Death and Other Details
Season 1 Episode 2
Episode Title: Sordid
Original release date: January 16, 2024 (Hulu)
Plot summary: Rufus interrogates each of the major players on board. They’re all hiding something – even Imogene’s best friend
* * *
RUFUS COTESWORTH: Previously, on Death and Other Details…
I can’t believe we’re gonna be trapped on this thing for 10 days.
Oh, yeah. These people rich.
[screaming]
Last night, Mr. Keith Trubitsky was murdered in his suite.
We’re fortunate to have a world-renowned detective on board.
The man’s a fucking hack.
This is a message from Celia Chun.
Seven minutes, 23 seconds.
That’s how long you were in Mr. Trubitsky’s suite.
[glass shatters]
I was a kid… and you made me believe you were on my side.
[whistles] I’m Rufus. You must be Imogene.
I’m here to help with your mother’s case.
In 24 hours, Interpol lands on this ship
and you will be their prime… no, their only suspect.
Keith Trubitsky was your assistant? That’s why you were on the Varuna.
You were working a case? Rufus! What case?
I think you know.
[cries] Mom, don’t! [explosion blasts]
RUFUS: I will be questioning you, individually.
I would like to begin with…
I’ll go first.
♪ playful, mysterious music playing ♪
♪
[ocean waves crashing] [seagulls cawing]
[loud traffic noise outside] [metal fan rattling]
[knocking on door]
[knocking continues]
Oh, man.
[grumbles] Got ’em.
[groaning] I got it.
My God.
[knocking on door]
[lock clicking]
Danny… not today.
Ah, ah! I’ve good news.
But first, you gotta eat.
Two poppy seed, one sesame, and yes, I got the lox from the Greeks.
I assume you brought capers?
Well, I thought we don’t make assumptions.
[Rufus mutters]
Hey, hey, hey, hey. Einstein. [door thuds, chain rattles]
[Rufus groans]
Doesn’t Brianna clean on Fridays?
[chuckles] Hair of the dog?
What? Rufus, no. You have any utensils?
Okay, wait. Stop.
First of all… gross.
Second, I thought he was your assistant.
He was.
Then the phone stopped ringing.
You’re back in the saddle, old man. [cutlery clatters]
I got us a case.
I’m retired, Danny.
Rufus… I’m telling ya, this is your chance to get right with the world.
Lawrence Collier is finally ready to hand over the reins to his daughter.
But that’s not the best part.
They’re bringing in outside investors.
RUFUS: They’ll have to open the books for that.
Expose their corporate secrets.
And their connection to Viktor Sams.
The man who killed my mom.
Viktor Sams is an alias, a smoke screen
for an international syndicate that profits by corporate blackmail.
My mom was a secretary.
Intimidation is part of Viktor Sam’s M.O.
If his targets don’t pay, he sends them a message.
That’s why he killed her?
I could never prove it.
Lawrence kept his books under lock and key.
What, meaning he knows something about all of this?
He raised me. What the fuck does he know?
I’m out of the game, Danny.
It’s over.
Well, that’s the one good thing about this game.
It’s never over.
I’m goin’… with or without ya.
She’s gonna be there.
♪ light, emotional music playing ♪
That’s the reason you’re here? Because of him?
We get our hands on those books,
we get that little girl… the truth she’s been waiting for.
The truth you promised her.
And if I fail her a second time?
Well, that’s the beauty of a reputation.
You can only ruin it once.
♪
I like him.
RUFUS: Doin’ what I do, as long as I’ve done it,
you don’t make many friends.
Danny was the exception.
I’m sorry for your loss.
But you could’ve told me… all of this.
I didn’t want you to relive what happened to your mother.
I don’t need you to protect me, Rufus, I need answers.
Did Danny figure something out? Is that why he’s dead?
I don’t know.
We did not speak on the last day of his life.
And his journal…
[echoing] Excuse me?
