The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018) s01e10 Episode Script
The End
1
Previously on the Truth about
the Harry Quebert Affair
Chief Pratt killed himself?
You'd think so, but no.
Murdered.
A couple of good whacks
at the back of the head.
That's like Nola.
Pratt was protecting somebody
who was afraid
that now he'd talk.
Found fingerprints
on the gas can,
but no match
which means it was someone
with no police record.
Hello?
The arsonist who set fire
to Harry's house
was arrested tonight.
We found a handgun
and a necklace
with Nola's name on it
in Montburry Lake.
Any idea how they
got there, Mr. Quinn?
The black Monte Carlo
at the scene of the crime,
that was yours
all along, wasn't it?
Look at the headline.
Nixon resigned in August, 1974.
There is no way
that that photo was
taken in August, 1975.
Who are you protecting?
And that's when I found them
the letters
between Harry and Nola
that he'd stolen.
I found these
after she disappeared.
They're all from Harry Quebert.
They're all the letters
in his book,
"The Origin of Evil."
I've given you everything.
The truth is in your hands.
What the fuck
is that supposed to mean?
This is " The Origin of Evil ."
The moment I've been dreading
for 33 years.
"Dear Marcus,
if you're still
looking for answers,
this may interest you.
This book is
the truth. Harry."
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale"
by Harry L. Quebert.
You know, once
they find their mate,
they stay together for life.
I think you should put
seagulls in your book.
If you want,
I'll put them on every page.
So, when you get
to the end of your novel
Mm-hm?
You wanna make sure
you give your readers
one last twist.
Thank you.
One last twist?
Yes, you wanna
you wanna keep 'em
on tenterhooks
until the very end.
So, when you
get to the end of your novel
Mm-hm?
You wanna make sure
you give your readers
one last twist.
One last twist?
Yes, you wanna
you wanna keep 'em
on tenterhooks
until the very end.
Okay
You want me to yeah, okay.
Because it's like
you play cards?
You know, I thought
you were dead.
I'm just a ghost now.
It's the first time
I've been to your place.
It's impressive.
Thank you.
You live alone?
I do.
You what?
I do.
You do what?
I live alone.
You should change that.
I'll try.
Can I get you a drink?
I would like that, thank you.
Okay.
And thank you
for your hospitality.
To figuring it out.
I knew you would.
Congratulations.
I, um
I have the, uh, videos
of their interrogations,
if you'd like to see them.
May I?
Please, yeah.
Please.
Mrs. Dawn,
how long have you known?
Not until the day
not until the day Nola's body
was found at Goose Cove.
The whole town
was in such a frenzy.
I started
I started to feel sick,
so I went home
earlier than usual
I can't believe
this doesn't scare you!
This whole thing
could explode at us!
Calm down.
I'm not gonna calm down!
- Calm down!
- I'm not calming down!
Calm down! No one
is going to suspect.
All roads lead to Quebert!
The body's on his property.
Yeah, and what if he's
found not guilty?
Travis, he won't be!
Come on!
Wait a minute.
Wait, w-where are you going?
We're not done!
Geez
What's going on, Travis?
I heard you talking about Nola.
Huh?
Jenny
What?
I
I don't know how
to tell you this.
Okay.
I know how Nola
Kellergan was killed.
He told me what they'd done
Don't worry.
I'll take care of everything.
And that he kept Nola's necklace
all these years
so he'd never forget.
I had to protect him.
He was all I had.
But then
Except when Marcus Goldman came,
started stirring everything up,
I panicked.
I wanted him gone!
I sent him those
threatening messages.
I set fire to Harry's car.
But he ignored
my warnings, so
Jenny started acting strange
preoccupied,
after Nola's body
was discovered.
I'd ask her what was wrong,
but she
she wouldn't tell me.
And then, one evening, I was up,
going to the bathroom,
and, uh
I saw her car
drive by the house.
I was worried sick
about my little girl.
I wanted to know
where she was going.
Jenny!
Jenny!
What are you doing?
This is crazy!
What Stop it!
You don't understand, Daddy!
- Stop it!
- Go away!
Go away!
Stop!
After Pratt confessed
to sexually assaulting Nola
he had nothing left to lose.
I could see
he was about to crack.
One day, he calls me.
He said
we should talk.
So I-I went to see him.
You're panicking, Gareth.
They don't have anything
tying you to Nola,
other than a fuckin' blow job.
It'll pass.
Just sit tight.
I'm not facing the Lord
with this on my head.
I'm dying, Travis.
My life is almost over.
And what about mine?
You have to do
what's right for you.
I'm turning it in.
Complete confession.
Maybe then I'll have some peace
after what we did.
And, uh
how did Robert Quinn
end up with the gun
and Nola's necklace?
Jenny.
She thought that if
the investigation turned to us,
well, we'd be screwed.
So she
she asked her father
to get rid of them in the
And you let him take the blame?
Just
just long enough for us to
to-to leave the country.
See, I-I knew
he'd want to protect her.
And the photo?
It was pure luck.
Chief Dawn,
if you could walk us through
what occurred
on August 30th, 1975?
Shut it off.
I, uh, I was the
I sometimes wonder what my life
would've been like
had I never gone to Sommerdale.
