As the curtain rises on this installment of Wild Cards, Ricky Wilson, portrayed by Fletcher Donovan, finds himself the recipient of an intriguing statue. His companion, Max Mitchell, embodied by Vanessa Morgan, joins him and inquiries about their plans for the day. Ricky, with a hint of urgency, reveals his impending departure and expresses his desire to keep the statue exposed. Max, sensing an opportunity, heads to the police station, where she learns that Cole Ellis, played by Giacomo Gianniotti, and the rest of the team are set to attend the annual Police and Law Enforcement Conference and Expo. Chief Li, portrayed by Terry Chen, delivers the disheartening news that Max won't be accompanying them.
Determined not to be left out, Max decides to catch up with her father, George Graham, brought to life by Jason Priestley. Upon her arrival, George informs Max that he's organizing a poker game with the men from Block C. Max, understanding his need for some fun, urges him to enjoy himself.
Returning to her abode, Max is met with an unexpected twist – she finds herself confronted by a gun. The gun, however, is merely a clever disguise, a cigarette lighter in the hands of Maddy, played by Katie Findlay. Max fills Maddy in on her role as a police consultant, while Maddy reveals their shared past as the grifter sisters, masters of deception.
Later, Cole arrives with the intent of discussing the tech conference with Max. Maddy, sensing an opportunity for mischief, interrupts and playfully inquiries if Cole is Max's beau. She then proceeds to fib about her identity and invites Cole to join their company, an invitation he politely declines. Privately, Max tells a half-truth about her friend, raising Cole's suspicions that she might be up to her old tricks.
As Cole leaves, he subtly attempts to lift fingerprints from an ID card that Maddy had touched. He sends these prints off for analysis, requesting the results at the earliest convenience. Maddy, sensing a shift in Max's demeanor, wonders if she's lost her edge. Max, asserting her resolve, insists she hasn't. To prove their prowess, Maddy and Max embark on a daring heist, only to inadvertently steal a woman's car and her beloved dog in the process. Max, realizing the error of their ways, suggests calling it a night.However, Maddy believes they ought to terminate the competition, given their deadlock. Max attempts to select a locker, successfully does so, and plucks an item from its depths. Just as the transit police materialize on the scene, Max and Maddy scurry away in their sporty car.
The next day, Cole encounters Ernie (Paul Moniz de Sa) at a tennis club, where Ernie unveils that the deceased is Josh Hanson, a tennis professional par excellence. Coroner Olive (Manuela Sosa) informs Cole that Josh's burns suggest he was exposed to steam for an extended period, with an alcohol bottle nearby hinting at his distress. Olive estimates the time of death to be between midnight and 3 AM. Ernie notes the absence of cameras on the premises.
Cole then engages with Bob (Matt Hamilton), the club's general manager who discovered the body. Bob recounts how Josh relished a late-night steam session after a grueling day of coaching. As for the alcohol, Josh had struggled with it since sustaining an injury—specifically, blowing out his knee shortly after joining the pro circuit. Bob speaks fondly of his long-standing bond with Josh, insisting he was adored by all.
Chief Li reaches out to Cole, instructing him to return to the station immediately as he's been taken off the case. Meanwhile, Max still has possession of the victim's dog. When Detective Yates (Amy Goodmurphy) arrives, Max insists she was about to return the dog. To her astonishment, Yates announces that she has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Josh Hanson.
In an interrogation room, Max is confronted with a video of her breaking into the locker. Chief Li reveals that the cybercrimes unit discovered a hit on Hanson's life on the dark web and observed Max retrieving the payment. Outside, Simmons (Michael Xavier) admits he doubts her guilt but wonders if she might somehow be entangled in the affair. Chief Li presents Max with a photograph of Maddy. Officer Toni (Caroline Battista) informs Simmons of the toxicology results on the victim. Max claims she awoke to find Maddy and the bag already missing. Olive tells Simmons and Cole that traces of digoxin were discovered in Josh's system, adding another layer of intrigue to the already complex case.Although intended as a cardiac remedy, the medication in question was never prescribed for Josh Hanson. If ingested by a healthy individual, it would cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure. Coupled with alcohol, its effects would be accelerated exponentially. The burns observed on Josh's skin and beneath it align with exposure to temperatures exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Cole notes that the steam rooms are equipped with temperature limiters, preventing them from reaching such extreme levels, further solidifying his belief that Josh was the victim of a homicide.
Chief Li persists in his interrogation of Max regarding the murder. Max presents selfies she took with delivery personnel as evidence of her whereabouts, clearing her of any direct involvement. As the dog's owner arrives to reclaim Lola, Li informs Cole that Max's alibi holds water. However, they must locate Maddy promptly to avoid her being implicated in solicitation for murder. Li urges Max to uncover the reasons behind her protective stance towards Maddy.
In the car, Max and Cole delve deeper into the matter. Max steadfastly denies Maddy's capability for murder, revealing that Maddy's father often disappeared for prolonged periods, causing Maddy to rely heavily on Max's family. Maddy's tendency to overstep boundaries often left Max and her father to rectify the consequences. Max emphasizes the bond they share, having navigated numerous challenges together.
