Programa de TV: Cold Case - 3x8
The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event What do you have there, Ned?
It's for my dad Neddie!
Neddie, could you take that bowl of potato chips into the family room?
I've got batter on my hands Mom, I drew a picture of Dad's plane with the exact way that the wings were decorated, OK?
/ OK, Neddie Because, you said he's not flying in that anymore so he needs something to remember it by Mom, I need you to start the shrimp rounds Who are you?
Who are you?
I'm Ned Well then I'm your dad, Ned You don't look like my dad I have his picture I'm a lot handsomer now than I used to be I'm home Oh, my God Carl Hi I remember you Hi I made this It's real These are the bracelets with your name on them Everybody wore 'em while you were in Vietnam Big boys don't cry, Dad I'm cryin' because your mom spent so much money on this box No, I made it Oh, yeah?
Apr '73 Burton, C Lieutenant Stillman Kat Miller, narcotics I called you Detective Rush and Valens Glad you could come down We found something interesting tossed in this place What are they?
POW bracelets All with the same name on 'em Carl Burton He was a Navy pilot Prisoner of war in Vietnam He was shot to death back here in '73 You remember that all from cuff?
He was a war hero Never brought the job in?
Where'd you find this?
Behind the water heater in the cellar I just thought that was off Something sentimental to a murder victim being stuffed down there So, were these like dog tags?
Friends and family wore 'em, not the soldier POWs who made it home like Carl did, someone would gather them up and make a presentation Anyone you drag out of this place know how they wound up here?
House was empty when we hit it Skimpy new direction He's a POW, Scotty We got anything, we're gonna go with it Yeah OK, sure In fact, think of Carl Burton like family That's how I want this job worked Carl Burton, 35, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy Shot down on his 23rd bombing mission over Hanoi Go up enough times, luck runs out His got even worse, was captured, spent 5 years in a prison camp Survives all that, gets gunned down in his own area code 7 months after he's home Last place Carl's seen was a funeral reception of a POW buddy of his, Rex Potter He was a Roxborough guy same as Carl, didn't make it out of the prison camp Interviews with the family, people at the Potter house that night, no one sees anything unusual Carl's body was found a mile from the reception, gun was a few feet from him but rain washed away any prints And a bag of marijuana in his pocket Well a funeral's gotta be intense, right?
Put Carl in the mood for some kind of escape?
He scores, gets shot on the way home, being in the wrong neighborhood That doesn't explain the bracelets in that house Maybe he tried to trade 'em to the dealer No, they're not worth anything Could be why he got shot Let's talk to Carl's wife and son, see what they remember about the day of the funeral Could be another vet burnout story, John Lot of guys we served with came home, turned to junk Whatever we find, we follow it up You didn't have to fix up, Mrs Burton Military wife, look right, live right May I get you a drink?
Pretty early Cocktail hours somewhere, boys used to say We're here about your husband's murder Something come up?
We found his POW bracelets in an abandoned house in Tioga Kind of sketchy area back when Carl was killed It's even worse now OK Any idea how the bracelets wound up there?
No This is embarassing but, I guess I lost track of them You don't seem like the losing track type No, but I lost track of myself for a time then Carl was carrying pot when he died The theory was that he had a habit Got him in to trouble that night Doesn't sound like the gung-ho fighter pilot I married How about the guy who came home to you in '72?
I don't think about that man I'd rather remember Carl as he was before He was strong He was a hero, I was his wife Would you have known if he was doing drugs?
/No We really tried We just never got to know each other ever again This is very romantic Did you turn into a champagne girl while I was gone?
Come on, now After sleeping for years with a guy in skivvies, showered once a week I'm finally looking good Remember when I broke up with you?
You left a pathetic note in my parents' mail box 'I need to be free' You came up to me in the parking lot and I'm thinking 'Oh, no, here she comes She'd better not cry' Remember?
I knew better than you even then 'Carl, I got your note I don't think so' That's right I feel 18 What is it, your shoulders?
It's OK Come back Honey, no Not if it hurts you Come on We'll dance later when you're better I don't want you to pretend it doesn't hurt Let me pretend!
My arms have been broken 4 times They're busted They'll always be I, I can't lift 'em I can't dance Sorry I should make sure Ned didn't wake up I'm goin' for a walk You don't need to wait for me He'd go for walks For hours Is that when this started?
Any idea where'd he go on these walks?
I didn't know where Carl was, truly Even when he was right in front of me But you two stayed together Hoping somehow we'd find what we lost But before we could, he was gone again Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania So, you're not the kind doc sees patients?
No, I'm the kind who does the research Better hours?
Better company So where did the bracelets turn up?
Stashed away In a crack house Were they in the box?
Yeah, there was a box I made that thing Thinkin' is, your dad wanted to buy drugs, maybe he got desperate, tried to pawn the bracelets Not exactly what you want to believe about your father but We know you were young when he got home / 7 You remember anything that looking back makes you think he was usin'?
No In fact from the day he got back he never missed Triple Nickel Reveille Wakin' up early?
5:55 AM Exercised best he could, started his day Not junkie behavior When'd'ya last see those bracelets?
First week he was back, he put 'em in the basement He wasn't big on war mementos Tryin' to move on Yeah Anyone around back then who could of got in the way of that?
There was someone Who we shouldn't of even known about Liberty City Zoo So these people, they made me stay over in Vietnam That why you didn't write me any letters?
Only way I could even talk to my friends there was through a secret code we made up A secret code?
