Original subtitles

[water dripping]

[indistinct speech, laughter]

[clattering]

[bird fluttering, squawking]

[tape unrolling]

[electronic droning]

[group chatter]

We like to maintain a state of mindfulness.

We tend to stay on the same cycle.

We drink a lot of juice.

Do you have a boyfriend?

- No, I... - Because our last roommate

had a boyfriend, and...

we do like to keep things more beta.

It's a thousand a month.

How do you feel about group nudity?

Uh...

♪♪

[bicycle bell ringing]

[woman] ♪ Doo-doo, doo, doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ Doo, doo, doo... doo-doo, doo, doo ♪

[humming]

[humming continues]

Hello? Are you Harold?

Hey, are you Harold?

Yeah.

I'm Ally.

Here to see the studio.

You're early.

Hmm, cool.

What's with the gear? Are you a spy?

I'm a sound recorder.

Awesome.

You don't have any pets, right?

- Because I'm deathly allergic. - Nope.

Because pet dander is like cyanide to me.

Four minutes with a dog or a cat,

and I'm in anaphylactic shock.

No pets, check.

♪ Shoo-ba, dop, dah ♪

Well, it's available now, so...

I can be here tomorrow.

Cash okay? Do you need to run a credit check or anything?

This is fine.

I'll get that stuff out of there tonight.

Cool.

I'm pretty hands-off, but I do ask

that when you need to use the kitchen or bathroom,

that you go around back and knock three times

on the door before entering.

Please don't use the front door.

That's my number-one rule.

Along with the "no pets" thing.

You got it, dude.

Got a really good feeling about this place, Harry,

and I'm a good roommate.

You won't even know I'm here.

[squeaking]

[chuckles]

[woman] This message is for Mr. Harold Pozniak

from LADWP.

Our records show that you have payment owed

from the past six billing cycles.

In addition, late-fee charges and interest are also... [beep]

[clattering]

A rose for my lady.

Take it.

[chuckles]

[woman] Pearl, come back in the house.

Go ahead. [laughing]

[sneezes]

Hey, have you Googled this guy yet?

What? No.

You move in with a total stranger,

and you don't Google him first? Are you insane?

Shit... haven't you ever heard of the Craigslist killer?

You know? Or like... or the... the Match.com murderer?

Or the... the eHarmony homicider?

Phht! Aah!

That could be you.

You want that to be you?

I mean, tell me that you at least

SexOffender.com-ed him

to make sure that he is not a perv.

No way, man.

He's just a harmless weirdo like me.

Well, look, I... I don't understand

why you don't just move in with me.

'Cause I see you, like, all the freakin' time.

Yeah, but you don't see all of me all the time.

I need something new in my life.

All right, your loss.

Look, I'm just trying to get you not killed.

[indistinct chatter]

[man laughs]

♪♪

[chatter]

[bird fluttering]

[birds chirping]

[man whistling]

[clicking tongue]

[whistling, birds cackling]

[man] Calm down.

[click, staticky chatter]

[click, birds squawking]

[humming softly]

[man] Damn it!

Mariana?

Pearl? What?

Where the hell is your mother?

I don't know.

Damn it! Mariana?

[woman whispering] So annoying.

I just can't make it tonight.

It's not a good time.

I got to go.

I...

I know. I want to, but he's just...

[man] Mariana?

Oh, I'll call you when I can.

[man] Who were you talking to?

[Mariana] Someone.

[loud music playing outside]

[music, group chatter]

[Mariana] Give me the damn cell phone.

[man] Not 'til you tell me where the fuck you were last night.

I told you where I was.

No, you didn't tell me shit!

For the hundredth time, I was with Martha!

- You weren't with Martha! - Yes!

All right, fine, let's call Martha, then.

Go ahead! Call her!

Stop talking all that shit!

- Shut up! - What?

Who the fuck are you talking to?

Bitch, I will put you through that fucking wall!

Don't talk to me like that!

- Pearl's gonna hear you! - Pearl's gonna hear me, huh?

[crickets chirping]

[car starts]

[car drives off]

[car starts]

[chatter]

[man] Hello there, little friend.

Come with me.

[man shouting indistinctly]

[girl screams]

[siren wailing]

[chatter]

[Mariana] Pearl?

