Original subtitles

You have it?

It's good.

Wait! Stop! Please!

Don't do this!

You don't understand what's happening here, okay?

No, no! Please!

-[gunshot] -[screams] No!!!!

[Ainsley] There haven't been any major crimes in Sweet River

for a while now.

I guess that's not a bad thing.

[Gladys] For book club it is.

But is it for the Novel Crimes Club, huh?

-[all groan] -Novel?

How about the Plot Thickens club?

Mmm.

Murder by The Book... club.

Still just Book Club, then?

-Yeah. -Yeah.

No major crimes is definitely a good thing,

but we need something else to investigate.

Well, I did come up with an idea.

We could try to solve some cold cases.

Unsolved crimes that have stymied authorities.

Like Bigfoot.

Uh... Bigfoot isn't an unsolved case.

Come on, everyone knows it's just a guy

in a Chewbacca costume messing with people.

Yeah, it doesn't need to be high-profile.

Perhaps we could find something a little closer to home.

It's the perfect way for us to continue what we're doing

without getting into any real trouble.

Professor.

Yes, Lily.

I found a Texas Cold Case Foundation

that catalogs unsolved murders,

disappearances, and suspicious deaths.

Check this out.

Cold case, about a Sweet River man who mysteriously died

while out on a hike 10 years ago

right here in Beacon Hill Park.

[Lily] That would be a good case.

-Yeah. -Yeah.

What?

Did I say something wrong?

-Yes. -Yes.

That man who died was Maria's husband.

Oh, no.

I am so sorry.

We didn't know.

My husband didn't just die mysteriously, Ainsley.

He was murdered.

Maria, if I had known.

It was my fault.

-It's okay. -Sorry.

All of you.

Kevin and Lily you're too young to know anything about it

and, Ainsley, you weren't even here then.

Every now and then, I think the grief had subsided a little.

And then it sneaks up on me out of nowhere...

like tonight.

If you ever need anyone to talk to,

you know I'm always here for you.

Thank you.

I just need a few minutes.

You all know the story.

-Yeah. -You can fill them in.

I can't even believe I suggested

looking into a local cold case without considering

it could have affected one of us.

Mark Reval.

Was he related to the mayor?

Jane is his sister.

And the two of them couldn't have been more different.

She was running for mayor the first time

when they found him in the ravine

by the falls that morning.

Hm.

The official report ruled it an accident.

So technically, it's not a cold case.

Well, it depends on who you ask.

There are a lot of questions surrounding this case.

And if you ask me, I think Jane had something to do with it.

His own sister?

That woman is so crooked

if she swallowed a nail, she'd spit out a corkscrew.

Oh, you can't possibly believe that.

Baby girl, when you've been around as long as I have,

you never rule out anything.

What makes Mark's death suspicious?

Well, for starters,

who goes out hiking in the middle of the night?

In the winter.

Through the snow.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Maria, we don't need to revisit this.

No. If we're going to study a cold case here in book club,

we might as well start with this one.

Are you sure?

Yes.

I've spent so many years trying not to think about it,

but it's impossible.

If nothing else, it might give me some closure.

Hey, if I started with, it was a dark and stormy night

would that be too much of a cliché?

[exhales] It was our anniversary.

Mark had gotten our regular sitter to watch the kids.

Booked us a table for two at our favorite restaurant.

[Maria] But in the weeks leading up to that night,

Mark was acting strangely.

There were mysterious phone calls

in the middle of the night,

and any time I asked him what was going on,

he would just shut down.

In the middle of dinner,

Mark got another call, said he had to go home

and deal with something, but he wouldn't tell me what it was.

What's going on?

I don't know.

I remember our babysitter

was surprised we were home so early.

The kids had just gone to bed.

Honey, what's going on?

-Nothing. -Talk to me.

It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay.

And that was the last time I saw Mark alive.

And you don't think Mark's death was an accident?

It wasn't.

I know in my heart there's more to the story.

At first, I thought

it must have something to do with the watch.

A watch?

Mark's grandfather's watch, it was a family heirloom.

Mark was very protective of it.

I only ever saw him wear it once the day we got married.

And aside from that one day,

it was always locked away in the safe.

It says here that Valentin Reval was rumored to be

the first watchmaker to use a flying ruby set...

tourbillion.

-Tourbillon. -Tourbillon.

And his watch is making them some of the most valuable

in the world.

Did you ever have it appraised?

He never told me a specific number, but it was significant.

There were always watch collectors

trying to contact him, offering to buy it, but...

Mark always politely turned them away.

That watch was a symbol of Mark's family's survival.

To him, it was priceless.

Maybe he had gotten into some trouble and had to sell it,

but deep down, I didn't think that could be the reason.

But my mind, it was desperate

for some crumb of an explanation.

If I'd never seen that watch again,

I would have accepted that as the explanation but...

A few days later...

there it was.

So it must have been something else.

It wasn't about the watch.

Maria, I can't imagine what it feels like to have endured

what you have.

But as far as book club,

I don't think it's our place to dredge all of this up.

We're not here to discuss books

or solve crimes or anything else.

That's just window dressing.

The real reason we're in this club is to remind ourselves

that we're not alone, and to help each other.

Tonight made me realize that I need help with this.

Even if we never solve the case,

just to understand what happened,

it would mean so much to me.

So what do you say?

I'm in.

Me too.

Definitely in.

Count me in.

Well, that Bigfoot Chewbacca angle is pretty intriguing,

but I guess I'm in too.

I guess we found our next case.

[Ainsley] Look at the position of his body.

He was dead for some time before they found him.

The current of the river could have affected his position.

Well, the old coroner's report lists

multiple musculoskeletal fractures

in both arms.

Shattered wrists. Forearms, elbows.

Thanks for getting the Cyra, really helpful.

Yeah. Of course. No problem.

It's a bit before my time.

I had to dig way back in the database to get it.

Body position not consistent with the injuries.

Something is hinky here. -Mmhmm.

Can you please find your own words, all right?

Hinky is my word. My office, my word.

Soon you're going to want to be the Sheriff, aren't you?

Mm. No, I don't look good in brown.

Speaking of, I love your coat.

Where did you get that?

Oh, thanks. There's a vintage pop-up in town.

I'll take you.

You know, instead of hinky, you could have said fishy

because the body was found in water.

