- Jeffery, why won't you listen to me?
I couldn't sleep at all on the medication that he gave me, OK?
I've been up all night for weeks!
[ominous music]
- We can try something else. We can even switch doctors,
if that's what you want. We both know that you need help.
[I just want to do what's right for you, sweetheart.]
We're gonna get through this, I promise.
- Honey, you haven't even been home in over three weeks.
- I got another call from Amy last night.
You don't even remember that, do you? - Room service!
- Come in.
- I'm... I'm feeling much better, OK?
- Gail, just... please,
it's very late. Just try and get some sleep. I'm gonna call you first thing.
Look, someone's here right now, so I gotta go.
I'll talk to you soon. I love you.
- Excuse me, sir. Your signature?
Thank you, sir. - Yeah.
[sighing]
[dramatic music]
[knocking]
- Sorry about that.
I'll just take this little souvenir. Wouldn't want everyone to know my little secrets,
would I?
Since you won't be telling anyone.
You see, it's the glass
that's poisoned.
It's nothing personal, Jeffery.
It's just business.
- Hey there. - Hi, Uncle John.
Sorry I'm late. I had some car troubles on the freeway.
- Your mother was worried you weren't coming.
- She was so...
out of it at the funeral.
- Well, it's been forever
since the two of you were in the same room,
and it's a really bad day for all of us.
- OK. - Come on.
- I don't know what I'm gonna do without him, Uncle John.
- You know, I told him a hundred times, a thousand times--
everyone told him a million times. After his stroke, he didn't listen.
He would have cheeseburgers for breakfast! And I said:
"You know, honey, one of those days, those cheeseburgers
are gonna do you in." And he turned to me and he said:
"Pff! No one lives forever." Like that is an answer!
No one lives forever.
Oh, baby! [sobbing]
- OK, Mom, let's just...
let's just try to calm down, OK? Let's go sit in the next room
and get away from all this. - OK, yeah.
[mumbling]
- Are those packed? Were you planning on going somewhere?
- I've been staying in town a lot.
Your father and I have been...
well, we've been going through some difficult times.
It wasn't his fault.
I'm to blame for all of this. - Mom,
don't say that. He had a heart attack.
That's nobody's fault. - Oh, Julie...
When you moved away, all I could see was my little girl vanishing.
And I just drove you away.
- I've tried to keep in touch,
and I wanted to make things right, but...
you know I had to go when I did, Mom.
- I made things difficult for you.
And your father, he was just never here, he was always away on business.
- We were never the perfect family, Mom.
We used to be best friends.
And besties can have problems.
I'm sorry I abandoned you.
[ominous music]
- I can't be here. I gotta go. - Mom, what's wrong?
- I don't know. - OK, I'll come with you. - No, I need to be alone.
- Mom, wait! Mom, please don't go.
You're in no shape to drive. Just stay and have something to eat.
- Listen, I'm gonna call you, OK? I love you very much. Uh, thank you all
for coming. Can you take care of everything, please? Thank you. - Yeah, of course, Gail.
What... what's that about?
- Just stay calm. Breathe.
Just stay in the light.
Oh...
Oh, just forget about that awful girl, Gail.
All she ever did was run away from you.
It's time to have a little fun.
With a real man.
[laughing]
- Yeah. Well, that happened.
- It was so weird.
Looking into her eyes just then, it was...
it was almost like she was fighting herself.
- Well, I guess we all do that sometimes. - Yeah, but this was different.
You know, her mood swings were impossible to live with.
By the time I finally got out of here,
she was inconsolable.
[dramatic music]
- I'm supposed to catch a plane in a few hours for a business trip,
but it feels like I should stick around.
- You've done so much for us, Uncle John.
- I wanna be here for both of you. - We'll be fine.
I just need to sit down with her.
When she's ready.
- This one's on the house. - Much obliged.
Hello, sexy.
- We missed you. [laughing]
- You mean you and Gail? - Ugh!
She was such a drag all day. You should've seen her at the reception,
rattling off to anyone who would listen.
She made such a spectacle of herself.
She's so pathetic.
It's no wonder I have to come in and save the day.
I mean, if it weren't for me, we'd never have any fun at all.
- Her husband did just die.
- Yes, and she should be dancing for joy.
It was only a matter of time with that bad heart of his.
Do you know he wanted her to go see a shrink?
I mean, can you imagine?
A goddamn psychiatrist?
- Yeah, the last thing you need is a shrink, Gail. - Hey.
Play nice.
I mean, she did introduce us.
- My name is Madeline. She should try to get that right.
- It'll be our little secret. Bartenders don't need to know.
- OK.
Fine.
[crickets chirping]
I don't want you to leave.
You're 16 years old.
- I'm 16 and a half. And we've been over this.
The Groundway Foundation awards three fellowships every 5 years,
and they accepted me.
Aren't you proud of that?
- But why do you have to leave? Why can't you...
stay in this house and go to school in town?
- We both know why, Mom.
- I want things to be
like they were before. - I can't take care of you anymore, Mom.
OK? I'm going to school. I'm going to be a journalist.
- Fine.
Abandon me.
Abandon your father.
Everybody abandons me!
- Amy?
- Business is booming.
Five new investors today.
- Handsome and smart.
That's why I fell in love with you in the first place.
That and your sexy bedroom eyes.
- Aw... it's hard to believe it's been three months since I laid those eyes on you.
- Best day of my life.
The day I started to see the world.
- You never got to come out till I came along.
All just Amy and Gail.
- Let's not talk about them.
- No, but they're a part of you too.
And they love me.
You just have to share.
- Well, Amy's a little brat. She just wants all your attention.
- She's a part of our little family.
You have to learn to play nice. She came out first, after all.
- Yeah, well, I'm in the light now,
so I'm in charge.
And I want you all to myself tonight.
- Hi. - Hey. - You're up late.
- Yeah, I was just working on some stuff.
