Cold Case s03e16 Episode Script
One Night
Mom, you found my jacket.
You're the best mom in the whole wide world.
Go, Scat, get out of here.
You're gonna be late.
Where's dad? Ed, Stevie's going now! Hold on a minute! Don't go! Can anyone in this house just talk at a normal level? Say "cheese.
" Doesn't he look handsome, Ed? Mom, don't get all weepy.
Jeez.
Wear your seatbelt tonight.
It's pouring cats and dogs out there.
Better get out of here before mom decides she's going to the prom with you.
Okay.
Parental units, I'm out of here.
Don't forget your keys.
The Caddy? Are you serious, dad? Could be making the biggest mistake of my life.
- Thanks, dad.
- Have a great time, son.
Be careful.
Bye.
Bye.
Are you a detective? Yeah.
Can I help you? I have information on a murder.
The boy who died.
His name was Steve Jablonski.
Jablonski.
Sounds familiar.
He was buried alive 26 years ago.
Right.
That was horrible.
Yes, it was.
You got some information? I buried him with this.
You think this guy's for real? Depends on that shovel head.
Lab say how long it'll take? A couple hours, maybe.
Job went cold day one.
Been going through Jablonski's box.
Pretty grim stuff.
Check this out.
Doer made the kid write out his own will.
Sent it to Jablonski's parents.
"My name is Steve Jablonski.
" "This is my last will and testament.
" "Mom, don't worry, because he promised it won't hurt.
" "It'll just be like falling asleep.
" "I'm sorry about the car, dad.
" "Please don't let this get you down," "because I know one day we'll meet in heaven.
" Parents found it in their mailbox a few hours after their son's body turned up.
That's tough.
Cops never went public with it.
And now the doer waltzes in 26 years later.
If he's the doer.
Go find out.
Cold out tonight.
Yeah.
I hate the rain.
So what's your name? John Doe.
That's original.
- And you are? - Detective Rush.
Lilly Rush.
I want you to know that I feel terrible about what happened to that boy.
So why'd you kill him? Couldn't help it.
I'm sorry.
Such a nice kid, so worried about his dad.
Too bad I was the one who stopped to help.
Yeah.
Too bad.
We spent a lot of time talking about dying.
About saying good-bye.
Good-bye? People lose a loved one and they grieve.
When you're the one dying, you lose everyone.
- Ever experience that? - No.
- Can't say I have.
- Steve did.
It was a heartbreaking thing to watch.
Let me level with you, John.
You haven't told me anything the public doesn't know already.
So why should I believe that you did it? You look at me and you see a quiet, simple man.
So did he.
Didn't believe me when I told him he was gonna die.
Can I give you a lift somewhere? Yeah, there's a gas station down off route 291? Sure.
Get in.
I'm Steve, by the way.
Dripping all over your car.
Sorry.
Not a problem.
Call me John.
- Looks like you're headed to a formal.
- My prom.
So you must be what? Great age.
Guess that makes you almost legal, huh? What? You think I poisoned it? Thanks.
To getting to the prom.
To getting to the prom.
That's the turn off for the gas station.
Excuse me? You just passed it.
I hate to tell you this, Steve, but you're gonna die tonight.
That's funny.
How do you feel? Knowing that.
Could you just turn around please? I put something in your beer.
I had to.
I'm sorry I lied.
In a few moments, you'll be unconscious.
It won't hurt.
I think we should go back.
My dad will be really mad about the car.
I knew you'd try that, so I removed the door handle.
There's no point in trying to escape or trying to scream.
No one can hear you for miles.
And then you killed him.
Detective Rush now I remember that name.
You were in the newspapers last year.
You caught that serial killer.
- You getting off on this? - Pardon me? Waltzing in here, playing games, making crap up.
I'm telling the truth.
So tell me how Steve said good-bye.
Don't forget your umbrella on the way out.
"I'm sorry about the car, dad.
" "Please don't let this get you down" "because I know, one day, we'll meet in heaven.
" That's how.
Something you gotta see.
- The lab results came in, Lil.
- Okay.
They found fresh dirt on the shovel.
You did it again.
Didn't you, John? There is another boy.
Time ran out for Steve Jablonski, but maybe not for this one.
This boy's still alive? Steve lasted six hours in the ground.
Maybe he will, too.
He kills once, stops for 26 years and then kills again.
Right.
But as far as we know, this kid's still alive.
ME confirmed it took about six hours before Jablonski ran out of air.
- We gotta hurry.
- So what's the game plan? ID the missing kid.
Probably 17, same age as his first victim.
Check missing persons reports.
Maybe get lucky.
What about this John Doe character? Guy had got no ID, wallet, nothing with his address on it.
