Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023) Movie Script

Down and out...

Yeah, let's jam

It’s gonna be a really

good night.

We’ll close off the whole place

for the party.

Oh, Eugene.

You’ve gone all out.

Hey, nothing but the best

for the Rhodes family.

Oh.

I owe them.

Are you kidding me?

Come on.

If anything, I owe you.

You’re kidding me?

His father gave me my first job.

Really?

True story.

Now I was thinking

we could set up

the birthday cake

right over here.

- Great.

- Oh, perfect.

And, uh... your mother's

favorite is carrot cake, right?

Yours is.

And, uh...

it's a big birthday so,

you know,

we want a big cake

full of candles

'cause we all know

she's turning...

Whoa!

No.

Nu-huh.

What?

Oh, Norman.

You are such a dear man to want

to celebrate your mother.

It is a rare and

admirable trait.

Whoops.

But there comes a timeless

point in our lives

when numbers are unnecessary.

Right.

Carrie does not need

a forest of candles.

No, absolutely not.

You know what? I just...

Understated.

A little mystery.

Oh. Who doesn’t like

a little mystery, huh?

Oh yeah.

Do you just keep that

in your purse all the time?

So, I will pick up

your mother tomorrow

for our girls’ night out.

Perfect. Thank you so much,

Delores.

It's three days

before her birthday

so she should be surprised,

right? I think...

Absolutely.

Well, I’ll be here an hour

before to help set up.

And we’ll be ready.

Bye Norman.

Bye Mother.

Wow, you really wound

my mother up.

You did it on purpose,

didn’t you?

Ah... maybe a little.

But she’s right.

You’re doing a nice thing,

Norman.

Oh, we don't get the family

together nearly often enough

and I definitely don't see

Eugene enough, so...

Oh, wow.

Save the Steiner!

Wow, so this is the rally

for the Steiner.

Yeah, I guess so, huh.

Save the Steiner!

Oh, Michelle’s back.

Oh, yeah.

She just got back into town.

She’s looking for a place here

so she can stay here

in between jobs.

Huh.

Save the Steiner!

Pardon me, I’m coming

through here.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, thank you.

Save the Steiner!

I hear you.

Save the Steiner!

Okay. Alright everybody!

Guess what?

The Steiner lawyer

and the developer

are in court right now.

They never even gave a chance

for local developers

to put in a bid.

Yeah, they wanna tear it down.

We’re trying to save

this building.

Save the Steiner!

I can’t believe they’re gonna

destroy this building.

Well, not if the committee

has their way.

I hope so.

Fingers crossed, right?

I mean, it’s the last Leo

Steiner Building in town.

- Hey.

- Hey you.

I got here just in time

for the fun.

So, what’s the word?

Well, you’re hearing it.

Nobody trusts the developer

Wyatt Avery.

Also, apparently

he’s a lousy tipper.

Save the Steiner!

Everyone, please!

Hi, I’m Diana Graves,

and I represent the committee

to save the Steiner.

That’s your Diana?

Um... yeah.

Well, I don't know if we're

there yet but, um... yeah.

Yeah, that's her.

The court has just issued

an injunction

barring any further work

being done

until they’re able to hear

arguments about

landmark status

for this building.

That hearing will take place

in two weeks.

Nothing can be done here

until then.

Right, Detective Kingston?

Uh, yes.

Absolutely, everybody.

You heard it here, nothing

is getting torn down today.

That means you can all go home.

Thank you so much, everybody.

Great job.

Thank you. Now, please

do come out...

- I'm gonna try get more shots.

- Okay.

...so that you can support

the committee.

That was some rally.

It’s something.

Hey kids.

Hi.

Party planning?

Shh! It’s a secret party

we’re planning.

Oh.

Hey Mike.

Uh, excuse me guys.

- Yeah.

- Sure.

Bye.

- Hey, there she is.

- I got some pretty good shots.

That's Norman's Diana?

I mean, he says they’re not

there yet, but yeah.

So tonight?

I only have leftovers.

Only you can make

that sound good.

I’ll do my best.

Okay.

We need two dozen

red velvet cookies

for Rhonda Sharf’s Mahjong Club.

Already done.

Thank you.

And, um, I think that’s it

for the custom orders

so we should get the crew

on the regular stock

‘cause I’m working on the

project we don’t talk about.

Oh. Got it.

Hi.

I just turned around

and you were gone.

Yeah, yeah.

I had to get back to work.

Hi. Oh, no... sorry.

Oh. Uh... Diana,

this is Hannah Swensen.

Hannah, Diana Graves.

I know you by reputation,

of course.

Oh, it’s all good.

And also, I am addicted to your

deconstructed Rocky Road Bars.

True story.

Thank you. Have a seat,

I’ll get you some.

You were so impressive

out there

dealing with the crowd today.

Do you think you’re gonna be

able to save the building?

As long as we can get it

officially landmarked.

Which should’ve been done

a really long time ago.

But Leo Steiner was a

world-famous architect,

it should be easy

to get landmarked?

Normally it would be.

But...

Five Star Renovations

and Equipment

did the 1995 renovation

and it was really shoddy work.

Oh.

So there is a decent argument

that it damaged

the structure enough that the

building needs to be taken down.

You took the case.

Well, I’ve never met

a hopeless cause.

Mmm, well...

Norman!

I’ll fight for it.

Speaking of...

I have a brief to write.

Oh, my gosh.

And I have two cavities

in the next 20 minutes.

Right. Yeah. Bye.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Thank you for the brownies.

Yeah, yeah. Any time.

They're uh.. Rocky Road Bars.

Well, she is...

Genuinely nice.

I was gonna say smart.

And lovely.

Well, good for Norman.

Yes, it is.

Who’s gonna break it to Mom?

I think it should be me.

Just be nice, okay?

And gentle.

Oh wow, those are cool photos.

Thanks. I’m gonna print

some of the best ones

and make a carousel

for the Eden Lake Sentinel’s

Instagram page.

I think it should read,

“Rage in the heartland:

The struggle is real”.

Nice people save

famous old building.

Yeah, see this is why you bake.

There’s no drama.

What? Clearly you have never

botched a carrot cake before.

Neither have you.

Michelle is right.

I don’t botch a cake these day.

There’s a precision to baking.

Proportions have to be exact.

You measure.

When you find

the right combination,

the right proportion...

truth is, you tend

to stick with it.

And I love that certainty.

With baking.

But once in a while...

I really wanna stretch.

Be surprised.

Try my hand at something

completely new.

This is so good.

Um... can I take the rest of

these for work tomorrow?

Oh yeah.

Ooh, not that one.

- Mike...

- What happened there?

That one doesn’t have

seasoning, it’s Moishe’s.

Wait. What?

That’s Moishe’s plate.

Moishe has a plate?

He’s been having

a rough time lately.

Still jealous?

I gotta go.

But we just made dessert, Mike.

I know, it looks amazing.

But, um... later.

Mike.

Bye.

Aww. I can explain.

Mike is just learning, huh?

And I promise you he will

never replace you.

Here you go.

I’ll open some tuna.

I feel so good

Gotta knock on wood

Surprise!

Oh! Isn’t it?

Wait, wait, wait.

