Without a Trace s06e12 Episode Script

Article 32

Previously on Without A Trace Go! Go! Hey! Mr.
Romar, I'd like you to stay here and work with our sketch artist and describe the man that you saw.
Angela, you witnessed a beating.
Is this him? That's him.
NYPD released him 45 minutes ago.
Hey, Dr.
Frankenstein! - When am I getting my leg back? - I'm working on it.
How about giving me one of those tattoos? Yeah? What do you want? Paint a heart and make it say: "Property of Laura.
" Come on, Kevin, you know it's not your heart I want to own.
You heard that.
She's perfect she's the perfect woman.
I love her.
I love you! I mean it! My love is true, Laura! This is fantastic, Laura.
It's a beautiful cross.
I enjoyed painting it.
Thanks.
Let's try out that new leg, brother.
Here we go This should match really well.
I don't know What are you talking about? I mean, it looks like you ripped it off of a mannequin.
It's sick, man get it out of here! Higgins, relax! I don't want this thing! Get it away from me! I can't relax! I can still feel my leg, I can still feel it! Take it easy.
- No! - It's all right.
It's okay.
Hey.
- Who are we looking for? - Laura Richards, 24, art school grad.
She's been working here for five weeks, doing community service for a shoplifting charge.
They have her painting and sculpting prosthetics for some of the vets.
Who called it in? Her supervisor Joel Kemper.
She missed work two mornings in a row, and then when he found her car in the parking lot, decided to call us.
Okay, let's call CID and find out about sexual assaults in the building.
I'm gonna need a full list of soldiers that have come through this hospital during Miss Richards' tenure.
All right.
It's pretty isolated down here.
I didn't see any security cameras in the hall.
It's not the safest place for a woman to be working alone, you know? No.
Laura's doing a heck of a job here considering our budget.
Not your average community service, huh? She was doing bed pans and then we found out she was an artist.
Most of the patients here can't afford custom silicone.
Black, white, beige is as good as it gets.
But Laura made 'em look better.
She did tattoos and everything.
The guys just loved her.
What about the patient last night, PFC Higgins? His outburst wasn't about Laura.
Kid lost his leg two weeks ago.
That's a lot to process.
Well, regardless, he he did go after her.
These are honorable men and women.
PFC Higgins did not hurt her.
I'm sorry, Doctor, we we just have to ask.
I understand that.
But there's something else you should check out.
Happened about a week ago.
Go home, Laura it's past midnight.
Louis is being discharged tomorrow.
He's gonna want his leg, don't you think? Hey, you're doing some nice work here.
Could do better work if we had better equipment.
Which we don't.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Can I help you? No wrong room.
Guy makes my skin crawl.
- You've seen him before? - Oh, yeah.
He's always, like, lurking.
Well page me next time you see him.
I'm getting a lock put on that door.
Anytime you're working by yourself, lock yourself in.
Okay.
I ordered the lock they told me six weeks.
But she never paged me to tell me he'd come back.
- Do you know the guy's name? - Yes, Malcolm Rainer.
He's an orderly.
Malcolm Rainer is very unpopular with his neighbors.
He's described here as being bitter, confrontational, a loner who rarely leaves his apartment, and when he does, he harasses the female tenants.
Well, maybe he harassed Laura and it escalated.
Or he resented her.
It also says here that Rainer failed two physical therapist exams and was caught cheating on a third.
So what, you're thinking professional jealousy? Well, Laura went from community service to valued staff member sthat might have pissed him off.
Anyway, NYPD is watching his building.
Mr.
Richards, when was the last time that you saw your daughter? Maybe a couple of days ago.
- She lives with you, right? - Yeah.
So how is it that her supervisor at work reported her missing before you did? I spend most of my time here.
Laura's got her own life.
I mean, she wouldn't even be living at home if the art school hadn't put her in such a financial hole.
Mr.
Richards, do you recognize that guy? No.
Who is he? He's an orderly at the V.
A.
- He do something to Laura? - We're not sure yet.
There's a reason you're asking me about this guy.
Listen.
I realize it's frustrating to hear this, but we don't know anything about him right now.
She wouldn't even be at that hospital if it wasn't for me.
- Why is that? - Well, I thought the V.
