So Help Me Todd (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Co-Pilot - full transcript
Previously on So Help Me Todd...
I am a private
detective. You were.
I lost my job.
Two years ago.
Mom, are you okay?
I think Harry has left me.
Your mother loves you.
Why do you think
she spent two years
fighting the city, trying
to reinstate your license?
There is one thing
I could do for you
to help you get
back on your feet.
You're a detective
again. An investigator.
And this is your bus pass.
I will wear the tie,
but I will not take the bus.
Not today, pal.
Okay, so the DuBois trial
begins today. Mm-hmm.
You had 9:30, 10:45
and noon meetings,
but I'm guessing...
Yes. Thank you.
Shift everything to
next week, Francey.
The mayor is coming at 11:00,
and I need a little
more time to prepare.
Excuse me, sir, can I help you?
Yeah, I work here. Excuse me?
I work here. My mother
Margaret Wright works here,
- and I work for her.
- No, you don't.
Yep, it's true. I
work for my mother.
You can't go down there.
I work for my mother.
Security!
Skadden McNeil.
Friday? Tuesday.
Are you attending
the deposition? Yes.
Is Hirschland settling? Never.
Thank you, Francey.
Lyle? Hey.
Top o' the morning, partner.
No food in here.
I don't have any. I'm just...
Which office was Nadia's, the
investigator I'm replacing?
That office has been repurposed
as a hold site for
closed case files,
broken office
equipment and junk.
Oh, junk. Okay. All right.
So, uh, where's my office?
And so,
first things first.
This cabinet in particular
is off-limits to you.
Do not open it.
The lights are motion-activated,
so this switch does nothing.
And until a cubicle opens
up, this will have to do.
Well, do I get a chair?
Top o' the morning, partner.
What am I, a tailor?
Ridiculous.
Oh.
And I guess I'll see you in
an hour for the deposition.
Thanks, Susan.
I mean, hey, he could have
put you in the parking lot.
Or the restroom.
Yeah, or in hell.
Wow, that ring really
is a supernova.
You were never getting
anything like that from me.
So, are you excited for
your mom's big case?
What big case?
The mayor sex scandal thing.
What mayor sex scandal thing?
Todd, the mayor of Portland
and the woman accusing
him of a lurid affair?
A lurid affair?
He's denying it.
His wife is pulling
an Alicia Florrick
and standing by him.
But Lexy here claims that
things were hot and heavy,
and she has some of the mayor's
personal items as proof.
Now she's suing him
for breach of contract.
$5 million.
Wait, this is my mom's case?
And I'll be working
it? As an investigator.
Me. A big scandal
with the mayor?!
Well, you were hired to work
her cases, and this is...
Yes! I'm back!
Mom, amazing.
Big scandal, so exciting.
Okay, I'm already
diving into it.
And this mayor seems
super sketchy to me.
I mean, look at that.
Can they be real?
There's got to be some
serious dark secrets in there.
Maybe he's got some people
chained up in a subterranean
basement somewhere.
Todd? Huh?
The mayor is our client.
We are defending
him at all costs.
Okay. But is that one of
the ties I bought you?
You look
very handsome.
Yeah, without the tie.
Wait, what do you mean
we're defending the mayor
at all costs?
Like, even if he did it?
Even if he's a psychopath
and throwing baby
bunnies into campfires?
Yes. Okay.
Fine. Then I'll start
with the woman Lexy Fawcett.
I'll watch her, I'll tail
her. I'll quietly surveil her.
Hey, does having this
job allow me to make
law-abiding citizen's arrests?
Todd. Uh-huh?
This is a very
important day for me.
I have worked here
for over 17 years.
I generate 31% of
this firm's income.
And now it is time for
the senior partners
to recognize my value and
put my name above that door.
Crest, Folding, Song and Wright.
Which is why I need to
tap all my resources
and clear the mayor's name
and win this case.
Great. Where do I start?
There's a woman in
Southeast Portland
named Jacqueline DuBois.
Her basement flooded because of
the city water main break,
and many, many of her
belongings were damaged.
Okay. Okay.
And I need you to go down
and observe that trial.
I want to know everything.
Evidence, witnesses, testimony.
This is your first case,
and I am sure you're
going to ace it.
Wait. Where's the high-profile
sex scandal in this assignment?
That's what I'll be doing.
You are doing the
legwork for my next case
when I represent
Jacqueline's neighbors
in a very similar lawsuit.
What?! Mm-hmm.
I took this job to
work real cases.
No, I gave you this job
because you are broke.
I want murders, kidnapping,
blackmail, not water damage.
I mean, who-who's investigating
the mayor, the woman, the sex?
Here's the preliminary report
on Alexis "Lexy" Fawcett.
I'll have more on her
financials in a moment.
Excellent. Thank you, Lyle.
Him? Poindexter?
Todd, you're still
learning the ropes here,
and this is the mayor.
We need our top people on this.
I'm not one of your top people?!
My top people don't
show up 33 minutes late.
Who told you I was thir...?
Oh, my God.
Mom, this is crazy.
You can't stick me with
this dead-end case!
Todd, Jacqueline's trial is at
10:00 a.m. Don't Todd me, Margaret.
You will not be late to that,
too, if you want a ride home
tonight from your mother. Your
ace detective went out of his way
to find your missing husband?
Fine. Have fun with
your hall monitor.
Alistair Song wants to see you
in the conference room. Now.
Alistair.
Hello, Margaret. Have a seat.
Thank you.
You know, I was
just mentioning you
and my position here...
What's this about
you hiring your son?
My son? Wasn't he involved
in some illegal
wiretapping situation
a few years ago? And
now he's working here?
Yes. My son. Todd.
Well, as I'm sure you
know, we had an opening
in the investigations
department,
and he was cleared
of those charges
that you mentioned.
Todd is an excellent detective.
I have seen his work up close.
Very close.
But can we trust him
not to embarrass us?
Yes, we can trust him.
In fact, now that I'll be busy
with the mayor's case, I...
The mayor's case?
Uh, yes.
The mayor, the scandal. I...
Margaret, I'll be taking
lead on the mayor's case.
I've already spoken to
his office, and... What?
Uh, he's my client.
I-I joined the board of
the art museum a year ago
to befriend his wife
and-and bring their business
to this firm. He's
only... Margaret.
It's the mayor.
We need our top people on this.
You've come so far
here, Margaret.
It seems like just yesterday
that, uh, you were my secretary.
Executive secretary.
And I look forward to
making space for you
here at the top.
Someday.
Alistair,
with all due respect,
I have the relationships,
I've done the background.
This is my case.
Well, um, maybe you
could be useful then.
Uh, as my second chair.
Oh...
I'm so sorry to interrupt,
but the mayor's team is here.
Hey. Hi. We can't wait.
We got to get going
on this, kids, okay?
Oh, Margaret, isn't this awful?
This hideous woman making
horrible accusations.
Thank God you'll be
helping us through this.
Oh.
Um, Elaine and Mr. Mayor,
I will be right by your side.
But-but we have decided that
one of our founding partners
would be better equipped to
handle a case of this magnitude.
This is... Alistair Song.
It's a pleasure to
meet you. Mr. Mayor.
Under very strange
circumstances.
This is my campaign
manager Moe Simms.
Yeah, okay.
We got an election in four
short weeks, my friends.
I want to assure you
all that we will mount
a strong defense against this
flimsy, opportunistic lawsuit.
