The Irvine cops
are bringing John back in again on the arson.
Oh.
Did they figure out where he is?
They left him a voicemail.
He's never gonna go in.
Well, I am going to LA for a couple of days.
I'm doing a condo in the Wilshire corridor.
You're going alone?
Yeah, 'cause I've made a decision that I am going to...
keep going, you know, and move on with my life.
And I'm not just gonna wait around for the next crazy thing that he's gonna do.
You know, burn up my other car,
or burn up my other car with me in it.
It just seems so uncharacteristic of him.
The car fire... I still can't wrap my head all the way around it.
But...
it made me remember, I used to...
Whenever a case didn't go my way,
I would box, hit the bags.
I thought it would lower my stress,
but, actually, it always made me feel worse.
And I thought, "Why isn't this working?"
I asked a friend, a psychologist. He said,
"All expressing anger against inanimate objects does
is teach you to associate anger with your own controlled aggressions."
So, of course, it doesn't help.
It's just a...
a snake eating its own tail.
So are you saying...
that John's getting angrier?
It's what I'm afraid of.
It's what I'm afraid of too.
I wish I could feel safe.
I wish I felt like this was all gonna stop one day.
But I don't.
-Hi, Nance. -Debra, I'm leaving. Do you want a latte?
Oh, that's okay.
Oh, no, I'm stopping anyway. Two Stevias, right?
Oh, yeah. Thanks.
Okay. Well, I will be there in 20,
as long as it's not that barista that takes forever.
If they don't have anything new,
what's the point in talking to John again?
Oh, well, you know, Mr. O'Neil says that
if the police are investigating him,
we actually might be able to take out a permanent restraining order.
Does he think the judge
might actually grant the order this time?
I don't know. I don't know.
He just says that
it strengthens the case or something...
even if he doesn't get arrested, so that's good.
Hm.
Are you still going to LA?
Hm-mm.
Do you not want me to go?
Well, I didn't,
but then I got lawn seats to the Desert Barrel Music Festival, so...
Just be back by Monday night.
You know what I think? You should tell the judge
all about John's active dating profiles. I was out there looking for whoever's
-gonna file the next restraining order-- -What do you mean?
He's online dating?
-Oh, my God, yeah. -Now?
He's like rampantly on dating websites.
- Multiple ones. - Yeah.
Are you kidding?
-No. - No.
How do you know that?
Ronnie joined different dating sites so she can just check up on him.
Everybody on there should hire me
to do their profiles because they're so boring or super gross.
It's stuff like, "Cute Southern belle looking for her dream cowboy."
Or like, "My dog thinks I'm awesome."
"Oh, my God. I would date the hell out of myself."
That one's kind of good.
-No, it isn't.
I can't believe he's online dating again.
You know what?
-Let's order in from Angelina's. - Yes!
I want a large vesuvio with extra salami.
- I know what you want. - And can we have the hazelnut pizza
-with the extra-- -Oh, Terra--
-Yes! It's so good! - No, Mom, please!
- Yeah? - It's me.
-Oh, hi. Come on up.
-Are you Max? -Veronica?
Yeah.
So you're Max who likes to rock climb and likes chillwave music? Wow.
And you're from the greatest city in the world?
New York. Yep.
Huh. Max who likes to chitchat with his customers, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah, unless that customer doesn't want to chitchat with him, right?
Uh, yes.
Take Sand Canyon Avenue.
Oh, no, I was gonna take Irvine Center to Jeffrey's...
Sand Canyon Avenue. Okay.
I hope this completely silent ride was to your satisfaction.
You have to wait here until I get inside, okay?
And not just in the lobby, like all the way inside into the elevator.
I'm gonna be watching you
to make sure that you're watching me.
Remember I haven't rated you yet.
-I haven't rated you yet either. -I heard that.
Oh, my God.
Hey!
- Oh, my God. Hey! - What?
Oh, my God! Hey! You have to follow that car.
-Follow that car! -No. Who even is that?
It's a guy who's been stalking my mom and me. Please! Follow him!
No one knows where he's been!
-Please! I beg you. -Yeah.
Please.
Why am I doing this?
-Go! -I can't keep doing this.
-You're gonna lose him! Please! -I'm going. I'm going.
I'm going. Relax. Please just relax, okay?
This is insane.
-Why doesn't he have brake lights on? -He doesn't want anyone to see him.
Obviously!
Go! Go! Go!
-No, don't stop. Go! -I'm not doing that.
-Please go! -I'm not doing that!
You can do this! I know you can do it.
Oh, my God!
You're fine.
That was really badass.
Keep going.
What is he doing?
No!
-Okay. -Dammit!
-What do we do? -Dammit!
