The second episode of Season 1 of "Will Trent" kicks off with a poignant flashback to the tumultuous events involving Paul and the presumed abductor of Emma. In the dead of night, Paul storms over to the man's abode, driven by an urgent need to confront him about allegedly snatching Emma. In a twist of fate, Paul inadvertently fires his weapon, striking the individual, and subsequently dashes to Will's residence, seeking refuge and assistance. To his astonishment, he finds Angie already there, adding an unexpected layer to the unfolding drama.
Will, understandably furious, demands a detailed account from Paul. Paul recounts that the individual in question, Evan Bernard, Emma's English teacher, had been closely collaborating with her on a school project, leading to extensive one-on-one time. However, Emma's abrupt desire to switch out of Evan's class coupled with a marked personality shift following their interactions sparked Paul's suspicions. He believes Evan sexually assaulted Emma.
Flashing back to the confrontation, we witness Paul confronting Evan, only for the situation to escalate into violence. Will tries to reason with Paul, suggesting that suspicion alone isn't concrete evidence, but Paul stands firm in his conviction, insisting that Evan's actions spoke volumes. He even invokes their shared background, hinting that growing up in a group home alongside Will and Angie has taught them how to recognize predators.
Angie, learning of Paul's actions, promptly arrests him for shooting Evan. Together with Will, they head to Evan's house. Upon arrival, Will's sharp eyes detect two pools of blood, indicating Evan's movements post-shooting. A desperate search for Emma ensues within the premises. Additionally, Will notices a trail of blood leading back to the house and a telltale smear on the doorknob, confirming that Evan, despite being wounded, managed to rise, lock the door, and subsequently lose consciousness. These clues suggest he's hiding something sinister.
Later, at the APD/GBI headquarters, Angie grills Paul, instructing him to meticulously document every detail of the incident. Paul, anxious about Emma's whereabouts, inquires about the progress in locating her. Angie assures him that Will is at the hospital, awaiting Evan's revival to interrogate him, hoping to uncover the truth.
This refined narrative not only retains the original meaning but also enhances the emotional depth and vividness of the scene, drawing readers deeper into the intricate web of suspicion and danger.
Paul initiates a probing conversation with Angie about their shared past in the group home, inquiring whether she has maintained contact with any of their former peers or Mrs. Flannigan, their nurturing caretaker who has since passed away. He also delves into the dynamics of Angie's relationship with Will. After Paul concludes his testimony, a revelation dawns on Angie: according to Paul's account, Evan was engaged in a phone conversation when Paul confronted him.
Back at the Atlantic Police Department (APD), the undercurrent of awareness about the intricate bond between Will and Angie is palpable. Inevitably, Detective Franklin broaches the subject, prompting Angie to confess that her relationship with Will has waxed and waned over the course of some twenty-five years.
Angie places a call to Will, relaying Paul's mention in his statement that Evan was using a prepaid phone when Paul arrived at his residence. Will speculates that Evan might have ventured inside to retrieve the phone after being shot by Paul, providing a plausible explanation for the bloodstain on his doorknob. He also expresses gratitude to Angie for her visit the previous evening, to which she responds by revealing that their clandestine affair is no longer a secret within the APD walls. In light of this openness, Will invites Angie wants to join him for dinner, an invitation she gladly accepts.
Meanwhile, Detective Michael Ormewood informs Angie of a homicide that has occurred in Grove Park, necessitating their immediate investigation. As anticipated, he teases her lightly about her romantic entanglement with Will, adding a touch of levity to the grave task at hand.
Meanwhile, Detective Faith Mitchell arrives at the headquarters of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), eager to confer with Will, only to be met with the unexpected news from Amanda that he is at the hospital, awaiting to interrogate Evan concerning his altercation with Paul—information that had previously eluded Faith.
Back at the hospital, a nurse informs Will that Evan has regained consciousness. Inquiring about Evan's burner phone, she informs him that she hasn't laid eyes on it. Will promptly proceeds to Evan's hospital room, where he initiates a grilling session regarding the incident with Paul. He also probes into the whereabouts of the burner phone and whether Evan had ventured back to his residence after being shot, to which Evan responds in the negative on both counts.
It transpires that Evan initially embarked on a teaching stint at the university but subsequently transitioned to high school, a revelation that strikes Will as odd. Furthermore, Will inquires whether Evan engages in private tutoring, to which Evan confirms. He also queries Evan about whether he ever instructed Warren or knew Kayla Alexander, both of which Evan denies categorically. Will delves deeper, asking why Emma sought a transfer from his class and if he had ever made any sexual overtures towards her, which Evan firmly disputes. When Will requests permission to search Evan's house, the latter invokes his right to an attorney, further heightening Will's suspicions.
