Original subtitles

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.

EMILY (VO): It can't be him. Aaron?

EMILY (VO): 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.

[Emily gasping]

EMILY (VO): 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.

[festive jazz music]

♪

♪

EMILY: [singing along] ♪ 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.

EMILY: 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.

LAUREN: 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.

RAY: 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.

[metal clangs to floor]

MAN: 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?

[laughs]

Don't mind us.

It's always a bit tense before a grand opening.

EMILY (VO): 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.

EMILY (VO): I know restaurant kitchens

can be stressful environments,

but this entire place feels like a pressure cooker

that's about to blow.

RAY: You say that every time. I can't keep doing this, Danny.

-Oh, okay, here we go. -Time for another lecture.

EMILY (VO): What have you gotten me into, Ray?

RAY: I feel like I'm in the position

where I can say something!

[upbeat music]

♪ Hot cider, Technicolor lights on the tree... ♪

SAM: 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.

[laughs] 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.

EMILY: 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! [chuckles]

[phone buzzing]

Wilner.

[ominous music]

SAM: Alright. Just give me a minute.

♪

♪

[theme music]

EMILY: 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...

-[phone buzzing] -Uh, sorry, that's a line

I can't let go to voicemail. Just, I'll be quick.

-Sure. Yeah, no. -One sec.

Uh...

[clears throat] 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.

EMILY (VO): 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?

GRACE: Prepare for one less oil billionaire in the world

in three, two, one, boom!

-Yeah! -[cheering]

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!

SAM: 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.

[upbeat, festive music]

VIOLET: 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?

-[bell rings] -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...

RAY: 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.

EMILY (VO): It's hard for me to imagine Ray could be

capable of killing anyone intentionally.

But if his argument with Danny did escalate to a fist fight,

maybe things just spiral led out of his...

RAY: Hi, Emily.

-Ray? -Hope you don't mind, I, uh...

let myself in.

[tense music]

-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.

DANNY: 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.

[sighs]

-Okay, fine. -You know what, take the couch.

I will... I will go find you some blankets.

Yes!

[Ray whistling "Deck the Halls"]

-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.

[door buzzer]

[tense music]

♪

-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.

EMILY (VO): 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 killer as quickly as possible.

You wound me, Emily!

I'll have you know,

my armoires are very competitively priced.

MONICA: 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.

[phone ringing]

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.

JEAN-MARC: 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.

[laughs] 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.

[scoffs and chuckles]

♪

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?

LAUREN: 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.

EMILY (VO): 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.

EMILY (VO): 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.

[tense music]

♪

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 kill 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.

AARON: Alright, who wants some champagne?

WOMAN: Yeah! MAN: Oh, hey, yeah!

WOMAN: Let's do it!

VIOLET: Speed round.

Where is the official Santa Claus museum located?

-[bell dings] -Indiana.

How many Home Alone movies are there?

-[bell dings] -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... ♪

MONICA: I can't believe how little this place has changed.

VIOLET: 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.

EMILY (VO): Well, I wouldn't be me

if I didn't take a quick look around.

Ray's life is on the line, after all.

[intriguing music]

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

EMILY (VO): 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.

♪

[woman giggling]

♪

♪

EMILY (VO): 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.

♪

EMILY: 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.

EMILY: Thanks.

EMILY (VO): 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.

SUE: Emily!

I'll be with you in a minute.

Okay, take your time.

[upbeat music playing on radio]

Hey, Monica.

-Hi. -How did your shopping trip go?

MONICA: 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.

♪

SAM: 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 kill 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.

[cat meowing]

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.

-[phone ringing] -Oh.

I gotta take this. Hello?

SAM: 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 killed 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.

EMILY (VO): What can I say? It wouldn't be the first time.

[tense music]

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VIOLET: Emily?

What do you think?

EMILY: 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.

EMILY (VO): 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."

EMILY (VO): 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?

♪

EMILY (VO): 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.

[door unlatches]

Could be wrong.

Hello?

This is Detective Wilner. Anyone there?

Wait here.

[tense music]

♪

It's the police.

♪

Hello?

♪

♪

♪

Hello...?

[mysterious music]

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Ah, come on, Sam.

♪

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[line trilling]

[phone buzzing]

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[music swells]

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