Mr. Mercedes (2017) s03e09 Episode Script

1 Previously on "Mr.
Mercedes" Well, let's talk about your living arrangements.
- You could live with me.
- Have you gone mad? - I can't just abandon her.
- It's your man's girlfriends.
Alma Lane.
I found this in Rothstein's hate mail.
She's an artist.
I mean, there were versions of me in some of his books.
- Who were you? - I was Susan.
This book is not on the school board's approved reading list.
You and Jimmy Gold will get along.
I, uh, picked up the listing on the old Bridgeton Jazz Club.
There's a bunch of shit in there I want you to pick up.
I may have some materials.
There's somebody out there looking for those books who will kill to get them! What about the manuscripts? The kid's got 'em.
You get pickaxe.
[GRUNTS.]
You and me, I don't think we sustain.
If I continue to see him, I might fall in love with him.
You can't break up with someone 'cause you're afraid you might love them.
If you like this man, go be with him.
Our window is closing.
We need to grab the mother.
[MUFFLED SCREAMING.]
Marjorie? Oh, Jesus.
Petey, remember me? And, of course, you remember your mother.
- [MUFFLED SCREAM.]
- Don't you fucking touch her! We will be making a plan for the book delivery or it's mommy deadest.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
Hi, this is Danielle.
Leave a message after the beep.
[PHONE LINE BEEPS.]
All right, look [SIGHS.]
First, it's fucking cruel, borderline inhumane, not to at least let me know you're okay.
Second if I get wind that you're with some other guy, you are dead.
You hear me? Him, too.
You're both dead.
And third, come on.
[SCOFFS.]
You can't do better than me, Danielle.
Women, you all say you want a good guy.
Somebody trustworthy and dependable and sensitive and all that crap, which is total fucking bullshit.
Those are the assholes who get cheated on or dumped.
You all want the bad boy, and I am it, baby.
I'm good-looking, I'm unpredictable, and I fuck good.
It's the goddamn triple crown! You will come crawling back to me! It's only a matter of time, you piece of shit.
Fuck.
[BOB DYLAN'S "SERIES OF DREAMS".]
I was thinking Of a series of dreams Where nothing Comes up to the top Everything Stays down where it's wounded And comes To a permanent stop Wasn't thinking Of anything specific Just thinking Of a series of dreams Just thinking Of a series of dreams You see, we ought to nourish the reader, even if it's only a little bit.
Stir his brain, move his heart.
Offer him some escape from the oppressive monotony of his, uh, pathetic own reality.
Give him something that he, uh, could have only gotten from you.
Otherwise, what's the point of being a writer at all? A good book isn't something to pass the time - it should make your goddamn day.
- [SIRENS WAILING.]
Fuck, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up.
[PHONE RINGS, BUZZES.]
Ah.
[RINGING, BUZZING CONTINUE.]
Well seems we certainly got his attention.
[CHUCKLES.]
[SNIFFS.]
I guess he loves you, huh? - Answer it.
- [MUFFLED WHIMPER.]
[SHAKY BREATHING.]
Pick up, God damn it! Fuck.
No, we'll let him spend the day worrying.
The thing about anxiety, takes on a life of its own.
The mind begins to play tricks, imagining all the bad things that can happen.
Well, I don't need to tell you.
[SNIFFLES.]
Tomorrow, he'll be desperate to do whatever we tell him, and he'll be sleep deprived.
What if he's called the police already and they're tracking his phone? You watch too much television.
We need to cut down on his screen time, huh? - [MUFFLED WHIMPERING.]
- Enough, okay? Nobody likes a whiner.
It's not attractive.
[GRUNTS.]
[GLASS TINKLING.]
[PHONE RINGING.]
Oh, Jesus, Peter.
Peter, hey.
- He's got Mom.
- Yeah, I know, I know, but who is he? What is going on? I found the Rothstein books in the car.
This guy, probably Rothstein's killer, he knows I have the books.
He's looking to make a deal.
He'll release Mom in exchange for the books.
Oh, fuck.
Where are you? I'm not gonna say where, I don't want to Ah, Jesus, fuck, Peter! Come on, man! Out of town, but don't ask me where.
He's probably looking at the house hoping you'll lead him to me.
