R.J. Decker (2026) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[R.J.] Previously on
R.J. Decker
Don't try to eat it
through the wrapper.
Today could be the last day
of my trial,
meaning I could be going home
in a few hours, or--
Or you could be going
to prison.
Where I'm told candy bars
are in short supply.
I can think of something
in even shorter supply.
[playful music plays]
-[Judge Anna] Next witness.
-Lucas is my stepbrother,
and that's the man
who almost killed him.
Mostly just came to see
if we're even now.
What's your obsession with us
getting even? What is it?
We get even too fast,
there won't be any reason
for me to call you anymore.
-[chuckles]
-Is that what you want?
[playful drums play]
[R.J. inhales]
-What?
-What? No, it's good.
It's a-a punctuation thing.
[smacks lips] The, uh,
pop, pop, pop.
It's a lot of them.
The em dashes? Oh, I like them.
They suit the story.
Uh, they're a bit aggressive.
Commas might give you
a better flow.
The story is about
a blind priest who tried
to broker a truce
between MS-13
and the Latin Kings.
I don't need it to flow.
I need it to, like, grab
the reader and shake them.
-What?
-[chuckles]
You do this every time.
You ask people
to proof your stuff,
and then you argue every point.
-Only the dumb ones.
-[chuckles]
Sofia, liftoff in five minutes.
Oh. Look at you,
earning your keep
proofing my wife's article
so I don't have to.
[R.J.] Mm-hmm.
-She bite your head off yet?
-Pretty much, yeah.
Hey, Mom.
Harper and Violet just texted.
They're going to a kids' spa
on Saturday for mani-pedis
and facials,
and I'm invited.
I'm sorry,
did you say "kids' spa"?
As in, a spa for children?
-Can I go?
-No, you're busy Saturday.
You're volunteering
at the dog rescue.
But can I just skip it
this one time?
You made a commitment.
We keep our commitments
around here.
Go get your bag.
Oh, my goodness.
Take it easy on him. Mwah.
He's got so little going
for him in life.
[phone buzzes]
Uh, dashes or commas,
it's good.
-Hey, how are you?
-[Emi] What are you wearing?
[chuckles] Excuse me?
Don't get excited.
I'm asking because
I may have a job for you.
Change your shirt
and meet me at the address
I'm about to send you.
Why do I have to change
my shirt?
Because these people have money
and refinement,
and the last time they saw
a grown man wearing
an aloha shirt,
he was probably cleaning
their pool.
Oh. Okay.
Who needs you to change
your shirt?
Oh, uh, Wish. Yeah, he might
have a new client for me.
Thinks I need to look nice.
Wish, who last time I saw him
was wearing a shirt
with a metal detector
on it and the words
"Beach Better Have My Money"?
[chuckles] Man's got layers.
Hey.
Welcome to the humble abode
of the Carter family.
Carter. Oh, as in Carter Rehab?
-Got it in one.
-Huh.
In addition to owning
the biggest chain of drug
rehab centers in Florida,
Ed Carter also funded
a wing at the Institute
of Contemporary Art.
Gonna go out on a limb
and say he's also one of
your dad's biggest donors.
He is. And so when the family
realized they needed help
with a sensitive issue,
they came to me.
I told them it was a job
for a very dependable, very
discreet private investigator.
-Do good work. Do it quietly.
-Oh. Okay.
I can virtually guarantee
they'll be back for more.
-Okay.
-Background checks,
security gigs,
due diligence,
and they'll pay top dollar.
This shirt,
this is the upgrade?
Let's go hear about
this sensitive issue, shall we?
[person 1] That's Holden.
He lives in Naples
but stays with us whenever
family business requires it.
So, usually, it's just you
and your dad here?
He sends his regards,
by the way.
He's wrapping up some work
in Orlando, but we are both
worried about Holden.
He didn't come home last night,
and he isn't responding
to calls or texts.
You're moving pretty quickly
bringing someone like me on.
Can I ask why?
The more he knows,
the more he can help.
Holden has struggled
with drug addiction for years.
My father and I think
he may have relapsed.
Relapsed. So, he had gotten
clean at some point?
A little over 18 months ago.
He went to a facility
in Switzerland
for the first six months,
then came back to Florida.
Since then, he has been working
as a rehab counselor
in one of our Naples clinics.
It's not like him to be
out of touch, at least
not now that he's sober.
Your job is to find Holden
quickly and quietly.
If he has relapsed,
Mr. Carter doesn't want
the police involved.
Too much chance of the story
breaking to the media.
I understand, and I wanna help.
The best place for me to start
is with whoever saw him last.
I dropped Holden off
at the community center
a little before 1600.
