Without a Trace s03e05 Episode Script

Lynette Shaw.
Thirty years old.
A bookkeeper at a restaurant.
Overweight, unhappy.
This is Lynette when she began American Goddess.
After three brutal months that included 13 surgeries 120 hours in the gym, and a strict 1200 calorie a day diet Lynette beat eight other contestants to be crowned American Goddess.
This is Lynette now.
You've seen her pain, you've seen her gain.
You've seen her take charge of her life.
You've watched at home as she's undergone a miraculous transformation.
Through the wonders of cosmetic surgery and under the guidance of our experts she's gone from being an ordinary, unremarkable young woman I should have worn the blue dress.
Are you kidding? You look perfect.
I want you to go out there, I want you to have fun, okay? Go on.
The American Goddess, Lynette Shaw.
Thank you.
As you all know, being on American Goddess was an opportunity of a lifetime for me.
I have never felt more beautiful or better about myself in my whole life.
You look like a freak.
Who'd say that? Why'd she say that? You're the best, Lynette.
Don't listen, Lynette.
What I learned from the experience You're gorgeous.
Is that none of us is a finished product.
None of us is a product, sweetheart.
Except you.
You're a piece of plastic.
You need to go and call security immediately.
But there are ways to make ourselves better and that's why I wanted to be here to tell you about the new line of American Goddess cosmetics.
What about therapy? Ma'am.
Come on, let's go.
This is ridiculous.
Lynette.
Lynette.
Lynette.
There There are booths out in the lobby where they're doing demonstrations and makeovers.
And I'll be there too.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So, Mr.
Kaplan, how long have you been Lynette's manager? About six weeks.
Since the show ended.
She's gotten pretty famous.
Have you had any problems with stalkers, fans? No.
That woman who shouted out today, that's as bad as it's ever been.
What has she been pursuing? People that go on reality shows, they have an interest in acting or That's not what it was about.
Some of those girls, they'd kill just to get a walk on on a soap.
Lynette just wanted to feel better about herself.
It wasn't about the fame or the money.
What was she doing here today then? Fulfilling her obligation to the company.
That's her mother.
She's worried sick.
Will you have her meet me at Lynette's apartment in an hour? Thanks.
Hi, honey, how you doing? No, no, no.
Any prints? Littered with them.
I got a couple right off the doorknob.
What about the heckler? She was at the diner across the street.
Witnesses? Nope.
Everyone was waiting for makeovers.
Whoever engineered this had pretty good timing.
What about alternate exits? This hallway leads to a service elevator.
Cops are talking to the hotel employees, doing background checks, everything.
You ever watch this show? I don't watch that crap.
You? No.
My wife lets my kids watch it sometimes.
Good if you want your daughters to think surgery's the answer to everything.
You should meet my mom.
She's so confident and put together.
I see the way people treat her.
They all wanna be her friend.
They all wanna be near her.
I remember when I turned 21 my mom threw this party for me and the whole night everyone was just staring at her.
It was my party, but it's like I wasn 't even there.
According to NYPD Lynette never filed any restraining orders.
No complaints of stalkers.
Nothing.
That may not be what this is about.
What you got? This is the audition tape Lynette made for the show.
Look.
I've I've never had a boyfriend.
I've never been with a man like that.
It's just that I know I'm a good person on the inside.
This girl is so desperate to be loved.
Before the show she was invisible.
Now she's a celebrity.
Yeah, for 15 minutes.
That's true.
But guys are probably hitting on her all the time.
She's got zero experience.
Some scumbag buys her a drink, she'll think she hit the lotto.
So we're looking for a scumbag in New York City.
My assistant said the dressing room looked like a hurricane tore through it.
Did Lynette have any problems with the show? Complaints? You kidding? When she came here she was a zilch in every department: Confidence, motivation, presentation.
We made her a star.
She's having the time of her life, that's why it's so tragic.
Tragic for Lynette, but maybe not so tragic for you.
You got motive.
I have what? You have a motive.
Angie Bowman filed sexual harassment charges against you.
Was Lynette gonna do the same thing? We disqualified Angie because she had bulimia.
Lynette brought that to our attention.
