The Family (2016): Season 1, Episode 3 - Of Puppies and Monsters - full transcript
Previously on "The Family"...
I am announcing
my candidacy for governor.
We need to influence
public perception with this.
We'll need the whole family.
I think we go traditional.
Life isn't a straight shot, my friends.
It's full of hills and valleys.
Confront your grief,
and you'll take away its power.
Tell me about the man in the woods.
He has holes in his face.
What about the place he kept you in?
- What could you see?
- A red dragon.
He was breathing fire right at me.
An emergency hearing
was held this morning
which declared Asher a free man.
Where's my mom?
- She passed, Hank.
- Oh.
I didn't take that little boy's ship.
I don't even know how it got there.
My brother used to be a patient here,
and we thought it might be nice
to have his dental records.
Your sister already picked them up.
Oh.
M-My name is Adam.
_
Have you ever done
something you can't undo...
... you can't forgive, you can't forget?
So you tear yourself apart.
_
Why were you so sure that I was dead?
I don't know.
I was waiting.
Adam...
Why'd you stop looking for me?
I don't know.
Have you ever done something that wrong?
I have.
Daddy?
Did you do it?
What's that smell?
Contempt.
We'll see these on camera...
"Bless this happy home."
"Coolest mom ever."
Uh, "home," so it looks like
Claire crocheted it herself.
The American people want
to know we're in a good place.
We're not.
This interview could get
Mom the endorsement,
so I need you to stay
relatively sober till it's over.
I can go two days without a drink,
- so you don't really have to worry.
- Just don't overreach.
Just drink to maintain.
Okay, you're gonna put him
on national TV,
and you're worried about me?
What does that say about you?
- Bye, Ad.
- Bye.
Hey, hey, um, is he going
to the dentist anytime soon?
How should I know?
Those bunkers are actually
part of the oil refinery.
So basically anyone who has ever
worked at this refinery
could've known how
to get into that tunnel.
Uh, if you can get us
contact info for current
and former employees,
that would be more than helpful.
That I can do.
How far along?
Oh, technically, six months.
When I try and get off the couch, 20.
- Mm.
- You have kids?
No.
We're not the most modern around here.
Uh, we're computerized from 2002.
Before that, our records
are paper... so much paper.
Paper, paper, paper.
Just send it all over.
Detective Meyer?
Gabe Clements.
I should've introduced myself before.
I was taken with your board over there.
Very, uh, "Beautiful Mind."
Anything else you need from me?
Why? You going somewhere?
Aren't I?
Oh, 'cause I'm the Fed,
I'm supposed to say,
"This is my case
and we play by my rules,
so you're on desk duty"?
You live here. You know the players.
We'll worry about you testifying
in court and all that
when we catch our pock-marked man.
'Cause I'll probably
only catch him if you help me.
You drive.
We'll stop for better coffee on the way.
I like the coffee here.
This is my case,
and we play by my rules.
He set the fire to destroy
any potential forensic evidence,
and so far it's worked.
We're not getting prints or DNA.
And you're sure it's the place?
Oh, my God.
So you came here to tell us that,
or is there something you want?
We'd like Adam to revisit the scene.
The scene of his imprisonment
and torture?
- I know it's a lot to ask for.
- You have no idea.
Just hear her out, Claire.
Our hope is that the visceral experience
of being back there
might trigger some memory.
Or a complete breakdown.
I-I get you want to protect him,
but look at him.
Look what he already survived.
- He's strong.
- You don't hear him at night.
He has nightmares.
No, he's not ready. Let's wait a week.
- I want to go.
- Till your interview's over?
- This isn't about that.
- I want to go.
- The hell it's not.
- I want to go!
I'm not a little kid
that you need to protect.
Not anymore.
- So, when did it start?
- What?
You sleeping with the dad.
I'm FBI. We're perceptive.
Few months after.
I'm not judging.
Just wondering if it ever
clouded your vision.
Hmm, my vision was cloudy before that.
You were looking at
the neighborhood sex offender.
Who wouldn't? But statistically,
most child murders
are someone in the family.
_
So, the kids went to get ice cream.
Mm-hmm. Haven't we been through this?
There are just a few gaps
in our time line.
What gaps?
Was John with you
at the rally the entire time?
Yes, why?
Didn't leave your side,
not even for a second?
I don't think so.
But you're not sure?
I-I was shaking so many hands
that night, I don't...
Maybe he went to the bathroom...
Stoplight camera caught him
driving across town.
Didn't clock him coming back
for over an hour.
What are you trying to say?
I want to know where you went, John.
I went to get more fliers.
I told you that already.
Well, they said that you
were gone for an hour.
Why would it take an hour
to get fliers? I...
I-I-I turned on the game, okay?
It was the last quarter.
The kids were off.
You were fine by yourself.
So I drank a beer, and I turned
on the damn game, okay?
Okay?
- It sounds lame, John.
- What?
It sounds like a made-up story.
I'm sorry. It just...
Would... Would you
like to ask me something?
No, don't. But, ye...
'Cause it sounds like you
really, really want to.
No, really. Stop it.
- Stop, stop.
- If you honestly believe
- that I am capable of hurting someone...
- Okay, all right.
- All right. Do you want me to ask you?
- ...let alone my own son!
- Where were you, John?!
- I told you!
You are lying!