But that way, madness lies.
How'd you find out
I didn't write
"The Origin of Evil"?
How'd you find out?
It was Elijah Stern,
actually.
It was thanks to him.
How many of these do you have?
Close to 30, I think.
This is how
"The Origin of Evil" begins.
With this this letter
from Nola to Harry.
He kept all the letters
that Luther had stolen,
and when I saw those letters,
I suddenly realized
there's, uh
there's not one mention
of a seagull
in "The Origin of Evil,"
and you swore to her
that you'd put one
on every page.
You know, the book
you wrote that summer,
the book that, uh
Nola typed for you
that was
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale."
"Dear Marcus,
if you're still
looking for answers,
this may interest you.
This book is the truth. Harry."
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale
by Harry L. Quebert."
Hmm.
It's an unpublished
book of Harry's.
I don't know, he always said
Nola loved seagulls.
There must be some connection.
But what does that mean,
"This book is the truth"?
And you used me
back when you asked me
to burn that manuscript
of "The Origin of Evil"
because
it wasn't your handwriting.
Bravo, Marcus.
Bravo.
You didn't write the book
that made you famous.
You stole it
from Luther Caleb.
"The Origin of Evil"
You know, I never understood
why such a beautiful book
had such an ominous title,
and
I was embarrassed to ask you.
It's the origin of evil
that destroyed your life.
That's enough, Marcus.
The title had nothing
to do with the book.
It was about you.
The first letter Nola sent you,
on July 5th,
when you were trying
to break it off with her,
you never received it.
Luther had been spying on you.
He took the letter,
and from that day on,
he began writing Nola,
pretending to be you.
At night, he would retrieve
your discarded pages
in order to study the way
you shaped your words.
He was an artist,
so he was skillful
at copying your handwriting.
He even suggested
the umbrella stand
as the place to hide
her letters to you
so he would find them first.
He took all the letters
she wrote you
before you even saw them,
and replied again and again,
always as you.
And the whole summer,
it was her unknowing
correspondence
with Luther Caleb
that became
"The Origin of Evil."
Harry?
How could you do such a thing?
I panicked.
I was struggling with
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale,"
despite Nola thinking
how great it was.
And then Luther showed up
with a manuscript
that he had written,
asking me for my advice.
Oh!
Luther, what's up?
Uh I was
wondering
if I could ask you a favor?
Yeah, please,
come on in, I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Come on in.
What can I do for you?
It's
I've written something,
and, uh
I it's a love story,
and I don't know
if it's any good, but I was
I was wondering if you
if you might be willing to
to read it?
Yes, of course,
it'd be my pleasure.
Thank you.
Uh
I've, uh
I've brought the handwritten
copy by mistake.
I can go
No, that's
that's all right,
as long as it's legible.
Why don't you just let me
read the whole thing,
and then I'll
I'll let you know what I think.
Okay?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Harry?
Harry!
Harry?
Harry!
"My sweet darling girl,
today, I came
to your house at dawn,
as I often do, I must confess.
I watched you at a distance,
obscured within
a forest of shadows"
Harry?
"around me,
the leaves stirred
in their trees,
and called out, 'Go to her, '
but I remained hidden.
There are things we long to do,
but must not do."
I've been calling you
for the last 10 minutes.
I'm sorry.
I didn't hear you.
Are those the new pages?
I can type them up.
No, not yet.
They're not ready yet.
It was the most beautiful book
I'd ever read in my life.
The most extraordinary
love story,
our love story,
with those remarkable letters
woven in between.
I had no idea that
it was written for Nola,
that the letters in it
were Nola's.
But the story itself
was so powerful,
so painfully human,
I just
just couldn't believe
how beautiful it was.
And so you claimed it
as your own.
Yes.
About a week later,
there was an accident.
And I found out
that it was Luther
who was in the car.
I hadn't had time
to give it back to him, so
I claimed it as my own.
I just could not have imagined
what a huge success
it would become.
It ruined my life.
So you let yourself
be accused of murder
rather than just reveal
the truth about the manuscript?
My whole life had been
built on a lie,
don't you see that?
I still have no idea
how she got the book.
It's simple, Harry.
He left the typewritten version
in her mailbox.
He knew you guys were
going away together.
He knew that she was gonna
elope with you,
and so that's how
he ended the book,
with the heroine's departure.
The manuscript ended
with a final letter
he'd written to Nola,
wishing her a good life.
He put a copy
of that final letter
in the package along with
the typed manuscript
so she'd read the letter
as soon as she opened it.
In your own words
what happened August 30th, 1975?
This is the story of parents
who refused to see the truth
about their child
It's the story of a man
who, out of entitlement
and arrogance,
destroyed the dreams
of another young man,
and was forever haunted
by what he'd done.
And this is the story of a man
who dreamed of becoming
a great writer,
but was slowly consumed
by his own ambition.
This is the story of
a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
which parked some distance
away from a house
in a quiet neighborhood
of a small town in Maine.
At dawn on August 30th, 1975,
Nola Kellergan
received her last letter,
along with a package
she assumed
was from her intended,
Harry Quebert.
Thinking it was a final goodbye,
that Harry had changed his mind
and was forsaking her,
she nearly lost her mind.
