Original subtitles

(Sound effect) Announcer: reads words on screen

(narrator): In Toronto's war on crime,

the worst offenders are pursued by the detectives

of the Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit.

These are their stories. (echoing gavel)

(bell dinging)

(suspenseful music)

- Can I help you? - You sure can.

Would you mind moving your bike out of the bike lane?

- Oh, I'm just waiting for my wife. She'll be right back.

- A lot of kids out here trying to get to school.

- Come on, man. Just give me a break.

I'm gonna be here for a minute.

- A lot of things can happen in a minute.

You sit here and little Joey back there veers into traffic,

falls off his bike or worse, he gets hit by a car.

Police show up, road gets closed,

hundreds of commuters get diverted.

- I'll move the car. (engine starts)

- How you settling in, Eli?

(indistinct chatter) - Good.

Accommodation rental is quite nice.

And I'm excited to eat out.

Food scene here seems to be really taking off.

- That's right. They told me about you, the gourmand, right?

I'll have my secretary send over some recommendations.

(office phones ringing) (suspenseful music)

So, not sure you made it through my brief...

- I did, Price.

Delayer as much as possible by the end of the quarter.

You want me to make your company resemble your watch.

- Rose gold?

(chuckling): Swiss movement.

Never build something with nine cogs that can work with eight.

I find beauty in simplicity, efficiency.

- Great.

Um, here's your security pass.

You report to me.

As far as anyone else is concerned, you're not even here.

- Hmm, that'll change soon enough.

In my experience, bad news travels fast.

(indistinct chatter) - Quinn?

- Sorry, I'm late. (sighing)

I had to drop my kid off at a friend's house.

- Took me a minute to realize the reservation was under Grace.

(soft music playing aloud) - My middle name.

(sighing in understanding)

- Subterfuge. It's a bit odd.

Is it hard to keep the two versions of yourself separate?

- Well, I actually quite like it.

It makes me feel powerful.

- Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't order this.

- It's from the kitchen. They know me here.

(indistinct chatter) - Thank you.

(suspenseful music) - Wyatt.

What's your team's customer acquisition cost?

- $70 per customer. Give or take.

- And your conversion rate?

(grunting): Currently it's 1 %.

But it's been a slow quarter. - Hmm.

- Um... did I pass or? (nervous chuckling)

- It's not a test.

But what I can tell you is that your team's conversion rate

is 10 % less than your competitor.

Your CAC is twice as expensive and your CLV

drops to 12 % after the holiday season.

(suspenseful music continues)

- You know what they say?

A fool uses statistics the way a drunkard uses a lamppost.

- For support. Not illumination.

Anything else you'd like to add to your evaluation,

on the record?

(kitchen din)

(soft jazz music)

It's nothing personal.

The data speaks for itself.

(indistinct chatter)

(thudding)

(glass breaking) (patrons gasping)

- Excuse me. Sir! - Oh, my God.

Are you hurt? - Sir!

- No.

- Uh... okay. That...

That was a lot. Uh... sorry, folks.

- Why don't we wash out this bad taste with some champagne.

- Yes. Hey! Bubbles. Round.

- Are you okay, yeah? - Yes, yeah.

Biggest tragedy's not finishing that delicious cheesecake.

- Okay. That we can do. We will get you two.

Is there anything else we can do to help?

(whispering): I would love a tour of the kitchen if possible.

- Yeah, that would be our pleasure, of course.

Uh, let me just... Let me get you

a new table, in the meantime. - Thank you.

- Come with me. I'm Tayiah.

- Eli. - Nice to meet you.

(suspenseful music)

(city din)

(phone dinging)

(exhaling loudly)

(phone dinging)

(door unlocking)

- Hello?

Hello? (keys jingling)

(dramatic music)

(gasping) (screaming)

(theme song)

- Victim is Eli Parker.

30 years old. BC driver's licence.

Cleaning woman who found him at 7 AM

said that he's been at this rental for a month.

(intriguing music)

Um... killer hits him with the bookend,

suffocates him with the pillow.

Looks like they came in through the patio door.

- When are you writing your Detective Boards?

(distant sirens wailing) - Next month.

- Good luck. (sighing)

(sighing)

- Killer bashes him in the head.

He's, uh, hurt... bad, but not dead yet.

Why not finish the job with another blow?

It's faster than a suffocation.

- Well, neighbours are pretty close.

