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00:15Ladies and gentlemen, we have one more award for the Critics' Choice for Best Romantic Mystery.
00:22Now, this is the 20th win for this exceptional novelist,
00:26which is why we're here in her hometown of Founders Cove.
00:29Meet the author of the latest Selina St. Cloud mystery, Love is Murder, Alison Chandler.
00:37Yes!
00:50Oh, my.
00:51Okay, thank you.
00:56Whoa, 20 years, huh?
00:59We have to stop meeting like this.
01:01I don't think that there's really much left to say that hasn't already been said,
01:06except for the fact that I am in amazing company.
01:10I mean, Margaret Sterling, the winner of the Agatha's Choice Award,
01:15Lee Granway, my good, good friend, best mystery thriller,
01:20and Nikki Weston, where are you, Nikki, best newcomer.
01:26And on behalf of Selina St. Cloud, thank you so much to our loyal readers, the Cloudies.
01:33And Nash Gilbert, my wonderful friend.
01:37So thank you so, so much.
01:44Okay, everyone, that does it for this year's awards.
01:47Do not forget about the book signing in the clubhouse after lunch.
01:50And the taste of Founders Cove, where you can get a taste of Founders Chowder.
01:55We've been serving up seafood for more than half a century, so you know it's good.
01:59Thanks, Howard.
02:00The last 20 years.
02:07And the next 20.
02:08Hmm.
02:10Speaking of, Selina St. Cloud has had a brilliant career, hasn't she?
02:15Maybe it's time to give the old gal a rest.
02:18I don't know if you've been listening, but the old gal just won another major award
02:22and has made everyone a shit ton of money.
02:24And everyone at Brenner Publishing is eternally grateful.
02:27I'm grateful, believe me.
02:29But as your agent, if you want me to get you another contract with the same six-figure advance,
02:34well, you need to broaden your appeal.
02:38I am appealing just as I am.
02:39Of course you are.
02:40Of course you are.
02:41But look around you, Ali.
02:42The convention is bigger and younger than ever this year.
02:45And fortunately, your bloody sales have flatlined.
02:49Look, people under 40, they're not interested in romance.
02:52Oh, please.
02:53People under 40 don't know what they want.
02:56Thank you very much.
03:00But the studios do.
03:02Which is why, unfortunately, your million-dollar movie deal just fell apart.
03:06I'm sorry.
03:07Steve M. from the studio, he said they're not interested in another menopausal mystery.
03:12Fine.
03:13Report him to HR and bring the movie somewhere else.
03:27There you go.
03:28Thank you so much.
03:29Next.
03:30It's an honor to meet you, Miss Chandler.
03:31Oh, that's so sweet of you, person under 40.
03:35True Confesh.
03:36Your books actually inspired me to start my True Crime podcast.
03:38I'm the one who broke the case.
03:40I'm the Staten Island Slayer.
03:41Oh.
03:41I don't have an app for podcasts.
03:43It's actually built into your phone.
03:44Oh.
03:45But what is that?
03:46Is that a Blackberry or pager?
03:48Uh, okay.
03:49What did you say your name was?
03:50It's Andrea Walker.
03:52Andy for short.
03:52But can you make it out to Grammy?
03:54My grandma loves your books.
03:56Uh, Andrea Walker, you were on the Today Show.
04:00I think that you said my Selina St. Cloud books were inaccurate and unbelievable.
04:09Don't get me wrong.
04:10I think that there is space in the zeitgeist for escapist, boomer, fiction.
04:14You just can't exactly have teen crumpets with a corpse next to you on the floor.
04:18Every sphincter opens.
04:20Okay.
04:21There you go.
04:23And out between us writers, confesh isn't a word.
04:27Make the extra effort.
04:28Thanks for the tip.
04:30By the way, is there anywhere around here I can get some aspirin?
04:32I think I'm getting a headache from all the knowledge you're imparting.
04:35There's a gift shop in the lobby.
04:36It's closed for remodeling.
04:38Adulting is hard.
04:39Next!
04:57Excuse me, aren't you the legendary Alison Chandler?
05:01I don't know about legendary.
05:02Hey, I saw you and Nash at lunch.
05:04Is everything okay?
05:05Nash loves giving notes of my books, even after they're published.
05:08Say, do you want to join me for dinner?
05:10I was headed over to the Muddy Duck.
05:11You know, I've got a seminar tonight.
05:12I think I'm just going to unwind a little bit.
05:14Understood.
05:15See you tomorrow.
05:16Bye.
05:17Bye.
05:18Bye.
05:19Bye.
05:20Bye.
05:22Bye.
05:22Bye.
05:22A whiskey meat with a whiskey chaser, please.
05:31How's your headache?
05:33Better.
05:35About to get worse.
05:36Don't worry.
05:38I won't bother you.
05:40I honestly didn't mean to insult you.
05:43Apology accepted.
05:48Aren't you going to apologize to me?
05:50Alison Chandler never apologizes.
05:53That is not true.
05:56And you're interrupting.
05:57Oh, I'm sure your fangirl won't mind.
06:00Uh, please.
06:01Actually, I was just leaving.
