Without a Trace s01e01 Episode Script

Pilot

Her name is Maggie Cartwright.
She's a marketing executive.
The doorman places her going through the door at 10:45 Tuesday night.
She didn't show up for work the next day.
She didn't call anybody to tell them where she might be going.
She's been missing for 34 hours.
This was the last place she was seen.
Frankie.
How you doing? Bum knee, too much alimony.
- Other than that, I'm peachy.
- Let's see what we got here.
No forced entry.
The door was left unlocked all the lights on, the radio on.
Nothing stolen, as far as we can tell.
No sign of a struggle.
No bags packed.
Toiletries still here.
Passport in the desk.
Keys, cell phone, purse, PalmPilot.
All left behind.
No evidence whatsoever that she was leaving.
A little bit after 11:00, she calls her mom.
Typical mother-daughter stuff.
Apparently they spoke almost every day.
Needless to say, the mother's pretty wound up about this.
Maggie's her only child, and she's thinking the worst.
Anyway, they spoke for a few minutes.
She finishes her call.
And after that, vanished.
Who called it in? Her boss.
About 5:00 yesterday afternoon.
She didn't come in for work, he got concerned.
You've canvassed the neighborhood? Cursory stuff.
And nothing from the other tenants.
We checked the hospitals, psych wards, morgues.
No Maggie Cartwrights and no Jane Does.
Maggie, come on.
Give me something.
"Through his past works he shall return once more to birth "entering whatever form his heart is set on.
" A little backpacking after college? There is no India or Tibet.
So where does the Hindu kick come from? Her computer's not here.
It's at her office.
Okay.
Maggie Cartwright.
Born and raised in Westchester.
Graduated Duke University in 1995.
She worked the last three years at Sebol Publishing, VP of Marketing.
No criminal record, no history of mental illness.
- Family? - Mother, Nancy.
Father, Paul.
Divorced: 1982.
Paul is still single and lives in Alphabet City.
Nancy remarried Lawrence Highsmith.
They live in Scarsdale.
- Viv? - Since she disappeared no credit card charges, no Amtrak, Greyhound, car rental or airline activity.
I'm moving on her bank records and brokerage accounts.
- Great.
Danny? - Night doorman's got a record.
Five years for dealing coke.
Run it down.
How'd you do with her phones? from home.
Six-minute call.
Thirty-two seconds.
Could be a message.
Let's get a complete package on this guy.
If he's the last person she called, he's the person we need to talk to.
How about the security tape? story.
Can't tell much else.
She left work at about 6:00 and took a train to her mother's in Scarsdale.
Hung out there for about an hour and hopped an 8:30 back.
We found a ticket stub in her apartment.
She got into Penn Station at 9:15, but didn't make it to her apartment for an hour and a half.
No one knows where she was right here.
- May not mean anything-- - But it could mean everything.
As you all know we've a new member joining us today.
Martin Fitzgerald.
Let's give him the frosty welcome that all rookies deserve.
This is Vivian Johnson.
Samantha Spade.
Danny Taylor.
The clock's ticking.
Let's get out there.
Two years working White-Collar in Seattle and he gets this assignment? It doesn't hurt to be Victor Fitzgerald's kid.
- No wonder he's smiling.
- Not a bad smile, either.
I was surprised that your father didn't call me about you.
I asked him to stay out of it.
I don't want preferential treatment.
Good, because you're not getting any.
So where do we start? Right now, we don't know if she's been kidnapped or murdered or killed herself or run off to Rio with her dermatologist.
We've got to work from the inside out.
Once we find out who she is, odds are we'll find out where she is.
In most cases, after 48 hours they're gone.
You were the last one to see her that night.
It's a trip, man.
It's a crazy city.
How'd she seem to you? Same as always.
I don't pay too much attention.
She ever bring guys home with her? No.
I never seen nothing.
- How long you work there? - About a year.
A year? She never brought anybody home? Not even once? Chico, I'm not here to mess with you, but whatever you got on that girl I need it.
Like I told the police, we had a meeting that day between 2:30 and 5:00.
- That's the last time I saw her.
- How did she seem to you? Composed, as always.
