High Potential (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

1
[BRAKES SQUEAL, ENGINE STOPS]
[CAR DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[GASPING, PANTING]
I need a lie down
Only just got up ♪
I lost my appetite
I cannot sleep at night ♪
I cannot concentrate
I do not feel too great ♪
The world is caving in
And I'm kinda struggling ♪
But I kinda like it ♪
'Cause it feels like Being in love ♪
Being in love ♪
[ALARM BLARING]
- [HAND SLAPS CLOCK RADIO]
- [ALARM STOPS]
Being in love ♪
Okay.
Being in
La la la la, la la la la la ♪
[SIGHS, CLEARS THROAT]
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
Well, hello, sunshine.
Hi.
You gonna tell me
why you're in such a good mood?
- Or do I have to ask?
- Oh, my goodness.
Thank you so much for noticing.
No big deal.
Just, any moment, Robert from HR
is going to walk through these doors
and hand me my very own badge.
You're excited about your ID badge?
Training wheels are coming off, buddy.
Mmm. I'm not so sure.
Mmm. I'm pretty sure about that.
- First the LAPD mug
- Actually, that's mine.
And now, my very own badge.
Uh, your vote of confidence
is not lost on me.
But nobody panic,
I don't plan on rooting around
in the evidence locker too much.
Well, that's good, because your ID badge
does not provide access
to said evidence locker.
- Sure about that?
- Mm-hmm.
Let me get back to you. Bob. Bob's here.
- Can I call you Bob?
- No.
Sign here, please.
Coming right at me with the fine print.
That's "Use of service, limitation
of liability, dispute resolution"
You need to sign for the badge.
You know what, Robert?
I will make you a deal, okay?
I won't sign that, but what
I will do is take my badge.
- Yep. There she goes.
- You
- She can't
- She did.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
[SOBBING]
You okay?
Yeah, I'm I'm fine.
[SIGHS] You ever have one of those days
where you just feel like
you're losing your mind?
Are there other kinds of days?
What's going on?
It's my girls. Their father was
supposed to drop them off last night,
but he never showed up.
I call, I text.
I thought maybe
they would be at his house, but
I just wanna know they're okay. But
But you have a bad feeling?
I thought I'd come in here
and try to get it together
before I talk to the detectives.
And my dad's on his way.
I'm probably just overreacting, right?
I think
that wherever your girls are,
we're gonna find 'em.
Mia, when's the last time
you saw your daughters?
Yesterday, when Wendell picked them up.
He's my ex-husband.
You should've never agreed
to shared custody
before the divorce was finalized.
Dad, he's their father.
He has a right to see them.
You guys went camping at Mount Baldy?
Yes, last summer. Wendell took us.
That was right before we split.
Was there a reason for the split?
Wendell started reading about
everything going on with the planet.
The temperatures rising,
icebergs melting. Deforestation.
Loss of biodiversity, industrial
waste, ocean acidification.
You sound just like him.
Yeah. What Mia is too nice to say
is that Wendell became a radical.
A radical?
Yeah. He became obsessed
with environmentalism.
Look, I'm all for
electric cars and composting,
but you know, he just took it too far.
He wanted Mia and the girls
to live completely off-grid.
Told Ellie and Paige that
everything was poisoned. Water, food
I mean, these are kids
we're talking about here.
He's not a monster.
The man decided to grow a garden
rather than take care of his own family.
Wendell and I had
a small online business,
but you kinda need to be
on the grid for that.
Thankfully, my father was able to help.
She moved in with us.
Did Wendell ever talk about
taking the girls out of the city?
All the time.
He bought a cabin out in Upland.
Said he wanted to become
one with nature, live off the land
Could we stop talking now and
start looking for my granddaughters?
Mr. Ashford,
we cannot put out an Amber Alert
until the girls have been
missing for at least 24 hours.
What we can do is issue
a BOLO for Wendell's car
and we can visit the home.
Mia, do you think there's any
chance he might harm them?
I honestly don't know.
State Department says Wendell
Dunn applied for two minor passports
last month for Ellie and Paige.
