Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (2024) s03e08 Episode Script
The Winning Bid
1
[NARRATOR]: In Toronto's war on crime,
the worst offenders
are pursued by the detectives
of the Specialized Criminal
Investigations Unit.
These are their stories.
[ECHOING GAVEL]
Alright, I'm just gonna
need your signature.
Here and here.
And that should do it.
This isn't a big mistake, right?
I'm gonna let you in on
a little secret, Melissa.
There are no mistakes
in Toronto real estate.
[CHUCKLING]: He's not wrong.
Nothing can be bought
that can't be sold again.
- At a markup.
- Right.
And if I just want a good home?
Listen, it's nerve-wracking, I get it.
All this gobbledegook.
But it's a great little home.
You're gonna be very happy there.
[DOOR OPENING]
Mr. Henning,
tell her, how often do
we get home buyers
having last-minute jitters?
- First time?
- Mm-hmm.
Well, then I would be worried
if you weren't nervous.
[INHALING DEEPLY]
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
And that covers it.
How do you feel, Paul?
I mean, yeah. Good.
Lot of good memories here.
But a new chapter awaits.
Japan. That's exciting.
When are you thinking
about going back?
Soon as this is finalized.
It won't be much longer now, right?
No inspections, no conditions.
The funds should be released tomorrow.
[PHONE RINGING]
Oh, excuse me.
Samantha Morgan.
[SIGHING]
[PHONE RINGING]
[SIGHING LOUDLY]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[PHONE RINGING]
[FRUSTRATED SIGH]
Yeah?
Wow, wow, wow, wow. Wait, wait.
How is that even possible?
You checked yourself?
[SIGHING ANGRILY]
Yeah. Leave him to me.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[CAR ENGINE STARTING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
Oh, hey.
I'm sorry to bother you, but you
wouldn't happen to have a, uh,
flashlight on your
cellphone, would you?
I dropped my keys
[STAMMERING]: I-I mean
I'm sure they-they're
- in the brush here somewhere.
- Oh, yeah, sure.
You wouldn't mind? Thanks a lot.
Hey, I'll say. Paul?
- Have we met?
- Paul Phillips.
The same Paul Phillips
that lives over on Alton Drive.
Yeah, but I I'm sorry,
but how do you know my name?
- I'm drawing a blank.
- I bet you are.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[GRUNTING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
What the hell is
Oh, my God. Guys? Guys!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[THEME SONG]
[POLICE SIRENS CHIMING]
So who do we have here?
White male. 40s.
Doesn't look like he was
using the skate park.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Wounds look like a double-edged blade.
Two, three, four quick jabs.
The one in the groin
would have finished him off.
And the blood trail suggests
he was stabbed on the path,
dragged here
as he was dying.
I don't see any defensive wounds.
- It wasn't much of a fight.
- Happened fast.
Maybe he was facing his attacker
but didn't expect violence.
You think he knew him?
A stranger approaches on a dark path,
you put your guard up.
Friend approaches,
you don't end up dead.
Fair call.
Hmm, no visible tattoos,
no discolouration of the skin
to indicate missing watch
or jewellery.
Nondescript clothes,
neutral-coloured shoes off the rack.
Blank slate.
His fingerprints aren't in the system
and there's no match
for missing persons.
Doesn't come home last night,
doesn't show up for work this morning,
nobody's missing this guy.
Apparently not.
Empty pockets, no car keys,
no phone, no wallet, nothing.
Simple mugging? Cleaned him out?
Well, with a mugging you
take the wallet and run.
You don't drag the guy into the woods.
Well, I'd say
you don't have much to go on,
but this is nothing to go on.
Report on your John Doe.
Nothing much to write home about.
- Well, that's on brand.
- But there is this.
Black molars.
That's silver diamine fluoride.
Correct. Topical treatment
for tooth decay,
an alternative to drilling.
- [TOGETHER]: Stains the teeth.
- Thank you.
So, our John Doe didn't
wanna get cavities.
That's not exactly a lead.
I hate to break it to you,
but I see some canvassing
in your future.
Get a digital rendering made
and go talk to the public.
The public.
Take a close look.
Yeah. Yeah, he came in last night.
Alright, so you've seen him before?
No, but he tipped big.
Stuck around to eat and said
he just cashed in his chips?
There.
May I? Thank you.
Okay, 9:42 PM.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES]
No calls, no texts.
He's just dining alone.
I don't know.
Fried chicken and sudoku?
Looks pretty good to me.
Hey, look at that.
The pen.
Right there.
He just throws it in the trash
with everything else, but
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
He came in with it. See?
Maybe there's a logo on it.
It's a reach, but it's something.
This path leads us to
a dumpster full of old chicken,
doesn't it?
You're in luck. It was late.
I already emptied the trash,
so anything he tossed
is still in the can.
Could we borrow a pizza box?
[GROANING]
Talking to the public? Garbage search?
This guy is starting to bother me.
Oh, come on. You love it.
[GROANING IN DISGUST]
Oh, God.
[SIGHING]
Hey.
There we go.
Samantha Morgan, Wingrove Realty.
Well, it's not nothing
[ECHOING GAVEL]
I mean, it's Paul.
Why? What's happened?
- And how do you know him?
- I sold his house for him.
I'm actually here
grabbing my staging materials.
He cashed in his chips.
Excuse me?
Is he okay?
I am afraid he was
found dead this morning.
What? What on earth happened?
Uh, we don't actually have
a lot of details right now.
But maybe you can help.
This image is a rendering.
Do you happen to have anything
that could help us confirm
that we're talking
about the same person?
I mean that's him.
I'm 100% sure that's him. Hold on.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
Yeah, that's our guy.
Do you mind if I hang on to this?
- No, of course.
- Thanks.
I I'm sorry. I'm just
a little confused here.
He was on his way back to Japan.
- Japan?
- Yeah, that's where he worked.
That's why he wanted
to get rid of this place.
He was spending most
of his time there.
Yeah, well, that explains
why no one misses him.
Are there any photos
of his friends or family?
Any personal items?
Usually we haul that stuff
out by the truckload.
But we actually had to bring
some tchotchkes in.
Yeah, there's not much character.
Did you happen to meet
anyone else in his life?
No. We only met a couple weeks ago.
That deal must've gone
through pretty quick.
We priced it to move. He was
eager to go back overseas.
Hm. Thanks.
Listen, uh
Everyone's signing the line
here, so just curious.
Will this affect the sale?
I I don't mean to be crass.
It's, uh, not my department.
Yeah, it's Detective Bateman.
I was hoping you could
run a name for me.
Yeah, Paul Philips.
Date of birth, March 23rd, 1981.
Address, 227 Alton Drive.
Search CPIC, check occurrences,
see what you can find on, uh,
next of kin, emergency contacts.
Thanks.
None of the neighbours have
seen this guy for months.
Anything out of the ordinary lately?
Oh, just some real estate
people coming and going.
One of the neighbours,
he was so irritated.
Place sold for 1.5 under market.
Devalues the block, poor thing.
Yeah?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Okay. Thank you so much.
Paul Philips has a sister
in Scarborough.
[TOM SAWYWER BY RUSH]
A modern-day warrior ♪
Mean, mean stride ♪
Today's Tom Sawyer ♪
Mean, mean pride ♪
Though his mind is not for rent ♪
Don't put him down as arrogant ♪
His reserve, a quiet defense ♪
Riding out the day's events ♪
The river ♪
- There you go.
- Thank you.
I just can't make sense of it.
- We're so sorry for your loss.
- Who would do that to Paul?
Well, that's something
we're hoping you might be able
to help us figure out.
Uh, but first, Lydia,
because of the circumstances
of your brother's death,
we do need to confirm his identity.
Is that something
you're comfortable doing?
Oh
Oh, God. [SNIFFING]
Yeah.
Okay.
Chellas, second opinion.
What are the bruises
around the, uh, stab wounds?
Well, they're from the attack.
Looks like the murder
weapon had a hilt.
Why? Something bothering
you, Detective?
Only everything.
[DOOR OPENING]
It's all set up in there.
You can take your time and we'll
go in when you're ready.
- Okay.
- Miss Philips.