I'm exhausted. I'm confused.
I just... just want him back.
You think I don't?
Every day I want him back.
But the hell if I'd ever turn on you.
Honey...
You don't need to do this.
Ad?
I want to.
Careful... there's plastic on the steps.
We're still processing
evidence down there.
You coming?
I just... I-I just need a minute.
Mom?
You don't have to do this, either.
Hi. Can I help you?
I want to buy a puppy.
Bows on the girls
and bandanas on the boys.
Otherwise, it's all
one big ball of cute.
Okay, Mr. Hank, climb on in.
Why?
To pick your puppy.
Or if you really want a friend for life,
let the puppy pick you.
Ooh! Oh, my!
You're gonna be a great daddy, Hank.
Anything coming back, Adam?
Yeah.
I remember everything.
That's where I slept.
Over there was the bathroom.
- Did you have a... a...
- Bucket.
This was my kitchen.
But that right there...
was the dining room.
I saved it for when
he brought good food.
What was good?
Hamburgers and fries.
Anything have a logo?
The bag or the boxes?
No, he always unwrapped it first.
Always? How often did he bring it?
About once every seven sleeps.
And was it warm, the food?
That's what made it good.
Three miles from the road
and eight from the edge of the woods,
but the food was warm?
Maybe he hiked it in
in some kind of insulated bag.
Yeah, or maybe he drove.
We'll fan out, look for tire tracks.
It's worth a shot.
Could I have a minute... alone?
Down here? You sure?
Just a minute.
I'll be right out there
if you need me, okay, bud?
Yeah.
Do you think I killed him?
Do you think I killed my son?!
Drink.
That guy Asher...
I-I saw him this morning
just walking in the bagel shop,
buying a bagel and schmear
like it's a normal day.
He's a regular guy...
nothing to see here.
Trying to get a warrant
to search his house.
It's just not that easy.
Do you think I'm lying?
My wife does.
No.
Do you think I did something?
'Cause if you do, arrest me.
If not, then...
I think you love your son.
I think you love him so much
you're drowning without him.
Tell me what it was like... down there.
Thought you didn't want to know.
Just tell me.
Well, he, um...
he set it up just like our house.
Bathroom here,
kitchen, bedroom,
dining room.
Even at 8 years old,
he remembered the layout.
Do you want me to...
It's okay. Keep going.
Uh... big space.
It's high, not wide.
There's, um...
smaller spaces inside it,
like niches, and...
It was dark.
Cold.
No natural light.
The brick walls are concrete.
In terms of optics, colors
can really make or break you.
We've found that Republican
voters respond best
to female candidates in red or blue.
To think I might have worn green.
Crisis averted.
Uh, to keep you on message,
I've assembled a list
of RNC talking points for the interview.
- Oh, great.
- I need to be myself here.
And we've gone the extra mile
and hired you an image consultant.
Perfect.
No, no.
That won't be necessary.
You're going to be
on the national stage tomorrow, Claire.
It can be intimidating and exhausting.
Are you getting enough sleep?
- I will make sure of it.
- No, you know what's exhausting?
Sleeping on a closet floor
with an innocent child
who was kept in a bunker for 10 years.
Tell me what color you want me
to wear, I'll wear it.
She's a little on edge,
but when the time comes,
she will knock it out of the park.
The time is tomorrow.
If you want our endorsement
and our money,
we need to feel confident
that she'll toe the party line.
And right now, we don't.
You're a grad student where now?
- Maine Tech... forensic science.
- That's right. Sorry.
We've been pulling all-nighters
trying to beta this baby...
tracking microchip.
This one's bioengineered
to graft with human cells.
It's gonna be huge. I mean,
I haven't stopped...
Oh. You know what?
But, actually, my focus is more
on DNA analysis.
I heard you guys did
the I.D. test on Adam Warren.
Where'd you hear that from?
You did, though, right?
How did that all work?
Like, what happened
when the samples came in?
Um, I'm not really supposed
to talk about that.
I-It would really help my thesis.
Your leg is like shaving a lemur.
- Shut up.
- You're like a college dude, Cruz.
Oh, do you think we just sit around
groomed and ready all the time?
That's what you get for
booty-calling on a Tuesday.
I'm not drinking, okay? So I needed sex.
Oh, that's so romantic.
- No, leave it.
- No, no.
I-I... It might be my brother.
I got to pick him up from therapy.
Well, hurry up, because,
uh, I'm doing you next.
All right, all right.
Whew!
Um, you live like
a college dude, too, Cruz.
A clean house is a misspent life.
You have three new messages.
To listen to your messages,
press "1" now.
Danny?
Yeah, in a minute.
So, how is he, your brother?
Was it your brother?
For real, you are like a stalker.
Senior Executive Director
of Photocopying at Kinkos.
Hey, is everything o...
_
Why were you in Hank Asher's house?
We know who did this.
Willa!
It wasn't you.
What did you do?
Oh, I found Danny's secret stash.
Guess where it was.
I don't care.
Mm, ah.
I know alcoholics drink
for volume, not flavor,
but this taste like burnt hair.
Did you even look at the talking points?
You know what? I didn't.
I did not.
This endorsement is the race.
Your father saw it today...
the place where Adam was kept.
No windows.
No sunlight.
No weather.
No clocks.
A concrete pit.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry I spent all
those years taking showers
and reading magazines
and complaining
about I don't know what...