If the guy got his dream
house in the country
do we really believe
he'd leave it behind?
He might've if he thought
he was about to lose custody.
According to this report
from Child Protective Services,
Wendell was found to be unstable
and could be a danger to his daughters.
All right. Call TSA, and check
flight manifests and border crossings.
Maybe he wanted to take these
girls out of more than just the city.
- I'll go check his house.
- Don't forget Morgan.
Oh, how could I?
- Can I be totally honest?
- Please.
I've only worked here
for a couple weeks,
but I've studied the people
in this building closely.
I know that pit in your
stomach's not going anywhere
until your girls are back,
but I promise you, you're in good hands.
- Make sure she eats something.
- Of course.
Gillory. Field trip.
[KARADEC] We're going
to Wendell Dunn's house.
Well, look at this. Solar
panels, rain barrels, compost bin.
This Wendell guy
really is an eco warrior, huh?
Oh, no. Do you see this?
[SIGHS] Ellie was holding this
in one of the pictures I saw.
And it was a professional photo,
which means it's probably her favorite.
So she wouldn't have left it behind
unless she didn't have a choice.
No. She wouldn't.
[KNOCKING]
Hello?
Mr. Dunn?
Detective Karadec, LAPD.
Guy cans his own jam.
Who knows what he's capable of?
All clear.
Mr. Dunn must've left in a hurry, huh?
Maybe. My kids don't love clearing
their plates under any circumstances.
Mm-hmm.
A greenhouse.
Well, he's got peppers and zucchini.
Malabar spinach, cucamelon, perilla.
I get it. You know your vegetables.
Most of those are fruits,
thank you very much.
- Ah.
- Elliot went through
a bit of a permaculture phase
last summer.
I'll leave the gardening to
you guys. Not really my thing.
Come on, Morgan, the clock's ticking.
Wendell planted cucumbers
and tomatoes next to each other?
Are you critiquing
our suspect's garden now?
Cucumbers and tomatoes
are not companion plants.
Wendell would never plant them
side by side.
They compete for the same nutrients,
they have completely
different watering needs.
Which might explain
why they're not thriving.
Okay. Are you saying that you think
Wendell made a mistake in the
way that he arranged this garden?
No, he wouldn't do that.
You saw how he lives.
These haven't even rooted yet.
What're you saying, Morgan?
I think this space was empty
until Wendell moved all these
plants in here within the last few days.
You just said that
he would never do that.
Yeah, he wouldn't. Unless he
had a reason. Something to hide.
Or someone.
[METALLIC CLANK]
Wendell didn't have anything to hide.
Someone else did.
Him.
- [HELICOPTER WHIRRING]
- [SIREN WAILS]
[PEOPLE SHOUTING, CHATTERING]
Come on. Sniff. Sniff.
Good boy. Good.
Looks like cause of death was
a blow to the back of the head.
- And that's our murder weapon?
- Indeed.
Medical examiner thinks Wendell
died sometime in the last 12 hours.
Have them rush autopsy and tool
mark analysis just to make sure.
If whoever killed Wendell
kidnapped those girls,
they could be halfway
across the country.
- No sign of the girls anywhere?
- No.
We didn't see disturbed soil
anywhere else on the property,
so I think the girls were taken alive.
And now our primary suspect is dead.
Mm-hmm.
If the girls saw their father murdered,
it's possible that the killer's
holding them to keep them quiet.
Or the killer came for the girls
and the dad got in the way.
- [OZ] Hey.
- Anything door-to-door?
No. The neighbors are too far
to have heard or seen anything.
So, I went to the café
where Wendell sells veggies.
The owner saw him in an
argument with a woman yesterday.
- You got a name?
- Only a description.
She's 30s, long red hair, glasses.
Maybe Wendell got a new girlfriend.
I don't know about that. The
guy's still wearing his wedding ring.
Like that ever stopped anybody.
[DAPHNE] Check this out.
Morgan found this photo hidden
in Wendell's survivalist handbook.
Maybe it's his parents?
- Find out.
- Okay.
