Riddle Me Dead (2021) - full transcript

Math riddles

from the New York Sentinel
Crossword Puzzle Editor,

Tess Harper.

Let's go one more time, please.

If last take was an eight,
maybe bring it down to a five?

Oh, right, okay.
Five...

Got it. Sorry.

I'm just...

a little nervous.

Math riddles

from the New York Sentinel
Crossword Puzzle Editor,



Tess Harper.

Perfect. Cut!

Tail slate.

Was that okay?

That was great, Tess.

We're going to light a new angle

for when you read
the individual riddles,

so you can take 30.

Great. Thank you.

How'd I do?

Well, you've heard the term
"Fix it in post," right?

Oh...

Tess, you're a natural.

Oh, please.
I'm just trying to get



the words out
in the right order.

Yeah, well, luckily,
that's your forte.

The audience
is going to love this.

The Sentinel's Crossword editor

and "Riddle Me This".

It's the perfect marriage.

Well, you had a lot of people
you could've asked to do this.

Why'd you ask me?

You were everybody's
first choice, Tess,

mine included.

What happened between us...

that's ancient history.

Well, thank you.
I appreciate that.

And this has been great.

It's been nice to reconnect.

Yeah, I feel the same way.

I mean, since you have
a few minutes,

do you want to go pillage
the craft-service table?

How much longer do you think
we'll be filming tonight?

I could probably
have you out of here

by 10:00 p.m. or so?

Why? You got a hot date?

Dinner with...

a friend.

Yeah, you know what,
let's grab something.

It would be nice
to settle my nerves.

I hear that.

My aunt is such a huge fan
of the show.

She never misses an episode.

How's Candace doing?

I mean, that Thanksgiving

we spent with her
and your Uncle Brian

is still
one of my top five, ever.

Yeah. He passed away
about six years ago.

A car accident.

Tess, I'm so sorry.

He was a great guy.

He was.

Why don't you have
Candace come with you

to the taping tomorrow?

I'll make sure
she's on the list.

Really?

Oh, my goodness.

She would absolutely love that.

I mean, love it.

And if there was any way

you could manage
an introduction to Aiden Brooks,

you might just be
her new favorite person.

I don't see
why that can't be arranged.

I'm going to need
those casting tapes ASAP.

A contestant we had
just dropped out.

Alright, thanks.

Yikes.

You feeling good
about the video segment?

Yeah, it's going great.

Alright, well,
if you need anything,

I am around, okay?

Thanks.

Everyone here is so nice.

Yeah.

Oh, my gosh! Ian!

Ian? Ian?

I need help!

I'm okay, I'm okay.

Easy does it.

I just need some air.

Chair behind you.
Sit down.

Come on.

- Yeah, okay.
- Sit down.

Jeez.

Oh, man.

Oh, man.

Here, have some water.

Thank you, guys.

I was just doing my rounds,

and, uh...

I saw a light
under Aiden's door,

and I knew he wasn't
supposed to be in,

so I wanted to go take a look.

When I came in,

I saw this place was a mess,

and then wham.

Did you get a look
at the person?

It was a guy.

He had brown hair.

About my height.

There could have been
two of them, for all I know.

Why would someone

break into the host's
dressing room?

Who knows.

Maybe it was a Riddler,

looking for a souvenir.

Wait, what's a "Riddler"?

What "Riddle Me This" superfans

call themselves.

Trust me,

they can get a little...

intense.

Obsessive is more like it.

Hey, I heard about Ian.
Is he okay?

Yeah, it's just
a pounding headache.

He's giving a statement
to the police.

Tess, this is Dana's husband,
Graham.

The show's editor.

Oh, hi. Tess Harper.

Nice to meet you. Um...

I'm sorry. I've got to go.

Of course.

Oh, you know what,

excuse me just a second.

- Sorry.
- Oh, okay.

Logan, hey.

Hey, Hollywood.

Yeah, so, listen,
we're all set for 7:30 tonight.

Union Square Cafe.

I'm so sorry.
I was just about to call you.

I didn't realize,

but we're going to be filming
until about 10:00.

Raincheck?

Yeah, no, of course.

Everything...
everything going well so far?

Yeah. Everything's
been fine until...

someone broke into
the host's dressing room

and knocked out

the head of security.

Wow. Is he alright?

Yeah, I think so.

Listen, if there's anything
I can do to help, you know?

Look, I'll let you
get back to it.

Break a leg, but, you know,

please be careful.

Alright, I will.

Talk to you soon.

So, all set to see the stage?

Yeah, sure.

Right this way.

You heard that, didn't you?

- Mm-hmm.
- Great.

I'm detecting

a little melancholy in the air.

She had to reschedule dinner.

Was it a date?

No, it's a meal,
between friends, not a date.

Get over it.

Definitely sounds like a date.

No, it is not a date, okay?

I'm not going to take advice

from someone
who met their husband

back in second grade.

- Hey!
- What?

When you know, you know.

How can you know anything...
grade two...

Here, here, here, taste this.

Whoa.

Mm! That's incredible, Pop.

No, no, no. There's a container
with your name on it

in the fridge.

Candace and I just finished
our last Naples class.

Next stop... Tuscany!

Mm!

- Oh, by the way...
- Yeah?

Now that Winston has left us
for the FBI,

I'm making
your partnership official.

Well then, partner.

I want to focus on puzzles
with unifying themes

over the next couple of weeks.

Oh, we could start

with season-based puzzles
for the spring.

Oh, that's good.

Graduations coming up.

We could do one that focuses on

college and university
terminology.

Oh...

Is that Tess Harper,

star of "Riddle Me This"?

Well, you're half-right.

We're going to have to have
a viewing party

when the episode airs.

Yeah, you get to go
to the taping, right?

Yeah, later today.

As soon as I get
tomorrow's puzzle out.

You know,

something kinda crazy happened
yesterday when I was there.

Someone broke into
Aiden's dressing room

and attacked a security guard.

What?

That's terrible.

Yeah, the police think
it might be an obsessed fan.

Riddlers do love them
some Aiden Brooks.

Wait, how do you know
about Riddlers?

I'm a Riddler, okay?

I love the show.
My whole family loves it.

I've been freaking out

knowing that you're going to be
on the show all week!

Sonia, why didn't you
say something?

I was embarrassed.

I could see if Hunter
could get you into the taping?

Oh, yeah, no.

I don't think
that I could handle

being in the same room
as Aiden Brooks.

The man's a fox.

Hi. Thank you.

Special delivery, Tess.

They're gorgeous.

"A measure of time
not found on a clock,

but in your heart."

Sounds romantic.

What do you think it means?

I don't know.

I didn't think
Logan had it in him.

They're not from Logan.

They're from Hunter.

So, have I thanked you yet
for inviting me?

Only a couple dozen times.

Oh, look, look.

"Riddle Me This!"

This show just meant so much
to your Uncle Brian and me.

I always thought
it was so sweet,

the way you guys
would keep your scores

as you played along at home.

Oh, yeah.

I miss him, too.

Yeah.

Seriously,
this is no nice of Hunter.

I would have thought maybe
he would have held a grudge,

after the way things ended
between you two.

You know what,

he couldn't have been
more supportive or nicer.

Really?

Yeah, when we were together,

he was so focused
on himself and his career.

Maybe success has taught him

that there's more to life
than getting ahead.

Oh, we're next.

Got your I.D.?

- Hello.
- Hi.

It is Tess Harper
and Candace Wentworth.

She's going to be
on the show tonight.

It's her debut.

Well, enjoy the show, ladies.

- We will!
- Thank you.

Let's go.

Where do we go?

Please take a seat.

Tess!

I made this
especially for Aiden.

The New York winters
can be so frigid,

I'd hate for him to catch cold
and miss a show.

