4.18--A Dollar, A Dream--Available!

[cellogal]

September 13, 1999

As Sheryl Crow’s “Home“ plays, a mother drives her two daughters in their station wagon. The younger one’s sticking her hand out the window and looking carefree, but the older one, as teenage girls are wont to do, is sitting in the back listening to her headphones and sulking. They’re driving through a fairly nice neighborhood, and the younger girl, Abby, points out one house that’s for sale and tells her mother that she likes it. Mom agrees that it’s beautiful, and Abby says that it looks like their old house. The older girl, Natalie, just wants to get out of there, but Abby, undeterred, says that if they bought that one, they’d have a pool, and she could have a pool party for her birthday. Natalie bitterly reminds Abby that her birthday’s in November, and I instantly feel the pain. As a November baby myself, I never had a pool party. The undaunted Abby says she’ll just have a regular birthday party then, with a vanilla cake. Natalie tells her not to hold her breath, but Mom says that November’s still two months away, and a lot can happen in two months. Mom then reminds her daughters that they’re the Bradford girls, and they celebrate birthdays in style; this year won’t be any different.

Mom pulls the car into a parking lot, and Abby asks if that’s their stop. It is, for tonight. Oh, snap…they’re living in their car? It appears so, as the girls fold down the backseats and cover up with blankets. As Mom tucks Abby in, Abby asks if they’re really going to get a house like the one back there. Mom reassures her that they are; they can have any house they want one day. Abby, satisfied, kisses her doll good night and prepares to go to sleep, but Natalie’s just lying there sullenly. Mom doesn’t say anything, just turns around, pulls a blanket around herself, and stares out the window.

Some time later, the car is submerged underwater, and Mom’s body is still in the front seat. Her file is placed in a missing persons folder at PPD.

Present Day

The car has resurfaced, and Scotty explains to Lilly that an environmental group found it testing the bottom of the lake. “For what?” Lilly asks. “That…stuff…they test for,” Scotty replies. Hee. Stillman says it looks like the car was submerged for years, and Lilly spies bones and adds that it wasn’t the only thing submerged. Stillman identifies the victim as 35-year-old Marlene Bradford; they IDed her through the car’s VIN, and are confirming with dental records, he says, then adds that she was reported missing 8 years ago. Lilly spies the hangers, TV, and hotplate and guesses that she was moving. “Or living in her car,” Scotty theorizes. Stillman says that this area was popular with the homeless, and Lilly, seeing the doll, thinks it might have been a whole family. Scotty asks what killed Marlene, and Stillman hands him a bullet from a small-caliber weapon, which Scotty says could be from a .38, and that explains Marlene. “So where’s the rest of the family?” Lilly asks.

Credits

Squad room. Stillman reads that Marlene Bradford was a mother of two and reported missing November 17, 1999, and her daughters, 9-year-old Abby and 14-year-old Natalie, were the last to see. Kat reads that the girls told the cops that Marlene dropped them off at school and never came back. Stillman says that the girls went into the system, and they’re locating them, and Kat continues reading, saying Marlene worked at Al’s Village Market. “Yet she was still livin’ in her car,” Vera muses. “You try gettin’ by on six bucks an hour with two kids,” Kat retorts. Stillman says the bullet’s with Ballistics, then muses that a car doesn’t take a dive without making a splash, and Vera thinks perhaps one of the bums in the park saw something. Kat points out that transients disappear, but Stillman says they’ll do a canvas, and perhaps get lucky. I bet they will. Jeffries comes in then, and Stillman asks for a word in his office.

Stillman’s office. He’s instantly pulling out the Wrath of Stillman, accusing Jeffries of going behind his back and getting the information on the New Jersey trucker. Jeffries says it’s a free country, but Stillman orders him to back off. Jeffries retorts that Isaac took his wife, and Stillman has no business telling him what to do. Stillman agrees that the guy’s got it coming, but says if Jeffries does this, he’s lost. Jeffries is silent for a moment, then tells Stillman that Mary was going to their usual club, Dink’s, the night she died. He says he was going to meet her there if he got off in time, and if he’d been there, she wouldn’t have been left dying on the side of that road. Stillman quietly tells Jeffries that it wasn’t his fault, but Jeffries insists Isaac has to pay for what he did. Stillman reassures Jeffries that he will, and urges him to let Jersey bring him in. “What I do with this is my business,” Jeffries replies, then leaves. Wow.

