since I brought on Rachel.
I mean, you're my nephew.
Family comes first.
Goody! You're here! - Come on in.
- Thank you.
The city says you're running a commercial operation out of a residence by selling your honey.
My neighbor sells tomatoes that he grows in his garden.
Why isn't anyone coming after him? Because tomatoes don't attack people? Bees pollinate 30% of the world's crops.
Nearly a third of the honeybees in the U.
S.
have vanished due to the colony collapse disorder.
Absolutely.
And not to mention, of course, that honey a very powerful aphrodisiac.
Did you know that, Damien? - I do now.
Thank you.
- Good.
Each hive has its own personality.
These little guys recognize me and I them.
And the time we spend together means as much to me as if Oh.
Sorry.
I didn't really have much of a choice.
It came at me like a kamikaze.
She was introducing herself to you.
Well, I was just introducing myself right back.
I just said, "hey, bee, meet death.
Death, meet bee.
" She had a name.
She had a name? Yeah.
Summer, I do believe I've figured out how to win your case.
Defense calls Rayann Gardner to the stand, Your Honor.
Dickheads.
That's just hurtful, Rayann.
She shouldn't have called you that.
Me? She said, "dickheads," plural.
Witness testimony puts you at Noelle's apartment building the morning of her death, but you weren't there to see your sister, were you? No.
Who were you there to see? Michael Shepperd.
Michael Shepperd, your sister's boyfriend, hours before she died? Yes.
Objection.
Relevance.
All this proves is that Ms.
Gardner had a legitimate reason to be in the building other legitimate? Sleeping with your sister's boyfriend while your sister is one floor below? Objection overruled.
Spare us the outrage, Mr.
Bash.
Mr.
Nelson may be right.
It may provide a legitimate reason for Rayann to be in her sister's building or motive for her to kill one of the oldest motives in the world love.
So you're a liar or a murderer.
Either way, Rayann, why should this jury believe anything you say? Our trial is looking up.
Rayann looked bad today.
Have a beer.
Alcohol affects sleep patterns.
Men who sleep less than six hours a night are likely to die four to seven years sooner than their tee-totaling counterparts, so, no, thank you.
We got to invite him to every one of our parties.
Absolutely.
Is there anything else that I can get you? You know, I would love a snapple.
I noticed you drinking one the last time I was here.
Coming right up.
Okay, what is the deal? What is it hypnosis? Is it pheromones? What? What are you talking about? We've seen the way that women look at you, including Carmen.
And let's face it she lives with this.
- This.
- This.
And this.
- This.
- Eh - That.
- Mm I don't I don't know, guys.
I'm I'm just myself.
- He's good.
- Oh, come on.
No one's themselves.
Hey, Nelson's here.
- White flag? - Yeah.
Let's go check.
If you dismiss now, we won't sue you for malicious prosecution.
Well, gentlemen, six hours ago, I might have agreed with you, until I got this.
What is that? Life settlements orchestrated by your client at his previous job.
So? It's what he does.
He did dozens of them.
I'm focusing on two of them for now.
He bought a policy from a triathlete, peak of health, who died one month later hit and run, never solved.
And an 85-year-old woman who died one hour after Wendell visited her in the hospital.
These two untimely deaths netted Wendell $285,000.
This will never come into evidence.
You can't introduce alleged prior bad acts.
- You're suggesting Wendell is - Is a serial killer who uses life settlements as a pool for his victims.
Modus operandi.
Continuous course of conduct.
My guess is it will be admitted for the jury to hear.
And an affidavit from Noelle's boyfriend.
It says that he met Rayann at the front of their building at 3:30 A.
M.
, where there was no food-delivery bag and that he stayed with Rayann until late the next morning.
That's it? Mm One more little thing.
Manslaughter? First-degree murder.
I'll see you fellas in court.
Either Wendell is the best actuary in the world Or he is a pathological serial killer.
I was gonna say that.
You lied to us, Wendell.
Who are these people you wrote policies for? The triathlete was from Portland but moved to the third-most-polluted county in the U.
S.
with no bike lanes.
I knew the odds of him getting hit by a car or contracting an airborne disease could shorten his life by 42.
556%.
And he was hit by a car, so I was right.
And the woman? She was a lonely widow who regularly called 911 so she could be in a hospital with other people.
Widows die younger than their married counterparts, and over 195,000 Americans die annually from hospital negligence.
Wendell simply saw them as a sound investment.
Can't you explain that to the jury? Actually, Wendell we're thinking you should consider a deal.
We may be able to get it knocked down to involuntary manslaughter Years? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
But I didn't kill her and I can't take a plea.
How about this? You are a ghoul, a freak who can predict the time and circumstance of anyone's death with frightening accuracy, which doesn't make you a killer.
It makes you the best damn actuary in the world, and those deaths those are the proof.
Those skills don't make you homicidal.
They're what make you so good at your job.
Could it work? Look, we've come to these hearings in good faith, but last night, someone destroyed Ms.
Wallace's home apiaries.
Now, she's gonna need protection until this case is decided.
It's true a few teenagers who had too much to drink came upon Ms.
Wallace's hives.
The bees attacked, landing two of the teenagers - in the hospital.
- W wait they came upon? They were trespassing.
You can't kick a dog in his own backyard and not expect to get bitten.
You can't compare bees to a pet dog.
Actually, you can.
There's a study out of the University of Michigan which found that pets make our lives more fulfilled and improve mental health, so given that criteria, I believe that summer's bees are pets.
Lyle? He's right.
Those bees are pets.
- Great.
- Well, then, if we all agree Dangerous pets now, if I trespass on your property and you have a tiger, that's still a violation - of the exotic animals act.
- Come on! Bees can hardly be compared to tigers.
Well, tell that to the two high-school sophomores - who had to spend the night in the hospital.
- Okay! Getting a little contentious up in here.
Let's call it a day, and we'll hear closing arguments tomorrow.