She was magnificent in that meeting.
A real fireball.
Probably the strongest presentation she ever gave.
She is a tireless worker.
Not only ambitious, she's charming, beautiful.
She has it all.
They were going to come back the next day with the CEO.
Maggie worked incredibly hard on that account.
When she didn't show up, I knew something was wrong.
How are her relationships within the company? Everybody respects Maggie.
I'm about to promote her to President of Marketing.
- She involved with anyone here? - What? You mean romantically? No.
Maggie's too smart to do anything like that.
Did she ever mention a Tom Wilkins? No.
Not to me.
We have a very professional relationship.
And she likes to keep her personal life personal.
Thank you, for now.
All right.
I think he's sleeping with her.
The way he talks about her.
And she's climbing that corporate ladder pretty quick.
He may be in love with her, but isn't sleeping with her.
Never even thought about it.
He's gay.
Why, because he called her a "fireball"? No.
Because he was checking you out.
Let's just start from the beginning, okay? Why did Maggie come out here that night? As you can see, I'm in the process of redecorating and I'd been bugging her for weeks to help me with some of the patterns.
Then out of the blue, she showed up.
I think I'd like florals in the living room but then I don't know what I'd do with the drapes.
Maggie? That sounds good.
If you're not interested, you didn't have to come all the way out here.
Mom.
I know this is nonsense to you.
It's just that we've been over this so many times.
I thought we'd figured it out already.
I know, but I saw these colors and I thought they were nice and I.
- I thought you were on the patch.
- I am.
It doesn't work.
You can't smoke on the patch, Mother.
So what do you care? I haven't even seen you in three weeks.
I've had a lot on my plate.
I'm not some tidbit on a buffet table.
All right.
I'm sorry, Mom, okay? Will you just show me the samples, please? We didn't make any decisions.
And then she said she had to get back to the city.
And as far as you know, she was headed straight home? She said she had to prepare for a big meeting the next day.
At least, that's what she told me.
Why did she call you that night? She said she.
She just wanted to tell me that I should go with butterscotch for the drapes.
No personal touches.
She didn't want to bring herself in here.
Okay.
The tracer's kicking in.
We're in.
Everybody's skeptical of you White-Collar guys.
Yeah, I've noticed.
- What's her password? - "Nepal.
" - Think it means something? - What's your password? Danny-boy.
Doorman says she brought home this guy.
Doesn't know his name but thinks it's someone she works with.
Now get this.
The night after she disappeared same guy shows up and slips Chico a couple of C-notes to say he was never there.
A couple of C-notes doesn't buy what it used to.
- Was this guy a brunet with a goatee? - No, blond, about 6'1".
Okay.
Call Samantha, have her contact the family.
See if they have any insight into this.
Okay.
Maggie wasn't as smart as Ricardo says.
She was fooling around with somebody here.
We've got her e-mails.
His name is Tom Wilkins.
He arrived at Heathrow last night on Flight 43 and checked into Claridge's.
Yes.
We need a complete interview.
I don't care what time it is in London.
Right now, he's our only suspect in a potential kidnapping.
Yes.
Thanks.
Cheerio.
What's her next e-mail? This one was sent to Brian Daugherty That was the day she disappeared.
"Brian, I really appreciated your honesty this morning.
"It certainly helped clarify my position on that account.
"As ever, Maggie Mae.
" Next one was sent to-- Read that back to me one sentence at a time.
"Brian, I really appreciated your honesty this morning.
" Honesty.
Intimate.
"Certainly helped clarify my position on that account.
" Very stiff.
Formal.
"As ever, Maggie Mae.
" That's very intimate.
Doesn't fit.
What's the account, then? "Account" is her code for "relationship.
" It's her position in their relationship that just got clarified.
This is the guy she's been sleeping with.
Look alive, Martin.
We just found ourselves a viable suspect.
It's not like tipping a guy in a restaurant to get a better table.
You paid off a witness to lie in a federal investigation.
That's obstruction of justice.
I'm sorry.
I panicked.
It's just my wife and I are trying to have a baby now and if she ever found out I'd been having an affair she'd be gone in a heartbeat.