Wi-Fi not working...
while my little boy was alone,
growing up in a hole.
They want me to say we're fine.
They want to know you can win.
I'm supposed to go
on national television
and soft-pedal it... act like
it just didn't even happen.
Yes.
And what does that get me?
Power.
And power protects other kids.
We find any tire tracks yet?
Nothing that wasn't
from department vehicles
or the fire crew.
We just widened the perimeter.
Well, if you need a break,
I can stand around here
and look annoyed
and impatient for a while.
You have kids, Detective?
Why do people keep asking me that?
Well, some agents think having kids
makes them better
at working kid cases...
makes them more intuitive,
more empathetic.
Those agents are wrong.
Being able to identify firsthand
with a parent whose child
has been tortured, murdered?
It'll help you
feel their pain, for sure.
But they don't want you
to feel their pain.
They want you to do your job.
Treads... four sets.
Looks like they're all
from the same vehicle.
We're having them cast in plaster.
We I.D. those tires,
then see if anyone who's ever worked
for the oil refinery
drives that vehicle.
We're getting there!
We better be,
before he hurts someone else.
Oh! Oh, God.
You are early.
I am still cooking.
I couldn't wait to see my baby.
- Aww.
- Both my babies.
Aww.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Mm.
All four sets of tracks in the woods
are from the same vehicle.
We I.D.'d them as 22-inch
Achilles Desert Hawks.
They're used in '04 and '08 Ram trucks.
I would high-five you,
but I want to keep
this moment cheese-free.
We're cross-referencing
the digital employment records
from the oil refinery.
Come on, up top.
- You know what I keep meaning to ask?
- Hmm?
Case file said a 911 call
got you into Asher's house.
That's how you got around
not having a warrant?
Yeah, so?
So the caller said they heard
screaming coming from inside.
Was there any?
Not when I got there.
Ever find out who made that call?
Uh, I didn't have to. A-Asher confessed.
He took a 30-year plea.
Well, I guess you don't question it
when you get what you want.
_
Daddy?
Did you do it?
Yeah.
So what happens now?
We wait.
Got a 911 call of a disturbance
at 18 White Knoll Terrace.
That's Hank Asher's place.
Screaming coming from
the upstairs is all they said.
I'm on it. Send backup.
- Move, move, move!
- Clear!
Go! Go! Clear!
Hey, got your message.
Did you find something?
911. What's your emergency?
There's some, uh, screaming
coming from an upstairs bedroom.
I can't tell who it is... maybe a kid.
Someone's being hurt.
What number are you calling from?
I can't make it out. It's a pay phone.
Do you have an address, sir?
18 White Knoll Terrace.
I was just walking, and I heard it.
Y-You need to send the police right now.
Can I get your name, sir?
- Sir?
You needed to get in that house.
And you got me in.
I thought he did it, okay?
I thought he took my son.
And you framed him for it.
Well, we all knew he was the guy.
It was just a matter of proving it.
The underwear drawer...
it was a nice touch.
Little on the nose, but super creepy.
I wanted to get him, just like you.
Do you think that we're the same?
I thought what I was doing was right.
You knew what you were doing was wrong
the second that you did it.
Your kid in that hellhole...
that will always be on me.
But it's on me 'cause of you.
Get out of my sight.
What are you doing?
Looking for his dental records.
What?
Don't try lying, Willa.
They already told me
that you picked them up.
You need help.
- Where are they?
- I don't know.
Mom asked me to pick them up.
- His doctors wanted them.
- Oh, come on.
What is wrong with you?
Why can't you just be happy he's back?
Because he's not back.
You really haven't done
enough damage here?
What's that supposed to mean?
You should've been watching us.
Oh, so this is all my fault now?
I was 13, and you left me alone
to handle it.
- Kids get lost, okay? I'm sorry.
- No, people lose them!
They're ready to mike you downstairs.
Please don't screw this up for us, too.
Past 10 years, you've lived
every family's nightmare.
It's the worst day of your lives.
The one moment you're together, happy,
and the next, your son,
your brother is gone, vanished.
But unlike countless
other families in this country,
you actually got a happy ending.
The nightmare became a wish come true.
It did, Julia. Mm-hmm.
So, I guess, for all the people
who have followed your story
and are watching tonight,
the obvious first question
has to be, how are you?
We're doing great.
We really are, Julia. We are.
Um, you know, we have a long way to go,
but I know we'll get there.
Adam, it's so nice to see you
with your family.
How are you doing?
What's it like to be back?
Good.
I never stopped hoping
they would find me.
And, Willa, Danny,
how is it sitting
with your little brother?
Did you ever think this was possible?
I wanted to, but, as you said,
so few people, uh,
have a happy ending like this.
Danny, what about you?
I thought he was dead, so...
No, I didn't think we'd see him again.
And now?
It's like he never left.
Let me ask you, John, Claire,
most marriages
that go through the trauma
of losing a child can't recover.
So what kept you two so strong
through all this?
Um...
I think it was just our bond, you know?
Um, and also, we had two other kids,
so we needed to be there for them.
You were right.
Tastes like ass.
We got names and addresses
of the Ram truck owners.
So, uh, unless you want
to keep watching,
let's go get our pock-marked man.
And what about now
that Adam's back, Claire?
