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A Father's Secret (2016)
Do I smell Ralph Lauren?
I don't know. It's, uh... It's whatever you got me. Congratulations on the Weber case. Well, what's that you're always saying? Don't take no for an answer. Well, not always. Because you have nothing, Harold. Well, if this was the first time your client fell on her wrinkly old butt trying to hold up a big-box retailer for massive medical expenses, then yes, but it is the fourth, okay? Nobody's going to believe her. Nobody. Oh, you've got x-rays. Well, I've got experts to dispute the findings. That's right. My experts are bigger than yours, Harold. And the nondisclosure agreement. She doesn't get a penny until she signs that. Nor do you. Mr. Foxx wanted to know where things were with the Chesterfield case. Thought Charles was on that case. Charles isn't you. Okay, well, please tell Mr. Foxx that I can only win so many cases at once for him. Look, the fast track is right around the corner. I mean, I made partner, and I'm not half the lawyer you are. Yes, well, everybody knows that. Well, that's more like it, Harold. And the physical therapy, that caps out at $7,500, and no travel expenses. Yeah, well, a pleasure doing business with you, too. And that is how it's done. So am I gonna see you tonight? Yeah, if I ever get out of here. I mean, I could always come back later. I thought we agreed we weren't gonna do that in the office anymore. So did Jennifer tell you about the Chesterfield handoff? Mr. Foxx went to college with the guy. Chesterfield, I mean, the Chesterfield of Chesterfield Oil. That's like knowing Mr. BP or Mrs. Exxon. Don't tell me you're behind this. I already have enough on my plate, Steven. I can't take another case. It's a billion-dollar wrongful-death suit. Caswell says the Chesterfield case is rock solid, how the explosion was caused by the company that built and ran the rig. Open, shut, that's it. When is it ever that simple when there's this much money at stake? I don't know. Sometimes. And there's six dead bodies. Shouldn't you answer that? 10-1 says that's Caswell. Well, listen, I have an appointment with one of my attorneys. Would you mind? Thank you for coming in. Jack Chesterfield is a personal friend of mine. He's a very good man, and he has made an enormous commitment to my senatorial campaign, for which I am eternally grateful. The Chesterfield Oil case is my highest priority. Of course. If Charles isn't cutting it, why not just give it to Steven? Because I want you to look at it. Carrie. You think you could join Denise and me for dinner this weekend? Must I? I think she's starting to feel you don't like her. Does she? Now, that is unfortunate. Hey, Dad, Caswell wants to put me on the Chesterfield case. Whoa. Congratulations. That's arguably our biggest client. There's an awful lot of money at stake. Yeah, I know. That's what worries me. You want to make partner, this is how you do it. You live in Caswell's pocket and settle in nice and cozy in the luxurious 100% silk folds... Okay, I get it. It's not enough to just do my job and win my cases. The 29th of this month, that's the date that we officially kick off my Senate campaign. If Caswell becomes Senator, he can help control, what, emission standards, drilling locations, safety protocols, all the things that get in the way of Chesterfield's business. "If." If he wins. If he abandons his principles in exchange for a campaign contribution. That's not the Caswell Foxx I know. I'm going to need all hands on deck. You'll be there? I'll calendar it immediately, sir. I have faith that I can count on you in this or any other matter. Hey. Hey. Where you been? Work. Where else? And then traffic. Oh, okay. That explains it. No, I just... You know I hate it when I can't reach you. I just... I always imagine the worst. How 'bout I come over? Great. No, you know what? Um, actually I'll... I'll come to you. I'll be there in, like, 15 minutes, okay? Bye. Okay. She said 15 minutes. Right, buddy? Where is she? Huh? Hey. Hey. Everything okay? Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Hey, mind if I close the curtains? I mean, that view cost me a lot of money. Steven. I'm kidding. Can I get you a drink or something? No, I'm good. Something to eat? Just, uh... Buddy. Just... That works, too. These came anonymously? Yeah. I have no idea why. Well, they want to make you nervous about something, and pointedly they want you to know they have these. Yeah, but who benefits from making problems for Steven and I? Steven know about this? The photos? Of course not, okay? It was eight months ago. That's your explanation? I'm not proud of it, Dad, but we weren't engaged yet, and I had no idea how serious he was. It was one time. Maybe you're not the one they're after. You think they're trying to get to Steven? Why? Why does anybody want to get to anyone? We all have secrets, some worse than others. Do me a favor. Don't show these to anybody else, and don't tell anybody anything. I want to make some calls. You just told me to be quiet. That's right. You should. I, on the other hand, can make some discreet inquiries on your behalf. Carrie, you're welcome to stay with us if you're worried, if you think you're still being watched. No. No, I'll be fine, Dad. Thanks. Sorry about the photos. Seems like the only way I could get your attention. You look familiar. Scott Giorna. I write for the "SoCal Herald." You did the investigative piece on the city water scandal. Thank you. Yeah, I didn't say it was good. Thank you for knowing it. Did you read it? Some people call you a parasite. Some people call me a hero. Different strokes. Do heroes take illegal pictures of people without their permission? I didn't take those pictures. Really? Then who did? If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Try me. Caswell Foxx. You're right. I don't believe you. Well, he didn't take 'em. He hired someone to take them. And why would he do a thing like that? So he can have dirt on you, keep it on file in case he ever needed it. Like you. Those photos were his dirt on you, but I needed to talk to you, so when I came across them... Well, you could have called my office. Aw, come on, Carrie. You're engaged to Steven Riggs, right? I'll take that as a yes. He's a good catch, just made partner. You seem to know an awful lot about us. I've been researching Caswell Foxx for years, but now I need your help. And why would I do that, other than being blackmailed into it. I would never do that. I am done talking to you. You're a scumbag. I'm trying to help you. How well do you know Caswell Foxx? Very. He's a kind, generous man. He's always been very good to my family, probably gonna be the next senator of this great state. He's dirty. Please. I have evidence. I bet if you crawled up anybody's ass, you'd find dirt, including yours. I guarantee you