Show: Cold Case - 3x9
The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event August 28, 1965 Are you ready?
Here it goes, here it goes!
Vivian, run!
I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you!
Oh, here she comes!
Go higher, go higher Coming in for a landing!
It's a perfect day But now we should think about heading back But I don't wanna go home It's getting late, Vivian Why can't we just stay here forever?
OK, close your eyes Come on OK, listen really really hard Do you hear the ocean?
Now look but don't open your eyes Can you see it?
It'll always be here for you No one can ever take it away 'Cause it'll always be right in here Forever Our perfect day Forever?
And ever Some bum out fishin' this morning got a bite Floater in the water?
A hand from the river bottom That's the way to jump start the AM It was a kid's Female, probably white, 3 to 5 years old Been under for maybe decades Cause of death?
Too early to tell but she's got crushed vertebrae in the neck area, shattered skull, and check this out Two breaks, radius and ulna Forearm bones Overkill?
These are old wounds, healed over Someone abusin' her?
Takes some kind of rage breakin' a kid's arm in two places Some kind of monster I'd like to meet whoever's responsible face to face Hearin' you loud and clear, boss Doer better still be out there Kind of job you hate the most to catch, but worth the most to close Miller Oh, crap I'm tryin' to quit Yeah?
How's that going for you?
I do it twenty times a day, I figure one time's gotta stick I want you to know I appreciate your contibution on the last job Glad to be of service Good group of folks you got over there Ever consider joinin'?
Homicide?
You makin' me an offer?
You got reservations?
Because of Fishtown?
You heard about that, huh?
Fellow cop gets shot, word gets out Well, anyway, uh, I made my peace with that, it's just some scheduled stuff I gotta look at Anything I need to know about?
Nothin' I can't handle So you'll get back to me Definitely Thanks Lieutenant According to the lab, baby Jane Doe's been at the bottom of this river for forty-some years Puttin' her murder some time in the 60's But from '60 to '69 we got no missing persons report of a 3 to 5 year old white female What kind of family doesn't report their kid missing?
The kind of family that kills their kid?
Maybe we check DHS's child abuse unit records Kid's doctor might've reported that broken arm There was no Child Abuse Unit back then Docs weren't trained to recognize abuse, no one was Like this would've fallen through the cracks easy And we got another boy in the box No one ever came forward to claim him Back then they didn't have facial reconstuction technology We do So we create a picture of what the victim could have looked like off the skull Put this picture in circulation, maybe an old neighbor or family member recognizes baby Jane Doe Needle in a haystack but I might've tracked your victim's fractures Two breaks on the forearm, real unique injury, right?
Same kind of breaks were treated at St Boniface's emergency room circa 1965 Did it say who the victim was?
Vivian Smith, age 4, white female Doc who treated her, still alive and kickin' Yes, that's my signature I was in my first year of residency in '65 Do you remember that patient Dr Greys?
Vivian Smith, 4 years old, white female Multiple fractures to the radius, ulna Yes I remember her First time I realized how little I could do for children like that What d'you mean?
I patch 'em up, send them home untill the next time We think she was killed shortly after you treated her Any idea who might've been responsible?
Mom She brought her in A local waitress from what I can remember Is there a father in the picture?
According to this, Mom kept insisting she dropped her kid It just happened so fast, I was holding her and then next thing you know, I dropped her Dropped her, huh?
How'd that happen?
You dropping her?
Silly me, I think I need glasses See my eyes they don't work so hot and I just keep dropping things Your daughter has spiral fractures It's caused when you take a child's arm and snap it Take her away Excuse me?
She's better off without me What about your mother's?
Or a relative's?
I don't have anyone Please, just take her away before it's too late I can't just take your kid You wanna get those eyes looked at Sign for your daughter here So Mom was trying to save the kid from herself?
There was nothing I could do Child abuse wasn't even a concept in '65 Anyway Mom gave us a false name How did you know that?
Hospital bill came back a week later No known recipient No known address You said she was a local girl?
A waitress?
Car-hop kind of uniform?
That's what it looked like The only car-hop in Philly is Milt's Burger Joint Thurman Street Best cheese fries in town Place was a car-hop back in '65 You worked here as a waitress, Madi?
Scrimped and saved my tips for years 'til I could call this armpit my home You remeber another waitress?
Had a daughter 4 years old Kid might've had a cast on her arm Sure Cindysomething I don't recall her last name Well maybe we'll have a talk with the former owner Good luck Cheap pervert took a nose dive into his cheese fries 10 years back What do you remember about this Cindy?
Restless skittish kind of gal The type who had it all Great husband, great kid Wanted nothing to do with 'em She was married?
Met her husband once Heart of gold type, but her, something was rotten up in the old spaghetti factory You get used to it honey How much money does it take to run away?
Run away?
What would you want to run away for, honey?
Don't you have a family?
