Castle (2009–2016): Season 1, Episode 8 - Ghosts - full transcript

A woman found drowned in a bathtub full of motor oil is initially identified as a missing suburban housewife, until it's discovered that her identity had been stolen from a deceased child, and that she had been a fugitive from a terrorism charge for two decades.

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All right, everybody,
last hand for the night.

Aw... phooey.
it's only... ah!

It's not even midnight.

Some people have jobs
to go to in the morning.

Oh, my son,
the working stiff.

Phooey.
i fold.

If you don't mind me saying,
mrs. r., you fold a lot.

I just don't believe in
stringing along a bad hand.

Why waste time?

Actually, mother's
game isn't really texas hold'em.

It's strip poker.

Keeps things humming along,
if you know what i mean.

Well, frankly, i prefer strip,
because even when you lose, you win.

Raise $20.

Call.

Make it a hundred.

Whoa.

- 100 bucks?
- man up, bro.

Really?

- i'm out.
- slop.

What about you, castle?
you're already in for the blind.

Not scared of a little...

Action, are you?

"action"
is my middle name.

Don't worry, sweetheart,
he's bluffing.

Whenever he blinks too much,

It means
he's got a lousy hand.

- mother.
- well...

All right,
here we go.

There it is.

Uh-oh.

What?

He's not blinking,
but now he's tapping,

Which means
he might have the nuts.

What's the matter?

You're not afraid
of a little action, are you?

All in.

- take him down, beckett.
- yeah, make him pay.

Can't write your way
out of this one, huh, castle?

Way to go, beckett.

Maybe someone should change
their middle name to "loser."

- loser.
- what can i say?

Guess it just
wasn't my night.

Ah, see, i told you
he was bluffing.

It's the...

It's the blinking thing,
yeah, you're right.

Beckett.

Yeah, we'll be there
in 20.

Homicide
on henry street.

I'll take care of
this for you.

Thank you.

Well, at least you
guys are already downtown.

But it's after midnight.

Murder never sleeps,
mrs. r.

Yeah, neither do we.

Someone say "murder"?

Hold on, i'll get my coat.

Look at him,
all excited.

Yeah, like a kid
at christmas.

With a dead body
under the tree.

Castle
s01 ep08

- is that motor oil?
- looks like it,

But i'll have to pump out the tub
and run some tests to be sure.

It's motor oil, all right.
10w-40.

Empties in the closet.

What kind of a freak drowns
a woman in motor oil?

Someone's trying
to send a message.

I already told
the uniforms.

Once people check in,

I don't wanna know
what they do up there.

Her purse was missing, and she
didn't have an i.d. on her.

Any chance she paid for
the room with a credit card?

All i can tell you is,

Whoever rented the room on friday
paid cash for a 5-day stay.

They were
supposed to be out tonight.

So at midnight,
i went up to check

If the place was empty
and found her in the tub.

It's gonna be
a bitch to clean it.

So if anybody was
meeting her here--

It's not like the guests
arrive and i ring them up.

This ain't the ritz.

Clearly.

What about tonight?
anyone strange coming in or going out?

Hey, bill.

Jasmine,
how's it hangin'?

I think you just described
half their clientele.

Unidentified woman--
early 40s, good health.

She's wearing a wedding ring,
but there's no inscription.

Cause of death?
drowning.

And there's a nasty contusion
on the back of her head.

So somebody hit her
hard enough to knock her out

And then gave her
a motor oil bath.

And i found this
in one of her pockets.

Ticket stub
for the metro-north.

Our victim took the train in
from westchester yesterday morning.

Westchester to lower manhattan?

That's a long way to go
for a lube job.

See, when married ladies
go to cheap hotels,

It's always about sex.

Or drugs.

The sample in one of the wine glasses
tested positive for remian.

A sleeping pill.

This was not
a crime of passion.

That room was rented
for five days

And someone stocked
the place up with motor oil.

That takes planning.

And nice suburban ladies don't
just take the train into the city

And not return
without somebody noticing.

