Curious Caterer: Dying for Chocolate (2022) Movie Script

1
This program is rated G
and is suitable for
general audiences.
- Mom.
- Olive.
I really don't think
the kids are gonna like
gruyere biscuits.
You're goin' on a field
trip to the mountains
and I promised Mr. Bowman
that I would provide
an appropriate snack.
I'm pretty sure
he meant trail mix.
Gruyere is an Alpine cheese.
And we're going to the Rockies.
And Mr. Bowman's
not even coming.
He says he's needed at that.
Right. So am I.
Okay, so I think
they're gonna love 'em.
Yes, and you're gonna
have the best time.
I love you.
You're gonna have a great time.
- Bye.
- Bye.
I'm workin' in a
I'm workin' in a
I'm workin' in a smile
I'm workin' in a
I'm workin' in a
I'm workin' in a smile
Gonna take my time
Yeah, I'm up on this
Gonna be just fine
In your make-believe
Eh, eh, eh, yeah
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa-oh
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa-oh-oh
Kill me now.
That is the chocolate-covered
shortbread I have read about.
Hi, Laura!
Hi, honey.
Or do I need to call you
Dr. Smiley on school grounds.
Eh, call me excited
for your feast.
Oh, you're gonna be here!
Barring a student in need
of emergency counseling,
I will be here.
Aw.
Well, that makes me
very happy because
I would not have this
job if it weren't for you
pitching me to Adele.
Oh, I'd love to take the credit,
but when I went to Adele
to sing your praises,
they'd already been
sung quite well
by another faculty member.
Any guesses as to who?
Brad Bowman?
Gold star for Goldy.
Has he asked you out yet?
No.
He's Olive's teacher.
There is no policy against
faculty-parent relationships.
Did you come in here
to make me go on a date?
No.
Actually, I wanted to talk
to you about something
that I've noticed.
There's been-
- Goldy.
Oh, hi, Laura.
Hi, Brad.
It's funny, we were
just talking about-
When people were gonna arrive.
Uh, well, that would be now.
They're gathering out front.
Sending the menu in advance
was clearly a brilliant move.
Yes, it was.
So, are we good
to open the doors?
Absolutely.
I'll handle it.
Oh, I thought
you wanted to talk.
Later.
I was wondering-
When I was gonna
finish these cookies?
Well, the answer is now.
Yeah.
Hi, hi, um.
Hi.
I'm sorry about that.
Oh, no worries.
I'm just gonna say it, okay?
Okay.
I haven't been on a
date since my divorce,
which technically means
I haven't been on a date
since before I was married.
- Right.
And it's easy to say that
I just haven't had time
between Olive and being
a chef at The Bistro
and starting my own business,
but the truth is, um,
I am terrified
to even think about it.
I understand.
You are very understanding.
I'm a teacher.
So.
Friday night, The Bistro.
I go on my first date
in 12 years.
Ah.
- With you.
- Okay.
If you're free.
I am.
I'll meet you at 7:00.
Sounds good.
There she is.
And there he is.
Hey, Adele, Archie.
Excuse me.
- Okay.
Goldy, confession.
Brad did have to twist
my arm to convince me
to use the booster club as the
beta test for your business.
But look who's smiling now.
Oh, I certainly am.
It's like I'm sitting at Cafe
du Mont in the French Quarter.
Yes, I had to stop
Archie from going back
for second beignets.
Anyways, everything looks
absolutely gorgeous.
It's like you've been
doing this for eons.
Thank you.
And thank you so much
for this opportunity.
I really appreciate it.
And you know what?
We have reserved
beignets in the kitchen.
Oh, be still my heart.
All right, you.
Marla!
That is exactly what
these shortbreads said
when I walked in.
They went, "Marla!"
They called my name and now
we're in love.
Well, as long as the beignets
weren't talking to you.
Archie Dennison is already
in a committed relationship
with them.
Oh, I wonder if Adele knows.
Maybe she'll catch him in
the act with the beignets.
Stop it!
She didn't catch anyone.
Oh, it's not the
story Adele tells.
I have told you, there
is nothing going on
between Archie and Laura.
Yeah, you did tell me that,
just like you told me you and
Richard weren't splitting up.
Oh! Hey now!
Going for the jugular.
No, not at all.
I'm going for the truth.
He's here, by the way.
- Who?
- Your ex.
Yeah, he's cornered Brad Bowman.
Might wanna go save Brad.
Ugh.
There's not enough
shortbread in this room.
Not only is it a
great investment,
but it's also great
for the community.
I know that means a lot to you,
being a a fourth
generation Elk Parker.
Wow, how did you know that?
Trust me, I do lots of
research on potential investors.
Well, I'm not sure I'm that-
Brad, I am.
You are what?
Ah, Goldy, hello.
Nicely done, by the way.
I should never have doubted you.
Well, if you hadn't doubted me,
then I might not
have been so impelled
to prove you wrong.
You were what?
Confident that Mr.
Bowman here will invest
in a tremendous new
opportunity that will be
a boon for the town.
The Elk Park Wellness Center.
What?
Yeah.
I mean, you're not the
only one that could
start a new business.
Forgive me, Dr. Korman.
I see a parent in distress.
Brad, yeah, thank you.
I'll be in touch.
Oh, come on.
You don't have to worry
about your child support.
I'm not, I'm not.
But how much are you
putting into this thing?
I'm a minority investor.
Come on, you and
Olive will be fine.
I'm not worried about that.
Look, my new business
is just me doing
what I've always done, cooking.
Since when are you a
property developer?
I'm a doctor, and the
property happens to be
the wellness center.
Well, if you're hitting
up school teachers
for an investment, I
can tell you right now-
I'm hitting up school
teachers who happen to be
worth over $5 million dollars,
thank you to their
family's silver mine.
And I'm not the only investor.
Who?
Well, um.
Archie, for one.
That doesn't make
me feel better.
And the other one is
about to make his way over.
