1
Hillside police.
Detective Malloy, please?
I'd like to report a crime.
Mm-hmm.
Can we talk?
Sure.
Come on in.
Alone?
Long night?
Yeah.
How 'bout some coffee?
Do you have trouble remembering
things sometimes, detective?
I'll finish up
if you want to go.
- Are you sure?
- Yeah, totally.
I'll clock you out.
Hey, so, Eric's mom's
out of town,
and he's having people over.
Who's all going?
Everyone.
You wanna ride together?
I don't know.
I'm not feeling
the whole kegger thing.
- Are you okay, Joyce?
- Yeah.
Well, text me later.
Maybe I'll go.
Okay.
Uh, why did I come in here?
I can't help you.
Oh, more soap.
Hmm. Dare I ask?
I'm washing the car.
Why? What's the occasion?
It's Saturday,
and Saturday is the day
we get things done.
Zelda, honey, will you go
help your dad wash the car?
Do I have to?
Well, it'd be nice if you did.
Come on. You can play
with Marvin later.
Mom said I should help you.
Oh, great. Well,
grab a rag, and dig in.
Yuck, dad. When was the
last time you washed this?
Oh, no!
Got me! Oh!
Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha!
Get away from my sister!
Oh, no! It's super dude!
It's super dude!
Can we get
a momentary cease-fire?
Why? Do you want to get past?
I don't know. What do you think?
- Should we let mommy pass?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Yeah?
Okay, well,
put the thing down.
- You don't trust us?
- I trust them.
Oh, ouch.
- As for safe passage on the way back...
- Hey! Hey!
Don't you dare.
What do you think, z?
She never asked to get back.
- She never asked to get back.
- I'm your mother!
She never asked to get back.
She never asked.
That's right. She never asked.
Did she? Whoa!
She never asked to get back.
Oh, get her! Get her!
Well, that was a great lesson
to teach our kids,
how to back out
of their word.
I was just demonstrating
the importance
of choosing your words
precisely.
Besides, all's fair
in love and water fights.
Mm.
Did you forget why
you came in here, too?
No. I know exactly
why I came in here.
- I'm still mad at you.
- Really?
Oh, Evan,
i swear to god, this house.
If it's not one thing...
We have a mouse.
Oh.
I'll call Parsons.
I thought we didn't like them.
I'll get some traps.
No, we're not killing
a little mouse like that.
You'd rather pay Lloyd Parsons
a million dollars?
I will sort it out.
I've gotta clean that up.
Thanks, buddy.
This was in Florida,
in the park.
Oh, this is a good one.
Damn it, Irene.
They want a recent picture.
Christ.
You have a school picture,
something like that?
She made
varsity this year.
Oh, beautiful.
May I borrow this?
It's my only copy.
I'll get it back to you,
Mrs. bonner,
I promise, untouched.
Are you serious?
Over there, pink top,
talking to pavel.
God damn it.
Why do all the good ones
go into sociology?
Maybe you'll get lucky and
she'll audit your ethics class.
Hypothetical:
A student approaches
you for one night of passion.
She's beautiful, just your type.
She's an adult.
She has no interest
in ruining your career
or your marriage
by telling anyone.
All she wants is one night.
Do you comply?
Would she want extra credit?
Answer the question.
No, I do not comply.
Aside from the blatant breach
of professional ethics,
I have my marriage to consider.
Fascinating.
I recall reading
a certain book recently.
The name of the author
escapes me,
who said whether one experiences
guilt is a rational decision.
You're misquoting.
What I said was,
"one's experience of guilt
is a conditioned response,
which objective reasoning
can overcome."
I'm saying,
objectively, she's hot,
and she wants you.
Whether you feel guilty
about it is up to you.
Are you saying you would do it?
Of course not.
I'm married.
Oh, hey. Sorry I'm late.
I lost track of time.
How was your first day back?
You missed nothing.
What are you guys
still doing up?
Daddy! Daddy, there's a
crazy person in the woods.
A crazy person in the woods?
What do you mean?
There's not a crazy person
in the woods, Adam.
The only crazy person's you.
Z.
What's he talking about?
Oh, a girl went missing
up at the lake,
a cheerleader from eastfield.
Z told him
there's a crazy person
in the woods who eats kids.
Very brothers grimm.
She's definitely
gonna be an English major.
You know, I'm worried, actually,
'cause the kids ride
their bikes up there.
Was she lost or abducted?
They don't know.
You know, she's 17.
She could have run away.
Well, maybe we just say
no bikes after dark
up at the lake
until they know more.
What are you looking for?
I thought you were saving that.
What happened, ev?
Nothing.
Well, nothing new, anyway.
Santos read my book, though,
called it extraordinary.
Well, isn't that good?
Then right on cue, he brings
up my enrollment numbers
and proceeds
to give me his thoughts
for 20 of the longest minutes
of my life.
Why the chateau?
Well, at this point, why not?
I wonder sometimes if we made the
right choice coming down here.
Well, we don't really have
much of a choice.
To another school year.
Okay, here's the drill.
Right diagonal, left diagonal.
Wow.
Come on, ladies. Let's focus.
We have to get this
down by tomorrow.
Have fun storming the castle.
- Bye!
- Bye.
Have you ever thought
about going back to teaching
when the kids
get a little older?
No, thanks.
Universities are elitist,
cutthroat places.
364 days of the year,
I don't even think about it.
Well, I always tell people Ellen is
the smartest woman I know.
Hey, how about high schools?
Aren't they always
looking for, uh, subs?
Oh, can you imagine what that
mother is going through?
She is so young.
I hope they catch whoever did it
and fry his sicko a-s-s.
Hi. Come on in.
Anna.
Thought I saw
your name on the roll.
How was your summer?
It was great, actually.
Um, I went to Greece after all.
- You did go? Fantastic.
- Mm-hmm.
The cradle of philosophy.
- How was it?
- It was amazing.
I got a chance to read your book
while I was there,
and, um, I was wondering...
Like, I know you're probably
so over talking about it,
but I would love to sit down with you
and... over coffee or something,
you know,
and just pick your brain.
Well, I am certainly
not over talking about it,
but I don't
actually drink coffee.
