Mimi’s Assets – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.9

Overview: Mimi’s strip club and the family of a deceased stripper file claims against a manufacturer whose fog machine is believed to have caused the fire in the club. The lack of cooperation from the bar owner forces Zoe to go undercover as a bartender in order to gather more information about the incident. Taylor, on the other hand, deals with her failed pursuit for her neighbor and the sad discovery of losing him to her best friend.

Synopsis: With The Intimidator’s recent promotion, Sophia acts as the unit supervisor for the interim. She assigns her colleagues the case against their client, the fog machine manufacturer who is blamed for the fire in Mimi’s strip club. Reports say that a faulty fog machine that exploded caused the fire. Unfortunately, the explosion also caused the death of the dancer Lizzy. Because the club owner is not cooperating with the investigation, Zoe goes undercover as a bartender, while Dan as a paying customer in order to get more information about the incident. However, Dan’s cover was cut short after Mimi notices him spending more time talking with the girls and the regular customers than the show. Nonetheless, his inquiries lead him to several suspicious facts. The day of the accident, Candy, a fellow stripper who was backstage with Lizzy received a phone call – only no one was on the other line. That phone call saved her life. Moreover, Dan learned that Lizzy was not even supposed to be there that day, since it was her day off. In addition, Zoe finds it odd that the bouncer had to drag a drunk out the front door instead of the nearest exit and that the freight door that was always locked was left open that day. While Dan reviews the security tapes, Zoe checks the freight door on her break. She almost blows her cover when Mimi finds her fussing with the door. Good thing, the bar owner bought her alibi that she was only looking for the exit. Mimi directs her to the right door that leads to the garbage dump. Zoe notices the flyers that were scattered around the alley and later learns that Lizzy’s father was the one handing those out to the girls.   Continue reading...

Dan speaks with the father and finds out that he was to have lunch with Lizzy only she canceled at the last minute. He also mentions the limo he saw that was parked at the back of the bar, while he was waiting for her daughter to come out the back door. When all the information they gathered does not seem to coincide with the security tape, Zoe realizes that they could be watching the wrong tape. She sneaks into Mimi’s office and reviews the correct video. She watches in horror as the bouncers haul off a dead man. Unfortunately, Mimi catches her and retrieves the videotape. As it turns out, Mimi was only protecting the good name of the senator who died of a heart attack while enjoying the show. In fact, he was also the reason why Lizzy was at the bar when it was her day off. She was the senator’s favorite dancer. Although she blew her cover, her chat with Mimi did tie up some loose ends.

One morning, Julian drops by to give Cliff the prop cow dung that Jeannie made for the medieval fair. Taylor is reminded of her hopeless pursuit when Carla arrives to pick her up and is asked out by Julian. Later, Taylor puts Carla on a tight spot as she reminds her of all that she went through to get the attention of her neighbor only to discover that he liked her best friend. Like a true friend, Carla assures Taylor that she would not go out with Julian if it upsets her. To make herself clear, she continues to discuss her feelings about her neighbor only to find him by the door. Afraid that she made a fool of herself again, Taylor attempts to cover up her embarrassing confession. She found the perfect opportunity when Julian drops by to borrow their computer in order to burn a CD. She tells him that she was in fact referring to another person. Relieved that Julian could not care less, they ease the tension by playing with Cliff’s school project. Although their carefree behavior was cut short when she learns that Julian was making the CD for Carla. This caught her off-guard and caused her to break Cliff’s miniature trebuchet. Julian helps her fix the broken prop and forgets about his date with Carla who becomes upset after finding him with Taylor.

Sophia is having issues of her own, but not with her fiancé. She is upset that the insurance company is not even considering her for The Intimidator’s job. After seeing another candidate for interview, Sophia pulls up the courage and confronts the panel. She resigns after pointing out that they have interviewed unqualified candidates and yet they did not even consider asking her for the job when she is the most qualified and experienced employee for the position. Her stunt worked and the insurance company promotes Sophia.

Zoe cracks the case when her niece Hannah mentions something about preparedness. She believes that someone at the bar knew about the fire. This she gathered after remembering the stripper’s testimony of smelling kitty litter. Zoe having worked as a poi dancer realizes what the stripper actually smelled. It is from a fire retardant. She used to spray the foul smelling solution over her body in case her poi dancing turns sour. Only the killer would have known about the fire and so whoever sprayed the retardant is guilty party.

The girls confirm that they only smelled the foul odor at the time of the fire. In fact Fiona, the stripper who informed them of the smell, said that the unpleasant odor worsened when the security guard carried her out of the bar. Moreover, it was the security guard Steve who informed Candy of the timely phone call. Later, Dan discovers that it was him who wrote his own press release. In fact, this was not the first time he pulled this stunt. Apparently, he had made himself a hero in all of the places he worked for. Dan goes to the abandoned warehouse that Steve is now helping to renovate after quitting his job at Mimi’s. What he does not know is that Zoe is already there. She finds the destroyed fog machines he used for practice. Steve sees her and attacks Zoe, but she manages to escape. Good thing, Dan is already outside with the police.

Zoe and her nieces attend her nephew’s school activity. Cliff confronts Taylor after noticing the glue on his trebuchet. Taylor who is already depressed for losing her crush to her best friend concedes without a fight. Seeing that her sister is already down and miserable, Cliff decides not to add more to her misery. Julian, on the other hand, confuses her more after leading her on and attempting to give her a kiss. Now, it is Taylor’s turn to be a good friend and stops Julian. Zoe attempts to clear an uncertainty of her own after an awkward meeting with the woman whom Marcos spent a weekend with in place of the undecided first choice. She confronts him and successfully regains normalcy by acting like a friend instead of a lover.

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No Bull – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.8

Overview: Zoe and Dan travel to a Chicago farm to make light of a case involving a dead prized bull. The tension between the two investigators increase when they were forced to share a room in a motel. Meanwhile, Zoe’s oldest niece Taylor falls head over heals for their new handsome neighbor.

Synopsis: A prized bull turns up dead after eating Johnson grass. Silly as it sounds, the insurance company requires a review of the case given the size of the claim. Zoe (Joely Fisher) and Dan (Chris Potter) drive five hours to a Chicago farm to ensure that no fraud was committed. During their investigation, Ted Knox, the owner of the farm that has the Johnson grass shoots at Zoe after finding her on his property. Zoe and Dan files a complaint to the sheriff, but was advised that nothing will come of it. She was, indeed, trespassing. On the bright side, the sheriff sheds some light on the case. It seems that the neighboring farms have been on a dispute for some time now due to another incident. This becomes evident after speaking to their client, Jim Bauer. Adamant with his belief that this was a stunt his angry neighbor pulled, he blatantly accuses Ted of opening the gate of his bullpen and deliberately knocking one of his fence posts just so one of his bulls would be able to go to the next farm and eat the lethal Johnson grass. Zoe becomes suspicious of this testimony especially after finding a test tube at the pen.   Continue reading...

The two sets off to interview the veterinarian only to find that he is out of town on an emergency and won’t be back until the next morning. Dan and Zoe are left with no choice, but to spend the night at a motel. Surprisingly, only one room is vacant and all the other motels are full. Given this predicament, the two investigators share the room. An awkward situation intensifies when Dan calls Janelle to cancel their date. They were supposed to watch Coldplay in concert. Annoyed and secretly jealous, Zoe attempts at slighting Dan for dating a former claimant. Janelle is the record store owner/landlord of the case involving a power outage. Dan retorts by picking on Zoe’s strained relationship with Marcos. Although only having met the guy once, when she fetched Zoe that morning, he immediately sensed Marcos’ cold attitude toward her partner. He was of course unaware of the events that transpired that resulted to Marcos’ behavior. Clearly, Dan and Zoe’s actions stem from their attempt at hiding their true feelings for each other. Both find it difficult to sleep as they toss and turn through out the night.

Jeannie introduces Julian to Taylor. Julian is Jeannie’s visiting grandson. Immediately, Zoe’s teenage niece falls head over heels for the good-looking neighbor and invites him to their house to watch a movie. To disguise her true intentions, Taylor enlists Carla to become the third-wheel only it is Taylor who ends up as one. The next morning, she shares to her aunt the discomforting results of her attempt to get closer to Julian. Providing some guy input to the girl’s love trouble, Dan suggests that Taylor should play hard-to-get. Taylor appreciates the suggestion and immediately takes action. Her new strategy worked, after deliberately running into Julian and pretending to be uninterested, Julian calls and leaves her a message.

