The Guardian (2001) s03e16 Episode Script

- Hey.
- Hey.
I made coffee.
It's half-caf.
Oh, great.
Thanks.
You get that, uh, English paper done? - Uh-huh.
- Oh, good, good.
I talked to your social worker yesterday about moving this adoption along.
- Really? - Yeah.
We're gonna have to meet with her a couple times this week.
- But I just talked to her.
- I know.
I think, uh I think she just wants to see how how we're doing.
What about Roy? I'll talk to Roy.
Thanks, Burton.
- [Horn honks.]
- Yeah.
[Honking continues.]
- See you.
- Okay.
Later.
Here you go.
Come on in.
Sorry about that.
A little surprise going here.
Everything goes upstairs.
How are you? Go ahead.
Sir, we can't fit this in until that's out of here.
Oh, let me empty these drawers.
It'll be a little easier to move it.
~ Well, there is trouble ~ ~ In my mind ~ ~ There is dark ~ ~ There is dark and there is light ~ ~ There is no order ~ ~ There is chaos ~ ~ And there is crime ~ ~ There is no one ~ ~ Home tonight ~ ~ In the empire of my mind ~ ~ There is trouble in my mind ~ - What floor? - Uh, Legal Services.
Ah, that's where I'm going.
You need some help? No, no.
I got it.
No problem.
A little help? Everybody listen up! I got five thousand campaign flyers! Please, everybody take some and disseminate them anywhere and everywhere you go.
Emily Bernsley for Louisa Archer.
Come on, people! Only two weeks till Election Day! Hey, Laurie.
City Council? Yeah.
I'm running as an Independent.
I'll take a few.
Thank you.
Laurie, what's going on with Philip? Phillip's foster mother doesn't want him.
I thought the O'Rourkes were adopting him.
- They just had a baby girl.
- Right.
The baby was injured last month.
She had eight stitches in her head.
What happened? The infant seat fell off the counter.
The baby was in it.
- They blame Philip? - Not then.
But yesterday Mrs.
O'Rourke claimed that Philip was threatening the baby.
- How? - Didn't say.
She just called and told us to pick him up.
- Emily? - Yes.
I'm Louisa Archer.
Lulu.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You're Judge Bernsley's daughter, right? Right.
It's really nice of you to volunteer like this.
I took a course on children's rights in law school.
Well, this looks great.
Uh when can you start? I just finished a case, so I'm free right now.
Oh.
Okay.
Lulu? Did you get any flyers? - What? - My campaign flyers.
If you could, take a bunch and spread 'em around.
- Hello again.
- Hi.
Sandra? Not so fast.
Take some flyers.
Philip, did you threaten the baby? I didn't do anything to the baby, Mr.
Fallin.
What's gonna happen to me? Uh you know, um, Laurie will try to find you a new fam I can't stay with the O'Rourkes? Not right now.
I just looked at the baby and went to give her a kiss.
Annie starts yelling at me and telling me to keep away and that I was gonna hurt her.
I wasn't gonna hurt her.
You remember where the toys are? You mind just going out and playing for a little bit? Okay.
While Laurie and I talk? Thank you.
All right.
So, uh, when the baby was injured, did Mrs.
O'Rourke say that she saw him push her off the counter? No.
He was in the area, she turned around, - the next thing she knew - Right.
All I know is the O'Rourkes don't want Philip anymore.
Yeah.
- [Honk honk.]
- Hey.
Come on.
Get in.
Burton.
What? Why didn't you tell me about these? You didn't let me try out for Miss Teen Pittsburgh.
Because I wanted you to focus on your studies.
I could've won.
Honey, being Miss Teen Pittsburgh is not gonna help you pass math.
I can do both.
Modeling and school.
For right now, I want you to focus on your school work.
And I want to talk to that photographer.
- Why? - Because I'm your guardian.
Because I have to know everything you do.
Everything.
Now what's his name? Malcolm Reeves.
Where's his studio? On the North Side.
Alice Street.
Malcolm works with lots of models and actors.
And he even does layouts for department stores.
Honey, just do your homework, all right? I'll be back in a little while.
Burton.
I'm sorry.
The baby has colic.
I get I get, like, two hours of sleep a night.
And, uh, she just cries and cries and cries.
And then, you know, I I am not superhuman, Mr.
Fallin.
Okay? I can't look after Heather and be a good mom to Philip as well.
I can't do that.
It's not fair to him.
It's it's not fair to me.
And then Philip does something like that.
You're certain that Philip hurt the baby intentionally? The infant seat didn't just jump off the counter.
[Baby cries in distance.]
Okay.
And he does other things.