My, uh, office hours
are on the top there.
Okay.
Hi, everybody.
I, uh, see some familiar faces,
which is good.
We philosophers are a dying
breed, so safety in numbers.
For those of you
who don't know me,
I am Dr. birch,
and this is humanities 325,
the philosophy of language.
Uh...
Thought it seemed
a little crowded in here.
- Ellen birch?
- Yes.
Is your husband home?
Need help?
Uh, no. It's all right. I...
Well, I'm looking
for mousetraps.
Just didn't expect
to see so many.
I thought I'd just find
the old tom and Jerry kind.
Is this any good?
Yeah, but they're kinda cruel.
The little mouse gets stuck in
there and starves to death.
- Oh, really?
- Yeah.
Hmm.
But these ones
let you trap the mouse,
then release it
in a field somewhere.
Well, it's more
than I wanted to pay,
but I guess it's the least i
could do for the little guy.
Do you have a gun?
Yes, I do.
Can I see it?
No, you may not.
Why?
Well, because guns
are dangerous.
- Why?
- Well, because they are.
Honey, let's just go
upstairs and play, okay?
- But I wanna see it.
- I know you do,
but you gotta go
upstairs and see...
Play. Go. Go. Play.
Yeah, they're curious
at that age.
- Maybe you should give your husband another call.
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Press okay.
- What?
- Press okay.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Ellen?
Hey, what's wrong?
Are the kids okay?
Yeah, they're fine.
They're fine.
Dr. birch?
Detective Robert Malloy.
Detective Killian.
Officer antonelli.
Oh, hi. What can we do for you?
Is something wrong?
Do you own
a gray 2015 Volvo s60?
Where were you?
I've been calling you.
I... I stopped
at the hardware store.
What's this about, detective?
Well...
Girl from eastfield
went missing a few days ago.
We're looking into it.
Joyce bonner.
Have you heard of her?
No.
Oh, so she was the girl
on the news, right?
The... the, um, cheerleader.
- Yeah.
- What does that have to do with us?
Well, we got a report
a man in a gray Volvo
was watching her
the day she disappeared.
I'm sure it's nothing,
but we're obliged
to look it up, you know.
Can you tell me where you were
Thursday the 28th, about 3 P.M.?
I doubt it, and...
And my appointment book's
at school, so...
At school?
Oh, you aren't a doctor?
No, I'm a professor
at Addison university.
I can look tomorrow,
give you a call.
Your appointment book will tell you
where you were supposed to be,
not necessarily
where you were.
Yeah, suppose you're right.
Whoa, what's going on?
Hey, z, go in the house, honey.
Um, on the 28th, that was z's
last day of camp,
and you went to pick her up,
remember?
- Mm-hmm. What camp is that?
- Yeah.
Wildwood, route 15.
She got out at 3:30.
- Yeah.
- Okay, that's fine.
We'll just take a look inside
your car and be on our way.
- Of course.
- Don't you need a warrant to do that? I mean...
Not if we have your permission.
Well, I'd give it,
but you still haven't said
what this has to do with me.
Well, according
to our witness, uh,
the vehicle had a Addison sticker
on the front windshield.
Uh, well, it could be a mistake.
I mean, as my wife said,
I was picking up
our daughter from camp,
and wildwood's 30 miles
from the lake, so...
How'd you know she
disappeared from the lake?
It was on the news.
Z, your mom said
to wait inside, please.
Dr. birch, uh,
this is pretty routine.
Really? It's routine to make insinuations
in front of my daughter? Wow.
Why don't you just calm down,
sir?
I'm perfectly calm, sir.
- Honey, they're just doing their job.
- I...
Do you mind if we look
inside your vehicle?
No, of course not.
Yes, actually, I do mind.
Who's back there?
What makes you think anyone is?
A presumption based on scenes
from television and movies.
Well, in the real world,
we got things called budgets.
We can't afford to have anyone standing
around, watching us do our jobs.
Now...
What time did you
have to pick up your daughter?
3:30, give or take.
Give or take what?
Five, ten minutes.
I mean, these things rarely
end at even times, you know.
It's always 32
or 17 minutes past and...
Did you get there on time?
- Yeah.
- Exactly on time?
Little early?
I told you.
I don't remember.
As my daughter is only nine,
she's unable to obtain
a driver's license,
and consequently,
i give her many rides.
This particular instance
did not leave
a significant impression.
Did you ever meet Joyce bonner?
Uh...
- I don't think so.
- You could have?
I don't remember meeting
somebody with that name,
but I meet a lot of young
people at the college.
It's conceivable that I met her.
What I'm sure of is that
i don't know if I have.
When we asked if you'd heard
of her disappearance,
you said, "she was
a cheerleader, right?"
Do you remember saying that?
Yeah.
"She was a cheerleader"?
Well, I was speaking offhand.
I'm sure she still
is a cheerleader,
except that she's missing,
and I'm...
I'm guessing she's not off
cheerleading somewhere.
Philosophy.
"I think, therefore I am,"
that kind of thing?
Well, I teach descartes
in my intro class,
but I specialize in linguistics,
the philosophy of language.
Oh. Um...
Pardon my ignorance,
but what does a philosopher do?
What's so funny?
Uh, well, it's one of the
great questions, isn't it?
You might consider philosophy
the logical
clarification of thoughts.
But I'm more of a teacher
than a practicing philosopher.
This is relevant somehow, is it?
We never know what's relevant
until we hear it.
You might consider
crime investigation
the logical clarification
of evidence.
You live close by the lake,
don't you?
You ever go up there?
Yeah, sometimes.
Did you ever rent a kayak?
No.
You ever remember
seeing a young girl,
17, brunette, worked
around the kayak stand?
Uh, can't say that I do.
You mean you don't remember?
That's right. I don't remember
seeing a young girl,
uh, let alone a brunette one,
working at the kayak rental.
I've never been
to the kayak rental.
I've... I've never sent anybody
to the kayak rental.
In fact, I've never even thought
about the kayak rental
until now, till you bring it up.
You enjoying yourself?
Hmm. Well,
too bad about your memory.
Right.
Thank you for your time,
professor.
I'm not under arrest anymore?