Irvington p.d. logged a call
last night from a michael goldman

Wanting to report
his wife allison missing.

Clothing and description match.

Said she went into the city
for work and never came back.

Said he knew
that something was wrong.

Poor guy.
unless he's the killer...

And he's covering his tracks
by calling the police

Before the body's discovered.

How about we question him
before we convict him?

You got an address?

- thanks.
- yep.

I don't un-understand.

Wh-where did you say
that she was found?

At an s.r.o.
in the city.

It's a single room occupancy.
it's like a transient hotel.

Why would she be
in a place like that?

Can you think of anyone she
might've been meeting?

No.

My wife and i were
happily married, detective.

We had no secrets.

You told police last night that
your wife went into the city for her job?

She was working part-time.

We'd had some financial setbacks
the last few years.

I'd been laid off,
and we had to give up the apartment.

How did your wife handle
the move to the suburbs?

Not, uh,
not too well.

Allison missed the city,
so a couple months ago,

She got a job working three days a week
at a clothing boutique in manhattan--

This little place on 72nd
called lehane's.

She said that being there...

I'm sorry.

She said that being there
reminded her of the good old days.

So i'm trying to put together a timeline
of allison goldman's last hours.

First call i make is to lehane's,
the store where she worked.

I say to the owner,
"good morning, sir,

I'd like to talk to you about your
employee-- allison goldman."

And?

And he says, "who?"

Allison didn't work there.

Not yesterday,
not ever.

Well, if she wasn't going into the city
three times a week for a job,

Then what was she doing there?

And how did she come home friday night
with 400 bucks in cash for the family kitty?

Maybe castle was right.
maybe this was about sex.

The lady was a soccer mom.

Come by my daughter's school
about 3:30.

The place is like happy hour.

Maybe she had a boyfriend.

Yes, a boyfriend--

Someone she met in line at zabar's
or, uh, one afternoon at the museum

When she, uh, ducked in to
escape a rainstorm.

Maybe it was someone
she already knew from the city,

Someone who reminded her
of when times were good,

Before she had to give up that cute apartment
with the partial river view.

Someone who was
slipping her a little cash

While he was slipping her
something else.

Yeah, allison goldman wouldn't
have some cheap affair.

This person would've had
to have meant something to her...

Someone who cared for her,
someone who listened to her.

Only now he wanted a little more
return for his investment,

Something
she wasn't willing to do.

Like leave her husband.

And when she wouldn't,
then he got violent.

Yep.

You know,
i feel so stupid.

Here i am looking for evidence,

And all i had to do
was just make something up.

So this imaginary
boyfriend killer--

Do you think that he has
an imaginary address?

Detective beckett?

Mr. goldman,
what is it?

My lawyer called
the social security office this morning

To let them know
that allison had passed away.

He faxed this to me
two hours ago.

- a death certificate?
- yeah. for allison porter.

Now porter was
my wife's maiden name.

But it says here that
allison porter died in 1963.

When she was 3 months old.

But this child's social security number
is the same as my wife's.

My wife wasn't the woman
she said she was.

Our whole life together...

Was a lie.

So for 20 years,

This woman was living
under a false name?

That's crazy.

Yeah, her husband
was pretty shaken up.

Trust me
on this one, kiddo.

When a woman marries a man
and doesn't bother to tell him

Who she is for 20 years,

She's a criminal--
mata hari, shady lady.

In other words,
a very good actress.

Speaking of which,

You seem to have inherited
a bit of my talent.

Oh?
how so?

The poker game.
you let beckett win.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Come on.
i checked your cards.

I- i didn't want to take her money
in front of all her friends.

Kate beckett is not some bimbo who needs big,
strong you to look out for her.

She's a real woman.

And a real woman does not
want to be patronized.

- she's right, dad.
- yeah.

I was being nice.

Castle.

Yeah,
i'm on my way.

All right, i'm on my way
to the precinct to find out

Who this mata hari
really was.

Allison goldman's
e- mail account.