A.
would teach her a lesson.
When Laura got in trouble, I called in a favor.
A golf buddy of mine's a judge he let her off with a hundred hours of community service.
I'm not gonna do it.
You're going to jail, it's simple.
I'll work at a soup kitchen.
It's not the deal I worked out for you.
I didn't ask you to do anything for me.
- The V.
A.
'll do you some good.
- Why? So I can be around other guys just like you? It's not about that.
I made a mistake.
What do you want from me? I want you to be embarrassed about this! I want you to want more out of your life! - Believe me, I do, too, Dad! - Well, then act like it! I mean, come on! Shoplifting? I'm sorry if I've let you down.
You let yourself down.
These are good men and women.
You'll learn a hell of a lot more at the V.
A.
than you would in jail.
Laura went along with the V.
A.
, but she was furious.
We haven't spoken much since.
And would you say that your relationship with your daughter has been strained for a long time? Mother died young, I raised her alone, I was strict, Laura resented it, but I did the best I could.
My father was a vet.
Yeah? What outfit? First Cavalry, Korea.
You serve? Honorable discharge.
You know the sacrifice it takes, anyway.
Look, Laura and I we don't see eye to eye, but that's my daughter.
And we understand that, Mr.
Richards.
We're gonna do everything we can to find her.
Look, if you think of anything else, just give us a call.
Thanks.
Thank you.
I'm so sorry about this.
It was my first time, really.
It was so stupid.
Well, normally, you'd be turned over to local police for booking, but I need some information.
How's it going? Still butting heads up against these Romar aliases.
Maybe we should bring Angela back in, see if she rembers anything else.
No, she's in Texas with her family.
Won't return my calls.
Look, we've got three candidates coming in for interviews this afternoon.
You need to look through their personnel files.
You're gonna have to fly solo on those.
Why? I connected that madam from our brothel bust with a pimp I know in Baltimore.
- Well, I can push the interview.
- Actually, he's an old CI of mine he's he's kind of skittish.
Okay.
Well, call me if you find anything.
Malcolm Rainer's financials.
I found money transfers from six different patients in his account.
- The patients know about it? - It's a scam.
Lot of vets involved were having money trouble.
Rainer approaches them, offers to forge their records so they get a larger payout.
What's Laura got to do with this? The records were stored in her workplace, so I'm thinking if she stumbled across this scam, he may have wanted to keep her quiet.
Take a look at this tech found that on Laura's computer.
What is this doing on her computer? I'm not sure, but it was found in a file created when they plugged in a zip drive.
- They find the zip? - No.
But that's the last computer activity on the day of disappearance.
Let's see if we can I.
D.
this kid.
I have no idea where that girl is.
Please We get that one all the time.
That says more about you than me.
You know, we talked to the soldiers.
We know about your little scam.
Every forged benefits claim and corresponding check is right here.
I don't know what that is.
You need access to the records but they were in Laura's workspace.
So what happened? - She found out what you were doing? - No.
So maybe it was more personal.
I mean, she's a pretty girl.
You're a lonely, pathetic kind of guy.
She's all alone in the basement.
We know you been harassing women in your building, so All right, stop.
It was a scam, yes.
And, yes, she was in the way until a couple days ago.
Were you watching me? You know, I checked out one of the files you were looking at.
PFC Vorak.
It says he lost his leg at the hip, but see I know that's not true because I got his right foot on my desk.
So, what, you gonna rat me out? You think you you think you know something? I know your forgeries are really good.
- You want me to cut you in? - No.
I want you to forge a signature for me.
Car title? Just make it look good and all this stays in the room.
The little artist was into grand theft auto.
She ended up bringing me two more titles.
Whose signature did you forge? Quentin I think.
Did she tell you what she needed the money for? I didn't ask.
She's into selling hot cars.
That's none of my business.
All right, thanks.
- Bye.
- What's up? Quentin Richards alibi's out.
He spent the night decking out his showroom.
Two employees back it up.
What about the stolen cars? He confirms three cars were stolen off his lot, but he denies knowing Laura had anything to do with it.
So we've widened the APB to the tri-state area.
- How are you doing on the money trail? - Not a whiff.
Whatever money she's making is not ending up in her bank account.
