Medium s06e19 Episode Script
Sal
"But deliver us from evil.
"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
" Amen.
You done? What was that? I think it was Marie.
What is it, sweetie? What's wrong? Daddy, Daddy, there was a man out there.
What? What? It's okay.
The guy's name is Matt Mulhearn.
Did you know him? Not really.
I'd see him around from time to time.
I'd wave at him or his wife.
Oh, my God, his wife, his kids.
They're fine.
Everyone except Mr.
Mulhearn here was in Chandler with one of the grandparents.
Wife's on her way back now.
This is the third home invasion murder in the past month.
The first two happened in the Western Precinct so, uh, their homicide squad's handling the investigation, but this matches the M.
O.
Exactly.
Someone pried open the back door, forced your neighbor here to open the family safe, and then put a bullet in the back of his head.
I know.
I dreamt it last night.
Th-The last part of it anyway.
But you mean you didn't come all the way out here to say hi? So, uh give me a description of the shooter.
I can do one better than that.
I can give you an eyewitness.
Hey, Mommy, what happened? What's with all the cop cars outside in the middle of the night? Our neighbors, the Mulhearns-- somebody broke into their house.
Are they okay? Well, it could have been worse.
Only Mr.
Mulhearn was home.
Sweetie-- honey, the police are going to want to talk to you tomorrow about that man that you saw.
Is he going to come back? No, honey.
The people that I work with, they're going to catch him.
They're going to put him in jail.
Okay, but can I please sleep with you guys tonight? Of course you can.
Wait a second.
Well, then who's going to sleep with me? Remember how when we first moved in here, I'll call tomorrow.
I'm interested in Southfork because it combines the advantages of a small school with the benefits of a large public university.
The ratio of teachers to students is low, which is something I'm definitely looking for.
Okay.
What do you think? Does it sound weird talking about ratios? Maybe I should just say, like, "Class sizes" Or something.
I don't think it matters.
I mean, you already rocked your SATs.
You really think this interview is that important? It's for Southfork.
I mean, they're sending someone all the way down here to do it.
World themes is calling.
You ever read Beowulf? Uh-uh.
Yeah, me either, and I'm about to have a test on it.
Later.
Good luck.
Southfork, huh? That's a good school.
Tough to get into, though.
That's what I hear.
Did you know that less than ten percent of the people who applied there last year got in? Those are brutal odds.
Excuse me, do you work here? Are you a-a teacher or something? No.
Okay, so then what are you doing here? Why are you hanging around a high school library? People are trying to study.
Oh, don't worry, nobody can hear us.
Honest.
Honest! You're Yeah, as a doornail.
Almost three months now.
Heart attack.
Tenth mile of a training run.
My name is Alan Hahn, Dr.
Alan Hahn.
I was a A professor of romantic literature at Southfork.
Tenured professor.
Head of the department actually.
Okay.
Well, then it's, um, it's really nice to meet you, I guess.
Well, it's nice to meet you, too.
GIRL : Rhonda, Rhonda RHONDA: I'm sorry.
Ariel I think I can help you get into Southfork.
In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll get into Southfork.
Really? Mm-hmm.
How can you be so sure? Well, when I was alive, I was married to a woman named Sondra Hahn-Barker.
Sound familiar? She's interviewing me tomorrow.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, Sondra is a very successful attorney.
She's one of Southfork's must active alumni.
She's on the board of directors.
She's raised god knows how much money for that place If you get her stamp of approval, you are in- it's as simple as that.
And I can tell you exactly how to do it.
If you listen to me, you will give the interview of Sondra's life, 'cause I know just what she wants to hear.
Okay, but Why would you do that for me? A very good and canny question.
It is, after all, a rather large favor.
In return for which, I'm asking only a small one.
At the interview, Sondra will have a laptop.
It was mine.
There's a file on there I'd rather she not see.
When an opportunity presents itself-- and I know that one will-- all you have to do is just delete the file.
How do you know that she'll leave me alone with that computer? Oh, the same way I know that you're going to pass this interview with flying colors.
Yes, it's one of the few perks of my current condition.
What else do you need to know? What's on this file that you want me to delete? Uh, it's personal.
It's, uh, no big deal.
It's just-- it's embarrassing.
Honestly, there's just some, uh, material I'd rather, you know, my wife not know about.
Some Web sites I was visiting, you know.
I think you-you understand what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I got the idea.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Hello.
Your security system is ready for activation.
Cool.
It talks.
Sure does.
The 2100 will even react to the sound of your voice, if your hands are full and you can't punch in your code.
Okay, um AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is armed.
Once it's armed, and the sensor's been tripped, you have 20 seconds to turn it off before the alarm goes off.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is disarmed.
What else does it say? Excuse me? The alarm.
What else does it say? Uh, pretty much just " Armed" And "Disarmed.
" I can set it up to tell you which alarm sensor's been tripped if you want.
Can it say our name? Not quite there yet.
Maybe next year's model.
All right, well, the alarm is set.
Don't open a window unless you want the police here.
Good to know.
You've been, uh, in there for 45 minutes.
What have you been doing? I was making the Mulhearns lasagna.
I'm going to drop it off in the morning.
Oh, that poor woman.
I think her name is Amy.
I can't even imagine what she's dealing with right now.
Losing her husband suddenly like that? Mommy? I can't get tired.
I'm still too scared.
You know we've got an alarm now, sweetie, right? It's on and everything.
I know.
You want to sleep with us again tonight? Hmm? All right.
Come on, you little one.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is armed.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is disarmed.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is armed.
AUTOMATED VOICE: It's all right, Marie.
The house is safe.
You heard me.
I said you're safe.
You could talk? I sure can, Marie.
My name's Sal, and I'm here to protect you.
And I hope that you and I are going to be very good friends.
Oh.
Hi.
Allison, right? Um, I hope I'm not intruding.
Thank you.
