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♪ ♪ ♪

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[male and female voices all speaking at once]

♪ [funky music playing] ♪

[Abby] I swear you guys are harder to wrangle

than a bunch of brokers at an over-served open house!

[Gene] All right. Kill me. Kill me now.

[Miller] We're supposed to rank everything

that we've gone through so far, I'd say that "World at Midnight"

was the fourth best book that we've read all year.

Maybe fifth.

[Rena chuckles] I disagree.

Rosemarie, so one-dimensional. No redeeming qualities.

[Rory] Henry was even worse.

What possessed you to choose this book, Hollis?

[Gene] It must have been the abstract cover art!

[Miller] It was the second best cover art this year.

[Gene] I could see the ending coming from thirty miles away.

Please.

[Hollis] Okay, okay. Everybody stop.

I've had all I can stomach.

Come on guys.

Are we even reading the same book?

I read four chapters and the last eight pages.

You're welcome.

Guys no.

This author's 23 years old.

This is her first book.

Okay, yes.

It does start a little slow in the beginning.

But oh, get to page 215 it's just brilliant!

I stopped reading it at page 214.

[Rena] Oh, one page shy of pure brilliance.

All right, look, maybe I'll read it again.

I won't. Sorry Hollis.

Hard pass for me.

You know, I have to admit, though,

the way the killer was revealed in "World at Midnight".

Pretty clever. Blew me away!

Not me. I knew it was her all along.

[Gene] But arsenic?

It's so film noir.

It seemed a little odd, having it in her purse.

I keep rat poison on me at all times, don't you?

I just have it right here.

The book was charming, it was just not very believable.

Come on.

A group of misfits coming together

to form some sort of society? Really?

[Rory] That coming from a member of a book club

comprised of ex-felons.

[Gene] Oh, whatever!

[Hollis] Listen you guys. I'll take you ex-felon misfits

over any law-abiding citizen any day.

I second that!

[Abby] To the Fallen Angels.

May we continue to spread our wings and soar!

[All] To the Fallen Angels!

[Gene] Hey. Drinks on you?

[Hollis] I swear, every time I go out to a bar with you,

I always end up sitting alone.

Oh boo hoo hoo.

Can I help it if I'm so irresistible?

[laughs] No you can't.

Hey.

[Gene] Those two huddled again.

[Gene whispers] I think they're having an affair.

[Hollis] No way.

Abby and Michael are the perfect couple.

Uh huh. You and your ex were perfect too.

Until he set you up for an epic fall.

Hey, what are you two so hushed about?

Rory's just bragging about his new house. Again.

[Abby] I keep telling him I could have gotten him more

for his money...

[Rory] Speaking of which...

Drinks and cigars at my place! Huh?

Who's down?

If there's some kind of snacks, you can count me in.

[Gene] You had me at drinks.

I'm sorry, Rory. I'm gonna have to pass.

What? You got paralegal stuff, petition stuff?

Yes!

Just stay for an hour, Hollis. That's all.

It won't be any fun without you.

I can't.

Please. Please. Pretty please with sugar on top!

You're such a baby.

Okay. One hour.

-Ah! -One hour!

-Yes! -That's it.

I love you! You know that?

-You do? -I mean it! I do.

-I really do. -How much?

[Rory] On three, two, one...

Angelssssss!

[Rena] Okay, you have to send me that!

[Abby] Oh, send it to everybody. And Jeffrey.

-Yeah yeah! -I'll send it to everybody.

Okay, listen.

Before you guys toss back too many brandies, let me just say.

I got security cameras everywhere

so don't get any ideas.

No he doesn't.

[laughter]

Look, seriously...

I know you guys think I'm over the top sometimes...

Oh no no no no no. Why would we think that?

The reason I invited you here is not to show off what I have,

but to show you what's possible.

We fought like heck to get our lives back

and we're kicking butt.

Gene, your blog's got thousands of subscribers.

Indeed.

[Rory] Rena, your clothing line is growing internationally.[Wow]

Abby, if it weren't for you I wouldn't even begun to look

at multi-million dollar properties.

And Hollis, pretty soon you're gonna be able to take the bar.

Your honor, I don't object.

[laughter]

Ah, Miller.

Yeah?

Miller...

You're the smartest SOB I know.

[Rory laughs]

And I don't care what anybody says,

you jerks are the best jerks I know.

And I wouldn't want anybody else in my corner.

I love you guys.

Cheers.

Ah! Love you too!

Salut!

[Rory] Hey, Diamond Crùn Limited.

30,000 dollars a box.

Most expensive cigars you can buy.

I'm good, dude. I hate cigars.

[Miller] I gotta get some air.

Well, you know, give it to your boss.

Hell, you know, sell it and buy yourself a nice pair of shoes.

Did you really spend 30,000 dollars

on a box of smelly cigars?

[puffing] That's what they cost.

But not what I paid for them.

♪ [ominous music] ♪

Oh, let me show you the latest addition to my collection.

I got this piece for a song.

The artist fell on hard times,

died south of net zero.

The family didn't know what they had.

[Rory's phone rings]

[Rory] I need to get this.

Okay. Ah... Drink up!

I'll be right back.

[Gene] Okay.

[door squeaks open] [Rory] Oh, hey! Miller!

Be careful. Fresh coat of custom oil paint.

Takes forever to dry.

[Miller] Now he tells me.

[Rory on phone] Hello?

Okay, I would not have put this place in Rory's snack bracket.

I mean, it's gotta be seven figures, right Abby?

What business is that of yours, Gene?

[Gene] Oh, please.

Knowledge is power, as you very well know.

[laughter]

Speaking of knowledge,

I'd love to know how Rory keeps up with it all.

You know, the houses, the cars,

the new girlfriends every three months.

[Rory yelling on phone] No no no no!

Three months is probably all they can take.

Rory's exhausting.

Yeah, well, all that charm can tire a girl out.

-[Rory yelling on phone] -[Abby] Charm and designer rugs.

[Rena laughs] Yes.

Well, whatever's going on with him at the moment

seems pretty heated.

[Rory yelling] Come on!

You think it's business or pleasure?

Well it's Rory. Business is pleasure.

[Rory yelling] No no, no. You need to listen to me, okay.

[Rory yelling] No, forget it!

Jeez.

[Rory yelling] Well, what do you expect me to do?

