Out of Hand (2023) Movie Script
Lets go!
Next.
Lets go! Move it. Move. Move it.
No water right now, no water.
Grunts.
Hey. Use your hips.
High knees, high knees. And switch.
Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go.
There you go.
Good.
Good.
Hey, Matt.
Hey, babe.
You guys can quit anytime.
Just don't do it in my class.
Yeah, I got some information
on that gym guy David.
You gotta get out of there.
Okay.
I'll meet you at your place.
Two, one, done.
Good job, everybody.
Grab some water.
Hey, you don't do
that fucking shit in my gym.
Ya. What are you gonna do about it?
You keep that shit to yourself
or you're never fucking coming back.
Don't touch me.
Look at me when I'm talking to you.
You don't get to
talk to me like that, okay?
Whatever, I'm out of here.
Angela moaning.
Angela moaning.
Angela moaning.
Angle a moans
Angela climaxing
Angela climaxing.
I love you.
Suspenseful - building.
Hey, I was thinking
once this news comes out
it's gonna be crazy and
we should be together.
Swells.
Suspenseful.
Angela.
Hello.
Suspense.
Hello, hello.
Swells.
Joseph James D'Angelo
he was a particularly nasty character.
D'Angelo managed to evade the authorities
for almost three decades.
He even had three children and
a marriage that lasted 38 years.
And yet,
he was capable of this.
And this.
And, this.
Psychologically speaking,
how could he kiss his children goodnight,
and then right after,
take a woman's life?
D'Angelo was
able to psychologically
disassociate from his victims in a way
that he couldn't from his loved ones.
Love is complex.
Wilson said he revealed a connection.
95% of serial killers experience
kind of childhood trauma,
such as sexual or physical abuse.
What kind of serial killer
is Jason Manson?
From your books
I'd assume it's power control.
And that is accurate, Brooke.
Good observation.
What was his childhood trauma?
He was systematically beaten and
sexually abused by his
schizophrenic alcoholic father.
And sadly, he was
abandoned by his mother.
Schizophrenia tends to run in families.
So Jason was,
in essence, a ticking time bomb.
The inevitability of a psychotic break
was carved into his DNA.
How did you come up with that?
Research, Jessica.
I read a lot of case
studies and FBI profiles.
Ooh, our time is almost up.
But I do have one more
announcement to make.
You guys are going to be working with an
adjunct professor for
the rest of the year.
I know. I'm sorry.
But my book deal is almost done,
and I need to write the third an final
installment in the Manson series.
It's really been
such a great pleasure
working with each and every one of you.
And I'm wishing you every
success in your future careers.
Shit.
Last set. Let's
go. Driving those knees.
Come on. Come on. And give
me that push-up. Let's go.
Last set. Make it count. 30 more seconds.
Hey, Val.
Where is David?
He's in the office. Talking to the police.
Come on, guys. Five more seconds.
Three, two, and time.
Good job.
Hey, Thomas.
Hey, uh, David's in
the office with the 5-0.
They've been here a while asking
questions about Angela.
Hmm.
All right.
Alright, anything we
can do to help. Let me know.
Hello, Dear.
Hey.
Uh, this is Detective.
Gardner, Detective Barnes.
Hello.
Valerie Cross.
Yes.
We were just coming to find you.
Oh, that's convenient. Here I am.
I'll say.
Mind if we talk?
No, not at all.
Use your office?
It's all yours.
Thanks.
Yeah.
Right after you.
You write about a serial
killer named Jason Manson.
Hmm. Not exclusively.
I used to write children's books.
He's a good guy.
Antihero.
Antihero.
Yeah. He achieves good
through his evil acts.
There are lots of examples of antiheroes
in classic literature.
Don Quixote, Hamlet, even Wolverine.
How many books
have you written about
this Jason character?
Two.
They've done well?
Yeah. They're trending.
I teach more than I write,
but I'd like to change that.
It says trilogy on book two.
When can we expect the final book?
Soon.
David, your husband?
Hm. No. Marriage is an archaic institution.
We don't believe in it.
How long have you been with him?
Around a year and a half.
How was my relationship
relevant to Angela's murder?
Actually, Angela gave us
a call just a few days ago.
She said that
she was doing research for
you and David on the.
Harbinger killer video.
She said she had information on who the.
Harbinger really is.
We were supposed to
get together with her today
as a matter of fact.
Did she mention this to you?
No, she didn't.
Well, maybe the name is in her research.
Oh, you're more than welcome to look.
And we will.
You know, your fingerprints
were all over her apartment.
We were the best of friends. I've been to
her apartment many times.
When was it last?
Two days ago.
Do you know her family?
She never mentioned them.
We can't find
her cell phone or computer.
You wouldn't happen to know
where those are, would you?
No.
Have you ever visited
a real murder scene?
No.
And how do you
glorify such a monster?
Even monsters can be beautiful.
Yeah.
We've had four murders
this month that are linked.
The victims were all killed with
different forms of asphyxiation.
How does this, a Jason
character kill his victims?
With a knife.
Through the heart.
In book one.
But in book two,
he switches his style to poison.
You've read my books.
How will he
kill in the final book?
Excuse me?
How's he going to kill in the final book?
I don't know.
Where were you last night?
With David.
What were you doing?
Packing.
You leaving town?
Yes.
Where are you going?
Tahoe.
If that's all,
I'd like to get on with my day.
It went through
my entire phone. This is
a total invasion of privacy. I mean,
I didn't sign up for this.
The cops gone?
Yes.
We think I'm a suspect.
Come on, Hannah. You're the
last suspect on anybody's list.
We got too close.
I told her we were too close.
If he killed Angela,
then he has to know who we are.
Angela called me two nights ago.
What?
She said,
she knew who the killer was.
And why didn't you think to tell us this?
She made me promise.
Jesus, Thomas, did you tell the police?
No, I froze, okay?
Did she tell you who it was?
No.
She said she wanted to protect me.
Whatever that means,
she'd been worried about herself.
Hannah's right.
He knows who we are.
All of us.
I'm sorry, Val.
I'm out.
Tori,
relax,
I'm going to give you all
some time off while David
and I relocate to Tahoe.
I'm going to call you when
I'm ready to start writing.
I don't know.
I'll talk to her.
I'm sorry.
Ominous.
Hey Leo, I need more time.
But Simon's not offering another extension.
If you don't hit this deadline, we're done.
Where are you?
Um,
Surprise.
I'm at your lake house.
I flew in last night.
Leo, you flew all the way in from New York?
You know we always share a bottle of
really expensive wine the night before
you start a new project.
It's tradition.
Of course. You are the best.
Hey, there's a lovely
bistro down on K street.
Why don't we meet there?
Okay, perfect. We'll see you soon.
Bye.
How was Leonard.
Impatient, as usual.
Hm.
Come on lets hit the road.
Okay.
Electronic.
Lake Tahoe is
lovely, but a little too
remote for my liking.
New York not crowded enough?
You know I thrive under debauchery.
I thought,
Rome would have been a
better setting for the last book.
Here, here.
Clich.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
You know I don't like agreeing with him,
but that was my first
choice as well.
Rome.
You never did like David, did you?
Just say I, don't
like to share.
Oh, Leo, dear.
I'm not your little toy.
You were.
Does he make you happy?
Happier than you did.
I never hear you laughing with him.
Maybe his sense of humor
isn't what I fell in love with.
I'm sure.
I get two more
of these from me and my
girlfriend right there.
Hey.
Val.
Hmm?
They want three more Jason Manson books.
