Without a Trace s04e18 Episode Script

The Road Home

Watch it! Hey! When I saw my reflection in that Hummer, it was a beautiful thing.
A man and his bike, defying death to live another day.
- Hey, any luck finding your stuff? - Thank you so much for the bike.
No worries.
I asked around the Belvedere.
No one remembers my bike let alone who took it.
- Yeah, you know it, baby.
I think he might know.
- Am I interrupting something? - No.
We were just finishing up.
Good.
Got one more for the road.
Do you want it? Yeah, definitely.
Hey, yo.
You sure you wanna do that, Lou? I mean, Brandon here's a damn slow rider, even slower on foot.
Ain't that right? - Where's your bike? - It's in the shop.
Rush-hour traffic.
Running would be faster.
Yeah, nice try, newbie.
Come on, Lou.
Fly like the wind.
Hello.
Are you at home? You were supposed to be here a half-hour ago.
What? Oh, crap.
I overslept.
I'm sorry.
What have I told you about staying out late on school nights? What's up? We got a bike messenger on the West Side.
Brandon Parker, 18.
Went out on a run two nights ago made his delivery, no one's seen him since.
And who called it in? Someone down at the dispatch office.
N.
Y.
P.
D.
Busted a few of these guys for running drugs.
We're thinking maybe it could be related.
Danny and I are gonna Gonna head down there.
Why don't you meet us there when you're done waking up? Martin? Are you okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm on my way.
- No, man.
- You have no idea? Sorry, no.
Brandon seemed rattled when he left.
So I figured, no biggie he forgot to check in after his run.
Does he normally call in? He checks with the dispatcher for his schedule the next day.
But then he's a no-show two days in a row, and no call either? So you tried to contact him? Yeah, on his work cell.
Only number I had.
- It went straight to voicemail.
- Okay.
Do you know if Brandon has any family in the area? He didn't talk about them if he did.
Well, maybe he just bailed.
I hear you guys have a high turnover here.
Like a revolving door.
But Brandon said that he really needed this job.
What about the other messengers? Anything illegal going on? - Define illegal.
- Okay, running drugs last year.
I don't know about the rest of them, but not Brandon.
He kept clean.
Did Brandon have any problems with any of the other messengers? There's this one guy, Zack.
Brandon thought he might've stolen his bike.
- Is Zack here today? - Actually, he's not.
According to his friends, he got into some accident last night.
He had to spend the night at St.
Andrews Hospital.
- Yeah, the doc says it's a fractured ulna.
- My sympathies.
Sorry, cross-town traffic.
I hope you asked the doctor before yanking me out of Recovery.
Otherwise, even Uncle Sam can't save you from a lawsuit.
Police report says you were riding Parker's bike when you met that Volvo face-first.
- Ulna.
I hit my ulna.
That driver ran a red light.
He'll be hearing from my lawyer too.
Where'd you get the bike? - Found it.
- Did you find his wallet and his cell phone too? Because the nurse said she found these in your shoulder bag.
- Is that what she said? - Yeah, she did.
Look, I admit I took his wheels, all right? As a joke.
But all that stuff, it was in a pouch on his handlebars.
So you're just holding it for him until he comes back? - Something like that.
- Hey, Zack we know you had a problem with Brandon.
He's missing and you show up with his personal effects.
Let me tell you something.
You're the definition of a suspect, my friend.
You seriously think I laid a hand on him? Man, y'all tripping, yo.
In fact, you got it backwards.
Dude's a bike messenger.
He goes running to make the delivery.
- Zack.
- How weak is that, yo? Yo, I'm talking to you.
I want my bike back.
"I want my bike back.
" - What if I said I didn't take your bike? - What if I kicked your ass? Well, then you'd be going home crying to Mommy.
- Hold on, man.
Hold on.
- Get off me, man.
Get off me.
What you holding me back for, huh? - Get off me.
- Zack.
You bitch, you gonna start, let's finish it.
Come on.
What the hell's going on? - You heard me.
Where you going? - Doesn't matter.
- Let's get out of here.
- You man enough to hit somebody but you can't stay around? Get off me.
That's right, punk, you better run.
If that guy hadn't shown, Brandon would be on the ground in no time.
You ever see the guy in the Camaro before? Nope.
Think you could describe him to a sketch artist? For you, I could do just about anything.
Okay.
And voilĂ .
Your messenger scratched off the photo.
Dropped in his own, and did a lousy job laminating it.
That's a lot of work for a bad fake.
Hey, easy, that's a camera.
Really? I used to sideline these in school, making them for buddies.
