02x05 - Twas the Fight Before Christmas - Part 1

[bunniefuu]

Chimera?

It's the second time

I've heard that name recently.

There are things that I

don't want you to know about!

You're here 'cause

you're hiding from someone

or you're running

from something.

I guess you just never know

what people are capable of.

You're right. I overstepped.

No more secrets.

It can't be him.

Aaron?

It's always been my dream

to celebrate the holidays

with a multi-course

Victorian-inspired

Christmas feast.

Enjoying great food, fine wine,

and sparkling conversation

with dear friends, old and new.

Of course,

when my dreams do come true,

they tend to have

major ribbons attached.

Case in point, if I knew

how this would turn out

a week ago,

maybe it could have

all been prevented.

Dashing through the snow ♪

In a one-horse open sleigh ♪

O'er the fields we go,

laughing all the way! ♪

Only you can get so excited

over Christmas songs.

Did you know that

Jingle Bells was the first song

played in space?

Does anyone?

Vy, if we're gonna be partners

for Elf Trivia Night,

you're gonna need

to know this stuff.

Emily

the whole point

of partnering with you

is I don't need

to know anything.

Ray!

What a nice surprise.

Looking for some

last-minute stocking stuffers?

Oh, please.

I finished my Christmas shopping

in September.

Why would I wait till prices

were at a premium?

The spirit of Christmas

is strong in you.

Here's the thing.

There is a new

fine dining restaurant

opening up on

the east side of the Grove.

Yeah,

I heard something about that.

Right. Well, so Danny,

the guy who owns the place,

an old college buddy of mine,

he wants to do like a kind of

special kickoff event

for VIPs next week.

-That sounds nice.

-Oh, I hope so.

He's got his heart

set on this traditional

Victorian Christmas feast,

but his Michelin-trained

French chef is struggling a bit

with what he considers

an old-fashioned menu.

Which is where you come in.

I'm not sure I follow.

Well, you are the town's

resident Christmas expert,

are you not?

She totally is.

Tell 'em the thing about

Jingle Bells in space.

Look I mean,

I would love to help you out,

but I'm not a chef.

Oh, that's probably a good thing

'cause he can barely afford

the one he already has.

Uh, no, what he needs

is, like, some inspiration.

You know what, I do have a few

turn-of-the-century

Christmas cookbooks

in my personal collection.

I knew I could count on you.

Here's the address.

It's called Coniferous.

Like the trees.

Well, uh, come by after work.

Um

Oh, what fun it is to ride

in a one-horse open sleigh! ♪

-Emily!

-Oh, hey.

Perfect timing.

I'll introduce you to the owner.

Great.

Hey, um, before I forget,

-I was hoping we could talk.

-Well, fire away.

Oh, I was thinking more of

an official consultation.

Oh!

All right, in that case,

why don't you just stop by

the store and I'll fit you in.

-Great!

-Just give me one second.

Yeah?

Okay.

You'll get what you're owed,

Jason, okay?

I just need a bit more time.

Yeah, you know,

you've been saying that

for three weeks now, okay?

Man, you see

this crew around here?

I gotta pay my crew.

It's the holidays!

Empty promises like this,

they don't put presents

under the tree.

You know what I mean?

Or maybe I take my crew,

I take my lumber, I go home.

Hey!

Over my dead body.

Now, I just need you

to be patient

for another couple of weeks.

Danny!

Listen to me very carefully,

Danny.

I need you to pay me my money.

I mean it.

I mean it!

Jean-Marc and the sommelier are

at each other's throats again.

I don't even know

why we have a sommelier.

We cannot afford it!

Relax, babe.

I'll handle it.

Uh, Danny?

Lauren?

Emily,

your Christmas consultant.

-It's so nice to meet you both.

-Emily, welcome.

This is Lauren,

my wife and business partner.

We talked about this.

We have no budget for any

Oh! Oh, no,

I'm just doing this for fun.

I don't expect to be paid.

Well, then, it is a pleasure

to meet you.

I'm sorry. Everything seems to

cost twice what we planned for.

