Sugar

Ji Moon died.

He overdosed and he died.

And there it is.

Tragic, but no one should be too surprised.

That's the story.

I'll leave out the part where I'm the one who killed him.

And brought him back to life.

Hey.

Ji Moon.

Hi, I'm Esther. Welcome to Open Road.

A drug addict on the run from a gang of dirty cops that want him dead.

Rehab seemed as good a place as any.

Garry's discreet. I've brought him clients before.

But getting Ji off the grid, it's just a step.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe he's gone.

All right. Keep working on it.

My associate will take you home, okay?

- Thank you. - No problem.

I gotta move fast.

The more people know a secret, the sooner it comes out.

Next up, falsify Ji's death certificate.

Hitchcock's Vertigo had a nice "faking someone's death" angle.

I'm hoping my version ends with less excitement.

Sorry. Boss had my car, so I had to take his.

But we're good.

Info's all there like you gave me.

"Heart failure due to fentanyl overdose.

The remains shipped back to Korea per family wishes."

The funeral home takes care of this getting into public record?

No need for a county clerk. One-stop shopping's what you pay for.

Thank you, Tammy.

Sorry for your loss.

It's a process.

Wise guy.

Vega has a blind spot.

He sees Ji as a junkie, and junkies drop dead all the time.

But he's not stupid.

I have to be thorough.

Last night I was in a hurry.

I left something behind.

Almost done.

I'm the sentimental one.

The other guy who cares too much.

He wouldn't be the first to think that.

I'll play my part, do what's expected.

There's only one response here that'll be convincing.

- Vega. - Anger.

Hey, hey. Hey, hey. Back up.

Hey.

All right, all right. It's all right.

I had it coming.

- Let him go. - Go on.

All right. All right, everybody. Back to the party. Come on, come on.

Hopefully that punch was convincing.

I certainly believed it.

Last stop,

the best part.

Telling Danny his brother is safe.

At least, for now.

Flybjerg?

1827.

Across the hall. Wait there.

Thank you.

Hey. One sec.

This fucking Kuwaiti.

We just need him to leave his bungalow over there

and come sit poolside over here by the parabolics we got running.

And he won't do it?

He won't fucking do it.

Three days we're sitting around.

Three days?

Let me see.

Maybe he doesn't swim.

We don't want him to swim.

We want him to sit with his friends and discuss his illicit activities.

Of course, I understand. He'll show.

- Come here. You want anything? - No, I'm good.

Sorry to make you come all the way down here.

No, no, no. You're busy. Thanks for the minute.

So, what's up?

This case I'm working. I wanna download you.

Okay.

Let me guess, it's grown hairy legs and pointy teeth.

Legs, teeth,

and a badge.

Do tell.

She looks like Collins. I kid you not.

- I like Collins, but not that much. - I don't know, man.

I… I find myself pretty sexy.

Fucking embarrassment.

You know, most sheriffs are cool. Good guys, good police.

But there's always been this group of 'em. Bangers with badges.

Starts in the jails?

The LA Sheriff's Department runs them?

That's where they make their connections.

Tell me about Vega.

What's his deal here? What's his angle?

I don't know. Price of fentanyl is down 90% in the Ez4 territory.

And that's his jurisdiction.

- Shit. - Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I think he's trying

to help someone buy out the market, but that doesn't make sense.

What we got here is fire sale in Downer Town.

Yeah, that's it.

But first, Ji Moon.

I gotta… I gotta keep him safe while I figure out Vega.

- All right. What are you thinking? - Witness protection.

No.

Hold on.

No.

What you're asking for…

And let's be honest, in this economy,

a $200,000 WITSEC request for a single witness testimony

against a decorated police officer?

A dirty police officer.

Still a police officer.

Evidence-wise, you gotta move mountains, my man.

Well, how about an eyewitness of Vega

committing capital murder in a hospital room?

Come on, that's gotta be… I mean…

While that eyewitness is in the midst of committing a second-degree felony.

You're saying his word's no good?

Praise be.

Copy.

You were right. Pool time.

Look, I'm not saying anything other than it's a long shot.

But I will check with my guy

- at the US Attorneys'. - Good enough.

- I got to get back. - Right.

But you know the thing that's bothering me?

This whole buy-back-the-market thing, it makes no sense.

I know. It means Downer Town, Downtown, Westlake.

- Yeah. - That's Sergey's market.

I know.

This whole city is Sergey's market.

Okay. Let me reach out to the DA. I'll let you know what she says.

Thanks.

Yeah, he's dead. It's confirmed.

Well, it handled itself.

I understand. Yeah, I understand.

No more problems, yeah.

Vega won't believe his luck.

He'll hope he's in the clear. But he'll be watching me just in case.

- That's fine. - Right here is Stage 17…

Let him watch.

That, you film buffs might recognize as the second floor reader's department

from Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard.

- We're gonna go... - "There I was, a writer,

sitting at a window."

- You know it. He's a film buff, this guy. - Yeah, a little bit.

Alfred Hitchcock was notorious for his disregard of the rules.

So, when the studio bosses moved his office to a closer location

so that they might keep an eye on him through its large picture window…

Here we are at the New York back lot

which boasts its very own Brooklyn, Greenwich Village, Soho…

Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's was actually shot right here.

Does anyone here like Breakfast at Tiffany's?

- I love that movie. - Yeah. Love.

All right, everyone.

Here we are.

Hope you all enjoyed the tour.

- Have a great day… - Nice to meet you.

- …enjoy your flights. - Bye, all.

- Get home safe. Have a safe flight. - Bye!

Bye-bye.

Hey, I still can't get my head around that Rear Window story.

I mean, Hitchcock dug down into the basement of a sound stage

so that he could build a whole

- apartment block inside? - I know.

- He was a mad man. - I know. And it worked too.

Yeah, It worked beautifully.

- One more time around, Mr. Sugar? - Yes, please, Steff.

- Hey, Danny. - 'Sup?

Teddy wants a word.

Sit down.

So, Len Pankow says what happened at this fucking Chinese restaurant.

Japanese.

Why did you do that?

It was right there in hand for you.

Tell me why.

The guy was talking shit,

so I'm not gonna be disrespected.

So you disrespect yourself?

You throw away your chances so you can be like your fucking brother?

Ji's got nothing to do with this.

Bullshit!

Look, Teddy, I'm…

I'm grateful for all that you've done for me.

But if you talk shit one more time about my brother…

I'm gonna hit you in the face.

This is fair.

While I wait for Tom to hear back from his prosecutor friend,

I decided to follow up on my other case.

Specifically the professor I saw meeting with Senator Pavich.

He's gonna help me get to the bottom of things.

Even if he doesn't know it yet.

What the heck? What the heck?

What the heck?

What the heck?