Uh, were you aware your brother
was back in town?
No, um, it was weird.
He usually let me know
when he was coming.
At any rate, Detective Graff and I,
we will give you a moment to yourself
because we understand
this is difficult.
Did you know he'd sold his house?
He did?
Yeah, he was in a rush
to get rid of it.
Took far less than he could've.
How often were you two in touch?
Well, not daily,
but you know, we shared the big stuff.
- Like selling his home.
- I would've thought so. Yeah.
I think I'm ready to see him now.
Alright. Right this way.
That was something else we shared.
We were both blind as bats.
Only, Paul was brave enough
to have the surgery.
He had laser surgery?
Yeah. The same astigmatism,
but Paul had his corrected.
Do you have a number
for Paul in Japan?
Yes but aren't we going in now?
Can you dial it, please?
Okay
I'm so sorry. I'll be right back.
Hey, what are you thinking?
The stained molars.
The silver diamine fluoride.
Dentists use it when a patient
has an aversion to anesthetic.
If he can't have anesthetic,
he didn't get eye surgery.
Well, maybe he's not
a blank slate after all.
- Paul?
- Lydia?
- You're alive!
- Lydia? Is everything okay?
So who's in the morgue?
An imposter.
I don't understand.
If that wasn't Paul Philips,
who was he?
Let's start with a different question.
How does one sell a house
they don't own?
He had ID. I showed you.
Two pieces, that's the requirement.
Which you didn't authenticate.
I checked his photo,
I looked at his face.
I mean, I'm not Interpol.
You met him two weeks ago,
he came to you. Is that right?
He saw my bus stop ad.
Told me he was in a hurry
and that I should take
any reasonable offer.
Nothing about that seemed suspicious?
That's a motivated seller.
That's music to my ears.
Keep everything moving so fast
that nobody notices anything's off?
Like clearing a house
of all personal items.
Not a single photo or keepsake
that might identify
the real Paul Philips.
His name was on the title.
Oh, funny you should say.
He spelled his name wrong
on the, uh, purchase agreement.
Used the, uh, common
spelling of Phillips.
Two L's rather than
the one L that the real
Paul Philips used.
Repeats the error a few times.
Uh, obviously I didn't see that.
Samantha, have you
heard of anything like this
happening before?
I mean, I've heard of it,
but no, not to anyone I know.
Hey, who do you like in,
uh, financial crimes?
Like? Strong word.
Chase is alright.
Thank you.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
Title theft.
Yeah, it's a booming business.
That's what you get
when a starter home
costs a million bucks.
Safeguards haven't
kept up to the money
and the bad guys have taken note.
Have a seat.
In this case, the, uh,
fraudster poses the homeowner.
- Fake, uh
- Fake ID?
Owner overseas?
Right. Obviously.
They target vacant properties.
Unmowed lawns, junk mail piling up.
They do a title search,
find out the owner's name.
Little bit of
rudimentary identity theft
and they are well on their way.
- Here.
- What's this?
30 homes in the GTA
in the last three years,
sold or mortgaged without
the owner's consent.
Oh, Jesus.
Was this guy involved
with any of them?
Uh
I don't think so.
But that face rings a bell.
Um
Move. [LAUGHING]
Uh, there was a similar
scheme in Vancouver.
There was a guy who rent an
apartment to 19 people at once.
Collected rent from all of them
and then left before anyone got wise.
Is that him?
- Yeah, that's the guy.
- Yeah, that's him.
Vancouver Regional Police
never caught him,
but they appealed to the public
and they did get a name.
Timothy Fox was posing
as Paul Philips, huh?
Who are you working with in financial?
Oh, well, Graff is a big fan
of Chase, so we're using her.
Yeah, one more day and Fox
would've got away with it,
but luckily the house
is still in escrow,
- so the sale never went through.
- Well, that's your angle.
Somebody solved that problem
with a knife.
Yeah, most of the funds
at risk were the bank's.
All insured.
However, the buyer's deposit
Gotta be over a hundred grand.
[CHUCKLING]: That's killing money.
Go meet the buyer.
[ECHOING GAVEL]
I've been looking for months.
Got outbid so many times.
Finally, an offer gets accepted
and then this happens.
It's bad luck.
Yeah, is it true?
That this imposter guy was murdered?
That's what my real estate
agent told me.
Um, Melissa, how much money
did you put down on the house.
$150,000.
That's a big number.
Yeah, with a big loan
on top of that I bet.
Um, can I ask where you work?
Harbour View Lounge on Wellington.
- I'm a bartender.
- Oh, yeah?
What's your favourite cocktail?
Not to mix, but to drink.
I, myself, am fond of a Gin Rickey.
Well, I'm not drinking
much these days.
- Oh, because you're pregnant?
- Excuse me?
That's why you want more
living space. Baby on the way.
And how rude do you have
to be to make that leap?
Well, the leap happened
earlier. From this.
Plaster of Paris.
Clay powder.
Mounting plaque.
I don't see any other
crafting supplies about.
So, uh, I'm assuming it's a
moulding kit for your baby foot.
That was the leap.
The no drinking part just,
uh, confirmed it.
Or did I get it wrong?
I'm four months pregnant.
Did your parents
co-sign for the house?
No. And that's none of your business.
And what about the father to be?
Not in the picture and even
less of your business.
- Where were you two nights ago?
- Is he serious?
Well, the man who tried
to steal $150,000 from you
was killed, so he's quite serious.
I was at work.
Mondays are slow, so maybe
only 300 people saw me?
Would you like their names?
Let's start with
your manager's phone number.
You went, uh, pretty hard at her.
I'm not getting stabby vibes. Are you?
No, but she's definitely
hiding something.
She didn't even ask if she was
getting her deposit back.
That money's dodgy. Let's follow it.
[ECHOING GAVEL]
Yes. I was the advisor on
Miss Auerbach's file.
Meaning you approved the loan?
- I processed it.
- Is there a difference?
Detectives, I'm sure you understand
you've got us in a spot here.
We can't discuss the personal
finances of a client
without a court order.
The finances of a single bartender
who buys a house for $1,500,000?
I know it can seem opaque
from the outside,
but the industry uses something
called a GDS ratio
Gross Debt Services.
The percentage of income
that goes toward housing.
- You know your stuff.
- I do.
Yeah, I learned the hard way
when I tried to buy in Roncy
on a cop salary.
But, uh, by my math,
to get approved for that loan,
Melissa Auerbach would have to
be making over $200,000 a year?
Yeah, she's a charming lady,
but, uh, that's a lot of tips.
She had all the records to back it up.
- Bank statements? Tax returns?
- Yup. All of it.
And you authenticated these?
We asked for official
documents and she supplied them.
Detectives, as the bank's
manager, I have to insist.
Get a court order and you can
look at the records yourself.
If you insist.
[SIGHING]
Someone definitely cooked the books.
Made the, uh, finances
look peachy in one blink.
- Hmm.
- What is it?
Maybe that was Timothy Fox's mistake.
His con ran into an even bigger con.
An imposter meets a forger in
a dark alley and blood spills?
Maybe it's time we run
a con of our own.
You still interested
in buying a house?
- Have you been looking long?
- I just started.
Do I look like a deer
in the headlights?
You'll get the hang of it.
You just need some good help.
About that, I actually
don't have an agent yet
and my friend Melissa recommended you.
Well, then.
I'm always charming, but now
I'll really pour it on.
[LAUGHING]
Is this the kind of place
you're looking for?
Oh, I mean it's beautiful.
But, uh, I don't know.
See, here's the thing.
Our finances are a bit tricky.
I'm a gallery owner, my
husband, Henry is a carpenter.
We're doing fine, but a lot
of our income is in cash,
meaning it doesn't necessarily
all make its way to the books.
That's between you and God. [LAUGHING]
Okay, it's just on paper
we don't qualify for
much of a mortgage.
None of my business,
but what you're describing,
I see it all the time.
In fact, I know someone who
helps clients in your situation.
- Like a mortgage broker?
- Uh, more like an advisor.
He'll help you organize your books.
Oh. I mean, we don't wanna
do anything unethical.
Oh, of course not.
You just want a home.
