Original subtitles

Hey. We're home.

Careful.

So what do you think?

This is your room.

Do you like it?

Her mother on the south side of the park

near the woods for several hours

before the incident occurred.

Police could find no trace of the young girl

nor any clues to her whereabouts.

Anybody with-

That's not you anymore.

Your name is Sophie.

And you're my little girl.

You're going to like it here.

I promise to give you the best life.

Essentially, what I'm saying is,

although the past events of your childhood

shape your cognitive changes,

they don't dictate your future.

And what if someone has never experienced

any traumatic events in their life to overcome?

I would say consider yourself very lucky.

As always, this is Alyssa Manning, daring to be.

I can help you with the math.

All right, remember when you carry the two,

you work from right to left.

Mm-hm. I think that's it.

Hello.

Hi. We're back here.

I just stopped by to say hello to my two favorite people

and to find a home for my new batch of cookies.

You guys know anyone interested?

Me.

After your homework.

Ah, no fun, Mom.

I told Grace I'm big enough for a real babysitter

so she doesn't always have to watch me.

And I told her that I don't have to do anything.

We stick together. Always have.

Even if I wanted to have a stranger babysit you,

Auntie Grace would never let me.

That's right, because babysitters just text

their boyfriends all night.

They don't have fun like we do, right?

Right.

Oh, you're still good for tomorrow night, right?

I've got that live show.

Yep, I'll be here.

Any plans for after the show?

You're bad. Well?

Maybe.

I know what you guys are talking about.

Emma!

I'll see you guys tomorrow.

Bye. Bye.

You. Let's get back to that math.

You've been asking me to do a show together for years.

I have.

As a true crime fanatic,

I've always been fascinated with your case.

Being taken right in front of your own parents,

I mean, it struck fear into parents everywhere.

And with my other announcement tonight,

I thought it was the right time to take Spencer up

on his idea to flip the script

and have him ask me a few questions.

First of all, the obvious,

what was it like being rescued and returned safely

to your parents after seven years?

Well, it definitely took some time to adapt,

but eventually, I fell back into my life.

And I had relatively normal high school years.

The attention eventually waned and-

You then took that experience and devoted your life

to studying psychology and human behavior.

And now, look at you,

you're one of the most celebrated personalities

in the podcast world.

And today, 25 years after your safe return,

I understand you have a big announcement?

Yes, the rumors are true, I'm releasing my first book.

A personal memoir dealing with the kidnapping.

It's a long time coming.

Should we take some live questions from the listeners?

Yes.

In my case, I lived out this horrific event

in the public eye,

so I not only had to deal with the trauma,

but I had to deal with the fame and attention

that came with being little Alyssa.

That flew by. It's been a wonderful show.

There is just one last thing we haven't touched on.

I think I know where you're going with this.

Sorry, but I think everyone would like to know.

The man who kidnapped you, Miles Simon,

will be released from prison tomorrow.

How does that make you feel?

He served his time,

and I hope he used the 25 years to heal,

and that he'll never harm anyone else again.

Doesn't scare you or upset you that he's a free man?

This has been great. Thank you, Spencer.

Thank you.

And thank you all for joining us.

As always, this is Alyssa Manning, daring to be.

Great.

What a great show, guys.

Yeah, we'll have to do it again.

I'm gonna hold you to that.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Bye.

You're my little girl.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.

First copy?

It's not final.

And we still need those last edits from you,

but I figured with the rushed release,

we could whet the public's appetite.

Besides, what would a book announcement be without a book?

This was brave. I'm proud of you.

Hey, it was your idea to incorporate the old journals.

That was smart. It really sold me.

And I appreciate you pushing me when things got tough.

It's my job.

And with Miles's release,

we can expect an avalanche of media attention

and endless interview requests.

I was afraid of that.

Well, I have a game plan.

I guess you're at the house so much,

you know my and Emma's schedule by now.

Yeah, you could say that.

Hey, I gotta run, but I'll see you in a couple days

for the release strategy meeting?

Yes, you will.

Sarah?

Yeah?

I'm sorry I ever doubted you.

No, it's okay.

I knew it was hard on you being assigned a new editor,

especially under the circumstances.

Caroline was great,

and I know you trusted her and her vision.

I'm just glad you gave me and my ideas a chance.

Thank you, again.

I'm going to clean some things up around here. Goodnight.

Okay. Bye.

Footage of Miles Simon, now 62 years old,

walking out of prison a free man.

Simon served 25 years for kidnapping

Alyssa Manning over 30 years ago.

He released a statement care of his lawyer-

She tried to wait up.

Sorry, I was watching the news.

I found out some info.

As part of his probation,

Miles will be placed in a temporary living complex

and given a part time job, probably something janitorial.

And there will, of course, be a restraining order in effect.

You okay? You need me to stay over?

No, I'm fine.

Thank you, I don't know what I would do without you.

Of course.

You sure you're okay to be alone?

Well...

Oh, gotcha.

And I'm out.

Have fun. Thanks.

Goodnight.

Hello. Come on, baby, let's go to bed.

So the only good thing

about my crazy long work hours is they coincide

with your alone time.

Hi. Hi.

I knew this day was coming, but now that it's here,

I haven't really processed it all.

Mm. Was he even allowed to contact you?

He's not supposed to.

But I don't know what to expect.

Am I hypocritical for not giving him a chance to apologize?

No. I mean, I'm always preaching

about forgiveness and letting go of the past.

I think this is a little different.

One thing's for sure,

there will be reporters in the front lawn tomorrow.

Well, I can stay with you for a few days?

What about Emma?

What about Emma?

Look, Alyssa,

I don't know if I'm sending all the right signals here,

but I am crazy about you.

Your signals are landing just fine.

Okay, well, if we're gonna have a future together,

then I know that that future will include Emma,

so we can't continue to grow if I'm not involved

with the most important part of your life.

I know.

If I'm gonna be around for a while,

Emma's gonna realize that I'm more than your friend

who stops by to fix things around the house.

Gonna be around for a while?

I'd like to be.

I'd like that too.

Mommy?

Honey, what are you doing up?

I tried to wait up for you.

