It's there against the wall,
if you were wondering.
Always a pleasure doing business with you.
Uh, listen. There, uh...
there's one more thing.
The other piece I delivered, the one before last,
I want more for it,
given what it's worth to you.
What I'm saying
is that I know people.
People that I could talk to
that would be very interested in what I know about you,
in that piece in particular.
So, I figure...
$250,000...
and I could forget everything I know.
You gonna say something?
I thought I'd find you here.
- Hey. - Hey.
Someone's got the late shift.
Again.
- How's Cindy and the baby? - Good.
My little man's about to say his first word any day now.
You're a lucky man. Lester.
I sure am.
But what are you still doing here?
You'll miss the whole party.
I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.
I'm only going so I can get a better look at it.
Carol won't let anyone near it until the big unveiling.
Well, you never know,
you might have yourself a good time by accident.
Yeah, I doubt that.
Well, you look way too nice to spend the rest of night in here,
I'll tell you that.
You're sweet. Thank you.
All right.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
And wouldn't you know it,
she chose the wrong one!
And who is that?
His name's Marcus Coleman.
The art broker?
The one and only.
Hi.
So Jack, Ms. Wilke tells me
you recently purchased a Terry Winters.
Well, it's not every day that you...
you come across something that really takes your breath away.
Jack?
Sorry.
So what was it that attracted you?
Everything.
If you ladies will excuse me for just a moment...
You know, they say the mask is cursed.
People who owned it always seem to find a tragic end.
Tell that to the billionaire who bought it.
It's just millionaire, thanks.
Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were...
Jack Singer.
Yeah. Madison Byrne.
What do you think of it?
I think it's amazing,
the detail and the craftsmanship.
You didn't know anything about it when you bought it, did you?
Not really.
Then why buy it?
Oh, it's nice to look at.
And it's the only one of its kind.
If there's two things that I appreciate in this world,
it's the unique and the beautiful.
Are you flirting with me?
Yes.
But only if you're enjoying it.
Are you a patron of the museum?
Not exactly.
Party crasher?
No, I work here
in restoration and conservation.
Ah, guess I missed that portion of the museum tour.
They keep us hidden in the lab.
Might as well lock up the Monets.
Ladies and gentleman.
Ladies and gentleman, your attention, please.
My name is Carol Kinahan
and I'm the curator here at the museum.
You may recognize my name
from that letter you receive each year,
asking you for your generous contribution.
But in all seriousness,
it is my great honour to share with you tonight
an advance viewing of our newest acquisition.
I don't think I'm exaggerating
when I tell you that it promises to be
one of the most treasured and significant pieces
of our museum's collection.
It is also one which, I must admit,
gives me both great pride and personal satisfaction.
And like so many great treasures
it is one which carries a great story behind it.
A story which, as many of you well know,
has long been a passionate interest of mine.
The year was 1854 and a young Elisabeth,
Empress consort of Austria,
was married off to Emperor Franz Joseph the First.
But it is said that at the time,
Elisabeth was deeply in love with another man,
Heinrich Kellman,
a soldier in her Royal Army,
with whom she would steal away
to darkened corners of the castle for romantic trysts.
Four children were born from the marriage between
Elisabeth and Franz.
The first, a daughter, Sophia,
who was said to have succumbed to typhus
when she was just a baby.
There are some, however, like myself,
who believe that Sophia may have survived.
That she was in fact, Heinrich's daughter,
born of their affair and secreted away
to be raised by her father at his home in Hungary,
never being told the truth about her family and her lineage.
Those who believe, speak of a ring
made for Elisabeth's father
and passed down to his daughter on a golden chain
which Elisabeth herself placed around the neck
of the baby girl
to show her love and devotion
for Sophia and the child's father.
Whether you believe the romantic tale or not,
one thing is certain:
the ring disappeared,
lost for 150 years now,
left to become fodder for debate
amongst historians, archaeologists,
boring museum curators, such as myself.
Until now.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...
the Ring of Sophia.
What is it?
This ring is mine.
When I received this, I had to come see for myself.
That ring was my great grandfather's,
or at least, it looks exactly
like the one I've seen in photographs of him.
What did you know about the story of Elisabeth?
My father died when I was 9.
But you've never seen the actual ring?
No. My family fled Hungary in 1944 during the occupation.
My great grandfather didn't make it.
I suppose that the ring was taken then.
A lot of jewellery ended up
on the black market after the War.
Now, let's not be too hasty drawing any conclusions here.
Mr. Singer, you are a greatly respected and generous friend
of the museum,
but nobody is certain yet we are talking about the same ring.
I appreciate that.
And I'm not looking to cause any trouble here.
But I don't have any family.
If that ring does belong to my great grandfather,
I will do whatever I need to do to get it back.