We're at risk of

going broke before

-we even open to the public.

-Okay!

It's not really

as bad as all that.

-Well

-Uh, Emily, come.

Let me introduce you

to the head chef.

Ray, don't leave yet.

I need to talk to you.

Oh, I'll be here.

Oh, Emily, this is Carrie,

our sommelier.

Sorry, Danny!

So, I hear you've been

fighting with Jean-Marc again.

He won't listen to my ideas.

Try and play nice

when Lauren is around, please.

Happy wife, happy life, right?

Don't mind us.

It's always a bit tense

before a grand opening.

A bit tense?

I don't think I could

cut through all this tension

with a machete!

We only have one week, one week

to prepare all this, okay?

Uh, Jean-Marc, a moment, please.

I'd like to

introduce you to Emily.

Hello.

Danny,

I don't have time for this.

I have to make

a Christmas feast here.

And Emily is here

to help with that.

Just hear her out, please.

I'll leave you both to it.

Well, I found

a few Victorian delicacies

that I think could use

a modern spin.

I tried to avoid

the ones with gelatin.

Unfortunately,

that's most of them.

Look, I'm very intrigued,

but I don't have time right now.

You come back Friday, okay?

Okay.

I guess we're done here.

I know restaurant kitchens

can be stressful environments,

but this entire place

feels like a pressure cooker

that's about to blow.

You say that every time.

I can't keep doing this, Danny.

Oh, okay, here we go.

Time for another lecture.

What have

you gotten me into, Ray?

I feel like I'm in the position

where I can say something!

Hot cider, Technicolor

lights on the tree ♪

Wait, so it doesn't

even have a name on the side?

No, it's just a tree.

That's how you know it's fancy.

And if you want to

drop your entire paycheck

on a single shrimp covered in

foamy bubbles, go right ahead.

Well, if it makes you

feel any better, Sue,

I would choose

your meatloaf any day.

Aww, thank you.

But I'd avoid

the meatloaf this week.

The less said, the better.

Well, I should get going,

but hey,

it was so nice running into you.

Yeah, yeah,

that was good catching up.

Yeah.

"Coffee with a friend."

What a concept, right?

Yeah.

Okay, well

-Yeah.

-Bye!

Wilner.

Alright.

Just give me a minute.

Thanks so much

for making the time for me, Ray.

Oh, it's the least I could do.

You really came through

for me yesterday.

I just, you know, I have a small

stake in Danny's restaurant,

but I just want the guy

to succeed this time.

This time?

Oh, I love him like a brother,

but

but this is the third restaurant

attempt in six years, so

What happened to your hand?

Oh.

Yeah, it's the, you know,

hazards of the job, you know?

Uh so!

What can I help you with?

Yes, so, a few weeks ago,

I asked you to look into

some hacker groups.

Um, you said that you'd been

digging into one in particular,

Chimera.

Ah, yes, I recall that.

Your inquiries, did you

go straight to the source

or were you more

discreet about it?

Well, I didn't contact

Chimera directly,

if that's what you mean, but,

uh I wouldn't even know how.

They're notoriously elusive.

Why? Why do you ask?

Ah, I just want

to make sure that, um

Uh, sorry, that's a line

I can't let go to voicemail.

Just, I'll be quick.

-Sure. Yeah, no.

-One sec.

Uh

Ray here.

Hey, yeah.

Uh, good to hear from you.

Look, I'm just

I'm with a client.

Can I, uh

I'm I'm sorry,

say that again?

I-I understand.

Of course.

Is everything okay?

Danny's dead.

What?

I'm sorry Emily, um

This is a bit of a shock.

Um, perhaps we could reschedule.

Yeah. No, of course.

Absolutely.

I'm so sorry.

I've never

seen Ray look so heartbroken,

and I can hardly blame him.

It's been said that

losing someone close to you

feels like losing

a part of yourself.

I've had a similar experience.

Old memories keep playing in

my head searching for an answer

to a question

that has haunted me for years.

How many lives

could I have saved

if I'd only

done things differently?

Prepare for one less

oil billionaire in the world

in three, two, one, boom!