I swear, I cut it off with Maggie months ago.
I mean, it was just supposed to be a fling.
I thought you understood that.
That's what you wanted.
To have your cake and eat it with whipped cream.
Why is this coming up today, all of a sudden? I thought you'd moved on.
I think I may have loved you.
I'm sorry, Maggie, but I love my wife.
Then what were you doing with me? You give off this vibe like.
I didn't think you'd get emotional about it.
I guess you were wrong.
I saw her later in the hall.
She seemed all right.
Like nothing ever happened.
You know of anyone that would want to hurt her? My God, no.
Believe me, if I had any useful information, I'd be knocking down your door.
So where were you the night she disappeared? In Philadelphia for a conference.
- You want me to run out his alibi? - No, give that to Danny.
Jack, her hard drive was completely reformatted two weeks ago.
Except for her recent e-mails, her entire Internet history's been wiped out.
- Why? - I don't know.
But it was done here.
I want you to find out who did it and why.
Then we meet back at the office.
Your ex-wife has reason to be concerned.
We're running out of time.
Her mother loves to worry, but she probably just took off for a while.
Maggie's very independent.
She.
I'm sure she'll be back in a couple of days and we'll be sorry we wasted your time.
But you can think of no concrete reason why she'd go on a trip? No.
You and Maggie had lunch the day she disappeared.
Who scheduled that? You or her? Her, actually which I was thrilled about.
She's usually so busy at work she doesn't have time during the week.
- And how did she seem to you? - Same as usual.
Light fun, full of life.
She's unbelievable in bed.
That's worth something.
Sometimes it's worth everything.
So, how's your love life? Presently, I'm playing the role of Sister Maggie the Reluctant Nun.
Who's playing the priest? Brian? Brian's a dud.
If he wasn't married, he wouldn't even be interesting.
You women are all alike.
Or so you'd like to think.
So, we still on for Saturday night? Dylan? Of course.
I made reservations at Carmine's for afterwards.
You know the way to a girl's heart.
Dylan and dinner with my daughter.
Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? So what do you know about Brian Daugherty? He was just a fling.
I mean, she didn't take him very seriously.
And Maggie's pretty sophisticated that way.
I don't think Brian would be dangerous to her, if that's what you're asking.
I mean, she has enough sense not to get involved with anyone like that.
How about a Tom Wilkins? You ever hear of him? I think she dated a Tom for a couple of weeks about a year ago, maybe.
I remember now.
He was too straight-laced for her.
- So you met him? - No, she told me about him.
Maggie tells you about all her affairs? What, you think that's weird because I'm her dad? Yes, we tell each other everything.
Father knows best.
He's barely got a pot to piss in and he's taking his daughter to a $300 dinner on a Saturday night? Think about it.
He abandons her when she's a kid.
He doesn't know how to deal with it.
Now he wants to be her best friend.
- It's classic guilt.
- Is it guilt or romance? You go to Carmine's on Valentine's Day or if you're going to propose.
How would you know? Look, if there was anything really naughty he'd be hiding it more.
He treats her like she's his mistress.
Yes.
And she goes along with it, doesn't she? She's a role player.
Everyone we talk to, we see a different Maggie.
Yes, she called down to tech support.
She said she was having problems with her computer.
Freezing on her all the time, losing files.
Trouble with internal e-mails.
So she asked you to reformat her entire hard drive? I told her I could run a couple of systems checks but she wanted me to clean the whole thing out.
She was pretty specific about what she wanted done.
And nothing stuck out to you as suspicious in her e-mails or files? No interoffice romance or anything like that? No, nothing like that.
Does the name Tom Wilkins ring a bell? No.
Does he work at the company? Tom Wilkins.
He's a tax attorney at Dobbs & McGlincy.
Two convictions for DUI in'94.
Since then, he's clean.
He left for London yesterday morning? On business.
He's due back next week.
- Legat London got a lead on him? - They do now.
I had to read them the riot act to get them to put down their fish and chips.
This was the only picture she had in her office.
Guess Tom was not just some fling she had a year ago.
Anything on Brian Daugherty? Danny ran down the alibi.
