Without a Trace
4.07 - "The Innocents"
Original CBS Airdate: 11/10/05
Transcribed from CBS
Written by: JAN NASH
Directed by: MARTHA MITCHELL
Transcribed for www.twiztv.com by Elise B.
Contact the transcriptionist at [email protected]
==========================
DISCLAIMER:
==========================
"WITHOUT A TRACE" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and (c) by JERRY BRUCKHEIMER Television, CBS Productions, and Warner Bros. Television (an AOL Time Warner Company). All Rights Reserved. This transcript was made without their permission, approval, authorization or endorsement. For Fair Use, for entertainment and for educational purposes only. Any reproduction, duplication or distribution of this material in any form is expressly prohibited. It is absolutely forbidden to use it for commercial gain.
==========================
SUMMARY:
==========================
The team searches for a grieving father who couldn't accept his daughter's death, but become concerned after child pornography is found in his home.
==========================
TRANSCRIPT:
==========================
FADE IN
[Ext: residence - back yard - day]
(A group of young children are running around the yard, wearing birthday hats. A man, BILL SHIELDS, sits on the porch of the house and watches them. One of the little boys runs up to him.)
BOY: Time for cake, Uncle Bill.
BILL SHIELDS: Okay, pal.
(BILL gets up from the porch but still doesn't join the party. A woman, his SISTER, comes up to him.)
BILL'S SISTER: You having any fun at all?
(His phone beeps. He takes it out of his pocket and reads the message.)
BILL SHIELDS: You bet.
BILL'S SISTER: Well, you're lying, but that's very festive of you. I just thought the party would be good for you. Get out. You know, be with people.
BILL SHIELDS: I know.
BILL'S SISTER: Besides, there's cake
(She leaves him by himself, and goes back to the kids.)
BILL'S SISTER: Okay, kids, time for birthday cake. Come on over to the table.
(She brings a cake over to the picnic table in the center of the yard. The kids excitedly surround her.)
KIDS: Yay!
BILL'S SISTER: Alright.
(BILL watches for a moment, then turns to walk away. He vanishes.)
CUT TO:
[Int: BILL SHIELD's residence - living room - day]
(BILL's SISTER leads MARTIN and ELENA into the house.)
BILL'S SISTER: I called a bunch of times, but he didn't answer, so I came by here. Papers were still on the stoop and he hadn't brought the mail in.
ELENA: What about his car?
BILL'S SISTER: Well, I know he drove it to my house but it's not in the garage. Oh, here's everybody that was at the birthday party. I talked to a few of them before I called the police.
MARTIN: And what'd you find out?
BILL'S SISTER: He didn't talk to anyone at the party.
ELENA: I'd like to look around. Is it okay?
BILL'S SISTER: Of course. I didn't touch anything.
(ELENA goes into the other rooms. MARTIN and BILL's SISTER sit on the couch and continue talking.)
MARTIN: You watch detective shows.
BILL'S SISTER: Well, the first fifteen minutes. Then I fall asleep.
MARTIN: Right. Now, you said that your brother didn't talk to anybody at the party. Not a very social guy.
BILL'S SISTER: Oh, he used to be.
(She picks up a framed picture from a side table. It is a young girl dressed in a hospital gown, her hair gone, smiling.)
BILL'S SISTER: This is Bill's daughter, Lauren. She died of leukemia eight months ago. His whole life just fell apart. He and his wife got separated, he took a leave from his job. But recently, well, I thought he was starting to come out of it. At least a little.
(ELENA peeks her head into the doorway.)
ELENA: Martin? Um, can I borrow you for a minute?
MARTIN: Excuse me.
CUT TO:
[Int: BILL SHIELD's residence - office - continuous]
(MARTIN follows ELENA into the office. She is holding a stack of papers.)
MARTIN: What have you got?
ELENA: Kiddie porn. Little girls.
(MARTIN takes the folder and looks through the pictures. He closes his eyes, looking sickened.)
ELENA: He may have downloaded them. There's a high speed internet connection behind the desk but the laptop's missing.
MARTIN: The sister did say her brother was coming out of some kind of funk. Maybe he found a new hobby, or he went back to an old one.
FADE OUT
END TEASER
TITLE CREDITS
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
(MARTIN and JACK walk into the bullpen together. JACK is going through the printed photos found at BILL SHIELD's house. They stop at the conference table.)
JACK: A lot of these look they might have been pulled off the net. Did you show the sister?
MARTIN: She was having a hard time believing me, so I showed her one.
JACK: Bet that went down well.
MARTIN: Stormed off and refused to talk to us anymore.
(SAMANTHA is on the phone at her desk.)
SAMANTHA: Okay, thanks. (hangs up phone) Shields withdrew two thousand dollars from his checking account this week. Maybe blackmail?
MARTIN: Or he's looking to buy more porn. Look, regardless, why are we even wasting our time with this scumbag? We should just turn it over to local PD.
JACK: Nah, it's too early. What about that text message he received at the birthday party?
SAMANTHA: It wasn't from a cell phone, but we're tracking it.
JACK: Okay. (He hands the stack of pictures to SAMANTHA.) Do me a favor, see if you can track down the original source of these.
(She looks down at the stack of images, dismayed.)
SAMANTHA: (sarcastic) Thanks.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - private office - day]
(DANNY and VIVIAN question BILL's wife, JULIE SHIELDS. Some of the images taken from his house are on the table.)