[Abby] "World at Midnight" to be continued tomorrow.

[Hollis] Yes.

To quote Rosemarie, "Might as well beat it 'til it's dead."

[Abby] Sorry, Hollis. See you later.

[Miller] Thank you for having me.

[Rory] Good night.

Ah! Rory! Thank you.

[Rory] Drive safe now.

[Rory] Oh boy!

[laughs] Somebody had fun.

Thank you. Thank you.

Yeah, you sure had fun tonight.

Yeah, I did, I sure did.

Careful now.

[Gene] Yeah, I got it.

Well well well.

Everybody just loves your book. Hmm?

I know, right?

I, ah, I thought you had to leave?

You know, I was looking at these cigars...

I've seen these before, like a few years back.

And I remember them because

my friend who had them wasn't really a cigar smoker.

And he definitely couldn't afford 30,000 dollar cigars.

But his were in, you know, a regular box,

not a fancy humidor.

Where'd you say you got these?

They were a gift.

Oh.

I guess somebody in Philly likes giving away

30,000 dollar cigars, huh?

[Rory's phone rings]

Sorry.

Oh, okay.

[Rory on phone] Hello?

Hey! You can call me back 10 times if you like,

but it doesn't change anything.

Those are my terms. All right?

[chuckles] No no.

I hold the cards here.

Well, I better get going.

Yeah.

Listen, Hollis.

I know you're still bitter about what your husband did to you.

And I'm sure you have a lot of unanswered questions,

but at some point you have to move on with your life.

What are you talking about?

Not everything is a clue to some great mystery from your past.

Some things are just a coincidence.

Nothing more.

Let it go.

Wait a minute. Hold up.

Is there something I should know about?

Because it sure as hell feels like it.

[Rory shouts] You don't wanna do this, Hollis.

You don't want any part of my world.

Trust me.

Oh you know this isn't over yet, right?

Yes it is.

[car engine starts]

[breathes heavily]

[glass smashing]

Avery. Good morning.

Good morning.

So...

How goes the studying?

You ready to take that bar exam?

Sure. Sign me up now. I'll be there.

I don't know why you keep putting it off.

You're smarter than most of the lawyers I know.

Including you?

[scoffs] Let's not get carried away.

But, you do need to stop procrastinating.

It's not what you think, Mark.

I'll take the exam in due time.

Yeah.

[Hollis] Look. So adorable!

[Mark] Are you talking about her or Avery?

Seriously?

Okay, both! But in very different ways.

Please don't tell him I said that.

Yeah, your secret's safe with me.

-But for a price. -Ha ha.

[Mark] Okay. Here comes Mr. Adorable.

Let's look professional.

Hollis, Mark, let me introduce you to Marla Wilson.

Marla, you are in good hands.

Charmed.

Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Wilson.

Uh huh.

I'll be trusting you two to figure out

who gets my stuff when I die.

Mainly you, Holland.

Hollis. Hollis. We can...

All right.

[Mrs. Wilson] My baby sister,

Carrie was her name.

Oh, she was a hellion, that one.

[Hollis chuckles]

But she always had my back.

You look a lot like her.

Oh?

I'm counting on you to have my back, Hollis.

Keep these boys honest.

Avery and Mark are really good guys.

They'll look out for you and so will I.

You have my word.

That's all I can ask.

Oh, girl.

I can run up and down these stairs

faster than a 10-year-old.

You get back to work.

Okay. That's right.

I got this.

Okay, Ms. Marla.

Have a great day.

[Miller] Okay, come on.

Even Rena's here. And Rory's not?

[Gene] Yeah, let's just start without him.

Okay, calm down, boys!

It's not like you have anything else to do tonight.

Exactly, right?

[footsteps approaching]

Finally!

Sorry. Didn't know anyone was here.

[Faber] This is Detective Lincoln.

I'm Detective Faber.

What can we do for you?

Do you all know a Rory Sharma?

Yeah. Why?

[Rena] Yeah. What's going on?

Mr. Sharma was found dead in his home last night.

No no. We just saw him.

When...? What happened?

[Faber] Suspected poisoning.

Forensics' early screening showed signs of poison

in the brandy and on a cigar in the ashtray.

How did you...

[Lincoln] Fob.

[keys jingle]

We found it in his car.

There's a tag with this address on it.

And we weren't expecting to find anyone else here. So...

Yet, here you all are.

[Faber] We'd like to ask you all a few questions.

Of course.

From the looks of it,

Mr. Sharma was killed by someone he knew.

[Faber] There was no signs of forced entry.

What is this?

Some sort of book club?

Yes.

[Faber] When was the last time you all saw Mr. Sharma?

Last night. At his home.

Before he was killed?

[Gene] Yeah, Rory just bought a new house

and he was eager to show it off, so we all went over for drinks.

Did you notice anything off about him?

He had a heated argument with someone over the phone...

Well, Rory was always having heated arguments with someone...

True. Yeah. He is a bit of a hot head.

He was... Was...

[Faber] So books, that's your connection?

Yeah, we are a book club.

And what kind of books do you read?

Mostly murder mysteries.

We'd like to talk to each one of you individually

if you don't mind.

[Abby] Sure.

I can set you up out front.

[Gene] Rory and I didn't hit it off at first

but I grew to like him.

I considered him a friend.

[Gene] His flashy jewelry and his novelty ring tones

were a bit much but...

He didn't deserve to die like that.

[Rena] There was a side to Rory that most people didn't know.

The sweet side, the generous side.

[Rena] He didn't always show it but...

He was a good friend to me.

[Miller] We all left Rory's house around the same time.

Except Hollis. She stayed later.

[Abby] I'm not sure how long Hollis stayed to be honest.

I thought she left when we did.

Thank you, Ms. Caldwell.

According to your friends,

you stayed and talked to Mr. Sharma after everyone left.

So what did you talk about?

Cigars.

[Lincoln] Cigars?

Expensive cigars.

And are you a cigar enthusiast?

No.

[Faber] Did your conversation with Mr. Sharma

become unpleasant at any point?

Rory and I were always known to speak our minds.

We had that kind of relationship.

[Faber] Did the two of you have an argument last night?

No.

So where did you go after you left Mr. Sharma's house?

Let's see, um, I went home, made a cup of tea.

Chamomile, in case you're wondering.

[Lincoln] What book are you guys reading right now?

We just finished "World at Midnight".