Oh, that's so sweet of you.

I'll make sure he gets it.

The fans love him.

Welcome to the show, ladies.

How are you doing?

Thank you!

Please have a seat.

Thank you.

So...

is there a special place
we're supposed to sit?

I...

I've got you out
front and center.

You didn't have to do that.

What're you talking about?

You're the guests of honor.

Candace.

I'm so glad you could make it.

Thank you.

Tess told me that you are
the head riddle writer

on the show. Wow!

You been bragging about me?

Maybe a little.

Well, let me tell you,

tonight is gonna be
a great show.

Matthew Nasr's on fire.

He's only a few wins away
from the show record.

I know, he's so smart.

And fearless.

Honey, he goes all-in
on the Double-Up Dilemma

every single time.

That's why he's the champ.

Right over here.

Thanks.

And...

thank you for the flowers.

Did you figure out the riddle?

Not yet.

I look forward to hearing
what you think when you do.

Oh, stick around
after the show, okay?

I've got a little surprise
for you.

Ahem.
What's this about flowers?

Oh, it's nothing.

It was just a thank you
for being on the show.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

let's give a warm welcome
to America's favorite host...

Aiden Brooks!

Thank you.
Thank you!

Welcome to America's
number-one-rated game show...

Riddle Me This!

Now, who's here

to see Matthew Nasr
break the record?

We are!

And once again,
our returning champion,

a high-school English teacher
from Norman, Oklahoma,

Matthew Nasr.

After 36 wins in a row, Matthew,

I'm running out of stories
to ask you about.

Well, Aiden,

I guess I should've led
a more interesting life.

Well, if you break the record
of 41 wins in a row,

you'll never want
for stories again.

Now, is everyone ready to play...

Riddle. Me.

This!

Are you excited?

Okay, let's get started.

Our first categories are...

Time Flies.

Which Came First?

No Direction Home.

A Matter of Life & Death.

Sports Dynasties.

And finally...

Math riddles

from the New York Sentinel
Crossword Puzzle Editor,

Tess Harper.

Look at you!

You look so good, honey!

Okay, Matthew, start us off.

Alright.

We'll take math riddles for 400.

How do you make
the number 7 even

without addition, subtraction,
multiplication, or division?

Matthew?

You drop the "S".

That's correct.

Your next selection?

Which Came First? 300.

Matthew again.

Math Riddles for 500.

That's correct.

What goes up
but never comes down?

A person's age?

That's correct.

A man leaves home,

turns left three times,

only to come home,

finding two men in masks.

Who are they?

A catcher and an umpire?

That's right!

Yes.

Math Riddles, 1000.

Oh, wow.

How much would you like
to wager, Matthew?

Oh, Aiden...

all of it.

See?

In 1990,
a person is 15 years old.

In 1995, that same person
is 10 years old.

How can this be?

The person was born
in 2005 B.C.?

That's right!

That was a trick question
and he got it.

Well, I guess the only question
left to answer, Matthew,

is how much
you'll have made today.

And you wagered
all of it, again,

making today's total $44,600.

Which brings
your 37-day earnings

to $2,252,600.

Tune in tomorrow

for Matthew's march
towards history.

Until then,

I'm Aiden Brooks.

Thanks for watching
and good night!

Oh, you were so good!
I'm so proud!

The camera loves you.

Right?

I mean, how did it feel

seeing yourself broadcast
to an entire studio audience?

I was very self-conscious.

It gets easier.

Another fantastic show, Hunter.

Hey, thank you, Mr. Freemen.

Marlon Freemen,

the man who writes the checks
for all of this.

You were wonderful, Ms. Harper.

Let me know if you'd like
to come back, alright?

I will, thank you so much.

Let me see.

Oh, honey!

Tess,

he wouldn't have said that
if he didn't mean it.

You might have gotten yourself
another career.

Nice.

Okay, you all ready
for your surprise?

No...

we actually get to meet him?

Oh, yeah.

Okay, it's official.

You are my new
favorite person, Hunter.

- No offense, Tess.
- I told you.

There's only one thing I ask for

at the end of the taping,

and that is tea with lemon.

Do you see any lemon in my tea?

No?

Neither do I!

You're fired!

Oh...

Last week he said he didn't
want any lemon in his tea.

Just don't worry about it, okay?

I'm gonna talk to him myself.

It's not your fault.

Maybe this isn't a good time.

- We don't want to impose.
- Mm-mm.

He's expecting us.

It's gonna be fine.

Aiden!

What a great episode, Tess.

I keep telling Hunter here

we need to shake things up
like that more often.

That's very nice of you to say.

You must be Candace.

Hunter tells me you're a big fan
of the show.

Well, I never miss it,
if I can help it.

On behalf of everyone here
at "Riddle Me This,"

let me say thank you.

We wouldn't be where we are
without our fans.

Well, my husband and I...

I've got some technical issues
to go over for the next episode,

but it was a delight
meeting both of you.

Please, come in.
Get in here.

- Okay.
- Thank you.

I've got an idea
for some future categories.

Would you walk with me?

- Of course.
- Yeah.

Ladies, make yourselves at home.

Okay.

Just a few minutes.

Wow. He was so...

Phony.

I was going to say
full of himself,

but that works, too.

Hey.

I wanted to drop these off
for someone.

Did anyone put you on the list?

No, actually, it's a surprise.

For Tess Harper.

If anyone's got eyes on Dana,

I wanted to get
a visitor approval.

I haven't seen her all day.

I'll check the stage.

Security's tighter
than usual today.

All visitors need to be approved
by our producer.

I understand.
It's fine.

Aiden's face down!
He's not moving!

We're going to need some help!

Where's your stage?

You're clear.
To the right.

Here?

Hey. You're the one
who called it in?

Yeah.

Alright, step back.
Call 911 right now.

Everybody,
if you could stay back.

Detective O'Connor. NYPD.

This stage is now
an active crime scene,

so, please, just stay back.

He's dead.

Preliminary cause of death

was asphyxiation
by strangulation.

Someone wrapped that red scarf
around Aiden's neck

and didn't let go
until he was dead.

Well, strangulation takes time.

The leverage
and strength necessary

to apply that kind of pressure
for that long...

Probably means
our killer was male.

This is a big place.

Someone had to have seen
something.

Well, one of
the security guards told me

the stage area is a ghost town
after tapings.

And the killer probably
already knew that,

which is why
they chose to do it here.

Okay, nobody leaves
until they give a statement.

Run background checks,
the works.

I'll get the unis

to start collecting
contact information.

Good.

Let's do it.

Let's go to work.

So you said the security
was stricter than usual?

Because of the break-in
yesterday.

Do you think it could be
the same person?

It's quite possible.

Listen, when you found the body,
did you notice anything unusual?

Did you see anyone?

No.

I was doing my normal sweep
after the taping.

Okay.

And I saw Aiden's body
on the floor.

I was here in my dressing room
when I heard the commotion.

Anybody account
for your whereabouts

at the time of the murder?

No.

I was alone,
prepping for the next show.

Okay, aside from
the visitors' list,

how else would you
get access to the studio?

I.D. badges are issued
to everyone on the crew.

They can be used
at any entrance,

but every time they scan in,
it gets logged into our system.

What about the audience
that was here today?

Everyone's prescreened.

Their I.D.s are matched
against our list

before they enter the building.

I'm gonna need that list,

and any names that had access
to the studio, all right?

- Sure thing.
- Alright, thanks.

What was your relationship
with Mr. Brooks like?

Well, contestants

and anyone else
involved with the questions

are kept away from each other.

It's Broadcast Standards
and Practices rules.

The only conversations
I had with Aiden

were in front
of a live studio audience.

They on tape?

