17. Game Over

[r2k]

At long last, the Fan Fic Season Finale is here. I originally intended to post 23 Fan Fics. But I realized no himan being can do that so quickly. I admire these writers. I wanted to release this one before the Season 3 Premiere because it has similarities. Funny how some of my Fan Fic ideas have actually been in the real episodes. Remember to read “Youthful Indiscretion” to refresh your memory or if you haven’t read it yet. Parts of that episode are relevant to this episode.

GAME OVER
A young man, Rick Walker, comes to Rush with a photo of a teen boy who was murdered in 1982. Rick believes the man may be his real father. The victim, Brad Sullivan, was shot six times in an alley. The case becomes complicated when Rush discovers Brad is Kite’s older brother. Meanwhile, Valens is approached by a girl who claims a cold case they previous solved is still unsolved.


GAME OVER
August 20, 1982: Evening
“Kids in America” by Kim Wilde plays in the background at an arcade in a mall. Kids of all ages are playing arcade games. Images of various video games appear on screen as images of teenagers and children appear in front of arcade games. The camera focuses on a teenage boy playing Pacman. Several other kids are watching in amazement. Off to the side, a little boy walks into the arcade. He sees to teenage boy and walks up to him.
Little Boy: Brad!!!
Brad: TJ, you’re late.
TJ: My mom took me to school. She said she had to registrate me.
Brad: Register, TJ. She was registering you.
TJ: Oh. I’m starting Kindergarten on a few weeks. Mom says.
Brad: You’re moving too.
TJ: I know. I wish I didn’t have to.
Brad: It’s not so bad.
TJ: I wish you didn’t have to go.
Brad: I gotta. You’re going to school. I’m going to school. I’m just going to a school far away.
TJ: Forever?
Brad: No. We discussed this already. I’ll be back next Spring. You can see me then.
TJ: Not as much. Mom’s not gonna work here anymore.
Brad: But you’ll see me again. Promise.

-A teenage girl walks up to them.
Girl: Brad. I need to talk to you.
Brad: Karen. What’s up? Need a squeeze again.
Karen: Not here.
Brad: Sure. This should be good. (Turns to TJ) Here, you play this game. I’ll be back in a minute.
TJ: Cool!!!

[r2k]

-TJ plays his game. He turns around to see Karen talking to Brad in a scared tone. Brad tries to calm her down but she starts to cry and becomes out of control. TJ looks at them and then turns to the game. He can only hear a few parts of the conversation.
Karen: You could be the father, Brad!!! You could.
Brad: That’s crazy.
-TJ turns and watches them again.

-A little later, Brad lies alone dead in an alley. He has been shot six times in the chest. Blood drips on the alley pavement. What’s left the evening twilight is fading fast.

-In the case file room, Brad’s box is filed away.

Sullivan, B
Aug. ‘82

-In the present. A young man (22 years old) walks up to Lily as she is reading something.
Young man: Detective.
Lily: Yes.
Young man: My name is Rick. Rick Walker. You’re the one who does the unsolved cases. Right.
Lily: Yeah.
Rick: I just graduated from college.
Lily: Congratulations.
Rick: Thanks. It’s been a rough half year. My mom attempted suicide last fall.
Lily: I’m sorry.
Rick: I had to run from college to home. Anyway, I didn’t have time to do this earlier because I wanted to be here for it. (Rick pulls out a photo of a teenage boy and a little boy) I found this in her hand when she tried to do it. Actually, the paramedics did. A neighbor heard her crying. They broke in and she was passed out. Took a bunch of pills.
-Lily takes a look at the picture.
Lily: Which one should I be looking at?
Rick: The guy. He died before I was born.
Lily: Killed.
Rick: Shot six times. My mom said.
Lily: Is he your father?
Rick: I don’t know. Mom never told me who my real father was. This is as close as I’ve ever gotten to possibly finding out. I want you to look into his death for me. Not just for me, but for my mother. I think he’s the reason she’s been so unhappy. The reason she tried to kill herself.
Lily: Do you know his name?

[r2k]

Rick: Brad Sullivan. I did some research into murders from that year. I looked up articles and stuff. I finally found an article with a picture matching this one. So I knew he was the one.
-Scotty walks up to them.
Scotty: What did I miss?
Lily: Teenage boy. Shot six times. Rick, do you know when this happened.
Rick: He died before I was born. I was born 1983. Must have been ’82.
Lily: Any idea who the little boy is?
Rick: No.
Lily: Is he a little brother. Looks about five years old.
-Scotty notices the picture. He becomes curious. He takes it from Lily and gets a closer look.
Lily: What?
Scotty: Nothing. He looks familiar.
Lily: Wait, Brad Sullivan? You’re sure that was his name.
Rick: Yeah. Does that mean something?
Lily: (Looking at Scotty) Kite’s brother. A few months ago at dinner he mentioned it. He might know who the boy is.
Scotty: He may be the boy.
Lily: Too young to him in 1982. Still, the boy. He’s got to be someone.