Hey, heads up just so you guys know, if you lose, the teens' families are bringing civil suit for their medical bills, pain and suffering, and criminal charges.
Sorry, guys.
Oh, my God.
W wait, Summer.
Well, look, Rachel's gonna be very upset when you tell her.
- Me? - Well, yeah.
I mean, you are the first chair.
I'm only here to support and to heal our relationship.
Great job on that so far.
You know the government can hack into your computer, activate your webcam, and watch you? Thinking of doing that with Charlie's? 'Cause it seems a little crazy.
First of all, no.
Second of all, great idea.
Third, crazy is another name for passion.
It's how I landed Janie.
I forgot you intentionally rear-ended her with your car.
Charlie's nothing like Janie, though, so take it easy with her.
Oh, the things we do for love.
Well, we didn't talk about this Noelle/wendell thing.
What if someone's jealous of their relationship? Well, it wasn't Noelle's boyfriend.
He was banging the sister.
What if it's not about Noelle? Wendell oddly attracts women you're saying someone could have been jealous of him? The insurance papers came from his previous job.
There's only one person who's been with him all along.
His assistant, Jill.
Except she's been helpful, volunteering information.
What better way to stay close to the case? What if Jill loves Wendell enough to do something crazy? Yeah, she would have hated seeing that relationship unfold with Noelle.
- She would have known about the banana allergy.
- Yeah.
So we put the high beams on Jill.
In my office.
We're now.
Everything all right? I need you to win the bee case.
Excuse us? It seems to be baffling those above your pay grade.
Well, everything baffles Karp.
Why can't you do it? I can't be directly involved.
Because? We work better when we're not in the dark.
At the office.
Fine.
I have a goddaughter, Gloria a smart, dedicated kid whose mom is barely scraping by.
She'd excel at Beechem, but her mom refuses to take money from me.
She's just too proud.
- We're not as proud.
- No.
And Summer, the beekeeper, sits on the admissions committee.
Hang on you've been busting our balls for doing too many pro bono cases.
Now you want us to help out with the honeybees so your friend's kid can get into some private school? Yes.
- Okay.
- When can we start pulling stuff like that? Raise your billables 500% and argue a case in front of the supreme court, and we'll discuss it.
Why us? The Venice community association is a different kind of cat.
You'd fit right in.
Sounds like an insult.
Nah.
We can't do it.
Can't do it tomorrow.
We have that murder trial.
Can you teach Stanton and Damien the Franklin and Bash? Can you teach a one-armed man to drum? Def Leppard.
I said one arm.
No.
Wait, wait, wait.
Karp and bees.
- Killer bees? - No.
Damn.
Ah, damn.
I'm told Summer's honeybees are harmless.
They don't attack you if you don't attack them.
They're harmless unless provoked.
And that's what you would need to prove to win.
If we do it, take down that wall? If you do it, you can have another case.
That's why they call it a job.
A job.
They do need our help.
Not "they," just Infeld.
Right.
Just Infeld.
- Def Leppard.
- One-armed drummer, yes.
How was he charged with assault? He's got a strong one arm.
- Hey.
Check it.
- Hey.
What is it? E-mail exchange between Jill and Noelle from a year ago, right after her cure.
Read it and weep.
"I wanted to tell you a quick e-mail.
I wanted to tell you about feast food service, especially with you on a new health kick.
They deal with food allergies and deliver to your door between 3:00 A.
M.
and 4:00 A.
M.
" Smoking banana.
Jill knew about the food allergy and the time of the food delivery.
She's the only other person other than Wendell who knew about those dead-life settlements that the D.
A.
had.
Only one problem.
- The firewall.
- Yep.
The judge is never gonna let us bring anything from Wendell's civil case against Noelle.
It's prejudicial.
Nelson will nail it.
We can't bring it in, but that doesn't mean the prosecution can't.
We get them to knock down the firewall.
Easier than knocking down this wall.
Hey.
Huh? Tag, you're it.
Aah! Thanks for bringing over dessert.
I didn't.
Yes, you did.
I'm about to have it now.
This is nice.
We're having a barbecue on Saturday.
It would be cool if you could stop by.
Yeah, I'd love to.
And Tess' dad isn't picking her up till next weekend.
You want me to meet your daughter? Is that a problem? No, of course not.
Peter, I want her to meet you and Pindar and Jared and Carmen for emergency reasons, just the same way she met our other neighbors when they moved in.
Right, right.
That's smart parenting.
Okay, Dr.
Foster, you've testified that Noelle's cure was 100%.
Yeah, it was.
And you sent this new diagnosis to her life-insurance company on September 1st of this year? Yep, I sent the good news directly to Mr.
Singletary's office.
In your experience, how do patients celebrate good news like that? Well, some cash out their savings and go on trips.
A few get married and have babies.
A handful start treating their bodies worse than when they were diagnosed.
Which category did Noelle fit into? Objection.
Relevance.
Overruled.
She gained several pounds and exhibited some reckless behavior.
In fact, Noelle bought several cases of junk food as recently as a week before her death, didn't she? Objection.
Relevance again.
A copy of a receipt of multiple cases of Ho Ho, Ding-Dongs, and Twinkies, Your Honor.
Proceed.
Doctor, Twinkies were made in the same factory as banana-cream-filled zingers.
Now, couldn't traces of zinger juice - possibly - Objection.
Ms.
Gardner had food delivered to her daily from Feast, a company that provides locally sourced organic food.
She was very vigilant in her diet.
Well, Your Honor, since opposing counsel has introduced the idea of Ms.
Gardner's healthy diet, information used in the prior civil trial - Wait, wait.
No, no, no.
- They opened the door.
We request the right to make use of that information.
Granted.
Consider the door open.
The court will recess until 2:00 P.
M.
Uh, Damien, um, listen, before we go in, I'd just like to say that working with you on this case reminds me of why I hired you in the first place, and it's not because your mother tried to blackmail me over that ridiculous incident with the hitchhiker in Amsterdam.
No, listen I hired you because you're a damn fine lawyer.
