01x04 - Admissions

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "Second Chance"...

Woman: Disgraced sheriff Jimmy Pritchard took his own life today.

[Zapping]

You're the first to journey all the way back, to get another chance.

I know you. You're one of those rich computer twins.

Otto recoded your white blood cells to fight the cancer in my blood.

You brought me back to save you.

Otto: The donor grows much stronger than any of my models anticipated.

[g*nsh*t]

You hang on, all right? You hang on!

I should have gone to your ball games.

I should have...

I should have been better to your mom.

Duval: He's dying.

He said you could fix him.

I'll meet you at the gate.

No, we're coming in together.

No more lies.

Why does he think he's my father?

Because he is.

No.

No, no, no, no.

No, it can't be.

It is.

It is not. It's impossible.

This doesn't happen. It... it... it never happens.

If by "it" you mean me, it's happened.

Look at me. You know who I am.

Shut up.

Shut up?

How long you been waiting to say that to me?

You two. I need an explanation that doesn't involve my dad coming back from the dead.

What is that? What language is that?

What are you saying?!

Don't even bother. It's some twin thing.

It freaks me out, too.

[Stammering] That's what freaks you out?!

Hey, get your panties out of a twist, take a deep breath, and admit you know who I am, kiddo!

Don't call me that!

Don't call me that!

Now, you hate being called kiddo 'cause you're a grown man.

You took care of the family when I wasn't around.

That's right, isn't it, kiddo?

It's a mind-bender.

I know.

Imagine how I felt.

No. No.

Don't backslide. Stay with it.

No, no, no, no!

I know this is a lot to take in.

No. Do... no.

My... my father never looked like that, so he can't be.

He isn't. He isn't, he isn't.

But he is.

Mnh-mnh.

He's the best version of your father.

Physically, his cells were recoded for optimal capacity.

Physically, he is the best version.

Inside, however, I'm still just me.

You saw it.

I think Gracie saw it, too.

Don't you say her name.

Arthur: Agent Pritchard's facial effect indicates he is at 54% acceptance.

What the hell is that thing?

Agent Pritchard, let me take you through this slowly, from the start.

You're not taking me through anything.

Mnh-mnh. Mnh-mnh.

You two, this... this apartment, this... that t*nk out there.

That... that thing in the mirror.

I'm not...

Duval!

Son.

It's me.

I'm back.

No.

I buried you.

♪ ♪

I told you, hmm?

She is perfect.

[Russian accent] No.

Not yet.

Let me have her and I will make her perfect.

♪

No. Not this one.

[Music ends]

[Cheers and applause]

♪

Margo?

Margo.

Honey?

No!

[Breathing shakily]

[Breathing deeply]

[Door opens]

Helen: Yeah, I would love to see what you have, honey.

That's the picture...

What is that?

It's Granddad from the memorial.

I'm using it for my presentation, remember, at school?

All right, listen to what I have so far.

Yes.

[Clears throat, sniffs]

"Jimmy Pritchard was not your typical granddad.

He loved loud music, putting bad guys away, and his bourbon neat... not always in that order."

That's cute.

[Chuckling] Some people say... "

Duval: Stop.

What's wrong?

Stop.

I don't want to hear any more of it, and put that back where you found it.

Why? What's... what's wrong?

You okay there, Duval?

You said that I could do this.

Well, now I'm saying you can't.

Just because you don't talk about him, doesn't mean that no one else can.

I'm your father and I told you to put it away!

So put that thing away now!

[Cork rattles]

I know.

That was wrong.

I know.

I'll apologize to Gracie in a minute.

Did something happen at work?

Yeah.

No. I...

Let me ask you a question.

If Dad came back, right now...

What would you say to him?

Oh, my god. It's happening.

It's finally happening, isn't it?

What? What's happening?

Well, you're letting in that Dad is gone.

He's gone. He's not coming back.

It's because our half brother is here, isn't it?

He's helping you.

Oh, it took you a while, but I'm...

I'm just... I'm so proud of you, Duvie.

Just let it in.