I don't know why you're wasting your time with this.

This is the easiest cold case in the world to solve.

It's not even a cold case. It's a lukewarm case.

I went to middle school with a guy named Luke Warm.

True story.

Mark was a gambler. He probably owed some debts.

Tried to use the watch to pay them off

and got killed in the process.

Wait, so you agree he was murdered?

I didn't agree to anything.

Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say murdered.

You said killed. I have witnesses.

I heard it.

You know he became a weatherman.

Who?

Luke Warm.

Perfect name for a weatherman.

Right. It's like born to do the job.

Shouldn't you be at the station waxing your truck or something?

No.

Fire Chief don't do that.

All I'm saying is that Mark could have been killed,

but not necessarily.

But if he was trading his watch to pay off debts,

why was he still wearing it when they found him?

Because gangsters aren't usually in the watch business.

If you owe them money, you have to pay them money.

Still, it had value. Why wouldn't they take it?

Maybe they didn't have... time.

Can we wrap this up?

Just admit this is not a lukewarm case.

Okay, fine. How would you like me to refer to it?

Hinky.

Uh-huh.

[groans]

It is pretty hinky.

Oh, Ains, and I are meeting at Dooley's in a little bit,

if you want to join. We could invite Ryan,

make it a double date. -Yeah.

[laughs] Double date?

Oh, that's just a saying. Just a figure of speech.

Me and Ryan, you think I would actually date someone

who wears a cowboy hat to work?

It's called a Stetson.

Anyway, here's a photocopy of the police report.

I had to get somebody to show me how to use the photocopier.

That thing is intense.

Thank you, Deputy Trainee.

You're welcome.

-Chief...

I'd love to join, but it's trivia night down at Yonders.

Let me know if you need anything else, okay?

-Okay. Bye. -Bye, Cyra.

Bye.

Do you know who D. Barnes is?

Dalton Barnes, yeah, he's the former Sheriff

before Ryan took over.

Are you okay?

Do you think I'm doing the right thing?

The right thing?

I didn't come to Sweet River to meddle in everyone else's lives.

I came here to sort through my own.

Mm.

You know, something my grandmother used to say,

the right thing and the most difficult thing

are usually the same thing.

Hm.

You didn't answer my question.

Oh, yes, I did.

I gotta go check in at the station

but I will see you later.

Yes.

Bye.

[upbeat country music]

Now that boy didn't stand you up, did he?

Well--

You know, you stand up a girl in Texas,

well, that's as welcome as a wet shoe.

He's gonna be on his knees begging to get her back.

No, he's not standing me up.

He just had to stop at the fire station.

Well, you let me know if you need anything, darling.

Okay.

Hey, there he is.

How you doing?

Chief, I was kind of worried about you.

I'm all right.

You're cutting it close.

-Hi. -Hi.

I know, I know, no work on dates.

I will put my computer away in two seconds.

One. Two. Three.

Three and a half, three and three quarters.

-Okay, okay. -Four.

Work over, date on.

When do you ever stop working?

It's true. I'm sorry.

You don't need to apologize. It's what I love about you.

Can I just tell you one thing about the case.

Sure.

Okay. Mark's grandfather was one of the most famous

watchmakers in Russia.

He made very prestigious watches for royalty.

But World War II completely destroyed his company,

his workshops and his entire inventory.

So Mark's watch was more than just a family heirloom.

I mean, who knows how many were left?

Well, according to what I could find on the net,

Mark's might be the only one.

That's like finding a Picasso in your basement.

It's like finding the only Picasso

in existence in your basement.

Wow.

Somebody must have figured out what he had.

Maria said that Mark was getting strange phone calls

in the middle of the night that upset him.

But he wouldn't tell her what they were about.

So maybe the watch became too much of a liability.

So he decided to sell it to the person who was threatening him.

No, except he didn't.

The watch was still on his wrist when they found him.

Right.

Could have gotten smashed before he made the transaction.

If you break a priceless watch, does that make it worthless?

Mm. It depends how broken it is.

Is a Picasso still a Picasso if you take a chainsaw to it?

Really need to see this watch.

Jake Trenton?

[laughs] Hey.

Mayor Reval.

No, no, no, none of that mayor stuff.

You knew me when I had pimples and braces.

Oh, it's so good to see you.

Yeah. Um...

How rude of me.

You must be the famous Ainsley MacGregor.

You own Bless Your Arts, right?

Yes. That's me.

Oh, well, I apologize,

I haven't come by your store to introduce myself.

City Hall just keeps me busy.

But I respect what a community leader you've become.

Bless Your Arts is such an innovative business.

And then of course, the work with your brother

in solving those murder cases a couple of months ago

that was nothing short of remarkable.

It's so nice to finally meet you.

Thank you. It's very nice to meet you, too.

So another case?

Oh, just doing some research.

Well, enough of my blathering on.

I will let the two of you get back to your meeting.

Ainsley, the pleasure is mine.

JT, don't be a stranger.

We should, uh, find a time to catch up.

All right then. Bye bye.

Bye.

She's got my vote. -[laughs]

Oh. Hi, George.

Hey, George.

Dooley's does a mean brisket sandwich,

but there's no way

that I would dream of finishing it

and not sharing it with my best four-legged friend.

Come on.

[George barks] -Yes.

Somehow he's never as enthusiastic

when I bring home a chopped salad.

Well, in the rock, paper, scissors of food,

brisket always beats salad.

-Oh, is that so? -Mmhmm.

What beats brisket?

More brisket?

Are you teaching later today?

No, not today.

I'm meeting Cyra at this little pop-up

to do some shopping.

Nice.

Yeah, and then we have book club tonight.

Mm.

So you and Jane went to high school together.

Yeah, yeah. Sweet River Secondary.

Old friend of mine.

That means you must have also known Mark.

Not really.

I mean, I met him a few times,

but his family sent him to boarding school.

He was always getting in trouble, I think.

You know Ryan's theory about him,

you know, getting gambling debts.

It checks out.

Maria never mentioned anything about Mark being a gambler.

Maybe he hid it from her. -Hmm.

Back to Jane--

You know what, I'm just looking at the time.

I gotta get going.

Oh. Come on. You're not going to tell me.

I'm a big girl, I can take it.

Uh, tell you what.

What do you think, JT...

Were you and Jane more than friends in high school?

Were you... boyfriend and girlfriend?