Oh, they're on tape.
You can watch them

I look pretty good in them, too.

I would imagine.

So Ian gave you a scarf,

that you gave to Aiden, right?

Any idea what Aiden did with it?

He threw it in the trashcan

over by
where his body was found.

Okay.

Aiden wasn't
the sentimental type.

Where were you
around the time of the murder?

I was looking at casting tapes
in my office,

and the I went
to see my husband in editorial,

when I heard what happened
over the walkie.

Okay.

Thank you for your time.

Aiden had some thoughts
about riddle categories

he wanted to go over.

Thanks.

So I walked him
towards the stage.

You do realize you're the last
person to see him alive?

Except the killer, you mean.

Did anyone else see
you and Aiden part ways?

Not that I'm aware of.

Why do you think
Aiden went to the stage?

He didn't say.

I imagine he just wanted
some peace and quiet.

Hmm.

Did you guys have
a good relationship?

I'd like to think so.

I mean, he gave me my break.

I owe the man my career.

Right.

Detective,

you're not...

you're not suggesting that
I'm a suspect in all of this?

Everybody's a suspect, pal.

But...

I've known Hunter a long time.

He's not a killer.

Well, he was the last person
to see Aiden alive.

As far as you know.

Tess, you guys haven't
seen each other in a few years.

Yeah, but he's not
a violent person.

Trust me.

And how do you know for sure?

We...

we used to date.

I know him.

He would never do
something like this.

If you say so.

See you later.

He fired me over nothing.

That had to make you upset.

Look, I have to ask,

can you account
for your whereabouts

around the time of the murder?

I was in the alley,
getting some air.

That's where I saw this guy
exit the studio

and head down the alley
towards 49th Street.

Did you get a good look at him?

No, he was like 50 yards away.

I just saw
that he was blond and tall.

I, uh, got to pack my things.
Is that all?

Yeah.

Stay in touch.

Yeah.

What do we have?

A tall, blond male
was seen exiting the studio,

running towards 49th Street
around the time of the murder.

The guy that broke into
Aiden's dressing room...

medium height, brown hair.

I called the officers
who are looking into the case,

and they said they wiped
all the prints clean

off the award that was used
to attack the security guard.

We get anything
off the security cameras?

No, the system's down
for an upgrade.

Just our luck.

Is there any possibility

that somebody in the audience
might have done this?

No. Security says that they do
a full-sweep of the auditorium

after every taping.

It's highly unlikely.

Okay, let's get some unis
over to 49th Street,

see if those cameras or ATMs

might have captured this guy
exiting the alley.

- Okay.
- Okay.

Hey.

I just can't believe he's dead.

I'm so sorry.

It's... it's been
such a long day.

You should go home
and get some rest.

Yeah.

Hey.

Hey.

What's going on?

Oh, you know,
our best lead right now

is a "tall, blond male."

There's not much to go on?

Yeah, I mean...
it's better than nothing.

You got here so fast.

Well, I was just...

I just happened
to be in the area

when the call came in,
that's all.

- Oh.
- Yeah.

I should get back.

Yeah... I should go.

Yeah, alright.

"The Riddler Forum"?

The "Riddle Me This" fan forum.

Thought I'd see how people
are reacting online.

What are they saying?

How devastated they are, mostly.

I mean,
Aiden made the show special.

Everybody loved him.

Hmm.

What?

Okay, there is this one poster.

They keep...

writing digs about Aiden.

Like what?

How pompous they think he is.

How he probably couldn't answer
a single riddle.

You know, junk like that.

You know what,

it's easy to be mean

when you're hiding behind
a screen name.

Do they post anything

that looked like
it could be a threat?

Not that I can remember,

but I'll go back and take a look
at old posts.

Do you think that someone

could actually take
their hatred for Aiden offline

and into real life?

I mean, anything's
possible, right?

Yeah.

If you find any information,

I'm sure it will be helpful
for the detectives.

You know what,

I got to be friends with
one of the forum moderators.

I'll see if he can get me
any details.

- Thanks, Sonia.
- Yeah.

- Something wrong?
- Yeah.

You lied to us.

No...

Video footage

didn't show anybody
exiting the alley onto 49th.

They must have gone
the other way.

Towards 50th.

I... I must have
gotten confused.

You know
there's a big difference

between confusion
and total fiction.

One's a misdemeanor.

You signed
a false witness statement.

I'm sorry.

With Aiden firing me,

and then him getting killed,

well...

I was worried you might think
I had something to do with it.

If we find out you're not
being straight with us...

I am.

I swear.

Well, then I suggest
you keep yourself available

in case we need
to speak with you again, okay?

Of course.

Thank you.

That's a pretty big reaction
for an honest mistake, huh?

Pull her phone records,
take a closer look at her.

So we couldn't confirm
the PA's story.

There's no cameras
facing the alleyway on 50th.

But you think
there's more to it than that?

I definitely think
she's hiding something, Pops.

We're looking into her.

Anybody on the crew
raise any red flags?

So far, nothing jumps out.

Did you get that I.D. scan list
from security?

Yeah. Just came in.

- Here.
- Thanks.

- Well, that's interesting.
- What?

There's an I.D.
that was scanned

at the south entrance
30 minutes before Aiden's death,

but there's no name associated
to the badge number.

Could it be a system error?

Maybe.

Or our killer got access
to the building.

Let's head over to the studio,

and see if anyone
knows anything about it.

- Talk to you later.
- Yep.

Yeah, this right here.

If we can just cinch it up.

Okay.

Do we color correct
this segment?

Tess, hey.

I was just gonna leave these,

but security said
I could come back,

so I didn't want
to interrupt, though.

Am I interrupting?

No. No.

Not at all.
You want to take five?

Yeah, I could stretch my legs
for a bit.

Look at these.
Oh, these are so cool.

Baseball fan?

- Yeah. Cincinnati Reds.
- Oh.

I thought we had it bad.

30 years since our last
World Series appearance.

Go, Reds.

- Coffee?
- Yeah, please.

What brings you by?

I didn't know if you still got
a chocolate craving

when you were stressed,

so I...

I thought if you did,
maybe these would help.

You baked for me?

Oh, no.

Who has time to bake?

I stopped at Maman
in Little Italy.

The best.

Still can't believe
you remembered.

Well, some details just...

stay with you.

Right.

So how are you doing?

How are you feeling
about everything?

Still in shock, mostly.

Yeah.

Do you know what's going
to happen with the show?

We're in the dark

while studio and network
sorts out our fate.

They've asked us
to finish editing

the episodes
that we've already shot.

Then we wait and see.

So there's a chance
the show might not come back?

We've weathered
hard times before,

but now that Aiden's not...

not at the helm, who knows.

Yeah.
What other hard times?

Just a few months ago,

we had a former contestant

accuse the show
of helping Nasr win.

That's a pretty serious
accusation.

Broadcast Standards
and Practices

looked right into it.

Guess what.
They didn't find any evidence...

because, of course,
there wasn't any.

Just another sore loser.

Kind of happens...

- Sorry.
- Detectives.

Hey.

Hi.

- Would you like a cookie?
- Hi.

Don't worry, they're not mine.

- Tess brought 'em.
- Sure.

I'm good, actually.

I'm allergic to chocolate.

Really?
I didn't know that about you.

Yeah, well, you know,

when you really think
you know someone,

they can still surprise you.

Tell me about it.

I didn't know Tess here
kept a journal

until well into our engagement.

Is Dana's office around here?

Yeah, it's just down the hall.

Okay.

Yeah.

Thanks.

Logan, I...

Sorry.
I'll see you later.

Sure.

Got a second?

Come in.

I just had a quick question

about an I.D.
that was used yesterday.

Sure.

