Proof (2015) s01e04 Episode Script
Redemption
Previously on "Proof" I want to know what's going to happen to me after I die.
And I'd like you to do that for me.
I don't know what you said to Ivan Turing, but he has reconsidered his donation, which could mean a new wing.
We both ease people's suffering, we heal their pain.
I'm a doctor.
You do cheap parlor tricks.
I think your son might disagree.
Mom! I'm looking for a former patient of mine A woman, mid-50s or 60s If there's a photo, she might be wearing a green scarf.
I heard we got a police officer.
Talk to me.
Gunshot victim, 47 years old, possible ventricular injury.
BP is 70 over 40 and falling.
Let's get him intubated.
I want to start a central line.
Is he gonna be okay? We're gonna do the best that we can.
Transferring.
1, 2, 3.
BP's falling, Doctor.
Let's get that central line in.
I need four units of O-neg, stat.
We're squeezing it in as fast as we can, but his blood pressure is still dropping.
Watch your backs.
What have you got there, Raj? Second gunshot victim.
I think my guy shot your guy.
Yeah, but Frank, he got him back.
- Can we clear the room? - I want to stay.
Frank's my T.
O.
, my training officer.
I want to stay.
I only see one entrance wound.
Let's see if there's an exit wound.
Pulse is weak.
This guy's bleeding out.
I'll get there as soon as I can.
You've got your hands full, and I don't think it would do any good.
Okay, we're gonna log-roll him to the left.
- Yes, Doctor.
- Ready? 3, 2, 1.
Damn it.
There's multiples.
The bullet must've fragmented.
Get me the thoracotomy tray.
Let's flip him back.
No pulse.
Doctor, he's coding.
Let's shock him.
- 200 joules, Zed.
- Charging 200.
Charged.
Everyone clear! Again.
Charging.
Everyone clear! Again.
Charging.
Everyone clear.
He's asystole.
Okay.
Time of death 17:42.
What? Oh, no! No! No! No! I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
How's it going over there? This one's gone, too.
Good.
I hope he rots.
Frank was just going to get coffee when he sees this prick holding up a liquor store.
I was I was supposed to get the coffee.
Okay.
Why don't you take a walk? Come on.
Take a walk.
- I was supposed to get the coffee.
- Come on.
Got something here.
Aaaaaah! Well, it looks like we got a rhythm 60 over 40, but he's still losing blood.
Okay, let's open him up.
We got work to do, people.
We're here on scene outside of Bay Vista Hospital following an officer-involved shooting.
We're sorry to report the officer has passed away in a horrible tragedy.
Whoever said there's no such thing as bad publicity never had a cop killer in their hospital.
Yeah, try being the one who saved him.
I'm getting the feeling that I'm not exactly their favorite person right now.
It's a terrible thing when something like this happens, but hopefully it will all be over soon.
- I'm heading in there now.
- Good.
The sooner he's gone, the better.
You saved the wrong one.
You know that? About time you got here.
I like deep tissue or Swedish.
A happy ending would be nice.
I'm Dr.
Tyler.
I did your surgery.
I need to check your incision.
Doctor, huh? Well, all right.
Come closer, Doc.
You're not scared of me, are you? Not even a little.
Didn't they tell you? I killed a cop.
Mm.
Your wound seems to be healing well.
Just need to check Let go of me.
You're not scared? Let go of me.
I've worked in war zones.
I pulled shrapnel from an Afghan boy's chest with his father's A.
K.
pointed at my head.
So a guy like you, chained to a bed? Sorry.
Besides, and I happen to know you aren't as tough as you'd want people to think.
What are you talking about? I saw you in the E.
R.
when you came back to life.
I saw how frightened you were.
That's bullshit.
You were terrified.
I've seen people come back from death before, and I've even brought back more than a few myself, but I have never seen anybody as afraid as you were.
You don't know what the hell you're talking about.
What was it? - What scared you so much? - I wasn't scared, god damn it.
I was pissed off.
Didn't look like that to me.
Why don't you get the hell out of here? Look, I'm not trying to upset you.
I'm just w Are you deaf?! I said get out of here, bitch! He was already on 50 milligrams of thorazine.
Perhaps he did see something before he revived.
Well, if he did, he really didn't want to talk about it.
Can I get a black tea, please? Uh, coffee for me and black tea for her.
Thank you.
Well, maybe he did have a near-death experience, but it wasn't a very pleasant one.
Maybe he didn't want to discuss it.
Yeah, perhaps some people, maybe bad people, like Mr.
Mason, experience appropriately terrible things.
What do you mean? Like fire and brimstone? That sort of thing? That's a little biblical, don't you think? I got it.
Oh, it's actually not just a Judeo-Christian concept.
- Here you go.
And keep the change.
- The Aztecs, the early thank you Uh, ancient Egyptians, the Greeks, they all believed in an underworld of punishment.
Even Buddhism talks about Avici, the lowest level of hell for those who have done terrible things.
Putting the pitchforks aside for a minute, if there are bad NDEs, why aren't there reports like that in our files? Could be because who'd want to admit to that? He's right.
Surveys suggest a lot more people experience NDEs than report them because they're afraid of what others will think.
Imagine if you found out that your eternity was going to be awful.
That makes sense.
So, this is a unique opportunity.
I want to try to get Mr.
Mason to talk about what, if anything, he experienced.
What? Mr.
Mason is a very dangerous man, Dr.
Tyler.
He's chained to a bed.
I have crossed paths with men like that back home.
Even when you think that they can't hurt you, they find a way.
I looked up his criminal record.
It goes back decades.
That police officer might've been the first person he killed, but he beat a man almost to death in a bar fight, and he spent time in a maximum-security prison.
Dr.
Tyler, he's a violent criminal.
Who might've had an NDE unlike any other that we're likely to hear about.
We may not get a chance like this again.
Oh, hey, I can do that.
O-kay.
- So, there's this party Friday night.
- Mm-hmm.
It's Dad's night, but I know he'll just tell me to ask you, so Where's the party? It's at the Badger Club.
But don't worry.
Ezra's dad booked a private room.
Well, you can stop unloading the dishwasher.
You're not going.
Mom.
It's a music club in a crappy part of town.
They serve alcohol there.
Not in the private room.
They had their license suspended.
Look, all my friends are gonna be there.
I'm sorry, Soph.
You're 15.
Almost 16.
Look, when are you gonna lighten up? Every single time I want to do something, you say no or come up with some reason why I shouldn't go.
That's not true.
Imagine Dragons concert, ninth-grade overnight, Bella's new year's party I can go on.
You can stop worrying about me.
I'm not gonna die.
Okay, fine.
Yes! But you have to be back at your Dad's by 11:00.
Are you serious? Look, the party doesn't even start till 10:00.
Nobody will be there.
