08x08 - Fear & Loathing in Palm Beach

[bunniefuu]

Man: So I said to them

seriously, I said, "I think the only thing

"that's going to save your marriage

is if you get separate refrigerators."

Honey, are you okay?

Oh, uh, fine.

Just a little headache.

Excuse me, I'll be right back.

Hey, did I tell you about the couple

who tried to make love while wind-surfing?

Aw, you don't want to know.

So that, that patio furniture is brand new.

When I saw it, I had to get it.

I mean, it just makes
the patio, don't you think?

What are you doing there?

Oh!

Oh!

Allison?

Oh, my god!

Sterling.

Evening.

Think we can guess the
cause of death of this one.

Yup.

Must have been a hell of a fall.

Cassy: Do we have an I.D.?

Allison bloom, former resident.

Any witnesses?

Yeah, in the penthouse.

Apparently she took a dive

in the middle of her own dinner party.

I saw the whole thing.

I mean, we all did.

I don't understand why she would do this.

Mr. Bloom, did you and your wife

argue this evening?

No. No, we had a very good marriage.

She act strange tonight?

You notice anything unusual?

She wasn't feeling well

but she said it was just a headache.

Did she have anything to drink?

Bloom: No, absolutely not.

She was on medication.

Uh...

Allison was being treated by
a psychiatrist for depression.

What was she taking?

The prescription bottle
is in the master bathroom

in the medicine cabinet.

Okay.

I'll get the pills.

I'll just check everything

with the other witnesses

and then we're out of here.

Wish they were all this easy.

I think that's all we need.

Thank you.

It was Allison's.

I'm sergeant St. John.

I understand that you saw
Mrs. Bloom jump off the terrace.

She ran toward the edge.

Dove right over.

Poor Dr. Bloom.

Bloom is a doctor?

He's a psychologist.

A couples' therapist.

He's very prominent.

Well, I think that's all I need.

I have your information.

I need anything further,
we'll get in touch. Thank you.

I'd hate to be in his shoes today.

I'd hate to be in hers.

Great. Yeah. Yup.

Yeah, I'll see you.

I miss you, too.

What?

So, what's her name?

Do I have to give you
every detail of my love life?

Yeah.

Her name is Jennifer Louise coglin.

She's years old.

She's beautiful.

She has raven hair

brown eyes.

Very athletic body.

How long have you been seeing her?

About a week.

Ha.

Details, please.

Well, she's smart.

I mean, this girl's mensa smart.

And funny.

She's funny.

She's got a great sense of humor.

I said raven-haired, right?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, that's dark hair.

Beautiful eyes.

She's gorgeous.

Do I sense a "but" coming?

Not a "but", an "and."

And?

She wants us to go to counseling.

To cut off any potential
problems that we might have

in the relationship.

What relationship?

You've only been going out for a week.

Too soon?

So.

The bloom family is
trying to plan a funeral.

What is the story here?

Short story.

su1c1de.

We're just waiting

for the toxicology scan from Morton.

Good, then don't let me interrupt.

Harry.

Somebody asked me a
question that I, I'd like to ask you.

Who?

A friend.

Close friend?

Stop asking me questions

so I can ask one.

Why so hostile?

That's a question.

Was it a question

or more like an observation?

Have you and frannie
ever been to a therapist?

Why do you ask?

Stop asking me...

Please.

If frannie asked you, would you go?

Did frannie say something to you?

About what?

Did she?

No, she didn't.

It's the dream, isn't it?

What dream?

It was an innocent thing.

All I said was I dreamt I was a woman.

This doesn't mean a thing.

Next time frannie calls, you tell her that.

You dreamt you were a woman.

You mean to sit there and tell me

you never dreamt you were a woman?

Something like that I'd remember.

You, you haven't?

Ever?

No.

It was a... short dream.

Physically, Mrs. Bloom
was a very healthy woman.

No sign of terminal disease

or any chronic health problems at all.

What about the tox scan?

Anything unusual?

Oh, yeah, doxepin.

Oh.

It's a tricyclic antidepressant.