She was very concerned about Angie.
She's lying.
She just wants to get rid of me.
I talked to the other girls, they've seen you make yourself throw up too.
I don't believe this.
Angie, I know this is hard but there are places where you can get help.
This is the number for Crestview, that place I told you about.
The mental ward? They saved my life.
Yeah? Then why are you here? I want my surgery.
I'm sorry, Angie.
Hypocrites.
Maybe I shouldn't have done that.
Lynette, you did her a favor.
I hope so.
The next week, Angie filed the suit as retribution.
The girl's a basket case.
So Angie's a basket case.
Lynette spent time in a psychiatric institute.
Is that the criteria for your contestants? Yeah, well, what can I say? Crazy people make better TV.
Yeah, ain't that the truth.
This girl takes Fit 'N' Thin.
So? Fit 'N' Thin equals high maintenance.
It usually comes with a cat, a fat best friend and a daddy complex.
Your compassion is overwhelming.
Look, all I'm saying is, life's too short.
I dated a girl that takes this stuff.
She would talk about how fat she was.
Then she'd spend her whole night at the fridge scarfing down cold pizza.
This is from Kerry Cleaners.
She dropped a dress off there at 8 a.
m.
This morning.
That's right before her appearance at the Carson Hotel.
It says it's for stain treatment.
She put a rush on it.
Maybe it's blood.
According to you, pizza sauce.
She's got messages.
Hey, it's me.
We still on for tonight? Haven 't heard from you.
Me again.
It's almost 6.
You better not be blowing me off again.
Lynette, are you there? What the hell is going on? I'm sick of this.
All three messages left on Lynette's machine they all came from a number at Eagle Stationary in Queens.
How many employees? Only 400.
I'll take A through L, you take the rest.
We'll see what pops.
You're angry over being disqualified.
I was.
But I don't have any problem with her now.
I don't have any problem with anyone.
I even told my lawyer to drop the lawsuit.
I was just being vindictive.
So, what turned you around? I went to Crestview like Lynette said.
And she was right.
It did save my life.
Is that why you called her last week? Ran a check on her phone records.
Your number came up.
I just wanted to get together with her.
For what? To thank her.
I have something to show you.
Oh, my God.
Mark? Can you believe it? That is so beautiful.
It never would have happened without you.
You know, before Crestview I honestly thought a nose job and losing 20 pounds would fix my life.
I am so happy for you.
You deserve this.
So, what about you? Are you seeing anyone? No.
But there is this one guy.
I'm listening.
I've had my eye on him for a long time.
That's why I did this whole Goddess thing in the first place.
But now I just don't know the best way to ask him out.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Hi, sorry to bother you.
Aren't you the American Goddess? Yeah.
Could I get your autograph? Sure.
Okay.
Thank you.
What's your name? Ethan.
Okay.
Sorry.
Those doctors did an amazing job.
Oh, thank you.
Is there a reason they didn't do your ears? Your ears are great.
Beautiful.
Great.
Great.
Thank you.
Enjoy your lunch.
After he left she kept asking me over and over again if he was right if her ears were too big.
It was so sad.
This guy that she did the show for, did she mention his name? No.
She didn't wanna talk about it after that.
Angie Bowman? No, we've never heard of her.
No, Lynette never mentioned her to us.
How long have you known each other? Three years next month.
So you're together? That's how I became Lynette's manager.
Do you think it's possible that Lynette hurt herself? No.
She would never.
I don't understand.
You saw the dressing room.
She was clearly attacked by someone.
It's my understanding she was hospitalized for depression.
That was five years ago.
She in contact with anyone from that hospital? I have no idea.
Lynette doesn't share her personal life.
Meanwhile she has no problem going on national TV and telling the whole country her sob story.
You weren't in favor of Lynette going on the show? Are you kidding? I begged her not to.
Darling, please listen to me.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with being average.
Most people are average, and they live perfectly fine, average lives.
My life isn't perfectly fine.
It isn't even average.
It's horrible.
And making a spectacle of yourself is going to solve it? I applied for a promotion at the restaurant, to be a hostess.
You never told me.
What, you think I wanna be a bookkeeper the rest of my life? No.
