REPORT: SOMEONE TO TRUST
FILE #: 304

IN CLEAR BAY Jarod watches a scene, where the owner of a cafe helps a poor, homeless man and his family by offering him a meal, a picnic basket and enough money for one week in a hotel room. Jarod, obviously, is very impressed by the touching scene. When the woman passes him, Jarod says "Dignity is usually something you see taken, not given". When their eyes meet, it seems like there is something between them that connects them. They have a quick conversation. When the woman is about to leave, Jarod asks for her name, but she just smiles and walks away. Jarod looks at the cafe's sign, which says: Kristi's Cafe.

IN THAT SAME CAFE Jarod has a meeting with Tom Binder, who is the lawyer of Jarod's new "employer", a man named Harold Cascade. Binder asks him about his last "job" in Seattle, which supposedly almost got him into jail. He expresses his concerns about Jarod's qualifications. In order to convince him, Jarod has set up a little demonstration of his "work": He blows up the local sheriff's beloved boat. "So we in business?” Jarod asks.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker catches Mr. Lyle by surprise, while he's watching something on his computer which seems to upset him. When she asks him what's going on, he lies, saying he was just looking at some pursuit-files. When he leaves, Miss Parker turns on his computer. We see the DSA that shows her and her brother's birth.

IN HARALD CANCADE'S HOUSE Cancade welcomes Jarod, who poses as Jarod Burns, professional arsonist. Jarod mentions what happened "last time", when some people had died in a building that Cancade had burned down, saying that this time, this kind of "mess" was not going to happen. As they talk, Kristi comes in. She's Cancade's wife. Cancade presents Jarod as "a designer" who is going to "work" on a building downtown. When Jarod asks if he could recommend a place to stay, Kristi offers him to take the guesthouse. Cancade doesn't seem to like the idea, but he agrees anyway.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker tells Sydney about the incident with Lyle. She wonders since when her brother possesses a heart. Sydney says that probably he feels the loss of having been ripped away from his family, from his mother. But Miss Parker replies that, although she gave him life, her mother had nothing to do with who Lyle is. When Sydney says that people can change, Miss Parker reminds Sydney that Lyle has killed several people in cold blood. Broots comes in with a letter from Jarod. In it, a picture of an Asian woman, along with the words: TRUST CAN KILL YOU OR SET YOU FREE. Miss Parker wants Broots to find out who the woman is.

AT CANCADE'S HOUSE: As they walk over to the guesthouse, Jarod and Kristi talk about where they grew up. Kristi tells him that her parents died in a fire when she was a baby. She was raised by her aunt in a trailer park. When Jarod says that must have been difficult, she replies that it was the last time she remembers being truly happy. Jarod tells Kristi about his family and how he's been searching for them. Kristi tells him that he should never give up. Before she leaves, Kristi says she knows that Jarod is not really a "designer", but an arsonist. Jarod replies that this is not who he really is. She says she believes that he's a good man.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker talks to her father about Lyle, saying she thinks he's up to something. She tells him that Lyle was crying when he was watching their birth and that she thinks it's strange that he would do so. Mr. Parker, however, replies that he thinks Lyle is undergoing some changes. He also tells his daughter that Lyle has asked him where their mother's grave is.

ON THE PHONE WITH MISS PARKER Jarod repeats the words "Trust can kill you or set you free". Miss Parker wants to know who the woman in the picture is. Jarod replies that she got caught up with the wrong people. Miss Parker wants to know what this is all about. But Jarod just tells her to always see people for what they are and that, in the end, everybody gets what they deserve.

IN CANCADES' HOUSE Jarod is woken up by screams in the middle of the night; somewhere a fire is burning. Kristi comes running out of the main house, crying for help. In that moment, the room upstairs that had been burning suddenly explodes; Jarod comes too late to help Harold Cancade, who dies in the flames.

The police arrive and question Kristi about the fire. Crying, Kristi tells them how everything happened, how she woke up at night and everything was exploding and how she saw that her husband was on fire. There was nothing she could do, so she ran out of the house. That's when the housekeeper told her that she had seen a man running away from the house, into the woods. The sheriff takes Kristi with him to the police station, but also tells Jarod not to leave town.

AT THE CENTRE Broots tells Miss Parker and Sydney what he's found out about the woman in the picture. Her name is Shei Ling and she comes from a poor region in China. She got a visa to the U.S. on year ago and ended up in Las Vegas as a mail order bride, but then she suddenly disappeared. Miss Parker tells Broots to keep digging.