I'm a bad mother Oh, you don't mean that now Sometimes I think my only way out is when one of them dies Sweetheart?
What are you doing here, Roger?
Why aren't you at work?
I went to see my girls Mommy, mommy!
Look what daddy got me!
Oh, Vivian, she's beautiful I got a white paw just like Snowflake Stay in the car sweetie, let Mommy and Daddy talk She's gonna be OK, Cindy How can you say that?
The most important thing is that we work this out As a family I can't You're her Mommy Nothing's ever gonna change that She needs you I need you Had that man wrapped around her little finger Sounds like she was about to bolt, and he was desperate to keep her At any cost Lil, boss called Thanks for your time, Madi They put those facial reconstuction photos of baby Jane Doe out That was fast Got a hit Lady came in 5 minutes ago, says she knows our girl I was just leaving the courthouse when I saw this You work at the PD's office, Miss Stanton?
Court reporter Are you saying you know this girl?
No I mean yes, I think I do Can I ask a question?
Sure Rumor has it you found her in the river Yes, we did How did she die?
We're not sure yet Anyway, cut to the chase It's a pretty close match Where'd you get this photo?
It's one of the few things I have left from my childhood How do you mean?
That little girl in the photo, that girl is me I was adopted when I was 4 There's very little I remember before then But I always felt a part of me was missing Do you remember her at all?
I remember a girl but I thought she was my invisible friend Something a child makes up, I never thought she could be real Well we'll need to take a swab Test your DNA against our baby Jane Doe So the girl you found in the river, she could've been my sister It's possible What about your parents?
Do you remember them?
Last time I saw my mother, that's the only memory I have Where's Vivian, Mommy?
Listen to me, sweetheart Vivian, she's just someone you made up in your mind Like an invisible friend Vivian's just make believe?
Don't you see?
It's so much better this way, because she'll always be with you Watching over you no matter where you go Like an angel?
Yes Like an angel Go to sleep now, sweetheart Close your eyes You'll be in good hands here Better off without me He'll keep you safe And whenever it seems Mommy's far, far away, all you have to do is close your eyes And I'll be here with you Forever?
And ever Bye-bye, baby I never saw her again DHS found me a home Good loving people raised me, I was lucky That medallion your mother gave you, do you still have it?
I do, yeah She mentioned a man watching over you, he'll keep you safe, she said St Michael, maybe that's what she meant BN 3546 I always wondered what that meant St Michael's the patron saint of cops BN could mean badge number I'll let you know if there's something to it more Thanks for your time I've had a good life But still I'd like to know Why she left Art Balduchi?
No need to shine them badges Cheery mugs give you boys away Takes a cop to know a cop Badge number 3546 Hung up the uniform 20 years ago Good riddance Ever run accross this girl on the job?
Looks familiar, who is she?
The kid who had this My St Michaels, where'd you find it?
Same little girl all grown up now Is that a fact?
Yeah, now I remember her And her sister Twins You close with the family?
No Met 'em once, that's it So why'd you give her your medallion?
I was a rookie, see, we got a call to this house Neighbors are complaining because of the noise Police!
Open up!
Police Open up Can I help you officers?
We got a noise complaint Everything OK here?
We're sittin' down to a meal Ain't that right, sweetheart?
It's Hawaiian casserole night Good, right girls?
Don't wanna disturb your evening now, folks Have a good night Is everything OK here, ma'am?
I'm just fine, thank you What'd you do to her?
Shut up, kid Let's go He beat her On her face No, I just, I fell It's my eyes, they don't work very well, I think I need glasses Let's take a walk around the block Cool your engines Yeah, sure Get yourself cleaned up, lady Daddy's gonna come back and make Mommy cry again Do you know who this is?
It's St Michael He's the patron saint of Mommy's He keeps an eye on 'em, and never let's 'em come to harm Really?
Sure Go on Put it on your mommy What'd you say, Maura?
Thank you It's time for your bath, girls I should give this back to you Oh, no, no, keep it Your girls will notice if it's gone That's very kind of you Thank you Sure Oh, I'm Cindy Mulvaney Pleased to meet you I think you see just fine, ma'am Pardon me?
Situations like this, they always end up bad You need to take your girls and leave Tonight And go where?
My parents are dead, I'm an only child and I haven't had a friend in years so please tell me, where should I go?
If you need a place to go, you call this number So it was her husband abusin' the girls, not her?
She was covering it up They always do So what was this number you gave her?
Some kind of shelter?
No shelters back then Just a few good Samaritans who knew what it was like to be on the recievin' end of a fist So did she call this number?
Got me Never heard from her again No way she would've turned to the police for help, after that Police Her husband was the police Roger Mulvaney was a cop in my precinct Her husband was a cop in the 14th district and a bona fide hero Decorated twice for valor, killed in the line of duty 1965 They got his picture up at Jone's Tavern Well that's great Bad enough cops in '65 turned a blind eye on abusers If that abuser was a cop The guy had a free pass, 24/7, 365 What do you got on the mom?
