Previously on R.J. Decker...
Don't try to eat it through the wrapper.
Today could be the last day of my trial,
meaning I could be going home in a few hours, or--
Or you could be going to prison.
Where I'm told candy bars are in short supply.
I can think of something in even shorter supply.
- Next witness. - Lucas is my stepbrother,
and that's the man who almost killed him.
Mostly just came to see if we're even now.
What's your obsession with us getting even? What is it?
We get even too fast, there won't be any reason for me to call you anymore.
Is that what you want?
- What? - What? No, it's good.
It's a-a punctuation thing. The, uh, pop, pop, pop.
It's a lot of them.
The em dashes? Oh, I like them. They suit the story.
Uh, they're a bit aggressive. Commas might give you a better flow.
The story is about a blind priest who tried to broker a truce
between MS-13 and the Latin Kings.
I don't need it to flow. I need it to, like, grab the reader and shake them.
- What? - You do this every time.
You ask people to proof your stuff, and then you argue every point.
Only the dumb ones.
Sofia, liftoff in five minutes.
Oh. Look at you,
earning your keep proofing my wife's article so I don't have to.
Mm-hmm.
- She bite your head off yet? - Pretty much, yeah.
Hey, Mom. Harper and Violet just texted.
They're going to a kids' spa on Saturday for mani-pedis and facials,
and I'm invited.
I'm sorry, did you say "kids' spa"? As in, a spa for children?
- Can I go? - No, you're busy Saturday.
You're volunteering at the dog rescue.
But can I just skip it this one time?
You made a commitment. We keep our commitments around here.
Go get your bag.
Oh, my goodness. Take it easy on him. Mwah.
He's got so little going for him in life.
Uh, dashes or commas, it's good.
- Hey, how are you? - What are you wearing?
Excuse me?
Don't get excited. I'm asking because I may have a job for you.
Change your shirt and meet me at the address I'm about to send you.
Why do I have to change my shirt?
Because these people have money and refinement,
and the last time they saw a grown man wearing an aloha shirt,
he was probably cleaning their pool.
Oh. Okay.
Who needs you to change your shirt?
Oh, uh, Wish. Yeah, he might have a new client for me.
Thinks I need to look nice.
Wish, who last time I saw him was wearing a shirt
with a metal detector on it and the words "Beach Better Have My Money"?
Man's got layers.
Hey.
Welcome to the humble abode of the Carter family.
Carter. Oh, as in Carter Rehab?
- Got it in one. - Huh.
In addition to owning the biggest chain of drug rehab centers in Florida,
Ed Carter also funded a wing at the Institute of Contemporary Art.
Gonna go out on a limb and say he's also one of your dad's biggest donors.
He is. And so when the family realized they needed help with a sensitive issue,
they came to me.
I told them it was a job
for a very dependable, very discreet private investigator.
- Do good work. Do it quietly. - Oh. Okay.
I can virtually guarantee they'll be back for more.
- Okay. - Background checks, security gigs,
due diligence, and they'll pay top dollar.
This shirt, this is the upgrade?
Let's go hear about this sensitive issue, shall we?
That's Holden.
He lives in Naples but stays with us whenever family business requires it.
So, usually, it's just you and your dad here?
He sends his regards, by the way.
He's wrapping up some work in Orlando, but we are both worried about Holden.
He didn't come home last night, and he isn't responding to calls or texts.
You're moving pretty quickly bringing someone like me on. Can I ask why?
The more he knows, the more he can help.
Holden has struggled with drug addiction for years.
My father and I think he may have relapsed.
Relapsed. So, he had gotten clean at some point?
A little over 18 months ago.
He went to a facility in Switzerland for the first six months,
then came back to Florida.
Since then, he has been working as a rehab counselor
in one of our Naples clinics.
It's not like him to be out of touch, at least not now that he's sober.
Your job is to find Holden quickly and quietly.
If he has relapsed, Mr. Carter doesn't want the police involved.
Too much chance of the story breaking to the media.
I understand, and I wanna help.
The best place for me to start is with whoever saw him last.
I dropped Holden off at the community center a little before 1600.
Support group meeting.
So, you knew about his history with addiction?
