Without a Trace (2002–2009): Season 2, Episode 13 - Life Rules - full transcript
A self-help guru is reported missing, but the team learns that he is not who he claims to be, and that he may have staged his own kidnapping as a publicity stunt.
You know, before I met you,
my life was in shambles.
I was broke, I had a drinking problem...
I was in a relationship
with an abusive man.
I was on the verge of killing myself.
I know you were.
But how did you turn your life around?
It was because of you.
The things you taught me...
the way you helped me
to believe in myself.
No, Corrine. It was you.
You were the one with the will.
You were the one who faced your fears.
You were the one that decided
who you wanted to be.
And then you made it happen.
I just gave you the tools.
Corrine McCormick.
One of over 20,000 people who
have found the power within themselves...
using the techniques of Life Rules.
- And, cut. That is a wrap.
- Great. Thanks.
Hey, that was fantastic. How do you feel?
Good. Great.
I'm just so honored that you
would want me to do this for you.
Will, come on.
We got to get you to the airport.
- Thank you. Bye.
- Bye.
All right. So the limo's out front.
Stephanie's going to meet you at
the Buffalo airport with a car service.
Then you'll go straight to Niagara Falls
for the first night's orientation.
- I thought this went well today.
- Yeah. Absolutely.
Gary, relax.
It's all going the way it's supposed to.
Hey. Thanks.
- Going to miss you.
- So, come with me.
And compete with the throng?
Well, it's Niagara Falls.
We could get married again.
- I'll be fine here.
- Suitcase is in the car, Will.
- Shirts are on top this time.
- Thanks, Jules.
- Hey.
- Good luck.
It's not about luck.
That's really not my concern.
I just said it's not my concern.
- Gary!
- Can you hold on for a second? What?
Another limo just showed up.
They say they're here for Will.
Guess helping people really pays.
I know you got a summer pad
just like this, don't you?
Yeah, a couple of them.
So what's the skinny on this guy?
Will Sterling. 33 years old.
He's a self-help guru...
you know, the tapes, the seminars.
- The guy's gaining quite a following.
- Never heard of him.
He just shot his first infomercial
this morning.
Then he was to catch a flight
to Niagara Falls to teach a seminar.
- Never made it to the airport.
- Ransom demand?
- Not yet. But look at this place.
- We ever find the limo?
Ten miles from here,
on the side of the road.
Must've transferred him to another car.
What did the limo company say?
That their driver showed up 15 minutes
after Sterling left.
Is the limo hot?
Stolen early this morning
from a dealership in Huntington.
So the car shows up early,
Sterling hops in. And the rest is history.
Whoever put this whole plan together...
knew exactly what time
Sterling was leaving for the airport.
- Inside job.
- We better find this guy fast...
because there's 200 people sitting
in a hotel ballroom in Niagara Falls...
waiting for Will Sterling
to change their lives.
Using the techniques ofLife Rules.
I grew up having every disadvantage.
My father left my mother when I was six.
My mother was a methadone addict.
Social services took me from her
when I was 12.
Then I got passed around
from one foster home to the next.
You can probably guess
what happened to me.
Drugs, jail, degradation.
- But then one day, in the prison library...
- He discovers self-help books.
Read every one he could get his hands on.
When he gets out of jail,
he gets into the self-help business himself.
Six years later, he is a millionaire.
- American dream comes true.
- Yeah.
This is the footage from the infomercial
he was making.
Up until recently, he marketed himself
mostly by word of mouth...
on the Internet, and
he's pretty much based out of New York.
- Now he's trying to expand.
- Maybe the timing's not so coincidental.
It's possible that somebody
didn't want him to go national.
Like a disgruntled employee.
Steven Pine, Life Rules,
junior vice-president.
Now the founder
of an anti-Will Sterling web site.
And he's still on the company payroll.
I'm calling him in.
Guys like Sterling have
a lot of power over people.
He's bound to inspire
some pretty strong feelings.
He's not Jim Jones, Jack.
He's a smart, ambitious guy with
some good strategies for tackling life.
Have you listened to the tapes?
As a matter of fact, I have.
Just for a little while, a couple years ago.
- They're actually very helpful.
- Really?
So what's the hook?
What does this Sterling guy sell
that the other con men don't?
Nothing that original.
He sort of condenses everything
from other self-help philosophies into...
- seven basic "life rules."
- Here you go, sir.
- Want to hear them?
- Not particularly.
Okay. These are forensics on the limo.
No prints, no blood,
no evidence of a struggle.
- They must've wiped the car down.
- That sounds like a professional job.
Yeah, but where's the ransom demand?
If this is about money,
the kidnappers are in for a big surprise.
Sterling is leveraged up to his ass.
The house, the business.
There's not a lot of cash flow.
We should check his core group,
the people that are closest to him.
Should also look into his background.
He is an ex-con.
- That could have caught up with him.
- Life Rules, huh, Sam?
Did you walk over the coals?
It's the first cigarette
I've had in three years.
- Will's the one who got me to quit.
- Did the two of you meet in his seminars?
No. Will never dated any of his students.
Believe me, he had plenty of opportunity.
No, we met at a restaurant.
I was on a date, actually.
He was alone at the bar.
I think he was waiting for someone.
I got up to go the bathroom
and he followed me.
He said that
I was the woman of his dreams...
there was no doubt about it.
And that I should go back, finish my date...
and meet him at the corner of
73rd and Central Park West.
That's the kind of guy Will is.
He sees something he wants
and he goes after it.
Is there anything specific you can tell me
that you think might help me?
Last week,
it must have been Wednesday night.
It was late. We were upstairs in bed.
And the phone rang.
- Who's that?
- It's probably Gary.
Hello?
Wait, hold on a second.
Yeah. No. Slow down.
I want to talk to you about this, I really do.
I want to help you get through this, just...
I will call you back in two minutes.
I promise. Okay?
- I'm going to take this downstairs.
- Who was it?
- It doesn't matter, Hill.
- It matters to me, Will.
It was one of my clients.
At 1:00 in the morning on the private line?
I will tell them not to call like that again.
But listen...
somebody's in a crisis
and they need my help.
Okay?
I love you. I'll be back up in a few minutes.
And he wouldn't tell you specifically
who was on the phone?
I think he was protecting their privacy.
Does Mr. Sterling give out
his private number to all of his clients?
No. Not usually.
It scares me sometimes.
The need that people have for him.
I found a late-night call
to Will Sterling's house.
Corrine McCormick, 34 years old,
lives in Bayside.
What have we got here?
Registered handgun.
That's the girl from the infomercial
they were taping today.
She was at the house right before Will left.
Strange. She's stalking him...
and he's putting her in a video
as one of his star students.
Just 'cause she called him
when she was having trouble...
doesn't mean she was stalking him.
It does when she calls his house
eight times in the same day.
Can anybody say Enron?
Shredded documents?
Standard operating procedure,
or so they say.
A lot of corporations shred documents.
I got five more of these babies downstairs.
Our guys are gonna have a nice time
pasting this together.
You and Will started the company
together six years ago?
Will's the genius behind the whole thing.
I'm just here to run
the day-to-day operations...
but together we make a pretty good team.
We understand that financially
you're not in such great shape.
Will insists on putting everything we earn
back into the company.
He always bets on himself.
That's what he teaches
and that's what's worked.
When you say "back into the company,"
does that include this place?
This is the hub of our activity.
It's a pretty good business investment.
When people see this place,
they see success, you know?
Do you mind holding off on that
until we're done?
Sure.
Are you aware that one of your own
employees has a very negative website...
attacking both Will and the company?