Thank you.
And by hiring Rachel, I suppose that, subconsciously, I believed that you'd be better suited somewhere else, you know, like a a judge or a legal counsel to a Fortune 500 company.
I'm sorry.
What what are you saying? What I'm saying is, for you to get to the next level, you have to take risks.
You have to take chances.
No.
Not taking risks has gotten me where I am.
You don't have a choice.
I mean, Rachel she really wants this, and you know how I hate to lose.
So I just have one question for you do you have any allergies? Most of you know bees as social insects.
I mean, they gather to do their work.
They protect their queen as a group.
Now, what most of you don't know about them is that they're gentle, defensive creatures.
They'll only attack if provoked.
And they're harmless, unless, of course, you harm them.
Well, as you can see for yourself right, Damien? You've been Wendell Singletary's assistant for how long? How many hours? with no personal, sick, or vacation days.
You really are Wendell's protégée.
Well, Wendell's an excellent boss.
And you worked with Wendell when he handled the life settlements for the triathlete and the 85-year-old back at health assure.
Wendell and I work very closely together.
I wonder do you know how the prosecution - got ahold of those cases? - No.
Was there anyone who worked with you and Wendell at health assure who came over to life-systems with you? No.
- Just you.
- Yes.
And you worked on Noelle's life settlement, too, right? And you and Noelle e-mailed.
Well, I e-mail most of Wendell's clients.
I'm interested in one specific exchange where you introduced Noelle to feast delivery service.
So you knew the delivery-service times, and you also knew about Noelle's allergy.
Given your actuarial skills, I'm wondering if you can help me analyze some research I've gathered.
Uh, between women and men, women take their time to plan a murder, while men are more impulsive.
Now, men tend to kill people that they don't know, while women tend to kill people that they have some personal connection to.
Is that right? That's correct.
And, typically, poison is a woman's weapon.
And women, more than men, kill most for love.
Did you know that? If if you say so.
Jill, are you in love with Wendell? No.
Not for the last 10,496 hours, counting weekends, or 8,000, counting only workdays, no vacation, personal, or sick days? You're under oath.
I'm not in love with Wendell, so He didn't notice you at all, did he? Given your professional expertise, what are the odds that Wendell, a man, planned a murder by poison of a woman he admitted to having an intimate relationship with? Using those exact same facts, what are the odds that the real murderer is you? No more questions.
The community association is gonna take a look at all ordinances making beekeeping illegal, so summer gets to keep her hives.
And Gloria has an interview with Beechem Prep Thanks to you.
It was our pleasure.
Uh, Damien, it's all right.
They're gone.
Damien, y listen, - you and I - Yeah.
- We're good, right? - Stop.
Yes.
- We're good? - I hear buzzing.
Did you hear buzzing? Ah! How's the murder trial going? Uh, about to find out.
It's official D.
A.
is dropping all the charges.
Jill is in custody for Noelle's murder.
Wow.
Thank you so much.
What are you gonna do with the $250,000? 'Cause that's yours now.
I think I'm gonna quit my job and move to Italy.
Maybe we could hit a bar nearby.
Celebratory glass of prosecco on me.
I thought you said alcohol shortened your life.
Well, some studies show that, in moderation, it actually has health benefits.
More importantly, what good is life if you're always calculating the worst possible outcome? I know a place right around the corner.
Join us.
Please say no.
You kids go on.
We're good.
- I could go for a cigar right about now.
- Yeah? Maybe Infeld has one of those Hondurans.
Not feeling it.
Huh.
Yeah.
Well, there's a box of Twinkies with our names on it.
That'll work.
All right! Oh, there we go.
Rachel took the wall down.
Dude! This look at this! It's so hard to get a read on her.
Right? Friend or foe? - It's like a jedi mind bone.
- Yep.
- Still - I know, but this is how we get our best work done.
That's right.
Hey.
Oh.
What? What? What? What you got? Where'd you get the
I wouldn't say that.
You tracked down a dying young woman, bought her insurance policy, paying her pennies for it.
It was $100,000.
So you could be the beneficiary and collect $250,000 when she died six months later.
Admit it.
You killed Noelle Gardner.
- I can't admit that.
- Why not? Because she's sitting right there next to your partner.
And that's why you're suing her because she lived.
Because she lied.
Because she lived, thanks to a miracle Amazon cure.
Noelle knew about that cure before her trip to Amazonia and before I bought her policy.
It wasn't a miracle.
It was fraud.
And I don't believe in miracles.
He doesn't believe in miracles.
Well, I hope you'll excuse me, Mr.
Singletary, if I still do.
I'm an actuary.
I believe in facts and numbers.
Numbers never lie.
No, because the fact is, no matter how many lawsuits you bring, you'll be on the hook to pay Noelle's premiums for what we can only hope is a long and happy life.
- Objection, Your Honor! - Sustained.
- We got him on the ropes.
- Hope he has a good cut man.
Well, the judge should stop it before someone gets brain damage.
Hey! Can I pack my bags for mount Whitney? My sister wants to blow all Wendell's money scaling the seven summits.
What good's his money if it can't fund my new lease on life? Well, we had one good day, but it's it's far from over.
I'm gonna take that as a "yes.
" Okay, come on, Rayann.
- It wasn't a "yes.
" - Noelle, it's hmm.
- It was like a "no.
" - Yeah, it was.
You were wrong about me.
It's nothing personal, Mr.
Singletary.
It's our job.
My lawyer will be calling you.
I've instructed him to settle, in spite of the facts.
- Okay.
- Well, why settle? You're a gambling man.
Roll the dice.
I don't gamble.
I predict.
I gauged the jury's reaction, combining your shallow, - albeit theatrical, performance - Thanks.
With a statistical analysis of the jury's gender, race - Hi.
- Hello.
And social-demographics evaluation.
I'll have my lawyer draw up the settlement papers immediately.
But you are wrong about me - and Noelle.
- Yep.
Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Looks like we got the rest of the day off.
