Daddy's Deadly Secret (2024) Movie Script
[soft music]
Here we go.
Overhand this time.
- Ready.
- Ready?
- Yes!
- It's a great catch, Abbie!
Now try throwing one back at me.
Just back up a bit, okay?
- Okay.
- Alright.
Right in the mitt.
Okay.
- I didn't even get it to you.
No biggie. So the trick is,
you gotta put your
whole arm into it, okay?
Couple more throws and
then we gotta go inside.
Okay. Right.
- Ready?
Yep.
You're on fire, you got it!
- Ready?
- Yeah.
[phone rings]
Brad, hey. We're
able to get it done?
So Abigail and Caroline
are beneficiaries,
like I asked?
You're the best.
Hey, uh... what about
the other thing?
Okay, well... keep on it, Brad.
I need to find her.
It's important.
[Abigail laughs]
[Caroline]: Okay, well, a snake.
[imitates hissing] [laughing]
I'm gonna try a
bird, ready? Oh yeah.
That's much better
than my rodent.
[laughing]
Okay, let's see
what is in this bag
for your mom's house.
We got a bunny rabbit and...
And what is this?
I wanted to practice at Mommy's.
Okay, Babe Ruth.
Just remember... outside, okay?
Pinky promise!
Pinky promise? I'm so honored.
[laughing]
- Hey, you're still awake?
- Oh no.
- Come on.
I was at least ten
before I started
burning the midnight oil.
Time for you to
go to bed, kiddo.
You...
- I'm sorry.
Hey, you want bear time?
I heard you guys out there.
Sounded like you
were having fun.
I'm glad. I love you, kiddo.
Love you too.
Sweet dreams.
You are so good
with her, Caroline.
I know it can't be easy
being "daddy's new wife".
Or "daddy's second wife"
as you introduced me.
I'm never living
that joke down, am I?
Ever since I was a little girl,
I wanted to be a mom.
And I see Abbie and
she's so amazing,
and it's just hard thinking
that maybe we won't have a
family like that one day.
Hey. Dr. Chen is the
best fertility specialist
in the state, sweetie.
It's gonna work out.
Right, but what
happens if it doesn't?
It will.
We're gonna have a baby.
[chuckles] Maybe two.
Heck, why don't we just
have a whole baker's dozen
to make up the family?
- Richard!
[laughs]
Hey, speaking of family.
Brad called when you
were out with Abigail.
He, uh... He can't find Darla.
He thought he had a
lead somewhere in Ohio.
He checked out all the
rehabs, the shelters,
but she's a ghost.
I'm not saying we're
rolling out the welcome mat
to let her back into
our lives, it's just...
She's my sister, Caroline.
I need to know that she's safe.
I can't help but
feel responsible.
You gave her so many chances.
You tried so many times to get
her the help that she needed.
She just... She kept coming by
the house, asking for money.
Eventually I had to refuse.
One night she came by the house,
she stood in the driveway,
screaming for me to come out.
She must have been there
for like two hours.
I've never seen
Abigail so frightened.
She couldn't understand
Darla's anger.
How she was so...
overcome with rage.
That's when I had to file
for the restraining order.
I... I know she was in
a real bad place, but...
Sometimes, I feel
like I put her there.
I think that you're just
picking at old wounds, Richard.
I think you should
let them heal.
You did everything you
could to help your sister.
I promise.
Exactly 20 years ago this week,
Julianne Thomas was found
murdered during a trip
through the Nevada desert with
her boyfriend, Karl Swanson.
Swanson, the chief suspect in
the case, has never been found,
despite repeated appeals
from the Thomas family.
[phone rings]
- It's Beth. I should take this.
Again? It's almost
9:30, sweetheart.
I think I need to
meet this woman.
Talk to her about boundaries.
None of your other patients
expect you to be at
their beck and call.
Well, none of them are
as scared as she is.
Please.
- Get outta here.
[laughing]
- Half an hour.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Beth, I promise, you have
nothing to worry about.
Our time together is sacred,
and anything you say is kept
in the strictest of confidence.
Okay?
Good.
I'll see you Tuesday.
Get some rest.
[sighs]
[ominous music]
[crackling]
[eerie music]
[birds chirping]
- Hey!
- Hey, Doug.
- How are you, how's school?
- It's good.
Good. Okay, go on in.
Richard.
- Doug.
You think you can work
your magic on my mailbox?
I kinda backed into it
when I was pulling out of
the driveway this morning.
Ah, geez, Richard. Uh,
yeah, sure, I can do that.
You want me to
swing by tomorrow?
Alright, sounds good.
We're about to sign off
on a new eco-friendly
parking lot downtown.
And we could use a foreman.
- Me? Seriously?
I... I don't want you to
feel obligated, Richard.
I am obligated. Okay?
After everything you've
done for Ellie? For Abbie?
Ah... my father always said a
man has to build a good home
for his family. I'm just
trying to be a good dad.
[chuckles] Stepdad.
Right. Well, what do you say?
I've seen what you can do, Doug.
This is right in
your wheelhouse.
You've got yourself a deal.
- Beautiful.
- Alright.
[chuckling]
[sobbing]
[door closing]
[sniffles]
- Mommy, mommy!
- I'm in here, sweetheart.
Hi, how's my number one girl?
I won the 100 free and the
100 back at my swim meet!
Abbie, that's two
in a row! Good job.
Yeah. She's basically
a fish these days.
[Abbie laughs] Hey, why
don't you take your bag
into your room and uh, let
your mom and I talk for a sec.
My check arrived?
- Right on schedule.
Brad's just been busy with
some other stuff these days,
so I was worried he
might not remember.
You okay? Your eyes,
they're just...
Oh. Yeah, no,
that's allergies.
Right.
Okay, well, I'll talk
to you later, okay?
- Yeah.
- See you, kiddo.
[indistinct chatter]
- Ah. Hi.
- Hey.
- How was Ellie this morning?
- Seemed a little distant.
She said she was fine.
Said it was allergies.
Doug's good at
keeping an eye on her.
He'd let me know if there
was something to worry about.
She's still taking
her medication?
Yeah.
[engine starting]
Well, I wish these results
gave me some indication,
but I'm afraid I still
can't paint a clear picture
of your situation.
Well, Richard
already has a child.
Abigail. So these
problems we're having...
they're because of me, right?
Well, that's not how we
look at it, Caroline.
We're still early
in our journey.
So our primary focus has
to be making conception
as likely as possible.
- Where do we go from here?
- I suggest more tests.
The greater our sample size,
the more treatment
options we can explore.
Great.
[birds chirping]
[honking] Hey!
[laughing]
I know we've never been
properly introduced,
but I've seen you around
a lot. I'm Marianne.
Caroline. I'm Abbie's stepmom.
She's a great girl.
Yeah. Wish I could say
the same for that one
with the blue backpack.
Well, it was nice to finally put
a face to the name, Marianne.
Bye.
[sighing]
[Beth]: IED? What is that?
It stands for intermittent
explosive disorder.
You have bursts of rage
you can't understand.
You lose control of your
emotions and you fear yourself.
It's why you've
locked yourself in.
Now what I'd like to know is
where do you think
this anger come from?
Uh, my parents could
be pretty rough on us.
Sometimes, they would
get angry and hit me.
It's learned behavior.
It's not uncommon.
We imitate what we
see our parents do.
I guess your parents were
pretty good listeners, huh?
[chuckles]
- I... can't just be here
to listen, Beth. I
started my practice
because I wanted
to see my patients
make practical steps towards
improving their lives.
So far, I've come to your
house for all of our sessions.
But next week, I'd like you
to come to my home office.
That doesn't sound
too scary, does it?
No. No, you have to
come here, Caroline.
I'm not ready!
- Beth, please, just trust me.
I know what I'm talking about...
- Yeah, and I know
what I'm talking about and
I can't come to your house!
Breathe, Beth. Just
like we practised.
That's good, Beth.
You said that you
reached out to me
because I specialize
in grief counseling.
But you still haven't told me
what it is you're grieving.
Everyone in my life let me down.
Then I came to town
with a friend of mine.
We were supposed to work on
this... project together.
It got stressful.
We had one stupid fight
and she just took off.
Just like that.
- This is good,
this is a breakthrough.
Really? [chuckling]
So that means I don't have
to come to your house,
I've made a breakthrough.
It doesn't quite work like that.
This is the first I'm
hearing about this friend.
How did you two meet?
Why do you think the
relationship fell apart?
I've just... I've
had enough for today.
Alright. Well, in that case,
I will be in touch about
next week's appointment.
Oh, I brought you
some reading material.
You might find it
useful. I'll just...
Don't! I'll take them.
Alright, Beth.
I'll see you next week.
[clattering]
[ominous music]
[thump]
[sighs]
[ominous music]
Hello? Abbie, is that you?
[yelps]
[phone rings]
Hey, sweetie. I
just finished work.
[Richard]: Hey, Caroline,
Ellie just called.
Abigail didn't come home
from school, is she there?
Okay, um, maybe she
got confused. Hang on.
Abbie?
She's not here.
Okay, I'm at Ellie and Doug's.
I'll be right there.
Don't worry, Richard, I'm
sure everything's fine.
- Okay, thank you.
- She's not at Molly's.
Jake hasn't seen her either.
There were no
delays with the bus.
She didn't go home with anyone.
I drove the whole
route home twice.
Miss Himbry said she
saw her leave class
at the end of the
day and then nothing.
I'm calling the police.
- Take a breath, Richard.
It's only been an
hour and a half.
- An hour and a half too long!
- Yeah.
Scanned every inch
of the fairground.
She's not there either.
Why would she be
at the fairground?
That's for the older kids.
- You didn't tell them?
Come on, El.
After everything Abbie's
been going through?
What do you mean? What's
been going on with Abigail?
Abbie scratched me.
It was a few days ago.
The other day, I
noticed your wrist.
You're saying Abigail did that?
Yes. We had an
argument. It was silly.
And then she scratched me.
- She hid in the shed out back.
Wouldn't come out
for... about an hour.
Why would she do that?
She's been hanging out
with these girls at school.
They're three years
older than her.
And she wanted to go to
the fairground with them.
She just started taking
the bus by herself.
I told her I wasn't having it,
and that she needed to hang
out with kids her own age.
And she scratched
you? Over that?
It was so out of character,
I just didn't think
it was a big deal.
Ellie, I can see why you'd
think that, but Abigail's
way too even-tempered for
an outburst like that.
Caroline, I think I know my kid.
Please, spare me the
psychology lectures right now.
- Hey.
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
- I'm out of line.
Ellie, you should have
told me about this.
Wait a minute... I saw
Abigail getting on the bus
with these girls.
A few days ago.
One of them was picking
on another little girl.
You're saying that these
are Abigail's friends?
- Yeah. She met them on the bus.
- Come on, Ellie.
I have a right to know about
this. We're both her parents.
I kept telling you to look
out for warning signs.
You know about Darla's history!
- It was one slip!
I'm not about to accuse her
of turning into your sister
because of one bad moment.
Hey. It's not her
fault, Richard.
I missed it too.
Last week when I saw
those kids on the bus,
I should have said something.
She just didn't
want you to worry.
Yeah. Well, look
where that's got us.
We don't need to
think like that yet.
We've called all of
her friends' parents.
Checked every inch
of these houses,
every street from
here to the school.
We're running out of places
of where she might be.
It's not normal for her
just to not come home.
Caroline, we have no choice,
we need to call the police.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
You say this is the shed
she hid in the last time
she assaulted you?
- It wasn't an assault.
She's a nine-year-old,
not a criminal.
I have to ask; is
it at all possible
that Abigail may have run away?
If she's been hanging out
with these older kids,
misbehaving, lashing out.
She may have gotten
some pretty bad ideas.
- No. She's a good kid.
- Good kids get bad ideas.
In cases like this, the
most likely scenario
is that the child has run away.
My daughter had no
reason to run away.
No reason at all.
- Here's what we're gonna do.
First, Ellie, you're gonna
come down to the station,
speak with a liaison officer.
