" Who are you?" " Nolan Ross." "Friend of your father's." "He wanted you to have something." "My father was a murderer and a liar." "So why would I trust you?" "'Cause that's just what they want you to believe." "Forget everything that you think you know, Amanda." "Your dad was protecting you." "When deception cuts this deep, someone has to pay." "Please let me out of here!" "You destroyed a man's career." "No!" "No!" " You scare me." " Good." "You're driving me crazy tonight, Amanda." "Is that right?" " Let's get outta here." " No, I want to dance." "You just gonna tease me all night?" "Get your hands off me." " What's your problem?" " What's your problem?" "Vodka tonic, hold the tonic." "You got it." "I've been watching you all night." " Oh, yeah?" " Let's go." " You bastard!" " What the hell?" "What's wrong with you, you crazy bitch?" "Get off him!" "Screw you, you son of a bitch!" " Hey!" " Stop it!" "You're gonna kill him!" "Let go of me!" "Freak!" "Come on, man." "Take it easy." "I'm just a girl." "I will give you $10,000 for a cigarette." "You know, you really shouldn't smoke, Amanda." "It's bad for the skin." "You." "What the hell do you want?" "Some moo goo gai pan and maybe some wontons." "Care to join?" "No." "Well, I really hate to eat alone, so, uh..." "Why don't you hop in?" "You should really drink some tea." "It'll help with that hangover." "I don't like to think that far ahead." "Oh, well, that explains why, uh, you didn't consider that the guy you just toilet capped at the club could press charges." "Well, let him." "I can afford it." "I promised your dad that I would look after you." "You don't even know me." "I met you once six months ago." "Yeah, outside the gates of your lovely one-bedroom at Allenwood Detention, where I gave you half my company." "If you came to get your money back, you're too late." "I don't want it back." "I just want you to use it for something other than your own self-destruction." "Destruction's in my D.N.A." " Take it up with Darwin." " Wait." "You didn't read the journals, did you?" "And so what if I did, he'd still be dead and I couldn't do anything about it." "This isn't about changing things, Amanda." "This is about knowing who your dad really was." "You have to read those journals." "Thanks for the ride." "Amanda." "This is everyone?" "Everyone who represents a threat of exposure." "I've expedited their invitations to your New Year's party." "You know what my resolution is gonna be this year?" "No more parties." "They're like a hidden tax on the rich." "I think Victoria might have something to say about that." "About what?" "We have a situation." "So you said when you summoned me." "Now what was so important that I had to leave Le Bernardin mid-course?" "This came in the mail yesterday." "From David Clarke?" "Obviously not, being the man's been dead for the past eight months." "What is this, some kind of sick joke?" "We're treating it as a threat from someone who had inside knowledge of the circumstances." "Frank's compiled a list of everyone who played a willing role in the cover-up and everyone who was complicit in their ignorance, and all of them will now be attending our annual New Year's party in the Hamptons." "And once we have them corralled," "Frank will be using his investigative acumen to narrow down the suspects." "Well, count me out." "I find the prospect of ringing in the New Year with any of these people absolutely nauseating." "More or less nauseating than the prospect of life in prison?" "Because that is what we face if the author of this note decides to expose the truth about the late Mr. David Clarke." "What can I get ya?" " Vodka tonic, hold the tonic." " Want a twist?" "The hero and the villain are actually the same person." "Get it?" "A twist." "Sorry." "I'm taking a mail-in creative writing course." "Funny." "No, it's dumb, but anything to pass the time." "In the winters, it's like The Shining around here." "Actually, you're the first new face I've seen since summer." "You a local?" "Mm." "No." "Just passing through." "Jack, help your brother before he breaks something." "You're not gonna break anything, are you, Dec?" "He's got it." "That the last of your stuff?" "Yeah, I got one more load, and then your boyfriend" " officially lives in a bar." " Mm." "Lucky