[film projector clacking]
♪♪♪
- So, he touched you on top of your clothes,
or underneath? - On top,
but... he tried to put his hand under my shirt.
- What happened then? - Well, I told him to stop,
and then I ran out.
- Where was Traci at that time?
- Um, she was just on her way in,
and... and she was just standing there.
- Goggles are to protect the eyes, not the hair.
[students laughing] Fantastic look, though.
Where's your lab partner today, Lee?
- I don't know. I haven't seen her this morning.
- [Detective]: What did you see when you opened the door?
- I saw him touch her.
Between her...
you know, between her legs.
- Did she say anything?
- No. She just ran out crying.
- She said nothing?
- No, she said, "Stop."
- What happened then?
- I mean... nothing.
Um... I followed her out into the hall.
I asked her what happened in there.
And she said that he tried to grab her
and that it happened several times.
I told her she had to tell someone.
She... said she didn't want to
'cause she thought no one would believe her.
- Why did she think that?
- Maybe... 'cause it's his word against hers.
I don't know.
- All right. Thank you.
Ma'am,
can I talk to you privately? - Yes, of course.
- You did the right thing by telling the truth, sweetie.
- I don't... think
this sort of thing would have happened at my old school.
- No, this could have happened anywhere.
I'm just glad it wasn't you.
Oh, God, that poor girl.
[knocking] - Hi.
Gilbert, I'm gonna need you to step out
into the hallway, please. - Why? What's going on?
- Just step out, or they'll come in.
- [boy]: OK, he looks scared. - [principal]: Everyone, please, back to your tables.
- Step out, sir. Take the jacket off.
Gilbert Adkins, you're under arrest for criminal sexual contact with a minor.
- What? - You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot
afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.
If you choose to answer any questions without an attorney present...
- [principal]: Please, everyone, just back to work.
- Thank you so much, Traci.
I really couldn't have done this without you.
You know, maybe this will inspire other people to come forward,
'cause who knows how many girls he's done this to?
- I should probably get to class.
[school bell]
- ♪ Every day is the same
♪ Nothing's every gonna come my way ♪
♪ At least as long as I am here ♪
♪ Maybe I should just disappear ♪
- What did they ask her? - [Her side of the story.]
- So, just basically what she saw?
- Pretty much.
I think it helped that the detective was a woman.
- Well, good. I'm glad that's over with.
- [Yeah, me too. We can talk about it when I get home.]
Oh, hey, will you call me when you get back from the cardiologist?
- Uh, yeah, yeah, I, um...
I had to reschedule that.
- Don, come on. You told me you weren't gonna flake out again on those appointments.
- Tony asked me to pull a double. I had no choice.
- Well, tell Tony you have dangerously high blood pressure
and you need this doctor's appointment.
- Honey, I'm fine. I'll see him next week.
- It takes a month to get in.
- Then I'll see him in a month.
Please relax. Everything's OK.
- Hey, Dad. - Oh, Traci's here.
- Traci? She left school?
- Yeah, apparently.
Let me, uh, see what's up and I'll call you back.
- [OK, call me back.]
- Hey, sweetie. - Hey.
- What are you doing here?
- Didn't feel like staying.
- Hey, I can understand that.
How about an Italian soda? - Sure.
Cherry? - Cherry. I'll be right back.
- ♪ Every day is the same
- So...
other than creepy teachers,
how's life?
A shrug. What does that mean,
huh? You love your new school, everybody's fantastic.
You wish you'd transferred years ago, right?
- More like, I have hardly any friends,
no one really talks to me,
and I still hate myself for messing up my knee.
- Honey, come on. What's done is done.
You weren't meant to go to college on a track scholarship.
- Maybe I wasn't meant to go to college at all.
- That I completely disagree with.
- Yeah, but look at both you and Mom.
Neither of you went to college and you're both really successful.
You're a manager, and Mom owns her own shop.
- Your mom has Aileen. Aileen went to college,
has a business degree, and even then they're struggling.
Believe me, going to college, you'll have a leg up.
- I just... I don't even know what I want to do.
All I wanted was to compete.
- Like I said, what's done is done, OK?
The quicker you let go of it,
the quicker you move on to figure out what you want to do.
- Thanks for bailing me out, huh? - Of course.
You gonna tell June?
- Yeah, when she wakes up in the morning.
It's the middle of the night there - seven hours ahead.
So, I guess that's it, then, huh?
Thirty years building a career.
One lie, one false accusation,
and it's over.
Scotch, gin, or whiskey?
- Whatever you're having.
- How about all three?
It's been one hell of a day.
- You can say that again. Don't be discouraged.
You've won how many teaching awards? - That doesn't matter.
Even if I can prove these girls are lying, people are still gonna wonder,
"Did he get away with it?"
[Adkins sighs.]
As teachers, we're screwed.
I mean, you do the best you can,
you try to help the kids that need it,
be a good role model.
But one kids wants to ruin your life, she can.
- Why'd this girl hate you so much?
- I don't know. Stupid reasons.
Devon doesn't think the rules apply to her.
She's always been handed anything she wants.
You know, I'd take away her cell phone or give her a detention.
A couple of weeks ago, she failed an exam
and complained that I didn't give them enough time to prepare.
And I wouldn't be surprised if she was behind my broken laptop too.
- Laptop? - Yeah.
Last week, my laptop goes missing,
somehow gets smashed into pieces by the loading dock.
Who did it?
I want to know, and I want to know right now.
This is not like gluing an eraser to a chalkboard.
This is wilful destruction of school property.
Not to mention the fact that every document I need to do my job is on that computer.
- Well, you could have backed it up.
[students chuckling] - Devon, do you find this funny?
- No, not at all.
- I will find out who did this, and when I do,
I will go to the police.
Kids play pranks; I get that,
but this was vindictive. I wouldn't put it past her.
- What about that other girl, though, the one that said she witnessed it?
