REPORT: ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
FILE #: 303

IN A RESTAURANT, Jarod is just about to order some Mexican Food, when he sees a TV news report on the abduction of 17-year-old Sara Rickman in Snow Hill, Maryland. Somebody had stolen her from her bedroom at night, leaving behind her stuffed animals with their eyes removed and the words “Blue Moon Rising” written on the mirror.

IN HIS LAIR, Jarod watches an old DSA of himself. Sydney asks young Jarod to help them with the kidnapping of a young girl.

IN SNOW HILL, MARYLAND, in Sara Rickman’s room, Jarod has joining the investigation as special agent Jarod Ressler, a criminal behaviorist. The crime scene reminds him of a simulation he did about 20 years ago. He was very scared at that time. Jarod tells the investigating Lieutenant that they won’t be receiving a ransom note, because the abductor is a killer. They don’t have much time. Jarod explains the marks the killer has left behind. Removing the eyes of the dolls makes him believe he’s invisible He also left the curtains open on purpose (but when Jarod says that, the curtains are closed. One of the police officers had closed them before Jarod’s arrival). That makes the Lieutenant wonder, she wants to know everything he knows about the killer. Jarod replies he’s seen all this before, the killer was a man named Douglas Willard. But Willard has spent the last 20 years in a high security prison.

IN THE MEANTIME, Miss Parker, Broots and Sydney find Jarod’s last lair in a boathouse. It seems he’s left in a great hurry, leaving behind a map of Florida.

AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN MARYLAND Jarod tells the police about Doug Willard (o.k. the “Blue Moon Killer”), who committed a series of crimes in the mid-seventies, all young women taken form their bedrooms, with eyeless dolls left behind along with the words “Blue Moon Rising”. Apparently, a copycat has come up. The blue moon is the second moon of a calendar month; Willard used to kill his victims at midnight that day. Willard was caught because of an “anonymous tip from Delaware”, the Lieutenant says, but not before killing his last victim, Annie, whose body was never found. Jarod’s mind flashes back: Sydney tells young Jarod that it wasn’t his fault and that he did everything he could. But Jarod blames himself for Annie’s death, which had only been confirmed by a photo of her body that Willard had sent to her parents. Since the copycat knows more details of the crime than were published in the papers, he must have been in contact with Willard. But the latter has been in isolation without cellmates or visits from anybody. Jarod orders to check out the prison personnel for potential suspects. He also wants Willard to be transferred to Maryland, where he can have access to him and hopefully get some hints about the copycat. The Lieutenant is not very enthusiastic about the idea, but then she agrees anyway. Jarod emails a photo of Annie to Sydney, with the words “IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN!”

While looking at Sara Rickman’s photo album, Jarod remembers the simulation. Young Jarod is looking at a crying couple in the shadows, asking “Are those her parents?” Sydney replies that they’re counting on him to find their daughter.

Back in the present, Sara’s parents come in, crying as well.

AT THE McCALLISTER PENITENTIARY, Willard is led out by guards, getting ready to be transferred.

BACK AT THE POLICE STATION the Lieutenant tells Jarod he owes her for having Willard transferred. Jarod replies that Douglas Willard is the path to Sara’s kidnapper.

AT THE CENTRE, Miss P. is annoyed because she has been ordered to go to Florida, although she’s made it clear that it’s pointless: The map in Jarod’s last lair was just too obvious. Sydney tells her that it was him who convinced Mr. Parker. Then Sydney gets a call and looks at Miss Parker, waiting for her to leave the room. When she’s gone he answers the phone with “Jarod?” Miss P. is outside trying to listen in on the conversation, but she can’t really hear anything. Jarod says he can’t let it happen again. He’s very upset. He feels guilty about what happened to Annie. Almost crying, he tells Sydney that Willard will arrive soon, and expresses that he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to face him. Sydney replies that he can’t run from this and that he knows what he must do.

THE NEXT MORNING IN MARYLAND, Jarod is determined to speak to Willard alone. The Lieutenant warns him that Willard will “crawl into his head and chew on his brain” if he gives him half a chance. He’s already caused two suicides and half a dozen psyche discharges. She says she’s not scared of much, but she’s afraid of him. Jarod says he is, too.

Jarod enters the isolation cell where Willard is kept. Blinding spotlights turn on, the room is monitored by a camera. At first, Jarod stays behind the spotlight, so Willard can’t see him. Willard greets him by saying “And who might you be little boy?” Then he thanks Jarod for letting him out on “vacation” after 20 years of solitary confinement. He refers to his cell as “Nice accommodations, of course I’ve missed a little more…privacy” He wants to know who Jarod is. When Jarod replies that he’s with the Justice Department, Willard says he didn’t realize he was so important. “You’re not”, Jarod says, stepping forward and showing his face, telling him that he’s “just a case study” for him. But Willard knows he’s lying, otherwise he wouldn’t have been brought here so urgently. “I doubt if I was pulled in…for a terrorist bombing, it’s not really my specialty”, he says, “No, I’m gonna take a wild guess and say…abduction”. He knows that there must be a copycat. “I’m impressed”, Jarod says and reluctantly admits that he needs Willard’s help. “Well as they say…: Hell will freeze first” Willard simply replies.