Sweetheart?
What's wrong?
What's the matter?
I can't-I can't tell you.
Of course you can, angel.
You can tell
your daddy anything.
I'm just sad.
Just so sad, Daddy.
Aw
Let her go, David.
She doesn't deserve your love.
Not after what she's done.
Stop it.
Nola, no, please.
Stop.
I beg you,
do not start this again.
You weak, pathetic man.
It's because of you
she's like this.
Nola, please
I beg you.
For heaven's sake,
I cannot let you
hurt yourself again!
Get out, David.
Now.
It's okay, Daddy.
It's my punishment.
Come here, Nola.
I said come here!
No, Mother.
No, please
You will do as I say.
This is the punishment
for girls who
kill their mothers.
All day long,
music blasts from the garage,
but Luther doesn't move,
never takes his eyes
off the house,
waiting patiently
for his beloved.
He'd caused her pain.
He didn't understand how,
but he knew
he needed to see her.
He needed to apologize.
At 6:00,
he watches as she climbs
out of her bedroom window
She looks down the street
to make sure she's not seen
Then she begins to run.
Luther?
Don't cry.
I just came to say
that you shouldn't cry.
Can you give me a lift?
Yes, of course.
Get in.
Take me to Goose Cove.
I have to see Harry.
Now, neither Luther nor Nola
noticed the police car
behind them.
Travis was on patrol.
"Why was Luther Caleb
picking up Nola?"
Travis was about to call
for backup,
but he decided
that he would deal
with Luther himself
He doesn't love me, Luther.
I thought he did,
but he doesn't.
I wrote those letters.
Not Harry.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
I don't understand.
You wrote those letters?
Yes.
You stole my letters to Harry?
Please forgive me.
No! No!
Get off!
Wait, wait!
Get off me!
I know you and Harry
are leaving.
I just wanted to say goodbye.
Then that means
Harry's still waiting.
We're still
going away as planned.
Take me to
the By the Sea motel, Luther,
on Shore Road.
You're so lucky, Nola.
You and Harry, you
you'll never be lonely.
Pull over!
Oh, it's Travis.
Pull over now!
Go faster. Go faster!
You can get to the motel
from the beach.
Run. Run!
Run, Nola!
Oh, my God
Officer Dawn,
pick up, Officer Dawn.
Shit!
Dawn here. Over.
Just got a call
from Mrs. Cooper
on Side Creek Lane.
I don't have time
for Mrs. Cooper.
She reported seeing a young girl
being chased by a man
into the woods
across from her property.
Over.
I'm on it. Over.
Shit!
You think we're okay now?
We should wait here for a while.
I
I think we're safe.
Chief, it's Travis.
I'm sorry to disturb you
on your day off.
I saw Luther Caleb
in Sommerdale.
Yeah, again.
Only this time,
he was with Nola Kellergan.
Seemed like they were arguing,
and he wouldn't let her
Okay.
Uh, I'm at the Cooper residence.
Okay. Bye.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Thank you for your help.
You just stay inside, okay?
Okay.
What time is it?
I'm meeting him at 8:00.
I think it's okay
to go now, right?
Go.
I'll stay behind.
I can't. I'm not
gonna leave you behind.
Go. Go.
Run to see Harry.
Everything will be fine.
Just go.
Go!
Goodbye, darling Nola.
What?
There.
There's the bastard.
Come on!
Where is she? Huh?
Where's Nola?
Where is she,
you piece of shit? Huh?
What'd you do to her,
you fuckin' pedophile?
Get off him!
Get off him! Get off!
Luther?
Luther? Luther
We didn't mean to.
- You killed him!
- No, no, no
You killed him!
We thought he hurt you
You killed him!
Hey! No!
Nola
Nola, we didn't mean to!
Nola! Get her,
for God's sake!
Fuck!
I see her!
Where?
Up here, up here!
Help! Help!
Help!
Hurry! Hurry!
They're coming!
Call the police, please!
Yes!
I called before
about a girl being
chased in the woods.
She's here with me now,
and she's hurt.
Send somebody, quick!
An officer is on his way.
- Good.
- He should be there soon, ma'am.
Oh, there he is!
Thank you!
I see him.
Put it down!
Put it down!
Travis, what's going on?
Everything everything's
under control, ma'am.
Don't worry about it.
They're murderers!
They killed Luther Caleb!
Travis! Is that
is it true?
No, it isn't.
Liar!
They killed Luther!
What the fuck did you do?
She knew about Luther.
Get the girl!
Hey, hey! Hey,
hey, hey, hey!
No! You murderer!
Get off me! Get off me!
Oh, my god.
What have we done?
We had no choice.
It was her or us.
Careful, careful.
Shit!
It's the dispatch.
They probably sent another car.
Dammit!
Go. Fast.
I'll deal with
Mrs. Cooper's body.
I'll say it was a
a robbery gone awry.
Hey! Where am I going?
Just get
this thing out of sight,
and we'll get rid of
the bodies later.
Okay.
Travis speeds
out of the forest path.
He is chased by a deputy's car
who was alerted
by Mrs. Cooper's call.
So, secure the area.
Don't let anybody in
until the coroner gets here.
