Hangman (2017) - full transcript

- 307 en route from Kreskie and Pine.
- D4, 17.

307 to 309.

Male, white, elderly.
Black high-tops...

Fuck!

Dispatch, I got a hit and run.

Blue van.
Pulling on Raylene and Kreskie.

Dispatching officer to intercept.

Lead him over to Washington.

All units divert to Washington.

All units divert to Washington.

Eastbound, now on Washington.



Crossing Jackson.
All units intercept at Magnolia.

That's good!

- Out of the van, now!
- Possible 10-79, bomb threat.

Dispatch, we need a bomb squad
here right away.

Sir, wait!
There could be a bomb.

Fuck the bomb.

Son of a bitch
just ruined my car.

You!

Step out of the van!

Hands where I can see them!

On the ground now!

Hi. Christi Davies.

Thank you for agreeing
to do this, Detective.

Well, the way the chief put it,



I didn't really have
much of a choice.

Guess I drew the proverbial
short straw.

So, what exactly are
you hoping to get here?

Well, with all the tension

between civilians
and police officers lately,

my goal is to get
some honest insight

into what it's really like to be
a police officer in the heart of America.

I'm not here to choose a side,
just be true to my subject.

And I figured my hometown was
as good a place as any...

All right, listen. Look.

I'm sure that shit reads great
on the page. Okay?

But if you want me to be open with you,
you just got to give it to me straight.

I have my reasons, Detective.

How'd you get your scar?

Being a New York Times
investigative journalist

isn't always just
awards and accolades.

Sometimes finding out
the truth...

leaves scars.

Do you mind if I film you
for this portion of the interview?

Sure.

Do you like your job,
Detective Ruiney?

Well, it's all right. I guess.

I think I used to like it more.

You like yours?

Yeah. I do.

Place has changed a lot
since I left.

Yeah, a lot's changed.

The place used to be all farms.
Now it's condos, development.

That's America.

All units, 10-54,
Bancroft Elementary.

You first on the scene?

Yeah, no one's come in or out.

- Stay here.
- Can I...

Sir, backup is on its way.

Police! Show me your hands!

Are those mannequins?

What the hell are you doing?
I almost shot you.

The officer you left me with
went around the back.

So...

I told you to stay put.

Listen, your captain
signed off on this

and I didn't sign up for this
to sit on the sidelines.

So, I'm sorry,
but I'm coming in.

Fine.

Game of Hangman.

Two dummies playing the game.

925 is your badge number.

I'm good with numbers.

I remember yours.

Who's the other number?

Well, my mother was a tailor

She sewed my new blue jeans

And my father

He was a gambling man

Down in New Orleans

Yeah.

- Hey.
- Hey.

You know, most people go fishing
in retirement, Archer.

Do they?

People don't go fishing
when they retire.

No. What they do is

they hang around
waiting for their...

pension checks to kick in,

and then wonder,
whatever happened to my life?

- Still doing crosswords, huh?
- Why not?

You're doing them in Latin?

Well, yeah. I'm an altar boy.

Way back.
That's where I learned my Latin.

Once an altar boy,
always an altar boy, huh?

Oh, that was funny.

Never thought of it that way.

How have you been?

- Good.
- You look prosperous.

Yeah, you too, man.

You're looking good.

- Well...
- You working out?

Am I working out?

So this is it, huh?

Thirty-six years
working Homicide,

and you end up outside a dive bar
doing crossword puzzles.

That upsets you in some way?

- Doesn't upset me.
- I'm very happy with it.

You know, I like
to watch the world.

Because I never sleep.

Yeah.

Yeah, me neither.

Yeah?

You want to talk some more
about this nonsense

or you want to tell me
what's on your mind?

There's a body over
at Wayward Elementary.

Female. Late 20's.

Hanged with an O cut into her.

Almost perfect circle.

He took his time doing it.

Displaying her for us.

For us?

Both our badge numbers were etched
onto a desk at the scene.

- Serious?
- You tell me.

Autopsy's this morning.

Why don't you come on down,

take a peek at the vic,
crime scene photos.

See if you can figure out

why this perp is calling us out.

Does it remind you of anything?

I don't think so. At least it...

- Doesn't look familiar?
- There's a different MO.

Hey. Donut shop's open.

- I'm buying.
- Free donuts.

You got 'em last time.

That's the highlight of my day.

Well, you know, it took a bit
of getting used to.

I mean, local PD
is nothing like the FBI.

Some of my former colleagues

thought I was crazy
to move back here.

A demotion in their eyes.

But, you know,
for me it's all the same.

Still catching bad guys.

What brought you back?

Personal reasons.

Look, let's just keep this
about the job, okay?

I'm just trying to get
a better sense of who you are.

Audiences really connect with personal
stories of their subjects.

Yeah, I'm sure they do.

- There's no information.
- Oh, am I bothering you?

I'm sorry, sir.
There's no information.

Well, you just let me know
when finding out

what happened to my wife
is a priority, asshole.

Miss Davies.

I trust that my detective

is giving you
everything you need.

Oh, yeah.
We're tethered at the hip.

Miss Davies,
I just want to remind you

that the body that
you saw was a person.