I'll see if Mia's family knows a
woman who fits the description.
Hold on.
You put out an Amber Alert
for the girls 30 minutes ago.
I did.
You know all Amber Alerts go through me.
- Why'd you break protocol?
- Every second counts.
- She's rubbing off on you.
- Who?
Who do you think?
You all right?
"Don't wait for the crisis to
arrive. Assume it's already here.
'Cause what we do by choice
today may be a necessity tomorrow."
That man just wanted his girls
to be prepared for anything.
There's nothing in this book
that can teach you
how to survive losing your father.
Yeah. There's nothing
that can prepare you for that.
You guys see those
fresh tire tracks out there?
We're trying to determine
the type of vehicle.
Good.
Because if Ellie and Paige were taken
by a stranger and not a family member,
their odds of being found alive
just dropped 42%.
[CHATTERING ON RADIO]
[RADIO HOST]
Looking at the over-under
Jon Ashford.
Owns Ashford Luxury Estates.
It's a global portfolio
of luxury hotels.
Are we sure this isn't one of 'em?
No wonder Mia wanted to move back home.
Well, her father's a very wealthy man.
Which means we can't rule out a ransom.
And he hated Wendell, so we
can't rule him out as a suspect.
Right.
That's too many balconies.
I can't believe that he's dead.
Do you think he was murdered?
We know so.
Sir, we found him this morning.
My condolences.
Wait, if the girls aren't
with him, where are they?
- What does this mean?
- We hope to have more leads soon.
The day he died,
Wendell was seen arguing
with a woman with long
red hair, glasses, in her 30s.
Any idea who that might've been?
I'm sorry, no.
Can you excuse me for a moment?
I'm gonna use your restroom,
if that's okay.
You're good.
Thank you.
Mr. and Mrs. Ashford like to
collect expensive things, don't they?
They do.
You know what I think?
I think we should teach them
how to share.
- Just a sip.
- Just a sip.
If you think of anything or hear
from anyone, call me. Day or night.
- We will.
- I'll be in touch when we know more.
Thank you.
It's pretty sad about Wendell, right?
Yeah. He was a sweet man.
Was he? Just not a good father?
Oh, no. He adored those girls.
Really?
Did you know him well? Did
you spend a lot of time with him?
Yeah.
Last weekend he swung by to get
homework Paige forgot in her room.
I went upstairs to get it,
and when I came back down,
I saw him coming out of
Mr. Ashford's office.
- What do you think he was doing in there?
- I don't know.
Let's go.
- The disappearance of the Ashford sisters
- Thank you.
Has left the community
in a state of shock.
Well, that was fast. Normally it
takes these anchors longer to catch on.
I called in a favor.
Hopefully it pays off.
Oz. How we doing?
Over a hundred calls
and no credible leads.
So these girls
have been missing for 15 hours,
and all we have is a description
of a red-haired woman
who had a fight
with our victim the day he died?
And she had glasses.
Spectacles.
Where is it? It was right here.
Did someone take my report
from Child Protective Services?
Special K.
- Can we not call me that?
- I don't love it either.
Did you read the CPS report
from Wendell's custody dispute?
None of it's true.
It says he was raising the girls
with dietary deficiencies,
feeding them junk.
You saw that garden.
Ever heard of a parent who wants
to hog all the veggies for themselves?
It doesn't make any sense.
Skip ahead to "insufficient
educational environment."
What was insufficient about it?
Not enough iPads?
If Wendell Dunn was a bad
parent, what does that make me?
Tell me I'm wrong.
You're not wrong.
Wendell never mistreated
those girls. They loved him.
The maid loved him.
I mean, I think I love him.
The only person
who seems to have hated him
was the social worker
who wrote those lies.
Sarah Keller.
- Nice glasses.
- Huh.
The girls have been missing
for over 16 hours
- No suspects or further details
- Ellie and Paige
is doing everything in their
power to find these girls.
Thanks for talking to us today, Sarah.
Did you hear about Wendell Dunn?
Yeah, it was all over the news.
Do you know what happened to him?