- We ran his prints? - No luck.
Jablonski's parents are on their way up.
Maybe they know him.
- In the meantime, we keep him talking? - Right.
He only wants to talk about the 1980 job.
We find out why he did that murder, maybe we save this boy.
So let's cut to the chase, John.
You tell me where this boy is and I'll make sure the DA cuts you a deal.
I'm not interested in deals.
That's not why I'm here.
You're here about Jablonski.
Why not tell us about your other victims? There are no others.
Just him.
And the boy out there now.
- So what's your real name? - It isn't important.
You walk in here confessing to a murder, but you don't want to tell us who you are? What I'm wondering is why wait I mean, you must have been, what? In your late 20s with Jablonski? Knowing who I am isn't going to help you find him.
I'm sorry.
Why'd you make him write his own will? People should have the chance to put their affairs in order.
To make sense of their lives.
- To say good-bye.
- Now, that's real standup.
- Anger is stage number two.
- Excuse me? Like you, he got angry, too.
What happened? You're gonna die tonight, remember? The Caddy.
The Caddy.
I can't just leave it there.
It's, like, his most prized possession.
Who? Your father? I got my grades up, and I spent weekends working on the yard.
So he'd trust you with it.
You gotta turn around.
My dad, he'll think I messed up again.
It's not true.
Sounds like you've been a disappointment to your father.
You gotta turn around! Why are you doing this to me? - To know what it's like to die.
- Why me? You said anger was stage number two.
Stage two of what? The five stages of dying.
The first is denial.
Then anger.
Then bargaining.
Depression and acceptance.
I'm familiar.
- I'm sorry.
- Keep your condolences, please.
Their final thoughts, feelings.
You'll never know what they were.
You wish you did, don't you? Steve Jablonski's mother and father got to.
So stage number three is bargaining, John.
You know what we want.
What about you? - I want to meet them.
- Who? Jablonski's parents.
Why? To tell them I'm sorry.
I used to dream about this moment, fantasize about it.
What I would do to you if we met.
But now I know that won't ever bring my boy back, will it? You left him alone.
In that place.
Steve chose that playground.
Do you want to know why? Tell me, please.
When he was ten years old, he told me that's where he, he hit his first home run.
And that it was the only time in his life that he knew.
Knew what? That you were proud of him.
Tell me tell me what it was like for him at the end.
Are you sure you want to know? I need to know.
Are you sure? You want money? Is that it? Is that what you want? Because my family, they, they've got money, lots of it.
They'll pay anything you want.
I swear they will.
Are you ready to put your affairs in order? My dad is a lawyer.
He will do anything to get me back.
Are you ready to say your final good-bye? Just tell me what you want.
I want you to think about how to say good-bye in your will.
Your last will and testament.
If you let me go, I won't tell.
I swear to god, not a soul.
You can just drive off.
What do you say? I'll do you know, that.
What, Steve? It'll just blow your mind, what I'll do, like, if you Just please don't hurt me.
Mom - I'll kill you! - Lynne, Lynne! - I didn't mean to upset you.
- I'll kill you.
I told you that because your boy was lucky.
You should go.
Please.
- Don't listen to him.
- Some people don't have a loving family and a cozy home to say good-bye to, but Steve did.
We held up our end.
Now it's your turn.
Where is he? Some people just have a locker to call home.
And a vent to keep them warm at night.
You talking about yourself, John? Or him? A locker to call home.
This boy's what? Homeless? Runaway? A vent keeping them warm at night.
Subway station? Or a train station.
Guy's the invisible man.
No one's seen squat.
If this John Doe was even here.
Could be a wild goose chase.
Heating vents, lockers.
You got a better idea? This guy could be jerking us around.
Better than doing nothing, because we're running out of time.
Got less than four hours left.
Put me in a room alone with him, Son of a bitch.
He led us right to it.
- That from our new kid? - Found it taped to this locker.
All we got so far is his name, Justin Bradley.
"This is my last will and testament.
"Everything in my locker goes to you, Valentino.
" "It's not much, but it's all I got in the world.
" "Remember the horses in the field? Maybe we'll meet there one day.
" - That's it.
- Who's Valentino? Vera and Miller are asking around.
Horses in the field.
Could be, like, Jablonski's meet-in-heaven thing? Anything in the locker? Uh, sneakers, sweatshirt, this box.
Why's he carrying this around? Vera found the friend, Valentino.
Picked him up a few minutes ago, right outside the station.
- All right.
Me and Justin kick it time to time.
So what? He work the train station, too, Valentino? You mean, is he hooking? Take a guess, Chico.
When did you see him last? Earlier tonight.
I don't know.
Was he with this guy? I ain't no snitch.
Ask him your own damn self.