- Yeah, that one I can't figure out.
Traci's new. She transferred here from Monroe
at the start of the year. She's conscientious.
Average marks, but you can tell she's trying hard.
She's certainly not a troublemaker.
But who knows?
Maybe... maybe Devon paid her off.
- What does your lawyer say?
- We'll fight, but so what?
I can't teach.
- If you prove they made it up,
you could sue Devon and her father for libel.
Punitive damages - you'd make out pretty well.
Just trying to be positive, is all.
- Teaching is my life.
I'm good at it. I inspire those kids.
- I know you do. - I mean, I still get letters
from them, years after they graduate, telling me what a difference I made.
Now I'm gonna lose everything,
and have my name on some sex offenders list.
No.
No way.
That's not the life I signed up for.
I don't want that. Ever.
- You mean he touched you? Just now?
[Devon crying] - I didn't know what to do,
so I just... I told him to stop and I... I ran out.
- Oh, honey. [Devon crying]
I'm so sorry.
I think you need to tell the principal.
- Would you come with me? - Of course.
- You think you could... tell her that you saw it?
- But I didn't see it. - I know, but
no one's gonna believe me if I don't have anyone
to back me up. They're gonna think I'm lying.
Please.
- How's the studying going?
- Fine. Thanks for the snacks. - Sure.
- Hey, Mom?
Can I ask you something? - Sure.
- What's going to happen to Mr. Adkins
now that he's been arrested?
- Mmm... Well, if he pleads guilty
or is convicted, he's probably gonna go to prison.
- For how long?
- I don't know.
What he did
was a very, very serious thing.
He's certainly not gonna ever teach again.
- Never again? - Well, the schools have
a responsibility to keep the kids safe.
- I just didn't realize that he wouldn't ever be able to teach again.
- Hey, you did the right thing, OK? Mr. Adkins
made his own choice.
I'm proud of you. Don't feel guilty for telling the truth.
- I don't... feel guilty.
- Good. You did the right thing.
- Thank you.
- Hit those books.
- I am, don't worry.
Thank you.
- Dad.
What are you gonna do? You can't let her get away with this.
- I can't make contact with either of those girls. There's nothing much I can do;
[just let my lawyer handle it.]
- This is completely insane.
How are you holding up?
[sigh]
- Ask me that again after I get some sleep.
- I'm coming home. - [What? No.]
No, I don't want you to do that. There's nothing for you to do here anyway.
- I can be there to support you. - No.
You need to finish out that contract down there.
- They can live without me for a few weeks.
This is a family emergency.
[I'll be on the next available flight.]
[It probably won't be until sometime tomorrow.]
- All right.
You're gonna do what you want to anyway, aren't you?
- Damn right.
[I love you.]
I'll email you my flight info later,
and I'll see you in a few days.
- I love you too.
- Get some sleep.
- Ah, I'll try.
[cell phone chime] - [boy]: Who is it?
- It's Traci.
She wants to talk about... I don't know.
- Answer her. I don't mind.
- No, I am all about you right now.
[footsteps]
- Hey, guys. - Hi, Daddy.
Is that my car?
- Not until I see those CAT scores.
- I know, but don't worry.
- Chief, pour me one of those.
You'd better not distract her from studying, kiddo.
[He chuckles.] - Wouldn't dream of it, sir.
I want her to have that car as much as she does.
- How you doing, honey? Better?
- Yeah.
- Not bad at all.
Just promise me you won't quit your job at my office and become a bartender.
- No way, sir. And thank you, by the way, for hooking me up with that.
- You've thanked me a hundred times already. Just be good
to my little girl so I don't have to break your legs.
- Daddy, he treats me like a princess.
- You two don't stay up too late.
- We won't.
- Good night.
- [mother]: You're up early.
- Yeah, I want to meet up with Leigh to study.
Any deliveries today? - No.
Hopefully next week. You want some coffee?
- No, I'd better get going.
- Bye. - Bye.
- Love you. - Love you.
- Hey. You look cute.
Sorry about not being able to talk last night, but what's up?
- It's just, the more I think about it, the more I feel
like it's a way bigger deal than we realize.
- What do you mean by "a bigger deal"?
- What if they make us testify in court?
- Well, they might, but my dad thinks
he's gonna plea out anyway. Why are you so worried?
I mean, if anything,
just say the exact same thing you said to the cops.
- That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who lied.
- Traci, what you did for me was amazing,
and I know you feel bad about lying, but you shouldn't.
You know, last night was
the first time in a really long time that I didn't have
a bad dream about him, and that's because of you.
You were here for me,
so I'm totally gonna be there for you too. Whatever you need.
You've got a friend for life.
OK? So no stress.
Especially about Adkins, all right?
It's better for everyone that he's gone.
And... you know, the guilt, it'll pass. I promise.
- I guess.
- All right. And if we have to go to court, we'll deal with it together, OK?
- All right.
- I have to go, but we'll talk later, OK?
- OK. - See ya.
- [Adkins]: "Thinking of your lessons all the time.
"Thanks for being the best teacher ever.
Peter."
Thirty years building a career. One lie,
one false accusation, and it's over.
No.
No way.
That's not the life I signed up for.
I don't want that. Ever.
- ♪ Hold my hand, I am cold ♪
- Sorry, we don't open till 11.
- Well, I'm not here to eat.
I was hoping to talk to Don Scott.
- That would be me.
I'm Don. What can I do for you?
- I'm Gilbert Adkins,
Traci's chemistry teacher.
Look, I know what you're thinking.
I just need to talk to you for a minute. Please.
I've known Traci for a few months. She seems like a good kid.
But the truth is, she's corroborating something that never took place.
And I was hoping you could talk to her and maybe find out what's really going on.
And of course if she does recant,
I'll do everything possible to make sure there are no
repercussions for her.
- Look, I don't know what happened between you and that girl. I wasn't there.
