Mea Culpa (2024) Movie Script
1
[thoughtful music fading in]
[siren sounding]
[woman] Mea?
Mea.
Would you like to come back to the table?
[music subsides]
Would you like to share with us
your feelings about what Kal said?
He just sat here and told me
that I was the reason he had an affair.
I didn't have an affair.
So
- [Kal sighs]
- you were just sitting there,
in a coffee shop, holding her hand.
Look, I told you
that Jenna is a childhood friend.
A childhood friend who you're close enough
to hold hands with. Is that right?
Don't lawyer me, Mea.
That's where he goes
when I ask him hard questions.
No, I'm sorry,
I'm not a witness on a stand.
I'm your husband.
Does Jenna know that?
Better yet, does your mother know that?
[cell phone buzzes]
[whispering] It's his mother.
[sighs] Look, I'm I'm sorry.
I know we only have 20 minutes left,
but it's my mom's birthday.
- She's pretty big on birthdays.
- And Sunday dinners.
I'm sorry, we're gonna have to go.
- No.
- Mea.
I'm gonna stay
and finish the session. You go.
- Mea, c'mon
- Go, Kal.
I'm sorry.
[cell phone buzzes]
- [Kal] Hey, Mom?
- [door opens]
- [Kal] Yeah, I'm on the way. Yeah.
- [sighs]
[door shuts]
Does that happen often?
She is more a part of this marriage
than anything else.
He feels guilty because she has cancer,
and he lost his job eight months ago.
And he keeps begging me
not to tell his brother
or my friend,
who is also my sister-in-law.
I know that lots of men
love their mothers,
but this kind of devotion is
I've never seen anything like it.
[music intensifies]
Thank you.
[softly] Excuse me.
Excuse me.
- Ah!
- Maddy!
Oh, Mea, hi.
Have you met Zyair Malloy?
Come on. I'll introduce you.
- No need.
- Mea, he's been coming here for years.
He's a really nice kid,
but he needs a good lawyer.
Well, this is Chicago,
and we come a dime a dozen.
But I know you.
And your brother's the assistant DA,
and that thing you did for my Vinny.
Can you just talk to him?
Can I have him
call your office, please? Please.
Sure, on one condition.
You send me your strongest drink.
I have to deal with my mother-in-law.
Oh, I understand. [laughs]
- You got it.
- [Mea] Okay. [chuckles]
[Maddy] Through here.
Let me take your coat.
Oh, look! Her Majesty the Queen
has finally arrived!
Don't worry, son,
your second wife will be on time.
[laughs heartily]
Oh, what? What?
No happy birthday for the old lady?
Happy birthday.
[Mom] Thank you.
I mean, not bad for 60, right?
Oh, I want you to meet someone.
This is Jenna. She's a wonderful girl.
Hi.
I mean, I know why
my son liked her so much.
I mean, I wish
she were my daughter-in-law. [laughs]
[Jenna laughs]
Well, now that the queen has arrived,
let's get the dinner out.
I have arranged the seating.
Jenna, you sit here,
and, um Mea, I... I know you won't mind.
I'm sure you and Charlise wanna talk.
You can sit down there.
Mmm!
[chuckling]
Happy birthday, Mom.
Thank you, son! [chuckling]
- [gasps] It's from Mea and I.
- [Mom] Mmm!
You see, Jenna? What a sweet boy he is.
He's always been so sweet.
[Jenna chuckles]
[Mom softly] Those two
aren't doing so well.
What? I'm kidding.
I mean, you know what a catch he is.
[man] Yeah, okay, c'mon.
You just had to outdo
your older brother, huh?
- C'mon.
- [Mom] Oh!
- [man] Now open ours.
- [Mom chuckles, gasps] Oh!
You okay?
Damn. What did I do
to deserve you as a friend?
Oh, I feel the same.
I feel like we're both
knees-deep in our relationships.
- I know.
- [chuckles]
I always wanted
a man who loved his mother.
Well, we did get that, didn't we?
Be careful what you ask for.
Let's just enjoy this. All right?
She is drunk,
and she will be passed out in no time.
Been hitting it hard.
Hmm. When does she not?
What did I miss down there?
[chuckles] Oh, um,
we were just talking about
how lovely this is for your birthday.
I bet you were.
[Charlise chuckles]
Where is my drink?
I don't know why
there are so many paparazzi out here.
Zyair Malloy is in there.
What?
Did I ever tell you
my wife thought it'd be a good idea
to buy two of his paintings?
I wanna get rid of it.
I mean we have to.
I'm prosecuting the case.
You know, clear conflict there.
I mean, what he did to that woman was,
you know, it was awful.
Son of a bitch.
- You don't wanna buy a painting, do you?
- Uh-uh. No, we're good.
That's right. We bought
enough expensive things for the night.
[Mom shouting] Thank you, Maddy! [sighs]
[man] Come on, Mom.
- Yes, take an old woman home, huh?
- [man chuckling]
Oh! I wish you lived closer.
I know, Mom. I know.
We could always move to the city.
You know Ray loves the countryside.
- Mmm! I love you, boys.
- [Kal] Love you too.
Mmm!
[quietly] Jenna, give him a hug.
[Kal] Have a great night.
- [Jenna sighs happily]
- [Mom] Bye, Mea!
[Jenna sighs]
[Charlise] I love you, girl. Mmm.
I will see you at Rumble.
[softly] Yes,
I feel like punching something.
[laughs]
Go on.
Thank you.
Damn. Why is this Bluetooth not playing?
I wish it would just pick up my phone
like it does in the truck or...
No, it should just come on
when I get in the...
["Winnie (End of Me)" playing]
In the car.
Thank you.
I know you're mad about the watch.
And I knew you would say no,
but but it's my mom.
How much was it?
I sold the piano.
Come on!
Look, you don't even play it anymore.
You stopped years ago, and it was just
sat there collecting dust.
And it was mine in the first place.
So yours and mine now.
Is is that where we are?
I'm not trying to fight.
Look, I'll buy you another piano, Mea.
She's done everything for me and Ray,
and now she's dying.
Did your mom invite Jenna?
C'mon, I'm just I'm just trying to make
her last few days happy.
I don't care about Jenna!
I don't want her at all!
She's not you!
No one is you.
You will be the end of me
You will be the end of me
[music stops]
[tense ambient music playing]
[music intensifies]
[Mea] Good morning.
- What's that look for?
- Zyair Malloy is in your office.
What? Why?
Everyone was staring at him out here,
so I put him in your office.
He was supposed to call.
- Should I push your ten o'clock...
- No, no, this won't take long.
Good morning.
Mr. Malloy?
I'm Mea Harper.
Zyair.
Maddy told me that you would call.
Police raided my loft
for the second time this morning,
intentionally damaging
two commissioned works.
That has to be illegal.
Coffee?
No. That stuff makes me crazy.
Not literally.
I did not
kill my girlfriend.
[unsettling music playing]
This is my life,
and they're trying to ruin me.
And who would "they" be?
That tender-dick DA.
He hates me.
Why would he hate you?
I don't know.
Can you rep me?
Maddy tells me you're the best.
And if he says you're the one
you're the one.
There's a conflict here.
The DA has appointed your case
to the assistant DA,
who is my brother-in-law.
Brother-in-law.
Then I assume you love your husband. Yes?
Imagine if your husband turned up missing,
and everyone blamed you for it.
It's insane. And it's everywhere.
Will you help me?
Mr. Malloy.
Zyair. Please.
I don't tend to make decisions
based on what's popular
- Good.
- or in headlines.
Good. Because they're all lies.
- Our firm has a retainer of seven...
- It doesn't matter.
I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll take a look at what
the prosecution has and get back to you.
Today?
[Mea] I'll let you know when I can.
[Zyair] Unlock your phone.
Put my number in.
You can leave it with my secretary
on your way out.
Thank you.
I apologize for bargin' in.
[door opens]
[Charlise] Hoo!
- [sighs loudly]
- [Mea] My God!
That was a hard-ass class,
but you barely broke a sweat. [laughs]
It's cold!
But you usually got a little sprinkle
going on on the forehead.
I... Yo, I'm not gonna say anything else.
Oh!
Ooh, speaking of cold
[Mea] No.
Don't do it!
Hi! I'm gonna take a chocolate.
- You feel better now?
- Ooooh!
[chanting] We hate Malloy!
Put him in jail
[Charlise] They march
outside that building every day,
and that woman refuses
to take his paintings down.
Between you and I, Ray is loving this.
He came to see me.
- Who?
- Zyair.
- He wants me to represent him.
- What?
Don't do it.
Charlise, this is what I do.
Promise me you won't.
[Mea sighs]
I I'm just thinking about it.
[protesters] He killed her
He can go to hell
Hey.
[sighs] You scared the heck out of me.
Kal.
- What the...
- I was looking at that.
You can't represent him.
Kal, give me the file.
Look, I don't care. I said no.
I'm not having it in the press
my wife is battling for this murderer.
I defend murderers all the time.
Hence, "defense attorney."
Not against my brother.
It's not happenin'.
Oh, look, I'm
What are... [sighs]
[Mea] Pick one.
Tell me which one you will pay,
and then tell me
what you're not gonna let me do.
- Mea, look...
- The house note?
The car note? Your mom's medical bills?
Because God forbid
she should have health insurance.
Are you really saying
this is about my dying mother?!
We send your brother
huge checks for her every month.
And you don't want me
to tell them that you lost your job?
Ugh. Go on. Say it.
You think I'm not?
If you hadn't gone to work so damn high
and reeking of alcohol,
we wouldn't be in this situation.
It's a really good look
for an anesthesiologist.
Kal addicted to his own shit.
And now I'm here
trying to hold it all together.
This case will earn me just enough
to get us through the next few months.
So don't tell me
what I will or will not do.
- Mea...
- Pick one.
Mr. Malloy, this is Mea Harper.
[Zyair] Hi.
Please, Zyair.
[Mea] I'd like to meet with you tomorrow
at my office if I could.
I've got some questions
before I can give you an answer.
[Zyair] All right.
I'll have to ditch the paparazzi.
They follow me everywhere.
[Mea] On second thought, I'll come to you.
[Zyair]Take the elevator on the right.
The door is sticky.
[intercom buzzes]
["Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes fading in]
If you see me walking down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Walk on by
Walk on by
Make believe
That you don't see the tears
Oh, just let me grieve
In private cause each time I see you
I break down and cry
Oh, baby
[Zyair] Apologies. Just
just one moment.
[music continues]
What do you see?
- First word.
- [sighs]
[Mea] Longing.
Mea is longing.
There's, uh,
water and alcohol on the counter.
Cruise around, please.
It's gotta be helpful for you to see,
being a so-called crime scene and all.
It's my new piece.
It's called She Lives in Notes.
You can actually play it
if you sit at the bench.
You play?
No.
- [Zyair] Does it speak to you?
- How could it not?
What is she saying?
[Mea] It's actually asking
shall we get started?
Please.
What the prosecution has
is pretty damning.
So I need to know
what you have to say about it.
As an artist,
I know that you have an eye for details.
So don't leave anything out.
The things you think are not important
may be the thing
that I need to know the most.
Portofino.
[pen scribbling]
[Zyair] We met in Italy.
Beautiful place,
super romantic.
I was out there on vacation,
longing for inspiration,
met this
Mexican goddess
at a little restaurant.
She was my waitress.
I was there for ten days. We hit it off.
She...
Yeah.
There's a little photo album.
She was a She was a selfie queen.
So always taking photos.
Every day is pretty much documented.
[unsettling music playing]
I saw in the discovery
that the police have your electronics.
But they didn't take this?
Look, all I can tell you is,
for six months, we were inseparable.
And one day, I went to an exhibit
and came back, and she was gone.
[Mea] Have you seen these photos?
There was so much blood
that it seeped down
into your neighbor's apartment below.
The blood type and DNA
matches your girlfriend.
These skull fragments
were found in one of your paintings.
Her skull,
her hair,
her DNA.
And that painting would have been hanging
would have been hanging
there.
And the blood would have been about
here.
Do you wanna explain to me
how this happened?
I don't know.
[Mea sighs]
The painting in this photo is
the prosecution's Exhibit B.
Can you tell me
what the name of that painting is?
- The one with her skull fragments in it?
- Yeah
Hydie was a
was a very silly girl.
And just like I asked you
to name that painting,
I asked her to name this one.
She named it Evil Bitch.
I didn't think that was it,
but we had a laugh about it,
and I just left it.
Just wanted to make her happy.
- And the fragments of her skull?
- Why do you keep... Why... Stop saying that.
- Why do you keep saying that?
- The prosecution is going to say it.
A lot.
- How do you think this happened?
- I don't I don't know, Mea!
What do you...
[chuckles] This is fuckin' bullshit, yo.
He is gonna kill me.
Please, I need to get away from him.
[panting] If you get this, he did it.
He killed me. [breathing emotionally]
- [Mea] You hadn't seen this?
- That's not real.
- Why would she record this?
- I don't know.
What about
the $3 million life insurance policy?
I don't know anything about
a $3 million life policy.
I didn't take anything out on her.
I don't know
I didn't kill her, Mea.
I am not going to lie to you.
This is going to be an uphill battle.
If I take you on, I have one demand.
You can never
Look at me!
Look at me.
You
can never lie to me.
You have to tell me everything,
no matter how uncomfortable
or insignificant you may think it is.
Of course.
You gonna take me on?
[Mom] Ah, honey, you have got to get
more than takeout in this house.
Look at how my boy is thinning.
[Kal scoffs]
I didn't know we were having company.
[Mom] You're not eating.
You're insulting my cooking.
Mea, c'mon. Mom came after chemo.
Thank you.
The food is great. I appreciate it.
Why do I feel like
there's a "but" in there?
Well in all the years we've been married,
you've never done this.
I thought we'd have
a nice family dinner together.
We were free.
Mom felt up for it.
I have some news I wanna share with you.
I'm running for mayor.
Oh, that's great.
And he's gonna win.
I'm sure.
So what's new with you?
Ah, nothing much.
Same ol', same ol'.
Any new clients?
