Original subtitles

My name is Thomas Bale, or at least it was.

I'm a photographer.

I had it all.

A wife, a house, friends, a career.

And in one moment, it was all taken away.

All because of a single photograph.

I have it.

They want it. They will do anything to get the negative.

My keeping this diary has proved that these events are real.

I know they are.

They have to be.

Months have passed since I've heard a familiar voice speak my name.

Since I've seen recognition in someone's eyes.

To continue to hold out hope in spite of what I'm living through.

That whoever has done this to me might have overlooked something.

A small piece of my life forgotten, tucked away in a distant corner.

I have secured a job working as a messenger for Chimera Photo Works.

Chimera is a large photo syndicator. Some years ago, I sent a dozen

to them for sale to syndication.

I'm hoping that somewhere, buried deep within their archives, I might find some

trace of my past.

940? Hell, he could have been there and back by now.

Oh, he's not still dipping into that streetmine trip over in Charlestown. At

least she'll keep quiet about it.

Oh, hey.

Mirror image.

47th and Tower.

Yesterday. Hey, did you page me with this number? You get one page on that

and one page only.

9 -1 -1.

That means it's me. That means get the lard out and get to a telephone. Nobody

else has your pager number.

Hey, Joey.

Yeah? I need something from the stacks.

Okay.

No, bring those boxes over here.

Hey,

Marco.

You gotta run.

Parleyance Publishing. Andale. Pronto.

Where's the key?

On the counter where I left it.

No, I need the binkable one.

How are you enjoying life at the bottom, Mr. Vane?

Who's this?

Things really went to hell when you left that pretty wife of yours sitting in

that restaurant while you went to the men's room for a cigarette.

What do you want?

I want to help you, Tom.

I'll bet.

Then you'd profit by that wager.

I really do want to help you.

Well, why don't you start by telling me who you are?

Meet me tonight at the Museum of Science, fourth floor, 11 p .m.

I'll make sure it's worth your while.

You forgot the part about make sure you come alone.

Given the state of your life, it hardly seemed necessary.

Okay, that's the... That's the museum.

Of science. Put your pad away, Mr. Vail.

Fourth floor.

11 p .m.

The Museum of Science will be closing to all visitors in five minutes.

The Museum of Science will be closing to all visitors in five minutes.

Hello?

I'm so glad you decided to come, Mr. Price.

I think that this will turn out to be an educational experience for you.

He is looking at you, kid.

What do you want?

I told you, I'm here to help you.

Why?

I'm going to help you because you're going to help me.

Not likely.

A question worth contemplating.

Should we pull the plug?

For the last ten years, I've been working for the people that you've been

so hard to find.

And just who might that be?

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that my employers are a powerful, well

-organized group.

They have little tolerance for people who come between them and their

objectives. Yeah.

And what are those objectives?

When I began my association with them, I was under the impression that their

objectives were the same as mine.

That no longer seems to be the case.

Oh, you don't get invited to the company retreats much anymore.

Once a member of the club, always a member.

I continue to do my job, but you might say that I have something of an attitude

problem.

I'm going to take them down, Mr. Bale.

Piece by piece if I have to, but I am going to destroy them.

Well, great. Then why all this? Why not just walk away, turn them in?

To whom?

To the authorities.

You still don't understand, do you?

They are the authorities.

Why tell me? The man I work for is Richard Grace.

He is one of the highest ranking members of the organization.

And you're just volunteering his name?

For a purpose.

I told you, Tom.

I'm here to help you. If you help me... What do you want?

I want you to kill Richard Grace.

The face is probably not familiar, though he should be of some importance

you. Why is that?

Go to the county video archives.

Give the card to the person behind the counter. You'll be handed a videotape.

I have no doubt you will find it interesting.

I'm sure you're all aware that I've called this session to consider a matter

erasure. You've all had a chance to review this case. I have strongly

recommended his erasure to the board, and I expect that you will greenlight

project.

It is of personal interest to me.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

As of now, Thomas J. Vail of Evanston, Illinois is alone.

the video what's your point what did you think that was going to accomplish i

just thought you might be interested in putting a face to the man who was

responsible for your erasure no face isn't what i need i also

thought that once you knew more about richard grace it would make your

to kill him that much easier i haven't made that decision

you will

You know, on the other hand, you may have just pointed me towards a man who

holds the answers to my questions.

A man who does me more good alive than dead.

You presume quite a bit, Mr. Vail.

Richard Grace executes. He does not initiate.

You're telling me that the man who approved my erasure doesn't know the

why.

He's a man who thrives on power, on knowing that he can control or ruin

In short, he's a sadist, well -suited for his position.

If given the opportunity to know why, he would not be interested.

Although in your case, he did have something personal at stake.

hell is this?

What's he doing with my wife?

