Swept Under

At a grim crime scene, Morgan Sher immediately proves her sharp observational skills, catching the attention of Nick Hopewell. The moment hints at professional tension with Detective Braxton, whose reputation is damaged by Sher solving a crime he couldn't. The scene sets Sher's value and the fraught dynamic with Braxton.

Sher returns to share a clue she found at the crime scene with Braxton at the police station. Braxton dismisses her contribution, showing open resentment and a willingness to ignore her insights. The moment foreshadows the professional friction that drives later actions.

Sher has a one-night stand with a data entry worker, exposing a personal vulnerability. She later encounters Hopewell again, who is anxious to impress his captain and learn about the evidence she found. The encounter marks a pivot toward their future collaboration rather than mere chance meetings.

After Sher hands Hopewell the tip of a cane, he asks for her help examining a seemingly related case, sparking Braxton's anger. Hopewell proposes a formal collaboration, and Sher agrees to work as a police consultant in return for help cleaning crime scenes. The two start a tentative professional partnership.

The pair form a working relationship as police consultants and begin to trust each other professionally. Sher negotiates the deal by insisting Hopewell help her with crime-scene cleanup, creating a transactional but growing personal bond. Hopewell's respect for her work grows as they collaborate.

As they grow closer, Hopewell flirts with Sher, who rebuffs him, citing a policy against dating cops and coworkers. The boundary remains a recurring theme as their casework continues. The tension between personal and professional lines persists.

Clues connect the cane to Jean-Baptiste Lully and a disc containing Marche pour la Cérèmonie des Turcs, hinting at an orchestra-connected killer. Hopewell researches the local orchestra and identifies Gary Butler, a donor with a troubling history. Butler's nervous denial and a push from Hopewell lead them toward Adam Fowler, a conductor, as potential suspects.

Butler is questioned and nervous, denying the rape accusation and claiming extortion. When pressed, he panics and leads Hopewell and Sher to Adam Fowler, a conductor, strengthening the theory that the killer targets orchestra-connected individuals. The investigators push for cooperation from the orchestra’s circle to expose a serial killer.

Hopewell cooks dinner for Sher and persuades her to begin a romantic relationship. After they share a night of intimacy, Sher leaves Hopewell's home with his badge to confront Butler. Impersonating a police officer, she reveals she intends to kill him and recounts her past as a runaway kidnapped by Fowler, Butler, and others.

Butler is found dead and Captain LaSalle angrily removes Hopewell from the case, forcing him to rely on Sher again. Sher agrees to help and murders Fowler, making it look like a suicide to push the case toward Fowler as the killer and to save Hopewell's career.

Butler's estranged wife reveals a hidden camera in their house to gather evidence of Butler's infidelity. The footage shows a woman killing him, casting doubt on the case's perfect ending and fueling Hopewell's suspicions about Sher.

Hopewell confronts Sher as she plans to flee the city; he pleads with her not to go, claiming he cannot accept her departure. Sher hesitates, then apologizes, explaining that he would never be able to let her go, leaving their fate unresolved.