Support group meeting.
So, you knew about
his history with addiction?
Ten years working for
the Carters. They don't keep
any secrets from me.
I drive Holden whenever
he's in town. I waited
up front like I usually do.
90 mikes later,
everybody comes out
except for Holden.
I went inside,
but no sign of him.
How did he seem to you
yesterday?
Honestly, I was relieved
he wanted to get to a meeting.
He seemed distracted,
a little down.
Any read on
what was bothering him?
He was pretty tight-lipped.
That's part of why
I was worried about him.
You served, huh?
1600, 90 mikes.
You tell time like a soldier.
Not a soldier. A Marine.
Oh, okay. Uh, is that why
Ed Carter chose you
to drive his son?
Wealthy, high-profile family.
Maybe there are security
threats I should know about--
Sorry, no.
The biggest danger to Holden
has always been Holden.
[softly] Got it.
Community center
where you dropped him off,
can I get the address?
Yeah, yeah, he looks familiar.
He would have come in
around 4:00 p.m. yesterday,
headed for the rec room,
but we think he went out
a different way, maybe
the back or the side entrance.
Out there,
I saw you had cameras--
Hold on, 4:00 p.m.?
In the rec room?
-Yeah, he was here
for an NA meeting.
-Just forget I said I saw him.
And if you're about to ask to
look at the security footage,
don't even bother.
Anyone our cameras caught
coming in for that meeting
is entitled to their privacy,
okay? End of story.
-I get that.
-My sister is five years
sober, okay?
Anonymity is crucial
to the work.
I'm here because his sister
thinks he might be
in trouble. Like real trouble.
Look, I get that you don't
want me looking at the footage,
-but you said you were
here yesterday.
-Yeah, so?
So you already saw
everyone that came in here
for the meeting.
Your guy didn't use
a side exit.
Check the rear door.
Looks like he came out the back
right before the meeting
would've started.
He's making a call.
Now he's talking to someone.
Who? Who's he talking to?
Someone walked up.
I can't see who.
They're off camera.
But your guy,
he looks a little
[suspenseful music plays]
-What in the world?
-Can I turn around now, please?
Yeah,
I think that would be good.
What the hell is that?
In case you're wondering,
not one of the 12 steps.
-Do you think it's a sex thing?
-Well, this being Florida,
the answer to that question
should almost always
be "maybe."
But no, I-I'm more worried
it could be an abduction.
Abduction?
You see how the big guy keeps
his arm pointed at Holden?
It occurred to me
that wearing that costume
might be a good way
to conceal a gun.
Yeah, well,
you need to be sure.
I'm not about to tell Naomi
maybe her brother was
kidnapped by a furry.
It's a slimy, actually.
I did a little image searching
and realized it's the costume
for Sammy the Sea Cucumber,
-mascot for Rio Vista Prep.
-Huh.
-"Huh," what?
-That's where Holden went
to high school.
Maybe the guy in the costume
was just an old buddy
pulling a prank?
According to the school's
athletic schedule,
Sammy's due to make
an appearance today.
I'll let you know
what he has to say.
[people clamoring]
[shoes squeaking]
-[people cheering]
-[referee blows whistle]
[cheerleaders] Whoo-hoo!
["Wobble" plays]
Sammy, my name is R.J. Decker.
I'm a private investigator.
I'd like to ask you
a few questions, if I could.
Sammy. I All right.
Bit of a time-sensitive issue.
Maybe you can take a break?
Sammy, I have reason to
believe a man was abducted
at gunpoint last night!
You are my top suspect!
Yeah, yeah ♪
Get in there
Yeah, yeah ♪
[buzzer sounds]
Sorry about before.
I fully commit to Sammy
while I'm in costume.
-You do bring him to life.
-[chuckles]
That isn't me. Sammy worked
a swim meet yesterday,
which means I worked
a swim meet yesterday.
There's no chance
someone could have borrowed
your costume?
Are you kidding?
That costume's
totally different.
[scoffs] No hat.
Look at the Sammy in the video.
[R.J.] Hmm.
-What is that?
Like a sailor's cap?
-Mm-hmm.
That's Sammy, circa 2012.
That costume was retired.
Subsequent Sammys were hatless.
Thank goodness. I don't know
how I'd play with a hat.
Any idea where someone
could have gotten their hands
on the 2012 costume?
Honestly, I assumed
it was destroyed
after the flagpole incident.
Flagpole incident?
Some rich kid hoisted
Sammy up on the flagpole
with the performer inside
and left him there overnight.
[shudders] Costume was soiled
beyond salvage.
Hmm.
-What?
-The guy I'm trying to find,
he went to school here
around that time.