Where’s Mom, is she on the way?

To Bimini.

This explains it all.

Well... everyone, I have

an announcement to make.

It seems that our Carrie

decided at the last minute

to take a trip for her birthday.

Eight days, seven nights,

five islands.

But I am sure that I speak

for her when I say

she would be thrilled

to see you here

and that you all came

to celebrate her.

So... thank you very much.

Enjoy!

- Norman.

- Yes.

This is so Carrie, isn’t it?

I know, isn’t it?

Here's your...

Thank you.

So great and weird.

Well, that is the last time I

plan a surprise for anyone, ever.

I’m sorry.

Hey guys.

Eugene, Hannah, stop working

this second, please.

The party’s started.

Come on, I’m gonna do a toast.

Let me get a glass.

Hey, wine only for you, Eugene.

Don’t worry, I’m not getting

sick tonight.

What?

Oh, he spent New Year’s Eve

in the ER one time.

Yeah, I didn’t know there was

rye in the office party punch.

It turns out I’m allergic.

Ooh.

Oh, yeah.

Hey, do you remember Mom

let me bring

my, uh, lightsabers

into the hospital room?

You remember?

Yeah, you stood guard.

Aww. I bet.

No one can come in.

Hey.

I’m gonna do

a little toast here.

Oh, yeah.

Okay. Let me...

Excuse me everyone, can I

have your attention real quick.

Um... I just wanna give a quick

toast to my mother, Carrie

who is the best,

and let's face it,

the only reason you all came

this far to celebrate.

Uh... may she continue

to surprise us.

And, uh... may she stick

around for another...

Ooh!

Nope.

Uh... for many, many more

birthdays to come

is what I was gonna say.

To Carrie!

Hey.

Who is that?

- Um...

- Allow me.

It’s your party, Norman.

You don’t have to do this.

Ah, don’t be silly.

I don’t mind at all.

It’s nice to get some

fresh air anyway.

You are grace under pressure.

You really saved the night.

I think your mom’s acceptance

speech really set the tone.

Right. Well, you know,

she can be...

Whoa!

Hello?

Hello? Everybody okay?

Hello? Is there anyone here?

What was that? Was that

an explosion?

It sure sounded like one.

Do you have your flashlight?

Oh, look, there’s a light here.

Hello?

Did you see that?

It’s a light.

Hey, yeah, you're right.

There is someone down there.

Hey is everybody okay?!

Hello?

Hello? Is there anyone

down there?

Norman,

what’s that smell?

Ugh, it smells like gunpowder.

Ugh, look at all this smoke.

Yeah, this is definitely

the source of the explosion.

- Wow.

- Careful, careful.

What is that?

Uh... probably the bottom

of the elevator shaft, I think.

No. Norman... what is that?

Whoa.

Well tell Avery this is not

a request, this is a summons.

So... an accident?

Well, we’re not sure.

I mean, there was

explosives there,

there was other stuff

that we told Avery to move

and he didn’t.

I’ll make sure he’s

in first thing tomorrow.

Yeah.

Hannah, you wanna sit down?

No, no, I wanna listen.

We found bone fragments

and remnants of tarp around

what was a body.

Any idea who it was?

Clothes were

partially preserved.

Found this.

Jerry McDowell.

Hey, uh, Mike.

I also wanted to say that

we saw a light downstairs.

Some of the workers’ lights

didn’t blow.

No, no.

It was moving around.

There was definitely someone

down there.

Yeah. For sure.

Okay, thanks.

Well, let’s look into that.

Will do.

Thanks Lonny.

Um... I am probably gonna

be here for a while.

Why don't you and Norman

head out

and then you guys can

come by the station

and sign the statements

tomorrow, okay?

We gotta find out

who that guy is.

Well, I work with some people

that can help with that.

I promise to keep you posted.

Okay?

Okay. Okay.

- Let’s go, Hannah.

- Yeah.

Bye, thanks.

Do you remember the name

Jerry McDowell?

Jerry McDowell was a thief.

I remember now.

He was never violent,

just a low-rent felon.

He disappeared after

Landry’s Jewelers

was robbed out in Skelton.

That was July 1995.

Wow, my first year on the job.

Everyone assumed he ran off

and never came back.

Do you have any proof

that he did it?

Well, we have it now.

We found an antique brooch

in his pocket.

And here is the inventory

from the Landry job.

Let me see that.

Looks like the brooch was

the most expensive thing

taken that night.

Yeah. He kept it separate,

kept it for himself.

What about everything else

on that list

that was never recovered?

Well, this is quite a list

of missing items.

Everything from a simple

silver necklace to that brooch.

So, yeah.

Where is everything else?

They didn’t find any

other jewelry with the body.

Here. Can you make

three copies for me?

So, did he have an accomplice?

Jerry usually worked

with someone, yeah.

Any... any suspects?

Statute of limitations

has run on that burglary.

The case is closed.

There’s no time limit

on murder charges.

So far there’s nothing

to say it was.

Wait. Are you saying the guy

just fell asleep

in the bottom of

an elevator shaft?

No. But there’s no damage

to the skeleton

that the ME can say happened

before last night.

Now, I talked to the DA about

it first thing this morning.

Without forensics there’s

no way he can bring a case.

We can’t waste time or resources

on a dead end.

Find out what or who caused

that explosion last night.

That’s the case you need

to solve.

What do you mean there’s not

gonna be an investigation?

I think the man was murdered.

What does he think?

That he just slipped and fell

under an elevator

and nobody noticed?

Hannah, I don’t think that,

Ealing doesn’t think that.

He just said the DA

won’t move on it.

There’s nothing to prove

at this point.

What about his family?

I mean, they’re gonna

have questions.

Hannah. I’m the choir.

I also have direct orders.

Okay, I get it. That means

no murder investigation for you.

But...

you can have a cookie.

Yes.

Now this guy Jerry...

Oh. You’re on a first-name

basis with him now?

He was a human who happened

to be a thief.

That means that he had

a police file.

Hannah...

What? It’s a closed case,

isn’t it?

And I’m a citizen,

I have rights.

I could file an open

records request.

How do you even know about...

Do you have any idea

how long that can take?

- Here you go, hon.

- Thank you.

I do. And it would stink

to have to wait that long.

I take lunch at noon.

Come and get me, I’ll be busy.

You can wait in my office

right next to the stack of files

on the left side of my desk.

Got it. Okay.

I promise I won’t do

anything risky

and I won’t get in your way.

- Oh. It’s for you.

- Thank you.

Here you go.

Hannah? You gotta tell me why.

Because. I bumped into

a skeleton last night

and I have questions.

And Mike... that guy

deserves justice.

And you think so too

because your mouth is doing

that twitch thing.

What?

You wanna know

just as much as I do.

I do.

So if you wanna check it out,

I’m not gonna stop you.

You mean it?

You mean it? You’re not gonna

hold back information

and you’re not gonna scold me?

What?

Yes, I mean it.

But I... I'm curious but I have

to investigate

Wyatt Avery and the explosion,

you know that.

I’m gonna need access

to the crime scene.

And if you keep talking

like that

I’m shutting this whole

thing down.

Oh, you’d better

get used to it.