You'll make your payments, right?
- Yeah, of course.
- Then no one gets hurt.
[CHUCKLING]
Jesse Grayson.
Let him do his thing,
you'll have the home of your
dreams before you know it.
So what would you do?
My idea for a restaurant
is vegan on one side,
snout to tail meat on the other.
Okay, perfect. Offend everyone.
Appeal to everyone!
That's the move, Dad.
Respect their boundaries,
but all together.
And the servers would use, like,
a demilitarized zone down the
Oh. [LAUGHING]
- Who is it?
- Uh, just a colleague.
Why don't you head in?
I'll be right there.
Okay.
What are you doing here Grayson?
- What'd you say to the cops?
- You're following me?
I had to make sure you
weren't getting cold feet.
Cold feet?
I did not tell you to kill that guy.
- I told you to take care of it
- Look.
I just came here so you understand
the reality behind all this.
It's you and me now.
Us, Adrian.
Do you understand?
I didn't say anything and I won't.
Just stay away from my family.
[ENGINE STARTING]
Later, buddy.
[CAR SPEEDING AWAY]
This Grayson guy's got
this pretty nice operation
doctoring people's finances
until Timothy Fox comes along
with his own scheme
and threatens to blow
the whole thing up.
Is that your theory?
Yeah, if Fox had managed
to sell that house,
it would've sparked
a huge investigation
once the real owner
got home from Japan.
And that would've exposed
the whole operation?
Yeah, we're thinking
Grayson killed Fox
before that could happen.
Nullified the sale thinking
that's the end of that,
problem solved.
That's him. We got him.
Location data from Grayson's phone.
He was at Weston Skatepark
at the time of the killing.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Jesse Grayson! Armed officers!
We're coming in!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES]
Bring them in.
[MUFFLED POLICE RADIOS]
Alas, poor Grayson.
Uh, single blow to the head.
That's most likely
what brought him down.
Follow by repeated blows
to finish him off.
Left no doubt.
Killer drops his weapon, then
washes up with alcohol
and high tails it out of here.
Not before taking the computer.
[THUDDING]
[PAPER CRINKLING]
Forged T4.
Artificially aged.
Coffee ring and all.
This must be where
Grayson did his work.
It's a good bet that all the
clients were on that hard drive.
One of them didn't want it found.
This crime scene's a mess.
The baton was a weapon of opportunity.
Came from here.
Grayson was prepared.
Yeah, for a lifetime of not dating.
That's interesting.
Double-sided blade, quick jabs,
bruising from the guard.
That's the weapon
that killed Timothy Fox?
Could be.
So if Grayson killed Fox,
who killed Grayson?
Someone didn't want Grayson's
handiwork to come to light.
That's why they took his computer.
Yeah, someone
with enough skin in the game
to go all the way to murder.
Well, that tracks.
Grayson's services would appeal
to all kinds of bad actors.
If you can get a mortgage,
you can launder $1,000,000
in the time it takes to flip a condo.
Do you have his phone?
I have his call history
from his provider.
- Nothing?
- Well, couple of maybes.
Uh, some numbered of companies,
some, uh, foreign owners,
a couple of pay-as-you-go's,
but nothing that
connects to real estate.
Or criminal associates.
Um, we thought somebody
of your expertise
might be able to spot
something we'd missed.
How many listings
are we talking about?
Alright, let me sit with it.
- Well, I think we
- Alone.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
Hey, Bob. How's the tree house
coming along?
The kids want second floor
and plumbing.
Let me know if you need help
with financing.
[LAUGHING]
Yeah, have a good night, Adrian.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GRUNTING]
Sorry. Sorry, Tamara.
I had to work late.
[SIGHING]
And I should've called.
Would've been nice.
[WINE GLASS FILLING]
Hey.
I'm sorry.
[DISAPPOINTED SIGH]
[SIGHING]
You think she's okay in there?
Well, I offered her food.
She made a sound I
didn't recognize.
Bateman! Graff!
[OFFICE PHONE RINGING]
- We were on the wrong path.
- What do you mean?
It's not one of Grayson's clients.
He starts the loans, yes.
But someone still needs
to underrate them.
I looked at the land title registry
and that's when I saw it.
The lending institutions.
The same ones keep coming up
over and over again
and that's what Grayson's
computer would have shown you.
They're all getting
their dodgy financing
from Hemisphere Savings & Loans.
So our big fish isn't a gangster.
He's a banker.
Hot diggity damn.
That's a beautiful view.
Beautiful home.
Yeah, what can I do for you?
Uh, tell me, uh, Mr. Henning.
A man in your position,
is your compensation tied to
the performance of your branch?
There is an incentive structure, yes.
So, if a branch does well,
you do well.
That's obvious that, uh,
it's doing very well.
I have a good team.
Transferred there three years
ago, we gelled right away.
Uh, Mr. Henning, we're here
because we found evidence
of widespread fraud at your branch.
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
And we also have reason to believe
that these crimes
are connected to two murders.
You care to comment on that?
[SCOFFING]
I wouldn't know how.
I'm I'm stunned.
Well, that That watch.
That's a rarity.
I haven't seen one of those in years
and especially not that vintage.
Would you mind if
I took a closer look?
He's crazy about watches.
- Sure.
- Ooh.
That looks like someone's been
playing with toxic chemicals.
Caught you red-handed so to speak.
- What?
- Isopropyl alcohol maybe?
In pure form it can cause skin rashes
if you were to use it to
clean your skin of what?
Blood, maybe?
Detectives, I am a banker.
I use sanitizer
after every hand I shake
and I shake a lot of hands.
Now, if you wouldn't mind,
I'd appreciate if you directed
any other questions to my lawyer.
- Mm-hmm.
- Deal.
Uh, but in terms of getting
to work on time,
I wouldn't worry.
See, we took your advice.
That's a copy of the search warrant
that's gone to your branch,
so we might beat you there,
but either way, see you soon.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[OFFICE PHONE RINGING]
Irregularities all over the place.
Here's a student claiming
$400,000 in overseas income.
Oh, this client owns three
homes on $2,400,000 borrowed.
Occupation: hairdresser.
Ooh. Coffee ring and all.
Oh, my God.
If you tried this at my bank,
they would taser you in the face.
And then they'd file
a suspicious transaction report.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
[ELEVATOR DINGING]
Adrian Henning, we're placing
you under arrest.
On what charge?
Today? Conspiracy to commit
fraud and money laundering.
But we'll see what tomorrow brings.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Mr. Grayson's network funnelled dozens
of fraudulent clients towards
Mr. Henning's bank,
where they were
rubber stamped for loans.
Allegedly.
The initial audits suggest
it's been happening over a year.
Now, are you telling me your client
Theo, I thought we were having lunch.
You wanna talk hypotheticals?
I'm all ears.
- Otherwise
- Alright, okay. Okay.
[PAPER CRINKLING]
Hypothetically speaking,
your client killed Jesse Grayson
to hide his own criminal activity
at Hemisphere Savings & Loans.
Mr. Henning has denied
any part in that fraud.
And if you come at us claiming
he planned to murder Jesse Grayson
The traffic cams put him
at the condo on the night.
Prints and DNA are all
over the murder weapon.
You see cold-blooded intent.
Perhaps I see something else.
What would that be?
Well, if I were to say,
and let's be clear I'm not,
that my client knew of a dangerous man
who was defrauding his bank
and asked this dangerous man to stop.
Oh, uh, if that's your defence,
that man would have
to be pretty dangerous
for a murder charge to go away.
I forget, who was it that
brutally killed Timothy Fox
with an illegal weapon?
Oh, right. Jesse Grayson.
When your delusions subside, call me.
We'll start talking in absolutes.
Thanks for the shawarma.
[DOOR OPENING]
- Self-defence?
- It's looking that way.
Prints left everywhere,
murder weapon came
from Grayson's armoury.
Okay. But you know that just
because it's not premeditated
does not mean it's not intentional.
Yeah, all they have to do
is convince the jury
that Henning feared for his life.
- Caldwell does that, he'll walk.
- No, no, no.
Grayson was attacked
from behind by surprise.
He ad a whole arsenal of
weapons, but, uh, none in hand.