VIVIAN: I'm sorry, but we needed to know whether you knew anything about this.
JULIE SHIELDS: Bill would never be involved in something like this.
DANNY: Does Bill has an online handle?
JULIE SHIELDS: I don't know what you mean.
DANNY: It's a name people use instead of their real name on the internet for privacy purposes.
JULIE SHIELDS: Why would you need to know that?
VIVIAN: Well, because of the pictures. We just need to know if he's been hanging out in any chatrooms.
JULIE SHIELDS: Well, I don't know anything about that.
VIVIAN: And your daughter, Lauren. Is there any chance that Bill...
JULIE SHIELDS: No. Look, whatever he may have gotten himself into, he loved Lauren. He would never have hurt her.
DANNY: His sister said that he's been different.
JULIE SHIELDS: We waited so long for something. Gene therapy. Chemotherapy. Alternative medicine. Something to make Lauren better. But nothing did. And all we could do was just hold her hand and watch her die.
DANNY: And how did Bill react when she did?
JULIE SHIELDS: He, um, sorta disappeared. Like he couldn't stand to talk about it. And then he got arrested.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: sheriff's office - holding cell - night]
JULIE SHIELDS: Assault, Bill? Who was it? Why were you beating people up?
BILL SHIELDS: I'm sorry, Julie, really.
JULIE SHIELDS: I need more than an apology.
BILL SHIELDS: What do you need?
JULIE SHIELDS: An explanation for why you're acting this way. What is going on with you?
BILL SHIELDS: It'll be better soon, Julie, I promise.
JULIE SHIELDS: Better how? You going to go back to work? Are you going to start talking to me again? She wasn't just your daughter. I miss her too.
BILL SHIELDS: I know. I...
JULIE SHIELDS: I just can't keep doing this. Not with everything else. I'm sorry.
(She walks out. He calls after her.)
BILL SHIELDS: Julie.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
JULIE SHIELDS: So whoever he beat up didn't press charges and the sherriff let him go home.
VIVIAN: And that's all you know about the assault?
JULIE SHIELDS: Yeah. And I moved out of the house a couple of days later.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
ELENA: The fight was with a guy named Jamie Wolfe. A registered sex offender.
JACK: The guy was ninety miles from here. Couldn't find another pervert to have a fight with closer to home?
ELENA: Maybe they were business partners. Nothing starts a fight better than money. They're bringing him in, so he should be here in half an hour, okay?
JACK: Okay.
(As he gets up to walk away, her phone rings.)
ELENA: (answering phone) Delgado.
(JACK walks over to the conference table, where SAMANTHA is sorting through the kiddie porn images.)
JACK: How's it going?
SAMANTHA: So far more than, um, half of these are of the same girl. Different ages, ranging from six to twelve.
JACK: If he shot these photos, chances are, if we find her, we'll find him.
SAMANTHA: Yeah, we're checking with his friens, family, neighbors. See if any of them can ID her.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - interview room - day]
JAMIE WOLFE: I have no idea who he is.
MARTIN: The guy assaulted you.
JAMIE WOLFE: Yeah. And I didn't know who he was when he attacked me, either.
JACK: You were convicted of lewd and lacivious acts with a minor. And then some guy who also likes kids beats you up and you expect us to believe it was random violence.
JAMIE WOLFE: I didn't say it was random. I just said I didn't know him.
MARTIN: Then what did he want?
JAMIE WOLFE: That guy's already gotten me in enough trouble. I don't need any more.
JACK: Too late.
(JAMIE WOLFE points to one of the photos on the table, of a young blonde girl - the same one SAMANTHA was talking about earlier.)
JAMIE WOLFE: It's about her. He wanted her.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Ext: JAMIE WOLFE's residence - yard - day]
(BILL is standing on the walkway leading up to the house. JAMIE WOLFE comes out on the porch.)
BILL SHIELDS: Hey.
JAMIE WOLFE: Who are you? What are you doing hanging around back here?
BILL SHIELDS: I'm Bill. I'm looking for this girl. I think she might live nearby. Listen, I'll pay you if you just tell me how to find her.
(BILL hands him a photo of the girl.)
JAMIE WOLFE: Why would I know anything?
BILL SHIELDS: Come on. I know you're on the sex offenders list.
(JAMIE crumples up the picture and throws it in the trash bin next to the house.)
BILL SHIELDS: Hey!
JAMIE WOLFE: How did you know that? Did Mrs. Graff put you up to this?
BILL SHIELDS: No. Nobody put me up to it. I'm just looking for the girl.
JAMIE WOLFE: That's not my problem.
BILL SHIELDS: Listen, listen. You know how it is. I just, I have a thing for her.
JAMIE WOLFE: Get the hell out of here.
BILL SHIELDS: Not until you tell me how to find her. I have to find her.
(He grabs JAMIE by the arm and shakes him.)
JAMIE WOLFE: Let go.
(They are distracted by a siren. A patrol car pulls up next to the house.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
JAMIE WOLFE: Thank god the cops didn't look in the garbage can. If they'd found that picture...
JACK: Did he say anything about her? What her name was?
JAMIE WOLFE: No.
MARTIN: So you didn't press charges because you didn't want any more attention?
JAMIE WOLFE: Yeah, fat lot of good that did me. That bitch, Mrs. Graff, she's had it in for me since I moved in. She saw him loitering, called the cops. I got evicted from my apartment a week later.