- Are we talking about Steven Pine?
- That's right.
Yeah. We had to let go of Steven
a couple weeks ago.
- But he's still on your payroll.
- Severance package.
So why did you have to fire him?
Let's just say that Steven
over-identified with Will.
- Will?
- Yes.
I need to talk to you.
What's up, Steve?
I was just thinking that I would really
like to go with you...
on that Niagara Falls trip.
I think Gary really needs you here.
Come on, that's true, Steven.
You know you're invaluable here.
I appreciate that, I really do.
But I think if I'm going to
grow within this company...
I need to be out there, at the seminars,
learning from you.
I love your enthusiasm and your drive
and your passion.
That is all great
and it's where you should be.
But you got to know how to harness that
for the task at hand.
Remember what we talked about?
Knowing your long-term goals but
keeping the short ones achievable, right?
I want to go to Niagara Falls.
There's no reason why I'm not ready,
Will. No reason.
Think about where
you're channeling your energy right now.
Forget it.
Just forget it.
You just want to keep me down.
He started out as our computer geek.
And then we promoted him
to mid-level manager.
The next thing you know,
he's got these delusions of grandeur.
Did he know the date
that Will was traveling to Niagara Falls?
Yes. And the flight.
The reason that they fired me...
is because Gary couldn't handle that I was
very clearly becoming the number two.
Will counted on me for more and more
and Gary was threatened.
- So why did you turn on Will?
- Will couldn't stand up to Gary.
This guy preaches all this self-fulfillment
crap and he winds up a total hypocrite.
You sound pretty disillusioned.
Let me tell you something.
Now that I'm out of there
and I have a little time to reflect on it...
I realize the whole thing is a scam.
You buy the tapes
and the tapes get you to the seminars.
Seminars get you to the inner circle,
and every step costs more money...
until you get to the Sterling Circle
which costs $3,000 for a weekend.
It's interesting. For all this talk of money,
the company was almost broke.
- I'm not surprised.
- Why are you not surprised, Mr. Pine?
Because they had some pretty funky
business practices, I'll tell you that.
Funky? Funky how?
You know, little things.
You know, cutting corners...
writing off questionable stuff
as business expenses.
I mean, Gary sends a $5,000 check
to his brother every week...
and his brother doesn't even
work at the company.
What would the name of this brother be?
Paul Moskowitz, $5,000 a week
for at least the last four months.
Where have the checks been going?
Lakeside Convalescence Home,
down in Cleveland, Ohio.
Here's what I got on Paul Moskowitz.
According to the IRS, he's not received
a paycheck or paid taxes in six years.
The last known address
is in Cleveland in '97.
He is, however, still an active member
of SAG and AFTRA.
Out-of-work actor. That would explain
why his brother's still taking care of him.
We got to go to Cleveland.
- Can I help you?
- Hi. We're with the FBI.
- We're looking for Paul Moskowitz.
- He's right over here.
I could show you his room,
but I don't think he's going to say much.
- Why is that?
- He's been in a coma for six years.
- You sure that's Paul Moskowitz?
- Positive.
- How can I help you?
- Mr. Adler, we're with the FBI.
I understand that you have
power of attorney over Paul Moskowitz.
That's right.
It's fairly unusual
for a hospital administrator...
to have power of attorney
over a patient, isn't it?
That's the way his family wanted it.
Can you explain to me why it costs $5,000
a week to maintain this patient?
Well, all this machinery,
and the nursing and the meals...
Costs $1,400 a week. We read the records.
Can you explain why Gary Moskowitz
is paying $3,600 a week extra...
to maintain his brother?
- I think I'd better speak to my attorney.
- Take it easy, Mr. Adler.
We're not interested in arresting you.
We just need some answers, okay?
That's not Paul Moskowitz.
His real name is Will Sterling.
So if Will Sterling's lying in a coma,
in Cleveland...
who the hell is on the cover of this box?
This guy happens to be my brother.
Paul Moskowitz.
So, your brother switched identities
with an ex-con in a coma?
- That is right.
- Why?
Because America loves an underdog...
and Will Sterling is a lot better of a story
than Paul Moskowitz.
Wouldn't you rather get advice
from an ex-con...
who heroically rose from the ashes...
than a boring middle-class kid
who wants to be an actor?
Now, where did you guys find Will?
Coma Will?
He's our foster brother.
It was great. Our parents thought
it would be fun and charitable...
to have a round robin of other kids
constantly passing through our house...
stealing things and getting arrested.
And as for the real Will,
he was with us for a couple years...
then gangs, drugs.
And about six years ago, he overdosed.
That's when Paul got the idea
to steal Will's identity and trade on it.
No, it was my idea.
Everything's been my idea.
Let me see if I get you straight.
I take Will's name, his background, his life.
Yes, that becomes your new identity.
And then I move to New York
and we set up a self-help business.
Yes, I told you. You are the front man
and I am the man behind the scenes.
But, Gary, this is crazy.
- Is there actually any money in this?
- Millions.
- We'd be helping people, right?
- Yes.
I've read every book.
I've gone to every one of these seminars.
I'm telling you right now, half
of these guys, they are freaking quacks.
None of them have the charisma
or the good looks that you have.
So, you'd...
- You'd coach me on what to say?
- I'll teach you everything.
Strategies, the presentation,
the seven simple rules to change your life.
- You're going to be a guru in two months.
- Why don't we just make up my past?
- Why do we have to steal his?
- Because when we succeed at this...
people are going to
want to look up your past...
and we're going to have the paperwork
to back that up.
This is insane.
Would you rather do regional theater
in Cleveland for the rest of your life?
Because this is the role of a lifetime, Paul.
Life Rules.
So I knew Paul would eat it up.
And frankly, between you and me...
he's kind of over the top as an actor,
but I knew he'd be perfect for this.
You arranged the switch
with the hospital administrator...
- and you've been paying him ever since.
- That is right.
Who else knows about your
little identity swap?
Just me and Will. I mean, Paul, I guess,
I should say at this point.
- Not even his wife?
- Not even his wife.
His name is Paul Moskowitz
and he and Gary are brothers?
Is that my name? I mean, he's the fraud.
But is my marriage a fraud?
No, I mean, is my name
actually Hillary Moskowitz?
Mrs. Sterling, that's a question
you need to ask your attorney.
I don't know. I know this is a lot to digest.
But I need to ask you
about Corrine McCormick.
Maybe her name is Moskowitz, too.
Apparently, she's the one
who made that late-night call last week.
Do you think there's a possibility
that maybe your husband and her...
Of course.
Now, I'd say just about anything goes,
wouldn't you?
When I first met Will,
my life was a shambles.
I was broke.
I had a drinking problem.
I was in a relationship
with an abusive man.
- I was...
- On the verge of killing yourself. I know.
I watched the videotape, Miss McCormick.
Well, it's all true.
Will turned my life around.
Now I own my own business.
I'm financially independent...
and I have a community of people
who enrich my life.
Does Will enrich your life?
It's not what you think. He helps me.
You were supposed to
go to Niagara Falls with him.
Who told you that? Gary?
A flight booked in your name.
The ticket was then cancelled.
We know you kept calling his house
that day.
- You must've been pretty upset.
- Look.
I was angry at Gary, not Will.
That's what I called to talk to him about.
Gary is the one who cancelled my trip.
Gary was trying to
keep me away from Will.
Why is that?
- He said it was to protect me.
- From what?
From having my heart broken.
Truth is, I think Gary is jealous of Will.
Before you can make any change...
you need to look at yourself,
cold and hard...
and think about what holds you back.
What is it
that makes you see a beautiful woman...
across a room and not go talk to her?
