Hudson and Rex (2019) s08e08 Episode Script

[UPLIFTING MUSIC]
[GANNETS CRYING]
[PUFFINS SQUAWKING]
- [MAN AND WOMAN ARGUING]
- MEREDITH: Calling to order this meeting
of the Avalon Birdwatching Association.
Order, everyone!
I will not be silenced, Meredith.
Not when it comes to my birds!
Need I remind you, Topher Bouchard,
that the Red Crossbill
is highly endangered?
Technically just threatened, Patricia.
The destruction of its habitat is the
sole reason for its decline!
- One of the many reasons.
- PATRICIA: And that Newfoundland
is the only place on Earth
that the percna subspecies mates,
lays their eggs and raises their young!
So, I will not allow you
or anyone else to disturb
or even know the whereabouts
of its nesting colony
on my tract of woodland,
let alone invite you
and your bandwagon of birders from away
from trampling all over it!
Say hello to the avian activists.
Two sides to everything, I guess.
MEREDITH: Patricia, please.
Topher's tour members
are our invited guests.
They might be yours, Meredith.
But they're not mine!
And I have always
respected that, Patricia.
I have never stepped foot on your land.
And yet,
someone's been messing
around in my woods.
And just as the Red
Crossbills are coming
for their six week stay.
And you think that was me?
Frankly, I resent that accusation.
Well
whoever it was, Topher Bouchard,
they'd better not try it again
or I will make them pay!
Patricia!
[ENERGETIC MUSIC]
Hey!
Don't be a sore loser.
Swimming's the only time I
get to beat you at a race.
- [REX YELPS]
- [BIRD CHIRPING]
What have you found?
[HUMMINGBIRD CHIRPING]
A hummingbird in Newfoundland!
Good one, Rex.
Birders from around here
would kill to see that.
[GREYJAY CHIRPING]
TOPHER: Okay, everyone! We're
nowhere near Patricia's land
so we should be fine.
Just stay on the path or
you might end up with a soaker!
This is Newfoundland's
glorious marshlands.
- [BIRDERS EXCLAIM]
- Now, I know when people
think Newfoundland birding,
they think gannets and puffins,
but we have our share
of wetland birds as well,
many just passing through.
Here to breed and feed.
Then off again.
I came all this way
to see baby crossbills
not herons and ducks,
so, take us to the colony.
Well, I would if I could, but
- [BIRD CHIRPING]
- Listen.
[BIRD CHIRPING]
That's the Red Crossbill!
It's over in that forest!
Oh!
TOPHER: Oh, not so fast, Colin!
- Ughh!
- [BIRDERS EXCLAIM]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[WOMAN SCREAMS]
[UPBEAT THEME MUSIC]
WOMAN: That's all I can tell you.
I didn't even want to be in that marsh.
I can see ducks back in Seattle.
- Okay.
- Jesse.
Yeah. Hey, just wait with
the rest of the group.
I'll get back to you.
- Hey.
- Donovan called, gave me the basics.
Birdwatching tourists
found a body in the marshes
- and then drove here?
- Yeah, yeah,
terrified that there was
a killer on the loose.
- Okay.
- Victim's name is Patricia McGee.
She's a local twitcher in St. John's.
The people that found
her are all chasers.
So what you're saying is that the
victim is a devoted local birder
ie. twitcher, whereas, all these people
have come a long distance hoping
to see interesting birds?
- Yeah.
- [REX SNIFFS]
Are you into birding, Mark?
No, I did a crash
course on the drive in.
- Just like you.
- I didn't do that.
What have you discovered so far?
Well Skyler Jenkins
came all the way to St. John's
to see the baby Red Crossbills
and feels ripped off.
Well, that's fascinating,
but maybe not pertinent?
And Colin Crawford.
He found the body. He's new to birding.
Flew in about a week ago.
- Any previous connection to the victim?
- Only peripherally.
Skyler and Colin attended a meeting
of the Avalon Birdwatchers Association
three days ago, where the
tour operator over
there, Topher Bouchard,
got into an argument with the victim.
Pertaining to ?
Patricia accused him of
trespassing on land that she owned
in search of the Red
Crossbills' nesting colony,
the exact location of which
she would divulge to no one.
And was he trespassing this morning?
No, no, the marsh is public land.
Her land is west of there.
And her house is very
close to the crime scene.
Get contact info for the people here.
