Without a Trace (2002–2009): Season 2, Episode 3 - Confidence - full transcript
A recently engaged woman goes missing during her engagement party. However, the team discovers that her background is full of fraud and scams, which may be the reason for her disappearance.
Guess who.
I'm drawing a blank.
How about the fianc?e you haven't seen
since this party started?
Okay. Enough, you two.
Let me see this rock
that Chris keeps going on and on about.
It's like he chipped it
out of the mine himself. Wow.
It's very subtle, Chris.
It was a total surprise. I had no idea...
Honey, don't. I've seen a lot of women
who couldn't get Chris to take the leap.
You deserve it.
I'm gonna go to the store
to get some cigarettes.
- You guys want anything?
- No.
But hurry back. Dinner's in five minutes.
Jeremiah's concocted
some crazy jelled oyster something.
I'll hurry back.
Whitney Ridder, 29-year-old socialite.
Walked out of her fianc?'s loft
for a pack of smokes...
never made it to the bodega
across the street.
She left her keys, purse,
and coat up at the party.
- She have a wallet with her?
- Yeah, and a big fat rock on her finger.
Makes for an attractive target.
No, he's still pretty out of it.
- Just keep the coffee coming.
- Okay.
Fianc?. I can't get much out of him.
Why don't you sip on this?
- Smells like a brewery in here.
- You noticed?
- What, is he still drunk?
- No, he's just severely hung-over.
She went to the store to get cigarettes.
This is something she's done
a hundred times.
Look, I already told the other agent
all of this.
Well, sorry to inconvenience you.
I'm sorry, I just...
I'm tired, that's all.
You know, the phone keeps ringing.
Friends are worried.
It's just that I haven't slept.
I'll make this as fast as possible
for you, okay?
Did you notice anything unusual
in your fianc?e's behavior last night?
- No, I don't think so.
- Would you mind?
What do you mean, you don't think so?
There wasn't anything
that I really remember.
Was it because of your drinking...
or are you having problems
with your short-term memory?
Excuse me?
Mr. Mayes, if you wanna help us
find your fianc?e...
I suggest that you sober up
and focus right now.
Yeah, okay.
How long have you and Whitney
been living together?
A little over two months. She was staying
at the Riverton before that.
Riverton. That's a nice address.
She was just crashing there
while she was setting up her business.
- And what was that?
- Resort financing.
- What's your business?
- I'm between careers.
Which ones?
The one I spent
pleasantly living off my inheritance...
and the one where I actually
find something meaningful to do.
Can you give me
any background on Whitney?
She was born in Philadelphia.
Parents got divorced,
shipped her off to Switzerland for school.
Got an MBA over there. Came back
to the States about six months ago.
You notice any problems
with her business?
Not really.
She hadn't been here very long...
but things were going great.
- How long were you two engaged?
- Just a week.
Vizsla?
- It's a short-haired Hungarian hunting dog.
- Nice try.
- What, are you challenging me?
- Vizsla.
"Vizsla: A short-haired
Hungarian hunting..."
You scare me.
I did a job for Tina Agnelli,
and she gave me one as a gift.
He's a cute little guy.
So, double letter, triple word.
Eighty-four points.
Plus I go again
because you lost the challenge.
Marry me.
- Excuse me?
- I'm serious.
Chris, we barely know each other.
I know how I feel. You amaze me.
- Why, 'cause I know what a vizsla is?
- That didn't hurt.
I don't wanna spend another minute
without you. It's that simple.
I want you to marry me.
Okay.
- "Okay, yes"? You're gonna marry me?
- Okay to everything.
Two months.
- That's pretty quick to pull the trigger.
- I knew she was the one.
We were gonna go to Europe next month
and get married on her birthday.
Just the two of us.
I just keep thinking, you know, this...
I mean, she has to show up
sooner or later, right?
Right.
Escape to a lush paradise.
- An island where...
- Excuse me.
- What exactly do you guys do here?
- Resort development.
We're financing
an international boutique hotel.
- And where is everyone else?
- It's just the two of us: Whitney and me.
We contracted out
the computer modeling...
and we work with Midtown Trust
on the financial end.
How's business?
It was going great.
Or that's what I thought.
I just got off the phone
with the people in Cozumel.
It looks like we'll be closing up shop
a little earlier than I planned.
We should start packing tomorrow.
- I thought we were just getting started.
- You've done an amazing job.
I've already written you
a glowing letter of recommendation.
And you absolutely will not
have to worry about the rent...
on that sweet little studio of yours.
Forget my studio.
I can get myself a two-bedroom with this.
Well, call it a bonus and a thank you.
You earned it.
I'd never had a mentor before Whitney.
She just took me under her wing.
Excuse me.
I don't get it. If business is so great,
why close up shop?
Maybe Whitney was embezzling money
from the company.
Bailed out before she got caught.
Why bother giving the assistant
a big bonus?
She wants her to be a good girl,
not ask too many questions.
Okay. Thanks.
Okay, so it turns out Christopher Mayes
has a record.
License revoked after a couple of DUIs...
and a drunk-and-disorderly charge
when he was 19.
He got off with community service
and counseling.
Rich parents buy good lawyers.
His alibi is tight.
The doorman says he never left the party.
But the building manager
saw a suspicious vehicle...
casing the place a few weeks ago.
He said he approached the car,
but the driver took off.
Upscale building, rich tenants.
Could be trying to pick out victims.
He gave us a make and partial plate.
We're running it now.
Which is more than I've got
on Whitney Ridder.
Phone bills, credit cards...
everything dead-ends
the day she arrived in the city.
The boyfriend says that she grew up
in Philly, but I keep coming up blank.
- Name change?
- Nothing on file.
It's like she didn't exist until she got here.
Okay, so she comes to New York,
reinvents herself.
New name, new identity, clean start.
She won't be the first.
Question is, what was she running from?
So, how long have you two
known Whitney?
- Three months, maybe.
- We met in the Hamptons.
You get to know someone pretty fast
when they're in your circle.
But getting into that circle,
it's not so easy, is it?
- It is if you have Whitney's charm.
- How was she last night?
Her usual self. Mostly.
Hey. It's nice to see you.
Thank you so much for coming.
Would you excuse me?
I have to take this. It's from work.
- Go right ahead.
- Thank you.
When I saw her with Chris...
a few minutes later,
she seemed perfectly fine.
- Did the two of them have any problems?
- No.
Chris dated a lot.
But when it would come time to commit,
he would usually start to just slip away.
Sounds like you know him pretty well.
We actually dated a few years ago.
Mr. Sellars, can I ask you
a couple of questions out here?
Yeah, of course.
- This is ridiculous.
- What's that?
Splitting us up.
If this is about Christopher and Sarah...
that was over long before we met.
