Previously on Wild Cards.
Surprise!
I wanted to meet the man for whom you gave up millions.
Hi.
Max, this is Jessica.
Wow, finally. I’ve heard so much about you.
Where have you been for the past 15 years?
On the run from Gedeon Varga.
Who’s Gedeon Varga?
He’s the devil himself.
♪ Let’s go back. ♪
♪ Let’s go back again. ♪
Hey, Jillian here.
It’s been 10 years
since the Corkscrew Killer went on his rampage.
Speaking of rampages...
What’s your name,
and are you rampaging for Corkscrew week?
Yo. What up? My name is Nixon.
And I’m Casey Beaker, and we’re hosting
our annual Corkscrew blowout tomorrow night.
And it’s gonna be even bigger than last year.
20 bucks at the door.
We got DJs all night. It’s gonna be wild.
Your parties always are.
Now, if you had a serial killer nickname, what would it be?
I don’t know.
I gotta take a killer leak, though.
Hey, I’ll meet up with you.
So I’ve actually thought about this a lot,
and, uh, if I was a killer,
my name would be, uh, Hammer Face,
because I’d have, like, a hammer on my head,
and I’d, like, headbutt people.
Nice try, Nixon.
Why’d you leave, bro?
Jillian would talk to you all night.
I see how she looks at you.
Look, hey, you’re getting a little close, bro.
Hey.
You’re up early.
I have very important work to do.
How’s, uh, Captain Kilt or whatever his name is.
You mean Sir Torvald the Untamed?
Sure.
I’ll have you know that he is a brave Scottish warrior
with a secret heart of gold
and very limited access to shirts.
Should I be jealous?
Only if you can’t ride a horse bareback
while wielding an axe in nothing but a kilt.
Don’t judge.
He also writes really beautiful poetry.
Oh, well, then.
I wonder how you’d look in a kilt.
Well, you’ll just have to keep wondering.
Marc, what the hell’s on your head?
A tiny box arrived this morning.
It’s a present from Ricky. Care to explain?
Yeah. Ricky’s on a mission to find a hat
that Marc will tolerate for more than four seconds.
I’m shocked he hasn’t ripped it to shreds, honestly.
I think he likes it. Hey buddy?
I guess if people can change, so can cats.
Now back to you, in a kilt.
Right.
Mm.
Ah! Damn it!
Hold that thought.
It’s work. I gotta go.
So do I.
I guess Sir Torvald will be fighting
his shirtless duel without me.
Bye, Marc.
I never thought my usual nighttime jog
would turn into a nightmare.
The Corkscrew Killer had already claimed four victims
in Primrose that week, and I was about to be his fifth.
Spooky.
I thought you don’t like listening to true crime?
I don’t. This is from years ago,
but since we’ve been called up to Primrose,
I figured it might shed some light
on what made the town so famous.
Welcome to Primrose,
the quaintest place to get stabbed by a corkscrew.
This week’s the 10-year anniversary
of the Corkscrew killings.
So there’s a festival going on in town to commemorate it.
Ooh, is there a parade? What about a float?
I don’t know about a parade,
but it’s sort of the town’s way of reclaiming the story.
I think it’s why the lone survivor of the killing
started the podcast in the first place.
If I get attacked by a crazy killer,
I would do more than start a podcast.
I’m talking book series,
big-budget movie with collectible merchandise.
Why not a theme park while you’re at it?
Ooh, now you’re talking.
Speaking of talking, um, about dinner the other night.
Hey, don’t worry about it.
I know it’s just a little awkward to talk about the fact
that my dead mother is alive again.
I get it.
And honestly, I’m just happy she is alive.
Oh, hey. I, uh, looked into this Gedeon Varga guy.
You did?
Yeah. You weren’t kidding about him.
Crimes from all over the world have been attributed to him.
Murder, extortion, kidnapping, you name it.
It’s like he’s a ghost. Nobody knows what he looks like.