With a family, friends, a life.

So I trust that you'll treat
anything that you saw

with absolute sensitivity.

Definitely.

And you know, the mayor
may have signed off

on this all access pet project,
but I didn't.

If you print anything

that compromises the work
of my detectives in this case,

you will find yourself
standing in a court of law.

Do I make myself clear?

Yes.

Yes, Captain.

Yes, Captain.

Can you excuse us, please?

Thank you.

Let me talk to you about Archer.

Dr. Parker, please report to pathology,
room number one.

- Hello. Anybody home?
- Dr. Parker.

You know,
most people go fishing.

Oh, you know, Ruiney tried that joke
on me earlier.

- Ah, damn it.
- Didn't work then. Hi.

- So good to see you.
- It's just like old times.

I missed your hugs.

So...

Sorry.

Yeah, get that press pass
out of my face.

Last time we had paparazzi on a case,
evidence went missing.

Sir, I've been nominated
for a Pulitzer.

- Archer.
- Yeah.

You recognize her?

No, I don't.

Kerry Cooper, 24.

Foreign language teacher.
No record.

Parents filed a Missing Persons
three days ago.

Right...

So, Abby,
what do you got to say?

Oh, well, cause of death
is definitely asphyxiation,

which isn't at all,
you know, surprising.

Time of death?

Well, the body was still warm
when it got to us.

I'd say sometime between
10:30 and midnight.

And I can tell you she was actually
still alive when this happened.

You see the uneven strokes?

She struggled.

Any idea what was used?

A large knife.
A box cutter maybe?

I can't be sure until I have
something to compare it to.

Oh, also, it looks like

the killer redressed her
after the fact.

Meticulous. Purposeful.

Oh, and also...

you know, she has seen her fair share
of the inside of ER.

She's had everything from a broken
pelvis to several broken ribs.

They've healed,
but they're all fairly recent.

What are you thinking?
Like, what, domestic violence?

Perhaps.

What about
these contusions here?

Oh, severe blows to the head.

I mean, I can only presume that
was to knock Miss Cooper out.

Okay. Thanks, Abby.

Yeah, sure.

Looks like she was
quite the smoker.

Nasty habit.

So what is it you guys
are looking for exactly?

Well, I'm not quite sure.

We're just looking.

Oh, look at this.

Look what I found.

Joey Truman.

Her parents said

she went out on a date
with Joey.

- Joey...
- Archer.

Hey, Ruiney. Let's get an address
on this guy Joey.

I think I'm gonna be sick.

Joey.

You think that's our guy?

Oh, I don't know.

You know, parents
didn't give me much.

They said they knew him,
but they never met him.

Oh, hello.

Let's get Forensics in here.

- Then why the badge numbers?
- I don't know why...

but it's big enough
to get me out of retirement.

Help you with something?

Yeah, you can.

I'm looking for a fella
named Joey Truman.

Would he be around somewhere?

What do you want with Joey?

I don't want anything,
just want to talk to him.

Yeah, yeah, he's inside.

Knock yourself out.

- Oh, okay. Thank you.
- Wait here.

Hey, Joey! The cops are here!

Police! Don't move!

Don't move!

Stay down!

I didn't do anything.

Shut up! Stay down!

Detectives!

Detectives!

- You all right?
- Yeah.

- I'm sorry.
- Joey, what's wrong?

- Joey.
- I'll explain later. I'll explain later.

Hey, I didn't do anything!
I didn't do anything!

Hey!

Help me out, guys! Help me out!

Okay, honey. Honey!

- Honey, hold it, hold it...
- All right!

Still prefer retirement, Archer?

I never preferred retirement.

Well...

it looks like the abuse

wasn't the only thing

Kerry kept from her parents.

She doesn't look worried.

Yeah, she didn't even ask
why she was being brought in.

Better let me
do the questioning,

otherwise her attorney
will have a field day.

Your show, buddy. Your show.

Look, I'm sorry I ran. Okay?

I was scared.

You didn't look scared.

Right, you didn't look scared.

Look, I've been doing so good.

Okay? I just been clean
for a couple months,

and I just slipped up.

Slipped up?

That's a bit of an understatement,
don't you think?

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about
your girlfriend,

Miss Kerry Cooper.

No, no.
She liked it rough sometimes.

Okay? And you have it backwards.
She was the aggressor.

You don't think I have my own bumps
and bruises from her?

It went both ways.

Well, that's comforting to hear.

Look, I don't expect you
to understand.

I don't.

I never met anybody like her.

And she didn't treat me
like I was some screw-up.

- Yeah.
- So I was scared I was gonna lose her.

I freaked out, okay?
We got into a fight...

Did it get physical?

Yeah, yeah, but it wasn't like that.
Okay?

And I apologized like crazy.

And we're working things out.

When was the last time
you saw her?

Last week.

Dropped her off at the school.

She said she would call,

but she just needed some time.

Look, call her.

You'll see. I didn't hurt her again.
I swear.

So...

should we ask her now?

I think it's too late.

This is not Kerry.

That's not... That's not her.

- It's what we're dealing with here.
- That's not...

- No, no, no.
- That's not Kerry.

