Without a Trace s02e09 Episode Script

Two days later, Tom stops me in the hall.
He's done some research.
He says, given Mr.
Ryan's CHF, not only is sex useful, it's therapeutic and recommends that Mr.
Ryan find a position that diminishes isometric exertion on his legs.
And all I'm thinking is, "And you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend!" Come on, this is my funny anecdote for the night.
Sorry.
Lianna, what's wrong? Nothing.
I just It's one of those days.
Wanna come upstairs and talk about it? I made beef stew.
It's even better when it's had time to sit.
Yeah.
It gets gray and fuzzy, as far as I remember.
Besides, I gotta go home.
I got a transphenoidal scheduled at 7:00 a.
m.
- I'll get you a cab.
- No, no.
I'm gonna run.
Run? What do you call those five Ks that just kicked my ass? It's a warm-up.
I'll see you later.
Well, you're a very driven person.
You say that like it's a bad thing.
No.
It's how you got to be where you are.
I'm just wondering if that's changed since we've worked together.
Do I feel less driven? Or just different.
Well, no offense, but that's not because I've been coming here.
I got shot.
So you have changed.
Sure.
In small ways, I guess.
Can you tell me what they are? Let me think.
Well, I've started buying new shampoo.
Because I'm worth it.
Oh, yeah.
Expensive shampoo makes a lot of people happy.
What else? I guess I guess I've been evaluating my life.
And? I work too much.
You ever think about quitting? Sure, I guess.
I'm not going to.
Why not? Well, for starters I have to eat.
This job is all I have.
It's what I do.
It's who I am.
What've we got? Lianna Sardo.
39.
Neurosurgeon.
Specializes in tumor resection.
Hasn't missed a day of work all year.
Surgical staff called NYPD when she missed a couple of scheduled surgeries.
A female neurosurgeon? That can't be easy.
According to hospital PR, New York Magazine rates her as best in the city.
Family? Parents deceased.
Younger sister lives in Albuquerque.
Hasn't talked to big sis in about eight months, but apparently that's typical.
You don't get to be the best by wasting time on the phone to Albuquerque.
- I bet she's not married, either.
- Divorced.
No kids.
Her ex-husband, Dr.
Evan Mayhew, works as a cardiologist right here in the hospital.
According to police reports, he was the last one to see her alive outside his apartment on West 81st.
- Says they're jogging partners.
- A friendly ex? I don't trust him already.
According to the police report, he tried to put her in a cab and send her home - and she decided to run.
- Where's home? - 13th and 6th.
- That's more than 70 blocks.
I had Vivian run a crime and accident report between the two apartments.
- Nothing.
- Did anyone see her? Doorman says he didn't see her come home last night, or leave this morning.
- Car? - No.
- What do you think? - My grandfather was a doctor.
He always used to say "When you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras.
" Deep.
What does it mean? It means, let's start with the obvious and talk to the ex.
Okay.
She'd been acting distant for about a month.
At first I thought it was stress from work, and then I realized I was wrong.
It wasn't stress.
It was fear.
What makes you say that? Well, last week I went to her apartment to pick up some old photo albums.
- Did you find them? - No.
I found this.
You wanna talk about it? There were several break-ins in the building.
Lianna I wanted to feel safe.
You wanna feel safe? Take a self-defense class.
Yeah, in all my spare time.
It's not like I have kids that are gonna shoot themselves with it.
The only person that's gonna get hurt with this is you.
I'm not gonna get hurt.
I got a license.
I went to the gun club and I learned how to use it.
Yeah, in all your spare time.
What do you want me to say, Evan? That you'll get rid of it.
Fine.
Knowing Lianna, she kept it.
I just wish I knew what kind of trouble she was in.
Besides the break-ins, is there anyone else Dr.
Sardo might've been afraid of? - Jealous colleagues, angry patients? - No.
Would you say that you and your ex have a good relationship? - We've managed to stay friends, yeah.
- And your marriage ended Officially, a couple years ago, but really, it was doomed from the start.
Why's that? She was always married to the work.
So was I, to tell you the truth.
It kind of comes with the territory.
But I was willing to make the adjustments.
She wasn't.
Are you seeing anyone right now? Not really.
Nobody special.
And Lianna? She seeing anybody? I don't know.
