Épisode Les affres de la tentation S01E01 - Lie to Me Saison 1

Salle d'interrogatoire

Le docteur Cal Lightman interroge un homme qui a caché une bombe dans une « église noire ». Celui-ci refuse de parler au F.B.I et de leur donner l'emplacement de l'église. Grâce aux questions de Lightman, qu'il pose en fonction des réactions de l'homme, ils arrivent à trouver dans quelle église est posée la bombe.

 

Salle de conférence

L'interrogatoire de l'homme était filmé pour être montré en conférence. Ligthman montre les réactions de l'homme et ce qui l'a poussé à orienter ses questions. Il finit sa conférence en montrant des images de personnes célèbres qui ont toutes les mêmes expressions. Il rajoute que tout le monde a les mêmes expressions qui que ce soit.

 

Groupe Lightman

Lightman rentre à son bureau et Gillian Foster va le voir afin qu'il prenne sa décision pour l'embauche d'une nouvelle personne dans la journée. Ils ont beaucoup de travail et pas assez de monde pour tout faire, elle lui annonce avoir trouver la perle rare. Cal ne veut pas en entendre parler et continue d'avancer. Au bout du couloir, il tombe sur Eli Locker qui lui remet un rapport, Cal lui demande si c'est normal d'arriver en retard au travail et Eli commence à raconter sa soirée et sa nuit. Lightman part, sa secrétaire lui annonce qu'il y a un appel du maire pour lui. Il prend la communication et Gilian s'installe dans son bureaux. Après avoir raccroché, Cal lui annonce qu'ils doivent se rendre dans une prison afin de prouver la culpabilité d'une jeune homme de 16 ans, James Cole, qui aurait tué son professeur de littérature, Susan McCarthney.

 

Prison

Le gardien raconte l'histoire de l'arrestation à Cal et Gillian avant que les substituts du procureur n'arrivent. Ils n'ont pas l'air ravi d'avoir le Groupe Lightman dans les pattes. Ils sont persuadés de la culpabilité du jeune Cole et veulent le juger comme un adulte. Le maire veut une évaluation psychologique d'un groupe indépendant, les substituts sont obligés d'attendre. Après avoir demandé les pièces du dossier, Gillian leur explique que ce n'est pas de savoir si la personne ment, mais de savoir pourquoi elle ment !

Cal et Gillian interrogent James Cole. Quand Cal l'interroge sur l'athlétisme, il regarde à gauche. Mais quand il parle de son arrestation, il regarde tout droit. Il nie avoir tué sa professeur, mais il ment. Cependant, il est triste.

Le substitut du procureur dit à Cal et Gillian qu'ils sont des clowns et qu'ils feraient mieux de partir, mais Cal se moque de lui grâce à ses observations.

 

Générique

 

Lycée

Cal et Gillian parlent au proviseur et vont rencontrer les élèves. Le proviseur leur apprend que James était scolarisé à domicile avant et vient d'arriver. Il y avait des tensions entre la famille de James et Susan McCarthney car ils n'approuvaient pas ses choix de livres. Au cours des interrogatoires, Cal note le nom de Jacquelin Mathis.

Après ça, Cal demande à l'inspecteur de vérifier encore les témoins, car il ne veut pas faire enfermer un innocent.

 

Aéroport

Gillian explique que le procureur à fixé l'audience préliminaire : ils n'ont donc que deux jours.
Cal et Gillian se font interpeler par une employée de l'aéroport qui demande à Cal d’ouvrir son bagage à main. Il s'avère que ce n'est que de l'argent, et qu'ils voulaient en fait parler à cette employée. Ils veulent qu'elle vienne travailler pour le groupe Lightman car elle a détecté beaucoup de mensonges sans formation.

 

Groupe Lightman

Eli s'est renseigné sur Jacquelin Mathis. Au cours des trois dernières semaines, elle est allée voir l'infirmière trois fois. Il doit enquêter sur elle et voir si elle ne fréquentait pas James.

Le président du parti démocrate veut parler en urgence à Gillian. Il a investit beaucoup d’argent dans la carrière de Zeb Weil, qui est accusé de voir une prostituée et il veut vérifier cette information.

Ria se présente au groupe Lightman et fait la connaissance d'Eli, et apprend qu'il est atteint d'honnêteté radicale. Cal lui présente le groupe.

 

Maison de James Cole

Cal et Gillian visitent la chambre de James. Il est passionné de photo, et en conflit avec son père. Ses parents ont essayé de protéger James du monde en le gardant chez eux et voient le résultat dès qu'il est sorti.

 

Groupe Lightman

Gillian a enquêté sur la famille, dont le père est un témoin de Jéhovah extrémiste. Cal pense que la famille cache quelque chose, surtout la mère.

Eli a du nouveau sur Jacquelin : elle est enceinte.

 

Maison de Cal

Cal parle avec Emily de son rendez-vous avec petit ami car il est nerveux. Il lui ouvre la porte et lui demande directement.

 

Groupe Lightman

Gillian interroge Zeb Weil qui nie fréquenter une prostituée. Mais il ment quand il raconte sa soirée.
L'équipe analyse l'interview et Ria détecte tous les mensonges, mais aussi de la honte.
Cal demande à voir la vidéo de James passant au détecteur de mensonges. Il a la même expression de honte, et aussi de désir sexuel.

 

Maison de James

Cal et Gillian interrogent les parents de James. Ils avouent avoir trouvé des photos de Susan McCarthney dans la chambre de James et avoir été choqués.
Cal repère une photo et la compare avec la photo de la scène de crime. Il comprend que James a vu quelque chose le soir du meurtre.