He was definitely a rich kid.
You think that was Sammy 2012
exacting some crazy revenge?
You wouldn't happen to know
that Sammy's real name,
would you?
Ricky Strom. He wore the green
from 2008 to 2012.
[elevator dings]
-Hi!
-[chuckling] What?
-We brought you
an afternoon treat.
-[gasps] You guys!
Mwah. What a nice surprise.
People I arrest,
they never bring me boba.
-Mom, guess what?
-Mmm?
I'm going to the spa with
Harper and Violet after all.
Yeah? We went over this.
You have dog rescue Saturday.
Not anymore.
Catherine fixed it.
-Fixed it?
-I-I called the rescue
and asked if we could shift
Sofia's commitment
to next weekend,
so she'll volunteer two days
instead of just one.
Self-care this weekend.
Dog care next.
That's great. And did Harper
and Violet mention
how much all those spa
treatments are going to cost?
Oh. Catherine took care
of that too.
We talked it all through.
She gets it's a one-time thing.
[Mel] Mm-hmm.
I mean, spa Saturdays will not
become the new norm.
-Mm-mmm.
-Yeah, Mom. Relax.
-Mmm.
-Enjoy your boba.
About that. Uh
-[sighs] Will this cover
all three?
-Mel.
No, no, no, no, it's only fair.
You get the spa day,
I get the boba.
This was great. Mwah.
But Mommy's got to get
back to work.
-I'll see you at home.
-See ya.
["Rio Grande" plays]
Okay, so to be clear, this is
the house of the gentleman
you believe dressed up
as a sea cucumber to kidnap
-his high-school bully
at gunpoint?
-Yeah.
Wow. Florida just keeps
giving and giving.
You see the van
in the driveway?
It's the same one I saw
Holden Carter get into
at the community center.
You still want me to
just hang back?
Yes, hang back. You're only
here to call the cops
if anything goes sideways.
I gotta say,
a violent turn would
almost be worth the headline.
-Hmm?
-"Private eye
and sexy lotto winner
gunned down
by a marine invertebrate."
-[chuckles]
That's straight gold, son.
-[exhales]
[dog barking]
[sighs]
[suspenseful music plays]
[grunts, breathing heavily]
-You're Ricky Strom?
-Yeah.
Does you kicking the door in
count as things going sideways?
'Cause I'm a single digit
from 91 Whoa.
-I need you to tell me
where Holden is.
-I think someone took him.
Yeah, you did, from the
community center yesterday!
No. No, no, I-I
Well, yeah, I brought him here,
but then someone else broke in
and did this to me, okay?
They must've kidnapped him.
Wow. "Florida Man abducted
from his own abduction."
It's
It's another good headline.
I looked everywhere.
No sign of Holden.
I told you whoever broke
in here and attacked me
must have taken him.
Guys, come on.
You think I'm gonna hit myself
in the head? Tie myself up?
Stranger things have happened,
Ricky.
A six-foot cucumber committing
an armed abduction,
for example.
Okay, first, I wasn't armed.
I just pretended to have a gun.
Second, in a certain light,
it wasn't an abduction.
It was more of a
[inhales] prank.
Like flying a guy in a mascot
costume up a flagpole?
You know what Holden did to me?
I was stuck up there all night.
I'd had a lot of water.
Like, a lot of water.
The next morning,
half the school saw me,
humiliated, exhausted
wet.
It ended my mascot career
because every time I tried
to put on
the costume after that,
I'd have a panic attack.
I'd been offered
a full ride to the University
of Central Florida.
I was gonna take over
as Knightro.
You were gonna wear
the Golden Helmet?
Coming out of UCF,
I could've had my pick:
Mickey, Gritty, Benny the Bull.
A few days ago,
I saw on Holden's social media
that he was in town.
He kept posting
about his sobriety,
how great he was doing.
Yesterday, I just
I don't know, snapped.
I dug out my Sammy costume.
I waited outside the Carter
house, and I tailed them
to the community center.
How did you know he was
gonna come right back out
as soon as he went in?
I didn't. I was just looking
for a place to hide
when I saw him talking
on the phone to someone.
He seemed, I don't know,
nervous.
They were trying to figure out
a place to meet.
I only brought him here
to make him understand
that what he did to me
that night mattered.
But then
the craziest thing happened.
Some mystery man showed up
and ruined all your fun?
No. I'm talking about
before that.
Holden,
he just listened.
Let me say everything
that I needed to say.
Then he apologized.
And I could tell it wasn't
about me letting him go.
It was about real regret.
He told me about how devoted
he was to his sobriety,
how important making amends is.
And he asked
if I would forgive him.
And I did.
