Original subtitles

This is absolutely gorgeous.

And it cleared up.

Who is it?

Columbus Police, ma 'am.

Carol Mills?

I'm Detective Fellows. May I come in?

Is something wrong?

It's about your daughter.

Annie? We got a call from the authorities in Oregon.

She doesn't live here. She moved to Seattle.

I know.

Your daughter was passing through Oregon.

Don't tell me something...

Something's wrong.

There's no easy way to put this, ma 'am.

Your daughter had an accident.

She's dead.

Three o 'clock. Okay. Hi.

Oh, you're so beautiful. I'm so proud of you. Let me take a shot. Just stay

there. You look so beautiful.

Hey, Mom, go on. Get in with Annie.

Okay. Don't cut the top of her head. No, I won't.

Now, say something.

Teepee.

Paige, come here. Look at you.

Last time I saw you, you were half this size.

Getting up to eat, huh?

How are you holding up?

I'm exhausted, but it's fun.

Mom?

Mom, there's no more ice.

How can that be?

Is there any inside?

I don't know. How many bags did you get?

Me?

I thought... Annie, I want to talk to you a minute.

Picking up the ice was your responsibility.

You're telling me that you didn't do it?

I take that as a no.

Get in the car and go get some.

Hunter.

Carol.

Dr. Dunn is looking for you.

Great. I feel like a kid again.

Ducking the principal.

Did you talk to him? Uh -huh. He's not buying either of our excuses.

He wants those evaluations tomorrow.

I haven't even started mine.

Are you talking about the white blouse that Aunt Betsy bought you? The one with

the ruffles?

Yes. Well, didn't you ask me to take it to the cleaners for you?

It won't be ready until Thursday.

You always take her side.

Annie, Annie.

It was not about the blouse.

What's really bothering you?

Nothing's bothering me.

I have never seen you explode like that over absolutely nothing.

I hate it when she messes with my things.

This is not about your clothes, is it?

Come on.

What's the matter?

It's just everything.

Graduating.

What am I supposed to do next?

Well, how about junior college?

Mom, I've been over this.

I know, but there are plenty of programs for dyslexic students, and we'll make

it easy for you. Please, just try. I can't. I just can't do it.

We didn't think you could graduate high school, either. And look, I was so proud

of you the other day.

And I know you were proud of yourself.

Well, not now, and maybe next year.

Well, then what are you going to do?

I don't know, maybe get a job?

Not maybe. Either school or a job, one or the other.

Mom, nobody's going to hire me.

That's not true.

I have trouble just filling out the application.

So we'll do it together.

And then what? You're going to go to work with me, too?

Ken's still writing every day?

He'll be home next week.

I'm leave.

And then he goes away again.

Annie, I just don't want to see you tied down so young, repeating my mistakes.

Mom, they're not mistakes for me.

Ken and I love each other.

I know, but marriage can go wrong at any age for any number of reasons. And

you're so young to start out like... Nobody said anything about marriage.

Would you get the salad dressing, please? Yeah.

Mom, did you get the corn?

I got better than corn.

Hey, Mrs. Mack.

Hello, Ken.

Mom, would it be okay if Ken and I went out for a while?

Yeah. Jenny and I will do the dishes just for tonight.

Thanks, Mom.

I'll get my sweater.

All right.

will you be staying? I have to be back on base this weekend.

I've been concerned about Annie. She's been really looking forward to you

back. Yeah, I know. I have too.

And then you'll be leaving right away?

Yes, ma 'am.

Bye, Mom.

Night. Good night.

Boy, he looked cool in that uniform.

I love you, Annie.

I love you, too.

I just don't want to spend another year writing letters.

You won't stop writing, will you?

No.

I won't have to if you come with me to Seattle.

We could, you know, get married.

I'd carry you.

We could have our own apartment.

Our own thing.

We'd have dinners like this together every night.

You'd be my wife.

Will you marry me, Annie?

Oh, my God.

My mom won't kill me.

Say yes.

She's so young.

And she thinks she's in love.

It's a good time.

She'll get tired of sitting around waiting for him to come back.

Do you, Kenneth Carman, take Anne Elizabeth Mills to be your lawfully

wife?

I do.

And do you, Anne Elizabeth Mills, take Kenneth Carman to be your lawfully

husband?

Oh, my God.

I do.

You know, I have some extra money saved.

Maybe next week, after he's gone, I can take the girls on a little trip.

Just the three of us.

I think she'd like that.

I now pronounce you man and wife.

I love you, Mom, but I love Ken, too.

Don't be mad.

I'll call you from Seattle.

Mrs. Annie Carmen.

Come on!

It makes a girl go faster. Look, we've been singing since Montana.

We've still got four hours more to go, no matter how you feel.

Come on, come on, come on.

Fifty -five bottles of beer in the wall. Fifty -five bottles of beer in the

wall. Fifty -five bottles of beer.

Fifty -five bottles of beer. Let me a quarter, I need to make a call.

Check the face.

Check in.

Okay. Sixty -four bottles of beer in the wall.

Sixty -four bottles of beer in the wall. Sixty -four bottles of beer.

