The Equalizer (2021) s03e07 Episode Script

1
Previously on The Equalizer
Get in. I owe you one.
I say letting me take you
to dinner might make us even.
Good to know.
That a yes?
It's about me and my mom.
I asked her to train me,
you know, how to protect myself
- And she said no.
- She did.
If Delilah is not ready
when the time comes,
that will be my fault.
I don't know, something in my gut
tells me she's hiding something.
Honey, she's not the kind of kid
who's gonna go sneaking around.
If somebody grabs you,
don't think. Just act.
Oh, my city ♪
City that built me ♪
Broke me down ♪
Crying ♪
And it's helped me ♪
Through all of my heartache ♪
Struggling to make it ♪
The rooftops ♪
It's my paradise ♪
Oh, oh ♪
Oh, oh ♪
It's my paradise ♪
Hey, hey, hey ♪
My paradise. ♪
(CROWD CHEERING)
(WHOOPING)
That was amazing.
Give it up for the glamorous,
talented, multi-platinum
selling artist Misty.
(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)
Misty, thank you for joining us.
Oh, my pleasure, Angela.
It feels so good
to be back here in New York,
especially for the last leg
of my Paradise tour,
and back here, where I played
my very first gig. Yeah.
And this is the anniversary
of that performance, right?
- That's right.
- The very first time
the public heard your
Grammy-winning hit "Paradise."
Yes, that's right,
and I-I love the fans so much.
They're the reason I've come this far.
And that's why I wanted them
- all here today.
- And I'm told
you have a big announcement for them.
That's right, Angela. Years ago,
I was discovered on this very stage,
so it's fitting that
my performance tomorrow night
will also be my last.
- (AUDIENCE GASPS)
- I'm retiring from the music industry.
(CROWD MUTTERING)
- WOMAN: What?
- WOMAN 2: You can't!
WOMAN 3: This is awful.
Make way. Make way, please.
You should've given me the heads up.
So you could talk me out of it?
So I wouldn't look like
a fool to the people
I'm negotiating your
huge new contract with.
A contract I told you
I didn't want, Martin.
I get it. You're tired.
We'll send you off to the Bahamas
for a few days to recharge.
It's not just about the business.
I'm tired of being a brand,
not a person,
and everyone telling me
what to do, especially you.
It is my job to help guide you.
I'm a grown-ass woman.
I can make my own decisions.
And I've made this one.
And what about all the people
you're letting down?
Your fans, your band
That's not who you're actually
worried about, is it, Martin?
Sure, losing your
next contract affects me.
But my concern is you.
Your fan mail.
Thank you, Z.
MARTIN: This is who you are.
Your identity.
You can't just walk away from all that.
(SCOFFS) Watch me.
And do what instead?
I don't know, have an actual life.
Someone to wake up
next to every morning.
Start a family with.
There'll be
plenty of time for that later.
- But now, you
- (PHONE VIBRATES)
- Great, it's the label.
- Mm-hmm.
- I'm sure they've heard.
- Mm-hmm.
I got to take this.
Yeah, what?
Well, I didn't know she
was going to do that.
- (SHRIEKS)
- Stay back.
(GASPS)
Is that blood?
(HUMMING A TUNE)
Wait a minute.
Now, who would eat
the whole box of Honey Toasted Crunchies
and then put it back in the cabinet?
Who do you think?
(CHUCKLES)
I'll pick some more up
later when I go out.
(SIGHS) Good morning.
Good morning, Dee.
Well, aren't you full of sunshine.
A good night of sleep
will change your life.
I don't know,
your energy seems different.
You're more, uh
confident.
You see something different about her?
No, she's just as beautiful as always.
Well, I'm gonna go grab some
breakfast down at New World.
You want to join me?
Uh, sorry, Mom. Actually, Mel and I
are gonna catch an early bird sale
- in SoHo before school.
- Oh, really?
Mm-hmm.
Well, good to see you guys
spending time together.
Yeah, I like her a lot.
She's cool.
Can I get a rain check
on breakfast, though?
Sure, if I can get on your calendar.
I'm still gonna go grab some
breakfast before my work meeting,
so have fun.
(CHUCKLES)
See you. Have a good day.
You too.
By the way,
stores aren't open this early.
I know what you and Mel are doing.
- Hmm?
- Don't even.
I saw her training you.
I know Mom said no,
but what choice do I have?
Okay? What if something
happens again, and I
Listen, I understand
why you're doing it.
So, you're okay with it?