Well each letter has its own number of taps We'd spell out words on the walls between our rooms Wow Like, could you do an N?
Do E D That's my name, right?
That's Ned in your secret code Do another I don't know, what's it mean?
I said 'bear' Wanna go see the bears?
When I come here with Ken, we always go see the lions first Who's Ken?
Mommy's friend What kind of friend?
Well he takes me to the zoo and he takes Mommy to dinner At some level I knew I shouldn't have said that 'Cause you knew this Ken was your mom's special friend?
Guess I was a little messed up about the dueling father figures Because truthfully, I knew Ken a lot better than my dad at that point Your dad follow up with this guy?
Not that I heard about If I spent 5 years in a box getting tortured while some guy's taking my wife to dinner I'd follow up Janet Burton didn't mention anyone on the scene while Carl was gone?
Played the pained and patient wife Not big on airing dirty laundry Doesn't she want to know what happened to Carl?
Seemed afraid of what we might find, him not turning out to be the perfect hero The house with the bracelets Yeah, what'd you find?
Back in '73, place still had renters before crack ran 'em out One of 'em, Ken Westin Our perfect wife's boyfriend Step lively lively, quietly Giving you a heads up, Dorothy Tour groups heading to ceramics, over Ken Westin?
Absolutely Detective Valens, homicide Mind if I ask you to step to this side of the rope here, please We found some POW bracelets hidden in your old house, Ken Belonged to a murder victim Carl Burton?
Whoa Carl's bracelets?
I must've left those when I moved Why were they in your house in the first place?
Already got the skinny on your relationship with Janet, so you can pick up from there I'm confessin' to the act of a heart-sick young man, OK?
I took 'em The day she broke up with me To make myself feel better, I snatched the bracelets Low, I know It's real low, Ken The guy was a POW I appreciate that I was over there, too 11 months before illness befell me So, let's say the bracelet snatch doesn't do the trick and your still stewin' Makes me wonder where you were, the night Carl got shot I was at Smokie's, my regular night spot, sheesh!
I stole from the guy I did not wish him to be dead Know anyone who might've?
I'll tell you this, when he came back, Carl wasn't exactly winning friends and influencing people What d'you mean?
A little unstable And you'd know how?
Did some research, check up on the guy, make sure he was worthy I asked you to take that down, Wes You kiddin' me hero?
That signs worth at least two cars a month I mean three if I could teach you a little hustle She's a beauty Can I send you home together today?
Oh, hello I need to think about it Excuse me, man You can't keep showin' up here Daniel You gonna talk to me?
No!
Well you gotta some day The kid's got hustle washing cars for free, you know?
I told you to beat it Look, I just wanna know about my dad OK, I've asked you three times, now I'm doing your work for you, I mean what's it gonna take?
Leave this alone Leave my father alone?
Believe me, there are some things you don't wanna know Now get outta here!
You know, I've been real nice to you, Carl You're gonna wish you were nicer to me So, who was this kid Daniel?
I can't say for sure, since I was no longer a member of the inner circle But this looked like a personal thing to you?
The kid got under Carl's skin And I'd done enough research That was the last time I saw the moody son of a gun Ken Westin was a mistake, he was a neighborhood guy, kept me company while Carl was Oh, he was pretty wounded when you two broke up Stole Carl's bracelets Ken did it?
Oh, for Pete's sakes Think he would've gone a step farther?
Got into it with Carl?
Confrontation was not Ken's style Janet, do you know anything about a kid named Daniel?
Yeah Daniel He was Would coffee help you?
No Daniel Potter, his father Rex was a POW with Carl Didn't make it home It was Rex's memorial Carl went to the day he died Have any idea why Carl and Daniel were fighting at the car dealership?
Daniel was hounding Carl Trying to get stuff out of him about his father But Carl wouldn't talk about that He saw horrible things in that prison camp He wouldn't revisit them for anyone, not me, not Daniel When he said no to Daniel?
The kid put a rock through our window He was angry at the world But, taking it out on Carl About their age?
When your dad was in prison?
/ Yeah Must've been rough Never knowing if he was comin' home Well I thought it would be easier somehow if I knew the details of what he was going through But Carl wouldn't say He was trying to protect me Pretty understanding for a guy who threw a rock at Carl's house Yeah, well that was awful You take it any further?
Me being angry with Carl stopped with the rock Yeah?
Why?
He caught me red handed finally he gave me what I wanted You gonna pay to fix that?
Let go of me / - No you wanna talk, let's talk Go ahead We're getting this over with Where's my dad?
Still in prison in Hanoi Why?
What did he do?
He's an American soldier To the North Vietnamese that's a crime What's it like there?
The prison?
There's not a lot to eat Water makes you sick Guards are monsters in human clothes But your dad and the other guys, they have each other Can't they just get together and break out of there?
I mean my dad can take some Vietnamese guy Maybe he will Is he gonna live?
Yes Your dad's one of the strongest people I've ever met If I had to trek in hell, he's a guy I'd want by my side He's comin' home to you You guys are brave You are Carl I knew it Your dad, he's a hero Not me I'm a coward Coward?
Why would Carl say that about himself?
It doesn't make sense, right?
Survived five years of being tortured Humble guy Or troubled Ever get the feeling he really meant that, Daniel?
Saw him a few times after that Talked to him about my dad But every time I could always feel it Somethin' was eatin' him up Carl Burton's military service record I don't see anything in there that could make the guy call himself a coward Awarded bronze star, purple heart Oh, this is it He took early release What's that It means he left the prison camp early Thought you couldn't leave Well, not under honorable circumstances The code of conduct among POWs is that the sickest and longest serving go first But Carl wasn't either of those Then how does he get to the front of the line?