As a matter of fact,
I am considering repping Zyair Malloy.
[tense music playing]
No. You're not.
[scoffs] Excuse me?
Your brother-in-law
is going to win that case.
He's going to build his campaign
on fighting crime.
Tell 'em, son.
Crime is awful here,
and he's gonna be my poster boy.
So, if my sister-in-law defends him,
well, you see
the dilemma there, right, Mea?
Did you see the discovery?
We are gonna bury him.
If you represent him,
I'll have to recuse myself
because of our family connection, and,
well, that's not something
I'm willing to do.
So you will not represent him.
Well, I hadn't made a decision.
[Mom] No, you have.
We have.
And you're part of this family now,
and we have a say.
So you're not representing him.
[music intensifies]
[Mea scoffs softly]
I wasn't sure if I would represent him.
And now
I have my answer.
[Mom] Wonderful.
Would you like some more lamb?
[music fades out]
[phone ringing]
[Charlise] I'm so sorry.
About what?
Look, Kal called and told Ray
that you're representing Zyair.
He and his mom hit the roof.
I tried to calm them down,
and I told them
you're just thinking about it.
[sighs] Why would you do that?
Well, they were going to find out,
and you know how it gets around here
when they're mad.
And she's sick, so I just
I
I'm sorry, Mea.
It's okay. I'll call you later.
- You're upset.
- No.
Not at all. I'll call you later.
Are you sure?
Yes. I have an appointment.
Okay, call me later.
Yeah, I will.
- Good morning. You're here early.
- Good morning.
I need everything you have
on the State of Massachusetts versus Brown
and Wilson versus the State of New Mexico.
On it.
- Ah, Jimmy should be here any second.
- He's out there already.
Oh, bring him in. And find out
who the judge is on Zyair Malloy's case.
Ask to meet in the chambers
with the prosecution
to talk about a family conflict.
You're repping Zyair Malloy?
You're damn right.
- [Jimmy] Thank you. H-hey!
- [Mea] Hey.
[Jimmy chuckling] Ah, look at you!
- [Mea grunts gently]
- How you doin'? You good?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, you okay?
- It's good to see you. Thanks for coming.
- Yeah.
C'mon. I could hear it
in your voice on the phone.
So what is it?
I need you. I need your help.
Okay.
Can we take a walk? I need some air.
- Yeah.
- Good.
[Jimmy] All right, so what did Kal do now?
Hmm? Am I following him again?
[Mea] No.
- So you guys workin' it out?
- They were just at the coffee shop.
I know. And if it had been anything else,
I would have found it.
I know. You told me about
his drug habit before he lost his job.
I wrestled with that.
I just didn't want you in the dark.
- Always tell me what you find, Jimmy.
- Yes.
You're the best private investigator,
so just tell me.
- Just don't like seeing you hurting.
- Me being in the dark is more hurtful.
Okay. You know how I feel about you,
right? You're like a sister to me.
- I'm okay.
- All right.
So,
how's Kal?
- Don't do that.
- What?
- Don't do what? What I do?
- I know you.
[chuckling] What?
So just tell me.
Fine. Fine. He goes to his rehab,
and then he goes back home.
- I knew you were still watching.
- [chuckling]
Yeah. Yeah. Uh, is he still lying
to his folks about losing his job?
[Mea sighs]
It's a lot, Jimmy.
I know.
My work helps.
- Did you get the information I sent you?
- Yes.
I already started trying to track
the girlfriend's family in Mexico.
And?
Well, strangely, either no one's
ever heard of them, or they're all scared.
Which is common. I should have cell phone
metadata from his and her phones too.
Is that legal?
You know the rules. Don't ask me
any questions, and I'll indemnify you.
- Sorry.
- [laughing] Nah.
The witness list for the prosecution?
Listen, if you really wanna do this,
I'll find anything
and everything I can for you, okay?
But you know what?
You don't seem sure.
Hmm? [laughs] And I know
your brother-in-law has gotta be pissed.
- He's such a dick.
- Ah, he is!
- But I'm doing it.
- You doin' it?
Okay, I hope it's because of your gut
and not because you're angry with him.
You always go with your gut, Mea.
Don't change that.
I won't.
So you believe this Zyair guy?
[sighs] Let's
let's see what happens
when we talk to him.
All right. All right.
- All right?
- All right.
What is this?
You're the only firm he can retain?
[sighs] I'm sure there are others,
but he wants my firm, Your Honor.
And as you know,
the defendant has the right
to choose the counsel of his choice.
Of course I know that.
So, Ray, you don't want to...
I would prefer not to recuse myself
if Your Honor would see fit.
- [tense music playing]
- [Mavro] This is your sister-in-law.
She knew I was prosecuting the case,
which I think she took on purpose
just to antagonize my brother,
who has done everything for her.
Well, it's obvious that this, uh animus
will make for terrible bedfellows,
so, um, I think I'm going to allow it.
But if I get a hint of anything improper,
I will refer you both to the bar.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Thank you, Your Honor.
[music intensifies]
So she never told you
where her parents lived in Mexico?
We were actually gonna go visit
when I had a chance to take a break, but
we weren't together long.
And then why did she send that video
to her sister
saying those things about you?
I I didn't even know she had a sister.
I don't know.
Hmm. You didn't know
where her parents live.
You didn't know she had a sister
- I didn't do anything to her.
- [Jimmy] Hmm.
Well, you did something to her.
Yeah?
Sex. Right?
I mean, that was your girl.
Now, don't look at her.
'Cause she's thinking the same thing.
- Of course we had sex, man.
- [Jimmy] Yeah, you had sex. Pretty erotic?
Like your ex?
Let's see what she said, actually.
Let's see. I read somethin'.
Ah, there it is.
"He liked to pull my hair
and make me gag."
"Spit on me."
"He got pleasure when I was in pain."
"He was sadistic."
Hmm. Take a look at that, Mea.
[softly] Yeah. Right there.
"Deep was never deep enough for him."
"If I didn't show pleasure on my face,
he would do things to make me show pain."
"Things like bite my nipples
and choke me until I passed out."
That's so one-sided. That was
that was her thing.
Why you smiling about it?
Listen.
She was she just was
that's how she was.
She was an insatiable woman
'cause she would do the same stuff to me.
She would choke me.
She would bite me,
pour hot candle wax on me.
It was a game.
It was too much for me,
so I had to end it.
That's why she's angry.
- Oh, wait. You ended it?
- [Zyair] I ended it.
She says she ended it,
and you stalked her.
No.
Actually,
it's the other way around.
Ooh, man, you got
a lot of women after you, don't you?
Well, you know, sometimes it's like that.
Okay. Arrogant motherfucker too.
I like it, though, personally.
- How the fuck? What is
- Jimmy
- I'm sorry. I was
- Sorry.
I ended it.
She couldn't take it.
She was trying to take things too far.
I didn't feel comfortable with it.
And that was that.
What's going too far?
Bashing her head in?
Putting her skull in the painting?
- How is this helping me?
- [Mea] Jimmy
What? I'm just He's sitting there
with a smirk on his face. I just
Did you do these erotic things with Hydie?
No, Hydie wasn't that way at all.
Which is why I loved her so much.
It was
much better with Hydie.
I never did anything to hurt her.
So you didn't get high,
and then y'all got into some kinky shit
- [Zyair] No!
- Maybe things got a little, you know
- Maybe things got out of control.
- No.
- [Jimmy] That's all I'm suggesting. Maybe?
- [Zyair] No.
[Jimmy] Okay.
- [electronic beeps]
- Well that is my time.
Got a plane to catch. Headed to Mexico
to see how I can help you, kid.
You got any stairs? 'Cause, uh
man, that elevator's some creepy shit.
- All right. I'll be in touch.
- [Mea softly] Yeah.
I'll be right back.
[footsteps retreating]
[Mea] Jimmy!
Wait.
All right.
So what do you think?
Well, you read body language
better than experts.
Give me your opinion.
I mean, he wasn't blinking a lot.
His inflections were up
in all the right places.
Voice was pitched right.
That fucker's lying.
That's what I think.
If he's not lying, he is a psychopath.
All right? And he believes his lie so much
that he could he could fool even me.
Crazy, 'cause
- I feel the same way.
- You feel the same way. Yeah. [snorts]
Shit.
I'll call you from Mexico?
Okay.
- [Jimmy] Adios.
- Hmm.
[ambient music playing]
Zyair?
Zyair?
You're out on bail.
You shouldn't do that.
So turn me in.
The prosecution can request a drug test
at any time.
Do you wanna do
this entire trial from jail?
Mr. Malloy, if I'm your attorney,
no more going out to fancy restaurants
with the paparazzi watching.
No more going out at all
unless you're
dying or trying to get to a hospital.
If you are ever photographed,
you need to be disheveled and look bad.
You need to look like you're in hell.
This is hell, Mea.
I can't for the life of me understand
why Hydie would make that video.
She was my woman.
I feel like all this is just a bad dream.
I feel like maybe if I
dove off this roof, I might wake up.
You're not dreaming.
And that will kill you.
Why don't we go back into the apartment?
I'm not suicidal, girl.
That was a lie, Mea.
I'm not a womanizer,
despite what the paper says.
Yes.
I do love sex.
And, yes, I have
done some wild shit.
But I've never hurt nobody.
I'm the type of man who loves to see
pleasure on my woman's face, not pain.
Pleasure.
And she knows that.
So why would she lie?
She's not my ex. She's just someone
I was fucking around with.
Listen, I've heard
everything I need to know.
If there's anything else to find,
Jimmy is the best, and he will find it.
Okay.
Try not to worry.
[line ringing]
[cell phone ringing]
How's Mexico?
Uh, Mexico is the same everywhere.
Meaning how's the search going?
Not so good. I traced the cell phone
to a cell tower
near where the video was sent to,
and, yeah,
there's no families living in the area.
It's all cartel overran, right?
I get as close as I can to the city
where the police said that she was born.
Nobody's ever heard of this Hydie.
Excuse me.
- Well, that's odd.
- Yeah, no, it gets worse.
Uh, there are no birth records
for anyone with that name, Mea.
And to think, like, that an American
could kill a beautiful Mexican girl,
and there's no sign of that story here?
C'mon, something's off.
Gimme a couple days.
I'll have a full report.
Um, okay.
Yeah, oh, and there is a
there's a Renee Carter
you really need to ask him about.
Is she on the witness list?
Yeah, I talked to her on the phone.
She's telling me she got a lot to say,
but she won't talk on the phone,
so I'll see her when I get back.
Oh, okay. Well, travel safe. Thank you.
All right. I'll try.
[Kal clears throat]
[tap running]
[Mea] What?
- [Kal] You, uh
- [tap stops]
you remember our honeymoon?
Remember?
When it rained every damn day?
When you kept getting dressed,
and we couldn't even make it to the door?
[sensual music playing]
You, um
you ever think we can get back there?
I know you can't answer that. I know.
This is on me.
But I promise I promise I'm gonna do
everything to get us back there.
Okay?
And I get it.
Um I know why you repped him.
It's totally my fuck-up.
And I'm sorry. I really am.
I love you with everything.
I gotta get dressed, Kal.
Yeah. Of of course.
[sighs]
[under breath] Shit.
Who is Renee Carter?
[Zyair] A very bitter person.
[Mea] Did you sleep with her?
Yes.
So is everyone you sleep with bitter?
It may sound arrogant, but
I know what I want,
and I know what I don't.
Sometimes, despite what I tell them,
they think I'll fall in love with them
and stay forever.
She is a witness for the prosecution,
so tell me about her.
[Zyair] She
owns a gallery.
- [pen scribbling]
- Very well-connected in the art world.
Knows everything
and everyone.
I remember
bringing one of my paintings to her
after going to everyone in the city.
They all said no.
She took one look at me
and said yes.
Didn't even look at the work.
It was obvious what she wanted.
She put all my paintings up.
Took me around the country.
Pretty much got me started.
I was young.
I was broke. I was desperate.
I wasn't using her.
I really liked her.
We just had nothing in common.
So, once I got a little traction,
I told her I was moving out.
She got furious.
Wanted to control me.
I didn't like it.
You can relate?
Mr. Malloy
You may as well tell me.
My life is in your hands.
Do you wanna die of lethal injection?
Stay focused.
I am your attorney.
I am not your friend.
No one returns my calls anymore.
I'm sorry. Where was I at? I'm sorry.
[Mea sighs gently]
[Mea] I got married young
to a man that I loved.
It wasn't the fairy tale
that I thought it would be.
Her taking care of you is
something that I can sort of relate to.
[sighs] All right,
I think that's enough for tonight.
[Zyair] Wait, wait, wait.
Hold on. No, no, no, no.
Come here. Come here.
- Oh, no, I...
- Come! Come here.
Please. Just for a minute.
Please. Come here.
Sit down. I wanna show you something.
Sit down.
Sit.
Close your eyes.
Close.
First color that comes to mind
when you think of your marriage.
[scoffs] I don't think so.
[Zyair] Relax. Tell me.
[Mea sighs]
Blue.
[Zyair] Close.
There you go.
[Mea sighs softly]
What do you see the blue making?
Waves?
[Zyair] Waves.
Just let it go. Paint the wave.
That's it. Very nice.
I don't wanna do this.
[Zyair] Trust.
Art is subjective.
I think it's beautiful.
[gasps softly]
I think that's enough for tonight.
I'm gonna miss my train.
[Zyair] Train to where?
I see. It's kinda hard to trust
a cat on trial for murder.
I live in Chesterton.
[Zyair] Come.
I'll take you to the station.
[Mea] Oh, no.
I thought you had a car.
I do. This is faster.
I don't think so.
Why?
Well, for one,
I have on a skirt.
So hike it up.
That does not seem appropriate.
You always do what's appropriate?
- Come on, man, just ride side-saddle.
- That does not seem safe.
You always do what's safe?
I got a car.
Come on, it's right here. Come on.
- My ride is pulling up right about now.
- I'll walk you.
No, no. Thank you.
[door opens]
[door shuts]
[Zyair] Come on, please.
Don't question it.
