So Help Me Todd (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - So Help Me Pod - full transcript

Every lawyer has one case

that keeps them up at
night, and this is mine.

Can you tell our podcast
listeners about it?

My client, Antonia Suarez,

was wrongfully accused,

and despite my best
efforts, convicted

of first degree murder.

She's currently
serving a life sentence

for a crime she did not commit.

And where are you in
the case right now?

We've used up all
of our appeals.



And now, 13 years later,

I'm looking for a
new piece of evidence

that can exonerate Antonia.

You're still searching. Why?

Because I believe Antonia
Suarez is innocent,

and Raya Chen's killer
is still out there.

Walk us through the case.

In November of 2009,

Antonia came home
from work and noticed

her neighbor Raya's
door was ajar.

She went in and found Raya
Chen laying on the ground,

unconscious and bleeding.

Antonia tried to help her,
and held her until Raya died.

Ooh. Trick or treat.



Ooh. Somebody's popular, huh?

Ooh.

Ew! No! Agnes!

Dental floss?

Hey, where's my mom?

Police found Antonia

covered in Raya's blood.

They read her her Miranda rights

and interrogated her
in English, but...

That sounds like my son...

Whoa!

Todd.

Sorry. Sorry, wasn't sure
what was happening in here.

What is happening...

Hi.

Okay, right. You're Todd.

Exactly as Allison
described you.

Oh, Allison? Why?
What did she say?

Idiot? Fool? Handsome?

Witty? Charming.

None of those exact words, no.

Oh.

Todd, this is Lea Luna.

She and Allison did
undergrad together.

Lea is the podcast
host for PDX-Files.

Oh, great.

So what are we
podcasting about, huh?

True crime? False
crime? Crime crime?

My mom doesn't know podcasts.

Yes, I do. Now I do.

Since Lea reached out to me

about the Antonia Suarez case,

I've been listening
to her podcast,

and, uh, I find it
captivating. Aw.

So, can we just continue
podding and ignore him?

Where were we? Okay.

The police interrogated
Antonia in English.

When Antonia was arrested, she
predominantly spoke Spanish,

very limited
understanding of English.

And law enforcement
used that against her.

They convinced her

to sign a confession.

And her fingerprints

and DNA were everywhere.

Well, what was
the murder weapon?

Todd, we're recording.

Okay. Fine.

The weapon was never found.

And now, they are about
to transfer Antonia

to a prison in Oklahoma, which
will make it next to impossible

for her daughter
Kacey to see her.

So, what is the plan?

We need new evidence to
bring a writ of habeas corpus

to the judge.

With new evidence, we can prove

that Antonia's
incarceration was invalid.

So, Margaret, what would you
like to say to our listeners?

If you know anything

about Raya Chen's murder at the
Northwest Trinity apartments,

November 2009,

please call us.

This is our last chance
to free an innocent woman.

Great. That was so great.

I'm just gonna
clean all this up,

and I will get

this episode out
tonight. Thank you.

Hey, Mar, we got to get
over to the prison now.

Of course. Thank you, Lea.

Um, so, can I just go?

Do I need to log out
or un-pod or anything?

Um, no. (laughs) No, I
got it. Um, go ahead.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hmm.

Mm-hmm. Mm-mm.

Mm-hmm. Hmm-mm.

So what do you think?
Is Antonia innocent?

Oh, absolutely. I think
it's pretty obvious

to anyone who's been paying
attention that Antoni-o

is 100%, without
question, innocent.

Okay. I...

I am speaking to investigator
Todd Wright. Mm-hmm.

Uh, if Antoni-a didn't kill
Raya Chen, then who did?

Well, I think that's the
million dollar question,

isn't it? Mm.

But I think if you look really
closely at all the suspects...

Just curious. Can you
name any of the suspects?

Oh, I can name 20. Okay.

There's Jason... Uh-huh.

Mason... Grayson.

This was a huge case for your
mother very early in her career.

I mean, she poured her
whole life into this case.

Surely, you've got
to know... something.

Of course, certainly.

All the names and
particulars are very,

very intimately familiar to me.

But, um, at the time, in 2009,

my mother was very, very
focused on her career,

and we were... not so close.

Because she was

doggedly pursuing justice
for Antonia Suarez

because she was a...
a working mother.

Mm, more like a
working-all-the-time mother,

and, uh, while she was doggedly
missing my 18th birthday,

I was having cereal for dinner

and packing for
college on my own.