Ten years working for the Carters. They don't keep any secrets from me.
I drive Holden whenever he's in town. I waited up front like I usually do.
90 mikes later, everybody comes out except for Holden.
I went inside, but no sign of him.
How did he seem to you yesterday?
Honestly, I was relieved he wanted to get to a meeting.
He seemed distracted, a little down.
Any read on what was bothering him?
He was pretty tight-lipped. That's part of why I was worried about him.
You served, huh? 1600, 90 mikes. You tell time like a soldier.
Not a soldier. A Marine.
Oh, okay. Uh, is that why Ed Carter chose you to drive his son?
Wealthy, high-profile family.
Maybe there are security threats I should know about--
Sorry, no.
The biggest danger to Holden has always been Holden.
Got it.
Community center where you dropped him off, can I get the address?
Yeah, yeah, he looks familiar.
He would have come in around 4:00 p.m. yesterday, headed for the rec room,
but we think he went out a different way, maybe the back or the side entrance.
- Out there, I saw you had cameras-- - Hold on, 4:00 p.m.? In the rec room?
- Yeah, he was here for an NA meeting. - Just forget I said I saw him.
And if you're about to ask to look at the security footage, don't even bother.
Anyone our cameras caught coming in for that meeting
is entitled to their privacy, okay? End of story.
- I get that. - My sister is five years sober, okay?
Anonymity is crucial to the work.
I'm here because his sister thinks he might be in trouble. Like real trouble.
Look, I get that you don't want me looking at the footage,
- but you said you were here yesterday. - Yeah, so?
So you already saw everyone that came in here for the meeting.
Your guy didn't use a side exit.
Check the rear door.
Looks like he came out the back right before the meeting would've started.
He's making a call. Now he's talking to someone.
Who? Who's he talking to?
Someone walked up. I can't see who. They're off camera.
But your guy, he looks a little...
- What in the world? - Can I turn around now, please?
Yeah, I think that would be good.
What the hell is that?
In case you're wondering, not one of the 12 steps.
- Do you think it's a sex thing? - Well, this being Florida,
the answer to that question should almost always be "maybe."
But no, I-I'm more worried it could be an abduction.
Abduction?
You see how the big guy keeps his arm pointed at Holden?
It occurred to me that wearing that costume
might be a good way to conceal a gun.
Yeah, well, you need to be sure.
I'm not about to tell Naomi maybe her brother was kidnapped by a furry.
It's a slimy, actually.
I did a little image searching and realized it's the costume
for Sammy the Sea Cucumber,
- mascot for Rio Vista Prep. - Huh.
- "Huh," what? - That's where Holden went to high school.
Maybe the guy in the costume was just an old buddy pulling a prank?
According to the school's athletic schedule,
Sammy's due to make an appearance today.
I'll let you know what he has to say.
Whoo-hoo!
Sammy, my name is R.J. Decker. I'm... a private investigator.
I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I could.
Sammy. I... All right.
Bit of a time-sensitive issue. Maybe you can take a break?
Sammy, I have reason to believe a man was abducted at gunpoint last night!
You are my top suspect!
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Get in there Yeah, yeah ♪
Sorry about before. I fully commit to Sammy while I'm in costume.
You do bring him to life.
That isn't me. Sammy worked a swim meet yesterday,
which means I worked a swim meet yesterday.
There's no chance someone could have borrowed your costume?
Are you kidding? That costume's totally different.
No hat. Look at the Sammy in the video.
Hmm.
- What is that? Like a sailor's cap? - Mm-hmm.
That's Sammy, circa 2012.
That costume was retired. Subsequent Sammys were hatless.
Thank goodness. I don't know how I'd play with a hat.
Any idea where someone could have gotten their hands on the 2012 costume?
Honestly, I assumed it was destroyed after the flagpole incident.
Flagpole incident?
Some rich kid hoisted Sammy up on the flagpole with the performer inside
and left him there overnight.
Costume was soiled beyond salvage.
Hmm.
- What? - The guy I'm trying to find,
he went to school here around that time.
He was definitely a rich kid.
You think that was Sammy 2012 exacting some crazy revenge?
You wouldn't happen to know that Sammy's real name, would you?