Maybe drugs? Thanks.
Well, I went there, too.
And there's no history of that.
And her PO says that all of her tests are coming back clean.
Well, this is the ID on that wounded soldier.
Name's Daniel Ellerbee, United States Marine Corp.
Ellerbee - Ellerbee - What are you thinking? Daniel Ellerbee.
He was at the V.
A.
recovering from an amputated leg same time Laura worked there.
Why are you showing him this? Baby, it's okay.
Maybe you want to step outside.
I'm not leaving you here.
You just relax.
It's okay.
How can I help you? We found that photo on Laura Richards' computer.
Did you give it to her? No, sir, I wouldn't show Laura something like that.
Don't appreciate my wife seeing it either.
We wouldn't put you through this unless it was absolutely necessary.
- Do you know who took the photo? - No, sir, I'm lucky enough not to remember that day.
How would you describe your relationship with Laura Richards? I'd call her a friend.
In what sense? She was good to us.
She took an interest.
She saw that you were in your head or depressed she'd always try and draw you out.
My leg got shredded.
How's talking to you about it gonna help? My dad was in Vietnam.
And he spent his whole life not talking about it.
You don't wanna be like my dad.
What's wrong with him? He's angry and depressed and controlling.
I don't wanna see you end up like that.
So I'm not letting this go.
I was in a Humvee guarding a supply convoy on the way from Balad to Kirkuk.
An IED blew up, we took small-arm fire from a carload of Hajis, then boom.
I woke up in Germany without a leg.
What were you thinking when it happened? I wasn't thinking about anything.
I told you it wasn't special.
There's 50 guys in here with a different version of the same story.
A lot of them are worse off than me.
That doesn't take away from what you went through.
My best friend a guy named Eric Banks he got blown up that day.
I'm still here.
I got lucky.
I'm getting out of here soon.
They got me set up pushing paper for the ROTC at Hanford University.
- Why would you want to work there? - It's a good gig.
How are you gonna move on if you're still working for the military? How is that any of your business? I know she wanted the best for me, but sometimes I just didn't want to deal with it.
And when was the last time you saw Laura? She came by the next day.
Said she was going out of town for a while.
Did she say where she was going? No, sir.
How about when she was coming back? No, sir, just that I wouldn't be seeing her around.
Okay.
I'd just like to thank you both for coming in.
Really appreciate it.
There'll be an agent along shortly to escort you out.
It says here that you specialize in forensic accounting.
Yes, ma'am.
So how would that help me? I can locate and freeze all of Romar's assets.
Which will effectively cripple his operation.
So who is Franklin Romar? I don't know.
I feel that sex trafficking is beyond the pale in terms of cruelty.
Well, that's good to know.
And how would you find Franklin Romar? Use the press.
You know, post his picture.
I'll totally man those phones 24/7.
You have him on tape.
I'd start there.
I already have.
What kind of shirt was he wearing? - I don't know.
- Figure out the brand, where that brand is sold.
Hit every store from New York to Baltimore.
Maybe a clerk saw him.
Check into his watch, the pen in his pocket.
His cologne if you can remember the smell.
It's tedious, but the answer to who he is is in there.
That's how we'll find him.
Says here that you went to Cornell, studied Russian literature.
So tell me, Mr.
Waters, how did you end up at the bureau in organized crime? I read Crime and Punishment.
Didn't much care for Rashkolnikov.
Cameron Gaines.
It takes a special kind of idiot to park a stolen car in front of a known meth lab.
Man, you got to let this go.
It's like I told that vice cop.
I bought that car on the level.
I got the title and everything.
You mean this title? It's forged.
And the woman you got this title from is missing, so But not because of anything I did.
Cameron, we've been through her bank accounts, we search her house, it's look like she ever got paid for that car.
I'll bet you were tweaking your ass off and you thought, "Wait, why pay this chick when I can kill her, take the car and keep the cash?" Right? - No.
- It seemed like - a good idea at the time.
- I didn't do nothing to her.
She didn't want to get paid in cash.
Then what did she want? Materials.
This is nasty stuff.
Don't smoke around it.
Oh, really, you mean this stuff's flammable? Is that my Mustang? Title's in the glove box.