You wanting to learn how
to protect yourself, yes.
Doing it behind your mother's back?
I know. I hate lying to Mom.
Then you tell her.
Or be damn sure I will.
I wouldn't even know where to begin.
Well, you were resourceful enough
to rope Mel into this.
I'm sure you'll figure it out.
I'll admit it is disturbing,
but it doesn't scream immediate threat.
Not by itself,
but this is the latest
in a series of escalating incidents.
Random cars driving by the house,
mysterious phone calls
in the middle of the night.
My gut tells me to take this seriously.
Well, what does Misty
think about these incidents?
She doesn't know about them.
It's my job to keep her
safe so she can perform,
not stress her out
over every little issue.
Not so little anymore, is it?
Well, over the years,
she's had all kinds of fans,
some more aggressive than others,
but nothing like this.
Well, have you taken it to the police?
I did.
They said they would look into it,
but that doesn't help Misty.
She performs tonight,
and I have to keep her safe.
Well, why not cancel the show?
Well, I've tried to
convince her, but her fans
fly from all over the world to see her.
Save all year to afford
a plane ticket, a hotel.
She doesn't want to let them down.
Look, I know you're concerned for her,
but I'm not security for hire.
Now, I can recommend
a firm that specializes
in executive protection.
I'm afraid it's not that simple.
Misty's opposed to bringing
on outside security.
Because?
Because she's been burned in the past.
Last time I brought on an outside team,
they roughed up some of her fans,
and then, when I fired them,
they sold her out to the tabloids.
I know, she has a rep as being
a demanding, selfish diva.
I've heard the rumors.
Whatever you've heard,
it's not true.
The press needs headlines
to drive traffic to their websites.
I'm telling you, I've worked
with Misty for almost a decade.
She is the most considerate,
thoughtful, loving person
I have ever known.
Well, you sound like
you really care about her.
I do.
It's hard not to
once you get to know her.
Will you help me?
(SIGHS)
I gave the letter to Dante.
Maybe he can pull some
prints or some DNA.
That's so gross.
I mean, I don't care
if The Flaming Lips,
the Pixies and Pavement
formed a supergroup,
you would not see me spilling my blood
in some sort of sick tribute for anyone.
Well, obsession can make people
do some bizarre things. I guess.
Hey, where's Mel?
She still shopping with
Hey, guys.
Wow, shopping must've been intense.
Yeah, yeah.
You blow my child's whole college fund?
Uh, no, she didn't
she couldn't settle on anything.
Wait a minute, Misty is our client?
Okay, let's say,
for the sake of argument,
this one-named wonder couldn't afford
an entire army of security guards,
I mean, is this really
the person you want to be
- working with, right here?
- Seriously?
Mr. "The government
is always lying to us"
believes what he reads
- in tabloids?
- HARRY: Hey, the tabloids
- believe in UFOs.
- MEL: Oh, man.
What I don't see up there
is Misty's charity work,
her musical education program,
her volunteerism,
plus, the woman can sing.
It doesn't matter whether
she's a saint or a diva,
she deserves to be safe.
How are you supposed
to help her, anyway?
I mean, you said she didn't want
uh, extra security, right?
Well, who said we were
going in as security?
Want to have some fun?
MEL: Do I detect the return
of Pepper Wallace?
I'm gonna need a, uh,
LED panel with a softbox as the key.
You know, I just want to keep
things nice and nice and soft.
Who are you talking to?
You. We're a small crew here.
We all got to wear a lot of hats.
Oh, that's so cute,
but that hat doesn't go with
- this outfit, so
- (SIGHS)
Thank you.
- Watch it.
- Sorry.
(CHUCKLES)
Misty, this is the, uh, film crew
that's gonna be shooting
behind-the-scenes footage
for the farewell concert.
Misty. Pepper Wallace. Producer.
I can't tell you how honored we are
to be covering such a historic event.
(CHUCKLES) I-I think
there's been some sort
of misunderstanding.
No one consulted me about this.
I thought Martin and your publicist had.
They didn't, but if
we were going to do this,
we should just use
the crew we always use.
There's no use in bringing in strangers.
Misty, I looked into this,
I vetted them,
I checked their credentials.
This is three of the best
filmmakers in the whole city.
They're gonna make you look excellent.
Z: Excuse me. Misty, your herbal tea.
We got to take care of that voice.
Thank you, Z.
Ms. Wallace,
this performance is an intimate setting.
Having a film crew follow me around
is the opposite of the image
I want to project.