Ricky Strom. He wore the green from 2008 to 2012.
- Hi! - What?
- We brought you an afternoon treat. - You guys!
Mwah. What a nice surprise. People I arrest, they never bring me boba.
- Mom, guess what? - Mmm?
I'm going to the spa with Harper and Violet after all.
Yeah? We went over this. You have dog rescue Saturday.
Not anymore. Catherine fixed it.
- Fixed it? - I-I called the rescue
and asked if we could shift Sofia's commitment to next weekend,
so she'll volunteer two days instead of just one.
Self-care this weekend. Dog care next.
That's great. And did Harper and Violet mention
how much all those spa treatments are going to cost?
Oh. Catherine took care of that too.
We talked it all through. She gets it's a one-time thing.
Mm-hmm.
I mean, spa Saturdays will not become the new norm.
- Mm-mmm. - Yeah, Mom. Relax.
- Mmm. - Enjoy your boba.
About that. Uh...
- Will this cover all three? - Mel.
No, no, no, no, it's only fair. You get the spa day, I get the boba.
This was great. Mwah. But Mommy's got to get back to work.
- I'll see you at home. - See ya.
Okay, so to be clear, this is the house of the gentleman
you believe dressed up as a sea cucumber to kidnap
- his high-school bully at gunpoint? - Yeah.
Wow. Florida just keeps giving and giving.
You see the van in the driveway?
It's the same one I saw Holden Carter get into at the community center.
You still want me to just hang back?
Yes, hang back. You're only here to call the cops if anything goes sideways.
I gotta say, a violent turn would almost be worth the headline.
- Hmm? - "Private eye and sexy lotto winner
gunned down by a marine invertebrate."
That's straight gold, son.
- You're Ricky Strom? - Yeah.
Does you kicking the door in count as things going sideways?
'Cause I'm a single digit from 91... Whoa.
- I need you to tell me where Holden is. - I think someone took him.
Yeah, you did, from the community center yesterday!
No. No, no, I-I... Well, yeah, I brought him here,
but then someone else broke in and did this to me, okay?
They must've kidnapped him.
Wow. "Florida Man abducted from his own abduction."
It's... It's another good headline.
I looked everywhere. No sign of Holden.
I told you whoever broke in here and attacked me must have taken him.
Guys, come on. You think I'm gonna hit myself in the head? Tie myself up?
Stranger things have happened, Ricky.
A six-foot cucumber committing an armed abduction, for example.
Okay, first, I wasn't armed. I just pretended to have a gun.
Second, in a certain light, it wasn't an abduction.
It was more of a... [inhales] ...prank.
Like flying a guy in a mascot costume up a flagpole?
You know what Holden did to me?
I was stuck up there all night.
I'd had a lot of water. Like, a lot of water.
The next morning, half the school saw me,
humiliated, exhausted...
wet.
It ended my mascot career because every time I tried
to put on the costume after that, I'd have a panic attack.
I'd been offered a full ride to the University of Central Florida.
I was gonna take over as Knightro.
You were gonna wear the Golden Helmet?
Coming out of UCF, I could've had my pick: Mickey, Gritty, Benny the Bull.
A few days ago, I saw on Holden's social media that he was in town.
He kept posting about his sobriety, how great he was doing.
Yesterday, I just... I don't know, snapped.
I dug out my Sammy costume.
I waited outside the Carter house, and I tailed them to the community center.
How did you know he was gonna come right back out as soon as he went in?
I didn't. I was just looking for a place to hide
when I saw him talking on the phone to someone.
He seemed, I don't know, nervous.
They were trying to figure out a place to meet.
I only brought him here to make him understand
that what he did to me that night mattered.
But then the craziest thing happened.
Some mystery man showed up and ruined all your fun?
No. I'm talking about before that.
Holden,
he just... listened.
Let me say everything that I needed to say. Then he apologized.
And I could tell it wasn't about me letting him go. It was about real regret.
He told me about how devoted he was to his sobriety,
how important making amends is.
And he asked if I would forgive him.
And I did.
He asked if he could use my phone. I went into the kitchen to get it.
And then bam. I'm hit from behind. Everything goes black.
