The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event
August 28, 1965
Are you ready?
Here it goes, here it goes!
Vivian, run!
I'm gonna get you,
I'm gonna get you!
Oh, here she comes!
Go higher, go higher
Coming in for a landing!
It's a perfect day
But now we should think about heading back
But I don't wanna go home
It's getting late, Vivian
Why can't we just stay here forever?
OK, close your eyes
Come on
OK, listen really really hard
Do you hear the ocean?
Now look but don't open your eyes
Can you see it?
It'll always be here for you
No one can ever take it away
'Cause it'll always be right in here
Forever Our perfect day
Forever?
And ever
Some bum out fishin' this morning got a bite
Floater in the water?
A hand from the river bottom
That's the way to jump start the AM
It was a kid's
Female, probably white, 3 to 5 years old
Been under for maybe decades
Cause of death?
Too early to tell but she's got crushed vertebrae in the neck area,
shattered skull, and check this out
Two breaks, radius and ulna Forearm bones
Overkill?
These are old wounds, healed over
Someone abusin' her?
Takes some kind of rage breakin' a kid's arm in two places
Some kind of monster
I'd like to meet whoever's responsible face to face
Hearin' you loud and clear, boss
Doer better still be out there
Kind of job you hate the most to catch,
but worth the most to close
Miller
Oh, crap
I'm tryin' to quit
Yeah? How's that going for you?
I do it twenty times a day, I figure one time's gotta stick
I want you to know I appreciate your contibution on the last job
Glad to be of service
Good group of folks you got over there
Ever consider joinin'?
Homicide?
You makin' me an offer?
You got reservations?
Because of Fishtown?
You heard about that, huh?
Fellow cop gets shot, word gets out
Well, anyway, uh, I made my peace with that,
it's just some scheduled stuff I gotta look at
Anything I need to know about?
Nothin' I can't handle
So you'll get back to me
Definitely
Thanks Lieutenant
According to the lab, baby Jane Doe's
been at the bottom of this river for forty-some years
Puttin' her murder some time in the 60's
But from '60 to '69
we got no missing persons report of a 3 to 5 year old white female
What kind of family doesn't report their kid missing?
The kind of family that kills their kid?
Maybe we check DHS's child abuse unit records
Kid's doctor might've reported that broken arm
There was no Child Abuse Unit back then
Docs weren't trained to recognize abuse, no one was
Like this would've fallen through the cracks easy
And we got another boy in the box
No one ever came forward to claim him
Back then they didn't have facial reconstuction technology
We do
So we create a picture of what the victim could have looked like off the skull
Put this picture in circulation, maybe an old neighbor
or family member recognizes baby Jane Doe
Needle in a haystack but I might've tracked your victim's fractures
Two breaks on the forearm, real unique injury, right?
Same kind of breaks were treated at St Boniface's emergency room circa 1965
Did it say who the victim was?
Vivian Smith, age 4, white female
Doc who treated her, still alive and kickin'
Yes, that's my signature
I was in my first year of residency in '65
Do you remember that patient Dr Greys?
Vivian Smith, 4 years old, white female
Multiple fractures to the radius, ulna
Yes I remember her
First time I realized how little I could do for children like that
What d'you mean?
I patch 'em up, send them home untill the next time
We think she was killed shortly after you treated her
Any idea who might've been responsible?
Mom She brought her in
A local waitress from what I can remember
Is there a father in the picture?
According to this,
Mom kept insisting she dropped her kid
It just happened so fast, I was holding her
and then next thing you know, I dropped her
Dropped her, huh? How'd that happen?
You dropping her?
Silly me, I think I need glasses
See my eyes they don't work so hot and I just keep dropping things
Your daughter has spiral fractures
It's caused when you take a child's arm and snap it
Take her away
Excuse me?
She's better off without me
What about your mother's? Or a relative's?
I don't have anyone
Please, just take her away before it's too late
I can't just take your kid
You wanna get those eyes looked at
Sign for your daughter here
So Mom was trying to save the kid from herself?
There was nothing I could do
Child abuse wasn't even a concept in '65
Anyway Mom gave us a false name
How did you know that?
Hospital bill came back a week later
No known recipient No known address
You said she was a local girl? A waitress?