06:03I have a Zoom with my advertisers in ten, and they're talking vague numbers.
06:08Well, they don't get us to keep you.
06:13You didn't have to chase her away.
06:15But I wanted you all to myself.
06:16Oh, sweetie, you have had way too much to drink.
06:19Maybe you haven't had enough.
06:21I've got a bottle of Dom upstairs, and I'm having trouble popping that cork.
06:25Has that line ever worked?
06:27There's always someone who craves a little bangers and gnash.
06:31Did I tell you I bought a little place on the other side of the lake?
06:34Near the old mill, 33 Sandalwood Lane.
06:38You're not listening, are you?
06:40Of course I am listening.
06:42Tell me what's bothering you.
06:47Do you think my books are outdated?
06:51You know, I tell you the truth, Alison.
06:53Then I've always believed in your talent.
06:55You have so damned much of it.
06:57I secretly hoped you'd base a character on me.
07:01Sunday.
07:02But we both know you can do better than this last effort.
07:06Okay.
07:07Not what I wanted to hear.
07:09No, maybe not.
07:10But maybe what I needed to hear.
07:13Now that that's out of the way, shall we talk about what I need?
07:16Oh.
07:17I've got to go.
07:18I've got a seminar.
07:19Well, why don't you pop around a new place after all this is over?
07:22Keys under the mat.
07:24Good to know.
07:44I just love your new book.
07:49Hey, over here.
07:51Get out!
07:52Oh, my God!
07:56Oh, my God!
08:05I'll leave it at him.
08:07Come out!
08:07What?
08:12Oh, my God!
08:24Hello, Go!
08:33I'm Josh.
08:37No, I'll meet you up there.
08:40Miss Chandler.
08:41Where's your boss?
08:43Detective Rossi got promoted two weeks ago.
08:45He's division chief now.
08:46Who took his place?
08:47Jack Kerrigan, out of Baltimore.
08:49He's upstairs, but I can't take you up there.
08:54Detective Kerrigan, I have a witness who wants to speak to you.
08:57Santiago, we're taking statements downstairs.
08:59Allison Chandler, I'm a friend of the deceased.
09:01Yeah, we're taking statements downstairs, thank you.
09:03Miss Chandler is our honorary mayor and famous author.
09:06She wrote the Selena St. Cloud Mysteries.
09:08Oh, oh, never heard of them.
09:11Chief Rossi is a big fan.
09:13I don't mean to be rude, you cannot be here.
09:15This is a police investigation, a man committed suicide.
09:17Suicide? No.
09:18Nash Gilbert would have never committed suicide.
09:22You knew the victim?
09:2320 years.
09:24We had a drink a couple of hours ago.
09:26We talked.
09:27He propositioned me.
09:29Propositioned you?
09:30Turned him down?
09:31I always turned him down.
09:32It never bothered him.
09:34Yeah, well, something bothered him.
09:35He left a suicide note on that laptop.
09:40To die, to sleep.
09:44To sleep perchance, to dream for in that sleep of death.
09:48Thank you very much.
09:48Okay, like I said, an officer will take your statement downstairs.
09:51Door's over there.
09:51Thanks for your help.
09:56You know, I've written you lots of times.
10:00Well, what does that mean?
10:01He was a big city cop from the wrong side of the tracks who just a fortnight before traded in
10:06the chaos of the metropolis for small-town quiet, hoping that the distance would wash away the memories of a
10:13divorce that never really ended.
10:17Well, what makes you think any of that is true?
10:21Well, first of all, I know that you just got here because you are staying in a hotel, but it
10:26is not the resort because you smell like the pine body wash from one of the budget motels on the
10:32beach.
10:32That tells me that you don't like wasting money, which is further confirmed by your wardrobe, which is clearly not
10:39new.
10:39I'm guessing that the choices are deliberately noir, hence the whole Sam Spade tough guy thing.
10:46The part about the messy divorce is a guess, but I bet I'm right.
10:54Door's still over there.
11:02So that's the latest.
11:03Great.
11:03Thanks for filling me in.
11:04Thanks for the latte.
11:06I'll give you a call if anything else comes up.
11:08You're the best, Noah.
11:10What are you doing?
11:11I'm getting interviews for my story on Nash Gilbert.
11:14So you are here to exploit my friend's death.
11:17You're just jealous because I know how to get people to talk to me.
11:21Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do.
11:35I am very good at talking to people, which is why I know that Nash's death was not a suicide
11:40because he never would have quoted Shakespeare in a suicide note.
11:42He thought Shakespeare was an overrated hack in tights, and he just bought a vacation home near the old mill
11:47on the other side of the lake,
11:48which a person doesn't do if they're going to do a swan dive off a balcony.
11:57You're right, and you're wrong.
11:59I am not wrong.
12:02Nash's death was murder not because of your whack theories, but because there's actual forensic evidence that someone was in
12:07the room with him when he went off that balcony.
12:10Like what?
12:12First, the doors on all the guest rooms have electronic locks.
12:16Security told me that Nash's door was unlocked from the inside five minutes after his death.
12:21Second, there was a scuff on the base of the land consistent with his struggle.
12:25And third, there were drag marks on the carpet indicating that someone dragged Nash to that balcony.