I'm sorry, Soph.
That's just the way it is.
You know what? Forget it.
I just won't go.
No, you can go.
You just have to be back by 11:00.
No, it's fine.
What's the point? Mr.
Mason, whether you like it or not, I have a job to do, so I need to ask you a few medical questions.
- Have you been sleeping? - I ate, I slept, I used the damn bedpan.
Anything else, Doctor? Actually, there is.
I was there in the E.
R.
I'm not buying your story.
You saw something, didn't you? What's it to you? I think you want to talk about it.
Fine.
I'll let the prison doctors take it from here.
I saw the cop The one I killed.
He was there.
The other one, too Torres.
Who's Torres? Guy who tried to mess with me in prison, okay? Little prick tried to knife me, but I got him first.
He was there, too, but it was the It was the girl.
What girl? Someone else you killed? No.
I never saw her before.
I think she had short brown hair.
She was wearing this uniform, like in one of those fast-food places.
But you saw her with the cop you killed? Yeah.
She was there.
Waiting for me, pulling at me.
You need to try to calm down.
I never killed any girl! Who was she? - What does she want from me?! - Ma'am! What does she want from me?! - It's okay.
- You all right? It's okay.
Ah, Carolyn.
Phillip and I have been talking about your patient and when you thought he might be ready to be released to the police.
Uh, I'm I'm not sure he's well enough to be moved yet.
I mean, it could be a couple of days.
It's just that a number of my patients have expressed concern about coming into the hospital with a killer in residence.
Well, there's always house calls.
- Oh, you're serious.
- Carolyn, I would like to move this along.
The sooner we can get this place back to normal, the better.
Are you asking me to release a patient before he's ready? Of course not.
But we all know that being ready is subject to interpretation.
Well, as his surgeon, it's my interpretation that he's ready to be released when I determine he's ready to be released.
Of course.
So, tomorrow, then.
Thank you, Carolyn.
Always a pleasure.
I contacted Mr.
Mason's parole officer.
There was an inmate named Miguel Torres who was stabbed while he was a prisoner.
Mr.
Mason was someone they suspected, but they were never able to prove it.
And what about the girl he talked about seeing? I found one that could be her.
A 17-year-old girl matching the description he gave you went missing about a year ago.
Brown hair? Brown hair, just like he said.
Nobody's seen her since she left work and never came back.
They thought she might be a runaway.
And what about the fast-food place? Her name is Laurel Ayers.
Is this her? Is this the girl? I don't know.
Could be.
I didn't really see her face.
She's pretty, huh? Is she dead? Why don't you tell me? How the hell should I know? You think I killed her? Best case, you heard about this missing girl and you're using her to try to get me to extend your stay.
I told you, I never saw her before I Before you died.
I know.
You said that.
You know, I've talked to people who have flatlined.
They talk about floating above their bodies.
They talk about seeing their loved ones.
I never saw any of that shit.
So that's all you saw? You didn't see anything else? If this isn't perfectly clear already, I am all you've got.
There was this sound Like screaming.
It was different.
Not like people screaming.
- More like birds.
- Birds? Like seagulls, you know? It was weird, that girl.
She was standing in this mud, but it was all, like, orange.
You're just remembering this now? I don't want to remember any of it, but I can't stop thinking about it, about her.
I think you are scared.
You're damn right I am.
Scared that bitch will never leave me alone.
Even when I'm dead for good, she'll be there, waiting for me.
Dr.
Tyler.
Paul Hyatt.
Officer Hyatt.
You worked on my T.
O.
, Frank McNeil, in the E.
R.
Oh, of course.
How are you doing? Well, you know, I-I just stopped by to see some of the guys.
I'd rather be working, but they make you time off when your partner I'm sorry.
Hey, hey, listen.
I heard you might've caught some grief from some of the guys.
I just want you to know that I appreciate what you did for Frank.
I know you tried.
Well, I wish we could've done more than that.
Yeah.
Um, can I ask you something? Yeah, sure.
What is it? Do you know anything about a missing girl named Laurel Ayers? She's been missing for about a year.
Ayers? She worked in a fast-food place.
Maybe.
Um I remember as a cadet, they had us beating bushes trying to find a missing girl.
It could've been her.
What about her? This might sound strange, but Are you familiar with the idea of a near-death experience? Yeah.
My cousin swears he had one when he crashed his dirt bike.
I'm sorry, but Randall Mason says he saw Laurel Ayers when he flatlined in the E.
R.
Whoa.
You think this could've been some kind of a confession? I really don't know.
But he said he heard screeching birds all around her Like seagulls.
Well, you know, I remember we did get a tip back then about boats.
They had us check every marina around, but nothing ever turned up.
Well, he also mentioned something about mud, orange mud.
Was there anything like that? I can talk to the detectives, see if it means anything to them.
I mean, it could be it could be nothing.
He might just be messing with me.
Well, maybe, but what the hell? I'm dying for something to do.
Got another one! All right, that makes four! We're on 17! Just get it in plastic, and if we get back to the lab All right, you want to mark that into evidence? Right here.
We're over here! Benson, she's got a hit! K-9's got another one! That makes four graves! Dr.
Tyler.
I wanted to let you know we found that girl, Laurel Ayers.
Is she alive? Sorry, no.
But She was killed.
Strangled.
We found her at a boat salvage yard.
Which means seagulls, right? Just like he said.
Yeah, in fact, everything he said matched up Fast-food uniform, buried in a foot of mud.
And it was orange from the rusting iron.
So you think he killed her.
He led us right there.
It's the only thing that makes sense.
The thing is, there were others.
Four girls, all teenagers, the most recent killed a couple weeks ago.
Oh, God.
If you hadn't brought me that information, we probably would've never found them.
It doesn't do those girls any good.
No.
But at least we know the killer's off the street.
He can't hurt anyone else.
Right.
Thanks again, Doctor.
We really appreciate your help.
- Dr.
Tyler.
- Don't.
They found that girl right where you buried her.
Along with several others.
Now you sound like the cops.
Only they came in with the good-cop routine.
"Tell us for the families.
Give them closure.
" I almost confessed just to get them to shut the hell up.
Then why didn't you? You're already facing a life sentence for killing a police officer.
Well, see, there's a problem there, son.
I didn't kill those girls.
And yet your clues led to the exact location of the victims.
If I knew where they were buried, I would've drawn a damn map.
Unless it was more fun for you to string me along, make me play your little power game.
Trust me, lady.
I'm not that clever.
Look, there are two possibilities.
Either you are a lying son of a bitch Or I really saw that girl.
I know that's some crazy shit, but that's what happened.
And I'll tell you something else.
I think she wants the scumbag that put them there, and I figure finding him is my only chance.
Chance? Chance for what? I never much believed in hell, Doc.
