All language subtitles for Wild.Cards.S03E08.The.Hostage.Always.Rings.Twice.1080p.CBC.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-Kitsune-HI

[Max] Previously on Wild Cards.

Vivienne?

[Max] Where have you been
for the past 15 years?

I have been on
the run from Gedeon Varga.

I love Jessica,

but it doesn’t mean I should
have to choose between her

and my best friend.

Who are you?

This is Tomo Hayashi.

You are going
to steal us a diamond.

I know how we’re going
to get the diamond out.

- How?
- With magic.

♪

[Vivienne] Good morning.

That’s funny.
I didn’t hear the doorbell.

Oh, you really should
get that lock upgraded.

I’ve got it down
to three seconds flat.

Mhm. Ah, coffee.
Thank goodness.

I hope it’s not that
hazelnut nonsense.

We got that French roast
that you like.

Question for you.
Who is...

Dan Vartel?

Oh, this lovely
real estate agent I met.

Why is it on my fridge?

Are you looking
to buy something?

No. To sell.

- Uh, sugar?
- Left cabinet.

Do you own a property
that I don’t know about?

Because if you do,

I’m sure the coffee over there
would be really good.

No, it’s for you
to sell this pied-à-terre.

You should always have a sale
in place before a big job.

- But this is my home.
- No, it’s a trap.

You set down roots
and then

you wake up one morning
and realize

you’ve been living next to
the same people for 25 years.

Same faces,
same casserole smells,

same tedious book clubs.

That’s not freedom, darling.

That is just captivity
with better drapes.

Some people would
call that stability, Mom.

"Stability". That’s just fear
wearing pearls.

Trust me, I was born into it.

Family estates, summer homes,
portraits of long dead relatives

staring down at you
every dinner.

I gave that all up
for your father.

And the thrill of the con.

And I have never
once regretted it.

I loved it, too.

But... this is my home.

My life.

We must be prepared to leave
in a moment’s notice,

especially given the current
circumstances.

So give him a call.
He’s also very cute.

Maybe a sale and a fling might
help ease the transition.

Okay, I’d love to stay
and chat,

but I have
a police charity event today,

and I have no idea
what I’m gonna wear.

Why didn’t you tell me?

I have already
been in your closet,

but I’m sure we can
find something acceptable

for you to wear.

[Simmons] All right. You just
make sure that champagne

is chilling
by the time we get there.

No, you the man.

Hot dog, Yates.

That fit is... fitting.

Thank you.

Had to crush a housewife’s toe
just to get it on Black Friday.

Wow. Looking good, Chief.

Thank you.
As do you both.

- Standing pants?
- Oh, yeah. Of course.

- Same.
- Standing pants?

Yeah. Trim fit,
knife edge crease.

Pants that look great
standing up, but

too tight
to sit in comfortably.

As opposed to sitting pants,

when you’re sitting
around working all day.

Oh, well, I just hope
that you two

have been practicing
your photo wall poses.

- Bam!
- Watch out now.

Because I’ve been
practicing mine all week.

I think I might get
discovered tonight, boys.

Yeah. You will.

Well, look what the cat
named Marc dragged in.

You clean up nice, Detective.

Thank you, Yates.
Looking good yourself.

- Standing pants?
- Oh, yeah.

Wow. Hello, hot stuff!

Right back at you, baby.

♪ You got wings about yourself ♪

♪ Anyone can see ♪

[Max] Look at you guys.

You’re the best dressed cops
in the city.

[Li] Okay,
let’s get going, kids,

before fashionably late
turns into just late.

See you out front.

That’s a beautiful dress.

Thank you.

I’ve never seen you
in a tux before.

It’s a rental.

You should keep it.
You wear it well.

Maybe I will.

[phone rings]

Uh, I should take this.
I’ll catch up with you?

Okay. I’ll see you out there.

Hi, Mr. Vartel.

I’m sorry, Dan.
I’m not ready to sell right now.

I apologize that you were
given this information,

but I’m busy tonight,
and tomorrow.

Bye.

[Toni] Heads up.

A 911 call has been
routed to the bullpen.

I got it, Toni. Thanks.

- Hello?
- [Woman] Hello?

Is anybody there?

Yeah, this is Max at the
Metro Police Department.

What’s going on?

I’ve been kidnapped.

Please!
Please, you have to help me!

[theme music]

What’s your name?

Veronica Dreskin!

Please, please,
you have to help me!

It’s a woman named Veronica.
She said she’s been kidnapped.

Hey, Veronica?

I have my boss here, Chief Li.

Veronica.
This is Chief Patrick Li.

Can you tell me where
you’re being held right now?

I don’t know.

- I don’t know.
- [Max] It’s okay.

Breathe. We’re gonna
get through this.

[Li] Veronica, I need to get
some information from you

so we can help you.

Can you tell me if you
saw your kidnappers?

No.

I was walking this morning
on my way to City Hall,

and it started to rain,
so I ducked down the alley

off Sixth to go in
the side entrance,

And then this van
pulled up beside me

and two men jumped out,

and before I knew it, they
threw a bag over my head.

They threw me in the van
and they zip tied my hands,

which are- which are
still bound,

and then they didn’t take
the bag off my head until I...

until I got into this room.

- [Li] Are you hurt?
- No.

I’m just...
I’m just freaking out.

[Li] It’s okay.

Do you know what time
this happened around?

