01x05 - A Still Point in the Turning World

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "Chance"...

Chance: I'm trying to give Jaclyn to you, trying to find a way to let you keep helping her.

Did her other therapist go to this much trouble for her?

What was her name?

Myra Cohen, I think.

She d*ed?

Yeah. Police said they thought she might have tried to stop a home invasion robbery.

You're my knight.

Jackie said that, too.

5 gets you his computer, 10 gets him a b*ating, 20 makes him go away.

All I want is something that I can give the DA.

You need to give them something, otherwise it's your word against Blackstone's.

You don't want that. Jaclyn said he's dirty.

Point is, we get to know him, so we're there when he trips over his d*ck.

Chance: I almost got us caught today.

She's your frozen lake, bro.

Doc, I know you called a time-out, but you needed to see.

Your lady, she was telling the truth.

What's he doing?

Trafficking women.

♪♪

Chance: How is that not enough?

Call the cops right now.

He's leaving.

Okay, well, so, we follow him, call the cops on the way.

Follow him in what car? Yours?

There was no time to get a rental.

You said, "Come right now."

Glad you did?

We got to jump on this right now.

Take a breath, Doc.

This isn't the ending. This is where we start.

What the hell does that mean?

When and if the cops do roll up...

[Glass shatters]

And this is Ghost Town, what the dealers call this part of Oakland...

I can't imagine they'll be in much of a hurry.

But let's say they do show.

dr*gs get flushed, girls are too scared to talk, looks like a party.

Blackstone catches wind of that, and he backs off.

[Indistinct shouting]

How'd you even know about that building?

Been having Carl drop me off nights the past week.

Best way to see who's who in the zoo... get homeless and talk to your neighbor.

Took time, but it paid off.

You've been pretending to be homeless every night?

Good exercise. More ways than one.

People see some homeless guy, say, "He seems okay. He could work.

What the f*ck's wrong with him?"

Spend a week on the street, you'll know what.

Everyone should be homeless for at least a month.

I appreciate this, that you would do this for me.

You hired me, brother.

24/7's how I roll.

[Car horns honking]

But a shower and a burger would be awesome.

D: The orange lines are where we followed Blackstone.

The pins are points of interest.

Dog park, Blackstone's condo, Happy Hands Spa, and the warehouse.

The eight green pins are all massage parlors, now shut down in Blackstone's big sting bust.

Nailed a m*rder suspect while he was at it, too... one of the bouncers.

It's in the paper. Man's a g*dd*mn hero.

Yeah. Terrific.

Well, he was also raiding the pantry, like we saw, making the sting do double duty, using it for glory in his day job and also to shut down the competition, take the best girls to beef up his own shop.

We got to document that. We got to get proof, something solid that... so it's not his word against ours, like you said.

Yeah, well, he's running a business, so there's got to be data somewhere.

Laptop would be my guess.

That, or some kind of device, anyway, something that he wouldn't risk going anywhere without.

Crown Vic's an easy car to break into.

Pop the taillight with a screwdriver gets you access to the trunk.

Hand drill gets you into the back seat.

Take a thumb drive, download whatever files he's got... records, money transfers, pictures, videos.

Worth a sh*t.

When? When do we do this?

Say, tomorrow night?

Good.

Then whatever we get, we give to newspapers.

Send reporters an anonymous gift.

Maybe.

That doesn't work, we can always reconsider plan "A."

Hide in that alley, cut his throat.

Problem solved.

Yeah. Okay.

I'll pick you up tomorrow night.

Usual time. Bring your drill.

Chance: Anything on the undersurface of the frontal lobes, any irritation on the temporal lobes?

Simon: You've seen hundreds of these, El.

You know how to look at them.

I've seen hundreds, you've seen thousands.

You're clean, okay?

When did you have these scans done?

This morning. Got them to squeeze me in at UCSF before start of business.

Now, what's that, that right there?

Only visible in one scan. A normal variance.

Which, for some reason, doesn't seem like good news to you.

Yeah.

No, I mean, yeah. It is. It...

What's this about?

Are you having symptoms?

Impulsivity, disinhibition, risk-taking, euphoria, calamity.

And you thought it was a tumor?

I kind of hoped it was.

Dementia, hematoma, hydrocephalus.

As opposed to what?

Abnormal psychology.

I needed to know, and now I do.

The choices I'm making are mine.

So cut it out, then.

Make different choices.

Okay. Thanks.

[Chuckles]

[Keyboard clacking]

But it could also just be a mid-life crisis, right?

Right?

Shut up.

