Tell Me Your Secrets (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Once I Had a Love - full transcript

Do you remember me?

From the trial.

Of course.

You came every day,
sat in the same seat.

Do you have any idea
how hard it was

for the parents to... to listen?

I can't imagine.

I write to him, to Parker,

every week, but he won't see me.

Can you tell me
the truth, Karen?

Can you tell me what you know
about my daughter?



Please.

I never saw her.

And I never knew her.

Look at these pictures.

Please.

I think you need to know
she was really someone.

That her first word was "mama,"

and she used to fall asleep

on my husband's chest
when she was little,

curled up on the couch.

And she grew up
and she swam for her college.

She was very,
very close to Olympic selection,

and now it's just, like...

It's like I dreamed her.



I'm so sorry...

...for your loss.

I hired
a private investigator, and...

we found these three years ago

at a gas station in Nevada.

It's... It's the last
image of her.

And then three seconds later,

this man came out
of the bathroom.

Your man.

The tattoo artist...

right there.

So, one of you is lying.

I didn't know him then.

A serial killer...

right next to her,
and my baby never comes home.

Can you really not remember?

Oh, no, no.

Sorry, I just... I just...
I just want to...

I-I just want to know the truth!

Karen! Please!

Tell me the truth!

Please tell me the truth.

You ready, Karen?

For what?

To be Emma.

This place, it's really mine?

There's a lot of stuff here.

Yeah, there was a guy
that was living here.

He's gone now.

I'm gonna help you
get through this.

We're still gonna have
our regular sessions

and we're gonna keep
working on the memories

that you can't recall.

I just don't want you
to get overwhelmed.

OK?

OK.

We talked a lot about this
when you were in prison,

about the reality of you
living in...

In Witness Protection.

You need to live
a quiet life here,

not attract attention
to yourself,

and be very careful
who you form attachments to.

I don't have to tell you
to stay away from young women.

I'm just saying, keep it simple.

Nine times out of ten,

people will believe
what you tell them.

You know that.

My number's in that phone.

I want you to keep it with you
at all times.

Most people don't ever get
the opportunity

that you have right now.

No past, no baggage,

and at the same time,
the opposite is true.

Every good thing you ever did
is gone.

Tell me about Emma Hall.

Write down three things,

three qualities
that you want for her.

What, like, I get to be a...

princess with a unicorn?

Write them down.

Did you finish the letter
to him?

To Parker?

It's been seven years
since your daughter,

since Theresa went missing,

and that is a very significant
amount of time.

Officially, missing persons
can be declared as deceased,

and it's natural

that a family would struggle
at this time.

W-We're not struggling.

We're fine.

Mom. I thought it would be good
for everyone

to at least
acknowledge the date.

Yeah, OK. Yeah,

I'm fine if you guy
s want to talk it out.

Mary, I think
Jake set this up

because he feels that we,
you included,

should talk about
what happens next.

Don't you feel the need
to draw a line, Mary?

To begin the process of closure?

On what?

Look, we're fine.

I have the foundation.
I'm with my son every day.

I'm with my daughter, as well.

I mean, not... not in...
In reality,

but every day,
we work very hard to find her.

And other missing children.

W-We help a lot of families.

My wife...

Well, we don't...

We're... We're... We're friends.

Yes. We're just not together.

We're compassionately
de-married.

Right, yes.

And I just...
I guess I keep hoping

that we will
reach a point where...

we can grieve together.

Maybe...

put a bench somewhere
that means something to us,

a place that we could all go
as a family

and just remember our daughter.

We don't need a bench, Saul.
Theresa's not dead.

Mary. Do you have certainty,
or do you need certainty?

I have instinct.

A mother's sense of her child,

and my daughter
is still out there.

- I know it.
- How?

Because I don't feel she's gone.

Always said
you needed therapy, Mom.

Took this to get you here.

Mary, do you understand
Saul's need to mourn?

- Yeah. I do.
- Good.

I guess I've just always
been the optimist

in the marriage.

Now you're gonna
see me cry.

I love that you're in touch
with your emotions.

Yeah. So in touch.

I literally feel
everybody's pain.

Except for mine,

'cause I don't have any pain.

Not anymore.

I have you.

All of you.

I see the things I did
as acts of compassion.

Young women trapped in ideals
put upon them...

Perfect girls
from perfect homes

when we all know
nobody's perfect.

You killed nine women,
Mr. Parker.

You shattered the bones
in their hands and feet

so they couldn't
defend themselves,

and then you beat them to death
with your hammer.

If you need a monster,
I'll be your monster.

But the truth is...

those girls were begging
for their freedom.

Mom, stop listening
to that shit.

This shit is how
I'm gonna nail Parker.

It's how I'm gonna find Theresa.

Well, I don't want you going
by yourself.

It's a maximum-security prison,
Mom.

I'm gonna come with you.

After four years,
he's finally agreed to see you?

I want to know why.

Let Parker sit down with you

after he already took
my other kid?

Never gonna happen.

Hi.

Your hair is so pretty.

Get up.

Just leave me be.

Get up, bitch.

Please.