What's the matter with you?

I need to see her.

Right now! I need
to see her right now!

Is she dead?

Yes, she's dead.

No. She's not dead.

Please don't tell me that.
Please don't tell me that.

That's not Kerry.
That's not her!

I need to see her right now!

Let me see her!

- That can't happen.
- Please.

Please don't tell me
that she's...

Archer.

Please tell me...

Let's just...

take a little break here.

That's not her.

You want a drink?

How 'bout I get you
a water or a soda?

I'll get you a soda.

So...

You still think she did it?

Well, she just admitted
to playing rough.

But does that
make her a murderer?

I don't know. Who knows?

You know, sometimes
they start playing and then

it escalates.

I've seen it.

No, this doesn't track.

Habitual domestic violence
is impulsive in nature.

Our perp is calculated,
methodical.

She's not our guy.

Oh, my God. Detectives!

Oh, my God!

Fuck!

What the hell were you two thinking
leaving a soda can in the room?

Especially with Lois Lane
outside your door.

Have you ever heard
of a paper cup?

Because we have 150 of them
in the break room.

Yeah, look.
I'm sorry. I screwed up.

Yeah, you're damn right
you screwed up.

Look, Ruiney. I know what you're still
going through, all right?

But you have got to get
your head in the case.

In this case.

Or you're gonna have to take
some more time off.

No, I got this.
It's good. I got it.

So do you have any idea, Captain,
how the girl's doing?

The doctor said she was touch and go
for a while, but she's stable now.

That's good.

She was also able to give
an alibi, which checks out.

And Ray, you're here
as a courtesy.

You're not a cop anymore.
So don't push it.

Okay, Captain.

Both of you, get the hell out of my
office before I change my mind.

So, Forensics found
traces of human blood

mixed with animal blood
in Kerry's bedroom.

Got a DNA hit on it,
and comes up...

a felon named David Green.

This is the right place?

I don't know, honey.
Your guess is as good as mine.

I looked in the PO file
and this was the address.

This place has become
quite popular

with ex-cons over the past year.

Ex-cons finding Jesus.

- I like that.
- Hallelujah.

Did you hear that?

Yeah.

Where's it coming from?

Yeah, this way.

Oh, God. I can't believe I'm back
in the church again.

Archer!

- You okay?
- Oh, you okay?

Yeah. What happened?

You stop right there!

Don't you move!
Christi, how's Archer?

- Don't move, don't move, don't move.
- Christi?

- I don't know, maybe he...
- No, it's my back, my back.

- Your back? Ruiney!
- I think I may have, just, just my back.

Come here.

Dispatch, we got an officer
down at Sacred Heart Mausoleum.

- Suspect on foot. Over.
- What do we got here?

What is that?

I don't know.

So, you see anything?

I didn't get a good look at him.
It was too dark.

What about you, Ruiney?

No, I was too busy
saving your ass.

Thank you.

Well...

it does confirm it, doesn't it?

What?

Monroe's got a serial killer.

Yeah.

- Excuse me, sir?
- Yeah?

The victim was Gene Wilson.

Recent parolee who did a three-year
stint for armed robbery.

Okay, get a BOLO out
on David Green.

No need to, Detect...

Sorry, old habits.
He just got here.

- He's here?
- He's over there.

David Green? That's you?

- Yes, that's...
- You're David Green?

Yeah, I'm David Green.

Well, that's good.

God who gives joy.

So Reverend, how does
a convicted felon

become a reverend?

God forgives.

The Church? Not so much.

I had to jump
through a lot of hoops

in order to do the Lord's work.

Even now, I'm only allowed
to work with ex-cons

trying to start over.

Well, Reverend,
we got a problem here.

Actually, we got two problems.

Two? I don't... I don't follow.

You see, Reverend,
there's a dead guy

swinging in your church.

You knew him, right?
Gene Wilson?

Yeah, he was the janitor.

What was he doing here so late?

He cleans whenever he can.

He was just released and
was looking for a fresh start.

What are you thinking?

Reverend, we're gonna need
you to write down

exactly your whereabouts
the last three days.

Okay. Yeah,
that's not a problem.

I was in Springfield,

giving a guest sermon

at the Unitarian
Universal Church.

- I just got back tonight...
- Okay. Okay.

How about Miss Kerry Cooper?

How did you know her?

Cooper, I don't, I don't,
I don't believe I do.

- You don't know her?
- No.

Well, you're gonna have
to do some explaining then

because your blood

was in her apartment.

My blood in her...
I don't, I don't have...

You're not gonna believe this.

Frankly, I still
don't understand it myself.

But a couple of months ago,

I woke up in the middle
of the night

with someone standing over me.

A man.

And he... I struggled,

but he put something
over my face.

And eventually, I passed out.

When I woke up...

there was, there was blood
coming out of my arm.

I mean,
it was dripping down my arm.

Like I'd gotten a shot
or something. So...

Okay, so you're
telling us that a guy

broke into your house
and stole your blood?

That's the story you're telling?

That's... I told you...
I told you you wouldn't believe me.

Well, I've heard some stories.

But you know,
this rings a bell to me.