I have a friend at the Art Retrieval Registry.
They track stolen pieces.
If it's been flagged, she'd know.
If the ring indeed belonged to your family,
you can rest assured the museum will do everything in its power
to ensure it's returned.
Thank you.
But until we can investigate the claim,
I'm afraid the ring stays at the museum.
I understand.
Dr. Brown our chief technician
will finalize the authentication.
When the museum acquires a new piece,
we verify the authenticity.
It's standard procedure.
Dr. Brown will finish his work
and then the ring will be on display.
Until we can sort this out, of course.
Will you be all right with that?
That's fine.
Excellent.
Well, as exciting as this has all been,
I do have a party to get back to
and a lot of hands to shake.
Thank you so much for your cooperation, Mr. Singer.
Um, I'd appreciate if we kept this discussion discreet for now
until we know more.
Understood... and thank you.
All right. Gotta go.
It was nice meeting you.
You know what? Here's my card.
But I'm sure Carol will pass on any information.
But if there's anything I can...
Have diner with me.
Ha! Sorry?
Dinner. So I can show my appreciation for your help.
That's really not necessary.
Do you like opera?
Um... I don't know.
Perfect. It's a date.
Wait. What?
You know, I ran into Mike Goldsmith the other day.
- No way. - Yeah!
What's he up to?
He works in a bank.
Are we the only people doing something
with our art history degrees?
It seems that way.
So business is good at the Art Retrieval Register?
Yeah, $6.5 billion a year good,
or bad, however you want to look at it.
Oh my god! Wow.
I know. It's hard to believe.
You know, lot of it ends up in the black market,
but some of it ends up being used for trade.
For what?
Payoffs for drugs, arms, whatever.
We try to coordinate with the FBI and Interpol,
but it's hard to make a dent.
I can imagine.
Yeah.
So what's your friend's story?
He's not a friend exactly,
but, uh, he says the ring was in his family
and it went missing in 1944.
Doesn't surprise me.
You know lot off that stuff resurfaces years later.
So, he's not a friend exactly?
What's in it for you?
I just think the ring should be
with its rightful owner.
Sometimes I wonder what it must have been like.
The S.S. would break down doors,
take whatever they wanted, whomever they wanted.
What happened to those families?
Can you even imagine what they went through?
Mm-mmm.
Nothing can make that right.
What was taken, the least we can do
is return it to those who survived:
the children and grandchildren of those who didn't.
Yeah.
Where do I even start?
E-mail me the details.
I'll see what I can dig up.
In the meantime, I think your best bet
is to get in touch with the broker
who found her in the first place.
That's a good idea.
I was wondering when you might finally come over.
Yeah, I'm done for the day. I can't concentrate.
You heading out soon?
I'm gonna push on through.
I'd like to get this finished as soon as possible.
Hey, can I have this?
Hmm? Oh, sure.
Carol's already given me a stack.
I heard that you've taken a particular interest
in our newest acquisition.
Yeah. You ran the SEM test to verify for surface wear?
Yeah, consistent with what you'd expect in a ring
from the beginning of the 19th century.
And the optical emission spectrometry?
You profiled the trace elements in the gold?
The alloys appear to be a match
for time and region of fabrication.
- What about the... - I have done this before.
Literally, before you were born.
Ooh! Hey, Oscar, do you know which broker
brought us the ring?
Yeah, uh, it's right here.
Coleman, Marcus Coleman. He's got an office in the plaza.
OK, thanks. Good night.
You know... it's funny.
What is?
Aw, it's probably nothing.
I'll just run the DSC test again and it'll all make sense.
Spit it out, Oscar.
Nah, forget it. It's nothing, really.
All right, but if you need someone to bounce it off of...
I know.
Now get out of here and let me get back to work.
OK. Good night.
Hey! You just starting?
Yeah. You leavin'?
Yeah. Have a good one.
All right. Hey! Um, these are for you.
Really?
What? It's not like I'm dating someone.
Mm-hmm!
"8:30, Opera Hall. Jack."
Wait, what time is it?
5:20.
I gotta get ready. Bye!
All right.
Great! He'll think it's the only one I own.
No.
Not for the opera!
Hi!
Hi.
We're about the same size, right?
Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
OK.
I'm gonna be heading out soon.
Just make sure this gets sent out before you go.
Certainly, Mr. Coleman.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Hi.
I'm afraid we're closed for the day.
I just need a minute of Mr. Coleman's time.
Perhaps you can call in the morning for an appointment.
Now, now, Barbara, be nice.
I'm sure we can find some time for this young lady.
Follow me.
Now, what is it that I can do for you?
I'm looking for some background on a piece.
Any piece in particular?
I've a wonderful 19th century jewellery box from China
that might interest you.
I'm interested in the Ring of Sophia.