Not in evidence at the crime scene.
The killer must’ve taken it.
[sighs] I can only imagine.
The reason for his death must be written somewhere in those pages.
For today, we focus on the suspects assembled out there.
Danny rattled ’em all.
Any one of ’em might have found reason to take his life.
What do you need me to do?
♪
RUFUS: What did I want her to do?
I could just tell you, reader,
but it’s a lot more fun… if you figure it out for yourself.
How was it? Are you okay?
Oh, my God, it was brutal. TRIPP: What kinda questions did he ask?
What?!
We’re being investigated for murder.
I feel like we should, maybe, know what we’re walkin’ into.
He knows things.
I don’t know how Rufus knows these things, but he does.
I don’t ever wanna see him again.
♪ suspenseful music playing ♪
[quiet, indistinct chatter]
♪
♪ mysterious theme playing ♪
♪
♪
[water sloshes]
If you wanna talk to Lawrence,
you should get a subpoena from Malta, where the ship is registered.
Honest man fears not the truth.
Malta.
How long have you been general counsel to Collier Mills?
Two decades?
Long enough to remember you’ve got a hard-on for Lawrence Collier,
so why would I give you access to him now?
I was perhaps naively thinking a… murder might do the trick.
[sarcastically] A murder? Ooh, scary.
Where were you
last night?
Between the hours of… midnight, 8 A.M.?
Hold on.
I think I’ve got that written down right here, yeah.
Malta.
♪ suspenseful music playing ♪
[elevator dings]
WAITER: Tuna melt, disco fries, extra gravy.
Who are you up to? YOUNG IMOGENE: Michelangelo.
He was a jerk, wasn’t he?
A bit of a jerk, yeah.
Most successful men are.
[elevator dings]
[phone recorder dings]
IMOGENE: Lawrence Collier interview.
Hey, what are you…
This is Mr. Collier’s suite.
It is.
Did something happen?
So, what? Now you’re Lawrence’s personal bodyguard?
He’s not taking visitors.
Can we just skip to the part where you give me what I want?
You think I’m a fool?
You stole my office code.
You broke in and deleted security footage.
Not all of that is true.
I’ll let Mr. Collier know you came by, Ms. Scott.
♪
[inhales sharply]
You know, what happened between us was real.
I wasn’t faking it.
I’m not sure you know the difference.
I’m sorry, how did he die?
He was harpooned in his state room with a sport fishing spear.
Oh, dear lord.
RUFUS: The killer then secreted themselves back in the bar cart
to be wheeled away from their crime by housekeeping.
Well, it can’t be me.
I’m not fitting inside one of those contraptions.
But you could’ve hired someone who did.
But why the unholy fuck would I do that?
Excellent question.
That is what I am here to find out.
Or you could stop wasting time
and, actually, search the boat for a killer.
Well, I find people reveal details ad hoc,
which even a good detective never knew to ask about.
♪
Tell me about your interactions with Mr. Keith Trubitsky.
I never met him. God rest his soul.
The man was a buffoon.
God loves all his creatures equally.
Hard as that may be to fathom.
We were gonna change the world.
Tripp actually said that? Jesus.
My son is a dreamer.
Dreamer? Sure, let’s go with that.
KATHERINE: He comes from a long line of dreamers.
Trubitsky?
I first saw him in passing on the embarkment deck.
How could that possibly be germane to this investigation?
I intend to build a chronology of the victim’s movements
about this vessel.
Two days, two nights, interrupted by his murder.
When was your first interaction of substance with him?
I suppose that was the first day on board.
♪ light classical music playing ♪
RUFUS: Two days ago.
KATHERINE: Yes, I hosted a welcome high tea for the Chuns.
They are investing in our company.
Nothing has been signed yet.
It seemed politic to break bread.
Oh, we’re hugging now.
The Chuns are… a warm family.
[people laughing]
She can’t stand us.
