Original subtitles

You need to run some more tests on my father.

Why, what's wrong?

I think Hayley's poison caused some brain damage.

Well, I've already run several cognitive exams,

and Bill's mental function appears to be fine.

Babe, I know how brilliant you are,

and you are a neurology superstar,

but you must have missed something.

Okay, why-why are you saying this?

Well, brain damage is the only explanation I can come up with

for Dad pushing to get the charges against Hayley dropped.

He what? No, that sounds-

Crazy, I know. Maybe his condition got worse.

Point is I need you to test him ASAP.

Well, he's-he's already been discharged.

You let my sick and probably mentally impaired dad

leave the hospital?

Ah, yeah.

Feels good to be back where I belong.

I thought you were insane to come straight to the office

after leaving the hospital.

But it's good to see you back in your happy place, sir.

What is...

Must have missed out on a lot when I was in the hospital.

That's a lot of discovery documents.

What case is this for?

Hayley?

Or the case of the murderous mistress?

I had Caroline pack up some of her personal items.

Your choice if you want to send them to her or...

burn 'em.

? ?

-MARTIN: Kendra. -KENDRA: Hi.

Shonda brought me up to speed before her plane took off.

We appreciate your flexibility.

Thank you for stepping in.

We really want to stay on top of this.

What do you got for us?

New intel from Shonda's source

in the Coleman campaign.

They know that Smitty

was questioned by the police about Lia's death.

And did you confirm it?

We did what we could to try to persuade them.

The questioning was purely routine, but...

I don't know if they bought it.

This is exactly what I was afraid of.

You did nothing wrong, Smitty.

That may be.

But we need to come up with a strategy

that convinces the public of that.

And the election is in one month.

At least they won't have a lot of time to make an impact.

I've seen last-minute smear attacks work.

But the truth is on our side.

Unfortunately, part of that truth

is that Smitty visited a key figure

in a notorious crime syndicate the day before

she was found dead in her prison cell.

I am kicking myself for that, believe me.

Even more than self-flagellation,

Shonda believes that we need an on-the-record statement

from the police department.

Stating what?

That Lia obtained the drugs that she took

from a source inside the prison.

That would shut down any insinuation that Smitty

had anything to do with her dying by suicide.

-Sounds good to me. -No, there is no way the police

would be willing to make a statement like that.

Any progress in the Lia Whitmore investigation?

Building the case against Hayley Hamilton

has taken up all of my time.

But it seems like all that work will go to waste,

because Bill's not cooperating and he's saying

he doesn't want to press charges against her.

Yeah. How's your wife feel about that?

Naomi is angry and confused,

and I don't blame her.

If she didn't know that it would result in assault charges,

-she'd probably- -Throw water in Hayley's face

like Chelsea did. Yeah.

Naomi's mad enough to double down.

She'd probably pull Hayley's weave out from the roots.

-It's frustrating. -Yeah, it is.

Bill left the hospital so he can

come down here and witness

-Hayley get arrested. -[phone vibrates]

And then I watched him walk out while Hayley

was begging and pleading for him to stay and help.

So what happened between then and now?

Chief Hawthorne.

Yeah.

All right, I appreciate the heads-up.

It's official. The prosecutor has decided

not to pursue the case against Hayley Hamilton.

I have been one of the best customers

at your sorry-ass little hair salon. What...

What do you mean you have to limit your client list?

Which one of those damn Duprees threatened you, huh?

[beep]

Hang on. I have a call coming in.

Seems like just the other day you were going all-out

to apologize to me.

Guess now it's my turn.

This isn't a joke, Kat.

I know. And I'm sorry.

I had a good talk with a friend

about all the arguments we've been having,

and I've realized

we have some issues with our communication.

No kidding.

Well, you're not making this apology any easier.

I'm still waiting for the apology part.

I already said-

No relationship should be this difficult.

What do you mean by that?

HAYLEY: Mm, Tomas.

I just want to let you know

that there are no hard feelings

for you refusing to be my lawyer.

Everything ended up working out for the best.

All the charges against me have just been dropped.

Hey.

I'm surprised to see you working here, Naomi.

You're always welcome at the firm.

Oh. Well, I know, Caroline.

Thank you, but...

it just doesn't feel right right now.