What is it? It's fear.
It's fear of rejection. Fear of failure.
Even fear of success.
I want to suggest to you
that it is that fear...
the fear of your own power,
that holds you back.
- Pretty interesting, huh?
- Yeah.
Jack wanted me to look at these tapes.
You know,
there is a lot of useful information.
There is...
He talks about his youth in Cleveland,
about his foster brothers.
- You know, he used to be fat?
- So what have we got?
Meet Reese Randall. Not a nice person.
A foster brother with the Moskowitz clan
in 1985.
In and out of juvie,
he served three years for armed robbery...
assault and battery, drunk driving,
domestic abuse.
I just got off the phone
with his landlord in Cleveland.
She says that she hasn't seen him for
a couple days and that his car is missing.
What I remember from those tapes,
he was close to his foster brothers, right?
He still is.
According to these phone records...
- he still talks to them.
- Reese Randall?
No, Carlos Gonzalez.
He has a local cell phone.
What do we know
about Mr. Carlos Gonzalez?
Not much.
DMV photo. It's three years old.
It was issued by the state of Ohio.
I still haven't been able to find
a local address for him.
You been able to get him
on his cell phone?
I wish. He doesn't answer it.
- All right, I'll get into it.
- All right.
Enjoy your research.
Jack, they found this at the mansion.
I thought it was a seminar tape.
But it turns out that our out-of-work actor
wasn't always out of work.
- I don't want you to go.
- It's only three days.
- I know. It just feels like 300 already.
- Oh, honey.
This is a classic.
Think he made a wise choice
getting out of acting.
Wait till you see what happens next.
It's not a limo, but it feels familiar.
Hi, Mr. Hastings. Where's your wife?
What are you doing here, Bernie?
The other driver said you were sick.
What are you talking about? I'm fine.
Stella.
Stella!
Stella!
Those schmucks.
This whole thing's a hoax.
I don't have the slightest idea
of what you are talking about.
- Come on, Gary. We saw the old movie.
- Well, I haven't.
- Gary, this just came for you.
- Let me see that.
- Who brought this to you?
- I don't know. A courier.
- And you opened it?
- He took off already. He's gone.
All right. I need a VCR.
See this? This here's Will Sterling.
The man with the plan.
Except the plan's changing.
I got me a very
expensive piece of property right here...
and I intend to collect on it.
Five million dollars, to be exact.
Five million, by tomorrow at 9:00...
or he's dead.
You'll be contacted at 8:00 a.m.
And told where to leave my money.
That's all for now.
Thanks for playing Life Rules.
Five million dollars?
We do not have five million dollars.
What did he mean "the plan's changing"?
How the hell should I know?
Gary didn't know about any of this.
- You want to fill me in?
- He should be back by now.
They were never supposed
to ask for money. You have to believe me.
Something has gone wrong.
It was not supposed to happen like this.
Will came to me the night before...
you know, the kidnapping...
and told me what he was planning.
You're having yourself kidnapped?
I'll have a limo pick me up here
to take me to the airport.
Ten minutes later,
the real limo will arrive...
and everyone will think
that I've been kidnapped.
- And then what?
- Well, then I lay low for 24 hours...
and then they let me go.
- And what the hell will that accomplish?
- They'll videotape me at gunpoint.
I'm going to talk them out of it
using the techniques of Life Rules.
The cops will find the videotapes,
they'll get released to the media.
A week later, the infomercial comes out.
I will go through the stratosphere.
Honey, you're not doing well enough
as it is?
I mean, you really need to do this?
I did not get where I've gotten
by playing it safe, Hill.
You got to go after it in life.
- Does Gary know you're doing this?
- No.
No. This is just me.
You and me. Nobody else knows.
- Will, this is crazy.
- No, it's inspired.
I should have tried to stop him. It's just...
When these things come out of his mouth,
you believe them.
I really hope
you're not lying to me right now.
I swear to God. Will is in trouble.
As I said, we do not have
five million dollars.
Even if we hocked this place,
with all of our debt...
I don't think we can raise more than two.
Well, when the kidnappers
contact us tomorrow...
we'll try and counter.
Hopefully that will buy us some time.
Okay. Good. That's good.
You set this up, didn't you?
- Say what?
- You're the brains behind this.
Your brother's just the front man.
He couldn't pull off a scam without you.
Are you kidding me?
I'm furious at him for this,
don't you get it?
He risked everything we built.
- Not to mention risking his own life.
- Yes, of course. But I never would have...
I never wanted him to do the infomercial.
It's easy to look at a situation
and see the problem.
I understand that, as executives,
that's what you've been trained to do...
to anticipate what will go wrong
and prepare for it.
But what you need to do is ask yourself
and everyone around you...
to think boldly,
to be daring and to take risks.
And just so you don't think that
I'm living on a cloud...
when we get back from lunch,
we'll move on right to our next chapter.
Crisis management.
Now, we've got steaks and lobsters and
all sorts of great stuff in the dining room.
And anyone interested in being
in the infomercial should talk to Gary.
Thanks.
Hey, that went well.
I thought we were still debating
the merits of doing this infomercial.
- Could you give me a second?
- Okay.
No, I decided. We're going ahead with it.
We're going... Actually,
can we go outside for a second, please?
Thanks.
Okay. I'm your partner.
- You don't just decide...
- Gary, I'm great at this.
I want to share it
with as many people as possible.
No, I don't think you understand.
Will, if you expose us
to this next level of scrutiny...
sooner or later, some guy
from the New York Times...
or the Wall Street Journal will
come sniffing around, and the jig is up.
So, what?
You just want to rest on our laurels?
When things are going well,
you do not get complacent.
- It's rule number six, Gary.
- Okay. Don't...
Don't start quoting
those rules to me, okay?
I'm the one who wrote them.
Apparently,
you've stopped following them.
If things are getting too hot for you here,
you're welcome to go.
What did you say to me?
I'm the guy on the box, Gary.
Sounds like he drank too much
of his own Kool-Aid.
Apparently that was the tip of the iceberg.
And now I'm beginning to feel like
I'm Dr. Frankenstein...
chasing after his own monster.
Well, if he wouldn't trust you,
who would he trust?
- Honestly, I could not tell you.
- Stay in contact with your foster brothers?
Carlos Gonzalez, Reese Randall.
God, I haven't heard from those guys
in years.
- What about your brother?
- What are you saying?
He might have used one of them
to pull off this stunt?
It's possible. They're ex-cons.
All of our foster brothers were in and out
over a long period of time.
He didn't have that kind of relationship
with them.
I don't think that he trusted any one
of them enough to do something like this.
That's today's paper.
The Chronicle is tough to get out
in the Hamptons.
- The kidnapper might live in the city.
- Or maybe he's holding him in the city.
I can't figure out why they even
bothered shredding some of this stuff.
When you build something on a lie,
you get paranoid.
Gary may have been careful,
but Will certainly wasn't.
Can you imagine the hubris to stunt
your own kidnapping for good publicity?
After watching those tapes,
one thing's clear.
This guy thinks he could do anything.
Carlos Gonzalez.
The foster brother
with the local cell phone.
Check it out.
He's asking Will
to help him out with money.
- Is there a return address?
- No. Says to call him on that cell phone.
Well, the ransom tape
came from Cold Spring Harbor.
- Let's check for Carlos Gonzalez.
- All right.
What is that right there? Do me a favor
and enhance that area right there.
A wall calendar, a plaque?
Woodbury Bowling League.
Wait. Woodbury.
Isn't that near Cold Spring Harbor?
- Next town over.
- That's right.