Unless you count the nights my old man came home drunk.
But I caught a glimpse of the real thing, and I don't ever want to go back.
Are you talking about Redemption? Prison chaplain always said good deeds can wash away our sins.
I help her She helps me.
I can tell you from experience there are some mistakes nothing makes up for.
Yeah, well, it's the only shot I got.
He appears to genuinely believe what he's saying.
Do you? He was Very compelling.
Are you certain that he is not being truthful? No, I'm not, and that's the problem.
Then there is a very real possibility that he did not kill those girls, which means that the person who did is still out there.
Oh, hey.
I was looking for you.
If you're not busy tonight, I'm making Sophie's favorite Fish tacos.
I can set an extra plate.
Can't.
I have a meeting.
Medics International stuff, you know.
Come on.
It's just tacos.
You got to eat.
I can't.
I-I have to work.
Have to work.
Never heard that before.
- Another time.
- Yeah.
You know, I'll be working late as well.
Maybe afterwards we could grab a late bite at La Serre.
Mmm.
I love that restaurant.
Will your wife be joining us? Uh, no.
Uh, she's, uh, out of town.
Oh, that's too bad.
Well, let's just take a rain check until she gets back.
Looking forward to it.
Doctor, a patient is coding.
- What room? - 304.
Mr.
Mason.
One milligram of epinephrine, stat.
Take the restraints off him.
I need to shock him.
- But he's high risk.
We can't - Do it! Now! Go.
Charged.
Everyone clear.
A drug overdose.
After all my hard work to keep you alive.
Did you learn the art of tonguing your meds in prison? Youth camp.
It's called stockpiling.
You trying to cheat the hangman? Didn't anyone ever tell you that suicide is the coward's way out? Oh, come on, Doc.
If I wanted to off myself, you think I'd do it in a damn hospital? I was counting on somebody to haul my butt back.
Then why? You were so terrified the first time you nearly died.
Why would you want to go back there now? Trying to see Laurel Ayers again? But you brought me back too soon.
Sorry for saving your life.
Again.
There was something.
Something quick, just a flash.
Something gold on her neck, like a necklace.
I don't know for sure.
That's it? I need to find out what she's trying to show me.
Slip me some stash, Doc, and I'll do the rest.
That's not gonna happen.
Okay, and if this was all just another way to extend your stay here, you're out of luck, and you're out of time.
Get it through your head.
Somebody else killed those girls.
And guys like that, they don't stop.
Wow.
You look like a million I mean, a billion bucks.
Why didn't you tell me our meeting was formal? There's a charity event I have to attend before I leave tonight.
This one's for a pregnant whale who's gonna need a very big crib.
And you're the sugar daddy, is that it? For only two million bucks, I get to name the newborn calf.
Don't say Ivan Jr.
Mr.
Turing.
Mm.
Looks like you've got to go.
I'm in a meeting.
Janel filled me in on your new patient, Mr.
Mason.
Terrible.
Just awful.
Yes, it is.
But if his NDE led to the discovery of those young girls, that's exactly the kind of evidence we're searching for, isn't it? If he had nothing to do with it.
I mean, look, I-I agree.
We're in interesting territory here, but Mr.
Mason has said he doesn't remember anything more than what he's already said, and he's going back to prison tomorrow.
We've hit a wall.
Then climb over it.
What do you suggest, that I let him die again? You know, there's something called the Hippocratic Oath.
Use one of the tools in our toolbox, somebody who's interviewed hundreds of people who died and came back.
I'm talking about Peter van Owen.
Well, I agree, he is a tool.
Listen, I got to go in.
Why don't you come inside with me, let me convince you? I'm wearing my scrubs.
Blue is so last year.
If that's all that's keeping you from going in, what do you like? Dior? Dolce? Valentino? Oh.
Wow.
Hey.
Uh, come on in.
You said you had to work.
Uh, emergency surgery at the Oscars? I thought I told you I had a meeting.
Yeah.
No, it's just, uh Wow.
Um, Soph and I had a fight.
Right.
The party.
I heard.
And I was driving home, feeling guilty So I thought I would stop by and make peace.
With the both of you.
Well, I-I can be bought, but, uh, not sure even cookie dough is gonna do it for Sophie.
I tried to pull her out to watch a movie.
She practically bit my head off.
Soph? It's me.
Can we talk? Sophie? Can I come in? Let her sleep.
You guys can talk tomorrow.
Okay.
Damn it.
She must've gone out the window.
I know where she is.
Wait.
I'm coming with you.
It's my fault.
I should've checked on her.
No, it's my fault.
I should've known she would try something like this.
She gave up on that party way too easily.
Cat, let's not do this again.
Cat, she's right there.
Mom? Dad? You are coming home right now.
- They're 15.
Get lost.
- You too.
- We're leaving.
Come on.
- Mom, Dad, stop.
No.
Get in the car right now! - Can we just talk about this? - Oh, we will talk about it.
You get in the car.
I'm driving you home.
Maybe you should let Dad drive.
It didn't work out so well for Will.
Oh, my God, Mom.
Mom, I'm sorry.
Mom, I'm so, so sorry.
Mom, I'm so sorry.
Mom.
Get in the damn car.
She's already out.
Bet she's gonna wake up with a hell of a hangover in the morning.
Can't say I feel too bad about that.
You know she didn't mean it, right? She was just using her teenage superpower of instantly knowing the most horrible thing to say.
What bothers me is that she snuck out, late at night.
Something terrible could've happened.
- But nothing did.
- Yeah, but it could've.
I mean, she thinks she's invincible and I'm just being paranoid, but, you know, it's not safe for teenage girls out there.
And we can't always be around to protect her.
This is about your patient.
This is about five girls being murdered, all around Sophie's age.
By a monster who's not on the streets anymore.
But what if it wasn't him? He knew where the bodies were buried.
What other explanation is there? I don't know.
She's safe, Cat.
They got the guy.
If you want something to worry about Seeing those older boys flirting with our daughter? That's gonna keep me up for a while.
Get some rest, okay? Hello, Dr.
Tyler.
Sorry to call so late.
How can I help you? Think I'm ready to use that tool we talked about.
Imagine my surprise when I got your call, Dr.
Tyler.
Okay, let's just get something straight.
I think this is a total waste of time, but our mutual friend insisted, and this guy's about to be moved, so I'm desperate enough to try anything.
Well, now you're just flattering me.
Okay, look, I need you to hang back.
I may need to do some sweet-talking to get you in there.
As much as I'd love to hear your version of sweet talk, that won't be necessary.
Gentlemen.
Mr.
van Owen.
You working this case? I-I don't know yet.
Do you mind if I, you know, go in? - Supposed to be medical personnel only.
- Please.
For you, I guess it's okay.
Thank you.
