A Friend of the Family (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - The Great Deceiver - full transcript

- Robert Berchtold,
you're hereby ordered

to serve 15 days.

- 15 days?

- The very first time
I laid eyes on you,

I was transfixed.

Now I don't think I could live
without your special light.

- He is a deeply
wicked man, Jani.

- You're the ones who
are tormenting me.

And I'm not a child!

- I'd like to invite anyone

who wishes to bear
their testimony.



- Even if you bring her back,
she's just gonna leave again.

- I'll check with
his parole officer,

but he wants to
make it seem like

she left of her own volition.

- You are a monster,

a heartless, vile
excuse of a man,

and I will get my
daughter away from you

if it is the last thing
I do on this Earth!

Where are you, B?

Is Jan with you?

- No. No.

No, Mary Ann.

No, she called,
said she ran away.

Oh, I've been drinking
myself sick all morning.



Hey, angel, hi.

Follow my instructions?

You leave a note
like I told you to?

- Mm-hmm.

- Okay, good, good.

Hey, hey.

It's all right.

You're okay.

All right?

Okay.

Here.

Take one of these

just for the jitters.

Now...

After I drop you at the airport,

you do exactly
like I told you to.

Okay?

My friends are gonna meet you
to pick you up when you land.

You look beautiful.

I'll try to come
out as soon as I can

so we can spend a little time
together before school starts.

All right?

All right.

Now you close your
eyes, get some rest.

Got a long trip ahead of you.

- Mary Ann?

Mary Ann.

The FBI can't treat this
as a kidnapping either,

not with the note.

As far as the
Bureau is concerned,

Jan is a runaway.

I've been told to stand down

unless we find
incriminating evidence.

But until then,
my hands are tied.

I'm sorry.

- This is all my fault.

- It's easy to blame
yourselves right now.

No one thinks that their
best friend is a monster.

I'll do my best to keep
track of Berchtold,

but the best plan is to
make him comfortable enough

to contact you and
make a mistake.

If you can get him on tape
incriminating himself,

then I can help you.

You go along with the
idea that Jan ran away,

at least to him.

To anybody else, you can
tell whatever story you want.

But don't accuse him.

He is your only link
to Jan right now.

You need to get him talking
and let him lead us to her.

- Hello, Brobergs.

- Hi, Mary Ann. How are you?

- Well...

Not good.

- Oh, that, uh, husband
of yours around?

- He's working
late at the store.

- Well, I don't
know if you heard,

but Gail and I are done,
really and truly over.

And, uh...

and I got a place of my
own here in Salt Lake City.

It's not much,
but you know me...

- You need to tell me
where Jan is right now.

- Well, it's funny you say that.

I just got through
talking to Jan.

- You did? What'd she say?

B, please.

- She said she met two girls,

two older girls,
out hitchhiking.

And they've been doing heaven
knows what out on the road.

I said, "Jan, where are you?

You got everybody
worried sick."

And she wouldn't tell
me where she was.

Oh, she's just so
mad at you and Bob.

She does not want to come back

and be a child in
your home anymore.

- She wants to be a grown adult?

- Oh, Christ, she is right now.

- She's 14.

- It is pure hell, Mary Ann,
not knowing where she is.

Oh, and just thinking
about all the awful things

that might be happening
to her out there.

You know, I said to
her... Mary Ann, I said,

"Jan, is there any way
that you'll come back?"

And she said, "I told them

I want to marry you more than
anything else in this world."

I said, "Jan, would
you settle for if we

"kept it very, very quiet,

"and we went down to the
justice of the peace,

and nobody knew, and you
could still live at home?"

And she said, "Oh, B,

do you think there's a
chance they'd let me?"

- You are an evil man!

Evil!

I'm glad you're going to jail.

Damn him!

Just couldn't listen to
that for another second.

- Ah... pshh. Come on.

- Hey, friend.

There something I
can help you with?

- Sure.

Where's Jan Broberg?

- You know, I thought the FBI
didn't investigate runaways.

Some people might say
this is harassment.

- Enjoy your
vacation, Berchtold.

- Starts today. Doesn't it?

- Yeah. Yeah.

15 days in the pokey.

Might have enough time
to read a book or two.

Well, you take
care, Agent Welsh.

Don't wanna be late.