Well, thankfully, he’s dead,
so we don’t need to worry about him anymore.
You didn’t tell anybody about him, right?
Of course not.
I wouldn’t tell a soul about any of this, I promise.
Thanks.
Look, she’s your mom, Max. It’s your story to tell.
Wow. They really did throw a festival.
You know, college kids.
Any excuse for a keg party, right?
Yeah.
Thanks so much for coming down.
Deputy Wade McMiller. Uh, call me Wade.
Detective Ellis.
This is special consultant Max Mitchell.
- Lead the way. - Follow me.
The body was found earlier this morning.
The victim’s name is Casey Beaker.
He’s a student here at Primrose College.
And no one’s touched anything on the scene.
I wanted you to see it first.
Okay.
- Stabbing? - Yeah.
I haven’t found the murder weapon.
If I had to take a guess, I’d say it was a corkscrew.
I’m sensing a theme here.
Look what’s in his mouth.
It’s a cork.
It’s the Corkscrew Killer’s calling card.
We heard about it on the podcast.
So the killer is back?
No, no. He died 10 years ago.
Oh, yeah. Then who wrote this?
Here.
I want the body taken downtown to forensics as well.
- Okay. - Thank you.
Wade, I told you not to call them.
Respectfully, Mayor, we do not have the same resources
they do downtown, and I need the extra hands.
Especially since this is
the second corkscrew killing this week.
This is your second homicide this week?
Way to bury the lead, Wade.
It happened four days ago, and I was dealing with it myself
because the mayor wanted to keep it quiet.
Wants to keep it quiet.
Clarissa Vaughn, Primrose Mayor.
No offence, but if folks see cops poking around everywhere.
They might get spooked and spend their dollars elsewhere.
Shut it all down!
Uh, Sharon Bailey, local headache.
She manages the motel at the edge of town.
Clarissa, I have been telling you for years
this has all gone too far.
Sharon, Primrose is like Salem or Amityville.
We’ve turned something dark into a positive.
- Positive? - Mmhmm.
We’ve got a copycat killer on the loose.
I hate to say it, Mayor, but Sharon’s got a point.
The first time this happened,
Primrose PD tried to keep it quiet.
And look how that turned out.
Nothing gets shut down.
These festivities are a second life for the local economy,
and we are not going to jeopardize that.
Isn’t that what the mayor in Jaws said?
Look, I agree with Wade.
Public safety has got to be the top priority here.
Of course it is.
The safety of our citizens is my first priority.
But if no one makes a living, there is no town.
All I ask is that you keep a low profile.
Sharon, let’s walk it off.
Two homicides in a week and a copycat killer on the loose.
Wade, I think it’s time you tell us what you know.
This is the first victim, Amy Myers.
Four days ago, she was found
outside of the football field parking lot after a game.
Stabbed with a corkscrew, cork in her mouth.
Just like Casey Beaker.
Exactly like the original Corkscrew Killer murders.
I mean, I have all the old case files here.
I was barely 20 at the time,
but I remember like it was yesterday.
And there he is.
The Corkscrew killer, Abe Bunker.
Right. The campus bartender.
The killings were about revenge for him.
Yeah. Abe Bunker was a character, you know,
easy to make fun of, I guess.
After a while, couldn’t take it anymore,
and he just... snapped.
Started killing the ones who are most cruel to him.
See, that’s why you always got to tip.
There was four victims, and there was almost a fifth.
Finneas Taylor, but he survived.
Right. He’s the one who started the podcast.
Well, the cute, nerdy ones in the movies always die first.
Oh, he got lucky.
If I remember correctly,
he was only stabbed in the shoulder, right?
Finneas was kidnapped by Bunker
jogging past the old Bailey Factory.
Managed to fight him off.
Some oil spilled during the fight
and the whole building went up in flames.
And the killer was burnt to a crisp.
Yeah.
Nothing left but his gold teeth,
corkscrew, his mask
and evidence of the other murders
were found in his apartment later.
