- Why are you here, Mother? - The Carousel Killer
said that I have 30 minutes to go through with it.
You're here to kill him.
Well, the solution is clear.
If this man told you to kill me...
then kill me.
It's the only way.
Aah!
Bright?
Sorry.
He's in a coma?
Secondary to anoxic injury,
which means there was a sudden cessation
of oxygen to the brain.
So, a coma.
Yeah.
What are those?
Uh...
apparently...
my father listed me as his health care proxy.
And gave me power of attorney.
God knows why.
Sounds kind of important.
Well, I don't want it.
And I don't want to talk about it.
Sorry.
What do you think he's dreaming about?
Coma patients...
can't actually have dreams.
But they do have vivid hallucinations,
which can feel like horrible nightmares.
So karma does exist.
What would a nightmare even look like
for a man like him?
Well, I-I think it's peripheral vascular disease,
but I can do another test.
But I know I'm right.
Have a great day.
Hello there.
Everything okay?
I twisted my ankle.
It's my fault, I wasn't paying attention.
Uh, well... I'm a doctor.
Can I take a look?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
- May I? - Of course.
Okay, you see this ligament here?
Well, it's just a sprain.
No need to amputate.
My hero.
Please. I'm Martin.
You know, I-I live just a block from here,
if you want to make a call.
I-I'm sorry I don-I don't have a-a phone on me.
Yeah.
- That'd be nice. - Okay.
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
I understand, Gil, but I was...
Oh, what is the legal term?
- Under duress. - Under duress. Thank you.
The Carousel Killer had threatened innocent lives
if I did not stab Martin Whitly myself.
And since no formal charges
- have been filed... - Yet.
And the real killer is in custody,
I should be free and clear.
So why do I feel like there is an ax hanging over my head?
Because there's an ax hanging over your head.
- Is that helpful? - The only reason
your mother isn't in cuffs right now
is because the investigation is still pending.
The D.A. has final say.
And if he doesn't see it as self-defense,
criminal charges will follow.
You need a lawyer, Jessica.
We have a family lawyer that I trust.
But not a criminal defense attorney,
and we need one of those, right?
You need the best one of those.
Yeah.
What did you think was going to happen
after you tried to kill someone?
Oh, I didn't...
You went to Claremont without telling us.
No one but Malcolm saw what really happened.
I stabbed him, end of story.
Mother, can I speak to you alone for a minute?
You can't take the fall for me.
Oh, so dramatic, darling... "take the fall."
Who are you, Al Capone?
It was one thing to buy me extra time to find the killer,
but now he's been caught. We can tell the truth.
I stabbed my father in the heart.
But I am the one that The Carousel Killer contacted
and I am the one with the resources to fight this.
The worst thing we could do right now is change our story.
Look, please.
Let me be your mother.
There's been so much I haven't been able
to protect my children from.
Let me protect you from this.
Sorry to interrupt.
We just got a call from Edrisa.
- There's a case. - Oh, perfect.
You need a distraction.
Your father's in a coma, after all.
I'm not even thinking about that.
If only that were true.
_
The Fourth Precinct still has jurisdiction,
but I told them as soon as Major Crimes sees this,
they'll be all over it.
Great, I'm sure the guys at the Fourth just love that.
They-they didn't seem to, actually.
I'll smooth it over.
Wow, nice crime scene.
Nothing's out of place.
There's even fresh flowers.
Hmm. It's like the killer didn't want
to disturb this man's life at all.
Sir.
You can't sit in the middle of the...
Damn.
Is that the body?
I think so.
He is dead, right?
He looks like he was killed, like, five minutes ago.
Try three days ago!
What did I tell you?
It's a cool case, right?
Very cool.
Thank you, Edrisa.
Vic's name is Kevin Bagley.
He is a wealthy investor to some local companies.
Neighbors hadn't seen him for a week, so...
I'm guessing that means he's been preserved
in some way?
Given his rosy skin tone and the lack
of desiccation, I would say
that he has been embalmed.
Plus... there's makeup on his face.
- Check that. - Yikes.
So the killer used foundation
to cover up the cause of death?
Or to improve his appearance.
Look closely.
He didn't just cover the wound.
He covered up his pimples,
evened out his skin tone.