I mean, again, it's a dream come true.
But at the same time, the readjustment
and with the attention,
the media, the election,
how do you handle all that?
Well, it's not easy, Julia.
It's, um... You know, we're...
uh, just trying to take it slow.
Claire, are you okay?
No, I'm not.
We are so lucky
to have gotten our son back,
but we are not okay.
And, honestly, I don't know
if we're ever going to be okay.
A thing like this, it, uh...
it changes you forever.
That's a very candid
and understandable perspective,
but does it also enable
your detractors when they say
that this might not be the best time
for you to be entering
the governor's race?
Well, you know,
how can I worry about that?
Because it is exactly this experience
that makes me want
to make our state safer.
It is this experience
that has informed and
strengthened me for that fight.
And anyone who looks
at the violent-crime statistics
in this country knows that a fight
is exactly what we have on our hands.
You think we're not doing enough
as a nation to fight crime?
No, I know we're not.
Um, there are monsters
all around us every day,
and we need to protect ourselves.
Monsters?
Would you consider your neighbor
Hank Asher a monster?
Yeah, absolutely. Yes, yes, I would.
Even though Mr. Asher was innocent?
He may have been innocent
of taking Adam,
but, um, he's not innocent.
He was a convicted sex offender,
Julia, after all.
Let's not forget that.
And statistics show
that sex criminals re-offend
exponentially more often
than they don't.
Even after incarceration, treatment,
reha... after our best efforts
at rehabilitation,
we let them report
their own whereabouts?
We currently trust them to keep
current with their own parole?
I hope that you and Annie...
-We let these people police themselves.
- ...will be very happy together, Hank.
Here you go.
Ooh.
Oh.
You're that guy.
What?
Mom, it's on TV right now.
He's the guy they thought took that kid.
What are you talking about, Sarah?
He's a child molester.
So, what's the solution, Claire?
Trackable microchips.
Y-You mean like the ones
people put in their dogs?
Well, you can put them in anyone now.
So it seems reasonable
to at least suggest
that people who can't be trusted
not to hurt our children
be chipped and tracked.
If they've changed,
if prison has cured them,
there would be nothing to track.
But if it hasn't,
there would be nowhere to hide.
And in the case
of the rush to judgment of Hank Asher,
if he had been chipped immediately
after being convicted
of his first sex offense,
we could've cleared him...
of Adam's kidnapping, anyway.
Trackable microchips.
We've been pulling all-nighters trying
to beta this baby... tracking microchip.
It's gonna be huge.
Did she just say that, as governor,
she's gonna microchip perverts?
And the lab that processed
Adam's DNA tests could make millions.
So work your source.
I don't have one anymore.
What's next for this family, Claire?
A big campaign?
Uh, well...
I stayed in politics
because I truly believed
that I could make a difference
and make us safer.
I still want that.
But if people need to know
that we're okay to vote for me,
I don't think I should lie
and say that we are.
It is a disservice to anyone
who has experienced trauma
and to their families
and to their children.
I ca... I-I'm sorry.
I just, uh... I have to stop.
I, uh... I just can't right now.
Hello? Nina.
Oh, my God.
- Did they arrest someone?
- Yeah. Uh...
No, okay. Yeah, no, w-we'll be here.
Thank you.
What?
Asher confessed.
What did he say?
She just said he confessed.
Oh, my God.
I'm sorry.
I know.
I never really thought it, John.
No, I know.
I thought you did great.
Not that I matter, but what you said
and how you said it, I-I heard
you in it... the old you.
Might have cost me the race.
Well, even better.
# Mamabear is trending.
Individually, those are
all words I understand.
But together... no idea.
Your message is out there
basically spinning itself.
But next time, I need to know
what the plan is.
Unless part of it is for me to look like
I'm having a heart attack on nation TV,
in which case, mission accomplished.
What are you talking about?
I-I should know
if you're gonna go rogue.
Do you think that I planned all that?
Didn't you?
Oh.
Don't be so cynical.
It gives you wrinkles on your soul.
Mayor Claire Warren lit up
social media tonight
when she vowed to microchip
convicted sex offenders
if elected governor.
Stay tuned for more updates
on the story after this.
I got your story.
Have you always owned that truck?
Never loaned it to anyone?
Thanks. Have a good night.
Ad?
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
You didn't mean to.
I messed up. I'm sorry.
It's okay.
You just...
You can't look at me like that.
I'm your sister, Ad.
I-I know.
I'm your sister.
I know.
Have you ever done
something you couldn't undo?
It was a good idea, Meyer,
but you'll have more ideas,
and one of them
will be the one that gets him.
Mint?
An offer, not a hint.
You're wrong, by the way.
Why? You have onions
for lunch or something?
You need to get close
to people to do what we do.
If you don't connect,
you're lacking empathy.
And... without empathy,
a case is nothing more
than a puzzle to be solved.
- So?
- So cases are not puzzles.
They're people.
He's a person. He will screw up.
And that's how we'll get him.
You can't let go of what you've done,
so you punish yourself.
That's what most of us do, anyway.
Oh, gosh. I'm gonna fall.
I'm too top-heavy.
I got you. I got you.
- Okay.
- We're almost there.
Okay.
You ready?
Yeah.
Surprise.
Oh, Doug! We can't afford this!
- I sold my truck.
- How...