Well, um, that piece is currently on display
at the Chicago Museum.
They have a very comprehensive background on...
I'd like to know who you got it from.
Excuse me?
Who's collection was it in
before you found it?
Look... Ha, ha!
I... I... I'm sorry, I don't know who you are,
but, uh, I just can't divulge that sort of information
about my clients.
You mean the museum or the seller?
Both.
OK, look, my name's Madison Byrne
and I work at the museum for Carol Kinahan.
I'm investigating a claim
from one of our patrons at the museum.
He says that the ring belongs to his family.
I can assure you, whoever he is, he's wrong.
That may be. If I could just look at the paperwork, I...
Madison, is it?
Look, I am...
I am not in the habit of showing confidential documents
to just anyone who barges into my office,
regardless of whom they may or may not work for.
And I am not in the habit of being condescended to
and called a liar.
Fair enough.
I apologize.
But I can assure you, Ms. Byrne,
the claim is false and the gentleman is wrong.
You're probably right.
I'm sorry if I wasted your time.
That's quite all right.
I only hope you didn't get all dressed up
just to come down to my office and interrogate me.
You know, I'm gonna be late!
I've gotta go, but thank you for your time.
Thanks. Have a good night!
Ms. Byrne?
Yes?
Mr. Singer says he really wishes
you turn your cell phone on.
Oh.
Sorry, did he say...
Unfortunately, the message Mr. Singer was trying to deliver
was that he was unable to conclude his business meeting
and sends his most sincere regrets.
I'm afraid he won't be joining you this evening.
Oh. OK, well...
He insists, however, that you stay
and enjoy the opera from his private box.
Oh, I don't know. I think I'd feel...
Mr. Singer's specific instructions were and I quote:
"Do not take no for an answer".
So, come on, don't get me in trouble here.
Just say yes.
I'd hate to think I got dressed up for nothing.
Splendid. You look fantastic. This way please.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Hey, Doc. Workin' late?
Ah, you know how it is. Gotta pay for my sins sometime.
Mm-hmm. I hear that.
Thought I'd finish up at home, maybe catch some of the game.
That's what I like to hear. I'll sign you out.
- Thanks Lester. - All right.
You'll get to watch the game?
Oh, I won't miss the game. There's a TV downstairs.
♪ ♪
Madison...
Is it true... about Oscar?
I'm so sorry, Madison.
Just let me finish with the detectives
and then we'll talk, OK?
Detectives?
Oscar...
was murdered.
Madison.
Hi.
What are you doing here?
Well, I wanted to apologize for missing our date last night.
You know, this is my favourite painting in the museum.
Whenever I feel lost,
I just come and sit here and look at it for hours.
What is it about it... this painting?
I don't know.
Maybe, like, how she's sitting there all alone
with an empty seat beside her.
It's like she's waiting for the love of her life
and not knowing if he'll ever join her.
I don't know.
It's just sad, I guess,
but in a beautiful way.
I heard about your friend. I'm sorry.
I spoke to someone I know about the ring,
but I don't have any news yet.
Madison...
It'll be all right.
It's gonna be all right.
Thanks.
It's like a 2-hour lunch break.
It's different.
I miss him already.
We all do.
I know how fond you were of Oscar.
Where are the detectives?
Talking to Lester.
He was the last to see Oscar.
They may wanna talk to other employees too.
What did they say?
They think it was a robbery.
His laptop and other valuables were taken.
I just don't understand why they had to kill him.
Oh, Maddy.
Um, Carol, if it's OK with you,
I'd like to be the one to finish Oscar's work on the ring.
There's no one I'd trust more, Madison.
The truth is it won't be necessary.
What do you mean?
It's done.
Done?
Oscar finished last night,
e-mailed me the report.
Looks like it was the last thing...
Where's the ring now?
It's out there on display.
But what about Mr. Singer's claim?
Oh, I received papers from Mr. Coleman this morning.
An entire history of transactions on the piece.
It all looks clean.
Yeah, but... are you sure?
It's just that Oscar mentioned something.
It's probably nothing...
I'm positive. If Mr. Singer has a claim on this ring,
I'm afraid it isn't a legal one.
The ring belongs to the museum.
- Walter? - Yeah?
Make sure to box up his files too.
I'll be in my office.
Bring them there when you're done.
Madison, I'm sorry. I have to...
Yeah. No, of course.
Thank you.
What were you gonna tell me, Oscar?
Madison!
Madison, I forgot to mention...
I wanted to discuss the Japanese Katana you're working on.
I know today may not be the best time, but...
Actually, I was heading home.
Oh?
Yeah, this whole thing with Oscar
affected me more than I thought.
No, no. That's fine. I understand.
It can wait.
Thank you.
What is that? What have you got there?
Oh, nothing, it's just some homework, reading material.
