Truth Be Told (2015) s02e01 Episode Script

["A Storm is Comin" playing]
[thunder rumbles]
[song continues]
[thunder rumbles]
[song continues]
[woman] I was prey for
nearly two decades of my life.
A throwaway child. A discard.
A throwaway child. A discard.
Discard.
I had to fend for myself.
Against the elements.
Against other people. Against myself.
My demons.
[device beeps]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[song continues]
[water sputtering]
[song continues]
- [song fades]
- [sputtering continues]
["What is Hip?" playing]
[male radio host] I'd like to
thank our guest today,
journalist Poppy Parnell,
host of the smash-hit
podcast, Reconsidered.
Poppy, one last question.
What's up next for you?
How do you follow up
the Warren Cave season?
Uh, well, doing the Warren Cave story
came at a huge personal cost for me.
- So, um, I'm just gonna take my time
- [radio host] Uh-huh.
and be very thoughtful about
the next story I choose to take on.
Well, don't pull a Lauryn Hill
on us and keep us waiting, Poppy.
- We want a new season now.
- [laughs]
But you all heard it. A little bit
longer. Thanks again for joining us.
Well, thank you for having me.
[song continues]
[motorcycle revs]
[man] Hey, Poppy.
- [Poppy] Hey, Herbie.
- [Herbie chuckles] The usual?
- Always. Hey. [chuckles]
- [Herbie] All right.
- [gasps] Surprise!
- [yells, laughs]
[laughs]
[crowd laughing]
[laughs]
[Shreve] Yep, we got her.
Hi.
- Hey.
- So good to see you.
It's so good to see you.
[sighs]
- You look beautiful.
- You look gorgeous.
[chattering]
[Shreve] Beat that.
[woman] Oh, I almost got you
there. Then I really got you there.
- Argh.
- [Shreve] Oh, come on.
- That's right. I don't know what to say.
- [Desiree] Goddamn.
- Thank you.
- [Desiree] Come on. Oh
- [chuckles]
- You still cheating.
Daddy, you can't say that.
- [Shreve] Course I can.
- Oh, come on.
She stole from me the first
day she came into this bar.
Grimy little hands right in that till
and slipped off before
I could catch her.
Only got a block until these
two cornered me in the alley.
So then y'all jumped her?
[Desiree] Oh, we sure did.
But she was feral, so
we had to work at it.
[Poppy chuckles]
Oh, we tussled and
threw trash at each other
until you couldn't tell
one of us from the next.
[Shreve] All three of them came
back smelling like fresh hell.
What were y'all? Ten, 11 years old?
- [Desiree] Mm-hmm.
- [chuckles]
Yeah.
World-famous author.
Been a long time since we've seen you.
Well [stammers] I spend more
time in hotel rooms than my own bed.
Hate that all those years in the
streets, you never thought to come here.
To us.
You over here cheating?
Oh, my God! I'm never
gonna live that down.
- [Shreve laughs] Nope.
- [Cydie] Never. Looking like new money.
- Hi, hi.
- [laughs]
[cheering]
- ["Flash Light" playing]
- Aah!
- [Poppy] Ohhh!
- [Desiree laughs]
[Lillian] All right, come on.
[chattering]
[woman] Whoo!
[laughs]
[laughter, chattering]
[Cydie laughs]
Can y'all believe we're
back together again?
[cheers, laughs]
[song continues]
I'm sorry I wasn't here for
you when things got crazy.
Oh, you called, and you wrote,
and that was all I needed.
And I survived.
Mmm. That's what we do, hon. We survive.
- Makes us stronger.
- [chuckles]
- It's what they sold us.
- Mmm.
Ingram? Is he coming tomorrow?
[inhales deeply] One hopes.
It's still a little tricky,
but we're just trying to
remember the romance.
- [horn honks]
- Sounds kind of nice, actually.
And Josh? He'll be there?
Of course. [sighs]
Why wouldn't he?
[Poppy chuckles]
- [kisses]
- [kisses]
- [woman] See you tomorrow.
- [Poppy] See you tomorrow.
Oh, I am so happy to see you both.
- [chuckles]
- [Micah] Together.
- [chuckles]
- Oh. [kisses]
- [sighs] Mmm.
- [Poppy] Ohh.
