Ransom

Were you a good mother?

I... I did the best I could. Please...

How does a good mother let her boy get taken by a maniac?

Let us see James.

Not until you answer my questions.

The scar on the back of James' head, how did he get that?

I know this is excruciating, but the longer we keep

the kidnapper talking, the better chance we have

to find some kind of leverage.

Uh, we were playing baseball.

He took a pitch, turned his head.

It was an accident.

Then why were Child Services called?

He was mad at me, so he called them.

Mad? Anything to do with you banging the former housekeeper?

You son of a bitch.

That's enough. Give me back my boy.

Hello.

My name's Eric Beaumont.

- I said no police. - I'm not.

I'm a negotiator.

In exchange for James's life,

I'm willing to get you whatever you want.

First, I need to know that James is alive.

Alive? Okay.

I'll show you alive.

They're rich.

Why not just ask for the money and be done with it?

Well, the guy's an emotional sadist.

Takes pleasure in their suffering.

Seems to be going around.

Everywhere I look these days, there's another maniac.

Hey. What's going on? Talk to me.

It's my mom's birthday.

Low tolerance for sociopaths

today, I guess.

I should've remembered. I'm sorry.

It's okay.

You know what I think? What?

I think your mom would've liked me.

Me, too. Come here.

You were right, Eric.

This behavior is way too specific to be random.

The kidnapper's M.O.

fits a one Vincent Keough.

Wait. The Blue Blood Killer?

You know him? I studied him in school.

Matter of fact, he's from here, Connecticut.

This side, or the other side?

The other. He grew up poor, then became rich

and began targeting one percenters.

Killing-- abducting...

their firstborn sons.

Like our James. Hey, Zara, isn't Keough...

Serving five consecutive life sentences

at Osborn Correctional? Yeah.

So this is what?

Some kind of copycat?

What, some random person?

Wh-What the hell do they want with us?

Ben, whoever's behind this isn't looking

to just punish you and your wife.

He's hoping to wear you down.

There's a big demand coming, I can feel it.

You need to be clear-headed, okay?

Let's talk to Keough.

Might give us some kind of insight

into who we're dealing with.

Yeah, we're wasting time.

Keough's a master manipulator.

This guy loves the attention.

Zara, who put Keough in jail?

Mmm...

A Detective Colton Meyers.

Maybe we should talk to him first,

get a better understanding of who Vincent Keough was

when he was active.

I'll have him meet you outside the prison.

Vincent Keough was a financial advisor.

Made some real money for his clients

before he started killing their sons.

How'd you catch him?

Got sloppy, abducted a kid in broad daylight.

His own girlfriend called it in.

Keough was patient, methodical.

Why'd he suddenly switch up his M.O.?

He thought we were getting close. Panicked.

Where was James Smith abducted?

Opening of a new wing of a hospital

donated by his parents.

Yeah, your copycat has done his homework.

That's Keough's kind of party.

Any last words?

Keough will see any attempt to manipulate a mile away,

so try active listening. Let his ego come to you.

Thank you for your help, Detective.

One last thing...

as I was taking Keough into custody,

he jammed a pen into that kid's femoral artery.

He was caught, he still did it.

Kid died in my arms. Whatever you need.

Hmm. Eric, image and sound are up.

Mr. Keough?

My name's Eric Beaumont. I'm a negotiator.

You mind if we talk?

A negotiator.

How fun.

Usually, they send psychologists to pick my brain.

Green thumb?

Mm, more like a penchant for the misunderstood.

Solanum nigrum.

Black nightshade.

But for the likeness of its cousin, deadly nightshade,

which in large doses can cause temporary paralysis

and even death, it's completely harmless.

I think you may have a copycat as well.

A boy has been taken and the kidnapper

borrowed your M.O. Any thoughts?

Tell him to get his own schtick.

Anyone contact you recently?

Ask you about your crimes? Well, as you can guess,

a man of my notoriety gets a lot of mail.

Oh, I understand that, of course.

How exactly can I help you, Mr. Beaumont?

I want you to help us stop him.

Whoever this copycat is, he's not you.

He doesn't have your education, your, uh,

refinement.

My guess is you'll make short work of this imposter.

I would love nothing more than to make amends for my past sins.

Training never leaves you, does it?

Beg pardon? Checking your corners. FBI?

And now he's a negotiator.

But why? Why did he leave?

I'm only here about the copycat.

Eric, the kidnapper

called back. He's on the line with the Smiths.

How would you like to make amends right now?

Very well. I only have one question.

- Sure, what's that? - Who'd you lose?

Thank you.

Detective Meyers, this is Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

- Hi. - Hi.

- How do you do? - Hey.

The warden let the call go through?

I think our clients may have something to do with it.

The governor and I go way back.

Yeah, she spoke to the warden on our behalf.

I have Vincent Keough on the line.

And a good day to you, my friend.

Are you still there?

How do I know it's really you?

Oh, well, from what I hear,

you're the expert on all things Vincent Keough.

Tell me about your first victim.

Ah, yes, the Radcliffe boy.

No, after your father.

The deer, the French River.

There was mention of it in the court documents,

but you never finished the story.

There's not much to tell, I'm afraid.

Isn't there something else?

He's agitated, Eric.

He doesn't want us to hear this.

I thought you wanted to make amends.

When I was ten, I came upon a fawn

and its mother trapped in the ice.

Freezing to death.

- Drowning. - I saved them.

But while they were still too cold to run away,

I took out my hunting knife

and slit the fawn's throat.

Pushed it back in the ice.

Watched it sink,

watched his mother drown trying to save her child.

Look, whoever you are,

I beg that you stop this madness now.

They're making you say that.

I assure you they're not.

You need to free that boy.

But your great opus... - Opus?

What opus?

Maybe Keough isn't finished killing.

Maybe there was a sequence,

could be why he got sloppy with his last victim.

I haven't a clue what you're on about,

but I beg that you listen to reason now.

You must free that boy.

Okay, if that's what you really want.

It is.

I would do anything for you.

James will call as soon as he's free.

There.

I guess happy endings do exist.

The deer.

Your first kill?

Oh, I did what you asked.

My regrettable encounter with Mother Nature

has nothing to do with your copycat.

I just have one question.