Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Vero and the kids surprise Finn at home with cake, decorations, and champagne to celebrate the news of Finn’s new book deal that has appeared in the newspaper. The article contains a short overview, Finn’s author picture, and an interview from Sylvia. Steven dropped the kids off earlier that day, citing an emergency on the farm.

While the kids are distracted with cake, Finn fills Vero in, and they wonder what to do. Watching Delia pout about something, Vero tells Finn that Delia has been crying all morning, as when she went to the shelter with Steven, Sam had already been adopted. The volunteer noted it to be odd, as Aaron is the one who adopted Sam; he had already adopted two other dogs recently, and had mentioned plans to travel, which would be difficult with three dogs. Aaron told the shelter he was going on vacation and hasn’t been heard from since.

Finn remembers the sound of the barking dogs in the parking lot of The Lush, as well as the ones Mrs. Haggerty heard on the night of Harris’s death. She also remembers the brown Subaru, which had the picture of stick-figure dogs inside, in Patricia’s garage. The picture of Patricia and Aaron at the shelter featured her not wearing a ring, and Finn deduces they were romantically involved. She realizes Aaron is the one who shut the garage door, and was possibly tailing Harris already, to save Patricia from her husband whom Aaron knew was abusive. Finn remembers how Aaron used his belt to prop open the door of the self-closing kennels in the shelter. She tests her theory on the garage door, using a belt to hold the garage door suspended while she pulls the cord, then lowering the door silently to the ground.

Finn also remembers that Irina had said Patricia Mickler doesn’t exist anymore and remembers Feliks’s connections to people who can forge new identities. Finn is convinced that Irina helped Patricia disappear by dumping the car with her belongings in the reservoir, while Patricia herself escaped somewhere safe with Aaron in his car, and a new identity.

A furious Nick arrives; he has been suspended for allowing Finn to work the investigation with him, as his commander has discovered by reading about Finn’s book in the paper. The commander has taken over the case, and the warrant will arrive in time to search Steven’s field the next morning. Nick accuses Finn of using him for her work, and she throws the same accusation back at him, as he used her to find information on Theresa. Nick hands over Finn’s wig-scarf, which he has found, and asks her what they will find when they dig up the field. He drives away disappointed when she doesn’t answer, and Finn tells Vero they must move the body that night.

Finn organizes for Georgia to keep the kids for a sleepover that night, and she and Vero manage to sneak out past the cop stationed outside. When they arrive at the field and begin to dig, they find a body, but it isn’t Harris; the corpse has a gunshot wound to the head. They find two more bodies as they keep digging and realize Feliks has been using the plot as a dumping ground for bodies.

Andrei ambushes the women and holds them at gunpoint; he has been following Finn ever since her last encounter with Feliks. The men had been surprised by Harris’s sudden disappearance with the money; Andrei had assumed his wife to be behind it, but now he knows the truth.

Remembering Nick’s story about the corneal abrasion, Finn crushes handfuls of dirt as Andrei is talking, and throws it backwards into his face. Finn and Vero make a run for the car as Andrei claws at his face and screams in pain, shooting blindly, and Finn realizes the gun is fitted with a silencer. Andrei accidentally shoots himself dead and falls into the hole the women have dug up, on top of the other bodies.

Finn decides to leave Andrei there with the other bodies, to be found by the police. Nick already suspects Feliks and will simply assume the mob boss killed all the men, including Harris and Andrei. Finn and Vero cover up Andrei’s body, leave his car and wallet in an overgrown field nearby, and head home.

Early next morning, news breaks of the bodies on the farm. The police think the murders are mob related but declare that the owner of the farm is not a person of interest. Feliks and an unnamed associate are detained for questioning.

A frantic Steven calls Finn from the station, revealing Theresa has been called in for questioning. Finn reassures him that she will take care of the kids and sends Georgia to meet Steven at the station. Finn and Vero don’t think Nick suspects them, as they would have been arrested by now if that were the case.

Georgia arrives the next morning and fills Finn in: Theresa has been offered a plea bargain of everything she knows of Feliks’s operations in exchange for staying out of prison. Feliks had illegally leased the land on the farm, which Theresa had assumed was to conceal drugs. Theresa did, in fact, have an alibi the night of Harris’s death; she was “consummating” her new deal with Feliks in his Lincoln, near the farm. The police think Andrei was hired to kill Feliks’s five victims, after which Feliks killed Andrei himself, as Andrei had gotten sloppy recently. All the men, except one, had been shot at close range; the police are still trying to figure out Harris’s death.

Although Feliks has not made a statement yet, every victim had links to his business; Harris had been money laundering for him. Patricia, too, turned up that morning, stating she had gone into hiding as she was worried her husband’s disappearance was mob related, and had received a death threat herself. She and Irina both offered their full cooperation with the police in return for immunity.

Georgia reveals that Nick is elated by the way things have turned out, as he finally has enough to put Feliks away; he may even be promoted. Although he is still upset about things with Finn, he will get over it. Steven also appears to be breaking off his engagement to Theresa and moving out, but Finn is clear she will not take him back; she, Vero, and the kids are doing just fine.

When Finn heads out to pick up her mail the next morning, she finds a note addressed to her that reads, “PANERA. 10 A.M. TOMORROW” (336). She ignores it, thinking it is from Patricia. Nick arrives with a bottle of champagne for Finn’s book, and he and Finn apologize to each other. He asks her out to dinner, and though tempted, Finn also realizes that Nick doesn’t really know who she is. She tells him she will think about it.

Later that night, Finn heads to The Lush to meet Julian as herself, and tells him the whole story, going all the way back to her childhood with Georgia, and including her marriage to and divorce from Steven, everything that happened with Theresa, and the Harris case. He listens to her without judgment or interruption, then asks her to join him for dinner.

It is almost 10am the next morning when Finn leaves Julian’s apartment. On a whim, she decides to stop at Panera Bread and meet Patricia, but finds Irina there instead, who knows exactly who Finn is. She explains that Patricia and Aaron have left for Brazil to start a new life together, after giving their statements. Irina plans to stay and ensure Feliks is taken care of. She is sure Feliks will eventually figure out what happened to Andrei.

Irina gives Finn the remainder of the payment for Andrei, implying that if Finn doesn’t take it, she will question Finn’s loyalties, which will put Nick and Georgia in danger. Irina promises to be in touch if Finn’s services are required again, despite Finn’s protests. Irina also gives Finn a letter from Patricia, a referral for someone on an internet forum for women in difficult situations; Irina thinks the name will interest her. Finn decides to never open the sealed envelope, grateful that the nightmare of the past few weeks is finally over.

After turning in the draft of her completed novel, Finn finds it difficult to start a new one. In hopes of finding inspiration, she opens the note that Irina gave her, and is shocked to find Steven’s name, with a sum of $100,000 attached, and the address of his sod farm.