Lake. Abby stands staring into the water, and when Scotty and Lilly approach, she tearfully asks them who would have shot her mom. Scotty asks Abby if her mom had any enemies; Abby says that Marlene was a PTA mom, so no way. Lilly points out that they’d been living on the streets, and Abby concedes that, but says it wasn’t always like that. They used to have a nice house with a yard, but then their dad got cancer and everything changed; the doctor bills wiped them out, and they lost everything. (This case just registered a 5 on the Depressing Scale, for those of you keeping score at home). Scotty asks if Marlene had any run-ins on the street, and Abby says she doesn’t remember a lot about that time: just her mom always being there. Scotty theorizes that Abby may have been too young, and thinks maybe Natalie will know more, but Abby says she and Natalie got separated in foster care. Abby says she was lucky; she found a good home right away, and Lilly surmises that Natalie didn’t. Abby says that since Natalie was older, no one wanted her for long, and the girls drifted apart. Natalie changed, she says; she believed Marlene left them, but Abby knew better. “It was my tenth birthday,” she says. “I knew she wouldn’t leave us.” Abby asks if someone’s going to talk to Natalie, and when Lilly reassures her, she asks them to tell Natalie she misses her. Lilly agrees with a wistful smile.

Squad room. Natalie finally takes off her headphones and says she doesn’t have a mother; Marlene jumped ship way back. Jeffries says that they found her this morning, at the bottom of Fairmount Lake, and Kat adds that she’d been shot. Natalie says Marlene probably did it to herself; she was weak and helpless, and didn’t know how to deal with life. Jeffries, with a touch of extra meaning, says that it’s tough losing a spouse, but Natalie says that’s no excuse for being clueless, pointing out that Marlene didn’t even know how to balance a checkbook. Kat quietly says that it sounds like Marlene got overwhelmed. “And that’s my problem how?” Natalie asks. Wow. I’d really like to smack her, but she’s had it rough, so I’ll refrain. Jeffries asks if anyone had it out for Marlene, and Natalie points to the various bums, derelicts, and drug addicts who populated their new world. Kat, losing patience, tells Natalie to be specific, and Natalie drops the act somewhat and says that the first night after they lost the house, they wound up at a shelter in the city.

Shelter. As Colleen Grace’s “Baby Jane” plays, Marlene and the girls walk in, and Abby asks if this is where they’ll live now. Marlene reassures her that it’s only for tonight, until she figures things out. Natalie asks which bed’s theirs, and Marlene says it’s Number 22. They get there, only to find that it’s already been claimed by a tough-looking young woman in a bandanna who asks them what they’re looking at. Marlene tells her politely that there must have been a mix-up, and Bandanna Girl retorts that there’s no mix-up: this is the last bed, and they’re not taking it from her. Marlene insists that they were guaranteed this bed, and Bandanna Girl gets up and challenges them to take it, then looks at Natalie and says that “Barbie here” will be turning tricks in no time. Marlene orders her not to talk to Natalie like that, and Bandanna Girl asks Marlene what she’s gonna do about it. Finally, a staff member comes in and asks what’s going on, and Marlene explains that they were promised this bed. The staff member reminds Bandanna Girl of the rules, and Bandanna Girl replies by telling the staff member to tell the Bradfords to go sleep in their car. Staff Member says that mothers with children get the last bed, and Bandanna Girl grabs her stuff and storms out, warning Marlene that if she ever sees her again, she’ll kick her ass.

Natalie says they only stayed that one night, and that they were safer in the car. Kat asks if Bandanna Girl, whose name, we learn, is Vita, ever ran into Marlene again, and Natalie, apparently finished being helpful, says that she told them what happened. “Your mom shot herself,” Jeffries replies, and Natalie nods. Jeffries adds that Abby doesn’t think so. Natalie insists that Abby’s young, but Kat tells her that Abby wants to see her. Natalie protests that Abby’s with a good family and doesn’t need her. Jeffries argues that they won’t replace Natalie, and she replies that maybe it isn’t so bad if they did. Ouch.