“Well I’m very sorry to have disturbed you”, Jarod says, “I’ll make sure they take you back to your…peaceful abode”. In the camera room, Jarod waits for Willard’s reaction, who yells at the camera “Ressler! It’s not as if I have somewhere else to be!”

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker is mad because she’s wasted half a day in Florida. Now she wonders why she was sent. She supposes someone wanted her out of the way. She wants Broots to find out what’s going on.

BACK IN WILLARD’S CELL Jarod shows Willard a picture of Sara, telling him that she was abducted. “Well let me see”, Willard says “you’re looking for a white male, 22 to 35, unmarried, a loner. His neighbors are amazed and say: ‘He was a quiet man’.”. Jarod replies he needs more than the standard profile and that they don’t have time. Jarod says Willard owes him for getting him out of his “hole”. The copycat is recreating Willard’s last crime, which means he’ll take Sara to the same place Willard took Annie. Willard is proud that the police never found Annie’s body. Jarod: “And how does it feel to be the smartest man on the planet?” – “Lonely” Willard replies.

Willard says the way he figures it; the police now are no smarter than they were twenty years ago. He studied them as he was sitting in his “hole” and came to the conclusion that they “couldn’t catch a cold”. He supposes they must have gotten a hint from a very gifted informant. Jarod wants to know what makes him think the informant was gifted. Willard replies that he must have been at least as smart as Willard himself “the worthiest adversary” he ever had. He says he’s sorry he was denied a chance to meet that man, because in order to predict Willard’s next move, the informant must have gotten into his mind. I order to know someone; you have to get inside them. He says he would have like to him how he did it. He goes on asking Jarod if he knows that man, but Jarod lies “No”. Willard says he wonders if he was as lonely on this planet as Willard himself. Jarod hesitates and finally changes the subject, saying “Well like you said: Being…smart gets lonely sometimes, now where is this copycat going to take her?” But Willard won’t give him an answer. Jarod gets really angry, steps close to the bars, shouting at Willard to talk. Willard stays calm, telling Jarod that he needs to control his emotions better. Jarod’s mind flashes back. We see young Jarod telling Sydney “No Sydney, don’t make me do it, I’m scared”.

Jarod walks out of the cell.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker gives Angelo the picture of Annie that Sydney had gotten from Jarod. Angelo says the words “She’s scared”, “Annie” and “I want to go home”. Mr. Raines interrupts them, telling Miss Parker to go back to Florida, although it’s clearly a waste of time. Sydney comes in as well and agrees with Raines. But Miss P. won’t go anywhere; instead, she wants Broots to find out more about Annie.

AT THE POLICE STATION IN SNOW HILL, Jarod is looking at Sara Rickman’s parents and his mind flashes back again. Young Jarod tells Sydney that he wants to meet Annie’s parents, but Sydney replies that’s impossible. Jarod can’t understand why they are so upset. He wants to know if they have other children. Sydney explains that that doesn’t matter, because each child-parent relationship is unique. “I wonder if my parents cried for me” young Jarod says.

Back in the present, Jarod tries to comfort Sara’s parents, telling them that her daughter knows that they love her.

IN WILLARD’S CELL Jarod tells Willard to satisfy his lust for power by saving the girl. Willard tells Jarod to be careful with emotions, that they make him…”Human?” Jarod asks. Willard wonders if Jarod’s passion indicates that there is more to the story than he has told him. Willard says if Jarod wants his help, he has to tell him the truth. “About what?” Jarod asks. “I think you know”, Willard replies. He knows that Jarod knows more about him than what’s in the files, although Jarod denies that. Willard wants to know who he really is. Jarod goes over to the camera and pulls the plug. “You were a child then. A prodigy” Willard says. “I heard the word used, yes”, Jarod replies and asks Willard how he knew. Willard says he can feel his loneliness, a scared little boy helping to capture a genius. “I helped them to capture a monster” Jarod growls. Willard reminds him that he came too late to save Annie. We can see the pain in Jarod’s face. “Must be a terrible experience for someone as…human as you”, Willard says, and “Time is running out”.

Jarod, back at his desk, remembers the past simulation. Young Jarod is recapturing every step of the crime – the removal of the dolls’ eyes, opening the curtains to feel the moonlight – but then he stops, saying he can’t go any further. He doesn’t want to be inside the killer’s head, or have him inside of his. “I don’t wanna feel that” Jarod screams at Sydney.

AT THE CENTRE Miss Parker confronts Sydney. She wants to know why he and Mr. Raines want her out of the way. Showing him Annie’s picture, she says she wants to know what “Is happening again”. But Sydney just tells her to leave this alone.

