Mistletoe Murders (2024) s02e03 Episode Script

1
I just have one question
for you, Emily Lane.
Who are you, really?
So, if Violet wants to go back
to work at the Mistletoe,
you've proven to me
she's safe with you in her life.
Hackers?
Well, one particular
group of hackers.
It's time to pick a user name.
Well, go on.
What's the name?
Chimera.
Happy Ho Ho Ho, crew!
It's Harrison Crane, coming
at you live in Fletcher's Grove,
where a local gallery
is about to throw a tribute
to artist Angela Wells,
who disappeared
from the art scene 55 years ago.
Most of her work was lost
in a fire, in her studio,
on Christmas Day, in 1968!
And now, I'll be among the first
to witness a newly-discovered
self portrait.
And because the artist famously
avoided the public eye,
never allowing herself
to be photographed,
this painting will finally
answer one of the art world's
what did Angela Wells look like?
As if that's not enough
of a reason to get excited,
Angela's only living relative,
grand-daughter Moira Wells,
an artist in her own right
will feature her own work
at the exhibit
while also promoting
her first book,
a tribute
to her grandmother's legacy.
And all of this
is thanks to the generosity
of one famous dude
Famous Ray!
Well, uh, merry Christmas.
And to celebrate
our grand opening,
I just want to personally
invite you all to take part
in the online voting stage
of our inaugural
Christmas-themed
art competition.
The winner will have their work
featured on a Christmas card
that will be sold in every store
in Fletcher's Grove,
including my own:
Famous Ray's Furniture Emporium!
There's Brooke. She didn't
tell you what she wanted?
Just that it was a surprise
and that I was gonna love it.
Hey, Brooke,
what's goin' on here?
Are you taking part
in the competition?
Why not?
I used to paint in college.
I find the human form
both alluring and grotesque.
Which brings me to you, June.
Excuse me?
I want you to be my model.
Mrs. Claus
is the perfect subject
for a Christmas-themed
art competition.
-What? Why me?
-Oh, well
because you have the exact look
that I am going for.
And because you're reliable.
No offence, Emily.
-Wow.
-None taken.
-Brooke, I really don't
-Oh, red is your colour!
Now, sit up straight, girl,
because we are about to make
Christmas card history!
Okay, I just
You owe me.
And try and make it quick.
I gotta go open up
the shop, but um good luck.
Eeh!
This is great!
I'm scared.
Hey, Sam.
Oh, Emily.
I can't tell you how nice it is
to have Violet back
at the Mistletoe.
Not so nice for me, though.
I'm a server down,
during the holidays.
Sorry about that, Sue!
There he is!
Ha-ha-ha!
Oh!
How you doin'?
-Good to see you, man!
-You too, partner!
Emily, this is Reed Donley,
my mentor
and my first partner
on the force.
-No way!
-Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Sammy was just a fresh-faced kid
outta the academy back then.
Look at ya now!
-I'll let you two catch up.
-It's so nice to meet you, Reed.
Oh, my pleasure.
Bye, Sammy.
She seems nice.
-It's so good to see you.
-Thanks, pal.
-What are you doin' in town?
-Oh, just a security detail.
I'd rather be sipping Mai Tais
on a beach somewhere, but
my messed-up kidneys
have put a real damper
on my retirement plans.
Dialysis ain't cheap.
I'm sorry to hear that.
That's okay. Do me a favour
and don't tell anyone, okay?
I've only told
a few close friends.
I'm not looking for sympathy,
but I could use an extra man.
What's the job?
Babysitting a bunch of paintings
for the auction house
over in White Rock.
I mean, I could do it alone,
but it's probably
gonna be an overnighter,
and I just don't have
the stamina I used to.
It's a cash gig.
I hate to say no to you,
but Violet leaves soon
for Christmas with her mom,
and I just want to get as much
time in with her as I can.
'Course. Forget about it,
forget about it.
Family first, always.
I got another guy I can ask.
-Okay.
-It's good to see you though.
Here, coffee's on me.
-Thank you.
-Coffee would be great.