The amusingly-named BlueMart, where Vita’s taking a smoke break. She admits to mad-dogging Marlene, but doesn’t see why that matters. Lilly and Scotty point out that it was more like threatening, and then Marlene ended up dead. Vita protests that those were just words; she barely even remembers Marlene. Scotty suggests she might remember better downtown, but Vita says she can’t skip out on her shift; she’s barely a paycheck away from being back out on the streets as it is. Lilly orders her to answer the question, and Scotty asks her if she ever ran into Marlene again. Vita finally admits that she saw her again on her way to work. She thought Marlene was a little b*tch, but then says she had more heart than she thought.

Parking lot, where we hear Dido’s “Here With Me.” Vita sees Marlene saying good night to the girls, who can’t believe she’s leaving them out there. Marlene explains that she has to work the night shift, but she’ll be right there, and can see them through the window. She reminds them that they’re the Bradford girls, and they stay together. Natalie complains that she’s sick of going to school in clothes she slept in; it’s gross, she says. Marlene reassures her that at the end of the month, they’ll have a place of their own, and all this will be a distant memory. “That’s what you said last month,” Natalie retorts, but Marlene assures her that this time, it’s really gonna happen, then tells the girls to stay under the covers and no one will even know they’re there. She starts to head in to work, but is met on the way by her boss, Mr. Patel, who angrily orders her to move the car; the parking lot is for customers only, and employee parking is in the back. She protests that she can’t leave her kids, and he tells her to take the kids home to the sitter. Marlene protests that she can’t afford a sitter, but he says that if she doesn’t like the rules, she should get another job. Marlene says she needs this job, and Mr. Patel replies that rules are rules and orders her again to move the car. She fires back a threat to call INS and tell them about the illegals he has cleaning the store at night. “Rules are rules,” she says quietly, and adds that she’s not moving her car. Mr. Patel says that if she crosses him, she’ll regret it. He then turns around and heads into the store, and after a moment, she follows.

Vita says she could have told Marlene not to mess with management, then excuses herself to get back to her job smilingly welcoming customers to BlueMart. Meanwhile, Scotty’s gotten a call from Ballistics, saying the weapon was a .38 Colt revolver. “And guess who owns one?” he asks. “Marlene’s boss.” Well, then.

Stillman’s office. Vera and Kat point out that Mr. Patel lost his store for hiring illegals, and he complains bitterly that it’s a common practice: big stores pay a fine, but he’s ruined. They theorize that his ruination and resulting “clown suit” are Marlene’s doing, but he insists she was a good employee. They’re not buying this, pointing out that it was his gun who killed her, and Vera sees a new uniform in his future: a bright orange jumpsuit. Mr. Patel insists he bought the gun for the store, and Kat accuses him of killing her with it. He protests that he gave it to her; they don’t believe him, but he swears it was for her own protection.

Back room of the store, where we hear Cowboy Junkies’ “Those Final Feet.” Mr. Patel walks in on Marlene, who’s clearly been bathing herself and the girls in the sink. She’s still working on Abby, who complains that the water’s cold, then asks why she can’t get an office job like the one who's name we shall not say’s mom. “’Cause Mom can’t find her way out of a paper bag,” Natalie brats. Marlene says there aren’t a lot of job openings for housewives with one year of college. Mr. Patel asks what’s going on, and she apologizes. He glares at her for a minute, then goes back out into the store. Marlene follows and says that the girls needed a place to wash up before school, and he finally puts two and two together and realizes that they’re homeless. He asks if there’s no one for them to stay with, and she shakes her head, saying she just needs a little more time to scrape up first and last month’s rent, and then they’ll find a place. He says they can use the facilities anytime they want, but the parking is still a problem: if the customers can’t find a place to park, they go to another store, and he’s out of business. I might point out that, if the customers can’t find parking, it’s because the store is too busy, in which case that’s not an issue anymore, but I won’t. Marlene says she doesn’t know anyplace safe to leave the girls, and a guy in a fedora pipes up that he knows a place: Fairmount Park, near the Sweetbriar Cutoff. He says it’s not the Ritz, but they won’t be there long, anyway; she’s onto sunnier shores soon. “You’re one of the lucky ones,” he says. Marlene thanks him, and he buys a lottery ticket and walks out. After he leaves, Mr. Patel reaches behind the counter, takes out the gun, and gives it to Marlene to protect herself. She says she can’t take that, but he tells her she has to, urging her to think about the girls, then says that everyone needs a helping hand. She finally takes the gun.