Well, that's why we're here. You
wrote a pretty severe CPS report on him.
Very severe.
- I'm sorry, who is she?
- Morgan.
My job at CPS is to assess risk
and anticipate incidents
in order to keep all kids
out of harm's way.
I see. That must be
a big responsibility.
Mmm. Very big.
Yeah, it is.
Uh-oh. Oh, boy. [CHUCKLES]
I sure have gotten
a few of these in my day.
Makes it hard not to hate
the mailman, doesn't it?
I also can't help but notice you
and I buy the same dish soap.
Only $2.95 with tax.
And that tells me that you're
short on cash, just like me.
And yet, you were just able
to take a trip to Kauai.
What makes you think that?
Well, the lei still has fresh green
berries from the mokihana plant,
native to the island.
See, I've only ever been
able to travel there in my mind,
'cause like I just said, I'm
typically pretty broke, you know?
Quick question, and please feel free
to not answer this one
without an attorney present, um,
how comfy are those super soft
slippers at a luxury five-star resort?
Geez, I just I wonder what
the "A" could possibly stand for?
Why did you write all those mean
things about that super sweet dead guy?
Did that rich old man give
you a stay at one of his hotels
in exchange for you making his
son-in-law look like a crazy person,
when really
he's just a very loving father
who wanted what was best for
his girls and the entire planet?
Do I need a lawyer?
I mean, yeah.
We know you and Wendell
had an argument yesterday.
Mr. Ashford knows a lot of people.
If I hadn't done what he said,
I could've lost my job.
And if Wendell had reported you,
you would've lost it too, right?
Oh, you think that I killed him?
Tell us why we shouldn't.
Wendell asked to meet me.
He said he was gonna go public
about what Mr. Ashford did.
I said I would write
a new report, but he refused.
He said that his father-in-law
bought out a lot of people
and that it was time to stop.
Wait, I'm sorry.
So, Mr. Ashford bribed others?
Wendell said he had evidence
to bring him down.
Stop him from destroying
the planet with any more hotels.
I tried to change his mind,
but I couldn't. So, I I left.
Uh-huh? Keep using your words.
I told Mr. Ashford
what Wendell was planning to do.
And what exactly did you think
Mr. Ashford would do?
[SIRENS WAILING]
You should be out
looking for Paige and Ellie,
not whatever this is.
He wasn't even here last night.
Tell him, Curtis.
We had to drive to one
of his properties in San Diego.
We weren't back until 10:00.
- How was traffic?
- Bad.
Traffic's always bad.
Do you have one of those
tickets from the toll?
No. Fast pass.
Yeah, write down your make and
model. We'll check the cameras.
Or you could
just skip to the truth, Curtis.
Did Mr. Ashford pressure you to lie?
Curtis.
He did. I don't know where
Mr. Ashford was last night,
but I didn't drive him anywhere.
Jon would never hurt the girls.
Mia, tell him.
Well, we'll keep you informed.
Where is she?
Excuse me.
What are you doing in Jon's office?
We still gotta find the girls.
The maid told me that
she saw Wendell coming out here.
Look, pink streaks.
Just like the photo
of the couple by the pool.
I don't think Mr. Ashford
would hurt those girls,
but we still need to get him
to tell us where they are.
If you have any actual evidence,
now would be the time, Detective.
Oh, don't worry.
I'm on your schedule, Counsel.
Mr. Ashford, is this one of your hotels?
Could be. I have quite a few.
[SIGHS] Wendell actually printed that
up from the computer
in your home office.
By the way, you should consider
replacing your inkjets there.
You see these streaks?
It's like a signature.
If he needs to tag us in, do
you have a signal or something?
Karadec can handle this guy.
- It's not uncommon
- Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course.
- How's this even relevant?
- You know, none of us could understand
why Wendell had this photo on him
until we zoomed in on the woman here.
We noticed one of your hotel bags.
Well done.
You've proven that my client's hotels
provide guests with wonderful swag.
We made some calls, actually.
And it turns out
that gentlemen in the photo
was actually a judge on the
San Mateo County Superior Court.