I'd give him the books, but then he'll kill Mom.
I know, I know, they called here too.
- He did? - Yeah, yeah.
He said if I if I reported her missing, if I so much as even talk to the police I'm so sorry, Dad.
I I should have listened to you.
Look, buddy, part of me thinks we need to call the police on this.
- No, no, no, no.
- Fuck, Pete, we need help! This guy we're dealing with, he killed Rothstein, the bookstore owner.
As long as I have the books, he'll need to keep Mom alive.
We have to come up with some kind of a plan here, otherwise, she is fucked.
- She is gonna they're gonna kill her.
- [DOORBELL RINGS.]
[BOOGERS BARKING.]
- Somebody's here.
- What? Who? [KNOCKING AT DOOR.]
- Stay by your phone.
- No, no, no, no! No, don't answer the door.
It's probably him.
- Don't - I don't know, I don't know.
Just stay by your phone.
I'll call you back.
- [BOOGERS BARKING.]
- [KNOCKING CONTINUES.]
Boogers, get away.
Okay.
Uh, listen, I know it's early, but something's come up.
- Can I come in for a second? - It's, um it's not a good time, Bill.
It's kind of important.
Can it wait? "Can it wait"? Your son is missing.
Is he still missing? Yes, he's missing.
- Are you all right? - No, Bill, I'm not all right.
My son is missing.
I'm a fucking wreck.
But whatever I might have, it can wait.
What do you have? Okay.
This is Peter in the bookstore where the owner was just found killed.
What are you saying? You you think he's a suspect in that? I think exactly what you think: that he went in there to sell the stolen Rothstein manuscripts.
Did he ever mention Andrew Halliday to you? No.
Can I get a cup of tea It's not a not a good time, Bill.
[STAMMERS.]
I'm not feeling well and Is somebody here? No, o-other than Marjorie, who's in bed.
She she took a pill.
Why don't I come down to your office, um, later this morning, huh? You don't seem yourself.
My son is missing, Bill.
What's going on, Tom? It's not a good time.
[PHONE CLICKS.]
[KEYS TAP.]
[PHONE LINE TRILLING.]
[PHONE LINE BEEPS.]
Hey, Holly.
Something weird's going on with Tom Saubers' house.
Should we call the police? Uh, there's nothing really to report.
But you suspect something's up, right? I know something's up.
You at the office? Uh, no, I'm at home with Lou.
How's she doing? Um, she's settling in.
All right, call Jerome.
Tell him get the hell into the office.
Got it.
I do not have a good feeling.
That was Bill.
Yeah? Was he talking about me? - [LAUGHS.]
- My sphincter was itching.
[LAUGHS.]
We're gonna be worried about you, Lou, you know? I suggest you get used to it.
So I I was thinking that maybe I could help out at the office a little bit.
You don't have to pay me or anything - Yeah.
- But I could, uh, you know it might help to occupy myself while I, um, look for work.
- Totally, yeah.
- I could I could help with the computers, spell Jerome some.
- [PHONE RINGS.]
- That'd be gre sorry, one second.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no.
Totally, totally.
Hello? This this is Holly.
Holly Gibney.
Uh, excuse me? [STAMMERS.]
Sorry, is this some kind of joke? O-okay, I'll have to call you back later.
Thank you.
Who was that? Was that Finkelstein? No, it was not Finkelstein.
[MOANING.]
Yeah! Morris, come on, come on! What [STAMMERS.]
- Oh, yes.
- Morris, what are you [STAMMERS.]
Ooh! What the hell has gotten into you? Morris! [HOLLERS.]
[GRUNTS.]
Ow! - The hell is that? - You tell me! [GRUNTS.]
What are you talking about? What's wrong with you? You were making love to her, not me.
You've been making love to her ever since I told you.
- Told me what? - Don't bullshit me, Morris.
You're fucking Susan.
The Susan in the book.
I'm fucking both of you.
You said she's you, so what difference does it make? It makes a big difference! She was based on you! It was your idea that I fuck you this way - in the first place! - Once! Not always.
You're either all in with me or you're not in at all.
[SCOFFS.]
You know what? I can't keep track of all your insanity.
Somebody needs to invent an app.