What of Keith Trubitsky?
What of him?
He antagonized my daughter.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! This is some power table, huh?
So, we celebratin’?
And please, it’s the worst-kept secret on the boat.
You’re, you’re on deck to be the next CEO of Collier Mills.
ELEANOR CHUN: Americans can only talk about three things.
Work, where they live, and… traffic.
Also vaccines. They’re all amateur scientists.
It must be nice havin’ Dad call the shots.
Get the fuck out of here. Is what I meant to say.
I’ve never seen her lose control before.
Don’t mess with my sister… or her wife.
The whole Leila thing was a lot.
It wasn’t a big deal.
Leila lost it.
ELEANOR: I mean, the guy was just trying to take a photo.
LEILA: Hey!
Delete that.
What?
That photo.
She said delete the photo,
so just do it.
You need to ask permission.
Dude, just calm down.
You don’t fucking tell me to calm down. [crosstalk]
I’m deleting it, see… [phone clatters]
Look, so easy.
Uh, okay.
[Tripp sighs]
That’s, uh… It’s fine. We’re good, right?
Undignified.
Poor girl. [sighs]
[sighs] She is jealous.
Please.
Anna and I had a… a fling,
in business school.
I don’t see what that has to do with anything.
That’s my purview.
You answer to us, Cotesworth.
We hired you to get dirt on the Colliers and you’ve barely delivered.
And now you take on a murder investigation?
My apologies. [Eleanor chuckles]
I should’ve mentioned before, I quit.
♪ playful, mysterious music playing ♪
Now… where were you between the hours of midnight and 8 A.M.?
My grandmother won’t be happy.
You do not want to make an enemy of us.
Hm.
No alibi, then.
♪
ELEANOR: Why are you looking into us?
You know as well as anyone how desperate the Colliers are.
Bankruptcy?
Preposterous.
Uh, w…
Who told you that?
They’d do anything to… keep the truth about their company a secret.
No, our company is privately held.
Rumors of our demise have swirled for years,
but we’ve survived the Depression, NAFTA,
and everything in-between.
And each time, we emerge stronger.
Collier Mills is in my blood.
My father, and my grandfather, and my great-grandfather
have shaped this company and, well, me
through their unbreakable dedication,
and their ability to change with the times.
This deal’s no different.
We’re not bankrupt.
This is just a strategic partnership.
They are out of moves. [chuckles]
♪ rock music plays in background ♪
[door opens]
Don’t worry. My mom wants you to know she’s not mad at you.
In fact… she talked about how not mad she was all through dessert.
I’m sorry.
I was gonna go.
Then I realized my ass fused to this chair two days ago.
What ass?
[sighs] It’s the worst day.
Yeah.
Every single year.
But… this isn’t gonna solve anything.
You need to eat something.
Thank you, but I’m not hungry.
Tuna melt and disco fries from the Opal Diner.
Extra gravy?
What else?
I miss her.
Me too.
SUNIL BHANDARI: Meeting someone?
[ice rattling in glass]
Uh, no. No, I’m just, uh… taking it all in.
Well… I’m parched. You?
Hm, he’s a bartender now.
[chuckles] Someone has to pick up the loose ends of all these slackers.
Hm, pretty sure they’re all waiting to be questioned for a murder.
Yes, I’m aware. He’s running roughshod over my VIPs.
This is something I’ve been workin’ on.
I call it,
The Second Career.
[flame singes]
SUNIL: It’s a metaphor.
Hm, subtle.
Because it’s all gone tits up.
I know. No, I got it.
[lighter clicks, ignites]
Hey, just some advice.
Tell Rufus what ya know.
The more everyone lies, the longer this’ll take.
Wh… Are you implying I have things to hide?
I hope so.
I wouldn’t wanna find out you’re boring.
[both chuckling]
[Sunil sniffs]
No, the truth is, it’s hard to know who to trust.
I’ve always gone the other way.