An I.D. was used to get access
to that entrance there,

but what's odd is that there's

no name associated
with the I.D. log-in number.

Hmm.

Maybe Ian will know.

Security office downstairs.

Aiden told me to do it.

Do what?

Make an I.D. for him.

Well, not for him,

but for someone else he wanted
to have access to the building.

Who?

He didn't say.

When was this?

Just about a week ago.

Why am I just
hearing about this?

Aiden told me
to keep quiet about it, Dana.

He said if I mentioned it
to anyone, he'd have me fired.

So, whoever Aiden gave access
to the building,

they had free reign

to come in and out of the studio
whenever they wanted?

Yeah, that's the long
and the short of it.

And we have no footage
of them using the card

because the cameras are down.

Look, if it had been
anyone else...

anyone else...

I would have said no way.

I'm sorry, Dana.

Mm-hmm.

Do you have any idea

who Aiden might've
done this for?

No.

But his behavior lately
has been erratic,

to say the least.

How do you mean?

Showing up late
for walkthroughs.

More irritable than usual.

Blowing off meetings.

He came in with a bruise
around his eye

the week before last.

Did he say what happened?

He said he banged it
on the coffee table,

reaching to pick something up.

- You believe him?
- No.

But what was I going to do?

I had the make-up department
work their magic

and the show went on.

Well, was something
going on in his personal life?

He wouldn't share it with me
even if there was.

The only person
that Aiden spent any time with

outside of the show was Hunter.

How close were they?

They would have dinner together.

I think they went on
a trip to Vegas last year.

Hunter realized that
if he was chummy with Aiden,

good things would happen.

You know what they say,

some people
know how to play the game.

Thank you.

Thanks.

O'Connor.

Really?

Okay. Alright, thanks.

Wow, I guess all those trips
and expensive dinners

were adding up for Aiden.

That was Chauncey.
He pulled his financials.

Guy was broke.

Flat broke.

Bellissima! Fantastico!

Grazie per tutto, Chef Lorenzo.

Ciao!

Ciao, ciao!

Since you signed us up
last time,

I'm gonna take care of
the Tuscany classes next, okay?

You know, actually, I was...

gonna tell you

that I need to take a break
for a few weeks, actually.

What's the problem?

I thought you were
enjoying yourself.

I am, really.

It's just that...

my schedule's gonna change.

Some of my clients had to
adjust their appointments

and I'm gonna have to work
some nights.

It's alright, I get it.

Being a therapist isn't really
a normal 9:00-5:00 job.

I mean, you have
scheduling changes, as you said,

and your clients
really do depend on you.

Yeah, they do.

Thank you for understanding.

Do you need a lift?

No, I'm good.

Bye.

Bye then.

Every post by TheKid324.

That is pretty prolific.

Was your moderator friend
able to get us

any information on the identity?

Because of the forum's
privacy rules,

they were only able
to give me an IP address.

Hey, do you think

we can we identify a person
with that?

I feel like Frank might know.

What's up?

We were just wondering,

can you find out
a person's identity

from an IP address.

Not unless you got a warrant.

Hmm. Well, what about
their location?

Yeah, that's very possible.

You got the number?

Yeah. Right there.

Okay.

Well, I can't give you
an exact address,

but looks like the post

came from a computer
in Williamsburg.

Williamsburg.

That's where the "Riddle Me This" studio

is located...

According to
his credit card statements,

Aiden spent a lot of time
in Atlantic City, Vegas.

Yeah, I guess
Hunter accompanied him

on one of his trips.

Probably ask him
if Aiden had a gambling problem.

Hey, Tess.

Hey.

Hey.

Um, coffee?

Yeah.

What brings you by?

You know, I was looking at

some "Riddle Me This" fan forums, and...

there's one poster

who just said some pretty harsh
things about Aiden.

Okay, so somebody in Ohio

was saying some things
about some TV show host, so?

That's the thing...
they're not actually in Ohio.

They're in Williamsburg.

Which is where
the studio is, okay.

And the user
used the name TheKid324.

And I had Sonia do some research

for a baseball puzzle,

and it turns out that Gary Lopez

was the pitcher
for the Brooklyn Bears

in the '90s.

His nickname was "The Kid".

And his lifetime
home-run total was 324.

Tess, I think you're spending

too much time
out in left-field here.

I know, sorry.

It's Graham Miller.

He's a huge, huge
fan of the Bears.

I mean, his desk was covered
with memorabilia and souvenirs.

I think maybe he posted this.

Well, thank you
for putting all this together.

I appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Uh...

Logan, I...

I should've told you.
About me and Hunter.

Yeah...

you kind of threw me
a curveball.

I'm sorry.
I mean, I was going to,

I was,

and then I just...

with everything going on,
I kind of...

lost my chance.

Look...

you guys' history
together aside...

I still think Hunter knows
a lot more than he's letting on.

What are you implying?

I'm not implying anything, Tess.

I'm stating.

I think Hunter
is hiding something.

You know,
there was a short period there

where I thought
maybe you weren't

the most cynical person
I've ever met.

Anything interesting?

Well, Hunter had mentioned

that a former contestant

accused the show

of giving Nasr an advantage
over other contestants.

Tom Sprows.

Lost to Nasr early in his run.

By only a few dollars.

Probably the only time
anyone really challenged Nasr.

So maybe Sprows just got tired

of trying
to bring it to light legally,

and he took it out on Aiden?

We need to get
his reaction to Aiden's death.

You know...

for the article we're writing.

Huh?

What article?

Oh, that.

Do I think he had
a gambling problem?

Yeah.

You guys went to Vegas
together, right?

Yeah, and he gambled
while he was there,

but, you know,

he was in a much different
tax bracket than I am.

I just figured that's how
somebody with money to burn

blows off steam, you know?

Right, right.

Did he ever say anything to you
about using a bookie?

Not that I recall...

although he did have

a regular poker game
he played in.

He say who with?

No. Sounded high-end.

Five-figure buy-in.

Okay. Thanks.

Is Graham around?

Yeah, he's upstairs
in the editing bay.

Okay. Appreciate it.

How do you make
the number 7 even

without addition, subtraction,
multiplication, or division?

Detective, sorry.

I didn't hear you come in.

TheKid324.

The what?

Your user name
on The Riddler Forum.

The one you used to trash Aiden.

"If I ever saw Aiden
crossing the street,

I'd step on the gas."

I don't know about you, Graham,
but that's a threat to me.

How'd you find out?

That's not really important.

What's important here

is why would you be posting
threatening messages

about a man
who was recently murdered?

Those posts,
it was just me venting.

Fans of the show are convinced

that Aiden was the charming,
witty person

they saw on TV every night.

But in reality,

he was just
this cruel, petty jerk.

And you wanted

to drop him down a peg or two
in their eyes, huh?

If working here was so bad,
why not just quit?

Dana.

If I left,
I would never see her.

She gives everything
to this place.

16-hour days.
Six days a week.

She's the real reason
the show is as good as it is.

You said that
you were in here editing

around the time
of the murder, right?

That's right, yeah.

And your computer
can log all of your work?

Yeah, every step.

Alright.

Good, then I'm gonna need
a copy of your hard-drive,

because if you were,
indeed, in here working,

the log will confirm it.

Okay.

Amrita, what's up?

Really?

So that's why
she lied to us, then.

Okay, I'm on my way.

An officer will swing by
to collect it.

Okay?

You're from the Sentinel,
you said?

Yeah, I tried to get someone
to listen to my story there,

but no one gave me
the time of day.

Well, we're here now.

So you believe Nasr's getting
an unfair advantage?

No way I would've lost
to that guy

if it was a fair game.

Broadcast Standards
and Practices said otherwise.

They didn't want
a scandal on their hands.

They didn't want to find
anything, so they didn't.

