01x02 - Poison in a Pear Tree - Part 2

[bunniefuu]

SAM: There was an incident

at the Chalmers Tree

Farm last night.

You're telling me that

my cookie k*lled Marcus?

SAM: June Hubble,

you are under arrest

for the m*rder of

Marcus Donavan.

OFFICER: An emergency

call just came in.

It sounds like Gordon

Chalmers has been poisoned.

SAM: Who called it in?

Someone named Emily.

[dramatic music]

[distant siren]

♪

[horse neighs]

SAM: Is he okay?

ROWEN: Yeah.

Shadow and Gordon

share a close bond.

He knows something's wrong.

[siren wailing]

EMILY (V.O.): I

shouldn't be here.

Getting myself involved

in a m*rder investigation

is an unforced error, not to

mention the worst possible way

to fly under the radar.

And yet, here I am,

like a moth to a flame.

Cafeteria was closed,

so I got a coffee from

the vending machine.

ANNA: Thanks.

The cardiologist

gave me an update.

Whatever was in that flask

triggered a heart attack.

Well, I'm sure he won't

give up without a fight.

Yeah. Thanks for coming.

You didn't have to. We

barely know each other.

I know if it was my dad,

I wouldn't want to have

to go through it alone.

[indistinct announcement on PA]

Gordon mentioned that his flask

had gone missing for a few days.

Yeah, he was real

upset about it.

He likes to have a drink

after he's finished

with his evening wagon rides.

I have an uncle like that.

If he's anything

like your dad

the first is usually

not the last.

His drinking got a lot worse

after my mom died

a few years ago.

I'm so sorry.

Has your dad ever

considered retirement?

I'm sure he could

make a nice profit

if he ever chose

to sell the farm.

That's not an option.

When he's ready to hand

it off, it'll go to me.

It's everything I've been

working towards my whole life.

I'm sure it'll be

in excellent hands.

[mysterious music]

♪

Sam?

Why were you at the tree farm?

I gave my statement to

an officer before I left.

I read it.

I wasn't satisfied.

We need to talk.

It's been a long day.

I'm not asking.

EMILY (V.O.): Perfect.

My one job was to

stay out of trouble.

Self-sabotage,

thy name is Emily.

[theme music]

♪

EMILY (V.O.): This isn't

at all how I pictured

my first interrogation going.

- We're just talking.

- Really?

'Cause it felt like I

didn't have a choice.

You know, when you told me

that I didn't have a choice.

What do you wanna ask me?

Why you were at the

tree farm today.

And yesterday, for that matter.

You didn't order a tree.

- You fact-checked me?

- Mm-hm.

Look

I have nothing to hide.

I was at the tree farm because

I was trying to find evidence

that would help clear June.

I know how that sounds, and

yes, I have been listening

to too many true crime

podcasts, I will admit it.

You were trying to

help your friend.

I can respect that.

- Thank you.

What I don't like is the

way you went about it.

I don't need an amateur

sleuth getting in my way.

I retract my thank you.

Do I need to remind you

that one man is dead

and another is

fighting for his life?

Oh, I thought that you already

had the k*ller in lock-up.

Unless June is innocent,

like I've been saying

this whole time.

The only other possibility

is that she's working

with a partner.

That doesn't sound

so far-fetched.

You were alone with Gordon right

before Anna found him, right?

Okay, right.

Where did that cookie that

k*lled Marcus come from, again?

Yes, thank you, thank you.

You've made your point.

I am sorry that I got involved.

All I'm asking is if

you have any questions

or information,

you bring it to me,

rather than acting

on it alone. Agreed?

Fine.

And in return, I assume

you'll keep me in the loop

on what's going

on with the case?

Absolutely not.

Worth a try.

BROOKE: [gasps] I knew it!

EMILY: Brooke?

I told the girls

this would happen.

It was only a matter of time.

You two are perfect together.

Oh, uh, no, that's

not I'm not what

Yeah! I get it,

it's still new.

Well, I just wanted to say,

I think it's beautiful.

No, Brooke, uh, we're

BROOKE: I'm gonna let

you get back to it.