You know, you... you can say it now.

"My father is gone, and he's not coming back."

[Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" play]

If your dad screws up... Cut him some slack.

That's rule number two.

♪ Mississippi Queen ♪

If you've got food and a roof over your head and you get taken to a prize fight every now and then, just say "Thanks, Dad."

Rule number one.

Is that so hard?

Are you listening to me?

Are you listening to yourself?

I wasn't talking to you.

That's the problem.

You're not talking to the right person.

You know, it's been a long time...

Since I could do this.

I've never been able to do that.

Look, I got it, all right? I got it.

You want me to talk to my son.

He'll accept who you are. You saw it.

He's almost there.

That's the problem.

If he accepts who I am, he'll want nothing to do with me.

You want to go on pretending to be the brother he's never heard of?

We were getting somewhere.

Then get somewhere honestly.

As his father.

Honesty? Is that what this is?

You just want me to make good with my FBI agent son so he doesn't go tell them about it and they come close this little science project, and then bam!

There goes your cure.

I know you didn't throw yourself off that bridge.

Sheriff Jimmy Pritchard would never walk off that bridge.

Damn straight he wouldn't.

But Sheriff Jimmy Pritchard ended up all by himself in a crappy apartment paying for hookers.

Watch it.

And getting visits from his son only when the neighbors complained about the noise and cigarette smoke.

He knows who you are.

Show him who you can be.

I've seen that person.

I think Duval should see him, too.

You done?

Yes.

You ever think about coaching sports?

That was a humdinger of an underdog speech.

There's only one way back into Duval's life.

He asked me for help once.

Only time he ever asked for my help with a case.

And when he asked for your help, what did you do?

Gracie: Those are my granddad's old boxes, and my dad's case files are over here.

[Chuckles]

Does my dad know you're here?

No, he doesn't.

You know, I'm not a kid. I can see what's going on here.

You make my dad angry just like my granddad made him angry.

Why?

The situation with your dad and me is complicated.

What are you looking for in his old case files?

Just something that'll make him less angry.

You know, I'm glad you're here.

My dad's done so much by himself, you know?

He really needs you.

I'm glad he has a brother, and I'm...

Glad I have an uncle.

Can you just... can you just promise me that you're... you're here to help him?

Gracie.

Of course. Yeah, I promise, okay?

Why don't you, uh, go make me one of those double-bacon BLT sandwiches, huh?

Your grandfather told me all about them.

You got it.

Duval: The name's Kevin Whitfield.

It's a junkie. Overdose.

Yeah, but this kid has no history of drug use.

He was going to college in the fall.

Dad, just go through it with me.

See if I missed something.

These parents came to me.

They said their son was better than this, and I believed them, Dad.

I did.

Tell me.

Please tell me you have something more than that.

His backpack.

He never went anywhere without it.

It's missing.

[Camera shutter clicks]

[Phone ringing]

Man: Hey, Duval.

[Sighs]

[Cellphone rings]

[Sighs]

What?

James: Question.

Remember that promise you made to Kevin Whitfield's parents?

You want to make good on it?

What do you know about Kevin Whitfield?

Just what you told me back then.

I've been going over it.

You know, uh, the backpack that was missing.

You thought it was connected to the k*lling.

Are you reading my notes?

I, uh, I took a picture of it, and I sent it to my friends.

They did some kind of search.

You know, like the dents and scratches on the backpack make it like a fingerprint?

Did you know that?

[Beeping]

They looked at 5 million pictures and finally came up with the perfect match.

One double-bacon BLT sandwich, nice and hot.

Thank you.

Duval: Where are you?

Are you at my house?

James: I found the backpack.

The dead kid's best friend, a nice young man named Liam.

He took it.

Funny how he didn't mention that in his statement, huh?

You stay away from my daughter.

Yeah. Deal.

I'm heading to the best friend's house right now.

Maybe you should, uh, just meet me there.

[Sighs]

[Phone beeps]

♪

Did I tell you how much I missed Gracie's double-bacon BLT sandwiches?