Allison writes,

"lee, can we meet on tuesday
instead this week?"

Lee writes back, "sounds good.
the usual place."

Tuesday. the day
that she was murdered.

So allison's imaginary boyfriend
has a very real e-mail account.

He goes by the screen name
"lwax220."

The husband said
it didn't sound familiar to him.

We cyber-tracked it down.

Check this castle--
the guy's a writer.

A real writer or an "i took a course
at the learning annex" writer?

Well, his name is lee wax.

He writes true crime.

"bobby socks and blood--

"the true story of a cheerleader
and eagle scout

And the murder
that shocked america."

Gimme a break.

Well, maybe he got tired of
writing about other people's murders

And decided to commit one
on his own.

What's this?

Your winnings
from the other night.

I'm not an idiot.

I know you threw
the last hand.

How did you
figure it out?

That's not the point.

Oh, my mother called you,
didn't she?

You owe me a rematch.

Fine. you wanna play?
let's play.

How about tomorrow night?

With your mystery buddies?

What, are you kidding?

No, no, no, those guys
would eat you alive.

No, i was thinking of something
a little more local.

My, uh, gotham city crew.
guys i beat on a regular basis.

Your gotham city crew.

Yeah, the captain,
the mayor and judge markway--

You know, your boss, your boss' boss
and the guy that signs your warrants.

Or would that
make you nervous?

I mean, i wouldn't want
to throw your game.

But i also don't want
you to feel patronized.

Just set it up and
prepare to get your ass kicked.

Hello?

Hello?

Look who's stalking.

Stay here.

Hey!
who the hell are you?

Who the hell are you?

Lee wax. what are you doing
in my apartment?

You're a woman.

Either you tell me
who you are right now,

Or i am calling
the cops.

I am the cops.

My name is
detective kate beckett.

We would like to ask you
some questions about allison goldman.

Allison. oh.

Just...

Just, uh, let me get
my lawyer.

Why do you need a lawyer?

Why do you think?

So you're confessing.

No, i'm not confessing
to anything. it's just...

My publisher instructed me
not to talk to law enforcement

Until i had
a lawyer present.

Your publisher?

You know, i would like
to state for the record

That i never harbored,
nor did i conceal, a fugitive.

- what are you talking about?
- allison goldman.

If that's why you're here,
then obviously you found her.

Yes.
murdered.

Murdered?

Murdered by who?

Well, given your unhealthy
obsession for her,

I'm going to take
a wild stab at... you.

Me?

No,
i am a ghostwriter.

We were working
on her memoir.

Memoir?

Why would allison goldman
need a memoir?

Wait. so you don't know
who she really is?

We do now.

Apparently, our westchester housewife
was also a fugitive.

That's allison goldman?

A.k.a. cynthia dern.

In 1989, she and two friends set off a bomb
on a tanker owned by a big oil company.

I remember this.

Some radical environmentalists
protesting the "exxon valdez" spill.

Yes. one was killed,
one was caught.

But cynthia dern
was never found.

Looks like her past
finally caught up with her.

Jared swanstrom, uh,
built the bomb.

Susan mailer and cynthia
snuck onboard to set it,

Only something went wrong.

You see, the ship was supposed
to be empty of oil and people,

But the captain, sam pike,
had come back.

He was paralyzed
in the explosion.

How did you
track down cynthia?

I didn't.
she contacted me.

Cynthia had decided
to turn herself in,

But before she surrendered,

She wanted to get
her story out to the public

And express her remorse.

And get public opinion
on her side.

It's a great way to influence
a potential jury pool.

But she did it, right?

So how was she planning on
influencing them?

Cynthia told me that
on the night of the bombing,

She had tried to back out.

When she realized
that the captain was aboard,

She argued with susan mailer
to call it off,

But susan refused.

Susan went
to set the bomb herself

And ironically,
died in the explosion.

She was vaporized.

So why would
she come out of hiding now?

Money.

She need the cash.

You were paying her?

A couple hundred a week.
if the book had sold well...

I don't have to tell you
how much money was at stake.