JACK: Where were you Sunday?
JAMIE WOLFE: At a friend's house watching football.
MARTIN: Write his name down.
(MARTIN hands him a pad and a pen. JAMIE begins writing.)
JAMIE WOLFE: You know, that 5390 conviction was a long time ago. I haven't touched anyone since.
JACK: I'm sure that's very comforting to your victims.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - hallway - day]
MARTIN: If all he has is pictures, maybe he hasn't found her yet.
JACK: We should put the local PD on it. Have them talk to all sex offenders in the area. See if he's talked to them.
MARTIN: I'll check it out. And I have a friend at the center for Exploited Children. See if she knows how someone could find one of these girls.
(They walk into the bullpen. ELENA calls out to them from her desk, where she is on the phone.)
ELENA: Guys. (into phone) Hang on a minute. The text message came from a man named Ruben Davilad. Petty crimes. Mostly theft. (to phone) Okay. Excellent. Thanks.
(She hangs up the phone.)
ELENA: Local PD just found Shield's car at a hotel near where Davilad works.
JACK: Great.
CUT TO:
[Ext: Nightlights Motel - day]
(DANNY meets up with VIVIAN at the motel. The approach the door to room 108 with weapons drawn. VIVIAN knocks on the door.)
VIVIAN: Bill Shields? FBI. Open up.
(There is no answer. DANNY uses a key to open the door, revealing BILL SHIELDS sitting on the bed, his back to them.)
DANNY: Put your hands where I can see them.
(BILL stands up with his hands up. VIVIAN searches the rest of the room. It is empty.)
VIVIAN: She's not here.
DANNY: Turn around and face the wall. Turn around.
(BILL does as he is told. DANNY approaches to handcuff him.)
FADE OUT
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[Int: FBI offices - interview room - day]
(JACK and VIVIAN question BILL SHIELDS. His head is cut and has been bandaged.)
JACK: Where is she, Shields?
BILL SHIELDS: I don't know.
JACK: Well, someone sent you a message. "Bring money. Nightlights Motel, Stonington." What? Were you going to try and buy her?
BILL SHIELDS: No.
VIVIAN: What happened? Her handler didn't like the way you treated her and cracked you on the head?
BILL SHIELDS: I was trying to save her.
JACK: Is that what you tell yourself to make it okay?
BILL SHIELDS: I swear. I would never hurt her.
VIVIAN: Then how come you've got all these pictures?
BILL SHIELDS: My daughter. She loved to dance. And after she died, I wanted to sponsor a little girl's dance lessons. You know, like a memorial. So I put some words into Google, clicked on a link, and there she was, in a pink tutu. She was so cute. Except, there were these other pictures. Naked, doing things. I turned off my computer, but I couldn't forget. And I wanted to stop...to stop it, so, so I started to look for her.
VIVIAN: What happened today?
BILL SHIELDS: I thought I'd finally found her.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: Hotel room - day]
(There is knock at the door. BILL cracks the door open to reveal RUBEN DAVILAD.)
RUBEN DAVILAD: Shields?
BILL SHIELDS: Davilad?
(BILL opens the door all the way and lets him into the room.)
BILL SHIELDS: Where've you been? I waited all night.
RUBEN DAVILAD: I wanted to make sure you weren't a cop.
BILL SHIELDS: I'm not a cop.
RUBEN DAVILAD: I know. No cop would have waited that long. Only a man desperate to meet the girl of his dreams.
BILL SHIELDS: Yeah. So where is she?
RUBEN DAVILAD: Where's the money?
(BILL goes over to the bed and takes out a stack of money.)
BILL SHIELDS: Two thousand, just like you asked for. (RUBEN reaches for it, but BILL holds onto it.) Not til I see the girl. (RUBEN pulls out a gun.) What's going on?
RUBEN DAVILAD: Give me the money.
BILL SHIELDS: Listen, I don't want any trouble. Just tell me where she is.
RUBEN DAVILAD: How about I'm holding the gun? (BILL hands over the money.) Good. Ready to meet her now?
BILL SHIELDS: Of course.
(RUBEN hits BILL across the head with the butt of the gun. BILL crumples to the floor.)
RUBEN DAVILAD: Bet you are. Pervert.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
BILL SHIELDS: When I came to, he was gone and so was my money.
JACK: Nice story. Doesn't fit. We found over two hundred kiddie porn pictures in your house.
BILL SHIELDS: I didn't know how to find her, except to use the pictures.
JACK: They're not all the same girl
BILL SHIELDS: I only kept them if I thought they could help. Like if they had something in common with her pictures. You can check.
VIVIAN: How?
BILL SHIELDS: I used keywords. For sorting. They're attached to the photo files.
JACK: Why didn't you give all this to the police?
BILL SHIELDS: I didn't know where she was. And I didn't know how to explain what I'd been doing all this time. But you can help, right? You have to find her!
VIVIAN: We'll need you to stay here. We may have more questions.
(JACK and VIVIAN leave the interview room, leaving BILL sitting at the table.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
(ELENA walks over to the conference table, where SAMANTHA is sorting through the porn pictures on her laptop.)
ELENA: Local PD talked to Ruben Davilad. He never had the girl. It was a scam.
SAMANTHA: Well, a pedophile's a great target. It's not like he's going to call the police, right?