I knew it. [chuckles]

So, that happened.

Yep.

EMILY (V.O.): I know

I technically agreed

to leave the

investigating to Sam,

but what he doesn't know

can't come back to bite me.

I've just got to approach

it in a more subtle way.

Okay, let's see who

we've got here

EMILY (V.O.): Being able to

access photos and selfies

from the accounts of everyone

in attendance with Marcus

the night he died

creates a surprisingly

detailed timeline of events.

Unfortunately, the one person

I was most eager to prove

was on the wagon that night

is nowhere to be found.

Lizzy's boyfriend, Trent.

Why make a reservation

under a fake name

if he wasn't involved?

Okay.

Well Lizzy was

alone at the farm.

[cat meows]

She was telling the truth

about that, at least.

♪

See the snow fall

on your shoes ♪

Thanks so much. Have

a great holiday.

[door bells jingling]

- Hey, Vy! How was school?

- Mortifying.

I heard Gladys, one of

the cafeteria ladies,

talking about how my dad was

dating some new woman in town.

- You're kidding.

- Nope.

Then she got all

quiet when she saw me.

It was humiliating.

That isn't the same Gladys

who's in a book club

with Brooke Carmichael, is it?

I dunno.

EMILY (V.O.): I'm

gonna k*ll Brooke.

Consider this my confession.

Well, maybe it isn't

true. Wrapping?

It's definitely not true.

As if my dad would take five

minutes away from his work

to meet someone.

He's got zero social life.

Except when the

two of us hang out,

which right now mostly involves

doing the usual

Christmas activities.

Well, that sounds like fun.

Some are okay, but

some are t*rture.

Like Christmas karaoke

night as Sue's diner.

[shudders]

Every year, my mom and

dad do a duet together,

and not even divorce was

enough to stop the pain.

I still have PTSD

from last year's rendition

of "Jingle Bell Rock."

[laughs] Oh my God!

- Don't laugh at my trauma.

- I'm sorry.

I just now have that

image burned in my head.

At least now that my mom

lives two hours away,

karaoke won't rear

its ugly head.

I'll take my victories

where I can get them.

[phone buzzing]

[intriguing music]

EMILY: Okay, Ray, what

do you have for me?

Ah, straight to the point.

That's what I love about you.

Gonna start with the bad news.

Uh, came up empty on

the Joey Vaughan part.

Right. I figured that one out.

He was apparently a star

shortstop for the Dodgers

in the '40s.

Okay, so, definitely

no follow-up questions.

Okay, get to the good stuff!

I'm building to it!

There is an art to this.

- Mm.

- Okay, fine.

So, I was able to confirm that

Gordon racked up gambling debts

in the neighbourhood of 30

grand or so, plus interest.

So a lot of bad poker hands.

And that's not the

surprising part.

He paid, in full.

The slate is clean.

That doesn't make any sense.

Where would Gordon come

up with that kind of cash

on such short notice?

Well, maybe the bank

had a change of heart

and decided to give

him a loan after all.

EMILY (V.O.): Ray might not

be that far off the mark.

Gordon, Marcus, and Lizzy all

share a common connection.

And all roads lead

back to the bank.

Or, more specifically,

to the bank's new

senior loan manager.

[indistinct conversation]

[quietly] That coat

[mysterious music]

♪

- Hey, Trent!

- Emily.

Nice to see you again.

- Yeah, yeah, you too.

I like your coat. Super cozy.

Thanks! Yeah, it is very warm.

[chuckles] I could swear

I've seen it before.

You weren't at the Chalmers

Tree Farm recently, were you?

No, I haven't been

there in ages.

You sure this isn't you?

EMILY (V.O.): That coat must

be even warmer than it looks,

because Trent is definitely

starting to sweat.

You know, there are

other people out there

with the same coat.

EMILY: Yeah, that's

a really good point.

I guess it's also possible

that there are other people

that use the names of

their baseball heroes

when trying to stay anonymous.

How did

And I might have

my dates crossed,

but I'm pretty sure that picture

was taken the night Marcus died.

Is that possible?

