Speaker 1: Tailor rooms. I experience.
Speaker 2: Here we go taory rooms.
Speaker 1: I experience rooms of experience by Stephanie Summers. Fade in
Speaker 1: exterior Children's Hospital day flashback eight years prior. People stride
Speaker 1: in and out through the automatic doors of the brightly
Speaker 1: colored building on a sunny spring day. Graceful willows line
Speaker 1: the walk. Dana, thirty, attractive long hair tied back in
Speaker 1: a loose, messy braid, dressed simply in jeans and a
Speaker 1: T shirt, walks a few feet out of the doors,
Speaker 1: stops midstep, her face tight with stress. People stream past
Speaker 1: her around her. A nurse pushes a wheelchair with a
Speaker 1: woman and her newborn towards a car waiting at the curb.
Speaker 1: A man beams alongside. As they passed Dana, a tiny
Speaker 1: pink and blue hat falls on the ground in front
Speaker 1: of her. Her gaze lands on the hat. She breathes heavy,
Speaker 1: something weighs on her, then walks faster toward the parking lot.
Speaker 1: The hat left abandoned on the cement. Exterior parking lot day.
Speaker 1: Dana reaches her car, grabs the door handle. A sob
Speaker 1: almost escapes her lips, but she fights it back, wrenches
Speaker 1: the door open, gets in the driver's seat, fade to interior.
Speaker 1: Dana's car moving present. Day Dana, impeccably dressed, expertly made
Speaker 1: up hair and a tight bun, drives down a crowded
Speaker 1: city street. Wiper blades thumb away rain from her windshield,
Speaker 1: turns into a parking garage, deathly parks in her spot,
Speaker 1: exits the car, a chirp of the alarm, her heels
Speaker 1: click on a cement. Her actions smooth and controlled. Interior
Speaker 1: Office of the District Attorney. Day Dana enters from the street,
Speaker 1: drops a wet umbrella and a stand by the door,
Speaker 1: heads down the hall Interior Dana's office. Day Dana opens
Speaker 1: the door, which reads Dana Jeffrey's Assistant District Attorney Homicide.
Speaker 1: Hangs her purse on a coat rack in the corner,
Speaker 1: takes a seat at her desk, grabs mail from her inbox,
Speaker 1: stifts through the mail, gets to a baby blue envelope, stops,
Speaker 1: stares at it, runs her finger over the handwriting on
Speaker 1: the front contemplates the letter opener on her desk. Her
Speaker 1: desk phone rings startles her. She opens a bottomed desk drawer,
Speaker 1: throws the envelope on top of several other envelopes in
Speaker 1: the same color with the same handwriting. Reaches for the phone.
Speaker 1: Exterior Ada's backyard night. Ada, elderly, close to ninety, put
Speaker 1: trim and well put together, stands on the lawn in
Speaker 1: the dark, eliminated by a small shaft of light from
Speaker 1: a bulb above the sliding glass door to the house.
Speaker 1: She holds a yellow balloon gently to her chest. There
Speaker 1: is the rumble of thunder in the distance. She closes
Speaker 1: her eyes and opens her arms, lets the balloon float
Speaker 1: up into the night sky, opens her eyes and looks up,
Speaker 1: watches the balloon disappear, and turns and goes inside. Drops
Speaker 1: of rain fall on the cement. Exterior residential street night.
Speaker 1: Drops of rain beat against the asphalt, reflect the street lights.
Speaker 1: The click of a phone being answered nine one one operator,
Speaker 1: Where is your emergency? Silence?
Speaker 3: Hello, nine one one, Is anyone there?
Speaker 4: I I.
Speaker 5: My sun is dead.
Speaker 1: The wail of a siren heard in the distance. Exterior
Speaker 1: Ata's house night. A coroner's van approaches, stops in front.
Speaker 1: An ambulance and two police cars, lights flashing, are already
Speaker 1: on the scene. This is a well kept, but older,
Speaker 1: middle class suburban neighborhood. All of the homes appear to
Speaker 1: have been renovated or upgraded, except for this one. It
Speaker 1: appears frozen in time. The door is open, lights ablaze
Speaker 1: against the night sky. Officers move about, Neighbors peer out
Speaker 1: their windows, Some step out on porches to see what's
Speaker 1: going on. Interior Ada's House, Bedroom night. The body of
Speaker 1: a man teddy sixties, dressed in pajamas lies dead on
Speaker 1: the bed in a sparsely furnished room. Nothing in the
Speaker 1: room looks out of order or unusual, except that every
Speaker 1: inch of wall space is tacked with abstract drawings. There's
Speaker 1: a folded cloth and a length of plastic tubing on
Speaker 1: a nightstand. A tank of helium stands next to it.
Speaker 1: CSI one takes pictures while CSI two, catalog's evidence Detective
Speaker 1: Curtis fifties pokes his head in looks at the drawings.
Speaker 6: Quite the art collection. How's it going?
Speaker 2: Just finishing up?
Speaker 1: The detective nods. Interior Ada's living room night. All the
Speaker 1: furniture is fifty or sixty years old, with the exception
Speaker 1: of a laptop computer on a small desk in the corner.
Speaker 1: The walls are covered in shelves filled with hundreds of
Speaker 1: neatly arranged books. Detective Curtis enters from the hall, surveys
Speaker 1: the room, steps over to the books, wills out a title,
Speaker 1: Yoga for Healthy Aging and Longevity. Scoffs places it back
Speaker 1: on the shelf, notices an upright piano crosses to it,
Speaker 1: tinkles a few keys. Walks into the kitchen interior Ada's
Speaker 1: kitchen night. Ada sits at the table with a uniformed officer.
Speaker 1: Another officer stands in the background. Ada still wears daytime clothes.
