The Tim Kono Mystery Has A New Twist On Only Murders In The Building

For the first four episodes, Only Murders In the Building was a relatively straightforward affair. Three neighbors decide to make a podcast when someone in their building, Tim Kono, is offed. The three methodically start checking all their other neighbors to find any suspects. But with Episode 5, “Twist,” the series finally reached its first significant twist when Mabel decided to follow a clue she found in Tim Kono’s apartment. But “G.M.” in Only Murders In The Building turned out not to be who she thought at all.

Warning: Spoilers for Only Murders In The Building Season 1, Episode 5 follow. Despite having two podcast co-hosts who were ostensibly helping solve the murder of Tim Kono, Mabel had been quietly working her own angle on the case since the show began. For one thing, she already knew Tim, and they didn’t. She also knew Tim’s secret — that he allowed their friend Oscar to go to prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

But most importantly, she knew that Tim was obsessed with The Hardy Boys as a kid, an interest they shared. So when she discovered an entire wall of Hardy Boys books, she instinctively opened them, only to discover tons of valuable jewelry inside. She also found a notes indicating Tim had a meeting with “G.M.” on “Shore Road.”

When she left the building to investigate, she discovered Oscar was following her and decided to take him up on an offer to drive to “Shore Road,” which she initially assumed was a jewelry shop in New Jersey, due to a clue from the Hardy Boys books. But Oscar pointed out a far more straightforward answer: Mabel’s cousin Gustavo “Tavo” Mora (initials G.M.), who runs a tattoo shop on Shore Road in Long Island.

But Mabel wasn’t the only one making the journey. Charles and Oliver followed her in Oliver’s car. (Yes, Oliver pays for parking in New York City, despite his license expiring 25 years ago.) With Mabel obviously in a car with “Tie-Dye Guy,” as Charles refers to Oscar, Oliver was convinced she was Tim’s murderer.

But when Charles and Oliver caught up with Mabel at Tavo’s shop, she protested they had it all wrong, that neither Mabel nor Oscar was responsible for Tim Kono’s murder, and Oscar knows this because he was outside Tim’s apartment when the gunshot sounded.

Tavo, meanwhile, was shocked to hear Tim was dead but ultimately not surprised. According to Tavo, Kono knew his life was in danger. After all, he was playing a potentially deadly game with Tavo’s help: The two of them were working to take down a black market jewelry ring run by a dealer named Angel.

That would certainly explain all the jewelry in Tim’s apartment and his ability to afford the place even after being fired by Sting. But who is Angel? The list of suspects just grew again.

Only Murders In the Building continues with new episodes every Tuesday on Hulu.