- Surf Topanga? - Go-karts? Let's do both.
- Actuary hypothetical.
- Hit me.
You get to have sex with one Victoria's secret angel every year for the rest of your life.
I don't see the actuarial part, but I'm with you and I'm digging it so far.
You have to kill me.
The angels are a death benefit.
- It was good knowing you, buddy.
- Ho ho.
- Hey-hey.
- Hey.
It's a thank-you gift.
Noelle sent it before she went to climb Mount Whitney.
Wow.
Hey, is it just me or does anybody else feel kind of bad for Wendell? Creepy numbers guy? That's just you.
What is up with that? I saw you sneaking looks with him during the trial.
- Something you want to say? - Yeah.
You're insane.
Uh-huh.
- It's a weird gift, right? - Yeah.
I thought she swore off all processed foods after her cure.
It's called irony, my dear.
It's called delicious these are discontinued, and she spent a fortune on them.
Check it out.
- Wow! - Yep.
Well, thank you, Noelle.
- Yeah.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
Tink! Oh, see, that that is dedication.
Did you call her yet? Don't want to seem too eager.
Dude, you're gonna lose her if you don't take your thumb out.
- I know what I'm doing.
- Really? Uh-huh.
- All right, fine, be that way.
- Uh-huh.
Whatever.
These have beef fat in them.
I can't eat this.
I'll give you $8 to eat every one.
$9! Good morning.
At the risk of sounding completely ridiculous, Twinkie? Breakfast of champions.
You should indulge a little bit.
Once in a while is not gonna kill you.
I'm not really into junk food.
I was talking about me.
We should have some fun.
We should go out.
Come on, you and me.
I'm not really into anything potentially addictive.
Too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
One dinner.
We could we could call it a neighborhood watch meeting or something.
Anything.
Okay.
Friday.
Okay.
Great.
- A date.
- A dinner.
I'll get a sitter.
Oh, we can help you.
Pindy loves pets.
I have a daughter, Peter.
Her name is Tess.
She's 9 years old.
I have her this weekend.
Oh.
Oh, for for real? Yeah.
You a little weirded out? No, no.
I'm not I'm not weirded out at all.
It's just the name "Tess.
" Does she know you call her that? Really? No, I I love kids.
We could bring her along.
Yeah.
Now you're overcompensating, but it's fine.
I'll get a sitter, okay? Okay.
- See you Friday.
- All right.
Okay.
Can't wait.
Sure? Relax a lot of women dating these days have kids.
I can't take care of a kid.
I can barely take care of myself.
Okay, seriously, one date's not gonna make you the kid's new dad.
Single moms are protective, but it could be months before she trusts you enough to meet the kid, anyway.
At dinner, if the conversation is all - What's the kid's name? - Tess.
The conversation's all Tess all the time, then you know she doesn't have enough time for you, but if there's a balance, you're all good.
I'm saying I should have fortune cookies.
Hello? Wow.
Um Okay.
Yeah, thank you.
Noelle Gardner's dead.
Noelle? What happened? She fall off Mount Whitney? She never even made it.
She was murdered.
How was Noelle killed? By banana.
Banana? She developed an intense allergy by-product of her cure.
Banana was deliberately laced into her food and sent over by the regular delivery service.
My God.
And you two are going to represent the man charged with doing it.
- Wait.
What? - I'm not gonna represent her killer.
Alleged killer.
Come.
Everyone has the right to a defense.
I myself was accused of murder.
We know.
We defended you.
Three times, twice falsely.
Look, I met with him.
I'm convinced that he didn't do it.
Get Karp! Why us? Because the client asked for you.
He believes that you and you alone understand how he ticks.
Boys meet your new client.
What do you know about honeybees? What don't I know about honeybees? A beekeeper in Venice is being sued by the city for public nuisance.
A couple of bees flew into some kid's birthday party.
Kids.
They are trying to shut the beekeeper down.
I'd like you to handle the case in front of the community association.
Problem? No, it just it seems a little lighter than our usual fare.
Then I'm sure you can dispense with it in an afternoon.
Awesome.
So, they're charging you with manslaughter.
Coroner's report says Noelle was poisoned by banana extract injected into the food that she had delivered to her building's lobby every day between 3:00 and 4:00 A.
M.
And since her, uh, allergy came on after the cure, only three people knew about it besides Noelle's family her insurance agent, her allergist, and And you.
Where were you between 3:00 and 4:00 A.
M.
The day the food was delivered? I was sleeping alone, so no alibi.
But I I do have a motive.
After Noelle's death, her benefits inure to me.
And up until she found her Amazon cure, - we were lovers.
- Wait.
What, now? I suspect that she instigated it to encourage me to buy her policy.
And she dumped me, so you can add that to my list of motives for killing her.
- Sure.
We'll do that.
Yep.
- Okay.
- We're done.
- Yeah.
We don't validate.
Wendell, how did it go? Not well.
This is my assistant, Jill.
I don't drive.
You're not gonna represent him? It's okay.
No, I have worked with Wendell for six years.
He helps people.
By short-buying their lives? By allowing terminally ill patients a chance to live out their dreams and have a full life before they die.
Explain what you do with the money.
No, it's not worth it.
They don't care.
Actually, go ahead.
Tell us.
He donates 30% to the foundation of the illness they die of.
and the other 27.
5% I'm saving to retire in Italy, my spiritual home.
Look, I understand that my job doesn't make me the most sympathetic person, but I did not kill Noelle.
Give us a moment.
What are you thinking here? Do we have a choice? - Well, Stanton believes him.
- Yeah.
You know, if we take the case, the judge isn't gonna let us use any of the evidence from Noelle's civil case.
It's gonna be a firewall.
Okay.
All right, we'll, uh, take your case.
Wow.
Great.
Coming here, I put the odds of you taking this at 8-to-1, factoring in your antipathy towards me, and also what I perceive to be - your willingness to take on a challenge.
- Yeah, yeah.
Wendell, Wendell, Wendell, please.
