Person of Interest s01e04 Episode Script

FINCH: You are being watched.
The government has a secret system.
A machine that spies on you every hour of every day.
I know because I built it.
I designed the machine to detect acts of terror, but it sees everything.
Violent crimes involving ordinary people.
People like you.
Crimes the government considered irrelevant.
They wouldn't act, so I decided I would.
But I needed a partner.
Someone with the skills to intervene.
Hunted by the authorities, we work in secret.
You will never find us.
But victim or perpetrator, if your number's up, we'll find you.
GABRIELLE: Every time I close my eyes, I see him.
He won't stop.
Maybe I'm already dead.
[SIREN WAILING.]
- Surgical 3, down that hall on the left.
- Yes, all right.
TILLMAN: Thank you.
Mr.
Davidson in 8 needs a CVC, an EKG and a portable chest x-ray.
The kid in 5 needs stitches, INTERN: Uh, what about the guy in 4? He's, uh, been waiting for three hours.
TILLMAN: Thank you.
- Hi.
TILLMAN: Hi.
Rather busy today.
I was hoping to avoid this.
[PAGER BEEPS.]
Sorry about the wait.
- I'm Dr.
Tillman.
Hi.
- How do you do? I see that you are experiencing some back pain.
My doctor's playing golf in the Caymans.
I just need a refill on my pain medication.
On a scale of one to five, how bad's your pain? On a good day, three.
Today's not a good day.
Squeeze my hands.
All right.
Well, judging from your bone grafts looks like you had spinal fusion surgery about a year or two ago? - Yeah.
You know, if your pain's chronic, there are other treatments.
How were you injured? It's a long story, heh.
[FINCH GRUNTS.]
Please, I was hoping you might be able to just give me a prescription.
You really should have a full work up.
CT.
MRI.
But you are the most polite patient I've seen all week so I will make an exception.
Okay, this is for three days.
If you're still in pain, you have to come back.
That's quite all right, Dr.
Tillman.
I have everything I need.
[PAGER BEEPS.]
Duty calls.
- Take care.
- Thanks.
REESE: Machine spit out a new number? FINCH [OVER PHONE.]
: Megan Tillman.
Graduated Columbia Medical School.
Top of her class.
Hasn't missed a day of work since her residency began.
Hey, Doug, I'm gonna grab some lunch.
Page if you need me.
FINCH: She puts in 80 hours a week at the hospital.
Single.
Lives alone.
TILLMAN: Hi.
Burger and fries, please.
Thank you.
- Oh, Sorry.
- Not at all.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
REESE: Anybody at the hospital have a problem with the doctor? FINCH: No complaints.
No malpractice lawsuits.
Seems friendly, well-liked.
REESE: So we've got no idea why the machine singled her out.
Come on, grab a drink with us.
Even workaholics need a night off.
Workaholics need rest.
- I'm going home and hitting the hay.
- Okay.
FINCH: In other words? REESE: We'll have to watch her round the clock to figure out what kind of trouble she's in.
FINCH: If you'd like a raise, Mr.
Reese, all you have to do is ask.
- Doctor has a 6 a.
m.
Shift, right? - Yes, why? Looks like she's changed her mind about going out.
[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING OVER RECORDING.]
[PEOPLE LAUGHING AND CHATTERING.]
MAN: Girl like you shouldn't be sitting here all alone.
Guy like you should watch where he puts his hands.
- Hold on, Finch.
- Come on, ha, ha.
REESE: I got a guy with a gun.
MAN: Hey, baby.
Hey! No.
God.
God.
Please.
Please, not my face.
Please.
Please.
Everything all right? - What happened? - Had to make a pit stop.
Wait.
Mr.
Wall-Street.
Second time I've seen this guy today.
You sure? REESE: He bumped into Tillman at the food truck.
See if I can repay the favor.
[GRUNTS.]
BARFLY: Dude, sorry.
- Watch it, man.
Guy's name is Andrew Benton.
He's carrying benzodiazepine.
Roofies.
Date-rape drug.
I think we just found the threat, Finch.
We're not the only ones following Dr.
Tillman.
Doctor left the club alone around 3:30.
FINCH: Well she showed up at the hospital before sunrise.
Treated a twisted ankle, a heart attack and a cut on a hand.
She hasn't stopped once except to get coffee.
- She's dedicated.
- And not just to her job.
Asked a bartender, she's been at the club almost every night of the week.
A double life? A dangerous one.
