"Surprise me." "He's one of ours." "Forensics, Andy Ryan." "He had a piece on him, but it was cold." "Well, it looks like he was an expert at something." "Andy." "Andy." "Andy." "Who in the hell called the wife?" " I don't know." "Stay back." "Find us a decent cup of coffee." "Black, two sugars." "And it's okay, keep the change." "Look, I went black in less than a year." "Tripled my investment, one year flat." "No shit?" " No shit." "I am targeting high-income areas." "It's like I told you, Jim." "I'm doing your boys a favour." "See, I have three thriving locations already... and if I wasn't tied up in so many other deals," "I would keep it all for myself." "Day spas, huh?" "Day spas, Jim." "Every man loves a well-kept woman." "How those numbers look to you?" "Okay, for what they are." "But there's only one chief in here." "Listen, why don't we have my folks work on these numbers?" "In the meantime, I'm sure we can find something that excites you a bit more." "Okay." "You been paying attention to the news lately?" "Sir?" "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'?" "Flatline, Fifi." "They're dealers' tags, Rod." "Yeah." "See, the latest craze has suppliers mixing smack with fentanyl." "Fentanyl by itself is about 80 times stronger than morphine." "That's right." "This stuff has been killing its way down the East Coast." "See, Andy didn't OD on bad heroin." "He OD'd on the good shit." "Black, two sugars." "Damn, Simms." "What the hell's going on?" "Emery Simms wasn't just some lifeless social security number on another..." "So you want me to hold it here till tomorrow?" "No, I..." "No, I should swing back there and grab that." "You gonna be there for a while?" "You need me to be?" "Hey." "How was your day?" "Long." "You smell good." " Yeah?" "Played golf with a colleague." "Had to wash away the funk." "I left you some food in the oven." "You cooked?" "I picked up some ziti from Mick's on my way home." "Oh, my mom called." "Did you check your schedule for the 15th?" "Baby, I asked you about my parents' anniversary party... three weeks ago." "And don't act like I'm being all up in your face, either." "I didn't say anything." "All right, can you just let me know as soon as possible, please?" "Thank you." "I'll go heat up your food, all right?" "Wow." "You look incredible." "Can I get you something, baby?" "I don't know." "Can you?" "Don't do it, Connie, okay?" "Don't..." " Do what?" "Please." "Listen, hey." "Everything's for a reason, okay?" "I'm trying really hard to believe that, Brandon." "Trust me." "Stop, Brandon." "Would you stop?" "Hey, want you to listen to me." "Our family's coming, okay?" " When?" "All I need is two minutes." "Look, I want a family, but I don't want one that soon, all right?" "Oh, trust me, trust me." "I will take... my time." "Really?" "Everything for a reason, right?" " Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Hello?" " Connie." "What is it, Ray?" "...served as a significant part... in the growth and the development of..." " Have you seen the news?" "He wasn't supposed to be here." "I have a great belief in the legal system, but that belief has waned." "We have breaking news from the Atlanta State Prison, where the facility is now in a full lockdown." "Inmate and former business mogul" "Emery Simms was found dead earlier today." "Prison personnel were not involved in the altercation... and no other deaths have been reported." "We go now to Tiffany Cochran, who's on location with the story." "Tiffany?" "Authorities are not releasing details in the death, only saying it was the result of a brawl within the prison." "Emery Simms was convicted of the brutal attack of Allanah James... nearly three years ago." "Simms' longtime attorney, Raymond Wallace, was in the process of filing yet another appeal at the time of Simms' death." "Should have left it on the damn cartoons." " Tiffany Cochran, WRSP, Channel 7..." "Baby." "See what I'm talking about?" "Yeah." "Donovan, it's Ray." "Have you seen the news?" "Yeah, I saw it, Ray." "I wanted to get to you first." "I didn't know if you wanted to take part in the arrangements." "No." "All right." "I'll get back to you as soon as everything's in place." "No need, Ray." " Donovan..." "Good night, Ray." "So how are you?" "Me?" "I'm fine, Ray." "He had a will." " Yeah?" "I have no need for anything Emery had to give." "Donovan, look..." " Look." "I'd appreciate it if you would stop trying to create a family where there isn't one." "Just doing my job." "Emery's dead, so your job is done." "See you later." "Donovan." "Line two." "Hey, Jim, sorry to keep you waiting." " Yeah, I hear you, Don." "Listen, number-wise, this expansion is a little more than they anticipated." "Okay." "Come on, Jim." "What do we need to do to keep this deal on the table?" "Well, I'm not sure if it's that simple." "Well, let's make it simple." "Talk to me like a two-year-old." "Well, if you showed them a little good faith, might light a fire." "So what are we talking about, more of my own capital?" "Wouldn't hurt." "Can it happen?" "Donovan?" "Look, Jim, capital isn't the problem." "If these people are skittish right now, what happens when