Cole suspects that Maddy orchestrated the murder and framed Max to retrieve the incriminating bag. Max confronts Maddy during a dinner outing, accusing her of setting her up. Maddy, however, steadfastly maintains her innocence. Cole joins the conversation, warning Maddy that her innocence hinges on proof. He subsequently arrests her for Josh Hanson's murder.
In an interview room, Cole presents Maddy with the dark web message, to which she vehemently denies any connection. Li interrupts to announce that Maddy's alibi has been verified – she spent the entire night at the casino after leaving Max's place. Li concedes that they must release Maddy.
Max trails Maddy, inquiring if she intends to abandon them again. Max expresses hope that perhaps this time, Maddy might choose to stay and assist. Maddy replies curtly, suggesting that Max's newfound police acquaintances should suffice.
Later, Li, Max, and Cole brainstorm about the possibility of a hired killer who executed the hit personally. Max proposes that two individuals had motives to see Josh dead. Max embarks on an undercover mission at the club, while Cole decides to interview the staff.Max bumps into Maddy, who promptly addresses her as Jenny. In a more intimate setting, Maddy confides in Max about Peyton (Anita Brown) and Lisa (Lauren Akemi Bradley). Curious, Max presses Maddy to disclose the real reason behind her visit. Maddy asserts she came seeking reassurance of their friendship, noting her numerous unanswered calls. Upon arrival, she sensed a distance in Max, whom she believed had moved past their bond. Max counters, citing the overwhelming events in her life at the time. Interrupted by the announcement that their cart is ready, Maddy extends an invitation to Lisa and Peyton to join them. As they witness Bob in a heated dispute with Sandra (Jessica Garcie), Lisa and Peyton disclose that Bob is midst a divorce.
The game ensues with Max pitted against Maddy, both subtly attempting to sow discord between Lisa and Peyton. Meanwhile, Ernie informs Cole that Josh had confided in him about moving out and entrusted him with delivering a substantial security deposit—a staggering $10,000, a sum uncharacteristically large for broke Josh. Ernie obliges Cole's request to search Josh's apartment, where Cole uncovers a significant stash of cash.
Peyton taunts Lisa after their team's victory over Max and Maddy, revealing Lisa's alleged affair with Josh. Lisa, however, contradicts Peyton's claim to Maddy. Cole's discovery grows more incriminating as he informs Max of the quarter-million-dollar find. Max enlightens Cole on Josh's sinister scheme: sleeping with women, recording their encounters, and using these videos for blackmail. Refusal to comply meant facing the public humiliation of their husbands receiving these compromising footages.
Max and Maddy later join Cole in the steam room, where Maddy cranks up the steam, causing the glass partitions to fog up mysteriously. Upon clearing the mist, they stumble upon a chilling message: "Bob killed me." Maddy urges an immediate confrontation with Bob, but Cole and Max caution the need for solid evidence. They piece together a theory that Josh's philandering extended to Bob's wife. When Cole confronts Sandra, she vehemently denies any affair, clarifying that Josh was to be her alibi in the divorce proceedings, standing as a witness to her innocence.
She insists that she only recently uncovered Josh's devious plot, conceding that Bob was also entangled in it. Bob had terrified her by threatening to separate her from her son. Upon hearing this revelation, Josh unveiled the extortion scheme to Sandra. Recalling their teenage years, Sandra mentions encountering Josh and Bob when they were merely sixteen. While both boys harbored feelings for her, Sandra chose Bob, unaware of Josh's long-standing affection for her. Cole notices a bottle of pills in her purse, prompting Sandra to explain that she takes Digoxin for a minor heart murmur. Their court date with Bob was set for Wednesday.
Max and Cole discuss the ominous dark web message, which demanded Josh be dealt with before next Wednesday. Max believes she has devised a way to elicit a confession from Bob. Overhearing Peyton and Lisa's conversation, Cole catches Peyton's intriguing words. Meanwhile, Max seeks comfort and assistance from Maddy, who is still emotionally distressed. They ambush Bob, holding him at gunpoint. Bob pleads for his life, but their discussion about Josh leads them to convince Bob that he was having an affair with Sandra. They propose taking the money and eliminating both Sandra and Josh, to which Bob responds that he's already dead in a figurative sense. He confesses to having taken care of Josh himself. However, Max reveals that the gun is merely a lighter before the police burst in to apprehend him. Maddy attempts to flee with the money, but Max thwarts her escape.
Cole arrests Peyton for soliciting Josh Hanson's murder, explaining to Maddy and Max that he overheard Peyton using terminology identical to that in the dark web messages. Peyton wanted Josh dead because his testimony would have exposed their affair, ultimately leading to Josh's untimely demise despite his noble intentions. Maddy excuses herself for a drink, leaving Cole to apologize to Max for his premature conclusions. Later, Max informs Maddy that she is now a free woman. Yet, Maddy suspects a deeper connection between Max and Cole. Additionally, Max learns that Maddy has regained custody of Lola. Ricky, meanwhile, receives another package and amuses himself with the bubble wrap inside.