Pearl?

[footsteps]

[door closes]

[bicycle gears clicking]

[police radio chatter]

[knocking]

[knocking]

[Ally] Hello?

Go around, please.

[knocking]

Damn it, the back door...

Never mind.

Are you Harold?

[Ally] Harry.

Harry, look outside. There's fucking cops everywhere.

Hi.

Sorry to disturb you.

I'm Detective Holland.

I was wondering if you had some time

to answer some questions

about a missing persons case.

[Ally] Who's missing?

Girl's name is Pearl Marquez.

Age six. Your neighbor.

She may have been missing since last night.

I understand there was a gathering in the neighborhood.

What did you say your last name was, Harold?

Pozniak.

I didn't go.

I have bad allergies.

I can't even really leave my house.

Is there anything you saw

that might have been out of the ordinary?

Suspicious guests? Anything?

I didn't see anything. I'm sorry.

We take these missing person cases very...

[sniffles]

Is everything okay?

Bad allergies.

I'll let you get to that.

But if there's anything that you might notice,

it could really help out.

Of course.

Mr. Pozniak.

Yes?

Take two Sudafed.

Clear you right up. [clicks tongue]

Think your microphone is broken.

Everything all right, Harold?

Yeah, fine.

'Kay, I'm gonna get my moving on.

See you after work?

I'll take that as a yes.

You would think with a name

like Harold Pozniak, you would find something.

Well, on the bright side, at least he's not

a registered perv.

Well, maybe he just took himself off the grid.

Like, it's... it's not that hard to do.

Is that normal?

No, probably not.

Good.

I'm not interested in normal.

Hey, uh, are... are you coming tonight?

To what?

Remember, my band Slaughterhouse Six is playing.

I'm sorry, I got plans with Harold.

[sighs]

[man] Here you go.

♪♪

[knocking]

[woman] Buenos tardes.

[speaking Spanish]

No espanol.

Por favor...

[continues speaking Spanish]

I'm sorry, my... my allergies are horrible,

and I have lots of things to do...

Por favor... [continues speaking Spanish]

I'm very sorry.

[conversation in Spanish]

It was Mr. McGregor. He did it for sure.

Mister who?

Mr. McGregor.

He kills bunnies and cats,

and then he cuts them up and feeds them to his birds.

He killed Pearl.

Who told you this nonsense?

Humberto, he told us.

Ah, the crazy old homeless drunk told you that.

Of course, how can you argue with that?

[Ally] It is a fact

that 95% of all missing children,

if they're not found within 24 hours,

turn up in pieces in some grassy field somewhere.

Pieces... as in multiple body parts, everywhere.

Arms, legs, little child heads.

A toe will turn up in the next morning's garbage.

A size two foot in the gutter.

What time did she go missing? What was her name?

Pearl... what time did Pearl go missing?

I don't know.

You saw the cops this morning.

So, it's been, what, eight or nine hours?

- Sure. - So that gives them about

17 hours max

until they start finding little Pearl parts.

I don't know if this community is ready for that.

I'm sure she just ran away.

She's five years old.

- I think she was six. - Okay, she's six years old.

No six-year-old runs away from home.

Six-year-olds run away.

What makes you so certain?

I'm not certain of anything, but my guess

is she'll be back by morning.

She is totally dead. Come on.

And my money's on the dad.

Why do you think that?

Just a gut thing, and my gut is always right.

There must have been something to make you think that.

When I was riding by, the way he stared at me...

straight murder eyes.

I guess we should call the detective right now.

Open and shut case, right?

You are crazier than I thought

if you think I'm gonna go to the cops.

When I was in middle school, there were, like,

ten kids that got kidnapped.

But as soon as the cop got a suspect,

that kid ended up dead, mutilated, or worse.

What's worse than mutilated?

The point is, Harold, cops have a long

and sordid history of royally effing this stuff up.

It's not like they're going to exhaust their work force

trying to solve the case of the missing Mexican girl, okay?

They've got one dude,

whose best days are clearly behind him.

LAPD don't give a shit about this.

Like your necklace.

How long have you lived here?

Long time.

Do you have a job?

I fix old sound equipment and sell it online.