Because I am just

getting started.

I have to get back to work.

Over here is where the foreman

said he was sure

the blasting caps

were stored securely.

No way anything could happen.

Yeah, right.

But over here is where

the Fire Marshall

found trace evidence

of the caps.

Look at this.

Oh... blasting caps kept

in a cardboard box.

Definitely not secure.

And no evidence of

a locked cabinet

where the caps should’ve

been stored.

Now the question is

what set them off?

That.

An old heater.

Fire Marshall is gonna run

some tests but...

thing's older than dirt.

And if somebody left that

plugged in

anywhere near the blasting caps

then...

That’s the Marshall’s theory.

Well, I think it’s time

we escort Mr. Avery

in for a nice

friendly interview.

- Sure thing.

- Okay.

Hi Mike. Hi Lonny.

Hannah.

It’s been secured and cleared

by engineering, it’s safe.

Did you bring your own gloves?

Yeah, I got them

from my kitchen.

I use them when

I’m peeling chillis.

Okay.

Same concept, right?

So here it is, this is your,

uh... crime scene.

Did you just do air quotes?

Maybe in my mind, yeah.

You don’t take me seriously

at all, do you?

I got you in here, didn’t I?

Norman called me this morning.

Norman? Calls you

in the morning?

Diana has a whole file on Five

Star Renovations and Equipment.

Oh, the company that did

the ‘95 restoration.

And she said they’re a pretty

shifty bunch

and I think they put

this elevator in.

Okay. Just don’t pick up

anything too heavy,

just be careful.

Got it. I'll be careful.

Oh!

What?

Hello 1995.

Is that a pager?

Yeah. It’s definitely

worth checking.

Here. Put it right in there.

Nice.

Just be a little bit

more gentle.

Okay. Okay. Yeah, right.

Hey! Mike.

Look.

Let’s see.

Yeah. We might be able to pull

some DNA or some prints off of this.

Here, just open that bag

for me.

Could those be Jerry’s keys?

Could be.

I’ll see if any of the workmen

lost a set of keys too.

Oh.

Yeah. Good find.

Hey, what's this?

What is that?

I’m not sure.

Maybe a... piece of

fabric or...

or a necklace

from the robbery.

I know.

It’s a belt loop, right?

And then this would be

a wallet chain.

Oh yeah.

I had one of those when

I was 12, it was very hip.

No 12 year olds are hip, Mike.

What?

Nice.

Okay. Maybe there is something

in this.

Anything?

Well... Avery says he's got

no idea how it happened.

He was sure everything

was stored correctly.

If it was one of his employees,

he'd file charges himself.

What would he have to gain?

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Is the building unstable?

Apparently no, it’s okay.

Well, with this accident

there’ll be injunctions

and delays no matter what.

Agreed. And he doesn’t strike

me as being that short-sighted.

And just his luck,

this explosion throws up

a buried corpse.

Yeah. What are the odds?

Hey Michelle.

Any luck finding a house?

No, not yet.

Why, do you want me out?

No, I love having my sister

here with me.

Ooh. For the record, I am not

the one that tore up the pillow.

Mmhmm. Yeah, I figured.

It’s the chaos,

it’s upsetting Moishe.

You know, I’m out

all the time lately

and I’m engaged

to another man.

But we’re working on it.

Well whatever you’re doing

is clearly not working.

What’s all that?

These are the things we found

at the crime scene

and this is the police file

on Jerry.

This is the guy.

Yeah. Jerry McDowell.

Look at that mugshot.

Hmm. So, what now?

I have no idea.

But I’m gonna figure it out.

Mmhmm.

First, I have to figure out

who Jerry was, right?

Who he knew.

Who he was close to.

Who might’ve wanted to kill him.

What if he was married?

Ooh! I know that one.

Shameless hussy.

Is that a name?

It’s all Vera ever called her.

And who is Vera?

Jerry’s mom.

According to Mrs. Howser,

Vera always blamed “S-H”

for Jerry becoming

a degenerate gambler.

And she was fooling

around on him.

You got all this info

without cookies?

No, we were in The Cookie Jar.

Well, that’s great.

Okay. Oh, it says here

his wife’s name was Julie.

Do you know if

she’s still in town?

I do.

She left town just

after Jerry disappeared

and no one’s heard

from her since.

Wow. Look at this.

Look at this.

She had Jerry declared dead

seven years to the day

from when he disappeared.

You took Hannah Swensen

into that building.

Are you scolding me?

What’s she doing?

Wait, don’t tell me.

She’s what, investigating?

Stop her.

Hannah has got a mind

of her own.

I couldn’t stop her from asking

questions if I wanted to.

You like your job?

Keep her in line.

Who’s this guy?

Travis Gardner.

He and Jerry were arrested

together twice before,

both times for grand theft.

And then there was a robbery.

July 15th, 1995.

The police were convinced

it was Travis and Jerry

working together but they

couldn’t prove it.

Jerry had disappeared

and Travis had an alibi.

Hmm.

It's funny, his face seems

so familiar.

He...

Can I look at your photos

from the Steiner rally?

Sure.

Okay.

Nice.

That’s totally him.

I mean a little heavier,

but definitely the same guy.

I remember this guy.

He was yelling something

about no bid contracts.

So Jerry’s last

known accomplice

is still living in town

and hanging out at

the Steiner Building?

Can you believe

this crazy weather?

Oh, and Lisa... I added raisin

drops to the menu

for the assisted living

delivery tomorrow.

We still need two cakes

for that.

What are you thinking?

What about if we did

the Cocoa Fudge?

Crowd pleaser.

And maybe we do the Scandinavian

Almond Cakes.

It’s lighter.

Perfect.

Oh! Hi Diana.

Free cookies for life for this.

Well that’s not a very good

business plan.

Right.

Don’t worry about it.

In there are copies

of everything

I was able to pull

on Five Star.

I knew they were shoddy,

but burying a body?

I was finally able to get

a full list of employees

yesterday.

It’s in the back.

Wow. Okay, well you have no

idea how grateful I am for this.

Cookie?

Always.

Hi. Pat. Hello.

Hannah. Hi.

Oh. I’m sorry, I’m just

finishing my lunch.

I can help you in 20 minutes.

I’m so sorry to interrupt

your lunch

but I do just have

one quick question.

How could you find me?

Your assistant loves

my Raisin Drops

and she reminded me how much

you like the Viking Bars.

Oh.

How can I help you?

Okay. I found these keys

and I just wondered

if you might tell me what

that number on them is.

Is that, like, a serial number?

If these are master keys

that might be the serial number

but if these are just regular

house keys

that’s the bidding number.

What’s that?

The instructions for how to cut

a duplicate, that’s all.

Sorry, Hannah.

Oh, no. That's okay.

I mean, they're 25 years old.

I couldn't expect...

Uh, no. Those keys

aren’t 25 years old.

Why not?

Look here.

Um... you see that?

That's the, um, the WT...

that's the manufacturer.

It stands for World Truman

and they went into business in,

like, 2012.

2012?

That means these keys...

These keys are not Jerry’s

and they can’t be the killer’s.

Well where we found them

and how dirty they were,

it’s not likely

it’s the EMS team.