After a brief chat with her niece, she sets out to interview the farmhand Miguel, while Dan speaks with Ted Knox. Miguel was the one who found the dead bull. They have to rely on his testimony, since no autopsy could be taken given that the carcass has already been cremated. Miguel sticks to his statement though unable to confirm whether the bull had torn down the fence. Dissatisfied with his statement, Zoe looks for the barbed wire that the bull supposedly tore to get to the neighboring farm. As she suspected, the wire has no trace of blood. Dan learns from Ted that he is not the only one holding a grudge at Bauer. He declares that Jim maltreats his farmhand and only pays him minimum wage. This, his false testimony and his sudden disappearance is as good a confession. Fortunately, Jim Bauer’s daughter Mary, who turns out to be Miguel’s girlfriend provides him an alibi. She attests that they spent the night together, making it impossible for Miguel to be involved with the crime. Given this new development, the investigators spend another night in the small town. Another awkward night ensues, which worsens when Dan leans in to kiss Zoe. But this was interrupted when the motel manager dropped by to inform them of an available room.

Tracking Mary’s phone calls, the investigators learn where Miguel has been hiding. On their way to the church where the farmhand is hiding, Zoe and Dan attempt to discuss last night’s incident. However, Marcos’ call disrupts them. So the two leaves it at that, pretending that nothing happened and focusing instead on the case. Miguel tells them what truly happened. On the morning he went to check the fence, he saw the veterinarian Dr. Miller hauling off the bull. Knowing that Miguel is an illegal immigrant, the vet forced Miguel to lie and cover up for him. Afraid of Dr. Miller’s threat, Miguel would not divulge more information regarding this new discovery. Dan continues with his research and learns that the veterinarian is a bull breeder himself and that he owned a similar looking bull as the one owned by Bauer. Comparing notes about the disposal of the bull, Zoe and Dan have differing information. According to the vet’s nurse, the bull was hauled off in a dump truck, while Miguel’s statement declares that the vet hauled it off on a flatbed. To get to the bottom of this charade, Dan and Zoe bring the Bauer’s to identify the bull that Dr. Miller had just sold. They reach him just in time and they correctly identify the bull as Zeus.

Putting two and two together, they make light of what truly happened. Dr. Miller’s prized bull McArthur died due to cyanide poisoning caused by the Johnson grass. The vet’s problem began when he left a $50,000 insurance policy on the bull lapse. Moreover, he already had found a buyer. To solve his problems, he decided to switch his dead bull with that of the Bauer’s. This explains the sedative that Zoe found in the coral, which was used to tranquilize Zeus. The testimonies of the nurse and Miguel did not coincide, because unbeknownst to them there were actually two trucks that were used – one held the carcass, the other the sedated bull. Finally, the mystery is solved and they return to the city to close the case.

Sophia also had just cracked her case. The simple jewelry theft turned out to be a scam. After running some background checks on the claimant and secretly lifting his fingerprints from a coffee mug he used on his last visit at the office, Sophia discovers that the claimant had already filed several claims to the stolen brooch. This she divulges in front of his unsuspecting fiancée who played a fool in her fiancé’s fraudulent scheme.

The same could be said about Taylor. Instead of returning Julian’s call, she decides to drop by to ask him about his message. To her dismay, her efforts were of no use after learning the true nature of her crush’s call. Apparently, Julian had become attracted to Carla and wanted to ask Taylor her phone number. Zoe finds her distraught niece and comforts her in her time of need.

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The Cheese Stands Alone – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.7

Overview: Business owners demand compensation to damages incurred from an electrical surge. A cheese monger declares that his expensive cheeses were spoiled due to the power outage. Loss of income due to the deletion of client information stored in a computer was the reason for the dating service’s claim. The last of the three is from the record storeowner who is also the proprietor of the building affected by the loss of power. Meanwhile, Zoe Busiek (Joely Fisher) is torn between a romantic weekend with Marcos and her attempt at setting a good example for her teenage niece.

Synopsis: The insurance company faces multiple claims from businesses that were affected by a building’s power outage. Sophia pulls rank and takes the case involving a dating service, while Zoe is stuck with a cheese monger. Dan, on the other hand, volunteers to check out the record store whose proprietor also owns the affected building. Interestingly, Dan an unlikely Mosher hits it off with the owner and punk-loving Janelle. He still does find it curious that Janelle’s building was the only one affected by the power surge. Zoe confronts the cheese monger, Carlo Nuovo, who filed a $12,000 claim. His business that relies heavily on refrigeration was terribly affected, since the expensive cheese he sells all got spoiled due to the power loss. Moreover, his losses force him to close shop. Although the damage to the dating service does not amount to the cheese monger’s, the owner claims for loss of income. The power surge wiped her computer’s memory and along with it are the videos and data of her clients. This could have been prevented if only her assistant did her job and made back-ups of these information. Sophia suddenly remembers Dan’s former assistant Penny who could have easily done the same mistake.  Continue reading...

Oddly enough, Dan bumps into Penny who is actually one of the clients of the dating service. Her profile was wiped out due to the power surge and was asked to return for a re-shoot. Dan could not help but feel sorry for her after learning that she had already spent $2,000 on this service. Meanwhile, Zoe is troubled with her weekend getaway with Marcos. What seemed to be a delightful idea turns sour when she realizes the need to become a role model for Taylor who as a teen is equally delighted with her aunt’s romantic weekend. After a painstaking debate with herself, Zoe finally decides to call off the weekend with Marcos. As always, the understanding boyfriend agrees to Zoe’s reasoning. However, it is her last request that caused his disappointment. Zoe asks Marcos if they could take it slow and unwittingly suggests that he might not be the right guy for her.

Of the three, only Sophia strongly suspects her client. Her suspicion stems from the huge amount of money involved, the supposed erasure of the computer’s hard disk and the dubious absence of back-ups. In addition, Dan learns from Penny that the dating service has been matching low-income with high-salaried clients. To get to the bottom of this, Zoe volunteers to sign up for the dating service. Given this new strategy, Sophia swaps cases with Zoe who has gone undercover as a woman looking for love. The plan that at first seems brilliant begins looking glum. After several dates, Zoe is left without any information about the other clients, not their last names, occupation not even their astrological signs. They enlist the help of Penny who interestingly was matched up with the same guys who Zoe went out with. True to her character, the smart mouth Penny lets it slip the office rumor that Zoe has a crush on Dan. This, however, was quickly disproved when Dan accidentally sees a picture of her in Marcos’ arms.

Dan’s research pays off as he learns the full name and occupation of one of Zoe’s dates. Dan plays Zoe’s disgruntled ex-boyfriend and confronts Cameron Philips at the bar he works at. In his attempt to clear things up with her now annoyed girlfriend/barmaid, he confesses to having employed by the matchmaking service to date its female clients. Given this new development, the two deals with the owner of the dating service. Having been found guilty of employing daters, the two investigators deny her application as a result of a fraudulent claim. In fact, she is now accused of misrepresenting her loss and overstating her income. Meanwhile, Sophia who is close to finishing up the cheese monger’s insurance claim comes upon new disturbing information. The deliveryman confirms the cheese maker’s inventory, but learns that the poor guy and his family suffered food poisoning the weekend of the incident. To confirm her suspicion, Sophia meets Carlo at the office and offers him the expensive cheese she got from Carlo’s driver Nuncio. Apparently, the good-hearted Carlo gives the driver free cheese when he delivers them from the farm to the shop. Sophia takes a bite off the cheese, alarming Carlo who confesses that the cheese was already spoiled even before the power outage. He caused the electrical surge, which inadvertently erased the dating service’s database. Thanks to the investigators, the matchmaking service could no longer scam unsuspecting clients as it was closed down. Moreover, Penny is no longer such a pity after surprisingly hitting it off with one of the daters.

After an enlightening chat with her teenage niece about her attempt to become a role model for her, Zoe realizes that Taylor is more mature than she thinks her to be. She rushes to catch Marcos to inform him that she changed her mind. Unfortunately, he already has someone else to spend the weekend with. Marcos who was misinformed of Zoe’s dates has become hurt of her seeing other men. To prevent herself from further embarrassment, she uses Cliff as a lame excuse for her surprise visit. Dan has given up on Zoe after seeing her picture with Marcos and pursues the record storeowner instead, despite him suspecting her earlier of fraud.

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Dead Again – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.6

Overview: A man who was declared dead three years ago turns up dead again. The insurance company sends its investigators to determine whether the two beneficiaries knew about this fraudulent claim. Zoe is partnered with her boss, The Intimidator whose main purpose is to evaluate Zoe’s performance. Adding to her anxiety for the upcoming performance review is her niece’s frustrated plea to getting a driver’s license.