you could, but can you please stop running? Thank you. Yes, everyone's done something bad, but not everyone's running for senator. And diddling around behind your boyfriend's back isn't very nice, but murder? Oh, Caswell's a murderer now? Has the Chesterfield Oil case come across your desk? I'll take that as a yes. Look, representing Chesterfield Oil is not a crime. It is when there's an offshore oil rig explosion and the company's lawyers are trying to hide evidence and claim workers' negligence. No one's gonna vote for anyone like that. You don't have all the facts. I have more facts than you, apparently. Look, I came to you because I thought you were all right. You were in labor law before you were in corporate law. You represented unions. What, do you want me to spy on my boss, betray his trust? On what evidence? Take a look at what's on this. It's the original field expert's report and the first interviews after the explosion. We're done now. Thank you. Should I start? Yeah, we're rolling. Okay. Um... well, we were up on deck, getting ready for our shift. We were hoping to finally finish the Buendia Well, because it was already five days behind schedule. That's why we were getting so much pressure from up top, because we were running late. Why was it running late? Oh, you know, bad weather, porous rock formations, rough water, the usual for the Gulf. And the... the safety protocols slow you down a bit. So we're running late, and everybody's bonuses are tied to on-time delivery, so when the call came from Chesterfield to disable some of the safety protocols, nobody saw the big deal, see? I see. Go on. So we got new instructions for the negative pressure test from Chesterfield. I didn't think they were clear, but Mr. Holland said he understood... I don't understand. What am I looking at? The first investigators on the scene after the explosion were from Chesterfield Oil. All right, they interviewed survivors, everybody, and then they wrote the report. Yeah, I know. Yeah, but that's not the report being distributed. Most of that material, interviews like this, they're being buried. Yeah, but it's not unusual to edit redundant material. Dad, you're not hearing me. Chesterfield Oil claims that the blowout and the subsequent explosions were the fault of worker negligence and faulty equipment supplied by PanOceana. But the truth is the workers were just following specific instructions given to them by Chesterfield Oil. The whole accident's their fault. And this guy, he says that those... those orders came straight from the top, Jack Chesterfield himself. Oh, that's impossible. If that were true, it'd be all over the news, and Cas wouldn't take the case. No, Caswell is trying to suppress this. I mean, this information was in none of our files. In fact, in all the material, there was never any mention of the original report's author or field expert. They just vanished. The official report in the case file is one published weeks later and commissioned by Caswell. Then where'd you get this material? Carrie? Scott Giorna. That bottom-feeder? Carrie, delete this garbage. That guy's been gunning for Cas for years. Yeah, but what about these interviews, Dad? They're not legitimate. It's some sort of scam. I don't know. Heh. Do you think for one moment that Caswell Foxx, who has one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, would suppress evidence? Heh. Come on. You've known him your whole life. And with everything he's done for our family. Scott Giorna has broken some really big stories, Dad. And look how he contacts you, with pornographic pictures taken of you at your worst. That slimeball would say or do anything for a story. I certainly wouldn't jeopardize my career over the likes of him. Hey... how 'bout some pie? Thought I would have heard from you by now. What, do you live in this park like some kind of troll? Heh heh. I've been called worse. What'd you think of the report? Had some eye-opening things. Unless of course it's all baloney. It isn't. How do I know that? I looked for Curtis Wheelwright and several of the other witnesses. They've all disappeared or never existed. Never existed? You saw them on video. Well, some people say the moon landing was fake. Come on, Carrie. With all the money at stake, you don't think people could be bought off, made to disappear, killed? So now it's a conspiracy? 9/11 was an inside job? You saw the video, and you read the report, but you still don't want to believe it for some reason. Are we done here? Because I'm trying to cool down. Doesn't it bother you that Caswell Foxx hands you his dirty work while he's out running a Senate campaign? If things come crashing down in the Chesterfield case, everyone gets hurt but him. Sounds like every case I've ever handled. Yeah, but did they involve screwing over the families of dead workers? Well, you'd screw over anybody if it meant getting a juicier story. If you want to screw up things with Steven and I, go ahead, but I doubt it's the most profitable use of your time. Well, I understand Chesterfield's position, but the official report actually says the crew was performing a series of steps to temporarily abandon the well. And that was PanOceana. Right. Right, but the drilling fluid column was removed when it was supposed to be... Did you call? I didn't hear it. No, just passing through. Do you have a minute? Well, I was just on my way to... It's all right. Come on in. Please, Damon. Please, come in. Are you feeling all right? Yeah, fine. It's about Carrie. You think maybe we're pushing her too hard? Ah, you should know better than that, Damon. She's brilliant. She's young. She's energetic. Yeah, but it's a lot of pressure, case upon case, and Chesterfield's a big one. It's big numbers, sure, but it's open-and-shut. PanOceana is at fault here. It's their crew, their rig. It's as simple as that. Damon, think about what this is going to do for Carrie's career, to be the lead attorney on Chesterfield Oil's successful defense. Ho ho. I thought you were the lead attorney. Well, I have to distance myself a little bit from this one, don't I? Sure. Naturally. Listen... she's going to get so much press. It will raise her profile nationally. It's good for her. It's good for the firm, yes? Ah, well, I better let you go. Thanks, Cas, for the insight and help with this. Anytime, Damon. Anytime, always. I've been researching Caswell Foxx for years, but now I need your help. Come on, Carrie. With all the money at stake, you don't think people could be bought off, made to disappear, killed? You saw the video, and you read the report, but you still don't want to believe it for some reason. I am done talking to you. Hey, this just came for you by messenger. Thanks. Close the door, please. Thanks. See? She's a great cook. I told you. Yeah, yeah. It was delicious. You could have eaten more just to be polite. Dad. I mean, look, I'm really glad you came. That's what I meant to say just now. That's what I thought. Worried about Scott Giorna, huh? Seems like his conscience finally caught up to him. Well, if it was suicide. The coroner's report was inconclusive. You read it? Yeah. I knew him. I shudder to think. You didn't tell Caswell about him, did you? Oh, you can't think... It's just a question. Question I find somewhat insulting. Well, I apologize. But did you? No. He's got way too much on his mind for me to bother him with something like this. What about your discreet inquiries on the photos? That yield any fruit? No. Scott seemed to think that Caswell was the one that had the photos... Carrie, Caswell Foxx has been nothing but good to you. He took you into his firm. You're partner, too. 