Then release them but
hold Colin and Topher back.
I want to check in with Sarah
before I interview them.
- Okay.
- Rex. [CLICKS TONGUE]
By the way, he's, uh
He's a real dude.
A casual but committed birder!
Very nice, Mark.
I really have to up my game
in the obscure information department.
MARK: Rex and I are en
route to the crime scene.
Sarah, are you still there?
SARAH: Yeah, I'm here. See you soon.
[LOON CALLING]
The victim was found
prone here on the ground,
apparently strangled with
her own binocular strap.
But I'll confirm the cause of death.
So whoever killed her
didn't bring a weapon.
Suggests the attack
may have been random.
Spontaneous.
Staged to appear as such.
No cell phone found.
But her wallet wasn't taken.
No assault other than the obvious.
- Oof.
- Yeah.
I'll check the body for foreign DNA.
Have you determined a time of death?
Uh, no more than 12 hours.
I'll be more exact
after the autopsy today.
What was she doing here by the pond?
Was she meeting someone?
Did she often birdwatch here alone?
[REX SNIFFING]
[REX BARKS]
What have you got there, Rex?
Oh, something in the hair.
A bird feather?
Small.
It's red.
Yeah, it could be the Red Crossbill.
You can identify a bird off one feather?
No, I can make a wild guess
from an argument that the
victim had just a few days ago.
Oh, people argue about birds?
What don't they argue about?
- [DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- [BIRD CHIRPING]
[REX BARKS]
[BIRD CHIRPING]
Rex is certainly interested in that.
Well, if Rex thinks it's
significant, then maybe it is.
[BIRD CHIRPING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Thanks for waiting, Colin.
Oh, no problem.
- You good?
- Uh, sorry.
Still a little shaken.
I came to Newfoundland
to spot birds. Not bodies.
I just have a few questions.
Now, you witnessed an argument
between the victim and your
tour guide. Topher.
Yeah. I mean, I only took
up birding recently when I retired.
But it seemed a pretty
common point of contention.
- And what is that?
- People who want to shelter birds
from any human interference
versus those who want to bring
more and more people to see them.
- And the argument got heated?
- Yeah.
But she threatened him.
Not the other way around.
Hmm.
You don't think Topher was involved?
It's too early to say. I'm
just asking some routine questions.
I mean, he has seemed really
tense the past few days
but running a fledgling
business is really hard.
[COLIN CHUCKLES]
- Pardon the pun.
- Uh, fledgling.
Right. You said you took up
the hobby when you retired.
You, uh You seem a
little young for that.
- Oh, I made a killing in tech stocks.
- Oh.
I'm still trying to
figure out what to do with my time.
Well, hopefully this
hasn't scared you off.
No, no. I'll stick it out.
MARK: Sorry about this. know
this can't be great for business.
Half the tour is talking about leaving!
Requesting refunds!
This sort of thing just
doesn't happen here!
Terrible things happen
everywhere, unfortunately.
How long did you know
the victim, Topher?
A little over five years
since I started the business.
Joined the local birding club.
Where you argued with
the victim just days ago.
Patricia picked fights with everyone.
She was nuts about hoarding
the Red Crossbill all to herself.
She accused me of trespassing!
- And did you?
- No. Never!
I'm not even exactly
sure where her land is,
let alone bring people onto it.
But you'd like to, I assume.
You must be under a lot of
pressure to get your clients
access to rare birds.
Especially when they've
flown so far to see them.
Are you suggesting I might
have something to do with this?
If I did, why would I bring
my tour group to find the body?
- That's a good question.
- Yeah.
Where were you last night, Topher?
- Seriously?
- Oh, yeah. Very.
I had a drink at the motel
where the tour is staying
and then went up to my room
to plan the next day's events.
Can anyone corroborate that?
No.
But what could I possibly
have to gain from killing Patricia?
Well, that's a good question too.
[REX BARKS]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
MARK: Find out what you
can about this Topher character.
He got defensive
straight out of the gate.
See if he has a record,
financial situation,
- general background.
- Yeah, will do.
Run a quick check on the tour group too.
Just you know, routine stuff.
Have we identified next of kin?
Well, there's no existing
family but her husband,
Jedediah McGee, is listed
as her sole beneficiary.
I haven't been able to locate him.
Oh, they weren't together anymore?
No one on the island by that name.
What about close friends? I
mean, they might know where he is.