- He wasn't the aggressor.
- Yeah, not this time.
Exactly. That's the issue.
Grayson's a killer, Henning
at best is a family man,
at worst, Robin Hood
giving houses to the poor.
We need to dismantle
the folk hero narrative
and put the blood back on his hands.
- Not this time.
- What?
What she said.
Grayson wasn't
the aggressor this time.
This whole thing started when
one fraud collided with another.
If Henning in any way,
in any way, conspired
to kill the imposter
His self-defence goes out the window.
Yeah, you connect Henning
to the murder of Timothy Fox.
- I can put him away.
- Hmm.
Back to fraud number one.
Joy of joys.
[DOOR OPENING]
Hey.
How's, uh, how's Josh?
He's scared.
Adrian, these things that
they're saying that you've done.
Make it make sense.
- I was protecting us.
- Don't you dare.
Remember the other night,
we were coming home from dinner
and there was that guy out
front of our house.
You remember that?
He was threatening us, Tamara.
He threatened to hurt you and Josh.
- What?
- I need
I need you to tell him what you saw.
Okay?
The bank's lawyers advised us
not to talk to you guys.
Oh, don't worry.
You can tell the bank's lawyers
that we're not here to talk
about mortgage fraud.
We're here to talk
about two dead bodies.
What was Adrian Henning's involvement
with 227 Alton Drive?
Mr. Henning kept a close tab
on that file.
When the purchase agreement came in,
something agitated him.
Something like a guy who
couldn't spell his last name?
Is it normal for him to read
purchase agreements?
No. He's a manager. He doesn't
handle customer transactions.
Yet, here he is going
over this particular file
with a magnifying glass.
This one mattered to him. Why?
I don't know what to tell you.
You make it all sound so dirty.
- It does sound dirty.
- We help people buy homes.
People like Melissa Auerbach.
A bartender just trying
to build a life.
Um, hey, Graff?
[INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES]
Henning discovered
the seller was sketchy.
He looked into him,
found out he was an imposter.
Yeah, he alerted Grayson,
told him to take care of it.
- Conspiracy to commit.
- If we can prove it.
Dina, excuse me, but, um
Henning told us
that he was transferred
to this branch a couple years ago.
Do you know where from?
Um, Wellington Street branch.
Downtown.
That's right across from
the Harbour View Lounge.
We know someone who works there.
We get all types of money
guys at the bar.
But Adrian seemed different.
- Open and-and curious.
- And married.
And he never tried to hide that.
We talked about it. The ups and downs.
We talked about everything.
Melissa, Adrian Henning
has been accused
of some very serious crimes.
I'm still struggling to believe that.
You don't think he's
capable of such things?
Maybe I didn't know him
as well as I thought I did.
[SIGHING]
I know how this sounds.
But I'm not some deluded ex.
I'm not pining.
But our thing
while it lasted.
I don't know.
Adrian inspired me to imagine
a different life for myself.
A bigger one.
And I didn't need it
to be real, but then
But then it became real.
Yeah, you got pregnant,
he got cold feet.
Yeah.
And you weren't about to be
cast aside for nothing.
I wasn't looking to punish him.
I just wanted what he promised me.
What he said was in reach.
What was that?
A home.
[BELL RINGING]
Counselor.
We've come across some new
information and, uh,
wanted to give Mr. Henning
a chance to respond.
Why is Mrs. Henning here?
Mrs. Henning has some new
information as well.
We'd hope Forester would be here
so we could put
this all to bed, but
Tamara.
Uh
Six nights ago,
Adrian, Josh, and I were
walking home from the restaurant
and this Jesse Grayson fellow,
he threatened us.
- Mm-hmm.
- He threatened our son Josh.
And he threatened to kill us all,
so whatever my husband did,
he did out of self-defence.
Thank you, Mrs. Henning, um.
Would you be prepared to say all
that again in a court of law,
in front of a gallery of strangers,
a jury of your peers, the press?
Uh, yes, because it's the truth.
Uh, Mrs. Henning,
would you mind excusing us?
We have some delicate matters
to discuss with your husband.
No, no, I'll stay.
We don't have any secrets.
Not anymore.
[CHUCKLING SOFTLY]
Okay, uh, no secrets.
Mr. Henning, who is
Melissa Auerbach to you?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Uh
- You spoke with her?
- We did.
And you should know that
if this case goes to trial,
she will be called to testify.
My client's relationship
with Miss Auerbach
has no bearing.
Sometimes the least of
our sins speak the loudest.
Mr. Henning.
Less poetry, Detective.
When your affair
with Miss Auerbach ended,
you felt responsible.
You wanted to help her out.
But, uh, you could hardly
buy a house for some bartender
you had knocked up.
[GASPING]
Sorry, I guess you left that part out.
When you helped Melissa and your baby,
you had to do it at arm's length.
So you put her in touch with the
man who could make that happen.
Grayson doctored the papers
and, um, she got her mortgage.
You could help her with the
money and it'd all look clean.
But bad luck.
Melissa tried to buy
the house on Alton Drive,
where the seller was an imposter.
You caught the con just in time
and informed Grayson to, uh,
take care of it.
I just wanted the guy to back off
- Adrian.
- No, no.
Grayson took it too far.
Things were spiralling,
cops everywhere,
and your lies woven
into this whole mess.
Maybe he didn't go to Grayson's
that night to kill him.
I didn't.
Maybe you just wanted
him to smarten up,
shut down his operation,
and all Grayson had to do was lay low,
but not this guy.
No, he's a head case, a loose cannon.
And as long as he was alive,
everything you held dear was at risk.
Exactly. Mr. Henning
feared for his life
and he defended himself.
- A decent man in a bad spot.
- That's right.
Beautiful family. Good job.
Even the mortgage stuff, that's
a victimless crime, right?
We're talking about real estate here.
Everyone's on the take.
You were just keeping
with the flow of traffic.
That's all the jury's
gonna hear, right?
Except, um.
Well, it doesn't work
that way anymore.
Melissa Auerbach changes it.
Make your point, Detective.
The real victims are the point.
Right there in your own home.
Your wife, Tamara. Your son, Josh.
You leave them out of this.
Well, they're right in
the middle of it, Mr. Henning,
because you put them there.
Think about every time
you came home late
and you saw the pain on their faces.
Every lie, every bad excuse.
- I made a mistake.
- A mistake?
No, no, no, Mr. Henning,
you're a cheat.
You cheat at work,
you cheat on your wife,
you cheat your unborn
child out of a father
by bribing your mistress with a house!
Not a home.
Hush money!
Grayson was a threat to my family.
- A threat?
- Yes!
Well, why didn't you go
to the police, huh?
Sure, you'd broken the law,
but isn't a slap on the wrist
better than committing murder?
I told you Grayson went too far!
No, you went too far.
It wasn't the fake documents
you were hiding,
it was Melissa Auerbach's name.
That was the reason
that you wanted all of this
to stay hidden forever!
You knew.
The jury wasn't gonna see
some benevolent Robin Hood
giving houses to the poor.
They would see a lying banker,
a cheating husband.
They would see you bashing
a fallen man's skull in
until you could see his brains.
That's enough, Detective.
No, that's overkill,
Counselor. That is intent.
The man was down.
He was not a threat anymore.
And if you take this to trial,
this all comes out.
And your family will have to live
through that horror in public.
And for what? A moment of bliss?
To have your ego stroked
by a beautiful young woman?
Detective Graff!
So how much more pain do you
want them to go through, huh?
I'm so sorry.
I'm no Theo Forester,
but, uh, let's pretend.
Excuse me, um, Mrs. Henning, um.
But, um, how did you, uh,
find out your husband
was having an affair?
Did he accidentally whisper
it to you one night?
Did he tell you she was pregnant?
And will your relationship be
with your husband's love child?
Welcoming?
Take your hands off me.
Please. Somebody let me out.
[SOBBING]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Just spoke with Forester.
He got a guilty plea from
Adrian Henning. Second degree.
No trial needed.
I guess Henning found his heart.
Or he just looked at the numbers.
You going home, Graff?
I am.