Just to take my mind off of things.
Madison.
Take what happened to Oscar as a lesson.
Life is precious.
And there are more important things than the past.
Yeah. Thank you. Good night.
Thanks.
Hey!
Hi!
I hope you don't mind me
dropping by like this, unannounced.
No, it's fine.
But how did you know where I lived?
I have my ways.
I want to make it up to you for missing our date.
You know what? It's fine, really.
What are you up to?
Uh, just probably gonna relax.
I know this great place. Brazilian.
I think you'd like it.
I think I'm just gonna stay in and order some pizza.
Let me take you to dinner.
No, I don't think...
Brazilian, huh?
OK.
This is amazing.
Glad you like it.
You don't have to feel guilty about smiling, Madison.
Then why do I feel like I do?
What would Oscar say?
He'd tell me to stop being silly and enjoy myself.
That doesn't surprise me...
if he knew what I know...
Oh yeah, what's that?
It's nice to see you smile.
OK, so tell me,
how did you get so rich
that you could afford your collection?
Boy, you don't mince words, do ya?
Not if I can help it.
I designed an application.
Application?
A computer program that had
some interesting possible uses for the military.
I started a company that owned the program
and that made them both very desirable.
Hmm, so you sold out?
Yeah, they offered me a lot of money
and I took it.
Nice! No regrets?
Never.
So how about you?
Where did your passion for art history come from?
Actually, from my grandfather.
He used to live in Japan
and fell in love with all things Japanese.
We use to spend our week-ends at museums
and he'd teach me all the history of the pieces.
I was the only 8 year-old who could give guided tours.
I don't know how to tell you this...
Oh, no, thank you.
About the ring, I...
I know.
Really?
Yeah, my lawyers got
the papers this morning.
In case I was thinking
of making any legal claim on the ring,
I guess the message is "don't".
What are you gonna do?
Those papers say that I don't own the ring,
but that isn't the same as saying that it isn't mine.
Are you're gonna take legal action?
Look, I know I put you in a bit of a bad spot,
working there and...
No! No, not at all.
We have to find the truth.
If there's anything I can do to help...
Thank you.
But you know what?
The best thing that you could do to help me right now
would be to put it out of your mind
and have yourself a good time.
Cheers.
Oh no!
Gotta do it.
That's great!
Whoo!
Thank you.
You're welcome.
I had a really good time tonight.
Ah, it was my pleasure.
You wanna...
You want me to ask you to come up, don't you?
Do you want to ask me up?
Yeah.
But after the day I've had,
I really don't trust my instincts, so...
Fair enough.
Good night.
Next time, trust your instincts, dummy.
I have to find what you were looking for, Oscar.
Leave those!
Give it back! Give it back!
Aaah!
We couldn't found any signs of forced entry.
He must have picked the lock.
I said he wore gloves.
Don't worry about him, Ms. Byrne.
He's just doing his job.
Tell me again exactly what happened.
Well, I told you.
A man in a mask was in my apartment and he attacked me.
- Did he sexually assault you? - No.
And he didn't take anything?
No.
So why do you think he broke in?
Is there something you're not telling us here?
He took some papers.
Papers?
Yeah, um...
I brought a...
I brought some files home from the museum.
What was the nature of this file?
They were on the Ring of Sophia.
The same ring from the museum, isn't it?
The one that Dr. Brown was working on?
Yeah.
Yeah?
I'm Jack Singer.
Do you know a Jack Singer?
Yes, I asked him to come.
- Hey! - Hey.
Are you all right?
Yeah. I didn't know who else to call.
Don't worry about it. I wasn't sleeping anyway.
I'm Det. Sayers.
This is my partner, Det. Lynch. Who are you?
I'm Jack Singer. I'm a friend of Madison's.
Right.
We just have to ask you a few more questions.
Where were you last night?
What does that have to do with this?
Are you asking me if I have an alibi for Oscar's murder?
Standard question. We're just covering the bases.
Um, OK. Um, I was at the opera.
The opera?
Yeah.
Somebody with you?
What?
Well, people don't usually go to the opera alone.
Um, actually...
She was with me.
All right. I guess we're pretty much done here.
Done? What about the man that attacked me?
We'll look into it and do everything we can.
That's it? So no cop standing guard in front of my apartment?
That's not the way it works, Ms. Byrne.
But what if he comes back?
You can stay with me.
That's a good idea.
If you think of anything else, give us a call.
OK.
Wow!
Nice place.
Thanks.
The room's right over there. You're welcome to it.
I'll sleep on the couch.
Thanks.
Wait. Is that...
That's my great-grandfather.
It was taken in the early 1900s sometime.
So that would be the ring.
Yes.
So, if the story's true
then Sophia would be your great-great-grandmother.
That's right.