That's right.
So, how are we gonna bury her?
Uh, well, we have our tried
and true means and, uh...
Breach of oral contract is
very difficult to establish
unless there's written proof
that the mayor was planning
to financially support
her or leave his wife.
Uh, Margaret, I've never
actually met this woman.
I never promised
to leave my wife.
None of this is true.
We'll overwhelm her with
an expensive countersuit,
and she'll fold, I guarantee it.
And?
And?
We have already requested
an ex parte hearing
for later this
afternoon. Of course,
- you won't have to be there.
- That's right.
But she will.
I want this woman
to have to come down
and face the judge.
Oh, Elaine. Elaine, shh.
It's okay. It's okay.
It'll be all right.
We will get through this.
Together.
Now, this is Christine "Chrissy"
De Pointe, a Parisian flapper,
and she was made in 1935
from very fine,
delicate porcelain.
Now, can you see this little
brown stain here on her skirt?
Here, right here,
down near the hem?
That was caused by
the water damage.
This doll used to be worth
at least $250,
and now she's garbage.
Your Honor, that was exhibit
number nine of... 117
exhibits.
Don't... die.
No. This-this is your fault.
This is not my fault.
You dragged me into this.
Lexy?
You never said anything about
me getting hauled into court.
You promised me 20,000 bucks.
I only did this for the money.
Look... I have to go in
and see some stupid judge now.
I'm done. Bye.
What
are you doing here?
I'm just...
Go.
Okay. I'm going.
Back to the Valley of the Dolls.
Allison, can you believe
Mom stuck me with this junk
case? Me? She doesn't value me.
She doesn't trust me.
After what I did for her?
I have incredible skills
that are just being ignored.
117 dolls. Give me a break.
Yeah, but you're earning
money, you're working.
Maybe you can get out of my
garage in, like, maybe a month,
you think? Let's not
get ahead of ourselves.
This is about respect, of
which she is giving me none.
Maybe the way to look at this
is, you've reached a
crossroads in life. Uh-huh.
You hit bottom. I
haven't hit bottom!
You lost your P.I. license
and you almost went to jail.
Oh, my God. I've hit bottom.
But now you're working
your way back up,
and this job is
a lifeline, okay?
So you need to suck it up,
pull yourself together,
and stick it out.
So you're saying I need...
to find myself in this job?
Um, yeah, okay, sure.
I need to be true to myself
and get out from under.
Yes...? Yeah, she can't
tell me what to do.
I'm a detective. I detect!
I'm not observing
water-damaged dolls.
No, you're misinterpreting
this. No, you're right.
I'm hers from 9:00 to 5:00,
but I'm mine from 5:00 to 9:00.
Yeah, not understanding
me. I got to go.
I'm gonna look into this
Lexy person on my own.
She was on the phone with
someone at the courthouse,
and I don't know. Something.
Thank you. No.
No. No. Okay, no.
That's not what I
was saying at all.
Who?
I didn't order a pi...
- Peter Pete's Pizza.
- Pizza?
- Peter Pita's Pizza Palace?
- Yo, who dis?
Hey, bring it up!
Hey, pi...
Hey, I got pizza here.
Pizza?
Uh, Ms. Fawcett?
I have your pizza
that you ordered...
for pizza.
Hello?
Pizza?
Uh, Lexy?
Ms. Fawcett?
Hello?
Uh, I'd like to ask
you a few questions...
The mayor is a
murder suspect now.
We need to quickly pivot
to a criminal defense.
Can you please sit down now?
Thank you.
May I ask you, where was
the mayor last night?
And his wife?
And you. Were you...?
They're questioning
the mayor later today.
And if this escalates,
there's a process
for charging an elected
official with a crime.
Uh, Margaret, will you get
volume 19 of the Oregon
Penal Code from the credenza?
It's, uh, volume 14.
Hi.
What are you doing?
I need to talk to you.
What are you doing?
Mom. What are you doing?
So, there's been a bit
of a, uh, development.
What is it now?
Um, the woman Lexy,
who is... Yes.
Um, I think I kind
of found the body.
And I tipped off
the police. I know.
I know. I know I said
I wanted a murder case,
but then there she was,
bam, murdered, and...
Todd, you have to speak
to the police right now.
We have to... No, no, no,
no, no, let's not do that.
I don't want them to know I
was there or that I took this.
You took evidence from the
scene of the crime? No. No, no.
This evidence was definitely
outside the crime scene.
It's her trash.
She was taking it out. No.
This is illegal.
Okay, but you said
that we have to defend
the mayor at all costs.
And look what I found. No,
no, no, don't you open that.
Todd, do not... You want
me to open this. Mom!
Okay, so, there's
all this gross stuff
and this weird, uh, "quit
smoking" nicotine gum.
I cannot believe
that you just...
Wait. Are those
men's underpants?
Yes, these, but she lived alone,
so what if they
were the mayor's?
Wait. She did say she had
some of his personal items.
Are you sure this is her trash?
Yes! Okay.
Well, no. I think so. It might
have been the neighbor's.
I don't know. The bag was
tipped slightly to the...
You know, trash bag science
is not exact, and I... Oh!
My God. You have just
dumped a stranger's trash
all over the office floor?!
Those could be
anyone's underpants!
Do we know what waist
size the mayor is?
Oh, for...
We need to find out
when the police forensics
will be released.
And please have someone
organize some food.
We'll be here all
day. Of course.
Perfect.
Organize some food?
You're organizing
food? What is going on?
Aren't you supposed to
be down at the court
observing Jacqueline's case?
Oh, uh, I left a burner
phone under my seat.
Oh. It's recording the trial
in a transcription app,
and it will text me if a word
like "interesting,"
"significant,"
or "important" pops
up, which I promise you
will never happen.
Mm-hmm. Uh-huh.
You can't even do the one
thing I asked you to do.
I cannot deal with
you right now.
I want you to clean
up this mess and go
to your office.
I don't have an office.
All this
trash is pretty trashy.
Nothing too weird.
All very gross.
Someone likes grapefruit.
Wait a second.
Hello. Hello?
Um...
Hey, I need login access for all
the municipal search databases.
Right away. I need reverse
phone number directory lookup,
local business guild info...
Because you're an
unlicensed detective,
your searches will have to
be run and approved by me.
Now, fill out these three forms.
What? That's ridiculous.
I work here now.
Look, all I want is to find
out which local business
uses this symbol.
And you think I have access
to some magic database
that can do that?
Uh, yes. Don't you? What's the
point of all this equipment
if you don't have some
incredible machine
that analyzes things and
instantly identifies them?
I wasn't aware I was
starring on CSI: Portland.
Look, this is for the mayor.
And that is my case.
And if you don't have the
appropriate billing code
to log your "work,"
you won't get paid.
Oh, my God! Fine. Okay, fine.
Forget it. I'll do it
my way. You do that.
I do. I am.
I will.
Okay. r/Portland Answers.
Copy and paste.
"What is this?" And... post.
Do you think
the mayor killed Lexy?
No.
Not at all.
That campaign manager, though?
She's intense.
Do you listen to PDX-RAY?
The podcast about
local politics?
They did this whole
episode about her.
She's... kind of notorious.
Notorious? How?
She wanted to be
mayor herself once.
She has motive.
But then she had
some serious problems
with drinking and anger.
She got into this big accident.