Yeah!

The biggest fish yet!

They won't soon forget

the name Chimera.

Oh, I'd love to see his face

when he learns that his fortune

has been diverted to help

pay for the mess he caused

-in the Pacific.

-And we need to celebrate.

-Yes! Yes, we do!

-We need champagne.

Okay, I'll go.

I need fresh air.

Oh, hey.

Miss you already.

Guys

Great job guys, great job.

Well done, well done, well done.

Whoo!

I know how difficult

a time this is for you.

I just can't believe

Danny's gone.

I'll make this brief.

I just have a few questions.

When was the last time

you saw your husband alive?

Um, just before I left

the restaurant last night.

Did he seem upset

or argumentative?

No more than usual.

Why?

Danny had a black eye and his

knuckles were all banged up.

Looked like he'd been in a fight

prior to his death.

A fist fight?

No.

Danny has a temper,

but he's all bark, no bite.

Did he have any enemies?

No.

Even when you hate him

you can't help

but still love him.

Are you planning to shut us down

during the investigation?

Uh, that

that hasn't been determined yet.

I really hope not.

I know that that sounds cold,

but Danny and I put our whole

life savings into this place.

This is his legacy now.

Money is so tight,

if we don't open on schedule,

we may never open at all.

Okay, next question.

Name three towns

with "Christmas" in their name.

Oh.

Okay, Christmas Cove, Maine;

Christmas Island,

Nova Scotia, Canada;

and Christmas,

Orange County, Florida!

I thought for sure

I'd stump you.

How can you possibly know that?

I travelled a lot

when I was younger.

Living my dream.

Can you believe I'm 17

and I've barely ever been

outside of New York State?

Brooke! Hey.

What can I do for ya?

Oh, well,

since it's almost Christmas,

I thought I'd pop in

before you close your doors

for the off-season.

I am open all year.

Oh.

It seems like

a bad business model,

but to each their own.

I also saw that the two of you

signed up as a team

for Elf Trivia night.

That's right.

And you may as well deliver

the $200 prize to us now

'cause Emily is a total ringer.

Well, I wouldn't brag

just yet, Emily.

I didn't say anything.

As host,

I have taken it upon myself

to come up with

some very tough questions,

so I would buckle up

and hold on to those elf hats

because you are

in for a bumpy sleigh ride.

Wait, what elf hats?

Well, it's Elf Trivia night,

Emily.

You gotta dress the part!

Oh, hey, Sam.

Did I forget to mention that?

Hi, Dad!

What's up?

I just need a quick word

with Emily.

Oh, is this about Danny?

Ray got the call while I

was with him in his store.

Um, can you tell me

what happened?

Well, it's still preliminary,

but it looks like Danny

got in a fight, possibly

knocked out and left outside

to die of exposure.

Did you notice

anything yesterday

when you were at the restaurant?

I did see Danny

in a verbal altercation

with a contractor

over unpaid fees.

The words "over my dead body"

were uttered.

-That's not nothing.

-Yeah.

-Anything else?

-Just

I can't keep doing this, Danny!

Hazards of the job.

Danny and Ray

got into an argument too,

out near the parking lot.

I saw them when I was leaving,

but Ray would never

No, I'm

sure you're right.

I'll pay Ray a visit,

get his side of things.

-Okay.

-I should go.

I'm glad you stopped by.

Even if it was

just to question me.

Yeah.

It's hard for me

to imagine Ray could be

capable of k*lling anyone

intentionally.

But if his argument with Danny

did escalate to a fist fight,

maybe things just

spiral led out of his

Hi, Emily.

-Ray?

-Hope you don't mind, I, uh

let myself in.

Are you mad?

You look mad.

How did you even get in here?

A magician

never reveals his tricks.

Oh please, you have more

in common with PT Barnum

than you do with Houdini.

Give me one good reason

why I shouldn't call the police.

I'm not the bad guy here, Emily.

You sure about that?

'Cause you're giving off

some pretty serious

Bond villain vibes.

Oh yeah, okay.

I see that now.