This case haunts your mother.

Yeah, well,

we're all a bit haunted.

Todd, are you okay? Is Mom okay?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, all fine.

So you went to college
with this Lea Luna, huh?

You did not have me
paged for dating advice.

I don't need dating advice.

I need to know what
you told her about me.

Todd, I was with a patient
who was bleeding from his ear.

And she's way too good for you.

Oh. Okay. Great. Now I'm
bleeding from my ears.

Great vote of confidence...
from my own sister.

If she agrees to go out
with you... no chance...

Just don't use that
weird fake French accent

that you do when you
order wine, okay?

Just order beer. She's
super down-to-earth.

And... I don't know...
Just don't be... you.

Be more competent.

Huh. And definitely

don't go on and on and on

about that weather
balloon conspiracy theory.

Even if the balloons are mobile
listening stations for the NSA?

No.

Antonia, I know

a podcast may seem unusual,

and it may feel invasive,

but they have led

to exonerations.

I'm still getting
trolled online.

Daughter of the crazy lady
who killed her neighbor?

Kacey, I know that's hard.

But what if this podcast

could pull the real
murderer out of the shadows?

What if it works, cariño?

What if I could
walk out of here?

In time for your birthday?

Kacey, please.

It's our last chance.

What have we got to lose?

Okay, fine. Do it.

Just don't pin all your
hopes on this, Mom.

I don't want to see you
get hurt all over again.

I don't know what

you're talking about.

I should be working
this case and not him!

Is there a problem with my work?

Of course not. Todd doesn't
know a thing about this case.

My point exactly!

Mom, Lyle knows the knowns
and the known-knowns.

But I am the
unknown. I'm the one

who doesn't know
anything. About anything.

I'm fresh eyes.

I'm full of new questions
and new theories.

You and this
textbook-come-to-life

have been working this
case for 13 years?

And where have you gotten?

You need fresh eyes.

Not... stale eyes.

Todd, that is extremely
ill-mannered and oddly logical.

I concur, and I am up to my own
fresh eyes in current cases,

so please take this file box...

and go to your nook.

Okay.

Sorry.

You are not just doing
this to impress...?

Lea.

Hey. I'll be the investigator
on this case now.

Lyle had to alphabetize
his coin purse.

So, let's pod.

What's our next
move? Ignore him.

We need to strategize.
Make a plan.

Well, for the next episode,

I wanted to focus on the
compelling characters

of the case. Here's
a fresh idea.

Let's introduce Lea

to all the original
suspects, aka characters.

Give her a lay of the land,

maybe a meet-and-greet,
or at least a sip-n-see.

A sip-n-see?

According to security cameras,

no one came into or
out of the building

around the time
of Raya's murder.

So I think that we...
You... should interview

everyone who was there
that night, starting...

with her...

Evelyn Wilder, novelist.

Writes British romance-y

kind of things with wrinkled
ascots and stolen ladles.

Speak three languages.
But she didn't do it?

She said she was writing
in her apartment,

"in the flow," wearing her
noise-canceling headphones.

That's not an alibi. No.

But there's no evidence that
puts her in Raya's apartment

around the time of the murder.

That's an odd laugh.

And what about him?

Devin DeLeon, accountant.

Long-time resident.

And he has an alibi? No.

But Devin's a big cricket fan.

He claims that after
his team lost that day,

he drowned himself

in vodka gimlets
and fell asleep.

And last, but not least...

Olga Szabo, building super.

In my mind, it was always her.

Why? She refused

to speak to the police,
and she lawyered up

before my team had a
chance to interview her.

Whoa.

I remember you. You're
that murderer's lawyer.

Uh, I'm recording
this. Wonderful.

I'm listening to
your sick podcast.

Raya was a beautiful woman,

and you're making her
death into a spectacle.

You moved into her
apartment after she died.

Raya's apartment
is a sacred space.

And for someone with such
exquisite bone structure

and delicate fingers to be taken

before their time is a travesty.

Don't make a second episode.

And I don't want to ever
see you outside here again.

Good day.

Okay, we definitely
got to break in

and check that guy's
apartment out, right?

Totally sus! Should
we go up right now?

Absolutely not.

Not while I'm here.

And if you do... but don't...

I can't know anything about it.

I am going.

Plausible deniability.
Do it tomorrow.

I don't know!

I do not know.

So I guess we'll
come back tomorrow?