Yeah, it's like a celebrity makeup job.
Look at the way he's posed.
With his arm draped on the couch,
facing the fireplace.
Like someone was sitting with him.
This murder is about what happened after the kill.
This required time,
care, affection.
And a lot of close,
physical contact with a corpse.
- Don't say it. - Don't say it.
We may be looking for a necrophiliac.
Necrophilia doesn't have to be sexual.
There are actually ten types as per
the last classification, and at its core,
the impulse is understandable.
Uh, Bright, how worried should we be about you?
You know, more than the usual amount?
Bear with me.
A necrophiliac's desire to...
get close to a dead body
can come from a fear of rejection,
coupled with a deep
and very human need for connection.
Wouldn't we all like that?
Someone who's always there,
sitting on the couch with us?
Without the weirdness.
And the homicide.
That goes without saying.
Just checking.
_
Stop calling me.
- Jessica. - _
It's been too long.
Are you still drunk and beautiful?
Are you still a parasite
suckling at the scum of the earth?
And damn good at it.
Who do you think got your hubby that cushy prison cell?
He was supposed to get the electric chair,
and I got him a Persian rug
and medical consulting privileges.
And now it's your turn.
No, it's not.
I don't need you, Sterling.
The Carousel Killer is going on trial...
Oh, sweetie, no.
A little birdie from the D.A.'s office
just told me that The Carousel Killer
refused to corroborate your story.
If Martin Whitly dies...
you'll be on the hook for murder one.
Could be about your dad.
I'll call back later.
Edrisa, what's the latest on Kevin?
Well, it's official: he was embalmed, and not
in a DIY, learn it on YouTube kind of way.
This is professional.
How do you know?
These two incisions in his common carotid artery...
it's where someone placed arterial tubes
and connected it to a real embalming machine.
And the firmer the skin, the better the job.
Come here, feel how firm he is.
I'm good.
It's your loss. I mean,
Kevin here is a real work of art.
John Hunter would be proud.
He was an early pioneer of embalming.
Uh, forget Hunter, what about Hofmann?
He discovered formaldehyde.
Okay, I admit I was a von Hofmann girl for a while...
I mean, who isn't in college... but credit really goes
to the ancient Egyptians, if we're going to get technical
- about the origins of mortuary sciences. - We're not.
Any signs of sexual assault?
None.
The killer did everything by the book.
Washed the body, massaged it to relieve rigor mortis.
Definitely sounds like
you're looking for a professionally-trained funeral director.
That's good news.
There's only so many in the city.
We can run them all down, see if they knew our vic.
Uh, not exactly.
This week happens to be the annual convention
for the Atlantic Coast Funeral Directors.
Which means our suspect pool just swelled to...
3,000, give or take.
I mean, I was a member of the AACFD
myself till the dues got excessive.
This isn't a coincidence.
The killer is using the convention as cover.
They could employ this very specialized method...
And frame 3,000 people.
What now?
Time to dust off that membership.
We're going to a convention.
_
What happened? Did he die?
Oh, no. God, no. No, I just, uh, I really
needed to talk to you and you've been avoiding my calls.
Are you serious?
Ains, I thought it was an emergency.
It is.
Our father is on his deathbed and you and Mom
are keeping something from me.
Okay, you're right.
We are.
It was me.
I stabbed him.
It was the only way to save our mother,
end the murders.
And also... I thought I could do it
without killing him.
You thought you could stab him in the heart
without killing him?
It's a long story, but the point is...
You stabbed our father. I'm... Oh... mm...
And I-I can't even tell anyone about it,
because if I do, then you'll go to jail,
and if I don't, Mom goes to jail.
It's not going to get that far.
You don't know that.
Have you even been in there yet?
You can't avoid him forever.
So, uh, please, go ahead.
Make whatever calls you need.
Oh, can I get you some tea or hot cider?
I'm okay. Thanks.
Darling, we're back.
The L.I.E.'s been shut down.
Nobody's getting to Sagaponack tonight.
Oh, well, the Hamptons' loss is my gain.
Mwah.
Where are the kids?
Rampaging in the park, like little huns,
plotting how to torture me this weekend since the nanny's off.
Well, why don't we...