AT THE POLICE STATION IN CLEAR BAY, Jarod meets Kristi and takes her to her cabin outside town, because she doesn't want to go back to her house yet. In the cabin, Kristi talks about her husband. When Jarod says that Harold didn't seem to treat her very well, she replies that he used to be different Jarod is just about to tell Kristi the real reason why he came to Clear Bay, when he smells a gas leak coming from the cabin's fireplace. He is just telling her that she should have that fixed, when the phone rings. It's Tom Binder, the lawyer, who wants to talk about Harold’s will. Kristi is upset; she says she doesn't know if she can do this. She also expresses her concerns that the sheriff seems to suspect her for killing her husband (in order to get his money). Jarod comforts her, telling her he'll prove to the police that they are wrong. Kristi says it's been a long time since anybody has taken care of her like that and strokes Jarod's cheek. They kiss. But after a few seconds, Jarod pulls away, apologizing. "It's okay", Kristi says as she leaves.

STANDING BY CATHERINE PARKER'S GRAVE, Lyle hears Miss Parker coming. He tells her it's strange to say goodbye to someone you've never met. He goes on saying that he's made a lot of mistakes along the way, while trying to "get to the top", but that he won't blame his past anymore. Looking at the grave he says he was never allowed a first chance with her, but that he would like a second one with Miss Parker. Miss Parker doesn't answer.

AT CANCADE'S HOUSE Jarod is looking at the burned-out bedroom. Smelling Kristi's perfume, he gets distracted and thinks about her. When he's looking at a picture of her and her husband, the deputy comes in. She asks him what "went wrong", suggesting that he might be the one who set the fire. Jarod replies he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The deputy seems to think that Jarod and Kristi had planned this little "accident" together, since Kristi is still the prime suspect. Jarod assures her that Kristi had nothing to do with the death of her husband. The deputy simply replies that he better leave the investigation to the police. Before he leaves, Jarod says he wonders what the deputy is more interested in: Justice or her career. She replies, honestly, that she's interested in the truth.

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE Jarod simulates the events of the other night. He runs into the wood, just as the arsonist supposedly did, where he finds boot prints on the floor. As he's looking at them, the sheriff comes up from behind him, saying, "They say the killer always returns to the scene of the crime". It seems he takes Jarod's being there as proof of his involvement in the crime.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker talks to Sydney about her brother, expressing her concerns about his recent behavior. She really wants to believe he's changed, she wants to trust him, but she doesn't know if she can. "Trust can kill you or set you free", Sydney replies, telling Miss Parker that he now remembers who first said that to him: her mother.

Broots comes in with a record of a 911-call from the night Shei Ling disappeared. On the record, we hear a woman's voice screaming "You have to help me, he will hurt me. He angry, he always angry. Going to hit me, beat me, he coming back. He's coming." We also hear her address: "223 Desert Vista apartment C. He's going to kill me." Broots says when the police got there, no one was there. Neither the woman, nor her husband could be found, nor any traces of who the husband was. Sam the sweeper comes in with a letter from Jarod. Inside a photo of Mr. Parker leaving the Desert Vista apartment building...

AT THE POLICE STATION IN CLEAR BAY, the sheriff is questioning Jarod. He mentions Jarod's record and his arrests for arson and asks him why he killed Cancade. "I didn't", Jarod replies and points out to the fact that the boot prints he found were not his size.. The sheriff supposes that he planted them there and won't listen to Jarod's request to have them listed as evidence. He says that Jarod is his new prime suspect in the killing of Harold Cancade. That's when Tom Binder comes in and gets Jarod out, saying that he was sent by Kristi. He tells Sheriff Carver to immediately release Jarod unless he has tangible prove.

When Jarod leaves, the deputy, who has listened in on the interrogation, asks Carver what Jarod meant when he mentioned the boot prints, but he doesn't give her an answer and send her back to work.