Look, look, let me explain.

Look, when Lauren called

and told me that Danny was dead,

I knew how it was gonna look.

It was just a matter of time

before the cops

came asking questions,

and in my line of business,

that's a death sentence!

-How so?

-I'm an information broker.

The people who hire me

aren't the sort

to risk their secrets

getting spilled.

Yeah, no,

I-I see your point.

Emily, I had nothing to do

with Danny's death.

Well, your bruised knuckles

tell a very different story,

Ray.

Yes, words were exchanged.

Things got a little heated.

Come on, Ray,

it's a short-term loan.

You'll get it all back.

Danny, I can't keep doing this!

If I don't pay up,

the creditors will come calling.

-Please!

-No, I can't help you this time.

-Hey, don't turn away from me.

-Get your hands off me!

Oh, what are you,

tough guy all of a sudden?!

Ow!

I chipped my tooth!

But that was it.

He was fine.

I mean, minus the tooth.

Look, just one night Emily,

that's all I'm asking.

If I find out

that you're lying to me

I am not, I swear.

Okay, fine.

You know what, take the couch.

I will I will go find you

some blankets.

Yes!

-Wow!

-Hah-hah, perfect timing.

Breakfast is served.

Oh, and don't worry,

the cats have already been fed.

Thanks, Uncle Buck.

You didn't have to do all that.

Ah, it felt appropriate,

given you were so kind

as to not have me arrested

for breaking and entering.

-Hello?

-Hey, it's Sam.

Can I come up?

Sure.

Get in here.

Close the door.

No sound.

Silent.

-Hey, come on in.

-Sorry, I know it's early.

I hope I didn't wake you or

I like a big breakfast.

Most important meal of the day.

Right.

I just wanted to let you know

that Ray is in the wind.

His office was cleaned out

and none of his staff

have seen him

since yesterday morning.

Yeah, do you have any leads

on where he might have gone?

That's why I'm here.

You said you were with him when

he got the phone call yesterday.

Yes.

Wondering,

did he mention anything

that might point

to his whereabouts?

No, I mean

one minute he was showing me

an overpriced armoire,

and the next he got

that phone call and I left.

Alright.

Well, it was worth a shot.

Alright, I'll, uh

I'll talk to you soon.

Okay.

-Okay, bye.

-Bye.

I know I made Sam a promise

not to lie to him anymore,

but Ray is a friend

and I do believe his life

is on the line here.

The easiest way

to get Ray off the hook

is to find the real k*ller

as quickly as possible.

You wound me, Emily!

I'll have you know,

my armoires

are very competitively priced.

I found what I could,

but there are still

some financial statements

unaccounted for.

Emily.

You're back.

Yeah, Jean-Marc asked me

to come back today,

but I wasn't sure

if you still needed my help.

I'm so sorry

to hear about Danny.

Yeah, I'm still processing it.

It's been a tough few days.

Um, I'm sorry,

this is Monica, my lawyer.

-Hi.

-Hi.

Just flew in from New York

to help me untangle the mess

that Danny left me.

Um, I should get that.

Our contractor walked away

and took his crew with him.

Danny was so much better

at dealing with this than I am.

Well, must be challenging

having clients this far out.

I used to live here in town.

I moved to join a New York firm

a few years ago,

but I still kept

a couple clients.

Are you local?

I've just been here

a little over a year.

I love it.

-There's a lot to love.

-Yeah.

On the way here, I had to stop

at Sue's for a coffee.

I don't know

what her secret blend is,

but it's almost worth

a trip all on its own.

I am so with you there.

Uh, well,

Jean-Marc is expecting me, so

-Of course, yeah.

-Nice to meet you!

You too.

You brought your recipes?

Yeah, I mean,

if you're up for it.

You've all experienced

quite a loss.

I confess, the onions

are not the only thing

that brings tears to my eyes.

This is sad and troubling times.

We've lost a leader

and a dear friend.

But

distraction is good, no?

Yes.

I have to admit

that I was not very interested

in doing this, uh

this Victorian Christmas feast.

Yeah,

I kind of picked up on that.

