Almost Paradise (2020) s01e02 Episode Script

It's Personal

Hey, who are you people? Good evening and how may I help you on this beautiful, tropical night? You made an illegal landing.
Yes, I'm so sorry, we were delayed at our previous destination.
There really is no excuse for it.
I need to see some identification.
But of course.
Call it in, we're gonna have to hold you, until customs agents arrive and clear you.
Yes, of course, this is completely our fault.
Where are your pilots? Everyone is already in the car, we have all the necessary paperwork, permissions to use the hangar, everything is all in the car.
Please.
Tell your people to step out of the car and wait right here.
I'll speak with them.
Customs are on their way, I had to wake up the supervisor.
You're not gonna hear the end of to that, I promise you.
Hey, I told you to tell everyone to get out of the car right now! Ah, ah! Clean up this mess, our people will secure the plane.
I really am sorry for all this, but apparently your men, they can be bought.
Duty calls.
My name is Alex Walker, I'm ex-DEA, I quit the agency because my friend and partner betrayed me.
One of my first assignments took me to an isolated beach right here on this island, I sold what little I had and bought myself a gift shop, just peace, no stress, no drama.
Boy, was I wrong.
You are in the blue lavender fields of Provence, France, the smell, the breeze of French bread surrounds you in its magnificent fragrance.
You hear the fluttering feather of a waterfowl from a nearby pond.
- You are calm.
- You are calm.
- Serene.
- Serene.
- And at peace.
- And at peace.
You are walking the vineyards of Provence now, the soothing sounds of the wind blowing against the grapevine makes you relaxed and collected in the resplendent nature of the berries and fields around you, you center yourself, become one in this place.
You are calm, serene and at peace always.
Son of a bitch! Where's Cory? A little early to be playing Santa Claus, huh? What, huh? No.
Ugh, ugh! Cory! - Damn it, man.
- Hey, what you doing? Come, you frighten the guests, look, you look like rabid dog.
You turned my water off again.
You no money, you no get water.
I am two days late, okay and the gift shop has been a little slow.
Not my problem.
Cory, I'm gonna pay you, alright, you know I don't get my benefit checks until Thursday.
Then you get water on Thursday.
And what am I supposed to do until then? Oh, smell real bad.
Excuse me, excuse us, please, excuse us, thank you.
So what have we got? Body washed on shore this morning.
- Who found him? - Local surfers.
Okay, take 'em down to the station for statements.
You knew him? Lester Cordero, he was a student of mine at police academy, flunked out, didn't have the instincts for police work.
I helped him land a job as a security guard at the airport, his wife, Pilar works the resorts cleaning rooms.
No other cuts, visible bruises, no signs of struggle.
I never met anyone who didn't like him.
It's very nice of your Mom to let you help me.
This bucket is heavy.
I know, just don't spill any of it.
How long's your Mom been working at the hotel? Since they were built.
Sometimes after school I get to hang out there until she's finished.
Well, I guess I got lucky.
That makes one of us.
Alright, alright, careful, careful, thank you.
No, no, don't just leave it there, bring it in.
You said you'd pay me if I bring this to the gift shop and they're in the gift shop.
Fine, take out whatever you want off the racks.
Wow! Hey, no, no, I said anything off the racks, off the racks is like five bucks and under, that's like 40 bucks.
What is this? Which one is it? That there's an amethyst crystal, some people say it has healing qualities.
I want it.
No, I said anything off the racks.
I want it.
You remind me of my daughter.
She's a little older than you, but she's just as annoying.
So that means I can have this? Fine, you earned it.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
Santa.
Hey, man.
Rita, Rita, come out right now! Rita.
Let's go.
No.
No, no, no! No! Hey.
Are you okay? They said something happened to Papa.
You mind if I sit with you for a bit? Or you wanna be alone? I'll give you some space.
Whoa, whoa, oh, whoa! Hey.
Rita, - come along.