And I know that it wasn't Holden
because I was looking right at him when it happened.
Maybe it was some friend of Holden's. Tracked him here, rescued him?
If it was a rescue, he would have turned up by now.
You said when you walked up to him
that he was on the phone, that he seemed nervous.
Oh, you think maybe he was talking to the person who hit me.
Would it help if you had Holden's phone?
Because I-I-I know where it is. Or sort of. I could help you find it.
I was worried that someone might use his phone to locate him,
so I told him to toss it out the van window.
- It's a bag of chips, man. - You're right.
Are you sure this is the right stretch of road?
I think so. I was still in costume, and Sammy's range of vision is subpar.
Sure.
- Oh! Found it. - You got it?
- Yeah. - Okay.
Looks like a lot of missed calls.
Ten calls from Naomi Carter and 47 calls from a guy named Rico Delaware.
Does that name mean anything to you?
No, I've never heard of him. But 47 calls. If he was that desperate to reach Holden...
Yeah, maybe he was desperate enough to come and find him last night.
I'm sorry. I know I screwed up.
I shouldn't have made the spa day happen for Sofia.
But she was so excited.
And it was easy for you.
$300, $400 for a couple hours of self-care, it's no problem, right?
Please don't be this way.
- What way? Poor? - You are not poor.
No, but I was. Growing up, my apartment-- two bedrooms, one bathroom--
Six kids. I remember.
Yeah. Can you guess how many spa days me and my sisters enjoyed?
You always do this. You hold the fact
- that I have a little money against me. - A little?
My grandparents left me what they left me. I'm sorry.
Besides, you and I are married. What's mine is yours. Yours is mine.
- Like this house? - Like this house. Our house.
- What? - You put all the money down.
Yeah. Yeah, I did, with your permission,
because you agreed that this was the best school district for Sofia
by a mile.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry, I...
I love this house. Sofia, she loves this house.
It could just...
It could feel like something I won
and not something I earned.
The spa day, I'll sign off on it, okay? As long as we split it.
Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.
Okay.
Hey, you get my message about the mascot and Holden's phone?
- I did. - Guy that called 47 times, Rico Delaware.
Turns out he's a street artist
who spent some time at one of the Carter Rehab Clinics.
Apparently, he didn't have a good experience
because he went to war with them last year.
He put up a bunch of anti-Carter graffiti
- all over town. - R.J.
I mean, 47 calls to a member of a family you hate,
that's got to be harassment, maybe even a prelude to a kidnapping.
We find Rico Delaware, maybe we find Holden.
R.J., Holden has been found.
Oh, okay. Where? Where was he?
Some little no-tell motel downtown.
Housekeeper came in to clean the room, found him with a needle in his arm.
He overdosed. I just identified his body for the Carters.
He's been like that for hours.
When Holden was little, he was the apple of Dad's eye,
and nothing was too good for Holden.
So you can imagine how much it hurt Dad when drugs came into the picture.
Especially given the family business.
You could call it ironic, if all the papers didn't already do it years ago.
On the subject of media,
my office has been in steady contact with the FLPD regarding messaging,
and we don't see any reasons for the specifics of Holden's passing
- to go public. - Thank you.
And thank you for trying to help us.
I've already Zelle'd your account for your services, plus a bonus
- for your continued discretion. - Oh.
Uh, I appreciate that. But my discretion, it's-it's part of package.
I'm only sorry we couldn't find Holden sooner.
Ms. Carter, I'm sorry. I have to ask.
Did Holden ever mention anything about harassing phone calls?
I'm sorry?
When I found his phone, I saw there was a bunch of calls from Rico Delaware.
I assume you know that name.
That has to be a mistake. That man hates my family.
He wouldn't have been in Holden's phone.
Holden never mention any business he needed to tend to
that wasn't related to the clinics?
Anyone he was planning to meet
- the day he went missing? - No, no one.
Do you understand any of this?
Naomi, sorry. Can you excuse us for a moment?
What do you think you're doing?
I think I'm asking questions about a death I find a little suspicious.
What's so suspicious about a drug addict dying of an overdose?
Ricky Strom described a guy utterly devoted to his sobriety.
Then a few hours later, he's dead of an OD?
