6. The Cell

[r2k]

Here is the latest. For a more recent case, it turned out pretty good. I promise a good twist at the end. Forgive me if the Arab family names are a little off. I did a tiny bit of research but kind of slopped it together. And some characters in this episode a little bigoted.


The Cell

September 10, 2001
“Stuck in America” by Sugar Cult plays in the background.

In the suburbs, a black truck drives down the street. A young man and girl are in it.
Robert: Where we eatin’?
Wendy: Not sure. I was kind of in the mood for tacos tonight. How ‘bout Taco Bell.
Robert: Okay, Taco Bell it is.
Wendy: I’ll let the others know.
Robert: I’ve got to get home a little early. Before nine.
Wendy: Mom been on your case lately.
Robert: Yeah. She thinks my grades are gonna slip again.
Wendy: That’s not going to happen. You’re gonna do great this year. Your SATs were spectacular.
Robert: Couldn’t have done it with you.
Wendy: Leave some credit for your grandmother. She helped out too.
(The truck arrives at Robert’s grandmother’s house.)
Annie: Robert, you made it. I need a small favor. I have a light bulb that’s out and I don’t want to try to climb up on the step stool. My knee’s not doing so good.
Robert: Sure. Where is it?
Annie: It’s in the hallway by my bedroom.
(Annie looks at Wendy and begins to talk to her.)
Annie: I just can’t do that anymore. I don’t want to take any chances. How have you been, Wendy?
Wendy: Just great. You heard about Robert’s SATs.
Annie: I’m so proud. He worked so hard. I always knew he could do it. His grandfather did too.
(Robert is replacing the light bulb while they are talking.)
Annie: Have you two eaten?
Robert: We were going to Taco Bell.
Annie: I still have some stuffed cabbage in the fridge. I could warm it up for you.
Robert: Well, we’re meeting some friends. They’re expecting us.
Annie: Well, you two must come over this upcoming weekend. I’m making that spaghetti sauce you like so much.
Robert: Ooooh. Wendy, you have to try this sauce. She makes it from scratch. Even puts wine in it. Tastes like a restaurant.
Wendy: We don’t have anything planned. Sounds delicious.
Annie: Great. I’ll pick some things up on Friday. How about you arrive at 4:30 and we’ll eat at five. You don’t have to stay too long. I know you kids want to go out.
(Robert finishes and comes down the stepping stool.)
Robert: All done, grandma.
Annie: Thank you. I really appreciate this, Robert.
Robert: That’s why I’m here.
Annie: Wait a minute.
(She goes into her bedroom and gets some money.)
Annie: Dinner’s on me. Take it.
Robert: Thank you grandma.
(Robert hugs her.)
Annie: Now, go on. Mom said she wanted you back by nine. It’s 7:30 now. Have a good time.
Robert: Thanks. I’ll call you before Saturday.
(Robert and Wendy walk to the truck.)
Wendy: Your grandmother is so sweet. And you are so sweet to her. I like that in a guy.
Robert: She’s great. But she hates the truck.
Wendy: We better hurry. Everyone should be there by now.
(Robert looks over to the house to the left.)
Robert: The Abdullah’s must not be home. They haven’t been around lately.
(Annie looks to her left at the house with a worried look on her face as she goes back in.)

Later. Annie is in her basement. Her throat has been slit. There are signs of a struggle. The side door is open on the inside. The screen door is closed.)

In the Cold Case box room, Annie’s box is being stored

A Kelpser September 2001

Meanwhile in the present
(Lily’s desk. Robert is sitting there. Scotty is with them.)
Robert: This is her. (He hands a picture of Annie to Lily)
Lily: She looks nice. I’m sure she must have been a super grandmother.
Robert: She was. A bit needy at times. I didn’t mind. She fed me so much and gave me money. I always knew she loved me. She loved us all which is why she deserved better.
Lily: Why are you having second thoughts about her death now?
Robert: Well, there’s something I haven’t mentioned to you yet.
Scotty: And what is that?
Robert: She was found dead pretty early. My mom always called her in the morning. You know, to see if she was still alive. Grandmother was 76. Mom was just being careful. She never answered. Mom asked me to stop by on the way to school. I found her dead. That was about 7:20. I figured I’d leave at 7:15, find her okay and be at school before 7:45. Police arrived about 8:00. Investigation was going just fine until a little after 9:00.
Scotty: What happened then?
Robert: Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings. One in the Pentagon, and another outside Pittsburg. You know the rest.
Lily: 9/11.
Robert: Immediately, police lost interest. Mom was devastated. Then, hours later, the FBI arrived and broke into the house next door. (Starts crying.) My mom and I are crying because my grandmother and her mother was found with her throat slit and FBI are taking the house next door. The neighbors had already learned what happened to gramdma. They told FBI what happened to her.
Scotty: Did FBI investigate?
Robert: Yes. They figured the neighbors must have killed her. Said she must have found out what was going on and they slit her throat. Seemed to be their M.O. that day. Her house had been robbed. Some valuables were taken.
Lily: What do you think happened?
Robert: I would never dare tell this to anyone in my family. It wasn’t that Arab family next door. They weren’t there that night. In fact, they weren’t the last few nights. I had been over there a few days. The lights in the Abdullah’s house were never on.
Lily: Maybe they were out when you were there.
Robert: No, impossible.
Scotty: Those situations happen.
Robert: I’m telling you. The lights were never on. They had left. A few of the neighbors claimed they were there that weekend, but they don’t know what they were talking about. They just wanted to sound important. Perhaps guilty they didn’t see anything.
Lily: Was it possible the Abdullahs could have still been there.
Robert: One of the neighbors claimed the Abdullahs were making some noise Sunday. I was on the phone with my grandmother at a little after 9:00. I had noticed they weren’t around so I asked her.
Scotty: What did she say?
Robert: She said they hadn’t been home at all that evening. This neighbor said they were loud at around sunset. The sun went down over an hour before I called her. Everyone was too quick to accept the answer given to them. FBI didn’t really look into it. The police were kept out of it. In time, her death was forgotten. I’ll never forget it. Please, detective. Something was missed. The circumstances around her death made a real investigation impossible. That was a bad day for all of us. My grandmother’s murder got lost in the tragedy.

OPENING CREDITS

[r2k]

(In the Cold Case Room)
Lily: Annie Klepser, 76, found with her throat slit in her basement Tuesday morning, 9/11. No evidence directly linking anyone to the murder. Fingerprints didn’t match anything in the database. None were taken after the murder. Given the terrorist attacks and the neighbors living next door, FBI decided the Abdullah family must have killed her. Father’s name was Ali. Had a wife and five kids. Oldest son was named Habib. Poor guy, Robert. He’s kept this bottled up for 3 years. Wonder why he’s wanting this solved now?
Scotty: There may be something to his suspicion. Here’s a list of things stolen. Some jewelry and personal items. Things of significant value. Now that’s strange.
Lily: How so?
Scotty: These terrorists were well-funded. Their families were wealthy. Let’s say Annie uncovered the truth about the Abdullahs. Why rob her? By morning, they would have been found out. Didn’t matter because they’d be long gone.
Lily: Robbing her to cover it up would have been pointless. So someone murdered her and robbed her after.
Stillman: Hear you have the 9/11 case with the old lady.
Scotty: Yeah. The grandson was here this morning.
Stillman: He was the original suspect until news of the terrorist attacks hit the airwaves. We were getting ready to interrogate him when FBI showed up next door.
Lily: Seems like they showed up pretty fast.
Stillman: Reports of other suspected terrorist dwellings had been reported. FBI said this one was supposedly big. Someone had called 911 the night before about a possible terrorist cell in Annie’s neighborhood. No one took her seriously. Then, when the murder was reported and FBI got wind of it, they looked into the house.
Scotty: Might have been Annie trying to warn someone. Was it a house of interest?
Stillman: From what they were able to tell us, yes. Some pretty important terrorists were hiding out there or had been there before. The family that lived there harbored them and the father was on one of the planes.
Lily: Why was Robert a suspect?
Stillman: He had a record.
Scotty: He seemed so nice.
Stillman: He was a punk. It was mostly small stuff. After a while, police stopped bringing him in.
Lily: Shaped up.
Stillman: 1999 was when he disappeared. He stopped being brought in. When his grandmother was killed, it was the first time I had seen him since. Suspecting him was routine. We ruled him out. He had witnesses who could testify to his whereabouts. He was in the house by 9:00. Time of death was 10:00 P.M. His mother was still up. He had just gone to bed.
Scotty: Robert never mentioned being a suspect.
Stillman: He never really knew. Before we could really grill him or tell him, the FBI stormed the neighbor’s house. Things were kind of hush hush with him. We figured very quickly that it wasn’t him and how upset he was that she was killed. He was already upset by what happened it was pointless to make it worse. Besides, his mother stopped us in time. I learned something very important that day.
Lily: What was that, boss?
Stillman: Not all punks are killers.
Lily: Robert indicated that the Abdullahs might have moved out prior to the night Annie was murdered.
Stillman: Neighbors claimed they were there the night before. Some kids across the street.
Lily: Well, you know how kids are. Robert had been to her house a few times before she was murdered. He is almost 100% sure the neighbors weren’t around. Robert thought they had moved. Even asked Annie about it.
Stillman: Why don’t you and Scotty check out some of the neighbors.