- How's the digital world? - It's still there.
- The real world is...
surreal sometimes. - Didn't go well, huh?
- It went...
strange.
- Let's get married.
We should make it official.
I mean, it's...
perfect that Gail's husband died.
Makes everything possible for us.
- You remember when I told you about how my mom skipped me two grades
because I was smarter than everyone else? - Yeah?
- I've been thinking about that a lot.
I came home one day with straight A's and she started crying.
I thought it was because she was proud of me. - She was. You know that.
- Yeah, but she wouldn't stop crying.
She locked herself in her room
for almost the whole day and I knocked and knocked
and... she wouldn't answer.
That happened a lot.
- What did your dad say?
- He didn't say anything.
He was away on one of his business trips, as usual.
When he got back, he just kind of patted me on the back
and gave me a new car.
And put 50 grand in my savings.
You know, walking-around money.
- I bet everyone wanted to be your friend in high school.
[sniffling]
- Actually...
it was pretty lonely. - Hey...
That was just your dad's way of loving you, Julie.
Providing for you. - Yeah.
- I don't think he ever meant for you to be lonely.
Your mom, well...
- We were so close, but she could turn on a dime.
She'd be so mean to me sometimes.
I never really told you, Mike,
but that was really the reason I wanted to live on campus.
Away from her.
And now...
well, I feel like something is really wrong.
- Like? - Well...
I was in my old room last night and I found
a little kid's drawing. It was signed "Amy".
- Yeah, so? - Well, I never had any friends
named Amy, and I don't remember drawing this myself.
- OK... You keep them down.
You stay in the light.
Oh, go away, you pathetic woman.
I don't want you here anymore.
Leave me alone, Madeline. I just...
I love my husband. Let me just... let me grieve for him, please.
Oh, please! We're both rich now that he is gone.
I don't care about the money.
I never cared about the money.
And Warren, he loves me. He told me so.
Oh, just shush.
I'm in the light now, so go back to bed. Or you'll be sorry.
How do you know he's not cheating on you?
Cheating on me? Ha!
The nerve of that woman.
[dramatic music]
- What are you doing, Madeline?
- Just getting a closer look at your past, baby.
You're cheating on me with the bartender? The girl who introduced us?!
How could you?! - Just calm down, Madeline.
She's an old girlfriend from way back. - Oh, you're a liar.
- Toni's just a friend. - A friend? A friend you keep pictures of
in a secret box in your closet?
- Mad, don't. Mad, don't. No, no, OK, OK, OK.
- You bastard.
- Sweetheart-- - You lying, cheating bastard.
- Don't, sweetie. - You're just like Gail's mom.
Full of secrets. Well, you know what?
You can't lie to me.
You can't push me around. I won't let you.
- Please, Madeline-- - Don't call me Madeline.
My name is Sadie.
KNEEL! - What?
- Get. Down. On your knees.
NOW!
- OK, OK. I'm down. I'm down.
- Beg me, Warren.
Beg me not to kill you.
- Please, OK? Please, Sadie, don't kill me.
- LOUDER!
- Please-- [gunshot]
- Oh my God! Oh my God!
Just calm down and breathe.
They're not you.
Stay in the light.
[banging on door]
- Toni, it's me!
Open up! I forgot my keys.
Toni!
- Sleep well? - Funny.
- Well, come on in.
[phone ringing]
- Mom, I'm so glad you called. - [Honey,]
I need to tell you something. Can I come over right now?
- Look, Warren, I watched that woman at the bar for weeks.
I used to have entire conversations with her when she was pretending to be Madeline.
- This is something new.
She put a goddamn gun to my head. She said her name was Sadie.
No, I can deal with Amy and Madeline.
- OK, so she's crazy. But that's our angle, Warren. It always was.
Her husband
was worth millions. We're never going to get another chance
like this. Hell, you already killed the man.
- Yeah, I did, didn't I? And his widow
nearly blew my brains out this morning! - OK, just calm down.
You can handle it.
Just play along.
We're not leaving this one. We're in this together. I found her, I hooked you guys up,
now you have to follow through with your end!
- Do you think I'm stupid, Toni? Hm?
I'm not about to bag on this one now that we've come this far.
But things have gotten real complicated.
And we have to be ready for anything.
- Of course. Of course we do.
You know, I hate watching her
put her hands all over you. I can't stand it.
- We all make sacrifices.
- But you remember who your real wife is, hm?
You remember who your partner is?
[sighing] - Hi, Mom.
- Hi, sweetheart.
And you turned right to your father and you said: "Every little girl is Alice
in Wonderland." - I remember that.
You couldn't stop laughing.
You said I made every day feel like Christmas.
- Yeah. You did.
And then you were gone,
you were off on your own, only an hour away from home, and yet,
we didn't even have Christmas together after that.
- I wanted to, Mom. I tried to call.
And we saw each other at New Year's. That was only a few months ago.
- Yep, and that was strange for me.
- Mom, I was in my old room last night
and I found a little kid's drawing.
It was signed by someone named Amy.
- Yeah, Amy... - Who is she?
- Just this little girl that I met after you left.
Look, um,
I wanted to see you this morning because...
well, there's something I need to tell you.
And it's really important
that I tell you sooner rather than later. - OK.
Mom, what is it?
Please tell me.
- I have an affair.
And it's been going on for months
and we love each other. - Mom!
- I was lonely, you know, and you know how your father was.
And I just... I needed to feel loved.
- I don't understand! How could-- - Oh my gosh,
you're just like Madeline. - Who's Madeline?
- My friend.
I gotta go. I gotta get out of here. I love you so much
and I'm so grateful that we can be in each other's lives again.
- But what about-- - I'm gonna go to the house,
because it's a disaster after the reception,
I'm sure of it, and the housekeeper's not gonna be there till the day after tomorrow
because her daughter is sick, so yeah, I'll go do that. But, you know, I feel good,
I feel really good about us that we've finally cleared the air.