- Owen Gentle?
- Dr. Gentle.
I know he's a doctor.
- Goldy.
- Hi.
The meal is sublime.
Oh.
I confess to inhaling my
poached salmon.
Mmm, well, I must
confess that my supplier
was short and it's
actually steelhead trout.
Hmm, and yet the
advanced menu said salmon,
so my tongue tasted salmon.
Power of suggestion
at work, eh, Richard?
Absolutely.
Power of suggestion?
Oh, I, uh, use it all
the time in my hypnotherapy
to treat serious addictions.
Hmm.
Oh, and speaking of
treating addictions,
I was just telling
Goldy about our venture
and she was-
- Confused.
But so happy that
you're a part of it.
I'm happy, too.
Well, I have to
get back to work.
Great job.
Thank you. Enjoy.
Right?
Oh!
There we go. Sorry.
It's okay.
Okay, that's all right.
No, it's all good.
Okay, no, it's fine.
It's the middle
of the afternoon.
I didn't bring the champagne!
Hey, I got it, I
got it, I got it.
It's not a party until
someone breaks a glass.
I'm sorry, but um, I
think we need to leave,
and would it be okay
if I brought you
your check tomorrow?
Oh, of course, yeah.
- You okay?
- Yeah, okay.
Well, that was well handled.
Well, cleaning up that
glass is a lot easier
than fixing what's broken
in that relationship.
Can we still talk?
Yeah, go for it.
Somewhere else.
Okay, do you want
me to come meet you
at your office when I'm done?
I'm heading out.
Counseling clinic?
Would my house be okay?
Yeah.
You meet me there?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
I'll see you there.
- Okay.
Excuse me.
Can I help you?
Julian.
Hey, Mr. Bowman.
Hey.
Uh, your mom and Archie,
they left awhile ago.
Yeah, no, I'm actually
not here for them.
Okay.
Well, can I help
you with something?
No, I'm just waitin' on someone.
Okay.
Well, uh, it's good
to see you, Julian.
Yeah, you too, Mr. Bowman.
We've got your usual Elk Park
drive time traffic report.
Now we are getting some
reports of an accident
on Copper Canyon Road that
could really slow things
down tonight, so please
drive accordingly.
Call Laura Smiley.
Hi, it's Laura.
You know what to do.
Hey, it's me.
Um.
There's been an accident.
I'm so sorry.
I just, I don't know how
long this is gonna take,
but I guess I'll see
ya when I see ya.
Hey, Mason!
What's goin' on?
Hey, Goldy.
Hey.
Car ran off the cliff.
What?
Is it someone from Elk Park?
Listen, before we
announce a death,
we need to confirm
ID, notify the family.
Vehicle
registered to one Laura Smiley.
What?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Goldy, you can't go in there!
Goldy, you can't go down there!
Ma'am, ma'am,
get back, get back.
There's already one
body down there.
What?
- Mason.
- She's dead?
Laura's dead?
Laura's her friend.
She heard the dispatcher
give the ID on my walkie.
No, no, no, no.
I was, I was just with her.
Miss Barry, she's gone.
Okay, there's
nothing you can do.
No.
Mason's gonna take care of you.
I'll be by in a minute.
Detective Shultz is
gonna talk to you now.
He's, um, he can come on
kinda strong sometimes,
but he's a great guy and,
you know, a real detective.
I just mean he's
super experienced.
He just transferred
from San Francisco
and he's worked on major
cases and he's got this wavy-
Mason.
He's right behind me, isn't he?
Yup.
Detective, I was just
explaining that you've
worked on a lot of-
Major cases?
Yeah.
Thanks, Mason.
Mason.
Notepad.
I have my notepad.
You have to take
notes too, okay?
It's good to have more
than one perspective.
Yes, sir.
Miss Barry, I'm
Detective Tom Shultz.
I'm sorry for your loss,
and I know this is the
last thing you wanna be
doing right now, but I have
to ask you some questions
about your friend, okay?
Okay.
So how long have
you known Miss Smiley?
Dr. Smiley, actually.
She's a, um.
Was.
She was a psychiatrist.
And how long have
you known Dr. Smiley?
Uh.
When she first moved to
town about four years ago.
She was a counselor at my
daughter Olive's school,
Elk Park Prep.
But she's only been doing
that for like a year.
She has a private
practice and, um,
Olive was a client of
hers when my marriage
was coming apart.
She married?
- No.
- Children?
You said you saw
her this afternoon.
Where was that?
Uh, the luncheon,
the booster club.
I was catering.
Was there alcohol at the lunch?
Mimosas.
I'm sure that Laura
didn't have any.
You know, it was just
mostly for parents,
you know, the big donors.
She have a heart condition?
No.
Her health, as far as you know?
She was a skier,
a runner, a hiker.
- Was she depressed?
- No.
That was a quick no.
Why are you asking me all this?
There's no skid marks.
No signs that Dr.
Smiley tried to stop.
We'll know more when
we've done the autopsy,
but for now we're treating
this as a suspicious death.
Hi.
Hi.
Did you figure out the, um-
Cause of death?
Yeah.
Can I come in?
Sure, yes. Please.
So, uh, when is
the autopsy done?
Well, in a different
sized city, not long,
but Ferma County has
a medical examiner
that happens to be at
a conference in Florida
and she's not back for
a couple more days.
So then what happens?
Forensics is processing her car,
and they've confirmed
that there was nothing
done to disable it.
What, it?
Are you saying that you think
that someone might've, what?
No, I'm saying
what I already said.
Her death is suspicious,
and it's my job to look
at every possibility.
You mind if I ask you
a few more questions?
Okay if I keep cooking?
Sure.
So, um, Laura's license, it
had a Denver address on it.
She kept her condo.
Uses it as an Airbnb.
So she's not married.
She seeing anyone?
No.
Why the hesitation?
There's, there's just
this ugly rumor going around
that she's having an
affair with a married man,
but it's not true, and
Laura swore it wasn't.
