01x05 - The Artist in His Museum

[bunniefuu]

Previously on American Gothic...

You left this behind the other night.

Hey, old man.

Brady found a photo of me from back then.

Like the one used in the Silver Bells m*rder case that he's investigating.

You recorded my sessions.

I want to talk about the body.

Link: I said we settled up.

I didn't say anything about money.

Ow! (GRUNTS)

Did you put someone else's hair on your brush?

You betrayed me!

What the hell is wrong with you?

I've been trying to clear your family because I thought they were all innocent!

Tessa: Gunther hung himself in the shed.

He had access to the belt they found in the tunnel collapse.

They think he's the Silver Bells k*ller.

They got the wrong guy.

That means the Silver Bells k*ller's still out there.

♪
♪ Na-na-na ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh...

♪ You're tossing and turning, yeah... ♪

(SONG CONTINUES QUIETLY)

(DOOR CLOSES)

Come on, this way. Okay. Oh!

Geez! I'm so sorry. It's just that you forgot Gatsby's stuffed squirrel when you brought him over.

Thought you asked me to watch him 'cause you were on a date.

(WHISPERS): I am on a date.

Right.

Looks like it's going well.

I'm gonna get you his toy.

Here.

(GATSBY WHIMPERING)

Wendy Molson, like the beer.

(DOOR CLOSES)

You look sort of familiar.

We met somewhere?

No.

Are you sure?

I mean, I'm really good with faces, We haven't... and I swear I've seen you around.

We haven't met.

Do you drive a red pickup?

(DOOR CLOSES)

Christina: Here you go.

Here is his toy.

Oh, thanks.

Can you keep him till tomorrow?

Definitely.

He's really good looking.

Go.

Hey.

I'm sorry.

I have to go.

No! Why?

(DOOR CLOSES)

Why? She-she's not coming back I swear.

I can't do this.

Are you kidding me?

(KNOCKING)

(DOOR OPENS)

Brady?

What are you hiding, Cam? What are you hiding?!

I was only gonna dose because my face is k*lling me, but I didn't...

You need to be straight with me right now!

No, okay, okay, okay.

Okay.

I didn't mean to hurt that dealer, but what he did to Sophie...

Sophie? What? No, no!

I'm here to find out what you know about the Silver Bells murders.

What? Why? It was Gunther.

No, it wasn't Gunther. He's being cleared, all right?

The belt that SBK used to k*ll his last victim was yours!

There's a photo of you wearing it.

It wound up in a concrete panel made by your family's company!

You are about to become our main suspect!

All right.

Look, Brady, come on, man.

You know I me... I mean, I'm a screw-up, but I would never... Let's go right now.

You're coming with me.

Let's go.

I didn't k*ll anyone.

I didn't have anything to do with it.

I know, I know. What happened to your face?

He got into a fight with his dealer.

Not my dealer.

Really, Cam, that's the detail you want to dig in on right now?

Why don't you go upstairs, I'll be up in a minute.

Go on.

You know Cam.

There's no way...

No, there's not.

But it doesn't matter, Tess.

Now we know the DNA test wasn't valid.

Police are gonna come down on him hard.

And soon.

And he can't be strung out when they do, or it's not gonna end well.

I will make sure that he gets clean.

Thank you for bringing him here.

I know you could've taken him in.

Look.

I know you're just trying to look out for him.

There's a better way you can do that.

He had this in his arm... when I came in, ready to sh**t up.

Now, it's got his DNA on it, (SIGHS) which means I could test it, but I will only do that if I have your permission.

Well, you don't have my permission.

You planted fake hair for a DNA test.

I nearly lost my job, okay?

So this is how we put it right.

I said no.

You don't know how bad this is gonna get.

I'm trying to help you out here.

Why are you fighting this?

'Cause I don't know who I can trust anymore.

If you want to help me, Brady, find the real Silver Bells k*ller and leave our family out of it.