Funny you should mention image.
There are a lot of people out there
pushing one of you that
is not very flattering.
And flat-out not true.
But this is your chance
to control your narrative.
No one can explain why you're
retiring better than you can.
And your fans want to hear
your story told your way.
They don't want to read
made-up stuff in the gossip rags.
And you think this is a good idea?
I do.
Well, I usually run stuff
like this past my publicist
But I trust you.
(SIGHS) Let's do it.
All right. Okay, everyone, Let's do it.
let's get it together.
Yeah.
(FLOORBOARD CREAKS)
(CREAK)
Aah!
- Misty! Are you okay?
- A man he went that way.
- You sure you're okay?
- I think so.
I'm okay.
Whew.
I'm okay.
Another man trying to knock me down?
Whew, it's gonna take
a lot more than that
to keep me out the game.
He's gone.
ROBYN: Well, who the hell was that
- and what did they want?
- I don't know,
but this is unacceptable.
All right, so the intruder chloroformed
the, uh, security guard
that was stationed
at the back entrance of Misty's suite.
Here he is running down the hall
a few minutes later,
Lucas not far behind.
Then he disappears into the stairwell.
Hey, a maintenance crew just
found the intruder's mask, and hoodie
in the 15th-floor staircase.
I mean, once he ditched his disguise,
he's just another hotel guest.
He could've got off at any floor.
Well, the question is how
did he get into Misty's suite?
Well, according to the manager,
he used a master key card
belonging to someone
on the janitorial staff.
A guy named Edrin Foxx.
Do we know where he is?
He clocked in this morning,
but he's currently MIA.
And get this:
he was hired just three weeks ago.
So it's possible he just
took the job because he knew
- Misty was coming.
- Yup.
Find out what we can about this guy.
Already digging in.
ROBYN: Hey, Lucas.
- How's Misty?
- Too well.
She's insisting I take her
to the club for a sound check.
But the guy from her room
is still out there.
She's convinced herself
it was just a souvenir hunter,
and if he wanted to
hurt her, he would have.
- And what do you think?
- I think we need to
cancel the show, but she won't listen.
Good news is she wants you
all to film the sound check.
Guess you made a good impression.
Looks like we're up.
That was great.
Just do maybe one more, but tighter.
Okay. So, Clyde,
talk to me about life on the road.
With Misty, everything's about family,
so she makes it simple.
But "simple" doesn't mean easy.
The days are long.
But fun. Sometimes a bit too fun.
DRUMMER: Ain't that the truth.
But it's the life we chose.
It's not really a choice when the
melody calls you the way it does.
Oh, yeah, I know. Hey, man,
it's like a siren, you know?
It just sort of
(CLEARS THROAT) Sorry.
Tommy, is it what you expected?
All that and more.
And yeah, sometimes it gets
a little lonely, you know.
Every day a new city,
but I knew what I was getting into.
- I grew up around music.
- MEL: Mm.
My mother taught me everything I know.
Yeah. (LAUGHS)
MEL: Nice.
Time for sound check, guys.
MEL: All right. Listen,
thank you for your time.
Have a great show. Okay.
They said it was cruel,
they said it was hard ♪
Was gonna hop a train and move on ♪
But then I looked up, looked up ♪
I was taken ♪
By eagles and stars ♪
This town won't let you down easy ♪
Man. She's even more impressive live.
You realize how hard
that is to pull off?
Are you surprised or you disappointed?
I'm in awe.
(PHONE RINGS)
City that built me ♪
Broke me down crying ♪
Hey, Dante,
you get anything off that fan letter?
DANTE: Yeah, a print
matched Grayson Bradley.
Social media says he's
a longtime Misty fan from Ohio.
Misty's people have taken out
a restraining order against him.
Any chance he's our intruder?
Car registered in his name
pulled into the hotel garage
a few hours ago,
so yeah, he could be your guy.
What happened to the hotel
janitor whose key card was used?
Still MIA.
Could they be in collusion?
Like, the janitor gave
his key card to the stalker?
It's possible.
we need to grab Grayson ASAP.
Already have. Squad car
found him dumpster diving
in the hotel parking lot.
Got him in the box and about to
have a chat with him.
Mm, can't sleep on you,
can I?
I wouldn't advise it.
Call you back the
second I got something.
Why'd you break into Misty's hotel room?
I told you, I don't know anything
about a key card, and I
didn't break in anywhere.
So you run from
the officers at the hotel
because you wanted the exercise.