Okay, fine. Yes. We are going to do this.

Uh, yes we were.

Okay, let me guess.

You were quarterback and she was prom queen.

Yeah. Well, you--

Yes. You nailed it. Yeah.

Really?

-Mmhmm. -That is so cute.

Why didn't you want to tell me that?

Well, no, it's not that I didn't want to tell you.

It's just... it's not important. It's ancient history.

Oh, of course it's important. It's your history.

And how silly would that be if I was jealous

of your teenage puppy love romance.

Well, it was a little more serious than that.

High school sweethearts?

We almost got engaged.

Oh. Oh, wow.

But... but I called it off. We were just way too young.

I don't think she ever really got over it. I mean...

I'm kind of the one that got away.

Anyway, um, that is ancient history.

I... I don't know why I said that. Um...

but you are absolutely right.

I should have told you and next time... I will.

Or not, you know.

Maybe we don't have to tell each other everything.

Okay. Um, I actually do have to go this time.

But I will, um... I will see you tomorrow.

Okay.

Bye.

[whimpers]

What do you think of the mayor, Georgie?

[George whines]

Oh, yeah. You're right.

She could spend more time creating off-leash parks

and less time bothering the fire chief.

[sighs]

[Cyra] The autopsy report didn't find any pulmonary edema.

Mm. No water in the lungs means Mark didn't drown.

Plus, the defensive wounds on his arms

indicate he hit the ground, not the water.

Well, you know the spot

in the park where he fell, right?

We've hiked there before.

Yeah, I think so.

The river is really narrow at that point.

So... so somebody dragged his body into the water?

Possibly. Post mortem is my guess.

I'm going to go try these on.

Okay.

Let me know if I can help you find anything you like.

Uh. Oh, yeah.

I don't need any help finding something I like.

You've got great stuff here.

I appreciate that.

Ah, it's too bad.

I'm going to have to close tomorrow.

I guess they found someone

to pick up the lease on the storefront.

Such is the life of a pop-up shop.

You're Ainsley McGregor, aren't you?

Yes. Have we--

No, no, no, but I know all about you from Maria.

I'm Pippa.

I used to babysit for her and her sister-in-law.

Right, Pippa. Yeah, Maria's mentioned you.

Oh, we don't take cash.

Uh, you can pay by card,

but off your phone is usually easiest.

Right. Yeah. I, um, I'm still not

used to paying for things off of my phone.

No worries.

Um, here, I can... I can get that for you.

Okay. Uh, yeah.

Yeah. Here.

Well...

Ready.

And there we go.

All good.

Great. Thanks.

What did you decide on?

All of it.

I sure hope some more autopsies come in

so I can pay off my credit card bill after all this.

Uh, coroners don't work on commission.

Look, I have to buy as much as I can

because they're closing tomorrow.

Well, what are you going to do with all your inventory, Pippa?

Something will work out. It always does.

Wait. You could rent one of the big spaces at Bless Your Arts.

One of our vendors just left.

You could move in immediately, if you'd like.

Really?

Yeah.

Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This is amazing news.

Yeah, unfortunately, not for me and my credit card bill.

[knocks]

Hey you two.

Ainsley asked me to bring photos of Mark

for the board tonight.

Use whichever ones you like.

Thank you.

You okay?

Yeah.

Oh. I can't believe

I didn't even think to see if Pippa

wanted to open her pop-up in here.

Oh, thank you for making it happen.

Oh. My pleasure. She'll fit right in.

Mmhmm.

So, are you excited about tonight?

I'm always excited for book club.

Because if you're not--

Ainsley... stop it.

I'm fine.

Okay. I'm sorry. I... I won't ask you again.

Before everyone gets here, can I ask you a couple of questions

about the watch?

Sure, but I really don't know much about it.

It's still in the safe at home. I haven't opened it in years.

I can show it to you if you want.

Yes.

I was gonna ask you anyway, if you wouldn't mind coming

by my house to water my seedlings.

I'm taking Samantha to visit the boys at school.

Yeah. Of course. No problem.

Thank you.

I can text you the combination to the safe.

Yeah, it's probably better I'm not there anyway.

You can even take it.

I'd rather not see the watch in the state it's in.

Okay. I promise I'll be very careful.

There's no damage you could do to that watch

that hasn't already been done.

Okay. Let's start with what we know.

Yes, yes. The known knowns.

It's what they're called.

The things that we know that we know,

as opposed to the unknown knowns,

the things we don't know that we know.

Then there's the unknown unknowns,

the things we don't know we don't know.

And of course, finally, there's the known unknowns,

the things we know we don't know.

How about we just keep it simple.

Okay.

Wonderful idea.

Okay, we know that Mark was meeting someone

the night he was murdered,

and that it might have had to do with the watch.

Clandestine meetings, mysterious phone calls

in the middle of the night.

It's safe to assume that he was in some kind of trouble.

This is the spot where Mark's body was found.

Oh.

What?

Ironically, that's also very near the pond

where Mark first proposed

under a gorgeous weeping willow tree.

Nice work, Deputy.

Deputy Trainee.

Let's discuss Mark's background.

Is there anything about his past that might be relevant here?

We aren't going to get anywhere by being polite.

I know what I signed up for.

There were rumors Mark had a gambling problem.

[all] Mmhmm.

Did he?

He got into some trouble when he was younger,

but as a husband and father,

he never would have done anything

to put us in harm's way.

He even put all the bank accounts in my name,

just to make sure there was never any doubt in my mind.

And there wasn't.

What about the arrest?

Mark had been hanging around a guy named Rance Moesby,

a local pawnshop owner in town.

He and Rance were working on something,

but Mark wouldn't tell me what it was.

One night, Mark must have been followed

because the police raided Rance's store when he was there.

Charges?

Running an illegal gambling ring.

But Mark was the only one arrested.

You can't run a gambling ring by yourself.

Mark was not gambling that night.

It was a setup.

Mm.

I suspect the police were involved.

Our previous Sheriff was a man named Dalton Barnes.

Mark's sister, Jane was just about to be elected mayor.

And there were rumors that those two didn't get along.

There was a power struggle between them.

But what would that have to do with the pawnbroker?

Maybe Mark was just a pawn in the game.

Why do I even try?

What kind of relationship did Mark have with his sister?

Complicated.