Who does?
You're a publisher.
Your fans. Everyone.
You're killing them off too soon.
This is the final book in the series.
Manson dies in this book.
I have it all planned.
I may have three million reasons that
could change your mind.
And that's just the advance.
Val, I promise you, with a back end,
you'll never have to teach again.
What did I miss?
Well, I've got a three million dollar offer
for three more Jason Manson novels.
Ya, that's right.
They're papering the deal now.
All she has to do is sign the contract.
Really?
Please, can I have a
little bit more enthusiasm?
We're talking three million dollars.
And that's only the beginning.
Movie deals, streaming, residuals.
We're talking tens of
millions of dollars with a back end.
I mean.
You'll be set for life.
Oh.
There you go.
Thank you.
Well you know what? That is...
That's great news.
Leo.
To Jason Manson.
To three million bucks.
Eerie and dark.
And here we are.
Shangri-La,
your own personal lakeside
cottage for the next six months.
Couldn't think of a better name.
And they delivered
your motorcycle this morning.
Five o'clock.
It's a good wake up call.
You're the first renter
since it went on the market.
As you can see, it's
new, clean, very chic.
Soothing.
What do you think?
It's beautiful.
Love it.
Soothing.
Moaning.
Yo, Ian.
Moaning.
Dude!
I'm shooting, man.
And?
We need to talk.
Stay right there, sweetheart.
Don't move. You look fantastic.
You got my money?
Come on, man. I got something better.
Better? What's better than money?
Angela's cheating on me.
Bro, tell me something I don't know.
How'd you know?
Everyone knows.
You just refused to accept it.
Well, you could have told me.
Call her up.
Break up.
I don't give a shit.
I can't.
Why?
Ominous.
Cause she's dead.
Oh. Well,
Shit.
Well, I guess that's the
a, that's the easy way out.
Did she leave you any cash?
I want what you owe me, man.
I have this.
What's that?
It's her computer and her cell phone.
I want what you owe man.
She was cheating on me with David.
Why do I care?
Because David,
is sleeping with Valerie Cross.
She's the one that
writes those crime thrillers
about that serial killer Jason Manson.
Oh, wait a minute. Am I, uh...
Sniffing.
Am I smelling a scam here?
Bro. Bro, take it easy.
All right. Hey, hey.
Calm down. Calm down. Take it easy.
Tell me more.
Do they have money?
I mean, nothing mind-blowing, but...
Yeah...
So Angela was part of
this research team for Valerie.
They worked at this gym
that David Cross owned,
and last week,
she called me up and she said,
"David Cross, look into him,
he's creeping me out."
The guy she's cheating with,
is creeping her out?
Yeah, I mean, I didn't know she was
cheating with him, but anyways,
she told me to look
into it, and yeah, I did.
Ian.
This guy's a ghost, man.
Like he doesn't exist.
Passports, Social Security cards,
everything.
It's reither stolen or made up.
So I called her up and I said, "You gotta
get away from David."
I said, "I'll meet you later on tonight
and I'm gonna tell you everything."
Sure.
And when you got there, she was dead.
Hanging out her balcony.
Cops are saying it was suicide.
Yeah, what the fuck do they know?
Exactly.
Did you call the police?
Come on, man, you know I can't do that.
I got a warrant for my
arrest. You know that.
Call the tip line. The phone line,
you don't have to leave your name.
That's gonna bring heat on me.
Uh, right.
No, here's what you do, man.
You send a little message
to David and Valerie Cross.
Let them know you know all
about their little secret.
And if they don't pay you,
if they don't pay you,
25 Bit coin,
you're gonna ruin their lives.
That's like over a million dollars.
Yeah, that's right, man.
What do I always say?
Start high, work your way down.
Start high, work your way down.
I get it, but it's not like I got a
smoking gun, all right?
I just got some text messages about her
meeting up with David
and the same with Valerie.
Dude, I'm not gonna hold your hand.
You know they talk about this shit, right?
So get in the house, wire it,
set up cameras, whatever.
Get the smoking gun and get the cash.
Bro,
this is a ripe opportunity.
And all you gotta do...
Pluck it.
Eerie.
Thrilling.
Val?
Hey.
You Okay?
Ya... The door was open.
It's probably just Leo.
Ya.
Swells, ominous.
You know, the
real treasure in Phuket
was actually, Koh Doc Mai.
Free dove for nearly 10 minutes.
You're half fish.
Yeah, I choose one to breathe.
Sure you do.
You know, when I was in Phuket,
I, I stepped on a sea urchin once.
It was Bondi, not Phuket.
It was. Bondi.
You remember.
Oh, honey. You left me
with no money, no phone,
and a condo that
leaked on a remote island.
So, yeah, I remember.
She's still afraid to swim?
I'm not afraid of swimming.
It's the thalassophobiak
it's a fear of vast emptiness.
It's more common than you'd think.
Fear of vast emptiness.
How does this work?
Oh, touch.
Eh, you're funny.
Listen, you were gone for two months.
I was afraid you were dead.
I sent out a search party.
Ya, she was perfectly safe.
With you protecting her.
Is that it?
You seem upset?
I needed a children's book.
And you got Manson instead.
Ah.
Saved by the bell.
My chariot has arrived.
Your per diem is in the envelope
right there on the counter.
Any problems, as always...
I'm at your beck and call.
Thank you so much for coming.
You mean the world to me.
And you.
Why don't you try reading a book.
Should we make some breakfast?
Upbeat.
Hello?
Hannah.
Professor Cross. How's Lake Tahoe?
It is, stunning.
Have you spoken to Tori and Thomas?
Uh, yeah.
Tori won't be coming back.
She's, too scared.
OH.
I'd like you to reach out
to Detective Gardner.
See if she has any
information on,
Angela's murder.
I'd like to know what they know.
Okay. Yeah, I'm on it.
Great. Talk to you later.
Okay.
Mysterious
calming.
Oh my God.
What is she doing?
Shit!
Move over.
Please get out of the way.
Intense.
Hey!
Are you okay?
OH! Fuck.
Sorry.
Are you all right?
My brakes went out.
Take a seat here.
Holy cow.
That was super scary.
Thank God I didn't hit you.
That's okay.
And you're safe now.
I'm Valerie.
Sophia.
It's nice to meet you.
I'll go call for help.
Thanks.
Ominous.
I know you.
Oh, yeah?
You're Valerie Cross.
Yes, I am.
I read your books.
Are you a fan?
You are a very good writer.
Thank you.
I write some poetry.
Oh, yeah?
Bartender by day, Poet Laureate by night?
Sophia.
No, I don't bar tend at the Bistro.
I own it.
Hm, that's cool.
And, we have an amazing
ladies' night on Wednesday.
Lots of local artists.
Drinks are on me.
I'd love for you to come.
Sure. I'd love to.
It's a date.
Oh, man.
Yo, listen, I need a few things.
I get involved and you're debt increases.
Whatever. Listen.
I'm gonna send you some photos
of David Cross, all right?
I need you to run them,
see what you can find.
I'm not the FBI?
I don't have, like a,
facial recognition software.
I'm not a hacker, right?
Typically, I pay you to do this shit.
I'm a photographer.
I know, but I need it done quickly.
You have friends that can help
that don't ask questions.
Right, and they like money.
Well, add it to my tab, Ian.
They're about to sign
a book deal for $3 million dollars.
I'm sitting on a gold mine.
Whoa.
All right, all right. Send me the photo.
Uh, but I want 20%.
Fine. Just one more thing.
I need a gun.