Tells the VC guards what they want to hear, lets 'em use 'em for propaganda That doesn't sound like a gung-ho fighter pilot Why would he do that?
Why?
He's sick of gettin' beat nearly to death five years in a row, misses family, he's stowed in solitary It's hard to know what a code like that starts to mean at that point But a lot of guys did hang in Yeah, hundreds of 'em and they would not have been fans of Carl's And they came home a week before Carl was killed End of March '73, main group of POWs got back Any of 'em come back to Philly?
A guy named Raitt from Antioch Roger Raitt, a Navy Commander?
You know him?
I served with him Been a long time I'm not much for the reunions Truth be told, I'm not either but working in the defense industry, it pays to keep in touch Sure There's one this Saturday, in Old City I can't make small talk out of it, I'd rather just leave it behind And here you are, carrying a gun every day That's what I couldn't revisit Roger, I wanna talk to you about a guy you were in prison with, Carl Burton?
Wound up dead, shot Right after you guys got back I remember / Comin' home it had to be hard to adust It made me realize any day I wake up with a doorknob on the inside of the door, it's a good day Maybe someone else didn't see it that way, came back angry, wanting to settle a score?
Everyone has a breaking point Carl reached his over there I didn't respect it but I understood Hard to imagine all the POWs did We were like brothers, John, one of them went after Carl, I would've know I'm talkin' about a lot of soldiers and a guy they thought was a traitor We'd only been home a week and all of us already knew Carl's worst punishment was living with what he did Rex's 51st bombing run He gets hit Ejects Comes down outside Hanoi Spends a few hours hiding in a cave, trying to get up enough strength to move But when he hears a North Vietnamese patrol, he takes off on a broken leg, with only his pistol to hold off 20 guys chasing him For hours Rex dragged himself along just ahead of them Till he comes to this hollowed out tree and squeezes in How dare you I'm here to pay my respects How dare you sneak in here!
Mom, stop it!
You don't know what this man did to your father, Daniel Let's calm down We're here for Rex Rex wouldn't want you here You betrayed him Betrayed everyone You're a disgrace Daddy?
OK, Ned I'm sorry, Ruth Carl I think it's better if you don't go to the reception / Yeah I'll tell the guys that Tell them I died over there, Roger Tell them I'm already a ghost Guys who stuck it out, resisted the most, did better when we got home The ones who gave in had a tougher time / Yeah How bad do you think it was for Carl?
Bad enough I thought he'd kill himself The gun was found 5 feet away from his body You remember how long it takes a man to die from a gut shot Might've crawled away after But who commits suicide by shooting themselves in the stomach?
Guy aiming for his heart whose arms don't work anymore Could be my last cheesesteak for a while / Oh, yeah?
Julie's talkin' about tofu Lieutenant Miller, how are you doing?
Just dropped a guy in lock up How's the Burton case pannin' out?
Nick Veera, this is Kat Miller, she's the one that turned up the POW bracelets Good work Thanks So?
Well the latest is, Carl might have commited suicide A close fire would have left lead residue on his clothes, right?
Labs checkin' So, I hear you're doin' well over in narcotics Oh, good I like it, so Is that your long term area of interest?
I never thought I'd be a cop in the first place so I'm game for whatever crops up I thought bein' in blue was every girls' dream You got somethin' else on mind?
It's a long story But, here I am My options are open That's good to know Ken Westin copped to takin' your dad's bracelets Ken did?
Really?
Dumb reaction to your mom dropping him Does that maybe make the drug scenario less likely?
/ Maybe Ned, there was an incident at Rex Potter's memorial The day your father died Yeah, I remember it The rest of the POWs took issue with your dad showing up We could see it in their faces when we walked in They hated him Must've been pretty crushing for him / Yeah One of those POWs thinks maybe he couldn't take it any longer You mean killed himself?
However he died, Ned, it ain't gonna change what he was to you I know a reason why he might have killed himself Me What I did Hey, buddy I know it's not fun to be around people yelling like that It's OK I love you Me, too, Daddy So you don't mind if I eat all your ice cream?
You could have your own So, what can I get you guys?
Bomb pop, please Hey, I remember you, you came in last summer with your dad I'm his dad Carl Burton, hi No, it was another man A soldier He'd been over in a Vietnam prison camp, had some break your heart stories about it I was not here last summer, I was that was not me I'm sure it was this little boy Who was that?
Who was it, Ned?
Ken Ken was not a POW Did he use my name?
Told this lady he was your dad?
/ Yes And you let him Why Ned?
I don't know So Ken's not just moving in on Carl's wife while he's gone He's pretending to be him I was with him a few times when he did it Didn't stop him You were 7 But I knew it was wrong So after your dad found out?
Marched me home, went down to the basement for a while, then left Where was your mom?
Asleep Has been ever since Lab results are back No traces of lead on Carl's clothes, that rules out suicide So even if that was what Carl was thinking that night, someone got to him first If it's me, I'm heading' after the guy posin' as my kid's dad Says here Carl was at Rex Potter's funeral reception Even after Roger Raitt told him not to show Ken lived near the Potters, knew them So maybe he's at the reception, that's where Carl goes lookin' for him After Carl gets something out of the basement, maybe a weapon, he goes to confront Ken And never makes it back Westin spent four months in Texas in '71, waiting to be shipped out Had a nervous breakdown Discharged before he left US soil All right You want us in there?