“Land of plenty,” Mr. Patel laments, “not for people like Marlene.” Kat asks who the homeless dude was, and Mr. Patel says his name was Hopper; he came in every day for a lottery ticket. Vera confirms the location in the park, then reminds Kat, and us, that that’s where Marlene’s body was found.

[cellogal]

Fairmount Park. Lilly and Scotty report that, not surprisingly, the canvas has struck out; Scotty’s not surprised that someone wouldn’t stick around for eight years. Lilly says she thought Jeffries was coming, and Scotty tells her he had something to do. “Like what?” she asks, but Scotty says he wouldn’t say. They then, conveniently enough, happen upon Hopper, who’s scratching off his daily lottery ticket. Lilly introduces them, then shows her a picture of Marlene and asks him if he remembers her. He shakes his head and says she didn’t deserve this, proclaiming her one in a million, with the nicest kids. Scotty reminds Hopper that he directed Marlene to that spot, and Hopper says he thought they’d be celebrating their move to sunnier shores together. Scotty trenchantly observes that Marlene’s not the only one who didn’t make it, and Hopper brushes it off as a run of bad luck that put him behind schedule, but points out that he’s still here. “There’s a change around the corner, y’know,” he says. Lilly asks Hopper if he knows anything about Marlene’s disappearance, and he says that Marlene wasn’t meant for the streets, but the last time he saw her, it was only getting worse.

Fairmount Park, where we hear “Something That You Do” by Emma Burgess. Marlene’s huddled around the fire when Natalie comes up. Marlene scolds her for leaving Abby in the car alone; Natalie protests that she had to use the bathroom, and is incredulous that she can’t even take a pee without Abby. “Besides, she’s sound asleep,” she adds, then walks off. Hopper laughs and says Natalie’s just being a teenager; she’s better than most of them around here, he says. Marlene surmises that Hopper knows everyone there, and he says that after a few years, it gets easy. “Years,” Marlene says in shock, but Hopper reassures her that that won’t be her. Marlene laments that tomorrow is Abby’s birthday, and she can’t even get her a cake. Hopper hands her a lottery ticket and proclaims it a hope ticket, saying it lets her dream about what she’d do with the million dollar jackpot. He then gives her the catch: if she wins, she has to share the wealth 50/50. Marlene asks Hopper what he’d do with half a million dollars, and he says he’d get his family back. The money would enable him to provide for his son and his son’s mother like he should, then pulls out a picture that was obviously taken many years ago. Marlene asks Hopper how old he was in the picture, but Hopper’s not paying attention. He says his son’s got his eye on this special glove, and Marlene tearfully tells him that he’ll get it. A panic-stricken Natalie runs up then and says that the car, containing Abby, has disappeared, and they run off frantically.

Hopper guesses Marlene wasn’t so lucky after all. Scotty realizes that this happened the night before the murder, and Lilly asks what Marlene did. Hopper merely says she panicked.

Alley behind the diner. I have already got a seriously not-good feeling about this. It’s pouring rain, and Isaac’s taking out the trash when Jeffries approaches. Isaac is startled, and tells Jeffries he scared the crap out of him. In response to Jeffries’ murderous glare, Isaac explains that he’s just closing up, and asks Jeffries if he needs something. “Winter of ’95 was really somethin’,” Jeffries replies. Uh-oh. Isaac agrees, and Jeffries answers that he can’t get it out of his mind. Isaac, growing uncomfortable, says he should finish closing. Jeffries informs Isaac that his wife was killed that night by a hit-and-run trucker. “But you know that, don’t you?” he asks. UH-oh. Over Isaac’s pleas to stop, Jeffries continues, saying that his wife didn’t die right away; it took a while. Isaac asks Jeffries what he wants, money? “What do you think you can possibly give me?” Jeffries asks, and the camera pans down to…oh, snap…is that a GUN? He goes on to accuse Isaac of leaving her there to die; Isaac protests that it was an accident. Jeffries then pulls the gun and orders Isaac to close his eyes. Holy crap. Isaac drops to his knees and begs for his life, but Jeffries just repeats the order, holding the gun on Isaac and glaring at him menacingly.