This guy's like seven feet tall.
Send me your address.
Oh, thanks.
So, how's your car?
All fixed. They're bringing it to me now.
Perfect.
This place is really beautiful.
How did you come by it?
When my husband passed.
This was my retreat.
I'm so sorry.
Thank you.
He died in his sleep.
And so I,
took our money,
and came to our favorite getaway
and opened this place.
It's really rather magical.
It's a little solitary, no.
Life is.
Isn't it?
I guess so.
Yeah, I spent some
time diving in Bahamas.
Interesting. You know, I did a lot of
free diving out in Dean's Blue Hole.
I've been there a couple times.
Hmm.
Hey, babe.
Hey, baby.
Val, this is Matthew.
He's one of our neighbors.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
He is a, Navy diver
that's doing some
diving here in Tahoe.
Wow.
Anything interesting under the water.
Well, as you might know, Tahoe is the
second deepest lake in the United States.
You know, when someone drowns, they don't
just sink to the bottom.
They float.
A couple hundred feet under,
suspended in the ice cold water.
Forever.
I've been hired to find a youn woman.
Hmm.
You know, I've rented
a place two doors east.
Stop in for a beer.
Anytime.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Was it you?
Yeah.
I could have fucking died, David.
I know.
But it's best to write what you know.
You're crazy.
Yeah.
How'd you stopped the car?
I found an incline, hm, luckily.
Ya, you gotta pull the e-brake.
Didn't occur to me.
Maybe next time.
Maybe.
How's the deal coming?
Leo is still working on it.
Good.
Because I want millions
and millions of dollars.
Oh.
Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
Lawyer - You had relations
with him the night before?
We made love.
Twice.
And then what?
And then I fell asleep in his arms.
And the next day?
I had to pry myself
out of his dead embrace.
What you reading?
They yearn for what they fear.
Ah...
Dante.
Mmm.
Nice choice.
What did you do today?
I went for a swim.
There were...
Two girls.
And they were happy.
So happy.
Oh. Going to get in?
It's not even cold.
It's so icy.
Come out!
It's really nice.
Missy?
Missy?
Missy?
Eerie.
You still cry when I tell you.
Why?
Ya.
Ian.
Dude, you call me like
we're best friends. I'm busy.
It's, it's him.
David told Valerie
about drowning two girls
in the lake this morning.
Aw, come on man, he's
probably bullshitting.
I see that kind of crap all the time.
No man, but I checked
with the local police.
Two girls were reported missing.
It's him man,
I got the fucking smoking gun.
He killed Angela.
Wow, wow, wait a minute, why would this guy
kill two random girls?
Because he's a serial killer, Ian.
Alright.
Everything that.
Valerie's writing about is real.
It's about him.
When Angela told me about David,
she said he would give
her bits of information
about the murder she was researching
that no one else could know,
like sick details that
he seemed to get off on.
You think this guy's a harbinger?
Yes.
They hire researchers as a cover
as David's telling Valerie about
the murder's first hand.
You get anything on his photo?
No, bro, this shit takes time.
Where's my money?
Let's get, Let's get going man.
Look, I'm texting
them tonight, all right?
They've got 24 hours.
And hey, once I collect, I'm done man.
I'm getting as far out of here as I can.
Just pay me first, I don't give a shit
where you go or what you do.
Oh man.
My choice.
Well, you can tell them to
keep their dogs on a leash.
I don't care if.
Monkshood is poisonous.
It's pretty.
I don't know, you'll figure it out.
It's my garden, I plant whatever I want.
How you doing?
Good, how are you?
You just move in next door?
Just temporarily, for a few mont.
Give ya,
Thank you.
20% discount.
Including fuel.
That sounds like a very good deal
and I shall make sure I get
this card to the homeowner.
Have a good one.
You do that.
Where are you?
I'm here, so...
I, guess I'll see you soon.
Hey, hey!
Yeah.
David, what are you doing?
Angela told one of them.
No, that, no.
That's not possible, they
would have called the police.
Oh, I'm not so sure.
David, listen to me.
David.
Yo, this is
Thomas, leave a message.
Thomas, it's Val.
Call me the second that you get this.
It's very urgent, please.
Keys, keys, keys, keys.
Keys.
No, god damn it, David.
Come on, Hanna.
Pick up, pick up, pick up.
Hey, it's Anna, leave me a message.
Oh, fuck.
Oh, hi.
Hi.
I hope I didn't interrupt your writing.
No, no, un, no.
You, um, you look amazing.
It's ladies' night.
Our date?
Oh my god, I completely forgot.
I am so sorry.
Pss, That's totally fine.
I mean, we can go
another day if you prefer.
You, no, you know what?
Let's go, I'll, I'll change really quickly.
Come on in.
Yeah?
Yeah.
I had no idea there was
such a thriving community
of artists up here.
You didn't?
No, I had no idea.
Then,
what made you choose
to come u here to write?
Hm, No particular reason.
Come on.
You can trust me.
No one comes here without a reason.
Most of us.
Come here to escape something.
I don't want to escape anything.
Okay, so how long have
you and David been together?
About a year and a half.
Hm, so it's new.
Relatively.
I met David on the island of Bondi
when I was floundering on an assignment.
My book agent Leo,
he wanted yet another children's book
and I,
Uh.
I wanted out.
I wasn't very happy
with who I was back then.
And who do you want to be now?
Uhum.
I'm not sure.
Okay, and then what happened?
Uhum.
I was kidnapped and nearly murdered.
Oh my God, are you serious?
David saved me.
And
that whole experience became the premise
for my first Jason Manson book.
And now here we are.
Oh, cheers to that.
So tell me more about you.
What do you want to know?
I want to know everything.
Help me!
Please. Help me.
Help me please!
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
You hear that?
And no amount of screaming you do
is gonna help you here.
You remind me of my mom.
She did a lot of begging.
Just like you're doing right now.
I remember,
I had my hands around her throat,
and she begged me to stop
and I looked in her eyes
as she took her last breath.
I won't tell.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
No, please.
Will you help me.
You don't have to do this.
No, what are you doing, stop, please.
No, no, please.
Sorry, excuse me, sorry.
I haven't had this much
fun, in the long time.
How about a nightcap?
Uh, not tonight.
Can't
mmm.
Rain check.
Definitely.
Mm, Okay.
Okay.
Good night.
Goodnight.
David.
Val,
what,
the hell
is this?
I don't know, but
they're sending them to me too.
Okay.
Val.
I'm gonna need you to
tell me what you're planning.
David, I'm not the one doing this.
Someone is onto us
and I have killed everyone
I could think of except you!
You are hurting me.
I need you to get over that
and tell me what the fuck is going on.
I can't believe you
still don't trust me.
Why don't you check my fucking phone?
Hello?
Valerie
it's Detective Barnes.
Hello, Detective.
Got some bad news.
Thomas is dead.
So is Tori Jensen.
Oh my God.
Trying to find Hannah now, but, uh,
well, it seems like somebody's
hunting your team.
I'm not supposed to tell you this, but...
A witness saw someone
leaving Angela's apartment
the night she died.
Really?
A young man.
It's possible it's the harbinger.
Well, that's, um, that's scary.
We'll be in touch.
You're telling
me this is a true story.
It's my biography.
Biography?
You know polygamy is illegal, right?
Polyamory, isn't.
Sir, Valerie Cross
is online, one for you.
Uh, forward to my cell, please.
Is that the Valerie Cross?
Yes, it is.
Can you tell her I said hi?
I'll do that.