I got scared. And
I couldn't remember if the
restraining order was still in effect.
Must be hard to keep them all straight.
So, then what were
you doing in the dumpster?
Looking for a memento
for my girlfriend, Ava.
Your girl know you've been
sending Misty these letters?
No, 'cause she's not
my girl anymore.
Just found out she's
getting married next week.
Misty was our favorite artist,
and I thought
if I can just get Misty
to tell Ava I'm a good person,
she'll come back to me.
So, you sent her a card
written in blood.
I wrote her a bunch of times,
but she didn't write back, so I
I sent that letter
to show how serious I am.
When she didn't answer,
I got in my car and drove here.
Even if she wanted to write back,
there was no return address.
You get that, right?
I want to leave.
You can't hold me.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Oh, but I can.
CCTV footage shows you sitting
at the hotel bar for two hours
then getting up and walking off
15 minutes before an intruder
entered Misty's suite.
That makes you a prime suspect.
BOY: How's that feel, you little freak?
Ow! Get off me!
Does that hurt?
Hey. Hey, come on, do you
really need to do that?
You really need
to mind your own business.
Noel's my friend.
That makes it my business.
Here, are you okay?
It's okay, Delilah.
No, it's not. Come on.
MEL: If somebody grabs you,
don't think, just act.
(GRUNTS)
I think you broke my arm. (GROANING)
- (PHONES DINGING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
(PHONE RINGS)
- Hey, Mel. Any news?
- Yeah.
Security just found
our missing hotel janitor
stuffed in the closet.
Alive, I hope.
Yeah, chloroformed,
just like the guard outside of
Misty's room.
Must be our intruder.
He get a look at the guy?
No, but at least we can eliminate
the janitor as a suspect.
When did he say he was knocked out?
Two hours ago. Why?
That falls within the window
that CCTV footage showed
Misty's stalker at the hotel bar.
Meaning our stalker has an alibi.
He couldn't have been the
one that chloroformed the janitor.
Which means he can't
be our intruder, either.
In other words, we just
went from two suspects to zero.
The stage is a little slippery,
so make sure there's padding
on the bottom of these shoes, okay?
- Mm-hmm.
- Thanks.
Time for tea, Misty.
Oh, honestly, Zara, you should have it.
I'm too nervous. I got butterflies,
and when was the last
time that happened?
It's exciting.
Your last live performance.
You're gonna do great.
Thanks, Z.
Okay.
Bad news.
All of our suspects have alibied out,
which means the intruder
is still out there.
And Misty's more determined
than ever to go on tonight.
Well, we have to get her
to cancel the show.
It's too dangerous.
I thought I could protect her.
But you're right.
Funny thing is I haven't seen her
this happy in years.
(CHUCKLES)
ROBYN: Maybe she's excited
to move on to the next chapter.
Who knows maybe she'll figure out
what's been missing in her life.
Or who.
(COUGHING, GASPING)
MISTY: Zara? Oh, my God,
- Zara! Zara!
- Turn-turn her on her side.
On her side.
Call 911.
I think she's been poisoned.
The tea. That poison was meant for me.
It's gonna be fine.
You're in good hands now.
Thank you so much.
Come on, let's go.
Well, the good news is the paramedics
say that Zara's gonna be okay.
Thank God.
Misty, look, I get that this
show means a lot to you,
to your fans, but this has gone too far.
It's time to call it off.
No. No, there has to be another way.
There isn't.
Not one that guarantees your safety.
He's right.
It's just too dangerous.
Misty, please. Let me keep you safe.
If anything were
to happen to you, I'd
I'd never forgive myself.
If-if you think that we should cancel
If it's really the only option
Then o-okay.
(SIGHS)
Thank you.
ROBYN: Misty's cancelling.
That's a relief.
Would have been an amazing show.
You're a fan now?
Well, yeah, no, absolutely.
I can admit when I'm wrong.
That woman is an angel.
Well, Misty's not performing anymore,
but it doesn't mean she's out of danger.
There's still someone
out there who wants her dead.
Right. Okay,
so what do we know about this person?
Maybe we should be focusing
on what they know about her.
MEL: Okay, well, clearly,
they know she drinks
those herbal teas on a schedule.
Right. Well, maybe that's what
the intruder was doing in her room
mixing poison into her tea leaves.
So it's someone who knows
the details of her routine.
Her inner circle.
Yeah, but, I mean, we interviewed
her entire team. These people love her.
Who would want to kill her?