Lunch would be nicer, but
You're late.
I was expecting you an hour ago.
-Reed?
-Hey, buddy?
Felt bad saying no
to you yesterday,
so I brought you breakfast.
Hey, Reed,
no sleeping on the job, buddy!
Reed! Reed!
Reed, Reed, Reed, Reed!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!
It's not Christmas
if the snow don't fall ♪
And I'm still standing
here three feet small ♪
It's Christmas time ♪
I love being the
single mom of two furry cuties,
but that doesn't mean
I don't get lonely sometimes,
usually around the holidays.
Was your brother ignoring you?
You need a little attention?
Oh, yeah,
I need some attention too.
My relationships
have a habit
of being few and far between.
It comes with the territory
when you've lived
a life like mine.
Of course, there was a time,
back before the start
of my long history
of questionable decisions
when I was sure my first brush
with love would last forever.
Guess who?
-Aaron!
-Don't sneak up on me!
-Sorry.
-I couldn't wait to tell you.
I'll be spending
Christmas break with you.
Oh, it'll be so nice
to have company, but
how come?
My parents decided
last-minute to spend Christmas
cruising the Pacific Coast
with friends.
I'm sorry.
I'm not.
A Christmas without snow?
No thank you.
I totally agree.
I said stay out of my way!
Hoo!
Zeke is such a jerk
and he never gets in trouble.
When your dad's a state senator,
you can get away with anything.
If the teachers
won't do anything about it,
then maybe we should.
Want to work on
a little project with me
over the Christmas break?
Wow, these are beautiful.
-Thanks for opening up, Vy.
-I just lost track of time.
-That's what I'm here for.
-What's all this?
-Meet Piper.
-She's a local artist.
Oh, well, I don't know if
I would call myself an artist.
-Don't sell yourself short.
-These
These are stunning.
I was actually bringing
my portfolio to the bookstore,
when I decided to pop in here.
I'm looking
for a little inspiration
for my next painting.
She's entered in the Christmas
art competition.
That's wonderful.
I mean, you really have a gift.
Thank you.
-Well, I should get going.
-Can't be late.
So, what's happening
at the bookstore?
Moira Wells
is doing a book signing.
I'm a huge fan.
-Sounds like fun!
-Maybe I'll drop by.
You should.
All right, Merry Christmas.
Bye!
Merry Christmas.
Don't tell me you're
also a Moira Wells fan.
No, no, but the more I learn
about her grandmother,
the more impressed I am.
Can you imagine going
your whole life
without ever having
a picture taken?
Well, she did die before
camera phones were a thing.
That's a good point.
Even so,
Angela Wells
could probably teach me
a few things about
flying under the radar.
You gonna take
your coat off, or?
You know I can't
resist a good book signing!
Call me if there's a rush!
Mm-hm.
You're the best!
Thank you.
That was the medical examiner.
She confirmed the slug
that killed your friend
came from his own weapon.
-He's an ex-cop.
-I know.
Listen, I'm happy to keep
you in the loop, Wilner,
but this is a White Rock crime.
I'm aware
I'm out of my jurisdiction.
It's your show, Detective?
-Meadows.
-Mike Meadows.
Reed said the job
was looking after some art?
Yeah, some rich
New York recluse died
and his private collection
is here to be auctioned off.
Well, most of it anyway.
Some of the pieces
are on their way to a gallery
in your neck of the woods,
part of
the Angela Wells exhibit.
Was anything taken?
I checked the registry
with the auction house.
Apparently all the pieces of art
are accounted for.
No sign of tampering.
Well,
that'll need to be confirmed.
After the death
of my adoptive parents,
I felt compelled to seek out
my birth mother,
which led
to the life-changing discovery
that the Angela Wells was,
in fact, my grandmother.
It's it's
my uh
priv privilege,
maybe even my calling,
to finally share her
incredible story with the world.
And while
I intimidated
-It's quite the turnout, Noah.
-Gotta hand it to my brother.
It was his idea
to bring in live events.
Too bad
Fred couldn't be here for it.
Oh, I don't think he minds.