Jane tried to help Mark get the charges dropped,

but he refused.

Said he didn't trust her.

Who else knew about the watch?

As far as I know, just Jane and me.

Mark didn't even let the kids know he had it.

Was Mark left-handed?

Mmhmm. How did you know?

Well, he's holding the cake cutting knife

with his left hand,

and the watch is there on his right.

It's harder to sell a watch built for a southpaw.

Maybe he was talking to Rance Moesby about buying the watch.

No, he wouldn't try and fence a watch that expensive

through a local pawnbroker.

Maybe Rance knows a guy who knows a guy.

I think a reasonable place to start

is with Mr. Moesby tomorrow.

[Ainsley] Mark was left-handed.

Yet he wore his watch on his right arm.

But in the crime scene photos, the watch was on his left.

Well, maybe he didn't care what arm his watch was on.

Well, we're here.

This is where Mark liked to hang out?

Yeah. Maybe we'll get a great deal on a Betamax VCR.

-[buzzer] -[knocks]

Yes?

Uh, hi. Are you open?

[unlocking multiple deadbolts]

Oh, here we go.

Oh, you fire department donkeys

just can't get enough of your inspections, can you?

Always have to pop by

and make sure everything is up to code.

What are you here for this time Chief, hm?

You want to make sure

I've got batteries in my smoke alarm?

Well, actually, we're not here on fire department business.

You're not?

Un-huh.

Oh, come on in then.

What a weirdo.

You know you should really rethink

your outfit there, Smokey.

It's intentionally misleading.

Now, can I interest anyone in some kombucha?

I made it myself.

Oh, that's very tempting,

but I try not to drink kombucha after 2006.

Oh.

That's sad.

Yeah.

What are you in the market for then?

Uh, Betamax?

Ah, physical media. Very smart.

You will need that

when they shoot the satellites out of the sky.

So is this your pawnshop?

Excuse me?

I'm sorry. Um...

Do I look like someone who'd run a predatory business

that preys upon poor people

in the service of capitalist greed?

I'm fighting a war against planned obsolescence.

This isn't a pawn shop. This is the junkyard of dreams.

I'm not one thing.

I'm everything.

I'm a numismatist.

Coin collector.

A philatelist.

Stamps.

A plangonologist.

Dolls.

A philagraphist.

Autographs.

-Actophile. -Teddy bears.

-Phonofile. -Vinyl records.

Digitabulist.

Uh, uh, uh, thimbles.

Plancomusophiliast.

Bottle caps.

Helixafile.

Corkscrews.

Copoclephalist.

Keyrings.

Signopaginophile.

Oh. Uh...

Uh, Um...

Bookmarks.

Mmhmm.

And you forgot horologist.

That too, A-Mac.

Do you know me?

I know of you Ainsley MacGregor, sister to the Sheriff,

solved a couple of local murders.

Criminologist formerly with the Chicago PD.

You are getting a little too big to hide.

Obviously, you are not customers.

What are you doing here?

We're investigating the death of Mark Reval.

We understand that you knew him

and wondering if you would help us.

Follow me.

Mark Gregory Reval was found dead in the fall of 2015.

He fell off the Falls Ravine into the Sweet River

and was found the next morning.

His death was ruled an accident by then Sheriff Barnes.

Mark is survived by his loving wife, Maria Martinez,

and their five children.

Samantha, Tasha, Connor, Levi and Max.

That's about all I can tell you.

[door slams]

[locks door]

I don't think he's coming back.

I'm sure he's great at parties.

Well, one thing's for sure.

He's got something to do with the murder.

[Ryan] Mark Reval's arrest report.

A lot of stuff redacted in here.

Yeah, they do that sometimes. It's called hold back.

Things they don't want to make public

to test for false confessions.

What do you know about Dalton Barnes?

A lot. He was my mentor in this job.

You think I could talk to him?

I have some questions I'd like to ask.

He's a retired old man.

The last thing he needs is to be bothered by old cases.

Unless the subject's golf related, he's not interested.

I can do golf.

-Do golf? -Mmhmm.

I check in on them every couple of weeks.

I'm actually supposed to see him tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Yeah. I bring him some groceries and let him talk

my ear off with stories about golf.

You know what's more boring than playing golf?

Listening to stories about people playing golf.

Well, let me come with you.

He can talk my ear off with golf stories.

Give you a break.

You're gonna regret that.

I won't.

Okay, but you have to be polite.

None of this, Ainsley Columbo, "just one more thing" stuff.

All right?

I promise.

Fine. You can drive.

Pick me up at the station tomorrow.

Thank you.

Why are you being so nice?

This is nice?

For you, yes.

I'm just glad you're distracting yourself with this

and not distracting me from my current dangerous police work.

Oh, you have more photocopying to do.

If I leave the lid open, I could blind myself.

As long as you're focusing on cold cases,

I don't have to worry about you getting into real trouble.

I can't live my life in fear.

Yes, you can.

You always worry the worst is going to happen.

Yeah, it's my superpower.

Have you ever been right?

No. And I plan to keep that perfect losing streak going.

Something else is going on with you.

Sisters know.

Are you seeing someone?

I'm seeing way too much of you.

Oh. Jake mentioned something to Cyra about the four of us

hanging out, and, I don't know, she got kind of weird.

Hold on.

Are you suggesting that I would be interested in somebody

who spends her days poking dead people?

Mm. You're right.

They're probably more rigid than you are.

[pleasant music]

You need some help?

Hello?

I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.

Oh, no. That's okay.

You need some help?

Uh, no. No, I've got it.

Thanks, Chief.

Well, you know our motto.

You don't have to be on fire for us to help you.

Is that a real motto?

It should be. Whoa!

See ya.

Ainsley.

Oh, she has to put a couple of those up

to keep an eye on her more expensive inventory.

And an ear.

Yeah, these these cameras have mics on them.

I'm thinking of putting a couple up around my spot

because, uh, someone vandalized one of my birdhouses last week.

Was it George?

Did he steal one of the stuffed birds off the perch again?

Ainsley, you know I don't jump to conclusions.

We'll know once those cameras are up.

-John. -Chief.

-How are you doing? -[laughs]

-Hi. -Hi.

I was just about to head over to Maria's

to take care of her flowers and take a look at the watch.

Do you want to come?

I can't, I got to get back to the station.