Oh, my God, this is bad! I don't know what we do.
-Do you want me to turn around? -No! No! Wait... No.
Uh...
Go to Campus Road, okay? And then I'll direct you when we get there.
-Okay. Where are we going? -We're gonna go to my sister's.
- So? - No, it's...
It's not him. The...
The hood is cold.
Okay. Um...
Well, I think we should check up in the parking structure too.
Uh...
-Okay. Do you have the key card? -No.
No, that's broken. You can just roll it open with your hand.
Do you want me to--
I'm gonna just check on Terra. You go do that, okay?
Hold that!
Hey, thank you.
Hey, Cash.
It's okay. It's just me.
-Hey. -Hey. He wasn't up there.
-Did you see a Prius? -Did I see a...
Prius? Yeah, I saw, like, ten Prius.
-Is that what your sister drives? -Yeah.
Did you talk to her?
No.
But I heard her dog, so I know that she's home.
-Okay, great. -Am I going crazy?
No, right? I'm not going crazy.
I'm not.
Look, I don't really know you.
I wanna wait here and keep watch.
You wanna keep watch?
-Uh-uh. -Okay. Until when?
Until it's light out.
Obviously.
I'm not gonna sleep at all tonight.
And I don't wanna wake up Terra and freak her out if John isn't here.
She's way more fragile than I am, and I'm supposed to protect her, you know.
So, yeah, I want to wait.
Hey.
Listen.
If you're not gonna be a dick about waiting with me,
then I will let you...
tell me your top five favorite chillwave albums.
And...
you can tell me why you love each one so much.
Ten favorites, and...
I get to play you tracks to illustrate why.
Fine. One track.
-It's really not-- -From each album.
It's not that bad.
Sure.
Yes.
-Hey! -Hi.
What are you... What are you doing here?
-It's like barely morning. -Yeah, I know.
-Come sit down with me. Come on. -Okay.
-Terra. -Yeah?
John was outside my apartment last night.
How do you know it was him?
Because I saw his face, Terra. It was him.
He was on the phone in his car, and then he took off driving like a lunatic.
So we chased him to the freeway,
and then we came here and waited outside all night to see if he came.
-Wait. "We chased him." Who's we? -I need you to keep your eyes open.
Last night was like game-time, okay?
No, I get it. I just...
-I get it. -No.
You can't just say that you get it. I need you to be aware.
So he was in,like, a black sedan, four-door.
I don't know the make of the car,
but it was black and it had broken brake lights.
Ronnie, I'm not even gonna be around anyway.
I'm picking up Ava after work
and we're going to Desert Barrel till Monday, remember?
-Lawn seats. -Terra.
Okay. Okay.
I get it.
Black, four-door sedan...
with broken brake lights, right?
Yeah.
It was really creepy.
Sunscreen, phone charger, power pack thing, flushable wipes,
collapsible chair.
I don't know where my chair is.
Because you left it in my car.
Oh, can you bring it?
Yes.
Jean shorts, jean mini, tees, underwear, boots, hat, poncho.
Expert-level music fest packing done.
And did you reserve a locker?
Yes.
And did you get the keyless kind so someone won't lose their keys?
Yes, bitch.
Okay. I'll come pick you up at five, okay?
Yay! I'll be ready at 5:01.
-Okay. -Love you, boo boo.
See ya.
Should I call the cops?
I don't know, honey. Do you wanna call the cops?
I don't know.
Yeah, kind of.
Well...
I mean, he stole my car and set it on fire and they didn't do anything.
Do you really think
that you saying that you think you saw him
-in his car by your building-- -Mom,
I did see him. Okay?
And nothing happened because I saw him before anything could actually happen.
- Hey. - Hey.
I feel like you can't cover shifts this weekend, but I can't remember why.
-No, I'm going to Desert Barrel. -Oh, that's right.
I don't think they're gonna do anything until something does actually happen.
So we just have to protect ourselves.
When do you leave, and when are you back?
I go from here and I pick up my friend,
and then I... Oh.
-Damn. -What?
I forgot my bag.
But are you back by Sunday or no?
No. No.
Well...
I don't think he's gonna come back here.
I kind of wish he would, though...
so we could get his psycho ass on camera.
Honey,
we don't know what he's gonna do.
So we have to be careful.
He just has to get lucky one time.
Come on. Come on!
Hey.
Do you remember me?
Help! Help!
Argh! You--
Argh!
-Are you okay? You're bleeding. -But...
My...
-I need my-- -Okay. Okay.
Can you take some deep breaths for me?
Breathe in and out, okay?
-You got him? Is he breathing? -I don't know.
-Turn him over. -Call 9-1-1
Can you just breath? Just breathe.