The ring does belong to your family.
Yeah.
Are you all right?
I'm just freaked out... and wiped.
I think the adrenaline is finally gone.
Sit down. I'll pour something to drink.
Good idea.
I hope you didn't think it too forward of me...
offering my place for you to stay.
This will calm your nerves.
Maybe help you get some...
sleep.
Morning.
Is there somewhere I can go freshen up?
Of course. Down the hall to your right.
Wow! You cook?
It's not much. Hope you like pancakes.
Yeah, I do.
I'd love some coffee, if you have some.
Yes, it's just, um... Help yourself.
Thanks.
I just wanted to thank you again
for a getting the cops off my back last night and...
Letting me stay the night.
No, it's the least I can do.
You helping me with the ring and...
Breakfast is served.
Madison.
There you are.
Madison, we should, uh, go talk in my office.
OK.
Are you all right?
Yeah, why?
Detective Sayers. He called me this morning.
He said you were attacked last night.
Yeah.
That's awful. You weren't hurt, were you?
No.
Just some bruises.
Listen, given what's happened...
I feel terrible for bringing this up.
But Detective Sayers also mentioned
the intruder stole some papers from your home.
Carol...
Papers which actually belong to the museum.
Look, I know what I did was stupid,
taking that file.
But I had to see for myself. I don't know why.
I don't know why you'd do something like that either!
David was in my office when I got the call.
The Board of Trustees got wind of the whole mess.
I can explain to them.
They're not interested in any explanation.
Look, I understand.
With what happened to Oscar,
maybe you're not thinking clearly.
But the ring is very important to the museum,
and this makes this matter very important to the board.
Can't you just tell them...
I already told them.
I told them everything I could think of
to try to make them change their minds.
I'm sorry, Madison.
Are you firing me?
No.
But they expect you to resign.
Look, I'll do everything I can
to help you find a job at another museum.
You're going to get through this.
I promise.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
I'm sorry, Maddy.
At least let me take the box for you.
Thanks.
Aw, I can't believe this is happening.
I feel so stupid.
What were you thinking?
I don't know.
I just thought, you know,
what if the ring had something to do with Oscar's murder?
What am I gonna do without the museum, Les?
You'll be fine.
And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
OK?
Yeah.
All right.
Yeah, Sarah Brooks.
Hi, it's me.
I was just wondering if you found anything yet.
Sorry. Nothing yet.
Damn it! Hey, let me ask you something.
If I had a suspicious piece of art
and I wanted to sell it,
couldn't I falsify the record of ownership
to make the piece look legit?
If a broker took the chance and got found out
he'd lose his license, even face jail time for fraud.
Who'd you say the broker was again?
Marcus Coleman.
Hello?
Sarah?
Madison stay away from Coleman.
- What? You just said that... - I know what I said.
But what I'm saying now is Coleman's involved,
- leave it alone. - Why?
Our office has an entire filing cabinet on Coleman.
Remember what I told you about art changing hands
for guns, drugs, whatever?
Coleman makes those deals happen.
He has a lot of bad friends in a lot of bad places.
I mean, I already lost my job over this
and I'm not looking to get involved
with drug lords and arms dealers,
but, I mean, someone has to do the right thing, you know?
What can I say, Madison.
All I can tell you is that if it was me,
I would stay as far away from Coleman as I could.
Miss!
Mr. Coleman is in a meeting at the moment!
Miss!
Excuse me!
I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Coleman. She wouldn't listen to me.
Should I call security?
No, that won't be necessary.
If you'll excuse me for just a moment, please.
It's not a problem.
Perhaps Barbara can show you the report
on the two new Chagalls on the market.
Of course.
You know, the first time was kind of charming,
but you make a habit of bursting into my office like this
and I'm going to get upset.
If you tell me what I wanna know, then I won't have too!
What is it that you want to know?
Where did you get the ring?
Your boss knows. I sent her the documents.
Why don't you ask her?
I'm asking you.
I told you I can't disclose.
I'm telling you that's not good enough.
Now you are bordering on harassment.
I'm not looking to get you into legal trouble.
I have no idea what you are inferring,
but you should leave.
I just need to know
how you came into possession of the ring!
I am calling the police.
Call them.
You have no idea what you're looking for.
Yes, I do. I'm looking for the truth.
You are playing in a game
where you don't even know the rules.
I suggest that you cash out now before you get hurt.
Now leave.
I'm not going to ask again.
Yes. Yes, it's Marcus.
I need you to, uh...
solve a problem for me.
I'm coming!
Morning, Ms. Byrne.
We were wondering if you wouldn't mind coming with us.
We'd like to have a word with you.
We just got a call from an attorney for a Mr. Coleman.
Says you've been harassing him.
Harassing him?
- Maybe even threatening him. - Are you serious?
