The Irrational (2023) s02e12 Episode Script
Straight From the Heart
1
[BLACK FLAG'S "MY WAR"]
♪
War, you're one of them ♪
You say that you're my friend ♪
But you're one of them ♪
♪
[GUNSHOT]
[GASPS]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[LINE TRILLS]
This is Dr. Alec Mercer.
Please leave a message.
Alec, it's Renee.
I need your help.
- I'm usually better at this.
- Sure you are.
That's one bullseye
for Simon, two for Rizwan,
and three for Phoebe.
All right, let's try something else.
Instead of a stranger's picture
[CHUCKLES]
Try again.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
- Stand back.
- Yes, sir.
This same study was done using pictures
of Tom Hanks and Oprah Winfrey.
It turns out, it's harder to throw
a dart at someone we like,
even though we know it's just a picture.
But you used yourself.
Thought I'd also see if it works
for people you know personally.
And look, scientific proof
you all like me.
[CHUCKLES]
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Renee.
Oh.
"Childhood Trauma and Recovery
in 'Jane Eyre, '" right?
I never forget a great paper.
It's good to see you, Dr. Franklin.
I know I'm a little early
for my appointment,
but I couldn't wait.
No worries, come on in.
Okay.
Who's that?
Professor Renee Franklin, English Lit.
She's kind of an institution here.
Yeah, my brother loved her class,
and he usually hated reading.
So, what's wrong?
You didn't sound so good on the phone.
Sabbatical isn't all
it's cracked up to be.
I think it's Latin for post-op boredom.
It's nice to be back on campus anyway.
I'm guessing you didn't
tell anyone about my health.
You asked me not to.
'Cause when people hear that
you've had a heart transplant,
they treat you differently,
like you're a fragile teacup.
[CHUCKLES] It's hard to imagine
anyone seeing you that way.
[LAUGHS]
I heard about Rachel Myers' plagiarism.
I did not have that on my bingo card.
Renee, you didn't call me
in the middle of the night
to gossip about Rachel.
The thing is, in the past few weeks,
I've been having trouble sleeping.
Insomnia isn't uncommon after surgery.
I know.
My doctor prescribed some
medication, and it helped.
But there were some side effects.
I found myself waking up
in a different room
from where I fell asleep.
You were sleepwalking.
That, and I keep having
the same terrifying dream.
I'm in a car in the middle of the woods,
and there is a crow flying around.
And I have a gun in my hand.
And I always wake up
before anything happens,
but last night, I pulled the trigger.
And there was blood everywhere, and
oh, it was terrifying and so real.
Renee, our dreams can feel very real,
especially those in REM cycles.
Didn't just feel real, Alec.
I'm afraid it was real.
When I woke up, I was in my car
in front of my house.
I think I murdered someone in my sleep.
Vivid dreaming and even sleep driving
aren't unheard of
with sleep medications.
But the idea that you killed someone
I know. It's irrational.
That's why I came to you.
When you woke up, did you
have a gun in your hand?
Was there any blood, any bruises?
No, nothing like that.
But, Alec, you know me.
I have never held a gun in my life.
And I can see every detail of this one.
Okay, let's see if you can recognize
the gun from your dream.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]
Have a look.
Mm, none of these.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[GUNSHOT]
That's it.
It's the Beretta.
Huh, don't ask me how I know that.
[WATCH BEEPS]
It's my heart rate.
I have to keep an eye on it.
I'm still in
the critical recovery period.
My doctors tell me
that I need to get sleep
and reduce my stress.
I won't be able to sleep until I know
that I didn't kill anyone.
Okay, let's find out.
Tell me everything you remember
from this dream.
Well, the good news
is that I couldn't find
any reports of a shooting last night
within 25 miles of your house.
Does that ease your mind?
But when I put all
the details that you described
from your dream
into a text analysis code,
something did come up.
You said that you remember
a Round Hill Road
and that you saw an envelope
with the name Johnny on it
and that there was a crow
in your dream, right?
Yeah.
Well, I found this
about a deputy sheriff
named Johnny Crowe.
♪
[GASPS] That's him.
That's the man in my dream.
Well, according to the news, he was shot
by his service Beretta
off Round Hill Road.
Oh, my God, I did kill
someone last night.
No, he died almost six months ago
in the line of duty in Hemlock County.
But if I didn't kill him,
how could I know
all of this this stuff?
Do you have any more details?
Well, it says here
that a paramedic treated him
for a gunshot to the head,
but at the hospital,
he was declared brain dead.
So his organs were donated.
He's survived by his wife, Megan.
You say that he died
almost six months ago.
When exactly? What day?
Uh, September 19th.
Why?
That's the day I got
my heart transplant.
Alec, is it possible
that my heart is somehow
remembering my donor's death?
♪
Confabulation.
Dr. Franklin probably read
the obituary somewhere
and didn't remember.
She's conflating it
with the events of her dream.
Her mind is filling in the
blanks, creating new memories.
There is another possibility,
and it's a little out there.
Ever heard of cellular memory?
That's not real.
It hasn't been scientifically proven.
I've been looking into it.
There are a growing number
of case studies
with suggestive new evidence.
What are we talking about?
Most people believe that memories
are all stored in the brain.
But that's not entirely true.
For instance, vaccines work because
they help our immune cells
remember the virus.
What's that have to do with Renee?
Well, some heart transplant recipients
have reported that along
with their new hearts,
they got new memories.
I've been reading up on this.
This is Dani.
She was a self-described couch potato.
Then she got the heart
of a pro skateboarder.
- And now, look at her.
- Impressive.
But she could have practiced a lot.
Lou was a gay coder from San Francisco.
Then he got a straight
forest ranger's heart.
Now he's fallen in love with a woman
and moved with her to Maine.
Sexuality is a spectrum,
and Maine is beautiful.
I have a healthy skepticism
of anything that doesn't come
with a wealth of data and, ideally,
double-blind studies behind it.
That said, social scientists
have something
we call intellectual humility. Rizwan?
Knowing enough to know
we don't know everything.
Exactly.
I always keep an open mind.
Simon, how do we test this theory?
Well, for starters,
we'd have to find out
everything we can about Johnny Crowe.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Ooh, it's Friday. Raina brought donuts.
Uh, Special Agent Clark?
Hi. Cameron Washington or Cam.
I have an appointment with you?
Um, yeah, Cam, sorry.
Can you remind me why
you're here, again?
Well, I'm a defense attorney,
and I'm working a case.
It's in the discovery phase.
I did wanna say, I read up about you
solving the 2002 church bombing case,
which is just incredible
I mean, a whole 20 years later.
I've been considering switching
careers, joining the FBI.
Senior agents meeting in 15.
And I figured, since I'm in town,
that I could pick your brain about it.
I'm sorry.
I'm actually really slammed today.
But Agent Quinn here can
answer any of the questions
that you may have, though.
Sure, come with me.
Well, I wanted to speak
to Special Agent Clark.
I'm in town from Michigan.
- The meeting agenda.
- Yep.
Agent Quinn can answer
anything that I can, okay?
- Thanks.
- I'll give you the grand tour.
Alec, hey.
What what brings you here?
I forgot my briefcase earlier.
Who was that young man
you were talking to?