12:30Trust me, as soon as security tells the cops about the locks, they'll pivot from suicide to murder.
12:36Well, even if that is true, you are still exploiting someone's death by writing some dime store novel version of
12:44it for the internet.
12:46But that was a dime store.
12:48Oh.
12:56He was a friend and a mentor, and he will be missed by everyone.
13:06Sounded like an Insta quote to me.
13:11I'm grieving the loss of a friend, a good friend I cared for.
13:16I'm going to find out what happened, and you better not get in my way.
13:21Allison Chandler.
13:22Reed Sterling, come here.
13:25I didn't think you were going to make it this year.
13:27I got a call from my mother.
13:28Poor Margot was going apoplectic over Nash Calvert, so I jumped on a standby flight, and here I am.
13:35Who's Margot?
13:37Margaret Sterling, the novelist.
13:39Sorry, you're...
13:40The person who's just leaving.
13:42Nice to meet you.
13:45How you holding up?
13:46I am sick of talking about me.
13:49I want to hear about your new girlfriend.
13:52Ooh, how do you know I have a new girlfriend?
13:54Well, I saw the ring on your finger.
13:57It's not a wedding band, but a promise ring for her.
14:00Well, you know, I just thought it was finally time to take the plunge, you know?
14:02Settle down, my business is going well, it's now or never kind of thing.
14:06Reed, I am so happy for you.
14:08Well, the problem is, is that I just can't seem to get over my crush on you.
14:13And I was thinking...
14:16You okay?
14:17Yeah, there's just a guy over there who's trying really hard not to be noticed.
14:20I don't see anybody.
14:23It's nothing.
14:25Look, I gotta go, and you should check in.
14:28Already done.
14:30Room 437.
14:31It's so good to see you.
14:33Catch you later, AllieCat.
14:34Okay.
14:56Where's the key?
15:18What are you doing here?
15:20You said that Nash just bought a vacation house on the other side of the lake.
15:24So, I gave my chatbot the search parameters, and here we are.
15:28Chatbot?
15:29AI.
15:29It's a brave new world.
15:30I better be nicer to my toaster.
15:32Speaking of tech, what's the deal with the security cameras at the resort?
15:36It's a privacy thing, according to town council.
15:39So, if people have them, they just don't work.
15:41Right.
15:42Because that's considered what?
15:45Witchcraft?
15:45Oh, laugh it up.
15:46They burned women at the stake here in 1691.
15:49Pretty sure that it was Salem in 1692.
15:51Where do you think they got the idea?
15:54Good luck with your investigation.
15:56Oh, I solved mysteries for a living.
15:59I think I'm good to go.
16:00But are you, though?
16:01Because you make up evidence, and this is legit.
16:04Anyway, better go put this key back under the mat where it belongs.
16:07Oh, I know what you're doing.
16:10Yeah, you're trying to get it in my head.
16:11But guess what?
16:12It's not going to work because I'm canceling you.
16:15Isn't that what people from your generation do to people who annoy them?
16:19They cancel them, and you are canceled.
16:23I can't even.
16:26That's not a sentence!
16:28That's not a sentence!
16:53Oh, you're done.
16:54It's a sentence!
16:56Take it!
16:56Take it!
16:57Take it!
16:58Take it!
16:58Take it!
16:58Take it!
17:02Oh, my God.
17:37Hey, Ronald. Have you, uh, seen Nikki?
17:40Nikki?
17:41Yeah, I saw her heading over to the park.
17:43There's that Taste of Founders Cove thing going on.
17:46Where are you?
17:47Oh, you're, uh, you're breaking up.
17:49Uh, I don't see it.
17:53Hello?
18:22Hey, stop!
18:34Well, there she is.
18:37Allison Chandler, always making a splash.
18:40Who the hell are you?
18:41And why are you following Nikki Weston?
18:44Tate Mulaney, I'm Nikki's boyfriend.
18:46Actually, he's her ex-boyfriend.
18:48How the hell do you know that?
18:51Tate, I have told you a million times, okay?
18:54I've moved on.
18:55You need to leave.
18:56Okay.
18:58I'm sorry.
18:59I just wanted to talk to you.
19:01I'll go.
19:03I hate to be mean, and Tate is such a great guy.
19:06It's just...
19:08I found someone else.
19:10He just won't let go.
19:12It must be awful to lose your stepfather on top of all this.
19:18You know he was my stepfather?
19:19Well, I know...
19:20There was a photo of you in Nash's house with an inscription on the back.
19:24Things were complicated.
19:26Is that why you went to see him when you got here?
19:28I never said I saw him.
19:30There were blue fibers on the armchair in Nash's study,
19:32and they perfectly matched the tassels on your bag.
19:39Is there somewhere you and I can talk?
19:41Just the two of us?
19:44Absolutely.
19:49Nash and my mom got married when I was five.
19:52He ignored me until three years ago, when she died.
19:56And that's when things got complicated.
19:58My mother came from old money.
20:00She left me millions, but Nash controlled the trust.
20:04So you went to see him when you got here to talk about it?
20:07He told me that everything's been invested,
20:09but the only thing he ever invested in was a vacation house for himself.