He was in Philly.
What'd the technician say about Maggie's computer? She specifically asked him to clean it out.
Sounds to me like she was trying to hide something.
Sam, you in a trance? We still don't know where she was between 9:15 and 10:47.
I got something.
It's the footage from the security camera in Maggie's alley.
Look at that.
That could definitely be her.
- Is that a backpack? - Zoom in.
Tighter.
Here we go.
Yin and yang.
- They match.
- Yes, they do.
- What time was that taken? - 2:32 a.
m.
Where's she going? Maybe to booty call.
Your mind is always in the gutter.
There was no call.
Tom Wilkins, 11:48.
In my experience, there's usually not a three-hour lag between the call and the delivery.
When she first came in that night, she didn't have the pack.
But there it is.
- So what's in it? - A change of clothes for the next day.
She sneaks out of her own apartment without her wallet or her keys.
- Doesn't make sense.
- None of it makes sense.
You think a fresh change of clothes will make up for a lost night's sleep? If I looked as good as you in black, I wouldn't need to change.
Jack, your collar.
You're starting to sound like my wife.
You should listen to your wife.
- You do this for Doctor Fred? - Sure.
How is Doctor Fred? Busy and unavailable.
Just the way I like him.
I keep wondering why she went out the alley door.
- She's hiding.
- Or escaping.
And what's in the backpack? Personal items, mementos.
Things we wouldn't notice were missing.
Like a teddy bear from her childhood or a necklace from her father, or her favorite outfit.
You're not thinking suicide? When you think about all the different roles she played.
She didn't have any real friends.
She was an only child and this was a.
This is a very lonely girl, I think.
Yes, but there's no history of mental illness no indication she was depressed.
Either way.
It's been 51 hours.
We've lost her.
Yes? Where? When? Okay.
We just got a ransom note.
And there's proof of life.
Paying the ransom isn't going to bring us any closer to your daughter.
- We'll do whatever you advise us.
- Whatever they advise us? They don't even have any leads.
God knows where she is, what she's going through.
I mean, as far as I am concerned we pay now and pray we get her back as soon as we can.
You heard what they said, Paul.
Besides, it's not your money.
Have you for one moment ever thought about anything in your life but yourself? I'm not the one who ran off, am I? Enough.
The number-one priority here is finding your daughter.
Let's focus on that.
This is not about you.
This is about Maggie.
The longer we stall the kidnappers, the more chance we have of finding her.
Agreed? It's her money.
Her mother got the e-mail at 4:22 this morning.
It's pretty straightforward.
$1 million by 5:00 p.
m.
That gives us less than 10 hours.
What do we got on the ransom note? E-mail bounced all over the world.
Computer squad's on it.
- All right, let's talk theories.
- I've got something.
In September of last year, Maggie started making ATM withdrawals all over the city.
$50 a day, then $100.
Six months later, she's up to $200 a day.
Then all of a sudden, it stops.
Her activity goes back to the way it was before.
- Drugs.
- Or blackmail.
What does a girl like that have to be blackmailed about? It's drugs.
She's doing blow.
Her doorman's her dealer.
He knows that she comes from a lot of cash so he decides, "Okay, I'm gonna get rich quick.
" Go see him.
Brian Daugherty, the office boyfriend.
We know that Maggie went to see him that morning, right? What if she threatened to tell his wife they were having an affair? He freaks out, sneaks back from Philadelphia, kills her and then sends a ransom note to throw us off the trail.
- I thought his alibi checked out.
- It did.
He ordered up room service at 10:28 and nobody saw him until the next morning at 9:00.
Last train out of Philly is at 10:30.
And we know he didn't rent a car.
So how'd he get back to New York? He swim? There's an 11:15 New Jersey Transit to Newark.
Transfer there and you're into New York City by 2:00 a.
m.
Leaving him at least four hours to do what he needed to do and still get back for his eggs Benedict.
Okay.
Run it out.
There's always Daddy Dearest.
This way he gets the money and the girl.
You got a chip on your shoulder.
In case anyone cares, my money's on Tom Wilkins.
Then get him back in the country.
Guess he's more than just a pretty face.