I'm sorry, are you talking about the lunatic
who dressed up like a vegetable to kidnap him?
There were two kidnappings:
one from the community center, one from Ricky Strom's house.
- Are you on drugs right now? - Listen to me.
Something was going on with Holden that day.
Something completely incidental to whatever Ricky did.
He clearly had no intention of going to that support group.
He went in one door, out the other.
He was on the phone with somebody outside,
- trying to figure out a place to meet. - His dealer, R.J.
He was calling his dealer.
- This is a tragedy, okay? Not a mystery. - Can you think of a better way
to murder someone with a history of drug abuse than a staged overdose?
- Tell me. No, I want you to tell me. - No. No. No more.
These people are as mortified by Holden's death as they are devastated.
They want to preserve his memory.
They want to move on. You need to let them do both.
Holden's phone-- You said you found it. Give it to me. I'll give it to the family.
I don't have it with me. But I will drop it by your office later.
Now, retail, brand new, this beauty will run you 700.
I pulled it out of a dumpster. Sterilized every part. Rebuilt the motor.
Now I'm letting it go to you for 100 bucks.
That's not for everybody. That's 'cause we're old pals.
Uh-huh.
Oh, hey, speaking of old pals.
- Hey. - Mauricio, how are you doing, man?
- Are you kidding me, man? - Oh.
Come on. Cell block D forever, my man.
Saw your van out front.
- Mauricio's Appliance Repair? - Yeah.
Way to turn your prison hustle into a real business.
Hey, I can say the same thing for you.
Well, I-I wasn't a... wasn't a PI inside.
You sure as hell couldn't mind your own business.
Reason I called, I was hoping you could unlock this for me.
Yeah. It's yours, right?
Well, if it were mine, I would know the password.
Untrue. People forget their passwords all the time.
And unlocking someone's phone without his or her explicit permission is illegal.
It's yours, right?
Oh, yeah, it's mine. 100% mine. All mine.
- Great. Give me a day. - Beautiful. Thank you.
Now look, Wish. I could let the blender go for 90, but after that I'm giving it away.
Oh, move fast and tight to the wall for outlines.
- Rico Delaware? - Yeah.
Or should I call you Professor Delaware?
I know the university made you an artist in residence.
Selfies gotta wait till after class, okay? I don't like to break flow.
I respect flow. But, uh, I'm a private investigator.
I'd like to ask you a few questions about your relationship with Holden Carter.
What's a PI care about me and him?
A lot, actually. Mostly because he was found dead last night.
People like me... People like Holden...
The number of times that we stick a needle in our arm and never wake up...
Uh, you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but no.
It messes me up every time.
The reason why I wanted to talk to you, Rico,
I'm not sure Holden put that needle in his arm himself.
You think someone killed him?
You think I killed him?
Well, it's no secret you had a grudge against the Carter family.
My grudge is with Ed Carter, the way he runs his business.
Me and Holden, we were cool.
A while back, Holden reached out to me.
He wanted to meet to talk about my experience with Carter Rehab.
I obliged.
Told him about recruiters pulling 5K a head for addicts with primo insurance.
About how the facilities are straight-up turnstiles.
How no one gives a crap if you get sober,
just so long as the insurance keeps paying.
This one guy I knew, he went through four rounds of that.
The fourth time, he OD'd right there in the clinic.
You ever tried talking to the cops?
Oh, yeah. You tell me when police start listening to junkies, former or otherwise.
And Holden? How did he take everything you told him?
He was upset, you know, but he said that he'd take it all to his old man.
- How did that conversation go? - I don't know, all right?
I figured I said my piece. I gave him some space.
Well, I happen to know you called him 47 times the other night.
How's that giving him space?
Me and Holden, well, we stayed in contact.
He wanted me to stay clean. I wanted him to stay clean.
The other, night all I could think about was getting high.
So you called Holden?
Yeah. When I couldn't reach him, I freaked. I kept calling.
But then I said to myself,
"You know what he would say? Get your ass to a meeting." And so I did.
My sister drove me there and back.
This is her number if you wanna call her.
Please, it's okay. It's okay.
Look, as far as I've been able to tell, Holden seemed like he was in a good place.