I don't, um I'm actually

late for a meeting.

Oh! Oh, gosh, don't

let me keep you, yeah.

It's probably best that

I take this directly

to the police anyway.

I mean, no need to bug

you with it any further.

Wait. Sit down.

Oh!

This has nothing to do

with Marcus's death, okay?

He was like a brother to me.

I am curious how Marcus

felt about his brother

getting his

ex-girlfriend pregnant

so soon after they broke up.

Hey, congratulations,

by the way.

Lizzy is gonna be

such an amazing mama.

We were keeping it a secret.

Ah, you know how

small towns are.

Well, let me set the record

straight on one thing.

It was Marcus who introduced

us in the first place.

He was happy for us.

So, yeah, that's why you and

Lizzy were at the farm together.

For the wagon ride?

She didn't invite me.

I found that strange.

So I went to the farm

a few days earlier,

and I found Marcus's name

in the reservation log.

[sighs] You must have

thought the worst.

I know I would have.

Yeah, I-I got the wrong idea.

So I signed in under a fake

name to cover my tracks,

and I showed up that night

to catch them together.

Instead, I found

Marcus there with June.

I had it all wrong.

Lizzy never even

knew I was there.

So no one noticed it was you?

On my way out, I stopped to get

gas at the station up the hill.

Anna Chalmers was there.

Gordon Chalmers' daughter?

You spoke?

No, I was just leaving

as she was pulling in.

But we saw each other.

Well, I so appreciate you

sharing all of this with me.

Actually, um

before I leave,

I wonder if you could just

do me one tiny favour.

What is it?

I would really love just a

just a little peek at Marcus's

most recent account statement.

That's a total

breach of protocol.

I could get in trouble.

Ah, yeah, but I don't think

Marcus would mind, do you?

[scoffs]

Plus, what's one more little

secret between friends?

♪

RECEPTIONIST: Someone

will be in touch.

EMILY: Anna!

- You okay?

- Yeah.

I was just trying to get some

information about my dad's case.

I'm sure it's all gonna be okay.

I know Detective

Wilner's all over it.

Yeah.

Hey, um, I ran into

Trent Hadley today.

He mentioned you.

Trent?

Oh, do you mean

Trent from the bank?

Yeah, he said that you

guys saw each other

at the gas station by

the farm the other night.

The night Marcus died.

He's mistaken.

I didn't get back until

early the next morning.

Hm.

Um, I should get

back to the hospital.

The doctor said my dad's

gonna wake up any time now.

Yeah, of course. Take care.

Hi. Uh, here to

see June Hubble.

JUNE: I feel like one of

those poor shelter dogs

all curled up in the

corner of their cage,

not knowing why they're there.

You do not deserve

to be here, June.

I truly believe that.

I really needed to hear that.

I want to help you in any way

that I can, but to do that,

I need to ask you

something about Marcus.

It's okay. I have

nothing to hide.

The day before he was k*lled,

he made a large cash withdrawal

from his savings account.

$40,000.

No. That doesn't make sense.

Marcus was meticulous

when it came to money.

He crossed every

and dotted every I.

But with cash, there's

no paper trail.

Exactly. It goes against

everything Marcus stood for.

I can't think of any reason

why he would do that.

And the police haven't

mentioned this?

No, this is the first

I'm hearing of it.

Could this be connected

to his death somehow?

EMILY (V.O.): That, right

there, is the $40,000 question.

I have a theory about what

happened to Marcus's money,

but that theory only holds

water if I can be sure

Sam and his team

didn't recover it.

And the tricky part is,

I can't ask Sam about it

without tipping him off that

I've still got my mittens

all up in his investigation.

Emily?

Sam!

What a nice surprise.

Well, I do work here.

That's very true.

Are you on your way out?

I'm just waiting for Violet.

We have our annual Christmas

season kick-off event tonight.

That sounds fun.

What's the event?

The chocolate shop

brings out a new line

of holiday hot

chocolates every year,

so we like to go

on launch night.

It's actually become

a bit of a tradition.

That is adorable.

VIOLET: Hey, Dad. Oh, hi, Em.

