The Listener Episode 1.10 Missing

Toby and Olivia enjoy a fabulous Turkish dinner and belly dancing at the restaurant owned by Oz's parents, Demir and Alev. When Oz was a kid, Demir worked days as a mechanic and nights driving his uncle's cab to save money for his dream of opening the restaurant. Now with the recession, business is bad. Demir had to let his staff go, so it's only Alev and Oz in the kitchen. But there's worse news: Demir and Alev are behind on their bank loan and have to come up with $100,000 in 14 days or lose everything. When Oz mentally suggests that Toby might help via telepathy, Toby shuts him right down.

The next day, Oz apologizes to Toby, claiming that sleeping four hours a night after working in the restaurant is taking its toll. Realizing that his success as a paramedic depends on Oz getting a full eight hours of rest, Toby explains that he has never been able to use his gift to make money, despite plenty of trying. The only thing that ever worked was guessing people's weight. Convincing himself that using telepathy to play poker isn't cheating, Oz sets Toby up in a game with Ryder and his high roller pals, staking his own $400.

Despite using his telepathy and being up $10,000, Toby loses everything in one hand of Texas Hold 'Em to Ryder. Oz is devastated, but figures out the answer to his problem with Olivia's help. Convicted of killing his wife, self-made millionaire Arthur Stebbes has put up a $100,000 reward for locating her missing remains. Charlie thinks the reward is Arthur's way of trying to make himself look innocent for his inevitable appeal. Toby pleads with Charlie to let him see Arthur's file, promising he won't screw up, and she won't regret it.

According to his file, Arthur was a carpenter with an eighth grade education who ruthlessly worked his way to the top. A jealous man, Arthur took out a $5 million insurance policy on his beautiful young third wife Katie three months before she was murdered. Toby visits Arthur in jail to find him wily, abrasive and skeptical. Is Toby another psychic who's come to waste Arthur's time? Pointing out that Arthur has nothing but time to waste, Toby asks him to take a chance and see what happens.

Arthur took a red eye from a business trip, had breakfast, then wondered why Katie was still asleep. In the bedroom he found blood and feathers everywhere. The cops found fresh dirt on Arthur's shovel in the garage, drops of Katie's blood in the trunk of his Porsche, and a bullet in his bed matching his gun, which was never found. Arthur would have to be a moron to leave so many obvious clues that all pointed to his guilt. Even though he wasn't the perfect husband, Arthur loves Katie, and insists that he was set up.

Oz meets Toby back at the loft, dismayed that Toby hasn't figured out where Katie's body is. Toby admits that he couldn't get a read. Besides, Arthur has a lot of enemies, so Toby's not sure where to start. Oz's phone rings with bad news: his father has had a heart attack. Toby and Oz race to the hospital where Olivia is on the case. Luckily, Demir has only had a panic attack, and tests show his heart is normal.

Toby and Oz decide to start their investigation by talking to Tyler, Arthur's son from his first marriage, now living in his house and managing his affairs. Tyler was in Boston at the time of the murder, studying for his master's at Harvard Law School. Claiming that Arthur's trial taught him more about the law than Harvard, Tyler insists that Arthur was set up, then flashes on Arthur ordering someone named Bartolo to "take care of it." Although Tyler claims that he and Katie weren't close, Toby flashes on a passionate kiss. When Oz makes a crack, Tyler gets offended and ends the interview.

Toby visits Charlie to ask her to look up the name Bartolo in the police database. Toby identifies Bartolo Cortazar, who is currently VP of Stebbes Construction. Strangely, Bartolo has a long list of charges filed against him, but was proclaimed innocent in each case. Oz falls asleep at the wheel after a busy shift, so Toby offers to restock the rig before they visit Bartolo, who claims he hasn't spoken to Arthur since the trouble began. When Toby asks about Katie's murder, he gets a flash on a guy in a goalie mask shooting at her, but Bartolo insists he knows nothing. While thinking in Spanish about someone named Gary, Bartolo pushes Toby and Oz out of his office.

Charlie scoffs when Toby asks if she's heard of a murderous goalie named Gary. Toby tells Oz that either Bartolo hired Gary the goalie to kill Katie, or he put on the mask and did it himself. Oz believes that Bartolo hired Gary, and begins compiling a list of rent-a-goalies named Gary. The guys hit pay dirt with Gary Rose, the last goalie on the list, who flashes back to the murder scene. Thinking that Toby is toying with him, Gary smashes him to the ground with his hockey stick, leaving Oz to pick up the pieces.