Car-hop kind of uniform?
That's what it looked like
The only car-hop in Philly is Milt's Burger Joint
Thurman Street
Best cheese fries in town
Place was a car-hop back in '65
You worked here as a waitress, Madi?
Scrimped and saved my tips for years 'til I could call this armpit my home
You remeber another waitress? Had a daughter 4 years old
Kid might've had a cast on her arm
Sure Cindysomething
I don't recall her last name
Well maybe we'll have a talk with the former owner
Good luck
Cheap pervert took a nose dive into his cheese fries 10 years back
What do you remember about this Cindy?
Restless skittish kind of gal
The type who had it all
Great husband, great kid
Wanted nothing to do with 'em
She was married?
Met her husband once
Heart of gold type, but her,
something was rotten up in the old spaghetti factory
You get used to it honey
How much money does it take to
- run away? - Run away?
What would you want to run away for, honey?
Don't you have a family?
I'm a bad mother
Oh, you don't mean that now
Sometimes I think my only way out is when one of them dies
Sweetheart?
What are you doing here, Roger?
Why aren't you at work?
- I went to see my girls - Mommy, mommy!
Look what daddy got me!
Oh, Vivian, she's beautiful
I got a white paw just like Snowflake
Stay in the car sweetie, let Mommy and Daddy talk
She's gonna be OK, Cindy
How can you say that?
The most important thing is that we work this out
As a family
- I can't - You're her Mommy
Nothing's ever gonna change that
She needs you
I need you
Had that man wrapped around her little finger
Sounds like she was about to bolt,
and he was desperate to keep her
- At any cost - Lil, boss called
Thanks for your time, Madi
They put those facial reconstuction photos of baby Jane Doe out
- That was fast - Got a hit
Lady came in 5 minutes ago, says she knows our girl
I was just leaving the courthouse when I saw this
You work at the PD's office, Miss Stanton?
Court reporter
Are you saying you know this girl?
No I mean yes, I think I do
- Can I ask a question? - Sure
- Rumor has it you found her in the river - Yes, we did
How did she die?
We're not sure yet
Anyway, cut to the chase
It's a pretty close match
Where'd you get this photo?
It's one of the few things I have left from my childhood
How do you mean?
That little girl in the photo, that girl is me
I was adopted when I was 4
There's very little I remember before then
But I always felt a part of me was missing
Do you remember her at all?
I remember a girl but I thought she was my invisible friend
Something a child makes up, I never thought she could be real
Well we'll need to take a swab
Test your DNA against our baby Jane Doe
So the girl you found in the river,
- she could've been my sister - It's possible
What about your parents? Do you remember them?
Last time I saw my mother,
that's the only memory I have
Where's Vivian, Mommy?
Listen to me, sweetheart
Vivian, she's just someone you made up in your mind
Like an invisible friend
Vivian's just make believe?
Don't you see?
It's so much better this way,
because she'll always be with you
Watching over you no matter where you go
Like an angel?
Yes Like an angel
Go to sleep now, sweetheart
Close your eyes
You'll be in good hands here
Better off without me
He'll keep you safe
And whenever it seems Mommy's far, far away,
all you have to do is close your eyes
And I'll be here with you
Forever?
And ever
Bye-bye, baby
I never saw her again
DHS found me a home
Good loving people raised me, I was lucky
That medallion your mother gave you,
- do you still have it? - I do, yeah
She mentioned a man watching over you,
he'll keep you safe, she said
St Michael, maybe that's what she meant
BN 3546
I always wondered what that meant
St Michael's the patron saint of cops
BN could mean badge number
I'll let you know if there's something to it more
Thanks for your time
I've had a good life
But still I'd like to know
Why she left
Art Balduchi?
No need to shine them badges
Cheery mugs give you boys away
Takes a cop to know a cop
Badge number 3546
Hung up the uniform 20 years ago
Good riddance
Ever run accross this girl on the job?
Looks familiar, who is she?
The kid who had this
My St Michaels, where'd you find it?
Same little girl all grown up now
Is that a fact?
Yeah, now I remember her
And her sister Twins
- You close with the family? - No Met 'em once, that's it
So why'd you give her your medallion?
