05x10 - Excessive Forces

[bunniefuu]

Hi! am I late?

No, I was early. hi. sorry!

Chief resident let me get out a couple hours before.

Well, I would have been here sooner, But I couldn't get out of the house.

I just kept going back for one more hug.

You know, it's the first time We've left aiden since...

I know, since he went missing.

But a little separation anxiety, that's normal, right?

Absolutely normal. he'll be fine.

Especially with delia sitting.

It's... [sighs] I know that the shadows haven't been back.

Just-- I don't know, I keep thinking Maybe they're waiting for us to let our guard down.

Honey, that's not going to happen.

It'll be fine.

So, aiden. any separation anxiety on his side?

No. [laughs]

He couldn't wait for me to leave So that he could show his aunt delia his magic tricks.

That's because he's like his mother--

Gifted and resilient.

Where is eli?

I don't care.
[laughs]

[cell phone rings]
oh.

Hi, eli. we were just wondering where you are.

Eli: sorry.

The behaviorists got into it with the freudians At the faculty meeting.

It wasn't pretty.

I'll be right there.
[siren]

Uh-oh, I spoke too soon.

What do you mean?

I'm being busted by the five-oh.

What?!

Smokey's on my tail.

You're getting pulled over?

[laughs] ok, you know what, It's probably your tail light.

[siren]
I'll never survive in prison.

I've been telling you for a week To get that thing fixed.

Please tell me you'll visit me in the pokey.

Eli, you're not going to jail.

You're just getting a ticket.

[laughs]
ringside seats.

Fantastic.

Yeah.

♪the best in life is free ♪

Captioning made possible by abc studios and cbs studios, inc.

You know why I stopped you?

If it's about the coffee filters I stole from work, I'll bring 'em back, I swear.

No, sir, it's your taillight.

I know. coffee filters thing was a joke.

You think this is funny?

A little.

No?

No.

Step out of the vehicle.

[melinda chuckles]

A field sobriety test? is he drunk?

No.

He's just eli.

Oh, I would give anything to know what he's saying to that cop.

I would like to know what that cop has a ghost in his backseat.

Be right back.

[door opens]

So did I pass, or...

I'm writing you a ticket for your taillight.

Eli: seriously?

You can't just give me a warning And let me be on my merry way?

Tell him to shut up.

Who? me?

What are you doing?

Uh...

I'm friends with dr. james.

Step back.

This doesn't concern you.

Do what he says.

He's a k*ller with a badge.

Child, whispering: can you see us?

Thanks for coming in.

Let me guess--

Detective blair wouldn't take care of your ticket.

Can you believe it? she wouldn't even come down on the price.

She actually told me I should cut officer ramsey Some slack 'cause he's been through a lot lately.

Meaning the sh**ting he was involved in.

Is that what it was?

Blair didn't give me any details.

She just said he was on a leave of absence.

How'd you find out?

I called the station and asked If he'd ever k*lled anybody in the line of duty.

Just like that?

Jeez. mm-hmm.

Blair's been holding out on me.

And here I thought we bonded because I told her about our gift.

Anyway, ramsey didn't k*ll anyone but his partner did, And he just happened to be there when it happened.

This guy, todd moresco.

He's our ghost?

Well, I didn't get a good enough look at him, But he's definitely in the running.

"meth addict sh*t during routine traffic stop.

"officer luis simon sh*t and k*lled todd moresco When the suspect turned a g*n on his partner, officer ramsey."

Whoa.

Yeah, ramsey went on a six-month leave of absence.

You think he did something wrong during the sh**ting?

The ghost does. either way, He's only been back to work for a few of weeks.

Ok, well, if moresco's our ghost, Why is he haunting ramsey and not the guy who sh*t him?

Maybe he's haunting them both.

It's so nice of you to do this.

You know what, it's not a problem.

We usually have a bunch of these neighborhood watch packets, But I guess we ran out.

Oh. it's a dangerous world, even here.

Well, we have to keep grandview safe.

And we appreciate it.

Oh.

Officer simon.

I'm sorry. I didn't recognize your name from the paper.

The drug addict, the one that you...

Well, you sh*t him, Right? and he d*ed?

That's right.

Must be hard to move past something like that.

Well, it is what it is, you know?

I don't like to second guess decisions I make on the job.

So you're not haunted by it?

No, I'm not.

Well, I'm sure during the investigation They figured out that you didn't do anything wrong.