- Mm. - Oh...
What has gotten into you?
_
How many morticians does it take to change a light bulb?
Uh, the term "mortician" is falling out of use.
They're called funeral directors now.
Or professionals in the death care arena.
You guys suck at jokes.
Hey. We've got a lead.
One of the companies our vic invested in
was a group of Long Island funeral homes.
So Kevin's directly connected to this world.
Oh, yeah. To two people in particular.
Tilda Carp and Dev Sundaram.
They were business partners with Kevin
until one of their funeral homes burned up last year.
Nobody was killed, but enough dead bodies were burned up
that it ruined their reputation.
Accidental cremation? families must have been pissed.
And lots of money was lost. It's motive for murder.
That's a motive, but it's not this killer's motive.
Remember how much care went into preserving Kevin.
There has to be a reason for that.
Like they were trying to preserve the relationship
that they had with Kevin before it all went bad.
Which fits with the necrophilia.
If they struggle with relationships in the real world,
they may be trying to manufacture one that can't end.
We checking into their backgrounds
- for any psychopathology? - Of course.
Right now we need to find Tilda and Dev.
Stay under the radar.
- We don't want to scare anyone off. - Let's go find a killer.
Should we high five, maybe?
No?
Oh, okay.
Cremation is the most cost-effective way
to say goodbye.
Death is hard on those left behind.
Cremation and burial
are the most common ways...
Your father's remains
deserve a statement urn.
It must have been hard to watch him die.
Wow, who knew that death
was such big business, huh?
Hey. You're acting weirder than usual,
- which is... - Saying something.
Yeah, I've heard that before.
Actually, I was going to say understandable,
considering that your dad is in the hospital right now.
And your mom is the one who stabbed him.
That's heavy stuff.
- Your dad could die, right? - Yes.
My serial-killer father could die.
Right.
You're mad at me.
A little bit, yeah.
Do you think that I like talking about this
any more than you do?
I buried my dad when I was 16. Right? And they put him
in that wood model right over there.
And, no, I didn't want
to tell you that, but I did.
Because that's what friends do.
And you wanted to be friends. Remember?
Dani...
I think that we should split up.
Thinking about death?
W-What? No.
Uh, maybe.
You're Tilda.
Charmed.
Let me tell you about this mahogany model.
Far more durable than poplar.
Rubber gasket to seal.
- It's a little more expensive... - I'm not in the market.
Aren't you?
Uh, it does look comfortable.
You know, we spend a scant few decades
walking around this earth.
But here...
here is where we spend eternity.
Might as well be at ease.
I'm never at ease.
Perhaps you should try it.
Hey...
Wait a second, who are you?
Uh, Tilda, this is Detective Powell,
and I'm Malcolm Bright.
We're here to investigate the death of Kevin Bagley.
Kevin died?
I can't believe it. That's horrible.
You don't seem all that upset.
Ah. Hazard of the profession.
They teach us in mortuary school to never cry
in front of a family.
And what was the nature of your relationship with Kevin?
- Business or... - Sexual.
Not serious.
Kevin was too damaged.
Some women are into that.
Want to change and save their man.
Not me.
- No, thank you. - Tilda,
Kevin was embalmed by the killer.
You're surprised.
It means something to you.
You should talk to our other partner, Dev.
He lost the most when we all broke up.
He and Kevin were best friends.
I'm sorry, I have a customer.
The-the hardest part is creating natural shadows, see?
Uh, because a corpse is usually lying down.
Dev, I asked about the fire.
And setting the features, well, that's a skill unto itself.
You can't just close the eyes, slap the mouth shut.
It'll look puckered.
Dev, we can talk here or at the station.
Which would you prefer?
- Ow! - Sorry.
You seem nervous.
I'm better with dead people.
That fire ruined us.
Who, you and Kevin?
No, we, um...
we weren't really friends.
But I can't talk about it. Th-There were NDAs
and a settlement... a whole investigation.
Oh, sorry. I'm not even...
I'm more into eyeliner.
I'll just...
You guys don't have a warrant, right?
'Cause I got work to do.
Ainsley!
I wasn't expecting you.
Or you.
Jessica Whitly.
"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars."
Quiet, for a moment,
while I focus on my traitorous offspring.
