Perception s03e02 Episode Script
Painless
- What the hell is this? - A croissant.
I figured maybe you acquired a taste for them in Paris.
Did you develop a case of retrograde amnesia while I was gone? You know I don't eat white flour.
[Sighs.]
God, I am such an idiot.
Oh, a little self-knowledge is a good thing.
The last thing you probably want right now is a reminder of Paris.
I mean, you got your heart ripped out.
Must hurt like hell.
I'm sorry, Doc.
Uh, if you need someone to talk to Just bring me my damn grapefruit.
Why the hell are you smiling? I am just so happy that you are back.
Kate: What's the occasion? The occasion is you're a monster when you skip breakfast.
- Mm.
- Now eat.
Don't you have court this morning? Yeah, but I'm only riding shotgun.
Linda's doing the opening.
How is your young protégé? Teaching her everything I know.
Oh, so you'll be done in no time.
Ah.
Surprise in every box.
You shouldn't have.
[Chuckles.]
Look at that.
It's absolutely beautiful.
Tasteful, you know.
Now that we're back, have you put any thought into when you want to get hitched? Mm Springtime? Summer? How about 12:30? [Chuckles.]
What? Like today at 12:30? Why not? We can just get Judge Scanlon to do it on our lunch break.
You don't want a wedding? What are we gonna do? Register for a blender? Send out a bunch of paper invites? Those are bad for the environment.
We already have a blender.
And we've already been married, so let's just do it.
[Cellphone ringing.]
- [Cellphone beeps.]
- Ryan.
You got to be kidding me.
Oh, man.
What's up? The expert we were gonna put up this morning just got rushed to the hospital appendicitis.
And there's virtually no chance Judge Weld will grant us a continuance.
What are you gonna do? Get another expert.
"You've gained weight.
" "You look tired.
" "What the hell is going on with your hair?" It doesn't matter how well your day is going.
All it takes is one little off-hand comment to ruin it, right? That's because the brain is hardwired to remember the negative interactions better than the positive ones.
But recent discoveries suggest that the higher regions of the brain can actually modify how the lower regions function, that we can use our intention and our attention in sustained, focused ways to overcome the brain's negative bias so that it can be within our control to determine how bad experiences affect us.
In other words, unless you're clinically depressed, being unhappy May, in fact, be a choice.
Daniel.
How you feeling, buddy? You look tired.
- I'm fine.
- Really? "Pale is thy cheek and cold, colder thy kiss truly that hour foretold sorrow to this.
" Are you okay, Paul? Miranda.
She got you right here, man.
We all have a soft spot in our hearts for that first great love.
And you've had two bites at that apple, and they both turned sour it's got to be painful.
What's painful is listening to you mangle Lord Byron.
Luckily, I've got just the cure for an aching heart.
Please tell me I'm hallucinating this entire conversation.
- Putt-putt.
- What-what? Mini golf you and me, buddy, and 18 glorious holes o-of waterfalls and windmills.
Why would I want to waste my time playing a mini version of a game that's already the definition of pointless? Pointless is the point.
Take your mind off of things.
What do you say, Danny boy? I say, "A," don't call me "Danny boy," and, "B," I can't.
Apparently, I already have an appointment.
Meet Cyrus Dunham grade-A scumbag.
Trolled for young, naive girls on the Internet, lured them to Chicago, got them hooked on drugs, locked them in seedy motel rooms, beat the crap out of them, and forced them into prostitution.
Sounds like a real catch.
He's facing eight counts of sex trafficking.
Only one of the girls is brave enough to testify against him.
The rest refused.
You didn't offer them protection? Of course we did, but they claim that they're in love with Cyrus, that he never hurt them, and that he's being unfairly prosecuted.
Irrational empathy with the captor to the point of defending him.
Sounds like classic Stockholm syndrome.
Which is exactly what our expert witness was going to say at trial this morning, until his appendix blew up.
Well, I can't just jump in.
I haven't interviewed the victims.
We only need you to educate the jury about Stockholm syndrome.
You don't need to talk about the specifics of the case at all.
The last time you put me on the stand, you outed me as a schizophrenic.
If it makes you feel any better, it's my associate's case.
I won't be the one questioning you.
Daniel: Frequently, hostages will identify with their captor in a desperate, but unconscious, act of self-preservation.
In your expert opinion, Dr.
Pierce, is that why a victim might refuse to testify against their tormentor Even after the the hostage situation has ended? Yes, yes Stockholm syndrome doesn't usually end when the psychological trauma ends.
The effects can linger for months, even years.
So it is possible that [Spectators murmuring.]
Call an ambulance! She's been shot.
Hey.
I came as soon as I heard.
I'm so sorry.
Kate Moretti, Detective Gerald Rix.
He was here to testify against Cyrus Dunham.
A.
U.
S.
A.
Mullane was a real sweetheart.
I want to help any way I can.
Thank you.
Look, how is it possible that she was shot right in front of all of you and nobody saw anything? Daniel: She wasn't shot in the courtroom.
She came in that way.
What, and she just decided to ignore it and proceed with the case? I don't think she knew she'd been shot.
I think Linda suffered from a rare neurological condition called Congenital Analgesia, meaning she couldn't feel any pain.
Where are you getting that from? Well, for one thing, it's warm in here, but there were no perspiration stains on her blouse.
Anhidrosis, or absent sweating, is an indicator.
Also, there were several scars and burn marks on her extremities.
Maybe she was just a klutz who used a good deodorant.
No.
No, no.
People with this condition get injured a lot because they have no idea they've been hurt.
She could burn her hand on a hot stove and not know it.
So let's just say she didn't feel it.
How could a person not know they were shot? She would have heard it or seen it.
Entry wound was in the back.
And maybe the gun was silenced.
Coroner said the bullet likely came from a .
22 or a .
380 small entry wound, minimal bleeding.
And since Linda was acting normally, no one had reason to suspect that anything was wrong.
But sepsis sets in within a few hours.
So she would have had to have been shot sometime around 7:00.
But the courthouse is secure.
I mean, there are cameras everywhere.
Only law enforcement can carry weapons.
It must have happened before she even entered the building.
[Police radio chatter.]
Man: This is the bullet's path right here.
About the size of a .
380 round.
And the thick insulation in the seat, that that could muffle the sound, right? Process it.
Dust for prints, DNA whole nine.
I'll pull the surveillance videos.
But the car wasn't necessarily parked here when it happened.
I mean, really, this could have gone down any time since she left for work this morning.
We need to reschedule that thing.
Yeah.
I'll push it to tomorrow.
Yeah.
[Sniffles.]
I was always scared this would happen that she'd get hurt, not know it, and not get help.
Why did she hide her condition? [Sighs.]
[Sniffles.]
She didn't want people to treat her differently.
My sister hated all this babyproofing.
But it was for her own good.
Our grandfather only lived to be 38.
He had congenital analgesia, too.
The world was such a dangerous place for Linda.
And one time, when we were kids, she broke her leg roller skating.
Everyone was pointing because there was blood everywhere from where the bone came out.
And she had no idea.
She just kept on skating.
[Chuckles.]
Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Linda? I wish I could be more helpful.
Was there anything out of the ordinary going on with her lately? S-she was working on another big case she wouldn't talk about.
Brought a bunch of the files home.
Okay, this is weird.
What? These are all Chicago P.
D.
files homicides, mostly, all closed.
You're right.
Why would a federal prosecutor be looking at a bunch of local murders that had already been solved? Gerald: To Linda Mullane.
She seemed like one of the good ones.
[Glasses clink.]