Plus I'm addicted to this mocha latte.

But, please, sit.

Look, if you have safety concerns,

I've spoken with security and made sure

that our criminal paralegal will be barred from the premises.

I've never liked or trusted Hayley, but...

didn't think she was a stone-cold killer.

Really?

And here I thought you were Hayley's only friend.

I mean, you were her maid of honor, after all.

Well, maybe I should have become an actress

instead of Bill's executive assistant.

You were pretending to be Hayley's BFF?

Why?

Look, I've always operated on the premise

that if Bill Hamilton disliked someone, I want to destroy them.

And if he likes someone, I love them to pieces.

Wow, that is some next-level loyalty right there.

Oh, my willingness to go the extra mile

is why your father gave me a Mercedes.

I prefer to think it's because he genuinely respects you.

I really hope so.

Ah, Bill can be a bastard at times,

but he's my favorite bastard.

God, it pissed me off when the judge granted Hayley bail.

But I comfort myself with the fact that, soon enough,

that psychopathic swindler will be locked up for years.

Mm.

Unfortunately, Dad is pulling all the strings

so that doesn't happen.

You're joking.

I wish.

But you might be the one person

who can knock some sense into him.

JACOB: The evidence

against Hayley is irrefutable.

She actually had the vial of poison on her person

when I brought her in to the station.

And it's the same poison that was found in Bill's bloodstream.

Yeah. And we know how much pull Hamilton has

with the state's attorney.

This reeks of him calling in a boatload of favors.

Yeah, maybe. But what could have happened

to change Bill's mind and make him back off like this?

If I had to speculate, I'd guess that Hayley,

during the course of their marriage,

got some real good dirt on Bill,

and now she's using it as leverage.

I hate when leverage and favors matter more than justice.

Okay, well, you take that hate

and you focus it back on your investigation

into the Impaler and his possible involvement

into Lia's death.

I'm still waiting on the test results to come back.

And when they do, we'll finally know for sure

whether whatever was found in the pouch found in Lia's cell

-Mm-hmm? -actually ended her life.

And hopefully help us figure out how she got her hands on it

in the first place.

Police have evidence that they think might indicate

that I had something to do with Lia's death, which I did not.

That goes without saying, Smitty.

If this evidence were to become public knowledge...

Martin, this could torpedo your campaign.

This keeps getting worse and worse.

Hey, everyone, let's not panic.

Fortunately, Kendra, my cousin's husband

is the detective on this case,

and Jacob is great at his job.

We just have to trust that the police will figure out

what's going on and this whole thing can disappear.

We just have to be patient.

In my experience,

patience is a very bad strategy.

BILL: I would love to burn

Hayley's possessions.

-I'll go get the matches. -Eh, but...

that would set off all the smoke detectors in the building.

So, no Hayley inferno.

I mean, not unless you want to explain it

to the fire department.

I guess you could be right.

You know, after the janitors get rid of all this stuff,

I'm gonna tell Caroline to have Hayley's office fumigated.

I want everything about that woman to be

eradicated from my life.

Good. Because I also

called the cleaning service at your house.

Had them pack up Hayley's trash

and send it off to storage.

Mm. Yeah, smart.

I mean, that way I still have a full access.

I mean, who knows what other kind of blackmail material

she's got tucked away.

You know, I just...

I hate that Hayley was able to pull one over on me.

I mean, I've always prided myself

on being the smartest guy in the room.

-You still are. -Yeah. Eh.

Just... sticks in my craw.

You know? That, of all people,

that lying, little...

scheming con artist was able to play me.

Because she found the one thing that could make you back down.

Something that would hurt my family.

Sorry we were interrupted.

If you were hoping I'd calm down in the meantime, it didn't work.

Chelsea, I had to check on a patient.

I'm sorry. I'm making everything about me, I guess.

I know you're upset. It's okay.

I just don't get how you could discharge him so quickly

after everything that's happened.

Oh, babe, there were no longer any traces of the poison

in his system and no medical reason

to keep him here any longer.

But him dropping the charges against his lethal side piece

proves that he is not 100%.

Well, even perfectly healthy people

make lousy decisions sometimes.

I- I won't pretend to understand why Bill

wouldn't want to punish Hayley for what she's done, but

you stressing out about it is not gonna change anything.

