I don't care!
The drilling has been nonstop!
Well, it's affecting sales, so it is my business!
No...
No!
Look, somethin' ain't right.
How long does it take to put in cable internet?
Oh, you've been saying that all week!
I've just had a conversation with my lawyers.
You keep this up, and heads will roll.
Understand me?
Good!
Hey, what are you--
I thought we agreed
not to use emojis in the outline.
They show tone.
You know we don't get paid by the comma?
Because run-on sentences
are just so charming and rebellious.
Commas slow down the read,
but whatever.
Honestly, I think it's ready.
Okay, well,
I can't look at it anymore.
Rest in peace, Nash.
I hope we did you justice.
Ship it.
I tell you...
...the publishers,
they'd better love this.
It's been years since I pulled an all-nighter.
I do my best work at night.
Oh, I believe that.
All right, now that we are done with this,
I guess I am gonna have to go to the town council meeting
this evening.
Oh, that sounds charming
in a "Children of the Corn" kind of way.
It's boring as hell,
but I am the outgoing honorary mayor,
and it is tradition that I pass the baton.
Except in Founders Cove, it's a golden rake.
What?
It's a clamming thing.
What's next, a seaweed sash
and an oyster crown?
Why have you been skipping calls this week?
It's just telemarketers.
It's nothing.
You know, maybe I will tag along
to this town meeting thing.
They go on for hours.
Trust me, you're gonna be bored out of your skull.
Something tells me
they're gonna have a lot to talk about.
"Local car dealer Burt McKerrin--"
Jeez, I bought my SUV from him.
"--found dead in his backyard.
It appears he died
when an electronic insect killer
fell into his outdoor spa.
His body was then--"
It was then moved and posed nearby!
It's your first book, Allie, it's exactly how Edgar died.
It doesn't say how he was posed.
Okay, you know what,
the-the police need to know this.
Okay.
You've reached the Founders Cove crime hotline.
You are the 18th caller--
You know what,
it's gonna be much faster
if we can just drive there.
Dammit, my SUV is in the shop.
I can drive us.
I was supposed to meet Noah for coffee anyway.
So...
coffee with Noah, huh?
Yup.
I'm, uh, surprised.
Why?
Come on.
Seriously?
What is all this crap?
She just needs a second.
Is it a new thing?
No, she always does this.
No,
I meant Noah.
Uh, yeah?
I guess?
Well, it's just
that you and Oliver seemed...
You know, I mean, after the wedding...
when I interrupted you, and--
In bed?
Hmm...
And now Noah?
We're just friends, okay?
Take a deep breath.
And Oliver?
Have you ever heard of boundaries?
Ah, there she goes.
Bring it down, further.
Okay, it's great
that the cable company is upgrading the internet,
but it's taking forever.
"Forever"?
You've only been here a month.
Really?
Seems longer.
- Oh, hey, Ms. Chandler. - Hey.
Give me five minutes?
Yeah, no problem.
Jack, we need to talk about Burt McKerrin.
Okay.
He was electrocuted in a hot tub,
and then pulled from the tub
and posed on the ground.
You read the story.
No, I wrote the story.
That's how the victim
in my first Selena St. Cloud novel got killed.
Well, that's a coincidence.
There were four stones placed on the body,
weren't there?
How do you know that?
Plato's four cardinal virtues.
The killer in my first novel
placed four smooth basalt river stones
on his victim's body,
because the stones were purified by the rush of water.
It was my "symbolic" period.
I see.
So, is this, like,
one of those copycat things?
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
We're still looking at leads,
but if this is related to one of your books,
then I need to know,
have you had any problems with anyone lately?
You mean, besides you?
Good one. No, like, any threats?
Any obsessed fans?
No. Mm-mm.
You're sure?
Mm. Completely sure.
Cross my heart.
Oh.
Well, in that case,
if you think of anything,
you let me know.
Okay.
Oh, also...
That name you gave me?
- Andi's mom? - Yeah,
so I called in a favor with a friend from the FBI.