Hey Val, how's the book coming along, huh?
Leo, David's hurt.
What are you talking about?
He tripped and split
the back of his head open.
I think he needs stitches and I...
I think I ought to
take him to the hospital.
What, how did that happen?
We had a fight and I pushed him.
Do not do anything.
Do not leave, do not call anybody.
I am coming there with a doctor.
We will handle this very discreetly.
Understand.
I'm coming right now.
Um, excuse me.
I have a 3 p.m. fairy
to the Statue of Liberty.
It's my first time
I'm dealing with an emergency.
I'm gonna have my associate
take over from here, okay?
Thank you.
Who was that?
Leo,
he's sending a doctor.
Hm.
Are you okay?
Can I get you anything?
A new bandage.
Of course.
Sorry, honey.
All right, we got a
couple of stitches in there.
I cleared up some of the excess blood.
But you are concussed, my friend,
so no driving for a few days.
It's just a cut.
I'm just a doctor.
Take one of these every four hours.
And do me a favor.
No other drugs, no booze.
Just my professional opinion.
Sure.
Good.
I'll show you out.
Thank you.
No booze, my friend.
Ya.
I so appreciate you
being able to come last minute.
Did Leo have an opportunity to um...
I was never here.
And I don't do checks.
Thank you.
I am busy.
Of course you are, I'm sorry.
Oh, darling, Cash,
I'm a little bit old-fashioned.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I guess I'll see myself out.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine, why?
I saw Dr. Jacobs' car out front.
Oh,
David bumped his head.
He just needed a couple of stitches.
Can I help?
Um, I think he'll live.
Come over,
I'll be up late.
Okay, maybe in a little bit.
Bye.
You trust the doctor?
No.
Me neither.
You know, when I was a kid,
there's this
really cute puppy
in the alley behind my house.
I decided to
bring it in,
wash it, bathe it,
trim it up,
feed it,
save its life.
I even named it, Luna.
And Luna and I were, inseparable for weeks
until,
my father,
found the original owner.
Little girl,
about the same age as me.
And she missed
her little puppy so much.
But I wasn't gonna let little Luna go.
After everything that I did for her.
Swells.
So I took her back to the alley
where I found her.
And I took my father's lighter fluid
and I poured it
all over her fresh fur.
And I lit her on fire
and I watched her burn
and cry
and yelp.
And I watched her die.
I'm a deviant Val,
hiding behind a very thin veil of civility.
I made you a promise
that I would never hurt you.
Hi.
Hi,
it's now bad time?
It's perfect time,
just having a glass of wine.
Come on in.
Oh, this is beautiful, it's so cozy.
Thank you.
Well, take a seat,
take off your shoes, relax,
and I'll pour you some wine.
So, how's David?
()
He's fine,
he's resting.
Well...
There you go.
Oh, thank you.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Mmm.
Ah.
It's great.
Do you like it?
Val?
David?
Anyone home?
Leo.
Ah, there he is.
What are you doing here?
I wasn't expecting anyone.
I heard you were injured.
I am.
But you didn't fly all the way
out here from New York for me.
Even better.
I've got those contracts for Val to sign.
That $3 million book deal.
Now that is cause for celebration.
You like Tequila?
Lets top off.
I sure do.
I swear, that's how I
came up with the concept
for the second book.
Well, it worked,
because the book is really good.
Thank you.
I uh, most of the time,
I really love being a writer but
sometimes it's a lot of pressure,
you know, the deadlines.
Hm.
Here,
my hands are magical.
Oh.
Okay.
Did you kill him?
Who?
Your husband.
Did you kill him?
I'm sorry,
I shouldn't have asked you that.
Oh, no, it's okay.
You're not the first one to ask.
I did spend,
three years
proving that I was innocent.
Hmm.
But you aren't, are you?
We need some music.
Oh, good choice.
Mm.
Mhm.
Mm-hmm.
I have to confess,
I feel just a little bit drunk.
Hm. Ya?
Don't worry,
I'll take care of you.
Follow me.
So,
where's Val?
Val's at the neighbor's. Um...
I'll let her know you're here.
Perfect.
What do you think of paradise?
It's great.
Do any fishing?
Yeah,
yeah, I caught a little bit.
Excuse me,
I need to take this.
You enjoy that, I'll be right back.
You know, I'm gonna go,
freshen up.
It's a long flight.
Yeah.
Oh God, you're beautiful.
So are you.
Wow.
I did kill him.
And I could help you,
you just say the word.
Join me for a drink.
Sounds good.
You know, turning you in,
as satisfying as that might be,
it gives me nothing.
Well, that tequila is
sure yummy,
we've got company.
Hi, Matthew, I'm the neighbor
Leo,
the agent.
So, what, your
friends with David and Val?
Yeah,
I know Val, she's lovely.
Matthew was just about
to join us for a drink
I'll drink to that,
wait for me, wait for me, wait for me.
Allow me to propose a toast.
To Val's new mega book deal
and uh,
to better days.
Better days.
Uh.
What the...?
David!
Hello?
Hey, Detective Barnes,
I got some news for you.
Oh yeah?
What's that?
We ID'd the man in Angela's apartment
it's her boyfriend, Matthew.
I didn't even know she had one.
Well, he is a wanted felon
the guy's hiding out.
Detective, I, I'm gonna
have to call you back.
Leo?
Ah.
Ah.
Leo!
Leo!
Screams.
Help!
Sophia!
Screams.
Screams.
Help!
Sophia!
Uh!
Uh!
Sophia!
Sophia!
Sophia! Sophia!
Sophia
David! David, help me!
David! David, help me!
David!
Stay with me! Okay!
Just breathe!
Just breathe! Breathe! Just breathe!
No, no, no! Oh, you fucked this up!
I'm out of time,
and the police are almost here,
So you're gonna give me
access to your bank account.
What?
Hm. You know she was gonna kill you, right?
What are you talking about?
Monkshood in the wine.
David's enjoying the little cocktail now.
It was only meant to
relax, not killing you.
What do you think, David? Are you dying?
Bank account.
Come on!
More than I thought.
You're Angela's boyfriend.
Yes.
Yes, I am.
And you killed her.
Why?
She knew too much about David.
The harbinger killer and his crime.
It's genius.
Everyone thought you were writing fiction.
The perfect alibi.
You know my plan was to expose you.
But I just realized something,
What's that?
That's exactly what you would want.
A place in the history books.
Well, I got a better idea,
To have you fade away without a trace.
So no one,
And I mean no one,
Will ever know your dirty little.
Uh!
Alright big guy.
David!
David!
Upbeat.
Everything okay?
Yep.
David is officially dead,
and the harbinger killer with him.
And they for sure think it was Matt?
All the evidence points to him.
That you helped research, of course.
David would be proud.
This is only the
beginning of your book tour.
We have a different city every night
for the next three weeks.
Talk shows, radio stations.
Sophia, excuse me.
Whiskey please.
Two times.
Here you are, sir.
Thank you.
And you, ma'am?
I'll have the same.
Of course.
Did you like our book?
Very much.
The ending was liberating.
Genius to bury Jason's body in a place
where it can never be recovered.
Mm-hmm.
Now no one will ever
know if he's dead or alive.
Exactly.
And she,
was such,
an interesting witness.
But Matthew was the perfect full guy.
Cheers.
Cheers.
I miss you.
I'm going to Rome.
It's time to write
the next Jason Manson novel.
This time, he has some competition.
She's killed so many
more than just her husband.
Perhaps, you should try to win me back.
Rome it is.