But I don't know. What do you think?
Every addict is just one bad day away from a slip.
But if you're right, if someone did this to him,
then you need to catch him.
Because trust me,
that is the last way he would have wanted to go.
R.J. Decker?
Yeah.
Agent Jacob Koop, IRS. Criminal Investigation Division.
Wow. I knew I shouldn't have rounded up my mileage on that last tax return.
Actually, I wanna talk to you
about the work you've been doing for the, uh, Carter family.
Well, if you know the kind of work I do, you know I can't talk about my clients.
I can't even confirm the people you're talking about are my clients.
I'll just cut to the chase then.
See, I'm here because I don't think Holden Carter's overdose was an accident.
I think someone forced him to shoot up, probably at gunpoint.
Well, I don't think I'll be violating confidentiality
to tell you I've been thinking the same thing.
- Oh, good. - Do you wanna come inside?
You wanna compare notes?
You know, I'd love to talk but not here. Someplace public.
- All right, you know FM Station? - I'll find it.
Why do we have to go somewhere public to talk about Holden Carter?
Well, because I think you're the one that killed him.
Crazy day. You accuse a guy of murder,
he ends up introducing you to the best burger you've had in years.
Not that it's alleviating any suspicion.
Yeah, I get it. Ex-con takes money from a shady family.
Twenty-four hours later, that family's black sheep winds up dead.
I'd take a look at me too.
Coroner's report says Holden died between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. two nights ago.
- Can you account for your whereabouts? - Oh, I can.
But first I'd like to confirm a few of my suspicions.
Naomi Carter paid me electronically this morning.
By the afternoon, I'm getting a visit from you.
Which tells me the IRS is monitoring the family's accounts.
And since you work in criminal investigations, ain't your standard audit.
You've been looking into something bigger.
Something that now includes Holden's death.
Well, I can neither confirm nor deny...
is something we're required to say when someone's got us dead to rights.
Holden was looking into some pretty dark corners of the family business.
I think he was gonna have a talk with his dad.
I think he did, but it went poorly.
So poorly, in fact, his next step is reaching out to the IRS.
Which makes me wonder if it was you he was planning on meeting
when he snuck out of a support group meeting the other day.
Well, I can neither confirm nor deny.
Then don't confirm or deny this either: Holden was gonna whistleblow.
He was gonna take down Carter Rehab
because unlike his dad, he actually cares about addicts getting better.
Those whereabouts you were gonna account for?
Phone, computer records prove I was home all night. What?
It's gonna take me days to subpoena those records.
Okay. That's good. It'll give us both more time to prove
his dad was behind what happened to him.
The premise that you killed Holden but might be willing to roll on his dad
was all I had left, and if that premise is wrong, then I have nothing.
And if I have nothing, trust me, you've got less than nothing.
Ed Carter's gonna get away with everything.
Someone had a crappy day.
Yeah, someone did.
You wanna join me for a beer?
Yes, I do.
Thank you.
Let me guess: Wish still unhappy about the way you're dressing?
Mm-hmm.
He's the one who brought you the new client, right?
Mm-hmm. Judging by that second beer you had lined up,
I'm guessing you had a crappy day too?
Mel and I had the money fight again.
Oof.
Yeah, oof. I know. I pay for stuff when I can pay for stuff,
and she acts like I'm some eccentric millionaire.
Back when you and I were together, I paid more rent, I paid for more meals out.
You were always okay with it.
Wait. You weren't okay with it?
I mean, it's not like I wasn't okay with it.
It just took me a little while to get used to.
I like to pay my own way. Mel does too.
What?
Nothing. I just found out that I'm repeating an ugly pattern
from my first failed marriage. No biggie.
No, you're not repeating anything.
Unlike me, Mel said something. That's not repetition, that's progress.
But what do I do?
Get in there. If she said something, you say something back.
- What? - My crappy day, it ain't over yet.
Hey. What happened?
I was loading groceries in the van, and some huge guy comes out of nowhere,
coldcocks me and snatches the phone you gave me and ran off.
- He only took the phone? - Yeah.
The three of us are the only ones that knew Mauricio had it.
So, how would anyone know to track him down?