IN WILLARD’S CELL Willard tells Jarod that he already has all the answers, if he would just do what he needs to do. “Help me”, Jarod says. Willard tries to get Jarod to tell him where the copycat is and where he took Sara, but Jarod shouts “I don’t know!” “Come on, prodigy” Willard says, “You have all the answers. Get inside his head, get inside my head”. “No” Jarod growls. Willard wants Jarod to take him to the crime scene. “And why would I wanna do that,” Jarod asks, “Because I can feel it. Because I can do what you won’t do: Become him.” When Jarod says that they would never allow that, Willard replies “You’re a genius, you’ll figure it out”. An officer comes in and tells Jarod that they found their man. It’s an ex-guard called Paul Schuman, who had vanished 18 months ago after a nervous breakdown. At Schuman’s apartment, the police find pictures of Sara, newspaper articles on Willard’s crimes and…coded letters from Willard. “The question is”, Jarod says, “Schuman a copycat…or a puppet”.

“What’s out next move?” the Lieutenant wants to know. “We give Willard what he wants” Jarod replies.

The Lieutenant and Jarod stumble upon Schuman’s little hiding place. Once inside Schuman’s lair they discover memorabilia to Willard’s crimes and Schuman’s crime.

IN WILLARD’S CELL Jarod confronts Willard about the letters he wrote to Schuman. But he won’t talk. Instead, he tells Jarod that he’s right back where he started, a scared little boy. Jarod asks again where Schuman took Sara, “Tell me”, he says in a soft voice, tears in his eyes.

The Lieutenant comes in, mad, and tells Jarod that she can’t allow him to take Willard to the crime scene.

Just a few minutes later, Jarod gets Willard out of his cell. In the parking garage, he’s stopped by another officer, but Jarod knocks him out.

IN SARA’S ROOM, Willard wants Jarod to take off his handcuffs, and so he does. Willard starts doing a “simulation” of what happened, recreating every detail of the abduction. But he hesitates. When Jarod wants to know what happened next, he replies “You tell me”. “No” Jarod says with pain in his eyes. “I don’t wanna become him, Sydney” young Jarod says. Adult Jarod forces himself to continue the simulation. “He wants to scream” Jarod says, “because it feels…so… good…so right”. He goes saying that the kidnapper takes Sara down the hall and pauses at their parent’s bedroom. “They look so…innocent. So unaware”. When Willard asks where he takes her next, Jarod answers “I don’t know”, fighting the unwanted emotions, “Look, I took you where you wanted to go, now just tell me where she is”. When Willard won’t answer, Jarod turns around, grabs him, and, slamming him against the wall and grabbing Willard’s neck he shouts “Tell me! Tell me where she is! TELL ME!” Instead, Willard tells him that he has the clues to what he needs to do but Jarod repeats “I don’t know!” “It’s so obvious”, Willard says. “Then why can’t I figure it out? Why doesn’t it make any sense?!” Jarod says in anger. “Because it’s all…a lie”, Willard replies. “There is no rhyme or reason to any of this, Jarod. There is no midnights, no blue moons rising. It’s all meaningless. The truth is I killed them because I wanted to. I like it”. And, when Jarod looks away, he says “Now it’s time for me to see Sara” as he knocks Jarod out. “I expected I much more worthy adversary, prodigy” he says as he leaves.

AT THE CENTRE Broots tells Miss P. that he found a file about Annie, but with no reference to her last name. All he knows is that she was kidnapped and murdered 23 years ago, in Snow Hill, Maryland, only about 40 miles from The Centre. He shows Miss Parker a newspaper article about Sara Rickman’s abduction.

IN SNOW HILL we see Willard sneak up to some kind of old barn. As he wants to enter, we hear Jarod’s voice say “And who might you be, little boy?” In anger, Willard hits the wall with his fist (the first time he has lost his temper), but recovers himself quickly and replies “Well, if it isn’t the young prodigy”. “How does it feel to be the smartest man on the planet”, Jarod says. “Lonely”, Willard replies.

But, certain of his victory, Willard reminds Jarod that, once again, he came too late to save the girl. “Not this time”, Jarod replies, as the headlights of three police cars are turned on. Jarod explains that his taking Willard to Sara’s bedroom was just a ploy, and that they followed him here. Jarod and the others were one step ahead of Willard, because his “friend” Schuman never even got near the place, they had arrested him before. “Prodigy”, Willard whispers as he’s arrested by two policemen, “you got inside my head”. “No”, Jarod replies, “you don’t have to become a monster…to face one”. The police get the very scared Sara out of her prison. They also find Annie’s body buried inside the barn.

When Miss Parker and Broots arrive at the scene, Jarod sees them just in time to disappear.

ON THE PHONE WITH Sydney Jarod says he wishes he could have done the same for Annie as he did for Sara… He hopes that being able to bury her will bring peace to her parents. Sydney tells Jarod that he gave Annie’s father her necklace, which Jarod had found at the crime scene. He says he’s sure that her father would have liked him to thank Jarod. Their conversation ends.

AT THE CENTRE we see an old DSA of Sydney, apologizing as he hands Annie’s picture to a crying man. As the camera turns, we see the man’s face: It’s Mr. Raines!

Watching this DSA of himself, Mr. Raines breaks out in tears, holding his daughter’s necklace. Miss Parker and Sydney enter the room at the rear end, without being noticed by Raines. When Miss P. asks why Sydney didn’t tell her the truth right away, he replies “Sometimes, even the devil deserves a little privacy”.