[Chuckles]

Thanks, Simon.

[Siren wailing in distance]

What did I tell you about us coinciding again, huh?

You followed us into a store in broad daylight.

The f*ck you thinking, hmm?

Hey! Hey.

There's a certain something about her, though, isn't there?

What, maybe you thought you were the first?

Maybe you think you're The One?

[Chuckles]

Oh, Doc... believe me, Doc.

Whatever it is you think you're into here with her, whatever it is you think you're trying to do, you have no idea.

And that's the last piece of friendly advice you're ever going to get.

In fact, this is the last time you and I are going to speak, okay?

Stay away from my wife.

♪♪
♪♪

Dr. Chance?

Are you all right?

What happened?

There was a... a man.

Man was waiting for me. Ohh.

I-I-I'm good, Juan-Battista.

Just... Just give me a second.

Did he rob you?

Only of my dignity.

But you were assaulted. We should call the police.

He is the police.

It's the husband of a patient.

Estranged husband.

Oh.

You can keep that.

"The Little Book of Life After Death."

What is this, a travel guide for where I'm headed?

Yes.

But not today.

Let me help you up.

[Groans]

[Door opens]

Hey.

I got here, and someone was putting that up.

Juan-Battista.

Our building janitor. He does that sometimes, hangs his photographs on the sly.

He's like a cat burglar in reverse.

Who is it?

I don't know where he finds his subjects, or why.

Do you like it?

It's upsetting.

I don't think it'd be the kind of thing you'd want in a psychiatrist's office.

Isn't he worried about getting fired?

You need some help?

No, I'm okay, Hannah, thank you.

Helen.

Helen, sorry.

Oh, did your wife get ahold of you?

Christina, no. Why? She call?

No, she stopped by.

When?

Yesterday afternoon.

She waited in your office for a while, and then she left.

She say what she wanted?

No. She said you'd know.

Light brown hair?

No. Blonde.

[Cellphone chimes]

[Beep]

Hi, D.

He was here. Blackstone.

At my office, in the garage.

Call me.

[Ringing]

[Door shuts]

Suzanne: Is he in? No, no, no, I can show myself in.

No, thank you very much.

You're a g*dd*mn liar, Eldon.

What happened?

You told me that Myra Cohen was old, and she d*ed in a home invasion robbery.

When did you start thinking it was Blackstone, before you told me that or since?

My tires got slashed.

When? W-When did that happen?

Last night in front of my house.

In front of my home, Eldon!

Where I live!

I can't go to the cops with anything, right?

Because we... we both know what this is, right?

I have been your friend for 20 years, and you didn't give a sh*t?!

You put me right in his path, and now he's after me?!

[Grunts]

What's wrong with you?

He was here just now. Blackstone. Gave me a b*ating.

Oh, Jesus Christ.

[Sighs] I-I'm sorry, Suzanne.

I never meant for you...

You know, save it.

You're not the victim here. You had a choice at every turn, and now you're living the consequences.

Now I just have to figure out how keep you from taking me down with you.

Well, you have to step away.

Make it official.

E-mails, phone calls, texts.

He obviously has ways of knowing, so let him know that what he did worked, that you're no longer a danger to him.

Just walk away.

That's it?

That's all you got?

For the moment, that's all I got.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, you said that.

What about you? What are you going to do?

I don't know why I've been fighting this so hard now, why I've been so afraid for you.

This is what you wanted all along, and now you have it.

You have it.

[Seagull crying]

[Bell dings]

Chance: William Mullen is an 82-year-old, right-handed retired Circuit Court judge who prefers to be called Judge Billy.

He is single and has never been married.

Questions have been raised regarding the possibility of elder abuse by a female in-home care provider, to whom Judge Mullen has given more than $1 million in the form of a series of checks from a money market fund.

Judge Billy: Eight or nine checks, tops.

[Buzzer]

None above...

$5,000.

Okay, well, let's do the math here.

Let's say it's nine, and $5,000 each, that comes to $45,000.

Now, the fund shows withdrawals about 20 times that.

I ever tell you about the first time I met her, all dressed up?

I told her, too.

I told her how beautiful she was.

How did she respond?

We fell in love.

She use those words?

And, yeah, I know the odds are that she's got some ulterior motive.

I don't care.

I'm 82 years old, for Christ's sake, and she's... she's 50, you know?

But for me, to be loved...

[Sighs]

...for the first time ever... you can't imagine what it's like.

She's the real deal.

And if she's not, the real deal doesn't exist.

Not in this life.

By virtue of his relationship with Reina, Judge Mullen has come to feel valued.