Girlfriend?

No.

Just so you know, you're my first too.

Your first?

First roommate.

Been living with my parents for 22 years.

Had to get out, you know?

Look, um...

I appreciate you cooking this meal for me, I really do.

But if you're looking for a friend, I'm afraid

I'm not your guy. I keep to myself,

and I don't have all that much to say anyway.

I'm perfectly happy to be invisible.

Hey, that's totally cool.

And you know, you don't have to talk to me.

You're more of a listener.

Is that why you have all these microphones?

[chuckling] I mean, what, oh, what is going on here?

I like microphones.

So you just collect microphones.

No, I collect sounds.

So you spy on people?

No, I mean...

Okay.

Hear that?

[crickets chirping]

What?

Shut your eyes.

Listen close. What do you hear?

[faint traffic noise]

The freeway?

Good, what else?

I don't know, some crickets?

Right now there are millions

of unseen waves traveling through this room,

each carrying frequency... a sound.

The big ones we can hear, the little ones we can't,

but they're still all around us all the time.

Just passing through.

This... lets me hold onto them,

examine them, interact with them.

That is so cool.

Can you teach me some stuff?

Yes! Let's do this!

Harold! Harold! Harold!

Har...

Say something.

My new roommate is a total weirdo.

[playing back] My new roommate is a total weirdo.

Now, here's the magic.

When you invert the wave and play it over the top

of the other one, it cancels out the noise

as if the sound was never there.

[chuckles]

That's pretty cool.

I don't know about magic, but...

Let's do another one.

Harold's got a pointy nose.

But it's very handsome.

I mean, for a nose.

[laughs] Thank you.

Has anybody ever told you that before?

♪♪

[crickets chirping, footsteps]

[door opens and closes]

[door opens, clicking, closes]

Two doors.

[door closing]

Yeah.

[car starts]

He showed me this thing he does

where he inverts the sound waves, something?

Cancels out the noise? It was crazy.

Yeah, you can just, like, buy headphones

that do that now.

He's total OG geek.

Like, they don't make 'em like that anymore, you know?

Hey, so, I guess they haven't found that girl yet?

No! Have you been following this?

Yeah, a little.

My gut tells me it's the dad,

but Harold doesn't believe me.

Why would the dad kidnap his daughter?

Do you ever think about who would look for you

if you went missing?

I can't think of a single person in my search party.

I mean, I would look for you.

I wonder if Harold would look for me.

Probably not.

I bet he hasn't left his house in, like, ten years.

You wanted weird.

[female reporter] It's now been almost 48 hours

since young Pearl disappeared from her home.

[banging] We spoke to Los Angeles Police Department.

They say at this point...

See those news trucks outside?

Guess they didn't find that girl yet, huh?

Still think she ran away?

Could you please use the back door from now on?

Right.

Looks like we got ourselves a good old-fashioned

baby-napping on our hands, Harry.

My rules are very important to me.

I'd appreciate it if you used the back door.

And please, it's Harold. I hate the name Harry.

Really? I like Harry.

Harold, what are you doing?

What's going on? What is this?

Harold?

Just wondering about the dad.

I told you. What did you see?

It wasn't something I saw, it's something I heard.

Are you spying on him?

No, I'm just... listening.

[pressing button]

[door closing]

Hear that?

Sounds like a car door, right?

Two. Two car doors.

Pearl got in the car with him.

Someone did.

I told you!

Respect the gut! Respect the gut!

There's more to it. Listen.

[footsteps]

- What is it? - There's only one set of footsteps.

He carried her.

Was she awake?

Was she asleep? Or dead?

Oh, my God. Harold, you are good!

Like, CIA good.

You're not gonna give this over to the cops, right?

No. No, this is hardly anything.

The tip of the iceberg.

Besides, who's to say I didn't make this recording myself?

I'm not so sure this isn't illegal.

You're right.

[Mariana] Vincent, where are you going?

- Let's follow him! - What? No!

Come on, we know it's him.

I'm not gonna go spy on my neighbor.

What do you call this? You're already spying on him.

Besides, don't you wanna save Pearl?

You were certain she was dead a minute ago.

Oh, come on, Harry, live a little!