The Corkscrew Killer returns.
If this is a copycat killer,
we don’t want any more bodies showing up.
We’ll need to talk to whoever knew the two recent victims.
Let’s get to work.
Um, our annual corkscrew party was supposed to be tonight,
but without Casey, I shut it all down.
Can you walk me through what you remember from last night?
Any little detail could help.
Um, Casey and me were partying,
and then, uh, Casey had to go take a leak, and that was it.
When he didn’t come back,
I just assumed he went to another party.
He’s got a lot of friends.
You didn’t think to go looking for him?
Uh, I should have.
Maybe then he’d still be alive.
Maybe if I went, I’d be dead, too.
Amy’s my roommate- was my roommate.
I can’t believe this happened.
Does anything stick out about the last time you saw her?
She was selling merch at the game.
I was helping her. It was a regular night.
We lost.
I wanted to go home and take a shower,
and Amy said she was right behind me.
What kind of merch was she selling?
We have Corkscrew Killer tees in three different sizes and...
Corkscrew killer hats.
Beer cozies and...
Corkscrews.
It all just seems so wrong now.
How much for that?
You never know when wine o’clock is gonna hit.
You can have it.
Thanks.
Definitely check out Burger Bonanza.
They have a killer murder-themed menu
all weekend long.
Bottomless corkscrew fries.
And don’t forget to subscribe
if you want to stay up on all things happening around campus.
So the Corkscrew Killer is back.
What do you need to know?
So much for keeping it quiet.
It’s impossible to keep C.K. news quiet around here.
C.K.?
The Corkscrew Killer.
Oh, right. Um, anyways, um--
I know you have questions for me.
I never met Amy Myers IRL,
but she seemed really sweet and photogenic.
And I own three of her shirts.
What about--
Casey Beaker? I knew Casey but not super well.
He dated a second-tier friend for a few months,
but he’s kind of the party king of Corkscrew Week.
His friend Nixon told me-- - About last night.
How crazy is that? I interviewed Casey and Nix.
Nix has been crushing on me forever.
That was minutes before Casey was killed.
Um, speaking of which, uh, can I get--
The footage?
I got it all ready for you. I’ll airdrop it.
I gotta run, though.
There’s a ketchup drinking contest happening in the quad,
and barf videos get huge numbers.
Got it. Thanks.
He’s too far in the background to see anything
other than the fact that the killer is maybe
in a mask.
So that narrows it down to 100 possible killers.
So it could be anyone at this point.
Okay, we need to go over the rules for surviving
a serial killer.
Because in the movies, the prettiest one always dies first.
And that is not going to be me.
It’s not a movie, Max.
Oh, Ellis, you innocent lamb. A cop always dies too.
Rule number one. We need to stick together.
Never go anywhere alone.
Speaking of, we should location share right now.
How do you know my passcode?
Oh. You’re cute.
Yup.
Rule number two. Always check the back seat.
Okay. We’re good.
And lastly, never go into any basements,
cellars or attics.
Anywhere dark and confined is strictly off-limits.
Got it.
Oh, and never answer the phone from an unknown number.
Don’t!
This is Detective Ellis.
It’s Deputy Wade. I’ve got some info for you.
Hey Wade, I--
How do we know it’s Deputy Wade?
Because it is Deputy Wade. What’s the matter with you?
Sorry, Wade. I just went through a tunnel.
What’s going on?
Do you remember the surviving victim we talked about,
Finneas Taylor, the podcaster.
There’s been a development.
You need to get to his house quick.
Okay, we’re on our way.
- Oh, hi. - Hi.
- What are you doing here?
You didn’t know she was gonna be here?
Did you know that we were gonna be here?
Do you live here?
I have so many questions.
No, I just knew there was a detective coming.
But you live here?
No, I don’t live here.
But why--?
Jess, what are you doing here?
I got a tip about the homicides this morning,
and I wanted to come interview Finneas.