She's attracted some unwanted attention.
FINCH: Full name is Andrew William Benton.
He's an investment banker at Hudson Liberty Financial.
REESE: Does Benton have a record? FINCH: Technically, no.
But there are a string of accusations against him.
Stalking, harassment, sexual assault.
As far as I can tell, he's never been charged.
REESE: Guy fits the profile of a sexual predator.
And I think he's picked out Tillman as his next victim.
I'm in.
Anything out of the ordinary? Guy likes to mark his own territory.
No coffee maker.
Hmm.
Benton's into something stronger.
[COMPUTER BEEPS.]
Just got his e-mail, personal files.
We'll see what else this guy's into.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
What is that, uh, surveillance from the Center Street robbery? - Your ex-CIA guy? Is he in it? - Heh, he's the star.
KANE: The guy in the ski mask? How do you know it's him? I just do.
But look at this.
- See that? KANE: Yeah.
CARTER: They had an exchange.
KANE: Exchange? CARTER: Watch.
Right there.
He says something to the little guy.
And look, little guy says something back.
Right there.
KANE: Did you get his name? His address? Yeah, he's a paralegal from Marmostein Ribner.
Name's Burdett.
You think this Burdett heard something? Might lead you to your guy.
REESE: Who are these women? - Benton's conquests? FINCH: Mm-hm.
- Any of them Megan Tillman? - No.
He hasn't researched her online.
He hasn't looked up the area of her apartment or the hospital.
There's nothing to connect him to our doctor.
REESE: He's careful.
Methodical.
Maybe he wasn't always so careful.
I've been combing through his history.
Mr.
Benton has an old college record that's been expunged.
Might illuminate what kind of a man we're dealing with, but We need access.
And I know someone who can help.
I'm not all that comfortable with your arrangement with Detective Fusco.
- He's an asset.
- He's a corrupt police officer that tried to murder you.
- He's not the first person who's tried.
Fusco will stay in line.
Your detective is a nice pet to keep, Mr.
Reese.
But sooner or later he'll bite you back.
[FUSCO LAUGHING.]
What's the matter? Can't keep up with your old man, huh? I got it.
DIAZ: Excuse me.
Detective Fusco? Who are you guys supposed to be? We're supposed to be drug dealers.
Except a group of very foolish cops stole most of our product.
You got me confused.
- Detective Stills is the guy you want.
- Stills is missing.
The rest of your friends are in jail.
That leaves you on the hook for a million dollars worth of cocaine.
We want our money.
Let me go to the ATM, make a withdrawal.
[DIAZ CHUCKLES.]
LEE: Dad.
Come on.
Let's play.
FUSCO: Just a minute, buddy.
Our children, they, uh They see too much violence.
You have a good head on your shoulders.
Bring us the money in two days and you get to come home to your son with it still attached.
Win-win.
Doctor's been parked at the bar all night.
So far, no sign of Benton.
She puts in 16-hour days at the hospital, stays out all night.
Why? What's driving her? Uh, Finch, hold on a second.
Man of the hour just showed up.
BENTON: Just a martini, up.
Long day.
Stressful job.
Finally off the clock.
You just want some peace.
But some clueless idiot keeps bothering you.
Girl alone at a bar.
What do you expect? Oh, I wasn't talking about you.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm beating them off with a stick here.
[CHUCKLES.]
Is that so? Whatever you do, do not offer to buy me another drink.
Well, I'm Kate.
Andrew, it's nice to meet you.
REESE: Why is she using a false name? TILLMAN: Well, I was just about to go get some fresh air.
Yeah, you know what? Do you mind if I join you? BENTON: Where you headed? TILLMAN: I don't know.
You're the club guy, you tell me.
BENTON: It's 3 a.
m.
Town's pretty much closing down.
I do know a place right around the corner.
Full bar.
Comfy bed.
Oh, your place.
- Oh, do you wanna go to my place? - Ha, ha.
Sure.
Come on, we'll do whatever you want.
We'll hang out, have some drinks.
Maybe something stronger.
[TILLMAN CHUCKLES.]
I have to work early in the morning.
But maybe next time.
You know where to find me.
Wait a minute.
FINCH [OVER PHONE.]
: What's she doing? REESE: I'm not sure, but she's up to something.
Finch.
Benton's not stalking the doctor.
She's stalking him.
GABRIELLE [OVER PHONE.]
: It's me.
I know it's late.
It was my fault.
I know that now.
I tried to put it out of my head, but I can't.