To his credit, he acknowledges the possibility that he might have been manipulated.

Nevertheless, he keeps coming up against the ultimate question...

What value is money, or even life, without love?

[Cellphone ringing]

What happened?

Where the hell have you been?

Blackstone was waiting for me.

He saw me in that f*cking store.

D: You all right?

I don't think anything's broken.

He hit you?

Yes, a lot.

Did he say anything?

To stay away from his wife.

That's all he said?

Yeah.

That's good, then.

He doesn't know we know about him.

Oh, well, if that's good, me getting my ass kicked, then, yeah, it was great. It was fantastic.

Look, we need to move on this tonight.

If we can't find anything in his car, we'll break into his house, his office, I don't know, his locker at the police station.

We just got to stop f*cking around.

I like the enthusiasm, Chief.

I'll be there at 6:00.

I'm already ready.

[Cellphone clicks]

Dr. Chance?

Detective Hynes, Fremont P.D.

I recognized you from your picture online.

Right.

Tried your office, left a few messages on your cellphone, didn't hear back.

Tried your apartment, too.

Yeah, sorry about that. I...

I was out quite late. Busy time.

You're a busy man. I'll be quick.

So, you want to do this here or in your office?

So how'd you know Dr. Cohen again?

We were colleagues.

You worked together?

Um, our paths crossed, academic conferences, you know.

Uh, I don't know. That's why I'm asking.

Is that where you met her?

You know, honestly, I don't remember.

Uh, I believe so, yes.

The Gestalt Conference, maybe.

The whole is other than the sum of its parts... that kind of thing.

I used to go every year.

Where do they hold something like that?

The... Gestalt Conference?

Palo Alto, usually.

You ever see Myra socially?

Not really.

But you were friendly.

We were colleagues.

You sleep with her?

No. [Scoffs]

No, I-I did not sleep with her.

Well, you didn't work together, you weren't friends, and yet you wanted to see crime scene photos of her dead.

Her death was the talk of our community.

People were very shaken.

In our line of work, we deal with any number of unstable individuals.

You think she was k*lled by a patient?

I didn't say that.

Well, she ever mention any particular unstable individual, any patient she was afraid of?

We never discussed patients.

Very professional.

You okay?

Yeah, I just got some... indigestion.

Huh.

So, anyway, why the sudden interest?

I don't know. I-I guess I was at the courthouse, and, uh...

I don't know, maybe being there just reminded me of her.

I really am sorry, but I...

I have to collect my daughter from school and I'm already late.

Oh, of course.

I wouldn't want to keep you from that.

I'm a father myself.

Just surprising that somebody was inquiring about Myra is all, you know, reawakened it.

And your name never came up, so I was curious, even hopeful.

You never know where a lead could come from, or... or when.

So if I think of anything else you could help me on, or any questions, I'll be in touch.

Is that all right?

Of course.

Great. Thanks so much.

I'm going to check out that nutty picture you have out in the hallway again before I leave.

Something about it speaks to me.

Thanks for your time.

Sure.

♪♪

[Indistinct conversations]

Who's that?

Can we just go?

Oh, come on. What's his name?

Dad.

Terrible name.

How will we keep that straight?

[Seat belt buckles]

[Engine starts]

Hey, what's with Berkeley?

Any new apartments to check out?

Preferably ones we can get before someone else gets them, because you didn't call, even though you said you would?

Hey, you know that futon you said I need to get?

Why don't we go buy one of those right now?

Yeah.

You got... You got keys, right?

Yeah.

All right.

I just got to get my bag. Thank you, gentlemen.

Man: You got it.

[Dog barking, car horns honking]

[Sighs]

Hi.

I hope it's all right.

Coming here.

I think we're past that.

I'm glad you came. It's good to see you.

I just... I wanted to talk to you... about what happened... at the store, the park.

Are you all right?

Your husband paid me a visit.

Oh, my God.

So did you, apparently.

You came to my office, said you were my wife.

I don't remember that.

I'm sorry I don't know.

That I'm like this.

That he hurt you.

You don't deserve to be hurt.

Why don't you come in out of the wind?

You look nice.

There was a thing, a luncheon, for Raymond.

I didn't want to go.

Uh, he helped shut down some massage parlors in Oakland.

They gave him a medal.

So he's a hero.

With our luck, he'll end up Chief of Police.

He's seven months away from full pension.

And when he vests, we're leaving town, just the two of us.

To go where?

He just says, "Somewhere far away from all this sh*t."

[Sighs]

I shouldn't be dumping all this on you.