It was around 8:45 this morning.

Okay. You said
you were in a van.

Do you have any idea how
long it was driving for?

Yeah, maybe a half hour,
45 minutes?

Yates. Get a map set up
in the conference room.

Check all the CCTV footage

around the City Hall
at that time.

Veronica.
Did they say anything?

No, not a peep.

Ok. Where are
the Kidnappers now?

I don’t know. I heard
their footsteps

go down the hall.

I- I don’t think
they can hear me.

They let you keep your cell?

- No.
- How are you calling us?

I built a phone.

I, um... I found

a painted over wall cover,
and so I-

I was just hoping there’d be
an old phone jack inside,

so I tried to find something
to open it up,

and when I did,
there was no phone jack,

But there were these
these phone wires.

So all I needed was
a way to hear and be heard.

Every smoke alarm has this,
like, small speaker inside.

So I was able to hook
it up and then I, um,

I tapped out 911 with the wires
and I just prayed

that someone would answer
and you did.

You built a phone?
What are you, MacGyver?

I’m a building
inspector for the City.

I never thought that would
pay off in an emergency,

but here we are.

[Li] Veronica, when they took

the bag off your head,
did you see your kidnappers?

Yeah. There was, um,
a big guy in a ski mask.

Um, he took the bag off my head,
took a picture

with his phone, and then-
and then he just left.

Simmons. Get a trace on this.

Find out everything you can
about Veronica Dreskin.

Veronica, do you have any idea

who might have
kidnapped you or why?

No. I mean,

it can’t be for ransom.
We’re not rich.

- We?
- My husband, Todd, and I.

- He’s middle management.
- [Ellis] Veronica.

This is Detective Ellis.

Are you connected to anybody who
could afford to pay a ransom?

No. My parents are gone,

and my brother’s just
a mechanic.

Where can we reach your husband?

He works at Groundpin.

It’s an HVAC company.

Uh, he’s there right now.

He’s- he’s got a really
big presentation today.

[Ellis] Okay.

We’ll go track him down.

Veronica.

Can you tell us anything about
the room that you’re in?

It’s small.

Maybe 300 square feet.

No windows.
Seems like a basement.

Maybe an old commercial
building.

That’s great. What else?

The floors are cracked linoleum.

The door is metal.
No handle inside.

Sir. It’s ready.

Thank you, Veronica.
Just hold tight a minute.

We’re going to map out
our next move here.

No, no, don’t hang up, please!

We’re still here.

We can hear you, okay?
We’re not going anywhere.

Come with me.

It’s gonna get
loud in here in a minute.

I got them to set up a private
area for you.

Me?

Veronica is on that phone.

The conference speaker
is an open channel

to us in the bullpen
so we can talk to each other.

Now, the monitor will allow
you to see exactly what we see.

Stay on with her.
Keep her calm.

Get as many details as you can.

I need to go set up
the TRT unit.

Are you sure you want me
on the phone with her?

Shouldn’t we call in like
a hostage negotiator?

Max, I was sitting on a bomb
and you got me through it.

I can’t think of anyone better
to help her through this.

Uh, sir? Wait.

Are there any protocols
I should follow, or tips?

Just be yourself.

If you can talk a mark
out of a million dollars,

you can talk her
into staying calm.

Max...

You got this.

[tense music]

Hi, Veronica, it’s Max again.

Hi, Max.

Okay, I’m going to be
on the phone with you

until we find you, okay?

Okay. Thank you.

Yates. Tech has the map
ready for you.

Great.

Max.

Veronica, give me a second.

All right, I’m here.
What do you need?

We got the map up.
Can you see it?

- Yeah. Got it.
- Okay, great.

We need to narrow down
where she might be.

Okay. Where do we start?

We need her to walk us
through the incident again.

Okay. Sounds, smells, anything.

People can always remember
more than they think they can.

Okay. Putting her on.

Veronica, I have Detective Yates
on with us.

Hi, Veronica.

- Hi.
- [Max] Okay. Veronica,

you said you were grabbed
in the alley off 6th.

Then you were in the car
for about 45 minutes.

Can you think back to when
you were first in the van?

It’s downtown.

Was the road smooth?

Bumpy?

Actually, yeah. Um...

the road was smooth, and then
after a couple of minutes,

we turned right
and the road got bumpy.

Okay, good. Bumpy, how?
Like speed bumps?

Or maybe a construction zone?

Like construction.
Like those, um,

you know those metal plates
they put in the road

when they’re working.

Wait, that must have been
Carlton Street.

They’re- they’re um,
working on the sewers there.

How long were you on, Carlton?

Uh, a couple minutes,
I think? Uh,

uh, I don’t know.
And then, um...

And then we turned
and the road smoothed out again.

Okay. What else?

I don’t know.
I don’t know. That’s it.

Okay, think hard.

Close your eyes.

Put yourself back into the SUV.
What can you remember?

Downhill.

Yeah. We went down
a steep grade,

and then the road
noise changed.

Changed how?

The tires made, like,
a- a different sound.

Like we were going over,

like, a metal grid or something.

Wait, I got it.

That must be
Monroe Street Bridge.

Are you sure?

Yes, yes, it’s an open, grate
bridge at the bottom of a hill.

I go over it all the time.

The Monroe Street Bridge.

She’s going east
out of the city.

That went on for a couple
of minutes, and, um...

Nothing else stands out.

Did that help?

