Episode 9 - The Finale Destination

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<v Charlie Incarica>Suddenly, nothing seemed to make sense.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Why would William Hart, who stood to gain so much from Margaret's conviction, deliver a passionate plea for mercy, protesting that she wasn't guilty?

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<v Charlie Incarica>What information might he have that led him to believe in her innocence?

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<v Charlie Incarica>And how did this documented dweeb transform himself into such an eloquent thirst trap?

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<v Taylor Branigan>It shook me, William's statement.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor Branigan.

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<v Taylor Branigan>He had nothing to gain.

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<v Taylor Branigan>In fact, the opposite.

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<v Taylor Branigan>So, even though I still believe Jones did it, I felt compelled to try to find out why he thought she didn't, and just how he'd become almost literally a new man since we last spoke.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor reached out to the estranged, widowed, and newly hot William Hart, and she asked if they could meet, off the record.

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<v Charlie Incarica>He said he needed to think about it.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Three minutes later, his new wife Erica called back to invite her to their home, as long as she agreed not to tell anyone, to come at night, and not in uniform.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Also, if she agreed to bring some paper towels and orange juice, as they were running low on both.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Things started off a little strained.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Partially because of the oddness of the situation, but also because the OJ I had bought contained lots of pulp instead of some pulp, which apparently was a really big deal.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Anyway, things got a little better once we sat down, especially for William, but Erica watched him like a hawk.

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<v Charlie Incarica>You mean from a great height?

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<v Taylor Branigan>I mean closely.

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<v Taylor Branigan>I talked to him about how his public speaking was different than his conversational tone, but it turned out it wasn't.

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<v Taylor Branigan>He said forsooth at least six times.

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<v Taylor Branigan>He attributed his changes to Erica, who he clearly worshipped.

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<v Taylor Branigan>What was Erica like?

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<v Taylor Branigan>Hot and cold.

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<v Taylor Branigan>She was surprisingly frank at times, and then suddenly evasive.

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<v Taylor Branigan>She admitted that she and her now mother-in-law had arranged this marriage to benefit both of their positions, but that she and William had quickly fallen deeply in love.

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<v Taylor Branigan>When I asked William why he thought Margaret was innocent, he'd look at Erica and she'd answer for him, but very cryptically.

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<v Taylor Branigan>What did she say?

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<v Taylor Branigan>She said she couldn't reveal everything, but that she had overheard something after her yoga class.

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<v Taylor Branigan>The studio shared a common area with a company that sold timeshares in Mexico on Mondays and Wednesdays, and pills that purported to combat memory loss and erectile dysfunction on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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<v Taylor Branigan>One afternoon, the company's manager was outside on a smoke break, which incensed Erica's yoga class as it was overpowering their incense.

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<v Taylor Branigan>So Erica volunteered to speak to the woman because her yoga instructor apparently had a real temper.

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<v Taylor Branigan>But as she approached the woman, she thought she overheard the woman say, Margaret Mandragara Jones, as well as the word knife, repeatedly.

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<v Taylor Branigan>But then the woman saw Erica and ended the call.

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<v Taylor Branigan>In fact, she threw the phone on the ground and smashed it into smithereens with the heel of her shoe.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Otherwise, she seemed friendly, and the conversation was amicable and normal.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Except that she had asked Erica several times how much of the phone call she had heard.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Hardly proof of anything, though.

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<v Taylor Branigan>But it did sound suspicious.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Yet when I asked Erica for the name of the company, she said she couldn't trust me yet, despite the fact we had just spent like 20 minutes doing that thing where you fall backwards and people catch you.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor wasn't the only one who felt things were off.

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<v Charlie Incarica>The afternoon I returned to Estelle's after the sentencing.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I saw Estelle talking on the phone.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I couldn't make out what she was saying, but she looked overwhelmed.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Then as soon as she saw me, she looked panic stricken and got off the phone.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Hey, hey, Estelle.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Everything okay?

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<v Charlie Incarica>Everything's fine.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Okay.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Uh I'll just I'm gonna walk I'm gonna let myself into the uh living room here.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I'm just gonna get myself a drink.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Okay.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Okay.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I'm fine.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I don't know if you were offering, but I'm fine.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I'd never seen Estelle like that before.