Mm-hmm.
Swells.
Next.
Lets go! Move it. Move. Move it.
No water right now, no water.
Grunts.
Hey. Use your hips.
High knees, high knees. And switch.
Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go.
There you go.
Good.
Good.
Hey, Matt.
Hey, babe.
You guys can quit anytime.
Just don't do it in my class.
Yeah, I got some information
on that gym guy David.
You gotta get out of there.
Okay.
I'll meet you at your place.
Two, one, done.
Good job, everybody.
Grab some water.
Hey, you don't do
that fucking shit in my gym.
Ya. What are you gonna do about it?
You keep that shit to yourself
or you're never fucking coming back.
Don't touch me.
Look at me when I'm talking to you.
You don't get to
talk to me like that, okay?
Whatever, I'm out of here.
Angela moaning.
Angela moaning.
Angela moaning.
Angle a moans
Angela climaxing
Angela climaxing.
I love you.
Suspenseful - building.
Hey, I was thinking
once this news comes out
it's gonna be crazy and
we should be together.
Swells.
Suspenseful.
Angela.
Hello.
Suspense.
Hello, hello.
Swells.
Joseph James D'Angelo
he was a particularly nasty character.
D'Angelo managed to evade the authorities
for almost three decades.
He even had three children and
a marriage that lasted 38 years.
And yet,
he was capable of this.
And this.
And, this.
Psychologically speaking,
how could he kiss his children goodnight,
and then right after,
take a woman's life?
D'Angelo was
able to psychologically
disassociate from his victims in a way
that he couldn't from his loved ones.
Love is complex.
Wilson said he revealed a connection.
95% of serial killers experience
kind of childhood trauma,
such as sexual or physical abuse.
What kind of serial killer
is Jason Manson?
From your books
I'd assume it's power control.
And that is accurate, Brooke.
Good observation.
What was his childhood trauma?
He was systematically beaten and
sexually abused by his
schizophrenic alcoholic father.
And sadly, he was
abandoned by his mother.
Schizophrenia tends to run in families.
So Jason was,
in essence, a ticking time bomb.
The inevitability of a psychotic break
was carved into his DNA.
How did you come up with that?
Research, Jessica.
I read a lot of case
studies and FBI profiles.
Ooh, our time is almost up.
But I do have one more
announcement to make.
You guys are going to be working with an
adjunct professor for
the rest of the year.
I know. I'm sorry.
But my book deal is almost done,
and I need to write the third an final
installment in the Manson series.
It's really been
such a great pleasure
working with each and every one of you.
And I'm wishing you every
success in your future careers.
Shit.
Last set. Let's
go. Driving those knees.
Come on. Come on. And give
me that push-up. Let's go.
Last set. Make it count. 30 more seconds.
Hey, Val.
Where is David?
He's in the office. Talking to the police.
Come on, guys. Five more seconds.
Three, two, and time.
Good job.
Hey, Thomas.
Hey, uh, David's in
the office with the 5-0.
They've been here a while asking
questions about Angela.
Hmm.
All right.
Alright, anything we
can do to help. Let me know.
Hello, Dear.
Hey.
Uh, this is Detective.
Gardner, Detective Barnes.
Hello.
Valerie Cross.
Yes.
We were just coming to find you.
Oh, that's convenient. Here I am.
I'll say.
Mind if we talk?
No, not at all.
Use your office?
It's all yours.
Thanks.
Yeah.
Right after you.
You write about a serial
killer named Jason Manson.
Hmm. Not exclusively.
I used to write children's books.
He's a good guy.
Antihero.
Antihero.
Yeah. He achieves good
through his evil acts.
There are lots of examples of antiheroes
in classic literature.
Don Quixote, Hamlet, even Wolverine.
How many books
have you written about
this Jason character?
Two.
They've done well?
Yeah. They're trending.
I teach more than I write,
but I'd like to change that.
It says trilogy on book two.
When can we expect the final book?
Soon.
David, your husband?
Hm. No. Marriage is an archaic institution.
We don't believe in it.
How long have you been with him?
Around a year and a half.
How was my relationship
relevant to Angela's murder?
Actually, Angela gave us
a call just a few days ago.
She said that
she was doing research for
you and David on the.
Harbinger killer video.
She said she had information on who the.
Harbinger really is.
We were supposed to
get together with her today
as a matter of fact.
Did she mention this to you?
No, she didn't.
Well, maybe the name is in her research.
Oh, you're more than welcome to look.
And we will.
You know, your fingerprints
were all over her apartment.
We were the best of friends. I've been to
her apartment many times.
When was it last?
Two days ago.
Do you know her family?
She never mentioned them.
We can't find
her cell phone or computer.
You wouldn't happen to know
where those are, would you?
No.
Have you ever visited
a real murder scene?
No.
And how do you
glorify such a monster?
Even monsters can be beautiful.
Yeah.
We've had four murders
this month that are linked.
The victims were all killed with
different forms of asphyxiation.
How does this, a Jason
character kill his victims?
With a knife.
Through the heart.
In book one.
But in book two,
he switches his style to poison.
You've read my books.
How will he
kill in the final book?
Excuse me?
How's he going to kill in the final book?
I don't know.
Where were you last night?
With David.
What were you doing?
Packing.
You leaving town?
Yes.
Where are you going?
Tahoe.
If that's all,
I'd like to get on with my day.
It went through
my entire phone. This is
a total invasion of privacy. I mean,
I didn't sign up for this.
The cops gone?
Yes.
We think I'm a suspect.
Come on, Hannah. You're the
last suspect on anybody's list.
We got too close.
I told her we were too close.
If he killed Angela,
then he has to know who we are.
Angela called me two nights ago.
What?
She said,
she knew who the killer was.
And why didn't you think to tell us this?
She made me promise.
Jesus, Thomas, did you tell the police?
No, I froze, okay?
Did she tell you who it was?
No.
She said she wanted to protect me.
Whatever that means,
she'd been worried about herself.
Hannah's right.
He knows who we are.
All of us.
I'm sorry, Val.
I'm out.
Tori,
relax,
I'm going to give you all
some time off while David
and I relocate to Tahoe.
I'm going to call you when
I'm ready to start writing.
I don't know.
I'll talk to her.
I'm sorry.
Ominous.
Hey Leo, I need more time.
But Simon's not offering another extension.
If you don't hit this deadline, we're done.
Where are you?
Um,
Surprise.
I'm at your lake house.
I flew in last night.
Leo, you flew all the way in from New York?
You know we always share a bottle of
really expensive wine the night before
you start a new project.
It's tradition.
Of course. You are the best.
Hey, there's a lovely
bistro down on K street.
Why don't we meet there?
Okay, perfect. We'll see you soon.
Bye.
How was Leonard.
Impatient, as usual.
Hm.
Come on lets hit the road.
Okay.
Electronic.
Lake Tahoe is
lovely, but a little too
remote for my liking.
New York not crowded enough?
You know I thrive under debauchery.
I thought,
Rome would have been a
better setting for the last book.
Here, here.
Clich.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
You know I don't like agreeing with him,
but that was my first
choice as well.
Rome.
You never did like David, did you?
Just say I, don't
like to share.
Oh, Leo, dear.
I'm not your little toy.
You were.
Does he make you happy?
Happier than you did.
I never hear you laughing with him.
Maybe his sense of humor
isn't what I fell in love with.
I'm sure.
I get two more
of these from me and my
girlfriend right there.
Hey.
Val.
Hmm?
They want three more Jason Manson books.
Who does?
You're a publisher.