Everyone's been so kind.
I can't tell you how much we appreciate it.
Um, would you like to come inside? Another neighbor brought a deli tray by.
I-I made coffee.
Well, I would love to.
I'm, I'm just a little late for work.
Um, another time? Okay.
I've actually got to get going, too, Amy.
Oh.
Okay.
Um Allison, have you ever met Josh Berryman? He lives right around the corner.
Hate that we're meeting 'cause of this, but, uh, it's always nice to meet your neighbors.
Take care, Amy.
Bye.
Berryman worked as a software consultant until his company went under; That was about two years ago.
Wife filed for divorce ten months ago.
Mortgage is eight months in arrears.
Does he have an alibi for the night of the Mulhearn murder? Nope.
Doesn't have one for the nights of the other two murders, either.
Way Berryman tells it, he spends most nights watching TV at home by his lonesome.
Still and all, I know this guy's broke, but, uh He just doesn't strike me as the home-invading, execution-style-murdering type.
It's him.
He did it.
He's the man I saw.
Well, there's one way to find out for sure.
You ready? Okay, Marie, you see all those men in the room there? Let me tell you a secret.
You can see them, but they can't see you.
Okay? So all you have to do is point out the man that you saw running through your backyard, and the police here will take care of the rest.
All right? All right.
Good.
So, do you see him? No.
Are you sure, sweetie? Maybe you want to take another look? No, I don't think I remember.
Marie, sweetie, that man can't see you.
You have nothing to be afraid of.
No, I don't remember his face, Mommy.
I'm sorry.
But, honey, you looked right at him.
Al.
She said she doesn't see him.
she really saw the guy? Well, she did her best.
Can we do that again tomorrow? Look, I know Marie saw that man's face.
I just need a little more time to talk to her.
Aaaaa You mean nobody else has come forward to say they saw him? SCANLON: No.
And so far, forensics has nothing to tie him to the scene.
So, without your daughter's I.
D.
, we got nothing on this guy.
You can't just let him go.
Allison, no one is questioning what you saw.
But there is simply not enough evidence to justify holding him.
He's a killer, sir.
He lives down the street from my family.
From my daughters! All right.
By law, I can hold him for 24 hours without charging him.
But if we don't find enough evidence between now and then You have to let him go; I understand.
Those dorms, oh, my goodness.
Which one is it- the one that was built in 1842? Well, that's Whitman Hall.
That's where I lived as a freshman.
You did? You're kidding.
No.
Sorry.
Oh, it's my office; I'm going to have to take this.
I thought I'd be done by now.
I didn't expect to find someone so engaging.
Do you want me to wait outside? No, no.
I'm gonna run to the ladies' room after.
This'll just take a sec.
Hello, this is Sondra.
Hi.
That's your cue, kiddo.
You got about 90 seconds.
Are you sure this is the right file you want me to delete? Stop looking at it and just do it.
But I don't get it.
Why do you want to delete a bunch of baby photos? Oh.
Happy now? Just do it.
You were involved with this person.
And you lied to me.
You know what? I already nailed that interview.
So I don't need to erase any of this for you.
Fine.
If you think my wife's life, or anyone's life, is gonna be made better by looking at those pictures, go ahead, just leave them.
But you've got eight seconds to decide.
Six.
Four.
All right, Ariel, ready to dive back in? Absolutely.
You did very well in there today.
I think you're a lock.
I just wanted to, you know, check in, make sure you're not thinking about doing anything rash.
You mean you want to know if I'm gonna tell your wife that you were involved with another woman and had a baby with her? That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it, Ariel? Y-You don't know that that's my baby.
Are you saying it isn't? I'm saying, the paternity of that child has never been established.
Not to my satisfaction.
Not to your satisfaction? Is he your child, or isn't he? I don't know how to answer that, Ariel.
That is a mystery which is now, sadly, lost to the sands of time.
You know, the woman, uh, you saw in those pictures-- I wasn't the only person she was dating at the time.
Uh, Abby was a student of mine.
A very, uh, uh, popular student.
Okay, but in those photos, she obviously thought that it was your child.
You-you know what? I'm not getting into this with you.
Uh, have a wonderful life.
Enjoy Southfork, hmm? Uh, and here comes my wonderful widow Sondra.
What's wrong, Marie? There's no reason to be scared.
I told you I'd keep you safe.
I can't help it.
I understand.
It's a dangerous world out there.
That's why I'm here- to keep you safe.
To warn you about the bad guys, and to scare them away if they come too close.
And do you know why you're here? To help me.
And that means you have to listen to what I say.
You have to do what I ask you to do.
Because I'm the one in charge of keeping everyone safe.
You understand that right, Marie? That's easy to understand, isn't it? You listen to me, and everything is fine.
You don't listen to me, and your whole family dies in their beds.
How's that sound? Marie? What are you doing? I couldn't sleep.
Who were you talking to? No one.
Are you sure? Come here.
Honey, if anyone ever threatened you, if anyone ever told you things to scare you about our family, you would tell me, right? You know Mommy works with the police.
I would get them to put that person in jail.
And even if it wasn't a person, you would still tell me, right? Because you know, I would never let anyone or anything hurt you.
You know that, right? Oh, honey Were you talking to that alarm? Was the alarm talking to you? You can tell me.
It talks when you turn it on.
Well, I-I know that, but other than that.
Mommy, burglar alarms don't talk.
Not really.
I'm gonna go back to bed now, okay? Okay, so the burglar alarm is evil? No, Joe, that's not what I'm saying.
Not exactly.
Okay.
What are you saying exactly? I'm saying that in my dreams, this thing is talking to our daughter, and I don't like what it's saying.
And I know how that sounds, but I've seen it.
I come in tonight.
Marie is standing in front of the alarm.
And it's dark.
But I'm pretty certain that she was talking to it.
Al, I'm having a hard time following you down the rabbit hole on this one.