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<v Charlie Incarica>And over these past months, let's just say I'd seen Estelle most ways.

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<v Charlie Incarica>So I asked her if anything had happened to upset her during her phone call.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Why would you think that?

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<v Charlie Incarica>Well, it's none of my business, but you looked upset.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Well the truth is I was on the phone with my life coach.

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<v Charlie Incarica>You have a life coach.

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<v Estelle Hayes>What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

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<v Charlie Incarica>Nothing.

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<v Charlie Incarica>It's just that you make it look so effortless.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I know I do, honey.

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<v Estelle Hayes>But even I need a little guidance now and then.

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<v Charlie Incarica>And she or he gave you some upsetting news.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Why do you keep thinking I was upset?

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<v Charlie Incarica>Because you sounded really upset, and you kept repeating, I've gotta go, I've gotta go, in an increasingly panicked voice as I came in the house.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Oh no, that that's a life coach thing.

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<v Estelle Hayes>That's the mantra we come up with for me.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Because I don't know if you notice this, but I don't always go.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I mean really go for it energetically and and spiritually, you know?

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<v Estelle Hayes>So that mantra is how we're working on that issue.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Uh you hungry?

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<v Estelle Hayes>I made my world famous whiskey chicken.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Is that the one where you get a bucket of hot wings and drink whiskey?

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<v Charlie Incarica>Shh.

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<v Estelle Hayes>It's a secret recipe.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I was highly skeptical about her mantra excuse, and I was sure she wasn't being totally honest about it being a secret recipe.

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<v Charlie Incarica>But frankly, after four helpings of her whiskey chicken, I'd forgotten much of that evening.

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<v Charlie Incarica>In fact, I only held on to this recording because later that night, Estelle and I did a kick-ass medley of Eye of the Tiger and Bohemian Rhapsody.

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<v Charlie Incarica>We nailed the harmonies.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Still, I was willing to chalk it up to coincidence for a few days until I replayed Taylor's description of Erica's description of that conversation.

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<v Charlie Incarica>It wasn't simply what this mysterious manager woman said or did.

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<v Charlie Incarica>It was the company she was running.

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<v Charlie Incarica>It sold timeshares and pills claiming to cure hearing loss and erectile dysfunction.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Products aimed at the elderly.

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<v Charlie Incarica>And though I believe it's unprofessional to judge before all the facts are in, I let myself venture this much.

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<v Charlie Incarica>It sounded possible that this company wasn't entirely legitimate.

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<v Charlie Incarica>In other words, this woman was possibly grifting the elderly.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Which just so happens to have been the passion of Amanda and Teddy's long-lost mother, Tammy the Blade.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I called Taylor and shared my insight.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Wow, that's shocking.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Right?

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<v Taylor Branigan>And no offense, shockingly insightful.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Thanks.

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<v Taylor Branigan>What was her name again?

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<v Charlie Incarica>All anyone knew her as was Tammy the Blade.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Oh my god.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor was now in a bind.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Mayor Lyons was forced to appoint Taylor to chief after the successful conviction of Margaret, and she'd started to instill a sense of purpose and professionalism in Shady Grove's police force.

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<v Charlie Incarica>But now, she believed she could have been wrong this whole time.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Yet, to admit that would instantly lose her the post and undo all the good work she was starting to do, like eliminating Chief Ebner's stand your ground policy with Jaywalkers.

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<v Charlie Incarica>She had to secretly reopen the case and investigate in her spare time.

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<v Charlie Incarica>And she needed help.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I'm in.

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<v Taylor Branigan>What?

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<v Taylor Branigan>You're offering to help me?

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<v Charlie Incarica>That's what you were hinting at, right?

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<v Taylor Branigan>Well, uh, let's put a pin in that for a moment.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Though there is one thing I would like your help with.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Name it.

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<v Taylor Branigan>Send me your source on Tammy the Blade.

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<v Charlie Incarica>The next day, I emailed no longer acting interim, but actual chief Taylor Branagin.

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<v Charlie Incarica>A link to a Zoom meeting with myself and Vanessa Holmes.

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<v Taylor Branigan>What can you tell me about Tammy the Blade?