-Meanwhile, a young woman in her late ‘20s approaches them.
Woman: I’m looking for Detective Valens.
Scotty: That’s me.
Woman: I need to talk to you. Actually, you both. It’s about a cold case you guys investigated a few months.
Scotty: Lil’, why don’t we divide this. I’ll take this one and you take that one.
Lily: Sounds good. We’ll pick teams with Vera and Jeffries later.
-Scotty grins.
Scotty: Let’s go over here. By the way, I didn’t catch your name.
Woman: Nicole Rainer.
Scotty: Which case did we miss something on?
Nicole: The Tony Crosby case.
Scotty: You must be mistaken. We got a full confession from the doer. Plus we got one from the other guy.
Nicole: Brandon. That was insane what he did. Confessing to that. He got a life sentence with no parole and he never touched that guy.
Scotty: What do you mean?
Nicole: I was there that night. The rain, the thunder. I saw the fight between Tony and that Tim guy go down. Trust me, I read the article from last fall. Tim didn’t remember everything. And the part Tim doesn’t recall is extremely important.

-Brief flashback to 1997. Nicole is returning from a party soaking wet. She sees Tony approach Tim. Tim is startled and immediately fights back. But unlike Tim’s explanation, Tim keeps going. After Tony falls down, Tim looks down on him.

[r2k]

Tim: What did you expect?!!!? After what you did!!! You deserve worse than this. I’ll take care of you in the morning. I don’t want to look at you right now!!!! You’re not going to take the one person I care about away from me again!!!”
-Tim walks away angry. He turns around and sees Tony get up. Tim runs back at him and kicks him in the face. Tim falls and scrapes his arm.

-Return to the present.
Nicole: Tim didn’t leave for a long time. Tony crawled to the bridge because he didn’t want to go anywhere near Tim. Tim was clearly angry with him.
Scotty: Tim eventually left?
Nicole: After a while. Thing is, Tim was crying when he walked back into the building.
Scotty: Was Brandon around? Watching.
Nicole: He was by the door. He and I went inside before Tim came back in. Brandon told me never to tell anyone what happened. Said it would crush Jen.
Scotty: Really. When we reopened the case it seemed like Brandon couldn’t wait to move in with Jen.
Nicole: It was no secret Brandon hated Tony but he didn’t kill him. Please take another look.
Scotty: At this point, it is pretty obvious Tim was the only one responsible. But I’ll give it a good last look.

OPENING CREDITS

Case File Room

Lily: Are you sure about this girl?
Scotty: She said she saw the whole thing go down.
Lily: Where was she a few months ago when this hit the papers. It was all over.
Scotty: She told me she was overseas. Came back recently and a friend told her. She felt she needed to make it right.
Lily: If people would just share these things right away, like in 1997, it would save us the trouble. Now Tim could get more time. He doesn’t need this. Had this been settled then, Tim would at least be out by now.
Scotty: What about your case?
Lily: Brad Sullivan, 18, heading to college the following Monday. Killed Friday in an alley. Shot six times in the chest. He was heading off to college the next day. What was he doing in that alley?
Scotty: You gonna tell Kite.
Lily: I’m going to go to him first. I just want to be ready. Funny.
Scotty: What’s that?
Lily: File makes no mention of a five year old boy. Nowhere. We have a few friends and family members. Turns out our vic was an arcade champion.
Scotty: Really.

[r2k]

Lily: Girls liked him. Other kids idolized him. I remember these guys. They were idolized. File says he was kind of a trouble maker at first. Shaped up after a while. Had a girlfriend. Karen Walker.
Scotty: Rick’s mother.
Lily: And a rival too. Someone who was a good player as well. Say, Scotty. Did Tony Crosby have a brother?
Scotty: A couple. Let’s see. There was Mark and Steven.
Lily: Steven. Scotty. He’s in the report.
Scotty: You’re kidding. Let me see.
Lily: Right here. Steven Crosby, 15 at the time. Good player but not quite as good as Brad.
Scotty: Funny how he found his way into your case. I’ll be talking to him again on this one. He sort of went crazy last fall. He tried to get Tim put away longer. He hates everyone responsible for Tony’s murder.
Lily: So how about I take Vera. You take Jeffries.
Scotty: You know what. How about I go this alone? With the main suspect in jail, this shouldn’t take too long. Jeffries is calling the Prison up north. I’m going to talk with Brandon first. Then I’ll see Tim.
Lily: Be careful, Scotty. Tim’s probably in a fragile mood right now. And I’ll visit him this evening. Tell him that.
Scotty: I will. I guess I should call Jen and her friends.
-Jeffries enters the area,
Jeffries: The warden has the visit set up with Brandon. As for Tim, he’s closer than you think.
Lily: What do you mean?
Jeffries: He was attacked by an inmate.
Lily: Oh no.
Jeffries: Wasn’t the first time. He was able to fight them off the first five times.
Scotty: Five Times!!
Jeffries: That makes six in all.
Lily: Tim is tough. Tougher than you can imagine. He mentioned that he was picked on a lot in junior high. Learned to fight them off.
Jeffries: He didn’t do anything to these guys. The last time he hurt his arm. They tried to get to him in the infirmary. So they made an exception and placed him in the city hospital for a while. The warden there told me he felt bad for him. And since he was getting out soon.
Lily: And that may not happen now.
Jeffries: Warden told me that he has a record number of inmates in solitary confinement right now because of the infirmary attack. It was six on one this time. Three attackers stayed in the infirmary.
-Lily and Scotty look at each other.