But what I do know is my daughter doesn't lie,
so if she said she saw it, she saw it.
- I've worked with kids for a lot of years,
and sometimes they make mistakes in judgement.
Now, this Devon, she's a queen bee.
Every girl in that school wants to either be her friend or be her.
- You think Traci lied because she wants to be part of Devon's clique?
- I don't know.
That's what I was hoping you could find out.
I've devoted me entire life to teaching.
I'm about to lose everything.
Everything, for something I didn't do.
And all I'm asking you to do is just explain to Traci
it's not too late to tell the truth.
- [man]: Come on, pick it up, kids!
[whistle blown]
- Forget about yesterday.
Just think about right now.
Right now. [whistle blown]
- Hey.
- Hey, honey.
You're doing beautiful.
- What are you doing here, Dad?
- I just wanted to have a little chat about something.
Figured it would be better
to do it here than at the house.
- What is it?
- Gilbert Adkins came to the restaurant today.
- Why?
- He asked me to talk to you,
and I told him I would.
He claims he never did anything inappropriate with your friend
Devon.
And here's the deal:
either he did it,
he's desperate to get out of trouble,
or he didn't do it.
And if he didn't do it,
it's impossible for you to have seen it.
Trace, you've always told the truth,
even when it was the harder path.
And if you didn't this time,
I figure there's gotta be a damn good reason why.
You see, though,
in this particular situation,
the stakes, they're high.
They're real high.
So, that damn good reason, whatever it is,
it isn't damn good enough.
- I get it.
- I know you do.
That's why I'm gonna ask you this once,
and I'll never bring it up again.
Did you see him touch that girl?
- He did it.
I saw him.
- All right. That's all I wanted to know.
You want a lift back?
- Um... no.
I'm gonna stay here a little while longer.
- OK. See you back at the house.
- Hi, this is Gilbert Adkins. Please leave a message.
- Hey, Dad. I ended up going ahead and getting into a cab
because I haven't heard from you.
Can you please call me when you get this?
Otherwise, I guess I'll, um, I'll just see you at home.
OK, bye.
- Ugh, I can't wait till we're done this media project.
Who knew editing footage could be so tedious?
- I love it. It's so much better than math and science
and all that boring crap.
- Ah, that's sad.
- Not really. He's a creep.
- Well, supposedly the girl he touched was Devon Cavanor, though.
- Well, how'd you hear that?
- Supposedly she was bragging about getting him fired
to one of her groupies, and someone overheard. Who knows if it's true?
It could have been someone else, but if it was her, I bet she made it up.
- Why would you say that?
You know, I've been in a situation where
people didn't believe me, and it really sucked.
- Like when?
- It was a long time ago.
But this really mean kid told the teacher
he saw me steal something, which I didn't,
but everything thought I was lying.
As it turns out, he was the one who was the thief, but I took the blame.
- That's completely different. You're trustworthy and honest.
Devon's a complete liar.
- What are you talking about?
- OK, a year ago, she said her mom lived in Paris
and she was gonna go visit her, and they were gonna go
to Monte Carlo to go shopping, blah, blah, blah.
- So, what, her mom doesn't live there?
- Her mom committed suicide three years ago,
in some hotel in LA.
- Dad?
He left me a message saying
that he would pick me up from the airport.
I got it when I landed. Why would he say that and then not be here?
- I think Gil is more upset than he's letting on.
I don't want to call the police.
If I say he's missing, it's gonna look like he skipped town.
- OK, so what do we do?
Do we drive around and look for him?
[cell phone ringing]
- Yes, this is Gary.
Yes, I'm his brother - well, his half-brother.
Oh, my god.
I'll be there right away.
- What is it? Where is he?
- They found his car near Colfax Bridge.
There's a note inside.
- [man]: I'm gonna need an evidence bag over here.
- [man]: Tape the area off.
- June. The officer said this note
was on the dash.
The car was unlocked, the keys were in the ignition.
- "Please forgive me for what will seem like a drastic act
"to most of you. I feel as if my life is over.
"I did something I shouldn't have done, and I apologize
"to those I have hurt.
"Please remember me for my life in its entirety;
"not just the mistakes I made.
Gilbert Adkins."
This can't be happening.
- I'm so sorry.
- [announcement]: All seniors, please report to the lecture hall.
- [girl]: Give me back my book. - [principal]: Take your seats, please.
Thank you for coming and allowing me to interrupt
whatever you were working on in your respective classrooms.
I received news about half an hour ago
that Mr. Adkins, whom you know had been placed
on administrative leave earlier this week,
has committed suicide.
[students murmuring] - [boy]: Suicide?
- Many of you have come to me with questions and concerns
about what has happened here in the last few days.
I'm unable to give any information
about the investigation surrounding Mr. Adkins' arrest.
I know that many of you were... you were quite close with him and you would like answers.
I know nothing about the details of his death.
The detective I spoke with on the phone said that the story
is gonna break on tonight's evening news, and he said
they'd be releasing more information at that time.
There'll be somebody here for you to talk to
starting this afternoon if you would like.
Thank you very much. That's all.
- Are you OK?
- No, I think I'm gonna be sick.
[retching and coughing]
♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I'll live forever
♪ With a dream I've saved
♪ And it would be so perfect
♪ If I knew you'd stay
♪ My arms are open
♪ Wide to the unknown
♪ If we'll never reach ♪
- I need to talk to you right now.
[school bell] - Uh, do you mind
if I catch up with you guys later? Awesome.
What's up? - Have you been
bragging to people that you got him fired?
- Excuse me? What? No.
Of course not.
What? You were there. The police told us
we weren't allowed to talk to anybody about it.
Look, we have to get to class,
so can we talk about this later?
Just meet me in the park after seventh,
all right?
OK, you really gotta stop freaking out like this.
- Are you serious?
- Yeah. This is better for you anyway.
Now you don't have to testify or anything.
- You're unbelievable.