It's always been his dream
to spend Christmas
in London with Morgan.
Through hours of research
and long conversations
with my birth mother,
Angela's daughter,
I learned that Angela
was a beloved and respected
figure in the art community.
Angela loved her craft.
Despite literally being
a starving artist.
She couldn't even afford
proper painting supplies,
which is why
she made her own brushes
using the trimmed ends
of her hair.
A few of those original brushes
will be on display
at the Angela Wells exhibit
opening in just a few days.
Is something wrong?
It's nothing.
That can't be good.
-I'm sorry.
-I I'll need to postpone.
Something unavoidable
has come up.
-Uh, all good, Moira.
-We can reschedule.
We just
need you to vouch
for the Angela Wells portrait.
This is it.
Thank God it's safe.
Hey, what's that on the ground?
By the crate.
Looks like
a cloth of some sort.
Hey, can we get this bagged,
please?
Thanks for your time,
Miss Wells.
I'm sorry that took so long.
Why can I never
go to a bookstore
without leaving with books?
It's an illness.
You okay?
My dad called.
Uh one of his old
cop friends was killed.
What?
That's terrible.
He's pretty shaken up about it.
They used to be partners
back in the day.
Wait
is his name Reed?
-Yeah.
-How did you know?
Come in.
Hey.
Violet just told me about Reed.
Just wanted to check
and see if you're okay.
He asked for my help
and I said no.
If I had been there
Don't do that to yourself.
You have any suspects?
Not yet.
Someone cut the line
to the security camera
at the auction house,
so I've been reviewing footage
from all the other cameras
in the area,
and I figured if
What's this?
What?
Wait he was
at the art space yesterday.
So what's he doing skulking
around the auction house
in White Rock
at 11:30 last night?
-Come on, man.
-I didn't kill anyone.
Look,
I'm just an art influencer.
Who just happened to be
wandering around
less than a block away
from where a man was killed
while guarding
a truck full of art.
-Okay, fine.
-I'm cooperating, okay?
I I got a tip from a friend
at the auction house
that the art
was arriving that night.
I wanted my followers
to get an exclusive look
at the Angela Wells portrait.
I thought maybe I could
charm the security guards
into giving a sneak peek.
Turned out they're not a fan.
-They wouldn't budge.
-So you got into it with him.
-Are you kidding?
-He was armed. I I left.
That was the end of it, okay?
What?
Meadows.
I need a word with you.
Why would you bring
a suspect in on my case
without my approval?
Departmental cooperation.
Look, I need to be in on this.
Reed was my friend.
-I get it.
-I do.
But you are too close
to this, Wilner,
and that's how these
mistakes happen.
What mistakes?!
Going after a content creator
without more evidence.
This will be all over
social media now.
Okay, maybe I jumped the gun
But nothing! I kept you
in the loop as a courtesy.
That is over now.
This is a White Rock case,
and if you interfere
with my investigation again,
I will have no choice
but to report you.
Understand?
I've been
so caught up in work and Sam
and the upcoming holiday
that I've barely thought about
Chimera the last few weeks.
I can't risk
becoming complacent,
even if it does
somewhat feel like
I'm only feeding
my own paranoia.
So, Violet, you and Kyle
first Christmas as a couple?
Any plans?
We'll be sending each other
Santa and present emojis
from opposite ends
of the country.
He's going away with his family.
Aw, I'm sorry.
I've actually never had a
boyfriend over Christmas before,
and now that I do, I won't be
able to see him in person.
It's like whatever the opposite
of a Christmas miracle is.
Hey, Vy.
Thought you could use
a little midday cocoa boost.
-You thought right.
-Thank you.
He's a keeper!
Oh, if you think
this is something,
wait until you see the Christmas
gift I got for you.
All I can say is prepare
to be blown away.
Oh, that works out,
'cause I also got you
a really cool Christmas present.
-Ooh, did you?
-Okay.
-Yeah, so
-get ready for that.
-No, you get ready.
-You get ready more.
Ah yes, I forgot
how annoying young love can be.
