Burden of Truth (2018) s03e05 Episode Script

1 - Beckbie, what's going on? - Madison and True, their foster family came to pick them up from after school care - and they were gone.
- When Kodie needs to think, she goes to the land.
What do I do, turn myself in? - Keep running.
- As your boss, I am furious that you discredited me to our client and gave her illegal and unethical advice.
My friends and I want to start a search for those kids.
This is an official police matter.
You could go to jail for years.
You'd rather protect a junkie who kidnaps her own kids than do your job? Someone's trying to make sure I lose my kids forever.
Hey, you can pretend to be a police chief all you want, but we know what kind of chief you really are.
[BECKBIE.]
: She's still facing parental abduction.
She could get a 10-year sentence.
She takes a plea.
[JOANNA.]
: Or she turns herself in, hands over the kids and you charge her with violating a custody order.
We will be seeking a 10-year sentence.
[JOANNA.]
: When kids are apprehended, they're not allowed to bring any of their stuff.
It's tantamount to theft.
You have to let me see them, please! Get your hands off of me! If they're wrong about Kodie, they're wrong about all of them.
Hold me under Like a secret In the water, out of light [GIRLS LAUGHING.]
I grow tired Trying to keep My My body in line Ooooh True? True, baby, - are you OK? - Mom, what's happening? Let me talk to my kids! [INAUDIBLE SPEAKING.]
I'm afraid I'll be put in a family, she told me! - Like an angel - No! They're above The grey - [WHISTLING IN TUNE WITH MUSIC.]
- [BILLY.]
: Oh, hey, - coffee's ready.
- Be down in a second.
- You OK? - Yeah, of course.
[MAN.]
: The court hereby releases Mushkode Chartrand under the strict conditions of house arrest.
If you attempt to leave your abode, the alarm on your ankle monitor will alert law enforcement.
If you consume alcohol or any illegal substances, the alarm will sound.
If you make any attempt to contact your children, your bail will be revoked.
[THEME MUSIC.]
- The famous Crawford scramble.
- [BIRDS CHIRPING.]
Thank you.
Are you not feeling eggs? - No, I am.
- I can make you something else.
- Do we have any oranges? - I don't think so.
You're worried about Kodie.
I promised to get her kids back, but how are we supposed to argue that someone who stole her children should have full custody? Yeah.
All those kids Kodie's case may be unique, but she's not the only one.
How many other families have lost their kids because of the lack of due process? Well, if these are anything to go by Whoever they are, we need to find them.
You know, we all want the same thing to ensure the Chartrand children are safe and supported.
Then I'm sure you won't mind providing us with apprehension orders.
From the past six months, please.
Lawyers Straight to the rebuttal before coffee.
- Can I get you a cup? - No, thank you.
It's terrible anyway.
Look, we don't release apprehension orders.
It's a breach of privacy.
Well, we have a right to access any files that are connected to our client's case.
You have your client's file.
We believe that our client's a victim of a larger pattern of wrongful apprehensions.
Oh.
It's a nice story.
But your client wasn't even on our radar 'til a neighbour reported her for neglect.
Which he was teed up to do by someone posing as Family Services.
Well, we had nothing to do with that.
Well then, you should be as determined as we are to reunite Kodie with her family.
Except that your client is an addict.
Or have you forgotten she failed a court-ordered drug test and then kidnapped her own children? Let's not make this harder than we have to.
I'm sure you're familiar with an Access to Information Order.
[TENSE MUSIC.]
Morning, Mayor Shepard.
Sam Mercer says he has dash cam footage of you assaulting him.
He's calling it "excessive force.
" Have you seen the video? You have to apologize.
What?! No way.
It was justified.
Maybe but I can't have my chief of police decking civilians.
If Mercer releases that video, it'll prove he's lying.
So he threw the first punch? There were no punches.
You didn't put your hands on him? [SIGH.]
I was protecting a Millwood family from racist vigilantes.
The public won't see it that way.
Just apologize to him, Owen.
You don't have to mean it.
I do it all the time.
It's called marriage.
I won't grovel to a bigot.
You make me fix this myself, you won't like the outcome.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Welcome to Millwood Family Services.
Nothing to see here.
They did say there might be some redactions.
Yeah, this is state secrets level.