I just wanted to drop this off and see your beautiful face.

Oh. Thank you.

What is this?

It's coffee.

It's a hot drink made from beans.

Sounds gross, but people seem to really like it.

Ugh, all the way from the truck, not a drop spilled.

Uh, give me one second. I'll be right back.

Okay.

[notification alert]

So how was the coffee?

Oh, I think they're on to something

with this bean juice stuff.

Oh. The mayor texted.

Oh, what's the mayor have to say?

Oh, just that it was nice running into me

and that it was very nice to meet you, too.

-Mm. -Yeah.

[notification alert]

Oh, it's Jane again asking

if I'm going to be at the station tomorrow.

She wants to come by and see me.

Did she say why?

No, but I guess I'll tell her to come by and find out.

[ominous music]

[creaking]

[beeping]

[tense music]

-[creaking sounds] -[gasps]

[beeping]

[phone ringing]

[Cyra] Ainsley, hi.

Hey, Cyra. I'm just leaving Maria's house.

I'm going to go to that spot at the Falls Ravine.

There's something I want to look at.

Do you want to meet me?

[tense music]

[twigs snap]

[screams]

[Ainsley] Help! Somebody, help me!

[tense music]

Help!!!

Somebody help me!

-Ainsley! -Cyra!

Grab my hand.

Take my hand.

[scream]

Got you!

What happened?

Somebody pushed me.

Did you see anyone?

No one.

Come on. Let's get out of here.

Just so I'm clear.

Public park, broad daylight.

Someone runs up behind you, pushes you, runs away,

and you see nothing.

Nothing?

How much did that criminology degree cost?

No. I was looking down into the ravine.

What about you? Did you see anybody?

No one.

Who would have even known that you were there?

Well, I just called Cyra to meet me, that's it.

I swear I was joking about wanting to do more autopsies.

No, it has to be someone who knows

we're looking into the Reval case and doesn't like it.

Rance?

Possibly.

No, but this person was quick, nimble, athletic.

Right. And it was in a park.

Rance doesn't exactly strike me as the outdoorsy type.

Or it could be something separate altogether.

Chicago?

No, this was panicked, impulsive.

If those people want you dead, you won't feel a thing.

You'll just be dead.

Oh, well, that's a relief.

Regardless, I don't think you should be alone tonight.

I'll stay.

Cool.

Yep. George and I will just stay on the couch again.

Fine.

You want me to give you a drive home?

Yeah, that'd be great.

What's this?

I drive right by her place on my way home.

That's convenient.

Oh, no.

Just keep your phone on and lock your doors, please.

Bye.

Mm.

[loud noise]

Freeze!

[George barking]

Sorry.

I didn't want to wake you.

No. It's fine. I wasn't sleeping anyways.

I was just, um, guarding with my eyes closed.

There's just something that's been bothering me about this.

You know, when I was standing there looking down at the spot

where Mark fell, just something didn't seem right.

You know, there were no jagged rocks or anything.

That's why Mark's body didn't have any lacerations.

May I?

Yeah, there's no scratches or scrapes anywhere.

Just this broken crystal.

It's almost like someone smashed it with a hammer.

Wait. The time says 6:12 in the morning.

Yeah.

But the time of death on the autopsy report

said around 2 AM.

So maybe the watch kept working

for a couple hours after Mark fell.

I mean, possibly.

But the crystal here, it's blocking the hands.

We need somebody to tell us what we're looking at.

Rance is a Horologist.

Rance? Isn't he one of our suspects?

All the more reason to talk to him tomorrow.

Oh, fine.

But, hey, I... I am not drinking any of that bathtub kombucha.

Ugh.

So what can I do for City Hall?

Oh, I just wanted to come by and make sure you're good

with the fire department's appropriations

and the new municipal budget.

Well, yeah, I signed off on those.

Didn't your office get them?

We did.

I just wanted to double check.

Okay, well, I am double confirming.

Is that why you came down here today?

Because you could have just replied to the email.

Oh, I'm more of an in person kind of person.

So there is something else I wanted to ask you about.

Ainsley is looking into my brother's death.

Uh, yeah. Who told you that?

She had the police reports the other night at the restaurant.

Right. Uh...

Yeah, she's trying to get Maria some closure.

I could use some closure, too.

Of course.

Look, I think it's wonderful

that she's taking the initiative.

You'll let me know if she gets any answers,

or if there's any way I can be of any assistance.

Will do.

Thank you.

[Ainsley] Nice shot, Sheriff.

Thank you.

-Woo! -Four!

[Ainsley laughs]

This one's a natural, she is.

How about another Ding Dong?

You are reading my mind.

So how long were you Sheriff of Sweet River?

Oh, too long.

Thankfully, this young buck

came along to put me out of my misery.

And what is it that you do?

Oh, I'm a criminologist.

I work for the police department as well.

Do you now?

In fact, I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions

about an old case.

The death of Mark Reval.

I'm an old man.

I don't remember what I had for breakfast let alone old cases.

Oh, come on, there must be something you remember

that could help us.

In fact, you were the one

who redacted the original police report.

[clears throat]

You don't want to get into that.

This is Texas, ma'am.

Around here we believe it's better

to let sleeping dogs lie.

I can't believe you did that.

If you mean eat four Ding Dongs, neither can I.

Definitely hitting the gym tomorrow.

You're supposed to be polite.

I was polite.

I was politely inquisitive.

[sighs]

You know, Ains, Sweet River is our home,

but... we'll always be outsiders in some folks' eyes.

You start pointing fingers

at people like the mayor and Barnes,

you got to be really careful.

But if they're involved--

You know who's responsible for appointing me as Sheriff?

The mayor.

You know who's responsible for appointing the Fire Chief?

The mayor.

You got to be careful.

Are you sure about this?

I'm not sure about anything anymore.

[knocking]

You two.

Didn't you get my subtle hint that I didn't really want

to talk about Mark Reval?

We're not here to talk about the case.

We're here to get your expert opinion on something.

Which expert do you need?

The horologist.

I want you to take a look at this watch.

Where did you get that?

It belongs to my friend, Maria. It's very valuable.

Oh. That's unfortunate.

This was a nice watch.

Not as nice as the real one.

What?

This one's a fake.

It's a really good fake, but a replica nonetheless.

Every now and then you see a convincing copy

of a designer watch on the market.

It's called a super fake.

