Elliot (played by Michael Rady) pays a visit to Reenie (Fiona Rene) at work, bearing flowers and claiming that her busy schedule has left her forgetting about spending time with her boyfriend. With a few well-chosen words, he effortlessly convinces her to take a much-needed break. The atmosphere grows heated and intimate, only to be interrupted by a sudden call from a new client. It's a case that's so urgent that Reenie calls in Colter (Justin Hartley) for assistance.
Colter, still traveling the East Coast, agrees to head to New Jersey. Elliot's client, Ivy Hale (Amy Pietz), is desperate to find her missing 23-year-old son, Matt. Matt works at a tech investment firm in NYC and hasn't been seen since leaving his cell phone at his desk two days ago. Ivy is offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to his whereabouts.
Elliot reveals that Ivy owns Ivy Bakes and recently got in trouble with the IRS. And as a heads up, she's quite intense.
Colter meets Ivy at one of her Ivy Bakes shops and learns that she knew something was wrong when Matt didn't show up for their regular dinner date. She went to his office and discovered he had walked out of his job before lunch. Ivy is certain something's up.
Ivy's employee and cousin, Casey (Reilly Dolman), tries to intervene, but she shuts him down, telling Colter that she only hired Casey because he's family. But back to Matt, he's seeing a married woman that Ivy doesn't approve of.
Before Colter heads out, he speaks privately with Casey. Casey doesn't think Matt is serious about the married woman. Ivy and Matt recently had a fight about it, and Matt told his mom to stay out of his life. Apparently, Matt said he was going to take a trip with a couple of friends from work. Casey thinks Matt is with them and would have left his cell phone behind because Ivy forced him to share his location, which he hated. Casey thinks this is all a "screw you" to his mom.
Colter's next stop is at Matt's workplace. The receptionist, a big flirt, escorts him into Matt's office. She doesn't think Matt would have just ditched work, but he did take long lunch breaks by himself. She logs into Matt's system and they pull up photos showing Matt with a woman sporting a huge wedding ring. The receptionist says she's seen the woman a few times with Matt and thinks they were having an affair.
Colter harbors the conviction that the photographs were snapped in a studio, and the woman in question might be an artist. He reaches out to Randy (Chris Lee), who is still filling in for Bobby, and inquires about Lucy Anderhausen. Randy swiftly compiles the details, including the fact that she has been married for two years. She shares a condo with her husband while renting a separate condo solely for herself, with her husband not listed on the lease.
Colter pays a visit to Lucy's condo and is met with a concerning sight - water seeping out from beneath the door after receiving no response to his knock. He forces his way in and discovers Lucy tied up next to a bathtub overflowing with water. She recounts that Matt became agitated when she picked him up. Upon returning to her place, a woman knocked on the door while she went to take a bath. The woman and a man rushed in, with the woman pointing a gun at Lucy's face. The man tackled Matt while the woman tied her up and threatened to shoot her. They were described as Middle Easterners. The woman compared Matt to a photo on her phone and confirmed they had the right person.
Colter wonders if her husband is involved, and Lucy confides that she and her husband separated after realizing they had gotten married too quickly. Colter suggests she call the police, but Matt had instructed her never to call the cops if anything happened to him.
Since Lucy picked Matt up at a hotel, Colter heads there next. He inquires of the desk clerk if she recognizes a photo of Matt, and although she claims not to, it's evident she does. When Colter steps away, she makes a call to warn someone that someone is looking for Ivy Hale's kid.
The man she called appears at the desk, and Colter follows him through the employees-only area as he leaves. He's spotted when he opens a room occupied by men counting large sums of cash. He engages in a fight with a couple of men and almost gains the upper hand when a man with a gun orders him to put his hands up. Colter continues to inquire about Matt and explains that Ivy Hale has hired him to find her son.