This is very serious.
Is this an interrogation?
Do you know a man named Milo Hinskie?
No.
He was recently found shot to death in his store.
Annex Art Supplies.
What does that have to do with me?
Ballistics proves he was killed
with the same gun as your friend, Dr. Brown.
I thought Oscar was killed by a burglar.
Or killed to make it look like a burglary that went wrong.
Wait, so you're saying these murders were connected?
That someone wanted Oscar dead?
Hmm, take Dr. Brown. You knew him.
You worked with him.
He was my friend.
Right, and he was found murdered
only few days after this Hinskie character.
Brown was in art. So was Hinskie.
Dr. Brown was a respected scientist.
Not some clerk at an art supply store.
- Weren't you just fired? - Yeah, but...
Yeah, it was for stealing something, wasn't it?
She stole that file from the museum.
Right.
The one that disappeared
during the break-in in her apartment.
- I was attacked! - What was in that file?
I told you, the Ring of Sophia.
The one your boyfriend claims to own.
He's not my boyfriend.
The one Mr. Coleman sold to the museum.
The one Dr. Brown was working on when he was murdered.
Are you saying I had something to do with these murders?
Not saying anything.
In fact, we checked out your alibi.
Seems that the witnesses place you at the opera that night
just like you said,
but the funny thing is
nobody saw your friend, Mr. Singer.
Now, why would he say he was with you when he wasn't?
Cause maybe she's the one covering for Singer.
Now you think Jack could be the killer?
If you are covering for him, that's obstruction of justice.
Maybe even accessory to murder.
Why would Jack kill anyone?
I don't know, but revenge is a very strong motive, Ms. Byrne.
I know. What happened to his family in the war
happened to mine.
And these people have the audacity
to be making a profit from it.
If I were him, I'd be thinking about murder too.
How does that make you feel?
Am I under arrest?
No.
OK.
Then this interview's over.
Ms. Byrne, you're a smart lady.
Look at the facts and ask yourself,
are you sure you can trust Jack Singer?
Don't let it bother you, Madison.
They're just doing their job. It's not personal.
Yeah, well, I've never been
interrogated by the police before.
It made me feel guilty.
Are you?
There you go then.
Don't worry about it.
Yeah.
Except I was forced to resigned.
Carol forced you to resigned?
Yeah.
Aw, I don't know why I did what I did.
You did it because you thought it would help me.
I should thank you.
Which leads me to my next question...
How would you like to get away from all this for a bit?
I've already freed some time in my schedule.
I've got this boat
and the Mediterranean is pretty beautiful this time of year.
I'm wondering if you'd like to come with me...
if it's not too fast for you.
No.
It sounds wonderful.
Sailing with you sounds wonderful.
Can I ask you something?
Anything.
If you found out that the people that sold your ring
knew where it came from,
that it was stolen from your family...
what would you do?
Don't worry about that.
This is me.
I'm sorry. I have to take this.
Yeah.
Hello?
Hey! No, no, no. It's fine.
Sure. Where?
What time?
OK, I'll see you there.
I'm sorry, I have to go.
What I am looking at here?
Well, your ring isn't on our watch list,
but I figured on the off chance,
I had someone in archives run a cross check with other items
that were open on our database.
And that's what he found.
This is the Ring of Sophia.
He insured it?
It seems that way.
This is a claim form,
items the company would have had to pay out
after they were stolen in 1976.
So the ring could have ended up anywhere.
True, but where the ring ended up after it was stolen
is less important as who owned it before it was stolen.
So who's Karl Schneider?
He was a factory owner in Germany during the war,
He made shells for the Axis and made a good living,
except at the end of the war, when money started running thin.
Then our friend Karl Schneider started taking payment
not in cash, but in trade.
- Stolen art. - Right.
Karl Schneider was on the radar for years.
If he owned the ring, chances are it was taken during the war
and your friend has a real claim to it.
What do you mean, was?
Karl Schneider died 4 years ago.
Oh my god! Then how am I supposed to figure out...
He has a daughter right here in Chicago.
I know it's strange,
me turning up at your door like this.
I apologize.
I just didn't know where else to go.
Think nothing of it.
I enjoy having company when I'm having my tea.
Do you know if your father ever owned a signet ring?
It was pure gold
with the Bavarian Coat of Arms stamped into it.
Wait. I have a picture.
It's called the Ring of Sophia.
Hmm.
I don't recall ever having seen anything like this.
What makes you think it was in my father's collection?
It's dated 1976.
Your father filed a claim with the insurance company
to be compensated for its loss,
so he must have owned it.
I just need to know where he might've got it from.
What is it? Do you remember the ring?
I remember March 1976.
Sorry.
There was a burglary at the house.
And many items were taken.
Right, so the ring must've been one of them.