Well, my partner and I were both cleared.

It was a righteous sh**t.

Your partner, he took a leave of absence.

He did, but it wasn't a disciplinary move.

It was personal, you know.

He had a hard time dealing with what happened.

Harder than you? different.

See, I didn't have a choice. I had to sh**t.

Moresco had a g*n pointed at my partner's head.

But for doug, it was different.

It was his g*n.

I didn't know that.

It all happened so quick.

You know, one second he's telling this junkie to get out of the car.

The next thing you know, the guy's got doug's g*n.

I can't imagine it.

It's the worst thing that can happen to a cop.

Having his g*n turned on him?

Especially a guy like doug.

He's tough, always in control.

You know, he prided himself on the fact He never fired his w*apon in the line of duty.

The fact that it was his g*n that forced me to fire...

Look, everything's here.

You're all set to go.

Thank you. yeah.

Hey, anne-marie.

How are you? I didn't realize It was so late.

Where's doug?

Your father went to get a ballistics report at the lab.

He should have been back there a half hour ago.

But he'll be here any minute.

Great.

You're not an officer here, too, are you?

[chuckles]

I'm in high school.

This is anne-marie ramsey.

It's my partner's daughter.

Oh, hi. I'm melinda gordon.

Ok, so, if we're done here, why don't we just--

You know, it's just really nice That you come by and visit your father after school.

More like report to.

Nice would be sipping a skinny vanilla latte On the square with my friends.

Oh. well.

Bye.

Take it to the impound, thanks.

Will do, officer.

Hey!

Hey!

No, no, no! wait!

Wait, that's my car!

Please!

That's my car!

♪but tonight, can't I go... ♪

Mmm.

Don't worry about the car.

I'll go down to the impound lot And straighten out as much as I can.

It just must've been some sort of mix-up, Because it said that my tags had expired, But I always renew.

You know, I remember That the registration stickers came in the mail And I thought I left them on the kitchen counter.

Maybe I tossed them by mistake.

I don't know.

It's just weird to see your car like that, you know?

And then, I almost missed it Because officer ramsey was talking To the tow truck driver.

Ramsey was there?

Yeah, why?

Nothing. it's probably just--

Just a coincidence.

What do you mean?

Well, don't you think it's a little strange, You're asking questions about a cop And then that very same cop shows up When the car gets towed?

What? you think officer ramsey's trying to send me a message?

I think most cops are hard-working guys with a tough job, But there is the occasional bad egg.

You know what I'm saying.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll be careful.

[thunder]

[car engine revs]

[tires squeal]

[crash]

Officer ramsey: hey, what the hell is wrong with you?!

Get back here!

[laughs] whoo! yeah!

[laughing]

[kicks trash can]

You're not todd moresco. who are you?

He wanted revenge And he got it. oh! you are the best.

Ah, it's the least I could do after hijacking your car For the whole day. thank you.

Besides, I need your help with something.

I found my ghost.

His name is dylan hale.

Oh, that's the kid from grandview high who d*ed last month.

You're sure it's him?

Positive. he gave me a vision last night.

And you know he was admitted here before he d*ed.

Of course, which is why I need you to ask around, And find out what really happened to him.

Skateboarding accident. hit his head.

There was no skateboarding in my vision.

What did you see?

Dylan was in a car.

He was driving past officer ramsey's house.

Ramsey was angry, and I mean, really angry.

And I'm just starting to wonder If the skateboarding story is a cover up.

For what?

I don't know, but if ramsey's the guy Who brought that kid into the er, Then maybe we're taking the wrong person's word For what really happened.

Whoa, whoa.

You think a cop hurt this kid?

Dylan seems to.

I mean, he's a cop, right?

They--they're people.

There can be good ones, bad ones.

Yeah, but, I mean, k*lling a kid?

Look, he went back to work right before dylan d*ed.

Maybe he went back too soon.

You're thinking ptsd?

That would make a man volatile.

I just want to know where that skateboarding story came from.

Ok, I will find out as much as I can.

Thank you.

After I get your car outta hock.

[laughing]

[groaning]

Hey, uh, buddy.

Um, I've been waiting, like, 20 minutes for this car to come out.

Do you think--
you should talk to him.

Sorry. thanks.

Hey. hey.

[car engine starts]

Don't tell me. you couldn't find the car.

No, we found it.
[chuckles]

Good. thanks.