we're in the middle of the deal?" "But can it happen?" "Let me see what I can work out." "Good enough." "Take care, Don." "Yeah." "Emery was very generous with his Distinction shares." "That's almost as much as Connie got in the divorce." "Did he leave anyone else this much?" " Not that much, no." "Not even you?" "I was trustee over Emery's assets while he was incarcerated." "I collected my standard fee." "Why'd he leave it to me?" "You're asking questions to the wrong man." "But you know what?" "There is something else." "It was in the safe-deposit box of the forensic scientist who recorded it." "His widow found it." "A Mr Andy Ryan." "Forensic?" "The report indicates there was another blood type on the murder weapon." "It places someone else on the scene of Allanah's murder." "Just like Emery'd been saying for years." "When this goes public, the heat on the department will be more... than unjustly putting away Atlanta's golden boy." "Now, we're in wrongful death territory here, son." "How could I possibly know that the guy was withholding?" "By busting your ass, eliminating all possibilities... and every other suspect before you hand me the wrong guy." "The existence of a second suspect is exculpatory evidence." "Now, Morgan, we had to turn it over." "You know that." "I want him gone." "That's not your call." "No." "No, it's just my ass." "And yours." "Where do you stand?" "Behind my men." "Always." "Captain, Simms was a legitimate collar." "All right." "Let me work on it, okay?" "But meanwhile, keep your head down." "Focus on saving your pension." "Yeah." "That sounds like me." "Morgan." "I heard you." "So what's your endgame?" "Are you looking to sue here?" " I just thought it was your right to know." "It's been a long time, Ray." " Yet here you are." "Well, I'm a businessman." " You don't need the money." "No, but maybe I just want it." " Maybe." "Either way, it's all in there." "Whatever falling-out you two had, you're still his brother." "Here, baby." "You want this?" "I never wrote Emery back." "You were angry." "Yeah, well, I still am." "Then why don't you walk away?" "Look, baby, you cannot bring his life back, but maybe you can keep it in the family." "Thank you." "Baby, I love you so much." "Give me my shirt back." " Make me." "You know I will." "Morning." "Morning." "You late?" " Early meeting." "You got time for lunch today?" " Sorry, I can't." "Plans." "Dinner?" " Okay." "8:00?" " 8:30." "8:15." " 8:15." "You're wearing that suit." "You're wearing that skirt." "I gotta go." " All right." "Brandon." "Yes, baby?" "Have a nice day." "You, too." "8:15." " Got it." "Detective Morgan." " Donovan Cook." "What can I do for you?" "Well, Detective, about four years ago, you worked the Emery Simms case." "I did." " I'm his brother." "Come on back." "Tim, buzz the door." "Here you go." "To your left." "Can I get you some coffee or something?" " I'm okay." "We're right here at the end." "Excuse me." "Yes, yes, yes." "All right." "So, again, how can I help you?" "I'd like to know what really happened to my brother." "Okay." "Well, I can get you a..." "I can get you a police report." "Williams." "Detective." " Yeah." "I've read all the police files." "Then I'm not sure what you want from me." "Perhaps you can give me a firsthand account, maybe some kind of theory on where the ball was dropped." "Here's an idea, why don't you reopen the case?" "Although there's no statute of limitations on murder, at the present time I see no reason to..." "No reason?" "The forensic evidence places another person at the murder scene." "Maybe it was an accomplice." " Maybe it was the killer." "Detective." "Now, I'm sure you're aware that I wasn't around when the murders took place." "Yet somehow even I got wind that Emery named Brandon Collier... all up and down the press." "And he was so convincing that your brother's ex-wife married the guy." "Mr Cook..." "Donovan." "I'm sorry about your loss." "But unless Mr Collier volunteers a blood sample or gets arrested, his DNA is as off-limits as yours." "Donovan?" "Rene, on two." "Yeah." "Put her through." "Hey, Rene." "What's wrong now, baby?" "Somebody broke in the store today." "Security got there before they got in, but still." "Rene..." "I work hard and my insurance is too high... for this bullshit." " Rene..." "People always trying to..." " Rene." "What?" "Listen, baby, do you have that yellow dress I bought you?" "Yellow..." "What?" "Yeah, Donovan." "Get that ready for tonight, okay?" "Hello?" "Good evening." "One day, years ago, somebody dared me to do something different." "I won that dare, and I never stepped back into the box." "You see, here we combine soulful art with the best cuisine in the city." "I didn't realise peace offering and setup were synonymous, Ray." "Legal jargon." "So the applause of your choice at this establishment... is a flashback to the days of the beatniks." "Raymond Wallace." " Oh." "Rene." "Nice to meet you." "That is a very beautiful dress you have on." "Thank you." "I'm gonna go use the bathroom." " Again?" "Yeah." "He is smooth." "Yeah, I'm sure he'd like to think so." "You want a drink?" " Yeah." "Okay." "Welcome, my friends." "May