Hey, Kate.
Hey.
Am I interrupting? No.
I should get going.
Hey, thanks for the drink.
Yeah.
I'll let you know when I'm gonna put you on the stand.
Great.
And, hey, let me know if there's any other way I can help with the investigation.
Oh, I'll be in touch.
All right.
What did he want? Dropped by for trial prep.
Mm.
How's the investigation coming? I think I know who killed Linda.
Who? The guy who was just drinking your Scotch.
Homicide, robbery, homicide, drive-by shooting, homicide.
It's the common denominator.
Gerald Rix.
He's the lead detective on all these cases, and he's closed 97% of them.
Tartullo.
Tartu-what? Nicholas M.
Tartullo, or some variation of that name, appears as a witness in all of Rix's cases.
Here, it's Nick Tullo.
There, it's M.
Tartullo.
In another one, it's Nicky Tull.
There's no way one guy witnessed all these crimes.
It's obviously a phony eyewitness giving bogus statements.
Rix is cooking his cases.
Guy's got brass ones I'll give him that.
He's barely even changing the name.
I know, and the system's so big, no one ever caught it.
Linda did.
She was building a case against him.
Yeah, and I'm betting Rix killed her for it.
Now he's inserting himself into our investigation to find out what we know.
Every investigation Rix ever touched will be subject to overturn on appeal.
There's no way in hell I can put him on the stand to testify against Cyrus Dunham.
It would mess up the case.
Oh, I don't know.
Rix busted one of Cyrus' prostitutes a few months ago.
He was going to testify that she'd been badly beaten.
But I think the case stands up without that.
Our main witness is rock-solid.
It's one of the girls that Cyrus trafficked.
So I'm free to go after Rix? We probably need to find this Tartu-whatsit guy first.
Kate: Nicky Tartullo? [Train whistle blows.]
Who wants to know? FBI.
We want to ask you a few questions.
About Gerald Rix.
Don't do it, Nicky.
Fork lift.
[Groans.]
[Laughs.]
Now about Rix.
[Groaning.]
I don't remember nothing.
Oh, really? Yeah.
I think I got amnesia.
I've got just the doctor for you.
No apparent signs of concussion or symptoms of amnesia.
No slurring or lack of motor function.
My diagnosis hematoma, contusion.
What's that? It's a bump on the head.
Look, Nicky, no more games.
You tell us about your relationship with Gerald Rix.
Otherwise, you're going down for more than 20 years for lying on those witness statements.
I want the same deal as before.
What deal? The one I had with the lady lawyer before she died full immunity.
I'll see what I can do.
Now tell us how you met Rix.
A couple years ago, he caught me robbing a liquor store near where there was a murder.
Rix thought this gangbanger had done it, but he didn't have no proof.
So Rix offered to let you walk on the robbery, provided you fingered the suspect at the scene? Yeah.
He told me what to say and everything.
That's how it all got started.
Whenever I got busted, Rix would tell the other cops that I was a C.
I.
, and they would they would let me walk.
And then A.
U.
S.
A.
Mullane tracked you down.
Yeah.
She offered me a deal.
I stop testifying for Rix, I start testifying for her.
Now you're gonna testify for me.
Hey.
Looks like Nicky's coming clean.
Excuse me.
Dr.
Daniel Pierce? Yes? Sorry to bother you.
Uh, Dr.
Napoleon Messier.
I'm Chief of Anesthesiology.
I'm a huge fan of your work.
Your paper on Enhanced Structural Connectivity in Colored-music Synesthesia was sublime.
I-I-I just connected the dots of the data.
Listen, um I know that you work with the FBI, and word is that the prosecutor that was killed had congenital analgesia.
Oh, I can't discuss the specifics of I understand.
But it's such a rare hereditary condition only a few hundred cases in the world.
I could do amazing research if I could just get some tissue samples.
This could lead to a breakthrough.
Let me see what I can do.
I-I-I'll get back to you.
Thank you.
Hey.
So, look, Donnie says he's pretty sure that we're gonna be able to nail Rix, but in the meantime, he needs you back at the courthouse to finish off your testimony against Cyrus Dunham.
So, come on.
I'll give you a ride.
Wait.
W-w-where are you going? To bust a cop.
You're sure you don't want a lawyer? I don't need some flunky holding my hand when I know I'm clean.
Then you'll have nothing to worry about when the Justice Department goes over every single one of your cases with a fine-tooth comb? You're going away for a long time.
Who's gonna convict me? Huh? I'm out there doing a public service.
And it doesn't bother you in the slightest that some of those people that you put in jail are innocent? Say you're right hypothetically speaking.
Those dirtbags might not have been guilty of the crime they went down for, but they were definitely guilty of something.
See, I'm not afraid to make the hard choices, Agent Moretti.
And what was killing Linda Mullane? Was that just another one of your tough choices? That's ridiculous.
You found out that she was onto you, so you got in the backseat of her car and you blew her away.
Okay, I see two glaring problems with all of that.
Please enlighten me.
One if I was gonna take somebody out, I sure as hell wouldn't do it with a measly .
380.
And two? I've got an alibi.
Rix was at a parent/teacher conference with his ex-wife.
She dropped him off at the courthouse at about the same time as Linda collapsed in court.
Well, he coerced Tartullo into testifying for him.
Maybe he coerced some other lowlife into taking out Linda.
Yeah, I'm looking back through his cases, find out if maybe he had an accomplice.
Either way, we've already got him on corruption, witness tampering, and falsifying evidence.
How'd your testimony go? - I was scintillating.
- Daniel was great.
Kayla Madden, our star witness, is up next.
She's gonna tell how Cyrus forced her into prostitution.
Once she buries him, I'll focus on Rix.
How did you first meet the defendant? Online.
Cyrus saw some some photos that I posted, and he contacted me, said that I had a good look.
He said that he'd help me find some modeling jobs out here in Chicago.
So he paid for my bus ticket from Omaha, and I met him at the bus station.
And how long was it before he began physically abusing you? No, he never did that.
[Spectators murmuring.]
Do I need to remind you of your grand-jury testimony, in which you stated that the defendant physically abused you and forced you into prostitution? I lied.
[Spectators murmuring.]
I remind you that you are under oath, Ms.
Madden.
Now, did the defendant, as you have previously stated, chain you to a radiator and burn you with cigarettes when you told him you wanted to go home? Why would I want to leave Cyrus? I love him.
Did you not give a sworn statement detailing countless acts of violence, torture, and sexual abuse by the defendant?! Um, I was just I was just mad because I thought that he'd been cheating on me.
I made it up, and I'm I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry, baby, and I love you so much.
Have you been threatened or coerced by the defendant in any way into changing your testimony? No.
No, I swear I haven't.
I'm so sorry for all the trouble that I've caused.
Your honor, I move for a directed verdict on the grounds the government has failed to offer sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against my client.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.
You can't do this, your honor! He is a depraved criminal who tortured his victims.
I don't have a choice, Mr.
Ryan.
You didn't make a case.
Motion is granted.
I hereby find the defendant not guilty.
[Gavel bangs.]
Kayla, hang on a second.
Just talk to us.
Leave me alone.
Listen, if you were threatened, we can help you.
I don't want your help.
[Sighs.]
Stockholm syndrome? No.
No, uh, it's not something you suddenly come down with.
I'll tell you what happened.
Cyrus threatened her plain and simple.
He might have walked on the sex-trafficking charge, but I can still put him away for witness intimidation.
Well, how? If Kayla lied on the stand about being trafficked, she's sure as hell not gonna tell the truth about being threatened.
