M is for Mystery

After losing her job at a bookshop, M (think someone like Kate Micucci) a quirky young woman obsessed with detective stories, searches for a new job and is shocked to find that Ford Rockwell, an actual private detective with a cynical attitude, is searching for an assistant. M applies for the job and since Rockwell is a down-to-his-luck detective who hasn't been able to find anyone else for the position, hires her. Noticing her enthusiasm for the job, Rockwell takes her on a case so M can realize that being a private detective isn't as glamorous as she believes. As Rockwell tells her, most of the cases are about infidelity and affairs, and she should avoid fantasies about getting into something big or exciting. Nevertheless, M remains excited and hopes to find a case worthy of a mystery novel. Weeks go by and, sure enough, every case that comes to Rockwell and M is nothing more than love affairs, but M keeps the morale high and is an excellent, effective assistant. One day, they are visited by Beth Camp, a no-nonsense wealthy woman who has hired Rockwell before, and who hires him once again, believing that her husband, businessman Broderick Camp, is having a new affair. Rockwell takes M along with him and they follow Broderick around. The excited M asks all sorts of questions about the private detective job, including if Rockwell has ever gotten involved/seduced someone. M, a socially awkward person, dreams of being able to seduce someone in the name of a case. Rockwell tells her that, in real life, such kind of things are forbidden. They follow Broderick to The Rambunctious Cow, a milkshake bar where Broderick meets with Nadine Masina, a free-spirited waitress that he has been visiting several times a week for the last couple of months. Rockwell is convinced that Nadine must be the woman Broderick is having an affair with, while M doubts - what makes them so sure they are having an affair? Thinking that they require more information, Rockwell sends M to the milkshake bar, so she can spy on them. Excited to be part of a case, M fails in her attempt to not distraught any attention to her and is noticed by both Nadine and Broderick. She improvises and pretends to be a customer with a crush on Nadine (it doesn't hurt that she actually finds her cute). M spies on Broderick's conversation with Nadine and discovers that they have a complex relationship. He has a proposition for Nadine, but since M is around, he decides to tell her about it later, which only makes Nadine uncomfortable. Broderick leaves and Rockwell follows him again, while M decides to stay and learn more about Nadine. Seeking to comfort Nadine, M agrees to go with her to have a drink. There, Nadine informs M about Broderick's interest in her and how he makes her feel uncomfortable as she is sure that he wants to have sex with her. Nadine thanks M for listening and tries to know more about her which makes M nervous. Finding her nervousness a cute trait, Nadine further flirts with M and they end up having sex - something that makes M proud as she has seduced someone to get information in a case! M shares her discoveries regarding Nadine with Rockwell the next day. As a surprised Rockwell asks her how could she find out so much about Nadine so fast, M lies telling him that she just followed her and asked around. Rockwell congratulates her for her efforts and warns her once again not to get involved with anyone from a case. M says she wouldn't do such a thing. As a new case arrives, Rockwell asks M to follow Broderick on her own that night. M agrees. She follows Broderick around, this time avoiding any contact with either him or Nadine. Broderick sets a meeting with Nadine at a motel outside town. Nadine calls M, telling her about it and sharing her concerns. M advises her not to go to the meeting, but Nadine confesses that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea since Broderick is a wealthy man and she has money trouble. M follows Broderick to the motel outside town and sees Nadine arrive. As she wonders whether or not she should go with Nadine, fearing that Broderick might be dangerous, a shot is heard in Broderick's room. Nadine flees the room and Broderick is found dead. M follows Nadine and meets with her, telling her that she has arrived at the motel to go to her meeting with Broderick. A touched Nadine reveals to M what happened - Broderick was in the company of a second man known as The Falcon, who knew everything about Nadine. After he asked Nadine to grab his gun, The Falcon killed Broderick and let Nadine go. Nadine tells M that she must leave the city as soon as possible but M offers to help her, telling her that she works for a private detective. She promises Nadine that she can save this and that she can stay in her apartment while things calm down. After Beth Camp reproaches Rockwell for having sent a rookie to spy on her husband and not doing anything to prevent the murder, M reveals to Rockwell that Nadine is with her and explains what happened. An enraged Rockwell reproaches M for having gotten so involved in the case, but accepts on meeting with Nadine, believing that if what she says is true, then they might end up in trouble. M takes Rockwell to Nadine and she explains everything to Rockwell once again. As he is convinced of her version of the facts, he suggests she escapes to Mexico, believing that the whole thing is too shady and that there is nothing they can do. M protests, saying that they could solve the case, but Rockwell tells her that neither he nor she are as good as detectives. M insists and tells Rockwell that if he doesn't do it, she'll solve it on her own. A reluctant Rockwell agrees to help her, telling them that he might get some help from a friend who works in the police. He