He asked if he could use
my phone. I went
into the kitchen to get it.
And then bam.
I'm hit from behind.
Everything goes black.
And I know
that it wasn't Holden
because I was looking right
at him when it happened.
Maybe it was
some friend of Holden's.
Tracked him here, rescued him?
If it was a rescue,
he would have turned up by now.
You said when you walked
up to him
that he was on the phone,
that he seemed nervous.
Oh, you think maybe
he was talking to the person
who hit me.
Would it help if you had
Holden's phone?
Because I-I-I know where it is.
Or sort of.
I could help you find it.
I was worried that
someone might use
his phone to locate him,
so I told him to toss it
out the van window.
-It's a bag of chips, man.
-You're right.
Are you sure this is
the right stretch of road?
I think so. I was still
in costume, and Sammy's
range of vision is subpar.
Sure.
-Oh! Found it.
-You got it?
-Yeah.
-Okay.
Looks like a lot
of missed calls.
Ten calls from Naomi Carter
and 47 calls from a guy
named Rico Delaware.
Does that name mean
anything to you?
No, I've never heard of him.
But 47 calls. If he was that
desperate to reach Holden
Yeah, maybe he was
desperate enough to come
and find him last night.
I'm sorry. I know I screwed up.
I shouldn't have made
the spa day happen for Sofia.
[sighs] But she was
so excited. [chuckles]
And it was easy for you.
$300, $400 for
a couple hours of self-care,
it's no problem, right?
Please don't be this way.
-What way? Poor?
-You are not poor.
No, but I was.
Growing up, my apartment--
two bedrooms, one bathroom--
Six kids. I remember.
Yeah. Can you guess
how many spa days
me and my sisters enjoyed?
You always do this.
You hold the fact
-that I have a little money
against me.
-A little?
My grandparents left me
what they left me. I'm sorry.
Besides, you and I are married.
What's mine is yours.
Yours is mine.
-Like this house?
-Like this house. Our house.
-What?
-You put all the money down.
Yeah. Yeah, I did,
with your permission,
because you agreed
that this was the best
school district for Sofia
by a mile.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Sorry, I [stammers]
I love this house. [whispers]
Sofia, she loves this house.
It could just [inhales]
[smacks lips] It could feel
like something I won
and not something I earned.
The spa day,
I'll sign off on it, okay?
As long as we split it.
Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.
[softly] Okay.
[phone buzzes]
Hey, you get my message about
the mascot and Holden's phone?
- [Emi] I did.
-Guy that called 47 times,
Rico Delaware.
Turns out he's a street artist
who spent some time at one
of the Carter Rehab Clinics.
Apparently, he didn't have
a good experience
because he went to war
with them last year.
He put up a bunch
of anti-Carter graffiti
-all over town.
-R.J.
I mean, 47 calls to a member
of a family you hate,
that's got to be harassment,
maybe even a prelude
to a kidnapping.
We find Rico Delaware,
maybe we find Holden.
R.J., Holden has been found.
Oh, okay. Where? Where was he?
Some little no-tell motel
downtown.
Housekeeper came in to
clean the room, found him
with a needle in his arm.
He overdosed. I just identified
his body for the Carters.
[sighs]
He's been like that for hours.
When Holden was little,
he was the apple of Dad's eye,
and nothing was too good
for Holden.
So you can imagine how much
it hurt Dad when drugs
came into the picture.
Especially given
the family business. [chuckles]
You could call it ironic,
if all the papers didn't
already do it years ago.
On the subject of media,
my office has been
in steady contact with
the FLPD regarding messaging,
and we don't see any reasons
for the specifics
of Holden's passing
-to go public.
-Thank you.
And thank you
for trying to help us.
I've already Zelle'd your
account for your services,
plus a bonus
-for your continued discretion.
-Oh.
Uh, I appreciate that.
But my discretion,
it's-it's part of package.
I'm only sorry
we couldn't find Holden sooner.
Ms. Carter, I'm sorry.
I have to ask.
Did Holden ever mention
anything about
harassing phone calls?
I'm sorry?
When I found his phone,
I saw there was a bunch
of calls from Rico Delaware.
I assume you know that name.
That has to be a mistake.
That man hates my family.
He wouldn't have been
in Holden's phone.
Holden never mention any
business he needed to tend to
that wasn't related
to the clinics?
Anyone he was planning to meet
-the day he went missing?
-No, no one.
Do you understand any of this?
Naomi, sorry.
Can you excuse us for a moment?
What do you think you're doing?
I think I'm asking questions
about a death I find
a little suspicious.
What's so suspicious about
a drug addict dying
of an overdose?
Ricky Strom described
a guy utterly devoted
to his sobriety.