And a few years ago,
he allowed you to build
one of your lovely hotels
in a protected area,
despite complaints from environmental
groups that your hotel would
"have devastating impacts on
the sensitive coastal environment."
Are you sleeping okay?
Yeah. I'm just a little tired.
A few months prior, believe it or not,
the same judge was
in the Maldives with his wife
at one of your lovely resorts.
Now, I've never really understood the
difference between a hotel or a resort.
And quite honestly, I don't really care.
But what I do know
is that the judge invited his
entire family to celebrate his 60th.
It's pricey. But I think he
gave you the real gift, didn't he?
I mean, the freedom to do
whatever you wanted
so long as nobody found out.
But Wendell did.
And Wendell had evidence.
And Wendell was going public.
- Even if your allegations were true
- [KARADEC] Mmm.
Mr. Dunn's unavailable to testify.
Sarah is.
You remember Sarah, Jon? Sarah Keller?
The social worker that you pressured?
The one who called to warn you?
And right after, you texted this number,
"Must speak. Urgent."
Now, that text was sent to a prepaid
phone purchased at a gas station.
Who did you text?
- My client has no further comment.
- I bet.
I think your client pays
guys with prepaid phones
to make problems go away.
And your son-in-law, Wendell, boy, oh,
boy, he was a problem, wasn't he, Jon?
I would never tell anyone
to hurt the girls' father.
Well, that's a relief.
Anyway, if Ellie and Paige
witnessed the murder of their father,
they can identify who did it.
So, I guess I only have
one question for you.
How long do you think
your prepaid phone guy
is willing to risk leaving
your granddaughters alive?
Please, Mr. Ashford,
tell me how to find him.
His name is Eddie Malone.
We have eyes on the suspect.
He's going for his pocket,
he could have a weapon.
It's keys. He was just going
for his keys in his pocket.
We're good. We're good.
Let's move.
[OFFICER] LAPD!
[SIREN WAILS]
Turn around. Eddie Malone, you're
under arrest. Reasonable suspicion.
[OFFICER] You have the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say
[SIREN WAILS]
So, Eddie admits that Mr. Ashford
paid him to keep Wendell quiet.
But he insists that
when he got to Wendell's house,
he saw Mia arguing with him and left.
Mia never mentioned
she saw Wendell the day he died.
No, but if she knew
Wendell was going public
with information that would ruin
her father, she had motive.
[MORGAN] What? Motive to what?
Kill her ex-husband?
Please tell me you're not
taking this man's word
over a mother of two who's
desperate to find her girls.
We need to consider all options.
That's how we get Paige and Ellie home.
Okay. But, this is a guy you call when
you need "things cleaned up," right?
We can't trust him.
You're right. And I can see him
killing Wendell.
But planting rows of potatoes
over his body?
They were tomatoes.
Any why not? I can picture it.
The fresh tire track at Wendell's house
turned out to be a match for Mia's car.
- Since when?
- We got a text from Oz about an hour ago.
But Mia wasn't a suspect at the time, so
What? And she is now?
Come on, you guys, what
Use your imaginations.
She could've swung by to grab
some rutabagas or the girls' homework.
Or, you know, they're trying to
iron out the details of a nasty divorce.
- No
- Get this.
Mia Ashford withdrew a
hundred grand just before
the bank's close today.
I had a unit swing by her parents'
house, but they don't know where she is.
Okay, why don't we just call the
woman and ask her to explain herself?
- She's in your phone?
- Well, yeah. She was upset. We talked.
Exchanged numbers.
This is Mia.
Please leave a message.
Okay. Listen to me.
Are you seriously saying
that you think Mia killed her
ex-husband and kidnapped her own kids?
I'm saying we can't rule it out.
- Parental abductions happen.
- Yeah, they sure do.
And if the girls are with their mother,
at least we know they're not in danger.
That's great. That's great.
So, the one thing that we do agree on
is that the woman is not planning
on murdering her own two children.
That's so great.
It feels so great
to be on the same page.
She might be keeping the girls quiet
if they witnessed Mia kill their father.