I was a rookie, see, we got a call to this house
Neighbors are complaining because of the noise
Police! Open up!
Police Open up
Can I help you officers?
We got a noise complaint
Everything OK here?
We're sittin' down to a meal
Ain't that right, sweetheart?
It's Hawaiian casserole night Good, right girls?
Don't wanna disturb your evening now, folks Have a good night
Is everything OK here, ma'am?
I'm just fine, thank you
What'd you do to her?
Shut up, kid Let's go
He beat her On her face
No, I just, I fell
It's my eyes, they don't work very well, I think I need glasses
Let's take a walk around the block
- Cool your engines - Yeah, sure
Get yourself cleaned up, lady
Daddy's gonna come back and make Mommy cry again
Do you know who this is?
It's St Michael He's the patron saint of Mommy's
He keeps an eye on 'em,
and never let's 'em come to harm
- Really? - Sure Go on
Put it on your mommy
- What'd you say, Maura? - Thank you
It's time for your bath, girls
I should give this back to you
Oh, no, no, keep it
Your girls will notice if it's gone
That's very kind of you
- Thank you - Sure
Oh, I'm Cindy Mulvaney
Pleased to meet you
I think you see just fine, ma'am
Pardon me?
Situations like this,
they always end up bad
You need to take your girls and leave
- Tonight - And go where?
My parents are dead,
I'm an only child and I haven't had a friend in years
so please tell me, where should I go?
If you need a place to go,
you call this number
So it was her husband abusin' the girls, not her?
She was covering it up
They always do
So what was this number you gave her?
Some kind of shelter?
No shelters back then
Just a few good Samaritans who knew what it was like to be on the recievin' end of a fist
So did she call this number?
Got me Never heard from her again
No way she would've turned to the police for help, after that
Police
Her husband was the police
Roger Mulvaney was a cop in my precinct
Her husband was a cop in the 14th district and a bona fide hero
Decorated twice for valor, killed in the line of duty 1965
They got his picture up at Jone's Tavern
Well that's great
Bad enough cops in '65 turned a blind eye on abusers
If that abuser was a cop
The guy had a free pass, 24/7, 365
- What do you got on the mom? - Cynthia Mulvaney,
drops off the face of the earth in '65, few months before her husband's killed
We tracked down 9 other Cynthia Mulvaney's in the tri-state area,
we're following up if she's still alive
Meanwhile I got a name and a number on the lady who ran that makeshift shelter in '65
A Nancy Walsh
Still in the life, heads up a battered women's shelter in Germantown
So in '65 you set up an underground railroad for battered women?
It was hardly a railroad
Just my living room with a handful of cots
I took in as many families as I could
Last stop on the line?
The only stop, dear
Do you remember a woman named Cindy Mulvaney?
Twin girls?
This is one of 'em
Oh, yeah
They're mother wouldn't speak one word to anybody but her daughters,
- first two weeks she was here - Why not?
Her husband swore he'd find her if she ever left him
Take everything she loved
He meant he'd kill the girls and make her watch
What a prince
So she blamed herself Like we all do
Just push the button here, see?
Like we did at the beach
You make a home made movie
Lot of laundry today, huh?
Anyway, thanks for pitchin' in
They're just a few months old
The girls
When he first hits you
Who, Cindy, your husband?
Then you tell yourself it was just a shove, really
He didn't mean it, he loves me, so you stay
We all stayed
Until one day you realize the door you could've walked out
a long time ago is nailed shut forever
You provided each and every nail every time you stayed
You had nowhere to go, no money
But you left, remember that
I miss my wife
Cindy, take the girls and go upstairs
I don't know what came over me
I swear it will not happen again
You always say that
Being all alone in that house the last few weeks,
it made me realize
Without you, without my girls,
I'm nothin'
Let me go, Roger Please
I can't
Because you're my wife
You're my happily ever after
Come home to me
My shift ends at midnight
I'll see you then
Let's pack up our things
You don't have to go back to that jerk
You have another choice, Cindy Remember?
Choice?
What'd she mean by that?
I don't know
Tiffany was her friend, her confidante
Maybe you could ask her
Do you know where we can find this Tiffany?
