Elementary (2012–…): Season 3, Episode 15 - When Your Number's Up - full transcript
Holmes and Watson follow a blood trail into the world of wrongful death compensation when they investigate a series of murders in which the killer leaves envelopes of cash on the victims. ...
Previously on Elementary...
Andrew, are you okay?
Oh, my God.
Somebody call an ambulance!
One, two, three...
I feel clear
about something.
It's ridiculous for me to think
that I can have a normal life.
I'm a detective.
I'm ready to embrace that.
I want to come back
to the brownstone.
Ah, Watson.
May I present Luc?
Luc, Watson.
What are
you doing here?
Luc has agreed
to handle your move.
I helped his relatives emigrate
from Guadeloupe many years ago,
and in return, he assists me
with matters which require
physical labor.
Well, it's bad enough
you broke in here,
but breaking in and
taking my things
could be construed
as burglary.
I did not break in.
I have chastised
you repeatedly
about that lock's
inadequacy.
Not changing it was the
same as giving me a key.
I appreciate that, but I've
already hired real movers
to come and take my
things in the morning.
No offense, Luc.
Luc speaks not one word of English.
In fact,
he barely speaks at all.
It is but one
of his many virtues.
And a real moving company
will set foot in the brownstone
over my moldering corpse.
It is our sanctum
and our stronghold,
and I trust no one but Luc
within its confines.
Uh, those are things that are
not going to the brownstone.
Where else would they be going?
Well, I'm moving into a furnished place,
so I'm just gonna take
what I need from my room
and the rest can be donated.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather
just keep them in storage?
We have plenty of room
in our basement.
You are the one that said
that all of this
was me attempting
to have a life
that wasn't me.
You were right,
so I am done here.
And I'm done with
all of these things.
It's a beautiful piece.
They all are.
Thanks.
I take it you are
the original owner of all this?
I am.
Do you have the receipts?
Well, they were gifts
from my husband, so... no.
I'm sorry.
I'll, uh, I'll add it up
and write you a check.
Actually, it-it has to be cash.
Henry...
Remember me?
I've brought you some
clothes a few times.
Roast beef sandwich,
chicken soup...
Victim's name
is Henry Wilseck.
Had a Pennsylvania
driver's license on him
that expired
seven years ago.
He also had some
psychological problems,
at least according to
the canvassing
we did.
He'd been sleeping
in the park for months.
Any family?
Still following the info
on the license,
but looks like he fell through
the cracks a long time ago.
Did anyone remove
anything from the body?
Because the bloodstain
on the inner lining
cuts off right here.
Yeah, M.L.I. found this
tucked inside his coat.
It's filled
with cash.
$3,814.62
exactly.
Uh, there was
this, too.
"Rich people are worth
more than poor people.
Life's not fair.
Grow up."
Captain,
with your permission,
I'll send this
to Harlan Emple.
See if he can
identify the maths.
Well, it gets weirder.
Position our guys
found the envelope in,
bullet would've went
right through it.
So somebody placed
it on the body
after he was shot.
So someone
kills a homeless man
in the middle of the
financial district,
leaves about $4,000
and a note saying
how little poor
people are worth.
If this is some sort of
political statement,
I don't get it.
The socioeconomic outrage
does bear the whiff
of theater, does it not?
If you're genuinely angry
about wealth inequality,
you don't tend to go around
shooting homeless people.
Harlan recognizes the formula.
He says it's used in civil law
to calculate
victim compensation.
Both it and the quote
are the brainchildren
of the same man,
an attorney
by the name of
Arlen Schrader.
He said this?
In public?
In print.
Well, if he's the shooter,
he basically signed his work.
This formula has made
Mr. Schrader
a wealthy man many times over,
so I doubt he'd want to draw
this kind of attention to it.
Well, whoever did it
wants us to connect this body
to that lawyer.
Go talk to him and find out why.
Specializing
in dispute resolution
and wrongful
death compensation.
Only the latest
in a long line
of euphemisms
for "blood money."
You know about this stuff?
Whenever a corporation
cuts corners
on a child's car seat
or allows poison
to penetrate our food
or rolls the dice
on an oil rig safety valve,
someone like Mr. Schrader
calculates the minimum
amount of money
they can pay the victims' loved
ones to keep them from suing.
Or, heaven forbid,
from clamoring for
criminal prosecution.
Maybe that's what the money
in the envelope is about.
That's what Schrader's formula
would have determined
each victim was worth?
So the killer set a price
and then paid it.
Bought the guy's life.
Just to make Schrader look bad?
An understandable,
if misapplied,
instinct.
Schrader makes his
living by reducing
the value of a person
to a dollar amount.
As if a widow
can find solace
in a husband-shaped
pile of money,
or a check can raise
an orphaned child.
It's repugnant.
You wouldn't be the first
to call me that.
Arlen Schrader.
You have some questions for me?
That comment
is constantly taken
out of context.
We'd be eager to hear an example
of the right context.
I didn't invent tort law, okay?
We base compensation,
in part,
on the lost future
earnings of the decedent.
Then this murder might be
the right context.
Our killer used your principles
to determine
Henry Wilseck's worth
and then left that amount
in exchange for his life.
Fair swap, in your eyes?
Anything wrong with that?
Of course there is.
The person you're talking about
fired a gun,
knowing it would
cause a man's death.
It's murder;
they should be punished.
By that measure,
many of your clients
should be behind bars,
should they not?
Perhaps if our killer
had incorporated first...
Whoever shot Henry Wilseck
wanted to make it about you.
We want to know if you know
anyone who would do that,
and why.
You're asking
if anyone hates me?
The line forms behind this guy.
Well, anyone
in particular
have reason
to cause you trouble?
Aside from
our colleague?
I was in a relationship.
With another attorney.
Her name is Erin Chatworth.
It was short,
but it was serious.
I broke it off and...
she was very angry.
I'll give you all
of her information.
Ms. Chatworth,
it's obvious to me
that you've recently stopped
wearing a wedding band.
Was your marriage
a casualty
of your affair
with Arlen Schrader?
And if so,
how angry were you
when he recused himself
from your pants?
You still haven't told me
what this is all about.
Did somebody hurt Arlen?
No.
No, but it does
look like
someone might have
a grudge against him.
Can you tell us
where you were last night,
between 1:00
and 4:00 a.m.?
Home, sleeping.
Where were you?
Mr. Schrader said
that he broke things off
because of a conflict
of interest,
but he did not elaborate.
No, I-I...
I bet he wouldn't.
Would you?
Do you remember
Aceway Flight 1059?
Uh, yeah.
A commuter flight
from LaGuardia
to Burlington, Vermont
that crashed last year.
80 people were killed.
81, actually.
NTSB blamed the airline,
said it was due
to faulty maintenance.
And that was the
client that he chose
over your relationship?
Potential client.
Arlen is one of the top
victims' comp attorneys
in the country,
so Aceway went to him first.
They haven't signed
anything yet,
but the billables
on that account
would be in the millions.
I do business
with a competing airline.
And that made you a liability.
Arlen dumped me
so he could profit
off 81 people's deaths.
Do you really think
I'm losing much sleep
because he's out of my life?
Schrader did bust up
her marriage
and her alibi
is weak,
but we don't think
she's involved.
What about the husband?
She said he was
seeing someone, too.
And there was a prenup in place
that paid out to him,
so he's actually pretty happy
about the way things turned out.
I'm gonna run him down
all the same.
Well, whoever left that cash
on the victim,
you were right
about it being a smear job.
All the tabloids
got copies of this
in the mail
this morning.
"By now, I have killed
Henry Wilseck.
"But I have paid the price.
"Ask the police.
Ask Arlen Schrader.
How much is any of us worth?"