This industry is about
dollars and cents.
So you have to ask who's
getting hurt by Misty retiring?
Her manager, for one. Martin Culvert.
He was pretty upset about
the retirement announcement.
Yeah, that's a good point.
Uh, you know, her band had mentioned
that her label contract
was up for renewal.
You know what, let's have a little
look-see into this guy. Oh, yeah.
Our pal Martin is leveraged to the hilt
after a series of bad investments.
If she leaves the business,
Martin loses everything.
He needs her to sign that
contract and to keep touring.
Well, doesn't that mean
he has no reason to kill her?
He does if it sends her
music sales through the roof.
Yup, you're right.
He's got back end on her entire catalog,
plus, he's got a cowriting credit
on "Paradise."
"Paradise"? That's her biggest hit.
So, if Misty dies,
- Martin stands to make a fortune.
- (PHONE RINGS)
Hold on. Dee's school.
Hello?
WOMAN: Hi, this is Principal Neal.
First, I'd like to let you know
Delilah is okay,
but she has been in a fight.
A fight? Wait, what?
Yes, ma'am, you need
to come pick her up.
I'm on my way. Can you hold, please?
Hey, I got to run.
Is everything okay?
No, there's a problem with Dee.
See if you two can place Martin
near Misty's room
at the time of the break-in.
And loop Dante in.
Okay.
Wonder what that was about.
I don't know. Must be important, though.
Hope everything's okay.
ROBYN: A fight, Dee?
It wasn't that serious.
Your principal sent me the video.
I recognize that hip-toss technique.
Oddly enough,
Mel taught me the same move.
So, is that what you've been
doing instead of shopping
training?
I can't believe you went behind my back
- when I explicitly told you no.
- Okay, I'm sorry,
but he was bullying my friend Noel. I
Sorry? You could've
really hurt that boy.
That's why I told you
no in the first place.
You're not ready
for this responsibility.
I was going to tell you. I was.
But you didn't.
You chose to lie instead.
I'm dropping you off at home.
But we're gonna talk about this later.
MARTIN: You can't be serious.
You really think I would
try to kill my best client?
From what I hear, she won't
be your client for long.
That was posturing.
A negotiation tactic for a new deal.
Word is she wants out,
which would leave you in the lurch.
Music is her life.
Any retirement would be
followed quickly by an un-retirement.
Not if she's poisoned.
What exactly are you getting at?
There's a lot of question marks
dealing with an artist
who may or may not retire.
Getting paid from
a dead artist's catalogue
that's a sure thing.
I've been with Misty from the beginning,
shaped her career.
If I hadn't written "Paradise"
for her, she'd be a nobody.
Now, am I angry that she's trying
to throw it all away? You're damn right.
But would I ever hurt her?
- Not in a million years.
- Martin,
where were you today when someone
broke into Misty's suite?
In my room at the hotel.
And if you want to check my story,
you can ask any of the other 20 people
who were on the call with me.
How'd it go with the manager?
DANTE: Martin's got an airtight
alibi, so, no, he couldn't
have been the one
who broke into Misty's room.
Doesn't mean he's not behind it.
Yeah, he's definitely
not the type to get
his hands dirty. He'd hire someone.
He's got the connections to do it.
What do you mean?
Fifteen years ago, Martin was arrested
for laundering money
through his record label.
Who was he cleaning it for?
Rumor was organized crime,
His accountant took the fall.
Still, it's clear
he moves in that world.
All right, I'll have
Harry take a deeper dive
into who Martin's been in contact with.
Meanwhile, you keep him there
as long as you can.
- Will do.
- Thanks, Dante.
Uh, Misty? Is it okay?
She's good.
Rough day, huh?
How you holding up?
Not as rough as Zara,
but they're keeping her overnight
in the hospital for observation.
It's my fault she's in there.
I mean, it's terrible she was poisoned,
but you can't blame yourself for that.
If I would have just listened
to Lucas in the first place,
none of this would have ever happened.
My stubbornness
nearly cost Zara her life.
She's gonna be okay.
And so are you.
You're gonna let people down.
That's inevitable.
And you want so badly to
protect the ones you love,
to keep them safe no matter what.
But sometimes
life just doesn't work that way.
Spoken like someone
who's been through the fire.
(CHUCKLES)
You got that right.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
So you're really going to retire?
It's time to get back to me.
Well, who is "me"?
Because all we know you by
is all of your accomplishments,
which are very impressive.
Well, thanks, but climbing
to the mountaintop took a toll.