Night.
sync & corrections awaqeded
[THEME SONG]
[NARRATOR]: In Toronto's war on crime,
the worst offenders
are pursued by the detectives
of the Specialized Criminal
Investigations Unit.
These are their stories.
[ECHOING GAVEL]
Alright, I'm just gonna
need your signature.
Here and here.
And that should do it.
This isn't a big mistake, right?
I'm gonna let you in on
a little secret, Melissa.
There are no mistakes
in Toronto real estate.
[CHUCKLING]: He's not wrong.
Nothing can be bought
that can't be sold again.
- At a markup.
- Right.
And if I just want a good home?
Listen, it's nerve-wracking, I get it.
All this gobbledegook.
But it's a great little home.
You're gonna be very happy there.
[DOOR OPENING]
Mr. Henning,
tell her, how often do
we get home buyers
having last-minute jitters?
- First time?
- Mm-hmm.
Well, then I would be worried
if you weren't nervous.
[INHALING DEEPLY]
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
And that covers it.
How do you feel, Paul?
I mean, yeah. Good.
Lot of good memories here.
But a new chapter awaits.
Japan. That's exciting.
When are you thinking
about going back?
Soon as this is finalized.
It won't be much longer now, right?
No inspections, no conditions.
The funds should be released tomorrow.
[PHONE RINGING]
Oh, excuse me.
Samantha Morgan.
[SIGHING]
[PHONE RINGING]
[SIGHING LOUDLY]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[PHONE RINGING]
[FRUSTRATED SIGH]
Yeah?
Wow, wow, wow, wow. Wait, wait.
How is that even possible?
You checked yourself?
[SIGHING ANGRILY]
Yeah. Leave him to me.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[CAR ENGINE STARTING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
Oh, hey.
I'm sorry to bother you, but you
wouldn't happen to have a, uh,
flashlight on your
cellphone, would you?
I dropped my keys
[STAMMERING]: I-I mean
I'm sure they-they're
- in the brush here somewhere.
- Oh, yeah, sure.
You wouldn't mind? Thanks a lot.
Hey, I'll say. Paul?
- Have we met?
- Paul Phillips.
The same Paul Phillips
that lives over on Alton Drive.
Yeah, but I I'm sorry,
but how do you know my name?
- I'm drawing a blank.
- I bet you are.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[GRUNTING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
What the hell is
Oh, my God. Guys? Guys!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[THEME SONG]
[POLICE SIRENS CHIMING]
So who do we have here?
White male. 40s.
Doesn't look like he was
using the skate park.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Wounds look like a double-edged blade.
Two, three, four quick jabs.
The one in the groin
would have finished him off.
And the blood trail suggests
he was stabbed on the path,
dragged here
as he was dying.
I don't see any defensive wounds.
- It wasn't much of a fight.
- Happened fast.
Maybe he was facing his attacker
but didn't expect violence.
You think he knew him?
A stranger approaches on a dark path,
you put your guard up.
Friend approaches,
you don't end up dead.
Fair call.
Hmm, no visible tattoos,
no discolouration of the skin
to indicate missing watch
or jewellery.
Nondescript clothes,
neutral-coloured shoes off the rack.
Blank slate.
His fingerprints aren't in the system
and there's no match
for missing persons.
Doesn't come home last night,
doesn't show up for work this morning,
nobody's missing this guy.
Apparently not.
Empty pockets, no car keys,
no phone, no wallet, nothing.
Simple mugging? Cleaned him out?
Well, with a mugging you
take the wallet and run.
You don't drag the guy into the woods.
Well, I'd say
you don't have much to go on,
but this is nothing to go on.
Report on your John Doe.
Nothing much to write home about.
- Well, that's on brand.
- But there is this.
Black molars.
That's silver diamine fluoride.
Correct. Topical treatment
for tooth decay,
an alternative to drilling.
- [TOGETHER]: Stains the teeth.
- Thank you.
So, our John Doe didn't
wanna get cavities.
That's not exactly a lead.
I hate to break it to you,
but I see some canvassing
in your future.
Get a digital rendering made
and go talk to the public.
The public.
Take a close look.
Yeah. Yeah, he came in last night.
Alright, so you've seen him before?
No, but he tipped big.
Stuck around to eat and said
he just cashed in his chips?
There.
May I? Thank you.
Okay, 9:42 PM.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES]
No calls, no texts.
He's just dining alone.
I don't know.
Fried chicken and sudoku?
Looks pretty good to me.
Hey, look at that.
The pen.
Right there.
He just throws it in the trash
with everything else, but
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
He came in with it. See?
Maybe there's a logo on it.
It's a reach, but it's something.
This path leads us to
a dumpster full of old chicken,
doesn't it?
You're in luck. It was late.
I already emptied the trash,
so anything he tossed
is still in the can.
Could we borrow a pizza box?
[GROANING]
Talking to the public? Garbage search?
This guy is starting to bother me.
Oh, come on. You love it.
[GROANING IN DISGUST]
Oh, God.
[SIGHING]
Hey.
There we go.
Samantha Morgan, Wingrove Realty.
Well, it's not nothing
[ECHOING GAVEL]
I mean, it's Paul.
Why? What's happened?
- And how do you know him?
- I sold his house for him.
I'm actually here
grabbing my staging materials.
He cashed in his chips.
Excuse me?
Is he okay?
I am afraid he was
found dead this morning.
What? What on earth happened?
Uh, we don't actually have
a lot of details right now.
But maybe you can help.
This image is a rendering.
Do you happen to have anything
that could help us confirm
that we're talking
about the same person?
I mean that's him.
I'm 100% sure that's him. Hold on.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
Yeah, that's our guy.
Do you mind if I hang on to this?
- No, of course.
- Thanks.
I I'm sorry. I'm just
a little confused here.
He was on his way back to Japan.
- Japan?
- Yeah, that's where he worked.
That's why he wanted
to get rid of this place.
He was spending most
of his time there.
Yeah, well, that explains
why no one misses him.
Are there any photos
of his friends or family?
Any personal items?
Usually we haul that stuff
out by the truckload.
But we actually had to bring
some tchotchkes in.
Yeah, there's not much character.
Did you happen to meet
anyone else in his life?
No. We only met a couple weeks ago.
That deal must've gone
through pretty quick.
We priced it to move. He was
eager to go back overseas.
Hm. Thanks.
Listen, uh
Everyone's signing the line
here, so just curious.
Will this affect the sale?
I I don't mean to be crass.
It's, uh, not my department.
Yeah, it's Detective Bateman.
I was hoping you could
run a name for me.
Yeah, Paul Philips.
Date of birth, March 23rd, 1981.
Address, 227 Alton Drive.
Search CPIC, check occurrences,
see what you can find on, uh,
next of kin, emergency contacts.
Thanks.
None of the neighbours have
seen this guy for months.
Anything out of the ordinary lately?
Oh, just some real estate
people coming and going.
One of the neighbours,
he was so irritated.
Place sold for 1.5 under market.
Devalues the block, poor thing.
Yeah?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Okay. Thank you so much.
Paul Philips has a sister
in Scarborough.
[TOM SAWYWER BY RUSH]
A modern-day warrior ♪
Mean, mean stride ♪
Today's Tom Sawyer ♪
Mean, mean pride ♪
Though his mind is not for rent ♪
Don't put him down as arrogant ♪
His reserve, a quiet defense ♪
Riding out the day's events ♪
The river ♪
- There you go.
- Thank you.
I just can't make sense of it.
- We're so sorry for your loss.
- Who would do that to Paul?
Well, that's something
we're hoping you might be able
to help us figure out.
Uh, but first, Lydia,
because of the circumstances
of your brother's death,
we do need to confirm his identity.
Is that something
you're comfortable doing?
Oh
Oh, God. [SNIFFING]
Yeah.
Okay.
Chellas, second opinion.
What are the bruises
around the, uh, stab wounds?
Well, they're from the attack.
Looks like the murder
weapon had a hilt.
Why? Something bothering
you, Detective?
Only everything.
[DOOR OPENING]
It's all set up in there.
You can take your time and we'll
go in when you're ready.
- Okay.
- Miss Philips.
Uh, were you aware your brother
was back in town?