(Lily and Scotty park at Annie’s house. It looks the same as it did in 2001. It has been kept up. They get out of the car. A for sale sign is in front.)
Lily: Charming little house.
Scotty: Check out the tree. Robert must have had fun as a little kid.
(A woman comes out the front door. Surprising Lily and Scotty, who didn’t think anyone would be home.)
Woman: Are you here to look at the house?
Lily: No. Detective Rush.
Scotty: Detective Valens.
Lily: You are?
Gerri: Gerri Wilkes. This was my mother’s house. Are you here about her?
Lily: Yes. You must be Robert’s mother.
Gerri: Robert. I should have known. He should just leave it be. That was a bad enough day, losing my mother and all. But on the day thousands of Americans lost their lives. Kind of ruined the grieving process for us. Lately, he’s been unsettled by it. We had an interested buyer for the house and it got to him. He comes to the house once in a while with me. It hurts.
Lily: The death was blamed on the neighbors, the Abdullahs.
Gerri: No one ever suspected a thing from those people. Those evil Arabs got away with murder. We never saw it coming. I called her every morning to check on her. She never answered. Sometimes, she didn’t. I usual would go over and find out what was the matter. But that morning I was running late and I asked Robert to check up on her on his way to school

FLASHBACK TO 2001

Start the Commotion plays in the background

(At the Wilkes’ house, the family is having breakfast. Gerri is calling Annie but getting no answer.)
Gerri: Come on. Pick up the phone.
Krista: Robert, that toast was mine.
Robert: Mine now.
Krista: What am I supposed to do?
Robert: Chill, sis. I’ve got another piece for you in the toaster. It should be ready any minute.
Krista: Well, next time make it for yourself, okay.
Robert: Okay freak.
Gerri: Robert, grandma’s not answering. Would you check on her on the way to school. I’ve got an early meeting this morning.
Robert: Sure. I’m not picking up Wendy today anyway.
Tad: Honey, I’m going to be a little late this evening. Got a few things to finish up.
Gerri: Robert’s going to check up on mother.
Tad: Let him worry about getting to school. You’re making him do all these things for her. It’s not healthy.
Gerri: Well, I can’t do it all. And you’re not helping.
Tad: That’s not what I meant. Robert’s working now. He has a lot of responsibilities.
Gerri: Why don’t you tell that to my mother? I’m sure she’ll understand.
Tad: You’re doing it again.
Gerri: I’m not doing anything.
Tad: You’re doing it again.
Gerri: What am I doing!!!!?!!!
Tad: You’re pickin’ on my ass again!!!!! You’re always pickin’ on my ass.!!!! You pick pick pick and never let go!!!!
Gerri: You’re an idiot! You never take my side!
Tad: Cause you’re NUTS!!!
Gerri: Drop dead!

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Lily: So the morning was already off to a bad start?
Gerri: Given what happened later, not a good way to begin. Robert called later to tell me what happened. He was freaking out.

FLASHBACK TO 2001
(The phone rings. Gerri answers.)
Gerri: Wilkes residence.
Robert: Mom!!!! Mom!!! Call the police. She’s! She’s (Robert begins to choke up.)
Gerri: Robert. What’s wrong!?!?!
Robert: She She’s dead. He begins sobbing and can barely speak.
Gerri: Oh no!! Call the police. They need to be there.
Robert: She’s dead. Her throat was cut. There’s blood all over the floor in the basement. She’s been there all night!! Wait. Someone’s knocking on the door.
(Robert hangs up.)
Gerri: Robert!! Robert!! Don’t hang up!!
(She grabs her keys and leaves in a hurry.)

[r2k]

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Gerri: I told him to go over and check on her. I never imagined anything bad had happened. If it did, I never thought it was murder. My baby was alone when he found her. He wasn’t ready to deal with it.
Lily: Don’t blame yourself. There was no way you could have known.
Gerri: I arrived there and Robert was sobbing in the driveway. The police had arrived. They thought he did it. I got him to go inside to the backroom. I talked with police for minute. They asked about him and if he could have done it. A detective arrived with his boss.
Lily: Stillman?
Gerri: He was in charge. There was a fat detective.
Scotty: Vera.
Gerri: Yes. They both were here. The fat guy immediately fingered Robert as the doer. Robert might have taken the fall if the FBI hadn’t shown up.

FLASHBACK TO 2001
“It’s Goin’ Down” by the Executioner’s plays in the background
Gerri: Leave him alone. He didn’t do it. He was with us this morning. My mother didn’t answer the phone.
Vera: Look, this kid is a punk and you know it.
Gerri: Was a punk. We shaped him up.
Stillman: We’re going to have to question him.
Gerri: He’s still a minor. You do not have my permission.
Vera: How convenient. Pull the minor card.
(The FBI cars immediately show up. Agents rush out of the car and run to the neighbor’s house. Vera, Stillman, and Gerri look. There heads all turn at the same time. Other neighbors in the area are watching.)
Vera: What in the world? Did they not even notice us?
Stillman: Who lives in that house?
Gerri: The Abdullahs. Why would the FBI go there?
(A neighbor, Karen Zybek approaches.)
Karen: Haven’t you heard. Arabian terrorists flew two planes into the world trade center this morning.
Gerri: I’m sorry. I missed that report. Kind of involved in a little crisis of my own here.
Karen: Sorry. I thought you knew. (Turns to Stillman.) The neighbors were Arabs.
Gerri: Do you see me with the radio on? Or a television. Television. Oh, Robert.
(Gerri runs in the house and to the backroom where the television is. It is turned on. Robert is shocked. He has been watching the footage.)
Gerri: Robert, baby. Turn it off. You don’t need to worry about anything like that right now.
Robert: They just crashed into them. They went down. There were two other crashes. One in the Pentagon. Another outside Pittsburg. Think it was heading to the White House. Who did this?
Gerri: Robert. Pull yourself together. I need you. Your grandmother is dead in the basement. Please help me. The FBI just went into the neighbor’s house. I can’t handle all this without you.
Robert: FBI. Why?
(Tad and Krista arrive in the backroom. Krista is crying.)
Tad: I came as soon as I heard. Picked up Krista.
Krista: Robert. Don’t cry. It’ll be alright.
(Stillman enters.)
Stillman: I just spoke to the FBI. May have a word with you two in private.
(In private.)
Stillman: The neighbors have been linked to the terrorist attacks. I need to ask you. Did your mother ever talk about them or with them? Maybe indicated they were acting suspicious?
Gerri: No. Nothing. She would have said something if there was. Right honey.
Tad: Right. She was a suspicious type person. We’d have heard it. I know she didn’t like them too much, but she was always civil to people whether or not she liked them.
Stillman: FBI is examining the house. Seems like they left in a hurry. Given the new developments, we’re going to rule your son out as a suspect. With his record, we had to cover our tracks. Don’t be mad. I don’t think he could have done this.
Tad: What happened?
Stillman: Throat was slit. A neighbor called the police when they heard your son yelling. Thought he was killing her on the spot.
Gerri: He was on the phone with me. He was incoherent. He really loved her.
(Krista enters.)
Krista: The killers robbed her.
Gerri: What do you mean?
Krista: Some of her jewelry is gone. I was in her room.
Tad: Why were you in there?
Krista: She’s dead. I wanted to see her room. I may never see it again. How can you be so mean?!? (She runs out to the side door to leave and sees them taking the body out. She screams.)
Tad: Oh no. He runs to her.
Krista: No. No! No!! She’s really dead. Daddy. Why?
Tad: Honey, come here. Don’t look. It’s going to be okay.