Seattle P.
D.
has been desperate enough to use me, as well.
What the hell is this? This is Peter van Owen.
He thinks he might be able to help you.
Oh, I know you.
You're that freak who talks to dead people.
Dr.
Tyler has told me about your experience, about the girl that you saw, the one that was murdered.
So, what? You gonna say you saw her, too? No.
No, no, I'm afraid not.
For some reason she's chosen you.
So, if we are to find out what she wants, then perhaps you could tell us exactly what you saw, what you remember.
So you do believe me.
- Can we just get on with it? - Mm.
So, maybe it would be, uh, a good idea to close your eyes.
Just let it all come back.
Do you think you can do that? Yeah, yeah, let's just do this.
Okay.
You were in the emergency room.
You were bleeding And in shock.
You felt your life slipping away from you.
Now you tell me everything that you saw, every detail.
It's dark.
Cold colder than I've ever been.
There's a sound.
But then you saw something.
What was that? The cop.
The son of a bitch right there.
Right in front of me.
Focus.
Focus on the girl.
I don't like this.
Relax.
Relax.
She doesn't want to hurt you.
She's trying to show you something.
- I saw something - Yeah.
Something on her neck.
Yeah.
- Stay with it.
- Gold.
Yeah.
I can't.
Keep looking.
What is it? I can't see it.
That's it.
That's all I saw.
Yeah, yeah.
You mean that's all you wanted to see.
What? Okay, we tried.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's there.
It's there, isn't it? You're just too scared.
Tough guy, huh? No, he's just a scared little boy.
Aren't you? Or should I say little bitch? You don't want to be talking to me like that.
Oh, really? Isn't that what you were in prison - Somebody's little bitch? - Okay.
- Don't worry, you'll be back there soon.
- All right, that's enough.
Let's Shot a cop but afraid of a bad dream.
Look at her.
Look at her.
Close your eyes.
I told you, it's too quick.
Face her and look at her.
Look at her.
Wait.
Wait.
There is something.
A lock.
Yeah, that's it.
It's a gold lock.
What the hell is this? What's going on here, Carolyn? Who are you? I'm just, um I'm finishing up with a patient, Charles.
Can you just give us a minute? No.
I looked at his records.
He's well enough to move.
I am releasing him to the police now.
Charles I'm concerned about you, Carolyn.
Your behavior lately has been troubling, and not in the usual way.
He's not your problem anymore, Dr.
Tyler.
- I know.
I know.
- Okay.
It's not over, Doc! The killing! He's out there, and they're never gonna find him now! Don't let him get to you.
He's gonna get what he deserves.
He said he remembered something else, something about some kind of lock.
A lock? Yeah.
A gold one around Laurel Ayers' neck.
I'm sorry, Dr.
Tyler, but he was playing you.
Guys like him, they get their kicks that way.
So, there was no lock found with her body? I got a look at the autopsy results they're releasing to the media.
It looks like he threw some kind of braided wire around her neck and strangled her.
That's the way he did all of them.
It was him.
I wish I could be that certain.
In all your conversations, did he ever mention that he lived half a block from the fast-food restaurant where Laurel worked? The last place she was seen alive? Yeah.
I didn't think so.
He killed those girls just as sure as he killed my partner.
Too bad they can't hang him twice.
They didn't tell me you were here.
I came straight from school, just like you asked.
Mom You don't have to apologize again.
I really am sorry.
I am so sorry.
I don't know what got into me.
I do.
Look, about that, I I don't always drink when I go out.
Sometimes when I'm at parties, I'm the girl who lost her brother.
I know how you feel.
I guess you would.
How do you forget about it? I don't.
So, how long do you think you should be grounded for? For the rest of my life.
Mm.
Possibly.
Maybe with better grades and good behavior, we might be able to cut that time in half.
Can we go home now? I'm sick of being around sick people.
I get it.
Mom, what is it? Dr.
Tyler? - Hi.
- Hi.
You got my message? That you think it was the keys, not the lock? You know, I always wanted to be a cop, Dr.
Tyler.
But before this, I worked in a car wash.
My manager had one of those wire-key-chain things, too.
Guess who was the last person to see Laurel Ayers alive.
Her manager at the taco place? I asked the guys in Homicide if I could take a look at her case file.
Turns out when Laurel disappeared, the manager was questioned and cleared.
Oh.
Okay.
You know, but young girls run away all the time.
Problems at home, they take off.
- You know what I mean? - Yeah, I do.
I wondered if maybe they'd been too ready to write this off as one of those.
So I figured, what the hell? I'm always in the mood for a taco.
He had his keys on the same retractable reel you described.
Was it him? Only one detective would listen to me, but you only need one.
He got a warrant, took a look inside the receptacle.
Dried blood.
Laurel's dried blood.
Some from the other girls, too.
They arrested him this afternoon.
I asked him to put Frank, my T.
O.
, down as lead detective on the case.
He always wanted to be a homicide detective.
Well, maybe you can take his place.
Well, maybe.
I know one thing.
I'm gonna be reading up on NDEs and all that life-after-death stuff.
I hear that, uh, Peter van Owen is a good one.
Well, I prefer nonfiction, but I hear he can be a valuable tool.
She's the pregnant one.
If she has a girl, I'm naming her Gertrude.
If it's a boy, Rufus.
Rufus the beluga? You should be writing a kids' book.
It's on my bucket list.
Amazingly intelligent creatures.
Have you read the 2012 Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness? It's on my night stand.
It says that whales and dolphins and other nonhuman mammals possess the neurological substrates for the presence of consciousness, which makes you wonder.
If there is an afterlife, why wouldn't they be a part of it? And if they are, could they experience a dark and terrible one, like your Mr.
Mason? He did live near where that girl worked.
Ah, then he might have known the manager or seen something that he didn't remember until his NDE.
Or maybe he really thought he could change his eternity.
Can a cop killer earn redemption? Can someone buy redemption by spending his money to save the world? I'm counting on it.
Thank you.
Dr.
Tyler.
Dr.
Barliss.
New scrubs? I have a meeting.
Hmm.
Didn't I get you that tie? 16 birthdays, 16 ties.
I never was much of a shopper.
I'll pick up Sophie in the morning, take her to school.
Well Good night.
Good night.
I suppose you've heard.
Yes, Charles, Len has a date.
I'm fine with it.
That's not what I meant, but if that's the source of your erratic behavior lately and you ever want to talk about it, we do have an excellent counseling department.
I'll keep that in mind.
I'm talking about your former patient Mr.
Mason.
He died.
Pulmonary embolism.
As you know, not uncommon after major surgery.
I I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
Personally, I think he got what he deserved.
Hold that for me, please.
Thank you, Doctor.
Oh, those are very pretty.
Zinnias.
They represent thoughts of absent friends.