But a hostess? It doesn't matter anyway.
I didn't get it.
The manager says I'm not front of the house material.
Which means I'm not pretty enough.
Please, I'm sure there's another reason.
There's probably an applicant with more experience.
You got your eyes done.
I didn't do it in front of a television audience.
Heaven's sake, Lynette, it's a completely different thing.
You told your daughter she was average? There's one thing I'm not gonna do.
I'm not gonna lie to my child.
Lynette has a lot of wonderful qualities: She's honest, she's loyal, she's She's a terrific tennis player.
Wish she'd play more, but she's terrific.
I compliment her all the time.
Don't I, Bruce? Yes, yes.
All the time.
So I will not have you judging me.
My daughter is missing, and I didn't have anything to do with it.
I never suggested you had.
Excuse me, I just I just found these in the magazine stand right there.
Oh, my God, are these of Lynette? She's naked.
Do you know who took them? No, I just I just can't look at them.
Mr.
Kaplan? No, I have no idea.
So much for rush service.
Lynette dropped this off at the cleaners this morning.
They still hadn't gotten to it.
So the stain's still on it? Yep.
I also found this.
Hotel keycard in one of her pockets.
Is it from the Carson? Nope.
I went through Lynette's financials.
There were no recent hotel charges.
This is a pretty hot dress.
Maybe she was on a date and he paid for a room.
You'd hope.
I'm gonna take this to our tech squad see if they can read the strip, find out what hotel it's from.
All right.
The prints that Forensics lifted from the door belong to a guy by the name of Paul Pfeiffer.
Pfeiffer? This guy have a record? No but five years ago he was a patient at Crestview Treatment Center.
Same hospital as Lynette.
Paul Pfeiffer.
He works at Eagle Stationary.
He was the guy who was calling Lynette's apartment last night.
You tried to call her three times before she disappeared, Paul.
We had plans.
So you two are dating? No.
On her application to the American Goddess she wrote: "Paul is the closest person to me in the world.
" You're not dating? She's my friend.
That's it.
You guys met at Crestview? Yeah.
What were you there for? Depression.
What were you doing in her dressing room? We've got your prints all over the place.
I just went over there to talk to her.
That's it.
Paul? I I've been up all night thinking about it, and I can't keep doing this.
What are you talking about? I have always been there for you, Lynette.
Always.
Through everything.
And now you're just moving on? I am sorry.
After all those nights I stayed up talking to you on the phone.
Do you remember that? Of course I do.
I mean, what we had was real.
Our connection was real.
This is not.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
I'm the one, Lynette.
I'm the one that thought you were beautiful no matter what.
Good luck in your new body.
So then I got on the F train, and I went to work.
You can call them and ask them.
Paul, you ever take her picture? I I don't I don't know who took these.
Are there any other guys in her life that you know about? I wouldn't know.
She wouldn't tell me.
I mean, maybe the surgeon from the TV show.
Dr.
Singh.
Yeah.
She sometimes talked about him, about how incredible he was and how handsome.
Apparently Lynette has quite a crush on you.
That happens in this business.
You make a woman feel beautiful, they fall in love with you.
Where were you this morning at 10:00? Well, I was doing an interview for Extra.
And last night? I was giving a seminar at Columbia.
Did Lynette ever talk to you about any of the men in her life? No.
But she has talked to you? According to her phone records, she called you six times last week.
She was in my office.
She was here for a consultation.
What was she here for? Hasn't she had everything done? Apparently not her ears.
They're enormous.
Lynette, you're gorgeous.
I look ridiculous.
You have no idea what it's like walking around knowing people are staring at you to see if you're perfect.
You are perfect.
You're the best work I've done.
Oh, I'm not criticizing you.
You did a great job.
It's me, obviously.
It's me.
I'm sorry, Lynette, but it's too soon after your last surgeries.
Three months.
Something could go wrong.
It's dangerous.
I won't do it.
Then get me a referral.
Lynette, you're famous now.
Every surgeon out there knows how much surgery you've had.
Now, if something were to go wrong, they'd be facing a major lawsuit.
I'm sorry.
I can't do it.