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<v Vanessa Holmes>Tamila Denuncio.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>We don't know a lot, but we know Robert Putnam met her in Las Vegas in late 1971, where she was working as a topless juggler by night.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>By day she ran a rigged kino game for the elderly at a bar off the strip.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>Robert saw her performing one night, juggling a machete, a flaming bowling pin, and a two-month-old mountain lion cub, and was instantly smitten.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>After the show he approached her as her burns were being treated and told her that despite the fresh claw marks, she was incredibly beautiful and that he was obscenely rich.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>She blew him off at first, but after receiving a series of romantic notes backstage from his accountant, including one with a fifty thousand dollar check, she agreed to marry him.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>After Teddy and Amanda were born, she realized that married life, even in a mansion, wasn't for her.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>Wow.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>Oh, and another juicy tidbit I dug up.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>Tammy may have had a lover in Shady Grove.

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<v Vanessa Holmes>She was seen sneaking back into Shady Grove for several years after she'd left for Arizona.

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<v Taylor Branigan>But how do we even know she's still alive?

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<v Taylor Branigan>And what would her motive be for murder?

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<v Taylor Branigan>Because if she did it, and I'm still siding with if, that means she murdered her own daughter.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Vanessa went on to tell us Tammy had spent four years in a Wyoming prison for wearing an I-voted sticker when she hadn't.

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<v Charlie Incarica>And a three-year stretch in Texas for assault with a deadly weapon.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Namely, a knife.

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<v Charlie Incarica>We signed off shortly thereafter, but all agreed to keep in touch with any new developments.

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<v Charlie Incarica>When I got home, I told Estelle the latest news, although I left out the bit about Vanessa.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Wait, you think Tamala did this?

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<v Charlie Incarica>We're not sure, but we think it's worth wait, how did you know her full name is Tamila?

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<v Estelle Hayes>Because we met once, and that's how she introduced herself.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I used to be a pretty good juggler back in the day, and I'd do kids' parties sometimes and whatnot.

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<v Estelle Hayes>And I got a gig for Teddy and Amanda's sixth birthdays.

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<v Reporter 1>Oh wow.

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<v Estelle Hayes>You sound surprised, but I have all sorts of talents.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I'm a Renaissance woman.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Because you can juggle?

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<v Estelle Hayes>Ever been to a Renaissance fair?

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<v Estelle Hayes>Of course you have, look at you.

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<v Estelle Hayes>It's juggling out the ass.

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<v Estelle Hayes>What was Tamil like?

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<v Estelle Hayes>Charles, you need to focus when you juggle.

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<v Estelle Hayes>It was a five-minute conversation a quarter of a century ago.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Tamala came over to talk because she used to juggle a bit too.

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<v Charlie Incarica>She used to juggle in Las Vegas, apparently.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Wait a minute.

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<v Estelle Hayes>You've got this from Vanessa Holmes.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I'm sorry, Estelle.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Don't be.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I have other friends.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I have another friend your age, in fact.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Last week we did an a cappella version of Africa by Toto that he said was, and I quote, fucking fire.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Oh yeah?

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<v Charlie Incarica>Odd, I've never heard of him then.

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<v Estelle Hayes>That's because he lives in Canada.

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<v Estelle Hayes>We zoom.

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<v Estelle Hayes>We have the most fun fucking zooms ever.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Lauren is the best.

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<v Charlie Incarica>You're upset.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I'm sorry.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I'm not.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Anyway, Vanessa's just looking for more drama.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Jones clearly did it.

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<v Estelle Hayes>It's crazy.

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<v Estelle Hayes>You're accusing a woman of murdering her own daughter.

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<v Estelle Hayes>You seem kind of protective of Tamala, Estelle.

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<v Estelle Hayes>It's the juggler's code.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Never trash a tosser.

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<v Estelle Hayes>And more than that, I don't think it tracks.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Anyway, I've gotta hop on the Zoom with Lorne.

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<v Estelle Hayes>He's teaching me the metric system, and I'm teaching him how to say out and about like a normal person.

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<v Estelle Hayes>It's a very rewarding relationship.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I left Shady Grove the following day.

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<v Charlie Incarica>But what I hadn't realized until I went back to find our Eye of the Tiger Medley was that my phone kept recording for hours without my realizing it.

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<v Charlie Incarica>I nearly deleted it.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Yet something, call it instinct, or a hunch, or intuition, or an inkling, or instinct.

