Will Trent

Previously on Will Trent…

There's this guest lecture coming up about human parasites.

- I thought you might be interested. - Why, yes.

Amanda was secretly working with a contact at the FBI.

Why didn't she say anything?

Will, I've left you a little present.

No. No, no, no.

Amanda…

Amanda entered the APD a young woman.

For some of us old-timers, she was Wags.

She had this gift of seeing who you could be,

and then pushing you down that path.

Amanda found me.

She was planning a life with you. You're connected.

She is your family.

Hey! Come back here!

Thief!

Stop him!

Excuse me.

I saw you!

Hey!

Wilbur Trent.

Get up. The captain wants to see you.

Me? Why?

Beats me. Guess you must be somebody special.

Okay. Here we go.

Murder.

Victim one, Ethan Attis, age 53, research biologist.

Second victim is Krista Sanderton, 28. Mr. Attis's girlfriend.

Ligature marks indicate that, uh, both victims were strangled.

Minor injuries on the bodies suggest a struggle.

Could you all, uh, just give me a few minutes here alone, please?

So both victims were alive when you and your crew arrived this morning?

Yeah, the girlfriend answered the door, took us to the kitchen to meet Ethan.

Once we got started, all the work was in the kitchen and upstairs bathroom,

so, we never saw 'em again.

Until you found the bodies.

We were finishing up. I needed a signature.

Called it in, got my guys outside, waited for you to show up.

So your crew was working here all day. You didn't hear anything, see anything?

I swear it's the truth.

Ethan Attis was a seeker.

Absorbed in his work.

Saltwater aquarium.

Terrarium.

Get a list of species.

Krista's purse was emptied, contents scattered.

Could be a botched robbery.

Plastic tubing from the aquarium corresponds with ligature marks.

Murder was impulsive.

House was unlocked.

The intruder slipped in. Ethan caught him. They fought.

Ethan was strangled.

And then Krista came in, and she was strangled too?

No.

No, she would have screamed, run, called for help.

Okay, so… so it was Krista who came in and surprised the intruder,

and so then she was strangled first.

That's not it either.

Krista was alone.

Krista was alone.

The intruder came in on her…

I see the car every day at the same time.

Thank you. Hey, Will. Wait up, Will.

The neighbor said that Attis had the same housekeeper every day for years.

Today's the one day she's not here.

- It's convenient. - Yeah, I'll track her down.

I know.

I could barely get out of bed this morning.

Weird scene, huh?

What's your take on it?

Honestly, I, uh…

I have no idea what happened in there.

Hey.

Hey, how's it going with the plumbers?

Well, so far background checks are all clean.

We're cross-checking statements for any inconsistencies.

Looks like Ethan Attis was some kind of smarty-pants, huh?

Former professor, research centered on longevity.

He left academia to work for this startup biotech thing, BeneFuturum.

"Death is optional"?

Yeah.

You've been pregnant for three years.

Thirty-eight-and-a-half weeks, thank you very much.

Perfectly normal human gestation period.

I can't remember a time when you weren't pregnant.

I'm sorry, is my pregnancy hard on you two?

I'm just waiting for a toddler to walk out of your baby oven.

All right. Ethan was fired a year ago.

The official story is that the CEO, Ward Falcon...

That is not his name. I refuse.

Falcon said that, uh, Ethan's research was "insufficiently monetizable."

They were seen last month at a public event exchanging words.

Witnesses said it got heated.

Okay. Well, we should go talk to Ward Falcon.

Okay.

Hey.

Is Trent all right?

Um, probably not.

He took copies of everything, went to his office. I think…

I think he's…

Yeah. Well, it's gonna be weird for all of us for a while.

Yeah.

It occurred to me that we take this simple thing

that we all do for granted.

You know, sleep has always been biologically restorative,

but I believe it has the potential to be transformative.

And is that the focus of your current work, Dr. Attis?

Yeah, without getting into specifics,

I've been testing a few formulations.

I always take my cues from nature.

Whatever we can imagine, nature has already solved.

Eduardo, call Seth.

Calling Seth McDale.

- Hey. - Hey. Um, Seth, I, uh…

Do you have any time today?

It's about a case.

- Could use your help. - Yeah. I'm free today.

- Great. Um… - I should be available around 12:30.

Okay, yeah. I'll see you then.

Hey. Is this an okay time?

Yeah. Um, do you know when, uh, Pete's gonna be done with his autopsy?

I-I can't get a hold of him.

He is testifying in court today, so probably not for a while.

- Oh. - You find something?

I don't know. Um, not sure yet.

So, um, my mom is packing up Amanda's house,

and she thought you might want some of these things.

I can have them sent to your place.

No, um, that's…

Can you, uh…

Can you put them there, please?

Thank you.

Sorry you had to...

It's fine. It's fine.

Um, I've got the victim's housekeeper coming in.

- Do you want to join? - No.

You got it.

I'll let you know when Pete's back.

Ligature marks between the victims are not consistent.

House was unlocked.

The intruder slipped in. Ethan caught him. They fought.

Ethan was strangled.

And then Krista came in, and she was strangled too?

No, she would have screamed, run, called for help.

Okay, so… so it was Krista who came in and surprised the intruder,

and so then she was strangled first.

That's not it either.

Krista was alone. Krista was alone.

The intruder came in on her…

Faith, I think someone just tried to…

Eduardo, call Faith.

- Where'd you come from, little angel? - Oh, God.

What happened, and who are you?

You're fine. This is a rather elaborate protocol for a pretty small problem.

What sort of problem?

A sample from the Attis case,

something from one of the glass tanks, is technically a neurotoxin,

and it was put in the wrong kind of container.

There's no threat of exposure to you, but we still have to test everyone,

send them home, air the place out.

Shall we?

I'm thinking of trying that new noodle place down the street.

You been? I hear good things.

No. Look, I'm on a case and I need my phone,

so if we can do this quickly?

Hey, I thought you said you were clearing…

Um…

You're not supposed to use that phone.

That's weird. It's not working.

I'm trying to get a hold of a friend.

She works here. Um…

- May I? - No, you may not.

You know who works at that desk?

My mom works at this desk.

Okay. So,

I think we started backwards.

I'm Will.

I'm Faith.

You're Faith?

What are you in for?

No, I'm…

Shoplifting.

I've been here before.

Something's wrong with my head.

Trent!

Captain's ready. Let's go.

Captain, here's the collar you wanted to see. Wilbur Trent.

This is Captain Amanda Wagner.

- Mind your manners. - Thank you, Sergeant Heller.

You can leave us.

I shouldn't be here.

I have an arrest report that disagrees.

Wilbur Trent,

have a seat.

I have been taking care of Ethan's house for years.

I hired the plumbers.

I handle those sort of things, so Ethan can focus on work.

But you didn't go there today.

His lady friend said it made no sense.