So, maybe the workmen?

Or who sabotaged the building,

if it was sabotaged.

Hey. Good work.

You’re welcome.

Hey, your, uh, witness statement

from the other night...

Oh, yeah.

...is all ready.

Are we having dinner tonight?

Well, it depends on how

the investigation goes.

I might be late.

Really?

Remember this moment the next

time I’m working late... please.

Are these Peanut Butter Cookies?

I know my customers.

Hello. Can I help you?

Yes, um...

is this a summons?

Something about collecting

my ex-husband's body?

Julie McDowell.

It's Julianne Carlson now.

And... and please,

tell the Sheriff that I want

nothing to do with this.

I’m Detective Kingston.

Wait right here.

Both the Sheriff and I would

like to speak to you, okay?

I’ll be right back.

Ms. Carlson,

I’m Hannah Swensen.

I’m so sorry for your loss.

Thank you, but it was

a long time ago.

Right. Yeah. Of course.

I... I, um...

I'm the one who found his body.

And listen, I’d really like

to help find out

what happened to Jerry.

Why does it matter now?

Honestly, I do not have time

for this and I don’t want it.

It’s not my problem.

I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean

to make things worse.

You didn’t.

Are you late for work?

No, I left a new girl

in charge at my spa.

Oh, wow.

You have a spa here?

No, in Howell.

I left here to get a fresh start

and I don’t want anything to do

with my past, okay?

Well, it’s great that you could

start your own place.

Do you know how rough it was

after Jerry left?

I worked full time

at Pierre’s Salon

and ran a cash register

at night at a mini mart.

I saved up.

I did too.

I have a bakery.

They say chocolate

is good for stress.

Mmm.

Those are very good, thank you.

Oh, yeah.

Not a problem.

Ugh. It was such a big deal

opening my own place.

I was shaking when

I signed the lease.

I had no idea what I was

getting into.

Me too.

I almost panicked.

It must be so tough

to start over.

But I wasn’t starting over.

You have to understand,

I had nothing before.

And I’ve built a life

for myself now.

But whatever happened,

Jerry was no victim.

Okay? I mean, he was a nice

enough guy most of the time.

But he couldn’t keep himself

out of trouble.

Did he deserve to be murdered?

Is that what they’re saying?

The cops think he was murdered?

No, not exactly.

Right. Okay, listen.

You seem like

a very nice woman

and I know that

you’re just trying to help.

But Jerry’s mom is gone,

there is no family left.

Nobody’s been looking for Jerry

for a very, very long time.

You don’t need to do this, okay?

Thanks.

What’s all this?

Well, I went to City Hall

and got the blueprints

for the Steiner Building,

‘cause I thought it would help

me figure out what happened.

And I have a whole file

on Five Star.

- That's a lot of paper.

- So much paper.

Now, um... most investigators

do work with someone.

Well, I would love that, but I

don’t wanna get you in trouble.

It’s okay.

- Wait, really?

- Yeah.

Okay.

- So... the heist happens.

- Mmhmm.

Then what?

Okay. Then they split up.

And they agreed to meet up

at the Steiner Building.

So Jerry was there waiting

to meet up with his accomplice.

Good. That’s one

very possible scenario.

What’s another one?

Another one?

He could’ve been killed

somewhere else.

And the killer brought his body

to the Steiner Building,

threw it down an elevator shaft

to hide it.

Yeah.

Michelle just got the address

for Travis, the accomplice.

Hey, meet me at

the Chameleon Bistro.

I’m having lunch with Mom

and we can plot a strategy.

Delores must be loving this.

Well, she doesn’t really know

about it yet.

So, what are the odds that

there’s an accidental explosion

in the exact spot that hits

a missing body?

It's like a bullseye too.

Which means...

Either Avery did it and had

incredibly bad luck...

Or whoever killed Jerry

staged the explosion.

But why would they do it?

It’d just expose the body.

Expose the body first.

Right, because of

the new construction

it was eventually going

to be revealed.

So maybe they wanted to get

to it first to... what?

To, um... get it out of

there maybe?

And if that's the case then

you interrupted them, so...

you gotta be careful.

- Okay.

- Okay. See you later.

Hey. Eugene.

Hannah, hey.

Was the Chameleon Bistro open

for business in July of 1995?

No, not yet.

Huh. But you were here

getting it all ready?

Well sure, I’m sure I was.

Yeah. And, um...

did you get a look at

that construction crew

that was working on the Steiner

Building next door?

Five Star Renovation

and Equipment.

No, I had nothing to do

with those guys.

Really?

‘Cause someone told me that

you worked as a security guard

at the Steiner for Five Star.

Hannah. Come on, like I had time

to look after that place.

Look, I had my own business

to get up and running.

Right. But, um... did you ever

see, uh, Jerry McDowell?

What? Who?

No. No, I didn’t know that guy.

What about Travis Gardner?

That wasn’t my crowd.

Which crowd?

Both. I heard about

both of them.

Didn’t they both go to jail

or something together?

Yeah.

Your mom’s here.

Hannah.

Look, I’m sorry, okay.

I gotta get back to work.

Right, of course.

Why are my daughters attracted

to detectives?

And not dentists.

Is it the danger, girls?

If so, you have to fight

that urge.

I told her about

our double date stakeout

with you and Mike

and me and Lonny.

Why would you do that?

Look at her, she believes you.

Mother, she is just making

that up.

She’s yanking your chain.

Oh, what am I supposed

to think?

And why are you in the middle

of another murder case

that you are trying

to hide from me?

You are avoiding commitment.

I don’t do that.

I mean, you’re not married yet,

which I do not understand.

Now?

It’s just another terrible

example you’ve set for me.

You can sleep on

the porch tonight.

She does make a very

good point.

Why do we never talk about

the wedding?

We talk about the wedding.

We’re talking about it now.

In fact, Michelle and I

are going to a spa

to see if it’s right

for the bridal party.

Party? As in multiple

bridesmaids?

Sure.

Can we talk coolers

and dresses?

Well, I... I hadn't really

thought about it.

Ooh, time and money saver.

You can just have

all the bridesmaids

wear the same ugly

bridesmaid dresses

that they made you wear

to their weddings.

Oh, that is diabolical.

Mmhmm.

So, nothing matches?

Well, I kinda like that.

Oh! Second hand bridesmaids?

Oh Hannah, your priorities.

I’m working on that too.

And now she’s crying.

This is all your fault.

Mother, stop it.

Carry on.

People can see you.

Let it out.

Hello Eden Lake it is time

for weather on the fives.

Enjoy the sunshine today,

because it’s be another wild

weather week.

Temperature drops

throughout the day,

snow and sleet tonight.

Then 20 degrees

warmer tomorrow.

So layer up.

Hello.

Working on some wiring, huh?

It’s a boat.

Always something to work on.

Right.

Can I help you, ma’am?

Are you Travis Gardner?

I am.

What can I do for you?

Well, I was hoping you could

help me solve a riddle.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now

that they found the body

of Jerry McDowell.

Actually, I’m the one

who found him.

I’m sure that must’ve come

as quite a shock to you.

I haven’t thought

about him in years.

They found some jewelry with

his body from the Landry theft.