Yeah, it's kind of a coincidence
when you think of it.

Last Thursday,
I don't know if I told you.

I woke up
in the middle of the night.

And for some reason,

I had a pink tutu on.

And a serious fuzzy feather
sticking out of my ass.

You know, you're right.

I don't believe you.

These days, you know, he can't bring
himself to look inside that file.

But he's unable to let it go.

That's why he keeps it so close.

Archer, there's something that
I think you need to look at.

You want me to look at that?

Please.

You and I both know you're not supposed
to be anywhere near here.

This is important to this case.

Please.

At first, it just looks like
random slash marks.

Oh, shit!

I don't know. I think...

I'm so... so sorry.

I missed it.

I missed it.

So much was going on at the time,
you know, it was...

It was all...

You had no way of knowing then.

You know, I introduced them
to each other.

She asked me
to walk her down the aisle...

to give her away.

I don't see how

I could have missed it.

You didn't even know what you were
looking for back then.

You were too close to it.

Okay.

Good work, Christi.

There are at least
a dozen witnesses

that can place him
in that church in Springfield.

And I checked out the report
from three months ago.

Turns out Reverend Green
is telling the truth.

Lab found traces
of chloroform in his blood.

No items were reported missing?

The only thing missing
was his DNA.

This doesn't make any sense.

No, Captain, it does.

He wanted us
to go to that church.

This guy is definitely
a psychopath.

But I would classify him
as an organized killer.

There's nothing random or spontaneous,
frenzied, about these attacks.

They're planned. He leaves
a controlled scene for us to find.

I think we're looking
for a white male, 25-to-35.

Extremely high IQ.

And what about
this pig head business?

Pigs. Cops. Maybe he's just
taunting you guys.

Okay, this information doesn't leave
this room. Do you understand me?

- Of course.
- If the media gets a hold of this,

they're gonna turn this
into a frenzy in seconds.

And if I had it my way,
you would go home now.

So with Reverend Green's alibi checking
out, then what does that mean?

I mean, does this mean
we're back to square one?

We're not even on square one.

You see, it's all about
the hangman game.

So far, we have two homicides.

But we have three letters.

Which means...

we haven't even found
the first victim yet.

And, judging
by the game board...

he's gonna kill
seven more people.

Same pattern as previous victim.

Petechial hemorrhages
in the eyes,

look, the ligature marks
around the neck.

Cause of death
was asphyxiation again.

Our perp's been leaving us
clues to the next vic.

So far, we haven't
got much to go on.

Have you noticed anything
out of the ordinary?

- No, nothing.
- Time of death?

Sometime between ten
and midnight last night.

It was eleven p.m. sharp.

Well, it's a little difficult
to be that precise.

Well, his Rolex broke.
Right there. Eleven p.m.

But clearly last night,
that watch didn't fit him.

I don't know too much
about Rolexes,

except I do know janitors
aren't running around wearing them.

That's not his watch.

- Yeah. You want to dust this for prints?
- Sure.

No, he's too smart for that.

Tell me. Eleven p.m.?

That'd fit into the time frame
for all the victims, right?

Yeah. That would be
correct, Detective.

- What?
- Twenty-four hours.

Hangman is gonna kill someone
at eleven p.m. every 24 hours.

So that gives us two and a half hours
before the next victim falls.

Come on, guys. What are we missing?
There's got to be something.

Oh, wait. The ligature marks,

they weren't like
the previous victim.

- Why?
- Well, okay,

see, they were made
of the pigskin.

- Pigskin?
- Yeah.

I think I can help here.

The FDA stamps serial numbers
on all their meat,

so in case of contamination,
they can trace it.

That's it.

Let's get the captain
to wake up the FDA.

Good stuff, Abby.

- You okay?
- Yeah.

I just need to talk to you
about something after this.

- Go that way.
- Stay here.

Well, this is fun.

Guys?

Archer!

Did you guys do that?

Guys!

Guys!

Holy...!

Christi!

- I saw, I saw him! I saw him, I saw him!
- You all right?

I think I saw him.

Yeah, because
I did lock it up at night.

We got rigor mortis already?

No, he's actually frozen stiff.

Identifying our vic
is gonna take time.

I'll have to warm up the body
before doing the autopsy.

That could take up to a week.

Wait. We don't got a week.

- I know.
- We're lucky we even have 24 hours.

Eh, Will?

Hey, how come the meat
isn't frozen?

How cold is it in here?

There's a thermostat over there.

It's 37 degrees.

Oh, well none of that meat's
frozen in there.

So how come our guy's
frozen stiff?

Well, he's not a slab of meat.

And he has more water density.

So, any prolonged exposure,
even at that temp,

would cause him to decompose.

Well, hasn't been
here long, has he?

How long has he been here?
This place been open all day.

You know,
you would think someone

might have seen a stiff,
dead guy hanging in here.

- Don't you think?
- I agree, yes.

Now, if his body was wet,

would that
make him freeze faster?

Yes, of course it would.

Archer, what are you thinking?

Well, I'm thinking...

when I want my beer
to chill faster,

I wrap it in a wet paper towel.

He was already wet before
he was brought in here.

There you go.