- [Micah] Yay.
- I'm gonna get us some drinks.
- Okay.
- Yeah. Okay. Hey, come with me.
[Poppy chuckles]
Wait.
- Is that
- Mm-hmm.
This is the very first draft
of the Discard manuscript.
Complete with your editing notes.
This wouldn't have happened without you.
[sighs] It gave me chills
the first time I read it.
You've come a long way since
you sat next to me on that bus.
[chuckles] Those two little girls
are never far enough away, are they?
No, but the world does
not need to know that.
- [chuckles]
- Excuse me.
Hey, so some of the
scholarship kids are here.
- Would you come meet them?
- Okay, yeah yeah. But first
This is Ivy Abbott. She's
my second here at Shelter,
- and I don't know what I'd do without her.
- [chuckles]
Ivy, this is Poppy.
[Ivy] Very, very nice to meet you.
[Poppy] Nice to meet you.
Would you mind if I steal
Micah away for just one moment?
- Not at all.
- Perfect. [chuckles]
- I'll be back.
- Okay.
Wow. [clicks tongue]
[chuckles]
Quite the turnout, huh?
[gasps] Aah! Josh. Oh, my God.
Come here.
Ah, I missed you.
I missed you too. [groans]
- Mmm.
- [chuckles]
Wow.
The two of you have become
quite the power couple.
Micah is world-famous
and your documentary about
the Sons of Ivar is everywhere.
Who knew it would lead to all this?
Who knew?
What's going on?
You all right?
[speaks Russian]
What does that mean?
Don't mind me. I have Mother
Russia coursing through my body.
You know, fatalism and and
angst. They run in my blood.
You know you can tell me anything.
Come by the studio
later. We'll talk then.
This will all end at some point, right?
[Ivy] Micah's memoir, Discard,
shared her story in
such excruciating detail.
Her pain reached millions,
and it inspired just as many.
And now without further delay,
the woman of the hour, Micah Keith.
Whoo!
[audience cheers]
Good evening.
That is a terrified young girl in there.
Thirteen years old. Left
to survive on her own.
Forgotten. A discard.
And still survived.
When I first saw this installation,
I took to my bed for three days.
I just had such a hard
time looking at her. At me.
All these years later.
I stole. I cheated. I fought.
I drank.
I did drugs.
My body was taken. Not
always with my permission.
And that made her nothing.
That made me nothing.
And so, I wrote myself into existence.
To keep from disappearing.
The goal here tonight is to make sure
that every discarded young
person has a truly safe home
and not just that safe
place in their imagination.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
So before I go, I once again
want to thank the Ryvlin Gallery,
my publishers, Simon & Schuster,
my incredible staff
at Shelter, all over,
and, uh, my friend, Poppy
Parnell, who set me on this path.
She saw my collection of scribbles
and recognized them as something more.
And her bone-deep belief in
what I could offer the world
was one of the
cornerstones of my success.
And then, of course, last but
never least, my husband, Josh.
Josh, where are you?
Honey?
Anyway, he knows how much he
means to me, and I thank him truly.
And all of you, enjoy.
[applause]
You know, every state I was
in, every place I visited,
people were talking about your podcast.
- [Poppy] Oh, that's nice to hear.
- [chuckles]
Because I've been accused of
single-handedly destroying journalism.
- [chuckles]
- Oh. [scoffs]
You know, all I've ever
wanted to do was help people,
and I get hate mail all the time.
"Fraud." "Opportunist." "Exploiter."
My personal favorite, "witch."
You made an impact.
And that always makes waves.
Is, uh, Josh okay?
He seemed kind of off at the gallery.
[sighs] Growing pains, you know?
Shelter just took off this past year,
and I think that we're just adjusting.
- [Micah] Whoo!
- [Poppy chuckles]
[cheers]
Wow.
[Micah sighs] All right.
[buzzing]
Josh?
Josh?
Hello?
Maybe he went home.
Well, he's not answering his phone.
I'm gonna check the back patio.
- [Poppy] Where's your bathroom?
- Ju Uh, over the bridge.
Uh, and then you kind of go to the left.
[Poppy] Okay.
If you want anything,
get it. Wine, beer.
[Ingram] Thank you.
[Micah] Whatever you want, okay?
[Micah] Hey, Josh?