And if Patricia was having trouble
with anyone, felt threatened
Well, there's Meredith Legrow.
She's waiting at
Patricia's house with Joe.
She's an old friend
and president of the
Birders Association.
She had a key.
Well, I guess what they say is true.
Birds of a feather unlock together.
Mark, are you stealing my vibe?
I'm moving in on you, Jesse.
Moving in on you.
Don't like that.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
MEREDITH: What a horrible,
horrible thing to happen.
I don't think I'll ever
feel safe in the marsh again.
Neither of us thought twice about
going in there alone.
You knew Patricia a long time?
Since we were girls.
We grew up together.
Can you think of anyone who
might have wanted to harm her?
You don't think someone she
knew could have done this?
Well, we have to look
at all possibilities.
It seems that she could be contentious?
An understatement, I'm sorry to say,
but Patty wasn't always so prickly.
She just got her heart broken so young.
How's that?
She was married briefly
when she was barely 20.
To a man named Jedediah?
He was the one who first
got us all into birding.
Encouraged her to spend
every dime that she inherited
to buy that land.
And then he just disappeared one day.
Disappeared?
MEREDITH: Said he had something
to take care of and never returned.
She waited
and waited.
She still has him listed as
a beneficiary in her will.
MEREDITH: Not that
there's much to inherit.
Rumour is she was struggling
just to hold on to the house.
DONOVAN: So why didn't
she sell the land?
It must have been worth something.
Patricia would rather
die than betray her birds.
Come with me. I'll
let you into her house.
[REX SNIFFING]
DONOVAN: Birds.
Birds.
Birds.
It's a sad story, really.
I mean, I love golf
but I'm not building a shrine to it.
[MARK CHUCKLES] I don't know,
you have to admire her dedication.
Put her money where her mouth was.
Did everything she could to
protect a threatened species.
Yeah, and never forget
the love of her life.
Oh.
Yeah, they look happy there.
That must be a young Jedediah.
No computer.
No cell phone on the body.
She was old school.
Yeah, well I can't find
anything that indicates she was
planning to meet someone
or had been threatened in any way.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Look like old journals.
Looks like she kept a diary of her life.
[REX BARKS]
What've you got there, Rex?
What is it?
[REX WHINES]
Hey, is that what you see, Rex?
It says Red Crossbill nest.
Well, that's the bird that
Patricia was arguing about
and trying to protect.
What's this?
Wow, is that a real ruby?
Why would somebody who's
struggling to pay their bills
have something like this?
And is there more where this came from?
[SHOVEL HITTING DIRT]
MAN: Ughh!
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
JESSE: That is quite the ruby.
Look, if it's real,
- it's worth a fortune.
- But where did it come from?
And why wouldn't Patricia sell it
if she was really struggling?
Why was she storing it
in a Red Crossbill nest?
The bird that she was arguing about,
that nests on her land and
left a feather in her hair?
I've got a meeting with
a local jeweller in town
later today just to check on the value
and also to keep it safe until
we found out about her heir.
Okay, I'm still searching
for Jedidiah McGee.
I'm going to take this wedding photo
and run it through facial recognition.
Let me know what you find out.
Also I've been looking
into the bird tourists,
including the man that found the body.
There's nothing unusual or
suspicious about them.
- And Topher?
- JESSE: Well,
it seems that his business
is hanging on by a thread
but there's no record.
And as he said, he had a
drink with the tour group.
Then he told them he was heading
in for the evening.
But no one will vouch for him.
There was Skyler, the
disappointed chaser.
She said she's pretty sure she
saw him headed into his room
but that was about it.
And what do we know about her?
JESSE: Well, she works for her
parents' development company.
Got into birding when
it became popular online.
Hashtag trendy.
So that makes Topher our top suspect.
But what I don't understand,
is why someone would kill
just to look at some birds.
It must be more than that.
I'm going to head over to
the provincial land registry.
I want to know exactly
where Patricia's land was.
Something's nagging at you.
Maybe it's the birder mania
that's rubbing off on me.
I looked it up.
Red Crossbills like to raise
their young in mature forests.
Right now, this time of year
and only for a few weeks.
- So?
- So, why was a twitcher
like Patricia wasting
her time in a marsh?
Why was she looking at duckswhen she
when she should have been spending
all her time with the crossbills?
DONOVAN: I think you're right.
I think you've caught bird mania.
- [PHONE PINGS]
- Blame Rex.