These guys aren't too bright.
- Nothing in Cold Spring Harbor.
- Woodbury. He's being held in Woodbury.
Woodbury.
We got him.
Got one down!
- Who are you?
- Was about to ask you the same question.
- I'm Carlos Gonzalez.
- Where's Will Sterling?
- He's in a coma, in Cleveland.
- Where is Paul Moskowitz?
I don't know.
We all lived together.
- Gary, Paul, me, Will, Reese...
- Reese Randall, right?
Yeah.
So many kids going in and out
of that house all the time...
with Gary and Paul.
We were all like the same age.
So it was like we had our own
little basketball team.
That's a great story.
Get to the part about the kidnapping...
and what happened to your head.
Paul and I stayed in touch over the years,
you know?
Even after he became
Will Sterling or whatever.
And he was always trying to help me.
He would even send me those tapes.
He really wanted to get me out of my rut.
That's why I ended up
moving to New York.
- How about Gary? You talk to him?
- No.
He told me not to tell Gary
that I knew about the gig...
or even that I'd come to New York.
All right. Let's go back a month.
You're writing Will letters.
You're asking Will for money. Why?
Yeah. It was for a job, though.
I wasn't trying to blackmail him.
So he hired you
to pull off a fake kidnapping.
Look, he calls me up.
He says that he'll give me $30,000.
And all I have to do is find the limo
and pick him up at his house...
bring him back here,
we hang out for the night.
And in the morning, we make a video
of him talking his way out of it.
- And then I'd let him go.
- But that's not the video you made.
You're not even in that video.
I know that.
That's what I'm trying to explain to you.
That has got to be Reese
who made that tape...
after he hit me over the head
and tied me up.
How did Reese become
a part of this whole plan?
I was nervous about the job.
- So I called Reese for backup.
- Backup?
It was a staged kidnapping, Carlos.
- What the hell do you need backup for?
- I know that.
I thought even with the mask,
somebody might figure out...
that it was me in front of the camera.
So I called Reese and he said
he didn't have a problem with it.
Okay? So he drove up from Cleveland
and we were gonna split the $30,000.
Okay. It was supposed to be easy money.
Until Reese turned on us.
- When do you want to make that tape?
- A few minutes.
All right.
Don't be nervous, Carlos.
It's all going to work out like clockwork.
Just hope nobody saw me
at your house yesterday.
What a putz.
I don't know why didn't call me.
I could have taken care of everything.
I haven't heard from you in eight years.
If I'd have known you were running some
self-help racket under Will's name...
I would have called on you.
You can believe that.
You should take a seminar. Free of charge.
Yeah. Maybe I'll do that.
Carlos!
Change of plans, Paulie boy. Sit down.
I don't know what happened, okay?
We had it all figured out.
- Anybody else know about this?
- No, nobody.
Carlos, do you have any idea where
Reese would've taken Will or Paul?
I don't know. But he's unstable.
- What do you mean?
- He could kill him.
He's crazy.
- Unbelievable.
- What is it?
I got Gary Moskowitz's cell phone records.
He and Reese Randall have been talking
quite a bit over the last three days.
Only over the last three days?
Carlos said that he panicked
and needed backup, right?
So he called Reese.
Then almost immediately...
Reese turns around and calls Gary.
Reese must have heard from Carlos that
Gary was the one really running the show.
So he squeezes him for some extra cash.
Then Gary heard the fake kidnapping plan
and he went through the roof.
As far as Gary's concerned,
Will is going to blow everything...
and take them both to jail in the process.
This kidnapping stunt was the perfect
opportunity for Gary to get rid of him.
Hey, Gary, thanks for coming in so late.
Yeah, sure. It's not like
I was getting any sleep or anything.
Well, it turns out that we were right.
It appears that one of your
foster brothers is involved.
Really?
- Who?
- Reese Randall.
Reese Randall.
We're gonna need you
to do something for us.
Sure. Anything.
We need you to talk to him on the phone.
- Me?
- Yeah.
We'll connect you to him from here...
and make it look like
it's coming from your cell phone...
and, hopefully, he'll pick up.
What do you want me to say to him?
Well, just stay calm.
Tell him that you're trying
to organize the money...
but it's taking a little longer
than you thought.
Just keep him talking.
We're putting a trace on the call.
- Okay.
- We'll be right here for you.
- Great.
- Grab a seat.
- You ready to patch him through?
- Okay.
Pick up the phone.
Okay. Patch is in.
- Yeah?
- Hey, Reese.
It's Gary, buddy. Gary Moskowitz.
- What do you want?
- How is Paul doing?
- I haven't done it yet.
- Well, that's great.
Don't do anything violent, Reese, okay?
Because we're gonna get you your money.
What do you mean,
"Don't do anything violent"?
Listen to me, Reese. Just don't hurt him.
We're gonna get you whatever you want.
Just do not hurt him.
I know you've had a raw deal in life.
There's just no reason
to take it out on Paul.
Now, whatever you're feeling, pal...
I swear to God,
we are gonna get you whatever you want.
Whatever it takes.
Reese?
Yeah, okay. Bye.
Reese? Are you...
- Did you track that?
- Almost.
God damn.
- Well, we're gonna have to try that again.
- No.
- What do you mean, "no"?
- Well, I don't...
I mean, don't you think that went well?
Why would we want to do that?
That seemed to go pretty well.
He seemed like he was being reasonable.
Why would we...
Why would I want to provoke him?
We got a call coming in.
Same transponder.
It seems like he wants to talk to you.
Pick it up.
- Hello?
- I don't get you, man.
Thought you'd be asking me
why I hadn't killed him yet.
Now, you're telling me not to kill him.
I don't know
what you're talking about, Reese.
Don't give me that.
I got Mr. Life Rules here,
talking my head off for the last 12 hours...
got me thinking
about my dreams and aspirations.
- I'm all screwed up.
- Know what? You are all screwed up.
Know what we're going to do?
Get you some help for that, okay?
Hello? Okay. You know what? He's crazy.
Jack, we got a location.
1564 Newman, in the Bronx.
Martin, do me a favor and arrest him.
Stand up.
- What goes up must come down.
- Who taught you that one?
Clear.
Guys? That way.
People will go wrong.
But you need to let go of that.
Gary gave in to his pettiness
and his jealousy...
because he doesn't see
what's really possible.
You do.
You have the tools.
So this is a big step for you, Reese.
And I think you're ready for it.
Now what say me and you,
we walk out of here together?
You're going to go forward with your life...
and I'm going to forget this whole thing
ever happened.
What do you say?
Thank you, Paul.
Call me Will.
Oh, please.
Freeze. FBI.
Drop the gun.
It's okay, Reese. Do what he says.
- Use your tools.
- You shut up!
And you drop the gun.
Stand up.
- Turn around. Am I covered?
- Yeah.
Put your hands behind your back.
Wasting my damn time.
Come on, let's go, you big wuss.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
He just needed someone to see him,
someone to believe in him.
What are you talking about?
Your brother was the brains behind
this whole operation.
- So you guys know everything.
- Yes, Paul, we do.
You saw what I just did.
- He was going to kill me.
- Right.
Gary was going to pay him $100,000
and he was going to kill me.
I talked him out of it.
And whatever you report,
you're going to have to report that, too.
Right. Just in time for the release
of your infomercial.
- That's right.
- Yeah.
Too bad you'll be doing time
for false report. Turn around, please.
Lying to a federal officer.
Obstruction of justice.
See, here's the thing, Mr. Sterling.
The truth will out.
That's also one of life's rules. Let's go.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You know,
these may become collector's items.