A lawyer, Cam Washington.
He said that he wants
to become an agent.
But that's not who he is, is it?
[SOFT MUSIC]
I thought I was imagining it.
You registered your information
with that adoption site
a few weeks ago, right?
Marisa, the way he was looking at you
showed trust, familiarity, like
like family.
His his ears, they remind
they reminded me of my grandfather's.
He has your eyes,
and he's about the right age.
♪
Alec, I think he could be my son.
Oh, my God, why didn't he say anything?
His behavior says he might be afraid to.
Why didn't I say anything?
Distress triggered
a fight-or-flight response.
And I flew, that's for sure.
Hey.
Hey.
This is a good thing.
You wanted to meet him.
But not like this.
Alec, I panicked.
What if I never
get a chance to see him again?
You will.
If he is anything like his mother,
he won't give up easily.
The next exit takes us
to Hemlock County.
- Okay.
- [WATCH BEEPS]
Is that your heart?
Yeah, I'm okay.
Could I have my pills, please?
Thanks.
Mm.
Oh, don't look so concerned.
I have to convince
65 students a semester
that reading Chaucer will be
more fun than watching YouTube.
I can do anything.
I don't doubt it.
Still, you don't wanna
push yourself too hard.
Yeah, that's all I've heard
in the last few years.
Take it easy, Renee.
Get some rest, Renee.
Then I got my new heart.
You know, I read up
on this cellular memory.
Did you know that 89%
of transplant recipients
report personality changes?
The reliability of
self-reporting is debatable.
- [SCOFFS]
- But the numbers do present
a case that's hard to ignore.
Since my surgery,
I've started watching Westerns.
What?
I wonder if Johnny liked Westerns.
I guess we're about to find out.
I can't believe I'm meeting the woman
my husband's heart saved.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Is it weird to ask if I could
No, not at all.
[SIGHS]
That's Johnny's heart beating in there.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Incredible.
He gave me a second chance.
Well, he would have wanted to
help someone, even at the end.
♪
You must miss him.
Every single day.
I know it's painful to talk about,
but would you mind telling us
a little bit about how he died?
I was in Texas at my niece's wedding
when I got the call from the sheriff.
He said Johnny was in his car
trying to fix his gun.
And it went off.
By accident?
Yeah, one of those things
you think could never happen.
♪
What's this ring?
Oh, that's Johnny's Special Forces ring.
He was a Green Beret
before the sheriffs.
He always had a real sense
of justice and duty.
[METAL MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
[GUNSHOT]
Renee?
Oh, he seems like a pretty amazing guy.
He was.
He was always home by 6:00,
said he liked having dinner with me.
I'm sorry.
He didn't work nights?
No.
The obituary I read said
that he was killed in the line of duty.
But that was past midnight.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, he was pulling nights
'cause I was away.
I don't know all the details.
I didn't want to.
You should probably talk
to the sheriff's department.
Um, I'm I'm really happy
I met you, Renee.
But I need to stop, I think.
When I asked about
her husband being on duty,
she seemed a little evasive.
I think I may have an idea why.
Don't ask me to explain,
but I'm remembering more of my dream.
And I don't think Johnny's death
happened the way she said.
I think someone else was involved.
By involved, you're saying
you think Johnny was murdered.
Alec Mercer, I read about
your work with law enforcement.
I'm Sheriff Dayton.
This is Deputy McDaniel.
What brings you all the way out here?
My friend Renee here
recently underwent a heart transplant.
It turns out the donor was Johnny Crowe.
And I'm hoping to learn more
about the man
who saved my life.
Johnny was one of our best deputies,
made the most flavorful chili,
if you could stand the heat.
We were told that his gun misfired.
How often does a deputy ex-military
misfire a gun like that?
Yeah, almost never.
This may be a sensitive question,
but did you ever consider
suicide or murder?
I understand why you're asking,
but all the evidence
pointed towards an accident.
Johnny was trying to fix
the slide on his weapon,
and it went off.
His obituary said that
he died in the line of duty.
But Megan said
Johnny didn't work nights.
I got a feeling there was
more to the story,
but she told us to talk to you.
Well, there was no way
to know for certain
the exact time of the gunshot.
So you finessed the report?
Johnny was working.
He had picked up a few night shifts.
But, yeah, he had clocked out
before the incident.
And it was the difference between Megan
collecting the death benefit
and not getting a dime.
So why make a bad situation worse?
Exactly.
I may have miscalculated the times,
but his death was a tragic accident.
I'll get you a copy of the report.
- You can see for yourself.
- Please.
That table better be clear
by the time the food is ready.
The sheriff's report says that Johnny
was parked off Highway 522,
but there's nothing there.
Look.
"At 12:03 a.m., an anonymous 911 caller
"reported hearing gunshots.
"Deputy Crowe was treated
for a wound to the head
by paramedic Xavier Grant."
That paramedic
moved the body to perform CPR
but tainted all the evidence
on the scene.
Hmm, convenient.
Or entirely rational
to try to save Johnny's life.
Mm, so you think Renee was wrong
about Johnny being murdered?
I don't know.
I have to follow the evidence.
Speaking of, Kylie
Do you see
that little thing right there?
Is that a bullet casing?
It does look like one.
The report says Johnny is right handed.
If Johnny accidentally shot himself,
the bullet casing would land
inside the car somewhere,
not on the outside.
Yeah, that's weird.
[PHONE RINGS]
Oh, put her on speaker.
Renee, how are you feeling?
I'm not up to running
the Boston Marathon, but okay.
Tomorrow, we should go
to where Johnny was shot.
I might remember more.
I'd like to get out there myself.
You have to wonder what
Johnny was up to out here.
What's that back there?
There's only one way to find out.
This trailer's been here a while.
Possible that Johnny was staking it out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Um whoever lives here
probably doesn't like visitors.
[GUN COCKS]
You got that right.
By the trailer, I'm guessing
you're a salesman.
I don't want your product,
but I'm hoping
to buy some of your time.
I'm happy to pay an equivalent price.
What do you want?
We're looking into the death
of Johnny Crowe.
You cops?
No, we're we're college professors.
Renee is a heart transplant recipient.
She has Johnny Crowe's heart.
Oh, yeah?
Go away.
Hey, how about a glass of water?
Renee gets dehydrated easily.
Again, I'm willing
to pay your going rate.
For water?
Thank you, my friend.
Just call me Cookie.
Well, Cookie, it could be argued that
you actually saved her life.
Let me explain.
That looks like a prepaid cell phone,
and someone used one to call 911
the night that Johnny was shot.
Is that you?
I don't keep track
of where I go and when.
Well, if it was you, it was
very brave to take that risk
and make the call to help someone out.
You made her heart transplant possible.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Yeah, I called.
I heard a gun,
but I didn't see anything.
Was there anyone else
out here that night?
Paramedic was on the scene
as soon as I hung up.
So he was taken care of on my end.
Do paramedics always arrive so fast?
Out here? In the sticks? [CHUCKLES]
No.
But I've learned not to
ask too many questions.
Y'all might consider doing the same.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
You feeling okay?
Oh, yeah. Better than okay.
I think now we know why Johnny
was out here that night.
He must have been staking out
Cookie's meth lab.