Kristy could hear

the killer crawling
under her bed.

Oh, my Lord.

And the sailor's disemboweled
torso was stuffed

into an empty torpedo.

Good God!

Where is Lea's podcast?

Ah.

Raya Chen was
bludgeoned to death

at the back of her head.

Autopsy reports say

her skull bone ruptured
her cerebral cortex.

Hello.

Hello?

MECHANICALLY-ALTERED VOICE:
Antonia killed Raya Chen.

Stop the investigation,
or you're dead, too.

What do you mean, this can't be

her first death threat?

She's my mom. Moms
don't get threatened.

Well, moms might not,

but lawyers and judges
do all the time.

She never told me that.

Well, she's protecting
you. From what?

From worrying about her,

or feeling like you
have to protect her.

But from a case perspective,

this means we are
on the right track.

Huh. Means someone's rattled.

If Antonia did it, then
no one would bother

to threaten your mom.

Okay, 3B. This is Devin's.

I'll knock. If he's home,

I'm Brett from the
Portland Water Bureau.

He saw you earlier,
but undercover.

I like it.

Okay, I am
recording. Go ahead.

Portland Water Bureau!

Here to check your water!

I don't think he's home.

All right, I'm
gonna check outside,

see if I can scale the
building or something.

Or we could jimmy the lock.

Do you want

to hold my stuff
while I break in?

I've been waiting my whole life
for someone to ask me that.

That and "Sir, can
you fly this plane?"

But this is breaking and
entering, you know that.

Yeah. Only if we get caught.

Hello?

Wow.

Oh, hey, hey, hey, that's
Raya Chen. Oh, wow.

You know, if I'm
remembering correctly,

She would have
died right... here,

right where we are standing.

Well, maybe this is the
sacred part of his apartment.

But now, we need to find out

where he keeps his mementos,

like teeth and bones,
or her delicate fingers.

Here. I'll take the bedroom.

I'll take kitchen.
Okay. Mm-hmm.

Oh, oh, oh, oh! Hey,
he does ride a bike.

So if he happens
to be the last man

in America with a landline,
try calling my phone.

Maybe it'll match the number
that called my mom's last night.

Oh, come on. You know
that call definitely came

from some rando burner phone.

Yeah, you're probably right.

Okay. So,

no landline, but I
did find a package

for a disposable burner phone.

So... What are you
doing? I think there's

an envelope... in the wall.

It's... Ah!

Spiders. It's the spiders.

There's a... it's like
Temple of Doom back there.

But there's something
hidden in that side wall.

Wait. Really? Let me
take a look. Yeah.

Killers will sometimes
keep hair, or

shoes or...

What's that?

Papers... written in Chinese.

What? I mean,
might be Devin's,

but might be Raya's?

Well, I'd say, from the 17
layers of deathly cobwebs,

nobody's been back there
for a really long time.

I mean, maybe these are
messages, like, from her.

Well, to who?

I don't know. To her family?

Maybe she wrote
down her messages,

hid it under her sink
behind some sticky paper

because she's paranoid?

Because she thought
she was being watched?

Yes! Like by weather balloons.

Wait. Are-are you serious?

Did Allison tell
you to say that?

No. Like, the Pentagon
basically flat-out admitted

that low-range weather balloons
are highly effective...

For short range surveillance!
I read that, too!

Oh, my gosh, how'd
you know that?

Wait.

Oh, crap. That's
him. What's happened?

Devin. He's, um...
he's-he's back!

What? Uh, he's back.

Okay, here. Uh,
I got your purse.

Come on. Go, go, go, go.

Hey. What's going on back here?

Oh. Hey. Lea's just
backing up her recordings.

Did you know she
could pick a lock?

Have you asked her out?

Uh, no, but tonight, we're
both strategically free,

so I think it's understood
that a date's happening.

Hmm. Don't take her bowling.

What? Why?

Todd, you took me bowling
on our first date.

And don't order any beer.
It makes you very...

Well, not always. It's
the wheat, or the lager,

but that makes everybody...

And you're a very bad bowler.

Charmingly bad. I'm
actually very good.

No, you're not. Todd,
you bowled into a lady,

knocked her down. We had
to drive her to the ER.

Okay, well, those lanes
were very slippery.

Impress her. Take her
someplace well-reviewed

with dim lights and
white tablecloths.

And don't wear what
you're wearing.

And don't drive your car.