 

Prison

Cal interroge James et lui montre les photos. Le soir du meurtre, il l'a vue sur le canapé mais il ne savait pas qu'elle était morte. Il a ensuite vu le sang, voulait avertir la police mais il était trop tard et il s'est enfuit.
Le substitut du procureur ne reconnaît pas l'interrogatoire et veut le faire condamner à cause des photos, sans autre enquête.

 

Groupe Lightman

Le mari de Gil, Ron, vient la chercher un peu en retard et s'excuse. Ria détecte un mensonge, le dit à Cal mais il préfère ne pas le dire à Gillian.
L'enquête sur Zeb Weil n'avance pas, donc Ria veut aller au club pour voir ce qui lui fait honte.

 

Club

Ria interroge Mélissa. Elle dit ne pas vraiment aimer ça mais que c'est temporaire et bien payé. Elle dit avoir des habitués, et quand ria lui demande si elle est libre vendredi, elle avoue être prise.

 

Groupe Lightman

Ria parle à Gillian et elles concluent que Mélissa aime bien Zeb Weil, et qu'il ne fait rien de dégradant.
Eli les interrompt et leur dit de mettre les infos. L'affaire a été rendue publique. Zeb Weil est arrêté et affiche un air de dégout, ce qui est illogique.

Cal apprend que James a craqué et qu'il refuse de s'alimenter. Gillian lui apporte des photos que James a prises le jour de la mort de sa prof. Cal scanne la photo et analyse sa main : elle avait une discussion tendue avec quelqu'un dans une voiture.

 

Lycée

Cal et Gillian interrogent le proviseur et montrent la photo. Il dit chercher la voiture et est choqué quand Cal lui demande si c'est la sienne et s'il a une relation avec Susan.
Cal s'excuse et lui sert la main. Grâce à cela, il sait qu'il a eu peur car sa température a baissé.

 

Groupe Lightman

Eli informe l'équipe que la voiture n'appartient pas au proviseur mais il l'a reconnue.
Ria a trouvé ce que faisait Weil au club grâce à internet.

 

Parti démocrate

Gillian et Ria disent à Weil qu'elles savent qui est Mélissa : c'est sa fille. Elles le savent car il a essayé de la retrouver sur internet. Il explique qu'il l'a eue jeune, l'a faite adopter et a voulu la retrouver. Quand il a découvert son métier il s'est senti obliger de l'aider. Il ne veut pas que cette information soit rendu publique car cela nuirait à Mélissa.
Gillian reçoit un appel d'Eli : la voiture appartient à Jacquelin Mathis.

 

Commissariat

Cal interroge Jacquelin Mathis, elle nie avoir vu sa prof mais elle ment. Cal essaye de la convaincre mais elle ne veut rien dire. Gillian apporte un papier à Cal. Il le lit et dit que James vient de se pendre dans sa cellule.
Jacquelin avoue avoir une relation avec le proviseur. Susan les a vus et a menacé de les dénoncer à la police. Elle dit que c'est Tom Castle, le proviseur, le coupable.
Il est arrêté,

 

Prison

James n'est en fait pas mort et est libéré. C'était une ruse de Cal pour faire avouer Jacquelin.

 

Écrit par wella

INT. – LIGHTMAN OFFICE – IN THE GLASS BLOCK

 

LAWYER : I've instructed my client to remain silent. He's not gonna talk.

CAL: That's okay. That's okay. I don't have much faith in words myself. Statistically speaking, the average person tells three lies per ten minutes' conversation. And granted, it's just regular people. We haven't studied people who are planning to firebomb a black church. Could skew differently.

 

CUT TO : INT - LIGHTMAN OFFICE – OUT OF THE GLASS BLOCK

 

FBI GUY : We don't have time for this scientist to talk to the guy. We went at him for four hours, got nothing.

 

CUT TO : INT. – LIGHTMAN OFFICE – IN THE GLASS BLOCK

 

CAL : Now, the FBI knows you want mass casualties. So right now, ATF is searching every inch of the two largest black churches in the state. The FBI got it wrong. Well, there's a shocker. It's not one of those two churches. Maybe you want one of the smaller churches.  One of the black suburbs.

PRISONER : You don't know what you're talking about.

LAWYER : Don't respond !

CAL : What do you say ATF starts with Southbridge ? No, I'm only kidding. We'll skip that one. We're gonna focus on Lorton. You feel good about that ? That's it! Lorton! Going after a church in Lorton.

LAWYER : That accusation has no basis.

CAL : What do you mean ? He just told me.

 

CUT TO : INT. - IN A LECTURE HALL

 

CAL : The ATF found a pipe bomb in a church basement in Lorton an hour later.

 

CUT TO : INT. - IN THE ROOM

ATTENDEE 1 (speaking low): DOD friend of mine said this guy's a total nutjob. Heard he spent, like, three years in the African jungle with some primitive tribe studying their eyebrows.

 

CUT TO : INT. - IN THE LECTURE HALL

 

CAL : Watch his reaction to my statement.

CAL (record) : Right now,ATF is searching every inch of the two largest black churches in the state.

CAL : Now what you just saw there was a brief expression of happiness on his face which he was trying his best to conceal. It lasted for less than a fifth of a second. It's what we call a "microexpression." Now,look at his mouth. The suspect is secretly happy about the locations we are searching, which tells me we have the wrong locations.

Now I tell him of our new plan,and...

PRISONER (on the screen) : You don't know what you're talking about.

CAL : Classic one-sided shrug. Translation: "I've absolutely no confidence of what I just said." The body contradicts the words. He's lying. Yeah?

ATTENDEE 2 : When you accuse the suspect, and he acts surprised, is there a way to tell if it's real or if he's just trying to look innocent?

 

Cal throws a cup on the wall. Attendees move.