Just let it go.
I think it's beautiful.
[Mea] I don't wanna do this.
[Zyair] Don't think.
Close your eyes.
This is wonderful.
[Mea gasps sensually]
[Kal grunting]
[music fades out]
[Mea] I'm really looking forward
to getting all the information.
- Can you do that?
- On it.
[Mea] Okay, by Thursday.
- Sounds good. All right. Thank you.
- Yes, ma'am.
[Mea] Thursday. Make it Thursday.
Okay. Thank you.
[Kal] Mea.
- [Mea] Hi.
- Hey. Um
You left so early this morning,
I didn't get a chance.
I Uh, thank you. I have a lot to do.
I know. I just told you
I wouldn't stop trying.
Thank you.
Well, uh, I was just coming
to drop these off. I'll, uh
Look, I was thinkin', uh
How about dinner tonight?
No, after therapy.
Okay.
[Zyair] Mea.
Must be your husband.
Zyair.
There's no need for the introduction.
- [Mea sighs]
- Wow.
- My office?
- What happened to meeting at my loft?
I thought it would be better
if we meet here instead,
just to stay focused.
I get it.
So let's go to my office
to discuss the gallery owner.
You know, the paps followed me
all the way here.
[Mea sighs]
I'm sorry.
I thought that was the whole reason
for meeting at my place.
Well, this is better.
Better for who?
I'm trying to do a good job for you.
That's bullshit.
Excuse me?
I don't wanna be here.
This place is uptight.
Niggas in suits,
and I don't feel I can open up here.
Meet me at my loft. It's so much better.
Are you taking this seriously?
Are you?
Meet me at my loft.
Mr. Malloy, are you really leaving?
By the way, I see them jeans.
Hello, it's me
It's me, babe
I've thought about us
For a long, long time
Maybe I think too much
But something's wrong
Somethin' here
That doesn't last too long
Maybe I shouldn't think of you
You're a day late.
I shouldn't be here at all.
[music quietens]
- I wanna talk about the other night.
- Mr. Malloy, I don't.
[Zyair] Good. Then listen.
I find you
incredibly attractive.
You turn me on when I see you.
I hug you when I see you because
I love the way you feel.
Love the way the small of your back feels
in my hands.
The way you smell.
Your brilliance.
Your confidence.
All very intriguing,
very attractive.
[Mea sighs]
[Mea sighs]
"Mr. Malloy, the sex murderer."
"Zyair Malloy, an arrogant murderer."
"Zyair Malloy killed his girlfriend
so his paintings would go up in value."
"Malloy, the womanizer!"
"Zyair Malloy, he makes women
fall for him and then kills them."
I could go on and on.
So you think I'm running game?
That's what you think of me?
Doesn't matter what I think.
It's what the jury thinks.
So I tell you that I'm attracted to you,
and you throw this bullshit in my face?
I think I need a new lawyer
because everything in your body
says you're attracted to me.
But you won't admit it to yourself
or to me.
I can't trust you.
New lawyer.
[Mea] If that's what you want to do.
But I'll just say this.
Your trial is in a month.
And that'll be hard for any attorney
to get up to speed in such short time.
Admit it. You find me attractive.
That is a lie.
I'm here to try to help you.
Lying to me isn't helping me, Mea.
You have my life in your hands
and can't admit a simple truth.
Mr. Malloy, I can smell the marijuana.
I could smell it
when you came to my office.
I know that you're high,
and it's not helping.
Well, being high brings truth.
Maybe you should try it.
Yeah.
New lawyer.
[tense music playing]
Where are you going?
[Zyair] I need to dance. I'm going out.
[Mea] You cannot be seen
in public dancing.
[Zyair] Where I'm going isn't public.
Get your shit. Let's go. I gotta lock up.
Mea. Move!
So is this what you do
when you don't get your way?
Only person who could help me
won't tell me she's attracted to me
or that she believes me.
And I know you are.
I see your breathing change
when I look at you.
Or how you avert your eyes
when I look at you.
Trying to play cool.
Play big girl.
I see you, big girl.
You shouldn't be seen going out.
I told you, I'm not going out.
[music fades out]
["Khavhude (feat. Victyphoon & Mpura)"
by DJ Lag & Mr JazziQ playing]
[sensual moaning]
Wanna fuck?
I got X.
[Kal] All right, watch this.
I'm coming for you. Mm-hmm.
- Okay, one-on-one.
- [music fades out]
[Kal] All right, then,
why you running? Don't run!
- Okay, watch this. Here you go.
- [joystick rattling]
- Hey.
- [Kal] Oh, I see you know how to hide.
Okay, where you at?
Oh, you think you smart?
You think you smart. Okay... Come on!
[laughing]
Come on, that's not fair. Look... Uh...
All right, okay. C'mon, then.
One-on-one, let's go.
Oh, you think you smart.
All right, let's go now. Okay, wait there.
[laughing]
Uh-uh. Uh-uh. Uh-uh.
Okay, let's go.
[phone ringing]
- This is Mea.
- It's Maddy.
Hi.
Hi. Zyair told me he want another lawyer.
Yes.
I told him that would be a big mistake.
Please, talk to him.
[Mea] He doesn't want me to.
[Maddy] Mea, he is scared out of his mind.
- [Mea] He said that?
- [Maddy] Well, there you have it.
He would never admit that to anyone.
Don't give up on him. He needs you.
[Mea] Maddy, I really have to go.
Maddy told me you wanted to see me.
I wanna apologize about the other night.
I know this is hard for you.
[Zyair] Yes.
I wanted to say that first.
Zyair, I am not some weak woman
that you can seduce.
Yes, my marriage has issues, as do most,
but we will work it out.
And if you wanna fire me, that's fine.
But you won't find anyone better
or anyone who cares as much.
I was just trying to set some boundaries,
that's all.
There's some truth.
Why do you need boundaries?
[intense string music playing]
Um, call me tomorrow
if you want me to represent you.
Hi.
I'm Carrie.
I live next door.
[Zyair] There's no need
to introduce yourself. She's not staying.
[zipper opening]
[music intensifies]
- [switch clicks]
- [elevator whirring]
[music fades out]
[cell phone ringing]
Hi.
Been trying to call you.
It's been a long day.
What's wrong?
Nothing. N... Nothing. Uh, what you got?
Is this about Kal and that girl?
What are you talking about?
[sighs] Shit.
- [message sent beep]
- What is it?
Check your phone.
Hey, I... I am sorry, kid, okay?
But they're at the Winston, room 714.
- Are you there?
- [scoffs]
Mea? All right, listen, Mea.
I'm back tomorrow, all right,
and I'm coming to you, Mea.
I'm coming right to you, okay? Just...
Hey, hey, listen. Can you talk to me?
- I'll call you back. I'll call you back.
- Please. Just take a breath, okay?
[clears throat] I'll be by my phone.
["And I Drove You Crazy" by BANKS playing]
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
Even though I should've known
It was a bad idea to love you
All I wanted was to lift each other up
All I wanted was to lift each other up
I couldn't validate
Or navigate a way around you
All I wanted was to lift each other up
I never wanted you
To hurt too much to touch
What are you looking for?
Wanted to be your girl
And anything you wanted
Baby, I tried to be
What are you looking for?
Wanted to be your girl
[Mea groans] Stop.
Believe, I tried to be
I drove you crazy
- What are you looking for?
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Wanted to be your girl
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- And anything you wanted
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Baby, I tried to be
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- What are you looking for?
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Wanted to be your girl
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- In any way you wanted me
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Believe, I tried to be
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
[music fades out]
["Unravel Me" by Sabrina Claudio playing]
It's something in the sun or the air
It's making me wanna run
Away from here
I know that you want me
To stay with you, but no
So I'll keep on making excuses
About the sun, the earth, the rays
Our days are numbered
Wired and I'm tired of it
I know you're trying
But you'll never unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
[music fades out]
[ambient music playing]
Zyair.
No worries.
It's abstraction.
[Mea gasps]
Oh shit.
Come on.
I always saw myself with a woman like you.
[Mea] Honestly,
I always saw myself
with someone spontaneous.
Who makes love to me
the way I wanna be made love to.
Who throws caution at the wind.
Someone like
Me?
Too bad we didn't meet earlier.
Maybe you wouldn't be with him.
And I wouldn't be in all this shit.
Where would we be?
Somewhere in love
in the Dominican Republic.
Off the beach in one of those villas.
That sounds perfect.
We'll go when you get me off.
I'll do my best.
Tell me we'll go when you get me off.
We'll go
when I get you off.
[music fades out]
[footsteps approaching]
What the fuck? Where have you been?
We have been calling you all night
and all morning.
Keep your voices down.
We are in my office.
Yes, I worked very late last night,
so I got a hotel.
What? And you didn't call me?
Mea, I don't like this.
- Neither do I, Kal.
- I don't like this at all!
- [Mea] Keep your voice...
- Who the fuck you think you're talking to?
Um, she's right. We are at her job.
And now that we know she's okay,
we can leave. Let's go to the Winston.
The Winston?
Azalia said she was feeling very bad,
so we moved her into the Winston
so that she can be closer to the hospital
since we're so far out.
We were all there.
- What room?
- [scoffs] Oh.
So now you wanna know.
[poignant music playing]
Come on, Kal. Let's go.
I'll, um I'll meet you in the car.
You really hate me that much,
you ignore me? Shoot, Mea, I'm tryin'!
What the hell?
Look, we're in counseling.
Look, I thought we were doing better.
Please tell me what's goin' on.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry.
That's all you have to say?
Can we go to my office and talk?
No, I'm good right here. In fact, uh
I can't do this.
Kal.
[stamps foot] Shit.
Shit.
[elevator clanking]
[Zyair] Haven't heard from you all day.
- I brought your case files.
- Mea.
[Mea] The rest will be delivered later on.
I spoke to Jason Timsdale. He is great.
I spoke to him this morning.
He has an excellent team.
- Stop.
- And they are ready to take you on.
[Zyair] Stop.
I understand. You're feeling guilty.
You're embarrassed.
You wanna avoid me.
I get it. I already know.
There's no reason for any of that.
No one
will ever know.
Look
I saw that wall you had up
when we first met.
I knew you were feeling me.
But that woman who can hide her emotions
in the workplace,
she can rep me.
I know you can do it.
You can separate the two.
Do you wanna gamble with your life?
Knowing how you feel about me?
Absolutely.
[Mea sighs]
What's more important to me right now
is how I feel about my husband.
- And I can't do this.
- Mea.
- I won't do this.
- Mea, please.
It's too late. You know I need you.
You know I need you.
Please don't do this.
[Mea] I can't.
[Zyair] Mea!
Mea, what am I supposed to do?
[music fades out]
[quavering] I can't believe
I did it, Jimmy.
But you're human, okay?
She was in there 'cause she was sick.
They were all in there!
Ray and Charlise too.
I would never judge you,
and you know that, right?
But I'm judging myself.
I was so stupid!
- I shouldn't have said anything.
- It's not your fault.
[Jimmy] Don't beat yourself up, okay?
I can't rep him.
- No, no, no.
- But I need the money.
No, no. We're not gonna panic.
You have handled a lot. You got this, Mea.
You can do it.
Don't you lose this because of my mistake.
How do I look at him?
You can do this.
You take a second,
but you can do this. All right?
You just talk to the gallery owner.
She refused to talk to me,
but for whatever reason,
she said she's willing to talk to you.
If you still feel like you can't,
then you drop it.
But you gotta try. Okay?
- Okay.
- All right?
- Okay.
- All right.
Okay.
[Mea sighs]
[chanting] Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Your walls! Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
All you bitches can go to hell!
Take that.
Her blood! Your walls! Her blood
["Condotta ell'era in ceppi"
by Verdi playing in gallery]
Are you gonna stand there,
or are you gonna come have a seat?
You want one?
[Mea] No, thank you!
Are you judging me
because it's before noon?
Not at all.
[woman] Well,
I've earned this.
I'm Renee Chester Wilson.
Mea Harper.
I know who you are.
He likes you!
You fuckin' him yet?
I beg your pardon?
[Renee] Yeah, you are.
He's good.
And he has a real sizable package,
like the snake that he is.
You wanted to talk to me.
Yes, honey.
I wanted to share with you who he is.
Look at these walls.
There's Basquiat, Warhol,
Jon Moody,
Sam Gilliam,
Mark Bradford,
and Derrick Adams.
He didn't belong on these walls.
Those bitches out there want me
to get rid of all of his paintings.
Not a chance.
He's gonna make me rich one day.
Well,
rich er.
I helped him.
And as soon as things
started going well for him,
it was bye-bye, old broad.
The world awaits.
I can understand
how that kind of betrayal can feel.
You can't understand nothing.
You're not even 50. You have no idea.
Well, with that being said,
is there anything else you wanna say?
There's a lot I can say, sugar.
What do you wanna know?
- Was he ever violent towards you?
- [laughs]
[sighs]
You're going there.
I don't understand.
I... If you wanna defend him
in that way, okay.
No, he was never violent.
But that's not how a snake works.
A snake is never violent
when they're stalking their prey.
It's only when they get
right into striking distance
that they can become very violent.
Was he ever
within striking distance with you?
No.
He got what he wanted, and he was gone.
He charmed me.
I told him I was angry with my ex,
and he sat me down in front of an easel
and made me paint.
He said, "Close your eyes,
and tell me what color you feel."
So I said,
"Blue."
And he made me paint waves.
Then he asked me,
"Are you angry?"
And I said, "Yes."
And then he said,
"Well, that feels like red to me."
So there I was
with this canvas of blue waves
and red lines.
It was a mess. And you know what he did?
No, I don't.
He finished it.
And he put it on the canopy over the bed.
And one morning,
I looked up, and there was my face.
Bigger than life.
I was the canvas
that he played with until it was done.
But there are many canvases.
Many layers, darling.
Look at your face.
[Renee laughing]
[laughing intensifies]
- [music intensifies]
- [inaudible chanting]
[music intensifies]
[Renee's laugh echoing]
[music climaxes]
[music fades out]
[elevator whirring]
[elevator clanks]
[tense string music playing]
- Hey.