Look, we think this guy abducted your buddy.
We think he might kill him.
So, from where we're standing, Chico, you got two options.
Talk or take a ride down to the morgue in a few hours.
Cops You're full of more juice than Johns.
It's all the same to you, I gotta make a living here.
"The horses in the field.
" Does that mean anything to you? - Who told you that? - Your friend Justin in this.
See, this John you're working so hard to protect? He makes his victims write out their own wills before he kills them.
- I saw that guy a few hours ago.
- Yeah.
What else? Justin was standing right there.
Talking about horses in the field.
Cheap bastards could turn up the heat in their rides, know what I'm saying? I'm jacking the next one and riding off into the sunset.
Yeah, sure.
Two-bit hooker like you, Justin, you'll get real far.
If I take the back roads, the cops will never catch me, boy.
That's right.
Saw it in that movie, Thelma and Louise.
Those white girls end up flying off the cliff at the end.
Is that how you want to blaze out? Whatever.
You're tripping.
At least I got a plan.
You gonna get out of here, is that it? That's it.
And go where, mijo? Right here is where you're at.
Don't you forget it.
There was this other place.
My mom brought me there once.
When I was a kid.
There were these horses in a field.
That's where I'm going.
You want to come? What? Forget it.
Don't be scamming my lighter, yo.
Give it back.
I don't want your cheap-ass plastic light.
Ask me again.
- Grandpa's mine.
- Yeah.
- So I'll catch you later or whatever.
- Yeah.
Whatever.
Rode off into the sunset.
That's all I know.
And this guy was in a green minivan.
- You sure about that? - Yeah.
Got a look at his license plate, too.
W-E-J-8 something.
Like "wedgie.
" Whatever, right? Is there anything else you can tell us about Justin? He was a runaway, sick of foster homes.
- On his own since forever.
- He had you.
Truth is, I met Justin two weeks ago.
Barely knew the kid.
You a regular at the train station? Hardly.
- Sure about that? - Yeah, positive.
Because these two kids, you know wonderbread suburbs boy, broke-ass nobody.
- There's nothing in common, right? - Right.
Except they're both 17.
It's a hell of an age, 17.
It was raining when you picked him up tonight.
- It was cold out? - Yes, it was very cold.
But your car is warm.
It's dry.
Justin gets in, he's shivering.
Maybe he's grateful for the warmth, maybe not, all that matters is he's this close.
You can smell his skin, his hair, his breath.
- Anything can happen.
- You're way off base.
- You like teenage boys.
- That's not why I picked him When he begged for his life, what'd you make Justin do? - That's not why I picked him! - Then why pick 17-year-olds? Because the little bastards think they'll live forever! But they won't.
No.
You make sure of that.
In the end, they give up, too.
Here.
This is the place.
Why do you want to die here? Who cares? You wanted me to pick a place, so I did.
There has to be a reason.
There's no reason, okay? What are you waiting for? Do it already.
Kill me.
I have to know, why here? Me and her.
We rode the horses in this field.
Before she got in her car accident.
I was ten.
My mom was all I had in the world.
And this place? Was where I mattered to somebody once.
He's so alone right now.
Out there in the rain.
If only someone would find him.
Boss wants you.
We tracked down his registration off the license plate Valentino gave us.
Who is he? - John Harding, age 54, divorced, father of two, high school teacher.
Who would've thought? Rush and Jeffries are talking with his ex-wife.
I haven't talked to my ex-husband in almost a decade.
I can't help you.
I'm sorry.
What about your sons? They were never close with him.
After the divorce, he just stopped coming by.
Something else you want to share? Not particularly.
How old are your sons? Jack is 16, and Stan is almost 18.
Why? The boy that was killed and the one out there tonight? they're the same age.
We're running out of time, Mrs.
Harding.
John called me this morning, said the tremors had started.
- Tremors? - He said his time was limited.
The tremors signaled the beginning of the end for him.
What are you talking about? He didn't tell you? John has M.
S.
Multiple sclerosis.
My ex-husband is dying.
Multiple sclerosis.
Your muscles atrophy, you go blind, weak.
It can take years until your mind's trapped in a near-dead body.
That's why you bury them alive.
You want to see them die, slowly, the way you're dying.
You may be right.
The five stages of death, you weren't talking about your victims, you were talking about yourself.
Diagnosed 26 years ago, the same year Steve Jablonski goes missing.
Then you go into remission, think you got it beat.
One day your hands are shaking and you know it beat you.
I see you met my ex-wife.
You tell her about your M.
S.
when you got married? Didn't think so.
When did she find out? When our first son was born.
Husband diagnosed with a terminal disease.
She'd be a monster if she dumped you, so she stayed.
Made do.
Settled.
