Elsbeth (2024) s03e03 Episode Script

1
If you watched
this season of Black Veil,
then you know the story
of Staten Island housewife
Raquel Drabowski.
Her firefighter husband
Johnny died tragically
in a helicopter
rescue mission in Puerto Rico,
which left no survivors.
It shattered Raquel's life.
America fell in love with Raquel
as she publicly mourned his loss,
becoming one of the most followed
grief influencers on social media.
Hey, guys.
I slept in Johnny's shirt
again last night.
(SCOFFS) I just feel so pathetic.
Her journey to find love
this season has been watched
by millions of people around the world,
and what a season it's been.
We began with 28 young widowers
vying for the chance
to mend Raquel's broken heart,
and their own,
and now we're down to two.
Florida contractor JD,
whose wife was tragically
killed on their honeymoon
in an alligator attack.
And Daniel, the Chicago veterinarian
and national spokesman for D-TAD,
"Don't Text And Drive,"
whose wife perished in a car crash
while texting him that her
cancer was finally in remission.
Tonight, on the season finale, Raquel
will finally make her choice.
Raquel, what a journey.
Both JD and Daniel have
professed their love
and want to spend the rest
of their lives with you.
They are two very different men,
offering two very different futures.
And it's all come down to this.
Raquel, who gets to lift the black veil?
Neither of you.
I'm so sorry, guys.
I still love Johnny.
It wouldn't be fair.
I can't do it. (CRYING)
I'm sorry.
You really know your brand, Raquel.
If you'd actually chosen someone,
your story would've ended.
I've got calls coming in
for your own reality show,
a custom line of little black dresses.
You're up to 15 million followers,
and we are just getting started.
That's all great, but
it's not gonna bring my Johnny back.
- (SHRIEKS) Oh, my God!
- Whoa! Whoa!
- It's me!
- Please, take whatever you want!
Please don't hurt me!
- Please What?
- Raquel, it's me.
Johnny?
But you're dead, in Puerto Rico.
I'm here, babe. IRL.
How-how how is that possible?
Let me explain, okay?
It'll make more sense, I promise.
So, the copter was full.
I was sitting right on the edge,
so when it exploded, it flung me
out, like, a hundred feet
and I landed somewhere
in the rainforest.
I didn't know
where I was, and it was hot
and super buggy.
You know how much I hate that.
But, you know, I had some
instincts in me to survive.
I ate plants and wild fruit.
Tried to fish
with a spear made of bamboo.
But it was so humid,
finally I just blacked out
in the water. I almost drowned.
- But you didn't.
- No.
I got rescued by a family of Jíbaros.
They rescued me and,
uh, nursed me back to health.
And that whole time,
you didn't think to call me?
I couldn't remember anything, babe.
My life was a total blank.
But then I went into town
to get some supplies
and I saw you crying over me on the TV,
on Black Veil.
And everything came flooding back.
And that's when I knew
I had to make it home,
whatever it took.
Oh, baby.
Now I know
it was worth it.
I missed you, too, baby.
(SQUEALS)
Which way is the bedroom?
We'll move back in with my mother,
get the life back that you love.
And with the money that you made
crying over me on TV,
we can put an extension on the house
and finally start
popping out those rugrats.
And you can be my wifey again.
Wow. (CHUCKLES)
Have you told anyone else you're back?
No, I wanted to surprise you first,
and then go bum-rush Ma.
(GASPS) Hey, I have an idea.
(SHIP HORN BLOWING)
(SHIP HORN BLOWING)
Could you get me a coffee
from the machine, babe?
I'm trying to wake up.
I still feel like I'm dreaming.
Okay, okay.
Yeah, the skyline's nice,
but that's the view I missed.
Get out of here.
Thank you.
(SIGHS)
It's surreal, being here with you.
I can't even believe it.
Something on your mind, babe?
Oh.
Ooh.
Whoa! Hey! Oh!
No. Baby, help me. What are you
I'm nobody's "wifey."
(SHOUTING)
Hi, Tessie.
Good morning, Blossom. Welcome, Rose.
So, as you guys know,
when I'm mourning my Johnny,
I tend to cry a lot.
So, to keep my skin supple,
I use Elle-Même Eye Extraordinaire.