20:13So I still haven't gotten a penny.
20:15And now I have to pay for my own wedding.
20:18It's none of my business, but you and Tate just broke up.
20:21And now you're marrying someone you just met?
20:24We've actually known each other for a while.
20:27We went to see a play together before I blew up here.
20:31And he drove me home afterwards and proposed.
20:34I had really hoped that Nash would understand
20:38that now we needed the money to start our new lives,
20:41but he didn't care.
20:44And then I got mad at him.
20:47And now he's dead.
20:49It's going to be okay.
20:51Nash is the one who got me my first job.
20:54I was ghostwriting this book for someone that he knew,
20:56and it's not like I even ever got any credit for it
20:59because the author was totally paranoid about being found out.
21:03But still, if it wasn't for that first gig,
21:08I might never have had the confidence to rate at all.
21:11Nikki, I need you to really think about
21:14who could have hated your stepfather enough to kill him.
21:18I don't know.
21:19Um, maybe talk to Lee Granway.
21:22Lee?
21:23Yeah, they used to yell at each other all the time when I was a kid.
21:26And I heard that they got into a fight yesterday.
21:32Hey!
21:33Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
21:36My lips are sealed this time.
21:38You are not going to bamboozle me into telling you anything about Nikki.
21:42Like the fact that Nash got her a ghostwriting job
21:45or that she just inherited a boatload of dough?
21:48How do you know that?
21:49Tate Mulaney was wearing a hoodie that said Iron Robot on the back.
21:52It's a 90s alternative rock band.
21:54So I asked around, and the only place in Founders Cove
21:57that plays 90s alt rock is the Roundhouse.
21:59It's a dive bar next to the movie theater.
22:01So I went there, bought him a drink, and he spilled the tea.
22:04I could never do that.
22:06Well, Nikki wouldn't talk to me, but she talked to you.
22:11Do you want to grab a coffee?
22:12As long as you're buying.
22:14Hi.
22:15Could I have a venti omelic caramel macchiato, please?
22:18But could you put it in a recyclable grande cup
22:20and also with a half mump of vanilla and chocolate drizzle,
22:23but only at the bottom?
22:24And can you also steam the oat milk, but don't make it too hot?
22:26Thanks.
22:27That was longer than my third marriage.
22:29There's nothing wrong with wanting things the way you want them.
22:31I couldn't agree more.
22:32I'd like one large black coffee, please.
22:34Is that the best you got?
22:35I like keeping things simple.
22:37Which is why you've been married how many times?
22:40Oh, sassy.
22:42Sassy?
22:43Who even uses that word?
22:46I bet your mother used it.
22:48A lot.
22:48My mother disappeared when I was ten.
22:52And before you start in on how I'm drawn to solving mysteries because of her,
22:55I have tried to find her.
22:56But I can't.
22:57At least not yet.
22:58So I'd much rather talk about coffee.
23:04What I wanted to say is that I'm impressed with you.
23:08You got in and out of that hotel room before Kerrigan even knew you were there.
23:12I got kicked out.
23:13Well, it's because you're famous and people notice you.
23:15Well, aren't you an internet celebrity person?
23:17Yeah, I was for like a hot second.
23:19But truth is, all that stuff about advertisers with big dollars was total bullshit.
23:24What happened?
23:25When I was in college, I wrote a story on the Staten Island Slayer.
23:29And someone said that I could make a whole bunch of money if I turned it into a podcast.
23:33So I did.
23:33And it went viral.
23:34And I started making bucket loads of money.
23:37And it was all awesome until my manager stole literally everything from me.
23:42Including the rights to my name, the Andy Walker True Crime Show.
23:45Didn't you read your contract?
23:46Of course I read my contract.
23:47I just didn't understand it.
23:49Anyway, I went back to writing.
23:51Which is what I've always wanted to do in the first place.
23:53That's why I came to this convention, to try and find a book agent.
23:56But everyone said no.
23:58Because they think my podcast is shit.
24:00And it is shit.
24:01But it's not my podcast.
24:02So now you know how deeply ironic and desperate my life is.
24:05Oh, well, thank you.
24:06Please.
24:07You want ironic and desperate.
24:09After I win yet another award, my publisher wants to retire, Selina St. Cloud.
24:14Because young readers like all that friends and crap that you're so good at.
24:19Okay, wait a sec.
24:21I have an idea.
24:23And just think about it.
24:25What if you and I write the book about Nash together?
24:29What?
24:30No.
24:30God, no.
24:31What?
24:31But just think about it for a second.
24:32We have very different skill sets.
24:34Oh.
24:36All right.
24:37It is funny.
24:38Because Nash did say he wanted me to write about him someday.
24:44Okay, for the sake of discussion, if we were to give it a try, you would have to relocate
24:49to Founders Cove.
24:50Because I don't do the Zooms.
24:51Roger that, partner.
24:52I don't have a life, so moving wouldn't be a problem.
24:54Partner?
24:54No, not partner.
24:56Assistant.
24:56You've never even written a book before.
24:58But you just said Selina St. Cloud got the boot.
25:00You just said your podcast went to shit.