If one of those bottles...

Yeah, well, that's two hours back, you know.

Damn it, Annie, you gotta be more responsible.

Can I go to Rachel's tonight?

Is your mother going to be there?

I don't know.

You know the rules. No parents there.

You don't go.

Hello.

Mom. Annie.

It's been three days.

Yeah, I didn't get a call.

I take it you're in Seattle.

Yeah.

Ken found us this great place.

A guy he knew shipped out. How could you have done this?

Please don't be mad at me.

You knew the way I felt about it, and yet you turned around and... But I love

him.

And he loves me.

Well, life is just not that simple, young lady.

I'm worried about you. I need to know that you're going to be okay.

How are the two of you supposed to live?

Well, Ken has his Navy pay.

And, um... I'm going to get a job.

I was scared to call you.

Don't be scared to call me, ever.

You're just lucky that you're 2 ,000 miles away.

I'll keep going now.

And wash your face, okay?

And tell that husband of yours that he better take really good care of you

I'm coming up there.

I will.

I love you, Mom.

Love you too, baby.

Not coming back?

You know, I've been ringing this doorbell forever.

I didn't hear it.

You've had those for three months, and you're just now bringing them back?

You didn't need an excuse to stop buying them.

I didn't like the way you sounded.

You're up worrying all night, am I right?

Yeah, partially.

I was worried, and then I got mad, and now I don't know what I am.

She sounded so scared. You know what? I'm scared for her.

I don't know how to protect her from what lies ahead of her.

You can't protect her, Carol.

Kids have to make their own mistakes.

I made those mistakes. I ran away, I got married very young, and before I knew

it, I had the two kids.

And a divorce, and no way to earn a living.

Aren't you getting just a little ahead of things here?

No, I don't think so.

I lived that way.

Yeah? You turned out okay.

That's because I had the discipline to go back to school and get a degree.

I don't think Annie has that.

Maybe things would have been different if her father had been around.

No, that wouldn't have made any difference and you know it.

She needed to feel grown up. She wanted to play house.

A lot of kids fall into that trap.

Annie's not just another kid.

She still struggles with a lot of things. Her reading, her confidence.

Annie's not ready to be anybody's wife.

Tonight's our anniversary.

One month.

Everything has to be perfect.

I know. They are here somewhere.

I feel so stupid.

I mean, I saw them at the market. I just walked right past them. Oh, it's no big

deal. Where did I put them?

There they are. Thank you.

It's a humor about it.

Annie!

I've got to run.

Bye.

Whoa, I was just gone five minutes.

You could have been gone five minutes.

That's because I go by the candles. Yeah, did you see the smoke in here?

It was not five minutes worth of smoke.

Ken, stop yelling at me. I made a little mistake.

A little mistake. You know, your mistake could have burned this apartment down.

It was not a little mistake.

Look, I gotta be back on base in an hour, and there's nothing to eat around

here. Wait, back on the base?

It's our anniversary.

Yeah, well, happy anniversary, darling.

It was all my fault last night.

Well, my temper didn't help either.

I don't worry about you, Annie.

I took you away from everything you know.

I know you.

It's not enough.

Sure it is.

Like I said, Annie, it's not enough.

I'm tired of you living your life through me.

I'm suffocating here.

Well, I don't know anybody else.

Why don't you make some friends? I mean, don't you meet anybody at that job of

yours? I'm a waitress.

Who am I supposed to meet?

I don't know, Annie. Why don't you figure it out? It's your problem.

Hey. Hey.

Want to quiet?

Well, what brings you here?

I'm shipping out on Saturday.

How long?

About six months, maybe.

Maybe, uh, maybe you should stay with your mom for a while.

No.

I'm not going to go home to my mom.

I'm your wife.

You said you wouldn't be my wife.

Why are you always so stubborn? I just, I don't want to leave you here alone in

a strange city.

Well, you knew that you'd be leaving me sooner or later.

Yeah, I know. I just didn't expect it to be so soon.

I thought maybe you'd have time. Time to what?

Say it.

Time to grow up?

Annie. Get away from me.

Look, I'm grown up enough, okay? I don't need you.

I'll be fine.

That's exactly the type of behavior I'm talking about, Annie.

Hello?

Annie?

Yeah.

Are you okay?

Fine. Yeah, I'm fine.

You don't sound fine.

fight all the time.

It's just not what I thought it would be.

Marriage is real life, Annie.

People fight in real life.

But we didn't fight before.

You weren't married before.

And Ken's being shipped out.

Annie, maybe you should think about coming home.

No.

No, I won't be a quitter.

Because I'm Ken's wife.

Let me send you a ticket.

Thank you, but no.

Round trip.

I promise.

Let's see.

Time will fly.

You may even get to like it and not let me come back.

I won't like it.

Jenny, I'm in the kitchen.

Hey, Mom.

You always had impeccable timing.

I can smell a chocolate cake 40 miles away.

You going out?

Yeah, yeah, there's a party at the old mill.

I won't be late.

That's a cute outfit.

Thanks. Have you seen it?

