Previously on The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair...
Harry Quebert,
allow me to present Elijah Stern,
who generously funds this Gala.
Oh.
He also owns the house you're renting at Goose Cove.
Mr. Stern, a pleasure.
I'd like to introduce you to my right-hand man.
Harry Quebert.
Good evening, Mr. Quebert.
My name is Luther Caleb.
Look what I found in his house.
It's a nude painting.
Look closer, Sherlock.
Yeah, that's a naked painting of Nola Kellergan
in Elijah Stern's house, okay?
Signed "LC."
His chauffeur, Luther Caleb.
When I brought him up, Stern went radio silent.
I got Barnaski to back off.
He's agreed to tear up your contract.
Yeah, in exchange for what?
All you have to do
is write a book about the Harry Quebert affair.
I lied to you
when I told you that I told my parents
that I was staying at Nancy's house.
I didn't tell them anything.
I just ran away.
My mother told me I had to be punished.
And so what did you do with the paper?
Did you tell anyone about it?
You bet I did.
Chief Pratt.
Don't worry.
You'll see how we deal with guys like that around here.
Okay.
That's when she told me
about her being in love with an older man.
Didn't name names,
but I was sure it was Stern.
Did you ever see them together?
Nola and Stern?
No. Like I told you,
he'd just send that deformed chauffeur of his.
After she disappeared, I told Chief Pratt everything.
He promised he'd investigate.
If I'd spoken up sooner, she'd be alive today.
Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything.
I just, I needed to know the truth.
You're not after the truth.
Nah, you just...
wanna prove your hero's innocent,
no matter who gets destroyed in the process, huh?
You want us to declare Quebert a saint
because maybe he didn't kill the 15-year-old girl
he was having an affair with?
He was not having an affair with her.
You sure picked a hell of a guy for a best friend.
Only friend, actually.
Tisha, thank you so much.
The meal was, uh... it was fantastic.
Well, I'm glad you could join us, Marcus.
Me too.
Why can't I read it?
Maybe when you're older.
It's not really meant for, um...
Anyone.
Don't listen to him.
It's wonderful.
Thank you.
All right, girls.
Let's do the homework, okay?
Let's do it, both of you.
So, I've been going through that police report
on Nola's disappearance.
Yeah.
The one written by Chief Pratt.
No mention of Stern or Harry.
Really?
Well, because Nancy said
that she told Pratt about Stern
after Nola disappeared.
Mm-hm.
And then Tamara Quinn
said that she showed him
that incriminating paper
she took from Harry's house, so...
And the report's signed
by Pratt himself.
With all due respect, sir,
Mrs. Quinn showed you what Harry wrote about her.
Nancy Hattaway told you
about her relationship with Stern,
and yet nothing
is mentioned in the case file.
I combed the area for weeks
looking for that girl,
using every available resource,
and you question my work?
Cops don't do that to other cops!
The good ones do.
All I ever wanted to be
was a good cop...
but sometimes...
circumstances beyond your control,
they make you...
do things.
You keep it inside you long enough,
you get cancer.
She still thinks I'm in remission.
Why didn't you carry out the investigation
like you should've?
What are you hiding, Chief?
Hmm?
You can tell me here,
or we can, uh...
I can get a subpoena
and force you to talk.
No need.
It's time.
I don't want to die with this on my conscience.
It was, uh...
it was early August when she came to see me.
Mm-hm? Come in!
Oh.
Well, hello, Nola.
What's going on?
Can I, uh...
can I help you with something?
Nola, do you...
No, that's insane. There's no way...
It's the truth.
I swear.
That girl...
knew exactly what she was doing.
Now you're a criminal.
You're the goddamn chief of police.
You couldn't resist the advances
of a 15-year-old-girl?
And...
I take full responsibility for that.
And what happened the...
the following week...
Oh, my God.
Oh, my... Chief!
Chief, what did you do?
Where are you take...
Where are they taking my husband?
Detec...
Chief! Chief!