Must've been lonely, you dying, seeing that pity in her eyes.
- She never pitied me.
- No.
She just pretended to still love you.
Takes something out of you, pretending.
You never get it back.
The years go by, and one day you wake up, and you're both strangers.
And alone.
And that's why you picked Steve.
Because he was young, on top of the world, the way you once were.
And Justin he's who you are now.
Alone, afraid.
Do you ever wonder what it must be like alone in the ground, no going back? The final stage.
Finally having to accept remember the horses in the field? Maybe we'll meet there someday.
Will you make sure that Valentino gets it? I will.
- You ready? - No.
Not yet.
It's so cold.
I can't stop shaking.
It's gonna be okay.
Will it hurt? After a while, it's just quiet, still.
Like falling asleep.
I want things to be still.
There are so many things I should have done, I should have said.
I should have asked Valentino one more time.
Asked him what? Do you want to come? You ready, Justin? If I see my mom in heaven, do you think she'll remember me? What is it? The music.
Can you hear? The horses in the field.
That was the music playing.
I remember that music.
I'm ready now.
I think, in the end he accepted.
Is that where Justin is? In that field? Tell us where.
It's too late for him.
For me.
There's a point you have to accept like Justin did that it's over.
We know he buries them where they ask.
Someplace important to them.
For Steve, it was where he hit his first home run.
For Justin, the field he rode horses with his mom.
Same field where he said music was playing.
Music, horses that's a weird combination.
Whatever Justin had in his locker had to be important to him.
- Significant somehow.
- There's nothing here but junk.
Tickets like you'd find at a fairground.
So Horses, music, fair, tickets.
- Merry-go-round.
- How many are there in Philly? I know a few.
Veronica makes me take her.
- You remember where? - Uh, Germantown, corner of Lombardy and, uh, damn.
Fourth street.
- Need a unit at Lombardy and fourth right away.
- Oh, there's another one down near the docks.
The water.
Can't bury him there.
- What's the next one? - There's 20 fairgrounds, and counting.
- We got to narrow it down.
- How? He's gone through all the stages of dying except one.
He needs someone to be there like he was there for Steve, for Justin.
That's why he came in tonight.
The last stage : Acceptance.
He needs to do one more thing before he can accept.
It finally stopped.
The rain.
Did it? You read about me in the papers.
You know I was almost shot.
Yes.
Almost died.
But you didn't.
You killed him first.
That's why I hate the rain.
The quiet it brings.
Why? Because that's what it was like inside my head right before I pulled the trigger.
They say you see the moments of your life right before you die.
No.
Just one moment.
Like Steve did.
Justin.
And, after, I think you're ready to say good-bye.
Why are you here, John? I already told you.
In this room, people tell me all sorts of things.
You can, too.
And I'll listen and not leave you, like everyone else has left you.
- To die alone.
- Like those boys died? How you must hate them.
Steve, Justin.
So young.
Their lives just starting.
They get into cars with strangers and believe they'll live forever.
- You think that's a crime? - It is because they won't.
They should know that and not be disappointed later.
Like you once were.
I've been dying for 26 years.
I never believed.
Didn't you? And I'd give anything to never have walked into that attic.
Never looked down the barrel of his gun.
So I could still believe that I'd live forever.
Remember? No.
It's the most beautiful thing we'll ever do.
Believing that.
I don't remember.
I do.
Wintertime alone on the street learning to ride my bike.
It's almost dark.
I remember the wind in my face, and closing my eyes, and suddenly I'm flying.
You don't hate them because they believe they'll live forever.
You hate them because we once did, too.
Remember? Swimming in the river my friends dared me to jump from the bridge.
It was a hundred foot fall.
Did you? Did you jump? I was 17.
Immortal.
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! You believed when you jumped.
So did Steve.
And Justin.
If only for a moment.
You could have died jumping off that bridge.
But I lived.
Let him live, too.
# Lifehouse's "You And Me" # # What day is it? # # And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive # # I can't keep up # # and I can't back down I've been losing so much time # # Cause it's you and me # # and all of the people with nothing to do # # Nothing to lose And it's you and me # # and all of the people And I don't know why # # I can't keep my eyes off of you # # All of the things # # that I want to say just aren't coming out right # # I'm tripping on words # # You've got my head spinning I don't know where to go from here # # Cause it's you and me # # and all of the people with nothing to do # # Nothing to prove And it's you and me # # and all of the people And I don't know why # # I can't keep my eyes off of you # # There's something about you now # # I can't quite figure out # # Everything she does is beautiful # # Everything she does is right # # Cause it's you and me # # and all of the people with nothing to do # # Nothing to lose And it's you and me # # and all of the people And I don't know why # # I can't keep my eyes off of you #
You're the best mom in the whole wide world.