Postmarks were from
two days ago.
We're checking
for prints, but...
considering
the note
that he left on
Wilseck was clean,
I'm not holding
my breath.
This'll get some headlines.
Well, talk radio
is already on it.
Schrader's taking as much heat
as the killer.
If he doesn't take back
some of the stuff he said,
his body might be
the next one we find.
What's all this?
You never come down here.
I was just...
uh, ruminating on the case.
The noise wake you?
No, actually it was
too quiet.
I couldn't sleep.
Is that why you're down here?
You were worried
about the noise?
Well, it did not
not cross my mind.
Well, you know you don't have
to tiptoe around for me, right?
I mean, I knew
what I was signing up for
when I said I wanted
to come back.
At my request,
Arlen Schrader sent over every
piece of hate mail he's received
from the last two years.
They're from people
who'd lost loved ones
and received a
smaller settlement
from an offending company
than they felt they deserved.
Or who were denied
compensation altogether.
I've been reviewing
them in the hope
that a viable suspect
would emerge.
But so far none has done me
the courtesy of leaping out.
Maybe it's someone who hates
Schrader for another reason.
I mean, considering the way
he broke things off
with Erin Chatworth,
I'm sure there are plenty.
Or perhaps
the killer is not
motivated by anger at all.
Ms. Chatworth mentioned
that the Aceway account
would be worth millions
in attorney's fees.
And that's just one client.
So, perhaps, as I'm sure
Mr. Schrader would put it,
it's just business.
So, you think it's
one of his competitors.
Another victims' comp attorney?
It would be an effective way
of stealing the company
away from Mr. Schrader...
don't you think?
It's one possibility.
There will be others.
You should sleep, Watson.
Unlike me,
you're more effective with it than without.
We'll review everything
in the morning.
I have to go to my apartment
tomorrow afternoon.
I have to do
a final walk-through
to get my security deposit back.
Will that be going
to charity as well?
Actually, I was thinking
it could go
towards restocking the kitchen.
All right.
I'll see you in the morning.
Matt was the entrepreneur
in the family.
Made his first million at 25.
It was, uh, phone apps
or something.
He was always on my ass to do
something with my crappy life.
Yeah, I used to get
just so ticked at him.
Just... said
he should support me
no matter what I was doing,
you know?
More than once,
I-I yelled at him
to just... shut up, you know?
But he just kept
coming to my gigs
no matter what.
Whoa.
I wasn't that good, was I?
I have some business
to take care of today.
It's a cash transaction.
Rich people.
Hey, you haven't told anyone
about this thing
we have, have you?
No.
Nobody knows you're slumming it.
Since when do you smoke?
Since I was ten.
You know, I quit for a while
when Matt died.
But guess it didn't stick.
Is that a problem?
No, of course not.
It just changes the math.
What math?
Frederic Duncan.
His friends called him Freddy.
He's 44 years old.
He's a drummer in a band
no one's ever heard of.
His girlfriend found him.
Her coworkers alibied her
for the time of the murder.
So, you said there
was another note?
"Dear Michael Cardenas:
"Just saved you more money.
You're welcome."
Cardenas is the CEO
of Aceway Airlines.
The company responsible for
the downed flight to Vermont.
The killer sent copies
of this to the press, too.
So, just like
with the first victim,
they know everything.
So, is Mr. Duncan also
bought and paid for?
Perp left
just under 80 grand
at the scene.
That's a hell of
a lot more than last time.
But considering Duncan
was only in his 40s,
I'd say the killer didn't think
his music career
was about to take off.
So, our culprit might
be a homicidal maniac,
but you can't say
they're not putting
their money where
their mouth is.
Any idea what they meant
when they said they're
saving the airline money?
Turns out this vic
and the first both had
family on Flight 1059.
Henry Wilseck lost an uncle.
Freddy Duncan lost a brother.
So, the killer's
targeting beneficiaries
of those lost on the plane?
Thanks to him, there's two
less people to pay out now.
So, we're trying to locate
all the beneficiaries.
But it's gonna take time.
Meanwhile, 79 more people
could be in his sights.
Place looks spotless.
I don't even think
we'll have to repaint.
Well, I guess I wasn't here
long enough to do any damage.
Well, we're sorry to lose you.
Always better to hang onto
a good tenant when we find one.
Thanks, but it's a great
apartment. I don't think
you're gonna have trouble
finding a new tenant.
Well, actually
we already have one.
Wow, that's fast, right?
I mean, even by
New York standards.
Apparently the guy wanted
the place sight unseen.
Don't know
how he heard about it.
We hadn't even
listed the place yet.
Only thing he asked for
was an upgrade
on the front lock.
He sent over his own deadbolt.
It's made by some
high-end company.
Supposed to be unpickable.
Fenstermacher?
Yeah. How'd you know?
Michael Cardenas,
this is Detective Marcus Bell.
Our consultant Sherlock Holmes.
This is Gayle Wilkins.
Aceway Airlines'
house counsel.
Really appreciate
you coming down.
Frankly, we preferred it
to you coming to us.
Media's been camped on
our doorstep all day.
We'd rather not give them a
shot of the police stopping by.
Some lunatic's out there
gunning people down,
and they're making us
the bad guys.
You know they're calling him
the Aceway Killer?
I can't even imagine
how infuriating
that must be
when you worked so hard
to earn that moniker
all by yourself.
Excuse me?
81 people are dead.
According to
an official investigation,
it's because
you chose to pinch pennies
on maintenance.
We are still contesting the
results of that investigation.
No criminal charges
have been filed.
I hope that's not what you
asked us here to talk about.
If you've been
following the news,
you know that the killer claims
that he's helping you.
Crazy people say crazy things.
Arlen Schrader had much
the same reaction
when the killer made
reference to him.
You're familiar
with Mr. Schrader, correct?
You talked to him
about administrating
your victims' comp?
You think that's
why we were targeted?
Because the killer has
a problem with him?
It's one possibility.
Another possibility
is that the killer
is not motivated by crazy,
but by greed.
We thought it was interesting
he went out of his way
to ding Aceway
when you and Schrader
weren't even in business yet.
Mr. Holmes here
wondered if the killer
was an attorney
in the same field.
Someone who stood to benefit
if Schrader dropped
out of the race.
Wait, you think all this
is about forcing our hand?
Who else did you talk to
about your problem?
Well, locally there
are two other firms
that do what Schrader does.
We talked to both of them.
But it wouldn't make
any sense for them
to do something like this.
This rampage makes them
as radioactive as him.
What do you mean?
He's not the
only one with a formula
to calculate a decedent's worth.
We still need
to discuss it with the
board, but we believe
we may need someone
with a less...
stratified approach.
You want a firm that will settle
the claims with a fixed sum.
Rather than pay the victims
according to their wealth,
all parties would get
the same amount.
Why not do that all along?
It would cost them more money.
What are the numbers?
The payouts that you would make
using Schrader's formula
or at least your sense of them?
Well, setting aside crew,
there were eight first class
passengers on the flight.
Each was well off.
We figure their families
would receive
somewhere in the range
of $10 million
to $15 million.
There were 67
passengers in coach.
Assuming average incomes
and life expectancies,
their survivors
would only receive
a few hundred thousand.
And if you switched
to the fixed sum?
Everyone gets about $5 million.
Captain and Detective, a word?
Would you excuse us a moment?
So...
we can agree that Mr. Cardenas
and his attorney
have just helped identify
a new suspect pool?
Beneficiaries of the
lower-income victims
of Flight 1059.
Schrader's formula
would've factored in
those victims'
earning potential.
Their families would've
gotten less money.
So, if you smear Schrader,
smear Aceway,
and the airline's hands
are tied.
Fixed sum is the only way to go.