[REX BARKS]
Sarah's got the autopsy results.
Let's go. [MARK CLICKS TONGUE]
- Sarah, what have we got?
- Hey.
Yeah, okay. So, time of death,
10 to 12 hours before
the body was discovered.
Cause of death also is presumed
victim died of strangulation.
Now, I did find foreign
DNA on the binocular strap.
It's trace, but it's there.
Well, that's great news. Have you
run it through the national database?
That is the bad news.
There was no match, but
I'm widening the search.
Also, the birdsong Rex heard
was, in fact, from the
rare Red Crossbill.
As was the feather from her hair.
Well, I guess that makes me
some kind of expert after all.
[REX BARKS]
Patricia's body showed
clear signs of lividity.
- Posthumous pooling of the blood?
- Exactly.
But the discolouration
was on the posterior thorax.
- On her back.
- Yeah.
But Patricia was found face down.
I know. The blood
should have pooled anteriorly.
So the lividity is off.
She was found in a marsh
when any sane birder
would be in the woods.
And Rex found a Red
Crossbill feather in her hair
when she was nowhere
near their nesting site.
[REX GROANS]
- The body was moved.
- Moved.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
But from where?
And why?
Well, maybe she wasn't the only one
who wanted to keep people
away from their nesting site.
Maybe they didn't want anyone to see
where she'd actually been murdered.
[REX BARKS]
Maybe I can find some
answers at the land registry.
Hello?
[MARK RINGS BELL]
[REX SNIFFS]
Anybody here?
[REX BARKS]
MEREDITH: Oh!
Detective!
Meredith!
What can I do to help?
Definitely a real gemstone,
no doubt about that.
- So it's a ruby, then.
- Oh,
and one of exceptional quality.
Burmese.
Remarkable clarity.
And its colour is the
purest pigeon blood red.
Pigeon blood?
[DONOVAN CHUCKLES] That's ironic.
How's that?
Well, the house where we found it
was once owned by a
lifelong birdwatcher.
One with deep pockets, I assume?
Why do you say that?
How much would you estimate
that this ring is worth?
Judging the gem's weight
between four and five carats
on the right day with the right buyers,
I'd expect this ring to sell
for at least two million dollars.
[DONOVAN CHUCKLES]
Well, I guess I'll be requesting backup
to get this pigeon
back to the roost, huh?
Sorry I didn't mention to you
that I worked at the registry.
Well, I'm not sure why you would.
Yeah, exactly.
I'm just glad to help.
- Yeah.
- Though I'm not sure how
an outline of her property
will help you find a killer.
- I'm just getting the lay of the land.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
- Well.
Here it is.
Patricia owned all of this area here.
- Is this survey handdrawn?
- [MEREDITH CHUCKLES]
Newfoundland has a unique
land registry situation.
The original settlers were
breaking international treaties
by overwintering when it
was indeed a new found land.
So anyone who did settle
was simply squatting.
Just claiming the land for their own,
- building on it with no deed.
- Exactly.
This led to generations of families
settling squatting rights
over kitchen tables,
drawing out the boundaries themselves.
And this list here is tracking
who claimed it when and
who they passed it on to?
Exactly.
- Okay.
- Oh!
I never noticed that before!
Noticed what?
The man Patricia bought the land from,
Lester Zimmer.
He was a well known sleeveen
especially when it
came to land transfer.
I'm assuming by sleeveen,
- you mean a
- A man with a less than reputable character.
Zimmer was known for selling land
that he didn't actually have claim to.
So you're saying Patricia
may not have even owned
the land that she vowed to protect?
Though I'm not sure how that could have
led to someone killing her.
[REX BARKS]
It's just
interesting.
I think we're in trouble.
You have to do something!
[CAR STARTING]
DONOVAN: Two million dollars,
just sitting on top of a
shelf in a bird's nest.
I mean, still, it could
have been passed down to her
and she kept it, having
no idea what it was worth.
Yeah, but she put it in
a Red Crossbill's nest.
I mean, there has to be
some significance to that.
- [REX BARKS]
- MARK: Yeah, I know, Rex.
We're missing something.
I just got a hit on the DNA
found on the binocular strap.
Jedediah Harris.
Jedediah? Harris, but not McGee?
- Yeah.
- Uh, is there a photo?
- I sent Jesse his Coast Guard records.
- Oh.