Suspicious vehicle spotted
near Side Creek Lane,
a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
I'm on it.
Ah, we lost him.
He's on route one,
headed toward Bangor.
Are you out of your mind?
Why the hell did you stop here?
He's not here.
Jenny told me
Quebert's in Boston.
He's not here.
I asked for a roadblock
at every road.
- We're trapped!
- I had to.
Oh, shit
Oh, shit.
What do we do?
Okay, just let me think.
All right.
Leave the car here.
Lock the door.
Get back to Side Creek Lane
as fast as you can.
Use the shortcut by the beach.
Yeah, pretend you were
searching in the area
near Cooper's house.
I'll rejoin the chase.
All right?
We'll take care of
the bodies later tonight.
Okay.
Wait! Wait!
Take this.
You're covered in blood.
All right,
so B car got this area.
Yeah, two by two, guys.
To the west of the house.
All right, let's go.
Come on, get her hands.
Got it.
Yup.
Careful, careful.
Count of three?
Yeah.
Just do it.
Okay.
What about the bag she had?
Go.
So what we need to do
is get rid of the car
and the driver
at the same time.
I don't understand.
Make it look like an accident.
You know the cliffs
near Bradford?
I'm supposed to drive
through frickin' roadblocks
in that thing?
Flash your badge.
No one is gonna stop you
unless you give them
a reason to.
So don't.
I won't be far behind.
Evening, Officer.
Sommerdale Police.
Following a a lead off-duty.
Not too hopeful, but
you never know, right?
Black Monte Carlo?
It's, um
my wife's.
A bit too showy for me,
but it's the wife,
what are you gonna do?
Yeah.
I got one of those too.
Well, you have a good, uh
morning.
Yeah.
Thank you, sir.
We will never talk
about what happened,
is that clear?
Better to leave it unsolved.
Old lady shot by a burglar,
sign of the times.
Another young runaway
Why not just pin
the whole thing on Caleb?
And risk involving Stern?
You knew she had
psychotic episodes,
didn't you?
Yes. I went over to her
to talk to her father
even though
I promised I wouldn't.
She's being beaten
black and blue, Reverend.
You have to stop this,
or I'm gonna go to the cops.
I wouldn't do that,
Mr. Quebert.
The hell I will not!
You don't understand.
What kind of man are you
to just sit back
and let your wife beat
My wife's been dead
for nine years!
I don't under
Reverend!
Reverend?
Reverend!
That's when I knew
I needed to get her
out of Sommerdale
to get her the help she needed.
Harry, that's why you were
running away together?
Yes.
I would have made sure she
had the right doctor.
I would have helped her
become whole again.
Why didn't you tell me
about her mother?
I was so mad at you
for the leaks.
I thought you had betrayed
my trust,
and I was angry.
I wanted that book to fail.
And I knew
if you made that mistake,
no one would take you seriously
ever again.
See, this is why I told you
we could never be friends again.
You'll never look at me
the same way ever again, Marcus.
Write the truth, Marcus.
Write the truth about me.
Correct your book.
Write the truth about
the Harry Quebert Affair.
Goodbye, Marcus.
Rumor has it
you have a new book, writer.
Mm-hm. This is true, yeah.
You'll have to give it a read.
I think you might
might recognize yourself.
Oh, yeah?
Mm-hm.
I can't take a look now?
No, not a chance, Sergeant.
Aw
I knew you were gonna say that.
Well, if it's bad,
I expect a full refund,
all right?
No.
Goldman Goldman
doesn't offer refunds.
I like what you did
with the house, man.
It came out good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Interesting idea, too,
making it a retreat for writers.
Yeah.
Yeah, you know, I mean
maybe I can help them
believe in themselves.
You know, like, um
like Harry never could
do for himself.
Hey, uh
you see today's New York Times?
No.
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale"
is a must-read novel.
Luther Caleb"
"Luther Caleb"
Yeah?
"wrongly accused
of murdering Nola Kellergan,
was a brilliant writer
whose talent was
never discovered
during his lifetime"
Can I see this real quick?
Luther Caleb?
You're unbelievable.
Uh blah, blah, blah
"This extraordinary novel
gives us a new perspective
on how Harry Quebert
was inspired by
his love for Nola Kellergan
to write The Origin of Evil."
Look, they both wrote
masterpieces, right?
At least this way,
Luther gets
the credit he deserves,
for one of them.
Hey, the police
aren't the only ones
who can dispense justice,
okay, Sergeant?
Right.
All right.
Do you mind if I keep this?
You are too much.
You know, if Harry
could have taken his own advice,
trusted what he wrote,
none of this
would have happened.
Watch your step.
The guy owes you, again.
So, what are you
gonna do now, writer?
Just waiting for
inspiration to strike,
you know.
Scared shitless, actually,
but that's a writer's life.
Well
See you around, buddy.
Yeah, man.
"Revealing a subtle knowledge
of the torment
of the human soul,
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale"
tells a powerful love story
that is shattering
in its fragility,
and uplifting in its innocence.
It is a masterpiece
of an exceptional talent.
Mr. Caleb's death
almost 30 years ago
is a tremendous loss
to the literary world,
but his posthumous acclaim
makes his a name
that won't be forgotten
anytime soon."