You never were.
We have your numbers, so we'll
contact you again if we need you.
At my office, please.
Of course. Thanks for your help.
You're welcome.
Everything's fine.
I just answered some questions,
and then I left.
What did they want to know?
Uh, well, where I'd been,
how long I was there,
whether I'd met, um...
What's her name?
- Joyce bonner.
- Bonner, yeah.
Had you...
Met her?
Why would I have?
I just told them
everything I knew,
they thanked me,
and that was that.
You didn't save a plate,
did you? I'm really starved.
- A plate?
- Yeah.
Adam cried for an hour,
because he thought
you went to jail.
You're acting
like this is my fault.
They just wanted
to look in the car.
There's a thing called
the fourth amendment.
Oh, my god.
A girl is missing, Evan.
I know. I know.
Has it even crossed your mind?
What... what if it was Zelda?
What if someone pulled the same
macho bullshit you pulled today?
Yeah, well, maybe I overreacted.
What were you thinking?
Well, they were
pushing me around.
I got defensive.
I was stupid, I... I know. I...
I just should have
let 'em do what they wanted.
How is Adam?
You should talk to him.
- And z?
- She's fine.
You should talk to her, too.
What about you?
Did I scare you, too?
I'm sorry.
Zeno's progressive
dichotomy paradox
proposes that before
a person can walk across a room,
he must go halfway.
But before he gets halfway,
he must cover
a quarter that distance,
and so on and so on to an infinite
number of decreasing distances.
Based on this logic, the man was
never able to take the first step.
Zeno demonstrated, in a way,
that motion was impossible.
Mr. Barnes.
Here.
Do you agree with zeno?
Um, yes.
So you will be unable
to leave this room
after my thrilling
lecture is over?
Looks like we're all stuck here.
Well, I mean,
it's a play on words.
It makes sense, but it doesn't.
Yeah, you're on the right track.
A paradox exposes
the limits of language.
We all know from experience
that we are able
to walk across a room.
It's only in our language
that uncertainty arises.
Do you have a dollar in the same
way that you have a headache?
As long as there
are verbs like "to be"
or adjectives like "true" or
"false," we will continue...
And this is a quote from
our friend wittgenstein...
We will continue
to "stare at something
which no explanation
seems able to remove."
- Yes.
- So there's no such thing as truth?
Well, let me ask you this.
Can I tell you the truth,
or can I tell you what I perceive
or interpret as the truth,
as best my memory will allow?
Anyway, we're getting
ahead of ourselves,
so let's stick with the paradox.
One crumb at a time.
Hi. Am I early?
No. No. I'm just getting a jump
on these. Come in.
Oh, you can leave that open.
Okay.
How's your semester so far?
Hectic.
I'm taking 18 units.
Eighteen?
That's pretty.
That new?
Oh. Oh, yeah.
I got that in, um,
Boston over summer.
You've got a good memory.
I can barely remember last week.
Do you remember...
Last semester?
I'll take that as a yes.
We don't have to bring that up.
No, I... I'd rather we did.
Should I get the door now?
Yeah.
I wanted to apologize.
Um, I was in a pretty bad place
last year,
and...
You were...
You tried to help me,
and I took advantage of that
in a really big way.
And, um, I want to say
that it was a...
A moment of weakness,
but it wasn't that.
It was just a moment
where I didn't think,
and... I want you to know
how stupid I felt
and how truly sorry I am.
Well, Anna,
i appreciate your candor
and your honesty,
and I accept your apology.
Thank you.
I just want us to forget
about it and be normal.
Well, if you're willing to
rebuild the trust between us,
then so am I.
You're such
an incredible person.
- Ah.
- And I mean that
in a strictly platonic way.
I do.
And I actually
did come to talk to you
about your book if that's okay.
Great.
Wow, I wish some of my critics
read it as thoroughly
as it looks like you have.
Or even some of my colleagues,
for that matter.
Come in.
Hmm. Good afternoon, professor.
You got a second?
W... well, as you can see,
I'm with a student right now.
It'll just take a second.
Hmm, look at that.
You write that?
Yeah.
Thick.
Actually, do you mind
waiting outside,
and I'll see you in a moment?
Sure. Take your time.
How long have you known
the good doctor?
Few years.
Nice guy?
Everybody here is nuts.
I actually have
a meeting off campus,
so I don't really have
time to talk.
No problem. I'll walk with you.
I wanted to talk
to you about the 28th some more.
You wanted to, past tense?
Have circumstances changed?
Ah, figure of speech.
I want to talk to you now.
Well, you're talking to me.
You said you picked up
your daughter
from camp that day.
Is that correct?
Yes, that's what I said.
Mm-hmm. Is that what you did?
Well, considering my daughter is
not still at camp waiting for me,
I'd say, uh, yes,
that's what I did.
- No stops?
- No stops.
Camp counselor said she waited
with your daughter
for 40 minutes
before you showed up.
Well, is tardiness
a crime these days?
No, but obstruction is.
And how am I doing that?
Where did you get my notes?
Found it in a garbage can
up by the lake.
You sure you didn't stop there,
maybe on the way?
I... it's possible.
I... i-- I go
to the lake sometimes.
I sit in my car. I do work,
look out at the water, and
just clear my head, you know?
And is that what you did
on the 28th?
I don't remember. I might have.
I might have gone there
that morning or the day before.
I... i-- I can't be certain.
What I'm sure of is that I... I had nothing
to do with this girl's disappearance, so...
Look, do... do you have
any more questions?
'Cause I really need to go.
No. No more questions.
Thank you.
Dr. birch, your car
has been impounded
by the hillside
police department.
The car will be returned
when the department...
You're kidding?
I've been nothing
but cooperative.
Well, since your statement
contradicted
the physical evidence...
- Contradicted?
- ...We thought a thorough search of your car...
And this is how you do it?
You leave me stranded at work?
Ah, listen.
I tried to tell you
the tow truck was here,
- but you had me wait.
- You didn't tr...
This is unbelievable.
- This is theft.
- Believe me,
I want to clear this up
faster than anybody.
Now, let's just go back
to those 40 minutes.
Look, you can arrest me,
if that's your intention.