Listen to me, ma'am, please.
Chief, what did you do?
Calm down right now.
Watch your head.
Chief...
You need to take it easy here, okay?
Where are you taking him?
Chief!
Gareth Pratt,
Sommerdale's former chief of police,
has admitted to engaging in sexual acts
with 15-year-old Nola Kellergan,
and is now a suspect in her murder.
In other news at city hall today...
You okay, sweetie?
I-I trusted him with my life.
Now it's like I hardly knew the guy.
Pratt has been arrested.
Harry, why would Pratt lie about this?
Shut up, Marcus!
I refuse to believe this garbage!
You remember when I asked you about Elijah Stern?
I think you should leave now.
Nola...
Nola had a relationship with him
that same summer, okay?
Why are you doing this?
- I'm sorr... - Why?
Why are you trying to destroy everything?
Shit... no!
Code red, room three.
He refused to believe
that Nola was involved with Stern,
and was furious
that her reputation would now be ruined forever.
He was blinded by his memory of her selfless devotion,
the countless ways she'd found to sustain and support him.
Harry?
I'm here!
I love it!
Ah!
Is this what you're looking for?
Oh, God, yes.
I'm sorry, you were sleeping, and I took it home to read.
Oh, my God...
so, well, what do you think?
It's amazing!
Yeah?
I adore it!
It's so great!
Don't forget to eat.
Otherwise, you'll get one of your migraines.
Thank you.
Where are you going?
Busy.
Women must remain mysterious.
I read that in a magazine.
See you tomorrow?
Yes.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Please get undressed.
I'll go tell Mr. Stern you have arrived.
Harry?
Hey.
Oh! Oh...
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa!
There you go.
Oh, thank you.
So it's true!
You really do come out this early
to go running?
Yeah, I try never to miss a sunrise.
Um...
It looks like you found
a new way to commute to work.
Yeah, I'm just learning, actually.
Uh-huh?
Mm-hm. Um...
I haven't seen you much lately.
Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry, it's just, you know,
I've been so busy with the book and everything.
I hope you're not mad at me
for going to the Summer Gala with Travis.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't be silly. No.
I don't love him, you know.
He's just a friend.
Jenny...
I love someone else.
It's true. So...
A little blush for you.
Oh. Yeah.
I... I gotta...
Bye, Harry.
I'll see you.
Ooh...
Oh! Oh, my... Luther, you scared me! Geez!
What does he want from you?
Ow! Nothing!
What does he want from you?
Ow! He's a friend.
You're hurting me!
Geez! Ow!
Have you thought about my proposal?
The answer is no! Now, let go of me!
Let go of me!
Help! Help! Help!
Ow...
Hey.
You need some help?
Yeah.
I think I overdid it.
Here, you can get in.
I'll take you home.
Thanks. Yeah, I think I...
Geez!
I don't know, I think I...
I think I pulled something.
You're in Sommerdale
awfully early this morning.
Mornings are my favorite time of day.
Mine too.
It's usually when I get my best writing done.
Luther, thanks for the ride.
I appreciate it.
I'm not sure I would've made it without you.
Harry! I'm here!
I'll be right back.
Okay.
You're working too hard, Quebert!
Elijah Stern!
What a surprise to see you here.
Elijah Stern!
Come on up!
I hope I'm not interrupting.
No, not at all!
Good to see you.
Good to see you too.
So...
you write and type at the same time?
Yes, I do one and then I do the other.
I've been working like this for quite some time.
Fascinating!
Yes.
The artist's process.
I left my car in town,
decided to take a walk, and wound up here.
Yeah?
Old habits die hard, I guess.
Well, the view, it's just...
it's so beautiful here.
I can't thank you enough.
You could drive me back into town,
and I'll take you to lunch.
It's a deal.
No, no, no, don't get up.
Let me get my keys. I'll be right back, okay?
I forget how beautiful it is here.
Yes.
I run this road every morning.
That's three miles each way.
You must be a real athlete.
I wouldn't say that.