You need to calm down.

That's easier said than done.

Okay. What if you focus on the positive instead?

Okay? Bill is fully recovered

and Hayley's out of his life for good.

What if she tries to come after him again?

What if she tries to do something violent

and there's nothing he can do to protect himself?

Are you...

are you worried about Hayley or about Allison?

Pops, I already interviewed Smitty about that pouch.

-And what did he say? -Naomi hustled him out

before he was able to say much of anything.

Sounds like your wife

was concerned that her client may say something incriminating.

More like just being a good lawyer.

You know attorneys always tell their clients

not to say too much to police.

Well, maybe they needed time to concoct a cover story.

That video was damning.

But the video had no audio.

And we both know videos can be misleading

when taken out of context.

Would you even have any questions about the accuracy

or context if Smitty weren't family?

My job is to consider all possibilities,

even the ones that seem unlikely.

My old man taught me that.

Don't go throwing my words back in my face.

And don't let your fear of causing trouble

with your wife's family stop you from going

all in on this case.

TOMAS: I was at the police station

when you were arrested.

I know how solid the evidence is against you.

Why would they drop the charges?

Hmm. I guess my public defender

turned out to be a better lawyer than you.

More like the state's attorney fell down on the job.

I'm gonna tell Martin he needs to make

replacing everyone in that office

a part of his campaign platform.

I have had enough of evil bitches

getting away with attempted murder.

First Leslie, and now you.

Mm. You seem to have left your Aunt Dani-

the woman who attempted to shoot me at my wedding-

off your little list.

I guess you're just fine with the justice system having

compassion and understanding

when a Dupree is involved. By the way, Tomas,

you won't be seeing me around that office anymore.

Yeah, I should hope not.

Bill will probably get a restraining order

keeping you off the premises.

Okay. He can do whatever he wants.

I am thrilled I won't have to waste any more time

pushing through those dreary legal papers.

Well, good luck with your power struggle

with shining star Naomi.

You're gonna need it.

BILL: While it's true

I couldn't let my children's grandfather

go down for covering up the deaths of a couple racists,

I can't let you paint me as some noble guy.

You know, if Hayley had gone public

with those recordings, I would have been charged

right along with Martin and Vernon for conspiracy.

No. I was just looking out for number one,

the way I always do.

Two things can be true at the same time.

Say what you want, Bill Hamilton,

but you contain multitudes.

And yes, while you can be a selfish,

hurtful bastard, you can also be pretty great

when you want to be.

Well, great at being conned, in this case.

I know it's killing you that Hayley's walking away

not only scot-free, but with a big chunk of your cash.

Mm.

-You know who's gonna be crazy? -Hmm?

My family.

They're not gonna understand why Hayley's

getting some get out of jail free card,

especially not Kat and Chelsea.

They don't even know what happened

with Martin and Daddy on that dirt road.

-Can't even be honest with them. -Hmm.

I'll tell them that the publicity

from Hayley's trial would have ruined

my reputation as a lawyer.

I mean, nobody's gonna want to hire an attorney

who was duped by his wife.

You wouldn't be the first, but...

guess that's gonna have to work as a cover story.

Yeah.

Well, I hope you keep having my back

the way you have been doing.

Goes without saying.

Just don't get carried away.

You worried that this is going to rekindle some...

...residual wifey loyalty feelings inside of me?

No, I'm more worried about your current marriage.

If you keep holding my hand like this-

metaphorically, of course-

Andre might not like it.

Andre understands that I'm just helping a friend.

You know, as much as I might hate to say this,

Andre's a smart man.

He knows that what we have is a hell of a lot different

than your friendships with Vanessa and Pamela.

I love all of my friends in very different ways.

And right now, my love for Vanessa

means that I will be checking up on her later

to see how she's holding up after this carjacking.

Mm. Yeah, well, I'm sure Andre would prefer

that you were holding Vanessa's hands instead of reassuring me.

You might be surprised.

My incredible husband doesn't have

-a bit of pettiness in him. -What?

Saint Andre? Say it ain't so.

Well, Saint Andre is probably happy that

you're needing a pal after you were

outwitted and outsmarted by Hayley.

Who says the game is over?