-Later, Lily is in Kite’s office.
Kite: So this guy may be Brad’s son? (Image flashes back age 11)
Lily: He may be.
Kite: I never heard anything from him about this. (Image returns to age 34)

[r2k]

Lily: We don’t know for sure yet. We can run a DNA test on you and your father. Compare it to Rick’s. Maybe we can figure this out.
Kite: My parents were devastated when he was killed. He had turned himself around and decided to go to school.
Lily: Where was he going?
Kite: Penn State. His senior year he kind of drifted off for a while.
Lily: What happened?
Kite: He wanted to drop out. He was spending a lot of time at the arcade. Until dad put a stop to it.
Lily: But he was going there up until he died.
Kite: During the summer, Brad was allowed. Not during the school year. Of course, he was still able to sneak over there.
Lily: Did you know any of his friends?
Kite: Jeff Colt. They were both going to Penn together. They both hung out at the arcade. Jeff was not the champion at video games my brother was. But he managed to get a lot of girls.
-Lily takes out the photo.
Lily: Do you know who this boy is?
Kite: No. I’ve never seen him.
Lily: Did Brad mention a little boy at the arcade.
Kite: Yes. TJ was his name.
Lily: Is that all?
Kite: Brad only referred to him as TJ. Nickname I guess. Brad also had a girlfriend, Karen.
Lily: Yeah. Her son is the one who came in.
Kite: She was all over him.
Lily: Really?
Kite: Let’s just say I caught them in the basement once.

-Flashback to 1982. “Heat of the Moment” by Asia plays in the background. Kite, age 11, walks into the basement to watch TV. He enters the TV area where Brad and Karen are making out and getting ready to go all the way.
Kite: What are you doing?
Brad: What are you doing down here? Get out.
Kite: You’re kissing her all over. Cool!!!
Brad: Out!!!
Kite: You guys are in love!!!! Oooooh!!!!
Karen: Barf me out!! Get him out of here, please!!
Brad: Out!!! (Brad gets up and walks up to Kite)
Karen: This is like totally embarrassing.
Kite: Why is your blouse unbuttoned?
Karen: Brad, you are not going to answer that.
Brad: Kite. Get out or I’m going to tackle you.
-Brad runs at Kite. Kite runs up the stairs.

-Return to the present.

[r2k]

Kite: That was my first introduction to sex.
Lily: When was this?
Kite: Early Spring. About March. Karen was kind of a bad influence on him. She was wild and taking him with her.
Lily: First love for him.
Kite: Hardly. Lots of girls wanted him. He had a few I’m sure. She was the one he loved. Can’t imagine why. Her best friend was so much better. Once again, can’t imagine how they were friends.
Lily: Who was this friend?
Kite: Laurie Harris. She’s a public defender. I’ll let her know you want to talk to her.
Lily: Thanks.
Kite: I can also contact Brad’s buddy for you. He and I are good friends.
Lily: Are you okay about this. I wouldn’t have reopened it if it weren’t for this guy. You told me not to and I respect your wishes. Rick seems convinced Brad is his father. The least we can do is find out the truth.
Kite: No problem.
Lily: Now, we have another problem.
Kite: What?
Lily: While Rick was talking with me, a girl came in. She wanted to talk to Scotty. Turns out she saw the whole Tony Crosby beating go down.
Kite: I thought the case was settled.
Lily: Not according to her. She claims Brandon never touched Tony.
Kite: He confessed.
Lily: Scotty’s going to talk to him now. He’s going to see Tim next. Tim was attacked in jail.
Kite: How bad?
Lily: Not too bad. He had to be moved to a nearby hospital. Scotty’s got his hands full with Brandon. I think I’m going to go see Tim. I promised I would and never got around to it.
Kite: Let Scotty go first. Trust me on this. Go after. In the meantime, go see my parents. They’ve been dying to meet you anyway. I’ll call ahead and let them know. And how about tonight?
Lily: Sounds good to me. Oh, by the way, Tony’s older brother, Steven. His name turned up in your brother’s case file. I know he works with you.
Kite: Yeah. He was the one who wanted Tim to go away much longer.
Lily: I read the papers. Nice guy.
Kite: He was just angry. It was his brother, Lil. I can relate a little. I’ll let him know you’re coming.
Lily: Alright. See you later.

-Meanwhile, at a prison outside Philly. Scotty is talking with Brandon.
Brandon: So you know?
Scotty: I have spent the last few months hoping you would suffer the rest of your life. Why did you confess if it wasn’t you?
Brandon: What does it matter?

[r2k]

Scotty: If you didn’t do this, then it does matter. And I’m your last hope. You’re serving a life sentence for a murder you didn’t commit.
Brandon: I watched Tim beat the guy into nothing. Tony dragged himself to the bridge because Tim stood guard at the door. Tony was terrified and in trouble. He was so drunk and angry. Tim never knew I was there. I did it for Jen.
Scotty: You intended to frame Tim. Or blackmail him.
Brandon: I learned how much he meant to Jen. And when he didn’t remember what happened the next morning in the hospital, I just let it go. I told Jen I found him outside but left out that small detail. When the police came around asking about Tony, we sort of omitted his name from the list of possible witnesses.
Scotty: That’s why he was never in the original report.
Brandon: Jen would have been crushed if he had to go away for a long time. I looked at the laws and sentencing guidelines. I figured Tim could survive the year. I owed him for not helping Tony. I should have been the one to help him.
Scotty: Nicole Rainer mentioned that you made sure she never told anybody.
Brandon: Look, for a moment there I saw an opportunity to get Jen. But as I slept on it, I realized she would never leave him. I gave up on it.
-Brandon pauses.
Brandon: Tony died on his own.
Scotty: We may not get you for murder, but you withheld information.
Brandon: 8 years ago.
Scotty: How about a less than a year ago? We can get you on that. And if Tim is responsible, your tour of duty isn’t done just yet.