- Pocatello will continue
to be sweltering.

Despite intermittent
cloud cover,

it will again be in the 90s.

- Hello, Gail.

I heard the divorce
went through.

- May I come in?

- Yes, of course.

What brings you by?

- Um, I finished
dropping Bob off at jail.

- Oh.

- And I wanted to

come express my grief

that Jan has run away again.

It must be so hard
for you and Bob.

- Thank you.

Of course, if you
knew something,

anything that would give
us a clue where she is,

you would tell us, right?

- I did ask him about it.

I looked him dead in the eye,

and he told me that he
didn't have anything to do

with Jan running off this time,

and I believe him.

- Gail.

- I think Jan truly felt like

she didn't have a choice.

She wants to be
with him that much.

- You can't really believe that.

- You know...

I wasn't that much
older than Jan

when Bob and I first met.

If she were my daughter,

I really think I would
just let her marry him.

I guess if it brings her back,

what does it matter what
a piece of paper says?

- I see what you're doing,

and I pity you.

And shame on you

for still lying to protect him.

- I married him.

And we have four beautiful
children together.

What's your excuse?

- You asked for me, sir?

- Can you explain to
me why this office

just received a fresh
complaint about you

harassing Robert Berchtold?

- Sitting in my own
car is harassment?

- What were you doing?

- Trying to corroborate
his claim that he wasn't

involved in the second
disappearance of Jan Broberg.

- I thought she left a note.

- She misspelled her
own mother's name.

- Hoofbeats mean horses.

If she left a note saying
she ran away, she ran away.

Stop wasting Bureau resources.

- Thank you, sir.

- Berchtold, up and at 'em.

It's time to go home.

- Dang it, Phil, I was just
getting to the good part.

- Mary Ann, I heard
from Jan again,

and even though the
last time we spoke,

we had some words, I knew
that I had to call you.

- I'm glad you did
now that you're out.

Last time we spoke,

I was really upset
about Jan leaving.

- Yeah, well, I figured
that's what it was.

Lord knows I've
been upset myself.

I'd probably still be
passed out at some...

Some bar if I didn't have
to pay my debt to society.

- So how did she sound?

- Well, she's still hitchhiking
with those two older girls.

It kills me to tell
you this, Mary Ann,

but she's using heavy drugs.

Heroin, Mary Ann.

- Oh.

Oh, dear.

- And where was
she calling from?

- She didn't say,

but she said, "The only
way that I'll come home

"is if I know that you
and I can be man and wife.

"So ask them again, please,

to sign the papers, so
we can get married."

- So that means
she'll be calling back

at some point then, right?

- Yes, I suppose so,
to hear your response.

- Is it cold where she is?

She didn't bring much with her.

- You know, I think she just
really wants to come home.

- We'll buy her a plane ticket.

Just tell us what airport.

Or could she take a bus?

- Mary Ann, she's barely got
enough change to call me.

I say, "Jan, how are
you getting your money?"

And she says, "Hard."

- Are you saying that
you'll send her back

if we let her marry you?

- It's not so much
that I want to.

It's that if I had
to, for her sake.

You know I love Jan.

So of course I'd marry her
if that was the only way

to get her to come home
and to know she's safe.

But I guess I'll find her myself

since you don't give a damn.

- Okay, the good news is
that we have him on tape

saying that he would
marry her, right?

I mean, that's
gotta be something

that Pete can work with, right?

- It's worth a shot.
- Yeah.

You did great.

Well?

- I wish it was enough.

- He said he would marry her.

- Not as a demand.

- Brobergs.

- Mary Ann, Bishop Paulson here.

Is Bob with you?

- Yes, Bishop.
He's right here.

- Bishop, how are you?

- Bob, Nicole and I were
coming back from BYU today,

and we were passing
through Ogden.

And I happened to
notice a car going past.

And I am quite sure that it
was Bob Berchtold at the wheel.

And I believe that it was Jan
riding in the car with him.

- You saw Jan in the car?

- Yeah, I think so.

And you had said she was
staying with her grandmother,

so I thought that
was to put some space

between her and the
Berchtold situation.

So I figured if they were
spending time together,

you'd want to know about that.

- Do you know where
they were headed?

Could you tell?

- Headed South on I-15.

They're near Ogden, like I said.