You're a dirty,
filthy liar

who lives in a house full of
slutty trash who no one wants,

that are so dirty and disgusting

that your own moms and daddies
didn't even want you.

You know, bad things happen
to little girl liars.

My mom did want me.

Oh, honey, nobody wants you.

Nobody.

I mean,
except for the trashy boys.

What are you doing?

Smile, bitch,
this is going on the Internet.

Stop! Please,
don't put that in my hair!

Just stop!

Oh, do... do you want to be
on her story?

Get out!

Get out of here,
you little bitches.

Don't show it...
That you're afraid.

I see it. They see it, too.

It's dangerous to be afraid.

You're not from here,
are you?

You following me?

Why'd you help me?
You don't even know me.

I know girls like that.

My mama died.

She had a heart attack.

That's why I don't have her
looking out for me.

It's late. You should get home.

I don't have a home.

Not a real one.

I'm in a group home
for foster kids.

Yeah, me, too.

When I was your age.

When you get out,
it gets better.

I went to live with someone...

kind, someone good.

- No one's gonna come for us.
- You don't know that.

Well, you don't know this place.

There's stuff there... bad stuff.

We don't matter.

If things happen to us...

it doesn't matter, either.

I got to... I got to get home.

Stay away from those girls.

I don't know why
anyone would come here.

This place is rotten.

I wanted a fresh start.

You shouldn't have picked
Saint James.

Yeah, well, I'm here,
and now I'm going home to sleep.

I'm Jess.

You got a name?

Emma.

Hall.

No one ever stood by me
like that, Emma Hall.

Shame on them.

Hi.

Oh.

Hi, little one.

Hey.

How'd you get out here?

I got you.

OK.

I'm sorry.

These are the last words
I'll ever say to you.

I thought about
never saying them.

I thought about trying
to erase you from my life.

But I can't.

So I have to write them down,
make myself end what was ours,

because I have to start again.

I have to forget you.

I still don't know
how I'll do that,

but I have to live without you,
and you without me,

and we both have to
let each other go.

We both have to leave
the darkness we were in,

even if being without you feels
like the stars have gone out.

So, Emma Hall.

Hmm.

I was in Seattle. I-I cut
in some really good places.

Oh, that's a place I'd like
to go to someday.

Don't let us keep you, Thomas.

You did notice this is
Saint James, Louisiana, right?

I wanted to start over.

Only two reasons
anyone starts over...

A breakup or a breakdown.

I'm really good on details.
I work hard.

I-I can cut and I can sweep
the floor, I can make coffee.

If you need me to step up
because of the baby,

then I can do that, too.

You gonna save the world
while you're at it?

Yeah, maybe on the weekends.

I'm really good at cutting.

I want to rent that chair.

It is a good chair.

I need to stay busy.

You got some money for my chair?

So... So no one else
can turn my head.

Thank you for taking
this meeting.

I'm hoping that John can be
a real big help to the Trust,

on a voluntary basis, of course.

Um, and I wanted to say before
we start that I'm so sorry

there's still no news about
your daughter, Mrs. Barlow.

Prison was a real epiphany.

When you're away
from everything you know

and there's nowhere else to go,

uh, no one else to blame,
you've got to look to yourself,

and I was able to do that.

To think about what I had done

and the lives
that I had impacted.

The women you raped.

Our organization
supports ex-offenders

in their post-prison lives.

John genuinely wants to change.

He's been recommended
for early release.

He's been employed
at the Allfoods supermarket.

He recently received
a commendation.

This is, uh,
for my display work.

Uh, I-I can tell you things

about how the world thinks it is
and how it really is.

Safety is a dream.

That makes sense.

But because of
men like you, right?

I-I was every woman's
worst nightmare.

I was the boogeyman.

I stalked my victims.

I was a predator.

But now I am well.

And... And you want to work here
with us?

I... No, volunteer.
There... There would be no cost.

Work, volunteer.

Y-You want to do something
with us here?

I can tell you everything

about the gaps where
ladies think that they're safe.

I drove a cab,
I worked as a cleaner,

I cut keys for women.

I was all over social media, I...

- Can I stop you?
- Yes, please.

I'm trying
to get my head around this.

You are offering what?

Awareness raising.

Our foundation's about victims.

We counsel, we offer support,

we help find missing persons.

We're not a fit for you.

Well, hold on now.

Maybe there is something
you could do for me.

Tell me,

why did you do
the things you did?

Why did you choose
the women you chose?

I mean, what was it?
Why one and not another?

Um, I don't like to talk,
um, in that personal way.

I want to talk about the gaps,

uh, you know, offer advice...

Ideas that you could put
into a pamphlet.

I'm not interested
in a general sense.

I want to know...

what makes a woman your victim.

Do you know
why I started this trust?

Your daughter went missing.

No.

She was taken.

Seven years ago.

Now, I know who did it,
but I can't prove that.

So this whole trust is for her

and others like her,

and we work so hard
to help families

whose lives have been...

destroyed by men like you.

- Maybe we should wrap this up.
- So, I-I'm glad you've changed.