I know this thing seems pretty high-tech because it talks, but it's act It's actually fairly simple.
In terms of programming power, it's about as sophisticated as the toaster oven.
Smart people have been experimenting with artificial intelligence for decades now, but I doubt that anybody has cracked the problem, snuck it into a burglar alarm without telling anyone.
Okay.
Then why don't you explain why I'm seeing this? The burden of proof is on me here? Yeah.
Okay, fine.
If I had to guess, I would say that you are dreaming about what Marie is seeing in her imagination.
Kids sometimes respond to trauma by creating imaginary friends.
Marie has been through a trauma, and if she's getting comfort by giving the burglar alarm a personality, by imagining it can keep us all safe, why is that such a big deal? It's not comforting her, it's threatening her! It's telling her that we're all gonna die.
And you know what? I don't care if you can't explain it.
I don't like it! I'm gonna call the company tomorrow, and I'm gonna have them take it out.
Well, hold on a second, Al.
We just spent $2,200 on this thing.
I'm not saying we won't have an alarm.
I just want a different model; One that doesn't talk.
Your security system is armed.
Who asked you? No! Allison, what can I do for you? Did I just see Josh Berryman in here? You sure did.
We released him this morning, so I asked him to come by so I could personally apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment Apologize? You didn't see the paper this morning, did you? There was another home invasion last night in El Mirage.
They cleaned out the safe and shot a retired couple in the back of the head.
Since Mr.
Berryman was in our custody last night, it seems unlikely that he was involved.
That, plus the utter paucity of any evidence against him, well, there's really no basis on which to hold him.
But I saw him do it.
That's all well and good.
No, no, no, you're not hearing me.
Obviously, it wasn't him last night.
I don't know if he committed these other murders, but I know he killed my neighbor.
I saw him do it.
I can even tell you exactly where the murder weapon is.
What are you doing? I thought we had a deal.
Yeah, I thought I was supposed to help you get rid of some porn.
Yeah-- is this about the baby? Are you still upset about the baby? The paternity of that child has never been established.
All I know is that that information was on your computer when you died.
Okay, so maybe your wife was supposed to find it.
I'm not sure.
I'm just sure that I was never supposed to remove it.
You think that's going to make a difference? That kid is nothing to Sondra.
My family's obligation to that boy died when I did.
Yeah, well, that's not up to me to decide.
And you don't know.
Maybe she'll want to help.
Y-You're talking about my wife? That woman sues people for a living.
She would personally kill the last baby seal on the planet if she thought there was a dollar in it for her.
That, that kid is nothing to Sondra.
She'll do nothing for that kid.
Maybe she will, maybe she won't.
It's not up to me.
You might as well stop talking because there is nothing that you can do to stop me.
Oh, I know that.
I'm not trying to stop you.
I'm just trying to, uh, delay you.
Ariel.
Mrs.
Hahn-Barker.
Uh, great, I've been waiting for you.
You have? Uh, yeah.
Sorry, my, uh, my dad said that he'd, uh, get me a laptop when I go to college, so, yeah, I just saw it lying here and, and wanted to check it out.
I, uh, I got home the other day and realized that I wanted to send you a thank-you note, uh, thanking you for taking the trouble to interview me, uh, and then I realized that I don't have a home or business address to send it.
That's completely unnecessary.
Here's my card.
Thanks.
Ariel.
You gave a great interview the other day.
Southfork is very excited about you.
Thank you.
Bye.
Hello.
Yeah, I just wanted to let you know I'm right around the corner from your place.
I'd ask if I can stop by for dinner, except I smell like I've been rooting around in a sewer all day, which is exactly what I've been doing.
Tell me you found the gun.
I wish I could.
We searched that grate you pointed out to us and then we poked our heads down every manhole on the block.
You'd be surprised at some of the things your neighbors flush down the toilet, but there's no gun down there.
I don't understand.
It was sitting there, I saw it sitting there.
I don't know what to tell you, Allison.
If there was a murder weapon down there, it's gone.
That's good, Marie.
You're a very cooperative little girl.
Al, what the hell are you doing out here? I'm looking for something.
What? This.
Whoa! This is the gun that Josh Berryman used to kill Matt Mulhearn.
I think Marie put it in here.
I think tha-that alarm told her to.
No, I didn't.
Marie, I know you did.
I saw you put that gun in the trash can.
Look, honey, I'm not mad at you.
I just want you to tell me what happened.
Don't look at that alarm, you look at me.
Look, I know you're scared.
I know that thing has been talking to you, but it cannot hurt you.
It cannot hurt us.
I need you to tell me what it told you to do.
You're scaring me, Mommy.
Burglar alarms do not talk.
Well, that one does, and we both know it does.
Okay, come on, Marie, why don't you go back, see if you can get a little more sleep? Joe! We will talk about this later, okay? I'm sorry, Mommy.
She's lying! This thing is making my daughter lie to me! For God's sake, are you listening to yourself? I am getting rid of that thing right now.
What are you talking about? They're coming to replace it the day after tomorrow.
Do you know how to dismantle that thing? I can cut some wires.
No.
Okay, just do me a favor- give it to me.
If you're dead set on doing this, at least take advantage of the fact you're married to an engineer.
And you do me a favor- don't shock me or anything.
Very funny.
Just don't ask me where I found it.
Am I allowed to ask you what it is? It's the gun that Josh Berryman used to kill Matt Mulhearn.
Look, I know another crime happened while he was in custody.
I know you made nice with the guy yesterday.
Just run whatever tests you need to.
You'll see I'm right.
Ariel.
Mrs.
Hahn-Barker.
I thought you were, uh, were heading home.
I delayed my flight for a couple of hours.
I wanted to speak with you about something.
Uh sure.
I found a file on my computer yesterday, and I think that you put it there.
It's the only possibility that makes any sense.
Thank you for not bothering to deny it.