That is beautiful.
I will always think of that when I see them.
And I'd like you to do that for me.
I don't know what you said to Ivan Turing, but he has reconsidered his donation, which could mean a new wing.
We both ease people's suffering, we heal their pain.
I'm a doctor.
You do cheap parlor tricks.
I think your son might disagree.
Mom! I'm looking for a former patient of mine A woman, mid-50s or 60s If there's a photo, she might be wearing a green scarf.
I heard we got a police officer.
Talk to me.
Gunshot victim, 47 years old, possible ventricular injury.
BP is 70 over 40 and falling.
Let's get him intubated.
I want to start a central line.
Is he gonna be okay? We're gonna do the best that we can.
Transferring.
1, 2, 3.
BP's falling, Doctor.
Let's get that central line in.
I need four units of O-neg, stat.
We're squeezing it in as fast as we can, but his blood pressure is still dropping.
Watch your backs.
What have you got there, Raj? Second gunshot victim.
I think my guy shot your guy.
Yeah, but Frank, he got him back.
- Can we clear the room? - I want to stay.
Frank's my T.
O.
, my training officer.
I want to stay.
I only see one entrance wound.
Let's see if there's an exit wound.
Pulse is weak.
This guy's bleeding out.
I'll get there as soon as I can.
You've got your hands full, and I don't think it would do any good.
Okay, we're gonna log-roll him to the left.
- Yes, Doctor.
- Ready? 3, 2, 1.
Damn it.
There's multiples.
The bullet must've fragmented.
Get me the thoracotomy tray.
Let's flip him back.
No pulse.
Doctor, he's coding.
Let's shock him.
- 200 joules, Zed.
- Charging 200.
Charged.
Everyone clear! Again.
Charging.
Everyone clear! Again.
Charging.
Everyone clear.
He's asystole.
Okay.
Time of death 17:42.
What? Oh, no! No! No! No! I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
How's it going over there? This one's gone, too.
Good.
I hope he rots.
Frank was just going to get coffee when he sees this prick holding up a liquor store.
I was I was supposed to get the coffee.
Okay.
Why don't you take a walk? Come on.
Take a walk.
- I was supposed to get the coffee.
- Come on.
Got something here.
Aaaaaah! Well, it looks like we got a rhythm 60 over 40, but he's still losing blood.
Okay, let's open him up.
We got work to do, people.
We're here on scene outside of Bay Vista Hospital following an officer-involved shooting.
We're sorry to report the officer has passed away in a horrible tragedy.
Whoever said there's no such thing as bad publicity never had a cop killer in their hospital.
Yeah, try being the one who saved him.
I'm getting the feeling that I'm not exactly their favorite person right now.
It's a terrible thing when something like this happens, but hopefully it will all be over soon.
- I'm heading in there now.
- Good.
The sooner he's gone, the better.
You saved the wrong one.
You know that? About time you got here.
I like deep tissue or Swedish.
A happy ending would be nice.
I'm Dr.
Tyler.
I did your surgery.
I need to check your incision.
Doctor, huh? Well, all right.
Come closer, Doc.
You're not scared of me, are you? Not even a little.
Didn't they tell you? I killed a cop.
Mm.
Your wound seems to be healing well.
Just need to check Let go of me.
You're not scared? Let go of me.
I've worked in war zones.
I pulled shrapnel from an Afghan boy's chest with his father's A.
K.
pointed at my head.
So a guy like you, chained to a bed? Sorry.
Besides, and I happen to know you aren't as tough as you'd want people to think.
What are you talking about? I saw you in the E.
R.
when you came back to life.
I saw how frightened you were.
That's bullshit.
You were terrified.
I've seen people come back from death before, and I've even brought back more than a few myself, but I have never seen anybody as afraid as you were.
You don't know what the hell you're talking about.
What was it? - What scared you so much? - I wasn't scared, god damn it.
I was pissed off.
Didn't look like that to me.
Why don't you get the hell out of here? Look, I'm not trying to upset you.
I'm just w Are you deaf?! I said get out of here, bitch! He was already on 50 milligrams of thorazine.
Perhaps he did see something before he revived.
Well, if he did, he really didn't want to talk about it.
Can I get a black tea, please? Uh, coffee for me and black tea for her.
Thank you.
Well, maybe he did have a near-death experience, but it wasn't a very pleasant one.
Maybe he didn't want to discuss it.
Yeah, perhaps some people, maybe bad people, like Mr.
Mason, experience appropriately terrible things.
What do you mean? Like fire and brimstone? That sort of thing? That's a little biblical, don't you think? I got it.
Oh, it's actually not just a Judeo-Christian concept.
- Here you go.
And keep the change.
- The Aztecs, the early thank you Uh, ancient Egyptians, the Greeks, they all believed in an underworld of punishment.
Even Buddhism talks about Avici, the lowest level of hell for those who have done terrible things.
Putting the pitchforks aside for a minute, if there are bad NDEs, why aren't there reports like that in our files? Could be because who'd want to admit to that? He's right.
Surveys suggest a lot more people experience NDEs than report them because they're afraid of what others will think.
Imagine if you found out that your eternity was going to be awful.
That makes sense.
So, this is a unique opportunity.
I want to try to get Mr.
Mason to talk about what, if anything, he experienced.
What? Mr.
Mason is a very dangerous man, Dr.
Tyler.
He's chained to a bed.
I have crossed paths with men like that back home.
Even when you think that they can't hurt you, they find a way.
I looked up his criminal record.
It goes back decades.
That police officer might've been the first person he killed, but he beat a man almost to death in a bar fight, and he spent time in a maximum-security prison.
Dr.
Tyler, he's a violent criminal.
Who might've had an NDE unlike any other that we're likely to hear about.
We may not get a chance like this again.
Oh, hey, I can do that.
O-kay.
- So, there's this party Friday night.
- Mm-hmm.
It's Dad's night, but I know he'll just tell me to ask you, so Where's the party? It's at the Badger Club.
But don't worry.
Ezra's dad booked a private room.
Well, you can stop unloading the dishwasher.
You're not going.
Mom.
It's a music club in a crappy part of town.
They serve alcohol there.
Not in the private room.
They had their license suspended.
Look, all my friends are gonna be there.
I'm sorry, Soph.
You're 15.
Almost 16.
Look, when are you gonna lighten up? Every single time I want to do something, you say no or come up with some reason why I shouldn't go.
That's not true.
Imagine Dragons concert, ninth-grade overnight, Bella's new year's party I can go on.
You can stop worrying about me.
I'm not gonna die.
Okay, fine.
Yes! But you have to be back at your Dad's by 11:00.
Are you serious? Look, the party doesn't even start till 10:00.
Nobody will be there.
I'm sorry, Soph.
That's just the way it is.