I can't go outside.

If I had taken my allergy medicine

a couple of hours ago, maybe, but I'm not...

This is our chance!

I'm not going, and that's it.

- Harry! - Stop calling me Harry.

Fine!

Then I'll go by myself.

What?

No, no, you can't.

Someone could see you.

- This is a bad idea. - Look, Harold,

I'd love to have a partner in this,

but you are obviously too big of a pussy.

So it looks like I'm going it alone.

Let's hope I fare better than Pearl.

♪♪

[blues music playing]

♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

The back is his address.

Hey, what can I get for you, honey?

[whispering] Water.

Sorry?

Water.

Okay, water.

Let me make sure I got that.

One water. Got it.

[indistinct chatter]

On the house.

Catch ya next time.

[man] Just finishing up some business

and I'll be right over.

Don't worry about it.

[knocking]

[clearing throat]

[man] I'll take care of it.

[phone beeps]

[toilet flushing]

[water running]

[man grunting, farting]

[car starts]

[panting]

[gasps]

[grunts]

Harold? Harold.

You're using the front door again.

What happened?

Pearl's dad met somebody at a bar.

They exchanged money. Lots of money.

I followed him out of the bar, and he tried to kill me.

Who? Did... did he see you come here?

No, I think I lost him.

He tried to hit me with his car.

I think they knew I was onto them.

You really should not have done that, and please,

if you could use the back door from now on,

it's really very important to me.

How could you be worrying about your front door?

- That's none of your business. - This guy could be somebody

that Pearl's dad paid to...

I don't know, you tell me, something horrible.

Money was exchanged, Harold, and it was in an envelope.

And everybody knows that envelope money is dirty money.

It's him.

[door opens, seatbelt rattles, door closes]

What? What's that face?

Maybe there weren't two car doors.

There's a... a catch, a clip.

Metal.

Hear that?

[seatbelt rattles, door closes]

That's a seatbelt.

That's why it sounds like two car doors.

He shuts it twice because his seatbelt gets caught.

He was alone.

Okay, even if that was one car door which,

that's still a big "if,"

he could've just as easily carried Pearl

and put her in from his side.

I'm sorry, but this is not

irrefutable evidence here.

You've seen too many movies.

That sounds almost exactly like what we just saw.

It's an exact replica of the audio waves.

Fuck the audio waves, okay?

Who almost just got killed by these guys?

They are obviously into some seriously fucked up shit!

Stack of money, his daughter's missing,

try to off me, a witness to their sinister interaction?

This goes beyond a gut feeling, pal, okay?

Blood has been drawn! And don't... don'tcondescend me

by saying I've watched too many movies!

Look, Harold, if you're gonna be my partner,

you've gotta have my back.

I know that they're behind this.

There was only one door.

♪♪

How many more days do we have to do this?

As long as it takes.

Even 100 days?

Even if it takes 100 days.

But I don't wanna do this for the rest of my life.

Then let's go find her today.

[conversation in Spanish]

[resumes in Spanish]

[knocking]

Is this your book?

I haven't read this in 20 years.

It's not mine, though.

Then how did it get in my house?

How should I know?

What does your gut tell you?

I don't know, I suppose the universe

just wanted you to have it.

So, the universe brought it to me?

Yep, just like it brought me to you.

Craigslist brought you to me.

The world works in mysterious ways, Harold.

Maybe it's trying to tell you something,

or maybe it's just coincidence.

Who knows?

I never read this.

Harold, were you ever a kid?

[purring]

What's that?

Nothing. What?

There's something moving in your bed.

Moving in my bed?

Yeah... do you have...

I specifically told you no pets.

Oh, he just came up to my door, I'm not keeping him.

Harold, he's so sweet.

I want it out, now.

[cat meows]

[gasps]

Have a heart, Harry, imagine if you were kicked

out on the street like that, how would you like it?

If you can't handle my rules, you can leave too.

Oh-ho-ho!

Okay, tough guy, I hear ya.

Hey, might wanna check that out.

Vincent Marquez... that's our suspect.

What is this?

I don't want this, I...

Whoops, would you look at the time?

Gotta get to the shop and fix some bikes.

Don't go running into Mr. McGregor's yard.