Then a few hours later,
he's dead of an OD?
I'm sorry, are you talking
about the lunatic
who dressed up
like a vegetable to kidnap him?
There were two kidnappings:
one from the community center,
one from Ricky Strom's house.
-Are you on drugs right now?
-Listen to me.
Something was going on
with Holden that day.
Something completely incidental
to whatever Ricky did.
He clearly had no intention
of going to that support group.
He went in one door,
out the other.
He was on the phone
with somebody outside,
-trying to figure out
a place to meet.
-His dealer, R.J.
He was calling his dealer.
-This is a tragedy, okay?
Not a mystery.
-Can you think of a better way
to murder someone with
a history of drug abuse
than a staged overdose?
-Tell me.
No, I want you to tell me.
-No. No. No more.
These people are
as mortified by Holden's death
as they are devastated.
They want to preserve
his memory.
They want to move on.
You need to let them do both.
Holden's phone-- You said
you found it. Give it to me.
I'll give it to the family.
I don't have it with me.
But I will drop it
by your office later.
Now, retail, brand new,
this beauty will run you 700.
I pulled it out of a dumpster.
Sterilized every part.
Rebuilt the motor.
Now I'm letting it go to you
for 100 bucks.
That's not for everybody.
That's 'cause we're old pals.
Uh-huh.
Oh, hey, speaking of old pals.
-Hey.
-Mauricio,
how are you doing, man?
-Are you kidding me, man?
-[R.J.] Oh.
-[strains, chuckles]
-Come on. Cell block D
forever, my man.
Saw your van out front.
-Mauricio's Appliance Repair?
-Yeah.
Way to turn your prison hustle
into a real business.
Hey, I can say the same thing
for you.
Well, I-I wasn't a
wasn't a PI inside.
You sure as hell couldn't mind
your own business.
Reason I called,
I was hoping you could
unlock this for me.
Yeah. It's yours, right?
Well, if it were mine,
I would know the password.
Untrue. People forget
their passwords all the time.
And unlocking someone's phone
without his or her explicit
permission is illegal.
It's yours, right?
Oh, yeah, it's mine.
100% mine. All mine.
-Great. Give me a day.
-Beautiful. Thank you.
Now look, Wish. I could let
the blender go for 90, but
after that I'm giving it away.
Oh, move fast and tight
to the wall for outlines.
-Rico Delaware?
-Yeah.
Or should I call you
Professor Delaware?
I know the university made you
an artist in residence.
Selfies gotta wait
till after class, okay?
I don't like to break flow.
I respect flow. But, uh,
I'm a private investigator.
I'd like to ask you
a few questions
about your relationship
with Holden Carter.
What's a PI care about
me and him?
A lot, actually. Mostly because
he was found dead last night.
People like me
People like Holden [inhales]
The number of times that we
stick a needle in our arm
and never wake up
Uh, you'd think I'd be used
to it by now, but no.
It messes me up every time.
The reason why I wanted
to talk to you, Rico,
I'm not sure Holden put
that needle in his arm himself.
You think someone killed him?
You think I killed him?
Well, it's no secret
you had a grudge
against the Carter family.
My grudge is with Ed Carter,
the way he runs his business.
Me and Holden, we were cool.
A while back,
Holden reached out to me.
He wanted to meet to talk about
my experience with
Carter Rehab.
I obliged.
Told him about recruiters
pulling 5K a head for addicts
with primo insurance.
About how the facilities
are straight-up turnstiles.
How no one gives a crap
if you get sober,
just so long
as the insurance keeps paying.
This one guy I knew, he went
through four rounds of that.
The fourth time, he OD'd
right there in the clinic.
You ever tried talking
to the cops?
Oh, yeah. You tell me when
police start listening to
junkies, former or otherwise.
And Holden? How did he take
everything you told him?
He was upset, you know,
but he said that he'd take it
all to his old man.
-How did that conversation go?
-I don't know, all right?
I figured I said my piece.
I gave him some space.
Well, I happen to know
you called him 47 times
the other night.
How's that giving him space?
Me and Holden, well,
we stayed in contact.
He wanted me to stay clean.
I wanted him to stay clean.
The other, night all I could
think about was getting high.
So you called Holden?
Yeah. When I couldn't reach
him, I freaked. I kept calling.
But then I said to myself,
"You know what he would say?
Get your ass to a meeting."
And so I did.
My sister drove me there
and back.
This is her number
if you wanna call her.
Please, it's okay. It's okay.
Look, as far as I've been able
to tell, Holden seemed like
he was in a good place.
But I don't know.
What do you think?
Every addict is just one
bad day away from a slip.