They can offer you any
emotional support you may need.
In the meantime, I'm gonna
start a preliminary report.
Doug and I can go
back to the school.
See if there's
anything we missed.
Anyone we can talk to.
- I'll circle the block,
see if I can turn up anything.
That's good. Can you
show me the shed?
Yeah.
- We're gonna find her, right?
- Of course.
She's my whole world, Caroline.
After Richard and I split, I...
I kind of slipped
into a dark place.
I know. [pants]
Abigail saved me. More
than the counselors,
more than the medication.
I don't wanna think
about what my life
would look like
if she hadn't come into it.
You don't need to
think about that yet.
Everything's going to be fine.
Abigail's coming back, okay?
- Okay.
You know, it's
true what they say.
Your whole world changes
when you become a mother.
So... You didn't
think anything of it
when Abbie started playing
with girls three years
older than her?
- We have a lot of kids
that are friends
outside of class.
Maybe they're cousins,
maybe their parents are
friends. It's common.
Did you notice any
change in Abigail?
Abbie was always
a great student,
but she became... distracted.
It was like she wanted to
play with these new girls
more than anything else.
I asked some of
the other teachers
what the girls were like, and...
And?
And some of them
are troublemakers.
Weren't you gonna tell us?
Of course I was, at the next
parent-teacher conference.
But honestly, I thought
you already knew.
They seemed really close.
Abigail drew pictures
of them all the time.
Pictures? What pictures?
Abigail?
Abigail?
Caroline! I didn't see
Abbie after school today.
Is she sick?
She didn't get on the
bus this morning either?
No. Why, was she supposed to?
Marianne... Abigail didn't
come home from school today.
Those girls that she
was with the other day,
do you know them?
- Yeah, a little.
They're not exactly the kind
of people I thought Abigail
would hang out with.
A few weeks ago,
on the bus home from school,
they were talking about
their little group.
They gave themselves a name.
I thought it was just
a kid thing, you know?
Something to sound cool.
- A name?
Do you remember what it was?
Look. Every drawing is
Abbie with the girls.
I don't... I don't rec...
- Oh no.
- What?
I know this place.
It's in the forest,
right behind the school
here. The old convent.
We don't let the
kids play there.
I'm gonna call Caroline.
They called themselves
the Runaway Girls.
[phone rings]
- Excuse me.
- Yeah.
Richard.
The crossing guard said the
girls gave themselves the name
two weeks ago. That lines
up with Abigail's drawing.
Yeah. Let's go.
[ominous music]
Let's split up.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Call me if you find anything.
Okay. Be careful. I love you.
Me too.
Abbie?
Hello? Is anybody there?
Abbie?
[suspenseful music]
[indistinct chatter]
Are you the Runaway Girls?
Abbie!
Abbie, wait!
[Richard]: Caroline!
[Caroline]: Abbie!
Abbie!
Caroline!
[Caroline]: Abbie!
[Richard]: Abbie!
Abigail?
Abbie?
Oh.
Please tell me they know
where my daughter is.
They haven't seen
her since school.
And they confirmed that
she didn't get on the bus.
[sighs] I know
these little girls.
I know their parents.
Booked most of them into
custody at one time or another.
What does that mean?
These girls come
from broken homes.
They told me that they
planned to run away.
That's where the name came from.
Why would they want to run away?
Why would they do
that to their parents?
It's six. They've been
gone for three hours
and we haven't
gotten a single call.
Their parents probably don't
even know they're missing.
Where are you going with this?
This group? This was an escape
plan from their home lives.
These are the girls Abigail
was spending time with.
I'm not gonna mince my words.
Is there something
going on in your homes
that you're not being
honest with me about?
Ellie and I divorced
before Abigail was born.
But we made sure her home life
was as stable as possible.
Ellie is a very good mother.
And frankly, I'm
a good father too.
So this is one
line of questioning
you can discount, you hear me?
Okay. We're gonna get the
ball rolling right away.
Issue a press release, start
organizing a search party.
Thank you.
[ominous music]
[computer chimes]
Oh.
[indistinct chatter]
Marianne! Thank you
so much for coming.
We've got some fliers
here, and there's water
and flashlights just over there.
I was thinking
instead of staying,
I would go to the hiking trail,
it's right by where I live,
and I could put up fliers.
- Yeah, yeah. Take them all.
Can't have too many.
So you live along
the hiking trail?
You must be near Allworthy Farm.
My cabin is right next to it.
I'm so sorry.
Caroline, I...
I can't imagine what
you're going through.
Actually, I... I can.
My child disappeared.
Almost ten years ago.
- Oh...
It's not something I
like to talk about.
A lot of people are gonna
tell you that they know
what you're going through,
and maybe they do on
some level, but me,
I really know what
you're going through.
You know, I don't know
if I told you what I do,
but I'm a psychologist and I
specialize in grief counseling.
And I'm also just pro bono for
anyone who just needs to talk.
Thanks.
Bye. Thank you.
I'm just gonna get some fliers.
[sighs]
How's Ellie?
The doctors gave
her some medication.
She's at home resting.
Best place for her right now.
I'm sorry, I just... thought
I'd be handling this better.
You have nothing
to be sorry about.
You're an amazing stepdad,
Richard and I both know it.
You love Abbie like
she was your own.
[chuckling]
- Yeah.
Beth?
No, you listen to me!
Don't ever say that to me.
You have to take this right now!
Take it right now!
- Beth?
Beth, what's going on?
- Caroline!
What are you doing here?
[mumbling, sobbing]
Beth!
[panting]
Wait, Beth! Beth,
calm down. Stop!
You weren't supposed to see me.
I need to talk to
you. But not here.
What is going on?
Who were you fighting with?
I'm sorry I haven't been in
touch, my stepdaughter...
Abigail. I know.
That's why I need
to talk to you.
- What do you mean?
- Not like this.
This isn't how you were
supposed to find out.
Find out what? What do you
know about my stepdaughter?
Darla?
What? [gasps]
Stay back!
Stay back, I'm warning you.
[groans]
Darla, what are you doing here?
I know who you really are!
- Okay, Beth, calm down...
- No!
Her name's not Beth. Caroline,
this is my sister, Darla.
Darla, look at me. Darla, do
you know where Abigail is?
[crying]
- Don't follow me!
- Are you okay?
- Yes.
I gotta go.
Are you okay?
That's Darla. That's Darla.
My sister getting
therapy from my wife.
I mean, this is insane, right?
I didn't know who
she was, Richard.
She covered her tracks, she
had ID, billing address,
everything in a different name.
There was no sign
of her in our house,
how could I have
known who she was?
We're gonna get ahead of this.
Your sister couldn't
have gone too far.
Are you kidding me?
It's been two hours.
She could have fled
the state by now.
She did this. She took
Abigail to punish me
for everything that I did.
What do you mean,
"everything you did"?
It's not gonna help anyone
if we start fighting
with each other. Please, let's
not jump to any conclusions.
She didn't want you to
know. The therapy sessions.
That's why they had
to be at her house.
I know where she lives.
- Take me there.
[door closing]
Darla Jones, this is the police!
Show yourself!
[suspenseful music]
I guess I just wish I had
the chance to tell her
that I really did love her.
You know, everything I did...
all of it...
was because I wanted
her to get better.
She knew, Richard. She
knew you loved her.
[sniffling]
I still don't understand.
Found 'em inside. There's no
sign of Abigail in the house.
But there are a lot
of smoking guns.
If she was buying gifts,
seems like she was planning
on reuniting with Abigail
sometime soon,
giving them to her.
She was angry, there's
no doubting that.
But she wasn't calculating.
She was more of a danger to
herself than anyone else.
She wouldn't have done
something like this.
You said she was an agoraphobe?
Not likely she had a partner.
She was arguing with
someone at the station.
- Who was she arguing with?
- I didn't see.
I'll get our guys to take a look
at the security footage.
Officer, do you
think that my sister
is actually involved in my
daughter's disappearance?
We can't rule anything out.
I... Excuse me for a sec.
I didn't want to bring this
up in front of your husband,
but during your
statement, you mentioned
that when Darla saw Richard,
she screamed something like,
"I know who you really are"?
Well, he took out a
restraining order on her.
I can see why she'd be angry.
And during the time that
you spent with Darla,
did she ever give you
her side of the story?
Whatever happened
between her and Richard,
I'm sure he had his reasons.
Why are you asking me this?
You think she was
murdered, don't you?
My gut feeling is that
foul play was involved.
So a woman's dead, and
Abbie is still missing,
and you're asking me
if I trust my husband?
Richard's a good man. He
had nothing to do with this.
Find Abbie and bring her home.
[birds chirping]
Hey.
So... I'm headed to the station.
- Did you get any sleep?
Nothing makes sense anymore.
I can't bring Darla back.
But we will find Abigail.
I promise.
I... [sighing]
I don't think I can get
through this without you.
You don't have to.
I'm gonna...
I'll be back after my
meeting with Parker.
[phone chiming]
[phone chimes]
[phone rings]
Dr. Chen, hello.
Caroline, I've been trying
to get in touch with Richard.
Can we talk for a second?
Uh, I'm sorry, Dr. Chen,
I don't know if
you got my message.
Um... Richard's daughter...
I thought you'd want to
hear as soon as possible
so that we can arrange
an appointment.
Is Richard available?
No, he's not, but I
can take a message.
For him. Is everything okay?
I suppose you are authorized
to hear this as his wife.
And it does affect you.
Your test results came
back this morning.
And I think I understand
why you've been having
trouble conceiving.
Caroline, what you
said last week...
The problem isn't with you.
It's with your husband.
Richard's sample came back
with a low sperm count.
Very low.
Um, I don't... I mean,
I don't know what you're saying,
Dr. Chen. What are you saying?
I'm saying Richard
can't father children.
He's infertile.
No. That's not
possible, Doctor,
I'm telling you,
there's been a mistake.
There's been no mistake,
Caroline, I promise.
We had a large enough sample
size to make a determination.
Look, there has been a mistake.
- Caroline...
- Richard cannot be infertile,
Doctor, he has a daughter
with his ex-wife.
And his daughter is missing,
which is why I don't have
time for this right now.
I accept your
apology in advance,
but I have to go look for
my husband's daughter.
Well, miracles
certainly can happen,
I'm not denying that.
But these results are clear,
and with Richard's history...
What do you mean,
what history, Doctor?
Doctor.
- His history with opioids.
Richard doesn't have a
history with opioids.
In 2005, Richard went into
rehab for drug addiction.
Caroline? You still there?
He went to rehab?
Opioid use can lead to
long-term effects on fertility.
If Richard wasn't forthcoming
with you about this,
I'm sorry that you had
to hear it from me.
But there's been no mistake.
We took multiple
samples from Richard,
and they all came back
with the same result.
And with a count like this,
as your doctor, I
can tell you that...
it'd basically be impossible
for him to father, or to
have fathered a child.
At any point.
Are you saying that Abigail
isn't my husband's daughter?
No, that's what I'm
saying. She keeps asking
the same question
over and over again.
Yeah, just... hurry, okay?
Richard, I just spoke to...
What's going on?
I tried registering
Abigail's disappearance
to send it out on the wire.
I've told her a million
times, it's a mistake.
It is a mistake. I just
called the SSA myself.
Abigail's social security number
belongs to a woman
who died 15 years ago.
A missing child that didn't
even exist in the first place.
Wow, this is a first for me.
What's her real name?
Did you know where she's
been the entire time
you've been pulling this?
- I haven't pulled anything.
Parker, you've seen her photos.
You spoke to her teachers.
She's exactly who we say she is.
Who "you say" she is.
What's her real name?
I'm searching for a
missing little girl
and I don't even know
who she belongs to.
No more tricks.
This is not a trick,
this is my daughter's
life we're talking about.
Her name is Abigail and she's
exactly who I say she is!
I need a minute to
speak to my husband.
There's nothing you
can't say in front of me.
Please. I need to
talk to him alone.
You have two minutes.
Not a second more.
When I come back,
you better be ready.
Because I have questions
and I demand answers.