- [Mea] Hey.
[Zyair] I've been calling you.
[Mea] Yeah, I was out.
[Zyair] You know
feeling good about all this.
It's all your fault.
[music becomes unsettling]
I haven't felt relaxed like this
in a long time.
Baby, you all right?
Mea?
Mea, wait!
[music becomes dramatic]
[Zyair] Hold on, it's not what you think.
Mea, please.
- Let me explain. It's not what you think.
- You need another lawyer! I quit!
I only did that because of the video.
[Mea] I'm done.
[Zyair] Mea, please.
You know it's too late.
I need you, M... [softly] Oh my God
So you take down the painting of me,
painted that "die, bitch,
you ruined my life," and put it back up?
[softly] It's not what you think.
What do you want me to do, Mea?
What do you want me to do?
Mea.
[Mea grunts]
Mea.
- [Mea] Start the elevator!
- Mea.
[Mea] Start it!
What we had the other night
[Mea] Start the elevator.
[Zyair] I only have one card to play.
If you are talking about
telling my husband, I will tell him.
I'll go to the prosecution,
Judge Brodan, the bar.
That painting is enough to bury your ass!
- That's not what I'm saying.
- The fuck are you saying?!
Just that I love you.
You are so full of shit.
[Mea sobbing gently]
Start the fucking elevator.
Start the fucking elevator!
[elevator clanks, whirs]
[Kal] Hey. What's goin' on?
Hi.
What's goin' on?
Kal.
Come 'ere.
[tense music plays]
[Mea sighs]
[indistinct whispering]
Kal, I need to tell you something.
You were with him for over an hour
on the drive here. Couldn't tell him then?
Can we talk in private?
[Azalia] No.
Whatever you need to say,
you can say to all of us.
Yeah.
Tell him where you were the other night.
All night long.
- Kal, please...
- He's not talking to you.
- Kal.
- What did I say?
- [sighs] Let's all just calm down.
- [Ray] You, shut up!
Nobody needs to calm down.
I am mad as hell.
After all that my son has done for you,
you buy these expensive suits,
and he has to work overtime
to pay for them. It's insane.
- [Mea scoffs]
- [Azalia laughs] You don't deserve him.
[Kal] You wanna tell me where you were?
Tell him.
And be honest.
Honest?
Is that what we're doing?
I lost my job.
What?
She's been supporting me the whole time.
[gasps softly] And I'm in rehab.
- [quietly] Kal, what are you saying?
- It's all her fault.
She put too much pressure on you.
She doesn't deserve you.
[Ray] I got a call from the court
saying you went to see the judge,
and you're off the case
because of an inappropriate relationship
with your client.
Wanna tell him that?
[Kal] What did you mean by that, Mea?
Where were you that night?
[Kal breathes shakily]
[softly] I spent the night with Zyair.
[quavers] Did you fuck him?
[quietly] Yes.
I knew it! Oh!
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
- Fuck, man!
- [Ray] Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
[Azalia] You need to leave!
- [Ray] I got you.
- I'm sorry.
I said, you need to leave!
Get the fuck outta here,
you fucking bitch! Get out!
Get outta this house!
- Get out!
- [Ray] I got you.
- I got you.
- [Azalia] We got you, baby.
I didn't do anything wrong, Mom
[Mea sobbing] I'm so sorry.
I know.
[Ray] Charlise.
Get in here. The kids are crying.
[tropical music playing in beach bar]
[man 1] The forecast for today
is more sun.
It looks like
it will be a warmer-than-normal week.
In other news,
Chicago District Attorney Ray Harper
announced a breakthrough
in the Zyair Malloy case.
With more analysis on the case,
here's Channel 10's legal team,
Judy Walker and Jim Forrester.
[man 2] Yes, in a surprising turn,
Zyair Malloy has agreed to a deal
with the prosecution
that will give him
the opportunity to be eligible for parole.
So doesn't this mean
no trial and no answers?
Usually, when these types
of deals are made,
the defendant has to confess
and tell where the body is.
Is that a part of this deal?
No. Surprisingly enough,
DA Harper did not ask for that,
which is shocking.
I'm sure we'll be hearing from her family.
Yes, that is strange.
Thank you very much, Brandon.
[line ringing]
- [Mea] Hi.
- Hey! Hey, I've been trying to call you.
Yeah, I just got on a plane.
I needed to clear my head.
Hey, you talk to Kal?
No.
He doesn't wanna talk to me.
You need to call him, Mea.
Why? What did you do?
He's been going to counseling.
Let me give it some time. I just need
a second to sit in all of this.
All right. I love you, girl.
Love you, Jimmy. Thanks. Bye.
Bye.
[ambient music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music becomes unsettling]
[Mea] 'Scuse me.
Yes, ma'am?
Hydie.
- Uh...
- You're Hydie.
Ah [Mexican accent] I'm sorry.
No No speak English.
- [Mea] You're alive!
- [music becomes dramatic]
[Mea] You're gonna talk to me!
- Why are you running?
- I am not who you think I am.
- You're coming to the police with me.
- No. No!
[Mea] Shit!
[Hydie yelps]
[music subsides]
[Hydie gasping hysterically]
Oh my God!
[sucks in air] Ah! Shit.
[music fades out]
[line ringing]
- It's me. I had to get another phone.
- Are you okay?
Uh [spluttering] Is Ray around?
Can you put him on the phone?
Yeah, but he doesn't wanna speak to you.
Please put him on the phone.
- Who is it?
- Mea.
What do you want?
Yeah, Zyair is innocent.
What?
I just saw
the woman that he supposedly killed.
[scoffs] What are you talkin' about?
I saw her. She's working at the resort
that I'm staying at.
I'm at the police station,
but they aren't much help.
[scoffs] This sounds ridiculous.
You have an innocent man in jail.
I'm supposed to believe you
after what you did to Kal?
You don't have to believe me.
Well, tell the police.
I'm telling you, they're not much help.
An investigator I'm working with
is on a plane, and when he lands,
- I'm gonna have him come and find her.
- Where are you?
I'm in the DR. Santo Domingo.
Mea.
This looks bad.
What do you mean?
You slept with him.
You wanna help him, let me get
one of my investigators out there.
- No. She'll be gone by then.
- And what are you gonna do to stop her?
I'll get one of my guys
on the plane right now. Just
come home.
Okay? Come come here, to the house.
Kal's here.
Mea, he's been worried sick without you.
- No, Ray, I...
- Come.
- Your mother doesn't want me there.
- Look, I'll talk to her.
I need to get off the phone.
Let me get my guy on the plane.
Just come to the house.
Okay.
- [phone beeps]
- Goddammit!
- You.
- Mom.
Is Kal here?
He was in the city earlier,
but he's on his way.
Did you reach your investigator?
Landing as we speak.
Hey, don't worry.
We'll find her, okay?
Okay.
[cell phone buzzing]
I'm sorry, I have to take this.
Yeah. Go on.
- [Jimmy] Hey.
- [Mea] Hey, did you get my message?
Yeah, s... so she's alive?
Yeah.
Hey, where are you?
At my brother-in-law's house.
- Is his mother there?
- Yeah.
Okay, listen. Mea, I know I fucked up
with the whole Kal thing.
I need you to trust me here, all right?
I want you to check your email.
[buttons tapping]
- [unsettling music plays]
- [gasps softly]
You're kidding.
I know it's illegal,
but I had to make it up to you somehow.
[Mea gasps softly]
Okay?
[Mea gasping softly]
You hear me?
- [to herself] I can't
- Mea?
Can you hear me?
Hell... Fuck!
[tense music playing]
[music intensifies]
- [Azalia] Mea?
- Yes?
Can you help me to the counter? This...
This chemo, it just makes me so sick.
- [Azalia gasps]
- [phone cracks]
[Azalia] Oh, I
[insincerely] I don't think
your phone is working anymore.
I'm sorry. It just it makes me so weak.
[sighs] Thank you, dear.
[chair scraping floor]
Thank you.
- Everything okay?
- [Azalia] Yeah.
Here. Made you a drink, Mea.
[unsettling music plays]
- Thank you.
- [Ray] Yeah.
Kal should've been here by now.
Yeah. I'll call him. You enjoy your drink.
You wanna help me get this meal ready?
- Sure.
- [Charlise] Uh, you can wash those.
[Azalia] Oh! You won't be needing that.
I'll cut them.
[unsettling music plays]
- You haven't touched your drink.
- What did your clerk say?
- Think our investigator found her.
- Okay.
Great.
Tomorrow we'll talk to Judge Brodan, and
[sighs] we'll see about
getting that man out of jail.
Why can't we just hit the judge tonight?
No. Come on, Mea. This is family time.
[Azalia] Yeah, it's family time!
[Mea] Ray read your email.
Go on. Read it!
Who got you this? Jimmy? Your PI?
- You mean, Mom, you don't have cancer?
- No, son.
And tell her why.
We cooked all of this shit up.
I won sympathy for my votes.
I just don't know
why it took you so long to figure it out.
Does Kal know about this?
It would break his heart.
- Let's toast to family! [chuckles]
- [Ray] Mm.
Here's to Charlise,
who decided to sleep with
a penniless, desperate artist.
I am so sorry, son.
Ray, I...
Oh, shut the fuck up.
[scoffs] My boys are so good
to both of you,
and you two
cheat with the same fucking guy?
I don't believe this.
Oh, I begged Kal not to marry you.
I know that you set Zyair up.
I think you should let it go.
[Ray laughing]
[Mea] Charlise, get the kids.
Let's get out of here, okay?
C'mon.
[Azalia] Stab her.
[Ray] Do it.
- No. I won't. I won't. I wo...
- [Mea] Charlise
- Now.
- [Mea] Charlise.
[Charlise sniffs]
- No.
- [Ray] C'mon.
You can do it.
[Mea] Char...
[music intensifies]
[music becomes dramatic]
[Azalia screaming]
[Ray groaning]
[metal cracks, rattles]
[Mea] Shit. Charlise! Please!
Charlise
Shit!
C'mon! C'mon!
[gunshot cracks]
[Ray panting] Honey, what are you doin'?
DA's have incredible security.
That's bulletproof glass.
The fucking knife down.
Get his keys.
Get his keys. Get his keys. Run!
[Azalia] No!
- [Azalia grunts]
- [sickening squelch]
[music intensifies]
[Mea groaning] Shit!
- [unsettling squelch]
- [Ray cries out]
[Mea] Shit.
[Mea yelps]
[Ray growling]
[music fades out]
- [Mea grunting]
- [ignition failing]
[dramatic music playing]
Help! Please!
Stop! Stop!
Please! Please! Please!
- Mea! Mea! What are you... What are you...
- Kal!
- Baby, what you...
- We gotta get outta here.
Wait. What are you talking about?
- [shouts] Ray is in on it!
- Wait, what?!
Charlise was sleeping with him.
- Baby...
- We have to go.
- Baby, look. Breathe.
- No.
- Let's just go! He tried to kill me!
- I need you to calm down.
Who tried to kill you?
Baby, please talk. C'mon.
- I need you to breathe.
- Call the police!
[Kal] C'mon. Get in the car.
Yeah, 911?
Okay, yeah, I have an emergency, please.
Yeah, I need the police.
[softly] It'll be okay. Yeah, please.
They're asking me what happened.
What happened, Mea? Mea, what happened?
I'm asking her questions,
but she's not answering.
Can you just send somebody
to 345 on Highway 57?
Yeah. Yeah, send somebody.
Okay, look, they're on the way.
Okay? It's gonna be all right.
It's gonna be all right.
- Why are you going to the house?
- We have to wait for the police.
- They tried to kill me!
- Mea, come on!
[phone ringing]
Uh Yeah, 911?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, all right, all right. Yeah.
[Ray through speaker] She figured it out.
I need you to bring her back here.
Now.
Get her back here!
[unsettling music playing]
Don't look at me like that.
You know, my mom told me
you would do this.
I had no idea
you'd fall for him like Charlise did.
You're both so damn stupid.
Ray told me
I'll never be good enough for you. Never.
He told me to beat your ass
to just... to get you in line.
- [Mea breathing deeply]
- But I said no.
I said I wanted to try it the sweet way.
But my mom was so right.
That shit would never work with you.
Why?
Because you're weak?
The fuck did you just say?
That's why I was with him.
A man
with money and success.
[Kal punches dashboard]
He is nothing.
[Mea scoffs softly]
[Mea] If you only knew.
That's right. You can look at me here.
See, that was
a decision of mine. See that?
What are you doin'?
Get off, bitch!
[horn screeching]
[music fades out]
[man echoing] Oh my Lord, are you okay?
Ma'am, are you okay?
[siren wailing]
Debbie, we are on the scene where we are
told DA Raymond Harper has been arrested
for covering up evidence in a crime
along with a number of other charges.
We are also being told that this is all
in connection with the Zyair Malloy case.
The attorney general
has issued a statement
saying they are investigating this case,
as well as several others.
And our sources have revealed
all of the evidence that was presented
to the state's attorney against him,
apparently in an anonymous email,
gave several details on the nature
of the crimes that were alleged.
They are scheduled to hold
a press conference to brief the public,
and you can believe
Channel 7 will be there.
[woman] How does it feel to be free?
[man] Are you angry at the prosecution?
["Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes playing]
[woman] Sir, please look this way!
[man] Are you
are you angry at the prosecution?
How does it feel to be free?
- Long overdue.
- Are you angry at the prosecution?
I'm angry at any system
that can allow this to happen.
Who would you like to
thank the most for this?
Mea Harper. I'm told she's the reason
why the truth got revealed.
Which one of y'all got a close-up?
I appreciate you, Mea.
Yeah.
If you see me walking down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Then walk on by
Walk on by
Make believe
That you don't see the tears
Oh, just let me grieve
In private cause each time I see you
Just can't help myself
I break down and cry
Oh, baby, walk on by
[music fades out]
[ambient music playing]
[music fades out]
[dramatic music playing]
[music subsides]
[music fades out]
[sensual music playing]
[music fades out]
[thoughtful music fading in]
[siren sounding]
[woman] Mea?