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Gerri: You don’t want to know how many therapy sessions we had to get over this. Robert seemed fine. Why is her wanting to reopen the case.
Lily: He thinks police jumped the gun the first time.
Gerri: If he knew he was the prime suspect, he would have reconsidered.
Scotty: You mean he doesn’t know.
Gerri: We never told him.
Scotty: This kid is the lead suspect and you never mention it.
Gerri: The family was responsible.
Lily: But we’re now and the case is reopened. The family killing her is speculation. We have physical evidence that they were even in the house.
Gerri: Just leave it be. Some things are better left as they were. We’ve suffered enough.
(She goes back into the house. Lily notices a 17 year old girl in the driveway. Scotty goes to the car. Lily goes to her.)
Lily: Are you Krista?
Krista: Yes.
Lily: You look sad.
Krista: I hate being here. She knows it, yet she forces me to come with her.
Lily: It’s not so bad.
Krista: She wants to me here so I can comfort her in case she breaks down again. She was never there for us when we needed her. We had to comfort her. None of us could love grandma the way she did.
Lily: This really bothers you doesn’t it.
Krista: I have no one to talk to about it.
Lily: Have you tried to talk to Robert. He seems like he needs to talk about it.
Krista: He has Wendy.
Lily: Then, why don’t you approach him. He’ll be happy to talk to you. Promise me you’ll do that.
Krista: (Smiles.) I will. Promise. Thanks for listening yourself.
Lily: Sometimes that’s all someone needs.

[r2k]

(At the station.)
Lily: Well, we can rule Robert out. A 17 year old boy with no real motive.
Scotty: Sister too. She wasn’t able to drive.
Lily: Both were home when it happened. Mother confirmed it. Poor Krista. You think Robert was the one ruined by this. She is taking this all alone and mother doesn’t seem to notice. This family seems like they were not there when it happened.
Scotty: What about her husband?
Lily: He was asleep. She was the only one awake.
Scotty: Sounds a little suspicious, doesn’t it.
Stillman: FBI ruled it to be the family. There seemed to be no real reason to pursue it. Thing is, all the people close to Annie clearly had been in the house many times before. No other DNA samples were found. No fingerprints were really analyzed. No witnesses.
Scotty: Except the ones who saw the neighbors there the night before.
Lily: The more I learn about the people close to her, the more I agree with Robert. The Abdullahs were gone long before the witnesses claimed. Someone in the neighborhood is hiding something. Let’s talk to Robert again. Said he was at work.
Scotty: Where?
Lily: Fat Buddy Burgers. He should be there now.

(At Fat Buddy Burgers, Robert is sitting at a table with Lily and Scotty.)
Robert: I’m not sure I can tell you much more.
Lily: You spent a lot of time there. Most of the neighbors are new. Did you see anything from any of them that might look suspicious?
Robert: The neighbors on the other side are quiet. A single mother with a little girl. Mother works and the girl is usual at daycare most of the time. There are the Zybeks. Annoying couple. Across the street. They have three boys.
Lily: What can you tell us about them?
Robert: The wife is pretty nosey. Grandma didn’t like her much. She kept asking Grandma if she was ever going to sell the house. I overheard a conversation once when I was finished mowing the lawn there.

FLASHBACK TO 2001
“Blue (Dad a dee)” by Eiffel Tower plays in the background
(Robert is finishing the lawn when his grandmother comes out.)
Annie: Looks good. You always do a good job. Now, you’ll need to take the grass out for collection before you leave. Garbage truck is coming tomorrow too.
Robert: Sure thing.
(Karen Zybek walks up.)
Karen: The lawn looks nice.
Annie: My grandson is a good worker. Knows what to do.
Karen: Must help you with the house.
Annie: He does what he can.
Karen: Must be hard keeping the house up. I don’t know how you do it.
Annie: After so many years of doing it things get easier.
Karen: My mother went to a retirement community and she loves it.
Annie: Well, I’m going to try to see how long I can stay right here. Paul and I moved into this house when we first married and I’m not ready to leave it yet.
(Will calls to Karen from across the street.)
Will: Honey, can you come over here for a minute. I can’t find the mustard.
Karen: It’s in the fridge. I can’t believe it.
(Annie turns to Robert.)
Annie: Why don’t you finish up out here and come in when you’re done. I’ll have a sandwich ready for you.
Robert: Thanks.
(Annie goes inside. Robert overhears Karen and Will talking across the street.)
Karen: That house is perfect for them. She doesn’t need it anymore.
Will: Don’t push it. Why is it important they live so close to us anyway.
Karen: She’s my best friend. It would be great to have her around.
Will: For you. I can’t stand her husband.
(Robert turns away and finishes his work)

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Robert: Mrs. Zybek has been dropping hints for weeks that grandma should move out. She wanted the house for some friend.
Lily: You know who this friend is?
Robert: No. I never heard a name. Mrs. Zybek was pushy about it.
Scotty: What about the other neighbors?
Robert: A few were old timers. A lot of new people. These days, most people keep to themselves. Nobody really stands out. The Zybeks are the only ones I would look at. Annie never went out of her way to get to know anyone she didn’t care for. When I was over there, she didn’t make it a point to be social so I can’t tell you who she knew.
Lily: I know you have ruled them out in your mind, but what about the ------s?
Robert: They said hello and talked a bit. Some times they isolated themselves.
Scotty: Did that intimidate your grandmother in any way.
Robert: No. She lived through the depression and several wars. Nothing scared her. She was pretty tough. She seemed a little weird around them. But that was mostly disapproval. It’s been that way since they moved in. Around 1998.
Lily: Which neighbor saw them the night she was killed?
Robert: Chris Zybek. The oldest boy. He was a few years younger. He was in junior high school. His friends were over that night.
Lily: Did you know them?
Robert: No. They went to a junior high school. I know some of the guys he hung out with were in trouble a lot.
Scotty: Bumped into each other at the station.
Robert: A few times. A stopped getting into trouble a year ago.
Scotty: What made you change?
Robert: One of the policemen took me on a tour of the facilities.
Scotty: Scared straight.
Robert: Oh yes. I don’t like talking about that tour.
Lily: Do you think these kids were capable of murder?
Robert: Hard to tell. But in your experience, couldn’t anyone be a killer.
Lily: Good point.
Robert: I’m majoring in criminal justice. I’ve learned that given the wrong circumstances, most people are capable of murder.
Scotty: I hate to ask this, but we’re probably going to get there anyway. Is there anybody in your family that might have wanted her dead?
Robert: Not that I know of. There’s been some conflict over the years.
Lily: With who?
Robert: My aunt Wendy. She’s the black sheep of the family. Traveled to the beat of a different drum.
Scotty: How so?
Robert: Never married or had kids. That really upset Grandma. She lives with her boyfriends from time to time.
Lily: Where is she now?
Robert: She lives in Florida but is in the city now. Occasionally, Wendy visits her friends. She and my mom don’t talk anymore.
Lily: Bad blood?
Robert: Had a little to do with the will.
Scotty: Your grandma’s will?
Robert: More like Grandpa’s will. He did something to anger my mom.
Lily: What did he do?
Robert: You see, the money was divided evenly between my mother and Wendy. Problem is mom had to share her half with my brother, sister, and me.
Scotty: You have another brother?
Robert: Yes. Lives in California.
Lily: You didn’t mention him before. Where was he when your grandmother was killed?
Robert: At the U.S. Naval Academy. He barely was able to get enough time to come to the funeral. Lucky Annapolis isn’t too far from Philly.
Scotty: How much did your mother end up inheriting?
Robert: Quite a bit. We all did. Mom and Wendy were left with $1,000,000 each.
Lily: But your mother only got to keep $250,000.
Robert: You got it. She hated it.
Scotty: You think she’d kill her own mother over it.
Robert: I sure hope not. Thing is, she hated Wendy for it more. She never expressed her anger towards Grandma in any way. I hope she didn’t do it. I’d feel really bad if she did.
Lily: Did you get your share?
Robert: Not until I get married or hit 30. It’s written specifically in the will. Grandma wanted me to be responsible with it. But she also figured I would need should I marry and start a family.