This is insane.
Right? I mean, are
you listening to them?
They keep trying to tell me
that Abigail doesn't exist.
- Richard.
- What?
I got a call from
Dr. Chen's office.
He had your test results.
We can't have children.
It's your count. It's too low.
He says... you
can't have children.
No, that's wrong, okay?
That's gotta be a mistake too.
It's not a mistake.
Caroline, I have a
daughter! I mean, I have...
I have a daughter!
[mutters]
What's happening here? This
doesn't even feel real.
This is real.
There's another thing.
He told me about the facility
you went to when you were 22.
Why didn't you
tell me about that?
I was a dumb kid. I
was outta control.
But I recognized it.
It was three months,
and I got clean.
But I put that part
of my life behind me.
No...
I didn't tell you, because
that's not who I am anymore.
Darla, she knew, didn't she?
[sighs]
Darla and I had...
a tough childhood.
She was always a rebel.
She couldn't understand
her feelings, you know?
The anger.
One day, she started
to take some stuff.
It eased the pain.
For the first time in
forever, she felt... free.
And she wanted me to
know what that felt like.
But I managed to get
out. She never could.
And I was her big
brother. Everything,
everything that ever
went wrong in her life,
I could have stopped it.
That's not true,
Richard. You tried.
Not hard enough.
But Caroline, that
boy that I was...
is not the man I am today.
Okay? That was another
life. I promise you.
Why can't they find
any record of Abigail?
I don't know, but you
have to believe me
when I tell you I don't know.
Okay? She's my little girl.
There has to be a mistake. Okay?
There... there just has to be.
You and Ellie split
right after she got
pregnant, didn't you?
What does that have
to do with anything?
You don't think that...
We have to talk to her, Richard.
There's no record of Abigail.
Whoever this little girl
is that we've been raising,
she's not Abigail Jones.
We're all on our own.
But I'm gonna get
us out of this.
What are you talking about?
Parker wants answers,
well, so do I.
Let's go get 'em.
Your two minutes are...
up.
This is Parker. I need
a unit out front. Now!
[engine starting]
- Parker has had something
against you from the
start. If we want answers,
we gotta talk to Ellie.
- Wait a second...
You don't believe
any of this, do you?
[sighs] Caroline.
Are you saying you don't believe
that Abigail is my daughter?
I don't know what I believe,
but I know that I
want to believe you.
[water running]
- Ellie.
- Doug!
What's going on?
We just spoke to Parker.
She was trying to register
Abbie's case online.
Ran into some issues with
her social security number.
- I'm sorry, Richard.
- Ellie, wait!
Ellie!
Ellie, stop!
Ellie! Stop!
[panting]
Ellie!
What's going on? [whimpering]
What's going on
with our daughter?!
She's not your
daughter, Richard!
And she's not my
daughter either.
It's time to tell the truth, El.
I'm sorry, Richard.
We never meant for
it to go this far.
Ellie...
Richard, what I'm about to
tell you won't be easy to hear.
What we're about to tell you.
You're not in this alone, Ellie.
It's true. Abigail
isn't your daughter.
And she's not my
daughter either.
When we were together,
it was... so perfect.
You were the greatest husband.
But then you got busy with work.
And we couldn't get pregnant
and we didn't know why.
We kept waiting on a family.
And when that never came,
that's when you gave up on us.
You filed for divorce.
I would have done
anything to get you back.
So I told you I was pregnant.
And when that didn't work,
I was gonna tell you the
truth, that I made it up.
I was in a dark place, but...
things spun out of control.
I don't... I don't
understand. How?
How did it end up like this?
I moved into an apartment
building on the East side.
That's when I met Doug.
He'd just moved in
across the hall.
He'd just gotten out of
a relationship, like me.
And he came to town
with his baby daughter.
I couldn't get a job.
Doug was new in the
city, he was struggling.
So we thought that if I carried
on with the pretend pregnancy,
and we used Doug's baby...
Ugh, no... No.
I had nothing. I was paying
off my student loans,
I couldn't afford to eat.
We pretended Abigail was mine.
Ours.
We used the child support
payments to pay our bills.
We knew you could afford it.
Money, Ellie?
You made me believe that
Abigail was my daughter.
My daughter... For nine years!
Ellie... To get money?!
Of course not.
I still wanted you in my life.
I thought this was the only way.
We wanted to tell you.
But it just kept
growing and growing.
I can't... I can't breathe.
Doug, do you know
where Abigail is?
I don't know.
Abigail might not
be your daughter,
but she's still missing.
You didn't have to do
this, Ellie. You know.
I would have given you
anything you wanted.
Anything!
Not the one thing I wanted most.
- And what was that?
- To have you back.
I can't...
[soft music]
Innocent men don't
run away, Richard.
I should have you arrested
for that little stunt
you pulled back there.
- Go inside, Parker.
Doug and Ellie have something
they need to tell you.
I told you my
husband's a good man.
Now go hear it from them.
So this was all
an elaborate ruse?
For nine years?
To convince Richard that
he was Abigail's father?
Yeah.
I want you both to know
that you will face charges
once Abigail is found.
And from here on out, I need you
to be completely honest with me.
Doug, do you have any idea
who would want to
take your daughter?
My ex. She's the
reason I took Abigail.
She's... unstable.
Very unstable.
What if she tracked us down?
What if she took Abigail?
Oh, God. I gotta
pull myself together.
I just know she's out there.
I know she has my little girl.
[birds chirping]
I think what happened to Darla
has something to do with
Abigail's disappearance.
They were fighting
inside the station.
They might know something.
I've told you already,
we're gathering footage
from nearby businesses.
These things take time.
We're doing everything we can.
- What about Darla's house?
I've been there enough
times, let me go back
and see if I can find anything.
None of us can go back there
until there's been a
full forensic sweep.
It's a waiting game.
Darla had pictures of
me. She knew something.
There has to be a connection.
Even I could be in danger.
And I'm here to make
sure that doesn't happen.
But I can't keep
this under control
if you're not going
to work with me.
[scoffs]
[door closing]
I don't think I can ever
forgive you for what you did.
[inhales]
But the way you
were with Abigail...
You really did love her
like a mother, didn't you?
None of this would have happened
if I'd just told
Richard the truth.
But Douggie kept
talking me out of it.
And I was desperate. I...
I wasn't thinking straight.
I've had that a while.
Abigail did that...
- No!
When we had our fight.
Abigail gave you the
welt on your wrist.
Ellie...
Promise me that you will
not hurt yourself again.
You can't go to that dark place.
[sobbing]
Come here.
[crying]
[insects chirping]
[soft music]
[Darla]: I know you don't have
any reason to trust me, Richar.
And I'm sorry I
lied to your wife.
I'm sorry I
pretended to be Beth.
But I had to get to Caroline.
You need to know the truth
before something bad happens.
Come and see me.
Love always, Darla.
[suspenseful music]
[woman]: Julianne Thomas was
found murdered during a trp
through the Nevada desert with
her boyfriend, Karl Swanson.
[knocking on door]
Caroline. What are
you doing here?
Marianne, hi. I... I just
came to check on you.
It's been so long since I've
been near the farms, so...
Can I come in?
Sure, yeah.
So, any update on Abbie?
The police are still pursuing
every lead they turn over.
I'm... I'm keeping
her in my prayers.
Actually, we do have a lead.
My husband's sister.
Her name was Darla.
She was living in town
under an assumed name.
I was actually giving
therapy to her.
She had a lot of problems.
We're worried that she
may be behind things.
Well, at least you're
closer to the truth.
If that is the case.
I just wanna thank you,
Marianne. For everything.
We're so lucky to have someone
like you looking out for us all.
[creaking]
Oh, sorry. Those are my pipes.
They've been acting up
since the weather changed.
- Maybe I can help.
- No, no, it's fine.
I called someone.
- I'm actually pretty handy.
Maybe I should just take a look.
- It's really not necessary.
It's not a problem.
[gasping]
[breathing heavily]
[gasps]
I'm sorry, Caroline.
It's the only way.
[grunts]
[clattering]
[eerie music]
Listen to me. Don't
ever say that to me!
You have to take this right
now. Take it right now!
Beth!
[eerie music]
[gasps]
[breathing shakily]
[door handle rattling]
[banging]
[crying]
[banging on door]
[breathing heavily]
[door handle rattling]
[banging on door]
We can't open that door
right now, sweetie.
- Is someone inside?
- Shh...
Don't worry about it.
Everything's fine, okay?
I promise. Now come on.
Time for breakfast, okay?
[banging on door] It's okay.
Caroline?
Caroline!
[line ringing]
You've reached Caroline
Jone. Please leave a message.
[beeps]
[knocking on door]
- Hey. Is Caroline here?
- No. Why?
She wasn't at home this morning.
I don't know where she is.
Did she say where she was going?
No. She was in the
house last night
when I fell asleep, but
she isn't there now.
I mean, she wouldn't
leave without telling me.
Something's wrong.
Doug, I can feel it.
Okay. Okay, uh...
Here's what we're gonna do.
We're gonna call Parker,
let her know what happened,
maybe she can get
into Caroline's phone.
Look, I know we have
a lot of work to do
to make things right, but
let us help you, Richard.
- Just find Caroline.
- Okay.
Yeah.
[breathing heavily]
[banging on door]
Abbie?!
Abbie, sweetie, can you hear me?
- Caroline?!
- Abbie!
What are you doing in there?
It's a long story.
I just need you to
help me get out.
Did Marianne from
school put you in there?
It's not important right now.
I just need you to help me.
Can you try the handle?
[door rattling]
It's not working!
What if I pull on the
handle and you push?
What do you mean, Abbie?
I mean, if I pull the handle
and you lean against the door
at the same time,
maybe it'll open.
Abbie, you're a
little genius, yes.
Um... Okay, Abbie, put your
hand on the door handle.
And now, when I count to three,
you just pull as
hard as you can.
Remember baseball practice?
Just put your whole
arm into it, okay?
I need you to do that for
me right now, sweetie.
- Okay.
- Okay, and I'm gonna
push the door really hard.
Okay, are you ready?
You got this.
Okay...
One.
[together]: Two. Three.
[gasping]
I'm so glad you're okay.
- Are you okay?
- I am now.
You were so brave.
Okay. Maybe we
should go home now.
- Yeah, let's go.
- Okay.
[tense music]
Abbie...
Would you go play in your
room for a little while?
What about Caroline?
It's okay, sweetie.
Caroline and I are
just gonna talk.
Yeah, Abbie. Just
a little talk.
Why don't you keep going with
that book you're reading, huh?
Okay.
[grunts]
You're making this
too complicated.
I'm just trying to
keep my daughter safe!
[birds chirping]
What have you been giving me?
Horse tranquilizers.
They're not gonna hurt you,
they're just gonna keep you
numb for a little while.
I'm sorry, Caroline. I
did what I had to do.
You don't have to do
any of this, Marianne.
Let me help you.
- I don't need any help.
Not anymore.
It's getting dark.
I'm taking Abigail.
She's coming with me.
I'm taking her somewhere
new. Somewhere different.
And you'll be safe if
you don't follow us.
You know I can't
do that, Marianne.
She's my husband's daughter.
- No, she's not!
[suspenseful music]
I can't get a trace
on Caroline's phone.
She must have turned it off.
- She wouldn't do that,
not with everything
that's going on.
Okay, so someone turned it off.
She told you.
Okay, she told you
she was worried
she was in danger.
I'm gonna get her back, Richard.
Abigail too.
I'm transferring
whatever I could retrieve
from the other accounts.
I'm gonna run it into forensics
when I get back to the station.
Texts, email, last
logins, anything...
[sighing]
It was supposed to be so
much easier, Caroline.
I really didn't want this.
Just don't hurt Abigail.
- Hurt Abigail?
- Yeah.
I'm not here to hurt her.
I'm here to save her.
I wish you could see
it from how I see it.
I'm a good person.
Darla wanted me to
stop, but I couldn't.
I couldn't let
her go back there.
Marianne, please,
just talk to me.
Let me try to understand why.