Cynthia Mulvaney, drops off the face of the earth in '65, few months before her husband's killed We tracked down 9 other Cynthia Mulvaney's in the tri-state area, we're following up if she's still alive Meanwhile I got a name and a number on the lady who ran that makeshift shelter in '65 A Nancy Walsh Still in the life, heads up a battered women's shelter in Germantown So in '65 you set up an underground railroad for battered women?
It was hardly a railroad Just my living room with a handful of cots I took in as many families as I could Last stop on the line?
The only stop, dear Do you remember a woman named Cindy Mulvaney?
Twin girls?
This is one of 'em Oh, yeah They're mother wouldn't speak one word to anybody but her daughters, first two weeks she was here Why not?
Her husband swore he'd find her if she ever left him Take everything she loved He meant he'd kill the girls and make her watch What a prince So she blamed herself Like we all do Just push the button here, see?
Like we did at the beach You make a home made movie Lot of laundry today, huh?
Anyway, thanks for pitchin' in They're just a few months old The girls When he first hits you Who, Cindy, your husband?
Then you tell yourself it was just a shove, really He didn't mean it, he loves me, so you stay We all stayed Until one day you realize the door you could've walked out a long time ago is nailed shut forever You provided each and every nail every time you stayed You had nowhere to go, no money But you left, remember that I miss my wife Cindy, take the girls and go upstairs I don't know what came over me I swear it will not happen again You always say that Being all alone in that house the last few weeks, it made me realize Without you, without my girls, I'm nothin' Let me go, Roger Please I can't Because you're my wife You're my happily ever after Come home to me My shift ends at midnight I'll see you then Let's pack up our things You don't have to go back to that jerk You have another choice, Cindy Remember?
Choice?
What'd she mean by that?
I don't know Tiffany was her friend, her confidante Maybe you could ask her Do you know where we can find this Tiffany?
She's one of our most generous doners Volunteers here I can give you her number A lucky woman, getting out What about Cindy?
She get lucky, too?
No No, she packed her bags and went home that very night I tried to convince her to stay but she said there was no use in running He'd track her down to the ends of the earth, the guy was a cop Had the resources / Yeah Did you ever see Cindy again?
Usually don't, after a woman goes back to her husband Unless I pay a visit to the local cemetery You were Cindy's friend, Tiffany You knew she had other options When I said Cindy had a choice, I meant the man who was madly in love with her And I wasn't talking about that pig of a husband Cindy was having an affair?
Don't make it sound tawdry, because it wasn't It was sweet Who was this guy?
I don't remember his name, but he had eyes like yours Kind Sexy He was Cindy's way out I always told myself she took it Firm shoulders, he had those too And how would you know that?
He brought us to the beach one day Just a few days after Cindy came to the shelter Had the affair been going on for a while by then?
It was just beginning Cindy wouldn't talk to a soul except the girls So which beach did he bring you to?
The dreadful Jersey shore But still, we were able to forget where we'd come from, that we were depending on the kindness of strangers It must've been nice, Tiffany It was magical If just for a day Shot a home movie of it You don't still have this home movie by any chance?
It's yours for a smile, big boy DNA results came in positive Vivian was your identical twin Your mother's name was Cynthia Mulvaney Your father was a police officer, his name was Roger You found my parents?
We're still looking for your mom Your dad was killed on the job in 1965 Well what was he like?
We think he was abusive To your mother To you girls You have memories of that, Maura?
Like I said there's very little I remember from my childhood No wonder We need your help identifying this guy in this home movie Of what?
Your mother and Vivian and someone else we can't identify and you Maybe he knows what happened to your sister Well what are we waiting for?
Oh, my God Is that my mom?
Yeah, and Vivian That smell in the air, the water It was the first time I saw the ocean This help you remember anything else?
That swimsuit Vivian's wearing, we fought over it and she won Do you remember that man, Maura?
The one picking up Vivian?
Maura?
She was so happy, and sad at the same time Your mom was?
That day on the beach she called it our perfect day And if you closed your eyes, it would last forever Vivian's it, Mommy Play us a song, Mommy A song?
On the piano I didn't know you played the piano Mommy played all the time, before Even when she was a little girl She stopped 'cause of Daddy / Oh Would you play a song for me?
Wow!
That's beautiful I don't hear anything Well you know what we got here?
It's a top 40 hit Isn't that right, Mom?
Can you girls sing?
No Dance?
No Fantastic, we're gonna take this show on the road You and me and our dancing chimpanzees What do you say, Mom?
You'll run away with me?
Are you gonna kiss Mommy?
That was Art Art Balduchi?
The cop who came to your house that time?
Yes, that's him He was in love with your mother?
And she was in love with him Can't you see?
So why did you keep it a secret, Art?
You and Cindy?