I don't think she'd tell me.
Thanks for your help, Dr.
Mayhew.
We'll be in touch.
Thank you.
The guy hangs out with the woman, cooks for her, goes jogging with her but doesn't know if she's seeing someone.
Maybe she didn't tell him.
Didn't want to upset him.
Maybe she told him and he couldn't handle the truth.
According to these surgical logs, before Lianna left last night she cancelled her first two cases of the day.
She told her ex-husband she had to get up early for surgery.
- Obviously she is lying.
- Either she was or he is.
I want you to go to Lianna's apartment, check for that gun.
Call the NYPD and confirm the break-in story.
- Okay.
- Let's go.
Ex-husband's alibi checks out.
Doorman has him at the apartment all night.
- Anything on the gun? - Yeah.
Lianna purchased it two weeks ago at the Sports Emporium on Broadway.
Well, that's two weeks after her relationship broke up.
You found a boyfriend? No.
Not yet.
But I know he exists.
Lianna's cell and home phone records.
Almost every call is either to or from the hospital.
So she doesn't have a lot of friends.
She didn't have any friends until about seven months ago.
That's when this number started to appear.
It's a Jersey prefix, cell phone, belongs to this guy.
Jesse Kirkpatrick.
- How'd you know he's her boyfriend? - The call pattern.
For six months they've been calling each other three, four times a day.
Early last month, the pattern changed.
He was calling her, but she stopped calling him.
And eventually he gave up.
There hasn't been any contact for the last two weeks.
Send it over to Sam at Lianna's apartment.
See if any of the other tenants recognize him.
Hello? I'm sorry.
I saw the door open.
I was hoping it was Lianna.
- Are you with the police? - Yes.
Special Agent Spade.
FBI.
So you haven't found her yet? Who are you? I live across the hall.
Paula Drucker.
I've known Lianna since she moved in five years ago.
Are you close? Not close close, but I've seen a lot more of her since my daughter was born.
Audrey.
She loves Lianna, and sometimes Lianna watches her for me.
Right.
It's Paula, right? Paula, can I ask you about the break-ins in the building? We were told there'd been quite a few of them recently.
That's news to me.
Right.
Let me ask you something.
- Do you recognize him? - That's Jesse, Lianna's boyfriend.
Actually, ex-boyfriend.
They split up about a month ago.
- Any idea why? - No.
But she didn't take it too well.
I'm back.
Oh, you're early.
I gave up.
It is raining too hard out there.
Hi.
Lianna, what's wrong? Nothing.
My contact lenses are killing me so Before you go, I wanna give you something.
Some baby clothes.
- You didn't have to do that.
- I wanted to.
Look, I know it's none of my business but you are so smart and beautiful and successful.
You're gonna find someone else when you want to.
The clothes were way too small but she was trying to reach out.
What'd you think of Jesse? He's certainly cute.
But I didn't quite see them together for the long haul.
I figured she was just probably just having fun.
But in the end, when they were breaking up, the fighting got pretty intense.
At least on his end.
Was he ever violent towards her? I didn't think so.
But now, who knows? - I should go.
- Right.
Go.
Thank you.
Looks like another really smart woman who's dumb about men.
Yeah, it's amazing how many of those exist.
- Did you locate the boyfriend yet? - No, not yet.
DMV address isn't current, and the landlord didn't have a forwarding.
But she said he works construction and got me in touch with his last employer.
Turns out Jesse has a bad habit of squatting at job sites.
- Did they say anything about his temper? - Yeah.
Actually, he was fired from that last job for beating the crap out of his foreman.
He put the guy in the hospital.
Looks like we know why Lianna bought a gun.
What? You're not buying it? I just can't get that image of her crying out of my head.
I mean You guys should've seen her apartment.
It was cold.
You know, impersonal, lonely.
- You're thinking suicide? - I Come on.
This woman didn't kill herself over some guy.
Besides, it looks as if it was her that did the breaking up.
Well, I did some research.
It turns out that female doctors are twice as likely to take their own lives as women in the general population.
They say it's because medicine attracts perfectionists.
And perfection can't ever be attained.
Lianna was number one in her med school class.
She won the Anderson Fellowship, the Sterling Prize.
She's published in JAMA, The New England Journal of Medicine.