But a lucky few don't feel the guilt...
... because they never had
a conscience to begin with.
I am announcing
my candidacy for governor.
We need to influence
public perception with this.
We'll need the whole family.
I think we go traditional.
Life isn't a straight shot, my friends.
It's full of hills and valleys.
Confront your grief,
and you'll take away its power.
Tell me about the man in the woods.
He has holes in his face.
What about the place he kept you in?
- What could you see?
- A red dragon.
He was breathing fire right at me.
An emergency hearing
was held this morning
which declared Asher a free man.
Where's my mom?
- She passed, Hank.
- Oh.
I didn't take that little boy's ship.
I don't even know how it got there.
My brother used to be a patient here,
and we thought it might be nice
to have his dental records.
Your sister already picked them up.
Oh.
M-My name is Adam.
_
Have you ever done
something you can't undo...
... you can't forgive, you can't forget?
So you tear yourself apart.
_
Why were you so sure that I was dead?
I don't know.
I was waiting.
Adam...
Why'd you stop looking for me?
I don't know.
Have you ever done something that wrong?
I have.
Daddy?
Did you do it?
What's that smell?
Contempt.
We'll see these on camera...
"Bless this happy home."
"Coolest mom ever."
Uh, "home," so it looks like
Claire crocheted it herself.
The American people want
to know we're in a good place.
We're not.
This interview could get
Mom the endorsement,
so I need you to stay
relatively sober till it's over.
I can go two days without a drink,
- so you don't really have to worry.
- Just don't overreach.
Just drink to maintain.
Okay, you're gonna put him
on national TV,
and you're worried about me?
What does that say about you?
- Bye, Ad.
- Bye.
Hey, hey, um, is he going
to the dentist anytime soon?
How should I know?
Those bunkers are actually
part of the oil refinery.
So basically anyone who has ever
worked at this refinery
could've known how
to get into that tunnel.
Uh, if you can get us
contact info for current
and former employees,
that would be more than helpful.
That I can do.
How far along?
Oh, technically, six months.
When I try and get off the couch, 20.
- Mm.
- You have kids?
No.
We're not the most modern around here.
Uh, we're computerized from 2002.
Before that, our records
are paper... so much paper.
Paper, paper, paper.
Just send it all over.
Detective Meyer?
Gabe Clements.
I should've introduced myself before.
I was taken with your board over there.
Very, uh, "Beautiful Mind."
Anything else you need from me?
Why? You going somewhere?
Aren't I?
Oh, 'cause I'm the Fed,
I'm supposed to say,
"This is my case
and we play by my rules,
so you're on desk duty"?
You live here. You know the players.
We'll worry about you testifying
in court and all that
when we catch our pock-marked man.
'Cause I'll probably
only catch him if you help me.
You drive.
We'll stop for better coffee on the way.
I like the coffee here.
This is my case,
and we play by my rules.
He set the fire to destroy
any potential forensic evidence,
and so far it's worked.
We're not getting prints or DNA.
And you're sure it's the place?
Oh, my God.
So you came here to tell us that,
or is there something you want?
We'd like Adam to revisit the scene.
The scene of his imprisonment
and torture?
- I know it's a lot to ask for.
- You have no idea.
Just hear her out, Claire.
Our hope is that the visceral experience
of being back there
might trigger some memory.
Or a complete breakdown.
I-I get you want to protect him,
but look at him.
Look what he already survived.
- He's strong.
- You don't hear him at night.
He has nightmares.
No, he's not ready. Let's wait a week.
- I want to go.
- Till your interview's over?
- This isn't about that.
- I want to go.
- The hell it's not.
- I want to go!
I'm not a little kid
that you need to protect.
Not anymore.
- So, when did it start?
- What?
You sleeping with the dad.
I'm FBI. We're perceptive.
Few months after.
I'm not judging.
Just wondering if it ever
clouded your vision.
Hmm, my vision was cloudy before that.
You were looking at
the neighborhood sex offender.
Who wouldn't? But statistically,
most child murders
are someone in the family.
_
So, the kids went to get ice cream.
Mm-hmm. Haven't we been through this?
There are just a few gaps
in our time line.
What gaps?
Was John with you
at the rally the entire time?
Yes, why?
Didn't leave your side,
not even for a second?
I don't think so.
But you're not sure?
I-I was shaking so many hands
that night, I don't...
Maybe he went to the bathroom...
Stoplight camera caught him
driving across town.
Didn't clock him coming back
for over an hour.
What are you trying to say?
I want to know where you went, John.
I went to get more fliers.
I told you that already.
Well, they said that you
were gone for an hour.
Why would it take an hour
to get fliers? I...
I-I-I turned on the game, okay?
It was the last quarter.
The kids were off.
You were fine by yourself.
So I drank a beer, and I turned
on the damn game, okay?
Okay?
- It sounds lame, John.
- What?
It sounds like a made-up story.
I'm sorry. It just...
Would... Would you
like to ask me something?
No, don't. But, ye...
'Cause it sounds like you
really, really want to.
No, really. Stop it.
- Stop, stop.
- If you honestly believe
- that I am capable of hurting someone...
- Okay, all right.
- All right. Do you want me to ask you?
- ...let alone my own son!
- Where were you, John?!
- I told you!
You are lying!
I'm exhausted. I'm confused.
I just... just want him back.
You think I don't?