Oh, and don't talk about that
weird weather balloon stuff

that you've been constant...

Uh, too late. She
knows they're real.

The Pentagon practically...

And... don't be nervous.

You'll be great.

Okay. Thank you. Thanks.

Todd is worried about me?

Yeah, about the
threats, the call.

Has anything else happened?

No, no, no, no. And there's
nothing to worry about.

It is part of the job.

Trust me, I can handle it.

I have been doing
this a long time.

Yeah, he mentioned that you
missed some of his birthdays

because of-of work, this case.

I would never miss a birthday.
He wouldn't say that.

Mm, more like a
working-all-the-time mother.

And, uh, while she was doggedly
missing my 18th birthday,

I was having cereal for dinner

and packing for
college on my own.

I just called Jack.
He said he could...

Oh, and, uh, Jack is
Francey's super-hot boyfriend

who's also a cop.

Todd... What? He is.

Jack said he can
get you a warrant

to get you into
Devin's apartment

if you have probable cause.

But you haven't already
been inside, have you?

We were never there.

Excuse me, Officer.

We're here to see Devin DeLeon.

We have a warrant.

That's going to be a
bit of a problem, ma'am.

Mr. DeLeon is dead.

Initially, we suspected
suicide, but there's no note,

and the trajectory of this fall
makes us think he was pushed.

So now you suspect murder?

It's early,

but my partner's
taking statements

from some of the neighbors.

Uh, afternoon, Officer Kendrick.

I'm Clay with
Peaceful Transitions.

I'm here, state mandate,

to hold a space for
the recently departed.

Do you mind if I sit?
Do what you got to do.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Dearly Beloved, we are
gathered here today

to support our
earthly friend Devin

as he passes from this
plane to the next.

Now, to some,

Devin was just a random person

who rode a bicycle...

with a weird temperament.

But to God...

he's Devin.

And to me...

he's also Devin.

YOU-BET-LINE. Want
to place a bet

on the horses or the game today?

That apartment is jinxed.

13 years ago, a woman was
murdered in that same unit.

Raya Chen. Yeah.

Did you work that case?

Nah, I was just a rookie
handling crowd control.

But it stuck in your memory?

All I recall is the two
senior detectives arguing

about who was running point.

Do you happen to
remember their names?

Like I said, it-it
was so long ago.

Ma'am.

So, looks like Mr. Chalk
Outline was a gambler.

Ah. Just checked
his burner phone,

and he only used it
to call his bookie.

Your number wasn't in there, not
even in the recently deleted,

so, he is not your
creepy caller.

This Officer Lupo
has me thinking

about the detectives who ran
the original crime scene.

I'm going to go back
and talk to Francey.

Why don't you go and talk to
the building manager... Olga.

Olga. See if she can tell you
anything about the other tenants

who were here at the time
of Raya's death. Okay.

I'll catch up with
Lea. Hey, Todd, Todd?

Mm-hmm? Why did you tell Lea

that I forgot your
18th birthday?

I didn't. I got
you that camera.

Uh, that was my 17th.

Well, then the Playtime station.

PlayStation?

Uh-huh. Sixteenth.

You missed my 18th
birthday, Mom. You did.

Whatever. It's fine.

But when I became a legal adult,

you were... not there.

This is terrible.

We live in a cursed
building. Mm.

I want to crawl under my covers

with a tub of vegan ice
cream and stay there forever.

Now I'll never be able to
rent that apartment again.

Olga, who do you think did this?

I have no idea.

I think now, whoever killed
Raya is still out there.

It can't be Antonia,
that poor girl in jail.

She's too sweet.

Oh, such a good heart.

Would it be possible for us to
get records of who else lived

in the building when
Raya was killed?

Not a chance. No. Ms. Szabo,

I need a statement from you.

I don't talk to
police. Call my lawyer.

And you...

You want to see my
records? Uh-huh.

Get a warrant. Not
even for PDX-Files?

The number one
true-crime podcast

in the Pacific Northwest?
You're from PDX-Files?

Yes. Well, no, not me.

But this is Lea Luna.

Wow.

My wife is obsessed
with your podcast.

Oh.

Uh, you're gonna
turn down PDX-Files?

Fine. Follow me to the basement.

I'll show you the files.

But I'm not going
to talk about it.

Okay?

Detective Ekert?

Black, two sugars?

Oh, Attorney Wright.

You must need something.

Hello, Francey.