Mea.
Would you like to come back to the table?
[music subsides]
Would you like to share with us
your feelings about what Kal said?
He just sat here and told me
that I was the reason he had an affair.
I didn't have an affair.
So
- [Kal sighs]
- you were just sitting there,
in a coffee shop, holding her hand.
Look, I told you
that Jenna is a childhood friend.
A childhood friend who you're close enough
to hold hands with. Is that right?
Don't lawyer me, Mea.
That's where he goes
when I ask him hard questions.
No, I'm sorry,
I'm not a witness on a stand.
I'm your husband.
Does Jenna know that?
Better yet, does your mother know that?
[cell phone buzzes]
[whispering] It's his mother.
[sighs] Look, I'm I'm sorry.
I know we only have 20 minutes left,
but it's my mom's birthday.
- She's pretty big on birthdays.
- And Sunday dinners.
I'm sorry, we're gonna have to go.
- No.
- Mea.
I'm gonna stay
and finish the session. You go.
- Mea, c'mon
- Go, Kal.
I'm sorry.
[cell phone buzzes]
- [Kal] Hey, Mom?
- [door opens]
- [Kal] Yeah, I'm on the way. Yeah.
- [sighs]
[door shuts]
Does that happen often?
She is more a part of this marriage
than anything else.
He feels guilty because she has cancer,
and he lost his job eight months ago.
And he keeps begging me
not to tell his brother
or my friend,
who is also my sister-in-law.
I know that lots of men
love their mothers,
but this kind of devotion is
I've never seen anything like it.
[music intensifies]
Thank you.
[softly] Excuse me.
Excuse me.
- Ah!
- Maddy!
Oh, Mea, hi.
Have you met Zyair Malloy?
Come on. I'll introduce you.
- No need.
- Mea, he's been coming here for years.
He's a really nice kid,
but he needs a good lawyer.
Well, this is Chicago,
and we come a dime a dozen.
But I know you.
And your brother's the assistant DA,
and that thing you did for my Vinny.
Can you just talk to him?
Can I have him
call your office, please? Please.
Sure, on one condition.
You send me your strongest drink.
I have to deal with my mother-in-law.
Oh, I understand. [laughs]
- You got it.
- [Mea] Okay. [chuckles]
[Maddy] Through here.
Let me take your coat.
Oh, look! Her Majesty the Queen
has finally arrived!
Don't worry, son,
your second wife will be on time.
[laughs heartily]
Oh, what? What?
No happy birthday for the old lady?
Happy birthday.
[Mom] Thank you.
I mean, not bad for 60, right?
Oh, I want you to meet someone.
This is Jenna. She's a wonderful girl.
Hi.
I mean, I know why
my son liked her so much.
I mean, I wish
she were my daughter-in-law. [laughs]
[Jenna laughs]
Well, now that the queen has arrived,
let's get the dinner out.
I have arranged the seating.
Jenna, you sit here,
and, um Mea, I... I know you won't mind.
I'm sure you and Charlise wanna talk.
You can sit down there.
Mmm!
[chuckling]
Happy birthday, Mom.
Thank you, son! [chuckling]
- [gasps] It's from Mea and I.
- [Mom] Mmm!
You see, Jenna? What a sweet boy he is.
He's always been so sweet.
[Jenna chuckles]
[Mom softly] Those two
aren't doing so well.
What? I'm kidding.
I mean, you know what a catch he is.
[man] Yeah, okay, c'mon.
You just had to outdo
your older brother, huh?
- C'mon.
- [Mom] Oh!
- [man] Now open ours.
- [Mom chuckles, gasps] Oh!
You okay?
Damn. What did I do
to deserve you as a friend?
Oh, I feel the same.
I feel like we're both
knees-deep in our relationships.
- I know.
- [chuckles]
I always wanted
a man who loved his mother.
Well, we did get that, didn't we?
Be careful what you ask for.
Let's just enjoy this. All right?
She is drunk,
and she will be passed out in no time.
Been hitting it hard.
Hmm. When does she not?
What did I miss down there?
[chuckles] Oh, um,
we were just talking about
how lovely this is for your birthday.
I bet you were.
[Charlise chuckles]
Where is my drink?
I don't know why
there are so many paparazzi out here.
Zyair Malloy is in there.
What?
Did I ever tell you
my wife thought it'd be a good idea
to buy two of his paintings?
I wanna get rid of it.
I mean we have to.
I'm prosecuting the case.
You know, clear conflict there.
I mean, what he did to that woman was,
you know, it was awful.
Son of a bitch.
- You don't wanna buy a painting, do you?
- Uh-uh. No, we're good.
That's right. We bought
enough expensive things for the night.
[Mom shouting] Thank you, Maddy! [sighs]
[man] Come on, Mom.
- Yes, take an old woman home, huh?
- [man chuckling]
Oh! I wish you lived closer.
I know, Mom. I know.
We could always move to the city.
You know Ray loves the countryside.
- Mmm! I love you, boys.
- [Kal] Love you too.
Mmm!
[quietly] Jenna, give him a hug.
[Kal] Have a great night.
- [Jenna sighs happily]
- [Mom] Bye, Mea!
[Jenna sighs]
[Charlise] I love you, girl. Mmm.
I will see you at Rumble.
[softly] Yes,
I feel like punching something.
[laughs]
Go on.
Thank you.
Damn. Why is this Bluetooth not playing?
I wish it would just pick up my phone
like it does in the truck or...
No, it should just come on
when I get in the...
["Winnie (End of Me)" playing]
In the car.
Thank you.
I know you're mad about the watch.
And I knew you would say no,
but but it's my mom.
How much was it?
I sold the piano.
Come on!
Look, you don't even play it anymore.
You stopped years ago, and it was just
sat there collecting dust.
And it was mine in the first place.
So yours and mine now.
Is is that where we are?
I'm not trying to fight.
Look, I'll buy you another piano, Mea.
She's done everything for me and Ray,
and now she's dying.
Did your mom invite Jenna?
C'mon, I'm just I'm just trying to make
her last few days happy.
I don't care about Jenna!
I don't want her at all!
She's not you!
No one is you.
You will be the end of me
You will be the end of me
[music stops]
[tense ambient music playing]
[music intensifies]
[Mea] Good morning.
- What's that look for?
- Zyair Malloy is in your office.
What? Why?
Everyone was staring at him out here,
so I put him in your office.
He was supposed to call.
- Should I push your ten o'clock...
- No, no, this won't take long.
Good morning.
Mr. Malloy?
I'm Mea Harper.
Zyair.
Maddy told me that you would call.
Police raided my loft
for the second time this morning,
intentionally damaging
two commissioned works.
That has to be illegal.
Coffee?
No. That stuff makes me crazy.
Not literally.
I did not
kill my girlfriend.
[unsettling music playing]
This is my life,
and they're trying to ruin me.
And who would "they" be?
That tender-dick DA.
He hates me.
Why would he hate you?
I don't know.
Can you rep me?
Maddy tells me you're the best.
And if he says you're the one
you're the one.
There's a conflict here.
The DA has appointed your case
to the assistant DA,
who is my brother-in-law.
Brother-in-law.
Then I assume you love your husband. Yes?
Imagine if your husband turned up missing,
and everyone blamed you for it.
It's insane. And it's everywhere.
Will you help me?
Mr. Malloy.
Zyair. Please.
I don't tend to make decisions
based on what's popular
- Good.
- or in headlines.
Good. Because they're all lies.
- Our firm has a retainer of seven...
- It doesn't matter.
I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll take a look at what
the prosecution has and get back to you.
Today?
[Mea] I'll let you know when I can.
[Zyair] Unlock your phone.
Put my number in.
You can leave it with my secretary
on your way out.
Thank you.
I apologize for bargin' in.
[door opens]
[Charlise] Hoo!
- [sighs loudly]
- [Mea] My God!
That was a hard-ass class,
but you barely broke a sweat. [laughs]
It's cold!
But you usually got a little sprinkle
going on on the forehead.
I... Yo, I'm not gonna say anything else.
Oh!
Ooh, speaking of cold
[Mea] No.
Don't do it!
Hi! I'm gonna take a chocolate.
- You feel better now?
- Ooooh!
[chanting] We hate Malloy!
Put him in jail
[Charlise] They march
outside that building every day,
and that woman refuses
to take his paintings down.
Between you and I, Ray is loving this.
He came to see me.
- Who?
- Zyair.
- He wants me to represent him.
- What?
Don't do it.
Charlise, this is what I do.
Promise me you won't.
[Mea sighs]
I I'm just thinking about it.
[protesters] He killed her
He can go to hell
Hey.
[sighs] You scared the heck out of me.
Kal.
- What the...
- I was looking at that.
You can't represent him.
Kal, give me the file.
Look, I don't care. I said no.
I'm not having it in the press
my wife is battling for this murderer.
I defend murderers all the time.
Hence, "defense attorney."
Not against my brother.
It's not happenin'.
Oh, look, I'm
What are... [sighs]
[Mea] Pick one.
Tell me which one you will pay,
and then tell me
what you're not gonna let me do.
- Mea, look...
- The house note?
The car note? Your mom's medical bills?
Because God forbid
she should have health insurance.
Are you really saying
this is about my dying mother?!
We send your brother
huge checks for her every month.
And you don't want me
to tell them that you lost your job?
Ugh. Go on. Say it.
You think I'm not?
If you hadn't gone to work so damn high
and reeking of alcohol,
we wouldn't be in this situation.
It's a really good look
for an anesthesiologist.
Kal addicted to his own shit.
And now I'm here
trying to hold it all together.
This case will earn me just enough
to get us through the next few months.
So don't tell me
what I will or will not do.
- Mea...
- Pick one.
Mr. Malloy, this is Mea Harper.
[Zyair] Hi.
Please, Zyair.
[Mea] I'd like to meet with you tomorrow
at my office if I could.
I've got some questions
before I can give you an answer.
[Zyair] All right.
I'll have to ditch the paparazzi.
They follow me everywhere.
[Mea] On second thought, I'll come to you.
[Zyair]Take the elevator on the right.
The door is sticky.
[intercom buzzes]
["Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes fading in]
If you see me walking down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Walk on by
Walk on by
Make believe
That you don't see the tears
Oh, just let me grieve
In private cause each time I see you
I break down and cry
Oh, baby
[Zyair] Apologies. Just
just one moment.
[music continues]
What do you see?
- First word.
- [sighs]
[Mea] Longing.
Mea is longing.
There's, uh,
water and alcohol on the counter.
Cruise around, please.
It's gotta be helpful for you to see,
being a so-called crime scene and all.
It's my new piece.
It's called She Lives in Notes.
You can actually play it
if you sit at the bench.
You play?
No.
- [Zyair] Does it speak to you?
- How could it not?
What is she saying?
[Mea] It's actually asking
shall we get started?
Please.
What the prosecution has
is pretty damning.
So I need to know
what you have to say about it.
As an artist,
I know that you have an eye for details.
So don't leave anything out.
The things you think are not important
may be the thing
that I need to know the most.
Portofino.
[pen scribbling]
[Zyair] We met in Italy.
Beautiful place,
super romantic.
I was out there on vacation,
longing for inspiration,
met this
Mexican goddess
at a little restaurant.
She was my waitress.
I was there for ten days. We hit it off.
She...
Yeah.
There's a little photo album.
She was a She was a selfie queen.
So always taking photos.
Every day is pretty much documented.
[unsettling music playing]
I saw in the discovery
that the police have your electronics.
But they didn't take this?
Look, all I can tell you is,
for six months, we were inseparable.
And one day, I went to an exhibit
and came back, and she was gone.
[Mea] Have you seen these photos?
There was so much blood
that it seeped down
into your neighbor's apartment below.
The blood type and DNA
matches your girlfriend.
These skull fragments
were found in one of your paintings.
Her skull,
her hair,
her DNA.
And that painting would have been hanging
would have been hanging
there.
And the blood would have been about
here.
Do you wanna explain to me
how this happened?
I don't know.
[Mea sighs]
The painting in this photo is
the prosecution's Exhibit B.
Can you tell me
what the name of that painting is?
- The one with her skull fragments in it?
- Yeah
Hydie was a
was a very silly girl.
And just like I asked you
to name that painting,
I asked her to name this one.
She named it Evil Bitch.
I didn't think that was it,
but we had a laugh about it,
and I just left it.
Just wanted to make her happy.
- And the fragments of her skull?
- Why do you keep... Why... Stop saying that.
- Why do you keep saying that?
- The prosecution is going to say it.
A lot.
- How do you think this happened?
- I don't I don't know, Mea!
What do you...
[chuckles] This is fuckin' bullshit, yo.
He is gonna kill me.
Please, I need to get away from him.
[panting] If you get this, he did it.
He killed me. [breathing emotionally]
- [Mea] You hadn't seen this?
- That's not real.
- Why would she record this?
- I don't know.
What about
the $3 million life insurance policy?
I don't know anything about
a $3 million life policy.
I didn't take anything out on her.
I don't know
I didn't kill her, Mea.
I am not going to lie to you.
This is going to be an uphill battle.
If I take you on, I have one demand.
You can never
Look at me!
Look at me.
You
can never lie to me.
You have to tell me everything,
no matter how uncomfortable
or insignificant you may think it is.
Of course.
You gonna take me on?
[Mom] Ah, honey, you have got to get
more than takeout in this house.
Look at how my boy is thinning.
[Kal scoffs]
I didn't know we were having company.
[Mom] You're not eating.
You're insulting my cooking.
Mea, c'mon. Mom came after chemo.
Thank you.
The food is great. I appreciate it.
Why do I feel like
there's a "but" in there?
Well in all the years we've been married,
you've never done this.
I thought we'd have
a nice family dinner together.
We were free.
Mom felt up for it.
I have some news I wanna share with you.
I'm running for mayor.
Oh, that's great.
And he's gonna win.
I'm sure.
So what's new with you?
Ah, nothing much.
Same ol', same ol'.
Any new clients?
As a matter of fact,
I am considering repping Zyair Malloy.