Speaker 1: Her hands are folded in her lap. She stares straight ahead.
Speaker 1: Detective Curtis takes a seat next to her. There is
Speaker 1: mail on the table. He picks up an envelope, looks
Speaker 1: at the name.
Speaker 7: Uh, missus Wells. Yes, are you the owner of this home?
Speaker 7: She nods, missus Wells? Can you tell me who else
Speaker 7: lives here with you?
Speaker 1: Just my son?
Speaker 6: And is that your son in the bed?
Speaker 7: Has anyone else been in your home this evening that
Speaker 7: you're aware of? No, Missus Wells, there's a tank of
Speaker 7: helium in your son's bedroom. Do you know anything about that?
Speaker 1: She still does not look at the detective.
Speaker 4: We have it for the balloons.
Speaker 5: Teddy likes to Teddy likes to let them go outside.
Speaker 5: The yellow ones are is favored. He thinks it's like
Speaker 5: the sunrise.
Speaker 1: Detective Curtis and the seated officer exchange glances.
Speaker 7: Missus wells, do you have any family in the area?
Speaker 7: Is there anyone we could call for you?
Speaker 1: She finally looks straight at him, takes in his face
Speaker 1: for a moment before she answers.
Speaker 4: They're gone.
Speaker 5: Everyone is gone. It's just Teddy and me, has been
Speaker 5: for years, for as long as I can remember.
Speaker 6: Really, excuse me for a moment.
Speaker 2: Man.
Speaker 1: He stands up, motions to the standing officer. They walk
Speaker 1: out of the kitchen into the hallway interior atis front
Speaker 1: hallway continuous. Detective Curtis and the officers stand by the
Speaker 1: open front door, pulls on it.
Speaker 6: Possibly, what do we know about the sun?
Speaker 1: The csis enter from the bedroom. CSI one exits out
Speaker 1: the front door.
Speaker 6: We're done. You could sit in the wagon. Suicide probably
Speaker 6: those sides of a struggle.
Speaker 8: The tank of helium popular with the final exit crowd.
Speaker 7: The artwork is a bit curious, though. A mental illness.
Speaker 7: Maybe Mom appears to have dementia, could run in the family.
Speaker 2: Maybe taking care of her was just too much of
Speaker 2: a burden. Surprised it wasn't murder's suicide.
Speaker 1: CSI two shrugs, steps aside for the corner to enter.
Speaker 6: Ready for me, Yeah, make this way.
Speaker 1: The officer leads the coroner away. Detective Curtis pulls a
Speaker 1: piece of gum from his pocket, steps out the front
Speaker 1: door exterior ATI's house continuous. Detective Curtis notices some commotion
Speaker 1: as Gina fifties hurries up the walk. She has obviously
Speaker 1: been woken up in the middle of the night. Officer
Speaker 1: too is close behind her as she heads towards Detective Curtis.
Speaker 9: Ma'am, ma'am, you cannot be here. This is a potential
Speaker 9: crime scene. I'm going to have to ask you to
Speaker 9: leave immediately.
Speaker 1: She looks back at.
Speaker 10: The officer crime scene. Oh my god, what happened? Are
Speaker 10: Aida and Teddy?
Speaker 2: All right?
Speaker 1: He indicates to the officer he will handle this, pulls
Speaker 1: out his notepad.
Speaker 6: A Detective Curtis, ma'am, are you family?
Speaker 10: No, I'm their neighbor.
Speaker 6: And what is your name? Please?
Speaker 10: Gina?
Speaker 4: Gina Gordon?
Speaker 10: Where's Ada?
Speaker 2: Ada?
Speaker 7: That's missus wells, the elderly female occupant.
Speaker 6: Of this residence.
Speaker 10: Yes, Is she all right?
Speaker 6: She is all right, she's inside.
Speaker 1: Gina calm somewhat, is more willing to talk.
Speaker 10: What did the officer mean by crime scene?
Speaker 3: Then?
Speaker 6: How long have you known, missus Wells?
Speaker 10: Since I was a little girl. I grew up in
Speaker 10: the house across the street.
Speaker 6: And where do you live now?
Speaker 4: Still there?
Speaker 3: I mean I left, and then I moved back after
Speaker 3: my divorce to take care of my parents before they died.
Speaker 10: My mother used to check in on her, and now
Speaker 10: I do so.
Speaker 6: Missus Welsh has been ill for some time ill.
Speaker 10: What do you mean Ada's not ill?
Speaker 2: Then?
Speaker 6: Why was her son taking care of her?
Speaker 9: What?
Speaker 10: No, Teddy's not taking care of Ada. Ada takes care
Speaker 10: of him. She has his whole life. He has autism.
Speaker 7: The drawings right, autism? Do you think that would have
Speaker 7: led him to commit suicide?
Speaker 3: No, Teddy wouldn't commit suicide.
Speaker 10: He can't even talk.
Speaker 4: Oh my god, where's Ada?
Speaker 1: Pushes past him, runs into the house. Ada interior, Ada's
Speaker 1: kitchen night. Gina rushes in, sees Ada at the table,
Speaker 1: kneels down in front of her, takes her hands. Detective
Speaker 1: Curtis follows, stands in the doorway.
Speaker 10: Ye, Ada, honey, what happened? Are you all right? What
Speaker 10: happened to Teddy?
Speaker 6: We're gonna need to take missus Wells to the station.
Speaker 1: Gina stands up as if to shield her.
Speaker 4: Now in the middle of the night. What is wrong
Speaker 4: with you? She's eighty nine years old.
Speaker 1: The corner wheels the body passed the kitchen towards the
Speaker 1: front door. Ada does not react. There's complete silence except
Speaker 1: for the wheels of the gurney squeaking on the floor.
Speaker 7: He it looks like we have a few more questions
Speaker 7: for missus Wells.