me." "Hey, Amanda." "Ah." "Okay." "What do you think?" "Your tie is a little crooked." "You know, I don't have to go tonight." "Why not?" "It sounds fun." "Because..." "It's kind of a tradition, us staying home, watching the ball drop." "You fell asleep last year." " I think you need a new tradition." " So did not fall asleep." " Yeah, you did." "And I stayed awake." " No, no, you actually" " I'm gonna have to torture you now..." " Stop that." "Because you are..." " Stop." " You shall be grounded." " Happy New Year, all." " Who's that?" " Hey." " Oh, hey, Bill." " Hey." " Party's next door." "I just came to make sure you'd show up and to give a certain young lady her Christmas present." "Ah!" "Ariel." "Thanks, Uncle Bill." "Hey." "Hey, come on." "Conrad's Montecristos aren't gonna smoke themselves, huh?" "All right." "Don't stay up too late." "Bye." "You know how much I love you?" "Infinity times infinity." "That's right." " Bye." " Good night." "Happy New Year, honey." "You ready?" "Yeah, I guess as I'll ever be..." ""My dear Amanda..." ""In the pages that follow," ""I've attempted to piece together" ""the ruthless betrayal that brought about" ""my false imprisonment and our unbearable separation." ""I hope this chronicle will one day provide you" ""an understanding of what I believe happened to me." ""If I'm at all culpable for what happened to us, Amanda..." ""Believing in a system rigged against me" ""by the people I knew as friends" ""in a life I can no longer..." ""It's because I gave away my trust too easily..." ""Bill Harmon has been a close associate" ""of the Graysons' for years, whereas Conrad has..." ""Roger Halsted is a true friend." ""As for why he would let himself be dragged into this..." ""I can't claim to know Tom Kingsly very well," ""in prosecuting the case against me," ""it's clear that he buried evidence on behalf of the Graysons."" " Hello." "Happy New Year." " Thank you, sir." "Lydia." "Oh, Michael." "It is so good to see you both." "We wouldn't have come by a day early like this, but we were kind of, uh, in the neighborhood." "House shopping." "Michael promised to buy a place in Southampton." "Unfortunately, all the beachfront properties get snatched up the second they hit the market." "One day, this bubble is gonna burst." "Oh, well, let it." "There's been a veritable invasion of riffraff around here ever since the feds flattened the rates." "What he means is that we'd be thrilled to have you as neighbors." "The closer the better." "Be careful what you wish for." "We did put an offer on David Clarke's old beach house next door." "Yes, but, uh, after the government seized the property, they auctioned it off to some dummy corporation." "I mean, you'd think with the history of that house, they would be happy to unload it." "But apparently, they're not entertaining any offers." "Oh, well, that's unfortunate." "Would you please take the Davises bags and situate them in an oceanfront room?" "Hey, hold the tonic." "Thought you were just passing through." "Thought I'd stay a little longer than expected." " How are the burgers here?" " Can't say." "I don't eat meat." "People who do say they're the best in Montauk." "Hey, boss, um..." "You think I can get tomorrow night off?" "I lined up a gig with a catering service for the Graysons' New Year's thing." "I need you here." "Well, I figured that with the way that business has been going, you..." "Were gonna start cutting shifts." "You want the catering job, take it." "But just don't come back here." "Turned you down?" "I'm gonna go broke if I keep working at this place, and we need cash if we're going to Europe this summer." "I'm sorry, Ky." "It's not like this is some small setback." "Dad had to sell the house." "I'm not mad at him." "I'm mad at Montauk." "I feel like I'm gonna be stuck here my whole life." "There are worse places." "Sorry." "Drama." "You know, I could use some extra cash, too." "Think I could fill in for you at that New Year's party?" "Kick you back 25% if you can hook it up." "Sure, if you really want to work on New Year's Eve." "What's your name?" "Mandy." "Sammy." "You got so big." "Your dad always said you had a soft spot for animals." "What, are you following me now?" "In this weather, more like tracking." "Don't you have any friends