-Later, Lily is talking with Brad’s parents.
Maureen: Brad was kind of a troublemaker in his early years.
Sean: Then the video games started. Wasting his money.
Lily: I heard he was quite good.
Maureen: We learned later what a genius he was at those games.
Sean: We compromised. He could hang out there in the summer. A little during the school year.
Maureen: He almost didn’t want to go to college.
Lily: What changed his mind?
Sean: We’re not sure. We sort of applied for him. He was accepted at Penn State. Grades were always good enough though we thought he could have done better.
Maureen: He resented what we did at first. But he reluctantly agreed. Then he changed his mind.
Sean: We decided to keep him enrolled. In case he changed his mind.
Lily: Did he?
Maureen: Yes. By August, he was ready to go. He became fired up about the idea.
Lily: Did you ever hear of his little friend?
Maureen: TJ. He talked about him a lot that summer.
Sean: TJ was the little boy who came to the arcade. We never met him. But Brad loved him. Brad was like a big buddy to TJ. You know, I think TJ had a positive effect on Brad.
Lily: How so?

[r2k]

Sean: Brad was never responsible before TJ. From what Brad told me, TJ’s mother worked at the mall. TJ met Brad one day and his mother arranged for Brad to watch him.
Lily: Kind of like a babysitter?
Maureen: Brad never called it that. He was never paid for it. He was happy to do it. TJ really liked Brad. TJ called one night.

-Flashback to 1982. “I’m Just Waiting on a Friend” by the Rolling Stones plays in the background. Maureen is in the kitchen when the phone rings.
Maureen: Sullivan residence.
TJ: Is Brad there?
Maureen: I think so. Let me get him. Brad!! Phone!!! Who am I speaking to.
TJ: TJ.
Maureen: So you’re the little guy from the arcade.
TJ: Yeah! He lets me play his games sometimes.
Maureen: He talks about you a lot.
TJ: Brad’s a good guy. I want to be just like him.
-Brad walks into the kitchen. He takes the phone.
Brad: Brad here. Hey little guy. What’s up? Really!! I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling too well. I’ll be there tomorrow. Don’t worry. I’ll be there. Okay. Bye.
-Brad hangs up.
Maureen: He seems to like you.
Brad: I know. Mom. I get the feeling his father doesn’t pay attention to him.
Maureen: What would make you think that?
Brad: He started talking about how his father is too busy working.
Maureen: Some families are like that. They have to work all the time. Remember, his parents are younger.
Brad: I know. I guess it’s nothing.
Maureen: It isn’t nothing. You’re worried. I like it. You’re growing up.
Brad: Please.
Maureen: Alright. I won’t embarrass you any more.

-Return to the present.
Maureen: That conversation was the beginning of the changes. Brad was concerned for someone else.
Sean: I couldn’t believe it.
Lily: You said TJ’s mother worked at the mall. Did Brad ever mention where?
Maureen: No.
Lily: When Brad was killed. Was TJ’s name ever mentioned?
Sean: No. I mean, the kid was five. And we knew very little about him.
Maureen: There wasn’t a five year old boy at the wake or funeral. We were hoping he might show up.
Lily: Do you think Karen would know?
Maureen: Now there’s a name I’ve tried to forget.
Lily: Why?
Maureen: She was the one who nearly ruined him.

[r2k]

Sean: She was loose. No respect for herself.
Maureen: We tried to raise our children right. She wasn’t from a good home. Deep down I knew she loved him, but she never could figure out what true love really was.
Lily: She attempted suicide last fall. Her son believes Brad may have been the father.
Sean: Karen was with a lot of guys. She never approached Brad about anything like that.
Maureen: Karen might know where TJ’s mother worked. They broke up after Brad met TJ. She was at the mall a lot.
Lily: She’s on my list.
Maureen: You were such as John described you. That Kite’s real name.
Lily: Really.
Maureen: He was flying a kite when he was little.
Sean: It got away from him. He kept yelling, “Kite, Kite come back.” But he became obsessed with flying like a kite. That became his name. Brad named him.
Lily: So his real name is John. I’ve been trying to get it out of him for a while.
Maureen: You seem like a nice girl. He better hold on to you. And I like what you do. I hope you can Brad’s killer. If it will help, tell the guy that we forgive him. That’s what’s kept us going. We just want to know the truth. Sometimes that is more important than anything else.

-Later, at the mental hospital where Karen Walker is staying.
Karen: I told Rick not to do this.
Lily: He really wants to know the truth about his father.
Karen: Brad was a great guy. Despite all my problems, he loved me. I just became too much for him to handle.
Lily: How long had you been going out?
Karen: About a year. It was a once in a lifetime love. I’ll never get that again. Brad had something about him. No matter how much he screwed up, you loved him. He could shoot a cop between the eyes and escape the death penalty. That’s the kind of person he was. The jury would have had mercy on him.
Lily: What went wrong?
Karen: I did.

-Flashback to 1982. “Don’t You Want Me” by Human League plays in the background. Karen is at the arcade with Brad. They are at the Galaga video game. Brad is playing while arguing with Karen.
Brad: So you’re done with me, huh.
Karen: It’s not you.
Brad: Come on. Tell the truth, Karen. I’m not good enough. Not wild enough.
Karen: Thing is, I’ve fallen out of love with you.
Brad: So you don’t love me. Fine.
-Karen stands there.
Brad: For someone who no longer loves me you’re not in a rush to leave.
Karen: Are you okay?