And I know that it's expensive,
but just because we're sad
doesn't mean
you don't want to be beautiful.
(PHONE BUZZING)
Hold on a second.
Johnny's mom is calling.
I'll be right back.
Hello.
Okay, slow down, slow down.
You're saying he called you?
So I got a call from my son
Johnny yesterday,
out of the blue.
This was unusual because,
you see, he's been missing
and presumed dead
for the last 18 months.
But they never found the body,
so I've always held out hope.
What did he say to you, Mrs. Drabowski?
He said that he was gonna
go in to the city
to see his wife first,
then he was gonna come out to me
in Staten Island in the morning
and he would explain everything.
But then, he never showed.
So I'm afraid that
something bad happened.
Something bad did happen, Marie.
Johnny died in a tragic
helicopter accident in Puerto Rico.
He's gone.
You gotta start coming to terms with it.
You're the widow from that show,
- right?
- Mm-hmm.
Oh, I knew this story sounded familiar.
Yeah, Raquel has made sure that
the whole entire universe knows it.
I'm Detective Fleming,
this is Officer Hackett.
I'm Elsbeth Tascioni.
No need for the big introduction, guys.
I'm just here to take Marie home,
get her some rest.
I told her not to bother you with this.
Or me, honestly. Ready?
Anyone want to hear
Johnny's voicemail first?
Hmm? You know,
see if the old lady's crazy?
- He left you a voicemail?
- Mm-hmm.
Let's take this to the conference room.
So I was watching my program
and and I didn't hear the phone.
- I'm still kicking myself.
- Play it.
JOHNNY: Ma,
it's Johnny. I know it's
a shock to hear my voice.
I'm sorry it's been so long,
but when you hear what happened,
I think you'll understand.
I'm gonna go
surprise Raquel at her place,
then come out to you.
I love you big.
Now, I know that's noisy,
but I'm telling you, that's my son.
A mother always knows.
It absolutely was not.
A wife knows her husband better.
(SCOFFS) Here we go.
I mean, we've gotten dozens
of these prank calls
from people pretending to be Johnny.
All right. That's true, but
This is just another one.
It's sick and it has to stop.
Uh, miss?
What're you doing?
Guys, I'm at the police station
with Johnny's mother.
She's upset, she's disoriented.
You have to stop tormenting us
with these fake calls
and Johnny sightings. Please.
Let us move on.
We have grieved enough.
(PHONE CHIMES)
Oh, wait, you know what.
I actually gonna frame up
with the NYPD logo.
That'll add some weight.
- (PHONE CHIMES)
- Guys,
I'm at the police station
with Johnny's mother.
She's upset, she's disoriented.
I'm actually not.
RAQUEL: You have to stop tormenting us
with these fake calls
and Johnny sightings.
Please let us move on.
We have grieved enough.
(CHIMING)
I'll post it later.
Um, I'm neither Johnny's mother
nor his wife,
but that voicemail,
it didn't sound like a prank to me.
It sounded intimate.
RAQUEL: It couldn't have been Johnny
because Johnny is dead.
ELSBETH: Are you
absolutely sure about that?
They didn't find the body.
I've never been more sure
than I am right now.
If Johnny were alive,
he couldn't have stayed away
from me for a single day,
let alone an entire year and a half.
I'm sorry. We just loved
each other too much.
Do either of you recognize
the number Johnny called from?
It's an out-of-state area code.
Michigan, I think.
No, but can we trace this number
and see where it leads?
(WHISPERING): Is that necessary, Marie?
I'm sure the police have better
things to do with their time.
It's routine.
I think we can make it happen.
There you go.
Yeah, I don't know any Johnny,
but I did pick up a guy
named Don in Delaware,
dropped him off in Weehawken,
right outside the Lincoln Tunnel.
You pick up hitchhikers?
Not very safe.
Or very legal.
Look, I need people to talk to.
Okay, keeps me awake, so I pick them up.
Sometimes it gets
a little hairy, but the, uh,
the danger, it, uh, it keeps me sharp.
Have you tried audiobooks?
FLEMING: Delaware to Jersey.
What did you two talk about?
DARRELL: Uh, Puerto Rico,
surfing at some beach in the rainforest,
tending bar at some resort.