I am not projecting my anxieties about Allison onto my dad.

But the things you're saying are-

Are about Hayley,

a woman who worked and schemed

to destroy my parents' marriage.

And then tried to kill my dad

to get her hands on his money.

I mean, how twisted is that?

Uh, no argument there.

Hayley should absolutely pay for what she's done.

She targeted my father, Madison.

She turned the biggest, strongest man I've ever known

into a victim.

My dad has always done everything he possibly could

to protect me.

I just want to do the same for him.

Bill knows how you feel about him.

The last thing he'd want is you

tearing yourself apart like this.

If any of my thoughts about Allison creep into this,

it's only because now I understand how scared

and-and powerless my mom and dad

must have felt when I was kidnapped.

-Well, we all did, honey. -Well,

yeah, but it's different between a child and their parents.

You're- I wouldn't expect you to understand.

You're not really close with yours.

I think I could still understand the emotion.

Babe, I-I didn't mean...

You were just trying to explain the difference.

And you're not wrong.

I... don't have

that kind of relationship with my own parents.

I hope you know that my family is your family now,

and they couldn't possibly love you as much as I do,

but they come close.

Well, your love is really all I need.

But I won't say no to being a part

of the whole warm, wonderful family.

The Dupree devotion is legendary.

Now, I think you should let me get back to work.

And please, please try to stop obsessing about Hayley.

I will do my best.

But I can't make any promises.

I can't fathom why Bill doesn't want Hayley to go to prison

for what she did to him.

But I know he always has a reason

for everything that he does.

And as his right hand,

you are in a great place to get him to see reason.

Get him to change his mind where Hayley's concerned.

You are way overestimating

the power I have over your father.

Sure, he may listen to me

sometimes, but that doesn't mean he'll take my advice.

You know that man does what he wants to do

when he wants to do it.

But if you ask me, the person

who has the most sway with him is Dani.

Maybe you should discuss this with your mother.

[phone vibrates]

Excuse me one second.

Hi, hon.

The toxicology results from that pouch

associated with Lia's death came back.

Okay. And you're telling me this because...

I have more questions for Smitty.

And he's gonna need to have his lawyer present.

My constituents know me and my family.

More than that, they trust us.

And if Smitty's visit to the police station

does become public knowledge,

I'll tell everyone how proud I am of my husband's work

to expose a crime ring operating in our district.

Only that same work wasn't putting your own career at risk.

Whatever happens, we will weather it together.

And if they vote me out, as my grandfather would say,

there's much more to life than serving in Congress.

Don't say one more word about the possibility

of you losing this election.

Shonda would kill me if she knew I'd let you

put that thought in the universe.

You're forcing us to build campaign bricks with straw here.

Shonda has put together the best team in the business.

I will try to live up to that when I remind

the Coleman campaign manager that we've been

running squeaky clean here,

and that we haven't brought up any of the old rumors

that he plagiarized his college thesis.

But we are willing to fight fire with fire if necessary?

Fire away.

-Thank you. -Mm-hmm.

I really hope we didn't make a mistake

downplaying how serious this is.

Look, I know how afraid you are

of the Impaler trying to frame you, but we haven't heard

-anything from the police -[phone dings]

ever since Jacob called you down to the station.

So maybe they've confirmed what you told me was true-

that the video of you and Max was a fake.

No such luck.

Okay. Let's go. Let's get a move on.

We... are not going anywhere.

No, I am not letting you

talk me out of this again. No more.

-We're doing this together. -Martin.

This is my problem.

Please let me handle it.

-You don't need to be here. -I disagree. And it's not

because I don't trust you or Naomi.

But if I wasn't here, I would just

drive myself crazy with worry.

-Okay. -As long as you remember

-I'm counsel here. -Understood.

Thanks for coming, Naomi.

Smitty, you can pull up a chair.

I'd like to confirm

that this interview is voluntary and my client

is free to leave whenever he pleases.

-It is. And he is. -NAOMI: Okay.

Martin, is there a reason why you're here?

Well, since this is an informal conversation,

I figured it'd be fine if I were present, as Smitty's husband.

It's just a little out of the ordinary.

I'd say the whole thing is out of the ordinary.

We like to keep conversations like these low-key,

involving as few people as possible.

