Without a Trace
4.15 - "The Stranger"
Original CBS Airdate: 02/09/06
Transcribed from CBS
Written by: JAN NASH
Directed by: JOHN F. SHOWALTER
Transcribed by Elise B.
Contact the transcriptionist at [email protected]
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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.
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SUMMARY: A suburban wife and mother vanishes after attending an art show at a gallery, where she argued with a man wearing a blue-velvet coat, the team's only clue to her disappearance.
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FADE IN
[Ext: New York City (stock) - night]
[Int: NYC art gallery - night]
(Members of New York's trendy art crowd wander through the gallery, alternatively looking at the paintings and chatting with each other.)
(A housewife, LEAH ROBINSON, brushes past them, looking distinctly out of place. She glances around, sees a small bar set up against one wall, and walks over to it.)
(The bartender smiles at her.)
BARTENDER: What can I get you?
LEAH ROBINSON: Ah, bourbon, please.
BARTENDER: Well, I got white bourbon and red bourbon. Or three flavors of water.
LEAH ROBINSON: White.
(She is distracted. She places her purse on the edge of the bar and looks around behind her.)
BARTENDER: So, what do you think of the paintings? He's supposed to be a genius.
LEAH ROBINSON: I think they're sad. Maybe ugly. I don't know.
BARTENDER: Yeah, I don't like the one over there in the corner. And, um, it's on the only one nobody's bought.
(She sees a man approaching the bar. She abruptly turns to leave.)
LEAH ROBINSON: Thank you.
(She runs off towards the back of the gallery. The man, TREY HINTON, chases after her.)
BARTENDER: Ma'am, your purse!
CUT TO:
[Int: NYC art gallery - industrial elevator - continuous]
(LEAH frantically runs down the back hallways to reach the elevator before TREY HINTON reaches her.)
TREY HINTON: You just walk away from me like that?
(LEAH pulls down the gate and the elevator starts moving down. TREY HINTON has reached the door, but isn't able to follow. He yells down after her.)
TREY HINTON: Come back here so we can finish this!
LEAH ROBINSON: Please, just leave me alone.
TREY HINTON: Come back here. I mean it! Come back.
(She vanishes.)
CUT TO:
[Ext: FBI offices - parking garage - day]
(JACK pulls into a parking space. ANNE sits in the passenger seat.)
CUT TO:
(Int: JACK's car - parking garage - continuous]
JACK: I'm really sorry about this morning, sweetie. Can I take a rain check?
ANNE: Ah, someone's gone missing. I think my bacon and egg sandwich can take a back seat to that.
JACK: Thank you.
(JACK leans over to give her a kiss, but she flinches back. He gives her a look.)
(They both look out to see a woman walking from a car nearby towards the elevators.)
ANNE: That's the assistant in Legal Affairs.
JACK: So what? For all she knows, we could be having an early meeting.
ANNE: Except we weren't.
JACK: Look, it's none of her damn business.
ANNE: Jack. Come on. My husband worked here. He died in the line of duty. It doesn't matter what we were doing. FBI business, having sex, or breakfast. They're going to talk and I don't want people talking about me.
(JACK is obviously bothered. He watches as the woman gets onto the elevator and the doors close.)
JACK: (irritated) Fine. Fine. Look, little Miss Legal Advisor's just walked into the elevator. I'm going to go meet up with Samantha and Martin to go over...
(ANNE abruptly gets out of the car without a word. She slams the car door behind her and walks towards the elevator.)
(JACK blinks and watches her go.)
JACK: You have a nice day too.
[white board reads: LEAH ROBINSON 7A-NY 735206]
FADE OUT
END TEASER
TITLE CREDITS
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[caption: 13 HOURS MISSING]
[Int: Robinson residence - living room - day]
KEN ROBINSON: I work late. And when I got home and there was a note saying she was shopping for a potluck and she'd defrosted some lasagna for me.
JACK: So when the local police called last night at about, ah, 10:30, you were home?
KEN ROBINSON: Asleep. We've been married for seventeen years. I don't know what she was doing in the city. She hates going into the city.
JACK: You don't happen to own a blue velvet jacket, do you?
KEN ROBINSON: No. Why?
SAMANTHA: Your wife had an encounter or a fight with a man at the gallery. Do you have any idea who that might be?
KEN ROBINSON: No. No, what did he look like?
JACK: Is it possible that your wife's having an affair?
KEN ROBINSON: No, it's not possible.
JACK: Did, um, you or your wife have an altercation with somebody recently, or...
KEN ROBINSON: Yeah. I had a client. His name is Steven Douglas. He had some trouble with an insurance policy I sold him. He came over here to talk about it when I wasn't home.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: Robinson residence - living room - day]
(PETE is lying on the couch, watching tv, when the doorbell rings. He doesn't move.)
(LEAH comes down the stairs to answer the door. She jokes with her son.)
LEAH ROBINSON: No, no, Pete. Just stay there. I'll get it.
PETE ROBINSON: It's not for me.
LEAH ROBINSON: Well, someday it will be and the beautiful girl standing on the other side will be sent home.
PETE ROBINSON: Fine. No grandkids for you.
(LEAH laughs and opens the front door. The man at the door, STEVEN DOUGLAS, barges in.)
STEVEN DOUGLAS: Where's Ken?
LEAH ROBINSON: Ah, he's not here.
STEVEN DOUGLAS: I need to talk to him. Right now.
LEAH ROBINSON: If you, if you go to his office...
STEVEN DOUGLAS: I've called his office. He doesn't return my calls.
(LEAH backs away and moves to stand in front of Pete, who has stood up from the couch.)