or family of your own to harass over the holidays?" "Sammy." "Come on." "Get in here." "Hey, listen, if you guys aren't doing anything tomorrow for New Year's, we got 2-for-1 shots here till midnight." "Tell your friends." "What do you think?" " I made plans." " Let me guess." "Volunteering in a homeless shelter." "Finding out who my father was." "Now get lost, Nolan." "I haven't had a guardian in ten years." "I don't need one now." "I see Michael and Lydia Davis have arrived." "Yeah." "I'm pretty sure there's nothing to worry about with them." "I mean, Michael didn't even play a part, and Lydia's not exactly the type to suffer a crisis of conscience." "I would like to think my secretary's a tad more loyal than she was to David." "Everyone's a suspect, even you." "And Victoria?" "Where is Victoria?" " Don't be afraid." " They put out a nice spread." " Yeah." " Bill." "Fashionably late as usual." "Oh, that's, uh, my fault, I'm afraid." " Bill took a detour to my house." " Ah." "Hi, I'm David Clarke." "I-I work with your husband." "Happy New Year, Mr. Clarke." "How is it we haven't met before?" "David's not much for parties." "Perhaps if you acquired shares in that mentality, your star would be rising as fast as David's." "All work and no play?" "where's the fun in that?" "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get a drink." "David just moved into the beach house next door." "Oh, so you're the one." "Well, welcome to the neighborhood." "It's a beautiful property." "Well, it will be eventually." "It needs work." "But, uh, I'm afraid, uh, all I could afford was a fixer." " But it felt right." " Felt?" "How refreshing." "As I understand it, we only buy properties if the tax incentives work for us." "You know what?" "Uh, Rudy just walked in." "Let's go talk to him before he gets drunk and starts angling for another mayoral run." "Well, enjoy yourself tonight." "Thank you." "Victoria." "What are you doing?" "Seeking calm before the storm of our guests." "In this godforsaken place?" "It was on the floor." "Someone's been in here." "Clearly, yeah." "You know, I think it's high time we let this place go." "I'm selling it." "Why do we have to do that?" "Because you're still in love with him." "Here I was, planning a lonely New Year's in the Keys when imagine my surprise, a last-minute invitation to the ball." "Well, we're just so happy you could come celebrate with us." "Aww." "I'm happy, too, though I would be happier if my room had an ashtray." "I thought you were going to be staying at your cottage." "I would had I ever thought to have it winterized." "Ah, well, young lady." "Young lady." "Could you please see to it that Mr. Treadwell has an astray?" "And find him a place to smoke outside." "Leo Treadwell?" "How'd you like to help me rescue your father?" "I don't think he did it." "A fan, I assume?" "Your biggest." "So how have you been, Victoria?" "I imagine that David Clarke's death this year came as quite a shock." "Though on the plus side, for me, his demise has rekindled the public's appetite for his story." "Don't tell me you're writing another book." "Already hard at work digging up new material." "A trip to the prison proved fruitful." "During my visits with David," "I remembered that one of his guards fancied himself a photographer." "He took this on the day that David was killed." "Keep it." "We both know that he'd have wanted you to have it." "Grayson security seized my database this morning." "The S.E.C. gets ahold of this, you're going to jail, Bill." "Grayson wants to cut a deal." "Today I am just grateful that justice prevailed and that this terrible man has been held accountable for his crimes against the American people." "Miss?" "I'd rather not be seated so close to them." "Them?" "All of these people." "Stick me in a corner somewhere, uh, where no one will notice me?" " You got it." " Thanks." "They got me staying in the pool house." "Bring by a bottle of bourbon, huh?" "I'm eternally in your debt." "What did he say to you?" "He just wanted to switch tables." "Have a seat anywhere." "I-I'm looking for a girl." "Wish I could say you came to the right place, but it should pick up later tonight, though." "But... who's picking you up later tonight, though?" "Mm." "Okay." "Look, you have every right to