- Mom? We have to go.
Let's go.
Poor kid.
What happened? Her father's body was found this morning, throat slashed.
What have you guys got, you got any leads? Oh, so now you're interested? - What are you talking about? - How many cases have we brought to you for help, a little insight? How many times have you turned us down? You realize I'm on this island to avoid stress, right? So you just turn your back, when you're needed.
Those cases had nothing to do with me.
Oh, and this one does? Yeah, this one kind of, hey! This one kind of does, alright.
This wasn't done by a professional, I mean, he probably has a criminal background, but he wasn't a hit man by trade.
What tells you that? The wound, jagged cuts, definitely not an assassin's blade, probably a utility knife, Reverse S blade, it's got a particular serrated edge, you can fold it, stick it in your pocket, you can hide it.
So you're saying you can tell all that by looking at a photo of a wound? You can't? So what are you thinking, a robbery? This guy didn't have two bucks to his name, he had nothing to steal.
Wait a minute, you knew him? Ernesto, maybe you're too close to this one.
I'm going to find out who did this, officially or not.
Then lets make it official.
So what do you think happened? I think this guy was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We just have to find out where that place was.
- Your blood pressure is still very high.
- Have you been sticking to the diet? Pretty much.
And listening to the relaxation tapes? Every morning.
Did you bring your anxiety journal? I did, yeah.
I mean, I don't know if everything, I don't know if I wrote down every single time this thing went off.
It measures more than heart rate, Alex, it's monitoring your stress.
Honestly if you're not going to take this seriously, I can't approve your disability payments, - it's a condition - I'm taking it seriously, I do, I take it seriously, I do.
I was hoping to see more improvement by now.
Next time we meet, I would like to see you've used your journal in a more articulate fashion.
Alright, will do.
Is there any way you can call down and see if they could issue my check today, instead of Thursday, because they cut the water off at the place and I tell you, you wanna talk about stress.
I have no control over that, Alex.
- Yeah.
- I simply submit my report and the paymaster does what they do.
- I'd like to get you on the treadmill to - Oh, wait, doc, sorry, I gotta get down to the police station, - they're about to interview - You're on a case? Sorta.
Alex, do you understand that your condition could attack at any time? Yeah, well, I know the only time this thing doesn't go off is when I'm on a case, it's real life that stresses me out.
Okay, so.
Alex, don't fool yourself, you're not just at risk when you hear the watch go off.
Stress is a silent killer, you could have an attack when you least expect it.
You and Lester Cordero worked together a long time? No, switched night shifts about a month ago, that's when I met him.
And you two were working together the night he died? Yeah, I can't believe it.
Anything unusual happened the other night at the airport? No, man, it was dead, after 11 p.
m.
at night, the airport is ghost town, boring, nothing happens.
Did Lester say anything to you about anyone who might wanna hurt him? No, not to me.
And he worked the entire shift with you? Yeah.
So you saw him leave? I watched him leave exactly at six a.
m.
, I stayed, 'cause the next shift was late, but I saw Lester walk out the gate.
Six a.
m.
, thank you, Mr.
Luzon.
You're right-handed.
Excuse me? You can go.
If he's telling the truth, he left the airport at six a.
m.
, the surfers found his body at nine, so something must have happened to him on the way home.
He's lying.
He didn't see Lester leave the airport, he's probably lying about a lot of other stuff too.
How do you know? He had all the signs, rapid blinking, his cheeks were flushed, he was sweating, but the kicker is when you asked him about Lester leaving the airport, he looked up to the right, he's right-handed, right-handed people look up to the left, when they're accessing memory, they look up to the right, when they're accessing imagination.
That holds up in a court of law in the United States? Ah, you know.
Check with the coroner about the time of death, I guarantee you, Lester Cordero died before six a.
m.
, you can bet on it.
He doesn't annoy you even a little? - A little.
- Yo! I need a ride, back to the hotel, I'm a little short on cab funds.