Guy screams for help, the killer panicked and...

...put the pillow on him. Lights out.

- A B&E gone wrong?

- Short-term rental.

Not the smartest place for a turnover.

Very few valuables.

- Didn't even take the laptop.

Normally, thieves have a methodical system

for going through drawers. Start at the bottom,

move to the top, but this is...

...overkill.

- Yeah, like the B&E.

See, usually the trick is to, uh,

break and enter through the same passageway,

but our killer didn't come through the patio.

(police sirens wailing) After they, uh, broke the door,

they would've tracked glass inside, but...

I don't see any shards on the carpet.

Break-in was staged, as was the turnover.

Because our killer wanted to hide the fact

that they walked through the front door.

- Yeah. Meaning they had a key,

or Eli here opened the door for them.

We know if he was here on business?

- Could be. With a side of, uh, pleasure? Borealis guide.

(exhaling loudly): That is out of my price range.

- A rare splurge at a world-class restaurant

sets the soul aflame.

Okay.

Any idea who was last to see Eli Parker alive?

- We're still working on that.

(grunting): Two, three.

(sighing)

(sighing): Yeah, put him back.

(phone dinging)

(sighing)

(grunting)

Maybe Quinn Hartnet because Eli missed

five calls from him last night.

(echoing gavel)

- Eli was a client.

I'm a wine importer.

I was helping him build out a cellar back home.

- Five calls after 8 PM?

It's, uh, not exactly business hours.

- I was able to source a special bottle for him.

I needed his go-ahead before purchasing.

- Must've been out of a Beaujolais.

Can we come inside, please?

(suspenseful music)

(door shutting)

- We slept together a couple of times.

We met at a bar,

we both liked good food, so we had a few dinners.

It was stupid.

But last week he ghosted me.

I called him. I wanted some closure.

- And where were you last night?

- At Sonneta.

An Italian place on King. I was celebrating a friend's 40th.

- And what else do you know about Eli?

- He worked for a massive company.

He was pulling 80-hour weeks.

(inhaling deeply)

Last we spoke,

he said that he was about to make some enemies at work.

(suspenseful music)

- Our victim was a business management consultant

at McQueen?

- Yeah. The company that advises other companies

on how to run more efficiently.

- Though Eli's boss said that he was one of McQueen's

top consultants because he was relentless and uncompromising.

- So, we have a young, overpaid victim whose purpose it was

to tell older, more experienced employees

how to do their jobs better.

That will buy you a long list of enemies.

- Yeah, Eli's from the, uh, McQueen Vancouver office,

but he's practically a nomad, living out of a suitcase,

ready to be deployed to a new city

at the drop of a hat for months at a time.

- Uh, he's been stationed in Toronto for the last month

at an e-commerce giant by the name of Solara.

He's been working on labour analysis for the company.

- What were his findings?

- I'm sure he hadn't finished his report.

- Yeah, he was last seen leaving Solara's offices

last night at 6:30 PM,

so that paired with Da Silva's pathology report, that, uh,

places his time of death between 9 PM and midnight.

- Anything else about this man, aside from his job?

- Yeah. Uh, so, in his scarce spare time,

Eli would use his expense account to, uh,

fund his one apparent hobby,

eating out of the city's best restaurants.

It's his credit card statement.

(buzzing noise afar) - Man after my own heart.

Edulis?

PSP? Alo?

Dreyfus! (gasping)

These are all Borealis-starred restaurants.

I save for a birthday or an anniversary to go here.

- Not me.

Look, I like food as much as the next guy,

but take me to Burger Drops, I'm a happy girl.

All this fine dining pomp...

(grunting): Some people like to eat with their cutlery.

(chuckling)

A little pomp is okay once in a while, but, uh,

no, this guy? He'd go back to some of these places

two or three times.

- I'd be a regular at any of these places if I could.

- For Eli to have an expense account as bottomless as this?

He'd have to be one hell of a consultant.

(intriguing music)

- Looks like Eli brought his expertise and scrutiny

to everything he did.

I found his blog on an open tab on his computer.

Check out these posts.

"An Efficient Market is a Happy One."

"Oligopoly of Umbrian Truffles."

- "Anaxagoras," Ancient Greek philosopher.

That's a deep cut, uh...

What's that post about, huh?

- It wasn't published yet. Still a work in progress.

- 55, 92... 136. Was that a hidden password?