You know? He makes he makes these strange noises.
And he he's he's always looking at her with this look like, I don't know, like he's he's ready to do something evil.
And she's always she's always crying and I can't sleep.
[Door opens.]
Hi.
Sorry I'm late.
Mr.
O'Rourke? - Been here long? - No.
I hate like hell that this is happening.
You both understand that, uh a mark like this on Philip's report is gonna make it very difficult to You do know that his biological father abused him.
You know what that means.
So he's been living in your home for two years, and now you realize he's Heather is my child.
Okay? I I carried her.
She's mine.
I can't explain to you what it's like to be to be worried about your baby all the time.
I [baby continues to cry.]
I can't explain it to you.
I have to get Heather.
I can't change her mind.
She keeps saying he's dangerous.
Do you think he is? I don't know.
I mean, most of the time, he is the sweetest kid.
Right, right.
There's definitely something going on between he and my wife and Heather, though.
Every time I leave the house, it's like everything just goes crazy.
I I'Il I'll let the judge know.
Can I help you? Roy said he could sign the consent forms.
Yeah? Well, he can't.
I'm her legal guardian.
I thought Roy was Shannon's dad.
Yes, he is but I take care of her, so Uh should we get changed? Yeah.
I'll be with you in a minute.
Is this gonna be a problem? Not if you tell me everything that's going on here.
Just pictures, sir.
Shannon wants to be a model.
We were just taking some pictures.
I want to see those pictures.
Fine.
Okay.
Okay.
Here we go.
Actually, some of those are pretty good.
This isn't all of them.
There's some in a bathing suit.
Sweetie? Shall I wear this, this, or nothing? Just wear the red one.
Okay.
Sir, this is just a way to pay the rent.
I want all the pictures and all the negatives.
Now.
[Knocking.]
Hey.
Laurie's here to, uh interview us.
I'm sorry.
I mean, you did all this, and then I ruined it.
Oh well Did you talk to Malcolm? Oh, honey, I don't, uh, I don't want you going over there again.
He does all sorts of things.
Bands, models, art stuff.
He says I can maybe have a career doing this.
Shannon, don't ever go over there again.
Do you understand? Why not? It's not appropriate.
But Malcolm says I'm really good.
Shannon.
I just I just want to be good at something.
Fine.
If you don't want me going, I won't go.
Good.
Now come on down.
She's waiting.
Nick.
They misspelled my name.
My name is misspelled.
- Where? - On the bottom.
See? Where it says "Paid for by Mastersin for City Council.
" Master-sin.
S-l-N.
Uh, I'm sorry, I gotta go.
Oh, Nick.
Uh, Nick Fallin, this is Emily Bernsley.
- Oh, you're Judge Bernsley's daughter.
- Right.
- Nice to meet you.
- Emily works for Kirk & McGee.
I know.
Aren't you the guy who left your dad's firm to come over and run our corporate department? That's right.
Yeah, what happened with that? Uh, well Emily took over the Crawford case yesterday, and she already found him a foster home.
Fantastic.
She's gonna need to share your office.
Even better.
You won't really overlap.
We just don't have any space, so [elevator dings.]
Excuse me.
Mr.
O'Rourke.
Mr.
Fallin.
I've got Philip's mitt and his sweatshirt.
Right.
Thanks.
So what happened in court today? The judge ordered counseling.
And where's Philip gonna go? The shelter.
What are the chances of finding him a new family? It's not good.
Not now.
Right.
And the counseling, it starts immediately? That's right.
- And they can help him? - Well, they'll do the best they can.
Okay.
Tell him I said hello, all right? Sure.
Hey, Mr.
Fallin.
What brings you over to my neck of the woods? Shannon.
Roy, you can't sign consent forms for Shannon.
- What are you talking about? - Modeling.
That studio they take photos of naked women.
What are you talking about naked women? You're not her guardian.
You can't even take her to the park without my permission.
Well, listen, I don't know anything about naked women.
All I know is you don't let Shannon do things she's good at.
What are you talking about? Shannon comes to me, and she says you won't let her do some pageants.
She says you keep making her take classes she's not good at.
Says she feels stupid all the time.
So she's got a dream to model.
I'm not gonna be the guy who kills it.
Roy, I think you and I better have another little talk about finalizing this adoption, okay? Well, hey, I got a job.
I've been here in town.
I see Shannon once a week.
I'm doing what I'm supposed to do.
I'm her dad, man, not you.
You're screwing me, you know that? This is what Shannon wants.
Well, that's not what she says to me.
Well, that's what she told Social Services.
That's on the record.
She'll say it again in a court of law if you make her do it.
Just agree to the adoption.
