A Kidnapping in Amish Country (2024) Movie Script
1
[pleasant music]
Down the lonely road I go
To wash away my sins
When you hear
that mournful cry
You'll know
just where I've been
[vocalizing]
Whispering come answer
my prayers
[knock at door]
[rapid knocking continues]
- Aaron?
[knocking]
Aaron!
[knocking continues]
Aaron, please! Aaron!
Aaron!
- Lena.
- Thank God.
- Lena, what's going on?
- I'm so sorry.
It was all my fault.
It was all a mistake.
And I never should have left.
I, I should have stayed
and married you when you asked.
I'm so, I'm so sorry. I...
It's all my fault.
- Okay. It's okay.
[sobbing]
Take a deep breath.
[sharp inhale]
Whatever happened,
wherever you went with
the English, it's okay.
It's all over.
'Cause you're back now. Right?
[sniffles]
- You always have a home
here with the Amish.
And you will always
have a home here with me.
Especially if what you're saying
is that you are
accepting my proposal.
- You mean you haven't...
- Do you see a beard?
[laughs]
[laughs]
- Would you like to marry me?
[sniffles] Mm-hmm.
- Wait, wait.
- Upstairs.
[moans]
Okay.
[cell phone chimes]
[gasps]
[chiming continues]
[zipper opening]
[chiming continues]
[message pings]
[zipper closing]
[pleasant music]
- Roar!
[laughs]
I got you, Mommy.
- You did, Miri. Good job.
I got you!
[laughing]
- I love you, Miriam.
- I love you too, Mommy.
- Okay, we should go
and get some dinner ready
before your father
returns from the store.
- Okay.
- Okay!
- Let me help.
- I can manage.
You worked all day.
- And now I wanna show
my appreciation for my wife.
And everything she does for me.
- All right.
- What's Miriam doing?
- She's just playing with
Green Baby and Blue Baby.
[inhales and exhales deeply]
- You shouldn't have
let her name them.
It's idolatrous.
- She had to call them
something.
It's descriptive.
Besides, I know someone
who had a wooden horse
named Sam when he was young.
- I shouldn't have done that.
- Well, you turned out
all right in the end.
More than all right.
- We can't indulge her, Lena.
She needs to keep
to the right path.
- She will. She's a smart girl.
[somber music plays]
Do you ever think about what
she'll be when she grows up?
- Of course.
- Maybe she'll be a midwife.
She does love babies.
- Maybe.
- Or she could be a teacher.
- She is already reading.
- Or maybe you could teach her
how to do the books
at the furniture store.
- Maybe.
If her husband decides he wants
to take over the store one day,
and if he allows her to work.
- That's the question, isn't it?
Who she marries.
What he allows.
- She'll find a good man
to guide her.
And no matter what,
she'll be the stalwart
of her family's home.
Just like her mother.
- Of course.
- Ready?
- Ready.
- Okay. Let's get you in.
So, there is Green Baby.
And Blue Baby. All set?
- Yes.
- Hmm. Good night, Liebchen.
- Good night.
[tender music]
- Miri?
- Yes?
- Do you ever think about what
you'll be when you grow up?
- I wanna be just
like you, Mommy.
- Thank you, Miri.
Good night.
- Good night.
[music turns melancholic]
- Finished with the chores?
- I am.
- Then would you like to
go upstairs with me?
- You're ready to try again?
- Yeah, I think
Miriam would love to have
a little brother or sister.
[giggles]
- Lena, stop it!
[panting]
What was that?
- I'm sorry.
I thought you might like it.
- We can just do
what we always do.
- Was that...
Did you learn that from someone?
- What do you mean?
- Was that something you
learned with someone else?
- No.
- I just thought
it might be nice for you.
- Don't lie to me.
- I'm not.
- I know what you did out there.
- And I renounced
all of that when I came back.
When I married you. All of it.
- Obviously not all of it.
- When are you gonna stop
holding this over my head?
- When you finally
stop deceiving me.
- Aaron,
I do not lie to you.
- That is how I know you do.
Being a true Christian
means acknowledging that you
are a sinner and then
asking for the forgiveness
you do not deserve.
- But you are asking me to...
admit to sins
I have not committed.
- Then ask for forgiveness
for disrespecting
and disobeying your husband.
I am the head of this house.
You will treat me with
the respect I'm due.
Pray for the Lord's guidance
and then go to sleep.
We're visiting with
the Ebersoles tomorrow.
[panicked breathing]
- Aaron! Aaron, please!
- Confess.
- Confess what?
[threatening music]
[shrieking]
[gasping]
[panicked breathing]
Aaron?
[footsteps approach]
Couldn't sleep?
- Not a wink.
There's a verse
I can't get out of my head.
Proverbs 15:1.
- A kind word turns away wrath.
But a severe one stirs up anger.
- More or less.
[sighs]
I wish I had thought of that
before I spoke to you
the way I did last night.
- I wish I had too.
- Tell me now that you've
been completely honest with me
and I promise
I will believe you.
- I have told you everything.
- Okay.
I love you.
- I love you, too.
- Go back to bed.
- I'll stay up if you are.
- All right.
- Going to put the last
touches on here for you.
One pin.
And...
Two pin.
You're so still. Thank you.
There we go. Got it.
- Thank you.
- Oh, who are we bringing
with us today?
- Blue Baby.
- Blue Baby. Okay.
But she has to stay
in the buggy, all right?
- All right.
- Let's go and put Green Baby
upstairs 'cause we gotta go.
- Okay.
- All right, perfect.
- So, I say all right.
I personally will deliver
it to your mother today.
Where in town
does your mother live?
- Oh, well my mother doesn't
live in town anymore.
- Where does your mother live?
- California.
[all laugh]
- Can you imagine?
I don't know with these people.
- It's been far too long
since we last came visiting.
How are your parents getting on?
- Very well.
- That's good to hear.
Is your father still
working his own farm?
- Indeed.
- Of course he is.
He'll outlive us all.
[chuckles]
Do you ever hear from Skye?
- No.
- Oh.
I just haven't been in touch
with then since I returned.
Skye used to send me letters
when we were on Rumspringa.
I hoped maybe they,
they still did.
Skye had just started journalism
school when I came back.
Do you know if
they ever graduated?
I'd bet they'd make
a great journalist.
- I think you're ready to sieve.
- Oh, of course.
Uh, Ruth, I...
[curious music]
- Lena?
- In here.
- Oh, there you are.
What are you doing?
Where's Ruth?
- Uh, she just went upstairs.
I don't think she's
feeling very well.
- Oh, that's too bad.
Do you need any help?
- No.
- Are you doing okay?
- You know what I realized
on the carriage ride over?
- What?
- It's the 14th.
- And?
Oh, it is.
Hmm. Five years.
- Mm-hmm.
To the day.
Or five years and a day,
since I got back at night.
[laughs]
- Mm-hmm.
Where does the time go?
- But when I think about
everything that's
happened since,
getting married,
your parents,
you taking over the store,
Miriam.
The miscarriages. I...
- We've been through a lot.
A lot of tough times.
But a lot of good ones, too.
Don't forget that, right?
- Right.
Okay.
- What can I do? Oh, all right.
- She's out.
- Yeah, she had a big day.
- I hope she has a little
brother or sister one day.
- She will.
If the Lord is willing.
- Ruth could hardly
bear to hear Skye's name.
- You shouldn't
have said anything.
- I know.
But I couldn't help but wonder.
Skye was my best friend.
- Whoa!
[horse neighs]
- Ach du lieva! Hello?
- Hello?
Sir!
- Stop.
- He's hurt!
- I have a bad
feeling about this.
Do you not remember the man
on the road from
Jerusalem to Jericho?
- Of course.
- You would have me
be the Levite?
- Aaron...
- I will not abandon
Christian charity.
- Please.
- Sir!
- Okay. You stay, okay?
- Sir!
- Sir!
He's breathing.
Lena, help me.
[car door shuts]
[gasps then screams]
[grunts]
[thudding blow]
[grunts]
- Miriam! Miriam!
[grunting]
- Miriam! Miriam!
[panting]
[thudding blow]
[siren wailing]
[somber music]
[panicked breathing]
Miriam!
Aaron.
Are you hurt?
- What happened?
- They took Miriam.
- No!
- Shh! Keep your voice down.
- What do we do?
- We do what it says.
- Mr. and Mrs. Bieler?
- I'm Detective Fisk.
Care to tell me
what happened here?
- Uh...
- There was a man
in the middle of the road
and when we stopped to help him,
a bunch of men jumped out
and attacked us.
- And uh, why did you
uh, yell "Miriam"?
- I was confused when I woke up.
Our daughter is staying
with her grandparents.
