The Woman in Question

**"The Woman in Question"** is the seventh episode of the second season of Paramount+'s *Why Women Kill*, and the seventeenth episode overall. It was released on July 8, 2021.

## Synopsis

Newly widowed, Rita's elation is short-lived when Catherine questions her innocence in Carlo's death, much to Alma's delight. Dee introduces her parents to Vern at a dinner with multiple shocking revelations.

## Plot

Rita becomes happy now that Carlo has died but then a group of policemen arrive to investigate Carlo's death. Catherine appears and tells her that it was her who wanted to investigate Carlo's death after learning that he was poisoned. The detective and Catherine suspects that Rita killed him since he was on the same floor with Carlo. Rita denies the allegation but when the detective forces her to show her stuff on her purse, he sees the syringe, making Rita the suspect. She is then taken into custody while Alma watches her from afar, smiling.

Alma's plan succeed and she becomes happy that Rita is in jail but Bertram is concerned for Rita, unaware that Alma's plan was to frame her. Dee appears and asks if they are busy as she plans to have them meet Vern. She then announces that she is engaged to him, much to Alma's and Bertram's happiness. At the prison cell, Rita demands to get bailed but the Castillo's family attorney announces that he won't represent her after what happened and that he now represents Catherine. He further adds that her request for bail was denied after Catherine told the judge that Rita would be a danger to her. Later, she calls and Isabel answers it. Rita instructs her to go to Vern and pay him to get the photos he took of Catherine having sex. Catherine sees Isabel on the phone and uses the other phone, where she hears that Rita wants Isabel to use the photos to blackmail Catherine and have her get bailed.

Bertram learns that Rita has been arrested and goes home to tell Alma, though the latter is flippant about what happened to Rita. He becomes guilty about the situation and wants to help Rita but Alma doesn't let him. Dee arrives at Vern's office and tells him that her parents are elated to meet him. However, she didn't tell them that she is pregnant and with a different man. She plans to have it be a secret until they get married. At the Castillos, Isabel leaves to get the photos from Vern. Catherine then later inspects Rita's and Isabel's room. Isabel retrieves the stack of photos and instructs Vern to have him meet Rita at jail.

Meanwhile, Alma goes to the luncheon where she meets one of the members, Mavis, and creates a fake story that Rita indeed wanted to kill Carlo to have it spread around. Rita tells Vern she is innocent and Vern believes her though he also believes that she is capable of killing someone but she would rather hire someone else to kill for her. He accepts to help her but will need to ask permission from his girlfriend, which Rita is surprised with on as to why he should. Later, Isabel threatens Catherine to have Rita grant bail or she will spread Catherine's photos in Texas. But Catherine refuses to fear about the threat as she tells her that she will not return to Texas and will stay in Los Angeles permanently. She then shows her the letter she took in Isabel's room, much to Isabel's surprise. Catherine threatens Isabel to never speak to Rita or she will go to jail. Furious, Isabel quits.

Scooter visits Rita and she tells him that she is innocent. He pretends to believe her but she insists that she is innocent. However, he doesn't as Catherine told him that the poison was found on her purse. She becomes shocked that he still communicates with Catherine and that he had sex with her all the way. He then decides not to visit Rita, out of fear that he might be the motive to Carlo's death. Rita begs him not to leave her but he bids farewell to her, calling her "Aunt."

At the Fillcots, Vern arrives late to dinner. Dee introduces him to her parents and tells that he is a detective. Alma suddenly becomes afraid but Vern corrects Dee that he is a private detective. He mentions that he is currently working on a case to Alma and Bertram but Dee wants to know what this case is. Vern doesn't tell her as they all go to dinner. Later, Alma tells Dee that she approves of Vern and hopes that their engagement to be longer to know more about him but Dee wants to get married to Vern as soon as possible. Alma advices her that she shouldn't hurry getting married to her. Going back to their dinner, Vern about a case he recently took a case where he will find a way to prove their innocence. But Bertram guesses it is Rita. Vern doesn't confirm but Dee is shocked that he would work for her again which also shocks Alma. Vern apologizes to her, knowing how much she detests Rita after how she embarrased her and have Dee fired. Bertram is also shock but Alma denies it. Vern further reveals that Rita got framed for Carlo's death after finding the syringe on her purse, which, again, shocks Bertram.