You said you were
preparing a list
of the beneficiaries.
Can I see it?
The murders have sparked
a growing controversy over
the way companies like Aceway
calculate victims' compensation.
According to a statement
from the airlines,
they've made no decision
yet about Flight 1059,
and are currently exploring
all their options.
In the meantime,
the airline expressed sympathy
for the two shooting victims,
and its hope
that whoever is responsible
will be quickly found.
Penny?
You forgot I was coming?
No, I've just been busy.
I can see.
Can I come in?
You're redecorating?
It's been a few years.
I wanted a change.
Dana...
You're my sister,
not my mother.
Today I'm neither.
I'm your accountant.
And it's time to face facts.
You can't afford
to live this way.
Not anymore.
I'm trying to help you.
Have you been watching the news?
It's tax season.
I've been underwater. Why?
I think things are
gonna get better
for me.
I'm going to be able
to pay what I owe.
What are you talking about?
I'm working on something,
a project.
If you've invested with another
of those hedge fund guys,
I swear to God...
I'm not stupid, Penny.
I'm sorry.
Is this "project" going
to pay out in the next 90 days?
The money is tied up.
It's complicated.
This came
from the bank today.
They're gonna take
the house.
If you want to get any
money out of it at all,
you have to sell now.
I can do it.
Get the money sooner.
How?
Well, I've already made a fuss about it.
I just have to make
a bigger fuss.
What, did you run out
of room in the basement?
I have risen,
as per your instructions.
Well, I thought you
were at the station,
so I went there after
my walk-through.
Marcus brought
me up to speed.
So I take it the amounts are
how much Schrader would say
each person on the crashed
plane was worth?
Mm-hmm, my approximation
with the help of the airline.
Here in the proverbial cheap
seats is where we find
the victims whose survivors
would benefit most
from uniform
settlements.
I've identified
three such beneficiaries
who live locally and had
a history of violent crime.
Seems reasonable to look
at them first, eh?
Oh, that reminds me... Marcus
gave me a ballistics report.
It confirms that the
same gun was used
to kill Wilseck
and Duncan.
It was traced back
to a private trader
at a gun show
in Virginia.
A state which requires
no paperwork
for such
a transaction.
No, but the seller
remembered the buyer.
Sort of.
White male, 40s,
walked with a limp.
Would you get the appropriate
photographs to him,
see if he recognizes any of
the crash victims' loved ones?
Marcus is
already on it.
But unfortunately
there is no guarantee
that the gun is still in
the buyer's possession.
He could have sold
it to someone,
who sold it so someone,
who sold it to someone.
And God bless America.
Are we completely
off the idea
that the killer is a
rival of Schrader's?
We've put that to one side.
This new suspect pool is more
viable and better defined.
Why did you rent
my apartment?
That was you, right?
I mean, Fenstermacher
is your lock of choice.
And we both know how much
you hated my old one.
I was assured that work
would not be done today.
Yesterday, it was obvious
that you did not want me
to get rid of my things.
And then you worked in
the basement, you said
that you did not
want to bother me.
But maybe you didn't
want me bothering you.
Now, if you did not want me to
move back into the brownstone,
you could have just said so.
Captain.
The Aceway Killer struck again.
Or at least he tried to strike.
Took a shot through a window
out here in Nassau County.
Got spooked and ran off.
The woman he was after was
only shaken up, luckily.
She's gonna be all right.
I take it she also had family
on Flight 1059?
Mm.
Her husband.
The local PD is taking
her statement now.
She didn't get a good
look at the shooter,
so she may not be able
to help us much anyway.
But who knows?
Maybe she'll surprise us.
I was walking into the kitchen,
and I saw the man
standing about there.
He was wearing a ski mask.
He looked right at me,
and he pulled out
a gun and fired.
So I ran, I-I made it
to the alarm panel.
And I hit
the panic button.
Mrs. Powell's service
includes an on-site alarm
and notification
of 911.
We figure he ran
when he heard it go off.
Nassau police found a set
of men's shoe prints.
Looks like he fired
from here,
then ran to the back fence
and scaled it.
Did you notice that
the shooter had a limp?
I'm sorry, what?
Well, the, uh,
the left shoe
that, you know,
made this footprint
is worn away
on its inside edge, so...
It was dark... I-I hid as soon
as I got to the alarm.
I don't think
I saw him walk at all.
The gun dealer
you spoke to described a man
who had trouble
walking.
That could explain the uneven wear.
Mmm.
Gun dealer?
Yeah, we thought we had a lead
on where the
weapon came from,
but I sent the dealer the
pictures we talked about.
No luck.
So, does anyone else
live here with you?
No, why?
Well, I just,
I noticed
that your bedroom's
on the ground floor.
That's just unusual
in a house this size.
Well, after Nick,
uh, my husband, died,
the house just felt too big,
so I moved downstairs.
Our condolences
on your loss.
Police canvassed
the neighborhood and asked
if anyone saw the shooter
coming or going,
but most people
were asleep.
In the meantime, the dealer
who sold the gun is sitting
with a sketch artist
in Virginia.
We should have
something soon.
A shame he didn't identify any
of our white male beneficiaries.
I still believe that
the killer is connected
to a victim of
Flight 1059.
Why did you ask
about Dana Powell's bedroom
being downstairs?
It was nothing.
My brain's struggling to bring
a hazy scene into focus.
I thought there might
have been another witness
with whom we
could speak.
In any event, that is
no longer the feature
of Mrs. Powell's property
which interests me the most.
That distinction
presently falls...
to this fence.
The shooter entered
and exited the property
by climbing over it here.
The evidence suggests
he has a physical disability.
There are easier points
of egress and ingress,
so why choose this one?
So he wouldn't be seen?
Mm, that in turn raises
other questions.
In both of the previous murders,
the killer was in close
proximity to his victims
when he pulled the trigger.
Right in their personal space.
He shot Mr. Duncan
in his own kitchen.
Maybe Duncan knew him,
trusted him.
Here, in contrast,
we have a ham-fisted attempt
to sneak up on Mrs. Powell
through her backyard.
It's out of character.
Something's different.
You two need
to see this.
The police are sure
it was the Aceway Killer?
Well, I don't see how
there could be any doubt.
My husband was
on Flight 1059.
Are you afraid
he might come after you again?
No, I'm not
afraid, I'm angry.
The man who's doing this
seems to have a problem
with the way certain
families may be compensated
by the airline.
He seems to think that everyone
should be treated the same.
But you know what?
My husband was a
commodities broker.
He made something of himself.
He worked hard,
he earned millions.
What exactly
are you saying, Mrs. Powell?
Well, I'm sorry, but I'm
supposed to stand here
and say that my husband wasn't
worth more than a teacher?
Or a waitress?
Or a garbage man?
Nick made something of himself.
So did some of the other
people on that plane.
Why shouldn't they
be recognized?
Why shouldn't their
families receive more?
The term "tone-deaf"
comes to mind.
How did she think that was gonna
play to the guy on the street?
Not to mention
the Aceway boardroom.
If they're still on the fence
about settling claims
with fixed sums,
they won't be for long.
She probably just gave the
killer exactly what he wants.
Nick made something of himself.
So did some of the other people
on that plane.
Why shouldn't
they be recognized?
Why shouldn't their families
receive more?
Marcus called... the sketch
from the gun dealer
should be here soon.
He'll e-mail us
once he gets it.
Aceway Airlines released
a statement an hour ago.
As expected, they're
settling everyone's claims
via a fixed sum.
Well, after
that interview,
I don't think
they had much choice.
Interesting woman, no?
We saw none of this outrage
this morning.
Yet, the moment there's
a camera in front of her...
She lost
her husband,
and someone tried
to kill her last night.