You know… trust everyone, hurt often.
Bruises heal.
But dead men stay dead.
Sadly.
[footsteps approaching]
Enjoy your drinks.
Hi.
What’s with the cloak and dagger?
IMOGENE: I didn’t want him to see us together.
ANNA: Him?
Rufus.
He asked for my help on the case and he doesn’t want anyone to know.
We focus on the suspects assembled out there.
Danny rattled ’em all.
What do you need me to do?
Chapter eight… Broken clocks.
You want me to spy?
I need you to get your hands on the Collier Mills books.
Right.
So, that’s why you played this whole game with me?
Why you need my help? ‘Cause I have an in with the Colliers?
What are you doing?
You hate him. Y… He’s a liar. He’s a fraud. He sucks!
Yeah, yeah, he’s all those things and he does.
But look, Anna, there is so much more going on here.
The man across the hall, he was not what he appeared to be.
So, uh… who was he then, really?
You’re not gonna like this.
[elevator dings]
[carts rattling]
RUFUS: I understand you made social arrangements for the victim.
Yes. After high tea on day one,
I booked Mr. Trubitsky a sport fishing excursion.
He couldn’t hit a fish if it were on his plate.
According to the guide.
Guests do not store shotguns
from the trap shooting deck in their rooms.
Why was Trubitsky allowed to keep his spear gun?
No one expected him to go around shooting at other guests.
Perhaps we should’ve considered the alternative.
Are you in the habit of lying?
Excuse me?
RUFUS: You said earlier you never had the chance to speak with Mr. Trubitsky.
Correct.
He and the priest went into the chapel around four o’clock.
Care to take a mulligan?
Anything we discussed is between me, Trubitsky, and the Lord.
Does the Lord’s grace extend to the pool deck?
I am no seminarian.
NURSE: Here’s your vitamin B12 IV drip.
FATHER TOBY: Keith Trubitsky.
I’d like to introduce you to the Governor of the great state of Washington.
Always happy to make a new friend.
Just remember, when you’re planning that State Dinner, seat me on the end.
Leg room. That’s what it’s all about, am I right?
[chuckling] Amen.
RUFUS: You are a king-maker.
The road to political power in your neck of the woods,
it runs through your church.
I cannot help what people say about me.
I’ll have my team reach out as soon as we’re back in the States.
And just one more thing.
Mm-hmm.
I wanna meet with some of the other super-pac donors.
You know that’s not possible.
I have no idea who chooses to donate to my funds.
We just shook hands. You know who I am.
What is this?
You took money from someone you shouldn’t have,
and I wanna hear you say their name.
Fuck you.
When I was an AUSA, my favorite part of prosecuting was the game.
Two choices when building your courtroom strategy.
You could keep it all a secret,
or you can show your cards to the other side,
but you show ’em the wrong cards.
Let ’em make a bad bet.
[sneezing]
I’m told you’ve been unwell.
Yeah, she hasn’t been the same, you know, since the, uh… accident.
Her illness has been a strain on our family.
I pray for her every day.
Can a woman call another woman crazy?
No.
She had a brain injury, we think.
It was all so terrifying.
But we have the best team of doctors helping with her recovery.
I would like to hear your side.
[tires screeching] [glass shattering]
But you do not think it was an accident.
Your behavior changed.
You now check light bulbs for listening devices.
You do not want your photo taken.
You live in fear.
Even now, in this room, you
have glanced at the door… three times.
Please… keep your voice down.
Where were you? Between the hours of midnight and 8 A.M.?
In bed with my wife.
♪ suspenseful music playing ♪
Before the wreck,
you were a journalist?
I wrote clickbait.
You were trained… to look for hidden truths.
You thought Trubitsky was lying.
You confronted him.
At the tea? That was nothing.
Yet you assume I do not know about the confrontation.
First night, you accosted him in the hall.
LEILA: I see you.