We're here about
the Raya Chen case,

2009.

That was Police Chief Linton.

He got the boot in
2010, died last year.

What does Linton have to
do with the Chen case?

Well, a lot of bad stuff went
down on Lousy Linton's watch.

He cut corners on
pretty much everything.

The police report said that you

and Detective Walsh were
first to process the scene.

No, it was just Walsh.

I was there for a second,

and then got called to a
robbery around the block.

There's supposed to be
two names on every report,

but Linton told us to fudge it.

A woman is serving
a life sentence,

and now you're telling
me about cut corners?

Thanks for the
coffee. No, wait.

I need to find Walsh.

He's on death's door
himself, in some hospice.

Let him be.

We are calling every
hospice in the area

until we find him. Yep.

The next file belongs to...

Ah. Uh, Francois Gagnon.

Hmm.

It looks like he lived here

in 2012, and then he worked

for zee telephone company.

So, um,

after Allison jetted
off to college,

it was just you and
your nom at home?

Yeah, yeah, Allison and
Lawrence were both at U of O,

and I was a freshman in high
school when my dad died.

And that's when your mom
started working all the time?

Working and law school,
passed the bar, made partner,

and then became the
Margaret Wright.

Hey, hey, this is Raya's file!

Wait. Really? Uh-huh.

Oh, wow.

Looks like she was constantly

filing complaints with
the city's inspector.

Wait. Look at all of these.

Mm, leaky furnaces and flies,
faulty smoke detectors?

Wait. Maybe Olga was worried

that she'd get the
building condemned.

So Olga killed Raya over
leaky furnace complaints?

No way. Olga is so
not the murderer.

I don't know. It could be her.

I could build an
episode around that.

"Olga: Landlord or Deathlord?"

You can't just go announcing

to the world that
somebody killed somebody.

Oh, 'cause you've never jumped

to a single conclusion
in your whole life?

Well, I don't have a podcast.

If I wrongfully accuse somebody,

it's just me in my shower
being like, "He did it."

Okay. Well, my job is
to craft a narrative

using one suspect
and then another

until we uncover the truth.

Wait. Even if that narrative
is wrong or made up

or filled with lies?

Oh, you're opposed to lies?

Brett from Portland
Water Bureau?

Oh, hey. Hey, hey, hey,
I will have you know

that Brett is not a liar. Oh.

He's a churchgoer. Mm-hmm.

And he spends his weekends
mowing lawns for old ladies.

Oh, sounds kind
of sad and lonely.

He's doesn't get lonely.

He has his lawnmower
and the old ladies. Oh.

Maybe some commitment issues,
maybe some mommy issues?

Uh, yeah, maybe.

But he just met this girl

who makes up dark and
disturbing stories all the time.

And maybe she secretly wants
to get trapped in a basement

with some charming dude who
wants to take her out to dinner.

Like, maybe on Saturday,
7:00, Pacific Standard Time?

Um...

Oh, uh, podcast
deadline. Uh-huh.

So why don't we just take
the rest of these files,

and then we can sneak
them back in later?

Okay.

Did you close this door up here?

No.

Uh, 'cause it's locked.

Well, do you have
your jimmy kit thing?

Yeah, but the lock
is on the outside.

Here. Let me look.

Okay.

Something's against
the door out there.

We're jammed in.

You know what? I'm
gonna call my mom.

Ah, no! No service! Yeah.

Okay, uh, you know what?

There's got to be
another way out of here.

We just got to
look around, and...

And, oh, family
dinner's tonight.

So my mom and sister will
freak out if I'm not there,

and they will definitely
send someone to find me.

Oh. Supple.

Mm. Earthy.

Plummy, with...

a hint of black currant.

You know, I am positive

I did not forget Todd's

18th birthday.
Mom, you forgot.

I remember. People
forget birthdays

all the time. It's
not a big deal.

Allison forgot mine
last year when...

I was coming off
of a double shift.

And Lawrence forgot
Clem's second birthday.

Because he's working!
See, that's bad.

He is the chief of staff
for the governor of Oregon!

Mm-hmm. And I was

working back then, very hard,

to help Todd through college.

Mom, nobody is scarred for
life, especially not Todd.

Where is he, by the way?

He's probably at our house
wondering where we all are.

He's with Lea, the podcast host.

Lea Luna? From the PDX-Files?

Mm-hmm. My co-workers are always
talking about that podcast.