You think those details
explain her outburst?
What, you think
almost dying is a detail?
Captain Gregson's
been keeping me apprised
as the police continue to locate
and question the beneficiaries.
One of them, a woman
who lost her son,
has been attending a
grief counseling group
for the last
ten months.
Freddy Duncan, the Aceway
Killer's second victim,
was also a member.
As was Dana Powell.
Wait, what are you saying?
You think she's the killer?
I think she may be the killer.
Or at least one of them.
We've still yet to identify
the man with the limp.
Mrs. Powell and Mr.
Duncan were known to chat
before and
after meetings,
so perhaps she was gathering
information, gaining his trust.
She might have done the
same with Henry Wilseck,
although we'll never be
able to confirm that.
Well, that doesn't
make sense.
I mean, her husband was
a commodities broker.
He was in the prime
of life.
She stood to make two, maybe
three, times what she will now.
Why would she go
to all this trouble
just to have the airline
pay her less?
That's precisely the question
I've been asking myself.
Yesterday, you asked me
why I held on to your apartment.
You worry that I'm
having second thoughts
about your return here.
I merely question your haste.
The timing of it all.
So I took steps to keep
your options open.
For your benefit.
Do you want me
living here or not?
I do... I have never
wavered on that.
Even having you here
the last few days
has had a measurable benefit
to our process.
Then what is it?
For a long time,
I have argued
that you should fully embrace
the life of a detective.
You've always had
a valid rebuttal.
I might not share your need
for a more balanced existence,
but I accept it.
Now, abruptly, my words hold
more truth for you.
In your rush to shed the skin
of your former self,
you're abandoning
your belongings
as if leaving the site
of a contamination.
You think this is
all about Andrew?
How could it not be?
I know that
you and Andrew
were only together
for a short while.
But I worry that,
in the aftermath of a trauma,
you might be...
overadjusting.
That moving back
might not be
the progression that
you believe it to be,
but might be
a regression,
a retreat into
the safety of the known.
I suppose I just
want to ensure
that I haven't been
too quick to encourage.
That I haven't
unwittingly cast myself
in the role of enabler.
Maybe I don't know
how much of this
is a reaction to what happened.
Maybe I do need
a safe place right now.
Is that so bad?
Is there something wrong with me
feeling like this is home?
It's the sketch
of the man
who bought the gun
in Virginia,
the man with
the limp.
What if I told you
that he died
over a year ago?
In a plane crash?
With 80 other people?
Nick Powell.
Dana's husband?
It's not an exact match.
Sketches rarely are.
But look at the widow's peak.
Bridge of the nose.
If you're right,
if her husband was
the one who bought
the murder weapon...
Then I dare say I'm right,
she's involved in the killings.
The question remains:
why go to such lengths
to make the airline
pay out less money?
Actually, I don't think
she would get less.
I think she'd get more.
Her husband's
life
may not have been worth much
after all.
According to an official press
release from Aceway Airlines,
the decision to expedite
the claims process
was made in the hopes it will
allow the families
affected by Flight 1059
to find whatever closure they
can as quickly as possible.
Aceway was quick to add,
however,
that this is not
an admission of wrongdoing.
Penny?
You didn't call me
yesterday.
Someone tried
to kill you
and you didn't...
Why are you crying?
A few friends called me
after they saw you
on the news yesterday.
They were... surprised
by what you said.
You don't think I deserve more?
You remember when
I graduated college?
You couldn't understand
why Mom and Dad
would pay for
grad school for me,
but not buy
you a car.
Right after that, you left home.
And I've done fine for myself.
Of course you have.
You always do.
Aceway's settling.
I heard.
You must be happy.
No, I'm...
relieved.
Now I don't have
to sell the house.
Not this year.
You know that I love you, right?
That you can tell me anything.
What would I have
to tell you?
You've always had a...
fixation when it comes to money.
When it comes to
what you... deserve.
The person who killed
those two men
seems to have one, too.
I just want to help you.
I thought it was interesting,
the way he left
that money behind.
The killer?
Yesterday,
he could've afforded me;
today he can't.
The world is funny that way.
How much do you think
you're worth, Penny?
Dana Powell! Police!
Open the door!
We have a warrant!
I didn't call them.
We found these
in your bedroom closet.
They match the impressions
we found in your backyard.
That's because you used these
to make them.
You faked the attempt
on your life, didn't you?
You don't have
to answer that question.
These were your
husband's shoes.
Nick?
Who was killed
on Flight 1059?
So?
Mrs. Powell...
This is really all about
your husband, is it not?
Or, rather, the life
that you had with him,
that you still believe
you're entitled to.
The life you had
before tragedy struck.
I'm not talking
about the plane crash.
I'm talking about
the first tragedy.
The gun dealer in Virginia
identified your husband
as the man he sold the gun to.
Nick lost partial use
of one of his legs.
That's why you moved your
bedroom to the ground floor.
He could no longer
make it up the stairs.
He also developed
dysconjugate gaze,
a misalignment of the eyes
due to weakened muscle control.
Both are symptoms
of glioblastoma,
a highly aggressive brain tumor.
Now, a man develops
a brain tumor,
his symptoms come on fast,
and then he buys a gun.
Now, maybe he was thinking
about taking his own life.
Maybe he just wanted you
to feel safe
after he was gone.
Either way, it wasn't long
before he started taking
regular flights to Vermont.
Well, we were thinking about
buying a second home in Stowe.
It's not a crime to like to ski.
Neither is
physician-assisted suicide.
At least, not in Vermont.
Your husband was planning
to establish residency,
was he not?
Looking to avail himself
of the state's laws.
Even if Nick
had not died in a plane crash,
I'm guessing he only had
a few months to live.
You realized that
if the airline hired
Arlen Schrader,
his investigation would uncover
your husband's illness.
He would factor in
Nick's tragically short
life expectancy
and you would receive
a small amount.
If the airline, however,
paid a fixed sum,
you'd get millions.
This is some tale
you're spinning.
But so far,
I don't hear a thing
that connects
Mrs. Powell to any murders.
Her husband
bought the gun
that was used to kill Henry
Wilseck and Freddy Duncan.
That's not
in question.
Now, neither is the
fact that it was used
to fire a bullet through
her window the other night.
Now, the gun
hasn't turned up.
Doesn't mean
it won't.
Even without it,
I like our chances.
The captain believes there
might be a deal to be struck.
That you will
spend the bulk
of your remaining days
in prison is...
well, it's a virtual certainty.
What kind of prison,
on the other hand...
You can find yourself
in a hole in the ground...
Or a room with a view.
Somewhere with a yard,
exercise equipment.
More white-collar criminals
than blue.
I mean...
it really just comes
down to this, Mrs. Powell:
what do you think you deserve?
Hey. I've got
something to show you.
It's in the
basement.
Is that a nail gun?
Be right down!
I'm gonna use
the other door.
So, what do you think?
I think you've taken me up
on my offer
to store some of your things.
Well, I am not storing them,
I am arranging them.
You were right.
It took me a while
to get my balance again
and I don't want to lose that,
I don't want to give it up.
So I decided to claim
a little space of my own.
In the basement.
Well, it's not perfect,
but it'll be mine.
And for either of us
to get down here,
we'll have to physically
leave the brownstone.
I mean, maybe it
sounds a little weird...
No, not at all.
You know, I once walled myself
into a section of 221B.
I did not leave
access to a door,
nor did I require one for
several weeks. But, um...
Well, I'll keep
my bedroom upstairs
and I'll work down here.
And I can have meetings
with my own clients.
This way, you'll feel a little
less like you're enabling me.
Um, I'm going to need
a couple of days
to clear some things out.
Some, uh, experiments.