Synopsis: A new case takes top priority when the insurance company learns that death benefits were awarded to beneficiaries of a man that was not dead. George Dolan was declared dead several years ago when his body was not recovered after falling overboard a yacht. Years after this supposed accident, he turns up as George Keating at the O’Hare Airport and suffers a heart attack. It is now the responsibility of the insurance investigators to determine whether the beneficiaries were accomplices to the fraudulent claim. Because Zoe Busiek (Joely Fisher) is up for a performance review, The Intimidator personally supervises her investigation. Meanwhile, the workaholic Sophia comes to work despite her clearly having the flu. Dan’s advice is for her to go home before she spreads the virus in the office.  Continue reading...

Zoe and The Intimidator interview George’s widow, Hilary. They learn from her recount of the accident that George had fallen over with the keys on him, which made the boat drift farther and consequently made it impossible for them to save him. Moreover, she informs the investigators that the boat was not George’s, which explains why they don’t have a spare key. Taylor’s phone calls interrupted their conversation several times, making Zoe uneasy especially now that she is under supervision. In addition, she missed one detail that might make a case against Hilary. Not only did the woman receive the insurance money, she seems to have gotten over her husband, since she is now wearing an engagement ring. Soon, they find out that she is engaged to her late husband’s best friend who lent them the boat.

Dan having been convicted of a crime and spent time in prison had the uneasy task of visiting Jack Perry in prison. Perry, being Dolan’s business partner is the second beneficiary to his death benefit. He was found guilty of embezzling funds from their company to which he attests his innocence. The only other person who stands by him is his daughter, Andrea, who believes that her mother helped frame her father. Mrs. Perry was the company’s accountant and in turn became the key witness to her husband’s embezzlement case. At that time, she was having an affair with George Dolan – something Mrs. Perry firmly denies.

That night, Taylor purposely lied to her aunt about going out with her friends to buy a CD. Little did she know that her niece who has been bugging her about letting her get a driver’s license planned to sneak the car out for a ride. The next morning, Zoe finds herself in the middle of a highway with no gas. To make things worse, she is to meet her boss who is evaluating her investigation. Thankfully, Marcos is always there to rescue her from a tight spot. However, this does not erase the fact that she turns up late and unprepared for fieldwork.

Bored of sitting home and just resting, Sophia busies herself with housework. When her fiancé catches her painting the house, he directs her back to bed, but later decides to catch up on office work. Catching her a second-time, Peter orders her willful fiancée to rest and recuperate. After what seems to be hours of doing nothing, Sophia uses her running out of medicine to get out of the house. Peter learns about her escapade when he sees a bottle of newly bought cranberry juice. Sophia uses her charm and successfully appeases her fiancé who had become annoyed of her disobeying his orders. Something he would later regret for he would soon become infected with the flu.

As if her day could not get any worse, Zoe has the difficult task of acting like a parent to her stubborn niece, Taylor. She confronts her about the car and ends up in a big fight with her niece using Zoe’s wild past as justification. Moreover, earlier that day she had upset Dan after commenting on his extra effort on helping Jack Perry prove his innocence.

A new day dawns, Zoe compensates or should I say overcompensates for yesterday’s inadequacies. To her relief, this does not go unnoticed neither does her lack of knowledge about boats. This she finds out from Dan who after making her partner anxious about her performance review has the unlucky task of listening to her partner’s childhood story of when she was cast as Annie after the lead that she declares to only have gotten the part due to nepotism. The point of the story, although she nailed the part, she could not shrug off her anxiety of what is to come. Working overtime to impress The Intimidator, Zoe displays knowledge about the boat and informs her about Mrs. Dolan filing a divorce then withdrawing it on the morning of the accident. In addition, Dan found that Gordon, George’s best friend and now Mrs. Dolan’s soon-to-be husband, made a scene at a Milwaukee hotel – an indication that he might have wanted a foolproof alibi of being out of town.

After telling Marcos about Taylor’s mischief, she opens up to him the real reason for her disapproval of her niece getting a driver’s license. Apparently, she is too afraid of Taylor meeting the same fate as her sister, who despite being the most careful driver she knows off ended up a casualty in a car accident. Fortunately, Taylor overhears their conversation and begins to understand her aunt’s objectionable decision. To make up for her trouble, Taylor becomes a responsible teenager overnight. Not only did she wake up early to cook them breakfast; she even managed to do the laundry. Moreover, she has whole-heartedly accepted her aunt’s decision of not letting her drive.

Later, the fraud investigators meet with Gordon and Mrs. Nolan. They take this opportunity to put Gordon on the spot with the help of the information they got from Andrea. She had told them that on the day she met George to tell him to stop his affair with her mother, Gordon came to give George the keys to the boat and remembers it distinctly for she became annoyed after Gordon spent a lot of time trying to remove his key chain from the keys. Dan and Zoe figures that this act is an indication that he knew before hand that George planned to fall overboard. Had he not removed his lucky key chain, he would not have seen it again. Moreover, Zoe managed to retrieve documentation from the car rental company Gordon used that he had driven the rental 406.2 miles. This accounts a roundtrip drive from Milwaukee to the harbor where he helped George escape using a Zodiac boat. Gordon denies this, but one, last, critical evidence leaves him cornered. The company who bought his boat was located in the Cayman Islands where George was later found to have lived after his supposed death. Moreover, the company paid over and above the worth of his boat, which clearly shows that the money is actually George’s payment for Gordon’s significant assistance in his escape.

Dan keeps Andrea company while waiting for the release of Jack Perry. The insurance company’s investigation of the fraudulent claim lead to Gordon, the real accomplice to George Dolan’s embezzling. This without any contest proves Perry’s innocence. Meanwhile, Zoe meets with The Intimidator who we now learn to be Ms. Miller. In an attempt to keep her job, Zoe makes a speech of how she loves her job and admits to having difficulties solving the case, but nevertheless solves them. To her relief, Ms. Miller is pleased with her performance as an investigator and signs her up for another year. With office troubles gone, she sets off to tackle a family concern. Realizing her unreasonable decision of not letting her niece behind the wheel, she shows up at Taylor’s school to finally let her drive the car.

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Dearly Beloved – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.6

Overview: Sprinklers that were set off during the ceremony of a $300,000 garden wedding caused the ruin of what should have been a happy occasion. Knowing that the sprinklers were tampered with, the insurance company sends three of its top fraud investigators to determine who sabotaged the wedding. Meanwhile, Zoe Busiek faces a dilemma of her own when her no good brother-in-law shows up at her doorstep. As legal guardian of her sister’s children, she must decide whether it is for the best interest of the kids to meet the father who walked out on them seven years ago.

Synopsis: A knock on the door surprises Zoe (Joely Fisher). David Woodwall, her brother-in-law and absentee father of the three children, makes a surprise visit. The sight of him had infuriated Zoe and as legal guardian she refuses to let him see his children. Her fury is of good reason for it took David seven years to return after walking out on his family. Moreover, he did not even attend the funeral of his wife and was content to just sending flowers. However, David has come back to set things right. He has come to a realization that his children needed a father. Zoe’s distrust of his brother-in-law has grown over the years and so is her determination to keep him away from the children. Cliff sees her talking to the man, but Zoe casually lies and pretends that she was merely giving him directions.   Continue reading...

A wealthy young couple’s three hundred thousand dollar wedding was ruined after sprinklers were set off just before the bride and groom completed their vows. Because the mother of the bride insured the expensive wedding, it is the insurance company’s responsibility to pay for the damages. That is, if the policyholder is not found responsible for the incident or if it is proven that the cold feet clause was not violated.

Dan (Chris Potter) and Zoe set off to interview Caroline Moss, the policyholder and mother of the bride. From their brief encounter, Zoe quickly puts her as one of the prime suspects. She bases her conclusion from Caroline’s presumption that the insurance company had already approved her claim and her cold behavior with Depok, her soon-to-be son-in-law. Later, the wedding planner verifies this suspicion. According to Mr. Harvey, Caroline loathed her daughter’s fiancé. Although he might not be a reliable source, he did mistake Zoe and Dan for a couple.

Knowing that the sprinklers have been tampered with, Sophia visits the country club to find suspects. Her investigation leads her to the only other person aside from the manager who has access to the sprinkler system. Apparently, he was fired a few hours before the wedding, which gives him motive.

Meanwhile, Zoe brings Cliff’s jersey, which he left in the house. The hassle of her leaving work for this was nothing compared to hearing Cliff’s distressed tone when he phoned her for this favor. Zoe thought that her nephew had learned about his father’s visit and was relieved to hear that his call was only about the forgotten jersey. Feeling guilty for missing her nephew’s game, she consults Marcos about this and the dilemma of the kids’ father wanting to spend some time with them. Marcos who understands where she is coming from agrees with Zoe’s decision to keep the father away from the children.