asks them to stay inside M's apartment while he is out. M ignores the advice and, along with Nadine, she heads to the motel where the crime happened. She studies the rooms and possible ways out and bribes the motel clerk to get a copy of the security tapes and a record of the people who checked in the night before. She also finds a pen from Broderick's company, the B.C. Corporation. Meanwhile, The Falcon is contacted by his employer, who tells him that they haven't found what they need and that they need to find Nadine now. The Falcon goes on her quest. Rockwell meets with his friend, police detective Hal Hader, and tells him about his involvement in the Broderick case. He asks him about The Falcon. After questioning Rockwell on the reason for his interest, Hader informs Rockwell about The Falcon, telling him that The Falcon is a hired hand who works for powerful people and that he has been trying to find him for a long time. Hader asks Rockwell to let him know if he finds anything. M and Nadine return to M's apartment. As M watches the tapes and investigates the names of the people who checked in, she begins to fear that they might not be able to find The Falcon and tries to think what else to do to help Nadine when someone knocks at her door. Believing that it might be Rockwell, M opens and finds The Falcon. He knocks M and kidnaps her and Nadine. M wakes up in a butcher shop tied to a chair alongside Nadine. Nadine recognizes The Falcon and tells M that he is the one who killed Broderick. The Falcon tells them that they won't get out of there alive if they don't cooperate and tell him where is the key that Broderick gave her. A shocked Nadine says that she doesn't know anything about any key. The Falcon insists, telling her that they know more about her than even herself and reveals that the only reason why M got involved with Nadine was because it was on a case. Nadine asks M if this is true and M confesses. She apologizes and promises her to help her, no matter what. The Falcon threatens to kill M if Nadine doesn't tell him where the key is. Nadine insists that she doesn't know anything about said key, and that the only thing Broderick ever gave her was a locket a locket that he gave her the night before he died and that has a secret compartment. As M and Nadine come to realize that the key might be there, M negotiates with The Falcon, telling him that she can go get the key in exchange for letting Nadine go. As The Falcon is about to agree, Rockwell arrives. As a shootout takes place, Rockwell rescues M. The Falcon takes Nadine away with him. Rockwell and M chase him down and M ends up accidentally killing The Falcon, while Nadine is taken away by his people. The police arrive and M and Rockwell explain everything to Detective Hader. While doing so, M connects the dots and comes to realize that the person behind everything is no other than Beth Camp. She explains that that is why Broderick knew who The Falcon was, why she found a pen from Broderick's company in the motel (especially because Broderick was trying to be discreet and signed under a fake name), and that Beth's reason was that Broderick canceled a multimillionaire contract with a meat company (hence why The Falcon took them to a butcher shop). She also concludes that the reason why Beth hired Rockwell in the first place, placing so much emphasis on that Rockwell should follow Broderick closely, was to have Rockwell stop Nadine when she tried to escape. If Rockwell killed Nadine, then the case would have been closed right away but since Rockwell wasn't there the night Broderick died but M, Beth was truly pissed when Nadine wasn't stopped. M tells Hader that they can't try to arrest Beth as of yet, as if this happens it is likely that Beth will kill Nadine. She asks Hader for 24 hours to solve the case and Hader agrees. M and Rockwell return to M's apartment. Rockwell congratulates M for solving the case and tells her that the reason why he didn't want her to get so involved in a case is because he was in a similar situation when he was young and that he lost the person he loved the most because of it. Beth's people contact M and ask her to make an exchange in the docks at midnight. M and Rockwell create a plan and head to the docks. M reunites with Beth Camp. Beth's people find and beat Rockwell, and as everything seems lost, M gives Beth the key. As Beth is about to kill M, Rockwell, and Nadine, M and Rockwell ask her what it is all about, and a confident Beth confesses her entire plan, as well as that Nadine wasn't Broderick's lover, but rather a strangled daughter he came to find a few months ago, after the death of Nadine's mother. Beth explains that after Broderick found out about Nadine, he went through an existential crisis that made him want to be a better man, hence why he canceled the multimillionaire contract. As Beth makes fun of both Broderick and M for having lost their lives because of Nadine, M reveals that the locket is wired and that she just confessed her crime to Detective Hal Hader. An enraged Beth attempts to kill M, but Rockwell starts a fight. He takes the bullet for M, while M fights Beth's people and rescues Nadine. Detective Hader arrives along with the police. Beth and her men are arrested, and M and Nadine reconcile. Beth is convicted for her crimes, and Nadine inherits all of Broderick's wealth. She thanks M and a recovered Rockwell for their efforts and help and starts a relationship with M. As a reward for solving the case, Rockwell gets M an official private detective license and promotes her to a full-time detective and he also reveals that M's full name is Emmanuelle Micucci (a name that she hates because she thinks it sounds like porn). Nevertheless, M is now happy about finally having her dream job.