'Cause he made me partner. Our family owes everything to that man. Oh, hold up. He is no saint. Oh, maybe not, but that doesn't magically make the slanderous accusations of a scruples-free muckraker suddenly true. Wow, you can still turn a phrase when you get your dander up. "Get your dander up." Your mother used to say that. Yeah? What else did she say? You don't remember? Mm, not much. She sure loved you. She used to squeeze you so tight, I thought you'd pop. Ooh. Oh. Can't be without that thing for five seconds, can you? It's Steven. Oh. You gonna take it? No. I'm hanging with my dad. Can I show you something? Sure. Do you know the woman in this photo with Caswell? I mean, I scoured the Net, and I can't find anything on her. It's so damn small. No, no idea. Caswell never brought her around? No, not around me. Can't we have a conversation without talking about Caswell? Sorry. Whew. Wow. God, you are so... Gonna marry me? Sure. Now? Suits me. Yeah, now. Well, aren't you scared that the sex will cool off after marriage? Well, I wasn't until you said that. Now forget it. The engagement's off. You hungry? No. I was thinking about going to get some doughnuts. What? In the middle of the night? Yeah. Apparently that's the best time to get 'em. They're fresh and moist and crunchy all at the same time. Jennifer at the office was telling me about them. Oh, Jennifer from the office. Sharing intimate doughnut secrets with Jennifer. Yes, if you must know, I was sharing intimate doughnut secrets. Well, I don't know how I feel about that. I mean, if Jennifer and doughnuts can come between us. Mm-mm. Nothing can come between us. Mm. No, I am hungry, though. Hey, you mentioned a while back about opening your own firm. Mm-hmm. You still thinking about that? Someday, yeah, but I'm pretty happy where I am right now. So you really like working for Cas that much? I mean, what's not to like? I'm partner. I'm looking at a fantastic bonus this year, great office. Oh, and there's Jennifer. No, I'm just saying, we stay there long enough, maybe the firm can become ours. Hmm. Lawyers. You have it all figured out. I mean, Cas doesn't have any kids, so why not leave it to us? Yes, well, do not let him see you with your shirt off. I mean, no child of his would have all of those tattoos. I'm sure Caswell had a youthful indiscretion or two. You ever think with all the people he knows, if there isn't something shady going on? No, not Cas. He's too controlling for that. And he couldn't take anyone having something on him, especially not with the senatorial run coming up. You know, he's probably been planning that for decades. Yeah. He could really win. Yeah. Senator Caswell Foxx. Doesn't sound too bad, huh? Hey, maybe he could officiate at our wedding. That'd be cool. Yes, and then we could honeymoon in Washington, D.C. You know, I can never tell if you're kidding or not. And you never will. Be right back. Okay, come on. Get this. Well, it's Chesterfield's position that they hold absolutely no responsibility for the accident, and the evidence clearly shows that, you know, it's faulty equipment as well as unauthorized modifications made to that equipment by the crew themselves which ultimately led to the accident. Chesterfield Oil cannot accept any responsibility, because it will only open them up to further civil suits, as well as criminal liability. Yes, well, if you think I can help... I have faith that I can count on you in this or any other matter. Hey, some of us are gonna go get drinks later. I will take that as a no. Do you need any help with any of this? You seem really overwhelmed, and I know that there's that case management meeting coming up. No, no, no. I'm good. I am just crossing my Ts and dotting my Is. Thanks. Okay. Cool. Hi. Shonda Wheelwright? Yes, I'm calling from Los Angeles. I was wondering if you happen to know a Curtis Wheelwright. Not a cousin or a broth... Yes. I understand. Thank you. Hello. Is this Brady Wheelwright? Yes, I'm calling from Los Angeles, and I was wondering if you happen to know a Curtis Wheelwright. You do? Oh, great. Yes, 30, worked on oil rigs his whole life. Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. Yes. Thank you. Damn it. Carrie? You in there? Sorry. Give me a minute. The door's locked. I'm coming. Hey. What's up? You, apparently. What the hell? I was just working. I had a thought I wanted to get down. Yeah, you work too much, babe. Look who's talking. Come on. Bed. Okay, okay. Coming. Mr. Richmond? Isaac Richmond? Hello? Hey! What are you doing here?! You better get out of here! I got a gun! Calm down, Dad. I'm more upset about losing my iPad than anything. I had everything on it. Oh, Christ. You didn't go back for it, did you? I had to. Carrie! It wasn't there. Luckily I was able to brick it through an app on my phone. This is crazy, some kind of secret, one-woman investigation into Caswell Foxx. Dad, I'm not doing anything wrong. Yeah? And what's gonna happen when... not if... when Cas finds out you've been investigating him? Dad, I got another call Huh? Telcoming in. Hello. Hello. Who is this? You dodot know? You called me. Why were you in contact with Scott Giorna? He contacted me. Why? He wanted to talk. Who is this? This is Scott's brother. Okay. I got your contact information out of his notes. Apparently you met with him a few times before he died. Yeah. Stalking's more accurate. Look, do you think we can meet somewhere and just talk? Look, how do I know you are who you say you are? My name is Greg Giorna. I'm the one who sent you the clippings. I need to find out what happened to my brother. I'm looking for answers. I'm not sure I have any. Well, you have to know more than I do, 'cause I don't know anything, except my brother would never kill himself. I'm gonna text you my contact information. If you decide you're willing to talk, then please, please contact me. I'm sorry. What kind of video? It's a video to play at Mr. Foxx's senatorial announcement on the 29th, you know, something to personalize him, separate the man from the reputation, humanize him, if you