Him and the paramedic both.
He said the guy arrived all
the way out here in minutes.
You think he had another
reason for being out here?
He is the one that moved the body.
Memories are impressionable.
It's easy for our brains
to believe things
that fit with what we know is true.
That doesn't explain Hank,
who could suddenly compose music.
[CHUCKLES] Anecdotes are interesting,
but they're not real science.
Just because there's
no scientific consensus,
doesn't mean it's not real.
James McConnell did a study in 1959.
He taught flatworms a task,
then he cut off their heads.
But when the heads regenerated,
the new brain
remembered the task.
Dude, gross. And PETA would not approve.
It is interesting, though.
I have an idea for an experiment.
No worms needed.
[PHONE RINGS]
It's fine.
I'm just eager to talk
to this paramedic.
Well, his name is Xavier Grant.
Are you sure you don't wanna
wait here while I talk to him?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
That's Johnny's widow, and it looks like
she's not here for medical attention.
If Xavier and Megan were
involved, he had a motive.
Maybe the person who was
supposed to save Johnny
is the one who killed him.
Why are you asking me
about Johnny's marriage?
It's helpful for Renee's recovery
to get a full picture of his life.
- You again.
- Yeah.
They have questions
about Johnny and Megan.
Why don't they ask Megan?
Because Megan is romantically
involved with Xavier Grant,
the paramedic who supposedly
tried to rescue him.
We're wondering if he killed Johnny
to get him out of the picture.
Whoa, no one killed Johnny.
It was an accident.
But what if it wasn't?
Look, I don't know anything
about Megan's personal life,
but as I told you before,
there is no evidence
that Johnny was killed.
We've been curious about the
location of a bullet casing.
I saw it
- Renee?
- No.
The thing is, I didn't
just get Johnny's heart.
Since the transplant, I got
something else his memories.
And I know how that sounds,
and the science isn't rock solid, but
Copy, Ramos, have a good one.
I've I've heard that
radio before, that night.
Is there a dispatcher named Linda?
No, there's no Linda.
What the hell is going on here?
We're just testing a theory.
Dr. Mercer, respectfully,
we cannot go around making accusations
based on magical memories.
Of course.
But in the pictures of the scene,
we noticed a bullet casing on the road.
Yeah, we figured it fell out when
the paramedic moved the body.
If there was any evidence
that one of our own
was murdered, this department
would be all over it.
Maybe you should leave
the police work to us.
♪
Oh, damn, I forgot my
You forgot your purse.
Thank you.
I heard that radio.
And I could swear there was
a dispatcher named Linda.
I know it feels real,
but keeping an open mind
also means considering
other possibilities.
Like, your mind could just be
filling in the blanks.
Maybe.
I don't know anymore.
Maybe none of this is real. [SIGHS]
You know, I was so sure
this was the answer.
But if it's not, what do I do?
Giving up sleep isn't an option.
[SOFT MUSIC]
We're not giving up
on anything, I promise.
You know, when I got this heart,
I thought it was a miracle,
a second chance at life,
but now
It's not the same,
but after the bombing,
I received donor skin grafts.
So I know what it's like
to feel like your body
doesn't totally belong to you,
that you're not fully
in your own skin, so they say.
So what helped you cope?
Honestly, time.
[SIGHS] I know your memory
may not be reliable right now,
but there's still a lot
of unanswered questions
in this case, Xavier's
relationship with Megan
being one of them.
Answering those questions
might give you some closure.
True.
So let's go talk to Megan.
Hmm, tomorrow.
You need a break, Renee.
Let's start in the morning, okay?
Okay.
Wow, so you have a son, and
and he was here at the FBI?
I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner.
There's nothing to be sorry about.
He came all the way
from Michigan to meet me.
He must have all kinds of expectations.
What if I'm a disappointment to him?
You could never be
a disappointment to him.
Look at you.
Girl, you are Marisa frickin' Clark,
super badass senior FBI agent
who takes down bad guys.
And you're always there
for people when they need you.
Plus, you're funny.
[CHUCKLES]
I mean, you can't really cook.
Okay, I get it.
And I appreciate it.
But, Kylie, I don't know
what to say to him.
Well, what do you
want to know about him?
Everything.
What was his life like?
What what kind of family did he have?
Is he happy?
You know, the truth may be that
I'm afraid to know the answers.
Yeah, I get that.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
Maybe you just start by saying hi.
I mean, you opened the door for him.
But you can't control
how he comes through it.
Meet him on his own terms.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Remember, as you walk,
just enjoy the forest scenery.
Okay, we're coming to
the end of the trail.
Headsets off.
Now, tell me what you saw.
Trees. It was sunny.
A red bird, uh, maybe a cardinal.
Did anyone else look at the sky?
It was so blue.
That's great. Thanks.
Now my colleague, Rizwan,
is going to ask you
some more specifics.
Think back in your mind to what you saw.
Anyone see a pine tree?
Blueberry bush?
How about a tree that had been
hit by lightning?
A cow?
Motorcycle?
Now, what if I told you there
was no tree hit by lightning,
no blueberry bush
in fact, none of the specific
things I asked you about.
We have a tendency to misremember things
that weren't there but typically
would be, like a blueberry bush,
but not things that wouldn't typically
be there, like a motorcycle.
These results point to typicality as
one of the ways memory works.
Wow, I really remember
seeing that blueberry bush.
Which is normal.
When something fits a narrative
that makes sense,
our memory simply
adds it to the picture.
[L7'S "PRETEND WE'RE DEAD"
PLAYING]
♪
What's up
with what's going down ♪
In every city, in every town ♪
Cramping styles is ♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So you're just here to thank me.
Well, if you hadn't gotten
Johnny to the hospital
so fast that night, the transplant
may not have been possible.
You saved my life.
Well, I'm glad that some good
came out of that tragedy.
Well, it wasn't the only good
that came out of it, was it?
- You and Megan
- Excuse me?
You're kind of a thing now, aren't you?
Lady, I don't know
what you think you know
or why you're here.
I can't prove it yet.
But I know that Johnny's death
wasn't an accident.
I know it.
You wanted Megan all to yourself.
That's why you were on
the scene so bafflingly fast
that night when Johnny got shot.
- [WATCH BEEPS]
- Stop, ma'am.
Did you do it on your own,
or was Megan in on it?
We need to get you to the hospital now.
- [GROANING]
- You're having a heart attack.
- It's okay.
- Oh.
It's all right. I've got you.
Alec Mercer?
You're Xavier, right?
Yeah.
Thank you for calling me.
Well, I saw a few missed calls
from you on Renee's phone.
I figured you were
the best person to contact.
How is she?
They say she's stable, thanks to you.
Well, you seem surprised.
Don't tell me,
you think I'm a murderer too.
If you were the murderer, you probably
wouldn't have saved her life.
So why did a complete stranger
show up on my doorstep, accusing me
of killing Johnny Crowe?
Short version, we were
investigating Johnny's death.
We got evidence that
you were seeing his wife.
And you did show up
on the scene awfully fast.
Yeah, well, there's a Kmart
parking lot down from Cookie's
where people go to use.
There's an OD there once a week.
I park there when I'm on shift.
It saves me a drive.
And you and Megan?