I've got nothing to say to you Unless you knew what happened to Vivian How she was killed Or maybe you're protecting Cindy The way she'd lay her finger on her own kid No way Somebody did He didn't deserve her Or those girls You on the other hand were willing to start a new life with someone you'd known for 2 weeks So how'd it begin?
You and Cindy?
I went to that shelter to check in on her I thought it'd be that one time But I found myself goin' every day That's how And a few weeks later the hubby tracks her down, wants her back for good You couldn't let that happen I did my best to save her But my best wasn't enough He found us at the shelter, Art We'll never get away from him now, never He found you?
He'll be home in an hour and he expects us to be there Where's he now?
On shift What are we gonna do?
OK, we're gonna run away All right?
You, me and the girls We'll go to the shore, he's never gonna find us there You can't leave your life here Art, your job!
/ Why not?
You're young, your life has just started, you can't just take on someone else's kids Their wife Then be my wife Marry me What?
I don't have much but what I have is yours, and the girls And I'll love you and protect you and I'll never let harm come your way Don't say those things if you don't mean them /I do So?
Will you marry me?
Does that mean Mommy's name is Mrs Balduchi now?
Yes What about him?
What about Roger?
Right You stay here with the girls No, where are you going, Art?
I'm gonna make sure he never bothers you again Keep an eye on Mommy, girls / OK Oh, hey Balduchi, you gave me a fright Is the whole precinct comin' down to see me home?
You let her go!
You let her be!
You understand my meanin'?
Yeah, yeah You'll never hurt her again That's how we dealt with abusers back then Off the books OK So then you tried to run off with Cindy?
I thought we were free But I went back to my place and they were gone Cindy, the girls There was a note We forgot Snowflake, be back soon They went back for the cat To the house I raced over but it was dark Empty I drove around for hours that night, looking for 'em Went down to the shore, walked that beach till dawn Never found 'em I kept hopin' she'd call But she never did And that's when I knew Roger had found her The girls He never said a word but I knew Roger was killed in the line of duty a few months later You knew his beat She was Mrs Cindy Balduchi for the day At least I had that Cindy Balduchi No need to write any of that last part down Don't remember what the man said anyhow If you ever find Cindy out there somewhere, would you tell her she doesn't need to be afraid of him anymore?
Art took care of it Cindy Balduchi?
Yes, may I help you?
Philadelphia PD, or is it Mulvaney?
That's all for today I'll see you next week Please go away Maura wants to know why you left I don't know anyone by that name I'm sorry She can't know He'll find her Your husband?
He's dead, Cindy He can't hurt Maura Not anymore He swore he'd find me He'd find her He would take everything I'd loved Like he took Vivian What'd he do to Vivian?
Don't you see?
I still had Maura left I had to be sure she would be safe from him That's why I left her in the church And she was safe But now Maura needs to know why she ended up alone Tell her I had no choice I had to make sure he'd never find you Even if it meant giving you up forever Snowflake, where are you?
Shh, keep your voice down But Daddy's still at work Mommy I know but we have to be quiet, OK?
I'll get Snowflake but you have to promise to stay put, OK?
OK Snowflake Snowflake Snowflake Stupid cat!
Come here Oh, thank God Let's get out of here Wanna drive?
Or should I?
Get in We're a family We're gonna work this out Families always do Ain't that right, girls?
First I wanna know something Where are you taking us?
Did you make it with him?
Roger, not in front of the girls Did you make it with him!
No, I didn't Good That's good That means we can start again You and me Roger I'd kill myself if we couldn't You're the only thing in my life that counts I'm nothing without my family I missed my wife I missed you too You missed Daddy, girls?
Yes, Daddy Should we go home, then?
What about Mrs Balduchi, Mommy?
We don't need to talk about her Who's Mrs Balduchi?
Mommy is I'm sorry Me, too What are you doing, Roger?
What are you doing?
Roger?
What are you doing with them?
Roger?
Give them back to me I'll do anything you want Just give'em back to me Mommy Think you could just drive off into the sunset?
Live happily ever after?
No, no I don't No, no!
There is no happily ever after Not for us, babe Not for you Not if I can help it Mommy!
Mommy!
No!
No!
* Donovan 'Catch The Wind' * * In the chilly hours and minutes, * * Of uncertainty, I want to be, * * In the warm hold of your loving mind * * To feel you all around me, * * And to take your hand, * Ah, but I may as well try * When sundown pales the sky, * * I wanna hide a while, behind your smile, * And everywhere I'd look, * For me to love you now, * * Would be the sweetest thing, * Ah, but I may as well, try * When rain has hung * I want you near, to kill my fears * * To help me to leave * For standin' in your heart, * * Is where I want to be, * Ah, but I may as well, * When rain has hung * I want you near, to kill my fears * * To help me to leave * For standin' in your heart, * * Is where I want to be, * Ah, but I may as well, * Ah, but I may as well,
Here it goes, here it goes!