I'm not answering another question
until I speak to my lawyer.
Honestly, I wish
you called me earlier.
I just thought if I answered
their questions,
it would go away.
That's what everybody thinks,
but cops don't ask questions.
They plant land mines.
It's okay, though.
We're... we're in good shape.
Paul, I know
you mostly handle divorces.
- Divorces, malpractice, fraud.
- Uh...
This town's too small
to specialize.
I'm just wondering if... you know,
are you used to a case like this?
Well, do you mean a kidnapping,
or do you mean a murder?
Maybe a rape, runaway kid,
hostage situation?
I don't know what kind of case this
is, and frankly, neither do they.
They don't have a body,
a cause of death, a motive.
They don't even have
a crime yet.
All they do have is
an uncorroborated statement
and a warrant I wouldn't pick up
my dog's poop with.
You gonna try those ribs?
'Cause I'm telling you,
they're gonna change your life.
So what should we do now?
Stay on defense.
You did the right thing
not letting them
search your car,
- because now if they find anything...
- They won't.
But if they do,
we can get it thrown out.
Look, this...
This isn't some Metropolis.
When a kid goes missing here,
everybody knows about it.
The cops need a suspect, fast.
They get sloppy.
Coincidence put you
in the crosshairs.
That's the plain shit of it.
Good news is all we have to do
is nudge 'em to one side.
Hey.
Oh, by the way, Deb wants
to have you guys over
for dinner sometime.
Oh, great.
I'm sure Ellen would like that.
Check the stalls.
- Huh?
- The stalls. Check.
You understand
that I'm your attorney
and any communication
between us is privileged, right?
Yeah.
Then I want to get this clear.
You did not have a relationship
with Joyce bonner, correct?
Correct.
Are you currently involved
in or have you ever had
a sexual relationship
with a minor?
No.
How 'bout college age?
- Paul, please.
- Look, this cop, Malloy,
he's gonna try to establish
a pattern of behavior.
- Is he gonna find one?
- No, he's not.
Look, I... I don't know
this girl. I never have.
Is that good enough?
For me, yeah, but I'm not
the one you have to convince.
Look, I'll call you soon.
In the meantime, try and relax.
Son of a bitch.
Carrie's not working today?
No.
Just, uh, press okay.
...closed
two lanes of northbound traffi.
Highway patrol
is still urging caution.
And the search
for Joyce bonner continues,
with police yet to announce
any developments
in their investigation
into the missing teenager
last seen at hillside lake.
Authorities are...
Don't you think
we should listen?
Unless it's a headline
that says,
"police return professor's car,"
then no.
What?
Classmates of Joyce bonner
held a vigil
last night
for the missing 17-year-old,
as police have offered
a $5,000 reward for information
that leads investigators
to the whereabouts
of the missing
high school cheerleader
last seen at hillside lake.
Police expanded
their search radius.
The investigation's
still being treated
as a missing persons case,
though authorities are unwillig
to rule out
a criminal investigation.
Traffic is back to normal after
a slow start to the morning...
Sorry, ma'am.
The beach is closed.
And if you could just sign
right there, please.
- The printer working?
- Thank you.
Uh, the stuff you printed
is... is right here.
Ah. Catching up on this story.
I haven't been following it.
What story?
Oh, that.
My cousin has a friend
who is a cop.
He said they...
They know who did it.
You don't say.
Well, I hope they catch him.
Oh, they will.
They're watching him 24/7.
Birch, you ready?
Yeah.
So what's the prognosis?
Huh?
Your car.
Oh, uh,
uh, the transmission.
You okay?
Yeah, just...
Endured a new form
of shame today.
I had two students
in my 103 lecture.
Two.
That's nothing.
I got that beat.
I remember a few years back,
i went a whole week,
a whole week,
and not one person showed up.
...whole week,
I'm out there, and I have to...
I need this, buddy. Come on.
Anyway,
you know,
i just kept teaching,
wrote quotes on the board,
you know, whole nine yards.
Did you catch
the mouse yet, daddy?
No. No, but I put some more food
in the traps.
Plural?
Yeah. I bought some more.
Can I go with you to set it free
in the field?
Sure. We can all go.
It'll be a birch family
field trip.
You know,
speaking of field trips,
it's meant to be nice
this weekend.
I was thinking maybe
we could go to the beach.
- Yeah!
- Yeah.
Does that sound fun?
Sure.
It bothers me when you do that,
you know.
What? Brush my teeth?
No, the trip to the beach,
just popping it
on the kids like that.
What if I had something to do?
Then I'd be the bad guy.
Well, Evan, I mean,
just came into my head.
I wasn't trying
to pop it or anything.
I mean, do you
have something to do?
No. But I don't know.
I just think I should stay around
here in case Paul calls or something.
Well, maybe it'd do you good
to... get away from it all.
Doesn't really matter
where I go, does it?
I'm still...
We'll go. We'll get away.
It'll be good.
Okay.
I'm all set out here.
Adam, z, come on! We're going!
Super dude?
Is Adam coming to the beach?
No, he's got chores.
- He's got chores?
- Z!
Hey, can you feed Marvin?
Z, come on. We're going.
Hey, what have I told you
about going into my makeup
without permission?
I didn't.
Well, where'd you get that?
I found it.
You found it?
Ew. That's not sanitary, honey.
I didn't find it
on the street. Gosh.
I found it in dad's car.
When?
When we washed it.
It was in the back seat,
so I didn't think
you wanted it anymore.
Yeah, well, I want it.
Uh, will you go wash your face?
You don't need to wear
makeup to the beach.
- But...
- Just wash your face, okay?
Okay.
Where do you want to be?
Right here?
Right here?
Maybe, yeah.
Why's that?
We should take a trip.
- Hmm?
- A trip.
We didn't have
a summer vacation this year.
We should go back to Spain.
Wouldn't that be fun?
Go back to our cafe.
You know, we should
actually move there.
We should buy that cafe.
You could run it.
I could teach English somewhere,
and the kids could be bilingual.
Okay.
You said something
to me that day.
You promised me something.
You remember what you said?
Uh...
You promised you'd always
tell me the truth.
What?
That was before
i went back to school.