- An asterisk denotes multiplication,

but if so, he needs to get his math checked.

(grunting): Everything has a natural explanation.

I don't see Eli as the type to make a careless mistake.

- I was also able to crack into his work files.

Here's what he was working on for Solara. It's... intense.

- Oh. What are we looking at?

- These groups represent all 300 employees,

but he gave them codenames.

- He was analyzing the workflow of the entire company.

- He was trying to figure out who to fire.

Kiwi Wing Group. Combined income of $6,000,000.

(chuckling): I like this kid. He's smart.

Kiwis are flightless birds, hence the, uh,

kiwi wing is, uh, redundant.

- Hmm.

Eli wasn't just any consultant.

He was a corporate executioner.

- Question is:

Did someone kill him before he could have them fired?

- As Chief Transformation Officer,

it's my job to optimize Solara.

(office phone ringing) Reorganize.

With AI coming for us, we need to be agile.

Lean.

- So you hired Eli to essentially figure out

who to fire.

- Eli was tasked with delayering.

(chuckling)

- Hey, delayering. Is that what we're calling it now?

Okay. Uh, who else knew that Eli was delayering?

- Myself and the Board.

(office din)

- Well, I think you oughta know.

"Sanson"?

That is the name of, uh, Marie-Antoinette's executioner.

- Hmm.

- Come on, Price.

New face, hermetically sealed temporary office,

personal printer? I think you, uh,

underestimate the intelligence of your employees.

(muffled indistinct chatter)

- Eli interviewed everyone at our company.

We said it was just for analytics, but

it's possible that some may have figured it out.

- We're going to need to see

the employees listed in the Kiwi Wing.

- The what?

- Uh, the name of the group

Eli was planning to delayer $6,000,000 in salary?

- Eli never gave me any list.

He was still conducting evaluations

and was supposed to present his findings

at a Board meeting tomorrow.

- Oh.

But I'm sure a smart CTO like you

would've nudged Eli in the direction

of where best to trim the fat.

- Yeah. Middle management.

It's where we have a lot of redundancies.

- And did any of them get the feeling that

Eli was coming after them?

Did they feel the shadow of the blade?

- Yeah. Wyatt Turner.

After his interview yesterday,

he waited outside till Eli left for the night.

(dramatic music) Security had to intervene.

- I just wanted him to cut the crap

and have an honest conversation yesterday. That's it.

- Is that why security was dispatched to intervene?

(construction din) - I was... frustrated.

Fair enough. But that's all.

I mean. (scoffing)

Do you know how much I make?

$200,000.

I told Eli he should be hunting whales.

And not wasting his time chasing minnows.

- Sounds like you should be infuriated.

Learning some kid is in charge of your future?

- He said that,

"If I deserve my job, that I have no problem

and that, uh, the data will speak for itself."

- When was the last time you saw Eli?

(intriguing music) - After work.

I did wanna talk more. You know, to make my case.

But he said he had a meeting and hopped on his bike and left.

- Wyatt's husband was his only alibi at the time of the murder,

so he's still a suspect.

What do you got? (indistinct chatter)

- Eli's, uh, bikeshare Toronto account.

Uh, seems that right after his conversation with Wyatt,

he, uh, picked up a bike outside Solara,

dropped it at Harbord and Spadina, 7 PM.

What if Wyatt followed him?

- To where? Uh, Eli didn't have any credit charges on Monday.

- But, remember? He did, um.

He did have this in his pocket. Pineapple.

(suspenseful music) Symbol of hospitality.

- Or swingers. (approaching footsteps)

- Oh, I know where that's from.

- I pray it's the former.

(intriguing music)

Isadora...

My favourite new restaurant.

Got its star in its first year.

Helmed by a bad girl Chef turned industry darling

and they post their menus daily.

Oh, my God. Today there's sweetbreads.

- Uh, Inspector?

- Oh! Yes, uh... (clearing throat)

Look at the top.

(echoing gavel)

- Yesterday we were slammed.

7 PM. Eli Parker. Two...

Two tasting menus and a travel supplement.

Yeah, they were, uh, bawling out right up until the blow-up.

I had to comp the entire room's drinks to smooth that over.

Cost me $500 out of pocket.

- So you're the owner?

- I am living the dream.

One day at a time.

- So, this blow-up. What happened exactly?

- I have no idea. You should ask my brother, Jonah.