We met at Johnny's funeral,
but we were just friends to start.
And we've only been on a few dates.
I believe you.
But since you were on the scene first,
did you notice anything suspicious,
anything that would suggest
that it wasn't an accident?
No, no.
To be honest, I was just
trying to save the guy's life.
Was Cookie's trailer there?
Yeah. Yeah, he's always there.
You think Johnny was staking Cookie out?
Maybe.
Although the sheriffs have known
about Cookie, for a long time,
and they
haven't done jack about it before.
Why not?
Maybe they're lazy, scared.
I don't know.
I hoped these answers would help Renee,
but look where we are.
You know, when I brought Renee in,
she mentioned her mouth was dry.
And her left hand,
I noticed it kept jerking.
Is that unusual?
No, I've seen it a hundred times
in meth users.
- Renee isn't a meth user.
- Of course not.
Yeah, why would
a heart transplant patient
be using meth?
She wouldn't, not intentionally anyway.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Excuse me a moment?
Yeah, of course.
Marisa, I need a favor.
Renee Franklin's heart medication
was replaced with amphetamine
salts, prescription stimulants,
after she visited your trailer.
You expect me to believe
that that was a coincidence?
I don't sell prescription drugs.
And I told you.
All I gave that lady was water.
She was asking questions
about Johnny Crowe's death.
Didn't he die looking
into your operation?
Like I told them, I don't know
anything about how that cop died.
You expect a jury to buy that?
[SCOFFS]
Hmm.
All I know is, I tried
to save that guy's life.
I'm the one that called 911.
You can ask the dispatcher.
Said her name was Linda.
The sheriff's department told us
there was no dispatcher
named Linda.
Why would they lie?
I don't know.
Let's hope
you're about to find out.
Nine years I worked dispatch.
So what made you leave?
I got laid off a week
after Johnny's death.
They said money was tight.
There were a few of us.
Of course, I was the only one
who had been
employee of the month twice.
But it's all right. I'm happy here.
It's nice not having
anyone's life on the line.
And you said on the phone
that you knew Johnny?
Yeah, I did.
Good guy, liked making people laugh.
Was into crappy music,
but nobody's perfect.
And you took the call
the night that he died?
I did.
Gunfire reported off Highway 522.
I could see on my
dispatch tracking board
that Johnny's vehicle was there.
So I tried to raise him on the
radio, but he didn't answer.
So what'd you do?
I saw another patrol car near there.
I radioed the deputy three
times in one-minute intervals,
department protocol.
But he didn't answer my calls either.
Was there something wrong
with the radios?
I doubt it.
They'd just decked out the department
with all-new equipment.
I guess that's where all the money went.
I ran the internal diagnostics.
It said everything was
operational, like I thought.
Never followed up
because, well, layoffs.
I'm sorry, who was
the deputy that you called?
The patrol car that was nearby.
Deputy Ron McDaniel.
We pulled a log from
the sheriff's department.
McDaniel was less than a mile
away when Johnny was killed.
Which wasn't in the official report.
And get this, according
to the state's budgets,
that department is barely scraping by.
There are no records of funds
for new equipment.
So where did the money come from?
Cookie.
That's why he wasn't worried
about getting caught.
He was paying the deputies to
ignore his illegal drug business.
So Johnny wasn't staking out Cookie.
He was waiting to see
who Cookie was gonna pay out.
McDaniel shows up.
He can't risk being exposed,
so he kills him.
Then the sheriff fired Linda.
If the whole department is corrupt,
I'm gonna have to get more
FBI power to crack this thing.
I have a better idea.
[TENSE MUSIC]
You better have a good reason
dragging me all the way out here.
I got a proposition.
You give me a break
on my protection money,
and I won't tell anyone what I saw
the night Deputy Crowe was shot.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I saw McDaniel walk up to Johnny's car,
and shoot him dead.
And then McDaniel drove off, whoosh
fast as he could.
Even if that was true, you're
hardly a reliable source.
Those professors will believe me.
No judge will believe anything you say.
I also heard something else.
Before McDaniel left,
he made a call to you
saying it was done.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Yeah, maybe no one will listen to me.
But they might.
You really need to watch it, Cookie,
'cause you're not gonna get
a break on the rent,
and you're not gonna go to jail.
We will put you 6 feet under
Just like we did with Johnny.
Got him. All units move in.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
You know, McDaniel never
did call you that night,
but it was easy to get you
to believe he did.
It's called typicality.
It made sense to you
because it could happen.
That's how corrupt your department was.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
McDaniel did most of the work
[GUNSHOT]
Because you let him do
your dirty work for you.
♪
Don't worry, we're gonna arrest
him, too, for the murder
and for replacing Renee's heart
pills with amphetamine salts.
What do they say? Oh, yeah.
There's gonna be a new sheriff in town.
Mm-hmm.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Oh, come in, please.
I'm better than I look, I promise.
Do you know that I actually
slept through the night,
and I haven't had any episodes
of tachycardia in 36 hours?
That's a great start.
It sounds like putting
Johnny's death to bed
gave you closure and relieved
your mental hyperarousal,
so you can sleep well again.
So what's the verdict?
Do you think that my heart actually
remembered all those things,
all the details from the dream?
There was an article in "The
Herald" about Johnny's death
that mentions all the things
from your dreams.
It's possible you read it
and didn't remember it,
but your subconscious did.
What about Linda?
I went back to the station,
and I saw Linda Noble's name
on an Employees of the Month
plaque, twice.
- I didn't see that, though.
- Maybe not.
And maybe one day science
will give us more answers.
But until then, I'm glad
you found the answers
that can give you peace.
Me too.
And the doctors say
that I could be well enough
to be teaching Chaucer again
next semester.
[LAUGHS]
I bet the students
can't wait to have you back.
[LAUGHS]
I can't either.
Thank you, my friend.
Anytime.
Thanks for for meeting me.
Of course.
I love talking to potential recruits.
Right. Um.
So tell me, why did you join the FBI?
Well, that is a long story.
I, uh
BOTH: Listen
- Sorry, you go first.
- No, no, please please, I
Cam, I know who you really are.
I mean, when I brushed you
off earlier, I didn't know.
And then I did.
And then I didn't know
what to say, but now I do.
And and I'm sorry,
this is coming out all wrong.
No, it's okay.
Like, you were at work.
You were busy.
Honestly, I just wish
I'd said something sooner.
But I guess, I just
didn't know how to say it?
I can relate.
[SOFT MUSIC]
You must have so many questions.
I guess I don't even
know where to start.
I mean, when the person
you've been wanting to meet
your whole life
is right in front of you,
what do you say?
So so
so you knew that you were
adopted your whole life?
Well, my parents
my adoptive parents,
they were very honest people,
almost compulsively honest.
And they're kind and involved,
but not like
helicopter parents, you know?
They're they're great.
Yeah.
Seriously, they're great.
Growing up, I always felt lucky.
I always felt wanted.
I'm glad.
So if you're wondering if you
did the right thing
you did.
But I still wanna know more about why.
Okay, that's fair.
I will tell you the whole story.
But first, if you don't mind,
there's something
that I've been wanting to do
for over 20 years now.
Oh, okay.