I think this boy wants us
to sweep the river.

Archer, I think
you should tell him.

Yeah. You know how many
hundreds of families

I had to tell
these grotesque stories

of how their loved ones died.

But it was nothing like this.

Okay, so,
can you give me a minute?

Yeah, of course.

- Yeah.
- Here's the photo.

This is taking too long.

Eight hours, 46 minutes left.

Bullshit game.

I know that look, Archer.
Just say what you got to say.

I need to... I need
to show you something.

- What?
- From Jess's file.

Jess's file?

It's a photo.

A photo from Jess's file?

Archer, what the hell
are you doing?

Well...

look, we both know
she put up a fight.

We missed it.

Missed what?

Here.

There's a letter V
carved in her chest.

This was his first victim.

- No, Arch, no. This is...
- What?

This is a completely different MO,
Archer. She wasn't hung.

We didn't know the MO
at the time we found her.

Archer, it's a different MO.
She wasn't hung.

She wasn't hung because...

he was interrupted
from his ritual.

He didn't get a chance
to hang her, you understand?

Why don't you walk me
through what happened

right before you went
through the door.

Go ahead.

Jess called me up...

and told me to come home.

Said we should try
and work things out.

So, I got home, I parked
my car in the driveway...

went down the back,

picked some tulips to give her.

You know, just like I used to.

That would've given him a chance
to know someone was there,

and that would've stopped him.

Or he was still in the house
while she was in my arms.

Guys, get me somebody to...

Move!

Eric Anderson.

Easy, Ruiney, easy.

No time, Archer.

Where's that sound...

coming from?

Basement.

Oh, man.

Look at this.

This is Cooper's school.

This is a replica of Monroe.

I think I know now

where we're gonna find
our next victim.

This is the Fostoria Line.
Let's go.

NS/Fostoria Line
at Columbia and Harrison.

This is an emergency.
Shut that line down.

He may still be alive, because
we beat this psycho's timeline.

- Ruiney!
- Yes, I see it.

There he is.

Ruiney. Ruiney,
there's nothing you can do!

Ruiney! The train!

He's still alive!

- We need to get up there to help him!
- It's a steel cable!

Come on!

- Get him!
- Come on, get it off your neck!

Get it off your neck! Come on!

Gotta get off the track!

I'm not leaving him!

- Train's coming! Come on!
- I'm not leaving him!

Archer!

Freeze now! Freeze!

- Freeze!
- Come on, you guys! We got to go!

Just get it off! Get it off!

- We got to go!
- I'm not leaving him!

Ruiney! We got to get off
that track now!

- Christi!
- Christi?

Guys! Are you okay?

Holy shit!

Holy shit. Oh, my God.

What the hell were you doing?

I could've saved him.

- He was dead before the train hit him.
- That is bullshit!

You're the only one
who could've been saved here.

That was not your call to make.
It was not your call to make!

It was my call. You know,
I'll tell you what my call is.

My call is that
you're chasing a ghost.

You're chasing a ghost, buddy.

And that will get you killed.
That's for sure.

Is that what you want?

Look, I don't give a fuck.

That's right, don't give a fuck.

Don't give a fuck about what?
Your life?

You don't care if you die,
do you?

Let's all die.
Come on. That's easy.

Then we don't have to worry
about Jessica anymore.

Or the Hangman.

Let's all die.

I should've never told you.
That was a mistake.

- What?
- You are cracking.

- I'm cracking?
- Yes, you are.

- I'm cracking?
- That's right!

You're the one who left, okay?

- You left!
- I left.

- I stayed on the force! You left!
- You're rewriting history!

I retired. I didn't quit!

You guys, knock it off!

You begged me to get back!
I came back!

And I've been with you
ever since.

And I'm glad. I am.

I have no regrets here.

I have no regrets
about being back.

Listen, Will.

Listen to me.

I know how much it means to you
to catch this guy.

I know that.

And, I feel like that myself.

You understand?

I loved Jessica...

like she was my child.

You know that.

Sorry, man. I...

We're gonna find this guy.
You understand what I'm saying?

I messed up, man.
I messed up. I'm sorry.

We're gonna find him.
I promise you that.

Well, what have we got here?

Right now we're breaking into your regular
programming for this emergency report.

We're told there's a serial
killer loose in Monroe.

One of the most shocking
serial killers.

Residents are living in fear,

as another gruesome discovery
has been made.

Police are finding victims
hung by a noose...

There's a serial killer loose in Monroe.
Full story at eleven.

Carved in the bodies. The public
is dubbing the killer the Hangman.

Let's turn that shit off.

Okay. What do we got?

Well, Forensics are still
scraping the tracks.

You know they're not
coming up with much.

The lab reports came in.

There's nothing on the shirt.

- Blood? DNA?
- Victim's.

Well, there must be something.
Let's run some more tests.

There's nothing.
There's no fibers,

there's no animal hair,
there's nothing.

Where you going?

We have less than 30 minutes!
Okay?

Nobody goes home tonight!
Keep working!

Find something!

I take it
you didn't get any rest?

No. You?

I don't rest. Ever.

This damn game.

Every scene has a lead
to the next vic.