We just have to prove it in another way.
I'll talk to her neighbors.
I'll pull Cyrus' prison phone records.
We'll find out how he got to her.
- Oh, crap.
- What? We're late for that thing with Judge Scanlon.
Yeah, watching a sadistic lowlife go free has kind of killed the mood.
Right.
I'll go re-reschedule.
Right.
So, what's this "Thing" you two keep talking about? Donnie and I are getting married again.
Great.
Why the secret code? It's just that after everything you went through in Paris with Miranda, I didn't feel like rubbing salt in the wound.
Kate, I assure you I'm wound-free.
Okay? And I-I-I couldn't be happier for you.
Dr.
Pierce.
D-Dr.
Messier.
What are you doing here? Uh, Mr.
Lewicki said I could wait inside.
I told you I'd get back to you about the tissue samples.
Oh, I'm not here about that.
Well, then, why are you he I'm here to take away your pain.
Obviously you are a hallucination.
And I am not in any pain.
Max: Are you okay, Doc? I'm sick and tired of people asking me if I'm okay! I'm fine! All right.
I-I-I'm here if you need me.
You definitely sound fine to me.
Why does everyone keep assuming that I'm in some sort of pain? Your relationship with Miranda didn't work out, and now that Donnie and Kate are getting married If you're implying that I'm jealous I'm implying that it hurts to see your friends have something that you may never have.
[Sighs.]
Okay.
Maybe I'm a little disappointed about what happened with Miranda.
But that doesn't mean that I need Kate to tiptoe around me like I'd shatter into a million pieces if I found out she was getting married.
She's just being sensitive to your feelings, Daniel.
And I've had it with Lewicki stuffing croissant down my throat and Haley extolling the healing powers of Putt-putt, like that's a thing an adult should say.
They're your friends, Daniel.
They care about you.
Yeah, well, I wish they would all just go away.
Go away closer, perhaps? What? Go away closer.
It's the classic example of the double bind Gregory Bateson's theory to describe a breakdown in communication when When two conflicting messages are delivered at the same time, so any answer or response is automatically wrong.
I took Psych 101, Natalie.
What I don't understand is why you're lecturing me about it, because I am definitely not sending out mixed messages.
I really do want all of my well-meaning friends to bugger off and let me mourn the death of my relationship in peace.
Maybe you want to be left alone, but what about Kayla Madden? She's a young girl who's been terribly abused, threatened, afraid for her life, obviously in need of comfort and support, and when she told Kate and Donnie that she wanted to be left alone We left her alone.
[Knock on door.]
Kayla? It's Dr.
Pierce.
I work with A.
U.
S.
A.
Ryan and Agent Moretti.
I-I-I saw you testify in court today.
Kayla: I told you all to leave me alone.
I know, but I I can't do that.
I read the files, Kayla, and I-I think you were extremely brave when you told the truth about what Cyrus did to you.
He didn't do nothing bad, okay? Can you just please go away? Kayla, believe it or not I know how you feel.
I have paranoid schizophrenia, which means I've spent the better part of my adult life terrified, like there was something around every corner that was gonna hurt me.
I know what it's like to want to shut the world out and lock yourself inside, but it's it's a very lonely place.
I've learned that sometimes when I shut people out, what I'm really doing is asking for help.
[Lock disengages, door opens.]
I can take care of myself.
Okay? I've been doing it all my life.
I know.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
But I lied to them to the judge.
And now Cyrus he's set free.
And they can lock him right back up if you tell the truth.
I got a call from a blocked number.
It was Cyrus.
He called me a bunch of names.
He told me I better not say nothing about his business in court.
I was just gonna hang up and call you, but then he said "Don't think your new friends can protect you.
"Who do you think killed that lawyer woman? "And if I can take out a federal prosecutor, I sure as hell can take out a little skank like you.
" Thank you, Kayla.
Do you think he really killed Linda, or is he just taking credit for the murder to scare Kayla? Either way, I've got enough to lock his sorry ass up.
Go get him.
[Telephone rings.]
Ryan.
I can't bring Cyrus in.
Why not? Because he's dead.
[Engine shuts off.]
[Camera shutter clicking.]
He was shot several times at close range.
No witnesses.
The area has a high instance of gang violence.
Maybe Street Justice got him.
This can't be a coincidence.
What do you mean? Victor Ochoa he was a drug dealer.
Last month, Linda was prosecuting him.
He walked on a technicality, and guess what.
He was found dead immediately following his release, just like our dead sex trafficker.
Two criminals, both acquitted, both murdered immediately after their release, both prosecuted by Linda Mullane, who was also murdered.
What are the odds? I'm having our vice units cross-reference Ochoa and Cyrus, see if they intersect on any other investigations, [Voice fading.]
but so far, there's nothing.
[Dialogue continues, muffled.]
Are there any other photos of Cyrus' body? Here.
What's that? "S.
L.
" Probably just graffiti.
Why? 'Cause the same "S.
L.
" is over Victor's body.
Gang tag? I hate to admit it, T-bone, but I am not loving this new S.
L.
design.
I mean, I know how seriously you street lords take this tagging business, but this looks like something my little nieces could draw.
This ain't us.
It's okay.
There's no reason to be embarrassed.
We all have our off days.
You see this?! This is 100% certified authentic Street Lords Ink! We didn't paint that.
Okay, if it wasn't you, then who was it? That's from them whack-ass bitches that run around in tights.
[Techno music plays.]
Man: Criminals, beware.
We fight for justice.
We help those in need.
We are the Shadow League.
Wow.
They really do run around in tights.
It's hard to believe that a bunch of wannabe superheroes actually took out a couple of serious dudes like Cyrus Dunham and Victor Ochoa.
Look at this School for Superheroes.
Degree program, you think? [Laughing.]
Let's tour the campus.
Here at the Shadow League Institute, our philosophy is to deter crime, not commit it.
Yeah, well, apparently, not all of your members agree with your philosophy.
[Thud, spectators gasp.]
So, unless you want me to start rounding up the rest of your band of merry pranksters, I suggest you start pointing me in the right direction.
Uh, there was this one guy who was constantly advocating for us to employ more aggressive tactics, but we had to kick him out, which sucks because he ran our Facebook page.
What do you mean by "Aggressive Tactics"? He kept saying we needed to meet violence with violence.
One day, he shows up with a gun.
That was the last straw.
What was his name? The Ghost.
What was his real name? For our own safety and the protection of our loved ones, we never reveal our true identities.
Kate: I know so then he said we could go pick one out after things calm down at work.
I know.
Can you believe that? I mean, sure, I said "Fine.
" No, I was not expecting the Hope Diamond.
Just not something purple that was made out of high-fructose corn syrup.
I know.
So then I was like [Gasps.]
What are you doing?! Aah! Help! Help me! Somebody help me! Man: [Gruff voice.]
Let her go! Who the hell are you? I am The Ghost.
Great.
I'm Special Agent Bobby Dalton, FBI.
Nice to meet you.
What do you know? .
380 with a silencer.
I will haunt you for all eternity! I'm quaking in my boots, Casper.
Kate: You applied three times to the police academy and once to the FBI.
Looks like we washed you out for psych reasons, but can you really blame us? I mean, you run around in a black leotard patrolling for bad guys.
But thank you for posting your daily whereabouts on Facebook.
It made it a lot easier to find you.
What I really want to know is, with so many bad guys in the world, how do you settle on which ones you're gonna kill? We've got your gun, George.
We already know that you killed Linda Mullane and Victor Ochoa.
You're going down.
