<- credit goes to the original subber ->
Here's what we know.
Gina DeSavio was working her usual shift
in the Harrington Country Club dining room on Friday, November 6th, 1998.
She was a smart girl. Not afraid of hard work.
She had two jobs ever since graduating high school,
saving for college.
She made good tips at the Country Club on the weekend.
I spoke to the bartender and the club manager from that night.
They estimated she must have cleared $150 which she picked up before she left.
Another waitress, Courtney Jeffers,
said the next day that Gina might have been upset.
She hadn't really paid attention.
Gina got in her car, a 1993 blue Neon,
and the security guard said she raced out of the parking lot without waving,
which was unusual.
It was the last time Gina was ever seen alive.
Gina's car was found smashed into a boulder off Route 17
near the edge of the national forest.
There was blood found on the windshield inside
and it matched Gina's blood type.
The next morning when she didn't turn up at home,
her mother called the police and the search began.
That search turned into a recovery.
But there was no recovery.
There was no body found, there were no answers.
What happened to Gina DeSavio that night?
How did she die?
Why?
I'm Alex McPherson and this is season 2 of "Recovered".
If you're listening to this, you probably heard the first season,
The Search for Amy Montoya.
When my mother was sick, I was at the hospital nonstop.
That's where I met Mrs. Montoya.
And after my mother passed on, I had time.
I'm not a detective, but before I quit to take care of my mom, I'd been a business consultant.
I'd take companies that were on the rocks, and figure out how to make them float again.
I am good at organizing chaos. I learned as I went along.
Listeners gave us some good tips and we got lucky, Amy survived and came home.
Now I want answers for Gina.
So, here's the deal.
I spent summers in Harrington, Pennsylvania, growing up.
I knew Gina DeSavio when we were kids.
Right up through middle school we were good friends.
I haven't been back in... too long.
But there's no way to get justice for Gina
without diving in again.
Hi. It's Eileen Bruce calling from The Chronicle.
Thank you.
- Hey, uh... Chuck. - Yes, Chief?
Yeah, these stats on imminent domain and accounting... how'd you get them out of the hall of records?
My wife's cousin Wanda made us a copy,
- Which we will all deny. - Okay.
- Thanks. - Yeah. You bet.
Hi.
Welcome to The Chronicle. Are you here to place an ad?
No, I'm here for some research on a podcast I'm working on.
I'm Alex McPherson.
Oh, Chuck Matthews, senior press manager and general assistant.
- Sorry, it's not on. - That's embarrassing.
No... no worries.
Um... it's nice to meet you, Chuck. Press manager?
Yeah, I keep the printing press running and I assist with anything else they need around here. It's kind of cool.
Well they say assistants run the world.
So, how about it? Would you mind if I use the archives?
Sure. Wait... not my call.
- Uh, hey Chief? - I'm not Chief.
He's the Editor in Chief but I call him Chief. He loves it, it's kind of our thing.
What is it?
Miss McPherson here would like to take a look at our archives for her podcast?
- Hi, Miss McPherson? - Call me Alex.
Hi, uh, Drew Godfried. So, what's this podcast?
A cold case, Gina DeSavio.
A local woman who went missing 20 years ago from here.
I'm having some trouble finding information online, I thought the back issues would help a lot.
- With what exactly? - Facts. Context.
Right, yes, that is what we do here. But how is that going to help with your...
I'm sorry, you're recording right now?
I would never record without your consent!
Of course you wouldn't.
Oh that's okay, he doesn't like strangers.
Oh, hi.
What a good boy... girl?
Uh, that's Hearst.
That's funny, he normally doesn't warm up that quickly to strangers.
Aww, you seem like a sweetheart.
Good boy.
Is your publisher here?
How do you know I'm not the publisher?
Because you don't like Hearst.
I love Hearst, actually we're pretty tight. Here.
Someone wants him here.
And the masthead reads that Miles Lewiston is the publisher.
- He's out sick today. - Sick?
Can he be reached?
Okay.
Miles Lewiston.
Hey, it's Drew. How you feeling?
I'm hanging in. Place holding together?
Yeah, no we're good. We're good.
Listen, there's a woman here,
says that she's doing a podcast about a local cold case, wants to go through the archives.
What podcast? Any credentials?
I don't know. Do you need any credentials for those?
Her name's Alex McPherson. I don't know anything about her.
You say she's here. What, she just showed up?
Just in reception, casually not watching me on the phone.
Did she say anything else about why she's in Harrington?
No, just the podcast.
So, it's a local case?
Yeah. Some disappearance from 20 years ago.
That's got to be Gina DeSavio.
- And you know it? - I do.
So will our readers. This could be big for us.
Give her a run of the archives, help her if she needs it.
You post your episodes on The Chronicle website, exclusively.
I already have arrangements.
Three weeks exclusive and then you can cast your pod wider. That's the deal.
Done.
How much do you hate this idea?
Archives are at the end of the hall.
- Thank you! - Yep.
Courtney Jeffers, Gina's co-worker on her last known night,
still lives in Harrington. She's an attorney and tax accountant.
I made an appointment to see he but first I have another stop.
- Mrs. DeSavio. - Alex.
What a nice surprise to hear from you.
Please, come in.
So, these are Angela's kids?
Yeah, she's doing great. They live in Pittsburgh.
I can't believe Angela's old enough to have kids.
You know how people freeze in time in your mind?
I do... So, you were saying?
So... Gina loved the summers you were here.
She would start counting down a month out, marking big X's on the calendar.
What?
I was supposed to be here.
I wanted to be here but my dad, he got so sick.
She understood.
But maybe if I'd been here...
What? You could've stopped what happened?
I know.
I know that that sounds nutty.
We've all thought it a thousand times.
What could I do? How could it be different?
You couldn't have done anything here, honey.
But I can now.
Podcasts, they make a difference, you know.
People come forward with new information, with new clues.
Don't you wonder what happened that night?
Every day.
I'm going to grab you those things.
They're in the garage.
I kept Gina's room the same. Have a look if you like.
Here's Gina's keepsake box.
Oh, did those fall down again?
- I've got to glue those better. - Okay.
Is that Coleman House?
Yeah, we took her there for her 12th birthday.
This is nice.
I tried to make it of all the things she would've loved.
Here, you'll take care of these?
Of course I will.
Yes, and I'll bring them back to you as soon as I can.
So let me show you out.
Okay, that's good. I appreciate that.
Thanks. So, we can go to the property after you've been there?
Yeah sure, yeah.
Hey, you going to come shoot some pool Saturday, or... ?
Yeah, Saturday sounds good.
Yeah, I'll see you on Saturday.
- Hi, Detective Patterson. - Hi Detective, Alex McPherson.
So, what can I do for you?
Well, I'm just here to pick up some paperwork. I called ahead.
You have the Gina DeSavio case file for me?
Right, yeah.
I saw that.
Sad case. Barely a trace of that girl ever found.
You know it?
- Oh yes, it was my rookie year. - Really?
I'm doing a podcast about this case. I would love to interview you.
Well, I'm not sure there's too much I could offer that's not already in the file there.
But, um... I mean, if you have any questions I can try and do my best.