♪
Thank you.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
♪
[BLACK FLAG'S "MY WAR"]
♪
War, you're one of them ♪
You say that you're my friend ♪
But you're one of them ♪
♪
[GUNSHOT]
[GASPS]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[LINE TRILLS]
This is Dr. Alec Mercer.
Please leave a message.
Alec, it's Renee.
I need your help.
- I'm usually better at this.
- Sure you are.
That's one bullseye
for Simon, two for Rizwan,
and three for Phoebe.
All right, let's try something else.
Instead of a stranger's picture
[CHUCKLES]
Try again.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
- Stand back.
- Yes, sir.
This same study was done using pictures
of Tom Hanks and Oprah Winfrey.
It turns out, it's harder to throw
a dart at someone we like,
even though we know it's just a picture.
But you used yourself.
Thought I'd also see if it works
for people you know personally.
And look, scientific proof
you all like me.
[CHUCKLES]
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Renee.
Oh.
"Childhood Trauma and Recovery
in 'Jane Eyre, '" right?
I never forget a great paper.
It's good to see you, Dr. Franklin.
I know I'm a little early
for my appointment,
but I couldn't wait.
No worries, come on in.
Okay.
Who's that?
Professor Renee Franklin, English Lit.
She's kind of an institution here.
Yeah, my brother loved her class,
and he usually hated reading.
So, what's wrong?
You didn't sound so good on the phone.
Sabbatical isn't all
it's cracked up to be.
I think it's Latin for post-op boredom.
It's nice to be back on campus anyway.
I'm guessing you didn't
tell anyone about my health.
You asked me not to.
'Cause when people hear that
you've had a heart transplant,
they treat you differently,
like you're a fragile teacup.
[CHUCKLES] It's hard to imagine
anyone seeing you that way.
[LAUGHS]
I heard about Rachel Myers' plagiarism.
I did not have that on my bingo card.
Renee, you didn't call me
in the middle of the night
to gossip about Rachel.
The thing is, in the past few weeks,
I've been having trouble sleeping.
Insomnia isn't uncommon after surgery.
I know.
My doctor prescribed some
medication, and it helped.
But there were some side effects.
I found myself waking up
in a different room
from where I fell asleep.
You were sleepwalking.
That, and I keep having
the same terrifying dream.
I'm in a car in the middle of the woods,
and there is a crow flying around.
And I have a gun in my hand.
And I always wake up
before anything happens,
but last night, I pulled the trigger.
And there was blood everywhere, and
oh, it was terrifying and so real.
Renee, our dreams can feel very real,
especially those in REM cycles.
Didn't just feel real, Alec.
I'm afraid it was real.
When I woke up, I was in my car
in front of my house.
I think I murdered someone in my sleep.
Vivid dreaming and even sleep driving
aren't unheard of
with sleep medications.
But the idea that you killed someone
I know. It's irrational.
That's why I came to you.
When you woke up, did you
have a gun in your hand?
Was there any blood, any bruises?
No, nothing like that.
But, Alec, you know me.
I have never held a gun in my life.
And I can see every detail of this one.
Okay, let's see if you can recognize
the gun from your dream.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]
Have a look.
Mm, none of these.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[GUNSHOT]
That's it.
It's the Beretta.
Huh, don't ask me how I know that.
[WATCH BEEPS]
It's my heart rate.
I have to keep an eye on it.
I'm still in
the critical recovery period.
My doctors tell me
that I need to get sleep
and reduce my stress.
I won't be able to sleep until I know
that I didn't kill anyone.
Okay, let's find out.
Tell me everything you remember
from this dream.
Well, the good news
is that I couldn't find
any reports of a shooting last night
within 25 miles of your house.
Does that ease your mind?
But when I put all
the details that you described
from your dream
into a text analysis code,
something did come up.
You said that you remember
a Round Hill Road
and that you saw an envelope
with the name Johnny on it
and that there was a crow
in your dream, right?
Yeah.
Well, I found this
about a deputy sheriff
named Johnny Crowe.
♪
[GASPS] That's him.
That's the man in my dream.
Well, according to the news, he was shot
by his service Beretta
off Round Hill Road.
Oh, my God, I did kill
someone last night.
No, he died almost six months ago
in the line of duty in Hemlock County.
But if I didn't kill him,
how could I know
all of this this stuff?
Do you have any more details?
Well, it says here
that a paramedic treated him
for a gunshot to the head,
but at the hospital,
he was declared brain dead.
So his organs were donated.
He's survived by his wife, Megan.
You say that he died
almost six months ago.
When exactly? What day?
Uh, September 19th.
Why?
That's the day I got
my heart transplant.
Alec, is it possible
that my heart is somehow
remembering my donor's death?
♪
Confabulation.
Dr. Franklin probably read
the obituary somewhere
and didn't remember.
She's conflating it
with the events of her dream.
Her mind is filling in the
blanks, creating new memories.
There is another possibility,
and it's a little out there.
Ever heard of cellular memory?
That's not real.
It hasn't been scientifically proven.
I've been looking into it.
There are a growing number
of case studies
with suggestive new evidence.
What are we talking about?
Most people believe that memories
are all stored in the brain.
But that's not entirely true.
For instance, vaccines work because
they help our immune cells
remember the virus.
What's that have to do with Renee?
Well, some heart transplant recipients
have reported that along
with their new hearts,
they got new memories.
I've been reading up on this.
This is Dani.
She was a self-described couch potato.
Then she got the heart
of a pro skateboarder.
- And now, look at her.
- Impressive.
But she could have practiced a lot.
Lou was a gay coder from San Francisco.
Then he got a straight
forest ranger's heart.
Now he's fallen in love with a woman
and moved with her to Maine.
Sexuality is a spectrum,
and Maine is beautiful.
I have a healthy skepticism
of anything that doesn't come
with a wealth of data and, ideally,
double-blind studies behind it.
That said, social scientists
have something
we call intellectual humility. Rizwan?
Knowing enough to know
we don't know everything.
Exactly.
I always keep an open mind.
Simon, how do we test this theory?
Well, for starters,
we'd have to find out
everything we can about Johnny Crowe.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Ooh, it's Friday. Raina brought donuts.
Uh, Special Agent Clark?
Hi. Cameron Washington or Cam.
I have an appointment with you?
Um, yeah, Cam, sorry.
Can you remind me why
you're here, again?
Well, I'm a defense attorney,
and I'm working a case.
It's in the discovery phase.
I did wanna say, I read up about you
solving the 2002 church bombing case,
which is just incredible
I mean, a whole 20 years later.
I've been considering switching
careers, joining the FBI.
Senior agents meeting in 15.
And I figured, since I'm in town,
that I could pick your brain about it.
I'm sorry.
I'm actually really slammed today.
But Agent Quinn here can
answer any of the questions
that you may have, though.
Sure, come with me.
Well, I wanted to speak
to Special Agent Clark.
I'm in town from Michigan.
- The meeting agenda.
- Yep.
Agent Quinn can answer
anything that I can, okay?
- Thanks.
- I'll give you the grand tour.
Alec, hey.
What what brings you here?
I forgot my briefcase earlier.
Who was that young man
you were talking to?
A lawyer, Cam Washington.
He said that he wants
to become an agent.