Thing is, your car was accidentally tagged for a drug search.

What?

It kinda got stripped.

Down to the frame.

What do you mean, down to the frame?

You know your steering wheel, Seats, stereo system, stuff like that?

Right.

They're pretty much gone.

Tell me you're kidding.

Sorry, bro, it's no joke.

But it was totally our bad, so you will get reimbursed.

Yeah.

You know, my wife really liked this car.

At least she'll get to go shopping for a new one.

All right, thanks. yeah.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

You said that someone told you Accidentally to strip my wife's car?

Yeah.

Who?

That, I don't know.

There's no paperwork on it, Which is one of the reasons Why we realized it was a mistake.

A mistake, huh? yeah.

All right.

Thanks.

Yeah.

[sighs]

Melinda: he made a mistake?

So, he k*lled my car?

All right. you know what? that's personal.

I just think you need to be more careful, that's all.

Melinda, on phone: don't worry about it.

I know how to handle this guy.

Phew.

Officer ramsey?

Hi. melinda gordon.

We met over there the other night.

Did dr. james get his tail light fixed?

Oh, you scared him straight.

You have a knack for that.

Good to know.

Which is what I'm hoping that you will do With the skateboarders around here, 'cause they're always in front of my store.

Mostly kids, teenagers.

And you're concerned about?

Safety.

Especially after that--

That young kid d*ed in a skateboarding accident.

I don't think most skateboarding accidents Are that serious.

Still.

How's his family doing?

I wouldn't know.

That death wasn't a police matter.

It was an accident, not a crime.

No, no, right.

Right. it's just I had--i had heard That he was in trouble with the law?

Not that I know of.

Not here in grandview anyway.

And not that it makes his death any less tragic.

No, i--i didn't mean that.

Ms. gordon.

I've been patrolling the square for almost a month now And I haven't noticed any skateboarders.

Ahh! that is a sandwich.

[knocking]

Eli, come right in.

Hello.

Well, since I figured you're a one-car household And I just happened to be passing by, I wanted to see if you needed a ride back to the hospital.

Oh, thanks.

I'm working a double. it's the worst.

I was going to ride my bike, but since you were, um, Just passing by?

My wife put you up to this, didn't she?

She felt bad about monopolizing your car.

You heard what happened, didn't you?

They didn't just tow her car.

They trashed it.

I know. who knew mistakes like that could happen?

I don't think anybody made a mistake.

What do you mean?

I don't want to sound like I'm overreacting, But you stirred something up.

Me?

You and melinda.

Well, that's kinda what we do.

We stir things up and then cross them over.

Something like that.

Eli, I'm serious, ok?

I used to be a paramedic.

I know a little bit about cops and how they work.

Any way you slice this, there could be trouble.

Ramsey's haunted for a reason.

Well, let me try to say it simply.

If ramsey's a good cop, He's gonna do a lot to protect his reputation, all right?

If he's bad cop--

Who might have possibly k*lled a kid.

A high school kid. right.

I hear you. I'm not saying stand by and do nothing.

No, you're saying just don't play games with my wife's safety.

Yeah, yeah. I am saying that.

I worry about her, ok?

So do i.

I know.

No, listen. jim. melinda's my best friend.

I know.

No, you don't.

I haven't had a friend like that since I was
12 years old.

Someone who I've looked up to And I can learn things from.

I don't want anything bad to happen to her, either.

Well then, hurry up and figure out what this ghost wants.

Because if this car thing's a message from ramsey, He's on to her.

And you.

He didn't even bat an eye when I mentioned dylan.

And this was after my car Was mysteriously destroyed.

I mean, he is one cool customer.

Maybe he's not a cool customer.

Maybe he's just innocent.

Seriously?

Since when did you become a fan of officer ramsey's?

Since never.

But it's possible he was telling the truth About dylan not having a juvie record.

So, maybe they didn't know each other.

Look.

I just talked to detective blair
10 minutes ago.

She told me off the record.

Whatever happened between them, It's personal.

That's why dylan was at his house And that's why he said that ramsey is out for revenge.

Were they neighbors?

Lots of neighbors hate each other.

No, I checked.

And they lived across town from each other.

Well, maybe it was some sort of family feud.

Family feud?

Yeah.

Wait a minute. family.

He has a daughter. she's in high school.

What if she and dylan were dating And that's how he got on ramsey's bad side?

And then some.

Wow. so, hats off to dylan.