Vivian, run!
I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you!
Oh, here she comes!
Go higher, go higher Coming in for a landing!
It's a perfect day But now we should think about heading back But I don't wanna go home It's getting late, Vivian Why can't we just stay here forever?
OK, close your eyes Come on OK, listen really really hard Do you hear the ocean?
Now look but don't open your eyes Can you see it?
It'll always be here for you No one can ever take it away 'Cause it'll always be right in here Forever Our perfect day Forever?
And ever Some bum out fishin' this morning got a bite Floater in the water?
A hand from the river bottom That's the way to jump start the AM It was a kid's Female, probably white, 3 to 5 years old Been under for maybe decades Cause of death?
Too early to tell but she's got crushed vertebrae in the neck area, shattered skull, and check this out Two breaks, radius and ulna Forearm bones Overkill?
These are old wounds, healed over Someone abusin' her?
Takes some kind of rage breakin' a kid's arm in two places Some kind of monster I'd like to meet whoever's responsible face to face Hearin' you loud and clear, boss Doer better still be out there Kind of job you hate the most to catch, but worth the most to close Miller Oh, crap I'm tryin' to quit Yeah?
How's that going for you?
I do it twenty times a day, I figure one time's gotta stick I want you to know I appreciate your contibution on the last job Glad to be of service Good group of folks you got over there Ever consider joinin'?
Homicide?
You makin' me an offer?
You got reservations?
Because of Fishtown?
You heard about that, huh?
Fellow cop gets shot, word gets out Well, anyway, uh, I made my peace with that, it's just some scheduled stuff I gotta look at Anything I need to know about?
Nothin' I can't handle So you'll get back to me Definitely Thanks Lieutenant According to the lab, baby Jane Doe's been at the bottom of this river for forty-some years Puttin' her murder some time in the 60's But from '60 to '69 we got no missing persons report of a 3 to 5 year old white female What kind of family doesn't report their kid missing?
The kind of family that kills their kid?
Maybe we check DHS's child abuse unit records Kid's doctor might've reported that broken arm There was no Child Abuse Unit back then Docs weren't trained to recognize abuse, no one was Like this would've fallen through the cracks easy And we got another boy in the box No one ever came forward to claim him Back then they didn't have facial reconstuction technology We do So we create a picture of what the victim could have looked like off the skull Put this picture in circulation, maybe an old neighbor or family member recognizes baby Jane Doe Needle in a haystack but I might've tracked your victim's fractures Two breaks on the forearm, real unique injury, right?
Same kind of breaks were treated at St Boniface's emergency room circa 1965 Did it say who the victim was?
Vivian Smith, age 4, white female Doc who treated her, still alive and kickin' Yes, that's my signature I was in my first year of residency in '65 Do you remember that patient Dr Greys?
Vivian Smith, 4 years old, white female Multiple fractures to the radius, ulna Yes I remember her First time I realized how little I could do for children like that What d'you mean?
I patch 'em up, send them home untill the next time We think she was killed shortly after you treated her Any idea who might've been responsible?
Mom She brought her in A local waitress from what I can remember Is there a father in the picture?
According to this, Mom kept insisting she dropped her kid It just happened so fast, I was holding her and then next thing you know, I dropped her Dropped her, huh?
How'd that happen?
You dropping her?
Silly me, I think I need glasses See my eyes they don't work so hot and I just keep dropping things Your daughter has spiral fractures It's caused when you take a child's arm and snap it Take her away Excuse me?
She's better off without me What about your mother's?
Or a relative's?
I don't have anyone Please, just take her away before it's too late I can't just take your kid You wanna get those eyes looked at Sign for your daughter here So Mom was trying to save the kid from herself?
There was nothing I could do Child abuse wasn't even a concept in '65 Anyway Mom gave us a false name How did you know that?
Hospital bill came back a week later No known recipient No known address You said she was a local girl?
A waitress?
Car-hop kind of uniform?
That's what it looked like The only car-hop in Philly is Milt's Burger Joint Thurman Street Best cheese fries in town Place was a car-hop back in '65 You worked here as a waitress, Madi?
Scrimped and saved my tips for years 'til I could call this armpit my home You remeber another waitress?
Had a daughter 4 years old Kid might've had a cast on her arm Sure Cindysomething I don't recall her last name Well maybe we'll have a talk with the former owner Good luck Cheap pervert took a nose dive into his cheese fries 10 years back What do you remember about this Cindy?
Restless skittish kind of gal The type who had it all Great husband, great kid Wanted nothing to do with 'em She was married?
Met her husband once Heart of gold type, but her, something was rotten up in the old spaghetti factory You get used to it honey How much money does it take to run away?
Run away?
What would you want to run away for, honey?
Don't you have a family?
I'm a bad mother Oh, you don't mean that now Sometimes I think my only way out is when one of them dies Sweetheart?