come in here and hit on the cute bartender all night." "You should just know, it's not gonna happen." "Why not?" " She's with me." " Ahh." "Sorry." "Um, it's-- I'm Nolan, by the way." "Okay." "I'm Jack." " Jack?" " Yeah." "Mr. Halsted?" "I had to swipe this from Mr. Grayson's private stash." "Well..." "That man has swiped plenty more than a bottle of whiskey over the years." "His portfolio can handle it." "I don't want your money." "I want to know about my father." "Who's your father?" "David Clarke." "Amanda?" "What are you doing here?" "After my father died, he left me his journals." "He claims he's innocent." "He was found guilty in court." "But he said that you knew the truth, that he was set up." "And if I told you he was right, what would you do with that information?" "I would make sure that everybody knew about it, that these people got what they deserved." "I have the guest list." "According to his journals, most of those people are here tonight." "All the more reason for you to drop it." "Is that what you did?" "You just dropped it, drank until it all went away?" "I'm not afraid of these people." "And you shouldn't be either." "I have nothing more to say to you." "Man, these people can drink." "Yeah?" "Come work Puff Daddy's White Party in September." "They go through $1,000 bottles like it's water." " Come on, Kingsly." " I'm sorry, Bill, but my district has spoken." "They don't want gambling near the churches or the schools." "One Indian casino is not gonna get you unelected, Senator." "Surely you can set aside your family-values agenda just this once." "We all know you're capable of it." " Bill, could I have a word?" " Do I have a choice?" "Hello, Dr. Banks." "I read your profile in The New Yorker, a couple of days ago, about the D.C. Sniper." " You want to know what I think?" " No, but don't let that stop you." "Mm." "My savior." "Let's, uh, let's talk, uh, about your new book on attachment parenting instead." "I just read it." " Really?" " No." "Not really." "Well, another year goes by." " They just go quicker and quicker." " Mm." "Not this one." "I for one cannot wait to put this one behind me." "Champagne?" "I think I might be needing something with a little more purpose." "Excuse me, Lydia." "Thank you." "What are you coveting, sweetie?" "Is it the Dolce or what's underneath it?" "Oh." "Uh, hello again." "I was looking for your husband." "I didn't want to leave without saying thank you." "I haven't seen him." "Won't you come in?" "Okay." "Well, I guess I will, uh..." "Say thank you to you." "That was a lovely evening." "Well, it's snowing outside." "Could I offer you some insulation from the cold?" "Thank you, but I was hoping to get home in time to watch the ball drop with my daughter." "Ah, well, that's very important." "I wish I could spend New Year's Eve with my son, but he's with my in-laws, and..." "I've already called him four times." "It's amazing how much you miss them, isn't it?" "Mm." "Mm." "Why don't you come over for brunch tomorrow?" "I'd love to meet the whole family." "Ah, well, it's, um, just me and Amanda now." "My wife is not with us anymore." "I'm so sorry." "No one should ever have to spend the holidays grieving." "Thank you." "Here's to my pop, the hardest working man in Suffolk County." "What's, uh, what's up with your dad?" " Did he die?" " What?" "No, he's upstairs." " He's working." " Oh." "Hence the toast." "My family now lives and works under the same roof." "Oh, cozy." "We actually used to have this really great cottage in Amagansett." "But then this..." "Rich parasite started buying up all our neighbors one by one." "Last month, my dad finally caved." "That's four family homes on Seacliff Lane, just wiped off the map." "Seacliff Lane, huh?" "Uh, I'm gonna hit the head." "So I've talked to..." " Kingsly..." " Yeah." "Harmon, and Judge Barnes." "I'm satisfied they have nothing to do with the letter." "I see you've crossed off Dr. Banks." "She's a latecomer." "She's an opportunist." "I think the guy that we're looking for was involved from the start." "Roger Halsted?" "He was pretty tight with David Clarke, wasn't he?" "He rolled over on him." "I always thought Roger was weak." "I wouldn't say an anonymous threat is a sign of towering strength." "Oh, sorry." "I didn't know anyone was