[tense music playing]
No. You're not.
[scoffs] Excuse me?
Your brother-in-law
is going to win that case.
He's going to build his campaign
on fighting crime.
Tell 'em, son.
Crime is awful here,
and he's gonna be my poster boy.
So, if my sister-in-law defends him,
well, you see
the dilemma there, right, Mea?
Did you see the discovery?
We are gonna bury him.
If you represent him,
I'll have to recuse myself
because of our family connection, and,
well, that's not something
I'm willing to do.
So you will not represent him.
Well, I hadn't made a decision.
[Mom] No, you have.
We have.
And you're part of this family now,
and we have a say.
So you're not representing him.
[music intensifies]
[Mea scoffs softly]
I wasn't sure if I would represent him.
And now
I have my answer.
[Mom] Wonderful.
Would you like some more lamb?
[music fades out]
[phone ringing]
[Charlise] I'm so sorry.
About what?
Look, Kal called and told Ray
that you're representing Zyair.
He and his mom hit the roof.
I tried to calm them down,
and I told them
you're just thinking about it.
[sighs] Why would you do that?
Well, they were going to find out,
and you know how it gets around here
when they're mad.
And she's sick, so I just
I
I'm sorry, Mea.
It's okay. I'll call you later.
- You're upset.
- No.
Not at all. I'll call you later.
Are you sure?
Yes. I have an appointment.
Okay, call me later.
Yeah, I will.
- Good morning. You're here early.
- Good morning.
I need everything you have
on the State of Massachusetts versus Brown
and Wilson versus the State of New Mexico.
On it.
- Ah, Jimmy should be here any second.
- He's out there already.
Oh, bring him in. And find out
who the judge is on Zyair Malloy's case.
Ask to meet in the chambers
with the prosecution
to talk about a family conflict.
You're repping Zyair Malloy?
You're damn right.
- [Jimmy] Thank you. H-hey!
- [Mea] Hey.
[Jimmy chuckling] Ah, look at you!
- [Mea grunts gently]
- How you doin'? You good?
- Yeah.
- Yeah, you okay?
- It's good to see you. Thanks for coming.
- Yeah.
C'mon. I could hear it
in your voice on the phone.
So what is it?
I need you. I need your help.
Okay.
Can we take a walk? I need some air.
- Yeah.
- Good.
[Jimmy] All right, so what did Kal do now?
Hmm? Am I following him again?
[Mea] No.
- So you guys workin' it out?
- They were just at the coffee shop.
I know. And if it had been anything else,
I would have found it.
I know. You told me about
his drug habit before he lost his job.
I wrestled with that.
I just didn't want you in the dark.
- Always tell me what you find, Jimmy.
- Yes.
You're the best private investigator,
so just tell me.
- Just don't like seeing you hurting.
- Me being in the dark is more hurtful.
Okay. You know how I feel about you,
right? You're like a sister to me.
- I'm okay.
- All right.
So,
how's Kal?
- Don't do that.
- What?
- Don't do what? What I do?
- I know you.
[chuckling] What?
So just tell me.
Fine. Fine. He goes to his rehab,
and then he goes back home.
- I knew you were still watching.
- [chuckling]
Yeah. Yeah. Uh, is he still lying
to his folks about losing his job?
[Mea sighs]
It's a lot, Jimmy.
I know.
My work helps.
- Did you get the information I sent you?
- Yes.
I already started trying to track
the girlfriend's family in Mexico.
And?
Well, strangely, either no one's
ever heard of them, or they're all scared.
Which is common. I should have cell phone
metadata from his and her phones too.
Is that legal?
You know the rules. Don't ask me
any questions, and I'll indemnify you.
- Sorry.
- [laughing] Nah.
The witness list for the prosecution?
Listen, if you really wanna do this,
I'll find anything
and everything I can for you, okay?
But you know what?
You don't seem sure.
Hmm? [laughs] And I know
your brother-in-law has gotta be pissed.
- He's such a dick.
- Ah, he is!
- But I'm doing it.
- You doin' it?
Okay, I hope it's because of your gut
and not because you're angry with him.
You always go with your gut, Mea.
Don't change that.
I won't.
So you believe this Zyair guy?
[sighs] Let's
let's see what happens
when we talk to him.
All right. All right.
- All right?
- All right.
What is this?
You're the only firm he can retain?
[sighs] I'm sure there are others,
but he wants my firm, Your Honor.
And as you know,
the defendant has the right
to choose the counsel of his choice.
Of course I know that.
So, Ray, you don't want to...
I would prefer not to recuse myself
if Your Honor would see fit.
- [tense music playing]
- [Mavro] This is your sister-in-law.
She knew I was prosecuting the case,
which I think she took on purpose
just to antagonize my brother,
who has done everything for her.
Well, it's obvious that this, uh animus
will make for terrible bedfellows,
so, um, I think I'm going to allow it.
But if I get a hint of anything improper,
I will refer you both to the bar.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Thank you, Your Honor.
[music intensifies]
So she never told you
where her parents lived in Mexico?
We were actually gonna go visit
when I had a chance to take a break, but
we weren't together long.
And then why did she send that video
to her sister
saying those things about you?
I I didn't even know she had a sister.
I don't know.
Hmm. You didn't know
where her parents live.
You didn't know she had a sister
- I didn't do anything to her.
- [Jimmy] Hmm.
Well, you did something to her.
Yeah?
Sex. Right?
I mean, that was your girl.
Now, don't look at her.
'Cause she's thinking the same thing.
- Of course we had sex, man.
- [Jimmy] Yeah, you had sex. Pretty erotic?
Like your ex?
Let's see what she said, actually.
Let's see. I read somethin'.
Ah, there it is.
"He liked to pull my hair
and make me gag."
"Spit on me."
"He got pleasure when I was in pain."
"He was sadistic."
Hmm. Take a look at that, Mea.
[softly] Yeah. Right there.
"Deep was never deep enough for him."
"If I didn't show pleasure on my face,
he would do things to make me show pain."
"Things like bite my nipples
and choke me until I passed out."
That's so one-sided. That was
that was her thing.
Why you smiling about it?
Listen.
She was she just was
that's how she was.
She was an insatiable woman
'cause she would do the same stuff to me.
She would choke me.
She would bite me,
pour hot candle wax on me.
It was a game.
It was too much for me,
so I had to end it.
That's why she's angry.
- Oh, wait. You ended it?
- [Zyair] I ended it.
She says she ended it,
and you stalked her.
No.
Actually,
it's the other way around.
Ooh, man, you got
a lot of women after you, don't you?
Well, you know, sometimes it's like that.
Okay. Arrogant motherfucker too.
I like it, though, personally.
- How the fuck? What is
- Jimmy
- I'm sorry. I was
- Sorry.
I ended it.
She couldn't take it.
She was trying to take things too far.
I didn't feel comfortable with it.
And that was that.
What's going too far?
Bashing her head in?
Putting her skull in the painting?
- How is this helping me?
- [Mea] Jimmy
What? I'm just He's sitting there
with a smirk on his face. I just
Did you do these erotic things with Hydie?
No, Hydie wasn't that way at all.
Which is why I loved her so much.
It was
much better with Hydie.
I never did anything to hurt her.
So you didn't get high,
and then y'all got into some kinky shit
- [Zyair] No!
- Maybe things got a little, you know
- Maybe things got out of control.
- No.
- [Jimmy] That's all I'm suggesting. Maybe?
- [Zyair] No.
[Jimmy] Okay.
- [electronic beeps]
- Well that is my time.
Got a plane to catch. Headed to Mexico
to see how I can help you, kid.
You got any stairs? 'Cause, uh
man, that elevator's some creepy shit.
- All right. I'll be in touch.
- [Mea softly] Yeah.
I'll be right back.
[footsteps retreating]
[Mea] Jimmy!
Wait.
All right.
So what do you think?
Well, you read body language
better than experts.
Give me your opinion.
I mean, he wasn't blinking a lot.
His inflections were up
in all the right places.
Voice was pitched right.
That fucker's lying.
That's what I think.
If he's not lying, he is a psychopath.
All right? And he believes his lie so much
that he could he could fool even me.
Crazy, 'cause
- I feel the same way.
- You feel the same way. Yeah. [snorts]
Shit.
I'll call you from Mexico?
Okay.
- [Jimmy] Adios.
- Hmm.
[ambient music playing]
Zyair?
Zyair?
You're out on bail.
You shouldn't do that.
So turn me in.
The prosecution can request a drug test
at any time.
Do you wanna do
this entire trial from jail?
Mr. Malloy, if I'm your attorney,
no more going out to fancy restaurants
with the paparazzi watching.
No more going out at all
unless you're
dying or trying to get to a hospital.
If you are ever photographed,
you need to be disheveled and look bad.
You need to look like you're in hell.
This is hell, Mea.
I can't for the life of me understand
why Hydie would make that video.
She was my woman.
I feel like all this is just a bad dream.
I feel like maybe if I
dove off this roof, I might wake up.
You're not dreaming.
And that will kill you.
Why don't we go back into the apartment?
I'm not suicidal, girl.
That was a lie, Mea.
I'm not a womanizer,
despite what the paper says.
Yes.
I do love sex.
And, yes, I have
done some wild shit.
But I've never hurt nobody.
I'm the type of man who loves to see
pleasure on my woman's face, not pain.
Pleasure.
And she knows that.
So why would she lie?
She's not my ex. She's just someone
I was fucking around with.
Listen, I've heard
everything I need to know.
If there's anything else to find,
Jimmy is the best, and he will find it.
Okay.
Try not to worry.
[line ringing]
[cell phone ringing]
How's Mexico?
Uh, Mexico is the same everywhere.
Meaning how's the search going?
Not so good. I traced the cell phone
to a cell tower
near where the video was sent to,
and, yeah,
there's no families living in the area.
It's all cartel overran, right?
I get as close as I can to the city
where the police said that she was born.
Nobody's ever heard of this Hydie.
Excuse me.
- Well, that's odd.
- Yeah, no, it gets worse.
Uh, there are no birth records
for anyone with that name, Mea.
And to think, like, that an American
could kill a beautiful Mexican girl,
and there's no sign of that story here?
C'mon, something's off.
Gimme a couple days.
I'll have a full report.
Um, okay.
Yeah, oh, and there is a
there's a Renee Carter
you really need to ask him about.
Is she on the witness list?
Yeah, I talked to her on the phone.
She's telling me she got a lot to say,
but she won't talk on the phone,
so I'll see her when I get back.
Oh, okay. Well, travel safe. Thank you.
All right. I'll try.
[Kal clears throat]
[tap running]
[Mea] What?
- [Kal] You, uh
- [tap stops]
you remember our honeymoon?
Remember?
When it rained every damn day?
When you kept getting dressed,
and we couldn't even make it to the door?
[sensual music playing]
You, um
you ever think we can get back there?
I know you can't answer that. I know.
This is on me.
But I promise I promise I'm gonna do
everything to get us back there.
Okay?
And I get it.
Um I know why you repped him.
It's totally my fuck-up.
And I'm sorry. I really am.
I love you with everything.
I gotta get dressed, Kal.
Yeah. Of of course.
[sighs]
[under breath] Shit.
Who is Renee Carter?
[Zyair] A very bitter person.
[Mea] Did you sleep with her?
Yes.
So is everyone you sleep with bitter?
It may sound arrogant, but
I know what I want,
and I know what I don't.
Sometimes, despite what I tell them,
they think I'll fall in love with them
and stay forever.
She is a witness for the prosecution,
so tell me about her.
[Zyair] She
owns a gallery.
- [pen scribbling]
- Very well-connected in the art world.
Knows everything
and everyone.
I remember
bringing one of my paintings to her
after going to everyone in the city.
They all said no.
She took one look at me
and said yes.
Didn't even look at the work.
It was obvious what she wanted.
She put all my paintings up.
Took me around the country.
Pretty much got me started.
I was young.
I was broke. I was desperate.
I wasn't using her.
I really liked her.
We just had nothing in common.
So, once I got a little traction,
I told her I was moving out.
She got furious.
Wanted to control me.
I didn't like it.
You can relate?
Mr. Malloy
You may as well tell me.
My life is in your hands.
Do you wanna die of lethal injection?
Stay focused.
I am your attorney.
I am not your friend.
No one returns my calls anymore.
I'm sorry. Where was I at? I'm sorry.
[Mea sighs gently]
[Mea] I got married young
to a man that I loved.
It wasn't the fairy tale
that I thought it would be.
Her taking care of you is
something that I can sort of relate to.
[sighs] All right,
I think that's enough for tonight.
[Zyair] Wait, wait, wait.
Hold on. No, no, no, no.
Come here. Come here.
- Oh, no, I...
- Come! Come here.
Please. Just for a minute.
Please. Come here.
Sit down. I wanna show you something.
Sit down.
Sit.
Close your eyes.
Close.
First color that comes to mind
when you think of your marriage.
[scoffs] I don't think so.
[Zyair] Relax. Tell me.
[Mea sighs]
Blue.
[Zyair] Close.
There you go.
[Mea sighs softly]
What do you see the blue making?
Waves?
[Zyair] Waves.
Just let it go. Paint the wave.
That's it. Very nice.
I don't wanna do this.
[Zyair] Trust.
Art is subjective.
I think it's beautiful.
[gasps softly]
I think that's enough for tonight.
I'm gonna miss my train.
[Zyair] Train to where?
I see. It's kinda hard to trust
a cat on trial for murder.
I live in Chesterton.
[Zyair] Come.
I'll take you to the station.
[Mea] Oh, no.
I thought you had a car.
I do. This is faster.
I don't think so.
Why?
Well, for one,
I have on a skirt.
So hike it up.
That does not seem appropriate.
You always do what's appropriate?
- Come on, man, just ride side-saddle.
- That does not seem safe.
You always do what's safe?
I got a car.
Come on, it's right here. Come on.
- My ride is pulling up right about now.
- I'll walk you.
No, no. Thank you.
[door opens]
[door shuts]
[Zyair] Come on, please.
Don't question it.
Just let it go.
I think it's beautiful.
[Mea] I don't wanna do this.