EMILY: Uh, don't mind

me. I'm just leaving.

Have fun, you guys.

VIOLET: Actually

Dad, is it cool if we do

the hot chocolate thing

another night?

My friend Tara invited

a few of us over.

On a school night? To do what?

Get wasted and play

spin the bottle.

What else?

We have a quiz tomorrow. We're

mostly gonna be studying.

But I already

pre-paid to make sure

we'd get the collector mugs.

VIOLET: Oh.

You know what? You

should take Emily.

She's new here.

Who better to introduce her to

our local traditions, right?

You'll love it, I promise.

Ah

I mean, sure, if

that's okay with you.

- Yeah, why not?

- Yes!

You guys are gonna

have so much fun!

I'm jelly! Okay,

love you, Dad.

Bye, Em.

EMILY (V.O.): Awkward

Then again, I was looking

for a way to talk to Sam.

So how good is

this hot chocolate?

Has anybody seen

Kris Kringle? ♪

What flavour is this again?

Peppermint spiced white hot

with lime-infused marshmallows.

Sugar coma, here I come.

- Mmm.

- [slurping]

I'm like [giggles]

It's really good!

I know, right?

Hey, I'm sorry Violet put

you on the spot like that.

Oh, it's fine.

She mentioned that

she's gonna be

visiting her mom for Christmas.

Must be hard for you.

It is, yeah.

But, you know,

she's getting older.

Starting to outgrow this place.

She's already talking about

moving away for college.

What?

Who would ever want

to leave a place

with such decadent treats?

[chuckles]

[slurping]

What is it?

Uh I was just

thinking about something

Gordon mentioned to me.

Never mind.

Forget I said anything.

Well, now I'm curious.

Well, it's just that he was

talking about leaving, too.

Or at least selling the farm.

He said that Marcus was

interested in buying it.

They had a contract

all written up.

Marcus had even agreed to

a large cash down payment.

- He told you that?

- Yeah.

I didn't realize

you two were close.

Oh, no, we're not.

I think I just caught

him in a chatty moment.

Anyway, what wasn't

clear was whether

Marcus had actually paid

him the money or not.

Just kinda makes you wonder.

About what?

Oh, I mean, if

if Marcus did

withdraw that money

and didn't end up giving

it to Gordon, then

where's the money?

Why do I get the feeling

I'm the one being

interrogated this time?

I'm I'm just

making conversation.

We can change the subject.

I've been a cop for 15 years.

I know what fishing for

information looks like.

So, to answer your question,

maybe Marcus gave

the money to charity,

or maybe he bought a boat

to sail around the world.

It doesn't mean it's

connected to his m*rder.

Real criminal cases don't look

like Agatha Christie plots.

Okay.

Thanks for the company.

You're leaving?

You haven't even finished

your hot chocolate.

I have some work I need

to get done tonight, so

if you have anything else,

you know where to find me.

♪

[upbeat Christmas music]

EMILY (V.O.): I

underestimated Sam last night.

That's on me.

I love that one.

EMILY (V.O.): Now that I've

confirmed that Marcus's 40K

is still officially

unaccounted for,

I am certain that

Gordon used that money

to pay off his gambling debts.

The question is whether he

poisoned Marcus to get it.

And if so, who poisoned

Gordon in return?

Have a good one.

[door bells jingling]

EMILY: Hey, Vy.

How was your night?

Almost worth the silent

treatment from Dad.

He's making me pay for

missing hot chocolate night.

That was a pretty sneaky

move you pulled, by the way.

Sorry.

I just want to be able to

hang out with my friends

on a short notice.

But Dad and his schedules

EMILY: Have you told

him how you feel?

I don't want to

hurt his feelings.

I know he's just trying to make

up for not having Mom here.

You know, it really

is so special

that they can put

aside their differences

and come together

for the holidays.

I never really thought

about it before,

but I guess maybe I'm not the

only one who lost something

when Mom moved away.

It's so hard for me to picture

Sam with complex emotions.

He always seems so in control.

I call that his

"resting cop face."

But he's actually

a total softie.