Absolutely. Great work.

What you got?

Based on what Veronica
has told us, she’s somewhere

in the eastern section
of the city, here.

Still a big area, but better
than before.

- Yeah.
- Also, Ellis was able

to track down Todd,
Veronica’s husband.

Wasn’t he at work?

No, he was not.

[Todd] What?
Veronica’s been kidnapped?

What, you expect us to believe
you have nothing to do with it?

Of course I don’t.

So you’re saying you haven’t
received a ransom call?

No. This is the first
I’m hearing about any of this.

- When did this happen?
- This morning.

You told your wife
you had a big presentation,

and our officers find you at
home in bed with another woman.

- Sheila.
- Convenient timing.

Oh, it’s classic. Get your wife
out of the picture,

Then you and your mistress
ride off into the sunset.

Nice little payday.

I swear I had nothing
to do with it.

- Is she okay?
- For now.

Thank God.

Do you have anything
that’s ransom worthy?

Cash? Expensive art?
Rare collectibles?

What? No.

We’re gonna need to take
a look at your financials.

Life insurance policies.

We don’t have life insurance.

I cancelled
our policy months ago.

- Why would you do that?
- I couldn’t afford it.

You and your wife
have steady jobs, no?

Yeah, but financing
a double life

can be pretty expensive,
right, Todd?

Listen, I may be a bad husband,

but I have nothing to do with
Veronica being kidnapped.

I swear.

And you have an alibi
this morning? 8:45?

Sheila came to my place at 8:30.

Right after Veronica left.

Do you have any idea who would
want to kidnap Veronica or why?

No clue.

Everyone loves Veronica.

Everyone loves Veronica
except her cheating husband.

Hey, I just spoke to Todd.

He says he was at home at 8:30,
and his mistress can confirm it.

So Todd has an alibi,
but he still could have hired

someone to take out his wife.

I don’t know, we just
checked his financials.

[Ellis] He can barely afford
to put gas in his car.

Well, her husband is bad,
but maybe not kidnap bad.

What should we do with him?

Keep him here.
Kidnappers may call him.

All right.
I’ll let Simmons know.

I’ll check in with tech,
see about the phone trace.

What are you gonna
tell her, Max?

Well, I’m not gonna
tell her that her husband’s

a lying, cheating,
dog-breath scumbag.

She’s already got
enough on her plate.

Yeah. Good call.

Okay.

Hey, Veronica? I’m here.

Hi. Did you get a hold of Todd?
Has there been a ransom call?

Oh, well, we finally located
him, but no ransom call.

He didn’t know that
you’ve been kidnapped.

Wait. So they haven’t
even contacted him yet?

I don’t- I don’t understand.

What’s the point of a
kidnapping with no ransom?

Well, that’s what we’re trying
to work out.

Unless, of course...
I’m never getting released.

Don’t go there.
We’re gonna find you.

Okay.

Wait. Max...

You said "finally located him".

Those were your words.

You said "finally located him"
but I told you

that he was at work for
a big presentation today.

Well, I can find out
the details

from the officers
that picked him up.

He was with her,
wasn’t he?

Sheila?

Tell me the truth, please.

Veronica, I’m sorry.

He was with his mistress
while I was being kidnapped.

You knew about her?

[sniffs]
Yeah.

Few months back
I saw some texts,

but he promised to end it.

[Max] But he didn’t.

We did therapy and all that,

and, I don’t know, I guess

some part of me knew
he never ended anything.

You know, the irony is I even
planned us a surprise trip,

hoping we could reconnect.

I guess that was just a...

Band-Aid solution
for the real problem.

I’ve just been in denial.

[sniffs] I feel so stupid.

You’re not stupid.
And you’re not to blame, okay?

Okay, you don’t have to say
that just to keep me calm.

I’m not.

Sometimes it feels easier

to just avoid some things
altogether.

My whole job is about
finding flaws in buildings.

I couldn’t even see
the cracks in my own marriage.

[Li] Max.

Veronica. Hold on.

Yes, Chief.

We just heard back from tech.

They can’t trace the line.
It’s like it doesn’t exist.

Well, how can that be?

They don’t know.

Well, she’s a building
inspector.

Maybe she will.

Veronica, we’re having a hard
time tracing the line

you’re calling from.

Our techies say the number
doesn’t exist?

Any idea why that might be?

Because it’s a ghost line.

What’s that?

In abandoned commercial
buildings,

the phone numbers drop off

the telecom
provider’s um, records.

There’s no paper trails

or database entry. It’s like...

it’s like the phone version
of ghost in the walls.

Which makes
it impossible to trace.

Does that mean you’re
not gonna find me?

It means we’re gonna have
to find another way.

Veronica, this is
Detective Ellis.

He’s my partner.

Can you think of anybody who
might have a grudge against you?

Honestly, no, I can’t. I-

[Max] Veronica. Breathe.

Take a breath, okay? Think.

Okay. Um...

What was the question?

Is there anyone you
can think of

who might want to harm you?

Maybe somebody at work?

That’s crazy.
I- I can’t think of anybody.

I just--

Wait a minute.

No. There is a guy.
He’s, um...

He’s a real estate developer

with, like, a really
scary temper.

He left me a bunch of
threatening voicemails yesterday

I can’t believe I didn’t
remember that. I- I just-

It feels like so long ago.

Okay, you’re doing great,
Veronica. What’s his name?