- South on I-15.
Thank you, Bishop.

- Sure thing.

- He's with her.
He's with her.

She's in Ogden. Our
Bishop saw her in his car.

- Is she under duress?

- Probably, I mean, I don't...

- Surely that's enough for
the FBI to get involved?

- Yeah.

- We need to disprove
she's a runaway.

Contributing in the delinquency
of a minor is a misdemeanor.

To open a federal case,

we need proof of
interstate transport,

travel receipts,
or a ransom demand,

or a confession on tape.

- Couldn't you at least
call the police department

in Ogden?

You can't open a case,
but maybe they could

if they thought he was in
the company of a runaway.

- I can't.

I'm sorry.

It's not enough for the Bureau.

If I press too hard,
they will cut me loose,

and you'll have no one
there who cares about Jan.

But if the Bishop saw her,
at least we know she's close.

Thanks a lot, Pete.

- I'll see myself out.

- Sorry I'm late.

Don't worry about
fixing me a plate.

I don't have much
of an appetite,

to be honest with you.

- Yeah, I just don't
know what to do.

Well, if you hear anything,
please let us know right away.

- Where are the
girls? Are they okay?

- Jenny hasn't come home.
- What?

Where is she?
- I thought she was at Sally's.

I've called everywhere.

- Hi.

How was the sleepover?

- It was good.

- Sally's mother
called your mother

to thank her for letting
Sally sleep here.

Where have you been?

- It's not a big deal. We
just went out to see a show.

- I've been looking
for you in ditches.

- Dad, we're in Idaho.

- Go to your room.

- Ogden Police Department,
how can I help you?

- Peter Welsh, Pocatello FBI.

I'd like to speak with
the ranking officer

on duty please.

- Just one moment.

- This is Captain Collins.

- Hey, Terry, Pete Welsh here.

Listen, you didn't
hear this from me,

but there's a guy down in Ogden

that I think you boys
should know about.

- We've been here all day.

Shouldn't we just
go in or something?

I mean, if there's even a
chance that she's in there.

- At his known address where a
parole officer could stop by?

No, we stick with the plan.

We wait, then we'll follow.

- It's just wearing me down.

The waiting and the guilt.

- Mary Ann...

I've forgiven you...

for everything.

- That's him. That's him.

Get down.

There's somebody else
in the car with him.

- Is it Jan?

- I can't tell.

Come on.

I think it's her.
I think it's her.

So the girl that Bishop
Paulson saw wasn't...

- It was someone
else's daughter.

- With a mass spectrometer
and other sensors,

NASA hopes to
detect signs of life

from our sister planet.

Following up on the economy,

there is no easing up on
the recession and inflation.

Meanwhile, here's an update
on President Ford's...

- I'll put you to bed.

Come on. I got ya.

- From the National
Crime desk tonight

comes news of another
child abduction.

12-year-old Becky Williams
of Orlando, Florida,

has been missing since
she got off her bus,

which was only a half a mile

and ten minute
walk from her home.

Friends of Becky
reported noticing a man

talking to her after the
bus had already pulled away.

- So much of what people call
truth isn't even reality.

I mean, it's just
their perception

of what reality
and the truth is.

Hmm.

- Well, all right,
I sure am glad

that I get to go to boarding
school while we're out here,

while we finish the mission.

I wonder if it'll be weird,
though, being Catholic.

- Oh, you're gonna do just fine.

You're the best actress I know.

You're gonna win
an Oscar one day.

- Just hope I can make
friends at Sacred Heart.

I almost miss Karen,
and Susan, and Caroline.

- Well, I hate to
disappoint you, Dolly,

but I don't think Zada
and Zethra would want you

making friends, not with
those Catholic girls.

Sacred Heart's just temporary

until Mary Ann and Bob
sign the marriage papers.

To do the mission,
we need to spend

as much time as
possible together

over the next two years
before you turn 16.

The only way that happens is
if they sign those papers.

Everything depends
on those papers.

- What's that got to
do with making friends

while I'm there?

- We don't want to slip up
and compromise the mission.

You know, Zada told me something

that I think might cheer you up.

One of the nuns there
is from their planet,

just like you.

I don't know which one,

but she'll be watching over you.

- Can I talk to her?

- Oh, I think it's
probably best not to.