- Uh, no, I'm realistic.
Adkins was an adult man
capable of making his own decisions, right?
None of that falls on you or me.
So, please, stop whining and feeling guilty,
and move on.
- I don't think I can.
- What is that supposed to mean exactly?
- I should go to the cops
and tell them I wasn't there and I didn't see anything.
- Well, you can't do that. - It doesn't mean
it didn't happen. It just means I didn't see it.
- Do you understand the consequences of that?
Because if you tell anyone that you lied,
they're gonna think Adkins was innocent.
And if they think that,
then his death suddenly becomes our fault,
which it obviously isn't. So it's more important
now than ever for you to keep our secret.
OK?
We have to make people believe that he actually did it.
- Did he?
- Of course. Oh, my god.
Please. I... I trusted you to believe me.
And I'm never gonna change my story that he did it.
All right? He assaulted me.
You have
my word, so please give me yours.
- I promise.
- Thank you.
It's gonna be OK.
I knew this was a bad idea.
- What are you talking about? It was your idea.
- What? No, it was my idea to make up
the sexual harassment story, yeah, but it was your idea
to steal Adkins' computer. - Whoa, whoa.
No, it was your idea. You were the one that wanted me to get those CAT answers off of it.
I did it for you so you could get your car. - Please. You said it yourself.
You want me to have that car just as badly as I do.
I feel like you're not
taking this seriously. She could be a really big problem.
- But I am, though.
What do you want me to do to fix this situation? And I'll do it.
- I have no idea, Jay, but if we don't figure it out,
God, we're gonna be in a lot of trouble.
- I'm sure you can find a way to keep Traci on your side.
I know you can.
You're amazing.
- [Adkins]: Why did you do this to me? [gasp]
This is your fault! [scream]
[gasp]
- I'm here at Colfax
Bridge, where Gilbert Adkins, the teacher accused of fondling
a student at Powelton High reportedly
jumped to his death late last night.
Adkins had been on administrative leave
after the student claimed she was inappropriately touched
by the chemistry teacher. Authorities will put off
the search for Adkin's body tonight due to darkness,
but have assembled a dive team to continue the search... - Traci, what are you
doing down here? - Oh, I couldn't sleep.
It's so heavy.
Taking your own life.
- Yeah, it is.
He wasn't a well man.
I don't think we'll ever understand that.
- I guess.
- Hey, come upstairs, OK? Get in your own bed.
You'll sleep better. - OK.
- Come on. - OK, OK.
- He was gonna proctor the CAT exam.
[cell phone ringing]
- Hello? - man: [June Gailey?]
- Yes. - [We believe we've recovered]
[your father's body.]
- So, where are we with all that?
- I finished the application for the bank loan.
- OK, how long does it take?
- Depends, but I'll ask to push it through
as quickly as possible. Cross your fingers.
All right, what is it?
Talk to me. Is it Don?
[sigh] - No, it's nothing.
I don't know.
I mean, his father
died from heart disease when Don was like 12 years old.
You'd think that he would take this seriously.
- A lot of guys are like that. If they ignore a problem, then it doesn't exist.
Look,
I know you love him and you want what's best for him,
but until he decides to take control of this himself,
there's nothing you can do. Stop driving yourself crazy.
- You're probably right. - Mm-hmm.
- This is from a week ago.
So, what printer did he use for the suicide note?
- There you go.
- I just don't get it.
Nothing about the note make sense.
- What do you mean? - Well, how did he write it?
There's no history of it on his computer at all.
- Maybe he deleted it.
- No. No, there was stuff in his trash bin over a year old.
And when I put paper in the printer,
it printed stuff that was added to the queue last week.
There's no way that he printed it from home.
- That is kinda strange.
What else?
You said there's something weird about the note itself?
- He mentioned twice
that he was sorry for his mistake.
What mistake? When I spoke to him,
he was adamant that the girls were lying.
- He was like that with me too.
- What if he didn't kill himself?
- You mean somebody could have done that to him?
Killed him then faked the note?
- The girl that accused him, Devon, her father is some
rich surgeon, right?
What if he took justice into his own hands?
He could have hired someone.
- Well...
anything is possible, I suppose.
I don't think she showed you how really depressed he was.
He believed his career was over and there was no way he could recover.
I believe he could have decided to take his own life.
- I just...
I feel like there's something more to this than we know.
- We always investigate suspicious deaths as possible homicides,
but in this case,
it looks very much like your father chose to jump off that bridge.
- But...
Well, what about the weirdness of the note?
And the timing?
He knew that I was on a flight back from Uganda.
- When people commit suicide,
they... they don't act logically.
- All that I'm asking is that you investigate the possibility
that someone had him killed because of this scandal at the school.
I know in my heart that my father never touched Devon Cavanor inappropriately.
I just feel like there might be something more going on.
- Until the autopsy report comes back,
the investigation is ongoing.
I promise you. We'll look at every angle.
- Thank you.
That's all that I ask.
- [boy]: So, how long have you been teaching?
- Ooh, um, a long time, 21 years.
- What's your favourite thing about it? I mean, what's
kept you going this long?
- Uh, I guess the best thing is when a student comes back
a decade after they graduate,
and the tell you how you changed their lives.
The fact that they remember you,
that they remember what you taught them, and that it had a profound effect...
- [Devon]: Traci?
Oh, hey. What you up to?
- Um, just working on a project.
My deadline's coming up really fast.
- Yeah, sounds boring.
Uh, do you want to go for lunch? 'Cause my boyfriend's here
to pick me up. You can come. My treat.
- That sounds really fun, but Leigh is gonna kill me if I don't get this done, so...
- OK. Well, Friday
there's a concert in the park. I can get us front-row seats.
- I actually already have plans Friday.
Um, but next time, for sure.
- OK, cool, yeah.
Uh, enjoy your project thing. - Thanks.
- Bye. - Bye.
- She coming?