ELENA: That's exactly what Ruben Davilad said. Apparently he's done it before
SAMANTHA: Alright. Look at this. It looks like Shields is telling the truth. All the photos that aren't of the girl in the tutu have keywords on them and references back to her pictures.
ELENA: Can we ID this guy?
SAMANTHA: Uh-uh. This is the only picture we have of him. His arm, not his face.
ELENA: Well, she ages six years in these pictures and nobody noticed what was going on.
SAMANTHA: I'm thinking it's gotta be someone with a lot of access without supervision, maybe a family member.
ELENA: Or maybe a kidnapping? If so, she might be in our case files.
SAMANTHA: Worth a shot.
ELENA: Yep.
(ELENA goes back to her desk. MARTIN comes walking in from the hallway. He sits down next to SAMANTHA at the conference table.)
MARTIN: Sam?
SAMANTHA: Wow, you're walking well.
MARTIN: Anything below a canter, I feel pretty good. Do me a favor. A kid from the Center for Exploited Children thought she recognized our missing girl. They're bringing her up here right now, and, ah, I thought it might be easier for her to talk to a woman.
SAMANTHA: Where are they taking her?
MARTIN: Interview 2.
SAMANTHA: Alright. I'm expecting a call from tech about this pictures.
MARTIN: I'll cover it.
SAMANTHA: Great.
(She gets up and leaves him there.)
MARTIN: Thank you.
(MARTIN turns her laptop towards his seat. He freezes when he sees the pictures. He sighs, shakes his head, and gets to work.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - private office - day]
(SAMANTHA sits next to a young girl, BRITTANY, on the couch in the office.)
SAMANTHA: Do you know why you're here, Brittany?
BRITTANY: They showed me a picture.
SAMANTHA: And you know the girl?
BRITTANY: Sort of.
SAMANTHA: Sort of...
BRITTANY: I met her once at a house where there was...a...party.
SAMANTHA: Can you tell me about it? It's okay. Take all the time you need.
BRITTANY: While we waited we watched tv.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: house - living room - night]
(The two girls, BRITTANY and MELISSA, sit awkwardly on the couch. The room is dimly lit. There is a black-and-white Western on the television. Both girls are wearing party dresses. BRITTANY is wearing make-up and her hair is up. They talk very quietly, perpetually glancing toward the doorway of the room.)
BRITTANY: I'm Brittany.
MELISSA: Melissa.
BRITTANY: I don't really like this show.
(MELISSA shrugs.)
BRITTANY: Do you have a pet?
MELISSA: (She shakes her head.) Do you?
BRITTANY: A cat.
MELISSA: What's his name?
BRITTANY: Monarch. He's got this shape on his side that looks like a butterfly.
MELISSA: Is he soft?
BRITTANY: Really soft. What grade are you in?
MELISSA: I don't really have a grade.
(A man appears in the doorway. Both girls cringe a little bit.)
FOSTER FATHER: Brittany. Let's go.
(She obediently gets up. As she leaves the room, she turns back to MELISSA.)
BRITTANY: Bye.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
BRITTANY: And that was it.
SAMANTHA: You never saw her again?
BRITTANY: No. My foster dad was arrested a few months later. Then I went to the Center.
SAMANTHA: Do you think you can remember where this house was?
BRITTANY: No.
SAMANTHA: Did you see who Melissa came to the party with?
BRITTANY: I wish I could help.
SAMANTHA: You have helped, Brittany. You've helped a lot.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - tech room - day]
(MARTIN comes striding into the tech room.)
MARTIN: Okay, Mack-man, show me someth...
(He stops in his tracks at the sight of BILL SHIELDS standing behind MACK, looking at the computer.)
MACK: Oh. Agent Johnson thought he could help since he spent so much time with these photos.
(MARTIN regards him suspiciously, but goes around to MACK's other side. BILL moves away from the computer.)
MARTIN: Alright. Just make sure he has an escort when he's moving through the building.
MACK: I've got it covered.
MARTIN: Good.
MACK: Anyway. Bill figured out that a lot of these photos were taken in Hamlet Suites Motels.
BILL SHIELDS: The chain uses the same furniture and paintings in all their rooms.
(MARTIN looks at him in surprise. Maybe he'll be helpful, after all.)
MARTIN: Oh. That's, ah, that's good.
MACK: Unfortunately, that narrows down to like five hundred motels.
BILL SHIELDS: Which is why I got stalled.
MARTIN: Is that how you ended up at Jamie Wolfe's? Is there a Hamlet Suites Motel in his town?
BILL SHIELDS: Yeah.
MARTIN: (with a little more respect) Okay.
(MACK brings up a layout of the motel room on the computer. He matches the photos according to their respective backgrounds.)
MACK: Now, I analyzed the Hamlet Suites Motels pictures for light and color so that I could determine which ones were taken at the same place at the same time.
MARTIN: You airbrushed her out.
MACK: To focus on the details just in the background. We're compositing all these pictures together, you know, kinda like a puzzle. Alright?
MARTIN: Alright.
MACK: I've got most of them in place, most of them finished. I was hoping that this would be the last one.
MARTIN: Wait. Hold on a minute. What is that right there? That looks like a cup. Can you enlarge that?
(MACK zooms in on the image of a cup sitting on the table in the motel room.)
MACK: Yeah. There ya go. Roger's Barbeque and Stuff.
MARTIN: It's got to be near a Hamlet Suites Motel.