He's the GM and my eyes and ears at the dining room.

(indistinct chatter)

- After, uh, Eli's guest paid the bill,

something changed.

He got loud and aggressive and this guy just

flips the table on the way out.

- Is this him?

- No, no. He was white and had a nice suit.

- Well, maybe Eli took Wyatt's advice

instead of chasing minnows.

(intriguing music) - Finally got himself a whale.

His name is Price Chambers.

- Yeah. That's the guy.

When you see him, tell him he owes us a new set of plates.

(whispering): So, well, Price was Kiwi Wing

and Eli was about to tell the Board to fire him.

- No better way to get off the chopping block

than to kill the executioner.

(intriguing music)

- Eli sandbagged me.

He picked that pricey restaurant,

he waited until after I paid the bill to begin his evaluation.

I couldn't believe it.

I hired him.

(scoffing): What he was doing was illegal.

(suspenseful music) - Uh, no.

Eli reported to the Board.

So if he thought you were redundant,

he would be well within his rights to tell them.

- Well, I begged him to drop it, but the kid was so stubborn.

He kept going on and on

about how he had an obligation to share his findings.

I mean, who says that?

- A man with a strong moral compass.

- For the record,

Solara would be nothing without me.

- Yeah, well, we'll find out about that soon enough.

Uh, because, uh, we do feel an inclination

to share Eli's findings with Solara.

- And why would you do that?

- Because we can.

So, after you've had your little tantrum at Isadora,

where were you?

- Drinking.

Trying to figure out my next move.

(door buzzing) (indistinct chatter)

- Just got off the phone with Bar Raval.

Price was there until last call, after Eli's murder.

- Know, I've been thinking.

We've been so focused on Solara,

but at the end of the day,

Eli's most important meeting...

...was outside the office.

- So, all of Eli's fancy meals.

You thinking they were more than just breaking bread?

- Well, he's in a new city.

Who's he dining with night after night?

What if all these dinners were just important meetings?

- Well, more business gets done

over restaurant linens than Board room tables.

(suspenseful music)

- I was able to pull footage

from several of the restaurants Eli visited.

You two were onto something. - Hmm.

- He dined out with the same person every single night.

Himself.

- I... guess he was really just there for the food.

- Alone, alone. Night after night.

No phone, no book. It's my nightmare.

- Well, unlike you, Don Juan,

some of us don't get the choice.

Play that back.

(computer feedback)

Hey, Bateman, hungry?

(echoing gavel)

(indistinct chatter) All in all,

underwhelmed.

(chuckling)

- That's what you get for a two-star lunch.

- How was everything? (grunting)

(soft music playing aloud)

- Terrific. Thank you so much.

- I was able to pull Eli Parker's

reservation file for that night.

Set course dinner.

- Can I ask, did he order

one glass of wine and one non-alcoholic beverage?

- Mm-hmm. - And did he

mention a dietary restriction?

Um, on the day rather than in advance?

- Yeah. How'd you know?

- Lucky guess. Thank you.

(grunting): I didn't wanna risk sounding daft before,

but I've always been fascinating by the elusive nature

of the Borealis inspector, you know?

They frequently throw a curveball at the kitchen

to see how they react.

And they've been known to, um, drop their napkins

to see how long it takes front of house to notice.

(intriguing music) I'm thinking.

What if Eli didn't eat out night after night for fun?

What if he was working?

- Lines up.

Inspectors are anonymous. They all have day jobs.

- Actually got my own guide and duplicated Eli's.

He, uh, bookmarked eight restaurants that he visited.

- Well, he could've been scoping them out for next year's guide.

They rate each restaurant yearly

to make sure they're maintaining their stars.

- Hey, not to be the odd gourmand out,

but, uh, just wanna do a quick temperature check.

A restaurant guide.

We think this connects to Eli's death how?

- THE restaurant guide.

- Toronto's restaurant industry is cutthroat.

$15,000,000,000.

- Billion. - Yearly in revenue.

Big money. Big money backing some of these top spots.

- Having a star and not can mean the difference between

a restaurant thriving and being forced to close.

- One of the places he snubbed

could've killed him out of revenge.

- Before we entertain this theory too much longer,

why don't we just go straight to the source?

(echoing gavel)

- You're putting me in a very difficult position.

Revealing the identity of an inspector

would compromise Borealis' core tenet of anonymity.