I know. You remember Grant, right?

My friend who...

Well, Grant's just here to spend some time with me.

Hi, Emma. It's good to see you.

Hi. Can I hang out with you guys?

Honey, let's get you back to bed.

She can hang out for a bit, right?

We're just about to start a movie.

Sure, yeah. Come on.

Come.

Hi, Alyssa.

You wanna take a walk with me?

Alyssa?

Alyssa?!

Alyssa?!

I need to use the bathroom.

Okay. Just give me a minute, okay?

Let's order first and I'll go with you.

I've really gotta go.

Emma, okay, just give me a minute.

It's right over there.

I've been to that bathroom, like, a hundred times.

Yes, and every time with me.

Please?

Okay, but hurry back. And don't forget to wash your hands.

Okay. Okay.

You all set?

Yeah, she'll have the mac and cheese,

and I'll have a chicken salad.

All right. Thanks.

Anything else to drink?

No. Maybe just a brownie later.

All right.

Emma?

Emma, are you in there?

Emma?

Emma?!

Have you seen my daughter?

No.

Emma!

Have you seen my daughter?

Mm-mm.

Emma?!

Emma, oh, my god. Emma.

You scared me. Don't you ever do that to me again.

I was just trying to be funny, Mommy.

I'm sorry. I couldn't see you, I got so scared.

I'll always be safe, Mommy, I promise.

I'm sorry, sweetie.

I have a few questions.

Wondering if you have any comments?

Come on, baby. Come on.

Can we get a quick comment? Just really quick.

Can you tell us how you feel?

Please leave us alone.

Ms. Manning, Ms. Manning,

how do you feel about Mr. Simon's release?

Tell them.

Tell them, Alyssa. Tell them how it was.

Ms. Manning, Ms. Manning,

do you have any feeling about Mr. Simon's release?

Alyssa, do you feel safe?

Should other parents- No statement.

Please, Alyssa, we need to know.

Am I gonna be on the news?

Not if I can help it. Go on up to your room, okay?

Okay.

Hi. It's a lot worse than I thought.

We might need someone over here.

Okay. Thanks.

Bye.

Miles, Miles, Miles! Hey, Miles!

Miles! Miles, Miles, Miles!

Do you have any regrets

now that you're out of prison?

Do you plan on seeing Alyssa?

Little Emma, you look just like your mom.

I totally freaked,

and Emma was there, just playing.

We've established you will continue to suffer the effects

of post-traumatic stress disorder due to your trauma.

Accept it and don't beat yourself up about it.

I mean, sure, the kidnapping caused me sadness at the time

because I missed my parents, but Miles never hurt me.

He only showed me love.

He took you away from a normal childhood and isolated you.

Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something

that reminds you of that event makes sense.

How are you feeling about his release?

I feel like I'm supposed to hate this monster

that people are making him out to be,

and feel enraged about him getting out, but I don't.

I feel for him.

I know he's not a monster

and I just want him to find peace someday.

And what do you really feel will happen

if your behavior continues?

It already cost me a marriage.

It's made it really hard to find a new partner.

But my biggest fear is that I'm damaging Emma.

You're feeling guilty about your ex-husband?

I mean, the older Emma gets,

I realize that she might need a man in the house.

But not Tony.

I mean, he can blame me all he wants, but he was reckless.

He was the one who was able to walk away.

Does she ask about him?

Not that much.

He emailed me the other day, asking to see Emma.

I guess he's gonna be in town for business this week.

But I didn't tell her.

I didn't wanna get her hopes up to be crushed

like all the other times.

This is a heightened time for you.

Maybe it's time to trust and let go.

What happened to you is your story, not hers.

Don't let the past keep you

from what the present has to offer.

I know.

I get that.

Hell, I've spent my life preaching it.

Maybe start small.

Perhaps have her spend the night at a friend's house

or have someone other than Grace take care of her.

You're a busy woman, you could use the help.

How you doing? Hanging in there?

I'm fine if I didn't have to keep up with you.

Oh.

Alyssa, have you been in contact

with Miles since his release?

Go. Go!

It's like 25 years ago all over again.

Interview requests, people hiding out to snag a pic.

Must've been hard for a kid, huh?

That's why my main concern is Emma.

I don't want a picture of her out there.

You know, I'm starting to think

that maybe it's not the right timing for the book.

Or it's a great time to show

that you're strong, not afraid.

You know, this isn't gonna be easy for us.

I do.

I also see more everyday

why I wanna be here for you and Emma.

You know, maybe you're right,

maybe releasing the book now is a real power move.

Mm. Yeah.

Yeah, it is.

So the team wants to nail down the new release date

so you can announce it on your "Wake Up" appearance.

What?

Nothing.

I'm ready. Okay.

Well, you and Emma can make a day of it.

There's a great park downtown

and it's right across the street from the studio.

I'm sure she'd love that.

Right. I'm sure she would.

Mm.

Alyssa.

This book is an amazing accomplishment.

I really think using those intimate details

from your journals is gonna make

an emotional impact on the reader.

It's just, those were always only my memories,

and now they're gonna be out there for the world to see.

Maybe that's a good thing. A cleansing of sorts, hm?

Sorry, it's always hard to get the whole team here on time.

I have to pick up Emma from school at three.

I knew I was cutting this too close.

Grace can't pick her up.

Can we reschedule?

Hey, this has been on the books for weeks.

It's not normal for the president of the publishing house

to come to a meeting, let alone head it.

Is there anyone else, at all, who can pick her up?

Hi.

Hi. Nice to meet you.

Hi.

Hey. I am stuck in a meeting.

I have a huge favor to ask you.

Of course. Anything.

You think you could pick up Emma from school?

Sure.

Thank you. It's three o'clock at the front gate.

Please text me once you have her.

Got it.

How long is this gonna be?

Oh, not long. Is everything okay?

Hey, Alyssa-

I'm sorry, I need to make a call.

So sorry.

Hey.

Alyssa, what is going on?

Nothing, I just...

Okay, well is there anything

I can do? No, no.

I just have to go.

Oh.

Oh. You got it?

Yes.

You're in? Mm-hm.