And every little problem he

can't solve eats away at him.

EMILY (V.O.): Eating

away at him

Of course!

[dramatic music]

♪

EMILY: Hey, Rowen.

You done for the day already?

More than the day. We

all just got let go.

Oh, no. Maybe it's

just temporary?

That's exactly what Anna said.

But what are we supposed

to do in the meantime?

♪

ANNA: Sorry, we're closed.

Emily.

EMILY: I wanted to talk

to you about something.

About what?

Just, I can't stop thinking

about what happened to your dad,

and how some of his recent

choices may have led to it.

You mean his drinking?

Yeah, that's part of it,

but there are mistakes

he's made, and I think

they're eating away at him.

Like trying to sell

the farm to Marcus

when he knows how

important it is to you.

I told you he wouldn't do that.

I don't think he felt

he had any other choice.

Look.

[exhales]

I

I have a friend who plays poker

at some of the same tables.

He said your dad's debts

had been piling up.

He gets in over his head

sometimes, but this, I

No, these guys that he

owes, they are dangerous.

They would have k*lled

him if he hadn't paid.

Selling the farm to

Marcus was a way out.

Then why is Marcus dead?

And why is my dad

in the hospital

fighting for his life right now?

I think Marcus gave

him a down payment

to help him clear his debts,

and then once the

money was paid,

maybe Gordon had a change

of heart about selling.

The papers were never

officially signed.

If something happened to Marcus,

then the contract

would be null and void.

You're accusing my

dad of k*lling Marcus?

He was poisoned too, remember?

Yes, I know, but the poison

was found in his own flask.

Maybe he couldn't live with what

he'd done and he saw a way out.

- Why are you telling me this?

- Because I

Look, I get wanting

to protect your dad.

I would probably do the

same thing in your shoes.

But listen to me, Anna

If Gordon dies and you do

not share what you know,

then my friend June could

have her entire life

destroyed over this.

You need to leave.

Now!

- Anna

- Now.

Okay.

♪

[door opens and closes]

[sombre music]

EMILY (V.O.): Visiting a patient

in the hospital's

private care unit

comes with some complications.

First, you need to

be immediate family.

Second, you need to arrive

during proper visiting hours.

Sorry!

EMILY (V.O.): Of course, there's

always a way around the rules

if you're willing to

think outside the box.

EMILY (V.O.): I don't

know why I'm here.

If I'm right about Gordon,

he doesn't deserve

my compassion.

Yet I'm all too familiar

with self-preservation

and survival instinct.

[distant sirens]

EMILY (V.O.): Are we really

so different in the end?

NURSE: Excuse me. How

did you get in here?

This is a private ward.

You need to leave.

Oh it's okay.

Uh, she's with me.

[indistinct announcement on PA]

[machines beeping]

I needed some information

from Gordon's surgeon.

Thought I'd come

see if he was awake.

I suppose you'll want to

know what I'm doing here.

Will I like the answer?

Um

I was gonna reach

out. I, uh

I wanted to apologize for

leaving so suddenly last night.

I kinda deserved it.

I saved your collector's

mug for you, though.

Oh. I appreciate that.

Mm-hm.

I should probably go before

Nurse Ratchet comes back.

Night, Sam.

Night, Emily.

♪

♪

EMILY (V.O.): Hug the cats,

glass of wine, bubble bath.

In that order.

[indistinct chatter]

EMILY: Can I help

you with something?

That's okay.

Oh! Ah You're

the owner, right?

Mm-hm, yeah.

- Emily? We met at

- At the daycare.

Um Lizzy?

I was just driving

by and I suddenly

had a pregnancy craving

for something sweet.

I was hoping you

might still be open.

Ah

Think we can figure

something out.

[door bells jingling]

EMILY: We fall short

in the pickles and ice

cream department

But we do have 40 different

candy cane flavours.

What's the cookie

situation like?

Uh, gingerbread, shortbread.

All the cookies that

confusingly end in "bread."

There was this

one type of cookie

I can't stop thinking about.

It was a sugar cookie, I think,

with purple jam in the middle.

Marcus said it came

from your store.