Sarah and I don't have secrets.
Then that's what she'll tell Agent Taylor.
Until then, I suggest you sit down
and wait till she's done.
Alan has some issues
with my friendship with Christopher.
Is there anything going on
with you and Christopher now?
No.
Is there anything you're not telling me?
When you have what he has...
you never really know
if people are after you for your money.
Chris is a little paranoid,
but sometimes he's right.
What about you?
Do you think Whitney's after his money?
Look, she shows up out of nowhere.
They barely know each other.
Suddenly they're getting married?
I wondered.
- Did you ever talk to him about it?
- Oh, I tried.
But he got furious with me. So I let it go.
Yeah, Viv.
Jack, I've got the social security records.
Turns out Whitney Ridder was born
in La Fontaine, Louisiana...
in 1971...
and died in a car crash in 1974.
- Any progress on her real identity?
- We're still looking.
Okay. I'll call you back.
I'm sorry.
We don't have any Whitney Ridder...
registered as a guest
at this establishment.
You know,
she may have used a different name.
Do you recognize this girl?
She was a regular client in our lounge.
It appeared, at least to me,
that she may have been...
- in the companion business.
- What, she was a hooker?
If you will. She always came by herself.
Always made quite an impression,
but she only had one customer.
- This the guy?
- Yes, that's him.
All right. Thank you.
Fake identity. Now fake residence.
Danny and Martin
are checking out the business.
- Yeah, she was fooling everybody.
- Including her fianc?.
Check it out.
Whitney Ridder's cell phone records.
That call she got
just before she disappeared?
She got another call 20 minutes later
from the same number.
A guy in Palm Springs
named Lucas Vohland.
I checked him on NCIC. He did 10 years
for manslaughter at Joliet.
That's him.
Whoever she is,
she's keeping some bad company.
See all this beautiful ocean-front property?
It's all fake.
We called Cozumel, Midtown Trust.
We checked out their business records.
No connection to a hotel chain
or planned resort.
It looks like Whitney trolled the city
for potential targets.
Mostly kids from rich families
anxious to make money on their own.
She promised them a quick return
on their initial investment...
- plus VIP treatment at this luxury resort.
- Early investors made a killing.
Word spread. The money poured in.
The second round of investors
didn't see zip.
- A Ponzi scheme.
- Exactly.
By the time they figured it out,
the money was gone...
and Whitney had reinvented
herself elsewhere.
Except this time,
she never finished the con.
And she still has $400,000
in her corporate bank account.
Maybe one of her marks found out
they were being swindled and got to her.
I'm on it. Here's a list of investors
from her bank records.
And Vohland... I ran into this guy
in Seattle a few years ago.
He's got the background
for this kind of gig.
Okay. Danny and Viv...
I want you to run down this list
of unhappy investors.
Martin, why don't you go to Palm Springs,
talk to your friend Vohland?
Samantha, you're with Martin.
I might be reading too much into this,
but there's...
no hidden message in you sending me
on vacation to Palm Springs, is there?
What kind of message?
Like maybe I'm just getting back to work...
and you're trying to get me
out of your hair.
You are...
reading too much into this.
You should just take it for what it is.
In-flight movie. A little bit of sun.
And a chance to interview
a convicted felon and potential murderer.
Enjoy.
Okay.
- So she scammed everybody?
- It would appear that way, yes.
I don't believe it. You know what?
I just don't believe this.
I went to the Riverton Hotel.
She never lived there.
- What?
- She never lived there.
She used to visit the lobby a lot.
First, they thought she was a call girl,
but turns out you were the only client.
- Where did she live then?
- We're not sure.
- We don't even know her real name.
- "Her real name." You know what?
This is insane.
Did she ever ask you
to invest in her company?
No, I offered...
but she said that she wanted to keep her
business and our personal lives separate.
- Smart.
- What's that?
Smart that she never asked you
for money.
My hunch is that she was using you
for access to your rich friends.
I would've seen
something like that coming.
You wouldn't be the first one to miss it.
She said she wanted to spend
the rest of her life with me!
That's what you wanted to hear, Chris.
All right. What happens now?
I mean, what do you...
You keep looking for her, right?
You bet. Now she's a fugitive.
Nice to see you're enjoying
the fruits of your labor, Vohland.
Excuse me?
You remember me?
Seattle, '99, counterfeit PC chips.
Sorry. I'm terrible with faces.
Are you any better with names?
Like Dennis Ricci or Timothy Dulea?
You were both.
- Is this your girlfriend?
- I'm his partner.
You're a lot better-Iooking
than his last one.
We're looking for Whitney Ridder. She
went missing two days ago in New York.
- Right after you called her.
- Never heard of her.
- Probably dialed a wrong number.
- Take a look.
Whitney, huh?
I knew her as Kat Fontaine out here.
I met her at the club last winter.
The Conquista.
Nice topspin lob.
So why'd you call her that night?
I'm leaving for New York in a few weeks.
I needed a hotel recommendation.
So you wouldn't know anything...
about the investment scam
she was running in the city?
Kat? You gotta be kidding.
No. Not at all.
As per my parole conditions...
I've removed myself
from any and all areas of illicit influence.
- I've got a legitimate business here.
- Some things never change.
We're gonna stick around for a few days,
check out your story.
- I wouldn't go anywhere.
- Why leave paradise?
Viv, what'd they say?
Same story as all the other investors.
The ones that were paid stayed mum.
The others were too embarrassed
to complain.
So far, all the alibis check out
except for this one guy I can't find.
His name is Stansfield Carlton.
Ring a bell?
- Never heard of him.
- Neither have any of the other investors.
That's strange.
They were all part of the same circle.
We got a hit
on that car casing the apartment.
Belongs to a Raymond Deasey.
He's on parole for armed robbery.
Do you have an address?
- Excellent.
- Okay.
Thanks. That's good.
Apparently, Whitney Ridder
was living here in Palm Springs...
under the alias Kat Fontaine.
We understand that you filed
a criminal complaint against her.
Something about forged paintings.
Kat, your Whitney, sold a lovely
Georgia O'Keefe to some friends of ours...
and we'd been thinking
of sprucing our place up.
So we decided that we would make an
appointment to see her gallery downtown.
That's when we saw
this painting by Behrens.
We spent more than we normally would...
but we both saw the painting
as an investment.
Then our insurance company
wanted an appraisal...
and that's where
we ran into some problems.
This is a little bit awkward.
You know the Behrens
that we acquired from you?
Our appraiser has doubts
about its authenticity.
- I'm sorry. What do you mean?
- He thinks it may be a forgery.
Oh, my, I am so embarrassed.
I had no idea. I took it on consignment.
I didn't even think of getting it checked.
You know what?