No, I don't think so.

Yeah, I wore it the other night.

I didn't know you went out the other night.

You know what time it is?

Well, Sarah took Lisa's car, so we had to wait for them to get back.

Yeah, that's a nice excuse. What about Sunday and Monday and last week?

Mom, you keep doing this. We agreed that if I stayed here while Kenny's gone,

you wouldn't treat me like a child. You're acting like one, like an

irresponsible child.

I went out with my friends. We went to a party.

I can't stand this third degree all the time.

You've got to do something more with your life than party all the time.

Like what? Get a job? Yeah, for starters.

Mom, I'm not smart like Jane, okay? I can't be this daughter you want me to

I just want you to be the best you can be. You're not even trying.

Maybe I am.

Maybe this is all there is.

I don't believe it.

Believe it.

Come on.

The only job I could get anyway is a worthless dead end.

Look, Mom, I'm not hurting anybody, okay? I just want to have a good time.

I'm 19 years old.

And you're a married woman.

An adult married woman.

And start acting like one.

I don't want you coming home all hours of the night while you're living under

roof.

Fine.

once a day

What are you doing here?

Cutting orders, turned us around.

Didn't work out at your mom's house, huh?

I called, you said you'd split.

It was a disaster.

Well, you have to go back there.

Don't tell me what to do, okay? I don't need any more people telling me what to

do. Looks to me like you do.

Honey, I need a husband, not a father.

Yeah?

Well, I need a wife.

I am your wife.

I cook dinner. I keep this apartment pretty clean.

A maid could do that.

We can't put this off anymore.

Every conversation we have ends in a fight.

We have to deal with what's wrong with this so -called marriage.

Meaning what?

Meaning it's a complete failure.

This marriage?

Or me?

Answer me.

Okay, honey.

You, as a wife, are a failure.

It's just one disaster after another.

What about you? You take no responsibility?

Look, I'm not the one who has problems paying the phone bill.

I just don't want to feel guilty about you sitting around here by yourself for

the next six months.

All right?

I've had enough.

This marriage is finished.

We're finished.

I am not taking no for an answer. I just fixed dinner.

Oh, you're passing up a good party for that?

Okay. I'm just not in the mood.

You got away with that, Ling. Here's the first couple of weeks. It's not going

to work anymore.

Look, Marianne, I just don't want to go. That's exactly the reason why you have

to. I know how this feels. I've been done it myself.

You've just got to move past it.

Speaking of move, I've got to give notice.

Go with it tomorrow.

Tonight, nobody stays home.

Come on.

You're from Ohio?

Dayton. Home of the Wright Brothers.

And his band plays at a club near Tacoma.

He asked me to come here, though.

Are you sure you wouldn't rather be home with that mouth -watering victim

Popeye?

Gosh, I cannot tell you how good it feels to have fun again.

To have someone call you.

Nikki?

How did you find me?

Never underestimate a Buckeye.

I see you cook a lot.

I'm the worst.

So, you got plans tonight?

Not really.

I'm not telling. Just get up there and knock, all right?

So this must be Annie.

This is my mother.

This is my mom, Helen Preston.

Come on in.

Hey, Mom.

mashed potatoes?

Oh, yes, please. They're so good.

George. Please.

Oh, it's nice to have a family to cook for.

Just make sure Mickey brings you around more often.

Well, better yet, calm yourself.

Watch out, Annie.

Mama Lockie and the Anna can feed you to death if you're not careful.

Mickey says you're looking for a new apartment.

Yeah, it's just that everything I see is so expensive.

You know, Mickey's room upstairs is empty.

Well, this house could use some young life in it.

Why don't you move in here?

Just until things get settled. That way you could look into beauty school like

you wanted to do.

And George and I would get to have a daughter.

Go ahead.

That's awfully generous.

Oh, I'm a mother, dear.

I'd worry about you out there in the world all alone.

a place to live.

And she suggested I move in with them.

Oh, and there's this great beauty school just down the block. It's perfect.

Well, at least you're thinking about going to school.

That's something good to come out of this.

Mother, don't start.

Well, you keep your room neat, okay?

Thank you, Helen.

Well, let me speak to her, Annie.

Oh, my mom wants to talk to you.

Mrs. Mills.

Carol, you have such a lovely daughter.

Thank you.

You certainly have been very kind to her. I can't tell you how much we both

appreciate that.

Well, don't you worry about a thing. We're going to take care of her like

our own.

So did we win the sweepstakes?

Don't we always?

Stop crawling up my back, George.

Oh, well.

She does love to write, doesn't she?

Okay. My discount?

No, mine.

Hi. Hi.

How did it go? It went great.

I gave my first haircut today. That's wonderful.

So you see, I can do this.

George and I should take you out to lunch tomorrow to celebrate.

How about we go to McCarthy's? The insurance office is near there, so

pick up his policy on the way back.

You know, you really ought to think about life insurance.

Don't you think I'm a little bit young for that?

Oh, no, dear.

It's never too early to start.

Here, play my hand.

Okay, what are you playing here?

Oh, hi, Carol. Hi.