The therapeutic level in the blood

was significantly lower than expected

given the dosage she was prescribed.

What does that mean?

Maybe she stopped taking them.

There's a date here... count the capsules

see if she kept to the prescription dosage.

Dr. Malcolm Finch.

Anything else?

Nothing much.

Just some acetaminophen
taken shortly before death.

So she takes a couple of these pain K*llers

and jumps off a ledge?

She must have had a hell of a headache.

Hey, cass, come over here.

You got to see this.

No.

Not a chance. Thank you.

I didn't know you were

afraid of heights.

It's more like terrified.

Oh, come on.

Come up here.

You've got to lean right against the glass.

Come on.

I'll protect you.

Very nice.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

This way, please.

I take it you're here about
Allison bloom's su1c1de?

Tragic.

And I thought, uh, preventable.

Did she show any signs

of wanting to k*ll herself?

No. And if she had

as her psychiatrist

I would have been obligated
to have her hospitalized.

Oh, Allison did suffer from depression

but by every indication,
we had that under control.

With doxepin?

Yes.

The autopsy found

a lower than expected level in her blood.

Really? Well, sometimes patients

when their medication
has its desired effect

they think they don't need it anymore

so they stop taking it.

Unfortunately, sudden withdrawal

from tricyclic antidepressants
can produce severe side effects.

Like?

Unless you're weaned

off of it very slowly

it can bring on psychotic
depression, hallucination

rampant paranoia and such.

Did you have a clinical
analysis of her depression?

Well, no secret there.

Uh, marital difficulties.

Well, bloom stated that
they had a great marriage.

He did?

This is bloom's book.

Allison gave this to me, asked
me to read chapter seven.

I found it very insightful

as to the root of her
marriage difficulties.

You want to share?

Well, that would only be
professional speculation.

No, I think it better that you,
you draw your own conclusions.

What do you think of Dr. Finch?

Thinking of making an appointment?

Well, if Jennifer likes
him, he might be okay.

Don't tell me you're seriously considering

baring your soul to a total stranger?

Therapists should be
total strangers, cassy.

No, no, I'm not talking about Dr. Finch.

I'm talking about Jennifer.

You hardly know her.

There is no "i" in the word couple.

Ha!

Where did you hear that?

Jennifer said that.

I'm not % sure what it means.

So let me translate.

It means, run away.

What is in that book?

Well, Dr. Bloom claims
that his early childhood years

were an avalanche of authority figures.

Social workers, foster care, parents

a lot of discipline and control.

Another unhappy childhood success story.

Well, he says that his wife

is viewed as an authority figure

and for years she bore the brunt

of his resentment, his mistrust, his anger

until, finally, and I, I
quote from the book

"work and love

helped us over this
hurdle to our happiness."

Huh. I wonder just how
angry he got with her?

What, you think he missed a hurdle?

Well, I think Allison's sister, Helen

might be able tell us
how well he ran the race.

Woman: Okay.

Yeah, light's good.

Hold it, don't move a muscle.

Got it. Okay, show me
something else, cutie.

Got it, okay.

Now, turn to me, hans.

Hans, over here.

Yoo-hoo.

Use the pillars... give me a
little Samson and Delilah thing.

Boy, I hate my job.

All right, the arms on the pillars

and flex for me, sweetie.

All right, and...

Gotcha!

I need you to turn profile for me.

And sideways.

There you go.

All right, now, show
me just a little cheek.

Tom: Cassy?

Huh?

Hey.

What?

Close your mouth.

Okay, hans, let's take a little break.

Well, for a guy who
wrote the book on marriage

he wasn't exactly the poster boy.

What do you mean?

I have never seen anyone so selfish.

I mean, this is a grown man

who literally would throw a temper tantrum

if he didn't get his own way.

She almost left him once.

When was this?

About six months ago.

Well, why did she go back?

Because Gavin showed up and begged her

to give him another chance.

Did Allison ever talk
about committing su1c1de?

No.

But I have to admit

I wasn't surprised when she did.

What surprised me was how she did it.

I mean, Allison never

went out on that terrace.