I'm so sorry to bring it up.
We really should've waited
until we were certain.
No, absolutely not.
Let me get you your money back.
- No, please. There is no rush.
- I insist.
Please, I am so sorry.
I'm assuming she never gave you
your money back.
No. And I was surprised.
She seemed very shaken up
when we spoke to her.
But when we went to her gallery,
she was gone.
Our friends said she had a boyfriend
who was her partner.
- Lucas Vohland?
- I never heard the name.
The people at the gallery said that
they both had left without telling anybody.
- You still have the painting up.
- Yeah. I can't seem to take it down.
Doesn't seem like you'd kill somebody
for ripping you off on a painting.
Certainly not those people.
They'd probably just refill your iced tea.
It sounds to me like Whitney knew
she was gonna get caught, and she ran.
- I'm driving.
- No, I've seen you drive.
- Where's the airbag.
- Hello?
Oh, yeah. I'm really sorry about that.
I kind of got busy.
Yeah, Thursday at 7:00 sounds great.
Okay, I'll see you then.
Hot date?
Yeah. With my federally-funded therapist.
How's that going?
Here's what I'm thinking.
This partner /boyfriend...
I'm thinking it's gotta be Vohland.
That explains why he lied to us
about their call.
Yeah. I say we pay him a second visit.
- What do you know about Whitney Ridder?
- Who's that?
You've been parked in front of her loft
for the last two weeks.
So the FBI is giving out
parking tickets now?
What?
Whitney Ridder is missing, Mr. Deasey.
Maybe your parole officer would like to
know you've been casing her apartment...
instead of cleaning paintbrushes.
Look, I didn't do anything illegal, okay?
I was painting this dude's house
in Water Mill.
- He asked me to check her out.
- Check out or rough up?
No. I didn't touch her.
He just wanted to know
what she was up to.
He was afraid she ripped him off.
I followed her around a few days,
told him everything I knew...
- and that was it.
- Who is this guy?
Let me be frank with you, Mr. Sellars.
You don't look like the type
who hires an ex-con.
And now you've lied to a Federal officer.
If I can help you stop this downward spiral
in your personal life, please let me know.
I just wanted to find out
what was happening.
She didn't return my phone calls.
- You mean Whitney?
- Yes.
- You invested money with her?
- Yes.
Only I didn't tell my wife about it.
You used a fake name, Stansfield Carlton,
so your wife wouldn't know.
My wife, Sarah,
comes from a lot of money. Old money.
It's a very difficult situation for me
not having my own means.
So you wanted to prove yourself.
With your wife's money, of course.
It seemed like an excellent opportunity.
Seventy-five rooms, all suites,
each with an ocean view.
Every investor receives full VIP treatment,
complete spa access...
and guaranteed reservations
at our four-star restaurant.
And...
a little gift.
You know, for poolside, or wherever.
Two months and I double my money?
If you get in now. This investor phase
closes at the end of the week.
- When do you plan to open?
- Next Christmas.
We're already completely booked.
Of course...
there are a few rooms
that remain on hold for our investors.
I am in for $75,000.
And put me down for the week.
But when the payday came and went,
you hired a felon to look into it.
I was terrified Sarah would find out.
And you'd lose the money forever.
That had to make you pretty angry.
I just wanted to talk to her.
She wouldn't return my calls.
And Deasey told me about her trips
to her storage facility.
I thought she was gonna leave town
before talking to me.
Looks like you were right.
You got an address
for that storage facility?
It's a security video of the hallway.
Shows Whitney and her fianc? coming
in here 18 hours after she disappeared.
I guess her fianc?
forgot to tell us that part.
You recognize that?
That's the Qwik-Lok Mini Storage.
You said you didn't see her after she left.
You're a liar, Chris.
You sat there and you flat-out lied to me.
- I swear I don't know where she is.
- You did the other day.
When she left the party,
I didn't know where she went, honestly.
- Define "honestly."
- I mean it!
She came back and she told me she ran...
because this guy Vohland
threatened her on the phone.
She told me about the fraud,
the investment company.
She told me Whitney Ridder
isn't her real name, all of it.
In that moment of crystal-clear thinking,
you decided to aid a fugitive.
That makes you
an accessory to a crime, Chris.
- Do you understand that?
- She...
told me that she loved me, and that...
all she wanted was to be with me.
The girl was in trouble.
- I don't know what to do.
- How could you do this to me?
I am so sorry.
If I could take it back, I would.
You've been lying to me
since the moment we met!
I know, but I'm telling you the truth now.
Look at me. Please look me in the eyes.
I swear to you, I am telling you everything.
All right, we'll go to the police and
you're gonna tell them the whole story.
God, what I do is illegal. I'll go to jail.
- What do you want me to do?
- Okay, I think I know a way out of this.
A way that I can stop running
and we can be together.
But you gotta forgive me.
Please.
I'm so sorry.
I swear. I'll never lie to you again.
There was a moment there
when I thought, "That's it.
"I'm finished with her.
It's over, and I will never love again."
But then I saw something in her eyes.
Something real.
And it made me love her even more.
Did she tell you that she was banging
big, bad Vohland in Palm Springs?
As a matter of fact, she did.
She also told me it was over.
- And you believed her?
- Yes, I did.
What are you suggesting?
I'm suggesting that perhaps
you weren't quite as forgiving...
as you initially indicated.
No. I helped her.
- Really? How?
- I gave her money.
- What, to pay off Vohland?
- Yes!
So that $600,000 you took
out of your brokerage account yesterday...
that was the payoff?
She told me that we had to get by this guy
if we wanted a fresh start.
Otherwise he was just gonna
track her down again.
Why didn't you use her money?
I mean, she had plenty left.
We figured it'd draw too much attention
if she went and tried to get it herself.
"We" or she? Was that her idea?
We were gonna leave town
after she paid him.
Where was the payoff?
In Saratoga.
Somewhere near the track up there.
Did you go with her?
I wanted to drive, but she insisted
that she go on her own.
- On her own?
- Yes!
She said that this Vohland
would freak out...
if somebody else showed up with her.
You know, Chris, I love a happy ending
just as much as the next guy.
And I'm sure that
that look in her eye was quite something.
But did it ever occur to you that she and
Vohland were setting you up for a scam?
- She wouldn't do that.
- Really?
Wherever she is right now,
she's in trouble.
Christopher, you got punked.
Call your lawyer.
You're not going anywhere.
- We have to polygraph this guy.
- No kidding.
We gotta contact the Saratoga PD,
run Whitney's aliases in the area.
See if his story checks out.
I'm on it.
- Hello.
- Yeah, we missed Lucas Vohland.
Neighbor reported him loading
a suitcase in his car right after we left.
- Any idea where he might've gone?