But now it only feels right

to honour Danny's wishes.

Despite my preference

for the local cuisine

I grew up with in France.

You know, I actually spent

some time in France.

Uh, what region are you from?

A tiny little village

in the south.

Oh, I love the south of France.

Le midi.

Sorry to correct,

but midi means "noon,"

not south.

What is this?

Are you talking menu?

Jean-Marc,

you know that I need to be here.

I need the time

to source the right wine

to complement the meal.

Please,

you can barely distinguish

wine from grape juice.

You can't talk to me like that.

Why not?

Danny is no longer here

for you to run and cry to.

Okay.

Well, at least he respected me.

He didn't trust you to run the

feast without calling in help.

I don't have to listen to this.

Okay.

Pardon me.

I'm going to make copies.

Uh, no hurry.

I'll come back later.

Merci.

That's typical Jean-Marc.

I mean, he can dish it out,

but he can't take the heat.

Hmm

-Hey.

-Emily.

Wasn't expecting

to see you here.

Yeah, I was just dropping off

some recipe inspiration

for the head chef.

So they're actually going ahead

with the Christmas feast?

Yes, Detective Wilner.

As difficult as it is,

my lawyer assures me

we're well within our rights

to proceed as planned.

Monica.

Hi, Sam.

Oh, do me a favour,

don't tell Violet I'm here.

I'd like to surprise her myself.

No problem.

Emily, this is Monica.

My ex-wife.

Okay.

This isn't awkward at all.

You don't have to do that, Ray.

No, it's good to keep busy.

Hey, you get my text?

Your lunch order, you mean?

One beef dip from Sue's,

extra au jus.

Ah.

Look at this.

Uh, you're not gonna join me?

I gotta get back

to the Mistletoe.

Oh, well

I know I agreed

to be gone by today.

It's just I haven't

I haven't quite

One more day.

But that's it.

Understood.

Has there been any progress

with Sam's investigation?

You mean

does he have any suspects

that aren't named Famous Ray?

Hm?

Not that I'm aware of.

Are you sure you won't

reconsider talking to Sam

about this?

No. Look, Sam's a good guy,

but he's still a cop

and I can't trust

that he's not gonna

bring me in for questioning.

And I want to keep doing

some of my favourite activities

when this is all over,

like breathing.

Okay, okay, it was just an idea.

-Just relax; eat your beef dip.

-Oh, maybe later.

I'm suddenly feeling

kind of queasy.

I can't blame Ray.

But I promised Sam there'd be

no new secrets between us

and I'm already keeping them.

I hate how easy it's become.

After everything

that happened

I swore that would never be me.

A plumbing truck

with a satellite antenna?

It's probably nothing.

I looked up the company.

It doesn't exist.

It's a surveillance vehicle.

It has to be.

They're here for us, Aaron.

I can feel it.

Even if you're right

we got nothing to worry about.

How can you say that?

If they haven't pinpointed

our location yet,

it's only a matter of time.

Look,

we have precautions in place.

Security cameras,

proximity alarms.

It's not enough.

Look, if all else fails,

I have programmed a k*ll switch

into the system that can

wipe the hard drives bare

in less than a minute.

-You didn't tell me about that.

-I did not want to worry you.

So, you knew about

the surveillance?

No, but I knew that we would

draw the wrong kind of attention

sooner than later.

I'm just looking after us

like I always do, Grace.

So, wait, this

this isn't the first time?

What else haven't you told me?

-Aaron, I want to know.

-Fine, fine.

You remember

the Lakeport incident, right?

When you hacked into

the school account

and you stole the trip money?

-What?

-I knew that was you right away.

And everyone else

would've figured it out too

if I didn't fix it.

You set Miss Cambridge up?

She lost her career over that!

Em, what was I supposed to do,

let you get caught?

I didn't take that money!

How could you think I was even

capable of something like that?

-Aaron, why?

-Hey, hey

The point is

is that I would do

I would do anything

to protect you.

Right?

And you'd do

the same for me, right?

Yeah, of course.

So, then,

what are we talking about, hm?