She's one of our most generous doners Volunteers here
I can give you her number
A lucky woman, getting out
What about Cindy?
- She get lucky, too? - No
No, she packed her bags and went home that very night
I tried to convince her to stay but she said there was no use in running
He'd track her down to the ends of the earth,
the guy was a cop Had the resources / Yeah
Did you ever see Cindy again?
Usually don't, after a woman goes back to her husband
Unless I pay a visit to the local cemetery
You were Cindy's friend, Tiffany
You knew she had other options
When I said Cindy had a choice,
I meant the man who was madly in love with her
And I wasn't talking about that pig of a husband
Cindy was having an affair?
Don't make it sound tawdry, because it wasn't
It was sweet
Who was this guy?
I don't remember his name,
but he had eyes like yours Kind Sexy
He was Cindy's way out
I always told myself she took it
Firm shoulders, he had those too
And how would you know that?
He brought us to the beach one day
Just a few days after Cindy came to the shelter
Had the affair been going on for a while by then?
It was just beginning
Cindy wouldn't talk to a soul except the girls
So which beach did he bring you to?
The dreadful Jersey shore
But still,
we were able to forget where we'd come from,
that we were depending on the kindness of strangers
It must've been nice, Tiffany
It was magical
If just for a day
Shot a home movie of it
You don't still have this home movie by any chance?
It's yours for a smile, big boy
DNA results came in positive
Vivian was your identical twin
Your mother's name was Cynthia Mulvaney
Your father was a police officer, his name was Roger
You found my parents?
We're still looking for your mom
Your dad was killed on the job in 1965
Well what was he like?
We think he was abusive
To your mother
To you girls
You have memories of that, Maura?
Like I said there's very little I remember from my childhood
No wonder
We need your help identifying this guy in this home movie
Of what?
Your mother and Vivian and someone else we can't identify and you
Maybe he knows what happened to your sister
Well what are we waiting for?
Oh, my God Is that my mom?
Yeah, and Vivian
That smell in the air, the water
It was the first time I saw the ocean
This help you remember anything else?
That swimsuit Vivian's wearing, we fought over it and she won
Do you remember that man, Maura?
The one picking up Vivian?
Maura?
She was so happy, and sad at the same time
Your mom was?
That day on the beach she called it our perfect day
And if you closed your eyes, it would last forever
Vivian's it, Mommy
Play us a song, Mommy
- A song? - On the piano
I didn't know you played the piano
Mommy played all the time, before
Even when she was a little girl
She stopped 'cause of Daddy / Oh
Would you play a song for me?
Wow! That's beautiful
I don't hear anything
Well you know what we got here?
It's a top 40 hit Isn't that right, Mom?
- Can you girls sing? - No
- Dance? - No
Fantastic, we're gonna take this show on the road
You and me and our dancing chimpanzees
What do you say, Mom?
You'll run away with me?
Are you gonna kiss Mommy?
- That was Art - Art Balduchi?
The cop who came to your house that time?
Yes, that's him
He was in love with your mother?
And she was in love with him
Can't you see?
So why did you keep it a secret, Art?
You and Cindy?
I've got nothing to say to you
Unless you knew what happened to Vivian
How she was killed
Or maybe you're protecting Cindy
The way she'd lay her finger on her own kid No way
Somebody did
He didn't deserve her
Or those girls
You on the other hand were willing to start a new life
with someone you'd known for 2 weeks
So how'd it begin? You and Cindy?
I went to that shelter to check in on her
I thought it'd be that one time
But I found myself goin' every day
That's how
And a few weeks later the hubby tracks her down,
wants her back for good
You couldn't let that happen
I did my best to save her
But my best wasn't enough
He found us at the shelter, Art
We'll never get away from him now, never
He found you?
He'll be home in an hour and he expects us to be there
- Where's he now? - On shift
What are we gonna do?
OK, we're gonna run away All right?
You, me and the girls
We'll go to the shore, he's never gonna find us there
You can't leave your life here Art, your job! / Why not?
You're young, your life has just started,
you can't just take on someone else's kids Their wife
Then be my wife
- Marry me - What?