- Oh, my God.
- Look, look, it's late.
There's nothing more we can do tonight.
I want you all to go home and get
some rest but leave your phones on.
Should another lead come up,
we're right back here.
In the meantime, our friend
Eddie spends the night.
And, Daphne, move Mia's photo over
to the suspects side of the case board.
- Oh, my God.
- We need to find her.
Until she gives us answers,
we consider her a suspect.
You cannot be serious.
This is so stupid.
Morgan, no one is saying you're wrong,
but you have to understand that the
I understand this woman!
She's terrified.
She doesn't know where her kids are.
And I promised her
that she could trust us.
- You all right?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
The lab is still testing the van
for evidence. Maybe they'll find
You and I both know
they're not gonna find anything.
That's what Eddie does,
he cleans up, remember?
Do I need to explain to you
how enzyme-based cleaners
break down the proteins in blood?
You heard Soto, right, Morgan?
She said we all need to go
get some rest, especially you.
[SCOFFS]
Yeah, gosh. Everyone's got
such great advice.
Let me tell you something,
I didn't rest for the 27 hours
leading up to finding out that
two little girls were kidnapped.
Wait, what? Are you serious
So, I'm not sure
what you think is gonna happen
when I lay my head down
on my pillow tonight,
knowing that Ellie and Paige
are still out there.
You think I'm gonna just drift
right off to sweet slumberland?
Maybe recharge my batteries?
I can guarantee you,
there'll be no resting.
You told Mia she could trust us.
But, maybe,
just maybe, we can't trust her.
Either way, you and I are
on the same team here, Morgan.
[TV ANCHOR] It has
now been over 24 hours
since the Ashford
sisters were last seen.
- Hey, Mama.
- Hi.
- Thanks for staying late.
- Yeah.
How's everybody here?
We're doing great.
We got some leftover pizza for ya.
I'm gonna put this little lady
down before I head out.
Good night.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
No, don't throw that away.
You save that for the compost.
What compost?
The compost we're getting
tomorrow. We're getting a compost.
What am I supposed to do
with this until then?
Just, like, hang on to it?
Yeah, hang on to it. Come here first.
- Mom?
- Yeah.
You okay?
Yes. I'm better now.
- I've seen enough.
- I love you.
Love you too.
Have you been on that thing all day?
I'm watching an eight-part
docuseries on CRISPR technology.
Well, that's a lot of parts.
Why don't you do four tonight
and four tomorrow?
But I am already on part seven.
All right. Move it away
from your face a little bit.
And when you're done, I want an
essay on both the
science and the ethics.
- Okay.
- Okay?
- Love you, buddy.
- Night.
You know how to clear a room.
Everything okay?
There's just things that we
care about that we shouldn't
and things that we don't care
about that we should.
And we really oughta figure out
which is which,
because I would love to have a
world for my kids to grow up in.
Uh-huh. Cold or microwaved?
I don't know.
I'm sorry. No more questions.
I'm sure you have enough
in your head already.
I'm so I'm sorry.
It's not you. You're great. I just
My brain just wouldn't work
today and I really needed it to.
Hey, you with half a brain beats
the rest of us on our best day.
Those little girls deserve
to have it be my best day.
[TV ANCHOR 2] The girls were last
seen yesterday afternoon
around 3:00 p.m.,
where neighbors
reported seeing the girls
There was nothing in the spotlight.
Someone moved that Buddha. Why?
They moved the Buddha 'cause
they wanted to open the cabinets.
But nothing looked like it was missing.
Nothing was missing,
so something was switched.
Do you see?
Something was switched.
Pizza to go, then.
- We're closed.
- Don't look like it.
How did you know I'd be here?
Well, Google tells me that this
guy is an expert in Chinese antiques,
and your mom loves China.
Honestly, I think your family is
hogging all the books on the subject.
So tell me, am I correct that the
Ming in your parents' house is a fake?
Because it had a little boy
playing Colin-Maillard on it.
And that wouldn't exactly be
historically accurate, would it?
- Well
- No, it's not because Colin-Maillard
became a hit in the 16th century.