I just want what's best for you.
That's supposed to be my line.
Please, just talk to the man.
- I'll see myself out.
Let's be frank.
Your daughter wouldn't have called me
unless you were truly in need of my services.
Crazy thing is I wouldn't need you now
had you not so thoroughly screwed me 20 years ago.
Oh, I think I'd remember that.
Martin Whitly should be rotting
at Rikers as God and the legal system intended,
but you, instead,
made the deal of the decade.
"Century," said New York Magazine.
Well, that was 20 years ago.
And he is still making my life a living hell.
You should be punished for that, not rewarded.
So... let's skip the unpleasantries.
Bottom line: I could have your case dismissed in a week.
And just think of the bonus material...
the book deal, the interviews, the movie rights.
If your daughter's proven anything,
it's that America is hungry
for all things Whitly.
You could have my case dismissed?
Jessica...
I know you.
You want to find
the best person for your defense.
But what you need...
is the worst.
Hey, so, um,
I just got off the phone with the lab.
And guess whose exact brand
of foundation was used on Kevin.
It's Dev's, if that wasn't completely clear.
Dev's our guy. Let's go.
Police!
Dev, it's the NYPD.
Open up or we're coming in.
Guys! In here.
Dev's not the killer.
He's the next victim.
He's still breathing. EMTs are on their way.
Dani and JT are coordinating with hotel security.
No discernible wounds.
I'm guessing he was poisoned?
I found a broken glass.
He was drinking something.
No smell.
Whoa, did you just...
Oh. No, um... yes, I shouldn't have done that.
Uh, so, sweet taste, odorless.
Could be ethylene glycol. Antifreeze?
It's a common poison since it tastes like artificial sweetener
- when mixed in a drink. - What's that gonna do to him?
Shut down his organs, eventually.
As the body metabolizes the chemical
it starts converting into other toxins,
like acetone and glycolic acid and formaldehyde.
Oh, my God. Formaldehyde.
The killer's already started the embalming process.
Wow, that is genius.
What can we do? His pulse is getting weaker.
I don't think he's gonna make the ambulance.
You went to med school, right?
No. I mean, I did, yes.
But that... th-th... t-that's different.
You knew everything about the poison, Edrisa.
You can save him.
No. I-I don't sa-save people.
That's not what I do.
Yeah, but there must have been a time
when you knew how to help people.
I mean... live people.
No, you're-you're right. I can't do this.
Yes, you can. Yes, you can.
Just forget he's alive. Okay?
Pretend you're in the morgue, there's no rush,
you just need to reduce his toxicity levels.
Is there an antidote?
I-I don't know... Um...
Ethanol, maybe.
Ethanol. Alcohol. Th-The minibar.
Gil.
It's okay. You can do this.
You really think this really gonna work?
Um, th-they usually have an IV drip.
S-Syringe?
Okay.
Here.
Okay. He is gon... he is gonna need dialysis
when he gets to the hospital,
but, you know, this should hold him for a while.
I hope.
Okay.
That's good.
Copy that.
Thanks.
Dev's gonna make it, but he's still in the ICU.
Speaking of... how's Bright doing?
I'm not sure.
I've been trying to figure that out, but I...
Hey. Dev's phone wasn't on him in the hotel,
but I just talked to his carrier.
Last call before the attack was from Tilda Carp.
Okay. I'm on board.
Put out a BOLO out on Tilda.
I'll call TSA, see if she's headed out of the country.
Dani.
Keep an eye on our boy.
Yeah.
You're in the thick of it now, my friend.
This is when time slows down,
when... when minutes expand.
When a man like me could be forgiven
for believing
I can almost freeze time...
completely.
But...
alas, I'm no sorcerer, and you...
aren't there.
I'm at 3 East 88th Street.
Big house, you can't miss it.
Yeah, you can come pick me up now.
No, no, no, no. This is not how it went.
Yeah, Dr. Whitly has been really nice.
Okay. See you in a bit.
Stop it.
Stop it. What...
W-What's going on?
Thanks again for your help.
Oh, and one more thing.
Aah!
You don't have long now.
Just kill me.
No. You don't get off that easy.
I'm inside your head, Martin.
I know your worst fears.