And being a female
in this industry is no joke.
Mm-hmm.
I've been ripped off
by promoters, executives,
business managers, my friends
have ratted me out to paparazzi.
That's got to be the worst part
thinking someone's got your back
When really they're
looking to stick a knife in it.
So, how do you trust anyone?
You don't. (CHUCKLES)
But shutting everyone out
really does wear on you.
You end up with no family,
no friends, no love.
Well, love
I know you can change that.
(BOTH LAUGH)
Well, I'll find out soon enough
when Misty hangs up her sparkly tops
and gets back to being Sonya Banks
from East Cleveland, Ohio.
That's right, Sonya Banks
from East Cleveland, Ohio.
(LAUGHS) That's right.
- (INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
- ROBYN: I like that.
Oh, my God, Misty!
WOMAN: We love you, Misty!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
- hold up!
- Hands!
- Hey, I
- No! (GRUNTS, GROANS)
I just wanted an autograph.
Get up.
Come on.
MISTY: Who are you?
'Cause you're clearly not a producer.
You're right, and I'm sorry.
Lucas hired me because
you needed extra protection.
Lucas lied to me?
He just wanted to keep you safe.
This is why I can't trust anyone.
Misty, I am sorry.
I just I wanted to
MISTY: Get away from me.
I'm sick of all the lies.
Keep these people away from me.
They don't work for me anymore.
I trusted you, Lucas.
(PHONE RINGS)
ROBYN: Yeah, Harry?
Hey, so Martin made a $25,000 withdrawal
from an account that was
supposed to be used
for Misty's tour expenses.
MEL: Except the money never
made it to a vendor,
it was transferred to an offshore
account.
Whose account?
It's a shell corp.
I-I thought he was skimming,
but it doesn't seem to have
anything to do with Misty or Martin
or any of his other businesses.
Martin's accomplice.
You mean Misty's assassin.
We need to stop him
before he finishes the job.
I'm not gonna let that happen.
What's going on?
We need to warn Misty.
Move, I need to speak to Misty.
- You know I can't do that.
- I have vital information
about Misty's safety.
Do the job I hired you to do.
Misty?
Misty, we know who it is.
Misty!
She's gone.
(SIGHS)
She's not picking up.
When was the last time you saw her?
When we got back.
Misty said she wanted privacy,
so I checked the room,
- then went out into the hallway.
- Maybe she went out the back.
Couldn't have been more than
a few minutes ago.
I'll try. She won't recognize my number.
(LINE RINGING)
Damn. Still no answer.
I'll have my team track it.
(SIGHS) I never should have
let her out of my sights.
W-We have to find her.
We will, but with
Martin's hit man out there,
we have to move fast.
Maybe the band knows where she is.
(PHONE RINGS)
What's up, Rob?
Harry, I need you
to track Misty's phone.
She's in the wind
and we haven't had a chance
to warn her about Martin's assassin.
Hmm. It says here
it's, uh, it's at the hotel.
So she left it behind on purpose.
Any updates from Dante?
He's in with Martin now,
trying to convince him
to call off his guy,
but I think I may have found
something that will help him with that.
And send.
(PHONE DINGS)
- Recognize this guy, Martin?
- No. Should I?
Considering you sent his
offshore account $25,000, yeah.
Let me help jog your memory.
His name is Eric Stone.
According to this, he gets paid
to do violent things
from some very bad people,
including you.
Okay, uh
It's not what you think.
- I think you need to call him off.
- Yes,
I hired him,
but not to go after Misty.
If not Misty, then who?
Someone I wanted to send a message to.
Don't make me play 20 questions, Martin.
(SIGHS) Some kid
who claimed I stole the song
"Paradise" from his mother,
which I did not.
I bought that song legally.
How much?
(SIGHS)
$500.
You bought the rights
to a multi-platinum hit song
that launched Misty's career
and the songwriter got $500?
No one knew what it was gonna be.
But once the money started pouring in,
you went back to the songwriter,
and gave her her fair share.
No?
You didn't?
It's not fair. No.
But it's the business, and it's legal,
and I have a contract to prove it.
Sounds like that's not sitting right
with this woman's son. Rightfully so.
That kid wouldn't stop contacting me,
threatening to sue, to go to the press.
He even sent a fake lawyer
after me once,
but I called his bluff.
Even then, he wouldn't stop,
he wouldn't back off.
So you sent Eric
to explain things to him.
But when Eric got there
the kid had disappeared.