I'll give you mine just before
I leave for the holidays
so you have a little something
to remember me by, okay?
-Bye, Emily.
-See ya.
So
what's this super
special Christmas gift
you have for Kyle?
I'll let you know
when I find it.
-Hey, Sam.
-You just missed Violet.
-Oh, let me guess
-Kyle?
They're very cute together.
-How's, uh
-how's the investigation going?
I'm almost certain Harrison
Crane is involved somehow,
but White Rock got territorial
and shut me out.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Hey, know what, I'm actually
headed to the art space
to check out the new
Christmas card prospects.
Harrison's there. I could keep
my ear to the ground for you.
-What are you doing?
-Winking.
You're just making a weird face.
It's not a weird face,
it's a wink.
-Uh, that's how you wink?
-What, how do you wink?
-See?
-Normal.
Ah, I've missed this.
-What?
-You know, just
this.
Seriously though, I want you
to stay away from Harrison.
If he did kill Reed,
he's dangerous.
It's a frozen
moment in time ♪
Hey, ladies!
Oh!
Oh, no, no, no, no, no!
No peeking till the big reveal.
Sorry.
-June, you look
-Don't say anything.
Oh my God, quit fidgeting!
-This is taking forever.
-Yeah, well, you can't rush art.
Says who?
Someone with a lot of time
on their hands, apparently.
I will be right back.
No, no, don't leave me.
The more you squirm,
the longer this is gonna take.
Hello again!
Looks like
you found your inspiration.
-Hey! I did.
-From your store, actually.
-Oh, thanks.
-I'm flattered.
Hello, everyone.
Just thought I'd check
on my future competition.
-Excuse me.
-Yeah.
Moira?
Moira?
Hi, I'm I'm Piper.
We met at
That's right, yes.
You were at my Chicago opening
last month and my book signing.
You're not stalking me, are you?
No, no, of course not.
Um, it's just that you mentioned
you might like
to take a look at my work
My schedule's packed this trip,
you understand?
-Of course.
-Yeah, another time.
Mm-hm.
Interesting.
Moira was clearly joking
when she called Piper a stalker,
but her first reaction
to seeing her?
That was real fear.
So what is she afraid of?
If it isn't the great
Moira Wells!
-Harrison!
-I heard you were in town.
Mm-hm! As if I'd miss
the unveiling of your new show!
-You know I love you.
-Love you more, darling.
I've gotta go get on a live
in a few minutes, but uh,
call me and we'll get drinks,
if there's even
a good bar in this town.
Why do I
get the feeling
there's no love lost
between these two?
I don't believe it.
Moira Wells and Harrison Crane
in the same room together?
You two seem so close!
-Please.
-Two million followers?
More like two million paid bots.
With all of
the hype surrounding
Angela Wells and her mysterious
self-portrait,
I can't help but wonder
if it isn't connected
to the murder of Reed Donnelly.
Why are you
asking me about this?
Well, because you know
your town history,
and Angela Wells lived here
for the better part of her life.
Okay, that makes sense.
But there's not much
to tell you.
She rarely made
public appearances.
Here.
Angela Wells' masterpiece:
Christmas Eve
in Fletcher's Grove.
If this painting hadn't
survived the fire,
she'd probably be
completely forgotten.
It's nice she's getting
some recognition now.
I agree. I was hoping
to raise her profile myself,
but information on her life
has been tough to come by.
Raise her profile how?
Okay
All right, I've been working
on a book of my own,
a history of our little town.
-No way, that's amazing!
-Yes, thank you.
But it looks like my
Angela Wells research is flawed.
Everything I dug up pointed to
her peers being jealous
of her talent,
but according to Moira,
she was a leader
of the local art community.
I guess I should thank her.
She saved me
from looking like a fool.
Uh okay, I gotta go,
but hey, um,
if I promise to buy a copy of
your book when it comes out,
would you let me take a peek
at your research?
My first pre-order.
It's a deal.
Two coffees.
Thank you.
Anything else I can get you?
Maybe something off
of the new Christmas menu?
-What's the, uh
-Yule Log with a side of snow?