He had a few beers, and he
just went on and on about it.
Sounded like paradise.
Did he say why he left?
I think he was coming
to get his woman back.
I don't know. I'd kind of tuned
out by then, to be honest.
FLEMING: Did you let
him use your cell phone?
Yeah.
I let him make a call. So what?
Is this your hitchhiker?
(DARRELL CLEARS THROAT)
Uh I don't know.
It's possible.
My guy was really sun burnt,
and he had long hair.
Why are you asking all this?
Something happen to him?
That's what we're trying to find out.
He was fine when he left me.
FLEMING: Can you prove it?
(SCOFFS, MUTTERING)
The the-the cops pulled me over,
they took me to the weigh station
and that's when Don
got out of the truck.
They actually saw him leave,
so they probably caught it
on their body cams.
Uh, my load was bang on, by the way.
I've got my certified
weight ticket right here
so no one is pinning anything on me.
FLEMING: Okay, relax.
The Puerto Rico stuff tracks,
but we still can't be certain
that Johnny and Don are the same person.
ELSBETH: Hmm.
(DARRELL GASPS)
Did this Don leave anything behind?
Like a backpack or a letter?
Just his empties.
You mean the beer cans
he drank on the ride?
Yeah, I haven't cleaned out
my truck yet.
Would that be helpful?
(DOORBELL RINGING)
Hi. Um, come in.
Is everything okay?
Is Raquel here, too?
We'd like to tell you both.
MARIE: Um, yes.
Yeah, she's been keeping an eye on me,
you know, like I'm a mental patient.
Raquel!!
Can you come down here please?
RAQUEL: I'm in the freaking bathroom!
Can I have a minute please!
MARIE: The police are here
and they have some news.
So if you could just stop
looking in the mirror for two seconds
and get your ass in gear.
RAQUEL: Why didn't you just say that?
I just did.
(CHUCKLES QUIETLY)
Can I get you guys something?
I have Entenmann's.
No, ma'am, we're okay. Thank you.
Uh, sorry about that.
I just, uh, I feel like I've
been waiting for Raquel
to get out of the bathroom
my entire life.
(CHUCKLING)
Did Raquel and Johnny live here
with you when they were married?
Yeah, yeah, they were
high school sweethearts.
That's why it feels like
it's been forever.
Oh. (LAUGHS)
Well, uh, your home is lovely.
It actually reminds me
of my grandmother's.
But, um, it is a little snug for three.
Three very big personalities,
one very small house.
Any news about Johnny?
FLEMING: So, we
were able to trace his call
from a truck driver
who let him use his cell phone.
Okay, but how do we know
it's really him?
Uh, his DNA was on a beer can
left behind in the vehicle.
FLEMING: It was a perfect match.
(SIGHS)
Wow, so you're telling me he
survived the helicopter crash?
He's alive in the New York area?
At least he was when he made that call.
(RAQUEL AND MARIE GASP)
MARIE: I must be dreaming.
It's a miracle.
My Johnny is alive!
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
How'd they find him?
Um, scuba divers were
retrieving a wine cage
from The Narrows, and, uh,
the body was just lying on top of it.
What's a wine cage?
Oh, uh, "oenophiles" are now
aging wine in deep water.
It's kind of a fad.
Does it work?
Oh. Um, yeah.
Consistent temperature, absence of light
and increased depth pressure
seem to speed up the maturation.
And it provides a unique clarity.
You know a lot.
Yeah, that-that guy,
he told me all about it.
Apparently, he needs
the bottles from evidence
for a wedding on Saturday.
But I told him he should
"chill, like a good Beaujolais."
(LAUGHING) Good one, Cameron.
Rich people are crazy.
I drink wine out of a box.
It's delicious.
Oh, I love Trader Joe's
box of Chardonnay.
- It gets the job done.
- I agree.
Sometimes I drink milk from the carton.
Tastes awesome.
Well, if the body had made it
all the way to the ocean floor,
we wouldn't have been able
to retrieve it.
I mean, this is a lucky fluke.
Mm, not so lucky if you're the killer.
I mean, that is if Johnny was murdered.
FLEMING: Any indication yet?
Yeah, sandbags were attached
to the victim's belt
to make sure that he sank.