I delivered justice when you guys couldn't.
All right, let's start from the beginning.
Why'd you kill Victor? I got sick and tired of looking around me and seeing all these crimes going unpunished.
So you joined the Shadow League.
While I was running the Facebook page, I became online friends with someone calling herself "Painless.
" She said that was her superhero name because it was also her superpower.
She couldn't feel any pain.
Painless and I chatted for hours about how now, more than ever, the world needs people like us people who are willing to take a stand for what's right.
And then one day, she e-mailed me and said there'd been a huge miscarriage of justice.
Some lowlife drug dealer named Victor Ochoa had been caught red-handed.
But because some idiot misfiled a search warrant, the charges were dropped.
He was cut loose.
So you figured you'd become his judge, jury, and executioner.
The Shadow League said I wasn't ready to go on patrols yet.
So you thought that if you could do something about this creep, then they would see that you were ready.
Painless gave me his address.
I just went there to check him out.
I-I only planned on following him, maybe taking some pictures, just to let him know that we were onto him.
Why you following me, fool?! [Both grunting.]
I only brought the gun for self-defense.
Get the hell out of my face.
[Silenced gunshot.]
It was an accident, but I knew that I had done the right thing.
Justice was served.
Did you know who Painless was? No, not at first.
But after I took care of Ochoa, it got me fired up.
I realized this is what we needed to do meet violence with violence.
The Shadow League disagreed, so they kicked you out.
Yeah, but you didn't need them, did you? They're a bunch of wannabes.
I e-mailed Painless to tell her what I had done and to ask her for another mission.
I waited for a reply, but it didn't come.
So I checked the I.
P.
address where the e-mail originated.
Look, I was blown away to find out who lived there.
Linda Mullane.
Federal prosecutor.
Victor Ochoa was her case.
She was asking me to enact the justice that she failed to deliver.
I figured she must be like me.
We could be a team.
Right like you're Batman, she's Commissioner Gordon.
Exactly! So I went to see her.
[Gasps.]
[Gruff voice.]
Don't scream, Painless.
It's me The Ghost.
I'm ready for my next assignment.
[Breathing shakily.]
I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh.
Right.
We need to maintain our secret identities.
But don't worry, Painless.
Your secret is safe with me.
I killed that drug dealer for you.
Victor Ochoa? Yes.
Just like you asked in your e-mail.
Now, who's my next target? Get the hell out of my car! What's wrong, Painless? I thought you'd be happy to finally meet me.
Are you insane? I'm a federal prosecutor, and I'm gonna have you arrested! But we're on the same side! You killed a man, you freak! We are not on the same side! I'm gonna take you down for murder.
[Breathing shakily.]
[Silenced gunshot.]
I killed for Painless, and she was gonna turn me in.
She betrayed me.
I had no choice.
So then you went out, you got a bigger gun, and you bagged yourself a sex trafficker.
What are you talking about? Oh, come on, George.
It's over.
You've already admitted to killing the drug dealer and Linda Mullane.
There's no point in lying about it now.
Just admit that you killed Cyrus Dunham, too.
I have no idea who that is.
I think he's in pain, too.
Oh.
What the hell are you doing here? I'm here to help you.
For the last time, I don't need anesthesia.
I don't think you're the only one who doesn't need Dr.
Napoleon Messier.
And that is a preposterous name.
[Laughing.]
I know, right? Why would you give one of your hallucinations such a ridiculous handle? It's an anagram.
One more Painless.
[Door opens.]
What is Daniel, we've talked about this.
He's telling the truth.
There's another killer.
Who's George Menckens? He's the man who killed your sister.
But I thought it was the sex trafficker who got acquitted.
Now, why would you think that? I saw on the news how the girl recanted her testimony.
The prosecutor thought Cyrus threatened her.
I figured if he did that he must have killed Linda.
Are you sure it's this other guy? I mean, I've never heard of him.
That's because you know him as "The Ghost.
" Ghost? I don't know what you're talking about, really.
And he knows you as "Painless.
" Isn't that right? You have congenital analgesia, too.
We should have seen it earlier.
It runs in families.
Your grandfather passed it on to your sister and to you.
"Painless" is the name you used when you e-mailed with George.
My sister was so upset when that drug dealer went free.
I'd seen this article on the Shadow League.
They were a group of regular people not afraid to stand up for what's right.
So you sent them an e-mail, hoping they'd do something about it.
And they did.
Guy ended up dead.
When I got an e-mail from The Ghost saying he'd taken care of it for me, I admit I was excited, because he got what he deserved.
But then The Ghost kept e-mailing you and asking for more cases.
I got scared I would be connected to the drug dealer's death somehow, so I stopped responding.
I hoped he'd just go away.
But he didn't.
He tracked you down.
Well, not you he assumed your sister was "Painless," so he went to confront her.
What? We couldn't figure out why Linda didn't immediately call the cops when George admitted that he'd murdered someone.
She must have realized that you were involved somehow when George called her "Painless," because who else could it have been but you? She didn't call the police because she was trying to protect you.
[Voice breaking.]
Oh, my God.
[Sniffles.]
It's my fault she's dead.
I killed my sister.
No.
But you did kill Cyrus.
Because you believed that he'd murdered your sister.
And he had done all those terrible things to those girls.
The world is probably a better place without him.
Yes.
He deserved justice.
Then he got off.
So somebody had to punish him, right? I got Cyrus' address from my sister's files.
I went there.
I'd never done anything before.
I was always too scared not like Linda.
And for once in my life, I took action.
And you know what? I'm not sorry he's dead.
- Hey.
- Hi.
If we hurry, we can still go do that thing.
Let's do it.
Uh, hey, you cool catching a cab? Kate and I have an appointment.
Of course.
Congratulations, by the way.
Oh.
She told you? I'm very happy for you.
Thanks, pal.
I can give you something for that, you know.
No, you can't.
But I know who can.
Here we go.
I can't do this.
You're backing out? No! No.
Not at all.
I just can't do it here in the judge's chambers on a Thursday, and then go order takeout or something.
I just wanted to make it, you know, painless.
I know.
I know.
And when you wanted to do it right away, I was I was stoked about that.
But when it kept getting pushed back, I thought that maybe it was a sign.
A sign? That we're not supposed to do it like this.
Look when we got married the first time, we eloped because your dad hated my guts, and we didn't make a big deal out of it.
Maybe we didn't take it seriously enough.
And maybe some of that sentiment seeped its way into our marriage.
I don't know.
All I know is I want to marry you in a church, with a priest, in front of our friends and family.
And I want a big party with a crappy deejay, and I want to dance the Funky Chicken, and I want a big, long engagement.
And I want to register because I want a new blender.
Ours sucks.
Okay.
Okay.
We'll register for a damn blender.
Daniel: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
" Or will they? The same areas of the brain get activated when we experience social rejection or the betrayal of a loved one as when we spill hot coffee on our arm.
In other words, emotional pain hurts the same as physical pain.
Science has developed drugs that can alleviate and, in some cases, eliminate our physical pain, and some of those same drugs are now proving helpful in eliminating our emotional pain.
So the prescription for a broken heart might actually be "Take two Tylenol and call me in the morning.
" [Laughter.]
But is numbing our pain always a good thing? The more we know pain, in all its varying flavors, the more we can appreciate the sensations and the feelings that we like.
That's the nature of contrast.
If we never felt bitterness or anger, then we we wouldn't deeply appreciate our happiness.
And if we never knew fear, then we couldn't admire courage.
So maybe to more fully enjoy the beauty in our lives, we must first acknowledge and embrace our pain.