No, um, it was weird.
He usually let me know
when he was coming.
At any rate, Detective Graff and I,
we will give you a moment to yourself
because we understand
this is difficult.
Did you know he'd sold his house?
He did?
Yeah, he was in a rush
to get rid of it.
Took far less than he could've.
How often were you two in touch?
Well, not daily,
but you know, we shared the big stuff.
- Like selling his home.
- I would've thought so. Yeah.
I think I'm ready to see him now.
Alright. Right this way.
That was something else we shared.
We were both blind as bats.
Only, Paul was brave enough
to have the surgery.
He had laser surgery?
Yeah. The same astigmatism,
but Paul had his corrected.
Do you have a number
for Paul in Japan?
Yes but aren't we going in now?
Can you dial it, please?
Okay
I'm so sorry. I'll be right back.
Hey, what are you thinking?
The stained molars.
The silver diamine fluoride.
Dentists use it when a patient
has an aversion to anesthetic.
If he can't have anesthetic,
he didn't get eye surgery.
Well, maybe he's not
a blank slate after all.
- Paul?
- Lydia?
- You're alive!
- Lydia? Is everything okay?
So who's in the morgue?
An imposter.
I don't understand.
If that wasn't Paul Philips,
who was he?
Let's start with a different question.
How does one sell a house
they don't own?
He had ID. I showed you.
Two pieces, that's the requirement.
Which you didn't authenticate.
I checked his photo,
I looked at his face.
I mean, I'm not Interpol.
You met him two weeks ago,
he came to you. Is that right?
He saw my bus stop ad.
Told me he was in a hurry
and that I should take
any reasonable offer.
Nothing about that seemed suspicious?
That's a motivated seller.
That's music to my ears.
Keep everything moving so fast
that nobody notices anything's off?
Like clearing a house
of all personal items.
Not a single photo or keepsake
that might identify
the real Paul Philips.
His name was on the title.
Oh, funny you should say.
He spelled his name wrong
on the, uh, purchase agreement.
Used the, uh, common
spelling of Phillips.
Two L's rather than
the one L that the real
Paul Philips used.
Repeats the error a few times.
Uh, obviously I didn't see that.
Samantha, have you
heard of anything like this
happening before?
I mean, I've heard of it,
but no, not to anyone I know.
Hey, who do you like in,
uh, financial crimes?
Like? Strong word.
Chase is alright.
Thank you.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
Title theft.
Yeah, it's a booming business.
That's what you get
when a starter home
costs a million bucks.
Safeguards haven't
kept up to the money
and the bad guys have taken note.
Have a seat.
In this case, the, uh,
fraudster poses the homeowner.
- Fake, uh
- Fake ID?
Owner overseas?
Right. Obviously.
They target vacant properties.
Unmowed lawns, junk mail piling up.
They do a title search,
find out the owner's name.
Little bit of
rudimentary identity theft
and they are well on their way.
- Here.
- What's this?
30 homes in the GTA
in the last three years,
sold or mortgaged without
the owner's consent.
Oh, Jesus.
Was this guy involved
with any of them?
Uh
I don't think so.
But that face rings a bell.
Um
Move. [LAUGHING]
Uh, there was a similar
scheme in Vancouver.
There was a guy who rent an
apartment to 19 people at once.
Collected rent from all of them
and then left before anyone got wise.
Is that him?
- Yeah, that's the guy.
- Yeah, that's him.
Vancouver Regional Police
never caught him,
but they appealed to the public
and they did get a name.
Timothy Fox was posing
as Paul Philips, huh?
Who are you working with in financial?
Oh, well, Graff is a big fan
of Chase, so we're using her.
Yeah, one more day and Fox
would've got away with it,
but luckily the house
is still in escrow,
- so the sale never went through.
- Well, that's your angle.
Somebody solved that problem
with a knife.
Yeah, most of the funds
at risk were the bank's.
All insured.
However, the buyer's deposit
Gotta be over a hundred grand.
[CHUCKLING]: That's killing money.
Go meet the buyer.
[ECHOING GAVEL]
I've been looking for months.
Got outbid so many times.
Finally, an offer gets accepted
and then this happens.
It's bad luck.
Yeah, is it true?
That this imposter guy was murdered?
That's what my real estate
agent told me.
Um, Melissa, how much money
did you put down on the house.
$150,000.
That's a big number.
Yeah, with a big loan
on top of that I bet.
Um, can I ask where you work?
Harbour View Lounge on Wellington.
- I'm a bartender.
- Oh, yeah?
What's your favourite cocktail?
Not to mix, but to drink.
I, myself, am fond of a Gin Rickey.
Well, I'm not drinking
much these days.
- Oh, because you're pregnant?
- Excuse me?
That's why you want more
living space. Baby on the way.
And how rude do you have
to be to make that leap?
Well, the leap happened
earlier. From this.
Plaster of Paris.
Clay powder.
Mounting plaque.
I don't see any other
crafting supplies about.
So, uh, I'm assuming it's a
moulding kit for your baby foot.
That was the leap.
The no drinking part just,
uh, confirmed it.
Or did I get it wrong?
I'm four months pregnant.
Did your parents
co-sign for the house?
No. And that's none of your business.
And what about the father to be?
Not in the picture and even
less of your business.
- Where were you two nights ago?
- Is he serious?
Well, the man who tried
to steal $150,000 from you
was killed, so he's quite serious.
I was at work.
Mondays are slow, so maybe
only 300 people saw me?
Would you like their names?
Let's start with
your manager's phone number.
You went, uh, pretty hard at her.
I'm not getting stabby vibes. Are you?
No, but she's definitely
hiding something.
She didn't even ask if she was
getting her deposit back.
That money's dodgy. Let's follow it.
[ECHOING GAVEL]
Yes. I was the advisor on
Miss Auerbach's file.
Meaning you approved the loan?
- I processed it.
- Is there a difference?
Detectives, I'm sure you understand
you've got us in a spot here.
We can't discuss the personal
finances of a client
without a court order.
The finances of a single bartender
who buys a house for $1,500,000?
I know it can seem opaque
from the outside,
but the industry uses something
called a GDS ratio
Gross Debt Services.
The percentage of income
that goes toward housing.
- You know your stuff.
- I do.
Yeah, I learned the hard way
when I tried to buy in Roncy
on a cop salary.
But, uh, by my math,
to get approved for that loan,
Melissa Auerbach would have to
be making over $200,000 a year?
Yeah, she's a charming lady,
but, uh, that's a lot of tips.
She had all the records to back it up.
- Bank statements? Tax returns?
- Yup. All of it.
And you authenticated these?
We asked for official
documents and she supplied them.
Detectives, as the bank's
manager, I have to insist.
Get a court order and you can
look at the records yourself.
If you insist.
[SIGHING]
Someone definitely cooked the books.
Made the, uh, finances
look peachy in one blink.
- Hmm.
- What is it?
Maybe that was Timothy Fox's mistake.
His con ran into an even bigger con.
An imposter meets a forger in
a dark alley and blood spills?
Maybe it's time we run
a con of our own.
You still interested
in buying a house?
- Have you been looking long?
- I just started.
Do I look like a deer
in the headlights?
You'll get the hang of it.
You just need some good help.
About that, I actually
don't have an agent yet
and my friend Melissa recommended you.
Well, then.
I'm always charming, but now
I'll really pour it on.
[LAUGHING]
Is this the kind of place
you're looking for?
Oh, I mean it's beautiful.
But, uh, I don't know.
See, here's the thing.
Our finances are a bit tricky.
I'm a gallery owner, my
husband, Henry is a carpenter.
We're doing fine, but a lot
of our income is in cash,
meaning it doesn't necessarily
all make its way to the books.
That's between you and God. [LAUGHING]
Okay, it's just on paper
we don't qualify for
much of a mortgage.
None of my business,
but what you're describing,
I see it all the time.
In fact, I know someone who
helps clients in your situation.
- Like a mortgage broker?
- Uh, more like an advisor.
He'll help you organize your books.
Oh. I mean, we don't wanna
do anything unethical.
Oh, of course not.
You just want a home.
You'll make your payments, right?
- Yeah, of course.