She's my daughter. Abigail.
I gave birth to
her nine years ago.
Before he took her from me.
Doug?
He was so sweet when we met.
And then, everything changed.
He told them I was abusive.
That I was unstable.
I would never hurt my daughter.
I was scared of
becoming a parent, sure,
but it was the good kind
of scared, you know?
I had nothing but love to give.
The day she disappeared
with him, I knew...
I knew I had to get her back.
No matter what it took,
I was gonna do it.
Because that's what family is.
So a year ago, Darla got clean.
Then she wanted to
reach out to Abbie.
But because of the
restraining order,
she knew that if she reached
out to Richard or Ellie...
- She'd be arrested.
- Yeah.
So, she thought she would try
to get in touch with Doug.
Only when she went online
to look for his information,
she found a lot more
than she expected.
What do you mean?
Our marriage certificate.
Photos of our wedding.
I'm guessing Doug never told you
that he'd been married before?
No. He didn't.
Darla wanted to know more
about this past life.
It took her six months,
but she was determined.
She finally found me online.
My profile was a picture of
Abbie when she was a baby.
Then I told her everything,
how he'd taken her.
And she knew it was a lie.
So she knew about the scam.
Yeah, we worked together.
She would tell Richard the
truth and he would forgive her.
And then, I would
get my daughter back.
And Richard...
Well, Darla needed a cover
to get closer to him.
So she became Beth.
And started seeing me.
Yeah.
She had second
thoughts after a while.
She said she couldn't go
through with the plan.
So that day, at the station...
Doug would know who I was.
I planned this very
carefully, Caroline.
But then you saw Beth, and
you started arguing with her
in the hallway.
- She said that Abigail
was with a loving family now.
And that she couldn't
hurt Richard.
She even thought that
if we told the truth,
that we could work
something out.
That is not what
I signed up for.
That's why she bought
the gifts for Abigail.
She thought Richard would
let her back into his life.
I told her it was insane.
She just kept insisting
there had to be another way.
That's what she
said in the letter.
What?
The day at the station,
when you saw Beth,
she was trying to
give you an envelope.
I have it in my bag.
- I don't need to read anything.
- Marianne, it's important.
It could help you.
This could be another way.
I don't wanna hear it, Caroline!
I have my daughter back now.
And I'm never gonna be separatd
from her, not ever again.
Help!
Help! Is anyone here?
Can I please call my daddy?
Darla was a good person.
And she didn't have to die.
- Die?! What do you mean?
- You don't know?
[creaking]
Did you hear that?
[grunting]
[grunting]
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Yeah, this is he.
- Daddy?
- Abbie? Abbie... Hey.
Keep her on the
phone. I'm tracing it.
Hey, baby girl.
No, no, no... Abbie!
Caroline, she's
gone! Abbie's gone!
Caroline...
[screams]
[grunting]
You're not taking her, Marianne!
She's coming home to her family!
I am her family!
And I am gonna save her!
[grunting]
We got her.
She's at a cabin
on Dorset Drive.
We got a rental property
directly opposite.
Leased six months ago to
a Marianne Cunningham.
That's her. That's my ex.
No, it's okay. Daddy's
coming to get you.
Okay? You just
stay where you are.
[crying]
[line ringing]
We're gonna get her back, okay?
I'll send a unit.
- A unit?!
Are you crazy? I'm
going to get her.
I'm coming with you.
- Out of the question.
It's not safe!
Officer Parker, I
am coming with you.
Stand down, Richard!
Can I get a unit to pick
up the family, please?
No! They're running!
[car starting]
Richard! Are you crazy?
Gimme back my keys now!
[grunting]
Abbie? Abbie?
Hey!
[crying]
[breathing heavily]
Don't make me hurt
you, Caroline. Please.
That's up to you, Marianne.
He is the reason they took
her in the first place.
Because they believed
him! He's a liar!
You still have a
chance, Marianne.
You just drop the knife.
Are you okay?
I'm sorry I didn't
come home, Daddy.
I was with Marianne from school.
But she promised me that I
could go home whenever I wanted,
and then she told Caroline
that she was taking me away.
Wait... Caroline?
Where's Caroline?
She's at Marianne's.
Marianne? You saw
Marianne, sweetie?
What did she look like?
She's the crossing
guard. From school.
With the curly hair.
- It's her.
It's really her.
She tried to take
Abigail from me.
Doug, she's got Caroline.
She's got her.
- Right.
Abbie, you stay
right here, okay?
You stay with Mommy.
[crying] [Ellie]: it's okay.
- Caroline...
- Richard, I'm okay.
- This is all your fault.
- You're not taking her, Doug.
She's never gonna be
with you, not ever again.
You're going to jail!
You tried to hurt my daughter.
I have been looking for her
since the day you
took her from me.
Darla couldn't stop me, and
you're not gonna stop me.
No matter how many
lies you tell.
You're insane!
You tried to kidnap Abigail.
Anything was better than
her staying with you!
You're a monster!
What are you talking
about, Marianne?
She's out of her mind, Caroline.
Clearly, you can see that.
That's what you wanted
the police to think
every time you hit
me. And I called them.
You told them I was crazy,
that it was all in my head.
You're lying!
You thought you could keep
me quiet with your fists.
You thought you could
take Abbie from me,
but you can't!
[screaming]
[breathing heavily]
Are you okay, did she hurt you?
I'm okay. I'm okay.
Parker... Parker's
here, I think.
- Careful.
- It's okay.
Please, Caroline...
I didn't kidnap Abigail.
She came with me.
Every day, after school.
Abby would tell
me. About Doug.
How she was scared of him.
Please, keep her safe.
We're turning over
the whole house.
If she's responsible for
what happened to Darla,
we're gonna know real soon.
- Where is Marianne now?
- She's in custody.
Lock her up. Throw
away the key.
Speaking of keys...
Richard, I believe you have
something that belongs to me?
Right. Uh...
I'm so sorry I took them.
I'll chalk it up to a
momentary lapse in judgment.
So I'm not under arrest?
I think Abigail needs you
a little bit more
than jail does.
When can we see her?
The medical team will
be done with her soon.
We'll have her home in no time.
Thank you, Officer Parker.
For everything you've done.
[sighing]
[Ellie]: Thank you.
Thank you.
Something bothering you?
[sighing]
You're not gonna like it.
Well, I don't know,
I feel kinda tough
after this week. [chuckling]
Marianne. Those things
that she said at the house.
About Doug...
I believe her.
Statistically, women don't lie
about these types of things.
Well, statistically,
women don't usually kidnap
their daughters, either.
[sighing]
Come on, Caroline. It's over.
Marianne was a very
disturbed woman.
Speaking of which, I think
I'm gonna check on her again.
- Hey, can I go?
- Yeah. Okay.
Thanks.
So, sweetie...
You're gonna have
a lot of questions
about what happened
the past few days.
I'm here for you,
whatever you need. Okay?
Is Marianne gonna be okay?
You liked Marianne?
She took care of me.
Like you do.
[sniffling]
Why are you crying, Caroline?
I'm sorry, sweetie, I'm just...
I'm just so happy to see you.
Back here where you belong.
- I don't like it when you cry.
- Oh.
Mommy cried when I
hurt her on her hand.
- How did that make you feel?
- Bad.
Doug says just because he hits
Mommy doesn't mean I should.
Doug says what?
He says he gets angry and
doesn't mean to hit Mommy,
but he does.
You get some rest.
Okay, sweetie?
I love you, Caroline.
I love you too, Abbie.
[tense music]
[indistinct chatter]
[suspenseful music]
[breathing heavily]
I mean, it's a parking lot.
And this is a good
stepping stone.
This is a good
way to approach it
and I think it's great for you.
Hey, sweetie.
Abbie go down okay?
- Yeah, she's fast asleep.
- Great.
Uh, Ellie... Can I
talk to you for a sec?
- Is everything alright?
- Yeah, everything's fine.
Just some girl talk.
You gotta meet the team.
- What's going on?
- Shh!
What's going on?
I need you to tell me
the truth about Doug.
What are you talking about?
You know what I'm talking about.
Marianne was telling
the truth, wasn't she?
Doug hits you.
That mark on your neck.
You didn't do that to
yourself. Doug did that to you.
And Abigail, that's
why she hurt you.
He said if I told
anyone, he'd kill me.
And after what we
did to Richard,
he knew I couldn't
afford to report it.
It's why Abigail joined
the Runaway Girls.
She was having problems at home,
just like the rest of them.
It's not all the time, Caroline.
That's Julianne Thomas.
She was murdered twenty
years ago in Nevada.
And that's her boyfriend,
the guy who did it.
He hasn't been seen since.
This... this is Doug.
Ellie, Doug was
Julianne's boyfriend.
Doug was Karl Swanson. He
killed her, I'm sure of it.
That's him in the photo.
- What?
That's what Darla found out.
She tried to tell Marianne, but
she didn't get to her on time.
Doug... Doug killed her?
We have to go to the police.
Yes. We have to stop Doug
before he hurts anyone else.
[breathing shakily]
- Yeah.
[eerie music]
[gasps]
- No.
You're not gonna call
anyone, Caroline.
This is my life.
This is my family.
You don't get to
take that from me.
Run, Ellie, now!
Ah! No! Ah!
Caroline, please. You're
making this harder.
You're getting involved in
something you don't understand.
I know about Julianne, Doug.
- Ha!
- Or do I call you Karl?
It was you, wasn't it?
Julianne Thomas.
Your girlfriend.
You killed her.
Twenty years ago.
As soon as they started
talking about her
on the news, I knew someone
would figure it out.
And they did.
That day in the police station.
Stay back! I'm warning you!
I know who you really are!
"I know who you really are."
She wasn't talking
about Richard.
She was talking about you.
I followed her home.
I wanted to know what
she'd done with Abbie.
She wouldn't tell me.
So... I did what I had to.
Doug, we trusted you.
It's not what you
think, Caroline.
I'm... I'm not a murderer.
I just get... real
angry sometimes.
All I wanted was for
Julianne to stop screaming.
I tried to shake her,
I tried to wake her up.
But... she was gone.
So I ran.
I changed my name,
changed towns.
And then, I met Marianne.
And you hit her too.
She wouldn't let up on me.
Yeah. She made me
feel like a failure.
No, Doug. You hit her.
You hit her because
you chose to.
Okay. That's...
that's not true!
You hurt people because
you can't control yourself.
It's what you think
you have to do.
But you know, I knew someone
who couldn't control
herself, but she tried.
Her name was Darla.
And you killed her!
- Stop talking to me like that!
Two people are dead
because of you!
Three people.
You'll never get away with it.
No, they'll find you.
No. No, no, they won't!
See, I've already done
this before, Caroline.
I started over, and I'm
gonna start over again
with Ellie and Abbie.
And you'll be out
of the picture.
Gone! Alright?
Just like Julianne!
[grunting]
[grunting]
[breathing heavily]
Ellie...
Ellie, hey, hey. Hey!
[soft music]
I never thought
about it that way.
But yeah!
I should've taken that moniker.
- Ta-dah!
- Yum!
Looks amazing.
So I was just saying,
my community service
has been reduced.
90 hours.
Thanks to a letter
from a certain someone.
Well, you've suffered
enough, Ellie.
You know what you did was wrong,
but testifying against Doug,
that couldn't have been easy.
Well...
You two vouching for me
made it a lot easier.
Oh! Look at these two!
- Hi!
- Hey.
Got some lipstick on your face.
Oh! That was my
orange! [laughing]
Polly seems to be doing great.
You know, it's really
wonderful, what you two did.
Adopting.
Giving a child the chance to
have two parents like you.
We should get the
girls to bed soon.
Abbie's going to see
Marianne tomorrow, at ten.
- Oh.
- She goes before
the parole board in six months.
We want her to know that Abbie's
still thinking about her.
We're gonna try and see about
visitation when she gets out.
That's nice.
Can me and Polly go
play hide and seek?
Okay, sweetie. As long
as it's inside the house.
Don't break anything.
Promise?
- Pinky promise!