Go, Scat, get out of here.
You're gonna be late.
Where's dad? Ed, Stevie's going now! Hold on a minute! Don't go! Can anyone in this house just talk at a normal level? Say "cheese.
" Doesn't he look handsome, Ed? Mom, don't get all weepy.
Jeez.
Wear your seatbelt tonight.
It's pouring cats and dogs out there.
Better get out of here before mom decides she's going to the prom with you.
Okay.
Parental units, I'm out of here.
Don't forget your keys.
The Caddy? Are you serious, dad? Could be making the biggest mistake of my life.
- Thanks, dad.
- Have a great time, son.
Be careful.
Bye.
Bye.
Are you a detective? Yeah.
Can I help you? I have information on a murder.
The boy who died.
His name was Steve Jablonski.
Jablonski.
Sounds familiar.
He was buried alive 26 years ago.
Right.
That was horrible.
Yes, it was.
You got some information? I buried him with this.
You think this guy's for real? Depends on that shovel head.
Lab say how long it'll take? A couple hours, maybe.
Job went cold day one.
Been going through Jablonski's box.
Pretty grim stuff.
Check this out.
Doer made the kid write out his own will.
Sent it to Jablonski's parents.
"My name is Steve Jablonski.
" "This is my last will and testament.
" "Mom, don't worry, because he promised it won't hurt.
" "It'll just be like falling asleep.
" "I'm sorry about the car, dad.
" "Please don't let this get you down," "because I know one day we'll meet in heaven.
" Parents found it in their mailbox a few hours after their son's body turned up.
That's tough.
Cops never went public with it.
And now the doer waltzes in 26 years later.
If he's the doer.
Go find out.
Cold out tonight.
Yeah.
I hate the rain.
So what's your name? John Doe.
That's original.
- And you are? - Detective Rush.
Lilly Rush.
I want you to know that I feel terrible about what happened to that boy.
So why'd you kill him? Couldn't help it.
I'm sorry.
Such a nice kid, so worried about his dad.
Too bad I was the one who stopped to help.
Yeah.
Too bad.
We spent a lot of time talking about dying.
About saying good-bye.
Good-bye? People lose a loved one and they grieve.
When you're the one dying, you lose everyone.
- Ever experience that? - No.
- Can't say I have.
- Steve did.
It was a heartbreaking thing to watch.
Let me level with you, John.
You haven't told me anything the public doesn't know already.
So why should I believe that you did it? You look at me and you see a quiet, simple man.
So did he.
Didn't believe me when I told him he was gonna die.
Can I give you a lift somewhere? Yeah, there's a gas station down off route 291? Sure.
Get in.
I'm Steve, by the way.
Dripping all over your car.
Sorry.
Not a problem.
Call me John.
- Looks like you're headed to a formal.
- My prom.
So you must be what? Great age.
Guess that makes you almost legal, huh? What? You think I poisoned it? Thanks.
To getting to the prom.
To getting to the prom.
That's the turn off for the gas station.
Excuse me? You just passed it.
I hate to tell you this, Steve, but you're gonna die tonight.
That's funny.
How do you feel? Knowing that.
Could you just turn around please? I put something in your beer.
I had to.
I'm sorry I lied.
In a few moments, you'll be unconscious.
It won't hurt.
I think we should go back.
My dad will be really mad about the car.
I knew you'd try that, so I removed the door handle.
There's no point in trying to escape or trying to scream.
No one can hear you for miles.
And then you killed him.
Detective Rush now I remember that name.
You were in the newspapers last year.
You caught that serial killer.
- You getting off on this? - Pardon me? Waltzing in here, playing games, making crap up.
I'm telling the truth.
So tell me how Steve said good-bye.
Don't forget your umbrella on the way out.
"I'm sorry about the car, dad.
" "Please don't let this get you down" "because I know, one day, we'll meet in heaven.
" That's how.
Something you gotta see.
- The lab results came in, Lil.
- Okay.
They found fresh dirt on the shovel.
You did it again.
Didn't you, John? There is another boy.
Time ran out for Steve Jablonski, but maybe not for this one.
This boy's still alive? Steve lasted six hours in the ground.
Maybe he will, too.
He kills once, stops for 26 years and then kills again.
Right.
But as far as we know, this kid's still alive.
ME confirmed it took about six hours before Jablonski ran out of air.
- We gotta hurry.
- So what's the game plan? ID the missing kid.
Probably 17, same age as his first victim.
Check missing persons reports.
Maybe get lucky.
What about this John Doe character? Guy had got no ID, wallet, nothing with his address on it.
- We ran his prints? - No luck.
Jablonski's parents are on their way up.