But... things are just hard right now.

I've tried to leave messages for Suzanne, but she doesn't return my calls.

I don't know... She told me that you stole money from her friend.

$2,000.

I know.

She asked me about that.

They want it back.

But I don't have it.

I would never...

She also had her tires slashed.

She thinks she knows who, and you and I know she's right.

So...

What now?

She's done.

What about you?

I'm not.

I'm not done, Jaclyn. I'm not going anywhere.

You were going to tell me about that park and the store.

Yes.

But it was Jackie in the park.

'Cause Jackie makes you lose time.

So how'd you remember it?

[Elevator clanking]

[Elevator bell dings]

Thank you, guys. Thank you.

Sure.

Dad, I gave them the rest of the pizza money for a tip, because I didn't know where you were.

Hello.

Hi.

Yeah, that's a good call with the tip.

Be right up, okay?

You know what?

This might be the exact color of your eyes.

Right? Isn't it perfect?

You should have this.

It looks better on you anyway.

Really?

Wow. Thanks.

That's very kind.

Well, you know where we are if you want it back.

[Sighs]

She's beautiful.

Jaclyn.

I don't know why I remember it.

But I do.

Which part?

Everything.

Nicole: She's nice.

That lady you were talking to?

What's her deal?

Patient. Former patient.

A patient can live where you live?

What do you mean?

In the building.

I thought she lived here.

I've seen her.

When?

Last week, maybe.

On the stairs, I think.

Hey, mind if I steal a pillow off your bed?

Oh, Nic, uh, I'm sorry, I-I lost track of time.

I thought you said once we got the futon, I could stay over.

Yeah, yeah, you can, but, uh... not tonight. I-I've got to be somewhere for work.

I've stayed here by myself before.

I know you have, and you will again.

We got the futon. Ready to go?

I know. I helped.

So, are you seeing her, like girlfriend seeing her?

No, I'm not. She's...

Like I said, she's a former patient.

A patient who comes to your apartment.

There are a lot of chaotic things in her life right now.

She's in an abusive situation, and I'm...

We're trying to help.

Would it be wrong if you went out with her?

Because she's a patient?

Yes.

At the moment.

If enough time passed...

How much time is enough time?

Nic...

She likes you.

I could tell.

Plus, she's really pretty.

Or maybe you just want to be alone.

D: Furniture store was two days ago.

Why'd he wait until today to come at you?

I don't know.

Maybe it's like she said.

He likes to f*ck with people.

Wanted me to think I'd gotten away with it, spying on them.

Also, he slashed my friend's tires, Suzanne, a therapist who was seeing Jaclyn at my request.

Interesting move.

He's becoming impulsive, reacting.

All good for us.

Muffles the sound.

Why so many of those?

Backups.

Your face is clean.

Must have gotten you with body sh*ts.

He did. Very effective.

Yeah, no sh*t. Cops like that sort of thing.

Doesn't f*ck up their hands, harder to see the evidence.

Lucky he didn't use a stick.

You in pain?

Little bit.

Taking anything for it?

When I self-medicate, tends to lead to poor results at the best of times.

Also kind of feels like surrender.

So I'm going to ride this out.

Good answer.

The section outlined in blue is Ghost Town.

The blue pins are massage parlors that haven't been shut down.

Four of them.

Yeah.

And one of them's Blackstone.

♪♪

Which one was it?

Chance: Good question.

Today, it was Jaclyn.

But I don't know which one came to my office or who my daughter seems to think she's seen walking around the apartment building.

You know, until a couple months ago, And I never told anyone this...

But I never used to buy the whole multiple personality thing.

I mean, dissociative identity issues, yeah, but completely separate personalities, what people call "alters"? No way.

If someone came in claiming that, my first thought would be "borderline."

What's borderline?

[Sighs] Short answer, it's a serious mental illness, it's very hard to diagnose and even harder to treat.

Some people think it's untreatable.

That would qualify as f*cked up.

That what she is?

I hope not.

I hope... that parts of her have been fragmented by trauma, that parts can be made whole again, if it's not too late.

She is your frozen lake.

f*ck this place. Let's move.

You ever see a movie called "Blue Angel"...

"The Blue Angel," I think?

No.

You know who Marlene Dietrich is?

No.

Doesn't matter. She plays a singer at a Berlin club.

And this aging professor becomes obsessed with her.

And suffice it to say, he goes out on this frozen lake, and the ice breaks.

I've done this once before.

I've gone out where the ice is thinnest.

This that sh*t about you that Blackstone dug up?

