Nancy Drew (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - The Curse of the Dark Storm - full transcript

Previously on Nancy Drew...

Lucy Sable was crowned
Sea Queen in the year 2000.

Disappeared after the
celebration, never seen again.

Never had a murder
pinned on her, though.

Nancy Drew. She used to

complicate my job.

And for the rest of you,

city girl, ex-con, town screwup...

Once a year, the town gathers

for the bucket ritual.

Get a bucket of seawater,
put it outside your door.



Kick it over.

If it's turned to blood,
you're marked to die

- in the coming year.
- Are they gonna do an autopsy?

I overheard that the Hudson
family got a judge to block it.

They're moving the body tonight.

If we had someone,

a forensic chemist, he could perform

the same kind of
toxicology test for you.

It-it may not be a full autopsy,

but it could be enough to
figure out how Tiffany died.

Hello, Tiffany.

They're charging you

with burglary and criminal trespass.

This girl detective stuff



isn't cute anymore.

And what are you doing
with Ned Nickerson?

Stay away from that kid.

Let's see who Tiffany
texted right before she died.

♪ Oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Oh-oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh-oh ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Oh-oh ♪

♪ I've given my words to you ♪

♪ I'd do it again ♪

♪ You know them by heart by now ♪

♪ You have them within... ♪

Om...

Om...

You won the blood bucket challenge.

I got punked, okay?

You want help?

That'll help.

Oh, no, not again!

Don't move. I'll get us some coffee.

That's usually my contribution.

Not today.

I'm sure there are plenty
of logical explanations

why a mechanic would
have two cell phones.

Unfortunately, only one
reason why this mystery phone

would show a missed call from me,

- and the final text that Tiffany sent.
- _

And my mom's car?

See if we can get this
thing running again.

Didn't push the plunger yet.

I should know how strong you take it.

There's only one other caller

logged on that phone, Nick.

Tiffany Hudson.

She sent you a text

right before she died.

You knew her.

Why would you keep that a secret?

I have a record.

You know what happens if
the police tie me to her?

The cops I get.

But you kept it a secret from me.

Nancy, I had nothing to do with
Tiffany's death. You know that.

Here's what I know:

Tiffany Hudson's
testimony put you in jail.

You did two years for manslaughter.

How did you learn that? I...

I saw my dad's file on you.

Somehow, you were in
contact with Tiffany.

The last text she sent
was about a package

in my mom's car, which you
got access to through me.

Were you using me?

No. I would never.

How am I supposed to believe that?

Now's the time, Nick.

If you ever want there to
be any trust between us,

show me what you took from my mom's car.

I can't.

It's not for you.

My dad was right about you.

♪ Nancy Drew 1x03 ♪
The Curse of the Dark Storm

Waited up for you last night.

You don't have to do that anymore.

I'm not a kid.

Where did you sleep?

I was at a friend's house.

Can we be honest with each other?

Sure.

What happened to the bloody dress

that used to be in the attic?

I threw it away.

It was part of an old, dumb joke.

It's not in any of our
trash cans. I checked.

The trash got picked up this morning.

Nancy, what are you doing?

Sneaking around, digging
through trash cans?

You're about to be
arraigned on felony charges

for burglary and
trespassing at the morgue.

You need to be putting
your best foot forward

with the judge.

Is it possible that you
can keep out of trouble

for the next few days?

I'll do my best, counselor.

Anything else you need to relay?

You're right. You're not a kid.

But you're still my kid.

I have a client.

Where's Tiffany's will?

Uh, we had a prenup.

It covered her estate planning.

Um, basically, what was hers was hers,

and what was mine was mine.

But it should all go to
me as soon as they confirm

that she died of natural causes.

Are you worried she didn't
die of natural causes?

No.

No, what I'm worried about

is how I'm gonna make these payments.

So, can you just

tell me what-what of this I can

touch right now?

Well...

Okay.

Hey.

Hey.

We've met, haven't we?

Ryan, this is my daughter Nancy.

Chief McGinnis told me about you.

He called you the town snoop.

Well, I live here. So I wasn't snooping.

I totally was.

Have a good day at work.

- Yes, sir.
- Nice to meet you.

All righty.

Shift started nine minutes ago, Drew.

Got to dock you this time.

George is extra prickly today.

She kicked a blood bucket.

So the curse says she'll
be dead inside a year.

- Wait, you saw it?
- Yeah.

There's a lot of it.
It'll ruin your morning.

Please. George doesn't
believe in curses.