I brought you some toast.

(SPUTTERS)

What, are you trying to prepare me for prison?

Sober one whole year and here I am again.

Mom's gonna be psyched.

All you have to do is focus on getting through the withdraw.

You ready for that?

Are you?

It's gonna get bad within a few hours.

The last time, I puked on your saddle shoes.

(LAUGHS)

And that is why I'm barefoot right now.

Okay.

Buckle up, T-bird. It's you and me.

Where is Mom anyway?

(CAR ALARM WAILING IN THE DISTANCE)

(KEYS BEEPING)

(MAN SHOUTING NEARBY)

(MACHINE BEEPING)

Linda: Our focus now is on Cam Hawthorne.

He was at one time in possession of the m*rder w*apon used to k*ll our last victim, he had access to the site where the w*apon was discarded and he had the means to pay off Gunther Holzmann to take the fall, so we need to talk to Cam.

But first we need to find him.

Craig: He's not at home.

He's not answering his phone.

So we need to dig deeper.

Now, we don't have a warrant, but that doesn't mean we can't rattle some cages.

Keep me updated on your progress.

Dismissed.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

His family might know where he is.

Any ideas, Ross?

Look, it's not Cam.

Guy's a drug addict.

These killings are precise and sophisticated.

It doesn't fit.

Unless we think of him as an artist with an eye for detail, who's grown to hate the wealth he's been surrounded by.

Oh.

But you'll shrug that off to protect him.

I want to solve this case just the same as you.

All right, Cutter, get moving.

Ross?

He's your brother-in-law.

It's a conflict of interest.

I've be advised to reassign you.

Lieutenant, hear me out...

But... you have access.

Insight into the Hawthornes that could be useful to us.

Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?

Go back through the files.

Mark any connection you see between SBK and the Hawthorne family.

Show me that you're on our side.

Yes, sir.

(SIREN WAILING)

Naomi: There's a lot we can exploit here.

I mean, for one thing, Conley's soft on g*ns.

Boston voters want a candidate who's gonna take a stronger stance against the g*n lobby.

Not a good time, Kimmie.

It's urgent.

(DOOR CLOSES)

I've been thinking.

I'm not sure my job title and salary properly reflect my true value here.

Let's work on the definition of "urgent."

Does the direct approach not work?

Should I try sleeping with you?

It worked for Naomi.

I saw you the other night all over each other.

And I can keep my mouth shut, but I will need an incentive.

We're being blackmailed by a millennial.

(PHONE BUZZING)

(BEEPS)

Oh, my God.

I have to go.

Just handle this?

I'll be back as soon as I can.

(SIGHS)

(FAUCET SQUEAKS, WATER RUNNING)

(LOUD CLATTERING)

(GASPING)

Dad?

I need to show you the body.

Cam: No.

What's wrong?

Cam: Go away!

Cam?

Leave me alone.

Mitchell: You know what you saw.

Cam?

(ECHOES): You know what you saw.

Take it easy. What's going on, Cam?

(DOORBELL CHIMING, KNOCKING)

Cam: Leave me alone.

It's the cops.

I came in the back to avoid them.

What's going on?

(KNOCKING CONTINUES)

They're looking for Cam.

They think he has something to do with SBK.

What about Gunther?

Cam: Get away.

Tessa: The theory didn't check out.

And now they're focused on Cam.

But he can't, they can't find him like this.

(KNOCKING CONTINUES, DOORBELL CHIMING)

Cam, it's all right.

Cam (distorted): No.

Mm.

You can't run from it, Cam.

I got to get out of this house.

(TESSA GROANS)

(CAM GROANS)

Shh. Shh. Shh.

(KNOCKING CONTINUES)

Linda: Is everything all right?

We can hear you in there.

Somebody want to answer the door?

You know what you saw.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

They're not gonna leave until someone answers.

(KNOCKING CONTINUES)

Linda: Everything all right in there?

Detective Cutter.