I figured maybe you acquired a taste for them in Paris.
Did you develop a case of retrograde amnesia while I was gone? You know I don't eat white flour.
[Sighs.]
God, I am such an idiot.
Oh, a little self-knowledge is a good thing.
The last thing you probably want right now is a reminder of Paris.
I mean, you got your heart ripped out.
Must hurt like hell.
I'm sorry, Doc.
Uh, if you need someone to talk to Just bring me my damn grapefruit.
Why the hell are you smiling? I am just so happy that you are back.
Kate: What's the occasion? The occasion is you're a monster when you skip breakfast.
- Mm.
- Now eat.
Don't you have court this morning? Yeah, but I'm only riding shotgun.
Linda's doing the opening.
How is your young protégé? Teaching her everything I know.
Oh, so you'll be done in no time.
Ah.
Surprise in every box.
You shouldn't have.
[Chuckles.]
Look at that.
It's absolutely beautiful.
Tasteful, you know.
Now that we're back, have you put any thought into when you want to get hitched? Mm Springtime? Summer? How about 12:30? [Chuckles.]
What? Like today at 12:30? Why not? We can just get Judge Scanlon to do it on our lunch break.
You don't want a wedding? What are we gonna do? Register for a blender? Send out a bunch of paper invites? Those are bad for the environment.
We already have a blender.
And we've already been married, so let's just do it.
[Cellphone ringing.]
- [Cellphone beeps.]
- Ryan.
You got to be kidding me.
Oh, man.
What's up? The expert we were gonna put up this morning just got rushed to the hospital appendicitis.
And there's virtually no chance Judge Weld will grant us a continuance.
What are you gonna do? Get another expert.
"You've gained weight.
" "You look tired.
" "What the hell is going on with your hair?" It doesn't matter how well your day is going.
All it takes is one little off-hand comment to ruin it, right? That's because the brain is hardwired to remember the negative interactions better than the positive ones.
But recent discoveries suggest that the higher regions of the brain can actually modify how the lower regions function, that we can use our intention and our attention in sustained, focused ways to overcome the brain's negative bias so that it can be within our control to determine how bad experiences affect us.
In other words, unless you're clinically depressed, being unhappy May, in fact, be a choice.
Daniel.
How you feeling, buddy? You look tired.
- I'm fine.
- Really? "Pale is thy cheek and cold, colder thy kiss truly that hour foretold sorrow to this.
" Are you okay, Paul? Miranda.
She got you right here, man.
We all have a soft spot in our hearts for that first great love.
And you've had two bites at that apple, and they both turned sour it's got to be painful.
What's painful is listening to you mangle Lord Byron.
Luckily, I've got just the cure for an aching heart.
Please tell me I'm hallucinating this entire conversation.
- Putt-putt.
- What-what? Mini golf you and me, buddy, and 18 glorious holes o-of waterfalls and windmills.
Why would I want to waste my time playing a mini version of a game that's already the definition of pointless? Pointless is the point.
Take your mind off of things.
What do you say, Danny boy? I say, "A," don't call me "Danny boy," and, "B," I can't.
Apparently, I already have an appointment.
Meet Cyrus Dunham grade-A scumbag.
Trolled for young, naive girls on the Internet, lured them to Chicago, got them hooked on drugs, locked them in seedy motel rooms, beat the crap out of them, and forced them into prostitution.
Sounds like a real catch.
He's facing eight counts of sex trafficking.
Only one of the girls is brave enough to testify against him.
The rest refused.
You didn't offer them protection? Of course we did, but they claim that they're in love with Cyrus, that he never hurt them, and that he's being unfairly prosecuted.
Irrational empathy with the captor to the point of defending him.
Sounds like classic Stockholm syndrome.
Which is exactly what our expert witness was going to say at trial this morning, until his appendix blew up.
Well, I can't just jump in.
I haven't interviewed the victims.
We only need you to educate the jury about Stockholm syndrome.
You don't need to talk about the specifics of the case at all.
The last time you put me on the stand, you outed me as a schizophrenic.
If it makes you feel any better, it's my associate's case.
I won't be the one questioning you.
Daniel: Frequently, hostages will identify with their captor in a desperate, but unconscious, act of self-preservation.
In your expert opinion, Dr.
Pierce, is that why a victim might refuse to testify against their tormentor Even after the the hostage situation has ended? Yes, yes Stockholm syndrome doesn't usually end when the psychological trauma ends.
The effects can linger for months, even years.
So it is possible that [Spectators murmuring.]
Call an ambulance! She's been shot.
Hey.
I came as soon as I heard.
I'm so sorry.
Kate Moretti, Detective Gerald Rix.
He was here to testify against Cyrus Dunham.
A.
U.
S.
A.
Mullane was a real sweetheart.
I want to help any way I can.
Thank you.
Look, how is it possible that she was shot right in front of all of you and nobody saw anything? Daniel: She wasn't shot in the courtroom.
She came in that way.
What, and she just decided to ignore it and proceed with the case? I don't think she knew she'd been shot.
I think Linda suffered from a rare neurological condition called Congenital Analgesia, meaning she couldn't feel any pain.
Where are you getting that from? Well, for one thing, it's warm in here, but there were no perspiration stains on her blouse.
Anhidrosis, or absent sweating, is an indicator.
Also, there were several scars and burn marks on her extremities.
Maybe she was just a klutz who used a good deodorant.
No.
No, no.
People with this condition get injured a lot because they have no idea they've been hurt.
She could burn her hand on a hot stove and not know it.
So let's just say she didn't feel it.
How could a person not know they were shot? She would have heard it or seen it.
Entry wound was in the back.
And maybe the gun was silenced.
Coroner said the bullet likely came from a .
22 or a .
380 small entry wound, minimal bleeding.
And since Linda was acting normally, no one had reason to suspect that anything was wrong.
But sepsis sets in within a few hours.
So she would have had to have been shot sometime around 7:00.
But the courthouse is secure.
I mean, there are cameras everywhere.
Only law enforcement can carry weapons.
It must have happened before she even entered the building.
[Police radio chatter.]
Man: This is the bullet's path right here.
About the size of a .
380 round.
And the thick insulation in the seat, that that could muffle the sound, right? Process it.
Dust for prints, DNA whole nine.
I'll pull the surveillance videos.
But the car wasn't necessarily parked here when it happened.
I mean, really, this could have gone down any time since she left for work this morning.
We need to reschedule that thing.
Yeah.
I'll push it to tomorrow.
Yeah.
[Sniffles.]
I was always scared this would happen that she'd get hurt, not know it, and not get help.
Why did she hide her condition? [Sighs.]
[Sniffles.]
She didn't want people to treat her differently.
My sister hated all this babyproofing.
But it was for her own good.
Our grandfather only lived to be 38.
He had congenital analgesia, too.
The world was such a dangerous place for Linda.
And one time, when we were kids, she broke her leg roller skating.
Everyone was pointing because there was blood everywhere from where the bone came out.
And she had no idea.
She just kept on skating.
[Chuckles.]
Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Linda? I wish I could be more helpful.
Was there anything out of the ordinary going on with her lately? S-she was working on another big case she wouldn't talk about.
Brought a bunch of the files home.
Okay, this is weird.
What? These are all Chicago P.
D.
files homicides, mostly, all closed.
You're right.
Why would a federal prosecutor be looking at a bunch of local murders that had already been solved? Gerald: To Linda Mullane.
She seemed like one of the good ones.
[Glasses clink.]
Hey, Kate.
Hey.
