Facing the Truth

March 11, 2003

R.J.: Keri, Elizabeth, and the baby -- they're all dead.  It's all your fault, Vega. They're dead because of you.

Antonio: What the hell are you talking about?

Nora: Ok, whoa, whoa, whoa -- R.J., R.J., R.J. --

Hank: Antonio -- Keri, Liz, and the baby -- they were aboard that chartered plane that went down near Columbus, Ohio.

R.J.: They would not have been on that plane at all if Vega hadn't forced them to run from him. You broke Keri's heart, and she could not wait to get away from you. Then you pressure Liz with that damn restraining order. It's all on you, Vega -- no one else.

Hank: Stop it, R.J. Just stop it right now.

Nora: Blaming someone's not going to help.

R.J.: I just lost everything I care about in this world -- the woman I love, the daughter we created together, a granddaughter I barely got to see! Everything I care about is gone because of that selfish, vindictive --

Antonio: No! No, you're lying! No, she can't be dead! No!

No!

*~*

Nora: Hey -- Antonio, it's true.

Antonio: No.

Nora: I wish it weren't, but they're gone.

Antonio: They can't just be gone like that.

Nora: The plane went down.

Antonio: No, there has to be survivors.

R.J.: No, there weren't.

Antonio: How the hell would you know something like that?

R.J.: Because I went to the crash site. It's just a burnt pit -- twisted trees, smoldering metal, rubber, and a God-awful smell. And I hold you responsible, and I will for the rest of my life.

Hank: It's not his fault, R.J. It's nobody's fault.

R.J.: Nobody's fault? What, it's some kind of cosmic joke? No. People are to blame -- people like him and you! Most of my daughter's life I missed because of you. What, I get a little more than a year with my child? That's a heartbeat.

Antonio: I didn't -- I didn't even get that with my daughter.

Nora: What can I do for you? Can I do anything?

R.J.: I'm planning a memorial.

Hank: If I can help you at all, R.J., You let me know.

Antonio: I don't understand. I just got a restraining order. Then Liz --

R.J.: Just stop thinking like a badge! They're dead!

Nora: Ok, R.J. Enough, all right? We all loved Keri. We're all hurting now.

R.J.: But only one of us is responsible for her death.

Nora: Come on. Let me take you home.

Antonio: No. No, I'm fine.

Bo: Antonio, I --

Nora: Bo, will you just let him go?

Bo: I got a ton of cases on my desk over here. One of my detectives just walks out, you say "let him go"?

Hank: Bo, just let it go, all right? Listen to her. Antonio just got the worst news any man can ever get.

*~*

Bo: Hank. I'm so sorry about what happened.

Hank: Yeah. I just can't believe -- I can't let myself -- because as soon as I do -- it's just too much.

Nora: What do you need?

Hank: I need to understand why.

Bo: I know.

Hank: You know -- I mean, where's the justice, huh? We lose the good people all the time, and then it's the lowlifes of the world -- they're the ones who walk around with a free pass.

Nora: Mitch Laurence.

Hank: Yeah, well, at the moment, he's at the top of my list.

Bo: Look, I don't want either one of you to get your hopes up, but I may have something. We -- we got Laurence's phone records. I don't know what it means yet, but recently he made four calls to a number in the 310 area code.

Nora: Los Angeles.

*~*

Nora: Hey, I put a call in to Rachel in Chicago.

Hank: That's not going to be an easy conversation.

Nora: No. No, I'm not looking forward to it. She practically grew up with Keri and Liz.

Hank: Yeah. You know, maybe I should just fly to Chicago, tell her in person.

Nora: Well, it's been a long time since the two of you spent any quality time together.

Hank: Thanks.

Matthew: Mommy, look! I made it for you in school.

Nora: Oh, it's -- it's beautiful. And so are you, my beautiful, beautiful boy.

Matthew: Mom, you're squishing me.

Nora: I don't care.

*~*