Yeah, don't make us change our mind, okay? Uh, and that moves the bike-plan hearing from 6:00 to 7:00 P.
M.
on Thursday to accommodate the vegan raw foods class clean-up.
It's a straightforward case, Summer.
You're gonna be back at your hives by lunch.
My hives are my living.
I sell the honey, and I help other people start their farms.
I i if I can't keep that going we're gonna be fine.
Uh, with a big thanks to Willow for her enlightened meditation demo on disaster prep.
And, uh, that leaves us with, uh Uh, Damien Karp, representing Summer Wallace, Mr.
Bixby.
Uh, Summer retained counsel, huh? Every bee deserves its day, right? Uh, I'm here for the city, Bix.
Hey, there.
Lyle.
So, mister Bix, this is just a simple misunderstanding.
Now, bees disrupted the birthday party of summer's neighbor, but venice is full of bees.
How can we be sure the bees were Ms.
Wallace's? Can Mr.
Karp prove they weren't Ms.
Wallace's bees? Actually, the burden of proof's on you.
Well, what about footage from Achilles' birthday party - Achilles? - Showing Ms.
Wallace's bees going over her fence into her neighbor's yard? - Would that help? - Helps me.
I move we schedule an official hearing.
All in favor? Aye! Aye! Aye! Aye! I'll see you at the next meeting.
We're out! Namaste.
Awesome.
Rachel.
Hey.
Yeah, we had, um we had a little setback, but we're gonna get them at the hearing.
This is going to a hearing? I gave you a simple task, like taking out the garbage.
Okay, that's an overreaction.
No, course correction.
You're getting help.
You're getting Franklin and Bash.
Hey.
Good news.
You know that $250,000 in benefits? Turns out there was a rider on Noelle's policy that wasn't mentioned in discovery.
Where is, uh, Wendell? Kind of thought he would be here.
We switched it to later.
Why? Yeah, you could have texted us this information.
You didn't have to come all the way down.
Yeah, I kind of wish I had now.
So, the rider? Makes Wendell sole beneficiary, unless, of course, he is convicted of causing Noelle's death.
Interesting.
Who's next in line? It's intestate family succession.
Rayann.
That's good work, Carm.
And we'll call you next time Wendell's here.
And you can explain the weird attraction women have to him.
You wouldn't understand.
- That's true.
- I understand weird attraction.
- I love that movie.
- It's a great movie.
What do you want to do with your office? Use it as a steel-cage octagon? Eh, it's too small.
How about a recording studio? You know what would be really cool? I have a job for you.
- Clever.
- Right? We already have a job a murder job.
Now you have another job bee case.
Ooh, I'd like to take the case of the bees with Damien, if that's all right.
You have more important work to do.
Let them take it.
Is the death of honey not important? Last winter, on my trip, I was moved by the Egyptian tombs of Pabasa, from the 26th dynasty, depicting the ancient art of apiculture.
"Apiculture"? I didn't know they had monkeys in Egypt.
Dude, "Raiders of the lost ark," the monkey ate the poison date.
Oh.
Right.
Bees, gentlemen.
- It was a monkey.
- No.
Bees I myself will join the fight for these marvelous insects, saving them so that they may, in turn, save us.
That desk goes back into Peter's office after your playdate.
You know, when she talks like that and looks like that Blood flow changes.
Yeah.
We're gonna make a left turn here.
Don't go to your right.
That's water.
- Okay.
- Almost there.
Seriously, can I please open my eyes? No, you got to keep them closed the entire date.
- It's a blind date.
- Really? Yeah.
- We're almost there.
- Okay.
You got it.
- Ready? - Okay.
Open your eyes.
Oh, wow.
You don't mess around on first dates.
Uh, j just dinner.
Really? I also rented some doves to circle us, but they got loose in my car, and Yeah, they're probably over Koreatown by now.
- I think we'll manage.
- Yeah.
- After you.
- Thanks.
Jared and I give our clients the best defense we can, even if it means bending a few rules.
Yeah, I'm with you when it comes to my patients, I don't let the insurance get in the way.
Well, here's to breaking the rules.
We are so bad-ass.
You're not like other lawyers, Peter.
And you're the first kinesiologist I've ever met, so I have nothing to compare it to.
Oh, that's raw.
Yeah.
That's not lit.
Oh, boy.
Well, I guess the wind blew it out.
This is gonna take a while.
Counselor Bash up against a jury of one.
All right, what else have you got? Well, for starters, you need to finish this.
Okay.
Okay, let me see what we have here.
We have chocolate to melt.
Cheese to melt.
Strawberries, bread, balsamic muddled strawberry bruschetta.
Eh, this is an epic fail.
I wouldn't call it an epic fail.
I'll give you a do-over, anyway.
Okay.
I owe you dinner or dessert, whatever that wasn't.
Okay.
So, good? Yeah, I'd say it was a perfect date.
Like top-10, all-time perfect? Top five.
You know, we just talked a lot, about everything.
No mention about the kid.
You'll know Charlie likes you in a different way - when you meet the kid.
- What do you mean? Like a pre-interview for a stepdad? No, stupid I'm just saying you'll know - she takes you seriously.
- I'm just saying I don't want anything serious, stupid.
All I know is that I'd be having some serious sex right now if you hadn't forgotten to put the lighter back in the bag after we shot off those bottle rockets into the ocean.
Let me get this straight you're saying it was a done deal if it wasn't for the lighter.
Yeah, I'm saying it was I would have been done - You would have closed if it wasn't for the lighter? - I would have been I'm sticking with the lighter.
- So it was just the lighter.
- I'm sticking with the lighter.
Breaking news.
Proof that Noelle knew about her cure before she sold her policy to Wendell.
Turns out that trip that she reported to her insurance company was her second trip.
She never mentioned the first one.
Wait, so Wendell was right? Noelle did defraud him? - Which makes us, who are her lawyers - Equally duped.
- There's more.
- Oh, good.