LEAH ROBINSON: What are you doing here?
STEVEN DOUGLAS: He denied my claim.
LEAH ROBINSON: Your claim?
STEVEN DOUGLAS: Even though the kerosene had nothing to do with the fire!
PETE ROBINSON: Should I call dad?
LEAH ROBINSON: No, Pete, sit down.
STEVEN DOUGLAS: Pete, your dad loves his rules, no matter how much they screw people over!
LEAH ROBINSON: Hey! Get out of my house, right now!
(LEAH moves quickly over to the desk in the doorway and rummages through a drawer.)
STEVEN DOUGLAS: I'm going to wait here until Ken gets back because I need to talk to him!
(LEAH pulls out a gun and points it at him.)
LEAH ROBINSON: No. No. Get out. Now. Now, go on. Go on, get out. I mean it! Go!
(He hesitates, then leaves the house, slamming the door behind him.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
KEN ROBINSON: She called me after he left. But I talked her out of calling the police.
JACK: Why was that?
KEN ROBINSON: Well, I figured I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Might be bad for business. But I talked to him, you know. I thought we'd worked it out. He was fine.
SAMANTHA: Where's your son?
KEN ROBINSON: Well, he's at junior high nature camp this week. Left four days ago. Our minister is on the way over to get the directions to pick him up.
JACK: Do you make it a practice of leaving guns lying around the house?
KEN ROBINSON: It's not loaded. I keep the ammunition in my workroom along with my hunting stuff.
JACK: We're going to need that gun.
KEN ROBINSON: Yeah, sure. I keep it over here.
(KEN walks over to the desk and reaches into the drawer for the gun. He doesn't find anything.)
KEN ROBINSON: It's gone.
(JACK and SAMANTHA glance at each other.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
(VIVIAN and ELENA sit at a conference table, going through the files for the case.)
VIVIAN: The insurance guy's gone missing and so has his car.
ELENA: Well, we can't place him at the gallery and nobody remembers the face of a guy in a blue jacket, and nobody remembers Leah at all.
(ELENA pulls out the file on STEVEN DOUGLAS.)
ELENA: And this guy. He knew exactly where she lived. So why bother following her all the way into the city?
VIVIAN: Yeah, it doesn't make sense.
ELENA: No.
VIVIAN: Well, maybe she was having an affair? We should start going through her date book looking for a pattern of meetings.
ELENA: Let me get this straight, Vivian, please. This is a lovely housewife who's a mother. And she's going to turn into a gun-packing, affair-having, crazy woman? No!
VIVIAN: Well, in my experience, sometimes there's a very thin line between the two.
CUT TO:
[Int: Robinson residence - kitchen - day]
MINISTER BARNES: I don't know anything about an affair.
MARTIN: Would Leah have confided in you?
MINISTER BARNES: Well, she hasn't. Not about that.
MARTIN: So, you think that she and Ken have a pretty solid relationship?
MINISTER BARNES: (hesitantly) I believe so.
MARTIN: One to ten on the confidence scale, I give that answer about a five.
MINISTER BARNES: I see Ken on Sundays. But Leah. If you're the chair of a church committee, she's the first person you call.
MARTIN: Right.
MINISTER BARNES: Not that she doesn't have a real commitment to God, but I think she's also searching for something.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: Robinson residence - kitchen - day]
(LEAH is sorting items into paper bags onto the counter.)
LEAH ROBINSON: Everything from the shelter's list is here. But I thought, they're going on job interviews. The women will want to look their best, so I got them some make-up too.
MINISTER BARNES: I'm sure they'll appreciate that.
LEAH ROBINSON: They've worked hard to turn their lives around. It's the least I can do.
(PETE runs into the kitchen and grabs his backpack.)
PETE ROBINSON: I'm going to miss the bus!
LEAH ROBINSON: Say hello to Minister Barnes.
MINISTER BARNES: Hey Pete.
(LEAH grabs PETE for a hug and a kiss. He struggles away from her.)
PETE ROBINSON: Mom!
(LEAH and the MINISTER laugh.)
LEAH ROBINSON: Have a good day, honey.
(As PETE leaves, he turns in the doorway.)
PETE ROBINSON: I've got basketball.
LEAH ROBINSON: I see his back more than any other part of him. Feels like I went from indispensable to unnecessary in about two weeks. (She shakes her head.) What's that expression? Idle hands.
MINISTER BARNES: You wouldn't know an idle hand if it came up and slapped you on the cheek.
LEAH ROBINSON: You'd be surprised.
(He looks at her questioningly, but she just shakes her head and goes back to sorting through the bags.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
MINISTER BARNES: I think she needed a new purpose to define her life.
(KEN enters the kitchen from the other room. He hands some papers to MINISTER BARNES.)
KEN ROBINSON: I couldn't find the directions the camp gave us, so I had to have them fax me a new one.
MINISTER BARNES: No problem, Ken. Well, I guess I should go. Is that okay? My prayers are with you.
KEN ROBINSON: Thank you.
(MINISTER BARNES leaves. KEN glances at MARTIN across the kitchen.)
KEN ROBINSON: Can I, ah, make you some coffee?
MARTIN: Sure.
(KEN walks over to the coffee machine on the counter. He fumbles with it.)
KEN ROBINSON: Uh, I forgot this is broken. Leah was going to get a new one.
MARTIN: That's okay. Don't worry about it.
(As KEN places the glass carafe back in the coffee machine, it slams against the counter and shatters. MARTIN flinches at the sound.)
(KEN looks desperately at MARTIN.)
KEN ROBINSON: Where is she?