the feeling descend on your ears like light notes of a moody melody, where mine is the time of woe, know your time is short." "Bursts of sunshine and light to warm your hearts and feed your soul." "From far you've come, we hope you'll stay." "I give to you Café Beret." "So how do you like the house that Emery built?" "You never stop, do you, Ray?" "Ray..." "I'm sorry to interrupt." " No harm." "Nina, this is Donovan Cook." "Donovan, this is Nina Welch, director of business development at Distinction." "Hi." "It's my pleasure." " Mine as well." "Brandon just wanted to know if you had a chance... to look at the purchase offer he sent over for the lease property?" "Every day is a work day." "I did." "Donovan, how would you like to join us?" "I should really wait for Rene to return from the restroom." "Well, you're more than welcome." "I'm sure she can find her way back." "Hey, baby." " Oh, lovely." "Thank you." "You look fantastic." "Congratulations on a hitch-free opening." "Thank you, thank you." "Hard work often shows." "Isn't that right, baby?" " Yes, yes, yes." "This is Donovan Cook." "This is the man of the hour, Brandon Collier." "And you know Connie, of course." " Yes." "Donovan is..." " An old family friend." "Excuse me." "Oh, see, I told you she was very industrious." "Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Rene." "Hi." "Nice to meet you." " Nina, Connie, Brandon." "Hello." " Hi." "Right." "The bills are paid and the liquor is legal, so I hope you and Rene can stay for a while and celebrate with us." "Oh, thank you for the very kind offer, but we need to be going." "Ray, I believe we're settled." "Everyone enjoy their evenings." " Bye." "All right." "Since Andy OD'd, does this mean we don't get any benefits?" "'Cause I ain't worked since the baby." "Ma'am, I don't know." "But the department does take care of its own." "I was afraid with, you know, with Andy and..." "Anyway." "Mrs Ryan, I'm just here to make sure that everything gets handled by the book." "That man that got killed, Emery Simms or something?" "He didn't do it?" "That's what them papers in Andy's box said." "We're looking into it." "Mrs Ryan, did your..." "Did Andy keep any work-related notebooks or anything like that around the house?" "I don't know." "The office is a mess and I haven't gone through it yet, but I'm gonna go through it on..." "I'll be right back." "Mrs..." "Mrs Ryan, listen, how about, you know, you come down to the station, we can do this on a better day, all right?" "Then we can wrap it up." "Okay." " No problem." "But thank you for the house call." "Can you check on that money for me?" "Sure." "Thank you for the coffee." "Excuse me." "Yes." " You like Chinese?" "Moo Shu or Moo Goo?" "Hey, Ray." "Welcome." " Hey." "Please, have a seat." "So Collier doesn't even own the shares?" "You're right." "Moo Shu." "All right, then what's his claim?" "He has a proxy for Connie's shares." "He gets to run the company and she gets to focus on the youth centre." "Here you go, babe." " Thank you." "But she can jerk his chain at any time." "Well, maybe that short leash is her safety net, you know?" "Okay." "Here's the question, how do I take something that he doesn't have?" "All right, I'm not gonna hold you folks long." "I'm told Raymond's running a little late, so we're gonna skip my first announcement and get us started." "On behalf of the board," "I'd like to congratulate Brandon on the opening of Café Beret." "As you older board members know," "Distinction went through a bit of an upheaval after Emery's incarceration." "For the past several years," "Brandon's leadership has been quite significant, such that we attached a bit of a carrot to this latest accomplishment." "In light of the stellar opening of Café Beret, the board would like to make good on its word... and offer you part ownership in Distinction." "It's a recognition that's long overdue." "Congratulations." "Thank you, Ron." "I'd like to begin by letting you guys know that..." "Sorry we're late, Ron." "That's okay." "We were just recognising Brandon for the opening of Café Beret." "Please, Brandon." "I was just letting the board members know... that we're very close to owning the property that Café Beret sits on." "Even beyond the restaurant, it's prime real estate we'd be fortunate to own." "Excellent." "We look forward to your progress reports." "Thank you." "Working backwards to my first announcement, for several years, Raymond Wallace has been the trustee of Emery Simms' shares." "With Emery's passing, he's transferred those shares... to their intended beneficiary, Emery's brother, Mr Donovan Cook." "As such, Mr Cook will be joining us on this board." "Excuse me." "I don't know how to keep this polite, but I've known Emery since college... and Connie was married to the man, for God's sake." "But with all due respect, Emery doesn't have a brother." "Brandon." "Surely Emery didn't tell you everything." "May I?" " Please." "Look, I'd just like to say this up front." "Now, I'm not here to disrupt a well-oiled machine." "I wasn't aware that I was a beneficiary of any of my brother's assets." "I'd like to do whatever I can... to continue