FUSCO: Ah.
- Easy there, Lionel.
Last time you pointed a gun at me, it didn't end in your favor, now did it? You shouldn't sneak up like that with the thugs from the Toreros Cartel after me.
Toreros.
From Sinaloa? I spent a little time in Mexico.
FUSCO: You know that they're a death squad.
Cross them, your head winds up in a bag.
But you've already crossed them.
Andrew Benton's expunged record.
Do you have it? Even an added a bonus.
I got the ME report.
Wonderful.
Hmm.
I do things for you.
You want me to keep doing them, you gotta protect me.
- You gotta take these guys out.
- So I'm working for you now? It's either them or me.
Lots of crooked cops in this town, Lionel.
Not gonna be hard to find another one just as useful as you.
With less baggage.
The report, please.
I did say please.
That's the spirit.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
REESE: Finch, I know why the doctor's stalking Benton.
In '96, when Benton was a senior at NYU he sexually assaulted a freshman girl at a fraternity rush party.
Uh, she said in her statement that she wanted to impress him.
He was popular, a star athlete.
So she had a couple beers with him.
Claimed he slipped something in her drink.
Why wasn't he arrested? She waited two days to report the assault.
Probably ashamed, scared.
Tox reports came back clean.
Rape kit was inconclusive.
She dropped the charges.
Who was the girl? Gabrielle Tillman.
The doctor's sister.
A year after the attack, Gabrielle was rushed to the ER and pronounced DOA from an overdose of antidepressants and sleeping pills.
This isn't an accidental overdose.
This is She committed suicide.
And that's why the machine gave us Tillman's number.
She's going to murder Benton.
The man responsible for her sister's death.
Correct.
And she's a doctor who saves lives.
She doesn't know what it's like to take one.
It'll destroy her.
Mr.
Burdett? Detective Carter.
I called regarding the robbery you witnessed.
Uh, can I come in? I've been expecting you.
Sorry about the mess.
Paralegal, right? At lockup looking into a case? Probate court failed to require a fidelity bond of the executor.
The executor, in his turn, robbed the Ulman estate blind.
- Please, sit.
- Oh, thank you.
Were you injured during the robbery? Don't worry, I'm not going to sue the city.
This is an old injury.
Although the stress of the situation did not help.
We're doing everything in our power to catch these guys.
Mr.
Burdett, do you mind walking me through what happened? I was standing at the counter at lockup.
They came storming in.
They had guns.
They were shouting at us to get down on the floor, so I did.
During the robbery, did you hear any of the men say the name Elias? I don't believe so.
Who's Elias? Did you get a look at any of their faces? No.
Did any of the men talk to you? Not that I recall.
Because it looks to me like this man said something to you.
Uh, I was hoping I wouldn't have to go through all of this again.
Yes.
He told me to stop staring at him.
That's interesting.
Most people's instinct is to look away.
I've never been accused of being like most people.
- Did he say anything else to you? - No.
You try to communicate with him in any other way? - How do you mean? - When he was holding you by the jacket.
I asked him to let me go.
And that's all you said? Detective, I suppose that you're used to being around guns.
I suppose scenes of violence are commonplace for you.
But I can assure you that for me it was terrifying.
I was so terrified I couldn't even look away.
So when he picked me up, I thought surely I was about to die.
So, yes, I was communicating with him.
I was begging for my life.
I'm sorry I can't remember the exact words I used.
Well If you can think of anything else, please give me a call.
I promise you.
We will catch this guy.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
[PHONE RINGS.]
FINCH [OVER PHONE.]
: Where's Tillman, Mr.
Reese? She's working.
I'm taking care of a little side project.
- What's got you worried, Harold? FINCH: Detective Carter.
I met with her about the robbery.
I had to know what she knows.
She's motivated.
Some might say fixated.
[CAMERA CLICKS.]
It won't be long before she catches up to you.
Have to have a plan when she does.
I'm taking care of it.
Making a new friend on the police force.
He's going to help us with our problem with Carter and Fusco.
Tillman's off in 20 minutes.
Gotta go.
VICKY: After the bar, we went back to his place.
He slipped something in my drink.
I blacked out.
[SOBBING.]
When I woke up, I was in his bed.
Face down.
Naked.
I couldn't find my dress.
I wanted to scream to call the cops, someone, anyone.
But I was afraid.
I was crying when I left.
He just smiled and said I was a real wild woman and he would see me at work.
Now, every day I see him and he smiles that same smile and I wanna throw up.