She's the one who
crashed her car
into Powell's Books
on New Year's.
Wait. Powell's?
On New Year's Eve?
Yes. I was working
on New Year's, per my yoozh.
Uh-huh. And we are the
closest ER to Powell's.
What's her name
again? Moe Simms.
She's the mayor's
campaign manager.
Maureen Simms.
Apparently, there's a
"popcast" about her.
Yes, I know who she is.
And while I cannot disclose
her medical history,
hypothetically, a woman like
her might have been in here
that evening with a
serious head injury.
Which can lead to erratic
or aggressive behavior
down the line.
How erratic?
Could it have caused her to
snap and maybe murder somebody?
Whoa.
Um, that seems like
a stretch, but maybe?
Who do you think that
she might have murdered?
Why aren't you wearing
your wedding ring?
Mom, I'm at work.
I don't want to lose
it inside somebody.
Allison. It happens.
Why are you wearing
your wedding ring?
Oh. I don't
know. Habit, I guess.
How are we doing with everything
since that whole
situation took place?
It's been, what, like a week?
I'm fine, I'm fine. I...
I just want to move past it
and, um, get back to work.
Yeah. And then someone
got murdered. Yes.
Which is why I'm
asking about Moe.
A woman got murdered
who was claiming
to have an affair
with the mayor.
Oh, yeah. She's here.
What do you mean, she's here?
I mean, downstairs.
In the morgue. Oh.
They brought her
in this morning.
My friend Kelly is the coroner.
Huh.
Well, can you bring
this Kelly up here,
and maybe I can ask
her some questions?
So, Kelly, she was strangled.
And the bruising on
the neck is angled up,
which would suggest...
Uh, killer was short?
Yeah. Well, shorter
than her. Mm.
Or just... sitting.
Right? Yeah.
Kind of... reaching
up. Mm-hmm.
Thank you. So nice. Um, well,
thank you very, very much.
Oh, how nice.
You're married.
He leaves his on.
Oh,
no. So, the mayor.
That's exciting. Moving on up.
Well, it was exciting
until Alistair Song took
the case for himself.
I mean, he doesn't value me.
You know, he doesn't trust me.
All of my achievements
have simply been ignored.
Maybe you're at a crossroads
and you just need to
be true to yourself
to come out from under.
You're right. He
can't keep me down.
He's not the boss of me.
Well, I mean, I think
he literally is, but...
What I mean is, I can
pursue this case my own way.
I don't need to sit around
in some second chair
while some man tells me...
Sounds like the mother I know.
Allison. Thank
you, honey. Mm-hmm.
It was so very helpful.
What are you looking
at? The mayor.
To know that I am cooperating
fully with this investigation.
I had no involvement or...
or knowledge of this
crime, this... murder.
I am innocent.
But effective immediately,
I will be stepping
down as mayor.
I just want to...
I need to protect my
family. - Eric.
I know you didn't kill her.
And instead of playing
defense, I suggest we get ahead
of these charges.
You could sign this affidavit,
stating your exact whereabouts
the night of the murder,
promising to turn over your
phone and your computer
and to cooperate in
every possible way.
You and Elaine.
Eric, where is she today?
I don't know.
Just, um, she's been so panicked
and acting so strange
since the murder.
Last night she... she
said we should divorce.
I don't... want to lose her.
But I don't know
what's going on.
She took Ryan to my parents'.
Said she wants to be alone,
somewhere quiet.
Somewhere private.
She said she needs
to think, be alone...
And relax.
You're welcome. Thank you.
Hello.
Thank you. Here you are.
What are you doing here?
I am looking for the
mayor's missing wife,
and you are supposed
to be in court.
Mom, they're only on doll
34. Nothing is happening.
What makes you think the
mayor's wife is here?
Elaine knows something
about Lexy's murder.
She's processing.
She's mentioned this
place to me many times.
She adores the spa here.
She finds it
relaxing and calming.
And it is.
But the bird poop facials
are a complete scam.
Oh, okay, I'll cancel my
appointments immediately.
But why did Lexy
have a valet stub
from this place in her trash,
which obviously is her trash
if you're here, too,
so, ha, I was right.
But maybe she knew Elaine?
Hello. Please put your
first name and a scent
you connect with.
Vanilla? Okay, so,
do we go in separate
or storm in together, or...?
Todd, this a women's-only
establishment.
And I do not care to
be embarrassed. Again.
Thank you.
The mayor's wife is
here, so her car must be.
Elaine. Hello.
Oh, Margaret.
You frightened me.
I'm so sorry.
I knew I'd find you here.
This must be such a
strange and confusing time.
Perhaps a quiet day of
reflection is exactly...
No. No, I...
No, I'm... I'm here because
I feel safer in public.
Well, hello, cheap,
untraceable burner phone.
I told Eric
I'll do whatever it takes
to salvage his career.
I'll go away,
I'll...
I'll go to jail.
Elaine, what are
you talking about?
What happened?
I, uh...
I did something...
very bad.
Did you ever...?
Excuse me. I, um...
I need to use the ladies'.
I'll... I'll be right back.
Oh, Margaret? The, um,
Valet Captain General
needs to speak to you?
Immediately.
Mom! Get in! It's me. Get in.
Todd, I am working.
Elaine is acting very
stra... Whose car is this?
It's her car. This
is about Elaine.
I am in the middle
of something, Todd.
No! Mom,
get in this car!
We are taking this car
to the police right now.
Look, it's filled with evidence.
Money, burner phone, and
the GPS shows she went
to Lexy's house the night of
the murder. Maybe to kill her?
No, no, no. Maybe to
talk her out of it,
to convince her not to do it.
Wait. No, Todd.
You are not adding grand theft
auto to your criminal record.
It's not grand theft auto if
you're driving it to the police.
Oh, no, Todd.
Abso... No, Todd! No!
What are you doing?
Get off the wheel.
I'm driving this car.
Stop! Yeah, let-let's
crash a stolen car.
That's a great idea. Oh.
If we're gonna crash,
I'm gonna put my seat
belt on right now.
Please put your seat belt on.
J-Just put your foot on the
brake and stop the car. Okay...
Yeah. Wait. Elaine.
Where-where...
where is she going?
Oh, my God. I don't
have my phone on me.
Is it the burning? It's the
burning. But it's not me.
It's not the burning.
No, it's, uh...
Wait. It's her phone.
Huh? Yes, it must
be in her purse.
And the Bluetooth from the car
is picking up the
call. Uh... Oh, God.
No, don't answer
it. Yes, yes, yes.
No, we shouldn't answer... No.
Hello?
Hello? Elaine,
is that you?
We must have a bad connection.
You sound all garbled.
I told you something bad would
happen if you stopped paying me.
Now Lexy's dead, and
it looks pretty bad
for you and the mayor, and if
you don't want it to get worse,
you bring that cash
to the old ice rink
on Johnson today at 6:00 p.m.
We don't want our little
secret slipping out, do we?
Oh, no.
I don't like this at
all. Where's she going?
She's gonna walk into
traffic, Mom. Pull over.
Pull over. She's desperate.
We have to stop her.
Elaine? Elaine? No!
No!
No, no!
Stop.
Just put me in jail.
I did it. I killed her.
Oh, Elaine. Put
me away, please.
I'll-I'll be safe there.
5:58.
The old ice rink on Johnson.
Just received a free
bird poop facial.
As promised, underwhelming.