If this is correct, Millwood Family Services is apprehending children at twice the national average.
It can't be right, can it? [CELL PHONE BUZZING AND RINGING.]
Luna.
Hi.
Uh, I'm on my way in to the office.
Just wanted to check that you still wanted me? You called at the perfect time.
I have a job for you.
- Great.
- BILLY: We have files from each of the children abducted by Millwood Family Services.
Our working theory is that there's a pattern of wrongful apprehensions.
We need to go through every case - and find similarities.
- Sounds easy enough.
Well, all the personal information in the files has been redacted.
O K, sounding less easy.
So, we need you and Cat to come up with a way to decode the files and figure out who these families are.
How bad is it? They were pretty thorough at scrubbing the names.
Hmm Any dates on the apprehension orders? Yes to dates.
What are you thinking? We could cross-reference apprehension dates with police duty reports.
When police attend an apprehension, they'd have to record the address.
That's great.
Grab Cat and head over to Millwood.
Stop by the police department on your way to grab reports.
Wait.
You want me to go to the Millwood Police Station? It was your idea.
Talk to Beckbie.
He'll take care of you.
Thanks.
This town is the size of a postage stamp; redacted files can't stop us from finding these families.
I heard the pastor started fostering.
The guy that compared me to the Devil? Yeah.
Not our biggest fan, but it's hard to argue against the well-being of children.
I don't know, he might be persuaded to make an introduction.
Only if you're objectively as charming as I think you are.
Hey, are you sure it was a good idea asking Luna - to come here? - We need her.
And she's gonna have to make her peace with this town sooner or later.
I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you again without a subpoena in your hand.
Haha! No, it's nothing like that.
I promise.
We just - needed some guidance.
- Hmm.
How long have you been fostering for? Since Amanda left for college.
My wife couldn't stand the silence.
But we had no idea What you were signing up for? What we were promising.
You know, I thought a safe, loving home, I can do that.
I had no idea how small an offer that is in the face of what these kids are going through.
You mean being separated from their families? They come to us with trauma.
They act out in self-destructive ways.
How much contact is there with birth parents? Very little.
Family Services shuttles them back and forth for visitation, if they have it.
It's emotional for everyone.
We're working on an investigation into the number of child apprehensions in Millwood.
Are there any similarities between the families that alerts the attention of Family Services? Aside from the obvious demographics, a lot of the parents are addicts, but that's never the full story.
It's often reported through the schools.
Is there anyone you'd be able to connect us to who lost their kids? I'm afraid not.
I don't think they'd want to hear from me.
A lot of the people see me as enabling a broken system.
[SOFT MUSIC.]
Why do you keep fostering? Because a lot of these foster homes aren't safe, and these kids need somewhere to go.
But once they're in the system it's never a happy ending.
Well, thank you, Pastor.
Maybe Luna and Cat will have better luck.
I'll call around, see if there's any birth parents - willing to talk to us.
- And I'll check with Diane.
If there'd been an increase in apprehensions, she'll know about it.
You're awfully quiet for a road-trip partner.
Have you ever been happy? Like, truly happy? Wow, OK.
Uh, usually people start off with "Nice weather we're having," but a long time ago, yeah.
You? I don't know.
I thought I was for a minute, - and then - It just turns on a dime? Millwood was my home and then suddenly, it was my worst nightmare.
Wait, have you not been back since I was locked up for something I didn't do? I didn't know the rules about bringing that up.
I'm sorry.
Fair.
The whole thing messes with your head.
So this is Millwood.
[SEAGULLS SQUAWKING.]
- [SOFTLY.]
: I can't.
- You can't what? I can't do this.
OK.
Do you wanna tell me why? Because the last time I was here, I thought my life was over.
Well turns out it wasn't.
[RAGGED SIGH.]
Everybody's gonna look at me differently now.
Hey who cares? Seriously, Luna, let people think whatever they want.
The only thing that matters is how you see yourself.
I'm one of the lucky ones.
Because of Joanna, I got my life back.
Right.
So it's time to pay that forward.
Kodie has been screwed by the system, Luna, just like you were.
Let's show her that she's not alone.
Come on! It's time for a reclamation tour.
"A reclamation tour"? You walk straight into the places that hurt you the most and reclaim them as new memories, starting with the cop shop.