You might talk to the
wrong one, say too much.

And I don't think Zada and
Zethra would like that.

Oh, I almost forgot.

I got one more surprise for you.

- It's a portable TV.

I saw one just like
this in a magazine.

- Well, now you can
watch "Bionic Woman"

and "Charlie's
Angels" and all that.

But you got to keep it a secret.

No TVs allowed at school.

- Thank you.

- Watch it when you're
lonely and think of me,

the Six Million Dollar Man.

You know, I met Lee
Majors about two years

before that show came out.

And I told him I had
an idea for a program

about an astronaut
who gets injured.

And then I turn on the
TV, and I see that show,

and I think, gosh darn it.

That's my idea.

I wouldn't want to be
out here in Hollywood

with all those "pinkos" anyways.

Her mother passed tragically
when we were escaping the PLO.

I find it best not to
speak to her about it.

You know, luckily, Jerry has...

Sorry.

It's a force of habit.

President Ford has
been so supportive.

- We're proud to
support the work you do

for the White House in any
way we can, Mr. Tobler.

- Well, thank you, sisters.

I'm sure she'll
be just fine here.

You know, the CIA
investigated your school.

So I know just about
everything there is to know

about Flintridge Sacred Heart.

Would you excuse me?

Remember what I told you, Dolly.

One of them will be
watching over you.

Got it?

Okay.

Come here.

You take care of my Janis now.

- Of course.

- This is your roommate, Sophia.

- I can't believe what
I've been hearing,

Martians, flying saucers.

- I know this is
gonna sound crazy,

but there was
something out there.

I saw it.
- You saw it?

Come on, Oscar.
What'd you see?

- A flying saucer.

Everything that these
people are saying is true.

A great big flying saucer.
- Really?

Wait, wait, what
about Bill Robinson?

He's a UFO expert.
Did he see it too?

- He hasn't got the
faintest idea about it,

but it was there.

It flew over them
and then disappeared.

- Disappeared?

- Yes, it was a beam, a light.

- And they just
ride horses all day.

- So jealous.
- I don't even understand.

- Well, hey, new girl.

You don't need to
look so nervous.

We don't bite.
What's your name?

- Janis. Janis Tobler.

- Well, where are you
from, Janis Tobler?

- Um, well, before here, my
dad and I were in Lebanon.

- Are there any cute guys there?

- I don't really like
to talk about it.

- Okay. Suit yourself.

- Did you know
Melissa Sue Anderson

from "Little House on
the Prairie" goes here?

Anyway, next weekend,
there's going to be a pool.

So that means bring
your bathing suits.

- Oh, Janis, come in.

Have a seat.

What can I help you with?

- I just wanted to
ask about something.

- What is it?

Ask anything you like.

- Are you...

Are you...

like me?

- I'm not sure what
you mean, Janis.

Are you sure you're all right?

- Yeah. No, I'm sorry.

I just don't think that
I'm feeling very...

- Janis.

I know what this is about.

You miss your mother, don't you?

Losing a parent is hard.

There's nothing wrong
with being sad about it.

But you can always turn
to the Lord for comfort.

And don't forget. You
still have your father.

You're lucky to have
him watching over you.

- Yeah.

I am.

- Hi.
- Hey.

I sure am glad
you came to visit,

even if it's just
for the weekend.

You're the only person
I can really talk to.

- You been doing
like we talked about,

staying focused on the mission?

- Yeah, of course.

- That's my girl.

Oh.

Here.

There's something I've been
itching to share with you.

It's a little something I wrote.

And then I want you
to write something.

- Write what?

- Just a few words
from the heart.

We'll get there.

First...

this is from a little
something I call

"A Season in the Sun."

It's sort of a memoir.

- What's that?

- Oh, that's where
you write down

your memories from the best
parts of your life in a book.

So this one's all
about you, Dolly.

There's quite a few
publishers interested,

and even talk of
$1/4 million advance.

We'll see.
- Wow.

- "Even as Mary Ann and Bob

"try to keep us apart out
of jealousy and spite,

"the only thing I can hang on to

"through this whole
mess is Jan's love.

"I know with all my soul
that I would die for her.

More important than that..."

- He's willing to live

and endure everything
you can throw upon him.

He'd go through it all
for me and so much more,

more than you can ever imagine,

with all your hang-ups
and old-fashioned ways.