[r2k]

Brad: Yeah, great. Why wouldn’t I be?
Karen: Talk to me, Brad. What’s going on?
Brad: Nothing. Nothing is going on. Why does something always have to be going on.
Karen: You know, you’re boring. I have needs. And you’re not fulfilling them. You spend all your time with that kid.
Brad: That kid doesn’t have anybody. His father is too busy for him. Mother has to work. Both parents have to work. Forgive me for thinking of someone other than you.
Karen: A five year old boy. Great!! You’re choosing a five year old boy over me!!
Brad: Quiet. What is the matter with you?
Karen: I thought you loved me. But instead you love children. Wonderful. Well, have a nice life.
-Karen walks away. Brad looks at her as she leaves. Brad turns back to his game. TJ is watching him.
Brad: TJ? How long have you been standing there?
TJ: A little bit.
Brad: Don’t worry about her. She only thinks of herself.
TJ: I don’t get it.
Brad: She’s selfish.
TJ: Oh.
Brad: You thirsty. I am. Let’s go get something to drink.

-Return to the present.
Karen: He chose me over a five year old boy. And I was insulted.
Lily: Karen. Who is this boy?
Karen: We only knew him as TJ. Other than that, I can’t tell you. His mother worked at the Hallmark Shop.
Lily: Why didn’t you mention him when Brad died?
Karen: I was pregnant and scared. And I lost the only man I ever loved. I guess I was only thinking of me.
Lily: Rick said that when you took those pills, you had the photo of Brad and TJ in your hand.
Karen: I tried to die that night. I couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. I turned off the TV and took the pills. But I was crying so loud the neighbors heard.
Lily: Who do you think might have killed Brad?
Karen: Who knows? Who cares?
Lily: I think you do. It’s obvious you are still in love with him. Or you’re feeling guilty.
Karen: I loved him more than anyone else on Earth. And he left me. Tell Rick I don’t hate him. It’s just so hard to deal with. Losing someone special. When it was the only special thing you had.
Lily: Rick is special. You had him.
Karen: I didn’t realize that until he was born.

[r2k]

-At the station. Lily and Vera are talking.
Lily: Nobody knows for sure who this TJ really is.
Vera: He probably slipped through the cracks. I mean what would a five year old boy know about it anyway. Police probably never bothered to follow up or write it in their notes.
Lily: Thing is, Karen seemed jealous of TJ. Maybe she killed Brad out of anger.
Vera: But what Karen said about what Brad was doing with a five year old boy makes you think. These things weren’t so out in the open then.
Lily: That would give TJ’s father a motive. Maybe Dad found out and maybe made sure Brad would never do it to another kid again.
Vera: Possible explanation as to why this boy is not in the file. Maybe police decided Brad was up to no good and got what he deserved.
Lily: Still, without knowing who the boy is.
Vera: We have no idea what was going on. And a possible suspect is unknown because we don’t have a name for this boy.
-Frannie shows up.
Lily: Frannie.
Frannie: Well, DNA results do not support Rick’s belief.
Lily: Brad is not the father.
Frannie: No. I’m sorry.
Lily: Rick’s gonna be crushed. He really was hoping this was his father.
Vera: Not surprising. This Brad seemed like a good guy.

-Scotty comes in.
Lily: Scotty. How did it go?
Scotty: Not good.
Vera: What happened?
Scotty: Well Brandon admitted the truth.
Lily: And Tim?
Scotty: He didn’t take it well. He became angry. Very angry. They almost shipped him back to the county lock-up right then and there.
Lily: How did it end?
Scotty: They restrained him, sedated him, and that was it. I didn’t get much out of him.
Lily: I’ll go see him later. I should have been with you. Are you going to call his wife.
Scotty: I don’t know.
Lily: You have to.
Vera: I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. She’s almost due right.
Lily: He’s heading for a longer stretch behind bars and, you’re right, she shouldn’t have to deal with this. But if this happens without her knowing about it.

-Later, Lily is back at the D.A.’s office. Steven is talking with Lily.
Steven: What you’re asking me happened so long ago. I remember Brad. We hung out at the same arcade.
Lily: Says in the report you didn’t get along with him.

[r2k]

Steven: Typical guy stuff. We were good arcade game players. A rivalry developed. Nothing came of it.
Lily: Really. The police came in several times because a few fights broke out between you.
Steven: So. We clashed a few times and things got out of hand.

-Flashback to 1982. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor plays in the background. Brad is playing Centipede. Steven comes up to him.
Steven: Hey Brad. What’s up?
Brad: Nothin.
Steven: 135,000 points of nothing. Please. You’ve been playing that game all night.
Brad: You got a point dude, or what?
Steven: Hey, I’m just talkin’. Got a problem?
Brad: Yeah, you. Now beat it, punk.
Steven: (getting angry) What did you say?
-Brad turns to Steven.
Brad: I said, “Now beat it, punk.
-Steven throws a punch. Brad grabs his fist and starts to squeeze. Steven starts to hurt. TJ approaches and looks in amazement. Brad lets go. Steven falls to the ground.
TJ: Wow, how did you do that?
Brad: Strength, little guy. Strength.
TJ: Will I ever be able to do that?
Brad: Of course. You gotta work out.
-Brad and TJ walk away. Steven gets up and gives both of them a dirty look.