But if you're right,
if someone did this to him,
then you need to catch him.
Because trust me,
that is the last way
he would have wanted to go.
[person] R.J. Decker?
-Yeah.
-[door closes]
Agent Jacob Koop, IRS.
Criminal Investigation
Division.
Wow. I knew I shouldn't have
rounded up my mileage
on that last tax return.
[chuckles] Actually,
I wanna talk to you
about the work you've
been doing for the, uh,
Carter family.
Well, if you know the kind
of work I do, you know
I can't talk about my clients.
I can't even confirm the people
you're talking about
are my clients.
I'll just cut to the chase
then.
See, I'm here because
I don't think Holden Carter's
overdose was an accident.
I think someone
forced him to shoot up,
probably at gunpoint.
[breathes deeply]
Well, I don't think I'll be
violating confidentiality
to tell you I've been thinking
the same thing.
-Oh, good.
-Do you wanna come inside?
You wanna compare notes?
You know, I'd love to talk
but not here.
Someplace public.
-All right,
you know FM Station?
-I'll find it.
Why do we have to go
somewhere public to talk
about Holden Carter?
Well, because I think
you're the one that killed him.
Crazy day.
You accuse a guy of murder,
he ends up introducing you
to the best burger you've had
in years.
Not that it's alleviating
any suspicion.
Yeah, I get it. Ex-con takes
money from a shady family.
Twenty-four hours later,
that family's black sheep
winds up dead.
I'd take a look at me too.
Coroner's report says Holden
died between 7:00
and 9:00 p.m. two nights ago.
-Can you account
for your whereabouts?
-Oh, I can.
But first I'd like to confirm
a few of my suspicions.
[inhales] Naomi Carter paid me
electronically this morning.
By the afternoon,
I'm getting a visit from you.
Which tells me
the IRS is monitoring
the family's accounts.
And since you work in
criminal investigations,
ain't your standard audit.
You've been looking into
something bigger.
Something that now
includes Holden's death.
Well, I can neither
confirm nor deny
is something we're required
to say when someone's
got us dead to rights.
Holden was looking into
some pretty dark corners
of the family business.
I think he was gonna have
a talk with his dad.
I think he did,
but it went poorly.
So poorly, in fact,
his next step is
reaching out to the IRS.
Which makes me wonder
if it was you he was planning
on meeting
when he snuck out
of a support group meeting
the other day.
Well, I can neither confirm
nor deny.
Then don't confirm
or deny this either:
Holden was gonna whistleblow.
He was gonna take down
Carter Rehab
because unlike his dad,
he actually cares about
addicts getting better.
[inhales] Those whereabouts
you were gonna account for?
Phone, computer records prove
I was home all night. What?
It's gonna take me days
to subpoena those records.
Okay. That's good. It'll give
us both more time to prove
his dad was behind
what happened to him.
The premise that you killed
Holden but might be willing
to roll on his dad
was all I had left,
and if that premise is wrong,
then I have nothing.
And if I have nothing,
trust me, you've got
less than nothing.
[R.J. sighs]
Ed Carter's gonna get away
with everything.
["Dancing Mood" playing]
-Someone had a crappy day.
-[sighs]
Yeah, someone did.
You wanna join me for a beer?
Yes, I do.
[Catherine clears throat]
[breathes deeply] Thank you.
Let me guess:
Wish still unhappy
about the way you're dressing?
Mm-hmm.
He's the one who brought you
the new client, right?
Mm-hmm. Judging by that second
beer you had lined up,
I'm guessing you had
a crappy day too?
Mel and I had
the money fight again.
Oof.
Yeah, oof. I know.
I pay for stuff
when I can pay for stuff,
and she acts like
I'm some eccentric millionaire.
Back when you and I were
together, I paid more rent,
I paid for more meals out.
You were always okay with it.
Wait. You weren't okay with it?
[sighs] I mean, it's not
like I wasn't okay with it.
It just took me
a little while to get used to.
I like to pay my own way.
Mel does too.
What?
Nothing. I just found out that
I'm repeating an ugly pattern
from my first failed marriage.
No biggie.
No, you're not repeating
anything.
Unlike me, Mel said something.
That's not repetition,
that's progress.
[sighs] But what do I do?
Get in there.
If she said something,
you say something back.
[phone buzzes]
-What?
-My crappy day,
it ain't over yet.
Hey. What happened?
I was loading groceries
in the van, and some huge guy
comes out of nowhere,
coldcocks me and snatches
the phone you gave me
and ran off.
-He only took the phone?
-Yeah.
The three of us are the only
ones that knew Mauricio had it.
So, how would anyone know
to track him down?
Wish, have you ever heard
of Find My Phone?