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<v Charlie Incarica>But something made me listen through the rest of the recording.

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<v Charlie Incarica>Most of it was boring.

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<v Charlie Incarica>But just when I was about to stop bothering and binge some Gilmore girls, I heard something that chilled me to the bone.

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<v Charlie Incarica>You're about to hear Estelle on the phone while I was in the bathroom not throwing up.

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<v Estelle Hayes>But you're not in the clear yet.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Because the cheek thinks you're the one who did it.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Yes, the cheap.

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<v Estelle Hayes>No, I don't think that's racist in this context.

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<v Estelle Hayes>Well, because it's the job title, I'm not referring to Native Americans.

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<v Estelle Hayes>We don't have time for this.

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<v Estelle Hayes>But you need to, baby.

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<v Estelle Hayes>I think you have to stay where you are completely.

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<v Charlie Incarica>While I definitely did not soil myself that night, on hearing those words, I very nearly did.

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<v Charlie Incarica>On the one hand, a woman I'd grown quite attached to had been lying to me this whole time.

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<v Charlie Incarica>On the other, I was so pumped I'd called it right with Tammy.

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<v Charlie Incarica>On the third hand, I was excited I had a damning confirmation.

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<v Charlie Incarica>But on the fourth, I knew I'd have to churn Estelle in, and that made me incredibly sad.

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<v Charlie Incarica>On the fifth hand, however, I knew if I wanted to live up to the promise emblazoned on the Murderer Killings shirts, hoodies, and extra large kitchen magnets available at themurdererkillings.com, I had to do what was right.

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<v Charlie Incarica>And on the sixth, I felt I had just broken new true crime podcast ground, maybe.

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<v Charlie Incarica>So it was a six-handed problem.

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<v Taylor Branigan>When I heard the recording, I knew I couldn't stay quiet.

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<v Taylor Branigan>So I drove out to Estelles at the crack of dawn.

00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:41.279
<v Taylor Branigan>But she was gone.

00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:42.879
<v Taylor Branigan>Her van was gone.

00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:49.519
<v Taylor Branigan>Her mailbox was not only full, but it included both the March and April issues of Juggler's World magazine.

00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.600
<v Taylor Branigan>She had been gone for a while.

00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:56.320
<v Taylor Branigan>I put out an APB and called the DA's office, telling them about this new evidence.

00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:08.639
<v Charlie Incarica>Newberry's appeals had been previously rejected by the state's Supreme Court, and despite William Hart's increasingly vocal and oddly ornate protestations of her innocence, most of them were now delivered in sonnet form.

00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.600
<v Charlie Incarica>His own mother refused to intervene as governor.

00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.240
<v Charlie Incarica>The execution was set for the following week.

00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:24.480
<v Taylor Branigan>It was almost as if they just wanted the whole thing to be over with, regardless of the truth.

00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:27.679
<v Charlie Incarica>For Taylor, this left her with no other choice.

00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:29.440
<v Taylor Branigan>I called a press conference.

00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:35.519
<v Charlie Incarica>But Shady Grove only has one newspaper, published bi-weekly, and its one reporter never showed up.

00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:38.320
<v Charlie Incarica>The murderer killings were old news by then.

00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.320
<v Charlie Incarica>So Taylor went to Plan B.

00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:44.559
<v Charlie Incarica>She uploaded a video where she laid out the case for Margaret's innocence.

00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:51.840
<v Charlie Incarica>To boost her video in social media algorithms, she had a puppy and baby duck napping together on a blanket in front of her.

00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.960
<v Charlie Incarica>In fact, all of her accusations had to be whispered.

00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:56.559
<v Charlie Incarica>But the tactic worked.

00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.840
<v Charlie Incarica>Within a day, it had received several million views.

00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:02.799
<v Charlie Incarica>But the DA and the governor weren't backing down.

00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:13.200
<v Charlie Incarica>In fact, they suspended Chief Branigan immediately, and a judge issued a gag order, as well as a mandate that she post more videos of that puppy and duckling, ideally playing together.

00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:23.120
<v Taylor Branigan>It went against every instinct I had, but I just couldn't let a woman, no matter how lethally unpleasant, be executed for a crime she didn't commit.

00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:26.639
<v Taylor Branigan>And well, you know the rest.