I won't tell anyone
if you want to take one home.
Thanks. I appreciate that, but I'm fine.
- Okay. Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night. Go!
my life was in shambles.
I was broke, I had a drinking problem...
I was in a relationship
with an abusive man.
I was on the verge of killing myself.
I know you were.
But how did you turn your life around?
It was because of you.
The things you taught me...
the way you helped me
to believe in myself.
No, Corrine. It was you.
You were the one with the will.
You were the one who faced your fears.
You were the one that decided
who you wanted to be.
And then you made it happen.
I just gave you the tools.
Corrine McCormick.
One of over 20,000 people who
have found the power within themselves...
using the techniques of Life Rules.
- And, cut. That is a wrap.
- Great. Thanks.
Hey, that was fantastic. How do you feel?
Good. Great.
I'm just so honored that you
would want me to do this for you.
Will, come on.
We got to get you to the airport.
- Thank you. Bye.
- Bye.
All right. So the limo's out front.
Stephanie's going to meet you at
the Buffalo airport with a car service.
Then you'll go straight to Niagara Falls
for the first night's orientation.
- I thought this went well today.
- Yeah. Absolutely.
Gary, relax.
It's all going the way it's supposed to.
Hey. Thanks.
- Going to miss you.
- So, come with me.
And compete with the throng?
Well, it's Niagara Falls.
We could get married again.
- I'll be fine here.
- Suitcase is in the car, Will.
- Shirts are on top this time.
- Thanks, Jules.
- Hey.
- Good luck.
It's not about luck.
That's really not my concern.
I just said it's not my concern.
- Gary!
- Can you hold on for a second? What?
Another limo just showed up.
They say they're here for Will.
Guess helping people really pays.
I know you got a summer pad
just like this, don't you?
Yeah, a couple of them.
So what's the skinny on this guy?
Will Sterling. 33 years old.
He's a self-help guru...
you know, the tapes, the seminars.
- The guy's gaining quite a following.
- Never heard of him.
He just shot his first infomercial
this morning.
Then he was to catch a flight
to Niagara Falls to teach a seminar.
- Never made it to the airport.
- Ransom demand?
- Not yet. But look at this place.
- We ever find the limo?
Ten miles from here,
on the side of the road.
Must've transferred him to another car.
What did the limo company say?
That their driver showed up 15 minutes
after Sterling left.
Is the limo hot?
Stolen early this morning
from a dealership in Huntington.
So the car shows up early,
Sterling hops in. And the rest is history.
Whoever put this whole plan together...
knew exactly what time
Sterling was leaving for the airport.
- Inside job.
- We better find this guy fast...
because there's 200 people sitting
in a hotel ballroom in Niagara Falls...
waiting for Will Sterling
to change their lives.
Using the techniques ofLife Rules.
I grew up having every disadvantage.
My father left my mother when I was six.
My mother was a methadone addict.
Social services took me from her
when I was 12.
Then I got passed around
from one foster home to the next.
You can probably guess
what happened to me.
Drugs, jail, degradation.
- But then one day, in the prison library...
- He discovers self-help books.
Read every one he could get his hands on.
When he gets out of jail,
he gets into the self-help business himself.
Six years later, he is a millionaire.
- American dream comes true.
- Yeah.
This is the footage from the infomercial
he was making.
Up until recently, he marketed himself
mostly by word of mouth...
on the Internet, and
he's pretty much based out of New York.
- Now he's trying to expand.
- Maybe the timing's not so coincidental.
It's possible that somebody
didn't want him to go national.
Like a disgruntled employee.
Steven Pine, Life Rules,
junior vice-president.
Now the founder
of an anti-Will Sterling web site.
And he's still on the company payroll.
I'm calling him in.
Guys like Sterling have
a lot of power over people.
He's bound to inspire
some pretty strong feelings.
He's not Jim Jones, Jack.
He's a smart, ambitious guy with
some good strategies for tackling life.
Have you listened to the tapes?
As a matter of fact, I have.
Just for a little while, a couple years ago.
- They're actually very helpful.
- Really?
So what's the hook?
What does this Sterling guy sell
that the other con men don't?
Nothing that original.
He sort of condenses everything
from other self-help philosophies into...
- seven basic "life rules."
- Here you go, sir.
- Want to hear them?
- Not particularly.
Okay. These are forensics on the limo.
No prints, no blood,
no evidence of a struggle.
- They must've wiped the car down.
- That sounds like a professional job.
Yeah, but where's the ransom demand?
If this is about money,
the kidnappers are in for a big surprise.
Sterling is leveraged up to his ass.
The house, the business.
There's not a lot of cash flow.
We should check his core group,
the people that are closest to him.
Should also look into his background.
He is an ex-con.
- That could have caught up with him.
- Life Rules, huh, Sam?
Did you walk over the coals?
It's the first cigarette
I've had in three years.
- Will's the one who got me to quit.
- Did the two of you meet in his seminars?
No. Will never dated any of his students.
Believe me, he had plenty of opportunity.
No, we met at a restaurant.
I was on a date, actually.
He was alone at the bar.
I think he was waiting for someone.
I got up to go the bathroom
and he followed me.
He said that
I was the woman of his dreams...
there was no doubt about it.
And that I should go back, finish my date...
and meet him at the corner of
73rd and Central Park West.
That's the kind of guy Will is.
He sees something he wants
and he goes after it.
Is there anything specific you can tell me
that you think might help me?
Last week,
it must have been Wednesday night.
It was late. We were upstairs in bed.
And the phone rang.
- Who's that?
- It's probably Gary.
Hello?
Wait, hold on a second.
Yeah. No. Slow down.
I want to talk to you about this, I really do.
I want to help you get through this, just...
I will call you back in two minutes.
I promise. Okay?
- I'm going to take this downstairs.
- Who was it?
- It doesn't matter, Hill.
- It matters to me, Will.
It was one of my clients.
At 1:00 in the morning on the private line?
I will tell them not to call like that again.
But listen...
somebody's in a crisis
and they need my help.
Okay?
I love you. I'll be back up in a few minutes.
And he wouldn't tell you specifically
who was on the phone?
I think he was protecting their privacy.
Does Mr. Sterling give out
his private number to all of his clients?
No. Not usually.
It scares me sometimes.
The need that people have for him.
I found a late-night call
to Will Sterling's house.
Corrine McCormick, 34 years old,
lives in Bayside.
What have we got here?
Registered handgun.
That's the girl from the infomercial
they were taping today.
She was at the house right before Will left.
Strange. She's stalking him...
and he's putting her in a video
as one of his star students.
Just 'cause she called him
when she was having trouble...
doesn't mean she was stalking him.
It does when she calls his house
eight times in the same day.
Can anybody say Enron?
Shredded documents?
Standard operating procedure,
or so they say.
A lot of corporations shred documents.
I got five more of these babies downstairs.
Our guys are gonna have a nice time
pasting this together.
You and Will started the company
together six years ago?
Will's the genius behind the whole thing.
I'm just here to run
the day-to-day operations...
but together we make a pretty good team.
We understand that financially
you're not in such great shape.
Will insists on putting everything we earn
back into the company.
He always bets on himself.
That's what he teaches
and that's what's worked.
When you say "back into the company,"
does that include this place?
This is the hub of our activity.
It's a pretty good business investment.
When people see this place,
they see success, you know?
Do you mind holding off on that
until we're done?
Sure.
Are you aware that one of your own
employees has a very negative website...
attacking both Will and the company?
- Are we talking about Steven Pine?
- That's right.
Yeah. We had to let go of Steven
a couple weeks ago.
- But he's still on your payroll.