It enables users
to find their phones.
-Yeah, but the owner's dead.
-I'm so-- He's what?
-Did you get a look at him?
-Not really. I mean,
he was white, jacked.
Kind of like that Aryan Nation
guy who was weirdly good
at kickball.
-You remember him?
-Oh, yeah.
-Oh. That-That's not good.
-What?
You got a-a dent in your face.
Hold on.
Looks like a little lollipop
with wings.
That ain't a lollipop.
It's a globe
from a signet ring.
You got punched in the face
by a Marine.
You know who he is?
Yeah, I do. [sighs]
I'm starting to think
he's the one that killed
Holden Carter.
-[door opens]
-[suspect] Are the cuffs
really necessary?
-[door closes]
-You're a suspect
in a violent robbery.
Did the officers
who pulled you over
fail to make that clear?
They did.
And then I made it clear
that they had the wrong guy.
And yet they found this.
Property reported stolen
by the victim in your car.
It belonged to the late
Holden Carter, son of
your employer, Ed Carter, yes?
[phone buzzes]
I'm thinking
you were able to track it
to the man you assaulted
because you or Ed or one
of his other flunkies
at Carter Rehab
put spyware on the phone
that lets you see Holden's
movements,
maybe even read
his emails and texts.
-This is insane.
-[phone buzzes]
I found that phone
under a car seat today.
Obviously,
Holden left it there. I didn't
beat anyone up to get it.
Take a look at these.
And then take a look
at that ring of yours.
[suspect chuckles]
Sorry. This guy must have
pissed off a different Marine.
How did Ed take it
when he heard Holden
slipped away the other night?
Did he already know Holden
had a meeting with the IRS?
I'm just a driver.
I have no idea what
you're talking about.
Mmm. You could tell
from the spyware on the phone
that Holden exited
the community center
as soon as he entered it.
I'm guessing you got
to the parking lot
just as he got into a van
with a man named Ricky Strom.
You followed them
to Mr. Strom's house,
and then you called Daddy.
He got nervous. Thought maybe
this was Holden's IRS contact.
So he told you it was time.
Holden had to go.
Give up your boss.
Confess to staging Holden's OD.
Maybe the State of Florida
won't put a needle in your arm.
Go ahead.
Charge me with this assault
if you think it'll stick.
But if you want to talk
to me again,
I'll come back with a lawyer.
Mr. Carter will hire the best
that money can buy.
[elevator bell dings]
Did the best I could.
Only thing
that guy said in there
that was even remotely true
is Ed Carter's loaded,
which is funny.
His daughter hiring a PI
who works out of a pool house
instead of some big,
white-glove security firm.
Yeah, I don't know. Must have
liked my website, I guess.
[phone buzzes]
-[phone chimes]
-[R.J. sighs]
Great.
What, too loud inside?
For this conversation? Yes,
because I need you to hear me.
I tried to do you a favor
when I brought you to Naomi.
Now her father is threatening
to cut off ties with mine.
That'd be bad, right?
Losing all that money
Ed Carter's making
not keeping addicts off drugs.
What are you talking about?
Carter Rehab doesn't want
people getting better.
It's bad for business.
Holden was about to blow
the whistle.
If we open up the phone,
there's gonna be spyware on it
that'll prove his dad knew
he was talking to the IRS.
Hold on. If we open his phone?
You mean you don't know
there's spyware?
The phone's locked.
Can you think of another reason
why Ed sent his hatchet man to
get it back yesterday? Tell me.
Wow. I can't believe this.
I can't believe
you accused Ed Carter
of having his own son killed
without any proof.
'Cause if there's no proof,
there's no crime, right?
Isn't that
the Ochoa family motto?
Look, Holden is dead.
A guy that died trying
to be a better man, to fight
for people who needed help.
He was willing to go up
against his own father.
Not because it was easy.
'Cause it was the right thing
to do.
Of course, you wouldn't care
about a guy like that.
Next time you wanna do me
a favor, don't do it.
I don't need business
like yours.
I have to admit I was surprised
to hear from you this morning.
I was pretty clear
with your father.
I thought our families
needed some time apart.
You were. But he and I
both felt we'd be remiss
if we didn't at least try
to apologize for Mr. Decker's
actions yesterday.
Next time, we'll do a better
job vetting our referrals.
You're assuming
there'll be a next time.
I'm well aware we need
to earn back your trust.
That's why
I-I brought you this.
Holden's phone.
My office was able
to get it back from the police.
It wasn't too difficult,
considering there was no crime
they could actually
connect it to, but
And given the scrutiny
Mr. Decker was inviting,
I thought you would value
having it back.