Am now waiting for
some goon to arrive
and... kill me?
Great day all...
Whoa.
It's a license plate.
6-D-2. I-I think there's
a "B" in there somewhere.
On a moped Vespa
thing, and I don't care
what the billing codes are.
I need to know who owns this.
Oh, you don't care?
Must be nice. You
don't have to care.
You make a mistake,
someone else cleans it up.
If I made a mistake,
I'd get fired.
Oh, come on! Can't you just
plug it into one of your
little databases? Wait.
What is this? Is
this the mayor?
This is my case,
and until you fill out
the proper paperwork,
I don't want to see
you in here again.
I'm not breaking rules for you.
My mommy isn't
here to protect me.
Do you think your niece
will ever stop crying?
She has the lungs
of an opera singer.
Mm. It's wild.
Does she needs this?
Oh, no, thank you.
I put Clementine to sleep in
your bed. I hope that's okay.
Yes, of course.
She can spend the night here
if you want. You both can.
No. No, thanks.
Lawrence will be home
early tomorrow, and
he'll want to see her.
And I would
like to see him.
That's why she's crying.
She misses her daddy.
Come on. Okay.
"Lyle.
"Lyle, dear, I know
Todd can be impossible,
"but someday you'll
understand that he's a genius.
"Please assist him with this
license plate situation and
"bill my code for this case.
"You can text the
results to Todd directly.
"Oh, and you don't
need to report to me
"if he's late for work.
Thank you."
Well, uh,
as always, welcome to our home.
I marinated tonight's
fish in cumin and pep...
So she's being arraigned
tomorrow? Mm-hmm.
And she's pleading guilty
to murder? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
But she didn't do it.
Why would she go to jail for
a crime she didn't commit?
Well, to protect
herself and her family
from some horrible secret.
I mean, look at the life
she's walking away from.
She's the mayor's wife. They
live in the mayor's mansion.
They have that beautiful son.
Well, maybe she's unhappy.
Maybe she wants out.
And you're the
investigator working on this case
with the mayor?
Yes. No. Well, not
officially. I, uh,
am apparently one
of the bottom
people at the firm,
not the top. Todd.
I can't be trusted
with delicate matters.
I would trust you more if
you could follow orders.
Are you following orders?
Did you arrange food
and respect your elders?
Yes, I did. Yes, I
did. No, you didn't.
No, you did not. So it's okay
for you to go rogue and-and
not play by the rules, but
for me it's... I am your boss.
And he's your boss. And
I gave you that job.
And he gave you a job. And
I am better than that job.
And so am I with mine.
Todd, I have earned my place
at that firm by working
hard, rising to the occasion,
completing the tasks
assigned to me... Okay.
And compromising when necessary.
And even then, there
are roadblocks.
But I work through them.
While you... you just expect
to leapfrog to the
fantasy life and career
you've always wanted like that?
You can go rogue all
you want when you have
worked your way up from
the bottom like I did.
Well, uh,
I think if it's all
right with all of you,
I will leapfrog to my lair
and finish my allotted gruel.
Oh, um, it's halibut.
And I will have you know that
my chair at my fantasy career
in my mother's office
is a rolling step stool.
Get some bread. Yeah.
Oh, good
evening, Todd Margaret.
So nice to hear from you-her.
Nice try, but I'm not
searching anything
without an official
written and signed request
from your mother.
Your little Viking
will have to wait.
I will see you tomorrow
morning at 9:00 a.m. sharp.
My little Viking?
Is that the mascot for...?
And here are
a few more yearbooks.
You said class of...?
Uh, I don't really know.
He could've been 40 years
old, could've been 30.
I'm not even sure he
was a student here.
Well, we will just
keep looking.
You did you say you were
one of our graduates.
No, I only did summer school
here. I went to Wilson.
Okay, Mr. Moped, where are you?
Wait. He was faculty?
Dragon Romano.
Seriously? Dragon?
That's the mayor's wife.
Wait. How old is...?
No... way.
Yes, good morning. All
right, I'm taking over today
for Judge Morrison who's
stuck on another trial,
so please bear with me a moment.
It's ringing.
Mom, pick up your phone.
Oh, hey there, bud. Sorry.
Floor is locked
down. Mayor's here.
What? It's locked down? Yup.
No access to this
level next three hours.
No, no, no, but I-I have to
get to that... No, not unless
you're part of an active trial.
But I am part of
an active trial.
Jacqueline DuBois v. the
Portland Water Bureau.
Wow. Really? Yes.
I specialize in
water-damaged porcelain dolls
wearing satin recreations
of 1830s ballgowns.
Damn. Well, all the experts
are listed here, and...
Yeah, and I'd better be
at the top of that list.
What-what name do you have?
Um, David Ainsworth? Worth?
That's me.
Oh, wow. Okay.
Yeah, then follow me. Sure.
They said no witnesses for
this trial till tomorrow.
Yeah. Well, things have
seriously deteriorated,
and the dolls are just
dropping like flies.
It's that bad? Oh
it's Dollmageddon.
Well,
uh, Mr. Ainsworth?
Mr. Ainsworth, that's...
that's the wrong courtroom.
We're over here.
Okay. Stay calm.
Everybody out that way.
Mom! Mom! He's right there!
That's the voice
on the car phone.
He's the guy who murdered Lexy!
Charley, him! Get him!
I'm Ryan's father!
I'm Ryan's father!
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay. Shh. It's okay.
Okay.
The whole thing...
Lexy, the affair, her murder,
was all a setup by Dragon.
And Elaine
left him because he was insane.
Then she married
the future mayor,
but she was already pregnant.
Dragon is the real
father of the mayor's child,
and Dragon blackmailed
Elaine for years,
but when she stopped paying, he
framed her for Lexy's murder.
He wanted
to destroy her family,
and I'll help put Dragon away
for the rest of his life.
And I understand the mayor
has resumed his campaign
and will stay with
us at the firm.
As my client.
Yes. Of course.
Margaret. Alistair.
Todd. Sorry.
So, he can have access
to these three databases.
But? According
to municipal law,
without a registered
P.I. license,
he is not allowed to...
To access the other
eight databases.
All right, I
understand. So, Todd,
you're just going to have to
go through Lyle on occasion.
And we will get you your
employee I.D. number
and the correct billing codes.
Okay, and what about the chair?
I'll get you a chair.
But if there are
no empty offices...
There are no empty offices.
Okay, that's it. Let's
get back to work.
Your office is so
incredibly clean.
Careful. Careful.
Hot coffee.
And... they got the
coffee out of this.
Wow. You picked up
my dry cleaning?
Yeah, and paid for it. Well,
just paid for this one item.
You had, like, 35
things in there.
Well, I do enjoy a dry clean.
So, wait. Tell me again
what you overheard.
Yeah, it was your mom
and Song in the library.
With the candlestick.
Sorry. Continue.
Anyway, he was telling her,
you know, not the
right time, soon,
she'll be a named partner by
next year, blah, blah, blah.
Lame. But he also told her
that you did a really good
job on the mayor's case.
And what did she say?
"I value him highly."
Good.
Wait.
This is not my sweater.
It's not?
This is a poncho for...
Suzanne Yard.
Well, it's clean.
Oh, hi.
Oh, look at this
little tough guy.
What's all this
fuzz? Who is this?
Oh. Your mom had me put a
few things in there for you.