Prolonged exposure
could present a...
health risk.
All right,
I'm not going to stop you.
Well, then, I suppose
I should see someone
about backing out of a lease.
Andrew, are you okay?
Oh, my God.
Somebody call an ambulance!
One, two, three...
I feel clear
about something.
It's ridiculous for me to think
that I can have a normal life.
I'm a detective.
I'm ready to embrace that.
I want to come back
to the brownstone.
Ah, Watson.
May I present Luc?
Luc, Watson.
What are
you doing here?
Luc has agreed
to handle your move.
I helped his relatives emigrate
from Guadeloupe many years ago,
and in return, he assists me
with matters which require
physical labor.
Well, it's bad enough
you broke in here,
but breaking in and
taking my things
could be construed
as burglary.
I did not break in.
I have chastised
you repeatedly
about that lock's
inadequacy.
Not changing it was the
same as giving me a key.
I appreciate that, but I've
already hired real movers
to come and take my
things in the morning.
No offense, Luc.
Luc speaks not one word of English.
In fact,
he barely speaks at all.
It is but one
of his many virtues.
And a real moving company
will set foot in the brownstone
over my moldering corpse.
It is our sanctum
and our stronghold,
and I trust no one but Luc
within its confines.
Uh, those are things that are
not going to the brownstone.
Where else would they be going?
Well, I'm moving into a furnished place,
so I'm just gonna take
what I need from my room
and the rest can be donated.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather
just keep them in storage?
We have plenty of room
in our basement.
You are the one that said
that all of this
was me attempting
to have a life
that wasn't me.
You were right,
so I am done here.
And I'm done with
all of these things.
It's a beautiful piece.
They all are.
Thanks.
I take it you are
the original owner of all this?
I am.
Do you have the receipts?
Well, they were gifts
from my husband, so... no.
I'm sorry.
I'll, uh, I'll add it up
and write you a check.
Actually, it-it has to be cash.
Henry...
Remember me?
I've brought you some
clothes a few times.
Roast beef sandwich,
chicken soup...
Victim's name
is Henry Wilseck.
Had a Pennsylvania
driver's license on him
that expired
seven years ago.
He also had some
psychological problems,
at least according to
the canvassing
we did.
He'd been sleeping
in the park for months.
Any family?
Still following the info
on the license,
but looks like he fell through
the cracks a long time ago.
Did anyone remove
anything from the body?
Because the bloodstain
on the inner lining
cuts off right here.
Yeah, M.L.I. found this
tucked inside his coat.
It's filled
with cash.
$3,814.62
exactly.
Uh, there was
this, too.
"Rich people are worth
more than poor people.
Life's not fair.
Grow up."
Captain,
with your permission,
I'll send this
to Harlan Emple.
See if he can
identify the maths.
Well, it gets weirder.
Position our guys
found the envelope in,
bullet would've went
right through it.
So somebody placed
it on the body
after he was shot.
So someone
kills a homeless man
in the middle of the
financial district,
leaves about $4,000
and a note saying
how little poor
people are worth.
If this is some sort of
political statement,
I don't get it.
The socioeconomic outrage
does bear the whiff
of theater, does it not?
If you're genuinely angry
about wealth inequality,
you don't tend to go around
shooting homeless people.
Harlan recognizes the formula.
He says it's used in civil law
to calculate
victim compensation.
Both it and the quote
are the brainchildren
of the same man,
an attorney
by the name of
Arlen Schrader.
He said this?
In public?
In print.
Well, if he's the shooter,
he basically signed his work.
This formula has made
Mr. Schrader
a wealthy man many times over,
so I doubt he'd want to draw
this kind of attention to it.
Well, whoever did it
wants us to connect this body
to that lawyer.
Go talk to him and find out why.
Specializing
in dispute resolution
and wrongful
death compensation.
Only the latest
in a long line
of euphemisms
for "blood money."
You know about this stuff?
Whenever a corporation
cuts corners
on a child's car seat
or allows poison
to penetrate our food
or rolls the dice
on an oil rig safety valve,
someone like Mr. Schrader
calculates the minimum
amount of money
they can pay the victims' loved
ones to keep them from suing.
Or, heaven forbid,
from clamoring for
criminal prosecution.
Maybe that's what the money
in the envelope is about.
That's what Schrader's formula
would have determined
each victim was worth?
So the killer set a price
and then paid it.
Bought the guy's life.
Just to make Schrader look bad?
An understandable,
if misapplied,
instinct.
Schrader makes his
living by reducing
the value of a person
to a dollar amount.
As if a widow
can find solace
in a husband-shaped
pile of money,
or a check can raise
an orphaned child.
It's repugnant.
You wouldn't be the first
to call me that.
Arlen Schrader.
You have some questions for me?
That comment
is constantly taken
out of context.
We'd be eager to hear an example
of the right context.
I didn't invent tort law, okay?
We base compensation,
in part,
on the lost future
earnings of the decedent.
Then this murder might be
the right context.
Our killer used your principles
to determine
Henry Wilseck's worth
and then left that amount
in exchange for his life.
Fair swap, in your eyes?
Anything wrong with that?
Of course there is.
The person you're talking about
fired a gun,
knowing it would
cause a man's death.
It's murder;
they should be punished.
By that measure,
many of your clients
should be behind bars,
should they not?
Perhaps if our killer
had incorporated first...
Whoever shot Henry Wilseck
wanted to make it about you.
We want to know if you know
anyone who would do that,
and why.
You're asking
if anyone hates me?
The line forms behind this guy.
Well, anyone
in particular
have reason
to cause you trouble?
Aside from
our colleague?
I was in a relationship.
With another attorney.
Her name is Erin Chatworth.
It was short,
but it was serious.
I broke it off and...
she was very angry.
I'll give you all
of her information.
Ms. Chatworth,
it's obvious to me
that you've recently stopped
wearing a wedding band.
Was your marriage
a casualty
of your affair
with Arlen Schrader?
And if so,
how angry were you
when he recused himself
from your pants?
You still haven't told me
what this is all about.
Did somebody hurt Arlen?
No.
No, but it does
look like
someone might have
a grudge against him.
Can you tell us
where you were last night,
between 1:00
and 4:00 a.m.?
Home, sleeping.
Where were you?
Mr. Schrader said
that he broke things off
because of a conflict
of interest,
but he did not elaborate.
No, I-I...
I bet he wouldn't.
Would you?
Do you remember
Aceway Flight 1059?
Uh, yeah.
A commuter flight
from LaGuardia
to Burlington, Vermont
that crashed last year.
80 people were killed.
81, actually.
NTSB blamed the airline,
said it was due
to faulty maintenance.
And that was the
client that he chose
over your relationship?
Potential client.
Arlen is one of the top
victims' comp attorneys
in the country,
so Aceway went to him first.
They haven't signed
anything yet,
but the billables
on that account
would be in the millions.
I do business
with a competing airline.
And that made you a liability.
Arlen dumped me
so he could profit
off 81 people's deaths.
Do you really think
I'm losing much sleep
because he's out of my life?
Schrader did bust up
her marriage
and her alibi
is weak,
but we don't think
she's involved.
What about the husband?
She said he was
seeing someone, too.
And there was a prenup in place
that paid out to him,
so he's actually pretty happy
about the way things turned out.
I'm gonna run him down
all the same.
Well, whoever left that cash
on the victim,
you were right
about it being a smear job.
All the tabloids
got copies of this
in the mail
this morning.
"By now, I have killed
Henry Wilseck.
"But I have paid the price.
"Ask the police.
Ask Arlen Schrader.
How much is any of us worth?"
Postmarks were from
two days ago.
We're checking
for prints, but...
considering
the note
that he left on
Wilseck was clean,
I'm not holding
my breath.