This is a nightmare.
I'm in the hospital, aren't I?
Y-You're not real.
You're just a figment of my subconscious.
A composite of all my victims.
You know exactly who I am, Martin.
I'm a very real person.
And I'm coming for your family.
No.
Your boy dies first.
No. Please.
Funny.
I'm pretty sure I said the exact same thing to you.
He's coding!
Brady down.
- Get the crash cart. - Charging.
_
Any updates on your father?
No. Nothing.
It's fine.
Ains. What happened?
I don't know. They just keep saying to sit tight,
and that... it doesn't mean anything.
Here, here, here, here.
We will know soon enough.
Can I ask you a question?
Are you actually afraid he's gonna die?
It is not a criticism, I swear. I...
I'm genuinely curious.
I guess, um...
I just don't want him to die like this.
You know?
How about you?
Well...
there's no doubt the world will be a better place
without Martin Whitly in it.
But then again...
secretly...
You still love him?
What?
Oh, dear God, child, no.
But thank you for that.
I have not had a good laugh in a long time.
Oh, no, it's-it's...
It's gonna sound so silly, I know, but...
At least when he's at Claremont, I know where he is.
In the great hereafter...
He could haunt you forever.
Yeah.
It's ridiculous, I know.
Mm-mmm.
_
But not as ridiculous, I suppose,
as hiring the second most despicable man on the planet.
I know you want me to say yes to that man...
No. I... I don't.
But you were the one who set this whole thing up
in the first place.
Because you need a lawyer.
A-And now that you know who you don't want,
you can find the person you do.
Ainsley Whitly.
That is downright diabolical.
I learned from the best.
- Aw. - Mm.
You can sit there as long as you'd like.
We know you killed Kevin.
Actually... I don't think she did.
- You don't? - Yeah, you don't?
Tilda, you run a funeral home in Boston, right?
I saw your luggage in evidence.
Thousand-dollar roller bag, first-class tickets.
Kevin's killer wants to go back in time and preserve the past,
freeze their relationship like it once was.
But your life is better now than it was a year ago.
So there must be someone else who isn't.
Question is why would Tilda protect them?
Because you did something wrong.
And you're terrified of losing your license.
'Cause your job means a lot to you. I saw that.
My work is my life.
I-I understand how you feel.
Y-You'd do anything to protect your career.
Lie to the police, risk your life.
But it's not worth your life.
No, it's not.
Her name is Leanne Truitt.
She was a silent partner in our business.
Off the books.
You let her work unlicensed. Why?
She failed her psych eval.
But she was so damn good at embalming.
She made the bodies look alive.
Turns out, for her,
that required more time with the corpses
than we were comfortable with.
And there's your necrophilia.
The fire. That was her, wasn't it?
One night, we left her to lock up.
She lost track of time.
Her chemicals caused a reaction.
- She got out okay. - And everything went to hell after that.
And Leanne felt responsible.
She was inconsolable.
She couldn't forgive herself
for ruining everything.
She called us for months, but we had all moved on.
You had.
Leanne hadn't.
Hey.
DMV had a photo of Leanne Truitt.
Wasn't renewed, and she left
the old address a few months after the fire.
I'll put out a BOLO.
Check the employee records for the convention hotel.
I bet she got a job there.
To get close to her former team and access Dev's suite.
That's good.
Who you calling?
Speaking of relationships to preserve,
I owe someone an apology.
Edrisa, listen,
- I need to tell you I'm sorry. - You really don't.
But what I said at the hotel, I didn't mean to imply
that you don't help people. That's crazy.
You were right. I panicked.
It's the reason I became an M.E. instead of a clinician.
- I can't handle the stress. - Edrisa.
I have to go. Bye.
Edrisa sounded weird.
What is weird for her?
Well, she didn't want to talk to me just now.
Plus, her voice sounded shakier than normal.
She didn't want to talk to you?
Right? I'm gonna go check on her.
Call me with an update.
I'll admit, I was surprised to hear from you.
Well, you may have heard about that little pickle
I've gotten myself into, legally speaking.
A bit more than a pickle.
All day, everyone has been telling me
how bad it is. So bad, in fact, that I should hire
the bottom-feeding lawyer
my ex-husband used. I know.