Since my opponent in the Congressional race

is aware of Smitty's last visit,

sounds like your efforts to keep things low-key

leave things to be desired.

I'll instruct everybody at the station

to keep quiet about this.

Okay, let's get down to it, shall we?

What did you want to speak to my client about?

Like I said over the phone, the toxicology reports came back

on the pouch that was found in Lia's cell,

the same pouch that Max handed Smitty

in the security camera footage.

-But he didn't- -Smitty. Please.

I'm saving my objections for court and to save time.

Don't take that as an admission of anything.

Understood.

What did the lab report say?

There were trace amounts of powder residue

matching the pills that killed Lia.

That doesn't prove anything.

Lia had to stash the pill somewhere.

What I want to know is how the pouch

came into Lia's possession.

That's why I asked Smitty to come down today.

Bill is going to explode when he finds out

Hayley isn't being charged.

I don't know about that.

As much as I hate to admit it,

Hayley had a semi-good point about Aunt Dani.

The only reason she wasn't charged

for shooting up the country club was because

my family pulled some strings.

I bet that's what happened here too.

Why would Bill let the woman who tried to kill him

off the hook?

That man may be a brilliant litigator,

negotiator and advocate,

but when it comes to his personal life,

he's a damn fool.

He was married to a supermodel that loved him,

and he cheated on her left, right and center before

Hayley even came into the picture.

With the case being dropped, Bill will probably

be the boss from hell now,

taking out his frustrations on his staff.

Well, if Bill has the bad sense to treat you with disrespect,

I say you need to pick up and leave.

He deserves to lose you.

He might not care to keep me around at all.

I hope you know Hayley was just messing with your head

when she said you'd lose out to Naomi.

I love my cousin, but my money's on you

when it comes to being Bill's second in command.

I am taking every word out of Hayley's mouth

with several grains of salt. Don't worry.

And thanks.

For what?

Believing I deserve to be Bill's second.

I've always felt that way, Tomas.

I believe in you.

That's good to hear.

Maybe I need to say it more often.

Hmm.

What?

You and me.

We seem to be communicating now.

I guess we are. It's nice.

And we owe it to Hayley.

Maybe all we needed to fix our relationship dynamic

was...

a common enemy.

Mimosa, please.

With the most expensive champagne you've got.

CAROLINE: Better keep an eye on your drink.

You wouldn't want anyone to drug it.

What do you mean this isn't over?

I thought Hayley was out of your life forever.

Well, being back in my domain,

I've been reminded...

...I'm still the fixer.

Hayley may have won this battle

and a cool million bucks

and that damn house in St. Barts,

but she has by no means won the war.

-What are you gonna do? -I'm gonna keep working on

my divorce papers, which will seem generous.

Until Hayley steps on a clause

-or a wherefore she overlooked. -Damn straight.

I'm gonna make this little con artist

think that she's getting everything she ever wanted.

I don't know what you've heard, but the charges against me

were dropped with Bill's full support.

So there's no need to be so prickly, Caroline.

Bill doesn't always know what's good for him.

On that we can agree.

For the record, I really did like you.

I considered you a friend.

Any reason I should believe that now?

I mean, your wedding vows sounded really sincere,

but apparently the only promise you intended to keep

was "till death do us part."

Mm, now, that's a good one.

I-I always loved your sense of humor.

I suppose I should be flattered.

You should. I mean, it's not often

that I compliment people and mean it.

Look, Caroline,

the two of us can still be friends, you know?

I'm gonna have a lot of free time

with plenty of money.

Leslie Thomas is trying to be my new bestie,

which is obviously not gonna happen,

but I'd really like someone to hang out with.

Oh, come on, Caroline. Bill wouldn't have to know.

It would be fun.

I'd rather have a flock of vultures peck my eyes out.

Okay.

The truth is, bestie...

I was putting on an act as well.

I've always despised you.

Have you heard the news about Hayley?

Right from the poisoner's mouth.

She just rubbed it in our faces

that the state's attorney dropped the charges against her.

It's already official? Kat, I came here

hoping you could help me stop this travesty.

This has all the signs of a cousin conversation,

so I'll leave you girls to it.

Thanks for understanding.

It feels really good being on the same page again.

I look forward to more of this improved communication later.