It's harder now with digital technology.
Did you put that on your FBI application? Don't ask, don't tell.
All right, guys, meet your real Brandon Parker.
- That's great, good work.
- Thanks.
That's not a camera.
I knew that.
He's been using your son's ID, Mrs.
Parker.
Do you recognize him? His name is Matt.
He used to play basketball in a YMCA league with Brandon.
Do you have a last name? No.
You know, I might still have a team roster, though.
That poor boy.
His parents must be worried sick.
Did you ever see them at any of the games? Or picking him up after practice? I don't think so, no.
Sorry.
Here it is.
Yeah.
Matt Jameson.
He dropped out early in the season.
A lot of these kids fall behind in school.
Can I see this? Thank you.
- I'm gonna go call it in.
- Okay.
We're gonna need to talk to your son, if you don't mind.
Just to ask a few questions.
Of course.
But Brandon's with his father, checking out the campus at Penn.
Has been all week.
When was the last time you saw Matt? Couple of months ago.
He showed up at a playoff game, just to watch.
We had a little party here afterwards.
I felt bad for him, so I invited him over.
Oh, that's my boy.
Hey, there.
Why don't you grab a soda from the fridge? Thanks.
This is insane.
What is this? A month's worth of food? Try a week.
Barely that with teenagers eating me out of house and home.
Bread crumbs.
You just mix a few in with the beef.
It goes a lot farther and nobody can taste the difference.
A little trick from my mom.
She sounds like an industrious lady.
Listen, if you want me to help, I can.
I know my way around the kitchen.
All right, why don't you wash up? Could use the help.
What happened to your arm? Oh, that? What happens when you go diving for a ball and catch the bleachers instead.
It's pretty ugly, I don't recommend it.
Something about his story didn't seem right.
But I just let it go.
Excuse me.
I tracked the apartment.
The landlord says they moved out last year.
That can't be right.
I mean, that's just a few months old.
A lot can happen in a few months.
Social Services' file on Matt Jameson.
Let's see.
Okay, born October 1990.
That makes him 15, not 18, like he told the messenger company.
You have a current address? No, but he is in the system.
He spent a year in foster care when he was 4 years old.
His mother, Nadine Jameson, had a problem with crystal meth.
But there's no father recorded on the birth certificate.
Looks like the kid didn't fare any better with his foster dad.
Multiple allegations of child abuse.
Yeah, well, the mother eventually got clean and got him back.
Hey, guys, I got something.
An electric bill in Nadine Jameson's name.
Dated last month.
Address is in Harlem, near 135th.
No wonder he gave a fake address.
Ms.
Jameson, it's the FBI.
We need to talk to you.
Please open the door.
- Hi.
- Who are you? I'm Samantha.
This is Martin.
We're with the FBI, which is kind of like the police.
- Is Matt here? - No.
What about your mom, is she home? - It's okay, you can tell us.
- She doesn't live here anymore.
- Well, what about your dad? - He died last year.
Okay, so who's watching over you guys? Matt.
All right, keep the change.
When was the last time you talked to Matt? - A couple days ago.
- Here you go.
I'm not supposed to call him at work, except in emergencies but I didn't know what to do.
- About what? Our building manager came by to drop this off for my mom.
Matt made me read it to him over the phone.
Here you go, eh.
It's a three-day eviction notice.
- I'm not hungry right now.
- That's okay.
Listen, can you tell us a little bit about your mom? How long has she been gone? I don't know.
A few months.
Yeah, and do you have any idea where she went? Matt told us she got transferred to a new job in Boston.
So then, it's just been you, Matt and the little ones for a while? Yeah, Matt quit school so he could stay home and watch Andy.
He said that way Kate and I could keep going.
When we would get home, he'd go to work.
- At the messenger service? - Sometimes.
He had another job, too, at the locksmith's.
- Do you know the name of the place? - L No.
So that's where the new locks on the door came from? Yeah.
Because of what happened.
This sauce tastes funny.
That's because it's Funny Tasting Food night.
Come on, Katie, it's not gonna kill you.
Sarah's not eating it.
- I have a test.
I have to study.
- I have to study too.
What'd I tell you about doing this at the table? Hey, who's that? - What the hell, Ramsey? - Move it, kid.
What are you doing here? Come into my house like that.
Get the hell out of here.
Back off.
I opened the door for your mom.
That thieving whore stole my stash.
I'm just collecting on the debt.
Where's your wallet? Give me your wallet or the little bitch is next.
- This all you got? - Know where my mom is? - No.