No, no, she's not here right now.

Oh, sorry.

Well, sure, I'll tell her.

Okay, bye -bye.

Who was that on the phone, dear?

Wrong number.

It's in.

No.

Well, then what's wrong?

You said yourself she's been sounding great, happier than ever.

Maybe that's what's wrong. Nobody can take your place with her.

They got her to go back to school. She got a job. And the only thing that I got

her to do is walk out.

You know how kids are. They're always angels with somebody else's parents.

How do you speak to her anymore? If I don't catch her at home, she never calls

me back.

She is a kid.

Count yourself lucky she's living with such nice people.

Maybe you're right.

There you go, George.

Thank you. Thank you.

Pleasure doing business with you. Thank you.

It was very nice to meet you. Oh, nice to meet you, too. You take care, huh?

Thanks. Bye -bye. Bye.

This policy does cover accident theft?

Absolutely.

When are we going to tell her?

Tell me what?

We can keep it a surprise, but...

We'd have to blindfold her, put her in the car, drive all the way like that.

Drive where?

Oh, we're just going to visit George's sister in San Francisco.

San Francisco?

This is one of our favorite places, right George?

That's right.

It is absolutely gorgeous.

Looks like it's clearing up.

So, who wants lemonade?

Oh, sounds great.

You've been here before.

It's one of our favorite spots.

Hungry?

I'd love the bean salad, dear. Oh, thank you, George.

Well, I, for one, am completely stuffed.

Oh, me too.

Maybe we should take a hike to walk this off.

George, why don't we take Annie down to see the waterfall?

That would be a great idea. Yeah, I'd love to see the falls. Okay, let's go.

Why don't you take Annie up on the rock and I'll get a picture of you with the

waterfall behind you?

Good. Good idea.

It's nice of you to have come all this way.

We loved her, you know.

And we wanted you to know how very happy she was that day.

It helps to know that.

You can see her in the pictures we took that day. Would you like to have some?

Yes.

Thank you.

I miss my sweet Annie's face.

Next week is Thanksgiving.

I've got to go there for myself and Sage.

You think that's a good idea, going alone?

I need to.

Jeanette Ansaldi said her cousin, you know the one who teaches at what level,

lost a child last year.

I remember her telling me that.

Did you know our teacher's insurance is a death benefit for the loss of a child?

That's what I thought.

Don't you want to look into it?

Will that bring Annie back?

No. But you're entitled to it.

You might use it to make Janie's life better.

What do I have to do?

Show them the death certificate.

I should have called first.

Look, I'm sorry, but I have to be at a deposition in five minutes. They told me

that you would give me her death certificate.

I have an issued one.

Why not?

I'm tying up loose ends. I'm shorthanded like everybody else.

But this has been determined as an accident, so what's holding you up?

Well, there's paperwork.

Insurance policies.

We don't have to do anything about that. My teacher's policy will cover it all.

I'm not talking about your policy. I'm talking about your daughter's policy

Seattle.

Seattle?

Life insurance for $100 ,000.

My daughter was 19 years old.

What would she do with that?

It's me.

No.

No, she would have told me. You're not the beneficiary.

Helen Preston is.

I don't believe that.

That's true. I spoke with the agent myself.

I don't care who you spoke to. I know my own daughter.

Look, ma 'am, I'll tell you what.

Leave your address with the sergeant, and when the death certificate's ready,

I'll send it to you, okay?

I really have to go.

Is that it?

That's all?

What do you mean?

I need some answers.

Look, ma 'am, I don't know why your daughter took out a life insurance

but I've seen people do all kinds of strange things, and this is not all that

strange. What about the Prestons?

They're good people.

They're all shook up about this. They said that... They said?

They're going to get $100 ,000.

Ma 'am, my people were all over that scene.

It was an accident.

Accept it.

It's tragic, and you have my sympathies.

But there was no evidence of anything criminal out there.

Then keep looking. Looking for what? What do you want me to investigate?

Murder.

Come in, please.

I'm glad that you didn't see me on such short notice.

I would have been glad to take care of all those details for you, Carol.

Closing out her affairs must have been so painful.

Annie was my daughter.

I saw her into this world, and I need to see her out.

Annie loved this all smothered in vanilla ice cream.

We loved her as our own.

I'm sure you'll understand my need to go through it again, to get it straight in

my head.

Of course, dear.

Did you see it happen? No, nothing.

Not a sound.

We turned to go back.

Before I knew it, she was gone.

I had to stop George from diving in after her.

I knew it was futile.

We could see her there under the falls.

The Oregon police said that Annie took out an insurance policy.

Yes.

She was really cute about it. She said it made her feel so grown up.

I know how much this hurts you, Carol.

And I also know that only time can fix it. You don't know how this feels. Yes,

do.

I lost a daughter, too.

Cynthia was only three years old.

We were living back in Dayton, 1972.

What happened?

It was an accident.

It was a terrible, terrible accident.

The one thing I do know is that you can beat yourself to death over a guilty

conscience.

About what you could have done, what you should have done.

In the end, it doesn't change anything.