So I'm gonna go and I will call you tomorrow.
Let's grab lunch, OK, honey? OK.
- Yeah, nice talk, Mom.
- Really, kudos to you guys.
This is all about team effort, and I can't thank you enough.
Hey, listen, why don't you guys go ahead and I'll see you in a minute, alright?
Go ahead. Thank you.
- Hi, Uncle John.
- hey, Julie. Everything OK? How's Gail?
- Well, that's just it. I'm not sure at all.
She just blew through here like some kind of crazy wind.
Did you know she was having an affair? - [No!]
Did she tell you that? - It was pretty dramatic.
- Well, to be honest, I can't say I'm shocked. It might actually help explain
[a few things. You weren't around to see it, but your mother was getting very...]
secretive. She'd disappear for days on end.
Jeffery confided in me one night that...
- What? Just tell me. - [Well, that he caught her]
talking to herself like she had some kind of imaginary friend
[or something.]
- That's weird.
[phone ringing] - Hey. - [Warren,]
I am so sorry. I... I... I...
[couldn't control her.] - No, I'm sorry.
You were jealous. That was my fault.
I should've told you about Toni a long time ago.
But she doesn't mean anything to me, you do know that, don't you?
- [I just can't stop thinking about when this all started]
happening, you know? How Amy came out the night that Julie left
and how, when she stood up in the light, I could just hear
my voice crying like a little child
[and I just... it terrified me, and then I met you,]
and then Madeline came out, just looking for love, and then this...
[this new one, Sadie, I just...]
She's so angry, you know?
She's so horrible, I just...
I couldn't stop her.
- I just need to think about all this. Maybe talk to an expert.
Mike has a professor at school I think he could introduce me to.
- OK, fine. But you call me the second you need me.
- Thank you, Uncle John. I love you.
- [I love you too.] - I'll be over there later.
I'll stay the night. We'll get through this together.
- OK. Thank you. Thank God for you.
- I'll see you very soon.
I need to take this to the next level. Sooner than we thought.
- You're kidding. You gave this to me, Warren.
- I know. I'll give it back to you when it's all done,
but they're reading her husband's will tomorrow, and if I get her to marry me soon,
then we're home free. - Fine. I never wear it at work anyway,
but... don't screw this up.
Just don't.
- I'm not Sadie. I am not Madeline.
I am Gail. Stay in the light.
Stay in the light.
- A year ago, when I was getting ready
to leave home, my mom was getting more and more melancholy. It all exploded
when I finally left. Could that have been some kind of trigger? - What did you tell her,
exactly? What was her reaction? - She wouldn't come out of her room.
I think she was ashamed of yelling at me. I felt so sad for her,
but I mean, what could I do? It was time for me to go. I couldn't stay.
I'd call home and she wouldn't answer, or she would and she'd be cold and distant.
And there's this whole imaginary friend thing...
- Based on everything you just told me,
I'd look at the possibility of D.I.D.
- D.I.D.? - Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Other people call it multiple personalities.
- I just don't know how
you could ever love this. You know how we can never have a future.
- It won't always be easy,
but I think we make a good team.
All of us. [gasping]
- Oh my God!
- [Elizabeth, are you with us now?]
- [Yes.] - [And the others are named]
[Olivia and Miss Genevieve, right?]
[Can you introduce us to them?] - [Maybe.]
[I mean...]
[They're right here, but...]
[I don't know.]
[I'm just scared they will come back.]
- [It'll be OK. You're safe here.]
[laughing]
- [Be quiet!]
[You're such a little crybaby! Let me out!]
[Stay in your seat! I SAID SIT DOWN! ALL OF YOU]
[BEHAVE!] - [Miss Genevieve?]
[Is that you?] - [Don't be ignorant! Of course it is.]
[I'm the teacher. This is my classroom.]
- [And is your class in session all the time?]
- [Of course. But the children must sit down]
[and stay out of the light whilst I am talking.]
[Whilst I'm standing in the light, I'm in charge.]
[Whoever is in the light is always in charge. Everybody knows that.]
- Could she be faking all that? - According to this,
there's no real agreed-upon definition for D.I.D. It manifests in a lot of ways.
But it all gets back to this thing about each identity standing in the light.
The rest have to defer to whichever one is in the light.
- My mom could be difficult, but I mean, it was never like this.
If she had D.I.D., wouldn't I have known about it?
I mean, before I left home?
- I'm seeing here that it can be triggered
at any time in a normal adult's life,
so...
she could get it when she's 21 or 41.
Did your mom come from anything like that? Abuse?
- I mean, her mom died in a rest home before I was born.
I understand that she was very troubled,
but I never found out much more than that.
Mom was very guarded about Grandma.
- So, the will was finally read today.
Julie's gonna inherit a trust fund, of course,
and the rest is gonna go to me.
Just like Jeffery always promised.
I'm gonna meet with the branch officer in four days to sign the bank papers, you know,
for the accounts, credit cards and everything.
At least Madeline and I agree on one thing.
We both want to marry you right away.
- [In the most extreme documented cases of D.I.D.,]
[there's often one dominating personality that can overpower]
[the others. We call it the alpha.] - Yeah, I read about that.
The alpha can last in the light much longer and is usually more extreme.
- [And sometimes very dangerous.]
[phone ringing]
- I have to take this, Professor Banner.
Thank you so much for talking to me. I know you're very busy.
- [I'm never too busy to help a student.]
[Take care.] - Hi, Mom.
I was worried about you. You left in such a hurry.
- I know, and I'd like to make it up to you. How about we have lunch
[tomorrow at the house?] - I just want to know that you're OK. That we're OK.
[And, Mom?]
I'm really glad that you're making new friends. You know,
Madeline? - Oh yeah, Madeline. She's a great friend.
She's very supportive. - Maybe we can all get together sometime.