Speaker 1: Exterior Ada's house night Detective Curtis escorts Ada down the
Speaker 1: walkway towards an unmarked car. Gina, close behind, punches buttons
Speaker 1: on a cell phone.
Speaker 3: Ada, it's going to be okay. I'm calling a friend
Speaker 3: of mine. She's a lawyer. We'll meet you at the station.
Speaker 3: Do not answer any more questions until we get there.
Speaker 1: The detective assists Ada into the back seat of the car,
Speaker 1: shuts the door. Gina yells at him, phone pressed to
Speaker 1: her ear.
Speaker 4: You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Speaker 6: I'm just doing my job, ma'am.
Speaker 1: He gets into the driver's seat, shuts the door. Interior
Speaker 1: Police station interview room night. Ada sits at a table
Speaker 1: coughs into a handkerchief. Detective Curtis stands nearby.
Speaker 6: Do you like some water, missus wells?
Speaker 1: She nods. He pours a glass of water from a pitcher,
Speaker 1: hands it to her.
Speaker 5: Thank you.
Speaker 6: You're welcome. You've taken care of your son for a
Speaker 6: long time, haven't you.
Speaker 7: Yes, it must have been very difficult for you alone
Speaker 7: like that.
Speaker 1: She opens her mouth to respond, then remembers.
Speaker 5: Gina said I should wait until the lawyer gets here.
Speaker 1: He takes a seat next to her.
Speaker 7: Yeah, sure, sure, but you don't have to say anything.
Speaker 7: You're not under arrest. We're just trying to understand what
Speaker 7: happened tonight. The sooner we can sort it out, the
Speaker 7: sooner we.
Speaker 6: Can all go home.
Speaker 1: She speaks plainly, almost monotone, still in shock. I'm not senile.
Speaker 1: He casually reaches up a hand indicates to start recording.
Speaker 6: No, of course not. No one thinks that I didn't.
Speaker 5: Lose my mind. I knew what I was doing.
Speaker 6: You mean, when you killed your son.
Speaker 5: I wanted his last day to be with me at home, peaceful.
Speaker 6: Anyone would want that. Where did you get the helium?
Speaker 5: The party store delivers it. We get a tank every
Speaker 5: other week or so. Teddy loves his balloons.
Speaker 6: And how did you know to use helium to kill
Speaker 6: your son?
Speaker 5: I read about it on the internet. It said it
Speaker 5: would be fast and painless. I didn't want him to suffer.
Speaker 6: And were you trying to make it look like suicide?
Speaker 1: A knock on the door. Detective Curtis rises to answer it.
Speaker 1: Steps halfway out into the hallway. A uniformed officer whispers
Speaker 1: something to him. Detective Curtis leans back.
Speaker 6: In excuse me for a moment, ma'am.
Speaker 1: The door clicks behind him. Interior Detective Curtis's cubicle night
Speaker 1: Alexis early fifties, A force to be reckoned with energy
Speaker 1: radiates from her even at this hour, stands next to Gina.
Speaker 1: Detective Curtis approaches, smiles when he sees Alexis.
Speaker 7: Ah Alexis Martinez, counsel for missus.
Speaker 1: Wells, I presume does she need representation?
Speaker 6: Well, she did just confess.
Speaker 11: In that case, I'd like to know why my client
Speaker 11: was being questioned without me.
Speaker 7: Well, she wasn't under arrest. We were just having a
Speaker 7: friendly chat at.
Speaker 1: Four o'clock in the morning. I'm taking her home.
Speaker 6: Oh, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Why not?
Speaker 1: I thought you said she wasn't under arrest.
Speaker 7: She wasn't when we were talking, But now that she's
Speaker 7: confessed to murder, I simply can't let her walk out
Speaker 7: of here.
Speaker 11: Yes, Heaven forbid, an eighty nine year old woman with
Speaker 11: no passport and no car, who's barely stepped foot outside
Speaker 11: of her home in six decades should be.
Speaker 1: Out roaming the streets.
Speaker 11: Thank god, you boys are keeping us safe from the
Speaker 11: likes of Ada Wells.
Speaker 1: She looks around several cops mill about not doing much
Speaker 1: of anything except eating and drinking coffee.
Speaker 11: I would have confessed too, to get the hell out
Speaker 11: of here. I'm taking her home. She's not a danger
Speaker 11: to you or anyone else. We'll be back in the morning.
Speaker 7: Nine am eleven. She can't go home. It's an active
Speaker 7: crime scene.
Speaker 1: Gina steps forward.
Speaker 10: She can stay with me.
Speaker 1: See there, all.
Speaker 7: Settled and I am holding you responsible, Miss Martinez.
Speaker 11: I think I can handle it. Now, Please release my client.
Speaker 1: He walks away, smiles as he hears Alexis call out
Speaker 1: friendly chat my ass exterior Gena's house night. Gina's car
Speaker 1: pulls into the driveway. She exits helps Ada. Ada looks
Speaker 1: across the street at her own house until Gina gently
Speaker 1: ushers her inside. Interior Gena's dining room, day, Alexis and
Speaker 1: Ada sit at the table. Gina sets out mugs horse coffee.
Speaker 11: Gina told me a little of your story on the
Speaker 11: way to the station last night, taking care of your
Speaker 11: son by yourself and barely leaving the house for all
Speaker 11: those years. I can't even imagine that kind of isolation,
Speaker 11: the effects on the psyche.
Speaker 1: You're an incredible woman, Ada, She takes a drink. Thanks.
Speaker 11: I'm not certain which way the d is going to
Speaker 11: go with this, but based on your please forgive me
Speaker 11: advanced age and the circumstances, I really can't see them
Speaker 11: pushing to prosecute this.
Speaker 1: So we'll talk to the nice officers.