Previously on the Truth about
the Harry Quebert Affair
Chief Pratt killed himself?
You'd think so, but no.
Murdered.
A couple of good whacks
at the back of the head.
That's like Nola.
Pratt was protecting somebody
who was afraid
that now he'd talk.
Found fingerprints
on the gas can,
but no match
which means it was someone
with no police record.
Hello?
The arsonist who set fire
to Harry's house
was arrested tonight.
We found a handgun
and a necklace
with Nola's name on it
in Montburry Lake.
Any idea how they
got there, Mr. Quinn?
The black Monte Carlo
at the scene of the crime,
that was yours
all along, wasn't it?
Look at the headline.
Nixon resigned in August, 1974.
There is no way
that that photo was
taken in August, 1975.
Who are you protecting?
And that's when I found them
the letters
between Harry and Nola
that he'd stolen.
I found these
after she disappeared.
They're all from Harry Quebert.
They're all the letters
in his book,
"The Origin of Evil."
I've given you everything.
The truth is in your hands.
What the fuck
is that supposed to mean?
This is " The Origin of Evil ."
The moment I've been dreading
for 33 years.
"Dear Marcus,
if you're still
looking for answers,
this may interest you.
This book is
the truth. Harry."
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale"
by Harry L. Quebert.
You know, once
they find their mate,
they stay together for life.
I think you should put
seagulls in your book.
If you want,
I'll put them on every page.
So, when you get
to the end of your novel
Mm-hm?
You wanna make sure
you give your readers
one last twist.
Thank you.
One last twist?
Yes, you wanna
you wanna keep 'em
on tenterhooks
until the very end.
So, when you
get to the end of your novel
Mm-hm?
You wanna make sure
you give your readers
one last twist.
One last twist?
Yes, you wanna
you wanna keep 'em
on tenterhooks
until the very end.
Okay
You want me to yeah, okay.
Because it's like
you play cards?
You know, I thought
you were dead.
I'm just a ghost now.
It's the first time
I've been to your place.
It's impressive.
Thank you.
You live alone?
I do.
You what?
I do.
You do what?
I live alone.
You should change that.
I'll try.
Can I get you a drink?
I would like that, thank you.
Okay.
And thank you
for your hospitality.
To figuring it out.
I knew you would.
Congratulations.
I, um
I have the, uh, videos
of their interrogations,
if you'd like to see them.
May I?
Please, yeah.
Please.
Mrs. Dawn,
how long have you known?
Not until the day
not until the day Nola's body
was found at Goose Cove.
The whole town
was in such a frenzy.
I started
I started to feel sick,
so I went home
earlier than usual
I can't believe
this doesn't scare you!
This whole thing
could explode at us!
Calm down.
I'm not gonna calm down!
- Calm down!
- I'm not calming down!
Calm down! No one
is going to suspect.
All roads lead to Quebert!
The body's on his property.
Yeah, and what if he's
found not guilty?
Travis, he won't be!
Come on!
Wait a minute.
Wait, w-where are you going?
We're not done!
Geez
What's going on, Travis?
I heard you talking about Nola.
Huh?
Jenny
What?
I
I don't know how
to tell you this.
Okay.
I know how Nola
Kellergan was killed.
He told me what they'd done
Don't worry.
I'll take care of everything.
And that he kept Nola's necklace
all these years
so he'd never forget.
I had to protect him.
He was all I had.
But then
Except when Marcus Goldman came,
started stirring everything up,
I panicked.
I wanted him gone!
I sent him those
threatening messages.
I set fire to Harry's car.
But he ignored
my warnings, so
Jenny started acting strange
preoccupied,
after Nola's body
was discovered.
I'd ask her what was wrong,
but she
she wouldn't tell me.
And then, one evening, I was up,
going to the bathroom,
and, uh
I saw her car
drive by the house.
I was worried sick
about my little girl.
I wanted to know
where she was going.
Jenny!
Jenny!
What are you doing?
This is crazy!
What Stop it!
You don't understand, Daddy!
- Stop it!
- Go away!
Go away!
Stop!
After Pratt confessed
to sexually assaulting Nola
he had nothing left to lose.
I could see
he was about to crack.
One day, he calls me.
He said
we should talk.
So I-I went to see him.
You're panicking, Gareth.
They don't have anything
tying you to Nola,
other than a fuckin' blow job.
It'll pass.
Just sit tight.
I'm not facing the Lord
with this on my head.
I'm dying, Travis.
My life is almost over.
And what about mine?
You have to do
what's right for you.
I'm turning it in.
Complete confession.
Maybe then I'll have some peace
after what we did.
And, uh
how did Robert Quinn
end up with the gun
and Nola's necklace?
Jenny.
She thought that if
the investigation turned to us,
well, we'd be screwed.
So she
she asked her father
to get rid of them in the
And you let him take the blame?
Just
just long enough for us to
to-to leave the country.
See, I-I knew
he'd want to protect her.
And the photo?
It was pure luck.
Chief Dawn,
if you could walk us through
what occurred
on August 30th, 1975?
Shut it off.
I, uh, I was the
I sometimes wonder what my life
would've been like
had I never gone to Sommerdale.
But that way, madness lies.