[electricity buzzes]
Josh?
[screams]
- Poppy?
- [Poppy] Ingram!
Ingram!
- [Ingram] Poppy!
- Oh, my God.
- [Ingram] Poppy.
- Oh, my God.
- You okay?
- [breathes heavily] It's Josh.
It's Josh. It's Josh. It's Josh.
[Micah] Poppy?
- Micah.
- What's wrong?
What? What?
- Honey. Stop.
- [Micah] What?
- What is it?
- You don't want to see this.
- Don't want to see what?
- You don't want to see this.
- Poppy.
- Don't
Oh, my God. [gasps]
- [siren wails]
- [gurney clatters]
[no audible dialogue]
[chattering]
That's, uh, that's pretty much it.
Thank you.
You okay, babe?
- No.
- [man] You found the body.
[Ingram] You are?
You got, um, blood on your jacket there.
[shakes container]
And you are?
Inspector Aames.
Don't ask me why the SFPD
doesn't use detective.
Well, we gave our
statement to your colleague.
I'm sure he can fill you in.
I prefer to hear a story
the second time it's told.
[chews]
I'm gonna check on Micah.
Yeah.
It's Poppy, right?
You're not recording, are you?
How long did you know Joshua?
Twenty years.
So, what do you think of his,
uh, latest documentary, Drengir?
What in the world does that
have to do with anything?
He made a film that pissed
off the Sons of Ivar.
It may be a straight line
from point A to point B.
That's your story? That fast?
What's yours?
I'm gonna check on Micah.
[Poppy] Hey, honey.
He was just here.
Then he's gone.
Can we please take her home?
[Ingram] Yeah, we'll let you know
if we have any other information.
Can I have a lock of his hair?
I'll see what I can do.
Thank you.
[Ingram] I'll walk her to her car.
I'm staying the night.
Thank you.
[sighs]
Who was that boy with Josh?
Was he cheating on Micah?
It's not like him.
If he didn't love her
anymore, he'd just leave.
You don't know that, baby.
I know my friends.
Oh, we know what our friends want
us to know about their marriages,
and that's all.
[clicks tongue] Oh, Ingram.
[Poppy] Thanks.
[Micah] People have been
coming on my property all night.
I don't want them
multiplying like roaches.
Can you do anything about it?
[man] Micah's had issues
in the past with a stalker.
[Poppy] Wait, what? Since when?
[Micah] No. It's nothing.
It's just a sad woman who
identified too much with my books.
She's not the only one.
[male officer] And you are?
Ramon. Micah's assistant.
- [officer] Anything else?
- No.
No.
My fans, they can
they can be intense,
but I [stammers]
I couldn't imagine
[officer] Okay. There's nothing we
can do about the road beyond the gate.
It's public property.
But we'll go ahead and leave a car
out front for the next 48 hours.
- [Micah] Okay. Thank you very much.
- Yeah.
[door opens]
- [door closes]
- [sighs]
[Poppy] Look.
[Poppy sighs] You need private security.
Argh.
I don't want any more
strangers around me.
He's not a stranger.
[hip-hop music playing]
[siren blares]
[chuckles]
[headphones: song pauses]
What can I do for you gentlemen?
[male officer] Let me see some ID.
[scoffs] Listen, my
name is Markus Killebrew.
I was OPD up until about
three years ago. Area five.
- [scoffs]
- Don't make me repeat myself, son.
Let me see some ID.
[scoffs] Son?
Hey, what's going on?
Look at me. Babe. Baby.
- [Markus grunts]
- Baby, look look at me. Look at me.
Don't you give them a reason.
You stay right here with me.
Trini's already on the
phone with Yates, all right?
My name is Zarina Killebrew.
I'm a neonatal nurse at Alta Bates,
and this is my husband, Markus Killebrew.
He was OPD for 12 years.
Currently, owner of a
private security firm.
And this is our home.
Our daughter is inside
filming this interaction,
and she's also on the phone with
our neighbor, Detective Yates.
[Markus scoffs, sighs]
Why do we have to give
these motherfuckers
everything but a blood sample
before they recognize that
I'm a goddamn man, huh?
See, this is what I'm talking about.
They done fucked off my whole mood.
- [breathes heavily]
- Come on. Come on.