Hey. Where are you?

We stopped to get milkshakes.

Where's Emma?

She's right here. She's right next to me.

Hi, Mommy. See?

Hi, baby. I've been texting and calling you.

Oh, yeah, sorry, I wanted to avoid

any distractions while driving Emma,

so I put my phone in the console,

and when we stopped, I left it in the car.

I'm sorry. We're heading home now.

I'm on my way.

Mommy. Hi, sweetie.

We went out to get milkshakes. See?

Oh, that's great. I need to talk to Grant.

Why don't you go upstairs and do your homework, okay?

Okay.

How could you do that?

I'm sorry, I just...

She asked if we could stop for milkshakes,

and I don't know, I didn't wanna say no.

Why didn't you ask me first?

Your instructions were to text you

when I picked her up, and I did.

And then I just...

I knew you were an important meeting,

and I didn't wanna interrupt you.

Do you have any idea what was going through my mind?

Look, I'm sorry.

I know you're trying to help

and you're doing your best, but...

But what?

Maybe until Emma gets older,

I'm just not capable of having a man around.

I'm really sorry.

Not as sorry as I am.

Emma.

The situation you've

just described with Grant

sounds like a pivotal moment in your development.

I agree.

And once again, I failed.

I let my past derail my present.

I guess do as I say, not as I do?

I have a thought.

Instead of running from it,

why not deal with your past presently?

Miles is a free man.

It might do you good to finally talk to him.

Just think about it.

That was so cool. Can I be on TV next time?

Absolutely not.

Wow, this park is beautiful. Wanna come play with us?

I wish.

I gotta head back to the studio

and take care of a few things, but you guys have fun, okay?

Okay.

Hey, this airs Monday,

but we'll be in touch before then.

Thanks, Sarah. Bye.

Bye.

Can I go fly my kite?

Oh, sure. Stay where I can see you, okay?

Okay.

Hello?

Hello?

Emma?

This isn't funny, Emma.

Hi. Miss, have you seen this little girl?

She was just here. She was flying a kite.

Didn't see her at all?

Emma?

Ma'am, I'm so sorry.

Have you seen my daughter? Her name's Emma.

She was just there with me.

No.

Emma!

Emma!

You said you walked away to answer a call.

I was right there.

Emma was right there and then she was just gone.

So there was a brief time

when you didn't have eyes on her.

Come on, Detective.

I know this is difficult, but we need information.

Who knew you'd be there today at that time?

Only people I know.

People you know are exactly where we usually start.

Any family members or exes?

Oh, my god.

Her father is in town.

I'll call him.

Yeah, he wanted to see her.

You haven't contacted him?

No. No, he wouldn't take me seriously.

Well, is he the kind of dad

that will snatch her up and not tell you?

No.

No, no.

I don't know. I don't think so.

No, he's just...

He's angry.

At you?

Well, yeah, I haven't exactly been lenient

with him seeing Emma, but he wouldn't just take her.

Oh, you'd be surprised.

With parental kidnapping,

it's usually just an attempt to spend time with the child.

They justify it as being their right as a parent.

Him wanting to be around was never the issue,

it was him not wanting to be around.

Look, Detective, Tony's no angel,

but no, no, this doesn't sound like him.

The good news, if it is him,

these cases usually end in the safe return of the child.

Tony's not answering.

I left a message, told him it was urgent,

and to call Detective Barkley.

Was there anyone else who knew you'd be there?

No.

But I can't help but thinking

this is all a really big coincidence.

Miles?

He just got released from prison, and now this happens?

Well, he's a person of interest.

We can't consider him an actual suspect

based on coincidence.

But we can question him.

I'll get his info from the captain.

Hold on there a sec.

Hi, I'm sorry, I'm Alyssa's friend from...

Would you move?

Excuse me! It's okay.

Alyssa! It's okay, she's my friend.

You can let her in.

I'm so sorry. I came as soon as I could.

Did you make any actual announcements

when I was gonna be shooting that segment?

No, not shooting, just the air date, which is Monday.

But is it possible that somehow

someone found out my schedule

of when I was gonna be at the studio?

Yeah, I suppose. I've answered press requests all week.

I could've mentioned that we were scheduled to tape today.

Well did you or didn't you?

I mean, I don't know, I've had so many calls. Maybe.

Look, there was a weird one this morning,

asking about when you were shooting,

but I thought it was just press.

Or someone posing as press. Did you get their name?

No, no, I...

What are we saying,

this was planned around your appearance?

The speed at which the abduction happened,

if that's what this is, seem to be planned, not random.

Do you think it was him? Miles?

This is his new address.

Captain has cleared us to question him.

It's only about 10 miles from here.

10 miles?

In the meantime, you let us know

if you hear from the father.

If he is behind this and attempts to take her out of state,

we need to hand it over to the FBI, immediately.

Why don't you get them involved now?

Not yet. I have my guys trying to locate your ex.

And when they do, we'll know whether this is an abduction

or a parental kidnapping.

Right now, we need to confirm

exactly what we're dealing with.

I'll go try and track down who called this morning.

And you call me when you know anything. We will find her.

Thank you. Hey, I got you.

Call me.

We'll have an officer stay with you.

No, I'm coming with you.

Alyssa, let us do our jobs.

Grace, I know Miles better than anyone in this world.

I should come.

I can't legally stop her from coming.

She's right, perhaps she could be helpful.

Are you sure you're okay to see him?

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hang back. Let us search the place first.

22?

Mr. Simon.

Yeah?

I was told your parole officer

filled you in on why we're here.

Yep.

We would like to start by searching the residence.

Do we have your consent?

Absolutely.

She's not here.

Hey. Alyssa, wait.

Alyssa, hold on.

Get outta my way. Emma!

Emma, baby, where are you?!

Emma! It's okay, baby!

Emma?

Where is she? Where is she?!

What did you do to her?!

I could- No, tell me where she is!

I could not hurt you or your daughter, you know that.

I was just about to tell the detective

I had a meeting this morning with my parole officer.

Jack McKinney, right?

Yes, from 9:30 to 11.

After a quick stop to the market, I came right back here.