-Yeah.
-Meatloaf with mashed potatoes.
To be honest,
it's basically the old menu,
but I changed the names
to make it more Christmassy.
Uh, just the coffee.
-Same for me.
-Thanks, Sue.
All right, then, yeah.
What's on your mind?
I called a friend of mine
at the medical examiner's office
and got a peek
at Reed's autopsy report.
Turns out he had been struggling
with a painkiller addiction
from an old injury.
I had no idea.
He probably
thought you'd worry.
And not just worry,
I would have tried to help him.
I owe the guy my life.
What do you mean?
I was maybe
three months on the force.
There was an armed robbery call.
I didn't see the shooter
coming up behind me.
Reed shoved me out of the way
and took a bullet
that was meant for me.
That injury forced him
into early retirement,
but not once did he ever say
anything to me about it.
And then the one time he asks
me for help, I turn him down.
Now he's gone.
-No.
-It's not your fault.
I'm not gonna
let him down again.
I'm gonna find
who did this to him.
I thought you were told
to stay away from the case.
I was.
As a cop,
my hands were completely tied.
Were tied?
As in past tense?
I took a leave of absence.
I am officially
a private citizen.
Noah's right.
Moira's book doesn't line up
at all with Noah's research,
but his sources appear sound.
Is it possible
she's the one that got it wrong?
Or maybe
she's stretching the truth
to protect
her grandmother's legacy.
I wonder how Sam is getting on
with his investigation.
Working outside the law
may cut through some red tape,
but it comes with
its own set of problems.
Doing the wrong things,
even for the right reasons,
can lead down
a very slippery slope.
Check it out.
School's database
with backdoor access
to every student's record.
Who showed you how to do this?
Self-taught.
Wow, if I wasn't
an already an honour student,
you could change that
with a few keystrokes.
I can make it go
the other way around, too.
You want to lower our grades?
Not us.
I'm talking about Zeke.
Oh
Maybe let's switch
these B's into D's.
I bet his dad
wouldn't be too thrilled.
Are you sure nobody
can trace this back to us?
-No chance.
-I was careful.
-Okay, what's next?
-You tell me.
But I don't think that
we should mess with anyone
who doesn't deserve it.
What?
It's just
even when you're bad,
you still care about people.
It's one of the things
I love about you.
What are the other things?
Don't laugh, but I think
being here with you
is one of the best
Christmases I've ever had.
Me too.
I want to stay
in this moment with you ♪
Hmm, looks like
the Angela Wells exhibit
is going ahead as planned.
Wait.
Is that?
What are
you up to, Sam?
What are you doing?
Shh
Like I said,
I hired Reed,
but left it to him
to hire any additional team
he felt he needed.
But you don't
have any names?
He tried to bring someone
in named Benny Cresh,
but he had no real experience,
so I told Reed
he had to let him go.
He wasn't happy about it,
but he did as I asked.
And there was
nobody else?
Not that I'm aware of.
Okay, that's it for now.
If we have more questions,
we'll be in touch.
Oh, what a waste of time.
It's looking more and more
like a random attack.
Sorry.
Don't be.
I'm, uh
not used to being the one
skulking around in dark corners.
Stick with me, kid.
I got a lot to teach you.
Um
I should probably
get June's coffee to her
before it gets cold.
Yeah, I'm supposed to
meet Violet at the diner
for breakfast.
The name
Moira mentioned?
The security guard?
Benny Cresh.
If Reed hired him
and then had to fire him,
that may not have
sat well with Benny.
I was thinking the same thing.
It's all good.
Okay, love you too.
Let me guess
Change of plans?
Mm-hm, yeah.
That's the price
of having a cop for a dad.
Even if he's not technically
a cop right now.
Men like your dad
don't know how to stop.
It's a
it's an admirable quality.
Speaking of men
what would be the perfect
Christmas gift
for a new boyfriend?
Something special to commemorate
our first Christmas as a couple.
Well, the fastest way
to a man's heart
is through his stomach.
On my first Christmas
with husband number one,
I prepared a feast of oysters.