I haven't heard back,
but I'll let you know.
Sorry, Noah.
She's gonna have to take a rain check.
Come on, we're going.
Brakes, brakes, brakes!
Paging Uncle Fester.
Okay, Norman is the president
of the Selena St. Cloud fan club.
Wait, we're meeting with one of your fans?
If there is a crazy person
who plans to become Founders Cove's
first copycat killer,
Norman will know who it is.
How well do you know this person?
He won a contest a few years ago.
I picked him up, I took him to coffee.
He stole the hairbrush out of my purse,
which was a little strange.
Actually, he just took the hair,
but he's a really sweet guy, you'll see.
Allison Chandler?
Hi, Norman.
Um, this is Andi, my new...
...whatever.
We need your help.
Anything you need. Please...
Please, come in.
Thanks.
I love what you've done with the place, Norman.
You're too kind!
How do you take your tea?
Do not eat or drink anything.
You are being paranoid.
Look at that bottle of arsenic.
I'm pretty sure it's real.
Milk and sugar,!
Your wish is my command.
Is... Is that...?
Selena St. Cloud's signature trench coat
from "Hemlock and Heartache".
Actually, it's my trench coat.
Norman won it at a charity auction.
Technically, he stole it from a charity auction.
Yeah.
That's totally normal.
Poisonberry tea for my lovely guests...
Oh.
- Oh. - Thank you.
Okay.
...and try the murder morsels,
they're a Baights family recipe.
I'm sorry, did you say Bates?
Your name is Norman Bates?
B-A-I-G-H-T-S.
My mother had a wicked sense of humor.
Is she down in the fruit cellar?
I'm so sorry.
She has no manners,
so back to the murder--
That car salesman, yes.
I bought a car from him a few years ago.
I think he ripped me off.
Oh, he rips everyone off.
Whoever killed him would have to have
an insatiable attention to detail,
to copy the murder from your book,
right down to the four stones
of cardinal virtue?
Which reminds me,
I have to show you something.
Ta-dah!
I only turn it on when I have company.
Eeee!
Can you think of anyone
who might have wanted to--?
A few people come to mind.
I'll make you a list...
...and it goes without saying,
if you'd like to lay low,
you could always stay here.
Oh...
Okay, I recognize some of the names on this list,
Grayson Doyle.
He sends the strangest Christmas cards.
Are you blind?
It's clearly Norman!
The bug zapper?
The bowl of polished stones?
I mean, don't you think it's a little coincidental,
given what happened to McKerrin?
It is the signature killing method
from my first novel.
Frankly, I'd be a little offended
if he didn't have the bug zapper
or the bowl of rocks.
He bought his car from McKerrin Motors,
and he said that Burt ripped him off.
Trust me, Norman wouldn't do anything
to hurt the Selena St. Cloud franchise.
The guy adores me.
Oh, yeah.
He adores you so much he wants to wear your skin.
I did a background check before I met him.
He's just... a little eccentric.
Oh, we're gonna be late for the town meeting.
Come on, let's go.
All right, everyone,
before we start our council meeting,
I have the great privilege
of overseeing the transfer of power.
Tonight we will be welcoming
our newly elected Honorary Mayor
and local meteorologist on Channel 49,
Miss Connie Newsome!
As per town bylaws,
the ceremony is not complete
without the passing of the Golden Rake
from our outgoing honorary mayor,
Allison Chandler.
Thank you, Martin,
our long-time Town Council Chair.
It was a close election,
and I know I have big shoes to fill.
Size 11, right, Allison?
Thank you to all of you,
and here's to a future filled with sunny skies!
Thank you.
You didn't tell me
that there was an election,
and you lost to the weather slut.
It was rigged.
Now, everyone, before we continue,
please bow your heads for a moment of silence...
...and remember our friend,
Burt McKerrin,
as well as our friend, Nash Gilbert,
Allison Chandler's mentor.
Oh, and, uh, Brandon Hayes.