Street. What? We’re going back to the case? What case? WHAT HAPPENED WITH JEFFRIES? Okay, I’m better now. Scotty is informing Lilly that Abby was never reported abducted, and Kat says the car wasn’t even reported stolen. Lilly says this doesn’t make sense, since losing a kid is a parent’s worst nightmare. Kat agrees, saying you’d do almost anything to get them back. “So why not file a report?” Lilly asks. Scotty thinks maybe Marlene knew who took Abby; Kat guesses Marlene was afraid to talk to the cops. Scotty asks what Abby was doing alone in the car in the first place, and they all agree that a single mother living on the streets could lose both girls to the state. Lilly thinks that Marlene would take a chance, but Scotty has a different idea: what if the car got towed? I think he’s onto something there.

Towing company. Vera shows Tony the Towing Guy Marlene’s picture and asks if he remembers her; he doesn’t, asking him and Scotty if they know how many cars he tows. “Her car had a kid in it,” Scotty points out. “That ring any bells?” Heh. They go on to say that Marlene had over $200 in fines, she didn’t have that kind of dough, but somehow, she got her wheels back. Vera tells Tony conspiratorially that he’s waived a few tickets in his day. “And they weren’t nearly as hot as Marlene,” Scotty adds. Hee. It’s nice to laugh. I haven’t laughed much in this episode. Scotty reminds Vera of The Gray Camaro, who Vera says with a grin “stripped a few gears,” and Tony bets they get over a lot. They shrug and grin in a pathetic attempt at modesty, then say that the job doesn’t pay enough, and they have to make it up somehow. Funny, but…boy, am I glad they’re lying. Tony agrees, and Vera asks if he cut Marlene a deal. He finally admits it, saying nothing comes for free. Annnnd back to depressing.

Impound lot. As the one who's name we shall not say McLachlan’s “Witness” plays, Marlene finally finds the car, still containing Abby, and tearfully apologizes, promising she’ll never leave her like that again. Abby says she knew Marlene would come get her, since tomorrow’s her birthday. Tony comes out with the ticket as Natalie points out that they’re lucky Abby’s alive to see her birthday. Marlene’s fully aware of this, and tells the girls to go inside where it’s warm while she talks to Tony. He tells her it’ll be $279, and she looks helpless for a minute, then says she gets paid tomorrow. He tells her to save it; if she wants her ride tonight, she has to pay for it tonight. Marlene protests that if she doesn’t get her car tonight, her kids don’t have anywhere to sleep, but he says that’s not his problem. She then thinks of the gun and offers him that as payment; he’s intrigued enough for her to show it to him, but when she digs around in the glove box, she discovers that it’s missing and accuses Tony of stealing it. He’s not impressed, just asks her if she wants her ride or not. She’s desperate, and he finally tells her that there are other ways to settle her tab. The girls, watching all this from the window, spring into action as Natalie runs out and asks what’s taking so long. Go, girls. Marlene quietly tells them to go back inside, which they mercifully do, and, even more mercifully, the flashback ends here, rocketing the reading on the Depressing Scale up to a 7.

Tony has this disgusting leer on his face, and Scotty responds with a grin, then suddenly boots the chair, knocking Tony to the floor, then drags him up and slams him against the wall. Oh, Scotty…have I told you lately that I love you? Scotty pointedly reminds Tony that Marlene’s kids were in the next room, then accuses him of taking the gun. “It didn’t just walk away, dirtbag,” Vera adds. Oh, Vera…I love you, too. Tony insists that it was that girl…the one in the car. He saw her take something out of the glove box that night. “Abby took the gun?” Scotty asks in disbelief. My sentiments exactly.