Threw her out on her ass.
- You know where she went? Far from this rathole if she has half a brain.
Baby, I'm sorry.
So this Ramsey guy, is this your mom's boyfriend? - I don't know.
- And has he been back since that night? Did you or Matt, anyone, call the police after your mom left? No.
Because if we told anyone, they'd split us up.
Matt said he'd keep us together no matter what.
Right.
- I have to go check on my little brother.
- Okay.
So who's gonna call Social Services? We canvassed around Matt's apartment.
These showed up outside a hospital, a shelter and a drug clinic.
Shows you where he thought he'd find his mother.
Too bad if someone tried to call.
The phone was shut off last month.
Look, I spoke to the landlord.
After Matt got the news from Sarah he called, begged the landlord not to evict them.
Let me guess.
He didn't get anywhere playing the sympathy card.
Not when he was six months behind on the rent.
I got the guy who ransacked their apartment.
Ramsey Gorman.
He and Nadine were busted in a drug sting last October.
Check this out.
It's not the first time he was caught.
Where is he now? His last known address is in Chelsea, on 33rd Street.
- Let's see if we can find him.
- All right.
Listen, this one's all yours.
I have a lead on Nadine that I wanna check out.
- Where's Martin? - Not my day to watch him.
Mr.
Golde, we tracked the die-stamp on those locks.
And they brought us here.
Yeah, I gave them to Matt.
You gave Matt over $500 worth of merchandise? That's retail.
It was a bonus for being a good apprentice.
When was the last time you saw him? Why? Is Matt in some sort of trouble? - Is he the type to get into trouble? - Well, I didn't think so.
But lately he hasn't exactly been his reliable self.
He shows up late.
He doesn't show up at all.
Sometimes he shows up out of the blue.
- Matt? - Mr.
Golde.
I didn't expect you to be here so late.
Neither did I, but I got this stack of invoices back there that disagreed.
Is everything all right? Yeah, Mr.
Golde, everything's fine.
My buddy here just got locked out and I kind of wanted to help him out.
If you don't mind.
No, kid, of course I don't mind.
I'm such a klutz.
It's good to know somebody in the business, though, huh? That's what friends are for.
Think I got it, Mr.
Golde.
Thank you.
And away we go.
Thanks again, pops.
Listen, ladies, Matt is a good kid but that friend of his, he looked like he just walked out of jail.
Okay, is this the guy? Yeah, that's him.
Mr.
Golde, we're gonna need to dust for this guy's prints.
Now, which one of these locksets was he holding? I'm pretty sure it was that one.
Okay, we're also gonna need a list of your customers, past and present.
We think maybe he and this guy were planning some burglaries to be able to pay the rent.
Well, if you hear anything else, you let us know.
Thank you.
Hey.
The neighbor says Ramsey rolls in around this time stinking of nightclubs and crackheads.
I think today it's Dumpsters and alley trash.
Hey, Ramsey Gorman.
FBI.
Whoa, hey, okay, the girl and I, maybe we got carried away but Here.
Put your hands where we can see them.
- Take it easy, man.
- You got any needles on you? - Because I don't wanna get stuck.
- I ain't no junkie.
We're looking for Matt Jameson.
Know where he is? I don't know who he is.
Killed off brain cells smoking his own stuff.
- You planted that.
- Oh, yeah? Where do you want me to plant this? Where do you want me to plant this? - For protection.
- Protection? From who? The 15-year-old kid whose apartment you ransacked? Or his mom, who you've got on drugs? Is that what this is? I ain't seen the kid since that night.
I ain't seen Nadine in even longer.
- You don't believe me? - You know what I think? I think Matt came looking for you about his mom that you didn't wanna answer.
- Were you not listening? - Hey.
- Where is he? - I'm not gonna ask you again.
- I don't know.
Let me handle this.
- Let me handle this.
- Fine.
Deal with the son of a bitch.
- So, what've you got? - I've got Casey Miller.
Matched his prints from the locksmith shop.
It turns out that he and Matt go all the way back to foster care.
- And they kept in touch? - Well, enough to visit Miller in prison.
He got out of jail six months ago.
- Four years for a string of B and E's.
- Tempting partner for a man like Matt who needs money.
- I've got an APB on Miller's Camaro.
Maybe they're still on the move together.
Hold on.
Yeah, this is Johnson.
Really? When? Well, is she gonna be okay? All right, thank you.
One of the locksmith's customers was shot and left for dead last night.
Witnesses saw two young white males leaving the scene.
Victim is Alison Ashford.
Being treated at Mount Sinai for a gunshot wound.