the growth of this fine company." "So anything, anything at all that you need, please let me know." "All right." "Well, I want to thank you folks for coming out for such a short meeting... and I guess we're adjourned." "I didn't know." "Connie?" "Would you be willing to give me a little primer on the company?" "I don't want to be a part of whatever game you're playing." "Hey, I just want what's best." "Since when?" " Connie, people change." "Don't you mean money changes people?" " Maybe you should ask your husband." "You know what?" "Don't you ride in here on your high horse, Donovan." "I was here through all of it, the murders and arrests and trials and..." "Yeah, and the funerals." " Yes, funerals." "But of the two of us, I have seniority in caring about Emery." "Shared paternity doesn't give you any Brownie points." "Now, if you'll excuse me." "We've got the deposition set up for Friday." "Is that going to be good for you?" "Yeah, that'll be fine." "Thank you." "All right, so let's give them about a week." "Then we'll turn up the heat." "I had no idea he was coming here." " But you know who he is, Connie." "When he didn't say anything at the restaurant," "I just assumed he didn't want it to be known." "Of course he wanted it to be known." "Why else would he introduce himself in the first place?" "You're right." "I'm sorry, I should've told you." "I apologise, Brandon." "Don't be rude." "You just helped the enemy pull off a surprise attack." "'The enemy'?" "I will not pretend to not be upset about this." "That would be dishonest." "I'll be at the youth centre if you need to reach me." "So who am I going to see?" " Everything you need is in here." "All right." " All right." "Yo, Chuck, you don't want to stay in your business, do you?" "Yo, fuck him, man." "Who the fuck are you?" "Looks like you could use some help." "You look like the suit fairy." "You ain't a bitch in four-inch heels, I ain't buying." "Hey, look, I just thought... you'd be interested in getting some revenge... on the man who killed your wife." "The motherfucker that killed my wife is pushing up dirt where his ass should be." "No, you don't look like the kind of brother who would trust what the police say." "See, I have proof." "And deep pockets." "So you had beef with your boy?" "I don't really see how that's relevant." "No?" " No." "I'm nosy." "Now what?" "Look, man, you knew Emery." "He was the golden child, so that made me the bastard son and I grew up knowing it." "So why you interested in evening a score for somebody you didn't care about?" "I don't really think you're gonna be worried about my intentions... when you're taking yourself to the bank." "So what's your plan then, light-skin?" "I need you to get access to" "Brandon's computer and download his files." "Make sure you get everything." "Briefcase, briefcase." "Okay." "Where was I going?" "See you later." "And give me two more sugars." "You wanted to see me, Captain?" " Close the door." "I thought I told you to keep your head down." "I thought I did." "Sit down." "You didn't tell Donovan Cook that the department wouldn't consider... reopening the Simms case because, let's see," "'I did my job.'" "Cap, it didn't go down like that." " You should've sent him to me." "He was fishing." "He didn't make any kind of formal request." "Well, it was formal enough for his attorney to go public." "He's clearly trying to manipulate procedure through the press." "Morgan, now look, I'm trying to stay in your corner, man, but you're in no position to get on a soapbox." "Captain..." " Listen." "They're scheduling a hearing." "Now, this could mean your job, Morgan." "So stop screwing around." "We done?" "Yeah." "Meet me in an hour." "I thought I told you an hour." "And you said this shit would be under control." "Simms' attorney went to the press after I blew off the brother." "But there are bigger things happening." "If this guy keeps poking around, he's bound to bump into something else, and if Andy kept personal notes on the James crime scene, there's no telling what else he's got stashed." "Can you find out if he has anything else?" "I tried, didn't get far." " Try again." "It's better if it's you." "They're watching me." "Morgan, you've got a badge." "Use it." "Don't get above yourself, all right?" "Remember, this all started with you." "Keep me in the loop." " Yeah." "Me, too." "Hey, man, how you doing?" " I got you." "Hey." "I brought your favourite wine." " That's sweet." "I got you some champagne." "Whichever she prefers, okay?" " Wine." "Ma'am." "Thank you." " You're welcome." "Long day?" " No, I'm fine." "There's just a lot going on at the office." "Lot of distractions lately, even between us." "I asked the chef to bring us out his personal recommendation." "Sounds good." "Brandon Collier?" "Yeah." "Have a good evening." "What's that?" " I don't know." "Shit." " What?" "They want to revoke the restaurant's liquor licence." "Why?" "They say I falsified information on the applications." "What?" "Let me see that." "Come on, let me see it." "'Your presence is requested before the Atlanta Licence Review Board... 