You know her sister, Rayann? Yeah, the one that's not returning our phone calls? Well, a neighbor did she said she saw Rayann entering Noelle's building at 3:30 A.
M.
The morning she died.
Rayann lives in Santa Monica.
What was she doing all the way across town the morning Noelle died? You don't know anything about how a dog park works.
You're supposed to put the dog down, let her run around.
It's a loaner.
I don't want her to get eaten by one of these big dogs.
No, I don't.
All right, you're you're you're embarrassing me.
Stop it.
- You're embarrassing.
You don't have a dog.
- Stop it.
Hey, hey, hey.
There she is.
There she is.
Rayann! - Hi.
- Hi.
Well, well.
The dirtbags that represented my sister are now representing her murderer.
We prefer Peter and Jared.
I have nothing to say to you.
You are money-hungry bloodsuckers.
First, nice dog.
But like you, we just want to know who killed Noelle.
Oh, well, here's a clue you're sitting next to him in court.
See, someone else was in her building the night she died, someone who knew about her allergy and when her food was delivered.
What are you talking about? We have a witness who puts you there at 3:30 A.
M.
You think I killed her? I am the one who took care of her, quit my job when she was diagnosed.
And traveled with her to the Amazon both times.
Did you suggest that Noelle defraud Wendell by selling her insurance policy, even though she was cured? I did that was Noelle's id I don't have to talk to you.
Okay, well, you could do it here or on the stand.
That is a stupid-looking dog.
You shouldn't have insulted her.
- Good Lulu.
- That's a good Lulu.
Dogs can sense evil.
I think that's earthquakes, buddy.
It doesn't take a dog to see that is an angry woman.
Angry enough to kill her sister? Did you know that the medieval French believed that the first beesting of the year meant that a stranger was en route? And here we are.
I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but Rachel told me that Bash and Franklin were coming on.
No, no, no.
I overruled that.
- They're far too busy.
- Oh, really? So, okay, because of your African epiphany, now we're knocking on Venice doors, and they get to handle murder trials? Damien, listen, I wanted on this.
I feel that you and I have not been on the best of terms since I brought on Rachel.
I mean, you're my nephew.
Family comes first.
Goody! You're here! - Come on in.
- Thank you.
The city says you're running a commercial operation out of a residence by selling your honey.
My neighbor sells tomatoes that he grows in his garden.
Why isn't anyone coming after him? Because tomatoes don't attack people? Bees pollinate 30% of the world's crops.
Nearly a third of the honeybees in the U.
S.
have vanished due to the colony collapse disorder.
Absolutely.
And not to mention, of course, that honey a very powerful aphrodisiac.
Did you know that, Damien? - I do now.
Thank you.
- Good.
Each hive has its own personality.
These little guys recognize me and I them.
And the time we spend together means as much to me as if Oh.
Sorry.
I didn't really have much of a choice.
It came at me like a kamikaze.
She was introducing herself to you.
Well, I was just introducing myself right back.
I just said, "hey, bee, meet death.
Death, meet bee.
" She had a name.
She had a name? Yeah.
Summer, I do believe I've figured out how to win your case.
Defense calls Rayann Gardner to the stand, Your Honor.
Dickheads.
That's just hurtful, Rayann.
She shouldn't have called you that.
Me? She said, "dickheads," plural.
Witness testimony puts you at Noelle's apartment building the morning of her death, but you weren't there to see your sister, were you? No.
Who were you there to see? Michael Shepperd.
Michael Shepperd, your sister's boyfriend, hours before she died? Yes.
Objection.
Relevance.
All this proves is that Ms.
Gardner had a legitimate reason to be in the building other legitimate? Sleeping with your sister's boyfriend while your sister is one floor below? Objection overruled.
Spare us the outrage, Mr.
Bash.
Mr.
Nelson may be right.
It may provide a legitimate reason for Rayann to be in her sister's building or motive for her to kill one of the oldest motives in the world love.
So you're a liar or a murderer.
Either way, Rayann, why should this jury believe anything you say? Our trial is looking up.
Rayann looked bad today.
Have a beer.
Alcohol affects sleep patterns.
Men who sleep less than six hours a night are likely to die four to seven years sooner than their tee-totaling counterparts, so, no, thank you.
We got to invite him to every one of our parties.
Absolutely.
Is there anything else that I can get you? You know, I would love a snapple.
I noticed you drinking one the last time I was here.
Coming right up.
Okay, what is the deal? What is it hypnosis? Is it pheromones? What? What are you talking about? We've seen the way that women look at you, including Carmen.
And let's face it she lives with this.
- This.
- This.
And this.
- This.
- Eh - That.
- Mm I don't I don't know, guys.
I'm I'm just myself.
- He's good.
- Oh, come on.
No one's themselves.
Hey, Nelson's here.
- White flag? - Yeah.
Let's go check.
If you dismiss now, we won't sue you for malicious prosecution.
Well, gentlemen, six hours ago, I might have agreed with you, until I got this.
What is that? Life settlements orchestrated by your client at his previous job.
So? It's what he does.
He did dozens of them.
I'm focusing on two of them for now.
He bought a policy from a triathlete, peak of health, who died one month later hit and run, never solved.
And an 85-year-old woman who died one hour after Wendell visited her in the hospital.
These two untimely deaths netted Wendell $285,000.
This will never come into evidence.
You can't introduce alleged prior bad acts.
- You're suggesting Wendell is - Is a serial killer who uses life settlements as a pool for his victims.
Modus operandi.
Continuous course of conduct.
My guess is it will be admitted for the jury to hear.
And an affidavit from Noelle's boyfriend.
It says that he met Rayann at the front of their building at 3:30 A.
M.
, where there was no food-delivery bag and that he stayed with Rayann until late the next morning.
That's it? Mm One more little thing.
Manslaughter? First-degree murder.
I'll see you fellas in court.
Either Wendell is the best actuary in the world Or he is a pathological serial killer.
I was gonna say that.
You lied to us, Wendell.