If there's nothing else
[Emi sighs]
Yeah, actually,
there is one more thing.
It was locked when we got it.
My father and I didn't want to
assume you'd know the password.
So we did you the favor
of bringing it to one of
our communications experts.
The intention was to give you
access to Holden's photo album.
All those precious memories.
But then our expert found
something else.
Someone was tracking
Holden's movements and reading
his emails and text messages.
Whoever it was, they knew
he was looking to go public
with some very serious concerns
about treatment practices
at Carter Rehab.
If you're suggesting
I had anything to do with
what happened to Holden--
I'm not suggesting anything.
I'm just hoping
my family ends up back
in your family's good graces.
Because a man who would
have his own son killed
can never have
too many friends, can he?
Tell your father when the time
comes, he'll have my support.
It's important to me that
he knows, that you both know,
Holden wasn't supposed to die.
The plan was only to
discredit him.
To make it so the feds
couldn't take him seriously
as a witness.
So all you really wanted to do
was throw away all the hard
work he did to get sober.
It was a mistake.
A terrible mistake.
Naomi. Can I assume
she played no part in this?
Of course not.
She loved her brother.
I loved Holden too.
I loved him as much
as your father loves you.
I'm sure that's true.
How'd it go?
[Ed Carter] It's important
to me that he knows,
that you both know.
Holden wasn't supposed to die.
The plan was only to
discredit him.
To make it so the feds
couldn't take him seriously
as a witness.
Who gets this first?
My new friend at the IRS.
I'll go see him
after I drive you home.
Actually, I'll come with you.
And then I need a drink.
["Alvarado" plays]
Uh, I didn't do all this.
[Catherine] You're early.
Uh, Mel, this is Francis.
She writes the Herald 's
financial advice column.
Oh, okay. Hi. Nice to meet you.
Uh, I-I, uh, was just leaving.
You have a lovely home.
Thanks again, Francis.
Is it terrible I'm relieved
you weren't about to pitch
a threesome?
[chuckles] A little,
but whatever.
Just come sit. [chuckles]
The real reason
I had Francis come over
-was to
-Mm-hmm.
help me prepare
a trip for you
into the future, or at least
our financial future.
["One More Change" plays]
This line represents, based
on all sorts of variables,
that were frankly
a little over my head,
my future income.
[smacks lips]
And this one predicts yours.
And what I'm looking at
should make me as happy
as you are because
Because between your gradual-
if-inexorable ascension
through the ranks of the FLPD
and the long, sad death march
that is print media,
Francis has you passing me
in annual take-home pay
no later than 2032.
By 2042 Actually, you know,
don't even look at 2042.
-The point is
-Mmm?
it's gonna be
a long marriage.
And our love will be
a constant, but our money
Now, that's gonna be
variable as hell.
So will you,
every once in a while,
let me be a little generous
if I promise to be
a financial drain on you
in the years to come?
I'll do my best,
and I look forward
to carrying your broke ass.
[Catherine chuckles]
2042. That's dark.
[Mel moans]
-Gross.
-[Mel] Mmm.
Hola to you too, mija .
I'm hungry.
Is there a dinner planned?
Uh
Takeout? Someplace cheap?
Someplace cheap.
This heavy load
Helped me set it down ♪
[Emi] Of course. I understand.
Well, I'm here for you
no matter what.
Okay. Bye.
That was Naomi?
-Yeah.
-How is she holding up?
Mmm. About as well
as you'd expect. But she is
grateful for what you did.
[R.J. chuckles]
And she's planning
to work with the IRS
as they investigate everything
and then start instituting
the changes Holden wanted
at the clinics.
Good.
-To Holden?
-To Holden.
Listen, some of
the things I said yesterday,
I-I didn't like saying 'em,
but I'm glad they got through.
Hold up. [chuckles]
You think I did what I did
because of you?
Did somebody else accuse you
of choosing your dad's
political career
over doing the right thing
yesterday?
Oh, I totally chose
my dad's political career.
Ed Carter was a liability.
He had to go.
All that's left is for
my father, outraged at his
one-time contributor's crimes,
to introduce legislation
that will close every
loophole Carter Rehab
-was taking advantage of.
-[clicks tongue]
Still think it was me.
-It was not you.
-Okay. If you say so.
One more day to wake ♪
One more step to take ♪
I've got one more ♪
[R.J. chuckles]
-[phone ringing, buzzing]
-Oh.
One more chain to break ♪
One more day to wake ♪
Hello?
[Mel] Is it too late
to add fries to the order?
Uh, they're closed.
Private event.
I'm gonna try the new taco
place instead. Just text me
when you know what you want.
-I've got one more one more ♪
-One more ♪