- No, and she doesn't want to hang out with us on Friday either.
- Ah... screw her, then. Let's go eat. I'm starving.
- No, it's a problem.
We can't let her distance herself.
- So... what do you want to do about it?
- I don't know yet.
But we really have to figure something out.
[knocking]
- June.
So sorry about your father.
- Thank you.
- Uh, please, sit down.
It's been a while.
You're, uh,
just as beautiful as always.
That's probably inappropriate.
You're likely married or something.
- No.
Eighteen months in Uganda can be pretty rough on a relationship.
- Africa.
That's...
that's so you.
Uh, are you heading back right after the funeral?
- No.
That's why I came to see you, actually.
Well, um, one of the reasons.
I am gonna stick around here
for a while, and I need a teaching position,
so I was hoping
that you could pull some strings
and get me in as a sub.
At Powelton.
- Powelton? Why?
- I don't know.
I'm not sure if it's closure
or what, but...
whatever it is, I need it.
- Yeah, but given what happened with your dad...
- That's why I don't want you to tell them that we're related.
We've never had the same last name.
There's no way that they would know unless you say something.
- Is that such a good idea?
- Nothing seems good right now,
but...
yeah, it's really important to me.
- Well, if you're gonna be around for a while,
maybe I can take you out for lunch or dinner or something?
- I'd really like that.
- And if you need anything, I mean anything at all,
you call me, because... when my mom passed away,
you were the one that got me through that,
and I'd like to be that person for you.
- Thank you.
That, um... that really means a lot.
- OK, um...
I'll talk to you soon.
- Ladies.
How's it going? - Pretty good.
- Dad, that's enough food.
- Speak for yourself!
- There's more where that came from.
- Your dad's really cool.
- Yeah. He is.
- You now have
16 minutes left to complete your CAT exam.
[cell phone ringing]
- Good morning.
- I got good news. I was able to get you in
as an English sub at Powelton. You start Monday. - You're amazing.
- I was thinking maybe we could do an early dinner tonight.
- I would love that. - [Great.]
Well, I'll swing by your Dad's after work and pick you up.
- OK. Thank you again.
- Yeah.
Don't give me that look. You'll like her.
Trust me. Let's go.
You know, you never actually told me how you found out
Gil was your biological father.
- I didn't? - No.
- But you knew
that he left my mom when she was pregnant with me, right?
- No.
- I can't believe we never talked about this.
- Yeah. - OK, well,
um, my mom and dad - Gil -
they weren't ever really together.
Gil got back
from Vietnam, they met,
and then he got sent back like a month later.
And they weren't really into each other enough
to try to make it work long distance, so...
then when I was 26, I decided to find him.
- Why did you wait until you were 26?
'Cause that's when your mother passed away.
- Yeah.
- My father asks about you.
Yeah, when he's, uh,
had too much to drink, he'll say stuff like...
[rough voice]: "Why'd you let her get away?"
[She laughs.]
- And then you say...
- And then I say,
uh...
Oh, I don't know.
I... I never know how to answer that.
- Here's your schedule. Now, you are in room 212.
Your first-period class is AP English,
and I believe your break is right before lunch.
- And the roster of my students is...
- Oh, you'll find that on your desk.
- Great. Thank you. - You're welcome.
- Devon Cavanor, second period.
Now, where's Traci Scott?
Who knows the answer?
Devon?
- What?
- Did you hear the question?
Why didn't Julius Caesar
listen to the soothsayer's warning?
- Because he was inventing Caesar salad.
[students laughing]
- Phone, please.
- I'm sorry?
- It's against school policy to bring phones to class.
You can have it back after school.
Back to Shakespeare.
- I'm looking for Traci Scott.
Thank you.
Traci? - Yeah?
- Hi. I'm June Gailey.
I'm subbing for Mrs. Laurie's English class.
Hi. - Do you have a minute?
I wanted to talk to you about something. - Yeah, yeah, sure.
- So, I hear that you're a runner.
- Well, not anymore.
Not since I injured my knee.
- Right. I heard that too.
I'm sorry.
I'm part of a teachers program
that tries to encourage students to get more fit and active,
and I'm hoping to start a running club here at Powelton.
- That sounds pretty cool.
- Well, I need a student to lead it with me.
And all the girls on the track team are super busy,
so I was wondering if maybe you'd help me out.
- I don't know.
I'm working on getting my grades up.
- Well, how about this?
You help me out with the running club,
and I will tutor you in all of this.
[school bell]
Think about it, OK? We can talk more after school.
- I'll be down at the track. - Perfect. I'll find you.
- OK.
[camera click]
- I'm here for my phone.
- Can I assume that you'll leave it in your locker
from now on when you come to my class?
- You can assume whatever you want.
Have a good day.
Biatch.
[ringing] - [man]: Pick it up, girls. Let's pick it up. Come on.
- Not bad.
- Not good either. My knee's burning up.
- So, hey, I was thinking about the running club, and--
- Hold on one sec. Sorry, my mom called me.
Oh, my god.
- What is it?
- My dad had a heart attack.
They took him to Saint Millicent's. I have to go!
- Traci.
Hey, you're on a bike?
- Yeah. - That hospital's all the way
across town. Why don't you let me drive you?
- Really? - Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, come on. - Thank you.
I just don't want him to die.
- He has a really good chance of making it.
Most heart attack victims survive, sweetie.
- He just wanted me to go to a good college, and I blew it.
- You mean because of your knee? - Yeah.
- It wasn't your fault. Accidents happen.
- It was, though.
I was just screwing around. I was playing paintball.
My parents didn't want me to go, and I snuck out anyway.
And I was running, and I tripped and blew a ligament in my knee,
and then it was surgery,
and then rehab, and then no scholarship.
- I will help you get your grades up. I promise.
- They made me transfer here 'cause it's a better school,
but I hate it.
Everyone's already in their little groups of friends.
I don't fit in anywhere.