I like that.
But I think I need to face the police station on my own.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER RADIO.]
Luna? [OWEN SIGHS.]
That's not information we release.
I already have the apprehension orders from Family Services.
My officers go out on call, they need to know that I won't sell them out.
I have to back them up.
[MAN LAUGHING.]
Hey.
I won't let anything happen to you in here.
I'm never gonna feel safe in Millwood.
No one in Millwood comes through that door without my say so.
[OWEN CHUCKLING.]
- Ahem.
- [LUNA SIGHING.]
I'm not on a witch hunt.
I just need the addresses they visited so I can contact the affected families.
When I give you our DPRs, it'll look like I'm taking a side.
I'm under a lot of scrutiny, I have to keep my hands clean.
You always say sunlight is the best antiseptic.
Unless your guys are hiding something.
Using my own values against me Or you can continue to cover for an organization that facilitates and legitimizes breaking up families.
Now you're just like your mother.
She never gives up.
But the answer's still no.
I can file an Access to Information Order.
[SCOFF.]
Now you're just like your sister.
I will have your special and coffee and whatever my friend wants.
- Oh, just a coffee, thanks.
- Yeah, certainly.
You're gonna make me eat alone? [INDISTINCT COUNTRY SONG PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND.]
Do you have any oranges? No, those are for the signature sangria.
- You don't want to eat those.
- Never mind.
- You look tired.
- No, I'm fine.
OK, just feeling a little under the weather.
Exhaustion like I've never felt.
- Nauseous? - Yeah.
Vomiting? And weird cravings for things like oranges? I don't wanna freak you out, but the last time I felt that way, I was pregnant.
I took a pregnancy test and it was negative.
I think this case is taking more emotional stamina than I thought.
Yeah.
Cases with kids are the worst.
Uh, tell me about the process of child apprehensions.
Does Family Services take the kids from school? Thank you.
Um, yeah.
So sometimes, parents drop their kids off at school and have no idea that they won't be coming home again.
Based on what, tips? From teachers? You? Teachers have a duty to report or they lose their licenses.
It doesn't happen so much at my school because of the catchment.
If the mayor's kid shows up with bruises, she gets the benefit of the doubt.
We call, we ask if everything's OK at home.
But at other schools? [DIANE SIGHING.]
Schools on the East Side, they tend to tip first and ask questions later.
Who would be the worst offender? Legacy Pines.
They've got a lot of kids in foster care right now.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC.]
[BIRDS CHIRPING.]
So this is where children turn into foster kids.
The principal will know who's tipping off Family Services, whether it's one teacher or a policy thing.
Let's find out.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
May I help you? Oh, uh, hi.
Diane Evans, principal over at - Millwood High.
- Your reputation precedes you.
We're wondering if we can have a minute with your principal.
He's very busy.
Can you tell me what it's about? Yeah, we wanna speak to him about your school's relationship with Family Services.
Our headmaster is available by appointment only.
Look, um I know how tricky it is.
When one of our students is having trouble at home, it always feels like a lose-lose situation.
Anything you say can be kept confidential from Family Services.
Millwood Family Services is one of our allies.
They provide partial funding for our B and A programs.
Before and after school programs.
And who takes care of the rest? The school is on the hook for the balance, but the headmaster makes it work.
He sounds like a stand-up guy.
You sure he can't make time to discuss student safety? Safety is our primary concern, which is why we don't entertain strangers who just walk in off the street.
I'm not a stranger.
I'm a lawyer investigating your school because of its high child apprehension rate.
So unless you want to be named in my claim, I suggest he find the time.
I'll see what I can do.
Family services is an ally? So it's a policy, not just a bad egg.
We need to talk to that headmaster.
[BIRDS CHIRPING.]
[CATHERINE.]
: OK, so this is what you've been calling - the Millwood Branch? - [LUNA.]
: Hahaha! Yup.
- It's a lot of wood.
- Oh, yeah.
There's a lot more on the inside.
What? [CHUCKLING.]
So we match the dates to reports, get the address and then search for the identity of the tenants.
It's a smart idea.
I have a few tricks up my sleeve when I really need them.
All these kids taken away.
I can't imagine growing up without my mom.
She was my hero.