Oh, for God's sake, did you take a pill? - What? - We're having a fight, for fuck's sake.
You're not even discouraged! I did not take a pill.
Because you don't need to, do you? No, you have her.
You have your little Susan.
Who is you! - [GRUNTS.]
- [GRUNTS.]
I'm Susan to Rothstein, not to you.
- [WAILS.]
- Why does it make a difference? [WHINING.]
Because it does! [SOBBING.]
- [SIGHS.]
- [DOOR SLAMS.]
[ENGINE RUMBLING.]
Uh, the case is closed, and according to probate, you're the bequeathed.
- All right.
- I'm not sure I want it.
Oh, you can probably sell it on eBay for some obscene amount of money.
Operative word being "obscene.
" No, it still ranks as a collector.
You know, the low miles, in pretty good shape.
[BRAKES SQUEAKING.]
Or we can, you know, haul it off and have it crushed at your expense, of course but it like I said, it it's worth something to a collector.
Replace the windshield and it's drivable.
[SINISTER MUSIC.]
Are you okay? [MUSIC FADES.]
Yeah, I'm fine.
Where's Holly? She said she had to go out.
She, uh, gave me some chores to do.
Thought I'd earn my keep a little while I look for work.
I made you some coffee.
Thanks, good.
Hey, I've got something for you.
Gotta show you something.
It's important.
Remember him? - Stan the man.
- Yeah.
Cops found DNA in the shop and the getaway car and none of it belonged to Stan.
But check this out.
ER reports from the guy who showed up to the hospital when the getaway car crashed into that basin.
First and second page.
Nah, I can't read this shit.
Okay, it just says that the guy at the ER's DNA matches the DNA found in the shop and the getaway car.
So I mean, the guy who did the Rothstein job killed Stan.
Which we already figured.
Yes, yes, I'm not done.
The cops found DNA in the Saubers' home last week I mean, saliva, prints, everything and it matches with the same guy.
- What? - Yeah.
The killer was in the Saubers' house, so, I mean, maybe Pete was involved.
Maybe they know each other.
Who is he? Uh, I actually figured you'd ask, so I have a theory.
Check this out.
Fans have been gathering for days to share memories of a neighbor few met, but somehow everyone knew as an old friend.
- All right - [SIGHS.]
Recognize him? - He looks familiar.
- Yeah, as he should.
This is local coverage of the jobs fair.
I looked through these and found this.
- Carl Fenten.
- Mm-hmm.
- And this guy? - Yep.
This is Fenton's yearbook.
Right there.
Yeah, that's him.
Morris Bellamy, I remember him now.
I met him in court during Lou's case.
He thanked me for my service.
Huh.
Now check out his yearbook quotes.
"Live fast, die young, leave a pretty corpse.
" Shout-outs: John, Jimmy, PJ Tobin, and Squee.
Okay, so PJ Tobin was a stoner friend of his, died about six years ago from an overdose.
Fenton's nickname was "Squee.
" John and Jimmy? Rothstein and Gold.
"Live fast, die young, leave a pretty corpse.
" - That's a Jimmy Gold line.
- Yep, and you said it yourself: you don't believe in coincidences.
The cops onto this? Not that I know of.
They have the DNA, but they don't have a name or any clues beyond that.
"Senior thanks: to "IS" for saving my life.
" What the fuck is "IS"? Well, it could either be a verb or initials, and I did my research.
Guess who his lit teacher was? No idea.
Okay, well, let's just narrow it down in the pool of next-door neighbors who wanted to have sex with you.
Ida Silver.
Mm-hmm.
Fuck.
I mean, how much smaller can our world get? Come on.
Morris Bellamy.
Do you remember him? Uh, oh, yeah.
He he was troubled, he was a bit at risk.
Uh, the word was he had been sexually abused and then and then later, uh, there was rumblings about him getting ensnared with some local older woman much, much older.
This is when he's still in high school.
An older woman? Yeah.
Wasn't you, was it? [LAUGHS.]
Well - "IS" - Yeah.
- Ida Silver, right? - I know, it was, it was.
Yeah, it was sort of it was sort of a nickname for me.
Um, a sign of respect, really, which is kind of extraordinary coming from a kid who didn't show respect for anyone or anything.
