REPORT: KEYS
FILE #: 117

Jarod works as a Marine Patrol Officer on Bahia Grande Island, Florida. He investigates the death of little Simone’s parents, illegal immigrants who died in a hurricane. Simone survived the storm, but has a heavy fever caused by an infection. He takes care of her and tries to find out what really happened to her and her parents. Jarod suspects his partner Efram Bartlett to smuggle Haitian refugees into the US for money. However, when they arrive, he increases the price and leaves them to die in storms when they can’t pay. Simone’s family was one of them, her parents had covered her with their bodies and thus saved her life.

Miss Parker tracks Jarod to Belle Glade, Florida where he had worked in a tourist attraction called “Gator Heaven.” She is told that Jarod had mastered alligator wrestling in only one week. He had nicknamed the one with the sharpest teeth “Miss Parker.” Jarod had left a toy alligator for Miss Parker in which she finds a small key. It belongs to her mother’s safe deposit box, where she finds a medical report on Catherine Parker’s injuries from a beating on November, 27, 1969. Miss Parker remembers a Thanksgiving a long time ago, when she had heard her parents having a loud fight in another room. However, she is ordered back to The Centre by Mr. Raines. In the meantime, Broots has found out where Jarod could be: In the danger zone of Hurricane Cassandra which is approaching the Florida Keys. Since it’s already too late to go there by plane , Miss Parker and Sam take the car.

Meanwhile, Jarod lures Bartlett to a far away place of the island, where he traps his partner in a net and leaves him in the rain, but not before telling him that Cassandra will arrive soon, although the hurricane should only graze him…if Jarod’s calculations are right. Jarod goes back to his hotel, where his friend, the hotel manager Patrick Watson had been taking care of Simone and was supposed to leave before the hurricane would strike. But Watson is still there and tells him that he has good news and bad news: The bridge to the mainland is impassable and they have to stay in the house during the storm. That ‘s the good news…the bad news is that they have company: Miss Parker and Sam. Despite the hurricane, Miss Parker is obviously in a great mood, after all, she has finally managed to catch Jarod. A good reason to enjoy a glass of champagne. “That isn’t good for your ulcer.” Jarod says. “Neither are you.” Miss Parker replies.

Suddenly, Simone’s condition gets worse and she won’t react to Watson’s calming words. She is delirious. Jarod asks Miss Parker to take of his handcuffs, so he can help the girl. When she tells him that Sam can do it, he replies “Sam isn’t a doctor, I……I can be”. Reluctantly, she gives in to his request.

When Jarod examines Simone, he concludes that only penicillin can help her. There is some in the boat house across the island and Jarod wants to go and get it. Miss Parker dislikes the idea, but finally agrees when he tells her that Simone won’t make it through the night if she doesn’t get the medicine. At gunpoint, Miss Parker accompanies Jarod.

A short distance from their goal, however, the two of them encounter a handicap: A tree had been brought down by the storm and is blocking the road, so they have to walk the rest of the way. In the boathouse, Jarod gets the penicillin, but as they are about to leave, they encounter another problem: Efram Bartlett had chewed his way out through the net (which cost him two teeth…) and now wants to revenge himself on his tormentor. He ties both of them up while he prepares their trip to the swamps, where he wants to get rid of them.

Miss Parker uses the time to speak to Jarod about the medical report. “How can you still trust him?” Jarod wants to know. “I never saw him hit her.” Miss Parker replies. She also says that she can’t really remember the night of the fight. Jarod tells her, that people usually repress traumatic events, and that the memories sometimes resurface for example through a certain sound or smell.

By dislocating her thumb Miss P. finally manages to free herself from the handcuffs. When Bartlett returns in order to get them, she attacks him, which causes him to drop the keys to the handcuffs. Jarod is thus able to free himself as well, just in time to save Miss Parker’s life when Bartlett is about to shoot her.

Shortly after that, Bartlett is trapped in an alligator cage and Jarod has tied Miss Parker again, this time with a rope so that she won’t get out. Before he takes the penicillin back to the hotel, Miss Parker asks Jarod why he saved her life. He replies that he did it because he still remembers the little girl that gave him his first kiss.

When he’s gone, Miss Parker has another flashback of the past Thanksgiving, caused by the slamming noise of the window shutters. She remembers that she saw a man leaving the house after the fight: It was Mr. Raines.

Then she asks Bartlett, if there is a second key to the alligator cage where he is trapped. Bartlett replies that the key is on the table, out of his reach, but Miss Parker advises him to roll the cage over a few times, so that he can get it. She promises him a sweet award , too.

At the Centre, Sydney and Broots are worrying about Miss Parker’s safety, so they take the Centre jet to get to Florida.

Bartlett actually succeeds to free himself according to Miss Parker’s advice. When he unties her and returns her (unloaded) gun, he asks for his award. Miss Parker replies that he will get it right away, before hitting him with her gun directly in the face.

When Jarod returns to the hotel, Sam asks him about Miss Parker, but Jarod won’t answer. When Sam points his gun at him, Jarod asks if he is authorized to kill him. But Patrick Watson has already sneaked up from behind and knocks Sam out with a vase. Jarod gives Simone the penicillin, but is then interrupted by the sounds of a helicopter. Inside, there are Sydney and Broots. When they enter the hotel, Patrick is tied to a chair and tells some about Jarod being some crazy one man judge and jury. He points them to the wrong direction, so that Jarod is able to get to helicopter in which he and Simone escape in front of Miss Parker’s eyes, who has just arrived at the scene.

Back at The Centre, Mr. Parker asks his daughter if the status quo still exists. He’s talking about their deal, that Miss Parker can return to the corporate area of The Centre or leave the corporation, as soon as she catches Jarod. She replies that the conditions of the deal are not quite being fulfilled. Then she turns to Mr. Raines, compresses his air tube with two fingers, and demands no more interfering in her work, no more investigations, no more surveillance. Choking, Raines replies that he has understood.