[man shushing]

[bird cooing]

[animal squeaking, man shouting] Hey! Go, get outta here!

If I ever catch you in this yard again, I'll kill you!

[animal continues squeaking] Son of a bitch.

Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you again.

[shopping cart rolling]

[man 2] Hello there, little friend.

Come with me.

[shopping cart continues rolling]

[wheel squeaking]

[door creaking]

I bet he's at home right now

going over everything he's got on Vincent Marquez

and he just won't admit it to me.

Dude, you do know I can hack cell phones,

like, pick locks, get background checks.

I mean, why don't we... why don't we break

into this guy's car or something?

What are you, AAA? No.

Stuff like that'll get Pearl killed.

I shouldn't even be talking publicly

- about our investigation. - All right.

Well, for what it's worth, I believe you about the dad.

Yeah, of course you believe me, you're obsessed with me.

I want Harold to believe me, this is our case.

Obsessed with you?

Dude, I was just saying I could help.

I didn't mean it like that.

[phone ringing]

Kyle. Kyle!

[ringing continues]

Fixie Fix.

[groans]

[rattling]

[cat meowing]

♪♪

[cat growling]

[Harold grunting, cat meowing]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[cat growling]

[door opens]

Harold!

What is wrong with you?

Get that thing outta here.

It's okay, little guy.

Harold just can't handle excitement.

[shopping cart rolling]

[man mumbling]

[wheel squeaking]

♪♪

Hey, you've reached Kyle's Fixie Fix.

Sorry I can't get to the phone right now.

Probably because I'm fixing your bike.

Uh, so, leave a message.

Hey, Kyle, it's me, um...

I just wanted to call and explain about earlier.

I didn't... I think you misunderstood me, and...

I wasn't, um...

Harold?

[phone clicks]

Oh, goddamn it.

[sighs]

[off-hook tone]

[man mumbling in Spanish, wheel squeaking]

[man continues mumbling in Spanish]

[Ally] Whatcha doing?

[gasps]

[whispering] Jesus! Calm...

You scared the shit out of me.

What are you doing here?

I know you're up to no good, I thought I'd join you.

Shh. I'm just trying...

Very proud of you, you know?

- What? - I never thought

I'd see you leave your house.

Very brave of you, Harold.

[man shouting in Spanish]

[glass breaking]

I saw him give a toy to Pearl the night she disappeared.

Okay.

I was going over that night's recording,

and I heard what I think is the sound

of the shopping cart by Pearl's house

after the dad left.

Harold, that's big, right?

We're gonna record the sound of his cart to compare,

but I need him to walk by me a lot closer.

[train passing]

Come on.

- Let's go get it. - Ally, stop.

What if this guy is the kidnapper?

Or the killer?

Only one way to find out.

Come on.

Oh, trash, trash.

Yuck.

That's cute.

Oh, my God.

Okay, we gotta get outta here.

- Come on, let's go. - What? Why?

That's what he gave Pearl the night she disappeared.

She took it with her into the house.

Now, it's here. How would he get it back?

Fucking fuck, Harold.

Ally, let's go.

Ally? Ally!

Harold, come on!

Harold?

[dog barking]

You made it this far.

Come on, you're doing great.

[scoffs]

[Harold] We should go back.

If you were a kidnapper, wouldn't you hide a girl here?

Nobody could hear her scream over the sound of the freeway!

[panicked breathing]

Don't you ever wonder how all this junk gets here?

No.

[indistinct mumbling]

Ally? Ally?

One time, my friend got busted smoking weed

and had to do community service

picking up litter on the side of the freeway.

And he said it's mostly bags of piss and shit

that truckers just throw out their windows

so they don't have to stop.

[panicked breathing]

Oh, fuck! I totally found a shit bag.

Harold, you gotta come see this!

[breathing deeply]

[coughing]

Harold, where are you at?

Harold!

[coughing, panicked breathing continues]

Happy birthday, Harold.

Where am I?

Boy, you got some bad allergies.

What's he doing here?

Happy birthday!

[nurse] He carried you in with the girl.

Harry, are you awake?

Harry, why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?

- It's not my... - Okay, you're still

a little delirious, aren't you?

Yeah, eyes still very dilated.