-Return to the present.
Steven: He took me down a notch that day.
Lily: Enough to make you want to kill him.
Steven: Are you kidding? He was on his way to college in the fall. That would have left me the sole champion in the arcade. And a steady supply of ladies.
Lily: So you were the ladies’ man back then.
Steven: You betcha.
Lily: You ever take Karen Walker for a ride.
Steven: I can’t remember the girls I was with.
Lily: She was the one Brad dated.
Steven: The one who dumped Brad. I remember that one. She wasn’t worth it. Never bothered going near her. She was with a lot of guys. Could never commit.
Lily: I didn’t think you wanted that.
Steven: I at least liked it when the ladies stuck around for a while. Or came back now and then. Look, Brad and I had our differences. That’s no reason to kill someone.
Lily: He was shot six times in the chest.
Steven: If I were you I’d ask Karen. She practically stalked him every chance she got. I wish I could be of more help to you, but I can’t.

[r2k]

Lily: Actually, you can. Since I have you here. Why is it you felt the need to make sure everyone involved in your brother’s death was punished severely?
Steven: Those two killed Tony. They deserved to pay for what they did.
Lily: Really. Tim didn’t kill Tony. And you knew that. Still, you tried to have him charged with murder.
Steven: If he was your brother or sister, wouldn’t you want the same.
-Lily pauses to think.
Lily: Scotty is reopening the case. A girl has come in with new information.
Steven: Really.
Lily: Turns out, Brandon was covering for Tim. After Tim beat him, Tony was left for dead.
Steven: Looks like Tim will be going away for a longer time.

-Later that night. Lily and Kite are at the hospital.
Lily: I’ll be a while. Please tell me you understand this one.
Kite: Yeah. Don’t sweat it.
Lily: Well, here goes.
-A security guard is at the door.
Lily: How is he?
Guard: He’s been asleep a while. The sedative should have worn off by now.
-Lily goes into Tim’s room. He is alone. The other bed is empty. She walks in and sees him asleep. The right side of his face is bruised a bit. There is a bandage on his arm. She stands there. He starts to move his head. Lily comes closer. His eyes start to open.
Tim: Lily.
Lily: Tim.
Tim: I hoped you would come.
Lily: I heard what happened. Scotty told me. (Lily puts her purse down on the nightstand)
Tim: They knocked me out. I feel like crap. Not as bad as what happened before. The inmates. They've been trying for months. They kept coming back. Hit me in the face. Hurt my arm. Not broken. Guess I got lucky. Somehow, I managed to still fight back. I now know what Tony must have felt like.
Lily: It’ll get better.
Tim: Really. That’s not how it sounded earlier today.
Lily: What did Scotty tell you?
Tim: Some girl now claims she saw the whole thing. How convenient.
Lily: Did you remember anything more about that night? After you were arrested?
Tim: No. Nothing. I don’t really want to talk about it.
Lily: Tim, this could mean the difference between getting out in two months or a few years.
Tim: What does it matter now? One way or another I miss my kid’s birth. They won’t let me see it. Do you know what that feels like?
Lily: At least you can see your family. And Jen loves you.
Tim: Loves me so much she hasn’t been in to see me.
Lily: They don’t allow family in this situation.
Tim: She hasn’t been to see me since I went to jail. Last fall.
-Lily looks stunned.
Tim: I haven’t seen her since they took me out of the court.
Lily: I’m sorry.

[r2k]

Tim: I know.
Lily: I promised I’d come see you and I didn’t. Look, you’re still tired. I’ll come in tomorrow. Okay.
Tim: Yeah.
Lily: Try to relax, Tim. Thing is, it’s her word and with no evidence there might not be a case.
Tim: I get it.
Lily: Goodnight. You take care of your self until tomorrow.
-Lily takes her purse and drops it. Tim reaches to pick it up for her.
Tim: Here.
Lily: Thanks. Look, when I come over, I’ll bring you something better to eat.
Tim: Thanks.

-Outside the hospital room.
Lily: He’s not doing too well.
Kite: He’ll make it.
Lily: I’ll come and talk to him some more tomorrow.
Kite: Come on. We’re going to run into Jeff Colt tonight. You can talk to him.

-Later, at the restaurant. Lily and Kite are eating.
Lily: So, John.
Kite: My mother talks too much.
Lily: Actually, it was your dad who sold you out. John. I like that.
Kite: No. I hate that name.
Lily: What’s so bad about it?
Kite: It’s boring.
Lily: Really. Is my name boring?
Kite: No. I love your name. Look, there’s Jeff. I’ll go get him.
-Kite gets up and walks over to Jeff. Jeff sees him. The two begin talking. Jeff looks over to Lily and accompanies Kite over.
Jeff: Jeff Colt. I’ve heard so much about you.
Lily: Really. Is now a good time to defend myself?
Jeff: With him working for the D.A., got a good lawyer?
Lily: Cute.
Jeff: Kite here tells me you’re reopening the Brad Sullivan case.
Lily: Yes. A boy came in thinking Brad might be his father.
Jeff: Let me guess. Karen is his mother.
Lily: How did you know?
Jeff: Those two were hot and heavy for a while. Until things got tense.
Lily: What happened between them?
Jeff: More like a who?
Lily: Another girl.
Jeff: No. The boy.
Lily: TJ.
Jeff: You guessed it.
Lily: You were Brad’s best friend. What can you tell me about TJ?