- Well, unfortunately, we're gonna need to insist

because failing to investigate murder would compromise

our core purpose, investigating murder.

(inhaling deeply): This is our victim, Eli Parker.

- That's awful.

He seemed like a lovely man.

- Yeah, that's what people have been saying.

We're gonna need a list of the restaurants that he covered.

(grunting)

How long was he an inspector?

- Eli wasn't an inspector. - Pardon me?

- That man was never an inspector for Borealis.

- I'm sorry, um, how did you recognize him?

- He came by a few weeks ago.

He was a consultant for McQueen. - And what did he want?

- He was working on a project for a food group.

Wanted to be put in touch with an inspector

who covered fine dining establishments

for market research.

- And you connected him? - Yes.

- Well, what about your core tenet of... anonymity?

- For a modest fee and a signed NDA,

we made an exception. (intriguing music)

I connected him with an inspector

who focuses on fine wine.

(inhaling deeply)

- Who is this inspector?

(intriguing music continues)

- She's been with us for five years.

Quinn Hartnet.

(gate opening) (sighing)

- You wanted to talk?

- Yeah.

The... police were here, asking questions about Eli.

That man?

He found out about your... your little side hustle.

I just wanted to tell you the same thing that I told him,

I don't want anything to do with it and I never did.

- Well, it's too late to back out now, isn't it?

- You've no idea what you're talking about.

You've no idea what you're stepping into--

- Tay...

Pre-shift.

Do you wanna invite your friend for family meal?

- No. - No need.

I was just leaving.

(dissipating footsteps) (suspenseful music)

- Hey, I just got off the phone with our guy from McQueen?

He said Eli never worked for any food company.

(indistinct chatter) He was bluffing.

- What? Using his credentials to, uh,

gain access to the biggest secret

in the restaurant industry, who are the inspectors.

Quinn Hartnet?

- Why?

Eli wasn't an inspector, but he sure was acting like one.

- Well, he was, wasn't he?

All those dinners?

Um, running tests on everything.

It's like he was checking someone's homework.

He, uh, was inspecting the inspectors.

- Do you think he was looking into Quinn?

(suspenseful music)

- That blog post Eli was, uh, drafting?

- Yeah, anaxa... something Greek?

- Anaxagoras, among other things, was one of the first

individuals to recognize the sun as a burning star.

- Those asterisks.

They weren't shorthand for multiplication.

They were Borealis stars. - Hmm.

One star, 55. 55,000.

Two stars, 92,000.

Three stars, 136,000.

This isn't a password or an equation.

No, this is Quinn's price list.

(dramatic music swelling)

- I told you, I called Eli because we had an affair

and he ghosted me.

- Could you remind me where you two met?

- At a bar.

- You sure about that, Quinn?

Okay, 'cause we spoke to your boss at Borealis

and he seemed to think that he set you up with Eli

for market research.

Now, I don't mean to be salacious here,

but I'm starting to wonder if you even slept with him.

(lights buzzing softly)

(indistinct chatter)

- Fine.

No.

- That's genius.

That's absolute genius.

No, it's not really. That's half-smart, you know?

Lying about an affair to cover up something juicier.

- I don't follow? - Oh, sure you do.

Eli played you and uncovered your operation.

Selling Borealis stars,

starting at the low, low price of $55,000.

Not in a chatty mood?

We could have financial crimes come in with their calculators

and, uh, spreadsheets.

- If you think we're fun...

(whistling lowly) They're a party.

- Okay. Okay.

(inhaling deeply): I...

(uneasy grunting)

Eli asked me if I was open

to giving his client's restaurant a favourable rating

in exchange for a bonus. (scoffs)

- For brevity's sake, we call that, uh, bribery.

Um, extortion fraud.

But... potato, potato.

- Alright, Quinn.

Break it down for me.

I own a restaurant. I wanna get it in that book

or whatever. What do I do?

- For the record, I don't solicit.

They come to me. - They come to you in person?

- No.

No. It's-it's more discreet. They...

(shaky breathing)

They send the money through PaySafe.

It's... it's anonymous.

- Until Eli uncovered your scheme.

The night of the murder, you, uh, you called Eli five times.

And now we know it wasn't over a broken heart.

(sighing)

- Why did you call him?

(sighing): A restaurant that I sold a star to

told me that Eli was onto me.

- Was it Isadora?

- Yeah.

The Chef, Tayiah?