[Lincoln] I should check it out.

Nothing like a good murder mystery, right?

[Faber] Do you know any of Mr. Sharma's family?

His friends, maybe business associates?

He has a...

He had a girlfriend but I've never met her.

Rory's pretty private.

Yeah, we know about the girlfriend.

She's the one who found his body.

Well thank you for your time, Ms. Morgan.

And if you think of anything else,

please give me a call.

Sure.

Thanks again, everyone.

And, we're very sorry for your loss.

Is anyone gonna say it?

Rory was killed just like the character

in "World at Midnight".

Remember?

Gerald drank from the poisonous nightcap

while his cigar burned in the ashtray.

Does anyone find that strange?

♪ [ominous music] ♪

-[Hollis] Hey... -[Jeffrey] Hey.

[Hollis] How are you?

Don't judge me. I'm old school.

I really thought I could save you all.

[Hollis] Jeffrey, don't.

I knew Rory was in trouble.

He was always so damned secretive.

Yeah.

Um...

When you were putting the book club together,

did any of the other members

know me or know anything about me?

Not that I know of. Why?

[Hollis] Nothing. Just wondering.

I know this is probably not

the best time to ask about my expungement statement but...

No, no no no no.

No. Rory would have wanted us to keep our heads up

and keep moving forward.

So, listen. I read your letter statement here.

I read it twice, actually.

Yeah?

I cried both times.

It's compelling as hell but

I really think you need to add something,

like another letter by your mom, your dad, like your sister,

the distant cousin, somebody...

Jeffrey... You know I can't ask my family.

I know, I know.

They still blame you for your ex burning them

on that promissory deal.

But, you know what? That was a long time ago.

It's time to forgive and forget.

Life is short.

Ain't that the truth?

So, I bought this when I heard about Rory.

Oh. Brandy? Ewww. No no no.

This stuff's good.

Don't you have a bottle of wine stashed somewhere?

Ah, no.

I leave wine for the lightweights like you and Abby.

[laughs] But I'm going to pass.

And I don't want you to get in trouble

for a few drinks on the job.

Hollis,

I'm not exactly the rule follower you think I am.

I find that hard to believe.

I'm going to get out of here, though.

Okay.

-I love you. -You too.

Thank you.

Psssshh...

-Call you later. -All right.

Bye.

[Miller] What do we think of Rory's girlfriend?

[Abby] Hmm... Okay, I guess.

If like that sort of thing.

[Miller] I, I do.

[Hollis] I don't know a single person here.

[Gene] What about her? What's her name?

[Rena] Oh, I stopped remembering

Rory's girlfriends' names years ago.

[they all chuckle]

[Hollis] Here she comes! Here she comes!

You must be Rory's book club friends.

-Yeah. -Yes.

[Farrah] You know, it's so funny.

He used to carry on about you and the books

but I never actually saw him read anything.

Sounds about right.

We're so sorry for your loss.

We all really loved Rory...

I, for one, enjoy reading.

Bah! I read all the time.

Oh!

It just kind of feels like I never even really knew him.

It feels like the last three weeks didn't even count.

[Hollis chokes] Excuse me.

[Hollis] Hmm.

I'm sorry.

Would you guys have any idea who might've done this to my Rory?

Ah! There you are!

My favorite crew.

Hey!

I'm sorry, Farrah.

Thanks Jeffrey.

Well, excuse me.

Yeah, pleased to meet you.

[Jeffrey] I wouldn't be a bit surprised

if she thinks one of you killed Rory.

[All] What?

But, she thinks Elvis and Tupac are still alive.

I definitely think that Elvis is dead.

But Tupac?

For all we know, Farrah killed Rory.

She's the one who found him.

And her sugar was going to dry up once they split.

[Rena] How do you know they were going to split?

You're right. Never mind.

He had so many girlfriends I couldn't keep up.

That was our Rory. Life in the fast lane.

Hi!

Hello Michael.

Sorry, I missed the memorial.

No worries.

It was short and sweet and all about Rory.

He would have loved it.

Rena might have been right about Farrah.

What if it was her?

[Gene] Her. Or someone like her.

I bet that there's some clues in this house.

[Miller] Something that forensics missed.

And we would know what to look for.

You know what? We should split up.

Good idea.

[Jeffrey] No no. That's not a good idea!

That's a terrible idea.

♪ [ominous music] ♪

Ms. Morgan.

Detective.

Here to pay your respects?

[scoffs] Yeah, something like that.

Why didn't you tell me your book club

is some kind of a support group for ex-cons.

Because we're not.

We're a book club.

[Faber] For ex-cons.

Every member has a criminal record.

Some even have ongoing files with the bureau.

Rory Sharma: Cocaine possession.

Rena Martinez: Racketeering.

Miller Thornton: Computer fraud.

Gene Donovan: Lying to a federal agent.

And then there's you.

Three years for insurance fraud.

You forgot about one.

Ah, that's right.

Abby Caldwell. Big question mark, that one.

Did you know that Mr. Sharma

saved you in his contacts as Rebecca Lynley?

One guess from the look on your face, that answer's a no.

No... I never told him my name.

I didn't know.

Would it surprise you to find out that you and Mr. Sharma

have a common acquaintance,

that is outside your book club?

So are you trained to speak in riddles or what?

Sharma was an associate of your ex-husband, Ms. Morgan.

Bill Lynley.

Okay...

What, you don't seem surprised?

Where is Mr. Lynley?

I have no idea.

I am curious though.

What's Bill's connection to Rory?

That's what we intend to find out.

You know, it's funny isn't it?

Some people just aren't what they seem to be.

[Avery] Well, it turns out that

Marla Wilson does not have a will.

Nor does she have any family.

She wants to sell her house and move into

an assisted living facility.

So I'm thinking we should maybe set up a conservatorship?

Yeah. That's a good call.

She may not have much but no one wants the state

divvying up their assets when they pass on.

Agreed.

Good. All right. Then we should get moving on this right away.

Because Marla's still trying to call the shots but I think

her ability to make sound decisions is waning a little.

I'm on it!

[Avery] All right.

Are you ordering lunch? What you got there?

[dialing]

Hey, ma.

It's me, Becka. Um...

I know you don't want to talk to me...

Can you give me a call?

[doorbell rings]

I love you. Bye.

Are you here to give me a critique of the book or...