So little boys wouldn't be
playing it in the Ming.
You know what? It doesn't matter.
That's not the point. The point is the
Ming at your parents' house is not real
because you put a fake in there
to replace the real one,
which is right here.
Right?
So tell me, Mia,
why do you need so much cash?
None of your business.
Could you give us the room, please?
The police should be out there
finding you daughters,
not running all over town
looking for you.
I can't speak to the police!
Well, great! I'm not the police.
A man called me saying
that he had Paige and Ellie,
and if I don't give him
200 grand by tonight
that they'll end up like Wendell.
I could only withdraw
half from the bank, so
Mia, we have to call the police.
This is not
No, no, no. If I call the police,
he'll kill them. That's what he said.
Please.
That's why I couldn't go
to my parents for the money.
Because I knew
they would start making calls.
Why didn't you tell me
you saw Wendell before he died?
I couldn't tell anyone.
Not without sending my father to jail.
I only went to Wendell's to
beg him not to report my father,
but he wouldn't listen, so I went home.
Look, my father is a flawed man,
but he's always been there
for me and the girls.
I'm sorry.
When is the meet?
Tonight at midnight.
He's texted a location.
[SIGHS] Please believe me. I have
no idea who kidnapped my daughters.
I'm going with you.
Are you sure that's a good idea?
No, I have no idea.
What I do know is that I'm
not gonna let you do this alone.
I know you're scared.
We got this.
Mia, step out of the car, please.
Keep your hands where I can see them.
- Please. My girls.
- Thank you.
Wait, wait, wait. Hang on,
hang on. Let me explain.
We're gonna go down to the
station, handle this the right way.
Stop. You need to trust each other.
- You called the cops?
- No, I didn't. I called him.
- Why?
- Because
if these were my kids,
I would want him here.
[PHONE BUZZING]
- She needs to take that.
- No, she doesn't.
Karadec, this is a ransom.
If I don't pay this guy,
my girls will die. Please.
[BUZZING CONTINUES]
Speakerphone.
[MIA PANTING]
- Hello?
- [DISTORTED] I hope you're alone.
- I am.
- And you brought the money?
Yes. Now where are my daughters?
I'll text you the location.
- Be there in five minutes or they die.
- Okay.
- I have to go.
- No, you don't.
As long as you don't give the man
what he wants, your girls are safe.
- He said five minutes!
- It's too soon. I need backup.
Karadec, they'd never
make it here in time.
Please.
Morgan, give her your phone.
What is he doing?
Answer it.
Okay. Keep that in your pocket
so I can hear everything.
- If anything happens, I'll step in.
- Okay.
Let's go.
Morgan, stay here.
Yes.
[ON PHONE, DISTORTED]
Keep walking.
Okay.
Go to the auditorium.
- Where are you?
- See the door on your right?
Yes.
Go inside.
Now what?
Hook the bag.
[RATTLING]
[STAMMERS] Let me talk
to my girls first.
Do exactly as I tell you, and
everything will be all right.
Where are they?
Are they with you?
Paige!
Ellie, where are you?
Stop! LAPD!
Stop! LAPD!
[GRUNTS]
[TIRES SQUEALING]
- Damn it.
- [HORN HONKING]
- What's going on?
- He's gone!
- They're gone!
- What?
I put a car tracker in the money bag.
Come on.
[SIREN WAILING]
Turn right here!
[TIRES SCREECH]
- Oh, no.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
Ellie. Paige. My girls! Open the trunk!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
- [CRYING]
- Wait! Wait!
- [GLASS BREAKING]
- Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
[MORGAN] Open it!
It's okay! It's okay.
They're not in there.
[MORGAN] It's okay.
- [POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
- [SIRENS WAILING IN DISTANCE]
- It's not her fault.
- No?
- It was my call.
- Uh-huh.
Who are you, you short son of a bitch?
Come on.
Think.
Made a $500 bet on both
teams that were trailing by 21
- Boston's favored by four points
- Oh, my God.
I know who took the girls.