She texted me, freaking out.

So I... called Eli to run some damage control.

- But he didn't pick up.

So you called him again and again and again

and then you... paid him a house visit?

- No. I...

I never saw him.

I was-I was at--

- Sonneta. Another client of yours.

- I'm telling you, I was there.

I-I can connect you with the Chef.

(indistinct chatter) (city din)

- Manager showed me the tapes of Quinn's table.

They ordered six bottles of wine and stayed till 2 AM.

(sighing): That does sound like quite the party.

Now, Borealis is conducting

an internal investigation into the fraud.

I get the impression it's gonna be very very hush-hush.

- Yeah, but there's still another angle here, though.

If news of the scandal broke, the chefs who bought a star...

...may be destroyed.

- Tayiah.

(suspenseful music)

(kitchen din)

- What are you doing here?

- Look, I just wanna see Tayiah.

- No. No. Get out now!

Whenever you show up, I'm left picking up the pieces!

- Jonah, stop!

I... you need to leave right now.

- Yeah. You know where to find me.

(suspenseful music continues)

- So what would he want?

Why would he be here? (whispering): I don't know.

- When was the last time you saw him?

- Ages... Like, a year ago.

- You promise? - I promise.

What?!

- Tayiah, you have been doing very well.

(chuckling) Don't laugh, this is serious.

You have been doing very well,

but you could lose this in a second.

- I know.

(stammering): I won't let that happen.

- Tayiah Sinclair.

George Brown graduate.

Rose the ranks, working in some of the city's top kitchen.

Maven, Gray Gardens, Giulietta.

But in 2022 she was fired

after she was caught using cocaine at work.

- Hmm. And this is all at Giulietta?

- No, Songbird. Keep up.

Toronto Life chronicled her downfall.

The industry loves to tear down our idols.

Exposés with former coworkers,

turns out Tayiah's drug problem was very big indeed.

She would pay off drug dealers using comped meals,

bottles of wine, money from the till...

So, after Songbird, she ODs, she almost dies, she goes to rehab,

she gets clean, she becomes the face of sobriety

in Toronto's kitchen.

She would organize pre-work run rather than post-shift partying.

She makes straight edge look so cool.

She opens her own place,

Isadora. - Wait.

- I'm not even halfway through.

"My work as a Chef gives me both discipline and motivation

to stay clean. Having a purpose in life, a goal to strive for

has been instrumental in my journey."

(suspenseful music)

- Well, sounds like if the scandal broke,

she'd lose a lot more than just her job.

(whispering): Yeah.

- When, uh, Eli came for a tour of the kitchen,

I thought he was a fan.

You know, like handshakes. Selfies. The usual--

- People do that?

- But that didn't happen.

He, um, he said an inspector sold us a star

and that he was gonna try and expose her operation.

- Why'd he tell you at all?

- I don't know.

He said he wanted me to get ahead of the news or something.

- I imagine that that was difficult to hear?

That Eli was gonna jeopardize your entire career.

- Yeah. It is.

Especially because I didn't buy a star.

I was trying to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen.

- Well, why did you reach out to Quinn Hartnet?

- So she could tell him that I didn't buy a star!

(chuckling incredulously): Show me proof I bought it!

- The app that Quinn Hartnet uses to get paid,

it's anonymous, it doesn't keep records.

- Okay, great. So it's one crooked inspector's

word against mine? - Nailed it.

(dramatic music) - Okay. I can prove it.

I have... Jonah!

(sighing sharply): Can you please show them

Isadora's bank accounts, books, everything?

- What's going on? - Just please? Just take a look.

I've put everything into this restaurant.

I know where every dollar's going out.

It's right there. - Yeah. Can't wait.

But we'd also like to know where you were Monday night

between 9 PM and midnight.

(dramatic music)

(chuckling) - I'm here. I'm here.

(stammering): I work till midnight at the earliest.

What are you implying?

- Well, can anyone else account for that?

- Yeah, I can.

(stammering): She was the last one here.

- Oh, forgive me, but I'm gonna need evidence to confirm

your protective younger brother's opinion.

- The prep schedule. She's here. Every minute was accounted for--

- Hang on.

(grunting)

Okay, this is pretty tight, so.

Judging my Monday's schedule, you were here, prepping a stock.

From 10 PM till midnight.

Why so late?

- It is for our lobster pasta.