When Jarod returns to Kristi's house, her housekeeper finds a bag full of lighter fluid and other arsonist-equipment in his room. She's upset, she thinks she can't trust him anymore and asks him if he thought killing her husband would be the only chance for them to be together. Jarod assures her that he had nothing to do with this. She believes him, but she says that he must leave the house immediately, because Doris, the housekeeper, had called the police. She sends Jarod to the cabin. As he leaves, Jarod tells her again that he's innocent.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker is just about to take the risk of trusting Lyle. She wants to fill him in about what she found out about Shei Ling and Mr. Parker's possible involvement in her disappearing. Luckily, Broots and Sydney interrupt them, saying they have to speak to Miss Parker immediately. Broots tells Miss Parker that Shei Ling's body had been found three days after the 911-call; she had been beaten to death. Broots also found a wedding picture, showing Shei Ling and, believe it or not, Mr. Lyle.

IN THE CABIN, Jarod is waiting nervously for Kristi, when he suddenly smells another gas leak. He looks into the fireplace and finds a hidden bomb with a time fuse set for five minutes. As he looks out the window, Kristi and Sheriff Carver are pulling up in a police car. The sheriff comes in to get Jarod, but Jarod has already left through the back door and comes out to talk to Kristi. She tells him some story about having convinced the sheriff about his innocence and that he's just come to talk to him. Jarod pretends to believe her. She tells him to go inside and talk to sheriff, and so he does. Before he enters the house, she tells him she loves him. After Jarod has entered the cabin, it explodes. Kristi is relieved and walks away smiling.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker confronts Lyle and her father about Shei Ling. But Lyle says that he had nothing to do with Shei Ling's and that he loved her. He says they had some problems (his exact words: "Couples have problems") and that one day, she was just gone, she had run away with some other guy. When Miss Parker replies that she left because Lyle hit her, he denies it and so does Mr. Parker (of course he only based that approval on what his son had told him). Mr. Lyle then assures Miss Parker again that he's changed. In the end, Mr. Parker suggests they all go out for dinner together and start acting like a real family.

IN KRISTI'S HOUSE Kristi is packing and about to leave for Paris, when Tom Binder tells her that he's found out that she would lose 50'000 $ if she doesn't sty to sign certain papers (be the way: the inherit is nearly ten million!). Kristi won't let that happen, she has Binder switch her flight to midnight and arrange for the papers to be brought to her that same afternoon. When she's in her garden and just coming out of the pool, she gets a visit from the homeless man she's helped the day when she first met Jarod. He has come to thank her for all she's done for him, but she is very rude to him and his little daughter and sends them away. That's when the deputy and sheriff Carver show up. The deputy has arrested the sheriff, who has confessed to killing Harold Cancade, but indicated her as the one who planned the crime. Then Jarod "magically" comes back from the dead as well and confronts her about her crimes. It turns out that Kristi and the sheriff had planned this for a long time. When Jarod appeared, Kristi found the perfect scapegoat in him, and made sure that he was framed for the murder of her husband. Then she sent Jarod and her "partner" into the exploding cabin to cover her tracks. But Jarod and Carver got out through the back door. Jarod then organized the thing with the 50'000 $, because he knew that Kristi would not give up even such a considerably "small" amount of money. Jarod tells her that they both played their parts brilliantly and that her tears for her husband were very convincing. He was just the guy they had been waiting for to cover the whole thing up. Before she's arrested, Kristi tells Jarod that it was never personal (trying to sound honest). "Oh, you're wrong", Jarod replies, "It was very personal". He just wonders what happened to the happy little girl she once was, he says as she's led away by a policeman.

ON THE PHONE WITH MISS PARKER Jarod asks if she found Shei Ling. Miss Parker tells him that according to her brother and father, they had had nothing to do with her death. Jarod wants to know if she thinks she can trust them. Miss Parker replies that choosing between trusting them or Jarod is just like jumping out of the fire into the fire (what a well-fitting metaphor...). Jarod tells her that the truth is "You only know what The Centre wants you to know" (we know that line: It's the same words Sydney's brother Jacob said to him the night their car crashed). When Miss Parker asks him what it is he wants from her, her replies it's the same thing she wants from him: A little trust. Then he remembers her of what her mother used to say: "Trust can kill you or set you free".

THAT SAME NIGHT, Miss Parker, Mr. Parker and Lyle are about to go to their "family-dinner". Miss Parker tries hard to pretend that nothing has happened, but before she leaves, she looks at Jarod's card one more time: "TRUST CAN KILL YOU OR SET YOU FREE"

In the closing scene we see Mr. Lyle in frenzy, looking at mail order bride magazines...creepy...

The screen fades to black…