'to defend yourself against these allegations.'" "This is ridiculous." "Brandon." "This is ridiculous, right?" "I was a hotheaded 17-year-old freshman... out where I shouldn't have been, doing things I shouldn't have been doing." "An older buddy and I were at a bar, and my buddy had a few." "There was a fight." "It got ugly." "I got the lesser of the charge because of my age." "The state didn't release my name, but that didn't stop people from finding out what was going on." "It made school, life in general, complicated." "So when I turned 18," "I changed my name, enrolled in another school... and started fresh." "Until this thing with the liquor licence, I never looked back." "I truly regret any embarrassment I may have caused the company." "Although we do admire your somewhat belated honesty, it's not just company embarrassment." "There's just no such animal... as a fine dining establishment that doesn't serve alcohol." "This doesn't have to be complicated." "I simply overlooked the name change on the application." "It's more of a clerical error." " Not quite." "Applicants undergo a background check." "So if you are essentially someone else, that's more than clerical." "Additionally, the... 'person in good moral standing' stipulation... of the application comes into play with your past conviction." "It was a juvie offence." " It was a juvie defence." "Okay, let's take it down a notch." "There's a problem, we will fix it." "In the meantime, let's not forget Brandon's service to this company." "Very soon we will own the property that Café Beret sits on, giving us an even stronger long-term financial foothold." "That's all well and good, Connie, but what happens... if the Licence Board votes against Brandon?" "We could use my name for the licence." "I have nothing to hide." "Maybe we should make this official." "This is what he wanted." "The board's not gonna turn against you for one incident." "It's a coup, Connie." "You seem pretty sure that he initiated all of this." "Is it that you don't want to see it?" "Honestly, I'm stuck on other things." "Connie, please, all right?" "This isn't the time." "You lecture me about being honest and keeping secrets from you." "I don't even know who you are." "It's just a name." "Should I just believe you?" "Tell you what, you do what you need to do here," "but your wife needs you at home." "So we can talk." "Hey." "Close the door." "Fuck, man." "You saw me, man." "What are you, crazy?" "My God, are you all right, sir?" "You saw my ass walking right there." "No, sir, I think you need to just stay out of the street." "All right, Detective." "So what, is this how you handle all refusals to reopen cases that you fuck up?" "Just stay out of the way." "Motherfucker." "Man, you want to get rid of that fucking badge, we can do this right here, we can do this right now, me and you." "Yeah." "Yeah." "You wanted to play hardball." "Welcome to the game." "You have a nice day." "I need you to get some information on Donovan... before he causes more damage." "Dirt, something personal." "I wouldn't even know where to start with something like that, especially if it's not business-related." "Look, I need you to get close to him, okay?" "Get him to talk." "That's not what I do." "Maybe you should find someone who charges by the hour." "Look, I came in to tell you that Ron wants to talk to you." "He's still in the conference room." "Have you followed up with Incosa about the offer?" "I'll get right on that." "It's pretty late." "I just needed some time to myself after work." "Well, I thought you wanted to talk." "Yeah." "I did, too." "Just tell me what's going on, Connie." "Connie." "Hi, this is Nina." "Leave a message." "Eddings, let's go." "Your attorney's here." "Excuse me." "I was told we'd have some privacy." "I ain't got no damn lawyer, man." "I know, Mr Eddings." "My name is Donovan Cook." "I'm here to find out a few facts about an old friend of yours." "I ain't got no friends, man." "Okay, but you used to, back when you went to UGA." "I told you, man, I ain't got no friends." "Okay." "Then why don't you just think of me as a business associate?" "And let's say that you have a cash flow coming in." "Maybe about a grand coming in on a fairly regular basis." "Maybe a little bonus every now and again, something for the wife?" "You know, that's not too bad a deal." "Probably does the job real nice." "But let's say there's a counteroffer on the table, something that might let you enjoy your profits outside your current... parameters." "Now might that make you a little bit more... friendly?" "Negotiate." "Now you're speaking my language." "Now, I need you to tell me about what happened... on the night with..." "With Collier." "What happened that night with Collier?" "Why are his people being so generous to your people?" "You need to slow down, man." "It's gonna take a whole bunch of scrubs to get up out these doors, man." "What you working with?" "What am I working with?" "Well, first of all, I have a very gifted lawyer, gifted enough to get me in here and speak with you alone." "And secondly, that same lawyer... is very generous to my new associates." "Let's get up outta here, man." "I'll talk to you soon, Mr Eddings." "Your 11 o'clock