What are you doing here, Roger?
Why aren't you at work?
I went to see my girls Mommy, mommy!
Look what daddy got me!
Oh, Vivian, she's beautiful I got a white paw just like Snowflake Stay in the car sweetie, let Mommy and Daddy talk She's gonna be OK, Cindy How can you say that?
The most important thing is that we work this out As a family I can't You're her Mommy Nothing's ever gonna change that She needs you I need you Had that man wrapped around her little finger Sounds like she was about to bolt, and he was desperate to keep her At any cost Lil, boss called Thanks for your time, Madi They put those facial reconstuction photos of baby Jane Doe out That was fast Got a hit Lady came in 5 minutes ago, says she knows our girl I was just leaving the courthouse when I saw this You work at the PD's office, Miss Stanton?
Court reporter Are you saying you know this girl?
No I mean yes, I think I do Can I ask a question?
Sure Rumor has it you found her in the river Yes, we did How did she die?
We're not sure yet Anyway, cut to the chase It's a pretty close match Where'd you get this photo?
It's one of the few things I have left from my childhood How do you mean?
That little girl in the photo, that girl is me I was adopted when I was 4 There's very little I remember before then But I always felt a part of me was missing Do you remember her at all?
I remember a girl but I thought she was my invisible friend Something a child makes up, I never thought she could be real Well we'll need to take a swab Test your DNA against our baby Jane Doe So the girl you found in the river, she could've been my sister It's possible What about your parents?
Do you remember them?
Last time I saw my mother, that's the only memory I have Where's Vivian, Mommy?
Listen to me, sweetheart Vivian, she's just someone you made up in your mind Like an invisible friend Vivian's just make believe?
Don't you see?
It's so much better this way, because she'll always be with you Watching over you no matter where you go Like an angel?
Yes Like an angel Go to sleep now, sweetheart Close your eyes You'll be in good hands here Better off without me He'll keep you safe And whenever it seems Mommy's far, far away, all you have to do is close your eyes And I'll be here with you Forever?
And ever Bye-bye, baby I never saw her again DHS found me a home Good loving people raised me, I was lucky That medallion your mother gave you, do you still have it?
I do, yeah She mentioned a man watching over you, he'll keep you safe, she said St Michael, maybe that's what she meant BN 3546 I always wondered what that meant St Michael's the patron saint of cops BN could mean badge number I'll let you know if there's something to it more Thanks for your time I've had a good life But still I'd like to know Why she left Art Balduchi?
No need to shine them badges Cheery mugs give you boys away Takes a cop to know a cop Badge number 3546 Hung up the uniform 20 years ago Good riddance Ever run accross this girl on the job?
Looks familiar, who is she?
The kid who had this My St Michaels, where'd you find it?
Same little girl all grown up now Is that a fact?
Yeah, now I remember her And her sister Twins You close with the family?
No Met 'em once, that's it So why'd you give her your medallion?
I was a rookie, see, we got a call to this house Neighbors are complaining because of the noise Police!
Open up!
Police Open up Can I help you officers?
We got a noise complaint Everything OK here?
We're sittin' down to a meal Ain't that right, sweetheart?
It's Hawaiian casserole night Good, right girls?
Don't wanna disturb your evening now, folks Have a good night Is everything OK here, ma'am?
I'm just fine, thank you What'd you do to her?
Shut up, kid Let's go He beat her On her face No, I just, I fell It's my eyes, they don't work very well, I think I need glasses Let's take a walk around the block Cool your engines Yeah, sure Get yourself cleaned up, lady Daddy's gonna come back and make Mommy cry again Do you know who this is?
It's St Michael He's the patron saint of Mommy's He keeps an eye on 'em, and never let's 'em come to harm Really?
Sure Go on Put it on your mommy What'd you say, Maura?
Thank you It's time for your bath, girls I should give this back to you Oh, no, no, keep it Your girls will notice if it's gone That's very kind of you Thank you Sure Oh, I'm Cindy Mulvaney Pleased to meet you I think you see just fine, ma'am Pardon me?
Situations like this, they always end up bad You need to take your girls and leave Tonight And go where?
My parents are dead, I'm an only child and I haven't had a friend in years so please tell me, where should I go?
If you need a place to go, you call this number So it was her husband abusin' the girls, not her?
She was covering it up They always do So what was this number you gave her?
Some kind of shelter?
No shelters back then Just a few good Samaritans who knew what it was like to be on the recievin' end of a fist So did she call this number?
Got me Never heard from her again No way she would've turned to the police for help, after that Police Her husband was the police Roger Mulvaney was a cop in my precinct Her husband was a cop in the 14th district and a bona fide hero Decorated twice for valor, killed in the line of duty 1965 They got his picture up at Jone's Tavern Well that's great Bad enough cops in '65 turned a blind eye on abusers If that abuser was a cop The guy had a free pass, 24/7, 365 What do you got on the mom?