How and when was this book club formed?

The truth, Ms. Morgan.

Jeffrey Wallace, parole officer.

See when you're in prison,

you have a lot of time on your hands.

And reading can sometimes be a way to escape.

Jeffrey thought the book club was a good way

to bring us together, to connect us,

to form a new family even.

And you didn't know Mr. Sharma prior to meeting in book club?

No.

Do you think any of the other members

had a reason to want Mr. Sharma dead?

Sorry. Sorry. You had to know Rory.

He was annoying as hell but none of us wanted to kill him.

He was our friend.

How do you explain the similarities between his death

and the victim in "World at Midnight"?

It's now been confirmed

that the poison was on the tip of the cigar and in the glass.

Just like in the book.

Okay. What do you want me to say?

You know, people kill people.

Sometimes they use guns, sometimes they use knives,

sometimes they use poison.

-Who chose this book? -I did.

Why? Am I a suspect?

Everyone's a suspect.

Am I in danger?

Not unless you think there's a serial killer out there

targeting people in book clubs?

Is there?

What did you mean everyone's a suspect, Detective?

[Lincoln] If you don't mind,

we'll be the ones asking the questions.

Actually, I kind of do mind

especially if I'm being accused of murder.

Motive and opportunity, to answer your question.

What are you talking about? I've known Rory for years.

Why would I suddenly decide to poison him?

We just found out that you and your husband sold worthless

promissory notes to dozens of people causing them to lose

hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That was my ex-husband's insurance company.

But you set up the company and you signed off on the documents.

Where did your husband come up with the idea for that scam?

Bill had a way of finding shortcuts to wealth.

So, could Rory have been one of those shortcuts?

I don't know.

Like I said, Rory had some cigars, they were rare.

My ex-husband had some like them once.

Yeah, once.

When was the last time you saw or spoke to Mr. Lynley?

[Hollis] Eight years ago.

When my guilty verdict was handed down, he shrugged,

walked out of the courtroom.

And I have not heard from him since.

You know, Ms. Morgan...

I can't say I'd blame you for being upset.

Learning that your husband betrayed you and your friend.

While they're out living the good life,

buying big houses, smoking expensive cigars.

You're in prison reading books.

I didn't kill him.

Good try, though.

Why don't you tell us what happened that night

after everyone left.

Ah, let's see.

Rory and I talked about the cigars.

He wouldn't tell me where he got them.

He got a phone call and he went outside to talk in private.

[Lincoln] So you were left alone in the living room.

With the brandy and the cigar in the ashtray.

Yes.

Then what happened?

He came back. I told him I had to go.

We had a conversation that was going nowhere.

It was upsetting...

Not upsetting. It was...

Did he make you angry?

He walked me to my car and I left.

That's it.

It's motive.

Opportunity.

Are we done?

Yes.

Thank you for your time, Ms. Morgan.

We'll be in touch.

-[door closes] -[dialing]

Jeffrey, I think I'm in trouble.

Ahh. Coffee.

Nope. Your favorite.

Hot tea.

[chuckles] I'm impressed. How did you know?

A good attorney pays attention.

Perfect!

I know you've been through a lot, Hollis.

And, I just want you to know that I'm here for you.

If for nothing more than to bring you

a cup of tea every now and then.

[laughs] Thank you.

Of course.

So, I did a little digging into Mrs. Wilson's affairs.

Oh yeah? What did you find?

Well, turns out she owns a lot more

than a dusty old house and an old spoon collection.

Wow! She has some serious bank!

Is that right?

All the more reason to get moving on that conservatorship.

Well, I also looked into her son, like you asked, Hollis.

She told me she didn't have any family.

She and her son are at odds

so I thought if I could bring them together,

we might not have to put her under that conservatorship.

-That would be ideal. -Yeah.

His name is Conroy Wilson. Lives in Charlotte.

Did she tell you that he's an ex-con?

Yeah.

That explains why she wants nothing to do with him.

Anyway, all of the numbers I have for him aren't working

but I'll keep trying.

Yeah, okay. Nice work, Mark.

You okay?

Oh. Yeah, I'm good. I just...

I haven't been able to reconcile with my own family so,

hey, maybe there's hope for Marla and Conroy. Right?

You have a good heart, Hollis.

And you have my full support.

Just let me know how I can help.

Can I ask you a question?

Why did you hire me knowing that I was a felon?

One, you were honest with me.

Two, I believe your ex-husband abused your trust.

And three, you're brilliant.

Oh, and four, I believe in second chances.

Thank you.

Well, in that case, I think I should tell you that I'm filing

a petition to have my record expunged.

Would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me?

Are you kidding? I would be honored.

You're gonna make an amazing attorney, Hollis.

Maybe you'll be hiring me someday.

[Hollis] Okay guys. What do we have?

Well, let's start with Rory's fancy new house.

Turns out he paid cash for it. $500,000 over asking.

Price tag on that baby was $3.5 million.

[Gene] Whoa!

Sounds like he had some money burning a hole in his pocket.

Maybe it was dirty money.

Maybe he was helping to clean it.

Who would he be laundering for?

Pick a con, any con.

Ah, I looked into his financials and

he had bank accounts all over the place.

Here, Switzerland, Paris.

And no less than a million dollars in each one.

What?

What do you have Gene?

Ah, well, it turns out that our suspicions that Rory was a loner

turned out to be true.

The only people in his life,

other than his trophy girlfriends,

seemed to be a few business associates and us.

Who were all the people at the memorial?

Were they paid actors?

[Gene] Said trophy's friends.

Where was Rory getting this money?

Drugs? Smuggling goods across the border?

Trafficking? All of the above.

What about his international connections?

None of my contacts knew anything about him.

Not that they would admit.

Maybe he was an escort.

I'm kidding.

He was probably a drug dealer, right?

I know Rory had a history.

I don't see, I don't see Bill being involved with drugs.

But then again, I didn't see him selling me out.

So there it is...

Where are with finding the elusive ex?

I have yet to open that can of worms. But I will.

Let me know if I can be of any help.

Oh. Since you're offering,

can you find out more about these promissory note schemes?

There may be others who helped Bill set up these dummy accounts

and I wanna have all the info by the time I see him.

Oh, Gene. What about your attorney general friend?

Doesn't he prosecute cases like that?