There's been a stabbing. A male and a female.
The male's not doing well.
Hi. Are you on the road?
Mom!
Terra, what's the matter, honey?
What is it?
Mom...
I think...
I think I killed your husband.
What?
-I'm sorry. -Where are you, Terra?
What happened?
At my... At my apartment.
I'm coming, Terra. I'm coming.
I'm coming.
- I got it. - One, two, breathe.
- Breathe! - Okay, come on.
Miss,
can you tell me what happened?
Is he...
Is he dead? Is he dead?
I killed him.
Is he dead? Is he dead?
I killed him.
Is he dead?
Where's my mom? Is she here yet?
-I just checked. -I wanna talk to her.
-She's on her way. When she gets here-- -Is he dead?
Is John...
How do you know him?
He's married to my mom.
He's your stepfather?
No. No.
What... What does that mean?
They were gonna get a divorce.
So, what's your relationship with him?
I hate him.
He was...
trying to take my mom away.
Okay.
So while we wait for your mom, can you try to tell me what happened?
-Ma'am, I'm Detective Layton. -Where's my daughter?
I've been told she's doing fine. She does not need surgery.
-She's being treated for shock. -Can I see her?
As soon as the doctors give us the all clear, I will take you to her.
But while we wait for that,
there's something that we need you to do for us.
-If you come with me, please. -Okay.
Shot to the head or...
or stab to the head.
Then you kill the zombie.
But you weren't thinking John was a zombie?
No.
You know, I...
I've had dreams...
of this moment.
But I just... I never... I never thought that...
it would happen.
I just thought that...
if there were ever...
a zombie apocalypse,
I'd know what to do.
So it sounds like
you absorbed the mindset of the television show
more than any particular technique, necessarily.
So, what would you say that mindset was?
Kill...
or be killed.
Brain death is different from being in a vegetative state.
There's no evidence of cortical brain or brain stem activity.
And what does that mean?
That he'd be unable to cough or swallow or breathe on his own.
So if I say to unplug the machines...
he won't be able to breathe? He'll stop breathing?
Yes.
Do you know why he's here?
Did somebody tell you what he did?
This responsibility for him...
I don't want it.
You'll have to find someone else.
Hey! Excuse me. Is that Terra Newell's room?
-Oh, my God! -Ma'am, Miss Newell's being questioned.
-I need to see my sister. Please let me-- -I can't.
Where's my mom? She said was in the hospital.
-She's here. -Where? She should be in here with--
We asked her to identify John Meehan for us
while we asked your sister some questions.
Why? What are you questioning her about? You should give her a goddamn medal.
Hi!
Terra!
Down this way.
The scans...
The brain scans...
That's it, right? They're not waiting for anything else?
I mean, he's...
never coming back?
No, he's not.
Your brother's gone.
Honestly, he was gone when they brought him here.
Okay.
He should go off the machines.
Take him off.
Can I give you a couple of minutes with him first, to say goodbye?
I already said it.
-Hi. -Hey.
Are you John's sister?
-Denise. -Denise, yes. I'm--
-You must be Debra. -Debra, yes.
Well, it's nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Sorry, I...
He told me about you, but, you know...
he lied about so many things, so I'm just...
It's nice to see you're real.
Yeah. And I didn't even know you existed until a little while ago.
Yes, well...
I'm the one who fell for him.
Please don't blame yourself.
He did it to me.
Conned me, lied to me.
And I know that you've been through hell.
You know, when I thought about him dying...
I thought it probably wouldn't be something natural.
An overdose, or...
someone coming after him for something he'd done to them.
God.
Not this.
Never anything like this.
I'm...
What's her name?
They didn't tell me her name.
My daughter?
Terra.
She needs to meet you. Would you like to meet her?
Oh, yes. Of course.
Okay. Let's go.
- Hi, sweetheart. - Hi.
I brought someone I want you to meet.
This is Denise. This is John's sister.
It's okay.
He was your brother.
He had... He had kids.
And he was someone's father.
And I took him away from all of you.
I killed him.
I think it says a lot...
that after everything you've been through, this is what you're thinking about.
John had daughters and a sister and a niece...
because those are names that you call people who are related to you by blood.
But he was as alone as a person can be,
and that's because that's what he wanted.
You didn't take him away from us.
I'm just really grateful that you're alive so that I can tell you that.
- Okay, go ahead, sweetie. - Ow.
-Oh, is it hurting? -No, it's okay. It's fine.
-Do you want me to take Cash? -No, I've got this. It's okay.
-You need help with your belt? -No, I'm okay.
Okay.
-Terra? -Yeah?
I'm so sorry.
I am so sorry.