You know what? Forget it.
I just won't go.
No, you can go.
You just have to be back by 11:00.
No, it's fine.
What's the point? Mr.
Mason, whether you like it or not, I have a job to do, so I need to ask you a few medical questions.
- Have you been sleeping? - I ate, I slept, I used the damn bedpan.
Anything else, Doctor? Actually, there is.
I was there in the E.
R.
I'm not buying your story.
You saw something, didn't you? What's it to you? I think you want to talk about it.
Fine.
I'll let the prison doctors take it from here.
I saw the cop The one I killed.
He was there.
The other one, too Torres.
Who's Torres? Guy who tried to mess with me in prison, okay? Little prick tried to knife me, but I got him first.
He was there, too, but it was the It was the girl.
What girl? Someone else you killed? No.
I never saw her before.
I think she had short brown hair.
She was wearing this uniform, like in one of those fast-food places.
But you saw her with the cop you killed? Yeah.
She was there.
Waiting for me, pulling at me.
You need to try to calm down.
I never killed any girl! Who was she? - What does she want from me?! - Ma'am! What does she want from me?! - It's okay.
- You all right? It's okay.
Ah, Carolyn.
Phillip and I have been talking about your patient and when you thought he might be ready to be released to the police.
Uh, I'm I'm not sure he's well enough to be moved yet.
I mean, it could be a couple of days.
It's just that a number of my patients have expressed concern about coming into the hospital with a killer in residence.
Well, there's always house calls.
- Oh, you're serious.
- Carolyn, I would like to move this along.
The sooner we can get this place back to normal, the better.
Are you asking me to release a patient before he's ready? Of course not.
But we all know that being ready is subject to interpretation.
Well, as his surgeon, it's my interpretation that he's ready to be released when I determine he's ready to be released.
Of course.
So, tomorrow, then.
Thank you, Carolyn.
Always a pleasure.
I contacted Mr.
Mason's parole officer.
There was an inmate named Miguel Torres who was stabbed while he was a prisoner.
Mr.
Mason was someone they suspected, but they were never able to prove it.
And what about the girl he talked about seeing? I found one that could be her.
A 17-year-old girl matching the description he gave you went missing about a year ago.
Brown hair? Brown hair, just like he said.
Nobody's seen her since she left work and never came back.
They thought she might be a runaway.
And what about the fast-food place? Her name is Laurel Ayers.
Is this her? Is this the girl? I don't know.
Could be.
I didn't really see her face.
She's pretty, huh? Is she dead? Why don't you tell me? How the hell should I know? You think I killed her? Best case, you heard about this missing girl and you're using her to try to get me to extend your stay.
I told you, I never saw her before I Before you died.
I know.
You said that.
You know, I've talked to people who have flatlined.
They talk about floating above their bodies.
They talk about seeing their loved ones.
I never saw any of that shit.
So that's all you saw? You didn't see anything else? If this isn't perfectly clear already, I am all you've got.
There was this sound Like screaming.
It was different.
Not like people screaming.
- More like birds.
- Birds? Like seagulls, you know? It was weird, that girl.
She was standing in this mud, but it was all, like, orange.
You're just remembering this now? I don't want to remember any of it, but I can't stop thinking about it, about her.
I think you are scared.
You're damn right I am.
Scared that bitch will never leave me alone.
Even when I'm dead for good, she'll be there, waiting for me.
Dr.
Tyler.
Paul Hyatt.
Officer Hyatt.
You worked on my T.
O.
, Frank McNeil, in the E.
R.
Oh, of course.
How are you doing? Well, you know, I-I just stopped by to see some of the guys.
I'd rather be working, but they make you time off when your partner I'm sorry.
Hey, hey, listen.
I heard you might've caught some grief from some of the guys.
I just want you to know that I appreciate what you did for Frank.
I know you tried.
Well, I wish we could've done more than that.
Yeah.
Um, can I ask you something? Yeah, sure.
What is it? Do you know anything about a missing girl named Laurel Ayers? She's been missing for about a year.
Ayers? She worked in a fast-food place.
Maybe.
Um I remember as a cadet, they had us beating bushes trying to find a missing girl.
It could've been her.
What about her? This might sound strange, but Are you familiar with the idea of a near-death experience? Yeah.
My cousin swears he had one when he crashed his dirt bike.
I'm sorry, but Randall Mason says he saw Laurel Ayers when he flatlined in the E.
R.
Whoa.
You think this could've been some kind of a confession? I really don't know.
But he said he heard screeching birds all around her Like seagulls.
Well, you know, I remember we did get a tip back then about boats.
They had us check every marina around, but nothing ever turned up.
Well, he also mentioned something about mud, orange mud.
Was there anything like that? I can talk to the detectives, see if it means anything to them.
I mean, it could be it could be nothing.
He might just be messing with me.
Well, maybe, but what the hell? I'm dying for something to do.
Got another one! All right, that makes four! We're on 17! Just get it in plastic, and if we get back to the lab All right, you want to mark that into evidence? Right here.
We're over here! Benson, she's got a hit! K-9's got another one! That makes four graves! Dr.
Tyler.
I wanted to let you know we found that girl, Laurel Ayers.
Is she alive? Sorry, no.
But She was killed.
Strangled.
We found her at a boat salvage yard.
Which means seagulls, right? Just like he said.
Yeah, in fact, everything he said matched up Fast-food uniform, buried in a foot of mud.
And it was orange from the rusting iron.
So you think he killed her.
He led us right there.
It's the only thing that makes sense.
The thing is, there were others.
Four girls, all teenagers, the most recent killed a couple weeks ago.
Oh, God.
If you hadn't brought me that information, we probably would've never found them.
It doesn't do those girls any good.
No.
But at least we know the killer's off the street.
He can't hurt anyone else.
Right.
Thanks again, Doctor.
We really appreciate your help.
- Dr.
Tyler.
- Don't.
They found that girl right where you buried her.
Along with several others.
Now you sound like the cops.
Only they came in with the good-cop routine.
"Tell us for the families.
Give them closure.
" I almost confessed just to get them to shut the hell up.
Then why didn't you? You're already facing a life sentence for killing a police officer.
Well, see, there's a problem there, son.
I didn't kill those girls.
And yet your clues led to the exact location of the victims.
If I knew where they were buried, I would've drawn a damn map.
Unless it was more fun for you to string me along, make me play your little power game.
Trust me, lady.
I'm not that clever.
Look, there are two possibilities.
Either you are a lying son of a bitch Or I really saw that girl.
I know that's some crazy shit, but that's what happened.
And I'll tell you something else.
I think she wants the scumbag that put them there, and I figure finding him is my only chance.
Chance? Chance for what? I never much believed in hell, Doc.
Unless you count the nights my old man came home drunk.