Speaker 11: And get you released on your own recognizance until we
Speaker 11: can get the charges dismissed. I don't want you to worry.
Speaker 11: Everything will be taken care of.
Speaker 1: I want to have a trial. Why would you want
Speaker 1: to do that?
Speaker 5: Kitty was smart and beautiful and gifted, but he couldn't
Speaker 5: take care of himself. I didn't want anyone to think after.
Speaker 6: All those years.
Speaker 5: I finally just snapped, that's not what happened. It's important
Speaker 5: to me that people know he was my son.
Speaker 4: And I loved to.
Speaker 1: Alexis tries to think of an argument.
Speaker 11: Okay, Ada, I promise you'll get to tell your story,
Speaker 11: but you should know this is the kind of case
Speaker 11: people like to use as a soapbox.
Speaker 1: If we go to trial, it could be very difficult
Speaker 1: for you.
Speaker 5: I'm not worried about difficult.
Speaker 1: Alexis knots, gives Ada's hand to squeeze. Interior Dana's office day.
Speaker 1: Dana types on her laptop at her desk. Her assistant
Speaker 1: pokes her head in. Harvey is asking for you. Dana
Speaker 1: pulls out a compact from the top drawer of her desk,
Speaker 1: unnecessarily checks her appearance. Not a hair is out of place.
Speaker 1: Interior District Attorney Harvey Davis's office day. The inner door
Speaker 1: is open. Dana knocks lightly. You wanted to see me,
Speaker 1: Sir Harvey mid sixties. All business exudes authority, weighs Dana in.
Speaker 2: Dana, come in, have a seat, she.
Speaker 1: Purchased lightly on the edge of the chair across from him.
Speaker 2: How's homicide treating you?
Speaker 4: Whoa it's very well. I enjoy the challenge.
Speaker 2: Good good.
Speaker 1: He Ap peers intently at her. She shifts slightly in
Speaker 1: her seat.
Speaker 2: Nice job on the Hansome case.
Speaker 4: Thank you, sir, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2: Two for two in this department. Not bad. You're already
Speaker 2: earning a formidable reputation.
Speaker 4: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Think you're ready for something a little more high profile.
Speaker 1: She sits up even straighter, if that's possible.
Speaker 4: Absolutely.
Speaker 1: He pulls out a file from a desk drawer, drops
Speaker 1: it with a thud on the desk in front of her.
Speaker 2: Glad to hear that, because I'm giving you the Wells case.
Speaker 2: Carter will second chair.
Speaker 4: The Wells case. I thought that was going through elder abuse.
Speaker 2: Not anymore. The case is gaining ground since a disability
Speaker 2: rights group got wind of it.
Speaker 1: She flips through the file, takes out a picture of Ada,
Speaker 1: holds it up, studies it disability right.
Speaker 12: How so.
Speaker 2: The sun had autism? So they're calling it open season
Speaker 2: on the disabled, the accusing society and the justice system
Speaker 2: of devaluing people who are differently abled. It's looking to
Speaker 2: get political. Too many photo ops not.
Speaker 1: To turns his computer screen for Dana to see close
Speaker 1: on screen article headline reads disability rights forefront of murder case.
Speaker 12: It's only my third homicide, and I don't have any
Speaker 12: political aspirations.
Speaker 4: With all due respects, sir, why would you choose me?
Speaker 2: A female prosecutor sits better on this one. The defendant's
Speaker 2: eighty nine years old. We don't want to look completely heartless.
Speaker 2: We're already up against this sympathy vote. Kendri's tied up
Speaker 2: with the Corruther's case, and Lauren's about to go out
Speaker 2: on maternity leave. That leaves you. You look good, You
Speaker 2: speak well, just be sure to brush up on your
Speaker 2: sound bites.
Speaker 12: So I'm getting the case by default, not because I'm
Speaker 12: the most qualified.
Speaker 1: He shrugs as an admission.
Speaker 2: There's always a chance it won't be a win for you,
Speaker 2: but relax, it'll be fine. At least you have a confession.
Speaker 1: Alexis breezes in, waves a document in the air. Speaking
Speaker 1: of confessions, Harvey throws his hands off.
Speaker 2: Counselor do come in.
Speaker 1: Alexis brushes imaginary lint off his jacket. He tolerates it.
Speaker 11: Harvey, always a pleasure. I can hardly believe I left
Speaker 11: all this behind.
Speaker 2: Dana Meet Alexis Martinez opposing counsel and former Ada. Sadly,
Speaker 2: she defected long before you arrived.
Speaker 1: Not fast enough, pleasure. She offers her hand to Dana.
Speaker 1: They shake, then she immediately hands Dana the document motion
Speaker 1: to suppress your confession. Harvey and Dana speak simultaneously on
Speaker 1: what grounds Alexis signores. Dana speaks directly.
Speaker 11: To Harvey, a frail, elderly lady who wasn't properly mirandized
Speaker 11: being questioned without a lawyer in the middle of the night.
Speaker 2: Come on, she wasn't under arrest at the time, as
Speaker 2: I understand it.
Speaker 11: Seriously, I can't believe you even filed us in the
Speaker 11: first place a murder charge, and to place her in custody.
Speaker 1: I knew you were ruthless, but this is over the top,
Speaker 1: even for you.
Speaker 2: We represent the people, Alexis. You know that they talk.
Speaker 2: We have to listen. Murder is murder, no matter who
Speaker 2: commits it.
Speaker 11: Oh, please save it for the reporters. That's not true, and.
Speaker 1: You know it.
Speaker 11: She whirls around to Dana. At any rate, there's something
Speaker 11: I'd like you to see. Are you free for a bit?
Speaker 1: Dana looks at Harvey, who shrugs.
Speaker 2: To Spike out what appearances she's relatively harmless.