Cat I'm sorry.
It's OK.
I'm young, you assume my mom's still alive, it's what people do.
You never really talk about her.
Death freaks people out.
I end up comforting them.
It's just easier not to.
What about your dad? You mean do we talk about her? Not really.
I think we're both kind of afraid to remind each other that she's gone.
You must miss her.
So much it hurts.
Nice weather we're having.
[BOTH LAUGHING.]
Look at this! This apprehension order from last month.
Same date, a police visit to 512, River Road.
There's a warrant on this woman for parental neglect, but no apprehension.
They didn't apprehend the kid? This is where Morgan lives.
I come here every afternoon to see him get off the bus.
He comes around that corner and goes right to that house.
A week ago, he stopped.
Does anyone else know you do this? I had to know he was OK.
Dylan.
Dylan! Listen to me.
Listen! You can't be coming here, OK? That's stalking.
Family Services keeps changing the rules on me! Changing the rules how? I drive two hours to parenting classes, I never miss one, and then they say I was supposed to be going with Morgan.
But I lost visitation because he doesn't know who I am anymore! What are they saying now? His caseworker stopped returning my calls, and then Morgan disappeared.
Maybe the family just moved.
That's his foster dad's truck in the driveway.
Please, you have to find him.
[INAUDIBLE.]
I can't.
I have my hands full with this case.
Well, something terrible has happened.
- I just know it.
- I'm sure there's an explanation.
Family Services won't talk to me, but they might tell you.
Alright, I'll look into it.
Just promise me you'll stay away from that house.
Hey.
Promise.
[CAR DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING.]
Mr.
Reyes? [HAMMERING.]
Mr.
Reyes.
- Excuse me, Mr.
Reyes? - Go away.
- I just want to talk.
- Get off my deck.
I'm here about your foster son, Morgan Hayes.
Is there some reason he stopped taking the school bus? You from Family Services? 'Cause Morgan's not here, OK? And if you don't leave, - I'm gonna call the cops.
- Just tell me where he is.
Do you know how long I spent teaching that kid that he was safe here? And then you guys had to go and blow everything up again.
What are you talking about? What happened? Someone should have warned me that he had been adopted.
Instead, you just came in - and took him.
- He's been adopted? - [TOOLS CLATTERING.]
- I have a right to know.
He's my son.
- What do you want? - I'm Catherine Carmichael.
This is my associate, Luna Spence.
Luna Spence?! Holy crap! Oh, my gosh! Callie! We went to high school together.
Wow, so small town.
Our law firm is investigating misconduct by Family Services.
We have a friend whose children were apprehended.
We think you could help make a difference in our case.
I don't want any trouble.
Family Services has got lawyers too.
[CAT.]
: Your conversation with us would be confidential.
We know Family Services opened a case against your baby, Carter.
We just need to know how you convinced them not to take him into custody.
I think you've got it all wrong.
This is baby Carter.
What is taking so long? I mean, why stonewall us if you have nothing to hide? What she said about Family Service funding, is it possible that they're tipping off Family Services in order to gain access to government funds? Uh there's a lot of ways to double dip with foster kids.
- [DOOR OPENING.]
- Pre-K engagements, special needs, extracurricular camps.
- True? - [DIANE.]
: What? I thought I saw True Chartrand.
True! What are you doing?! I, uh I thought I recognized a student.
Our headmaster is unavailable.
You'll have to make an appointment for another time.
This school has the highest child apprehension rate in Millwood, and he can't even talk to us? I don't appreciate what you're insinuating.
I'm not insinuating anything, I'm asking.
Your school survives off children in the system, yes or no? Hey, we have to have pupils.
Family Services survives off apprehending children.
You would starve without clients.
Wait, are you saying that Millwood Family Services is financially incentivized to break up families? Their funding is dependent on apprehension.
That is a blatant conflict of interest.
Take it up with a judge.
Everything we do here is by the book.
[TENSE MUSIC.]
- Mayor Shepard! - Ms.
Chang.
- What can I do for you? - Is Family Services funded - per child apprehended? - Technically, apprehension is how funding is triggered.
But that means the entire budget, payroll, everything is dependent on children being taken away.
But it also means there's enough money in the pot to care for every kid.
How much of that goes to prevention or reunification? - That's their priority.