in here." "I need to freshen up." "Your room is actually in the South Wing, Mrs. Davis." "I can take you there if you'd like." "Oh, that's-- That's all right, Frank." "Uh, you've got better things to do." "I just left Victoria." "She's in quite a state." "Yeah." "A state of suspended animation." "So listen, uh, the corporation that owns the deed to David Clarke's house has exactly two members, and you're lookin' at one of them." " You and Victoria." " Yeah." "I should've bulldozed it when I had the chance." "That house is her twisted way of hanging on to him." "It's perverse, don't you think?" "Destroy a man you love and then weep for him eternally?" "I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand at least part of her motivation." "When you asked me to back your testimony in David's trial, there's a reason I went along." "Yeah, there were a million reasons if I remember correctly." "I never gave a damn about the money." "I did it to protect you." " Why?" " Isn't it obvious?" "I'm sorry." "Anyone making any interesting resolutions this year?" "I don't believe in making promises I never intend to keep." "My resolution is to spend more time on the campaign trail telling people what they want to hear." "Not all of the people." "Who invented this idiotic tradition anyways?" "It's pagan from pre-Christian Rome." "January is of course named for Janus, the patron and protector of endings and beginnings, a God with two faces." "Isn't that appropriate?" "One face looking forward, one looking back." "Of course, we don't much like looking in that direction, do we?" "Better to forget the innocent people we've had to destroy in order to..." "Ensure our own survival." "Oh, Roger brought the drunkard out early this year." "How droll." "Oh, there you are." "Miss." "Oh, I got you." "I'll help you." "I promise." "All right." "I'm all right." "I'm all right." "Oh, Frank." "Be a good dog and fetch me a refill, will you?" "I think you've had enough." "It looks like our bartenders have been a little heavy handed tonight." "Come on." "Let's have a talk." "Hey, let go of me!" "Uh..." " Mr. Porter?" " Yeah." "I'm Nolan Ross." "I'm the guy who bought your house and all the houses around your house." "Oh, congratulations." "Well, when I asked my business manager to look for property..." "I didn't realize he'd be displacing so many families." "Yeah, well, that's life." "Uh, what I'm trying to say is, it's not too late for me to pull out of escrow." "Well, nobody's asking you to do that." " It's not a problem." " Well, not for you, maybe." "But see, I can't afford to keep that place." "I mean, look, my wife walked out on me and my boys years ago." "She shows up last month asking for a divorce and half of everything I own." "Not even a mention of a hello to her own children." "I'm sorry." "So it's either the house or the bar." "Now if-- If you pull out of the deal," "I'm gonna have to come clean with my boys and tell 'em that their own mother don't give one damn about them." " You get what I'm saying?" " Yeah." "I do." "Roger, Roger, Roger." "You were in rare form tonight." " I get anxious at social functions." " Social anxiety..." "Is that why you requested a seat away from the Graysons' table?" "No one should be forced to suffer my company." "I'm surprised I was even invited." " Must have been an oversight." " Oh, no." "We wanted you here." "You know, the Graysons received a disturbing note." "What'd you hope to gain by sending this?" "Why would I send this?" "Because you feel guilty and you're too scared to do anything about it, because the note's a way to project blame, make yourself feel less culpable for what happened to David Clarke." "I just brought Mr. Halsted some aspirin." "You know what?" "I-I have something stronger." "He'll sleep like a baby." "It's almost midnight." "You should probably get out there and get the champagne ready." "Yes, sir." "Before we close the book on 2002," "I'd like to raise a glass to all of you who have stood by our family here at home and at Grayson Global." "As many of you know, our company has been languishing in the red ever since the, um, the terrible incident back in '93." "But I am proud to announce that after ten long years, we've finally fought our way back to black." "Grayson Global is on top again, and that is where I intend to keep us." "Hear, hear." "And continuing with the theme of onward and upward, it gives me great pleasure to announce that" "Michael and Lydia Davis will be sharing our little stretch of beach." "As I've managed to broker a deal with the title holders of the house right next door, who at long last will be relinquishing their..." "Death grip on the property." "You're a mensch, Conrad." "We'll have to arrange a finder's fee." "Having you as my neighbors is payment enough." "Thank you." "Aw." "To a prosperous 2003." "15 seconds to midnight, everyone." "15... 