It takes a lot of cojones to date a cop's daughter.

Ok, I'll call you later.

Hi.

Hi. uh, I'm melinda gordon.

Yeah, we met down at the station.

I didn't think I made a very good impression.

Sorry about that.

That place kinda brings out the worst in me.

It's ok.

Sometimes my dad just gets to me.

He's way overprotective, you know?

My dad wasn't exactly the hands-on type, so.

Lucky you.

If dad could have me home-schooled, he would.

Thankfully he works, and my mom, She took off a long time ago, So he's got no choice.

He has to uncage me for school.

Did you need directions to the main office or anything?

No, actually, I was hoping to run into you, 'cause I wanted to talk to you.

Yeah? what about?

Dylan hale.

The kid who d*ed in the skateboarding accident?

What? why?

Did you know him?

Everybody did.

It's not exactly a big school.

Anne-marie, I understand.

About your dad.

Being on your case all the time.

It had to have been hard on you.

Both of you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Were you and dylan dating?

No.

Look, I gotta go.

Ok, look. wait.

This is going to sound really strange, But I have a gift.

I see ghosts.

And I've seen dylan's. what?

He doesn't belong here And there is a reason that he can't move on, And I think you know what it is.

Stop it. please. he needs your help.

I told you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

[yelling]

[cr*ck]

[car door slamming]

I mean, she couldn't wait to get away from me.

That's when she dropped it.

You think dylan gave her this thing?

It has to have some significance.

I mean, I saw him get clubbed in the head.

It was so violent.

You're sure it was a cop's nightstick?

Well, I mean, it all happened so fast, But that's what it looked like.

But you didn't see officer ramsey's face.

No. just the stick.

I just wish I knew where to go from here.

I checked around, and it turns out One of his friends brought dylan into the e.r.

A kid named jake olmstead.

Yeah, he's the one who said it was a skateboarding accident?

That's what he said. he just wiped out at the park.

What about dylan, what'd he say?

Nothing.

He was barely conscious before he d*ed.

Why would his friend lie to protect officer ramsey?

Look, I don't know, honey.

Now, I know you really want to help this ghost, But I really don't want you to take unwarranted risks.

And if this guy ramsey k*lled a kid, And he's already trashed your car--

I'll stay out of trouble.

Don't I always?

[sighs]

Not really.

Dr. james, come in.

Thanks for calling.

I've been reading your work.

Didn't know I had fans.

Eh.

I've been studying how adolescents process the death of a peer.

Well, how're the students handling the loss?

Eh, a lot of them are struggling.

Some come for help. others...

Wouldn't step a foot through the door.

What about the kids who knew dylan well? you know?

Like his friend who was with him when the accident happened.

Jake olmstead. right.

Uh, checking in with jake's still on my to do list.

Were they tight?

No, actually.

Jake and dylan were on opposite ends of the social hierarchy, With dylan pretty much at the bottom.

So dylan was a shoved-in-your-
own-locker kind of kid?

Not quite, no.

He was a loner.

Troubled family life.

Acted out. spent a lot of time in the principal's office.

And jake?

[laughing]

Straight arrow.

Baseball jock, but with a brain.

Plus, everyone likes him.

How about dylan's girlfriend?

How's she dealing with this?

He had a girlfriend?

Well, weren't he and anne-marie ramsey an item?

You know anne-marie?

I kinda know her dad.

Huh.

You got me.

It's hard to keep track of the hook-ups.

Don't think I ever saw her with dylan, though.

Jake, sometimes.

But not dylan.

You know, I don't mean to overstep, But if you could use a hand, I'd be more than happy to donate my therapy services For a couple of hours a week, you know?

Just until things calm down.

I'd need to clear it with the administration, But of course.

That's very generous.

I could start by talking to jake olmstead.

Great.

Eli: that's him.

I recognize him from the team photo.

Jake, right?

I'm dr. eli james. and this is melinda gordon.

What do you want?

I'm working with mitch larson.

I'm a psychologist.

A grief counselor.

I don't need a shrink.

You sure about that?

Weren't you with dylan hale the night he d*ed?

Who told you that?

It was in the hospital records.

Losing a friend can be very traumatic.

It helps to talk about it.

Look, I don't want to talk to you.

I'm fine.

And I'm late for practice.

I can see why he's so popular.

[car engine revving]

You just got something off that car, didn't you?

Good car.

I think those kids are harassing officer ramsey.