He wasn't from here, he was just visiting,
but he was murdered here also,
at Allison Chandler's house.
Thank you, everyone.
On to town business.
Now, uh, look, as most of you know,
we've been in an economic downturn,
and, uh, Sealine Bank, of all places,
is going to be moving its branch to a newer facility...
Isn't that the guy from the mystery convention?
Martin Adams.
His grandfather started Founders Chowder
in, like, the '40s.
Used to be a real hotspot,
then, uh, Martin took it over a couple years ago,
poured every penny he has into it.
...so planning the future,
your town council
has pushed for an aggressive modernization
of town infrastructure,
starting with state-of-the-art, fiber-optic internet!
Martin!
You don't have a packed house here tonight
because of the dang interweb!
Who's that?
Tammy Bustane, real local buzzkill.
The cats,
they're the real brains behind the operation.
Speak for yourself, Tammy.
Jennings Creek installed fiber optics
in less than two weeks.
It's been going on for over a month here.
It's killing business at my bakery.
Melody Chopra, she owns a bakery downtown.
Look, I have spoken personally with Whitley Cable,
and Carl tells me that his crew
can get this done within the week.
Carl?
My crew's working around the clock
to get the job done, Mr. Adams.
What everyone here
wants to know
is what you're planning to do
about the recent murders in Founders Cove.
Yeah!
Our local law enforcement
is doing everything in its power
to track down those responsible--
Uh, now,
it's great that some of you are making more money
because we're becoming
the murder capital of New England,
but the person that stands to benefit the most
is Allison Chandler,
and frankly,
she should be ashamed of herself.
Sales of Selena St. Cloud novels have tripled,
and this latest murder?
Ripped from the pages of her books.
It's not her fault.
Can we get back to the cable issue, please?
Okay, if it's not her fault,
then whose fault is it?
You wanna tell me who that guy is?
He is... no one.
All right, okay, settle down, people, look...
police are investigating the death from this morning,
all right?
At this moment,
we have no reason to suspect an ongoing threat,
but of course, if you see something,
please call us, okay?
Peter...
wait up.
We need to talk.
I've been calling you all week, you haven't picked up.
Why are you so angry with me?
Oh, please, Allie.
Stupid doesn't become you.
Who gave you all the ideas for those books, hmm?
The poison ring in "Hemlock and Heartache"
The candlestick in "Passion from the Ashes"?
Me!
Didn't you say what I did was beneath you.
I was there for you, and you know it.
We're not done.
Lately,
we've been flooded by city folks.
It used to be so quiet here before they came.
You know?
No prints so far, Jack, the place is clean.
I'm not surprised.
"Love, Music and Homicide."
Title of your second book, if I'm not mistaken.
Melody Chopra would normally
start her days at the bakery at 5:00 a.m.
Today, she was a no-show, because...
blunt-force trauma to the head.
Just like my book.
Just like your book...
Chopin's "Nocturne in C-sharp minor."
Mm-hmm.
Wait, wasn't Norman playing this?
- Who's Norman? - Um, an acquaintance.
Norman's her obsessed fan.
And I thought
you didn't have any obsessed fans.
He's not obsessed, he's just enthusiastic.
Norman was playing this piece of music
when we were at his house.
You went to his house?
Could you just-- Mm! Stop talking?
Time out. Is this Norman someone I need to look at--
No, shh, everybody just for one second!
Let me think.
The metronome.
You turned it off when we got here,
but it was too fast.
Too fast for what?
Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor.
The tempo is Lento.
Excuse me?
Ten years of piano lessons.
If Melody was playing with the metronome
at this tempo,
she wasn't playing this piece of music.
Maybe the killer changed the tempo.
Or...
maybe the killer planted the sheet music
to make it look like the murder came from Allie's book.
"To my biggest fan, Norman.
All the best,
Allison Chandler."
Ooh!
This is exactly how I pictured the interrogation room!
Remember when Selena was questioned
for the murder of Colette Vandalay,
when she was wrongly accused of Colette's murder
in "Love, Music and Homicide?"