Yeah, apparently he went AWOL.
Okay, coming right up.
MARK: Yeah, can you throw up a picture
of Patricia's wedding photo as well?
Yeah, you got it. Here.
That's the same Jedediah all right.
JESSE: Wait, that means
SARAH: The DNA found
on the murder weapon
belongs to none other than
Patricia's long lost husband.
MARK: If Jedediah has returned
after all these years,
where is he now?
[BIRD CHIRPING]
- [GUN FIRES]
- [BIRDS CHIRPING IN PANIC]
[DRAMATIC PERCUSSION]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
JESSE: Guys, I put
out a BOLO on Jedediah
using the age adjusted image.
SARAH: It won't be 100% accurate
but it's a start.
He looks like every
tourist on this island.
And half the islanders.
Yeah, and comparing it with
passenger arrivals, no hits.
SARAH: Photo progression
is far from reliable.
JESSE: Yeah, this is basically
AI's version of a wild guess.
So basically, we're looking
for a 45-year-old Caucasian male
who may look like our average Joe
and could have already fled
the island for all we know.
MARK: But who came back 25 years later
to kill his estranged wife. Why?
Well, he's listed as the
sole beneficiary on her will.
Could it be he's after the land?
Maybe he knew about the ruby ring.
Killed her to inherit that.
MARK: I mean, it's all
got to be interconnected
but everything goes back
to that Red Crossbill.
We need to find that nesting site soon.
SARAH: Yeah, see where
Patricia was actually killed
and why she was moved.
Analyze that site.
DONOVAN: And I'm going to
look more into this ring.
A ruby of this size has
got to have some history.
Meanwhile, Rex and I are going to get
set for that bird hunt tomorrow.
SARAH: Not that I have
any doubt that Rex will lead you
to the nesting colony, but, hey,
should we put you to the test first?
[REX BARKS]
Rex can pinpoint and track birdsong
better than humans for
a lot of really cool reasons.
Dogs hear more frequencies, right?
Yes, exactly. Especially
higher frequencies.
So, we can hear up to 20,000Hz.
[TONE INCREASING IN PITCH]
- Okay.
- While dogs can hear up to 40,000.
[SOUND DISAPPEARS]
[REX BARKS]
Wow. Yeah, that's incredible.
So, when Rex hears the birdsong,
he might be hearing
additional notes that are
- way out of our range.
- Exactly.
And his remarkable
hearing doesn't end there
because dogs possess this
complex system of at least
18 muscles in each ear canal,
enabling them to independently
move, tilt, rotate
and adjust their ears to better
capture and locate sounds.
So not only can Rex hear the Red
Crossbill song better than I can
He can hear more of it from
a further distance, and
- he can track you directly there.
- [BIRD CHIRPING]
[REX BARKS]
I think we're all set for tomorrow.
[DOOR LOCK BEEPS]
Joe, what are you doing here?
It's an hour before shift!
Uh, I never left. I just grabbed
a couple of hours on the couch.
And signed out all
these old evidence boxes?
Yeah, yeah, I had my coat on
and then I remembered
an old jewellery heist
from back when I was a rookie.
It was hard to find the information
but you know what?
- Check this out.
- Wait, did you figure out
how to put the images on the board?
Sort of. Uh
Oh, here it is.
It's Patricia's ring.
Yeah, it was stolen from the
jeweller where I had the ring appraised
but three owners ago, and,
we have a suspect.
His name is Leo Stiles.
We picked him up two
days after the heist
trying to flee the island by ferry.
He was held, questioned,
but never arrested.
- So therefore, no mugshot.
- Exactly.
He was extradited back to the
United States on old warrants.
But the jewels from the heist
- never found.
- Huh.
Okay, so you're thinking
You're thinking that Leo is actually
Patricia's husband under a false name
and the reason why he disappeared
is because he was extradited?
You are reading my mind.
He was released, returned,
came to claim the jewels
and then maybe Patricia got in his way.
Okay.
I'll call the prison
where he was incarcerated.
See if they can send over
an image, if he was released.
No, I'm one step ahead
of you, young detective.
See, the thing is, he was
extradited back to California.
It's still the middle
of the night there.
So, we may need to wait
on that information.
Now Joe's stealing my mojo.
MoJoe!
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
MARK: Okay, Rex.
So we're just going to
follow that birdsong
to find their nesting site.
Seems doable.