But even on my cholesterol meds, the doctors... they just never let me have one.

[Sighs]

You remember Kevin Whitfield's best friend Liam, don't you, Duval?

Say hello, Liam.

Hello.

Right, now tell the nice FBI agent what you didn't tell him last time.

[Panting] I...

I took Kevin's backpack.

He stole his best friend's backpack after he d*ed.

Liam: I just wanted his headphones.

He didn't need them anymore.

I swear.

Touching.

Anyway, he kept the backpack and, uh, this was inside.

Can you guys let me down now?

How did you convince Gracie to let you into my stuff?

Did I tell her who I am?

Who you think you are.

Oh. Oh, we're back to this. Good.

Who's Gracie?

Tell me what this means.

I... I don't know.

I swear. I... I just wanted the headphones.

Cut me down!

That's the break that you wanted.

Now, if we'd had that before I went and told you to let it go... you were right.

There was more to this.

Now, you can give it to your cipher unit, or we can give it somebody who thinks in code.

Otto Goodwin.

You're gonna want him on this. Just trust me on that.

Otto: It's beautiful.

We thought it was some kind of...

Oh...

Some kind of drug accounting book that the names would be suppliers, dealers.

The numbers would be amounts, delivery dates, maybe payments.

It's chess.

It's what?

It's not dr*gs. It's chess.

These names are grand masters.

The owner of this notebook was playing them, anticipating moves, countering, often b*ating them.

This notebook is the work of a genius.

He was just 17.

And a prodigy.

How do you know him?

I'm sorry, Duval.

I thought this was some drug deal gone south.

I thought he'd give us someone to go after.

Go after for what?

The kid who wrote this... he's dead. He O.D.'d.

It's not uncommon.

Exceptional intellects don't fit in.

Without the proper care, many self-medicate.

Based on data from our users, 83% of those with an IQ higher than 150 use some form of medication.

Yeah, but heroin.

Searching for prodigies O.D.ing on heroin.

Should I show you the others in this geographical area?

Others? What others?

Margo Mallory. Cellist.

Julian Edlun. Linguist.

Fluent in eight languages.

Victor Ruiz.

Passed the bar and practiced law at age 16.

Duval: This has been happening all along.

All O.D.'d like Kevin Whitfield.

All within 18 months.

Maybe there is someone to go after.

Babar Quereshi just published a mathematical formula for perpetual calendar calculations.

I know you think he's perfect, but not yet.

You must let me have this one.

He needs to be pushed just a little more.

[Tires squealing]

[Sighs]

[Footsteps approaching]

What's the feeling, Otto?

They were all outliers.

Their gifts set them apart from the world.

Like you're set apart?

There was no one to protect them.

What would happen to me if you went away?

Same exact heroin compound found in all five victims.

None had a history of street drug use.

This is a homicide investigation now.

US or local PD?

[Chuckles] Five victims over three states.

I think we take this one, don't you?

Yes ma'am, I think we do.

Kevin Whitfield's parents came to us.

Said his death wasn't an O.D.

If I'd have stopped it then...

No, the Bureau didn't.

So I'm telling you to stop it now.

Use whatever you need. No more bodies like this.

Yes, ma'am.

Agent Pritchard.

How'd you make the connection?

Kept digging.

Then just got lucky.

Helen: Okay. Are you really serious about this?

I told your dad, Grandpa was gone, but now you coming into our lives and digging up this case, well, that was the last time Dad and Duval were ever civil to each other, so now I think he might still be here.

Just holding on, something left to do.

All right. Come on.

Both of you. Fingers on.

[Sighs]

Thank you. Close your eyes.

Sheriff James Pritchard, if you are here, make your presence known.

James Pritchard.

Are you with us?

[Door slams]

You. Outside.

Right now.

[Door opens]

They sure do this a lot.

Maybe they like it.

When we were kids, your grandpa would take your dad out there when he was in trouble.

I can't imagine Dad in trouble.

Yeah. They'd stand there just... like that.

Duval: Why are you here?

I told you to stay away from my house.