Uh, sugar plum cookie.

Yeah, that sounds right.

You said that Marcus

told you about it?

Do you remember when that was?

Was it at the tree

farm, the night he died?

Um, I should probably go.

Lizzy, please, please. Look

if you know something about

what happened to Marcus

♪

I never meant for

him to get hurt.

[dramatic music]

LIZZY: It's my fault.

I never should have

gone to Marcus for help.

EMILY: Help with what?

I was being blackmailed.

This is about the baby, right?

Marcus is the father?

How did you?

You went to Marcus

instead of Trent.

So, whatever you're

being blackmailed over

is likely a secret you're

trying to keep from him?

I'm just taking a

shot in the dark here,

but Marcus is the true

father of your baby, right?

Yes.

I don't know why it

was so important for me

to keep it a secret.

If I had just told Trent.

But I didn't find

out I was pregnant

until I'd already

fallen for him, and

he was so happy.

How did Marcus take the news?

MARCUS: I, uh

I don't know what to say.

I'm sorry.

No. No, no.

It's okay.

I'm not ready to tell Trent yet.

I love him. I can't

risk losing him.

Whatever you choose to

do, I'm on your side.

LIZZY: Three weeks after that,

I got a text from a number

I didn't recognize.

It said I had to

pay 40,000 in cash

or Trent would learn the truth.

I wasn't ready for

that to come out.

So you went to Marcus again?

He wanted to get the

blackmailer on video.

He said the money didn't matter.

It would come back to him.

And he knew where to find them?

I was told to leave

the money in a bag

next to a tree with a

ribbon tied around it,

behind the stables.

I was also told to come alone.

EMILY: When is the last

time you saw Marcus?

LIZZY: On my way to

drop off the money.

I got scared.

I almost backed out,

but Marcus came to me.

Hey, hey. Look at

me, look at me.

It's gonna be okay, alright?

Here.

[owls and crows calling]

You'll feel better with

something in your stomach.

[crunches into cookie]

LIZZY: After that, I left

the bag of money by the tree

and went home.

You've got this.

EMILY: Wait, Marcus shared

the cookie with you.

Are you sure about that?

- Yes.

Then the cookie couldn't have

been the source of the poison.

Okay, Lizzy, I

I need you to just do one more

brave thing for me tonight.

Please.

SAM: I sure would love to know

how you got Lizzy

to come forward.

I think she was desperate

to tell someone.

I just happened to be in the

right place at the right time.

Seems to be a recurring

theme in your life.

And just so you know,

this does not mean

that June is exonerated.

She's still a

person of interest.

You're not gonna let me

have the win, are you?

I'm just managing expectations.

Well, at least for

the time being,

you're finally free of me.

What a relief.

♪

EMILY: Hey

Hey.

Oof.

JUNE: To think I owe my freedom

to Marcus's ex-girlfriend.

And you, of course.

I didn't do much of anything.

Somehow I find that

hard to believe.

Thank you.

For making our town your home.

You just make it better.

Maybe it makes me better.

Um

did you know about the baby?

Marcus promised no secrets.

And he meant it.

Except the one that got

him k*lled, of course.

He was buying the

farm from Gordon.

That was his big surprise.

- Really?

- Yeah.

That was always my dream for us.

Live in the country,

have an animal sanctuary.

I would talk about

it all the time

when we were married.

I, uh I spoke to Gordon

before he was hospitalized.

He mentioned you'd been

to the farm recently.

I went to see Shadow.

She had a nasty

infection in the summer.

I check in often to make sure

that if there's a recurrence,

I can catch it early.

I would have shot

Gordon a heads-up text,

but he wouldn't know

how to open that

even if he had a

phone. [chuckles]

EMILY (V.O.):

Maybe Sam is wrong.

Maybe some investigations are

like Agatha Christie plots

because the final

piece of this puzzle

just fell perfectly into place.

Hey!

You're not doing

anything gross

like looking at crime

scene photos, are you?

- No.

- Can we talk for a minute?

Uh, yeah, of course.

Is everything okay?

Yeah.