(MARTIN moves promptly to another computer in the room. He runs the cross-reference.)
MARTIN: I bet if we cross-reference these, we can get the town where the pictures were taken. Carbondale.
CUT TO:
[Ext: Carbondale - Hamlet Suites Motel - day]
(VIVIAN comes out of the office to meet ELENA in the parking lot.)
VIVIAN: The manager recognizes Melissa's picture. She was here about a month ago. He remembers because she cut her hand on a glass.
ELENA: You got a name?
VIVIAN: The man she was with paid cash, so he doesn't want anyone to know who he is. But the good news is, he made such a stink about the cut that the manager paid for a trip to the local ER.
CUT TO:
[Int: Carbondale Hospital ER - hallway - day]
DOCTOR: Yeah, I remember. Most kids with a cut like that would be screaming their lungs out. She barely made a sound.
VIVIAN: Did you get a chance to talk to her?
DOCTOR: No, the dad stayed pretty close.
ELENA: Too close?
DOCTOR: He didn't let us say a thing.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: Carbondale Hospital ER - exam room - day]
(The DOCTOR stitches MELISSA's hand. The man with her, GEORGE ANDERSON, stands right by her side the entire time.)
DOCTOR: Wow. You're a brave girl. That's a big cut.
GEORGE ANDERSON: I dropped a glass. She tried to help me clean up.
DOCTOR: Well, next time you won't be so helpful, I bet?
GEORGE ANDERSON: She's really a good girl. I don't think you could stop her.
(A woman, SANDRA O'NEILL, peeks her head into the doorway.)
SANDRA O'NEILL: I've taken care of everything at the front desk.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Alright. We're just going to be a minute.
(GEORGE ANDERSON moves over to the doorway to talk to her. The DOCTOR takes this opportunity to lean over and whisper to MELISSA.)
DOCTOR: Do you need help, sweetheart?
(GEORGE ANDERSON returns to MELISSA's side before she has a chance to say anything.)
GEORGE ANDERSON: How're we doing?
DOCTOR: We're all set.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Okay. Alright, let's go sweetie.
(As MELISSA is led out of the room, she looks meaningfully at the DOCTOR.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
DOCTOR: I knew something wasn't right. You know, it seemed like a pretty deep cut for what he said happened.
VIVIAN: So, she cut herself to get help?
DOCTOR: Maybe.
ELENA: Did you contact CPS?
DOCTOR: Yeah, and called security to watch them, but they were gone by the time the officer got here.
VIVIAN: Did you know the woman who came into the exam room?
DOCTOR: I assumed she was a step-mom or a girlfriend. She didn't seem to have a relationship with the little girl.
ELENA: But she completed all the paperwork.
DOCTOR: Yeah.
VIVIAN: Can we see it?
DOCTOR: Of course.
CUT TO:
[Ext: SANDRA O'NEILL's trailer - day]
(A car pulls up next to the trailer. SAMANTHA observes the woman from her car. When she identifies her as SANDRA O'NEILL, SAMANTHA gets out of the car and approaches her.)
SAMANTHA: Sandra O'Neill? FBI. We need to ask you a few of questions.
(SANDRA drops what she is carrying and runs away from SAMANTHA. DANNY comes around the back of her car to grab her. She tries kicking him, but he holds onto her.)
SAMANTHA: Hey! Hey!
SANDRA O'NEILL: Let go of me! Let go of me.
SAMANTHA: Where is Melissa? Where is she?
SANDRA O'NEILL: I don't know. He left. He took her.
SAMANTHA: When?
SANDRA O'NEILL: Two weeks ago. That was the last time I saw her.
(DANNY leads SANDRA to the car, SAMANTHA following.)
FADE OUT
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[Int: FBI offices - interview room - day]
SANDRA O'NEILL: I didn't do anything.
DANNY: Well, then why did you run?
SAMANTHA: Because she finally got caught.
SANDRA O'NEILL: It was him. And I didn't know until the end.
SAMANTHA: What's his name?
SANDRA O'NEILL: George. George Anderson.
DANNY: I'm going to need an address.
SANDRA O'NEILL: I don't have one. He travels for work. Fixes mechanics' tools. I only see him when he's got a job nearby.
(DANNY leaves the interview room. SAMANTHA continues with the questioning.)
SAMANTHA: Let me ask you something. How did you, um, finally figure out what he was doing?
SANDRA O'NEILL: They stayed at my place that day. I had to run some errands. I guess...George didn't expect me back so soon.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Ext: SANDRA O'NEILL's trailer - day]
(SANDRA walks up to the trailer with a bag of groceries. She can hear MELISSA and GEORGE arguing inside.)
MELISSA: It's too little.
GEORGE ANDERSON: I don't care. Put it on.
MELISSA: I'm not a baby!
GEORGE ANDERSON: What is the matter with you? I'm not going to put up with this anymore. You do what I tell you to do. Now, put it on!
(SANDRA puts down her bag and opens the door. GEORGE is shaking MELISSA.)
SANDRA O'NEILL: What's going on?
GEORGE ANDERSON: Get out.
SANDRA O'NEILL: What are you doing, George?
GEORGE ANDERSON: It's none of your business.
Ignoring him, SANDRA leans down to MELISSA's level.)
SANDRA O'NEILL: Are you okay, Melissa?
MELISSA: (She's crying, but she nods her head.) Yeah...