Her resume goes on and on, and her private life, nothing.
- You know, it - Okay.
All right.
I'll double-check the morgues and see if they've brought in any Jane Does with self-inflicted wounds.
Thank you.
Depressed? Dr.
Sardo was too busy to be depressed.
She sees five, six cases a day.
Most neurosurgeons average two.
What about her relationship with Dr.
Mayhew? If Dr.
Sardo is really missing, it isn't because of her ex-husband.
- Oh, really? What's your theory? - There was this kid.
Zack Patterson, seven-year-old boy, status post bike accident.
He went over his handlebars, wasn't wearing a helmet.
Developed a subarachnoid bleed.
- Dr.
Sardo operate on him? - Three weeks ago.
He died on the table.
We did the best we could.
It was that damned aberrant vessel.
No way to know it was there.
Family's waiting.
I've got another case in 10 minutes.
Klein, why don't you deal with them? - I'll do it.
- No, that's okay.
No, I want to.
Kid should've been wearing a helmet.
I'm sorry.
We lost him.
He's dead? I'm sorry.
He's dead? My boy is dead? - Dr.
Sardo - Warren, it's okay.
Everything's fine.
Fine? You let my son die! We waited out there an hour before you even looked at him! I'm sorry.
We did the best that we could.
You are not going to get away with this! I promise you that! Did the father ever come back, make any other threats? No.
Not that I know of, but he was pretty angry at the time.
Well, you can't really blame him.
They waited in the emergency room for over an hour.
Can I see the file on the patient, please? Yeah.
I'm sure she's got it in her office.
I'll get it for you.
The one time she talks to a patient's family, the guy goes ballistic.
Why, she never talks to the families? No.
She usually makes me or one of the other residents do it.
Why do you think she made an exception this time? Probably because he was so young.
Right.
Thank you.
- I'm gonna hang on to this for a while.
- You can't do that.
Don't worry.
Your administrator has the subpoena.
Volunteer to Admitting Guess it's time to visit Zack Patterson's father, huh? - I don't think so.
- What do you mean? - What do you got there? - It's an affidavit.
Zack's family is suing the hospital.
- What, you think she killed the kid? - No.
Dr.
Gregory did.
He was the lead surgeon.
Lianna was only called in when he got into trouble.
She's testifying for the family, against him.
- This can't be good for his career.
- No, it can't.
Let's go talk to Dr.
Gregory.
This is ridiculous.
She's out of her mind.
You didn't know Dr.
Sardo was testifying against you? No.
I didn't even know there was a suit being filed.
I can't believe she'd blindside me like this.
Can you excuse me? I need to call my lawyer.
If we can't find her, she can't testify against you.
That makes you a prime suspect.
What are you talking about? I told you, I didn't know about the suit.
She doesn't even make a credible witness.
Why not? Come with me.
Janet.
These men are from the FBI.
They're looking for Dr.
Sardo.
I think it might help if you tell them what you saw the other night.
It's okay.
Go ahead.
Last Wednesday night, I was walking past the supply cabinet and There wasn't really anybody else around and there she was, pocketing some needles.
Needles and syringes are tools of the trade, aren't they? That's true.
But we count the narcotics at every change of shift.
That night, we were missing two vials of Dilaudid.
A very heavy-duty narcotic.
Why wouldn't you report that? You don't ruin a doctor's career, especially one as illustrious as Dr.
Sardo because of something someone saw.
Unless it suits your purpose.
Well, what can I say? I guess I was loyal when she was loyal.
Martin.
Rumor has it you found her boyfriend.
Yeah, he's been in jail for the last 24 hours.
Drugs? No.
Squatting in a remodel on 85th and Lex.
Nice.
The woman came home, the guy was kicking back on her couch tossing back some beers and watching SportsCenter.
Well, at least it wasn't porn.
They've got him down at the 16th Precinct.
- I'm going to pick him up.
- I'm coming with you.
I followed up on Lianna's phone records.
Have you heard of a place called Clear Horizons? - Sounds like a self-help bookstore.
- Close.
It's a drug-treatment facility specializing in heroin addiction.
They said that Lianna called over there inquiring about checking a friend into their program.
That lines up with the needles.
Let's say the whole friend thing is an act, and she's the one with the problem.
I faxed over her photo.