- I thought you checked all this out already.
- I just want to clarify some things.
- So, you were at the hotel all night.
- Right.
- All by yourself.
- Right.
- You didn't order up a movie.
- No.
Is that a crime? And you didn't call your wife to say good night? It was late.
She's usually in bed by 10:00.
Pretty.
What's her name? - Linda.
- How long you been married? Almost four years.
What is this? It just occurred to me that you really can't prove - that you were in the hotel all night.
- And you can't prove that I wasn't.
I really don't want to have to talk this over with Linda.
- But I will.
- Talk to her all you want.
I already told her everything.
- Am I under arrest? - Not yet.
Then I don't have to listen to this.
You know that lying to a federal officer is a felony.
It's like perjury, Chico.
I told you.
I don't do that no more.
You hold out on me now, I'm gonna go sniffing around.
If I find anything, anything at all you're going back to Dannemora.
I'm gonna make sure of it.
You come clean with me and I lose your parole officer's phone number.
Yeah? All right.
I used to sell to her but she hadn't gotten anything for a while.
Till that night.
She came downstairs about 2:15.
I need some.
I gave her a bag and then she went back upstairs.
I never saw her again, all right? - You'll take a polygraph? - Yeah, whatever, man.
Bring it on.
You want all the e-mails? From the entire company? Do you know how many there are? Let's start with Brian Daugherty and see how we do.
Is Brian a suspect? Everybody's a suspect.
I just got a call from my friend at Prudential Securities.
Turns out Maggie liquidated all her stocks and bonds eight days ago.
That's over $200,000 worth.
So she knew she was leaving? She withdrew $5,000 in cash and moved the rest into a private account - in London.
- Where Tom Wilkins happens to be.
She and Tom faked her kidnapping.
She calls him at 11:48 to confirm buys a little bit of courage from Chico at 2:15 ducks into the alley and she's on her way to London.
Okay.
But tell me this.
Why doesn't she take her passport? We find Tom Wilkins, we'll know the answer.
So, looks like you were right.
She was planning on leaving.
For a lot more than a couple of days.
You have no idea how much her mother's made her suffer.
How much she suffocates her with all of that need.
So back at the house, you wanted Nancy to pay because you were afraid Maggie's behind this.
Well, if she is, I don't want her to get caught.
You're thinking that sounds like a motive.
Me living here in this dump, Nancy with all of that money.
You probably think I'm a suspect.
We've discovered Maggie had a problem with cocaine.
And here I am sitting here thinking that I know her.
Thinking that she tells me everything and I don't have a clue to the first damn thing that's going on.
- Jack.
- What's up? That was Legat London.
They found Tom Wilkins this morning.
When he heard about Maggie's disappearance he booked himself on the Concorde and he's due back in New York at 3:00.
What were you doing in London? We have a couple of big clients there.
I go at least once a month.
- Did you ever take Maggie with you? - No.
- Why not? - We don't have that kind of relationship.
What kind do you have? We dated a few times.
Then we realized we were much better as friends.
- When was the last time you saw her? - Tuesday night.
- The night she disappeared? - That's what's been driving me crazy.
She called me that morning, said she wanted to see me.
I was leaving for London the next day.
I didn't really have time.
She said it was important, so.
It's the same old song and dance.
Subscription levels, readership profiles, blah, blah, blah.
What about you? How's the woman? It's good.
- You okay? - I'm fine.
You're using again.
Maggie.
A little bit.
With who? Someone from work.
- Did you call that therapist I gave you? - Not yet.
- Why not? - I don't.
I don't need you to save me, okay? Then why'd you call? I haven't seen you in a while and I just wanted.
What? It's nothing.
Just forget about it.
Maggie.
Talk to me.
I've gotta go.
And that's it.
You never heard from her again? No.
And you have no idea where she might be? - No.
- Does this help? - Oh, my God.
- It's pretty convenient.
She transfers all her money to London.
You go there on business, and she disappears.
Wait a minute.
You don't think l-- You're lying to us.
- You said you never heard from her again.
- I didn't-- - She called you.
- She did not! The phone company said she did.
That night.
Then I must've been sleeping.