It was so romantic.
-Aw, that's so
-Until the salmonella kicked in.
We learned a lot about
each other that night.
Now that I think of it,
the marriage
never really recovered.
-So I won't do that, then.
-Great.
Ahem
I couldn't help but overhear
your dilemma, Violet.
Where did you even come from?
The perfect gift for that
important person in your life
is the gift of music, movement.
It's the gift
of dance!
Uh, I'm sorry, what?
-This is gonna be good.
-Please, somebody record this.
Nothing expresses
confidence and charisma like
interpretive dance.
-Okay, I get it.
-Thanks, you can stop now.
Once the dance train's
left the station,
it's full speed ahead!
Ah!
Thanks for agreeing
to do this.
Yeah, no, I get it.
If you talk to him
he'll know you're a cop,
and then it might get
reported back to Meadows.
Ah, this is just
out of an abundance of caution.
I don't think he'd make me as
a cop if I didn't want him to.
-Seriously?
-Your whole vibe is cop.
Agree to disagree.
We can try this your way.
Oh
All right,
I think that's him.
Got it.
Excuse me, Benny?
Benny Cresh?
Who wants to know?
-I'm a security recruiter.
-I'm looking to fill some shifts.
Reed Donnelly
recommended you?
Before, of course.
He was such a good guy.
Did you know him well?
Spent some time in the trenches.
Military?
-Rehab.
-Ah.
When we got out,
we took care of each other,
but he did a better job looking
after me than I did myself.
Is that why he hired you
for that art truck job?
Who'd you say you were, again?
We're all friends
of Reed's here.
Who's the cop?
All right, look.
I know Reed hired you and then
fired you shortly after.
He never fired me.
Reed talked to his employer
and they said that they'd
changed their mind
about wanting extra help,
but he kept me on and paid me
out of his own pocket.
He was like that.
Did you see
what happened to him?
No, he was fine
when I left around midnight,
but I thought he was gonna
not give me the job
because I couldn't
stay any later,
but he told me he had
a friend that he could ask.
So, nothing out of the ordinary
happened during that shift?
Some guy in a hipster suit
tried to talk his way
onto the truck,
-but I sent him packing.
-You sure that's it?
'Cause if there's anything
you haven't told the police,
it's gonna be bad for you.
Like Christmas behind bars bad.
Nothing else happened, okay?
-Thank you, Benny.
-Look, we just care about Reed.
Just want a little
peace of mind.
-I get it.
-I miss him too.
I noticed what you did back
there when you mentioned prison,
trying to scare him
into making a mistake.
Can't get anything
past you, huh?
So, what now?
We wait and see if it worked.
I can't believe neither of us
brought snacks.
I could kill for a pretzel.
It's a stakeout, not a picnic.
At least get me up to speed
on the case so I can be helpful.
You know that's
against the rules.
Sam, the whole point of you
taking a leave of absence
is so that you wouldn't
have any rules.
Right. Guess I'm not very
good at not being a cop, huh?
That's why I'm here.
Just your average mystery-loving
Christmas shop owner
with a curious nature
and a good head
on her shoulders.
I don't buy
you're as inexperienced
as you'd like me to believe.
Here.
Thank you.
That is everything I had
before I got frozen out.
It's not much to go on.
Meadows seems convinced that
his murder was either random
or connected to his struggles.
You don't agree?
Reed was shot
in the back of the truck.
Someone wanted access
to that art.
And it likely wasn't
an armed robbery
or they wouldn't have needed to
use Reed's own gun to kill him.
What is this?
A cloth I found
behind a crate on the truck.
I'm not sure yet
if it's connected to the case.
What do we have here?
-What? Come on, Benny.
-What are you thinking?
Benny, it's fine.
I had two people
come to my work today!
-Buddy
-One of them was a cop!
This does not look like
a friendly conversation.
No, it does not.
I knew Harrison
had more to do with this
than he was letting on.
Look
who Harrison has with him.
Moira Wells.
Interesting.
Looks like we have a lead.
You were a big help today.
Thank you.