It sounds like something
i would have said.
Oh, you mean you wouldn't
promise me that now?
No. I...
Well, I can't actually
promise you that.
Nobody can. I mean,
what I should have said
was that I...
I promise to always tell you what i
interpret and remember as the truth.
I like
your original promise better.
That's the one
I'm gonna hold you to.
Pizza?
Yeah. I'll just put him down.
What is it, honey?
Marvin's gone! Marvin's gone!
He's gone?
Oh, honey,
we'll find him.
How'd he get out?
Well, I don't know.
Did I leave his door open
when I fed him this morning?
I'm sorry, honey.
We'll find him.
He'll be here somewhere.
We'll find him.
Marvin!
- Marvin!
- Marvin!
Marvin!
- Did you look under the tree?
- Marvin!
Marvin!
Marvin!
We'll get her another one.
She doesn't want another one.
I'm sorry.
I know you are.
She knows you are.
It's just gonna take her a
little while to forgive you.
We were just
so rushed this morning.
Okay, Evan, please don't do
the whole absent-minded
professor thing.
It used to be cute, and I just...
I need you here from now on.
We all do.
It was an honest mistake.
I'm not just talking
about the rabbit.
I can't move again.
Leave that on.
I'm gonna stay up.
Fine.
I'm gonna staple this one.
Good.
Uh, what was I saying?
Oh, well, whatever it was,
it can wait.
That's the beauty of time.
There's always more of it.
I will see you next week.
...great.
That's great, Barbara.
Okay. Thank you.
Long day, professor?
Need a ride?
No, I'll be fine
on the bus. Thanks.
Well, I've still got
some time right now
if, uh, you wanna grab
some coffee.
I don't drink coffee, remember?
Well, they have tea
and juice and water.
You do drink water?
Mrs. birch.
My husband's not here.
He's at work.
I know.
I'd like to talk to you
if you have a moment.
I get it,
but I don't agree.
Wittgenstein
would spend his nights
having sex with strange men
in parks, right?
And then he would go home
and write about
language's inability
to define things like...
Like truth and morality.
And does his behavior make his
arguments any less valid?
Well, no, but couldn't you say
that his theories stem from fear
rather than rational thought?
I don't see how.
I mean, the duty
of the philosophic mind
is to rise above the personal
and contemplate
the universal, right?
Uh...
What?
Forget it.
It's personal, and we agreed.
Well, if it's apropos
of the material, please.
It's about last semester.
Well, make your point.
Oh, thank you.
You're spoiling me.
How do you like it here?
You've been here,
what, four, five years?
Yeah. We... we like it fine.
Uh, it's been five years.
Where'd you move from?
Evanston, outside Chicago.
Mm-hmm.
Hey, there! Look who's here.
It's my junior deputy.
Do you need more help
from daddy?
H... honey, we just...
We need some grown-up time.
Can you go play?
Yeah.
Hmm, cute kid.
Adam, right?
No, that's super dude.
Big difference.
Puts on a cape,
he's a whole other person.
I need a cape like that.
Gets tiring
being myself all the time.
Well, if I get a chance,
I'll sew you one.
Well,
now you're humoring me.
No. I'm politely waiting for
you to get to the point.
My wife tells me
I'm terrible at small talk.
I think she's right.
I remember the second before,
i thought, "this is wrong.
You're making a mistake.
You're crossing a line."
And so why do it?
I don't know. It's not like
I was satisfying
some curiosity, you know?
I know what it's like to...
Then I read your book,
and it hit me.
People make the most destructive
choices consciously,
and then they try
and rationalize it
with things like,
"i didn't mean it,"
or, "i wasn't thinking,"
or whatever, but it's a lie.
I saw you at the lake
the other day.
Girl's missing.
It's every parent's
worst nightmare.
Yeah.
I've come by
to ask for your help.
Well, how can I help you,
detective, all things considered?
Because I assume you think
your husband is innocent.
Joyce bonner is out there,
and if she's still alive,
she's on borrowed time.
If your husband
had nothing to do with that,
I need to know so I can move on.
I've tried to rule him out,
but he won't let me.
I'm sure he's told you
everything he knows.
Mm, I think you're a lot more
convinced of that than I am.
I think that there's
this unknown part of us,
like the ID, that...
Prefers destruction,
even craves it.
What we call guilt
is just a fear of this
unknown part of our minds.
Evan?
Well, what do you think?
Am I crazy?
Um, sorry. I realized
i just missed my bus.
Um, does your offer still stand?
We found strands of brown hair
in the back seat
of your husband's car.
We matched them with a sample
of Joyce's hairbrush.
It came back positive.
You're the first person
I've told that to.
Not even my partner knows.
And if you can tell me what
that girl was doing in the car,
it doesn't have
to leave this room.
I know why you left evanston,
the official version, anyway.
College was a little reluctant
to give the details, but...
Must have been tough.
How many years you been married?
Oh, 15 years.
Yeah.
All of them smooth?
Oh, hardly.
We both had our reasons
for leaving evanston,
both of them very different.
Don't think for a second
you know what they were.
Think it's time for you to go.
Well, thank you for your help.
You have a lovely home.
Yeah, I work hard
to keep it that way.
Thank you very much.
Goodbye now.
Oh, she's home.
Oh, I'm sorry. If I'd known,
i would have called her.
I didn't mind.
Thank you for the ride.
Philosophers
are a dying breed, professor.
There's safety in numbers.
Hello?
Ellen?
Daddy's home!
The policeman
came back today, daddy.
They came back again, huh?
Hmm.
Hon?
I've been calling you.
Where were you?
Why don't you walk Zelda in?
I'll carry Adam.
I've got it. It's only a finger.
Evan birch.
- Hair?
- Strands of brown hair in the back seat.
It's a match.
Well, they must have planted it.
Evan, I need you to think.
Is there any way this girl
could have been in your car?
No, not that I know of.
What if you didn't know it?
Did you ever
leave your car open,
- maybe at the lake that day?
- No.
- Pick up any hitchhikers?
- No.
How 'bout at school?
Do you ever give students ride?
I don't socialize
with the students.
That's not what I asked.
Um, I did give a ride to some
high school students one day.