The other day, I'm heading back from Sommerdale.
I got a cramp in my leg.
I didn't think I was gonna... make it, but...
um, your chauffeur picked me up
and brought me back to the house.
Luther was here? When was this?
Uh...
Day before yesterday, before dawn.
Ah, I see.
Can I ask you what happened to him?
He... had an accident a long time ago.
He can seem a little frightening sometimes,
but actually, he's a very kind
and sensitive man.
He's a great gardener.
The plants are really thriving.
Strange, though, I never see him,
and I'm always there.
Luther is a...
very discreet person.
All right,
turkey and Swiss on wheat toast
for Mr. Stern,
and a short stack with scrambled
and a side of hash browns,
crispy,
just the way you like them, Harry.
Thanks, Jenny.
So, how's the book going?
Very well, very well.
Uh... thanks to the house.
I find I'm...
very inspired, working here.
Probably inspired
by that girl you're seeing more than anything.
I'm not judging.
She's a good-looking girl.
A little young, maybe,
but she's certainly having sex with one of us.
And I know it's not me.
Jenny?
No.
She's lovely.
We flirt a bit, but...
you know, I'm... looking for somebody special.
Different.
We all have those desires for someone special, don't we?
I do hope you find yours, Harry.
Hi, Nola!
Need a lift?
No, thanks.
It's just down the road.
Get in.
Where are you taking me?
I'll tell everyone.
You've already made me a criminal.
I got nothing to lose.
Glad I could be of service, Miss Kellergan!
You have a nice day, now!
You know why I'm doing this?
Yes, Mother.
I'm sorry, I'm a wicked girl.
You're not wicked.
Penance is a blessing.
You will treat me with respect!
Take it off!
No! I don't want to take it off!
It's called abuse, Nola.
Your father is no better if he just...
he stands by,
and he just lets your mom torture you.
I'm gonna go over there.
No.
That would be the end of us.
If you really wanna help me,
you'd take me away from here.
We could go at the end of this month, the 30th.
That would give us at least two weeks to get ready.
I know, it's just... it's too soon.
It just...
Well, I'm going regardless.
- No... - Yes, I am.
- No... - Yes, I am!
And I want you to come with me.
We can be in Canada in three hours,
and no one will ever find us.
We'd be so happy there.
Okay...
Hiya, Jenny.
Is everything okay?
Haven't had a chance to talk, uh...
since the Gala.
Had a great time.
You seemed a little distant.
Just wondering if anything is wrong...
Okay.
Hiya, Jenny.
Hi, Travis.
How's everything going?
Good.
Haven't had much of a chance to talk
since the Gala.
Great time. Right?
Yeah. Yeah, it was really nice.
So, um...
I've noticed that you've seemed a little...
distant lately.
Is anything wrong?
Oh, Travis, it's... it really...
it really has nothing to do with you.
I actually have to finish clearing now.
Wait, Jenny, I just want...
Sorry, sorry, I...
Sorry, I...
What is this?
I just... I banged it on the door.
Just clumsy.
Did somebody do that, Jenny?
Just forget about it, Travis, okay?
No, no, no,
I'm not leaving until you tell me.
Jenny, you can trust me.
Um...
You know Luther Caleb?
Stern's chauffeur?
He got angry, and he grabbed my arm.
Angry about what?
Um...
he wanted me to pose for him, is all.
It's... silly.
What does that mean, "pose"?
Oh, he's an artist, I guess, so he, um...
I said no. I...
Anyway, he got a little out of control, and, um...
He didn't mean anything by it.
Really, it was...
it was just a misunderstanding.
Travis, I...
Mom's gonna kill me. I've gotta go.
Harry!
I'm here!
Harry?
I'll be outside.
Harry?
Harry!
I've been calling you
for the last 10 minutes.
Sorry.
Are those the new pages?
I can type them up.
No, not yet.
They're not ready yet.
Are you okay?
Yeah, never better.
I think I need a swim, though.
What?
You just seem a bit different.