Do you know her? The young woman in the photos? No, I never met her.
She said the same thing about you.
I spoke with her.
If, in fact, that young boy is my late husband's son I've decided to take some of the money that Alan left behind to provide for him.
I'm glad.
So if you didn't know the girl, then you must have known Alan.
Putting that file on my computer for me to find, I can only assume you had some score to settle with him.
I've learned an awful lot about my late husband over the last 24 hours.
I can't imagine what would have brought you to Oregon or to Southfork.
The summer program for high schoolers, I'm guessing.
So which one of his lectures on romantic literature reeled you in? Sense and Sensibility? The Lady of the Lake? That was always one of my favorites.
The Scarlet Letter? No, I've never been to Oregon.
I have never heard your late husband's lecture.
And I swear that I never met him while he was alive.
You what want to know what should have been my first clue? Your interview.
All those carefully polished answers.
You sounded exactly like him.
It is a shame.
I liked you.
I actually felt good about championing you to the Director of Admissions.
Well I have a plane to catch.
Stop that.
You brought this on yourself.
You didn't need to get involved with him.
You didn't need his help.
No.
You're a smart girl.
You're going to get into some wonderful school.
Just not this one.
Why did you guys rip the alarm off of the wall? You want to field that one, dear? It wasn't working right.
O-Kay.
But why isn't Marie coming out of our room? I think she misses the alarm.
Okay.
Go get your sisters.
I know Marie's in mourning, but she still has to eat.
Hello? Allison.
I'm sorry I didn't get back to you before you left.
I wanted you to know you were right.
According to Forensics, that gun you brought in was used to execute Matt Mulhearn.
Sir, that's great news.
I'm not finished.
Now, we can tie the weapon to the murder, but not to the man you believe pulled the trigger.
I'm afraid that the gun was wiped clean of fingerprints before you brought it in.
Also, the serial number was filed away, so there's no way to trace it.
Bottom line is, we simply cannot connect it to Josh Berryman in any way.
So he just gets away with it? In the absence of further developments, I'm afraid so.
Look, I know this hits you quite literally close to home, and I want you to know how sorry I am.
I understand, sir.
Thank you.
So, I-I did like you told me.
I-I went to the bar in Avondale, and I bought this from a guy who deals drugs in the parking lot.
And, um, I went to the bank.
Um, I-I got a safe deposit box.
But, you know, don't-don't worry, because I-I-I won't spend it till a couple months after the job's done.
But, uh You got the money, right? I guess it's really gonna happen, I guess.
I'm actually Gonna kill someone.
Hey.
Listen.
Calm down.
It's going to be fine.
Just be sure you Shoot me in the back of the head.
We need it to look like the other break-ins.
So now you know.
I hired Josh to kill me.
That voice.
You sound exactly like The burglar alarm? Yeah.
I'm the man behind the curtain.
I'm Sal.
I apologize for using your daughter.
But after Josh shot me, it became pretty clear that you were going to lead the police to the truth.
And I couldn't let that happen.
She was so fascinated by that alarm.
She really wanted to believe it could talk.
You manipulated my child? You bullied her so she wouldn't identify Josh in the lineup? You put a gun in my baby's hands! I did.
And again, I apologize.
But what was I going to do? Josh left his prints all over that gun, even though I told him never to handle it without gloves on.
And he was supposed to dump it in a lake, not in a sewer grate, where it would just sit there until a city worker found it.
Hey I get that you're angry with me.
But believe it or not, I had a really good reason for doing what I did.
You're not even a little bit curious? You don't even want to know why I hired someone to shoot me in the head? Not really.
Not now.
At the moment, all I really want to do is call the people I work with and tell them about a drug dealer in Avondale who sold Josh the gun.
Oh, and this, uh, brand-new safety deposit box that's got $20,000 in it.
I had Huntington's disease.
Do you know anything about Huntington's? It's genetic.
I got it from my dad.
You wake up one day, and you don't have control of your body anymore.
Your-your limbs move.
They dance.
They writhe.
In the old days, they thought people who had it were possessed by a demon.
There's no cure.
There's barely even a treatment.
It's just a slow, terrible death.
And your family, they get front-row seats.
There was no way I was putting Amy and the kids through that.
Not after what I saw with my dad.
So when I realized, I had it, I decided to bow out gracefully.
Problem was, I couldn't kill myself.
Life insurance doesn't pay out for a suicide, and Amy and the kids really need that money.
I knew Josh was in a pinch.
So he and I, we came to a mutually beneficial arrangement.
An "Arrangement?" Is that what you call it? You abandoned your family.
You left your wife to see you lying in a pool of your own blood.
I know, it wasn't pretty.
But believe me, it was a lot better than the alternative.
I-I know that you're angry with me.
But this crime that you're running around trying to solve? It's really just a case of assisted suicide.
With, I'll grant you, a little-- a little insurance fraud thrown in.
But there's no murder here.
Not when you really think about it.
You know, if you're not lying, if you really were sick, I'm sorry.
But I have no reason to trust you.
And, you know, it's really the courts who decide whether or not your death was a murder.
Your call.
But if you keep dialing, you lose the chance to cooperate with me.
Cooperate with you on what? On what? Did you forget? Allison, there's a real murderer out there.
He's already robbed and killed five people.
And I'm pretty sure he has no intention of stopping.
One of the only nice things about being dead? Gives you a hell of a vantage point from which to watch the living.
I know an awful lot about this guy.
I can tell you his name, where he lives, where he works.
I know where he hides the stuff he stole from his victims.
I can even tell you the name of the nice, young couple he's planning on hitting next.
If I agree to ignore what you and Josh did.
What's his name? What? Nothing.
I I was just thinking about what an interesting person you are.
It's kind of a shame we didn't get a chance to know each other, living so close and all.
Matt.
Name.
You should go get a piece of paper.
You're going to want to get all this down.