asked if he could wait in your office." "I don't have an 11 o'clock." "Mr Thompson." "He said he was an old friend." "I've got work to do, Mr Thompson." "Now, see, that's what's up." "Brother put on a suit... and motherfuckers start calling him by his last name and shit." "We could get along fine, Collier, if you hadn't killed my wife." "Is that what you call all your little tricks?" "Slow your roll there, killer." "Emery Simms killed Allanah." "Is he fucking the honey down the hall, too?" "Oh, you want me to get that?" " Yeah." "On your way out." "Come on, man, you and me, we gonna hook up." "Play a little game of show and tell." "I got the show, some photos that you need to see." "Hot shit, top-shelf." "You know, you might recognise some of the folks in 'em." "Close the door when you leave." "No doubt." "Kind of late for my 12 o'clock, anyway." "I'll be in touch." "Clear your lunch." "Did he show them to you?" "No." "But you think he has them." "What're you gonna do?" "Look, I'm not gonna let some small-time wannabe thug punk me, Nina." "All right?" "That's not the kind of man I am." "Well, hey, if you think your marriage and Distinction can weather this, that's great." "But what about my career and my reputation?" "Well, I certainly can't offer you the VP promotion right now, okay?" "If this blows up, it would only make things look worse." "I earned that promotion during office hours." "Well, baby, something has to give." "Just give me some damn credit for trying to make this work." "You came after me, Brandon." " Yeah, well." "I guess you cut us off a little too late." "Well, stick to saving yourself." "It's your strong suit." "Donovan, are you still up?" "Hey, baby, you feeling any better?" "When are you coming to bed?" "I'll be in in a minute, I promise." "All right, 'cause I need to talk to you." "Okay." "Just give me a minute, okay?" "Is all that about Connie?" "Baby, please don't start that shit right now, okay?" "I really..." "I got a lot going on and I can't..." "No, no." "You know what?" "You don't know shit about what's going on, Donovan." "Good morning." "My mother called again." "Yeah, I got the message." "Okay." "Well?" "Honestly?" "Baby, I don't have the patience to be interrogated by your family right now." "And an anniversary party?" "Come on." "I'd have to be crazy." "Okay, that's fine." "You don't have to go, Donovan, but please don't talk about my family just because they care about my future." "All right?" "Like you have such a bad deal here?" "Wow." "Negro, you didn't pick my ass up off the street, all right?" "I had a job, a key and a car before I met you, so don't go there." "Why you always gotta talk like that?" "Are you serious?" "It's not ladylike." "What the hell do you care?" "Apparently you're not leasing to buy." "And you wonder why." "What did you say?" "Wow." "You know, let me tell you something, Donovan Cook." "You are looking at a good woman, driven, educated, been in love with the same man for two years." "God." "Shame on you for treating me like" "I'm not even worth my own anniversary party." "Is that fucking ladylike enough for you?" "He outbid us on the Café Beret property." "Who?" "Donovan doesn't have the capital to outbid that property." "Maybe not by himself." "He brought in a group of West Coast investors." "I checked into it." "It's a little late to start doing your fucking job." "This isn't my screw-up." "You're Director of Business Development, Nina." "You were supposed to be on top of this." "Don't try to get your rocks off yelling at me." "You're the one who tried to low-ball the offer." "I advised you otherwise." "And I definitely didn't destroy your relationship with the board." "If you were where you're supposed to be..." "What?" "Back underneath you?" "Mrs Collier's here for your lunch." "Got it." "I'll touch base with you later." "Connie." " Hello." "Got your e-mail." "Hello?" "You know, I used to think these coffee places was for you bullshit motherfuckers, but I'm kind of feeling this mochaccino shit." "Congratulations." "Hey, come kick it with me, man." "I'm right down the street at the coffeehouse." "No, thank you." " No, thank you?" "Oh, you must not have checked your e-mail today." "Tell you what, I'm gonna be here for, like, another 10 minutes." "After that, I'm gonna show these pictures to somebody." "Now, unless you want that to be somebody else, you need to get your tight, suit-wearing ass over here before I leave." "Thank you." "Is everything all right?" "Yeah, I may need to postpone our lunch." "Babe, my office isn't exactly around the corner." "I know." "I'm sorry, sweetheart." "Just let me take care of something." "Can you hang around here for a moment?" "Fine." " Hey, you look great." "Just for the sake of argument." "Fifty Gs." "You're kidding me." "You can show 'em to who you want, all right?" "You ain't playing enough music to make me dance." "But you at the party, though." "Trying to bluff me, Collier?" " Oh, no, no." "But don't let the suit fool you, all right?" "I done bumped into cats like you before." "And guess what, I'm the one still standing." "Look here, little throwback thug," "I ain't come here to write your