You mean former attorney general and friend

who got off without answering for his crimes

because yours truly lied on his behalf, went to prison

and came out with a criminal record and a broken heart?

Yes. That one.

[whispers] Stop it!

If you're not comfortable talking to him...

I'll take one for the team.

Thank you.

And not a word about any of this to Faber and Lincoln.

Okay? We have to stay two steps ahead of them.

How hard can that be?

[chuckling]

Oh and speaking of the cops.

Will they uncover any dealings that any of you had with Rory?

It's bad enough they're targeting me.

I don't want them coming after all of us.

No? Nothing?

Well, his fashion choices nearly sent me into a fit of rage

but I didn't kill him!

[everyone laughs]

Okay, well if that is all then I have to go.

Michael is waiting for me.

Oh guys oh! One more thing, okay.

Please be careful. All right.

We don't know who killed Rory or why,

which means we also don't know if one of us

could be the next target.

Murder by association.

[Hollis chuckles] Miller I love what you've done with the place.

I made copies of all of this on to flash drives

but I've also printed out hard copies for you and Gene.

Okay. Thank you.

That is a lot of books.

Don't tell me you've read every single one of them.

No.

No, I'm kidding. I've read all of them.

[laughs] Yeah.

Okay, so...

Did anything in Rory's bank records strike you as odd?

Other than the fact that he spent money

like he had an endless supply?

Maybe he did. But where did it come from?

Everywhere.

Mostly wire transfers, big amounts, small amounts,

domestic, international.

He was kind of all over the place.

Hmm. Okay.

Well, thank you for this.

I will go over it tonight.

I appreciate it.

What?

I know that Rory was blackmailing you.

Where'd you get that idea?

At one of the meetings, he pointed in your direction

and he said that he had something on you.

You know...

She's going to owe me big time.

You don't have to admit it.

I won't say anything.

I mean, even if you, even if you killed Rory,

I wouldn't tell a soul.

Miller, I didn't kill him, but thank you for that.

I think.

And um, Rory was not blackmailing me.

Then who was he talking about?

Thank you for the books and everything love.

I appreciate it.

That wasn't an answer.

[Hollis] Oh! So are we day drinking now?

[Abby laughs] I'm in between showings. Don't judge me.

I'm just saying. You could have ordered for me!

No, I'm good. Don't worry about it.

I'm just going to go straight in.

So, um, was Rory blackmailing you?

Because Miller said Rory pointed at me during one of the meetings

and said he 'had something'.

But he was actually talking about you, wasn't he?

I don't know what he was...

Did he dig up something from your past?

Something Michael doesn't know about?

Okay. Look, I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of.

They seemed necessary at the time, but...

I've been there, I've done that.

I lived in Seattle before I came here.

I went to prison because I was greedy.

Theft by deception, fraud, call it whatever you want.

That doesn't sound like you.

You don't know the person I used to be.

I ran through every penny I had and eventually I started

thinking of ways to take in other people's money.

When I got out I wanted a clean slate.

I got a fresh start with a little help from a friend.

-Yes, Jeffrey. -Yep.

He introduced me to Michael and we married within a year.

So how much of your past does Michael know?

Not as much as Rory.

If he knew everything, it would destroy him.

It would destroy us.

So, okay. Let me get this straight.

-You and Rory were friends... -Uh huh.

And all this time he was blackmailing you?

More like threatening to blackmail me.

Isn't that blackmail?

Okay, with Rory it's a little hard to tell sometimes.

That's true.

Anyway, I wasn't about to let him drive me away from the club.

You guys are the only family I have, besides Michael.

Listen...

I went back to the house the night he was killed,

thinking I could finally convince him to stop milking me

for cash.

When I approached the house,

I saw another car peeling out of the driveway.

Might have been the killer!

Actually, it was you.

Yeah. You were acting so strange when we left

I thought something had gone down between you two

so I changed my mind and I went home.

Abby, you have to tell the police.

And further implicate you?

If they found out you've been withholding information,

you could be in trouble.

I'll be fine. I always am.

[phone ringing]

Hi Michael. What's up?

What?

Listen. Don't do anything.

Don't call the police. Do nothing.

I'm, I'm on my way over right now.

Yes, I need to see Detective Faber please.

Ms. Morgan. What can I do for you?

One of the book club members is missing.

So Abigail Caldwell's husband found this in the driveway.

How is it relevant?

Because in one of our previous books, "Cheat the Storm,"

someone was strangled with a scarf.

Are you saying you think Abby Caldwell is dead?

No. I don't know.

[Faber] And no one else from the club

has spoken to her recently?

No. Just me.

Last book club member to see Mr. Sharma alive.

[Lincoln] Last member to talk to Mrs. Caldwell.

I'm seeing a bit of a pattern here.

[Faber] Were you and Abby on good terms?

Yes. Abby was my friend.

And so was Rory.

Well, maybe 'your friend' suspected you were a killer.

Maybe you killed her to keep her quiet.

Okay, that's it.

That is it!

I've had it with your half-baked theories about me

being some sort of raging murderer!

If you're going to charge me with a crime, charge me!

Maybe we will!

Go ahead! There's nothing here...

[Faber] You're free to go, Ms. Morgan.

You are free to go, Ms. Morgan.

We'll put Mrs. Caldwell's info into the system. Thank you.

Thank you.

You don't really think I'm a murderer, do you Detective?

What does it matter what I think as much as what I can prove.

So no? Right?

[door opens, closes]

We should arrest her for having a smart mouth.

Yeah, well it doesn't work that way.

Look it, can you just dial it back a bit.

Let's reach out to a few more of Rory's acquaintances.

Bring them in for questioning.

[Faber] So you and Rory were lovers a few months ago?

[Lincoln] Did you ever meet his family?

What did he tell you he did for a living?

[Lincoln] Is it true that you owed Rory money?

When was the last time you saw Rory alive?

Where were you on the night he was killed?

So how long have you known Rory?

[A.J.] I met him about 10 years ago

when he was trying to break into the film industry.

I was an aspiring producer at the time.

[A.J.] He always just flew by the seat of his pants

yet somehow always managed to make money.

Like a lot of money!

How would you describe Mr. Sharma?

[A.J. scoffs] Describe?

He was a big show-off.

And I remember this one good thing about him, though.

He, um, he said there was this woman that

went down for one of the scams he pulled.

[A.J.] He regretted it.

Said he wanted to make it up to her.