[r2k]

(At the Zybek house.)
Karen: Yes, we were interested in the house. Our friends were looking to buy and we thought it would be perfect. I don’t understand. I thought the Abdullahs did it.
Jeffries: They disappeared and were linked to the 9/11 attacks. It was decided they killed her but nothing was truly set in stone.
Vera: It’s what we call a strange coincidence.
Karen: Surely you don’t think I killed her.
Vera: You tell us. Robert told us how you dropped numerous hints at Annie to move and go to a retirement community.
Jeffries: Some old people are happy just where they are. You’re attitude would certainly make me feel unwelcome if I were her.
Karen: So I hinted. But in the end, I knew nothing would happen. She would never move.
Vera: Then maybe you did something about it. Perhaps your husband.
Karen: Not him. He hated the couple I had in mind for the house. Good thing. He ended up ruining the friendship with them with his big mouth.
Vera: Before or after Annie died. Because if it was after and you did it that would be a shame.
Karen: You know, I think we’re done there. You seem to want to be arrogant. Like last time three years ago. You were ready to crucify that kid
(Vera notices something about Karen but doesn’t mention it.)
Jeffries: Well, we thank you for your time.

(Outside on the way to the car.)
Vera: The necklace Karen was wearing. I’ve seen it before.)
Jeffries: Where?
Vera: I don’t know but it’s ringing a bell.
(Vera and Jeffries see a woman across the street at Annie’s house.)
Vera: The sister I assume. I remember her the first time.
Jeffries: One more stop?
(They go across the street.)
Jeffries: Excuse me miss. Are you Wendy Klepser?
Wendy: Yes. I’m just in the city for a few days. I’m allowed to be here. Until it is sold, both my sister and I can be here.
Vera: Don’t worry. We’re taking another look at your mother’s murder.
Wendy: Thought it was closed.
Vera: Your nephew doesn’t seem to agree with the ruling.
Wendy: Robert. Doesn’t surprise me. He is a doubtful person. Needs to see it to believe it. How is he? I haven’t called over there. My sister and I don’t speak.
Jeffries: He’s a little uneasy about how quick the case was handled and the circumstances surrounding it.
Wendy: That wasn’t an easy day for anyone. All the fear and a dead mother on top of it all. It was horrible. The funeral was more of a 9/11 remembrance ceremony than my mother’s passing.

FLASHBACK TO 2001
Around and Round plays in the background
(At the funeral home, people are gathered around in different groups.)
Wendy: I find it unbelievable that people cannot leave their discussions of 9/11 behind and focus on what they’re here for.
Robert: I know. None of them have even walked up the casket.
(Gerri comes up.)
Gerri: Well, everything’s going great.
Wendy: This is our mother’s funeral. Nothing’s going great. It’s not supposed to be great.
Gerri: The good daughter all of a sudden.
Wendy: What’s that supposed to mean?
Gerri: Let’s face it, heaven forbid you were in Europe because you would have come back for this.
Wendy: You horses a--. I’ve been in to see mother plenty of times.
Gerri: When you’re not with Pierre the French snob.
Wendy: You know what. You’re jealous that I’m free and you’re not. And Pierre is not a snob. Check the mirror for an accurate description before you point it at someone else.
Gerri: Not here.
Wendy: It’s true. You resent having a family because you were tied down.
Gerri: And we needed you flaunting your vacations and tans in front of us.
Wendy: Well, why don’t I just sit at home all day so you can feel good about yourself. You chose to have a family.
Gerri: (Begins yelling.) You never loved her! I did! And I was penalized for it!
Wendy: Don’t bring up the will here. It’s tacky.
Gerri: Who gives a damn! Look around! No one even knows why they’re here! Their talking about those stupid planes that crashed into those damn eye soars in New York that I could never visit because I had kids to raise! (Looks at everyone.)
GET OUT!!! You don’t care about her! None of you do! Go somewhere and talk about terrorists! My mother was killed by the one of them and you people have no respect for that!!! GET OUT!!!
(Tad enters the room.)
Tad: Gerri. Stop it. Stop it.
Gerri: (Crying) You! You never defend me!
Tad: (Loudly) That’s right! I never defend you! I’m a worthless piece of garbage! I don’t exist!
Gerri: Forget you. You always stay back and you never defend me. (Starts to really cry and falls to the floor.) Mother. Mother. I need you. I need you now!! Why are you dead?
(Krista begins to cry. Steven, the older brother comforts her. Robert runs out of the room. Wendy chases him.)
Wendy: Robert. Robert. Stop.
(He stops)
Wendy: She’s upset. Remember. This is her mother in that casket.
Robert: Why does she do this? Why can’t she keep her feelings in. She’s so irrational right now. I hate when she does this.
Wendy: She’s always been this way. You’re not going to change her. Stop hoping she will.
Robert: I wish she would.
(Gerri enters the hall, crying.)
Gerri: Robert. (She hugs him.) I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I miss her. (She totally ignores Wendy.)

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Wendy: That was some funeral.
Vera: I know. We got pictures.
Wendy: What?
Jeffries: It’s common in murders to photograph the funerals. Sometimes the killer attends.
Vera: Robert talked about the will.
Wendy: Dad’s final judgement. Gerri had to share hers with the kids.
Jeffries: How did you feel about the arrangement?
Wendy: That was my father’s decision. Annie respected him. She made sure his wishes were carried out. Personally, I think she should have changed and split the whole thing evenly among the five of us. Gerri, her kids, and me. I would have been happy with that.
(A French man comes down from upstairs.)
Pierre: Who’s this?
Wendy: Detectives, Pierre. About mother.
Pierre: Pierre Bouquet.
Vera: Detective Vera.
Jeffries: Detective Jeffries. How long have you two been together.
Wendy: Since 1999. The family did not approve of Pierre. I announced after my father passed away. Perfect time too. He would never have approved.
Vera: What about Robert?
Wendy: He did. The three kids were great. Gerri and mom were not. Neither was Aunt Faye. She was Annie’s sister.
Vera: Do you know where we might be able to reach her?
Wendy: Here’s the address. Still where Annie left all of her numbers. Gerri is stalling on selling the house. She still lives in a fantasy world where mother is still alive. Pathetic.

(Lily and Scotty are at the Wilkes house. Gerri and Tad are there.)
Lily: We know about the troubles with the will.
Gerri: Robert had no business mentioning that. He’s taking this too far. What does he want with this?
Tad: Relax.
Gerri: I’m not going to relax. I’m being accused of murder here. You relax.
Tad: I’m going downstairs. I don’t exist here. I never have.
Scotty: I’ll go talk to him.
(Lily stays with Gerri.)
Gerri: He’s an idiot. Totally useless. I’ve been carrying this marriage.
Lily: Thing is you got a much smaller share and your mother didn’t change the will. Wouldn’t change it.
Gerri: So. I still got a lot. So I was punished for giving them grandchildren. They only lived for the experience. Then, they did what they did. It was a slap in the face.
Lily: That gives you motive.
Gerri: I didn’t do it. I was here that night. Robert and Krista were too. They would have noticed if I wasn’t here.

(Downstairs)
Tad: I hate when she gets like this and it is pretty much all the time.
Scotty: Do you think she’s capable of murder.
Tad: She’s nuts. Too nuts to pull this off. She’s very emotional. But not homicidal.
Scotty: What about her sister?
Tad: Wendy. She got most of the money. But got plenty from her many boyfriends. She could have waited 30 years for Annie to die.
Scotty: Huh.
Tad: Annie was in tip top shape. She was set to outlive all of us. She was the only sane one in the bunch. The rest were all nuts. Her sister, Faye was the nuttiest one of them all. You see, I don’t exist in this family. I wasn’t there in the beginning. I simply don’t exist. Gerri smothered Robert to the point he became a nightmare for a couple of years.
Scotty: Why do you think Robert is bringing this up after all these years?
Tad: Robert has trouble letting things go. He’s troubled. Better now. Steven is a leader. Krista is outgoing. Robert just got lost in the shuffle. He doesn’t know his place so he observes from the sidelines. He picks up on things too much.
Scotty: Perhaps he sees things more clearly.
Tad: Perhaps you’re right.