Poor, poor Carol.

I don't like it.

Well, George, when are you going to acquire some backbone?

Carol Mills is a school teacher from Ohio.

Better be scared of her.

I was never thrilled about writing this policy.

But you did it anyway.

I asked the questions, they had the right answers.

I told that woman that she had to have an insurable interest to be the

beneficiary. What does that mean?

A meaningful relationship with the policyholder.

She didn't have one.

She called me back and told me that Annie was going to marry her son.

Annie was already married. I didn't know that.

So the presidents get their policy.

And my daughter is dead.

Thank you Laura.

What can I do to change your mind?

Evidence. It's that simple. What about the insurance?

Look, we've been through all that.

Don't you care that these two people are getting away with murder?

Mrs. Mills, I think it's time you accepted the fact that it was an

Now I remember.

The little girl's name was Cynthia Preston. What happened to her?

She hanged herself.

My God.

The sight of her hanging in that barn haunted me for years.

How on earth does that happen to a three -year -old?

Well, the story as I remember it is she climbed up in a tractor that was in that

barn with some twine dangling over a rafter.

Somehow she got twisted in it.

The whole thing struck me as odd.

Did you say something at the time?

Sure did.

But the captain knew the parents and couldn't believe that they'd hurt a

What happened to the case?

Ruled accidental hanging.

Was there insurance on that little girl?

I don't know.

Could you check?

It's really important to me.

I'll try.

Detective McAdam, Seattle Police.

You Annie Carman's mother?

Yes. I'd like to talk to you.

May I see the ID again?

Sure.

You don't sound like you're from Seattle.

Seattle by way of Brooklyn.

All right, we a little out of the way here?

That depends on what you can tell me about Annie's insurance policy.

Are you always this friendly?

Only when I have to switch planes twice and lay over in Chicago for three hours.

I'm sorry, Emily. Would you like some coffee, maybe something to eat? No,

you.

So, what do you know about this insurance?

Why? I know that they say Annie took it out herself, that her signature is on

the application, but I don't believe any of it.

Then how do you explain it? I don't know.

That's the problem. It doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense.

Like Mickey Holloway saying he was planning to marry your daughter?

Exactly. I don't believe it either.

Oregon insists that it's an accident.

They don't know that family like I do.

Mickey's been bad news since the first time I busted him. And the mother...

She's smart.

Always two steps ahead of us.

So when I heard the Prestons were with your daughter when she died... Then

you'll go after them?

That's why I'm here.

Okay?

These are photos taken of Annie the day that she died.

Ah.

Ah, she's very pretty.

George Preston.

Have any other pictures of Annie? Something recent?

High school graduation?

Yeah.

Look here at Helen's picture. You see how Annie's face looks kind of droopy

there and her eyes look glassy? What are you trying to say? Well, she may have

been drugged.

Drugged? I don't want to rule out anything, okay?

These I want my lab guys to look at.

Oh, I'll get Oregon to fax me a copy of the autopsy report, and then I'm going

to want to talk to some people around here, like a doctor.

I know I'm throwing a lot at you, but I'm really going to need your help.

Okay.

I'll be in touch.

Thanks. You're welcome.

It's amazing how you can be so calm.

It's amazing how you can't be.

She'll keep coming back, you know.

She's not going to give up until... Sweetheart, you'll never get anywhere in

this world if you let every little thing bother you.

Now, haven't I always taken care of everything for you?

Now, you just let me take care of things just like I always do.

I don't want you to worry.

Because that's when you do something stupid.

Thank you.

One of the things on my ex -wife's list of grievances.

Well, if her list was down to that. Oh, don't I wish.

This was one of the few things I could correct.

Oh, wait a minute.

I'm going to Rachel's.

I want you to call me when you get there.

Mother.

Otherwise, you don't go.

Okay.

Bye. Bye.

I'm very protective of her.

You don't have to explain yourself. I'm a parent, too.

Little boy.

He's five now.

That's why I moved to Seattle. My wife.

Ex -wife remarried.

I didn't want to miss seeing her grow up.

All right.

I went over the autopsy report.

None of the standard drugs of choice show up. No marijuana, no cocaine.

Well, that's a relief.

But there's traces of an antidepressant.

Antidepressant? No. Annie wouldn't take a pill like that.

You can't be so sure of that. Her marriage is over. She's left on her own.

said she was an insecure kid. No, Annie would never take something like that. It

was in her blood. It says so right here.

Something called amateur.

Where are you going?

Carol?

Just a second.

All she talked about was beauty school, but I guess you knew that.

Yes, I did.

George? Yes, dear? Bring me an aspirin, will you, dear? I've had this headache

all day.

Just don't bring me one of your amitrips.

I've done that before.

Aspirin and amitrips look a lot alike. I saw Annie take one by mistake.

It doesn't make you sleepy at all.

This woman has covered more bases than Barry Bonds.

Her husband takes those pills. She damn well knows their side effects.

They cause drowsiness, disorientation. They cause you to be unsteady on your

feet. And easy to push off a slippery rock.

Room's been empty for three weeks now.