[Gene] So, um...

I did a deep dive into Rory's cohorts.

Went years back in his social media accounts, contacts,

and emails, thanks to Miller, by the way.

Lots of calls from unknown numbers.

Burner phones?

Uh huh. Most likely.

Um...

There's one number that showed up repeatedly.

It belongs to someone you know.

Bill?

Hollis...

Do you think Bill killed Rory?

Is he capable?

No. I don't think... No.

Maybe he had someone do it for him?

Or Rory double crossed him or threatened to roll over on him?

Look, I know you don't wanna talk to the guy

but you can't keep putting it off.

How long did it take you to forgive your friend?

[Gene scoffs]

Who says I forgave him?

You know, as bad as prison was, and it was hell,

it wasn't nearly as bad as being betrayed and abandoned

by someone you love.

Tell me about it.

[knocking]

How long have you known Rory Sharma?

Okay Becky, look.

I just want you to know

I never meant for you to take the fall in this.

I didn't...

Did you guys do business up until he was killed?

Okay. I met Rory a few years ago.

He approached me with a business proposition.

He said he was working with some dude named Achilles.

We teamed up, and we made a lot of money.

And then we got caught and...

You mean I got caught.

Rory assured me that everything would work out.

See without a record, you wouldn't do a day inside,

let alone a full sentence.

Do you know that, um...

I'm a suspect in Rory's murder?

That's why I'm here.

To protect you.

Protect me from who, what?

Achilles. And his men.

Rory pissed them off.

How?

He tried to pressure Achilles

into making him an equal partner.

So I'm pretty sure Achilles is the one who killed him

but he's trying to make it look like you did.

Or somebody from your book club.

Anything else?

I can help you, Becky.

I know how these men operate, and I know you.

I know you're not going to stop until

you get to the bottom of this.

But they may kill you before you get there.

And you're going to protect me?

Come with me, Becky.

I can take you where nobody can find you.

Not the police, not Achilles, nobody.

Why not just tell the police what you just told me?

You know I can't do that, okay.

Not without implicating myself.

I see.

Becky, if you'd just listen to me.

You can go.

Becky...

♪ [slow sad music] ♪

♪ Are moments that passed ♪

♪ Though it's farewell don't be sad ♪

♪ Let's keep it on a high note ♪

[door closes] ♪It's been a really good show♪

♪ You know it's time (You know it's time)... ♪

♪ [soulful music] ♪

♪ (vocalizing) ♪

♪

♪ Every night I pray ♪

♪ For a day that I can feel safe ♪

[hard knocking at door]

♪ Will Heaven be the only way? ♪

♪

♪ Be the only way ♪

♪

♪ (vocalizing) ♪

♪

[Hollis] I wanna see Detective Faber now!

Right now!

You sent cops to ransack my house?

[Faber] It was just a routine search.

I'm not the one you should be harassing.

What about Bill Lynley? Or better yet, here's a thought.

Find Abby!

Look, we tried to find your hus...

Ex-husband. He's still out of the country.

Wrong!

He's been following me around for who knows how long

and last night he shows up at my house!

Did he cause you any harm?

Depends on what you consider harmful, Detective?

Hey, okay, just...

Please?

He told me I was in danger.

And that he and Rory were in business with a third party.

Who?

Someone by the name of Achilles.

He said Rory got greedy and that's why they killed him

and they might kill me too.

So is that it?

Isn't that enough?

Okay, let's just say this Achilles person actually killed

Rory Sharma.

Why on earth would he or she kill Abigail Caldwell?

I don't know.

Rory had something on her.

So maybe she tried to turn the tables and

got caught up in their matrix.

Or maybe they killed her to keep her quiet. I don't know.

That's a lot of maybes.

Here's another one. Maybe if you do your job,

maybe I wouldn't have to do it for you.

Look, a friend of Rory's said that

he regretted one of his scams.

One where a woman took the fall for her husband.

Now as horrible of a person that Rory was,

he felt bad for what he did to you

and vowed to make it up to you someday.

So did he?

What do you think Detective?

Did you kill Rory Sharma, Ms. Morgan?

No.

Then who did?

You believe me, don't you?

Look, everyone we interviewed had an air tight alibi.

Okay.

What about Farrah?

She was sleeping with another man that night.

Alibi corroborated.

It figures!

Did any of the other club members

go back to Rory's house after you left?

No. Not that I know of.

Well then, I guess we are right back where we started.

♪ [ominous music] ♪

[Abby] How did you find me?

You planted the scarf didn't you?

Guilty.

Why would you fake your death?

I never said I was dead.

The police concluded that...

Wait, hold on.

Were Rory and his friends blackmailing you?

Did they threaten to kill you?

Do they think you know their identity?

Okay, whoa Nancy Drew!

I'm just trying to figure out my next move.

You mean your next identity.

We thought you were dead. We were completely heartbroken.

And what about Michael?

Collateral damage.

Look, I'm sorry.

I just needed to watch what happened from afar.

What does that mean?

How involved were you with Rory?

I told you.

Everyone who's had dealings with him is under scrutiny.

I know but I'm going to need you to show your face.

I can't!

The police think I killed you

and it's just a matter of time before they charge me.

If my freedom means anything to you girl,

if my life means anything to you,

you'll come out of hiding and talk to the police.

If I don't?

Wow!

I guess I'm just collateral damage to you too.

Hollis, I've been waiting for an update on Marla's son.

-Any word? -Oh, yeah. Sorry.

Oh, um...

He won't be coming to Philly.

You were so right about him.

Have you told Marla yet?

Not yet. But I will.

Hey look. I'm really sorry.

I know you had high hopes for them.

What are you going to do?

I'll make sure to have her to sign that

conservatorship agreement.

No. That's okay. I'll take care of it.

You have more than enough on your plate right now.

I'll keep you in the loop.

Please.

Yes, Ms. Marla. Please have a seat. Have a seat.

[Bill] Becky. I'm leaving the country for good.

It's not safe for me here.

As long as I'm around, it's not safe for you either.

I wish that you'd come with me.

Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry about everything.

You take care of yourself, Beck...

Hollis. Okay?

Here.

If you change your mind before I leave.

[door closes]

[all speaking at once]

All right, all right!

One at a time, guys!

[Abby] I know what I did was cowardly.

And selfish.

Sometimes being selfish and cowardly could save your life.