They were doing prep classes
here on campus.
Three girls and a boy.
It was raining.
Was Joyce bonner one of them?
Maybe. I suppose it's possible.
Do you have attendance records?
Uh, yeah.
I... look, I'm late for class.
I'll... I'll have a look
and see if she's on there.
It'll be good if she's
on there, right?
Well, on the one hand,
it would explain the hairs.
On the other hand, it would
connect you to a missing girl.
- Look, I'll call you later.
- Yeah, okay.
Where I grew up,
if someone wants to prove
a chair exists,
they hit you over the head
with it.
Yeah.
We're done with your car.
Sign this, it's all yours.
So you can take
my car without asking,
but you need my permission
to give it back?
I don't make the paperwork.
I just fill it out.
I don't suppose you towed it
back to my spot?
No.
You have to pick it up
from the impound,
half an hour up 35.
- I'll give you a lift if you like.
- That's okay.
I'll get it myself, thanks.
Anything else?
You don't think much
about what I do, but...
When you consider it,
we're in the same racket.
What racket is that?
Proof, searching for the truth.
Truth hides behind arguments,
analysis, reasoning.
Well, reason leads us to the truth.
It doesn't conceal it.
I've always argued that
the truth is instinctive.
You take this little problem
here on your board.
The answer seems
pretty plain to me.
Does it?
Well, be my guest.
Prove this chair exists.
What chair?
Where did you go to school?
Oh, bachelor's at seton hall.
Jd at Fordham.
A lawyer?
Did you practice?
I did my time
in the da's office.
Wasn't my kind of thing.
They wouldn't let you
carry a gun.
That's my youngest, Katie.
She goes to school with Joyce.
They don't know
each other, though.
Different circles.
Well, you know,
we almost put her
through that summer program
of yours at Addison,
you know,
the one Joyce went through.
Who knows?
They may have become friends.
Well, it's a large program.
Not everybody
knows everybody else.
Including the teachers
and the... the students?
Are you questioning me
outside counsel, detective?
Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of it.
No, I just want to know
that, you know,
if Katie had gone there, would she have
gotten to know all her professors?
Uh, not necessarily.
The students are limited
to three classes,
and there are 15 instructors.
That's not to say
contact's unimaginable.
Really? In what way?
Well, one could imagine
Katie, for example,
being caught in a rainstorm,
uh, with a few friends,
two other girls and a boy,
and perhaps a, uh,
professor offers them
a ride from the library
to the student union,
and, uh, perhaps while Katie's
in the back of the car, she...
She fixes up her makeup and... and maybe
brushes back some of her wet hair...
- Mm-hmm.
- Inadvertently leaving a strand or two
in the professor's
notoriously unkempt car.
Would that qualify
as getting to know somebody?
No, I don't think it would,
but if I read her diary
and it mentioned an older man
she'd met that summer,
I'd want to have words with every
guy she so much as bumped into.
You read
your daughter's diary?
Every page.
Before I forget,
i found these in your glove box.
I wanted to make sure
you got them back.
What is it?
You tell me.
I suppose you think
i met Joyce bonner
at the Sanders hotel
fountain at 7:00?
No. The Sanders is in Chicago.
Was, anyway. Closed down
about four years ago.
That would have made Joyce 13,
and I don't think
you're that kind of guy.
I mean, at first,
i thought it was garbage,
but then you bought this car
here about three years ago,
and I know you don't smoke,
so I just figured
you were holding on to them
for sentimental reasons.
Shouldn't this be in one
of your fancy evidence bags?
Should it?
Whose writing is it?
I have no idea.
Is it your wife's?
No, it's not.
It doesn't appear to be.
- Would you slow down?
- It looks feminine,
the way the letters
are all round, almost touching.
You know, when a guy
goes through aa,
he carries a coin
around with him,
reminds him not to drink.
Seems pretty natural,
the way you're
fiddling with those.
Could you stop
the goddamn car?
You have to know
where this is headed.
Would you take me
to my car, please?
Hey, frank!
Here you go.
Three-five-six-seven.
He'll take care of you.
Hey. Sorry I'm late.
The impound may as well have
been across the state line.
Can we not talk about that now?
Mmm.
Mm, peaches.
Perfect peaches.
What?
Just looking at your face.
Why?
Can't one look at another's face
without having an agenda?
One can, but I have the feeling
that one isn't.
I want you
to tell me the truth.
The truth about what?
What was she doing
in your car?
Who?
What? Did you think
i wouldn't find out
that they have evidence
of a missing girl in your car?
I didn't want to worry you
any more than you already were.
So you kept a secret, secret?
- No.
- From your wife?
This is her lip gloss, Evan.
Zelda found it.
What was she doing in your car?
I could explain this to you,
but I have a feeling it may be too
pat for your taste right now.
Oh, don't make this about me.
I think this is about you,
Ellen.
You used to be
so rational, you know?
Things were either
proven or unproven,
and now you're all intuition
and conjecture and paranoia.
Did that cop tell you?
Is that what you were
talking about the other day?
Oh, this is just great. Did he
ask you to wear a wire as well?
I'm trying my hardest
to trust you again.
You don't trust me now?
I haven't trusted you
for five years.
Okay. I'm gonna
save you the anxiety
of having to sleep
next to me tonight.
- Hello?
- They found her.
- What?
- Jesus, Evan,
I've been trying you all morning.
Fisherman found her.
Source inside the police told
me she was floating by the dam.
What does that mean?
It means you don't
say shit to anybody,
not without talking to me first.
Autopsy's coming. Then they'll
decide whether to file charges.
I'll be in touch
when I hear more.
Until then, act normal.
Act normal?
Guilty men hide.
Gotta run.
Professor birch.
Professor birch.
Professor birch,
if we could have a moment
of your time, sir.
Professor birch, if we could just
have one moment of your time.
Do you have a statement, sir?
- Dr. birch.
- I have a few questions.
- Professor. Professor.
- Professor birch.
Well, nothing like the hint of a
scandal to bring out an audience.
So many budding philosophers.
We haven't a moment to waste.
Why the hell didn't you tell me
about this?
There was nothing to tell.
I mean,
it seems I was at the lake the
day the girl disappeared,
and the police
have questioned me about it.