Cynthia Mulvaney, drops off the face of the earth in '65, few months before her husband's killed We tracked down 9 other Cynthia Mulvaney's in the tri-state area, we're following up if she's still alive Meanwhile I got a name and a number on the lady who ran that makeshift shelter in '65 A Nancy Walsh Still in the life, heads up a battered women's shelter in Germantown So in '65 you set up an underground railroad for battered women?
It was hardly a railroad Just my living room with a handful of cots I took in as many families as I could Last stop on the line?
The only stop, dear Do you remember a woman named Cindy Mulvaney?
Twin girls?
This is one of 'em Oh, yeah They're mother wouldn't speak one word to anybody but her daughters, first two weeks she was here Why not?
Her husband swore he'd find her if she ever left him Take everything she loved He meant he'd kill the girls and make her watch What a prince So she blamed herself Like we all do Just push the button here, see?
Like we did at the beach You make a home made movie Lot of laundry today, huh?
Anyway, thanks for pitchin' in They're just a few months old The girls When he first hits you Who, Cindy, your husband?
Then you tell yourself it was just a shove, really He didn't mean it, he loves me, so you stay We all stayed Until one day you realize the door you could've walked out a long time ago is nailed shut forever You provided each and every nail every time you stayed You had nowhere to go, no money But you left, remember that I miss my wife Cindy, take the girls and go upstairs I don't know what came over me I swear it will not happen again You always say that Being all alone in that house the last few weeks, it made me realize Without you, without my girls, I'm nothin' Let me go, Roger Please I can't Because you're my wife You're my happily ever after Come home to me My shift ends at midnight I'll see you then Let's pack up our things You don't have to go back to that jerk You have another choice, Cindy Remember?
Choice?
What'd she mean by that?
I don't know Tiffany was her friend, her confidante Maybe you could ask her Do you know where we can find this Tiffany?
She's one of our most generous doners Volunteers here I can give you her number A lucky woman, getting out What about Cindy?
She get lucky, too?
No No, she packed her bags and went home that very night I tried to convince her to stay but she said there was no use in running He'd track her down to the ends of the earth, the guy was a cop Had the resources / Yeah Did you ever see Cindy again?
Usually don't, after a woman goes back to her husband Unless I pay a visit to the local cemetery You were Cindy's friend, Tiffany You knew she had other options When I said Cindy had a choice, I meant the man who was madly in love with her And I wasn't talking about that pig of a husband Cindy was having an affair?
Don't make it sound tawdry, because it wasn't It was sweet Who was this guy?
I don't remember his name, but he had eyes like yours Kind Sexy He was Cindy's way out I always told myself she took it Firm shoulders, he had those too And how would you know that?
He brought us to the beach one day Just a few days after Cindy came to the shelter Had the affair been going on for a while by then?
It was just beginning Cindy wouldn't talk to a soul except the girls So which beach did he bring you to?
The dreadful Jersey shore But still, we were able to forget where we'd come from, that we were depending on the kindness of strangers It must've been nice, Tiffany It was magical If just for a day Shot a home movie of it You don't still have this home movie by any chance?
It's yours for a smile, big boy DNA results came in positive Vivian was your identical twin Your mother's name was Cynthia Mulvaney Your father was a police officer, his name was Roger You found my parents?
We're still looking for your mom Your dad was killed on the job in 1965 Well what was he like?
We think he was abusive To your mother To you girls You have memories of that, Maura?
Like I said there's very little I remember from my childhood No wonder We need your help identifying this guy in this home movie Of what?
Your mother and Vivian and someone else we can't identify and you Maybe he knows what happened to your sister Well what are we waiting for?
Oh, my God Is that my mom?
Yeah, and Vivian That smell in the air, the water It was the first time I saw the ocean This help you remember anything else?
That swimsuit Vivian's wearing, we fought over it and she won Do you remember that man, Maura?
The one picking up Vivian?
Maura?
She was so happy, and sad at the same time Your mom was?
That day on the beach she called it our perfect day And if you closed your eyes, it would last forever Vivian's it, Mommy Play us a song, Mommy A song?
On the piano I didn't know you played the piano Mommy played all the time, before Even when she was a little girl She stopped 'cause of Daddy / Oh Would you play a song for me?
Wow!
That's beautiful I don't hear anything Well you know what we got here?
It's a top 40 hit Isn't that right, Mom?
Can you girls sing?
No Dance?
No Fantastic, we're gonna take this show on the road You and me and our dancing chimpanzees What do you say, Mom?
You'll run away with me?
Are you gonna kiss Mommy?
That was Art Art Balduchi?
The cop who came to your house that time?
Yes, that's him He was in love with your mother?
And she was in love with him Can't you see?
So why did you keep it a secret, Art?
You and Cindy?