- It's the one thing we agree on.
- Then she's probably

worried about the nor'easter
storm that's coming.

The locals tell tales.

Tales as in fictional stories.

- Yeah, okay.
- About...

how the nor'easter blows
restless spirits ashore.

Oh, dear.

I'll get it.

You're not afraid to eat here?

Our lab tested all
the food from the Claw

the night Tiffany died.

No traces of poison anywhere.

Great. We'll post about it on Yelp.

Karen, why are you really here?

Based on her 911 call, the
D.A.'s looking to build a case

out of Tiffany Hudson's death.

Your break-in at the
morgue makes you look like

a pretty good suspect,

if your criminal charges stand.

But we have a new suspect.

And I'm betting that you can give us

information that could
lead to his arrest.

You want Nick.

He's got a criminal record.

We got the protective order
lifted and uncovered a motive.

So when they say

juvenile records are sealed,

guess they don't mean sealed sealed.

I know you didn't kill Tiffany.

If you give me something on Nick,

enough to take the interest off of you,

your criminal charges go away.

You don't want a felony conviction

on your college applications, Nance.

I'll give you till the end of day.

Stay safe, everyone.

Feels like a nor'easter spinning up.

The cops think Nick killed Tiffany?

She said motive.

Something about his juvenile conviction?

Wait, did he do something violent?

Like how violent?

Like assault? Robbery?

Manslaughter?

Did he kill someone?

No, manslaughter's different.

But he did kill someone?

I don't... have all the facts.

He-he never told me what happened.

Okay, we're missing
the silver lining here.

If Nick did kill Tiffany,

we're all off the hook as suspects.

- That's a little harsh.
- So?

You get a clean slate,
all my customers return,

and then Bess can go back
to being a carefree rich girl

slumming as a subpar waitress.

Ah. You said I was improving.

Pretty low bar.

What made the cops look at Nick?

- What's with the secrecy?
- The cops just tossed my place.

- What?
- They had a search warrant.

Said they triangulated recent
calls to the burner phone

that Tiffany sent a text message to.

- They were looking for the phone...
- I took it.

And deactivated it.

You know you're supposed to burn

a burner phone when it's done, right?

I couldn't lose the text
history with Tiffany.

I've been studying every word,

looking for clues, because...

This is what was in your mom's car.

And Tiffany told me not to trust anyone.

But I've been staring at
this thing for two days now,

and I still don't know
what its purpose is.

You brought me a puzzle.

If I solve this, will I
either want to forgive him

or put him away?

Let's figure it out.

So, there's either something inside it,

or it's meant to lead us somewhere.

Tiffany loved her hidden treasures.

Emphasis on hidden.

It seemed like she had a
lot of enemies in this town.

So that's why she turned to you?

Why was this in my mom's car?

Your mom was my social worker.

She started out helping
your dad on my case;

then after I got sentenced,

she'd come and visit me.

Did you know who I was?

Before we met on the Fourth of July?

Yes.

But I wasn't trying to get to the car.

I just wanted to meet
you because your mom was

one of the only good people I knew

during that time in my life.

But this package was from Tiffany.

You got to help me understand.

When I was doing time,

if anyone but Kate Drew

had asked me to meet the
witness who got me locked up,

no way I'd have agreed.

But your mom...

She was different.

She could wear you down with kindness.

Yeah. She really could.

So, finally I told her she
could send Tiffany for a visit.

I was mad, caged.

I mean, it was hard enoughjust
to sit across from this person.

No force on earth could
make me talk to her.

I let the time pass without a word.

And she came back the next week,

like it was my job

to ease her guilt for
testifying against me.

I passed another hour not
hearing a word she said.

So she found another way.

You communicated through books?

She called it our secret language.

Hello?

Welcome to the Claw.

George, oh, my God!

You could've got a shard in your neck.

You're cursed. You're cursed.

Oh, don't say that. I'm fine.

Is this a bad time?

I was hoping you were hiring.

I can take care of you.

I got it.

- I'm Rita.
- Ah. Hi, Rita.

So have you ever waited tables before?

Once. On roller skates.

Oh, I love those retro places.

- I'll get a dustpan.
- Yeah.

Oh, my gosh.

Damn, that curse is alive.

I don't believe in curses.

Well, then explain that!

Gravity!

Did you see there's
an engraving in here?

It's too long to be a serial number,

too new to be a smith's mark.

If books were your secret
language, maybe it's an ISBN.

You know, the number
on the cover of books.

Did you keep the ones she gave you?

- It's a protection circle.
- This is Rita.