"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
" Amen.
You done? What was that? I think it was Marie.
What is it, sweetie? What's wrong? Daddy, Daddy, there was a man out there.
What? What? It's okay.
The guy's name is Matt Mulhearn.
Did you know him? Not really.
I'd see him around from time to time.
I'd wave at him or his wife.
Oh, my God, his wife, his kids.
They're fine.
Everyone except Mr.
Mulhearn here was in Chandler with one of the grandparents.
Wife's on her way back now.
This is the third home invasion murder in the past month.
The first two happened in the Western Precinct so, uh, their homicide squad's handling the investigation, but this matches the M.
O.
Exactly.
Someone pried open the back door, forced your neighbor here to open the family safe, and then put a bullet in the back of his head.
I know.
I dreamt it last night.
Th-The last part of it anyway.
But you mean you didn't come all the way out here to say hi? So, uh give me a description of the shooter.
I can do one better than that.
I can give you an eyewitness.
Hey, Mommy, what happened? What's with all the cop cars outside in the middle of the night? Our neighbors, the Mulhearns-- somebody broke into their house.
Are they okay? Well, it could have been worse.
Only Mr.
Mulhearn was home.
Sweetie-- honey, the police are going to want to talk to you tomorrow about that man that you saw.
Is he going to come back? No, honey.
The people that I work with, they're going to catch him.
They're going to put him in jail.
Okay, but can I please sleep with you guys tonight? Of course you can.
Wait a second.
Well, then who's going to sleep with me? Remember how when we first moved in here, I'll call tomorrow.
I'm interested in Southfork because it combines the advantages of a small school with the benefits of a large public university.
The ratio of teachers to students is low, which is something I'm definitely looking for.
Okay.
What do you think? Does it sound weird talking about ratios? Maybe I should just say, like, "Class sizes" Or something.
I don't think it matters.
I mean, you already rocked your SATs.
You really think this interview is that important? It's for Southfork.
I mean, they're sending someone all the way down here to do it.
World themes is calling.
You ever read Beowulf? Uh-uh.
Yeah, me either, and I'm about to have a test on it.
Later.
Good luck.
Southfork, huh? That's a good school.
Tough to get into, though.
That's what I hear.
Did you know that less than ten percent of the people who applied there last year got in? Those are brutal odds.
Excuse me, do you work here? Are you a-a teacher or something? No.
Okay, so then what are you doing here? Why are you hanging around a high school library? People are trying to study.
Oh, don't worry, nobody can hear us.
Honest.
Honest! You're Yeah, as a doornail.
Almost three months now.
Heart attack.
Tenth mile of a training run.
My name is Alan Hahn, Dr.
Alan Hahn.
I was a A professor of romantic literature at Southfork.
Tenured professor.
Head of the department actually.
Okay.
Well, then it's, um, it's really nice to meet you, I guess.
Well, it's nice to meet you, too.
GIRL : Rhonda, Rhonda RHONDA: I'm sorry.
Ariel I think I can help you get into Southfork.
In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll get into Southfork.
Really? Mm-hmm.
How can you be so sure? Well, when I was alive, I was married to a woman named Sondra Hahn-Barker.
Sound familiar? She's interviewing me tomorrow.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, Sondra is a very successful attorney.
She's one of Southfork's must active alumni.
She's on the board of directors.
She's raised god knows how much money for that place If you get her stamp of approval, you are in- it's as simple as that.
And I can tell you exactly how to do it.
If you listen to me, you will give the interview of Sondra's life, 'cause I know just what she wants to hear.
Okay, but Why would you do that for me? A very good and canny question.
It is, after all, a rather large favor.
In return for which, I'm asking only a small one.
At the interview, Sondra will have a laptop.
It was mine.
There's a file on there I'd rather she not see.
When an opportunity presents itself-- and I know that one will-- all you have to do is just delete the file.
How do you know that she'll leave me alone with that computer? Oh, the same way I know that you're going to pass this interview with flying colors.
Yes, it's one of the few perks of my current condition.
What else do you need to know? What's on this file that you want me to delete? Uh, it's personal.
It's, uh, no big deal.
It's just-- it's embarrassing.
Honestly, there's just some, uh, material I'd rather, you know, my wife not know about.
Some Web sites I was visiting, you know.
I think you-you understand what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I got the idea.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Hello.
Your security system is ready for activation.
Cool.
It talks.
Sure does.
The 2100 will even react to the sound of your voice, if your hands are full and you can't punch in your code.
Okay, um AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is armed.
Once it's armed, and the sensor's been tripped, you have 20 seconds to turn it off before the alarm goes off.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is disarmed.
What else does it say? Excuse me? The alarm.
What else does it say? Uh, pretty much just " Armed" And "Disarmed.
" I can set it up to tell you which alarm sensor's been tripped if you want.
Can it say our name? Not quite there yet.
Maybe next year's model.
All right, well, the alarm is set.
Don't open a window unless you want the police here.
Good to know.
You've been, uh, in there for 45 minutes.
What have you been doing? I was making the Mulhearns lasagna.
I'm going to drop it off in the morning.
Oh, that poor woman.
I think her name is Amy.
I can't even imagine what she's dealing with right now.
Losing her husband suddenly like that? Mommy? I can't get tired.
I'm still too scared.
You know we've got an alarm now, sweetie, right? It's on and everything.
I know.
You want to sleep with us again tonight? Hmm? All right.
Come on, you little one.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is armed.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is disarmed.
AUTOMATED VOICE: Your security system is armed.
AUTOMATED VOICE: It's all right, Marie.
The house is safe.
You heard me.
I said you're safe.
You could talk? I sure can, Marie.
My name's Sal, and I'm here to protect you.
And I hope that you and I are going to be very good friends.
Oh.
Hi.
Allison, right? Um, I hope I'm not intruding.
Thank you.
Everyone's been so kind.