[thud]

- Oh, my God, I hear something.
- [Max] Veronica?

I hear something.
Someone’s coming.

Veronica!

Veronica.

Are you okay?

If you can hear us,
we’re still here.

[line goes dead]

[Ellis] Damn it!

Veronica?

Chief, it’s been 10 minutes.

- We have to go get her.
- [Li] Max,

we can’t call back
a ghost line.

Look, I just got off the phone

with Veronica’s supervisor,
okay?

The building developer
that she was talking about?

His name is Arturo Bianchi.

Some glorified
slumlord with mob ties.

Go talk to him.
I’ll get Simmons to run

a background check
on Bianchi for you.

What if we lost her?
What if they already got her?

Max, we don’t have enough
information to panic yet.

Well, that’s never
stopped me before.

We’re doing everything
that we can.

Let’s just focus on
what we can control.

[Max] Okay.

TRT are prepped and ready
when you have a location.

I’ll update them.

Max, stay on the phone.

You’re the voice
that she’s gonna wanna hear

as soon as she gets back online.

[tense music]

I appreciate you dressing
up for me, Detective,

but I only got five minutes.

Mr. Bianchi.

I hear you recently clashed
with a Veronica Dreskin?

Of course I did.
I’m a developer.

And " Sherlock Holmes inspector"
is costing me millions.

How’s she doing that?

Well, she loves to spot
the tiniest little details

other people don’t even notice.

Which makes her
a real pain in my ass.

All her code violations

are going to set me back
at least a month.

You know what that’s
going to cost?

Sounds to me like
she’s good at her job.

Uh-uh. Other inspectors, they
understand the big picture.

They know I got deadlines.

Veronica is always nitpicking.

Veronica’s been kidnapped.

Whoa. You’re kidding, right?

No.

You think I had something
to do with that?

Well, you did threaten her

when she wouldn’t drop
the violations.

Well, yeah, I was angry,
but that’s just how we talk.

You ever worked
a construction site?

Look, I didn’t do anything crazy
I’m a businessman.

Where were you
this morning at 8:15 a.m.?

I was here.
I’ve been here since sunrise.

Ask anyone.

I’ll need a list of all your
properties that have basements.

Yeah, not a problem.

Veronica. She’s a pain,
but she’s a smart lady.

I respect that,
so whatever I can do to help.

Thanks for your time.

[Toni] Max?

We got her back.
911 is patching her through.

Veronica?

I’m okay.

Oh. What happened?
Did they hurt you?

No. They just brought me food.

Food?

Yeah, he just handed
it to me and left.

That’s a good sign, right?

Maybe they won’t kill me.

Veronica? It’s Detective
Yates again.

Can you tell us more about
the food and be detailed?

Yeah. It’s, uh...

It’s a cheeseburger
and fries from The Golden Bun.

Were the fries curly
or straight cut?

Yates. What are you doing?

Their curly fries
are to die for, sir.

- Not you, Veronica.
- [Max] I think Yates

is on to something.
Are the fries still hot?

Yeah, yeah, they’re still warm.

Yates. She’s gotta be near
a Golden Bun.

Mhm.

Okay. There are 25
Golden Bun locations

in the city,

but we know she’s in the eastern
section of the city,

so that cuts the number down
to 15 locations.

And if Veronica is right,

and she did go over
the Monroe Street Bridge,

we can eliminate
these five locations.

- Leaving 10 locations.
- Mmhmm.

And warm fries means

that she’s within five
minutes of one of them.

Toni!

The kidnappers picked up
an order

of a cheeseburger and fries,
and Veronica’s line dropped.

We need to figure out
which Golden Bun

took that exact order within
that specific time frame.

You got it, Chief.

[Yates] Toni.

Pick me up a number five,
would you?

Extra pickles and cheese.
Get yourself something, too.

Thanks.

I haven’t had
a burger in over a year.

Why not?

Todd was really into
clean eating,

healthy habits and I was just
trying to be supportive,

But from now on, I’m eating
whatever the hell I want.

Fries before guys.

- Amen, sister.
- Oh, hold on, Veronica.

[phone rings]

Please have some good news.

[Ellis] Bianchi’s alibi
holds up.

None of the properties he owns

match the kind of building
Veronica is being held in.

Okay, well, what about
the threatening voicemails?

Apparently,
she’s relentless about

finding even
the smallest code violations.

All the builders
call her "Sherlock Homes".

You know, spelled
like H.O.M.E.S.

I get it.

Boys are so lame.

Bottom line,
Bianchi’s a dead end.

Maybe not.
I’ll call you back.

- [Max] Veronica?
- Still here.

Any leads?

Just your nickname.

Oh, you mean "Sherlock Homes"?

Spelled H.O.M.E.S.

You make these idiots
lives miserable

by focusing on
the tiny details, right?

Proudly, yes.

So put that funny hat on
with the ear flaps, okay?

Look around the room.

What do you see?
Take your time.

Stare and tell me the story.

[sighs]

Uh...

Okay. The ceiling

is panelled,
probably suspended,

which is normal for
a commercial building.

The door frame is wide, which
means cinder block masonry.

There’s a metal beam
on the wall,

which, uh, is non-combustible.

It means this building is
probably more than six floors.

Okay. That’s good.
What else?

Rockwool. It’s, uh...
it’s been re-insulated.

How do you know?

The insulation
doesn’t look degraded.