How'd you find out
I didn't write
"The Origin of Evil"?
How'd you find out?
It was Elijah Stern,
actually.
It was thanks to him.
How many of these do you have?
Close to 30, I think.
This is how
"The Origin of Evil" begins.
With this this letter
from Nola to Harry.
He kept all the letters
that Luther had stolen,
and when I saw those letters,
I suddenly realized
there's, uh
there's not one mention
of a seagull
in "The Origin of Evil,"
and you swore to her
that you'd put one
on every page.
You know, the book
you wrote that summer,
the book that, uh
Nola typed for you
that was
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale."
"Dear Marcus,
if you're still
looking for answers,
this may interest you.
This book is the truth. Harry."
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale
by Harry L. Quebert."
Hmm.
It's an unpublished
book of Harry's.
I don't know, he always said
Nola loved seagulls.
There must be some connection.
But what does that mean,
"This book is the truth"?
And you used me
back when you asked me
to burn that manuscript
of "The Origin of Evil"
because
it wasn't your handwriting.
Bravo, Marcus.
Bravo.
You didn't write the book
that made you famous.
You stole it
from Luther Caleb.
"The Origin of Evil"
You know, I never understood
why such a beautiful book
had such an ominous title,
and
I was embarrassed to ask you.
It's the origin of evil
that destroyed your life.
That's enough, Marcus.
The title had nothing
to do with the book.
It was about you.
The first letter Nola sent you,
on July 5th,
when you were trying
to break it off with her,
you never received it.
Luther had been spying on you.
He took the letter,
and from that day on,
he began writing Nola,
pretending to be you.
At night, he would retrieve
your discarded pages
in order to study the way
you shaped your words.
He was an artist,
so he was skillful
at copying your handwriting.
He even suggested
the umbrella stand
as the place to hide
her letters to you
so he would find them first.
He took all the letters
she wrote you
before you even saw them,
and replied again and again,
always as you.
And the whole summer,
it was her unknowing
correspondence
with Luther Caleb
that became
"The Origin of Evil."
Harry?
How could you do such a thing?
I panicked.
I was struggling with
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale,"
despite Nola thinking
how great it was.
And then Luther showed up
with a manuscript
that he had written,
asking me for my advice.
Oh!
Luther, what's up?
Uh I was
wondering
if I could ask you a favor?
Yeah, please,
come on in, I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Come on in.
What can I do for you?
It's
I've written something,
and, uh
I it's a love story,
and I don't know
if it's any good, but I was
I was wondering if you
if you might be willing to
to read it?
Yes, of course,
it'd be my pleasure.
Thank you.
Uh
I've, uh
I've brought the handwritten
copy by mistake.
I can go
No, that's
that's all right,
as long as it's legible.
Why don't you just let me
read the whole thing,
and then I'll
I'll let you know what I think.
Okay?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Harry?
Harry!
Harry?
Harry!
"My sweet darling girl,
today, I came
to your house at dawn,
as I often do, I must confess.
I watched you at a distance,
obscured within
a forest of shadows"
Harry?
"around me,
the leaves stirred
in their trees,
and called out, 'Go to her, '
but I remained hidden.
There are things we long to do,
but must not do."
I've been calling you
for the last 10 minutes.
I'm sorry.
I didn't hear you.
Are those the new pages?
I can type them up.
No, not yet.
They're not ready yet.
It was the most beautiful book
I'd ever read in my life.
The most extraordinary
love story,
our love story,
with those remarkable letters
woven in between.
I had no idea that
it was written for Nola,
that the letters in it
were Nola's.
But the story itself
was so powerful,
so painfully human,
I just
just couldn't believe
how beautiful it was.
And so you claimed it
as your own.
Yes.
About a week later,
there was an accident.
And I found out
that it was Luther
who was in the car.
I hadn't had time
to give it back to him, so
I claimed it as my own.
I just could not have imagined
what a huge success
it would become.
It ruined my life.
So you let yourself
be accused of murder
rather than just reveal
the truth about the manuscript?
My whole life had been
built on a lie,
don't you see that?
I still have no idea
how she got the book.
It's simple, Harry.
He left the typewritten version
in her mailbox.
He knew you guys were
going away together.
He knew that she was gonna
elope with you,
and so that's how
he ended the book,
with the heroine's departure.
The manuscript ended
with a final letter
he'd written to Nola,
wishing her a good life.
He put a copy
of that final letter
in the package along with
the typed manuscript
so she'd read the letter
as soon as she opened it.
In your own words
what happened August 30th, 1975?
This is the story of parents
who refused to see the truth
about their child
It's the story of a man
who, out of entitlement
and arrogance,
destroyed the dreams
of another young man,
and was forever haunted
by what he'd done.
And this is the story of a man
who dreamed of becoming
a great writer,
but was slowly consumed
by his own ambition.
This is the story of
a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
which parked some distance
away from a house
in a quiet neighborhood
of a small town in Maine.
At dawn on August 30th, 1975,
Nola Kellergan
received her last letter,
along with a package
she assumed
was from her intended,
Harry Quebert.
Thinking it was a final goodbye,
that Harry had changed his mind
and was forsaking her,
she nearly lost her mind.
Sweetheart?