Pete (Richard de Klerk) and Vargas (J.J. Soria), the two men with guns, decide it's best to call their boss for help with the situation. Colter is taken to the parking garage and meets Rick Lindell, a business rival of Ivy's. Rick questions why Colter thinks they took Matt, and Colter explains that he followed leads that led him to this hotel. Rick reveals that Ivy gets a cut out of every racket in East New Jersey.
The men inform Rick that Colter has seen their backroom, which means he has seen too much. Rick orders his men to get rid of Colter, which we obviously know won't end well for them. (Rick should have sent more than two armed men.) Vargas admits he knows Matt and that he's a good kid. Colter is forced onto his knees but tosses dirt and disarms Pete. Vargas leaves Colter alive and shoots Pete, never liking him and claiming Pete's a psycho who enjoyed killing people.
Vargas is going to tell his boss that Colter killed Pete. Colter figures out that Vargas is the guy who met Matt at the hotel. Vargas admits they were friends growing up but parted ways. Matt isn't involved in Ivy's shady business; he's a numbers genius who kept his nose clean. Matt texted Vargas from a burner number and they met at the hotel, but it turns out Matt also received a text that neither of them sent. Something weird is indeed going on, and Colter thinks someone is trying to provoke a war between the Lindells and the Hales.
Matt's captors wrench out one of his teeth and snap a Polaroid, their dark gesture symbolizing a sinister plan unfolding. Reenie confronts Elliot with fiery eyes, accusing him of sending Colter into a life-threatening situation. Elliot vehemently denies any knowledge of Ivy's underworld activities, insisting that he would never have allowed Colter to be put in harm's way. He believes Ivy reached out to him as the least-aware lawyer in the firm about Matt's plight.
Colter informs Ivy of his knowledge about her second career, but she dismisses him, claiming she has received word that the Lindells have taken Matt and are behind the abduction. She asserts that she will handle things her way now and doesn't need Colter's help. Ivy is determined to make the trade, unaware that a third party is orchestrating a conflict between her and the Lindells.
Ivy heads to the subway station with a bag of cash, while Reenie and Elliot arrive with Colter's truck. Reenie reveals to Elliot that he was brought on board to clean up Ivy's books, unaware of her real business. Colter explains that a full-blown war is imminent and that Matt is at risk of being killed by those instigating it. Elliot sincerely believes Ivy was attempting to go legit and that he was hired to help her with her financial affairs.
With the clock ticking, Colter heads to the subway station and calls Randy to locate the burner phone that sent the texts and made the exchange possible. Randy tracks down the phone's location, but it's not near the subway but rather in an abandoned machinery plant, where they suspect Matt is being held. Realizing he can't be in two places at once, Colter calls upon Vargas, one of Lindell's associates, for assistance.
Meanwhile, Ivy arrives at the subway station and discovers that Casey is behind the kidnapping. He is furious because Ivy's decision to go legit means he will never be able to take over her business. Ivy offers him a partnership in Ivy Bakes as a way to resolve their differences, but Casey is only interested in the illegal activities that bring in the real money.
Ivy consents to relinquish all in exchange for Matt's freedom, but Casey, with the cash in hand, proves unyielding in his intentions. As he prepares to unleash violence upon her, Colter steps in, guns blazing, forcing Casey to flee. Casey, unaware of Colter's formidable skills, gives chase, only to find himself outmatched and disarmed by the latter.
With his knife now discarded on the subway tracks, Casey's fate takes a tragic turn as he tries to retrieve it, succumbing to the deadly shock of electrocution. Colter's pre-emptive call to Vargas ensures that Matt is rescued from the clutches of his captors, and a text message from Vargas confirms Matt's liberation. Ivy breathes a sigh of relief, determined to turn her business around and shield her son from the shadows of the underworld.
As the episode concludes with Reenie making her way to Colter's campsite, she brings him a cheque for $50,000 - acquired in less-than-honest ways. Colter vows to donate it to charity. Reenie extends an invitation to join her and Elliot for a weekend of escape rooms, but Colter declines, choosing instead to turn down a beer with a word of caution for Reenie - be cautious in your dealings.