Every day I want him back.
But the hell if I'd ever turn on you.
Honey...
You don't need to do this.
Ad?
I want to.
Careful... there's plastic on the steps.
We're still processing
evidence down there.
You coming?
I just... I-I just need a minute.
Mom?
You don't have to do this, either.
Hi. Can I help you?
I want to buy a puppy.
Bows on the girls
and bandanas on the boys.
Otherwise, it's all
one big ball of cute.
Okay, Mr. Hank, climb on in.
Why?
To pick your puppy.
Or if you really want a friend for life,
let the puppy pick you.
Ooh! Oh, my!
You're gonna be a great daddy, Hank.
Anything coming back, Adam?
Yeah.
I remember everything.
That's where I slept.
Over there was the bathroom.
- Did you have a... a...
- Bucket.
This was my kitchen.
But that right there...
was the dining room.
I saved it for when
he brought good food.
What was good?
Hamburgers and fries.
Anything have a logo?
The bag or the boxes?
No, he always unwrapped it first.
Always? How often did he bring it?
About once every seven sleeps.
And was it warm, the food?
That's what made it good.
Three miles from the road
and eight from the edge of the woods,
but the food was warm?
Maybe he hiked it in
in some kind of insulated bag.
Yeah, or maybe he drove.
We'll fan out, look for tire tracks.
It's worth a shot.
Could I have a minute... alone?
Down here? You sure?
Just a minute.
I'll be right out there
if you need me, okay, bud?
Yeah.
Do you think I killed him?
Do you think I killed my son?!
Drink.
That guy Asher...
I-I saw him this morning
just walking in the bagel shop,
buying a bagel and schmear
like it's a normal day.
He's a regular guy...
nothing to see here.
Trying to get a warrant
to search his house.
It's just not that easy.
Do you think I'm lying?
My wife does.
No.
Do you think I did something?
'Cause if you do, arrest me.
If not, then...
I think you love your son.
I think you love him so much
you're drowning without him.
Tell me what it was like... down there.
Thought you didn't want to know.
Just tell me.
Well, he, um...
he set it up just like our house.
Bathroom here,
kitchen, bedroom,
dining room.
Even at 8 years old,
he remembered the layout.
Do you want me to...
It's okay. Keep going.
Uh... big space.
It's high, not wide.
There's, um...
smaller spaces inside it,
like niches, and...
It was dark.
Cold.
No natural light.
The brick walls are concrete.
In terms of optics, colors
can really make or break you.
We've found that Republican
voters respond best
to female candidates in red or blue.
To think I might have worn green.
Crisis averted.
Uh, to keep you on message,
I've assembled a list
of RNC talking points for the interview.
- Oh, great.
- I need to be myself here.
And we've gone the extra mile
and hired you an image consultant.
Perfect.
No, no.
That won't be necessary.
You're going to be
on the national stage tomorrow, Claire.
It can be intimidating and exhausting.
Are you getting enough sleep?
- I will make sure of it.
- No, you know what's exhausting?
Sleeping on a closet floor
with an innocent child
who was kept in a bunker for 10 years.
Tell me what color you want me
to wear, I'll wear it.
She's a little on edge,
but when the time comes,
she will knock it out of the park.
The time is tomorrow.
If you want our endorsement
and our money,
we need to feel confident
that she'll toe the party line.
And right now, we don't.
You're a grad student where now?
- Maine Tech... forensic science.
- That's right. Sorry.
We've been pulling all-nighters
trying to beta this baby...
tracking microchip.
This one's bioengineered
to graft with human cells.
It's gonna be huge. I mean,
I haven't stopped...
Oh. You know what?
But, actually, my focus is more
on DNA analysis.
I heard you guys did
the I.D. test on Adam Warren.
Where'd you hear that from?
You did, though, right?
How did that all work?
Like, what happened
when the samples came in?
Um, I'm not really supposed
to talk about that.
I-It would really help my thesis.
Your leg is like shaving a lemur.
- Shut up.
- You're like a college dude, Cruz.
Oh, do you think we just sit around
groomed and ready all the time?
That's what you get for
booty-calling on a Tuesday.
I'm not drinking, okay? So I needed sex.
Oh, that's so romantic.
- No, leave it.
- No, no.
I-I... It might be my brother.
I got to pick him up from therapy.
Well, hurry up, because,
uh, I'm doing you next.
All right, all right.
Whew!
Um, you live like
a college dude, too, Cruz.
A clean house is a misspent life.
You have three new messages.
To listen to your messages,
press "1" now.
Danny?
Yeah, in a minute.
So, how is he, your brother?
Was it your brother?
For real, you are like a stalker.
Senior Executive Director
of Photocopying at Kinkos.
Hey, is everything o...
_
Why were you in Hank Asher's house?
We know who did this.
Willa!
It wasn't you.
What did you do?
Oh, I found Danny's secret stash.
Guess where it was.
I don't care.
Mm, ah.
I know alcoholics drink
for volume, not flavor,
but this taste like burnt hair.
Did you even look at the talking points?
You know what? I didn't.
I did not.
This endorsement is the race.
Your father saw it today...
the place where Adam was kept.
No windows.
No sunlight.
No weather.
No clocks.
A concrete pit.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry I spent all
those years taking showers
and reading magazines
and complaining
about I don't know what...