I mean, she always avoided
open, exposed areas like that.

Then why live in a penthouse?

Because it was Gavin's little trophy.

Prominent psychologist
turned author makes good.

Good for him, maybe.

Not for her.

Bloom said he had a good marriage.

Why did he lie?

Maybe to him it was good.

The guy was raised in foster homes.

% of jumpers are men.

So here's a woman
who's afraid of open spaces

and she decides to jump

instead of o.D. Quietly at home

from dr*gs from her medicine cabinet.

It depends on how far
gone she was at the time.

Oh, stop it.

What?

You do it all the time.

I don't ogle.

Oh, yeah, you do.

You're the king of ogle.

I want to talk to bloom one more time.

Cassy: That's fine.

Cassy.

Yeah?

Men don't like women who are obvious.

Oh, are you the expert?

No, please.

Allow me.

Okay.

Do you come here often?

Yes, sergeant.

Certainly, sergeant.

: will be fine.

I'll see you then.

Bye.

Why don't we sit here?

So, we're planning the funeral for Friday.

I assume that'll give you enough time.

Yes, hopefully.

We understand that you

and your wife had marital difficulties.

She left you for a brief period.

Oh... you've been talking to Helen, I see.

Uh, it's true, we had our problems.

That's what inspired me

to write this particular book.

So your problems were ongoing?

They were

but after Allison left

and went to Helen's, I realized

that I was the one who had to change.

It resolved our problems once and for all.

Why the depression? Why su1c1de?

Everybody brings their own
baggage to a relationship.

The anger was mine

Allison had her own problems.

Don't take my word for it.

Talk to Allison's therapist.

I'm sure he'll verify

that our relationship was solid.

Well, we spoke to Finch.

He sees it differently.

I, I, I, don't understand
what's going on here.

I mean... my wife took her own life.

Why are you asking me all these questions?

I worked hard to make

my relationship, my marriage better.

It is not the reason that
Allison committed su1c1de.

I don't know why her psychiatrist

would say otherwise.

How well do you know Dr. Finch?

I've never met the man.

By reputation only.

Is that all?

For now.

Thank you.

We'll see our way out.

Why do suppose bloom was so certain

that Allison's psychiatrist
would back him up?

Well, maybe she was delaying

until this book thing was over

and increase her settlement in the divorce.

But she doesn't strike
me as a gold digger type.

Morton, Morton, you
got to get some sun, man

you're starting to look
like your customers.

You shouldn't make fun

unless you know how glad you are to see me.

How glad are we?

I just checked out

Allison bloom's prescription.

From the date on the bottle
and the recommended dosage

all the capsules are accounted for.

Ah, there goes that theory.

Hmm, not quite.

Same size capsules, but
inside half of these contain

only one-quarter the
normal level of powder.

Somebody tampered with those?

That would be my guess.

Allison thought that she
was taking her proper dosage

but really wasn't.

Morton: And that would account

for the blood levels that I have.

I'm not ready to sign
off on this as a su1c1de.

Accidental death at best, but...

Tom and cassy: m*rder.

If someone purposely
tampered with her medication.

You got it.

Thanks.

Lipschitz: So what are we looking at here?

It could have been a simple
mistake at the pharmacy.

Allison's sister had a
slightly different take on it.

Yeah, well, women
share differently than men.

Well, you'd know.

It was a dream, Ryan, just a dream.

It's all I'm saying, Harry.

Helen said Allison was acting
strangely for several months.

But, see, during that time
she would have gone through

several prescriptions, right?

And the odds of them all
being incorrect; It's astronomical.

Bloom was a psychologist.

He was familiar with antidepressants.

Kind of a roundabout way to k*ll somebody.

Yeah, it worked, didn't it?

Before you start throwing handcuffs

on husbands

you got to get some actual evidence.

Go ahead, interview the psychiatrist again.

Okay.

What?

Did you change your aftershave?

What? Oh, that.

It's the silliest thing:

I thought I was putting on my Cologne

but by mistake, it was
actually frannie's perfume.

Oh.