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
[caption: 14 HOURS MISSING]
(VIVIAN is on the phone at her desk.)
VIVIAN: Okay, thank you. (hangs up)
(VIVIAN glances over to where ELENA is sitting at her desk, going through LEAH's datebook.)
VIVIAN: Okay, so the guy she pulled the gun on has an alibi. He was having a job interview in North Carolina.
ELENA: Then we're both nowhere, because all I'm getting out of the datebook is that she doesn't have much of a social life. Apparently dinner with her husband merits an entry.
(As ELENA walks over to VIVIAN's desk, DANNY joins them.)
DANNY: Alright, guys. A valet at the gallery thought he saw the velvet jacket get into a car with Jersey plates.
VIVIAN: Well most of the people on the invitation list live in New York.
DANNY: Alright, I'm going to get started on the Garden State residents.
(As they go back to work, VIVIAN's phone rings.)
VIVIAN: Yeah? Okay. Well, thanks for getting back to me. Great. Bye. (hangs up) Is there a Stacey Newman in her address book?
ELENA: Stacey Newman. Let me see.
(ELENA pages through the datebook.)
VIVIAN: I followed up on a credit card charge. They split a lunch bill like three days ago.
ELENA: Yep, got it. Okay, Stacey Newman, used to be Stacey Rogers. And before that I have here, ah, Stacey Jones.
VIVIAN: Must be a lot of Mr. Stacey's.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - private office - day]
(VIVIAN and DANNY talk to STACEY NEWMAN, a middle-aged New York socialite.)
VIVIAN: So, you had lunch with Leah. What was the occasion?
STACEY NEWMAN: We just had some stuff to talk about.
DANNY: Ah, what kind of stuff?
STACEY NEWMAN: There was an event a couple of weeks ago at the club. And, um, a bunch of the girls were complaining about their sex life. And Leah said that she had the opposite problem. That whenever Ken came home from his hunting trips, he was, ah, insatiable.
VIVIAN: Did she say that he was ever sexually aggressive with her?
STACEY NEWMAN: No. But, we started giving her a hard time. Saying that he must just be guilty, that he was doing his secretary. It was, it was just a joke. But Leah took us seriously.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Ext: New York city street - night]
(STACEY is walking across the street when her cell phone rings.)
STACEY NEWMAN: Hello?
INTERCUT WITH:
[Ext: Hungry Trucker diner - parking lot - night]
(LEAH sits in her car outside the diner. She talks on her cell phone.)
LEAH ROBINSON: You were right. You were all right. I followed him when he left on his hunting trip.
STACEY NEWMAN: Leah?
(LEAH glances out her car window. KEN is standing outside the door of the diner, flirting with a young red-headed woman.)
LEAH ROBINSON: Now he's in front of this diner with some big-breasted, red-headed waitress. You should see the two of them. It's sickening.
STACEY NEWMAN: Honey, just because he's talking to a woman in the parking lot doesn't mean that he's cheating on you. I'm sure it's nothing.
(As LEAH watches, KEN leans in closely to the woman and fingers the cross necklace around her neck.)
LEAH ROBINSON: It's not nothing! He's hanging all over her.
STACEY NEWMAN: Leah, listen to me. Leave now before you do something you regret.
LEAH ROBINSON: I drove two hours to find the truth. I am not leaving now.
(LEAH snaps her cell phone closed.)
STACEY NEWMAN: Leah, listen... Leah!
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
STACEY NEWMAN: I called her right back but she wouldn't pick up. I got through to her the next day and I insisted we have lunch. And then she didn't want to talk about what happened.
DANNY: And how'd she seem to you?
STACEY NEWMAN: Agitated.
VIVIAN: Do you know the name of the diner she saw him at?
STACEY NEWMAN: It's the, um, it's the Hungry something.
[white board reads: 5 DBD - SUSPECTS HUSBAND IS CHEATING]
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
JACK: Anything on those cafes?
VIVIAN: There's a Hungry Trucker diner off Route 84. They had a waitress fit that description.
JACK: What do you mean, had?
DANNY: She was murdered less than a week ago.
FADE OUT
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[caption: 16 HOURS MISSING]
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
(SAMANTHA and DANNY are showing JACK the file for the murdered waitress. They stand next to the conference table.)
DANNY: Her name is Mary Peterson. She finished her shift at the Hungry Trucker at 8pm , and that's the last anybody saw of her until some kids found her body on their way to school.
JACK: What caliber was the pistol?
SAMANTHA: 9mm. Same as the Robinson's missing pistol.
(The telephone rings at SAMANTHA's desk. She walks over to answer it.)
DANNY: Her husband has an affair, so she kills the waitress?
JACK: Still doesn't explain the guy from the art gallery.
(SAMANTHA hangs up and rejoins them.)
SAMANTHA: Ken Robinson's downstairs.
JACK: How long before Vivian and Elena get to the diner?
DANNY: About an hour.
JACK: Let's go.
SAMANTHA: Okay.
(JACK and SAMANTHA leave the bullpen, as DANNY goes back to researching the crime report.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - interview room - day]
KEN ROBINSON: I didn't tell you I was having an affair because I wasn't having one.
(SAMANTHA places a head shot of MARY PETERSON in front of KEN.)
SAMANTHA: Okay, so you don't know who she is then?
KEN ROBINSON: No.
JACK: Her name's Mary Peterson. Your wife saw you screwing around with her in a diner parking lot.
KEN ROBINSON: Leah followed me?
JACK: What'd she see?