Okay, well, who was it?
Archie Dennison.
His wife's Adele.
Does Adele know
about this gossip?
As far as I know, she
probably started it.
Would you like me to give
you a tour of my house?
No, I'm fine.
How long have Dr. Smiley
and Mr. Dennison been-
Look, hey!
They haven't been anything.
I just told you that.
How long have Dr.
Smiley and Mr. Dennison
been allegedly involved?
I heard the rumor
a few days ago.
And were Archie and Adele
at the booster club luncheon?
Yes, they both
were because Adele is
the president of the boosters.
Anything happen there
between the Dennisons
and Dr. Smiley?
What?
Archie had a few
too many mimosas,
and he's a flirt,
but not with Laura,
and Adele and Archie left
hours before it was even over.
What do they do,
Archie and Adele?
Well, Adele is rich and
Archie is married to Adele,
but apparently he
is now partnered up
with my ex-husband to help
build a wellness center.
You have something
against wellness centers?
Not at all, no.
I just would never expect
for either one of them
to be involved with one.
Gotcha.
Well, thanks for the coffee.
Look, I'm sorry.
I'm just usually not, um-
Dealing with the
death of a dear friend
while talking to a
detective in your kitchen?
Pretty much.
I'll let you get
back to your cooking.
Uh, listen.
This probably doesn't
mean anything,
but at the luncheon
Laura asked to talk to me
and she wanted to
talk in private.
That's why I was on the
Canyon Road tonight.
I was going to see her.
And you have no idea
what it was about?
I'll see myself out.
Mr. Bowman?
Do you know about...
Dr. Smiley?
I do.
And we're gonna make a lot
of space today in class
to talk about it.
Go on in, kiddo.
How are you?
A mess.
I bet.
Listen, ah, we can
take a rain check
this Friday at The Bistro.
No, I, uh, I actually
think it'll be good.
And I'm looking forward to it.
Me, too.
Take care of her.
I will.
Excuse me, Goldy?
Hi.
Oh.
You must've heard.
It's, um.
It's devastating.
So, so tragic.
The police called this morning.
I just, I...
I can't believe it.
I know.
Oh, I know.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Goldy, please let
me know if I can help
in any way with the funeral.
That's so nice, thank you.
Dr. Gentle?
Dr. Gentle?
Yes.
Detective Tom Shultz.
We spoke earlier.
Owen Gentle.
My condolences.
Thank you.
Miss Barry, what are you?
What are you doing here?
I just came by to
make sure that Owen
had heard the news.
Well, I told you not to
touch anything in her office.
And I heeded your wishes.
So what were you doing in there?
Uh.
Actually, I was in the office.
Okay.
Well, I need to speak to you,
but I have to talk to
you first, Dr. Gentle.
And I really need
to get to work.
That wasn't a request.
You have somewhere we can talk?
Uh, of course.
My office is right over here.
Have a seat.
- Look, I don't-
- Come with me.
What were you doing in
Dr. Smiley's office?
I was, what does that mean?
It's a pretty direct question.
I was, I wasn't doing anything.
I was only in there for 30
seconds before Owen came in.
Well, unfortunately we
don't have security cameras
to prove that, do we?
What are you implying?
I think your
behavior is suspicious.
Suspicious?
Yes, it's suspicious.
So answer my question.
What are you doing here?
I was dropping
Olive off at school
when I saw Adele coming out
of Laura's counseling office.
Adele didn't see me, but
why would she be in there?
And I went to open the
door, but it was locked.
Why didn't you
call me, Miss Barry?
Well, next time I will!
Good.
You being here, did you find
out more about Laura's death?
Did you bake
chocolate-covered cookies
for the luncheon?
Chocolate-coated shortbread.
Well, we recovered
chocolate-covered shortbread
from the front seat
of Dr. Smiley's car.
Well, she probably
just took some to go.
Why are you asking me this?
Yeah, well, we're still
processing her office.
But if you hear or see or
even think of anything else,
you call me.
Of course.
Good.
One more thing.
You know Julian Geddes?
- Yeah, that's Adele's son.
- Yeah, from her first husband.
- Right.
- Yeah.
Did Laura mention
anything to you about him?
Why would Laura talk
to me about Julian?
Why would she?
- Ah!
- Hey.
Well, this is kismet.
What is?
I was just coming to find you.
I, um, I actually
had a question.
Did you ever teach
a Julian Geddes?
- That's weird.
- Why?
Well, Julian was a
junior my first year here,
but what's weird is that
I saw him yesterday.
Where?
There.
I was on my way from the
dining hall after the luncheon
and I saw him pacing
around the parking lot.
And you, you recognized him?
Not at first.
No, I just saw a man lurking
around the school parking lot
with a hoodie on, so.
Hmm.
Yeah.
Said he was waiting for someone.
Can you show me where
exactly he was pacing?
Yeah.
I was there.
He was,
he was probably here.
Yeah.
Why?
Is, is he in trouble or?
Is everything okay?
Uh.
That's...
Suspicious.
Yeah.
- Hello?
- Adele?
It's Goldy Barry.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You found the place?
I did, yes.
You'll have to forgive me.
My mind has been in a
million different directions.
Ah, I know the feeling.
I'm sure you do.
That meal yesterday?
My goodness.
I mean, I can barely
manage not to burn toast.
Oh.
I don't believe that.
Well, you don't know me.
Did I see your son
at school yesterday?
- Julian?
- Yeah.
I can't imagine that he'd
be back at his alma mater.
And he lives here
now with you, right?
In the guest quarters for now.
Hmm.
Why do you ask?
Oh, um.
I'm always on the lookout
for potential cater waiters.
Well, I will pass that along.
Here you are.
Thank you so much.
Goldy.
I heard about Laura Smiley,
and I know the two
of you were friends,
and I am so sorry.
Thank you.
I mean, I can't
understand why the police
are calling her
death suspicious.