- So, she wasn't with you?
- No. She's safe and sound.
- What are we doing?
We should have
talked to the police.
- Did you not read my arm?
- Still we should
have told them.
- No police or she die.
- The grammar is wrong.
Whoever wrote that
didn't speak Dietsch
but they knew we did.
This wasn't something random.
They came prepared.
- So, what do we do?
- I don't know.
- What are you doing?
- There's got to be
more to the message.
Take off your clothes.
- What?
- Just do it.
[panicked breathing]
[gasps]
- Lena.
- "Old house Newton Road
8 AM, $500,000."
That's impossible.
There's no way I could
ever get that much money,
let alone by morning.
There must be some mistake.
Right?
[breathing quickly]
Lena!
- Are the shovels in
the barn or the garden shed?
- Shovels? What for?
- Just trust me.
- Over here, this is it.
Hold this.
- Lena, just talk to me.
What are we doing out here?
- We're digging.
- Why?
- I said to trust me.
- I do trust you.
This is absurd.
- Do you have a way to
find Miriam right now?
- Lena, I just need you
to wait for a minute.
- No, answer me.
Do you, in this moment, have
a way to save our daughter?
- No.
- Well, I do.
I'll explain later when we have
more time but for now, we dig.
[tense music]
- Okay. Got it. Light.
[grunts]
- I've seen that before.
You had it with you
the night you came back.
But it was gone in the morning.
You said you threw it out.
It was full of all
your English clothes.
- I lied.
- And what is in it?
- Something like $500,000.
I don't know exactly. I never
got a chance to count it but...
Those guys knew
everything about us.
I bet they're right
about this, too.
Okay, good.
[suitcase zips closed]
Okay. Let's go.
- No, Lena, hold on.
Just wait a minute.
- Let's go.
- Where'd this money come from?
- Let's get rid of this light.
I don't want anyone to see us.
- Lena! You will listen to me.
[huffs]
I know you know your scriptures.
I am to this house
as Christ is to the church.
So, as we submit to God,
you submit to me.
[suitcase clatters]
Lena.
Lena!
You need to tell me the truth.
The whole truth.
Who are those men?
- I don't know.
- Then where did
the money come from?
- I told you, it doesn't matter.
- Of course it matters.
I always knew you
were hiding something.
You did something.
Something terrible and now
it's put our daughter in danger.
This is all your fault.
How could you?
- Get the carriage.
- No.
- Get the carriage, Aaron.
- I won't do it.
- Then I will.
- Lena, I am the master
of this house.
- Let go!
- What are you doing?
- I am getting Miriam back
and nobody's going to stop me,
not even you.
Get the carriage.
- Have you lost your mind?
- Carriage. Now.
- Fine.
You're my wife.
You're supposed to listen to me.
This is my house.
[barn door creaks]
Lena!
[panting]
Lena! Let me out!
- Sorry. But I have to do this.
I'll be back with Miriam soon.
[door rattling]
[shouts]
Lena! Lena!
[dark tense music]
[suitcase wheels rattling]
- Hello?
[gasps]
- Did you bring it?
- Yes.
- Show me.
- Where's your husband?
- He's not coming.
- I see.
- Now you got what you want.
Now, where's Miriam?
- There's actually just
uh, one more thing.
[inhales sharply]
[grunting]
- What are you doing?
[panting]
- Now...
Hold her and get that bonnet.
You know, I've had a lot of
interesting jobs in my life,
but this,
this definitely
gets the blue ribbon.
My employer says y'all don't
like taking pictures. That true?
Said it was about pride.
[pained exhale]
That pictures set you apart.
Makes you the focus.
The center of attention.
That it takes the focus
away from God.
Yeah well, makes sense, I guess.
He also said it
was about makeup.
How it induces vanity.
Another one of
the seven deadly sins.
- You know, my parents
are Catholic but uh,
I never really saw the appeal.
[grunting]
Stay still.
Good.
Now listen,
he said
that you've made yourself
more than just prideful.
You've made yourself
a graven image.
An idol to worship. Huh?
There you go.
- Are you happy now?
- There's actually
uh, one last thing.
Smile.
One for my employer.
And of course, one for you.
Now, always remember
that this is the slut
that you actually are.
- Fine.
Just give me my daughter.
- You're never
gonna see her again.
- What? No.
No, no, that wasn't the deal.
Get back here! Stop!
Stop and come back!
[screams]
[sobbing]
[ominous beat]
[grunting]
[somber music]
[exhales]
[sighs]
[digital beep]
- Hey folks,
Skye Kaufman here again.
By day I'm
the courthouse reporter
for Lancaster's only alt
weekly, the Metro Pulse.
So, hit that link in my bio
if you're into
criminal justice issues.
But it is the weekend, so it
is time for another installment
of "Ask an Ex-Amish".
Cool. Okay. Um, first question,
were you out as non-binary
when you were Amish?
No.
No, no, no, no.
The Amish have
very strict gender roles,
so doing anything outside
the bounds
of what a man or a woman
is supposed to do
is gonna be a big problem.
Hence, ex-Amish.
Okay. Um, next question.
Do the Amish wear sunscreen?
Huh. No.
Um, a lot of Amish
people work outside
but typically they wear
clothing to cover themselves up.
[knock on door]
- Uh...
[digital beep]
[knocking continues]
What are you doing here?
- I need your help.
- Seriously.
- Five years no word
and now you want my help?
- I'm sorry.
- Do you know how many times
in the past five years
I could've used help?
- No.
- Yeah, of course not.
- We had a pact, Lena.
Leave together. Never go back.
- I know. But...
- So, why did you?
- It's complicated.
- Really. It's complicated?
Wow, okay, well...
You're totally absolved
then if it's complicated.
- Skye...
- No, that's what Jesus
once said, right?
Father, forgive them.
It's complicated.
- They took my daughter.
- You have a daughter?
- And when I got home,
Aaron was gone.
He left a note saying that
he was going to the cops.
[somber music continues]
So, you'll help me?
- Where did the money come from?
- I can't tell you that.
- Did you hurt
someone to get it?
- No.
- Then...
Maybe we should go to the cops.
- They said no cops or she dies.
- But if we just tell them
who you took the money from...
- I can't.
- Lena, what happened?
- It's not important, okay?
We just have to find her.
Look, I know you have a million
reasons not to help me
but I am asking you to anyway.
You're smart, you're a reporter
and you're the only friend
I've got in the English world.
Skye, you're my only chance.
You're her only chance.
- A daughter. Huh.
- Were you ever gonna tell me?
- She's all I got.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- And I know where to start.
- Where?
- Well, if you
stabbed their tire
I bet they couldn't
get very far on a flat.
- Well, let's see if
the fourth try is a charm.
[tools whirring]
- Hey.
Hi.
- Last night, did anyone uh,
come in here with a black SUV?
- Uh, I don't know.
I wasn't on shift.
- Are you sure?
- Uh well, are there any
cameras we can take a look at?
Or log books?
All we need is a license plate.
- It's against company policy.
Sorry, I can't do that.
- Yo, you do the ex-Amish
videos, right?
- Oh yeah, that's me.
- Yo! I got a page
too, CJ Hundred K.
- Oh, nice.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Uh, wait, CJ Hundred... Yeah,
no I totally recognize you.
Yeah, CJ Hundred K. Totally.
Yeah, your stuff is great.
I love your videos, man.
Do you wanna do a quick collab?
- Hell yeah.
- Okay, yeah. We could
use my phone right now.
- Yeah.
- Uh yeah, I might just
use the restroom.
- Uh yeah, it's...
- Okay, cool.
- Yeah, uh Skye.
- CJ.
- Hey.
So, yeah, I figure we keep it
short and sweet,
you know uh, pop in, pop out,
do our stuff.
- Your page is about...
- Video games.
- Video games.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally.
Okay um...
Hey folks, Skye Kaufman from
Ask an Ex-Amish here
with my guy,
CJ, AKA CJ Hundred K.
[muffled talking continues
in background]
Of course they don't.
But if you're watching this,
you're probably not Amish.
[muffled talking continues
in background]
Nice, good ending, yeah.
- Um, I don't know, do you wanna
like maybe do
another take just to...
- That... That was perfect.
That was the one.
- That was the one.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you.
- Yeah, I --
- Thank you so much.
[exhales]
- Skye, come on.
I got a plate number.
I got a plate number.
- Oh, nice.
Oh, got just the guy.
Hey, Barry. It's Skye.
Remember that favor you owe me?
[call ringing]
- Yeah.
- Yeah, two people just came in.
- Were they cops?
- Nah, they were Amish.
- Amish? How do you know?
- One of them makes Amish
videos on social media.