I got it Sorry to pull you from work, Ken I needed to talk to you Oh, sure So, it sounds like Carl Burton was comin' apart at the seams when he got back Yeah, he seemed to have trouble adjusting It's tough to watch that Guys over there snappin' out Gotta go home, get out of here You can see they're never gonna be the same You know what I mean Oh, I do Everybody going, "crap, so-and-so lost it" But in the back of your mind, you're thinking "I'm with him" In your weak moments You lay schemin' at night Come close to doin' some crazy stuff, yeah So Carl turns up at this funeral reception where he's disinvited, what was it like?
Antagonistic He's looking for trouble So you saw him the night he died?
That's funny, 'cause you didn't tell us that, you said you were at the bar tossin' back a few when Carl was shot Yep Went there after OK, then So that was a lie you told us?
Not intentionally It's been a long time Memory's middle aged now That's OK It's a small time lie for you Does that bother you Ken?
'Cause it doesn't seem violent to me, I'm used to it Maybe because guns have been a part of me since I was a kid I was 17 years old when I went over there I thought it was a toy Until I watched a few men die slowly But you know what I'm talking about What this does Not because you're a soldier, because we know you weren't Ah, Lieutenant How long did Carl bleed?
This is serious!
How long did Carl bleed?
I could never In extreme circumstances, you learn about human nature But what kind of person would pretend to be a POW?
I'd like a lawyer Why?
What did you do?
I didn't do anything to Carl Well you took what belonged to him and walked around like it was yours Do you really think someone who had a nervous breakdown at Fort Hood would survive five years in the Hanoi Hilton?
It's a bad lie you told I know I know I think I may have a disease You tell people you're a racecar driver, a brain surgeon Not a POW Now talk about that night Carl confronted you at that reception / Yes And what did you do?
Nothing Got called out I didn't have much time, after I parachuted down I had to start my escape on a busted leg I hear you wanna be me Excuse me?
Well, might as well take these Use my name, my wife, my kid So now you got everything that means a damn thing to me Carl, this is akward You have something wrong with you, you know that?
Well that's the pot callin' the kettle black You're a fraud Daniel, I'm sorry Hey Carl, let's play a game This is a grenade And you're you Daniel Get away from me And that's how you got the bracelets A few minutes later, Daniel left the house, went after Carl I told your detective the kid was a problem Yeah, well You're a real solid judge of character, Ken We found out the truth that day, huh, Daniel What truth?
About Carl Wasn't the guy you thought He was, underneath Hearing about early release didn't change that So why the big scene at the reception?
You were real keyed up Giving Carl what for Called him a fraud Look, Vietnam was complicated The POWs are getting tortured and all they hear from America is that this war's a mistake I get it I get Carl throwing in the towel See, that's interesting but that's what an adult thinks Then what does a 15 year old who just lost his dad think?
That Carl abandoned Rex Potter to die And he runs home with his tail between his legs while your dad was still takin' it Busted limbs, broken teeth Don't talk about my dad You don't know what it was like for him But Carl did And he still left him there I got one letter from my dad but the government blacked it out halfway He took the time to write me and they blacked it out I thought I could get the black off I put it in water The only letter he sent I just wanted to know him He was gone a long time I thought that Carl could help me Fill in the gap And he was right I didn't wanna know You wanna just follow me or do you wanna talk?
I wanna ask you some things Are you stoned?
Do not get into this This is bad news Shut up This time we're talkin' and you're gonna answer me for real After you left today the other POWs told me that you gave up Said things you should be ashamed of and then left my dad to die Is that true?
Is it true, Carl?
I left the prison And your dad was still there You left him, all his friends said it I didn't want anything to happen to him But I had to go home They played you on a loudspeaker in prison and everyone heard you say that the war was wrong You said they were war criminals and that the Vietnamese saved you!
I said things I didn't mean because I wanted to get home!
Why?
Why couldn't you do it like my dad?
Because they broke me!
They chained us up They kicked our teeth in, they killed our friends That's what they did To my dad?
To all of us And I couldn't do it one more day I wanted to see my wife, my son You saying my dad didn't want to see me?
Daniel, put that down Answer me!
Daniel he was crazy about you!
Why didn't he come home then?
Because he wouldn't give in He was the toughest guy I ever met He could stick it out and I couldn't What if they were breaking his arms and kicking his teeth, while he heard you saying that stuff over the loudspeaker?
/ Daniel!
he heard you say he was wrong!
And he wasn't!
He wasn't!
Carl, I think I hit you bad Go, don't be here, go!
It's OK!
Carl, I didn't mean it!
Go!
Run!
* Gordon Lightfoot * If you could read my mind love * * What a tale my thoughts could tell * * Just like an old time movie * * ��bout a ghost from a wishin�� well * * In a castle dark or a fortress strong * * With chains upon my feet * * You know that ghost is me * * And I will never be set free * * As long as I��m a ghost * If I could read your mind love * * What a tale your thoughts could tell * * Just like a paperback novel * * The kind that drugstores sell * * When you reach the part * The hero would be me * * But heroes often fail * * And you won��t read that book again * * Because the ending��s * If you could read my mind love * * What a tale my thoughts could tell * * Just like an old time movie * * ��bout a ghost from a wishin�� well * * In a castle dark or a fortress strong * * With chains upon my feet * * But stories always end * * And if you read between the lines * * You��ll know that I��m just * The feelin��s that you lack * * I never thought I could feel this way * * And I��ve got to say * I don��t know where we went wrong * * But the feelin��s gone * * And I just can��t get it back *
It's for my dad Neddie!