When was the last time
you saw cynthia?

Tuesday afternoon.

Did she mention that she was
going to see anyone else,

Maybe someone from her past?

No, no,

Cynthia was really paranoid about
being discovered before the book came out.

She didn't want me to get in touch
with anyone from her old life.

But you did,
anyway.

Any true crime writer
worth their salt

Is gonna check her story
with other sources.

Okay,
so i made a few calls.

The sources
that you were talking to,

Did any of them want
her dead?

Maybe, but...remember,
nobody knew how to find her.

I mean,i didn't even know
where she lived.

I'm gonna need to see your
interview notes and your manuscript.

You can have
whatever you want,

But in return, i'd like to
be kept in the loop

As the investigation proceeds.

What for?

My book.

You're gonna go
through with it?

But cynthia's dead.

Correction--
cynthia was murdered,

Which means her memoir
just became a true crime story,

Which is kind of
my forte.

You'd be doing me
a huge favor.

You know,
i- i would love to.

But i have a whole list
of writers

Who are hanging around,
looking for favors.

So thank you very much, though,
for cooperating, and i'll...

Catch you
on the dark side.

It's a pretty sweet gig

You've scored for yourself,
mr. castle.

Is this your secret
to writing best sellers--

Follow the pretty cop lady around
and take copious notes?

I like to think talent
played a small part.

Still, this is the kind of all-access
pass most writers would kill for.

Let's get to the part
where you tell me what you want.

Well, maybe you can give me
a call sometime...

One professional to another.

Or do you need to check
with your boss lady?

Why don't you give me
your number,

And i'll see
what i can do?

A domestic terrorist
who clips coupons.

I just might buy
the movie rights myself.

Well, the bombing obviously wasn't
a very sophisticated operation.

Susan mailer was killed
in the blast,

And jared swanstrom
was caught by the fbi

And served 15 years.

Allison goldman,
a.k.a. cynthia dern,

Managed to stay a fugitive
for nearly two decades.

And then she poked her head
out of hiding,

And a couple months later,
she's dead.

Well, who would hold
a grudge for 20 years?

How about the people
whose lives she's ruined?

You say she was
living in irvington?

That's just a couple
of miles away from here.

In the months
leading up to her death,

Cynthia was working
with a journalist.

We spoke with lee wax
several times.

She never told us
cynthia was involved.

She should have.

Excuse me, will you?
excuse me, please.

This is hard for him.

He's still angry about
what happened. we all are.

This your son?

Adam.

He's a sailor,
just like his dad.

The settlement wasn't enough to
cover all of sam's medical costs.

Adam's been working
and helping out

Since he was a teenager.

Adam?

I'm detective kate beckett.

Is this about her?

Cynthia or allison or whatever
she called herself?

Did you have any idea
that she lived so close?

Didn't know,
didn't care.

You didn't care about the woman
who almost killed your father?

I find that hard to believe.

You know,
my family waited 20 years

For the cops
to find cynthia dern

So my dad could get
just a little bit of justice.

Well, it's too late
for that now.

So what do you want
from us?

Well, i thought you might want
to know how cynthia died.

She was drowned
in motor oil.

Motor oil?

She was drowned in motor oil.

Motor oil?

It's almost as if whoever did it had
a personal connection to the bombing.

Adam, if i looked in your garage
right now, would i find motor oil?

I own a boat and a car, detective.

And where were you last tuesday?

I bartend at the foxtail grill
on manchester every tuesday.

Are we done?

Yes, for now.

Thank you.

You know what?

I hope his alibi checks out.
i hope he didn't do it.

And here i thought you would be saying

What a great story it would
make if adam pike did it--

A son taking revenge for his father.

It is a good story. it's agreatstory.

Personally, i would just write a
happier ending for that family.

Beckett. fbi files on the
tanker bombing in '89--

- i've been going through them.
- and?

Three days after the bombing,
they captured jared swanstrom

At a motel where he'd been hiding out.