[r2k]

Jeff: Little boy. Nice. They met when I wasn’t there. Next thing I know, there was little TJ.
Lily: You like this kid.
Jeff: Ya. He was kind of cool. Brad kind of liked him too. Brad needed a little responsibility. He sort of made some bad choices early in high school. Alcohol, Karen. Quit sports. Parents were furious. They wanted me to keep an eye on him. Imagine two parents asking another teenage boy to watch their teenage son.
Lily: Got your point.
Jeff: He was ready to give up on everything. He was accepted at Penn State because his dad applied for him.
Lily: So Brad was not going.
Jeff: Not at first. But by the end of July he stopped arguing about it.
Lily: Did you ever figure out what changed his mind?
Jeff: I have no idea. But near the end of August, Karen came around. She was desperate. Came around a couple times. She wanted something. This son of hers must have been it. I’ll bet you anything she tried to con him into thinking he was the father.
Lily: How close to his murder did she start coming around?
Jeff: Within a week.
Lily: Did she look pregnant to you?
Jeff: No. But then you can’t tell on teens as much. I don’t know.
Lily: Well, thank you. You know, did you know anything about TJ? His real name?
Jeff: No. His mother called him that. I met her once.

-Flashback to 1982.
Mom: TJ, you be a good boy okay. I’ll be by to get soon.
TJ: Sure Mom. Will Dad be home early tonight?
Mom: I don’t know dear. He’s been working overtime lately. And we’re getting ready to move. You understand.
TJ: (In a sad tone) Yeah.
Brad: Cheer up, little guy. We’ll play some games and walk around the mall.
Mom: Here’s some money. Get some ice cream.
TJ: Thanks Mom.
Jeff: I’ll leave you two. Catch you later.
Brad: Sure.
Mom: Brad, I really appreciate you doing this. They don’t allow kids at work.
Brad: No problem.

-Return to the present.
Jeff: I know at one time or two he called her Mrs. Something but I can’t remember her last name. She worked in the mall. That I do know.
Lily: One of my colleagues has been looking into that.
Jeff: Thing is the boy looked familiar. I mean, I thought I’d seen him recently. The mother too. On television. I saw someone I thought looked like him. I don’t know.
Lily: If you remember, could you let me know.

[r2k]

Jeff: Sure. Well it was nice meeting you. You two will have to get together with my wife and me real soon.
Kite: We will.
Jeff: I’m holding you to it.
-Jeff walks away.
Kite: Didn’t give you much, did he?
Lily: Actually, he gave me more than you know. TJ’s mom mentioned moving. We know she worked at the Hallmark store. And Dad was too busy. Also, Karen was pregnant and possibly tried to get Brad to take responsibility. We need to find out Rick Walker’s birthdate. We can see how long after the breakup she got pregnant. But TJ is the key to this. TJ spent so much time with Brad. He would know how long Karen was away.
Kite: In the meantime, let’s put work aside.
Lily: I’d love to, but you’re not going to want to turn around.
-Kite turns around. Mark Adams (Lover’s Lane) is walking towards Lily. He has spotted her. Lily looks nervous. Kite watches her.
Lily: (In that Lily-like nervous) Mark.
Mark: Lily.
Lily: It’s been a while.
Mark: Yeah.
Lily: You remember Kite.
Mark: I remember. I’m sorry man.
Kite: It’s okay.
Lily: You still married?
Mark: No. Separated. Wendy left with the kids.
Lily: I’m sorry. Eve.
Mark: Yeah. We’re trying to work it out.
Lily: Keep trying. Remember what I told you.
Mark: I know. Well, I better go. I’m with some people. I just wanted to say hi.
Lily: Thanks. I hope things work out. And they will.
Mark: Yeah. Bye.
-Mark walks away.
Lily: I think I just saw my whole life flash before my eyes. I honestly felt like it was a year ago.
Kite: You did good. Remember, you can’t do everything.
Lily: Right. But I get the feeling he wanted to say something else to me.
Kite: Relax.

-The next day, Lily is at the station.
Lily: We have a rival, a desperate pregnant ex-girlfriend.
Vera: You really think Steve is a viable suspect. I mean that’s gonna rip the family apart. They’ve gone through the discovery of one dead son’s murder which now may not even be to their other son being a killer.
Lily: Has Scotty talked to them yet.
Vera: They’re supposed to come in today. How’d your visit with Tim go last night?

[r2k]

Lily: He was too tired to talk much. I’m going over there at lunch time. Scotty’s working that case. I won’t be intruding too much.
-Jeffries walks in.
Jeffries: Dead end at the hallmark. Nobody working there now worked there then. Files wouldn’t help.
Lily: Maybe somebody at the mall worked then too.
Vera: What about the arcade. Someone had to man the place.
Jeffries: No. There was a pizza place attached to it. Family owned business. Still there.
Lily: Now that’s something. Maybe someone working there now worked there then. I can check it out.
Vera: I’ll go with you.
-Vera looks near the entrance into the area.
Vera: Say Lil, you’ve got a visitor.
-Lily looks up. She immediately becomes excited and happy. Sean Morgan from “Maternal Instincts” walks in. His family is standing off to the side.
Lily: Sean.
Sean: Hey Detective.
Lily: This is a surprise. I can’t believe it has been a year.
Sean: I got out last week. My parents brought me up here. I wanted to see you.
Lily: How was it?
Sean: Not anything I want to go through again.
Lily: And your family.
Sean: It’s gonna take some getting used to. I never had a real family before.
Lily: And what about your other mother?
Sean: I don’t know what to say about her.
Lily: Well, remember this, Sean. She was confused. She wanted to have a baby so much and couldn’t have one. She wanted to love someone. And in the end, she fought for you.
Sean: I guess she did. My dad still hates her.
Lily: At least they know you now. So what’s next for you.
Sean: Well, I finished high school and am going to college. A nearby one. I want to be close to home. They let me finish in the slammer.
Lily: I’m glad things have worked out for you. You still want to have kids?
Sean: You bet. But I’ll wait a while.
Lily: Sounds like a plan. Still want that little girl?
Sean: Yeah. Maybe a couple more. My parents sort of fixed me up with someone.
Lily: Is she nice?
Sean: Very nice. I’m a little nervous though. Never been in a serious relationship.
Lily: You’re eighteen. You have plenty of time to figure it out.
Sean: Well, my parents are waiting and I don’t want to take up too much of your time.
Lily: That’s okay. I’m in the middle of another case but I needed the break. If you’re ever back here, call me.
Sean: I will. Later.
-Sean walks out with his family. Lily waves at them.