Mister Baights,
where were you last night around 9:00 p.m.?
Is this where the hardened detective
pokes holes in the poor suspect's story
until he finally breaks and confesses?
This is serious.
We found your signed sheet music at the crime scene.
A Chopin's "Nocturne--"
"Nocturne in C-sharp minor"?
Oh, yes, yes, from chapter three, in book two.
Of course, yes! It's my favorite.
And you were playing that
when Ms. Chandler came to visit you.
I play it all the time.
You had an altercation
with a Burt McKerrin
at his dealership?
I did. I attended a St. Cloud Soiree in Burlington,
and installed a fog machine in my trunk.
McKerrin said it invalidated my warranty,
but it was absolutely worth it.
We also found your fingerprints on the stones
that were placed on Mr. McKerrin's body.
Well, that's interesting, isn't it?
Where were you last night,
and the night before?
You gonna book me?
Then it's true! I have no alibi!
I did it! Take me away, copper!
Mister Baights--
I have only one request.
What's that?
I want to call my lawyer-- Conrad Tiddle!
That's the lawyer
from the Selena St. Cloud mysteries, isn't it?
He never loses a case!
Okay.
Can we now please agree
that there is plenty of hard evidence?
Norman is a little delusional,
but he wouldn't hurt a fly.
Okay.
Sell me.
Okay, he's enjoying this way too much.
He's not showing any signs of stress or guilt,
and he was surprised
when Jack mentioned the sheet music,
and the fingerprints on the stones.
He clearly has no idea how they got there.
Take me away!
Throw the book at me,
lest I strike again!
- Hmm... - Hmm.
The evidence against Norman is solid,
plus he confessed,
so I have to take that seriously.
Unless you think that
that gentleman you were talking to
last night after the meeting
is someone I should be worried about instead.
Don't be worried.
All right.
Well, I hate to break up the party yet again,
but we've got to go.
I hear and I obey.
I wish.
Where are they headed?
They didn't say.
Hmm.
So where are we going?
Back to Norman's house.
What the hell for?
Evidence that he didn't kill anyone.
Nice flashlight, by the way.
Did you get that in a Happy Meal?
Oh! You know, it works, doesn't it?
This is breaking and entering.
Grow a pair.
See?
It was open.
What exactly are we looking for
in here anyway?
I don't know, clues?
Isn't that what we do?
Everything in this house is a clue!
Well then, you can wait in the car.
No!
Classic murder mystery faux pas number one.
The first one to wander off
is always the first one to get killed.
Look at this.
Noah?
Look, before you get mad,
Jack made me follow you.
How did you get inside?
Mr. Baights gave me the key.
He seemed pretty excited to have me poke around.
Well, you should see this.
Huh.
Looks like someone broke in.
I bet Norman didn't even notice.
Well, I told Norman
someone broke into his house.
Which means
that they could have stolen the rocks
and the sheet music,
and planted them at the crime scene.
Mm-hmm.
Did Norman finally admit
that he didn't kill Melody or Burt?
Mm-hmm. Well, not at first,
until I pointed out
that he was taking time away from your writing,
and he gave us an alibi just like that.
Okay, I'm gonna go get a candy bar.
You want anything?
- No, I'm good. - Good.
Okay.
How about a coffee?
High-test, police-grade?
Why not?
I know this is crazy,
but I... can't help thinking that these murders are my fault.
Look, there's a lot of bad actors out there,
and nothing you can do changes that,
but don't forget,
what you do,
it's important.
Your work...
makes people happy.
Right?
That's what matters.
So...
what'd I miss?
Confirmed
with the grocery store over on Henniset Ave.
They remember seeing Norman at the time of Chopra's murder.
Yeah? All right,
cut him loose, let him go,
and Noah...
make sure he leaves.
Yeah.
Okay, so if it's not Norman,
who's the prime suspect?
I don't know, but whoever it is,
they're following the order of Allie's books.
The killer copied the murders in the first two.
What's the third one?