Podcasts are the death
of journalism, all right?

People would rather be
entertained than informed.

I just listened to... Oh.

Did you know that a woman

in Pensacola ate
her own daughter?

Don't get any ideas.
No, these podcasts

are just horrifically
fascinating.

There's the man in Idaho
with a secret family

in the walls of
his vacation home.

And

the grade school teacher

from Arizona!

Thank God.

Who electrocuted two husbands,

and then slowly,

methodically poisoned 27...

Good evening, Mrs. Wright.

This just came for you.

Ah, thank you, Steven. Do
you know who dropped it off?

I'm not sure. Sorry.

Thank you.

Mom, what is that?

Oh. I have no idea.

Someone sent you a piece
of crime scene tape?

"You're next"?

Apparently so.

There has to be another
way out of this place.

You'd think someone
would have stored

a giant box fan down here.

It's hot, right? Or is it me?

No, it's hot.

What's behind there?

Wait a second.

Okay, there's no way we can
fit in there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We can't, and there's no
cell service down here,

but maybe at the top
of the dumbwaiter...

And in case this
text doesn't send,

I will set an alarm that
will go off every two minutes

till someone finds this phone.

Or the battery dies, and our
corpses rot in this basement,

and then we ironically become

the posthumous subjects
of my podcast. Yeah.

Win-win.

Oh. That worked. Okay.

Now we just... wait.

I have the original
detective interviews

of all the tenants who were home
at the time of Raya's death.

Mm-hmm. Do you want

to listen to them
while we wait to die?

Sure.

Thank you so much for coming.

I feel so silly.

I mean, I-I've had
threats before.

I just... I didn't
want to worry the kids,

and I didn't want to be alone.

No, it just... it just
means we're closing in.

Someone's trying to scare you.

Someone who knows where I live.

Jack said he can get the lab to
run that for prints tomorrow.

Can I ask you
something? Mm-hmm.

Do you remember what we
were doing 13 years ago?

You were Song's assistant

and studying for your
law boards. Mm-hmm.

And I was the receptionist
and going through a divorce.

Why? Oh...

Because Todd has accused me

of forgetting his 18th birthday.

Uh, 18... it's-it's
such a big birthday.

It's huge. I-I
refuse to believe

that I didn't do something
for him. Maybe a...

What is it?

Walsh. We found him.

He's at a hospice
in Eastmoreland.

Okay, for this last interview,
we have Detective Walsh

with someone named...

Germaine Gulrench.

It's okay. I can
tell you're nervous.

We're just gonna ask
you a few questions.

Oh. You can tell
that I'm nervous?

Wait a minute.

I know that laugh.
That's that woman...

who lives here, the writer lady.

Uh, Eve-alyn, Evelyn
W-Wilder? Wilder.

No, this is Germaine Gulrench.

I mean, it's... She
just said her name.

Wait a second. I remember
Germaine Gulrench from before.

Here.

Let's see. Yes.

This explains why we
couldn't find Evelyn's file.

Okay. "Germaine Gulrench."

Okay. Same apartment
number as Evelyn Wilder.

See? It's her.

So, Germaine was a waitress,

and when she finally
made it as a writer,

she changed her name
to Evelyn Wilder.

I don't know. It
is so hot in here.

I know. And I
can't really think.

And it's been three hours since
Operation Dumbwaiter, and...

Um, Todd?

What?

Someone's trying to
cook us down here.

Okay, we got to get out of here.

Uh, help! Help!
Uh, help! Help!

Hello? Hello! Help!

Detective Walsh?

Thank you so much
for meeting me.

That PDX podcast.

I listened to some
of it last night.

I don't quite get these
armchair detectives.

But I can tell you, um,

that my boss at the time,
Police Chief Linton,

was the kind of guy who
gave cops a bad name.

Had a conviction quota,
liked to hand out

pink slips if he
didn't get his way.

I had a wife, three kids.

Whatever I did at the time,

I did it for them.

Detective, the woman serving a
life sentence for this crime,

Antonia, is also a mother.

And her daughter, Kacey,
has grown up without her.

I took this case

because I believe in my heart

that Antonia was innocent.

But that belief took me
away from my own child.

I'm still on the case,

I still believe it.

So if there's anything that
you know, anything at all,

please, I'm begging
you, help me.

There was a box of stuff we
picked up at the crime scene

that we never logged
into evidence.

Linton told me to torch it,

but I couldn't.