Okay, let's get that blood sugar back up, okay?

[blowing] Here you go.

Good, good.

It's really not...

Come on. There you go.

Swallow. Swallow it.

Good, good. Another bite.

- Mmm! - Mm, mm, mm.

Mr. Pozniak? Pardon me.

We've got some new medicine for you.

Put this on your face.

Like this.

And breathe normally.

Like this.

Breathe normally, yes.

All right, the medicine is gonna make you a little drowsy.

So, no driving, no operating machinery.

I'll be with him.

[muffled] Any sign of Pearl?

What are you saying What is he saying?

Pearl... Any sign of Pearl?

[machine beeping]

Breathe normally.

Yes.

One for the lady.

[door opening]

[Ally] Are you ready for your medicine?

[pills rattling in bottle]

[gas flowing]

I had a nightmare last night

that I was kidnapped like Pearl.

Well, you weren't kidnapped, you're here.

Yeah, but what if I get taken too?

Nobody's going to take you.

[sniffing]

[rapid knocking]

There's a glove... in the house.

It's got bl... it's got blood on it.

If that cat has been bringing these things in here...

the toy, the photo, the book, the glove...

he knows where Pearl is.

[stops gas flowing]

You're gonna help us find that girl, huh?

Okay, let's go. Come here.

We're up.

What's going on?

Shh.

I'm not gonna sit here and watch you have all the fun.

I wanna listen too.

♪♪

Harold, what if this doesn't work?

[birds chirping]

Harold.

Hey.

- Hey! - Yeah?

Can't have you falling asleep at the wheel there, dude.

My God, Harold, your eyes are like big black marbles.

Nothing's coming in.

Okay, you're slurring.

We're gonna get you some sleep.

- All right, yeah. - Okay, okay.

All right.

Ally?

What is it, Harold?

It's not my birthday.

I know... yesterday was your birthday.

Pretend birthday.

Okay, I think the dose is a little too much this time.

Is it still locked?

Is what still locked?

[door closing]

[man] Okay, yeah, I can come.

Same bar?

Okay, 9:30.

[clinking]

[clinking continues]

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

He's up.

Look what the cat dragged in.

I was just admiring your setup.

Better than what we got at the station,

that's for damn sure.

Been doing a little, uh, spying, Harold?

I'm a... a sound man.

[toy squeaking]

[chuckles] Cute.

You guys got a dog?

[chuckles]

[chuckles]

Harold?

Why don't you get the detective some coffee?

Harold?

- Yeah. - Coffee.

Yeah, coffee.

[Ally] He's on new medication.

Really strong shit.

Um, you know what I found out?

It's Harold's birthday!

Oh?

Yeah... it was yesterday.

He didn't tell me, of course.

I had to find out from Nurse Pat.

[chuckles]

Oh, really?

Yeah.

Harold, are you doing okay in there?

Yeah, fine.

Detective?

Ah, decaf.

[sighs]

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm still groggy from my medication.

You asked for coffee...

No, no, no.

Water's fine.

I've had enough caffeine today.

You know, I was thinking.

The other day when we spoke, I asked you,

did you see anything the night that Pearl disappeared,

and you said no.

I didn't see anything.

What I should have asked you was did you hear anything.

Did you?

I'm sorry.

I didn't hear anything.

You know, Harold, withholding evidence...

I'd help you if I could.

I guess I wasted enough of your time.

Is the sink okay?

Well...

Have a good evening.

No, no.

[locking door] This is not good.

This is really... just really not good.

Harold, calm down.

Shit. Shit, shit.

- He took the glove. - What?

Do you realize what this looks like?

I've got all this evidence in my house.

Now, he's got the glove. It's got blood on it.

They're gonna try to pin this on me.

They don't have anything on you, it's not your glove.

Yeah, but how did it get in my house?

That's what they're gonna say. How did it get in my house?

- It's got Pearl's blood on it. - Okay, the fact is

you didn't do anything wrong, so you have

- nothing to worry about. - I don't want anybody

digging around into my business,

looking into what I do or who I am.

- Would you like that? - How do I get the playback

on the thing?

What are you doing?

I recorded the dad, he's going to meet

the sketchy guy at the bar. We've gotta move

this operation in now.