Cliff returns from the game, which they won. Seeing one of her nephew’s teammates walk home with his father, Zoe could not help but feel guilty. She finally decides to speak with the children’s father. David makes it clear that he does not want to take the children away from Zoe. He only wants to make-up for his absence. However, David’s sudden appearance in her office almost made Zoe regret her decision. David wanted Zoe’s opinion on the gifts he bought for his kids. Clearly, he knows very little about children despite him acting like one. Realizing that the guy is trying his best to win back his family, Zoe agrees to help him pick more appropriate gifts.

Dan and Zoe’s meeting with the mother confirms her disapproval of her daughter’s beloved fiancé, but it seems that the groom’s father feels the same way about the bride. In fact, he had asked his son to have his soon-to-be-wife to sign a prenuptial agreement. Depok refused to this despite his father’s threat of disinheriting him. Dan’s chat with the groom confirms that he is less likely to have ruined the wedding and suspects the bride, Bonnie. However, Zoe argues that Bonnie having been the center of the ceremony couldn’t have tampered with the sprinklers without anyone noticing her absence. Zoe is more convinced now of the guilt of her prime suspect – the mother’s bride. According to the maid-of-honor, Jackie, the wedding was a comedy of errors. This includes the bride’s mother missing her hair appointment for some household problem.

True to her word, Zoe meets David and re-acquaints him with his children through an album full of the kid’s pictures. This is an exercise that proves to be worth their while as David knows very little about his children, especially Hannah who has no memory of her father. Determined to bring the family together, Zoe sets up an appointment with a family counselor to help them deal with this awkward reunion.

Sophia cracks a new lead to their case. Apparently, the groundskeeper was terminated after being caught smoking marijuana. A girl in her twenties with rollers on her hair offered him the illegal drug. Meanwhile, Zoe learns the reason behind Bonnie’s recent decision of calling off the wedding. Bonnie, accidentally read a text message from Jackie warning her fiancé against hitting on her again. However, Depok who was heavily intoxicated at that time has no memory of this incident. These new facts eliminate two suspects – the mother-of-the-bride and the groom. Clearly, Zoe is wrong about her prime suspect who as it turns out missed her hair appointment, because she had to have her dress let out after shamefully gaining a couple of pounds. Zoe redeems herself after watching the wedding footage again and solves the case.

She tells Dan and Sophia how she figured it out, but not without her trademark long embarrassing story. Relating the case to one party when she got herself drunk enough to have the courage to hit on Mike Sanchez and later to find herself throwing up in a toilet bowl with her best friend Melissa Winters holding her hair up. A year later, she learns that her best friend whom she introduced to her crush ended up marrying Mike. From this she singles out Jackie, who fits the groundskeeper’s description, the only person without a date and has the time, opportunity and not to mention motive to ruin the wedding. Moreover, the footage shows her protecting her expensive Jimmy Choo’s just before the sprinklers went off.

However, all these are circumstantial evidence. In order to prove her theory, Zoe tricks Jackie with the supposed curler that was found in the utility shed. The curler is actually Zoe’s. She takes a strand of her hair to match those off the rollers. Cornered, Jackie was left with nothing to do, but to admit to everything. She was in love with the groom whom she introduced to Bonnie. Little did she know that the two would hit it off, leaving her without a partner. Because the policyholder Caroline Moss is found innocent, the insurance company is going to pay the $300,000 claim. However, they are suing Jackie for the damages and so is the country club whose reputation was damaged due to the embarrassing incident. The much-troubled wedding finally pulls through with a simple ceremony and Zoe catching the bouquet.

Shortly after the wedding, Zoe rushes to the family counselor’s office for the session with David. The deadbeat dad strikes again. He gives away another chance with the kids; fooling Zoe that he had changed. Distressed, she confides to Marcos about her bad decision of going against her better judgment. Marcos consoles the weeping aunt and like a good friend shows up with dinner. They all sit down to a lovely meal like a real family.

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Hell Week – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.4

Overview: A zoo sues a comatose sorority pledge who broke in and fell into the lion's den. It is up to Zoe Busiek and Sophia Mason to investigate the case. Meanwhile, Dan Lennox is having a hell of a week, which is partly caused by his newly hired assistant Penny.

Synopsis: It was late at night when a loud cry for help stirs Oak Park Zoo. One of the security guards rushes to the scene and shoots at the ferocious lion. Lying beside the dead animal was the unconscious body of a girl.  Continue reading...

Sophia Mason (Rae Dawn Chong) and Zoe Busiek (Joely Fisher) visit the victim at the hospital. Having found out that the girl who broke into the lion’s cage has a blood alcohol level of 0.12 at the time of the accident; the no nonsense Sophia has not an ounce of sympathy for the victim. Zoe confesses that she herself was an irresponsible teenager and even worked for Sigfried and Roy.

Sophia explains to the father the purpose of their visit. She informs him that the zoo is filing a lawsuit against her daughter for the loss of their lion. Moreover, the insurance company had sent them to investigate the extent of his daughter Katy’s negligence. In their interrogation they find out that the act was uncharacteristic of the girl, her being a straight A student, with a full scholarship and has not been seen to drink more than a glass of wine during dinner.

Cliff overhears Zoe on the phone, telling her friend Candy that taking care of the kids had dampened her social life. Upset at his discovery, he leaves without hearing that her aunt’s accidental parenthood has made her realize what she was missing and that all her sacrifices amount to nothing compared to the overwhelming joy she feels for looking after her nieces and nephew.

The lawyer of Oak Park Zoo meets with Sophia to notify her that the zoo will pursue with the legal action against the Dyson family, since Katy had blatantly sneaked in, trespassed and had displayed irresponsible behavior that cost them the life of a high-revenue generating attraction.

Dan has been having a hell of a week. First was an incident with his new annoying, incompetent assistant Penny and now with Zoe asking him a favor to help her close a case. He accepts in exchange for Zoe handling the sewage claim.

Trying to get to the bottom of the Dyson case, Zoe interviews Katy’s roommate and learns that the victim has indeed started drinking alcohol heavily. This is a habit she acquired ever since she started dating Eddie. The boyfriend does not deny Katy’s alcohol drinking, but attests that her drunken stupor and irresponsible behavior was unlike her. It is his belief that her sorority might have brought about the latter. Zoe talks to the girl’s fellow pledges and they all deny that the stunt is part of their hell week. One insists that her drunkenness was the cause.

Sophia and Zoe were about to close the case having learned that Katy is known to be negligent, but information on her fall made them think twice. At the zoo, they recreate the incident and realize that someone must have been with the girl. According to the security guard the young lady was screaming for quite a while. This was inconsistent with the fall, since the drop that left her unconscious took less than three seconds. It would be impossible for her to cry for help.

Zoe was getting ready for her undercover assignment as a former sorority member when Dan drops by to ask for advice regarding firing Penny. The Intimidator had asked him earlier to terminate the assistant having learned that her error had caused the company a couple thousands of dollars. Zoe having been fired before tells her partner that he has to be firm and should not leave any room for negotiations. This advice was born out of her experience when he had been terminated from her job as a human mannequin. Dan helps her put on a pearl necklace to complete her outfit as a sorority chick when she abruptly turns. The two ended up facing very close to each other creating an awkward moment especially for Zoe who had learned from Sophia that Dan might have feelings for her.

In character, Zoe managed to extract bits of information from previous sorority members. Her research showed that the sorority had a long history of outrageous tasks for the initiation. All of which include an undertaking that involves a lion, which is their official mascot. The faces of the three current sorority girls have turned sour with this information and upon learning that Katy had woken up form her coma. Fortunately, the girl suffers from retrograde amnesia and may never remember the events that occurred on the night of her accident.

Marcos, who is Cliff’s history teacher, calls Zoe for a parent-teacher conference. The reason stems from him catching Cliff skip class to use the school’s computer. As it turns out, the young man had been looking for her father through the Internet. Putting two and two together, Zoe realizes that she caused her nephew’s odd behavior having been babbling to her friend Candy, and the kid overhearing and misinterpreting their conversation. They were interrupted with a surprise visit.

Consumed with guilt, one of the pledges comes forward to divulge the events that happened on the night of Katy’s accident. According to her, the three had planned to take their picture with Boris the Lion. The two who stayed below heard Katy who went up to the walkway arguing with a man. It was she whom the security guard heard crying for help and not Katy. Afraid of getting caught, the two escaped and left the unconscious young girl alone.