What was in the box?

I never looked. If
I'd have looked then,

it would have haunted me.

I don't even know
where that box is.

Hello?! Hello!

Wha...?

Why is the door wedged shut?

And why is this phone
screaming at me all night long?

It's mine!

Someone locked us in
and tried to cook us!

Somebody must have accessed
the furnace remotely.

I have a question.
Evelyn Wilder.

Did her name used to
be Germaine Gulrench?

Yeah. Then she became fancy
writer, and she changed it.

Long time ago. Is she home?

No, she left about an hour ago.

Can you believe it?

13 years of work,

13 years of prison for Antonia

just because one man didn't
want to look in a box.

Just unbelievable.
It breaks my heart.

Margaret, look.

I just wanted to look
you in the eye and...

say that I'm sorry.

I found it.

And I'm sorry I
didn't do this sooner.

Detective Walsh, thank you.

It's the...

It's the murder weapon.

Come on, come... How long does
it take to run a set of prints?

Jack said he would
give us a call as soon

as he knows something. How could
they hide the murder weapon?

Why would anyone want
to...? It's what Walsh said.

They have conviction
quotas, they cut corners.

Antonia is found
covered in blood,

she doesn't speak English,
so assumptions are made.

Bang. She's the murderer.

And how do you simplify a case?

They get rid of
the murder weapon.

You wanted me?

Yeah, come on, come in. Uh,

these papers seem very similar

to the ones that Todd and Lea
found in Devin's apartment.

What do you make of 'em?

Is this... Chinese?

Must've been close to the body.

There's a little blood
spatter here. Mm-hmm. Hmm.

I think Attorney Yang
reads Chinese. Hmm.

Feel free to read out loud.

Oh, sorry. It's just
really romantic, actually.

"May Washingdwen knew her
life would never be the same.

"She stood at the cliff.

Was she really going to meet
the man who broke her heart?"

Please, keep reading.

"May took two steps forward,

"then two steps back.

"She threw down
the lilac bouquet

and ran into the stormy night."

Google found duplicate text
to what you're translating.

It looks like it's
some kind of story in a

lit magazine
published 13 years ago

by someone named Evelyn Wilder?

She's one of the
suspects in our case.

But why would Raya have
Evelyn's story in her apartment?

Maybe Raya was doing
the Chinese translation?

But Evelyn speaks Chinese.

Why would she need
a translation?

That was Jack. The fingerprints

on the murder weapon
match the fingerprints

on the crime tape that was
delivered to your condo.

But her prints aren't in
the system. No matches.

We need to find Evelyn
and get her fingerprints

as soon as possible.

It's Todd.

Oh, I can't read it. I
don't have my glasses on.

"Mom. Mom. Seriously. I
need $18 for a sandwich."

No. Scroll down. Scroll down.

"Evelyn Wilder used to
be Germaine Gulrench.

"Evelyn Wilder is her made-up
name, her pen name or whatever.

"My battery is dying.
Ouch, I hit my knee.

I'm using talk to text
hippopotamus." Oh, no, no.

"Evelyn is doing a reading
today at Matchstix Books.

Meet me there."

Hippopotamus? Lyle,
Susan, you find out

whatever you can
about these documents

and this Germaine Gulrench,
and Francey, let's go.

Matchstix Books. Let's go!

Oh, there you are!

You are filthy!

Oh, God. And you smell awful.

Sorry, yeah, but we didn't
have time to freshen up

because we almost died.

Just a reminder... I am
recording all of this.

Okay, just so you know,

I've had several more death
threats since you were gone,

so don't come crying
to me about...

I'm not competing with you
about who came closer to death.

It was me. Mm.

Listen, Evelyn Wilder is...

Germaine Gulrench.
We already know that.

Are they always like
this? Okay, Counselor.

But what you might not know

is that the reason
she changed her name

is because Germaine Gulrench
was a terrible writer.

The reviews of her work were
horrible. Truly horrible.

And then, one week
before Raya was murdered,

new writer Evelyn
Wilder was published

to rave reviews.

So Germaine stole Raya's work.
Is that what you're saying?

That's exactly what I'm saying.
And when Raya found out...

She confronted
Germaine. Aka Evelyn.

And Evelyn... Killed Raya.

I love murder!

I mean, solving it.

"They had fought long and
hard for what they had built."

Okay, come on.
Here's the plan.

Todd, we have the murder weapon,

but I need you to get
her prints. Got it.