I can take this from here.
This isn't me
backing down.
I just find myself more curious
about how Moira
factors into all this.
It's starting to feel like
she has more secrets
than her grandmother.
Thank you.
Another great turnout, Noah.
Yeah, she does know
how to draw a crowd.
I'll say that much for her.
Thank you.
Can you make it out to Piper?
Sure.
I have to tell you,
I find your story so inspiring.
I was also adopted
and so I really
Thanks so much.
Thank you all for being here.
I'll be taking
a five-minute break.
Excuse me, Emily.
Excuse me
Pardon me.
I said I need a minute.
-I read your book.
-Thank you?
I wasn't going to, because
I didn't want it to influence
my own work, but after hearing
your version of Angela's life,
I figured my own research
was all wrong anyway,
so why not give it a read?
Is there a point to this?
You refer to her
full given name here
as Angela Bette Wells.
"Bette."
Which I've only ever
seen once before
in an art history magazine
published over 20 years ago.
-So what?
-She was a private person.
-You don't understand.
-That was a misprint.
I came across
her actual birth certificate
in the course of my research,
and her middle name is Beth.
With a T-H.
So I made a small
printing error.
I'll fix it in later editions.
You got a basic fact wrong.
How much more of this
is inaccurate?
How dare you.
I don't have to take
this from you. I'm leaving.
Fine, go. And I'll be
moving all these books
to the fiction section.
Attention everyone, the signing
has just been cancelled.
You'll be hearing from my agent.
Sorry.
Maybe I have more
of my Uncle Glenn in me
than I thought.
Don't apologize.
It's the most exciting book
signing I've been to in years.
-Hey Dad.
-Hey, kiddo.
You seen Emily?
She's not answering her phone.
She went out for a few minutes
about an hour ago.
-Ah.
-Right.
Uh, hey, while you're here,
can I ask you a question?
About you and Mom.
Of course.
Your first Christmas together,
back when you were just dating,
did you get her
anything special?
Socks.
You're not serious.
Socks?
-No, not just any socks.
-They were the warmest, fuzziest,
most comfortable socks
I could find.
She loved them.
Uh-huh
I think I'm starting to form
a picture of why things
didn't work out between you two.
It sounds like she's dehydrated.
Try to get some water into her,
and if she's still not feeling
better, then we'll reassess.
Take care.
Brooke, are we almost done here?
This would go a whole lot
faster if you would stop
running off willy-nilly
for hours at a time.
-I have appointments.
-My patients need me.
Right now, I need you more,
so sit down and let me work.
Ah!
Don't even think about it.
Piper!
You left the bookstore before
I had a chance to say hey.
-Oh, sorry. That was rude.
-Oh, no, not at all.
I I saw that Moira
signed your book.
Did she write something nice?
Well
she
got my name wrong.
Maybe she misheard you?
Guess what your boy
just got for Christmas, peeps?
An exclusive VIP invite
to a gallery cocktail party
thrown by Moira Wells herself,
which includes a sneak peek
of the Angela Wells portrait,
which means all
you art freaks out there
will be right there with me
when we see her face
for the first time!
Ha-ha!
I shouldn't
approach Harrison
without Sam's okay,
but he's right here
and I do have a long history
of doing things I shouldn't.
-Are you Harrison Crane?
-That's right.
I am a huge fan of your channel.
Are the rumours true?
What rumours?
About you and Moira Wells,
that you're, like, BFFs.
I hear you've been seen
all around town together.
Okay, I did dine with
Miss Wells last night,
but only because
we found ourselves
in the same restaurant.
There's like three
in this entire town.
I don't want my fans thinking
my critiques are transactional.
That cloth
I've seen one recently.
It's the same colour.
-Mm, I don't think so.
-This is my own design.
I'm considering
selling it on my channel.
Really? Strange, I could
have sworn it was identical.
Did I mention
it was found in close proximity
to a murdered security guard?
Show me.
All right, now explain to me
how its twin ended up
at a crime scene.
I paid the guard off to let me
on the truck for a sneak peek.
Come on, man, hurry up.