He didn't do any of his assignments, he was skipping classes, he was snotty to all the teachers, and I I was pretty rough on him.
I remember I I tried to reach him.
I gave him a book that I thought he What? I gave him "The Runner.
" And what age was he at this time? 13, 14? Yeah, it was yeah, something like that.
Of course, it, you know [SNIFFLES.]
My God, it wasn't approved material, so I I sort of slipped it to him on the sly, which, I suppose, made it even more attractive to him.
Like the forbidden fruit.
Yeah, you had a real teacher moment.
A lasting impression.
[CHUCKLES.]
So am I to understand that the that the boy I turned on to "The Runner" ended up murdering John Rothstein? Could be.
Oh, my God.
God [SIGHS, SNIFFS.]
- This older woman - [SIGHS.]
[SNIFFLES.]
wasn't Alma Lane, was it, - by any chance? - [SNIFFLES.]
Oh, no, I I never I never heard who it was.
[SIGHS.]
- I wonder.
- [SNIFFLES, SIGHS.]
Okay.
When I take the duct tape off it would be a mistake for you to scream.
Do you hear me? You see this man? He screamed.
This is how that worked out.
[INHALES SHARPLY.]
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I can be violent.
Mm-hmm.
I can also be sick.
[MUFFLED WHIMPERING.]
This little piggy went to market, but this little piggy stayed home.
[MUFFLED SOBBING.]
I show you this not to gloat okay, maybe I do but rather to impress upon you, if you hadn't already gathered: your life is in grave danger should your son not come through.
I'm dialing him now.
I'm gonna give you two seconds to talk to him and only two.
I suggest you make the most of the time.
[PHONE LINE TRILLS.]
You're on.
Peter? Please help me.
[SNIFFLES.]
Please.
Don't you touch her.
Don't you fucking touch her.
- [BREATHING HEAVILY.]
- What I hear is a punk kid.
What I want to hear is when I get my manuscripts back.
I'll give you one page of the manuscripts, - but in return - This is not a fucking negotiation! Actually, it is, okay? We both have something the other one wants, which means it is a fucking negotiation.
It's your fucking mom, shithead.
We're gonna cut her fucking head off! - [WHIMPERS.]
- You can't! Trust me, I can.
Okay.
Let's meet, then we can make a plan.
[WHIMPERING.]
[BREATHING RAGGEDLY.]
Any police show up if I so much as smell a cop car your mother is dead, you fucking little shit.
[WHIMPERING.]
Say "please," mommy.
Say it.
Please.
- Please, Petey, please.
- [SIGHS.]
[PHONE BEEPS.]
[SINISTER MUSIC.]
[ENGINE REVS.]
[ECHOING SCREAMS.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
Holly.
Hello.
Hey! You want a Hot Pocket? No, thanks.
There's a car parked out there.
There is.
Do you want to explain how it got there? It's mine.
I inherited it, so Could I see you in my office, please? [SIGHS.]
What's going on? Should I not take it, the police were going to auction it off, which means that some awful person was gonna buy it, turn around, sell it on eBay for God knows how much, profiting off the murder of innocent people, which is not an acceptable result.
Well, what do you plan to do with it? - I plan to drive it.
- You what? Brady was the evil one, not the car.
How's Lou going to deal with that? It was used to kill people, Holly.
- Yes, I know that, but - But what? But but it was Ollie's most prized possession.
My Aunt Janey and my mom both said that she got esteem from it, even, okay? To own a Mercedes.
Its legacy should be that Ollie drove it, not Brady.
The legacy of that car is what it is! It was a murder weapon in a mass killing! - Yes.
- You can't change that.
Add to that, Brady used the car - to destroy Olivia in the end! - I certainly remember that.
- He taunted her - I said I remember! I know.
Ollie would have wanted me to drive it.
You know, she always used to call it "glorious," you know? "Let me take you for a ride in my glorious car.
" I need to restore its glory.
ALL: Glory be to God, the Father Glory be to God, the Son Glory be to God, the Spirit Great Jehovah three in one Glory, glory Glory, glory While eternal ages run Glory be to Him who loved us Okay, where are they? ALL: Washed us from each spot and stain Glory be to Him who bought us Made us kings with Him to reign You don't get them until you release my mother.