[r2k]

(Back at the station.)
Lily: Gerri is extremely high-strung.
Vera: Wendy seemed to paint that picture.
Scotty: When did you meet her?
Jeffries: We were talking with Karen, another winner.
Vera: Wendy was at the house. With her boyfriend, Pierre.
Scotty: Pierre. Is that French?
Vera: Oh yeah. She went into detail about the funeral. I must have missed out on that one. Saw the pictures but nobody got the fight on record. Last time I miss out on a funeral.
Stillman: Crime lab took pictures to see if the killer would turn up. Like the Paige Pratt case.
Lily: I remember that. But if it was decided that terrorists killed, why take pictures if they fled the country?
Stillman: Had to try. Nothing came from those pictures. What about the neighbors?
Jeffries: Seemed like they wanted the house for some friends.
Vera: Ex-friends. I take it people like that don’t keep friends for long.
Lily: There is another neighbor, Elmira Goldstein. Lived behind Annie. Says they were good friends. Maybe that’s our next stop.
Stillman: I got a hold of the Greg Allen. He said he was positive she died after 9:00 P.M. Probably closer to 10:00.
Lily: Robert said she usually goes to bed no later than 10:00. Sometimes she might stay up late.



(At Elmira’s house.)
Elmira: You should have called. I would have been happy to come in. I need to get out of the house more often.
Lily: We’ll call next time. What can you tell us about Annie?
Elmira: Wonderful woman. Great cook. When I first married we moved here. The Klepsers were moving in too. Postwar housing. We got together for bridge a lot. It’s a shame what happened. Always thought those neighbors were trouble.
Scotty: Well, it is possible now that it wasn’t the neighbors.
Elmira: Who else could it have been?
Lily: We’re looking at the family members and some other neighbors.
Elmira: Oh dear. This is bad. If we’re talking motives, either sister could have done it. Annie told me everything. About the will, the fights. And the stroke. That was a nightmare.
Lily: What stroke?
Elmira: The one Annie had a year earlier.
Scotty: There was nothing in the file about a stroke.
Elmira: It was solved so quickly, the medical records were probably never uncovered. In April of 2000, Annie had a mild stroke. I remember visiting her at the hospital. Her sister was there, Faye.

FLASHBACK TO 2001
(Annie is in her hospital bed recovering from her mild stroke. Faye is sitting there with Elmira. Gerri comes in.)
Gerri: I brought your knitting for you. And I think this is the book.
Annie: Thanks, Gerri. I really appreciate this. I hope they let me leave soon.
Faye: Don’t count on it. I worked as a nurse for 30 years, you’re going to be here a while. (Turns to Elmira.) She is ready to leave. Yeah right.
Annie: I guess you’re right. Has Wendy called.
Gerri: No. She’s busy having a life party as always. Never cares about anyone else.
Faye: How many messages were left on her machine.
Gerri: Fifteen.
Faye: Maybe she’s out of town.
Gerri: I called her cell phone ten times. She doesn’t care.
Elmira: She’ll call. Give it time.
Gerri: (Right in front of Annie.) Mom could be dead by then.
Faye: Gerri, calm down. Your mother doesn’t need this right now.
Gerri: I do everything around here while she lives the life of a princess.
Faye: I’ll buy you a tiara. Let’s go to the cafeteria.
Gerri: I don’t want to go. My mother has just had a stroke. What if she dies while I’m gone. I’ll never forgive myself.
Faye: I’ll forgive you is that not enough.
(Faye and Gerri leave the room. Elmira stays. Annie starts to cry.)
Annie: Why hasn’t she called?
Elmira: I don’t know. Some things are hard to explain.
Annie: What did we ever do to her to make her hate us so much?
Elmira: I can’t imagine. There are children who grow up never learning anything. Perhaps she was one of them.
Annie: I wish she were here. It’s his fault. The boyfriend. Ever since she was with him she has changed. He controls her.

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Lily: What do you mean, he controls her?
Elmira: Wendy was always a free spirit. After her father dies she met Pierre and the two hit it off immediately. Thing is, he calls her constantly. Wherever she goes, he goes. She was never like this before. Annie didn’t want him to come with her when she visited. She insisted and gave her an ultimatum: They both come or they don’t come at all.
Lily: And what did Annie say about that?
Elmira: When Annie puts her foot down, nothing on Earth is going to lift it. She stayed true to her words. Though her sister had a little to do with this fiasco.
Scotty: How so?
Elmira: Well, Faye is a bit outspoken. If you go talk to her you’ll learn that. She sort of instigated the conflict with the boyfriend. Not sure of all the details. But I’ve known Annie and Faye for years and have seen Faye stick her nose in where it doesn’t belong. There is something I want to mention. I know what they did to make Wendy hate them so much. Actually it’s what he did.
Scotty: Who?
Elmira: Annie’s husband. Do I have to spell it out for you.
Lily: What did he do?
Elmira: He had control over them. In later years, after Gerri went off to college, he sort of tried something once.
Lily: Did he succeed?
Elmira: Oh heavens no. She fought back and threatened if he ever did anything wrong to her again, she’d squeal. Now, Wendy was devastated but not a dummy. The woman is 47. This happened when she was 15. That was 1973. Gerri was already in college. She was already kind of popular. This incident was her meal ticket to do whatever she wanted and she cashed it in with interest. Over the years, when Annie’s husband was still alive, she pulled things that clearly would have had her disowned. He simply wasn’t one to put up with that. It stunned Gerri who had always done the right thing why he would allow. Gerri was caught making out with a boy in the garage and he went ballistic. I had to leave my house for a while it was so painful to hear. Wendy could do it and escape with minimal punishment. Oh, they put on a good show. But I knew. Over time, Wendy realized how immature she was and how she should have said something at the time. But it was too late and technically, nothing had happened. But just the mere mention of it by her would have ruined him.
Lily: Why would he try this on Wendy?
Elmira: Simple. He snored and Annie couldn’t sleep. They separated into different bedrooms. After that, you know what probably wasn’t happening and he is a man.

[r2k]

(At the station.)
Lily: Elmira was more helpful than everyone combined with the exception of Robert.
Scotty: Robert knows the more recent details, Elmira was able to fill us in on the priors. Get this, Annie’s late husband tried to put the moves on Wendy. She exploited the situation to his dying day.
Vera: Explains why she got most of the money. Even in death, he wanted to keep this quiet.
Lily: And Annie would never go against her husband’s wishes and change it.
Jeffries: You see that doesn’t make any sense. Women experience a sense of new found freedom after their husbands pass away. They grieve and miss but there is no sense of duty any more. Women of that time were like that. She could have changed that will on her own. Lily.
Lily: Why ask me?
Scotty: You’re the woman.
Lily: Well, I guess my husband’s wishes would be important. But there seemed to be a big display of inequality.
Stillman: Problem is Annie’s dead and we can’t talk to her about it.
Scotty: Elmira discussed that during the stroke Wendy never called. Maybe she was going to change her mind. Maybe she knew all along what was going on and this was the last straw.
Jeffries: That would definitely give motive to Wendy.
Lily: Wendy and Gerri. Both seem like good possibilities.
Scotty: On the other hand, nothing really happened according to Elmira. Maybe she was mistaken.
Lily: Robert might know. He and Wendy were close.

(Later at the station. Robert is talking to Lily.)
Robert: She always talked about how domineering he was. But she never mentioned anything about him putting the moves on her. I can’t believe it.
Lily: Elmira seemed to think that’s what happened.
Robert: She would know. When her husband was alive they’d sit on the back porch. It was screened in. After her husband died. She had nothing left to do but sit there and watch. I never knew him. He died young, after their children were born. Mom mentioned something about this. She said Wendy had mentioned it once when I was a boy. I remember this. It happened when Grandma had the stroke. Mom wanted to look good so she pulled out the artillery. She tried ruin Wendy once and for all. We never understand why my mom hated Wendy so much. From what I here it had been going on since the beginning.
Scotty: Really.
Robert: Mom once said how nice it was to be the only child and then Wendy came along. Mom said what a witch Wendy was. Grandma never painted that picture Wendy as a child. Something happened in that family at some point before I was born that nobody talks about.
Lily: What about Elmira? I hate to bring this up, but it seems like she was the only one who knew about this. Could she have killed your grandmother?
Robert: At this point anything is possible. I doubt it. She’s 80. What happened to Grandma took a lot of strength. Then again, Elmira has a lot of strength. She used to tell me stories about World War II when she was in hiding from the Nazis. She managed to escape to America but never heard from her family again.
Lily: When did she tell you those stories?
Robert: I would go over there once in a while. I liked to roam around as kid. There were times I had to escape the family get togethers. I was there a lot.
(Vera comes up to them.)
Vera: Robert, do you recognize this.
(Vera shows Robert a photo of Annie’s gold necklace with the red heart.)
Robert: Her heart necklace. She said Grandpa gave it to her on their 20th anniversary. It had diamonds and rubies on it. Why?
Vera: The neighbor, Karen Zybek was wearing it when Jeffries and I was talking with her yesterday. These were the pictures your grandma had taken of the jewelry for the insurance company.