- "Whiskers in the Dark". - "Whiskers in the Dark".
The cat lady gets whacked.
And that character was based on Tammy Bustane.
She was at the town meeting last night.
"Chandler wrote the murders,
the killer just followed the script."
Oh, and this one.
"Plot twist,
the real killer might be holding the pen."
Can you believe what they're writing about me?
Can you please help me go through book number three?
There's got to be a clue in here somewhere.
No. I don't read my work.
Huh?
Once I send the manuscript, I just move on.
Make an exception.
Fine.
I lost my favorite glasses again...
They're on your head.
I knew that.
Noah, we're on the move.
We're on a stakeout at the cat lady's house.
Sounds exciting.
Oh, you're serious?
You got any better leads?
No, not since we cleared Norman.
I got nothing.
Andi was right,
nothing about this case makes any sense.
Speaking of Andi,
you two are kind of chummy.
Oh, I was going to say the same thing
about you and Allie.
This is so good.
I totally forgot that Selena had a one-night stand
with the local sheriff.
Well done, Selena.
Uh... Allie?
Mm-hmm?
Did you forget that there's an attempt
on Selena St. Cloud's life
halfway through this novel?
Oh, yeah, right.
The B&E, right?
Yeah.
a masked assailant breaks into her home.
Okay, so?
So isn't Selena St. Cloud based on you?
Oh... Okay.
So not happy right now.
Um, let me get my flashlight.
Flashlight? We need a real flashlight!
Where's my phone?
Did you just see that?
No!
I'm calling 911.
You go find weapons.
Weapons?
Like what, a dictionary?
Oh, God, the cell tower must be down.
Ah!
That came from downstairs.
Oh...
Maybe
we should just lock ourselves in the bathroom instead?
You might as well save time
and just jump in the wood chipper!
Look over there.
There!
I got him! I got him!
- Wait, wait, wait! - Hit him with the bottle!
Stop! Stop, stop, stop!
- Please, please! - Peter?
What the hell are you doing here?
I told you, we're not done.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, you two know each other?
Yeah, I'm her--
Oh!
Norman! What the hell?
I saw the scoundrel creeping through the bushes.
What were you doing in my bushes?
I was worried about you.
Rewind.
How do you two know each other?
He's... He's, uh...
He's my ex-husband.
One of them.
Oh.
I wasn't going to hurt anyone, all right?
And she owes me money.
That is so not true.
I just went back
to grab a few personal belongings.
Like what?
Like my wine collection,
and my snowblower!
Oh, I paid for that snowblower!
All right, all I need to know
is do you plan on pressing charges.
Okay, if she won't, then I will!
He broke into her house.
Okay.
What?
Okay, I know this is not great timing,
but I'll need you to come downtown
to take your statements.
Fine.
Okay.
Watch your head.
I'm okay, everyone,
thanks for asking.
I told you,
Allie wouldn't pay me what I'm owed,
so I did what I had to do.
You've been divorced for over a decade,
she still pays you alimony?
That's right.
You've been arrested before, right?
Harassment,
trespassing,
threats?
A car you purchased at McKerrin Motors
was recently repossessed, is that right?
Yeah, I tried to work something out,
McKerrin wouldn't listen.
Plus, you had run-ins with Melody Chopra
at town council meetings?
I get it.
This has nothing to do with breaking into Allie's.
You think I had something to do with those two murders?
Run-ins with both the victims,
the killer clearly wants to implicate Allie Chandler
through her novels.
Where were you Sunday night?
Where were you Monday night?
I stayed in.
Both nights.
Can anyone corroborate?
Nope.
Might want to contact your lawyer, Mr. Altwhistle.
I can't afford a lawyer!
Allie left me high and dry!
She smiles like Sunday and stings like Monday.
I pity the next man that gets tangled in her web.
It's a witness statement, not a book.
Just write what you saw.
My dear friend, I have penned
14 Selena St. Cloud fan fic novels.
Not only does this have to be perfect,
but it has to sing.
So, we've got enough to hold him.