And honestly, I almost did it, but then I remembered
I am not The Surgeon.
I am Jessica Whitly.
And what I need the most right now...
is someone I can trust.
Who also happens to be a kickass attorney.
A happy coincidence.
What happened with Malcolm...
He has...
a lot of demons.
Yes, he does.
More than just what you know.
He saw things
that his father did.
He went through a hell I didn't even know about.
I was gonna say,
deep down,
I know your son is a good man.
And that's because of you.
Oh. Oh, uh...
So, yes.
I'll help.
Now!
- Yeah? - I was right,
Edrisa's in trouble.
Leanne's here and she's armed.
She must be after Kevin's body.
W-Why would she want to steal his corpse?
It makes sense for a necrophiliac.
She was interrupted at his house before she could
enjoy her time with him.
Enjoy her... That's insane.
She couldn't have Tilda or Dev, so Kevin was her only...
Bright, stop profiling,
we'll be there any second.
- Just wait for backup. - Right.
Absolutely.
Go get Kevin now.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who are you?
Just a friend, here to talk.
Edrisa, are you okay?
I'm fine! Now just get out of here!
Seems like you're still mad at me.
- Please just go. - Shut up, both of you.
Now go get him.
I'm sorry, I'm not going to do that.
You're just gonna have to shoot me.
Let's just do what Leanne says, okay?
- It's just a body. - No.
He is not just a body.
She's right. I'm sorry,
these aren't just dead bodies, they're people
who share their final moments with me.
It's the ultimate privilege to be their last witness,
and I won't let anyone dishonor that.
You're dishonoring Kevin.
If you really cared,
y-you'd let him go.
No, no, no. I'm honoring him.
I'm getting us our lives back, so go get him.
No.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Uh, what if we all go together?
Bright.
Good. Good, yeah, yeah.
Come on, come on.
Tell me, honestly...
is this really how you want him?
You have no idea what I want.
I know how appealing it would be to live in the past.
You'd go back to before the fire, right?
A year ago?
You think that's when life got hard for me?
I was six...
when I found my mom dead in her bed.
I crawled...
right under the covers with her.
Nobody found us
for 12 hours.
Do you know
how cold skin can feel after 12 hours?
That's why you embalm people.
You give them back warmth.
A life where they can't leave you.
I get it.
I do.
Real relationships can be hard as hell,
life is full of risk,
and death is messy.
But we can't run away from it.
I can't run away from it.
We need to face it.
Maybe...
maybe we can both face it together.
What do you say, Leanne?
- What was that?! - What?
I'd almost talked her down.
You just said life was about taking risks.
W-W... Weren't you talking to me?
Of course. Yeah.
Police!
Put your hands behind your back.
You guys okay?
Yeah, yeah, uh, we're all good here. I handled it.
I see you.
Hey, uh...
- Yeah? - Thank you.
For what?
Everything you said today...
turns out...
I was listening.
Leanne brought it all out of me.
Death.
Letting go.
It was great.
Only you would find it therapeutic talking to a killer.
You're the one I like talking to.
And I promise
I'm gonna do better.
I'm going to kill your son.
- No, please... - But first,
you have to tell me something.
Why?
Why did you do this to me?
Oh...
Well, I mean...
I mean, that's up there with life's great questions,
isn't it?
What's at the center of a black hole?
Uh, why do birds suddenly appear?
Why did I put you in a box? Because...
I wanted to.
- Martin... - No. Listen, listen.
I'm not being flip, that's the truth.
Anything else is-is a guess.
No, it-it-it's this brain I was born with,
or because my mommy didn't love me enough,
or maybe she loved me too much,
or because daddy did horrible things to me.
Because, because, because.
What does it matter if the end result is... the same?
I just realized something.
Oh, this might be a nightmare.
But it's my nightmare.
And I'm not a regular person.
Am I?
No, you're not.
You're a predatory psychopath.
That's right,
I am.
And what does that mean?
That you're always in control.
Yes.
I am.
You know, I once told my son
monsters don't exist.
But that was a lie.
You know the truth,
don't you?
What are you going to do?
Hello, Dr. Whitly.
I'm going back to my family, of course.
They need me.
My boy.
*CREDITS*