So do I.

So, if you didn't know the charges were dropped,

-then how... -My dad

told me yesterday he wasn't going to cooperate

-with the prosecution. -Uh-huh.

I figured he was behind this.

I just don't get why he wants Hayley back out on the street,

free to try to kill him again.

My instincts are telling me that it wasn't that

Bill wanted to let Hayley go,

it was that he had to do it.

Smitty has no idea how that pouch

came into Lia's possession.

I'd like to hear that from him.

Smitty?

I have no idea.

I saw the video of Max handing you the pouch,

and I know you went to visit Lia a day before she died.

Oh, come on, Jacob.

You know Smitty's no criminal.

Martin, if you interfere, this conversation

will turn into a private interrogation

instead of a friendly chat out here in the open,

and I'll have to ask you to leave.

He's got a point, Martin.

Please.

Smitty, listen.

I understand that you went to Lia

to get her to open up and share some information with you.

Now, if she asked you for a favor in return...

-But she didn't. -JACOB: All I'm saying

is I'll understand if she did.

Prisoners ask people on the outside

to bring them things all the time.

Now, I'm not implying that you knew

she was planning her death or that

you knew what was inside the pouch.

No one is accusing you of anything.

But please, just level with me here.

Did you hand Lia the pouch?

No.

There's no proof that the pouch in this photo

is the same pouch that was found in Lia's cell.

Come on, Naomi, that's a distinctive shade of purple.

Looks mass-produced to me.

There could be thousands of them.

That would be one hell of a coincidence,

especially considering the timetable.

Max hands Smitty a pouch.

A day later, Smitty goes to visit Lia.

And a day after that, an identical pouch

turns up in the cell of a dead woman.

Because it's not a coincidence.

-Smitty, please. -That video is fake.

Smitty, do not say another word.

The only way the police are gonna actually be able

to figure out what happened is if I tell them what I know.

I've watched a lot of AI videos, and this one looks authentic.

Maybe because it's not totally a fake.

Smitty...

That video has been altered.

The last time I saw Max

was months before the date on the video time stamp,

before he went into witness protection.

And he never handed me a pouch.

Why would someone alter a security video?

Because the Impaler wants me to take the fall for Lia's death.

Please, Jacob. You have to believe me.

You talk a big game, Caroline,

but I don't buy for a second

that you've been playing me all along.

I mean, if you were that good at it,

you wouldn't be a career secretary.

Oh, my bank account is fat.

My car is a Mercedes I didn't have to pay for.

My work hours are reasonable

and I sleep like a baby at night because my conscience is clear.

I'm exactly where I want to be.

And Bill always does right by me, so I'm loyal to him.

Hmm. Good.

Suit yourself. I mean, no more hangouts.

But not to worry, I'll get along just fine

without you.

The state may have decided not to make you pay

for what you did to Bill, but who knows?

Maybe I'll decide to take matters into my own hands.

You should watch your back.

[muttering]

Do you think Hayley is blackmailing my dad?

That's the only thing that makes any sense.

From what Tomas said,

Bill was ready to lock Hayley up and throw away the key.

And now he just pulls a 180?

What could she have on him that is so bad

it outweighs attempted murder?

With Bill Hamilton, anything is possible.

I know you love your dad,

but he's hardly Mr. Morality.

I wouldn't be surprised if at some point

he did something that would

totally wreck his reputation.

Well, if that's the case, Hayley might not stop

at getting the charges dropped.

If she has that kind of leverage on my dad,

she could bleed him dry.

Maybe if we figure out what she's got on him,

we can stop her.

-We? -Just try

keeping me out of this.

I'll gladly help you figure out

what Hayley's holding over Bill's head.

A generous divorce settlement

is a different approach to payback.

But you know me,

I lean toward color-coordinated weaponry.

It'll lull Hayley into a false sense of complacency.

-And then? -And then,

when the time is right,

I will turn the tables on her.

She'll never see it coming.

Whenever that happens,

promise me a front-row seat, okay?

You know that goes without saying.

And, listen.

Dani, you've been my ride or die lately.

So I at least owe you that much.

Mm.

Just don't take the "or die" too literally, okay?

Okay.

Damn it, Dani.

[sighs]

[frame clatters]

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