[r2k]

Lily: You know that kid is really gonna accomplish something.
Vera: Kind of makes this job worth it.
Lily: Seems like so many people are coming out of the woodwork.
Vera: What do you mean?
Lily: Remember the Eve Kendall case. Her boyfriend turned up at dinner last night.
Scotty: With Kite at the table?
Lily: Yep.
Vera: How did he react?
Lily: I kept it short. Very short. I’ve been kind of watching my back. I don’t Mark has gotten over Eve or me. I have a feeling he’ll approach me again. He’s separated from his wife right now.

-Later, Lily is with Laurie at the public defender’s office.
Laurie: Karen was, if you’ll pardon the word, a slut. We were friends anyway. I was the good girl. The one who made sure nobody hit rock bottom.
Lily: How close was she with Brad?
Laurie: You know, she was wild yet Brad was the one she truly loved. But she let her crazy ways get in the way. She always figured he’d be there while she ran around. It was insane. Her life sucked and she was afraid to get too close to him. Afraid he’d hurt her too. But in the process she hurt him worse. Her parents were both alcoholics.
Lily: I can relate.
Laurie: Karen looked for love in all the wrong places. But never could realize it was right in front in the best place of all. She didn’t realize it until it was too late.
Lily: So if Brad were to reject her she might have gone crazy?
Laurie: Definitely. I was her friend. I knew her well.
Lily: Other than her, do you know of anyone who might have wanted to kill Brad?
Laurie: I can’t imagine. Brad was liked by everyone. Even Steven respected him.
Lily: I met him.
Laurie: He’s tough. Especially after what happened to his brother. He’s a crusader for justice.
Lily: A little too much I’m afraid.
Laurie: Tell me about it. I have to go up against him frequently. He doesn’t do deals. He makes you fight to the end. Tim Collins was lucky that other guy’s confession was solid. Steven worked behind the scenes on that for obvious reasons, but he wanted a tougher charge.
Lily: He seems very competitive.
Laurie: Putting it mildly.

-At the mall, the arcade is still there though the games have changed. The pizza place is still there as well. Lily is talking to a man who is about 65 years old.
Barney Levato: Brad Sullivan. Shame what happened to him. (Image flashes back to age 42 and returns to 65.) He was a troublemaker at first but he shaped up. Think it was the boy.
Lily: Really

[r2k]

Barney: I’m a father of seven. Brad liked the kid. Sort of adopted him.
Lily: So there wasn’t anything inappropriate going on?
Barney: No. Brad was a stand-up guy. Boy looked up to him.
Lily: Like a son to a father.
Barney: Best buddies. I mean wherever Brad went, TJ went. It was sort of neat to look at.
Lily: How much time did they spend together?
Barney: A lot. When that crazy girl wasn’t getting in the way.
Lily: Karen.
Barney: That girl was no good for him. Brad deserved a good girl. Instead he was always trying to fight her off. She tried to get him back after they broke up.

-Flashback to 1982. “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell plays in the background.
At the arcade, Brad and TJ are at the pizza place.
TJ: I want cheese. I love cheese.
Brad: I can tell. Barney, I’ll have the sausage.
Barney: You’re not spoiling your dinner I hope.
TJ: No way. I’m always hungry. Feed me.
-Brad laughs. Karen shows up at the arcade. She spots them at the pizza place and walks up to them.
Karen: Brad. You’re here. I want to talk.
Brad: Nothing to talk about. You dumped me remember.
Karen: Can’t we just work this out?
Brad: No. You didn’t think our love was good enough. Forget it. Besides, I learned there are more important things. Look, I don’t need your crazy stuff right now. You have some serious issues and you need to work them out. There’s nothing more to say.
Karen: You’re the crazy one. You love me and you won’t admit it.
-Karen walks away.
Barney: She’s nuts. I’d stay away from that one. She’s come on to everyone in here.
TJ: She’s come on. I don’t get it.
Barney: You don’t want it.
TJ: Oh. Okay.
Barney: You two take care.
Brad: We will. Come on TJ, let’s sit down over there.

-Return to the present.
Barney: The girl sort of disappeared for a while and then turned up a week before Brad was killed.
Lily: We’ve learned that TJ’s mother worked at the mall.
Barney: At the Hallmark store. Never knew her name. You know, she sort of disappeared after that. TJ too. He never came back after that weekend. I always wondered about that. But when the police came around asking questions, I figured he didn’t need to know. But I never saw the boy again.
Lily: Everyone seems to have kept this boy a secret.