What's wrong?
What's the matter?
I can't-I can't tell you.
Of course you can, angel.
You can tell
your daddy anything.
I'm just sad.
Just so sad, Daddy.
Aw
Let her go, David.
She doesn't deserve your love.
Not after what she's done.
Stop it.
Nola, no, please.
Stop.
I beg you,
do not start this again.
You weak, pathetic man.
It's because of you
she's like this.
Nola, please
I beg you.
For heaven's sake,
I cannot let you
hurt yourself again!
Get out, David.
Now.
It's okay, Daddy.
It's my punishment.
Come here, Nola.
I said come here!
No, Mother.
No, please
You will do as I say.
This is the punishment
for girls who
kill their mothers.
All day long,
music blasts from the garage,
but Luther doesn't move,
never takes his eyes
off the house,
waiting patiently
for his beloved.
He'd caused her pain.
He didn't understand how,
but he knew
he needed to see her.
He needed to apologize.
At 6:00,
he watches as she climbs
out of her bedroom window
She looks down the street
to make sure she's not seen
Then she begins to run.
Luther?
Don't cry.
I just came to say
that you shouldn't cry.
Can you give me a lift?
Yes, of course.
Get in.
Take me to Goose Cove.
I have to see Harry.
Now, neither Luther nor Nola
noticed the police car
behind them.
Travis was on patrol.
"Why was Luther Caleb
picking up Nola?"
Travis was about to call
for backup,
but he decided
that he would deal
with Luther himself
He doesn't love me, Luther.
I thought he did,
but he doesn't.
I wrote those letters.
Not Harry.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
I don't understand.
You wrote those letters?
Yes.
You stole my letters to Harry?
Please forgive me.
No! No!
Get off!
Wait, wait!
Get off me!
I know you and Harry
are leaving.
I just wanted to say goodbye.
Then that means
Harry's still waiting.
We're still
going away as planned.
Take me to
the By the Sea motel, Luther,
on Shore Road.
You're so lucky, Nola.
You and Harry, you
you'll never be lonely.
Pull over!
Oh, it's Travis.
Pull over now!
Go faster. Go faster!
You can get to the motel
from the beach.
Run. Run!
Run, Nola!
Oh, my God
Officer Dawn,
pick up, Officer Dawn.
Shit!
Dawn here. Over.
Just got a call
from Mrs. Cooper
on Side Creek Lane.
I don't have time
for Mrs. Cooper.
She reported seeing a young girl
being chased by a man
into the woods
across from her property.
Over.
I'm on it. Over.
Shit!
You think we're okay now?
We should wait here for a while.
I
I think we're safe.
Chief, it's Travis.
I'm sorry to disturb you
on your day off.
I saw Luther Caleb
in Sommerdale.
Yeah, again.
Only this time,
he was with Nola Kellergan.
Seemed like they were arguing,
and he wouldn't let her
Okay.
Uh, I'm at the Cooper residence.
Okay. Bye.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Thank you for your help.
You just stay inside, okay?
Okay.
What time is it?
I'm meeting him at 8:00.
I think it's okay
to go now, right?
Go.
I'll stay behind.
I can't. I'm not
gonna leave you behind.
Go. Go.
Run to see Harry.
Everything will be fine.
Just go.
Go!
Goodbye, darling Nola.
What?
There.
There's the bastard.
Come on!
Where is she? Huh?
Where's Nola?
Where is she,
you piece of shit? Huh?
What'd you do to her,
you fuckin' pedophile?
Get off him!
Get off him! Get off!
Luther?
Luther? Luther
We didn't mean to.
- You killed him!
- No, no, no
You killed him!
We thought he hurt you
You killed him!
Hey! No!
Nola
Nola, we didn't mean to!
Nola! Get her,
for God's sake!
Fuck!
I see her!
Where?
Up here, up here!
Help! Help!
Help!
Hurry! Hurry!
They're coming!
Call the police, please!
Yes!
I called before
about a girl being
chased in the woods.
She's here with me now,
and she's hurt.
Send somebody, quick!
An officer is on his way.
- Good.
- He should be there soon, ma'am.
Oh, there he is!
Thank you!
I see him.
Put it down!
Put it down!
Travis, what's going on?
Everything everything's
under control, ma'am.
Don't worry about it.
They're murderers!
They killed Luther Caleb!
Travis! Is that
is it true?
No, it isn't.
Liar!
They killed Luther!
What the fuck did you do?
She knew about Luther.
Get the girl!
Hey, hey! Hey,
hey, hey, hey!
No! You murderer!
Get off me! Get off me!
Oh, my god.
What have we done?
We had no choice.
It was her or us.
Careful, careful.
Shit!
It's the dispatch.
They probably sent another car.
Dammit!
Go. Fast.
I'll deal with
Mrs. Cooper's body.
I'll say it was a
a robbery gone awry.
Hey! Where am I going?
Just get
this thing out of sight,
and we'll get rid of
the bodies later.
Okay.
Travis speeds
out of the forest path.
He is chased by a deputy's car
who was alerted
by Mrs. Cooper's call.
So, secure the area.
Don't let anybody in
until the coroner gets here.
Suspicious vehicle spotted
near Side Creek Lane,
a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
I'm on it.