Am I interrupting? No.
I should get going.
Hey, thanks for the drink.
Yeah.
I'll let you know when I'm gonna put you on the stand.
Great.
And, hey, let me know if there's any other way I can help with the investigation.
Oh, I'll be in touch.
All right.
What did he want? Dropped by for trial prep.
Mm.
How's the investigation coming? I think I know who killed Linda.
Who? The guy who was just drinking your Scotch.
Homicide, robbery, homicide, drive-by shooting, homicide.
It's the common denominator.
Gerald Rix.
He's the lead detective on all these cases, and he's closed 97% of them.
Tartullo.
Tartu-what? Nicholas M.
Tartullo, or some variation of that name, appears as a witness in all of Rix's cases.
Here, it's Nick Tullo.
There, it's M.
Tartullo.
In another one, it's Nicky Tull.
There's no way one guy witnessed all these crimes.
It's obviously a phony eyewitness giving bogus statements.
Rix is cooking his cases.
Guy's got brass ones I'll give him that.
He's barely even changing the name.
I know, and the system's so big, no one ever caught it.
Linda did.
She was building a case against him.
Yeah, and I'm betting Rix killed her for it.
Now he's inserting himself into our investigation to find out what we know.
Every investigation Rix ever touched will be subject to overturn on appeal.
There's no way in hell I can put him on the stand to testify against Cyrus Dunham.
It would mess up the case.
Oh, I don't know.
Rix busted one of Cyrus' prostitutes a few months ago.
He was going to testify that she'd been badly beaten.
But I think the case stands up without that.
Our main witness is rock-solid.
It's one of the girls that Cyrus trafficked.
So I'm free to go after Rix? We probably need to find this Tartu-whatsit guy first.
Kate: Nicky Tartullo? [Train whistle blows.]
Who wants to know? FBI.
We want to ask you a few questions.
About Gerald Rix.
Don't do it, Nicky.
Fork lift.
[Groans.]
[Laughs.]
Now about Rix.
[Groaning.]
I don't remember nothing.
Oh, really? Yeah.
I think I got amnesia.
I've got just the doctor for you.
No apparent signs of concussion or symptoms of amnesia.
No slurring or lack of motor function.
My diagnosis hematoma, contusion.
What's that? It's a bump on the head.
Look, Nicky, no more games.
You tell us about your relationship with Gerald Rix.
Otherwise, you're going down for more than 20 years for lying on those witness statements.
I want the same deal as before.
What deal? The one I had with the lady lawyer before she died full immunity.
I'll see what I can do.
Now tell us how you met Rix.
A couple years ago, he caught me robbing a liquor store near where there was a murder.
Rix thought this gangbanger had done it, but he didn't have no proof.
So Rix offered to let you walk on the robbery, provided you fingered the suspect at the scene? Yeah.
He told me what to say and everything.
That's how it all got started.
Whenever I got busted, Rix would tell the other cops that I was a C.
I.
, and they would they would let me walk.
And then A.
U.
S.
A.
Mullane tracked you down.
Yeah.
She offered me a deal.
I stop testifying for Rix, I start testifying for her.
Now you're gonna testify for me.
Hey.
Looks like Nicky's coming clean.
Excuse me.
Dr.
Daniel Pierce? Yes? Sorry to bother you.
Uh, Dr.
Napoleon Messier.
I'm Chief of Anesthesiology.
I'm a huge fan of your work.
Your paper on Enhanced Structural Connectivity in Colored-music Synesthesia was sublime.
I-I-I just connected the dots of the data.
Listen, um I know that you work with the FBI, and word is that the prosecutor that was killed had congenital analgesia.
Oh, I can't discuss the specifics of I understand.
But it's such a rare hereditary condition only a few hundred cases in the world.
I could do amazing research if I could just get some tissue samples.
This could lead to a breakthrough.
Let me see what I can do.
I-I-I'll get back to you.
Thank you.
Hey.
So, look, Donnie says he's pretty sure that we're gonna be able to nail Rix, but in the meantime, he needs you back at the courthouse to finish off your testimony against Cyrus Dunham.
So, come on.
I'll give you a ride.
Wait.
W-w-where are you going? To bust a cop.
You're sure you don't want a lawyer? I don't need some flunky holding my hand when I know I'm clean.
Then you'll have nothing to worry about when the Justice Department goes over every single one of your cases with a fine-tooth comb? You're going away for a long time.
Who's gonna convict me? Huh? I'm out there doing a public service.
And it doesn't bother you in the slightest that some of those people that you put in jail are innocent? Say you're right hypothetically speaking.
Those dirtbags might not have been guilty of the crime they went down for, but they were definitely guilty of something.
See, I'm not afraid to make the hard choices, Agent Moretti.
And what was killing Linda Mullane? Was that just another one of your tough choices? That's ridiculous.
You found out that she was onto you, so you got in the backseat of her car and you blew her away.
Okay, I see two glaring problems with all of that.
Please enlighten me.
One if I was gonna take somebody out, I sure as hell wouldn't do it with a measly .
380.
And two? I've got an alibi.
Rix was at a parent/teacher conference with his ex-wife.
She dropped him off at the courthouse at about the same time as Linda collapsed in court.
Well, he coerced Tartullo into testifying for him.
Maybe he coerced some other lowlife into taking out Linda.
Yeah, I'm looking back through his cases, find out if maybe he had an accomplice.
Either way, we've already got him on corruption, witness tampering, and falsifying evidence.
How'd your testimony go? - I was scintillating.
- Daniel was great.
Kayla Madden, our star witness, is up next.
She's gonna tell how Cyrus forced her into prostitution.
Once she buries him, I'll focus on Rix.
How did you first meet the defendant? Online.
Cyrus saw some some photos that I posted, and he contacted me, said that I had a good look.
He said that he'd help me find some modeling jobs out here in Chicago.
So he paid for my bus ticket from Omaha, and I met him at the bus station.
And how long was it before he began physically abusing you? No, he never did that.
[Spectators murmuring.]
Do I need to remind you of your grand-jury testimony, in which you stated that the defendant physically abused you and forced you into prostitution? I lied.
[Spectators murmuring.]
I remind you that you are under oath, Ms.
Madden.
Now, did the defendant, as you have previously stated, chain you to a radiator and burn you with cigarettes when you told him you wanted to go home? Why would I want to leave Cyrus? I love him.
Did you not give a sworn statement detailing countless acts of violence, torture, and sexual abuse by the defendant?! Um, I was just I was just mad because I thought that he'd been cheating on me.
I made it up, and I'm I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry, baby, and I love you so much.
Have you been threatened or coerced by the defendant in any way into changing your testimony? No.
No, I swear I haven't.
I'm so sorry for all the trouble that I've caused.
Your honor, I move for a directed verdict on the grounds the government has failed to offer sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against my client.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you.
You can't do this, your honor! He is a depraved criminal who tortured his victims.
I don't have a choice, Mr.
Ryan.
You didn't make a case.
Motion is granted.
I hereby find the defendant not guilty.
[Gavel bangs.]
Kayla, hang on a second.
Just talk to us.
Leave me alone.
Listen, if you were threatened, we can help you.
I don't want your help.
[Sighs.]
Stockholm syndrome? No.
No, uh, it's not something you suddenly come down with.
I'll tell you what happened.
Cyrus threatened her plain and simple.
He might have walked on the sex-trafficking charge, but I can still put him away for witness intimidation.
Well, how? If Kayla lied on the stand about being trafficked, she's sure as hell not gonna tell the truth about being threatened.