You're wearing women's perfume.

It was a mistake.

Yeah.

I'm sure it was, Harold.

Mmm.

What the hell did you tell those people?

What people?

You know damn well "what people."

Nothing they wouldn't have
discovered on their own.

If I had lied it would
have given them reason

to be suspicious.

They are suspicious.

Of me.

Look, you told me that
Allison would behave irrationally

and that I could have her committed.

You didn't say that she would k*ll herself.

I never wanted her to die.

Really, Gavin.

You're the one who sent
her out on the terrace.

I just wanted to...

I didn't think...

No, Gavin, clearly you didn't.

The police know.

They suspect, if that.

As long as they can't link us together

they'll have nothing.

You know, I wish you would tell me

when the story changes

so I don't look like such a fool.

If anything goes wrong I
am not going down alone.

Are you threatening me, Gavin?

No.

Are you still taking your medication?

I'm taking my medication.

The pain isn't going away.

You're a clinical psychologist, Gavin.

You should know never
to make pain your enemy.

Make it your ally.

It will help you to think more clearly.

Allison.

Help me.

Allison.

Hurry.

Please.

Allison.

Missed the view.

Not you?

Hmm, no, I prefer solid earth

beneath my feet.

Oh, acrophobia?

Uh, no, no, it's more like vertigo.

Well, how can I help you?

We believe that Allison's medication

was tampered with.

Really?

Almost half the capsules in the bottle

didn't contain the proper dosage.

Well, I've used that pharmacy for years.

I can't believe

that they could make a mistake like that.

Well, neither could the pharmacist.

He hasn't sold doxepin

in ten-milligram capsules
for several months.

Did Allison

ever express any fears

that her husband might want to k*ll her?

Well, you know I can't discuss that

but the times I saw them together

she didn't seem afraid.

Have you met Dr. Bloom?

Oh, yes.

He stopped by occasionally
to pick Allison up.

I think one time her car was

in for repair...

You talk to him? Of course.

He was very concerned about Allison.

In fact, we talked about
his joining our sessions.

Well, then, he was
familiar with her medication?

Well, actually, he was the one
who suggested we try doxepin

when the other
medications weren't effective.

Thank you, you've been very helpful.

Bloom says he's never met Finch

Finch says that they've
talked several times.

He remembers every
detail of their conversation.

The more we talk to these guys

the more contradictions we encounter.

Well, all the pieces
fit, at least the big ones.

We just don't have any physical evidence

to tie bloom to the crime.

Hmm, my intuition is telling me

that somebody's lying.

Yeah, mine, too. Ryan?

Far be it from me to
discount a woman's intuition.

So what about the ten-milligram capsules?

Somebody had to write the prescription.

Bloom is a psychologist.

They can't write prescriptions.

Cassy: Dr. Finch can.

All psychiatrists

have to be m.D.S first.

He m*rder*d his own patient?

Wouldn't be the first time.

Allison bloom was a deeply unhappy woman.

Anybody got a background on Finch?

Yeah... um... graduated from Annapolis

went to John Hopkins medical school

did his residency at Bethesda

served in the Navy

and then later worked

in the U.S. public health service.

Got a flawless record with
the state medical board...

But there was a lawsuit
filed against him in ' .

For what?

r*pe.

Cassy: The reason we're here

is we're investigating a case

involving Dr. Malcolm Finch.

We understand that you
filed a lawsuit against him.

What happened?

I was suffering from agoraphobia.

Dr. Finch had helped
a lot of people like me

through hypnosis.

And did it work?

Well, it did for him.

While she was under, he r*ped her

right there in his office.

And he had the audacity
to charge us for it.

He tried to convince me

I was just reliving a repressed memory.

But a woman knows

when she's been with a man.

But we've moved on.

Why'd you settle out of court?

Man: We didn't have any choice.

It came down to his word against hers.

Besides, Finch threatened to use the things

he and Mary talked about
in their sessions at the trial.

Including Dr. Malcolm Finch.

Thank you, you've been very helpful.

I hope you guys nail him
for whatever he's done.