- Then no one gets hurt.
[CHUCKLING]
Jesse Grayson.
Let him do his thing,
you'll have the home of your
dreams before you know it.
So what would you do?
My idea for a restaurant
is vegan on one side,
snout to tail meat on the other.
Okay, perfect. Offend everyone.
Appeal to everyone!
That's the move, Dad.
Respect their boundaries,
but all together.
And the servers would use, like,
a demilitarized zone down the
Oh. [LAUGHING]
- Who is it?
- Uh, just a colleague.
Why don't you head in?
I'll be right there.
Okay.
What are you doing here Grayson?
- What'd you say to the cops?
- You're following me?
I had to make sure you
weren't getting cold feet.
Cold feet?
I did not tell you to kill that guy.
- I told you to take care of it
- Look.
I just came here so you understand
the reality behind all this.
It's you and me now.
Us, Adrian.
Do you understand?
I didn't say anything and I won't.
Just stay away from my family.
[ENGINE STARTING]
Later, buddy.
[CAR SPEEDING AWAY]
This Grayson guy's got
this pretty nice operation
doctoring people's finances
until Timothy Fox comes along
with his own scheme
and threatens to blow
the whole thing up.
Is that your theory?
Yeah, if Fox had managed
to sell that house,
it would've sparked
a huge investigation
once the real owner
got home from Japan.
And that would've exposed
the whole operation?
Yeah, we're thinking
Grayson killed Fox
before that could happen.
Nullified the sale thinking
that's the end of that,
problem solved.
That's him. We got him.
Location data from Grayson's phone.
He was at Weston Skatepark
at the time of the killing.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Jesse Grayson! Armed officers!
We're coming in!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES]
Bring them in.
[MUFFLED POLICE RADIOS]
Alas, poor Grayson.
Uh, single blow to the head.
That's most likely
what brought him down.
Follow by repeated blows
to finish him off.
Left no doubt.
Killer drops his weapon, then
washes up with alcohol
and high tails it out of here.
Not before taking the computer.
[THUDDING]
[PAPER CRINKLING]
Forged T4.
Artificially aged.
Coffee ring and all.
This must be where
Grayson did his work.
It's a good bet that all the
clients were on that hard drive.
One of them didn't want it found.
This crime scene's a mess.
The baton was a weapon of opportunity.
Came from here.
Grayson was prepared.
Yeah, for a lifetime of not dating.
That's interesting.
Double-sided blade, quick jabs,
bruising from the guard.
That's the weapon
that killed Timothy Fox?
Could be.
So if Grayson killed Fox,
who killed Grayson?
Someone didn't want Grayson's
handiwork to come to light.
That's why they took his computer.
Yeah, someone
with enough skin in the game
to go all the way to murder.
Well, that tracks.
Grayson's services would appeal
to all kinds of bad actors.
If you can get a mortgage,
you can launder $1,000,000
in the time it takes to flip a condo.
Do you have his phone?
I have his call history
from his provider.
- Nothing?
- Well, couple of maybes.
Uh, some numbered of companies,
some, uh, foreign owners,
a couple of pay-as-you-go's,
but nothing that
connects to real estate.
Or criminal associates.
Um, we thought somebody
of your expertise
might be able to spot
something we'd missed.
How many listings
are we talking about?
Alright, let me sit with it.
- Well, I think we
- Alone.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
Hey, Bob. How's the tree house
coming along?
The kids want second floor
and plumbing.
Let me know if you need help
with financing.
[LAUGHING]
Yeah, have a good night, Adrian.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GRUNTING]
Sorry. Sorry, Tamara.
I had to work late.
[SIGHING]
And I should've called.
Would've been nice.
[WINE GLASS FILLING]
Hey.
I'm sorry.
[DISAPPOINTED SIGH]
[SIGHING]
You think she's okay in there?
Well, I offered her food.
She made a sound I
didn't recognize.
Bateman! Graff!
[OFFICE PHONE RINGING]
- We were on the wrong path.
- What do you mean?
It's not one of Grayson's clients.
He starts the loans, yes.
But someone still needs
to underrate them.
I looked at the land title registry
and that's when I saw it.
The lending institutions.
The same ones keep coming up
over and over again
and that's what Grayson's
computer would have shown you.
They're all getting
their dodgy financing
from Hemisphere Savings & Loans.
So our big fish isn't a gangster.
He's a banker.
Hot diggity damn.
That's a beautiful view.
Beautiful home.
Yeah, what can I do for you?
Uh, tell me, uh, Mr. Henning.
A man in your position,
is your compensation tied to
the performance of your branch?
There is an incentive structure, yes.
So, if a branch does well,
you do well.
That's obvious that, uh,
it's doing very well.
I have a good team.
Transferred there three years
ago, we gelled right away.
Uh, Mr. Henning, we're here
because we found evidence
of widespread fraud at your branch.
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
And we also have reason to believe
that these crimes
are connected to two murders.
You care to comment on that?
[SCOFFING]
I wouldn't know how.
I'm I'm stunned.
Well, that That watch.
That's a rarity.
I haven't seen one of those in years
and especially not that vintage.
Would you mind if
I took a closer look?
He's crazy about watches.
- Sure.
- Ooh.
That looks like someone's been
playing with toxic chemicals.
Caught you red-handed so to speak.
- What?
- Isopropyl alcohol maybe?
In pure form it can cause skin rashes
if you were to use it to
clean your skin of what?
Blood, maybe?
Detectives, I am a banker.
I use sanitizer
after every hand I shake
and I shake a lot of hands.
Now, if you wouldn't mind,
I'd appreciate if you directed
any other questions to my lawyer.
- Mm-hmm.
- Deal.
Uh, but in terms of getting
to work on time,
I wouldn't worry.
See, we took your advice.
That's a copy of the search warrant
that's gone to your branch,
so we might beat you there,
but either way, see you soon.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[OFFICE PHONE RINGING]
Irregularities all over the place.
Here's a student claiming
$400,000 in overseas income.
Oh, this client owns three
homes on $2,400,000 borrowed.
Occupation: hairdresser.
Ooh. Coffee ring and all.
Oh, my God.
If you tried this at my bank,
they would taser you in the face.
And then they'd file
a suspicious transaction report.
[INTRIGUING MUSIC]
[ELEVATOR DINGING]
Adrian Henning, we're placing
you under arrest.
On what charge?
Today? Conspiracy to commit
fraud and money laundering.
But we'll see what tomorrow brings.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Mr. Grayson's network funnelled dozens
of fraudulent clients towards
Mr. Henning's bank,
where they were
rubber stamped for loans.
Allegedly.
The initial audits suggest
it's been happening over a year.
Now, are you telling me your client
Theo, I thought we were having lunch.
You wanna talk hypotheticals?
I'm all ears.
- Otherwise
- Alright, okay. Okay.
[PAPER CRINKLING]
Hypothetically speaking,
your client killed Jesse Grayson
to hide his own criminal activity
at Hemisphere Savings & Loans.
Mr. Henning has denied
any part in that fraud.
And if you come at us claiming
he planned to murder Jesse Grayson
The traffic cams put him
at the condo on the night.
Prints and DNA are all
over the murder weapon.
You see cold-blooded intent.
Perhaps I see something else.
What would that be?
Well, if I were to say,
and let's be clear I'm not,
that my client knew of a dangerous man
who was defrauding his bank
and asked this dangerous man to stop.
Oh, uh, if that's your defence,
that man would have
to be pretty dangerous
for a murder charge to go away.
I forget, who was it that
brutally killed Timothy Fox
with an illegal weapon?
Oh, right. Jesse Grayson.
When your delusions subside, call me.
We'll start talking in absolutes.
Thanks for the shawarma.
[DOOR OPENING]
- Self-defence?
- It's looking that way.
Prints left everywhere,
murder weapon came
from Grayson's armoury.
Okay. But you know that just
because it's not premeditated
does not mean it's not intentional.
Yeah, all they have to do
is convince the jury
that Henning feared for his life.
- Caldwell does that, he'll walk.
- No, no, no.
Grayson was attacked
from behind by surprise.
He ad a whole arsenal of
weapons, but, uh, none in hand.