I don't know.

Time to celebrate.

Alright,

who wants some champagne?

-Yeah!

-Oh, hey, yeah!

Let's do it!

Speed round.

Where is the official

Santa Claus museum located?

Indiana.

How many Home Alone movies

are there?

Six, but only four are canon.

What is the

Mom?

Hey, sweetie!

So nice to see you.

Why didn't you tell me

you were coming?

It was a last-minute work thing.

-Hi again.

-Hi.

I should have known

you were that Emily.

Violet speaks so highly of you.

Wait, you knew my mom

was in town and didn't tell me?

I didn't want to spoil

this moment.

-How long are you here?

-A few days.

I thought we could go back to

the city together for Christmas.

-That sounds perfect.

-Great.

In the meantime, what do you say

to a little Christmas shopping

followed by hot cocoa

at the chocolatier

like we used to?

I still have another hour,

but I can

-Oh, please, it's fine.

-You sure?

Oh, come on, you cover for me

all the time. Go.

-Thanks!

-Thank you.

Have fun, you two.

-Bye!

-Bye.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Danny and Ray were friends long

before I came into the picture.

In fact,

it was Ray who introduced us.

Really?

Back before he was Famous Ray.

He had a little store

in the strip mall

where I worked

as an accountant's assistant.

Danny needed a little help

crunching numbers

on whatever half-baked business

idea he was into back then.

And we fell hard and fast.

Was Danny and Ray's relationship

always so contentious?

I mean, they squabbled

like brothers,

but it always came

from a place of love.

Did their arguments

ever become physical?

Not that I know of.

You don't think

that Ray could have

Just routine questions.

But if they did come to blows

and Danny ended up unconscious,

it could explain the state

we found him in.

I hope you're wrong, Detective,

because Ray would never

forgive himself

if he was responsible for this.

I hope it snows ♪

♪

I hope it snows ♪

I can't believe how

little this place has changed.

I like that about it.

College acceptance letters

should be going out soon.

Have you heard from any schools?

Not yet.

I hope you didn't wait too long

to get your applications in.

It's so competitive out there.

It's gonna be fine, Mom.

Well I have some good news.

I talked to the dean of

admissions at my old Alma mater,

and the fact that

you are a legacy student

does hold some sway.

And it's still the top

law program in the state.

I haven't even started

my undergrad.

Let's not get too far ahead

of ourselves.

Trust me, it is never too early.

You'll blink and suddenly

be cramming for the bar.

Wouldn't be the worst idea

for you to consider

a summer placement,

just to get the jump on things.

Crap, uh, I forgot.

I'm supposed to meet

my friends at the rink.

I'm sorry.

I gotta go.

Oh, sure, yeah, no problem.

Um, can we get together later?

Sounds great.

Thanks for the hot chocolate.

Of course.

We gotta stop meeting like this.

I'm just here

to pick up my cookbooks.

Right.

Any news on Ray?

Nothing.

Guy's resourceful.

He could be

three states away by now.

Hey, uh,

Monica came by the store today.

Violet was so excited.

Wish I could have seen that.

I should get back

to the station.

Yeah.

Okay.

Jean-Marc?

There you are.

Well, I wouldn't be me

if I didn't take

a quick look around.

Ray's life is on the line,

after all.

This is interesting.

I thought Danny was the primary

owner, but according to this,

Lauren owns

100% of the restaurant.

I'd love to get a look

in that safe,

but safe cracking

is sadly not in my skill set.

Maybe I should take a class.

Can I help you with something?

I was just looking for Lauren.

Oh.

Well, I can't help you there.

She tends to avoid me.

-You two don't see eye to eye?

-That's putting it lightly.

Yes, I suspect I'm not

gonna last very long

without Danny here to defend me.

Were you close?

Oh, yeah.

I used to work

at a wing joint in Buffalo

and Danny came in all the time.

And when the place went

out of business, he rescued me.

Sorry,

a sommelier at a wing place?

-Kitchen manager.

-Oh.

I'm versatile.

I've worked in restaurants

my whole life,

from the mess hall

to fine dining.