I have to do everything myself.

Hi.

Hi. Job, hunty?

Yeah, I'm afraid I'm not having much luck, though.

You talk to the manager here? Maybe they need some help.

There's nothing.

What are you looking for?

I work in a hospital back home.

I'm not picky.

Waitress. Bell.

I have to find something before my money runs out or I'm on a bus back home

looking like a failure.

Hello?

Hello, Helen.

Nice of you to call.

I've been thinking of you, dear.

I just wanted to know how you were doing.

Well, it's been very hard, but I know you know that.

We're getting stronger every day.

And how's that sweet little daughter of yours?

Janie, is it?

She's fine.

She's just fine.

I appreciate your asking.

Well, I just wanted you to know that you're in our prayers.

You two take care now.

I wasn't expecting you back in town this day. We got work to do.

After she divorced Mickey's father, she married Carl Nelson.

Not long after, he's diagnosed with cancer.

Helen, who claims to be a practical nurse, starts administering his

Ba -da -bing, he's dead. She collects on his life insurance.

Now she marries George.

They move into Helen's mother's house.

Boom. The house catches on fire. But the insurance company decides not to total

it. They want to rebuild.

But a month later, the house burns to the ground. And despite the fact that

ruled arson, the company pays off in full.

And that's not all.

Her mother, Helen, takes over her care.

The woman is a diabetic, and Helen administered the insulin.

Don't tell me that she... You got it.

Her mother died. Helen pocketed the money from the sale of the house and

merrily along with her wife.

And then even her own child.

How did she get away with this?

Didn't anybody connect these deaths?

She kept moving from state to state. A never talked to B. B never talked to C.

And taken separately, each incident is easily explained.

I blame myself. I let her get involved with these people.

You couldn't know.

These people are Ozzie and Harriet. They would have fooled me, too, and I'm a

hell of a lot more jaded than you.

There you go.

Best burgers in town, Ma. Thank you.

There's some homemade coleslaw over there on the table.

Haven't eaten this well since Mama died.

Bonsoir.

Oh, it does my heart good to see you enjoy it, Lisa.

Since my Mickey moved out, I've had nobody to mother.

It sure would be nice to have some of that again.

You ought to take out Mom on her offer to move in. The hot and cold running

by the hour.

I thought you ordered early flight this morning. This package arrived as I

was checking out. I think we finally got something. What?

I never understood why some of Helen's photos were 5x7s and others were trimmed

down. So on a hunch, I called the lab, and it turned out they keep dupe

negatives of all their enlargements.

So I had everything reprinted full frame, and look what I found.

Helen cropped off Annie's feet. You see? They're slightly in the air.

And George has his hand on her shoulder.

Do you think he was pulling her backward?

That's exactly what I think.

Can we use it?

Yeah, we can use it.

I think we have a picture of George Preston pushing your daughter off that

Gabe, you've had tough cases before.

I didn't exactly hand you a slam dunk on that cane murder.

I'm not afraid of tough, Steve.

Proving a murder with scraps of circumstantial evidence, that's another

Even without introducing her past bad acts, we have the insurance policy, we

have the drugs, we have her inconsistent statements to the police.

So what if it's not textbook?

That doesn't make this girl any less dead.

This crime, if indeed it was a crime, took place in Oregon.

How do I justify the cost of this trial to the taxpayers of Seattle?

Mr. Nichols.

You're the only person standing in the way of justice for my daughter and

letting these monsters go free.

My mother raises her daughter.

She watches over her. And then when she grows up, she goes, ah, she's safe. I

can breathe.

But now I know that they're never safe.

You can never breathe.

I do think it was a homicide.

I just hope we can prove it.

She fits in well here, don't you think?

Mm -hmm.

We could use Bill Liggett for the insurance next time.

Next time?

We're not even out of the woods on this anything yet.

Don't be ridiculous, George.

If they had anything, we'd know it.

I don't care, Helen.

If anything happens to this Lisa so soon, there'd be no way to explain it.

You're a nervous one, aren't you, Georgie?

We're not going to do it tomorrow.

That sort of thing requires planning.

This garden could use a good reading.

Well, I gotta admit, you saw a lot more there than I ever did.

Let's just say I know these people.

There we go.

Here it is.

I don't know what you think you're gonna find here now.

Well, we don't know either.

Just wanna take a look.

I'll wait for you back at the car.

Or she could have known her, Steve.

She was such a little spider.

That's why I know she didn't go quietly like they said.

All those years, I tried to save her childhood, but... In the end,

I couldn't save her life.

Where'd you go after school?

Auntie Laura took me to the library.

That's right. We still need to return some books.

No, I took them back the other day.

By yourself?

I took the bus.

You know, I don't like you doing that.

No, it was fine.

Tell your mom everything's fine.

Auntie Laura says hi.

Oh, and that lady called when I was at home.

What lady?

The one that Annie lived with.

Helen?

What did she want?

Not much.

She was nice. She talked to me for a long time.

She even knew the library that I went to.

She did?

Yeah.

How did she know that?

Ma, where's Lisa tonight?

Exercise class.