It's a 10-hour process, we cook it overnight.

- Sounds delicious.

You know, my boss, she's a big fan.

Got me onto your socials, every day posting a new menu,

each one more delicious than the last.

But the, uh, the menu for the day

after Eli visited your restaurant,

well, it seems that the, uh, the lobster went walkabout

and was replaced by something else.

Now, there's dozens of variables, reasons,

factors as to why a dish gets changed,

but I'm guessing that, um, you didn't make the stock

because you weren't here until closing, so...

I'll ask you to answer my partner's question

one more time.

Where were you between 10 PM and midnight Monday night?

(dramatic music continues)

- I was--

- Well, while you think of an answer,

we're gonna have to ask you to accompany us down to the station

'cause we got a few more questions for you.

- Your victim, Eli Parker, was going to expose

a crooked Borealis inspector, effectively destroying

Tayiah's restaurant in the process.

Your positing she left Isadora early to kill him.

Basing this on very nebulous reasoning about

the cooking time of a stock?

- Nebulous or not, the, uh, the second we broke

her alibi, she clammed up.

- Okay, but she still claimed she never bought

the star, correct? - Oh, come on.

She's saving face.

- Where are you on proof of purchase?

- Uh, Isadora's bank account is clean, but we'll keep digging.

You know, there's a dozen ways she could've got the money.

- Yeah, until then, we can't say for certain she bought it.

- But even if she didn't, she still got motive to kill Eli.

I mean, he was about to name her as one of the most

corrupt restaurateurs in the city.

(beeping) She'd lose everything.

- What about access?

Tayiah left Isadora an hour after Eli.

How does she know where to find him?

- Ah.

Eli's restaurant booking account.

So, uh, to secure a table at Isadora,

he needed to leave a local address,

and Tayiah has access to the service's backend.

- Apply pressure.

Single brakes. - Mm-hmm.

- It's not just a restaurant. It's...

(lights buzzing softly)

Did anyone explain to you why we named it Isadora?

- No.

- Isadora was my mom's name.

(inhaling deeply)

(exhaling deeply)

She was the greatest cook... (nervous chuckling)

(shakily): Um... and after she died,

I would remember her through her recipes. So...

Isadora is basically her epitaph.

(shaky breathing)

...tablecloths and we play her favourite music.

And that man was trying to take that all away from me

(intriguing music) for something I didn't do.

So I...

To answer your question, I, like, have no idea

where he went after he left the kitchen.

- Then where did you go that night?

- Um...

I was incredibly overwhelmed.

And it was weak

and dumb, but I...

met up with a friend and we...

...did a bump and a line and then, uh, more...

- Why didn't you tell us this before?

(somber music)

- Your brother.

-I didn't want him to know.

I've already put him through way too much.

He's the one who found me when I ODed.

He performed CPR on me until the ambulance came,

like, he saved my life.

- That's why he, uh, works at the restaurant?

- I never thought about it like that before, but,

yeah, I mean, yeah. You're right.

- Well, we're just going to need

your friend's contact information to verify

that you were indeed together between 10 PM and midnight.

- There's no point, like, we did blow in his car

and then I left. I was out of my head,

I was walking around all night till the sun came up.

- Leaving you unaccounted for during the murder?

(suspenseful music)

Tayiah, that is not good.

- Can I go now?

- Well, you're not under arrest.

(exhaling deeply)

- Okay. Okay. I, uh...

(inhaling deeply)

I got a kitchen to run, so.

- Frank.

This whole case hinges on proof that Tayiah bought a star.

Right? - Gotta follow the money.

- Exactly and there's only a few ways to gain wealth.

Earn, borrow, steal.

Or inherit.

- Tayiah's mom. - Here's her will.

(dramatic music)

- She left Tayiah $80,000. - Yeah.

You haven't even gotten to the best part.

- Please remember every service matters.

We have built something incredible.

And if for some reason people say otherwise,

they are dead wrong because I know the hard work

and the passion that all of you...

(intriguing music) ...put into this place and, um.

No one can take that away from you, okay?

So have a great shift.

- Thank you, Chef. - Yes?

Okay. Have a great shift.

Thank you.

- Family meal's in the prep kitchen.

Get ready. Get what you need. - Thank you, Chef.

(indistinct chatter)

- Sorry to interrupt your family dinner. Um...

Chef, um, my partner has a few questions for you.

Would you mind if we gave them some privacy, please?