[Zyair] Don't think.
Close your eyes.
This is wonderful.
[Mea gasps sensually]
[Kal grunting]
[music fades out]
[Mea] I'm really looking forward
to getting all the information.
- Can you do that?
- On it.
[Mea] Okay, by Thursday.
- Sounds good. All right. Thank you.
- Yes, ma'am.
[Mea] Thursday. Make it Thursday.
Okay. Thank you.
[Kal] Mea.
- [Mea] Hi.
- Hey. Um
You left so early this morning,
I didn't get a chance.
I Uh, thank you. I have a lot to do.
I know. I just told you
I wouldn't stop trying.
Thank you.
Well, uh, I was just coming
to drop these off. I'll, uh
Look, I was thinkin', uh
How about dinner tonight?
No, after therapy.
Okay.
[Zyair] Mea.
Must be your husband.
Zyair.
There's no need for the introduction.
- [Mea sighs]
- Wow.
- My office?
- What happened to meeting at my loft?
I thought it would be better
if we meet here instead,
just to stay focused.
I get it.
So let's go to my office
to discuss the gallery owner.
You know, the paps followed me
all the way here.
[Mea sighs]
I'm sorry.
I thought that was the whole reason
for meeting at my place.
Well, this is better.
Better for who?
I'm trying to do a good job for you.
That's bullshit.
Excuse me?
I don't wanna be here.
This place is uptight.
Niggas in suits,
and I don't feel I can open up here.
Meet me at my loft. It's so much better.
Are you taking this seriously?
Are you?
Meet me at my loft.
Mr. Malloy, are you really leaving?
By the way, I see them jeans.
Hello, it's me
It's me, babe
I've thought about us
For a long, long time
Maybe I think too much
But something's wrong
Somethin' here
That doesn't last too long
Maybe I shouldn't think of you
You're a day late.
I shouldn't be here at all.
[music quietens]
- I wanna talk about the other night.
- Mr. Malloy, I don't.
[Zyair] Good. Then listen.
I find you
incredibly attractive.
You turn me on when I see you.
I hug you when I see you because
I love the way you feel.
Love the way the small of your back feels
in my hands.
The way you smell.
Your brilliance.
Your confidence.
All very intriguing,
very attractive.
[Mea sighs]
[Mea sighs]
"Mr. Malloy, the sex murderer."
"Zyair Malloy, an arrogant murderer."
"Zyair Malloy killed his girlfriend
so his paintings would go up in value."
"Malloy, the womanizer!"
"Zyair Malloy, he makes women
fall for him and then kills them."
I could go on and on.
So you think I'm running game?
That's what you think of me?
Doesn't matter what I think.
It's what the jury thinks.
So I tell you that I'm attracted to you,
and you throw this bullshit in my face?
I think I need a new lawyer
because everything in your body
says you're attracted to me.
But you won't admit it to yourself
or to me.
I can't trust you.
New lawyer.
[Mea] If that's what you want to do.
But I'll just say this.
Your trial is in a month.
And that'll be hard for any attorney
to get up to speed in such short time.
Admit it. You find me attractive.
That is a lie.
I'm here to try to help you.
Lying to me isn't helping me, Mea.
You have my life in your hands
and can't admit a simple truth.
Mr. Malloy, I can smell the marijuana.
I could smell it
when you came to my office.
I know that you're high,
and it's not helping.
Well, being high brings truth.
Maybe you should try it.
Yeah.
New lawyer.
[tense music playing]
Where are you going?
[Zyair] I need to dance. I'm going out.
[Mea] You cannot be seen
in public dancing.
[Zyair] Where I'm going isn't public.
Get your shit. Let's go. I gotta lock up.
Mea. Move!
So is this what you do
when you don't get your way?
Only person who could help me
won't tell me she's attracted to me
or that she believes me.
And I know you are.
I see your breathing change
when I look at you.
Or how you avert your eyes
when I look at you.
Trying to play cool.
Play big girl.
I see you, big girl.
You shouldn't be seen going out.
I told you, I'm not going out.
[music fades out]
["Khavhude (feat. Victyphoon & Mpura)"
by DJ Lag & Mr JazziQ playing]
[sensual moaning]
Wanna fuck?
I got X.
[Kal] All right, watch this.
I'm coming for you. Mm-hmm.
- Okay, one-on-one.
- [music fades out]
[Kal] All right, then,
why you running? Don't run!
- Okay, watch this. Here you go.
- [joystick rattling]
- Hey.
- [Kal] Oh, I see you know how to hide.
Okay, where you at?
Oh, you think you smart?
You think you smart. Okay... Come on!
[laughing]
Come on, that's not fair. Look... Uh...
All right, okay. C'mon, then.
One-on-one, let's go.
Oh, you think you smart.
All right, let's go now. Okay, wait there.
[laughing]
Uh-uh. Uh-uh. Uh-uh.
Okay, let's go.
[phone ringing]
- This is Mea.
- It's Maddy.
Hi.
Hi. Zyair told me he want another lawyer.
Yes.
I told him that would be a big mistake.
Please, talk to him.
[Mea] He doesn't want me to.
[Maddy] Mea, he is scared out of his mind.
- [Mea] He said that?
- [Maddy] Well, there you have it.
He would never admit that to anyone.
Don't give up on him. He needs you.
[Mea] Maddy, I really have to go.
Maddy told me you wanted to see me.
I wanna apologize about the other night.
I know this is hard for you.
[Zyair] Yes.
I wanted to say that first.
Zyair, I am not some weak woman
that you can seduce.
Yes, my marriage has issues, as do most,
but we will work it out.
And if you wanna fire me, that's fine.
But you won't find anyone better
or anyone who cares as much.
I was just trying to set some boundaries,
that's all.
There's some truth.
Why do you need boundaries?
[intense string music playing]
Um, call me tomorrow
if you want me to represent you.
Hi.
I'm Carrie.
I live next door.
[Zyair] There's no need
to introduce yourself. She's not staying.
[zipper opening]
[music intensifies]
- [switch clicks]
- [elevator whirring]
[music fades out]
[cell phone ringing]
Hi.
Been trying to call you.
It's been a long day.
What's wrong?
Nothing. N... Nothing. Uh, what you got?
Is this about Kal and that girl?
What are you talking about?
[sighs] Shit.
- [message sent beep]
- What is it?
Check your phone.
Hey, I... I am sorry, kid, okay?
But they're at the Winston, room 714.
- Are you there?
- [scoffs]
Mea? All right, listen, Mea.
I'm back tomorrow, all right,
and I'm coming to you, Mea.
I'm coming right to you, okay? Just...
Hey, hey, listen. Can you talk to me?
- I'll call you back. I'll call you back.
- Please. Just take a breath, okay?
[clears throat] I'll be by my phone.
["And I Drove You Crazy" by BANKS playing]
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
Even though I should've known
It was a bad idea to love you
All I wanted was to lift each other up
All I wanted was to lift each other up
I couldn't validate
Or navigate a way around you
All I wanted was to lift each other up
I never wanted you
To hurt too much to touch
What are you looking for?
Wanted to be your girl
And anything you wanted
Baby, I tried to be
What are you looking for?
Wanted to be your girl
[Mea groans] Stop.
Believe, I tried to be
I drove you crazy
- What are you looking for?
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Wanted to be your girl
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- And anything you wanted
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Baby, I tried to be
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- What are you looking for?
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Wanted to be your girl
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- In any way you wanted me
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
- Believe, I tried to be
- I drove you crazy, I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
And I drove you crazy
[music fades out]
["Unravel Me" by Sabrina Claudio playing]
It's something in the sun or the air
It's making me wanna run
Away from here
I know that you want me
To stay with you, but no
So I'll keep on making excuses
About the sun, the earth, the rays
Our days are numbered
Wired and I'm tired of it
I know you're trying
But you'll never unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
Unravel me
[music fades out]
[ambient music playing]
Zyair.
No worries.
It's abstraction.
[Mea gasps]
Oh shit.
Come on.
I always saw myself with a woman like you.
[Mea] Honestly,
I always saw myself
with someone spontaneous.
Who makes love to me
the way I wanna be made love to.
Who throws caution at the wind.
Someone like
Me?
Too bad we didn't meet earlier.
Maybe you wouldn't be with him.
And I wouldn't be in all this shit.
Where would we be?
Somewhere in love
in the Dominican Republic.
Off the beach in one of those villas.
That sounds perfect.
We'll go when you get me off.
I'll do my best.
Tell me we'll go when you get me off.
We'll go
when I get you off.
[music fades out]
[footsteps approaching]
What the fuck? Where have you been?
We have been calling you all night
and all morning.
Keep your voices down.
We are in my office.
Yes, I worked very late last night,
so I got a hotel.
What? And you didn't call me?
Mea, I don't like this.
- Neither do I, Kal.
- I don't like this at all!
- [Mea] Keep your voice...
- Who the fuck you think you're talking to?
Um, she's right. We are at her job.
And now that we know she's okay,
we can leave. Let's go to the Winston.
The Winston?
Azalia said she was feeling very bad,
so we moved her into the Winston
so that she can be closer to the hospital
since we're so far out.
We were all there.
- What room?
- [scoffs] Oh.
So now you wanna know.
[poignant music playing]
Come on, Kal. Let's go.
I'll, um I'll meet you in the car.
You really hate me that much,
you ignore me? Shoot, Mea, I'm tryin'!
What the hell?
Look, we're in counseling.
Look, I thought we were doing better.
Please tell me what's goin' on.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry.
That's all you have to say?
Can we go to my office and talk?
No, I'm good right here. In fact, uh
I can't do this.
Kal.
[stamps foot] Shit.
Shit.
[elevator clanking]
[Zyair] Haven't heard from you all day.
- I brought your case files.
- Mea.
[Mea] The rest will be delivered later on.
I spoke to Jason Timsdale. He is great.
I spoke to him this morning.
He has an excellent team.
- Stop.
- And they are ready to take you on.
[Zyair] Stop.
I understand. You're feeling guilty.
You're embarrassed.
You wanna avoid me.
I get it. I already know.
There's no reason for any of that.
No one
will ever know.
Look
I saw that wall you had up
when we first met.
I knew you were feeling me.
But that woman who can hide her emotions
in the workplace,
she can rep me.
I know you can do it.
You can separate the two.
Do you wanna gamble with your life?
Knowing how you feel about me?
Absolutely.
[Mea sighs]
What's more important to me right now
is how I feel about my husband.
- And I can't do this.
- Mea.
- I won't do this.
- Mea, please.
It's too late. You know I need you.
You know I need you.
Please don't do this.
[Mea] I can't.
[Zyair] Mea!
Mea, what am I supposed to do?
[music fades out]
[quavering] I can't believe
I did it, Jimmy.
But you're human, okay?
She was in there 'cause she was sick.
They were all in there!
Ray and Charlise too.
I would never judge you,
and you know that, right?
But I'm judging myself.
I was so stupid!
- I shouldn't have said anything.
- It's not your fault.
[Jimmy] Don't beat yourself up, okay?
I can't rep him.
- No, no, no.
- But I need the money.
No, no. We're not gonna panic.
You have handled a lot. You got this, Mea.
You can do it.
Don't you lose this because of my mistake.
How do I look at him?
You can do this.
You take a second,
but you can do this. All right?
You just talk to the gallery owner.
She refused to talk to me,
but for whatever reason,
she said she's willing to talk to you.
If you still feel like you can't,
then you drop it.
But you gotta try. Okay?
- Okay.
- All right?
- Okay.
- All right.
Okay.
[Mea sighs]
[chanting] Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Your walls! Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
Her blood! Your walls!
All you bitches can go to hell!
Take that.
Her blood! Your walls! Her blood
["Condotta ell'era in ceppi"
by Verdi playing in gallery]
Are you gonna stand there,
or are you gonna come have a seat?
You want one?
[Mea] No, thank you!
Are you judging me
because it's before noon?
Not at all.
[woman] Well,
I've earned this.
I'm Renee Chester Wilson.
Mea Harper.
I know who you are.
He likes you!
You fuckin' him yet?
I beg your pardon?
[Renee] Yeah, you are.
He's good.
And he has a real sizable package,
like the snake that he is.
You wanted to talk to me.
Yes, honey.
I wanted to share with you who he is.
Look at these walls.
There's Basquiat, Warhol,
Jon Moody,
Sam Gilliam,
Mark Bradford,
and Derrick Adams.
He didn't belong on these walls.
Those bitches out there want me
to get rid of all of his paintings.
Not a chance.
He's gonna make me rich one day.
Well,
rich er.
I helped him.
And as soon as things
started going well for him,
it was bye-bye, old broad.
The world awaits.
I can understand
how that kind of betrayal can feel.
You can't understand nothing.
You're not even 50. You have no idea.
Well, with that being said,
is there anything else you wanna say?
There's a lot I can say, sugar.
What do you wanna know?
- Was he ever violent towards you?
- [laughs]
[sighs]
You're going there.
I don't understand.
I... If you wanna defend him
in that way, okay.
No, he was never violent.
But that's not how a snake works.
A snake is never violent
when they're stalking their prey.
It's only when they get
right into striking distance
that they can become very violent.
Was he ever
within striking distance with you?
No.
He got what he wanted, and he was gone.
He charmed me.
I told him I was angry with my ex,
and he sat me down in front of an easel
and made me paint.
He said, "Close your eyes,
and tell me what color you feel."
So I said,
"Blue."
And he made me paint waves.
Then he asked me,
"Are you angry?"
And I said, "Yes."
And then he said,
"Well, that feels like red to me."
So there I was
with this canvas of blue waves
and red lines.
It was a mess. And you know what he did?
No, I don't.
He finished it.
And he put it on the canopy over the bed.
And one morning,
I looked up, and there was my face.
Bigger than life.
I was the canvas
that he played with until it was done.
But there are many canvases.
Many layers, darling.
Look at your face.
[Renee laughing]
[laughing intensifies]
- [music intensifies]
- [inaudible chanting]
[music intensifies]
[Renee's laugh echoing]
[music climaxes]
[music fades out]
[elevator whirring]
[elevator clanks]
[tense string music playing]
- Hey.