Yeah, this-this was not a natural death.
Do we have any witnesses?
FLEMING: Let's start asking around.
- (SHIP HORN BLOWING)
- What was that rich people champagne?
(GRACE AND FLEMING CONTINUE
TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
ELSBETH: Oh, okay, well
I guess I'll, uh, check and see
if there are any cameras on the docks.
(BOTH GASPING)
(EXCLAIMS)
Something I can, uh,
help you with, ma'am?
Yes, Ms. Jackson,
or Denise, if you will.
You can just choose.
Denise then.
Which is "De-Lovely" by the way.
Uh, I am with the police, uh, sort of,
and there's been a homicide.
Um, do you have any security cameras
covering the waterfront?
The cause of death
was drowning because
Per usual, we can't rule anything out
- until we run tests
- KAYA: Uh,
that's a question for my supervisor.
Let me give you his number.
Excellent.
Good day.
(BIRD SQUAWKING)
(ELSBETH CLEARS THROAT)
(HUSHED): Ms. Jackson,
you are a sight for sore eyes.
Shirley Temple, please.
It's so good to see you.
Are you happy? Are you safe?
How's the case? How's?
I am committed to my operation,
and there are good people on my team.
That's all I can tell you right now.
Okay.
BARTENDER: Here you go.
Thank you.
(WHISPERING): How are you, Elsbeth?
Catch me up.
- Me? Oh, um
- Yeah.
Well, Gonzo's a good girl.
- Um, Teddy's still in New York.
- Mm.
He's still with Roy.
Um, Captain Wagner's
keeping me very busy.
Um, eating frozen yogurt
makes me sad now,
but that's no one's fault.
You haven't mentioned Angus.
Tell me what happened.
Well, I visited him in Scotland,
and that was absolutely beautiful.
- But?
- But
- the sweaters were itchy,
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
And the food was heavy,
and it was so quiet.
It was too quiet.
I missed New York,
missed the people and the action.
Didn't Angus like New York, too?
I thought so,
but the truth came out
he found it too noisy.
He couldn't write his music here,
and that just made me feel bad.
He missed his friends and family, too.
I mean, it's the only place
he's ever lived.
Mm, well, I definitely understand that.
But sometimes you have
to sacrifice something
to move forward.
Ultimately, neither of us was willing.
That told us all we needed to know.
It's sweet that Cameron
is willing to wait.
Oh, Elsbeth, I'm so sorry.
- It
- Didn't work.
That's all.
I don't need a man to be happy.
- Hmm.
- Oh.
But I did get you
a Loch Ness Monster plushy in Aberdeen,
so all is not lost.
I'm going to accidentally
forget it on the bar
when I leave.
Great.
- So
- (CHUCKLES)
What about the cameras?
Do you have anything for me?
(SIGHS)
The waterfront isn't covered,
- Oh.
- but what're you looking for?
You have a theory?
I'm looking at the spouse,
but I have no evidence.
Mm, just an itch?
I always thought Raquel
was overdoing it.
That big twist at the end?
Please.
Everyone knows she was big into Daniel.
- Hmm.
- (LAUGHING)
You watch Black Veil?
You know I watch everything.
I know. (LAUGHING)
Look, Denise Jackson
is dug in pretty deep
in Staten Island.
- She might have some other eyes.
- Okay.
I appreciate the help, but promise me
you'll be careful.
- Check, please.
- (BELL JINGLES QUIETLY)
What could Kaya be working on?
WAGNER: Staten Island waterfront,
cover job on a union work site?
Sounds like Operation Starboard to me.
It's a multistate investigation
into corruption on the docks.
If so, Detective Blanke is deep
in the belly of the beast.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I know it's tempting,
but you cannot communicate
with her, Elsbeth.
It could jeopardize her operation,
or maybe even Kaya herself.
Okay, okay, I promise.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
WAGNER: Come.
So, Captain, wh Oh.
Uh, everything okay?
We can come back at another time.
Lot of eyes on this case.
Hope you have something.
Well, we actually caught
a break with the forensics.
Um, orange paint was found
under the victim's fingernails.
Orange as in the ferry?
I haven't actually ridden it,
but I've seen Working Girl
about a hundred times.
Let the river run ♪
(HUMMING SONG)
- Sorry.