Thank you!
- I'll be in touch. - Alright.
You got a case file already?
Well, I filed the Freedom of Information Act request two weeks ago.
Good thing it's a cold case otherwise they wouldn't have released anything.
What did you do when that happened?
What do you mean?
Well, you worked the crime beat in Philly for 12 years. Right?
I do research.
Do you know how to read a case file?
I mean, you know, if you need a hand.
Did your boss tell you to help me?
It was more like, let you have the run of the archives but make sure you stay out of the way.
- No, it wasn't. - No...
It wasn't. He told us that we're supposed to help you.
Any idea why?
Well... I could use your insight.
- If you don't mind. - Sure.
Maybe I could record your impressions?
Hard pass.
I'm going to the accident scene tomorrow night, check it out.
Okay, why not tonight?
I have an important dinner date tonight.
Okay, so why not tomorrow morning?
I want to go at night. That's when the accident happened,
I want to see it the way that Gina did.
You know, something weird is going on here.
You wouldn't believe what I found out already.
What?
Tomorrow night. Nine o'clock?
Okay.
Well, thank you so much for squeezing me in Courtney.
Well, I have to say I was surprised to get your call.
It's been 20 years since Gina DeSavio disappeared.
I haven't thought about her in years.
Well, it must've stuck with you. I mean, you were interviewed by the police that night, weren't you?
Uh, the next day.
Gina and I weren't friends. We worked together, that's all.
You told the police that she was very upset before she clocked out that night.
If that's what I said.
Well, I do have your statement from the police report.
If that helps jog your memory.
It seems like it was a really busy night.
Sperling College had their homecoming and there were three private events.
Well, fridays were always crazy. We worked as a team.
I was taking orders and Gina was running drinks from the bar.
The old club manager mentioned that...
there had been some sort of medical emergency in the dining room?
Oh yeah, there was.
Courtney, if you could try to remember anything.
Courtney?
Courtney, what did you remember?
Err... It was a mess.
That's all, just busy.
We worked, Gina left and I never saw her again.
I really did squeeze you in so I'm going to have to wrap up.
Oh. Um... okay.
Well, would you mind if I called you to make another appointment
- where you might have some time? - Sure.
Okay. Thank you.
It's me.
I just had an interesting meeting.
I remembered something about the day Gina DeSavio disappeared.
I bet you know what it is.
Well, if there's an explanation I'd love to hear it.
Tomorrow then. Be there.
Dad, dinner in five.
What's that?
Just a file from Miss McPherson's cold case.
Why?
Mr. Lewiston said to help any way we can
and I want to keep my job so that I can stay and teach and you can go to Sperling.
I mean why is Miss McPherson looking at that case?
Oh. Good question.
I don't know exactly why but I figured that if I can help her maybe I can find out.
I'll just be two more minutes.
Sure, Dad.
There's clearly an art, or at least a skill, to reading a police report.
But amidst all the abbreviations and jargon
one question seems clear.
Yes, Gina was injured.
But not severely.
There wasn't that much blood in the car.
Courtney.
Courtney, what did you remember?
It was a mess.
That's all, just busy.
Miles Lewiston is the only reason this paper is still running.
I mean, we only publish weekly as it is.
How many days has he actually been in this month?
It's always been a family-run paper.
- I mean, if he goes... - He can't retire.
This is my second Plan B.
When the mill closed, I was lucky to find anything.
If The Chronicle didn't run their own presses
I'd already be out on the street.
You'll find your own niche.
Listen, I invented my own job.
And now my columns are the most widely read at The Chronicle
and I drive the most web traffic.
And my comment section sizzles.
I don't know about sizzles but she's not wrong about the rest.
- Gossip... - Local commentary.
Sells.
What you working on?
I'm looking for hostels and SRO hotels close to town that were in business in 1998.
- What's an SRO hotel? - Single Room Occupancy.
They're like hotels but residences for people
with not a lot of money or who don't want to be seen.
Hey... do you want a hand? I've got time.
- Really? - Yeah.
Um... yeah! I mean it would be great if you could check...
How about a 100-mile radius from here?
- Yeah! - All right, I'm on it.
Thank you.
You know, your column is the first thing I read too.
- It is you! - Katie!
I was just coming to find you, I heard you were back.
- Look at you, you look great. - I know, right?
So do you!
Did you ever get my little comment on the Montoya podcast?
I finally found it. You know, you could email me.
Well I wanted to leave you a little surprise to find.
I can't believe you listen to my podcast.
I listen to podcasts every chance I get. I stumbled upon it.
Are you still in criminal defence?
I am in private practice now. So I do whatever people need.
- What brings you back? - Gina DeSavio.
Oh, Alex.
I'll never forget that phone call.
I can't believe I'm the one who had to tell you.
I didn't even know she was missing.
I was no help then but I can do something about it now.
Is this going to be your next case?
Next case, it sounds so strange, like I have any idea what I'm doing.
But... but, yeah.
Katie, I'm going to find out what happened to Gina.
How'd your date go last night?
Great. Just like old times.
Good.
So... this is it?
Yeah.
This is the rock.
You want to play it out for me?
Okay.
Well, Gina was speeding down the road and she skids off into these rocks.
Except... as I saw earlier, she doesn't skid.
She didn't even try to stop?
She was just...
swerving off the road and crashed into the rocks without even trying to break.
She hits her head on the windshield, she gets out and she heads off into the woods
instead of back towards the road. Why?
I don't know.
Wasn't thinking straight?
She left everything in the car. Her purse, her wallet, her cell phone.
But she had cash on her.
The country club manager confirmed that she'd gotten her tips before she left.
Do you know for a fact she didn't go to the bank first?
She didn't have time. She must've had that cash on her.
You know what, more likely,
someone helped themselves to the cash before the cops did inventory, didn't think they would notice.
Maybe in the big city but here?
Okay. Gina headed off into the woods., so...
Careful.
You used to live here, right?
Well I spent my summers here.
Why just summers? Where were you the rest of the time?
Is this an interview?
Oh, just friendly questions that people ask.
But you're not people, you're a reporter.
I'm still technically human.
So, do you think this about 200 yards from the road? I'm not very good at distances.
I'm not very good at forests.
City boy?
Is that a friendly question or an interview?
City boy.
So, 200 yards?
- I'm going with 200 yards, right. - Yeah, probably.
Right. So, this would be where they found a scrap of her clothing under the brush.
This is where the dogs lost her.
This is treacherous.
And she was injured, didn't have a light.
But it was a three-quarter moon that night.
Right. Clear and 19 degrees.
I checked.
Man, she would've been freezing.
Especially if she was losing blood.
And she went into that river.
I get it now. You thought that Gina could've survived.
I still think that. It is possible.
Okay. You're right.
Let's just say it's possible she survived, all right?
But then what? She...
walked off, left her sister and her mother for 20 years, never returned. Why?
I don't know.
So what do you think you found?
It's a postcard from Coleman House in Rockbridge.
And it was with a collage of a bunch of Gina's things that her mom had.
So? Her mom got a blank postcard in November 1998 from 30 miles away.
There was another one too from Kentucky horse country.