So now they know for sure

that he was a part of that.

I told the cops back then

I had an alibi.

Right.

It’s in the case that you said

you were at the movies

and that you had a movie ticket

stub to prove it.

And I still have the movie

ticket stubs to prove it.

After all these years?

You’re still here asking.

You wanna come in the house

and see them?

No. No, I’m good.

I don’t know what happened

to Jerry.

That’s all I gotta say.

Hey.

I just got the ME report.

The pant fragments found with

Jerry’s body were blue jeans.

The belt loop we found

was definitely

from a different kind of pants.

They must belong to the killer.

Might. Might belong.

Who else?

We don’t know,

that’s all I’m saying.

You gotta build these cases

piece by piece.

Gardner’s Construction?

You know what Mike,

I’m gonna call you back.

Okay, bye.

Hi. I’m Hannah Swensen.

The cookie lady.

That’s right, that’s me.

You’re Joe Gardner?

Yeah. Dad doesn’t have

a sweet tooth

so I know you’re not here

delivering cookies.

Yes, um... I'm sure you heard

in the news.

I'm the one who found

Jerry McDowell's body.

And...?

Well, I wanna figure out

what happened to him.

Dad doesn’t have anything

to do with it.

He did his time back

in the day

and he’s lived a good

life since, okay?

Don’t bother him.

I don’t wanna bother anyone.

Your dad’s lucky to have a son

like you looking out for him.

No more than he did for me.

Dad pretty much raised me

by himself.

I was a handful.

Got into a lotta trouble

but he never bailed.

He was there.

Did everything he could

to keep me in line.

That’s who he is.

These are really good.

Thanks. Thanks.

Um... this is where you grew up?

Uh, no.

Dad bought in ‘96.

He worked hard for it.

I saw him working on his boat.

He loves doing it.

He, uh... he gave me that one

last year.

Rebuilt it himself.

Wow. You must love it.

Yeah, I spend all my free time

on it.

Your dad must be really

proud of you.

I hope so.

You have a lot of people

looking for you.

I got 10 projects going

right now, so...

I get it.

Look, this is a good man.

So, just please,

leave my Dad in peace.

Chances are if something

happened to Jerry in the Steiner

it was an accident.

You see the bottom floor

of that place?

It was a mess even

before the other night.

Five Star was a lousy

contractor.

Mike said it was...

oh, here we go.

Ah!

Oh, I'm sorry.

Sorry to startle you.

It’s okay, Eugene.

I’m sorry, I’m just

a little jumpy.

Do you wanna come inside?

Yeah, please.

This weather’s so crazy,

right?

Whoo. Thanks.

I just wanted to apologize

for being so short.

It was a hard time for me back

then getting the place ready,

I was under a lot of pressure.

Of course.

You know, opening up

the place and stuff.

Yeah.

Down there is where

I found his body.

Should’ve never happened.

What?

Look Hannah, I need

to tell you...

Hannah, watch out!

Eugene! Eugene! No!

Oh, no! Oh, Eugene!

Are you okay?

Oh!

Eugene, I’m getting help.

I’m gonna get help!

It’s gonna be okay!

You’re gonna be okay!

Norman, what did

the doctor say?

Well, they induced a coma

to help the swelling

in his brain subside.

We won’t know anything

for a while.

I’m his emergency contact.

They kept asking about next

of kin and bugging me for

insurance information

before they do any more tests.

Oh. Hey.

What if he has, like,

an insurance card...

No insurance card.

But, oh... would his social

security number help?

Yeah. I mean, it could.

Depending on who the carrier is.

Do you know how

to look up insurance?

Okay. He’s in the Weill Proctor

health care system.

They have a nationwide database,

so that’s good.

Um... Wait a second.

This can’t be right.

Eugene Crenshaw died 50 years

ago in Madison, Wisconsin,

when he was three years old.

No, there must be a mistake.

Maybe there was a typo

when you put in the...

Maybe. Let me just...

No, it's coming up the same.

That's, that's the...

Norman...

Okay, wait. I better,

um... uh...

I'm gonna go take care

of his hospital bill.

I should just go let

them know...

Norman, are you okay?

I don’t know.

I know I shouldn’t say this,

I mean, the man saved my life.

But... do we even know

who Eugene really is?

He... he's Eugene,

I don't know.

He's... he's been around

all my life.

He comes to Thanksgiving

every year.

He's the one who taught me

how to throw a curveball

for Little League.

He was family.

Yeah.

You know, Dad offered

to invest with him

when he wanted to open up

the restaurant.

But Dad never knew how

he was gonna afford it.

I mean, he was just a super

for some of Dad’s buildings.

Eugene wouldn’t take

Dad’s money.

Do you know if he got a loan

from a bank?

I don’t know. Why?

Well... I was talking to Eugene

earlier and he seemed off.

I found out that he had been

a security guard

at the Steiner Building in 1995

during the construction.

And when I asked him about it,

he lied to me.

So when I was asking

him about that,

and I asked him about Jerry, he

started acting really strange.

And then he followed me

to the Steiner Building.

It was like he was trying

to tell me something.

But then... this happened.

Okay. What are you thinking?

That Eugene isn’t Eugene.

And we don’t really know

who he is.

And maybe we should

tell someone.

I don’t know what happened.

Eugene just sort of yelled

my name

and then the next thing I knew

he was pushing me

out of the way.

Well, I hope he wakes up soon

so I can thank him...

for saving your life.

I hope he wakes up soon too.

I had deputies seal off

the Steiner again

until we know what caused

the collapse. So...

I won’t go back in there.

I promise.

Okay.

I just think it’s strange.

Jerry dies and all of a sudden

Julianne has enough money

to open up her own spa while

she’s working at a mini mart?

I think the word spa is doing

a lot of work there.

Like, maybe it’s a chintzy

nail parlor.

Oh, there it is.

Oh. Point taken.

Hmm.

Duck!

What?

It’s Travis

and Julianne.

She was at the Steiner protest.

Why are we whispering?

That’s very interesting.

We should get outta here.

What? You promised me

a manicure.

- I'll paint them myself.

- Hmph!

0-7-7-3-4.

Turn it upside down.

If it was a pager

it would say hello.

Jerry’s pager?

You got it to work.

I got it to turn on.

Wow, look at this.

So tell me, what do you got?

Okay, well...

she got a photo.

I haven't printed it out yet.

Julianne talking to Travis on

the street outside of her spa.

And when I talked

to Travis’s son,

he was so quick to tell me

how his dad had cleaned up his

life years ago.

Well maybe it depends

on what he means by

"cleaned up" and "years ago".

Right. But he did buy

a house in 1996.

A year after the robbery.

I mean, I’d like to know what

that down payment looked like.

You mean how much of it

was cash?

Yeah, exactly.

Although he would’ve been smart

to sit on his share

for a while, let things

cool down a little bit.

Mike, that is three people

around Jerry

who came into a lot of money after

his death that can’t be explained.

Travis bought a house,

Julianne started her spa,

and Eugene opened

a restaurant.

Does the physical evidence

put any of them at the scene?

Well...

Well, that’s what I mean,

then it’s the killer’s.

All we know is that

it's not Jerry's.