Equipped with this new development, Zoe and Sophia rush to the zoo to interview the security guards. Both guards on duty that night did not hear people arguing. Passing by the souvenir photo shop, the two were struck with an idea. From the photos they discover that Eddie was with Katy the day of the accident, which is the same day that they broke up contradicting the young man’s statement when he told Zoe of their engagement. The two ladies visit the boyfriend only to find out that the guy had been taking advantage of the girl’s memory loss and kidnapped her. Good thing Zoe knew exactly where to find them. She informs the poor girl that she had already broken up with the guy and that it was him who pushed her.

At a bar, Dan meets with Penny to terminate her. Much to his surprise, Penny misinterprets it as her getting a raise. To add to his shock, the assistant had told him that she had found a better job. Relieved, Dan gave out a big hearty laugh only the joke was on him. As a celebration, he was going to treat Penny and was charging the expense on the company. Much to his dismay, the card was cancelled as the company had switched banks and Penny had failed to give him the new credit card.

Hell week is almost over, Dan is roughly rid of Penny while Zoe and Sophia close the Dyson case. The lawsuit was passed on to the real culprit Eddie; clearing Katy of all previous charges. Moreover, the sorority was shut down due to illegal hazing and intimidation practices. Dan arrives at the office and Zoe asks about his meeting with Penny. He lies saying that he was firm and followed Zoe’s advice not knowing that she had already talked to the assistant who informed her of her resignation.

Later that night, Marcos joins the Woodall family for lasagna night. What a mistake that was, since Zoe who knew little about cooking was unaware that the lasagna should be cooked first before baking. This was not the only surprise she got that evening for her brother-in-law had dropped by unannounced.

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Con Artistry – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.3

Overview: Dan Lennox and Zoe Busiek investigate the theft of a two million dollar painting. Things become awkward between Dan and Zoe when Dan's ex-fiancee appears to be involved. In addition, Zoe learns about Dan's past as a con artist.

Synopsis: A two million dollar Max Catterfeld painting was stolen from the art collector Ron Westbury (C. David Johnson). Zoe Busiek (Joely Fisher) and Dan Lennox (Chris Potter) set off to question the victim. He explains that he had invited friends and other art collectors to a party in his house on the night the painting was stolen. The fine art had been cut off from its frame. Ron also confirms that the security system was not working on the night of the crime and that a handful of people were aware of this, which further complicates the investigation. To make matters worse, a woman from Dan’s past comes into the scene. Lisa Jennings was Dan’s fiancée. It was she who had sold the painting to Ron Westbury.  Continue reading...

At the office, Zoe eagerly updates Sophia (Rae Dawn Chong) about the stolen Catterfeld case more to inform her about Dan’s ex-fiancée. Apparently, she had conducted a background check of Lisa without her partner’s knowledge and found out that the woman had changed her name, which explains Dan’s shock at her introduction. Moreover, her file also states that she had been convicted of stealing paintings by cutting them off from their frames. This mixed with a bit of jealousy heightens Zoe’s suspicion.

Carlos Beccera (Juan Chioran) is Sophia’s injured salsa instructor. She meets him at the club to get his testimony on his insurance claim. He had slipped at the produce aisle of a grocery store blaming the incident on the produce spray. According to Carlos, aside from the pain and loss of dance students the injury had caused him to lose his salsa dance partner.

Zoe arrives late for the meeting with the professor who authenticated the painting. She later explains that she ran a background check on Lisa, which explains her tardiness. Dan confesses that she is aware of Lisa’s past to which Zoe had insisted that he take himself off the case.

Sophia visits the grocery store to verify her salsa instructor’s testimony. She finds out that there is no way the grocery could account for his injury given that it is impossible for the produce spray to accumulate enough water on the floor to cause a slip. Sophia who was already in an unpleasant mood meets her fiancé for lunch and scolds him for looking for a house at a bulletin board.

Zoe asks for an English translation of Debbie Fairman’s (now known as Lisa Jennings) trial and asks that Dan not be informed of this request. Unfortunately, Dan overhears the conversation and so their first argument ensues. Zoe argues that his not letting her know the truth about Lisa coupled with his conflict of interest gives her the right to conceal information from him. Dan refutes that he is probably the best person to determine Lisa’s guilt as he knows her best and that he is eager to nail her if that is the case. At this point, Zoe’s remark is clearly tainted with jealousy. The Intimidator who informs them that the Catterfeld painting had been stolen before disrupted their squabble.

A family claims the ownership of the stolen painting upon reading about it on the newspaper. According to the old man, the woman on the portrait is his mother. The daughter explains that his grandmother modeled for Max Catterfeld who later gave her the portrait. All those years they believed that the fire that was started by the Nazi’s destroyed the painting. Unfortunately, they do not have any proof of ownership. The woman on the portrait and her husband were killed in the concentration camp. Dan insists that the claim of ownership should be addressed to the owner to which the old man asserts that he is the owner. Being a rookie investigator, Zoe sympathizes with the family. Dan, who had always displayed objectivity, reminds her that their story is irrelevant to the case and that a proof of ownership should clarify the issue.

Zoe confronts Lisa to verify the history of ownership, which states that a family in Zurich bought it from Max Catterfeld. Lisa purchased the painting from them and later sold it to Ron Westbury. Clearly, the verification was not the main purpose of the visit. Zoe makes it known that she learned of Lisa’s past. Dan’s arrival interrupted their heated conversation. Zoe leaves the two not knowing that Dan had come to make it clear to Lisa that he will not cover for her if this turns out to be one of her jobs.

Later that night, Marcos (Bronson Picket) stops by to drop Cliff’s history book and finds Zoe all dolled-up. She explains that she is to meet Sophia in a salsa club to help her with a case. Marcos shows his concern and asks about Zoe’s new job. He later invites her to dinner, which she gracefully refuses with the excuse that she is swamped with work. He leaves letting her know that he is available whenever Zoe feels like coming up for air. As soon as he leaves, Zoe goes back to reading the trial’s transcript to which she finds that Dan was an accessory to Lisa’s crime.

Zoe quickly informs Sophia of her discovery and was annoyed to learn that she knew all along. Sophia explains that it was not her place to inform Zoe of Dan’s past. Moreover, she enlightens Zoe on how insurance company’s work saying that they sometimes hire ex-convicts to teach them the tricks of the trade. During their conversation, Zoe unconsciously shows the root of her annoyance that is Dan and Lisa having been intimately involved. Going back to the main purpose of their rendezvous at the salsa club, Sophia asks Zoe to dance with Carlos to determine if he really is injured. After a few twists and turns, they got their answer. The poor man was not lying about his injury.

The following day, Sophia and Peter visit a house Peter had found. The place is the complete opposite of what they first viewed. Both houses are descriptive of the couple’s opposite tastes. Zoe, on the other hand, was having lunch with Marcos voicing out her concerns with Dan. Marcos being the voice of reason had managed to convince Zoe to give her partner the benefit of the doubt. A phone call from Dan interrupts their lunch. He called to inform Zoe that the victim Ron Westbury might also be a suspect for he owes the IRS a huge sum of money.

The fraud investigators meet with Ron to inform him of their discovery. He makes it clear that it does not make sense to steal his own painting and that hiding it will not do him any good. Zoe points out that hiding the painting will shield it from other claims. He reiterates that there were no other claims on the painting when he bought it. During their discussion, he receives a package with a ransom note.

That night, the two meet with the Intimidator to show her the note. Given that the thief is only asking for $200,000 for the painting, the insurance company has decided to pay the ransom.

Ron Westbury waits for the exchange at the park where Zoe and Dan, and a few other investigators observe. Dan informs Zoe of the placements of the other investigators, which reminds her of the days when she was a wild child. She remembers the time when she and a boyfriend broke into a sailboat and raided the liquor cabinet. She also retells the story of her stealing the key to her mother’s car and driving away with a girlfriend to Milwaukee. This opens the discussion to Dan’s past, of him spending half of his life as a scam artist and a thief.

They hear a cell phone ringing. It comes from a paper bag from the bushes. As instructed, Ron puts the money inside the duffel bag and places it back in the bushes. As soon as he turns his back, a dog runs and snatches the bag full of cash. Zoe and Dan run after the dog that runs into the bushes. The canine emerges with the painting and runs into the dock. Zoe, claiming to be a dog whisperer, tries to befriend it. She struggles with the canine and manages to get a hold of the painting, but it slips from her grip and falls into the water.