I didn't get a chance to check out the postmark though.
What did she say?
Mrs. DeSavio? She said she bought them herself
because she thought Gina would like them.
But she doesn't know that I saw the back.
So, you think that this is a signal from Gina?
Who sends a blank postcard with block lettering and why?
Hmm.
I gotta go, it's a bit of a professional hazard.
You don't have to come, it's 1:30 in the morning.
Uh, yeah.
Let's go.
Hey Sean, is everyone okay?
Not the owner.
Oh, wow.
Do we know who the owner was?
Says here the address belongs to...
Courtney Jeffers.
What?
Did you know her?
Yeah, I interviewed her yesterday.
She was one of the last people to see Gina alive.
It's preliminary, but we think it started with the heater in the bedroom.
Was it just her in there by herself?
I'm telling you it's not as cut and dry as you think.
Yeah, and I'm telling you it doesn't start with you.
There's a chain of command and it starts with Barlow.
- You can look forward to my investigation. - Thank you.
I heard it was an accident.
Yeah. That's the Sheriff's assessment.
But not yours?
Have we met?
Alex. You're not buying the small heater fire, are you Captain?
John.
It's not that cold tonight.
Not really, no.
So, does the fire department do their own investigation to rule out arson?
Are you a reporter?
No.
Well, I mean, not really.
Well if you ever wanted to be one you've...
you've got some good instincts.
Thank you.
I don't know. They're saying it's an accident.
Not everyone.
What if opening up a cold case leads to a new crime?
I am in uncharted water.
I'm going to have to stay out the way of law enforcement and any investigation.
But if Courtney was killed, it feels like it's connected to Gina.
Which gives me pause.
I don't want to do harm but if there is something wrong here...
it needs to be brought to light.
Okay, left the country club at 7:00 P.M.
Good boy, Hearst.
Kendall, can you update the post on the Jeffers fire?
We just got a quote from Sean Mullen from the fire department about the investigation.
Me, myself?
Yeah, it'll be easy. I emailed you a copy.
- Okay. - Okay.
So, if you would just hear my theory about Courtney's death.
Okay, we are a newspaper. We deal in facts not speculation.
- Facts. - Yes.
Well let's make sure we get our facts correct then, huh?
Gina left the country club at 7:30, not 7:00.
See, I care about facts.
Mmm-hmm. Until you don't.
But for now, what we know is that Courtney Jeffers died
in an accident and Gina DeSavio died 20 years ago.
You don't believe that.
I mean, not half of that. Right?
Do your facts tell you exactly what time Courtney died?
No, because we're waiting on an autopsy.
But we do know that the neighbour called the fire department at 1:15, they showed up 10 minutes later.
The fire was out by 1:40, the body was preserved.
Isn't' that an awfully short period of time for someone to die?
Stranger things have happened.
What?
Hey! That's a fact. What are you doing?
Well we don't know that it's relevant. What happened after that, that's what matters.
Where you going? We're just getting started.
Well I know it's just a sweater but it is my favourite
and Courtney called me, told me to come pick it up.
I can't believe that was the last time I spoke to her.
Yeah, well do you remember where you left it?
Yeah, I left it right here on my chair
but she must have put it away somewhere. So, I'll have to...
Hey, Nate.
I bet you'll have a busy day today, huh?
Yeah. It's a shame about Miss Jeffers.
She was a nice lady.
Listen, do you mind if I get a quote from you?
We're actually doing a background story on Miss Jeffers. It'd be great.
Yeah.
Oh, uh... I've got to get that.
Uh, Miss?
You go ahead. I'll stay here until you get back.
Okay.
What are you doing?
Me? What, are you following me?
A thank you might be nice. Do you know how lucky you just got?
Lucky?
Oh, that's good.
We don't have much time.
Okay. What exactly are we looking for then?
I'll know it when I see it. She has a paper calendar.
Wow. A Phillipe Delmaine pen.
It's very high dollar.
She has a standing appointment on Thursdays.
314 Hugginn?
Hugginn. I don't recognize that name.
Oh, get photos of this, get photos of this. This looks like, uh...
I don't know, like a billing log for companies or something like that.
- This guy, Russell. I know that name. - Uh... found it!
Look at that.
Just over behind her desk. Thank you so much.
- No problem. - Thanks.
Thank you.
Chuck. Did you have any luck with those hostels?
Hey. Yeah, yeah, there were only two.
Those are on the yellow card.
And the blue cards are campgrounds, which I thought might be a place you'd go if you were broke.
You know we're not really an SRO flop-house kind of locale.
No, I suppose not.
But in 1998 there was a bus to Pittsburgh from Raleigh
that ran four times a day starting at 5:00 A.M.
You're a researcher!
Uh... more like lapsed steel worker.
Next career still TBD. But in 1998 I was a complete delinquent
and I used that Rockbridge bus to get to the city all the time.
- That's over the river? - Yeah, that's right.
And the white cards are hostels and SROs in Pittsburgh that were there in 1998.
You up for a road trip later?
- I'll check with Drew. - You should check with Drew.
- Yeah. - Okay.
- So, Courtney Jeffers worked for you? - Yes.
Did she work for you or the adventure park?
Hi.
Hi. I'm Alex McPherson. I work with Drew.
Bradley Williford.
Yeah, you're with Riverview Adventure Park?
That's us.
My friends and I used to go there all the time in the summers.
- What was your favourite ride? - White Water Challenge.
I'm impressed. That's pretty hard-core!
So... Courtney Jeffers, did she work for you or the adventure park?
Uh, she did my tax planning.
But you want a quote for your profile, right?
Courtney was a skilled professional and tireless worker.
She'll be hard to replace.
And how long did you know her for?
She started five years ago.
You know, I'm sorry I have a meeting to get to.
You can try me later next week.
- Thank you, I appreciate it. - Bye.
Look...
That... that's the kind of juicy details you're going for with Courtney's client list?
- You've got to get people talking. - At the right time, yes.
And those boring details, those paint a bigger picture
and you don't know what's going to be important.
If Courtney was killed because of her job.
If Courtney was killed at all and if so it's because of money, not your theory.
If she was killed, and it wasn't because of Gina,
the chances are it was because of something personal.
When a woman turns up dead, the killer's usually the man who loved her too much.
So, we have to find out about Courtney's personal life.
You know, like does she have a boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend, who does she live with?
What?
Uh... you're right.
Take deep breaths. It won't hurt so much.
Is there a reason that you interrupted my interview?
Oh, yes. I was hoping Chuck could come with me to Pittsburgh, do some digging.
Sure. We don't go to print for a couple of days. So, if he wants to.
What do you mean? Of course he wants to!
And FYI, if you're going to be digging in the city, just so you know,
The Chronicle's agreement with you does not include bail money.
I'll keep that in mind.
Hey, there's Stan Russell. Hey Stan, wait up.
May I have two cups of coffee to go, please?
Yeah, it's a shame about Courtney.
So, you worked with her a long time?
I had, yeah.
Would you say she was good at her job?
No complaints.
All right.
I got to get back to the hardware store.
Did you know Courtney Jeffers?
So sad. I liked her, she did my taxes.
Was she good at it?