Wait, what? What is it? Wait.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
and TOYOTA.
I am a private
detective. You were.
I lost my job.
Two years ago.
Mom, are you okay?
I think Harry has left me.
Your mother loves you.
Why do you think
she spent two years
fighting the city, trying
to reinstate your license?
There is one thing
I could do for you
to help you get
back on your feet.
You're a detective
again. An investigator.
And this is your bus pass.
I will wear the tie,
but I will not take the bus.
Not today, pal.
Okay, so the DuBois trial
begins today. Mm-hmm.
You had 9:30, 10:45
and noon meetings,
but I'm guessing...
Yes. Thank you.
Shift everything to
next week, Francey.
The mayor is coming at 11:00,
and I need a little
more time to prepare.
Excuse me, sir, can I help you?
Yeah, I work here. Excuse me?
I work here. My mother
Margaret Wright works here,
- and I work for her.
- No, you don't.
Yep, it's true. I
work for my mother.
You can't go down there.
I work for my mother.
Security!
Skadden McNeil.
Friday? Tuesday.
Are you attending
the deposition? Yes.
Is Hirschland settling? Never.
Thank you, Francey.
Lyle? Hey.
Top o' the morning, partner.
No food in here.
I don't have any. I'm just...
Which office was Nadia's, the
investigator I'm replacing?
That office has been repurposed
as a hold site for
closed case files,
broken office
equipment and junk.
Oh, junk. Okay. All right.
So, uh, where's my office?
And so,
first things first.
This cabinet in particular
is off-limits to you.
Do not open it.
The lights are motion-activated,
so this switch does nothing.
And until a cubicle opens
up, this will have to do.
Well, do I get a chair?
Top o' the morning, partner.
What am I, a tailor?
Ridiculous.
Oh.
And I guess I'll see you in
an hour for the deposition.
Thanks, Susan.
I mean, hey, he could have
put you in the parking lot.
Or the restroom.
Yeah, or in hell.
Wow, that ring really
is a supernova.
You were never getting
anything like that from me.
So, are you excited for
your mom's big case?
What big case?
The mayor sex scandal thing.
What mayor sex scandal thing?
Todd, the mayor of Portland
and the woman accusing
him of a lurid affair?
A lurid affair?
He's denying it.
His wife is pulling
an Alicia Florrick
and standing by him.
But Lexy here claims that
things were hot and heavy,
and she has some of the mayor's
personal items as proof.
Now she's suing him
for breach of contract.
$5 million.
Wait, this is my mom's case?
And I'll be working
it? As an investigator.
Me. A big scandal
with the mayor?!
Well, you were hired to work
her cases, and this is...
Yes! I'm back!
Mom, amazing.
Big scandal, so exciting.
Okay, I'm already
diving into it.
And this mayor seems
super sketchy to me.
I mean, look at that.
Can they be real?
There's got to be some
serious dark secrets in there.
Maybe he's got some people
chained up in a subterranean
basement somewhere.
Todd? Huh?
The mayor is our client.
We are defending
him at all costs.
Okay. But is that one of
the ties I bought you?
You look
very handsome.
Yeah, without the tie.
Wait, what do you mean
we're defending the mayor
at all costs?
Like, even if he did it?
Even if he's a psychopath
and throwing baby
bunnies into campfires?
Yes. Okay.
Fine. Then I'll start
with the woman Lexy Fawcett.
I'll watch her, I'll tail
her. I'll quietly surveil her.
Hey, does having this
job allow me to make
law-abiding citizen's arrests?
Todd. Uh-huh?
This is a very
important day for me.
I have worked here
for over 17 years.
I generate 31% of
this firm's income.
And now it is time for
the senior partners
to recognize my value and
put my name above that door.
Crest, Folding, Song and Wright.
Which is why I need to
tap all my resources
and clear the mayor's name
and win this case.
Great. Where do I start?
There's a woman in
Southeast Portland
named Jacqueline DuBois.
Her basement flooded because of
the city water main break,
and many, many of her
belongings were damaged.
Okay. Okay.
And I need you to go down
and observe that trial.
I want to know everything.
Evidence, witnesses, testimony.
This is your first case,
and I am sure you're
going to ace it.
Wait. Where's the high-profile
sex scandal in this assignment?
That's what I'll be doing.
You are doing the
legwork for my next case
when I represent
Jacqueline's neighbors
in a very similar lawsuit.
What?! Mm-hmm.
I took this job to
work real cases.
No, I gave you this job
because you are broke.
I want murders, kidnapping,
blackmail, not water damage.
I mean, who-who's investigating
the mayor, the woman, the sex?
Here's the preliminary report
on Alexis "Lexy" Fawcett.
I'll have more on her
financials in a moment.
Excellent. Thank you, Lyle.
Him? Poindexter?
Todd, you're still
learning the ropes here,
and this is the mayor.
We need our top people on this.
I'm not one of your top people?!
My top people don't
show up 33 minutes late.
Who told you I was thir...?
Oh, my God.
Mom, this is crazy.
You can't stick me with
this dead-end case!
Todd, Jacqueline's trial is at
10:00 a.m. Don't Todd me, Margaret.
You will not be late to that,
too, if you want a ride home
tonight from your mother. Your
ace detective went out of his way
to find your missing husband?
Fine. Have fun with
your hall monitor.
Alistair Song wants to see you
in the conference room. Now.
Alistair.
Hello, Margaret. Have a seat.
Thank you.
You know, I was
just mentioning you
and my position here...
What's this about
you hiring your son?
My son? Wasn't he involved
in some illegal
wiretapping situation
a few years ago? And
now he's working here?
Yes. My son. Todd.
Well, as I'm sure you
know, we had an opening
in the investigations
department,
and he was cleared
of those charges
that you mentioned.
Todd is an excellent detective.
I have seen his work up close.
Very close.
But can we trust him
not to embarrass us?
Yes, we can trust him.
In fact, now that I'll be busy
with the mayor's case, I...
The mayor's case?
Uh, yes.
The mayor, the scandal. I...
Margaret, I'll be taking
lead on the mayor's case.
I've already spoken to
his office, and... What?
Uh, he's my client.
I-I joined the board of
the art museum a year ago
to befriend his wife
and-and bring their business
to this firm. He's
only... Margaret.
It's the mayor.
We need our top people on this.
You've come so far
here, Margaret.
It seems like just yesterday
that, uh, you were my secretary.
Executive secretary.
And I look forward to
making space for you
here at the top.
Someday.
Alistair,
with all due respect,
I have the relationships,
I've done the background.
This is my case.
Well, um, maybe you
could be useful then.
Uh, as my second chair.
Oh...
I'm so sorry to interrupt,
but the mayor's team is here.
Hey. Hi. We can't wait.
We got to get going
on this, kids, okay?
Oh, Margaret, isn't this awful?
This hideous woman making
horrible accusations.
Thank God you'll be
helping us through this.
Oh.
Um, Elaine and Mr. Mayor,
I will be right by your side.
But-but we have decided that
one of our founding partners
would be better equipped to
handle a case of this magnitude.
This is... Alistair Song.
It's a pleasure to
meet you. Mr. Mayor.
Under very strange
circumstances.
This is my campaign
manager Moe Simms.
Yeah, okay.
We got an election in four
short weeks, my friends.
I want to assure you
all that we will mount
a strong defense against this
flimsy, opportunistic lawsuit.
That's right.