How can you be sure?

The last Valentin Reval timepiece was made in 1938.

You think they had a button cell battery in 1938?

Here's the thing about expensive watches.

They might be pretty,

but that's not what makes them valuable.

I mean, this is very elegant.

It's got a nice crocodile skin strap.

Isn't that a good thing?

Not for the crocodile.

But you don't pay for that.

You pay for the guts, the mechanics.

You know what's special about an original Valentin Reval?

You know what makes it tick?

A flying ruby set tourbillon.

Exactly. Not a $2 battery from Best Buy.

If this were an actual Valentin Reval,

I wouldn't advise transporting it

unless you were accompanied by an armed guard.

It's worth about $3 million.

That's why the watch was left on the body.

Because it's a fake. -Mmhmm.

So whoever stole the watch somehow figured out it was fake,

smashed it, put it back on the body.

That accounts for the four-hour difference in the time of death

versus the time on the broken watch.

But why do that?

Because of all the valuables that are left on the corpse,

there's no suspicion of foul play.

Right. It just gets ruled an accidental death.

Now, somebody could have taken the real watch and replaced it

with a fake one just to throw off the scent.

It would have to be a dead ringer of a fake

to even hope you could fool anyone that it was real.

Where would you even get something like that made?

You're right.

The other major question is who has the real watch?

I'll get a search done of all the international registries

and auction houses,

and if the sale was made legitimately,

we might be able to trace it back to the seller.

You're not going to be alone tonight, right?

No. She's not.

Getting to really like that couch.

See you at my place.

I will be right behind you.

See you in a bit.

-[gasp] -Drive!

If you want to live Ainsley, drive now.

[engine accelerates]

Pull over. Right here.

Now, turn off the engine.

[beeping]

What's that?

You'll see.

This was a GPS tracker you were supposed to find.

[beeping]

And this was the one you weren't supposed to find.

Let me see your phone.

Unlock it, please.

Mm.

Here. -Ah, yes.

Oh, look at that. Your phone has been cloned.

How do you know that?

I'm also a technophile.

And it makes sense if someone is tracking you.

These days, they use the two things that move with you.

And there we are. Your phone is clean.

You're welcome.

[tires screeching]

-Jake. -Ainsley.

I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay. It's okay.

I can't believe I almost lost you.

I just turned around and you were gone.

And then I'm driving around for the past 20 minutes

trying to find you.

I know. I'm not in danger. Everything's fine.

Rance?

No. He's fine, he's fine. He's our friend, right?

Well...

I'm nobody's friend.

I'm just a ghost in the night.

A face in the crowd.

A fly on the wall.

But if you're asking me whether or not I'm on your side.

Well, I'm on the side of righteousness.

And in my view, A-Mac, that's you.

Okay. Tell us everything.

I was there that night.

[sighs] The night Mark died.

Did you see it happen?

No.

In the weeks leading up to his death,

Mark had been receiving

anonymous, threatening phone calls.

Someone knew he had that watch, and they were after it.

Mark had a dilemma on his hands.

There was no way

that he was going to give up his family's namesake.

But he knew keeping it would make him a target.

So he came to me and we figured out a solution.

You see, I have a counterfeiting friend in Houston,

so I knew I could get a super fake.

Of course, we couldn't just Fedex

the real watch to this guy.

So we had to measure it and picture it

right down to the last detail so that he could machine it.

And we didn't have a lot of time,

and we had to keep it a secret.

As careful as we were, though, someone followed Mark.

[pounding on the door]

You go.

Okay. -[pounding continues]

[pounding on door]

Colby County Sheriff Department, hands up!

Okay.

Lucky for us, though,

they didn't figure out what we were doing.

But Mark was arrested.

For running a gambling ring

according to what we read on the arrest report.

So Sheriff Barnes was in on it.

After he was released,

Mark became even more determined.

We had to finish that replica fast.

The day it was done,

I did a ten-hour round trip to pick it up.

I got back late.

I called him and he told me to meet him in the park.

Do you have it?

You see, Mark was paranoid that he was being followed.

[footsteps]

That... was the last night I saw Mark alive.

And whoever he ran into on his way home that night

was the one who killed him.

Did Mark ever tell you who it was

who was after him?

He didn't tell me, and I didn't ask.

If the Sheriff was involved, I didn't want to know.

Besides, you don't have to be a rocket scholar

to see that his sister was, too.

Mark always used to say people assumed he was the black sheep,

but really, it was her.

Mark spent his whole life getting into trouble

to keep her out of it.

Why do you suppose his granddad gave him the watch and not her?

[Ryan] We scoured every registry, auction house,

community sales listing in the past ten years.

Nothing.

If the watch is out there, it means it's deep underground.

Probably sold illegally.

On the black market.

We should be looking for someone who came into a lot of money,

but still had to find a way to launder it.

Any guesses?

Jane had a very expensive mayoral campaign to pay for.

The Sheriff was riding her coattails.

You know, Maria said that Jane was the only other person

who knew about the watch.

Her brother got the extremely valuable family heirloom.

She got nothing.

So as mayor,

she probably had the power to pull all the strings.

Have Mark framed, lean on Barnes to alter police reports,

get her brother out of the way so she can get the watch.

But how does that translate to what's happening now?

You getting pushed in the ravine.

Your... your phone getting cloned.

Your car getting bugged. Jane did all that too?

Why not?

She knows I'm investigating the case,

and she has the most to lose if any new evidence comes to light.

Well, Jake, you know Jane, the best of any of us.

Do you think that it's possible?

Yeah, I believe it.

There's always something about her I didn't trust,

you know, just a gut feeling.

That's the real reason that I ended the relationship.

I think we have our prime suspect.

Jane Reval.

Here's the problem, though.

If Jane is guilty, she spent the last ten years

covering her tracks, not getting caught.

We don't have enough solid evidence to charge her.

So what does solid evidence look like?

A confession.

On the record, which means someone has to wear a wire.

I'll do it.

She asked me to let her know if Ainsley

found any new information on the case.

So I will call her, set up a meeting,

and I'll try and get her to talk.

If she's gonna spill their guts to anyone,

it's gonna be me.

Perfect.

Whoa, whoa, no, no. Not perfect.

I've got to get a warrant for starters.

Texas is a one-party consent state.