Did right by me, but she was distracted lately.
Any idea why?
All she'd say is men should be a four-letter word.
Hey!
You stop poking around in Courtney's business.
You leave it alone before somebody gets hurt.
Well, the day wasn't a total waste.
At least you got to see the colourful side of Pittsburgh.
Oh, yeah, every street and alley. Thank you for your help, Chuck.
I'm buying tonight. Pie is on me!
Sorry we didn't come up with anything.
Yeah. It was a long shot.
I mean to think that someone from 1998
would still be working in the same place and remember seeing a young woman who stayed there.
- If she even did. - Yeah.
Well we'll keep at it.
[message alert]
Okay.
- What pie am I going to have? - Oh good, nice!
Kendall got Hearst home to Mr. Lewiston safe in one piece.
So, Hearst goes to work even if his owner doesn't?
Oh yeah, he missed the action.
And Mr. Lewiston says that he keeps an eye on things, which he does.
Does Mr. Lewiston miss a lot of days of work?
Well it depends.
But the truth? I think he's bored.
Like he needs, well, something. I mean something new.
Most of the time when someone disappears and no body is found it's deliberate.
If Gina died and it was an accident, how can there be no trace?
And if she did survive,
how could that possibly have happened. Where could she have gone and why?
We'll explore all of those questions, especially the possibility of foul play
and some surprising discoveries I've made.
On the next episode of "Recovered".
Err... It was a mess, that's all, just busy.
Did you hear that?
Uh... I'm not sure what you think is there.
Courtney was rattled.
She obviously remembered something big
about what happened the night that Gina disappeared.
She was just sitting there and then she looks like she's seen a ghost...
and then she tells me she doesn't have enough time to talk to me.
She hustles me out the door and the next night she's dead.
I just think that's too big a coincidence.
Miss McPherson, coincidences happen all the time in real life.
I believe the cases are connected.
Captain Mullen from the fire department suspects arson.
Well if that's in his report then we'll look into it
but as of right now we just don't have a crime here. In either case.
Kendall, get the community calendar to Eileen and send me her feature.
- We're going to post in an hour. - Okay, got it.
- How was Pittsburgh? - Total bust.
There is a reason they call them cold cases.
Okay, well I have the podcast too, Kendall.
She's finishing the web page, she's going to get it loaded up
and I think that ought to warm things up.
Listen, has it occurred to you that if Courtney was murdered
this could be dangerous and somebody out there is not going to be very happy with you?
Maybe it'll just flush them out. I'll be careful.
Good.
That you and Gina?
Yeah. Her mom gave me this picture. We were 10.
Gina loved horses so much.
She could only catch ride but she didn't care.
She would muck out a stall all day just to earn one hour on a horse.
Up Stan Russell, his family used to own land around here.
Russell? Yeah. The Russell Estates, I knew that family.
- Really? - They had riding stables. - Oh.
Well now he owns a couple of hardware stores. But he told me that he was happy with Courtney's work.
This says he hasn't paid his taxes. He hasn't even filed in a long time.
I mean, he must have all his money laying around.
Did he not notice that he wasn't paying his taxes?
I don't know, but the penalties are going to cost him, from what I can tell, at least one of his stores.
So why would he say he was happy with her work?
So, you're still going with money as a motive for Courtney's murder?
Yeah, check this out. I was poking around at the hospital
and found that the emergency contact for Courtney was...
- Troy Hines. - Troy Hines, yeah.
That sounds familiar. Is it a relative?
Says right there, other.
- Oh, as in significant. - As in probably.
- Oh, let's go. - Let's go.
Oh, you want to spook the guy?
I'll be really relaxed about it, okay?
But, you know, reporters record interviews all the time, don't they?
You're doing a memorial profile, I'm your assistant.
Oh, go on.
I'm just your assistant for this, okay? Just for today.
Troy.
Hey.
Drew, Harrington Chronicle.
Were you Courtney's boyfriend?
I got nothing to say to you.
We just wanted some impressions.
I want to know why I'm going to be sorry for asking questions about Courtney.
What?
Let's take this out back.
Are you trying to get me fired?
That'll be the least of your problems if you threaten Miss McPherson again.
I just said stop poking around.
Look... Courtney and I were together. We broke up a while ago.
I'm putting things together for myself now, we both moved on.
So, there was a new guy?
And I got a new girl who doesn't need you embarrassing her with stupid questions about me.
Okay. What's the name of the new guy?
I don't know. Some guy with a lot of cash.
Look, you want to hassle somebody? Find him.
I hadn't even seen Courtney in months.
I've got to get back to work.
Hey, you ever hear of burying the lead?
He threatened you? That's useful information.
I was going to tell you.
But now, Troy has definitely jumped to the top of my list.
- Nah, I don't think so. - What?
You saw how mad he was.
He was punching above his weight. I mean if Courtney starts dating another guy,
he's ticked off but he gets it.
What if there isn't another guy? What if Courtney got rich all on her own?
We need to find the name of that boyfriend.
If there was one.
Troy Hines?
Well he's worked at the country club most of his life.
See I always suspected that Courtney had someone else.
Besides who?
Besides the socially acceptable choice.
See he always felt like a stand-in to me.
No way she could take Troy to the founder's ball.
- Any chance they were a couple? - Does he have any money?
Uh, no and no.
He had a really tiny little law practice. That's why he moved to Philadelphia last year.
But, um... I'll see what I can find out.
Great. Good job.
Production meeting, 15 minutes. Give me all your copy.
Hey Sean.
My investigation into the Jeffers' house.
I found a pour pattern in the bedroom
and the floor tested positive for accelerant.
- And you filed your report? - I did.
With all due respect,
I don't think your boss wants to open the case.
This was no accident.
He said if I found any evidence of arson to come to you.
Yeah, you're right. Okay.
Uh... leave this with me and I will push it through with Barlow.
Great.
- Great. Thank you. - Yeah.
Troy Hines was working at the country club the night that Gina disappeared.
Look at that! He was interviewed by the police
which means he is tied to both women.
Okay. Put him up in the middle.
Good idea.
- Ten minutes! - Ugh.
Ten minutes everyone!
Hearst, let's ask Katie to meet us for coffee.
I can't stop thinking about Gina now.
Memories just keep flooding in.
Hey, would you want to record one for me?
Sure.
Um... mid-term break.
I came home from school and the family went to Arturo's for dinner and Gina waited on us.
It was her second job.
It always felt weird to me, but she always made it feel comfortable.
You know? Like she didn't mind how hard she had to work for everything.
She had goals.
And that laugh. Do you remember her laugh?
She never let anything stop her. Gina was pure potential.
How does someone like that die before realizing her dreams?
You're right. It's so wrong.
Gina would never let things get her down for...
I have to go.
Hearst!
Katie, I'll be in touch! Bye!
- Hey. Chuck? - Hey, here.
Oh! I've been going at this all wrong.
I mean what if Gina survived?
Even if she was broke and had to live in hostels, that would not be her whole story.
Not this girl. She would find a way.
So, what if... Hey, stay with me.
Look, I'm just saying what if she didn't just settle for half a life?
What if she went after her dream?