(In the interrogation room. Karen is sitting there.)
Vera: Nice necklace there Karen. Do a little shopping at Annie’s jewelry store the night she was murdered.
Karen: I don’t know what you mean.
Vera: That necklace belonged to her. Bet you didn’t know that.
Karen: No, it’s mine.
Vera: You see this is what I think happened. You wanted that house for your friends. So you went over there to convince her. But things didn’t go good. You got her in the basement and killed her. On your way out you figured you deserved something. Since she almost always wears that necklace you knew about it. Took it along with some other jewelry before leaving. Of course, you realized now she was dead it would be hard to go visit friends in a house where you committed murder.
Karen: I didn’t kill anyone. I was never there that night. And this was a Mother’s Day gift. (Karen becomes silent.)
Jeffries: From who?
Karen: I’d rather not say.
Jeffries: Do we have to drag the whole family in?
Karen: He’s underage. You can’t. (Starts crying.) I should have known he didn’t pay for it. I was flattered he gave it to me.
Vera: Who?
Karen: My son.

(Later at the local high school where Karen’s son Chris attends. In a conference room, Vera and Jeffries confront Chris. Karen is present.)
Chris: What is this about?
Karen: My lovely gift. Where did you buy it?
Chris: It was three years ago. I can’t remember.
Karen: It was the only piece of jewelry you’ve ever given me. And you can’t remember. Well, you better.
Vera: We know where it came from, Chris. And that places you the house of a woman who was murdered.
Jeffries: An elderly woman. I don’t think prisoners take to kindly on those things either.
(Chris becomes agitated.)
Chris: Okay, we were there. But we didn’t kill her. Look, the guys dared me to do it. We saw her side door was still open so they dared to go in steal something. The laundry machine was on and I figured she was in the basement.

FLASHBACK TO 2001
“Smooth Criminal” by Jimmy Eat World plays in the background
(Chris sneaks up the driveway and peaks in. He seems the laundry in the basement has a light on. He assumes she’s down there and sneaks in. The laundry machine covers the sound and he proceeds into the kitchen and into the hallway. He finds the bedroom and spots some jewelry. He grabs a few items and the necklace. He runs to the side door and back across the street. His friends cheer him on. No real dialogue happens in this flashback.)

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Chris: I didn’t know she was dead. I thought she was doing her laundry. I heard the machines on. I went in and I went out. Oh, I should have noticed it.
Vera: Noticed what?
Chris: When I went in, I was quiet. But when I ran out she would have heard me. She never came up to the door.
Vera: She was already dead.
Chris: Look, my friends can testify to this. They dared me to do it. They didn’t dare me to kill her. We have it on film.
Karen: So let me get this straight. You gave me a necklace that belonged to a neighbor who just had her throat slit months earlier. I’m wearing something that belonged to a woman who was murdered just across the street. And you have it on film. Well, let’s exchange it. We’ll give back the necklace, but I have the videotape of you engaging in burglary. That’s the ultimate Mother’s Day. Tell her you love her with crime.
Chris: Please. You wanted her dead so you could have the house.
Karen: Shut up
Chris: Why should I be the suspect here? You wanted it for your friend but fell in love with it yourself.
Karen: Chris, you are in a lot of trouble.
Vera: Chris, why don’t you step out of the room. We’d like to talk to your mother some more.
(Chris gets to leave.)
Vera: (With his usual humorous tone.) Kids say the darndest things, don’t they?
Karen: Yes, they do.
Vera: You didn’t see that one coming, did you.
Karen: No.
Vera: So you wanted the house for yourself.
Karen: It was nice, but I didn’t kill her for it. Can you imagine what that would look like. Dead woman and we move in. People would thing and talk. Besides you have nothing on me.
Vera: Well, we have a little something on your son. Fortunately, he is still a minor. You’re free to go. But you don’t mind if we hold your son for a while.
Karen: No problem. If there is anything you can do to help him, I’d appreciate it. I’ve tried everything.
(Karen gets up to leave.)
Vera: Oh, we’d appreciate if you left the necklace behind.

[r2k]

(Later, the team confers.)
Lily: So Chris was in the house.
Vera: Yeah, we took him home and brought the video back. We’re holding him for a while until we finish. Scare him a bit.
Scotty: Maybe a tour of the facilities might do the trick.
Vera: I was thinking just that. Let’s see what’s going on.

TAPE
(The tape is being played. Chris is at his house in the driveway with his friends, Stan and Bud)
Chris: Okay, Stan, you are officially daring me to go into Mrs. Klepser’s house and steal something.
Stan: You got it bro. Steal something good.
Bud: On your mark, set, go
(Chris runs over. The camera sees him go into the house. The camera shows him going up to the kitchen and not to the basement where Annie was found. The camera spots him running through the living and into the bedroom. He actually turns the bedroom lights on. He runs out of the house and returns to the driveway.)
Stan: You got some jewelry man.
Chris: She was in the laundry room. Never knew a thing.
Bud: I don’t see her coming up.
Stan: I have another dare for you. I dare you to give one of these pieces of jewelry to your mother.
Chris: No, that’s stupid. She could get into trouble.
(Chris walks up to the camera and it turns off.)

Lily: Well, that supports his story. He didn’t kill her. There’s no way he could have done both in that short of time.
Scotty: Maybe we should talk to Faye about family matters.

(At Faye’s house.)
Faye: Annie was my big sister. Born 15 years earlier. We didn’t really have much of a relationship early on. We became friends when I had a family.
(Lily sees pictures of three boys.)
Lily: Are those your boys?
Faye: All three. Fine boys. Then they all married b------s.
Scotty: Say what?
Faye: My oldest married a witch. The middle child married a woman covered in tattoos. The youngest one married a girl from China who now controls him and teaches his kids to hate him. All three of those wives wish I was dead. I hate to disappoint them.
Lily: Did Annie mention anything about the neighbors, the Abdullah’s.
Faye: The terrorists. I knew it from the start. She was becoming a bit worried but I figured nothing would come of it. Who would kill an old lady? 9/11 changed that assumption, didn’t it. You think she might have figured it out?
Lily: We don’t know. We’ve been looking at the family.
Faye: Why?
Scotty: Robert seems to think the neighbors weren’t responsible. That it was someone closer.
Faye: Well, I hope you don’t think I did it. Faye is the only sibling left. Our two brothers were useless to the end. One died a slow horrible death and the other shot his wife and then himself. Our mother came over from Romania on a boat and made a new life for herself here. She was tough. The two of us cared for our mother until her dying day.
Lily: Really.
Faye: You bet. Visited her at the nursing home three times a month.
Scotty: Seems like you took care of her.
Faye: You Puerto Ricans know about family, don’t you.
(Scotty becomes agitated at the remark.)
Lily: (Desperately trying to change the subject) What did you think of Wendy’s boyfriend?
Faye: After her money. He is still married to another woman in France. Did you know that? I insisted she have him checked out. You know how Europeans are. I refuse to read books written by anyone from Europe. But Wendy does what she pleases. She lovely womans around a lot. Lived with a guy in the early ‘90s. Left him for no good reason. Married a guy briefly. Divorced him when she discovered the wedding ring was fake. Never learns. She is dead to me now. She never came to see her mother when she had her stroke. When she finally came, it was too late. For me at least.
Scotty: Still talk to your boys.
Faye: Their mine. She’s not. I don’t care about her. Of course I still talk to my boys.
Lily: Someone other than Wendy seemed to mention that her father tried to molest her.
Faye: Hogwash. That never happened. Impossible. It was the neighbors, pure and simple. Annie sensed they were up to no good and they must have found her out. It was nobody in the family. I remember the day they moved in.

FLASHBACK TO 1998
(Faye gets out of her car and sees them move in. The wife is covered. She sees Faye and quickly hurries inside. Ali sees her and moves inside. Faye walks up to the side door.)

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Fave: I’m telling you. There was something not quite right with those people. There never is.
Lily: Well, a lot of evidence and clues seem to point directly at this family.