They said they'd never seen her.
And besides, if she was just about to enter a rehab program why not clear her whole schedule? Why just that morning? I just talked to the DEA.
They keep a database that tracks prescriptions for all level one and two narcotics.
According to them, two days before she disappeared Dr.
Sardo wrote a prescription for methadone.
It was made out to a Ronald Phelps.
As far as we can tell, she never had a patient named Ronald Phelps.
Yeah, but even if she had what is a neurosurgeon doing prescribing methadone? Someone's trying to kick the H.
Maybe Ronald Phelps is the friend that we're looking for.
Dig into it.
See what you can find out about him.
Let's go to the pharmacy where that prescription was filled.
How long has she been missing? No one's seen or heard from her since 9:00 on Monday night.
Which means she disappeared about You think I had something to do with this? I'm just giving you the timeline, man.
I was working a job up near Lincoln Center.
Call.
Check it out.
Why did she have a gun? What gun? You know, I talked to Andy Howard, your old boss.
He told me about the guy you put in the hospital.
Yeah.
The guy was harassing a homeless man by throwing rocks at him.
A guy does that, he deserves to have his face bashed in.
Look, I see where you're going with this.
I never laid a hand on Lianna.
Ever.
All right, I cared for her.
We were gonna have a baby.
- She was pregnant? - That's why we broke up.
Maybe because you didn't want her to keep it.
No, I didn't.
Not at first.
But then, I kind of got used to the idea.
One if it's a boy, one if it's a girl.
It's very cute.
- What's the matter? - Nothing.
Shouldn't you be laying off that stuff? I lost the baby.
What? - When? - Two days ago.
How come you didn't tell me? I'm telling you now.
Lianna Look, it's for the best, anyway.
I mean, who was I kidding? - I'd be a terrible mother.
- Don't say that.
Okay, Jesse, don't.
I'm sorry.
I just can't.
That was the beginning of the end.
First she says she needs more space.
Then she stops returning my calls.
Wouldn't even answer the door when I stopped by.
I guess she just figured I'd be useless to her.
- Lianna ever do drugs, Jesse? - No way.
How about you? I smoke a joint every once in a while.
That's about it.
So you wouldn't have a problem taking a drug test, would you? Knock yourselves out.
Ronald Phelps? Methadone prescription, right? You either have a great memory or not enough customers.
Both.
And I'd trade you the memory for the customers any days of the week.
- Actually, Mr.
Phelps was hard to forget.
- Why's that? He actually brought his doctor in with him.
She wrote his prescription right in front of me.
Methadone.
10 milligram tablets.
Tablets? I thought we were getting injectable.
Tablets are just as effective.
I've had the tablets.
They suck.
Fine.
Here.
Ah, that'll be 75 cents.
Tell her.
- I'm gonna need to see some ID.
- Yes.
From the both of you.
Okay.
It'll take a couple minutes.
I'm timing you.
Why would a doctor come with her patients to fill out a prescription? Neighborhood like this, a lot of folks sell their prescriptions.
Take the cash, buy harder drugs on the street.
Maybe she was being conscientious, making sure that didn't happen.
Have you ever known a doctor to be that conscientious before? Not in 30 years.
Well, listen.
Thank you very much.
We've gotta find Phelps.
If they came into this pharmacy, chances are they're in the neighborhood.
Right.
Thanks for your help.
Okay.
Water and Power and Con-Ed don't have any customers named Ronald Phelps.
I'm not surprised.
Water and power don't seem like top priorities for the guy.
What about the girl he was with? We don't have much.
Sounds like she's his girlfriend, and a junkie as well.
What've you got? All Dr.
Sardo's checks from the past two months.
I thought it might help us finding Phelps.
Verizon, Con-Ed, Visa's less than $200.
I mean, this woman spends less than I do.
You need to get out more often.
Yeah.
Don't remind me.
Okay, how about this one? "Tri-West Equities.
" What'd she write in the memo space? - That sounds like a rent check to me.
- Yeah.
And isn't that pharmacy on 132nd? - I'll call Jack.
- Yeah.
- Rents 4D.
Strange situation.
- What do you mean? Ritzy doctor rents a room in a dump like this? And I can't figure out what she's doing with those junkie kids.
Mr.