I will fucking kill you right now, you little pissant.
Kill me and you don't get Rothstein.
[SIGHS.]
I don't think you get the severity of this situation.
I'm gonna rip your mother's fucking head right off, then I'm gonna go get your gimpy dad.
I'm gonna cut his balls off and feed him to your Shut the fuck up.
I shot you once, I'll do it again.
- I swear to God - I said shut up.
ALL: Glory be to Him who bought us Made us kings with Him to reign You get this.
One notebook.
ALL: Glory, glory I want them all.
Not until my mother's released.
That'll show you it's Jimmy Gold.
You release my mother, you get the rest.
That wasn't our fucking deal.
I swear to God, your mother is dead.
I already snapped your picture and sent them to a few sources.
Hurt my mother and the cops are all over you.
You think I believe that? I snapped a few when we were FaceTiming.
Nice close-ups, great for facial recognition.
ALL: Glory, glory This is how desperate you are to get those manuscripts.
You're making stupid mistakes.
I'm not in this alone, there are other people.
This is bigger than me.
It's way bigger than you.
So you keep saying.
Read that you'll know it's real then we'll make the swap.
ALL: Power dominion Thus its praise creation brings Glory, glory - Glory, glory - [SIGHS.]
ALL: Glory to the King of Kings He just walked out? - He's buying time.
- Why didn't you stop him? What was I supposed to do, kill him during choir practice? Time is not on our side, Morris.
He wants to make a deal.
It's not like he's North Korea, okay? But it's gotta be a straight-up exchange, which, if he's tipping off the police or the FBI Shh! Let's arrange the meet.
We'll put mommy dearest in the truck.
We'll wire up a vest with a bomb or something at least pretend to.
Hang that over his head that if we don't make a clean getaway after the exchange, we detonate her just like that bank robbery in Pennsylvania.
We can make this work, Morris, but we gotta make it work fast.
I know nothing about explosives.
Doesn't have to be a real bomb, we just need to fool her and him.
A threat that's real enough to guarantee our safe passage.
But first thing's first.
- Oh, my God.
- [LAUGHS.]
- Oh, can I read it first? - We'll read it together.
[LAUGHS.]
I'm almost afraid.
What if he killed Jimmy or made him gay - or a fucking Democrat or - He wouldn't do any of that.
[SIGHS.]
Honest to God, I'm suddenly terrified.
- What if it stinks? - He's John Rothstein.
Even on his bad days, he beats everyone else.
God, oh! [GRUNTS.]
Right, your job here will be just wait outside the building.
If anybody rolls up that looks like him stick that on vibrate for me, would you? Don't you think you need some backup on the inside? Nah, I'll be fine.
Or maybe we should get the police in on it.
Yeah, maybe.
I'll know more once I take a look.
[ENGINE TURNS OFF.]
Okay.
Okay, which unit is it? 2A.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
[LOCK CLICKS.]
Oh, fuck me up the ass.
With a finger.
[PHONE RINGS.]
- [RINGING CONTINUES.]
- [KEYS TAPPING.]
You want me to get that? I do not.
We don't answer everyone's phone calls here.
Is it Finkelstein's call that we're not answering now? [RINGING CONTINUES.]
He could be calling for me.
I could just, like, pick it up and - No, it's okay.
Thank you, though.
- Okay.
It would be an obstruction of justice not to tell them.
Oh, so you quit Harvard Law School now, as well, did you? Look, you'd be funny if it wasn't dangerous, Bill.
Well, it's more dangerous to tell the police what we know now.
The law of unintended consequences, - you ever hear of that? - Wait, what's going on? We got a lead, and a good one, on the man who killed Rothstein.
If you intend driving that car, that's up to yourself, okay? But I don't want it parked in my space.
It's not your parking space, it's our parking space, and I'm entitled to park - there if I want.
- It's obscene, Holly.
Can you not see that? It's got the stink of Brady all over it.
Fuck, what's wrong with you? You know, he did give you something.
Beg your pardon? I mean, no offense, but you were kind of dying in retirement.
"Becoming a fat alcoholic.
" Those were your words.
No, they weren't.