[r2k]

(At the station. Vera and Jeffries are talking to Wendy.)
Vera: So Wendy, Daddy really liked you.
Wendy: So you know now. Big deal. Everyone kind of knew already.
Vera: So you managed to silence Daddy and milk him for quite a bit.
Wendy: I was 15. It was the ‘70s. I wanted to have fun. So did he. When he tried to with me I figured it was a way to get him off my back and have some more fun.
Vera: Thing is, we have a copy of the will.
Wendy: So.
Vera: There were some changes made to it, after your grandfather passed away.
Wendy: What do you mean?
Jeffries: You mean you don’t know.
Vera: Yeah, seems like you’re not getting as much as you thought. It’s being divided evenly among the five of you. So now, you are all getting $400,000. Just like you wanted. Is that what you wanted?
Wendy: Doesn’t matter. $400,000 is a lot of money.
Vera: Question is why did mother do that. We’re thinking maybe she found out about you and daddy and the little arrangement. Got appalled by it and threatened to change the will thing is, the will was changed two days before she was killed.
Wendy: So.
Jeffries: Maybe you thought the will hadn’t been changed and maybe she would change her mind. Killed her before she had a chance. One way or another, you end up with a good some of money.
Wendy: That never happened. We didn’t know anything about the will. Grandma felt it was none of our business. Unless you can prove I killed her that is just circumstantial evidence and will not hold up in court.

(Later)
Scotty: There’s someone whose medication I would love to mess up a bit.
Lily: Scotty. This is a side of you I’ve never seen.
Scotty: She bugged me back there.
Lily: I know. It doesn’t surprise me the offspring of both these women are all screwed up. What amazes me is how Robert and his siblings managed to break the cycle of insanity.
Scotty: And did you hear the remark about Europeans.
Lily: And just before that she mentions how her own mother came over from, EUROPE. Could the woman be more out of touch. Still, she did clues us in that Annie was indeed suspicious of the neighbors.
Scotty: Thing is, Arab families living here, especially among themselves, speak Arabic. Clearly, she didn’t know a word.
Lily: Knowing this family, there was some intolerance of all things Arabic. I imagine nobody was taking any classes on Arabic. Someone was clueing her in on it. But who?

(A young girl comes in about Robert’s age.)
Dana: Are you the detective working on Annie Klepser’s murder?
Lily: Yes.
Dana: I’m Dana Johnson. Robert’s girlfriend.
Lily: Nice to meet you.
Dana: I was wondering if I could talk to you?
(A few minutes later.)
Dana: Robert really loved his grandmother. He had a hard time dealing with death. I take comfort in knowing that when I go he’ll be so devastated he’ll never love any girl ever. He just gets overworked about things. Ever since she died he has felt something was missed.
Lily: He never bought the official explanation.
Dana: Never. He refused to buy into it. His family was a little mixed up. I mean I’m beginning to wonder if maybe he was right. Stranger things have happened. In that family, he was the middle child. Got lost in the shuffle. He always tries to make a place for himself. They kind of ignore. Not his grandmother. She loved him.
Lily: Do you know anything that might help us?
Dana: No. Nothing that really stands out. Robert never really talks to me about family. I guess I came over here because I wanted to be a part of it. His family kind of hates me.
Lily: Why’s that?
Dana: I don’t know. They hate his brother’s girlfriend too.
(Stillman enters.)
Stillman: I checked with the FBI on people detained in connection with 9/11. We may have someone who knows something.
Scotty: Who?
Stillman: An American turned Al Quaeda. And he speaks Arabic. You and Lily head to Washington. He’s there for the trial. The American knows something.
Lily: (Turns to Dana.) I’ve got to go. I appreciate you coming in. And, you know Robert is lucky to have someone like you. Don’t lose him either. You’re lucky to have him. Oh, and I’d appreciate it you don’t mention this yet. When we learn something we’ll tell you all.

(In Washington, an American man is sitting in a visitor’s room. Lily and Scotty enter.)
Lily: Jason Weller. Detective Rush. This is my partner, Detective Valens.
Jason: They said you want to talk to me.
Lily: We want to talk about 9/11.
Jason: I’ve been advised by my lawyer not to discuss things pertaining to my trial.
Lily: We’ll leave those details out. You were from Philly originally?
Jason: Yes.
Scotty: And you were here right about that time?
Jason: I can’t answer that question.
Lily: Listen, Jason. We need answers in a small murder case. We understand you face the death penalty if convicted.
Jason: Yes.
Lily: How does that make you feel?
Jason: For years I was willing to die. I joined them in 1999, when I was 18. I was recruited on a college campus.
Scotty: Money well spent.
Jason: Since they brought me back, my parents have come to visit me once. That hurts. I’m supposed to hate them and yet I can’t. I’m afraid to die. But that’s what they want. I was a part of it.
Lily: We’ve worked out a deal. If you haven’t directly killed anyone it will be good.
Jason: I never did. They needed me to help plan the movement of families in and out of the country. I was responsible for moving the family that lived next door to the woman. I remember them mentioning that they took care of her. They used her name. After the 9/11 attacks, her death was reported as small news.
Scotty: How’d you feel about that?
Jason: Terrible. I kept thinking that could have been my grandmother. They make you break all ties when you join them. But you can’t break them permanently. You can’t. Can you spare my life?
Lily: You already have. Who was directly responsible?
Jason: Ali Abdullah, the father had his son, Habib, go in and do it. It was a quick job. Quiet. Nobody knew. They were originally looking for someone else. When they couldn’t find that person, they checked out Annie. Figured she might know. She didn’t.
Scotty: Were they still living at the house?
Jason: Quietly. They stayed in the basement. At that point, up until a week before 9/11, they merely used the basement as a meeting point. No cooking, running water. They even used a generator. They left no evidence they were still in the house. You see, they wanted to confuse authorities. When the feds went in, they assumed the -----s were gone a while. The idea was to get them to not rush as much.
Lily: So when did they really leave.
Jason: The night before. We had a safe house near campus where the family was held. Then, we smuggled them up to Canada. After that, I went to the Middle East.
Scotty: Where you were arrested?
Lily: The father. Was he on one of the planes?
Jason: The one that hit the first tower. I just realized I’ve been talking to you. You fooled me. You’re good. For a woman.
Lily: You have no idea.
Jason: You think you could like someone like me? Without the circumstances.
Lily: Maybe. Without covering the face.
Jason: That’s the one problem I had with being part of Islam. Women deserve more respect.
(Jason winks at her nicely. Lily and Scotty leave.)

[r2k]

(Back in Philly. Lily and Scotty arrive at Annie’s house. Robert is there, looking around.)
Robert: Detective. I came looking for you the other day.
Lily: We were in Washington. We talked with someone who knows something.
Robert: Really. Who did it?
Lily: Let’s go inside.
(Inside.)
Lily: Robert. You really loved your grandmother. And on the surface you think her death might have been more than it was. But it wasn’t. It was the neighbors.
Robert: No. That’s impossible. They were gone. They moved.
Lily: No, they didn’t. They wanted everyone to think they did. We spoke to the American they captured. You know the one who converted here and was found there. He was here, next door.
Robert: I don’t understand.
Lily: Look. You’ve been living with an extremely unusual and sometimes volatile family that works like an active volcano. I know the feeling. I can relate. Your grandmother was murdered because she was probably on to them. And she was ready to do something about it. We’ll never know all the details. The motive was simple. But we couldn’t catch the killer because he had left the country. The whole family had except the father, who died in one of the planes. His son was the one who killed her.
Robert: I don’t believe it.
Lily: You didn’t want to believe it then. You were always suspicious of your family. You never fully trusted them. That’s why you went over to Elmira’s all the time. She was sane. She gave you the attention you needed. When your grandmother died you probably wanted to believe anything to keep her alive. To prevent the closure because then you would have to face that her death was senseless. You imagined numerous possibilities in your mind and that’s okay. Nobody’s blaming you for this. And you coming forward was still a good thing because we definitely know now that it was the truth. It’s always important to know the truth about anything.
Robert: (Starts crying.) I miss her. Deep down, I was annoyed at having to come over and do all this work for her. I was her beck and call. I just did it because she really needed someone to visit her. When she was murdered I felt so guilty for it.
Lily: So this was your way of apologizing for it.
Robert: And doing that one last favor without complaining about it.
Scotty: Look, we know who did it. In time he’ll get his just deserts. He’ll grow up to be a part of this. And we have a chance at catching him.
Robert: But for now he gets away with it. And we still don’t know what all happened.
Scotty: Is it really that important to know how?
Elmira: Yes, it is. (Elmira has been standing at the entrance of the living room.)
Lily: But we’ll never know.
Elmira: You will indeed know. I know what happened that night. I was here. This was all my fault.
Scotty: How was this your fault?
Lily: (Looks at Elmira.) You were Jewish. You knew what they were saying, didn’t you.
Elmira: I took many trips to Israel over the years. I speak fluent Arabic. I was on to them long before Annie was. Annie was always suspicious of people, but she made sure to keep out of other people’s business outside her family.