But this one,
I just can't see it.

Well, I think he's just
messing with us, Ruiney.

We outsmarted him at the track.

You outsmarted him.
Got ahead of the timeline.

Tide would have revealed that car
when it was too late to stop him.

He doesn't want us
to save anyone.

He wants the game to continue.

Well, we got pretty close.

We almost saved that guy,
let's face it.

Tell that to his family.

Do you guys think
it means anything,

all the other victims
were left hanging for us to see.

But this victim
got taken out by the train.

The Hangman wanted us
to see him get hit.

Train.

Wait a minute. How did he know?

Know what?

How did he know
that Eric Anderson

had a model train set
in his basement?

I mean, there's gotta
be a connection.

Detective Ruiney? Forensics
finally found a finger on the tracks.

They got a hit off the prints.

Forty-six years old,
Nathan Shine.

- Nathan Shine?
- Nathan Shine.

Hold it. Hold it. Did the captain come
in today? Is the captain here?

- No, sir. She's not here today.
- Who the hell's Nathan Shine?

Nathan Shine is the drunk

that run her off the road,
crippling her.

He's got her!

He's got the captain! Let's go!

How long for SWAT?

Five away. Keep this perimeter
locked down.

No one in or out.
Christi, stay here.

Ruiney, she's still alive.

Archer, stop! Stop!

Trip wires. Son of a bitch
has got the place rigged.

Dispatch. Ruiney.
Probable 10-89. Over.

- Grab her here.
- I got her. I got her.

- Get it off!
- Let's get this thing off her.

Get if off!

Breathe. Just breathe.
That's it.

- Here, breathe.
- Okay, let's get her down.

He never finished carving the letter.
He's still here.

Suspect's still on site.

Send in backup.

Be advised,
there are trip wires.

You in the bathroom,

move out slowly with your hands
where I can see 'em.

Archer, I got a deceased male!

All clear.

Archer! He's a cop!

There! There! There!

- Wait! Stop! Hold on!
- Wait! Hold on there!

Son of a bitch.

Dispatch, we need an EMT...

Dispatch, we're in pursuit
of a blue Honda motorcycle

heading east on Jefferson.
All units respond.

Suspect on a motorcycle.

Ruiney in pursuit,
eastbound on Jefferson.

Partner, what the hell ya doin'?

What are you doing, Ruiney?
Come on!

Ruiney! Stop! Ruiney! Stop!

- What are you doing!
- Ruiney, stop!

- Hey.
- Hey.

How ya holdin' up?

Slight concussion,
but no big deal.

How are you?

You know, I feel like
I've been hit by a truck.

Thank you.

Christi, listen...

I've been thinking.

Maybe you should walk away.

Ya know?
This is getting dangerous.

I just feel like
we were lucky, you know?

One scar's enough already.

Hey, babes, we gotta move.

So what are we gonna do
with the captain?

I mean, I think
she should be questioned.

She's the only one
who saw the Hangman.

Already did.
She didn't get a look.

She was jumped from behind.

What a fight she put up, huh?

In a wheelchair.

Yeah, wheelchair, no wheelchair,
that's one tough cop.

Got nothing from the motorcycle.
Stolen. No prints.

Figures with this guy.

How you doing, Christi?

You okay?

I was doing this piece
on drug cartels,

and it was in the middle
of nowhere, and...

I was going to my car
late at night.

And...

I just felt like something bad
was gonna happen.

There was this guy,

and he just came up, behind me

and he knocked me down and...

he just started beating me.

He had a knife to my neck.

I didn't know
if I was gonna live or not.

The detective who
was assigned to the case...

Detective Michaels,

he vowed to find the guy
who did this to me.

I don't know why.

I don't know
why he cared so much.

But he did. He found him.
He found the guy.

And the guy shot him.

Detective Michaels had a wife...

and a little girl.

People don't understand

why you guys do what you do.

They don't understand
how much you give up

and how much you sacrifice.

So, this story,

it's not about me, it's about...

It's about him. It's about you.

It's about you guys.

So I'm not... I'm not giving up.

I guess you guys
are stuck with me.

Okay.

He's killed four people
in four days,

one every 24 hours.

He doesn't stop.
That's part of the game.

He kills Jessica
and he stops for a year.

You want to put a new team
on Jessica's murder?

Archer, we had four homicides
in four days.

We don't have the resources
to put a team on a homicide

- that happened a year ago.
- Please, it's not about resources, man.

Something happened.
It's very obvious.

- Look, I agree with you.
- There's a gap...

- I know, there's a gap.
- Between murders, so let's just talk about it.

- What does it mean?
- Okay, look.

There are only three reasons
why a serial killer stops.

One, they die.
That hasn't happened.

Two, we catch them.
That hasn't happened.

Or three,

they're in prison
on an unrelated charge.

Well, sounds possible.

In jail for some
unrelated charge.

So, why don't we get
one of the techies

to look at everybody
who was put in prison

from the time
that Jess was murdered

to the time Reverend Green's
blood was taken?

Nine-month period.

That's gonna yield hundreds,
maybe thousands.

Yeah, that's the problem.
We don't have the time.