Maybe you should ask him.

How did you get these?

I asked you a question!

Yeah,

that's just the way you get it.

Richard Grace had a home, a life, maybe even a wife who loved him. What she

knows and doesn't know about her husband's job might make no difference

If someone had told me a few months ago that I would be sitting here watching

the man who took my life and debating whether or not I could take his life, I

wouldn't have believed it. But now, watching the routine, normalcy, who

The difficult truth is, despite my rage and my anger killing Richard Grace,

would not change my life in any way.

Morning.

Something special you were looking for?

No.

I'm looking for a man, actually. A friend of mine. I thought I saw him go

that back room just before I came in. He's got gray hair, about 5 '11",

a dark gray suit.

And you saw him come in here?

Yeah. He talked to you for a second, then he... went in the back.

I'm sorry, sir. You must be mistaken.

Thank you.

You should learn to follow orders, Mr. Vale.

Well, I'm a slow learner.

So I've been told.

Go to St. Mark's Church on 4th.

They say confession is good for the soul.

Hello?

I'm beginning to understand why they consider your reconditioning and

elimination a priority.

You are, to coin a phrase, a pain in the ass.

Thank you.

You came extremely close to putting our arrangement in jeopardy.

We don't have an arrangement.

You do seem to possess an exaggerated sense of self -importance, Mr. Vale.

Well, let's just say I've had encouragement.

Touché.

Fortunately, you did not do enough damage to prevent us from proceeding

plans.

Sit down, Mr. Vale.

You'll leave when I want you to leave.

It's all so easy for you people, isn't it?

What's that?

Just eliminating who or what stands in your way.

Not yet.

I would have thought the most recent photographs would have been sufficient

incentive.

What's his connection to my wife?

Your wife.

Allison.

How did you get those photographs? What are they doing together?

Richard Grace leaves town tomorrow morning.

He'll be gone for almost a month.

His wife left today ahead of him, so he will be alone for the next 24 hours.

It would be best for you to kill him tonight.

Sorry, I've made other plans.

There are three principal entrances to Mr. Gracie's house.

The front door, the rear door by the kitchen, and the French door of the

terrace.

This one is the most vulnerable and accessible entry.

It uses a deadbolt that is right next to the glass part of the door.

However, there is an alarm beam by the left side.

In order to disarm this beam, use the keypad on the outside of the French

The code is 47223.

I've marked the position of the alarm beams.

Mrs. Grace is visiting her sons at the private military academy where they

attend school.

Mr. Grace usually arrives home by seven.

He'll eat dinner and do paperwork until 9 .30.

By ten, he'll be in his room sleeping.

If you do this right, the man can go to bed without a care in the world. You can

enter his bedroom.

It's heavily carpeted, and he can die contentedly in his sleep.

How easy is it to kill another human being?

In some strange way, killing Richard Grace could be considered an act of self

-defense, albeit after the fact.

After all, Richard Grace is the man who murdered me, the man who, without care

or concern, took my life.

Thank you.

Help us.

Put it down.

Look, I don't... Very little encouragement to use it. Just put it

There's no money in the house.

I don't want your money.

Dear God, it's you.

You didn't think I'd make it this far, did you?

How did you?

Look, if you're going to kill me, I'd at least like time to be able to leave a

note for my family. Can I give you the opportunity you never gave me?

Go to hell.

Go to hell, Mr. Grace.

Besides what I can see, you've been spending most of your free time with my

family. With your family?

Oh, you mean those? I mean those.

Sit down.

Looks as though the shoe is on the other foot.

So... Why?

Why what?

Why was my life... Erased.

Why did you steal my photograph?

Why is it so important for you to get the negative?

What did you do to my wife?

You are why?

How does it feel, Richard?

How does it feel to know someone else is in control?

To know someone else can make the decision as to whether you live or die?

It wasn't personal.

You're a cold bastard.

Now think about it.

Think, Richard.

I want you to think about your wife.

And your sons.

And I want you to think about my finger on this trigger.

This takes so little, doesn't it? Just the slightest amount of pressure. You

never see those boys grow up.

You never hear anybody say, I love you.

You never get to say it to anybody.

No past.

No present.

No future.

Listen! Shut up!

Oh, you really hate me, don't you?

You created me, you son of a bitch.

The man standing here with his finger on the trigger is your creation.

And the rest of your life is up to me.

All I have to do, I just have to make one small, simple decision.

A man like you is probably wondering why I would even hesitate. I mean, it's

just a life, isn't it?

There's so many others.

I mean, why should a person hesitate about taking one here and there?

At the end of the day, it's kind of like turning off a light switch.

Then again, that would make me you.

That's something I could never live with.

So I'd like you to answer some questions.

Max.

What are you doing here?

KXRT Radio 530 News. There was a murder tonight in the posh Salem district of

the city.