25:01You know what?
25:02We're done here.
25:02Oh, yeah.
25:03We are done.
25:03We're hella done.
25:04Yeah, that's right.
25:05I know how to use the Urban Dictionary.
25:06Then you should know it's not the Zooms.
25:08It's just Zoom.
25:08I'm canceling you again.
25:10Oh.
25:16Would you stop following me?
25:19I'm not following you.
25:25Oh.
25:35Hey, are you two okay?
25:37Yeah.
25:38Yeah.
25:38Yeah?
25:39Okay.
25:40Did either of you get a good look at the driver?
25:42No.
25:42The windows were tinted, but it was a black SUV.
25:45No plates.
25:45Okay.
25:46Do either of you have anyone that would have any reason to want to hurt you?
25:48No.
25:49Well, maybe.
25:50I mean, we've been asking people about Nash's murder.
25:52Did I not tell you to stay away from the investigation?
25:55Well, you didn't tell me that I couldn't ask people questions.
25:58I have a constitutional right to ask questions of anyone I want to ask questions of, which
26:02is a run-on sentence with a double negative ending and a preposition, but I'm angry, so
26:09just deal with it.
26:10Put out a bolo and a black SUV.
26:12No tags.
26:13Also, have patrol check the woods off the interstate.
26:15People are always getting rid of interesting things up there.
26:17Like what?
26:18I'll leave that to your vivid imagination.
26:20Huh.
26:23I'm no expert on reading people, but I'm loving this Enemies to Lovers arc for you, too.
26:29You must have hit your head.
26:40Ellie, I thought you had a seminar this morning.
26:42Oh, well, we finished early, so I thought I'd work on my swing.
26:50Oh, well, we finished early, so I thought I'd work on my swing.
26:51Whoa!
26:53Whoa!
26:53Need a little more practice.
26:54I learned a long time ago not to underestimate you.
26:57Whoa!
26:57Nash used to say that.
26:59It's so strange that he is gone.
27:01Yeah, even stranger the police think it's murder, not suicide.
27:04I heard.
27:04I also heard that yesterday wasn't the first time that you and Nash blew up at each other.
27:11You've been talking to Nikki.
27:12Did she tell you what the arguments were about?
27:15I'm guessing they had something to do with the ledger that Nash had under his desk.
27:23You know, when you and I first started, we lived and died by the reviews of three or four major
27:27critics.
27:28So when I heard Nash Gilbert's opinion was for sale, I signed up.
27:33I paid the bastard for five years.
27:35Why'd you stop?
27:37Oh, critics lost their clout because of all the self-appointed reviewers online.
27:41Hmm.
27:42I saw Nash the day before he died.
27:45He tried blackmailing me again.
27:47He wasn't happy when I said no.
27:49So you didn't start paying him again?
27:51If there's another set of numbers in that ledger, Nash was scamming someone else.
27:54And before you ask about an alibi, I was at the muddy duck till midnight the night of the murder.
27:59The police are going to want you to prove that.
28:01Well, I can.
28:05Nash went off the balcony at 11.30 p.m.
28:07I was still at the bar at 11.53.
28:09See for yourself.
28:10Right under the pictures.
28:17Miss Chandler?
28:22Look, I know you think that I'm an arrogant little shit.
28:24But I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for the way that things ended yesterday.
28:29I sincerely doubt that.
28:30Okay.
28:31Yes, I have said some mean things about your work.
28:34But the reality is...
28:38You're a best-selling author.
28:39To be your assistant and learn from someone like you is the chance of a lifetime.
28:43So...
28:44If the job offer is still available...
28:47Absolutely not.
28:50Yeah.
28:51Someone tried to kill us.
28:54And if they succeed, we will be equally dead.
28:59So...
29:00We're equal partners or not partners at all.
29:04Does this mean we share a byline?
29:06Yes.
29:08But you're on probation.
29:09It wouldn't be the first time.
29:10Why am I not surprised?
29:12Okay, so I spoke to Noah and they found the SUV.
29:14It was reported stolen three hours before it nearly ran us over.
29:17Any prints?
29:18No, it was wiped clean.
29:20But they did find a partial under the steering wheel, so they're working on a match.
29:23Well, I spoke to Lee and he's got an alibi for the night of the murder.
29:28Yeah, so does Nicky.
29:29One of her fans said that she was rehearsing a TikTok video when Nash did his swan dive.
29:33So we're nowhere unless we find more evidence.
29:36Did Nash have a car here?
29:38It's okay.
29:39Yeah.
29:41Oh, boy.
29:43Ladies, how can I help?
29:44We were working on a novel on Nash Gilbert and we thought we'd come check out his car.
29:48Oh, maybe she'll write about something else.
29:49Like an annoying cop with a big ego and a small jurisdiction.
29:55Hey, you missed something.
29:57What's that?
29:59What's that?
30:00Oh, makeup case with the letters AC on it.
30:04Oh, that's where that went.
30:06It's been missing for years.
30:09I had a new one made. You can keep it.
30:11Oh, okay. Oh, that's... that's interesting.
30:14Really? A condom that's old enough to be on Medicare is interesting?
30:18You know what's interesting?