Your fans. Everyone.
You're killing them off too soon.
This is the final book in the series.
Manson dies in this book.
I have it all planned.
I may have three million reasons that
could change your mind.
And that's just the advance.
Val, I promise you, with a back end,
you'll never have to teach again.
What did I miss?
Well, I've got a three million dollar offer
for three more Jason Manson novels.
Ya, that's right.
They're papering the deal now.
All she has to do is sign the contract.
Really?
Please, can I have a
little bit more enthusiasm?
We're talking three million dollars.
And that's only the beginning.
Movie deals, streaming, residuals.
We're talking tens of
millions of dollars with a back end.
I mean.
You'll be set for life.
Oh.
There you go.
Thank you.
Well you know what? That is...
That's great news.
Leo.
To Jason Manson.
To three million bucks.
Eerie and dark.
And here we are.
Shangri-La,
your own personal lakeside
cottage for the next six months.
Couldn't think of a better name.
And they delivered
your motorcycle this morning.
Five o'clock.
It's a good wake up call.
You're the first renter
since it went on the market.
As you can see, it's
new, clean, very chic.
Soothing.
What do you think?
It's beautiful.
Love it.
Soothing.
Moaning.
Yo, Ian.
Moaning.
Dude!
I'm shooting, man.
And?
We need to talk.
Stay right there, sweetheart.
Don't move. You look fantastic.
You got my money?
Come on, man. I got something better.
Better? What's better than money?
Angela's cheating on me.
Bro, tell me something I don't know.
How'd you know?
Everyone knows.
You just refused to accept it.
Well, you could have told me.
Call her up.
Break up.
I don't give a shit.
I can't.
Why?
Ominous.
Cause she's dead.
Oh. Well,
Shit.
Well, I guess that's the
a, that's the easy way out.
Did she leave you any cash?
I want what you owe me, man.
I have this.
What's that?
It's her computer and her cell phone.
I want what you owe man.
She was cheating on me with David.
Why do I care?
Because David,
is sleeping with Valerie Cross.
She's the one that
writes those crime thrillers
about that serial killer Jason Manson.
Oh, wait a minute. Am I, uh...
Sniffing.
Am I smelling a scam here?
Bro. Bro, take it easy.
All right. Hey, hey.
Calm down. Calm down. Take it easy.
Tell me more.
Do they have money?
I mean, nothing mind-blowing, but...
Yeah...
So Angela was part of
this research team for Valerie.
They worked at this gym
that David Cross owned,
and last week,
she called me up and she said,
"David Cross, look into him,
he's creeping me out."
The guy she's cheating with,
is creeping her out?
Yeah, I mean, I didn't know she was
cheating with him, but anyways,
she told me to look
into it, and yeah, I did.
Ian.
This guy's a ghost, man.
Like he doesn't exist.
Passports, Social Security cards,
everything.
It's reither stolen or made up.
So I called her up and I said, "You gotta
get away from David."
I said, "I'll meet you later on tonight
and I'm gonna tell you everything."
Sure.
And when you got there, she was dead.
Hanging out her balcony.
Cops are saying it was suicide.
Yeah, what the fuck do they know?
Exactly.
Did you call the police?
Come on, man, you know I can't do that.
I got a warrant for my
arrest. You know that.
Call the tip line. The phone line,
you don't have to leave your name.
That's gonna bring heat on me.
Uh, right.
No, here's what you do, man.
You send a little message
to David and Valerie Cross.
Let them know you know all
about their little secret.
And if they don't pay you,
if they don't pay you,
25 Bit coin,
you're gonna ruin their lives.
That's like over a million dollars.
Yeah, that's right, man.
What do I always say?
Start high, work your way down.
Start high, work your way down.
I get it, but it's not like I got a
smoking gun, all right?
I just got some text messages about her
meeting up with David
and the same with Valerie.
Dude, I'm not gonna hold your hand.
You know they talk about this shit, right?
So get in the house, wire it,
set up cameras, whatever.
Get the smoking gun and get the cash.
Bro,
this is a ripe opportunity.
And all you gotta do...
Pluck it.
Eerie.
Thrilling.
Val?
Hey.
You Okay?
Ya... The door was open.
It's probably just Leo.
Ya.
Swells, ominous.
You know, the
real treasure in Phuket
was actually, Koh Doc Mai.
Free dove for nearly 10 minutes.
You're half fish.
Yeah, I choose one to breathe.
Sure you do.
You know, when I was in Phuket,
I, I stepped on a sea urchin once.
It was Bondi, not Phuket.
It was. Bondi.
You remember.
Oh, honey. You left me
with no money, no phone,
and a condo that
leaked on a remote island.
So, yeah, I remember.
She's still afraid to swim?
I'm not afraid of swimming.
It's the thalassophobiak
it's a fear of vast emptiness.
It's more common than you'd think.
Fear of vast emptiness.
How does this work?
Oh, touch.
Eh, you're funny.
Listen, you were gone for two months.
I was afraid you were dead.
I sent out a search party.
Ya, she was perfectly safe.
With you protecting her.
Is that it?
You seem upset?
I needed a children's book.
And you got Manson instead.
Ah.
Saved by the bell.
My chariot has arrived.
Your per diem is in the envelope
right there on the counter.
Any problems, as always...
I'm at your beck and call.
Thank you so much for coming.
You mean the world to me.
And you.
Why don't you try reading a book.
Should we make some breakfast?
Upbeat.
Hello?
Hannah.
Professor Cross. How's Lake Tahoe?
It is, stunning.
Have you spoken to Tori and Thomas?
Uh, yeah.
Tori won't be coming back.
She's, too scared.
OH.
I'd like you to reach out
to Detective Gardner.
See if she has any
information on,
Angela's murder.
I'd like to know what they know.
Okay. Yeah, I'm on it.
Great. Talk to you later.
Okay.
Mysterious
calming.
Oh my God.
What is she doing?
Shit!
Move over.
Please get out of the way.
Intense.
Hey!
Are you okay?
OH! Fuck.
Sorry.
Are you all right?
My brakes went out.
Take a seat here.
Holy cow.
That was super scary.
Thank God I didn't hit you.
That's okay.
And you're safe now.
I'm Valerie.
Sophia.
It's nice to meet you.
I'll go call for help.
Thanks.
Ominous.
I know you.
Oh, yeah?
You're Valerie Cross.
Yes, I am.
I read your books.
Are you a fan?
You are a very good writer.
Thank you.
I write some poetry.
Oh, yeah?
Bartender by day, Poet Laureate by night?
Sophia.
No, I don't bar tend at the Bistro.
I own it.
Hm, that's cool.
And, we have an amazing
ladies' night on Wednesday.
Lots of local artists.
Drinks are on me.
I'd love for you to come.
Sure. I'd love to.
It's a date.
Oh, man.
Yo, listen, I need a few things.
I get involved and you're debt increases.
Whatever. Listen.
I'm gonna send you some photos
of David Cross, all right?
I need you to run them,
see what you can find.
I'm not the FBI?
I don't have, like a,
facial recognition software.
I'm not a hacker, right?
Typically, I pay you to do this shit.
I'm a photographer.
I know, but I need it done quickly.
You have friends that can help
that don't ask questions.
Right, and they like money.
Well, add it to my tab, Ian.
They're about to sign
a book deal for $3 million dollars.
I'm sitting on a gold mine.
Whoa.
All right, all right. Send me the photo.
Uh, but I want 20%.
Fine. Just one more thing.
I need a gun.
This guy's like seven feet tall.