- No, I wish.
But we'll go ahead
and fax you Vohland's old aliases.
See if we can't track him down.
How's Sam?
She could use a few driving lessons,
but other than that, she's all right.
Sunshine treats her well.
- Keep me posted.
- All right. Will do.
Okay, thanks.
- What've you got?
- I found out where Whitney grew up.
Small town in Ohio named Massillon.
Check out our Whitney Ridder.
Real name, Cheryl McGee.
Activities include...
Travel Club, French Club,
president of the Drama Club for four years.
Good training, huh?
She didn't just change her name.
- She was trying to change her life.
- Speaking from experience?
- Danny Taylor?
- What about it?
So why?
I guess I just wanted a fresh start.
Did it work?
Sometimes.
So are you gonna tell me?
Taylor.
Yeah. Okay, we're on our way.
That was Jack. Lucas Vohland's alias
just popped up at the Madison Regency.
Freeze! FBI.
Drop the bag. Put your hands up.
Good boy. Now up against the car.
Let's go.
12:30 flight to the Cayman Islands.
What's your hurry?
There's $600,000 in your bag.
Exactly the amount Whitney Ridder's
boyfriend gave her to pay you off.
I don't know what you're talking about.
All right. Let's start
with felony possession of a firearm.
Failure to notify your parole officer
that you were leaving the country.
- That's just in the last 12 hours.
- What do you want from me?
Cut the crap
and start answering some questions.
The money is mine.
What was the trip out of the country
about? To work on your tan?
A quick trip to make an investment.
I was coming right back.
You know that it is illegal to transport
that amount of money out of the country?
Charge me.
Look, I don't care about the money.
I don't care about the parole violations.
All I care about
are the whereabouts of Whitney Ridder.
The only reason I can think of
that you're not telling me...
is because you killed her.
I'd like to see my lawyer now.
My gut says he didn't kill her.
Well, he's got the motive,
the opportunity, and the money.
If it's about the money,
then he got what he wanted.
So she's on her way back right now
to become Mrs. Christopher Mayes...
and start her new life?
Yeah. I'd hold off
buying a wedding present.
Viv.
No. I gotta go.
Whitney's alias just popped up
at a hotel in Saratoga.
Let's go.
- FBI.
- You can go in.
I can't believe it.
I saw her alive just last night.
Bellman.
Yeah?
Someone called
and wanted their bags taken down.
- Not here.
- But it's like...
We didn't call, okay?
- Is this the man?
- Yeah. That's him.
- Okay.
- Young man, come with me, please.
Wait. Hold on a sec.
Do you know exactly what room
that call came from?
No. I'd checked a few others,
but nobody needed me.
- Nobody called back, either.
- All right. Thanks.
Right this way.
I did not kill that girl.
I'd like to believe you,
but right now, you're screwed.
We have a witness
placing you in the room with her.
Your fingerprints are there.
And you got her money.
I give a rat's ass what you have.
I met her kiting checks at an A&P.
I taught her everything she knows.
We used to be an item.
Why would I wanna kill her?
You tell me.
Look.
I admit, I wanted my money back.
But that was it.
- Hi, babe.
- Hi, Lucas.
What's going on?
You want your money?
Always.
And then what happened?
We got down to business.
She showed me the money.
I started counting. That's when
she told me that she wanted out.
Sign this bill, sir.
- Hey, Jack.
- Hey.
Martin get any more out of Vohland?
He's still down there with him now.
He's pushing for a motive.
- He's thinking jealousy.
- What do you think?
I'm not buying it.
I mean, the guy's a career-grifter.
Why the hell would he kill her?
We'll get the forensics report
in the morning. We'll know more then.
Get some sleep, huh?
Good night, Jack.
I have the phone records
from that call to the bellman's desk.
Thank you.
I was just taking care of
some last-minute things.
I'm sorry we haven't gotten you
your money back yet.
It's being processed as evidence,
but you should have it shortly.
- No rush. Would you like a drink?
- No.
- What time's your flight?
- I'm on the redeye.
I won't take up too much of your time.
Where are you going?
Amsterdam.
I figured it'd be best
to get out of town for a while.
Clear my head.
Look, I don't know
if this'll help you or not...
but things don't look too good
for Lucas Vohland right now.
I heard.
We have a witness who saw him
and Whitney in the hotel room together.
Lucky for us.
Or lucky for you.
Excuse me?
I think you killed her, Chris...
and I think you framed
Lucas Vohland for it.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Yes, you do.
She went missing from your party
three days ago.
Then she came to see you, right?
And she confessed all her sins to you.
She told you about her made-up past,
the lies, the cons.
She apologized for everything.
You've been lying to me
since the moment we met!
I know, but I'm telling you the truth now.
Look at me. Please look me in the eyes.
I swear to you, I am telling you everything.
Yes.
- That is exactly what happened.
- But you still felt betrayed.
You thought that she was the one.
You trusted her.
You thought she was different
from all the others.
And the whole time,
she was scamming you.
And that broke your heart.
- I forgave her.
- No. You tried to forgive her.
And then she suggested
that the two of you run away together...
and you went along with the plan
because you loved her.
But you couldn't handle the lies,
the manipulation, the con, the tricks...
the games, the stories. Am I right?
So you followed her to Saratoga.
Only she wasn't meeting him at the track.
She was meeting him in a hotel room.
- Hey, babe.
- Hi, Lucas.
How you doing?
- You want your money?
- Always.
And that's exactly when you knew
what you had to do to make her pay.
And the best part about it is
that you had the perfect person to frame.
Lucas Vohland.
This is so creative,
but you don't have any proof.
Not yet. But I tracked down
that call to the bellman...
and it turns out
that it was placed from a pay phone...
at a bar across the street from the hotel.
So I asked myself,
who calls a bellman from a pay phone?
Pretty smart.
You needed a witness
to see the two of them together.
Christopher, I may find your prints
on that phone.
I may not.
But either way, I'm gonna canvas
every inch of that area.
And you know what the good thing
about small towns is?
The people there,
they never forget strangers.
I have a feeling somebody there
is gonna remember you.
You killed her.
You waited for Vohland
to leave the room...
then you went in there,
and you made her pay for betraying you.
You wanna know what the real tragedy is?
You didn't have to do it.
You didn't know
what was going on in that room.
She showed me the money.
I started counting.
That's when she told me she wanted out...
on account of she was marrying this guy.
So you're getting married, huh?
- I didn't think you were the type.
- You don't know this guy.
He's really sweet.
- Really sweet and really rich, I'll bet.
- It's not about that.
- It's always about that.
- No. Not this time.
I don't know. It's different with him.
I don't have to pretend anymore.
- I almost believe you.
- Well, you should.
Because it's over, and I'm out.