So, how are we gonna bury her?
Uh, well, we have our tried
and true means and, uh...
Breach of oral contract is
very difficult to establish
unless there's written proof
that the mayor was planning
to financially support
her or leave his wife.
Uh, Margaret, I've never
actually met this woman.
I never promised
to leave my wife.
None of this is true.
We'll overwhelm her with
an expensive countersuit,
and she'll fold, I guarantee it.
And?
And?
We have already requested
an ex parte hearing
for later this
afternoon. Of course,
- you won't have to be there.
- That's right.
But she will.
I want this woman
to have to come down
and face the judge.
Oh, Elaine. Elaine, shh.
It's okay. It's okay.
It'll be all right.
We will get through this.
Together.
Now, this is Christine "Chrissy"
De Pointe, a Parisian flapper,
and she was made in 1935
from very fine,
delicate porcelain.
Now, can you see this little
brown stain here on her skirt?
Here, right here,
down near the hem?
That was caused by
the water damage.
This doll used to be worth
at least $250,
and now she's garbage.
Your Honor, that was exhibit
number nine of... 117
exhibits.
Don't... die.
No. This-this is your fault.
This is not my fault.
You dragged me into this.
Lexy?
You never said anything about
me getting hauled into court.
You promised me 20,000 bucks.
I only did this for the money.
Look... I have to go in
and see some stupid judge now.
I'm done. Bye.
What
are you doing here?
I'm just...
Go.
Okay. I'm going.
Back to the Valley of the Dolls.
Allison, can you believe
Mom stuck me with this junk
case? Me? She doesn't value me.
She doesn't trust me.
After what I did for her?
I have incredible skills
that are just being ignored.
117 dolls. Give me a break.
Yeah, but you're earning
money, you're working.
Maybe you can get out of my
garage in, like, maybe a month,
you think? Let's not
get ahead of ourselves.
This is about respect, of
which she is giving me none.
Maybe the way to look at this
is, you've reached a
crossroads in life. Uh-huh.
You hit bottom. I
haven't hit bottom!
You lost your P.I. license
and you almost went to jail.
Oh, my God. I've hit bottom.
But now you're working
your way back up,
and this job is
a lifeline, okay?
So you need to suck it up,
pull yourself together,
and stick it out.
So you're saying I need...
to find myself in this job?
Um, yeah, okay, sure.
I need to be true to myself
and get out from under.
Yes...? Yeah, she can't
tell me what to do.
I'm a detective. I detect!
I'm not observing
water-damaged dolls.
No, you're misinterpreting
this. No, you're right.
I'm hers from 9:00 to 5:00,
but I'm mine from 5:00 to 9:00.
Yeah, not understanding
me. I got to go.
I'm gonna look into this
Lexy person on my own.
She was on the phone with
someone at the courthouse,
and I don't know. Something.
Thank you. No.
No. No. Okay, no.
That's not what I
was saying at all.
Who?
I didn't order a pi...
- Peter Pete's Pizza.
- Pizza?
- Peter Pita's Pizza Palace?
- Yo, who dis?
Hey, bring it up!
Hey, pi...
Hey, I got pizza here.
Pizza?
Uh, Ms. Fawcett?
I have your pizza
that you ordered...
for pizza.
Hello?
Pizza?
Uh, Lexy?
Ms. Fawcett?
Hello?
Uh, I'd like to ask
you a few questions...
The mayor is a
murder suspect now.
We need to quickly pivot
to a criminal defense.
Can you please sit down now?
Thank you.
May I ask you, where was
the mayor last night?
And his wife?
And you. Were you...?
They're questioning
the mayor later today.
And if this escalates,
there's a process
for charging an elected
official with a crime.
Uh, Margaret, will you get
volume 19 of the Oregon
Penal Code from the credenza?
It's, uh, volume 14.
Hi.
What are you doing?
I need to talk to you.
What are you doing?
Mom. What are you doing?
So, there's been a bit
of a, uh, development.
What is it now?
Um, the woman Lexy,
who is... Yes.
Um, I think I kind
of found the body.
And I tipped off
the police. I know.
I know. I know I said
I wanted a murder case,
but then there she was,
bam, murdered, and...
Todd, you have to speak
to the police right now.
We have to... No, no, no,
no, no, let's not do that.
I don't want them to know I
was there or that I took this.
You took evidence from the
scene of the crime? No. No, no.
This evidence was definitely
outside the crime scene.
It's her trash.
She was taking it out. No.
This is illegal.
Okay, but you said
that we have to defend
the mayor at all costs.
And look what I found. No,
no, no, don't you open that.
Todd, do not... You want
me to open this. Mom!
Okay, so, there's
all this gross stuff
and this weird, uh, "quit
smoking" nicotine gum.
I cannot believe
that you just...
Wait. Are those
men's underpants?
Yes, these, but she lived alone,
so what if they
were the mayor's?
Wait. She did say she had
some of his personal items.
Are you sure this is her trash?
Yes! Okay.
Well, no. I think so. It might
have been the neighbor's.
I don't know. The bag was
tipped slightly to the...
You know, trash bag science
is not exact, and I... Oh!
My God. You have just
dumped a stranger's trash
all over the office floor?!
Those could be
anyone's underpants!
Do we know what waist
size the mayor is?
Oh, for...
We need to find out
when the police forensics
will be released.
And please have someone
organize some food.
We'll be here all
day. Of course.
Perfect.
Organize some food?
You're organizing
food? What is going on?
Aren't you supposed to
be down at the court
observing Jacqueline's case?
Oh, uh, I left a burner
phone under my seat.
Oh. It's recording the trial
in a transcription app,
and it will text me if a word
like "interesting,"
"significant,"
or "important" pops
up, which I promise you
will never happen.
Mm-hmm. Uh-huh.
You can't even do the one
thing I asked you to do.
I cannot deal with
you right now.
I want you to clean
up this mess and go
to your office.
I don't have an office.
All this
trash is pretty trashy.
Nothing too weird.
All very gross.
Someone likes grapefruit.
Wait a second.
Hello. Hello?
Um...
Hey, I need login access for all
the municipal search databases.
Right away. I need reverse
phone number directory lookup,
local business guild info...
Because you're an
unlicensed detective,
your searches will have to
be run and approved by me.
Now, fill out these three forms.
What? That's ridiculous.
I work here now.
Look, all I want is to find
out which local business
uses this symbol.
And you think I have access
to some magic database
that can do that?
Uh, yes. Don't you? What's the
point of all this equipment
if you don't have some
incredible machine
that analyzes things and
instantly identifies them?
I wasn't aware I was
starring on CSI: Portland.
Look, this is for the mayor.
And that is my case.
And if you don't have the
appropriate billing code
to log your "work,"
you won't get paid.
Oh, my God! Fine. Okay, fine.
Forget it. I'll do it
my way. You do that.
I do. I am.
I will.
Okay. r/Portland Answers.
Copy and paste.
"What is this?" And... post.
Do you think
the mayor killed Lexy?
No.
Not at all.
That campaign manager, though?
She's intense.
Do you listen to PDX-RAY?
The podcast about
local politics?
They did this whole
episode about her.
She's... kind of notorious.
Notorious? How?
She wanted to be
mayor herself once.
She has motive.
But then she had
some serious problems
with drinking and anger.
She got into this big accident.
She's the one who
crashed her car
into Powell's Books
on New Year's.