Speaker 1: Nice to see you too, Harvey. She strives out, does
Speaker 1: not wait for Dana, who grabs the file off the
Speaker 1: desk scrambles after her. Exterior ATIS House Day, Alexis and
Speaker 1: Dana pull up in separate cars. Yellow crime scene tape
Speaker 1: hangs limply from one side of the front door frame.
Speaker 1: Alexis strides up the walk without looking back at Dana.
Speaker 1: Pulls out a key, unlocks the door, enters. Dana follows.
Speaker 1: Interior ATIS front Hallway day. The house is dark. Alexis
Speaker 1: moves towards the living room. This way interior living room continuous.
Speaker 1: An old movie projector sits on a small table between
Speaker 1: two upholstered chairs. A screen is pulled down over the fireplace.
Speaker 1: Alexis crosses to the sliding glass door, flings open the curtains.
Speaker 1: Light floods in. Dana blinks to adjust her eyes.
Speaker 4: Alexis, is that you.
Speaker 2: Sorry?
Speaker 4: I locked the door behind me.
Speaker 3: I wasn't sure how long I'd be and there were
Speaker 3: reporters nosing around here this morning.
Speaker 1: She emerges from the bedroom hallway with a stack of clothing.
Speaker 1: Dana spins around, excuse me, who are you Dana.
Speaker 11: Gina, Gina, this is the prosecutor who's trying to convict
Speaker 11: Ada of murder.
Speaker 1: Gina narrows her eyes, takes a step towards Dana.
Speaker 4: This is a crime scene. You can't be in here.
Speaker 10: So I've heard.
Speaker 3: I came over to grab a few of Ada's things
Speaker 3: for when she's released tomorrow.
Speaker 11: Okay, I'll see you at the courthouse in the morning.
Speaker 10: Okay.
Speaker 1: She leaves with a parting glands at Dana. Alexis crosses
Speaker 1: to one of the bookshelves, pulls out several volumes.
Speaker 11: Doctor Atkins aged Ying diet, how to live longer and
Speaker 11: feel better, neuroendocrine theory of aging, Life extension. Meditation is
Speaker 11: medicine reversing human aging.
Speaker 1: She steps up to Dana dumps the books in her arms.
Speaker 4: Ok What is all of this?
Speaker 1: She struggles to keep the books from slipping, looks around
Speaker 1: for somewhere to put them down, then gives up, sets
Speaker 1: them on the floor just before they fall. Ada Well's
Speaker 1: attempt to outlive her son.
Speaker 11: The kitchen is full of supplements dha koke ten resveratrolt
Speaker 11: stuff I can't even pronounce. She's not a murderer, Dana
Speaker 11: look around this house, books, vitamins, exercise equipment.
Speaker 1: She did everything she could.
Speaker 11: To make sure she would always be here to take
Speaker 11: care of him. Teddy lived his whole life here. This
Speaker 11: is all he ever knew.
Speaker 1: She closes the curtains part way turns on the projector.
Speaker 1: Black scratchy lines snake across the screen. The film is
Speaker 1: very old. Home movies of Teddy as a child appear.
Speaker 11: She recorded some of this because she thought it might
Speaker 11: be useful One day. She hoped there would finally be
Speaker 11: a doctor who could properly diagnose Teddy and help him.
Speaker 1: Insert granny footage shows five year old Teddy in various
Speaker 1: stages of distress, hitting his head against the wall, screaming uncontrollably,
Speaker 1: lining up objects, flapping his arms, hitting his ears. A
Speaker 1: young Ada is seen in some of the shots. Through
Speaker 1: it all, she remains calm, does her best to soothe
Speaker 1: her son. Back to scene, Alexis stays silent for a
Speaker 1: moment while Dana watches the film.
Speaker 11: Can you imagine trying to cope with this all alone,
Speaker 11: all but cut off from the rest of society, Trying
Speaker 11: desperately to help your child when no one else could
Speaker 11: tell you what was wrong with him, telling you instead
Speaker 11: that your best hope was to just lock him away.
Speaker 11: After all those years on her own, how would she
Speaker 11: know who to call or where to go for help.
Speaker 11: Dana remains fixed on the screen. She barely even recognizes
Speaker 11: the outside world anymore. Do you have any idea of
Speaker 11: the unrelenting stress she must have experienced every single day
Speaker 11: of her life?
Speaker 1: Close on movie screen, young Ada holds little Teddy, tightly
Speaker 1: rocks him as silent tears streamed down her face.
Speaker 11: Drop the charges. She's been through enough. Prosecuting this woman
Speaker 11: does not serve anyone.
Speaker 1: Dana's eyes don't leave the screen.
Speaker 4: The media is already all over this. People will w justice.
Speaker 1: Justice.
Speaker 11: Put yourself where she's been for even a moment. Imagine
Speaker 11: this was your life. Imagine he was your child. Think
Speaker 11: of all the heartbreak, the struggling, the guilt she must
Speaker 11: have felt. Where's the justice in that? Dana flips off
Speaker 11: the projector faces her.
Speaker 12: We're not in court, missus Martinez. Save your argument for
Speaker 12: the jury. She could have walked away. She didn't have
Speaker 12: to kill him.
Speaker 1: Then make a deal.
Speaker 4: No no deals. She had a choice. There's always a choice.
Speaker 1: You're not a mother, are you? Turns the projector back on.
Speaker 11: Why don't you watch a little longer and then tell
Speaker 11: me what her choice was.