Wi-Fi not working...
while my little boy was alone,
growing up in a hole.
They want me to say we're fine.
They want to know you can win.
I'm supposed to go
on national television
and soft-pedal it... act like
it just didn't even happen.
Yes.
And what does that get me?
Power.
And power protects other kids.
We find any tire tracks yet?
Nothing that wasn't
from department vehicles
or the fire crew.
We just widened the perimeter.
Well, if you need a break,
I can stand around here
and look annoyed
and impatient for a while.
You have kids, Detective?
Why do people keep asking me that?
Well, some agents think having kids
makes them better
at working kid cases...
makes them more intuitive,
more empathetic.
Those agents are wrong.
Being able to identify firsthand
with a parent whose child
has been tortured, murdered?
It'll help you
feel their pain, for sure.
But they don't want you
to feel their pain.
They want you to do your job.
Treads... four sets.
Looks like they're all
from the same vehicle.
We're having them cast in plaster.
We I.D. those tires,
then see if anyone who's ever worked
for the oil refinery
drives that vehicle.
We're getting there!
We better be,
before he hurts someone else.
Oh! Oh, God.
You are early.
I am still cooking.
I couldn't wait to see my baby.
- Aww.
- Both my babies.
Aww.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Mm.
All four sets of tracks in the woods
are from the same vehicle.
We I.D.'d them as 22-inch
Achilles Desert Hawks.
They're used in '04 and '08 Ram trucks.
I would high-five you,
but I want to keep
this moment cheese-free.
We're cross-referencing
the digital employment records
from the oil refinery.
Come on, up top.
- You know what I keep meaning to ask?
- Hmm?
Case file said a 911 call
got you into Asher's house.
That's how you got around
not having a warrant?
Yeah, so?
So the caller said they heard
screaming coming from inside.
Was there any?
Not when I got there.
Ever find out who made that call?
Uh, I didn't have to. A-Asher confessed.
He took a 30-year plea.
Well, I guess you don't question it
when you get what you want.
_
Daddy?
Did you do it?
Yeah.
So what happens now?
We wait.
Got a 911 call of a disturbance
at 18 White Knoll Terrace.
That's Hank Asher's place.
Screaming coming from
the upstairs is all they said.
I'm on it. Send backup.
- Move, move, move!
- Clear!
Go! Go! Clear!
Hey, got your message.
Did you find something?
911. What's your emergency?
There's some, uh, screaming
coming from an upstairs bedroom.
I can't tell who it is... maybe a kid.
Someone's being hurt.
What number are you calling from?
I can't make it out. It's a pay phone.
Do you have an address, sir?
18 White Knoll Terrace.
I was just walking, and I heard it.
Y-You need to send the police right now.
Can I get your name, sir?
- Sir?
You needed to get in that house.
And you got me in.
I thought he did it, okay?
I thought he took my son.
And you framed him for it.
Well, we all knew he was the guy.
It was just a matter of proving it.
The underwear drawer...
it was a nice touch.
Little on the nose, but super creepy.
I wanted to get him, just like you.
Do you think that we're the same?
I thought what I was doing was right.
You knew what you were doing was wrong
the second that you did it.
Your kid in that hellhole...
that will always be on me.
But it's on me 'cause of you.
Get out of my sight.
What are you doing?
Looking for his dental records.
What?
Don't try lying, Willa.
They already told me
that you picked them up.
You need help.
- Where are they?
- I don't know.
Mom asked me to pick them up.
- His doctors wanted them.
- Oh, come on.
What is wrong with you?
Why can't you just be happy he's back?
Because he's not back.
You really haven't done
enough damage here?
What's that supposed to mean?
You should've been watching us.
Oh, so this is all my fault now?
I was 13, and you left me alone
to handle it.
- Kids get lost, okay? I'm sorry.
- No, people lose them!
They're ready to mike you downstairs.
Please don't screw this up for us, too.
Past 10 years, you've lived
every family's nightmare.
It's the worst day of your lives.
The one moment you're together, happy,
and the next, your son,
your brother is gone, vanished.
But unlike countless
other families in this country,
you actually got a happy ending.
The nightmare became a wish come true.
It did, Julia. Mm-hmm.
So, I guess, for all the people
who have followed your story
and are watching tonight,
the obvious first question
has to be, how are you?
We're doing great.
We really are, Julia. We are.
Um, you know, we have a long way to go,
but I know we'll get there.
Adam, it's so nice to see you
with your family.
How are you doing?
What's it like to be back?
Good.
I never stopped hoping
they would find me.
And, Willa, Danny,
how is it sitting
with your little brother?
Did you ever think this was possible?
I wanted to, but, as you said,
so few people, uh,
have a happy ending like this.
Danny, what about you?
I thought he was dead, so...
No, I didn't think we'd see him again.
And now?
It's like he never left.
Let me ask you, John, Claire,
most marriages
that go through the trauma
of losing a child can't recover.
So what kept you two so strong
through all this?
Um...
I think it was just our bond, you know?
Um, and also, we had two other kids,
so we needed to be there for them.
You were right.
Tastes like ass.
We got names and addresses
of the Ram truck owners.
So, uh, unless you want
to keep watching,
let's go get our pock-marked man.
And what about now
that Adam's back, Claire?
I mean, again, it's a dream come true.