-Mom-- -That I did this to you.
I brought him into our lives.
You know, I put you in danger.
Mom, we don't have to...
We really don't have to talk about it right now.
Oh, I know. You're so tired, sweetie.
Let's get this girl home, Cash.
Hi, Ms. Newell. This is Chris Goffard from the LA Times.
I know the Daily Pilot broke the story about your daughter and John Meehan,
and I'd like to talk to you about your experience.
I just have a lot of questions.
Please give me a call, and I'll lay out what I have in mind. Thanks.
Crime scene's already been through this pretty thoroughly.
They took everything they thought was relevant,
but I still thought it would be good to bring you here. Fresh eyes.
Maybe you'll pick up on something they didn't see.
Oh, my God.
I had no idea
that this even existed, that he was living like this.
I... What would I be looking for?
Um...
Maybe just an everyday object that might...
have some meaning, might have some use for him,
that you recognize, for whatever reason, as significant.
Or maybe nothing.
It's fine either way.
Plus, everything in here belongs to you as his next of kin.
Lucky me.
Oh.
Hm.
What's that?
Just...
Doesn't he look happy?
He looks really happy to me.
So...
I wanted to let you know, formally,
that the Meehan investigation has concluded...
and that my office has decided not to bring charges.
Well, that's great news.
-Thank you. -No, thank you.
If there's anything I can do for either of you, please let me know.
Are there pictures in that file?
Like...
Like autopsy photos or whatever?
There are.
I need to see them.
When...
they were taking him,
no one would even...
tell me he was dead.
I know he's dead now. I...
I just don't know...
what that is. What I did.
Terra, honey.
Those are the kind of things...
once you look at it, you can't ever unsee it.
Your mother's right.
They're really brutal.
It's a lot to handle.
Okay. Well, I don't know if I can handle it or not,
I just know that I need to see them.
Are you okay, honey?
Yeah, I'm fine.
They were on the second floor when I came out of chambers.
I saw them with Murphy.
Oh. Is he charging her? The daughter?
No. Self-defense.
Oh, good. I start trial next week.
Not charging her frees up Murphy to help me.
Which one are you on now?
Married man having an affair. Girlfriend tells him he has to choose,
-so he kills the wife. -Like you do!
Of course, he met the girlfriend on the Internet,
and apparently, that's where the mom met this John Meehan.
Married him a month later.
That is so not slow.
Talk about a rotten apple.
Have you ever heard of a criminal defendant
with ongoing restraining orders from multiple unrelated women,
multiple judges signing off independently?
- That the mom knew about? - She had to know something.
A history like his, there's always a red flag.
I'm always amazed how guys like that get away with it.
I'm amazed she let him get away with it.
I just hope she knows how lucky she is.
Ninety-nine times out of a hundred in this scenario,
the guy's on the run and the daughter's dead on the side of the freeway.
- Later, I think Grandma's-- - No, go fish.
Hey!
There they are. Hello.
- Hi. - Say hi, kiddos.
- Hi, sweetie! - There are my monkeys! Hi.
I just think it's funny.
Oh...
It's not.
All that time, all that effort, and all the hospital resources
to help keep him alive so they can harvest his organs.
-Veronica! -Then they get in there, finally,
and his organs are totally destroyed from all of those drugs.
Oh, whatever. It's really funny.
Even his organs sucked.
I don't know how a person's supposed to eat.
Very Veronica.
How's Terra?
I mean, how is she really?
Well...
she says that she's fine.
I don't know how she can be, after going through something like that.
I know.
But you know, Mom, she is so strong.
I had no idea how strong she is.
I wish I didn't know.
I don't know...
I don't know how... how this happened.
I don't know how I did this to her and to the family.
I don't know how I didn't see it.
You didn't do anything to anybody.
-Well-- -No, honey. Debbie, you were in love.
And you have to forgive yourself.
Debbie, you do.
Terra has.
I know she has.
We all forgive you. We all love you so much.
You're already forgiven.
You hear me?
You're forgiven.
Thanks, Mom.
Right, of course.
Kaboom!
You've reached Chris Goffard at the LA Times.
Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you.
Hi, Mr. Goffard. Chris.
This is Debra Newell.
I got your message.
Thank you so much for your interest in our story, and...
I think I'd like to get this story out there
for people to know...
what he did.
What John did.
And I know it's not gonna be an easy story to tell.
Probably won't make me look very good, but...
But I...
I'd like for it to help some people, and maybe...
help some women to know what to look for and to know how to avoid...
this happening to them, and...
And if that's possible, then it'll be worth it to me.
So I hope you'll call me back, and...
I look forward to talking to you.
Debra Newell.
Thank you.