I did a story on him a few years ago.
Well, isn’t this cozy.
Deputy Wade just called us down here.
What’s going on?
The story just got bigger. Come in.
Is the door locked?
It’s locked.
I’m Detective Ellis, this is Max.
Deputy Wade told us something happened here today.
It’s okay Finneas, you can trust him.
That.
I found it on my front step this morning.
What’s in the box?
Sorry. Um, what’s in the box, though?
Let’s take a look, shall we?
There’s a note.
Hm.
"Time to finish the story. Love, a long-term fan."
Have you seen anyone hanging around your house lately?
No. Um, nothing out of the ordinary.
I always get prank calls this time of year
because of the anniversary.
But- but this isn’t a prank.
What makes you so sure?
Because that’s the same corkscrew
that almost killed me 10 years ago.
That’s impossible.
I mean, the original corkscrew would be in an evidence box
in some long-term storage.
No, no, look.
They have the same scratches on the handle.
Okay, I’ll tell you what.
We’ll have it sent downtown to forensics,
and hopefully they can tell us where it came from.
It came from whoever’s doing the killings.
They’re telling me I’m next.
Why?
Because I’m the one who got away.
Are you still actively podcasting about this killer?
No, no. After Behind the Mask,
I moved on to other serial killer stories.
He’s one of the top true crime podcasters.
Okay, well, look, whoever did this knows where you live now,
so it’s not safe for you to be here. Okay?
Not until we know more.
No, no. I’m sorry, I can’t.
Are you forgetting the fact
that there’s a serial killer on the loose?
You never forget that someone did this to you.
So what’s the problem?
I’m agoraphobic.
I haven’t stepped outside in years.
I had no idea he was agoraphobic.
He’s never talked about it before.
So what do we do? We can’t just leave him here.
I can remove him by force if necessary.
No, he’s already traumatized enough.
Okay, we’re trying to catch a killer here,
and I need to take this to evidence.
Okay. I’ll stay here and try and convince him to leave.
But he’s a target.
I’ll get Deputy Wade to come down here and keep watch, okay?
But then after that,
I need to go to this long-term evidence lock-up.
Ah, that’s where I was headed too.
That’s perfect. You two remember the rules.
Stick together.
The rules?
She’s seen too many horror films.
Seen the right amount of horror films.
Well, I’m down to carpool if you are.
First time working together?
I’m a journalist.
We’re not exactly working together.
Okay. Whatever you want to call it.
Just don’t get murdered. Okay?
Fine.
I know history repeats itself,
but for some reason, I thought that my history
would be an exception to the rule.
I can’t believe this is happening again.
Sorry. Uh, it helps me process.
No, it’s all good.
But that recorder thing is portable, right?
You can process from someplace else.
I appreciate what you’re trying to do, really.
But I haven’t made it past the front door in years.
It’s not something I talk about.
We all have things from the past we’d rather not talk about.
Although, it looks like you talk about a lot of worse things.
It’s been a kind of therapy,
just trying to understand how a person could do such things.
So why do you think?
All serial killers have one thing in common.
They love weaving a good story.
They see themselves as the main character.
Killing gives them a sense of control over the narrative.
So why did they send you the corkscrew?
My guess is a power play.
I got away
so now they’re making me part of their story.
What about your story?
If McKiller Crazy Pants is a main character, then so are you.
It’s not that simple.
I mean, it kind of is.
Look around.
You literally narrate your whole life.
I mean, the way I see it,
you can either sit around and be corkscrewed,
or you can take control and write your own story.
The question is, what does Finneas want to do next?
Okay, either that’s a really long Yelp review
or you started writing your story already.
Mind your business, Sergeant Snoopy.
You know, you never did mention
where your tip came from this morning.
Well, you didn’t mention your case either.
I’m serious, Jess.
This isn’t some ride along, okay?
If you’re sitting on information
that could compromise this investigation,
I need to know it.