Wait. Powell's?
On New Year's Eve?
Yes. I was working
on New Year's, per my yoozh.
Uh-huh. And we are the
closest ER to Powell's.
What's her name
again? Moe Simms.
She's the mayor's
campaign manager.
Maureen Simms.
Apparently, there's a
"popcast" about her.
Yes, I know who she is.
And while I cannot disclose
her medical history,
hypothetically, a woman like
her might have been in here
that evening with a
serious head injury.
Which can lead to erratic
or aggressive behavior
down the line.
How erratic?
Could it have caused her to
snap and maybe murder somebody?
Whoa.
Um, that seems like
a stretch, but maybe?
Who do you think that
she might have murdered?
Why aren't you wearing
your wedding ring?
Mom, I'm at work.
I don't want to lose
it inside somebody.
Allison. It happens.
Why are you wearing
your wedding ring?
Oh. I don't
know. Habit, I guess.
How are we doing with everything
since that whole
situation took place?
It's been, what, like a week?
I'm fine, I'm fine. I...
I just want to move past it
and, um, get back to work.
Yeah. And then someone
got murdered. Yes.
Which is why I'm
asking about Moe.
A woman got murdered
who was claiming
to have an affair
with the mayor.
Oh, yeah. She's here.
What do you mean, she's here?
I mean, downstairs.
In the morgue. Oh.
They brought her
in this morning.
My friend Kelly is the coroner.
Huh.
Well, can you bring
this Kelly up here,
and maybe I can ask
her some questions?
So, Kelly, she was strangled.
And the bruising on
the neck is angled up,
which would suggest...
Uh, killer was short?
Yeah. Well, shorter
than her. Mm.
Or just... sitting.
Right? Yeah.
Kind of... reaching
up. Mm-hmm.
Thank you. So nice. Um, well,
thank you very, very much.
Oh, how nice.
You're married.
He leaves his on.
Oh,
no. So, the mayor.
That's exciting. Moving on up.
Well, it was exciting
until Alistair Song took
the case for himself.
I mean, he doesn't value me.
You know, he doesn't trust me.
All of my achievements
have simply been ignored.
Maybe you're at a crossroads
and you just need to
be true to yourself
to come out from under.
You're right. He
can't keep me down.
He's not the boss of me.
Well, I mean, I think
he literally is, but...
What I mean is, I can
pursue this case my own way.
I don't need to sit around
in some second chair
while some man tells me...
Sounds like the mother I know.
Allison. Thank
you, honey. Mm-hmm.
It was so very helpful.
What are you looking
at? The mayor.
To know that I am cooperating
fully with this investigation.
I had no involvement or...
or knowledge of this
crime, this... murder.
I am innocent.
But effective immediately,
I will be stepping
down as mayor.
I just want to...
I need to protect my
family. - Eric.
I know you didn't kill her.
And instead of playing
defense, I suggest we get ahead
of these charges.
You could sign this affidavit,
stating your exact whereabouts
the night of the murder,
promising to turn over your
phone and your computer
and to cooperate in
every possible way.
You and Elaine.
Eric, where is she today?
I don't know.
Just, um, she's been so panicked
and acting so strange
since the murder.
Last night she... she
said we should divorce.
I don't... want to lose her.
But I don't know
what's going on.
She took Ryan to my parents'.
Said she wants to be alone,
somewhere quiet.
Somewhere private.
She said she needs
to think, be alone...
And relax.
You're welcome. Thank you.
Hello.
Thank you. Here you are.
What are you doing here?
I am looking for the
mayor's missing wife,
and you are supposed
to be in court.
Mom, they're only on doll
34. Nothing is happening.
What makes you think the
mayor's wife is here?
Elaine knows something
about Lexy's murder.
She's processing.
She's mentioned this
place to me many times.
She adores the spa here.
She finds it
relaxing and calming.
And it is.
But the bird poop facials
are a complete scam.
Oh, okay, I'll cancel my
appointments immediately.
But why did Lexy
have a valet stub
from this place in her trash,
which obviously is her trash
if you're here, too,
so, ha, I was right.
But maybe she knew Elaine?
Hello. Please put your
first name and a scent
you connect with.
Vanilla? Okay, so,
do we go in separate
or storm in together, or...?
Todd, this a women's-only
establishment.
And I do not care to
be embarrassed. Again.
Thank you.
The mayor's wife is
here, so her car must be.
Elaine. Hello.
Oh, Margaret.
You frightened me.
I'm so sorry.
I knew I'd find you here.
This must be such a
strange and confusing time.
Perhaps a quiet day of
reflection is exactly...
No. No, I...
No, I'm... I'm here because
I feel safer in public.
Well, hello, cheap,
untraceable burner phone.
I told Eric
I'll do whatever it takes
to salvage his career.
I'll go away,
I'll...
I'll go to jail.
Elaine, what are
you talking about?
What happened?
I, uh...
I did something...
very bad.
Did you ever...?
Excuse me. I, um...
I need to use the ladies'.
I'll... I'll be right back.
Oh, Margaret? The, um,
Valet Captain General
needs to speak to you?
Immediately.
Mom! Get in! It's me. Get in.
Todd, I am working.
Elaine is acting very
stra... Whose car is this?
It's her car. This
is about Elaine.
I am in the middle
of something, Todd.
No! Mom,
get in this car!
We are taking this car
to the police right now.
Look, it's filled with evidence.
Money, burner phone, and
the GPS shows she went
to Lexy's house the night of
the murder. Maybe to kill her?
No, no, no. Maybe to
talk her out of it,
to convince her not to do it.
Wait. No, Todd.
You are not adding grand theft
auto to your criminal record.
It's not grand theft auto if
you're driving it to the police.
Oh, no, Todd.
Abso... No, Todd! No!
What are you doing?
Get off the wheel.
I'm driving this car.
Stop! Yeah, let-let's
crash a stolen car.
That's a great idea. Oh.
If we're gonna crash,
I'm gonna put my seat
belt on right now.
Please put your seat belt on.
J-Just put your foot on the
brake and stop the car. Okay...
Yeah. Wait. Elaine.
Where-where...
where is she going?
Oh, my God. I don't
have my phone on me.
Is it the burning? It's the
burning. But it's not me.
It's not the burning.
No, it's, uh...
Wait. It's her phone.
Huh? Yes, it must
be in her purse.
And the Bluetooth from the car
is picking up the
call. Uh... Oh, God.
No, don't answer
it. Yes, yes, yes.
No, we shouldn't answer... No.
Hello?
Hello? Elaine,
is that you?
We must have a bad connection.
You sound all garbled.
I told you something bad would
happen if you stopped paying me.
Now Lexy's dead, and
it looks pretty bad
for you and the mayor, and if
you don't want it to get worse,
you bring that cash
to the old ice rink
on Johnson today at 6:00 p.m.
We don't want our little
secret slipping out, do we?
Oh, no.
I don't like this at
all. Where's she going?
She's gonna walk into
traffic, Mom. Pull over.
Pull over. She's desperate.
We have to stop her.
Elaine? Elaine? No!
No!
No, no!
Stop.
Just put me in jail.
I did it. I killed her.
Oh, Elaine. Put
me away, please.
I'll-I'll be safe there.
5:58.
The old ice rink on Johnson.
Just received a free
bird poop facial.
As promised, underwhelming.
Am now waiting for
some goon to arrive
and... kill me?