But at the same time, the readjustment
and with the attention,
the media, the election,
how do you handle all that?
Well, it's not easy, Julia.
It's, um... You know, we're...
uh, just trying to take it slow.
Claire, are you okay?
No, I'm not.
We are so lucky
to have gotten our son back,
but we are not okay.
And, honestly, I don't know
if we're ever going to be okay.
A thing like this, it, uh...
it changes you forever.
That's a very candid
and understandable perspective,
but does it also enable
your detractors when they say
that this might not be the best time
for you to be entering
the governor's race?
Well, you know,
how can I worry about that?
Because it is exactly this experience
that makes me want
to make our state safer.
It is this experience
that has informed and
strengthened me for that fight.
And anyone who looks
at the violent-crime statistics
in this country knows that a fight
is exactly what we have on our hands.
You think we're not doing enough
as a nation to fight crime?
No, I know we're not.
Um, there are monsters
all around us every day,
and we need to protect ourselves.
Monsters?
Would you consider your neighbor
Hank Asher a monster?
Yeah, absolutely. Yes, yes, I would.
Even though Mr. Asher was innocent?
He may have been innocent
of taking Adam,
but, um, he's not innocent.
He was a convicted sex offender,
Julia, after all.
Let's not forget that.
And statistics show
that sex criminals re-offend
exponentially more often
than they don't.
Even after incarceration, treatment,
reha... after our best efforts
at rehabilitation,
we let them report
their own whereabouts?
We currently trust them to keep
current with their own parole?
I hope that you and Annie...
-We let these people police themselves.
- ...will be very happy together, Hank.
Here you go.
Ooh.
Oh.
You're that guy.
What?
Mom, it's on TV right now.
He's the guy they thought took that kid.
What are you talking about, Sarah?
He's a child molester.
So, what's the solution, Claire?
Trackable microchips.
Y-You mean like the ones
people put in their dogs?
Well, you can put them in anyone now.
So it seems reasonable
to at least suggest
that people who can't be trusted
not to hurt our children
be chipped and tracked.
If they've changed,
if prison has cured them,
there would be nothing to track.
But if it hasn't,
there would be nowhere to hide.
And in the case
of the rush to judgment of Hank Asher,
if he had been chipped immediately
after being convicted
of his first sex offense,
we could've cleared him...
of Adam's kidnapping, anyway.
Trackable microchips.
We've been pulling all-nighters trying
to beta this baby... tracking microchip.
It's gonna be huge.
Did she just say that, as governor,
she's gonna microchip perverts?
And the lab that processed
Adam's DNA tests could make millions.
So work your source.
I don't have one anymore.
What's next for this family, Claire?
A big campaign?
Uh, well...
I stayed in politics
because I truly believed
that I could make a difference
and make us safer.
I still want that.
But if people need to know
that we're okay to vote for me,
I don't think I should lie
and say that we are.
It is a disservice to anyone
who has experienced trauma
and to their families
and to their children.
I ca... I-I'm sorry.
I just, uh... I have to stop.
I, uh... I just can't right now.
Hello? Nina.
Oh, my God.
- Did they arrest someone?
- Yeah. Uh...
No, okay. Yeah, no, w-we'll be here.
Thank you.
What?
Asher confessed.
What did he say?
She just said he confessed.
Oh, my God.
I'm sorry.
I know.
I never really thought it, John.
No, I know.
I thought you did great.
Not that I matter, but what you said
and how you said it, I-I heard
you in it... the old you.
Might have cost me the race.
Well, even better.
# Mamabear is trending.
Individually, those are
all words I understand.
But together... no idea.
Your message is out there
basically spinning itself.
But next time, I need to know
what the plan is.
Unless part of it is for me to look like
I'm having a heart attack on nation TV,
in which case, mission accomplished.
What are you talking about?
I-I should know
if you're gonna go rogue.
Do you think that I planned all that?
Didn't you?
Oh.
Don't be so cynical.
It gives you wrinkles on your soul.
Mayor Claire Warren lit up
social media tonight
when she vowed to microchip
convicted sex offenders
if elected governor.
Stay tuned for more updates
on the story after this.
I got your story.
Have you always owned that truck?
Never loaned it to anyone?
Thanks. Have a good night.
Ad?
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
You didn't mean to.
I messed up. I'm sorry.
It's okay.
You just...
You can't look at me like that.
I'm your sister, Ad.
I-I know.
I'm your sister.
I know.
Have you ever done
something you couldn't undo?
It was a good idea, Meyer,
but you'll have more ideas,
and one of them
will be the one that gets him.
Mint?
An offer, not a hint.
You're wrong, by the way.
Why? You have onions
for lunch or something?
You need to get close
to people to do what we do.
If you don't connect,
you're lacking empathy.
And... without empathy,
a case is nothing more
than a puzzle to be solved.
- So?
- So cases are not puzzles.
They're people.
He's a person. He will screw up.
And that's how we'll get him.
You can't let go of what you've done,
so you punish yourself.
That's what most of us do, anyway.
Oh, gosh. I'm gonna fall.
I'm too top-heavy.
I got you. I got you.
- Okay.
- We're almost there.
Okay.
You ready?
Yeah.
Surprise.
Oh, Doug! We can't afford this!
- I sold my truck.
- How...
But a lucky few don't feel the guilt...
... because they never had
a conscience to begin with.