Why didn't you tell us she left you a message? I've been crazed.
I haven't checked them since I left for London.
You have four new messages.
Message one sent Tuesday at 11:48 p.
m.
Hey, it's me.
I wanted to say that you're the only guy who ever really cared and I'm sorry about tonight.
So have a really great trip to London and don't worry about me, okay? No matter what happens.
Okay.
Bye.
Message saved.
Maybe she left that message to cover for him.
No, you're reaching.
Tom's not the guy.
If she wanted to extort $1 million out of her mother why did she call her to talk about the drapes? - To make things look normal.
- But things weren't normal.
Think about everything she did that day from the beginning.
First there was Brian, then her father, her mother and then finally Tom.
She was saying goodbye.
When she slipped out that back-alley door she didn't think she was gonna be part of her own kidnapping.
She was on her way to whoever was gonna help her leave.
Except they didn't help her.
They turned on her.
This new guy from work.
The guy she's been using with.
Maybe.
- Viv.
- Here we go.
Sebol employees traveling internationally in the next 48 hours.
- Just give me the men.
-Okay.
Simon Granger going to Paris, David Connors to Rome Bartholomew Higgins going to London, connecting to Katmandu, Nepal.
Nepal? That's our guy.
Who is he? He's the computer technician.
- 4:30's a bit late for lunch, don't you think? - No kidding.
I'm gonna check this out.
You wait here.
Excuse me.
Do you know where Bart went for lunch? He usually goes home.
He only lives a couple of blocks away.
Thanks.
- Danny.
- We can't find the guy.
- Where's his office? - Follow me.
- Where's Martin? - I don't know.
Hey, Bart.
I'm sorry to bother you at home, man.
I've got some more questions about Maggie's computer.
Mind if I come in? I wasn't feeling too well, so I figured I'd come home for the day.
This shouldn't take long.
I was just wondering about that bit-sector retrieval that we were working on.
FBI! Clear! Clear! Freeze! FBI! Stay down! Get your hands up! Okay, den's on the right.
I'll cover the bathroom.
You have the right to remain silent.
- He gonna be okay? - So stupid.
- Is Maggie gonna be all right? - Yeah, no thanks to you.
You almost got her killed.
You never should have gone in there alone.
Take him to the hospital.
Make sure he gets his head checked.
Yes, sir.
We're talking to Maggie now.
She's shaken up, but unharmed.
My poor baby.
I just wanted to disappear for a while.
I was gonna let everybody know.
I was gonna call just as soon as I.
We believe you, Maggie.
You just wanted to get back to Nepal, right? Tell us about Bart.
I've only known him a few weeks.
I was having some trouble with my computer.
You know, that won't really accomplish much.
Please help me.
We started hanging out after work.
I liked him.
I felt like he understood me.
My stupid fantasy about getting away from it all.
Changing my life.
Then one night he offered me some coke.
And the more I did it, the more it seemed like it was possible.
And all of a sudden, I found myself going for it.
- I'm doing it, Bart.
I'm getting out.
- Really? You serious? - Tomorrow morning.
- Tomorrow? Wow! - That doesn't give me much time to pack.
- What? Well, it's what we talked about, isn't it? I mean, going to Nepal.
Jeez, Bart, I didn't mean for you to get the wrong impression.
So what are you doing here? I felt like you understood and I didn't wanna be in my own place anymore.
I thought maybe you could drive me to the airport in the morning.
- Have you booked your flight? - Not yet.
- How long are you going for? - I don't know.
Damn it, I brought the wrong passport.
This is my old one.
It's expired.
I'm just gonna have to go get the new one.
Bart, what are you doing? Next thing I knew, he was coming up with this whole ransom thing, and suddenly he was the one going to Nepal.
Why'd you leave the apartment the way you did unlocked, with everything on? I don't know.
I honestly don't know.
It was like I was in a dream or something.
You wanted to be found.
I am so sorry.
It's our job.
It's what we do.
What do you think Bart was gonna do? I mean, if you hadn't found me? His real name is Joseph Deemer.
He's wanted for murder in Delaware.
He would have killed you.
Thank you.

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