There's no way I could've made it downtown and back.

How did you know I was downtown?

It's all over the radio and TV.

They've been airing it for the last two hours.

Look, Alyssa, I am so sorry.

I'm so sorry you're going to this,

but I don't know where she is.

McKinney confirms his alibi,

says the login sheet shows they met from 9:29 to 11:03.

All right. We'll let you go on with your day, Mr. Simon.

Alyssa.

Can I talk to you?

It's your call.

Sit down.

You haven't changed a bit.

I know your concern right now is to find your daughter,

but please, I never thought I'd see you again,

I have something to say just in case

we don't see each other ever again.

One has a lot of time to think in prison.

And for the longest time,

I tried to justify what I did to you,

that I deserved you.

I suffered loss myself,

so I figured it was an eye for an eye of sorts.

And then I realized it came down to one thing:

I was selfish.

I destroyed a young life just to fill a void in my own life.

I did damage that would last you a lifetime,

and I'm so sorry.

Please forgive me.

I never hurt you.

I only showed you love and gave you the best house I could.

I know.

Then how could I hurt you now?

I hurt for you.

Please, let me help you.

I don't think that's a good idea.

This is a kidnapping.

I know what could be going on

through the mind of a kidnapper.

Please, let me help you.

All right, let's go.

Alyssa.

Thank you, but we'll handle the investigation.

If you do have information,

you have Detective Barkley's card.

Alyssa.

I hope you can forgive me.

All right, folks, that's enough.

Let's just clear it out.

I just spoke with the captain.

And?

They found Tony. Emma was not with him.

But they still brought him to the station for questioning.

Did he have an alibi?

That's all I know.

They're still considering him a suspect for now.

You know the hardest part?

I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Am I supposed to just sit here and wait

while my baby girl is out there somewhere,

probably terrified?

Or what if she's-

Don't think like that.

Okay, Emma is alive and well, and we're gonna find her.

You don't know that.

I would be searching all day, all night,

if I knew where to start.

I should be out there.

Doing what, searching aimlessly?

The best thing you can do right now is think.

Okay, most kidnappings are by a familiar person

or a family member.

Is there anyone else you can think of who fits that bill?

I did have one thought.

Grant.

Yeah, I had the same.

As your friend, I was worried it might upset you.

But as a cop, I definitely think we have to consider him.

Yeah, he's familiar, but it doesn't make any sense.

Unless somehow, he blames Emma for me breaking up with him?

Do you know where he was this morning?

He said he was out of town. San Francisco, I think.

But you haven't talked to him?

No. I mean, I ended things pretty abruptly.

And I was kind of awful to him.

Okay, I'll tell Barkley to bring him in.

No, no.

Not yet. Please.

Why?

Just give me a minute to talk to him first.

I already hurt him.

Now I'm gonna have the police bring him in for questioning

on the kidnapping of my daughter?

I can't imagine how you must be feeling,

but Emma is like my daughter too,

and I don't think we should leave any stone unturned.

Just let me give him a chance to explain.

Okay.

I'm working a double tonight,

but I'll call in sick to stay with you.

No. Just go.

Like you said, I just, I need to think.

All right. But I will check in on you later.

And there's a patrol car outside in case you need anything.

Let me know if you talk to Grant,

and I'll let you know if I hear anything on Tony.

Emma? Is that you?

Emma.

Hey. Oh!

I'm sorry.

I didn't think the boys out front

would let a person of interest just come see you.

What are you doing here?

Alibi stuck. They released me.

You reported me as a suspect.

No.

No? Yes, but not like that.

They were asking about family members or exes,

and I just, I remember that you were-

I haven't even had a chance to process the fact

that my daughter is missing

because I am too busy defending my innocence!

I am her father!

And I'm in that station

and they are questioning me like I'm the criminal!

I had to call my coworkers this morning,

as witnesses, so they could confirm that I was in a meeting.

Do you have any idea how that felt?!

Okay, you are really upset with me-

Really, Alyssa?! I'm getting upset.

I get upset. So what?!

It doesn't mean that I'm going to kidnap my daughter!

You have already robbed me of a life with her.

I mean, this is what...

I had no choice. This is what drove me away!

You've always been able to see her whenever you wanted.

On your terms. She was never my daughter, she was yours.

That is not true. You never allowed her

to be ours. That is not true!

It's not true?

How many times have you overreacted, Alyssa?

I mean, you have practically manifested this thing

every single day of her life.

And now, she actually might be gone!

No, she is gone! Okay, and if she is,

if she actually is missing this time, it is your fault.

Oh, go! Just go!

Leave. Ms. Manning, you okay?

Yeah. This is my ex-husband.

We were just talking.

Sounded like more than just talking.

Mr. Manning, I think you should-

Yeah, I'm going.

We're fine. Just one minute, Officer.

Look, I love our daughter.

She's out there somewhere, missing.

I'm gonna do everything in my power to find her.

But not with you.

Officer, he's okay.

It's fine. It's fine.

Thank you.

Hey.

So glad to hear it from you.

I felt sick since I've heard. Any news?

You know I would do anything to help you find Emma.

Anything.

Have the police contacted you yet?

No. Why would they?

Is that why I'm here?

You think I had something to do with this?

I'm sorry, but they have to question everyone

who was close to Emma.

You knew her. She trusted you.

You knew we were gonna be downtown that day.

You are serious. Wow.

Okay.

I was out of town.

I had that conference in San Francisco, remember?

I left early yesterday morning. I got back late last night.

Right.

Right, I just...

See?

Flight to San Francisco and back.

If it helps, I'll go to the police right now.

I'll go make a statement.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I just, I feel so hopeless and desperate.

And I- Then let me help you.

Okay? At least let me be here for you.

I'll come stay with you.

Thank you, I just need to find Emma.

Alyssa, would you just let me help? Please?

Mommy! Please, help me!

I'm scared! Scared!

Help! Scared!

Scared! Scared!

Scared! Scared!

Hey. I brought food.

You need to eat.

I was on my way to work

and I saw Sarah's car parked out front.

Got me to thinking, you need anything?

We don't know what to do, Alyssa.