[sighs]
[chuckles]
- I'm good. All right? Yeah.
- Yeah? Yeah?
So, don't you have a shift to go to?
[sighs]
- Huh?
- N [chuckles]
Well, you better get going.
Because I'm cool. Really.
You sure?
Look, it ain't like
I'm not used to this.
Hmm? You've seen it all before.
You know I love you.
I love your ass too. Come here.
- Mmm.
- [kisses]
- Hmm. [kisses]
- Hmm.
Now go on and save some lives.
- Bye, baby.
- Bye.
I'll see you later.
- Drive safe.
- [Zarina] Mm-hmm.
[chuckles]
[sighs]
- [phone ringing]
- [sighs]
- [chuckles]
- [ringing stops]
[grunts]
[heavy breathing]
[camera shutter clicks]
[shutter clicks]
- So, you'll stay here with her?
- Where else would I be?
I have personal business,
or I wouldn't leave.
No need to explain. [chuckles]
You don't seem overly
concerned about Josh's death.
I couldn't stand him.
So, why are you here?
I travel the world.
I make a ton of money,
and I have an apartment
provided by Shelter.
In Nob Hill.
That's like asking me
why I need water and air.
[Zarina, on phone video]
Our daughter is inside
filming this interaction,
and she's also on the phone with
our neighbor, Detective Yates.
[Trini] Hey, do you
ever miss being police?
[Markus] Yeah. Especially
when shit like that happens.
Did it ever bother you
to arrest Black people?
Yeah, all the time.
No, wait, that's, uh [chuckles]
That's not entirely true.
You know, I didn't have
a problem arresting people
who deserved to be locked up.
In my mind, a criminal
is a criminal. That's it.
Did you ever see people you knew?
[Markus] Oh, yeah, way too many times.
- I grew up with a lot of knuckleheads.
- Mmm.
So, is that why you left the force?
[sighs] Well
Why I left the force
is, uh, complicated.
Did you know the officers
that were pimping those girls?
You know about that?
[sighs]
No. I didn't, but let
me tell you something.
Those men,
they don't deserve to
call themselves police.
Or men, for that matter.
Hear what I'm saying?
- [softly] Yeah.
- They're just basic criminals and thugs.
That's all.
Somebody's here.
[sighs]
[chuckles]
[inhales deeply, sighs]
[chuckles]
It's been a long time.
Since I left you without a
dope beat to step to. [chuckles]
[laughs]
How you doing, Markus?
I'm good, Pops.
This is my daughter. Trini.
Trini, this is Poppy Parnell.
Nice to meet you, Trini.
Yeah, it's nice to meet
you too, Miss Parnell.
Hey, you helped my father get
that man out of jail, right?
I helped your father.
- [Markus chuckles]
- Yes. Yes, I did.
- I did.
- [chuckling]
Hey, sweetheart, um, could you, uh,
I don't know, get us something to drink?
- Yeah, of course. Be right back.
- Thank you.
[sighs]
What can I do for you?
You know about the Joshua Keith murder.
- Oh, shit, here we go. [chuckles]
- No, not like that.
You remember Mikey
from when we were kids?
[chuckles]
Yeah, you're talking about that, um,
that grimy little white girl who
used to hang around Bushrod Park.
Joshua was her husband.
Hmm.
And I know you have a
private security firm now.
- Desiree
- Desiree told you. You're right. [sighs]
[scoffs]
I just want someone around
her that can be trusted.
[scoffs]
[sighs] Don't look at me like that.
[laughs]
[chattering]
[Ramon] Your very own inner sanctum.
Devon with security will be by shortly
to give you access to everything.
- Cool.
- Any questions?
Yeah. What exactly is Shelter?
[chuckles] A women's
lifestyle brand and company.
Fans think we're about
women's actualization.
Uh, seminars, workshops,
therapy, wellness products.
And haters?
Haters think we're a coven.
[sighs] Hmm.
[Ramon] This is for you.
- All right. [sighs]
- A mourning band for Josh.
We sell them online.
Micah believes it's a ritual
that should have never gone away.
- Hmm.
- It both honors the dead
and forces the world
to treat you with grace.
Let me ask you a question.
Was Josh close to the people,
or as you would say,
"guests" that work here?
Sometimes.