I'll be back with a friend to pick it up.
You know what, hold on.
This doesn't feel like a fair trade, does it? I brought what you asked.
That was the deal.
No, that's a $20,000 car.
That's worth as much solvent as I want.
- Will, it's enough.
- Laura, you're thinking too small.
Bigger is better.
I don't know, boss.
I mean, I'd start small.
All right? - Cooking meth is a skill.
- Shut up, tweaker.
- You're taking this too far.
- I decide how far it goes.
- Give me the keys.
- No, this wasn't the plan.
The plan is whatever I say it is.
Triple this.
Then you get your car.
So I gave him what he asked for and I came back for the car.
Danny, if they were starting a meth lab they'd need more than just solvent.
Yeah.
Did you see any other equipment for cooking drugs? No.
All right, who was the guy? What was his name? Will something.
I don't know him.
A friend of a friend hooked us up.
Write down the address of the garage.
Now.
Yeah, Jack? We have a big problem.
Go! Go! Go! Okay, we need the EOD.
We have primary incendiary explosives.
Let's go.
Jack, I think we got a target.
They're gonna blow up the ROTC Hall at Hanford University.
Everybody out of here now! Let's go! Go! All right, that was DHS.
They're up to speed, they've evacuated the ROTC building and the rest of the campus is on lockdown.
Is that him? Will Herring, 28 years old, a poli-sci PhD candidate until he got expelled for making terrorist threats against a professor during a debate.
So much for the free exchange of ideas, huh? Yeah.
This is a series of antiwar rants he published online.
Laura visited his Web site a lot.
It appears to me that they met at a protest rally last summer.
These are pretty intense.
- This guy's half nuts, huh? - And he's also a true believer.
Given Laura's relationship with her father, not surprising she was vulnerable to what this guy had to say.
You think she was having and he killed her for the cause? Could be.
I got more information on this photo.
It was taken by an embedded reporter from the Dallas Morning Star.
His camera was confiscated by Lieutenant Rick Cheever, who was leading this convoy.
I don't get it, there's pictures of wounded soldiers all over the news, why would Lt Cheever try to bury this one.
Why did Laura have this photo? The shoplifting, the stealing of the cars was to to fund a terrorist plot? It would appear so.
Do you recognize him? Maybe, maybe he picked her up at the house, who is he? His name is Will Herring.
He's an antiwar activist, we believe your daughter met him at a protest.
What were they planning to hit? An ROTC.
See, that's just not possible.
I raised her to love this country.
Your daughter was trading stolen cars for explosives.
Now, this is no notion that comes to a young 24-year-old girl who sits around in the morning sipping coffee.
Something in her past led her to this.
I I don't know.
I told you that my father served in Korea.
Yeah.
He was a damn good soldier.
He was so good at it that he brought that mentality into the house.
He made my life hell.
And I'm pretty sure that he put my mother into the ground.
You didn't walk in his boots.
You need to cut him some slack.
Oh, I did.
I forgave him.
Had to watch him die first but I forgave him.
You can talk to me or you can sit there and say nothing, but if you make that choice, there's a high probability that I will not find your daughter.
You know how Laura spent her senior prom? With me.
I had her cornered in the bathroom with her prom dress on, with my service revolver pointed at her head and a knife to my gut.
Way she tells it I was gonna hole myself up and let the ghost out, that I was a walking miracle, whatever the hell that means, I don't remember any of it.
When I came to she was she was holding on to me bawling her eyes out in that in that dress.
She'd been dealing with these episodes her whole life and we never mentioned them, we just let them pass.
That's why she didn't leave home years before.
I've been holding on to her.
And I knew I was doing it but I couldn't let her go.
Special Agent Johnson.
Can I help you? Heard you were staffing up a task force, I wanna throw my hat in the ring.
What's your name? Tim Collier, I'm investigative analyst in White Collar.
This is a little above your pay grade.
Shouldn't this be about the best candidates and not pay scale based on seniority? I took a look at the case file and I had a thought.
And how did you see the file? It was just sitting on someone's desk.
Listen Looking at a confidential file is a great way to get yourself censured.
Unless, of course, you have something that I can use.
I was assisting on a case last year, a doctor was doing abortions off the books for cash.