Thanks for the ride.
Let me know when you get the coroner's report.
You do understand I don't work for you, right? Alex? I need you to come inside with me real quick.
- I have work to do.
- I just, can you please come in with me real quick? Alright, tell me what they're doing.
Who? The rich, white lady and her servants? Don't look at them, look at me.
How am I supposed to tell you what they're doing, - if I don't look? - Keep your eyes on me and use the periphery of your vision.
I can't look at you and, wait.
Guy with a man bun, tough face just walked over to her.
Does he have a scar on his left eye? Don't look, look at me.
I think so, who are these people? International smugglers, I recognized her outside.
What do they smuggle, drugs, diamonds? Yes, yes and anything else of value, but very high end.
And that guy with the scar? That's Klaus, he runs their security, former mercenary.
What do you mean he's not here? Does he expect me to just stand here in the lobby waiting for him? Perhaps his plane was delayed.
Get me an envelope and something to write on.
He's getting something from the desk.
- She looks really pissed off.
- Hey.
She's writing a letter, I think, putting that in an envelope, taking off her charm bracelet, putting that in too.
Alright, I need you to do one more thing for me - after he leaves.
- You know, you're getting really irritating.
Thank you so much and if you'd be so kind, please make sure he receives this as soon as he checks in.
Of course.
Delightful.
Hello.
- Excuse me, hi.
- Hold on.
That gentleman you were just speaking to, I need some information on him.
I'm sorry, but we must protect the privacy of our guests, it's the policy of our hotel.
Well, the policy of the police department is to shut down any hotels, that are in violation of any health codes.
You don't think I'll find any violations here, do you? Oh, I'm sorry, officer.
- Detective.
- Yes, Detective.
That man, what time did he check into the hotel? Wait a minute.
Here we are, Mr.
Von Bueren and his party checked in at 4:17 a.
m.
Thank you, you've been so helpful.
What's it say? Return this bracelet to me in my room, 21B tonight at eight, we'll pick up the rest of your merchandise and finalize our transactions at the club.
Who's Max Adler? I don't know, we've got to find out fast.
Results from the coroner are in, time of death approximately four a.
m.
Desk clerk said they checked in at 4:17 a.
m.
It's 15 minutes from the airport to here.
So they killed the security guard, - 'cause he got in their way? - Yep.
Now it's our turn.
Hello, testing.
Damn it, man! It's a ear bud, not a megaphone, just put it in your ear and talk normally.
What's your plan? I wait for him to show up.
Shouldn't we find out who this guy is first? Oh, we will, he's gonna tell us.
Get ready, we're a go.
Reservation under Max Adler, please.
Exactly.
There's a letter for you, sir.
Mr.
Adler, I presume.
And who would you be? I will be escorting you to your meeting, alone.
I don't think so.
Well, I'm afraid I'm under strict orders to cancel this transaction, sir.
How do I know you're legit? Oh yeah, that damn thing! Do you know how hard it was for me to find that for her? Wait here.
Do you often get gifts for Catherine? It was a condition of the transaction.
Darn thing wasn't even that expensive, it was just crazy hard to find, I think it was some kind of test.
Yeah well, you know Catherine.
Actually I don't, never met her in person, I hear she's a real ball buster.
She has her charms.
Guess you were right, he doesn't know what she looks like.
Well, yeah, I mean, she's tough, but as long as you don't mention the Houston Texans, you'll be fine, she hates them.
Well, I'm glad you warned me, I grew up a big old football fan, - they're my home team.
- I kind of figured.
Who in the hell are you? I'm Catherine Himmel.
Lady, you sure are a pretty little thing, but you ain't no Catherine Himmel.
What the hell is going on here? Uh! Uh, uh! Man! Guess you were wrong, he did know what she looked like.
It's fine, I know all I need to know right now.
Adler's from Houston, Texas, he's never met Catherine, so chances are she probably doesn't know what he looks like.