I never said that to you or to anybody.
Were they Brady's words? I'm just saying, he kind of brought you back to life.
Brady? Yeah.
When he taunted you, you you suddenly became, like Don Quixote in search of an evil windmill.
He gave you purpose.
He also might have given you a sense of family In some weird sort of law of unintended consequences kind of way.
How so? Never mind.
No, no, no, I want to hear this.
Okay, your relationship with Jerome deepened, you met Holly, even me.
All of that might have triggered something inside of you where you said, "I need family to survive.
" Now you're a changed man.
Brady helped affect that change.
I know that we all hate him here, but I'm just saying, maybe we should be a little bit mindful of what he gave us.
I don't see it that way, Lou.
Okay, your problem is that everything has to make sense, and it doesn't always.
You know, it probably doesn't make sense that I want that car, but it just feels right.
Not everything make sense.
Well, what makes the least sense to me and is the most horrifying to boot is how she keeps channeling Brady.
You do not do his bidding in here.
You get me, Lou? That is not what I'm doing.
Bad enough having his fucking car in my space.
Lovely fella, really, wasn't he? For a mass murderer.
Skinny cunt.
He was a fucking butcher! For fuck's sake! Give me a fucking break! "Jimmy tossed the empty bottle into the abyss, "then held his breath until he heard it shatter sharp on the sidewalk below.
" "Then he scanned the dark city, "deep in its death throes, "and thought about Susan.
"Her smell, her sex, "her strength.
"She was out there, somewhere and everywhere, "in the city's insistent need, "in the thrum "of its unruly heart.
"Her love more powerful than any he had ever known, "the thought of it making him shiver "despite the August night's heat.
"She was the first appreciable proof of God "he had ever seen, "the only real and true beauty he had ever known, and he hated himself for not being worthy of it.
" [SIGHS.]
I knew it.
He never stopped.
What? That's me he's talking about.
The man never stopped loving me.
[WEEPING.]
I knew it.
[SNIFFLES.]
I'm sorry.
- [WEEPING.]
- That's okay.
[WHIMPERS, SNIFFLES.]
Do you want to fuck or something? "Do I want to fuck or something?" - [SOBBING.]
- Yeah.
Don't be reading any more until I get back.
[SOBBING.]
Marjorie, you'd better not be eavesdropping.
[SIGHS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
[SIGHS.]
- I told you to go away! - Yeah, and I'm not going.
I either come to you or I go straight to the police.
Fuck.
Who is that? My associate.
You are making a bad situation worse - by being here, Bill.
- Yeah, well, I'm not leaving - till I get some information.
- Oh, Jesus.
Where's Marjorie? She's out.
She's getting her hair done - or something, I don't know.
- Her hair? What's she doing, her fucking roots? Somebody's got her.
Tom.
I need to have a completely confidential conversation with you.
I'm not sure I can promise you that.
Then you need to get the fuck out.
I'm done talking, leave.
What if I don't? What, you'll call the police, will you? All right.
Confidential, you've got my word.
[BREATHING RAGGEDLY.]
They got her.
- Who? - I don't know.
They came in here and they fucking grabbed her.
I got a phone call.
[HISSES THROUGH TEETH.]
Fuck.
Peter does have the manuscripts.
[SNIFFLES.]
They said they wanted to make an exchange Marjorie for the books but I don't know where Peter is, I don't know where the books are, I don't know where Marjorie is.
All I know is that I believe them when they say they are going to kill her.
Have you talked to Peter? Yeah, we've been in contact.
He's formulating a plan right now.
Jesus, listen, - the FBI and the police - No, no.
They've got more experience with this sort of thing No, no, no, absolutely fucking not, Bill! They were very clear about this! We call the police, they kill her! You need to listen to reason.
The police can't necessarily make good on their promises.
The people who have Marjorie, they can.
[SNIFFS.]
Mmm, you have not lived until you've tasted Alma's stew.
Come on, come on, Marjorie, you gotta eat up.
This little exchange may include a rigorous walk.
That a girl, we need to keep your strength up.
[SPOON CLINKING.]
[SNIFFS.]
I don't believe you.
I think you're gonna kill me.
That isn't true, Marjorie.