Haven't they heard the
cliche doctors are the last
people to seek help?
Well, I don't know that we
should be making assumptions.
What else could it be?
I think that she was more
fragile that she let on.
Working those two
terribly draining jobs?
Is it any surprise
she literally ends up
driving herself to death?
Well, I, um,
I realize that you probably
weren't the president
of her fan club.
You heard the rumors.
I did.
And Laura assured me that
there is no truth to them.
Goldy.
I saw her.
I saw her sneaking out
of here late at night.
When?
About a week ago.
I was in Denver at the opera
and I had a headache
so I came home early.
And my husband claims that he
didn't even know she was here.
Adele, I'm so sorry.
My father warned me.
Never marry a handsome
man, and I married two.
I never met your first husband.
Uh, he was gone before Julian
and I came back to Elk Park.
Gone as in?
There's someone at the gate.
Would you excuse me?
Of course, yeah.
Miss Barry, you tell me
this was a coincidence?
- I was just-
- Detective?
I've just been advised by my
husband not to speak to you.
Seriously?
I wouldn't joke
about legal matters.
Look, I just, I just wanna
ask you a couple questions.
And you're perfectly
welcome to do that.
I'll have my attorney contact
you and schedule a meeting.
Goldy, thank you so much.
No worries.
What are you doing here?
Getting paid for yesterday.
Oh, yeah, really.
No, seriously.
Look. See?
So you're telling me
you didn't come here
because of what you told
me you saw her doing?
I will tell you that,
and I will tell you more.
Just not here.
Fine.
Follow me.
As you can see, there's
a lot you don't know
that goes into solving a crime,
which is why I need
you to stop trying
to do my job for me.
Look, I'm not
trying to do your job.
I care about Laura and
about what happened to her.
And I know this community.
What did you want to tell me?
So after you
mentioned Julian to me,
I went to ask a
friend about him, and-
You told somebody I
was looking into Julian?
Oh, give me some
credit, Detective, no.
I just asked a friend.
Name?
Brad Bowman.
He's a teacher.
Teaches history and
was at the luncheon.
Yeah, give me some
credit, Miss Barry.
Well, I asked Brad if
he had ever taught Julian,
but he said that he
actually saw Julian
in the parking lot
after the luncheon.
Yeah, I know, I know.
Dr. Gentle saw him there, too.
So that's why you
asked me about him.
Well, Brad also said
that he asked Julian
what he was doing there
and he said that he was
waiting on someone
and he was standing
right in front of Laura's car.
Yeah, Dr. Smiley
invited him there.
How do you know that?
'Cause she sent him an email.
What did the email say?
I'm not discussing
this with you, okay?
- Okay, okay.
- Yeah.
Thank you very much, Miss Barry.
There's just one more thing.
Um.
I did go to Adele's house
to pick up my check.
But also, she has a desk
drawer in her office
full of prescription medications,
and she tried to convince me
that Laura took her own life,
and I am pretty sure
that her ex-husband
was unfaithful to her.
Where did Adele live before
she came back to Elk Park?
Salt Lake.
Whoa.
Mr. Geddes' car
found by hikers.
He drove off a cliff.
Vincent Geddes seems like-
A con artist who married
rich and sponged off his wife?
You know, Adele filed for
divorce a couple months
before the crash and
then she rescinded it.
Why?
Well, maybe they made up.
Or maybe she didn't
file a prenup.
I bet I could
find out from Adele.
And she won't have her lawyers
there when I talk to her.
Miss Barry.
You gotta stop
with the Miss Barry.
It's Goldy.
Okay, Goldy.
I realize you might think
you're in a position to help.
I am in a position to help.
People talk to
me, they trust me.
And I've already helped you.
Well, I don't need your help.
Oh, am I interrupting?
Yes.
Call me if you need more help.
Good to see you, Mason.
More help with what?
This case.
Oh.
Well, she is very helpful.
I, I...
Drop.
Hey, Mar.
Hey, Goldy.
I am so sorry about Laura.
Yeah, it's awful.
I'll swing by her house to
make sure everything's okay.
You know?
Trying to stay proactive.
Hmm, well, speaking
of proactive,
I was talking to
Archie Dennison.
Yes, I cleaned up
the glass, remember?
No, just now.
Actually, we had lunch.
Marla, he is after you.
Well, and I'm after a job.
So I know that we were both
invited to Adele's birthday,
but how would you
like to work it?
Seriously?
Yeah, Archie had a different
caterer and florist set up.
He was so wowed with the
luncheon that I convinced him
to go with us.
Now I know it's coming up
fast and you're gonna have to
spend a little bit more time
at their house, but I'm-
I'll take it.
Oh, that was easy.
Shall we make a plan
over dinner, chez you?
As long as you bring me flowers.
Of course.
I'll see you tonight.
Bye.
Pick up, come on.
Pick up, pick up, pick up.
Goldy.
- I'm in Laura's house.
- What?
And somebody else is
in the house, upstairs.
What are you doing?
And I'm hiding in the closet.
Stay there and stay hidden.
I'm on the way.
They're banging around.
I think they're
looking for something.
I just, I can't see.
If I could just get
a little closer.
Stay there and don't hang up.
Okay, okay.
Hey, hey!
We need a patrol car on Laura
Smiley's house right now.
Sirens and lights.
Yeah, we're comin'.
Okay.
We're rolling.
Stay put.
They're leaving.
We're almost there.
Okay.
Better?
Thank you, yeah.
Well, you were definitely
trespassing this time.
You gonna arrest me?
Don't tempt me.
Did they take anything?
No, no, nothing important.
We'd already been here yesterday
and took all of her files.
Her laptop?
At the station.
I wanna show you something.
I promise, that key was
not there when I got here.
Well, you know what that means.
That whoever broke in
the house knew that there
was a key under there.
Well, I knew because
I water her plants
when she's out of town.
And you haven't
told anybody else?
No.
No.
Ah, there she is.