I'd love to meet her. Could she join us for lunch?
- That's not possible. I mean... 'cause I think she's out of town
right now. - [Sorry, Mom.]
I don't mean to be nosy. It'll be nice just to see you.
[So tomorrow then? At the house?] - Yeah, that would be lovely.
- You OK?
- No. Julie wants to meet Madeline.
I can tell she suspects something. I can always, always tell with her.
- OK, relax. Relax. - No, Julie cannot know
about Madeline. No one can know about Madeline.
- OK, just keep your voice down. - About any of these people. - OK,
sweetie, sweetie, don't get yourself worked up.
It's not good for you.
- OK.
- I think I know a way to satisfy Julie's curiosity.
- How?
- Just trust me.
- Nice to meet you, Grandma.
Never even knew your first name before now.
Mabeline Jenson.
Mabeline...
Madeline.
No, that's too weird. It has to be a coincidence.
Or not.
I know it's a long shot,
but I'm looking to speak to anyone who might have known my grandmother
before she passed. Maybe a doctor or a caregiver?
Oh, OK.
I'll call back in the morning. Thank you.
[phone chiming]
[footsteps approaching]
[banging on door]
- I know you're in there. Open up, little girl. Let me in.
You thought you could leave me?
Abandon me and come back like nothing ever happened?
- No, Mom, please, I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry. I wanna make things right with you.
- Oh, that's never gonna happen. I've got news for you, little girl.
[gasping] It's much worse than you think.
You've been bad, Julie. - No, Mom! What are you doing?
- And now it's time to be punished.
- Mom.
[sighing] [doorbell]
- Hi, honey. Come on in.
- You know, I had the scariest dream last night.
It was about us.
- Scary how?
- I mean, it was probably nothing, but...
I guess I had
this crazy idea that...
you were making up Madeline and Amy?
Like they were your imaginary friends
or something. - Oh! Yeah, that is a little crazy.
Um, no, I think that this is all
a big misunderstanding,
because Amy was this little girl who lived in the neighborhood
and she moved away with her family and I haven't seen her for a while.
- Did she remind you of me?
- I suppose so.
- Hi, girls. Sorry I'm late.
- Sweetheart, this is my good friend Madeline.
- Hi, Julie. It's a pleasure. - So,
how did you two meet? - Oh,
Madeline and Warren are long-time friends.
They met when she was still going to college and she worked in his office.
- And Warren's the guy you've been seeing?
- Yes, and Gail and I just hit it off, right?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- So, what did you major in?
- Excuse me? - In college.
- Oh, um... - Art history.
- Yes. And my dad said it was about as useful as home economics,
and he was right. Look who's a sales clerk at 27.
- So what do you think of Paul Rubens?
- You mean the guy who played Pee-wee Herman?
- He was a painter in the 1600s.
- Right, of course. Of course.
- Oh, Madeline is just a little tired.
You know, honey, she works double shifts. Yeah.
- You know what? I'm gonna go get some more iced tea. You guys need anything?
- No, honey, Annie can get you some tea. Relax.
- It's OK, Mom.
Gotcha, "Madeline".
- She's smart.
She could tell something was up. - [OK, well, we can handle it.]
We just need a few more days. - [I'm coming over]
right now. - [No, you don't have to.]
Don't-- Toni!
Everyone in my life, they're crazy.
- Why haven't you ever told me about Grandma?
- 'Cause she died when you... before you were born,
and I didn't want you to feel like y ou were missing out
on anything. - But... what was she like?
- I don't really want to get into all of that right now.
I've got some news.
I'm getting married.
- Are you kidding? - Can't you be happy for me? I love him.
- I'm sure you do, but don't you think-- - Don't judge me.
- Mother. - You only call me 'Mother' when you're mad at me.
- I'm not mad, I'm just kind of shocked.
Dad hasn't even been gone a week
and I haven't even met this Warren guy.
- That's because you've barely been around this entire past year!
Honey, what gives you the right to choose who I should spend my life with?
- Mom, that's not fair. - No, it's not fair.
But I've made my decision.
And you made yours the day that you ran away from home.
- I didn't run away, Mom. You know that. - I don't wanna talk
about this anymore. We can discuss it
when we're less emotional. I actually need to get ready for a date.
- Warren's coming here? - Mm-hmm. - Tonight?
Couldn't I stick around and meet him?
- No. I'd like you to go.
Honey, I want you to go.
Now.
- OK.
I think I'm gonna need to do some more detective work, but I'll need your help.
- Anything.
- Well, a few months ago, you were all big on that new facial recognition technology?
You said it was really breaking.
Do you think you could scan a photo of someone and track them?
- Sure. I'll get right on it.
Just send the picture to my email.
- Thank you, Mike. You're the best.
- Look I don't care how well you think you have all this planned out,
but we never counted on Gail's kid getting involved,
and we sure as hell never counted on her being this smart.
- And I'm telling you, in three days it won't matter.
- Oh? - Gail and I will be married, the bank people
will bring the papers here, we'll get them signed, and then...
we're on a plane to South America. I've already got the jet booked.
- Ooh! - And in a few months, I'll inherit everything.
You see, Gail's gonna suffer a very sad
and rather unfortunate accident.
And there's nothing her kid will be able to do about it because it'll happen too fast.
- Tell me...
How do you know Gail is going to elope with you?
- Toni...
we both know how her mind works.
She's screwed up,
but she's also very,
very predictable.
- Please, let me go.
I want my daughter in my life again.
I wanna marry Warren.
Well, you can't have him all to yourself.
You have to share with me.
Stop it, Madeline. Just stop it!
That's it, girl. Get mad. Get mad like me. You two disgust me.
Leave me alone, Sadie!
- Well, this is interesting. - What's that?
- "Hello, Ms. Price. I was your grandmother's caregiver.
"I'm afraid I don't remember much about her, but I happen to know she kept a journal
"for many years which she had me pass on to your mother.