That's what you said about Adler, what if she does? Get them to do a rundown, I want everything they can find on this guy back at the station, we may have to use one of Ocampo's relationships at the embassy.
And what do we do? Well, we have a date with a Miss Catherine Himmel.
Mr.
Luzon, hi, do you have a moment? I told you guys everything I know.
I just need you to clear up a few discrepancies, may I come in? Discrepancies? Coroner's report came in, some things don't tie up.
Where's your partner? Ah, it's just me.
Yeah, sure, come in.
Thanks.
And you would be? Oh, I think you know exactly who I am.
May I take your coat and hat? Well, you can take my coat, son, but the only time I ever take this hat off is if something really bad's about to happen.
Nothing really bad is about to happen, is it? That is one spectacular view.
Yes, the way the moonlight dances across the bay is something to behold.
I wasn't talking about the moonlight.
You flatter me, sir.
Pouring it on a little thick, don't you think? Chief Ocampo.
I pulled some strings with people from the embassy to get this file, this could be a very big bust, newsworthy, depending on what they're smuggling.
I believe this belongs to you.
Actually it's not for me, it's for your daughter.
Excuse me? We know a great deal about you, your business and your daughter, she's 12, right, what was her name again? Daisy, Daisy and she's 13.
She's 13.
You know damn good well her name is Daisy, is this another one of y'alls tests, huh? Are you trying to intimidate me? Nonsense, we just like to know who we're doing business with.
Please give her the charm bracelet as a token of our friendship.
I assumed you guys cleaned up that business in Antigua? You see, I also like to know who I'm doing business with.
Now that we are all on an equal footing, might I suggest we enjoy the rest of our evening out in the town? We have a car waiting outside.
You got a car? Well, we still have the last portion of your shipment to be acquired, so in the meanwhile please be our guest.
There is a fantastic nightclub in town, that caters just to your particular taste.
We're on the move, I need everything locked down.
Did they say where they're going? Some nightclub.
Mr.
Adler.
They have our table.
They are quite beautiful, are they not? The shipment will be prepared and ready soon, but in the meantime is there anything? - Or anyone? - That we can get you? I'm gonna, um, I need to go use the little cowboy's room.
Excuse me.
I like the blue hair.
What? Alex? Alex? Alex, answer me.
Alex! Alex? Alex, are you alright? Hey, what the hell happened to you? - Nothing, why? - I've been calling out to you.
Oh, my damn ear bud must've fallen out.
Are you alright? - You're not acting normal.
- What are you talking about? You're not all full of yourself and sarcastic.
Alright, well, nothing's wrong, so calm down.
Okay, say something funny.
I'm happy to see you.
And he's back.
- Thanks.
- Keep it on this time.
Ah, now I see what's kept you occupied for so long.
We were wondering what had happened to you.
You're handsome, cowboy.
Maybe you buy me a drink later, okay? Bye bye.
Shall I entreat her to join us this evening? Nah, she's not my type.
Mr.
Adler, good news, I've just been informed the rest of your shipment has been secured.
Once you transfer payment to out account, - we can complete delivery.
- You wouldn't happen to have one of those little, small compact mirrors on you, would you? I'm sorry, I don't, why? Oh, I wanted to see if I had dumb ass written across my forehead.
Whatever do you mean, Mr.
Adler? Well, in my neck of the woods, we verify the goods before we purchase.
You don't trust me? It ain't about trust, alright, you ever heard of caveat emptor? That there's Latin, cut the cards.
I have gone across the Orient to acquire what you need and for that I expect to be well compensated.
All I'm asking is to see the goods I wanna purchase, before I purchase them, now is that too much to ask? This is marvelous, two alphas locking horns.
Catherine, surely we can make an exception for Mr.
Adler? Why not? We will take you to see the cargo and then you will transfer funds to our account.
Don't be silly, of course he will, because if he doesn't, we would hate to see what happens to him and little Daisy.