Okay. What is this really about?
Look, I just think that we have competing priorities.
I will always be real with you about the personal stuff,
but professionally, that stays separate.
For example, if I have a source, I am gonna protect them.
That is not negotiable.
Okay.
Understood.
There’s gonna be things that I can’t tell you either.
Okay.
I know that you’ve been burned before,
and I would never do that to you
at work or at home.
I hope that you know that.
That’s all I needed to hear.
Besides, if I really wanted to get something out of you,
I think it would be fairly easy.
- Oh, really? - Really?
How would you do that, exactly?
I’ll tell you.
Oh. Oh.
Okay. Okay.
- Eyes forward, Detective. - Yeah.
Yeah. Got it.
It’s just one foot in front of the other.
Yeah. I don’t know about this.
Deputy Wade’s car is right outside.
Nope. Nope.
Okay.
Talk it out.
What do you want?
Um...
What do I want?
I want to not be afraid anymore.
I want to feel in control of my life again.
I didn’t choose how I got here,
but I want to choose what happens next.
Well, it looks like you got your next podcast.
And it looks like you’re officially part of my story.
Nothing will happen to us if we stick together.
- It’s one of the rules. - Mm.
- Ready? - Yeah.
Oh.
You can do this.
Ready?
Yeah. Three,
two,
Ah!
Ooh.
So the original corkscrew evidence
was inventoried and sealed three years ago.
The killer’s mask, his notebooks, his gold teeth.
It’s all here.
Here we are. Box 116.
You can use this table, just leave it when you’re done.
- I’ll put it back. - Okay. Thanks.
There’s nothing in here but rocks.
What?
The evidence is gone.
How does something like this even happen?
The seal on the box wasn’t even tampered with.
I don’t know what to tell you. No one has touched this
since it was deposited here three years ago.
The Sheriff assigned to the original case signed off on it.
And who was that?
Let me see.
Here he is.
Stuart McMiller.
Any relation to Deputy Wade McMiller?
Oh, you could say that. He’s Wade’s father.
Okay. Okay.
- You’re doing great. - Thanks.
I couldn’t do this without you.
No. This is all you, boss.
Whoa. Whoa, whoa!
Why are you- why are you going this way?
Oh, I’m so sorry, Finneas.
Highway 47 is closed. I had to take this road.
- Oh. - What’s wrong?
This is the Bailey Factory road. Where the Corkscrew Killer died.
And where I almost did.
Okay. Just breathe.
You can do this.
We’re driving past the old factory where it all happened.
I haven’t seen it in 10 years.
Last time I was here, I was helpless, fighting for my life.
You’re doing great.
But I wasn’t the only victim.
Wade...
I still think about your dad.
He saw the fire and helped drag me out.
He was a good sheriff.
He didn’t deserve the hate that he got.
Your dad was sheriff at the time?
Yeah. Pops was never the same after that case.
The whole town blamed him for not catching the killer.
It tore him apart.
He started drinking after that... too much.
Lost the house.
Lost his job.
But he still couldn’t let it go.
So...
it’s happening again, is it?
You come out here to remind a drunk old sheriff
how badly he failed?
No, sir. Not at all.
We went back to the old original evidence today.
Now, you were the last person to handle that.
Is that right?
Mmhmm.
Now you haven’t accessed the evidence since then, right?
Why would I?
I have nightmares about it enough.
And now my son’s got to deal with it all over again.
You know, my dad was a cop, too.
And was he proud of you?
He passed before I could make detective.
It’s too bad.
Sometimes I think the only reason
Wade joined the force was to make me happy.
Hmph.
But my happiest moments
are the ones we’d spend hours out there
hunting, camping, talking.
But that was before any of that stuff happened.
And now the nightmares come back.
And if you don’t catch him,
he’s going to keep killing.
Deputy Wade... I’ll have you know,
I had to cancel paying customers’ reservations for these rooms.