Tell her how many
goals you've scored?
Yeah.
You gonna brag?
Maybe.
Sorry, sorry, sorry,
sorry, sorry, ugh.
Ah, that's okay.
I was just in surgery and
handed over the scalpel.
He's kidding, Mom.
He was five minutes away
when you texted him.
Guys.
We were with Owen.
We were scouting the
wellness center site.
Wow.
You guys have land already.
Yeah, Goldy, I told you,
we're serious about this.
Well, thanks for being here.
Ah, don't worry about it.
You've got a lot going on.
You have no idea.
And I just got a new gig.
Adele Dennison's birthday party.
Wow.
Means I am already a
week behind.
Okay, I'll tell you what.
What would you think about
staying at Dad's house tonight?
Can we order Vietnamese?
Anything you want.
Ah, you don't have to.
No, I know, but I want to.
Go on.
Give your mom a hug.
Let's head out.
Well, as lousy as
he was as a husband,
Richard is really
coming through as a dad.
Well, Olive has
this magical power
of making him forget
his gigantic ego.
Well, he could've used
all of it at the luncheon.
He can really go off on people.
Don't ever let
him do that to you.
Oh, I am not talking about me.
Who?
Okay, don't get upset,
but toward the end
I was taking out some
trash and I saw him
and Laura arguing.
About what?
I don't know.
I was too far away to hear.
Hmm.
All right, all right, ready?
Yes, please.
Oh my goodness.
What is in this?
Guess.
Okay, well, um.
Tomatoes, obviously.
Oh, I'll get it.
Okay.
Mmm.
Detective.
Did you come to arrest me?
I'm beginning to think
you wanna be arrested.
I came to tell you that I
got the medical examiner
to come back a day early.
Autopsy's gonna
be done tomorrow.
Okay.
Goldy.
You gonna introduce me?
Um, this is
Detective Tom Shultz.
Tom, this is my friend Marla.
Um, Marla McGuire.
You did the flowers
for the luncheon.
I did.
Did you wanna question me or?
Marla and I are working
on a party for Saturday
for Adele Dennison.
Oh, you should come.
You know what? I should come.
But she'll never invite me.
I'll let you two get back
to what you were doing.
Nice to meet you.
You, too.
Goodnight, Detective.
Okay.
Um.
When were you gonna tell me
about this cute detective
that has a little crush on you?
He does not.
I'm helping him with something.
Uh-huh.
I am, and it would be
weird and unprofessional,
and besides, I'm going out
with Brad Bowman on Friday.
Oh, and you don't
think that's weird?
Because he's Olive's teacher?
No, because of him and Laura.
Him and Laura what?
He's Laura's ex.
She didn't tell you that?
No.
And neither did he.
Es Ma?
She said Laura
told her years ago
when she first moved to town.
And Laura never told you?
Nope.
Maybe it wasn't a
big deal to Laura.
You know what?
Maybe, I don't know, maybe
I could do some more digging
tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night?
What do you, what do
you have tomorrow night?
Brad and I are having dinner.
Oh.
Unless you think
it's a bad idea.
No, I don't think
it's a bad idea.
Where's this dinner
taking place?
The Bistro.
You know it?
Yeah, yeah, yup, heard of it.
Hey.
Maybe you could be there, too.
I don't think Brad
wants me at your dinner.
No, no, not, not with us.
You know, just in case
he, he tells me something
and I have to tell
you something or...
Something.
Yeah, okay.
But you know, um, I
should bring a date.
- Oh.
- Mason.
I'm taking you to
dinner tomorrow night.
Me?
- Hi.
- Hi.
I have to tell you,
I was over the moon
when I found out Archie
had this inspired notion
to get you to handle the event.
Ah, me, too.
Although I was looking
forward to getting
dressed up to attend.
Oh, you'll still be attending.
No, no, no, no,
no, I'll be working.
You'll be working
in a dual capacity,
so you can get dressed
up and bring a plus one.
You're the boss.
Literally.
So, how can I help you?
I have the guest list.
I just need to scout,
make a detailed plan.
I won't trouble you unless
I have any questions.
Sounds like we're
in excellent hands.
I'll let you get to it.
Thank you.
I was born in a hurricane
I was raised in the mud
Everybody gonna know my name
Here comes the flood
So I gotta shake, shake,
shake these qualms
Make, make, make me strong
You know I want it all
And it won't be long
'Cause I'm on a lonely road
Out here on my own
You know I want it all
And it won't be long
No, it won't be long
No, it won't be long
No, it won't be long
Hello?
Hi.
Oh!
Archie!
Oh, you startled me.
Whoops, sorry.
Oh, it's okay.
Um, do you, do you know
if this oven works?
Eh, well, we'd get it
fixed if the current tenant
would do any cooking.
Oh.
Is this where your
stepson is staying?
Oh. It's okay.
I actually think
this will work better
for a staging area for my crew.
Do you think Julian will mind?
Maybe I can use it as
an excuse to evict him.
Yes, I know, I'm awful.
Truth is, I should be
grateful to Julian.
His troubles are what
inspired me to build
the wellness center.
Oh, I guess I
thought Richard had-
No, no.
I wanted to bring
in medical partners.
- Yeah.
- As I told Owen,
it's my vision.
A state-of-the-art treatment
facility for anyone
battling the illness
of addiction.
Like the Betty Ford Center.
Exactly.
We'll have capacity
for 100 residents.
Wow.
That's amazing.
So I'm assuming then that
Julian will be at the party.
Who knows?
He's as reliable as the wind.
Adele's been trying
to reach him for days.
No answer.
And speak of the wife.
Hello, darling.
Just helping Goldy.
On my way.
Excuse me.
Do you mind?
It's a bit warm in here.
Not at all.
Miss Langsam.
Detective Tom Shultz.
Sarah's fine.
And this is my husband.
Archie Dennison,
this is Deputy Kildea.
Mason.
My first name, Mason.