I, of course, would kill you it's not beneath me but it's not my plan.
Come on [BABBLES.]
- That a girl.
Ooh.
- Mm.
Why would you let me live? - [SIGHS.]
- I've seen your face, I know what you've done.
Well, once we get those books, we plan to get long out of Dodge.
We'll be far away in a different country with a lot of money.
Out of reach, out of touch.
I don't get this.
You struck me as a person with a compassionate core.
- Kind, even.
- [BOWL CLATTERS.]
Look [CLEARS THROAT.]
Life and people are kind of like really good books.
There are chapters, you know? I've had many wonderful chapters.
You just caught me during a bad one.
- You've got a visitor.
- Excuse me? That private detective, Hodges, he just showed up.
- Help! No! - Get her in the bathroom.
Not a fucking word.
- Come on, Morris, move! - Stand up.
Stand the fuck up.
Come on, come with me.
Okay, sit tight.
[KEYS JINGLING.]
[EXHALES HEAVILY.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Alma.
Oh, my God, as I live and breathe.
Long time.
I've been seeing you on the news.
You're like a celebrity, Mr.
Mercedes and all.
- Testifying in that girl's trial.
- Mm-hmm.
- You look well.
- As do you.
[GASPS.]
Don't tell me that little offer I made 35 years ago, you're here to take me up on it, huh? Not quite, no.
[GIGGLES.]
Come in, come in.
- [SIGHS.]
- [DOOR SLAMS.]
Not exactly a social call, Alma.
You heard John Rothstein was murdered.
I don't live under a rock.
No.
Well, we've been turning over quite a few rocks, truth be told, since he was killed.
You remember this? Mm, one of my favorites.
Not exactly Norman Rockwell, but it's the thought that counts, hmm? "Gathering nuts for the winter.
" You hated him pretty good.
You have no idea.
Am I a suspect? 'Cause I've always wanted to be famous.
Come on, let me get you a beer.
It's not like I bite or anything.
I gave that up.
Come on, Bill, beer time.
Don't you make a fucking sound.
You're not really here to talk about Rothstein and whether I killed him, are you? No.
I've come to talk about somebody else, actually.
Morris Bellamy.
Who? Mm, now, that surprises me.
Word on the street has it that you and he had a romantic entanglement going right back to when he was a teenager Where'd you hear that? And that it's been going on some since.
- No? - [CHUCKLES.]
Somebody Tweet that? I don't know, I don't read that fucking blather.
Morris loved Rothstein from a literary standpoint.
You loved Rothstein and Morris from a biblical standpoint.
[LAUGHING.]
You know what I remember about you? You don't believe in coincidence.
Is he here, Bellamy? He is not.
He's been seen around here recently.
He comes and goes.
Know where I might find him now? - I don't know.
- Alma Tell you what I do know, though.
He's not here now and you are.
Window of long-overdue opportunity.
- Please.
- Oh, come on, Bill.
[SNIFFS.]
May be 30-plus years, but a woman remembers a certain look she gets from a man, and I remember that look that you gave me that night.
I could have bartered my way out of that arrest, couldn't I, hmm? How much rigor you got in you now? I'm here on a serious matter, Alma, okay? This Morris character could be involved in some serious shit.
- What, killing Rothstein? - It's possible.
Mm, I doubt it.
Morris is a lover.
I'd say you've seen all you could see without a warrant, Bill, but, hell, go ahead, look around.
Everything's free here.
I don't need a warrant.
I'm not a cop anymore.
Private citizen.
So it's not like you're on duty or anything.
Tempting though the offer is, I've got to be going.
- Take care, Alma.
- You, too.
You get turned around there, Bill? - What's in the shed? - Personal papers.
Actually, a private chapel where I pray and hold Bible classes.
It's my private space.
Sounds spiritual.
Mind if I take a look? Sure, but you gotta take your clothes off first.
My faith requires that we enter the holy of holies as we entered this world.
[SMACKS LIPS.]
Maybe I'll convert it into an art studio one day.
Or a man cave.
You could be a charter member in Alma's man cave.
But until that time, Bill, you've gotta strip.
Please.
Rain check.
Let me know if you hear from Bellamy.
Do come back, Bill.
- Anything? - In that fucking shed.