It means it was
probably insulated

with asbestos, initially.

Is someone coming?

Whoever approves
the removal of asbestos

is supposed to leave
a tag right at the edge here.

[metal clangs]

205794.

That’s the building
inspector’s ID.

The date is faded,
but the year is 1998.

- Okay, can we look this up?
- It’ll be in the records

- at City Hall.
- Okay.

That’s amazing, Veronica.

I hear something.

What is it?

[man’s voice]
Help!

[man’s voice] Please, help!
Help! Anybody!

Help! Help!

It’s a man’s voice
coming from the next room.

[man’s voice]
Hey somebody!
Come help me, please!

He’s yelling for help.

- [loud thud]
- [gasps]

They’re coming.

Don’t hang up! Okay?

[Man’s voice]
Where are you taking me?

Where are we going?

Please don’t! Stop! Stop!
Don’t hurt me! Please!

Max! Max, do you hear that?

They’re holding
somebody else here.

What does that mean?
What do they want?

I don’t know. Hang on.

- Chief?
- I heard.

Seems like we’re dealing
with two kidnappings.

- Chief.
- Yeah.

So two people were kidnapped?

It seems like it.

Sounded like the other
person there was being moved.

Another hostage makes the no
ransom thing even weirder, no?

Simmons, look into reports
for the last 24 hours.

Let’s make sure
another kidnapping

or missing persons report didn’t
get lost in the shuffle.

I’m on it right now.

You and you. Let’s go.
You’re with me.

The Golden Bun’s a dead end.

Hundreds of that exact meal
were ordered

during the time frame
at those locations.

Of course.

we’re gathering
all their CCTV footage,

but it’s going to take hours.

Damn it.

Thank you, Toni.

[Veronica] What if I’m next?

Remember what I said.
Don’t go there.

You have big things to do,

like dump your
sleazebag husband.

True.

I have an idea.
Let’s play the alphabet game.

- What’s that?
- We...

go through the alphabet
one letter at a time.

I’ll name something,
and then you go.

I can definitely think of
a word that starts with a B.

Maybe we’ll start with C.

On second thought, let’s go
straight to D. Doughnut.

[sighs] Deception.

Elephant.

Extensions.
The cheap kind.

Frog.

Fake. Like her tan.

I’m sensing a theme here.

I know what you’re doing, Max,
and I really appreciate it.

You have no idea what
it means to me to have

your voice on the end
of this line.

You tell me in person when
you get out of there, okay?

I hope so.

[sobs]

Okay. Where were we?

[Veronica sighs]

The letter G.

- Guacamole.
- Gold digger.

- Hamster.
- Home-wrecker.

Chief, we’ve got ourselves
another kidnapping.

Came in this morning.

Talk to me.

All right.
Name’s Ramon Alvarez.

Witness says he was
snatched in broad daylight,

thrown in a vehicle
just outside his house.

Another black SUV?

Yeah, you guessed it, another
black SUV. Vanier Park.

How is this not on our radar?

Uniform went out,
did a knock and talk.

His husband said there
must be a mix up.

Ramon is just fine.

Sounded a little too sure,
if you ask me.

Call Ellis.

Tell him we need Ramon’s
statement in person.

Hey, Chief.

We traced the inspector’s
I.D. number

from the asbestos-free tag.

He approved 36 buildings
in the city in 1998.

How many in our zone?

Twenty.

Tell Yates to get this up
on the map.

- [Max] Zebra.
- [Veronica] Zipper.

[Veronica] If only
he’d kept his closed.

Max?

Veronica, hold on a second.

[Li] There has been
a second abduction.

Ellis is following up,

and we’ve narrowed
the buildings down to about 20.

So let’s try and get
some more details.

Veronica, I have my chief here.

[Li] Veronica? All the
information you’ve give us

thus far has been a great help.

And we are getting closer.

Now, you mentioned that you’re
in a commercial building.

How do you know this?

[Veronica] Because of the
cinder block, primarily.

Cinder block like this
isn’t normally used

for residential homes.

That’s great. Anything else?

[Veronica] Yeah.
The mortaring.

These cinder blocks have thick,
irregular joints,

so the building’s probably old.

Probably older than 1950, when
the mortaring style changed.

Okay, fantastic.

[Veronica] You can call
the Public Works Department

and get a city engineer
that can help narrow that down.

Copy that. Thank you.

Nice work, Veronica.

Do you think it helped?

I know it did.

Hi. Detective Ellis.
Metro P.D.

I was hoping
to speak with Ramon today.

That’s my husband.

I have some questions
about an abduction report.

Ramon!

Ramon, this is
Detective Ellis.

He’s here about
the whole kidnapping thing.

Oh. [laughs]

Well, here I am, not kidnapped.

I’m very glad to see that.

Sorry you were sent
on a wild goose chase.

Your neighbour, Dorothy Banks,
reported that a black SUV

pulled up in front
of your house,

Ramon was dragged inside,
and then it sped away.

Do you have any idea why
she would have

made up such an elaborate
and specific claim?

- Dorothy is like 90.
- Yeah.

She calls 911 more times
than she calls her family.

I mean, she once accused
me of stealing pound cakes

from her freezer.

Turns out she was sleep eating.

All right, well, I just
have to ask for our records.

Where were you both

when Mrs. Banks
reported the kidnapping?

Oh, I was working
in my home office,

and Landon
was at the stadium.