Interview room. Lilly tells Abby that it’s time to stop pretending that she doesn’t remember. Abby insists she’s not pretending, but Lilly says there are certain things you don’t forget. “Like being in a car that’s getting towed,” Kat contributes. “And taking the gun that killed your mom,” Lilly adds. Abby says she got scared when she saw the tow truck driver and grabbed the gun. Kat asks what happened after, and when Abby doesn’t reply, they theorize that maybe the gun went off accidentally. Kat guesses then that Abby got tired of living on her mother’s empty promises. Abby insists that they weren’t empty, but Lilly reminds her that they were living in a car. Abby says that Marlene did her best, and everything she did was for them, but Natalie didn’t see it.

Car, where we hear Fisher’s “Breakable.” The girls are doing homework while Marlene collects cans. Abby, bored, shows Natalie the gun, urging her not to tell Marlene, but Natalie freaks out and asks Abby what she’s doing with the gun. They argue, Abby insisting that the gun was in the glove box, and Natalie yelling that the gun’s not a toy. They quiet down when Marlene gets in the car saying that they hit the jackpot tonight: there must be 50 cans in there. Abby asks how much they’ll get for them, and Marlene says they’ll get a lot, then promises to use the money to do something special for Abby’s birthday. “Like what?” Natalie asks. “Some cake you got out of the garbage?” Marlene pleads with Natalie to stop, but Natalie’s clearly at the end of her rope. She asks Marlene how she got the car back; Marlene lies and says she sold the gun. Natalie doesn’t say anything, just pulls the gun out of the glove box. Busted. She then tells Marlene that she knows what she did, and Marlene promises to get them out of this. “How?” Natalie asks. “Showing us houses we’re never gonna live in?” She then says they’re better off without Marlene and her stupid fantasy world. Abby urges her to stop, but Natalie continues, saying Marlene is disgusting, and she hates her. Marlene insists that Natalie doesn’t mean that, but I think in that moment, she does. Poor girls. Natalie then goes one step too far, saying she wishes it was Marlene that died instead of Dad, and Marlene loses it and slaps Natalie across the face. Yyyyyikes. Natalie bails, grabbing her stuff and running away, as Marlene calls apologies after her. Depressing Scale? 8.

Abby insists Natalie didn’t mean it, but Lilly and Kat icily point out that Natalie left with the gun, and the next night, Marlene was dead.

Jeffries’ darkened apartment. Stillman knocks, and Jeffries lets him in. Stillman points out that Jeffries hasn’t picked up his phone all day. Wow…Jeffries wasn’t kidding when he said he’s been where Scotty’s been. They have exactly the same “holing up in the apartment” coping mechanism. Jeffries sits down and says that, all this time, it wasn’t what he imagined. Stillman asks Jeffries what he did, and Jeffries admits to following Isaac into the alley and put his gun to Isaac’s chest, but in the end, he couldn’t do it. Atta boy, Will. Stillman sits down, and Jeffries says he wanted Isaac to be a monster, but he wasn’t; he was just a guy in a diner. He thought killing Isaac would make it better…but it won’t. Stillman simply tells Jeffries that he did the right thing. Jeffries reminisces that they were playing Miles Davis, her favorite, that night at Dink’s, and he hasn’t played a Davis record in the twelve years since. Awwww, Jeffries. “Long time, Will,” Stillman observes. Jeffries, near tears, says it feels like it was yesterday, then pauses long enough for me to grab a tissue. “She’s not comin’ back, is she, John?” he asks. Sniffle. “No, she’s not,” Stillman whispers. Jeffries and I both fight back tears, neither of us having much success, and as Stillman rises to go, we see one lone tear roll down Jeffries’ cheek. Man. Those two guys are just…unbelievable. Sniffle.

Interview room. Kat and Lilly remind Natalie of her words to Marlene; Natalie brats that she was a kid, and kids mouth off. Lilly points out that Natalie had the gun that killed her, and Natalie challenges her, if she’s got something to say, say it. Oh, she will, Nat. She will. Lilly says that if she’s fourteen, it all seems black and white. “Life sucks because you have a lousy mother.” “What do you know about it?” Natalie asks. “More than I’d like to,” Lilly replies. Natalie says we’ve all got problems, and she’s outta there, but Lilly orders her to sit down. Go, Lil! She then says that Marlene deserved better from Natalie, and Natalie argues that Marlene filled their heads with empty promises and lies. “She was trying to protect you,” Lilly says intensely, but Natalie replies that Marlene didn’t protect them, she left them when they needed her the most. Lilly asks Natalie about Marlene coming after her after she ran off, and Natalie says Marlene found her...at home.