Skye Kaufman Reports.
Skye with an E.
- All right.
- Look man, you said there
wasn't gonna be any loose ends.
- I'm handling it.
- Yeah, but --
[exhales]
[Skye]:
Hey guys, Skye Kaufman here.
Uh, just out for a walk around
my neighborhood
and thought I'd do a quick video
because I got a lot of questions
on my post about whether
or not Amish men wear underwear.
[video rewinds quickly]
Just out for a walk
around my neighborhood.
Wouldn't you love
to know, you pervs?
So, the answer to that is
that I actually have no idea
because I was not allowed
to see any of that.
A lot of you asked if
I knew any Mennonite humor.
Why don't Mennonites
have sex standing up?
'Cause it might lead to dancing.
[phone rings]
- Hey, Barry, what's the word?
Yeah, got it.
No, thanks anyways.
[sighs]
Car was reported stolen
this morning in Harrisburg.
He said there's an APB out.
- So, what, we just wait?
- I don't think
there's much point.
If they were smart enough
not to use their own vehicle,
they were probably smart enough
to ditch it as soon
as they could.
- Okay, so we try to find
the car and we go from there.
- Chances are it's in
a hundred pieces in a chop shop
or on a shipping container
in Baltimore harbor.
- Which means you need to tell
me where that money came from.
- No.
- It's our only lead.
- I said no.
- I can't find someone
with no information.
You might as well
ask a Ouija board.
- I told you, I can't.
- Why not?
- Because anyone
who could tell us is dead.
[sighs]
- They're almost here.
- I don't wanna hear it.
- Come on, we have --
- I don't wanna hear
how these guys are so solid.
I don't need to hear about
how important this deal is.
I don't wanna hear how
this is the deal of deals.
- Do you realize what's
on the table right now?
Do you understand
how big this is?
- What I want to hear is
let's go out wherever you want,
put on your makeup,
we're gonna have
the night of nights. Okay?
[knock on door]
[sighs]
Fine. But hurry up.
And I still wanna
hear that first part.
Hey.
Go get your purse.
Touch up your makeup
just a little bit
'cause I'm taking you out.
We're gonna go
wherever you wanna go.
We're gonna have
the night of our lives.
[chuckles]
[knocking continues]
Go.
[sighs]
[exhales]
- Hmm.
[gunshot cracks]
[gunshots continue]
[panting]
[tense music]
[whimpers]
[gasps]
- Eddie?
[sobbing]
Eddie.
[breathes shakily]
[sobbing]
[sobs]
[sobbing]
[sobbing]
[energetic tense music]
- The only people didn't wind up
dead on that living room floor
were me and whoever
texted Eddie's phone.
And I have no idea who that was.
I took the money.
I knew that God
had seen what I'd done
and I knew that
he was punishing me,
and I still took it.
Just in case, I thought.
And now he's punishing me again.
- I don't think God
is punishing you.
- There's no hedging
your bets with God.
This is all my fault
and I'm gonna make it right.
I'm gonna find her.
I just need to figure out
what we do next.
- When was
the last time you slept?
- Maybe we go back to
that old farmhouse.
- Lena... How long?
- I don't know, maybe since
the night before last.
- Yeah. You need to sleep.
- No, I don't.
- You're exhausted.
- I'm fine, I just...
I need to take
a shower to wake up.
[water rushing]
[water rushing]
[rock music through headphones]
[knock at door]
[knocking continues]
- Yeah, who is it?
- I got a package for uh...
Skye Kaufman.
You gotta sign for it.
- Okay. One sec.
- Sign here.
[grunting]
[choking]
[water rushing]
[grunting continues]
[rock music plays loudly]
[grunting continues]
[gasping]
[grunts]
[screams]
[grunting resumes]
[choking]
[grunting]
[screams]
[shrieks]
[vase shatters]
[panting]
[coughs]
[upbeat pop music]
- What?
[coughs]
I like a mix.
- Nice.
- I got zip ties.
- I don't think we need them.
- What, he's still
not responding?
- Not a bit.
- I just covered
an assault case
that involved
a traumatic brain injury.
Being out this long
is not a good sign.
Yeah, one of his
pupils is definitely dilated.
- What does that mean?
- It means we need to
get him to a hospital.
- But I was knocked
out last night.
- Yeah, and I bet
the paramedics tried to get you
to go to a hospital too.
- Yeah.
- And you probably
should've listened to them.
Look, he's the best chance
we have of finding Miriam.
- But if we take him
to a hospital,
the cops are gonna get involved.
- It's either that
or risking him dying
and taking his answers with him.
- Okay. Okay.
- But first,
help me check his pockets.
- Why?
- Because he doesn't keep all
of his answers in his head.
Thank God
for facial recognition.
- And we need his ride.
- I'll pull it up.
[breathing quickly]
[car beeps]
[grunting]
- Okay, go.
Uh...
[grunting continues]
- Are you sure about
the dilated pupils thing?
- No. I'm going off of testimony
I heard six months ago.
- And what else did
they say to look out for?
- Uh... seizures, or like,
anything clear fluids
from his nose.
- Or waking up?
- He's awake?
- No.
- Then why would you say that?
- I mean, it's possible, right?
[huffs]
- Maybe we should get him those
zip ties. Or a knife or...
- Or...
[siren wails]
- What do we do?
- I don't know.
- We can run.
- No, we can't run.
- We can't go to jail.
- Just give me a sec to think.
[siren approaches]
- Help. Help, officer!
Officer, help. Officer?
- Ma'am, you okay?
- Thank god you're here. We
gotta get him to the hospital.
He got jumped by package thieves
outside our building and-
- Call an ambulance.
- Listen, I'm a nurse.
This man has dilated pupils.
Clear discharge coming from
his nose and he's seized twice.
- He's gonna be dead by
the time an ambulance gets here
so pull up your car.
Help us get him in back.
[exhales]
- Uh yeah. Okay, here.
- What are you,
what are you doing?
- Looking for his ID.
- Why?
- So we can get
his home address.
- You mean like
the one on his GPS?
[car door opens]
- Quick. He's here.
- Okay.
- Okay, I've got his shoulders.
- Good.
- Okay, you got him?
[knocking on door]
[knocking on door]
- Hello?
Hello?
- I'll take this floor.
- Okay. I'm gonna go upstairs.
[uneasy music]
[breathing shakily]
- Miriam?
[door clicks open]
[zippers open]
- Found his laptop.
Any luck up here?
- Uh no.
Just the suitcase, empty,
and Eddie's broken phone.
- Is that hers?
- She calls it Blue Baby.
- What's she like?
- She's smart. Really smart.
She just started reading.
At first I thought she was
just memorizing books but no.
- Well, that's amazing.
- And she's really independent.
Or stubborn, more like it.
Especially when
she knows she's right.
Her dad's already had to have
a bunch of talks with her
about humility.
- I remember those talks.
- She reminds me a lot
of you when we were kids.
- I can't wait to meet her.
- Now, come on.
I'll uh, go through
his computer.
You do another sweep downstairs.
See if I missed anything.
[sighs]
You find anything else?
- Nothing.
- Yeah, I've been through
his phone and his computer.
I found messages from
one other guy involved
but none to anyone who seems
like they're actually in charge.
I texted "How's the girl doing?"
to that number but he just
sent back a confused reply.
- What do you mean?
- He said
the handoff is complete.
His job is done.
- Okay, so let's text them back.
Find out where the drop was.
- I did. No reply.
- He must have
taken out his SIM
as soon as I started
asking questions.
- So, who do you think
has her now?
- Whoever hired him.
- And there's no trace of him?
- None.
I don't know how, but
the guy in charge
has covered his
tracks completely.
No texts, no calls, no emails.
Nothing.
- Okay, so another dead end.
- Yeah.
[sighs]
Wait...
You said you got
messages on this phone
from the person that
we're looking for, right?
- Yeah, but I didn't get a name.
It was a burner.
Eddie was always
switching out his phones.
- But you said you
got the text message
and then immediately
snapped it in half?
- Yeah.
- And the number wasn't blocked,
or private, or anything?
- No, it just
came up as a number.
- I think I can work with that.
Let's go.
[computer beeps]
- Et voila.
Fully functioning digital
clone of Eddie's old phone.
Now the only question is,
what do you wanna say?
- What I want to say is
that he should start praying.
But I'm not gonna say that
because it's not gonna
get me what I want.
- Is there anything else we can
do while we wait for a reply?
- I mean, we've got
the number itself.
I could see if it's
registered anywhere.
- So, you can connect
that number to a name?
- I mean, it's kind of
a long shot but --
- Okay.
- Do know of a couple websites.
- He's calling.
What do you wanna do?
- Answer it.