00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.000
<v Charlie Incarica>But did I?

00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:29.600
<v Charlie Incarica>Yes.

00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:37.759
<v Reporter 2>Death Row inmate Margaret Mandragora Jones, scheduled to be executed last night, only made things worse for herself by escaping from a child.

00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.360
<v Reporter 1>Mandragora Jones was last seen roughly an hour before her execution.

00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:51.840
<v Reporter 1>Guards for their own emotional well-being were wearing noise-proof headphones to block out her insults.

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:55.519
<v Charlie Incarica>When I heard the news, I knew exactly what had happened.

00:15:55.519 --> 00:16:01.759
<v Charlie Incarica>Margaret had used her enormous physical strength and withering put-downs to force her way out of the prison yard.

00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:13.200
<v Charlie Incarica>Or that's what I thought, until five days later, when I received an unexpected phone call from a burner phone, belonging to the person whose dogged work I'd been documenting for almost a year and a half.

00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.399
<v Taylor Branigan>You thought that she used her strength and sarcasm?

00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:22.320
<v Charlie Incarica>Well, I mean it was a hypothesis.

00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:24.480
<v Charlie Incarica>I'd been Wait, what are you saying?

00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.120
<v Taylor Branigan>I'm saying read between the lines, Charles.

00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:28.639
<v Taylor Branigan>Oh my god.

00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:32.000
<v Taylor Branigan>Didn't you find it odd that you couldn't get a hold of me this last week?

00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:33.120
<v Charlie Incarica>Uh, not really.

00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:35.279
<v Charlie Incarica>You only pick up like 10% of the time.

00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.399
<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor, where are you?

00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:40.399
<v Taylor Branigan>I can't say, Charles.

00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:41.279
<v Charlie Incarica>I see.

00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.159
<v Charlie Incarica>Um, are there any landmarks or street signs nearby?

00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:47.039
<v Taylor Branigan>No, I know where I am, but I can't say.

00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:48.639
<v Charlie Incarica>Oh, right, of course.

00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:51.679
<v Charlie Incarica>Uh what are you gonna do?

00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:56.720
<v Taylor Branigan>I I have to I have to find a real killer.

00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:02.960
<v Taylor Branigan>And Margaret is if I answer that question, they can argue that's proof I helped her escape.

00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.039
<v Charlie Incarica>Wow, you've really thought this through.

00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:09.519
<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor, what can I do to help?

00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:13.200
<v Taylor Branigan>Well, Charles, you can get the story out there.

00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:15.119
<v Taylor Branigan>Tell people what's really going on.

00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:15.759
<v Charlie Incarica>Right.

00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:19.039
<v Charlie Incarica>You mean like posting something on YouTube or like an ad?

00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:20.880
<v Taylor Branigan>No, Charles, you're a podcast.

00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.279
<v Charlie Incarica>Oh, well, yeah, I mean that too, obviously.

00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.039
<v Charlie Incarica>Uh I will, I will, Taylor.

00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:25.920
<v Charlie Incarica>Absolutely will.

00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:29.440
<v Charlie Incarica>And I won't rest until I've put the missing pieces of this mystery together.

00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:33.200
<v Taylor Branigan>Yeah, well, that's uh let's maybe just stick to our strengths.

00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:34.480
<v Charlie Incarica>I will not rest.

00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.359
<v Taylor Branigan>Okay.

00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:36.160
<v Taylor Branigan>Thanks.

00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:36.960
<v Charlie Incarica>You're welcome.

00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.640
<v Taylor Branigan>But before I hang up, someone wants to say a quick hello.

00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:42.880
<v Taylor Branigan>Surprise, buddy!

00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:43.839
<v Charlie Incarica>Estelle?

00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:45.119
<v Taylor Branigan>Welcome!

00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:47.359
<v Estelle Hayes>Three points from Up.

00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.640
<v Estelle Hayes>Hey, don't you worry about me and Taylor.

00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.839
<v Estelle Hayes>We'll fix this shit.

00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:55.680
<v Estelle Hayes>I'm sick of my shitty staying town, never doing the right thing.

00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:57.039
<v Estelle Hayes>We're gonna put things right.

00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:58.000
<v Charlie Incarica>I wanna help.