Isabel visits Rita again at the jail, telling her that Catherine has read her letters. The two bicker back and forth as their plan failed, to the point they accuse one another of Carlo's death. Isabel then announces that she is leaving to avoid Catherine, which angers Rita. Elsewhere, Alma and Bertram bicker after Bertram learned that Alma used her to frame Rita while Dee and Vern settle their differences after Dee learned that Vern is working for Rita again. Vern tries to calm her that he is only working for her so that he can buy a house for her and her. Alma and Bertram hears the last part and is shocked to learn that she is pregnant but Vern tells them he is not the father, which shocks them again. Vern talks to Alma later that night as he tries to reassure her that he plans to take care of Dee and her child. But Alma tries to convince Vern to drop the case by voicing out her concern on his safety and Dee becoming a widow. He tries to explain to her that it's his livelihood but she tells him to work in a different field. Vern asks her, does she want him to quit his job, which she responds about the revelation she found out why Dee wanted to married him quickly and that he should compromise to make it better.

Catherine calls Scooter, revealing to him that Rita had hired someone to take a photograph of them while having sex. Scooter thinks of confessing but Catherine thinks that, like her, Rita tried to blackmail him too. He decides to lie to her and makes her believe that he isn't working for Rita. Catherine invites him to move in and he accepts.

As they leave, Dee asks Vern what he and Alma talked about. He tells her that Alma wanted him to work with a different job but Dee wants him to keep his job. The two however, notice Alma's strange behavior after Vern revealed that he was going to work for Rita. He thinks of not taking it but Dee changes her mind and tells him to take the case, even though Alma will hate him. Inside the house, Bertram confronts Alma again and express his anger on how she used him. She explains that she only did it because she treated her cruelly but he doesn't believe her and announces that he will sleep at the sofa.

The next day, Vern visits Rita again and tells her that he will work for her but will need to know who are her enemies. At the Fillcots, Grace visits Alma and tells her that after Rita's incident and how she treated Alma, the garden club thinks of inviting her back. She further reveals that they want Rita out of the club and once they do, Grace plans to nominate Alma again, to which Alma accepts. As she heads back inside, she notices Bertram and he voices out his disgust that she planned to be part of the garden club in exchange for framing Rita for Carlo's death. Alma justifies what she did and shows no remorse of her crime.

Isabel rents a hotel room for the night before leaving. But she accidentally drops her purse and the photos scatter. As she picks them up, she notices one photo where Alma is in the background. She realizes that Alma is the culprit. She then decides to stay a few days more, thinking of visiting Alma.

## Cast

* Lana Parrilla as Rita Castillo
* B.K. Cannon as Dee Fillcot
* Jordane Christie as Vern Loomis
* Matthew Daddario as Scooter Polarsky
* Veronica Falcón as Catherine Castillo
* Nick Frost as Bertram Fillcot
* Virginia Williams as Grace Berk
* Jessica Phillips as Joan
* Kerry O'Malley as Mavis
* Carol Mansell as Aunt Martha
* Cynthia Quiles as Brenda
* Shelli Boone as Rona
* Jack Davenport as The Narrator

### Co-Starring

* Shaw Jones as Detective Jones
* Dan Sachoff as Arthur Guildfoil
* Amy Chaffee as May
* Kristen Studard as Sue
* Price Carson as Hotel Manager
* Forte Rodriguez as Guard
* Holland Clement as Waiter
* Nicole Johnson as Prison Matron (credited as Nikki Johnson)
* Levon Rector as Bartender