I'll give you visitation rights.
Ten thousand.
What? Ten thousand I'll agree to whatever you want.
Oh, Roy.
Hey, Laurie.
- Burton.
Nice to see you.
- How are you? - Fine, thanks.
- Come on in.
Thanks.
Have a seat there.
- How've you been? - Okay.
And you? Good.
Thank you.
So You know I had a meeting this morning with the Headmistress at the Thurmond Academy.
Mrs.
Hayden, yeah.
She's a she's a terrific lady.
I assume you know how Shannon's been doing in school.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, we're working on that.
I, uh, hired a tutor, and I check her homework every night, and I think, uh I think she's improving.
Mrs.
Hayden doesn't think Shannon has the skills she needs to succeed at Thurmond.
Uh that's what we're working on.
She says she should be in the fifth grade, not the eighth grade.
Oh, that's ridiculous.
Burton, they're recommending that Shannon be placed in another school, a school that can meet her special needs.
Special needs? It's just that she's not prepared for the school you've placed her in.
That's all, Burton.
[No audible dialogue.]
Hi, Burton.
Hi, honey.
Roy just came over to say hi.
Yeah.
Right.
Go wait in the car, okay? - Go ahead.
Go on.
- I'll see you soon.
Bye.
This is exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm not allowed to see my own daughter? Not without my permission.
I was just talking to her about this whole thing.
Seeing what she wanted.
I mean, Mr.
Fallin Hey, you're right.
She wants to be with you.
Listen, I talked to Laurie Solt and Mrs.
Hayden today and, uh, we're thinking maybe Thurmond is not exactly the right school for you.
I can go back to my old school, then? No, no.
We're thinking about New Borders.
- What? - New Borders.
That's a school for retards.
No it's not.
Actually, it's a pretty good school.
It's a school for retards.
Honey I, uh I know this has been a tough year for you all the changes and everything, but why don't you just try this for a semester or two? Then we'll figure out what to do.
Just send me back to my old school, then.
I'm not going there.
[Sigh.]
All right, I'll tell you what.
Let's talk about it later.
Maybe we'll have dinner and go to a movie.
All right? Okay? Yeah.
You mind? Oh no, go ahead.
Just have to make some calls.
Hello, Andrew Levinson, please.
Andrew.
Emily Bernsley.
I'm calling about your house arrest pilot program.
I'm representing a kid who would be perfect for it.
No.
I'll go work somewhere else.
Mm-hmm.
I just need another thousand dollars, Abby, to reprint the flyers.
No, no, I'm serious, Abby.
I don't want to be the butt of a joke.
Herb O'Rourke just called.
His wife agreed to take Philip back.
Really? So nice news.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's good news.
Nice news.
I can pass my classes at Thurmond if I try harder.
I guess I'll have to try harder, Burton.
Well, maybe you need some basic skills, honey.
I mean uh It's not your fault, but if you if you had - if you had the basics - I can do it, Burton.
Mrs.
Gleason, my math teacher, said I could take a make-up test tomorrow.
And I've studied a little bit for it.
Tomorrow? I'm ready.
I can do it.
Test on what? Fractions and percents.
Stuff like that.
Oh.
Huh.
Give me a percentage, and I can turn it into a fraction.
Go ahead.
Okay.
Can you turn this into a fraction? Well you don't have to do this now, honey.
Uh, I can do it, Burton.
I'm not stupid.
Oh, I know you're not stupid, honey.
I know that.
Come on, let's just go home.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on, honey.
You you said we were going to the movies.
Shannon, this is ridiculous.
Now come on.
You said we were going out.
Honey, get out of the car and come inside.
What are you doing here? What are you doing in my house? - Hey.
- What happened? Roy and some other guy I didn't get a look at his face trying to steal your mother's jewelry.
[Chuckling.]
I ran after 'em but shoved me down hit my damn head.
How are you feeling? Oh, dizzy.
It's no big deal.
Look I need you I need you to take care of Shannon tonight.
Oh, Dad I Really.
Look, I gotta be here overnight.
This is a concussion.
- They're gonna do these tests.
- Right.
I'm really concerned about Shannon.
All right.
Where is she? - She's over at Junie's.
- Okay.
So get over there as soon as you can, all right? All right.
Yeah.
I'll call you in the morning.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Hey, Shannon, tell me.
How did Roy know about the jewelry? You told him, didn't you? You told him.
Roy borrowed a lot of money to buy all this makeup.
This shipment of makeup.
And he didn't check to see it was all strange colors.
He thought it was normal, but it was all funny colors, so he couldn't sell it.
Be ready to leave at seven in the morning.