Feds had a tip line.
some helpful citizen calls

And said they'd seen swanstrom at the motel.

- feds go in, grab him up, easy peasy.
- it's pretty standard stuff.

Yeah, until you get to the part where
the tipster never collects onthe reward.

And who was the tipster?

That's just it. the fbi never knew
'cause she didn't leave a name.

- she?
- mm-hmm.

Records describe the
voice as young and female.

It could be cynthia dern.

Do you think she would give
up her friends to the cops?

Doesn't matter what i think.

It only matters what swanstrom thought.

The guy did 15 years in prison.

That's a long time to
think about who put you there.

- jared swanstrom?
- yeah?

Nypd. we'd like to ask you
some questions about cynthia dern.

Well, i'm not sure what i can tell you.

I haven't seen her in 20 years.

But you knew she was writing a book, right?

- you spoke to lee wax.
- i spoke with her.

- i- i told her to give cynthia my regards.
- so you weren't bearing any old grudges?

Against cynthia? what for?

For turning you in.

It was cynthia who called the
cops the night you were arrested.

Well, if that's true, she was
just trying to save herself.

Right after the bombing,
cynthia wanted to run--

You know, try to make it to canada.

- but i, uh, i fell apart.
- why?

Guilt. i'm the one who built the bomb.

- i'm the one who messed it up.
- messed it up how?

The girls were supposed to have three minutes
to get off that ship before it went off--

Three minutes.

When cynthia got back in the car that night,
she said that something had gone wrong,

That the bomb had-- had blown early.

I'm the reason that susan mailer is dead.

At least one of them took responsibility

For what happened that night.

Yeah. maybe even a little
too much responsibility.

You don't believe jared swanstrom's story?

Well, that's the thing. it's
not his story. it's cynthia's.

You wanna break it down for those of
us who've already had a glass of wine?

Cynthia told lee wax
that she and susan mailer

Had an argument as to whether
or not to set off the bomb

Once they knew the captain was onboard.

Cynthia backed out.

Susan went on to set off the
bomb by herself and... boom.

Huh.

But today, jared swanstrom said that cynthia
told him there was something wrong with the timer.

She never said anything about an argument.

Oh... well, that is a rather glaring omission.

You know, when i'm writing,
i find it's all about choices--

What to put in, what to leave out,

When to reveal some information,
when to hold something back.

But as someone else's
ghostwriter, you only know

What they want you to know.

But lee wax isn't cynthia's
ghostwriter anymore, right?

Now that she's dead,
it's no longer a memoir.

It's a true crime story.

And it sounds like the true story

Is a whole lot juicier than cynthia's lies.

Good morning.

Oh. hey.

Sorry. i've just...

Been going over lee wax's interview notes.

When she spoke to jared swanstrom,

He told her the same thing he told us.

Cynthia said the bomb blew early,

But she left that version out of her book.

That's because it contradicted
cynthia's latest story,

That the girls argued when they discovered

That captain pike was still onboard
and that susan set the bomb alone.

According to the publisher,

Cynthia has full approval
over everything lee wax wrote.

It was her way or the highway.

You talked to the publisher?

I am... somewhatknown in those circles.

Anyway, they didn't like it.

They were looking for a true crime tell-all,

And what they were getting

Was some sanitized bunch
of remorseful boohooing.

- they were getting ready to pull the plug.
- and now?

Well, now that cynthia's murder is all
over the media, they're back onboard,

So long as the book takes
a more sensationalized angle--

"kaboom! the true story

"of a domestic terrorist
turned suburban housewife

And the crime that shocked america."

- catchy.
- thanks.

So with cynthia out of the way,

Lee wax is sitting on
a potential best seller.

People have killed for a lot less.

Beckett.

All right, bring him in.

What?

Adam pike's alibi fell apart.

He was lying about being
at work on tuesday night.

I didn't kill her.

I didn't even know where she was.

We're not gonna get anywhere
if you keep lying to me.

I know you went to westchester.

I spoke to cynthia's husband.

He rembers seeing a guy just
like you outside their house

A couple weeks before she was murdered.