[door lock beeping]
Hm?
Have you been following me?
In Sydney? In New York last month?
W… Hold on there.
Did you switch rooms to spy on me and my wife?
You thought Trubitsky was responsible for your accident.
So, you struck first.
If you want to have me arrested, fine.
I will be no safer locked away, and you will be no closer to the truth.
There are forces at play that you cannot comprehend.
Lord, guide us through these dark times as you’ve led us through so many others,
and bring peace to the victim and his family.
Shelter and surround us.
[sighs] You again.
Just can’t stay away.
I’m a lucky man.
You two fucked.
Twice. [slight chuckle]
IMOGENE: Mm.
I lost count.
Please, Miss Collier, allow me. [door lock beeps]
He lost count.
FATHER TOBY: Amen. KATHERINE: Amen.
[door closes]
ANNA: He’s really something else. [Imogene chuckles]
What kinda questions did he ask you?
FATHER TOBY: Derek! THAT DEREK: Was it really a fish gun?
It was a fish gun. THAT DEREK: Cool!
I’ve been thinking about you ever since I heard the news.
These kind of tragedies can hit harder for people who’ve suffered loss.
Oh, still an atheist. Like Mom.
Oh, your mom would have loved this. Murder, intrigue, secrets.
She saw the world as a puzzle to solve.
But she hated boats. KATHERINE: Ah. [laughs]
[chuckles] You remember 4th of July on Uncle Gerry’s boat?
She puked for hours. [laughter]
She was such a graceful swimmer, though.
She was.
I heard you skipped your interview.
Dad doesn’t sit for questions without a warrant.
You can tell that to Cotesworth.
You want one?
I do, but…
Just… be careful with him.
I don’t want him to hurt you again.
I’m not 11 years old.
You are, though. Some part of you.
I need you to get your hands on the Collier Mills books.
Right. So, that’s why you played this whole game with me?
Why you need my help? ‘Cause I have an in with the Colliers?
Because whatever they’re hiding might explain not just one murder,
but two.
I can’t lie to Anna.
She knows me, she’ll sniff it out.
I didn’t ask you to lie.
Did I?
♪
[door opens]
How’d it go?
It was nothing. He’s an idiot.
Oh, cheers to that.
All right, everybody eat.
I’m starving.
♪
[Lawrence slurping]
[short breaths]
[Rufus sneezes]
Vicuña. Everyone’s allergic, but I like the fit.
No one in your family was happy with you bringing Trubitsky onto the ship.
Who said that?
Everyone.
Okay, well, Anna’s always been a fuckin’ snob.
And you know what, was he a little rough around the edges?
Sure, but his money was green, so…
Well, I’m told he pulled out of your venture.
You had a fight… on day two.
♪
[Tripp sighs]
It’s just not a good match for the portfolio.
Yeah. Yeah, see, I already… I paid for server space.
I’m, I’m, I’m out serious money.
Yeah, life in the big city, sport.
Tripp Collier… he was angry.
I really couldn’t say.
A man is dead.
These things matter.
Well, then, yes… he was furious.
You overheard the whole argument?
I tried not to eavesdrop.
They all heard it.
Life in the big city, sport.
I’m gonna fucking kill you!
[person 1 gasps] PERSON 2: Oh, my God.
[people murmuring]
I did not say that!
Tripp Collier has well-concealed anger management issues.
RUFUS: You had everything riding on Trubitsky’s investment.
Collier Coin is meant to go live in a week.
You thought it was positioned to make millions instantly.
Now it is worthless.
Okay, that’s simplistic…
No, it’s motive. It’s motive!
Man humiliated you,
made you look ridiculous in front of your father.
Oh, fuck off! No! No! I am not the one he humiliated.
[glass clatters]
You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me!
This watch is worth 50 grand, you hear me? That’s 50,000 American!
More than you make in a fucking year!
I’m so sorry, sir. I’m so sorry.