- How much of a priority? I can pull their budgets if I have to.
10%.
Seems to me like prevention is an afterthought compared to how much is going into foster care.
- Am I on trial here, Ms.
Chang? - Not yet.
I had no say in how their funds were earmarked.
Then who does? Provincial government, way above my paygrade.
Family Services got paid when my client's children were taken; you don't think those things are related? Would you risk leaving a child in an unsafe home - and hoping for the best? - No, of course not.
But they're breaking families apart and no one's accountable.
Family Services hasn't broken the law.
Your client, on the other hand, has.
You need someone to blame? Try Kodie Chartrand.
Family Services showed up here about a week ago insisting that they had to do a house check for the baby.
What were they looking for? They kept asking, but they wouldn't say.
No idea what brought them here? Honestly, that week is a blur.
I was supposed to start a job at the school board, then the offer fell through.
Next thing I know, Family Services is turning my house upside-down.
Were you in the system as a kid? Nothing like that.
Do you have any other history with them? Any other children apprehended? Carter is my first.
Honestly I've been going over it for weeks.
It doesn't make any sense.
How can there be an open case for neglect on a baby that's not even born yet? We're missing something here.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Back so soon, Mr.
Crawford? I'm giving you everything I can.
I'm here to file an appeal to stop Morgan Hayes's adoption on behalf of his mother, Dylan Hayes.
Adoptions are final.
Ms.
Hayes had plenty of chances to get her son back.
Millwood Family Services has been negotiating in bad faith.
You sure? I mean, we're not asking for much, Mr.
Crawford: a safe, sober home, access to public education, medical care.
The bar is on the floor, yet Miss Hayes keeps tripping on it.
Alright.
What does she have to do to prove to you she's ready? [SOFT TENSE MUSIC.]
[SIGH.]
[THUD.]
That was Morgan after he spilled paint on the carpet.
Nothing Dylan Hayes says will convince me to let her near that child again.
I'm sorry for crashing in on you like this.
Oh, trust me, your visit could not be better timed.
- Why? - It's nothing.
It's dinnertime and Owen's MIA.
We're finally at this beautiful place together and I'm afraid he's gonna burn it all down for Sam Mercer.
I did the same thing to Billy.
We had it all in Winnipeg and then I go - and drag us onto this case.
- That's different.
- You were protecting your friend.
- Some friend I am.
You are the only one in this town who has even a chance of stopping Family Services.
No, they are unstoppable! I can't fix a broken system.
Someone has to do it.
[GROAN.]
Can I get anything for you? Are you making coffee? Inside.
- You can smell that?! - You can't? You're sure you're not pregnant? I told you, I took a test.
I think you should take another one.
[RUSTLING.]
[SOFT INDIE MUSIC PLAYING.]
[POOL BALLS CLACKING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
[SAM SNIFFS.]
Chief Beckbie.
Sam.
May I have a word? He's calling me by my civilian name, I must be in big trouble.
I understand you feel disrespected by my office.
[SAM SNIFFS.]
Yup.
Ahem.
By your office.
By you personally.
Right.
Ahem.
Well, maybe we were both a little overzealous.
Is that the best you can do? [SIGHING.]
[CHUCKLING.]
It's OK, Owen.
I'm not in the mood to fight.
I'm here to celebrate.
I got a new job.
Our mayor has appointed me head of the Community Safety Advisory Committee.
The mayor gave you that job? Yeah.
Well, Alison knows somebody needs to keep an eye on the police.
You? You don't think I can handle it? Make sure none of your officers get knocked out with a lead pipe? [TENSE MUSIC.]
[SMALL SIGH.]
You were the first on the scene.
Yeah, I guess that blow wasn't quite hard enough, huh? [SAM CHUCKLING.]
Excuse me.
[WATER RUNNING.]
You always keep pregnancy tests lying around? I was a guidance counsellor in Millwood for 10 years.
These and condoms were the bulk of my business.
- Anything? - Still no.
It's gonna be negative.
I don't know why we're doing this.
Humour me.
You should tell Owen how you feel.
That's not important right now.
If you don't say anything and he does something stupid, it's contributory negligence.
I have tried to talk to him.
Believe me.
It's like I'm not even here.