00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:00.160
<v Estelle Hayes>Oh, that's a fucking adorable kid.

00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:01.759
<v Estelle Hayes>You are in your way.

00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:07.920
<v Estelle Hayes>It's not a very big way, obviously, but before all is said and done, we're probably gonna need the help of you and your listeners.

00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:09.119
<v Estelle Hayes>So don't fuck it up.

00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:12.880
<v Estelle Hayes>Besides, we've just given you the perfect cliffhanger for season two.

00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:15.680
<v Charlie Incarica>That means a lot to me that you do that.

00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.400
<v Estelle Hayes>Yeah, that's not why we did it for fuck's sake.

00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:21.119
<v Estelle Hayes>But I gotta admit, I'm happy if it helps.

00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:31.200
<v Charlie Incarica>So, somehow Taylor and Estelle, whether by design or accident, were now teaming up, presumably with Margaret in tow.

00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:33.200
<v Charlie Incarica>But what about Tammy the Blade?

00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:36.559
<v Charlie Incarica>Did Estelle break things off with her in order to do the right thing?

00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.519
<v Charlie Incarica>Or was Tammy the Blade not guilty after all?

00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:43.359
<v Charlie Incarica>So many unanswered questions, and so much fallout.

00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:54.240
<v Charlie Incarica>Governor Hart vowed to only rest sporadically until they track Margaret and Taylor down, while Mayor Lyons and the City Council are coming to grips with how their small town will move forward.

00:18:54.640 --> 00:19:04.079
<v Mayor Lyons>I think the best way to honor Amanda and the other two's memory is to keep their tragedy fresh in our hearts and minds.

00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:13.920
<v Mayor Lyons>That's why I think our sponsored walking tours of the crime scene is going to be healing and lucrative, which in turn will lead to more healing.

00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:17.839
<v Mayor Lyons>We're calling it Welcome to Shady Grave.

00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:27.200
<v Mayor Lyons>Because graves are where murdered people end up, and it's also only one letter off from Grove, so it works on a few levels.

00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:34.240
<v Charlie Incarica>You and Teddy are also charging for coach tours of the areas where Walter Putnam murdered sex workers.

00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:41.759
<v Charlie Incarica>Aren't you, in essence, trying to brand Shady Grove as some sort of ghoulish tourist haven, cashing in on tawdry murders?

00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:43.200
<v Mayor Lyons>Even more than that.

00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:49.599
<v Mayor Lyons>We've also got a petting zoo for the kids at Amanda's house, featuring Amanda's actual dogs.

00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.200
<v Mayor Lyons>So that's neat, I think.

00:19:51.200 --> 00:20:02.319
<v Mayor Lyons>The whole endeavor is a loving tribute from a brother in a community that will forever feel the absence of Amanda and the income streams she brought to this town.

00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:08.880
<v Mayor Lyons>I I I I truly believe it's what Amanda would have wanted us to do.

00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:20.880
<v Charlie Incarica>Personally, I think that Amanda Putnam Hart, Chip Bing, and Michelle Quincy would have wanted, and indeed deserve, justice for their murders.

00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:30.480
<v Charlie Incarica>Taylor certainly doesn't deserve to be a fugitive, and Vanessa Holmes has put out a personal plea for the true murderer to come forward before her publishing deadline in August.

00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:32.480
<v Charlie Incarica>So far, no luck.

00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:39.839
<v Charlie Incarica>At the beginning of this podcast series, I asked if justice can even exist in a place like Shady Grove.

00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:49.920
<v Charlie Incarica>I think it can, but it takes the integrity and grit of people like Estelle Hayes, Taylor Branaghen, and in fairness, me to make that happen.

00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:51.839
<v Charlie Incarica>But we can't do it alone.

00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:54.400
<v Charlie Incarica>This puzzle still has missing pieces.

00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:02.400
<v Charlie Incarica>Perhaps with your help, we can find peace together in piecing together the masterpiece of misplaced missing pieces.

00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:08.160
<v Charlie Incarica>I truly believe we're closer than ever to solving the tragedy that is the murderer killings.

00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:14.240
<v Charlie Incarica>And the sooner we do, the quicker and easier it'll be to produce the next season.

00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:29.440
<v Charlie Incarica>I'm Charles Inkarika, and this has never stopped being the murderer killings.