I just need a swim.
Okay.
That will be us in 10 days...
flying away free.
You're gonna meet me
at the... hotel?
What room?
Eight.
Yes.
You want to go?
All right.
Pull over!
Pull over immediately!
Out of your vehicle, please?
Was I speeding, Travis?
Now, you goddamn retard!
What have you been doing to Jenny, huh?
I saw the bruises on her arm.
I don't want any trouble with the police.
I didn't mean to hurt her, I swear.
You're in love with her, aren't you?
What do you do, you paint her first,
you fuck her after?
No, no!
You think she's gonna let you do it?
Out of pity? Never!
No, it's not what you think...
You hear me?
I don't wanna see you around Clark's again.
You understand?
I said do you understand?
Yes.
Okay.
Yeah, it's done, I sent it.
It's the first 50 pages. You know, it's rough.
You know, it's just... notes, really.
He's gonna love 'em.
I mean, this case is all anyone's talking about.
Hollywood's already fighting for the rights.
Yeah, I'm just trying to tell the truth, Doug.
Yeah, and you should,
but you just gotta be careful about all this libel shit.
What do you mean?
Well, like, Nola's mother.
You can't just write that she beat her daughter
without any concrete proof.
I mean, you just write
that she was... unhappy and mistreated.
But Pratt, he confessed,
so go ahead, give us all those sordid, juicy details
about how she went down on him,
and then he forced her to go down on him again...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it, I got it.
I gotta go.
Thanks for the... spiritual guidance.
Yeah.
Say what you will,
I intend to handle this alone.
Elijah, don't be a fool.
Listen...
no one speaks to the police
without a lawyer.
I do.
Thank you for coming.
I'm Sergeant Gahalowood.
Mm-hm.
Please.
I prefer to stand.
Okay.
Let's get to it.
Mr. Stern, can you tell me
why a portrait of a murdered girl
was in your house?
Because I own it.
I also own a portrait of John Lennon.
Am I suspect in his murder too?
My former chauffeur,
Luther Caleb, painted it.
One of many he did for me.
Mostly landscapes.
And do you know why he painted it?
He loved painting,
and he was good at it.
Okay.
And how did it come to be painted?
With a paintbrush.
Did you know Nola?
Everyone in Sommerdale knew Nola.
All right.
Well, I have witnesses who will testify
that you two were actually in a relationship,
and that, uh...
you often brought her to your house.
Sergeant, Nola came to my door one day
and said she needed money...
and agreed to pose for the painting in exchange.
Hmm.
And you...
didn't see any problem
with a 15-year-old posing naked?
There is nothing prurient about that painting, Sergeant.
It's a work of fine art.
That guy had a huge pair of cojones.
Yeah, but it doesn't add up.
It doesn't add up.
Why would Nola need money?
What, to run away with Harry?
But then her father said
that she didn't take her savings with her
when she left, so...
It makes no sense.
Yeah.
What'd you do with the painting, anyway?
You give back?
Uh, no.
We're gonna hold onto it
as evidence against Caleb.
Caleb?
Why?
Don't know yet.
Stern wanted the painting of her.
Pratt wanted sexual favors.
What motive did they have?
Well, they were afraid she'd talk, obviously.
I mean, look,
she could've threatened to expose them, right,
and then in a moment of panic...
You don't write "Goodbye, darling Nola"
in a moment of panic.
This is someone who loved her, all right?
I mean, everything points to Quebert.
Look, Marcus,
I gotta tell you something.
The DA's gonna offer Harry a deal.
If he pleads guilty to a crime of passion,
they'll drop the kidnapping charge.
15 years, out in 10.
Please don't tell me
you're going to accept that deal.
It is the best way for me
to avoid spending the rest of my life in prison.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
That you're guilty?
Does it matter?
It seems like everything condemns me anyway,
and I don't wanna play poker with a...
jury that has already convicted me.
Harry, did you kill Nola Kellergan?
- No. - Okay.
When are you gonna stop asking me that?