- [Mea] Hey.
[Zyair] I've been calling you.
[Mea] Yeah, I was out.
[Zyair] You know
feeling good about all this.
It's all your fault.
[music becomes unsettling]
I haven't felt relaxed like this
in a long time.
Baby, you all right?
Mea?
Mea, wait!
[music becomes dramatic]
[Zyair] Hold on, it's not what you think.
Mea, please.
- Let me explain. It's not what you think.
- You need another lawyer! I quit!
I only did that because of the video.
[Mea] I'm done.
[Zyair] Mea, please.
You know it's too late.
I need you, M... [softly] Oh my God
So you take down the painting of me,
painted that "die, bitch,
you ruined my life," and put it back up?
[softly] It's not what you think.
What do you want me to do, Mea?
What do you want me to do?
Mea.
[Mea grunts]
Mea.
- [Mea] Start the elevator!
- Mea.
[Mea] Start it!
What we had the other night
[Mea] Start the elevator.
[Zyair] I only have one card to play.
If you are talking about
telling my husband, I will tell him.
I'll go to the prosecution,
Judge Brodan, the bar.
That painting is enough to bury your ass!
- That's not what I'm saying.
- The fuck are you saying?!
Just that I love you.
You are so full of shit.
[Mea sobbing gently]
Start the fucking elevator.
Start the fucking elevator!
[elevator clanks, whirs]
[Kal] Hey. What's goin' on?
Hi.
What's goin' on?
Kal.
Come 'ere.
[tense music plays]
[Mea sighs]
[indistinct whispering]
Kal, I need to tell you something.
You were with him for over an hour
on the drive here. Couldn't tell him then?
Can we talk in private?
[Azalia] No.
Whatever you need to say,
you can say to all of us.
Yeah.
Tell him where you were the other night.
All night long.
- Kal, please...
- He's not talking to you.
- Kal.
- What did I say?
- [sighs] Let's all just calm down.
- [Ray] You, shut up!
Nobody needs to calm down.
I am mad as hell.
After all that my son has done for you,
you buy these expensive suits,
and he has to work overtime
to pay for them. It's insane.
- [Mea scoffs]
- [Azalia laughs] You don't deserve him.
[Kal] You wanna tell me where you were?
Tell him.
And be honest.
Honest?
Is that what we're doing?
I lost my job.
What?
She's been supporting me the whole time.
[gasps softly] And I'm in rehab.
- [quietly] Kal, what are you saying?
- It's all her fault.
She put too much pressure on you.
She doesn't deserve you.
[Ray] I got a call from the court
saying you went to see the judge,
and you're off the case
because of an inappropriate relationship
with your client.
Wanna tell him that?
[Kal] What did you mean by that, Mea?
Where were you that night?
[Kal breathes shakily]
[softly] I spent the night with Zyair.
[quavers] Did you fuck him?
[quietly] Yes.
I knew it! Oh!
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
- Fuck, man!
- [Ray] Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
[Azalia] You need to leave!
- [Ray] I got you.
- I'm sorry.
I said, you need to leave!
Get the fuck outta here,
you fucking bitch! Get out!
Get outta this house!
- Get out!
- [Ray] I got you.
- I got you.
- [Azalia] We got you, baby.
I didn't do anything wrong, Mom
[Mea sobbing] I'm so sorry.
I know.
[Ray] Charlise.
Get in here. The kids are crying.
[tropical music playing in beach bar]
[man 1] The forecast for today
is more sun.
It looks like
it will be a warmer-than-normal week.
In other news,
Chicago District Attorney Ray Harper
announced a breakthrough
in the Zyair Malloy case.
With more analysis on the case,
here's Channel 10's legal team,
Judy Walker and Jim Forrester.
[man 2] Yes, in a surprising turn,
Zyair Malloy has agreed to a deal
with the prosecution
that will give him
the opportunity to be eligible for parole.
So doesn't this mean
no trial and no answers?
Usually, when these types
of deals are made,
the defendant has to confess
and tell where the body is.
Is that a part of this deal?
No. Surprisingly enough,
DA Harper did not ask for that,
which is shocking.
I'm sure we'll be hearing from her family.
Yes, that is strange.
Thank you very much, Brandon.
[line ringing]
- [Mea] Hi.
- Hey! Hey, I've been trying to call you.
Yeah, I just got on a plane.
I needed to clear my head.
Hey, you talk to Kal?
No.
He doesn't wanna talk to me.
You need to call him, Mea.
Why? What did you do?
He's been going to counseling.
Let me give it some time. I just need
a second to sit in all of this.
All right. I love you, girl.
Love you, Jimmy. Thanks. Bye.
Bye.
[ambient music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music becomes unsettling]
[Mea] 'Scuse me.
Yes, ma'am?
Hydie.
- Uh...
- You're Hydie.
Ah [Mexican accent] I'm sorry.
No No speak English.
- [Mea] You're alive!
- [music becomes dramatic]
[Mea] You're gonna talk to me!
- Why are you running?
- I am not who you think I am.
- You're coming to the police with me.
- No. No!
[Mea] Shit!
[Hydie yelps]
[music subsides]
[Hydie gasping hysterically]
Oh my God!
[sucks in air] Ah! Shit.
[music fades out]
[line ringing]
- It's me. I had to get another phone.
- Are you okay?
Uh [spluttering] Is Ray around?
Can you put him on the phone?
Yeah, but he doesn't wanna speak to you.
Please put him on the phone.
- Who is it?
- Mea.
What do you want?
Yeah, Zyair is innocent.
What?
I just saw
the woman that he supposedly killed.
[scoffs] What are you talkin' about?
I saw her. She's working at the resort
that I'm staying at.
I'm at the police station,
but they aren't much help.
[scoffs] This sounds ridiculous.
You have an innocent man in jail.
I'm supposed to believe you
after what you did to Kal?
You don't have to believe me.
Well, tell the police.
I'm telling you, they're not much help.
An investigator I'm working with
is on a plane, and when he lands,
- I'm gonna have him come and find her.
- Where are you?
I'm in the DR. Santo Domingo.
Mea.
This looks bad.
What do you mean?
You slept with him.
You wanna help him, let me get
one of my investigators out there.
- No. She'll be gone by then.
- And what are you gonna do to stop her?
I'll get one of my guys
on the plane right now. Just
come home.
Okay? Come come here, to the house.
Kal's here.
Mea, he's been worried sick without you.
- No, Ray, I...
- Come.
- Your mother doesn't want me there.
- Look, I'll talk to her.
I need to get off the phone.
Let me get my guy on the plane.
Just come to the house.
Okay.
- [phone beeps]
- Goddammit!
- You.
- Mom.
Is Kal here?
He was in the city earlier,
but he's on his way.
Did you reach your investigator?
Landing as we speak.
Hey, don't worry.
We'll find her, okay?
Okay.
[cell phone buzzing]
I'm sorry, I have to take this.
Yeah. Go on.
- [Jimmy] Hey.
- [Mea] Hey, did you get my message?
Yeah, s... so she's alive?
Yeah.
Hey, where are you?
At my brother-in-law's house.
- Is his mother there?
- Yeah.
Okay, listen. Mea, I know I fucked up
with the whole Kal thing.
I need you to trust me here, all right?
I want you to check your email.
[buttons tapping]
- [unsettling music plays]
- [gasps softly]
You're kidding.
I know it's illegal,
but I had to make it up to you somehow.
[Mea gasps softly]
Okay?
[Mea gasping softly]
You hear me?
- [to herself] I can't
- Mea?
Can you hear me?
Hell... Fuck!
[tense music playing]
[music intensifies]
- [Azalia] Mea?
- Yes?
Can you help me to the counter? This...
This chemo, it just makes me so sick.
- [Azalia gasps]
- [phone cracks]
[Azalia] Oh, I
[insincerely] I don't think
your phone is working anymore.
I'm sorry. It just it makes me so weak.
[sighs] Thank you, dear.
[chair scraping floor]
Thank you.
- Everything okay?
- [Azalia] Yeah.
Here. Made you a drink, Mea.
[unsettling music plays]
- Thank you.
- [Ray] Yeah.
Kal should've been here by now.
Yeah. I'll call him. You enjoy your drink.
You wanna help me get this meal ready?
- Sure.
- [Charlise] Uh, you can wash those.
[Azalia] Oh! You won't be needing that.
I'll cut them.
[unsettling music plays]
- You haven't touched your drink.
- What did your clerk say?
- Think our investigator found her.
- Okay.
Great.
Tomorrow we'll talk to Judge Brodan, and
[sighs] we'll see about
getting that man out of jail.
Why can't we just hit the judge tonight?
No. Come on, Mea. This is family time.
[Azalia] Yeah, it's family time!
[Mea] Ray read your email.
Go on. Read it!
Who got you this? Jimmy? Your PI?
- You mean, Mom, you don't have cancer?
- No, son.
And tell her why.
We cooked all of this shit up.
I won sympathy for my votes.
I just don't know
why it took you so long to figure it out.
Does Kal know about this?
It would break his heart.
- Let's toast to family! [chuckles]
- [Ray] Mm.
Here's to Charlise,
who decided to sleep with
a penniless, desperate artist.
I am so sorry, son.
Ray, I...
Oh, shut the fuck up.
[scoffs] My boys are so good
to both of you,
and you two
cheat with the same fucking guy?
I don't believe this.
Oh, I begged Kal not to marry you.
I know that you set Zyair up.
I think you should let it go.
[Ray laughing]
[Mea] Charlise, get the kids.
Let's get out of here, okay?
C'mon.
[Azalia] Stab her.
[Ray] Do it.
- No. I won't. I won't. I wo...
- [Mea] Charlise
- Now.
- [Mea] Charlise.
[Charlise sniffs]
- No.
- [Ray] C'mon.
You can do it.
[Mea] Char...
[music intensifies]
[music becomes dramatic]
[Azalia screaming]
[Ray groaning]
[metal cracks, rattles]
[Mea] Shit. Charlise! Please!
Charlise
Shit!
C'mon! C'mon!
[gunshot cracks]
[Ray panting] Honey, what are you doin'?
DA's have incredible security.
That's bulletproof glass.
The fucking knife down.
Get his keys.
Get his keys. Get his keys. Run!
[Azalia] No!
- [Azalia grunts]
- [sickening squelch]
[music intensifies]
[Mea groaning] Shit!
- [unsettling squelch]
- [Ray cries out]
[Mea] Shit.
[Mea yelps]
[Ray growling]
[music fades out]
- [Mea grunting]
- [ignition failing]
[dramatic music playing]
Help! Please!
Stop! Stop!
Please! Please! Please!
- Mea! Mea! What are you... What are you...
- Kal!
- Baby, what you...
- We gotta get outta here.
Wait. What are you talking about?
- [shouts] Ray is in on it!
- Wait, what?!
Charlise was sleeping with him.
- Baby...
- We have to go.
- Baby, look. Breathe.
- No.
- Let's just go! He tried to kill me!
- I need you to calm down.
Who tried to kill you?
Baby, please talk. C'mon.
- I need you to breathe.
- Call the police!
[Kal] C'mon. Get in the car.
Yeah, 911?
Okay, yeah, I have an emergency, please.
Yeah, I need the police.
[softly] It'll be okay. Yeah, please.
They're asking me what happened.
What happened, Mea? Mea, what happened?
I'm asking her questions,
but she's not answering.
Can you just send somebody
to 345 on Highway 57?
Yeah. Yeah, send somebody.
Okay, look, they're on the way.
Okay? It's gonna be all right.
It's gonna be all right.
- Why are you going to the house?
- We have to wait for the police.
- They tried to kill me!
- Mea, come on!
[phone ringing]
Uh Yeah, 911?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, all right, all right. Yeah.
[Ray through speaker] She figured it out.
I need you to bring her back here.
Now.
Get her back here!
[unsettling music playing]
Don't look at me like that.
You know, my mom told me
you would do this.
I had no idea
you'd fall for him like Charlise did.
You're both so damn stupid.
Ray told me
I'll never be good enough for you. Never.
He told me to beat your ass
to just... to get you in line.
- [Mea breathing deeply]
- But I said no.
I said I wanted to try it the sweet way.
But my mom was so right.
That shit would never work with you.
Why?
Because you're weak?
The fuck did you just say?
That's why I was with him.
A man
with money and success.
[Kal punches dashboard]
He is nothing.
[Mea scoffs softly]
[Mea] If you only knew.
That's right. You can look at me here.
See, that was
a decision of mine. See that?
What are you doin'?
Get off, bitch!
[horn screeching]
[music fades out]
[man echoing] Oh my Lord, are you okay?
Ma'am, are you okay?
[siren wailing]
Debbie, we are on the scene where we are
told DA Raymond Harper has been arrested
for covering up evidence in a crime
along with a number of other charges.
We are also being told that this is all
in connection with the Zyair Malloy case.
The attorney general
has issued a statement
saying they are investigating this case,
as well as several others.
And our sources have revealed
all of the evidence that was presented
to the state's attorney against him,
apparently in an anonymous email,
gave several details on the nature
of the crimes that were alleged.
They are scheduled to hold
a press conference to brief the public,
and you can believe
Channel 7 will be there.
[woman] How does it feel to be free?
[man] Are you angry at the prosecution?
["Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes playing]
[woman] Sir, please look this way!
[man] Are you
are you angry at the prosecution?
How does it feel to be free?
- Long overdue.
- Are you angry at the prosecution?
I'm angry at any system
that can allow this to happen.
Who would you like to
thank the most for this?
Mea Harper. I'm told she's the reason
why the truth got revealed.
Which one of y'all got a close-up?
I appreciate you, Mea.
Yeah.
If you see me walking down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Then walk on by
Walk on by
Make believe
That you don't see the tears
Oh, just let me grieve
In private cause each time I see you
Just can't help myself
I break down and cry
Oh, baby, walk on by
[music fades out]
[ambient music playing]
[music fades out]
[dramatic music playing]
[music subsides]
[music fades out]
[sensual music playing]
[music fades out]