- It's fine. Go ahead.

(suspenseful music)

- Seems like a great team you have there.

- Yeah, they rock.

- Tayiah, do you ever wonder why Eli tipped you off?

You see, we spoke with the rest of Quinn's clients.

None of them heard anything.

You want me to tell you what Quinn said?

(muttering): What?

- She said it's because your restaurant...

Because you... actually deserve that star.

Quinn knew it, Eli knew it.

I think everyone's who's ever

walked through these doors knows it.

- Thank you, I guess.

So, uh...

(inhaling deeply)

I don't understand what this conversation is for.

Um...

Do you-do you believe me?

- We found something in your mother's will

that makes that difficult.

Okay, she left $80,000 to you and to Jonah.

- Yes, she did. But I don't have access to that money,

which is fair, I guess, I mean, like, she didn't trust me

I was in rehab at the time...

- Jonah wasn't.

And just under a year ago, he withdrew $55,000.

It's the exact price of your star.

- How much longer do you think?

(lowly): I'm sure it won't be long.

It's just a few questions.

- She told you everything already.

- Yes, well, the problem with that, Jonah, is that she lied.

See, we...

We know where she was on the, uh, night of the murder.

And you know it wasn't here.

- Where was she?

- Why don't you go ask her?

(suspenseful music)

- You bought a star?

- What? - No, no, no.

Don't. Don't. Don't play with me.

They have proof you took it out of mom's money.

(sobbing): I wanted to earn that.

Why did you do that?

- Everybody's cheating, Tayiah--

(sobbing): No, they're not. - Everybody is.

No, literally every-every place is cheating.

(muttering): Oh, God. - The game is rigged.

People, like, do this.

(stammering): But you get so focused, like,

doing your thing and the art thing

and picking up dill with tweezers--

(sobbing): What are you saying? - I did this for you!

I did this for you. - Why?

Jonah. Why was it so important that you help her in this way?

- Because this restaurant is everything to her.

(scoffing)

Yeah, it keeps you stable.

It keeps you sober, it keeps you...

- Alive?

- Yeah, actually, yeah. It keeps you alive.

(strained): I am keeping myself alive

from the work that I'm doing every day.

It's not fair that you-- - No, you know what's not fair?

Finding you on the ground!

Not breathing, covered in your own puke.

- That was so long ago-- - It wasn't!

- You did all this to ensure your sister's sobriety.

Do you think it worked?

(somber music)

- Tayiah?

(weakly): It was one time.

It was one time. I'm so sorry.

(sobbing): I slipped, I slipped, I slipped.

It was only one time, but I'm back on the program now.

And I'm not gonna do it again--

- It's never just one time with you!

(sobbing): Please don't be mad at me, Jonah.

(grunting in frustration)

(muttering): Tayiah, Tayiah, Tayiah... I don't get it.

- Hey...

(sobbing)

I have come back from this before.

I can do it again and we're gonna be okay.

I promise.

(sobbing): We're not gonna be okay.

- Yeah, we're gonna be okay.

It's totally fine.

- It's not. - It's fine.

(sobbing): I'm sorry. I can't.

(dramatic music)

- What happened?

(sobbing): I can't.

- Yeah, you can. You're gonna tell me what happened.

What happened with Eli?

(sighing)

- I just wanted to talk to him.

I just... Oh, my God.

I just wanted to talk to him and he just...

(inhaling deeply) He wouldn't listen.

He just kept talking about, like, the bigger picture

and, like, the system and efficiency.

And, um, "nothing's personal," but, like,

(sobbing): this is literally personal.

This is our lives and he's-he's ruining it.

(sniffling)

It was an accident. It was an accident.

Like, like a slip. Like you said, we slip, but we...

(sighing)

We fought.

And then he started screaming.

And I just wanted him to stop screaming.

Sorry, Tayiah. Please, I'm sorry. I love you.

- No, it's okay.

It's my fault, I... - Dumb...

- You were right not to trust me.

You were just trying to take care of me.

Um... yeah. This is my fault.

- Tayiah, please. I'm sorry I didn't...

Tayiah, please!

- Wait, wait, wait! Don't take him away!

(dissipating footsteps)

(door opening)

- What is it they say?

That you're only as sick as your secrets?

- Hmm. Secrets grow in the dark.

And we just have to shine a light on them.

(theme song)

Subtitling: difuze