But I, uh
yeah, I have a feeling
that I'm not hearing
what you're hearing.
[BIRD CHIRPING]
Clever boy.
[BIRD CHIRPING]
Okay.
- [REX BARKS]
- What do you have there?
[REX BARKS]
A bird's nest, and
shotgun shells.
[GUN FIRES]
- [DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- [REX BARKS]
Get him!
[MARK GRUNTS]
- [REX BARKS]
- Go! Go!
[REX BARKS]
[REX BARKING]
Rex!
Easy, boy.
Let him go.
DONOVAN: No plates on the truck.
MARK: No, white. Nondescript.
So no one was actually shooting at you?
No, shotgun fire was at a distance.
It's possible it wasn't even connected
to the shells that I found on
the ground or the guy who fled.
Or it could have been
Jedidiah and an accomplice.
You guys are going to need backup
if you plan on going out there again.
The more people, the more
noise, the more targets.
I was trained to track in
dense brush in the military, Joe.
Stealth is your best friend.
[REX BARKS]
That and a dog.
First I need to add a bit more intel.
I'm meeting up with
Sarah, get her insights,
see if we can track this
killer out of the bush
before we head back in. Okay?
SARAH: It appears to be
a Red Crossbill's nest.
The cuplike shape and
the colour of the eggs.
I'll do a DNA test, to be certain.
Why would Jedidiah or anyone
be shooting down nests?
To silence the birds, perhaps.
You and Rex were tracking their
nesting area via their birdsong.
Right to the edge of the
colony, by the looks of it.
So get rid of the birds,
you get rid of their song.
Yeah, and stop anyone from
finding their nesting site.
[REX BARKS]
People
or police.
Now, it's odd to find a
survey spike on her land.
By all accounts, Patricia
was never going to sell.
So maybe someone needed her dead
before they could close the deal.
Someone like her husband
getting ready to sell after he inherits?
Well, let's see what Torbay
Surveyors has to say about that.
Thanks, Sarah.
Come on, Rex.
[MARK CLICKS TONGUE]
Joe, hey.
Prison in California got back to us.
Sent us an image of Leo Stiles,
the suspect in the
old jewellery robbery.
That's definitely not
Patricia's husband.
Damn, I really thought
I was on to something.
Well, Joe, you still might be
because I combed through,
Patricia's journals
the ones that you had
booked into evidence
and found the exact date
that Jedediah disappeared.
- And ?
- It was two days after the jewellery robbery.
Said he had to take care of something.
Then he gave her a red
ring before he left.
- There's definitely a connection.
- That is great work.
- Well done, Jesse.
- Yes, I'm reclaiming my vibe!
- Sorry, what?
- What did you say?
Okay, look, we need to
contact the prison again
and see if we can set up an
interview with Leo Stiles.
Uh, no can do.
He passed away a month ago.
Oh, it seems like it's one step forward,
two steps back with this case.
All right. We still contact the prison.
We see if there's someone
that we can talk to.
Someone who knew this man well, okay?
After 25 years in there,
he's got to have spoken to
somebody about the robbery.
Someone who can lead us to Jedediah.
[JESSE SIGHS]
I couldn't find anything.
Maybe the police already have it?
I need to see you.
Where can we meet?
MAN: You know, it's illegal
to remove an official survey spike?
Well, I'm a police officer
investigating a homicide.
I think it's okay.
Well, I don't feel comfortable divulging
confidential client information.
Oh, really?
Was it the owner of the property,
the murder victim who hired
you to survey her land?
- No.
- No.
So you were, in fact,
trespassing when someone else hired you.
Weren't you just mentioning
the legalities of surveys?
Listen, they talked me into it.
They said there was some question
about who owned the land anyway.
That they were going to
fight for ownership in court.
Yeah, I don't need
excuses. I need a name.
[SURVEYOR SIGHS]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[PUFFINS SQUAWKING]
Oh, Detective!
Uh, make any headway
on the investigation?
Ah, these things take time.
Just here to ask a few more questions.
How can I help?
Oh, no, the questions are not for you.
The questions are for Topher!
SKYLER: Hey.
- What was that about?
- COLIN: I don't know.
MARK: As I recall,
you said you didn't even know
where Patricia's land was.
I was nervous. Okay?
Patricia and I just had
a very public argument
right before she was killed.
I also remember you asking
if you had killed her
why you would bring your
tour group to find her.
It doesn't make any sense.