 

CAL : Now that's real surprise. Lasts for less than a second when it comes across your face, but if your suspect is surprised for more than a second, he's faking it. He's lying. Now I call out his target is actually Lorton, and watch it again. Concealed scorn. One personal tip. You see this microexpression in your spouse's face, your marriage is coming to an end. Trust me. Yeah ?

ATTENDEE 2 : Don't these microexpressions vary depending on the person ?

CAL: Let's leave this up. And we'll go to the Kato Kaelin footage from the OJ trial.

RECORD: Mr. Kaelin,you got a lot of money for your appearance onCurrent Affair, didn't you?

KAELIN : Um,yeah.

CAL : Scorn. Scorn. Huge scorn. (Laughs in the room) Shame,shame,and shame. Contempt. These expressions are universal. Emotion looks the same whether you're a suburban housewife or a suicide bomber. The truth is written on all our faces.

 

GENERIC

 

CUT TO: INT. - THE LIGHTMAN GROUP

 

GILLIAN : Just the man I was looking for. Today's the day. Say it.

CAL : You're the shrink. I'm not big on self-affirmation.

GILLIAN : I'm telling you we cannot wait another day to hire someone. I found the one. This is the one.

CAL : I...

GILLIAN : Use your words.

CAL : Why do we need to hire someone?

GILLIAN : We got a new request this morning from the DEA and Homeland Security. Someone from the Prime Minister's office in Uzbekistan called. They want us to give a talk to their senior police.

CAL : Tell him to call back when they got a constitution. A real one.

ELI : Here's the analysis from the blinking experiment.

CAL : You just getting in, Loker ?

ELI : Yeah, I got piss-drunk last night with my roommate, and I was just lying in bed this morning thinking about how nasty hot Nancy Grace is, and just trying to decide if I was gonna come in at all 'cause it's not like there's anyone here to fantasize about.

GILLIAN : No offense taken.

ELI : I don't go for married women.

GILLIAN : Cal, Cal...

HEIDI : Dr. Lightman, I have the mayor on 2 for you.

CAL : All right. Mr. Mayor. I see. Of course. Any time.

GILLIAN : What is it ?

CAL : Some blowup at the Justice Department about a high school teacher that was killed in Northwest. He wants us in on it right away since... What is that ?

GILLIAN : Chocolate pudding.

CAL : Who eats pudding at 10:00 in the morning ?

GILLIAN : People who like pudding.

 

CUT TO: INT. - AT THE PRISON

 

MAYOR EMPLOYEE : The mayor thanks you and Dr. Foster for coming on short notice. This case is a land mine. We got a juvenile offender, family of devout Jehovah's Witnesses. We gotta be real careful here.

DEPUTY BONDS :  Three day ago, James Cole, 16-year-old student at Jackson High, murdered his teacher, Susan McCartney. After Mr. Cole got into Mrs. McCartney's house, he smashed her head into a glass coffee table. He then was caught fleeing the house by two patrolmen. Been in custody here ever since.

HUTCHINSON : So what exactly does the mayor want to find out about the McCartney murder ?

MAYOR EMPLOYEE : Assistant US Attorneys Hutchinson and Estin.

HUTCHINSON : The kid was at the scene of the crime; he had motive, means; and he resisted arrest.

ESTIN : And he failed a polygraph test.

HUTCHINSON : It's murder one.

CAL : Well, I guess we're all here then: someone who wants the truth; somebody who wants to be right; and us, the idiots in the middle.

MAYOR EMPLOYEE : The US Attorney's office wants to try Cole as an adult. But if the mayor is gonna support sending a 16-year-old to prison for the rest of his life, he wants to be certain we're talking about a premeditated, cold-blooded murder. He wants you to provide an independent assessment of intent.

GILLIAN : We'll need the crime scene photos and the autopsy report.

HUTCHINSON : I thought you could tell somebody was lying just by looking at them.

GILLIAN : The question is never simply if someone is lying; it's why.

 

CUT TO : INT. - IN THE ROOM WITH THE PRISONER

 

JAMES : Look, I already told the police everything, okay ?

GILLIAN : Tell us why you think you're here, James.

JAMES : I was out for a run, and the police thought I was running from them. So they arrested me.

CAL : I heard you made your school's track team.

JAMES : I didn't make it. They don't have tryouts.

CAL : Hu. What was your best race this year ?

JAMES : I don't know. Um, probably against Jefferson last week. Why ?

CAL : I ran hurdles myself. 110 meters. How'd your quads feel during the race ?

JAMES : Good, I guess.

CAL : And what about on your run the night you were arrested ?

JAMES : I felt fine.

GILLIAN : Your teacher Ms. McCartney was found dead in her home. Have you ever been to her house before ?

JAMES : No, I've never been to her house before.

GILLIAN : Ms. McCartney thought that you should be held back a year because she felt you were having some problems with your classmates.

JAMES : What ? I didn't want to get held back.

CAL : How'd you feel when you found out she was dead ?

JAMES : I prayed for her soul. I can't know God's plan, but I didn't kill her.

 

CUT TO : INT. - IN THE PRISON

 

GILLIAN : Hurdles ?

CAL :  Could have run hurdles.

GILLIAN: Please.

HUTCHINSON: So you got a sense of his intent?

CAL:  When I asked James about his best race, he broke eye contact in order to remember and answer truthfully. And when I asked him about his run the night of the murder, he never broke eye contact. He wasn't recalling a memory. He was lying.

HUTCHINSON: But I thought most people avoid eye contact when they're lying.

CAL:  No, it's a myth. And quite often, they make more eye contact. They need to watch, see if you believe their lies.

GILLIAN: The content analysis would suggest that James has been to Ms. McCartney's house before. Question: "Have you ever been to her house?" Answer: "No, I have never been to her house." Rigid repetition like that is typical of a lie.

HUTCHINSON: Okay, so you'll tell the mayor's office the murder was premeditated?