I got home less
than an hour ago.

I’m a relief pitcher
for the Heat Wave.

He’s converted
ten straight saves.

Go Heat Wave!

Well, thanks for
your time, gentlemen.

- Yeah.
- Appreciate it.

Yeah.

[Ellis] They’re lying.

Landon and Ramon
say nothing happened,

but the marks on Ramon’s wrists
tell a different story.

They look like zip tie marks.

[Li] Veronica’s wrists
are still zip tied.

Now, why would Ramon
and his husband

lie about
him getting kidnapped?

[Ellis] Because they’re
hiding something.

I just found something
that can prove it.

[Ellis] We got this
from your neighbour’s

doorbell camera this morning.

Why did you lie to me
about the kidnapping?

I promised Landon
I wouldn’t say anything.

What, has he got
something to do with this?

No.

I mean, it’s complicated.

The kidnappers took me
to get to him.

And when he did what they said,
they brought me back home.

What do you mean,
he did what they said?

I’m sorry.
I can’t tell you.

If the truth ever came out,
it would ruin his career.

You do realize
obstructing justice

can also ruin your career,
right?

After the kidnappers
took Ramon,

they called me
with instructions.

All right. Which were?

Do you know anything
about baseball?

More of a football guy myself.

I’m a relief pitcher.

I throw one, maybe two innings
a game, tops.

The kidnappers told me
that during my inning,

my first pitch
had to go into the dirt.

My second had to be a fastball.

My third had to be a curveball,
and my fourth had to be sinker.

All right.
Why such specific pitches?

They must have been fixing
a micro-bet.

What is that?

Ramon’s kidnapping
wasn’t about ransom.

It’s a sports bet hustle.

Not just any regular
game fixing.

Micro-betting.

Explain.

It’s not like
traditional betting

where you’re betting
on wins and losses.

Instead, you’re betting on
a specific moment of a game.

Yeah. Like betting on how
many times a tennis player

would bounce the ball
before he serves it.

Or each pitch of an inning,
like Landon did.

The kidnappers told Landon

which pitches he had to throw
in the game.

So he did what they said,
and then they released Ramon.

Yeah.

Max?

[Max] Oh, hold on, Veronica.

No, no, no, don’t mute me.

Veronica. Do you
know anyone in pro sports?

No.

It could be anyone
even remotely related.

A ball boy, a caddy, anyone.

My brother, Freddy.

He’s on Justin Allgaier’s
pit crew

for the NASCAR O’Reilly series.

[rock music]

[Announcer] Former champion
Justin Allgaier.

Justin, what would you say
to the other drivers

on the track today that are
competing against you?

Yeah, I mean, they’re going to
have a tough road ahead of them.

You know, I think that this
is going to be a big battle.

We’re excited,
We’re ready for the challenge,

and we’ll see what happens.

[engines racing]

[phone ringing]

Yeah.

Freddy, this is
Chief Patrick Li

from the Metropolitan Police.
Listen very carefully.

We know your sister Veronica
has been kidnapped,

and we think the abductors
have contacted you.

I don’t know what
you’re talking about.

Listen, Freddy,
this is Detective Ellis here.

Now, I know you’re scared,
and I know

I’m just a voice on the phone,
but we are trying to save

your sister,
and we’re running out of time.

If you want to see her again,
you’re gonna have to help us.

Have they contacted you
to fix the race?

Uh, yes, they have.

Is she- is she okay?

[Li] Yes, but we need to find
her as soon as possible.

Now, tell me exactly
what they told you to do.

We’ve been making
tire stops all day.

They don’t usually
last longer than 15 seconds,

but they told me to slow it down
by at least a second each time.

- And you’ve been complying?
- Of course.

- I can’t let them hurt her.
- Of course.

You’re doing great, Freddy.
Get the race up on our monitor.

They told me this next stop
needs to be two seconds slower.

That ain’t gonna be easy.

Just do exactly what
they say, Freddy.

Yeah.
I’ll do whatever it takes.

[Crew Chief] Crew stability.

You’re losing time
on turn four exit.

[Justin] Ten-four, man.
Pit this time.

Right side only, guys.
Nice and easy.

We can’t lose anything
this stop.

[engines racing]

I gotta go.
Justin’s coming in for a stop.

- Let’s go.
- Okay.

[Announcer] And it is
one heck of a race

we have tonight, folks.

Allgaier’s coming into the pit.

The 88 car hot on his tail.

Allgaier’s pit has a very
tight turnaround here.

They need to get it back
out there immediately.

Time is of the essence.

And what an unbelievable race
we have here today, folks.

This is neck and neck
competition.

Oh, and he dropped
a lug nut in the stop.

That’s gonna cost him
two seconds.

Justin’s crew chief

gotta be sweating
something awful right now.

Good job, Freddy.

[Ellis] It’s a parlay.

Pardon?

It’s a series of micro bets.

Could be one game,
could be multiple

across different sports.

If you hit on all of your bets,

you’re walking away
with a huge payday.

How huge?

The odds of you hitting on every
one of your micro-bets

is astronomical.

It’s like
betting on every shot

in a championship game
and getting them all right.

Simmons and I ran an estimate,

and if you were to bet $10,000,
say, on Landon’s pitches,

and on top of that,
you correctly picked

the timing from every one
of Justin’s pit stops,

The payout is--

[Yates] Over ten mil?