Mrs. Ross.

Is everything okay?

It sounded like there was some sort of commotion.

That was just me getting to the door.

What's this about?

We're looking for your brother, Cam.

Have you seen him?

Cam doesn't live here.

Linda: But you two are pretty close.

When was the last time you spoke with him?

Tessa (distantly): I don't know, yesterday maybe.

I'm not sure. Why are you looking for him?

(CONVERSATION CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY)

Cam: I want to talk about the body.

I don't want to see the body.

You remember it, don't you?

I don't want to know.

Look at it.

It's right there.

(MUMBLING INDISTINCTLY)

Shh!

...honestly.

Well, then, uh, we'd like to look around.

Sure.

You can, if you have a warrant.

I'm sure I can find probable cause.

You better be sure.

You see that owl?

There's a security camera in there.

If you take one step into this house, I'll call our family lawyer and my sister, who, as you know, is city councilwoman, and then we can all assess your probable cause.

I think you might've misunderstood.

I'm just trying to make sure you're all right.

Let me assure you, I'm fine, Detective.

Have a nice day.

So, Mom got security cameras?

Nope.

There.

(GROANS)

Mm-hmm.

So what was that with Cam?

He was hallucinating.

It's happened before when he's gone through withdrawal.

Never this bad.

He must've been using a lot.

Yeah.

You know, he was saying some pretty weird stuff, huh?

You make sense of any of it?

Not really.

Alison: Hello?

We're back here.

What...

Hi, I'm fine.

I'm fine.

Cam is upstairs resting.

I can't believe this witch hunt.

It was Gunther.

Well, apparently it wasn't.

Okay, where's Mom?

Uh, I don't know.

But I-I'll try her again.

Where are you?

Madeline: The Red Sand Spa down the Cape.

I just needed to decompress.

Is everything all right?

Uh, not exactly.

Cam relapsed and he's at the house detoxing.

(SIGHS)

Is he okay?

(CUTTING OUT): Uh, yes, but... just the dr*gs.

Tessa?

...questions about... case...

Sweetie, I'm losing you.

(TESSA CONTINUES CUTTING OUT)

I'll be back as soon as I can.

(PHONE BEEPS)

(GROANING)

(KNOCKING)

Welcome to the party.

(CHUCKLES) I wouldn't miss it.

(SNIFFS)

Ugh, so... police are looking for your druggie brother.

This is gonna be great for your campaign.

Don't worry about my campaign.

Ugh.

I came to check in on you. How are you holding up?

Oh, honestly, I'm coming apart a bit, Ali.

I mean, I haven't slept in days.

I keep seeing things.

And I can't tell if they're real or not.

Listen to me.

I love you.

I was too tough on you before... but I got scared, Cam.

You only get so many chances to turn this around before...

But you can do this.

You can.

I really believe that.

And I'm going to do everything in my power to help you.

Okay?

Yeah.

That's why you're my second favorite sister.

(LAUGHS)

Well, his sense of humor's intact.

Did you reach Mom?

She's at Red Sands.

The signal is not good, so I guess it's gonna be the two of you for awhile.

The two of us?

I need to go to work and I want to check on Jack at school.

You guys can put your issues aside for Cam's sake.

Right?

Garrett: Mm-hmm.

Well, what are you so afraid of?

Woman: You're gonna k*ll him.

Letting him eat those things.

He'll either choke or get diabetes.

Maybe, but it keeps him quiet, so...

(CHUCKLES)

Uh, wait, this is only four dollars, Lila. I gave you $20.

No sweetie.

You gave me ten.

I'm sorry.

Mm.

My mistake.

Mm-hmm.

Let's go.

(DOOR BELL JINGLES)

With the money I give you, you don't have to run scams.

True.

But it's a good way for an old lady to stay sharp.

Beats the hell out of sudoku.

What am I doing here, Mom?

I want to talk.

So talk.

Not here.