Great day all...
Whoa.
It's a license plate.
6-D-2. I-I think there's
a "B" in there somewhere.
On a moped Vespa
thing, and I don't care
what the billing codes are.
I need to know who owns this.
Oh, you don't care?
Must be nice. You
don't have to care.
You make a mistake,
someone else cleans it up.
If I made a mistake,
I'd get fired.
Oh, come on! Can't you just
plug it into one of your
little databases? Wait.
What is this? Is
this the mayor?
This is my case,
and until you fill out
the proper paperwork,
I don't want to see
you in here again.
I'm not breaking rules for you.
My mommy isn't
here to protect me.
Do you think your niece
will ever stop crying?
She has the lungs
of an opera singer.
Mm. It's wild.
Does she needs this?
Oh, no, thank you.
I put Clementine to sleep in
your bed. I hope that's okay.
Yes, of course.
She can spend the night here
if you want. You both can.
No. No, thanks.
Lawrence will be home
early tomorrow, and
he'll want to see her.
And I would
like to see him.
That's why she's crying.
She misses her daddy.
Come on. Okay.
"Lyle.
"Lyle, dear, I know
Todd can be impossible,
"but someday you'll
understand that he's a genius.
"Please assist him with this
license plate situation and
"bill my code for this case.
"You can text the
results to Todd directly.
"Oh, and you don't
need to report to me
"if he's late for work.
Thank you."
Well, uh,
as always, welcome to our home.
I marinated tonight's
fish in cumin and pep...
So she's being arraigned
tomorrow? Mm-hmm.
And she's pleading guilty
to murder? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
But she didn't do it.
Why would she go to jail for
a crime she didn't commit?
Well, to protect
herself and her family
from some horrible secret.
I mean, look at the life
she's walking away from.
She's the mayor's wife. They
live in the mayor's mansion.
They have that beautiful son.
Well, maybe she's unhappy.
Maybe she wants out.
And you're the
investigator working on this case
with the mayor?
Yes. No. Well, not
officially. I, uh,
am apparently one
of the bottom
people at the firm,
not the top. Todd.
I can't be trusted
with delicate matters.
I would trust you more if
you could follow orders.
Are you following orders?
Did you arrange food
and respect your elders?
Yes, I did. Yes, I
did. No, you didn't.
No, you did not. So it's okay
for you to go rogue and-and
not play by the rules, but
for me it's... I am your boss.
And he's your boss. And
I gave you that job.
And he gave you a job. And
I am better than that job.
And so am I with mine.
Todd, I have earned my place
at that firm by working
hard, rising to the occasion,
completing the tasks
assigned to me... Okay.
And compromising when necessary.
And even then, there
are roadblocks.
But I work through them.
While you... you just expect
to leapfrog to the
fantasy life and career
you've always wanted like that?
You can go rogue all
you want when you have
worked your way up from
the bottom like I did.
Well, uh,
I think if it's all
right with all of you,
I will leapfrog to my lair
and finish my allotted gruel.
Oh, um, it's halibut.
And I will have you know that
my chair at my fantasy career
in my mother's office
is a rolling step stool.
Get some bread. Yeah.
Oh, good
evening, Todd Margaret.
So nice to hear from you-her.
Nice try, but I'm not
searching anything
without an official
written and signed request
from your mother.
Your little Viking
will have to wait.
I will see you tomorrow
morning at 9:00 a.m. sharp.
My little Viking?
Is that the mascot for...?
And here are
a few more yearbooks.
You said class of...?
Uh, I don't really know.
He could've been 40 years
old, could've been 30.
I'm not even sure he
was a student here.
Well, we will just
keep looking.
You did you say you were
one of our graduates.
No, I only did summer school
here. I went to Wilson.
Okay, Mr. Moped, where are you?
Wait. He was faculty?
Dragon Romano.
Seriously? Dragon?
That's the mayor's wife.
Wait. How old is...?
No... way.
Yes, good morning. All
right, I'm taking over today
for Judge Morrison who's
stuck on another trial,
so please bear with me a moment.
It's ringing.
Mom, pick up your phone.
Oh, hey there, bud. Sorry.
Floor is locked
down. Mayor's here.
What? It's locked down? Yup.
No access to this
level next three hours.
No, no, no, but I-I have to
get to that... No, not unless
you're part of an active trial.
But I am part of
an active trial.
Jacqueline DuBois v. the
Portland Water Bureau.
Wow. Really? Yes.
I specialize in
water-damaged porcelain dolls
wearing satin recreations
of 1830s ballgowns.
Damn. Well, all the experts
are listed here, and...
Yeah, and I'd better be
at the top of that list.
What-what name do you have?
Um, David Ainsworth? Worth?
That's me.
Oh, wow. Okay.
Yeah, then follow me. Sure.
They said no witnesses for
this trial till tomorrow.
Yeah. Well, things have
seriously deteriorated,
and the dolls are just
dropping like flies.
It's that bad? Oh
it's Dollmageddon.
Well,
uh, Mr. Ainsworth?
Mr. Ainsworth, that's...
that's the wrong courtroom.
We're over here.
Okay. Stay calm.
Everybody out that way.
Mom! Mom! He's right there!
That's the voice
on the car phone.
He's the guy who murdered Lexy!
Charley, him! Get him!
I'm Ryan's father!
I'm Ryan's father!
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay. Shh. It's okay.
Okay.
The whole thing...
Lexy, the affair, her murder,
was all a setup by Dragon.
And Elaine
left him because he was insane.
Then she married
the future mayor,
but she was already pregnant.
Dragon is the real
father of the mayor's child,
and Dragon blackmailed
Elaine for years,
but when she stopped paying, he
framed her for Lexy's murder.
He wanted
to destroy her family,
and I'll help put Dragon away
for the rest of his life.
And I understand the mayor
has resumed his campaign
and will stay with
us at the firm.
As my client.
Yes. Of course.
Margaret. Alistair.
Todd. Sorry.
So, he can have access
to these three databases.
But? According
to municipal law,
without a registered
P.I. license,
he is not allowed to...
To access the other
eight databases.
All right, I
understand. So, Todd,
you're just going to have to
go through Lyle on occasion.
And we will get you your
employee I.D. number
and the correct billing codes.
Okay, and what about the chair?
I'll get you a chair.
But if there are
no empty offices...
There are no empty offices.
Okay, that's it. Let's
get back to work.
Your office is so
incredibly clean.
Careful. Careful.
Hot coffee.
And... they got the
coffee out of this.
Wow. You picked up
my dry cleaning?
Yeah, and paid for it. Well,
just paid for this one item.
You had, like, 35
things in there.
Well, I do enjoy a dry clean.
So, wait. Tell me again
what you overheard.
Yeah, it was your mom
and Song in the library.
With the candlestick.
Sorry. Continue.
Anyway, he was telling her,
you know, not the
right time, soon,
she'll be a named partner by
next year, blah, blah, blah.
Lame. But he also told her
that you did a really good
job on the mayor's case.
And what did she say?
"I value him highly."
Good.
Wait.
This is not my sweater.
It's not?
This is a poncho for...
Suzanne Yard.
Well, it's clean.
Oh, hi.
Oh, look at this
little tough guy.
What's all this
fuzz? Who is this?
Oh. Your mom had me put a
few things in there for you.
Wait, what? What is it? Wait.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
and TOYOTA.