CAL: Looks that way. But when I asked him about his teacher's death, what we saw was this: oblique eyebrows.

GILLIAN: Sadness. Why would he be hiding sadness for her?

HUTCHINSON: Looks like guilt to me.

CAL: It's possible he didn't mean to kill his teacher.

HUTCHINSON: Excuse me?

CAL: Could have been an accident.

HUTCHINSON: Okay. Okay, I indulged the mayor's office in letting you talk to the kid, but now you're just making wild guesses that have no basis in hard evidence.  And personally, I think what you do is a joke. It's a friggin' carnival act.

CAL: Oh, yeah, yeah, I get that a lot. You know, a moment ago, I saw you smile at your colleague, flash her a glance, then shift your gaze. She responded by raising her chin boss, revealing deep embarrassment.

GILLIAN: Cal...?

CAL: I'll take another wild guess: you two had a fling. She doesn't want to repeat performance because, you know, what with your wife and all. But you won't move on. Oh, no, no. Keep your fingers off your nose. Men have erectile tissue there. Itches when they're hiding something.

 

CUT TO: INT. - AT SCHOOL

 

CASTEL: I've been principal here for over three years. We've never faced anything like this. Lose a teacher and then to find out that a student might have been responsible.

GILLIAN: I understand James was new to the school.

CASTLE: Yes. His parents chose to home-school him until this year because they're devout Jehovah's Witnesses. He was prepared academically, but he had real difficulties socially.

CAL: Did he ever express emotion of any kind towards Mrs. McCartney?

CASTLE: He was sent to my office a number of times, but he never mentioned her specifically. But I can tell you the boy's father had some strong objections to Ms. McCartney's teaching. He was outraged that she had assigned the book The Color Purple to her students. Thought it was pornographic. All right, they're ready for you. But can I just say, uh... as much as we all mourn this loss no teacher that I've spoken to believes that this boy should go to prison for life.

 

CUT TO: INT. - SCHOOL ROOM

 

STUDENT 1: He was in the photography club for like five minutes before he quit. It seemed like he didn't talk ever. He took really good photos, though.

STUDENT 2:  I never saw him hang out with anybody. He's kind of intense. Like the way he'd stare at you.

STUDENT 3: He talked a bunch of crap about Ms. McCartney.

GILLIAN: Really? What did he say?

STUDENT 3: Kid's a freak. I mean, I can't remember exactly, but... I'm sure I heard him say something psycho about her.

GILLIAN: You wouldn't just be saying that because you got suspended for hitting him in the face?

JACQUELYN:  I was in bio lab with him. You know, I don't see how he could have done what they're saying he did. It's just... well, I don't believe it. I mean, I've never even seen him get angry. Why would he want to kill her anyway?

CAL: Are you feeling emotional in any way right now, Jacquelyn?

JACQUELYN: no.

GILLIAN: It's okay if you are.

JACQUELYN:  I feel fine.

 

CUT TO: INT. - ON THE CAR – ON THE PHONE

 

DEPUTY BONDS: Deputy Bonds. And what did you learn in school today?

GILLIAN: 57 classmates and not one credible account of antecedent aggression from James.

CAL: I need to see the case file and look at the other suspects Homicide questioned.

DEPUTY BONDS: But you don't think James Cole is guilty?

CAL: I don't know, but if the prosecutor wants to send a kid my daughter's age to a cell block with pedophiles and serial killers, I wouldn't mind knowing for sure.

DEPUTY BONDS: Whatever you need.

CAL: All right.

GILLIAN: Forget it. We'll find another one.

CAL: No. Maybe he didn't see me. Why don't you get out.

GILLIAN: Just drive.

Gillian gets out of the car.

CAL: You didn't see me waiting for that space?

DRIVER:  Didn't see you.

CAL: Really?

DRIVER: No, I did not see you. I-I was waiting, too. You must not have seen me.

CAL: That's fantastic. Classic gestural slip. Got the slightest head nod "yes" before you shook your head "no."

DRIVER: Look, I'm in the space. And I'm not going anywhere.

CAL: That's true.

DRIVER: You can't block me in like that! Sir?

GILLIAN: Congratulations. One liar down, six and a half billion to go.

 

CUT TO: INT. - AT THE AIRPORT

 

GILLIAN: The US attorney's office scheduled the transfer hearing. We have two days. I told the mayor's office we need to examine James' antecedent behaviors, so we're set to meet with his parents and his church group.

RIA:  How you doing today, sir?

CAL: I'm great.

RIA:  Could you step out of the line, please?

CAL: Are you serious?

RIA: Yeah. Any reason you might be anxious this morning, sir?

CAL: Only that I'll miss my flight.

RIA: I need you to open your briefcase for me.

CAL: You know what? I'm going to check it. - It's the liquids, right?

RIA: Stop. T-3B. backup, backup T-3B. Open your briefcase. You're going to need to come with us.

GILLIAN: Actually, you need to come with us.

RIA: When you leaned out of line, I could tell you were jacked up about something.

CAL: That's 'cause I flashed you a partial fear expression.

RIA: Whatever. Why were you trying to play me?

GILLIAN: Six years ago, Dr. Lightman left the deception detection program he founded for the Defense Department. Together we started a private firm that works with police, corporations, and almost every federal agency. We'd like you to come work for us, Ms. Torres.

RIA: Why?

GILLIAN: You've made seven times more arrests than the average TSA agent, and you scored 97% on the TSA deception diagnostic which Dr. Lightman created.

CAL: Have you ever had any specialized deception training?

RIA: I've dated a lot of men.

GILLIAN: You're one of the naturals. There's an infinitesimal percentage of the population, less than .001, those tests nearly perfect without any advanced training. We've already cleared your leaving with the TSA field director. Our office will call you later.

RIA: Oh, and, uh, don't forget your briefcase.