Speaker 1: I'll be expecting your call. Her heels click on the
Speaker 1: way out. Dana watches the screen, then looks around the house,
Speaker 1: takes it all in, fumbles to turn off the projector,
Speaker 1: rushes out of the house. Exterior Ata's House, continuous. Dana
Speaker 1: stumbles down the front steps, blinks in the bright sun,
Speaker 1: takes deep breaths of air. Directly across the street. Ginah,
Speaker 1: it's a garden hose waters her front lawn. Dana sees
Speaker 1: her immediately collects herself walks quickly to her car. She
Speaker 1: grabs her door handle, pulls her hand back. The car
Speaker 1: drips with water. She looks over at Gina, who shrugs
Speaker 1: lightly and turns away. Interior Dana's house, foyer day. Dana
Speaker 1: enters through the front door, hangs her purse and keys
Speaker 1: on a wall hook. Her cell buzzes with an incoming call.
Speaker 1: She looks at the screen. It reads Mom's cell. She
Speaker 1: disconnects the call. Let's odd a d B exile. Interior
Speaker 1: Dana's living room, continuous. Dana's boyfriend, ethan mid thirties, looks
Speaker 1: like he would immediately be your best friend. As relaxed
Speaker 1: and easy going as Dana is. Controlled watches ESPN on
Speaker 1: a split screen TV, a laptop opened next to him.
Speaker 1: He looks up as Dana comes in.
Speaker 8: Hey babe, you're home early.
Speaker 6: What a nice surprise.
Speaker 4: Looks like you're in the middle of an article. Don't
Speaker 4: let me interrupt.
Speaker 1: Gives him a quick kiss, ready to head off, but
Speaker 1: he grabs her, pulls her in his lap.
Speaker 8: Very welcome interruption, kisses.
Speaker 1: Her longer slower. They break apart. She looks as though
Speaker 1: she wants to say something.
Speaker 12: Everything okay, yeah, yeah, fine, I just got some case
Speaker 12: stuff in my head and I need to work it out.
Speaker 4: I'm gonna go change for a run.
Speaker 1: She disappears down the hallway towards the bedroom.
Speaker 8: Do you want to go out after or I can
Speaker 8: order in and would be better Chinese?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 8: Maybe Greek? There's that new place that opened up downtown.
Speaker 8: I grabbed the menu the other day and should be
Speaker 8: around here somewhere.
Speaker 1: He rummages, throw a basket under the coffee table.
Speaker 8: Uh you decide or would you rather do sushi unless
Speaker 8: you had it for lunch.
Speaker 1: Dana emerges from the hallway and running clothes, jim shoes
Speaker 1: in hand.
Speaker 4: Anything is fine. I'll be back later. I just go
Speaker 4: ahead and order.
Speaker 6: If you get hungry, I'll wait for you. It tastes
Speaker 6: better when you're here.
Speaker 1: It gives a little laugh, shakes her head, moves towards
Speaker 1: the front door. Halfway there, she stops, turns back around.
Speaker 4: You're probably better than I deserve.
Speaker 6: You know I'll love you too. Have a good run.
Speaker 1: She blows the kiss. Exterior city street, Moving day, Dana runs,
Speaker 1: drenched in sweat and near exhaustion. Rounding a corner, she
Speaker 1: enters a crowded park, turns on a speed, gives it
Speaker 1: everything she has. A soccer ball rolls into her path.
Speaker 1: She swerves to avoid it, missteps, falls to the dirt.
Speaker 1: A boy ten as a prosthetic leg runs over to
Speaker 1: claim the ball.
Speaker 4: Sorry, lady, are you okay?
Speaker 1: She nods, hands the boy the ball, watches him run off.
Speaker 1: His prosthesis doesn't hinder him at all. Interior Dana's home office. Night.
Speaker 1: Dena sits at her desk with a glass of wine,
Speaker 1: types on a laptop close on Dana's screen. As she
Speaker 1: types in autism, the screen instantly fills with thousands of results.
Speaker 1: She clears it and ties down syndrome. The top bar
Speaker 1: of the results shows pictures of children and adults with
Speaker 1: a disorder. Diana stares at the screen, absently choose a fingernail.
Speaker 1: Sound of footsteps in the hall.
Speaker 2: Hey, ma'am, do you want to watch something?
Speaker 1: She looks towards the door, her hand hovering to close
Speaker 1: the laptop if necessary, calls out.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that sounds nice. I'll be there right there.
Speaker 1: Ethan sticks his head in. She keeps her hand over
Speaker 1: the screen.
Speaker 6: Do you want some popcorn?
Speaker 2: Uh? Sure, two minutes.
Speaker 8: Don't maybe come back and get you.
Speaker 2: You worked long enough today.
Speaker 4: I promise.
Speaker 1: He leaves. She looks back at the screen, clicks it off,
Speaker 1: finishes her wine. Interior, courtroom, day, Ada, dressed in jailhouse clothes,
Speaker 1: stands with Alexis at the defense table, Dana across from them.
Speaker 1: The judge at the bench. Ada looks drawn, coughs intermittently.
Speaker 1: Jana sits behind the defense table.
Speaker 9: The court has recorded the defendant's plea of not guilty.
Speaker 9: I assume miss Jeffries, you have feelings about bail well.
Speaker 4: The state requests remand your honor.
Speaker 11: Your honor, as Miss Wells is neither a danger to
Speaker 11: herself nor to society and has limited means. We ask
Speaker 11: that to be released on her own recognisance. Remand is
Speaker 11: completely unwarranted, not to mention punitive on the part of
Speaker 11: the state.
Speaker 12: Your honor, the defendant did take the life of her
Speaker 12: own child. The people are concerned missus Wells may be
Speaker 12: suicidal and requests remand for her own safety.
Speaker 9: While your concern is touching, Counselor, I'm not certain we
Speaker 9: need to keep missus Wells locked up at this point?
Speaker 9: Is there a third party willing to take custody?
Speaker 11: Yes, your honor, A longtime neighbor and friend, Gina Gordon,
Speaker 11: is missus Gordon present?