We found a how-to video on the Internet.

The blood bucket is obviously trying

to kill George.

Obviously. Where are you two going?

We're gonna follow clues
from a dead woman.

Ooh, like a treasure hunt?

- No.
- Drew, you're going outside,

right now? With him?

Why can't this wait?

It's time-sensitive.

There must be something in your books.

Clock wasn't the first
thing Tiffany gave me.

That would be this.

"But my real treasure are
the rays of intelligence

you have elicited from my brain..."

"... the languages you have implanted

in my memory."

The books got me talking, but the story

she really wanted to hear was my own.

You weren't inside the party.

I know you were on the
sidewalk at 8:12 p.m.

Now, you heard the sound.

After a few months, I
asked for newer books.

Toni Morrison, Ntozake Shange.

Had to get past Edith Wharton.
Man, that was a slog.

House of Mirth my ass.

Under the Lilacs.

The, uh...

The number's almost the same.

If you lop off the first three digits,

the last 13 line up.

First three digits are one, seven, zero.

Page 170.

Chapter title: "A Boy's Bargain".

Oh, uh, a bargain has two
sides. It's not a gift.

You got to meet in the middle.

Under the Lilacs.

Tiffany loved puzzles and-and

escape rooms and plays on words.

And she knew you'd remember that,

so whatever trail she left,

it has to be one that you can follow.

There was someplace she loved
here in town. Lilac something.

I think I know where to go.

But we're gonna need some help first.

♪ Good love, got to get a piece of it ♪

♪ Showstopping fire ♪

♪ Making your jaw hit the floor ♪

♪ Got to feed that desire ♪

♪ Keep you coming back for more ♪

♪ Got to get it, got to get it now ♪

♪ If you want it, got to go get it now ♪

♪ Got to get it, got to get it, yeah ♪

♪ Got to get it, got to get it ♪

♪ Now, if you want it ♪

♪ Got to go get it now ♪

♪ Got to get it, got to get it, yeah ♪

♪ Oh, get it now... ♪

Is there a problem, Detective?

Get off the roads. Told
you it's not safe out here.

Okay.

♪ Got to get it, got to get it, yeah ♪

♪ Got to get it, got to get it now ♪

- ♪ If you want it, got to go get it now ♪
- _

♪ Got to get it, got to get it, yeah ♪

♪ If you want it, got to go get it now. ♪

What do you know about the Lilac Inn?

That old B and B over
on Horseshoe Point?

Not much.

It was, uh, Tiff's pet project.

She was restoring it.

Dumped a bunch of money into it

that I could really use right now.

What's your concern about your finances?

I'm not seeing any large
payments due anytime soon.

I thought your daughter left the house.

Uh-huh.

It looks like she's got this Lilac Inn

approved for landmark status.

What are you doing up here?

I, uh...

I thought I heard something.

- No, we're alone.
- Yeah.

Hey, have you been self-medicating?

No, it's just the, um...

storm's getting to my-my head.

All right, come on.

Based on the paperwork, it
looks like this Lilac Inn

is being turned into a public landmark.

Wait, what? No.

I thought she was flipping
it. We were gonna sell it.

No, approval's gone through.

After they wrap up final touches,

you won't have any claim to it anymore,

and that could happen

soon as this storm clears.

- Ryan?
- Do you not hear

those footsteps upstairs?

Okay, um...

Look, before Tiffany died, she was...

she was waking up in
the middle of the night,

saying that she thought
someone was watching us sleep,

that... walking around in the bedroom.

You know, and I just...

I thought it was her anxiety
meds, to be honest with you.

What the hell?

Okay, that's it. I'm out of here.

Whoa, hang on. Hey!

Hang on. You're not driving anywhere.

The last thing you need is a DUI.

Okay, well, then you take me to
Tiffany's place, the Lilac Inn.

Have you seen the roads outside?

You got a dad car. You're
fine. Come on, get your coat.

Someone's gonna have

a bad day when they find that
branch through the window.

- Oh, my God.
- You all right?

Yeah. I'm fine.

Tiffany told me about her fixer-uppers.

She definitely believed in the
possibility of transformation.

After you told her your story?

You did tell her, right?

Eventually.

This looks like Robert Louis Stevenson.

Treasure Island.

I think this is E.B. White.

Charlotte's Web.

Beardo is Longfellow.

And they're both Mainers,
so this last one's got to be

Stephen King.

Or not.

Nick, what did you tell Tiffany

about the night it happened?

The guy I hurt, we were
part of a spring break trip.