Sounds like she needs a shrink, not a surgeon.
I suggested that, but she wasn't interested.
That guy Lynette told Angie about You find him? No, but Lynette worked as a bookkeeper at a place called Casadora's.
I went over her credit card charges.
The past month, she's eaten there three, four times a week.
Maybe she likes the food.
Well, I'm just thinking that maybe this guy's someone from her old job.
So when Lynette worked here did you ever talk about guys? All the time.
Anyone in particular? Well, that's the problem.
It wasn't anyone.
I kept telling her, " Lynnie, you gotta put yourself out there.
" She thought she was too fat.
I gave her the number of my aunt's doctor in Queens.
He does liposuction.
Half the price as these shysters in the city.
Then she ended up on American Goddess now she's a high roller.
What do you mean, a high roller? Well, look at her.
She's a knockout.
When she comes in here the guys' tongues fall on the floor.
When she comes in now, is there anyone that she flirts with? She certainly seems to have the hots for Hal.
Who's Hal? The manager.
Yeah, you know, I I heard about Lynette.
It's terrible.
You dating her? Are you nuts? Talk about high maintenance.
Shirley said she comes in two or three times a week just to flirt with you.
Yeah, she's been here.
She was here a couple days ago.
You should have seen her.
Hi, Hal.
Lynette.
Hi.
How you doing? New bookkeeper.
Sucks.
Please, sit.
I'm sorry our kitchen's closed, but I can get Marco to make you some pasta No, actually I'm really here because I I'm having a party, and I thought you guys could cater.
Sure.
How many people? I'm not sure.
But I want it to be festive.
It's a celebration.
I'm gonna be in Playboy magazine.
Wow, that is great.
Maybe we could go for drinks sometime? Talk about the party? I could show you the pictures in advance if you want.
Would you like that? So did you ever meet up with her? No.
Why not? Well, guys, she's desperate, right? You sleep with her, she's calling every second of the day.
Maybe she just wanted to talk.
Yeah, about how fat she is and how she never works out.
We'll be in touch.
Okay.
Jack, that was the Submissions Department from Playboy.
They want you to pose for Miss November? Lynette did send them some photographs.
But guess who the photographer was.
Surprise me.
Bruce Kaplan.
Her future stepfather.
You're quite the Renaissance man, aren't you, Mr.
Kaplan? First you're a photographer, then you're a manager.
What else you do? Most of the time now, real estate with Irene.
Yeah, managing Lynette, it's just part time.
What about these? Playboy wanted to do a spread.
It was too much money to turn down.
Oh, Lynette wanted to do it? Yeah.
I mean, she was terrified.
She said she only wanted to do the pictures if I shot them.
Of course, Playboy said no so we did some test shots to try to convince them.
So she wanted her future stepfather to take naked pictures of her? I know how it looks.
No, I don't think you do.
You get 20 years to life for kidnapping.
You get five years for lying to us.
Look, the only reason I lied about these pictures is because when we shot them I screwed up.
Look at you.
You are a natural.
Come here.
Follow me.
Okay.
Okay, that is great.
That is great.
And you were worried? Are you sure they're gonna be okay? Lynette, are you kidding? They are gonna be fantastic.
Lynette, you look so beautiful.
I feel beautiful.
I do.
I really do.
So, so beautiful.
Bruce what are you doing? I don't know.
I'm going to get dressed.
Lynette, I don't know what I was thinking.
L Lynette.
But that is it, okay? Nothing else happened.
I swear to God.
Does her mother know? Bruce told me all about it.
That's why our relationship works.
We tell each other everything.
But not the FBI? No.
Well, I knew how it'd look for Bruce.
So you chose to protect Bruce over protecting your own daughter? Those pictures are not why Lynette is missing.
How do you know? Because Bruce would never hurt her.
So you're not angry with him? Why? She threw herself at him.
He didn't let her go very far.
Is that what he told you? Anyway, I made sure she'd never try that routine again.
What'd you do? I went over to her apartment yesterday.
She wasn't there.
I let myself in and I waited.
She must've been out all night.
She didn't get in until 7:30.
Mom? How dare you.
What? You know better than anyone else.