I thought we were all
saying our first names.
Sorry.
Mind if we take a seat?
Please.
Well, thank you
for seeing us today.
As I said on the phone,
we're viewing this
as a suspicious death.
I'm not sure what's
suspicious about it.
She was a deeply troubled woman
who decided to end it all.
What makes you say that?
Well, isn't it obvious?
Can you be more specific?
Uh, I didn't know
her terribly well.
Well, you knew her
well enough to diagnose
her mental state, though.
Detective.
How well did you
know her, Mr. Dennison?
Only socially.
Ah, 'cause a week
ago, Mrs. Dennison,
didn't you see Dr. Smiley
leaving here late at night?
Do you have
an eyewitness to that?
Mrs. Dennison told
several people that.
So no eyewitness.
I'd consider it idle
gossip not worthy of
your taxpayer funded time.
Well, gossip starts
somewhere, right?
And I'm afraid
it started with me.
Adele.
I imagined an affair.
Did you imagine the same
thing with your first husband?
Vincent?
I'd love to speak to Vincent,
but that's not possible.
I'm not sure what
Adele's prior marriage
has to do with any of this.
You haven't told
your attorney, Adele?
Vincent Geddes was
killed in a car accident.
The kind where the
car falls off a cliff.
This interview's over.
Hold on a second, okay?
Detective, my clients
have nothing further to say.
So unless they're under
arrest, I'll show you both out.
We'll be in touch.
You have my number.
He was accusing you-
Yes, of killing Vincent.
Archie, I figured that out.
And of killing Laura.
My darling Archie, what
possible motive would I have
for killing Laura?
You told me there was nothing
between the two of you.
There wasn't.
But
hypothetically,
if I did discover that you lied,
then I guess I would
just simply divorce you,
as per our prenuptial agreement.
All that money.
Gone.
And that is a lot
of money to lose.
That would be a
perfect motive for you
to keep Laura
quiet, wouldn't it?
Take this, will you?
I'm heading to book club.
He threw the glass?
He threw his glass,
and it was nice crystal.
Well, I mean,
Adele did it, right?
Deputy.
But the way Archie lost it
like that, maybe he did it.
Mason.
And what happened to Julian?
Maybe he's dead, too!
- Mason.
Sorry, I got excited.
Never been part of a
homicide investigation.
And you still might
not be when we're waiting
on the autopsy results.
Well, yeah.
Sure, but you said it
was a suspicious death,
and now it's really
suspicious with these two.
Yeah, and now they
won't talk to me.
Why don't you come to
Adele's birthday party
with me as my plus one?
- Could he do that?
- You're gonna do that?
The invitation
said you and a guest.
Do I have to wear a tux?
Fresh tie will do.
Anyway.
I have to go talk to
my daughter's father.
She's divorced.
That's why she
said it like that.
I know that.
I think it looks nice.
Enter.
Uh-oh.
Am I in trouble?
Now why would you assume that?
Skier?
No, snowboarder, but that
was from a car accident.
Oh, no.
He okay?
She, and she will
be when I'm done.
Okay, really though,
am I in trouble?
Not trouble, no.
Um.
I just, uh.
Were you and Laura fighting
outside the dining hall
the day of the luncheon?
Wow.
Seriously?
I'm just asking a question.
Oh, just like old
times when you would
just ask a question
that sounded a lot more
like an accusation.
This is not about us.
- No?
- No.
Okay, well, um.
I wasn't fighting with Laura.
I was just passionately
conveying an opinion.
Okay.
What about?
I was concerned
about all the rumors
and gossip about her and
Archie and how it might
impact the wellness center.
I can fix bones in a few hours,
but what Owen does,
it takes longer.
He fixes lives.
Did you know that his
mother was an addict?
I didn't.
Yeah, he was gonna be a surgeon,
but when she died, he
switched to psychiatry.
The man is on a mission and
I'm doing whatever I can
to help him.
As I passionately
conveyed to Laura,
more people need access to
what her and Owen actually do.
And I'm living proof of that.
You're in therapy.
Yeah.
Good for you.
Yeah, well, maybe I
should've done it long ago
like you wanted me to.
Things might've turned
out differently.
Well, how did, um, how did
things turn out with Laura?
Well, I didn't get a
chance to talk to her
and she got a call
from a patient.
Goldy, what is with
all the questions?
I'm sorry.
I'm just trying to
understand how my friend...
Of course.
Look, I'm sorry.
You know, the one
thing that I've learned
from all of this therapy is
that life is like a mystery
and sometimes you just
have to accept that.
- Shultz.
- Hey, it's Goldy.
So, my ex-husband did talk
to Laura after the luncheon
before she got in
her car and left.
Did he see something?
No, but he did say
that she received a call
from a patient.
Around what time?
Probably 4:00ish.
Hey, Mason.
You're looking at
incoming calls, right?
Yeah, what do you need?
Check out a call before
the crash around 4:00.
Hey, this number.
It's Julian Geddes' number.
They talked for just a minute.
It was Julian.
They just talked for a minute.
He was probably
calling her to tell her
he was coming to
the parking lot.
She got another call
nine minutes later.
An unlisted number.
This call was for 30 minutes.
- Hang on.
- What?
- Wait a second.
- What's going on?
The distance from the school
to where she crashed, it's...
Tom?
I think we just figured
out that Laura was on a call
with somebody when she
went off the cliff.
With who?
That's an excellent question.
And Goldy's going
to ask Brad about
his relationship with Laura.
Shouldn't she be wearing a wire?
We're not there yet.
They're here.
I used to have a
major crush on Goldy
when she was my babysitter.
Really?
She used to bring
me delicious treats
she cooked in mason jars.
Thought she had the jars
specifically made for me.
I don't have a crush on her
anymore, for the record.
Mmm.
I mean, she's
cool, but, you know.
Think we'd be a bad fit.
Oh, yeah.
Who would date a prep?
Uh, technically, two.
Um, I guess it just feels
like one.