Neddie, could you take that bowl of potato chips into the family room?
I've got batter on my hands Mom, I drew a picture of Dad's plane with the exact way that the wings were decorated, OK?
/ OK, Neddie Because, you said he's not flying in that anymore so he needs something to remember it by Mom, I need you to start the shrimp rounds Who are you?
Who are you?
I'm Ned Well then I'm your dad, Ned You don't look like my dad I have his picture I'm a lot handsomer now than I used to be I'm home Oh, my God Carl Hi I remember you Hi I made this It's real These are the bracelets with your name on them Everybody wore 'em while you were in Vietnam Big boys don't cry, Dad I'm cryin' because your mom spent so much money on this box No, I made it Oh, yeah?
Apr '73 Burton, C Lieutenant Stillman Kat Miller, narcotics I called you Detective Rush and Valens Glad you could come down We found something interesting tossed in this place What are they?
POW bracelets All with the same name on 'em Carl Burton He was a Navy pilot Prisoner of war in Vietnam He was shot to death back here in '73 You remember that all from cuff?
He was a war hero Never brought the job in?
Where'd you find this?
Behind the water heater in the cellar I just thought that was off Something sentimental to a murder victim being stuffed down there So, were these like dog tags?
Friends and family wore 'em, not the soldier POWs who made it home like Carl did, someone would gather them up and make a presentation Anyone you drag out of this place know how they wound up here?
House was empty when we hit it Skimpy new direction He's a POW, Scotty We got anything, we're gonna go with it Yeah OK, sure In fact, think of Carl Burton like family That's how I want this job worked Carl Burton, 35, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy Shot down on his 23rd bombing mission over Hanoi Go up enough times, luck runs out His got even worse, was captured, spent 5 years in a prison camp Survives all that, gets gunned down in his own area code 7 months after he's home Last place Carl's seen was a funeral reception of a POW buddy of his, Rex Potter He was a Roxborough guy same as Carl, didn't make it out of the prison camp Interviews with the family, people at the Potter house that night, no one sees anything unusual Carl's body was found a mile from the reception, gun was a few feet from him but rain washed away any prints And a bag of marijuana in his pocket Well a funeral's gotta be intense, right?
Put Carl in the mood for some kind of escape?
He scores, gets shot on the way home, being in the wrong neighborhood That doesn't explain the bracelets in that house Maybe he tried to trade 'em to the dealer No, they're not worth anything Could be why he got shot Let's talk to Carl's wife and son, see what they remember about the day of the funeral Could be another vet burnout story, John Lot of guys we served with came home, turned to junk Whatever we find, we follow it up You didn't have to fix up, Mrs Burton Military wife, look right, live right May I get you a drink?
Pretty early Cocktail hours somewhere, boys used to say We're here about your husband's murder Something come up?
We found his POW bracelets in an abandoned house in Tioga Kind of sketchy area back when Carl was killed It's even worse now OK Any idea how the bracelets wound up there?
No This is embarassing but, I guess I lost track of them You don't seem like the losing track type No, but I lost track of myself for a time then Carl was carrying pot when he died The theory was that he had a habit Got him in to trouble that night Doesn't sound like the gung-ho fighter pilot I married How about the guy who came home to you in '72?
I don't think about that man I'd rather remember Carl as he was before He was strong He was a hero, I was his wife Would you have known if he was doing drugs?
/No We really tried We just never got to know each other ever again This is very romantic Did you turn into a champagne girl while I was gone?
Come on, now After sleeping for years with a guy in skivvies, showered once a week I'm finally looking good Remember when I broke up with you?
You left a pathetic note in my parents' mail box 'I need to be free' You came up to me in the parking lot and I'm thinking 'Oh, no, here she comes She'd better not cry' Remember?
I knew better than you even then 'Carl, I got your note I don't think so' That's right I feel 18 What is it, your shoulders?
It's OK Come back Honey, no Not if it hurts you Come on We'll dance later when you're better I don't want you to pretend it doesn't hurt Let me pretend!
My arms have been broken 4 times They're busted They'll always be I, I can't lift 'em I can't dance Sorry I should make sure Ned didn't wake up I'm goin' for a walk You don't need to wait for me He'd go for walks For hours Is that when this started?
Any idea where'd he go on these walks?
I didn't know where Carl was, truly Even when he was right in front of me But you two stayed together Hoping somehow we'd find what we lost But before we could, he was gone again Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania So, you're not the kind doc sees patients?
No, I'm the kind who does the research Better hours?
Better company So where did the bracelets turn up?
Stashed away In a crack house Were they in the box?
Yeah, there was a box I made that thing Thinkin' is, your dad wanted to buy drugs, maybe he got desperate, tried to pawn the bracelets Not exactly what you want to believe about your father but We know you were young when he got home / 7 You remember anything that looking back makes you think he was usin'?
No In fact from the day he got back he never missed Triple Nickel Reveille Wakin' up early?
5:55 AM Exercised best he could, started his day Not junkie behavior When'd'ya last see those bracelets?
First week he was back, he put 'em in the basement He wasn't big on war mementos Tryin' to move on Yeah Anyone around back then who could of got in the way of that?
There was someone Who we shouldn't of even known about Liberty City Zoo So these people, they made me stay over in Vietnam That why you didn't write me any letters?
Only way I could even talk to my friends there was through a secret code we made up A secret code?
Well each letter has its own number of taps We'd spell out words on the walls between our rooms Wow Like, could you do an N?