I'll do the talking.
- Who the hell is this?
And why are you texting me
from my dead son's phone?
- Margaret?
- Obviously. Explain yourself.
- It, it's Lena.
- Who?
- I used to date Eddie.
- Oh. The Amish girl.
- It's about my daughter.
- So, this is
a paternity scam then?
- No.
- Frankly, it's a little late
for that. But be my guest.
Might as well make use of
those idiots I keep on retainer.
- You kidnapped my daughter!
- Why would I do
a thing like that?
- That night that
Eddie was killed,
there was a bunch of money
and I know he stole it from you.
He sold one of my thoroughbreds.
- Still, that was a lot
of money I took from him.
- So, that was you.
- Of course it was.
And now you've got it back,
so I want my daughter.
- I wanna be very clear about
something, little girl.
Whatever happened between
you and my son,
I do not care.
And whatever happened to
that money, I do not care.
And whatever is happening
to you now I do not care.
In fact, the only thing
that I really regret
about what happened to Edward,
it was a damn good horse.
[dial tone]
[somber music]
- I never should have
taken the doll.
- What?
- I should have left it
at that old man's house.
That way at least
Miri would have it.
- Don't talk like that.
- Like what?
- Like you've given up.
- That phone was our last hope.
- No, it's not true.
- What then?
- I don't know.
- Exactly.
I don't know either.
I don't know where Miriam is.
I don't know if she's okay.
I don't know if she's hungry,
or cold or scared.
- So what, you're just
gonna give up then?
Just like when you went back?
I remember the girl
that you were before.
The girl who left with me.
The first person I came out to.
The person who said
that we didn't have to be
what other people
wanted us to be.
That the lives that we wanted
were worth fighting for.
What happened to her?
How did she wind up
someone's housewife?
- That's not fair.
- How did she end up
cooking and cleaning
and relying on
a man for everything?
- What would you prefer then?
That I was out drinking and
dancing and having sex
with some rich kid playing
at being a drug dealer?
- At least that was your choice!
- Going back was my choice.
Being a wife, a mother.
Living by God's will,
that was my choice.
- And what about
Miriam's choices?
The girl I knew would've never
held her kid back like that.
- I would do anything
for my daughter.
- I know you would.
You've done it for me.
So, let's get back
out there and find her.
- Okay.
- Okay, the only way
we're gonna find Miriam
is if we start from scratch.
So, what do
we know about this guy?
- Almost nothing.
He wasn't involved
in Eddie's death,
he wasn't at the kidnapping,
he wasn't even in
that guy's phone.
- That's not nothing.
We don't know a lot
about who this guy is...
- But we do know a lot
about who he isn't.
- Exactly.
- So, we can use that to get
an idea of what he's like.
Like, a picture in silhouette.
- Yes.
Not in phone. Not at
kidnapping. Not at Eddie's.
- What else?
Wait...
He had to know that
you had the money,
otherwise he wouldn't
have known to ask for it.
Uh, any ideas?
- He's Amish.
- What?
- That would explain why
he needed a physical photo.
- And why he wasn't
in the phone.
- No modern technology.
- Uh okay, so maybe it was
someone who saw you that night?
- No.
There's one thing we're missing.
That person also wanted
to take Miriam from me.
- Are you saying...
- There's only one
person it could be.
[worrying music]
[sinister music]
[door creaks open and shut]
[whispering]:
I'll take downstairs again.
- Okay.
[breathes shakily]
- Miriam.
- Mommy!
- Hi, baby. Hi. Hi.
[door opens]
- Whoa.
[impact grunt]
- I can't find
Blue Baby anywhere.
- Oh, it's okay, Liebchen.
My friend Skye and I found her.
- Really?
- I promise.
She's at Skye's apartment, okay?
Now, we are going to go
and find Blue Baby right now
so we can finish
packing later, okay?
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Oh. Hi, Daddy.
- Hello, Lena.
- Aaron.
- Daddy, Mommy found Blue Baby!
- I see.
- Where's Skye?
- Downstairs.
I think you and I
should go downstairs too.
To talk.
- Okay.
Uh...
Mommy and Daddy, we need
to go downstairs and talk.
And um, I need you to stay
up here in your room, okay?
- Okay.
- Why don't you just
play with Green Baby.
Don't come out until
I tell you to, all right?
No matter what.
- Okay.
- I love you, Miriam.
- I love you too, Mommy.
- Let's go.
- How could you?
- Let's get one thing straight.
I am not the cause of this.
You are.
- You kidnapped our daughter.
- Don't be dramatic. She slept
through the whole thing.
- They pulled her away from
us while I was screaming.
- She doesn't remember a thing.
I gave her a large enough dose.
She was out for hours.
- You drugged her?
- It was for her own safety.
- Are you even hearing yourself?
- Of course I am.
For the first time in years.
Ever since you came back,
I've had a little voice
in the back of my head
telling me you were
sinful and prideful,
and a stain on my name.
But every day I told myself
to be a good husband.
To forgive you.
To give you a chance
to come clean on your own.
- Because I saw what
was in that suitcase
the day you came back.
[phone rings]
[phone ringing]
[breathing nervously]
I didn't follow you
because I thought
you were leaving again.
But the next morning,
there you were.
You lied to me, Lena.
Every day.
It wasn't enough
that you tempted me
to have sex before marriage.
- You wanted it too.
- Shut up!
You corrupted me
and I will not allow you
to corrupt my daughter.
- I love you and I love Miriam.
- You indulge her.
You allow her to stray
from the Lord's path,
just like you did.
- Naming a doll is not straying
from the Lord's path!
- But that is where it starts.
Little choices.
Like the one you made,
every day,
to not tell me about the money.
I set a date.
Five years exactly.
And if you didn't tell me
I was going to take the money,
take my daughter, and leave.
- You just needed me to tell
you where the money was first.
- And I needed to remind you
of what you really are.
[breathes nervously]
Now I have all I need
for Miriam and I to go live
with the Nebraska Amish.
- You will never
take her from me.
- Watch me.
[grunts]
Lena!
[panting]
[panting]
[panting]
- Lena.
[breathes shakily]
- Ah.
- Yah!
[shrieks]
[panting]
- You can't do this, Aaron.
Murder is a sin.
- A sin?
Oh, that's rich coming from you.
But you do make a good point.
So, I'll give you a choice.
If you really want to
protect my mortal soul
from the stain of this sin,
tie a rope around
your neck and jump.
- No.
- Suicide is a sin but what's
one more for someone like you?
- Aaron, please.
- At least this way, Miriam
can attend your funeral.
Otherwise they are never
going to find your body.
So much farmland.
Come on, Lena.
Let Miriam say goodbye.
Tie it.
- Fine.
But I'm only doing this because
I want you to know
you don't control me.
You don't own me.
You never did.
I renounce you.
I renounce the Amish way of life
and I reclaim my soul
for myself and myself only.
- Did that help you feel better?
- It did.
It also gave Skye
enough time to get behind you.
[grunts]
- Ugh!
[screams]
[Aaron grimacing]
You still got those zip ties?
- Oh yeah.
- Good.
[police radio chatter]
- Okay, I just emailed you all
the contents of the guy's phone
that Aaron hired
to kidnap the kid.
It's got all the details of
the job and everyone involved.
Basically I just solved
the entire case for you,
so you're welcome.
Um... Excuse me for a second.
Ruth.
[chuckles softly]
- Hey.
- Hey.
You all right?
- I just had to explain
to my four year old
that her father is going to
prison for a very long time.
- That's rough.
- Yeah, it is.
It's uh...
Hard when you lose someone who's
supposed to be your family.
- Yeah.
- But I uh,
also told her everything
is going to be okay because...
We gained a family member today.
An awesome one.
And that person is smart
and kind and strong and...
They fought for her
as hard as I did.
- Thanks.
- Did you also mention that
they're extremely handsome?
- No, but...they are.
[laughs]
- Yeah, they sound amazing.
- Definitely.
[laughs]
There's actually something else
I um, forgot to mention to her.
- What's that?
- That...
That family member
is extremely good
at helping people
find new places to live.
- Wait, are you serious?
- Yeah.
We are definitely going to
need help with that soon.
- Well hey,
anything for family.
[laughs]
[both laugh]
- Okay, I'm gonna go
finish that report.
- Okay.
[somber music]
- Are you gonna be okay
on that? You got it?
- How is Miriam liking
her new school?
- Good.
She's still getting
used to things, so.
I think we both are.
- You'll get there.
- Oh, hi.
- Does she ever ask about
going back to the Amish?
- Yeah.
- What do you say?
- I say she can
when she's older.
That it'll be her choice.
Hi, baby.
[laughing]
Oh my gosh.