I know it looks bad,
but Peter has never been physically violent.
Altercations with both the victims,
no alibi at the time of the murders,
plus... he clearly has a problem with you.
What if the connections to the books is all a cover?
Maybe the victims are related somehow?
Noah ran a background check on both of them.
No connections.
So...
Peter?
Please don't.
It's been a long night,
and the only sound that I want to hear
is ice hitting a tall glass of bourbon.
Okay,
but why do you put up with his bullshit?
Peter was this incredible playwright,
and I was a suddenly single mom
of a teenage boy.
My novels hadn't hit it yet,
and Peter always dreamed of moving to New York City,
the theater scene,
and then...
I hit it big,
and instead of being happy for me,
he just became resentful.
It took me years
to build up the courage to leave him.
I just feel bad
that he sacrificed his success for me.
But you know that that's not true, right?
The funny thing is,
the dummy doesn't even realize
I could have stopped paying alimony
a year after the divorce,
but I kept paying.
Why?
I don't know.
Guilt?
Listen to me, Allie,
It's time to kick this loser to the curb.
Oh, I'm going to take relationship advice from you?
For whatever reason,
this asshole still has power over you,
and he's gonna have it until you put your foot down.
Your success didn't deprive him of anything.
I need you to know that.
My car's gonna be ready in two hours.
and I'm going to go grab some breakfast.
See you later,
and Allie,
not that it's any of your business,
but Oliver and I text.
He's in New York, and I'm here,
so it's no big deal.
Norman.
Thank you.
I need a ride back to my car.
It's near Ms. Chandler's house.
Come on.
Well, if it isn't the great Allison Chandler.
Hey there, Martin.
You know, I don't see you at my restaurant anymore.
I've just been very busy.
I'll make sure to stop by.
Oh, yeah, that's what everyone says.
You know, Allison...
I still remember
when this place was just a sleepy little town.
People loved to...
well, to do this,
to sit down across from each other
and break bread,
but since the flood of folks from the city,
now we're the murder capital of New England.
Sure sells a lot of books, doesn't it?
Allison, I'm kidding.
Oh, you know how much I love a good St. Cloud mystery, right?
Yeah...
You might even call me a "Cloudy".
- Oh, you cloudy. - Mm-hmm... yeah.
Well, enjoy your breakfast, Allison.
Thank you, Martin.
Oh, I almost didn't recognize you.
You look terrible, Allison.
How you holding up?
I'm, uh, doing the best I can.
If I were you, I would head up to Sparkling Hills.
The retreat in Vermont?
It's the perfect place to hide out
until this whole murder thing blows over.
I heard Martin was just there last month.
Poor guy,
he needed a little getaway
after the bank turned him down for a loan,
but he came back looking ten years younger.
You should try it.
I don't need to hide out.
Well, those bags under your eyes
aren't gonna go away on their own.
Ask for Elle, she works miracles.
See ya.
Okay.
Thanks for the ride.
Yeah.
And, uh, if Ms. Chandler needs a bodyguard...
...I'm happy to volunteer.
Yeah, I, uh, I think things are gonna calm down,
now that the cops are watching the cat lady's house 24-7.
If the killer can't kill the cat lady,
- then what happens? - I don't know,
I guess the killer moves on to the next book?
Maybe,
but oh, my God!
Do you not remember the last chapter
of "Whiskers in the Dark?"
Norman, I've read so many books,
they're just blending together at this point.
There's a second attempt on Selena's life!
Someone tries to kill her with a car bomb!
Oh, my God,
Allie's on her way to the shop to get her car right now!
- Oh... - Oh!
No, no, this can't be happening.
This is a nightmare!
Oh, my God.
Hi, this is Allie Chandler...
Damn it, this woman never answers her phone!
What's the point in having it!
What are you doing?
My queen needs me.
I'm coming with you.
Shit!
Here you go, Ms. Chandler.
Sorry for the wait.
It's been crazy around here.
I was so sorry to hear about Burt.