Maybe they know him.
- In the meantime, we keep him talking? - Right.
He only wants to talk about the 1980 job.
We find out why he did that murder, maybe we save this boy.
So let's cut to the chase, John.
You tell me where this boy is and I'll make sure the DA cuts you a deal.
I'm not interested in deals.
That's not why I'm here.
You're here about Jablonski.
Why not tell us about your other victims? There are no others.
Just him.
And the boy out there now.
- So what's your real name? - It isn't important.
You walk in here confessing to a murder, but you don't want to tell us who you are? What I'm wondering is why wait I mean, you must have been, what? In your late 20s with Jablonski? Knowing who I am isn't going to help you find him.
I'm sorry.
Why'd you make him write his own will? People should have the chance to put their affairs in order.
To make sense of their lives.
- To say good-bye.
- Now, that's real standup.
- Anger is stage number two.
- Excuse me? Like you, he got angry, too.
What happened? You're gonna die tonight, remember? The Caddy.
The Caddy.
I can't just leave it there.
It's, like, his most prized possession.
Who? Your father? I got my grades up, and I spent weekends working on the yard.
So he'd trust you with it.
You gotta turn around.
My dad, he'll think I messed up again.
It's not true.
Sounds like you've been a disappointment to your father.
You gotta turn around! Why are you doing this to me? - To know what it's like to die.
- Why me? You said anger was stage number two.
Stage two of what? The five stages of dying.
The first is denial.
Then anger.
Then bargaining.
Depression and acceptance.
I'm familiar.
- I'm sorry.
- Keep your condolences, please.
Their final thoughts, feelings.
You'll never know what they were.
You wish you did, don't you? Steve Jablonski's mother and father got to.
So stage number three is bargaining, John.
You know what we want.
What about you? - I want to meet them.
- Who? Jablonski's parents.
Why? To tell them I'm sorry.
I used to dream about this moment, fantasize about it.
What I would do to you if we met.
But now I know that won't ever bring my boy back, will it? You left him alone.
In that place.
Steve chose that playground.
Do you want to know why? Tell me, please.
When he was ten years old, he told me that's where he, he hit his first home run.
And that it was the only time in his life that he knew.
Knew what? That you were proud of him.
Tell me tell me what it was like for him at the end.
Are you sure you want to know? I need to know.
Are you sure? You want money? Is that it? Is that what you want? Because my family, they, they've got money, lots of it.
They'll pay anything you want.
I swear they will.
Are you ready to put your affairs in order? My dad is a lawyer.
He will do anything to get me back.
Are you ready to say your final good-bye? Just tell me what you want.
I want you to think about how to say good-bye in your will.
Your last will and testament.
If you let me go, I won't tell.
I swear to god, not a soul.
You can just drive off.
What do you say? I'll do you know, that.
What, Steve? It'll just blow your mind, what I'll do, like, if you Just please don't hurt me.
Mom - I'll kill you! - Lynne, Lynne! - I didn't mean to upset you.
- I'll kill you.
I told you that because your boy was lucky.
You should go.
Please.
- Don't listen to him.
- Some people don't have a loving family and a cozy home to say good-bye to, but Steve did.
We held up our end.
Now it's your turn.
Where is he? Some people just have a locker to call home.
And a vent to keep them warm at night.
You talking about yourself, John? Or him? A locker to call home.
This boy's what? Homeless? Runaway? A vent keeping them warm at night.
Subway station? Or a train station.
Guy's the invisible man.
No one's seen squat.
If this John Doe was even here.
Could be a wild goose chase.
Heating vents, lockers.
You got a better idea? This guy could be jerking us around.
Better than doing nothing, because we're running out of time.
Got less than four hours left.
Put me in a room alone with him, Son of a bitch.
He led us right to it.
- That from our new kid? - Found it taped to this locker.
All we got so far is his name, Justin Bradley.
"This is my last will and testament.
"Everything in my locker goes to you, Valentino.
" "It's not much, but it's all I got in the world.
" "Remember the horses in the field? Maybe we'll meet there one day.
" - That's it.
- Who's Valentino? Vera and Miller are asking around.
Horses in the field.
Could be, like, Jablonski's meet-in-heaven thing? Anything in the locker? Uh, sneakers, sweatshirt, this box.
Why's he carrying this around? Vera found the friend, Valentino.
Picked him up a few minutes ago, right outside the station.
- All right.
Me and Justin kick it time to time.
So what? He work the train station, too, Valentino? You mean, is he hooking? Take a guess, Chico.
When did you see him last? Earlier tonight.
I don't know.
Was he with this guy? I ain't no snitch.
Ask him your own damn self.
Look, we think this guy abducted your buddy.
We think he might kill him.