I even have dreams

of opening my own place one day.

I'm sure you'll get there.

I better get back to work

or I will be spending Christmas

on the unemployment line.

I've heard of

comforting a grieving widow,

but this is a bit much.

Ah, Emily.

I didn't see you come in.

I, uh, was doing inventory.

You got a little lipstick

on your collar.

Lauren's shade,

if I'm not mistaken.

I'm not here to judge.

Does seem a little soon.

Danny knew about us.

He and Lauren have been

separated for some time now.

So, you're saying

Danny approved?

No, I wouldn't go that far.

Lauren served him with

divorce papers months ago,

but Danny wouldn't sign them.

I'm very much in love.

But that's why I accepted

to be the head chef here.

Even though it's a significant

step down for me.

Oh, yeah, Ray told me

that you trained

at a Michelin-star restaurant.

Yes, Auberge Antoinette,

on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

I gotta check it out sometime.

Ah, well,

you have to make a reservation

two years in advance.

Do they do takeout?

Takeout.

Phew

It's Jason, right?

-Have we met?

-Sorry, I'm Emily.

I, uh, I saw you with Danny

at Coniferous the other day.

Yeah, not my proudest moment.

Should have never

taken that job.

I just started

some consulting work for them.

Did I make a mistake?

Well, if you expect

to get paid on time, or at all.

And now I got a crew revolting,

I got missing equipment.

Wait, someone stole

your equipment?

Yeah, it was a brand-new

welding torch.

Danny probably sold it

to pay his chef.

I didn't mean that, okay?

I'm just I'm bitter.

And despite everything,

I still feel bad

about going so hard at Danny.

It's Christmas, you know?

I hear ya.

I'm just trying to get whatever

payment I can and move on.

Good luck.

Thanks.

As much as I feel bad for Jason,

I can't shake what Danny

said to him that night:

"Over my dead body."

To someone in Jason's situation,

it may have been

a welcome invitation.

Emily!

I'll be with you in a minute.

Okay, take your time.

Hey, Monica.

-Hi.

-How did your shopping trip go?

It was cut short.

Violet had a previous

engagement, apparently.

Too busy for Mom.

-I'm over-sharing.

-Oh, no, no, no please.

Violet talks about you so much

at the store,

I feel like we're old friends.

In that case, can I ask you

a personal question?

Yeah, sure.

You and Sam

Is it serious?

Uh, no, we're

we're just friends.

I see the way he looks at you.

It's a little more

than friendly.

Is it too late

to plead the fifth?

I retract my question.

I just

I want Sam to be happy.

He deserves that.

Speak of the detective

and he shall appear.

-Emily.

-Sam.

-Sorry I'm late.

-It's okay.

Gave me a little time

to get to know Emily a little.

Well, uh, my cats will be

crying for their dinner,

so, um

Hey, would you mind if I

came by the station tomorrow?

There are a couple things

we should discuss.

Case-wise.

-Of course.

-Okay.

-Bye.

-Bye.

-Hey, Emily.

-Hey.

FYI,

you're out of fabric softener.

Ah!

I will get right on that.

Okay, listen.

You are gonna be happy

to hear this,

but I have managed

to secure a new place.

I'll be out of your hair

by tomorrow.

-That's great, whereabouts?

-Probably better you don't know.

Look, I really appreciate

everything you've done,

and if we ever

get through this mess,

I am giving you a 5% discount

on the entire store for life,

minus luxury brands.

-That is

-And new arrivals.

So generous.

I know, right?

Ooh,

and I washed your tea towels.

-Oh.

-Look at that.

-Hey, thanks, buddy.

-Yeah.

My pleasure.

Jean-Marc and Lauren.

Interesting.

They certainly have motive.

-Thanks for bringing it to me.

-Hm.

What?

I'm just curious what you

and Monica were talking about

at the diner last night.

She asked me if there was

anything going on between us.

-What'd you tell her?

-I deflected.

Right, 'cause it's

none of her business.

'Cause I don't know the answer.