"It was very important to her.
"She insisted that I bring it to her personally, which I did many years ago.
Your mother should still have the book. Maybe that will help you."
- OK!
- A journal...
My mom's going on a date with her new guy soon. She'll be out of the house for hours.
I still have a key. I think I need to go hunting.
- I'll keep looking for our mystery lady. Just, uh...
you be careful, Lois Lane. - I will. Thank you, Mike.
- What are you talking about? - [I'm in night court, genius. The cops pulled me over]
[on my way to the bar. I had traffic warrants.] - Goddamn it, Toni,
I told you to be careful! - [Look, you have to pay these fines]
[or I'm spending the night in jail. Every minute I'm in here]
[is bad. Get down here, now!]
- But you said you were coming. - [I know, I'm sorry, honey.]
I gotta meet with an investor.
Something's come up. I can't get out of it. I'll be there late.
- I need you, Warren. I just... I feel lost.
After Julie left, I fell apart.
- Don't worry, honey, OK?
You didn't, and that's great. I'll be there soon. I love you.
- Right.
What a son of a bitch.
Oh, we're gonna go out alright.
And we're gonna have some real fun.
[loud electronic music]
Hey, barkeep. Double shot of the good stuff?
Let's get this party started.
Cheers.
[sighing]
- Never seen you here before.
I like that in a woman.
- Desperate and pathetic.
I like that in a man.
- Whoa, was that real back there
or are you just a tease? - That's for me to know and for you to always wonder about.
- Come on, baby, let's party. - Mother, what the hell are you doing?
- Low down, Mr. Hands.
[screaming] - Jesus!
What the hell, you crazy bitch?
- Mom, are you OK?
- Yeah, please stop asking me that. I'm fine.
- Let's get you up.
Mr. Smith says this whole thing has been a big mix-up.
Since nobody's hurt,
nobody's going to jail.
You're very drunk. - I can make sure she gets home.
- Very well, but this woman is not driving.
- Thank you, Officer.
- Uh, I need to, uh... text Warren and ask him to come to the house.
- Mom, let's just get out of here, OK?
- Where are you going? - Damage control, baby.
Gail almost got herself arrested tonight. - Yeah?
Well, I almost got arrested too.
- Should never have left her alone.
I'll call you when I get a chance.
- I wasn't the one who attacked him, Julie!
It wasn't me! I'm telling you it wasn't me!
- I know you probably believe that you're telling me the truth,
and maybe in some way you are,
but you can't keep hiding this from me anymore.
I mean, look at you now.
You're wearing these trashy clothes, you're stinking drunk--
- I don't even know why you care. I mean, ever since...
you were little, you just wanted to run away from me.
- I have so many regrets.
And I know you do, too.
But we can still be a family.
OK? People go through their whole lives
holding on to such horrible things,
and they die with so much anger inside them.
I can't let that happen to us, Mom.
OK? I won't let that happen.
Please, Mom.
Just let me in.
- Gail, you OK? I came as fast as I could.
- Oh yeah, it's just a...
head-spinning night, that's all. - What happened? What happened? - Long story.
No one was hurt. Anyway, I'm glad
we're finally face to face, Warren. I guess we've heard a lot about each other.
- I'm pretty exhausted. I'd like to go to bed.
Do you wanna come in? - Yeah, OK, let's go inside.
- OK, Thank you.
[sighing deeply]
Stay in the light.
Keep 'em down.
Stay in the light.
[knocking] - Mom?
- Honey,
I'm going to bed, sweetie. It's, uh...
it's really late and I was a mess tonight.
I don't want you to see me like this.
- I'd like to talk very seriously about what's happening to you, Mom.
Maybe we could see a family counselor?
- No. No, I don't--
- Just think about it. Please.
You know, there isn't a wall between us, Mom.
It's just a door.
- I'm gonna take a shower and then go to bed.
[shower running]
- I love you, Mom. I'm sorry.
In all this excitement, I never even got your last name.
- Stacey. Warren Stacey.
Brokers from down the city. I'm in finance.
- I'm sure you are.
- Julie, I understand if you have your doubts about me.
Gail and I, we were seeing each other for quite some time.
This...
this business, this tragedy with your father, I mean,
it's got her very emotional. - My mom needs stability. Family.
My uncle John wants to help out, too.
He works for the mayor's office, department of communications.
You'll forgive me
for being blunt, Mr. Stacey, but I'm not sure it's a good time
for my mom to be getting married. It may have to wait.
At least until we can get a better picture of what's going on in her head.
She was out of control tonight.
If I hadn't been there-- - I understand.
It must have been very scary.
And you'll have my full support.
- Fair enough.
- And please, call me Warren.
[ominous music]
[phone ringing]
- So?
- So the daughter's gonna be a problem.
You gotta find out what she's doing, who she's talking to.
- [This is John Price with City Central Communications. Please leave your message.]
- Hi, Uncle John.
I really need to hear your voice soon.
Please call me back.
- You'd better get over here and check this out. - What did you find?
- Well, it looks like our Madeline's name
is really Toni Conrad. This is a social media page she deleted
about a year ago. She deleted all her social stuff right around the same time.
- My mom said that she introduced her to this Warren Stacey guy.
- I'll look at the both of them, but it's gonna take a minute.
[sighing] I'll get started right away.
- So, I found what I was looking for.
It's the journal that the caregiver was talking about.
- I'm scared.
Julie is so tenacious. If she finds out about Madeline
and Sadie, they're gonna take me away.
- Nobody's going to take you away from me.
I'm gonna protect you. I have a plan.
- A plan? - Mm-hmm.
We're gonna get away for a while, go to South America,
take an extended vacation after the wedding,
find a little house somewhere,
recharge our batteries,
live the quiet life for a while. - And what about Julie?
- Well, she's been fine. Why worry now?