Who are these people you wrote policies for? The triathlete was from Portland but moved to the third-most-polluted county in the U.
S.
with no bike lanes.
I knew the odds of him getting hit by a car or contracting an airborne disease could shorten his life by 42.
556%.
And he was hit by a car, so I was right.
And the woman? She was a lonely widow who regularly called 911 so she could be in a hospital with other people.
Widows die younger than their married counterparts, and over 195,000 Americans die annually from hospital negligence.
Wendell simply saw them as a sound investment.
Can't you explain that to the jury? Actually, Wendell we're thinking you should consider a deal.
We may be able to get it knocked down to involuntary manslaughter Years? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
But I didn't kill her and I can't take a plea.
How about this? You are a ghoul, a freak who can predict the time and circumstance of anyone's death with frightening accuracy, which doesn't make you a killer.
It makes you the best damn actuary in the world, and those deaths those are the proof.
Those skills don't make you homicidal.
They're what make you so good at your job.
Could it work? Look, we've come to these hearings in good faith, but last night, someone destroyed Ms.
Wallace's home apiaries.
Now, she's gonna need protection until this case is decided.
It's true a few teenagers who had too much to drink came upon Ms.
Wallace's hives.
The bees attacked, landing two of the teenagers - in the hospital.
- W wait they came upon? They were trespassing.
You can't kick a dog in his own backyard and not expect to get bitten.
You can't compare bees to a pet dog.
Actually, you can.
There's a study out of the University of Michigan which found that pets make our lives more fulfilled and improve mental health, so given that criteria, I believe that summer's bees are pets.
Lyle? He's right.
Those bees are pets.
- Great.
- Well, then, if we all agree Dangerous pets now, if I trespass on your property and you have a tiger, that's still a violation - of the exotic animals act.
- Come on! Bees can hardly be compared to tigers.
Well, tell that to the two high-school sophomores - who had to spend the night in the hospital.
- Okay! Getting a little contentious up in here.
Let's call it a day, and we'll hear closing arguments tomorrow.
Hey, heads up just so you guys know, if you lose, the teens' families are bringing civil suit for their medical bills, pain and suffering, and criminal charges.
Sorry, guys.
Oh, my God.
W wait, Summer.
Well, look, Rachel's gonna be very upset when you tell her.
- Me? - Well, yeah.
I mean, you are the first chair.
I'm only here to support and to heal our relationship.
Great job on that so far.
You know the government can hack into your computer, activate your webcam, and watch you? Thinking of doing that with Charlie's? 'Cause it seems a little crazy.
First of all, no.
Second of all, great idea.
Third, crazy is another name for passion.
It's how I landed Janie.
I forgot you intentionally rear-ended her with your car.
Charlie's nothing like Janie, though, so take it easy with her.
Oh, the things we do for love.
Well, we didn't talk about this Noelle/wendell thing.
What if someone's jealous of their relationship? Well, it wasn't Noelle's boyfriend.
He was banging the sister.
What if it's not about Noelle? Wendell oddly attracts women you're saying someone could have been jealous of him? The insurance papers came from his previous job.
There's only one person who's been with him all along.
His assistant, Jill.
Except she's been helpful, volunteering information.
What better way to stay close to the case? What if Jill loves Wendell enough to do something crazy? Yeah, she would have hated seeing that relationship unfold with Noelle.
- She would have known about the banana allergy.
- Yeah.
So we put the high beams on Jill.
In my office.
We're now.
Everything all right? I need you to win the bee case.
Excuse us? It seems to be baffling those above your pay grade.
Well, everything baffles Karp.
Why can't you do it? I can't be directly involved.
Because? We work better when we're not in the dark.
At the office.
Fine.
I have a goddaughter, Gloria a smart, dedicated kid whose mom is barely scraping by.
She'd excel at Beechem, but her mom refuses to take money from me.
She's just too proud.
- We're not as proud.
- No.
And Summer, the beekeeper, sits on the admissions committee.
Hang on you've been busting our balls for doing too many pro bono cases.
Now you want us to help out with the honeybees so your friend's kid can get into some private school? Yes.
- Okay.
- When can we start pulling stuff like that? Raise your billables 500% and argue a case in front of the supreme court, and we'll discuss it.
Why us? The Venice community association is a different kind of cat.
You'd fit right in.
Sounds like an insult.
Nah.
We can't do it.
Can't do it tomorrow.
We have that murder trial.
Can you teach Stanton and Damien the Franklin and Bash? Can you teach a one-armed man to drum? Def Leppard.
I said one arm.
No.
Wait, wait, wait.
Karp and bees.
- Killer bees? - No.
Damn.
Ah, damn.
I'm told Summer's honeybees are harmless.
They don't attack you if you don't attack them.
They're harmless unless provoked.
And that's what you would need to prove to win.
If we do it, take down that wall? If you do it, you can have another case.
That's why they call it a job.
A job.
They do need our help.
Not "they," just Infeld.
Right.
Just Infeld.
- Def Leppard.
- One-armed drummer, yes.
How was he charged with assault? He's got a strong one arm.
- Hey.
Check it.
- Hey.
What is it? E-mail exchange between Jill and Noelle from a year ago, right after her cure.
Read it and weep.
"I wanted to tell you a quick e-mail.
I wanted to tell you about feast food service, especially with you on a new health kick.
They deal with food allergies and deliver to your door between 3:00 A.
M.
and 4:00 A.
M.
" Smoking banana.
Jill knew about the food allergy and the time of the food delivery.
She's the only other person other than Wendell who knew about those dead-life settlements that the D.
A.
had.
Only one problem.
- The firewall.
- Yep.
The judge is never gonna let us bring anything from Wendell's civil case against Noelle.
It's prejudicial.
Nelson will nail it.
We can't bring it in, but that doesn't mean the prosecution can't.
We get them to knock down the firewall.
Easier than knocking down this wall.
Hey.
Huh? Tag, you're it.
Aah! Thanks for bringing over dessert.