- Yes, yes, yes.
- It was from the Staten Island Ferry.
- ELSBETH: Mm-hmm.
And the color matched
an older model boat
that only ran once this year,
last Wednesday, when a newer
model was being recommissioned.
Can we fix the time of death
to that date?
Yes. But the items found on the body
were, um, less conclusive.
The overnight bag is mass-produced,
with no personal markers.
The sandbags were from the ferry itself,
and the harness and carabiner
were FDNY issue,
though now out of date,
possibly belonging
to Johnny Drabowski himself.
Well, the ferry is a big part
of Raquel and Johnny's story.
It's where they got engaged.
You think that she and Johnny were on it
the morning he was killed?
What did that voicemail
that Johnny left his mother say?
He said he was going to surprise Raquel,
and then go visit Marie
in Staten Island.
Well, maybe that's exactly
what they did.
Maybe they met up in the city,
and then they went
and got on that ferry.
And she pushed him off?
It's a reasonable theory.
Mm-hmm, but there are no cameras
on the ferry or the waterfront.
There's no passenger list,
there's no record
of how many people were even
on the boat that morning,
and there's no proof
that Johnny and Raquel
even met up in the city that day.
We have something else
on Johnny that seems solid.
- Wow.
- FLEMING: I know.
I thought Officer Hackett would want
to do everything on the computer.
She turns out to be surprisingly crafty.
GRACE: Oh. My brain is very busy,
so, um, I like to unplug sometimes
and make things with my hands.
It's, um, meditative.
We had a wonderful afternoon.
WAGNER: Aw.
(STAMMERS): I'm glad everyone had fun.
Now can we get on with it?
Details of our conversation
with Darrell the trucker
Where Johnny surfed in Puerto Rico,
how he lived,
his motives for coming home
Helped us pinpoint the off-the-
radar resort in the rainforest
where Johnny hid out
for the last year and a half.
Yeah, we sent his photo
to the manager there.
A young woman named Luisa Torres
recognized his face.
Seems like she knew him pretty well.
Oh.
LUISA: Oh, Johnny.
What can I say?
Bad boy.
You two had a relationship?
I was first.
Then there were about 50 others.
- Did that cause any trouble?
- Yeah.
Some of the women were married.
He made a lot of enemies.
Any of them angry enough to kill?
Probably.
And I was rooting for it, to be honest.
Johnny needed to be spanked.
But he made it off the island alive.
Why did he leave?
He saw some TV show with his old wife,
who he'd bitched about nonstop.
After that, he hitched a ride
on a pleasure boat to Florida.
Did Johnny have any injuries
from the helicopter?
Seems like a miracle he even survived.
Oh, I wouldn't call it a miracle.
What would you call it?
Hi.
I'm Sydney Finn, Raquel's agent.
How can we help you?
We just have some questions.
Come in.
ELSBETH: Do you know Kidder Hawes?
He handles famous widows, too.
(CHUCKLES)
Not all agents know each other.
Yeah, I know Kidder.
I hate that guy. How'd you meet him?
His client was convicted of purposefully
impaling her husband on a set of
reindeer antlers last Christmas.
- That was our case.
- Oh, yeah.
I mean, Kidder's a hack,
but there was no way to spin that one.
- How do you plan to spin this one?
- What do you mean?
Well, there's a lot of publicity
around Johnny's murder.
Certainly changes Raquel's story.
Only for the better.
Raquel has now been widowed
twice by the same man.
- It is unprecedented.
- Wow.
There's also the personal feelings
to sort through, of course.
Of course.
Wow. (CHUCKLING)
Long way from Staten Island.
- (CHUCKLES)
- We have some sensitive things
to discuss with Mrs. Drabowski.
Could we meet with her alone?
RAQUEL: Anything you want to say to me,
you can say in front of Syd.
We don't have secrets.
Oh, um
Do you want us to wait
for you to come out or?
- Just say it.
- Oh, okay.
Um it seems that Johnny
never got on the helicopter
for the rescue mission in Puerto Rico.
He was nursing one last beer at the bar
and he was too late to make the flight.
(ZIPPER WHIZZING)
But he did turn his ankle
while he was running to get on board,
and it hurt, so technically,
he was injured.