Francey, pull up those
horrible reviews. Okay.

And, Lea, keep recording.
Don't miss a word.

"And Mildred and Algernon

"watched the sunset
over Belle Manor

"for the first time...

as husband and wife."

Thank you so much.

I'm happy to answer
any questions?

Oh, I have a question.

I am fascinated
with your stories.

Tell me, Evelyn, where do
you get your inspiration?

Thank you. Uh...

I have been accused of having
a fantastical imagination.

Next question.

I'm sorry, can you just
clear up one thing for me?

Do you write under a pen name?

I had my name changed.

Legally, for personal
reasons. Next.

And did that name change
have anything to do

with your horrible reviews
as Germaine Gulrench?

Here we go.

"The excruciatingly
insecure prose

"of Germaine Gulrench

leads one down a confusing
path of drivel..."

Stop talking!

You have no idea what
you're talking about.

I'm talking about Raya Chen.

You'd never understand.

You're just some rich bitch

who lives in a condo
with a doorman.

Which you would know
because you delivered

a death threat to my condo.

You stole Raya's work.

I helped her!

And then you murdered her...

Oh! because her
writing was good

and yours wasn't.

And you let an innocent woman

serve your time in prison

because you're a coward.

And I suspect

you murdered Devin
because he was onto you.

You bitch!

Hey! Wait.

Someone stop her.

You don't understand!

I gave her work to the world!

And you've given us more
than enough evidence

to reopen the case

with these recorded confessions.

And these prints should match

the ones on the murder
weapon perfectly.

And you'll have more
than enough time

to write something
original in prison.

I hereby move

that Antonia Suarez's conviction

be vacated with prejudice

and a new trial be set

by the People against
Evelyn Wilder.

Thank you, Your Honor.

♪ All of this time you
got in front of you ♪

13 years.

We have to tell Kacey.

Way to go.

♪ Nothing alive can
see the way you do ♪

Mom?

My baby...

We did it.

The podcast helped.

♪ Time ♪

Oh, did you get
the...? Oh, yeah.

Thank you.

♪ Time to feel ♪

♪ The space in you ♪

♪ Time... ♪

So, did you get
everything you need?

I did. Yeah.

I think this is
gonna be an amazing

series of episodes.

So, what about
like, another date?

Sometime, you know,
without the furnace

and someone trying to kill us.

You know, I didn't really mind

the danger part of it.

Switching things up,

fighting for our lives.

Made for pretty good material.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah? Yeah, let's,
let's do that date

when I get back
from my next podcast

in Portland.

Maine. Huh...

But, uh...

you want to keep this
for me till I get back?

Your jimmy kit thing?

Seriously? What
if you need it?

Oh, that's just my back-up kit.

Bye, Todd.

♪ You got in front of you ♪

Bye, Lea.

♪ Come with me ♪

♪ Together... ♪

She was totally
into me. Oh, my God.

And when she gets
back from Maine,

we're gonna hang out. Oh...

What? Look over there.

Happy birthday, Todd.

Retroactively. Thank you.

"Just 18 In Blue"? Okay.

That's what I told them
I wanted it to say.

Just "18," in blue.

But it doesn't matter.
It is your favorite.

It's chocolate cake
and vanilla frosting.

From your favorite place.

Okay, blow it out? Yes.

Yeah. Okay.

Yay!

Todd is 18.

Are you kidding me?

I am so sorry I missed it.

Okay, let's just cut the cake.

Mom, wait. Listen.

I...

I didn't realize back then

how important what
you were doing was.

And I'm...

Well, I just...

I'm really proud to be your son.

And this actually
means... Can we stop

Hallmark Carding

and eat the cake? Sure.

I thought you were doing a joke.

I thought that was a bit.
No, no, I wasn't joking...

Oh, hey, hey, hold on a second.

Lea's podcast just dropped.

Just save it...

Wait, you can hear...

You can put that from
your phone to my speakers?

Yeah, you have a
state-of-the-art sound system,

Mom. Shush. Listen.

We all remember

different versions
of every story.

But maybe the most

important thing is
that we remember.

We may not recall
every detail perfectly,

but in remembering,

we can keep people
and memories alive.

Margaret and Francey
never let anyone forget

the story of a wrongfully
convicted woman.

And tonight,

because of them,
Antonia Suarez is free.

Captioning sponsored by CBS

and TOYOTA.