It's taken years for me to find someone like Bruce and now you wanna seduce him away? What? I didn't No, don't even start, Lynette.
Bruce told me everything.
He said that I tried to seduce him? Did it happen some other way? Mom, I have to be at an appearance in less than an hour and I had a really bad night.
Someone else's fiancé turn you down? I didn't do anything.
Bruce came on to me.
You lying little bitch.
I'm your daughter.
Why can't you just believe me? I'm your mother.
That didn't stop you? It's always stopped me from doing anything.
That's why you didn't want me going on American Goddess.
Because I might get noticed for once.
That wasn't why.
I just didn't think it was gonna make her happy.
It sounds like you were right.
We think she may have been raped.
What? Dress she was wearing that morning had semen on it.
God, by whom? We don't know.
Maybe if you would've asked her why she was so upset, we would know.
Front desk.
Excuse me.
I'll transfer you.
Excuse me.
Front desk.
Excuse me.
I'll be right with you.
Front desk.
I'll transfer you to room service.
This is important, okay? Should I get the manager? Well, that depends.
How can I help you? Have you seen this woman? Who hasn't? She was on American Goddess.
Did she stay at this hotel? She sure did.
Used a gift certificate from the show to pay.
It was two nights ago.
Was she with anyone? A man joined her in the lobby.
Thanks.
Yeah, I'll get them to you as soon as I can.
That was Sam.
She needs photos to show the hotel clerk see if any of our suspects were there.
Well, Paul Pfeiffer was.
It just came up on his credit card.
Wednesday.
Same night as Lynette.
And it looks like he got hammered at the bar.
I was having a drink.
With Lynette? No.
Paul, we know she was there.
Look, we were just supposed to hang out that night order in Chinese, watch a movie.
Like we used to.
And that's why you left her messages.
Yeah.
Finally I went over there and she was on her way out, so I followed her.
Paul? What are you doing here? I thought we were gonna watch Harold and Maude tonight.
I left you a message at work.
Are you here to meet someone? It doesn't matter.
You should just go home.
What? I've practiced saying this to you a thousand times.
Saying what? I know we are friends and But I love you, and I want us to be together.
You're repulsed.
No, I'm flattered.
Well, good.
Paul.
You know how much you mean to me, right? It sounds like there's a "but" coming.
This other person This is something I've been waiting for my whole life.
I'm so sorry.
I watched Harold and Maude alone.
Why didn't you tell us this before? Well, you guys were all over me.
You had my fingerprints on the door, and I had followed her to the hotel.
I just thought it looked bad.
Well, it does.
But we got your DNA in the lab, so we'll know pretty soon how bad.
So sit tight, and we'll get back to you as soon as we know something.
No, that's not him.
He was thinner, better looking.
Okay.
How about this one? Yeah, that's him.
That's definitely the guy.
So you were at the Litton Hotel Wednesday night? Yeah, they got a wicked bar there.
Nobody saw you in the bar.
Somebody did see you in the lobby with Lynette Shaw.
Yeah, I bumped into her there.
Did you go up to the room with her? No.
Guys, I've already told you this, I wasn't interested in her.
Hal, we found semen all over the dress she was wearing that night.
Maybe she got lucky.
It just seems like a big coincidence.
Her being in love with you, you being at the same hotel.
Am I gonna need a lawyer here? I don't know.
Do you? Hal, no one's saying you did anything, okay? We're just trying to figure out what happened that night.
Look, let's say you banged her.
Big deal.
We're not trying to bust you for that.
I mean, I gotta admit, if I could've gone there, I would've gone there.
Couple Scotches, you bang the American Goddess I mean, come on, that's a story, right? Yeah, a horror story.
What, was it a long night? No, the night was fine.
It was the next morning that was the problem.
You don't wanna see me again? Look it was one night, all right? Let's not make it a big deal.
It wasn't good? I thought you had a nice time.
No, it was fine.
Look, I gotta go.
Is there something wrong with me? Is it my ears? Because I know my ears are funny and my arms, I didn't work out for a long time.
It's not your ears.
The scars? Because whatever it is, I can change it.
Shut up! This is my first time.