I'm aware of that, Professor, but if we want the evidence

to hold up in court, I got to get a judicial order.

So get it.

It's not like ordering a pizza.

There are hoops to jump through.

Also, I don't know if you two have been paying attention,

but we're in Sweet River, not Langley.

We don't have the resources or the technology

to deal with this kind of thing.

I think I know someone who can help.

[Rance] Welly, well, well.

I never thought I'd see a day like this.

Me, a Robin Hood of the people working alongside

the Sheriff of Nottingham over there.

Mr. Moesby, the Colby County Sheriff's Department

appreciates your assistance in this matter.

I bet you do, Billy Mac.

Rance, you said you wanted to be on the side of the righteous.

That's us.

If you say so, A-Mac.

Now, would anyone like some kombucha?

[both] No.

Thank you.

This has a range of half a mile.

However, it will have some issues

if it has to transmit through brick or cement.

We'll be close by.

That's good.

Billy Mac.

Does your department have a surveillance van?

Well, we have a van.

Do you?

Yeah, but it's not exactly wired for surveillance.

Well, I will look in the back of mine

and see what gear I have.

All right. I understand why you're A-Mac.

Ainsley MacGregor.

But why am I Billy Mac?

Billy Mac, from the song.

He's a detective.

In Texas.

Steve Miller Band.

Rance isn't allowed in the van.

[Ryan] This can't be officially sanctioned, Deputy Trainee.

We don't have enough evidence to bring charges.

So this operation does not officially exist.

Understood?

Understood, boss.

Hey, we should come up with a code name...

like Project Faceless.

Because watches have faces, and so do we.

But... we're incognito.

What did I just say?

This doesn't officially exist.

Right. So the mission does not need a name.

What mission?

Okay, we're going to be in a surveillance van

outside of Dooley's at 1900 hours tonight.

Our confidential informant is Chief Trenton.

Now, if we're sloppy and we mess this up,

we're all going to look spectacularly stupid.

So let's make sure that doesn't happen.

Kevin, there's one more thing I need you to do.

I need you to write up

an arrest warrant... for Dalton Barnes.

But... Sheriff Barnes?

Yeah.

On what grounds?

Obstruction of justice.

Accessory to murder.

Falsifying police documents.

Do you have enough evidence to charge him?

No, but I've got probable cause. Enough to hold him for 24 hours.

I'm on it, boss.

Of course you have to get him off the street.

And I've got to get to him before Jane does.

I sure hope you're sure.

Ryan, I'm sure that Jane is guilty of something.

I just... I don't know that she killed her brother.

What?

Why would she put the watch on his wrong wrist?

I don't know. Maybe she panicked.

Ainsley, last chance here. Am I calling this off?

No.

Are you sure you want to do this?

Yes.

Someone's after you, and it's time to put a stop to that.

[tense music]

Hi.

Dooley!

Hey, how you doing, Chief?

I'm all right.

Ainsley joining you tonight?

No. Ainsley is working. I'm meeting the mayor.

Well, your usual table's ready.

Actually, you know what, I'm gonna change it up tonight.

I'm gonna... I'm gonna sit over here at the bar.

-Suit yourself. -Mmhmm.

Got some bad news, though.

Oh, no.

It's been a busy day, Jake. We're all out of brisket.

Oh. That's okay. I'm not that hungry.

That's not the Jake I know.

Is everything okay?

Yeah, yeah. It's fine. It's just some work stuff.

Mmhmm. Well, you know, some days it feels like

one wheel's off and the axle's dragging.

Yeah.

I'm gonna get you two a couple drinks.

Thank you.

My pleasure.

I'm in.

[Ryan] He's talking to himself? Why is he talking to himself?

That's a dead giveaway.

He's fine. Let him settle in.

I talk to myself all the time.

It's the only interesting conversation I ever have.

Excuse me.

Stay frosty, people.

[Kevin] I got caddy movement.

Copy.

Condor has landed.

We're in business.

I told Kevin not to wear that mustache.

Really? I told him it looks great.

He's like a wild west Magnum P.I.

You look good, JT.

You get all dressed up just for me?

Oh, I suppose I did, for old time's sake.

You didn't have any plans with Ainsley tonight?

No, no, we don't see each other that much.

Really?

I thought the two of you were an item.

No, no, no, it's not that serious.

I guess he's settling in.

Shall we order?

I always get the brisket sandwich.

Me too. But they're all sold out.

What?

Yeah.

Oh, that is the only reason I come here.

Me too.

[laughing]

We can go somewhere else, if you like.

What is he doing?

Nah, we're already here. I'll get the fajitas.

Okay.

He's playing it cool.

[sighs]

You should try it sometime.

Cheers.

Mm.

So you said Ainsley had some new info about Mark's death?

Yeah. I'm not sure if you heard or not,

but Sheriff Barnes was arrested a couple of hours ago.

I did hear that.

[Jane] Yeah, I called the station

to get an official statement, but they stonewalled me.

You know anything about it?

I overheard Ainsley talking to Ryan.

Apparently, Barnes told them that your brother's death

had something to do with a watch that he owned.

My grandfather's watch.

Yeah.

And Barnes said that you were after it,

that you forced him to do all sorts of things to coerce Mark

into giving it to you.

Like what? Altering the police reports?

Um, yes. Yeah, that, um...

but also abusing your position of power

for your own financial gain.

Okay, that's rich coming from Barnes.

Jane, you know what I...

I don't want to get in the middle of this.

Too late. Tell me what he said.

Uh, well, Barnes, he, um...

he said that you... you... killed Mark to get the watch.

My own brother?!

I'm just....I'm just telling you what I heard.

Look, I wanted that watch. I deserved that watch.

Mark wouldn't give it to me,

so I needed to find a way to get it from him.

And is that why you had him arrested

at the pawn shop that night?

Absolutely right it is.

That watch was my family heirloom, too,

and I needed it more than he did.

Oh, come on, Jake, deliver the knockout punch.

Hey.

Everyone knows what he was like.

Maybe there's part of me that wouldn't have even blamed you

if you--

If what? If I killed him?

You know, I don't think that we should talk about this anymore.

[Jane] I'm no killer.

Sure, I set up Barnes that night to get that watch

but I'm not a murderer.

[customer] What?!

[indiscernible chatter]

Uh...

That's actionable.

Patrol deputies move in.

