(A darkened apartment. A baby boy in blue romper suit sits in a high chair, crying its eyes out. A large, drunken man enters the room, clearly angry. He storms towards the baby, leaning in towards him.)
Man: Goddamn baby. Why don't you just shut up?
(The child continues to cry.)
Man: I'm gonna teach you a lesson.
(He raises a fist. The baby stops crying as the man is knocked back forcefully. A vase flies through the air, smacking him full on the head. He slumps to the ground. The baby sits up in his high chair, giggling.)
TITLE CREDITS
(Mulder sits opposite a crying woman in the same apartment. He wears a grey suit with blue shirt and navy tie. She has shoulder length brown hair and wears all black. Scully is looking around the apartment. She wears a cream suit and skirt, with a black blouse.)
Mulder: Where were you the night of your husband's death, Mrs Peters?
Mrs Peters: I had gone out with some friends for the night. It was just Mike, my husband, and the baby.
Mulder: What's your child's name?
Mrs Peters: Billy. I can't believe someone would do this in front of the baby. (She starts to cry again.)
Mulder: So you believe that your husband was killed by an intruder?
(She puts her tissue in her pocket and looks at Mulder strangely.)
Mrs Peters: Well what else could it be?
Mulder: (Looking around the apartment.) Well, it's just that no forceable point of entry was found. There were no disturbances reported, and your apartment has not been ransacked in any way. Did your husband have any enemies, or someone he might have unknowingly let into your apartment?
Mrs Peters: No. Look, I've told all this to the local cops already, I really don't see what…
Mulder: It's okay, Mrs Peters. Thankyou for your help.
(Mulder gets up and heads to the door, with Scully following. The baby giggles. Mulder pauses and approaches him.)
Scully: He's a happy child.
Mrs Peters: (Smiling) Yes, he is. Always laughing at something.
(Billy is not laughing at the scene in front of him, but looking into the distance. Mulder raises an eyebrow and waves at Billy. The child doesn't notice him and continues to laugh at a spot behind Mulder's head.)
Mulder: Well we'll be in touch.
(There is a crash as a book flies off the end of the shelf.)
Mrs Peters: Oh! (She runs to pick it up and put it back.) That damn shelf- must be on a slant. Things always fallin' off it. I've been on at Mike to get it fixed but…
(Scully nods sympathetically and the agents leave.)
*****************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are back in their office. Mulder is sitting back at his desk, while Scully sits at the end of it, an eyebrow raised.)
Scully: Mulder, I don't see how this is an X File. Surely it's just a matter of finding a neighbour who saw someone enter the Peters' apartment. With fingerprinting of the vase, it's only a matter of forensic police work to catch the killer.
Mulder: But the vase WAS fingerprinted.
Scully: And?
Mulder: (Gives a grin as Scully looks underwhelmed.) No fingerprints were found, Scully.
Scully: What?
Mulder: Forensics have checked over and over.
Scully: Well, there's a simple explanation. The killer wore gloves.
Mulder: Maybe so, but what forensics did find on the vase was traces of incense.
Scully: Incense?
Mulder: Lavender scented incense to be precise. (He sniffs.)
Scully: Mulder, you're not going to give me the background of incense as used in witchcraft again are you?
Mulder: No, I don't think this case is related to witchcraft at all. What I do find odd is that Billy was the only person present.
(Scully gets up off the desk and stands in front of Mulder, hands on hips.)
Scully: Mulder, if you're suggesting for one minute that Billy, a small baby, killed Mike Peters…
Mulder: No.
Scully: …because I think that a case on a bionic baby is a bit far out even for you.
Mulder: No, I don't think Billy did it, although the idea of a super-baby is appealing. (He stands up, runs a hand along a row of books on a shelf, and pulls out a large brown book. Dusting it down, he sets it on the desk, sits on, and starts flicking through it.) Tell me Scully, ever seen Poltergeist?
Scully: (Sits down on a chair opposite Mulder.) Your theory is a poltergeist killed Mike Peters?
Mulder: Come on Scully. Even you must have read the articles and seen the TV shows about poltergeists?
Scully: Yes, of course. But even if the phenomena IS true, which I very much doubt, don't they generally occur in houses where there is a pubescent teen?
Mulder: (Looking at her with a wry grin.) You been doing your homework on the supernatural, Scully?
(Scully looks uncomfortable and unconvinced.)
Mulder: You're right; poltergeist activity has usually been associated with adolescent girls, generally ones that are emotionally troubled or have sexual turmoils. It's believed that they can unconsciously manipulate items in the house through psychokinesis. Even scientific brains such as yourself are beginning to acknowledge their existence.