We just have to prove it in another way.
I'll talk to her neighbors.
I'll pull Cyrus' prison phone records.
We'll find out how he got to her.
- Oh, crap.
- What? We're late for that thing with Judge Scanlon.
Yeah, watching a sadistic lowlife go free has kind of killed the mood.
Right.
I'll go re-reschedule.
Right.
So, what's this "Thing" you two keep talking about? Donnie and I are getting married again.
Great.
Why the secret code? It's just that after everything you went through in Paris with Miranda, I didn't feel like rubbing salt in the wound.
Kate, I assure you I'm wound-free.
Okay? And I-I-I couldn't be happier for you.
Dr.
Pierce.
D-Dr.
Messier.
What are you doing here? Uh, Mr.
Lewicki said I could wait inside.
I told you I'd get back to you about the tissue samples.
Oh, I'm not here about that.
Well, then, why are you he I'm here to take away your pain.
Obviously you are a hallucination.
And I am not in any pain.
Max: Are you okay, Doc? I'm sick and tired of people asking me if I'm okay! I'm fine! All right.
I-I-I'm here if you need me.
You definitely sound fine to me.
Why does everyone keep assuming that I'm in some sort of pain? Your relationship with Miranda didn't work out, and now that Donnie and Kate are getting married If you're implying that I'm jealous I'm implying that it hurts to see your friends have something that you may never have.
[Sighs.]
Okay.
Maybe I'm a little disappointed about what happened with Miranda.
But that doesn't mean that I need Kate to tiptoe around me like I'd shatter into a million pieces if I found out she was getting married.
She's just being sensitive to your feelings, Daniel.
And I've had it with Lewicki stuffing croissant down my throat and Haley extolling the healing powers of Putt-putt, like that's a thing an adult should say.
They're your friends, Daniel.
They care about you.
Yeah, well, I wish they would all just go away.
Go away closer, perhaps? What? Go away closer.
It's the classic example of the double bind Gregory Bateson's theory to describe a breakdown in communication when When two conflicting messages are delivered at the same time, so any answer or response is automatically wrong.
I took Psych 101, Natalie.
What I don't understand is why you're lecturing me about it, because I am definitely not sending out mixed messages.
I really do want all of my well-meaning friends to bugger off and let me mourn the death of my relationship in peace.
Maybe you want to be left alone, but what about Kayla Madden? She's a young girl who's been terribly abused, threatened, afraid for her life, obviously in need of comfort and support, and when she told Kate and Donnie that she wanted to be left alone We left her alone.
[Knock on door.]
Kayla? It's Dr.
Pierce.
I work with A.
U.
S.
A.
Ryan and Agent Moretti.
I-I-I saw you testify in court today.
Kayla: I told you all to leave me alone.
I know, but I I can't do that.
I read the files, Kayla, and I-I think you were extremely brave when you told the truth about what Cyrus did to you.
He didn't do nothing bad, okay? Can you just please go away? Kayla, believe it or not I know how you feel.
I have paranoid schizophrenia, which means I've spent the better part of my adult life terrified, like there was something around every corner that was gonna hurt me.
I know what it's like to want to shut the world out and lock yourself inside, but it's it's a very lonely place.
I've learned that sometimes when I shut people out, what I'm really doing is asking for help.
[Lock disengages, door opens.]
I can take care of myself.
Okay? I've been doing it all my life.
I know.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
But I lied to them to the judge.
And now Cyrus he's set free.
And they can lock him right back up if you tell the truth.
I got a call from a blocked number.
It was Cyrus.
He called me a bunch of names.
He told me I better not say nothing about his business in court.
I was just gonna hang up and call you, but then he said "Don't think your new friends can protect you.
"Who do you think killed that lawyer woman? "And if I can take out a federal prosecutor, I sure as hell can take out a little skank like you.
" Thank you, Kayla.
Do you think he really killed Linda, or is he just taking credit for the murder to scare Kayla? Either way, I've got enough to lock his sorry ass up.
Go get him.
[Telephone rings.]
Ryan.
I can't bring Cyrus in.
Why not? Because he's dead.
[Engine shuts off.]
[Camera shutter clicking.]
He was shot several times at close range.
No witnesses.
The area has a high instance of gang violence.
Maybe Street Justice got him.
This can't be a coincidence.
What do you mean? Victor Ochoa he was a drug dealer.
Last month, Linda was prosecuting him.
He walked on a technicality, and guess what.
He was found dead immediately following his release, just like our dead sex trafficker.
Two criminals, both acquitted, both murdered immediately after their release, both prosecuted by Linda Mullane, who was also murdered.
What are the odds? I'm having our vice units cross-reference Ochoa and Cyrus, see if they intersect on any other investigations, [Voice fading.]
but so far, there's nothing.
[Dialogue continues, muffled.]
Are there any other photos of Cyrus' body? Here.
What's that? "S.
L.
" Probably just graffiti.
Why? 'Cause the same "S.
L.
" is over Victor's body.
Gang tag? I hate to admit it, T-bone, but I am not loving this new S.
L.
design.
I mean, I know how seriously you street lords take this tagging business, but this looks like something my little nieces could draw.
This ain't us.
It's okay.
There's no reason to be embarrassed.
We all have our off days.
You see this?! This is 100% certified authentic Street Lords Ink! We didn't paint that.
Okay, if it wasn't you, then who was it? That's from them whack-ass bitches that run around in tights.
[Techno music plays.]
Man: Criminals, beware.
We fight for justice.
We help those in need.
We are the Shadow League.
Wow.
They really do run around in tights.
It's hard to believe that a bunch of wannabe superheroes actually took out a couple of serious dudes like Cyrus Dunham and Victor Ochoa.
Look at this School for Superheroes.
Degree program, you think? [Laughing.]
Let's tour the campus.
Here at the Shadow League Institute, our philosophy is to deter crime, not commit it.
Yeah, well, apparently, not all of your members agree with your philosophy.
[Thud, spectators gasp.]
So, unless you want me to start rounding up the rest of your band of merry pranksters, I suggest you start pointing me in the right direction.
Uh, there was this one guy who was constantly advocating for us to employ more aggressive tactics, but we had to kick him out, which sucks because he ran our Facebook page.
What do you mean by "Aggressive Tactics"? He kept saying we needed to meet violence with violence.
One day, he shows up with a gun.
That was the last straw.
What was his name? The Ghost.
What was his real name? For our own safety and the protection of our loved ones, we never reveal our true identities.
Kate: I know so then he said we could go pick one out after things calm down at work.
I know.
Can you believe that? I mean, sure, I said "Fine.
" No, I was not expecting the Hope Diamond.
Just not something purple that was made out of high-fructose corn syrup.
I know.
So then I was like [Gasps.]
What are you doing?! Aah! Help! Help me! Somebody help me! Man: [Gruff voice.]
Let her go! Who the hell are you? I am The Ghost.
Great.
I'm Special Agent Bobby Dalton, FBI.
Nice to meet you.
What do you know? .
380 with a silencer.
I will haunt you for all eternity! I'm quaking in my boots, Casper.
Kate: You applied three times to the police academy and once to the FBI.
Looks like we washed you out for psych reasons, but can you really blame us? I mean, you run around in a black leotard patrolling for bad guys.
But thank you for posting your daily whereabouts on Facebook.
It made it a lot easier to find you.
What I really want to know is, with so many bad guys in the world, how do you settle on which ones you're gonna kill? We've got your gun, George.
We already know that you killed Linda Mullane and Victor Ochoa.
You're going down.
I delivered justice when you guys couldn't.