When I first saw him
parked outside, I was like,
"Why would he park under that
tree? It doesn't make any sense."
The birds and the leaves. Cleanup
of the car would be a nightmare.
And then I realized he's
parked there because he can see
inside Mia's bedroom window
from the mirror.
Curtis is in love with Mia.
Now when he couldn't win big
at gambling,
he figured, why not give
the ransom game a try?
Because he was gonna need money
if he wanted to sweep
an Ashford off her feet.
So he planned to kidnap the girls
to get the money to win her hand.
And was the knight in shining armor
for Mia during the most traumatic day
of her life to win her heart. But how?
We were so focused on Jon's fake alibi,
but it was really Curtis
who was hiding behind it.
He must've showed up to
Wendell's in the middle of dinner,
got into a fight in the
greenhouse, where he killed him,
buried the body, then came
back inside to take the girls.
Wendell didn't deserve Mia.
The horrible farm
that he forced her to live on,
and then the custody dispute,
and now her father's in prison? I
I couldn't let him hurt my family.
So you loved Mia?
That's why you killed Wendell. And
that's why you kidnapped Mia's girls.
No. I was gonna bring the girls back.
And play the hero?
Was that your big plan?
You wanted to stage a dramatic rescue?
- Tell me where they are!
- I don't know where they are!
All right. Curtis, listen to me.
It's not too late
for you to do the right thing.
Just tell me
where you took Ellie and Paige.
If they're really family to you,
then let's bring them home safe.
He took them
to the San Gabriel Mountains.
He said they ran off this
morning, and he couldn't find them.
San Gabriels are huge.
970 square miles
with a range and elevation
spanning 8,500 feet,
and they've been out there for hours.
Call Search and Rescue. I want
aerial support and EMS on site.
[DAPHNE] Got it.
[HELICOPTER WHIRRING]
- [KARADEC] Paige!
- [MORGAN] Ellie!
- Ellie!
- Paige!
- Rule number one: when lost, go north.
- How would the girls know that?
The book says you have three options.
Moss, sun or migratory birds.
- Moss?
- [OFFICER 1] Paige! Can you hear us?
- [OFFICER 2] Paige!
- [OZ] Ellie!
- [OFFICER 3] Ellie!
- Paige!
Ellie!
- [OFFICER 2] Ellie!
- [OFFICER 4] We're here to help!
- Paige!
- Call out if you can hear us!
[MORGAN] Walnut shells.
Rule number two:
feed off forest resources.
[DAPHNE] Ellie!
[OZ] Paige!
[HELICOPTER WHIRRING]
- [OFFICER 2] Paige!
- [DAPHNE] Girls, can you hear us?
Rule number three:
indicate your presence
with a recognizable sign.
Over here! This way!
- [OFFICER 2] Ellie!
- [DOGS BARKING]
And take shelter
while you wait for help.
Well
Well
Today was a good day.
- It was a good day, wasn't it?
- Mmm.
I owe you something,
Morgan. A thank-you.
For trusting me.
Did I do that?
When you texted me to come
help you guys with the kidnapper.
Yeah. I mean, you gave me
enough time to get there.
Didn't give me enough time
to call for backup though,
which, once I realized the
career-ending debacle you threw me into
Were you thanking me? Is that
how this whole rant started, or
Yeah.
Well, I would like to thank you
for not going
full Rambo: First Blood Part II
- like I know you wanted to.
- Mmm. [CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
You think this will ever
happen again? Hmm?
- Us trusting each other.
- I don't. I don't.
It was good while it lasted though.
It was fine.
Gillory.
Come here.
Are we hugging?
- Absolutely not.
- Okay. Well, take it easy.
You don't have to say it
like that. [STAMMERS]
My badge?
What
Oh, I must have lost it.
You lost it. And I found it
in the woods.
Get some rest, Detective.
You too, Consultant.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING ON TV]
Love doesn't fade away ♪
And everyone stays the same ♪
And, no,
It doesn't hurt to be alive ♪
And, no, It doesn't hurt to be alive ♪
And, no, It doesn't hurt to be alive ♪