KEN ROBINSON: I was flirting. A little. But that's all. I go on these trips. I do a little hunting. I smile at a pretty girl. There's no harm in it. I mean, ask her. She'll tell you. Nothing happened.
SAMANTHA: That's going to be hard to do, Ken. Um, she's dead.
(She places a picture of Mary Peterson's body on top of the other picture.)
JACK: So your wife killed her because you smiled at her?
KEN ROBINSON: My wife hosts church potlucks and bakes birthday cakes. She could never do anything like that.
SAMANTHA: Did your wife confront you about her suspicions when you got back from your trip?
KEN ROBINSON: No. Everything was normal.
SAMANTHA: And was your son there when you got back?
KEN ROBINSON: Yeah.
JACK: Do you mind if we speak to him?
KEN ROBINSON: Sure.
CUT TO:
[Int: Robinson residence - living room - day]
PETE ROBINSON: Do you know where my dad is?
MARTIN: Ah, he's in the city, helping my colleagues look for your mom.
PETE ROBINSON: That's good.
MINISTER BARNES: Pete, is there anything you can tell Agent Fitzgerald that might help?
PETE ROBINSON: Like what?
MARTIN: Well, it could be anything. Something you saw or heard. For example, have your parents been fighting recently?
PETE ROBINSON: They never fight.
MARTIN: How about when your dad got back from his hunting trip last week?
PETE ROBINSON: No. I mean, mom was sad, but they didn't fight.
MARTIN: Do you know what she was sad about?
PETE ROBINSON: I think it was about the animals. You know, the killing.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: Robinson residence - living room - day]
(KEN ROBINSON stands in the living room, telling a story from his trip. PETE listens, enthralled.)
(LEAH sits at a table across the room, staring at the souvenir plate KEN has given her and looking uncomfortable.)
KEN ROBINSON: It was so cold. The air felt frozen. I just waited, totally still, til she walked across my sight line. And then... It was a great hunt.
(KEN tosses a t-shirt to PETE - his present from the trip.)
PETE ROBINSON: Mom, can I wear this to school tomorrow?
LEAH ROBINSON: (absentmindedly) We should wash it first.
KEN ROBINSON: Speaking of, I need to get in the shower before we go to dinner. Nothing romantic about dirt.
(He goes over to where she is sitting and leans over to kiss her. She leans away.)
LEAH ROBINSON: I'm not sure I'm up for dinner tonight, Ken.
KEN ROBINSON: Ah, a quiet evening at home is nice too.
LEAH ROBINSON: Just not feeling that well.
(KEN looks a little put out, but nods.)
(PETE watches them from across the room, where he places the souvenir plate among other already on display. The plate is from the Hungry Trucker diner.)
KEN ROBINSON: Okay. Whatever you want honey. Glad you like the shirt Pete.
(KEN leaves the room.)
(PETE looks over at his mom, who is staring moodily at the cross necklace that KEN has given her.)
PETE ROBINSON: Is that okay? Mom, what is it? You don't like your present?
LEAH ROBINSON: No, no. It's fine. It's just the hunting. I'm not sure how I feel about it anymore.
PETE ROBINSON: You're such a girl. I can't wait til I can go with him.
(She looks up at him, shocked, but he continues on, oblivious.)
PETE ROBINSON: I'm going to go put my shirt in the washer. Cold, right?
LEAH ROBINSON: Um, right.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
PETE ROBINSON: When I left for nature camp, she was fine.
MARTIN: Pete, where are those plates?
PETE ROBINSON: They're right over th...
(PETE gestures over to the bookcase, but stops, shocked. The plates are gone.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - tech room - day]
(MACK is manipulating a Robinson family photo taken in their living room in order to single out an image of as many of the plates as possible.)
MACK: So, why take a souvenir plate?
SAMANTHA: Because in her mind, every plate represents a girlfriend. We're hoping to catch her while she's tracking them down. Question is, why didn't her husband tell us they were missing?
(MACK zooms in on one of the plates and copies it as an image.)
SAMANTHA: Great, print that.
(DANNY peeks his head in through the door of the tech room.)
DANNY: Okay, we IDed the guy at the art gallery. His name is Trey Hinton. He's not home, but I've got surveillance at his house. What have you got?
MACK: Um, one plate down and nine affairs to go.
[caption: 17 HOURS MISSING]
CUT TO:
[Int: Hungry Trucker diner - day]
DINER OWNER: Everybody's still upset about Mary. She was a great gal. I still can't believe anyone would do that to her.
(ELENA hands him a picture of LEAH.)
ELENA: Did you see this woman hanging around before Mary died?
DINER OWNER: Not then, but she was here.
ELENA: When?
DINER OWNER: A couple days later.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: Hungry Trucker diner - day]
(LEAH sits in a booth at the diner. The DINER OWNER comes over to her.)
DINER OWNER: They said you wanted to talk to me?
LEAH ROBINSON: Yeah, I'm looking for one of your waitresses. A red-headed woman?
DINER OWNER: Mary?
LEAH ROBINSON: I don't know her name. We have a, ah, mutual friend.
(He slides into the seat across from her.)
DINER OWNER: I'm real sorry. Mary's, um, she's dead.
LEAH ROBINSON: What happened?
DINER OWNER: She was murdered.
LEAH ROBINSON: Oh my god.
DINER OWNER: Yeah. Couple days ago.
LEAH ROBINSON: How? Who killed her?
DINER OWNER: They don't know yet. What did you want to see her about? Maybe I could help you.
(LEAH shakes her head, then gets up from the table and walks out of the diner in a daze.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
DINER OWNER: Saw her outside, leaning against her car like she was going to be sick. Thought about going out to help her, but then she got in her car and drove off.