(QUIETLY): My shift ends at 1:00.

Doesn't work for me, I have to get back to Boston.

Well, what can I tell you, Maddie?

You're gonna be late.

You know Cam hates bananas.

Well, a person going through withdrawal needs as much potassium as possible.

And teenage Cam hated bananas.

People change.

That's true.

You used to be fun.

You know, I get the feeling that you've been avoiding me... since I got back.

The kids and my campaign are keeping me busy.

Really?

(SIGHS)

I'm not Tessa.

(SCOFFS)

I can't just stand there and smile, watching you waltz back into this family like nothing happened.

You have no idea what happened.

So tell me.

Let me ask you something.

Are you an open book?

About everything in your life?

Or do you keep some things quiet, for the greater good?

(PHONE BUZZING)

(PHONE BEEPS)

(SOFT CHUCKLE)

The police are at my campaign office asking about Cam.

Go.

I'll take care of him.

Higher in potassium than bananas.

She will be back, but not...

Absolutely...

There you are.

Uh, sorry to bother you.

Do you happen to know where your brother Cam is?

So sorry, no idea.

You sure about that?

Alison: Well, I haven't been his babysitter since the mid-'90s.

Back then I could usually find him in his friend Toby's basement, watching WeirdScience, have you tried that?

Let us know if you hear from him?

You'll be my first call.

(PHONES RINGING, DOOR OPENS)

So how is he?

Why is Kimmie still here?

You told me to handle it.

By giving her a promotion and a shiny new laptop?

Trust me.

She's blackmailing us and you gave her more power.

I am not gonna let her hurt us. Now, I need you to focus on the debate.

(SIGHS)

♪

(GRUNTS QUIETLY)

(BREATHING HARD)

Jack: Gin a body, meet a body comin' through the rye...

Gin-gin-gin a body...

Gin a body, meet a body comin' through the rye...

Gin a body, kiss a body, need a body...

Gin a body... gin a body, meet a body comin' through the rye...

Gin a body, kiss a body, need a body cry.

Gin a body, gin a body, meet a body...

Gin a body... through the rye...

Gin a body, kiss a body, (DISTORTED): need a body cry.

(CHILD WHISPERING)

Mitchell (echoes): Look. Look. Look. Look.

You remember. Look. Look.

The staircase.

The body.

(SPINDLE SNAPS)

Someone dragging a body.

(EXHALES)

(CROW CAWING)

(VEHICLE APPROACHING)

Typical.

Oh, my God!

(ENGINE IDLING)

Are you okay?

Just swung by the work on the way home from bar.

(SCHOOL BELL RINGING)

Yvonne, this is yours.

Bye. Bye, guys.

See you later, cool dude.

Bye. Bye. Bye, Clair.

(PHONE RINGING)

What?

Driver: Let's go. On the bus.

You, too.

Uh, I'll be right back.

Okay.

Did your dad say anything about that?

Tessa: Hey!

What's going on here?

We're just chattin'.

You need to leave now.

Stay away from my family.

You know I can't do that.

See you later, Jack.

Are you okay?

Did my dad do something wrong?

No, he didn't do anything wrong.

Everything's fine.

Come on, I'll get you home.

Come on.

They said they could take him away.

I don't want him to go to jail.

(PHONE RINGING, BUZZING)

(PHONE BEEPS)

Hey. Everything all right?

Your new partner was just at my school, questioning Jack.

It's got to stop.

Oh, God.

I'm sorry, Tess. I'll talk to her.

No. No more talking.

You were right.

We need to end this. Now.

Are you saying what I think you're saying?

You still have the needle, right?

This has Cam Hawthorne's DNA on it.

Where'd you get it?

You asked me to be useful; this is me being useful.

We already had one screwup on this.

If this is contaminated in any way....

It's legit, I swear.

You know what happens if this comes back a match.

Run the test.

(CAM GRUNTING QUIETLY)

Hey. Hey.