CAL: That's your signing bonus.

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

 

ELI: I just had a long conversation with the school guidance counselor. The girl whose breathing you said was fast and shallow-- Jacquelyn Mathis-- has had three appointments with the school nurse in the past two weeks. Guidance counselor said typically that could be about drugs or an STD. You know, gonorrhea, clap, crabs, uh...

GILLIAN: Find out if Jacquelyn had any connection to James Cole outside of school. And follow up with the nurse.

ELI: Okay.

CAL: Did the school principal seem tense to you?

GILLIAN: Wouldn't you be if this happened at your school?

CAL: He had his left hand in his pants pocket pressed against his leg the whole time.

GILLIAN: We're not all hiding something.

CAL: Okay.

GILLIAN: You think I'm naive just because I don't share your twisted view of the world.

CAL: That and you read romance novels.

GILLIAN: Yes,I do. Because they make me happy. A pursuit I highly recommend to you.

CAL: Truth or happiness, never both. What is that now?

GILLIAN: Orange slushy.

CAL: How old are you?

HEIDI: Chairman Baldridge from the Democratic National Committee's on the phone. Some sort of crisis.

CAL: Politician. That's all you. Charge him by the lie. You can retire tomorrow.

 

CUT TO: OUT. - IN THE STREET

 

CHAIRMAN BALDRIDGE: Why isn't Dr. Lightman here?

GILLIAN: Cal really wanted to make it.

CHAIRMAN BALDRIDGE: He's a better liar than you are.

GILLIAN: He's a better liar than all of us.

CHAIRMAN BALDRIDGE:I need your help, Gillian. Congressman Zeb Weil, whose career I've spent 20 years building, is about to be accused of paying for sex. A friend at the Post gave me the tip, but I need to know the truth before the story breaks.

GILLIAN: You think it could be a smear job?

CHAIRMAN BALDRIDGE: I do, but allegedly, Congressman Weil frequents some sort of high-priced escort service at an underground club in Georgetown. Now if that's true, it's going to be a PR nightmare because he's the new Chairman of the House Ethics Committee.

GILLIAN: That's delightful. But we don't go through people's dirty laundry.

CHAIRMAN BALDRIDGE: So Dr. Lightman just assumes you're a liar if you're a politician.

GILLIAN: He assumes you're a liar if you're a homo sapiens.

CHAIRMAN BALDRIDGE: If these allegations are false, are you going to stand by while an innocent man is destroyed by lies?

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

CAL: Thanks for coming in right away.

RIA:  You're the boss.

ELI: I would like to sleep with you.

CAL: Eli Loker, Ria Torres. He's harmless. Just always speaks the truth about what's on his mind. What do you call it again?

ELI:  Radical honesty.

CAL: That's it. Well, he'll get you started on learning our facial coding system.

ELI: I have no chance with you. No. Uh, do I have any chance with you?

RIA:  You always tell the truth?

ELI: Always.

RIA:   How good are you in bed?

ELI:  Fair.

RIA:  Fair is better than most.

 

CUT TO: INT. - COLE HOUSE

 

MR COLE: I don't see why you need to look at James' bedroom.

GILLIAN: Mr. Cole, anything that gives us a better sense of your son is helpful.

CAL: James took these?

MRS COLE: Yes, he did.

MR COLE: We let him convert that bathroom to a darkroom for his photography.

CAL: Was that a problem?

MR COLE: Well, it was taking too much time from his responsibilities as a Witness doing God's work.

GILLIAN: What did James tell you about Ms. McCartney?

MR COLE: He thought she was a good teacher.

CAL: And did you?

MRS COLE: James did not kill that woman. He would not take part in wrestling practice, gym class, because he knows the Lord condemns violence, even in sport.

MR COLE: If you value something, you build a fence around it to protect it. And that's what we did with James. We home-schooled him as long as we could to shield him from drugs and sex and corruption.

GILLIAN: Is that why you were angry about the material she was teaching him?

MR COLE: We are in the world, but not of the world. And we need to protect our children from nonbelievers.

CAL: Is there anything you wouldn't do to protect your son from a nonbeliever?

MR COLE: Watch yourself. I'm a man of God.

CAL: Well, I like horse racing, Manhattans, briefs, not boxers, all of which makes us equally likely to lie, so I'll ask you again.

MR COLE: Get out of this house.

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

 

GILLIAN: I've been doing some research into James' family. I spoke to an overseer of their church who said Mr. Cole has had fights with other churchgoers over they unholy lifestyles. Some of them said he was an extremist.

CAL: Something going on in that family.

GILLIAN: The police saw James running away from the front door of Ms. McCartney's house after the murder. Maybe he was trying to stop his father from killing her.

CAL: What's your content analysis of the mother?

GILLIAN: She was definitely concealing something. When I asked her about Ms. McCartney, she stopped using contractions and started referring to her as "that woman."

CAL: As in "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."

GILLIAN: Distancing language. She knew something about her. She didn't want to say.

CAL: We need to look at the polygraph test James failed. I want to see what questions he spiked on.

ELI:  Have I mentioned that your office looks like it belongs to a serial killer?

CAL: Several times.

ELI:  PD is running background checks on both the parents and trying to confirm their whereabouts the night of the murder. As for the girl that was so anxious-- Jacquelyn Mathis, no connection to James Cole outside of school. But I do know why she might have been anxious. School nurse insinuated that Jacquelyn is pregnant.

CAL: Pregnant. Not what a father in my shoes wants to hear. I got to go. I have Emily, and her boyfriend's coming over.

GILLIAN: You worry too much. You do. You worry. You're a worrier. You don't even know if they talked about having sex.

CAL: He's taking her to a fancy restaurant.

GILLIAN: Emily's a smart girl. You have to trust her.