So we need to figure out a way
to refine the search.

But, I think that this is
personal to you guys.

He put your badge numbers
on that desk for a reason.

She's right. He called us out.

So, let's refine
the search to us.

Everyone you arrested
this past year,

and everyone I arrested.

Detectives?

That son of a bitch killed Joey,

as a payback to us
for saving the captain.

He's that kinda guy.

Please, tell me
you got something.

I searched the records and used the filters
for the date range you gave me.

- Yeah, and?
- 26 arrests in your time parameters.

Five released
in time to be your guy.

- Put it up.
- That's all right.

So...

who might that be
fits the profile.

- Adam Kellerman.
- Adam Kellerman.

Pull up Adam Kellerman.

Yeah, here we go. Kellerman, Adam.
Assault with a deadly weapon.

Look at his address. And home.

Toys N More.

Eric Anderson. Eric Anderson's
basement was full of toys.

Give us those shots
from Anderson.

This familiar?

Train set.

Son of a bitch sold it to him,
I'll bet.

Let's go.

Clear!

It's clear, Detective!

Holy shit!

Get Westlin down here.

Get the prints off the wall.

Run 'em against Kellerman.

This is Ruiney.

Let's get Forensics up here.
We have a deceased male.

No powder residue on his face.

And residue on his hands.

Got his paint bucket there.

Oh, look what we found.

Will? Will?

I think we got
the son of a bitch.

You know, maybe it's not
the way we wanted it,

but it's better than him...

winding up in some prison
playing cards every night

to his heart's content.

So it's over?

Over?

Yes, it could be.

I think maybe

I should check down
at the station house

and go over Kellerman's
background.

You know, Christi, why don't you
go on back home, honey?

I think it's been a long day.

I'll get an officer here
to take you back.

Call me if you guys
find anything.

Yeah, sure.

Officer, make sure she gets back
to her place safely.

This guy went to extreme lengths
to get our attention.

Made sure we followed every lead,
found every victim.

So why off yourself
before the game is finished?

I mean, we don't even know
what the word is.

Guys like this,

like Bundy, Gacy, Ramirez,

they don't just stop, Archer.

So what are you saying to me?

You want this thing
to make some kind of sense?

Tie it up in some way?

That's not the world, you know.

You're still young enough
to believe it is,

but things like sense and logic,

well, they...

they quit having any effect.

I could never look at things
from your perspective. I never will.

I'm not asking you to.

Maybe you're not ready
to let this whole thing go.

Because that would mean,
in a way,

that you're giving up
on Jessica.

Yeah, maybe you're right.

Maybe I'm not.

But I need to be sure, Archer.

I need to be sure.

That's an impossible wish,
but go for it.

Let's go see Christi.

Listen to her recordings.
Maybe she's got something.

Sure, why not?

Spirit of sense and logic.
I will go.

Did you guys do that?

Guys?

Holy sh...!

Christi?

Yeah!

One scar's not enough for you.

Guys!

No, she's still not answering.

Christi!

Christi!

Come on. Shit.

Goddamn it.

I'm gonna run a trace
on her phone.

Yeah...

Hold it, hold it.
Won't do any good.

Son of a bitch.

Goddamn it,
I told her to walk away.

Oh, fuck.

Oh, my God.

I know who the killer is.
Call dispatch.

Have them run a check on the guy
that sideswiped me last year.

I wouldn't move around
too much if I were you.

You know something?

We have a lot more in common
than you realize.

Scars tell stories.

So, I think,

seeing as you've had to focus
on me this whole time,

that it's only fair
that I turn the camera on you.

So come on, Christi.

Let's have a little smile.
Our viewers are waiting.

They're gonna track that feed,
and they're gonna come for me.

Can you hear them?
Can you hear them coming?

Can you?

Never came for me.

You think
I didn't think of that?

You see, the thing is...

we have plenty of time
before the cops show up.

But unfortunately, you don't.

He was part
of the foster system.

- Next of kin?
- Next of kin, next of kin.

Veronica Townsend
was his last foster parent.

How about birth parents?

Birth parents,
Dorothy Stewart, OD'd '97.

George Stewart, '98 suicide.

George Stewart...

hung himself.

Hung himself.

I think I know where
he's gonna take her, and why.

What's the date
of his father's death?

Wait a minute. October 9, 1998.

He's celebrating the anniversary
of the death of his father.

That's twenty years to the day!

Holy shit.

Archer, where are we going?

Goddamn it! Fuckin' shit!

He hung himself
in front of his child.

He did it at one
of them pig farms off 28.

Pig farm off 28?
Archer, Christi's not there.

What do you mean?

Those pig farms are gone, man.
They're gone.

What are you saying to me?

That whole place got developed.
They're condos and golf courses.

You serious?

- Ruiney.
- Hey, guys!

Okay, we've
got visual confirmation

that Christi is still alive

from a live feed that he is
broadcasting on the Internet.

Son of a bitch.
You guys got a trace on that?

No time for a trace, Captain!
What are you seeing?

It's hard to say. I see...

I see marble walls.
I see plaques.

- There's lots of plaques.
- Oh, my God. Ruiney, where's he buried?