What if we could finish our meeting in peace?
Miles Lewiston, this is our podcaster Alex McPherson.
Really? Still?
Hi, Uncle Miles.
Uncle?
Everybody, my niece.
You think these two are connected?
- No. - Yes.
Not necessarily.
If it's not about the DeSavio girl, any idea on motive on Courtney?
- Greed. - Jealousy.
Ah-ha.
Well Uncle Miles, you should know some of these guys, right?
Yeah.
Well, you can rule out Ted Peters.
Stan Russell is treading water financially, I hear.
Never should've sold the farm and the stables. Retail's hard business these days.
Brad Williford...
I knew his father better.
The old man was hard on Bradley, nothing the kid could do was good enough.
But when he took over, he was in a hurry.
Expanded the business.
You see, now he stuck around town and made it work.
Unlike some other people's ungrateful relatives?
It was a heartbreak for those left behind.
They had to drag themselves through their wretched, lonely existence.
- Barely making it through the day. - Stop.
What's the follow on on the profile on Courtney?
Oh, depends. If it's found an accident we talk fire safety.
- Meanwhile you're following money. - Exactly.
Good episode. We're running a feature promoting it on the front page.
- I wrote it myself. - Thanks.
Of course, since I had no details about your life these past few years, I made it up.
- Your season as a rodeo clown... - What about trapeze artist?
You still have time to put that in, don't you?
Dinner Sunday and you're cooking this time.
Okay, but healthy food this time.
So, he was your... date?
Again, you bury the lead. You're a Lewiston?
- My mother was. - Why didn't you say anything?
It's a long story.
Listen... is Uncle Miles sick?
He told me at dinner that sometimes he plays hooky.
Yeah, he may not come in everyday but he's...
he's still very much on the job.
According to police, Gina got out of her car,
wandered into the woods and simply vanished.
I'm Alex McPherson and this is "Recovered".
When you ask anyone who knew her,
one of the first things people will mention is Gina's laugh.
By 1:00 A.M. on November 7th,
the police had already received a call from Gina's mother, Antonetta DeSavio.
On the second day,
the police brought in tracking dogs to cover the area.
The trail went dead by a bluff a quarter mile up from Casper Falls.
We'll explore those questions, especially the possibility of foul play
and some surprising discoveries I found
on the next episode of "Recovered".
You still got it!
Oh, thanks Mr. Mitchell.
Thanks for letting me ride Goose.
I think you can call me Howard now.
I heard what you've been doing for Gina.
Yeah, well we're trying anyway.
Did she keep riding after middle school?
Couldn't keep her out of here in high school.
Once she finally quit going over to the Russells.
Gina worked for the Russells?
Yeah, about three months.
Then she stopped cold.
She wouldn't say why except that she had to get away from the family.
I was glad she was back. She worked harder than any two guys.
By that time, I'd actually paid her to ride.
- Really? - Yeah.
She got better all the time. That girl could stick in the saddle.
Any time I had a young horse, no matter how wild,
I could put Gina on and she'd bring them along. She had a real gift.
She wanted to be a trainer after college. She talked about it all the time.
Yeah, that would've been her dream.
Okay. These two are definitely corporations, but it's weird.
They don't have any website of their own or advertising or anything. I can't tell what they do.
So, they only exist on paper.
They must be past the usual shell companies.
Try Central PA Mechanics.
Yeah, it's the same as all of them. Two principals.
Stan Russell. Wait, that's the second principal?
Yeah.
Okay, I want you to make copies and text me if anything else pops. Okay?
Okay.
It's nice running into you tonight.
You've done well, Bradley.
We're lucky, the business is family entertainment at a good price point.
Nice and steady?
There is a limit I can do there.
You know, he may not have been able to say it
but your father would be proud of you.
Stan, hey. I need to talk to you for a minute.
What's up?
Yeah, I was just wondering why you were so happy with Courtney Jeffers' work,
given she helped drive you into bankruptcy?
Are you... are you kidding me?
You think that I...
Courtney is of no use to me dead.
I was filing a lawsuit for negligence.
- She can't pay damages if she's dead! - Right.
What kind of company is Central PA Mechanics?
I've never heard of it.
That's funny because you and Courtney are listed as principals in the company.
Check it out!
Whatever.
Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you hate these things.
With a passion.
Are you working on Courtney's story?
- I wouldn't dream of interfering, I'm mingling. - Okay.
Stan doesn't have an alibi for the night of the fire, for what it's worth.
Hey. I got your text. What's up?
There's a comment section on the podcast page.
And someone posted on it. There is a way down that cliff.
I guess we should go check that out.
Great idea.
Mr. Mitchell told me that she just quit suddenly
- And she wouldn't tell him why. - Huh.
So, Stan Russell knew Gina in high school,
maybe he harassed her?
I don't know that but certainly something happened and she refused to work with him after that.
Okay, so the comment read that there was a way down from under the platform.
Does that look like a foothold to you?
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
I got you! I got you! I got you!
- Okay. - Don't let go!
I got you!
Don't kick, okay? Don't kick.
Stop telling me what to do and help me!
- Just... I got you! - You okay?
You guys, go get help. Go get help! Now!
- Okay. Hang in there. - I can't.
No, no, no. You're fine.
I can't keep holding on. You have to get me over to the side.
How am I going to get you over there?
- Swing me, okay? - I'm not swinging you.
You are. Just on three, swing.
One... ahh!
Okay, two.
Okay, one more swing.
Three!
- Are you okay? - Ha!
Yeah! Great!
Living the dream.
Listen... do you see something, like above me I could reach for?
No, just hang in there, you're fine. Help is coming.
It's not exactly safe where I am.
So look, I'm sure you feel fine right now.
Just make sure you take it easy for the rest of the day.
Okay.
That platform should've been tested at the start of the season.
- Hey, uh, you okay? - Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you.
The young lady's only been in town a week
and somehow you two seem involved in every emergency in town.
Did he just call me young lady?
Yes, he did. He's a little old school like that.
- Are you okay? - Fine.
It's so weird, like she hardly pressed up against it and it just gave way like that.
Yeah, well it looks like the wood's rotted near the bottom
so we'll try to recover the boards from down below, take a look.
Thanks.
You know, that rail did not break by accident,
that was a set-up, that was sabotage.
I know, I know. But look, clearly, you've ticked off someone very dangerous.
- Me? - Yes!
You. And if this is more and more what it looks like then we need to be smart about this.
- We need to think about our next move. - Good idea.
- Dad? - Hey. - Dad?
- What happened? - We're fine.
Did you get any information on those corporations?
Yeah, a bunch.
And I printed it out on paper because, you know, you.
- I'll go get them. - Thank you.
Talk about burying the lead.
Well it was Kendall's rule, she insisted that I treat her like every other employee.
Does her mom work here too?
No. She lives in Philadelphia. Kendall's with me while she goes to school at Sperling.
Oh.
That's nice.
I should, uh...
go get cleaned up and have a glass of wine...
- Okay, I'll see you in the morning. - Yeah. I'll see you.
Oh, wait. I have something for you too, Alex.
What is it?
it's Gina DeSavio today, if she was today.