Okay, then let's prove it.
All right?
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but...
at the time that you two were gonna leave,
your book was practically done, right?
I don't want you to record this anymore.
Shut it off.
What was your question?
August 30th.
At the time you two were planning on leaving,
your book was practically done, right?
I finished it almost, uh...
three days before we were going to leave.
Okay.
I wrote it so fast,
it was amazing.
It was like I was in a trance.
Nola was there, she was...
proofing, editing, typing...
It was magical.
August 27th,
I'll never forget that day.
The manuscripts,
there were two of them stacked on the table,
the handwritten one,
and the one that she'd typed.
Afterward, we went down to the beach,
to the spot where we met the first time...
She said that
meeting me had changed her life forever.
We went over our plan,
that I'd be leaving the next morning,
stopping by Clark's so that people would see me,
and I could tell them that I'd be away for a week or two
for business in Boston.
Then, on August 30th,
I would wait for her at the By the Sea Motel,
Room 8, at 8:00 p.m.
We'd cross the border into Canada,
find a small apartment to rent,
then I'd return to Goose Cove a few days later,
give the keys back, and leave Sommerdale for good,
explaining that my novel was finished,
and I'd have to go back to New York
to deal with its publication.
She was looking forward to getting married
when she turned 18...
Publish the book.
I would become a professor.
We'd get a dog.
I'd never been so happy in my entire life...
so convinced that this was the right thing to do.
I remember falling asleep.
I was so relaxed.
You're gonna be a great writer
and a university professor,
and we're gonna get a big, sun-colored dog.
A Labrador we'll name Storm.
I woke up.
The sun was... setting.
There was only one manuscript on the table now.
The handwritten one.
She had taken the typed one...
to proofread.
That was the last time I saw her.
They're notes, Roy, okay?
Don't get too excited.
It's not even close to being ready for publication.
I know, I know.
It's just a work in progress.
Cheers, my friend.
Can I get a little autograph from you over there, pal?
Please?
Anyway...
Delivery, end of August.
Um...
publication the last week of September.
That is prior to the election,
and during the Quebert trial.
I am telling you,
the marketing gods are smiling down on us.
Yeah, well, what if the investigation
is still ongoing?
I mean, how am I supposed to...
how am I supposed to finish the book?
Well, if the investigation is over,
that means it's a true story.
Uh-huh.
But if it's still ongoing, that's even better,
and let me explain why, my rich friend.
Because then,
we will have to print a revised edition
with all new details,
and people have to buy the frickin' thing
all over again, right?
More manna from the gods.
So let's not incur their wrath.
Let's just sign the thing
and say "thank you."
Pleasure doing business with you, my friend.
Always.
What?
Barry for you.
Return.
Warner Brothers.
They wanna talk about Tom Cruise.
I think he's too old to play you.
What do you think?
Yeah...
See if Johnny Depp's available.
Johnny Depp...
Benjamin Roth,
we're on in three minutes!
Hey, can I call you right back?
I'm almost at the house.
The-the-the results are in, Goldman.
The handwriting isn't Harry's.
He didn't write the note on that goddamn manuscript!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, okay,
what does... what does that mean,
in concrete terms?
Well, it undermines the state's case against Harry.
I mean, that was their main piece of evidence.
Holy shit.
The judge has ordered a new hearing
this Thursday at 2:00.
I can't believe this!
Oh, don't thank me, Goldman.
I'm just a humble servant of the law...
whose billable hours just tripled.
Ciao!
Don't you ever sleep?
I have some devastating news.
I've been hacked.
Those 50 pages of notes you emailed me...
leaked.
Every major news outlet in the country.
R... Roy... Roy... you have to stop them.
They weren't for publication, Roy.
They're intimate details about these people.
People who trusted me.
It could seriously impede the investigation.
It's too late.
My phone is ringing off the hook.
Everybody from the Times to ET.
They all want some... juicy tidbit they can print.
By tomorrow,
this will be all anybody's talking about.
Shit.