Don't make me put you in the lineup.

I just...

Wanted to talk to her.

- how'd you find her?
- that writer.

The way she kept talking
about what happened to my dad--

She knew things that only
someone on that ship could know.

So i...

Started following her around.

Eventually, she led me to cynthia dern.

And why didn't you call the police?

Because i wanted to look her in the eye.

I wanted to tell her none of it mattered.

Her blood money wouldn't buy our forgiveness.

What money?

What do you mean by "blood money"?

After i found out where cynthia
lived, i went and told my mom.

I didn't know if we should
call the feds or what.

She started crying.

She told me we'd been getting
money every month since the bombing.

Different amounts-- sometimes
more, sometimes less--

But every month.

And she thought that the money
was coming from cynthia dern?

The first envelope, there was a note.

"please forgive me."

Susan mailer was dead.
swanstrom was in prison.

There wasn't anybody else.

You know, with this kind of evidence,

Cynthia could've been caught years ago.

Mom said without that money,
we wouldn't have made it,

And she figured, as long as cynthia
was free, the money would keep coming.

So why did you lie to me about
where you were last tuesday?

Because i was there.

At the hotel. i followed her.

Look, i was just gonna talk to her.

I spent an hour walking up
and down that hallway,

Trying to get up the courage
to go and knock on that door.

You know, i- i was gonna do it.

But then someone got off the elevator

And knocked on her door instead.

You saw her killer?

I didn't get a good look,

But i did hear them talking.

- and i can tell you one thing.
- what?

It was a woman.

Lee wax. beckett!

It was lee wax!

Beckett? lee wax!

Lee--

Murder. are you people crazy?

I have an eyewitness who
can place you at the s.r.o.

Where cynthia's body was found.

You had motive, means andopportunity.

Please. only a novelist could come
up with a twist this absurd.

Not as absurd as killing a
woman to salvage your story.

Drowning her in motor oil gave
you just the ending you need.

I'm atruecrime writer, so i don't
have your talent for fiction.

We know your publisher wanted
to dump your contract.

Because i told them that
i thought cynthia was lying.

So you didn't believe
her remorse was genuine?

When cynthia cried, it was for herself.

She wanted to cash in and keep
herself out of jail. that's it.

Well, she must've felt some
responsibility for what happened.

After all, she sent the pikes
money year after year.

What money?

Every month since the bombing,
the pikes have been receiving money,

Courtesy of cynthia dern.

Only, there's nothing
about that in your notes.

Because she never told me.

- are you sure?
- we're sure.

Look, the tuesday that cynthia was killed,

I was out to dinner with my
publisher until after midnight,

So i couldn't have killed her.

Remind me, if i ever
decide to write a memoir,

To never write a memoir.

Okay.

- why not?
- because memoirs are about truth.

And i'm not a very truthful person.

It would be too easy
to make myself look good.

- it might be harder than you think.
- maybe.

But i would sure start with the
most generous thing i ever did.

You mean, like how you anonymously
sent money to your victims

Because you felt so guilty
about what you'd done?

The object of cynthia's memoir
was to gain sympathy.

What could be more sympathetic than sending
the pikes guilt money for 20 years?

It doesn't make sense that
cynthia didn't tell lee wax.

Unless the money didn't come from cynthia.

It had to be from cynthia.
swanstrom was in prison,

And susan mailer was dead.

Call. and you're sure
no one else was involved?

No, just the three of 'em,
assuming you believe the fbi.

- call.
- you know, we don't really have to talk about this.

Anything to stop hizzoner here from
talking bout budget initiatives.

Okay, judge.

Who was it that appointed you again?

Now the fbi believe.

But why take cynthia dern's word for anything
that happened the night of the bombing

When her own ghostwriter
didn't even trust her?

You know, the judge is right.

What do we actually know
about what happened?

Not much.

According to lee wax's notes,

Captain pike heard two women arguing

Just before the explosion,
and cynthia claims

That she was trying to change susan's mind.