I, uh... I'm just going to go use the ladies' room.

Of course.

She's gonna rabbit.

Rabbit?

She's running.

Suspect's on the move.

[sirens blare]

Stop! Mayor?

Mayor Reval!

You're under arrest.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say now can and will be used against you

in a court of law.

You have the right to speak to a lawyer for advice

before we ask you any questions.

[Ryan] Take her away.

Mayor Reval, you are aware of the charges

being laid against you?

Lawyer.

I know that you know your rights.

You're not required to say anything at this time,

but in the event that you'd like to add anything

to your testimony voluntarily, I'll take those statements now.

Lawyer.

There's nothing else you want to say?

Lawyer.

Yeah, I got that.

Alrighty. [clears throat]

I didn't kill my brother, Ryan.

Mark was meeting Barnes the night of his death.

Barnes was getting greedy.

He came to my house earlier that day,

and we had a screaming match about the whole plan.

I told him I changed my mind and that he shouldn't go

and meet Mark, but he wouldn't listen to me.

Is there anybody who can corroborate this?

My children's nanny, Philippa, overheard the whole exchange.

I remember because she wanted to call the cops

without realizing how ironic that was.

Do you believe her?

Yeah.

It doesn't matter.

We have her on the other charges.

Even if this Philippa, the nanny person surfaces.

Wait.

Do you know the nickname for Philippa?

Phil?

No, Pippa.

Who?

Pippa was Maria's babysitter.

She was at the house the night of Mark's death.

And she also said she worked for Maria's sister in law, Jane.

So she would have knowledge

of the goings-on in both households.

She knew about the watch

and she knew about the plan to steal it.

How would you two like to do

another unofficial Watchgate sting?

-No. -Yes.

There's a fake watch?

Yes.

[message alert]

But... but there definitely was a real watch.

Who has my husband's watch?

I don't know, and I don't have time to try to figure it out.

I need you to come with me

and just go along with whatever happens, okay?

Hi.

I just can't believe that Jane has been hanging on

to the real watch for all these years.

Jane, right. Uh, Jane, it's unbelievable.

Well, I'm glad she finally came clean.

And the most important part is the watch is back

where it belongs, in your safe.

I'm so glad you got Mark's watch back.

Tell the world, why don't you?

You just keep that thing safe, you here?

I will.

Y'all ready for book club?

Wouldn't miss it.

I'll be there with bells on.

Could you please tell me what's going?

Hold on, hold on, wait.

Me too.

Me three.

What was with that text you sent us?

Do you know where the real watch is?

No.

But I think I know who the true killer is.

[tense music]

[beeping]

Surprise!

It's over, Pippa.

You saw Mark take the watch out of the safe that night.

-Honey, what's going on? -It's gonna be ok.

-I want... -It's gonna be ok.

You knew some kind of transaction was about to happen

because you overheard Jane and Barnes arguing earlier.

So you followed Mark.

[Pippa] It took me a while to find him.

He'd had a significant head start.

When I finally caught up to him, he was in the path by the river.

Please! Stop, please!

Pippa! Why are you here?

Give me the watch.

Please!

Don't do this!

You don't understand what's happening here, okay?

Give it to me.

It's a fake.

Look...

It's a fake.

Don't get mixed up in this, please.

Just go home, okay?

Go home.

No, no! Please!

No!!!!!!

[sobbing]

I should have just listened to him and gone home.

What happened next?

I had the watch.

I knew where the rendezvous point was with Barnes,

so I went there.

Barnes had brought his fence.

The guy who was going to sell it for him.

Barnes was surprised to see me, but he didn't care.

The guy took a long look at the watch

and finally said that it was a fake.

Before Barnes took off, he told me that he'd kill me

if I ever told anyone about his involvement.

So there I was... alone.

I panicked and thought of the only thing I could do

to not get caught.

[sobbing]

I did everything I could to make sure

there was no evidence I was ever there.

But you also knew that with Sheriff Barnes

and the mayor's involvement,

this would get swept under the rug.

And it was.

Until I came along.

So it was you who cloned my phone.

And there we go.

And bugged my car.

Need some help?

I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.

What about the park?

[Pippa] I heard you were going there with the watch.

I didn't want you to find out it was fake.

I tried to scare you off the case.

Scare me off?

Oh, I think you tried to do a lot more than that.

Why would you do this, Pippa? We treated you like family.

Because she's a thief.

What do you think all that designer stuff is

that she's selling? It's all stolen.

[exhales]

Thank you, Ainsley.

This case never would have been solved without you.

You never give up.

It's a blessing and-- and a curse.

The one mystery we never solved was where the real watch is.

I guess that'll stay buried with my love.

Buried?

Maria, what's this? It was in the safe.

Oh, that's a poem Mark read to me the day he proposed.

"I shall bury my weary love beneath a tree

"in the forest tall and black where no one can see."

And you said that Mark proposed to you at the willow tree.

Mmhmm. By the lagoon at the forest's edge.

[gasp]

-Did you hit something? -Yeah.

There you go.

That poem was a message. Mark wanted you to find it.

Nobody else but his one true love should have it.

[crying]

Aren't you going to tell me I'm no longer allowed

to work on any lukewarm cases?

I'm not gonna tell you anything.

What's the point? You don't listen anyway.

Good job though.

You're welcome to work on any temperature case that you like.

Seriously, why are you being so nice to me?

It's unnerving.

This is nice?

For you, yes.

Something's going on.

Do you really think me--

All sisters know.

What are you guys doing tonight?

Going to Dooley's for dinner.

You guys want to make it a double date?

I've got plans.

Yeah, and I got to catch up on some work.

Give you a lift?

Yeah.

-Convenient. -Convenient.

What?

He drives right past my place on the way home.

Will you two grow up, please.

Have fun.

You know, when you were wearing that wire,

some of the things you said were pretty convincing.

Well, I was acting.

Really? Even that part where you said--

I was acting.

You think if you and I went to high school together--

Yeah, we'd be sweethearts.

Oh, yeah, Mr. Quarterback.

What are you telling me you weren't the prom queen?

I was valedictorian.

[laughs]

Why does that not surprise me?

You know, instead of speculating about the past,

I'm more interested in focusing on the future.

That is what I love about you.

Really?

-Mm. -Mm.

Tell me more about--

Is there anything else on the short list...

[indiscernible chatter]

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