Wish, have you ever heard of Find My Phone?
It enables users to find their phones.
- Yeah, but the owner's dead. - I'm so-- He's what?
- Did you get a look at him? - Not really. I mean, he was white, jacked.
Kind of like that Aryan Nation guy who was weirdly good at kickball.
- You remember him? - Oh, yeah.
- Oh. That-That's not good. - What?
You got a-a dent in your face. Hold on.
Looks like a little lollipop with wings.
That ain't a lollipop. It's a globe from a signet ring.
You got punched in the face by a Marine.
You know who he is?
Yeah, I do.
I'm starting to think he's the one that killed Holden Carter.
Are the cuffs really necessary?
You're a suspect in a violent robbery.
Did the officers who pulled you over fail to make that clear?
They did. And then I made it clear that they had the wrong guy.
And yet they found this. Property reported stolen by the victim in your car.
It belonged to the late Holden Carter, son of your employer, Ed Carter, yes?
I'm thinking you were able to track it to the man you assaulted
because you or Ed or one of his other flunkies at Carter Rehab
put spyware on the phone that lets you see Holden's movements,
maybe even read his emails and texts.
This is insane.
I found that phone under a car seat today.
Obviously, Holden left it there. I didn't beat anyone up to get it.
Take a look at these.
And then take a look at that ring of yours.
Sorry. This guy must have pissed off a different Marine.
How did Ed take it when he heard Holden slipped away the other night?
Did he already know Holden had a meeting with the IRS?
I'm just a driver. I have no idea what you're talking about.
Mmm. You could tell from the spyware on the phone
that Holden exited the community center as soon as he entered it.
I'm guessing you got to the parking lot
just as he got into a van with a man named Ricky Strom.
You followed them to Mr. Strom's house, and then you called Daddy.
He got nervous. Thought maybe this was Holden's IRS contact.
So he told you it was time. Holden had to go.
Give up your boss. Confess to staging Holden's OD.
Maybe the State of Florida won't put a needle in your arm.
Go ahead. Charge me with this assault if you think it'll stick.
But if you want to talk to me again, I'll come back with a lawyer.
Mr. Carter will hire the best that money can buy.
Did the best I could.
Only thing that guy said in there that was even remotely true
is Ed Carter's loaded, which is funny.
His daughter hiring a PI who works out of a pool house
instead of some big, white-glove security firm.
Yeah, I don't know. Must have liked my website, I guess.
Great.
What, too loud inside?
For this conversation? Yes, because I need you to hear me.
I tried to do you a favor when I brought you to Naomi.
Now her father is threatening to cut off ties with mine.
That'd be bad, right?
Losing all that money Ed Carter's making not keeping addicts off drugs.
What are you talking about?
Carter Rehab doesn't want people getting better.
It's bad for business. Holden was about to blow the whistle.
If we open up the phone, there's gonna be spyware on it
that'll prove his dad knew he was talking to the IRS.
Hold on. If we open his phone? You mean you don't know there's spyware?
The phone's locked. Can you think of another reason
why Ed sent his hatchet man to get it back yesterday? Tell me.
Wow. I can't believe this. I can't believe you accused Ed Carter
of having his own son killed without any proof.
'Cause if there's no proof, there's no crime, right?
Isn't that the Ochoa family motto? Look, Holden is dead.
A guy that died trying to be a better man, to fight for people who needed help.
He was willing to go up against his own father.
Not because it was easy. 'Cause it was the right thing to do.
Of course, you wouldn't care about a guy like that.
Next time you wanna do me a favor, don't do it.
I don't need business like yours.
I have to admit I was surprised to hear from you this morning.
I was pretty clear with your father.
I thought our families needed some time apart.
You were. But he and I both felt we'd be remiss
if we didn't at least try to apologize for Mr. Decker's actions yesterday.
Next time, we'll do a better job vetting our referrals.
You're assuming there'll be a next time.
I'm well aware we need to earn back your trust.
That's why I-I brought you this.
Holden's phone. My office was able to get it back from the police.
It wasn't too difficult, considering there was no crime
they could actually connect it to, but...
And given the scrutiny Mr. Decker was inviting,
I thought you would value having it back.