There's a program that takes a photo and ages the person. I thought you'd want it.
Thank you.
We're not ready to release a statement just yet.
I need everybody to stay off the platform for now.
Can you turn that up?
Thanks.
Drew Godfried and Alexandra McPherson were both treated at the scene and released.
Harrington F.D. will investigate the incident.
They're lucky they made it.
They say, "stick in the saddle", that's the expression.
Ooh, I like that one.
She was training horses when she was a teenager so she'd be a pro by now.
Maybe we should start looking at horse farms in Kentucky.
Why there?
Well there was some evidence at her mom's house that pointed to it.
- It's just a theory, that's all. - No, no, I'm totally into it. Keep going.
I've started making a list of farms that we could...
I'll call you back. I see him. I see him.
Over there.
Hey! Chris.
Hi.
What are you doing here?
Uh, I just wanted to tell you that we've ruled Courtney Jeffers' death a homicide.
What'd you find?
Well, nothing we want in the paper right now
but if you come across anything, any information that might help with the investigation,
please, share it and then back off. Just let us do our job.
- Okay, Then we're happy to help. - Of course.
In fact, you might want to look into Courtney's clients.
She put Stan Russell into bankruptcy.
And I was interviewing this guy, Troy Hines, for my podcast and he was a hot-head.
- I mean, he got right in my face. - Okay, thank you.
This is, uh... very elaborate.
This is for your show?
Yeah, yeah, it helps me keep everything organized.
I'd love to interview you if you have time. Now's good.
I'm not sure my boss would love that but I will get back to you on that.
Thank you!
Bye.
Look, Courtney incorporated all these companies
with herself as one of the principals.
She was starting her own businesses?
All of them had one of her own clients listed as principals
but Stan Russell said he'd never heard of the company that he was listed on.
Do you believe him?
I think it looks like they're passed through companies, you know
used for some kind of transaction, then all the money's transferred out to somewhere else.
So... was she hiding her money or her clients'?
I think maybe both.
What if she was stealing from her clients and one of them found out about it?
Or she could've been working with them.
Did we ever find out who that is, Hugginn? She met with him every week.
No, no luck yet. Nobody here in Harrington.
- Oh, I gotta go. - Oh, are you sure?
I'm going to cross reference company names with the client list. It's going to be good times.
- No thanks. - Okay.
Let me guess, you were a chef somewhere.
I helped restructure a company that owned Italian restaurants.
I picked up a tip or two.
And where do you call home now?
Wherever I am, I guess.
The last few years I travelled with my mom to every place left on her bucket list.
She'd been to every continent by the end.
What happened to your business?
I asked my partners to buy me out.
We were doing pretty well so that floated me
and paid for all of our travel.
Now I think I'm going to have to figure out what to do next.
- She's lucky to have you. - I was lucky to have her.
She never wanted to come back here, huh?
And I never knew why.
She was okay that I wanted to come but she wouldn't.
She knew I loved Uncle Miles, I loved my summers here,
I loved working with him at the paper.
But I started to feel guilty, disloyal somehow.
It's part of the reason I didn't come back.
So... maybe now you'll stick around?
It'd be nice to know where to send the Christmas cards.
Jessica's grown five inches since the last card!
She sure has.
Fireman John?
Oh, that's Steve's friend.
Steve's single friend.
Who was training as an E.M.T. when Gina disappeared.
Yeah, I was out there every day. It was my first missing person search.
I wish I'd been there.
Hey, no.
No, no. We had plenty of people.
We just had nothing to find.
After a few weeks when it turned into a recovery instead of a rescue,
the volunteers started to fall away. But there were regulars.
Her family, some friends.
This one guy turned up every day, uh,
Tim... no, Todd... Travis, maybe?
- Troy Hines? - Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, that's the guy.
I think him and Gina were dating.
Anyway, uh...
He was there every single day. It was like he was obsessed.
You wanted to see me?
You nearly fell off a platform into a ravine. What were you thinking?
Well, I didn't do it on purpose, the railing broke.
Which it just happened to occur when you were there?
That's a question.
I've had the head of the forest service,
the Sheriff and the Governor on the phone already this morning.
Is that why you're limping? You've been throwing your weight around.
I'm not.
I saw it the other day too.
Uncle Miles, are you okay?
Not at all.
I need full time family home care, starting now.
All right.
How about I call cousin Lucinda?
Or Randall?
Well that's just mean. I need comfort, not nagging.
It's just a little bit of arthritis.
It comes and goes depending on how annoyed I am.
Do you need anything? Seriously.
I seriously need you to watch your back.
We don't know what kind of a hornets nest you and Drew have stirred up.
Is Patterson in? I need to speak with him immediately.
- Russo! - Sheriff.
What does the medical examiner want from me today?
The toxicology I ran on Courtney Jeffers.
Tox report and poison assay? Russo, why?
She had a very pronounced cerebral edema, not caused by the fire, so I ran the tests.
Bromethalin. She was poisoned before the fire ever started.
- Anybody else know about his? - Not yet.
This is the piece we hold back from the public.
- And when was this? - Yeah, I mean it was 1998, but...
- 2004? - I can send you a picture of her from then.
- And when did she leave? - Sure.
Yeah, she's 5'3", brunette. She'd really stick in the saddle.
You'd most likely have her working with young horses.
Perfect. Do you have an email? Great! Thank you, sir.
That sounded good.
Yeah, they had a trainer there for a year in 2004 that fits Gina's description.
But like all the other farms they had a bunch of women work there over the years.
- Have we narrowed down our list at all? - No.
Alex, tell Miles this guy needs a new collar. Something seasonal.
Will do.
No answer.
It's not a name.
You kept asking me if there was somebody named Hugginn?
It's the Hugg Inn.
- What is that? - It's an entry from Courtney's calendar.
What is the Hugg Inn?
It's a nickname for the Grand Royal Hotel.
- That needed a nickname? - Oh, it was the 60s.
I was a mere toddler but the stories are outrageous.
Anyway, it closed down in the '70s and there were a bunch of different owners, and...
Where is it?
- On the square at, at... Rockbridge. - Thank you.
She's amazing.
Wait, hold up.
- What? Me? - Yeah. Yeah.
- It's okay, I've got this. - I know, it just looks like fun.
- What does? - You know.
- Oh... Miles called. - Look, he's not wrong.
You almost fell off a cliff, you shouldn't be alone. So, it's either me or Chuck.
Get in.
Let's do this!
Hi Mr. Russell. How can I help you?
I need to close three accounts.
We'll do a wire transfer to... this account.
- It's charming. - Yeah.
More of a tourist stop these days.
Really? Meaning you wouldn't run into locals here?
Interesting.
She must have rented the room long term,
that's how she kept having the same number. Maybe an affair?
Right. Which means she wasn't staying here alone.
314.
Or... you're wrong
and we're about to walk in on a couple of nice living people who just want their privacy.
Then you better come up with a good cover story.
Where are you going?
Hi. Excuse me.
May I please, um, just have a few extra towels? Thank you so much.
That's a good idea.
Drew... this is the purse Courtney had when I saw her.
Whoa! Don't... touch anything.
Do you have gloves?