- You can't prove any of this.
- I will.
And you will go to jail.
You blew it.
She loved you.
She really did.
I'm drawing a blank.
How about the fianc?e you haven't seen
since this party started?
Okay. Enough, you two.
Let me see this rock
that Chris keeps going on and on about.
It's like he chipped it
out of the mine himself. Wow.
It's very subtle, Chris.
It was a total surprise. I had no idea...
Honey, don't. I've seen a lot of women
who couldn't get Chris to take the leap.
You deserve it.
I'm gonna go to the store
to get some cigarettes.
- You guys want anything?
- No.
But hurry back. Dinner's in five minutes.
Jeremiah's concocted
some crazy jelled oyster something.
I'll hurry back.
Whitney Ridder, 29-year-old socialite.
Walked out of her fianc?'s loft
for a pack of smokes...
never made it to the bodega
across the street.
She left her keys, purse,
and coat up at the party.
- She have a wallet with her?
- Yeah, and a big fat rock on her finger.
Makes for an attractive target.
No, he's still pretty out of it.
- Just keep the coffee coming.
- Okay.
Fianc?. I can't get much out of him.
Why don't you sip on this?
- Smells like a brewery in here.
- You noticed?
- What, is he still drunk?
- No, he's just severely hung-over.
She went to the store to get cigarettes.
This is something she's done
a hundred times.
Look, I already told the other agent
all of this.
Well, sorry to inconvenience you.
I'm sorry, I just...
I'm tired, that's all.
You know, the phone keeps ringing.
Friends are worried.
It's just that I haven't slept.
I'll make this as fast as possible
for you, okay?
Did you notice anything unusual
in your fianc?e's behavior last night?
- No, I don't think so.
- Would you mind?
What do you mean, you don't think so?
There wasn't anything
that I really remember.
Was it because of your drinking...
or are you having problems
with your short-term memory?
Excuse me?
Mr. Mayes, if you wanna help us
find your fianc?e...
I suggest that you sober up
and focus right now.
Yeah, okay.
How long have you and Whitney
been living together?
A little over two months. She was staying
at the Riverton before that.
Riverton. That's a nice address.
She was just crashing there
while she was setting up her business.
- And what was that?
- Resort financing.
- What's your business?
- I'm between careers.
Which ones?
The one I spent
pleasantly living off my inheritance...
and the one where I actually
find something meaningful to do.
Can you give me
any background on Whitney?
She was born in Philadelphia.
Parents got divorced,
shipped her off to Switzerland for school.
Got an MBA over there. Came back
to the States about six months ago.
You notice any problems
with her business?
Not really.
She hadn't been here very long...
but things were going great.
- How long were you two engaged?
- Just a week.
Vizsla?
- It's a short-haired Hungarian hunting dog.
- Nice try.
- What, are you challenging me?
- Vizsla.
"Vizsla: A short-haired
Hungarian hunting..."
You scare me.
I did a job for Tina Agnelli,
and she gave me one as a gift.
He's a cute little guy.
So, double letter, triple word.
Eighty-four points.
Plus I go again
because you lost the challenge.
Marry me.
- Excuse me?
- I'm serious.
Chris, we barely know each other.
I know how I feel. You amaze me.
- Why, 'cause I know what a vizsla is?
- That didn't hurt.
I don't wanna spend another minute
without you. It's that simple.
I want you to marry me.
Okay.
- "Okay, yes"? You're gonna marry me?
- Okay to everything.
Two months.
- That's pretty quick to pull the trigger.
- I knew she was the one.
We were gonna go to Europe next month
and get married on her birthday.
Just the two of us.
I just keep thinking, you know, this...
I mean, she has to show up
sooner or later, right?
Right.
Escape to a lush paradise.
- An island where...
- Excuse me.
- What exactly do you guys do here?
- Resort development.
We're financing
an international boutique hotel.
- And where is everyone else?
- It's just the two of us: Whitney and me.
We contracted out
the computer modeling...
and we work with Midtown Trust
on the financial end.
How's business?
It was going great.
Or that's what I thought.
I just got off the phone
with the people in Cozumel.
It looks like we'll be closing up shop
a little earlier than I planned.
We should start packing tomorrow.
- I thought we were just getting started.
- You've done an amazing job.
I've already written you
a glowing letter of recommendation.
And you absolutely will not
have to worry about the rent...
on that sweet little studio of yours.
Forget my studio.
I can get myself a two-bedroom with this.
Well, call it a bonus and a thank you.
You earned it.
I'd never had a mentor before Whitney.
She just took me under her wing.
Excuse me.
I don't get it. If business is so great,
why close up shop?
Maybe Whitney was embezzling money
from the company.
Bailed out before she got caught.
Why bother giving the assistant
a big bonus?
She wants her to be a good girl,
not ask too many questions.
Okay. Thanks.
Okay, so it turns out Christopher Mayes
has a record.
License revoked after a couple of DUIs...
and a drunk-and-disorderly charge
when he was 19.
He got off with community service
and counseling.
Rich parents buy good lawyers.
His alibi is tight.
The doorman says he never left the party.
But the building manager
saw a suspicious vehicle...
casing the place a few weeks ago.
He said he approached the car,
but the driver took off.
Upscale building, rich tenants.
Could be trying to pick out victims.
He gave us a make and partial plate.
We're running it now.
Which is more than I've got
on Whitney Ridder.
Phone bills, credit cards...
everything dead-ends
the day she arrived in the city.
The boyfriend says that she grew up
in Philly, but I keep coming up blank.
- Name change?
- Nothing on file.
It's like she didn't exist until she got here.
Okay, so she comes to New York,
reinvents herself.
New name, new identity, clean start.
She won't be the first.
Question is, what was she running from?
So, how long have you two
known Whitney?
- Three months, maybe.
- We met in the Hamptons.
You get to know someone pretty fast
when they're in your circle.
But getting into that circle,
it's not so easy, is it?
- It is if you have Whitney's charm.
- How was she last night?
Her usual self. Mostly.
Hey. It's nice to see you.
Thank you so much for coming.
Would you excuse me?
I have to take this. It's from work.
- Go right ahead.
- Thank you.
When I saw her with Chris...
a few minutes later,
she seemed perfectly fine.
- Did the two of them have any problems?
- No.
Chris dated a lot.
But when it would come time to commit,
he would usually start to just slip away.
Sounds like you know him pretty well.
We actually dated a few years ago.
Mr. Sellars, can I ask you
a couple of questions out here?
Yeah, of course.
- This is ridiculous.
- What's that?
Splitting us up.
If this is about Christopher and Sarah...
that was over long before we met.
Sarah and I don't have secrets.
Then that's what she'll tell Agent Taylor.