When he wanted to make use of
our amenities. Or the assistants.
Uh, my extension is 1637 if
you need anything from me.
[footsteps]
- [Poppy] Hey.
- [Shreve] Hey.
You know, we don't have to do this today.
I know you're dealing with Micah.
Sorry about Joshua. He was a good man.
How's she holding up?
Terribly.
I would've skipped the appointment,
but I pulled every string I could
to get you into this clinical trial,
and we certainly can't miss the first day.
[sighs]
I'm scared.
I know, Daddy.
We have to tell Lillian and the girls.
You need the support, and we
all need to be able to help you.
- No.
- Daddy.
I said no.
Well, how do you think you're
gonna be able to keep it from 'em?
Especially Lillian?
The second I tell her, I'll
become an old man to her.
I'm not ready for her to look
at me like I'm losing my mind.
Oh, Daddy.
I have a beautiful young wife.
I am not gonna be ridiculous to her.
What does that mean?
It means what it means.
My terms.
I don't even wanna hear it.
- We're Catholic.
- And I'm a criminal.
A man can be a contradiction.
[woman] Lukather Shreveport Scoville?
Right this way.
So, we don't tell her about all of this,
but maybe you could
find something useful.
- What is it?
- [keypad beeps]
Hate mail. [sighs]
Addressed to Micah.
[gasps]
Black Jesus.
[Ivy clears throat]
[gasps] Wow.
[door closes]
Just don't hug me.
And don't speak to me in a soft voice.
[scoffs] I'll just shatter if you do.
I'm here for whatever you need.
How am I supposed to face everybody?
Don't worry about that.
Just step by step until we know.
Know what? That my husband
died in the arms of another man?
I mean, I'm sad, and
then I'm humiliated.
I'm sad, and then I'm furious.
What kind of fool have I been?
Did the police contact you today?
Ingram told me not to talk
with them unless I had a lawyer.
So I'm meeting with a
couple this afternoon.
Poppy, what did Joshua
want to talk to you about?
W-Wh I mean, did he say anything?
What?
- We'll talk about it later.
- Oh, don't treat me like glass, Poppy.
- [phone buzzes]
- I swear to God.
Why didn't he show up at dinner?
Were you guys fighting? Wh
- [buzzing continues]
- I mean, just [sighs]
Just Just marriage
sniping. Nothing major.
He was dealing with
the fallout of his doc.
- I was focused on the launch.
- [buzzing continues]
We were busy.
- Ramon!
- [buzzing]
- [buzzing continues]
- [Micah] Get rid of that phone.
[Ramon] Of course.
Um, I canceled the rest of your week.
Lachlan gave me some
pushback, but I handled it.
Okay.
[sighs]
[sighs]
You have to let yourself grieve.
[scoffs]
It's what I tell my girls
at the seminar, but
Right now, it means nothing
to me. Absolutely nothing.
All I feel is insane.
Poppy, I need you to help me
find out what happened to Joshua.
- You just need to get some rest.
- No. Listen.
When I was in the
back of that ambulance,
the officers were joking that
rent boys in the Castro were
[inhales deeply]
Like [sniffles]
Like, playing Russian roulette.
We cannot depend on them
to tell us the truth.
I put myself in a lot
of danger last year.
Ingram, my father too, and you
know what happened with Cydie.
Joshua would do it if it were you.
It's not that simple.
Oh, Poppy, please.
Please.
Seeking answers is
never a straight line.
I won't only find out
what you want me to know.
- I don't care about that.
- But I do.
I do. I-I-I [breathes shakily]
I will help you by supporting you,
but I I can't add to your pain. I
I'm gonna go lie down.
[classical music playing]
- [music stops]
- [phone ringing]
Hey, you, what's going on?
[Poppy] Hey.
Micah asked me to look
into Josh's murder.
Whoa.
You sure you wanna do that?
Well, I don't wanna hurt her.
Real talk?
Between this and Daddy, [stammers]
I don't have anything left.
Well, I could look into
it, just for peace of mind,
and you could concentrate
on being a friend.
Okay.
But look quietly.
Okay.
[Poppy] Hey.
Talked to Micah?
No. What's going on, Ingram?
A friend of mine at
SFPD gave me a heads-up.
Police are closing the case,
classifying it as a murder-suicide.