The victim, 55 -year -old Richard Grace, was reportedly home sleeping when an

intruder broke into his house and shot him three times in close range.

Richard Grace, a successful security industries analyst, was perhaps best

for his yearly fundraising efforts on behalf of the End Hunger Now campaign.

though there are no eyewitnesses to the shooting.

Police Detective Roger Coleman told us earlier... It's usually pretty quiet

neighborhoods, so there was no one on the streets at the time of the shooting.

We have recovered the murder weapon, however, and there's a good deal of

evidence at the scene. That trace evidence, Detective Coleman told me, is

form of hair, blood, fingerprint, and fiber traces left behind at the scene by

the murderer.

Wheel of updates as they happen. Reporting live from Salem.

And now for an update.

Have you seen anyone come in in the last three or four hours?

People come in and out of here all the time. It's a hotel.

Either you do better than that or we're going to have to do a room to room. You

got a warrant?

Oh, come on, man.

Okay, guys, room to room.

You just need to start on the top floor and work your way down.

Police, open up.

All right.

I'll be right there.

Hey, what's going on? It's 3 o 'clock in the morning.

We're looking for somebody.

Well, uh... I'm the only one here.

What's your name?

Tom.

Tom Vale.

Do you mind if I take a look around, Mr. Vale?

Do I have a choice?

No.

Come on in.

You going somewhere?

No. Come on, man. Sue me. I don't use hotel dressers. Never know who's been

there before you.

So, you gonna tell me what this is all about?

We're looking for somebody.

Oh, that's it. I just... You're just looking for somebody. That's all you

to know.

You in your room all night?

Ah! Yeah, since I was about nine, I got an early appointment.

Yeah, right.

Get up, please.

Excuse me? I said get up.

Who was your appointment with, the dry cleaner?

I can explain that. Yeah, you will.

Hanson, yeah, I got him.

322.

Come on, go!

Check him, Hanson. Yes, sir.

I'm ready, sir.

Craig, you take the roof. Peterson, get to the lobby. Got it. You go in the fire

pit.

Sittin' down to South West 10.

What happens now?

I was just told to bring you here.

By whom?

It's just a job, sir.

Good luck.

Wait a minute.

I hope you weren't expecting a movie.

I tried to get a print of the fugitive, but on such short notice.

What do you want?

Birdie got the negatives.

At the risk of repeating myself, Mr. Vale, I want to help you.

Really? Oh, that's why you had me framed for murder. To help me.

I wanted Mr. Grace dead.

He's dead.

If I'm happy, Mr. Vale, you'll be happy.

Well, gee, that's a thrill a minute.

Don't you see?

We're both free and clear now.

Richard Grace is dead.

And once they've run your fingerprints and blood type...

No one in the organization will suspect me.

Well, how nice for you.

You may have forgotten one thing, however.

How is this supposed to help me?

Grace is a casualty of war.

It happens.

You struck first.

They know what a loose cannon you are.

Think about it. Can they want you any more than they already do?

Listen, the stakes are different now.

It's not just about them and me anymore. It's about murder and the police. You

still don't understand, do you?

Oh, I understand.

Now I have your organization and the police to deal with.

Although I killed Mr. Grace, the organization doesn't know that.

And they would never let you fall into the hands of the police or the legal

system.

Well, gee, I hope somebody tells that to the police.

They already have.

Come up to the light.

Coming only six hours after the murder of Richard Grace, the police have

arrested Mr. Grace's 32 -year -old gardener, Manuel Lopez.

Police detective Roger Coleman told reporters that they had found personal

stashed in Mr. Lopez's basement.

See, Mr. Bale, how simple it all is.

They can rewrite any story any time and make the ending come out any way they

want.

Not so my blood.

My fingerprints on the gun.

My people know that, Mr. Vale.

The police and the public will believe otherwise.

So you see, we have indeed killed one bird with two stones.

Richard Grace is dead.

I still hold my position with the organization, and you're cleared of any

charges.

Call it a show of good faith, Tom.

I had them, and I returned them.

Why?

Tit for tat.

You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Flip -flop, criss -cross.

A helping hand deserves another.

What's this?

Think of it as your personal filing cabinet.

A filing cabinet overflowing with information about the very people you've

looking for.

Why?

Why give it to me?

Because I make good on my word.

I told you that I'd help you.

What's in it for you?

Isn't that clear by now? I want them taken down as much as you do.

Oh, I see. We're partners.

In a way.

What you learn from your filing cabinet will help you work your way to the top

of the organization.

Why don't you just draw me a straight line right through the front door?

Oh, it gives me too much pleasure to think of the damage you can do to them

your way there.

What makes you think I'll even use it?

Now I could just leave this here, walk away, and never look back.

Could you?