Hollis' ex offered to take her away.

I think she should go. Don't you?

I don't think you solve a problem by running away, Miller.

I need to clear my name!

[Rena] You did the right thing, Hollis!

I agree.

I don't think the police have a case against you.

I mean come on, they can't prove who killed Rory, okay?

We were together the whole time, we all drank brandy.

Hell, I smoked a cigar so.

Look you guys. I have to tell you something.

-What? -Umm...

That night...

Rory and I had an argument.

He went outside to make a phone call and I was left alone,

with the cigars and brandy.

Hah! Opportunity.

[Abby] Wait a minute.

Maybe the window of opportunity was wider.

Because in the book, the poison was already in the wine

that was swapped out for the wine that was at Gerald's house.

And that made it faster for the killer to act.

So the brandy and the cigars were poisoned beforehand

and then switched out for the brandy in the bottle

and the cigar in the ashtray.

[Gene] But how did they get in?

Remember in "Hidden Game"

when the victim's door to the courtyard was unlocked?

And Rory was outside on the phone.

I went out the side door. I don't think I locked it.

Yeah, but someone could have been waiting the whole time

and slipped in through the side door.

[Rena] They knew we were all there.

Yes!

And who better to frame than a group of ex-cons?

[Hollis] Whoa!

Someone killed Rory and made it look like one of us did it.

[Faber] It's an interesting theory.

Very... interesting.

And you guys tested the entire bottle of brandy?

And all of the cigars?

No. I mean...

No. He didn't drink out of the bottle.

He drank out of the glass.

Which shattered on the floor.

There was poison on the cigar so...

Is there anything else?

No, that's all we...

Rory was blackmailing me.

So if Hollis is a suspect...

Then I should be one too.

He threatened to out a man I was dating on the down low,

if I didn't help him uncover secrets

of some very important people in town.

Rory helped me start my business but he knew stuff about me.

Stuff that would be damaging enough to make me a suspect.

[Gene] Well, I guess we should all be suspects...

Detective.

No, not me. I didn't deal with him.

Is that it?

Yes.

Well. Thanks for calling.

We'll be in touch.

Wait, Faber. Shouldn't we be taking them all to the station

for questioning?

No.

Hollis...

Hollis.

Yeah?

Sorry.

You gotta get Bill to talk, Hollis.

He might be our only hope.

Yeah. You're right. You're right.

I'll see if I can get him

to meet with me before he leaves town. Okay?

You're right. You're right.

Bill?

Bill.

It's okay.

What is this place?

Umm... Some dude Rory knew owned it.

They used to throw parties here.

Did you change your mind about coming with me?

You know, in all the years since I've been out of prison,

I've never asked you for anything.

Like nothing.

I served my time, I got out,

picked up the pieces of my life on my own.

I never asked you for a dime. Not even an apology.

I know, Becky, I know...

So the way I look at it...

You owe me.

And I'm going to give you a chance to pay up.

Go to the police and tell them what you know about Rory.

Do you what you're asking me to do?

Yup.

Same thing I did for you.

Everything I did I did for you, Becky.

I did it for you.

Are you serious? You did for me?

Yes!

Let me remind you what you did for me.

You tricked me into signing fraudulent documents.

You watched the police haul me away, in handcuffs.

You walked out on me!

You divorced me when I was convicted.

You never came to see me.

You never put money on my books, you never called me,

you never sent me one single letter.

And the day I got out of prison, you were nowhere to be found.

That's what you did to me.

You never gave a damn, did you?

I did give a damn!

I couldn't show up at the jail,

or send you a letter or put money on your books.

Why?

Because we would both end up there!

Becky, everyday you did inside I did with you.

And it killed me.

So the only way I can make up for

is I picked this life for us.

We have money.

We have places we can go now, baby.

You and me.

Please come with me.

Let me do that for you.

You want to do something for me?

I do.

Go to the police.

Or not.

Becky...

Becky!

♪ [sad music] ♪

♪ Time ♪

♪ Is all we have ♪

♪ The days have gone so fast ♪

♪ But that's in the past ♪

[loud gunshot]

♪ Cause all that remains ♪

♪ Is the moments we had ♪

♪ Though it's farewell don't be sad ♪

♪ Let's keep it on a high note ♪

♪ It's been a really good show ♪

♪ You know it's time... ♪

[sirens wailing]

[Hollis] I know how this looks.

Like a real big coincidence, right?

Your husband made a real mess of your life.

You finally had the chance to get even.

You kill his business partner

to make it look like a book club crime,

then you call the police after you kill him

so you can play victim.

Say something.

Do you own a gun, Ms. Morgan?

No.

Did you kill your ex-husband?

No!

Good. Go home.

Go.

Yeah, I'm gonna need your coat.

So I can test for gunshot residue.

Look, everyone we interviewed had an air tight alibi.

In books, in life, the person to watch

is the one watching you the closest.

[Avery] Hollis.

[Avery] Hot tea.

I'm impressed! How'd you know?

A good attorney pays attention.

[phone ringing]

[phone ringing]

[Rory] I need to get this.

Let's just say we have some mutual acquaintances.

Avery. Good morning.

Good morning.

♪ [ominous music] ♪

"He trudged through the woods

and sneaked in through the back door of the cabin.

He never even noticed there was mud on his shoes."

Okay... [dialing]

Abby, what color was the paint on Rory's courtyard door?

[text notification]

[text notification]

[flurry of text notifications]

[ABBY(V.O.)TEXT TO GROUP]:Avery Mitchell dabbles in real estate.

He owns the Dodson building and recently

bought the old lipstick factory. He uses it as a party venue.

What is this place?

Some dude Rory knew owned it.

They used to throw parties here.

RENA (V.O.) TEXT TO GROUP: Miller, where are you?

[MILLER (V.O.) TEXT TO GROUP]: Just got to Dodson.

Installing tracker on Avery's car.

[RENA (V.O.) TEXT TO GROUP]: Tracker! You're a genius.

Call me when it's done.

[ABBY (V.O.) TEXT TO GROUP]: Where's Gene?

[HOLLIS (V.O.) TEXT TO GROUP]: I'll call him. Gotta go.

[Rena] It's so strange to be here without him.

[Abby] I know.

Thanks for helping me out with this.

Well, I don't know how much help I'm going to be.

You're just looking at a door and paint. Right?