(As SANDRA stands back up, GEORGE backhands her and drags her out the door into the yard.)
GEORGE ANDERSON: Get out! Get out, and leave us alone.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
SANDRA O'NEILL: He didn't say anything about it later. Neither did Melissa. He left and I haven't seen him since.
SAMANTHA: Why didn't you call the police?
SANDRA O'NEILL: He'd know it was me. And he'd come back.
SAMANTHA: Alright. What else can you tell me about him?
SANDRA O'NEILL: I think he grew up in Southern New Jersey. Oh, and he was always complaining about how fast Melissa was growing up. Refused to ever throw away any of her clothes. There's a bag that he forgot to take in my closet.
SAMANTHA: We're going to need that.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - break room - night]
(MARTIN walks into the break room and over to the snack machine. He notices BILL SHIELDS sitting at one of the tables.)
MARTIN: You know, Mr. Shields, if we need you, we can always call you at home.
BILL SHIELDS: I know.
(MARTIN gets a container of applesauce from the snack machine.)
BILL SHIELDS: That's not much of a dinner.
MARTIN: I'm not really hungry.
BILL SHIELDS: Yeah. Me either.
(MARTIN sits down at the table across from BILL.)
MARTIN: You know, I've been in some of these usenet chatrooms. See if I could find anything on Melissa, and...
BILL SHIELDS: (interrupting) Melissa?
MARTIN: Yeah.
BILL SHIELDS: You know her name. That's a good thing to figure out, right?
MARTIN: Yeah, it's a really good thing.
BILL SHIELDS: But, you were saying about the chatrooms?
MARTIN: Yeah, right. Well, I'm getting nowhere. And I was wondering if you think it might help if I log in with one of your online profiles.
(MARTIN reaches into his coat pocket and takes out a pad of paper and a pen.)
BILL SHIELDS: It might. I'll write them down.
MARTIN: That'd be great.
BILL SHIELDS: It's hard being in those chatrooms, isn't it?
MARTIN: Yes, it is.
BILL SHIELDS: When I first saw Melissa, she was looking right at the camera, and there was something in her eyes, like she was begging me to make what was happening to her stop. It reminded me of Lauren. She used to look at me that way, after she got sick. Searching for Melissa has kept me going these last six months. I don't want to go home.
MARTIN: Alright. If that's the case, then I recommend the applesauce.
BILL SHIELDS: Hm.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - night]
(ELENA and SAMANTHA go through the bag of clothes from SANDRA's trailer at the conference table. VIVIAN talks with them from her desk.)
ELENA: Melissa's twelve. This is a 7-8Y. For a seven-year-old.
SAMANTHA: Apparently he likes to dress her in little girl's clothing. Take a look at these. These are her drawings. The same barn, the same cows, chickens. Everything single one.
ELENA: My daughter likes to paint people in these fantastic colorful outfits. It's her way of rebelling against Catholic school uniforms.
SAMANTHA: I didn't know you had a daughter.
ELENA: I do. She's six.
VIVIAN: There are fifty-five George Andersons in New Jersey.
ELENA: Maybe we should focus on the ones in rural areas. Kids like to draw whatever they're thinking. And she seems to have some connection to a farm.
VIVIAN: Okay.
(SAMANTHA finds a receipt among the clothes. She walks over to VIVIAN's desk in order to look up the credit card information.)
SAMANTHA: I've got a credit card receipt. Agh. All his bills go to a P.O. box.
VIVIAN: But he used the credit card yesterday.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - JACK's office - night]
(JACK and SAMANTHA interview an older woman, a SALESWOMAN who saw MELISSA.)
SALESWOMAN: Yes, she and her father were in the store yesterday shopping for clothes. Poor thing.
SAMANTHA: Why poor thing?
SALESWOMAN: Well, she went into the dressing room to try some things on and she didn't come out for a while, so I went to check on her.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: store dressing room - day]
(MELISSA sits huddled in the corner of the dressing room, crying. The SALESWOMAN checks on her concernedly from outside the door.)
SALESWOMAN: Do you need any other sizes or colors?
MELISSA: No.
SALESWOMAN: What is it, honey? Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. Just tell me what happened.
(She opens the door and goes inside. MELISSA shows her the balled up underwear she was in her hand.)
SALESWOMAN: Oh. Do you know what's going on?
MELISSA: Sort of.
SALESWOMAN: Getting your period is normal for a young woman your age. Do you have someone to talk to about it? A mom?
(MELISSA shakes her head. The SALESWOMAN goes fully into the dressing room, sits down, and closes the door.)
SALESWOMAN: I could explain it a little, if you want.
(GEORGE appears outside the door.)
GEORGE ANDERSON: What's going on?
MELISSA: (whispering) Don't tell him.
SALESWOMAN: Um, some button problems. We'll be right out.
MELISSA: Please, don't tell him.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
SALESWOMAN: She was embarrassed. I understood that, but she was all alone. I felt that I had to tell him.
JACK: And how did he react?
SALESWOMAN: Well, he seemed angry. You know, I gave her a couple of tampons before she left, but someone has to show her how to use them.
SAMANTHA: Did he leave any personal information? Phone number? Address?
SALESWOMAN: For a credit card sale, I would have checked his ID, but I don't remember what it said. I'm sorry.
JACK: That's okay. Thanks very much for coming in. We'll have one of our agents escort you out.
SALESWOMAN: Thank you very much.