Wow, a pinky promise!
Here we go.
Overhand this time.
- Ready.
- Ready?
- Yes!
- It's a great catch, Abbie!
Now try throwing one back at me.
Just back up a bit, okay?
- Okay.
- Alright.
Right in the mitt.
Okay.
- I didn't even get it to you.
No biggie. So the trick is,
you gotta put your
whole arm into it, okay?
Couple more throws and
then we gotta go inside.
Okay. Right.
- Ready?
Yep.
You're on fire, you got it!
- Ready?
- Yeah.
[phone rings]
Brad, hey. We're
able to get it done?
So Abigail and Caroline
are beneficiaries,
like I asked?
You're the best.
Hey, uh... what about
the other thing?
Okay, well... keep on it, Brad.
I need to find her.
It's important.
[Abigail laughs]
[Caroline]: Okay, well, a snake.
[imitates hissing] [laughing]
I'm gonna try a
bird, ready? Oh yeah.
That's much better
than my rodent.
[laughing]
Okay, let's see
what is in this bag
for your mom's house.
We got a bunny rabbit and...
And what is this?
I wanted to practice at Mommy's.
Okay, Babe Ruth.
Just remember... outside, okay?
Pinky promise!
Pinky promise? I'm so honored.
[laughing]
- Hey, you're still awake?
- Oh no.
- Come on.
I was at least ten
before I started
burning the midnight oil.
Time for you to
go to bed, kiddo.
You...
- I'm sorry.
Hey, you want bear time?
I heard you guys out there.
Sounded like you
were having fun.
I'm glad. I love you, kiddo.
Love you too.
Sweet dreams.
You are so good
with her, Caroline.
I know it can't be easy
being "daddy's new wife".
Or "daddy's second wife"
as you introduced me.
I'm never living
that joke down, am I?
Ever since I was a little girl,
I wanted to be a mom.
And I see Abbie and
she's so amazing,
and it's just hard thinking
that maybe we won't have a
family like that one day.
Hey. Dr. Chen is the
best fertility specialist
in the state, sweetie.
It's gonna work out.
Right, but what
happens if it doesn't?
It will.
We're gonna have a baby.
[chuckles] Maybe two.
Heck, why don't we just
have a whole baker's dozen
to make up the family?
- Richard!
[laughs]
Hey, speaking of family.
Brad called when you
were out with Abigail.
He, uh... He can't find Darla.
He thought he had a
lead somewhere in Ohio.
He checked out all the
rehabs, the shelters,
but she's a ghost.
I'm not saying we're
rolling out the welcome mat
to let her back into
our lives, it's just...
She's my sister, Caroline.
I need to know that she's safe.
I can't help but
feel responsible.
You gave her so many chances.
You tried so many times to get
her the help that she needed.
She just... She kept coming by
the house, asking for money.
Eventually I had to refuse.
One night she came by the house,
she stood in the driveway,
screaming for me to come out.
She must have been there
for like two hours.
I've never seen
Abigail so frightened.
She couldn't understand
Darla's anger.
How she was so...
overcome with rage.
That's when I had to file
for the restraining order.
I... I know she was in
a real bad place, but...
Sometimes, I feel
like I put her there.
I think that you're just
picking at old wounds, Richard.
I think you should
let them heal.
You did everything you
could to help your sister.
I promise.
Exactly 20 years ago this week,
Julianne Thomas was found
murdered during a trip
through the Nevada desert with
her boyfriend, Karl Swanson.
Swanson, the chief suspect in
the case, has never been found,
despite repeated appeals
from the Thomas family.
[phone rings]
- It's Beth. I should take this.
Again? It's almost
9:30, sweetheart.
I think I need to
meet this woman.
Talk to her about boundaries.
None of your other patients
expect you to be at
their beck and call.
Well, none of them are
as scared as she is.
Please.
- Get outta here.
[laughing]
- Half an hour.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Beth, I promise, you have
nothing to worry about.
Our time together is sacred,
and anything you say is kept
in the strictest of confidence.
Okay?
Good.
I'll see you Tuesday.
Get some rest.
[sighs]
[ominous music]
[crackling]
[eerie music]
[birds chirping]
- Hey!
- Hey, Doug.
- How are you, how's school?
- It's good.
Good. Okay, go on in.
Richard.
- Doug.
You think you can work
your magic on my mailbox?
I kinda backed into it
when I was pulling out of
the driveway this morning.
Ah, geez, Richard. Uh,
yeah, sure, I can do that.
You want me to
swing by tomorrow?
Alright, sounds good.
We're about to sign off
on a new eco-friendly
parking lot downtown.
And we could use a foreman.
- Me? Seriously?
I... I don't want you to
feel obligated, Richard.
I am obligated. Okay?
After everything you've
done for Ellie? For Abbie?
Ah... my father always said a
man has to build a good home
for his family. I'm just
trying to be a good dad.
[chuckles] Stepdad.
Right. Well, what do you say?
I've seen what you can do, Doug.
This is right in
your wheelhouse.
You've got yourself a deal.
- Beautiful.
- Alright.
[chuckling]
[sobbing]
[door closing]
[sniffles]
- Mommy, mommy!
- I'm in here, sweetheart.
Hi, how's my number one girl?
I won the 100 free and the
100 back at my swim meet!
Abbie, that's two
in a row! Good job.
Yeah. She's basically
a fish these days.
[Abbie laughs] Hey, why
don't you take your bag
into your room and uh, let
your mom and I talk for a sec.
My check arrived?
- Right on schedule.
Brad's just been busy with
some other stuff these days,
so I was worried he
might not remember.
You okay? Your eyes,
they're just...
Oh. Yeah, no,
that's allergies.
Right.
Okay, well, I'll talk
to you later, okay?
- Yeah.
- See you, kiddo.
[indistinct chatter]
- Ah. Hi.
- Hey.
- How was Ellie this morning?
- Seemed a little distant.
She said she was fine.
Said it was allergies.
Doug's good at
keeping an eye on her.
He'd let me know if there
was something to worry about.
She's still taking
her medication?
Yeah.
[engine starting]
Well, I wish these results
gave me some indication,
but I'm afraid I still
can't paint a clear picture
of your situation.
Well, Richard
already has a child.
Abigail. So these
problems we're having...
they're because of me, right?
Well, that's not how we
look at it, Caroline.
We're still early
in our journey.
So our primary focus has
to be making conception
as likely as possible.
- Where do we go from here?
- I suggest more tests.
The greater our sample size,
the more treatment
options we can explore.
Great.
[birds chirping]
[honking] Hey!
[laughing]
I know we've never been
properly introduced,
but I've seen you around
a lot. I'm Marianne.
Caroline. I'm Abbie's stepmom.
She's a great girl.
Yeah. Wish I could say
the same for that one
with the blue backpack.
Well, it was nice to finally put
a face to the name, Marianne.
Bye.
[sighing]
[Beth]: IED? What is that?
It stands for intermittent
explosive disorder.
You have bursts of rage
you can't understand.
You lose control of your
emotions and you fear yourself.
It's why you've
locked yourself in.
Now what I'd like to know is
where do you think
this anger come from?
Uh, my parents could
be pretty rough on us.
Sometimes, they would
get angry and hit me.
It's learned behavior.
It's not uncommon.
We imitate what we
see our parents do.
I guess your parents were
pretty good listeners, huh?
[chuckles]
- I... can't just be here
to listen, Beth. I
started my practice
because I wanted
to see my patients
make practical steps towards
improving their lives.
So far, I've come to your
house for all of our sessions.
But next week, I'd like you
to come to my home office.
That doesn't sound
too scary, does it?
No. No, you have to
come here, Caroline.
I'm not ready!
- Beth, please, just trust me.
I know what I'm talking about...
- Yeah, and I know
what I'm talking about and
I can't come to your house!
Breathe, Beth. Just
like we practised.
That's good, Beth.
You said that you
reached out to me
because I specialize
in grief counseling.
But you still haven't told me
what it is you're grieving.
Everyone in my life let me down.
Then I came to town
with a friend of mine.
We were supposed to work on
this... project together.
It got stressful.
We had one stupid fight
and she just took off.
Just like that.
- This is good,
this is a breakthrough.
Really? [chuckling]
So that means I don't have
to come to your house,
I've made a breakthrough.
It doesn't quite work like that.
This is the first I'm
hearing about this friend.
How did you two meet?
Why do you think the
relationship fell apart?
I've just... I've
had enough for today.
Alright. Well, in that case,
I will be in touch about
next week's appointment.
Oh, I brought you
some reading material.
You might find it
useful. I'll just...
Don't! I'll take them.
Alright, Beth.
I'll see you next week.
[clattering]
[ominous music]
[thump]
[sighs]
[ominous music]
Hello? Abbie, is that you?
[yelps]
[phone rings]
Hey, sweetie. I
just finished work.
[Richard]: Hey, Caroline,
Ellie just called.
Abigail didn't come home
from school, is she there?
Okay, um, maybe she
got confused. Hang on.
Abbie?
She's not here.
Okay, I'm at Ellie and Doug's.
I'll be right there.
Don't worry, Richard, I'm
sure everything's fine.
- Okay, thank you.
- She's not at Molly's.
Jake hasn't seen her either.
There were no
delays with the bus.
She didn't go home with anyone.
I drove the whole
route home twice.
Miss Himbry said she
saw her leave class
at the end of the
day and then nothing.
I'm calling the police.
- Take a breath, Richard.
It's only been an
hour and a half.
- An hour and a half too long!
- Yeah.
Scanned every inch
of the fairground.
She's not there either.
Why would she be
at the fairground?
That's for the older kids.
- You didn't tell them?
Come on, El.
After everything Abbie's
been going through?
What do you mean? What's
been going on with Abigail?
Abbie scratched me.
It was a few days ago.
The other day, I
noticed your wrist.
You're saying Abigail did that?
Yes. We had an
argument. It was silly.
And then she scratched me.
- She hid in the shed out back.
Wouldn't come out
for... about an hour.
Why would she do that?
She's been hanging out
with these girls at school.
They're three years
older than her.
And she wanted to go to
the fairground with them.
She just started taking
the bus by herself.
I told her I wasn't having it,
and that she needed to hang
out with kids her own age.
And she scratched
you? Over that?
It was so out of character,
I just didn't think
it was a big deal.
Ellie, I can see why you'd
think that, but Abigail's
way too even-tempered for
an outburst like that.
Caroline, I think I know my kid.
Please, spare me the
psychology lectures right now.
- Hey.
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
- I'm out of line.
Ellie, you should have
told me about this.
Wait a minute... I saw
Abigail getting on the bus
with these girls.
A few days ago.
One of them was picking
on another little girl.
You're saying that these
are Abigail's friends?
- Yeah. She met them on the bus.
- Come on, Ellie.
I have a right to know about
this. We're both her parents.
I kept telling you to look
out for warning signs.
You know about Darla's history!
- It was one slip!
I'm not about to accuse her
of turning into your sister
because of one bad moment.
Hey. It's not her
fault, Richard.
I missed it too.
Last week when I saw
those kids on the bus,
I should have said something.
She just didn't
want you to worry.
Yeah. Well, look
where that's got us.
We don't need to
think like that yet.
We've called all of
her friends' parents.
Checked every inch
of these houses,
every street from
here to the school.
We're running out of places
of where she might be.
It's not normal for her
just to not come home.
Caroline, we have no choice,
we need to call the police.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
You say this is the shed
she hid in the last time
she assaulted you?
- It wasn't an assault.
She's a nine-year-old,
not a criminal.
I have to ask; is
it at all possible
that Abigail may have run away?
If she's been hanging out
with these older kids,
misbehaving, lashing out.
She may have gotten
some pretty bad ideas.
- No. She's a good kid.
- Good kids get bad ideas.
In cases like this, the
most likely scenario
is that the child has run away.
My daughter had no
reason to run away.
No reason at all.
- Here's what we're gonna do.
First, Ellie, you're gonna
come down to the station,
speak with a liaison officer.
They can offer you any
emotional support you may need.