Don't ever touch my things.

Harold! Chill!

- We are this close. - No.

Everything was fine until you came and fucked up my world.

- Harold. - I want you out of here.

You and that stupid cat. I'm allergic to you both.

Is that how it's gonna be?

Yes, I want you out of this house.

Fine. I'm going.

Good.

If I die tonight, know that my blood is on your hands.

My blood and Pearl's blood. Hope you can live with that.

You... you better use the back door.

Don't do it.

You want me to leave you alone, Harold?

I'm just trying to help you.

Get you to live a little.

[latch clicking]

[line ringing]

[Kyle] What do you want?

Look, I know you're really mad at me.

I'm sorry, but I need your help.

Your boyfriend Harold ain't around?

Kyle, this is serious! Okay, look.

You're the only one that can help me, come on.

I tried to help you before and got shit on, so...

- Kyle? - Bye, Ally.

- Kyle, Kyle... - Bye, Ally.

[scoffs]

[glass cracking, breaking]

[door opening, keys jingling]

Where do you think you're going? Huh?

[man grunts]

[panicked breathing] Fuck.

Come here! Goddamn it.

[Ally shrieks, man grunts]

[panting]

[panicked breathing]

[engine revving]

[panicked breathing]

Shit.

[gasps]

Oh, fuck.

[panting]

[line ringing] Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up.

[Harold] Leave a message.

Harold, it's Ally. Where are you?

Pick up, I need you to come get me.

Harold, I know you're there.

I'm in a tunnel. There's a man chasing me.

I need your help. Please, Harold.

I need you to pick up, I need you to come help me.

Fuck, I'm in so much trouble. Harold, where are you?

Pick up, I know you've gotta be at home.

Shit!

[panicked breathing]

Come here, you little shit.

You got something that's mine.

Fine, have it your way.

[car starts]

No, no, no, no, no!

Goddamn it! Shit!

I don't wanna hurt you.

Just give it here.

[grunting]

[piercing ringing]

♪♪

[grunting]

[water dripping]

[Ally] Harold? Harold?

Harold? Can you hear me?

Can you hear?

[Harold] I can hear my ears dripping...

in one ear, it hurts.

- I know, um... - Is he alive?

I... I don't know. But... but Harold, look.

I got this from his car.

Who is this? Who is this guy with her?

He's spying on his wife.

What?

I heard it in my recordings. She's cheating on him.

Ally, I need to tell you something.

My real name is not Harold Pozniak.

It's Harold Irving.

I ran away from home when I was 15,

and I've been missing ever since.

So, when I told you it wasn't my birthday...

I wasn't lying.

Nobody knows where you are?

Probably gave me up for dead years ago.

Everyone said I'd been kidnapped.

At least, that's what was in the newspapers.

I don't know if my parents believed that or not.

Turns out it's not too difficult to disappear.

The night I left, my stepdad was

too tanked to notice.

He was very loud and very angry.

I had a brother, though.

I told him what I was going to do,

and he kept his promise and didn't tell.

I didn't want my brother to suffer,

but I couldn't take him with me,

so I took my headphones.

These big red shiny headphones

that were good for times like that.

And I put them over my brother's ears,

said good-bye.

I should have stayed to protect him,

I shouldn't have left.

Do you know what happened to him?

I tried to find out.

But I don't know.

I just hope he doesn't hate me.

No...

By now, he's forgotten me.

I used to wonder

how long they looked for me

before they gave up.

Did you want to be found?

I wanted them to try.

[clicking]

[indistinct girl's voice] Mr. McGregor.

[sighs]

♪♪

[clinking]

[McGregor] Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

Yeah, there, eat up.

Friskies and Freon. Delicious, huh?

Well, what is this?

[static]

[recording rewinding]

[traffic noise]

[indistinct girl's voice]

[indistinct girl's voice]

[indistinct girl's voice] Mr. McGregor.

[little girl] Bye, kitty, be careful of Mr. McGregor.

Hey.

So, you're not talking to me now?

Cool.

[rock music playing on radio]

[cell phone vibrating]

[Ally] Leave me a message or something.

Ally.

McGregor has got Pearl. It's gotta be him.

♪♪

No hats.