I appreciate it, Sharon.
Well, look who decided to finally come down
and show his face.
I didn’t want any of this to happen.
- You have to know that. - Don’t!
I don’t want to hear it.
Sheesh. Customer service at this motel is seriously lacking.
All these years later, and Sharon still resents me.
Why?
The factory belonged to Sharon’s family,
and they lost everything in that fire.
They couldn’t afford to rebuild.
Motel manager is a big step down for her.
And when my podcast took off
and people started the Corkscrew Killer Festival,
it’s just more salt in the wound.
So that’s why she’s such a Grinch.
Are we sure it’s safe here?
The room’s under a fake name.
Nobody knows you’re here.
And I will be parked out front... all night.
Thanks.
Ready?
Are you okay?
Yeah. I’ll feel better behind a locked door.
Hey, do your, um, serial killer survival rules
say anything about motels?
Don’t watch any videotapes you might find.
Oh, if the owner’s obsessed with taxidermy.
Get out of there, quick,
and don’t touch the couch cushions.
That’s not a rule. They’re just gross.
Gotcha.
- Goodnight. - Okay.
I believe McMiller, when he says he sent the evidence away.
You could tell he was tormented by it.
I feel for him, you know?
I know what that’s like
to carry around all that unresolved trauma.
It will really pull you under if you let it.
I’m telling you, if I didn’t solve Daniel’s murder,
that could have easily been me.
I don’t believe that.
I don’t think you ever would have given up.
You didn’t know me back then.
I know you now.
Forensics.
It was the original corkscrew.
The blood traces matched the old victim’s and the new ones.
So the copycat killer did send it.
Which means they had to have access to the evidence box.
I don’t like what I’m thinking right now.
Look.
A hunting shed is a good place for hiding stolen evidence.
Let’s go with water.
Grape soda.
I guess that’ll do.
Well, that’s not a good sign.
It doesn’t look like anybody’s been here lately.
These packages are all addressed to PO boxes all over the world.
And unless Stu has a side hustle working for FedEx...
It’s an official evidence bag.
These are the Corkscrew Killer’s gold teeth.
This is all the original corkscrew evidence.
I read about this.
People make big money off of these crime souvenirs.
A lock of Charles Manson’s hair
went for a quarter mil on the dark web.
Okay, but Jess he’s living in a trailer.
Doesn’t exactly scream big money.
Hm.
What the hell?
Sunflower seeds.
Deputy Wade was always snacking on sunflower seeds.
Oh, he either sold the corkscrew to the killer or-
Oh, no.
Come on.
Max!
Finneas! Open up!
Max!
Oh! Thank God.
What time is it?
Lock the door and stay inside.
What’s going on?
And don’t open it for anyone except for me or Ellis
or the pizza I just ordered
because I don’t want it to get cold.
Yeah, okay, okay.
Well, that’s not good.
Okay, well, maybe he’s getting a drink.
Or maybe he’s quenching his thirst for his next kill.
Oh, jeez. What’s the rules for this?
I knew this would come in handy.
Well, this really hurts his chances of being the killer.
Yeah, the wound looks a lot like the other two victims.
"Nice try."
It’s our killer. He’s taunting us.
Hey, maybe it’s a woman. Keep an open mind
Give this to forensics.
Thank you.
Ugh, my pizza is definitely cold by now.
Not that I have much of an appetite.
We need to tell Wade’s dad.
I should stay with Finneas.
Okay, you get Finneas down to the station,
and I’ll go talk to Stu.
Okay.
Look, I am so sorry, Stu.
What was Wade mixed up in?
It seems like Wade was selling
the old Corkscrew Killer evidence.
Do you have any idea why he would have done that?
God, my fool of a son would...
Look, this is all my fault.
How? What do you mean?
I got behind in my- my trailer payments
and- and he said he’d take care of it.
I never asked him where he got the money.
My son.
He’s gone.
This killer...
has taken the only thing I had left.