In the meantime, I'm gonna
start a preliminary report.
Doug and I can go
back to the school.
See if there's
anything we missed.
Anyone we can talk to.
- I'll circle the block,
see if I can turn up anything.
That's good. Can you
show me the shed?
Yeah.
- We're gonna find her, right?
- Of course.
She's my whole world, Caroline.
After Richard and I split, I...
I kind of slipped
into a dark place.
I know. [pants]
Abigail saved me. More
than the counselors,
more than the medication.
I don't wanna think
about what my life
would look like
if she hadn't come into it.
You don't need to
think about that yet.
Everything's going to be fine.
Abigail's coming back, okay?
- Okay.
You know, it's
true what they say.
Your whole world changes
when you become a mother.
So... You didn't
think anything of it
when Abbie started playing
with girls three years
older than her?
- We have a lot of kids
that are friends
outside of class.
Maybe they're cousins,
maybe their parents are
friends. It's common.
Did you notice any
change in Abigail?
Abbie was always
a great student,
but she became... distracted.
It was like she wanted to
play with these new girls
more than anything else.
I asked some of
the other teachers
what the girls were like, and...
And?
And some of them
are troublemakers.
Weren't you gonna tell us?
Of course I was, at the next
parent-teacher conference.
But honestly, I thought
you already knew.
They seemed really close.
Abigail drew pictures
of them all the time.
Pictures? What pictures?
Abigail?
Abigail?
Caroline! I didn't see
Abbie after school today.
Is she sick?
She didn't get on the
bus this morning either?
No. Why, was she supposed to?
Marianne... Abigail didn't
come home from school today.
Those girls that she
was with the other day,
do you know them?
- Yeah, a little.
They're not exactly the kind
of people I thought Abigail
would hang out with.
A few weeks ago,
on the bus home from school,
they were talking about
their little group.
They gave themselves a name.
I thought it was just
a kid thing, you know?
Something to sound cool.
- A name?
Do you remember what it was?
Look. Every drawing is
Abbie with the girls.
I don't... I don't rec...
- Oh no.
- What?
I know this place.
It's in the forest,
right behind the school
here. The old convent.
We don't let the
kids play there.
I'm gonna call Caroline.
They called themselves
the Runaway Girls.
[phone rings]
- Excuse me.
- Yeah.
Richard.
The crossing guard said the
girls gave themselves the name
two weeks ago. That lines
up with Abigail's drawing.
Yeah. Let's go.
[ominous music]
Let's split up.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Call me if you find anything.
Okay. Be careful. I love you.
Me too.
Abbie?
Hello? Is anybody there?
Abbie?
[suspenseful music]
[indistinct chatter]
Are you the Runaway Girls?
Abbie!
Abbie, wait!
[Richard]: Caroline!
[Caroline]: Abbie!
Abbie!
Caroline!
[Caroline]: Abbie!
[Richard]: Abbie!
Abigail?
Abbie?
Oh.
Please tell me they know
where my daughter is.
They haven't seen
her since school.
And they confirmed that
she didn't get on the bus.
[sighs] I know
these little girls.
I know their parents.
Booked most of them into
custody at one time or another.
What does that mean?
These girls come
from broken homes.
They told me that they
planned to run away.
That's where the name came from.
Why would they want to run away?
Why would they do
that to their parents?
It's six. They've been
gone for three hours
and we haven't
gotten a single call.
Their parents probably don't
even know they're missing.
Where are you going with this?
This group? This was an escape
plan from their home lives.
These are the girls Abigail
was spending time with.
I'm not gonna mince my words.
Is there something
going on in your homes
that you're not being
honest with me about?
Ellie and I divorced
before Abigail was born.
But we made sure her home life
was as stable as possible.
Ellie is a very good mother.
And frankly, I'm
a good father too.
So this is one
line of questioning
you can discount, you hear me?
Okay. We're gonna get the
ball rolling right away.
Issue a press release, start
organizing a search party.
Thank you.
[ominous music]
[computer chimes]
Oh.
[indistinct chatter]
Marianne! Thank you
so much for coming.
We've got some fliers
here, and there's water
and flashlights just over there.
I was thinking
instead of staying,
I would go to the hiking trail,
it's right by where I live,
and I could put up fliers.
- Yeah, yeah. Take them all.
Can't have too many.
So you live along
the hiking trail?
You must be near Allworthy Farm.
My cabin is right next to it.
I'm so sorry.
Caroline, I...
I can't imagine what
you're going through.
Actually, I... I can.
My child disappeared.
Almost ten years ago.
- Oh...
It's not something I
like to talk about.
A lot of people are gonna
tell you that they know
what you're going through,
and maybe they do on
some level, but me,
I really know what
you're going through.
You know, I don't know
if I told you what I do,
but I'm a psychologist and I
specialize in grief counseling.
And I'm also just pro bono for
anyone who just needs to talk.
Thanks.
Bye. Thank you.
I'm just gonna get some fliers.
[sighs]
How's Ellie?
The doctors gave
her some medication.
She's at home resting.
Best place for her right now.
I'm sorry, I just... thought
I'd be handling this better.
You have nothing
to be sorry about.
You're an amazing stepdad,
Richard and I both know it.
You love Abbie like
she was your own.
[chuckling]
- Yeah.
Beth?
No, you listen to me!
Don't ever say that to me.
You have to take this right now!
Take it right now!
- Beth?
Beth, what's going on?
- Caroline!
What are you doing here?
[mumbling, sobbing]
Beth!
[panting]
Wait, Beth! Beth,
calm down. Stop!
You weren't supposed to see me.
I need to talk to
you. But not here.
What is going on?
Who were you fighting with?
I'm sorry I haven't been in
touch, my stepdaughter...
Abigail. I know.
That's why I need
to talk to you.
- What do you mean?
- Not like this.
This isn't how you were
supposed to find out.
Find out what? What do you
know about my stepdaughter?
Darla?
What? [gasps]
Stay back!
Stay back, I'm warning you.
[groans]
Darla, what are you doing here?
I know who you really are!
- Okay, Beth, calm down...
- No!
Her name's not Beth. Caroline,
this is my sister, Darla.
Darla, look at me. Darla, do
you know where Abigail is?
[crying]
- Don't follow me!
- Are you okay?
- Yes.
I gotta go.
Are you okay?
That's Darla. That's Darla.
My sister getting
therapy from my wife.
I mean, this is insane, right?
I didn't know who
she was, Richard.
She covered her tracks, she
had ID, billing address,
everything in a different name.
There was no sign
of her in our house,
how could I have
known who she was?
We're gonna get ahead of this.
Your sister couldn't
have gone too far.
Are you kidding me?
It's been two hours.
She could have fled
the state by now.
She did this. She took
Abigail to punish me
for everything that I did.
What do you mean,
"everything you did"?
It's not gonna help anyone
if we start fighting
with each other. Please, let's
not jump to any conclusions.
She didn't want you to
know. The therapy sessions.
That's why they had
to be at her house.
I know where she lives.
- Take me there.
[door closing]
Darla Jones, this is the police!
Show yourself!
[suspenseful music]
I guess I just wish I had
the chance to tell her
that I really did love her.
You know, everything I did...
all of it...
was because I wanted
her to get better.
She knew, Richard. She
knew you loved her.
[sniffling]
I still don't understand.
Found 'em inside. There's no
sign of Abigail in the house.
But there are a lot
of smoking guns.
If she was buying gifts,
seems like she was planning
on reuniting with Abigail
sometime soon,
giving them to her.
She was angry, there's
no doubting that.
But she wasn't calculating.
She was more of a danger to
herself than anyone else.
She wouldn't have done
something like this.
You said she was an agoraphobe?
Not likely she had a partner.
She was arguing with
someone at the station.
- Who was she arguing with?
- I didn't see.
I'll get our guys to take a look
at the security footage.
Officer, do you
think that my sister
is actually involved in my
daughter's disappearance?
We can't rule anything out.
I... Excuse me for a sec.
I didn't want to bring this
up in front of your husband,
but during your
statement, you mentioned
that when Darla saw Richard,
she screamed something like,
"I know who you really are"?
Well, he took out a
restraining order on her.
I can see why she'd be angry.
And during the time that
you spent with Darla,
did she ever give you
her side of the story?
Whatever happened
between her and Richard,
I'm sure he had his reasons.
Why are you asking me this?
You think she was
murdered, don't you?
My gut feeling is that
foul play was involved.
So a woman's dead, and
Abbie is still missing,
and you're asking me
if I trust my husband?
Richard's a good man. He
had nothing to do with this.
Find Abbie and bring her home.
[birds chirping]
Hey.
So... I'm headed to the station.
- Did you get any sleep?
Nothing makes sense anymore.
I can't bring Darla back.
But we will find Abigail.
I promise.
I... [sighing]
I don't think I can get
through this without you.
You don't have to.
I'm gonna...
I'll be back after my
meeting with Parker.
[phone chiming]
[phone chimes]
[phone rings]
Dr. Chen, hello.
Caroline, I've been trying
to get in touch with Richard.
Can we talk for a second?
Uh, I'm sorry, Dr. Chen,
I don't know if
you got my message.
Um... Richard's daughter...
I thought you'd want to
hear as soon as possible
so that we can arrange
an appointment.
Is Richard available?
No, he's not, but I
can take a message.
For him. Is everything okay?
I suppose you are authorized
to hear this as his wife.
And it does affect you.
Your test results came
back this morning.
And I think I understand
why you've been having
trouble conceiving.
Caroline, what you
said last week...
The problem isn't with you.
It's with your husband.
Richard's sample came back
with a low sperm count.
Very low.
Um, I don't... I mean,
I don't know what you're saying,
Dr. Chen. What are you saying?
I'm saying Richard
can't father children.
He's infertile.
No. That's not
possible, Doctor,
I'm telling you,
there's been a mistake.
There's been no mistake,
Caroline, I promise.
We had a large enough sample
size to make a determination.
Look, there has been a mistake.
- Caroline...
- Richard cannot be infertile,
Doctor, he has a daughter
with his ex-wife.
And his daughter is missing,
which is why I don't have
time for this right now.
I accept your
apology in advance,
but I have to go look for
my husband's daughter.
Well, miracles
certainly can happen,
I'm not denying that.
But these results are clear,
and with Richard's history...
What do you mean,
what history, Doctor?
Doctor.
- His history with opioids.
Richard doesn't have a
history with opioids.
In 2005, Richard went into
rehab for drug addiction.
Caroline? You still there?
He went to rehab?
Opioid use can lead to
long-term effects on fertility.
If Richard wasn't forthcoming
with you about this,
I'm sorry that you had
to hear it from me.
But there's been no mistake.
We took multiple
samples from Richard,
and they all came back
with the same result.
And with a count like this,
as your doctor, I
can tell you that...
it'd basically be impossible
for him to father, or to
have fathered a child.
At any point.
Are you saying that Abigail
isn't my husband's daughter?
No, that's what I'm
saying. She keeps asking
the same question
over and over again.
Yeah, just... hurry, okay?
Richard, I just spoke to...
What's going on?
I tried registering
Abigail's disappearance
to send it out on the wire.
I've told her a million
times, it's a mistake.
It is a mistake. I just
called the SSA myself.
Abigail's social security number
belongs to a woman
who died 15 years ago.
A missing child that didn't
even exist in the first place.
Wow, this is a first for me.
What's her real name?
Did you know where she's
been the entire time
you've been pulling this?
- I haven't pulled anything.
Parker, you've seen her photos.
You spoke to her teachers.
She's exactly who we say she is.
Who "you say" she is.
What's her real name?
I'm searching for a
missing little girl
and I don't even know
who she belongs to.
No more tricks.
This is not a trick,
this is my daughter's
life we're talking about.
Her name is Abigail and she's
exactly who I say she is!
I need a minute to
speak to my husband.
There's nothing you
can't say in front of me.
Please. I need to
talk to him alone.
You have two minutes.
Not a second more.
When I come back,
you better be ready.
Because I have questions
and I demand answers.
This is insane.