No. Do you?
Yeah, normally.
This is definitely a crime scene.
Here. Use these to touch anything.
Okay.
How much do you want to bet that this is where Courtney was killed?
There was definitely a struggle here.
Look at this, there's dry blood.
Hey, look at this. They're maps.
- Are they property lots? - Looks like it. Oh, that's good.
- We should call the Sheriff. - Yeah, definitely.
- Let's check the trash first. - Okay.
Fourth Ave Hardware.
Gosh, that's Stan Russell's store.
- Okay, let's get out of here. - Okay.
Hey. No, tell the Sheriff to come to room 314.
No, you're going to want to see this.
- Hey. This way. - Okay.
Okay, bye.
Drew. This could be a back staircase.
He could come in and out from here without ever being seen by the front desk.
Or it's a good way to get a body out.
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah.
I've just never seen a fresh crime scene before, you know?
Yeah.
Poor Courtney. Who would...
Who could do that?
I don't know.
But if we find the person that was in that room...
then we find our killer.
Well, that's a new look for you.
I thought you would want to know this immediately.
Ask me who I play tennis with?
Kathy Russell, Stan Russell's soon to be ex-wife.
- She said he bailed. - Bailed?
Right after the business alliance lunch
he cleaned out their bank account and blew town.
Left her one year's worth of child support.
He sounded twitchy on the phone. Her word.
- So, he fled? - No forwarding address.
You're welcome.
- I'm going to start researching. - Great. Thank you.
Okay, we should call the Sheriff. Can't he get a warrant?
For what, for travel? Stan didn't even do anything wrong.
Look, he's supposed to be broke
and all of a sudden he has enough money to just run off. How is that not suspicious?
Well that's interesting.
Didn't Troy tell us that Courtney left him for a rich guy?
Troy's driving a car like that, he's not hurting.
Maybe it's her car, you did say he'd moved on, didn't want us messing it up.
Does that make sense?
Hey guys.
Chuck, hey.
Did you find anything at the hardware store?
No, nothing. They wipe the security footage every 48 hours. There's nothing there.
Now, the receipt, it was for cash.
But the kid at the store, he couldn't remember who bought it.
- Did you find out what it was for? - Rat poison.
Look, here's the brand, list of the ingredients.
- Good work, Chuck. - Yeah, good job.
Now, I'm just saying hypothetically if you did run any tests, Russo,
that you should check for rat poison.
No, I'll send you the link for the brand and the ingredients. Then you get back to me, okay?
Great. Thank you.
Taco Tuesday came early, okay?
Sure.
Rat poison?
Yeah, I know.
It's nasty but it's possible.
Just... don't think about it. Okay?
Okay.
Tell me that's English homework.
Sure.
All right. What have you got?
I found owners for the properties on your paper map thing.
- Oh yeah? - Yeah.
Lot 17 is owned by Clearvale Properties. They have an address up in Wallace Falls.
Who owns the company?
Just Courtney. They buy real estate and then sell it fast.
To who? No... wait. Tomorrow. All right.
I want you to eat your dinner and then you're going to go out.
- Out? - Yeah, you know, with friends and have fun. On campus.
You are adorable!
Why?
I'm having two different conversations with friends right now and searching property records.
- Do you know Mary Rogers? - Nuh-uh.
- Jack Gardner? - No.
Troy Hines?
Troy Hines, yeah. What about Troy Hines?
His name is on one of these companies that bought and sold property.
An LLC called Green Hills Associates.
Ah-ha.
Good work.
Thanks!
There are two people.
Two suspects who are connected to both Gina and Courtney.
Troy Hines and Stan Russel, who took off without a warning.
Maybe the sheriff can't pursue him now.
But we can't cross him off our list.
Russo, hey. Thanks for calling me back.
No, listen, I understand that the Sheriff put an embargo on the autopsy but...
Russo, come on, it's me. I mean...
Yes, but can you at least confirm that there was
a substance found without naming exactly what it was?
Yes!
Of course. Deep background, unnamed source.
Thank you.
Great.
Nice!
Troy Hines.
How many calls do you have left to make?
- I'm done, all 200 calls. - What, really?
Oh yeah, I'm super caffeinated. I'm just flying.
Well I have two possible maybes here.
Okay, I have five. So that's seven women that are definitely possible maybes.
I wish there was a way we could narrow it down a little bit.
There is.
Chuck, where is the database for The Chronicle subscriptions?
- Should I ask Drew? - If you could.
Yeah, I will.
- Hey. - Where are you?
Just leaving, what did you find out?
- How quickly can you get back? - Why, what's up?
We're going to see a woman about a horse.
If you could get about half the mail you could see that,
I don't know, how many other companies are at that same address.
Well I can see four names here. Central PA Mechanics.
Stan Russell.
- Green Hills Associates. - Troy Hines.
This one says Clearvale Properties.
Now that is just Courtney and another corporation.
That's weird. A corporation, not a name.
Yeah. It is weird.
Hey, let's switch. I'll drive.
No, I'm fine.
You took most of the night, come on.
What about this next one... Aderly Security?
Now that I don't know.
It's the one account that racked up a bunch of consulting fees.
But I do know that the rest of the businesses
did a bunch of real estate with Clearvale
that Courtney sold to them at really inflated prices.
Those companies must be loaded.
Nuh-uh. Dead broke.
Kendall's working on it but it looks like all the money
is disappearing offshore once Clearvale pays.
Courtney is involved with both ends of that transaction. That's money laundering, right?
Or just a good way to get a lot of cash out of the country.
- But whose? - Well that's the question.
So, I'm thinking is it Stan and Troy?
Yeah, but where would they come up with that kind of cash?
I don't know, it could be a payoff to use their names as the dummy corp.
That just makes them shady.
Still doesn't explain where all that money's coming from that Courtney's moving.
Someone who'd kill her to keep it.
Or keep her quiet.
You know you're right.
The motive for Courtney's murder must've been greed.
So, let me ask you... Why are you driving all night with me?
Because if you found Gina DeSavio,
that's a huge story.
That's a big if.
They say that it's very hard for people to disappear completely.
No matter their motivation, it's hard to walk away from
everything you ever had or knew without holding on to at least one thread.
You might send a signal to a loved one to at least let them know you're alive.
So they don't grieve needlessly. And you keep hobbies or habits.
We had seven leads that sounded possible for Gina...
the right age, general description, they seemed to move around a lot.
But Valerie Taylor at Ramsey Springs Farm
had something that the other six didn't...
A brand-new digital subscription to the Harrington Chronicle.
Come on.
Hi, Gina.
I, uh... you got here fast.
I was hoping to have a little more time to get Peaches settled before I left.
It's really good to see you.
I have so many questions.
Why didn't you just leave things alone?
The last few years I finally felt free.
The older I get the more I think good, no one's going to recognize me.
Maybe I could sneak back and see Mom.
What I wouldn't give to just hug her again.
- Why did you disappear? - Because I had to.
That's it?
Whatever it was, it happened 20 years ago.
- You don't know. - Then tell me.
Look, I get it, something scared you.
But we could help you fix it.
We've got your back.
We believe you, Gina. Just tell us the truth.