CAL: Her mother's a smart girl too, and I trusted her.

 

CUT TO: INT. - CAL’S HOUSE

 

EMILY: Well, I think Roger's a loser, but if Mom wants to be with a loser...

CAL: You don't have to say that for me.

EMILY: I'm saying it 'cause he's a loser.

CAL: I have the utmost respect for anyone your mother cares for, and so should you.

EMILY: Admit it. You're thinking "what a loser." I saw your eyes do the thing. (Bell) Uh, Dan's early.

CAL: Yeah, and about that-- I know your mother's out of town, you've got the keys, and Dan has a car.

EMILY: No, we're not doing this. You just go let Dan in while I finish getting ready, and you better not do some covert scientific technique to find out what we're doing or not doing tonight. Promise.

CAL: No covert science, I promise. (He opens the door)  Hi, Dan.

DAN: Hi, Dr. Lightman.

CAL: Are you going to try and have sex with my daughter tonight?

 

CUT TO: INT. - OFFICE

 

GILLIAN: We appreciate your time. Congressman Weil, have you ever been to a club called Centurion?

ZEB WEIL: Marshall, what is this really about? I'm a five-term US congressman. I'd appreciate if...

MARSHALL BALDRIDGE: Answer the question, Zeb.

ZEB WEIL: I've never heard of it. Why?

GILLIAN: It's been alleged that you go to this club on Friday nights. Tell me how you spent last Friday evening.

ZEB WEIL: I went for a swim at the congressional gym. Then I went home to catch up on some committee reading.

GILLIAN: Go on.

ZEB WEIL: I had dinner alone before leaving for an event at the Smithsonian.

GILLIAN: Got it. Now just tell it to me backwards.

ZEB WEIL: What?

GILLIAN: Start at the end of the night and work backwards.

ZEB WEIL: Before the event at the Smithsonian, I,uh... well, as I told you, I did some reading. And, uh... before that, I, uh...

 

CUT TO: INT. - IN THE VIDEO ROOM

 

RIA: That guy's lying his ass off.

GILLIAN: Yes, he is. When you're lying, it's hard to tell a story backwards, because there's no real memory of what happened. Liars rehearse their stories in order. They don't think to rehearse them backwards.

GILLIAN: Have you ever engaged the services of a prostitute?

ZEB WEIL: I am certainly not going to dignify that with an answer.

CAL: And that is an expression of deep shame. This guy religious?

GILLIAN: That's what I don't understand. Not religious, not married, no kids. But he shows deeper shame than politicians who've been caught cheating on their wives?

CAL: Yeah, being the Ethics Chairman takes a lot of the fun out of having sex with hookers.

RIA: But seriously, what if he's into something a lot more shameful-- smacking them around or underage girls?

CAL: I need to restore the expression I had from James's polygraph up here.

 

CUT TO: INT. - ON THE VIDEO

 

COP: Did you attack Susan McCartney?

JAMES: No.

 

CUT TO: INT. - IN THE VIDEO ROOM

 

GILLIAN: The same shame expression.

CAL: Now punch in on his eye. I want to see his pupil.

GILLIAN: They're fully dilated. And it's not fear or anger.

CAL: You know what else makes pupils dilate.

GILLIAN: Sexual arousal. You think there was a sexual relationship between James and Ms. McCartney?

CAL: Maybe that's what the parents were hiding.

 

CUT TO: INT. – COLE’S HOUSE

 

MR COLE: My son did not engage in sexual activity of any kind.

GILLIAN: As I told you, we're here because we believe your son is innocent. There were no signs of rape or sexual assault in this crime. But on his polygraph, James exhibited intense sexual feelings for Ms. McCartney.

MRS COLE:  Gerald...

MR COLE:  Be quiet.

CAL: We saw you try to conceal your scorn for Ms. McCartney. That's not just about the books she was teaching, is it? What can you tell us about your son and her?

MR COLE:  I've already told you everything.

CAL: Both of you and your son are lying. Now, let me tell you something. The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead, so why don't you wake the hell up.

GILLIAN: Everything you're doing makes perfect sense. You're afraid for your son, Mrs. Cole. And when we experience fear, we try to exercise whatever control we can, even if it makes things worse. That's why you lied to us before. It may help you feel better, but it's not helping your son. Because right now, the only people who believe James is innocent are in this room. I know that you have the courage to move past your fear and tell us the truth.

MRS COLE:  Wait here. We found these hidden in James's room before the police came and searched his things. I-I know how this must look, but our son couldn't possibly have done this.

GILLIAN: Did you know James had been spying on Ms. McCartney before you found these?

MRS COLE:  No.

CAL: You ever talk to James about sex?

MR COLE: I talked with him about the urges that young men feel. We-we read from Colossians together. "Fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite is idolatry." He-he knows there's no greater sin.

CAL: I need to see the crime scene photos.

MRS COLE:  You can't show these photographs to anyone, please.

CAL: We need to show them to your son.

 

CUT TO: INT. - PRISON – INTERROGATION ROOM

 

CAL: You took these, James. And ... I understand why. Ms. McCartney didn't make you feel anger. She made you feel temptation. She was a beautiful woman, and for the first time in your life, you felt desire. You took these pictures so you could fantasize about her. You spied on her, for weeks, at school, at her home. You took these, hiding right here behind these trees, looking through the bay window. And on the night of the murder, you went back to her house to spy on her. And this is what you saw. There she was. You became aroused. You gave in to temptation.

JAMES: I didn't know she was dead. And... I started to have thoughts. Unclean thoughts. And I touched myself. I swear to God I did not know that she was... that she was dead. It wasn't until afterwards. I was walking away, and... I saw the blood. And I ran around to the front. And I was gonna call 911, but the police came and... I ran. I just ran. What was I supposed to do? (screaming) I am telling the truth! I didn't kill her! I told what I did!