- You must have one or two.
- There's Leigh. She's cool.
But... there was...
another girl who I thought was my friend,
but...
she may have lied to me about something.
I don't know if I can trust her.
- What did she lie to you about?
- It's... complicated.
There it is.
There's the hospital.
- Mom! Mom! - Oh, hey.
- How is he? - I don't know. He collapsed at the restaurant. They brought him
over here in an ambulance. I haven't seen him yet.
- Hi, I'm June Gaily.
I'm one of the new subs at Powel.
I was with Traci when she got your call,
so I brought her over in my car. - Thank you so much.
Hey, come on. Sit with me.
[ringing]
[music playing in headphones]
- Hey, you've reached Jay. Leave a message.
- Jay.
- Hey, sweetie, why don't you do some homework or something?
It'll help you take your mind off things.
- I don't have my books or anything here with me.
They're all at the school.
- Well, I have to run back there anyway.
Why don't I go get them for you?
- I'll write down my locker combo for you. Thank you.
- It's not a problem at all.
Jay Allerson.
[sniffling]
Hey. Hey, are you OK?
Come on.
Let's go somewhere and talk.
I'm sure your dad is
gonna be fine.
- It's not just that. It's a bunch of other stuff too.
- Like what?
- I can't talk about it.
- Is it about Mr. Adkins and Devon Cavanor?
- How do you know about that?
- I knew Gilbert Adkins before he died.
Honey, you can talk to me.
Hey, even if you... even if you can't tell your parents,
or the police, you can tell me.
- You know I witnessed it,
what happened between him and Devon?
It was a lie.
I never saw it.
- Why did you say you did, then?
- I saw her come out of his classroom crying.
[Devon crying]
She was so upset.
And I asked her what was wrong,
and she told me what happened.
- [June]: She convinced you to say that you were there?
- She said no one would believe her if she didn't
have a witness. I believed her.
- So, you thought you were doing the right thing by helping her out.
- I think she used me, though.
I found out Devon's lied about stuff in the past.
And...
I don't even know if Mr. Adkins did what she said.
- Why would she want to get Mr. Adkins in trouble?
- I don't know.
All I know is, he killed himself because of it,
and it's my fault.
- Traci, it's gonna be OK. - No, it's not.
- Yes, it is.
It is if you go to the police
and tell them the truth. - I can't.
I can't now. It's too late.
- It's not too late. It's not.
Traci, he was my father.
Gilbert Adkins was my father.
I knew that Devon had lied about what he did to her,
and so I came here hoping that you...
would tell me the truth.
- Hey, there you are.
So, he's out of surgery. He's gonna be fine.
The surgeon says he's stabilized, but unfortunately,
we can't see him until he gets out of the ICU.
- That's really good news, Mom.
- Hey.
Hey, sweetie, you OK?
- Yeah, I just don't feel very well.
I'm gonna walk home.
- Hey, you know what? It's OK. I'll go and I'll drive her.
Traci? Traci, wait. Hey, hey.
Hey. Please.
Let me drive you. - I'm sorry.
I didn't know he was your dad.
- Traci.
Once you tell the truth and you get out from under this lie,
everything's gonna feel a lot better.
- I can't... can't.
- I need to tell you something.
I don't think my father killed himself.
I think that there's a chance that maybe he was murdered.
- Murdered?
By who?
- I don't know,
but there's another person involved, I think.
Devon's boyfriend.
- Is he a student? - No. No, he's a little older,
and he has a record.
- June, seriously,
you gotta be careful. Go to the police.
Let them handle it. - Yeah, they're investigating,
which seems to be code for doing nothing.
- Look, I understand that you don't want people to think your dad's a creep.
But not at the expense of getting yourself hurt.
- I'm pretty sure I can handle this.
- OK, sweetheart, open your eyes.
Congratulations on doing
even better on the CATs than I thought you would.
- Daddy, it's beautiful.
- Oh, my god.
- Right? Do I look good behind the wheel?
- I think you look better naked. - Get in.
- I'll drive.
- Yeah, nice try. Shotgun's
right here.
- [stereo]: ♪♪ Do you even know the truth behind it all? ♪
♪ I think your loneliness is what's caused you to fall ♪
♪ Your knees are shaking
♪ Your thoughts gone cold
- Just do it.
- ♪ Your strength is breaking what you've been told ♪
♪ And tell me why
♪ You chose to go this way
♪ Say next time
♪ Just think before you hesitate ♪
- You are so stupid. You're stupid!
- ♪ Your thoughts gone cold
♪ Your strength is breaking what you've been told ♪
♪ And tell me why
♪ You chose to go this way
♪ Say next time
♪ Just think before you hesitate ♪♪
- See?
Told you everything would work out.
You passed your test, you got your car,
and you don't have some crusty old teacher
out to get you anymore. - Yeah, thanks to you.
- Yeah.
I thought it was gonna be hard.
You know, to do that to someone.
- It wasn't?
- I was thinking about you the whole time.
About how...
what I was doing was the ultimate proof of what I would do for you.
- I'll never forget what you did for me.
- I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
- Yeah, I know you would.
[thud!]
- Oh, my god. What the hell?
- I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
- Have you been drinking?
- I'm just really sorry. I'm just
stupid.
- God, Traci,
what were you thinking? - I can't... Please...
- My god, you could have really hurt yourself,
or killed somebody. - I'm sorry.
I know I shouldn't.
I'll pay for the door.
- It's not about the door, and you know it.
Do you realize how lucky you were?
- I'm sorry. I really am.
- Where were you?
- I was by the island.
Alone.
- What's happened to you, huh?
- What do you mean? - I mean
where is my little girl?
Where is the ambitious, smart young lady
who always made the right decisions?
- What time are you going to see Dad?
- I don't know. Sometime after 10. I have to open up the shop.
- I'd like to see him before I go to school.
- I think you should.
I think he would like that.