- Is she talking? - She ID'd Casey Miller breaking into her place.
Now, an agent is watching his apartment in the Bronx.
The last place they're gonna be.
They're on the move by now.
Miller's ATM showed at a gas station in Staten Island hours after the shooting.
Security camera confirms that Matt was with him.
Jack, we found Matt's mom at a shelter near Chelsea.
Let's bring her in.
Thanks, Steve.
Ms.
Jameson.
We've been looking for you.
We're not the only ones, though.
Your children have been wondering where you've been.
Kids? I don't know what you're talking about.
You're sure about that? So I take it that this isn't you.
Or this.
Or this or any of these.
Look, don't waste my time.
You do have children.
Four of them, in fact.
And the eldest one, Matt, is in serious trouble.
He's been missing for over two days.
And he's a suspect in an attempted murder.
What do you want from me? I need for you to pull yourself together and help me find your son.
I haven't seen my son since the day I left.
- What's going on? - Baby, hey.
You get the early shift again? Oh, no, I Where you going? - Out.
- For how long? I don't know.
I gotta go, okay? Why, Ma? I can't stay here now.
I'll be back later, okay? You're using again.
No, baby, no.
- Why do you have to leave? - Keep your voice down.
- You're gonna wake the kids.
- Like you care? Who's supposed to take care of them, me? - I can't have this conversation with you.
- Who, Ma, huh? Damn it, Matthew.
You're so smart, you figure it out.
When Gary died, I just couldn't keep it together anymore.
And I tried to stop using.
I went to clinics and rehab.
- More than once.
- So, what? You want a prize? I told you, I couldn't do anything for those kids.
Those kids are your kids.
Do you know somebody by the name of Casey Miller? - He was a friend of Matt's.
- Right.
Any idea why they'd be in Staten Island? My older sister Margaret lives out there.
Or she did.
I don't know anymore.
A few years back, she tried to get custody of the kids but it didn't work out.
Let me guess.
The court sided with the mother.
Yeah, that's right.
Are you aware that he has posted fliers with your photo on them all over the neighborhood? What? I'm supposed to feel guilty? That would be a start.
Look, I I never was much of a mother.
Okay? Maybe I just didn't have what it takes to raise kids.
But you honestly thought that your 15-year-old son did? - Any calls on our Staten Island Camaro? - Not yet.
I ran all the locksmith addresses.
None of them are on the island.
I think our boy Matt may be looking for a new target.
This might be it, check this.
Margaret Jameson.
Nadine Jameson's sister.
Her address is blocks away from the gas station.
Good.
Somebody's headed out to the island, then.
Not this somebody.
Where's Martin? Martin flipped out an hour ago.
Seems he's lost his mind.
Then he said he was feeling sick, so I told him to go home.
Sick again.
What does that mean? - I'm not getting into it.
- Not getting into what? If you have questions about Martin, ask Martin.
I must've been at the nursery when you called.
Does Margaret Jameson live here? No, Ms.
Jameson's my landlady.
I rent the place from her.
- Well, have you seen this kid? - Oh, yes.
He came by here this morning.
I almost called the cops on him.
May I help you? I'm looking for Margaret Jameson.
There's no Margaret here.
She's my aunt.
I know she used to live here.
I've been here a hundred times.
Well, I've lived here for over five years now and I don't know any Margaret.
I don't like you and your friend hanging out in front of my house.
I'm sorry, ma'am.
This isn't what it looks like, okay? I just really need to find my aunt.
We have a family emergency.
If I could get a phone number or an address, I would appreciate it.
Look, I heard you.
Now, if you don't leave my property now, I will call the police.
Go ahead.
I do have Ms.
Jameson's phone number and address.
But I was not about to give it to that boy.
Not the way he looked.
Is it possible for us to have her telephone number? All right.
It's inside.
Stay here.
Hold on.
Jeez.
- Who is it? - Samantha.
What's up? Hey, can I come in? - Bad time? - Well, I wasn't expecting company but, you know, come on in.
- Thanks.
Sorry about the mess.
Just haven't had time to get to it.
- You want something to drink? - Sure, I'll have a glass of water.
Did Tina quit? No, she went back to the DR.
Her daughter's been sick.
You feeling any better? - What's that? - Feeling any better? Look, sorry about today.
Just don't have much tolerance for people like that but it won't happen again, okay? Thanks.
Martin do you have something you wanna tell me? - No.
- No.
What are these? It's a prescription for my hip.
You got hurt six months ago.
Should be off these by now.
But I got hurt again and I've been in pain.