What should they've been
looking for?

Why he gets
10 Double-Up Dilemmas

for every
other contestant's one.

You're saying that Nasr knows
where they are beforehand?

How?

That's the part
I can't quite figure out.

It's not like they're doing it
out in the open.

There's gotta be
some sort of secret code

or a buzzer, I thought,
but maybe that's too obvious.

Thomas Sprows?

NYPD.

I need you to come with me.

All units, I've got a suspect
fleeing on foot,

headed south on 3rd Ave.

Suspect turned east...

I didn't do anything.
Get off me.

I didn't do anything.

Yeah, well,
why does she keep lying to us?

Wait, who?

Sally Jenkins.

Remember
the production assistant

from "Riddle Me This"?

That's his girlfriend.

Let's go.

Talk to you later.

Yeah.

Wait, girlfriend?

You think I killed Aiden?

Come on,

you told everybody
and their mother

you got a raw deal.

- That the show was fixed...
- Because it's true.

Cost you a chance
to make quite a bundle, huh?

I mean, how much
has Nasr made so far?

I mean, he's gotta be
north of two million, right?

Doing the morning talk shows,
all the late-night appearances.

Guy's a household name now.

He's a fraud.

That's what
I was looking to prove.

That's why I tossed
Aiden's dressing room.

'Cause you were looking
for vindication, right?

Until, unfortunately,

the head of security
came and found you.

I didn't wanna get caught...

so when I saw the award
on the shelf,

I hit him with it.

Good.

Now we're getting somewhere.

- You admit to that...
- Yeah.

Now admit to murdering Aiden.

No.

Absolutely not.

He didn't do it.

Well, you must've thought

he did something
worth lying to us over.

He'd been so upset
about the show.

It was all he talked about.

And so you offered to help him?

Knowing the security cameras
were down,

I snuck him into the studio
using my I.D.

He went through
Aiden's dressing room,

looking for any evidence
that they'd been cheating...

But he came up empty.

I lied because I didn't know

if after
he didn't find anything,

he didn't go back.

That's why you made up
that story

about that blond guy.

But he didn't.

He was working that day
at his parents' dry cleaners.

Every customer that came in
can swear to it.

Is that what he told you?

Check for yourself, you'll see.

Okay.

If I tell you something

that might help
the investigation,

could that help Tom?

Get him a lighter charge?

That depends on how helpful
what you've got to say is.

Alright, let's hear it.

Sally said she heard
Aiden on the phone with someone.

He told them,
"When I leave the table,

he'll be the one owing me $75,000."

Wait, Aiden was
into somebody for 75K?

That's not chump change.

Do you think she was telling
the truth this time?

I do.

She knows telling the truth

is the only thing
that'll help her boyfriend.

Sally mention who Aiden owed
the money to?

No. Just that it sounded like

they played
in the same poker game together.

Well, Hunter did mention

there was a high-end poker game
that Aiden frequented.

Could be whoever it was

got tired of waiting for
the debt to be repaid,

took matters
into their own hands.

First thing,
let's check out Tom's alibi

for the day of the taping, okay?

Yeah.

Customers confirmed

Thomas Sprows was, indeed,
at his family's dry cleaners

at the time of the murder.

Okay, and what about...
what about Sally?

The medical examiner said that
with the angle of the bruising,

the killer had to be
taller than Aiden,

and the strength that was
necessary to strangle Aiden,

most likely male...
but not for certain.

But they both had motive.

Well, if Aiden and Nasr
were cheating.

That's...
that's impossible, isn't it?

- What?
- Yeah.

No. There's a history of gameshow scandals.

Michael Larson

was memorizing patterns
on "Press Your Luck."

Ted Slauson was memorizing,

you know, the prices of common items

to help his bids on "The Price is Right".

And there's that

"Twenty-One" quiz game show
from the '50s, right?

That had the scandal.

- Yeah.
- I saw the movie.

Okay, so let's just say they are cheating.

Okay?

If Aiden or Nasr

was threatening to go public about it,

then...

But that would destroy
their reputation, Tess,

and Aiden would not get
his new contract.

Yeah. And Nasr
would have to give back

over two million dollars
in winnings.

Mutually assured
reputation killer.

So maybe someone else
found out about it.

Maybe they were
being blackmailed

to keep the secret?

Okay.

Maybe it was the guy
that Aiden owed 75K to.

Yeah, but if Standards
and Practices

was keeping, you know,

Nasr and Aiden
from seeing each other,

even talking to each other
outside of being on camera,

then...

how was he feeding him
information?

That's the $64,000 Question.

Hmm.

- What?
- What?

Nothing. No, it's nothing.
It's just...

Okay. Hunter writes
the riddles, right?

Wouldn't it be safe to assume

that he would know where
the Double-Up Dilemmas are?

Logan, he wouldn't.

Him and Aiden were close.

What if Aiden told him
about the scam?

So, what,
Hunter blackmails Aiden,

then he finds out he's broke,

and he kills him instead?

It's just a theory.

Yeah, and it's
a wrong theory, Logan.

You have mustard on your shirt.

Every episode
Nasr's competed in.

I really appreciate it.

Is this for a puzzle
that you're working on or...

I...

I talked to Tom Sprows.

You're looking into
the cheating thing?

That accusation
is total nonsense.

If anything like that
was going on,

I would've known about it.

You're probably right.

But I did a little research

and he was right

about Nasr finding
Double-Up Dilemmas

at a higher rate
than any other contestant.

He also answered
more questions correctly.

Sure. Giving him
a higher chance

of uncovering the DDs,
I understand.

All of which doesn't matter,

because Aiden didn't know
where the DDs were

until they were revealed
on the board.

What can I say,

I love a pointless exercise.

Should I give this back to you?

Not that I think
that you would pirate it, but...

I'll get it back to you,
I promise.

Okay.

I'm sorry, I...

I should know
how to leave here by now,

but I swear I get confused
every time.

Alright, just hang a right
at the end of the hall,

shortcut through set,

and keep on going
until you hit the security desk.

Okay. Thank you so much.

Hello?

Who's there?

I see your choice of wardrobe
hasn't changed

since the academy there,
Detective Bell.

Right.

I'm lookout for a bust tonight.
Need to be inconspicuous.

You know how it is.

Beats wearin' a suit
any day of the week.

- I'll agree with you there.
- Yeah.

So what can I do for you,
detectives?

We have a murder victim,
Aiden Brooks.

Gameshow host.

Turns out
he was in the hole $75K

to some guy who was running
a high-end card game.

You wouldn't happen to know
any A-list games out there,

would you?

There's a few around town
that cater to a celebrity crowd.

Okay.

I could shake a few trees,

try to find out
which one Aiden played in.

You know
I'd appreciate it, brother.

Anytime.

O'Connor.

Is she okay?

Alright, I'm on my way.

Something happened to Tess.

- Thanks, brother.
- Yeah, it's okay.

Tess! Hey, hey, hey.

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm just
a little shaken up.

Okay, what happened?

A light fell
from above the stage.

Tess jumped out of the way
just in time.

Well, lights don't fall
on their own.

There was someone
in the control booth.

Could you make out who it was?

They had a spotlight on me,
so I only saw a silhouette.

I just...

I think I just wanna go home.

- Let me...
- My car's right this...

Um...

Tess!

Oh, honey!

I'm so glad you're alright.

I'm okay.

Let me take you home.

Come on.

Thank you both for the offer.

- Yeah.
- Of course.

Come on, sweetie.

Are you sure you're alright?

Where was security?

Now that we're shut down,

they've cut back
on the number of personnel.

And who was inside?

Dana. Some assistants.

I think Nasr's packing up
his dressing room.

Graham's editing.