You're sure it's not the other way around?

How can they harass him?

Vandalism.

And I'm not just talking about, like, tping trees.

It was vicious.

They tore apart his house.

Wow.

Take one cop feeling shamed and powerless After a sh**ting incident, Add a little ptsd, And pow!

Vandalism like that could've pushed him over the edge.

[door opens]

You're late.

Where the hell have you been?

What difference does it make?

I'm your father.

Who you been with?

None of your damn business.

Don't talk to me like that.

You want to know where I was so bad?

I was at a candlelight vigil for dylan hale.

Now, why would you do that?

You didn't even know him.

Everybody was there.

It would have looked weird if I didn't go.

I don't care what it looks like.

I saw you talking to that woman.

What woman?

Melinda gordon.

What'd you say to her?

It's none of your business.

It is my business.

You are my business.

I didn't say anything.

Now, leave me alone.

Who's out there?

Which one of your idiot friends is outside?

Dylan?

What did you say?

What's the difference?

It's done.

Nothing will bring him back.

Hey.

Gotta watch your step now more than ever, anne-marie.

I don't want my little girl getting hurt.

Pb & j, your favorite.

No trading, ok?

Not even if abby has maple syrup?

Maple syrup? for lunch?

What is that?

That's my sticker book.

[gasps]

Aiden!

Those are mommy's car tags.

Where did you get these?

From daddy. he left them on the counter for me.

He knows I like shiny stickers.

Aren't they cool?

Yes, very cool.

All right, out to the bus stop. come on.

I'm gonna hold on to that.

There you go.

All right? let me see you.

Mwah. handsome.

Knock 'em dead, big guy. you, too.

I'll walk you to the bus in a second, honey.

Ok, mommy.

Eli the chauffeur, at your service.

Look where the registration tags for my car have been, Aiden's sticker book.

So they really were expired?

Yeah, and I thought ramsey had had my car got towed.

Well, he's still the reason it got shredded.

I'm not sure about that.

'cause jim said that he was poking around the hospital, Asking a bunch of questions about dylan, And if he had done something, wouldn't he have known?

Could be he's trying to figure out If anyone knew he was involved.

Yeah, I don't know about that.

Didn't you get my text?

I hadn't checked today.

Oh, well, jim also found out That ramsey came to pick up dylan's things.

His clothes, skateboard.

Anything that he had brought with him at the hospital.

Wait. dylan's parents didn't do that?

Apparently not.

What if he's getting rid of incriminating evidence?

Look, weeks after the accident?

Look, remember, I told you I didn't actually see ramsey hit him with the nightstick.

Dylan.

Why don't you believe it? he did it.

He's guilty.

I just think there's more to the story than that.

You don't understand.

You vandalized his house. you tormented him.

He had it coming.

No one has the right to come between people like he did.

Not when they're in love.

[cell phone rings]

Hello?

Hey, mitch.

Yeah, of course, I remember you.

You're my newest--
well, maybe my only--fan.

No, I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet. why?

Ok, thanks.

Anne-marie hasn't been to school in 2 days.

Has anyone talked to her father?

They called the house, no answer. why?

[sighs]
hopefully nothing, Except he saw me talking to her And he didn't look pleased.

Give me a second.

Ms. gordon, I don't have time right now --

I don't want to start any trouble, But it's about your daughter.

What about her?

She's missed school
2 days in a row.

You're tracking my kid's whereabouts now?

I just want to make sure she's ok.

I'll deal with it.

Look, she's troubled about something And I think I can help.

I don't. now if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of an investigation.

Yeah, is that why you have dylan's things?

Last time I asked you about him You said that his death was an accident, not a crime.

You said that you didn't know anything.

[car engine revving]

You need to leave.

Yeah, ok.

Sorry.

Eli, on phone: what do you mean, it wasn't a nightstick?

It looked like a nightstick, But it was actually a baseball bat.

Ramsey b*at dylan's head in with a baseball bat?

Melinda, on phone: not ramsey. jake.

Clean-cut jock jake? why?

I don't know.

The ghost said something about If people love each other, They should be together.

Eli, on phone: you're thinking This is how jake stopped their romance?

By whacking his competition in the skull?

It seems unlikely, I know.

And if that's true, why has dylan been blaming officer ramsey?

I don't know, and i'd like to talk to jake, But I don't have a car.

I'll come by the store after my next class.

Teach quick. bye.