As Faith arrives at the hospital, Will informs her that Evan Bernard has emerged as the prime suspect in the Campano case. However, Faith's attention is diverted by a call from Amanda, informing her that Abigail—Paul's wife and Emma's mother—has received a ransom call demanding $3 million for Emma's safe return, effectively eliminating Evan as the kidnapper.
Subsequently, Amanda, Faith, Will, and Abigail gather at the GBI headquarters to view a video captured by the kidnapper, showing Emma pleading with Abigail to pay the ransom. Will promptly quizzes Abigail to recognize any familiar landmarks in the backdrop of the recording, but she remains unrecognizing. Abigail reveals that her husband possesses the full ransom amount and is prepared to pay, though Will and Amanda counsel against it. Will elucidates to Abigail that paying the ransom would empower the kidnapper to do as they please with Emma. Abigail inquires about an alternative plan to rescue Emma, and Will underscores that Evan is withholding crucial information about the kidnapping.
Naturally, Abigail harbored skepticism, yet Will earnestly beseeched her to grant him six hours to delve into the matter at Emma's school. Relenting, Abigail granted his request. In the interim, Faith handed Will Evan's disposable phone retrieved from the hospital, and together they set off towards Emma's educational institution.
Elsewhere, Angie and Michael found themselves amidst the serene setting of Grove Park, with Michael bombarding Angie with inquiries about her bond with Will. Angie's patience was clearly wearing thin. Upon reaching their destination, they stumbled upon the deceased body of a young woman named Sasha, who had succumbed to severe head trauma. Her landlord, present at the scene, hastily suggested she was involved in prostitution. Michael's keen eyes caught sight of a trail of blue hair dye emanating from the deceased's bathroom, leading Angie and him to the abode of Sasha's neighbor, Nico.
Concurrently, Will and Faith arrived at Emma's school, where Faith urged Will to keep her apprised of any developments in the case, subtly probing into his relationship with Angie. Will confessed his suspicions to Faith, positing that Evan might be the orchestrator behind the entire sequence of events. They encountered a gathering of girls at a school memorial dedicated to Kayla and Emma. Will commenced inquiring among the girls about Evan, uncovering whispers that Kayla had supposedly been intimate with him. Recall, from the premiere episode, that Kayla had engaged in sexual activity on the fateful morning of her murder.
This incident only deepens the shroud of suspicion around Evan, prompting Will to entreat Faith to obtain DNA evidence from Paul's shirt, which was contaminated with Evan's blood when Paul shot him (a shirt that Will had conveniently taken from Paul during his visit). Just as they were about to delve deeper, the school principal stepped in, abruptly halting their interrogation and summoning both Will and Faith to accompany her elsewhere.
Meanwhile, back at Nico's abode, Angie and Michael embarked on questioning the neighbor. Suspecting that Nico was withholding crucial information, they decided to place them under arrest (Nico, who identifies as non-binary, offered no resistance). As a gesture of goodwill, Michael and Angie took Nico out for a bite to eat, just as Will called Angie, requesting her to check up on Betty, his loyal canine companion.
Over at Emma's school, the guidance counselor, Mary Clark, escorted Will to Evan's office. Faith, unable to contain her distress, shared with Mary the distressing rumors about Kayla's alleged sexual encounters with Evan. Mary, visibly shaken by the revelation, struggled to maintain composure.
Upon entering Evan's office, Faith informed Will that the DNA analysis from Paul's shirt, stained with Evan's blood, would be ready in 48 hours. However, Will remained unconvinced and impatient. He began scouring the office, soon drawing Evan's attention. In a bold move, Will decided to confront Evan, preemptively accusing him of having intercourse with Kayla, based on the match between the blood on Paul's shirt and the semen found on her body during her murder—despite the fact that this had yet to be officially confirmed.
To everyone's astonishment, Evan confessed but insisted that he had done nothing illegal, citing Georgia's legal age of consent for consensual sex as 17 (Kayla was indeed 17) and affirming that she had not been coerced. Will, however, countered sharply that as her teacher, Evan effectively served as her guardian, thereby rendering their relationship illegal. Without further ado, Will proceeded to arrest him.
At that precise moment, Faith strides in, her voice laden with urgency as she informs Will that the DNA analysis of the bloodstains on Paul's shirt will take at least 24 hours to complete. Unbeknownst to her, she reveals nothing of Will's earlier disclosure to Evan concerning the DNA results, causing Evan to internally acknowledge his deceit. Meanwhile, law enforcement officers comb through Evan's residence, turning up nothing untoward—save for a room adorned in a girlish manner and an overpowering scent of bleach, both of which only deepen the shroud of suspicion around Evan.