But that's not who he is, is it?
[SOFT MUSIC]
I thought I was imagining it.
You registered your information
with that adoption site
a few weeks ago, right?
Marisa, the way he was looking at you
showed trust, familiarity, like
like family.
His his ears, they remind
they reminded me of my grandfather's.
He has your eyes,
and he's about the right age.
♪
Alec, I think he could be my son.
Oh, my God, why didn't he say anything?
His behavior says he might be afraid to.
Why didn't I say anything?
Distress triggered
a fight-or-flight response.
And I flew, that's for sure.
Hey.
Hey.
This is a good thing.
You wanted to meet him.
But not like this.
Alec, I panicked.
What if I never
get a chance to see him again?
You will.
If he is anything like his mother,
he won't give up easily.
The next exit takes us
to Hemlock County.
- Okay.
- [WATCH BEEPS]
Is that your heart?
Yeah, I'm okay.
Could I have my pills, please?
Thanks.
Mm.
Oh, don't look so concerned.
I have to convince
65 students a semester
that reading Chaucer will be
more fun than watching YouTube.
I can do anything.
I don't doubt it.
Still, you don't wanna
push yourself too hard.
Yeah, that's all I've heard
in the last few years.
Take it easy, Renee.
Get some rest, Renee.
Then I got my new heart.
You know, I read up
on this cellular memory.
Did you know that 89%
of transplant recipients
report personality changes?
The reliability of
self-reporting is debatable.
- [SCOFFS]
- But the numbers do present
a case that's hard to ignore.
Since my surgery,
I've started watching Westerns.
What?
I wonder if Johnny liked Westerns.
I guess we're about to find out.
I can't believe I'm meeting the woman
my husband's heart saved.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Is it weird to ask if I could
No, not at all.
[SIGHS]
That's Johnny's heart beating in there.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Incredible.
He gave me a second chance.
Well, he would have wanted to
help someone, even at the end.
♪
You must miss him.
Every single day.
I know it's painful to talk about,
but would you mind telling us
a little bit about how he died?
I was in Texas at my niece's wedding
when I got the call from the sheriff.
He said Johnny was in his car
trying to fix his gun.
And it went off.
By accident?
Yeah, one of those things
you think could never happen.
♪
What's this ring?
Oh, that's Johnny's Special Forces ring.
He was a Green Beret
before the sheriffs.
He always had a real sense
of justice and duty.
[METAL MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
[GUNSHOT]
Renee?
Oh, he seems like a pretty amazing guy.
He was.
He was always home by 6:00,
said he liked having dinner with me.
I'm sorry.
He didn't work nights?
No.
The obituary I read said
that he was killed in the line of duty.
But that was past midnight.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, he was pulling nights
'cause I was away.
I don't know all the details.
I didn't want to.
You should probably talk
to the sheriff's department.
Um, I'm I'm really happy
I met you, Renee.
But I need to stop, I think.
When I asked about
her husband being on duty,
she seemed a little evasive.
I think I may have an idea why.
Don't ask me to explain,
but I'm remembering more of my dream.
And I don't think Johnny's death
happened the way she said.
I think someone else was involved.
By involved, you're saying
you think Johnny was murdered.
Alec Mercer, I read about
your work with law enforcement.
I'm Sheriff Dayton.
This is Deputy McDaniel.
What brings you all the way out here?
My friend Renee here
recently underwent a heart transplant.
It turns out the donor was Johnny Crowe.
And I'm hoping to learn more
about the man
who saved my life.
Johnny was one of our best deputies,
made the most flavorful chili,
if you could stand the heat.
We were told that his gun misfired.
How often does a deputy ex-military
misfire a gun like that?
Yeah, almost never.
This may be a sensitive question,
but did you ever consider
suicide or murder?
I understand why you're asking,
but all the evidence
pointed towards an accident.
Johnny was trying to fix
the slide on his weapon,
and it went off.
His obituary said that
he died in the line of duty.
But Megan said
Johnny didn't work nights.
I got a feeling there was
more to the story,
but she told us to talk to you.
Well, there was no way
to know for certain
the exact time of the gunshot.
So you finessed the report?
Johnny was working.
He had picked up a few night shifts.
But, yeah, he had clocked out
before the incident.
And it was the difference between Megan
collecting the death benefit
and not getting a dime.
So why make a bad situation worse?
Exactly.
I may have miscalculated the times,
but his death was a tragic accident.
I'll get you a copy of the report.
- You can see for yourself.
- Please.
That table better be clear
by the time the food is ready.
The sheriff's report says that Johnny
was parked off Highway 522,
but there's nothing there.
Look.
"At 12:03 a.m., an anonymous 911 caller
"reported hearing gunshots.
"Deputy Crowe was treated
for a wound to the head
by paramedic Xavier Grant."
That paramedic
moved the body to perform CPR
but tainted all the evidence
on the scene.
Hmm, convenient.
Or entirely rational
to try to save Johnny's life.
Mm, so you think Renee was wrong
about Johnny being murdered?
I don't know.
I have to follow the evidence.
Speaking of, Kylie
Do you see
that little thing right there?
Is that a bullet casing?
It does look like one.
The report says Johnny is right handed.
If Johnny accidentally shot himself,
the bullet casing would land
inside the car somewhere,
not on the outside.
Yeah, that's weird.
[PHONE RINGS]
Oh, put her on speaker.
Renee, how are you feeling?
I'm not up to running
the Boston Marathon, but okay.
Tomorrow, we should go
to where Johnny was shot.
I might remember more.
I'd like to get out there myself.
You have to wonder what
Johnny was up to out here.
What's that back there?
There's only one way to find out.
This trailer's been here a while.
Possible that Johnny was staking it out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Um whoever lives here
probably doesn't like visitors.
[GUN COCKS]
You got that right.
By the trailer, I'm guessing
you're a salesman.
I don't want your product,
but I'm hoping
to buy some of your time.
I'm happy to pay an equivalent price.
What do you want?
We're looking into the death
of Johnny Crowe.
You cops?
No, we're we're college professors.
Renee is a heart transplant recipient.
She has Johnny Crowe's heart.
Oh, yeah?
Go away.
Hey, how about a glass of water?
Renee gets dehydrated easily.
Again, I'm willing
to pay your going rate.
For water?
Thank you, my friend.
Just call me Cookie.
Well, Cookie, it could be argued that
you actually saved her life.
Let me explain.
That looks like a prepaid cell phone,
and someone used one to call 911
the night that Johnny was shot.
Is that you?
I don't keep track
of where I go and when.
Well, if it was you, it was
very brave to take that risk
and make the call to help someone out.
You made her heart transplant possible.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Yeah, I called.
I heard a gun,
but I didn't see anything.
Was there anyone else
out here that night?
Paramedic was on the scene
as soon as I hung up.
So he was taken care of on my end.
Do paramedics always arrive so fast?
Out here? In the sticks? [CHUCKLES]
No.
But I've learned not to
ask too many questions.
Y'all might consider doing the same.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
You feeling okay?
Oh, yeah. Better than okay.
I think now we know why Johnny
was out here that night.
He must have been staking out
Cookie's meth lab.
Him and the paramedic both.
He said the guy arrived all
the way out here in minutes.