Yeah, poor guy'd been under a lot of stress.
All the drilling that's been going on--
customers didn't want to come in.
Mr. McKerrin even wrote a letter to the town council.
Thank you. Bye.
There! There, there, there, there, there!
Ms. Chandler, stop!
Okay, try not to panic,
but we think there's a bomb in your car!
The ending of "Whiskers in the Dark!"
Someone tries to kill Selena St. Cloud
with a car bomb!
You think that the copycat killer
is trying to kill me?
Yes! If they're following your books!
Andi, I'm exhausted. I want to go home.
If the good lord wants to take me,
he can take me in a warm bubble bath,
not from a ridiculous car bomb.
No!
So, again,
you did not see anyone suspicious?
I wasn't looking.
I'll be back as soon as I can.
I'm glad you're okay.
The copycat killer couldn't be attacked
without getting attacked...
You know, if you hadn't warned me--
No! No, no, no.
Please, no public displays of gratitude.
Norman was the one who remembered the car bomb,
so you owe him your favorite pair of underwear,
or toenail clippings, I can't remember which.
Probably both.
Yeah, it's probably both.
Hey, does it bug you
that the two people who were killed
worked basically
across the street from each other?
I hadn't thought of it.
Maybe because they were both at home,
and not at work, when they died.
Burt McKerrin and Melody Chopra
both complained about the cable construction downtown.
Everybody was upset about the noise,
not just them.
Yeah, okay, but...
maybe it's about more than that.
The dealership is here, right?
Melody's bakery is there...
and what's right down the street
from both of them?
The bank.
What if all of this cable construction
is just a distraction?
Martin said
that the bank is moving locations next month.
That building is super old.
A new location would probably have better security.
Okay, good theory.
Sell me.
Okay,
all of those drills and jackhammers
that the installers are using,
that seems like total overkill for a simple cable upgrade.
I got a business to run here!
Burt had a short fuse, right?
He's had enough,
so he complains to the crew.
They placate him, for a while,
but he notices the big tools.
He starts asking too many questions.
Maybe he threatens to go to the police
and have them investigate.
Melody...
Melody works early mornings at the bakery,
so maybe she saw something she shouldn't have.
She gets suspicious, she threatens to report them.
And if either one of them
had contacted the town council
or the police to complain,
they would need to be silenced.
But to divert suspicion,
the killer copies the murders from your books.
And the tunnels under the street
would go directly under the bank.
So they drill through the floor,
they snatch the cash from the vault,
without ever triggering an alarm,
and all of that noise
is chalked up to a town-wide fiber-optic upgrade.
And they're not working right now,
so where are they?
Well, we need to tell Jack.
I think he might already know.
Put out a BOLO on a white Whitley Cable van,
heading out of Founders Cove.
Block all exits, block all highways,
do it now.
Noah, start a canvass. Somebody must have seen something.
Got it.
Start at the end of the street, work your way back.
- You're with me. - They hit the vault,
cleaned it out,
and they're gone.
- How long ago? - Rebar's still warm,
so it just happened.
Hopefully, we got something on the radio soon.
Okay, but there's still the copycat angle.
I mean, whoever is behind this
has to know my work
down to the last little gritty detail.
Which brings us right back to crazed fan or your ex.
Could there be anyone else?
Wait a sec, who was the one
who pushed for the internet upgrade?
Uh...
Martin Adams.
I mean, he pressured all of us to vote for it.
The service tech at McKerrin Motors
said that Burt had filed a complaint
with the town council,
but I was still on town council
when that complaint would've come in,
and I didn't hear one word about it.
He must have made the complaint to Martin,
and Martin didn't want anyone to know about it.
I mean, everyone knows
that Founders Cove Chowder was in trouble,
and Connie said
that he had just been turned down for a loan
by the bank.
So he decided to rob the bank instead
and now he's skipping town.
APB on Martin Adams, APB on Martin Adams!
Whoop!
Fine.
Around back.
Burt McKerrin and Melody Chopra were murdered
because they suspected that the cable crew
was doing more than just installing cable.