Unless you were working
with someone else.
Have you been in contact with
Patricia's husband, Jedediah?
Who? No!
Did he offer to sell you
the land if you helped him?
Agree to find Patricia's body?
- Okay, this is insanity.
- Because we, uh
we suspect that Patricia
was killed on her own land
protecting the Red Crossbills.
And whoever killed her didn't want
a search party coming through there.
Who would go to that extent
to hide a bunch of birds?
But it was you running
through the woods yesterday.
Didn't you drive away in
that white pickup over there?
That was you!
I thought I was being chased
by some maniac with a shotgun.
Look
I'll admit,
I was trying to get Patricia's land.
I was in the woods to get those spikes
so I wouldn't be implicated.
But I did not kill Patricia.
And I am not working with anyone.
- [REX GRUNTS]
- Mm-hmm.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[REX GROWLS]
Who are you hiding, Topher?
Is Jedediah in here?
I have never met a Jedediah in my life.
I have.
But I swear I haven't
seen him in over 25 years.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
MARK: So tell me if
I've got this straight.
You two were plotting to falsely claim
that Patricia really
didn't own her own land,
so you could pressure her into selling
before she lost it outright?
MEREDITH: It was for her own good.
She was going to lose the house
and I knew her birds
would be safe with Topher.
I want to open up a bird sanctuary
with boardwalks going through
so people can see the Red Crossbills
and fight to protect them.
And make some money along the way.
Well, commerce is not a crime.
DONOVAN: But fraud is.
And now we've found out that you
entered Patricia's house illegally.
A neighbour called in.
I told her not to go.
I was just looking
for the letter I'd sent
claiming the title was under review.
Are you sure you
weren't looking for this?
MEREDITH: That's the ring Jedidiah
gave Patricia the day he left.
Were you aware that Jedidiah
was involved in a jewellery heist
just days before?
I had no idea.
Are you saying this thing is real?
How could it be?
He gave it to her in a crossbill nest.
Like a sweet joke or a riddle.
Which she kept there till her dying day.
The crossbill colony
was very special to them.
Their secret place that
only they could find.
So even you haven't been there?
TOPHER: I tried
trespassing a couple of times,
just following the birdsong.
But
the bush is just so dense.
And after the birds are
gone and the song stops
- I don't know why you'd bother
- TOPHER: Well,
without the song to guide you,
it would be next to impossible
to find where they nest.
Even for Jedidiah, after 25 years.
MEREDITH: You don't think
he's involved in this?
After all this time?
We have evidence that
strongly suggests he was.
MEREDITH: Even after he left her, I
always believed in their love.
To think she might
have died at his hand.
You think the jewels are hidden
where the crossbills nest?
- That's exactly what I think.
- Yeah.
Jedediah and Leo robbed
the jewellery store,
then hid the jewels where
only they could find them
and then planned on returning
when the heat was off.
Yeah, but Leo was caught
and died in prison.
And then when he finally returned,
Patricia surprised him.
Wrong place, wrong time.
But when the birds are
nesting, is the only time
you can find that spot.
I mean, they were destined
to stumble on each other.
Yeah.
And she was destined to be
on the wrong side of that.
Which, I guess, sounds good
but why is Jedediah still out there,
shooting down nests,
silencing birds so no one
can track them to the site?
Presumably, he knew exactly
where the jewels were hidden.
So why not just
return, take them and run?
And why take so long to get
them back in the first place?
Hey, guys. You're going to
want to get in on this telecall.
I got Leo's long time prison
guard calling in from the States.
[PHONE RINGING]
- MARK: Okay.
- DONOVAN: Let's get Sarah too.
Leo was an old head even when
I first started work here.
Meaning he's been in prison a long time.
GUARD: 25 years, by the time he died.
Spent his days talking
about the heists he pulled.
He knew he was going to die
in here, so why not brag?
Did he ever mention a jewellery
heist in Newfoundland, Canada?
Or a partner named Jedidiah?
I'm not sure.
I know he claimed to have
a stash of loot somewhere,
hidden where no one could find it.
Did he leave any journals behind?
Letters from the outside?
GUARD: No, nothing like that.
You know, it's too bad you
didn't call a few weeks ago.
His cellmate was just released.
Yeah, Bradley spent a
couple of years with Leo.
Probably heard every
story a million times.
JESSE: Okay, well, if
you send over Bradley's record,
we might be able to track him down.