[pleasant music]
Down the lonely road I go
To wash away my sins
When you hear
that mournful cry
You'll know
just where I've been
[vocalizing]
Whispering come answer
my prayers
[knock at door]
[rapid knocking continues]
- Aaron?
[knocking]
Aaron!
[knocking continues]
Aaron, please! Aaron!
Aaron!
- Lena.
- Thank God.
- Lena, what's going on?
- I'm so sorry.
It was all my fault.
It was all a mistake.
And I never should have left.
I, I should have stayed
and married you when you asked.
I'm so, I'm so sorry. I...
It's all my fault.
- Okay. It's okay.
[sobbing]
Take a deep breath.
[sharp inhale]
Whatever happened,
wherever you went with
the English, it's okay.
It's all over.
'Cause you're back now. Right?
[sniffles]
- You always have a home
here with the Amish.
And you will always
have a home here with me.
Especially if what you're saying
is that you are
accepting my proposal.
- You mean you haven't...
- Do you see a beard?
[laughs]
[laughs]
- Would you like to marry me?
[sniffles] Mm-hmm.
- Wait, wait.
- Upstairs.
[moans]
Okay.
[cell phone chimes]
[gasps]
[chiming continues]
[zipper opening]
[chiming continues]
[message pings]
[zipper closing]
[pleasant music]
- Roar!
[laughs]
I got you, Mommy.
- You did, Miri. Good job.
I got you!
[laughing]
- I love you, Miriam.
- I love you too, Mommy.
- Okay, we should go
and get some dinner ready
before your father
returns from the store.
- Okay.
- Okay!
- Let me help.
- I can manage.
You worked all day.
- And now I wanna show
my appreciation for my wife.
And everything she does for me.
- All right.
- What's Miriam doing?
- She's just playing with
Green Baby and Blue Baby.
[inhales and exhales deeply]
- You shouldn't have
let her name them.
It's idolatrous.
- She had to call them
something.
It's descriptive.
Besides, I know someone
who had a wooden horse
named Sam when he was young.
- I shouldn't have done that.
- Well, you turned out
all right in the end.
More than all right.
- We can't indulge her, Lena.
She needs to keep
to the right path.
- She will. She's a smart girl.
[somber music plays]
Do you ever think about what
she'll be when she grows up?
- Of course.
- Maybe she'll be a midwife.
She does love babies.
- Maybe.
- Or she could be a teacher.
- She is already reading.
- Or maybe you could teach her
how to do the books
at the furniture store.
- Maybe.
If her husband decides he wants
to take over the store one day,
and if he allows her to work.
- That's the question, isn't it?
Who she marries.
What he allows.
- She'll find a good man
to guide her.
And no matter what,
she'll be the stalwart
of her family's home.
Just like her mother.
- Of course.
- Ready?
- Ready.
- Okay. Let's get you in.
So, there is Green Baby.
And Blue Baby. All set?
- Yes.
- Hmm. Good night, Liebchen.
- Good night.
[tender music]
- Miri?
- Yes?
- Do you ever think about what
you'll be when you grow up?
- I wanna be just
like you, Mommy.
- Thank you, Miri.
Good night.
- Good night.
[music turns melancholic]
- Finished with the chores?
- I am.
- Then would you like to
go upstairs with me?
- You're ready to try again?
- Yeah, I think
Miriam would love to have
a little brother or sister.
[giggles]
- Lena, stop it!
[panting]
What was that?
- I'm sorry.
I thought you might like it.
- We can just do
what we always do.
- Was that...
Did you learn that from someone?
- What do you mean?
- Was that something you
learned with someone else?
- No.
- I just thought
it might be nice for you.
- Don't lie to me.
- I'm not.
- I know what you did out there.
- And I renounced
all of that when I came back.
When I married you. All of it.
- Obviously not all of it.
- When are you gonna stop
holding this over my head?
- When you finally
stop deceiving me.
- Aaron,
I do not lie to you.
- That is how I know you do.
Being a true Christian
means acknowledging that you
are a sinner and then
asking for the forgiveness
you do not deserve.
- But you are asking me to...
admit to sins
I have not committed.
- Then ask for forgiveness
for disrespecting
and disobeying your husband.
I am the head of this house.
You will treat me with
the respect I'm due.
Pray for the Lord's guidance
and then go to sleep.
We're visiting with
the Ebersoles tomorrow.
[panicked breathing]
- Aaron! Aaron, please!
- Confess.
- Confess what?
[threatening music]
[shrieking]
[gasping]
[panicked breathing]
Aaron?
[footsteps approach]
Couldn't sleep?
- Not a wink.
There's a verse
I can't get out of my head.
Proverbs 15:1.
- A kind word turns away wrath.
But a severe one stirs up anger.
- More or less.
[sighs]
I wish I had thought of that
before I spoke to you
the way I did last night.
- I wish I had too.
- Tell me now that you've
been completely honest with me
and I promise
I will believe you.
- I have told you everything.
- Okay.
I love you.
- I love you, too.
- Go back to bed.
- I'll stay up if you are.
- All right.
- Going to put the last
touches on here for you.
One pin.
And...
Two pin.
You're so still. Thank you.
There we go. Got it.
- Thank you.
- Oh, who are we bringing
with us today?
- Blue Baby.
- Blue Baby. Okay.
But she has to stay
in the buggy, all right?
- All right.
- Let's go and put Green Baby
upstairs 'cause we gotta go.
- Okay.
- All right, perfect.
- So, I say all right.
I personally will deliver
it to your mother today.
Where in town
does your mother live?
- Oh, well my mother doesn't
live in town anymore.
- Where does your mother live?
- California.
[all laugh]
- Can you imagine?
I don't know with these people.
- It's been far too long
since we last came visiting.
How are your parents getting on?
- Very well.
- That's good to hear.
Is your father still
working his own farm?
- Indeed.
- Of course he is.
He'll outlive us all.
[chuckles]
Do you ever hear from Skye?
- No.
- Oh.
I just haven't been in touch
with then since I returned.
Skye used to send me letters
when we were on Rumspringa.
I hoped maybe they,
they still did.
Skye had just started journalism
school when I came back.
Do you know if
they ever graduated?
I'd bet they'd make
a great journalist.
- I think you're ready to sieve.
- Oh, of course.
Uh, Ruth, I...
[curious music]
- Lena?
- In here.
- Oh, there you are.
What are you doing?
Where's Ruth?
- Uh, she just went upstairs.
I don't think she's
feeling very well.
- Oh, that's too bad.
Do you need any help?
- No.
- Are you doing okay?
- You know what I realized
on the carriage ride over?
- What?
- It's the 14th.
- And?
Oh, it is.
Hmm. Five years.
- Mm-hmm.
To the day.
Or five years and a day,
since I got back at night.
[laughs]
- Mm-hmm.
Where does the time go?
- But when I think about
everything that's
happened since,
getting married,
your parents,
you taking over the store,
Miriam.
The miscarriages. I...
- We've been through a lot.
A lot of tough times.
But a lot of good ones, too.
Don't forget that, right?
- Right.
Okay.
- What can I do? Oh, all right.
- She's out.
- Yeah, she had a big day.
- I hope she has a little
brother or sister one day.
- She will.
If the Lord is willing.
- Ruth could hardly
bear to hear Skye's name.
- You shouldn't
have said anything.
- I know.
But I couldn't help but wonder.
Skye was my best friend.
- Whoa!
[horse neighs]
- Ach du lieva! Hello?
- Hello?
Sir!
- Stop.
- He's hurt!
- I have a bad
feeling about this.
Do you not remember the man
on the road from
Jerusalem to Jericho?
- Of course.
- You would have me
be the Levite?
- Aaron...
- I will not abandon
Christian charity.
- Please.
- Sir!
- Okay. You stay, okay?
- Sir!
- Sir!
He's breathing.
Lena, help me.
[car door shuts]
[gasps then screams]
[grunts]
[thudding blow]
[grunts]
- Miriam! Miriam!
[grunting]
- Miriam! Miriam!
[panting]
[thudding blow]
[siren wailing]
[somber music]
[panicked breathing]
Miriam!
Aaron.
Are you hurt?
- What happened?
- They took Miriam.
- No!
- Shh! Keep your voice down.
- What do we do?
- We do what it says.
- Mr. and Mrs. Bieler?
- I'm Detective Fisk.
Care to tell me
what happened here?
- Uh...
- There was a man
in the middle of the road
and when we stopped to help him,
a bunch of men jumped out
and attacked us.
- And uh, why did you
uh, yell "Miriam"?
- I was confused when I woke up.
Our daughter is staying
with her grandparents.
- So, she wasn't with you?