Back in the office, the professor informs them that he could restore the painting to its original state. Relieved she leaves the room only to bump into Carlos who after recognizing her threatens to sue Zoe for assault and battery. Overcome with guilt Sophia meets Peter for lunch and updates him of what just happened at the office. Peter offers to provide free follow-up on Carlos’ injury. However, it is of no use since the salsa teacher has lost his trust to anyone associated with Sophia. The topic of their conversation changed when Sophia had ordered another round of herbal tea. Peter warns her of drinking too much of those herbs stating that though organic they still have side effects. In the course of their conversation, they talk more about their move. He surprises her when he announces that he found the perfect place for them to live and that he already put down a deposit and signed a two year lease. Although clearly disappointed with the news, Sophia tries to convince Peter that she does not disapprove of his actions.

Zoe visits the Von Wright to inform them of the insurance company’s decision to return the painting to Westbury. The old man expresses his disappointment telling her with the new development he feels that the painting has been stolen twice. First, when the Nazi stole it in 1937 and now with awarding ownership to Ron Westbury. Zoe corrects Mr. Von Wright saying that the painting was dated 1932. He argues that his parents did not even meet Catterfeld until 1935.

In an attempt to fool her aunt, Taylor changes her grade from a D to a B. The teenager explains that she did not want her aunt to get angry at her failing the Spanish test to which Zoe responds that she is not. She tells the kid that she is just disappointed and her changing the grade will not do her good, as she would not know how to help her if she is not aware that she needs help. Moreover, she tells the youngster that nobody gets away with changing the grade. To add, the smart younger sister demonstrates that if he had an F, she could have easily turned it to an A by just adding another line. With this Zoe is struck with an idea.

Zoe rushes to Dan’s apartment and finds him with Lisa. Surprised, she finds herself babbling. Lisa offers to leave the two investigators alone to discuss work. However, Zoe stops her since what she has discovered might eliminate her as a suspect. She claims that the painting is dated 1937 despite the experts’ claim that it was done in 1932. Both Lisa and Zoe agree that the painting they recovered was a forgery, since the bottom line of the number two when it shouldn’t be perfect.

The following day, they visit the professor to inform him that the police are holding the painting as evidence. Slowly they build up the conversation until it was time to tell him that the police are on their way to arrest him for having forged the painting and stealing the original Catterfeld. As it turns out, the professor is one of those art collectors who steal a painting he cannot afford. He held it for ransom to stop the police from investigating the theft. He figured that once the police have recovered the painting they would stop the investigation. His only mistake was authenticating both the original and the fake.

Zoe and Dan gladly inform the Von Wright’s that they can now pursue a lawsuit to reclaim the painting. Moreover, during this process they could easily admire the painting for Mr. Westbury has loaned it to the Spiritist Institute for Jewish Studies, since this action has tax advantages. Finally, Zoe had offered to have coffee with Dan only to find out that he already is going out with Lisa.

At the salsa club, Carlos is back to his normal state dancing the way he should be. After Sophia informed him that the herbal supplement Roosterplex he has been drinking has caused his muscle weakness, he immediately went to see a doctor. In a week he would have his cast from the injuries he incurred removed in addition to that his dance partner has returned.

Peter arrives at the club and apologizes, but Sophia stops him. She informs him that she had changed her mind about the place he had chosen for them. Unfortunately, it was too late Peter had already pulled the plug on the lease and that another couple already took it. Despite of this, the two are just happy that there is a place that they could both agree on.

At a bar, Dan and Lisa discuss about their situation. Lisa attempts to reminisce on the old times, even showing Dan the bracelet he had bought for her. He makes it clear that there is nothing left between him and Lisa. She also asks about his relationship with Zoe having noticed a tinge of jealousy when she found them in his apartment. He realized that he has developed feelings for his partner and rushes to Zoe’s house only to find her in Marcos’ arms.

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The Learning Curve – Wild Card Episode Summary 1.2

Overview: Zoe Busiek's first case as an insurance fraud investigator hits close to home. She and Dan get to the bottom of an arson case that left a woman badly burned and a sister dead.

Synopsis: It is Zoe Busiek’s (Joely Fisher) first day as an insurance fraud investigator. Bored and anxious to actually start doing fieldwork, she whines at Dan’s (Chris Potter) suggestion of her spending the day at the office. Their boss, The Intimidator, overhears Zoe as she goes on and on ranting about reading manuals, going to seminars and watching endless training videos. She gives her a good piece of advice about listening instead of talking. Still she pleads with Sophia (Rae Dawn Chong) and Dan to let her in the fraud case, but Sophia explains to her that she thinks the case they are investigating is too close to home. They show her the file of Marilyn Lee, a woman whose house was set on fire and who lost her sister as the consequence of this. It is believed that drug dealers were responsible for her burns and her sister’s death, since she was working for the police in the hopes of ridding her neighborhood of troublesome entities. Zoe tries to contain her emotion and insisted on being part of the case.   Continue reading...

The three fraud investigators visit Marilyn in the hospital to help her settle the claim. Because she is not a suspect their sole task is to account for all the items that were lost in the fire. The woman starts to become troubled with all the paperwork especially when she was asked to come up with an inventory of her things. Sympathetic the three try to ease the woman and was grateful for the unlikely investigators. As they were leaving, Marilyn remembers a person other than her sister who might be able to help with the inventory.

The seasoned investigators, Dan and Sophia, sense that the woman’s eagerness to settle the claim is not a good sign. Also Marilyn’s decision not to return to her neighborhood despite her dedication to her community provides a cloud of doubt. However, Zoe who felt for the woman argues that her tragedy could explain Marilyn’s actions. Dan reminds Zoe that as investigators they have to be objective.

On their way out, they come across a handsome doctor who turns out to be Sophia’s boyfriend Peter Sallas (Don Franklin). Having received a letter from a hospital, the two decide to have lunch and learn together the contents of the letter. Hopeful that the residency comes from the University of Chicago, both were dismayed to see that the offer came from a hospital in Atlanta.

Dan and Zoe visit Jimmy Wilson, the person whom Marilyn believes could help with the inventory of her things. Jimmy turns out to be a 12-year old boy who used to run errands for the woman. While still in the boy’s house, all were astonished when the police arrest the boy for arson. Although hard to believe, the facts all point to Jimmy. The police reports that the boy has access to the house and was seen near the house after the fire was started. Moreover, his fingerprints were on an empty can of paint thinner. His status as a delinquent also added to the case against him. Zoe remains skeptical, but Dan explains that the boy also has motives from Marilyn’s comic book collection to him protecting his drug dealer brother. Finally, Zoe concedes and realizes her inexperience.

Marcos Morales (Bronson Picket) looks after Hannah (Aislinn Paul), while they wait for Zoe. When she arrived the two starts flirting with each other and failed to notice that the little girl approached the crossing guard who resorted to living in her car as a result of a pay cut. Back at the office, Dan and Sophie update Zoe about the case. Much to her dismay, Jimmy remains an arson suspect. They also remind her that it is not their place to determine his guilt and that their only concern is whether the insurance company should pay the claim. Moreover, Dan starts to doubt the victim Marilyn for suddenly becoming an overnight hero for her misfortune. His reservation stems from the fact that the government and other groups have been showering her with rewards and benefits. Taken aback, Zoe argues with him and makes a speech about how there should be more people like Marilyn who took action instead of just complaining and whining about the problems in her community. The child Hannah overhears the whole argument and is struck with a bright idea.

After a long day at work, Sophia meets Peter who shocks her with the question of moving with him to Atlanta. Though she did not give him a straight answer, the man was able to read between the lines. In dire need of space, he leaves her alone despite their dinner reservation.

The following day, Zoe and Sophia visit Marilyn to go over the inventory. Like before, the victim starts to become upset with the thoroughness that is asked of her. Just when Zoe was starting to doubt the victim, she gives them another reason to think otherwise. With a scream, they learn that the threat to her life is a fact.

Finally, they close the case despite their earlier doubts on Marilyn for being too quick to settle the claim. Instead of celebrating for closing her first official case, Zoe remains restless with the thought that the kid Jimmy is still in detention. Her real concern for the child prompted her to inform Jimmy’s mother that Marilyn continues to receive threats despite her son being locked up. She instructs them to use that piece of information in the kid’s defense.

A traffic jam causes a stir near Hannah’s school. Zoe was surprised to learn that the real cause is her niece Hannah who started a one-man demonstration in front of the school. Though proud of the child’s concern for the crossing guard, she explains to her niece that there are other ways to help. Sophia who dropped by to bring a file interrupts their chat. Sensing discontent in the woman’s expression, Zoe invites her in. She opens up to her newfound friend about her and Peter’s dilemma. They start to discover more about themselves as they talk about their lives. Sophia turns out to be a woman with a plan and a lot of expectations, while Zoe is completely the opposite.