Speaker 1: Yes, your honor, She's right here. She turns around to
Speaker 1: indicate Gina, who stands up?
Speaker 4: Miss Gordon?
Speaker 9: Do you promise to return the defendant to court when
Speaker 9: necessary and assure compliance with any other conditions set?
Speaker 4: Yes, your honor, very well.
Speaker 9: Defendant is released to the custody Ms Gordon.
Speaker 1: The judge consults her court calendar.
Speaker 9: Preliminary hearing is set for Monday, May eleventh, nine am.
Speaker 4: Court is adjourned.
Speaker 1: The judge wraps the gavel. Gina comes around to the
Speaker 1: defense table gives Ada a hug. Exterior Ada's house. Day
Speaker 1: Ada stands in her driveway, wears a black dress, very dated,
Speaker 1: gazes at her front door. Insert flashback nineteen sixty. Young
Speaker 1: Ada walks up the porch steps Carrie's Teddy as a newborn.
Speaker 1: Are you ready to see your new home? Teddy? Back
Speaker 1: to scene. Gina crosses the street from her house, comes
Speaker 1: up behind Ada, touches her gently on the arm.
Speaker 10: Ada, are you ready?
Speaker 1: Ada turns to her. He was a good boy.
Speaker 4: I loved it more than anything I know.
Speaker 1: She leads her to the car. Exterior cemetery, day Ada
Speaker 1: looks down at Teddy's grave. Next to it, a tombstone
Speaker 1: bears Ada's name and birthdate. Gina and Alexis stand a
Speaker 1: few feet behind. A pastor speaks briefly with Ada, then
Speaker 1: walks away. She turns to Alexis and Gina.
Speaker 5: Do you mind terribly if I took moment alone?
Speaker 10: Of course not.
Speaker 1: She gives Ada a hug.
Speaker 10: Take all the time you need. We'll be in the car.
Speaker 6: Thank you.
Speaker 5: I don't know what I would have done without you.
Speaker 4: Both of you.
Speaker 5: You've been so kind.
Speaker 1: Gina and Alexis walked towards the car.
Speaker 3: I'm worried about her, Alexis. She seems so lost and
Speaker 3: she's so thin now. She was always slight, but I
Speaker 3: think she's dropped ten pounds in the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 3: She hardly eats a thing without Teddy to take care of.
Speaker 3: She hardly knows what to do with herself.
Speaker 10: Thank you for taking her case?
Speaker 1: Are you kidding? I would have taken it even if
Speaker 1: we weren't friends. You really care about her, don't you.
Speaker 3: My mom used to always talk about Ada, how much
Speaker 3: she admired her for keeping Teddy at home. My uncle
Speaker 3: had cerebral palsy and my grandparents placed him in an institution,
Speaker 3: so I think that really struck a court with Mom.
Speaker 3: The attitude towards people with disabilities was so different back then.
Speaker 3: Ada was kind of a pioneer. I guess what's going
Speaker 3: to happen to her, Alexis.
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 11: I find it hard to imagine a jury would put
Speaker 11: an eighty nine year old woman in prison given her circumstances,
Speaker 11: But you never can tell. This case has a lot
Speaker 11: of potential to stir up a lot of emotion. Prosecution
Speaker 11: certainly seemed to be gunning for her for some reason. Thankfully,
Speaker 11: her house has been cleared, so at least she can
Speaker 11: go back home.
Speaker 1: Without warning, Ada crumples to the ground.
Speaker 2: Aya.
Speaker 1: They run to Ada, kneel down on the ground next
Speaker 1: to her. Alexis checks for a pulse. Ada, can you
Speaker 1: hear me? Gina call nine one one. Ada opens her eyes,
Speaker 1: reaches out of hand.
Speaker 5: No, I'm all right. The heat just got to me.
Speaker 5: I just need to lie down for a while. Please, Please,
Speaker 5: I'm fine. I just I want to go home.
Speaker 1: Alexis helps her sit up, checks her pulse again. Gina
Speaker 1: runs to the car, dashes back with a bottle of water,
Speaker 1: hands it to Alexis.
Speaker 5: Here.
Speaker 1: Alexis helps Ada take a sip of water better. Aida nods, okay,
Speaker 1: let's get you two feet slowly now. They hoist Ada
Speaker 1: to her feet, walk her to the car, help her
Speaker 1: into the back seat. Gina shuts the door, turns to
Speaker 1: Alexis with a worried look.
Speaker 3: Alexis, you have got to get the prosecutor to make
Speaker 3: a deal.
Speaker 10: AIDA's knocked up for this.
Speaker 6: I know.
Speaker 1: I'll talk to her again. Interior Dana's office day. Dana
Speaker 1: holds her desk phone to her ear. A mail clerk enters,
Speaker 1: sets mail down in front of her. A familiar blue
Speaker 1: envelope is on top. Dana sees the envelope in tenses,
Speaker 1: nods a kurt thank you to the mail clerk.
Speaker 12: Yes, thank you for your comments. I understand, just you know,
Speaker 12: thank you, thank you very much.
Speaker 1: She hangs up. The phone rings again. Almost immediately, she groans,
Speaker 1: let's it go to her voicemail, throws the envelope in
Speaker 1: the desk drawer with all the others. She flips open
Speaker 1: the file in front of her, extracts a picture of Ada,
Speaker 1: studies it. Alexis appears in the doorway. Good afternoon, mind
Speaker 1: if I come in. Dana places the picture face down
Speaker 1: on her desktop, indicates the chair across from her. Alexis
Speaker 1: takes a seat on the corner of the desk.
Speaker 11: I'd like to ask you to reconsider a deal. My
Speaker 11: client collapsed today at her son's funeral. She's in no
Speaker 11: shape for a trial.