- [DOOR SLAMS.]
- Yeah, I did some looking around the yard.
I didn't find anything.
So then we give the devil her due for now, come back later tonight when she's asleep.
[ENGINE TURNS OVER.]
- What did he want? - He was asking about you.
- Excuse me? - By name.
What? That little shit son of yours I don't think it's him.
It's nothing about her.
It was about Rothstein, and you're in the crosshairs.
And if a private detective has you pegged, then so maybe have the police.
Though that one's smarter than the cops.
Well, how did you leave it? I dodged and weaved, but Bill Hodges is like a dog with a bone, I'm telling you, and he was looking hard at the shed.
We gotta set up that fucking exchange ASAP, get those books, and hit the trail.
What size suicide vest are you? Do you know off-hand? - Please - "Please"? We don't give bonus points around here for good manners.
In case you haven't noticed, we have officially entered crunch time.
We are not fucking around.
Get Snow White back into the shed, come on! All right, come on, you know the way.
- You know the fucking way! - Keep your fucking mouth shut.
God damn it! - Then let me join you! - No, it's too dangerous.
- God's sake, Pete.
- I said no! I'm I'm just barely hanging on, here, Dad.
That's why I should be there with you.
I wish you could, but it's a good thing that we're not together.
It gives us protection, okay? He could get us both.
Listen, that private detective, he is on to all of this.
- What? - He has been here twice, Peter.
Your mother wasn't here, he was gonna go to the cops.
I I bought us time, but I had to come clean.
- What? - I had to make a decision, Pete! He's not gonna go forward with anything that he knows, all right? Not yet.
Pete, I think we need to bring him in on the planning of this whole swap thing.
No, no, no, no, it'll blow up! Peter, we are in over our heads.
There's a desperation to this guy, Dad.
I don't like it, okay? I don't want to be bringing in any private detective or police.
I can work this out, Dad.
I can get her back.
[TENSE ROCK MUSIC.]
[SIGHS.]
She's reading the book.
That's what's taking her so long.
She's reading the rest of the book without me.
Ugh, that cunt.
[SIGHS.]
Do you want to know what happens? I read all the manuscripts, I know how it ends.
[SCOFFS.]
You're lying.
They were in Peter's closet.
I've read them all.
I looked in his closet.
They were there until you scared him, and then he moved them someplace else.
I read them.
I can tell you how the journey ends.
It's not advertising.
But first, you have to let me go to the bathroom.
You wanna go to the bathroom, go.
Nobody's stopping you.
Please.
Just untie me.
- [LAUGHS.]
- I'm afraid my hands don't have any circulation in them.
I'm not fucking untying you.
I will tell you how how the series ends.
You'll know before Alma, okay? She's only got a small portion.
[LAUGHS.]
[WEEPY LAUGH.]
I don't believe you.
You didn't read them.
I did! Okay, you read the part [SWALLOWS, SIGHS.]
What he said to Susan about her love being more powerful than the thrum of his unruly heart.
Any woman who read that would remember it.
You haven't read dick.
Her smell [LAUGHS.]
Her sex [SIGHS.]
Shivering and shit, even in August.
[HUFFS.]
My fucking thrum is on fire and it's wintertime.
[METAL CLANGING.]
Ugh.
[GROANS, SIGHS.]
What the fuck? We need to talk about John Rothstein.
[ITEMS SHUFFLING.]
[DARK MUSIC.]
Oh, my fucking God.
[DOOR OPENS.]
- [GRUNTING.]
- [HOLLERS.]
[SCREAMING.]
Shut up! - I said shut up! - [SCREAMING CONTINUES.]
I had to, all right? He was so fucking ass over tea kettle with that little twat.
If anybody should be screaming, it's me! I liked Morris.
You didn't even know him! [GRUNTING.]
You're a wimp, Marjorie, you know that? You need to grow a fucking pair.
Acting like you've never seen a grown man hit on the head before.
[MUFFLED WHINING.]
- [GRUNTS.]
- [GAGS.]
[GROANS.]
[STAMMERS.]
How could you? - [GROANS.]
- [BODY THUDS.]
- [PANTING.]
- [SHAKY BREATHING.]
[BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY.]