I didn't.
Yes, you did.
I'm about to have it now.
This is nice.
We're having a barbecue on Saturday.
It would be cool if you could stop by.
Yeah, I'd love to.
And Tess' dad isn't picking her up till next weekend.
You want me to meet your daughter? Is that a problem? No, of course not.
Peter, I want her to meet you and Pindar and Jared and Carmen for emergency reasons, just the same way she met our other neighbors when they moved in.
Right, right.
That's smart parenting.
Okay, Dr.
Foster, you've testified that Noelle's cure was 100%.
Yeah, it was.
And you sent this new diagnosis to her life-insurance company on September 1st of this year? Yep, I sent the good news directly to Mr.
Singletary's office.
In your experience, how do patients celebrate good news like that? Well, some cash out their savings and go on trips.
A few get married and have babies.
A handful start treating their bodies worse than when they were diagnosed.
Which category did Noelle fit into? Objection.
Relevance.
Overruled.
She gained several pounds and exhibited some reckless behavior.
In fact, Noelle bought several cases of junk food as recently as a week before her death, didn't she? Objection.
Relevance again.
A copy of a receipt of multiple cases of Ho Ho, Ding-Dongs, and Twinkies, Your Honor.
Proceed.
Doctor, Twinkies were made in the same factory as banana-cream-filled zingers.
Now, couldn't traces of zinger juice - possibly - Objection.
Ms.
Gardner had food delivered to her daily from Feast, a company that provides locally sourced organic food.
She was very vigilant in her diet.
Well, Your Honor, since opposing counsel has introduced the idea of Ms.
Gardner's healthy diet, information used in the prior civil trial - Wait, wait.
No, no, no.
- They opened the door.
We request the right to make use of that information.
Granted.
Consider the door open.
The court will recess until 2:00 P.
M.
Uh, Damien, um, listen, before we go in, I'd just like to say that working with you on this case reminds me of why I hired you in the first place, and it's not because your mother tried to blackmail me over that ridiculous incident with the hitchhiker in Amsterdam.
No, listen I hired you because you're a damn fine lawyer.
Thank you.
And by hiring Rachel, I suppose that, subconsciously, I believed that you'd be better suited somewhere else, you know, like a a judge or a legal counsel to a Fortune 500 company.
I'm sorry.
What what are you saying? What I'm saying is, for you to get to the next level, you have to take risks.
You have to take chances.
No.
Not taking risks has gotten me where I am.
You don't have a choice.
I mean, Rachel she really wants this, and you know how I hate to lose.
So I just have one question for you do you have any allergies? Most of you know bees as social insects.
I mean, they gather to do their work.
They protect their queen as a group.
Now, what most of you don't know about them is that they're gentle, defensive creatures.
They'll only attack if provoked.
And they're harmless, unless, of course, you harm them.
Well, as you can see for yourself right, Damien? You've been Wendell Singletary's assistant for how long? How many hours? with no personal, sick, or vacation days.
You really are Wendell's protégée.
Well, Wendell's an excellent boss.
And you worked with Wendell when he handled the life settlements for the triathlete and the 85-year-old back at health assure.
Wendell and I work very closely together.
I wonder do you know how the prosecution - got ahold of those cases? - No.
Was there anyone who worked with you and Wendell at health assure who came over to life-systems with you? No.
- Just you.
- Yes.
And you worked on Noelle's life settlement, too, right? And you and Noelle e-mailed.
Well, I e-mail most of Wendell's clients.
I'm interested in one specific exchange where you introduced Noelle to feast delivery service.
So you knew the delivery-service times, and you also knew about Noelle's allergy.
Given your actuarial skills, I'm wondering if you can help me analyze some research I've gathered.
Uh, between women and men, women take their time to plan a murder, while men are more impulsive.
Now, men tend to kill people that they don't know, while women tend to kill people that they have some personal connection to.
Is that right? That's correct.
And, typically, poison is a woman's weapon.
And women, more than men, kill most for love.
Did you know that? If if you say so.
Jill, are you in love with Wendell? No.
Not for the last 10,496 hours, counting weekends, or 8,000, counting only workdays, no vacation, personal, or sick days? You're under oath.
I'm not in love with Wendell, so He didn't notice you at all, did he? Given your professional expertise, what are the odds that Wendell, a man, planned a murder by poison of a woman he admitted to having an intimate relationship with? Using those exact same facts, what are the odds that the real murderer is you? No more questions.
The community association is gonna take a look at all ordinances making beekeeping illegal, so summer gets to keep her hives.
And Gloria has an interview with Beechem Prep Thanks to you.
It was our pleasure.
Uh, Damien, it's all right.
They're gone.
Damien, y listen, - you and I - Yeah.
- We're good, right? - Stop.
Yes.
- We're good? - I hear buzzing.
Did you hear buzzing? Ah! How's the murder trial going? Uh, about to find out.
It's official D.
A.
is dropping all the charges.
Jill is in custody for Noelle's murder.
Wow.
Thank you so much.
What are you gonna do with the $250,000? 'Cause that's yours now.
I think I'm gonna quit my job and move to Italy.
Maybe we could hit a bar nearby.
Celebratory glass of prosecco on me.
I thought you said alcohol shortened your life.
Well, some studies show that, in moderation, it actually has health benefits.
More importantly, what good is life if you're always calculating the worst possible outcome? I know a place right around the corner.
Join us.
Please say no.
You kids go on.
We're good.
- I could go for a cigar right about now.
- Yeah? Maybe Infeld has one of those Hondurans.
Not feeling it.
Huh.
Yeah.
Well, there's a box of Twinkies with our names on it.
That'll work.
All right! Oh, there we go.
Rachel took the wall down.
Dude! This look at this! It's so hard to get a read on her.
Right? Friend or foe? - It's like a jedi mind bone.
- Yep.
- Still - I know, but this is how we get our best work done.
That's right.
Hey.
Oh.
What? What? What? What you got? Where'd you get the