We have a special
connection, the two of us.

I left home because
I was sick to death

of putting on the
little girl act

just because it's what
everyone expected of me.

I've had all I could
take of the battle

between you and me over B.

He had been mine
from the beginning,

and you had no right to him.

Most of all, on this Earth,
I want to be B's wife.

And I know our love will
go on into eternity,

no matter what you, or Bob,
or anyone else on this Earth

does to us.

- "I would like very much
to start a new relationship

"with you on a
woman-to-woman basis.

Maybe then we'd learn
to enjoy each other."

"Please do whatever
needs to be done

so that I can
return and marry B."

"Love, Jan."

- Morning.

- Hey, Greg.

Did you have a chance to
track down that psychologist

from the Broberg case,
the one that came by

the first time he took
her, Dr. Milstein?

- Yeah, that clinic
closed over a year ago.

And the last former
employee I spoke with said

that Dr. Milstein's
on a sabbatical

somewhere in Argentina.

- If we could locate him,
that would help establish

a pattern of behavior.

Berchtold is going to
do this with other kids.

He's not gonna stop.

You know, listen, I think
this LDS Social Services

in the Mormon church...

They had access to
Berchtold's files,

since they're the ones
that referred him.

So we should talk to them too.

- Pete, Pete, Pete, what
are you talking about?

I'm not gonna do any of this.

I know you've gotten
close to these people.

But I'd like to go out in
the Bureau's good graces.

So I'm gonna follow
Flynn's direct order

not to work on the Broberg case.

And you should too.

- He's right in there.

- Thank you.

Bishop Paulson, Agent
Peter Welsh, FBI.

Is this a good time?

- Agent Welsh, come in.

- Really appreciate you
taking the time to see me.

- Not at all.

Have a seat.

Oh, honey, you want
to wait downstairs?

We shouldn't be too long.

Ever since she's in
college, I gotta steal

whatever father-daughter
time I can get.

- Well, I'm just checking to see

if we missed anything from
our initial investigation.

The LDS Social Services is
mentioned several times.

Can you explain to
me what that is?

- Mm-hmm, that's a nonprofit
operated by the LDS church

that provides counseling
for members in need.

- Mm-hmm, and why was
Berchtold seeking counseling?

- No, he was referred
by me, his Bishop.

- Oh, that must have
been summer of '74.

But Jan wasn't taken
until October that year.

So why refer him?

- Well, Bob
Berchtold actually...

He had made
inappropriate overtures

toward my daughter, Nicole.

- To your daughter?

How old was she at the time?

- At that time, she was 14.

And he was a member
of the High Council.

- The High Council?

- The High Council...

It sounds high and mighty,
but we're a lay clergy.

So members of the church
were called on to volunteer.

I've been a Sunday
school teacher,

scout leader, high
councilman, and now, Bishop.

So, yes, Bob...

Bob Berchtold was
on the High Council.

But then when we learned
that his condition

had gotten worse, he
was excommunicated

and referred to LDS
Social Services.

- What do you mean, his
condition had gotten worse?

- Disciplinary matters
before the Council...

They're supposed to be
confidential, Agent Welsh.

- Mm.

How about first I tell you

what I know about
Robert Berchtold?

I know he doesn't feel
emotions the way that we do.

I know that he will lie,
manipulate, intimidate,

and blackmail to get the
only thing that he wants,

which is access to young girls.

And I know that he is doing
it right now as we speak.

So, Bishop, if you know anything

that might help us stop him,

it is incumbent
on your conscience

and on your soul to share
that with me right now.

Well...

Excuse me.

The reason that he
was excommunicated

was because he told us

that he had drugged Jan Broberg

on multiple occasions

and acted out

sexual fantasies,

masturbation and...

limited, uh, intercourse

while she slept.

- Before the first kidnapping?

Did anyone tell law enforcement?

Did anyone tell the Brobergs?

- Agent, our religion,

it is built upon the pillars

of faith and repentance.

Okay.

We believe that Jesus
Christ is our Savior,

and he died and
paid for our sins.

If we repent...

He forgives us.

Our main teaching is to try

to become like him.

- He's been doing
this for years.

You could have stopped it.

- He had repented, and...

I thought I was doing
the right thing.