Okay, the truth is

I heard you tell the police that Rory helped you out.

That he had something on you?

What do you mean?

Okay. He didn't have anything on me.

I just made that part up.

It was good, right? [chuckles]

But he did help me out.

[Rena] What is this? What's going on?

Well, the other day you said something about

how you always dreamed of having your own clothing line.

And I thought, well, starting a business takes a lot of money.

So... Here's a lot of money.

Is this a joke?

The only thing I ask as your silent partner slash investor,

is that you make me a custom suit every now and then.

Maybe a few shirts.

I mean, what is this? Like a million bucks.

Give or take.

Rory, no. This is too much

It's going to take me years to pay you back.

It's not a loan, Rena.

Everything I've gotten, I've had to take.

No one gave me anything.

No one believed in me the way I believe in you.

So...

Take the money.

Start your business.

Have your dream.

Let's go find out who killed our friend.

[phone rings]

Hey, Rena.

Yeah, the tracking device is installed.

I gotta go.

[Hollis] Gene, Gene, listen to me.

I'm right about Avery.

And I'm pretty sure he's Achilles!

I just need one thing to connect him with Bill.

[Gene] One thing, like what?

Well, Bill said that Rory's friend owned a warehouse.

[Gene] Okay, and that's important because...

I think it's the same warehouse that Bill talked about.

The same warehouse where he was killed.

[Gene] Hmmm...

I should have Miller meet you there.

No no no no. Listen listen listen.

I'm literally going to sneak in,

take a photo of a wall and leave. Okay?

This is the final piece I want before I confront Avery.

All right. I'll call you when I'm done.

-[Gene] Be careful. -All right, bye.

Well hello, sunshine.

What? You're not happy to see me?

That's a first. [chuckles]

Oh tell me.

How did you like my little crime scene recreation in my office?

You planted that?

Well, I knew you would come after me, you know eventually.

I just had to make sure it was on my terms.

So I just gave you a little help.

You set me up.

Oh you know, Rory,

he went on and on about your stupid little book club.

Ah, your loser ex-husband, he was really weak.

I'm sure you knew that already.

But at least he tried to look out for you

in his own pathetic way. [puffs on the cigar]

What are you talking about?

Oh... [puffing on cigar]

He whined so much about how he set you up

that Rory felt bad and begged me to hire you.

Give you a legitimate shot.

Worked out for me

because they were both indebted to me more than ever.

You're Achilles.

Not the name I would have given myself but...

Yes.

That promissory thing was brilliant, don't you think?

I could walk you through all the details

because I know how much you love a good murder mystery.

You really do, don't you?

Let me narrate.

Rory threatened to expose your entire operation.

You slipped in through the courtyard doors

and exchanged the brandy and the cigars for poisonous ones,

just like in the book.

I guess my question is, did you plan on his ex-con friends

being there that evening or was that just, I don't know,

convenience?

You are clever, Hollis!

I always liked that about you.

No, you got scared.

You thought I might be able to convince Bill

to go to the police.

So you killed him too.

The End.

[Hollis] Not quite.

All this magnanimous pro bono work

for rich old ladies like Marla was just another way for you

to take advantage of people and steal their money.

The bottom line: you're a lying, cheating, murderous,

money grubbing son of a bitch!

[clapping]

Guilty as charged, counselor.

Oops! No no.

You're not a lawyer.

That is too bad. [liquid spilling onto floor]

Because I think we would have made a nice team.

Morgan and Mitchell, Attorneys at Law.

Kind of has a nice ring, don't you think?

You're insane.

Ah, well. [laughs]

Ahh... There we go.

[can bangs on floor]

You know, we really could've had something...

Hot.

[puffing deeply]

Good night, Hollis.

No!

[sobbing] No.

Help me! Someone please help me. Please!

Avery come back! Please!

Please! Please help me!

Please! Avery! Please come back...

[Miller] Hollis! Hollis!

[Miller] I got you! I got you! It's okay. I got you.

[sirens]

Come on. Come on! Let's go.

[sirens]

[Miller and Hollis panting]

-Are you okay? -Yeah.

You? Let's go over here. Come on.

[Lincoln] Keep them here.

[Paramedic] Set her down over here.

[Miller] Not now, Detective.

I just need to ask a few questions...

[Miller] Not now. Just not now.

Great job catching Avery so fast.

Yeah, well, we can't take the credit.

Seems that someone installed a tracker on his car.

Remotely disabled the engine before he could drive away.

You guys wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

[Lincoln] You don't have to worry about Avery Mitchell.

He's going away for a very long time.

Thank you, Detective. Thank you.

[Miller] Are you sure you're okay?

Yeah, I'm sure. I can do it. I can drive. Thank you.

[Judge Martin] According to your support letters, Ms. Morgan,

you're a saint.

[Judge Martin] We all know that's not the case.

You committed a serious offense

that violated the trust of a lot of people.

And now you want us to pretend that that didn't happen.

What's changed?

Thank you, Your Honor.

I've changed.

I don't take things for granted anymore.

Not my freedom, not opportunities,

not my relationships.

I have dreams, Your Honor.

I really need this certificate to prove to society

that I've learned my lesson.

There's not a day that goes by that

I don't think about those people that I've hurt.

And I'm motivated.

I'm so motivated to helping others.

I'm committed to doing that, Your Honor,

for the rest of my life.

[Judge Martin] I've received a lot of letters on your behalf,

but the one that stands out the most

is the one that I received from the Old City Police Department.

Apparently you were recently a suspect

in a murder investigation.

Along with that communication come a memo from

Detective Jonathan Faber who has some very strong opinions

about your request for a Petition of Rehabilitation.

And he highly recommends that your request be granted.

I am inclined to do so.

Petition for Expungement is hereby approved

and awarded to the petitioner.

Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you.

[happy chatter]

Congratulations Hollis!

Thank you so much, Mark. Thank you. Thank you.

Well, congratulations, Ms. Morgan.

Hollis.

Hollis.

You know, if this lawyer thing doesn't work out,

you should give me a call.

You'd make one helluva a detective.

Seriously, another card?

[Hollis] I wish Jeffrey could of made it today.

[all chattering]

[Miller] Guys...

Guys...

Guys!

Guys...

[flurry of text notifications]

[Hollis] Jeffrey Wallace has been murdered?

♪ [ominous music] ♪