One of the witnesses paid for 3 abortions by 3 different women.
Now maybe the guy's unlucky, but it stuck with me.
There's an address.
Multiple abortions could fit our case.
Romar can't use a pregnant girl.
Did you check to see if the address is current? Yes, ma'am, it is.
Excuse me.
Yeah, Johnson.
I'm in New York.
What? No, I did not authorize that.
Look, I'll look into it and I'll call you back.
All right.
Sorry.
Mr.
Cheever, FBI.
He's down.
Check him.
It's clear.
He's dead.
I'm gonna call the M.
E.
Drop the bag! Put your hands up! Turn around and face the hood of your car now! I didn't do anything.
Blasting caps.
- Look like detonators.
- I don't know what you talk about.
- Where's Laura? - I don't know.
Sure you do.
You killed her and you killed Lt Cheever.
I didn't kill anyone.
You're in possession of class-A explosives.
That's five years, FIVE years! Come on, where is she? Look, I don't know.
I haven't seen her for three days, not since she messed up everything I've been planning.
Laura Stop.
Stop! This is totally out of control! People are gonna get hurt! We've been over this, we'll hit the building at night or on a weekend when it's empty.
You can't guarantee that! I went by there: people work late, janitors are there all weekend.
It's too dangerous, people could die! We've been talking about this for five months, it's a calculated risk.
Come on, Laura.
Look, this is where they're selling the big lie.
They're signing people up to die based on a total fabrication.
It is way more complicated than that.
This is totally wrong.
Working at that V.
A.
is getting to you.
They're waving flags, they're handing out medals.
It is nothing like that.
These guys are proud and in pain and they have lost so much.
I can't just spit in their faces.
I'm not gonna do that! Laura! Who the hell are you? What's going on? I just got your message.
Let's just go.
Now I get it.
You're sleeping with a soldier? - Come on, Daniel.
- What is this? - Who is this guy? - Let's just go! Better keep your mouth shut, Laura.
You're involved in this, too.
She went with that soldier, I haven't seen her since.
- You're positive she called him Daniel? - Yes.
Look Your ride's here.
Next stop: Leavenworth.
Soldier, you made a really bad decision not telling us about your relationship with Laura.
What did you want me to say? My wife was sitting there.
I don't care.
You concealed from us an affair that you had with a woman who's now missing.
It was one time.
It just happened.
We broke it off.
It always just happens.
I love my wife.
Don't question that.
I'm not.
My wife's afraid of me.
She'll barely even touch me.
She helps me with my leg and tells me: "Baby, we'll be fine.
" I love you more now.
I'm proud of you.
" She says these things, but her eyes don't back it up.
I see her thinking: "This isn't the man that I married.
" God bless her, she tries to hide it.
But Laura, she's only known me this way.
I feel like myself, not some half-assed version.
If that's the case, then why end it? Because I'm married.
You know, maybe Laura didn't want to walk away from it, and she threatened to tell your wife and you took care of it.
You think I hurt her? You been sitting here lying to my face, what should I think? I didn't do anything to her.
How's it going? Great.
He's lying.
Well, I may have another wrinkle for you.
Lieutenant Cheever was scheduled for an Article 32 hearing.
Friendly fire.
Daniel's best friend, Eric Banks, was killed in the same incident where Daniel lost his leg.
Let's talk about Eric Banks.
What about him? Well, officially, he was killed by insurgents when you lost your leg.
I know, I was there.
But that's not what happened, is it? It was friendly fire.
I think you've been covering it up.
And I think that Laura found out about it.
I don't wanna talk anymore.
Your CO's dead, and the woman you've been having an affair with is missing.
Now, I'll bet that Laura convinced Cheever to tell the truth and that you killed him to stop it.
Now, there is a ton of crap swirling around, and I'm gonna bring it down on your head unless I get an explanation! After the IED went off, there was chaos.
Guys just started unloading, you know, blasting anything that moved.
Ended up shooting Eric.
Nobody's fault, we were scared.
But then Cheever dropped an AK on some dead Iraqi, calling him an insurgent.
That was the story.
He told us to go with it, so I did.
And did Laura find out about this? I told her.
I was all set to live with it but she kept talking about her dad and all his problems, said that I'd go crazy if I didn't tell the truth.