Fold.

But if we assume cynthia was lying...

Then maybe it was susan
that wanted to save pike

And cynthia that wanted to run.

Raise $20.

Right. but the bomb was already set,

So the 3-minute timer is already ticking.

The girls argue, wasting precious seconds...

Susan runs towards the ticking
bomb to try to shut it down...

While cynthia runs for cover.

Right. susan gets to the
bomb, but too late.

Boom.

Which means susan mailer didn't
die trying to set the bomb.

She died trying to save an
innocent man's life. fold.

It still doesn't explain
where the money came from.

Fold.

Well, what about it, castle?
you're good with twists.

- where'd the money come from?
- i'm thinking.

Yeah, well, you might want to
think up some chips for the pot,

'cause it looks like
it's just you and me.

- whoa!
- ooh.

All right, detective beckett...

- i'm all in.
- ooh.

Oh, what's the matter?
you afraid of a little action?

Oh, do us a favor, detective.
beat his pants off.

Yes, please, beat my
pants off, if you dare.

Beckett, do me proud.

To hell with proud, make him
cry like a little girl.

All right.

Sorry, fellas, it's just not my night.

Oh, who's a good little boy?

Who's a good little boy?

You are and you are and you are.

Don't you ever get tired of winning, castle?

You'd think so, right? but no.

Well, i think that's it for me.

Detective, it was a pleasure.

- mr. mayor.
- sorry we couldn't solve your case.

And i'm sorry i couldn't make
him cry like a little girl.

Mm. well, it's not your fault, detective.

No matter how down he gets, he
always manages to rise from the dead.

- oh, now that'd be a twist.
- what?

The money had to come from cynthia
because swanstrom was in jail

- and susan mailer was dead, right?
- right.

But what if susan mailer
didn't die in that explosion?

What if she's still alive?

- susan mailer? alive?
- her body was never found.

Yeah, because she was
vaporized in the explosion.

Well, maybe she was thrown clear.

Well, then she would've been badly
burned and would've need care.

And no one matching her description
ever checked into area hospitals.

Mere details, my good man.

Um, around here we call them "facts."

Well, then let's go get us some facts.

Please don't think less of me.

I did what i had to do to survive.

These are from all over the place.

Uh, not the recent ones. the
recent ones are all the same.

Lititz, pennsylvania.

If we're gonna road-trip,
i'm gonna have to pee first.

- i've never seen her before.
- are you positive?

- didn't he sound positive?
- castle.

Okay.

How about her?

- she'd be older now.
- how much older?

20 years.

I don't think so.

That's what i get for listening
to a mystery writer.

She might have scars or walk with a limp.

Like she's been in an accident?

It could be mary wright.

Mary wright?

She comes in once a month or so.

Buys a money order to send
to her relatives in new york.

Do you have her address?

It sounds naive now, but, um...

Everything i did back then i did because

I thought it would help.

We're not here because of the bombing, susan.

We're here because of what
you did to cynthia dern.

Her body was found in a tub of motor oil.

But you already know that.

Forensics is going
through that room as we speak.

And believe me,
they will find something,

Something that connects you
to cynthia's death.

She should've just left it all alone.

She had a husband and a good life.

But that wasn't cynthia.
once she decided on something,

- well, you just better not be in her way.
- like that night on the tanker?

I saw the captain go below.

I don't know how he got back
onboard without us seeing.

I- i tried...

But i was-- i was too late.

When the bomb exploded,
i was thrown overboard.

I can still feel the heat on my skin...

Even today.

How did you survive
without medical attention?

Um, a friend took me in.

A- a med student nursed me
back to health.

- i got a new identity.
- and mary wright was born.

It's not hard to live like a ghost

When everyone you love thinks you're dead.

I never contacted anyone
from my former life...

Not even my parents.

But you still sent money to the pikes.

They had a son... medical bills.

I- i was responsible.

Everything could've stayed
just the way it was except...

Except cynthia decided to write a book.

That reporter put a post
on an environmental board

Asking for info on cynthia.