This'll get some headlines.
Well, talk radio
is already on it.
Schrader's taking as much heat
as the killer.
If he doesn't take back
some of the stuff he said,
his body might be
the next one we find.
What's all this?
You never come down here.
I was just...
uh, ruminating on the case.
The noise wake you?
No, actually it was
too quiet.
I couldn't sleep.
Is that why you're down here?
You were worried
about the noise?
Well, it did not
not cross my mind.
Well, you know you don't have
to tiptoe around for me, right?
I mean, I knew
what I was signing up for
when I said I wanted
to come back.
At my request,
Arlen Schrader sent over every
piece of hate mail he's received
from the last two years.
They're from people
who'd lost loved ones
and received a
smaller settlement
from an offending company
than they felt they deserved.
Or who were denied
compensation altogether.
I've been reviewing
them in the hope
that a viable suspect
would emerge.
But so far none has done me
the courtesy of leaping out.
Maybe it's someone who hates
Schrader for another reason.
I mean, considering the way
he broke things off
with Erin Chatworth,
I'm sure there are plenty.
Or perhaps
the killer is not
motivated by anger at all.
Ms. Chatworth mentioned
that the Aceway account
would be worth millions
in attorney's fees.
And that's just one client.
So, perhaps, as I'm sure
Mr. Schrader would put it,
it's just business.
So, you think it's
one of his competitors.
Another victims' comp attorney?
It would be an effective way
of stealing the company
away from Mr. Schrader...
don't you think?
It's one possibility.
There will be others.
You should sleep, Watson.
Unlike me,
you're more effective with it than without.
We'll review everything
in the morning.
I have to go to my apartment
tomorrow afternoon.
I have to do
a final walk-through
to get my security deposit back.
Will that be going
to charity as well?
Actually, I was thinking
it could go
towards restocking the kitchen.
All right.
I'll see you in the morning.
Matt was the entrepreneur
in the family.
Made his first million at 25.
It was, uh, phone apps
or something.
He was always on my ass to do
something with my crappy life.
Yeah, I used to get
just so ticked at him.
Just... said
he should support me
no matter what I was doing,
you know?
More than once,
I-I yelled at him
to just... shut up, you know?
But he just kept
coming to my gigs
no matter what.
Whoa.
I wasn't that good, was I?
I have some business
to take care of today.
It's a cash transaction.
Rich people.
Hey, you haven't told anyone
about this thing
we have, have you?
No.
Nobody knows you're slumming it.
Since when do you smoke?
Since I was ten.
You know, I quit for a while
when Matt died.
But guess it didn't stick.
Is that a problem?
No, of course not.
It just changes the math.
What math?
Frederic Duncan.
His friends called him Freddy.
He's 44 years old.
He's a drummer in a band
no one's ever heard of.
His girlfriend found him.
Her coworkers alibied her
for the time of the murder.
So, you said there
was another note?
"Dear Michael Cardenas:
"Just saved you more money.
You're welcome."
Cardenas is the CEO
of Aceway Airlines.
The company responsible for
the downed flight to Vermont.
The killer sent copies
of this to the press, too.
So, just like
with the first victim,
they know everything.
So, is Mr. Duncan also
bought and paid for?
Perp left
just under 80 grand
at the scene.
That's a hell of
a lot more than last time.
But considering Duncan
was only in his 40s,
I'd say the killer didn't think
his music career
was about to take off.
So, our culprit might
be a homicidal maniac,
but you can't say
they're not putting
their money where
their mouth is.
Any idea what they meant
when they said they're
saving the airline money?
Turns out this vic
and the first both had
family on Flight 1059.
Henry Wilseck lost an uncle.
Freddy Duncan lost a brother.
So, the killer's
targeting beneficiaries
of those lost on the plane?
Thanks to him, there's two
less people to pay out now.
So, we're trying to locate
all the beneficiaries.
But it's gonna take time.
Meanwhile, 79 more people
could be in his sights.
Place looks spotless.
I don't even think
we'll have to repaint.
Well, I guess I wasn't here
long enough to do any damage.
Well, we're sorry to lose you.
Always better to hang onto
a good tenant when we find one.
Thanks, but it's a great
apartment. I don't think
you're gonna have trouble
finding a new tenant.
Well, actually
we already have one.
Wow, that's fast, right?
I mean, even by
New York standards.
Apparently the guy wanted
the place sight unseen.
Don't know
how he heard about it.
We hadn't even
listed the place yet.
Only thing he asked for
was an upgrade
on the front lock.
He sent over his own deadbolt.
It's made by some
high-end company.
Supposed to be unpickable.
Fenstermacher?
Yeah. How'd you know?
Michael Cardenas,
this is Detective Marcus Bell.
Our consultant Sherlock Holmes.
This is Gayle Wilkins.
Aceway Airlines'
house counsel.
Really appreciate
you coming down.
Frankly, we preferred it
to you coming to us.
Media's been camped on
our doorstep all day.
We'd rather not give them a
shot of the police stopping by.
Some lunatic's out there
gunning people down,
and they're making us
the bad guys.
You know they're calling him
the Aceway Killer?
I can't even imagine
how infuriating
that must be
when you worked so hard
to earn that moniker
all by yourself.
Excuse me?
81 people are dead.
According to
an official investigation,
it's because
you chose to pinch pennies
on maintenance.
We are still contesting the
results of that investigation.
No criminal charges
have been filed.
I hope that's not what you
asked us here to talk about.
If you've been
following the news,
you know that the killer claims
that he's helping you.
Crazy people say crazy things.
Arlen Schrader had much
the same reaction
when the killer made
reference to him.
You're familiar
with Mr. Schrader, correct?
You talked to him
about administrating
your victims' comp?
You think that's
why we were targeted?
Because the killer has
a problem with him?
It's one possibility.
Another possibility
is that the killer
is not motivated by crazy,
but by greed.
We thought it was interesting
he went out of his way
to ding Aceway
when you and Schrader
weren't even in business yet.
Mr. Holmes here
wondered if the killer
was an attorney
in the same field.
Someone who stood to benefit
if Schrader dropped
out of the race.
Wait, you think all this
is about forcing our hand?
Who else did you talk to
about your problem?
Well, locally there
are two other firms
that do what Schrader does.
We talked to both of them.
But it wouldn't make
any sense for them
to do something like this.
This rampage makes them
as radioactive as him.
What do you mean?
He's not the
only one with a formula
to calculate a decedent's worth.
We still need
to discuss it with the
board, but we believe
we may need someone
with a less...
stratified approach.
You want a firm that will settle
the claims with a fixed sum.
Rather than pay the victims
according to their wealth,
all parties would get
the same amount.
Why not do that all along?
It would cost them more money.
What are the numbers?
The payouts that you would make
using Schrader's formula
or at least your sense of them?
Well, setting aside crew,
there were eight first class
passengers on the flight.
Each was well off.
We figure their families
would receive
somewhere in the range
of $10 million
to $15 million.
There were 67
passengers in coach.
Assuming average incomes
and life expectancies,
their survivors
would only receive
a few hundred thousand.
And if you switched
to the fixed sum?
Everyone gets about $5 million.
Captain and Detective, a word?
Would you excuse us a moment?
So...
we can agree that Mr. Cardenas
and his attorney
have just helped identify
a new suspect pool?
Beneficiaries of the
lower-income victims
of Flight 1059.
Schrader's formula
would've factored in
those victims'
earning potential.
Their families would've
gotten less money.
So, if you smear Schrader,
smear Aceway,
and the airline's hands
are tied.
Fixed sum is the only way to go.
You said you were
preparing a list
of the beneficiaries.
Can I see it?
The murders have sparked
a growing controversy over
the way companies like Aceway
calculate victims' compensation.