Are you following us, Raquel?
FLEMING: When the copter crashed,
everyone assumed
that Johnny was dead, too.
He hid in a little resort
in the rainforest,
where he surfed, tended bar, and, uh
kept company with a variety
of different women.
Raquel, are you okay in there?
I-I know this is a lot.
I don't believe any of it.
My Johnny was true-blue
he would never betray me like that.
That dress is perfection.
GRACE: Unfortunately, we have proof.
And witnesses.
I'm sorry.
Yeah. Me, too.
I know that was hard to hear.
No one would blame you
if you were angry.
FLEMING: Mind telling us where
you were the morning he was killed?
Are you looking for an alibi?
From me?
(SCOFFING)
Okay, I was here that morning,
at Johnny's shrine,
making content for my fans.
- And I have proof.
- (SNAPS FINGERS)
RAQUEL: Hi, Tessie.
Hey, Blossom. Hi, Rose.
(SNIFFLING)
When I'm missing my Johnny the most,
which is really like every day,
I make sure that his shrine is gleaming.
(VIDEO CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
Do you see that little time stamp?
Uh, yes. Mm-hmm.
No one can be in two places at one time.
Right?
Her alibi seems pretty solid.
Yeah, and she did seem genuinely
shocked by Johnny's betrayal.
Yes, it did seem different
than what she usually shows
to the public.
It felt more real somehow.
FLEMING: But why does it matter?
That motive for murder
came after the crime.
What motive did she have before?
Well, she did prefer SoHo
to Staten Island.
And she might love her followers
more than any guy.
It's an addiction.
What do you mean?
Well, I mean, when I post
my standup clips,
every "like" is like proof I exist.
And when they bomb, it's like
I'm screaming into a void,
in a dark room with no windows.
Aw
(GROANS, LAUGHS) Sorry.
Ooh, TMI.
No, no, 'cause that right there
could be a part of Raquel's motive.
FLEMING: To kill?
Think it's time to widen the iris,
see what jilted husbands
might've followed Johnny
back to New York.
(ALARM CHIMING)
Oh, 5:00.
End of tour.
Wow. It's always so sudden.
Yeah, work/life balance is important.
So, uh, what are you guys doing?
Do you want to grab a bite?
- Oh, I can't.
- Oh, God. Yeah.
I got to get home.
- Rain check, for sure.
- Yes.
- (QUIETLY): Right.
- (PHONE BUZZING)
Oh.
(BUZZING CONTINUES)
- You going to get that?
- What?
(BUZZING CONTINUES)
Hello?
KAYA: Hi, this is Denise Jackson.
I may have something.
- You know where to meet me.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
This is the last time
we're going to meet.
- I appreciate your help
- Check your phone.
Ooh, is this from the ferry?
KAYA: No, those cameras
haven't worked for years.
This is part of my operation
we've been secretly
surveilling the waterfront.
They're stills I grabbed from our feed.
Keep swiping.
ELSBETH: That's Raquel.
The time stamp says it's
the morning of the crime.
She never gets off the ferry.
She had no intention
of going to see Marie.
Her business was on the boat,
when she pushed him over.
(GRUNTS HAPPILY) This is gold.
Oh, my body hurts
from not being able to hug you.
Elsbeth, you can't use this as evidence.
It could jeopardize my whole operation.
I just wanted you to know
your hunch was right.
MAN: Denise?
What're you doing here?
Oh.
Hey.
(QUIETLY): Yeah, just
grabbing a couple drinks
(CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)
Well, let's assume, just for the moment,
that Raquel was on the ferry
with Johnny,
and pushed him overboard.
Is there any way
that we can break her alibi?
Wait. Raquel's whole story rests
on the TikTok she made
that morning, right?
WAGNER: Mm-hmm.
I think it might've been faked.
Go on.
There's an app called LiveClock,
where users can create
multiple clips on the same day,
and then, say, go on vacation
and have each separate video
appear to play "live"
at prescribed times
when they're gone.
That's how someone can be
in two places at once.
WAGNER: But is there any way
that we can prove that the TikTok
was live, or actually LiveClock?
It's not definitive, but
you know,
I did notice something strange.
- (KNOCKING ON DOOR)
- Yeah?