30:19The fact that your fingerprints are all over Nash Gilbert's study.
30:22You didn't wear gloves?
30:23You did?
30:23Have you ever watched Law & Order?
30:25Okay.
30:25Do you have someone who can vouch for your whereabouts at the time of the incident?
30:28I had just finished a panel. I was talking to someone.
30:30Does someone have a name?
30:31What are you, the alibi police?
30:34That's literally who he is.
30:35That's exactly who I am.
30:36Okay, what are you gonna do now? Arrest me?
30:38No, I'm not... I'm not gonna arrest you.
30:40Fine. Let's go.
30:42Where... what is happening?
30:43I don't...
30:44Where are you going?
30:45To the station!
30:46What?
30:46Where are your handcuffs?
30:48I'm not gonna handcuff you.
30:49Oh, come on, come on, come on.
30:50I've never been handcuffed before.
30:52Well, it's not entirely true.
30:54Look, just...
30:55We may have more questions for you later.
30:57Just don't leave town, okay?
30:59I'm not leaving town.
31:00I have a seminar later.
31:01And a hair appointment after that, which I can't miss.
31:03Because there's a press thing tomorrow.
31:05And as far as what you found in Nash's car...
31:07Yeah, that's right.
31:08Done some stuff with Nash I'm not proud of.
31:10But don't you dare slut shame me.
31:12Because I know that you've done some skanky things you're not proud of.
31:16Okay, I... this is not about me.
31:18So, you're Miss Chandler's new writing partner?
31:20Yep.
31:21If I can find a place to live, this town is expensive and I am dead broke, so...
31:25All right, come on, let's go.
31:27Maybe we can grab a coffee sometime.
31:29No, no, no, she's gonna be very busy.
31:31It's just the coffee.
31:32Yeah, you haven't heard her order.
31:34Okay, we can go.
31:36Hey, Miss Chandler, you still have that guest house, right?
31:40What about it?
31:41Well, Andy was saying she's having a hard time finding a place to live, so I thought...
31:44Oh, well, it's, uh, it's being remodeled and I'd have to...
31:48get permission from the town council if someone were gonna live there full-time.
31:52Yeah, no worries. I can find a place on my own.
32:06Hey!
32:07Your head looks great!
32:08Hasn't anyone told you that it's not lady-like to talk with your mouth full?
32:12Not since the ball, it's Netherfield.
32:14I can't believe it!
32:15Nikki Weston and Margaret Sterling!
32:17You're both such classic authors and you have such incredible flair with your characters.
32:23Um, can I have a picture?
32:24Well, that doesn't look good.
32:28Hey, Granway, you're under arrest for the murder of Nash Gilbert.
32:32Wait, wait, wait, okay.
32:33Slow down, slow down.
32:35Yesterday you were going to arrest me and today, Lee.
32:38The last time I wasn't going to arrest you.
32:40Lee was at the muddy dock when Nash got murdered.
32:42He's got a cell phone video to prove it.
32:44Nash Gilbert died at 11.30pm.
32:46Witnesses have Lee Granway exiting the pub at 10.30pm.
32:49Well, they're wrong. Cell phones don't lie.
32:51Yeah, sorry to barge in, but if you know how to access the metadata, you can change the date and
32:55time on a cell phone.
32:56There you have it.
32:56Ignore her!
32:57I'm afraid that's precisely what the killer did in Mr. Granway's new novel.
33:01But that doesn't mean that...
33:02She's right, Allie.
33:05When I heard what happened to Nash, I knew I was going to be a suspect, so...
33:10I did what I had to do.
33:13Freedom is right.
33:16Lee Granway, you have the right to remain silent.
33:18Anyone.
33:19Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.
33:22You have the right to return...
33:23You're okay?
33:25I'm never wrong about these things.
33:27Allie, you are looking a little pale.
33:29The gift shop in the lobby is open again. Go get like an energy bar or something.
33:32I'll be fine.
33:48Come in.
33:50I hope I'm not interrupting.
33:54No.
33:55No.
33:55Uh, no.
33:56I was working on the Gilbert case and like, I guess working on my speech for the farewell banquet for
34:01your convention.
34:02You're the guest speaker.
34:03Yeah.
34:04Ross, you couldn't make it, so you're stuck with me.
34:07What, uh, what can I do for you?
34:10I am told that this is what people do when they want someone to talk to them.
34:15Well, I'm told that people do that when they want to apologize to someone.
34:18Fine.
34:19I got a little overly dramatic yesterday and I'm sorry.
34:23So, donuts?
34:26Y-yeah.
34:28Yes, please.
34:32What I also wanted to say is that I've known Lee Granway for decades.
34:37We went to college together.
34:39He's a close friend.
34:41Nothing romantic though, but, but close.
34:44But just not in a romantic way.
34:46Okay.
34:47So just a close non-romantic friend who falsified evidence.
34:50What was he supposed to do?
34:51He knew you were going to ask for an alibi.
34:52Yep.
34:53So it's my fault that your boyfriend lied to the authorities.
34:55First, he is not my boyfriend.
34:57Second, he did not kill Nash.
34:59The lab confirmed he falsified the metadata on his cell.