will. Well, Caswell Foxx is a dear friend. He's about as human as you can get for a lawyer. Exactly. That's the kind of thing I want you to say. But you want me to say this on camera. Yes, and I will send a professional crew to shoot you. Okay. Okay, I'm in. And I don't think you'll have any trouble finding all kinds of people to say good things about Cas. Can you think of anybody else I should talk to that knows him from back in the day? Maybe before he even worked for his father? Oh, sure, any of the old gang. Uh, Binky Lewis, Johnny Goodacre, anyone from the crowd over there at Brewster & Stone's. I'm sorry. What's that? Oh, it's this little hole-in-the-wall bar that Ian Stone owns. We used to blow off a lot of steam back in our, uh, younger, less responsible day. Do you think it's still there? Oh, I know it is, and old man Stone is still running the place. Great. Heh. Cas and Joe. Oh, yeah. Dropped a lot of money here. Especially when they were moving through law school. Luckily they had rich daddies. Heh. So they were always together? Most of the time, unless they were out on dates. They didn't double-date? No, they were too similar for something like that. How do you mean? You ever been around the both of them at the same time? No. Why? Not fun? Well, I'm sure they're probably different now, but back then, you know, you're young. You feel you got something to prove. They were always trying to one-up the other guy. Uh, like what kind of things? Well, everything, girls, grades, money, whose family had more. Used to get a kick out of their B.S. Here I am robbing Peter to pay Paul just to keep this place open. They're arguing about frigging cuff links or, uh, what presents they're buying some girl. There was one girl. Well, I don't remember her name. She just about broke those two up. She dated both of them? Yeah. I... I think she was with Joe first, and then Cas took her away or, uh, something. Maybe the opposite. Jeez, I don't know. I just sell 'em drinks. Heh. Did it ever get really bad between the two of them? For a little bit. They started coming in separately, especially when Cas was with the broad. It was a shame, really. They may have been a couple of drunken pains in the ass, but they were fun. There was one night, though, when Cas really laid into her. "You don't talk to me like that," he said. "I'll kill you." He went all crazy over her. I, uh... I should stop rambling. I talk more now than I did back then. I... I guess it's something that happens when you get old. It's okay. We'll probably steer clear of the salacious stuff in the video, but, you know, sometimes talking about it triggers a memory or something. I remember the last time I ever saw her. She was right over there. It was the one time she arrived early, came in alone waiting for 'em, looking so pretty, but shaking like a leaf. Then Cas shows up. And from the jump, they're arguing again. She starts crying. He takes her outside. It's the last time I ever saw her in here. Not even with Joe? With anybody. So she just disappeared. If you'll excuse me, I'm done talking. I... I got a thing happening here later. Steven? Hey. Steven, you're not funny. Wait till you see who's coming round. Yeah? Don't. Hey. Hmm? You've been working here a while, I'm guessing. Ho ho. What gave it away? Stool-shaped imprint on my ass? Heh. No, you just... you know, you look like you're part of the place. Ho! So I look like furniture, huh? Ouch. Well, I would not want to get on your bad side. Heh. I'd never hit a lady. Big-mouthed broad, sure, but never a lady. Can I show you something? Sure. Ah, Caswell Foxx. You know him? I did then. He doesn't come in here much anymore. Well, I don't know if Mr. Stone told you, but I work for Mr. Foxx, and I'm shooting a video on his life. He's announcing his senatorial run. Well, Ian liked him, liked his friend Joe, too. Me, I just thought they were rich kids slumming. What about the woman here in the photo? Do you know her? She was around for a while. I never knew her name. Yeah, she dated Joe and then Caswell. Heh. You gonna put that in your video? No. Why are you here? Like I said, I'm shooting a video for Caswell. Your boss. Yes. Well, personally I don't like him. I don't care for him. You probably don't want me in your movie. That's fine. I mean, do you know what happened to the woman? I mean, maybe I can talk to her. No. The last time I saw 'em together, they were fighting like cats and dogs. Put her in his car and drove away. I would have intervened, but Ian told me never to get involved with Cas or Joe. Why did they get special treatment? Ian liked 'em, that's why. Look, I am busy, huh? We're done. Thank you. Mm-hmm. Can you give me the name of the woman in the photo that I sent you? No, I can't say that I know her. I'm sorry. Are you sure? Yes, I'm positive. Ian Stone seems to think you do. So did Fred. Ms. Evans, what exactly is this all about? The video for Caswell. And what does the picture of this woman have to do with that? Well, nothing yet, but I think that I'm gonna... Ms. Evans, I'm an extremely busy man. I'll be in touch. Well, can't you hold him off? Look, I'm not ready for the case management meeting. Well... Well, I recently found some new evidence. Carrie Evans. Jennifer, I'm gonna have to call you back. Nice to meet you, Greg. For what it's worth, I'm really sorry about your brother. Thanks. So how'd you come to me? Like I said, I was going through Scott's notes. Your name came up a fair amount. Are there any pictures? No. I mean, none that I saw. Look, it was like this. Scott called me his escape hatch. He had this file cabinet in my garage with these thick dossiers of all the local big shots, you know, the guys he would go after in his stories. Backup copies of his notes? Yeah. He figured that if he ever got into a sticky situation, the important information he left with me could help him out. Were you supposed to finish his work if something happened? Maybe. I don't... Yeah, I think so. Seems like a lot to ask someone. Yeah, well, my brother didn't really ask me for a lot of favors. Look, I know I'm not a reporter or anything, but I owe it to my brother to find out if someone had him murdered. You think he was murdered? What, you don't think so? Who would want to kill your brother? I see. Okay. I'm gonna go. I'm sorry to waste your time, Ms. Evans. No, wait. I'm sorry. Force of habit. I'm used to asking questions first. How can I help you? Your boss, Caswell Foxx, how well do you know him? I'm learning more about him every day. Because of the information Scott gave you, right? Yeah. Piqued my interest. You know you can get in a lot of trouble for this. Not if he doesn't have anything to hide. And you would care why? Because I wouldn't work for somebody I don't believe in. Good. So you have ethics. Yeah. I mean, used to, at least. Look, tell you the truth, I didn't even know