Sorry to interrupt.
(SIGHS) Oh, what is it?
Marie Drabowski's here.
She wants to speak
to Ms. Tascioni? Alone?
MARIE: I'm not saying
that Johnny was perfect.
I know, he was cheating,
he could be selfish,
but Raquel drove him to this.
- What do you mean?
- He was never enough.
Not enough money for the bigger house
or to move to the city.
Not enough money to have
children, according to her.
I mean, that's what
the big fight was about.
What big fight?
Johnny was kind of pressuring
her to start a family,
and she said that he was a loser
and would never be able
to support them the right way.
- Ugh.
- Now, the FDNY pays well,
and they have great benefits.
And we all know what firemen are like.
Oh, I certainly do.
I mean, what more could she want?
Raquel said, "A lot more than this."
- What happened next?
- Oh, and then it got ugly.
That's when Raquel
pushed Johnny down the stairs.
Now, he caught himself
right before he crashed
he was always a very gifted athlete
but I saw murder in her eyes.
So, when they said that somebody
pushed Johnny off the ferry
You think it was Raquel.
Promise me you won't
let her get away with it.
Should you be here alone?
Oh, everyone knows I'm here.
Can I come in?
(SIGHS)
You okay?
That Luisa Torres is having her moment,
posting all these photos
with Johnny in Puerto Rico.
Now more women are posting, too.
(SIGHS) Here I was, mourning my husband,
and he was nailing
anything with a pulse.
- It's so humiliating.
- Mm.
I don't even recognize this surfer bro
- as my husband.
- Yeah.
It's easy to idealize someone
when they're not here.
It's like nothing was real.
Do you think it'll cost you followers?
Who knows? The public's so fickle.
And now Luisa is the new, hot thing.
It just feels like
everyone's abandoning me
- when I need them most.
- Aww.
Not Blossom and Rose, though, right?
Ms. Tascioni, why are you here?
Oh, um I wanted to ask you
about the TikTok you posted
while Johnny was being murdered.
What about it?
RAQUEL (OVER VIDEO): Hi, Tessie.
Hey, Blossom. Hi, Rose.
(SNIFFLES)
When I'm missing my Johnny the most,
which is really, like, every day,
I make sure that
Um, Officer Hackett noticed
that you welcomed
Blossom and Rose to the chat,
but they never actually logged on.
Well, that's because they're usually
the first followers to join the chat.
I must've assumed
they were there. So what?
Are you sure this isn't a LiveClock,
something you recorded earlier
that only appeared to air live?
Uh, a Live-what?
I don't, I don't even know what that is.
Is-is this why you came here?
Raquel,
I know you were on
the Staten Island Ferry
with Johnny that morning.
You may as well tell me what happened.
Hold on a second. Are you
looking for a confession here?
- Just the truth.
- (SCOFFS)
I know that you and Johnny
had a violent history.
Who have you been talking to?
Was it my mother-in-law?
You cannot seriously believe
a word that woman says.
But you're the one
who's so good at lying.
(SCOFFS) Lady,
you are stone crazy.
None of that happened.
But if you did have proof,
we both know I'd be
under arrest right now.
Johnny hurt a lot of people
down in Puerto Rico.
He must have made a lot of enemies.
And it's time that you start
investigating them
and stop harassing me.
It's also time to take down
that stupid shrine.
That bastard doesn't deserve it.
When I'm missing my Johnny the most
Lady, you're stone crazy.
I make sure that his shrine is
you could understand
why I'm feeling this way.
- (GROANS)
- (CLATTERING)
Flower & Twig, which is
eco-safe for the environment,
because my Johnny
wasn't just a firefighter,
he cared deeply about
preserving the Earth
that we all have to share.
And I wouldn't really be
honoring his memory if
- ELSBETH: Hi.
- (LAUGHS SOFTLY)
Where's Detective Fleming?
Oh, Buzz went home to bed.
I'm staying back to write the reports.
What are you looking for?
Oh.
Sometimes, if you, uh,
look close enough,
things reveal themselves.
Yeah, I use
that Flower & Twig cleaner, too.
There is no way
she is getting that grime
off of Johnny's helmet.
Yes.
Johnny's gear is pretty weathered.
- (GASPS)
- What?