Wade’s fingerprints are all over the old evidence,
but obviously we know he’s not the killer.
Now, if the killer is a true copycat,
then there’s two more victims to come,
and we can’t have that happen.
Finneas, you said serial killers like stories.
So what’s the story here?
In the original killing spree, the victims aren’t random.
So there must be a pattern to these murders.
Wait a minute. Wade was selling the evidence
from the original Corkscrew Killer.
And our first victim, Amy Myers,
was selling killer-themed merch.
And Casey Beaker was selling tickets
to a corkscrew-themed party.
The killer threatened him.
Somebody made a podcast about the original Corkscrew Killer.
So all the victims
were profiting off the original story.
Exactly.
That’s why the killer’s doing the copycat thing.
He’s mad they’re all making money off the story.
Oh, God.
So none of this would have happened
if it weren’t for my podcast.
Hey, Cole.
Excuse me, guys.
Don’t blame yourself.
But when this is all over,
I would think about rebranding your podcast
to something that won’t kill you,
like antiques or whales.
What are you still doing here?
I thought you went home to get some rest.
No chance of that.
I learnt something that you need to hear.
You know how Wade’s dark web history was impossible to trace.
Yeah. I got my cyber team on it.
Well, you can call them off.
I got in touch with a source
who’s familiar with dark web transactions of this nature.
Who?
You know, I can’t tell you that.
Okay, fine. What did your source say?
I told them what we were looking for, and they’d heard about it.
Apparently, there was a bidding war for the corkscrew.
They did more digging for me.
They know who won.
Sharon, the Grinch, Bailey.
Jessica’s source traced the corkscrew sale
to a PO box a few hours away.
A bit more digging revealed who the box was registered to.
It’s in Sharon Bailey’s name.
Don’t worry. We double-checked it on our end.
Okay, so she bought the corkscrew.
Do you think she’s a copycat killer?
All the victims profited off the original story.
And Sharon hated that.
She hated all the parties
and she especially hated Finneas’s podcast.
Well, the motive is definitely there.
And as the motel owner,
she was nowhere to be found after Deputy Wade was killed.
So it’s not exactly a good look.
I think it’s her.
Right.
I’ll call backup to drive over there with you.
Bring her in before she catches wind of anything.
Usually, journalists don’t make it
in the building this far, but thank you.
Any time.
Let’s get you home, Finneas.
Post up a uni outside his place until Sharon’s brought in.
Yes, sir.
I feel sick to my stomach.
I can’t believe it’s Sharon.
She could have killed us last night.
I know.
But it’s over now, Finneas.
We’re on our way to arrest her right now.
You’re safe to go home, I promise.
Thank you. All of you.
Do we know who’s driving me home?
I’m gonna drive you home myself.
So, ride along?
Yeah.
Sharon Bailey was stuck in the past
as much as I had been.
If I needed any more proof it was time to move on
and rewrite my story, this was it.
One thing I have learned is that you can’t do anything alone.
If it wasn’t for Detective Max,
I would still be stuck in my house.
She helped me take that first step.
Aw. Thanks for calling me Detective.
I meant what I said before.
I couldn’t have done it without you.
And, um, I think I’m ready to take that next step.
Ooh. What’s that?
Skydiving? Ziplining? Maybe we can ride the luge.
I was thinking of something else.
We’re here.
The old Bailey Factory.
This is where my life ended.
And I can’t be scared of it anymore.
Yes. 100 percent.
But right now, spooky abandoned building.
That’s definitely a rule.
I know, but I have to do this.
I was terrified of going outside yesterday,
but you showed me it was just a step.
And this is just a building.
You’ve helped me come so far.
It’s the last thing I have to do to be free.
Okay, I’m gonna text Ellis and see if Sharon’s in custody.
Okay. Copy that.
Okay, so Sharon’s not at the motel,
and the two officers I sent to her door
say she’s not there either.
That’s not good.