You'd only come if you had leverage.

I'd only come?

So you admit it's me.

Just tell me what you have.

The dead whiz kids... they all had one more thing in common other than their talents.

Otto. He found a pattern.

They all applied to Seattle State University.

Kevin Whitfield apply?

Just like all the others.

You gonna talk to their admissions officer?

Yeah. I am.

Good.

Take me with you.

The only other person that knows as much about this case as you is me.

You came to me once, for help.

I saw where it was going, I told you to drop it.

And you did, and I just...

Watched that eat away at you.

I was there.

I know it's you.

But if I say it out loud it means I'm either crazy or it's true.

You just said it out loud.

[Sighs shakily]

Gracie and Helen, you don't tell them.

I do when it's time.

Let's solve this case, Duval.

When we get there, I do the questioning.

You don't talk.

They were so rare. Each of them.

I remember some of their essays.

Who could want to take these lives?

That's what we're trying to find out.

Maybe you can help.

The only thing they have in common, other than being gifted, is an application to this school.

As admissions director, you see every application.

You don't think I had something to do with this.

Just want to know how the admission process works.

I'm sure privacy is a major concern here.

Who has access to the applications?

I see them all.

Then I divide them into four groups.

So there's four admissions officers and two assistants.

That's seven of us. No one else is permitted access.

We'll need to talk to them.

I'm gonna give you a list of dates.

I need you to tell me where you were when...

[police radio chatter]

[Car doors close]

Is there a problem?

[Police radio chatter]

I need to speak to you for a moment.

What? I kept my mouth shut.

More agents.

I called for a warrant before we left my house.

I'd rather not explain that you're... not FBI.

Yeah.

[Elevator bell dings]

Here's the warrant for you, sir.

All right, we are looking for anything to do with high IQs, exceptional talents, anyone who is gifted.

Let's go.

These are Duval Pritchard's last four cases.

He's doing good work, but it's as if something is left out of these reports, something he's hiding.

So let's find it.

There was another one...

Sammy park... an overdose two years ago.

The kid was 15. here on a full scholarship.

Physics.

Carl, the admissions director?

He's got solid alibis.

Yeah, he's hiding something.

And you know that how?

Five decades in uniform is how I know.

Same way I knew that you busted my car window playing ball even though you said you didn't.

I didn't bust it playing ball. I hit it with a bat.

How the hell did you put a bat through a window playing ball?

When you do it on purpose.

[Inhales sharply] This physics prodigy... he was seeing the school therapist.

Maybe he said something in session that will help us.

You hit my Chevy on purpose.

You made Mom cry.

If you've got a problem with a man, you go to him.

You don't take a bat to his car.

I was 8 years old.

I knew you lied about that window.

Well, it looks like you two are in the right place.

Exceptional people like Sammy... they're hard on themselves to begin with, and when you push them to see how far that genius can go, the stress here can be unbearable.

But he sought out treatment.

Well, we're understaffed.

At most, I saw him once a week.

I mean, it wasn't enough.

Emotionally, he was like a child.

Did he ever mention any of those names in that file there?

Did he ever mention a Kevin Whitfield?

No. I'm sorry, he didn't.

May I ask... do you not speak?

He asked me not to.

Well, that's something you should work on, along with what was going on in my, uh, waiting room.

I can refer you to somebody.

Can she access the applications?

No.

I want agents put on the people with access to the applications and reach out to anyone who remotely meets the k*ller's criteria.

[Cellphone beeps]

What?

I've never seen you work the field before.

It looks good on you.

We won't be able to get the admission files now.

So maybe we stop. Maybe it's over.

That's what's wrong with you.

You don't push hard enough.

You're lucky I am in your life.

Why you? Why bring you back?

And not someone worthwhile?

I asked that question myself.

Something about my DNA makes the process just... Go.

And you just signed up for it.

No, I didn't. They just did it.

So, it's been nearly two years.

Why are we here?

Your son Kevin was the first... only after we found the others...

We knew it was homicide.

So like we told your people.

I can't imagine what these last 18 months have been like.