What about the similarity to your books?
That was just a distraction,
but whoever planned this
forgot to take one thing into account.
What's that?
Selena St. Cloud is always one step ahead.
Thanks, J.J. Thanks, guys.
Oh, that's right, fawn all over
the high and mighty Allison Chandler!
You know, this used to be a nice town
before people like her showed up!
Settle down, tough guy.
Police caught the cable crew going south.
Turns out Whitley Cable was a complete front.
Those guys were all convicted felons.
How did Martin get tangled up with them?
So that guy that was pretending to be the foreman, Carl,
so Carl was a regular at Martin's restaurant.
Carl and Martin get to talking,
Martin needs money, Carl has a plan.
Oh, and Martin had already booked a flight
to South America,
and if it weren't for you...
he would've been long gone.
Well done.
- Coffee. - Yeah.
So, uh...
I guess it's too soon
to have heard back about Andi's mom?
No, actually, I did hear.
My friend ran that name
through every database they have, state, federal,
and...
nothing...
...and I don't mean just nothing since the disappearance,
I mean nothing since birth.
That doesn't make sense.
No, I know.
It's like...
It's like Renée Walker never existed.
Noah, let's go.
I've got to go.
Is this some kind of joke?
This is the last money you will ever get from me,
but there are strings attached.
You need to leave town.
You think this is enough to pay me off?
You owe me a whole lot more than this.
I don't owe you a damn thing.
I spent years blaming myself for leaving you,
because, believe it or not,
there was a time when I thought
you were the most charming, brilliant man
that ever walked the planet,
but looking back...
...you were a god-awful husband.
You convinced me that I was the reason
you couldn't pursue your career in New York.
Because it was true.
We've been divorced for years,
and yet you're still here,
and all those ideas that you gave me for my books?
Stagey clichés.
I only put them in there
to make you feel better about yourself.
I guess I wasn't the one standing in your way.
You were.
Go be miserable somewhere else.
You're not my problem anymore.
Ronald!
This is a surprise.
Can't a man just call his favorite client
just to say hello?
Didn't I tell you
not to call me while you're eating?
I heard from the publishers.
They loved the outline.
Okay... fantastic.
But here's the thing.
There's a shit-ton of hype about this, um...
copycat killer in Founders Cove,
so they have an idea...
Oh, no.
They never have good ideas.
Selena St. Cloud sales are smashing records,
so they want to shelve
the Nash Gilbert true-crime story,
and instead,
you come up with a new St. Cloud novel.
Okay, please tell me
you did not agree to this.
This is a good thing, Allie!
It's a great thing, but...
they need a new outline by next week.
They're shooting for a December release
just before Christmas.
A new outline in a week?
Yeah, look at the bright side,
you were never crazy about working with...
Andi... whatever her name is,
so now you don't have to.
We'll shoot her a few bucks,
and ba-boom!
That's that.
So they're not asking for her, too?
No.
Allie, they want you.
You.
Call me if you need anything.
You're trending!
Oh, that means that basically--
I know what trending is.
Oh.
So I just got off the phone with Ronald.
The outline?
Change of plans.
They have decided to put the Nash book on hold,
and they want a new Selena St. Cloud novel instead.
Oh.
I mean,
you can understand why.
All the press, you know,
and sales are... off the charts.
No...
No, yeah... I get it.
I get it.
I guess you don't need me anymore then.
Got it.
Not so fast...
They are adding, uh a sidekick character, uh,
to be Selena's assistant,
and they're making me keep you on.
Selena's world is already established.
That's what I told them,
but they wouldn't listen,
but, hey, listen,
if you are not up for the challenge...
♪ Got a feeling
♪ It's like magic...
- Bring it on. - ♪ Think we have it
♪ Think we have it
♪ Never know unless we try
♪ Here goes nothing
♪ 'Cause anything is possible
♪ Never know unless we try
♪ Here goes nothing!
♪ Never know unless we try
♪ Here goes nothing!