Hey, listen,

I need a crime scene unit
and some unis

down here
at my location ASAP, okay?

Listen, Detective, if there's
anything else I can do to help...

I'll let you know.

I'm guessing it's right up here.

- Over there?
- Yeah.

Why go after Tess?

Because Dana said

that Tess was looking into
the cheating allegations.

Maybe somebody found out,
got scared.

Well, if anyone
should be worried...

It's Nasr.

Come in.

So, listen,

apparently, someone tried
to drop a light on Tess Harper.

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

No, I wouldn't.

You guys think
I would just hang around

waiting for the police
to show up if I did?

- You planning to go somewhere?
- Yeah.

Today was my last day
of press commitments,

so I was thinking
of going back to Oklahoma.

Security guy
said it was okay for me

to come get my stuff.

Were you planning
on letting us know?

Because we're in the middle

of a homicide
investigation here,

and last time I checked,
you have no alibi.

Well, the show is dark,

and no idea when it'll continue,
if at all.

I miss my home.
I miss my bed.

Better to ask for forgiveness
than for permission, right?

Well, don't expect
either one of us

to give you that.

Are you aware

of all these accusations
brought against you and the show

from your former contestant?

- Sprows?
- Yeah.

That guy is off his rocker.

I beat him just like
I've beaten everybody else.

On the level.

But if someone
can prove otherwise...

poof!

There goes
all your winnings, right?

Don't forget all those
little talk-show invites, too.

Hmm, right.

You know, if you guys
are looking for someone

with an ax to grind with Aiden,

I would look at Dana Miller.

Why is that?

She tell you he tried to torpedo
a job offer that she got?

No.

Before the last show,
I heard Dana tell Aiden

that she was thinking about

taking a job offer
in Los Angeles.

Aiden, we can figure this out.

I can just tell Malcolm

that my decision to leave
has nothing to do with you.

I'm only asking you
for a few more weeks.

They want me to start next week.

There'll be other jobs.

I have worked myself
to a nub for you and this show

and I've never asked
for anything in return.

My answer is no.

And drop it,

or I'll start telling stories.

I can set
your reputation on fire

with just a few phone calls.

He said that
once his new deal came through,

she'd be free to do
what she wanted,

but if she jumped ship
before that,

it would be clear to Marlon

that Aiden and his behavior
was becoming too much.

And then Marlon
would have to replace him.

And there goes that
seven-figure-a-year contract.

Dana said that
as soon as the ink was dry,

she was out.

Listen, Detectives,

I had every reason
for wanting the show to go on.

For all the reasons
that you mentioned.

Hey, don't you have

your cooking class
with Chauncey tonight?

Nope.

The last one was last week.

And I don't think we're going
to be doing that anymore.

- Really, why not?
- Together.

The other day
when we went to the taping,

it just hit me...

how much I still
miss your uncle.

And I started to feel guilty.

Guilty? About what?

Just all these
wonderful experiences

I'm doing without him.

All these things that he and I
had planned to do together.

Your cooking class
with Chauncey.

Mm.

Yeah.

I told Chauncey a white lie.

That my work schedule
was changing.

There's no one

who would want you
to be out there having fun

and doing things
that bring you joy

more than Uncle Brian.

I mean, aside from me,
of course.

Ugh...

I should talk to Chauncey,
shouldn't I?

Yeah, I think
he'd really appreciate

knowing how you feel.

Thanks.

I'm a phone call away
if you need anything, alright?

Alright. Thank you.

Ooh. Red roses.

Are those the flowers
that Hunter sent you?

They are very pretty.

I...

I don't really know
how I feel about them, but...

Flowers can just be flowers,
you know?

When are flowers
ever just flowers?

It must be nice,

knowing that somebody's
thinking about you in that way.

I don't know.

I think I'm having a hard time

deciding what to think
about Hunter

when I know
how I feel about Logan,

and...

yet I have no idea
where I stand with Logan.

Ah.

Well, maybe it's time

that you figure out
where he stands with you.

What do you mean?

Honey, maybe he's just waiting
for a sign from you,

that you feel the same way
about him as he does for you.

You know,
despite the way Logan acts,

he is just as afraid
of getting his heart broken

as the rest of us, honey.

Yeah.

Okay, you take care.

And I'll check you later, okay?

Love you.

Love you more.

Welcome back to Riddle Me This.

Surprise.

Since you might not be
in the headspace to go out,

I thought I'd bring
the food to you.

Or just be the delivery person.

Cash tips preferred.

I mean, I didn't even realize
I was hungry.

That smells delicious.
Come on in.

It's chicken fried rice
and veggie egg rolls.

My favorite.

Some things just
stay with you, you know?

Mm.

See, that's the thing.

I spent a lot of time

thinking about why you broke off
our engagement,

and, eventually,

I came to the conclusion...

it was one of the best things
that ever happened to me.

You're welcome?

I was just
so in my own head, you know,

so focused on starting a career,

that...

I was blind

to all of the amazing things
and people

that I already had
right in front of me.

Anyway, it's...

it's something
that I promised myself

I wouldn't let happen
ever again.

Yeah.

Did you ever figure out
the riddle in the card?

"A measure of time"

not found on a clock,

"but in your heart."

A second chance.

So what do you think?

I...

I think that's...

I think that's
a lot to think about.

Well, you don't have to give me
an answer tonight.

What do you say
we just enjoy dinner?

Crime-scene guys

pulled a whole mess of prints
out of the control room,

but one stood out.

Who?

Matthew Nasr.

Didn't we tell you
to stay in town?

Yeah, I...

Guy doesn't have
all of the answers

all of the sudden, does he?

Come on, let's go.

Your fingerprints were found
on the door to the control room.

That's why you dragged me
all the way in here?

You sit down.

You know I've been on this show
a few weeks now, right?

Mm.

Gone up to the control room
at least once or twice.

Yeah, you know,
I thought about that.

That's why I called Dana.

And I asked her

if there'd ever be a reason

for you to be near
or in that control room,

and guess what her answer was.

No, never.

I had nothing to do
with the light falling.

I can place you there.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Did you find my fingerprints
on the console?

The one that actually
controls the rig?

'Cause I never touched it.

Why are we finding
your fingerprints

all over the door then?

Curiosity.

Yeah.

Went up there the other day
to take a couple pictures.

- Pictures?
- Mm-hmm.

I oversee the AV Club
at the high school I teach at,

and I thought, "Hey."

Look, why don't I show
these students

"what it's like behind the scenes
of a real TV show?"

Yeah, yeah.

Teacher of the year, huh?

Yeah. Two years
and running, actually.

Now, listen, Detective,

if you're not gonna
charge me for anything...

can I go home now?

We let him walk,
he leaves the state.

We can't hold him
for a fingerprint on a door.

Dad, he doesn't have an alibi
for Aiden's murder,

not to mention he was one of

the only few people
in that studio

at the time there was
an attempted murder

on Tess's life, and you know it.

His hands are not clean.
I can feel it.

Feel is one thing,
proof is another.

Okay, what about
the computer guys?

They find anything
on Graham's hard-drive?

There was a 10-minute window
between keystrokes

around the time
of Aiden's murder.

- 10 minutes?
- Yeah.

According to the studio layout
in his office,

10 minutes is not enough time

for Graham to walk over there,
strangle Aiden, and get back.

Hey, guys.
You okay?

No. Are you?

Yeah.

Detective Bell in Vice

gave us the details

of Aiden's poker game
tomorrow night.

A warehouse down by the docks.

9:00 p.m. tomorrow night.

Great.

Great. Fantastic.

Okay, but there's a catch.

What?

It's only open
to known high-rollers,

or celebrities.

Do we know any?

I have a cousin
that's a music producer.

He's in Atlanta.

I know someone.