You think he had another
reason for being out here?
He is the one that moved the body.
Memories are impressionable.
It's easy for our brains
to believe things
that fit with what we know is true.
That doesn't explain Hank,
who could suddenly compose music.
[CHUCKLES] Anecdotes are interesting,
but they're not real science.
Just because there's
no scientific consensus,
doesn't mean it's not real.
James McConnell did a study in 1959.
He taught flatworms a task,
then he cut off their heads.
But when the heads regenerated,
the new brain
remembered the task.
Dude, gross. And PETA would not approve.
It is interesting, though.
I have an idea for an experiment.
No worms needed.
[PHONE RINGS]
It's fine.
I'm just eager to talk
to this paramedic.
Well, his name is Xavier Grant.
Are you sure you don't wanna
wait here while I talk to him?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
That's Johnny's widow, and it looks like
she's not here for medical attention.
If Xavier and Megan were
involved, he had a motive.
Maybe the person who was
supposed to save Johnny
is the one who killed him.
Why are you asking me
about Johnny's marriage?
It's helpful for Renee's recovery
to get a full picture of his life.
- You again.
- Yeah.
They have questions
about Johnny and Megan.
Why don't they ask Megan?
Because Megan is romantically
involved with Xavier Grant,
the paramedic who supposedly
tried to rescue him.
We're wondering if he killed Johnny
to get him out of the picture.
Whoa, no one killed Johnny.
It was an accident.
But what if it wasn't?
Look, I don't know anything
about Megan's personal life,
but as I told you before,
there is no evidence
that Johnny was killed.
We've been curious about the
location of a bullet casing.
I saw it
- Renee?
- No.
The thing is, I didn't
just get Johnny's heart.
Since the transplant, I got
something else his memories.
And I know how that sounds,
and the science isn't rock solid, but
Copy, Ramos, have a good one.
I've I've heard that
radio before, that night.
Is there a dispatcher named Linda?
No, there's no Linda.
What the hell is going on here?
We're just testing a theory.
Dr. Mercer, respectfully,
we cannot go around making accusations
based on magical memories.
Of course.
But in the pictures of the scene,
we noticed a bullet casing on the road.
Yeah, we figured it fell out when
the paramedic moved the body.
If there was any evidence
that one of our own
was murdered, this department
would be all over it.
Maybe you should leave
the police work to us.
♪
Oh, damn, I forgot my
You forgot your purse.
Thank you.
I heard that radio.
And I could swear there was
a dispatcher named Linda.
I know it feels real,
but keeping an open mind
also means considering
other possibilities.
Like, your mind could just be
filling in the blanks.
Maybe.
I don't know anymore.
Maybe none of this is real. [SIGHS]
You know, I was so sure
this was the answer.
But if it's not, what do I do?
Giving up sleep isn't an option.
[SOFT MUSIC]
We're not giving up
on anything, I promise.
You know, when I got this heart,
I thought it was a miracle,
a second chance at life,
but now
It's not the same,
but after the bombing,
I received donor skin grafts.
So I know what it's like
to feel like your body
doesn't totally belong to you,
that you're not fully
in your own skin, so they say.
So what helped you cope?
Honestly, time.
[SIGHS] I know your memory
may not be reliable right now,
but there's still a lot
of unanswered questions
in this case, Xavier's
relationship with Megan
being one of them.
Answering those questions
might give you some closure.
True.
So let's go talk to Megan.
Hmm, tomorrow.
You need a break, Renee.
Let's start in the morning, okay?
Okay.
Wow, so you have a son, and
and he was here at the FBI?
I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner.
There's nothing to be sorry about.
He came all the way
from Michigan to meet me.
He must have all kinds of expectations.
What if I'm a disappointment to him?
You could never be
a disappointment to him.
Look at you.
Girl, you are Marisa frickin' Clark,
super badass senior FBI agent
who takes down bad guys.
And you're always there
for people when they need you.
Plus, you're funny.
[CHUCKLES]
I mean, you can't really cook.
Okay, I get it.
And I appreciate it.
But, Kylie, I don't know
what to say to him.
Well, what do you
want to know about him?
Everything.
What was his life like?
What what kind of family did he have?
Is he happy?
You know, the truth may be that
I'm afraid to know the answers.
Yeah, I get that.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
Maybe you just start by saying hi.
I mean, you opened the door for him.
But you can't control
how he comes through it.
Meet him on his own terms.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
Remember, as you walk,
just enjoy the forest scenery.
Okay, we're coming to
the end of the trail.
Headsets off.
Now, tell me what you saw.
Trees. It was sunny.
A red bird, uh, maybe a cardinal.
Did anyone else look at the sky?
It was so blue.
That's great. Thanks.
Now my colleague, Rizwan,
is going to ask you
some more specifics.
Think back in your mind to what you saw.
Anyone see a pine tree?
Blueberry bush?
How about a tree that had been
hit by lightning?
A cow?
Motorcycle?
Now, what if I told you there
was no tree hit by lightning,
no blueberry bush
in fact, none of the specific
things I asked you about.
We have a tendency to misremember things
that weren't there but typically
would be, like a blueberry bush,
but not things that wouldn't typically
be there, like a motorcycle.
These results point to typicality as
one of the ways memory works.
Wow, I really remember
seeing that blueberry bush.
Which is normal.
When something fits a narrative
that makes sense,
our memory simply
adds it to the picture.
[L7'S "PRETEND WE'RE DEAD"
PLAYING]
♪
What's up
with what's going down ♪
In every city, in every town ♪
Cramping styles is ♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
♪
Come on, come on,
come on, come on ♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So you're just here to thank me.
Well, if you hadn't gotten
Johnny to the hospital
so fast that night, the transplant
may not have been possible.
You saved my life.
Well, I'm glad that some good
came out of that tragedy.
Well, it wasn't the only good
that came out of it, was it?
- You and Megan
- Excuse me?
You're kind of a thing now, aren't you?
Lady, I don't know
what you think you know
or why you're here.
I can't prove it yet.
But I know that Johnny's death
wasn't an accident.
I know it.
You wanted Megan all to yourself.
That's why you were on
the scene so bafflingly fast
that night when Johnny got shot.
- [WATCH BEEPS]
- Stop, ma'am.
Did you do it on your own,
or was Megan in on it?
We need to get you to the hospital now.
- [GROANING]
- You're having a heart attack.
- It's okay.
- Oh.
It's all right. I've got you.
Alec Mercer?
You're Xavier, right?
Yeah.
Thank you for calling me.
Well, I saw a few missed calls
from you on Renee's phone.
I figured you were
the best person to contact.
How is she?
They say she's stable, thanks to you.
Well, you seem surprised.
Don't tell me,
you think I'm a murderer too.
If you were the murderer, you probably
wouldn't have saved her life.
So why did a complete stranger
show up on my doorstep, accusing me
of killing Johnny Crowe?
Short version, we were
investigating Johnny's death.
We got evidence that
you were seeing his wife.
And you did show up
on the scene awfully fast.
Yeah, well, there's a Kmart
parking lot down from Cookie's
where people go to use.
There's an OD there once a week.
I park there when I'm on shift.
It saves me a drive.
And you and Megan?
We met at Johnny's funeral,
but we were just friends to start.