Well, I-I had I had

thought that we were

Oh, you know, I'm, um

I did not mean

to put you on the spot.

You should get back to work

'cause you have

new suspects now, so

Ray is still my priority.

What about Lauren and Jean-Marc?

That's a hot lead.

We found a glove

in the back of Ray's car.

It had traces

of Danny's blood on it.

That's because he punched

him in the face, once,

but he didn't k*ll him.

At least I'm pretty sure

he didn't.

Wait, how do you know all this?

We agreed to be honest

with each other.

Okay, all right.

Look.

Um hmm

If I tell you, I'm just gonna

need some assurances first.

Farewell, my furry friends.

Oh, hey, you came to see me off.

I'm so sorry, Ray.

Et tu, Emily?

Oh.

Well, say goodbye

to your lifetime discount.

I admit I lost my cool

and I-I popped him in the jaw.

It was more like

a love tap, really.

I mean, he was fine.

He didn't fight back?

No, he was actually

really gracious about it,

all things considered.

I need some ice.

Danny, I'll wire you the money.

This has gotta be the last time.

You're a good friend, Ray.

Better than I deserve.

Oh.

I gotta take this.

Hello?

If he didn't fight back,

then how did

his knuckles get bloody?

Not a clue. Maybe he had

another fight after I left.

Did you see him

arguing with anyone else?

No. Though he did get a call

when I was leaving.

He was still on it

when he went back in.

Where'd you go from there?

I went straight home

to wire him the money.

Why would I do that

if I k*lled him?

I'm gonna need you

to stay put for a while

while I look into a few things.

You're not taking me in?

I'm not gonna put your life

in danger if it can be avoided.

However,

if you leave this apartment,

you will be arrested

and charged on site.

Thank you.

Both of you!

I know.

I should have told you sooner.

Yes, you should have.

I understand why you didn't.

Wait, I know you.

Sam, you believe him.

His story checks out.

Danny did receive a deposit

from an anonymous wire transfer,

and his phone records show

that he received a call

from a restaurant in Paris.

Wait, Auberge Antoinette?

That's the place

Jean-Marc got his start, right?

Why would they be calling Danny?

Unless

wait, Danny called them first.

He was checking up on Jean-Marc.

Because something

made him suspicious.

Look, I need to be

clear with you.

I'm not certain

Ray won't be charged,

and if he is

I don't know

I can keep your name out of it.

I know.

It's not ideal.

But it's what we do

for friends, right?

I just hope you didn't put

your trust in the wrong guy.

What can I say?

It wouldn't be the first time.

Emily?

What do you think?

Uh

Well, you would fit right in

at the North Pole.

Perfect.

I got you one too.

For Elf Trivia night.

Right. Yes, yes.

Sorry.

What are you working on that's

got your brow all furrowed?

Oh no, I was just researching

obscure Christmas trivia

for the big night.

That's the right answer.

You know, you gotta keep

your head in the game here.

-Okay.

-All right?

Yeah, I got it.

Violet called it.

Something is bothering me.

Danny's phone call

with the French restaurant

made me think about something

Jean-Marc told me.

Sorry to correct, but midi

means noon, not "south."

During my time in France,

the locals would often refer

to the southern region

as "le midi"

because the sun at noon

sits in the southern sky.

But Jean-Marc seemed

oblivious to that,

almost as if he'd

never been there.

And if he lied about his past,

what lengths might he go to

to protect that secret?

♪

Sam didn't confirm my suspicions

that Danny was checking

Jean-Marc's employment history,

but I've done my own research

and I can't find a single

mention of Jean-Marc's name

in association with

Auberge Antoinette.

He may be more inclined

to talk to me than to a cop,

so I figure, why not

just ask him point blank

if he lied on his resume?

Maybe I should have

called first.

Sam?

Emily.

If I didn't know better,

I think you were following me.

I was hoping to have a word

with Jean-Marc.

Great minds.

But I don't think anyone's here.

Could be wrong.

Hello?

This is Detective Wilner.

Anyone there?

Wait here.

It's the police.

Hello?

Hello?

Ah, come on, Sam.