Do E D That's my name, right?
That's Ned in your secret code Do another I don't know, what's it mean?
I said 'bear' Wanna go see the bears?
When I come here with Ken, we always go see the lions first Who's Ken?
Mommy's friend What kind of friend?
Well he takes me to the zoo and he takes Mommy to dinner At some level I knew I shouldn't have said that 'Cause you knew this Ken was your mom's special friend?
Guess I was a little messed up about the dueling father figures Because truthfully, I knew Ken a lot better than my dad at that point Your dad follow up with this guy?
Not that I heard about If I spent 5 years in a box getting tortured while some guy's taking my wife to dinner I'd follow up Janet Burton didn't mention anyone on the scene while Carl was gone?
Played the pained and patient wife Not big on airing dirty laundry Doesn't she want to know what happened to Carl?
Seemed afraid of what we might find, him not turning out to be the perfect hero The house with the bracelets Yeah, what'd you find?
Back in '73, place still had renters before crack ran 'em out One of 'em, Ken Westin Our perfect wife's boyfriend Step lively lively, quietly Giving you a heads up, Dorothy Tour groups heading to ceramics, over Ken Westin?
Absolutely Detective Valens, homicide Mind if I ask you to step to this side of the rope here, please We found some POW bracelets hidden in your old house, Ken Belonged to a murder victim Carl Burton?
Whoa Carl's bracelets?
I must've left those when I moved Why were they in your house in the first place?
Already got the skinny on your relationship with Janet, so you can pick up from there I'm confessin' to the act of a heart-sick young man, OK?
I took 'em The day she broke up with me To make myself feel better, I snatched the bracelets Low, I know It's real low, Ken The guy was a POW I appreciate that I was over there, too 11 months before illness befell me So, let's say the bracelet snatch doesn't do the trick and your still stewin' Makes me wonder where you were, the night Carl got shot I was at Smokie's, my regular night spot, sheesh!
I stole from the guy I did not wish him to be dead Know anyone who might've?
I'll tell you this, when he came back, Carl wasn't exactly winning friends and influencing people What d'you mean?
A little unstable And you'd know how?
Did some research, check up on the guy, make sure he was worthy I asked you to take that down, Wes You kiddin' me hero?
That signs worth at least two cars a month I mean three if I could teach you a little hustle She's a beauty Can I send you home together today?
Oh, hello I need to think about it Excuse me, man You can't keep showin' up here Daniel You gonna talk to me?
No!
Well you gotta some day The kid's got hustle washing cars for free, you know?
I told you to beat it Look, I just wanna know about my dad OK, I've asked you three times, now I'm doing your work for you, I mean what's it gonna take?
Leave this alone Leave my father alone?
Believe me, there are some things you don't wanna know Now get outta here!
You know, I've been real nice to you, Carl You're gonna wish you were nicer to me So, who was this kid Daniel?
I can't say for sure, since I was no longer a member of the inner circle But this looked like a personal thing to you?
The kid got under Carl's skin And I'd done enough research That was the last time I saw the moody son of a gun Ken Westin was a mistake, he was a neighborhood guy, kept me company while Carl was Oh, he was pretty wounded when you two broke up Stole Carl's bracelets Ken did it?
Oh, for Pete's sakes Think he would've gone a step farther?
Got into it with Carl?
Confrontation was not Ken's style Janet, do you know anything about a kid named Daniel?
Yeah Daniel He was Would coffee help you?
No Daniel Potter, his father Rex was a POW with Carl Didn't make it home It was Rex's memorial Carl went to the day he died Have any idea why Carl and Daniel were fighting at the car dealership?
Daniel was hounding Carl Trying to get stuff out of him about his father But Carl wouldn't talk about that He saw horrible things in that prison camp He wouldn't revisit them for anyone, not me, not Daniel When he said no to Daniel?
The kid put a rock through our window He was angry at the world But, taking it out on Carl About their age?
When your dad was in prison?
/ Yeah Must've been rough Never knowing if he was comin' home Well I thought it would be easier somehow if I knew the details of what he was going through But Carl wouldn't say He was trying to protect me Pretty understanding for a guy who threw a rock at Carl's house Yeah, well that was awful You take it any further?
Me being angry with Carl stopped with the rock Yeah?
Why?
He caught me red handed finally he gave me what I wanted You gonna pay to fix that?
Let go of me / - No you wanna talk, let's talk Go ahead We're getting this over with Where's my dad?
Still in prison in Hanoi Why?
What did he do?
He's an American soldier To the North Vietnamese that's a crime What's it like there?
The prison?
There's not a lot to eat Water makes you sick Guards are monsters in human clothes But your dad and the other guys, they have each other Can't they just get together and break out of there?
I mean my dad can take some Vietnamese guy Maybe he will Is he gonna live?
Yes Your dad's one of the strongest people I've ever met If I had to trek in hell, he's a guy I'd want by my side He's comin' home to you You guys are brave You are Carl I knew it Your dad, he's a hero Not me I'm a coward Coward?
Why would Carl say that about himself?
It doesn't make sense, right?
Survived five years of being tortured Humble guy Or troubled Ever get the feeling he really meant that, Daniel?
Saw him a few times after that Talked to him about my dad But every time I could always feel it Somethin' was eatin' him up Carl Burton's military service record I don't see anything in there that could make the guy call himself a coward Awarded bronze star, purple heart Oh, this is it He took early release What's that It means he left the prison camp early Thought you couldn't leave Well, not under honorable circumstances The code of conduct among POWs is that the sickest and longest serving go first But Carl wasn't either of those Then how does he get to the front of the line?