I don't know. In a couple of months,
maybe she comes down and joins us for spring break.
- I just want her in my life again. I want us all
to be a family. - Of course. Of course.
Wait. I love you.
Are you sure about this, Gail?
I need to know we're doing this for all the right reasons.
- I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life.
I can't lose you.
- This is a big step. - I know.
But I need you.
And I trust you.
And last night, I went crazy without you.
- I love you.
I love you, Gail, I love all of you, and I will protect
all of you, including Madeline and Amy.
- Let's do this. - Let's do this.
- Oh, Mom...
Oh, God...
- Do I wanna know?
- It's really scary.
Mostly a confession,
sort of a deathbed apology to her daughter.
She wasn't... a good person, Mike.
She hated her daughter,
resented her for being in the way.
She ignored her, locked her in closets,
wouldn't feed her,
left her alone for sometimes days at a time.
Mike,
she was just a little child.
[phone chiming]
- You're a hell of a detective, Julie. Do we have any evidence
that these people are actually trying to hurt Gail in some way?
- No, but Mom said Toni Conrad is a friend of Warren Stacey.
I got a really creepy vibe from him last night.
He's a little too perfect, you know?
What I'm afraid of is that he may be after her money.
Toni and Warren could both be in it together somehow.
- You think this is what's making Gail crazy?
- There's a lot more to that.
It's a long story, but he could be using it against her.
- I know someone who owes me a favor. A private investigator. He's really good.
If this Warren Stacey's bad news, he'll know by morning.
- Yeah, but if your guy can find something soon that proves her boyfriend's a criminal,
maybe we can make her understand what's happening to her.
- [It's Gail. Please leave a message.]
- Mom, I'm really worried about you right now.
There's something you need to know.
It's about your new friend Toni, and Warren Stacey, too.
[dramatic music]
- [This is Warren. Leave a message.]
- Yeah, call me back.
I've been on the daughter all day and something's up.
- We're gonna fly away for ever and ever.
- Yes, Amy. We'll fly away.
- I made this for you.
I'm so happy you're gonna be my daddy.
Is Mama gonna be on the plane, too?
- No. No, she's gonna join us later.
But Daddy and Gail,
we're gonna look after you like we always do.
And if you're a good girl,
you'll see Mommy soon.
- OK, Daddy.
- Any calls today, Amy? - I don't know.
- [Mom, I'm really worried about you right now.]
There's something you need to know.
It's about your new friend Toni, and Warren Stacey, too.
I don't want to get into all this on the phone,
but Uncle John is looking into it and he said he'd have some more information by morning.
[I love you, Mom. I love you so much. Please call me back.]
- I'm getting sleepy. - Yeah?
- Will you read me a bedtime story? - Of course I will.
- OK.
[sighing]
- So, we're in a holding pattern.
Digging for more information.
I think that this Toni Conrad
might have changed her identity to cover up a criminal record,
but I haven't confirmed anything yet.
- My mom still hasn't called back.
- Maybe you should try to get some sleep.
- I keep thinking about the diary and what happened last night--
her in those clothes, attacking that man...
I keep thinking I did that to her. - Hey, hey, hey,
just cut that out. Gail has demons.
Your mom lives in her own head. That's not your fault.
- Thanks, Mike.
I think I needed to hear that.
- Go. Get some sleep.
I'll take the next shift.
The minute I get something solid, I'll wake you up. - OK.
You know, I have never had a big brother before.
It's kinda cool.
[ominous music]
[cell phone buzzing]
- What? - [Why haven't you called me back?]
[We have to deal with this.] - I am dealing with it.
Sweet dreams, sweetheart.
- OK, good.
I need to see all the information you have on Warren Stacey.
Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Send it to my email.
And thanks for getting on this so fast, Jim. I owe you big.
[ominous music]
Alright, Jim. Let's see what you found.
"Warren Stacey,
respected Wall Street player". At least on paper.
Known as Warren Jones before, as three years ago?
Legally changed his name
when he got out of jail for armed robbery. Scumbag.
Managed to wipe his previous criminal record clean.
Pretty brilliant, Warren. - Thanks, John. I do try.
- How the hell did you get in here?
Whoa. - Don't. - You can't stop this, Warren.
Gail's gonna know all about your dirty past. As far as this family's concerned you are done.
- I think we can fix that, John. [whimpering]
First thing is you're gonna get rid of all that dirt you have on that computer.
And everything on your phone, too.
Every email chain, every browser search, anything with my name
or Toni's name on it. That's right.
And you're gonna empty the trash can, John. - Yeah.
- Yeah. Good. Get up.
Go down the stairs. You and I are gonna take a bit of a ride.
- You're only making things worse. If you kidnap me,
you will never be done
looking over your shoulder. - I never thought of it that way.
- Ah!
- John, John, John...
[sighing]
You really should watch your step.
That last one's a killer.
- You take care of business? - Yeah, don't worry about it. Less you know, the better.
- And when will I see you again?
- Couple months.
Once Gail and I are in South America, none of this will matter.
I'm gonna inherit her fortune and I'll be in the rear-view mirror.
- Fine, but you just remember something, Warren.
I am not someone you want mad at you.
- I don't like being threatened. - It's not a threat. It's a fact.
I have all the dirt on you
and it's in a nice, safe place. Understood?
- Amy!
[phone ringing]
- Sorry, kiddo. Mommy's going off the grid.
Come on, Gail, we gotta go. - I don't think I can do this,
Warren.
[sighing]
Ugh, quiet.
You are so weak.
I always have to clean up your mess.
I'll be out in a second, Warren.
One hot second.
[phone ringing]
- [This is John Price.]
- I'm going over to my mom's.
I'm gonna pick her up by myself and get her to Uncle John's.
- Ok, well, I'm coming with you. - No time to argue. I need to do this alone.
You need to say here and babysit that data search. We need all the ammunition we can find.