And we've only been on a few dates.
I believe you.
But since you were on the scene first,
did you notice anything suspicious,
anything that would suggest
that it wasn't an accident?
No, no.
To be honest, I was just
trying to save the guy's life.
Was Cookie's trailer there?
Yeah. Yeah, he's always there.
You think Johnny was staking Cookie out?
Maybe.
Although the sheriffs have known
about Cookie, for a long time,
and they
haven't done jack about it before.
Why not?
Maybe they're lazy, scared.
I don't know.
I hoped these answers would help Renee,
but look where we are.
You know, when I brought Renee in,
she mentioned her mouth was dry.
And her left hand,
I noticed it kept jerking.
Is that unusual?
No, I've seen it a hundred times
in meth users.
- Renee isn't a meth user.
- Of course not.
Yeah, why would
a heart transplant patient
be using meth?
She wouldn't, not intentionally anyway.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Excuse me a moment?
Yeah, of course.
Marisa, I need a favor.
Renee Franklin's heart medication
was replaced with amphetamine
salts, prescription stimulants,
after she visited your trailer.
You expect me to believe
that that was a coincidence?
I don't sell prescription drugs.
And I told you.
All I gave that lady was water.
She was asking questions
about Johnny Crowe's death.
Didn't he die looking
into your operation?
Like I told them, I don't know
anything about how that cop died.
You expect a jury to buy that?
[SCOFFS]
Hmm.
All I know is, I tried
to save that guy's life.
I'm the one that called 911.
You can ask the dispatcher.
Said her name was Linda.
The sheriff's department told us
there was no dispatcher
named Linda.
Why would they lie?
I don't know.
Let's hope
you're about to find out.
Nine years I worked dispatch.
So what made you leave?
I got laid off a week
after Johnny's death.
They said money was tight.
There were a few of us.
Of course, I was the only one
who had been
employee of the month twice.
But it's all right. I'm happy here.
It's nice not having
anyone's life on the line.
And you said on the phone
that you knew Johnny?
Yeah, I did.
Good guy, liked making people laugh.
Was into crappy music,
but nobody's perfect.
And you took the call
the night that he died?
I did.
Gunfire reported off Highway 522.
I could see on my
dispatch tracking board
that Johnny's vehicle was there.
So I tried to raise him on the
radio, but he didn't answer.
So what'd you do?
I saw another patrol car near there.
I radioed the deputy three
times in one-minute intervals,
department protocol.
But he didn't answer my calls either.
Was there something wrong
with the radios?
I doubt it.
They'd just decked out the department
with all-new equipment.
I guess that's where all the money went.
I ran the internal diagnostics.
It said everything was
operational, like I thought.
Never followed up
because, well, layoffs.
I'm sorry, who was
the deputy that you called?
The patrol car that was nearby.
Deputy Ron McDaniel.
We pulled a log from
the sheriff's department.
McDaniel was less than a mile
away when Johnny was killed.
Which wasn't in the official report.
And get this, according
to the state's budgets,
that department is barely scraping by.
There are no records of funds
for new equipment.
So where did the money come from?
Cookie.
That's why he wasn't worried
about getting caught.
He was paying the deputies to
ignore his illegal drug business.
So Johnny wasn't staking out Cookie.
He was waiting to see
who Cookie was gonna pay out.
McDaniel shows up.
He can't risk being exposed,
so he kills him.
Then the sheriff fired Linda.
If the whole department is corrupt,
I'm gonna have to get more
FBI power to crack this thing.
I have a better idea.
[TENSE MUSIC]
You better have a good reason
dragging me all the way out here.
I got a proposition.
You give me a break
on my protection money,
and I won't tell anyone what I saw
the night Deputy Crowe was shot.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I saw McDaniel walk up to Johnny's car,
and shoot him dead.
And then McDaniel drove off, whoosh
fast as he could.
Even if that was true, you're
hardly a reliable source.
Those professors will believe me.
No judge will believe anything you say.
I also heard something else.
Before McDaniel left,
he made a call to you
saying it was done.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Yeah, maybe no one will listen to me.
But they might.
You really need to watch it, Cookie,
'cause you're not gonna get
a break on the rent,
and you're not gonna go to jail.
We will put you 6 feet under
Just like we did with Johnny.
Got him. All units move in.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
You know, McDaniel never
did call you that night,
but it was easy to get you
to believe he did.
It's called typicality.
It made sense to you
because it could happen.
That's how corrupt your department was.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
McDaniel did most of the work
[GUNSHOT]
Because you let him do
your dirty work for you.
♪
Don't worry, we're gonna arrest
him, too, for the murder
and for replacing Renee's heart
pills with amphetamine salts.
What do they say? Oh, yeah.
There's gonna be a new sheriff in town.
Mm-hmm.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Oh, come in, please.
I'm better than I look, I promise.
Do you know that I actually
slept through the night,
and I haven't had any episodes
of tachycardia in 36 hours?
That's a great start.
It sounds like putting
Johnny's death to bed
gave you closure and relieved
your mental hyperarousal,
so you can sleep well again.
So what's the verdict?
Do you think that my heart actually
remembered all those things,
all the details from the dream?
There was an article in "The
Herald" about Johnny's death
that mentions all the things
from your dreams.
It's possible you read it
and didn't remember it,
but your subconscious did.
What about Linda?
I went back to the station,
and I saw Linda Noble's name
on an Employees of the Month
plaque, twice.
- I didn't see that, though.
- Maybe not.
And maybe one day science
will give us more answers.
But until then, I'm glad
you found the answers
that can give you peace.
Me too.
And the doctors say
that I could be well enough
to be teaching Chaucer again
next semester.
[LAUGHS]
I bet the students
can't wait to have you back.
[LAUGHS]
I can't either.
Thank you, my friend.
Anytime.
Thanks for for meeting me.
Of course.
I love talking to potential recruits.
Right. Um.
So tell me, why did you join the FBI?
Well, that is a long story.
I, uh
BOTH: Listen
- Sorry, you go first.
- No, no, please please, I
Cam, I know who you really are.
I mean, when I brushed you
off earlier, I didn't know.
And then I did.
And then I didn't know
what to say, but now I do.
And and I'm sorry,
this is coming out all wrong.
No, it's okay.
Like, you were at work.
You were busy.
Honestly, I just wish
I'd said something sooner.
But I guess, I just
didn't know how to say it?
I can relate.
[SOFT MUSIC]
You must have so many questions.
I guess I don't even
know where to start.
I mean, when the person
you've been wanting to meet
your whole life
is right in front of you,
what do you say?
So so
so you knew that you were
adopted your whole life?
Well, my parents
my adoptive parents,
they were very honest people,
almost compulsively honest.
And they're kind and involved,
but not like
helicopter parents, you know?
They're they're great.
Yeah.
Seriously, they're great.
Growing up, I always felt lucky.
I always felt wanted.
I'm glad.
So if you're wondering if you
did the right thing
you did.
But I still wanna know more about why.
Okay, that's fair.
I will tell you the whole story.
But first, if you don't mind,
there's something
that I've been wanting to do
for over 20 years now.
Oh, okay.
♪
Thank you.
[INQUISITIVE MUSIC]
♪