- Severance package.
So why did you have to fire him?
Let's just say that Steven
over-identified with Will.
- Will?
- Yes.
I need to talk to you.
What's up, Steve?
I was just thinking that I would really
like to go with you...
on that Niagara Falls trip.
I think Gary really needs you here.
Come on, that's true, Steven.
You know you're invaluable here.
I appreciate that, I really do.
But I think if I'm going to
grow within this company...
I need to be out there, at the seminars,
learning from you.
I love your enthusiasm and your drive
and your passion.
That is all great
and it's where you should be.
But you got to know how to harness that
for the task at hand.
Remember what we talked about?
Knowing your long-term goals but
keeping the short ones achievable, right?
I want to go to Niagara Falls.
There's no reason why I'm not ready,
Will. No reason.
Think about where
you're channeling your energy right now.
Forget it.
Just forget it.
You just want to keep me down.
He started out as our computer geek.
And then we promoted him
to mid-level manager.
The next thing you know,
he's got these delusions of grandeur.
Did he know the date
that Will was traveling to Niagara Falls?
Yes. And the flight.
The reason that they fired me...
is because Gary couldn't handle that I was
very clearly becoming the number two.
Will counted on me for more and more
and Gary was threatened.
- So why did you turn on Will?
- Will couldn't stand up to Gary.
This guy preaches all this self-fulfillment
crap and he winds up a total hypocrite.
You sound pretty disillusioned.
Let me tell you something.
Now that I'm out of there
and I have a little time to reflect on it...
I realize the whole thing is a scam.
You buy the tapes
and the tapes get you to the seminars.
Seminars get you to the inner circle,
and every step costs more money...
until you get to the Sterling Circle
which costs $3,000 for a weekend.
It's interesting. For all this talk of money,
the company was almost broke.
- I'm not surprised.
- Why are you not surprised, Mr. Pine?
Because they had some pretty funky
business practices, I'll tell you that.
Funky? Funky how?
You know, little things.
You know, cutting corners...
writing off questionable stuff
as business expenses.
I mean, Gary sends a $5,000 check
to his brother every week...
and his brother doesn't even
work at the company.
What would the name of this brother be?
Paul Moskowitz, $5,000 a week
for at least the last four months.
Where have the checks been going?
Lakeside Convalescence Home,
down in Cleveland, Ohio.
Here's what I got on Paul Moskowitz.
According to the IRS, he's not received
a paycheck or paid taxes in six years.
The last known address
is in Cleveland in '97.
He is, however, still an active member
of SAG and AFTRA.
Out-of-work actor. That would explain
why his brother's still taking care of him.
We got to go to Cleveland.
- Can I help you?
- Hi. We're with the FBI.
- We're looking for Paul Moskowitz.
- He's right over here.
I could show you his room,
but I don't think he's going to say much.
- Why is that?
- He's been in a coma for six years.
- You sure that's Paul Moskowitz?
- Positive.
- How can I help you?
- Mr. Adler, we're with the FBI.
I understand that you have
power of attorney over Paul Moskowitz.
That's right.
It's fairly unusual
for a hospital administrator...
to have power of attorney
over a patient, isn't it?
That's the way his family wanted it.
Can you explain to me why it costs $5,000
a week to maintain this patient?
Well, all this machinery,
and the nursing and the meals...
Costs $1,400 a week. We read the records.
Can you explain why Gary Moskowitz
is paying $3,600 a week extra...
to maintain his brother?
- I think I'd better speak to my attorney.
- Take it easy, Mr. Adler.
We're not interested in arresting you.
We just need some answers, okay?
That's not Paul Moskowitz.
His real name is Will Sterling.
So if Will Sterling's lying in a coma,
in Cleveland...
who the hell is on the cover of this box?
This guy happens to be my brother.
Paul Moskowitz.
So, your brother switched identities
with an ex-con in a coma?
- That is right.
- Why?
Because America loves an underdog...
and Will Sterling is a lot better of a story
than Paul Moskowitz.
Wouldn't you rather get advice
from an ex-con...
who heroically rose from the ashes...
than a boring middle-class kid
who wants to be an actor?
Now, where did you guys find Will?
Coma Will?
He's our foster brother.
It was great. Our parents thought
it would be fun and charitable...
to have a round robin of other kids
constantly passing through our house...
stealing things and getting arrested.
And as for the real Will,
he was with us for a couple years...
then gangs, drugs.
And about six years ago, he overdosed.
That's when Paul got the idea
to steal Will's identity and trade on it.
No, it was my idea.
Everything's been my idea.
Let me see if I get you straight.
I take Will's name, his background, his life.
Yes, that becomes your new identity.
And then I move to New York
and we set up a self-help business.
Yes, I told you. You are the front man
and I am the man behind the scenes.
But, Gary, this is crazy.
- Is there actually any money in this?
- Millions.
- We'd be helping people, right?
- Yes.
I've read every book.
I've gone to every one of these seminars.
I'm telling you right now, half
of these guys, they are freaking quacks.
None of them have the charisma
or the good looks that you have.
So, you'd...
- You'd coach me on what to say?
- I'll teach you everything.
Strategies, the presentation,
the seven simple rules to change your life.
- You're going to be a guru in two months.
- Why don't we just make up my past?
- Why do we have to steal his?
- Because when we succeed at this...
people are going to
want to look up your past...
and we're going to have the paperwork
to back that up.
This is insane.
Would you rather do regional theater
in Cleveland for the rest of your life?
Because this is the role of a lifetime, Paul.
Life Rules.
So I knew Paul would eat it up.
And frankly, between you and me...
he's kind of over the top as an actor,
but I knew he'd be perfect for this.
You arranged the switch
with the hospital administrator...
- and you've been paying him ever since.
- That is right.
Who else knows about your
little identity swap?
Just me and Will. I mean, Paul, I guess,
I should say at this point.
- Not even his wife?
- Not even his wife.
His name is Paul Moskowitz
and he and Gary are brothers?
Is that my name? I mean, he's the fraud.
But is my marriage a fraud?
No, I mean, is my name
actually Hillary Moskowitz?
Mrs. Sterling, that's a question
you need to ask your attorney.
I don't know. I know this is a lot to digest.
But I need to ask you
about Corrine McCormick.
Maybe her name is Moskowitz, too.
Apparently, she's the one
who made that late-night call last week.
Do you think there's a possibility
that maybe your husband and her...
Of course.
Now, I'd say just about anything goes,
wouldn't you?
When I first met Will,
my life was a shambles.
I was broke.
I had a drinking problem.
I was in a relationship
with an abusive man.
- I was...
- On the verge of killing yourself. I know.
I watched the videotape, Miss McCormick.
Well, it's all true.
Will turned my life around.
Now I own my own business.
I'm financially independent...
and I have a community of people
who enrich my life.
Does Will enrich your life?
It's not what you think. He helps me.
You were supposed to
go to Niagara Falls with him.
Who told you that? Gary?
A flight booked in your name.
The ticket was then cancelled.
We know you kept calling his house
that day.
- You must've been pretty upset.
- Look.
I was angry at Gary, not Will.
That's what I called to talk to him about.
Gary is the one who cancelled my trip.
Gary was trying to
keep me away from Will.
Why is that?
- He said it was to protect me.
- From what?
From having my heart broken.
Truth is, I think Gary is jealous of Will.
Before you can make any change...
you need to look at yourself,
cold and hard...
and think about what holds you back.
What is it
that makes you see a beautiful woman...
across a room and not go talk to her?
What is it? It's fear.
It's fear of rejection. Fear of failure.
Even fear of success.