According to a statement
from the airlines,
they've made no decision
yet about Flight 1059,
and are currently exploring
all their options.
In the meantime,
the airline expressed sympathy
for the two shooting victims,
and its hope
that whoever is responsible
will be quickly found.
Penny?
You forgot I was coming?
No, I've just been busy.
I can see.
Can I come in?
You're redecorating?
It's been a few years.
I wanted a change.
Dana...
You're my sister,
not my mother.
Today I'm neither.
I'm your accountant.
And it's time to face facts.
You can't afford
to live this way.
Not anymore.
I'm trying to help you.
Have you been watching the news?
It's tax season.
I've been underwater. Why?
I think things are
gonna get better
for me.
I'm going to be able
to pay what I owe.
What are you talking about?
I'm working on something,
a project.
If you've invested with another
of those hedge fund guys,
I swear to God...
I'm not stupid, Penny.
I'm sorry.
Is this "project" going
to pay out in the next 90 days?
The money is tied up.
It's complicated.
This came
from the bank today.
They're gonna take
the house.
If you want to get any
money out of it at all,
you have to sell now.
I can do it.
Get the money sooner.
How?
Well, I've already made a fuss about it.
I just have to make
a bigger fuss.
What, did you run out
of room in the basement?
I have risen,
as per your instructions.
Well, I thought you
were at the station,
so I went there after
my walk-through.
Marcus brought
me up to speed.
So I take it the amounts are
how much Schrader would say
each person on the crashed
plane was worth?
Mm-hmm, my approximation
with the help of the airline.
Here in the proverbial cheap
seats is where we find
the victims whose survivors
would benefit most
from uniform
settlements.
I've identified
three such beneficiaries
who live locally and had
a history of violent crime.
Seems reasonable to look
at them first, eh?
Oh, that reminds me... Marcus
gave me a ballistics report.
It confirms that the
same gun was used
to kill Wilseck
and Duncan.
It was traced back
to a private trader
at a gun show
in Virginia.
A state which requires
no paperwork
for such
a transaction.
No, but the seller
remembered the buyer.
Sort of.
White male, 40s,
walked with a limp.
Would you get the appropriate
photographs to him,
see if he recognizes any of
the crash victims' loved ones?
Marcus is
already on it.
But unfortunately
there is no guarantee
that the gun is still in
the buyer's possession.
He could have sold
it to someone,
who sold it so someone,
who sold it to someone.
And God bless America.
Are we completely
off the idea
that the killer is a
rival of Schrader's?
We've put that to one side.
This new suspect pool is more
viable and better defined.
Why did you rent
my apartment?
That was you, right?
I mean, Fenstermacher
is your lock of choice.
And we both know how much
you hated my old one.
I was assured that work
would not be done today.
Yesterday, it was obvious
that you did not want me
to get rid of my things.
And then you worked in
the basement, you said
that you did not
want to bother me.
But maybe you didn't
want me bothering you.
Now, if you did not want me to
move back into the brownstone,
you could have just said so.
Captain.
The Aceway Killer struck again.
Or at least he tried to strike.
Took a shot through a window
out here in Nassau County.
Got spooked and ran off.
The woman he was after was
only shaken up, luckily.
She's gonna be all right.
I take it she also had family
on Flight 1059?
Mm.
Her husband.
The local PD is taking
her statement now.
She didn't get a good
look at the shooter,
so she may not be able
to help us much anyway.
But who knows?
Maybe she'll surprise us.
I was walking into the kitchen,
and I saw the man
standing about there.
He was wearing a ski mask.
He looked right at me,
and he pulled out
a gun and fired.
So I ran, I-I made it
to the alarm panel.
And I hit
the panic button.
Mrs. Powell's service
includes an on-site alarm
and notification
of 911.
We figure he ran
when he heard it go off.
Nassau police found a set
of men's shoe prints.
Looks like he fired
from here,
then ran to the back fence
and scaled it.
Did you notice that
the shooter had a limp?
I'm sorry, what?
Well, the, uh,
the left shoe
that, you know,
made this footprint
is worn away
on its inside edge, so...
It was dark... I-I hid as soon
as I got to the alarm.
I don't think
I saw him walk at all.
The gun dealer
you spoke to described a man
who had trouble
walking.
That could explain the uneven wear.
Mmm.
Gun dealer?
Yeah, we thought we had a lead
on where the
weapon came from,
but I sent the dealer the
pictures we talked about.
No luck.
So, does anyone else
live here with you?
No, why?
Well, I just,
I noticed
that your bedroom's
on the ground floor.
That's just unusual
in a house this size.
Well, after Nick,
uh, my husband, died,
the house just felt too big,
so I moved downstairs.
Our condolences
on your loss.
Police canvassed
the neighborhood and asked
if anyone saw the shooter
coming or going,
but most people
were asleep.
In the meantime, the dealer
who sold the gun is sitting
with a sketch artist
in Virginia.
We should have
something soon.
A shame he didn't identify any
of our white male beneficiaries.
I still believe that
the killer is connected
to a victim of
Flight 1059.
Why did you ask
about Dana Powell's bedroom
being downstairs?
It was nothing.
My brain's struggling to bring
a hazy scene into focus.
I thought there might
have been another witness
with whom we
could speak.
In any event, that is
no longer the feature
of Mrs. Powell's property
which interests me the most.
That distinction
presently falls...
to this fence.
The shooter entered
and exited the property
by climbing over it here.
The evidence suggests
he has a physical disability.
There are easier points
of egress and ingress,
so why choose this one?
So he wouldn't be seen?
Mm, that in turn raises
other questions.
In both of the previous murders,
the killer was in close
proximity to his victims
when he pulled the trigger.
Right in their personal space.
He shot Mr. Duncan
in his own kitchen.
Maybe Duncan knew him,
trusted him.
Here, in contrast,
we have a ham-fisted attempt
to sneak up on Mrs. Powell
through her backyard.
It's out of character.
Something's different.
You two need
to see this.
The police are sure
it was the Aceway Killer?
Well, I don't see how
there could be any doubt.
My husband was
on Flight 1059.
Are you afraid
he might come after you again?
No, I'm not
afraid, I'm angry.
The man who's doing this
seems to have a problem
with the way certain
families may be compensated
by the airline.
He seems to think that everyone
should be treated the same.
But you know what?
My husband was a
commodities broker.
He made something of himself.
He worked hard,
he earned millions.
What exactly
are you saying, Mrs. Powell?
Well, I'm sorry, but I'm
supposed to stand here
and say that my husband wasn't
worth more than a teacher?
Or a waitress?
Or a garbage man?
Nick made something of himself.
So did some of the other
people on that plane.
Why shouldn't they
be recognized?
Why shouldn't their
families receive more?
The term "tone-deaf"
comes to mind.
How did she think that was gonna
play to the guy on the street?
Not to mention
the Aceway boardroom.
If they're still on the fence
about settling claims
with fixed sums,
they won't be for long.
She probably just gave the
killer exactly what he wants.
Nick made something of himself.
So did some of the other people
on that plane.
Why shouldn't
they be recognized?
Why shouldn't their families
receive more?
Marcus called... the sketch
from the gun dealer
should be here soon.
He'll e-mail us
once he gets it.
Aceway Airlines released
a statement an hour ago.
As expected, they're
settling everyone's claims
via a fixed sum.
Well, after
that interview,
I don't think
they had much choice.
Interesting woman, no?
We saw none of this outrage
this morning.
Yet, the moment there's
a camera in front of her...
She lost
her husband,
and someone tried
to kill her last night.
You think those details
explain her outburst?
What, you think
almost dying is a detail?
Captain Gregson's
been keeping me apprised
as the police continue to locate
and question the beneficiaries.