I'm sorry about all this.
Just be back at my house right after school.
Nick, I didn't want any of this to happen.
You're gonna tell Burton, right? What I said, you're gonna tell him? Just be back at my house right after school.
[Bell rings.]
- Hey.
- Hey.
How're you feeling? Oh, about the same.
Yeah.
Good.
Good.
Shannon told Roy about the jewelry.
She left the door open for him.
- Nicholas - Oh, Dad, she's gonna keep dragging you into this kinda trouble.
She's just a kid.
She's a kid that helped her father break into your house.
She's just a kid.
What is this about really? I mean why do you need someone like this in your life right now? Uh I gotta go.
Um Just just call me when you when you need me to pick you up.
[Whispering.]
Burton.
Burton.
Hi, Burton.
Hi, Burton.
Hi.
You should be in school.
I know, I just Why aren't you in school? Nick told you what I did? Yeah.
I'm so sorry, Burton.
Why in the world would you do something like that? Roy said he needed money.
Don't you know when you do things like that, you get in a lot of trouble? I know.
I'm angry with you.
Very angry.
I know.
Listen, wait outside, okay? [Doctor.]
It'll be just a moment.
[Nurse.]
Don't worry, hon.
We'll be right out.
All right.
Mr.
Fallin comes to us with a closed-head injury to the right temporal region.
He experienced soft-tissue swelling but no evidence of intracranial hemorrhage.
Uh and, uh, no skull fracture also noted on the CT Scan.
Ah, Mr.
Master-sin.
Now that's that's funny.
But I'll tell you something.
I went out today to pull those flyers down.
Everywhere I went, I stopped to talk to people about my campaign, about my ideas.
And you know what? People were listening.
I mean, this whole misprint got their attention, and they they actually listened to me.
- Good for you.
- Yeah.
I mean yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, Nick, you're off the Bulseco case.
- I am? - Emily resolved it.
- Oh, she did? - Yeah, she's incredible.
Really incredible.
Fantastic.
Oh, you're still here.
Lulu gave me a couple of your cases.
- Great.
- So I have to do some work.
Hmm.
I'll just work and you can, too.
Excuse me, Nick.
Sorry to interrupt.
Mrs.
O'Rourke has post-partum depression.
She This morning she had kind of a break.
She tried to hit Philip, and he ran outside in his bare feet.
She locked the door.
Didn't let him back in till her husband came home from work.
I was just doing my homework in the family room.
And she starts screaming at me.
Philip was treated for frostbite on his face, his hands, and his feet.
Where's Mrs.
O'Rourke now? They took her to the hospital.
What did you say about her? What does she have? She's got this thing, honey, that people sometimes get when they have a baby.
It makes them act funny.
It's not her fault.
She's just kinda sick right now.
Do I get to go home? We'll find a good place for you, sweetheart.
Mr.
Fallin? We'll find a better place for you.
I understand, but if you learn anything else, would you would you let me know? I appreciate it.
Thank you.
Feeling any better? Have you heard anything from Shannon recently? No.
I dropped her at school this morning She was here a while ago.
She just disappeared.
That was the school.
They said she never showed up at all today.
What? Said you called this morning and told them that she was not feeling well No, that's not true.
I didn't call.
I didn't call the school.
Dad, don't worry.
She's probably with Roy.
She's probably just What are you doing? Uh, yeah, this is Burton Fallin.
My foster child Shannon is a a friend of Penny's.
Yeah, right.
Wondering if, uh if she had talked to, uh, Shannon at all today.
No.
No, no.
I'Il I'll hold.
Thank you.
I can just take a drive around and look for her, if you'd like.
Where? - Well - Yes? Not since yesterday.
No, no.
She wasn't she wasn't at school today, so Okay.
Well, thank you.
Uh would you would you give me a call if you hear anything at all? Thank you.
Thank you.
Where does she hang out? I don't know.
The mall I don't know.
Well, I can just jump in the car and [phone rings.]
Hello.
Yes.
Oh, no, no, no.
I'll be right over.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The police found Roy.
He says he has some information about Shannon.
Thanks.
Roy wants to make a deal.
To help find his own daughter? He wants to make a deal.
- He will plea down to a misdemeanor? - Right.
And the DA's gonna go for that? If I approve.
I'm the victim, so You're not doing that.
He can help me find Shannon.
You can't just let this guy off.
Nicholas, he says he has information.
Shannon ran away because of what she did to you.
Now think about it.
She's not missing, Dad.
She ran away.
She will be back the moment she wants something more from you.
Listen, Nick, if you don't want to help, I don't want you here.
Okay? All right.
Go home.
[Door buzzes.]