Ah, we lost him.
He's on route one,
headed toward Bangor.
Are you out of your mind?
Why the hell did you stop here?
He's not here.
Jenny told me
Quebert's in Boston.
He's not here.
I asked for a roadblock
at every road.
- We're trapped!
- I had to.
Oh, shit
Oh, shit.
What do we do?
Okay, just let me think.
All right.
Leave the car here.
Lock the door.
Get back to Side Creek Lane
as fast as you can.
Use the shortcut by the beach.
Yeah, pretend you were
searching in the area
near Cooper's house.
I'll rejoin the chase.
All right?
We'll take care of
the bodies later tonight.
Okay.
Wait! Wait!
Take this.
You're covered in blood.
All right,
so B car got this area.
Yeah, two by two, guys.
To the west of the house.
All right, let's go.
Come on, get her hands.
Got it.
Yup.
Careful, careful.
Count of three?
Yeah.
Just do it.
Okay.
What about the bag she had?
Go.
So what we need to do
is get rid of the car
and the driver
at the same time.
I don't understand.
Make it look like an accident.
You know the cliffs
near Bradford?
I'm supposed to drive
through frickin' roadblocks
in that thing?
Flash your badge.
No one is gonna stop you
unless you give them
a reason to.
So don't.
I won't be far behind.
Evening, Officer.
Sommerdale Police.
Following a a lead off-duty.
Not too hopeful, but
you never know, right?
Black Monte Carlo?
It's, um
my wife's.
A bit too showy for me,
but it's the wife,
what are you gonna do?
Yeah.
I got one of those too.
Well, you have a good, uh
morning.
Yeah.
Thank you, sir.
We will never talk
about what happened,
is that clear?
Better to leave it unsolved.
Old lady shot by a burglar,
sign of the times.
Another young runaway
Why not just pin
the whole thing on Caleb?
And risk involving Stern?
You knew she had
psychotic episodes,
didn't you?
Yes. I went over to her
to talk to her father
even though
I promised I wouldn't.
She's being beaten
black and blue, Reverend.
You have to stop this,
or I'm gonna go to the cops.
I wouldn't do that,
Mr. Quebert.
The hell I will not!
You don't understand.
What kind of man are you
to just sit back
and let your wife beat
My wife's been dead
for nine years!
I don't under
Reverend!
Reverend?
Reverend!
That's when I knew
I needed to get her
out of Sommerdale
to get her the help she needed.
Harry, that's why you were
running away together?
Yes.
I would have made sure she
had the right doctor.
I would have helped her
become whole again.
Why didn't you tell me
about her mother?
I was so mad at you
for the leaks.
I thought you had betrayed
my trust,
and I was angry.
I wanted that book to fail.
And I knew
if you made that mistake,
no one would take you seriously
ever again.
See, this is why I told you
we could never be friends again.
You'll never look at me
the same way ever again, Marcus.
Write the truth, Marcus.
Write the truth about me.
Correct your book.
Write the truth about
the Harry Quebert Affair.
Goodbye, Marcus.
Rumor has it
you have a new book, writer.
Mm-hm. This is true, yeah.
You'll have to give it a read.
I think you might
might recognize yourself.
Oh, yeah?
Mm-hm.
I can't take a look now?
No, not a chance, Sergeant.
Aw
I knew you were gonna say that.
Well, if it's bad,
I expect a full refund,
all right?
No.
Goldman Goldman
doesn't offer refunds.
I like what you did
with the house, man.
It came out good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Interesting idea, too,
making it a retreat for writers.
Yeah.
Yeah, you know, I mean
maybe I can help them
believe in themselves.
You know, like, um
like Harry never could
do for himself.
Hey, uh
you see today's New York Times?
No.
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale"
is a must-read novel.
Luther Caleb"
"Luther Caleb"
Yeah?
"wrongly accused
of murdering Nola Kellergan,
was a brilliant writer
whose talent was
never discovered
during his lifetime"
Can I see this real quick?
Luther Caleb?
You're unbelievable.
Uh blah, blah, blah
"This extraordinary novel
gives us a new perspective
on how Harry Quebert
was inspired by
his love for Nola Kellergan
to write The Origin of Evil."
Look, they both wrote
masterpieces, right?
At least this way,
Luther gets
the credit he deserves,
for one of them.
Hey, the police
aren't the only ones
who can dispense justice,
okay, Sergeant?
Right.
All right.
Do you mind if I keep this?
You are too much.
You know, if Harry
could have taken his own advice,
trusted what he wrote,
none of this
would have happened.
Watch your step.
The guy owes you, again.
So, what are you
gonna do now, writer?
Just waiting for
inspiration to strike,
you know.
Scared shitless, actually,
but that's a writer's life.
Well
See you around, buddy.
Yeah, man.
"Revealing a subtle knowledge
of the torment
of the human soul,
"The Seagulls of Sommerdale"
tells a powerful love story
that is shattering
in its fragility,
and uplifting in its innocence.
It is a masterpiece
of an exceptional talent.
Mr. Caleb's death
almost 30 years ago
is a tremendous loss
to the literary world,
but his posthumous acclaim
makes his a name
that won't be forgotten
anytime soon."