If you get something major, email it to me.
- Julie, I don't like this. It could be dangerous.
- I'll be fine.
- Honey, I am so excited. I cannot wait
for the honeymoon. - Me either.
We'll just have to get a little extra cash before going on our trip.
I'm gonna make sure you get a transfer tomorrow after we sign the bank papers.
- OK, whatever. Sold, honey.
- Mom.
- Julie.
- I need to talk to you. - We were just about to have a drink. Can I get you one?
That's right, you're not quite old enough, are you?
Um, soda.
- Well, since you're here,
I have some very exciting news that I'd like
to share with you.
Honey, I think we should propose a toast.
- Yes. - To new beginnings.
To real love.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
- Warren and I got married.
[giggling] - What?
You eloped? - And I feel like a kid again.
- Mom, this is just so sudden. You didn't even tell me.
- It's not like you're the boss of me.
- OK, Mom,
I borrowed this.
Does it look familiar? - No, I've never seen that before.
- I've read most of this, but there was something that I missed
and I finally saw it this morning.
This is your handwriting, Mom.
Shall we read some? "My name is Amy. I'm 6 years old.
"My mommy said she's moving away today. She said she's going
"to college to be a newspaper reporter,
"but I don't want her to go. She's my best friend
and she takes care of me." You wrote this, Mom!
But I guess I'm not really talking to my mom right now, am I?
You're Madeline, aren't you?
- OK, you know what?
Sweetie, I think your mom's had too much to drink, OK?
So I don't think she's-- - It's OK, Warren.
I think I know who everybody is now.
Amy's the child abandoned by her mommy.
Which is me, of course.
- Sweetheart, you gotta... you gotta stop.
This is delusional. - And Madeline's the sexy romantic
neglected by her husband,
which was Daddy, right? - No! No, I need you to stop!
You're creating a fantasy! - The last one, the one I saw on the street,
she's the alpha who just lashes out at everything when you get angry.
- My name is Sadie,
you bitch.
- Mom, what are you doing?
[choking]
Mom!
- Oh my God,
what have I-- Oh my God, honey,
talk to me! Honey, talk to me, please! Oh my God, what have I done?
- She's fine, she's OK. She's OK, she's just asleep. She's just asleep, sweetheart.
It's OK. She's fine, she's just asleep, she's just asleep.
Look at me. Look at me. Calm down. Calm down. - No! No!
- She's fine. She's fine. - Oh my God!
- She's just asleep, OK?
OK. You're OK.
Nothing personal, kid.
We're on our honeymoon. - Oh my God!
- She's fine. I'm just gonna take her up to bed, OK?
- Screw it.
- [Hi, it's Julie. I'm not available. Please leave a message.]
[knocking]
- Julie! Hey, you in there?
- My name is Sadie, you bitch. - Mom!
Mom! - Hey! Hey, hey!
Relax. It's OK. Just calm down.
It's me. - Where am I? Where's my mom? - She's not here.
I had to break a window to get in. - God.
That son of a bitch must have slipped me something.
- You mean Warren Stacey? - Yes! He has my mom!
We need to get my uncle. He's getting more information on Warren right now.
- Let's go. - OK.
- Oh, it is so beautiful out here.
It makes me feel free like the wind.
[laughing] I think we should go dancing.
- Uh... - I wanna have a drink. I want lots of drinks.
- No, we just gotta be careful, Madeline.
Pretty soon, we can go dancing every night. - I wanna go now!
I wanna tear this town apart on my way out, let them all know what they're missing.
Come on! - We've just gotta be careful.
Come on, listen to me. Listen to my voice.
Listen to Daddy. - Oh...
I wanna see Mommy.
Why won't you let me see her? - 'Cause it's not time yet.
- But I wanna see Julie...
You won't leave me, will you?
We're not leaving Mommy forever, are we? - No.
No, Amy.
We'll see her soon.
Julie loves you.
Daddy loves you too.
- OK, Daddy.
OK.
OK...
- His car is still here. He's gotta be here.
Uncle John?
Uncle John!
Oh, God!
[sobbing] Oh, God!
- Honey? Is that you?
- Yeah, it's me.
I love you, Warren.
But I have failed my daughter so badly.
- She'll be fine. She'll be fine.
And nothing on this earth will come between us,
I promise.
- So you're saying this Warren Stacey is conning your mom, and you think he did this.
- Yeah. My father died of a heart attack
just last week, and this... this is just too weird to be a coincidence.
- Look, I'm sorry for your loss.
I'll get right on it. I'll have my people bring Mr. Stacey in.
- He could be taking my mom out of the country on a honeymoon or something.
I saw some packed suitcases at the house when I was there.
But also, we have another lead, a woman named Toni Conrad.
I know she has to be involved in all this.
- How do you know they haven't left town already? - We don't,
but some chance is better than no chance. But we need to act fast.
- Toni Conrad, huh?
[banging on door] Miss Conrad, open up! It's the police!
Miss Conrad! [sirens]
[siren]
Nice night for a walk.
She's as cool as ice.
Won't say a word. We can't arrest her
for anything but fleeing the interview, and even then, that's pretty thin.
We'll have to cut her loose. - Detective Sumford, come over here and check this out.
We just found something new. - Show me.
- Well, we've been using facial recognition software to trace that woman. Here's the kicker:
all the data he cracked is under a different name than the one you've been holding her under.
- It looks like she changed her name before skipping California while she was still on parole.
- Which means she's been a fugitive from justice
for going on two years now. The Cali cops have been looking for her.
- Listen, we don't have a shred of evidence to link Mr. Stacey
or this woman to your uncle's death.
- But you do have something on her now. You make a phone call,
she's back in jail tonight. I bet if you ask her very nicely,
she'll tell you whatever she does know to help save her skin.
- It's late. It's 4 in the morning.
We'd have to wait till 6 to talk to her. - But my mom
is out there, she's-- - It's the best we can do.