(An agent comes to the door and walks her out.)
JACK: If her period started, she's going to lose her little girl appeal.
SAMANTHA: Yeah.
FADE OUT
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - night]
(ELENA and DANNY sit at the conference table, going through missing persons files.)
ELENA: There's a lot of missing girls out there.
DANNY: Yes, there are.
ELENA: So what do you think he's going to do with her now?
DANNY: He could sell her to a prostitution ring. Or he could trade her out for a younger girl. Sometimes these guys, they can't stand the thought of their victims being with anyone else, and they... Well, unfortunately, they kill them.
ELENA: Not a lot of choices.
VIVIAN: (from her desk) There are nine George Andersons in the age range. But only one who lives in rural New Jersey. (to DANNY) Want to go for a ride?
DANNY: Can you handle going through these files on your own?
ELENA: I'm fine.
DANNY: Okay.
CUT TO:
[Ext: Anderson farm - barn - day]
(DANNY and VIVIAN talk to MELISSA's UNCLE.)
MELISSA'S UNCLE: And is he, uh, is he having...
VIVIAN: Look, we don't know anything for sure. But the men who post these pictures are often sexually abusing their victims, yeah.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: Why would he do that to Melissa?
VIVIAN: I don't know. How did he get custody of her?
MELISSA'S UNCLE: Our sister and her husband died in an auto accident. George is the older brother and they thought that he'd be a better guardian, in case anything happened.
DANNY: Do you have any idea where your brother is now?
MELISSA'S UNCLE: Nah, I haven't seen them in a long time. Since the day they moved away.
FLASHBACK TO:
(GEORGE packs up a car, while MELISSA talks to her UNCLE off to the side.)
MELISSA: Well, what if I don't want to go?
MELISSA'S UNCLE: I know it's not easy to move, Melissa, but your parents wanted what was best for you, and they thought going with Uncle George was the best.
MELISSA: You could come with us.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: Well, I have to stay here and take care of the farm. Watch the cows and the pigs. Your favorite chicken.
MELISSA: (smiling) Little.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: Make sure everything's tip-top for when you come to visit.
MELISSA: I can visit?
MELISSA'S UNCLE: As much as you want.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Okay, Melissa, come on. Let's go.
MELISSA: I'd like to visit.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: I love you so much.
MELISSA: I love you too.
(They hug, then walk over to the car.)
MELISSA'S UNCLE: Uncle George is going to take good care of you. Chicken.
MELISSA: Little.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Alright, come on. Watch your fingers. Alright.
(He helps MELISSA into the back seat. He turns and nods to his brother, then gets into the driver's seat.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: George called regularly for a while. But now, it's mostly birthdays. Maybe the holidays.
VIVIAN: Do you have a telephone number for him?
MELISSA'S UNCLE: I did. But then he moved, and I kept asking for a new one, but George never got it to me.
DANNY: Well, that old number might really help us.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: I'm sure it's in the house. I'll go get it.
(He begins walking out of the barn toward the house, but stops after a few steps.)
MELISSA'S UNCLE: If you find her, what happens to her then?
VIVIAN: Well, she's been through a lot.
MELISSA'S UNCLE: I'm married now, and my wife and I... Please bring her here. We'll make sure she gets everything she needs.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
ELENA: The disconnected phone was from an address in Norwichtown. That's like ten miles away from your children's clothing store.
SAMANTHA: But I can't find a listings in that area for a George Anderson, or a G. Anderson. Nothing.
ELENA: Hmm. Maybe they're living out of motels.
SAMANTHA: Maybe.
ELENA: I'll go get the phone books.
SAMANTHA: Okay.
(MARTIN interrupts to call them over to his desk.)
MARTIN: Hey, guys? I think I might have something here. You know, when we found out that Melissa may no longer be appealing to Anderson because she got her period, I started checking out these chat rooms that focus on pubescent girls. And I found this organization called Plato's Vineyard. Now, they're having a meeting tonight, and someone with the handle farmboy61 says he has merchandise for trade.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - JACK's office - day]
JACK: It's a pretty rich target. We shouldn't have any problem putting together a multi-agency surveillance team.
MARTIN: Yeah, but Anderson might not show up, or he might not bring Melissa with him. And, uh, if we just case the party, we run the risk that we still won't get the girl.
JACK: So what's the plan?
MARTIN: Well, you know, Bill Shields was a regular in these usenet groups. So, ah, I got you an invitation to the party.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - private office - night]
(MARTIN is setting JACK up with a wire. JACK is wearing casual clothes, and hides the wire under his zip-up windbreaker. BILL SHIELDS is giving advice.)
BILL SHIELDS: And when you're talking to people, never use your name or ask them theirs.
JACK: Should I tell them I'm from the FBI, Bill?
BILL SHIELDS: No. (realizing it's a joke, he laughs) Everyone goes by their online handle.
MARTIN: I got the invitation using pirateship7. And I let farmboy know that you're interested in the transaction.
BILL SHIELDS: But even if he approaches you, don't bring it up. He'll talk to you. See if he's comfortable pursuing it.
MARTIN: Okay, Jack, give me a test.
JACK: Testing, one, two, three.
MARTIN: Yeah, that'll work. I'll make sure everything else is good to go.
JACK: Great.
(MARTIN leaves the office. BILL hands JACK a piece of paper.)