I just

I wanted to tell you

that I'm okay with

Mom not being here.

I loved it when she was,

and I loved that you

two would come together

to make sure I had

a great Christmas,

but I'm not a kid anymore.

I can handle it.

I made it awkward, didn't I?

No, Dad.

Spending time with

you is the best.

But that doesn't mean

we have to keep doing

the same activities

we did with Mom.

Maybe it's time to

find our own thing.

That actually

sounds really nice.

I, uh

I love ya, kiddo.

Love you too.

♪

♪

Although

there is one tradition I think

I could still get behind.

Yeah? Which one?

Christmas karaoke

night at the diner.

[clears throat]

Deck the halls with

boughs of holly ♪

Fa la la ♪

[both laugh]

No way.

You in?

Absolutely.

[instrumental "Deck

the Halls" playing]

[knocks on door]

♪

[music becomes mysterious]

♪

♪

♪

♪

Gotcha.

[door opens]

ANNA: Who's in here?

Emily?

What are you doing here?

Just looking for this.

Although it is $40,000 lighter

than when you first found it.

You do know blackmail's

a crime, right?

So is breaking and entering.

Touché.

So, what is it you

think you know?

You were blackmailing

Lizzy to get the money

to pay off your

dad's gambling debts.

Maybe my dad was

the one who did it.

Your dad doesn't

own a cell phone,

let alone know how to use one,

so how's he gonna

send a blackmail note

in the form of an

anonymous text message?

They came to me at school.

Two men.

I thought they were

going to k*ll me.

They said I had a week to pay

up or my dad was a dead man.

So you thought blackmail was

your only course of action?

We're broke!

The banks had already

turned us away.

And for all his faults,

he's still my dad,

and I would do anything

to protect him.

You knew that

Marcus was secretly

the father of Lizzy's baby.

It was just a fluke.

I was at the diner the night

that she broke the news.

I was hungry after

driving home from school

and I was just chilling out,

waiting for my food to arrive.

I guess they thought I

couldn't hear them whispering.

LIZZY: I'm not ready

to tell Trent yet.

I love him.

I can't risk losing him.

EMILY: Stealing Marcus'

money was one thing.

But he didn't have to die!

What are you talking about?

I didn't even see

Marcus that night.

I just grabbed the bag and

I went right back to my car

at the gas station.

I always intended to pay

Lizzy as soon as I was able.

- You think that makes it okay?

- Of course not!

But I don't regret it either.

So go ahead and report me.

I don't care.

This is your mess, Anna.

You clean it up.

[dramatic music]

EMILY (V.O.): I'm not sure

what's bothering me more,

the fact that Anna refused

to admit to k*lling Marcus

or the fact that I

kind of believe her.

SAM: [voicemail] You've

reached Dt. Wilner.

Please leave a message and

I'll get right back to you.

If this is en emergency

- [horse whinnies]

♪

[horse whinnies]

Hello?

Anyone here?

[horse whinnies]

[mysterious music]

EMILY (V.O.): That's new.

I thought Gordon said it

wasn't safe to go up there.

♪

♪

[floor creaking]

♪

EMILY (V.O.): Rowen's pack?

I saw him leave with it.

What's it doing up here?

♪

♪

Pentobarbital.

[floor creaking]

You shouldn't have come here.

I could say the

same thing to you.

♪

- [loud crack]

- Aah!

♪

Augh

[breathing heavily]

Aah

♪

- [beeping]

- [approaching sirens]

[exhales]

[groans]

[exhales]

ROWEN: Good.

You're both awake.

[muffled yelling]

ROWEN: Feel free to

yell if you like.

The boss there

sent everyone home.

[muffled yelling]

♪

EMILY: So, uh

how long have you been secretly

living up in that loft?

Since I lost my house to

a fire a few months back.

Turns out my insurance elapsed.

So now I'm still

paying a mortgage

for the privilege of

sleeping in a pile of straw.

And you're about

to lose that too.

You knew about Gordon's

plan to sell the farm.

They made the deal right

here where I'm standing.

There's a lot you can learn

when nobody knows you're there.