We just wanna be here for you.

Thanks. Come in.

Yeah.

I told Barkley what you said about Grant's alibi.

They're gonna question him, even though he's not a suspect.

How do you know he's not a suspect?

He was out of town.

He could be lying.

He's not.

Well, how do you know?

I saw his boarding passes. That enough evidence for you?

Sorry.

It's okay. I know you're trying to help.

I was reading online that one of the biggest reasons

for kidnapping is that people can't have children or adopt,

and they desperately want a kid.

I mean, is there anyone you know who fits that description?

Most couples I know already have kids.

Well, actually single women in their late 30s are the most

common demographic in those cases.

The important thing is to trust that Emma is out there

and that she's safe.

And the team will find her and bring her home.

You spend a lot of time with Emma.

I mean, she trusts you more than anyone

besides her own mother.

She's like a daughter to me.

So has she mentioned anyone?

Like another adult she talks to or likes?

No. I mean, I know she really likes Grant.

I gotta get to work.

I'll see if I can find out more when I get to the station.

I'll walk you out.

Bye.

Hey. What the hell was that?

I don't know where she was going with that.

Did you tell her I'm not able to have children?

No, of course not.

She's the one who told some random person

where you and Emma were scheduled to be

the day she was abducted, right?

I'm being horrible.

You're going through this,

and we're running around like children blaming each other.

I love you.

I know. I love you too.

Check on you after my shift?

And know that I will be out there working

to bring Emma home.

Bye. Bye.

I wasn't trying to eavesdrop.

I was just coming to let you know

I should probably head out as well.

You don't have to go.

You know, I wasn't accusing anyone of anything.

I was just trying to help by sharing what I read.

I know, it's- No.

Look, I'm sorry, I don't deal with tragedy well.

I never know what to say or how to behave,

and I just come off as insensitive.

Just know that I'm trying to help you in whatever way I can.

I know.

And I really do appreciate that and your friendship. I do.

I unwrapped lunch and left it in the fridge

for whenever you're ready.

Bye. Bye.

Emma?

Seriously?

Did you actually let her get in your head?

I'm sorry, but I looked up

some of the articles that Sarah mentioned,

and I know how long you've been wanting a baby of your own-

So you thought what, I would kidnap Emma? And then what?

I don't know.

I just, I got this crazy idea

that maybe you took her

and you were planning on leaving town.

I don't know.

Do you hear yourself?

I know, I'm not thinking straight.

Why didn't you tell me that you were trying to adopt?

You tell me everything.

Because I didn't wanna get your hopes up, or mine.

And as you can see, it's a good thing I didn't.

Well, you should've told me.

I could've been there for you.

It's not final, but it doesn't look good.

This makes my relationship with Emma

that much more important.

She is like mine, Alyssa,

in a very positive and healthy way.

I'm blessed to have her in my life.

I never really doubted you, not really.

I...

You need to trust the police and the process.

Promise me you'll do that.

I'll try.

I'm scared for you.

I think you should call Dr. Kaye.

We'll get her back.

I know. I know we will.

And I need to say this

because, well, I just need to say it.

What really hurts is that you would question me

based on something coming from Sarah.

I have always been here for you and Emma.

She is the one who just showed up

in your lives out of nowhere.

No, not exactly.

I mean, you remember, she replaced Caroline.

Yeah, who mysteriously died falling from her terrace.

What are you implying?

God, now I'm the one thinking crazy thoughts, right?

Yeah.

Look, I'm done, I'm done speculating

and creating these ridiculous scenarios.

I'm gonna take your advice.

I love you.

I love you too.

I'm scared.

You know, I feel like I should have had the tools

to control my thoughts and to calm myself,

but I feel like I'm unraveling,

like I should be doing something

instead of just sitting here and waiting!

All of this has obviously brought back

familiar wounds to you.

You may help millions of people, but you're still human.

Let's get back to Miles.

I already told you what he said.

But you never told me if you forgave him.

I feel like he's the one person

who can actually help me find Emma,

but everyone around me is gonna think I'm out of my mind.

I don't.

I also think that with both your parents being gone,

you see him as a lone parental figure in your life.

We lean on our parents in times of need.

He's not my father,

he's the man who kidnapped me

and took me away from my real parents.

It's not the titles we put on people,

it's the emotional connection.

Are you saying that I wanna reach out to him for help

because I identify with him as my father?

Yes, and as someone who cared for you

and apparently still does.

There are a lot of wounds still left to heal

after these 25 years.

My main concern is finding my daughter,

and I'll do anything I can to get her back,

even if it means going to my own kidnapper for help.

I don't think I should concern myself

with healing these scars at the same time.

Unless that is the key to bringing her home.

In the journals you let me read,

you only mentioned some initial feelings

of fear and uncertainty.

Once you became acclimated to your new surroundings

and got used to living with Miles,

there were some touching moments of love and selflessness.

No would blame you if you didn't absolutely hate him.

Hey, Alyssa, it's Sarah.

I know this is a terrible time and I hate to bring it up,

but the team is trying to finalize the book release date.

I told them I would talk to you about it-

Ms. Manning, you have a visitor.

You can let him in.

Thank you.

Hey. Hey.

Look, being apart these few days has just shown me

how much I care about you.

And when you care about someone,

you don't just let them hurt alone.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that I was so cold

and that I thought, even for a second-

I understand, you know?

And it just kills me that you're going through this.

I missed you.

In case you're hungry.

And if not, you know I got no problem

crushing two combo platters by myself.

Weird.

What?

Who is it? There's no caller ID,

but there's a video attached.

Mommy, they said

you have 24 hours to find me or...

You'll never see me again.

You'll never see me again.

They said you would know what that means.

Mommy, please!

I don't want to!

Officer, look.

What is it, ma'am? Okay, Alyssa,

this is actually a good thing.

This means that Emma's alive and she's out there somewhere.

We can find her. But what if we don't?

What if- We will find her.

I promise.

Can you AirDrop this to me? Yeah, of course.

All right, we're gonna pass it to Detective Barkley.

A video like this usually means

that they want us to find the victim.