I've got nothing to say to you Unless you knew what happened to Vivian How she was killed Or maybe you're protecting Cindy The way she'd lay her finger on her own kid No way Somebody did He didn't deserve her Or those girls You on the other hand were willing to start a new life with someone you'd known for 2 weeks So how'd it begin?
You and Cindy?
I went to that shelter to check in on her I thought it'd be that one time But I found myself goin' every day That's how And a few weeks later the hubby tracks her down, wants her back for good You couldn't let that happen I did my best to save her But my best wasn't enough He found us at the shelter, Art We'll never get away from him now, never He found you?
He'll be home in an hour and he expects us to be there Where's he now?
On shift What are we gonna do?
OK, we're gonna run away All right?
You, me and the girls We'll go to the shore, he's never gonna find us there You can't leave your life here Art, your job!
/ Why not?
You're young, your life has just started, you can't just take on someone else's kids Their wife Then be my wife Marry me What?
I don't have much but what I have is yours, and the girls And I'll love you and protect you and I'll never let harm come your way Don't say those things if you don't mean them /I do So?
Will you marry me?
Does that mean Mommy's name is Mrs Balduchi now?
Yes What about him?
What about Roger?
Right You stay here with the girls No, where are you going, Art?
I'm gonna make sure he never bothers you again Keep an eye on Mommy, girls / OK Oh, hey Balduchi, you gave me a fright Is the whole precinct comin' down to see me home?
You let her go!
You let her be!
You understand my meanin'?
Yeah, yeah You'll never hurt her again That's how we dealt with abusers back then Off the books OK So then you tried to run off with Cindy?
I thought we were free But I went back to my place and they were gone Cindy, the girls There was a note We forgot Snowflake, be back soon They went back for the cat To the house I raced over but it was dark Empty I drove around for hours that night, looking for 'em Went down to the shore, walked that beach till dawn Never found 'em I kept hopin' she'd call But she never did And that's when I knew Roger had found her The girls He never said a word but I knew Roger was killed in the line of duty a few months later You knew his beat She was Mrs Cindy Balduchi for the day At least I had that Cindy Balduchi No need to write any of that last part down Don't remember what the man said anyhow If you ever find Cindy out there somewhere, would you tell her she doesn't need to be afraid of him anymore?
Art took care of it Cindy Balduchi?
Yes, may I help you?
Philadelphia PD, or is it Mulvaney?
That's all for today I'll see you next week Please go away Maura wants to know why you left I don't know anyone by that name I'm sorry She can't know He'll find her Your husband?
He's dead, Cindy He can't hurt Maura Not anymore He swore he'd find me He'd find her He would take everything I'd loved Like he took Vivian What'd he do to Vivian?
Don't you see?
I still had Maura left I had to be sure she would be safe from him That's why I left her in the church And she was safe But now Maura needs to know why she ended up alone Tell her I had no choice I had to make sure he'd never find you Even if it meant giving you up forever Snowflake, where are you?
Shh, keep your voice down But Daddy's still at work Mommy I know but we have to be quiet, OK?
I'll get Snowflake but you have to promise to stay put, OK?
OK Snowflake Snowflake Snowflake Stupid cat!
Come here Oh, thank God Let's get out of here Wanna drive?
Or should I?
Get in We're a family We're gonna work this out Families always do Ain't that right, girls?
First I wanna know something Where are you taking us?
Did you make it with him?
Roger, not in front of the girls Did you make it with him!
No, I didn't Good That's good That means we can start again You and me Roger I'd kill myself if we couldn't You're the only thing in my life that counts I'm nothing without my family I missed my wife I missed you too You missed Daddy, girls?
Yes, Daddy Should we go home, then?
What about Mrs Balduchi, Mommy?
We don't need to talk about her Who's Mrs Balduchi?
Mommy is I'm sorry Me, too What are you doing, Roger?
What are you doing?
Roger?
What are you doing with them?
Roger?
Give them back to me I'll do anything you want Just give'em back to me Mommy Think you could just drive off into the sunset?
Live happily ever after?
No, no I don't No, no!
There is no happily ever after Not for us, babe Not for you Not if I can help it Mommy!
Mommy!
No!
No!
* Donovan 'Catch The Wind' * * In the chilly hours and minutes, * * Of uncertainty, I want to be, * * In the warm hold of your loving mind * * To feel you all around me, * * And to take your hand, * Ah, but I may as well try * When sundown pales the sky, * * I wanna hide a while, behind your smile, * And everywhere I'd look, * For me to love you now, * * Would be the sweetest thing, * Ah, but I may as well, try * When rain has hung * I want you near, to kill my fears * * To help me to leave * For standin' in your heart, * * Is where I want to be, * Ah, but I may as well, * When rain has hung * I want you near, to kill my fears * * To help me to leave * For standin' in your heart, * * Is where I want to be, * Ah, but I may as well, * Ah, but I may as well,