[Roy.]
She's with Malcolm.
- Malcolm? - The photographer.
- How do you know that? - Shannon called me.
She says she was in trouble.
She, uh she said you didn't want her anymore.
I never said anything like that.
I tried to find her, but they picked me up before I could get to Malcolm's place.
[Voices distorted.]
Mr.
Fallin.
She's not here.
Well, what does that mean? We found some things inside pictures of women.
Most of it's just your garden variety adult stuff.
But we did find some photos that disturbed us young kids.
Oh, God.
Any of those Shannon? No.
No.
Just go home.
We'll call you if we hear anything.
Yeah.
You'II you'll call me if you hear anything? We'll call you.
Mr.
Fallin.
The police went through Malcolm's studio.
Found a lot of pictures of young girls.
Child pornography, Roy.
How could you leave her alone with that kind of You think I had any idea that was going on? You introduced them.
I wasn't the one who made her feel like a piece of crap.
You just have to let me know everything you know about Malcolm.
We were in business together.
He told me about this shipment of makeup, so we borrowed some money from some guys, and we can't pay them back.
That's why you broke in my house? I needed the money.
Do you think she's safe with him? Malcolm's not gonna hurt her.
How do you know that? 'Cause he kinda likes her.
What? Malcolm likes her, Mr.
Fallin.
She's thirteen years old.
Maybe in your world, thirteen's just a kid.
In ours I mean, Shannon's mom was fifteen when I met her.
She was sixteen when she had Shannon.
So Malcolm needs money and sells child pornography, and he's alone with Shannon, huh? I don't care what world you're from, Roy.
This is not good.
[Judge.]
You say you want Philip in your home.
We just want another chance, Your Honor.
We didn't know.
I just want another chance.
Ms.
Solt, what's your position? I think there aren't many good placements for a kid like Philip.
That's not the greatest recommendation.
I'm just being realistic.
Mr.
Fallin? Mrs.
O'Rourke, uh, accused Philip of abusing their baby, then she abused Philip.
Before we left the hospital with the baby, a nurse came to talk to us, and she mentioned post-partum depression, but amongst a whole list of other things.
That was the first time I'd ever heard of it before, so how were we to know? Mr.
O'Rourke, when is your wife due to be released? In two weeks.
Got a letter here from her doctor explaining everything.
I just want to get her medications right, that's all.
If Philip wishes to return to the O'Rourkes, he can.
But it's up to Philip.
Photocopy this page and then just this page, and when you're done, if you could bring it to my office.
- Nick.
- Thanks.
- Can I talk to you for a sec? - Sure.
It's about Emily Bernsley.
I, uh called William Kirk today, just to say what a great job she was doing and to apologize for keeping her so long, and he said that he fired her last week.
Really? Why? He didn't say.
He said it was awkward because of her dad and Anyway, I think that she's a really good lawyer.
I just don't know what I should say to her.
- Your dad called.
- He did? Said he's at home.
Do you like it here? Yeah.
[Knocking.]
- Philip's here.
- Okay.
How you doing? Fine.
- You? - Yeah, fine, fine.
- Okay.
- Okay.
Hey.
Mr.
Fallin.
Philip.
So we, uh, we spoke to the judge, and he said it's it's up to you.
If you want to go back home, then you can go back.
But if you don't, then we can find you a better place.
You keep saying you'll find me a better place.
Right.
But you don't really mean it, do you? I remember when the O'Rourkes chose me.
Nobody else wanted me.
I remember that.
If people want somebody like me, you go with them.
Right, Mr.
Fallin? Right, Mr.
Fallin? If it's okay, I just want to go home.
Sure? Sure.
Take some hand 'em out.
So I spoke to Emily.
Yeah? She lives at home, and she commutes in the morning with her dad, and she was afraid how he was gonna take the news.
And he doesn't know that she was fired, so that's why she's been hanging out here all week.
I'd still like to volunteer here.
Oh, yeah, of course.
I really like what you guys do.
Thank you.
I have to meet my dad now.
Okay.
See you.
Take a few.
Vote for Masterson.
Why don't you give her a job? Yeah.
Yeah.
Maybe.
Well, you said she's good.
Hey.
Hey.
Talked to that detective again.
He said they'll do the best they can.
Right.
The best they can.
It's my fault.
- I did this.
- No, Dad, no.
You didn't.
Well if I don't hear something by tomorrow - She'll be back.
- Oh [doorbell rings.]
It's Laurie Solt.
Why? We had a She was gonna interview Shannon for the adoption and - Well - No, Dad.
I'll talk to her.
I'll talk to her.
Laurie, come in.
There's There's a problem.