My father's attorney at the time, a despicable man,
he filed the insurance claim on behalf of the family.
But many years later, my father discovered
that he falsified the documents to the insurance company,
claiming that my father owned many more items
than he actually did.
Then he said that they were stolen in the burglary
and he collected the insurance money for himself.
Wait, so you're saying...
I'm saying that the reason I don't know that ring
is because my father never owned it.
Oh, I'm sorry, my dear.
I hope there's somebody else out there
who can help you find where this ring came from.
Yeah.
I can think of one person.
Mr. Coleman? It's Madison Byrne.
Mr. Coleman?
Are you here?
Look, I know it's late, but we need to talk.
Mr. Coleman?
Mr. Coleman!
Oh my god!
Police! We have a report of a disturbance.
This is the police. We are entering the premises.
If you have any weapons, lay them on the ground,
get down on your knees and lock your fingers behind your head.
We've got a body.
All right, call the M.E.
and get homicide to send us a couple of detectives up here.
You left your keys in the door.
Jeez!
What the hell are you doing here?
You won't answer your phone or return my calls.
You just ran out on me last night.
I had to make sure you were all right.
That's close enough.
I said that's close enough!
Is that... Is that blood?
Madison are you in some kind of trouble?
Who's blood is that?
Coleman's.
Marcus Coleman?
Yeah, he's dead.
I need to know
if you had anything to do with it.
Madison, please, calm down and tell me what happened.
Why don't you tell me? Coleman's dead, Oscar's dead.
The police told me about Hinskie at Annex Art Supplies Store.
Now, they're asking me about you.
I don't know what to say, Madison.
OK, well then why did you tell the cops
you were at the opera with me, huh?
I mean, was it to protect me, or yourself?
Where were you? Really, where were you?
You asking me if I killed your friend?
You're hysterical. You've been through a lot.
Was this about revenge? Is that what this is about, huh?
My family lost everything in that war.
Do you understand that?
The ring...
that ring was the one thing that I could get back.
That's why I wanted it. But I wouldn't kill any...
You think I would hurt you?
I don't know.
I don't know what to think.
Madison, put the knife down.
I thought I could trust you.
Believe me. I didn't kill anyone!
I... I wouldn't kill anyone.
I don't know what to believe.
Madison, please. I swear.
I need you to leave. I need you to leave.
Madison.
Just leave!
What have you gotten yourself into, Maddy?
Thanks again for doing this, I really appreciate it.
Sweet young lady asks me for a favour
in the middle of the night...
it's been a long time since I had an offer like that.
It's been empty ever since they found poor Mr. Hinskie.
I, uh, forget.
Did you say you were a friend or was it family?
Yeah.
He was a good tenant, paid his rent on time.
Not much business in the store, though.
But he must've been doing alright for himself.
- It's upside down. - Come again?
This painting.
It's an excellent reproduction,
but it's hung upside down.
Can't say I'd have noticed much difference.
Look, can I trust you not to take anything
and lock up when you're done?
Of course.
Thanks.
Bring that back when you're done, hey?
Milo Hinskie was a forger.
Camera in the lobby caught this.
The security guard IDed her leaving the building.
The prints we found in the blood in Coleman's office
are back from the lab.
And?
They match the ones
from the glass during the interrogation.
One Ms. Madison Byrne.
All right. Let's go get us a warrant.
OK
You know what? Don't stop. Just go.
Just keep going.
Hi, this is Madison.
I can't get to the phone right now,
but if you leave your name and number and a brief message
I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Madison, where are you?
The police have been asking about...
Look...
Just call me back, OK?
I'm worried about you.
Thanks for coming.
Yeah, uh, I wasn't sure I had much of a choice.
Look, what in the hell
have you got yourself into this time, Maddy?
Ah! I don't know. I don't know, Les.
Well, the police are looking for you.
This one Detective, Sayers, came on my place yesterday,
asking all kinds of questions.
What you tell him?
I told him exactly what I know, which is nothing!
Now, what's wrong? Where have you been?
I spent the night at a motel.
The police are watching my apartment.
Madison, you gotta turn yourself in.
I can't.
They think I had something to do with Oscar's murder.
The only way I'm gonna be able to clear this up
is if I figure it out for myself.
OK, sounds good. But how?
I need to get my hands on the Ring of Sophia.
And how are you gonna manage that?
You don't even work there anymore.
What you gonna do,
just walk into the museum and steal the ring?
Something like that.
You done for the night, Ms. Kinahan?
I'll say. See you tomorrow, Lester.
All right. Have yourself a good one.
I'll wait in the washrooms by the main entrance
until after the museum closes.
Mm-hmm.
And you said the boys do their first sweep.
Yeah, but you still gotta make it past the security cameras.
Right.