So, what, you

you figured you just k*ll Marcus

and then all your problems

will magically go away?

You think I was

trying to k*ll Marcus?

That was his own fault.

It should have been

the old man that night.

[mysterious music]

♪

Marcus.

Not now, Gordon. I've

done what I can for you,

and you're just gonna

have to be patient, okay?

Alright.

♪

ROWEN: Weeks of

planning down the drain.

GORDON: Rowen!

Get me some more

oats, would you?

Today!

EMILY: If Marcus took the flask,

why wasn't it found

with his body?

June convinced Gordon

to organize a search for him

when he didn't come back.

I was the one who found him.

He was already dead.

There was nothing I could do.

He shouldn't have

taken that flask.

EMILY: Marcus was there

to confront a blackmailer.

I imagine he took it because he

needed a little extra courage.

And you know what?

You're one to talk!

You stole that bottle

of pentobarbital

from June, didn't you?

Yeah?

During one of her medical

visits with Shadow?

She shouldn't have left

her bag unattended!

Once Marcus was dead,

though, the deal was dead.

Why try to k*ll Gordon again?

He made me a promise!

He told me to my face I

was like a son to him,

that I'd always

have a home here!

But he tried to throw that

away just to save his own skin.

What was to stop him

from trying again

next time he got

himself in a jam?

So I planted the flask

where I knew he'd find it.

He did the rest.

You gonna poison us too?

[whimpering]

You can't honestly believe

that you're gonna

get away with this!

I heard you earlier,

threatening to expose

Anna as a blackmailer.

It all just kind of

falls into place.

After you turned

your back on her,

she got the drop on you,

injected poison into

your bloodstream.

And then, overcome at

guilt at what she'd done

she injects herself.

[whimpers]

All wrapped up in a bow, huh?

There's only one problem.

I've been recording this entire

conversation on my phone.

You're bluffing. I checked.

You don't have

your phone on you.

That's because I hid

it when I came in here!

Go ahead and look.

You won't find it.

But the police will.

♪

♪

♪

Oh, I will find it.

[grunting]

Shh.

[suspenseful music]

♪

♪

♪

[phone buzzing]

[dramatic music]

- [loud crash]

- [horse snorts]

- [horse neighs]

- Okay, it's okay!

Calm down, Shadow.

Shadow, calm down!

[horse neighs]

Hey aah!

[grunts]

Aah!

Shh, Shadow!

It's okay, Shadow,

it's okay! It's okay!

[grunts] Aah!

Sorry.

I got you, I got

you. We're okay.

We're okay, come on.

Shh, shh, Shadow, it's okay!

Shh

He's down

He's down.

♪

[police radio chatter]

[sighs]

♪

♪

♪

[car starts]

♪

♪

[sighs]

I hear you took a nasty bump.

Yeah, it's okay.

Got a hard head.

That I believe.

[indistinct conversation

in background]

So, uh I owe

you an explanation.

You do.

But not today.

I'm just

I'm just glad you're okay.

Right now that's

that's all that matters.

[light, festive music]

♪

♪

Fa-la-la-la ♪

EMILY (V.O.): After every

disaster comes a period

of rebuilding and regrowth.

Isn't it magical

this time of year ♪

Brings a new sense of hope ♪

Wonder and cheer ♪

EMILY (V.O.): The hope

being that everyone

comes out the other

side stronger,

having successfully

weathered the storm.

That's when I finally see ♪

What Christmas means ♪

It's not about

gifts by the tree ♪

EMILY (V.O.): As for

me, the truth is,

I've never felt settled.

There's always been a

part of me that's ready

to pick up and run

at a moment's notice.

Moments that last forever

when we're all together ♪

Every December that's

when I remember ♪

What Christmas means ♪

Nothing if I don't have ♪

The ones I love

here next to me ♪

Fa-la-la-la,

fa-la-la-la ♪

EMILY (V.O.): But this

may be the closest thing

I've ever had to a real home.

And a home is worth protecting.

Of course, opening

the door a crack

to let some of my previous

life shine through

does come with a certain

degree of danger.

And a girl can never

be too careful.