Gotcha.
How have you been doing
since the finale aired, Raquel?
Obviously, there's been a lot of drama.
Do you think you'll ever be able
to trust someone again?
Start over?
If I don't, I'd be betraying myself.
I just need to be smarter.
Take off the rose-colored glasses.
And ladies, if you think
it can't happen with your man,
think again.
- (BELL RINGS)
- GUY: Something you need, Syd?
Can you ask about
Raquel's new reality show?
Highlight that she's continuing
her quest for love.
I'll pop that next.
You have just gone
from a grief influencer
to a betrayal influencer.
I just do what I feel.
SYDNEY: You are even more relatable now,
and that's what makes you so great.
You?
What now?
Proof. At last.
Get out. I don't need
to listen to this harassment.
Actually, yes, you do.
This is the story
of an ambitious young woman
who always dreamed
of getting out of Staten Island
and making it big in the city.
And that's exactly what you did, Raquel.
SoHo loft.
Designer clothes.
Millions and millions
and millions of followers
hanging on your every word.
The life, the love, the likes
you always craved,
even if you had to exploit
the memory of your husband to get it.
FLEMING: When Johnny
came back to New York and surprised you,
you weren't exactly happy.
And you weren't going backwards
for him or anyone else.
You lured Johnny onto the ferry
which you knew well
you put the sandbags in your luggage
and then "Oh, I love you so much"
you attached it to Johnny's belt,
and threw him into the water.
Watched him drown.
FLEMING: Everybody
thought he was already dead,
so he wouldn't be missed.
- Good plan.
- ELSBETH: The only problem was,
he called his mother
before he came to see you,
and then everything started to unravel.
RAQUEL: This is all wrong.
Was I ambitious? Did I want things?
Yes. So what? I'm not
gonna apologize for that.
And I certainly won't let anyone
punish me for it, either.
I never saw Johnny.
This is an outrage.
Oh, she is good.
She's pretty good.
Let's put aside the TikTok alibi,
which we both know you faked,
and let's concentrate
on Johnny's shrine,
because that's where the proof lies.
You posted about that shrine
dozens of times.
In the clips time-stamped
before Johnny's death,
the harness and carabiner
were always old and worn,
outdated FDNY issue.
Officer?
But when you took the shrine down
on your live feed ugh
the harness and carabiner
were brand-new.
One more time, Officer.
See?
It had obviously been replaced.
So, Detective Fleming,
where did the original harness
and carabiner disappear to?
They were found in the Hudson River,
attached to Johnny's body.
Distinctive tape on the harness,
seen in the earlier TikToks,
matched exactly to this very model.
You took down
the original harness and carabiner
from the shrine,
and you used it to attach the sandbags
to Johnny on the ferry.
You had to have been there, Raquel.
- But I-I
- No.
No more performing.
It was you.
FLEMING: Raquel Drabowski,
you are under arrest for
the murder of Johnny Drabowski.
Hands behind your back.
(HANDCUFFS CLICK)
You killed my son.
I hope you rot in hell.
I'll be seeing you there, Marie.
Oh, yeah? Keep telling yourself that
while you're still in prison
scrubbing toilets.
FLEMING: Raquel Drabowski,
you have the right to remain silent.
See ya. Wouldn't want to be ya.
Thank you.
You're good people.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Did Detective Fleming and
Officer Hackett already leave?
I wanted to congratulate them
on the case.
Well, let's see. Oh, it's 5:03.
They're probably drinking
box wine and crocheting by now.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
Oh, well, they are an unlikely pair.
But Officer Hackett
seems to be learning a lot.
I agree.
Oh, did you hear about Marie Drabowski?
- Mm-mm.
- She's gonna be
on the "Golden Years" season
of Black Veil.
- Oh, you're kidding me.
- No.
She's a widow, too.
It seems Johnny Sr.
Tragically electrocuted himself at 39.
I was gonna tell
Grace and Buzz about it,
but, hmm, they probably
wouldn't care. (CHUCKLES)
I know who would.
Yes, but I can't contact her, remember?
WAGNER: It's a burner.
The number can't be traced.
(GASPS) Really?
- Really.
- (LAUGHS)
Thank you, Captain Wagner.
It's good for one call.
Understood.
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