Vanished.
The neighbors hadn't
seen him for months.
What's the kid's name?
Elton Smith.
Come on, open up! Kenny's not answering.
- (PHONE RINGS)
- Let's check Clyde's room. 1540.
- Harry. Talk to me.
- Rob,
I think I know who we're looking for.
A guy whose mother wrote Misty's hit,
"Paradise."
Wait, I thought Martin wrote "Paradise."
Nope, Martin ripped this woman off.
Now the son's out for revenge.
Who's the son?
Elton Smith. Except, Rob,
we filmed this guy.
It's Misty's guitarist, Tommy James.
Wait, you're saying that
he changed his name
so he could join the band.
Yeah, a few months ago,
to get access to Misty.
I guess when Martin
didn't do the right thing,
this guy decided to
take matters into his own hands.
ROBYN: Well, we have to
find him and stop him.
(MUFFLED, INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Someone's in there.
Stand back.
What the hell?
Where's Misty?
We really need to find her.
Why, you need to change some
fake lines in your fake movie?
Look, I deserve that, but Misty's life
is in danger, so if you know
where she is, you need to tell us.
- Hey, man, get off me, dude.
- Easy, easy,
easy. She was here earlier,
she told us about what
happened with y'all.
Where is she now?
She's with Tommy.
He took her back to her room.
(MISTY HUMMING A TUNE)
It's nice to hear you sing.
(CHUCKLES)
Sometimes music is the only thing
that keeps me sane.
"Singing loud to myself
like music is my medicine."
Because it is. (CHUCKLES)
Where are we going?
I want to show you something.
Something special.
Misty and Elton
are nowhere in this hotel.
I got 'em. They're in a gray Chrysler,
but I can't make out the plate,
and he turned the GPS off on his phone.
I'm gonna get Dante
to put a BOLO out on the car.
We're running out of time.
What do we know about this guy?
Well, we know he spent years
trying to reach out to Martin,
to resolve this in a non-violent way.
So then why the escalation
to murder? What changed?
I think I may have an answer.
It's an obituary for Brenda Smith.
She died three months ago
of a drug overdose.
And from the looks of it, they
weren't doing too well, either.
Oh, his mother's death.
That's what pushed him over the edge.
HARRY: Yeah, I mean, sure,
the guy's overwhelmed with grief,
he's got no legal remedy,
and he-and he takes his rage out
on the-the woman who got famous
off his mother's song.
Yeah, the woman who is living the life
his mother should have been living.
Brenda was robbed.
But, okay, why now?
The guy's been in the band for months.
Because he's not a killer.
He's probably been struggling with
actually going through with this.
And Misty's retirement
pushed him into action.
He wasn't gonna get another shot.
All right, well, we're still no closer
to knowing where, uh, Elton took Misty.
This whole thing has been
about his mother's song.
That's what's been
driving him all these years.
You think the answer's in there?
Could be.
Um, "They try to be cruel,
"They try to be hard,
hopped on that train,
looked up, taken by eagles and stars."
"Eagles and stars."
There's a building in the city
with eagles on it.
The Chrysler Building.
Yeah. You think they're there?
No. The song says she's hopping a train.
Okay.
There are five train stations
in the area,
but only one of them
has got an observation deck with
a view of the Chrysler Building:
Grand Central Station.
I'm on my way.
MISTY (CHUCKLES): Oh.
It's just as breathtaking
as the first time I saw it.
Something about those city lights.
And high above
the rooftops, my paradise ♪
It's just a dreamer's paradise ♪
That is my favorite line in that song.
(LAUGHS)
You mean my mother's song.
What are you talking about?
You know exactly what I'm talking about.
You never wrote that song.
"Paradise"?
I wrote the hook,
but Martin wrote the song.
Yeah, that's the story
you tell everyone else.
Hell, you probably
half-believe it yourself now.
- Because it's the truth.
- Don't you
don't you lie.
Not to me.
You're scaring me, Tommy.
My name's Elton.
Elton Smith.
You stole that song
from my mother Brenda,
bullied her to sell it for pennies.
She had to go to that club
every night, bussing tables,
watching you perform
to standing ovations,
become an international superstar,
while she struggled to bring
home food for her family.
I didn't know. I swear.
It destroyed her.
She turned to drugs.
She-she died penniless.
What you did ended my mother's life.
Now I'm gonna end yours.
Please! I didn't know!
- She's telling the truth.
- Stay back!
(GASPS)
Martin stole that song from your mother.