VIVIAN: And you're sure about when she was here?
DINER OWNER: Yeah. It was the same day as Mary's memorial.
ELENA: Okay, thank you so much.
VIVIAN: Thanks.
(ELENA and VIVIAN turn to exit the diner.)
VIVIAN: I guess she wouldn't have coming in here looking for the waitress if she'd just killed her.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
(SAMANTHA and DANNY stand by the conference table, talking to JACK. There are crime scene photos and files covering the table.)
SAMANTHA: Danny and I started running background on the diners when Ken got his souvenirs on hunting trips. Everywhere he bought a plate, we found an unsolved case of a missing or dead woman.
DANNY: Yeah. Here are photos of the bodies that were recovered. Some of them were shot. There two were strangled. These two women were stabbed to death. The killings don't have a pattern, which is why nobody was able to link them together.
JACK: How far back do the crimes go?
SAMANTHA: About fourteen years.
DANNY: Jack, a lot of these women have never been found. Mary Peterson's body was only thirty yards away from the road. Looks like Ken is getting a little sloppy.
JACK: Not sloppy. Bored. Serial killers get bored. Which is usually one of the reasons they get caught.
FADE OUT
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[caption: 18 HOURS MISSING]
[Int: FBI offices - JACK's office - day]
SAMANTHA: Surveillance is in place. Three units to cover the house and Robinson if he starts moving.
JACK: Great. Let me know if you get any activity.
SAMANTHA: Yeah. You know, I was thinking, if she confronted Ken about the murder, maybe this guy at the art gallery was hired to take care of her.
JACK: It's a possibility.
(ANNE steps into the office.)
ANNE: Hey.
SAMANTHA: Hey Anne.
ANNE: How are things with the Robinson case?
JACK: Ah, they're fine.
ANNE: Olchick called Legal Affairs. He thought we might be able to smooth out any jurisdictional problems you have between you and local law enforcement.
(SAMANTHA and JACK look surprised that she knew anything about it.)
JACK: Well, I wasn't anticipating, I wasn't going to tell them about Ken Robinson until we found his wife.
ANNE: I'm not sure that's such a good idea.
(SAMANTHA seems a little uncomfortable to be caught between them.)
SAMANTHA: You know, I'm going to go see if I can find a connection between Ken and this guy at the art gallery.
(She quickly exits the office, going back into the bullpen.)
ANNE: He's the primary suspect in ten open murder investigations.
JACK: Those dead women are not going anywhere.
ANNE: No, but there is a responsibility to protect the integrity of those cases. That's why they have me and ten other lawyers sitting upstairs. To make sure we don't catch criminals that we're forced to release because we haven't followed proper procedure.
JACK: Yes, and if we start sharing information, there's going to be a leak.
ANNE: There's not going to be...
JACK: (getting angry) Yes, there's going to be a leak. And it's going to compromise our ability to find this woman. Now, I need a few more days.
ANNE: Sorry, all due respect to my professional opinion, withholding is not a good idea.
JACK: Yeah, with all due respect to your professional opinion, I'm not going to put my squad to work making those calls.
ANNE: Well, then my agents will take care of it.
(JACK is furious, but is clenching his jaw. He doesn't like being interfered with.)
(DANNY knocks and leans his head into the office.)
DANNY: Excuse me, Jack. Trey Hinton came home. We're bringing him in.
JACK: Okay, good. Thank you.
DANNY: Okay.
(DANNY goes back into the bullpen. JACK looks pointedly at ANNE.)
JACK: Are we done?
(She blinks, and just stares at him. JACK suddenly becomes aware of the double meaning of that statement. Finally, ANNE nods and leaves the office.)
(JACK sighs.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - interview room - day]
MARTIN: Bartender at the gallery said it looked like you were stalking her.
TREY HINTON: No, it was more like she was stalking me.
DANNY: Look, Trey, clearly you're a very sexy guy. But I don't believe that she was stalking you, so cut the crap.
TREY HINTON: She wanted to talk about my sister.
MARTIN: (skeptical) What's your sister have to do with it?
TREY HINTON: She's been missing for six years. I don't know what that woman was about, but she was obsessed with it.
(This causes the agents to sober immediately. MARTIN glances at DANNY.)
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: NYC art gallery - night]
(LEAH is talking to TREY HINTON at the art gallery show.)
TREY HINTON: How'd you find me?
LEAH ROBINSON: I, ah, lied to your roommate. I told him there was an emergency. He said you'd be here.
TREY HINTON: It was a long time ago. I don't want to talk about it.
LEAH ROBINSON: Just, just tell me. Did this belong to your sister?
(She holds out a silver charm bracelet.)
(TREY recoils a little bit, then shakes his head.)
TREY HINTON: No.
LEAH ROBINSON: Are you sure? Here, look at this charm. It's dogwood. And you and your sister grew up in Virginia. That's the state flower of Virginia, right?
(TREY is now getting bothered and upset. He starts to move away from LEAH.)
TREY HINTON: It's not my sister's, okay? She didn't even wear jewelry. Just this stupid pair of ladybug earrings my dad gave her before he died.
LEAH ROBINSON: Ladybugs?
TREY HINTON: Ladybugs.
LEAH ROBINSON: But blue. Not red.
(This comment causes him to stop suddenly and turn around.)
TREY HINTON: How did you know that? Wait, how did you know that?
(LEAH looks immediately uncomfortable. She tries to move away.)
LEAH ROBINSON: I need to use the lady's room. I'll be right back.