That's it. And wait... again.

Alright, well I put

a question mark.

Okay. Speaking of the keys,

did you talk to the EMS team

and the construction crew?

Nobody reported missing keys.

Of course, if I was a killer

I wouldn’t report

the keys missing either,

I would just replace them.

I did a background on

the construction crew

and nobody’s got any ties

to Jerry.

I’m still taking one last shot

at trying to get

some trace evidence off

those keys though.

So... just means that Eugene

is the only wild card.

The pager, that’s what

I wanted to tell you.

The pager stored the last

four numbers that called it.

Three of those numbers

were disconnected.

The last one was Eugene’s,

his landline.

He paged Jerry the night

of July 15th.

Eugene lied.

Yeah. About a lot.

Hey. So... what's the verdict?

Even if Eugene had

a second job,

there is no way he could afford

the restaurant.

This is...

Well if he’d been using

a false identity,

there’s no way he could get

a loan from the bank either.

You’re right.

So who is he?

Oh, ah... I gotta run.

I have to feed Eugene's cat

before my afternoon

appointments.

You have access to his house?

Yeah, it’s a garage

door opener.

Oh. No. Absolutely not.

Meh. Store bought.

Patches?

Pss-pss-pss-pss.

Norman, let’s look first

and then you can feed the cat.

Okay. Uh, well, I do have

to feed the cat.

I mean, it's...

Okay, yeah.

We’ll definitely do it.

Pss-pss-pss.

Patches.

Patchy, patchy boo boo.

Norman!

Norman, I found it!

This is it.

I found it under his desk.

Whoa. What?

Oh, my gosh.

This newspaper clipping,

no ID on the paper

but Hickman High School.

There can’t be

that many of those.

No.

Look at those skinny kids.

So young.

Do you think that’s Eugene?

I think it is.

Oh... a birthday card.

To my favorite uncle.

Love Natalie.

Does any of this make

sense to you?

No. No, it doesn't.

But, uh... it will.

What has she found, Kingston?

My fiancée is staying out

of any active investigation.

She’s running around like some

podcaster interviewing people?

Julianne talked to Hannah

and she wouldn’t talk to us.

I’m telling you right now,

she gets results.

If she gets results then

we should know about it.

Write it up for me.

Is there enough to charge?

No, not yet.

Then stick with the sabotage.

That’s a case we can make.

And if that gets you Jerry’s

killer, we’ll take him.

You really do love this

detective stuff, don’t you?

Well, you're the one putting it

all together.

It's just... it's hard to let

it rest, you know?

I do.

But you’re not gonna hang up

your oven mitts, are you?

No. I love The Cookie Jar.

But...

Hey, when did that burn out?

- Can you...?

- Yeah.

Oh.

Well, here...

You’re gonna get up on it?

Yeah.

Hannah! Whoa, whoa, wait!

What?

Step down. Step down.

Okay, you alright?

Yeah.

- Um...

- What? Mike?

Just look the other way.

I got a unit on the way.

They’re gonna dust

for fingerprints

and see if any of

your neighbors

have security footage.

What? Hannah, what is it?

When I went to see Travis,

he was working on the wiring

of his boat.

You and Michelle

cannot stay here.

Okay? Don't even try...

No, no.

I’m not gonna argue.

We’ll go to a hotel.

No.

I was thinking about some place

with a serious alarm system,

maybe even a moat.

I do know just the place.

Alright. Now tell me about

this art project of yours.

It’s evidence, Mother.

Of bad taste.

That is cheap polyester.

I should’ve known

to ask her sooner.

With all things fashion.

That was a woman on a budget.

Why do you say woman?

Well, look at the sheen.

Almost a... a teal black.

It's definitely from a woman's

pair of pants.

Oh, in the ‘90s men wore

those hammer pants.

Bright red, peacock, teal,

plum, paisley.

We all did, honey.

Okay, so they could've been

men's pants

but if they were women's...

Julianne?

I mean, maybe she and Travis

were working together?

You know, Jerry’s mom always

thought Julianne

was having an affair

back in the day.

Ooh. And who is Julianne?

So many questions.

We need intel but

she’d see me coming.

We need someone

she’d never suspect.

Mother.

Hmm?

Can I treat you to a manicure?

Ooh! Ooh.

You need me to go undercover?

Looks like my bodyguard

can’t handle baker’s hours, huh?

You want some coffee?

Yes, please.

Mike, you don’t have

to do this.

The bakery has that fancy alarm

system, remember?

Hmm.

Mike, you know what’s

bugging me?

That sounds like

a trick question.

I mean about the case.

Hmm, shocker.

Seriously. They seem like

three decent people

who have lived good lives

for the last 25 years at least.

Am I bringing up memories

when they don’t deserve it?

Not if one of them’s a killer.

It feels like I’m spinning

in circles

around all three of them.

What if it’s someone

else entirely?

What if I’m missing something?

Then you just step back and

look at it from another angle.

Another angle.

A new angle.

Hey, uh, Lisa.

Could I get the keys to

the Cookie Jar van back?

Of course.

You know what?

Uh, I’m gonna do

the morning deliveries

and then I’m gonna go to WKXN.

So I’m gonna be gone

for most of the morning.

What’s at WKXN?

A different angle.

Whoa, your purse

must weigh a ton.

How many sets do you have?

Well, the house, Herb's

business, Cookie Jar, my truck,

Herb's van... summer cabin.

Oh! Cookie Jar van.

Oh, thank you.

But Eugene was there.

I don’t see him anywhere.

He got there late so he’s not

in the footage but he was there.

And that’s Travis’s son,

Joe, right there.

Girls. Couldn’t you wait

until I’ve had my coffee?

Sorry Mother, but I bribed

a PA at WKXN

and I got the raw footage

from the Steiner protest.

Ooh, good girl. Scoot.

I realize I need to start

with the explosion

and the protest

and work backwards.

All three of our suspects

were at the rally. Why?

Civic duty. Or panic.

Panic.

Exactly.

The killer knew that the Steiner

Building was coming down.

They would realize that Jerry’s

body was gonna be exposed,

and along with it

probably evidence

that would incriminate them.

Unless they could pulverize

him first.

Oh, you are my most

gruesome child.

But she’s probably right.

Save the Steiner!

Oh my... Julianne

and Travis together?

That’s Julianne?

Mmhmm.

Where are they coming from?

Well, from the back

of the building.

I mean, there’s an alley

entrance around that corner.

You think they were in

the building together?

Why would they be?

If they wanted to make sure

no one had found

the body they buried.

That’d be a good reason.

And then they blend

into the crowd.

Mmhmm. Except not really.

I just don’t buy

that Julianne set off

that explosion by herself.

But maybe she had a boyfriend

who could.

Huh. Bad fashion

and bad romance.

I can spot both

from a mile away.

I will get your answers today

at the spa, Hannah.

And... I will pick out

the palette

for your bridesmaids'

manicures too.

She’s actually enjoying this.

Should we be worried?

Mmhmm.

Ha!

- Hello.

I am desperate for a manicure

but I don’t have much time.

Oh no. You know what?

My girls are all booked

for the next three hours.

But I heard you’re the best.

Are you sure you can’t

squeeze me in?