Based on the timing, it's most likely

a sick publicity stunt by someone desperate for cash.

They didn't say anything about cash.

If it was about that, then why didn't they send this sooner?

Unless it's not even about keeping Emma

or getting anything in return.

I'm gonna get Barkley on the radio,

let him know to expect this.

All right, thank you, Officer.

What are you saying, someone would take Emma

just to hurt her? No, not Emma, me.

Who would wanna hurt you?

Who? Miles?

I can't help thinking he's responsible for this,

or that he holds the key to knowing who is.

I need to talk to him again.

No, what you need to do is let the police handle it.

I've already done that, and they did nothing,

not a single lead.

If this video is real,

I only have one day or my daughter's gone forever.

Okay. But I'm coming with you.

No.

I need him to open up,

he's not gonna do that with you there.

Then I'll wait in the car. That's nonnegotiable.

Okay.

Backdoor. Come on.

I thought about what you said.

I think maybe you could help me.

Let's take a walk.

So what can I do you for?

You know, my whole life, people have told me

I'm supposed to hate you and never trust you.

I can't blame them.

But clearly, you don't feel the same way,

or you wouldn't be here right now.

I'm here because I need to find my daughter.

And you understand the mind of someone

who'd take a child away from their parents.

Unfortunately, I do.

But I think this is different.

I don't think the reason they took Emma is to keep her.

Why would you say that?

I'm just positive it isn't.

Well, maybe not the same goal, but same type of abduction.

When I first heard about this,

I wondered if it would be some sort of a copycat,

how I took you in front of your parents.

Some sick people consider it a feat worth duplicating.

When I worked at your school, I took care to be kind to you.

I always greeted you with a smile to gain your trust.

I'm wondering if the person

who took Emma did the same thing.

When you put it like that,

it reminds me of the horrible thing that you did,

manipulating a child.

I don't even know why I'm standing here

talking to you right now.

Look, I read that article of yours from college.

You mean "Consciously Forgiving"?

That's the one.

Forgiving someone who you know did things

that were unforgivable.

And I heard you on your podcast talking about who you trust.

Trusting someone from a current emotional place

with zero input from past situations.

At least in this situation, you have something to rely on.

Look, I know it took me a long time,

but in the end, I knew you trusted me.

I did.

Looking back as an adult, I have no idea why.

Oh, I'd like to think

that I eventually earned it with my actions.

And I would like to gain that trust again.

Are you kidding me?

This really isn't a good time, Sarah.

I know. Look, I'm sorry, the team just won't stop.

Hey, we're under a lot of pressure

to meet this deadline and...

All I need is your approval on the new cover

and that one small edit to the forward.

You can tell the team that it's gonna have to wait.

I talked to Miles.

What? Why?

I needed to know if he could help.

How can you trust him, after what he did to you?

And you still don't know

if he's somehow responsible for all of this.

Yeah, well, none of it matters now anyway

because the police have the video.

They can work from that.

What video?

Emma's alive.

Mommy, they said...

You have 24 hours to find me.

Wait. You have 24 hours

to find me or...

Look, the blanket.

Look at the blanket beside her.

Blue with white clouds. Wait.

Mommy, please!

Oh, my god.

What? What is it?

He placed me in a room alone at the foot of the bed.

A blue blanket with white clouds

would be my sole comfort for the next six years.

Can't believe I didn't see this.

No, it's my job to know your book better than you.

And this video has to be from Miles.

Come on.

Hey, Alyssa, the video proves Miles is behind this.

You have to have the police pick him up, now.

No, as soon as the police get involved, he'll clam up.

If he's responsible, I can get it out of him.

Oh, if he's responsible?

I'm sorry, I just, I keep trying to convince myself

that he isn't this monster we all know he is.

Okay, but please be careful.

I can't believe I trusted you.

What are you talking about?

Where is she?

I thought that's why you came here,

so we can figure it out together.

So you can make me look like even more of a fool?

How am I making you look like a fool?

The video! How do you explain the video?

What video? Please, please,

just be honest with me.

All I want is my little girl back.

Mommy, they said...

You have 24 hours to find me.

You have 24 hours

to find me or- When did you get this?

This morning,

But why didn't you show it to me earlier?

I didn't know if I could trust you,

which seems to be the case.

What changed?

You don't think I sent this?

Look at it!

Oh, my god.

It's the same blanket.

Yes. Police took it the same day they took you from me.

Look, guys, I don't have anything to do with this.

But I think I know who does.

My daughter Sophie.

Sophie?

Your daughter you named me after?

Sophie's dead.

You told me she died.

Look, the real reason I kidnapped you

wasn't because my daughter Sophie died.

My wife became ill and eventually passed.

It was up to me to raise Sophie on my own.

But I did the best I could.

I mean, with the doctor bills and with the regular bills,

I had to take three jobs,

and I had to leave Sophie at home, a lot.

And eventually, my neighbor called the county,

and they deemed me unfit, and they took her from me.

Why didn't you fight to get her back?

They shipped her halfway across the country,

put her in some foster home.

So why take me? Why not just go find her and kidnap her?

Look, I tried.

Every time I came close, they sent her off to another home.

Eventually, I ran out of resources to keep trying.

When she was gone, I was devastated.

I didn't wanna live.

Then, I saw you at the school.

Why me?

I don't know how to explain it.

Your spirit, your sweetness reminded me of Sophie,

and I was lonely and selfish

and clearly not in the right frame of mind.

I just thought if I could make you my Sophie,

then I could live again.

I convinced myself that it would be like

she was never taken from me.

But how? How could you keep that from me all this time?

I just thought if you showed me sympathy,

that you'd be okay with our lives together.

But I knew lying to you, you'd be upset,

so I never said anything.

Where is Sophie now?

I don't know.

I received one letter after trying to contact her for years.

The one thing I do know is that she hates me.

She doesn't want to have anything to do with me.

We have to find her.

Do you have a picture or anything?

Yeah, I have one.

I know this picture.

I knew this was Sophie because of her necklace.

I remember thinking I wanted one,

and I asked you, but you said no.

That was the only thing I was ever able to give her.