(Without a glance back, she move quickly to a different part of the gallery.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
TREY HINTON: So, when she didn't come back and I saw her standing at the bar, I went after her. But she got in the elevator before I could catch her.
DANNY: And that's the last you saw of her?
TREY HINTNO: Yeah. My sister just went away one day and we never saw her again. I don't think she's alive anymore, but I even gave up thinking we'd ever know what happened. But, this woman. She knows something, doesn't she?
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - hallway - continuous]
(MARTIN and DANNY walk down the hallway towards the bullpen.)
DANNY: Leah suspects her husband is a killer. So she goes on a mission to prove that she's right?
MARTIN: More likely to prove she's wrong.
DANNY: What?
MARTIN: Look, her husband's a VP at an insurance company, belongs to the Rotary Club, doesn't get speeding tickets. It's going to take a lot to convince herself that he's killing women and dragging them into the woods.
DANNY: Ah, Martin. The guy gave his wife trophies from women that he killed. Earring, bracelets. Come on, man.
(He considers this, then tries for a different hypothesis.)
MARTIN: Alright, maybe she's already confronted him.
DANNY: Well, it would explain the missing jewelry and the plates.
MARTIN: Uh-huh. He knows he's caught so he's trying to cover his tracks.
DANNY: (he nods) Makes sense.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - tech room - day]
[caption: 19 HOURS MISSING]
(MACK is hooking VIVIAN up with a wire. She is out of her usual suit and is dressed in sweats and a long coat.)
(JACK gives her the details on the mission.)
VIVIAN: Where's the surveillance van going to be?
JACK: It's right on the corner. Robinson's a guy who likes to control women. He might get upset if you stand up to him, so if you feel threatened, just walk away.
VIVIAN: Okay.
(ANNE enters the tech room. She looks a little surprised at what they're doing. She looks accusingly at JACK.)
VIVIAN: Hey Anne.
ANNE: Hi. They told me you have a warrant for a body recorder.
JACK: Yeah. Vivian's going undercover to talk to Robinson.
VIVIAN: Yeah, I'm going to use my significant charm and a little dishonesty to see if we can find out if he thinks his wife is alive or not.
MACK: Can I get a mike check?
VIVIAN: Mothballs.
(VIVIAN walks over to MACK in order to tweak the mic set-up.)
ANNE: And if she is alive?
JACK: We'll arrest him. His wife found out about the murders. She may be on the run while she thinks he's free.
ANNE: And if we don't know what he thinks?
JACK: Then we'll leave him alone and we'll keep looking for her until we run out of leads.
ANNE: Okay.
(She turns to VIVIAN.)
ANNE: Since we haven't been fully briefed on the other investigations, would you please try not to mention any evidence that we have in our possession?
VIVIAN: Of course.
ANNE: Thank you. I hope this helps you find her.
CUT TO:
[Ext: Robinson residence - day]
(VIVIAN walks up to the front door of the Robinson house, as ELENA watches from her car across the street.)
(As she knocks on the door, VIVIAN talks into the wire under her breath.)
VIVIAN: I hate this.
ELENA: Looks good, though.
(KEN ROBINSON opens the door to VIVIAN, looking confused.)
KEN ROBINSON: Hello?
VIVIAN: Hi.
KEN ROBINSON: Can I help you?
(VIVIAN speaks brusquely, pretending to be a woman from the shelter.)
VIVIAN: I'm Vivian. Leah sent me.
KEN ROBINSON: Do you want to come in?
(She shakes her head knowingly and backs away from him.)
VIVIAN: No. Uh-uh. I'd rather stay out here.
(He steps fully out onto the front porch and closes the door behind him.)
KEN ROBINSON: How do you know Leah?
VIVIAN: I live at the Willow Shelter where she volunteers. She's a real nice lady. One day we got to talking, figured out we had a lot in common. Since we both been treated bad by the people we love.
KEN ROBINSON: What do you want?
VIVIAN: Leah says that she'll disappear for $50,000.
KEN ROBINSON: I don't think I can help you.
VIVIAN: Well, if you change your mind, here's my cell phone.
(She holds out a piece of paper to him. He hesitates, staring at it.)
(ELENA watches from the car, holding her breath.)
ELENA: Come on, Ken. Come on. Take the bait.
(KEN leans over and takes the number from VIVIAN, then walks back to the front door.)
KEN ROBINSON: Look, if you know where my wife is, can you tell her to come home? Her son and I miss her very much.
VIVIAN: I'm sure to tell her.
KEN ROBINSON: Thank you.
(KEN goes back into the house. VIVIAN turns away from the house.)
ELENA: Viv, that was very nice.
VIVIAN: No way to tell what he knows.
ELENA: Well, he would have been an idiot to play it any other way. Now we just have to see if he reaches out to you. If he does, we're in business. Samantha just called. We got a hit on Leah's credit card.
(VIVIAN reaches a beat-up car and gets into the front seat.)
VIVIAN: Thanks for the loan of your car, Delgado.
(ELENA smiles, then watches VIVIAN drive away from the house.)
CUT TO:
[Int: motel - hallway - day]
(The MOTEL MANAGER leads MARTIN and SAMANTHA through the motel.)
MOTEL MANAGER: She rented last night. Upset, no bags. She paid cash. I figured she was on the run. Is she?
SAMANTHA: Did you talk to her at all?
MOTEL MANAGER: Not really. But I got a noise complaint about some screaming, blaring tv, so I came to check it out.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Int: motel room - night]
(The MOTEL MANAGER opens the door to the room with his master key. The tv is blaring. He looks around the room.)
MOTEL MANAGER: Ma'am?