After Hannah’s stint, Zoe was called to a meeting with the school principal. Seeing her perturbed as she waits for her appointment with the principal, Marcos laughs at the sight of her. The lady gives her advice on handling children and gives her a book to help with her new role as a parent.

Zoe visits Jimmy and brings him the comic books that she confiscated from Cliff. Her visit confirms her conjecture and she rushes to the office to share the new information with her colleagues. She with her co-workers try to convince The Intimidator to re-open the case with the argument that the claimant is a fraud. The real Marilyn Lee died in the fire and that the claimant is the other sister. This explains why the woman had so much trouble itemizing her personal items and why she is too quick to settle with the undervalued claim. The comic books played a vital key. What the other sister did not know was that the old graphic novels cost a lot more than the appraised value. It was her disconfiguration that helped her get away with the mistaken identity.

Having done their homework learning more about the real Marilyn Lee, the three face the impostor. With her guilt confirmed, the woman walks out on the investigators. Zoe accompanies the Wilson’s as they wait for the release of their child. She explains to them that the real arsonist is Marilyn’s sister who planned everything from putting her dog in the kennel while she assumes her sister’s identity to spray painting threats on her house.

Zoe, Dan and Sophia update The Intimidator with the final details of the case. They learned that Marilyn was already dead when her sister started the fire and that the sister had also switched their dental records in preparation for the murder and arson.

Peter drops by the office to say goodbye to Sophia. As he leaves, Sophia with much consternation and everybody’s disbelief makes an unexpected move and asks him to marry her. He accepts and changes his mind with moving away.

To help Hannah with her cause, Zoe organized a carwash to raise funds for the homeless crossing guard. With an effort to impress Zoe, Marcos follows her lead and helps the woman by getting her a part-time job at the cafeteria. His bliss was cut short when Dan surprises Zoe at the fundraiser.

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Pilot Episode - Wild Card Episode Summary 1.1

Synopsis: After her sister's tragic accident, blackjack dealer Zoe Busiek leaves Las Vegas to care for her dead sister's three children. Her personal investigation of her sister's car accident lead her to the truth and landed her a job at an insurance company as a fraud investigator.

Episode Summary: Zoe Busiek (Joely Fisher), a blackjack dealer leaves Las Vegas to take care of her dead sister ‘s children. She leaves behind her work, boyfriend and a life free from serious commitment. Seeing the house she grew up in, she remembers a memory of her sister Sue fixing their mother’s favorite figurine that Zoe broke. Melancholy and anxious, an old friend and neighbor Jeannie, finds her standing in front of the house. She gives her a warm welcome and an assurance that everything’s going to be all right. Hannah, the youngest of the three children, greets her and seems sincerely excited to see her aunt. Cliff, the middle child, appears to be forlorn at the mention of his recently deceased mother. The oldest on the other hand, couldn’t care less and immediately deceives Zoe.  Continue reading...

The first day of her new life starts off track. New to the role of mother, she forgets about her responsibilities and wakes up late. Good thing Cliff has some sense of maturity that he had already prepared breakfast and helped her younger sister get ready for school. Zoe goes around the city looking for a job. Unfortunately, her history of taking in odd jobs turned out to be a hindrance. Her day proves to be completely awry when she learns that the insurance company refused to pay her sister’s life insurance, since the car accident investigation found her sister at fault. Knowing her sister as one of the most cautious drivers, she argues that there must have been a mistake. Dan Lennox (Chris Potter), the company’s fraud investigator, takes over and explains that witnesses have testified that Sue ran the red light. He shows her the police report. At once she senses things are amiss and takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of it. One by one she visits the witnesses asking them to recall the accident.

At dinner, Zoe and her niece argue when Taylor attempts to once again fool her aunt. Completely assuming her role as the adult, Zoe puts her foot down and imposes rules on the children. At this time, the siblings’ attitude toward her has gone for the worst. Even the jovial Hannah snubbed her with a remark that only parents can attend the Heroes Day pageant.

Fortunately, morning has brought new light to the household and everything is back to normal. However, she remains out of luck with her job search. In an attempt to save money, she goes to the garage to try and salvage her sister’s wrecked car. Seeing its irreparable condition not only did it disappoint her plan, it also brought up painful emotions. However, the trip to the garage gave her an opportunity to check on the accident as the other party’s car was also brought there. She finds an invitation on the car seat and learns who the other driver was. Zoe visits the woman Eileen to find more answers. Regrettably, nothing was gained from the visit plus she forgets to fetch Cliff. Realizing her mistake, she rushes to bring her nephew to the game and discovers that the poor kid has been blaming himself for his mother’s death. He explains that his mother raced out to purchase him the protractor she forgot to buy. Zoe tries her best to unburden Cliff of guilt.

Being thirty minutes late, coach Marcos Morales had sent Cliff to sit out the first half. Knowing very well that the tardiness is entirely her fault, Zoe tries to convince Marcos to make an exemption. Realizing that the pleading woman is her old friend Zoe, Marcos changes his mind and allows Cliff to play. He also asks her to the dance and become one of the adult chaperones.

The following day, Zoe returns to the insurance company and discloses to Dan’s partner, Sophia (Rae Dawn Chong), her findings. She had observed that the other driver had no serious injuries despite the car wreckage. The absence of skid marks despite functioning brakes invalidates the other party’s testimony. Aside from these, all witnesses seem to share scripted answers to her questions. Taken with Zoe’s perseverance, Sophia does her a favor and runs a background check on Eileen Draper. However, her good record only shows that the woman has no motive to commit fraud.

Being a source of moral support, Jeannie comforts the troubled Zoe and points out that she has done her very best to get the insurance money for the kids. Nevertheless, Zoe is convinced that Sue did not cause the accident and explains that she does not want the children to think their mother brought the bad fortune upon herself. Zoe also points out that the children are well aware that she is a failure. Jeannie ends her ranting by bringing out the figurine Zoe broke as a kid. Confused on how her clumsiness can be an indicator of good character, the old lady informs her that Sue had always associated her with the broken figurine telling the children that their aunt is the kind of person that picks up the broken pieces and goes on with her life. Hannah and the arrival of Taylor’s date for the dance interrupts their conversation. The guy turns out to be a responsible kid, which makes her pleased and relieved.

Still convinced that her sister could not have caused the accident, she manages to avail the unedited version of the wedding Eileen Draper attended before the accident. There she learns that Eileen and the other witness, Tony, knew each other and immediately shows it to Dan and Sophia. However like Eileen, Tony’s background check showed that his record is clean. As a consolation Dan asks Zoe out for coffee, but she politely refuses, as she has to accompany Marcos in the high school dance.

At the dance, she finds Ted with another girl and discovers that Taylor only used him as an excuse. The troublesome niece is actually in a frat party. She rushes to the party and drags her home, but the teen falls ill. Calling home to check on the kids, Jeannie informs her that Dan Lennox called. She returns the call to learn that the other witness is also a friend of Eileen’s and with that new information the insurance company has re-opened the case. Dan asks her again for coffee, but they were interrupted when the doctor comes to inform her and Marcos, who rushed to her aide, of Taylor’s blood test. They find out that the teen had ingested a date rape drug and that Zoe’s timing could not have been any better. Finally, Zoe had done something right and opens up to Marcos.

Dan and Sophia interrogate Eileen who suddenly becomes unaccommodating after being under the suspicion. Back home, a conversation with Taylor gave Zoe an idea that might solve her sister’s case. She rushes to Dan and Sophia to inform them that Tony and Eileen are lovers. She explains that the wedding reception ended at six in the evening, but the accident happened at nine. As it turns out, the two had stayed in a hotel around the area. However, afraid of a lawsuit from Eileen the investigators are still apprehensive. Zoe promises them to bring more concrete evidence and accosts Ray who confesses that he was not even at the scene of the accident when it happened. Dan and Zoe confront Eileen Draper who later breaks down when the two make it clear of their conviction that she had committed multiple felonies by lying to the police and filing a fraudulent claim.