Send me your address.
Oh, thanks.
So, how's your car?
All fixed. They're bringing it to me now.
Perfect.
This place is really beautiful.
How did you come by it?
When my husband passed.
This was my retreat.
I'm so sorry.
Thank you.
He died in his sleep.
And so I,
took our money,
and came to our favorite getaway
and opened this place.
It's really rather magical.
It's a little solitary, no.
Life is.
Isn't it?
I guess so.
Yeah, I spent some
time diving in Bahamas.
Interesting. You know, I did a lot of
free diving out in Dean's Blue Hole.
I've been there a couple times.
Hmm.
Hey, babe.
Hey, baby.
Val, this is Matthew.
He's one of our neighbors.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
He is a, Navy diver
that's doing some
diving here in Tahoe.
Wow.
Anything interesting under the water.
Well, as you might know, Tahoe is the
second deepest lake in the United States.
You know, when someone drowns, they don't
just sink to the bottom.
They float.
A couple hundred feet under,
suspended in the ice cold water.
Forever.
I've been hired to find a youn woman.
Hmm.
You know, I've rented
a place two doors east.
Stop in for a beer.
Anytime.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Was it you?
Yeah.
I could have fucking died, David.
I know.
But it's best to write what you know.
You're crazy.
Yeah.
How'd you stopped the car?
I found an incline, hm, luckily.
Ya, you gotta pull the e-brake.
Didn't occur to me.
Maybe next time.
Maybe.
How's the deal coming?
Leo is still working on it.
Good.
Because I want millions
and millions of dollars.
Oh.
Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
Lawyer - You had relations
with him the night before?
We made love.
Twice.
And then what?
And then I fell asleep in his arms.
And the next day?
I had to pry myself
out of his dead embrace.
What you reading?
They yearn for what they fear.
Ah...
Dante.
Mmm.
Nice choice.
What did you do today?
I went for a swim.
There were...
Two girls.
And they were happy.
So happy.
Oh. Going to get in?
It's not even cold.
It's so icy.
Come out!
It's really nice.
Missy?
Missy?
Missy?
Eerie.
You still cry when I tell you.
Why?
Ya.
Ian.
Dude, you call me like
we're best friends. I'm busy.
It's, it's him.
David told Valerie
about drowning two girls
in the lake this morning.
Aw, come on man, he's
probably bullshitting.
I see that kind of crap all the time.
No man, but I checked
with the local police.
Two girls were reported missing.
It's him man,
I got the fucking smoking gun.
He killed Angela.
Wow, wow, wait a minute, why would this guy
kill two random girls?
Because he's a serial killer, Ian.
Alright.
Everything that.
Valerie's writing about is real.
It's about him.
When Angela told me about David,
she said he would give
her bits of information
about the murder she was researching
that no one else could know,
like sick details that
he seemed to get off on.
You think this guy's a harbinger?
Yes.
They hire researchers as a cover
as David's telling Valerie about
the murder's first hand.
You get anything on his photo?
No, bro, this shit takes time.
Where's my money?
Let's get, Let's get going man.
Look, I'm texting
them tonight, all right?
They've got 24 hours.
And hey, once I collect, I'm done man.
I'm getting as far out of here as I can.
Just pay me first, I don't give a shit
where you go or what you do.
Oh man.
My choice.
Well, you can tell them to
keep their dogs on a leash.
I don't care if.
Monkshood is poisonous.
It's pretty.
I don't know, you'll figure it out.
It's my garden, I plant whatever I want.
How you doing?
Good, how are you?
You just move in next door?
Just temporarily, for a few mont.
Give ya,
Thank you.
20% discount.
Including fuel.
That sounds like a very good deal
and I shall make sure I get
this card to the homeowner.
Have a good one.
You do that.
Where are you?
I'm here, so...
I, guess I'll see you soon.
Hey, hey!
Yeah.
David, what are you doing?
Angela told one of them.
No, that, no.
That's not possible, they
would have called the police.
Oh, I'm not so sure.
David, listen to me.
David.
Yo, this is
Thomas, leave a message.
Thomas, it's Val.
Call me the second that you get this.
It's very urgent, please.
Keys, keys, keys, keys.
Keys.
No, god damn it, David.
Come on, Hanna.
Pick up, pick up, pick up.
Hey, it's Anna, leave me a message.
Oh, fuck.
Oh, hi.
Hi.
I hope I didn't interrupt your writing.
No, no, un, no.
You, um, you look amazing.
It's ladies' night.
Our date?
Oh my god, I completely forgot.
I am so sorry.
Pss, That's totally fine.
I mean, we can go
another day if you prefer.
You, no, you know what?
Let's go, I'll, I'll change really quickly.
Come on in.
Yeah?
Yeah.
I had no idea there was
such a thriving community
of artists up here.
You didn't?
No, I had no idea.
Then,
what made you choose
to come u here to write?
Hm, No particular reason.
Come on.
You can trust me.
No one comes here without a reason.
Most of us.
Come here to escape something.
I don't want to escape anything.
Okay, so how long have
you and David been together?
About a year and a half.
Hm, so it's new.
Relatively.
I met David on the island of Bondi
when I was floundering on an assignment.
My book agent Leo,
he wanted yet another children's book
and I,
Uh.
I wanted out.
I wasn't very happy
with who I was back then.
And who do you want to be now?
Uhum.
I'm not sure.
Okay, and then what happened?
Uhum.
I was kidnapped and nearly murdered.
Oh my God, are you serious?
David saved me.
And
that whole experience became the premise
for my first Jason Manson book.
And now here we are.
Oh, cheers to that.
So tell me more about you.
What do you want to know?
I want to know everything.
Help me!
Please. Help me.
Help me please!
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
You hear that?
And no amount of screaming you do
is gonna help you here.
You remind me of my mom.
She did a lot of begging.
Just like you're doing right now.
I remember,
I had my hands around her throat,
and she begged me to stop
and I looked in her eyes
as she took her last breath.
I won't tell.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
No, please.
Will you help me.
You don't have to do this.
No, what are you doing, stop, please.
No, no, please.
Sorry, excuse me, sorry.
I haven't had this much
fun, in the long time.
How about a nightcap?
Uh, not tonight.
Can't
mmm.
Rain check.
Definitely.
Mm, Okay.
Okay.
Good night.
Goodnight.
David.
Val,
what,
the hell
is this?
I don't know, but
they're sending them to me too.
Okay.
Val.
I'm gonna need you to
tell me what you're planning.
David, I'm not the one doing this.
Someone is onto us
and I have killed everyone
I could think of except you!
You are hurting me.
I need you to get over that
and tell me what the fuck is going on.
I can't believe you
still don't trust me.
Why don't you check my fucking phone?
Hello?
Valerie
it's Detective Barnes.
Hello, Detective.
Got some bad news.
Thomas is dead.
So is Tori Jensen.
Oh my God.
Trying to find Hannah now, but, uh,
well, it seems like somebody's
hunting your team.
I'm not supposed to tell you this, but...
A witness saw someone
leaving Angela's apartment
the night she died.
Really?
A young man.
It's possible it's the harbinger.
Well, that's, um, that's scary.
We'll be in touch.
You're telling
me this is a true story.
It's my biography.
Biography?
You know polygamy is illegal, right?
Polyamory, isn't.
Sir, Valerie Cross
is online, one for you.
Uh, forward to my cell, please.
Is that the Valerie Cross?
Yes, it is.
Can you tell her I said hi?
I'll do that.
Hey Val, how's the book coming along, huh?