Right? I mean, are
you listening to them?
They keep trying to tell me
that Abigail doesn't exist.
- Richard.
- What?
I got a call from
Dr. Chen's office.
He had your test results.
We can't have children.
It's your count. It's too low.
He says... you
can't have children.
No, that's wrong, okay?
That's gotta be a mistake too.
It's not a mistake.
Caroline, I have a
daughter! I mean, I have...
I have a daughter!
[mutters]
What's happening here? This
doesn't even feel real.
This is real.
There's another thing.
He told me about the facility
you went to when you were 22.
Why didn't you
tell me about that?
I was a dumb kid. I
was outta control.
But I recognized it.
It was three months,
and I got clean.
But I put that part
of my life behind me.
No...
I didn't tell you, because
that's not who I am anymore.
Darla, she knew, didn't she?
[sighs]
Darla and I had...
a tough childhood.
She was always a rebel.
She couldn't understand
her feelings, you know?
The anger.
One day, she started
to take some stuff.
It eased the pain.
For the first time in
forever, she felt... free.
And she wanted me to
know what that felt like.
But I managed to get
out. She never could.
And I was her big
brother. Everything,
everything that ever
went wrong in her life,
I could have stopped it.
That's not true,
Richard. You tried.
Not hard enough.
But Caroline, that
boy that I was...
is not the man I am today.
Okay? That was another
life. I promise you.
Why can't they find
any record of Abigail?
I don't know, but you
have to believe me
when I tell you I don't know.
Okay? She's my little girl.
There has to be a mistake. Okay?
There... there just has to be.
You and Ellie split
right after she got
pregnant, didn't you?
What does that have
to do with anything?
You don't think that...
We have to talk to her, Richard.
There's no record of Abigail.
Whoever this little girl
is that we've been raising,
she's not Abigail Jones.
We're all on our own.
But I'm gonna get
us out of this.
What are you talking about?
Parker wants answers,
well, so do I.
Let's go get 'em.
Your two minutes are...
up.
This is Parker. I need
a unit out front. Now!
[engine starting]
- Parker has had something
against you from the
start. If we want answers,
we gotta talk to Ellie.
- Wait a second...
You don't believe
any of this, do you?
[sighs] Caroline.
Are you saying you don't believe
that Abigail is my daughter?
I don't know what I believe,
but I know that I
want to believe you.
[water running]
- Ellie.
- Doug!
What's going on?
We just spoke to Parker.
She was trying to register
Abbie's case online.
Ran into some issues with
her social security number.
- I'm sorry, Richard.
- Ellie, wait!
Ellie!
Ellie, stop!
Ellie! Stop!
[panting]
Ellie!
What's going on? [whimpering]
What's going on
with our daughter?!
She's not your
daughter, Richard!
And she's not my
daughter either.
It's time to tell the truth, El.
I'm sorry, Richard.
We never meant for
it to go this far.
Ellie...
Richard, what I'm about to
tell you won't be easy to hear.
What we're about to tell you.
You're not in this alone, Ellie.
It's true. Abigail
isn't your daughter.
And she's not my
daughter either.
When we were together,
it was... so perfect.
You were the greatest husband.
But then you got busy with work.
And we couldn't get pregnant
and we didn't know why.
We kept waiting on a family.
And when that never came,
that's when you gave up on us.
You filed for divorce.
I would have done
anything to get you back.
So I told you I was pregnant.
And when that didn't work,
I was gonna tell you the
truth, that I made it up.
I was in a dark place, but...
things spun out of control.
I don't... I don't
understand. How?
How did it end up like this?
I moved into an apartment
building on the East side.
That's when I met Doug.
He'd just moved in
across the hall.
He'd just gotten out of
a relationship, like me.
And he came to town
with his baby daughter.
I couldn't get a job.
Doug was new in the
city, he was struggling.
So we thought that if I carried
on with the pretend pregnancy,
and we used Doug's baby...
Ugh, no... No.
I had nothing. I was paying
off my student loans,
I couldn't afford to eat.
We pretended Abigail was mine.
Ours.
We used the child support
payments to pay our bills.
We knew you could afford it.
Money, Ellie?
You made me believe that
Abigail was my daughter.
My daughter... For nine years!
Ellie... To get money?!
Of course not.
I still wanted you in my life.
I thought this was the only way.
We wanted to tell you.
But it just kept
growing and growing.
I can't... I can't breathe.
Doug, do you know
where Abigail is?
I don't know.
Abigail might not
be your daughter,
but she's still missing.
You didn't have to do
this, Ellie. You know.
I would have given you
anything you wanted.
Anything!
Not the one thing I wanted most.
- And what was that?
- To have you back.
I can't...
[soft music]
Innocent men don't
run away, Richard.
I should have you arrested
for that little stunt
you pulled back there.
- Go inside, Parker.
Doug and Ellie have something
they need to tell you.
I told you my
husband's a good man.
Now go hear it from them.
So this was all
an elaborate ruse?
For nine years?
To convince Richard that
he was Abigail's father?
Yeah.
I want you both to know
that you will face charges
once Abigail is found.
And from here on out, I need you
to be completely honest with me.
Doug, do you have any idea
who would want to
take your daughter?
My ex. She's the
reason I took Abigail.
She's... unstable.
Very unstable.
What if she tracked us down?
What if she took Abigail?
Oh, God. I gotta
pull myself together.
I just know she's out there.
I know she has my little girl.
[birds chirping]
I think what happened to Darla
has something to do with
Abigail's disappearance.
They were fighting
inside the station.
They might know something.
I've told you already,
we're gathering footage
from nearby businesses.
These things take time.
We're doing everything we can.
- What about Darla's house?
I've been there enough
times, let me go back
and see if I can find anything.
None of us can go back there
until there's been a
full forensic sweep.
It's a waiting game.
Darla had pictures of
me. She knew something.
There has to be a connection.
Even I could be in danger.
And I'm here to make
sure that doesn't happen.
But I can't keep
this under control
if you're not going
to work with me.
[scoffs]
[door closing]
I don't think I can ever
forgive you for what you did.
[inhales]
But the way you
were with Abigail...
You really did love her
like a mother, didn't you?
None of this would have happened
if I'd just told
Richard the truth.
But Douggie kept
talking me out of it.
And I was desperate. I...
I wasn't thinking straight.
I've had that a while.
Abigail did that...
- No!
When we had our fight.
Abigail gave you the
welt on your wrist.
Ellie...
Promise me that you will
not hurt yourself again.
You can't go to that dark place.
[sobbing]
Come here.
[crying]
[insects chirping]
[soft music]
[Darla]: I know you don't have
any reason to trust me, Richar.
And I'm sorry I
lied to your wife.
I'm sorry I
pretended to be Beth.
But I had to get to Caroline.
You need to know the truth
before something bad happens.
Come and see me.
Love always, Darla.
[suspenseful music]
[woman]: Julianne Thomas was
found murdered during a trp
through the Nevada desert with
her boyfriend, Karl Swanson.
[knocking on door]
Caroline. What are
you doing here?
Marianne, hi. I... I just
came to check on you.
It's been so long since I've
been near the farms, so...
Can I come in?
Sure, yeah.
So, any update on Abbie?
The police are still pursuing
every lead they turn over.
I'm... I'm keeping
her in my prayers.
Actually, we do have a lead.
My husband's sister.
Her name was Darla.
She was living in town
under an assumed name.
I was actually giving
therapy to her.
She had a lot of problems.
We're worried that she
may be behind things.
Well, at least you're
closer to the truth.
If that is the case.
I just wanna thank you,
Marianne. For everything.
We're so lucky to have someone
like you looking out for us all.
[creaking]
Oh, sorry. Those are my pipes.
They've been acting up
since the weather changed.
- Maybe I can help.
- No, no, it's fine.
I called someone.
- I'm actually pretty handy.
Maybe I should just take a look.
- It's really not necessary.
It's not a problem.
[gasping]
[breathing heavily]
[gasps]
I'm sorry, Caroline.
It's the only way.
[grunts]
[clattering]
[eerie music]
Listen to me. Don't
ever say that to me!
You have to take this right
now. Take it right now!
Beth!
[eerie music]
[gasps]
[breathing shakily]
[door handle rattling]
[banging]
[crying]
[banging on door]
[breathing heavily]
[door handle rattling]
[banging on door]
We can't open that door
right now, sweetie.
- Is someone inside?
- Shh...
Don't worry about it.
Everything's fine, okay?
I promise. Now come on.
Time for breakfast, okay?
[banging on door] It's okay.
Caroline?
Caroline!
[line ringing]
You've reached Caroline
Jone. Please leave a message.
[beeps]
[knocking on door]
- Hey. Is Caroline here?
- No. Why?
She wasn't at home this morning.
I don't know where she is.
Did she say where she was going?
No. She was in the
house last night
when I fell asleep, but
she isn't there now.
I mean, she wouldn't
leave without telling me.
Something's wrong.
Doug, I can feel it.
Okay. Okay, uh...
Here's what we're gonna do.
We're gonna call Parker,
let her know what happened,
maybe she can get
into Caroline's phone.
Look, I know we have
a lot of work to do
to make things right, but
let us help you, Richard.
- Just find Caroline.
- Okay.
Yeah.
[breathing heavily]
[banging on door]
Abbie?!
Abbie, sweetie, can you hear me?
- Caroline?!
- Abbie!
What are you doing in there?
It's a long story.
I just need you to
help me get out.
Did Marianne from
school put you in there?
It's not important right now.
I just need you to help me.
Can you try the handle?
[door rattling]
It's not working!
What if I pull on the
handle and you push?
What do you mean, Abbie?
I mean, if I pull the handle
and you lean against the door
at the same time,
maybe it'll open.
Abbie, you're a
little genius, yes.
Um... Okay, Abbie, put your
hand on the door handle.
And now, when I count to three,
you just pull as
hard as you can.
Remember baseball practice?
Just put your whole
arm into it, okay?
I need you to do that for
me right now, sweetie.
- Okay.
- Okay, and I'm gonna
push the door really hard.
Okay, are you ready?
You got this.
Okay...
One.
[together]: Two. Three.
[gasping]
I'm so glad you're okay.
- Are you okay?
- I am now.
You were so brave.
Okay. Maybe we
should go home now.
- Yeah, let's go.
- Okay.
[tense music]
Abbie...
Would you go play in your
room for a little while?
What about Caroline?
It's okay, sweetie.
Caroline and I are
just gonna talk.
Yeah, Abbie. Just
a little talk.
Why don't you keep going with
that book you're reading, huh?
Okay.
[grunts]
You're making this
too complicated.
I'm just trying to
keep my daughter safe!
[birds chirping]
What have you been giving me?
Horse tranquilizers.
They're not gonna hurt you,
they're just gonna keep you
numb for a little while.
I'm sorry, Caroline. I
did what I had to do.
You don't have to do
any of this, Marianne.
Let me help you.
- I don't need any help.
Not anymore.
It's getting dark.
I'm taking Abigail.
She's coming with me.
I'm taking her somewhere
new. Somewhere different.
And you'll be safe if
you don't follow us.
You know I can't
do that, Marianne.
She's my husband's daughter.
- No, she's not!
[suspenseful music]
I can't get a trace
on Caroline's phone.
She must have turned it off.
- She wouldn't do that,
not with everything
that's going on.
Okay, so someone turned it off.
She told you.
Okay, she told you
she was worried
she was in danger.
I'm gonna get her back, Richard.
Abigail too.
I'm transferring
whatever I could retrieve
from the other accounts.
I'm gonna run it into forensics
when I get back to the station.
Texts, email, last
logins, anything...
[sighing]
It was supposed to be so
much easier, Caroline.
I really didn't want this.
Just don't hurt Abigail.
- Hurt Abigail?
- Yeah.
I'm not here to hurt her.
I'm here to save her.
I wish you could see
it from how I see it.
I'm a good person.
Darla wanted me to
stop, but I couldn't.
I couldn't let
her go back there.
Marianne, please,
just talk to me.
Let me try to understand why.
She's my daughter. Abigail.