No. Well, can you text Max
and just tell her to be on red alert?
Oh, damn it. My messages aren’t going through.
Maybe we should turn back.
Finneas.
Finneas, let’s stick together, please.
If this were a horror movie,
everyone would be screaming at me to not go in there.
And yet, here I am.
Finneas.
Rule number five. Always charge your damn phone.
Okay.
Finneas!
Sharon!
Hi, Max.
Glad you’re awake.
I didn’t want you to miss this.
What’s going on?
I’m rewriting my story.
Remember?
I didn’t plan to include you in the story at first,
but you just wouldn’t shut up with your, um,
be the main character crap.
It was so on the nose.
I just- I just had to include you in it.
Lucky me.
So, was it all a lie?
Your agoraphobia?
No, no, no, no. I- I- I was agoraphobic.
I spent years too afraid to leave my house.
A pathetic, helpless victim.
But as I did my podcast,
I learned everything about serial killers,
how their minds worked.
I began to admire their ability to take control of their lives.
See, they have no fear.
The world fears them.
And I realized that was my answer.
That was how I could stop being the victim instead of the prey.
I became the predator.
But what’s with the copycat shtick?
Sequels are never as good. Why not do something original?
What better way to rewrite my whole story
than to flip the entire script?
Bring back the Corkscrew killings.
And this time... I’ll be the main character.
Yeah, ’cause everyone loves a main character
who’s killed a bunch of people. Am I missing something?
No. Don’t be thick, Detective.
Sharon Bailey is the killer.
Sharon Bailey, the town grump,
murders those profiting off her family tragedy.
Which brings us here to our final chapter.
Sharon Bailey kidnaps the nosy detective
at the side of the street and brings her back to her lair.
And I have to conquer my deepest fears to going after her to-
to save my one true love.
Your one true what?
It was love at first sight.
Solidified by a night of passion at the motel.
It is the perfect B-story.
Okay. I’m sorry.
A night with me is at least A-story material.
No, but I valiantly try fighting Sharon off.
She stabs me in the arm,
wounding me just enough to finish you off.
When did Sharon stab you?
I’ll be the hero who overcame so much
in the name of love.
It’s the perfect story.
And this time I get to write it.
Okay, well, here’s a crazy pitch.
What if nobody else gets stabbed?
Wouldn’t that be fun?
Sorry. Rewrites are over.
Police! Drop the weapon!
Jessica!
No!
Max! Stay back!
One little slip. That’s all it’ll take.
I’m gonna say it again. Let her go.
Don’t come near me!
You see, it’s over, Finneas.
No, this isn’t how my story is supposed to end!
You’re right.
It doesn’t have to end like this.
Just let her go.
Don’t tell me what to do.
It’s okay.
- Stop! - What is it?
Give me your knife.
What? Why?
In horror films, you gotta kill the villain, like, three times.
You gotta make sure he’s dead. Hand it over.
No. What’s the matter with you?
Keep going, guys.
I’d keep a close eye on that thing if I were you.
Well, you were right about the location sharing thing.
I’ll give you that.
We wouldn’t have found you otherwise.
See, my rules save lives.
Although I didn’t really listen to them,
I ended up in a dark building with the killer.
Well, he had us all fooled.
Look, I’m just happy you’re both safe, okay?
Oh, the mayor just got here. I need a quote for my story.
Hey, thanks for saving my butt.
Any time, you would have done the same.
She charged a killer. Didn’t even think twice.
But she’s right. You would have done the same.
And hey, thank you for making this easy.
You know... me and Jessica.
She’s smart, hot, cool,
swings a bat like Shohei Ohtani. What’s not to like?
Very well, I don’t know about you,
but I just got my appetite back.
You feel like some day-old motel pizza,
’cause I got a lot of it.
I’m good. I’ll buy you a fresh slice.
How about that? You’ve earned it.
Here we go.
Oh, my god.
It actually worked.
Ricky, you are a genius.