I can't tell you how much we appreciate it.
Um, would you like to come inside? Another neighbor brought a deli tray by.
I-I made coffee.
Well, I would love to.
I'm, I'm just a little late for work.
Um, another time? Okay.
I've actually got to get going, too, Amy.
Oh.
Okay.
Um Allison, have you ever met Josh Berryman? He lives right around the corner.
Hate that we're meeting 'cause of this, but, uh, it's always nice to meet your neighbors.
Take care, Amy.
Bye.
Berryman worked as a software consultant until his company went under; That was about two years ago.
Wife filed for divorce ten months ago.
Mortgage is eight months in arrears.
Does he have an alibi for the night of the Mulhearn murder? Nope.
Doesn't have one for the nights of the other two murders, either.
Way Berryman tells it, he spends most nights watching TV at home by his lonesome.
Still and all, I know this guy's broke, but, uh He just doesn't strike me as the home-invading, execution-style-murdering type.
It's him.
He did it.
He's the man I saw.
Well, there's one way to find out for sure.
You ready? Okay, Marie, you see all those men in the room there? Let me tell you a secret.
You can see them, but they can't see you.
Okay? So all you have to do is point out the man that you saw running through your backyard, and the police here will take care of the rest.
All right? All right.
Good.
So, do you see him? No.
Are you sure, sweetie? Maybe you want to take another look? No, I don't think I remember.
Marie, sweetie, that man can't see you.
You have nothing to be afraid of.
No, I don't remember his face, Mommy.
I'm sorry.
But, honey, you looked right at him.
Al.
She said she doesn't see him.
she really saw the guy? Well, she did her best.
Can we do that again tomorrow? Look, I know Marie saw that man's face.
I just need a little more time to talk to her.
Aaaaa You mean nobody else has come forward to say they saw him? SCANLON: No.
And so far, forensics has nothing to tie him to the scene.
So, without your daughter's I.
D.
, we got nothing on this guy.
You can't just let him go.
Allison, no one is questioning what you saw.
But there is simply not enough evidence to justify holding him.
He's a killer, sir.
He lives down the street from my family.
From my daughters! All right.
By law, I can hold him for 24 hours without charging him.
But if we don't find enough evidence between now and then You have to let him go; I understand.
Those dorms, oh, my goodness.
Which one is it- the one that was built in 1842? Well, that's Whitman Hall.
That's where I lived as a freshman.
You did? You're kidding.
No.
Sorry.
Oh, it's my office; I'm going to have to take this.
I thought I'd be done by now.
I didn't expect to find someone so engaging.
Do you want me to wait outside? No, no.
I'm gonna run to the ladies' room after.
This'll just take a sec.
Hello, this is Sondra.
Hi.
That's your cue, kiddo.
You got about 90 seconds.
Are you sure this is the right file you want me to delete? Stop looking at it and just do it.
But I don't get it.
Why do you want to delete a bunch of baby photos? Oh.
Happy now? Just do it.
You were involved with this person.
And you lied to me.
You know what? I already nailed that interview.
So I don't need to erase any of this for you.
Fine.
If you think my wife's life, or anyone's life, is gonna be made better by looking at those pictures, go ahead, just leave them.
But you've got eight seconds to decide.
Six.
Four.
All right, Ariel, ready to dive back in? Absolutely.
You did very well in there today.
I think you're a lock.
I just wanted to, you know, check in, make sure you're not thinking about doing anything rash.
You mean you want to know if I'm gonna tell your wife that you were involved with another woman and had a baby with her? That's a bit presumptuous, isn't it, Ariel? Y-You don't know that that's my baby.
Are you saying it isn't? I'm saying, the paternity of that child has never been established.
Not to my satisfaction.
Not to your satisfaction? Is he your child, or isn't he? I don't know how to answer that, Ariel.
That is a mystery which is now, sadly, lost to the sands of time.
You know, the woman, uh, you saw in those pictures-- I wasn't the only person she was dating at the time.
Uh, Abby was a student of mine.
A very, uh, uh, popular student.
Okay, but in those photos, she obviously thought that it was your child.
You-you know what? I'm not getting into this with you.
Uh, have a wonderful life.
Enjoy Southfork, hmm? Uh, and here comes my wonderful widow Sondra.
What's wrong, Marie? There's no reason to be scared.
I told you I'd keep you safe.
I can't help it.
I understand.
It's a dangerous world out there.
That's why I'm here- to keep you safe.
To warn you about the bad guys, and to scare them away if they come too close.
And do you know why you're here? To help me.
And that means you have to listen to what I say.
You have to do what I ask you to do.
Because I'm the one in charge of keeping everyone safe.
You understand that right, Marie? That's easy to understand, isn't it? You listen to me, and everything is fine.
You don't listen to me, and your whole family dies in their beds.
How's that sound? Marie? What are you doing? I couldn't sleep.
Who were you talking to? No one.
Are you sure? Come here.
Honey, if anyone ever threatened you, if anyone ever told you things to scare you about our family, you would tell me, right? You know Mommy works with the police.
I would get them to put that person in jail.
And even if it wasn't a person, you would still tell me, right? Because you know, I would never let anyone or anything hurt you.
You know that, right? Oh, honey Were you talking to that alarm? Was the alarm talking to you? You can tell me.
It talks when you turn it on.
Well, I-I know that, but other than that.
Mommy, burglar alarms don't talk.
Not really.
I'm gonna go back to bed now, okay? Okay, so the burglar alarm is evil? No, Joe, that's not what I'm saying.
Not exactly.
Okay.
What are you saying exactly? I'm saying that in my dreams, this thing is talking to our daughter, and I don't like what it's saying.
And I know how that sounds, but I've seen it.
I come in tonight.
Marie is standing in front of the alarm.
And it's dark.
But I'm pretty certain that she was talking to it.
Al, I'm having a hard time following you down the rabbit hole on this one.