Because you might have
seen something?
There may be
other connections, too.
Such as?
Well, she was enrolled
in a summer program here,
and I may or may not have
given her a ride one day
with some other students.
- It was raining.
- Evan, how worried should I be about this?
Why? Did you give her
a ride, too?
You're a member
of this faculty.
Anything that threatens
your reputation
threatens
the university's reputation.
- I know.
- Which means I get to hear about it
- before the goddamn press.
- Okay.
The chronicle called
asking for a quote.
I sounded like an imbecile.
Why? What did you say?
That I had the utmost confidence
in my faculty
and I am certain the police
will rule out Dr. birch
as a suspect in this case.
- Okay, great.
- Evan,
- is that gonna come back and haunt me?
- No, it's not, Bob.
Look, I'm behind you,
but I'm pulling you
from classes immediately.
You... I just gave a lecture
to a standing-room-only crowd.
Listen to yourself. They weren't
there for your lecture.
- You can work out of your office,
- my work, my commitment...
...but no more classes
until further notice.
- ...to this university is second to none.
- Evan!
It's already done.
Adam, can you be
a big ghost, honey,
and buckle yourself in?
Hey, honey, um...
You remember that day
daddy was late to pick you up
from camp?
Do you remember, like,
anything that he said
or why he was late?
Oh, hey, buddy.
You get a costume?
- Yes, it's perfect.
- Ah, look at that.
What about you?
- I didn't want one.
- Oh.
Why didn't you call me?
I would have joined you.
They found her.
Yeah. Paul told me.
Wait. That's all
you have to say?
What do you want me to say?
They're gonna let me know
if they want to charge me
after the autopsy comes in.
Yes.
And you said
that was a gray Volkswagen.
And what time was
that?
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Oh, look
at the skeletons.
Why does that invisible man
wear a band-aid?
Did he get hurt?
Well, it's a bandage,
not a band-aid,
and he wears them
so that he can be seen.
Candy apples!
Could I have this one, daddy?
- Hey, John.
- Hi.
Me under here.
Which one do you want?
One with sprinkles?
Okay. Let's have one
with sprinkles,
- and we'll have two with nuts.
- Okay.
Uh, do you want nuts
on yours, Zelda?
Zelda?
Where'd she go? Zelda?
Zelda?
Zelda!
Adam, will you
stay here with John?
- Will you keep an eye on Adam?
- Sure.
Zelda! Zelda!
Zelda, what are you doing?
Will you stop that girl?
- Hey, whoa, whoa! Where's the fire?
- Watch where you're going!
What the hell are you thinking?
- Just a second, sir.
- This is my daughter.
Is that true?
Is this your father?
No.
Zelda Frances birch!
Settle down, sir.
I will not settle down.
I... this is my daughter.
I am taking her home.
She's in a lot of trouble.
Sir, I need you to step back.
Is that clear?
Zelda?
That's your name?
Okay, Zelda,
I want you to tell me the truth.
Is that your father?
I need to see your ID, sir.
This is unbelievable.
I... I don't have my ID.
Okay, in you go.
Up you go.
Help him put his belt on.
There you go, sir.
Sorry for the confusion.
You can't be
too careful these days.
- Is that what you call this?
- Oh, come on, Evan.
I've got all night,
young lady.
A shrug's not gonna cut it,
I'm afraid.
I'm sorry.
You've hardly said two words
to me all week, Zelda.
I know everything's
a little crazy at the moment.
Is that what's bothering you?
No.
Well, what is it?
Promise you won't tell mommy?
Your mommy and I don't keep
secrets from each other,
okay? But if you tell me
what it is,
I'll decide
if she needs to know.
She asked me about that day
you picked me up from camp,
when you were late.
Z, I need you to be
honest with me,
okay? Completely honest.
Do you think
i had something to do
with what happened to that girl?
No.
Oh, good, because I didn't.
You know me.
I wouldn't hurt a fly.
Autopsy just came in.
Yeah.
Okay.
Thank you.
Is Evan birch home?
It's detective Malloy.
They had an event tonight
at the university.
All right, let's do it.
It's only a faculty party.
It'll be fine.
We should figure out
what we're gonna say.
Well, just the truth.
It's outrageous
we're being strung along,
and hopefully everything
will be cleared up soon.
We're hanging in there.
It's outrageous how
we've been strung along,
but everything
will be cleared up soon.
Let's hope so.
Situations like this
tend to show our real selves,
you know?
I'll have a chardonnay
and a scotch and soda.
And actually, I'll have one for the road.
Double, neat.
It's criminal, what they're
putting you through.
You can sue, you know.
One battle at a time.
I think the most important thing
is we gotta get Evan
back in the classroom.
What do you mean?
Here you are.
They pulled you from classes?
I think I spoke
out of turn, buddy.
Sorry.
- Until when?
- Uh, spring.
The... the second coming.
Who knows?
Hey, Barbara.
You look fantastic.
Can I talk to you for a second?
- Yeah.
- Sorry.
You having fun yet?
When were you
planning on telling me?
Oh, wipe that stupid smirk
off your face.
What? What?
When did this happen?
Why didn't you tell me?
Frankly, I think it's
the least of our problems.
You think our livelihood
is the least of our problems?
Listen, listen, let's just
finish our time here,
and I promise we can fight
about this when we get home.
No. I'm going home now.
Why? So you can finish
interrogating Zelda?
- Interrogating?
- Well, what else would you call it?
Has that cop deputized you yet?
- Ellen.
- Let go!
Ellen, listen. Just relax.
Have a drink.
- Sit down, please.
- Why? To give everyone
- a better chance to gawk at us?
- No.
It's outrageous how they're
stringing us along...
- Ellen.
- But everything's gonna be cleared up soon!
Do you hear
how ridiculous that sounds?
I hear how ridiculous you sound.
Will you please calm down?
I'm sick of being calm!
Under a bit of pressure lately.
Ellen!
What's gotten into you?
- What's gotten into me?
- Yeah.
Just go back in there,
and peddle whatever
jolly bullshit you want, Evan.
I'm going home.
All right, so that's it?
Things get tough,
and you just leave?