If anyone deserves it, it's Finch.

You read this book?

Mary: Are you kidding?

It's practically our Bible.

Dr. Bloom saved our marriage.

His book helped you with your problem?

Not just his book; We were his patients.

We were on shaky ground before the incident

and it only made things worse.

I convinced Russ that we needed therapy.

I was reluctant at first

after what happened to Mary, but...

I have to hand it to Dr. Bloom.

He knows what he's talking about.

Did you discuss the r*pe with Dr. Bloom?

Mary: Of course.

He told us since we were patients

we weren't violating the gag order.

Thanks, again.

So, whom shall I make it out to?

Enid and George.

Enid and George.

Your book helped us so much, Dr. Bloom.

Oh, I am so happy for you, enid.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you.

What?

We need to ask you a few more questions.

Not now.

It'll just take a minute.

Um, I'm going to take a short break here.

We spoke to the berengers.

Should I know them?

They were patients of yours.

Mrs. Berenger was r*ped

by her psychiatrist, Dr. Malcolm Finch.

Oh, I, I, I didn't know.

Well, the berengers say you did.

About the r*pe, yes, but not who did it.

Oh, my god.

If Finch r*ped Allison

that would explain the nightmares.

Oh, I should have seen it.

Nightmares?

Yeah, she would awaken

several times a night, but...

She never talked about it.

Tom: Your wife's prescriptions...

Some of the capsules were tampered with.

How?

That's what we'd like to know.

Wait, wait a minute.

Allison carried her pills around with her.

It could have been anybody who knew her.

It could have been Finch, for god's sakes.

Look, is there anything else?

I mean, are we done?

Thank you, that's it.

Thanks for your cooperation.

No, Jennifer, I think you're
taking this the wrong way.

You see, I don't think we
need to go to counseling

until we have something to counsel about.

No, I am not in denial.

I have nothing to be in denial about.

I...

Look, could you hang on a second, please?

What?

Bloom tried to commit su1c1de.

Let's go.

Um... I'm kind of in the
middle of something.

What?

Uh, Jennifer.

Oh, do you want to break up with her?

I do, I do, but I just...

I want... I want to let her down gently...

Jennifer, hi.

Tom's not really going
for this therapy thing.

Is that a huge issue with you?

It is.

Okay, well, he sure
would like to remain friends

so you should call him sometime.

Bye.

There you go.

That worked.

A little cold.

Oh, look at it this way...

It'll give her something
to talk about in therapy.

Hey.

Hey.

So how is he?

Stable, emergency doctor

said he was hallucinating.

Said he overdosed on
the same antidepressant

that Allison was taking.

How did he get her pills?

He had his own prescription.

Was he trying to k*ll himself?

Was it grief, loneliness?

Horsefeathers.

He did it because we're closing in on him.

Horsefeathers?

It's an expression of my mother's.

Tom: Horsefeathers?

Bloom made half a million last year

from book sales and personal appearances.

So?

So, maybe Allison finally decided

that she wanted a divorce.

A messy, public divorce.

There goes the best seller down the tubes.

Yeah, not to mention his career.

There's one more thing.

I don't know if this is a cop's hunch

or a woman's intuition

but, Harry, I think you ought
to take a look at this thing.

Why are you asking me?

You had to tell her, didn't you?

No, hey, that, that's a phrase.

It's like, like horsefeathers.

She's got a million of them.

Horsefeathers.

So then you didn't...

Oh, Harry, I wouldn't.

Tell me what?

Nothing.

Nothing.

It's nothing.

If it's nothing, drop
it and leave it alone.

Okay? What do you got?

I've got bloom's bank records.

And there's no record

of any payment to Dr. Finch.

Maybe she paid cash.

$ an hour?

Maybe she didn't pay at all.

Yeah, well why would
Finch treat her for free?

Listen, this guy Finch

it says here he finished

his Navy service in

and then he didn't start his stint

at the public health
service hospital until .

Are there three years in
your life you can't account for?

The public health facility

that Finch worked at in Kentucky

is also a research
center funded by the c.I.A.