Surprise! surprise!

[gasps]

Hi!

Oh, my gosh.

Aiden: check--
check it out, mom.

It's an acadia.
[car engine starts]

Oh, my goodness.

It's got a remote.

And a camera so you won't back into anything.

Nice.

Jim: it's got
3 rows of seats, too.

So we can carpool with my whole soccer team.

Oh, great.

Yeah.

Jim: come on in.

I know how much you loved that old car, But I just remember it took you about a year to pick it, So, I hope you don't mind if we --

Mind? why would I mind?

And I love you.

Both of you.

I'm sorry about your old car.

I didn't know they were stickers for grown-ups.

It's ok.

We did good?

You did great.

Listen, tonight, when I get home, We'll all take a drive together, ok?

For now, there's somebody I need to talk to.

Go crazy.

Yay! all right.

I love you, I love you. I love you.

Ooh, I can't believe this is for me!

Here, pal. hang on to that.

Ok.

Melinda: I'm excited!

I love you both.

Good-bye. love you.

Well?

We did good.

Looks like we're walking, pal.

Ok. come on.

[knocking on door]

Hi. um, my name is melinda gordon, I'm looking for jake.

He's not home yet.

But I'm bonnie, his mom. can I help you?

I think I've seen you at the school before.

You're one of the moms, aren't you?

Is that how you knew dylan?

I've only met him recently.

His death was a shock.

Oh, I know. it was awful.

His parents still haven't come For the last of his things.

His things?

He'd been living with us.

After his parents kicked him out.

Oh. I had no idea.

I didn't even know he and jake were friends.

They were and they weren't.

They used to play together Because I was friends with his mom.

When did they start growing apart?

I suppose that was my doing.

His father drank, And when he did, he was abusive.

To dylan?

I think so.

Dylan started acting out.

I couldn't blame him, and I couldn't fix his situation at home, But I could keep it away from my child.

So you pulled away.

And jake stayed away. he got good grades, He got into sports.

And dylan...

Fell off the map.

But I guess he remembered us being kind to him.

Jake, too.

Because when jake learned he needed a place to crash, He invited dylan here, and he accepted.

That must've meant a lot to him.

So, how did they do living together?

Good, I guess.

At first I was worried Dylan was going to be a bad influence, Especially when jake came home with speeding tickets.

But it turns out that was my fault, not dylan's.

What do you mean?

Jake was getting serious about a girl.

And I didn't realize how serious Until I found a box of condoms in his room.

Unopened, but still.

So I called the girl's dad.

Maybe it would've gone better If I could've talked to her mom, But her mom's not around, so--

The girl was anne-marie ramsey?

You know her?

Her father, too.

Hmm. yes, well, he threatened to have Jake up on statutory r*pe charges if he ever even looked at anne-marie again.

Then jake got
9 speeding tickets in 2 weeks.

So then what happened?

Jake and anne-marie stopped seeing each other.

Were they ok with that?

Jake wasn't.

I don't know about anne-marie.

And what about--
what about dylan?

Were they friends?

They were, but after she and jake broke up, I didn't see her around here anymore.

Jake must've been upset with the way things ended.

He was hurt.

And being a teenager, He took it out on his dad and me.

And dylan?

Him, too.

Just tell me what happened.

No, there's no time.

We have to get rid of it right now.

My dad never goes up there.

It's not your dad, ok? it's that lady. uh, melinda whatever.

She was just at my house. she's figuring it out.

You have to hurry. my dad's on his way home.

Dylan must've known anne-marie when he was living with jake.

You think he started crushing on her?

Melinda, on phone: or maybe she fell for him, too.

That's why he's so angry About lovers being apart.

Jake must've been pissed when he found out.

Melinda: yeah, especially after he'd taken dylan in.

Hmm.

A lovers' triangle gone bad.

Geometry can be so cruel.

But that still doesn't explain Why dylan blames ramsey for what happened.

Or why anne-marie was keeping jake's secret.

Yeah, she's the key to all of this.

Anne-marie: it's my dad.

You have to get out of here.

Hold on!

What the hell are you doing here?

Dad, please. don't.

Didn't I tell you to leave my daughter alone?

Just back off.

Daddy, no.

Is that blood?

What the hell did you do?

Don't come any closer.

Put that thing down.

Tell me what you've done.

I said back off!

Daddy, no!

Daddy, no.

Stop, both of you!

Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?