what Scott was really after. His file on Caswell ranges over 30 years. He was like his white whale, you know? In it, there's shady deals with large corporations and high-powered friends that he made when he took over his dad's firm. There's even something crazy from when he was a kid, a fight that he got in with some girl outside a bar the night she disappeared. What, you like that one? Maybe. What do you know? Well, originally he was charged with assault. There's a witness that said he hit her. But then it all magically went away, thanks to his father. Look, I know Scott wasn't, like, the greatest person, but he was my brother. What do you want from me? Keep investigating Caswell Foxx. And? Tell me what you come up with. Okay. But I want you to do something for me. Find out what you can about the woman in the picture. I will. We really need to get you a bigger office. Maybe that'll keep you in the building, huh? Sorry. My hours have been a little erratic lately. Multiple cases. The firm still reimburses for gas, right? Oh, how about a more fuel-efficient car? You know, something for all those family road-trips, you, Steven... and the kids. Well, that is a few years off. I still have to make partner, right? Oh, Carrie, it's never good... Trust me. It's never good to be so anxious for a goal that you let life pass you by. Well, I'll keep that in mind, sir. I wish you would. You know, I've been thinking. I'm becoming more of a public figure, and while I accept the fact that... that virtually all aspects of my life are going to be under scrutiny, nevertheless, there are still some things I wish I could keep private. Of course. I've always conducted myself... tried to conduct myself with the utmost integrity. Naturally. Take a little advice from someone who's been around a while. There are always many pitfalls on the way to reaching one's goals, but it's how we meet those challenges, it's how we maneuver around those pitfalls that allows us to achieve those goals. And it's what shapes us as a person. Thank you for the advice, Caswell. You should personalize this space more. You know, a woman's office should say something about her. Got a minute? Sure. What's on your mind? Carrie. Are you having Carrie followed? No, of course not. But she's already spoken to Joe Horton, as well as Ian and Fred. She even tried Isaac Richmond, but he didn't respond. I see. She's telling them that she's making a video about me for the announcement event. Maybe she is. Maybe she isn't. You don't know? We don't discuss everything, Cas. Some weeks, I barely see her, and she's right across the hall. Heh heh. Hmm. Look, now is not the time for her curiosity. I understand. I'll talk to her. What are you gonna say? I don't know. I'll find out what she's thinking, and then I'll straighten her out, or I'll try to. The last thing I want is for Carrie to become a liability. She has to find her own way. Well, sure, but I want to keep her here at the firm. We both want that, right? Of course. Then please, Damon, keep her in line. Better you do it than I. Are you sure you want all this, Cass? What do you mean? The election, all these cases you keep taking on for your friends, is it all worth it? Are you suggesting I retire? You're still here, aren't you? I know. Maybe it's time for both of us to get out of this racket. I mean, how long can we really do this? Am I gonna die midmotion? Maybe it's time for the young guns to take over. Now that's a thought. Listen, Damon, thank you for your friendship, your understanding, and your discretion. You're one of the few people in the world I can truly trust. Hell, if you can't trust me, Lord help you. Should I have brought my docket home? Sorry, babe. You know it gets like this when the case moves forward. Yeah, but I don't know that it's ever been this bad. I mean, bringing files home? Mind if I watch some TV? Is the one in the bedroom broken? No, I just thought it might be nice to sit next to my fiance. Yes, well, it would be if it wasn't for all of... I don't like having to share our time with work. Babe, it's only gonna get worse when we both make ptner. Maybe we should set some ground rules. Like what? Like we come first, and work comes later. Sorry. Hello. Hey, Carrie, you got a minute? Yeah. I got something I think you might want to hear. Sorry, babe. Yep? What's up? I found a recording of an interview that Scott did with a woman named Deena Babb. She was friends with Caswell's gang back in the day, and she knew the woman. And? Well, listen. Sure, I remember. It was awful. How could you forget? What happened exactly? She was just another pretty face to those bastards, a one-night stand, but Cas really fell for her. That's why he and Joe fought over her. When she got pregnant, ooh, he got messy. Why is that? Because she was a poor girl from the bad side of town. Didn't go to private schools, and she'd been around, you know. Foxxes were never gonna let a girl like that join the family. And a little bastard, no way. So Cas gave her money. She wanted more. She wanted a real life for her kid. She wanted him to be a Foxx, you know? So they made her disappear. What do you mean by that? Cas thought he'd negotiated the perfect compromise, always the lawyer, even then. Foxxes would pay for everything, and then she'd give up the baby when it came, but she changed her mind, couldn't go through with it, and that's what she was gonna tell Cass that night at the Brewster & Stone, the last time anybody ever saw her. Are you saying that they had her killed? I'm saying I never saw her face again, and I never heard about the baby, but that's all I gotta say. What's the woman's name? She didn't say. Probably scared of Caswell. Yeah, well, I don't blame her. Hey, do you think that she... You know, I'm gonna have to call you tomorrow. Okay. Babe, I am so sorry... Crap. Hey. Um... Did you help them do this? Caswell wanted to lighten your load. That's total bullshit. You've been practically M.I.A. for two weeks. Stay the hell out of my office! He knows you've been talking to people. Oh, no, the Mayor will be there. Yeah, standing right by my side, grinning like a god-darn first lady, because if he's not... Where are my cases? Let me call you right back. Watch your tone with me, young lady. Is that how this works? This is how I get pushed out? Pushed out? What are you talking about? Don't give me that, Caswell, okay? Who did you give my cases to? Listen, first of all, calm down. One minute, you're complaining you have too much work... Just stop! I would seriously think about how you're behaving, because nothing in life is guaranteed, even if Damon is your... Don't give me that crap, okay? I have done good work for this firm. All my cases back, especially Chesterfield Oil. How could he reassign me like that? I mean, he would never do that to you or any of the men at the office. I mean, it is