Bradford house. Natalie’s sitting on the porch swing when Marlene pulls the car up, gets out, and joins her, saying she thought she might find her here. She tells Natalie that she has every right to be angry, but she’s doing her best. Natalie tells her to be real for once, so Marlene gets real: she never thought she’d be a widow, she never thought she’d lose their home. Dad took care of everything; all she had to do was love the girls. Natalie tearfully says that maybe love isn’t enough, but Marlene replies that it’s all she’s got. She then bursts into tears, asking how Dad could die on her, and Natalie pulls her close and reminds her that they’re the Bradford girls; they’ve still got each other, they stick together, and they’ve got to go forward with what they’ve got. Marlene says they’ve still got that hope ticket, and says it’s worth a try. She scratches it off and realizes they’ve won $25. Natalie says it’s enough for Abby’s birthday cake, and Marlene adds that she can still pay the finder’s fee. She suggests driving Natalie to school, and then having a real birthday celebration when the girls get out of school.

Natalie says bitterly that they waited for hours for her to show, and she was an idiot to believe her. Kat asks what happened to the gun, and Natalie says she gave it back to Marlene. Lilly asks about the finder’s fee, and Natalie says she doesn’t know what Marlene meant. “Means you weren’t the last to see her that day,” Lilly replies.

Interview room. Scotty and Stillman tell Hopper that they know he lied; they know Marlene came looking for him to pay the finder’s fee. Scotty compliments Hopper on his luck, but Hopper says he had no idea. Stillman doesn’t think so, then asks what happened: did Hopper get greedy and want the $25 all to himself? Hopper scoffs at this, saying that ticket was worth a million dollars. Scotty glances suspiciously at Stillman, then decides to play along. Hopper says that Marlene was lucky; he knew how to pick them, and always did. Stillman agrees, saying Hopper didn’t count on Marlene cheating him like that. Hopper says she had no right taking what was his: it was his ticket, his chance to get his world back and everything in it.

Fairmount Park. Marlene rushes up to Hopper and exults in the fact that the ticket was a winner. They celebrate for a moment, then she gives him his share and urges him to come look at the cake she got for Abby. Hopper’s celebration ends when he realizes that she only gave him $12, and he asks her where the rest of the million is. Marlene reminds him of how it works; you’re lucky if you win $2. Hopper insists that he’s going to get his wife back, to play baseball with his son and get him that special glove he wanted. Marlene finally seems to realize that Hopper’s Not All There and reminds him that the picture was taken a long time ago. He protests that he promised his son that glove, but Marlene tells him that his son’s not a kid anymore, he’s a grown man. As Hopper’s face crumples, she tells him that what’s past is past, and they have to move on with what they’ve got. He then snaps and accuses her of keeping the rest of it, then starts ransacking the car, ruining Abby’s birthday cake in the process, just in case we haven’t had enough little sadnesses already. He insists that she can’t take what’s his, and it’s his ticket. As she weeps over the cake, we see that he’s found the gun. She urges him not to shoot, but he says it’s his hope, and then fires one shot. She falls into the car, her unseeing eyes staring up at the family photo she’s got attached to the visor.

To make the weep-fest complete, the closing montage is set to the one who's name we shall not say McLachlan’s “Angel,” which begins as Stillman and Kat escort Hopper to jail.

Vera takes Marlene’s evidence box back to the warehouse and places it on the shelf.

Vita continues cheerfully greeting customers at BlueMart.

Outside Zinger’s Subs and More, Mr. Patel brings three sandwiches to a homeless mother and two girls huddled in a doorway.

Standing by the lake, Abby looks up to discover that Scotty and Lilly have brought Natalie. They clasp hands and smile, then turn to see Marlene looking on proudly.

Back at his place, Jeffries finally puts on a Miles Davis record and sits down next to a picture of his wife to listen. Wow. A sob-inducing end to an already teary episode. Jeez, show…what did I ever do to you?