life story." "Connie coming to kick it with us?" "Funny." "Come at me with a real figure." "Then maybe we'll have something to talk about." "I gave you my figure." "Now you come at me with some cash." "Yeah." "There's a lot you don't know." "So I suppose you're offering answers, huh?" "Some." "About Emery." "How he died." "Look here, Collier, don't fuck with me." "Midnight." "You best come correct." "Yeah, that's how I do it." "So you need some heat or what?" "No." "I don't do guns, I do deals." "It's your call." "Listen, I wouldn't mind you being there and having my back, though." "I got business about an hour before that." "Should be wrapped up by then." "All right, cool." "Okay." "What's my guarantee you don't have copies of the pictures hidden somewhere?" "Honour among thugs." "Understand this is a one-time transaction." "I ain't greedy." "Hey." " Can't your ass stay on the job, man?" "Against the wall." " What for?" "We got a call about some possible illegal activity in the area." "That's some bullshit." "Can I ask you, too, is this a registered gun?" " Man, ease the fuck up." "What is this?" "I thought I asked you if you had any weapons." "Is this registered?" " Shut up." "What is this?" " It's my tithe." "How about that." "Confiscate this, and your gun for evidence." "Oh, man, that's my shit." "Threat to an officer's safety justifies the use of deadly force." "You understand that?" "Okay, get up." "Find an alternative method of doing God's work." "Thanks for coming." "Get your hands off me, dog." "I know better than to expect a confession out of your ass." "What, you think I wore a wire?" "Tough man, huh?" "Have a seat, my brother." "After you." "Hey, I haven't done anything wrong." "Ask anyone who's ever tried to prove otherwise." "Yeah, most of them are dead." "Most." "Why do you care?" "Where the fuck did you come from anyway?" "Is it about the almighty dollar?" "Do you want me to answer that in any particular order, man?" "You don't have a clue of what's happening around you." "This ain't a boardroom." "There are no rules." "Ask your boy." "What boy is that?" "Did he tell you he made me an offer?" "You ought to look closer to home for your enemies." "Now even your precious evidence puts two people at the scene of the crime." "You know, maybe Emery and Derrick... took care of Allanah together." "What?" "Sit the fuck down." "Now, you're visible, but you're not untouchable, okay?" "So look, let's be smart about this, all right?" "We can both benefit if we come to an understanding." "Here's what I understand." "You're a lying-ass, murdering-ass piece of shit." "Says who, you?" "Oh, you fucked up now." "Get up." "Get your punk ass up." "Mr Tough Man, huh?" "That wasn't too smart, boy." "Real stupid." "But I like you." "So I'm gonna give you one more chance, your last chance, so I suggest you reconsider my offer." "Or I will be that murdering piece of shit." "Took your ass long enough." "What the fuck happened to you?" " Business ran long." "Hold on, motherfucker." "You came to me, talking about we can take this dude down." "Oh, but now you can't type in your little funky-ass laptop, you want out." "Yeah, and you cutting side deals with Collier." "You know, while you trying to figure out that stupid shit, your ass need to know that Collier got five-o in his pocket." "What are you fucking talking about, Morgan?" "Yeah, lemon-drop-ass bitch." "Took my fucking gun and all my cash." "Talking about, 'You gotta find another method to make money.'" "Bitch nigger's dirty." "Fucker got me, too." "So what you gonna do now, Cletus?" "Connie, listen, it's Donovan." "I need you to call me as soon as you get this message." "This shit is deep." "It's way deeper than anything I told you before, and I just really need to speak with you." "I'm not playing games." "Please call me when you get this message." "Do what you need to do." "Find me." "Rene?" "Rene?" "What are you doing here?" "Our meeting. 7:00." "We're supposed to go over the new prospectus your people put together." "We're gonna have to do this later." "I said later." " I heard you." "Rene left." "I'm sorry." "Right." "No, really." "Shit." "Connie." "I guess I deserve this." "Connie?" "How's Rene?" "Exactly." "What is it about you Simms men?" "You know what, God damn it, you have all the answers, don't you?" "So why don't you tell me?" "I came here to hear your side of the story." "And I guess I got my answers." "Hello." "Ray?" "I'm sorry I woke you up, man." "What's going on?" "I ever tell you" "Emery was the one who bankrolled my very first real estate deal?" "I know." "That dude, man, is..." "Even though I never had his back, man, he always..." "God damn it, he always had mine." "That's because he understood you, Donovan." "No, man." "I don't even..." "I don't think Emery did get me." "I just think..." "I think he was just loyal, man." "It's loyalty, man." "I think that's what it is." "That's crucial." "I mean, God damn it, Ray," "I mean, it's so crucial people even pay your ass to give it to them." "The real kind doesn't have a price, Donovan." "That's bullshit." "Watch what happens if you don't give it." "Your ass will pay one way or