such a boys club in there. It'd be one thing if a client complained, right? But it was just personal. Steven, are you listening? Yeah. "Yeah"? That's all you have to say is, "Yeah"? What do you want me to say, Carrie? The firm is a business, which Caswell owns. I-If you can't... You're with Cas, aren't you? We're all with Cas. His name's on the door. I can't even trust you. Don't be ridiculous. Why? Because I got the Chesterfield case? Somebody had to work on it. You missed the case management hearing, for God's sake. They've been talking to you. You knew I was looking into Caswell. What'd they do? Did they threaten you? Please, Carrie. You know he has a kid that nobody knows about? I didn't think so. And a relationship he wants nobody to know anything about. The mother, she just disappeared. Where are you getting this from? Scott Giorna. He was researching Caswell for years, and now with his Senate race and Chesterfield Oil, he was gonna expose all of his dirty secrets. Okay, so Caswell had a kid with a woman, and they separated. That's hardly a capital offense. No, that is not what I just said. Okay. I'm sorry. Whatever. What about Chesterfield? Right? All the evidence pointing to their culpability that was just buried. Look, I've seen some of it. Carrie, do you hear yourself? "I've seen the buried evidence." You sound like a crazy person. It's a simple case for an old friend. You said it yourself. No, that is what Caswell wants you to believe, babe. What about my iPad? Just showed back up in my apartment? Yeah, I don't know. I... Aren't you happy you have it back? No, babe, Caswell Foxx is dirty. Caswell Foxx gave us both legal careers. Oh, my God. Don't give me that crap. Honestly, I think you've gone off the deep end listening to any crackpot with some ax to grind. You're just as bad as the rest of 'em. Like the rest of who, Carrie? You realize this is the first time we've talked about anything since all this crap with Caswell started? Ever since he put you on the Chesterfield case, it's like you've done nothing but try to make problems for him. You've lost sight of what really matters. Like what? My career? My career is more important than the truth? More important than us? What about all the ground rules you wanted to lay? We never got to those. You were on the phone, remember? Look, listen, Carrie, okay, I love you. We're part of something bigger than most people will ever touch. When Caswell Foxx becomes Senator... Yeah, I know. I'm leaving. What? That's crazy. You can't... You're not just gonna leave. You know what? Regardless of anything I do, Caswell Foxx is probably gonna be Senator. Yeah, I certainly hope so. Yeah, well, I... I hope you can live with the consequences. Watch after your food, Steven. It's gonna burn. Carrie. Are you sure it was the same man you saw with Cas? I am. We've gotta go to the police, Dad. And what are we gonna tell them? You're a lawyer, Carrie. How's that gonna look? I don't know. But everything Scott said about Caswell has been true, okay? I don't know what he's capable of. Carrie... I really wish you'd left all this alone. Why? Look at what's happening. I'm supposed to just ignore it? Caswell came after me, Dad. He had that goon in my apartment. I'll speak with him tomorrow morning. I'm sure there's some way we can work this out. How? People like Caswell don't work things out, Dad. They just make you disappear. Carrie! I wonder if that's why Steven invited me to his apartment tonight. To get you out of your apartment? Please. Why are you sticking up for him all the sudden? Because you're talking crazy. That's exactly what Steven said. Dad, don't tell me you're in on this. Are you listening to yourself? Sorry. Just everything's turned upside down. You know, I-I've always looked up to Caswell, and I have no idea what's going on now. He's the same man he always was. That's right. He's always been this way. I mean, not only is he up to his neck in Chesterfield and not only he's probably responsible for Scott's death, but he's always been involved in scandal, way before he was even a lawyer. He got a woman pregnant. She and the baby, they just disappeared one day. What's up with that, the fact that nobody wants to talk about it? Well, you're right about one thing. Nobody wants to discuss this. What's what supposed to mean? Look, I'm really tired. I'll speak with Cas tomorrow. You sleep in the guest room, okay? Busy? Always, but I'm, uh, never too busy for you. I just wanted to make sure you're up to speed on Chesterfield. I know it's an awful lot to dump in your lap. No, I've... I've reviewed it all. And? And it's questionable, Cas. Really? I just... I don't think it's the open-and-shut case you seem to think it is. She's gotten to you, hasn't she? She? No, Carrie hasn't gotten to me. No one's gotten to me. My personal life has no bearing on the work I do here for you and the other partners. Of course. I just need to know that will do what needs to be done to protect our client's interest. That's all. I always do. Good. Listen, I just forwarded you an email. Take a look at it when you have a moment, okay? Hey. Son of a bitch. Hello. Who is this? Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is Carrie Evans. What is it? What? Oh, my God. Is he okay? Oh, God. Paging Dr. Bedford. Paging Dr. Bedford. Carrie? Dad. What happened? Do I need to call Denise? No. Wait. What happened? I... I don't know. It was all so fuzzy. I was, uh... I was heading out to lunch with a client, and I must have slipped and fallen down the stairs. Dad, did someone push you? Blue Team to I.C.U., please. Blue Team to I.C.U. No. I don't think so. No, or you don't think so? Carrie, listen. There's something you need to know... about Caswell, your mother, and me. And, please, always remember... I love you. I know you do. I'm... I'm not your father, Carrie. I mean I'm not your birth father. You're my daughter, but you're not mine. I don't understand. That woman in the photo, her name is Jacqueline Fleuriot. She's your mother, and Cas... Caswell is your father. His family didn't want him to associate with someone of lower social status, so after you were born, they paid her to go away. They were gonna take you in and raise you by... I always hoped I'd never have to tell you any of this, but Jackie still wanted to see you. The Foxxes forbade it, so s-she went away. And then they changed their mind. They wanted to have nothing to do with you or your mother if she suddenly came back. Caswell, he couldn't let go, so he asked me would I take you in, and... he knew that Carol, your mom, my first wife, couldn't have kids of her own. You were so young and perfect. So we took you in, and it was the happiest day of my life. I... I couldn't be prouder if... if... It's okay, Dad. I was always afraid that if I told you, you'd... you'd... No, don't. It's okay. Look at me. You're my