35:03What he did was self-protective.
35:05It came from a place of fear, not guilt.
35:07Yeah, or maybe your close non-romantic ex-boyfriend is simply playing you.
35:11You know what?
35:11I came here trying to share some valuable personal insight.
35:15And all I've gotten is sarcasm and disrespect.
35:19Sarcasm and disrespect?
35:20Where have I heard?
35:21Oh, isn't that what Luna St. Cloud says to Detective Frank Barra at the end of your first novel?
35:25Oh, I knew you were lying when you said you hadn't heard of my books.
35:29Yeah, because I thought you needed a good taste of humble pie.
35:31Oh, well, you need to go on a diet.
35:54Oh, my God. Did your luggage explode?
35:57Lose the toot, okay? We've got work to do.
36:03This is called an investigation board.
36:06The police use them all the time.
36:07Oh, for God's sake, I know what an investigation board is, okay?
36:09You lose the toot. Go. Great.
36:12So we've got two suspects.
36:14Lee Granway and Nikki Weston.
36:16Nikki isn't a suspect.
36:18She benefits from Nash's death.
36:19You can't be sympathetic and a suspect at the same time.
36:22It happens all the time in your books.
36:24Not all the time.
36:25Would you please just listen to me?
36:27Nikki has an alibi and Lee doesn't.
36:30Okay, but that...
36:31Before you interrupt me, it's kind of sus that he forged evidence,
36:34but it doesn't prove that he killed Nash,
36:37even though he's been arrested for it.
36:39Okay, keep going.
36:40Then there's the ledger, which is our key piece of evidence.
36:43It documents that Lee was paying Nash,
36:45but there's another set of numbers,
36:47which could mean there's another suspect out there.
36:51Okay, if you know who it is, spit it out.
36:53This is actually the part where we work together.
36:55Remember?
36:56You spin some crackpot theory, and I find the evidence.
36:59Well, we didn't need a board for that.
37:02And decides what kind of board is this, huh?
37:03It's a mess.
37:04And you need photos for a real board.
37:09Wait a minute.
37:14Could there be another secret that Nash was hiding?
37:18Like what?
37:18Nash got Nikki a ghostwriting job for no credit.
37:22She said that the author was paranoid
37:24that her readers were gonna find out.
37:26Which means Nash could have been blackmailing the author.
37:31How did you figure me out?
37:33There was a fan taking pictures just before Lee got arrested,
37:37and she said that you and Nikki have the same classic style.
37:41It's no wonder they're the same.
37:43Nikki wrote your book as well as her own.
37:45I was terrified that my audience would think I'd lost my touch
37:48if they knew I used a ghostwriter.
37:50So Nash threatened to go public, and you paid him to keep it quiet.
37:53I did.
37:54For eight months.
37:56But then I told him I was done.
37:57It's better to live with the consequences than live with a lie.
38:01But please, don't tell Reed.
38:03Hmm?
38:04He, uh, he worries so much about money,
38:06even though he tells me not to.
38:08But Reed's business is doing great.
38:10No, not as great as he wants you to believe.
38:12He's downtown right now, shopping for things he can't afford.
38:17I hate to ask, but...
38:19I was at my screening that night.
38:22Two hundred people saw me.
38:26Now I'm the one getting a headache.
38:29The gift shop in the lobby's reopened.
38:31Maybe an energy bar would help.
38:33Reed said exactly the same thing.
38:34Maybe the two of you need an energy bar.
38:36Wait.
38:38Were those his exact words?
38:40The gift shop reopened?
38:41Why are we talking about the gift shop?
38:43Because explain to me how Reed would know that the gift shop was ever closed
38:47if he didn't get here until after it reopened,
38:50which was after Nash died.
38:52Well, he couldn't.
38:53Unless he was here before Nash's death.
38:56What if...
38:57Reed drove up here from Hartford the day of the murder,
38:59killed Nash, drove back to Hartford overnight,
39:01and then called the flight back up here the next morning?
39:03Do you have a shred of evidence to support anything you just said?
39:07No.
39:07But I bet we can find something in his room.
39:09437.
39:10He told me when he checked in.
39:12And he's downtown shopping.
39:16Okay.
39:17I'll take the dresser, you take the closet.
39:19Just hurry.
39:20Okay.
39:24I can't believe that Reed could do something like this.
39:32Oh, my God.
39:34Look at this.
39:35What's in the pocket?
39:37A ticket from the Hartford Road Theater?
39:39Two nights before the murder.
39:41Nikki said she went to go see a play with her new boyfriend
39:43on the Wednesday before she got here.
39:45What if Reed is the new boyfriend?
39:46Reed needed the money.
39:47And he already knew Nikki from the conventions.
39:49And she told him she was inheriting her mom's estate,
39:52so he turned up the charm and got her to dump tape.
39:54But when Nikki told Reed that Nash wouldn't give her a dime,
39:56he drove up here to try and convince him.
39:58And then when Nash said no, he pushed him over the balcony.
40:01Look at the play they saw in Hartford.
40:04Pamela.
40:05Not explains the suicide note.
40:07No.
40:08I am calling the police.
40:09Yeah.