I know this thing seems pretty high-tech because it talks, but it's act It's actually fairly simple.
In terms of programming power, it's about as sophisticated as the toaster oven.
Smart people have been experimenting with artificial intelligence for decades now, but I doubt that anybody has cracked the problem, snuck it into a burglar alarm without telling anyone.
Okay.
Then why don't you explain why I'm seeing this? The burden of proof is on me here? Yeah.
Okay, fine.
If I had to guess, I would say that you are dreaming about what Marie is seeing in her imagination.
Kids sometimes respond to trauma by creating imaginary friends.
Marie has been through a trauma, and if she's getting comfort by giving the burglar alarm a personality, by imagining it can keep us all safe, why is that such a big deal? It's not comforting her, it's threatening her! It's telling her that we're all gonna die.
And you know what? I don't care if you can't explain it.
I don't like it! I'm gonna call the company tomorrow, and I'm gonna have them take it out.
Well, hold on a second, Al.
We just spent $2,200 on this thing.
I'm not saying we won't have an alarm.
I just want a different model; One that doesn't talk.
Your security system is armed.
Who asked you? No! Allison, what can I do for you? Did I just see Josh Berryman in here? You sure did.
We released him this morning, so I asked him to come by so I could personally apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment Apologize? You didn't see the paper this morning, did you? There was another home invasion last night in El Mirage.
They cleaned out the safe and shot a retired couple in the back of the head.
Since Mr.
Berryman was in our custody last night, it seems unlikely that he was involved.
That, plus the utter paucity of any evidence against him, well, there's really no basis on which to hold him.
But I saw him do it.
That's all well and good.
No, no, no, you're not hearing me.
Obviously, it wasn't him last night.
I don't know if he committed these other murders, but I know he killed my neighbor.
I saw him do it.
I can even tell you exactly where the murder weapon is.
What are you doing? I thought we had a deal.
Yeah, I thought I was supposed to help you get rid of some porn.
Yeah-- is this about the baby? Are you still upset about the baby? The paternity of that child has never been established.
All I know is that that information was on your computer when you died.
Okay, so maybe your wife was supposed to find it.
I'm not sure.
I'm just sure that I was never supposed to remove it.
You think that's going to make a difference? That kid is nothing to Sondra.
My family's obligation to that boy died when I did.
Yeah, well, that's not up to me to decide.
And you don't know.
Maybe she'll want to help.
Y-You're talking about my wife? That woman sues people for a living.
She would personally kill the last baby seal on the planet if she thought there was a dollar in it for her.
That, that kid is nothing to Sondra.
She'll do nothing for that kid.
Maybe she will, maybe she won't.
It's not up to me.
You might as well stop talking because there is nothing that you can do to stop me.
Oh, I know that.
I'm not trying to stop you.
I'm just trying to, uh, delay you.
Ariel.
Mrs.
Hahn-Barker.
Uh, great, I've been waiting for you.
You have? Uh, yeah.
Sorry, my, uh, my dad said that he'd, uh, get me a laptop when I go to college, so, yeah, I just saw it lying here and, and wanted to check it out.
I, uh, I got home the other day and realized that I wanted to send you a thank-you note, uh, thanking you for taking the trouble to interview me, uh, and then I realized that I don't have a home or business address to send it.
That's completely unnecessary.
Here's my card.
Thanks.
Ariel.
You gave a great interview the other day.
Southfork is very excited about you.
Thank you.
Bye.
Hello.
Yeah, I just wanted to let you know I'm right around the corner from your place.
I'd ask if I can stop by for dinner, except I smell like I've been rooting around in a sewer all day, which is exactly what I've been doing.
Tell me you found the gun.
I wish I could.
We searched that grate you pointed out to us and then we poked our heads down every manhole on the block.
You'd be surprised at some of the things your neighbors flush down the toilet, but there's no gun down there.
I don't understand.
It was sitting there, I saw it sitting there.
I don't know what to tell you, Allison.
If there was a murder weapon down there, it's gone.
That's good, Marie.
You're a very cooperative little girl.
Al, what the hell are you doing out here? I'm looking for something.
What? This.
Whoa! This is the gun that Josh Berryman used to kill Matt Mulhearn.
I think Marie put it in here.
I think tha-that alarm told her to.
No, I didn't.
Marie, I know you did.
I saw you put that gun in the trash can.
Look, honey, I'm not mad at you.
I just want you to tell me what happened.
Don't look at that alarm, you look at me.
Look, I know you're scared.
I know that thing has been talking to you, but it cannot hurt you.
It cannot hurt us.
I need you to tell me what it told you to do.
You're scaring me, Mommy.
Burglar alarms do not talk.
Well, that one does, and we both know it does.
Okay, come on, Marie, why don't you go back, see if you can get a little more sleep? Joe! We will talk about this later, okay? I'm sorry, Mommy.
She's lying! This thing is making my daughter lie to me! For God's sake, are you listening to yourself? I am getting rid of that thing right now.
What are you talking about? They're coming to replace it the day after tomorrow.
Do you know how to dismantle that thing? I can cut some wires.
No.
Okay, just do me a favor- give it to me.
If you're dead set on doing this, at least take advantage of the fact you're married to an engineer.
And you do me a favor- don't shock me or anything.
Very funny.
Just don't ask me where I found it.
Am I allowed to ask you what it is? It's the gun that Josh Berryman used to kill Matt Mulhearn.
Look, I know another crime happened while he was in custody.
I know you made nice with the guy yesterday.
Just run whatever tests you need to.
You'll see I'm right.
Ariel.
Mrs.
Hahn-Barker.
I thought you were, uh, were heading home.
I delayed my flight for a couple of hours.
I wanted to speak with you about something.
Uh sure.
I found a file on my computer yesterday, and I think that you put it there.
It's the only possibility that makes any sense.
Thank you for not bothering to deny it.