It was probably research.

No, the c.I.A. Was in

all kinds of experimental stuff

in the ' s.

What if the nightmares were hallucinations?

First Allison, now bloom?

Well, maybe they're tied together.

You find out a person's deepest fear

and then you exploit it with dr*gs.

Yeah.

Hey, Harry, that's a good idea.

You know, sometimes a
person's deepest fears are...

And desires...

Are hidden beneath the surface.

Cassy, go reinterview Allison's sister.

And you...

Go ahead... go surf the net.

There are dozens of
sites dealing with the c.I.A.

Find out if any one of them

has any connection with the research

Finch was doing.

Go ahead.

Allison's nightmares.

You said that she had one

the night she spent with you.

Did she tell you what it was about?

It was the same one she always had

ever since we were kids.

When Allison was six years old

she had this little kitten.

And she carried that kitten
with her wherever she went.

Well, one day, she was
alone with it in the yard

and I was watching from the house.

She was playing with the cat

and it got away from her.

Out of nowhere

this hawk came down and grabbed the kitten

and carried it off

right in front of her eyes.

That's terrible.

Well, you can see why

she doesn't like to be outside.

Her psychiatrist

was supposed to help her with that.

Yeah, big help.

I saw her new kitten on the
terrace the night she d*ed.

Now, it's possible that if Allison

went outside to rescue it...

What kitten?

The little orange one?

Allison didn't own a cat.

Bloom said it was hers.

Well, that's ridiculous.

Ever since the hawk...

She refused to own so much as a goldfish.

A kitten?

That's insane.

Tom: So get this, the stuff that

that c.I.A. Was working on

back in Finch's dark period
was called "fear manipulation."

The psychiatrist would
uncover a person's fear

and then, using various
radical doses of dr*gs

they'd bring on hallucination.

The hawk.

Allison was hallucinating.

But the kitten, that was real enough.

Must have been bloom's contribution.

Well, that was the trigger, I think.

It was the side effect of the dr*gs

that made the nightmare seem real.

Bloom sets the trap, Finch's
dr*gs put her over the edge...

What do you think made
them turn on each other?

Bloom knew about the r*pe.

So he blackmailed Finch
into helping him k*ll Allison.

Finch doesn't want to get caught.

So he makes bloom look guilty as hell.

Tampers with his
prescription, brings on a su1c1de.

These people call themselves doctors.

I think we'd better bring in
Dr. Finch for questioning.

All right, see you.

Yeah.

Are you all right?

No!

Oh...

Oh...

Little girl: Mommy!

No, no.

Mommy!

Woman: Cassandra, open your eyes!

Mommy?

Open your eyes!

Open your eyes, open your eyes...

Mommy!

Eyes open, eyes open.

You made it.

Good luck.

Don't look down.

Mommy!

Eyes open.

Open your eyes.

Don't move!

You shouldn't do that.

You'll lose your grip, and you'll fall.

You know that, don't you?

Try me.

Don't look down.

Next one might hit you.

No nightmares?

Not a one.

Excellent.

Thanks.

Actually, I slept great.

Yeah, like a dog at noon on a hot day.

It's a phrase.

I know.

Hmm...

You sleep well?

No, I did not, thank you.

Jennifer?

Yes.

We spent the night

talking into the wee hours.

Most of which was spent explaining you.

Oh, I'm sorry.

No, you're not.

You're right, I'm not.

Dr. Bloom is fully recovered

and he's singing like a bird.

Good work.

Thanks, Harry.

You okay?

Yeah, just a bad night.

Nightmares?

You told her about the dream, didn't you?

I knew you would.

I didn't say a thing.

I'll have you know that last night

I dreamt I was a man again.

No more dreaming about being a woman.

It's over.

You get it?

Wait, wait, wait.

You dreamt that you were a woman?

And if I did?

That is so kinky.

Oh, now we have a whole new level

to share on.

If my love life ever goes

completely in the bucket

I know I've always got you.

No, walk away, both of you.

Get working.

Ooh!

Stop!

I am so glad I didn't tell
them about the dress.