I was an ER resident in Boston.

And she walked in one night.

I don't even remember what for.

She was released within an hour, but that's all it took.

And I knew where she lived.

At first, I thought I was... I was just in love.

I convinced myself that she felt as I did.

She didn't.

She left, I followed.

And...

...things got... more f*cked up after that.

Biggest casualty was my father, my relationship with him.

We'd been close, but we stopped speaking, and he... d*ed of a heart att*ck within a year.

The exultation of wanting...

...and the recognition that the object of such desires is forever unavailable...

...unknowable at her core.

I would have k*lled my father if I could have.

I would have scalped the fucker.

Lucky I was short on training then.

[Siren wailing in distance]

f*cking "A."

Girl from the dog park.

Let's go see what's out back.

[Indistinct conversations, shouting]

Put this on.

You look like a citizen.

What about you?

Aren't you going to get cold?

I don't get cold.

Well, then, why the jacket?

Just another place to hang my blades.

Keep your hands on the outside, you won't get cut.

This, too.

D, come on.

What's the worse that can happen?

Head lice?

Use Kwell.

You'll need a prescription, but you got that covered.

Hug the wall, stay in the shadow, go slow.

Just remember, we're a couple of homeless fucks looking for sh*t.

[Crash]

[Men speaking foreign language]

Man: Hey!

What's the language?

I don't know. Russian? Romanian?

[Men continue grunting, speaking foreign language]

[Clattering]

Man: Help!

See the Crown Vic, Doc?

It's our lucky night.

Here.

Lake Merritt.

I mean, that's got to be a mile, at least.

Is there nowhere closer?

Park is good.

sh*t goes sideways, I'd rather lose people over ground than run straight to a car.

I was in the teams.

We used to do these drills, sneak and peek.

Drop a guy off in a city, give him a rendezvous point.

He has to get there without being spotted by any of the other guys in the squad who are now out looking for him.

The point is, study the lines and shadows, the angles of sight, learn how to use them, make yourself invisible.

Terrain like this, lots of places to double back, set traps.

Not just about being hard to follow, it's about being dangerous to follow.

Make sense?

Sure.

So we leave the car at Lake Merritt so we can lose people over ground and get back to it if we need to.

"We" don't do any of that. You'll be in the car.

I'm going to be sitting in the park?

Why, because you're a ninja now?

Well, no, but...

Look, if sh*t pops off, I can't be worrying about you.

I need you where I can find you, ready to roll.

I need a wheel man. We down?

If you say so.

I say so.

Here.

You want this while you wait?

"Ignore Everybody."

Great f*cking read.

Are you kidding me? I'm going to be reading a book?

Why not? I always have a book.

I can be on patrol, middle of some sh*t storm somewhere, it's a great exercise for the mind.

Be the still point in the turning world.

Well, thank you, but I have my own.

Lucky you.

[Engine starts]

[Drill whirring intermittently]

"Tribe Called Red"?

Native American battle music.

Put it on. Keep the windows up.

Track 3.

[Drum music playing]

[Volume increases]

♪♪

[Men chanting shrilly]

♪♪

[Men chanting shrilly]

We're good.

See you at Lake Merritt.

[Chanting continues]

[Music stops]

[Sighs]

Chance: "Man lives upon the earth, not once, but three times.

His first stage of life is a continuous sleep.

The second is an alternation between sleeping and waking.

The third is an eternal waking."

[Men chanting loudly]

♪♪

[Music stops]

[Dog barking in distance]

[Indistinct conversations]

How'd it go?

You might want to get us out of here, brother.

For Christ's sake.

[Engine starts]

So what happened?

It's a story.

Got you this, you still want it.

Why would I not want it?

Mission was compromised.

Do you have his files?

Is that why you're asking if I... if I still want it?

You... There's nothing on there, or you didn't get time to download?

I didn't say the mission was aborted, I said it was compromised.

There was collateral damage. It's been taken care of.

What exactly are you sa... What are you telling me?

What about "collateral damage" and "taken care of" do you not understand?

[Tires screeching]

Any of it! I need this in plain English, D.

I need to know what happened back there.

Actually, you don't. The more you know, the more you're in.

I'd say I'm pretty damn deep in already.

Can you get us on the freeway?

Jesus, are you telling me you k*lled him?

If by "him," you mean Blackstone, no. I didn't k*ll him.

Least I don't think I did.

It'd be good to get across the bridge.

I'm not saying they'll close it... but you never know.

When one of their own goes down, all bets are off.

[Car horn blaring]

[Crash]