Do you know her? The young woman in the photos? No, I never met her.
She said the same thing about you.
I spoke with her.
If, in fact, that young boy is my late husband's son I've decided to take some of the money that Alan left behind to provide for him.
I'm glad.
So if you didn't know the girl, then you must have known Alan.
Putting that file on my computer for me to find, I can only assume you had some score to settle with him.
I've learned an awful lot about my late husband over the last 24 hours.
I can't imagine what would have brought you to Oregon or to Southfork.
The summer program for high schoolers, I'm guessing.
So which one of his lectures on romantic literature reeled you in? Sense and Sensibility? The Lady of the Lake? That was always one of my favorites.
The Scarlet Letter? No, I've never been to Oregon.
I have never heard your late husband's lecture.
And I swear that I never met him while he was alive.
You what want to know what should have been my first clue? Your interview.
All those carefully polished answers.
You sounded exactly like him.
It is a shame.
I liked you.
I actually felt good about championing you to the Director of Admissions.
Well I have a plane to catch.
Stop that.
You brought this on yourself.
You didn't need to get involved with him.
You didn't need his help.
No.
You're a smart girl.
You're going to get into some wonderful school.
Just not this one.
Why did you guys rip the alarm off of the wall? You want to field that one, dear? It wasn't working right.
O-Kay.
But why isn't Marie coming out of our room? I think she misses the alarm.
Okay.
Go get your sisters.
I know Marie's in mourning, but she still has to eat.
Hello? Allison.
I'm sorry I didn't get back to you before you left.
I wanted you to know you were right.
According to Forensics, that gun you brought in was used to execute Matt Mulhearn.
Sir, that's great news.
I'm not finished.
Now, we can tie the weapon to the murder, but not to the man you believe pulled the trigger.
I'm afraid that the gun was wiped clean of fingerprints before you brought it in.
Also, the serial number was filed away, so there's no way to trace it.
Bottom line is, we simply cannot connect it to Josh Berryman in any way.
So he just gets away with it? In the absence of further developments, I'm afraid so.
Look, I know this hits you quite literally close to home, and I want you to know how sorry I am.
I understand, sir.
Thank you.
So, I-I did like you told me.
I-I went to the bar in Avondale, and I bought this from a guy who deals drugs in the parking lot.
And, um, I went to the bank.
Um, I-I got a safe deposit box.
But, you know, don't-don't worry, because I-I-I won't spend it till a couple months after the job's done.
But, uh You got the money, right? I guess it's really gonna happen, I guess.
I'm actually Gonna kill someone.
Hey.
Listen.
Calm down.
It's going to be fine.
Just be sure you Shoot me in the back of the head.
We need it to look like the other break-ins.
So now you know.
I hired Josh to kill me.
That voice.
You sound exactly like The burglar alarm? Yeah.
I'm the man behind the curtain.
I'm Sal.
I apologize for using your daughter.
But after Josh shot me, it became pretty clear that you were going to lead the police to the truth.
And I couldn't let that happen.
She was so fascinated by that alarm.
She really wanted to believe it could talk.
You manipulated my child? You bullied her so she wouldn't identify Josh in the lineup? You put a gun in my baby's hands! I did.
And again, I apologize.
But what was I going to do? Josh left his prints all over that gun, even though I told him never to handle it without gloves on.
And he was supposed to dump it in a lake, not in a sewer grate, where it would just sit there until a city worker found it.
Hey I get that you're angry with me.
But believe it or not, I had a really good reason for doing what I did.
You're not even a little bit curious? You don't even want to know why I hired someone to shoot me in the head? Not really.
Not now.
At the moment, all I really want to do is call the people I work with and tell them about a drug dealer in Avondale who sold Josh the gun.
Oh, and this, uh, brand-new safety deposit box that's got $20,000 in it.
I had Huntington's disease.
Do you know anything about Huntington's? It's genetic.
I got it from my dad.
You wake up one day, and you don't have control of your body anymore.
Your-your limbs move.
They dance.
They writhe.
In the old days, they thought people who had it were possessed by a demon.
There's no cure.
There's barely even a treatment.
It's just a slow, terrible death.
And your family, they get front-row seats.
There was no way I was putting Amy and the kids through that.
Not after what I saw with my dad.
So when I realized, I had it, I decided to bow out gracefully.
Problem was, I couldn't kill myself.
Life insurance doesn't pay out for a suicide, and Amy and the kids really need that money.
I knew Josh was in a pinch.
So he and I, we came to a mutually beneficial arrangement.
An "Arrangement?" Is that what you call it? You abandoned your family.
You left your wife to see you lying in a pool of your own blood.
I know, it wasn't pretty.
But believe me, it was a lot better than the alternative.
I-I know that you're angry with me.
But this crime that you're running around trying to solve? It's really just a case of assisted suicide.
With, I'll grant you, a little-- a little insurance fraud thrown in.
But there's no murder here.
Not when you really think about it.
You know, if you're not lying, if you really were sick, I'm sorry.
But I have no reason to trust you.
And, you know, it's really the courts who decide whether or not your death was a murder.
Your call.
But if you keep dialing, you lose the chance to cooperate with me.
Cooperate with you on what? On what? Did you forget? Allison, there's a real murderer out there.
He's already robbed and killed five people.
And I'm pretty sure he has no intention of stopping.
One of the only nice things about being dead? Gives you a hell of a vantage point from which to watch the living.
I know an awful lot about this guy.
I can tell you his name, where he lives, where he works.
I know where he hides the stuff he stole from his victims.
I can even tell you the name of the nice, young couple he's planning on hitting next.
If I agree to ignore what you and Josh did.
What's his name? What? Nothing.
I I was just thinking about what an interesting person you are.
It's kind of a shame we didn't get a chance to know each other, living so close and all.
Matt.
Name.
You should go get a piece of paper.
You're going to want to get all this down.