 

CUT TO: INT. - PRISON

 

CAL: What was that?

HUTCHINSON: You spoon-fed him a good defense, and he's not stupid. He went with it. But there's, uh, still a preponderance of evidence against him. More than enough for a grand jury.

GILLIAN: James was telling the truth.

HUTCHINSON: Oh, he lied when he said he'd never been to Ms. McCartney's house before, and these photographs go a long way toward proving premeditation.

GILLIAN: You aren't gonna reconsider other suspects?

HUTCHINSON: He was stalking the victim; he fled the scene; and he failed a polygraph the night of the murder.

CAL: All for the same reason: sexual guilt.

GILLIAN: The polygraph only tells you if someone is feeling guilty. It doesn't tell you what they're feeling guilty about. The guilt James felt had nothing to do with the murder.

HUTCHINSON: Look, you want to ignore the evidence, fine. Look, I heard how things ended for you over at the Pentagon. And unless you want the entire Justice Department picking apart every case you work for us, too, you'll leave this one alone.

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

 

RIA: There she is.

GILLIAN: Hey, honey.

ALEC: Hey, Cal. Sorry I'm late. Had a bunch of work I had to finish before leaving.

GILLIAN: Why don't you come to dinner with us, clear your head for an hour? It's gonna be a late night.

CAL: Nah, I'm good. You go ahead.

ALEC: Night.

RIA: Her husband just lied to her. He was lying when he said he got held up with work.

CAL: Don't you have work to do?

RIA: You're not gonna tell her he's lying?

CAL: How we doing on the congressman and the sex club thing?

RIA: Okay. Well, Congressman Weil still won't admit to anything, so I'm gonna go to the club tonight and see if I can find out what he did there that he's so ashamed of. Girl Weil's been seeing goes by Melissa, and he sees her Friday night without fail. Classy, huh?

CAL: Well, we all pay for sex one way or another. At least hookers are honest about the price.

 

CUT TO: INT. - AT THE CLUB

 

MELISSA: Bet your boyfriend's pretty happy this is his birthday present.

RIA: So, uh, how do you like this place, Melissa?

MELISSA: It's great. Always a party.

RIA: You really hate it, huh?

MELISSA: Just for now. You know... it sucks being broke, and I can make a lot more money doing this than I did dancing.

RIA: So are most of your clients, uh, regulars or one-offs?

MELISSA: Mostly, um, regulars, actually.

RIA: Maybe Julian and I could, um... That's my boyfriend. Maybe we'll become one of your regulars. Are you free next Friday night?

MELISSA: No Fridays. I, uh, I have, um, a regular on Fridays.

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

 

RIA: I don't think the congressman was doing anything nasty to her. She had this little smile about her Friday nights with him, like, like she has real feelings for the guy.

GILLIAN:  Was there wrinkling around her eyes when she smiled?

RIA: Yeah, there was.

GILLIAN:  Then it was real. In a fake smile, there's no eye wrinkling.

ELI: Excuse me. Turn on the news.

ON THE TV: There's much to be learned still, but House Ethics Chairman Zeb Weil reportedly spent more than $82,000 on a single escort over a matter of months. He exited his congressional offices moments ago. Is it true that... Congressman Weil, how long has this been going on?

GILLIAN:  Look at his disgust.

RIA: Yeah, but he's not disgusted with himself. It's like he's disgusted with the idea of having sex with her.

GILLIAN:  Well, maybe they weren't having sex.

ELI: Why would a guy spend $82,000 on an escort he's not having sex with?

 

CUT TO: INT. - CAL’S OFFICE

 

CAL: Yes, of course. No, I understand. Defense attorney says James has had an acute psychological collapse. He won't eat, sleep, or talk to anyone. He's on suicide watch.

GILLIAN: Take a look at these. Her clothes are identical to the crime scene photos. James took those the day of the murder, and you can tell it's late, probably just a couple of hours before she was killed.

CAL:  Look at that hand.

GILLIAN: What?

CAL: It's tensed. Turned upwards at her side like this.

GILLIAN: Is that a gestural emblem?

CAL: Yeah. When we make it consciously... the meaning's clear.

GILLIAN: Stop. She was having an argument.

CAL: Yeah. Had to be pretty disturbing to produce that emblem.

GILLIAN: So whoever was in that car had a fight with her just hours before she was murdered.

CAL: Body language tells the truth even from the grave.

 

CUT TO: INT. - SCHOOL

 

CAL: Principal Castle. Thank you for seeing us.

CASTLE: Please. Anything to help.

GILLIAN: Do you know who at school might have had an argument with Ms. McCartney the day she was murdered?

CASTLE: I have no idea. What? Do you think another student was involved?

GILLIAN: Possibly. We need to know who drives this car.

CASTLE: Sure. I can try to see if it's registered for school parking.

CAL:  Is that your car?

CASTLE:  No, it's not.

CAL: Were you romantically involved with Susan McCartney?

CASTLE: Of course not.

CAL:  What are you suggesting? Oh, I'm... I'm... I'm sorry. I really am. I... we have to consider everything, and I'm sorry if I've offended you. Really, I'm... I'm very sorry. Very sorry. If I... if I offended you... I-I'm sorry. I have offended you, and I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It's not a good thing, really. I apologize.

Gillian and Cal get out of the principle’s office.

GILLIAN: What's with the Rainman routine?

CAL:  You want to know how scared he was after you showed him the photo of the car?

GILLIAN: How scared?

CAL:  In skin temperature, about ten degrees scared, which is to say, very scared.

GILLIAN: His hand was colder the second time you shook it.

CAL:  Yeah, he recognized that car. Intense fear kicked in. It's a classic physiological flight response. Blood flows from the extremities to the legs so you're ready to run. Your hands get cold first.