Your tip was in here. Was.
[tray clatters]
[glass shatters] [Winnie gasps]
Look, I’m not the best at my job.
I made a mistake.
My sister’s still learning the trade.
I’m a shit waitress.
It’s her first tour with your crew?
Yes. She needed a break, I gave her one.
You look after her.
You have since you were young.
I raised her. [scoffs] Sometimes, I think badly.
You blame yourself?
Why?
You were given opportunities she never had.
Your accent.
Wickham Abbey? [Teddy chuckles]
Me, an Abbey girl?
No… Mayfield.
Ah.
Where were you between the hours of midnight and 8 A.M.?
With my sister.
We share a cabin.
Asleep in my room.
I was wasted, if you really need to know.
Must’ve had, I don’t know, seven, eight drinks at dinner.
[chuckles] Was that before or after you ordered the bar cart to Trubitsky’s room?
I didn’t do that.
The bar cart that delivered the killer was ordered
from your room on your telephone.
I… I didn’t…
Well, it wasn’t me.
Yes, I remember the call.
It came from room 541.
Tripp Collier’s suite.
Yes… but it was a woman’s voice.
American accent.
Who did you share your bed with?
[Tripp scoffs]
No one.
Everyone.
You figure it out.
[footsteps retreating] [door slams shut]
RUFUS: She is keen as anything.
She cracked my primer like a walnut.
DANNY TURNER: You’re breaking your own rule.
Hm?
Never make friends with the victims.
That’s not what this is. She knows something.
I need her to trust me.
And she’s a brilliant, little genius?
Don’t kid yourself.
What is it you found?
Buddy in the long leads investigation division got me this… A name.
This is the guy that bought the detonation device
that went up in Kira Scott’s car.
Viktor Sams.
[Rufus groans]
[Rufus exhales sharply]
Lumbar… true window to the soul.
Gross.
[groans] How did it go?
[Rufus panting, rapidly slapping back]
Almost too well.
I told her I was working with you and she still trusts me.
She’s the closest thing I have to a sister and yet deceiving her was…
[groans] Fun?
Easier than it should’ve been.
It’s lonely work.
Your only loyalty at the end of the day is to the truth. [exhales]
It’s not your fault Danny’s dead.
Oh, thanks for that. I feel absolved already.
Mr. Bhandari, thank you for your hospitality.
[sighs] What’ve we learned?
Well, [sighs] a lot. Just not, you know, “whodunit.”
[safe lock beeps]
RUFUS: Picture is yet to come into relief.
Well, I’ve just heard from Interpol.
Their best man is on route.
There’s, um… somethin’ I failed to mention.
The murder victim tried to enter my office…
well, this office, the night we set sail.
♪ suspenseful music playing ♪
[lock pick rattling]
Can I help you?
Huh?
Oh, my key card won’t work.
That’s because it’s not your room, mate.
Oh… sorry.
[Keith-Danny chuckles]
SUNIL: He staggered back to his suite. No harm done. Simple misunderstanding.
Why not inform your security team?
I handled it myself.
That’s not why.
You don’t trust Jules.
Your head of security.
Oh. Hm.
Well, it’s hard to know who to trust.
Mr. Bhandari, one last thing.
Maybe two.
What time… was the… altercation
you didn’t feel the need to report, for my timeline?
Call it midnight.
Very good.
[Rufus groans]
And the second thing?
Oh.
[sighs] Just this.
Why did you kill Keith Trubitsky?
[Sunil chuckles]
Is he takin’ the piss?
I had nothing to do with any of it, as you well know.
All I needed to hear.
‘Til tomorrow, then.
We’ll see ourselves out.
The fuck was that? You just accused him of murder?
Answer was immaterial.
Aim was… fluster him.
“Nervous eyes hide no secrets.” Chapter three.
Also, maybe a Phil Collins B-side.
Can be two things.
What you don’t need,
two safes.