So what do you want from us, Agent Pritchard?

I want to start again.

If you have anything of Kevin's from that time...

We haven't touched his room.

So you can take whatever you want if it helps.

[Sniffles]

But don't call us again unless you have answers.

This is everything from Kevin's room?

Yep.

So, start your timeline at zero.

What's your first event?

I'm gonna start with the su1c1de at SSU.

It happened a month before the first k*lling.

I'm not ready to call that a coincidence.

All right. We'll call it event one.

Kevin Whitfield's event two.

God, it's weird being here.

It looks just like your old place.

Yeah, I kind of like it here.

Kevin Whitfield's condolence book.

Hey, you don't have mine, do you?

I'd like to see who came to my funeral.

No, you wouldn't.

[Scoffs]

Duval, did you really bust my car window 'cause I made your mom cry?

Yeah. I did.

Good for you.

Liz Kenyon.

The therapist. What about her?

She's written her name in Kevin Whitfield's condolence book.

Look. Right here.

She did.

And this name... Emile Sayles.

Same Handwriting.

Looks like she signed him in, too.

Funny... she didn't mention that earlier.

So, first, she treats the kid who committed su1c1de.

Then a month later, she's at Kevin's funeral.

We got to find out what happened in those therapy sessions.

We got to go look at those files.

You want to get into the psychologist's confidential patient files off of a signature in a condolence book? No.

First, you look deeper into her and this Emile Sayles.

Then we go to the judge, get a warrant, and then we go get her.

You understand?

Mm-hmm.

Say you understand.

Don't... don't pull that "say you understand" thing with me.

That's... that's my thing.

Well, don't you have a t*nk to get into or something?

"First you dig deeper, then you get a warrant."

Yeah, right.

The k*ller's sitting poolside in Acapulco drinking dollar beers and knockoff pain K*llers.

Liz Kenyon... a piano prodigy from the time she was 6 years old.

What she was 12, this man...

Emile Sayles, enters her life and takes control not just of her piano but nearly everything she does.

He pushed her until she broke.

And you think she's still under his influence?

Yes, ma'am. I do.

They are going to come for us.

Let them. Please let them.

Look at yourself.

You could have been so much more.

But maybe this is all you were meant to be.

[Gasps]

Where's your partner?

Emile? You know about Emile?

Mm-hmm.

You have to get him.

Please. He won't stop. You have to get him.

Please. He's going to...

Okay. Okay.

Don't move.

I tried to stop him.

[Sighs]

[Panting]

[Cellphone rings]

Duval.

It's her.

The therapist. We were right.

She's involved in these killings.

Listen to this. She was a prodigy.

Had a breakdown at 16 and was institutionalized.

Took a while to get these records.

Emile Sayles was her teacher.

Duval, listen...

Oh, it gets better.

Both their names are on the condolence books of the other victims.

And you were right about the admissions director.

He did have a secret.

Liz Kenyon was sleeping with him to get access to the applications.

He was afraid of getting fired.

That's what you saw.

Duval...

I have the warrant to Kenyon's home and office.

We're mounting up now.

This was good work.

She's been k*lling these kids.

We're gonna stop her.

Skip past the part where even though I asked you to wait, you broke into her office.

Then what?

She was on the floor when I got here.

She was gone when I got back.

When you got back from where?

I went after Emile.

You saw him?

No.

No.

Emile Sayles, her piano tutor, has been dead since 1997.

There is no Emile.

She signed both names in those condolence books because Emile is only in her head.

It's just her.

And now she's in the wind.

Kiddo.

Listen.

Go back to those twins.

They're your family now.

This was a bad idea.

So... You.

Here. This is what?

You giving up on working with your son?

Duval doesn't care what I think about this case or anything else.

You can't really believe that.

Your son wants very badly to please you.

Why do you think he became an FBI agent?

You don't follow in the footsteps of someone whose opinion doesn't matter.

You matter to him.

I never thought of that before.

He got into law enforcement because of me.

He wanted to please me. [Chuckles]

His whole life, he just wanted to please me.