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

 

ELI: The car in question does not belong to the principal or his wife.

CAL: Are you sure?

ELI: Yeah. Deputy bonds had records run both of their registrations.

GILLIAN: So principal Castle recognized the car, but it's not his.

CAL: Well, find out whose it is. Have them run the registration of every student and teacher at the school.

RIA: The dnc chairman's going ahead with the press conference this afternoon, but I think I know what Congressman Weil was doing at the sex club and why he was so ashamed. Take a look. He filed this on line two years ago.

GILLIAN: Call me the second you hear about the car. Come on.

 

CUT TO: INT. - CONGRES ROOM

 

ZEB WEIL: Thank you. You haven't done enough muckraking for one day?

RIA: Sir, we don't think you were doing anything sexual at that club because I believe this escort, Melissa, who you paid for time with...

ZEB WEIL: What about her?

RIA: She's your daughter.

ZEB WEIL: I've already admitted what I did. I'm tendering my resignation today.

RIA: This is the profile you registered in May of '06 at adopt connect, a registry for birth parents trying to reconnect with an adoptee.

GILLIAN: The adopted name you listed was Brenda Melissa Johnson. The date of birth would make her Melissa's age now.

ZEB WEIL: I was a junior college at UA and I was seeing a young woman who was a freshman at the woman's college in Marion. She got pregnant. We agreed to a closed adoption. We both moved on. But I never stopped thinking about it. A couple of years ago, I registered to be found. Nothing came of it. So I hired a private investigator.

GILLIAN: Does Melissa... Brenda... know you're her father?

ZEB WEIL: No. I didn't want to force her to confront an answer she clearly wasn't looking for, but when I found out she was working at that club, I had to do something, so I went... started getting to know her. Gave her money. Tried to get her to quit.

RIA: We can tell the chairman and the press.

ZEB WEIL: Please. No.

RIA: No?

ZEB WEIL: I am close to getting Brenda to make a change. If the press finds out who she really is, she will spend the rest of her life being known as the congressman's whore daughter. I've already betrayed her once. I won't do it again.

 

CUT TO: INT. - ON THE PHONE

 

ELI: The car belongs to Jacquelyn Mathis, the girl the school nurse thought was pregnant. Deputy bond had homicide bring her in. Second district station right now.

 

CUT TO: INT. - SECOND DISTRICT STATION

 

JACQUELYN: Why would I know what happened to Miss McCartney?

CAL: No, you tell me.

JACQUELYN: Why would I know?

CAL: Why would I know? Eyebrows go up, like yours, the person knows the answer to the question they're asking.

JACQUELYN: But I don't. I don't... I don't feel well.

CAL: Morning sickness. You argued with Ms. McCartney the afternoon that she was murdered.

JACQUELYN: No, I didn't. You don't know what you're talking about.

CAL: I know when you're lying.

JACQUELYN:  I'm not lying.

CAL:  I know why you fought with her.

JACQUELYN: I didn't.

CAL: Is this your car?

JACQUELYN: I didn't kill Miss McCartney.

CAL: Now, that's the truth. I know you didn't. But you know who did. So tell me about the argument.

JACQUELYN: I don't have anything to say.

CAL: You know James Cole is innocent. He's going to go to prison for the rest of his life. Are you really gonna let that happen? I mean, maybe you couldn't stop the murder, but you can stop this. You have to stop this.

JACQUELYN: I can't.

CAL: Jacquelyn. (Gillian bring him a paper) I guess it doesn't matter anymore. You're gonna have to live with this because James Cole just hanged himself in his jail cell.

JACQUELYN: I didn't think that anything would happen to James. Because he's a minor. I didn't know that he was gonna... oh, my god.

CAL: Why did principal castle recognize your car when I showed him the photograph? You're involved with him, aren't you? Castle took advantage of you.

JACQUELYN: He didn't take advantage of me. We're in love. He loves me.

CAL: You're pregnant with his baby, aren't you?

JACQUELYN: He was going to leave his wife to be with me. He told me. When Miss McCartney saw us, parked in my car, that was at school, we didn't, we didn't know, but she saw us. Then later that day she came up to me in the parking lot freaking out, like, 'cause she had to be all worried about me when... I mean, I was the one who went after him.

CAL: And then you argued about turning him in.

JACQUELYN: I begged her not to. He hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't listen. She said she was gonna turn him in. So... I told him. You know, you know, he said that everything would be okay, that he would talk to her. God... I didn't know he was gonna kill her. I didn't know.

 

CUT TO: INT. - LIGHTMAN OFFICE

 

GILLIAN: You get the e-mail from the US attorney's office?

CAL: No.

GILLIAN: Principal castle confessed in exchange for 30 years.

CAL: I thought the truth would set you free.

GILLIAN: Speaking of which, do you still have that note that I brought you? I want it for my office.

CAL: You really are a pack rat.

GILLIAN: You could have just told me what this was for.

CAL: No, you're a terrible liar.

GILLIAN: Normal people think that's a good thing.

CAL: You saying I'm not normal?

GILLIAN: Good night. Go home.

Gillian leaves.

RIA: Dsc chairman's on the phone. What are we gonna say about the congressman?

CAL: Nothing.

RIA:  So we're just gonna let him throw away his career? We're basically gonna lie?

CAL: Not basically.

RIA: So you lie to your partner about her husband and you lie to the people who hired us. What am I supposed to believe about you?

CAL: You believe whatever you want. Everyone else does.

 

IN THE STREET

 

A BOY: I'm glad you’re spending the holidays with your family. Your folks are great.

A WOMAN: I'm saying I didn't even want this promotion. I feel terrible they fired him.

A MAN: I love you. I'm gonna leave my wife. I just need more time.

CAL: Excuse-me.

 

Écrit par arween