- No. She's safe and sound.
- What are we doing?
We should have
talked to the police.
- Did you not read my arm?
- Still we should
have told them.
- No police or she die.
- The grammar is wrong.
Whoever wrote that
didn't speak Dietsch
but they knew we did.
This wasn't something random.
They came prepared.
- So, what do we do?
- I don't know.
- What are you doing?
- There's got to be
more to the message.
Take off your clothes.
- What?
- Just do it.
[panicked breathing]
[gasps]
- Lena.
- "Old house Newton Road
8 AM, $500,000."
That's impossible.
There's no way I could
ever get that much money,
let alone by morning.
There must be some mistake.
Right?
[breathing quickly]
Lena!
- Are the shovels in
the barn or the garden shed?
- Shovels? What for?
- Just trust me.
- Over here, this is it.
Hold this.
- Lena, just talk to me.
What are we doing out here?
- We're digging.
- Why?
- I said to trust me.
- I do trust you.
This is absurd.
- Do you have a way to
find Miriam right now?
- Lena, I just need you
to wait for a minute.
- No, answer me.
Do you, in this moment, have
a way to save our daughter?
- No.
- Well, I do.
I'll explain later when we have
more time but for now, we dig.
[tense music]
- Okay. Got it. Light.
[grunts]
- I've seen that before.
You had it with you
the night you came back.
But it was gone in the morning.
You said you threw it out.
It was full of all
your English clothes.
- I lied.
- And what is in it?
- Something like $500,000.
I don't know exactly. I never
got a chance to count it but...
Those guys knew
everything about us.
I bet they're right
about this, too.
Okay, good.
[suitcase zips closed]
Okay. Let's go.
- No, Lena, hold on.
Just wait a minute.
- Let's go.
- Where'd this money come from?
- Let's get rid of this light.
I don't want anyone to see us.
- Lena! You will listen to me.
[huffs]
I know you know your scriptures.
I am to this house
as Christ is to the church.
So, as we submit to God,
you submit to me.
[suitcase clatters]
Lena.
Lena!
You need to tell me the truth.
The whole truth.
Who are those men?
- I don't know.
- Then where did
the money come from?
- I told you, it doesn't matter.
- Of course it matters.
I always knew you
were hiding something.
You did something.
Something terrible and now
it's put our daughter in danger.
This is all your fault.
How could you?
- Get the carriage.
- No.
- Get the carriage, Aaron.
- I won't do it.
- Then I will.
- Lena, I am the master
of this house.
- Let go!
- What are you doing?
- I am getting Miriam back
and nobody's going to stop me,
not even you.
Get the carriage.
- Have you lost your mind?
- Carriage. Now.
- Fine.
You're my wife.
You're supposed to listen to me.
This is my house.
[barn door creaks]
Lena!
[panting]
Lena! Let me out!
- Sorry. But I have to do this.
I'll be back with Miriam soon.
[door rattling]
[shouts]
Lena! Lena!
[dark tense music]
[suitcase wheels rattling]
- Hello?
[gasps]
- Did you bring it?
- Yes.
- Show me.
- Where's your husband?
- He's not coming.
- I see.
- Now you got what you want.
Now, where's Miriam?
- There's actually just
uh, one more thing.
[inhales sharply]
[grunting]
- What are you doing?
[panting]
- Now...
Hold her and get that bonnet.
You know, I've had a lot of
interesting jobs in my life,
but this,
this definitely
gets the blue ribbon.
My employer says y'all don't
like taking pictures. That true?
Said it was about pride.
[pained exhale]
That pictures set you apart.
Makes you the focus.
The center of attention.
That it takes the focus
away from God.
Yeah well, makes sense, I guess.
He also said it
was about makeup.
How it induces vanity.
Another one of
the seven deadly sins.
- You know, my parents
are Catholic but uh,
I never really saw the appeal.
[grunting]
Stay still.
Good.
Now listen,
he said
that you've made yourself
more than just prideful.
You've made yourself
a graven image.
An idol to worship. Huh?
There you go.
- Are you happy now?
- There's actually
uh, one last thing.
Smile.
One for my employer.
And of course, one for you.
Now, always remember
that this is the slut
that you actually are.
- Fine.
Just give me my daughter.
- You're never
gonna see her again.
- What? No.
No, no, that wasn't the deal.
Get back here! Stop!
Stop and come back!
[screams]
[sobbing]
[ominous beat]
[grunting]
[somber music]
[exhales]
[sighs]
[digital beep]
- Hey folks,
Skye Kaufman here again.
By day I'm
the courthouse reporter
for Lancaster's only alt
weekly, the Metro Pulse.
So, hit that link in my bio
if you're into
criminal justice issues.
But it is the weekend, so it
is time for another installment
of "Ask an Ex-Amish".
Cool. Okay. Um, first question,
were you out as non-binary
when you were Amish?
No.
No, no, no, no.
The Amish have
very strict gender roles,
so doing anything outside
the bounds
of what a man or a woman
is supposed to do
is gonna be a big problem.
Hence, ex-Amish.
Okay. Um, next question.
Do the Amish wear sunscreen?
Huh. No.
Um, a lot of Amish
people work outside
but typically they wear
clothing to cover themselves up.
[knock on door]
- Uh...
[digital beep]
[knocking continues]
What are you doing here?
- I need your help.
- Seriously.
- Five years no word
and now you want my help?
- I'm sorry.
- Do you know how many times
in the past five years
I could've used help?
- No.
- Yeah, of course not.
- We had a pact, Lena.
Leave together. Never go back.
- I know. But...
- So, why did you?
- It's complicated.
- Really. It's complicated?
Wow, okay, well...
You're totally absolved
then if it's complicated.
- Skye...
- No, that's what Jesus
once said, right?
Father, forgive them.
It's complicated.
- They took my daughter.
- You have a daughter?
- And when I got home,
Aaron was gone.
He left a note saying that
he was going to the cops.
[somber music continues]
So, you'll help me?
- Where did the money come from?
- I can't tell you that.
- Did you hurt
someone to get it?
- No.
- Then...
Maybe we should go to the cops.
- They said no cops or she dies.
- But if we just tell them
who you took the money from...
- I can't.
- Lena, what happened?
- It's not important, okay?
We just have to find her.
Look, I know you have a million
reasons not to help me
but I am asking you to anyway.
You're smart, you're a reporter
and you're the only friend
I've got in the English world.
Skye, you're my only chance.
You're her only chance.
- A daughter. Huh.
- Were you ever gonna tell me?
- She's all I got.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- And I know where to start.
- Where?
- Well, if you
stabbed their tire
I bet they couldn't
get very far on a flat.
- Well, let's see if
the fourth try is a charm.
[tools whirring]
- Hey.
Hi.
- Last night, did anyone uh,
come in here with a black SUV?
- Uh, I don't know.
I wasn't on shift.
- Are you sure?
- Uh well, are there any
cameras we can take a look at?
Or log books?
All we need is a license plate.
- It's against company policy.
Sorry, I can't do that.
- Yo, you do the ex-Amish
videos, right?
- Oh yeah, that's me.
- Yo! I got a page
too, CJ Hundred K.
- Oh, nice.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Uh, wait, CJ Hundred... Yeah,
no I totally recognize you.
Yeah, CJ Hundred K. Totally.
Yeah, your stuff is great.
I love your videos, man.
Do you wanna do a quick collab?
- Hell yeah.
- Okay, yeah. We could
use my phone right now.
- Yeah.
- Uh yeah, I might just
use the restroom.
- Uh yeah, it's...
- Okay, cool.
- Yeah, uh Skye.
- CJ.
- Hey.
So, yeah, I figure we keep it
short and sweet,
you know uh, pop in, pop out,
do our stuff.
- Your page is about...
- Video games.
- Video games.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally.
Okay um...
Hey folks, Skye Kaufman from
Ask an Ex-Amish here
with my guy,
CJ, AKA CJ Hundred K.
[muffled talking continues
in background]
Of course they don't.
But if you're watching this,
you're probably not Amish.
[muffled talking continues
in background]
Nice, good ending, yeah.
- Um, I don't know, do you wanna
like maybe do
another take just to...
- That... That was perfect.
That was the one.
- That was the one.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you.
- Yeah, I --
- Thank you so much.
[exhales]
- Skye, come on.
I got a plate number.
I got a plate number.
- Oh, nice.
Oh, got just the guy.
Hey, Barry. It's Skye.
Remember that favor you owe me?
[call ringing]
- Yeah.
- Yeah, two people just came in.
- Were they cops?
- Nah, they were Amish.
- Amish? How do you know?
- One of them makes Amish
videos on social media.
Skye Kaufman Reports.
Skye with an E.