I need this job.
I can't quit.
I never talk at these things either.
- Excuse me? - Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
I just wanted some coffee.
Sorry.
Don't be.
It's my third cup today.
I keep coming hoping I'll feel better but they only make me feel worse.
At least the coffee's terrible.
Uh, that woman in there, you know her? No, but, uh but I know someone like her.
- What about you? - Hmm? Why are you here? I lost someone very close to me.
I'm sorry.
Not a day goes by I don't think about what I could've done.
Yeah.
Heh.
[SIGHS.]
It took me years to piece together what happened to my friend.
You know, I thought I could live with it.
I'd put it behind me.
Had a good job, good life.
And then I saw him a month ago.
And it all came back.
He was eating dinner at this little French place in my neighborhood.
He was out on a date.
He looked content.
My world is shattered and he looks content.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Heh, sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this.
Hey, everybody needs someone to talk to.
I'm John.
I'm Kate.
Kate Leman.
Photos are some kind of sick trophies of his victims.
Benton convinces these women to do coke with him slips them a sedative and rapes them.
In the morning, they're too afraid to come forward and implicate themselves.
I suppose that explains why the charges against him are consistently dropped.
REESE: Guy's depraved.
Gets off on violating and humiliating all these women.
He's not gonna stop, Finch.
Get a hit on that name the doctor gave? FINCH [OVER PHONE.]
: We got three hits on Kate Leman.
The same pseudonym she gave to Benton.
The first is an 80-year-old woman living in the Bronx.
The second's living upstate at a women's corrections facility.
The third has a P.
O.
Box a block from Tillman's hospital.
She recently signed rental agreements for a van and vacation home in Montauk.
[CELL PHONE RINGS.]
You find the house? And then some.
Doctor has everything she needs to erase Benton for good.
- What do you mean, erase? - Eight pounds of lye.
Heated to 300 degrees, body will dissolve in three hours, give or take.
I will refrain from asking how you know that.
Oh, Finch, she's meticulous.
Planned everything to a tee.
She's gonna get away with it.
I'm beginning to wonder if maybe she's not doing the world a favor.
REESE: But Tillman isn't a killer.
She goes through with it, it'll ruin her life.
What do you suggest, Mr.
Reese? We don't give her the chance.
I'm going to find a way to make Benton disappear.
[SIGHS.]
Decided to help me.
I'm not so easy to replace, huh? I warn you, these cartel guys'll put two in your back.
Don't leave any of them standing.
You need me here? Should I go around back, cover the exits? No.
You're good right here.
[BANGING ON DOOR.]
Detective.
You got our money? [DIAZ SPEAKS IN SPANISH.]
[SPORTS ANNOUNCER YELLING ON TV.]
You're supposed to take them out.
Hey, what are you doing? You're stealing from them? If it makes you feel better, it's for a good cause.
REESE: Sir.
Pardon me.
What's the problem? No problem.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
[HORN HONKING.]
Sir, can you hear me? BENTON: I'm telling you, this has been the craziest week.
Drinks are on me.
He's being released, why? Guy's got four lawyers.
Each got a suit costs more than I make in six months.
Kind who know every loophole garbage like Benton can crawl through.
What about the Toreros? They're gonna come for me and their coke.
Well, better make sure they don't find you, Lionel.
You know what kind of hole you got me into? What's stopping me from making noise, getting you arrested? I don't know.
What's stopping you? GABRIELLE [ON RECORDING.]
: It's me.
I know it's late.
It was my fault, I know that now.
I've tried to put it out of my head, but I can't.
I'm sorry, Meg.
I should've been a better sister.
Please, just forget I called.
Forget all of this.
[MACHINE BEEPS.]
Reese, Dr.
Tillman's on the move.
REESE [OVER PHONE.]
: She was in the middle of a shift.
She was.
She went to take a nap and told the nurse not to wake her.
- She's moving away from the hospital.
REESE: I'm on it.
FINCH: Whatever you do, do it quick.
She's headed toward Benton's loft.
All right, got it.
[REESE SIGHS.]
Can we do this later, fellas? I'm a little busy.
BENTON: What the hell? [TASER CRACKLES.]
The doctor's been at Benton's loft for five minutes.
Where the hell are you? Oh.
Nice to see you again, Lionel.
Detective Fusco owes us a debt.
So he made a little down payment.
You.
It's a win-win.
[DIAZ GRUNTS.]
Where's our cocaine? [REESE SIGHS.]