Her name's in the paper
every day.

Tess? No. Pop, no.

She almost died 24 hours ago.

Tess can handle herself.

She's proven that,

even in the short time
I've known her.

Okay, so you guys are telling me

you're okay with putting her
in a situation

where she could be sitting
across from Aiden's killer.

You're fine with that?

Son, we'll be with her
for every step.

I mean,
if you have a better idea,

we're all ears, partner.

Still trying to figure out

how Nasr and Aiden
might've been cheating?

Yeah. I've watched, like,
12 episodes,

and I just...
I can't spot anything.

I don't know,
maybe I'm wasting my time.

Well, maybe I can put your time
to better use.

Oh, hey, Detective.

Phil.

Frank.

You're good.

You got a minute?

Of course.

You play poker, right?

Yeah, my monthly
Texas Hold'em game

with the girls.

Why?

Well, we managed
to get an invite

to a game that we think
Aiden was playing in.

And what, you think

the guy that Aiden owed money to
might be there?

Might be.

But we need someone recognizable

to get us in the door.

Who're you going to get?

- Me?
- Yeah.

Yeah, you, Tess.

Come on, you're in
six million papers worldwide.

Logan...

I...

You really think this might help
catch Aiden's killer?

It could.

I'm in.

Alright.

I'll pick you up
at your place, say 8:00 p.m.?

Yeah. It's a date.

Okay. Thanks.

Tess, this microphone
is for you, okay?

Okay.

Put this in your ear.

That way, you can hear me,

and we can hear
what's going on, okay?

Alright.

- You're wearing the bracelet.
- Uh-huh.

That's sweet.

Yeah. I never take it off.

You look lovely, by the way.

Thanks.

Your buy-in money.

How much is this?

- It's twenty.
- Thousand?

Yeah. Yeah, you're not
gonna get in that door

for anything less.

Okay.

Wow. Alright.

So, I go in, I play poker,

and I just try
to get people talking.

Yeah, but you gotta do it

in a way that they don't think

you're fishing
for information, okay?

Just be yourself.

If you feel like
you're in any kind of danger,

you say the word
and we'll come running.

Okay?

- Okay.
- Oh, FYI,

you're gonna have to personally
reimburse the department

if you lose any money.

What?

I'm kidding. Okay.
It was a joke. Alright.

Alright, wish me luck.

You're gonna do great.

Alright? Good luck.

Can you still hear me?

Yeah, I can hear you.

A little static-y,
but I can hear you.

Now, listen,

the password is "Pablo Picasso".

Okay?

Hi.

Pablo Picasso.

I'll make sure it's all here.

Hello.

Guess I'll just sit right here.

Okay.

Hi.

Oh, look at that.

There you go.

Thanks so much.

Well...

thanks for letting me
join your game.

Gotta admit,

I'm a little nervous.

Just keep this going

as long as you can, okay?

Keep 'em talking.

Your blinds, please.

So, where's everybody from?

Did you hear about Aiden Brooks?

Just awful, isn't it?

You're spending a lot of money

to sit and watch people
play poker, lady.

Raise.

5000.

What're... what're you doing?

Double it.

All-in.

If you bust out now,

we're no closer to finding out
who Aiden owed the money to.

Nice bluff.

Aiden used to play
here sometimes.

Man couldn't play cards
to save his life.

Yeah...

he owed some people
a whole lot of money.

Easy, Tess. Easy.

Where did you hear
a thing like that?

Hmm?

Oh, we used to...

play together a few times.

Yeah.

That Aiden was a talker.

Big talker.

Which game might've
that been at?

Was this at Benedetto's place?

Uh...

You know what,

it was somewhere
in, in, in Chinatown.

It was maybe a...

Are you getting it?
I'm getting static.

Tess?

Chinatown, huh?

Make sure she doesn't leave.

You might have bluffed me
out of that last hand...

but I'm not buying it this time.

With all the money
that Aiden owes me,

if he set foot
in another card game,

I would have heard about it.

Tess!

We've got to go.
Let's go.

I should probably
call it a night

and quit while I'm ahead.

Nah.

Why don't you stay

and tell us
what you're really doing here.

Let go of me!

Anti-crime task force!

- Keep your hands in view.
- Freeze!

Don't move!

NYPD.

Let her go!

You took long enough.

The signal went out.

Better late than never, right?

Put your hands behind your back.

You okay?

Yeah. Glad you're here.

Please tell me
you didn't lose it all.

Ah, a little bit.

Great. Fantastic.

You got the wrong guy.

Joseph Cheever.

That's quite a record
you've got here.

Racketeering.

Assault with a deadly weapon.

Theft... theft.

Theft, theft.

You like to steal, don't you?

When was the last time
you saw Aiden Brooks?

Aiden who?

The guy that owes you 75K.

Why would I kill a guy
that owes me money?

That's bad business.

As a lesson to everyone else
who doesn't pay up.

Sure.

Aiden owed me money.

He couldn't place a bet
anywhere else,

so I took his action.

I let him sit down
at my poker games.

Did it worry you
he was blacklisted everywhere?

I only took his bets in person.

Made him show me
the collateral first.

But he kept talking about
how his plan was foolproof.

How everything
would get sorted out soon.

His plan?

What do you mean?

Something to do
with his gameshow

and a new contract.

Did he ever place bets
with you at the studio?

Sure.

He got me an ID

so I could come and go

whenever he wanted
to place a wager.

And you went to see him there
the day he was murdered.

And when I left him,
he was very much alive.

The guy was broke,

so what'd he put down
for collateral?

His car.

Signed it over to me.

And you can prove that?

It's sitting in my driveway.

Title's in the glovebox.

What do you think?

Sir, I actually came here today

to talk to you
about Aiden Brooks.

You know, before the last show,
I saw you talking in the wings,

and it looked like
an argument...

Well, I mean,

"argument" might be
too strong a word.

I told him if he didn't want
to act professionally,

I'd find someone who would.

And did you?

Between us,

Hunter came to me
a week before Aiden's murder,

pitching himself as an option,

should we not move forward
with Aiden.

I'm-I'm sorry, a week before?

I must say,

Hunter impressed me.

He reminded me of a young Aiden.

We focus-tested him,
and he was a hit.

I don't think the show is going
to miss a step with him as host.

So the show is continuing?

After a respectable period
of time off.

With Nasr
still going for the record,

the network agreed

we'd be foolish
not to keep going.

Of course.

Thank you so much for your time.

While I did have

some clients who needed
to change their schedules,

I...

I could have made it work

to continue
our cooking classes together.

Was it something I said?

No.

I mean, I know I can be
a bit... exuberant,

but I've just been having
such a good time.

Me, too, Chauncey.

And that's the problem.

I just felt so guilty about it.

Guilty? Guilty? Why?

Because I haven't had
that much fun since...

my husband passed away.

Oh.

And part of me just feels like

somehow this is
just being unfair

to what he and I had together.

My kids were in high school
when my wife walked out on us.

I put everything I had into
making sure that they were okay.

And then
they went off to college,

and I didn't know
what to do with myself.

I started to hide
in my routine, you know?

Work, home, work.

Exactly.

And now I'm having more fun
than I've had in years,

you know,

and I feel like I've got
my old joie de vivre again.

I feel the exact
same way, Chauncey.

So, I...

tried to sign us up for
those Tuscan cooking classes,

but we're too late.

That's too bad.

Um, what about...

salsa classes?

Salsa? I love Mexican food.

Salsa dancing.

Oh!

I'm cursed with two left feet.

Wouldn't be good.

Oh.

How about...

bowling?

Bowling?

Oh...

oh!

I haven't done that
since high school.

Well, you should try it.

You're on.

So I stayed up all night

watching episodes
of "Riddle Me This,"

and I don't think Nasr and Aiden
were communicating...

not on camera at least.