- All right.
- Look man, you said there
wasn't gonna be any loose ends.
- I'm handling it.
- Yeah, but --
[exhales]
[Skye]:
Hey guys, Skye Kaufman here.
Uh, just out for a walk around
my neighborhood
and thought I'd do a quick video
because I got a lot of questions
on my post about whether
or not Amish men wear underwear.
[video rewinds quickly]
Just out for a walk
around my neighborhood.
Wouldn't you love
to know, you pervs?
So, the answer to that is
that I actually have no idea
because I was not allowed
to see any of that.
A lot of you asked if
I knew any Mennonite humor.
Why don't Mennonites
have sex standing up?
'Cause it might lead to dancing.
[phone rings]
- Hey, Barry, what's the word?
Yeah, got it.
No, thanks anyways.
[sighs]
Car was reported stolen
this morning in Harrisburg.
He said there's an APB out.
- So, what, we just wait?
- I don't think
there's much point.
If they were smart enough
not to use their own vehicle,
they were probably smart enough
to ditch it as soon
as they could.
- Okay, so we try to find
the car and we go from there.
- Chances are it's in
a hundred pieces in a chop shop
or on a shipping container
in Baltimore harbor.
- Which means you need to tell
me where that money came from.
- No.
- It's our only lead.
- I said no.
- I can't find someone
with no information.
You might as well
ask a Ouija board.
- I told you, I can't.
- Why not?
- Because anyone
who could tell us is dead.
[sighs]
- They're almost here.
- I don't wanna hear it.
- Come on, we have --
- I don't wanna hear
how these guys are so solid.
I don't need to hear about
how important this deal is.
I don't wanna hear how
this is the deal of deals.
- Do you realize what's
on the table right now?
Do you understand
how big this is?
- What I want to hear is
let's go out wherever you want,
put on your makeup,
we're gonna have
the night of nights. Okay?
[knock on door]
[sighs]
Fine. But hurry up.
And I still wanna
hear that first part.
Hey.
Go get your purse.
Touch up your makeup
just a little bit
'cause I'm taking you out.
We're gonna go
wherever you wanna go.
We're gonna have
the night of our lives.
[chuckles]
[knocking continues]
Go.
[sighs]
[exhales]
- Hmm.
[gunshot cracks]
[gunshots continue]
[panting]
[tense music]
[whimpers]
[gasps]
- Eddie?
[sobbing]
Eddie.
[breathes shakily]
[sobbing]
[sobs]
[sobbing]
[sobbing]
[energetic tense music]
- The only people didn't wind up
dead on that living room floor
were me and whoever
texted Eddie's phone.
And I have no idea who that was.
I took the money.
I knew that God
had seen what I'd done
and I knew that
he was punishing me,
and I still took it.
Just in case, I thought.
And now he's punishing me again.
- I don't think God
is punishing you.
- There's no hedging
your bets with God.
This is all my fault
and I'm gonna make it right.
I'm gonna find her.
I just need to figure out
what we do next.
- When was
the last time you slept?
- Maybe we go back to
that old farmhouse.
- Lena... How long?
- I don't know, maybe since
the night before last.
- Yeah. You need to sleep.
- No, I don't.
- You're exhausted.
- I'm fine, I just...
I need to take
a shower to wake up.
[water rushing]
[water rushing]
[rock music through headphones]
[knock at door]
[knocking continues]
- Yeah, who is it?
- I got a package for uh...
Skye Kaufman.
You gotta sign for it.
- Okay. One sec.
- Sign here.
[grunting]
[choking]
[water rushing]
[grunting continues]
[rock music plays loudly]
[grunting continues]
[gasping]
[grunts]
[screams]
[grunting resumes]
[choking]
[grunting]
[screams]
[shrieks]
[vase shatters]
[panting]
[coughs]
[upbeat pop music]
- What?
[coughs]
I like a mix.
- Nice.
- I got zip ties.
- I don't think we need them.
- What, he's still
not responding?
- Not a bit.
- I just covered
an assault case
that involved
a traumatic brain injury.
Being out this long
is not a good sign.
Yeah, one of his
pupils is definitely dilated.
- What does that mean?
- It means we need to
get him to a hospital.
- But I was knocked
out last night.
- Yeah, and I bet
the paramedics tried to get you
to go to a hospital too.
- Yeah.
- And you probably
should've listened to them.
Look, he's the best chance
we have of finding Miriam.
- But if we take him
to a hospital,
the cops are gonna get involved.
- It's either that
or risking him dying
and taking his answers with him.
- Okay. Okay.
- But first,
help me check his pockets.
- Why?
- Because he doesn't keep all
of his answers in his head.
Thank God
for facial recognition.
- And we need his ride.
- I'll pull it up.
[breathing quickly]
[car beeps]
[grunting]
- Okay, go.
Uh...
[grunting continues]
- Are you sure about
the dilated pupils thing?
- No. I'm going off of testimony
I heard six months ago.
- And what else did
they say to look out for?
- Uh... seizures, or like,
anything clear fluids
from his nose.
- Or waking up?
- He's awake?
- No.
- Then why would you say that?
- I mean, it's possible, right?
[huffs]
- Maybe we should get him those
zip ties. Or a knife or...
- Or...
[siren wails]
- What do we do?
- I don't know.
- We can run.
- No, we can't run.
- We can't go to jail.
- Just give me a sec to think.
[siren approaches]
- Help. Help, officer!
Officer, help. Officer?
- Ma'am, you okay?
- Thank god you're here. We
gotta get him to the hospital.
He got jumped by package thieves
outside our building and-
- Call an ambulance.
- Listen, I'm a nurse.
This man has dilated pupils.
Clear discharge coming from
his nose and he's seized twice.
- He's gonna be dead by
the time an ambulance gets here
so pull up your car.
Help us get him in back.
[exhales]
- Uh yeah. Okay, here.
- What are you,
what are you doing?
- Looking for his ID.
- Why?
- So we can get
his home address.
- You mean like
the one on his GPS?
[car door opens]
- Quick. He's here.
- Okay.
- Okay, I've got his shoulders.
- Good.
- Okay, you got him?
[knocking on door]
[knocking on door]
- Hello?
Hello?
- I'll take this floor.
- Okay. I'm gonna go upstairs.
[uneasy music]
[breathing shakily]
- Miriam?
[door clicks open]
[zippers open]
- Found his laptop.
Any luck up here?
- Uh no.
Just the suitcase, empty,
and Eddie's broken phone.
- Is that hers?
- She calls it Blue Baby.
- What's she like?
- She's smart. Really smart.
She just started reading.
At first I thought she was
just memorizing books but no.
- Well, that's amazing.
- And she's really independent.
Or stubborn, more like it.
Especially when
she knows she's right.
Her dad's already had to have
a bunch of talks with her
about humility.
- I remember those talks.
- She reminds me a lot
of you when we were kids.
- I can't wait to meet her.
- Now, come on.
I'll uh, go through
his computer.
You do another sweep downstairs.
See if I missed anything.
[sighs]
You find anything else?
- Nothing.
- Yeah, I've been through
his phone and his computer.
I found messages from
one other guy involved
but none to anyone who seems
like they're actually in charge.
I texted "How's the girl doing?"
to that number but he just
sent back a confused reply.
- What do you mean?
- He said
the handoff is complete.
His job is done.
- Okay, so let's text them back.
Find out where the drop was.
- I did. No reply.
- He must have
taken out his SIM
as soon as I started
asking questions.
- So, who do you think
has her now?
- Whoever hired him.
- And there's no trace of him?
- None.
I don't know how, but
the guy in charge
has covered his
tracks completely.
No texts, no calls, no emails.
Nothing.
- Okay, so another dead end.
- Yeah.
[sighs]
Wait...
You said you got
messages on this phone
from the person that
we're looking for, right?
- Yeah, but I didn't get a name.
It was a burner.
Eddie was always
switching out his phones.
- But you said you
got the text message
and then immediately
snapped it in half?
- Yeah.
- And the number wasn't blocked,
or private, or anything?
- No, it just
came up as a number.
- I think I can work with that.
Let's go.
[computer beeps]
- Et voila.
Fully functioning digital
clone of Eddie's old phone.
Now the only question is,
what do you wanna say?
- What I want to say is
that he should start praying.
But I'm not gonna say that
because it's not gonna
get me what I want.
- Is there anything else we can
do while we wait for a reply?
- I mean, we've got
the number itself.
I could see if it's
registered anywhere.
- So, you can connect
that number to a name?
- I mean, it's kind of
a long shot but --
- Okay.
- Do know of a couple websites.
- He's calling.
What do you wanna do?
- Answer it.
I'll do the talking.
- Who the hell is this?