I’m starting to think
crime does pay.

I have a city engineer.

Yates, take that.

[phone ringing]

Freddy.

I just got benched.

That dropped
lugnut was our last chance.

You got to get back in there,
Freddy.

Hey. What happened?

They just kicked Freddy
out of the pit.

We’re down under 100 laps.

That means there’s only
one pit stop left.

Freddy, how long
till the next stop?

Uh, about an hour.

He says about an hour.

Which means we’ve only got
an hour to save Veronica.

[Announcer] 97 laps to go here.
it’s been a hell of a race.

Each team will need
one more pit stop.

Freddy, you got to get
back into the pit crew.

Security won’t let me through!

I got into it
with my crew chief.

They tossed me off the track.

Let me talk to your boss.

I can’t even get through
until the race is over!

[Yates] We got something.

Freddy. I’m gonna
put you on mute.

I’m still here.
Hang tight.

I talked to
the city engineer,

cross-referencing all
the parameters we have.

He narrowed down the commercial
buildings that were built

with cinder block
in the mortar style

that Veronica talked about.

That leaves eight possible
buildings where she could be.

How many laps left in the race?

Ninety-five!

An average of 45 seconds a lap.

2,660 seconds.
45 minutes.

What?

I’m extra good at
math when I’m hungry.

That doesn’t give
our TRT unit enough time

to check out
all these buildings.

Where’s the team right now?

[Yates] Here. They should be
entering any minute.

Okay. Instruct TRT to focus
on these five buildings.

Now, we’re close enough
to this section here.

I’ll hit these three buildings.

They’re never going to be
able to make it there in time.

Copy that.
Take Simmons with you.

Okay. Let’s get suited up,
Simmons.

I’ll meet you
at the car in five.

TRT, this is Yates.

What if they hurt my brother?

[Max] They won’t.

He’s at the track.
He’s safe.

I can’t imagine how scared
he’s been this whole time.

Are you two close?

Yeah. We’ve always been close.
He’s my little brother.

If I don’t get out of here, he
is never gonna forgive himself.

You’re amazing.

What do you mean?

Well, here you are,
kidnapped, alone and scared,

and all you’re thinking about

is how this is
affecting your brother.

You’re a good person.

[Ellis] Max?

Give me a sec, Veronica.

Hey, where are we
with everything?

We’ve narrowed down
the list of buildings,

but we only have
45 minutes left.

Okay, what about her brother?

He just got kicked out
of the pit crew.

Oh, jeez.

Just don’t tell her that.

I won’t.

Look, I gotta go, but I- I just

wanted to come
here and tell you that...

Veronica’s really lucky that
you picked up the phone today.

- Gotta go.
- Hey, Ellis?

- Yeah?
- You have to find her.

Please.

Sorry about that.

Is everything okay?

Yeah. My partner is out there
looking for you.

And trust me, there is no one
I believe in more

to save the day than him.

Well, if you think that about
him, he must be a special guy.

He is.

Okay.

All of this is reminding me
of a funny story.

It’s summer of 2016

and I’m in a hotel in Marrakesh
with a belly dancer

and three drunk spider monkeys.

And the elevator gets stuck.

Oh, and let me tell you, drunk
spider monkeys do not like--

So yes, maybe it was a petty
reason to end a relationship,

but maple syrup on popcorn?

I- I need a man,
not Buddy the Elf, okay?

Veronica?

Are you there?

I’m here.

- Did I put you to sleep?
- No.

I’ve just been thinking.

Why would they let me go?

You know the other person
you heard in there?

They let him go.

- They did?
- Yep.

He’s safe and sound.

Okay, great.

- [phone dings]
- [Yates] One more down, Chief.

Ellis and Simmons just texted.

The first building on
their list is empty.

They’re on to the next.

[heavy footsteps]

I hear something.

They’re coming!
They’re coming!

I have to hide the phone.
Stay quiet, Max.

[intense music]

Move.

[Veronica] Please don’t do this!

[Man] Hey. Smile.

[Freddy] Chief Li?
Are you there?

Freddy, I’m right here.

I’m getting a call.

I think it’s the kidnappers.
What should I do?

Okay. Conference them in
so I can hear,

then answer it.

Hello?

Check your phone, Freddy.
I’m sending you a picture.

Just a reminder.

Only one more pit stop

and she can go home, as long as
you hold up on your end.

They kicked me out of the
pit for slowing things down!

You better find a way
back in there,

or your sister dies.

Yates, where’s Ellis?

I got him right here.
Hang on.

Ellis, where are you?

[Ellis] Yeah, the first
building’s empty.

TRT is doing their part,
but we still got

two more buildings to clear.

How many laps until he
comes in for a pit stop?

How many laps
until the pit stop?

I don’t know!
No more than 20.

Twenty laps.

That’s not enough time to check
both buildings.

- Well, we gotta choose one.
- Yeah? Which one?

[music intensifies]

Please. You don’t have
to do this.

You could just let me go.

Please. I promise
I won’t say anything.

If your brother comes through,
you’ll be going home.

- If not...
- Please don’t do this.

Stay quiet until
the race is over.

Please don’t do this.

I don’t want to end up
a newspaper headline.

I said shut up!

[Veronica] No.

Max, we need to make a choice.

[Announcer] Allgaier’s gonna
come in to pit on the next lap.

They’re coming in
for the pit stop.