So, from where we're standing, Chico, you got two options.
Talk or take a ride down to the morgue in a few hours.
Cops You're full of more juice than Johns.
It's all the same to you, I gotta make a living here.
"The horses in the field.
" Does that mean anything to you? - Who told you that? - Your friend Justin in this.
See, this John you're working so hard to protect? He makes his victims write out their own wills before he kills them.
- I saw that guy a few hours ago.
- Yeah.
What else? Justin was standing right there.
Talking about horses in the field.
Cheap bastards could turn up the heat in their rides, know what I'm saying? I'm jacking the next one and riding off into the sunset.
Yeah, sure.
Two-bit hooker like you, Justin, you'll get real far.
If I take the back roads, the cops will never catch me, boy.
That's right.
Saw it in that movie, Thelma and Louise.
Those white girls end up flying off the cliff at the end.
Is that how you want to blaze out? Whatever.
You're tripping.
At least I got a plan.
You gonna get out of here, is that it? That's it.
And go where, mijo? Right here is where you're at.
Don't you forget it.
There was this other place.
My mom brought me there once.
When I was a kid.
There were these horses in a field.
That's where I'm going.
You want to come? What? Forget it.
Don't be scamming my lighter, yo.
Give it back.
I don't want your cheap-ass plastic light.
Ask me again.
- Grandpa's mine.
- Yeah.
- So I'll catch you later or whatever.
- Yeah.
Whatever.
Rode off into the sunset.
That's all I know.
And this guy was in a green minivan.
- You sure about that? - Yeah.
Got a look at his license plate, too.
W-E-J-8 something.
Like "wedgie.
" Whatever, right? Is there anything else you can tell us about Justin? He was a runaway, sick of foster homes.
- On his own since forever.
- He had you.
Truth is, I met Justin two weeks ago.
Barely knew the kid.
You a regular at the train station? Hardly.
- Sure about that? - Yeah, positive.
Because these two kids, you know wonderbread suburbs boy, broke-ass nobody.
- There's nothing in common, right? - Right.
Except they're both 17.
It's a hell of an age, 17.
It was raining when you picked him up tonight.
- It was cold out? - Yes, it was very cold.
But your car is warm.
It's dry.
Justin gets in, he's shivering.
Maybe he's grateful for the warmth, maybe not, all that matters is he's this close.
You can smell his skin, his hair, his breath.
- Anything can happen.
- You're way off base.
- You like teenage boys.
- That's not why I picked him When he begged for his life, what'd you make Justin do? - That's not why I picked him! - Then why pick 17-year-olds? Because the little bastards think they'll live forever! But they won't.
No.
You make sure of that.
In the end, they give up, too.
Here.
This is the place.
Why do you want to die here? Who cares? You wanted me to pick a place, so I did.
There has to be a reason.
There's no reason, okay? What are you waiting for? Do it already.
Kill me.
I have to know, why here? Me and her.
We rode the horses in this field.
Before she got in her car accident.
I was ten.
My mom was all I had in the world.
And this place? Was where I mattered to somebody once.
He's so alone right now.
Out there in the rain.
If only someone would find him.
Boss wants you.
We tracked down his registration off the license plate Valentino gave us.
Who is he? - John Harding, age 54, divorced, father of two, high school teacher.
Who would've thought? Rush and Jeffries are talking with his ex-wife.
I haven't talked to my ex-husband in almost a decade.
I can't help you.
I'm sorry.
What about your sons? They were never close with him.
After the divorce, he just stopped coming by.
Something else you want to share? Not particularly.
How old are your sons? Jack is 16, and Stan is almost 18.
Why? The boy that was killed and the one out there tonight? they're the same age.
We're running out of time, Mrs.
Harding.
John called me this morning, said the tremors had started.
- Tremors? - He said his time was limited.
The tremors signaled the beginning of the end for him.
What are you talking about? He didn't tell you? John has M.
S.
Multiple sclerosis.
My ex-husband is dying.
Multiple sclerosis.
Your muscles atrophy, you go blind, weak.
It can take years until your mind's trapped in a near-dead body.
That's why you bury them alive.
You want to see them die, slowly, the way you're dying.
You may be right.
The five stages of death, you weren't talking about your victims, you were talking about yourself.
Diagnosed 26 years ago, the same year Steve Jablonski goes missing.
Then you go into remission, think you got it beat.
One day your hands are shaking and you know it beat you.
I see you met my ex-wife.
You tell her about your M.
S.
when you got married? Didn't think so.
When did she find out? When our first son was born.
Husband diagnosed with a terminal disease.
She'd be a monster if she dumped you, so she stayed.
Made do.
Settled.
Must've been lonely, you dying, seeing that pity in her eyes.