Leo, David's hurt.
What are you talking about?
He tripped and split
the back of his head open.
I think he needs stitches and I...
I think I ought to
take him to the hospital.
What, how did that happen?
We had a fight and I pushed him.
Do not do anything.
Do not leave, do not call anybody.
I am coming there with a doctor.
We will handle this very discreetly.
Understand.
I'm coming right now.
Um, excuse me.
I have a 3 p.m. fairy
to the Statue of Liberty.
It's my first time
I'm dealing with an emergency.
I'm gonna have my associate
take over from here, okay?
Thank you.
Who was that?
Leo,
he's sending a doctor.
Hm.
Are you okay?
Can I get you anything?
A new bandage.
Of course.
Sorry, honey.
All right, we got a
couple of stitches in there.
I cleared up some of the excess blood.
But you are concussed, my friend,
so no driving for a few days.
It's just a cut.
I'm just a doctor.
Take one of these every four hours.
And do me a favor.
No other drugs, no booze.
Just my professional opinion.
Sure.
Good.
I'll show you out.
Thank you.
No booze, my friend.
Ya.
I so appreciate you
being able to come last minute.
Did Leo have an opportunity to um...
I was never here.
And I don't do checks.
Thank you.
I am busy.
Of course you are, I'm sorry.
Oh, darling, Cash,
I'm a little bit old-fashioned.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I guess I'll see myself out.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine, why?
I saw Dr. Jacobs' car out front.
Oh,
David bumped his head.
He just needed a couple of stitches.
Can I help?
Um, I think he'll live.
Come over,
I'll be up late.
Okay, maybe in a little bit.
Bye.
You trust the doctor?
No.
Me neither.
You know, when I was a kid,
there's this
really cute puppy
in the alley behind my house.
I decided to
bring it in,
wash it, bathe it,
trim it up,
feed it,
save its life.
I even named it, Luna.
And Luna and I were, inseparable for weeks
until,
my father,
found the original owner.
Little girl,
about the same age as me.
And she missed
her little puppy so much.
But I wasn't gonna let little Luna go.
After everything that I did for her.
Swells.
So I took her back to the alley
where I found her.
And I took my father's lighter fluid
and I poured it
all over her fresh fur.
And I lit her on fire
and I watched her burn
and cry
and yelp.
And I watched her die.
I'm a deviant Val,
hiding behind a very thin veil of civility.
I made you a promise
that I would never hurt you.
Hi.
Hi,
it's now bad time?
It's perfect time,
just having a glass of wine.
Come on in.
Oh, this is beautiful, it's so cozy.
Thank you.
Well, take a seat,
take off your shoes, relax,
and I'll pour you some wine.
So, how's David?
()
He's fine,
he's resting.
Well...
There you go.
Oh, thank you.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Mmm.
Ah.
It's great.
Do you like it?
Val?
David?
Anyone home?
Leo.
Ah, there he is.
What are you doing here?
I wasn't expecting anyone.
I heard you were injured.
I am.
But you didn't fly all the way
out here from New York for me.
Even better.
I've got those contracts for Val to sign.
That $3 million book deal.
Now that is cause for celebration.
You like Tequila?
Lets top off.
I sure do.
I swear, that's how I
came up with the concept
for the second book.
Well, it worked,
because the book is really good.
Thank you.
I uh, most of the time,
I really love being a writer but
sometimes it's a lot of pressure,
you know, the deadlines.
Hm.
Here,
my hands are magical.
Oh.
Okay.
Did you kill him?
Who?
Your husband.
Did you kill him?
I'm sorry,
I shouldn't have asked you that.
Oh, no, it's okay.
You're not the first one to ask.
I did spend,
three years
proving that I was innocent.
Hmm.
But you aren't, are you?
We need some music.
Oh, good choice.
Mm.
Mhm.
Mm-hmm.
I have to confess,
I feel just a little bit drunk.
Hm. Ya?
Don't worry,
I'll take care of you.
Follow me.
So,
where's Val?
Val's at the neighbor's. Um...
I'll let her know you're here.
Perfect.
What do you think of paradise?
It's great.
Do any fishing?
Yeah,
yeah, I caught a little bit.
Excuse me,
I need to take this.
You enjoy that, I'll be right back.
You know, I'm gonna go,
freshen up.
It's a long flight.
Yeah.
Oh God, you're beautiful.
So are you.
Wow.
I did kill him.
And I could help you,
you just say the word.
Join me for a drink.
Sounds good.
You know, turning you in,
as satisfying as that might be,
it gives me nothing.
Well, that tequila is
sure yummy,
we've got company.
Hi, Matthew, I'm the neighbor
Leo,
the agent.
So, what, your
friends with David and Val?
Yeah,
I know Val, she's lovely.
Matthew was just about
to join us for a drink
I'll drink to that,
wait for me, wait for me, wait for me.
Allow me to propose a toast.
To Val's new mega book deal
and uh,
to better days.
Better days.
Uh.
What the...?
David!
Hello?
Hey, Detective Barnes,
I got some news for you.
Oh yeah?
What's that?
We ID'd the man in Angela's apartment
it's her boyfriend, Matthew.
I didn't even know she had one.
Well, he is a wanted felon
the guy's hiding out.
Detective, I, I'm gonna
have to call you back.
Leo?
Ah.
Ah.
Leo!
Leo!
Screams.
Help!
Sophia!
Screams.
Screams.
Help!
Sophia!
Uh!
Uh!
Sophia!
Sophia!
Sophia! Sophia!
Sophia
David! David, help me!
David! David, help me!
David!
Stay with me! Okay!
Just breathe!
Just breathe! Breathe! Just breathe!
No, no, no! Oh, you fucked this up!
I'm out of time,
and the police are almost here,
So you're gonna give me
access to your bank account.
What?
Hm. You know she was gonna kill you, right?
What are you talking about?
Monkshood in the wine.
David's enjoying the little cocktail now.
It was only meant to
relax, not killing you.
What do you think, David? Are you dying?
Bank account.
Come on!
More than I thought.
You're Angela's boyfriend.
Yes.
Yes, I am.
And you killed her.
Why?
She knew too much about David.
The harbinger killer and his crime.
It's genius.
Everyone thought you were writing fiction.
The perfect alibi.
You know my plan was to expose you.
But I just realized something,
What's that?
That's exactly what you would want.
A place in the history books.
Well, I got a better idea,
To have you fade away without a trace.
So no one,
And I mean no one,
Will ever know your dirty little.
Uh!
Alright big guy.
David!
David!
Upbeat.
Everything okay?
Yep.
David is officially dead,
and the harbinger killer with him.
And they for sure think it was Matt?
All the evidence points to him.
That you helped research, of course.
David would be proud.
This is only the
beginning of your book tour.
We have a different city every night
for the next three weeks.
Talk shows, radio stations.
Sophia, excuse me.
Whiskey please.
Two times.
Here you are, sir.
Thank you.
And you, ma'am?
I'll have the same.
Of course.
Did you like our book?
Very much.
The ending was liberating.
Genius to bury Jason's body in a place
where it can never be recovered.
Mm-hmm.
Now no one will ever
know if he's dead or alive.
Exactly.
And she,
was such,
an interesting witness.
But Matthew was the perfect full guy.
Cheers.
Cheers.
I miss you.
I'm going to Rome.
It's time to write
the next Jason Manson novel.
This time, he has some competition.
She's killed so many
more than just her husband.
Perhaps, you should try to win me back.
Rome it is.
Mm-hmm.
Swells.