- Where's his father buried?
- Okay, so it's the state's responsibility

to bury the destitute
in a public graveyard.

So where's the closest
public graveyard?

Public mortuaries.
We got St. Catherine's, St. Joseph's.

Holy shit. Archer,
Sacred Heart Mausoleum.

That's it.

It's coming together.

He wants us there, Ruiney.

Only we got to beat
his timeline.

That's how he knew
the Reverend Green.

- How far away is SWAT?
- Approximately 20 minutes out.

So please, please tell me
that you guys are closer!

We'll be there in seven.

I want all my units
at that location now.

Now! Go! Go! Go!

Let's have a talk.

Come on, Christi.

You haven't
figured this out yet?

Why the... Why the game?
Why the hangman game?

I dunno. This one just
kinda stuck with me.

And also, there's a slight
thrill in being in control.

You know, it's an exhilarating
feeling, you know,

being able to tell
who lives and who dies.

And that justifies killing
innocent people?

You should really
feel privileged

because I'm about to give you
a double value letter.

Wait. Wait.

I have more questions.

Why do you redress the people?

If you just kill them,
why do you redress them?

I used to work nights
in a department store.

I used to dress the mannequins.

They had to be perfect.

And I was in control.

So it's all about control.

And I get that. I get that.

Something happened
to you in your past,

and you want to make it right.

You think you understand?

You think you understand?

You don't know shit!

You people don't know anything!

You want to see control?
You want to see control?

I mean, I'll flick the switch now.
I don't have to wait!

Ten fifty-eight. Two minutes.

I don't need that.
You want to see control?

- Watch...
- Fuck you!

If you're gonna kill me,
just kill me!

- Just do it already!
- Now that's the spirit.

Yeah. We're just waiting
for one more player.

Can you feel it?

One minute to go.

He's not coming to save you.

I always thought journalists
smelled like pig shit.

Your time is up.

Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!
It's Archer!

Oh, oh, Jimmy. No, no, no.

Just hold it, hold it a second.

It's me.

Don't, Detective.

Let's just talk for a minute.
You and I, Jimmy.

I remember
the last time I saw you.

You were just up to here.

Just a little boy.

About five or six years old.

I was a cop. I was doing my job.

Is that your daddy?

When that day was over...

I washed my hands of you.

I did. I know I did.
And I know now that was a mistake.

It was a tragic mistake.

Jimmy, I remember
those little eyes

looking at me as if...

I was the one who killed your father.
But I didn't.

I didn't do it. He hung himself.

I was there, Jimmy.

I was there
witnessing that trauma

that changed your whole life.

Don't you patronize me.

Oh, come on now.
You don't need to do it.

- I'm not gonna do anything!
- Don't you take another step!

What am I gonna do to you?
You tell me.

I left you, Jimmy. I know.

And I forgot whatever happened
to that little boy.

You want to know what happened
to that little boy Jimmy?

After losing my father
and that house

I went through years
of brutal pain.

Pain that you could only read about
in your stupid fuckin' police files.

But you got no idea, do you?
No idea.

If I'd have done something,
if I had followed through,

if I had inquired even about
how you were you doing, it was...

- It would've been different, I'm sure...
- You know what, fuck you!

I've achieved heights
of greatness

that flatfoots
like you only dream of.

And you know what?
You know who's to thank, Detective?

You know who kept me going through
all those years of abuse and neglect?

You know who that was?

It's you, Detective Archer.

It's you.

I could've helped you.
I know that deep inside my heart.

Let me take
this young woman's place.

Don't.

I was too damn callous.

I had no empathy.

And that is unforgivable.

I'm not asking for forgiveness.
All I'm asking you to do for me now...

let this woman go.

Do you really need her
when you want me?

That's why this whole game
has taken place, because of me.

Don't you mind-fuck me!

I'm not doing that at all.
Listen to me.

Let's be fair.
I'll stand in her place right now.

Don't do it, Jimmy.

Let's take her down and away.

Should she die for what I did?

- No, no, no. Jimmy, don't.
- Hey!

- You got her?
- I got her.

Ruiney!

Archer!

Archer. Hey.

Archer, hey.

Hey, hang in there.

- Hey...
- It's over.

The game is over.

Yeah, it's over. We got him.

I was...

the I.

- What?
- Evict...

Evictionem.

I was... the I.

No. Archer? Archer?

Archer!

Honor!

Ready!

Port!

Pull!

Ready!

Fire!

Aim! Fire!

Aim!

Fire!

Up and...

Hey, Mister.

There is a house

In New Orleans

They call the Rising Sun

It's been the ruin

Of many a poor boy

And God I know I'm one

Well, my mother was a tailor

She sewed my new blue jeans

And my father

He was a gamblin' man

Way down in New Orleans

Oh Mother

Tell your children

Not to do what I have done

That's to spend your life

In sin and misery

In the House of the Rising Sun

Take me away from here

I got one foot on the platform

And the other foot on the train

And I'm goin' back

To New Orleans

To wear that ball and chain

Yes I am

Oh and it's been,
yes, it's been the ruin

Of many a poor boy

And God I know I'm one

Yes I know I'm one, yeah