dad. Heh. Okay? Nobody else. It's okay. So my birth mom, is she alive? Oh, I don't know. I've looked for her over the years, but I've never been able to find anything. It's okay, Dad. Just get your rest, okay? It's okay. Just remember, I love you. I don't care about any of that, okay? Okay? You're my dad. Okay. And I'm gonna find her for all of us. So you're Caswell Foxx's daughter. Yeah. I guess that explains why I can be such an ass sometimes. Just want to go to his senatorial announcement and scream at the top of my lungs. Why don't you? Heh. So your real mother, is she still... I can't find anything on her. And the one person who probably knows isn't talking. Yeah, but there's gotta be a way to make him talk. What about Deena Babb? Maybe, if she's still alive, but she wouldn't talk to Scott, remember? Maybe she'll talk to Jacqueline's daughter. Maybe she will. Let's go. Well, it's a little late for that, Carrie, don't you think? Tomorrow, then. I'll pick you up. You have the address, right? Yeah. You know, I really think she'll talk to me. You have a very nice smile. Thank you. I'll be right back. I'll be right here. Greg. Greg. Greg. Greg. Greg. Greg. Greg. Oh, God. Oh, God. What's the emergency? Yes, my friend's been killed. What's your name, ma'am, and where are you located? Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You know, from the first time that my father brought me to his offices, I've always loved the law. Then why did you ignore it? And for the first time, I saw Lady Justice with her blindfold and scales. I... I knew the law was my calling. What do you know about justice? But over the course of a legal career that has lasted many, many, many years... over the course of that career, I slowly began to realize that there was an even better way to serve the good people of our fine state. Rather than tackling injustice one case at a time, I would attack the roots of the problems as your next United States Senator. I pledge that I will fight for you by fighting for our economy. I pledge that I will never support any legislation that raises taxes. And I pledge that I will make our great state a friend to business once again. The type of friend that helps you get away with murder?! Oh, it appears, ladies and gentlemen, I have my first heckler. Just like you're helping Chesterfield Oil get away with murder? Or like your friends helped you get away with the disappearance of my mother? Where is she, Caswell? Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy your drinks. Tonight is for celebrating. Thank you for coming, and thank you for your support now and in the future. Thank you. Thank you. Ah, maybe... please come up. Come up. You wanted to talk, let's talk. I know everything, okay, every dirty, little secret. You know, security is all over this building, just in case you were considering something crazy. Oh, really? Well, I'm not like you, Caswell, okay? I'm not violent. I know you killed Greg. I know you killed his brother. Oh, you really are losing it, Carrie. The only one here that has anything to lose is you, sir. You are so wrong about that. Where's my mother? Where is she, Dad? I have no idea where that woman is. Is she alive? You know, I hate to ask, but with you... Carrie, your mother, like you, was given many options. That she chose to squander them, it isn't my fault. Yeah, I know. Your family must have paid a lot of money to make her go away. Our family. You're part of me. I am no part of you. Carrie, when are you going to stop being so naive? Look at where you are, where we are. Jacqueline could never have been a part of this, never. I tried. I tried to give her everything, and she turned away. What about my father? He was your friend, Caswell. You tried to have him murdered. Carrie, you don't understand anything. Do you know what I have done for Damon? Oh, he busted his ass for you. He took me in. He was a good friend to you. I gave him a career. He's an average lawyer at best. You know that. Do you think anybody else would have set him up, set you up like I have? I... Don't you see? I did it for you. You disgust me. Once everybody knows who you really are, you're finished. All you had to do was file some motions. The Chesterfield case would have settled. None of this would have ever happened. No, those people on that rig would still be dead. Chesterfield was responsible. You knew it, and you didn't care. Right? All you cared about was helping a friend out and becoming Senator. You buried that evidence. Oh, so what?! They were all paid off handsomely! They're all set for life! Do you really believe that voters are going to remember an accident on some oil rig where a couple of measly workers died?! It's ancient history! You're just like your mother! You can't let things go! No, I can't, so I guess it's your word... against your word. We'll see what the people think, Senator. Oh. No. Carrie. No. No! Give it to me. Give me that phone. No. Carrie, no. Listen to me. Aah! Carrie. Carrie. Listen to me. Ohh! No, Carrie! Ahh! No, please, please. Please, please, don't hurt me anymore. Please. Security, get in here! She attacked me. Hands up. I didn't attack him. No! I didn't attack... Ow! Aah! I didn't attack him! No! No, you don't understand. He's a murderer! He killed my mom! He killed Scott and Greg! You don't understand! I... I guess when you fight for the good and the decent people, you're bound to make some enemies. But they won't intimidate me. Thank you again for coming. Thank you. Do you understand where you are and why you're here? Do you think I'm a crazy person? Is that why you're treating me like this? You attacked Caswell Foxx. He says you've been stalking him. Hardly. I am an employee at his firm. Heh. People stalk coworkers all the time. He says that human resources was in the process of letting you go. He wanted to handle the situation delicately due to the relationship with your family. Yes, well, that is news to me. Ms. Evans, why were you at Mr. Foxx's event tonight? To confront him. So the attack was premeditated. No. Confronting and attacking are two different things, Detective. I was confronting him because he had a colleague of mine killed, as in murdered. Did you check out the parking lot like I told you to? Yes, and we found a body. We also found surveillance footage of you leaving the scene of the crime at time of death, as well as your fingerprints on the murder weapon. Gotta be kidding me. Did you even look at the other evidence that I gave you? Ms. Evans, there seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding here. Now, you seem like a very smart woman, so I'm gonna help you out here. You can't win. If you're going up against Caswell Foxx, you're going up against a lot more than just Caswell Foxx. He's the most connected bastard I've ever seen. And these claims that you've made... he engineered a coverup of the