Speaker 1: Dana's phone rings. She ignores it.
Speaker 4: I'm sorry to hear that she complete guilty. Avoid a
Speaker 4: trial that way.
Speaker 1: Alexis just looks at her.
Speaker 4: Okay, then are you asking for a postponement?
Speaker 11: No, Dana, I'm asking for a little compassion. The phone
Speaker 11: rings again, do you need to answer that?
Speaker 1: Dana picks up the receiver, sets it down with more
Speaker 1: force than necessary.
Speaker 4: Compassion, the same compassion she showed her son.
Speaker 12: Sure, sure, let me just figure out how I'm going
Speaker 12: to square that away with dozens of disability rights groups
Speaker 12: who won't leave me alone.
Speaker 1: Ah. She studies Dana, who automatically smooths her hair even
Speaker 1: though it's perfect.
Speaker 4: Was there something else?
Speaker 11: It goes deeper than just winning this case, doesn't it?
Speaker 11: I recognize it, that need for approval.
Speaker 4: I'm sorry, what does that mean?
Speaker 1: Alexis picks up a framed photo from Dana's desk, looks
Speaker 1: at it, sets it back down.
Speaker 11: This office won't help with that. Harvey has a way
Speaker 11: of making you feel like you're not quite measuring up,
Speaker 11: and before you know it, you've become someone you didn't
Speaker 11: want to be.
Speaker 1: I remember when this was my office. I was a
Speaker 1: lot like you. Then Dana straightens the photo to her, liking.
Speaker 4: Not to be rude.
Speaker 12: But I don't think you know me well enough to
Speaker 12: make that comparison.
Speaker 1: Alexis walks around the office, inspects Dana's degree.
Speaker 11: I was the only one in my family who went
Speaker 11: to college, let alone law school.
Speaker 1: My friends from the neighborhood accused me of thinking I.
Speaker 11: Was better than them when I changed my name from Alejandra.
Speaker 1: They said I'd always be from the bodyo no matter
Speaker 1: what turns to face.
Speaker 11: Dana, I was the only Mexican girl in my graduating class. Me,
Speaker 11: a scrappy, foul mouth kid from the streets of East La,
Speaker 11: graduating Summa cume loud.
Speaker 1: From Stanford Law.
Speaker 11: I had a lot of doubts of where I fit in,
Speaker 11: but I always knew what I wanted to do and
Speaker 11: what was that Alexa steps closer to her escape my past.
Speaker 11: I poured myself into my work. I thought if I
Speaker 11: could only work hard enough, long enough, sixteen eighteen hour days,
Speaker 11: win every case, then I'd be good enough, worthy enough.
Speaker 11: My past wouldn't matter. But I learned the past always matters, Dana.
Speaker 11: You can't really go forward until you take a look
Speaker 11: back in law and in life.
Speaker 1: Dana's phone rings.
Speaker 4: I'll be sure to remember that. Thanks for the advice.
Speaker 1: Alexis moves to the door, turns back around.
Speaker 11: Oh, by the way, we'll be arguing substantial capacity. Under
Speaker 11: the circumstances. Ada couldn't appreciate the consequences of her actions.
Speaker 11: After the jury hears her tragic story. I'm sure they'll agree.
Speaker 11: Nice chatting with you, Dana. Don't let this office or
Speaker 11: Harvey eat you up. She leaves, Dana choose a nail,
Speaker 11: stares out the door. Harvey strolls in. Dana quickly pulls
Speaker 11: her hand away from our mouth.
Speaker 2: Was that Alexis Martinez I saw leaving? Yes, and she
Speaker 2: didn't say hello. I'm hurt. What did the esteem Miss
Speaker 2: Martinez want.
Speaker 1: To rattle me?
Speaker 4: Harvey?
Speaker 12: I'm concerned about the strength of this case. The confession
Speaker 12: is out and as of now we only.
Speaker 4: Have two witnesses.
Speaker 2: Do they both say she's guilty?
Speaker 12: Yes, and I'm still waiting to hear back from the
Speaker 12: medical examiner and the psychiatrist.
Speaker 2: Then that's all you need. Don't let the lexus get
Speaker 2: to you. She's a sharp lawyer. I should know I
Speaker 2: taught her, but this case will likely be open and shut.
Speaker 4: Well, she's arguing capacity. Maybe we should offer a deal.
Speaker 1: He removes a cigar from a suit jacket pocket, goes
Speaker 1: through the process of cutting and lighting it as he speaks.
Speaker 2: Dana, do you know why I promoted you?
Speaker 12: I assumed it was because I'm a hard worker who
Speaker 12: does a good tub.
Speaker 2: Because you're black or white, there's no middle ground with you,
Speaker 2: no shades of gray. Someone's either right or they're wrong,
Speaker 2: guilty or innocent. No, d Dana, that's what they call you.
Speaker 1: Did you know that puffs on the cigar to light it.
Speaker 2: You don't allow yourself to feel any empathy for the criminal.
Speaker 2: And that's what makes you a great prosecutor. You have
Speaker 2: the absolute courage of your convictions. You never waver, so
Speaker 2: the jury never does. It's why you're sitting in this office,
Speaker 2: and it's why you're trying this case. Don't go getting
Speaker 2: soft on me now, Dana. I'd hate to find out
Speaker 2: I was wrong about you.
Speaker 1: He blows a puff of smoke exits. Dana retrieves a
Speaker 1: bottle from a desk drawer, sprays a room freshener in
Speaker 1: the air, then leans back in her chair stares at
Speaker 1: the ceiling. The phone rings again. Dana exhils loudly and
Speaker 1: to fact one.
Speaker 8: So let's think ten well in that room break and
Speaker 8: then we'll reprevent you too.
Speaker 2: Cu Wait, this is fantastic you have Yeah, I mean