FLASHBACK TO 2001.
(Elmira is in the backyard with Annie.)
Elmira: You’re garden is so lovely. How do you do it?
Annie: I have my grandson to help me.
Elmira: Fine boy. He turned out fine.
Annie: We were worried for a few years there. Everything worked out for him. Oh, my buzzer in the kitchen is ringing. My cake is ready.
(Annie goes inside while Elmira stays out in the backyard. Next door, Mr. Abdullah and and friend are talking.)
Ali Abdullah: We leave in one week. We will fool these neighbors into thinking we have moved tomorrow. We stay here and make the final plans. I head to my destination tonight. You move my family out in one week.
Jason: You sure no one will know what is going on?
Ali Abdullah : My son will take care of any problems that may arise.
(They both notice Elmira is watching them. They turn around and go inside.)

RETURN TO THE PRESENT
Elmira: I was terrified.
Lily: Why didn’t you go to the police?
Elmira: I didn’t know what they were talking about at first. You have no idea what living in terror is like. I fled the Nazis in Europe but not too soon to know what was going on. I put that life behind me and when I overheard that conversation I had no idea what was going to happen. It was hard to deal with. You spend over fifty years trying to forget one nightmare and then find yourself on the brink of another. I tried to deny it. I realized what I needed to do but I couldn’t do it alone. I went over to Annie’s. She was in the basement. I knocked and she let me in. Before I continue I want you to know what it was like for an old woman to see what she saw. We thought they moved and I knew afterwards they were still there. All through the night. I was never sure when they left. Nobody saw it. The terrorist attacks occurred and I realized that I could have stopped it. I could have done more. Back in the ‘30s we kept quiet and the Nazis just moved in on us. I felt so guilty then and now for the thousands that died in New York.
Scotty: Let’s face it Elmira. Looking back on it, the father was gone. They would have denied everything had you called the police. The police and the feds would have had nothing.
Lily: This was an enemy we knew nothing about.
Elmira: She was my best friend and I had to watch them kill her. I was hiding when it happened.
Lily: (Realizing something.) But you did try to do something. It was you who called 911, after she was killed?
Elmira: Yes. I should have pushed. Called again. Anything.

[r2k]

FLASHBACK TO 2001
(Elmira knocks on the side door.)
Annie: Coming, coming. Elmira. Come on in. I’m doing my laundry. We can play cards when I finish putting these loads in. I’m not so tired tonight.
Elmira: Good. I need to talk to you. Something is going on next door and I don’t like it.
Annie: I know. The little girl had a birthday party. I know it was a bit loud. Don’t panic.
Elmira: Not those neighbors, the other ones.
Annie: I haven’t seen them. I think they moved. What’s going on?
Elmira: They’re planning something. I snuck out the front door and drove off so they would know I was over here. My car is parked by the park. I heard them. There is something going on and something bad is going to happen.
Annie: No Elmira. They’ve been a little strange. And their disappearance is puzzling, but don’t buy into it.
Elmira: I know it. Something is going on. I parked the car in the park because they’re on to me. I understand Arabic, they’re up to something. And they haven’t moved. They’re still here. I saw them there tonight. They keep the lights off now.
(The door knocks.)
Annie: I’ll be right back.
Elmira: No, don’t go. It could be them.
Annie: Elmira. It’s probably the other neighbors dropping off some cake. They usually do on birthdays.
(Annie goes up stairs. Elmira peeks from downstairs. Habib pushes his way.
Habib: In the basement.
Annie: What is this?
Habib: In the basement or I will kill you.
(Elmira quietly rushes over to a closet in the basement and hides with part of it opened. Habib pushes Annie back in the large room in the basement.)
Habib: Where is your friend?
Annie: Which friend? I have lots of friends.
Habib: I’m not kidding. The friend who lives behind you.
Annie: I don’t know where she is. I’m her friend not her mother.
Habib: Watch it woman. I will slit your throat right now. Where is she?
Annie: I don’t know where she is. You’re going to have to kill me.
Habib: Your friend should have minded her own business because she just got you killed. Lots of friends you say. Then your funeral will not be empty. You are the enemy and the enemy must be destroyed. Tomorrow will be a proud moment for us. The world has no idea what is coming but your friend suspects something.
Annie: What could you possibly do?
Habib: How about take down your precious twin towers and white house. And the Pentagon.
Annie: How do you intend to do that?
Habib: With your help. Your airplanes will make good weapons. My father will be on one. He will be rewarded for his work on Earth. And now you know too much. You will die too.
(Habib moves toward Annie. Annie moves backward but away from the closet Elmira is hiding in.)
Annie: No, please don’t kill me.
Habib: You are woman. You are property. And sometimes property can be a burden and must be gotten rid of.
(Habib grabs and moves behind her. He slits her throat. The basement is too dark to see the blood. She falls to the ground and dies. Habib walks out. Elmira comes out and walks over to her friend.
Elmira: Annie forgive me. I’m afraid. I can’t do this without you. I never should have involved you in this.
(She runs out and goes to the park. She spots a phone booth and goes to her car. She finds a quarter and goes to the booth to call 911.)
911: 911.
Elmira: I want to warn you of a terrorist attack.
Police: Is this some kind of joke.
Elmira: No, someone has already died and many more will die if you don’t stop it.
911: Listen lady, get a cat. We don’t have time to hear conspiracy theories from old ladies who want attention. (Click)
Elmira: But it’s true. It’s true. Don’t hang up. They’re coming. They’re coming.
(She hangs up. She slowly walks away to her car crying.)

Crawling in the Dark by Hoobastank plays in the background
Elmira comforts Robert as he begins to cry. Krista comes in a joins in on the hug.
The rest of the family is now there as Elmira tells them what happened.
Krista and Robert talk about things.
At the police station, Chris is being given a tour of the facilities. He realizes now what a big mistake he made.
At Washington, Jason is in the courtroom as his trial begins.
The box is being placed back in its spot in the CC room.
Back at Annie’s house, the house has been sold. Robert is there, getting the lawnmower out of the garage. Lily comes up to him and gives him the necklace that belonged to Annie. Dana comes out the side door and Robert lets her have it. She puts it on. Lily walks away to her car. Robert looks into the backyard and sees his grandmother digging in her garden. She turns around and waves to him with a smile. He smiles and continues his work with Dana there. Grandmother’s image fades.


Next Episode: The Playground

A third grade teacher, Alex Kindor, disappears during a field trip in New York City. Rush and Valens are called in when a childhood friend of the missing teacher calls. She claims Alex called her and has seen the man responsible for open firing on them in 1989 during recess and that justice will finally be served. A man in a car open fired on a playground full of children and drove off. 13 children and 1 teacher were killed. 6 more injured and 1 is bound in a wheel chair. Rush is in a race against the clock as time slowly begins to run out. She must find the shooter before Alex does. But she discovers the true motive behind the original killing and discovers a shocking secret: The teacher may be the one in danger and nothing is what it seems. She is also not the only one on the case. Rush and Valens team up with the cast of “Without a Trace” to help them find the missing teacher and solve a cold case at the same time.

[Tati]

Another amazing fic R2K! You write the best CC fics. I love all your fics but I think this one is my favorite. I had the most unexpected ending.

I'm really looking forward to your next fic. I love Without a Trace too, and the fic should be really interesting.

[r2k]

Hey Tati, I'm glad you found this one your favorite. This time, the characters were based on members of family. Annie was based on my grandmother. She's still alive and will outlive us. I obviously changed some things to create a story but a lot of family came through in this one. I do not have a sister, though. Krista was entirely made up. I pretty much have the idea for the next one but will have to wait to do it. I have a lot of work to do seeing I have a full time job and life to balance. Teaching takes a lot of effort. Later.