(The motel room is clouded with steam. The MANAGER looks around the room. The plates from the Robinson house are scattered around the room, each paired with crime photos and clippings.)
MOTEL MANAGER: Ma'am? Are you here? Can you hear me? Ma'am? Hello?
(He can hear the shower running. LEAH can be heard crying hysterically over the sound of the tv. The MANAGER looks into the open door of the bathroom.)
HOTEL MANAGER: Ma'am? It's the manager. Are you alright?
(LEAH looks out from behind the shower curtain. She is lying in the bath, her face red and flushed.)
LEAH ROBINSON: Just go away and leave me alone!
HOTEL MANAGER: Okay, I'm sorry. I had a complaint.
(She continues sobbing. He backs out of the room, embarrassed.)
LEAH ROBINSON: Please, leave me alone.
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
HOTEL MANAGER: This whole room was damp. She must have been in that shower for hours.
SAMANTHA: When did she check out?
HOTEL MANAGER: She left without coming to the desk. The housekeeper found a broken lamp when she cleaned up. That's why we ran the credit card number.
MARTIN: She make any phone calls while she was here?
HOTEL MANAGER: Yeah, I charged the credit card for that too.
MARTIN: Alright, we're going to need those numbers.
HOTEL MANAGER: Okay.
(The MANAGER leaves the room to get this information.)
SAMANTHA: So she's got the plates.
MARTIN: Yeah. Which is the only evidence we've got tying Ken to the murder locations.
SAMANTHA: Let's just hope we get to her before Ken does.
MARTIN: Yeah. If he hasn't already.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - JACK's office - day]
(DANNY bursts into JACK's office from the bullpen.)
DANNY: Jack. Jack! You've got to come out here.
(Looking confused, JACK gets up from his desk and follows DANNY out.)
JACK: Alright.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - continuous]
(A man is boxing up all the evidence and information that has been spread across the conference table as ANNE and DANNY watch.)
(JACK storms out of his office.)
JACK: What the hell is going on?
ATTORNEY: I represent Mr. Robinson. And it has come to his attention that the materials he voluntarily provided in the search for his wife are being used to investigate him. So, his cooperation has officially ended. I think that's it.
(He leaves the office with the files. ANNE walks over to JACK.)
ANNE: I got copies of everything.
JACK: (angry) That's not the point, is it? There was a leak, and now Robinson knows we're onto him, and any chance we had of finding his wife just blew out the door.
(He looks at her scathingly before going back to his office.)
JACK: Nice work, counselor.
FADE OUT
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
FADE IN
[caption: 20 HOURS MISSING]
[Int: FBI offices - tech room - day]
(MACK has scanned the pages from the motel notepad into the computer.)
MACK: This is the top page from the motel notepad. Okay, you see that the grooves in the paper throw different shadows? They all don't have the same depth?
SAMANTHA: Um-hm. What does that mean?
MACK: Well, that the writing was done on different pages. So, we could matrix the shadows. Then pull the ones that match and isolate the pages that we need.
(He isolates the patterns in order to bring up several pages of written messages.)
MACK: It looks like she's tracking the jewelry.
SAMANTHA: Hey. You know what? His wife was playing detective. She's been putting the pieces together.
MARTIN: Yeah. Most of the calls from the hotel were to the victims' families. But one of them was also to Pete's camp. Which would explain why Leah's doing all this now. She finds out about the murders, decides to take care of this on her own, assuming that Pete's safely away from Ken.
SAMANTHA: Except that he's not and now she knows it. You know what? I bet she's going to try and contact Pete.
MARTIN: Or she already has. Who's on surveillance?
SAMANTHA: Danny.
(MARTIN pulls out his cell phone and dials.)
MARTIN: (on phone) Listen, ah, we think that Leah may have reached out to Pete. Would you mind going to talk to... He did what? When? No, no. I'll take care of it. Thanks.
(MARTIN hangs up his phone, already moving for the door.)
MARTIN: The minister picked Pete up from the house about an hour ago.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - bullpen - day]
(VIVIAN is on the phone at her desk.)
VIVIAN: (on phone) I'm so sorry. Yes, yes. Of course, I know how difficult it must be for you. Alright. Well, I'll let you know if we find anything at all. Okay. Thank you. Yes.
(She hangs up the phone and turns to ELENA, who is sitting at the conference table next to her.)
VIVIAN: Looks like she got through to two of the families last night.
ELENA: What could she possibly have wanted to say to them?
VIVIAN: Well, she lied. She said that she was a reporter following up on the murders.
ELENA: Did she ask about the dogwood charm?
VIVIAN: No.
ELENA: Well, it turns out that they were given to the runners up of the Miss Richmond State Fair.
VIVIAN: Okay, so it should be easy to find out if any of them are dead or missing.
(The telephone next to ELENA at the conference table rings. ELENA checks the caller ID.)
ELENA: That is the line we routed from the shelter.
VIVIAN: Okay. Pick up.
ELENA: (on phone) Willow Shelter. How can I help you? Ah, Vivian. Yes, yes. We've got two here. Um, yeah. She's here. She's not allowed to use this line but you can leave a number so she can call you from the pay phone. Okay. Thanks. Yes. God bless.
(ELENA hangs up the phone and turns back to VIVIAN.)
ELENA: Ken is checking up on you.
VIVIAN: Good.
(VIVIAN's cell phone rings at her desk.)
ELENA: And that's gonna be him.
(VIVIAN nods and answers.)
VIVIAN: (on phone) Hello? Yes, this is Vivian.
CUT TO:
[Ext: alley - day]
(VIVIAN meets with KEN ROBINSON in an empty parking lot.)