Oh, and that's my problem? I gave I gave myself to you.
I did this for you.
You're disgusting.
Everything about you disgusts me.
It was a nightmare.
So is that how you get off? Treating women like garbage? I don't treat women like garbage.
Okay? This girl was messed up.
Maybe she has father issues, I don't wanna know.
The point is, she was asking for it, okay? And you know what I'm talking about.
No, I don't.
Restaurant employees confirm Hal Dearborn's alibi.
He was there all morning.
We don't have anything on Paul or Bruce.
You all right? Yeah.
Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm just thinking.
In the 12 hours before Lynette went missing she was rejected by her mother, her best friend the man of her dreams, and her plastic surgeon.
All this girl ever wanted was to be loved.
I mean, that's why she went on that damn show in the first place.
She's in her room and she realizes that all the surgery, the training, the diets they didn't change anything.
She's unhappier than she's ever been.
I think she's the one that trashed that dressing room.
She just couldn 't take it anymore.
I mean, she was trying to escape.
So, what? You think she went off and killed herself? Only thing that makes sense.
But why haven't we found her? We searched all the hotels, the hospitals.
Wait, Danny's got a point.
We know this girl wanted to be loved, right? But for her, she believed in order for that to happen, she had to be perfect.
Maybe she went to get more surgery.
Where? According to Dr.
Singh, nobody would touch her.
Wait a minute.
The cook at the restaurant where she worked suggested that she go see a doctor that was giving liposuctions in Queens.
Hello? Anybody here? Hi, we're here to see Dr.
Varick.
Do you have an appointment? Yes.
He's out of the office.
Is there something I can help you with? We have questions about one of his patients, Lynette Shaw.
Yeah, she had surgery yesterday.
For what? For what? I just want it all undone.
What do you mean? My nose, cheeks, my breasts.
Everything.
I just want them to be what they used to be.
Why? You're beautiful.
You're my niece's idol.
Tell your niece to pick someone else to idolize.
I'm a freak.
I just wanna go back to being Lynette.
Boring, average Lynette.
So, what did Dr.
Varick do? He took out her implants.
Breast, cheek.
And we did her nose.
Were there any complications? No.
We sent her to the recovery center like we always do.
Would you call them for us, see if she's still there? Sure.
Thanks.
Hey, Clancy, it's Amanda over at Dr.
Varick's office.
Is Lynette Shaw still over there? You sure? Okay, thanks.
Is there a problem? Well, she said Lynette never checked in.
How was she supposed to get there? I'm not sure.
Usually I arrange transfer for the patients but Dr.
Varick told me he'd take care of it.
Checked with the country club.
Varick didn't show up for his game today.
We got an APB out on his car.
Background checks show that he was arrested in North Carolina when a patient died on his table.
So he's practicing without a license.
I also ran Varick's accounts.
He took $500 out of an ATM at 8:00 last night which would be right after the surgery.
The ATM's in Chinatown.
Pretty far from Queens.
And nowhere near the recovery center.
Paid cash.
Say nobody bother him.
Is he with anyone? No.
Just him.
What room? Two fifteen.
We'll need the key.
FBI.
Get on the ground now.
Get down! I didn't do anything wrong.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Get on the floor.
She's gonna be okay.
Clear.
This is Agent Fitzgerald.
We need NYPD and an ambulance now.
Lynette.
Lynette.
Paul? I'm Danny Taylor.
I'm with the FBI.
We've been looking for you.
Where's Paul? Hey.
I just wanna let you know we found Lynette.
Is she okay? She's gonna be.
She's at New York Hospital.
You know, she's been asking about you.
She has? You should go see her, Paul.
I will.
Good luck.
Thanks.
Hey.
Hey.
She gonna be okay? Yeah, it looks that way.
She had an allergic reaction to the anesthetics Varick gave her.
He didn't take her to the hospital because he has no license.
Lucky you got there when you did.
Good job.
You too.
Guess you won't be so hard on those Fit 'N' Thin girls anymore, huh? Good night.
Good night.
It's just that I know I'm a good person on the inside but nobody gets a chance to see that because of the way I look on the outside.
If I could just change the way I look, my life would be so much better.