I know you.
Then you know if you cross the Torero Cartel, you lose your head.
- I'm sorry.
- It's too late to apologize, amigo.
[GROANS.]
I'm sorry, but you're gonna lose your head.
[IN SPANISH.]
- Is this true? DIAZ: Shut up.
HEAVY: How's he know about Miguel? - Shut up.
He's lying.
REESE [IN SPANISH.]
: It was nothing personal.
I had no choice.
They were gonna kill me.
REESE: I told you you're not the only dirty cop in town.
I called in a favor.
It's time for a change of scenery.
You're gonna be doing something else for me.
And Lionel? Don't do this again.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
Officer.
Uh, twenty on two, please.
CASHIER: Sure.
- Thanks.
REESE: I thought that was you.
Remember me? Oh, the guy from the support group.
Yeah.
- Well, I gotta go.
- Let me buy you a cup of coffee, Megan.
Come on, I hear it's terrible.
The guy you got tied up in the back of the van can wait.
You're smart.
And you've been careful.
You probably wouldn't get caught.
But the truth is you'll never really get away with it.
Do you know who he is? What he's done? I know all about Andrew Benton.
I know all about you, Megan.
I know you're a damn good doctor.
I know that you've spent years of your life healing people.
And I know if you do this if you murder this man in cold blood it will kill you.
You told me that you lost someone.
Was that true? How can you sit there and tell me not to do something you know in your heart you would do too? Because, unlike you, I know what happens when you take a life.
You lose a part of yourself.
Not everything.
Just the part that matters the most.
Is that what happened to you? You don't have to do this.
You can turn around right now.
Mm-mm, he's seen me.
He's seen my face.
Well, suppose I have a little talk with him.
Trust me.
It won't matter.
Give me the keys to your van, Megan.
Everything he's done and I'm supposed to just hand you over the keys? He gets to walk free? What do I get? You get a second chance.
You get to let go.
You get your life back.
What does Gabrielle get? She gets to keep her memory of you.
I don't get it.
Who are you? Why are you here? I already told you.
Everybody needs someone to talk to.
[SIGHS.]
Thank you.
Reese, where's Dr.
Tillman? REESE [OVER PHONE.]
: She's fine.
I have her van.
And Benton.
What are you gonna do with him? We're gonna have a little talk.
Why do you do it, Finch? The machine, the numbers, all of it? I told you, Mr.
Reese.
I have my reasons.
And our little problem with Detective Carter? Taken care of.
[CHATTERING ON MONITOR.]
Detective.
- Captain, it's a real pleasure.
- Save it.
I was told to assign you to this desk and not ask questions.
So this is me not asking questions.
This is you calling your friend, telling him to lose the photos he's got of me.
But if you mess up I don't care who's watching for you, I will personally see that your ass fries.
Have a great day, detective.
- Cute kid.
FUSCO: Thanks.
- Is that the Center Street lockup robbery? - Mm.
That was something.
Any leads? A few.
- You just transfer? - Yeah.
- Detective Fusco.
- Carter.
- Looks like you're stuck with me.
- Heh.
Where am I? That woman in my loft, she tazed me.
Don't worry, I told her to leave.
She isn't cut out for this.
She fixes people.
Not like us.
We break them.
I don't understand, um, who are you? What are you going to do to me? Honestly, I haven't decided yet.
I'm gonna ask you a question.
Do you think people ever really change? I mean, you hurt innocent people.
And I Well, for a long time I killed people like you.
Please, I'm not who you think I am.
This is a mistake.
Wait.
Uh, okay.
I've done some things, um I've crossed some lines.
But I won't do it again.
I I swear.
Please let me go.
REESE: I could let you go.
Because you'd know for the rest of your life that I'd be watching you.
And if you hurt anybody, I'd stop you.
Maybe you could change.
And maybe so could I.
But the truth is people don't really change, do they? No, they, uh, can.
I can.
And, um, you I I don't think that you're going to kill me.
- No? - No, because I can see inside that you're a good person.
- You're a good man.
- Good? Heh.
I lost that part of myself a long time ago.
Not sure if I can find it.
Not sure it matters anymore.
Maybe it's better this way.
Maybe it's up to me to do what the good people can't.
Maybe there are no good people.
Maybe there are only good decisions.
Please.
[STAMMERS.]
You don't wanna do something you're gonna regret.
Which do you think I'll regret more? Letting you live or letting you die? Andrew.
Help me make a good decision.