She was right.
You want to tell Eric's family? Eric's parents have a right to know what happened to their son.
They knew he died a hero.
Who are you to take that away from them? The truth doesn't make him less of a hero.
- I don't wanna hear it! - She's right, we owe it to Eric.
We have to tell the truth.
You were there! You know what it was like! It won't be just me that goes down.
I'm gonna tell the investigating officer what I told Eric's family, and let the chips fall where they may.
You got it all figured out, huh? Cheever, no! Get off him! Miss, nobody's walking out of here.
Stay back! Where's Laura now? I told her to take Cheever's car and get the hell away.
I haven't talked to her since.
I swear, that's the God's honest truth.
- It's late.
- Yeah.
One of the candidates that interviewed today showed up with a lead.
It looks like it might go somewhere.
That's great.
You used my CRID number to order a SWAT team.
Just trying to make an impression on my pimp friend.
You mean your skittish CI? Yeah, he wouldn't cooperate, so changed tactics.
It wasn't a big deal.
Well, Baltimore field office called to find out why I hadn't checked in.
I was completely in the dark.
You know, we should've talked about this.
Like we talked about letting Franklin Romar go? I've been chasing this guy for three years and you had him, here, in this room.
We had no reason to hold him.
"We"? If I'd been here, I would've known there was a problem, I would've found a reason.
Doesn't give you the right to go off and do things on your own.
We're either doing this together, or we're not.
I don't work for you.
No, but this an FBI task force.
Is that your way of saying that I do? No, it's my way of saying that when you go off and do things on your own without consulting me, I'm the one that gets the calls if you screw up.
Did you find anyone you liked today? Yeah.
You should probably hire them.
Yeah.
Jack.
Listen to this.
I just spent the last two hours calling Laura's dad.
I kept getting his voice mail, so I sent two of our guys over to his place to check it out.
He's gone and they found Cheever's car in the garage under a tarp.
A state trooper pulled you over on a rural road with a trunk full of blankets covered in your daughter's hair.
I understand that.
It looks a lot like you were trying to dump her body.
I know you're just trying to do your job, but I'm not gonna be talking about this.
Mr.
Richards, your daughter was going to blow up an ROTC.
Let me explain to you the case they're gonna build against you.
You're gonna be charged with murder one, manslaughter at the very least.
Now, if I were you, I would contact my lawyer immediately.
I didn't kill her.
She came to me because she was scared but she wasn't asking for my help.
Honey, it was a mistake.
You shot the guy in self-defense, but damn it, Laura, running makes you look guilty.
- I panicked.
- And then the FBI is coming to me, telling me about a bomb have you lost your mind? I didn't think it would go that far.
Talk to this Agent Malone.
He seems reasonable.
He'll understand that.
We'll we'll talk to him.
We'll get this thing squared away.
Dad, listen to me.
I am in a lot of trouble, but I didn't come here to have you fix anything.
I came to say I'm sorry.
Laura, I'm not mad.
I have been so angry with you, but now I just want to say I'm sorry I can never make you feel okay.
I just want you to have some peace.
And I I am so sorry I can never give you any.
Sweetheart, the only peace I ever had was with you.
I'm not alive today if it wasn't for you that's a fact.
I know you watch out for me.
You always have.
Will you drive me? I want you to take me to the police.
No, I can't do that.
Dad, I need you with me.
No, Laura, I can't let you throw your life away because of what I put you through.
- Dad.
- No.
No, I can't do that.
She's my daughter, she needed me, so there you have it.
So you used a blanket to smuggle her out of the country.
You understand, Mr.
Richards, that we're gonna have to charge you with aiding and abetting.
I suspect you will do what you have to do.
Yes, sir.
Hey.
So I spoke with ICE.
Their camera saw Quentin's car passing over the Peace Bridge in Niagara, heading over into Canada.
Did you report it to the Canadian authorities? Did I have a choice? No, not really.
Yeah, I spoke with them I'll finish up this report and send it over tonight.
Why don't you just leave it till the morning? Yeah, that works for me.
You heading out? No, I got nowhere to go.
I'm just gonna hang around and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Sounds like fun.
- See you tomorrow.
- All right.

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