I have to confess.
I'm a little bit disappointed.
About what?
I knew you were
going to Adele's,
and I was really hoping
to dance with you.
Well, that could still happen.
Adele made me promise
that I would at least
spend some time as a guest.
They seem to be
having a nice time.
Do you think she's into
him or just, you know,
playing along for
the investigation?
You know her better than I do.
Sure.
I think she's playing along.
He reminds me of Richard.
He doesn't look
anything like Richard.
He's good-looking,
slick, well-dressed.
And wrong for her.
Yeah.
Listen, I, um, I have to
ask you an awkward question.
As Olive has heard
me say a hundred times,
I have never heard a question
that I didn't appreciate.
Just ask.
Okay.
Is there any truth
to the rumor that you
and Laura once dated?
Oh, no.
I think I just asked you a
question you didn't appreciate.
No, it's just a pathetic story.
I'll be the judge of that.
Laura and I met
in Aspen, skiing.
Cliche, I know, but
we really hit it off.
We made it work for a
couple years long distance,
and then she decided she
wanted to move to Elk Park.
She said she just fell
in love with the place,
but I thought it
was more than that,
and I bought a ring,
which I returned a
couple days later.
Well, that couldn't
have been easy.
No.
And I'm sure it was
even harder when she took
the school counseling job.
I handled it.
Ah.
Now you owe me a
painful romance story.
I have one or two of
those stories.
Well, ante up.
I, uh, I definitely will.
I'll be back.
What's going on?
The autopsy came back.
The crash didn't kill her.
She was poisoned.
The ME said the poison
was water hemlock,
which apparently grows
all over the place here.
I'm having forensics test the
chocolate-covered shortbread
that was in the front
seat of her car.
Chocolate is a great
masker of flavor.
Wait a minute, you
don't think that?
You're the killer?
You've been helping me
in the investigation
because you wanna get caught?
No. Okay?
But there's no question
that there is a killer now.
And hemlock takes 30
minutes to take effect.
Laura was on the
phone with someone for-
30 minutes.
Yeah, and since nobody
came forward after her death,
I'm assuming the killer
was on the phone with her-
To make sure that she died.
Yeah.
That is awful.
Well, Brad, Brad
just admitted to me
that he proposed to Laura
and she turned him down.
I mean, he was trying
to joke about it,
but it was clearly
still painful to him.
I mean, do you think that he?
I have to look into it.
God.
You should, you should probably
get back to your dinner.
I've lost my appetite.
I'm so sorry.
It's Olive, I need to go.
Okay, let's get out of here.
Olive needs you.
You're just being a great mom.
But you still owe me a story.
Tomorrow, while we're dancing.
That sounds great.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Goodnight.
I just, I thought
I'd check in on you.
Thank you.
I'm actually, um, doing
an impression of you.
So these are for
the party tomorrow.
They're not quite as
visual as your board.
I like what you're
doing here, though.
- Mmm-hmm.
- Yeah.
Well, I'm just
trying to figure out
who was at the luncheon that
had access to the shortbread.
All of them?
When it was on the buffet, yes,
but that was in plain sight.
How about before you brought
them out to the buffet?
Well, I was in the
kitchen with Brad,
but we were together
the entire time.
But then-
What?
Well, I just, I went
out into the hall,
and when I came back, Marla
was in the kitchen alone
eating the shortbread.
And she was the one who told
me about Laura and Brad,
and she was the
one that invited me
to do this last minute gig
after going out with Archie.
Going, going out?
On a date?
I mean, I don't know.
They were clearly
flirting at the luncheon.
Wow.
But the thing is, is, I've just,
I've known Marla for years.
There's just no way
that she's a killer.
In my experience,
there's always a way
for anyone of us.
It's just a matter of things
coming together in a way
that makes it happen.
Take the appetizers
to the staging area.
Thank you.
So beautiful.
Oh.
You as friendly
with Adele Dennison?
As friendly as I need to be.
What about Julian Geddes?
That's Adele's son.
Well, I was his teacher
for a couple of years, but...
And how is he doing now?
I'm sorry, but that
would be violating
doctor-patient privileges.
Mmm.
Excuse me.
I'll see you later.
- Wow, Goldy.
- Yeah?
We're only in the appetizers,
and it's already magnificent.
Thank you, I appreciate that.
However, I have been
instructed by the hostess
to ask you to shed
your outerwear.
Okay.
She's the boss.
I'll go stow this.
No, please, let me.
I can take it for you.
- Really?
I actually have
to use the restroom.
Oh, thank you, thanks.
Goldy, you look...
Oh, my.
You struck Richard dumb, Goldy.
Is there anything you can't do?
I don't know, I'm sure Richard
can think of a few things.
Oh, yeah, you two are hilarious.
Owen, the O'Connors
would love to hear more
about the wellness center.
Can you?
Uh, duty calls.
Have fun.
Oh!
Don't scream.
It's me.
I didn't want to scare you.
Well, you failed!
I'm sorry!
And first off, what are
you doing without gloves?
Put these on, okay?
You wanna be detective,
you've gotta get better
at sneaking around.
This is Adele's desk.
Look.
Clonazepam.
Isn't that for seizures?
I worked with a
chef who had them.
Well, there also for anxiety.
Looks like he hasn't
taken them in months.
"Stay away from
my husband or I will
end things for you here."
Maybe she was
talking about getting
Laura fired from school?
Yeah, maybe.
Don't you wanna take that?
Not until I come back
with a search warrant.
Oh, yeah. Yes.
I was, um, starting
to think that you
weren't gonna make it.
Needed to buy a fresh tie.
You did good.
Wow.
You are good at what you do.
So are you.
You know, I've been
meaning to ask you.
What are you doing here?
In Elk Park, I mean.
That's a, that's a
funny story, actually.
My ex-wife is from here.
Ex-wife.
Yup.
Hmm.