I gave birth to
her nine years ago.
Before he took her from me.
Doug?
He was so sweet when we met.
And then, everything changed.
He told them I was abusive.
That I was unstable.
I would never hurt my daughter.
I was scared of
becoming a parent, sure,
but it was the good kind
of scared, you know?
I had nothing but love to give.
The day she disappeared
with him, I knew...
I knew I had to get her back.
No matter what it took,
I was gonna do it.
Because that's what family is.
So a year ago, Darla got clean.
Then she wanted to
reach out to Abbie.
But because of the
restraining order,
she knew that if she reached
out to Richard or Ellie...
- She'd be arrested.
- Yeah.
So, she thought she would try
to get in touch with Doug.
Only when she went online
to look for his information,
she found a lot more
than she expected.
What do you mean?
Our marriage certificate.
Photos of our wedding.
I'm guessing Doug never told you
that he'd been married before?
No. He didn't.
Darla wanted to know more
about this past life.
It took her six months,
but she was determined.
She finally found me online.
My profile was a picture of
Abbie when she was a baby.
Then I told her everything,
how he'd taken her.
And she knew it was a lie.
So she knew about the scam.
Yeah, we worked together.
She would tell Richard the
truth and he would forgive her.
And then, I would
get my daughter back.
And Richard...
Well, Darla needed a cover
to get closer to him.
So she became Beth.
And started seeing me.
Yeah.
She had second
thoughts after a while.
She said she couldn't go
through with the plan.
So that day, at the station...
Doug would know who I was.
I planned this very
carefully, Caroline.
But then you saw Beth, and
you started arguing with her
in the hallway.
- She said that Abigail
was with a loving family now.
And that she couldn't
hurt Richard.
She even thought that
if we told the truth,
that we could work
something out.
That is not what
I signed up for.
That's why she bought
the gifts for Abigail.
She thought Richard would
let her back into his life.
I told her it was insane.
She just kept insisting
there had to be another way.
That's what she
said in the letter.
What?
The day at the station,
when you saw Beth,
she was trying to
give you an envelope.
I have it in my bag.
- I don't need to read anything.
- Marianne, it's important.
It could help you.
This could be another way.
I don't wanna hear it, Caroline!
I have my daughter back now.
And I'm never gonna be separatd
from her, not ever again.
Help!
Help! Is anyone here?
Can I please call my daddy?
Darla was a good person.
And she didn't have to die.
- Die?! What do you mean?
- You don't know?
[creaking]
Did you hear that?
[grunting]
[grunting]
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Yeah, this is he.
- Daddy?
- Abbie? Abbie... Hey.
Keep her on the
phone. I'm tracing it.
Hey, baby girl.
No, no, no... Abbie!
Caroline, she's
gone! Abbie's gone!
Caroline...
[screams]
[grunting]
You're not taking her, Marianne!
She's coming home to her family!
I am her family!
And I am gonna save her!
[grunting]
We got her.
She's at a cabin
on Dorset Drive.
We got a rental property
directly opposite.
Leased six months ago to
a Marianne Cunningham.
That's her. That's my ex.
No, it's okay. Daddy's
coming to get you.
Okay? You just
stay where you are.
[crying]
[line ringing]
We're gonna get her back, okay?
I'll send a unit.
- A unit?!
Are you crazy? I'm
going to get her.
I'm coming with you.
- Out of the question.
It's not safe!
Officer Parker, I
am coming with you.
Stand down, Richard!
Can I get a unit to pick
up the family, please?
No! They're running!
[car starting]
Richard! Are you crazy?
Gimme back my keys now!
[grunting]
Abbie? Abbie?
Hey!
[crying]
[breathing heavily]
Don't make me hurt
you, Caroline. Please.
That's up to you, Marianne.
He is the reason they took
her in the first place.
Because they believed
him! He's a liar!
You still have a
chance, Marianne.
You just drop the knife.
Are you okay?
I'm sorry I didn't
come home, Daddy.
I was with Marianne from school.
But she promised me that I
could go home whenever I wanted,
and then she told Caroline
that she was taking me away.
Wait... Caroline?
Where's Caroline?
She's at Marianne's.
Marianne? You saw
Marianne, sweetie?
What did she look like?
She's the crossing
guard. From school.
With the curly hair.
- It's her.
It's really her.
She tried to take
Abigail from me.
Doug, she's got Caroline.
She's got her.
- Right.
Abbie, you stay
right here, okay?
You stay with Mommy.
[crying] [Ellie]: it's okay.
- Caroline...
- Richard, I'm okay.
- This is all your fault.
- You're not taking her, Doug.
She's never gonna be
with you, not ever again.
You're going to jail!
You tried to hurt my daughter.
I have been looking for her
since the day you
took her from me.
Darla couldn't stop me, and
you're not gonna stop me.
No matter how many
lies you tell.
You're insane!
You tried to kidnap Abigail.
Anything was better than
her staying with you!
You're a monster!
What are you talking
about, Marianne?
She's out of her mind, Caroline.
Clearly, you can see that.
That's what you wanted
the police to think
every time you hit
me. And I called them.
You told them I was crazy,
that it was all in my head.
You're lying!
You thought you could keep
me quiet with your fists.
You thought you could
take Abbie from me,
but you can't!
[screaming]
[breathing heavily]
Are you okay, did she hurt you?
I'm okay. I'm okay.
Parker... Parker's
here, I think.
- Careful.
- It's okay.
Please, Caroline...
I didn't kidnap Abigail.
She came with me.
Every day, after school.
Abby would tell
me. About Doug.
How she was scared of him.
Please, keep her safe.
We're turning over
the whole house.
If she's responsible for
what happened to Darla,
we're gonna know real soon.
- Where is Marianne now?
- She's in custody.
Lock her up. Throw
away the key.
Speaking of keys...
Richard, I believe you have
something that belongs to me?
Right. Uh...
I'm so sorry I took them.
I'll chalk it up to a
momentary lapse in judgment.
So I'm not under arrest?
I think Abigail needs you
a little bit more
than jail does.
When can we see her?
The medical team will
be done with her soon.
We'll have her home in no time.
Thank you, Officer Parker.
For everything you've done.
[sighing]
[Ellie]: Thank you.
Thank you.
Something bothering you?
[sighing]
You're not gonna like it.
Well, I don't know,
I feel kinda tough
after this week. [chuckling]
Marianne. Those things
that she said at the house.
About Doug...
I believe her.
Statistically, women don't lie
about these types of things.
Well, statistically,
women don't usually kidnap
their daughters, either.
[sighing]
Come on, Caroline. It's over.
Marianne was a very
disturbed woman.
Speaking of which, I think
I'm gonna check on her again.
- Hey, can I go?
- Yeah. Okay.
Thanks.
So, sweetie...
You're gonna have
a lot of questions
about what happened
the past few days.
I'm here for you,
whatever you need. Okay?
Is Marianne gonna be okay?
You liked Marianne?
She took care of me.
Like you do.
[sniffling]
Why are you crying, Caroline?
I'm sorry, sweetie, I'm just...
I'm just so happy to see you.
Back here where you belong.
- I don't like it when you cry.
- Oh.
Mommy cried when I
hurt her on her hand.
- How did that make you feel?
- Bad.
Doug says just because he hits
Mommy doesn't mean I should.
Doug says what?
He says he gets angry and
doesn't mean to hit Mommy,
but he does.
You get some rest.
Okay, sweetie?
I love you, Caroline.
I love you too, Abbie.
[tense music]
[indistinct chatter]
[suspenseful music]
[breathing heavily]
I mean, it's a parking lot.
And this is a good
stepping stone.
This is a good
way to approach it
and I think it's great for you.
Hey, sweetie.
Abbie go down okay?
- Yeah, she's fast asleep.
- Great.
Uh, Ellie... Can I
talk to you for a sec?
- Is everything alright?
- Yeah, everything's fine.
Just some girl talk.
You gotta meet the team.
- What's going on?
- Shh!
What's going on?
I need you to tell me
the truth about Doug.
What are you talking about?
You know what I'm talking about.
Marianne was telling
the truth, wasn't she?
Doug hits you.
That mark on your neck.
You didn't do that to
yourself. Doug did that to you.
And Abigail, that's
why she hurt you.
He said if I told
anyone, he'd kill me.
And after what we
did to Richard,
he knew I couldn't
afford to report it.
It's why Abigail joined
the Runaway Girls.
She was having problems at home,
just like the rest of them.
It's not all the time, Caroline.
That's Julianne Thomas.
She was murdered twenty
years ago in Nevada.
And that's her boyfriend,
the guy who did it.
He hasn't been seen since.
This... this is Doug.
Ellie, Doug was
Julianne's boyfriend.
Doug was Karl Swanson. He
killed her, I'm sure of it.
That's him in the photo.
- What?
That's what Darla found out.
She tried to tell Marianne, but
she didn't get to her on time.
Doug... Doug killed her?
We have to go to the police.
Yes. We have to stop Doug
before he hurts anyone else.
[breathing shakily]
- Yeah.
[eerie music]
[gasps]
- No.
You're not gonna call
anyone, Caroline.
This is my life.
This is my family.
You don't get to
take that from me.
Run, Ellie, now!
Ah! No! Ah!
Caroline, please. You're
making this harder.
You're getting involved in
something you don't understand.
I know about Julianne, Doug.
- Ha!
- Or do I call you Karl?
It was you, wasn't it?
Julianne Thomas.
Your girlfriend.
You killed her.
Twenty years ago.
As soon as they started
talking about her
on the news, I knew someone
would figure it out.
And they did.
That day in the police station.
Stay back! I'm warning you!
I know who you really are!
"I know who you really are."
She wasn't talking
about Richard.
She was talking about you.
I followed her home.
I wanted to know what
she'd done with Abbie.
She wouldn't tell me.
So... I did what I had to.
Doug, we trusted you.
It's not what you
think, Caroline.
I'm... I'm not a murderer.
I just get... real
angry sometimes.
All I wanted was for
Julianne to stop screaming.
I tried to shake her,
I tried to wake her up.
But... she was gone.
So I ran.
I changed my name,
changed towns.
And then, I met Marianne.
And you hit her too.
She wouldn't let up on me.
Yeah. She made me
feel like a failure.
No, Doug. You hit her.
You hit her because
you chose to.
Okay. That's...
that's not true!
You hurt people because
you can't control yourself.
It's what you think
you have to do.
But you know, I knew someone
who couldn't control
herself, but she tried.
Her name was Darla.
And you killed her!
- Stop talking to me like that!
Two people are dead
because of you!
Three people.
You'll never get away with it.
No, they'll find you.
No. No, no, they won't!
See, I've already done
this before, Caroline.
I started over, and I'm
gonna start over again
with Ellie and Abbie.
And you'll be out
of the picture.
Gone! Alright?
Just like Julianne!
[grunting]
[grunting]
[breathing heavily]
Ellie...
Ellie, hey, hey. Hey!
[soft music]
I never thought
about it that way.
But yeah!
I should've taken that moniker.
- Ta-dah!
- Yum!
Looks amazing.
So I was just saying,
my community service
has been reduced.
90 hours.
Thanks to a letter
from a certain someone.
Well, you've suffered
enough, Ellie.
You know what you did was wrong,
but testifying against Doug,
that couldn't have been easy.
Well...
You two vouching for me
made it a lot easier.
Oh! Look at these two!
- Hi!
- Hey.
Got some lipstick on your face.
Oh! That was my
orange! [laughing]
Polly seems to be doing great.
You know, it's really
wonderful, what you two did.
Adopting.
Giving a child the chance to
have two parents like you.
We should get the
girls to bed soon.
Abbie's going to see
Marianne tomorrow, at ten.
- Oh.
- She goes before
the parole board in six months.
We want her to know that Abbie's
still thinking about her.
We're gonna try and see about
visitation when she gets out.
That's nice.
Can me and Polly go
play hide and seek?
Okay, sweetie. As long
as it's inside the house.
Don't break anything.
Promise?
- Pinky promise!
Wow, a pinky promise!