Absolutely.
Will do.
But be careful.
Bradley Hoffman seems nice enough
but he's a stone cold killer.
Got out on a technicality
after his third appeal.
- Thanks.
- [COMPUTER CHIMES]
Here's Bradley's record.
MARK: That's Colin Crawford,
the birder who found Patricia's body.
- Find him.
- JESSE: Yeah, yeah.
I'll check in with the motel
and Topher. He's been released.
- We need to move into that forest.
- It's miles of thick brush.
Can the tactical unit get
us that kind of coverage?
We don't need tactical.
Right, right. All we
need is stealth and a dog.
[REX BARKS]
SARAH: There could be two
of them out there, Mark.
Jedediah's DNA was on the murder weapon.
- He's connected somehow.
- Well, then we bring him in too.
We spook them, they could
disappear into those woods
and we never bring them in.
Tactical's there.
They will stay 20 yards back.
- It's the final answer.
- [MARK SIGHS]
Okay. Come on, Rex.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
MARK: All right. Just hold here
and wait for my signal.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Come on, Rex.
Let's find this guy before he
brings down any more crossbills.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[REX SNIFFING]
Well, someone's looking
for something, all right.
We've got to be close.
[REX SNIFFING]
What is it, Rex?
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Who's your friend?
I think we might have found Jedediah.
I guess his partner didn't
want to split the loot.
[DISTANT GUNSHOT]
[WHISPERS] Easy, easy.
Stealth.
[BIRD CHIRPING]
You want to take him,
or shall I take him?
- [RIFLE COCKING]
- [BIRDS CHIRPING]
Shut up or I'll shut you up!
Okay, sure.
[REX BARKS]
[GUN FIRES]
Ughh!
DISPATCH: Shots fired!
Team one, proceed with caution.
You looking for something
down there, Colin?
- Or should I call you Brad?
- [COLIN GROANS]
[REX SNIFFS]
- Who's identity did you steal?
- [COLIN LAUGHS]
You know, along
with all your other crimes?
I'm just out here searching for birds.
Oh, is that right? Okay, okay.
But you've been here before, yes?
- [DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- You came looking for the jewels.
But all you found was Jedediah.
Did Patricia come
across you the same day
that you stumbled on
Jedediah's remains? Hmm?
Is that why you killed her?
What are you doing here?
[PATRICIA GASPS] You!
[PATRICIA GASPS] [PATRICIA SCREAMS]
[PATRICIA CHOKES]
[COLIN GRUNTS]
MARK: And then moved the body
to try and protect the
location of the jewels
while you continued to search?
[COLIN GRUNTS]
A man would nearly kill himself
pulling that much
weight through the brush.
You're a determined man though.
Right?
[REX SNIFFS]
I think you're looking in
the wrong place, to be honest.
How's that?
Jedidiah gave Patricia
a ring after the heist.
Put it in a Red Crossbill nest.
[BIRD CHIRPING]
[REX WHINES]
[BIRD CHIRPING]
[REX BARKS]
I think a little bird just
told me where to find the stash.
[REX BARKS]
[REX WHINES]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[REX SNIFFS]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Well, someone's getting
steak dinner tonight!
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
Well, it turns out there
were three million dollars
worth of jewels in the crossbills' nest,
not including the ring.
More importantly, Colin, aka Brad,
is back behind bars where he belongs.
Well, Sarah had mentioned
that Jedidiah's DNA was found
all over the gloves at the crime scene.
It's a miracle that the sample on
the bino strap hadn't been degraded.
Yeah, it's like Jedidiah was literally
getting his revenge from the grave.
He and Patricia are going
to be laid to rest together.
I think they'd appreciate that.
The land is going to
be turned into a sanctuary,
just like Patricia wanted.
Yeah, well I'm just glad that
the Red Crossbills are safe
and that you and Rex now have
a little patch to dip into.
You'd better get your
bins ready for this lifer.
I can't even pretend I have
no idea what you just said.
Got it back.
- All right, who's ready for dinner?
- [REX BARKS]
Well, Sarah and Donovan
will be here any minute.
- What are we having?
- Roast duck.
[REX WHINES]
Just kidding, twitchers.
- It's steak.
- [REX BARKS]
[JESSE LAUGHS]
Rex!
- Oh, nice catch!
- [JESSE LAUGHS]
[CLOSING THEME MUSIC]