- Did you take these from her? - Know what? - Time to go.
- Did you take these from her? This is none of your business.
It is, if you're stealing from victims' homes.
- Damn it, just stop.
- No.
This is a problem.
What do you want from me? - I want you to let me help you.
- I don't want your help.
I don't need anybody's help, okay? Martin, please, just tell me how to help you.
I don't know, Sam.
I don't know.
Well, okay.
Thanks.
No Matt in Staten Island.
No Casey Miller.
Well, that's because Miller was found at his ex-girlfriend's place in East Harlem.
N.
Y.
P.
D.
Just picked him up.
And they found a pile of bloody clothes with him.
And Matt? Well, Miller says that Matt took off when he was asleep.
- With the car? - And the gun.
I told you, man.
I don't know where Matt went.
You got Alison Ashford's blood all over you and Matt's missing.
- You do the math.
- Come on.
Matt's like my little brother.
Is that why you roped him into robbery and attempted murder? Look, he was desperate, all right? His family was getting kicked out.
- He asked me to help.
- So you went along.
Good Samaritan? - He was gonna do it.
- Why did you shoot the old lady? It was an accident.
Drive, man, drive.
What was that gunshot? What the hell? It went bad.
She came back while I was inside.
- She surprised me.
- What, you shot her? She pulled the gun.
When I grabbed it, it just went off.
- You said it was gonna be easy.
- I know what I said, all right? What, is she dead? I don't know, man.
But right now we gotta get the hell out of here.
All right, now, let's go, man, drive, drive, drive.
Come on.
I tried to tell Matt that it was all on me, but it didn't matter.
We went to his aunt's to try to pick up some cash but it didn't work out.
And then he said that he knew someone who might have some money someone who owed him.
And that's when he took off in your car with the gun.
- Yeah.
- And who's this person that owes him? If I knew the answer, I'd tell you.
Because the last thing I want is for something to happen to Matt.
And I got nothing.
Here's one.
Runs a catering service in Morningside Heights had the locksmith re-key the entire place last month.
Maybe.
I just I just keep thinking about what he told Casey.
He was going to see somebody who owed him, which sounds personal.
I think I know where he's headed.
We found Casey Miller's Camaro.
It's parked a block away.
Engine's still warm.
Okay, let's split up.
I got him in the back alley of the building.
Matt.
Freeze.
I'm Special Agent Vivian Johnson with the FBI.
We've been looking for you.
Okay, now take it easy and put that gun down.
- What are you gonna do if I don't? - Hey, don't do this.
I know where you come from.
I know what you've been through.
- I found Nadine.
- Did you talk to her? - Yeah.
- Does she have the kids? No, but they're okay.
We're taking care of them.
I know what happened.
I know it wasn't your fault.
I get off for that lady getting shot? I can't guarantee it.
Look, you'll be 18 in a couple of years.
You can file for custody yourself.
Are you sure of that? It's a better option than where you're headed to right now.
Come on, you don't have to do this on your own anymore: Trust me.
Are you gonna start the car or are you gonna hang out until we get a parking ticket? Put the key in the ignition.
You know, I went to see Martin.
Good for you.
What is your problem, Danny? I don't wanna talk about Martin.
- But you know what he's going through.
- Yeah, I do.
And I also know that the first step is to admit that you have a problem and to ask for help.
- He did.
- He did? - Yes.
He did.
He's ready, Danny, and I believe him.
I don't think he can do this on his own.
Well, then why don't you help him? Why is helping Martin my responsibility? You've been through what he's going through.
I haven't.
L I don't know how to help him.
I honestly don't.
You do.
Hey.
How'd it go with the DA? Well, he was a bit tough at first.
But I'm hoping he's gonna knock it down to juvie instead of hard time.
Well, that kid deserves a medal.
He's not gonna get one from Nadine.
She's up on criminal endangerment charges.
- Well, there is a silver lining.
- And we found her sister, Margaret.
She's gonna push to keep those kids out of foster care.
- So that's good.
- Let's hope the courts get it right.
Shouldn't be too hard.
You know, all that kid wanted was to keep his family together.
What you gonna do? We solved the case.
Yeah, but we don't live with the consequences.
See you tomorrow.
Good night.
Go home.
I'll take him down.
Don't.
Hold on.
I used to think, "Yeah, it could never happen to me.
I'm too strong to let anything take control of my life.
" But they were right.
The first drug is the worst drug.
I spent six years living in gutters pissed off everybody who loved me lost every penny I had.
And I still couldn't face the fact that I had a problem.
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