- [Traci]: Can I ask you a weird question?
- Those are my favourite kind.
- We all make mistakes, right?
- Some more than others, but... yeah.
- How do you know
when it's too late to fix that mistake?
Like, if it's time to just accept it and move on?
- Any specifics?
- No, just in general.
- Well...
it's never too late to do the right thing.
You may not be able to change the outcome,
but... at least you tried to make things right, huh?
And it's about staying true to your character,
doing everything you can to make the situation better.
Does that answer your question?
- Yeah.
I gotta get to school.
I love you, Dad.
- I love you more.
- Thank you so much. Come back.
[door chime] Well?
- We got the loan! - Yay!
- You're just gonna need to sign some papers.
- OK.
- So, how's Don doing?
- Pretty good. I'm gonna go over there in a couple of minutes.
And I thought about what we talked about the other day, and I wanted to thank you.
You were right.
No more nagging.
[both laughing]
You're a good friend.
- I need to talk to you privately.
There's nothing you can say to change my mind.
I'm just letting you know as a courtesy.
- How many times do I have to tell you?
You cannot tell anyone that you lied!
What do you not get?! - Yes, I can. Tonight
I'm going to tell both of my parents, and then I'm gonna have them
drive me to the police station, and I'm going to tell them.
You can be a part of that, or you don't have to.
It's your choice. - This is way bigger than me.
There are more people involved in this than you know.
- I don't care. It's time to end all of this.
You know that new substitute teacher, Miss Gailey?
Adkins was her father.
Talk about other people being involved.
No kidding. - Traci,
I am warning you, OK? Stay out of this!
- I'm going to the hospital around seven.
You have until then to decide.
- Traci, I--
[alarm tone]
- [boy]: It's all good.
- Don't do it, OK?
- Do not stop for your purses or cell phones.
Walk outside and away from the building.
[cell phone ringing]
Gary, hi.
- [I just spoke with the coroner.]
The autopsy reports weren't finished yet,
but they did send the results of the toxicology tests.
- I haven't seen them yet. What were they?
- They said he had a large amount of some sedative
in his system - about six times
[the prescribed dosage.]
- Come on, guys.
You would have burned to death by now. Let's go.
- We really need to do something.
- Like what?
- I don't know, but if she tells anyone
that she lied, the entire thing is just gonna unravel -
first the cheating scam,
and then the sexual misconduct, and... Oh, God.
Murder? I mean,
I really don't want to spend the rest of my life in prison.
Do you?
- That's the same day he died.
- Ugh. I can't believe how far behind we are on this.
- I'm sorry.
It's all my fault.
But don't worry. We'll get it done.
- OK, well, if we don't get it done tonight,
I guess we can work on it tomorrow.
- I may not...
I may not be here tomorrow.
- Why not?
- I can't tell you right now.
I really can't.
But...
a lot of...
stuff is gonna come out tomorrow.
And you'll be one of the first to find out.
Don't worry about it right now.
I'll just work on the project.
- It was the only pack
of sleeping pills in that entire house,
and he bought them less than eight hours before he supposedly jumped.
If he had access to something much stronger,
and could take six times the dosage, why would he go buy
some weak over-the-counter sedative and take just one?
- You're right. It doesn't make much sense, but it doesn't mean that he was murdered.
- No, but it could prove that he was drugged,
and that's a good start, especially combined with Traci's confession.
- When are you going to the hospital?
- Fifteen minutes.
I, um, wanted
to give her some time to see her dad first.
- That's generous of you -
something you didn't get a chance to do.
- We are so close.
I just really hope that she doesn't back out.
♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Innocent, alive, and young ♪
♪ Holding what the past has done ♪
♪ Waiting for the future days ♪
♪ Trapped within a cloud of haze ♪
- Come on, you stupid bitch.
That's right. Good girl.
Come on, you bitch.
That's it.
- Ah!
[tires screeching] Ah!
- It's my fault. I...
I should have listened to you.
- No, I understand why you tuned out.
I was harping on you. - You shouldn't have
had to say anything at all.
It's my responsibility to take care of my health
and do everything necessary to do so.
- I feel like sometimes you just didn't realize how much it was affecting me and Traci.
- You're right.
I didn't look at it like that, and I...
Everything I do is for you and Traci.
Everything.
- [man]: Is a doctor available? - [man]: Yeah.
- [man]: Room three is open. Coming through!
- I've been given a second chance.
And I promise, things are gonna change.
I want to be here for a long time,
so I'm gonna watch my diet, get more exercise,
keep all my doctors' appointments.
You won't have to say a single word about it.
[He chuckles.]
- I just love you. I don't want to lose you.
- And I love you.
You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried.
[The Scotts chuckle.]
- Mr. and Mrs. Scott? - Yes?
- Your daughter's been in an accident.
- What?
- Did you get her?
- I hit her. I don't know. I don't think she's dead.
- What? Well, what do you mean? Was she moving?
- I don't know, OK? A car was coming. I couldn't check.
- What are you talking about? A car? Did someone see you? - I don't know,
OK? I-I-I don't think so.
Damn it! I knew this was a bad idea.
- I need you to go home right now. I need you to go home. I'm gonna handle it.
If she's alive, I'll take care of it, all right? Go home.
- Come with me. - What are you talking about?
I have to check and see what happened to her. Go home right now.
Go.
[cell phone ringing]
- Hello?
- Hi. Miss Gailey.
It's, um, it's Devon Cavanor.
- Devon?
- [I really need to talk to you. It's...]
actually really important. It's about Traci Scott.
- OK. Uh, I'm in my car right now.
I can... I can come to your house?
- Uh... no, actually my dad's gonna be home any second.
I was wondering if we could meet somewhere private, like,
uh, the high school?
- OK. Uh, in the parking lot behind the school.
[I'll come right now.] - OK, great. Thank you so much.
I'll see you soon.
Thank you for meeting me, Miss Gailey.