[knocking]

[door opens]

[police radio chatter]

[man] Mr. Pozniak?

I have a warrant to search your property.

We're coming in!

Get the bolt cutters.

Find Pearl.

[rock music playing on radio]

[cell phone vibrating]

[Harold] McGregor has got Pearl.

It's gotta be him.

Do you want me to come with you?

I don't have a bike.

What? This is a bike shop.

You can just... you can borrow a bike.

Right, yeah, yes. Yes, yes, I do, yeah.

- Okay, yeah. - Yeah, let's go.

[phone ringing]

Yeah?

[police radio chatter]

What? Hold on.

[birds chirping, squawking]

[squawking continues]

Pearl?

[rustling]

Pearl?

[door sliding open]

Harold?

What the fuck? Harold!

Hey, Ally.

What?

[detective] Search the kitchen, that's where I found the glove.

[Ally sighing]

Harold, where are you?

Harold.

Mr. McGregor... okay, okay, right there.

[wings flapping, bird squawking]

Those are birds.

[wings flapping]

[birds squawking]

[McGregor] Come on.

[kissing noises] Come on, here.

[whistling, clicking tongue] Yeah, get in here.

[sneezing]

[birds continue squawking]

[metal rattling, birds calling]

No. No!

No! No!

[whispering] Do you think he got out?

[whispering] I don't know, I think so.

That was awesome!

Good idea.

I can't believe that worked.

I know.

He'll probably be out in a second.

You should... you should probably try and go

before he sees you.

It's just... Harold's kind of a weirdo.

You know that.

I'll see you soon, okay?

Cover me.

[laughing]

[people chattering]

[man speaking in Spanish]

[chatter continues]

We're happy to report little Pearl was found alive,

although more than a bit hungry,

around 3:15 this afternoon,

five days after she was first reported missing.

Her parents say the little girl left the house

and then hid under the crawlspace of this house

under the 101 freeway.

When the little girl tried to leave,

a tree branch fell, blocking the entrance.

She credits her survival to a neighborhood cat

who she says brought her food, also kept her company.

But perhaps the real hero in this story

is nine-year-old Albert who lives just down the street.

This is my magic soccer ball.

I told it to find Pearl,

and I kicked it really high up into the sky... boom!

And it rolled and rolled and rolled, and I chased it.

Then I heard someone crying,

and I called out, "Pearl, Pearl!"

She said, "I'm stuck, I'm stuck!"

[reporter] This is the man who helped.

Well, uh... boy here...

stopped me in the street, and, uh...

got me out of my truck and led me straight to the girl.

And I helped her get out.

That's the story.

[reporter] And there you have it.

A determined young man, a magical soccer ball,

and a life-saving cat.

Back to you, Dave.

♪♪

Uh, back door. Back door.

Harold? Harold!

♪ Hello, little penguin saw you swimming in a wave ♪

♪ You don't usually venture this far ♪

♪ From your home ♪

♪ Your size and color captures ♪

♪ My imagination ♪

♪ Don't wander too far ♪

♪ Or else ♪

♪ You might lose your way ♪

♪ Where is your family ♪

♪ Are you more comfortable with others... ♪♪

If you wanna follow me down here to the left,

I can show you the, uh, the living room.

You get a lot of light in here.

It's a pretty good size.

♪♪

Just make a left... exactly.

This is where I grew up.

This is where... this is where I used to live.

So, I'm not going to be selling it,

I'm holding onto this room. Just kidding.

Uh, it's unchanged really since I was around.

But I think it shows a lot of potential in here,

and like the rest of the house,

you can do a lot with it. I... I'm sorry.

[sighing, sneezing]

[sneezing]

Gesundheit.

Oh, um, thank you.

Sorry, I just have terrible allergies.

Let me give you, uh, cards,

and give me a call or an e-mail.

- Take your time. - Thank you.

And, uh, look around, yeah.

- Thank you. - Great.

Card?

Those are... [chuckling]

actually a gift to me from my big brother.

Sorry, they're not for sale.

I'm gonna hold onto them.

♪♪

- Hey! - What's up?

Took you long enough.

Whatever.

- You ready? - Yep.

- All right. - Let's do it.

♪♪