Bunch of stupid kids from high school

up in the sticks of
Maine for a football camp.

Uh, this one guy, we
got into it one night.

Tiffany saw how it ended.

She wanted to know how
it started, so I told her.

Afterwards,

she told me she wished she
could take it all back,

like, if she could turn back time,

she could've changed my life.

How did the fight start?

I'm just trying to solve this.

No, it feels more like
you're trying to solve me

than Tiffany's puzzle.

I'm on your side.

Doing what, exactly?

Digging into places I've asked
you not to go? And for what?

You haven't told me the
details of what happened.

If I knew the circumstances,

I could try to understand
how something...

How what? I could take someone's life?

It was self-defense. Why
do you care how it happened?

Because I need to know
what you're capable of.

Do you think I killed Tiffany?

Do you think I could murder someone

in cold blood?

Oh, God, it's my father and Ryan.

It's Edith Wharton.

It's The House of damn Mirth.

We need to hide.

She's telling me it's in the kitchen.

Nick, we cannot get caught in here.

Are you that ashamed
of having your father

- see you here with me?
- He's Ryan's lawyer now.

I don't want either of them
to find out what we're doing.

Plus, Tiffany went to a lot of trouble

to keep this clock a
secret from her husband.

"How delicious to have a place
like this all to one's self."

What are you saying?

Uh, not my words. Uh, Wharton's.

Tiffany loved this part.

Loved all the little
cakes... in cupboards.

Quick, we need to hide.

This is unbelievable.

Maybe we could strip
it for parts. You know?

There's got to be 100 grand
worth of vintage hardware alone.

It's an odd clause in your prenup

that the only way you inherit her estate

is if Tiffany died of natural causes.

Tiffany was a perfectly
healthy young woman.

What makes you think
her death was natural?

She wasn't healthy, Carson.

She was taking a whole cocktail

full of mood stabilizers
and sleeping pills.

It's what made her so
paranoid, seeing things.

That's why she put the clause in.

Like I or anybody else wanted her dead.

Look, I don't know how she died, okay?

I mean, m-maybe...

Do you think maybe she was haunted?

That's a... a literal question?

You-you think she was
haunted, by ghosts?

I don't know. Maybe.
You know? I mean, I...

I mean, do you, do you think that

w-we're visited by vengeful spirits?

You know, forces that
are trying to harm us?

- I've heard that theory.
- Yeah, well, Tiffany sure did.

That's why she spent so much of
her energy trying to make good.

Well, if those were her wishes,

it argues for leaving this place alone.

Yeah, except I need my money now.

Who do you owe?

It's best to leave the bodies buried.

Figuratively, this time.

- Nick, are you all right?
- Ah, yeah.

My jail cell was cramped
like this. I'm not a big fan

of small spaces.

Hey. Nick, look at me.

Hey. It's okay.

No, I can't be in here.

- Just calm down.
- What, you're afraid of me now?

'Cause of what I did to Austin?

Austin.

- Was that his name?
- Yeah.

H-He's the one you told Tiffany about.

She helped you, with the,

with the books she gave
you. She believed in you.

How did she reach you?

She wanted me to move on.

- You-you want to send me back there.
- No, no. I don't.

I just want you to be here with me.

Okay? Just be here with me.

Please.

What? What is it?

"Amontillado".

A... wha... a what?

_

If "under the lilacs" didn't do it,

or they took down every
portrait, there's no way

I'd miss the Edgar Allan Poe story

"The Cask of Amontillado".

In it...

... Fortunato crosses the wrong guy,

and gets bricked up behind a wall.

It's a safe.

Uh, no.

No, Tiffany, Tiffany wouldn't send me

all the way down here without the key.

You're right.

Because she wanted to turn back time.

This is the last puzzle.

Tiffany saw you at 8:12
the night it happened,

- you said, right?
- Right.

Okay.

It's like a combination lock.

We need to put in another time. To when?

Uh, the... uh, the night it happened?

Uh, April 28, 4/28.

Okay, you heard that, right?

Must have been the wind.

That's not gonna solve
your money problem.

Yeah, well, it might help
me take my mind off of it.

Tiffany must have had a good
reason for hiding that so well.

Well, let's get inside and...

Have you decided about my offer?

What offer is she talking about?

They're gonna drop all criminal
charges pending against me

if I can help them make a case.

Against you.

Well...

that's a good deal.

So that's why you've been
digging into my past all day.

Trying to save your own skin.

Well, what'd you decide?