I e-mailed, pretending to be
an old friend of the group.

It didn't take long
for me to figure out

That she had found cynthia
and cynthia was lying

About what happened on the ship.

You tracked her down.
you confronted her.

I threatened to turn myself in
if she went through with the book--

Give myself up, tell
the authorities everything.

She begged to meet with me first--

- somewhere we could talk.
- that's when you rented the room?

Oh, no, cynthia rented the room, not me.

- it was all part of her plan.
- her plan?

Her plan to murder me.

W- when i got there, she poured me a drink.

"let's toast to old friends," she said.

Only, you see, i don't drink.

I tried to leave. she wouldn't let me.

I- i hid in the bathroom.

That's when i saw it...

The tub, full of oil.

Then i understood.

She didn't plan to talk to you.

She planned to kill you
and make it look like suicide.

That wine was laced with a sleeping pill.

You were supposed to drink it
and then drown in the oil.

And then the world
would think that you were

Racked with guilt over
the pikes all these years

And that you finally decided to commit suicide.

Once your body was discovered,
the public would clamor

For the true story-- cynthia's true story--

With you now cast as the villain.

We struggled.

She lost her balance and
fell against the sink and...

Hit her head.

I should've called for help,

But i just wanted it to be over.

So i...

I dragged her to the tub and...

I...

I pushed her in.

You see, i was already dead.

I just wanted to keep it that way.

I heard you made an arrest.

You can hear all about it
in the morning news.

Oh, come on, after all the help
i gave you on this case,

You can't give me any more
information than that?

Well, i could,
but i just keep thinking

That if it wasn't for you, there
wouldn't be a case in the first place.

What does that mean?

All the people from cynthia's
past that you interviewed--

How did you manage to let
every one of them know

That you were in contact with her?

What are you implying?

You wanted someone to put two and
two together and call the cops.

You wanted cynthia in prison.

That way, you could tear up
the contract you had with her

And write the story you wanted to write

With an ending that would sell more books.

I mean, you couldn't call
the authorities yourself.

What kind of story would that be?

That's a lovely theory,

But even if it's true,
i didn't kill cynthia dern.

I didn't even do anything illegal.

Oh, no, no, no, it's not illegal.

It's just slimy.

So your, uh, all-access pass

Has been revoked.

Oh, and one more thing--

One day, and one day not far from now,

I'm gonna use this in a book.

Susan mailer's in booking.

Hmm.

All these years,

Trying to do the right thing,
trying to make amends...

Because of cynthia's greed,
she's gonna end up in jail.

If you're looking for a happy ending,

You've come to the wrong place.

Next time, i guess i'll just try
that massage parlor on 2nd avenue.

Just kidding.

Actually, who needs a happy
ending when you have a story

With people pretending to be dead,

Living under assumed names,

Plotting fake suicides
and murder for revenge?

You know, i'm glad to see
that you're entertained.

I, however, have to call michael goldman

And let him know that
his wife was a sociopath.

But you also get to call
jared swanstrom and tell him

That he's no longer responsible
for susan mailer's death.

As a matter of fact,
susan mailer's still alive.

Which is why cynthia is now dead.

Wow, you are all
about the cloud, aren't you?

Never the silver ling.

Okay. maybe this might
cheer you up a little bit.

- your winnings.
- my winnings?

Oh, don't play coy with me.
you threw your hand.

All right, i was trying to be nice.

I didn't want to embarrass you
in front of your friends.

Now we're even,

So what do you say to a little showdown?

Head-to-head. toe-to-toe.

Winner take all.

Mano a mujer.

"hand to woman"?

Whatever it takes.

- you're on.
- no mercy.

- i'm gonna make you hurt.
- oh, you're gonna gethurt.

- what are we playing for?
- pride. or clothing.

I think i got a bag of gummy bears.

Shuffle.

Deal.

Comfy with texas hold'em?

I'm comfy so long as my cards
come from the top of the deck.

Huh. what you got up your sleeves?

Aside from my muscular arms?