I know where she is.

[engines racing]

This is it.
They call it a stop.

Your brother’s got one last
chance to fix the big time.

He’s been pulled.
There’s no way.

Then he better find a way.

[Man] Guess we’ll see
how much he loves you.

[engines racing]

[Justin] All right, let’s go!

[drills whirring]

[Crew chief]
Nicely done! Let’s go!

[Announcer] 6.7 seconds!

A great stop for the crew
and sends Allgaier back out--

Son of a bitch!

Your brother just killed you.

No! Please!

[Veronica] Please!

No! Please don’t shoot me!

[Veronica] No! Please!

[Ellis] Drop the weapon!

- [Simmons] Get down!
- [gunshots]

Ellis, please!

[Ellis] We got her. She’s okay.

Oh. Thank God.

[sighs of relief]

Freddy, we got her.
Your sister’s safe.

[applause]

[engines racing]

[Announcer] Justin has managed
to fight his way to only

a half car
length behind the leader.

He’s going for it!

He dives low,
snags the bottom groove,

makes the pass,
and he wins it!

An unbelievable come-from-
behind win for Justin Allgaier!

Sorry. I just
really needed to hug someone.

It’s okay, I get it.

[exhales]

[kidnapper groans]

You’re safe now.
It’s over.

Is this the phone you made?

Yeah.

Impressive.

It worked in a pinch.

If you’re up for it,

I think there’s somebody
who’d like to meet you.

[Yates] Hell of a day.

You can say that again.

You all right, Chief?

Just getting old, Max.

- Max?
- Veronica?

I’m not hallucinating, right?
You’re real?

I... I don’t know
how to thank you.

No need to thank me.

Just so you know,
we’re gonna be besties now.

Obviously. Mani-pedis, stat.

[Max laughs] Agreed.

So how’d you guys figure out
where Veronica was, anyway?

Well, the last time
the kidnappers came,

they left
the door open a crack.

I looked down the hall
and I saw the printing presses.

And when I heard her mention
that she was gonna be

a newspaper headline, I knew
that she was giving me a clue

that she was in the old
City Gazette printing plant.

I was hoping you’d
pick up on that.

Veronica? Your husband
is still in holding.

Well, we can keep him
for 24 hours

if you want
to make him sweat.

As much as I would enjoy that,

I don’t want to waste
one more second.

Bring me to that scumbag.

Toni, let’s take care of her.

Will do, Chief.

Thank you.

Listen up everyone.

Today we did what
we trained for.

And then some.

Max, you kept Veronica calm,
and you stayed the course.

At one point, you talked
to me about protocol.

Wait, Max did that?

Yeah.

Really proud of all
the hard work we did today.

Working together.
The handoffs were seamless.

- It was like--
- A pit crew.

All right, well,
we’re still in our swanky duds.

So someone say drinks,
let’s say karaoke.

I’m thinking Spice Girls.
Yates, you’re Baby Spice.

Yeah. This baby needs
chicken pot pie and bed.

And not necessarily
in that order.

Well, I’m Scary Spice,

and I really, really,
really want to go home.

Sorry. I gotta get
the hell out of these pants.

Something tells me you don’t
know Mel C’s rap from Wannabe.

’Fraid not.

- [light punch]
- Ow!

How dare you
scare me like that?

I had it all under control,
okay?

I promise.

Can I give you a ride?

No. I have way too much
adrenaline from today.

And I don’t want
this dress to go to waste.

So I guess I’ll just go
to karaoke on my own.

Okay. Knock em dead.

Send me a video.

[slow music tempo]

♪... And things got ugly ♪

[voicemail] Hi, darling.
It’s mom.

So, Dan, the real estate
agent, called me

and I told him
you’d reconsider--

Ellis, wait!
I’ll take that ride after all.

Mom, are you here?

I think we need to talk about...

[Vivienne]
We have company, honey.

Hello, Max.

To what do we owe the honour?

Oh, I just dropped by to make
sure everything is on track.

As you know,
the clock is ticking.

I told
Mr. Hayashi everything is fine.

Indeed. Couldn’t be better.

Tickety-boo.

Nothing to worry about.

Oh, I’m not the one
who should be worried.

Need I remind you,
failure is not an option.

At least not one I’d recommend.

♪ I save like
you was my life ♪

♪ But I couldn’t have
fallen-- ♪

We got this. Right?

Of course.

Yeah.

Okay. Because if we make
one wrong move, we’re dead.

And so is everybody else
we love.

♪ I s uccumb to the pressure ♪

Begin German lesson for today.

[Recording]
Lesson 14: Expanding Vocabulary.

Listen first, then repeat.

My uncle suffers from gout,
but dances anyway.

Mein onkel leidet an gicht,
tanzt aber trotzdem.

Mein onkel leidet an gicht,
tanzt aber trotzdem.

Very good.

Danke. Next.

The miller’s ox
has an open sore.

Der Müllerochse
hat eine offene wunde.

Der Müllerochse
hat eine offene wunde.

Very good.

No, it’s perfect.

Wunderbar. Next.

The angry monk has hidden
the sausage in the piano.

Oh.

I’ll just bet he has.

♪ I took a zig and a zag ♪

♪ And things got ugly ♪

♪ I grew numb to the pressure ♪

♪ I succumbed
to the pressure ♪

♪ You can break ♪

♪ From the pressure ♪

♪ You can... ♪