another, man." "Connie, I realise asking you to trust me is unfair, so I won't." "Instead I'm sending you proof of everything I write here... about a fight in a bar a long time ago... where a freshman named Michelle died at Brandon's hands." "They followed her there because Brandon thought she was cheating on him." "And she was." "Hill, the buddy Brandon referred to, wasn't drunk." "Brandon had the knife, but his story was more convincing to the cops and he was a juvie." "He's been sending money to Hill's family ever since, but Hill never got over the betrayal." "At first, it looked like just another business deal, but then I realised all I wanted to do was clear my brother's name." "To nail the man who really killed Allanah James." "They stole everything Emery had, including you." "But I've realised I've been as shortsighted as I thought Emery was... and I'm determined not to end up where he did." "I need you to know the man you're married to, because he has a pattern of eliminating people... who don't follow his rules." "Brandon's proven how dangerous he can be, Connie, and I've had my fill of funerals." "Your husband murdered Allanah, and he framed my brother." "And I'm following up on some other information... that makes me sure he's connected to the overdose of a cop." "The best way for me to honour my brother is to see this through." "I wish that was all." "But there's one more thing." "Hello." "Why?" "Morgan." "You got other business I need to know about?" "What the fuck are you talking about?" " Where is my money from Derrick?" "Listen, don't call me with this shit." "Stay smart, Morgan." "You fuck me over for that girl, mark my word," "I'm taking your ass down with me." "You need to calm down." "Just don't fuck with me." " And don't fuck with me." "I've spoken my piece." "And you didn't know Andy Ryan?" "Yeah, I knew of him." "His name was in the paper." "That's the first time you heard of him, huh?" "Ryan had some information that would do some damage here." "Ryan OD'd." "We both know Andy couldn't afford that grade of heroin, not on his salary, not with most of it going into the needle." "Cassius will testify to your transaction." "You want me to be afraid of the word of a drug dealer?" "And a cop." " What cop?" "You know what cop." "Now look, Morgan, that's only circumstantial." "Now we can only nail him on the purchase." "Unless..." "Unless we establish motive." "Now, do you want to talk before or after I press play?" "Listen, Captain, I admit it." "I dropped the ball on the brother's request." "That's why I wanted to make sure I had enough on Collier to nail him... before I came to you." "Ryan had a monster habit." "Habits require money." "If Collier paid Ryan to suppress the blood evidence, what's the best way to off a junkie cop?" "Press it." "Give him some shit he ain't used to." "Give him the good shit." "Listen, don't call me with this shit." "If you fuck me over for that girl, mark my word..." "You might want to check Collier's blood against the second type on the box cutter." "Good work, Morgan." " Thanks." "Look, I've gotta go to the office for a minute." "I'll meet you in about 10, all right?" " Yes, sir." "He said exactly what you said he would." "Damn near verbatim." "Thank you, Captain." "Yeah." "Connie." "Connie." "This is my wife, all right?" "Could I get a minute?" "All right?" "This is you?" "This is where you want me?" " Goodbye, Brandon." "You, too?" "I'm sorry." "I got a message to meet Brandon." "I know." "But I thought we should talk, woman to woman." "My turn?" " Yeah." "You little bitch." " Get out of here." "Calm down." "I'm..." " Get him out of here." "Get him out of here." "You all know where my heart is." "It's a couple of miles from here... with those incredible kids who never get a second look from most people." "And while I don't regret the time that I spent nurturing each and every one of them," "I now see that I left Distinction in the hands of a less-than-qualified babysitter." "Oh, shit." "We heard they had you in House B, man." "Yeah." "Need a spot?" "Yeah, that's cool." "Ladies and gentlemen," "Mama's home." "Thank you." "There's room for the heart in business." "The new Distinction will embody that concept." "How much can you handle?" "Whatever." "Just lay it on." "Yeah, that's all right." "You did what you were supposed to do." "Whatever you think of Emery Simms, thought about him or believe about him, you wouldn't be in this room without his efforts." "You got my money now?" "Yeah, man." "Let's go forward." "Let's do it." "You picked a chilly night to have this meeting." "Aren't you cold, Andy?" "This doesn't look much like a precinct." "We can prove you killed her." "That was a nice touch, but Forensics is a motherfucker." "You make what, $30,000, $40,000 a year?" "Give or take a buck." "Let's say, hypothetically, I have something supplemental to offer." "A gift." "What would that do for me?" "It could probably get you a guy that can handle paperwork." "Hypothetically, of course." "Of course." "You heard your wife won't be visiting no boy no more." "Good." "We'll settle later." " Yeah." "Wow." "You look incredible." "Can I get you something, baby?"