Whatever happened
to for better or worse?
Oh,
you're gonna lecture me
on keeping promises?
What's that?
I found it, in your desk.
Who wrote it?
You found it,
as in it magically appeared,
or you went looking
through my desk?
Oh, no, no, no.
I searched your desk.
I searched the whole,
entire house. Who wrote it?
What have I ever done
that's made you so distrustful?
- What have you done?
- Yeah.
You know exactly
what you've done!
Evanston? Really?
God, for the millionth time,
nothing happened.
Well, I saw you! I saw you
fucking in your office!
I never fucked her
in my office!
You know what
you don't understand?
I don't even care
that you did it anymore.
I don't,
but it's the lie.
You've been telling me,
you've been telling yourself nothing
happened for so many years,
I think you actually believe it.
And I'm terrified about what else
you could convince yourself of.
Press okay.
...not like
i was satisfying some curiosit.
- Can I have a scotch?
- You got it.
Have you got
a telephone I can use?
Detective Malloy, please.
I'd like to report a crime.
Mm-hmm.
Can we talk?
Sure.
Come on in.
Alone?
Long night?
Yeah.
How 'bout some coffee?
What did you do there?
Uh...
You're a tough man
to track down.
Where have you been?
Do you have trouble remembering
things sometimes, detective?
People and places, sequences?
I've read
a lot of studies on it.
It's, uh, it's fascinating.
You know, m... memory is really the
least reliable function of our brain.
I mean, it's reliable in that it
reinforces one's concept of self,
as opposed to providing
an... an accurate account
of past events.
Is this gonna be on the test?
I had a student once
when I was at evanston,
Carol. We, um...
- We had an affair.
- Mm-hmm.
Her parents threatened
to sue the university, I think.
Ellen was pregnant, and, uh, i
resigned, and we moved here.
But I also remember
that nothing happened.
She tried to kiss me.
I said no, and she got angry,
and she told her parents
that we slept together anyway,
and that's... that's why
we had to leave.
But I don't remember
which one actually happened.
I can't prove either,
and, uh,
and without proof I'm...
I migh...
I might have killed that girl.
I saw her that day at the lake.
I... I went over to... to see he.
She... she remembered
me from, uh,
from a... a ride
I'd given her once,
and, uh, she knew
a lot about me.
She'd read my book.
She had a crush on me.
She asked if I wanted
to take a walk.
She knew an old trail
around the dam.
I said, "yeah, that'd be nice."
We were alone.
It was quiet.
The view was beautiful.
No one had looked at me
like that in a long time.
Things
got a little heated.
And...
I tried to hold her arms...
So she couldn't move,
j... just to keep control.
I mean, she...
She tried to push me,
and she ran.
I chased after her. I...
I didn't want her
to get the wrong idea.
She lost her footing.
She... she fell
and hit her head.
I panicked. I...
I didn't know what to do,
and I pushed her in.
I mean, it wasn't on purpose.
- None of this was... was on purpose.
- Evan!
The washrooms are around the corner
if you want to splash your face.
Am I under arrest?
No.
Read that.
It's the final autopsy report.
You didn't kill Joyce bonner.
She fell off a cliff on the
opposite side of the lake.
It was an accident.
And she wasn't found
by the dam.
That was misinformation
we leaked.
The autopsy shows
she broke both her wrists,
probably from trying
to slow her fall.
Her neck was broken.
The fall killed her instantly.
That's why we were trying
to get you in here.
I d... I don't understand.
- I just confessed to you...
- The case is closed.
She never hit her head
on a rock.
There's no evidence of any
intercourse or a struggle,
no skin under her fingernails,
no bruises
where you grabbed her.
I could go on.
I'm sitting here telling you
that I killed her.
Can you prove it?
Because I sure as hell
haven't been able to.
I know you were there that day.
I know she was in your car,
and I know about your history
with students...
But humans leave traces,
fibers from clothing,
skin fragments, footprints,
and there's no trace of you
beyond the scribblings
i found in the trash can.
There's no proof
you did anything more
than you told me from the star,
lose track of time
on your way to pick up
your daughter.
There's no proof you
even saw Joyce bonner,
and without proof...
The department thanks you
for your cooperation
and, uh, apologizes
for any inconveniences.
I'll have a patrolman
drive you home.
You're letting me go?
Look, I'm not a priest.
You want to screw college girls
in the woods,
go ahead. You're not the first,
and you won't be the last,
but don't look to me
for absolution or forgiveness.
I'm no shrink.
I'm like you,
someone who looks for proof.
And when I find it,
I sure as hell
hold on to it tighter than you.
Let him sleep it off,
and then drive Mr. birch home.
His family is waiting.
I could use a drink.
Daddy's home!
Ah, hey, babies. Oh.
We caught him, daddy!
You caught who?
His name is herbie.
Can we keep him, daddy? Please?
We'll keep him
in jinx's old cage,
and I'll take care
of him. I promise.
What does mommy say?
I said we needed to make
the decision together.
Why don't you take him upstairs,
and we'll talk about it.
They, uh...
They've closed the case.
It was a... it was an accident.
She fell.
It's... it's all over.
What?
Why aren't you happy?
Well, what Malloy thought
never worried me.
What happened to your hand?
Ah, it was stupid.
I... I got drunk, and...
I would understand
if you wanna leave.
Well, that's no great feat
of understanding.
Ah, Ellen, please, I'm...
I'm trying to apologize.
I don't want an apology.
What... what do you want?
I want our life back.
I want our marriage back.
I want all the secrets
we've ignored
for the past five years
out in the open.
Open it.
Whatever it says,
whoever it's from, just open it.
There's no starting over.
We tried that moving here.
We can only go forward,
either together or apart.
You can't change
what you've done,
can't change that I stood by
and I watched you make choices,
even though you knew
they could destroy
everything that we've built.
Ellen, whatever you decide,
I promise you
i will never lie to you again.
I will always
tell you the truth.
Yeah.
Always the truth...
Not what you interpret.
I love you.
Anna?
Anna?
No.
Anna?
Anna! Anna!
Anna!
Anna. Anna.
Anna, wake up.
Stay the fuck away from me!
Anna!