You ever feel like being with someone is a game of Russian roulette? Whatever you're feeling right now is OK.
What? It's positive.
You're pregnant.
[TENSE MUSIC.]
[RAGGED BREATHING.]
I'm freezing.
How did I fail the other pregnancy test? I have never failed a test in my life.
Don't tell my students this, but sometimes it's not the answers that are wrong, it's the test itself.
Oh, my God! What is it? What if Kodie didn't fail that test? What if the test itself is broken? Kodie has insisted on her sobriety since day one.
Clients lie to us all the time.
And I watched them test Kodie; I didn't see anything sketchy.
OK, but what if we can prove that the test itself was wrong? Can we challenge the evidence? Yes, exactly.
A false positive, faulty equipment, cutting corners.
And if the science is wrong, and Millwood Family Services used it to apprehend Kodie's kids Then we can use that to overturn the custody ruling.
The pastor said a lot of his foster kids' parents were addicts.
It all lines up.
Callie.
But how do we prove it? Kodie's test was administered by Clear Dawn Labs.
If we can establish a pattern of false positives, we can challenge the lab.
OK, thanks.
That was Callie Sparrow.
The mom who Millwood Family Services tagged for neglect on a baby that hasn't even been born yet.
She failed the drug test when applying for a job at the school board.
She says she was clean at the time.
Does she know the name of the lab that did the test? It was Clear Dawn Labs.
[GIRLS LAUGHING.]
[KNOCKING.]
- [DOOR OPENING.]
- Kodie? It's Joanna.
If you want to sink our case, go ahead, take a sip.
House arrest is hell.
Where did you even get that? The worst day of my life happened here.
Everyone keeps asking "What can I do to help," as long as they don't have to actually do anything.
I'm sorry I left you alone today.
It's OK.
I'm a grown-up.
Please give me the bottle.
Kodie, this is not gonna bring your kids back.
I know that.
But I can.
I need you to fail a drug test for me, one more time.
You think you can do that? [SEAGULLS SQUAWKING.]
[DYLAN.]
: Is it is it a good home? Will he have a brother or anything? I saw the photos from the night he was taken away, what you did to him.
They're saying that was me?! What the hell, might as well have been.
I'm the one who called Family Services.
You reported on yourself? No! [SIGH.]
On his dad.
I knew I had to get him out of the house, but I couldn't do it alone.
And then I tested dirty and they didn't believe a thing I said after that.
Why did you hide that from me? Because I trust all the wrong people.
It's what I do.
The lab that processed your test, do you remember the name? - Some lab on Laurent Ave.
- Clear Dawn? Yeah, that's the one.
Excuse me, I am here to see the chief medical officer of Clear Dawn Labs.
You found me.
- Dr.
Solomon Stone.
- Joanna Chang.
I'm a lawyer for Kodie Chartrand.
These are results from the same sample from Kodie Chartrand.
And we did this again with two other subjects: Callie Sparrow and Dylan Hayes.
All false positives.
All from your lab.
How do you explain that? I don't have to explain anything, Ms.
Chang.
We're not in court.
Kodie Chartrand, she's on a 24-hour ankle monitoring for drug consumption, so if she had even, even a milligram of cocaine, her alarm would have gone off.
You're comparing the work of my esteemed lab with an electronic gadget? What safeguards do you have in place to prevent a false positive? She's clearly tampered with the monitoring device.
Dr.
Stone, you must be aware we're onto something here.
So how about you sign an affidavit stating that one of your lab technicians mishandled evidence that resulted in a false positive? - Based on? - Facts.
And then, you will do a review of every single drug test that has come out of this lab.
Ms.
Chang, I have decades of experience analyzing lab results.
I don't make mistakes, but I appreciate your concern.
Any more questions can go through our legal team.
Billy, he lawyered up.
We got him.
This is the situation.
We believe that you're being framed by faulty drug tests at Clear Dawn Labs, and you're not the only one.
I knew Family Services was after me.
I told you.
We can sue Clear Dawn Labs for knowingly providing faulty tests.
Kodie, if we get a guilty verdict, we can use it to overturn your custody ruling.
Family Services took my kids and everyone just went along with it.
I know.
I didn't know how to prove it before, but now I do.
No.
No more proof.
I'm blowing the lid off this thing on the 6 o'clock news.