Elsewhere, Angie and Nico venture to Will's abode, where Angie unfolds the tale of Will's tumultuous upbringing and his remarkable journey to becoming the person he is today. Her aim is to bridge the gap with Nico, earning her trust and confidence. She also subtly hints at a potential entanglement between Sasha and their landlord, noting how immaculately kept Sasha's apartment was. Earlier, Nico had mentioned to Angie and Michael that they had visited Sasha's place to wash their hair due to their own shower being out of order, a problem seemingly shared by everyone in the building. This revelation triggers an emotional confession from Nico, tears streaming down her face, as she accuses the landlord of Sasha's murder and reveals having seen him discard an object resembling a hammer—presumably the murder weapon—into the trash.
Returning to the APD/GBI precinct, Will makes his way to Evan's cell, determined to delve deeper into his interrogation. Evan, sensing an opportunity to exploit Will's dyslexia—a personal vulnerability—prods at it, successfully goading Will into a fit of anger. Their tense exchange is unwittingly witnessed by Amanda.
Amanda approaches Will with urgency, informing him that the six-hour grace period granted by Abigail has expired and she is eager to proceed with the ransom payment. However, Will stands firm in his opposition. She urges him to consider Faith's assistance, but he remains silent, prompting Amanda to summon Faith herself. Finally relenting, Will asks Faith to scrutinize the evidence they've compiled thus far in the case. Additionally, he instructs Amanda to convey to Abigail the necessity of paying the ransom.
Back at the apartment complex where Nico and Sasha reside, Angie and Michael comb through a dumpster in search of the murder weapon. Michael attempts to apologize for their impromptu liaison, but Angie remains unyielding. Her perseverance pays off when she uncovers the hammer, the same one used by the landlord to end Sasha's life.
Elsewhere, at the GBI, Abigail is busy recording a plea video, imploring the kidnapper to spare Emma. Concurrently, the police utilize Abigail's funds to facilitate the ransom payment, ultimately pinpointing the kidnapper's location. With this intelligence, they swiftly mobilize to effect an arrest. In a parallel scenario, the kidnapper is depicted placing Emma in the trunk of a car and speeding away.
The police arrive at the designated location only to find it deserted. Meanwhile, the kidnapper disembarks from the vehicle and pushes it towards what appears to be a river. Fortunately, the car does not plunge into the depths immediately, offering a slim window of hope.
Faith contacts Will with crucial information, revealing that Kayla and Emma were part of a group of girls recording a song for their graduation at Warren's recording studio, with Mary Clark acting as their chaperone.
Determined to uncover the truth, Will sets his sights on visiting Mary Clark at her abode. As he delves into his inquiry by posing questions, his eyes fall upon the familiar confines of the room where Emma once filmed her desperate plea to her mother for ransom. This harrowing discovery cements his suspicion that Mary Clark is intricately involved in Emma's abduction.
Will artfully requests a visit to the bathroom, yet his true intention is to conduct a surreptitious inspection of Mary's residence. Unfortunately, his subterfuge is foiled when Mary catches him in the act, leading to a fierce confrontation between them. The tension mounts to a climax as Mary brandishes a weapon, ready to fire at Will, but at the eleventh hour, Faith arrives, administering a timely tazer discharge to incapacitate Mary. Will had deliberately omitted Faith from the operation, knowing her timely intervention would be crucial.
Back at the GBI headquarters, Faith and Will grill Mary with relentless questioning. The revelations unfold: Mary's parents had accused Evan of rape during her high school years, yet she stubbornly refused to testify. Seeking emotional leverage, Will seeks out Angie, who had recently cracked the Sasha murder case, to share her own dark past with Mary. Angie's heart-wrenching story emerges—sold into prostitution by her mother for monetary gain during her tender years, ultimately losing her to an overdose when Angie was just seven.
Mary's defenses crumble under the weight of Angie's raw honesty, prompting her confession. She reveals that Evan had pressured her to terminate Emma, a command she couldn't carry out. Instead, she concocted a grim alternative, stuffing Emma into a car trunk and abandoning it in a secluded creek. Armed with this confession, Will, the police, and Emma's distraught parents rush to the scene, their hearts pounding with hope and fear, ultimately locating Emma, miraculously alive.
Returning to the GBI, Will confronts Evan with the joyous news of Emma's rescue and his impending incarceration. As he retreats to his office, he encounters Faith, offering heartfelt gratitude for her invaluable support throughout the case. Amanda, too, commends the seamless teamwork between Faith and Will, acknowledging their exceptional collaboration.
Will sets out to verify whether Angie will join him for dinner, as they had previously arranged, but to his surprise, she refuses and expresses a desire for a break from their relationship. She cites Will's overstepping boundary—leveraging her mother to extract a confession—as the final straw. Moreover, Angie introduces Nico as the new walker for Betty, Will's beloved dog.
Following the resolution of a recent case, Will decides to give his house a fresh coat of paint. Paul pays him a visit to express his gratitude for locating Emma. In a gesture of appreciation, Paul offers to repaint Will's car, but Will politely declines the offer.