I hope people can change,
but what I would like to know is

what was it about my daughter
made a man take her from me?

I'm looking for insight.

- Uh-huh.
- You can't give it?

You won't give it?

Good luck.

Be a good person.

But I can't have you here
with us.

I mean,
you understand that, right?

Don't you?

How did you find me?

I followed you.

When? The other night?

Maybe.

You got trouble
with those girls again, or...?

Mnh-mnh.

Good.

I've got, um...

I got things to do.

You want to do them together?

No.

I'm busy. I got... I got stuff.
I got a lot of stuff.

I saw her in the window.

She's Bella Sharp's kitten.

You gonna tell Bella Sharp?

Not if you hang with me.

Do you believe in monsters?

Abel says
there's a swamp monster...

10 foot tall, skin all scale
like an alligator.

One red eye, one black.

And you believe that?

- Oh, my God!
- What?

- We all believe in monsters.
- Come on!

You're the one who told me
not to be afraid of anything.

So easy. I'm not.

Yes, you are.

Who's Abel?

I can't talk about Abel.

I'd live here if I could.

I'd never go back

and they'd never know
where I've gone.

But you'll know
where to find me.

Come.

Come.

That's my pot of money
that never runs out.

And that's the giant
that walks behind me.

She's invisible,
but I couldn't draw invisible.

She eats anyone who's mean.

She's my swamp monster.

You got dreams?

Must be something you want.

To go back and be with someone
I don't have anymore.

I'm happy you're here

with me in Saint James.

Yeah, well, I don't think
I'm gonna be here much longer.

You're my true friend,
Emma Hall.

I can't give you nothing better.

Thank you.

Mrs. Barlow, I'm so sorry.

You OK?

Have you left here?

Have you left the cabin?

You been listening to the radio?

You've been online?

Have you talked to anybody
from your past, Emma?

Hmm?

No. Sometimes I want to. No.

So you don't know?

What is it?

Look.

Something very bad has happened,
and I need you to trust

that we'll get
through this together.

Do you trust me?

You're scaring me.

Christopher Parker's dead.

He killed himself
yesterday in prison.

- No, he wouldn't do that.
- He did do it.

- I'm here for you.
- No!

Emma!

You can't leave here.
Do you understand?

You're not safe.

No!

Why do you
keep coming here?

I work my nights here.

Oh.

- Where is it?
- Where's what?

Without that necklace,
you're not safe, child.

That was a powerful stone.
It was your protection.

I gave it to someone... a friend.

What kind of friend
do you have here?

You need to lie down now.

You need to relax.

Emma! Open up, please!
Emma, please! Emma!

Emma, please!

You said you were my friend!

Please!

One second.

Mrs. Barlow, hello.

Can I come in, John?

Of course. Yeah. Come in.

Have you changed your mind?

Do you think people
can really change, John?

If you let them.

I believe in
the cycle of rebirth.

I'm not so sure.

I think we can try,
but our natures are our natures.

I think we can have good days
where we try to be better,

but they're just days.

No, Mrs. Barlow,
I think if we know better,

we do better.

Every day,
I wake up and I think,

"What can I do better
for the world?"

I mean,
and at the end of the day,

I think,
"Did I make my good mark?"

I want to believe in you, John.

I ca... I can't tell you how much
that means to me, to...

F-for me to hear you say that,
Mrs. Barlow, because truly,

you have been
such an inspiration to me.

I want you
to do something for me.

A job.

If you like.

I need you
to find someone for me.

I don't know where she is.

I don't even know her name.

But this is who she used to be.

I don't do that.

This is the monster
that took my daughter, Theresa.

I know you have pain,
Mrs. Barlow...

Don't talk about my pain.

Help me.

Help me find this terrible,
terrible woman

before she destroys
someone else's life.

Do something good, John.

That doesn't sound like
a good thing, Mrs. Barlow.

Well,
I'm not giving you a choice.

I'm giving you a chance...

The chance
that you wanted to prove to me,

y-your inspiration,

that you could live
a different life,

you could be someone new.

I want to do that, but not...

I don't want to do that
in this way.

I'm sorry. I'm feeling
very uneasy right now.

My stomach...

I-I-I'm beginning
to have pains already.

You got Tylenol.

Take a vacation. Go sick.

Quit your job, I don't care.

You have four weeks
to find this person.

Otherwise, John,
I will make sure

that everyone knows
exactly who you are.

You are the man
that we all dread.

Take it.

Take it.

Good.

Good boy.

Love is a virtuous mind

that creates only peace
and happiness,

whereas attachment
is never virtuous

and causes only pain
and problems.

Swiftly ascending
the other shore,

we find the city of tranquility.

Love is a virtuous mind

that creates only peace
and happiness.

Jess?

Jess?

Jess, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Jess.

I am your friend, Jess.

Jess!

Jess?

Jess?

Jess!

Jess!

Oh, no, Jess!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Oh, no!

Oh, no!

Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. No, fuck!

Please! No!

Sorry, we're closed.

I just want a little trim.

And then I want to know
the best bar in this town

to go get trashed in.

What's your name?

Theresa.

Tell me a story.