- He wasn't the aggressor.
- Yeah, not this time.
Exactly. That's the issue.
Grayson's a killer, Henning
at best is a family man,
at worst, Robin Hood
giving houses to the poor.
We need to dismantle
the folk hero narrative
and put the blood back on his hands.
- Not this time.
- What?
What she said.
Grayson wasn't
the aggressor this time.
This whole thing started when
one fraud collided with another.
If Henning in any way,
in any way, conspired
to kill the imposter
His self-defence goes out the window.
Yeah, you connect Henning
to the murder of Timothy Fox.
- I can put him away.
- Hmm.
Back to fraud number one.
Joy of joys.
[DOOR OPENING]
Hey.
How's, uh, how's Josh?
He's scared.
Adrian, these things that
they're saying that you've done.
Make it make sense.
- I was protecting us.
- Don't you dare.
Remember the other night,
we were coming home from dinner
and there was that guy out
front of our house.
You remember that?
He was threatening us, Tamara.
He threatened to hurt you and Josh.
- What?
- I need
I need you to tell him what you saw.
Okay?
The bank's lawyers advised us
not to talk to you guys.
Oh, don't worry.
You can tell the bank's lawyers
that we're not here to talk
about mortgage fraud.
We're here to talk
about two dead bodies.
What was Adrian Henning's involvement
with 227 Alton Drive?
Mr. Henning kept a close tab
on that file.
When the purchase agreement came in,
something agitated him.
Something like a guy who
couldn't spell his last name?
Is it normal for him to read
purchase agreements?
No. He's a manager. He doesn't
handle customer transactions.
Yet, here he is going
over this particular file
with a magnifying glass.
This one mattered to him. Why?
I don't know what to tell you.
You make it all sound so dirty.
- It does sound dirty.
- We help people buy homes.
People like Melissa Auerbach.
A bartender just trying
to build a life.
Um, hey, Graff?
[INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES]
Henning discovered
the seller was sketchy.
He looked into him,
found out he was an imposter.
Yeah, he alerted Grayson,
told him to take care of it.
- Conspiracy to commit.
- If we can prove it.
Dina, excuse me, but, um
Henning told us
that he was transferred
to this branch a couple years ago.
Do you know where from?
Um, Wellington Street branch.
Downtown.
That's right across from
the Harbour View Lounge.
We know someone who works there.
We get all types of money
guys at the bar.
But Adrian seemed different.
- Open and-and curious.
- And married.
And he never tried to hide that.
We talked about it. The ups and downs.
We talked about everything.
Melissa, Adrian Henning
has been accused
of some very serious crimes.
I'm still struggling to believe that.
You don't think he's
capable of such things?
Maybe I didn't know him
as well as I thought I did.
[SIGHING]
I know how this sounds.
But I'm not some deluded ex.
I'm not pining.
But our thing
while it lasted.
I don't know.
Adrian inspired me to imagine
a different life for myself.
A bigger one.
And I didn't need it
to be real, but then
But then it became real.
Yeah, you got pregnant,
he got cold feet.
Yeah.
And you weren't about to be
cast aside for nothing.
I wasn't looking to punish him.
I just wanted what he promised me.
What he said was in reach.
What was that?
A home.
[BELL RINGING]
Counselor.
We've come across some new
information and, uh,
wanted to give Mr. Henning
a chance to respond.
Why is Mrs. Henning here?
Mrs. Henning has some new
information as well.
We'd hope Forester would be here
so we could put
this all to bed, but
Tamara.
Uh
Six nights ago,
Adrian, Josh, and I were
walking home from the restaurant
and this Jesse Grayson fellow,
he threatened us.
- Mm-hmm.
- He threatened our son Josh.
And he threatened to kill us all,
so whatever my husband did,
he did out of self-defence.
Thank you, Mrs. Henning, um.
Would you be prepared to say all
that again in a court of law,
in front of a gallery of strangers,
a jury of your peers, the press?
Uh, yes, because it's the truth.
Uh, Mrs. Henning,
would you mind excusing us?
We have some delicate matters
to discuss with your husband.
No, no, I'll stay.
We don't have any secrets.
Not anymore.
[CHUCKLING SOFTLY]
Okay, uh, no secrets.
Mr. Henning, who is
Melissa Auerbach to you?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Uh
- You spoke with her?
- We did.
And you should know that
if this case goes to trial,
she will be called to testify.
My client's relationship
with Miss Auerbach
has no bearing.
Sometimes the least of
our sins speak the loudest.
Mr. Henning.
Less poetry, Detective.
When your affair
with Miss Auerbach ended,
you felt responsible.
You wanted to help her out.
But, uh, you could hardly
buy a house for some bartender
you had knocked up.
[GASPING]
Sorry, I guess you left that part out.
When you helped Melissa and your baby,
you had to do it at arm's length.
So you put her in touch with the
man who could make that happen.
Grayson doctored the papers
and, um, she got her mortgage.
You could help her with the
money and it'd all look clean.
But bad luck.
Melissa tried to buy
the house on Alton Drive,
where the seller was an imposter.
You caught the con just in time
and informed Grayson to, uh,
take care of it.
I just wanted the guy to back off
- Adrian.
- No, no.
Grayson took it too far.
Things were spiralling,
cops everywhere,
and your lies woven
into this whole mess.
Maybe he didn't go to Grayson's
that night to kill him.
I didn't.
Maybe you just wanted
him to smarten up,
shut down his operation,
and all Grayson had to do was lay low,
but not this guy.
No, he's a head case, a loose cannon.
And as long as he was alive,
everything you held dear was at risk.
Exactly. Mr. Henning
feared for his life
and he defended himself.
- A decent man in a bad spot.
- That's right.
Beautiful family. Good job.
Even the mortgage stuff, that's
a victimless crime, right?
We're talking about real estate here.
Everyone's on the take.
You were just keeping
with the flow of traffic.
That's all the jury's
gonna hear, right?
Except, um.
Well, it doesn't work
that way anymore.
Melissa Auerbach changes it.
Make your point, Detective.
The real victims are the point.
Right there in your own home.
Your wife, Tamara. Your son, Josh.
You leave them out of this.
Well, they're right in
the middle of it, Mr. Henning,
because you put them there.
Think about every time
you came home late
and you saw the pain on their faces.
Every lie, every bad excuse.
- I made a mistake.
- A mistake?
No, no, no, Mr. Henning,
you're a cheat.
You cheat at work,
you cheat on your wife,
you cheat your unborn
child out of a father
by bribing your mistress with a house!
Not a home.
Hush money!
Grayson was a threat to my family.
- A threat?
- Yes!
Well, why didn't you go
to the police, huh?
Sure, you'd broken the law,
but isn't a slap on the wrist
better than committing murder?
I told you Grayson went too far!
No, you went too far.
It wasn't the fake documents
you were hiding,
it was Melissa Auerbach's name.
That was the reason
that you wanted all of this
to stay hidden forever!
You knew.
The jury wasn't gonna see
some benevolent Robin Hood
giving houses to the poor.
They would see a lying banker,
a cheating husband.
They would see you bashing
a fallen man's skull in
until you could see his brains.
That's enough, Detective.
No, that's overkill,
Counselor. That is intent.
The man was down.
He was not a threat anymore.
And if you take this to trial,
this all comes out.
And your family will have to live
through that horror in public.
And for what? A moment of bliss?
To have your ego stroked
by a beautiful young woman?
Detective Graff!
So how much more pain do you
want them to go through, huh?
I'm so sorry.
I'm no Theo Forester,
but, uh, let's pretend.
Excuse me, um, Mrs. Henning, um.
But, um, how did you, uh,
find out your husband
was having an affair?
Did he accidentally whisper
it to you one night?
Did he tell you she was pregnant?
And will your relationship be
with your husband's love child?
Welcoming?
Take your hands off me.
Please. Somebody let me out.
[SOBBING]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Just spoke with Forester.
He got a guilty plea from
Adrian Henning. Second degree.
No trial needed.
I guess Henning found his heart.
Or he just looked at the numbers.
You going home, Graff?
I am.
Night.
sync & corrections awaqeded
[THEME SONG]