Holy shit.
He really is hiding something.
They all are.
To wit… the Governor,
she is carrying on an affair with one of her biggest donors.
[Alexandra sneezes]
[Rufus sneezes]
Vicuña. Everyone’s allergic, but I like the fit, so…
Oh, she could do better.
In fact, it was she who ordered
the ill-fated bar cart to Trubitsky’s suite.
But it was a woman’s voice… American accent.
[both sniffing]
The Governor’s an accomplice?
Either witting or unwitting.
Deceptions continue.
Neither the lawyer nor our dear maître d’
mentioned the exchange of goods they made
the first night on the ship.
And then, there’s the priest.
[chuckling] Amen.
RUFUS: Built a career… on connecting powerful people,
protecting their secrets… at all cost.
And there’s Leila.
Paranoid, terrified. Of what? Remains to be seen.
But her wife… your friend, Anna,
lied… on her behalf… more than once.
There are billions on the line in the deal between the Colliers and the Chuns.
Any one of them might have killed Danny
to keep it in place.
♪
Oh.
Oh, now that we’ve shone a torch on these cockroaches,
they will scatter.
Make mistakes.
And lead us to the truth.
[Imogene sighs]
RUFUS: And reader… scatter they did.
What the fuck did you do?!
It’s not what it looks like.
It’s not what it looks like?! Ya set me up as an accessory
to a murder, so…
Truth is, I should’ve never been in your room.
What?
This is a mistake.
You… are a mistake.
Wait, wait. I…
No, don’t… call me.
Don’t fuckin’ come to my room. Don’t offer me coke, just fuckin’ don’t.
I…
It’s over.
I didn’t tell anyone, Alexandra.
Good.
Keep it that way.
But I,
I have so much more coke.
It was supposed to be a vacation, Anna.
Some quick business, then Mai Tai’s.
Now someone’s dead.
My grandmother’s spooked.
We’re leaving in the morning.
I can fix this.
Gimme a chance.
If it were up to me, I’d do anything for you.
But… it’s outta my hands.
I’m sorry. The deal’s off.
[door closes]
Everything okay?
It’s fine. Everything’s fine.
Is it?
[Anna sighs]
♪
♪
RUFUS: Which one of them killed my friend, Danny?
You could skip to the end for that.
But then you’ll miss all the clever things I said.
Better to take it page by page.
[panting]
[Tripp grunts] [glass shatters]
[muffled yells]
[helicopter whirring] [seagulls cawing]
RUFUS: Welcome… to The Artless Detective,
my second, and I am proud to say, my very best book.
Oh, that’s awful.
Note to the editor,
please provide sample introductory remarks.
[Sunil clears throat]
[seagulls cawing]
Agent Hilde Eriksen.
Sunil Bhandari, welcome to the Varuna.
Let me guess, Cotesworth kept your VIPs up all night for questioning,
and tricked you into an interview you didn’t agree to?
Well, how d… how did you…
This should be fun.
♪ Pomeranian Spinster by Alvvays playing ♪
♪ I don’t wanna be nice ♪
♪ I don’t want your advice ♪
♪ On the run in my tights ♪
♪ I gonna get what I want ♪
♪ I don’t care who it hurts ♪
♪ Took the lessons that I’ve learned ♪
♪ Once shy, twice burned ♪
♪ Don’t wanna belong ♪
♪ I’m not nodding along ♪
♪ I don’t care if you write me ♪
♪ Please don’t invite me ♪
♪ Hummingbird, get what you want ♪
♪ And flutter off for a little while ♪
♪ Wait, set it on the doorstep ♪
♪ You took the first steps ♪
♪ Mine, should’ve been mine ♪
♪ Had I just said something, if I wasn’t polite ♪
♪ Stuck out my hand, grabbed it and ran ♪
♪ song fades out ♪
[child giggles] [bicycle bell rings]
[machine whirring]