Phelps! Open up! It's the FBI! Mr.
Phelps? Clear.
I got one down.
Clear.
It's a.
380.
It's the same caliber we found in Dr.
Sardo's apartment.
Apartment next door is vacant, but the guy down the hall says he didn't hear anything.
Ditto the manager.
Neighborhood like this, people mind their own business.
- What was the time of death? - Ballpark, about 36 hours.
About the same time Lianna went missing.
Whoever killed him can't claim self-defense.
Entry wound was in the back.
Yeah, but what's a respectable neurosurgeon doing in a crack house? I don't know.
- Do you recognize either of them? - Her.
It was two or three days ago.
She had a nasty laceration on her forehead.
Needed stitches.
Dr.
Sardo brought her in here herself, and clearly they knew each other.
You wanna tell me what happened? I told you.
I tripped.
You wanna tell me what really happened? I have to go.
I know he did this to you.
And if the drugs you're doing don't kill you first, he will.
Look, we can go to the police.
We can file a report.
Can I stay with you? Of course.
I called the police, but by the time they got here, she was gone.
She took off while Dr.
Sardo was dealing with a code upstairs.
Do you remember her name? No.
Can you check the records? Please.
It's important.
Yeah.
Thanks, Danny.
So, the ER nurse says the girl's name is Wendy Halpert.
- Do we know who she is? - No, not yet.
Didn't that surgical resident specifically say that Dr.
Sardo never talks to her patients? Then why is she suddenly ready to have Wendy stay at her apartment with her? Well Dr.
Sardo just suffered a miscarriage.
I imagine that can have a huge emotional impact on a woman.
It didn't sound like she wanted to keep the baby, though.
Come on, 39 years old everyone she knows has kids, someone to come home to Losing that baby hurt.
You think that's why she's attached to this girl? Yeah, I do.
I do.
My only question is, why her? What's so special about Wendy Halpert? Hey, Jack.
"Dear Wendy Halpert.
This letter is to inform you "that we have received correspondence from your birth mother.
"She has requested to make contact with you.
" The girl in this photo: Lianna's daughter.
This letter was addressed three weeks ago, and they just reestablished contact.
You make the decision to locate your daughter and then you find out she's a drug addict living with an abusive boyfriend.
That's gotta be hard.
Okay, here we go.
Wendy Halpert.
Also 25, with another address right here in the city.
- Let's go.
- Yeah.
Miss Halpert.
Can I help you? Yeah.
We're with the FBI.
We're looking for Wendy Halpert.
I'm Wendy.
Miss Halpert, were you recently contacted by an adoption agency? No.
Should I have been? I mean, I am adopted.
Have you ever seen this woman before? No.
Who is she? Someone pretending to be you.
Her name's Michelle Holmes.
She used to work at the adoption agency.
I had to let her go.
What happened? I caught her stealing money out of my purse.
I gave her a chance because she's had a pretty rough go of things.
Mom died as a kid, and father's an ex-con.
I thought a little stability - We try to do that.
- Thank you.
After your call, I pulled Lianna's file.
She contacted the agency about a month ago looking for her daughter.
Michelle took the call.
I asked her to draft the outgoing letter herself.
My guess is she never sent it.
She kept it and used it to con Dr.
Sardo.
But you mean she called Lianna and pretended to be her daughter? That's what I'm thinking.
Why would she do that? Drugs.
Michelle was an addict.
Oh, my.
I remember Lianna.
She was only 14.
Was it a boyfriend, or It was a boyfriend.
She was like most teenagers.
They don't think about the consequences until it's too late.
She came back to the agency a couple of weeks after she gave up the baby.
You never get used to that.
Lianna, what are you doing here? I came to see my baby.
Oh, honey.
She's not here.
Where is she? She's with her family.
Her mom and her dad.
Just like we talked about.
Can you tell me where they are? I wanna see her.
I can't do that.
I'm sorry.
Well, can I at least write her a letter? Of course you can.
She wrote the letter, but obviously I couldn't send it.
It's in the file.
This is the letter? She didn't even know who to address it to.
That's why I remember it.
Samantha.
Michelle Holmes has a pretty healthy rap sheet including aggravated assault with a knife last year.
She pled down from attempted murder because she was high at the time.