I want to suggest to you
that it is that fear...
the fear of your own power,
that holds you back.
- Pretty interesting, huh?
- Yeah.
Jack wanted me to look at these tapes.
You know,
there is a lot of useful information.
There is...
He talks about his youth in Cleveland,
about his foster brothers.
- You know, he used to be fat?
- So what have we got?
Meet Reese Randall. Not a nice person.
A foster brother with the Moskowitz clan
in 1985.
In and out of juvie,
he served three years for armed robbery...
assault and battery, drunk driving,
domestic abuse.
I just got off the phone
with his landlord in Cleveland.
She says that she hasn't seen him for
a couple days and that his car is missing.
What I remember from those tapes,
he was close to his foster brothers, right?
He still is.
According to these phone records...
- he still talks to them.
- Reese Randall?
No, Carlos Gonzalez.
He has a local cell phone.
What do we know
about Mr. Carlos Gonzalez?
Not much.
DMV photo. It's three years old.
It was issued by the state of Ohio.
I still haven't been able to find
a local address for him.
You been able to get him
on his cell phone?
I wish. He doesn't answer it.
- All right, I'll get into it.
- All right.
Enjoy your research.
Jack, they found this at the mansion.
I thought it was a seminar tape.
But it turns out that our out-of-work actor
wasn't always out of work.
- I don't want you to go.
- It's only three days.
- I know. It just feels like 300 already.
- Oh, honey.
This is a classic.
Think he made a wise choice
getting out of acting.
Wait till you see what happens next.
It's not a limo, but it feels familiar.
Hi, Mr. Hastings. Where's your wife?
What are you doing here, Bernie?
The other driver said you were sick.
What are you talking about? I'm fine.
Stella.
Stella!
Stella!
Those schmucks.
This whole thing's a hoax.
I don't have the slightest idea
of what you are talking about.
- Come on, Gary. We saw the old movie.
- Well, I haven't.
- Gary, this just came for you.
- Let me see that.
- Who brought this to you?
- I don't know. A courier.
- And you opened it?
- He took off already. He's gone.
All right. I need a VCR.
See this? This here's Will Sterling.
The man with the plan.
Except the plan's changing.
I got me a very
expensive piece of property right here...
and I intend to collect on it.
Five million dollars, to be exact.
Five million, by tomorrow at 9:00...
or he's dead.
You'll be contacted at 8:00 a.m.
And told where to leave my money.
That's all for now.
Thanks for playing Life Rules.
Five million dollars?
We do not have five million dollars.
What did he mean "the plan's changing"?
How the hell should I know?
Gary didn't know about any of this.
- You want to fill me in?
- He should be back by now.
They were never supposed
to ask for money. You have to believe me.
Something has gone wrong.
It was not supposed to happen like this.
Will came to me the night before...
you know, the kidnapping...
and told me what he was planning.
You're having yourself kidnapped?
I'll have a limo pick me up here
to take me to the airport.
Ten minutes later,
the real limo will arrive...
and everyone will think
that I've been kidnapped.
- And then what?
- Well, then I lay low for 24 hours...
and then they let me go.
- And what the hell will that accomplish?
- They'll videotape me at gunpoint.
I'm going to talk them out of it
using the techniques of Life Rules.
The cops will find the videotapes,
they'll get released to the media.
A week later, the infomercial comes out.
I will go through the stratosphere.
Honey, you're not doing well enough
as it is?
I mean, you really need to do this?
I did not get where I've gotten
by playing it safe, Hill.
You got to go after it in life.
- Does Gary know you're doing this?
- No.
No. This is just me.
You and me. Nobody else knows.
- Will, this is crazy.
- No, it's inspired.
I should have tried to stop him. It's just...
When these things come out of his mouth,
you believe them.
I really hope
you're not lying to me right now.
I swear to God. Will is in trouble.
As I said, we do not have
five million dollars.
Even if we hocked this place,
with all of our debt...
I don't think we can raise more than two.
Well, when the kidnappers
contact us tomorrow...
we'll try and counter.
Hopefully that will buy us some time.
Okay. Good. That's good.
You set this up, didn't you?
- Say what?
- You're the brains behind this.
Your brother's just the front man.
He couldn't pull off a scam without you.
Are you kidding me?
I'm furious at him for this,
don't you get it?
He risked everything we built.
- Not to mention risking his own life.
- Yes, of course. But I never would have...
I never wanted him to do the infomercial.
It's easy to look at a situation
and see the problem.
I understand that, as executives,
that's what you've been trained to do...
to anticipate what will go wrong
and prepare for it.
But what you need to do is ask yourself
and everyone around you...
to think boldly,
to be daring and to take risks.
And just so you don't think that
I'm living on a cloud...
when we get back from lunch,
we'll move on right to our next chapter.
Crisis management.
Now, we've got steaks and lobsters and
all sorts of great stuff in the dining room.
And anyone interested in being
in the infomercial should talk to Gary.
Thanks.
Hey, that went well.
I thought we were still debating
the merits of doing this infomercial.
- Could you give me a second?
- Okay.
No, I decided. We're going ahead with it.
We're going... Actually,
can we go outside for a second, please?
Thanks.
Okay. I'm your partner.
- You don't just decide...
- Gary, I'm great at this.
I want to share it
with as many people as possible.
No, I don't think you understand.
Will, if you expose us
to this next level of scrutiny...
sooner or later, some guy
from the New York Times...
or the Wall Street Journal will
come sniffing around, and the jig is up.
So, what?
You just want to rest on our laurels?
When things are going well,
you do not get complacent.
- It's rule number six, Gary.
- Okay. Don't...
Don't start quoting
those rules to me, okay?
I'm the one who wrote them.
Apparently,
you've stopped following them.
If things are getting too hot for you here,
you're welcome to go.
What did you say to me?
I'm the guy on the box, Gary.
Sounds like he drank too much
of his own Kool-Aid.
Apparently that was the tip of the iceberg.
And now I'm beginning to feel like
I'm Dr. Frankenstein...
chasing after his own monster.
Well, if he wouldn't trust you,
who would he trust?
- Honestly, I could not tell you.
- Stay in contact with your foster brothers?
Carlos Gonzalez, Reese Randall.
God, I haven't heard from those guys
in years.
- What about your brother?
- What are you saying?
He might have used one of them
to pull off this stunt?
It's possible. They're ex-cons.
All of our foster brothers were in and out
over a long period of time.
He didn't have that kind of relationship
with them.
I don't think that he trusted any one
of them enough to do something like this.
That's today's paper.
The Chronicle is tough to get out
in the Hamptons.
- The kidnapper might live in the city.
- Or maybe he's holding him in the city.
I can't figure out why they even
bothered shredding some of this stuff.
When you build something on a lie,
you get paranoid.
Gary may have been careful,
but Will certainly wasn't.
Can you imagine the hubris to stunt
your own kidnapping for good publicity?
After watching those tapes,
one thing's clear.
This guy thinks he could do anything.
Carlos Gonzalez.
The foster brother
with the local cell phone.
Check it out.
He's asking Will
to help him out with money.
- Is there a return address?
- No. Says to call him on that cell phone.
Well, the ransom tape
came from Cold Spring Harbor.
- Let's check for Carlos Gonzalez.
- All right.
What is that right there? Do me a favor
and enhance that area right there.
A wall calendar, a plaque?
Woodbury Bowling League.
Wait. Woodbury.
Isn't that near Cold Spring Harbor?
- Next town over.
- That's right.
These guys aren't too bright.
- Nothing in Cold Spring Harbor.
- Woodbury. He's being held in Woodbury.
Woodbury.