Until then, I suggest you sit down
and wait till she's done.
Alan has some issues
with my friendship with Christopher.
Is there anything going on
with you and Christopher now?
No.
Is there anything you're not telling me?
When you have what he has...
you never really know
if people are after you for your money.
Chris is a little paranoid,
but sometimes he's right.
What about you?
Do you think Whitney's after his money?
Look, she shows up out of nowhere.
They barely know each other.
Suddenly they're getting married?
I wondered.
- Did you ever talk to him about it?
- Oh, I tried.
But he got furious with me. So I let it go.
Yeah, Viv.
Jack, I've got the social security records.
Turns out Whitney Ridder was born
in La Fontaine, Louisiana...
in 1971...
and died in a car crash in 1974.
- Any progress on her real identity?
- We're still looking.
Okay. I'll call you back.
I'm sorry.
We don't have any Whitney Ridder...
registered as a guest
at this establishment.
You know,
she may have used a different name.
Do you recognize this girl?
She was a regular client in our lounge.
It appeared, at least to me,
that she may have been...
- in the companion business.
- What, she was a hooker?
If you will. She always came by herself.
Always made quite an impression,
but she only had one customer.
- This the guy?
- Yes, that's him.
All right. Thank you.
Fake identity. Now fake residence.
Danny and Martin
are checking out the business.
- Yeah, she was fooling everybody.
- Including her fianc?.
Check it out.
Whitney Ridder's cell phone records.
That call she got
just before she disappeared?
She got another call 20 minutes later
from the same number.
A guy in Palm Springs
named Lucas Vohland.
I checked him on NCIC. He did 10 years
for manslaughter at Joliet.
That's him.
Whoever she is,
she's keeping some bad company.
See all this beautiful ocean-front property?
It's all fake.
We called Cozumel, Midtown Trust.
We checked out their business records.
No connection to a hotel chain
or planned resort.
It looks like Whitney trolled the city
for potential targets.
Mostly kids from rich families
anxious to make money on their own.
She promised them a quick return
on their initial investment...
- plus VIP treatment at this luxury resort.
- Early investors made a killing.
Word spread. The money poured in.
The second round of investors
didn't see zip.
- A Ponzi scheme.
- Exactly.
By the time they figured it out,
the money was gone...
and Whitney had reinvented
herself elsewhere.
Except this time,
she never finished the con.
And she still has $400,000
in her corporate bank account.
Maybe one of her marks found out
they were being swindled and got to her.
I'm on it. Here's a list of investors
from her bank records.
And Vohland... I ran into this guy
in Seattle a few years ago.
He's got the background
for this kind of gig.
Okay. Danny and Viv...
I want you to run down this list
of unhappy investors.
Martin, why don't you go to Palm Springs,
talk to your friend Vohland?
Samantha, you're with Martin.
I might be reading too much into this,
but there's...
no hidden message in you sending me
on vacation to Palm Springs, is there?
What kind of message?
Like maybe I'm just getting back to work...
and you're trying to get me
out of your hair.
You are...
reading too much into this.
You should just take it for what it is.
In-flight movie. A little bit of sun.
And a chance to interview
a convicted felon and potential murderer.
Enjoy.
Okay.
- So she scammed everybody?
- It would appear that way, yes.
I don't believe it. You know what?
I just don't believe this.
I went to the Riverton Hotel.
She never lived there.
- What?
- She never lived there.
She used to visit the lobby a lot.
First, they thought she was a call girl,
but turns out you were the only client.
- Where did she live then?
- We're not sure.
- We don't even know her real name.
- "Her real name." You know what?
This is insane.
Did she ever ask you
to invest in her company?
No, I offered...
but she said that she wanted to keep her
business and our personal lives separate.
- Smart.
- What's that?
Smart that she never asked you
for money.
My hunch is that she was using you
for access to your rich friends.
I would've seen
something like that coming.
You wouldn't be the first one to miss it.
She said she wanted to spend
the rest of her life with me!
That's what you wanted to hear, Chris.
All right. What happens now?
I mean, what do you...
You keep looking for her, right?
You bet. Now she's a fugitive.
Nice to see you're enjoying
the fruits of your labor, Vohland.
Excuse me?
You remember me?
Seattle, '99, counterfeit PC chips.
Sorry. I'm terrible with faces.
Are you any better with names?
Like Dennis Ricci or Timothy Dulea?
You were both.
- Is this your girlfriend?
- I'm his partner.
You're a lot better-Iooking
than his last one.
We're looking for Whitney Ridder. She
went missing two days ago in New York.
- Right after you called her.
- Never heard of her.
- Probably dialed a wrong number.
- Take a look.
Whitney, huh?
I knew her as Kat Fontaine out here.
I met her at the club last winter.
The Conquista.
Nice topspin lob.
So why'd you call her that night?
I'm leaving for New York in a few weeks.
I needed a hotel recommendation.
So you wouldn't know anything...
about the investment scam
she was running in the city?
Kat? You gotta be kidding.
No. Not at all.
As per my parole conditions...
I've removed myself
from any and all areas of illicit influence.
- I've got a legitimate business here.
- Some things never change.
We're gonna stick around for a few days,
check out your story.
- I wouldn't go anywhere.
- Why leave paradise?
Viv, what'd they say?
Same story as all the other investors.
The ones that were paid stayed mum.
The others were too embarrassed
to complain.
So far, all the alibis check out
except for this one guy I can't find.
His name is Stansfield Carlton.
Ring a bell?
- Never heard of him.
- Neither have any of the other investors.
That's strange.
They were all part of the same circle.
We got a hit
on that car casing the apartment.
Belongs to a Raymond Deasey.
He's on parole for armed robbery.
Do you have an address?
- Excellent.
- Okay.
Thanks. That's good.
Apparently, Whitney Ridder
was living here in Palm Springs...
under the alias Kat Fontaine.
We understand that you filed
a criminal complaint against her.
Something about forged paintings.
Kat, your Whitney, sold a lovely
Georgia O'Keefe to some friends of ours...
and we'd been thinking
of sprucing our place up.
So we decided that we would make an
appointment to see her gallery downtown.
That's when we saw
this painting by Behrens.
We spent more than we normally would...
but we both saw the painting
as an investment.
Then our insurance company
wanted an appraisal...
and that's where
we ran into some problems.
This is a little bit awkward.
You know the Behrens
that we acquired from you?
Our appraiser has doubts
about its authenticity.
- I'm sorry. What do you mean?
- He thinks it may be a forgery.
Oh, my, I am so embarrassed.
I had no idea. I took it on consignment.
I didn't even think of getting it checked.
You know what?
I'm so sorry to bring it up.
We really should've waited
until we were certain.
No, absolutely not.
Let me get you your money back.