Your case hinges on the theory

that Nick wanted revenge against Tiffany

for testifying against him,

that she was afraid of him,

maybe even trying to buy him
off with some sort of package

in a car.

I have no choice

but to prove you wrong.

Your officers

tossed all these books on the floor,

but they didn't really look at them.

Read the inscription.

"Forgiveness is the key to redemption.

Please forgive me. Tiffany."

He may have hated her once,

but that was before
they knew each other.

Before they became friends.

And Nick is not the type of person

to ever hurt somebody he cares about.

I can't explain to you the
level of trust between them,

but you managed to get a look
at Nick's juvenile records.

Check out the visitation logs.

You'll see her name there every week.

Yes, he took a life once,

but Tiffany learned that

he would never do it again.

That might be a consolation
for when you're arraigned

for burglary and trespassing.

For your sake, I hope you're right.

Are you afraid?

You think I don't know
superstitions and rituals

and communing with the dead?

My mother made salt circles
around my high chair.

It's different in the storm.

Restless spirits

want a life, and you've
already been marked.

Your friends have done the
best they could to protect you,

but the protection only
works if you believe.

Who are you?

Better not leave that circle.

Watch out!

Oh.

Wait, wh-where did Rita go?

Who?

Rita. Sh-She was just there.

You all right, boss?

Whoa! What did we miss?

Tiffany Hudson gave me this.

Finding it has

forced me to confront
things about myself.

I know you all had reason
to suspect that I'm a killer.

And I know that reason's
because I've been hiding so much.

I thought maybe if we open it together,

if I showed you,

we could build some trust.

You did kill somebody, though?

Yeah.

What happened?

His name was Austin.

We used to go at it
on the football field,

and it carried on to a party
I was at with a girlfriend,

you know, just a friend.

And Austin was drunk...

high on something,

and this time he went after my friend,

first with his words,
and then with his hands.

And then he said, "You got to go,

but your girl stays."

I couldn't leave her.

And he wouldn't let her go, so...

I knocked him down.

But not out.

And he kept coming,

so I kept going and he went through

a second-story plate glass window.

And he died...

because of what I did.

I killed Austin.

And for the longest time,
I felt like a monster.

I never wanted to tell you this story.

I was afraid it would
change things between us.

I think we're past it now.

What's important is who you are,

not what you did.

We should get back to work
before George starts yelling.

George, I'm gonna take my break.

Docking you again,

but I'll see you after.

You can show us the box later,

but you better tell us what's inside.

_

You chose this over Karen's deal.

I chose you.

What are these?

I think these are bearer bonds.

They don't make these anymore.

They're totally untraceable.

Nick, this is almost $5 million.

What?

Wh... Why?

To get it in your hands
without anybody knowing.

Um, she wanted you
to have a fresh start.

No. No. No way.

No.

This kind of money brings trouble.

I mean, people will think I-I-I
killed her to get to these.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Keep them, obviously.

- How are you so calm?
- I get it.

It-It's life-changing money.

Is this even legal?
Did we just steal this?

I am not going back to jail.

Yes. No.

And I know.

In that order.

- It's Ace.
- _

He says he needs my help.

Okay.

Okay, okay.

Is it? Because it
doesn't feel like it is.

Well, it'll have to be.

I'll check in with you later, okay?

- Hey.
- Hi.

Thanks for coming.

I just didn't want to embarrass her.

- I'll take it from here.
- Mm-hmm.

Hi.

Hi. Um...

Come in.

Um, it's...

nicer when the twinkly lights work.

Uh, generator's flooded.

Things aren't going so
well with your aunt, or... ?

Oh, you know how families can be.

Trust me, I get it.

Nancy?

You home?

The wine.

Sorry you missed me.

Leave a message...

This is just a temporary arrangement.

- It's, you know...
- Hey,

you really helped me out today.

Do you think I could return the favor?

Oh, no, no, I'm fine, I'm fine.

Yeah, I can see that.

But until we can get
this place fixed up,

you want to come stay with me?

If it makes you feel like we're even.

Thank you.

Okay, cool. I'll, um,
I'll pack my things. Great.

Funny thing about rainstorms,

they can cause a lot of damage,

but they can also wash away old debris

and reveal what was hidden underneath.

This'll be great. If you want
to borrow clothes, go ahead,

but obviously it works
both ways. Here you go.

And sometimes, as
soon as one storm passes,

the clouds start to darken again

and something like this pops up.

A diamond ring

that went missing the
night Tiffany died.

Did I just invite a
killer to a sleepover?