Some chance is better than no chance.
- And that's that, Mrs. Stacey. Congratulations on your new marriage.
We hope you'll enjoy your time abroad. - Thank you, Mr. Lewson.
- Well, if that'll be everything, we have a plane to catch.
- Of course. Have a good day.
- Well, we gotta move.
The jet's waiting. We'll do that money transfer on the way.
- Yeah, well, whatever you think is best.
I just, um... I have to talk to Julie before we leave.
I'm... I can't stop seeing her face
and hearing her voice,
so I need to know she's OK. Honey, can I use your phone, please?
- You know what, we'll have to talk about it in the car. Right now we have to move.
- [We're never going to get another chance like this. Hell,]
[you already killed the man.] - [Yeah, I did, didn't I? And his widow nearly blew]
[my brains out this morning!] - [OK, just calm down.]
[You can handle it.] - Smart lady.
She was recording nearly every conversation they had over the last three months.
We found this in a safety deposit box downtown, along with a ton of other of other dirt.
We just cut a deal with her lawyer.
- So they killed my dad? - Looks that way, yeah.
- And my uncle too. - I'm afraid you called it, kid. I'm very sorry.
The lady's getting off easy, but I promise you Warren Stacey is going to burn.
She just gave us his home address. - What are we waiting for?
We need to-- - Hold it.
This is a police matter now. We ordered a freeze on all your mother's bank accounts.
Our people are going to arrest Mr. Stacey.
Just sit tight.
- Alright, great.
The plane's just about ready. It will be in the air soon.
- Why add so much to your account?
- Well, we may be out of the country for a while and they may freeze your assets.
- And why would they do that?
- 'Cause Julie told them about Sadie. - Ugh!
Oh gosh!
Oh... stop!
Warren, Sadie's right next to me and she...
Oh, she's... she's saying awful things
about you. She's... she's saying awful things about everything.
- Don't listen to her, OK? Everything's going to be fine.
If you're concerned about the money--
- I don't care about the money, I don't care about myself, I just...
wanna make sure Julie's OK. Can you please give me your phone?
- She's fine, Gail, OK? I can't let you talk to her right now.
- I am not leaving until I see my daughter. Turn this car around.
- Do not turn this car around. Sweetie, listen to me.
We can't do that.
Julie and her uncle John, they're...
They're gonna try to have you committed.
- What?
[stammering] How do you know that?
- Just trust me.
You'll talk to Julie soon.
But not until after we leave.
- Oh, God...
Oh God, I'm gonna be sick. I need to...
Can you pull over, please?
I'm gonna be sick! Oh God! - Do what she says.
Gail? Sweetheart.
Sweetheart, we don't have time for this. - Leave me a minute, I'm sick.
[phone ringing] - Yeah?
- Here. Thank you so much. I will bring it right back.
Yeah, I know it's a long flight. We'll just have to refuel along the coast.
Look, you just be ready to get in the air in ten minutes.
- Our guys kicked in Warren Stacey's door. Nobody was home.
- That bastard's playing with us! He's always one step ahead.
- Toni Conrad said they booked a private jet.
We're checking the airstrips now. We'll find her.
[phone ringing]
- Yes? Who is this? - Oh, honey.
Oh, thank God you're OK.
- Mom, where are you? Tell me where you are. Is Warren with you?
- Yes, yes, he's... he's...
[I don't know, he didn't want me to talk to you]
and I'm just feeling a bit confused
and I don't know who to trust.
- Mom, you can trust me, I'm your daughter!
- Yeah, I know. I'm so sorry, honey.
I'm so sorry, what Sadie did to you... I'm so sorry.
- Mom, just focus for a second, OK? Just tell me where you are.
- Uh, OK, uh, I'm in a... a restaurant
[near the Remo-Murphy airstrip.] - OK, Mom, just stay where you are.
I have help coming for you now, OK? - [OK, but...]
I mean, I'm not gonna leave Warren, you know,
'cause I... I love him and I need him.
- Mom, Warren is a murderer!
- That's not true. - He killed Uncle John and he killed Daddy too!
[Made it look like a heart attack somehow.]
He's done it all to get your money, Mom. I'm at the police station now.
That Toni Conrad girl, she confessed everything
[this morning.] - No, no, that's...
[knocking on door] - Honey? Honey, we gotta go now.
- Mom, he's on tape! She recorded everything he said!
He killed Daddy! You have to get away from him or he might kill you too!
- Oh gosh, honey... honey? - Yeah, who you talking to, sweetie?
- Mom, I'm your daughter and I love you! Please listen to me!
[I can help you! We'll work everything out!]
I will stand by you no matter what happens!
Just get away from Warren, he's going to kill you!
Get away from him, Mom!
- Oh, sweetie. Oh...
We gotta go now. - Julie told me terrible things.
- Just calm down. - She said all you want
is my money. - You know that's not true.
- She said you killed Jeffery!
- Goddamn it,
I didn't kill anybody, Gail.
Don't be so stupid.
- You stupid...
[patrons screaming]
That was for Julie. [police sirens]
She was right about you all along.
Oh, my God!
- Freeze!
Put your hands up! - Oh my God! Oh no! It wasn't me!
It was her, I swear it wasn't me!
Please, it was her!
- And I'll always be here, every week.
I'll never leave you again, Mom.
So, how are you doing?
- Better. I have my good days
and bad days, but...
today is a good day. [both laughing]
- So, I asked your doctor
if it was OK that I give this to you.
- What is it?
- I wrote it. It's from my thesis.
It's about us.
- May I read it now? - Please. We have all the time in the world.
"Love is important.
"Family is important. And the amazing thing
"about love and family is that it can survive anything.
"It's sometimes hard to remember the good when there's so much bad,
"but in the end, love wins. So here's our story,
"of how I found my mother again after a lifetime of struggle.
This is for you, Mom, with all my love."