Are you catching a cold?

No, Ma.

You should dress more warmly.

I'm sorry to eat and run, but I told Buddy I'd pick him up at 7 .30. Are you

coming tomorrow? I'm making your favorite chicken.

Yes, I'm coming.

Night. Good night.

I want to talk to you, Mickey. I want to know what's going on here.

Your daughter's dead.

Yeah, it's sad, but get over it.

No chance of that.

You know, that's too bad.

It must not be easy being in mourning for such a long, long time.

No, it's not easy. It makes you angry and determined to find out why the

you love had to die.

She was unlucky.

She fell off a cliff.

By herself?

This is not over, Mickey. Not by a long shot.

No, it's over.

Believe me, it's over.

How did she know about Janie at the library?

Don't get carried away.

Didn't she used to live in Columbus?

Dayton.

I'm scared, Steve. I'm really scared. Relax.

She's just trying to get to you. She's succeeding.

Yes? Steve, the Preston's attorney is here to see you.

Ask her to wait in one of the consultation rooms, please.

I'll be right back.

Steve, you and I both know this department has a very long reach.

You question the Prestons' friends and relatives, poke into their personal

affairs. Let me make this crystal clear.

I won't sit by while they're harassed. I'm just doing my job, Lydia.

The law's on my side.

You're looking for a scapegoat here. I won't allow nice people like this to

their lives screwed up. I don't know if I've described them as nice people.

You've got a problem.

Final charges.

Otherwise, back off.

Not until I find out what really happened to that kid.

You're dangerously close to the line here, Steve.

Don't push it.

Always a breath of fresh air, Lydia.

What did Nichols say?

Just that he wanted to see us.

I hope Lydia's story didn't get to him, not when we're this close.

Evidence or lack of it, that's the only thing that'll make a difference.

Miss Mills, take a seat.

Time for truth or consequences.

I think we're ready for a dry run.

Let me hear you tell me the story. I want to see if we've left anything out.

Okay.

Annie met Mickey Holloway, and within a week, Helen moved Annie into her home.

General American wouldn't issue without insurable interest.

Now we have Georgia's amateur description.

Mom, we're here.

Hey, don't say nothing.

TV.

Happy to, baby.

If I'm the defense attorney, I can argue 42 ways.

How am I going to prove that she is afraid of hype?

Statements from her doctor.

This is a mosaic of a murder.

Now you prosecute, right?

Thank you

We

have

warrants for the arrest of Helen and George Preston

The murder of Annie Carman.

How dare you come into our home like this? You're under arrest. What do you

think you are?

You have the right to remain silent.

If you choose to give up that right, anything you say can and will be held

against you in accordance with law. This is not a police state. We are living in

here. You have the right to an attorney for your questioning.

If you cannot afford an attorney and so desire one, one will be provided for you

with no charge.

If it had been a better mother, your daughter wouldn't have left home in the

first place.

Now you want to persecute me because of your guilty conscience?

This

is

not only a trial about the murder of Annie Carmen.

It's also a test about who we are as a people.

Should somebody be allowed to purchase an insurance policy one day and present

dead body in exchange a week later?

Don't be fooled by the apple pie exterior of these defendants.

Inside, they are cold -blooded murderers, and we will prove that above

beyond a reasonable doubt.

Annie Carman's death was a terrible thing.

But we add...

to the tragedy with the innuendo, the insinuation that this woman and her

are to blame.

Annie Carman's death was an accident.

A fall from treacherous terrain by a girl inappropriately dressed, wearing

backless shoes while standing on a slippery rock. This is a recipe for

But it's not a blueprint for murder.

On the night of the accident, did you ask about insurance?

Yes, I asked her point blank, was there any insurance?

And the answer?

Mrs. Preston told me no.

She looked me right in the eye and she said no.

Was that true?

No. In fact, she paid for the insurance herself.

Then Mrs. Preston stuck the insurance policy in her purse and headed for the

door. Did she say anything?

Only one thing.

She asked me if the policy covered accidental death.

And how did you answer?

I told her it did.

Then what happened?

A week later, she walked back in, dropped the policy on my desk, and

me with cold, dead eyes.

Did she say anything then?

Just two words.

She's dead.

Your witness?

Tell me, Mr. Powell, when Annie Carmen was in your office, did she seem to be

there against her will?

No? No further questions.

Like I said, she was my fiancée.

Planning a big wedding, were you?

Objection. Irrelevant.

Foundational, Your Honor.

I'll allow it.

I asked if you were planning a big wedding.

Well, we hadn't set a date yet, but we were going to very soon.

Sometime after she got a divorce, I presume.

You did know she was already married.

Lots of marriages overlap.

Where were you when Annie Carmen was killed?

I was at home in my apartment, listening to music.

Not at the Falls in Oregon?

Absolutely not.

No further questions.

Mr. Holloway, did your fiancé like to do things that were a little wild, maybe a

little dangerous?

One of the things I like best about her.

So her desire to cast caution aside to get a better view of the waterfall

surprise you?

Not at all.

Annie lived with your parents, didn't she?