After some X-rays, Olivia delivers good news: Toby's ribs are badly bruised but intact, earning him a few days off work. She takes care of his bruised pride with some osculatory therapy, i.e. a deep kiss. At the end of his financial rope, Oz consults with Ryder, who advises him to go short on the 60 and long on Russell. Oz thinks Ryder's talking horse racing, but it's all about the stock market, and Oz's measly $500 bankroll is laughable.

Charlie escorts Toby to the morgue to inform that she's found Gary Rose -- in the bottom of the lake with a hockey puck duct-taped in his mouth. Toby explains all about Oz's list of goalies. In Toby's flash, Gary shot at the bed, there was blood on the sheets, but then Katie seemed to leave the bedroom with him. So it's not clear that Gary is Katie's killer. Toby feels responsible for Gary's death. Charlie reminds him that Gary alone got himself killed. The question is, by whom?

Charlie brings Bartolo in for questioning while Toby listens behind one-way glass. Bartolo denies any knowledge of Gary Rose, despite the fact that Gary served two years for a crime Bartolo committed. Charlie asks if Arthur put Bartolo up to killing Gary, but Bartolo insists he hasn't spoken to Arthur since the day he was arrested. In fact, Tyler is trying to sell him Arthur's share of the business, since Tyler is planning to move to Europe.

In the hallway, Toby tells Charlie that Bartolo knows more than he's saying, but he has nothing substantive. With no other alternative than to keep tabs on Bartolo, Charlie dismisses him and calls in Tyler. The name Gary Rose rings no bells for Tyler, but his morgue photo produces a stunned mental reaction. Although Toby is sure that Tyler knows more, he can't put his finger on exactly what's going on.

Toby and Charlie return to jail to visit Arthur and show him Gary's picture. In his mind, Arthur guesses that Gary is the guy Bartolo hired. Someone must have double-crossed him. When Charlie informs that Tyler is negotiating to sell Arthur's company to Bartolo, Arthur admits that Bartolo always wanted the company. Toby asks if Tyler might have had an affair with Katie and gets a flash: Arthur threatens Katie -- she will never leave him. Still, Arthur maintains he doesn't know what happened. With nothing new to go on, Toby and Charlie leave.

Exhausted, Oz stops by Toby's loft to learn that they have nothing but multiple theories. Oz has a hunch: Tyler did it, and they should lean on him one more time. When Toby and Oz arrive at Tyler's, he's rushing to leave, and refuses to talk. Toby doesn't have to read Tyler's mind to know that he's terrified, so they guys follow him to a warehouse in the fashion district. When Toby hears gunshots coming from the warehouse, he climbs out of the car and tells Oz to call 911.

Inside the warehouse, Toby finds Charlie sneaking around with her gun drawn. She followed Bartolo, the same way Toby and Oz followed Tyler. Toby indicates that Bartolo has climbed a set of stairs. Bartolo appears to fire on Charlie, so she shoots back and takes him down. Toby finds Tyler, who's been shot in the arm. A black-haired woman runs out, concerned for Tyler -- it's Katie!

Back at the police station, Katie describes what really happened on the night of her so-called murder. Thinking she heard a sound, Katie woke up and explored the house for what she thought was a thief. When she returned to her bedroom, Gary Rose was there with a gun. Luckily, Katie had a gun too, so she disarmed Gary, who offered to tell her something that would save her life. When she finally figured out that Arthur wanted her dead, Katie decided that being dead might be a good idea.

Katie and Tyler decided to frame Arthur for her murder. Tyler bought Katie a new identity and they were going to start a new life in Spain. Tyler realizes that Gary agreed to help frame Arthur only because Bartolo had hired him to do the same thing. Bartolo must have gotten the truth out of Gary before he killed him, and decided to clean house. Charlie is satisfied that Bartolo was the root of the murder plan.

Later, Toby, Oz and Charlie attend a victory party at Demir and Alev's restaurant, where the wine is flowing and the belly dancer is in full swing. Arthur arrives to thank Toby and hand over a check for $100,000. Oz thanks Arthur effusively, then rejoins the party, leaving him alone with Toby. When Toby asks Arthur if he knew it was Bartolo, Arthur flashes back to ordering Bartolo to kill Katie. Toby tells Oz to cash the check immediately, then sits next to Charlie. Does she remember when Toby told her she wouldn't regret this?