Hey...

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

Not the body, I don't want to...

I don't want to.

...body... I don't want to...

Cam.

Huh?

What did you see?

Tell me what you saw.

Please make it stop.

(PANTING)

(WHIMPERING): Please... make it stop!

Cam: What the hell...?

Why are you doing this to me?

(GRUNTING)

Try not to pull too much.

Gets tighter if you do.

(CAM COUGHING)

Wait, you're just gonna leave me like this?

Where are you going?!

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

Señor. ¿Que pasa?

(MAN CONTINUES SPEAKING SPANISH)

Excuse me. Um...

Yes?

Can you take her vitals and take her to Radiology, please?

How you feeling? Right this way. Sir.

Look, my brother's in trouble.

Heroin withdrawal.

I thought maybe you could help.

Sure. Bring him in.

Hmm. I can't help.

Look, look, look. He's...

He's not doing well.

Okay? He's hallucinating, he's-he's shaking.

(SIGHS)

I know you're angry about what happened, but this is... it's not for me.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Why did you just leave?

I...

I'm not... I'm not good at this.

I don't want to hurt you.

(EXHALES)

Do I strike you as the kind of woman who needs protecting?

Yes.

So you have a past.

So does everybody.

You let it defeat you, or you move past it.

Two options.

You chose the wrong one.

Yeah.

Wait.

Just... keep an eye on him after you give him the dose.

(PAPER RIPPING)

Good luck.

(CROW CAWING)

(HINGES CREAKING)

Madeline: So tell me what this is about.

I need to get back to my family.

My son needs me.

Funny you mention family.

Because I've been thinking.

I think it's time I finally got to meet my grandchildren.

Our arrangement is I send you a monthly stipend and you agree to stay away.

That's how Mitchell wanted it.

Mitchell's dead.

Condolences, by the way.

So... it seems like a good time to revisit the issue.

It isn't.

Come on, Maddie.

It's one thing to bow to your husband's demands when he's alive.

But you're gonna let him control you from beyond the grave?

You never let Caleb do that.

What do you know about that?

You were in jail half the time.

I may have missed some parental lessons along the way, but I sure as hell didn't raise you to be a-a dutiful...

It wasn't Mitchell, Mom. It was me.

I didn't want to infect my children with the same dysfunction I grew up with.

I said it was Mitchell to spare your feelings.

Oh.

(CHOKED UP): I didn't know that.

Why do you care so much, all of a sudden?

I don't know.

I'm getting older.

(SNIFFLES)

People change.

But you don't.

Excuse me?

How much were you hoping to get?

I don't understand what you mean.

If you really dragged me here so that you could beg to meet your family, why would you show up drunk?

Because you wanted me to say no.

To bait me into this fight so I'd feel guilty and offer more money.

No.

That is a hell of an accusation.

Fine.

If it's not about the money, I'll give you a choice.

Get in the car with me right now and we'll drive to Boston and you can meet your family, or I double what I give you every month and you never bother me again.

(ENGINE STARTS)

(SNIFFLES)

Alison: It makes me nervous.

Tessa: I'm sure everything's fine.

Then why aren't they answering the house phone?

(CLATTERING)

Cam?

What's going on?

Why the hell is he tied up?

Get off him!

All right.

Come here; don't choke.

I had to keep him safe while I went out.

Tessa: Sit up for me.

Buprenorphine. Where did you get this?

A friend.

It's supposed to help.

Okay.

(GROANING)

We're right here, Cam.

Just hang in there.

Hang in there.

Tessa: It's okay.

Just hang in there.

(ECHOES): Come with me.

You have to face the past.

You remember.

The staircase.

The dead body.

Someone dragging a body.

Garrett: Was it me, Cam?

Did I hurt somebody?

Mitchell: Was it me?

Did I k*ll someone?

Cam (echoing): Or was it me? Or was it me?

Or was it me?

What did I do?