Yes, yes.
Wow.
I used the cloth to prevent
exposing the painting
to the oils on my fingers.
With the added benefit of not
leaving any fingerprints behind.
I I was not
thinking about that.
As I keep telling you,
I am not a killer.
I must have dropped the cloth
when the guard grabbed me.
Why'd he grab you?
I tried to get
a photo of the painting.
He saw me reach for the phone
and then he stopped me.
After that, I left.
That's the whole story, I swear.
Then why'd you meet up
with Benny again last night?
-How do you know about?
-Just answer the question.
He dropped me a DM
saying it was urgent.
I thought maybe he wanted to
sell me a shot of the painting,
but turns out he was just
scared I was gonna rat him out
for letting me on the truck,
which I guess I just did.
Irony.
So, okay,
so that's it?
That's that's all
this has been about?
Just getting more clicks
on your channel?
Do you have any idea
how hard it is to maintain
high subscriber count?
It's a cutthroat business.
No, I don't mean that literally.
I am not a violent person.
The worst part of all this
is that every other attendee
at Moira's VIP party
is going to have a chance
at getting
the exclusive before me.
I might be worth seeing
who's at that party.
Hey, could you
get us on the guest list?
Are are you kidding?
I had to bribe Moira
with dinner and drinks
just to get my own name on it.
You two are on your own.
I think I know who to ask.
Sure, no problem.
I'll make a call.
Leave it with me.
That's it? I thought
it was an exclusive event.
Oh, oh, it is.
But I'm the guy who owns
the event space
and you are one of
my most valued customers.
Well, thank you.
I'm also gonna need
an invite for Sam Wilner.
-Ah, my, consider it done.
-You're the best, Ray.
I pride myself
on my customer service.
Uh, you and Sam?
Just friends.
-None of my business.
-Got it. Okay.
Trusting a guy
like Ray could be a mistake,
but he's got connections,
and I don't have
anyone else local
I can turn to for information.
Uh, actually, while I'm here
What do you know about
underground hacking groups?
I'm writing a book
on the subject.
Of course you are.
Now, did you have
any particular groups in mind?
Uh, no, just more of
a general request.
There are a few I'm aware of:
Spectre Frame, Lazarus Group,
Chimera, Anonymous
Chimera
It's the second time
I've heard that name recently.
Are you and Sam working
on this book together, are you?
Uh
did Sam ask about Chimera?
Uh
Well, I'm I'm not at liberty
to discuss other clients.
So, you admit he's a client?
Uh
If Chimera
is on Sam's radar,
then there's a chance
that he's also on theirs.
He has no idea the risk
he's inviting in,
not just to me,
but to the entire town.
-Hey, sorry I'm a bit late.
-I
Wow, you look, uh
Yeah, you too.
Um
Oh, here.
Thanks.
There's no
denying things have been
warming up between Sam and me,
but is any of this real?
Or is he letting me get close
so he can learn
more about my past?
-Ready?
-We should
Yeah, wouldn't want
to miss the big unveiling.
-Bye, boys!
-Don't wait up.
You're quiet tonight.
Just got a lot on my mind.
Hey, you two.
-Noah
-you're here?
Oh, she sent me the invite
before our big blowup.
I'm telling you, something isn't
right about that woman,
and I figured where better
to go for answers
than straight
into the lion's den.
Excuse me.
What was that about?
Moira,
please be reasonable.
No live streaming.
I see that phone come out,
you will be removed.
Can I have everyone's
attention, please?
A reminder that no pictures
or recordings are allowed.
Even now Angela doesn't
like being photographed.
You're not wrong, Ray.
Tonight, each of you will
join me in celebrating an artist
who valued privacy
over celebrity,
whose work was largely lost
to time and tragedy.
You all know "Christmas Eve
in Fletcher's Grove,"
but this new discovery
is even more breathtaking.
My friends,
I'd like to now introduce you
to a very special woman:
my grandmother, Angela Wells.
Isn't she wonderful?
Harrison, what's wrong?
That's not it.
That's not the painting
I saw on the truck.