BILL SHIELDS: This is a list I made of people I've encountered. Their handles and what they're, ah, interested in. Maybe it'll help you fit in.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - hallway - continuous]
(JACK walks out of the office still talking to BILL. They walk down the hallway towards the elevators.)
JACK: This George Anderson guy. Um, how does he perceive Melissa?
BILL SHIELDS: What do you mean?
JACK: Well, on the net, he referred to her as merchandise. Is that a code? Or does he really think of her as property? Or does he think of her as his daughter? His girlfriend? What?
BILL SHIELDS: I don't know.
JACK: Alright.
(He pats BILL on the shoulder, then gets into the elevator.)
CUT TO:
[Int: house - Plato's Vineyard meeting - night]
(JACK is talking with two men at the party.)
PV MAN #1: Most people end up underinsured because their home owner's policy has such a low-liability ceiling.
JACK: Alright, I guess that's one of the advantages of being a renter.
PV MAN #2: Oh, bad move. Now he's going to sell you renter's insurance.
JACK: Ah.
(Over the man's shoulder, JACK sees GEORGE ANDERSON enter the house and go over to a table where there is coffee and other drinks.)
JACK: Well, if you're going to do that, then I'm going to need some more coffee.
(GEORGE ANDERSON pours coffee for himself at the refreshment table. JACK comes up alongside him, getting his own coffee.)
JACK: Sugar?
GEORGE ANDERSON: Thanks. You're a new face.
JACK: Ah. Pirateship7.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Farmboy61.
(They look at each other in recognition. GEORGE lowers his voice.)
GEORGE ANDERSON: So, uh, want to sit down and talk?
JACK: Yeah, sure.
CUT TO:
[Int: house - game room - night]
(JACK and GEORGE ANDERSON sit on the couch, drinking their coffee, engaging in small talk.)
JACK: Well, you know, computers do most of the work these days. I mean, the toughest part of inventory management is making sure the employees don't steal everything.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Yeah, yeah. That's true lots of places.
JACK: Yeah, I think you're right about that.
GEORGE ANDERSON: So, um, in the chatroom, you said you were interested.
JACK: Yeah.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Why?
JACK: When I saw her picture, you could tell that she started so young, that... Do you mind me asking what her name is?
GEORGE ANDERSON: Melissa.
JACK: That's a sweet name. As I was saying, when I was looking at her picture, she seemed to have started so young, and she could have been hardened by that, but she still had this freshness to her. I mean, obviously, you've done a great job grooming her for future responsibilities.
GEORGE ANDERSON: She's a good girl.
JACK: Yeah, I can see that.
GEORGE ANDERSON: She deserves a good home.
JACK: I mean, it won't be the same kind of home that you gave her, but I will really take good care of Melissa.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Maybe we should see how the two of you get along.
JACK: Yeah, I'd like that.
CUT TO:
[Ext: motel room door - night]
(GEORGE unlocks the door and lets JACK in. The room is empty.)
JACK: Where is she?
CUT TO:
[Ext: motel parking lot - continuous]
(MARTIN and ELENA sit in their car, watching the hotel room and listening to the wire.)
JACK: (on wire)Is she not here?
GEORGE ANDERSON: (on wire) Yes, she is.
CUT TO:
[Int: motel room - continuous]
JACK: You've got some kind of scam here?
GEORGE ANDERSON: No, everything's okay
(GEORGE moves a chair that was propped up under the handle of the bathroom door.)
JACK: Well, you can't be too careful. Is she a runner?
GEORGE ANDERSON: No, but you know, better safe than sorry. That's my philosophy.
(He opens the door to the bathroom. MELISSA sits on the toilet seat, head down, her long hair covering her face. JACK tries to identify her.)
JACK: Can I talk to her?
GEORGE ANDERSON: Just don't close the door.
JACK: Sure.
(JACK goes into the bathroom and sits on the edge of the tub next to MELISSA.)
JACK: Hi, Melissa.
CUT TO:
[Ext: motel parking lot - continuous]
(MARTIN recognizes that JACK has identified the girl. They get out of the car and head toward the motel.)
MARTIN: Let's do it.
CUT TO:
[Int: motel room - continuous]
(JACK looks up to see GEORGE looking away. He leans over and whispers quietly to MELISSA.)
JACK: Chicken Little says hi. (She looks up at him in surprise.) He sent me to help you.
(MARTIN and ELENA burst through the door with their weapons out.)
MARTIN: FBI. Get on the ground.
GEORGE ANDERSON: Melissa!
(GEORGE gets up from the bed and turns toward the bathroom. JACK knees him in the groin and punches him. GEORGE drops to the ground.)
MARTIN: That'll work. Keep your hands where I can see them.
(ELENA goes past them into the bathroom to get MELISSA. MARTIN drags GEORGE up from the ground.)
MARTIN: Get up. Get up.
ELENA: Come on. He's not going to hurt you anymore.
(ELENA leads MELISSA out of the room.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - hallway - night]
(The elevator opens to reveal JACK, ELENA, and MELISSA. MELISSA has a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. ELENA puts her around around her and escorts her down the hall and into an office.)
(BILL SHIELDS, sitting at the end of the hall, sits up when he sees them.)
(JACK stops in the doorway of the office and looks in acknowledgement towards BILL. BILL nods once to him. JACK continues into the office.)
BILL is left along in the hallway. He leans over in his seat in tears.)
FADE OUT
END CREDITS