You have your recorder?
I didn't think anything of it at first.
There was a man standing at the wait station beside a tray full of champagne glasses,
which I thought was weird.
I startled him when I came up.
He just took one of the champagne glasses and took off,
which I also thought was weird.
And I saw that there were still pills on the ground
so I picked them up and I slipped them into my pocket.
I took the tray and I went over to his party to serve them.
The pill guy was with an older gentleman.
They already had champagne. They were toasting.
One of those glasses, had to be from my tray.
15 minutes later there was a crash in that banquet
and I went running in and that older man was on the floor.
People were yelling that Mr. Williford had a heart attack.
And then he stood up.
And I realized for the first time who it was that I saw at the bar...
Bradley Williford.
He just looked at me like I knew what he had done.
And my brain just froze. I wanted to get out of there.
I grabbed my purse, I grabbed my coat and I headed for a side door.
I didn't make it very far.
[Alex]: What happened?
[Gina]: This goon stops me.
He had a gun tucked in his waistband.
He made sure I saw it too.
He wanted to clarify any misunderstanding
that I might have had, what I might have seen.
Bradley Junior doctored that drink.
That creep drugged his own dad right out there in front of all of those people!
I just tell this goon that I never saw anything.
And then he says to me that I might actually even be happier living in another town.
That it would be better for everyone,
especially for my mom Antonetta and my little sister Angela.
- He knew their names. - Why didn't you call the cops?
Bradley Williford and the cops are buddies.
God, the Willifords were such an important family in that town. Who's going to believe me?
Besides, this guy got his order from Williford and he wanted me gone.
So, I got in my car and I didn't know what to do, I didn't know where to go.
If he knew our names, he probably knew where I lived, where I was going to go.
So, I just kept driving and suddenly this truck comes up
so fast that I hit a boulder.
You hit your head on the windshield.
Honestly, I didn't even feel that.
At that point, I was just running on adrenaline.
I knew it was that guy with the gun and I couldn't outrun him.
So, I hid and waited.
[Man]: Hey, is everyone okay?
And so, the goon had to go back to the road.
And that was my chance.
I just kept going, and going and going.
I went down a cliff, up the stream to the bridge.
I know it was stupid to keep the pills that he dropped,
it's worthless as evidence in court.
Why did you hold onto them for so long?
Someone wanted me dead, I don't even know who.
For the past 20 years I have looked over my shoulder.
I thought maybe they'd be some kind of insurance.
I took them to a vet that I trust I few years back.
Got it tested. Cyanide.
Did you hear that Courtney Jeffers died?
Yeah, on The Chronicle website. It's house fire?
The fire was staged. She'd already been poisoned.
Bradley? Or what about that guy that was after me?
We don't know who killed Courtney or who came after you, but
I know one way to find out.
I could have trouble.
Sky Zone. Now.
I'm sorry, we're closed for the night.
Right. We know.
Can you make an appointment for tomorrow?
Don't you recognize her?
Gina DeSavio, you dropped these.
Okay.
I'll take those.
Why don't you just tell us why you did it.
Why did you poison your father?
The old man wasn't going to let up or let go.
I couldn't make any money.
I built all this once I had the chance. Anything else?
Come on, Williford. Put the gun away.
Hand over the tape.
Of course I know you're recording. Hand over the tape!
Come on, real knots!
Get away from him.
Ah-ah-ah! Forget it.
Gina!
Now you get to tie up your little buddy.
Get over there, both of you!
Patterson, you got my 9-1-1 call. You got here fast.
I was in the area. So, what's going on folks?
Mr. Williford, let's talk about this now.
Let's try to find another way out of this, okay?
Right now, it's just me but in five minutes the whole department's going to be here.
And anything could happen.
Okay.
- Finish her off this time. - What?
If you'd done it right they would've gone over the cliff
and we wouldn't have this problem, would we?
Don't you have somewhere to go?
You can't do this, okay? The police are coming.
We'll be long gone by then. My squad car's out back.
So let's go.
Move! Let's go!
You were supposed to kill Gina. What about Courtney?
Who wanted her gone? Was that you or Williford?
- He had to be the boss. - Yeah.
Yeah, you're Williford's boy, huh? His goon.
- I'm nobody's boy. - Mm-hmm.
You're partners, is that how that works? Please...
Shut up.
Aderly Security... That's you, isn't it?
The money. Really? You're just doing this for money?
Hey... keep walking.
Clean up after a murder, that's got to cost.
- What's the price for poisoning? - Well that wasn't me.
Look, Courtney showed up with an ultimatum for Brad,
saying she suddenly remembered what he did to his dad.
And that, uh, it was going to cost.
So, does he handle it? No, the idiot doses her and then he calls me to somehow cover it up for him.
Gina, I'm so sorry I got you into this.
I keep thinking about when we were kids,
how we would ride and have fun. I was...
How I was so good at the half-seat but boy, you knew how to post.
Move.
Gina, quick. Untie me.
Take the gun, take it.
Here. Go get him!
Call my uncle. Call my uncle, he'll get help.
Freeze!
You think you're a better shot than me?
Ten years on shooting ranges with Philly's finest. Maybe...
You want to take that chance?
Go.
[sirens wailing]
Sounds like my chief of detectives' not going down by himself.
- Is he talking? - He won't shut up about it.
Unit picked up Bradley Williford boarding a private jet.
We'll exhume his father's body in the morning.
We think we have enough to charge him with both murders.
Wow.
Hey.
Come here!
Oh... you're beautiful.
After 19 years, seven months and 18 days,
Gina DeSavio was finally able to come home.
And as luck would have it, Mitchell stables was looking for
a trainer to work with their young horses.
So she could stay on and recove the life she had to leave.
Hot off the presses! I always wanted to say that, so fun.
Sheriff's Deputy business owner charged with murder and embezzlement.
Local woman recovered after 20 years missing is key witness.
Boy, you two really earned it this week.
You won't believe the follow up I can do on this.
Everyone, if you could bring it in, please.
Don't be shy.
I want to thank you all
for the hard work you've done these past few days.
Good news first.
Ever since news of the arrest broke,
everybody's been calling in about "Recovered".
They cannot wait for the new episodes.
This podcast is going to drive advertising for our little old paper for a good long while.
And the embezzlement and corruption stories Drew will write
will be vital news for this community.
Is there bad news?
Well it depends on how you look at it.
You all might have noticed I haven't been around as much these days.
Maybe you have some worry if the paper will stay afloat.
Well lucky for us I have family with a business degree and a cash flow problem.
- So, I'm going to step back. - That's unlikely.
And I'm naming Alexandra McPherson
as our new managing editor.
Wait... what?
Help an old man out?
Do you know any?
You can use the paper as a base for your podcast
and help keep us in the black.
Say yes.
Uh...
Yes, temporarily, sure.
But Uncles Miles, shouldn't we talk about this?
Later. Later.
All right everybody, go grab those phones.
Well, congratulations.
That's great.
So... I guess that makes you my...
Boss?
Mmm... Sort of.
Can you handle it?
Can you?
The Chronicle.
Yes, this is Alex McPherson.
Oh, well, thank you.