I don't have much
but what I have is yours, and the girls
And I'll love you and protect you
and I'll never let harm come your way
Don't say those things if you don't mean them /I do
So?
Will you marry me?
Does that mean Mommy's name is Mrs Balduchi now?
Yes
What about him?
- What about Roger? - Right
You stay here with the girls
No, where are you going, Art?
I'm gonna make sure he never bothers you again
Keep an eye on Mommy, girls / OK
Oh, hey Balduchi, you gave me a fright
Is the whole precinct comin' down to see me home?
You let her go!
You let her be!
You understand my meanin'?
Yeah, yeah
You'll never hurt her again
That's how we dealt with abusers back then
Off the books
OK So then you tried to run off with Cindy?
I thought we were free
But I went back to my place and they were gone
Cindy, the girls
There was a note
We forgot Snowflake, be back soon
They went back for the cat
To the house
I raced over but it was dark Empty
I drove around for hours that night, looking for 'em
Went down to the shore, walked that beach till dawn
Never found 'em
I kept hopin' she'd call
But she never did
And that's when I knew
Roger had found her The girls
He never said a word but I knew
Roger was killed in the line of duty a few months later
You knew his beat
She was Mrs Cindy Balduchi for the day
At least I had that
Cindy Balduchi
No need to write any of that last part down
Don't remember what the man said anyhow
If you ever find Cindy out there somewhere,
would you tell her
she doesn't need to be afraid of him anymore?
Art took care of it
Cindy Balduchi?
Yes, may I help you?
Philadelphia PD, or is it Mulvaney?
That's all for today I'll see you next week
Please go away
Maura wants to know why you left
I don't know anyone by that name I'm sorry
She can't know He'll find her
Your husband? He's dead, Cindy
He can't hurt Maura Not anymore
He swore he'd find me He'd find her
He would take everything I'd loved
Like he took Vivian
What'd he do to Vivian?
Don't you see?
I still had Maura left
I had to be sure she would be safe from him
That's why I left her in the church
And she was safe
But now Maura needs to know why she ended up alone
Tell her
I had no choice
I had to make sure he'd never find you
Even if it meant giving you up forever
Snowflake, where are you?
Shh, keep your voice down
But Daddy's still at work Mommy
I know but we have to be quiet, OK?
I'll get Snowflake but you have to promise to stay put, OK?
OK
Snowflake
Stupid cat! Come here
Oh, thank God
Let's get out of here
Wanna drive? Or should I?
Get in
We're a family
We're gonna work this out
Families always do
Ain't that right, girls?
First I wanna know something
Where are you taking us?
Did you make it with him?
Roger, not in front of the girls
- Did you make it with him! - No, I didn't
Good
That's good
That means we can start again
- You and me - Roger
I'd kill myself if we couldn't
You're the only thing in my life that counts
I'm nothing without my family
I missed my wife
I missed you too
- You missed Daddy, girls? - Yes, Daddy
Should we go home, then?
What about Mrs Balduchi, Mommy?
We don't need to talk about her
Who's Mrs Balduchi?
Mommy is
- I'm sorry - Me, too
What are you doing, Roger?
What are you doing?
Roger?
What are you doing with them?
Roger?
Give them back to me
I'll do anything you want
- Just give'em back to me - Mommy
Think you could just drive off into the sunset?
- Live happily ever after? - No, no I don't
No, no!
There is no happily ever after
Not for us, babe Not for you
- Not if I can help it - Mommy! Mommy!
No!
* Donovan 'Catch The Wind' *
* In the chilly hours and minutes, *
* Of uncertainty, I want to be, *
* In the warm hold of your loving mind *
* To feel you all around me, *
* And to take your hand,
* Ah, but I may as well try
* When sundown pales the sky, *
* I wanna hide a while, behind your smile,
* And everywhere I'd look,
* For me to love you now, *
* Would be the sweetest thing,
* Ah, but I may as well, try
* When rain has hung
* I want you near, to kill my fears *
* To help me to leave
* For standin' in your heart, *
* Is where I want to be,
* Ah, but I may as well,
* When rain has hung
* I want you near, to kill my fears *
* To help me to leave
* For standin' in your heart, *
* Is where I want to be,
* Ah, but I may as well,