Look, I don't know where she is,

but I'm sure she still has that blanket.

She brought it with her when they took her.

I bought an identical one and gave it to you.

She must still have it.

Or you're full of it and you're lying through your teeth.

Grant. What?

Why would you believe him after everything

he's lied to you about?

We're going to the police.

Look, you can do whatever you want. I'm tired of lying.

But I think you're right, I think this is personal.

It's revenge.

From Sophie?

Yeah, that's why I think it was important to tell you now,

that her last letter,

she made it clear that the only person

she hated more than me was you.

But why?

The life I gave you in her place.

Look, she didn't get that beautiful home like I thought.

She was just shuffling around from bad home to bad home.

Okay, we have to tell everything to Grace and Barkley

so they can find Sophie.

Do you have any information on her?

Birth certificate, Social Security?

I lost her birth certificate a long time ago.

Birth date?

Yeah. Yeah.

And we can take this picture with us? Show the police?

Sure, but be careful. It's the only one I have.

Thank you.

Grace isn't answering.

But Barkley should be at the station.

Okay, I'm gonna drop you off at home.

I'm gonna head down to my office

'cause my buddy in HR does background checks all day long

and it's crazy what they can find

with just a name and a birth date.

Plus, if Sophie was in the foster care system,

then there must be a record, right?

I agree.

Thank you.

We're gonna find her. Okay?

Okay.

I don't understand.

I'm handing you a lead, more than a lead, a suspect.

And I told you, someone owning the same blanket as you

from 30 years ago hardly makes them a suspect.

We will look into the Sophie Simon thing.

It's not much to go on.

Not much? Detective, I'm giving you a name and a photo.

What the hell have you given me,

except for a bunch of stories?

Look, I promise you, we're doing everything we can.

Meet me there.

I don't get it.

I've got a picture. I've got a name.

I've got a birth date.

And you got all that from the man who kidnapped you,

and did 25 years in prison for it.

Think about it, don't you think

he could be trying to mislead us?

But his theory makes sense.

Because you want it to make sense.

But if you look at it objectively, it's quite a stretch.

If this theory came from a viable source,

it would hold a little more validity.

Well, at least he's trying to help me.

All you guys are doing are telling me to be patient.

You try being patient when your child's life is at stake.

Alyssa, think about what this man is capable of doing.

All I care about is finding my daughter.

If that takes using him, then I'm okay with that.

And as my best friend, you should be okay with that too.

Give me the picture.

Okay, I'll get an age progression image run on this.

We can get an idea of what she would look like today.

Thank you.

It could take a bit, so try to be patient.

But I'll make sure it's my top priority.

In the meantime, promise me you'll stay away from him.

I can't afford to do that.

Hey. Did you find anything?

Well, yes and no.

I cross-referenced her name and date of birth in the system

and I got a possible match.

That's great. Where is she?

Deceased, unfortunately.

No, that's not possible.

Well, I'm afraid it can.

I mean, Miles said he hasn't heard from her in years, right?

I mean, it's either that or...

Or what?

Or he's lying to us.

I don't know, Alyssa, you know? Maybe everyone else's right.

How much can we really trust Miles?

You're talking about a standard HR computer program

with limited information.

And if Sophie's been in and out

of foster care her whole life,

who knows what kind of mix-ups

gonna be in her background info?

Yeah, I guess.

I'll see you in a bit?

Okay. Sorry I don't have better news.

Bye.

What, you don't pick up the phone anymore?

I've been worried sick.

I've been calling to find out how it went with Miles.

I mean, last I knew, you were rushing out of here

to go confront him.

Are you okay?

I never noticed that charm before.

What charm?

The S charm on your necklace?

Oh, yeah.

S for Sarah.

I got it in college.

It's kind of cheesy, but it's my good luck charm.

It's identical to the one Sophie wore.

Who?

It's your job to know my book better than me, remember?

Oh, yeah.

Duh. I guess I never thought of it before.

Huh.

That's because I never actually mentioned it

in my journals or my book.

And the one photo I ever saw of Sophie,

she was wearing that exact necklace.

Well, that's a pretty crazy coincidence.

Is it?

I mean, how did you just step in

and replace my previous editor?

You know how.

Honey, she died in an accident.

They think it was an accident.

What are you saying?

Miles believes that Emma's kidnapper is Sophie,

his other daughter.

His other daughter?

He hasn't seen her for 30 years,

but one thing's for sure, last time he saw her,

she was wearing that necklace.

Listen to what you're saying.

You're talking about the man who kidnapped you

and held you captive from your real parents.

Why aren't you more surprised

to hear that Sophie's not really dead?

Wow, you have become completely paranoid.

My name starts with the letter S,

so I kidnapped your daughter?

I'm not crazy.

I am perfectly clear about what I'm saying,

and I'm perfectly clear about something else.

You're off my book. You're fired.

All of this because of some theory from Miles?

I am the reason that there is a book!

Right, because you found me,

and I told you everything

because you prodded me for detail after detail!

It's called being your editor.

I am sorry to tell you this,

but the world doesn't revolve

around you and your trauma, okay?

You can continue to point the finger at everybody

who actually cares about you,

but eventually, you may have to come to terms

with the fact that you may never see Emma again.

You were the one who suggested we go to the park that day.

And you were the last one who saw us.

Where were you after you left us?

This is absurd.

I'm leaving.

Oh, I am not gonna be accused and interrogated

by somebody who is supposed to be my friend.

I know.

I know you told me to stay away from him,

but I think I who Sophie is,

and Miles is the only person who can confirm it.

Who?

I'll let you know if I'm right.

Alyssa, I'm coming there.

No, don't. Please.

I'll call you back.

Hey. What did you wanna show me?

Okay, there is somebody I never told you about,

who's new in my life

and who's spent a lot of time around Emma.

Who?

If I show you a picture,

do you think you'd recognize Sophie?

Yeah, I think so.

It's her.

It's Sophie.

How did you-

Her name's Sarah. She's my book editor.

It all makes sense now,

how she randomly came into my life,

got close to me, got close to Emma.

None of this was a coincidence.

When was the last time you saw her?

Right before I got here.