But I caught a glimpse of the real thing, and I don't ever want to go back.
Are you talking about Redemption? Prison chaplain always said good deeds can wash away our sins.
I help her She helps me.
I can tell you from experience there are some mistakes nothing makes up for.
Yeah, well, it's the only shot I got.
He appears to genuinely believe what he's saying.
Do you? He was Very compelling.
Are you certain that he is not being truthful? No, I'm not, and that's the problem.
Then there is a very real possibility that he did not kill those girls, which means that the person who did is still out there.
Oh, hey.
I was looking for you.
If you're not busy tonight, I'm making Sophie's favorite Fish tacos.
I can set an extra plate.
Can't.
I have a meeting.
Medics International stuff, you know.
Come on.
It's just tacos.
You got to eat.
I can't.
I-I have to work.
Have to work.
Never heard that before.
- Another time.
- Yeah.
You know, I'll be working late as well.
Maybe afterwards we could grab a late bite at La Serre.
Mmm.
I love that restaurant.
Will your wife be joining us? Uh, no.
Uh, she's, uh, out of town.
Oh, that's too bad.
Well, let's just take a rain check until she gets back.
Looking forward to it.
Doctor, a patient is coding.
- What room? - 304.
Mr.
Mason.
One milligram of epinephrine, stat.
Take the restraints off him.
I need to shock him.
- But he's high risk.
We can't - Do it! Now! Go.
Charged.
Everyone clear.
A drug overdose.
After all my hard work to keep you alive.
Did you learn the art of tonguing your meds in prison? Youth camp.
It's called stockpiling.
You trying to cheat the hangman? Didn't anyone ever tell you that suicide is the coward's way out? Oh, come on, Doc.
If I wanted to off myself, you think I'd do it in a damn hospital? I was counting on somebody to haul my butt back.
Then why? You were so terrified the first time you nearly died.
Why would you want to go back there now? Trying to see Laurel Ayers again? But you brought me back too soon.
Sorry for saving your life.
Again.
There was something.
Something quick, just a flash.
Something gold on her neck, like a necklace.
I don't know for sure.
That's it? I need to find out what she's trying to show me.
Slip me some stash, Doc, and I'll do the rest.
That's not gonna happen.
Okay, and if this was all just another way to extend your stay here, you're out of luck, and you're out of time.
Get it through your head.
Somebody else killed those girls.
And guys like that, they don't stop.
Wow.
You look like a million I mean, a billion bucks.
Why didn't you tell me our meeting was formal? There's a charity event I have to attend before I leave tonight.
This one's for a pregnant whale who's gonna need a very big crib.
And you're the sugar daddy, is that it? For only two million bucks, I get to name the newborn calf.
Don't say Ivan Jr.
Mr.
Turing.
Mm.
Looks like you've got to go.
I'm in a meeting.
Janel filled me in on your new patient, Mr.
Mason.
Terrible.
Just awful.
Yes, it is.
But if his NDE led to the discovery of those young girls, that's exactly the kind of evidence we're searching for, isn't it? If he had nothing to do with it.
I mean, look, I-I agree.
We're in interesting territory here, but Mr.
Mason has said he doesn't remember anything more than what he's already said, and he's going back to prison tomorrow.
We've hit a wall.
Then climb over it.
What do you suggest, that I let him die again? You know, there's something called the Hippocratic Oath.
Use one of the tools in our toolbox, somebody who's interviewed hundreds of people who died and came back.
I'm talking about Peter van Owen.
Well, I agree, he is a tool.
Listen, I got to go in.
Why don't you come inside with me, let me convince you? I'm wearing my scrubs.
Blue is so last year.
If that's all that's keeping you from going in, what do you like? Dior? Dolce? Valentino? Oh.
Wow.
Hey.
Uh, come on in.
You said you had to work.
Uh, emergency surgery at the Oscars? I thought I told you I had a meeting.
Yeah.
No, it's just, uh Wow.
Um, Soph and I had a fight.
Right.
The party.
I heard.
And I was driving home, feeling guilty So I thought I would stop by and make peace.
With the both of you.
Well, I-I can be bought, but, uh, not sure even cookie dough is gonna do it for Sophie.
I tried to pull her out to watch a movie.
She practically bit my head off.
Soph? It's me.
Can we talk? Sophie? Can I come in? Let her sleep.
You guys can talk tomorrow.
Okay.
Damn it.
She must've gone out the window.
I know where she is.
Wait.
I'm coming with you.
It's my fault.
I should've checked on her.
No, it's my fault.
I should've known she would try something like this.
She gave up on that party way too easily.
Cat, let's not do this again.
Cat, she's right there.
Mom? Dad? You are coming home right now.
- They're 15.
Get lost.
- You too.
- We're leaving.
Come on.
- Mom, Dad, stop.
No.
Get in the car right now! - Can we just talk about this? - Oh, we will talk about it.
You get in the car.
I'm driving you home.
Maybe you should let Dad drive.
It didn't work out so well for Will.
Oh, my God, Mom.
Mom, I'm sorry.
Mom, I'm so, so sorry.
Mom, I'm so sorry.
Mom.
Get in the damn car.
She's already out.
Bet she's gonna wake up with a hell of a hangover in the morning.
Can't say I feel too bad about that.
You know she didn't mean it, right? She was just using her teenage superpower of instantly knowing the most horrible thing to say.
What bothers me is that she snuck out, late at night.
Something terrible could've happened.
- But nothing did.
- Yeah, but it could've.
I mean, she thinks she's invincible and I'm just being paranoid, but, you know, it's not safe for teenage girls out there.
And we can't always be around to protect her.
This is about your patient.
This is about five girls being murdered, all around Sophie's age.
By a monster who's not on the streets anymore.
But what if it wasn't him? He knew where the bodies were buried.
What other explanation is there? I don't know.
She's safe, Cat.
They got the guy.
If you want something to worry about Seeing those older boys flirting with our daughter? That's gonna keep me up for a while.
Get some rest, okay? Hello, Dr.
Tyler.
Sorry to call so late.
How can I help you? Think I'm ready to use that tool we talked about.
Imagine my surprise when I got your call, Dr.
Tyler.
Okay, let's just get something straight.
I think this is a total waste of time, but our mutual friend insisted, and this guy's about to be moved, so I'm desperate enough to try anything.
Well, now you're just flattering me.
Okay, look, I need you to hang back.
I may need to do some sweet-talking to get you in there.
As much as I'd love to hear your version of sweet talk, that won't be necessary.
Gentlemen.
Mr.
van Owen.
You working this case? I-I don't know yet.
Do you mind if I, you know, go in? - Supposed to be medical personnel only.
- Please.
For you, I guess it's okay.
Thank you.
Seattle P.
D.
has been desperate enough to use me, as well.