- And the motion detectors. - Mm-hmm.
Not to mention the alarms
on the display case and the ring itself.
Oh, this is a joke, right?
Maddy, you're joking, right?
Oh, Maddy, please tell me you're...
Oh!
You're serious?
Oh, Maddy.
How you gonna get past the cameras
and the motion detectors?
You know?
I mean, come on!
And the alarms.
And the alarms. Exactly. How you gonna do all that?
You're gonna turn them off for me.
Oh, please, Lester.
Oh, thank you.
I take the ring down to the lab, run a few tests
and put it back.
It's simple.
Mmm, no, Maddy, it's not simple.
It's nuts, OK?
I'm sorry.
I... I just can't get mixed up in something like this.
I got a family to think about.
I mean, there's just... There's gotta be another way.
There isn't. Please, Lester.
Um, hi, Central.
Yeah, this is Bragg over at the Chicago museum.
No, it's just a glitch, I think.
I'll go ahead and reboot the system just now
and the alarms should be back online in a couple of minutes.
OK? All right, you have yourself a good one, too.
All right.
Let's see what secrets you're hiding.
Damn it, Maddy.
Gotta be almost done.
Ms. Kinahan? I didn't, um, expect you back this evening.
Is everything all right, Lester?
Yeah.
The police called me on my cell,
said an alarm was tripped or something.
That did happen earlier on.
There was a malfunction, but I called the company,
had it reset.
Everything is good.
I guess what with Oscar's murder and everything,
they're not taking any chances.
Yeah. I'm sorry they had to contact you
this late this evening,
but as you can see, it was for nothing.
No, no, that's fine. Better be safe.
I hear that.
You know, while I'm here,
there's a file I forgot in my office.
I might as well go get it.
OK.
Damn it, Maddy. We're running out of time.
Gotcha.
Carol!
I wish you hadn't done that, Madison.
I believe that's my ring.
Wait, listen, Carol, the Ring of Sophia,
it's a forgery.
The surface decay and the composition of the alloy
is consistent with what you'd expect,
but I ran a DSC curve on the ring
and the level of oxidation in the compound alloys
is homogenous.
I mean, in the 19th century, their cooling methods,
it could never be this uniform.
I mean, there is...
There's no way this ring
could've been made 200 years ago.
I mean, I don't... I don't even think it could've been made
10 years ago.
It's beautiful, isn't it?
What? Did you hear what I said?
I mean, it's a fake.
I know.
What? How long have you known?
I've always known.
I went to Coleman and commissioned it.
What?
What about everything you believe in?
Art, history...
I mean...
- Why would you do that? - For the good of the museum.
How could a forgery be good for the museum?
Because it represents the truth.
No, it doesn't.
It's about you, right? And your reputation.
No, this is about history, Madison.
It doesn't matter if it's real or fake.
It only matters what people believe.
The real Ring of Sophia may never be found.
But what does it matter?
It is the history that people need to hear,
need to care about, need to believe in.
This fake will keep people believing in the truth.
I will keep people believing in the truth.
Can't you see how important that is?
You killed Oscar.
No. No, Coleman did.
We had to when he refused to cooperate...
Too proud to falsify his report
and say the ring was genuine.
He left me no choice, Madison.
And what about the forger from the art store?
Who, Milo? Coleman hired him to make the ring.
He became a liability who wanted more money to keep quiet.
Marcus apparently chose another way
of keeping him quiet.
So you killed Coleman too?
He got what he deserved.
He never cared about art, Maddy.
Only his greed.
And when you started sniffing around, getting too close...
he became a loose end.
Is that what I am now? A loose end?
Don't put this on me.
Coleman wanted to kill you
when he broke into your apartment that night.
I'm the one who told him no. I never wanted you to get hurt.
I thought if anyone could understand why I did what I did,
it would be you.
Oh my god!
I mean, listen to what you're saying.
This is insane! What have you done?
A hundred years from now, when you and I are both gone,
no one would know what I did.
But, they will have the ring.
This ring.
And they'll believe it is the Ring of Sophia.
They will believe in it.
Surely this is reason enough to justify my actions.
Nothing can justify what you've done.
I'm so sorry you can't see it.
I always cared so deeply about you, you know?
What in hell is going on here?
Madison.
Madison, please.
This is hard enough on me as it is.
Lester!
Oh my god! Are you OK?
Oh my god!
Hey!
I thought I'd find you here.
How you feeling?
I'm pretty good.
I hope our little stunt didn't get you into too much trouble.
Ah, they decided to call it even.
I heard you got your job back.
Yeah, I'm gonna take some time off first.
Look, I don't... Thank you for everything.
I don't know how I'm gonna repay you.
Just don't stay away too long, all right?
OK.
I have a feeling that, uh, she'd miss you.