Well, who do they
think did the murdering?
They think Joshua did it.
[Aames] Ah, shit.
Twelve phone calls? Really?
Murder-suicide?
If that's not the laziest
shit I've ever heard.
What could possibly be Josh's motive?
Well, who's asking?
Micah's over-involved
friend or the nosy journalist?
Is the answer different
for one and not the other?
Step light.
I'll say the same to you.
- I'm not the story.
- Could be.
- Now, what does that mean?
- It means do your fucking job.
And we're done.
I'll give you one more chance.
Or what?
Or I'll investigate this.
Then you and your whole department
will come out looking like fools.
You saw the same thing I did.
You just don't wanna face it.
He was shirtless in the
arms of a much younger man.
There's evidence that was
not their first encounter.
No forced entry, nothing
missing. Should I go on?
Yes, you should.
What about Micah's stalker?
What about all the
hate mail in her office?
What about the Sons of of of
Ivar, or whatever
the hell their name is?
From what I've read, they're dangerous.
Well, then you should wanna stay away.
You don't want them
turning their sights on you.
If you know this, how
can you rule them out?
How the hell do you even keep your job?
[chuckles]
You know I trained under Owen Cave?
So?
- So you've ruined him.
- He ruined himself.
[scoffs] Poppy Parnell. Judge,
jury, executioner, right?
Whoever you're gunning to
destroy this time, it won't be me.
You'll destroy yourself if
you don't dig a little deeper.
[soft electronic music playing]
[siren wailing]
[chattering]
[song continues]
[song continues]
Hey.
They closed the case.
I know.
[song continues]
Where are you?
Just my old stomping grounds.
That's not the answer. You know that.
What did my daddy say to you?
"You can always come to us."
Come to me, honey. Just come to me.
[knocking]
[song ends]
[sighs]
You need anything?
No, I'm, uh, just doing the work.
Affirmations.
How about taking a little break?
[sighs] Grief doesn't
settle. Neither should we.
Now, look
You know you don't
have to do that with me.
[scoffs]
[Micah sighs]
[voice mail recording] Hey,
it's Joshua, leave a message.
And if it's you, honey, send me a text.
You know I don't listen to these things.
[sighs]
Come with me.
[Poppy] You're safe here.
Take as long as you need.
[soul music playing]
Will you pray with me?
[steam hissing]
[song continues]
[song continues]
[song fades]
Hey.
I, um
Gonna do the podcast about Josh.
But we have to be honest with each other.
You have to be honest with me.
- Okay.
- The risk is too high if we're not.
But you were right.
Josh would've risked it all for me.
You save me once again.
No. We save each other.
We have to do it publicly.
- On the podcast.
- [Micah sniffs]
Force the police to look
deeper into the case.
Mmm.
Okay?
Okay.
[inhales deeply] Thank you.
Get some rest.
[sighs]
[Poppy speaks Russian]
"Other people's tears are only water."
My friend, Joshua Keith, said
that to me the night he died.
I didn't know what he
meant. Why he said it.
But now it feels as if he's
speaking to me from the grave.
Today, when I heard
that the case was closed,
that his widow would never
have the answer she deserved,
his words became prophetic.
To the people who didn't know
him, Josh's death is a story.
A headline.
- [no audible dialogue]
- [Poppy] A case file number.
But for those of us who loved him,
it's a heartbreaking loss.
A loss that deserves answers.
Joshua wasn't religious.
Not in the churchgoing sense
of the word, but he was
He was spiritual.
A man of the world that
made curiosity his lodestar.
As young cubs at The New York Times,
he was endlessly amused by
my devotion to Sunday mass.
It tickled him, and
until I explained it the way I felt it.
And it came from a blessing
I heard at my first communion.
"Teach your children scriptures early
and they'll be able to access armor
they didn't even know they had."
That was one of mine.
The other, we shared.
It was the tether of
our 20-year friendship.
What tethered us together
was the pursuit of truth.
I will continue that
pursuit on his path,
and I will not give up
until I have all the answers.
The truth will be the light
that shines us through.
[chuckles, breathes deeply]
So [sighs] here we go.
Once again, my name is Poppy Parnell.
And I'd like you to reconsider.
["Plastic Hamburgers" playing]
[song continues]
[song continues]