Kodie, if you do that, you make it impossible for me to win this case.
I can't sit here waiting for you to rescue me.
My kids need to be home.
Kodie, if you go to the press, it is going to be open season on your personal life.
Ms.
Chartrand, how long were you hooked on coke? How long did Ackie abuse Madison before you noticed? Where were you the night Ryan overdosed? The defence will destroy you.
But if we file a civil suit first, they can't use anything that's not in our statement of claim.
We control the narrative and I can protect you.
[SIGH.]
I know it's been a dark time, and nothing moves fast enough to fix what's happening to your family.
[BIRDS CHIRPING.]
True's turning 8.
And suing the lab, that won't bring my kids back.
The problem is everything that Family Services has done up until now has been legal.
Right, so how do I fight someone who's above the law? I think you've been trying to tell me.
They system isn't broken, it's working exactly as it was intended.
So we don't need to fix the system, we need to break it.
We sue Clear Dawn Labs, we break a chain in that system.
Then we take the decision back to family court and we prove that Family Services stole your kids.
This is my arena, Kodie.
I can see a way through this now.
This is how we win.
[SOMBRE MUSIC.]
[BAG ZIPPING.]
Owen? No.
No.
Whatever this is, no! There's a target on my back.
As long as I'm here, you're all in danger.
So you're just gonna leave us here?! Alone, exposed? What is wrong with you? I just need a few days to settle this thing with Mercer once and for all.
He is baiting you, and you are letting him.
Please let this go.
He's threatening me, my staff.
Yeah, and he threatened the kids, but nothing happened! What? When? A long time ago, - but it was just talking.
- No.
He attacked me with a pipe.
It's not just talk.
OK, but we got through that.
We got through that together, babe.
How long were you gonna keep that from me? Honestly, I was afraid you were gonna do exactly what you're planning to do now! [BAG ZIPPING.]
We'll never be safe as long as he's out there.
He has nothing left to lose, you do! Please let this go! [EMOTIONAL MUSIC.]
[DIANE SIGHING.]
No, no.
Fine! Just go! [DOOR OPENING.]
[DOOR CLOSING.]
I guess you're heading back to Winnipeg then.
Yeah, uh, in the morning.
You have everything you need, everything you asked for, - all the police files.
- And then some.
If you hadn't have come, we wouldn't have met Callie, it wouldn't have led us to Clear Dawn.
Now we have a case.
If I didn't know any better, that almost sounded like a compliment.
You did good today, Luna.
Is that my boss or my sister talking? Stop cross-examining me and take a compliment already.
You sent me to the Millwood Police Station where I was falsely arrested.
You think I was being insensitive? You think I was only thinking about the case? I knew how hard it would be for you to ever come back here, that you wouldn't do it without a push.
You are one of the strongest people I know, Luna.
I knew you could do it.
If I didn't believe in you, I wouldn't waste my time.
Thanks.
I think.
And now you know you can come home.
So you're saying you you did this for me and not for the case? A bit of both.
You can head back if you want, but, um, do you remember what you said to me when you found out we were sisters? It was, "Stay.
" You asked me to stay.
This part of Millwood I could get used to.
[LUNA CHUCKLING.]
How was that with Joanna? Ah Preferred running from my past.
Yeah.
People say "Time heals all wounds," but I think it's just giving more practice at stuffing down the pain, you know.
Yeah.
I hate how good I am at it, you know.
Yeah, you had to be.
Your father, this town, they betrayed you.
But somehow, you still managed to come out with all your best parts.
- [VOCALIZATIONS.]
- [SOFT MUSIC.]
I like you, Luna.
- I like you too.
- Oh, I mean I like you and I can't.
- I I work for your sister.
- She won't care.
Yeah, well, she won't care until I let you down, and then she will never forgive me.
So, we're just gonna pretend this never happened? No, it happened, it happened.
It it just can't again.
- Stuff stuff it all away.
- [BOTH CHUCKLING.]
Our statement of claim against Clear Dawn Labs.
Looks good.
You haven't even read it yet.
We both know it's perfect.
I was counting on you to make it more perfect.
We're partners.
[VOCALIZATIONS.]
[BILLY SIGHING.]
I am never having kids.
I'm pregnant.