40:12I'll take that.
40:17Get in.
40:19Oh, Reed, you don't have to do this.
40:21I said get in.
40:22Well, we can't fit in there.
40:23Do you want me to cut off an arm?
40:25I think we can squeeze.
40:26Mm-hmm.
40:40Don't panic, okay?
40:42I have a plan.
40:43This would better be good.
40:44Okay.
40:45We'll do that.
40:46I will do that.
40:47We'll do the taillight thing.
40:49What?
40:49What are you talking about?
40:50If you would get your elbow out of my lady parts,
40:52I will show you.
40:55Okay.
40:57One, two, three.
40:59Oh, yes.
41:01Let me get my hand up.
41:04Okay.
41:05Oh, no.
41:05Ah!
41:15Miss Weston, how can I help?
41:17I'm not sure.
41:18Um, Alison Chandler's not answering her phone,
41:21and she just missed a panel.
41:23With everything that's going on, I just...
41:26All right, well, we'll check it out.
41:27Thanks for the heads up.
41:28Hey, Jack.
41:29Yeah?
41:29Lab called.
41:30We got a hit from the print in the SUV.
41:31Talk to me.
41:33Reed Sterling.
41:33He was arrested two years ago for fraud,
41:35but the charges didn't stick.
41:36You bringing him in?
41:37He's not at the hotel,
41:38but we just got a call from a motorist on the interstate.
41:40Said she saw a hand waving out of the taillight
41:41while the car in front of him.
41:42What?
41:43It's a rental registered to...
41:44Reed Sterling?
41:45I bet he's on his way to where he dropped that SUV.
41:55Faster, come on.
42:04Right there.
42:09Oh!
42:10Dick.
42:12Hmm?
42:12Dick.
42:20It's not how you hold a shovel.
42:22How in God's name do you know how to hold a shovel?
42:24I compost.
42:25A shovel helps you separate the greens from the browns.
42:29Like a lasagna.
42:29Stop talking.
42:31It's really hard.
42:32Okay.
42:33Dear God.
42:33Don't do it.
42:35Okay.
42:36Watch.
42:40See?
42:41Yep.
42:42Doing a great job.
42:43But let's keep in mind that you are not making a lasagna.
42:46You are digging our own graves.
42:47So maybe pump the brakes a little bit.
42:49For God's sake, just shut up and dick!
42:52Okay.
42:52You don't have to yell!
42:54Enough.
42:54Enough!
42:55Freeze!
42:58Don't move!
42:59I would not do that.
43:06Cuff him.
43:08Reed Sterling, you have the right to remain silent.
43:11Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law.
43:17In conclusion, as the new chief detective of Founders Cove, I'm honored to speak in front of such an esteemed
43:22group of mystery writers.
43:23Solving crimes is both art and science.
43:26We need freethinkers as well as analytical minds that can support theory with fact.
43:31Mystery writers, mystery writers do both.
43:34Some better than others.
43:37So, here's to all of them.
43:40Let's give them a big round of applause.
43:43Yes!
43:46All right, look.
43:48That's the end of our formal program.
43:50But before we enjoy some music, let's all raise a glass in memory of our dear friend, Nash Gilbert.
43:57Hmm?
43:57Oh!
44:04Dear friend, I guess we shouldn't say anything about the blackmail part.
44:08Not the time or the place.
44:10Agreed.
44:10Hey, Ally.
44:12I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for us.
44:15Aw, you know I love a good happily ever after.
44:18Hey, Nikki!
44:19Oh.
44:20Must be hard for Nikki to find out that Reed was the killer.
44:23Well, she seems to have recovered.
44:25True.
44:27So, uh...
44:29What did you think of my speech?
44:31Oh, it was pleasant.
44:32Yeah, good.
44:33Good.
44:34Good.
44:34I was going for pleasant.
44:36You know, Rossi called and he said he's authorizing you to hire me as a consultant on an as-needed
44:41basis.
44:41Oh, he did, did he?
44:43Okay.
44:43So, police don't hire writers to be consultants.
44:47And you know that.
44:48You know what I think?
44:48I think you just want to spend more time with me.
44:51Maybe I just want to spend more time learning about crime scenes.
44:56Maybe.
44:58I'm gonna go apologize to Lee Granway for, uh, you know, wrongfully arresting him.
45:03Yeah, it's usually a good idea.
45:08Boomers are so cute when they flirt.
45:10Okay, first of all, I was not flirting.
45:12Second of all, I'm not a boomer.
45:14I'm a Gen Xer.
45:15Right.
45:16The generation that brought us parachute pants.
45:18Yeah, good point.
45:18Look.
45:19Do not lose this.
45:20I'm not giving you another one.
45:28Well, I need you to change your mind.
45:30We have a book to write.
45:31And I cannot have you straggling in in the middle of the afternoon.
45:35Curfew is at 10 o'clock on weekdays and no ravers.
45:38Okay, the word is ragers.
45:40And I haven't had a curfew since high school.
45:43The town council did not want me to let you rent the place.
45:46They took a boat and clad me for them.
46:12You're a golden statue of you.
46:18You're a golden statue.
46:19Forever immortalized.
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