We got him.
Got one down!
- Who are you?
- Was about to ask you the same question.
- I'm Carlos Gonzalez.
- Where's Will Sterling?
- He's in a coma, in Cleveland.
- Where is Paul Moskowitz?
I don't know.
We all lived together.
- Gary, Paul, me, Will, Reese...
- Reese Randall, right?
Yeah.
So many kids going in and out
of that house all the time...
with Gary and Paul.
We were all like the same age.
So it was like we had our own
little basketball team.
That's a great story.
Get to the part about the kidnapping...
and what happened to your head.
Paul and I stayed in touch over the years,
you know?
Even after he became
Will Sterling or whatever.
And he was always trying to help me.
He would even send me those tapes.
He really wanted to get me out of my rut.
That's why I ended up
moving to New York.
- How about Gary? You talk to him?
- No.
He told me not to tell Gary
that I knew about the gig...
or even that I'd come to New York.
All right. Let's go back a month.
You're writing Will letters.
You're asking Will for money. Why?
Yeah. It was for a job, though.
I wasn't trying to blackmail him.
So he hired you
to pull off a fake kidnapping.
Look, he calls me up.
He says that he'll give me $30,000.
And all I have to do is find the limo
and pick him up at his house...
bring him back here,
we hang out for the night.
And in the morning, we make a video
of him talking his way out of it.
- And then I'd let him go.
- But that's not the video you made.
You're not even in that video.
I know that.
That's what I'm trying to explain to you.
That has got to be Reese
who made that tape...
after he hit me over the head
and tied me up.
How did Reese become
a part of this whole plan?
I was nervous about the job.
- So I called Reese for backup.
- Backup?
It was a staged kidnapping, Carlos.
- What the hell do you need backup for?
- I know that.
I thought even with the mask,
somebody might figure out...
that it was me in front of the camera.
So I called Reese and he said
he didn't have a problem with it.
Okay? So he drove up from Cleveland
and we were gonna split the $30,000.
Okay. It was supposed to be easy money.
Until Reese turned on us.
- When do you want to make that tape?
- A few minutes.
All right.
Don't be nervous, Carlos.
It's all going to work out like clockwork.
Just hope nobody saw me
at your house yesterday.
What a putz.
I don't know why didn't call me.
I could have taken care of everything.
I haven't heard from you in eight years.
If I'd have known you were running some
self-help racket under Will's name...
I would have called on you.
You can believe that.
You should take a seminar. Free of charge.
Yeah. Maybe I'll do that.
Carlos!
Change of plans, Paulie boy. Sit down.
I don't know what happened, okay?
We had it all figured out.
- Anybody else know about this?
- No, nobody.
Carlos, do you have any idea where
Reese would've taken Will or Paul?
I don't know. But he's unstable.
- What do you mean?
- He could kill him.
He's crazy.
- Unbelievable.
- What is it?
I got Gary Moskowitz's cell phone records.
He and Reese Randall have been talking
quite a bit over the last three days.
Only over the last three days?
Carlos said that he panicked
and needed backup, right?
So he called Reese.
Then almost immediately...
Reese turns around and calls Gary.
Reese must have heard from Carlos that
Gary was the one really running the show.
So he squeezes him for some extra cash.
Then Gary heard the fake kidnapping plan
and he went through the roof.
As far as Gary's concerned,
Will is going to blow everything...
and take them both to jail in the process.
This kidnapping stunt was the perfect
opportunity for Gary to get rid of him.
Hey, Gary, thanks for coming in so late.
Yeah, sure. It's not like
I was getting any sleep or anything.
Well, it turns out that we were right.
It appears that one of your
foster brothers is involved.
Really?
- Who?
- Reese Randall.
Reese Randall.
We're gonna need you
to do something for us.
Sure. Anything.
We need you to talk to him on the phone.
- Me?
- Yeah.
We'll connect you to him from here...
and make it look like
it's coming from your cell phone...
and, hopefully, he'll pick up.
What do you want me to say to him?
Well, just stay calm.
Tell him that you're trying
to organize the money...
but it's taking a little longer
than you thought.
Just keep him talking.
We're putting a trace on the call.
- Okay.
- We'll be right here for you.
- Great.
- Grab a seat.
- You ready to patch him through?
- Okay.
Pick up the phone.
Okay. Patch is in.
- Yeah?
- Hey, Reese.
It's Gary, buddy. Gary Moskowitz.
- What do you want?
- How is Paul doing?
- I haven't done it yet.
- Well, that's great.
Don't do anything violent, Reese, okay?
Because we're gonna get you your money.
What do you mean,
"Don't do anything violent"?
Listen to me, Reese. Just don't hurt him.
We're gonna get you whatever you want.
Just do not hurt him.
I know you've had a raw deal in life.
There's just no reason
to take it out on Paul.
Now, whatever you're feeling, pal...
I swear to God,
we are gonna get you whatever you want.
Whatever it takes.
Reese?
Yeah, okay. Bye.
Reese? Are you...
- Did you track that?
- Almost.
God damn.
- Well, we're gonna have to try that again.
- No.
- What do you mean, "no"?
- Well, I don't...
I mean, don't you think that went well?
Why would we want to do that?
That seemed to go pretty well.
He seemed like he was being reasonable.
Why would we...
Why would I want to provoke him?
We got a call coming in.
Same transponder.
It seems like he wants to talk to you.
Pick it up.
- Hello?
- I don't get you, man.
Thought you'd be asking me
why I hadn't killed him yet.
Now, you're telling me not to kill him.
I don't know
what you're talking about, Reese.
Don't give me that.
I got Mr. Life Rules here,
talking my head off for the last 12 hours...
got me thinking
about my dreams and aspirations.
- I'm all screwed up.
- Know what? You are all screwed up.
Know what we're going to do?
Get you some help for that, okay?
Hello? Okay. You know what? He's crazy.
Jack, we got a location.
1564 Newman, in the Bronx.
Martin, do me a favor and arrest him.
Stand up.
- What goes up must come down.
- Who taught you that one?
Clear.
Guys? That way.
People will go wrong.
But you need to let go of that.
Gary gave in to his pettiness
and his jealousy...
because he doesn't see
what's really possible.
You do.
You have the tools.
So this is a big step for you, Reese.
And I think you're ready for it.
Now what say me and you,
we walk out of here together?
You're going to go forward with your life...
and I'm going to forget this whole thing
ever happened.
What do you say?
Thank you, Paul.
Call me Will.
Oh, please.
Freeze. FBI.
Drop the gun.
It's okay, Reese. Do what he says.
- Use your tools.
- You shut up!
And you drop the gun.
Stand up.
- Turn around. Am I covered?
- Yeah.
Put your hands behind your back.
Wasting my damn time.
Come on, let's go, you big wuss.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
He just needed someone to see him,
someone to believe in him.
What are you talking about?
Your brother was the brains behind
this whole operation.
- So you guys know everything.
- Yes, Paul, we do.
You saw what I just did.
- He was going to kill me.
- Right.
Gary was going to pay him $100,000
and he was going to kill me.
I talked him out of it.
And whatever you report,
you're going to have to report that, too.
Right. Just in time for the release
of your infomercial.
- That's right.
- Yeah.
Too bad you'll be doing time
for false report. Turn around, please.
Lying to a federal officer.
Obstruction of justice.
See, here's the thing, Mr. Sterling.
The truth will out.
That's also one of life's rules. Let's go.
- Hey.
- Hey.
You know,
these may become collector's items.
I won't tell anyone
if you want to take one home.
Thanks. I appreciate that, but I'm fine.
- Okay. Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night. Go!