Chesterfield Oil case, he made your mother disappear, and he attacked you, you, an uninvited guest as his event... how are you gonna prove this with no evidence? There's plenty of evidence. As soon as I make bond, I'm gonna make it public. You're not gonna be out on bond. It's my first offense and on questionable charges. I'll be out of here in 24 hours. Ms. Evans, are you aware that you are the last person seen with both Scott and Greg Giorna before both men were found dead? Okay, this is total crap. Don't you see what he's doing here? He's trying to make me go away, just like he did my mother. He's just manipulating... Thank you, Ms. Evans. You can consider your options in a holding cell. Hey, buddy. You okay? Never better. You mind if I, uh... Please. What's up? Well, I just tried to visit Carrie. She wouldn't let me see her. You blame her? I mean, she's hardly blameless herself. None of us is perfect, Steven. Heh. The question never is, "Can I find the perfect one?" The question is, "Can I find someone willing to forgive?" 'Cause we all screw up. Did you know what she did, though? She cheated. I know what happened, yeah. And I'm just supposed to forgive her? That is the question, isn't it? "Can I forgive her?" Look at why it happened and when. Maybe she had some doubts about your relationship and needed to see if someone else wasn't the one. And that makes it okay? I don't know. Look into your own heart. Maybe you betrayed her in some way. Or maybe not, but you had other women before Carrie, and she had other boyfriends. Does that make you want her any less? Does one slipup change who she is? Or does it help you understand her better? It's... It's a long and bumpy road, Steven. You need to focus on what's important. Hello, Carrie. Caswell. What do I call you? Dad? Murderer? Well, clearly not Dad, because I have certainly failed you as a father. That's why I'm here. As poorly as I've handled things recently, I... I have tried to help you every step of the way, and I want to help you now. Because you need my help. Because I'm your father, and I care deeply about your welfare. You know, they let us watch TV in here, Caswell. I know what the whole controversy's done for your poll numbers. Carrie, listen to me. The prosecutor's an old friend of mine. I'm confident I can get him to drop the charges down from felony aggravated assault to domestic violence because we're related. No disbarment. No prison time. With you on the loose, I'm safer behind bars. Carrie, listen to me. With an assault conviction, do you really think you can skate two murder charges? Wow. To clear my name, you announce publicly that you invented all of these allegations. Call it a temporary breakdown, mental breakdown due to... I don't know. Pressure? Personal issues. I don't care. Write your own explanation. You endorse me wholeheartedly, and you play the loving daughter throughout the campaign. You do that... and I will drop the charges, and I will see to it that the murder investigation into the Giorna brothers' murders doesn't touch you. Betray me, veer one inch off the path, and you're ruined, broken, disbarred, abandoned by all. So you're going on two, okay? Okay, great. Thank you. Okay, we're going live in just a few seconds. You both ready? Mm-hmm. Yes. And 3, 2... Thanks, John. Joining us live are senatorial candidate Caswell Foxx and Carrie Evans, a woman who turns out to be Caswell's daughter from a youthful adventure. More on that later, but first, Ms. Evans, you made quite a splash a few days ago, causing a ruckus at Caswell's campaign announcement, leveling all sorts of charges. What was that all about? Well, those charges really arose from a personal dispute between Cas and myself. So you're saying they weren't true, that you were simply lashing out, as Mr. Foxx has stated? Well, I would love to explain the dispute. You still have the graphics that I provided? Yes. Dennis, can we see the pictures, please? These photos were sent to me by award-winning journalist Scott Giorna shortly before he and his brother were murdered. He found them on Caswell's computer, which he had hacked looking for evidence of Caswell's involvement in the Chesterfield Oil coverup... Now that's nonsense. This... There was no coverup. evidence he found in abundance. Listen, I really... What I think I would... Please, stay seated, Mr. Foxx. Curtis Wheelwright and a number of other employees gave sworn testimony stating that Jack Chesterfield personally ordered the procedural changes which led to the explosion and the six dead bodies. Caswell, along with Chesterfield and others, tried to hide the evidence. This... This is complete hearsay. It's slander, really. Including the disappearance of several witnesses. I... And if you allow... You'll get a chance to respond. But if you... I believe we have some video from one of those interviews. Yes. So we're running late, and everybody's bonuses are tied to on-time delivery, so when the call came from Chesterfield to disable some of the safety protocols, nobody saw the big deal, see? So we got, uh, new instructions for the negative pressure test from Chesterfield... You're finished. You are done. Maybe, but I wasn't running for Senate. ...and I'm just the assistant, so... Wow. That was pretty damning, Mr. Foxx. What do you have to say for yourself? Well... Get this... When you're right, you're right. These tablets are great, especially for reading the paper. You know, Dad, I think this office is gonna suit you just fine, nice, neat, not cluttered, Oh, and you can take my old office. No, thanks. Caswell was right about one thing. I'm done. Carrie, can we... can we talk? Oh, I'll give you two some privacy. No, Dad. You stay. Thank you, Mr. Evans. Steven, look, I am so sorry that all this kind of-f- No, look, I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have told you about the photos and that I was gonna play them on TV. I had already seen them. Caswell showed them to me. Well, for what it's worth, it meant nothing. Okay? He was nobody. It was eight months before we were engaged, and I'm not trying to make excuses. I'm just saying I'm sorry. Don't be, okay? I've made my share of mistakes. I'm actually glad I saw those photos. You're glad? Yeah, they helped me realize how desperate Caswell was to turn me against you. He showed his true colors in that moment, but more importantly, look, those photos made me realize that no matter what, okay, I can't imagine my life without you. I love you. Come on. There's someone I think you should meet. Okay. Mom? Carrie. I'm sorry I waited so long to see you. It's okay. I'm just glad you're here. There's so much I always wanted to say to you, so much time I just... Ohh. Ohh. Oh, my dear. Ohh. How are you? I'm better now. It's okay. Yeah. I have a thousand questions I want to ask you. |
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