So they're on the run, right? As far as Lianna knows, she's protecting her daughter and she is gonna do that at all costs.
So where would they go? We checked her credit cards and her ATM.
Nothing.
And it's not like she took out bundles of cash before she disappeared.
Okay, maybe she's not going anywhere.
Maybe all she wants is to get her daughter clean, and then she's gonna turn herself in.
Sounds like something a mother would do.
Especially a mother who feels guilty about giving up her child.
All right.
It takes at least a week to detox off of heroin.
She needs money, so who does she turn to? Dr.
Mayhew, we need to talk.
Now's not a good time.
I have an appointment.
Why didn't you tell us that Lianna called you? - I don't know what you're talking about.
- The $5,000 you withdrew this morning.
- I believe that's my prerogative.
- Lf you take that money to her you are aiding and abetting in a homicide.
She didn't kill him.
How do you know? Because she called me last night.
She was in a total panic.
Are you okay? Where are you? You know, the FBI was here.
I'm in trouble.
Somebody got shot.
And he's dead.
- I don't know what to do.
- Okay just calm down.
Tell me what happened.
I had to get her away from him.
Who? Wendy.
- Who's Wendy? - My daughter.
- Where's Phelps? - Sleeping.
- What are you doing? - I'm getting you out of here.
No, I told you in the hospital.
I'm okay.
No, you told me in the hospital that you wanted to live with me.
- What's going on? - I'm taking my daughter.
I don't think so, bitch.
I think we're about done with you.
So why don't you just get the hell out of here? I'm taking her with me.
Okay.
Easy.
Come on, Wendy.
Ronald, stop, you're hurting her! Think you can take my girl? You think you got that much power? We have to go.
Come on.
We have to go.
Lianna, you need to call the police.
No, I can't.
Wendy is sick.
I'm not abandoning her again.
I never knew she had a daughter.
I was in a complete state of shock.
Not as shocked as she'll be when she finds out the woman she's with is a complete stranger.
What're you talking about? She's being conned by the woman who worked at the adoption agency.
I don't understand.
Why would she save Lianna's life? - $5,000 buys a lot of drugs, Doctor.
- Just tell us where she is.
I got the money right here.
I've got to give it to her in 20 minutes.
If I don't show up, she's gonna leave.
Okay, why would she wanna meet him here? Heads up.
That's not them.
There they are.
Lianna Sardo! - Who is that? - FBI.
- Stay back! - Got a gun.
Put the gun down.
Wendy, what are you doing? I mean it.
Get out of here or I'll kill her! Put the gun down.
Please.
Do not hurt my daughter.
She is sick.
She's very sick.
Okay! I'm putting my gun away, all right? I'll kill her, I swear to God, I'll kill her! Nobody's gonna get hurt here.
Let's just stay calm.
Michelle, listen to me.
- Why don't we tell Lianna the truth? - Shut up! She deserves to know, Michelle.
Shut up! I know it seemed like a good idea at the adoption agency, okay.
- I swear to God I'll kill her.
- No, you don't wanna do that.
You don't wanna hurt the only person who really cares about you.
I know how good it feels to have somebody care about you like that.
I know.
You don't wanna hurt her, Michelle.
You need her.
- No, I don't give a damn about her! - She loves you.
She loves you, and you know that, and that's why you saved her life.
Put the gun down, honey.
Put the gun down.
Lianna.
Come on.
Come here.
You're not my daughter? I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I feel like such an idiot.
You believed something because you wanted it to be true.
There is nothing wrong with that.
We found your real daughter.
Now, I know this probably isn't my place but I have her address, and she wants to meet you.
I don't know.
That doesn't really sound like such a good idea anymore.
Well, if If you do decide to go, I thought maybe - you could give her this.
- Oh, my God.
We have a car waiting to take you home.
I'd like to go to the police station first.
I wanna make sure Michelle's okay.
Of course.
Right this way.
"To my baby: "My name is Lianna Sardo, and I'm your first mommy.
"I know you have another mommy now which makes me happy.
"I hope she's nice.
"Please do not cry when you're sad, because one day "when I'm older, I'll buy a car and find you "so we can be together.
"Until then, please remember "that I love you very much.
" That's it.
It makes me sad.
Well, you see a lot of sad things.
This feels different.
Why? I I don't know.
English