She's been acting really strange lately.

And after I saw that picture of yours,

I realized she had the same S pendant.

I practically accused her of kidnapping Emma.

Well, then, she knows the window is closing.

She'll be on the move.

I know she has her. We have to find her.

You're coming, right?

Of course. Of course.

Sarah?!

I'll let you in.

Look.

Emma?

Emma?

Alyssa.

She was here. She was right here.

Where would she have taken her?

I don't know, but they got out of here fast.

Let's look around, see if we can find something.

Oh, my god. What?

What did you find?

It's a deed. Sophie bought our old home.

What? Yeah, look.

She bought the entire compound.

Why would she do that? I have no idea.

It's Grant.

Hey.

Where are you?

At Sarah's.

It's her. She has Emma.

What?

We think we know where she might've gone.

Where?

Where Miles kept me, an old artists' colony just off of-

52. Exit 52.

I know that place. Actually, I'm pretty close.

I'm on my way. Wait, no.

It could be dangerous.

Wait. Grant!

Let's go.

Grace, hey, I'm glad I got you.

I'm out at that abandoned artists' colony off Exit 52.

Alyssa's on her way.

We think it's Sarah.

Oh, my god.

What happened?

I called Grace and the police.

Who shot you? Was it Sarah?

I don't know, I didn't see...

Stay here, stay out of sight.

Mommy, Mommy! Emma!

Alyssa, no!

Emma? Emma?

Mommy!

Emma!

Emma!

Get away from her!

Shut up!

Stop! Stop.

It's me you hate.

You're right, I hate your guts. Hers too.

I tried to find you. I did.

But they made it impossible.

They wouldn't even tell me where they sent you.

No, but what really happened?

You replaced me, so you stopped looking.

No. I thought you were happy.

I assumed they sent you to a wonderful family,

much better than I could've ever given you.

They didn't.

I know, and I'm so sorry.

Sure, you're sorry now, huh?

After you got your do-over daughter, you know what I got?

Oh, I got bounced from foster home to foster home.

And every night, I would go to bed hoping

that you would come and save me.

All I wanted was to know that you still loved me.

I never stopped loving you. Never.

Yeah. Yeah, but you loved her more, didn't you?

Now can you imagine how it feels

to have your father tell people you're dead

so that he can move on with his life, huh?

To find out that he called his new daughter by your name,

do you know how sick that is?

We can't change what happened,

but we can control what happens right now.

What do you want?

I want you to pay.

How, by taking my daughter

away from me? Yes!

Yes!

Then, he'll know he's responsible for ruining your life

and making you lose the most important thing to you, huh?

And then, you will finally hate him,

the way he deserves to be hated.

There has to be a way for us to get past this,

for us to all walk out of here and heal from this.

Aww, are you seriously going all

Dr. Manning on me right now, huh?

Did you not hear what I just said, huh?

Why are you doing this, Sophie?

Well, it started by getting rid of Sophie

and vanishing off the face of the earth

to be reborn as Sarah.

And then, I just had to find a way to make Alyssa trust me.

And I realized, oh, who would she trust more

than her own editor?

Caroline's death wasn't an accident, was it?

Well, she was never gonna let go of her prized client.

Fortunately for me,

her condo balcony is so slippery in the rain.

Why not just kill me? Why take Emma?

Her daughter goes missing

at the same time as your release?

Of course, you'd be the main suspect.

I just didn't realize that perfect little Alyssa

actually adhering to all that forgiveness crap

she spouts on her podcast.

God, why can't you just hate him, huh?

He deserves it! He ruined your life too!

He didn't ruin my life, because I didn't let him.

Not yet.

But you will now.

Come on.

Move! Go!

Oh.

I swear, I will kill her if you move.

Sophie, stop!

Hurt me.

Okay? They have nothing to do with this.

This was all my fault.

Please, let's sit down. Let's talk about it.

But please, do not hurt her.

Of course! Once again, protecting your precious Alyssa.

You know, I'm taking that one with me. I'm her mommy now.

No!

We are gonna have so much fun.

No!

Hey. Are you all right?

Okay. Come on.

Here, go to your mommy.

It's okay. Mommy, Mommy!

It's okay.

It's okay, you're safe.

Hey.

Cream and two sugars?

Thanks for meeting me.

Yeah. It's good to see you.

So where's the little one?

I was hoping to officially meet her today

to hopefully get to know her better.

They're coming, but...

It's not gonna happen, is it?

I've been thinking a lot the past few weeks,

and I'm so thankful for you helping me find Emma.

And I do, I forgive you.

Thank you.

Not because I condone your actions,

but because it's what I've needed to fully heal.

Who knew that would be the lasting result

of all this nightmare?

That being said,

I think it's best if I officially put you in my past.

And that includes you knowing Emma.

I understand.

I'm not your little Sophie.

I'm Alyssa, and I need to leave Sophie in the past.

I think I need to do the same thing.

I will stay out of your lives. You have my word.

Goodbye, Alyssa.

Goodbye.

Hi, Mommy.

Honey, hi. Hi.

Can I go ride my hoverboard?

Go for it. Yeah.

Thank you.

Yep, you got it.

How'd he take it?

Okay?

I'm fine.

She's safe now, and so am I.

Come on.

♪ Ooh

♪ Ooh

♪ It's no surprise the way you make me feel ♪

♪ A pain deep inside, your touch longs to heal ♪

♪ If I could pretend, if I have the chance ♪

♪ We would be close, we would still believe ♪

♪ In what the future holds

♪ I come undone, I fall apart

♪ Without you right here by my side ♪

♪ You're no saint, you're no hero ♪

♪ Just an ordinary savior, so come save me ♪

♪ Save me

♪ I want you to know I want you to bleed ♪

♪ I want you to shed the crystal tears ♪

♪ I want to hurt you, I want to feel your pain ♪

♪ To know that you are real

♪ 'Cause I can't believe that you're still the one ♪

♪ To save me from my life

♪ I come undone, I fall apart

♪ Without you right here by my side ♪

♪ You're no saint, you're no hero ♪

♪ Just an ordinary savior

♪ I come undone, I fall apart