- No, please. There is no rush.
- I insist.
Please, I am so sorry.
I'm assuming she never gave you
your money back.
No. And I was surprised.
She seemed very shaken up
when we spoke to her.
But when we went to her gallery,
she was gone.
Our friends said she had a boyfriend
who was her partner.
- Lucas Vohland?
- I never heard the name.
The people at the gallery said that
they both had left without telling anybody.
- You still have the painting up.
- Yeah. I can't seem to take it down.
Doesn't seem like you'd kill somebody
for ripping you off on a painting.
Certainly not those people.
They'd probably just refill your iced tea.
It sounds to me like Whitney knew
she was gonna get caught, and she ran.
- I'm driving.
- No, I've seen you drive.
- Where's the airbag.
- Hello?
Oh, yeah. I'm really sorry about that.
I kind of got busy.
Yeah, Thursday at 7:00 sounds great.
Okay, I'll see you then.
Hot date?
Yeah. With my federally-funded therapist.
How's that going?
Here's what I'm thinking.
This partner /boyfriend...
I'm thinking it's gotta be Vohland.
That explains why he lied to us
about their call.
Yeah. I say we pay him a second visit.
- What do you know about Whitney Ridder?
- Who's that?
You've been parked in front of her loft
for the last two weeks.
So the FBI is giving out
parking tickets now?
What?
Whitney Ridder is missing, Mr. Deasey.
Maybe your parole officer would like to
know you've been casing her apartment...
instead of cleaning paintbrushes.
Look, I didn't do anything illegal, okay?
I was painting this dude's house
in Water Mill.
- He asked me to check her out.
- Check out or rough up?
No. I didn't touch her.
He just wanted to know
what she was up to.
He was afraid she ripped him off.
I followed her around a few days,
told him everything I knew...
- and that was it.
- Who is this guy?
Let me be frank with you, Mr. Sellars.
You don't look like the type
who hires an ex-con.
And now you've lied to a Federal officer.
If I can help you stop this downward spiral
in your personal life, please let me know.
I just wanted to find out
what was happening.
She didn't return my phone calls.
- You mean Whitney?
- Yes.
- You invested money with her?
- Yes.
Only I didn't tell my wife about it.
You used a fake name, Stansfield Carlton,
so your wife wouldn't know.
My wife, Sarah,
comes from a lot of money. Old money.
It's a very difficult situation for me
not having my own means.
So you wanted to prove yourself.
With your wife's money, of course.
It seemed like an excellent opportunity.
Seventy-five rooms, all suites,
each with an ocean view.
Every investor receives full VIP treatment,
complete spa access...
and guaranteed reservations
at our four-star restaurant.
And...
a little gift.
You know, for poolside, or wherever.
Two months and I double my money?
If you get in now. This investor phase
closes at the end of the week.
- When do you plan to open?
- Next Christmas.
We're already completely booked.
Of course...
there are a few rooms
that remain on hold for our investors.
I am in for $75,000.
And put me down for the week.
But when the payday came and went,
you hired a felon to look into it.
I was terrified Sarah would find out.
And you'd lose the money forever.
That had to make you pretty angry.
I just wanted to talk to her.
She wouldn't return my calls.
And Deasey told me about her trips
to her storage facility.
I thought she was gonna leave town
before talking to me.
Looks like you were right.
You got an address
for that storage facility?
It's a security video of the hallway.
Shows Whitney and her fianc? coming
in here 18 hours after she disappeared.
I guess her fianc?
forgot to tell us that part.
You recognize that?
That's the Qwik-Lok Mini Storage.
You said you didn't see her after she left.
You're a liar, Chris.
You sat there and you flat-out lied to me.
- I swear I don't know where she is.
- You did the other day.
When she left the party,
I didn't know where she went, honestly.
- Define "honestly."
- I mean it!
She came back and she told me she ran...
because this guy Vohland
threatened her on the phone.
She told me about the fraud,
the investment company.
She told me Whitney Ridder
isn't her real name, all of it.
In that moment of crystal-clear thinking,
you decided to aid a fugitive.
That makes you
an accessory to a crime, Chris.
- Do you understand that?
- She...
told me that she loved me, and that...
all she wanted was to be with me.
The girl was in trouble.
- I don't know what to do.
- How could you do this to me?
I am so sorry.
If I could take it back, I would.
You've been lying to me
since the moment we met!
I know, but I'm telling you the truth now.
Look at me. Please look me in the eyes.
I swear to you, I am telling you everything.
All right, we'll go to the police and
you're gonna tell them the whole story.
God, what I do is illegal. I'll go to jail.
- What do you want me to do?
- Okay, I think I know a way out of this.
A way that I can stop running
and we can be together.
But you gotta forgive me.
Please.
I'm so sorry.
I swear. I'll never lie to you again.
There was a moment there
when I thought, "That's it.
"I'm finished with her.
It's over, and I will never love again."
But then I saw something in her eyes.
Something real.
And it made me love her even more.
Did she tell you that she was banging
big, bad Vohland in Palm Springs?
As a matter of fact, she did.
She also told me it was over.
- And you believed her?
- Yes, I did.
What are you suggesting?
I'm suggesting that perhaps
you weren't quite as forgiving...
as you initially indicated.
No. I helped her.
- Really? How?
- I gave her money.
- What, to pay off Vohland?
- Yes!
So that $600,000 you took
out of your brokerage account yesterday...
that was the payoff?
She told me that we had to get by this guy
if we wanted a fresh start.
Otherwise he was just gonna
track her down again.
Why didn't you use her money?
I mean, she had plenty left.
We figured it'd draw too much attention
if she went and tried to get it herself.
"We" or she? Was that her idea?
We were gonna leave town
after she paid him.
Where was the payoff?
In Saratoga.
Somewhere near the track up there.
Did you go with her?
I wanted to drive, but she insisted
that she go on her own.
- On her own?
- Yes!
She said that this Vohland
would freak out...
if somebody else showed up with her.
You know, Chris, I love a happy ending
just as much as the next guy.
And I'm sure that
that look in her eye was quite something.
But did it ever occur to you that she and
Vohland were setting you up for a scam?
- She wouldn't do that.
- Really?
Wherever she is right now,
she's in trouble.
Christopher, you got punked.
Call your lawyer.
You're not going anywhere.
- We have to polygraph this guy.
- No kidding.
We gotta contact the Saratoga PD,
run Whitney's aliases in the area.
See if his story checks out.
I'm on it.
- Hello.
- Yeah, we missed Lucas Vohland.
Neighbor reported him loading
a suitcase in his car right after we left.
- Any idea where he might've gone?
- No, I wish.
But we'll go ahead
and fax you Vohland's old aliases.
See if we can't track him down.