If there's nothing else...
Yeah, actually, there is one more thing. It was locked when we got it.
My father and I didn't want to assume you'd know the password.
So we did you the favor of bringing it to one of our communications experts.
The intention was to give you access to Holden's photo album.
All those precious memories.
But then our expert found something else.
Someone was tracking Holden's movements and reading his emails and text messages.
Whoever it was, they knew he was looking to go public
with some very serious concerns about treatment practices at Carter Rehab.
If you're suggesting I had anything to do with what happened to Holden--
I'm not suggesting anything.
I'm just hoping my family ends up back in your family's good graces.
Because a man who would have his own son killed
can never have too many friends, can he?
Tell your father when the time comes, he'll have my support.
It's important to me that he knows, that you both know,
Holden wasn't supposed to die. The plan was only to discredit him.
To make it so the feds couldn't take him seriously as a witness.
So all you really wanted to do
was throw away all the hard work he did to get sober.
It was a mistake. A terrible mistake.
Naomi. Can I assume she played no part in this?
Of course not. She loved her brother. I loved Holden too.
I loved him as much as your father loves you.
I'm sure that's true.
How'd it go?
It's important to me that he knows, that you both know.
Holden wasn't supposed to die. The plan was only to discredit him.
To make it so the feds couldn't take him seriously as a witness.
Who gets this first?
My new friend at the IRS. I'll go see him after I drive you home.
Actually, I'll come with you. And then I need a drink.
Uh, I didn't do all this.
You're early.
Uh, Mel, this is Francis. She writes the Herald's financial advice column.
Oh, okay. Hi. Nice to meet you.
Uh, I-I, uh, was just leaving.
You have a lovely home.
Thanks again, Francis.
Is it terrible I'm relieved you weren't about to pitch a threesome?
A little, but whatever.
Just come sit.
The real reason I had Francis come over
- was to... - Mm-hmm.
...help me prepare a trip for you
into the future, or at least our financial future.
This line represents, based on all sorts of variables,
that were frankly a little over my head, my future income.
And this one predicts yours.
And what I'm looking at should make me as happy as you are because...
Because between your gradual-if-inexorable ascension through the ranks of the FLPD
and the long, sad death march that is print media,
Francis has you passing me in annual take-home pay no later than 2032.
By 2042... Actually, you know, don't even look at 2042.
- The point is... - Mmm?
...it's gonna be a long marriage.
And our love will be a constant, but our money...
Now, that's gonna be variable as hell.
So will you, every once in a while, let me be a little generous
if I promise to be a financial drain on you in the years to come?
I'll do my best, and I look forward to carrying your broke ass.
2042. That's dark.
- Gross. - Mmm.
Hola to you too, mija.
I'm hungry. Is there a dinner planned?
Uh...
Takeout? Someplace cheap?
Someplace cheap.
♪ This heavy load helped me set it down ♪
Of course. I understand.
Well, I'm here for you no matter what.
Okay. Bye.
That was Naomi?
- Yeah. - How is she holding up?
Mmm. About as well as you'd expect. But she is grateful for what you did.
And she's planning to work with the IRS as they investigate everything
and then start instituting the changes Holden wanted at the clinics.
Good.
- To Holden? - To Holden.
Listen, some of the things I said yesterday,
I-I didn't like saying 'em, but I'm glad they got through.
Hold up. [chuckles] You think I did what I did because of you?
Did somebody else accuse you of choosing your dad's political career
over doing the right thing yesterday?
Oh, I totally chose my dad's political career.
Ed Carter was a liability. He had to go.
All that's left is for my father, outraged at his one-time contributor's crimes,
to introduce legislation that will close every loophole Carter Rehab
- was taking advantage of. - Still think it was me.
- It was not you. - Okay. If you say so.
♪ One more day to wake ♪
♪ One more step to take ♪
♪ I've got one more... ♪
Oh.
♪ One more chain to break ♪
♪ One more day to wake ♪
Hello?
Is it too late to add fries to the order?
Uh, they're closed. Private event.
I'm gonna try the new taco place instead. Just text me when you know what you want.
- ♪ I've got one more one more ♪ - ♪ One more ♪