One of them, a woman
who lost her son,
has been attending a
grief counseling group
for the last
ten months.
Freddy Duncan, the Aceway
Killer's second victim,
was also a member.
As was Dana Powell.
Wait, what are you saying?
You think she's the killer?
I think she may be the killer.
Or at least one of them.
We've still yet to identify
the man with the limp.
Mrs. Powell and Mr.
Duncan were known to chat
before and
after meetings,
so perhaps she was gathering
information, gaining his trust.
She might have done the
same with Henry Wilseck,
although we'll never be
able to confirm that.
Well, that doesn't
make sense.
I mean, her husband was
a commodities broker.
He was in the prime
of life.
She stood to make two, maybe
three, times what she will now.
Why would she go
to all this trouble
just to have the airline
pay her less?
That's precisely the question
I've been asking myself.
Yesterday, you asked me
why I held on to your apartment.
You worry that I'm
having second thoughts
about your return here.
I merely question your haste.
The timing of it all.
So I took steps to keep
your options open.
For your benefit.
Do you want me
living here or not?
I do... I have never
wavered on that.
Even having you here
the last few days
has had a measurable benefit
to our process.
Then what is it?
For a long time,
I have argued
that you should fully embrace
the life of a detective.
You've always had
a valid rebuttal.
I might not share your need
for a more balanced existence,
but I accept it.
Now, abruptly, my words hold
more truth for you.
In your rush to shed the skin
of your former self,
you're abandoning
your belongings
as if leaving the site
of a contamination.
You think this is
all about Andrew?
How could it not be?
I know that
you and Andrew
were only together
for a short while.
But I worry that,
in the aftermath of a trauma,
you might be...
overadjusting.
That moving back
might not be
the progression that
you believe it to be,
but might be
a regression,
a retreat into
the safety of the known.
I suppose I just
want to ensure
that I haven't been
too quick to encourage.
That I haven't
unwittingly cast myself
in the role of enabler.
Maybe I don't know
how much of this
is a reaction to what happened.
Maybe I do need
a safe place right now.
Is that so bad?
Is there something wrong with me
feeling like this is home?
It's the sketch
of the man
who bought the gun
in Virginia,
the man with
the limp.
What if I told you
that he died
over a year ago?
In a plane crash?
With 80 other people?
Nick Powell.
Dana's husband?
It's not an exact match.
Sketches rarely are.
But look at the widow's peak.
Bridge of the nose.
If you're right,
if her husband was
the one who bought
the murder weapon...
Then I dare say I'm right,
she's involved in the killings.
The question remains:
why go to such lengths
to make the airline
pay out less money?
Actually, I don't think
she would get less.
I think she'd get more.
Her husband's
life
may not have been worth much
after all.
According to an official press
release from Aceway Airlines,
the decision to expedite
the claims process
was made in the hopes it will
allow the families
affected by Flight 1059
to find whatever closure they
can as quickly as possible.
Aceway was quick to add,
however,
that this is not
an admission of wrongdoing.
Penny?
You didn't call me
yesterday.
Someone tried
to kill you
and you didn't...
Why are you crying?
A few friends called me
after they saw you
on the news yesterday.
They were... surprised
by what you said.
You don't think I deserve more?
You remember when
I graduated college?
You couldn't understand
why Mom and Dad
would pay for
grad school for me,
but not buy
you a car.
Right after that, you left home.
And I've done fine for myself.
Of course you have.
You always do.
Aceway's settling.
I heard.
You must be happy.
No, I'm...
relieved.
Now I don't have
to sell the house.
Not this year.
You know that I love you, right?
That you can tell me anything.
What would I have
to tell you?
You've always had a...
fixation when it comes to money.
When it comes to
what you... deserve.
The person who killed
those two men
seems to have one, too.
I just want to help you.
I thought it was interesting,
the way he left
that money behind.
The killer?
Yesterday,
he could've afforded me;
today he can't.
The world is funny that way.
How much do you think
you're worth, Penny?
Dana Powell! Police!
Open the door!
We have a warrant!
I didn't call them.
We found these
in your bedroom closet.
They match the impressions
we found in your backyard.
That's because you used these
to make them.
You faked the attempt
on your life, didn't you?
You don't have
to answer that question.
These were your
husband's shoes.
Nick?
Who was killed
on Flight 1059?
So?
Mrs. Powell...
This is really all about
your husband, is it not?
Or, rather, the life
that you had with him,
that you still believe
you're entitled to.
The life you had
before tragedy struck.
I'm not talking
about the plane crash.
I'm talking about
the first tragedy.
The gun dealer in Virginia
identified your husband
as the man he sold the gun to.
Nick lost partial use
of one of his legs.
That's why you moved your
bedroom to the ground floor.
He could no longer
make it up the stairs.
He also developed
dysconjugate gaze,
a misalignment of the eyes
due to weakened muscle control.
Both are symptoms
of glioblastoma,
a highly aggressive brain tumor.
Now, a man develops
a brain tumor,
his symptoms come on fast,
and then he buys a gun.
Now, maybe he was thinking
about taking his own life.
Maybe he just wanted you
to feel safe
after he was gone.
Either way, it wasn't long
before he started taking
regular flights to Vermont.
Well, we were thinking about
buying a second home in Stowe.
It's not a crime to like to ski.
Neither is
physician-assisted suicide.
At least, not in Vermont.
Your husband was planning
to establish residency,
was he not?
Looking to avail himself
of the state's laws.
Even if Nick
had not died in a plane crash,
I'm guessing he only had
a few months to live.
You realized that
if the airline hired
Arlen Schrader,
his investigation would uncover
your husband's illness.
He would factor in
Nick's tragically short
life expectancy
and you would receive
a small amount.
If the airline, however,
paid a fixed sum,
you'd get millions.
This is some tale
you're spinning.
But so far,
I don't hear a thing
that connects
Mrs. Powell to any murders.
Her husband
bought the gun
that was used to kill Henry
Wilseck and Freddy Duncan.
That's not
in question.
Now, neither is the
fact that it was used
to fire a bullet through
her window the other night.
Now, the gun
hasn't turned up.
Doesn't mean
it won't.
Even without it,
I like our chances.
The captain believes there
might be a deal to be struck.
That you will
spend the bulk
of your remaining days
in prison is...
well, it's a virtual certainty.
What kind of prison,
on the other hand...
You can find yourself
in a hole in the ground...
Or a room with a view.
Somewhere with a yard,
exercise equipment.
More white-collar criminals
than blue.
I mean...
it really just comes
down to this, Mrs. Powell:
what do you think you deserve?
Hey. I've got
something to show you.
It's in the
basement.
Is that a nail gun?
Be right down!
I'm gonna use
the other door.
So, what do you think?
I think you've taken me up
on my offer
to store some of your things.
Well, I am not storing them,
I am arranging them.
You were right.
It took me a while
to get my balance again
and I don't want to lose that,
I don't want to give it up.
So I decided to claim
a little space of my own.
In the basement.
Well, it's not perfect,
but it'll be mine.
And for either of us
to get down here,
we'll have to physically
leave the brownstone.
I mean, maybe it
sounds a little weird...
No, not at all.
You know, I once walled myself
into a section of 221B.
I did not leave
access to a door,
nor did I require one for
several weeks. But, um...
Well, I'll keep
my bedroom upstairs
and I'll work down here.
And I can have meetings
with my own clients.
This way, you'll feel a little
less like you're enabling me.
Um, I'm going to need
a couple of days
to clear some things out.
Some, uh, experiments.
Prolonged exposure
could present a...
health risk.
All right,
I'm not going to stop you.
Well, then, I suppose
I should see someone
about backing out of a lease.