And why are you texting me
from my dead son's phone?
- Margaret?
- Obviously. Explain yourself.
- It, it's Lena.
- Who?
- I used to date Eddie.
- Oh. The Amish girl.
- It's about my daughter.
- So, this is
a paternity scam then?
- No.
- Frankly, it's a little late
for that. But be my guest.
Might as well make use of
those idiots I keep on retainer.
- You kidnapped my daughter!
- Why would I do
a thing like that?
- That night that
Eddie was killed,
there was a bunch of money
and I know he stole it from you.
He sold one of my thoroughbreds.
- Still, that was a lot
of money I took from him.
- So, that was you.
- Of course it was.
And now you've got it back,
so I want my daughter.
- I wanna be very clear about
something, little girl.
Whatever happened between
you and my son,
I do not care.
And whatever happened to
that money, I do not care.
And whatever is happening
to you now I do not care.
In fact, the only thing
that I really regret
about what happened to Edward,
it was a damn good horse.
[dial tone]
[somber music]
- I never should have
taken the doll.
- What?
- I should have left it
at that old man's house.
That way at least
Miri would have it.
- Don't talk like that.
- Like what?
- Like you've given up.
- That phone was our last hope.
- No, it's not true.
- What then?
- I don't know.
- Exactly.
I don't know either.
I don't know where Miriam is.
I don't know if she's okay.
I don't know if she's hungry,
or cold or scared.
- So what, you're just
gonna give up then?
Just like when you went back?
I remember the girl
that you were before.
The girl who left with me.
The first person I came out to.
The person who said
that we didn't have to be
what other people
wanted us to be.
That the lives that we wanted
were worth fighting for.
What happened to her?
How did she wind up
someone's housewife?
- That's not fair.
- How did she end up
cooking and cleaning
and relying on
a man for everything?
- What would you prefer then?
That I was out drinking and
dancing and having sex
with some rich kid playing
at being a drug dealer?
- At least that was your choice!
- Going back was my choice.
Being a wife, a mother.
Living by God's will,
that was my choice.
- And what about
Miriam's choices?
The girl I knew would've never
held her kid back like that.
- I would do anything
for my daughter.
- I know you would.
You've done it for me.
So, let's get back
out there and find her.
- Okay.
- Okay, the only way
we're gonna find Miriam
is if we start from scratch.
So, what do
we know about this guy?
- Almost nothing.
He wasn't involved
in Eddie's death,
he wasn't at the kidnapping,
he wasn't even in
that guy's phone.
- That's not nothing.
We don't know a lot
about who this guy is...
- But we do know a lot
about who he isn't.
- Exactly.
- So, we can use that to get
an idea of what he's like.
Like, a picture in silhouette.
- Yes.
Not in phone. Not at
kidnapping. Not at Eddie's.
- What else?
Wait...
He had to know that
you had the money,
otherwise he wouldn't
have known to ask for it.
Uh, any ideas?
- He's Amish.
- What?
- That would explain why
he needed a physical photo.
- And why he wasn't
in the phone.
- No modern technology.
- Uh okay, so maybe it was
someone who saw you that night?
- No.
There's one thing we're missing.
That person also wanted
to take Miriam from me.
- Are you saying...
- There's only one
person it could be.
[worrying music]
[sinister music]
[door creaks open and shut]
[whispering]:
I'll take downstairs again.
- Okay.
[breathes shakily]
- Miriam.
- Mommy!
- Hi, baby. Hi. Hi.
[door opens]
- Whoa.
[impact grunt]
- I can't find
Blue Baby anywhere.
- Oh, it's okay, Liebchen.
My friend Skye and I found her.
- Really?
- I promise.
She's at Skye's apartment, okay?
Now, we are going to go
and find Blue Baby right now
so we can finish
packing later, okay?
- Okay.
- Okay.
- Oh. Hi, Daddy.
- Hello, Lena.
- Aaron.
- Daddy, Mommy found Blue Baby!
- I see.
- Where's Skye?
- Downstairs.
I think you and I
should go downstairs too.
To talk.
- Okay.
Uh...
Mommy and Daddy, we need
to go downstairs and talk.
And um, I need you to stay
up here in your room, okay?
- Okay.
- Why don't you just
play with Green Baby.
Don't come out until
I tell you to, all right?
No matter what.
- Okay.
- I love you, Miriam.
- I love you too, Mommy.
- Let's go.
- How could you?
- Let's get one thing straight.
I am not the cause of this.
You are.
- You kidnapped our daughter.
- Don't be dramatic. She slept
through the whole thing.
- They pulled her away from
us while I was screaming.
- She doesn't remember a thing.
I gave her a large enough dose.
She was out for hours.
- You drugged her?
- It was for her own safety.
- Are you even hearing yourself?
- Of course I am.
For the first time in years.
Ever since you came back,
I've had a little voice
in the back of my head
telling me you were
sinful and prideful,
and a stain on my name.
But every day I told myself
to be a good husband.
To forgive you.
To give you a chance
to come clean on your own.
- Because I saw what
was in that suitcase
the day you came back.
[phone rings]
[phone ringing]
[breathing nervously]
I didn't follow you
because I thought
you were leaving again.
But the next morning,
there you were.
You lied to me, Lena.
Every day.
It wasn't enough
that you tempted me
to have sex before marriage.
- You wanted it too.
- Shut up!
You corrupted me
and I will not allow you
to corrupt my daughter.
- I love you and I love Miriam.
- You indulge her.
You allow her to stray
from the Lord's path,
just like you did.
- Naming a doll is not straying
from the Lord's path!
- But that is where it starts.
Little choices.
Like the one you made,
every day,
to not tell me about the money.
I set a date.
Five years exactly.
And if you didn't tell me
I was going to take the money,
take my daughter, and leave.
- You just needed me to tell
you where the money was first.
- And I needed to remind you
of what you really are.
[breathes nervously]
Now I have all I need
for Miriam and I to go live
with the Nebraska Amish.
- You will never
take her from me.
- Watch me.
[grunts]
Lena!
[panting]
[panting]
[panting]
- Lena.
[breathes shakily]
- Ah.
- Yah!
[shrieks]
[panting]
- You can't do this, Aaron.
Murder is a sin.
- A sin?
Oh, that's rich coming from you.
But you do make a good point.
So, I'll give you a choice.
If you really want to
protect my mortal soul
from the stain of this sin,
tie a rope around
your neck and jump.
- No.
- Suicide is a sin but what's
one more for someone like you?
- Aaron, please.
- At least this way, Miriam
can attend your funeral.
Otherwise they are never
going to find your body.
So much farmland.
Come on, Lena.
Let Miriam say goodbye.
Tie it.
- Fine.
But I'm only doing this because
I want you to know
you don't control me.
You don't own me.
You never did.
I renounce you.
I renounce the Amish way of life
and I reclaim my soul
for myself and myself only.
- Did that help you feel better?
- It did.
It also gave Skye
enough time to get behind you.
[grunts]
- Ugh!
[screams]
[Aaron grimacing]
You still got those zip ties?
- Oh yeah.
- Good.
[police radio chatter]
- Okay, I just emailed you all
the contents of the guy's phone
that Aaron hired
to kidnap the kid.
It's got all the details of
the job and everyone involved.
Basically I just solved
the entire case for you,
so you're welcome.
Um... Excuse me for a second.
Ruth.
[chuckles softly]
- Hey.
- Hey.
You all right?
- I just had to explain
to my four year old
that her father is going to
prison for a very long time.
- That's rough.
- Yeah, it is.
It's uh...
Hard when you lose someone who's
supposed to be your family.
- Yeah.
- But I uh,
also told her everything
is going to be okay because...
We gained a family member today.
An awesome one.
And that person is smart
and kind and strong and...
They fought for her
as hard as I did.
- Thanks.
- Did you also mention that
they're extremely handsome?
- No, but...they are.
[laughs]
- Yeah, they sound amazing.
- Definitely.
[laughs]
There's actually something else
I um, forgot to mention to her.
- What's that?
- That...
That family member
is extremely good
at helping people
find new places to live.
- Wait, are you serious?
- Yeah.
We are definitely going to
need help with that soon.
- Well hey,
anything for family.
[laughs]
[both laugh]
- Okay, I'm gonna go
finish that report.
- Okay.
[somber music]
- Are you gonna be okay
on that? You got it?
- How is Miriam liking
her new school?
- Good.
She's still getting
used to things, so.
I think we both are.
- You'll get there.
- Oh, hi.
- Does she ever ask about
going back to the Amish?
- Yeah.
- What do you say?
- I say she can
when she's older.
That it'll be her choice.
Hi, baby.
[laughing]
Oh my gosh.