Misty had no idea.
I never would have wanted that.
Her song has touched so many people
so deeply, me included.
She must have been a special
person to write something so powerful.
Yeah, she was.
MISTY: I'm so sorry for
everything she went through.
Everything you both
everything you both had to go through.
No, you're not. No, you're not.
Your mother's song
inspired so many people
to reach for their dreams.
But it was about more than that,
it was about never giving up, too,
no matter who wronged you.
"I faced my battles, I earned my scars.
I'm still fighting,
and I'm-a keep fighting."
Elton don't do this.
You got to fight.
Your mother would not
want you to do this.
And neither do you.
They told me this place
would break my heart. ♪
I'm sorry.
- Elton, no!
- Elton, no!
I got you!
MISTY: Grab my hand!
On one, two, three.
(ELTON CRYING)
It's okay.
I'm so sorry.
Everything's gonna be okay.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- ROBYN: What you guys doing here?
- Oh.
- Uh oh.
- Hi.
Robyn, we're here to see Misty.
Think we're gonna miss
her last show ever?
Somebody changed his mind in a hurry.
Uh, I'm gonna go get a table
up front before it gets
- too packed, all right?
- Oh, yeah, yeah, that's a good idea.
- Hey.
- Yeah?
- I need to talk to you.
- Okay.
I know you've been training Dee.
She used O-goshi on a kid today,
damn near broke his arm.
Luckily, she didn't get expelled.
I feel terrible.
I obviously never wanted that to happen.
And it wouldn't have happened if
you hadn't gone behind my back.
She's not ready, Mel.
That's her point. She's unprepared.
Of course she's unprepared. She's a kid.
Respectfully, it's not
about her being a kid,
it's about her feeling unsafe.
After what happened with Quinn,
she wants to feel like,
next time, she'll be able
to protect hers
There won't be a next time.
- Robyn
- And if there is,
I'll handle it.
Robyn, I overstepped. I did.
But you need to remember
that we chose this life.
Dee did not.
She is trying to figure out
a situation that she never
asked to be put in.
Then I will help her figure it out.
I decide what is appropriate
for her to learn. Not her.
Not you. Me.
(PHONE RINGS)
Hi. What's up?
What?
Where?
Yeah, I-I'm on my way.
MISTY: This song is about love and hope,
about dreaming big.
So I'm gonna use all the future profits
for "Paradise" to fund
a music education program
in the name of the actual songwriter,
Ms. Brenda Smith.
(CHEERING, WHOOPING)
They told me this place
would break my heart ♪
No room for one more dream ♪
Or so they told me ♪
What's gonna happen to Elton?
D.A. Grafton is asking
for a reduced sentence.
It's not a slam dunk, but it sure helps
that he has Misty advocating for him.
Then I looked up, looked up ♪
I was taken by eagles ♪
Something brewing between
Misty and her bodyguard?
- Let you down easy ♪
- Actually has been for a while.
They're just realizing it, though.
- Today, this is my city ♪
- ROBYN: She deserves it.
Happiness.
The city that built me ♪
Broke me down crying ♪
DANTE: Where's Mel?
Taught me to ♪
Probably getting some fresh air.
And this helped me ♪
Things okay between you two?
Heartache, struggling ♪
Honestly?
I don't know.
The rooftops ♪
It's my paradise ♪
Yeah ♪
My paradise ♪
Ooh, dream is paradise. ♪
♪
Did you know?
Yes.
And I felt it was
Dee's place to tell you.
Clearly, she didn't.
No, she didn't.
And I'm furious
that my best friend and my daughter
would be so deceitful,
would lie to me like that.
And well you should be.
I'm not making excuses for her, Robyn,
but you've got to understand
that Dee seeing you
get taken away like that
that was a game changer.
She's scared, she feels helpless.
And you know what?
Frankly, neither one of us
wants to be caught
in that situation ever again.
So, if you want her to have
any kind of control over her life,
you have got to stop saying no to this
without giving her a good reason.
The reason was made clear today.
She's not ready.
She's not ready? Or you're not ready?
Either way, you got to figure this out.
This is not going away.
Yeah, okay.
Maybe some
some basic self-defense classes
would not be a bad idea.
Yeah. That's a start.
Yeah.
And, uh,
this other thing with Mel,
- well
- (SCOFFS)
y'all got to work that out.
Mm-hmm.
Work it out. Hell with that.
MAN: Keep going, man!
Who the hell is that?
Where is he?
Where's my brother?