What the hell is this? This is Peter van Owen.
He thinks he might be able to help you.
Oh, I know you.
You're that freak who talks to dead people.
Dr.
Tyler has told me about your experience, about the girl that you saw, the one that was murdered.
So, what? You gonna say you saw her, too? No.
No, no, I'm afraid not.
For some reason she's chosen you.
So, if we are to find out what she wants, then perhaps you could tell us exactly what you saw, what you remember.
So you do believe me.
- Can we just get on with it? - Mm.
So, maybe it would be, uh, a good idea to close your eyes.
Just let it all come back.
Do you think you can do that? Yeah, yeah, let's just do this.
Okay.
You were in the emergency room.
You were bleeding And in shock.
You felt your life slipping away from you.
Now you tell me everything that you saw, every detail.
It's dark.
Cold colder than I've ever been.
There's a sound.
But then you saw something.
What was that? The cop.
The son of a bitch right there.
Right in front of me.
Focus.
Focus on the girl.
I don't like this.
Relax.
Relax.
She doesn't want to hurt you.
She's trying to show you something.
- I saw something - Yeah.
Something on her neck.
Yeah.
- Stay with it.
- Gold.
Yeah.
I can't.
Keep looking.
What is it? I can't see it.
That's it.
That's all I saw.
Yeah, yeah.
You mean that's all you wanted to see.
What? Okay, we tried.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's there.
It's there, isn't it? You're just too scared.
Tough guy, huh? No, he's just a scared little boy.
Aren't you? Or should I say little bitch? You don't want to be talking to me like that.
Oh, really? Isn't that what you were in prison - Somebody's little bitch? - Okay.
- Don't worry, you'll be back there soon.
- All right, that's enough.
Let's Shot a cop but afraid of a bad dream.
Look at her.
Look at her.
Close your eyes.
I told you, it's too quick.
Face her and look at her.
Look at her.
Wait.
Wait.
There is something.
A lock.
Yeah, that's it.
It's a gold lock.
What the hell is this? What's going on here, Carolyn? Who are you? I'm just, um I'm finishing up with a patient, Charles.
Can you just give us a minute? No.
I looked at his records.
He's well enough to move.
I am releasing him to the police now.
Charles I'm concerned about you, Carolyn.
Your behavior lately has been troubling, and not in the usual way.
He's not your problem anymore, Dr.
Tyler.
- I know.
I know.
- Okay.
It's not over, Doc! The killing! He's out there, and they're never gonna find him now! Don't let him get to you.
He's gonna get what he deserves.
He said he remembered something else, something about some kind of lock.
A lock? Yeah.
A gold one around Laurel Ayers' neck.
I'm sorry, Dr.
Tyler, but he was playing you.
Guys like him, they get their kicks that way.
So, there was no lock found with her body? I got a look at the autopsy results they're releasing to the media.
It looks like he threw some kind of braided wire around her neck and strangled her.
That's the way he did all of them.
It was him.
I wish I could be that certain.
In all your conversations, did he ever mention that he lived half a block from the fast-food restaurant where Laurel worked? The last place she was seen alive? Yeah.
I didn't think so.
He killed those girls just as sure as he killed my partner.
Too bad they can't hang him twice.
They didn't tell me you were here.
I came straight from school, just like you asked.
Mom You don't have to apologize again.
I really am sorry.
I am so sorry.
I don't know what got into me.
I do.
Look, about that, I I don't always drink when I go out.
Sometimes when I'm at parties, I'm the girl who lost her brother.
I know how you feel.
I guess you would.
How do you forget about it? I don't.
So, how long do you think you should be grounded for? For the rest of my life.
Mm.
Possibly.
Maybe with better grades and good behavior, we might be able to cut that time in half.
Can we go home now? I'm sick of being around sick people.
I get it.
Mom, what is it? Dr.
Tyler? - Hi.
- Hi.
You got my message? That you think it was the keys, not the lock? You know, I always wanted to be a cop, Dr.
Tyler.
But before this, I worked in a car wash.
My manager had one of those wire-key-chain things, too.
Guess who was the last person to see Laurel Ayers alive.
Her manager at the taco place? I asked the guys in Homicide if I could take a look at her case file.
Turns out when Laurel disappeared, the manager was questioned and cleared.
Oh.
Okay.
You know, but young girls run away all the time.
Problems at home, they take off.
- You know what I mean? - Yeah, I do.
I wondered if maybe they'd been too ready to write this off as one of those.
So I figured, what the hell? I'm always in the mood for a taco.
He had his keys on the same retractable reel you described.
Was it him? Only one detective would listen to me, but you only need one.
He got a warrant, took a look inside the receptacle.
Dried blood.
Laurel's dried blood.
Some from the other girls, too.
They arrested him this afternoon.
I asked him to put Frank, my T.
O.
, down as lead detective on the case.
He always wanted to be a homicide detective.
Well, maybe you can take his place.
Well, maybe.
I know one thing.
I'm gonna be reading up on NDEs and all that life-after-death stuff.
I hear that, uh, Peter van Owen is a good one.
Well, I prefer nonfiction, but I hear he can be a valuable tool.
She's the pregnant one.
If she has a girl, I'm naming her Gertrude.
If it's a boy, Rufus.
Rufus the beluga? You should be writing a kids' book.
It's on my bucket list.
Amazingly intelligent creatures.
Have you read the 2012 Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness? It's on my night stand.
It says that whales and dolphins and other nonhuman mammals possess the neurological substrates for the presence of consciousness, which makes you wonder.
If there is an afterlife, why wouldn't they be a part of it? And if they are, could they experience a dark and terrible one, like your Mr.
Mason? He did live near where that girl worked.
Ah, then he might have known the manager or seen something that he didn't remember until his NDE.
Or maybe he really thought he could change his eternity.
Can a cop killer earn redemption? Can someone buy redemption by spending his money to save the world? I'm counting on it.
Thank you.
Dr.
Tyler.
Dr.
Barliss.
New scrubs? I have a meeting.
Hmm.
Didn't I get you that tie? 16 birthdays, 16 ties.
I never was much of a shopper.
I'll pick up Sophie in the morning, take her to school.
Well Good night.
Good night.
I suppose you've heard.
Yes, Charles, Len has a date.
I'm fine with it.
That's not what I meant, but if that's the source of your erratic behavior lately and you ever want to talk about it, we do have an excellent counseling department.
I'll keep that in mind.
I'm talking about your former patient Mr.
Mason.
He died.
Pulmonary embolism.
As you know, not uncommon after major surgery.
I I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
Personally, I think he got what he deserved.
Hold that for me, please.
Thank you, Doctor.
Oh, those are very pretty.
Zinnias.
They represent thoughts of absent friends.
That is beautiful.
I will always think of that when I see them.