Tells the VC guards what they want to hear, lets 'em use 'em for propaganda That doesn't sound like a gung-ho fighter pilot Why would he do that?
Why?
He's sick of gettin' beat nearly to death five years in a row, misses family, he's stowed in solitary It's hard to know what a code like that starts to mean at that point But a lot of guys did hang in Yeah, hundreds of 'em and they would not have been fans of Carl's And they came home a week before Carl was killed End of March '73, main group of POWs got back Any of 'em come back to Philly?
A guy named Raitt from Antioch Roger Raitt, a Navy Commander?
You know him?
I served with him Been a long time I'm not much for the reunions Truth be told, I'm not either but working in the defense industry, it pays to keep in touch Sure There's one this Saturday, in Old City I can't make small talk out of it, I'd rather just leave it behind And here you are, carrying a gun every day That's what I couldn't revisit Roger, I wanna talk to you about a guy you were in prison with, Carl Burton?
Wound up dead, shot Right after you guys got back I remember / Comin' home it had to be hard to adust It made me realize any day I wake up with a doorknob on the inside of the door, it's a good day Maybe someone else didn't see it that way, came back angry, wanting to settle a score?
Everyone has a breaking point Carl reached his over there I didn't respect it but I understood Hard to imagine all the POWs did We were like brothers, John, one of them went after Carl, I would've know I'm talkin' about a lot of soldiers and a guy they thought was a traitor We'd only been home a week and all of us already knew Carl's worst punishment was living with what he did Rex's 51st bombing run He gets hit Ejects Comes down outside Hanoi Spends a few hours hiding in a cave, trying to get up enough strength to move But when he hears a North Vietnamese patrol, he takes off on a broken leg, with only his pistol to hold off 20 guys chasing him For hours Rex dragged himself along just ahead of them Till he comes to this hollowed out tree and squeezes in How dare you I'm here to pay my respects How dare you sneak in here!
Mom, stop it!
You don't know what this man did to your father, Daniel Let's calm down We're here for Rex Rex wouldn't want you here You betrayed him Betrayed everyone You're a disgrace Daddy?
OK, Ned I'm sorry, Ruth Carl I think it's better if you don't go to the reception / Yeah I'll tell the guys that Tell them I died over there, Roger Tell them I'm already a ghost Guys who stuck it out, resisted the most, did better when we got home The ones who gave in had a tougher time / Yeah How bad do you think it was for Carl?
Bad enough I thought he'd kill himself The gun was found 5 feet away from his body You remember how long it takes a man to die from a gut shot Might've crawled away after But who commits suicide by shooting themselves in the stomach?
Guy aiming for his heart whose arms don't work anymore Could be my last cheesesteak for a while / Oh, yeah?
Julie's talkin' about tofu Lieutenant Miller, how are you doing?
Just dropped a guy in lock up How's the Burton case pannin' out?
Nick Veera, this is Kat Miller, she's the one that turned up the POW bracelets Good work Thanks So?
Well the latest is, Carl might have commited suicide A close fire would have left lead residue on his clothes, right?
Labs checkin' So, I hear you're doin' well over in narcotics Oh, good I like it, so Is that your long term area of interest?
I never thought I'd be a cop in the first place so I'm game for whatever crops up I thought bein' in blue was every girls' dream You got somethin' else on mind?
It's a long story But, here I am My options are open That's good to know Ken Westin copped to takin' your dad's bracelets Ken did?
Really?
Dumb reaction to your mom dropping him Does that maybe make the drug scenario less likely?
/ Maybe Ned, there was an incident at Rex Potter's memorial The day your father died Yeah, I remember it The rest of the POWs took issue with your dad showing up We could see it in their faces when we walked in They hated him Must've been pretty crushing for him / Yeah One of those POWs thinks maybe he couldn't take it any longer You mean killed himself?
However he died, Ned, it ain't gonna change what he was to you I know a reason why he might have killed himself Me What I did Hey, buddy I know it's not fun to be around people yelling like that It's OK I love you Me, too, Daddy So you don't mind if I eat all your ice cream?
You could have your own So, what can I get you guys?
Bomb pop, please Hey, I remember you, you came in last summer with your dad I'm his dad Carl Burton, hi No, it was another man A soldier He'd been over in a Vietnam prison camp, had some break your heart stories about it I was not here last summer, I was that was not me I'm sure it was this little boy Who was that?
Who was it, Ned?
Ken Ken was not a POW Did he use my name?
Told this lady he was your dad?
/ Yes And you let him Why Ned?
I don't know So Ken's not just moving in on Carl's wife while he's gone He's pretending to be him I was with him a few times when he did it Didn't stop him You were 7 But I knew it was wrong So after your dad found out?
Marched me home, went down to the basement for a while, then left Where was your mom?
Asleep Has been ever since Lab results are back No traces of lead on Carl's clothes, that rules out suicide So even if that was what Carl was thinking that night, someone got to him first If it's me, I'm heading' after the guy posin' as my kid's dad Says here Carl was at Rex Potter's funeral reception Even after Roger Raitt told him not to show Ken lived near the Potters, knew them So maybe he's at the reception, that's where Carl goes lookin' for him After Carl gets something out of the basement, maybe a weapon, he goes to confront Ken And never makes it back Westin spent four months in Texas in '71, waiting to be shipped out Had a nervous breakdown Discharged before he left US soil All right You want us in there?