Uh...

Alright then.

Is there another business

that you could recommend?

Alright, come on.

Over here.

- Thank you.

- Have a seat.

Thank you.

My nails are a mess.

I will take care of you,

don’t you worry.

I’ve been cleaning out a closet

that I swear is the isle

of bad fashion choices.

Ah.

It’s like, what are

those cards?

Awkward family photos.

So embarrassing.

Oh please, there are no words.

Definitely a possibility.

At least.

Julianne goes around saying

she doesn’t want anything

to do with her past

and then I see her talking

to Travis outside of her spa.

And she basically came out of

nowhere at that rally with him.

And he knows his way

around construction.

Okay.

Hannah, maybe we go to Ealing

with this.

No. He already said there’s not

enough evidence.

We are only taking it to him

when I have the entire case

sewn up.

Okay.

I had hammer pants.

Bright red.

- Ouch.

- Mmhmm.

Okay, I would not have guessed

that was your style

but I am sure that you were

still the hottest thing

in the club.

Well I’m sure that you were

much more tasteful.

Well, I did stick to black,

but they were shiny

parachute pants.

So many zippers.

Oh! Uh... sorry.

It’s fine.

I’m supposed to be at work.

Is everything okay?

Yes.

Actually, that wasn’t work.

I’ve gotten myself

into a tricky situation.

Romantically.

Oh, I’m sorry.

You know, we have all been

there, Delores

and this table is the vault.

Nothing you say will leave here.

My husband’s business partner.

You know, you would be shocked

how many times I’ve heard that.

Well she didn’t admit to

anything but I could tell.

Miss Julianne definitely knows

her way around an affair.

So did you get any proof?

She owned

parachute pants.

Ooh. I could break her

on the stand.

That is not how

any of this works.

So... what's my

next assignment?

Nothing. Just come home.

Don’t hang around there.

I’ve gotta go get my nails

fixed, Hannah.

This color is horrid.

The sacrifices I am making

for this investigation.

My mother is out of control.

Michelle was just at the bistro

and, uh, she said

the rumor is that they’re gonna

bring Eugene

out of the coma soon.

Wow. Well, one way or another,

that man is going to wake up

to a very different world.

How do you mean?

Check this out.

Chandler Meacham lived

in Bellin, Wisconsin.

I got an address on the house,

did a search on it.

It’s still owned by his

daughter, Natalie Meacham.

The birthday card.

Yeah. Eugene’s her uncle.

You should call her.

Now the phone company

came through.

I pulled LUDs on the last

phone numbers

to call Jerry McDowell’s pager.

One was Vera McDowell.

One was Travis Gardner.

The other was the Pierre Salon,

I think that’s the wife.

She and Travis were

in touch a lot.

Behind Jerry’s back.

Could be.

Anything to narrow this down?

Well, Vera was the only one

to call after midnight

on July 15th.

So, she didn’t know about

Jerry’s death,

but what about the other two?

They could have.

Is there enough

circumstantial evidence

to make up for the forensics?

No, not yet.

Alright. Stay on it.

And Mike, keep Hannah

on a short leash.

So, your Uncle Eugene

is, uh...

Ellis. Uh, not Eugene.

He’s my Uncle Ellis.

He ran off when I was a kid,

the year after my mother died.

Why did he do that?

He was drunk

and had an accident,

a hit and run.

He abandoned his car,

left town

and nobody heard from him again.

You must’ve been so young

when that happened.

How did you know all that?

There was an article about it

in my father’s papers

after he passed.

It was an open and shut case.

The whiskey was all over

the floor of Ellis’s car.

It broke my father’s heart

when Ellis disappeared.

Natalie, that accident could

not have been Eugene’s fault.

He’s horribly allergic to rye,

he couldn’t handle a drop

of whiskey.

Never mind a whole bottle.

Something else happened

that night.

But only Ellis can fill in

the blanks for us.

But... he's in a coma.

It’s been medically

induced and, um,

if you’d be willing to stick

around for a little while,

the doctors are going to

bring him out of it soon.

Having an uncle could

come in handy.

And the Eugene I know,

he’d make a pretty great one.

Do you think she’d give Eugene

a chance?

I don’t know.

I hope so.

Where’s Norman?

I gotta buy that guy a beer

after all that.

Oh, he stayed at the hospital.

He just wants to be there

when Eugene wakes up

so he can talk to him.

- Hey.

- Hmm?

Listen. I think...

I think it's time to step back

from this.

What?

I haven’t nailed it down yet.

We’re close though,

we’re really close.

But it can’t go on like this.

Why not? I mean, it hasn’t

been that long

and it’s a cold case, right?

Mike, I really think

I can solve this.

We got the same three suspects

and nothing puts one ahead

of the other.

I know.

But maybe I should just go over

it all again, you know?

Wait. You’re leaving?

Why didn’t I think

of this before?

Maybe because

it’s a terrible idea.

What are you talking about?

Cinderella.

I know exactly how to figure out

who the killer is

and I just need your help.

Okay. So, we’re not gonna

go in, I promise.

We’re just gonna see

if the keys fit.

And basically we’re

just trying to find

their rightful owner, right?

So that’s your story.

They look like house keys.

Don’t they?

Or office keys.

And one is definitely

a top lock.

That’s the point.

Bottom line is whoever these

keys belonged to

is most likely the person who

sabotaged the Steiner Building

and they’re probably

also Jerry’s killer.

Well we can’t say either

of those things for sure.

That’s why we’re doing this.

We have three suspects

and we know where they live

and we know where they work.

Ah. And we can check Eugene’s

house off our list.

Anyway, what’s the harm?

That someone wants to harm you.

Mike... I know you would never

let anything happen to me.

You’re in the hospital.

Hello, Ellis.

Yeah, I know your name

and I’ve heard some stories.

I don’t know if I should

believe them.

I can’t imagine how hard

it must’ve been for you.

Having to hide

who you really are.

Always being afraid

of being found out.

There were years where

you had more time for me

than my own father.

So, I know, that we weren’t

wrong about you.

About who you really are.

Okay, we...

we really need to discuss your

embrace of the criminal life

because I'm a cop and I can't

go rattling around

people's doors

without probable cause.

No, no, you’re right.

You’re right.

It’s dangerous, you should

wait in the car.

- Wait, what?

- Never mind.

These keys don’t work.

Let’s go.

Come on, man.

You owe it to yourself

and to everyone

who has ever called you a friend

to speak up now.

Right now.

What’s going on?

My brother called me

late one night... drunk.

His wife had just passed.

He went out.

Wrapped my car around a tree.

And he hit someone.

He was crazy then.

He had Natalie to raise.

And he couldn’t go to prison

and he couldn’t run.

But I could.

So I did.

He had my car so cops

would just assume.

But I made him promise

that he’d never drink again.

And that he would take care

of that precious little girl.

I left that night.

I ran northwest.

Bought myself a social

security number.

And Eugene Crenshaw was born.

Natalie?

It broke my father’s heart

when you disappeared.

He missed you.

He wouldn’t say a word

against you.

But I never understood how

you could just leave like that.

Natalie...

I understand everything

now, Uncle Ellis.

And you’re not disappearing

on me again.