We're right here, Cam.

(GROANING)

Just hang in there.

Okay? Hang in there.

Just hang in there.

It's good he's getting some sleep.

The medicine really helped him.

Please, thank your lady friend for us.

Well, I didn't say...

Just had a feeling.

(PHONE BUZZING)

(PHONE BEEPS)

What? What's wrong?

Channel 12 just called asking for a quote.

(SIGHS)

About Cam?

No.

One of my staffers.

I-I've... I've got to go.

Oh.

(KISSES)

Bye.

What you did... tying him up...

I know you were trying to help, but... you should have called us, so if you want to be a part of this family again... next time call.

Okay.

I think she's warming up to you.

(CHUCKLES)

(LAUGHS)

It was a programming glitch.

Allowed Conley's materials to be accessed by a Hawthorne-Price campaign staffer.

Now, to their credit, they let their opponent know of the breach, but not before the staffer downloaded terabytes of information.

I had nothing to do with this.

It was your computer.

I just got it. You gave it to me, and anyone could have used it when I wasn't there.

We have no choice but to let you go.

I'll go to the press.

Tell them about your affair.

No reporter is gonna believe a publicly disgraced staffer who just got fired.

You set me up.

You used my computer to hack into Conley's files.

You got the info you needed and got rid of me in the process.

You give me too much credit.

This was all just a happy accident.

(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)

I should have known.

You always have a plan.

Hey.

Hey.

I'm glad you're feeling better.

Here.

(SIGHS)

I don't know how much you remember but...

You hog-tied me to the bathroom sink.

(LAUGHS) Well, yeah.

I want to apologize for that.

No, honestly, I should be the one apologizing.

I mean... when you got back, I assumed the worst about you but, I mean, I'm more screwed up than anyone else.

Well, we've all got demons, right?

You know... you said some things when you were out of it.

Something about a... a body.

I've had these images in my head for years...

...since I was a teenager.

Disturbing images... and they came to life last night when I was hallucinating.

Oh.

Images of what?

Somebody dragging a body down the stairs.

The spindle breaking.

You know, I always thought it was some sort of drug-induced nightmare, but now with the belt and the cops, I-I mean... what if it's some sort of repressed memory?

What if that's what the cops are here to talk to me about?

What if I was a part of something?

Hey, hey, hey, hey, listen to me.

The stress and the dr*gs, all of it, it messes with your head.

Yeah. Whatever it was you think you saw... it was not real.

It's like that time in Roger's Cube, when Roger thought his girlfriend was cheating on him, but really she was just into yoga.

(CHUCKLES)

You read my comic?

They have papers in Maine.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Lieutenant wants to see you.

DNA results are in.

(SIGHS)

Are you okay?

I'm so sorry I wasn't here.

Yeah, well, I thought maybe you just didn't want to see me go through this again.

I know how pathetic I must be to you.

I don't think that, and neither should you.

It's in your genes, you know.

My mother was an addict, an alcoholic.

It's one of the reasons I left home so young.

I never knew that.

I don't like to talk about it, but it's why I'm tough on you... because I know what it can do to a child... and Jack needs you.

I'm trying.

I am.

I know.

Hey.

How was the spa?

More expensive than I remembered.

(DOG BARKING, SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE)

You really need to get a cell phone.

How's your brother?

He's better.

Thanks.

I want to take you somewhere.

Where?

Somewhere I think will help you understand me better.

What changed your mind all of a sudden?

I'll tell you when we get there.

(DOOR OPENS)

Hey.

Where have you been? I've been trying to call you.

We're gonna be late for the debate...

What's wrong?

(SPINDLE SNAPPING)

Okay.

The DNA came back.

Cam's blood was not a match.

Oh. Oh, thank God!

Tess, wait, there's more.

There's more.

Cam wasn't a match, but there was a familial match.

What does that mean?

It means the blood on the belt belongs to someone in your family.

One of them is Silver Bells.