- She never pitied me.
- No.
She just pretended to still love you.
Takes something out of you, pretending.
You never get it back.
The years go by, and one day you wake up, and you're both strangers.
And alone.
And that's why you picked Steve.
Because he was young, on top of the world, the way you once were.
And Justin he's who you are now.
Alone, afraid.
Do you ever wonder what it must be like alone in the ground, no going back? The final stage.
Finally having to accept remember the horses in the field? Maybe we'll meet there someday.
Will you make sure that Valentino gets it? I will.
- You ready? - No.
Not yet.
It's so cold.
I can't stop shaking.
It's gonna be okay.
Will it hurt? After a while, it's just quiet, still.
Like falling asleep.
I want things to be still.
There are so many things I should have done, I should have said.
I should have asked Valentino one more time.
Asked him what? Do you want to come? You ready, Justin? If I see my mom in heaven, do you think she'll remember me? What is it? The music.
Can you hear? The horses in the field.
That was the music playing.
I remember that music.
I'm ready now.
I think, in the end he accepted.
Is that where Justin is? In that field? Tell us where.
It's too late for him.
For me.
There's a point you have to accept like Justin did that it's over.
We know he buries them where they ask.
Someplace important to them.
For Steve, it was where he hit his first home run.
For Justin, the field he rode horses with his mom.
Same field where he said music was playing.
Music, horses that's a weird combination.
Whatever Justin had in his locker had to be important to him.
- Significant somehow.
- There's nothing here but junk.
Tickets like you'd find at a fairground.
So Horses, music, fair, tickets.
- Merry-go-round.
- How many are there in Philly? I know a few.
Veronica makes me take her.
- You remember where? - Uh, Germantown, corner of Lombardy and, uh, damn.
Fourth street.
- Need a unit at Lombardy and fourth right away.
- Oh, there's another one down near the docks.
The water.
Can't bury him there.
- What's the next one? - There's 20 fairgrounds, and counting.
- We got to narrow it down.
- How? He's gone through all the stages of dying except one.
He needs someone to be there like he was there for Steve, for Justin.
That's why he came in tonight.
The last stage : Acceptance.
He needs to do one more thing before he can accept.
It finally stopped.
The rain.
Did it? You read about me in the papers.
You know I was almost shot.
Yes.
Almost died.
But you didn't.
You killed him first.
That's why I hate the rain.
The quiet it brings.
Why? Because that's what it was like inside my head right before I pulled the trigger.
They say you see the moments of your life right before you die.
No.
Just one moment.
Like Steve did.
Justin.
And, after, I think you're ready to say good-bye.
Why are you here, John? I already told you.
In this room, people tell me all sorts of things.
You can, too.
And I'll listen and not leave you, like everyone else has left you.
- To die alone.
- Like those boys died? How you must hate them.
Steve, Justin.
So young.
Their lives just starting.
They get into cars with strangers and believe they'll live forever.
- You think that's a crime? - It is because they won't.
They should know that and not be disappointed later.
Like you once were.
I've been dying for 26 years.
I never believed.
Didn't you? And I'd give anything to never have walked into that attic.
Never looked down the barrel of his gun.
So I could still believe that I'd live forever.
Remember? No.
It's the most beautiful thing we'll ever do.
Believing that.
I don't remember.
I do.
Wintertime alone on the street learning to ride my bike.
It's almost dark.
I remember the wind in my face, and closing my eyes, and suddenly I'm flying.
You don't hate them because they believe they'll live forever.
You hate them because we once did, too.
Remember? Swimming in the river my friends dared me to jump from the bridge.
It was a hundred foot fall.
Did you? Did you jump? I was 17.
Immortal.
Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump! You believed when you jumped.
So did Steve.
And Justin.
If only for a moment.
You could have died jumping off that bridge.
But I lived.
Let him live, too.
# Lifehouse's "You And Me" # # What day is it? # # And in what month? This clock never seemed so alive # # I can't keep up # # and I can't back down I've been losing so much time # # Cause it's you and me # # and all of the people with nothing to do # # Nothing to lose And it's you and me # # and all of the people And I don't know why # # I can't keep my eyes off of you # # All of the things # # that I want to say just aren't coming out right # # I'm tripping on words # # You've got my head spinning I don't know where to go from here # # Cause it's you and me # # and all of the people with nothing to do # # Nothing to prove And it's you and me # # and all of the people And I don't know why # # I can't keep my eyes off of you # # There's something about you now # # I can't quite figure out # # Everything she does is beautiful # # Everything she does is right # # Cause it's you and me # # and all of the people with nothing to do # # Nothing to lose And it's you and me # # and all of the people And I don't know why # # I can't keep my eyes off of you #