Triumphant, Zoe informs the children of their mother’s innocence and reiterates that nobody in their family is to blame for the tragic accident. Cliff tries to hide his emotions by running to his room. Seeing that he still finds himself at fault, Zoe comforts him at his time of need and again tells the child that he should be free from guilt.
With the matter settled, Zoe visits the insurance company to receive the claim. She is greeted by applause from the employees. Dan and Sophia update her of the case saying that she was right all along. The drunk Tony was the one driving the car and not the unscathed Eileen. In fact he suffered a head injury, which he covered up with his hair. Eileen went along for fear that her wealthy husband would file for divorce upon learning of her affair. Apparently, she had signed a pre-nuptial agreement with a clause that states that no compensation will be given if the wife commits adultery. Later, another employee notifies Zoe that the head of the department whom they call The Intimidator would like to award the check herself. Panic stricken, Dan and Sophia rush her to the office. Impressed with her investigation she offers Zoe a job in the fraud department. Immediately she accepts the offer, but negotiated the start of employment since she already has a prior engagement. Being a mother herself, the boss guessed that Zoe is to attend a school activity and was considerate. Ecstatic with how things finally fell into place, Zoe comes home to bring a prop for Hannah’s Heroes Day costume. Taylor informs her that the little girl yet again changed her mind. The kid surprises her aunt with a blackjack dealer uniform and invites her to the school activity even though she is not her real mother.

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Spooked - Wild Card Episode Summary 1.10

Overview: A haunted house in Zoe's neighborhood appear to be vandalized by an unseen entity. She and Dan decide whether the insurance company should pay for the damages. Meanwhile, Taylor befriends Ryder, the unusual son of the new owner of the house.

Synopsis: Insurance fraud investigators Dan (Chris Potter) and Zoe (Joely Fisher) visit a spooky house that had been vandalized three times in the past two months. The living room has books piled up on top of the other and there are writings on the wall. The owner reports that the vandalism was done only a few hours when she and her son were away. She also notifies the fraud investigators that the kitchen was also trashed when they were asleep. Both mother and son did not hear someone breaking in. Even their dog Archie did not bark at the intruder. Dan informs her that the police also reported that there were no signs of forced entry, which is indicative of a crime done by someone already inside the house. Zoe asks the owner the significance of “RASHRION”, a word that had been painted on the wall over and over again. The son enters the room and informs them that a ghost had done the vandalisms. They all shrug the idea knowing that the house had been the target of ghost stories. Ryder yells upon the sight of his vandalized room. They are all startled at the coming of Frank, Ryder’s uncle.  Continue reading...

Back at the office, Sophia listens to a statement of Mrs. Preston who tries to convince her that the car accident was not her fault. The old lady suffers a heart attack during her incessant pleas to overturn the insurance’s denial of her claim.

Still at the spooky house, Dan and Zoe discuss the information they gathered from the investigation. Dan lays out the reasons for his suspicion one being the owner putting up a show with them present. The house clearly needing repair establishes motive. Zoe on the other hand notes that vandals do not destroy things they believe are of value, such as the owner’s ruined wedding picture. However, Dan presents another possibility that all was the doing of the homesick son.

Taylor, Carla and Julian plan for a Halloween party. As soon as Julian’s girlfriend Carla leaves the two to fetch her sister, Julian informs Taylor that he’s going as Angel after learning that she’s dressing up as Buffy.

Zoe finds out from the next-door neighbor that no other vandalisms around the neighborhood occurred. He also believes that the house is haunted. She informs him that she knows very well about the rumors herself growing up around the neighborhood. Dan on the other hand talks to a neighbor that is convinced that teenagers were responsible for the crime. Dan finds a can of paint in Downy’s shed that matches the color on the writings of the wall. With that discovery they agree to deny the insurance claim.

That night, Zoe and the kids start carving pumpkins for Halloween and agree to have Taylor’s party at the house. She warns the kids not to destroy the house, the same way Ryder did to his. The next day, Taylor confronts Ryder. Having known that both of them lost a parent, they try to communicate with the dead using a Ouija board. Spooked by a shadow that passed behind a window, Taylor panics, falls off the patio and sprains her arm. She tries to convince Zoe that the house is indeed haunted. Consequently validating Ryder’s claim.

Sophia attends the funeral of the old woman and found it difficult to tell the family what really happened in the office. Them showing her their sincerest gratitude for attempting to revive their mother had forced her to lie.

In Zoe’s office, Dan eavesdrops and chortles after finding out that she talks to psychics. Zoe explains her reason for believing stating that The Amazing Ester predicted her immense life change. Moreover, she had asked her to recommend a good psychic in Chicago to help them finalize the investigation.

Ryder visits Taylor and brings her a teddy bear as a gift. They talked about the events the other night. Taylor is convinced that whoever scared her was not her mother. She informs him that there are other ways to contact their lost loved ones. Ryder feels that he is responsible for what happened to her. In fact, he is convinced that he brought the ghost to their house. He points out that the paranormal activities began when he started contacting his dead father using the Ouija board.

Zoe and Dan bring the psychic Zelda to the haunted house. She validates herself by pointing out facts she couldn’t have known. Zelda informs them that twin children used to live in that house and that one of them died. Suddenly, the kitchen drain starts to disgorge slime. Dan and Zoe visit the basement to investigate what had caused the backflow they had witnessed. Frank who followed them to help startles them. They find Frank’s wrench and toolbox and all conclude that he is the one causing the disturbance.

They close the case stating that Frank had vandalized the house, because he was not included in his uncle’s will. Sophia opens up to Dan her troubles with her case. Not only did she cause the poor woman’s death, she could not even award the family her life insurance since Mrs. Preston failed to disclose to the company that she knew of her heart condition before she purchased the policy.

Julian starts to become jealous after learning that Taylor was at Ryder’s house. She points out the obvious that he has been acting like a boyfriend to her when he is in a relationship with Carla. With that, Julian was struck with shame and politely leaves.

That night, Zoe and Hannah bring a belated housewarming gift for the Downy’s. Ryder brings Hannah for a tour of the house. Thinking that they have solved the mystery, another one ensues. The lights flicker and dies and they are faced with glow in the dark writings on the wall. Hannah and Zoe rush back home with an idea. Using Boggle letters they try to uncover the word behind RASHRION. After several attempts, it is Hannah who reveals the name HARRISON associating it with her teacher’s dog’s name.

The following morning, Zoe and Dan research on previous inhabitants of the house. He reaches at papers over at Zoe’s side making her uncomfortable. Later, they stumble upon an old newspaper article about a previous owner’s missing son named Harrison Dalton. It also mentions about a twin. Zoe is now certain that all have been the workings of a ghost.

Zoe approaches the neighbor Mr. Wagner to gather more information about the Dalton’s. He denies ever hearing about that family and starts to become upset. Dan had better luck talking to the old lady confirming that there was a story about a missing child. However, she is still skeptical.

After their interview, the two pick up Hannah from school and is greeted by Marcos. The little girl invites both guys over for Halloween. Both of which graciously refuse. The girl goes on telling the story of Harriet Tubman, who was the famous leader of the Underground Railroad. Zoe notes that an abolitionist built Ryder’s house, which then helped Dan figure out how the intruder had been entering the house.

Back at the Downy’s place, they try and find the secret room. During their search, Zoe comments on how the dog Archie hasn’t been eating. She relates that with a similar incident with her cat that had been feeding off the neighbor’s cat’s food. She figures that the intruder had been feeding Archie, which explains why it wasn’t barking at the person. As she continues with her discovery, she stumbles upon the secret door and falls down the shaft where she finds a skeleton. Suddenly, Mr. Wagner sneaks up on Dan and knocks him down with an axe. The old man knocks off a wall and goes after Zoe. She finds out that he is Harrison’s twin brother Benjamin. He grabs her and confesses that he murdered his brother for making his life miserable. Harrison being an invalid, Benjamin grew tired of having to look after his brother and decided to kill him with an axe. Fortunately, Dan came back to consciousness and found the hole in the wall. Before he could even find them, Zoe managed to knock off an unstable post causing a beam to fall on Benjamin. Dan rushes to her and makes sure that the old man will not have another opportunity to attack.

Finally, they close the investigation concluding that the neighbor Sam Wagner or Benjamin Dalton caused the vandalism. His motive was to scare away the Downy’s after learning that they were to have the asbestos removed from the basement where his dead brother’s bones lie. They also find out that Mr. Wagner has never been stable ever since the murder and was in and out of mental institutions. He is currently confined in a secured psychiatric facility. Because the Downy’s doesn’t have anything to do with the crime, the insurance company will pay for the damages made to the house. Sophia rushes to the Preston case and Zoe back home to Taylor’s Halloween party. Zoe invites Dan again, but he is to meet an old friend. Sophia meets with Mrs. Preston’s daughter and finds the courage to set her foot down to deny the claim. Later, Sophia is deep in thought. Being a good friend Dan tries to cheer her up with candy corn and wax lips.

At the Halloween party, Marcos surprises Zoe while Hannah and Cliff learn that Julian and Carla broke up. Julian acts unaffected and even happy and rushes over to Taylor, but she’s already with Ryder.

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