Why didn’t you just tell us

that you knew Jerry McDowell?

Is he the one who lent you money

for the restaurant?

No, but he knew a loan shark.

And he offered to get me a

birthday present for Natalie.

Jerry was supposed to meet me

on the 16th

but I never heard from him.

Travis dropped it off instead.

I'm sorry.

Natalie, I'm so sorry.

Me too.

Hannah, this is crazy.

I think I found it.

Julianne’s home address.

Oh, that’s Norman.

He says Eugene’s awake.

It’s Travis.

No. No.

We have to.

It’s just the last stop, Mike.

Hannah.

I’m sure one of these keys

is gonna fit that top lock.

- I think we're gonna...

- Now just stop right there.

Hey.

Where did you get those keys?

They were found in

the Steiner Building.

Near where Jerry’s body

was found.

No. No, that’s not possible.

Will one of these keys

fit that lock?

Yeah. But it's not, uh...

Look, I did my best.

I was trying to make it

better for us.

That’s it, drop the gun.

Drop the gun.

Down. Right now.

Step back.

You don’t need those.

It was me.

What were you gonna say?

Travis Gardner,

you are under arrest

for the murder

of Jerry McDowell.

You have the right

to remain silent.

What were you gonna say?

...can and will be used

against you in a court of law...

I, uh... I did it.

I killed Jerry.

Take him away.

He seemed so surprised

by the keys.

Yeah, he was surprised

we had them.

No, no, he was gonna say

something else.

He was gonna say something

different.

Mike. A word?

So, we've got the pager,

the wallet chain and fabric

for evidence now.

We'll need any pictures

that the sister took. So...

It’s a good thing you kept me

in the loop on this, Mike.

Are those the keys?

Tell me you haven’t let them

out of your sight.

I have not.

You, uh, need my notes too?

No. I’ve already got Mike’s

status reports.

But thank you Miss Swensen.

You did a good thing.

Did I?

You let me think we were

gonna go to the Sheriff together

when we had enough evidence.

- Now, hold on a minute.

You were giving him

status reports?

He found the evidence bag,

he wanted updates.

He’s my boss.

And you two were just...

laughing about me playing

detective this whole time?

No. He just couldn’t have you

running around,

doing all this unsupervised.

Unsupervised?

Okay, that was not

the right word.

Has he been following us

all afternoon?

Absolutely not.

I sent him a message right

after the text from Norman.

Sure.

Hannah. We needed help.

He had a gun, any cop would’ve

called for backup.

Of course they would’ve.

You think that’s why I'm upset?

Please, just try to see it

from my perspective, okay?

Hey.

Don’t. Mike.

Just get a ride from

the deputy, okay?

Hannah.

Lonny told me about

the fireworks last night.

It was a great show.

Just all show.

Wanna tell me what happened

with Mike?

Nope.

I heard Travis confessed

on the spot.

Yeah.

You don’t buy it.

I just don’t get it.

I mean, I thought the whole

point of these rubber things

on the keys is that you can tell

them apart, right?

You’d have one color

for the top lock,

a different color

for the bottom lock.

Why are they all

the same color?

Okay. Well, maybe he had a set

for his barn

and a different set

for his house.

Maybe he had a bunch

of different keys.

I’m gonna make us some tea.

Who has a bunch of different

sets of keys?

Ten different jobs at once.

Hello? Hello?

Is there anyone here?

Running is not the answer, Joe.

What are you doing here?

You told me about your boat,

remember?

Going on a trip?

I don’t have time for this.

How’d you get involved

with the Landry robbery?

What are you talking about?

You wanted to follow

in your dad’s footsteps?

I don’t have to explain

anything to you.

How’d you end up at

the Steiner Building?

Give me the keys.

I’ll give you the keys if

you give me some answers.

We’ve built good lives.

And you ruined everything.

Is that why you tried

to kill me?

Why you tried to electrocute me

at my own house.

I wasn’t trying to kill you.

But I had to stop you

from finding out.

That you killed Jerry.

We got into a fight,

that’s all.

I earned my share of that loot

and Jerry wouldn’t

give it to me.

But I didn’t mean to kill him,

okay?

I was just an idiot kid.

You threw him down

an elevator shaft.

You just left him there.

You should’ve stayed

out of this.

You shouldn’t have come here.

If you leave now,

your dad goes to jail

for the rest of his life.

You don’t know it,

do you?

He confessed.

Your dad is gonna spend

the rest of his life in prison

for what you did if you run now.

I didn’t even keep the money.

I left Jerry’s share

on Julie’s porch.

So your dad didn’t know?

He wasn’t a part

of what happened?

No. Absolutely not.

I never even said it out loud

until now.

Look, that night scared

me straight.

My dad never pulled another

job either.

Alright, time to go.

You could’ve called.

I did. I called 911.

Hannah... look, you

were right.

I was. I am.

So this is it?

You know I was right too.

Hey.

I was just at the hospital

checking on Eugene.

He’s doing much better.

He and Natalie have been

catching up.

Oh, that's... that's so nice.

So, still working there, huh?

Yeah, Joe Gardner

pleaded out to manslaughter.

He told the whole story.

According to Joe,

Travis never even wanted him

to be part of the Landry heist.

Something must’ve gone wrong.

Yeah. Joe got dragged in,

thought he deserved part of

the loot, fought with Jerry.

Says the killing was just an

accident, he panicked and...

hid the body at the bottom

of the elevator shaft.

Yeah, he pretty much told me

the same story on the dock.

I can’t imagine what he was

going through.

He’s lived a good life

for 25 years.

He panicked. I mean, he was

gonna lose everything.

You read the whole thing right.

Everything.

Except me.

I sort of feel I nailed

that part too.

Not if you think I don’t

respect you or what you can do.

You were stringing me

along, Mike.

You lied to me.

Stringing you along?

Hannah, I was encouraging you.

I was trying to help you.

At the same time I was trying

to save my job.

It was a tough spot.

You didn’t think I could

understand that?

You didn’t trust me

to tell me.

It wasn’t that.

I didn’t wanna disappoint you.

I’m not your child

or your parent.

Can you be my partner?

I asked you to marry me.

That’s not an answer.

Yeah, it is.

Hannah, I understand

that you’re mad.

I’m not mad. Mike.

I'm not mad. I'm...

You’re disappointed.

We’re both wrong.

We’re both right.

And maybe that’s why

we never got around

to actually planning

our wedding.

No, that’s ‘cause you hate

any event

you don’t get to cater yourself.

Fair point.

You know you can’t stay mad

at me for long.

To bake bread correctly you

have to respect each ingredient.

Don’t underestimate the ratio

of yeast to sugar.

Baking bread has always been

my go-to comfort in the kitchen.

When I’m unsure, the simplicity

helps me figure life out.

Bread is only five ingredients.

It’s simple but it’s not easy.

The trick is

kneading the dough.

You stretch it, you work it,

then you stop.

You have to let it rise

on its own.

If you respect the process,

you could end up

with perfection.

To the best detective in town.

Oh wait, do not encourage her.

Me? You were so into it.

I was good, wasn’t I?

You were very into it, Mother.

You get it from me.

Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023) - full transcript

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