All right, let's start from the beginning.
Why'd you kill Victor? I got sick and tired of looking around me and seeing all these crimes going unpunished.
So you joined the Shadow League.
While I was running the Facebook page, I became online friends with someone calling herself "Painless.
" She said that was her superhero name because it was also her superpower.
She couldn't feel any pain.
Painless and I chatted for hours about how now, more than ever, the world needs people like us people who are willing to take a stand for what's right.
And then one day, she e-mailed me and said there'd been a huge miscarriage of justice.
Some lowlife drug dealer named Victor Ochoa had been caught red-handed.
But because some idiot misfiled a search warrant, the charges were dropped.
He was cut loose.
So you figured you'd become his judge, jury, and executioner.
The Shadow League said I wasn't ready to go on patrols yet.
So you thought that if you could do something about this creep, then they would see that you were ready.
Painless gave me his address.
I just went there to check him out.
I-I only planned on following him, maybe taking some pictures, just to let him know that we were onto him.
Why you following me, fool?! [Both grunting.]
I only brought the gun for self-defense.
Get the hell out of my face.
[Silenced gunshot.]
It was an accident, but I knew that I had done the right thing.
Justice was served.
Did you know who Painless was? No, not at first.
But after I took care of Ochoa, it got me fired up.
I realized this is what we needed to do meet violence with violence.
The Shadow League disagreed, so they kicked you out.
Yeah, but you didn't need them, did you? They're a bunch of wannabes.
I e-mailed Painless to tell her what I had done and to ask her for another mission.
I waited for a reply, but it didn't come.
So I checked the I.
P.
address where the e-mail originated.
Look, I was blown away to find out who lived there.
Linda Mullane.
Federal prosecutor.
Victor Ochoa was her case.
She was asking me to enact the justice that she failed to deliver.
I figured she must be like me.
We could be a team.
Right like you're Batman, she's Commissioner Gordon.
Exactly! So I went to see her.
[Gasps.]
[Gruff voice.]
Don't scream, Painless.
It's me The Ghost.
I'm ready for my next assignment.
[Breathing shakily.]
I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh.
Right.
We need to maintain our secret identities.
But don't worry, Painless.
Your secret is safe with me.
I killed that drug dealer for you.
Victor Ochoa? Yes.
Just like you asked in your e-mail.
Now, who's my next target? Get the hell out of my car! What's wrong, Painless? I thought you'd be happy to finally meet me.
Are you insane? I'm a federal prosecutor, and I'm gonna have you arrested! But we're on the same side! You killed a man, you freak! We are not on the same side! I'm gonna take you down for murder.
[Breathing shakily.]
[Silenced gunshot.]
I killed for Painless, and she was gonna turn me in.
She betrayed me.
I had no choice.
So then you went out, you got a bigger gun, and you bagged yourself a sex trafficker.
What are you talking about? Oh, come on, George.
It's over.
You've already admitted to killing the drug dealer and Linda Mullane.
There's no point in lying about it now.
Just admit that you killed Cyrus Dunham, too.
I have no idea who that is.
I think he's in pain, too.
Oh.
What the hell are you doing here? I'm here to help you.
For the last time, I don't need anesthesia.
I don't think you're the only one who doesn't need Dr.
Napoleon Messier.
And that is a preposterous name.
[Laughing.]
I know, right? Why would you give one of your hallucinations such a ridiculous handle? It's an anagram.
One more Painless.
[Door opens.]
What is Daniel, we've talked about this.
He's telling the truth.
There's another killer.
Who's George Menckens? He's the man who killed your sister.
But I thought it was the sex trafficker who got acquitted.
Now, why would you think that? I saw on the news how the girl recanted her testimony.
The prosecutor thought Cyrus threatened her.
I figured if he did that he must have killed Linda.
Are you sure it's this other guy? I mean, I've never heard of him.
That's because you know him as "The Ghost.
" Ghost? I don't know what you're talking about, really.
And he knows you as "Painless.
" Isn't that right? You have congenital analgesia, too.
We should have seen it earlier.
It runs in families.
Your grandfather passed it on to your sister and to you.
"Painless" is the name you used when you e-mailed with George.
My sister was so upset when that drug dealer went free.
I'd seen this article on the Shadow League.
They were a group of regular people not afraid to stand up for what's right.
So you sent them an e-mail, hoping they'd do something about it.
And they did.
Guy ended up dead.
When I got an e-mail from The Ghost saying he'd taken care of it for me, I admit I was excited, because he got what he deserved.
But then The Ghost kept e-mailing you and asking for more cases.
I got scared I would be connected to the drug dealer's death somehow, so I stopped responding.
I hoped he'd just go away.
But he didn't.
He tracked you down.
Well, not you he assumed your sister was "Painless," so he went to confront her.
What? We couldn't figure out why Linda didn't immediately call the cops when George admitted that he'd murdered someone.
She must have realized that you were involved somehow when George called her "Painless," because who else could it have been but you? She didn't call the police because she was trying to protect you.
[Voice breaking.]
Oh, my God.
[Sniffles.]
It's my fault she's dead.
I killed my sister.
No.
But you did kill Cyrus.
Because you believed that he'd murdered your sister.
And he had done all those terrible things to those girls.
The world is probably a better place without him.
Yes.
He deserved justice.
Then he got off.
So somebody had to punish him, right? I got Cyrus' address from my sister's files.
I went there.
I'd never done anything before.
I was always too scared not like Linda.
And for once in my life, I took action.
And you know what? I'm not sorry he's dead.
- Hey.
- Hi.
If we hurry, we can still go do that thing.
Let's do it.
Uh, hey, you cool catching a cab? Kate and I have an appointment.
Of course.
Congratulations, by the way.
Oh.
She told you? I'm very happy for you.
Thanks, pal.
I can give you something for that, you know.
No, you can't.
But I know who can.
Here we go.
I can't do this.
You're backing out? No! No.
Not at all.
I just can't do it here in the judge's chambers on a Thursday, and then go order takeout or something.
I just wanted to make it, you know, painless.
I know.
I know.
And when you wanted to do it right away, I was I was stoked about that.
But when it kept getting pushed back, I thought that maybe it was a sign.
A sign? That we're not supposed to do it like this.
Look when we got married the first time, we eloped because your dad hated my guts, and we didn't make a big deal out of it.
Maybe we didn't take it seriously enough.
And maybe some of that sentiment seeped its way into our marriage.
I don't know.
All I know is I want to marry you in a church, with a priest, in front of our friends and family.
And I want a big party with a crappy deejay, and I want to dance the Funky Chicken, and I want a big, long engagement.
And I want to register because I want a new blender.
Ours sucks.
Okay.
Okay.
We'll register for a damn blender.
Daniel: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
" Or will they? The same areas of the brain get activated when we experience social rejection or the betrayal of a loved one as when we spill hot coffee on our arm.
In other words, emotional pain hurts the same as physical pain.
Science has developed drugs that can alleviate and, in some cases, eliminate our physical pain, and some of those same drugs are now proving helpful in eliminating our emotional pain.
So the prescription for a broken heart might actually be "Take two Tylenol and call me in the morning.
" [Laughter.]
But is numbing our pain always a good thing? The more we know pain, in all its varying flavors, the more we can appreciate the sensations and the feelings that we like.
That's the nature of contrast.
If we never felt bitterness or anger, then we we wouldn't deeply appreciate our happiness.
And if we never knew fear, then we couldn't admire courage.
So maybe to more fully enjoy the beauty in our lives, we must first acknowledge and embrace our pain.