I got it Sorry to pull you from work, Ken I needed to talk to you Oh, sure So, it sounds like Carl Burton was comin' apart at the seams when he got back Yeah, he seemed to have trouble adjusting It's tough to watch that Guys over there snappin' out Gotta go home, get out of here You can see they're never gonna be the same You know what I mean Oh, I do Everybody going, "crap, so-and-so lost it" But in the back of your mind, you're thinking "I'm with him" In your weak moments You lay schemin' at night Come close to doin' some crazy stuff, yeah So Carl turns up at this funeral reception where he's disinvited, what was it like?
Antagonistic He's looking for trouble So you saw him the night he died?
That's funny, 'cause you didn't tell us that, you said you were at the bar tossin' back a few when Carl was shot Yep Went there after OK, then So that was a lie you told us?
Not intentionally It's been a long time Memory's middle aged now That's OK It's a small time lie for you Does that bother you Ken?
'Cause it doesn't seem violent to me, I'm used to it Maybe because guns have been a part of me since I was a kid I was 17 years old when I went over there I thought it was a toy Until I watched a few men die slowly But you know what I'm talking about What this does Not because you're a soldier, because we know you weren't Ah, Lieutenant How long did Carl bleed?
This is serious!
How long did Carl bleed?
I could never In extreme circumstances, you learn about human nature But what kind of person would pretend to be a POW?
I'd like a lawyer Why?
What did you do?
I didn't do anything to Carl Well you took what belonged to him and walked around like it was yours Do you really think someone who had a nervous breakdown at Fort Hood would survive five years in the Hanoi Hilton?
It's a bad lie you told I know I know I think I may have a disease You tell people you're a racecar driver, a brain surgeon Not a POW Now talk about that night Carl confronted you at that reception / Yes And what did you do?
Nothing Got called out I didn't have much time, after I parachuted down I had to start my escape on a busted leg I hear you wanna be me Excuse me?
Well, might as well take these Use my name, my wife, my kid So now you got everything that means a damn thing to me Carl, this is akward You have something wrong with you, you know that?
Well that's the pot callin' the kettle black You're a fraud Daniel, I'm sorry Hey Carl, let's play a game This is a grenade And you're you Daniel Get away from me And that's how you got the bracelets A few minutes later, Daniel left the house, went after Carl I told your detective the kid was a problem Yeah, well You're a real solid judge of character, Ken We found out the truth that day, huh, Daniel What truth?
About Carl Wasn't the guy you thought He was, underneath Hearing about early release didn't change that So why the big scene at the reception?
You were real keyed up Giving Carl what for Called him a fraud Look, Vietnam was complicated The POWs are getting tortured and all they hear from America is that this war's a mistake I get it I get Carl throwing in the towel See, that's interesting but that's what an adult thinks Then what does a 15 year old who just lost his dad think?
That Carl abandoned Rex Potter to die And he runs home with his tail between his legs while your dad was still takin' it Busted limbs, broken teeth Don't talk about my dad You don't know what it was like for him But Carl did And he still left him there I got one letter from my dad but the government blacked it out halfway He took the time to write me and they blacked it out I thought I could get the black off I put it in water The only letter he sent I just wanted to know him He was gone a long time I thought that Carl could help me Fill in the gap And he was right I didn't wanna know You wanna just follow me or do you wanna talk?
I wanna ask you some things Are you stoned?
Do not get into this This is bad news Shut up This time we're talkin' and you're gonna answer me for real After you left today the other POWs told me that you gave up Said things you should be ashamed of and then left my dad to die Is that true?
Is it true, Carl?
I left the prison And your dad was still there You left him, all his friends said it I didn't want anything to happen to him But I had to go home They played you on a loudspeaker in prison and everyone heard you say that the war was wrong You said they were war criminals and that the Vietnamese saved you!
I said things I didn't mean because I wanted to get home!
Why?
Why couldn't you do it like my dad?
Because they broke me!
They chained us up They kicked our teeth in, they killed our friends That's what they did To my dad?
To all of us And I couldn't do it one more day I wanted to see my wife, my son You saying my dad didn't want to see me?
Daniel, put that down Answer me!
Daniel he was crazy about you!
Why didn't he come home then?
Because he wouldn't give in He was the toughest guy I ever met He could stick it out and I couldn't What if they were breaking his arms and kicking his teeth, while he heard you saying that stuff over the loudspeaker?
/ Daniel!
he heard you say he was wrong!
And he wasn't!
He wasn't!
Carl, I think I hit you bad Go, don't be here, go!
It's OK!
Carl, I didn't mean it!
Go!
Run!
* Gordon Lightfoot * If you could read my mind love * * What a tale my thoughts could tell * * Just like an old time movie * * ��bout a ghost from a wishin�� well * * In a castle dark or a fortress strong * * With chains upon my feet * * You know that ghost is me * * And I will never be set free * * As long as I��m a ghost * If I could read your mind love * * What a tale your thoughts could tell * * Just like a paperback novel * * The kind that drugstores sell * * When you reach the part * The hero would be me * * But heroes often fail * * And you won��t read that book again * * Because the ending��s * If you could read my mind love * * What a tale my thoughts could tell * * Just like an old time movie * * ��bout a ghost from a wishin�� well * * In a castle dark or a fortress strong * * With chains upon my feet * * But stories always end * * And if you read between the lines * * You��ll know that I��m just * The feelin��s that you lack * * I never thought I could feel this way * * And I��ve got to say * I don��t know where we went wrong * * But the feelin��s gone * * And I just can��t get it back *