If he's her and I'm him...

Why am I here?

Because you want me to shut up.

Okay. I'm good with that.

No, no, no, no, no. You want me to shut up.

You really want me to shut up.

And yet you still keep on talking.

Not now.

I mean, probably now, but even when I was dead, did you ever hear me then?

"What the hell are you doing, kiddo?"

Right. So who was I?

You were the voice in my head.

Like Emile Sayles is...

Like Emile Sayles is a voice in Liz Kenyon's head.

Only she wants him out. That's what she told me.

Now, when you used to hear my voice, where were we?

Where we were putting in the work.

Backyard.

You making me work the heavy bag.

So when she thinks of him is where they put in the hours.

He started working with her in middle school.

So she wants him out.

Maybe she takes him back to where he climbed in.

I've got agents covering 100 possible targets up and down the west coast.

I can't drag away assets because you and I are working out some family crap.

Well, you know, I thought we were catching Kevin Whitfield's k*ller.

Me and you.

It's a three-hour drive from here.

We can make it by opening bell.

Let's go.

[Bell rings]

[Indistinct conversations]

Can you tell me... why are we here?

I don't want you anymore.

It's been long enough.

I'm leaving you here.

You think you brought me here?!

I brought you!

So many choices.

It's not even practice and that one there is doing laps.

Isn't she pushing herself hard enough?

Remember when I pushed you?

It was just upstairs in the music room.

Yes, I remember.

Do you remember the music you made?

[Piano playing]

It was perfect.

It made you perfect.

She can be perfect.

She shouldn't have to be.

[Gasps]

How long ago?

She was seen heading toward the pool about five minutes ago.

Where is it?

Just around the corner.

He can't get you now.

You're safe.

Open them up.

I can't. they lock from the inside.

That area is shelter in place.

Get around the corner.

Get around the corner!

There's something else about me that you should probably know.

[Groaning]

[Metallic clatter]

James: There you are.

You shouldn't have bothered.

Come on. Just breathe.

Liz: The drug will take her soon.

Narcan. Heroin antidote.

All the agents looking for you have it.

[Gasps, coughing]

Liz Kenyon, you k*lled Kevin Whitfield, didn't you?

I took him to protect him.

Yeah, well, now I'm taking you.

[Police radio chatter]

[Handcuffs click]

James: Just breathe. Just breathe.

So why would you ever promise those parents you'd find his k*ller?

Because...

They believed in him so much that it made me believe in him, too.

[Young woman coughs]

You're a hell of a lawman.

Thank you, son.

So are you.

But I got to ask you to stay away from Gracie...

Until I figure this out.

Figure what out?

She's my granddaughter.

She misses me.

Yeah. Because you d*ed.

Just give me some time with this.

[Bell jingles]

[Sighs]

So, this is Peng's.

It's, um... Nice.

[Chuckles]

That booth over there... 1978.

I watch Tiny Nando Gordon Flick get stabbed by his wife and his girlfriend.

Bled right out.

And what is that?

That's a fog cutter... 10 types of rum.

I didn't know there were 10 types of rum.

Mm, used to be a time I could name them all.

[Laughs]

Is that why you asked me to come?

Ply me with fog cutters and tell me stories about Tiny Nando Gordon?

Would that be so bad?

No.

No, it wouldn't.

It was helpful what you said about Duval and... me and Duval and our relationship.

You know.

I'm glad it was helpful.

But he's not here drinking with you.

No, he's not.

I need to ask you a favor.

What can I do you for, Sheriff?

[Chuckles]

Agent Pritchard.

Ma'am.

Gonna be frank with you.

You've been closing a lot of cases, but I've been going over your reports and they leave me disturbed.

Disturbed?

Yes.

I know your last boss was corrupt, so I understand why you didn't trust me with this, but I'm hoping we can be more open in the future.

This?

Your confidential informant?

He reached out to me.

I had to up my security clearance just to open his file on the Bureau server.

My C.I.?

[Elevator bell dings]

You take good care of him.

A source like that is hard to find.