I like you guys, I do, I like you guys, I'm telling you, man, you got balls that clink, you know.
Kidlat Luzon.
You're under arrest, come quietly with me right now, because I would just hate it, if you resisted arrest.
You came to the wrong part of town, old man.
This is N88 territory, no one around to help you here.
Oh, poor me.
What will I do? Argh! Uh! Gee, what do I do with these? Argh! You killed an innocent man, a decent man, a husband, a father, my friend and you're gonna pay for it.
You can't prove that.
Argh! Uh! Uh! Uh, uh! Argh! An S blade with a serrated edge, you kept the murder weapon? You're even stupider than you look.
Uh! Two guards at the gate and two in the car with you, that's how you roll, I love it.
He says they've got four guards there.
Plus Klaus, looks like an even fight.
Hey! Two, four, six more in the hangar.
- Well, Catherine - Do we have backup coming? You sure do run a world class operation here and I'd take my hat off to you, but I never take this puppy off.
Would you like to see the merchandise now? Well, yes, ma'am, I would.
It's already loaded and ready for you to ship out.
We need to know exactly what they're smuggling, before we can go in and bust them.
Show him.
I think you'll be very pleased with the quality of our product.
Oh, my God! What is it, drugs, currency? It's little girls.
Sex trafficking? We've exceeded your first shipment of 40 girls by over 20.
I trust you are satisfied? Once you transfer the funds to us, you and your people can take the plane and its cargo.
I do believe this is the first time I've seen you speechless.
We have backup coming any minute, stall them.
Our police techs in the van will help spoof the money transfer, okay, just give us a little time.
Transfer the entire amount to this account.
Is there a problem, Mr.
Adler? I thought you never take off that hat.
- Crap! - What? He took off his hat, we're going in now.
Backup's not here yet! You do know I have a daughter, right? Yes, dear, sweet Daisy.
No, her name's Emily! Drop your weapons, you're all under arrest! Uh! Uh! Uh, uh! Argh! Cover me.
They're just, little, girls! Uh! Uh! Uh! Uh! You're under arrest.
Get that looked at.
It's gonna be a long night.
Hey, you alright? Yeah, I'm, where were you, man? We could've used you here.
- I was just kicking it.
- Hm.
We are grateful for the safe release of the young women and have returned them to their homes and their loved ones.
This sex trafficking ring was brought to justice by the hardworking task force of our police department in a raid, which I personally led, but that's not important.
What is important is that they will face charges for the murder of Lester Cordero.
Well, I see you are taking your stress management very seriously.
Honestly, doc, I've never felt better.
Hm, for an undercover agent, you are a terrible liar.
I'm not lying.
Aside from getting all cut up, you had an attack, - you went unconscious.
- You know what, the good news is that it wasn't that bad and I was fine afterwards.
A minor attack, the next one could be far worse, maybe even fatal, any idea what kicked it off? You got any kids, doc? I have a six-year old boy.
Yeah, I got one in college.
and I still worry about her every day and when I saw all those girls For people like you, who like to be in control, the vulnerability of children can be destabilizing, even debilitating.
When was the last time you were in contact with her? A long time.
Call her.
It's complicated.
I see.
But these kinds of unresolved issues could be a contributing factor in why we're not seeing enough progress.
Think about finding ways that will help you resolve these issues, if not for her, then at least for yourself.
Hey.
Can I join you? - Mm-hmm.
- Yeah? Your Mom back at work? She doesn't have a choice.
What about you, no school, huh? I'm not ready to go back yet.
Yeah, I get it.
I thought getting the people who killed my father would make me feel better.
But it didn't, huh? I'm glad they won't be able to do this to anyone else, but But, it's not gonna bring him back.
I miss him.
I know.
Hey, I almost forgot, you left this at the gift shop.
The amethyst crystal.
Amethyst crystal, that's right.
And it's for healing, right? That's what they say.

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