- What did you want to tell me?
- Traci Scott got hit by a car tonight.
And I know who did it.
- What? Oh, my god. Is she OK?
- I don't know.
All I know is that it was...
it was my boyfriend who did it,
and...
he threatened to kill me if I told anyone.
- Why would he do that?
- Because... he was afraid
she was gonna tell the truth about Mr. Adkins.
And if she did, he was gonna be
in a lot of trouble.
He made her and I lie and make up this story
about him molesting me. None of that is true.
- Whoa. Um, start from the beginning.
- God, it all started with this stupid cheating thing
that was Jay's idea.
He had access to the CAT answers,
and gave them to me so that I could get a good grade,
and I knew that cheating was wrong.
I just... It was the CATs, and that's
a big deal, you know? - What does this have to do with Gilbert Adkins?
- Jay knew that he was gonna proctor the test a week early,
and that... that never happens.
There was a girl named Brady
that needed to take the test early because she was going somewhere.
Mr. Adkins was supposed to supervise, and when Jay found that out,
he had me steal his laptop. And then his friend hacked into
the computer and, you know, made an answer key.
We smashed it to hide the evidence.
You know, make it look like a prank.
But Mr. Adkins was so adamant on finding out who it was
that... Jay thought that it would be a good idea to get him fired
so that people stopped listening to him about the computer.
- So, you made up the sexual harassment story
to cover up the fact that you stole the test from his laptop?
- Yeah.
- What about his death?
Did Jay have something to do with that?
I know that he didn't kill himself. Tell me the truth!
- Yeah. Yeah, it was Jay.
It was just because
Mr. Adkins went to go speak to Traci's father,
and he thought she was on the verge of caving. I...
I'm so sorry. I swear I did not know until afterwards.
I'm so sorry.
- Now that is one hell of a story.
You are one hell of a liar.
- Liar?
This is all the truth.
- Jay, please.
Enough people have been hurt
over this already. I'll listen
to anything that you have to say.
Just... put the gun down.
- So, this is how you want to play it?
You want to blame me for everything?
- You know what you did. - I know
what I did. I made the mistake of believing you.
Believing you loved me and you meant everything you said.
- I have no idea what you're even talking about.
- Jay, tell me what happened. Tell me what really happened.
- It's just gonna be lies. - Shut up!
You want to know?
It was all her idea.
Why would I give a rat's ass about some test for college?
She's the one that needed a good grade so Daddy would
buy her a new car. - It was all you, and you know it.
- It was my idea to get him fired, but it was her idea to kill him.
- I wasn't even there!
- Jay, please put the gun down.
- I would have done anything for you.
I told you that so many times.
You used me.
- Jay.
Jay, listen.
There are cameras everywhere.
Just put the gun down. We can call your parents
and you can tell your side
of the story.
Jay.
- What did they say?
It's better to have lost at love...
than never to have loved at all.
- Jay, listen, you don't want to end your life like this.
All that we need to do
is go to the police and-- [gunshot]
- [9-1-1. What's your emerg--] - I'm-I'm-I'm at Powelton High,
um, near the track. Uh, a young man just...
just shot himself.
My name is June Gailey.
- You know he was lying, right?
He was lying.
- I'm gonna need the police too, please.
- Looks like I'm losing my hospital buddy.
- Oh, it's only for two days. You'll be home soon.
- Don't worry. I'll be here every night to continue
our little chess war. I gotta be able
to beat you sooner or later. - Mm-mmm.
- Knock, knock. - Hey.
- Hi.
I made these for you. - Aww.
- I'll take them for her. Thanks.
- Thank you for coming.
Um, I have something for you.
Leigh finished cutting it together for me today.
Um, it's not another confession,
but it's just something I made for you.
- Thank you. - I guess the best thing is when a student
comes back a decade after they graduate
and they tell you how you changed their lives.
The fact that they remember you, and they remember
what you taught them, and that it had a profound effect.
Well, that's why I would never quit this job and do anything else.
- ♪♪ Just a cold grey pride
- And that's why Gilbert Adkins
should be remembered for the man that he was:
funny, happy, a man who loved
science almost as much as he loved his students.
- ♪ A full-on masquerade
- That's a nice tribute she did.
- I just miss him so much.
- ♪ I can feel your very presence ♪
- I know.
You ready?
We should get going.
[sniffle]
- Yeah.
- ♪ Till I was drowning in the sound of my own fear ♪
♪ So I say goodbye
- Hey, so, what have you decided about Africa?
Are you heading back right after the funeral?
- Well, I need to go back to Kampala to finish out my contract, but, um,
then I'm pretty sure I want to come back here.
- For good?
- Yeah, I think so.
- ♪ I can feel your very presence ♪
- I spoke with her father when I returned everything from her locker.
She's decided to plead guilty.
- Good. I hope she gets the help she needs.
- Thank you so much for doing this. It, um...
it really means a lot.
- You're welcome.
- ♪ So I say goodbye
♪ Like it meant nothing
♪ To me
♪ While I die inside
♪ Like it meant nothing
♪ To me
♪ A full-on masquerade
♪ Wearing stories that we've made ♪
♪ I can feel your very presence when you're near ♪
♪ And the closer that we came
♪ The louder that the wind howled ♪
♪ Till I was drowning in the sound of my own fear ♪
♪ So I say goodbye
♪ Like it meant nothing
♪ To me
♪ The darkest lie
♪ Like it meant nothing
♪ To me
♪ I want to be smoother than a stone ♪
♪ That's been worn down by water ♪
♪ Over eons of rivers running by ♪♪
♪♪♪
Closed Captioning by SETTE inc.
♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I'll live forever
♪ With a dream I've saved
♪ And it would be so perfect
♪ If I knew you'd stay
♪ We share it all
♪ And I know
♪ We'll break the fall
♪ With you
♪ I'm running
♪ Into
♪ The wild ♪
[train horn in the distance]