How's Sam?
She could use a few driving lessons,
but other than that, she's all right.
Sunshine treats her well.
- Keep me posted.
- All right. Will do.
Okay, thanks.
- What've you got?
- I found out where Whitney grew up.
Small town in Ohio named Massillon.
Check out our Whitney Ridder.
Real name, Cheryl McGee.
Activities include...
Travel Club, French Club,
president of the Drama Club for four years.
Good training, huh?
She didn't just change her name.
- She was trying to change her life.
- Speaking from experience?
- Danny Taylor?
- What about it?
So why?
I guess I just wanted a fresh start.
Did it work?
Sometimes.
So are you gonna tell me?
Taylor.
Yeah. Okay, we're on our way.
That was Jack. Lucas Vohland's alias
just popped up at the Madison Regency.
Freeze! FBI.
Drop the bag. Put your hands up.
Good boy. Now up against the car.
Let's go.
12:30 flight to the Cayman Islands.
What's your hurry?
There's $600,000 in your bag.
Exactly the amount Whitney Ridder's
boyfriend gave her to pay you off.
I don't know what you're talking about.
All right. Let's start
with felony possession of a firearm.
Failure to notify your parole officer
that you were leaving the country.
- That's just in the last 12 hours.
- What do you want from me?
Cut the crap
and start answering some questions.
The money is mine.
What was the trip out of the country
about? To work on your tan?
A quick trip to make an investment.
I was coming right back.
You know that it is illegal to transport
that amount of money out of the country?
Charge me.
Look, I don't care about the money.
I don't care about the parole violations.
All I care about
are the whereabouts of Whitney Ridder.
The only reason I can think of
that you're not telling me...
is because you killed her.
I'd like to see my lawyer now.
My gut says he didn't kill her.
Well, he's got the motive,
the opportunity, and the money.
If it's about the money,
then he got what he wanted.
So she's on her way back right now
to become Mrs. Christopher Mayes...
and start her new life?
Yeah. I'd hold off
buying a wedding present.
Viv.
No. I gotta go.
Whitney's alias just popped up
at a hotel in Saratoga.
Let's go.
- FBI.
- You can go in.
I can't believe it.
I saw her alive just last night.
Bellman.
Yeah?
Someone called
and wanted their bags taken down.
- Not here.
- But it's like...
We didn't call, okay?
- Is this the man?
- Yeah. That's him.
- Okay.
- Young man, come with me, please.
Wait. Hold on a sec.
Do you know exactly what room
that call came from?
No. I'd checked a few others,
but nobody needed me.
- Nobody called back, either.
- All right. Thanks.
Right this way.
I did not kill that girl.
I'd like to believe you,
but right now, you're screwed.
We have a witness
placing you in the room with her.
Your fingerprints are there.
And you got her money.
I give a rat's ass what you have.
I met her kiting checks at an A&P.
I taught her everything she knows.
We used to be an item.
Why would I wanna kill her?
You tell me.
Look.
I admit, I wanted my money back.
But that was it.
- Hi, babe.
- Hi, Lucas.
What's going on?
You want your money?
Always.
And then what happened?
We got down to business.
She showed me the money.
I started counting. That's when
she told me that she wanted out.
Sign this bill, sir.
- Hey, Jack.
- Hey.
Martin get any more out of Vohland?
He's still down there with him now.
He's pushing for a motive.
- He's thinking jealousy.
- What do you think?
I'm not buying it.
I mean, the guy's a career-grifter.
Why the hell would he kill her?
We'll get the forensics report
in the morning. We'll know more then.
Get some sleep, huh?
Good night, Jack.
I have the phone records
from that call to the bellman's desk.
Thank you.
I was just taking care of
some last-minute things.
I'm sorry we haven't gotten you
your money back yet.
It's being processed as evidence,
but you should have it shortly.
- No rush. Would you like a drink?
- No.
- What time's your flight?
- I'm on the redeye.
I won't take up too much of your time.
Where are you going?
Amsterdam.
I figured it'd be best
to get out of town for a while.
Clear my head.
Look, I don't know
if this'll help you or not...
but things don't look too good
for Lucas Vohland right now.
I heard.
We have a witness who saw him
and Whitney in the hotel room together.
Lucky for us.
Or lucky for you.
Excuse me?
I think you killed her, Chris...
and I think you framed
Lucas Vohland for it.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Yes, you do.
She went missing from your party
three days ago.
Then she came to see you, right?
And she confessed all her sins to you.
She told you about her made-up past,
the lies, the cons.
She apologized for everything.
You've been lying to me
since the moment we met!
I know, but I'm telling you the truth now.
Look at me. Please look me in the eyes.
I swear to you, I am telling you everything.
Yes.
- That is exactly what happened.
- But you still felt betrayed.
You thought that she was the one.
You trusted her.
You thought she was different
from all the others.
And the whole time,
she was scamming you.
And that broke your heart.
- I forgave her.
- No. You tried to forgive her.
And then she suggested
that the two of you run away together...
and you went along with the plan
because you loved her.
But you couldn't handle the lies,
the manipulation, the con, the tricks...
the games, the stories. Am I right?
So you followed her to Saratoga.
Only she wasn't meeting him at the track.
She was meeting him in a hotel room.
- Hey, babe.
- Hi, Lucas.
How you doing?
- You want your money?
- Always.
And that's exactly when you knew
what you had to do to make her pay.
And the best part about it is
that you had the perfect person to frame.
Lucas Vohland.
This is so creative,
but you don't have any proof.
Not yet. But I tracked down
that call to the bellman...
and it turns out
that it was placed from a pay phone...
at a bar across the street from the hotel.
So I asked myself,
who calls a bellman from a pay phone?
Pretty smart.
You needed a witness
to see the two of them together.
Christopher, I may find your prints
on that phone.
I may not.
But either way, I'm gonna canvas
every inch of that area.
And you know what the good thing
about small towns is?
The people there,
they never forget strangers.
I have a feeling somebody there
is gonna remember you.
You killed her.
You waited for Vohland
to leave the room...
then you went in there,
and you made her pay for betraying you.
You wanna know what the real tragedy is?
You didn't have to do it.
You didn't know
what was going on in that room.
She showed me the money.
I started counting.
That's when she told me she wanted out...
on account of she was marrying this guy.
So you're getting married, huh?
- I didn't think you were the type.
- You don't know this guy.
He's really sweet.
- Really sweet and really rich, I'll bet.
- It's not about that.
- It's always about that.
- No. Not this time.
I don't know. It's different with him.
I don't have to pretend anymore.
- I almost believe you.
- Well, you should.
Because it's over, and I'm out.
- You can't prove any of this.
- I will.
And you will go to jail.
You blew it.
She loved you.
She really did.