(JACK observes the meeting from his car parked some distance away.)
KEN ROBINSON: Why don't you tell me where my wife is?
VIVIAN: Leah don't want you to know that. That's why she sent me.
KEN ROBINSON: Look, I don't know if you're trying to extort me or she is. But I'm not going to give either one of you any money.
VIVIAN: You sure about that now, Ken? See, Leah's got these real nice pictures of a charm bracelet that she's ready to send to the papers. You know the one? The one that Lucy Salter had before you killed her?
KEN ROBINSON: Look, ah, tell her I have Pete and that she needs to disappear. She does, he'll be fine.
VIVIAN: You won't hurt your son.
KEN ROBINSON: You have no idea what I'll do.
(KEN climbs into his car and drives away. After he is gone, VIVIAN talks to JACK through the wire.)
VIVIAN: He doesn't know where Leah is, which means he hasn't had a chance to destroy all the evidence.
JACK: Alright, get a warrant and pick him up. Now we've just got to find that kid.
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - conference room - day]
(MARTIN storms into the room, where MINISTER BARNES is sitting at the conference table.)
MARTIN: Where's Pete? And don't lie to me, because I know you picked him up at his house. Look, you need to tell me where he is, because you have no idea what's really going on here.
MINISTER BARNES: No. No, I do. Leah called me.
MARTIN: When?
MINISTER BARNES: After lunch. She asked me to meet her.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Ext: highway gas station - day]
(LEAH and MINISTER BARNES stand outside their cars in the parking lot of the gas station.]
MINISTER BARNES: How many were there?
LEAH ROBINSON: There were ten plates. But after I looked into three of them, I just...I didn't want to know anymore. One of the women he strangled. He killed her with his bare hands.
MINISTER BARNES: I can't believe Ken would do any of this.
LEAH ROBINSON: All those women. And I did nothing to stop him.
MINISTER BARNES: You didn't know anything. What could you do?
LEAH ROBINSON: I don't know, but we were married a long time. I should have seen something. There must have been something.
MINISTER BARNES: I'll go with you. To the FBI.
LEAH ROBINSON: No. I can't stay here. It's going to be everywhere. On the news. People will be talking, pointing. And Pete will be in the middle of it. I can't let that happen. You have to get him and bring him to me.
MINISTER BARNES: Leah. You can't just run away.
LEAH ROBINSON: What choice do I have? I can't let him hurt Pete. Anymore than he already has. Please, Greg. Please.
(MINISTER BARNES shakes his head at her, but relents. He gets into his car and drives away.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
MINISTER BARNES: So I took Pete to her. He thought we were going for ice cream.
MARTIN: And what about the evidence? Where's the evidence that she had?
MINISTER BARNES: At the church, in my office. She wanted me to wait two days before I gave it to you.
MARTIN: (shortly) I want you to stay here.
(MARTIN quickly walks out of the conference room back to the bullpen.)
CUT TO:
[Ext: highway gas station - day]
(MARTIN and ELENA approach WORKER at the gas station. MARTIN flashes his badge.)
MARTIN: Excuse me. FBI.
STATION WORKER: Hi. What can I do for you guys?
(ELENA shows him a picture of LEAH.)
ELENA: Have you seen this woman?
STATION WORKER: Yeah. Yeah, she was hanging around here this afternoon. Eventually took off with a kid.
FLASHBACK TO:
[Ext: highway gas station - day]
(LEAH stands next to her car in the parking lot of the station.)
(MINISTER BARNES pulls up next to her with PETE in the passenger seat.)
(LEAH runs over to the car as PETE gets out. They hug.)
END FLASHBACK. RESUME TO PRESENT.
MARTIN: How long ago?
STATION WORKER: An hour?
ELENA: Which way did she go?
STATION WORKER: I don't know. But she did buy a deluxe map of the southeast.
MARTIN: You sure about that?
STATION WORKER: Yeah.
MARTIN: Okay. Thanks.
(MARTIN and ELENA turn to walk back to their car.)
ELENA: Should I put out an APB?
MARTIN: No, not yet.
(MARTIN imagines LEAH and PETE pulling out of the parking lot in their station wagon. The image fades as they drive away.)
MARTIN: Let's get out of here.
CUT TO:
[Ext: Robinson residence - night]
(KEN ROBINSON opens the front door to find VIVIAN standing there, back in her suit, along the police and several FBI agents.)
VIVIAN: Ken Robinson? You are under arrest for the murder of Mary Peterson.
KEN ROBINSON: This is a waste of time. You have nothing on me.
VIVIAN: Oh. So it wasn't your DNA that the cops found all over the crime scenes.
(KEN stares at her, speechless. One of the officers steps forward to handcuff him.)
VIVIAN: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...
(KEN is led to a police car and helped into the back as VIVIAN finishes reading him his rights.)
CUT TO:
[Int: FBI offices - JACK's office - night]
(ANNE steps tentatively into JACK's office. He watches her impassively from behind his desk.)
ANNE: Did you find Leah Robinson?
JACK: No. But we got what we needed.
ANNE: I'm sorry.
JACK: You really could have screwed up my case.
ANNE: I meant about this morning.
(JACK considers this for a moment.)
JACK: That's okay.
ANNE: I don't really care what anyone around here thinks or knows about us. I don't care. But there is, there is something. And maybe I'm just not good at relationships. That's possible. Or maybe this all happened too fast and I wasn't ready. But...
(She trails off, not sure what else to say.)
JACK: Well, what do you want?
ANNE: I don't know. What do you want?
JACK: You. I want to be with you. <br /