All right, well,
if Cheever didn't kill Aiden,

it had to be somebody
from the show.

I mean, Aiden also
torpedoed a job offer

that Dana had on the table.

But you said the ME thought
the killer was likely male.

Most likely, it is,
but we can't rule her out.

Alright, so that's
Graham and Nasr.

Yeah, and as much as
I don't like the guy,

I can't attach a motive to Nasr.

So then there's Hunter.

Yeah.

He was angling for Aiden's job
a week before the murder.

What?
When did you find this out?

I went to see Marlon Freemen
earlier today,

and he said

he officially offered Hunter
the host job

when the show comes back.

Really?

Hey...

you okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, sorry.

I'll talk to you later.

Okay.

That's it.

Look at his hands.

Okay, what about them?

He has three fingers
facing towards Nasr.

Keep watching.

So he taps the notecard.

Yeah.

He does it so smoothly,
that it looks absent-minded,

but it's not. Look.

This time, he has four fingers
on the back of the card,

and then one-two-three.

The number of times
he taps the card.

Oh, come on.

That's gotta be a coincidence.

The number of fingers showing
and taps changes,

but...

he does this
every single episode.

He was signaling Nasr
where the DDs are located.

Tom Sprows was right.

But the only person on the show

who knows where
the Double-Ups are located is...

Hunter.

I can explain.

Aiden came to me early on
in Nasr's run,

saying that he was smart enough
to challenge the record.

You know, that it would be
a ratings bonanza.

And you helped him?

He gave me a shot.
He promoted me.

I felt like I owed him.

And the more Nasr won,

yeah, the bigger
our ratings got.

And then Aiden was murdered.

Which I had nothing
to do with, Tess.

I swear.

How do you expect us
to believe anything you say?

I may have made a bad decision,

and Aiden could be unsavory
once in a while...

we all know that...

but at the end of the day,
he was my friend.

I'm not a murderer, Tess.

Who else knows about this?

It's just me, Aiden, and Nasr.

I promise, when I'm the host,

I mean, I'm gonna make
things right again.

You know, the show will be
completely on the level.

But if you tell anybody...

anybody, Tess...

then my career is over.

I mean, completely over!

Where are you going?

To do what you should have done
in the first place

when Aiden came to you.

The right thing.

Where are you going?

What are you doing?

Logan, I can prove

Aiden was giving Nasr
an advantage on the show,

and Hunter was in on it.

You know I'm going to have to
bring him in, right?

I know.

You know, Tess said,
from the very beginning,

that you weren't capable
of murder.

Despite the fact
that you lied to her,

and despite the fact

that you asked her
to lie for you,

I'm certainly hoping

that her faith in you
was not completely misplaced.

I didn't kill Aiden.

Why should I believe you?

I went to see Nasr
in his dressing room.

I thought you weren't supposed
to have direct contact with him.

No, I'm not, which is why
I didn't mention it before.

But Aiden's dead,

and I'm not gonna
torpedo my own career

if I don't need to.

Graham saw me going into
Nasr's dressing room.

I was going to give Nasr
the next day's categories

when I saw him in the hall.

We locked eyes, Detective.

He saw me.

Did Graham say anything?

Nothing...

Nothing.

I don't know why he didn't then.

Or after.

Nasr said the same thing.

Why would he protect them?
Why not tell us what he saw?

Because keeping it to himself
protects a bigger secret.

Graham...

he killed Aiden.

- Hey.
- I'm so sorry.

I left in a hurry earlier,

and I... I forgot to return this.

Oh.

Dana told me
what you were doing.

No luck, huh?

It turns out

that Hunter and Aiden
were giving Nasr an advantage.

Oh...

That's...

Wow...

Graham, what are you doing?

She's worked so hard...

given everything to this show.

No one would ever believe

that she didn't know
what Aiden and Nasr were doing.

You killed Aiden...

Listen, you're only
going to make things worse.

Just unlock the door
and let's go to the police.

I'm sorry.

I can't let you tell anyone.

They already know
about the cheating.

I don't believe you.

I know you're in here.

Aiden threatened her, too.

When she told him
about the job offer in L.A..

He said

that if I left
before he signed his deal,

he would see to it

that I'd never work
anywhere again, ever.

He said he would destroy me.

That's ridiculous.
He can't do that.

You don't know that.

He said if she left,

it'd signal to Marlon
that he was too difficult,

that he'd destroy her reputation
if she left before he signed.

I followed him
to this very stage.

Just wanted to talk to him.

Try to reason with him.
But he wouldn't listen.

You know, my grandma and I

used to watch gameshows
all the time when I was a kid.

Riddle Me This!

How was that?

Get off the podium.

Not till I get my new car.

Did anybody see you come in?

Aiden!

Keys.

Wow.

Not now, Graham.

Dana's earned the right
to leave whenever she wants.

Well, if Dana would just have
a little patience,

she could leave
whenever she likes!

I'm going to make Nasr
the new record holder.

What are you talking about?

I've been giving him

the locations
of the Double-Up Dilemma.

What?

Dana doesn't know
anything about it,

but that doesn't mean
I won't implicate her.

I mean, who'd ever believe
she wasn't involved?

I will not let you
do that to her.

But I hold all the cards,

and there is nothing
you can do about it.

He told me
about his scheme with Nasr.

That he'd implicate Dana.

Her career would be over.

I didn't intend to kill him.

I didn't.

Game over.

Drop it!
Drop it!

Drop it.

Hands above your head.

You have the right
to remain silent.

You alright?

I'm okay.

- You got him?
- Yeah.

Guess you don't get
the final cut, do you?

Graham admitted he was the one

that tried to drop
the lighting rig on you, Tess.

He was trying to scare you off.

And Dana didn't know
anything about this?

No, I guess Hunter and Nasr said

that Aiden wanted
to keep the scheme from Dana.

The first she learned
of the scheme

was when you showed her
the proof.

He did everything
to protect her.

The things we do for love.

Did you read the news?

"Riddle Me This"
has officially been canceled.

I'm sorry.

I know how much
you loved the show.

It's okay.
At least I've got my rom-come.

By the way,

whatever ended up
happening to Hunter?

He was banned from ever
working on a gameshow again.

And I heard
that he got a book deal

to write the "Riddle Me This" tell-all.

Some people always land on their feet, huh?

Yeah.

Yeah.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Um...

Is now a good time to cash in
on that dinner raincheck?

Yeah, I could eat.

- Okay.
- Come in.

Hope you're hungry.

Let me get this little bit.

Yeah, that's not gonna work.

- Here's a fork.
- Okay.

You can have it.

Now I can have it?
Oh, okay.

That's good.

Listen, Tess...

I'm sorry about Hunter.

What?

Why?

Well, I'm just sorry

because, you know, you believed

that he was a better person
than he actually was,

and he let you down.

It was naive of me

to think he was any different
than the person I knew before.

Well, people can change.

Like, take me for example.

When you first met me,

I was a cynical,

emotionally-closed-off
homicide detective.

And now?

And now I'm a less cynical,

emotionally-closed-off
homicide detective.

So what you're saying is

change comes
in small increments?

It does.

What I'm also
trying to say is...

you interfering in my case...

was the best thing
that ever happened to me.

♪ Sometimes I'm beaten ♪

♪ Sometimes I'm broken ♪

♪ 'Cause sometimes
this is nothing but smoke ♪

♪ Is there a secret? ♪

I never want to let you down.

You won't.

How can you be so sure?

'Cause when you know, you know.

♪ Tell me how to be in this world ♪

♪ Tell me how to breathe
in and feel no hurt ♪

♪ Tell me how could I
believe in something ♪

♪ I believe in us ♪