Yeah, she was always talking
about how much she missed it,
especially when we were
going through a rough patch,
which was a good description
of all three years
of our marriage.
Oh.
Anyway, I saw this job
listed and I thought,
you know, maybe, maybe
that'll be the thing to
save our marriage.
She served me with
the divorce papers
on the same day the
job offer came through.
But you came anyway.
Yeah, San Francisco
just wasn't the same.
And I needed a break
from all the crime.
What was her name?
Jessamine.
Jessamine?
Jessamine Cole?
You know her?
Since kindergarten.
I'm surprised you lasted
three years.
Ladies and gentlemen, will
you please head this way?
Dinner will be served shortly.
Owen.
Goldy.
What are you doing?
Hoping not to find something.
I don't understand.
My patient Julian Geddes
lives here, and, uh.
What?
I'm afraid Julian has, uh,
developed an unhealthy fixation.
An obsessive attraction,
really, to, uh,
a mutual friend of ours.
To Laura?
She obviously didn't tell you,
probably trying to
protect him, I'm sure.
But my concern was that
he might've somehow...
Do you know that Julian's
father was killed
the same way,
driving off a cliff?
I did, actually.
I was praying that...
That's water hemlock.
The police said it
was in the shortbread
that Laura ate before she died.
Your shortbread?
Same recipe, minus the poison.
I posted the menu online a
week before the luncheon.
Goldy, Julian was in
the parking lot with Laura
that day before she left.
Do you think-
- What I think
is that the person who planted
the hemlock in the drawer
should've gone to the trouble
to look in Julian's kitchen.
Do you know if this oven works?
Yeah, we'd get it fixed
if the current tenant
ever did any cooking.
Julian couldn't bake shortbread,
but I bet your oven
works just fine.
Hang on.
You, you think that I-
Planted the hemlock in the
drawer before I walked in.
Yeah, I do.
But I'm not a detective, so.
Maybe I'm wrong.
I'm just gonna run it
by Detective Shultz.
Wait.
Goldy!
- What?
Owen!
You at the station?
No, we're coming to you.
Mason, we're
about to have dinner.
We're watching Julian's
surveillance camera.
Goldy's in trouble!
He's taking her into the forest.
Go on, deeper into
the woods, hurry.
- Okay, just-
- Come on.
Just let me take
my heels off, okay?
- Come on.
- I can't walk in them.
Goldy!
Goldy!
Goldy!
Goldy!
Goldy!
Hey.
Your head! Are you okay?
Yeah.
It's Owen.
He killed Laura and he's
trying to frame Julian.
Owen, put the gun down.
Owen, Owen, look
at me, look at me.
You knew.
- Hey, Laura.
- Hi.
Uh, here. For you.
What is this?
I don't know.
Goldy just...
You knew if she
started eating right away
that the hemlock
would hit as she was
driving up the mountain.
And you stayed on
the phone with her
just to make sure that
your plan would work.
You should've stayed
out of it, Goldy.
Stayed out of what?
- I'm trying to help people!
- You killed Laura!
No, you don't under,
you don't understand.
Don't you see?
The wellness center can help
treat people with addiction.
Oh, I use it all the
time in my hypnotherapy
to treat serious addiction.
Modify behavior, help people
break through limitations
in their thinking.
The power of suggestion.
What if Julian was
the inspiration to build
a wellness center?
His troubles gave
me the inspiration
to build the wellness center.
And what about Julian?
You were supposed to help him.
Julian, tell your mother
that the wellness center
is a wonderful investment,
and to give Archie the money.
Yeah, but then Julian realized
what he was trying to do.
Because he stopped
taking his medications.
You both think you're
so clever, don't you?
It wasn't Archie who Laura
was gonna see that night.
It was Julian, and he
told her what you did.
And Laura made a complaint
to the state medical board.
How did you know that?
You know, the state of
Colorado has strict laws
against the misuse
of hypnotherapy?
You're probably gonna
lose your license.
Answer me!
How did you know that?
So what's your next move?
You gonna shoot us both?
Put it on Julian?
The thing you don't
know is that Julian has
an alibi right now.
For the past hour, he's
been with Deputy Kildea.
No.
No, you're, you're bluffing.
Just like you bluffed Julian
when you sent him that email
from Laura's work computer.
You needed people to see
Julian in the school parking lot
with Laura before she
died because all you did
was tip Laura off.
As soon as Julian told her
that she sent him an email,
Laura suspected that
he was in danger
and she sent him somewhere safe.
Julian's got a lot to
share with Deputy Kildea.
With the thumb drive
Laura gave him,
with the medical
board complaint,
and the fact that two
weeks ago Julian installed
hidden security cameras
in the guest quarters.
That's how you knew
we were in the woods.
You're lying. You're lying!
Owen had to plant
the poison tonight
so that by the time
the medical examiner
got back from her conference,
I'd have reason to
search Julian's room.
But Owen, I had the ME
come back a day early,
so we're a few
steps ahead of you.
- It's over.
- Don't!
Hey, hey!
Owen.
Don't.
Don't get any closer, Goldy.
Owen, look.
I know, I know that you
just wanna help people,
and the wellness center,
it is such a great cause.
But Owen,
your mother, she, she
wouldn't want this.
Did you know that his
mother was an addict?
I could've helped
so many people.
I know.
Detective! Goldy!
Hey.
Hey.
Take him away.
You have the
right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you
in the court of law.
I was closer.
You're good.
Yeah.
Hey, doin' all right?
So you, like, you
like disarmed him?
Well.
I tackled him.
You're like the
coolest person I know,
and that even includes
Detective Shultz.
Mason.
I'm gonna head
to the station now.
Well, I hate to be uncool,
but I gotta head there as well.
Got a long night of
paperwork ahead of me.
I'm gonna need you to come
to the station tomorrow.
Is that okay?
- Of course.
- 9:00am?
Try to get some sleep
tonight, all right?
Thank you.
I'm just doing my job.
Well,
thank you for doing it so well.