14, 13... 12, 11, 10..." "Almost midnight." "It's bad luck if I don't kiss somebody." "Oh, you" " You better find your boyfriend." "Jack and I don't want the same things anymore." "Oh, you know, I don't want to get in the middle of all that." "Too late." " What the hell, man?" "!" " It's not my fault." "♪ be forgot ♪" "Jack!" "♪ And never brought to mind... ♪" " Could I have a sit?" " Of course, neighbor." "About that..." "I have a confession to make." "Conrad was able to broker the deal with that owner for you..." "Because we are the owners." "I lied to you, and I'm sorry." "It has nothing to do with how I feel about you as a friend or our friendship." "It was a place that I held for reasons of my own." "And I can't really make you understand it, but..." "That house was, um..." "The only thing of David I had left." "It's not hard to understand at all." "Take the house, Lydia." "Make it your own." "Nothing would make me happier than to have my closest friend be my closest neighbor." "Oh, there you are." "Miss." "Oh, I got you." "I'll help you." "I promise." "Roger?" "Roger, it's Amanda." "It appears we can close the case of the mystery holiday card." "For a man with a penchant for writing letters, you would think that Roger would have left a suicide note." "Suicide is not a rational act." "I did a comprehensive sweep of the room." "He left nothing behind." "Oh, how convenient for all of us." "Quite the soiree." "It feels like we've been cast in Ten Little Indians." "I wonder who'll be the last to fall." "I suppose you consider it your job to break this torrid story." "Less a job than a moral obligation." "To quote Lippmann," ""There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil."" "Shame the devil?" " You wrote that note." " I'm a writer." "Though this gruesome turn of events was certainly not the intention." "Then what on earth did you plan on gaining from it?" "Inspiration." "I thought I'd beat the bushes to see if I could drum up some kind of fresh intrigue for my book." "You are despicable." "Gee, thanks." "High praise coming from you." "They framed my father." "You were right." "You got what you wanted." "It's what he wanted." "I met a friend of his tonight." "He knew everything, and he was gonna help me." "And now he's dead, too." "What?" "And unless somebody does something about it, they will never get what they deserve." "Amanda..." "More than knowing the truth, your father wanted you to get past all this." "Then why did he give me those journals?" "!" "One way or another, these people are gonna pay." "They're gonna pay for what they did." "You cannot bring the Graysons down all by yourself." "You will never get close enough to expose them." "The hell I won't!" "Aman" "Dad, I'm sorry." "Help me." ""Amanda," ""Forgive me my methods, but I had to get you this message" ""before I lost my nerve." ""Writing this down is my way of committing to you." ""I'll tell you everything" ""how your father was framed, who was involved," ""and most importantly, how to expose them." ""I've never had the courage to do it myself," ""but I believe you do." ""Once we're on neutral ground, I'll help you." "Until then, get as far away from these people as you can."" "I'm home." "Hey, babe, you're late." "I'm sorry." "Traffic was terrible." "Wow." "You look stunning." "Look at you." "You better hurry up and change." "Wouldn't be right for the new face of Grayson Global to keep them waiting on New Year's Eve." "Right, about that, what do you say we duck out early and do some celebrating of our own tonight?" "I can't imagine you'd rather do anything less than make small talk with my parents' friends on New Year's Eve." "Actually, I'm looking forward to it."