Get back here!

Whoo, yeah!

Put it down!

Jake: stay away from me!
[clatter]

Officer ramsey: drop the bat, jake.

Jake, please!

Give me the bat, jake.

You're in enough trouble already.

Stay away from me! melinda: hey, jake.

Ms. gordon, please! jake, You don't have to do this, ok?

It was an accident.

Give me that!

Did you k*ll that boy?

What the hell did you kids do?

It wasn't just us.

If it was an accident, You've got to stop lying about it.

Whatever you did, I'll help you.

Anne-marie, you have to tell your father what happened.

Somebody tell me what's going on.

You think you have everyone's number, But you don't know anything.

Dylan was the one who was smashing your mailbox, daddy.

It was dylan. why?

See? you have no clue about that, either.

Did you know what dylan was doing?

No. I had no idea.

We only just found out about it the night he d*ed.

Jake: dylan and me, we didn't really hang out at school, Even when he was staying with me, but...

[car horn honking]

Dylan! come on, man, need a ride? hop in. come on.

That night, we were all at a party together, So we gave him a ride.

All right, let's go.

Anne-marie: I was complaining about my dad.

That's when dylan told us It was him and his friends Who were playing mailbox baseball at our house.

Dude, really? what the hell?

Why?

Why'd you do it?

I never asked him to do it.

No, but he did it for you Because he knew how ramsey was harassing you.

Yeah.

He said, "i've got your back, man."

Ok, so, then what happened?

I wanted jake to do it.

Smash the mailbox.

It would make my dad so mad, and I wanted to make him mad.

And it was just a mailbox.

At first, jake didn't want to.

Get it, come on, baby, get it! let's go! let's do this, hit it!

I had to drive around the block 5 times.

But eventually...

Yeah!

Oh, no!

What did you do to the mailbox?

I needed the vandalism to stop.

That's all I wanted.

It happened 5 times. whoo, yeah!

They'd come by, smash the mailbox and drive away.

I was already feeling like I couldn't control anything.

The things I see at work, you wouldn't believe.

If I couldn't keep a mailbox on a post, How was I supposed to keep my family safe?

When did you realize what had happened?

The next night.

Jake drove me home.

That's when I saw the mailbox wasn't even dented.

Then I saw the concrete And I lost it.

So that vandalism was you?

Not dylan? you caused all that damage?

It was me.

I had no idea.

And you were acting so strangely.

And then you started asking these questions, I thought you did something.

I did, dad.

But it was an accident.

I never wanted anybody to get hurt.

I just wanted to feel like I could protect you.

I never asked for your protection, And I don't want it.

Tell her she's wrong.

And so was i.

Wrong about what?

He's nothing like my father, is he?

No.

No, she means everything to him.

And he would never do anything to hurt her.

Dylan's here.

He's with us now?

Oh, my god. dylan.

Is that why you punished him?

'cause you wanted to punish your father?

I made a mistake.

The anger that he had toward his father, He took it out on you.

But he's sorry.

I'm sorry, too.

Will you tell him that?

He can hear you.

Dylan, man.

I can't believe it. I feel horrible.

I...

I k*lled you.

Don't say that.

It's not like you meant for it to happen.

He doesn't blame you.

It was an accident.

All he was doing was being my friend.

I'll never forget that.

All that he cares about is that you were his friend.

He's gonna always remember that.

Nothing else matters.

How is dylan?

Can he move on now?

She was my friend, too, And I don't want her to end up like me.

He's worried.

That the two of you will end up like he and his dad.

No. god, please no.

Look, baby, I know I've made a lot of mistakes.

I know it's not enough Just to say I was protecting you.

No, it's not.

I guess...

I guess I'm gonna have to give you some freedom, And trust you.

It's just, when I think of you getting hurt.

[sighs]

I don't want you to get hurt either, daddy.

But it happens.

Bad stuff happens. you can't stop it.

No, you can't.

But you can be there for people when they need you.

Sometimes that's enough.

Sometimes it has to be.

So you just want me to "be there"?

And that's all?

Sometimes a hug is good.

Will you tell them I said good-bye?

I will, I promise.

What happened?

You helped him find the light.

He's gone.

He said to tell you good-bye.

Did you have a hard day?

[sighs]
it was ok.

Long, but ok.

Can I do anything to help?

Sometimes a hug is good.

Mommy, you can let go now.

I will, baby.

One of these days, I will.