Yeah, she lived in my room.

And your mother treated her very much like her own child?

Sometimes better.

Better than her own mother treated her?

Yeah, that's what Annie told me.

Objection. That's hearsay, Your Honor.

Sustained. What did you see, observe, of her feelings towards her mother?

Sometimes when Annie's mom would call, she would duck her phone calls and tell

my mother to take a message and then never phone back.

So, without telling us what she said, was it your opinion that Annie bore a

resentment toward her mother?

Yeah.

She didn't like her mother at all.

No further questions.

Since I see we're coming up on the hour at this time, let's recess for lunch.

The defense is ready to start its case and they got a little surprise for us.

Helen's going to take the stand.

Is that good or bad?

Could be good if she trips herself up.

What if the jury believes her?

That is the downside.

How do you feel, Mrs. Preston?

Nervous. You don't have to testify here today.

Why are you doing this?

Because this vendetta against me is totally unfair.

And I...

I need to set the record straight.

Well, let's set it straight then.

Tell me what happened that day on the cliff.

Well, we walked back in from the road because Annie wanted to see the falls

have a picture taken.

She said she'd never seen beauty like that.

That her life before had been so, you know, dull.

And now she was seeing things that she'd only dreamed of.

Objection, hearsay, Your Honor.

Sustained. Would you say that you became, in a sense, Annie's surrogate

In a sense, yes.

Why would I kill the girl?

I gave her life meaning.

I loved her without judgment.

And what was the reason, again, that you so conveniently cropped off Annie's

feet on those photos that you gave her mother?

There was no sinister reason. I just cut the photos to make them look better.

But you didn't cut the other photos that you gave her.

I already explained that.

They were framed differently.

Mrs. Preston, you said that you and your husband were alone with Annie Carmen at

the falls.

Yes. So no one else can account for what really happened that day, just you and

your husband.

Is that right?

Yes, it is.

But you stand to collect $100 ,000 on her insurance, do you not?

She wanted me to be the beneficiary. But she's no longer here to tell us that,

is she?

No. Unfortunately, she's not.

Tell me about other insurance.

Insurance on the life of your late husband.

Objection, Your Honor. Irrelevant.

I'll connect it, Your Honor. I'll allow it. I was asking you about the insurance

money that you collected on the death of your late husband, Carl Nelson.

He died of cancer. I was his wife, so of course I was the beneficiary. But you

were also supervising his nursing care, were you not?

I'm a nurse.

And he died in your care, as did your mother, correct? They were both ailing.

Any doctor can tell you that. Amazing how people seem to die around you, isn't

it, Mrs. Preston? Objection, Your Honor.

Sustained. What about other insurance payouts you collect on any others?

From time to time. Like on a house that burned down?

Twice. My husband and I tried to give this girl a home.

A family.

The love that she was desperate for. Now you're trying to turn this into

something terrible. Trying to make us the scapegoats for an accident that we

couldn't possibly prevent.

The defense rests.

Okay, Mr. Nichols. Are you ready with your rebuttal?

The Annie that you've heard described, is this your child?

No, not at all.

Annie would never have behaved that way.

It's not possible.

Not possible at all.

Nothing that they've said about my daughter Annie is true.

No further questions at this time, Your Honor. And do you know if Annie had her

meals at the Preston home? Dinners, specifically.

Yes, sometimes I think she did.

Home -cooked family dinners in which Annie was included as a member of the

family? Yes.

So it wasn't like she just rented a room in the house.

She lived there.

She was treated like their own daughter.

Isn't that true, Mrs. Melvin? I don't know. I wasn't there.

Well, yes, we know that.

But Helen was there, wasn't she?

And she guided her, encouraged her, mothered her.

Isn't that right?

Your Honor, would you please instruct the witness?

She twisted her.

Were you in touch with Annie when she lived with the Prestons?

Yes, I was. How often would you say? Once a week?

Once a month?

Well, not as often as I would have liked.

I'd call her, and then I couldn't catch her in.

So would you say you felt rejected by your daughter in favor of Helen Preston?

I'm her mother. That never changed.

Yet you abrogated her care and nurturing to another woman, and now you want to

repay that woman by seeing her put in jail for the rest of her life. Isn't

right? Annie was taken in by them.

Annie was a butterfly.

Caught in a spider's web.

No further questions.

I have one more question, Mrs. Mills.

Did you love your daughter?

With all my heart.

My daughter died a horrible death.

I can't bring her back.

Objection, Your Honor. This is a speech.

Your Honor, please.

I'm asking you to allow me a moment.

I'd like to speak on her behalf.

I'd allow it.

The daughter was a wonderful young woman who had her whole life in front of her.

She came to know these people and to trust them.

And through her, I trusted them, too.

I regret that.

I'm asking you, please don't be fooled by them, too.

They murdered my daughter for money, and they deserve to be punished.

I understand you've reached a verdict.

We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendants please stand and face

the jury?

You may read the verdict.

On the charge of murder in the first degree, we find the defendants, George

Helen Preston, guilty as charged.

May I remind the court these proceedings are not over.

I love you, Annie.