Scully: But there was no evidence of psychokinesis in the Peters' apartment.
Mulder: Scully, there was! You saw it too!
Scully: Mulder- a book fell off the shelf. Mrs Peters said herself that she had to get it fixed.
(Mulder shrugs, stands up and puts his jacket on.)
Scully: Mulder, for a start, if poltergeist activity is centred around teenage girls, then Billy Peters is hardly a likely candidate.
Mulder: Well, maybe he is a super baby after all.
(He leaves the office, Scully following close behind.)
********************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are back in Mrs Peters apartment. Immediately Mulder sees an old, mothbitten teddy bear at Billy's feet. He walks over, kneels down, and picks it up.)
Mulder: Seems a very old bear. Is this one of Billy's. A family heirloom?
Mrs Peters: (She walks over and takes it off Mulder.) How odd- I… I've never seen that before.
Scully: Mrs Peters, the fingerprint analysis of the vase used to kill your husband didn't turn up anything, apart from traces of incense. Is that something you used in the house?
(Mrs Peters shakes her head and pulls her cardigan tighter around her.)
Mrs Peters: No, not at all. I'm asthmatic, so I'd never burn anything in the apartment. Where do you think it came from?
Mulder: We're still investigating that. Mrs Peters, what age is Billy?
Mrs Peters: (She pauses.) A year and a half. Yeah, he was a winter baby. January 14th.
Mulder: And he's always been a happy, contented child?
Mrs Peters: Yeah, like I said last time you were here, he's always laughin' at somethin'. God knows what.
(Mulder glances sideways at Scully. Mrs Peters gets defensive.)
Mrs Peters: Look, I don't see what this has to do with Billy. Are you gonna get the guy who killed Mike or what? Cause I tell ya, this place has been givin' me the creeps since it happened.
Mulder: The creeps? In what way?
(Mrs Peters walks to the window and looks outside, nervous.)
Mrs Peters: Aw, you know. This is an old apartment block. Neighbour's ain't exactly friendly. You hear a few taps and creaks at night, and think someone's comin' to get ya. (She shivers.)
(Scully walks over to Billy and lifts up his arm. The sleeve of his sweater is ripped. She looks at Mrs Peters disapprovingly, rolling the sleeve up further to reveal an angry bruise on Billy's arm. She catches Mulder's eye, and he nods.)
Scully: Mrs Peters, how did Billy get this bruise?
Mrs Peters: What? (She shuffles over to Scully and puts her hands over her mouth in horror.) Oh my God, I don't know how this could have happened!
Scully: (Running a finger lightly over Billy's arm.) These look like fingerprints. I…
Mrs Peters: (Angrily.) Are you sayin' I'd hurt my boy? Are you? That child is all I have left. I'd never harm him, not after all I went through to get him!
Mulder: Calm down Mrs Peters. No-one is accusing you of harming Billy. What about another relative? Grandparents?
Mrs Peters: (shakes head) No… my father and both Mike's parents are dead. I don't speak to my mother.
Mulder: To your knowledge, did your husband ever hit or hurt him?
(Mrs Peters turns around to face Mulder, furious.)
Mrs Peters: Of course not! Mike loved that kid like… loved that kid.
(There is a crash as a photograph falls off the mantelpiece and smashes. It is a photograph of Mike Peters, the glass scratching and destroying the picture.)
Mrs Peters: Oh!
(She kneels down and tries to pick up the shattered glass. She cuts her hands and holds them up to Mulder and Scully, crying as the blood seeps through her fingers. Mulder goes to help her, but is distracted as Billy bursts into a giggle. He points to the door. Mulder and Scully both turn to see what he is pointing at, but there is nothing.)
******************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are back outside in their car.)
Scully: Mulder, I think you're right. There's definitely something very odd going on in that apartment, not to mention suspected child abuse.
Mulder: I don't think she's guilty though, Scully. I think it was Mike.
Scully: Well she was certainly very adamant that it wasn't him.
Mulder: Of course she was. She's not going to let anyone speak ill of her dead husband.
Scully: I must say, for all her protestations about how much she loves Billy, she certainly hesitated when she was asked when he was born. What mother can't rhyme her child's birthdate off the top of her head?
Mulder: Do you have the child's grandmother's address there?
(Scully flips through the case notes.)
Scully: Yeah- Mrs Jenny Anderson. It's not too far from here. What are you thinking?
Mulder: I'm thinking that there might be a reason why Mrs Anderson doesn't speak to her daughter anymore, and that we could maybe find out from her what Mike Peters was really like.
(Mulder and Scully sit in Mrs Anderson's house. It is dim and old, and she is a tiny, grey haired, frail woman.)
Scully: Mrs Anderson, when was the last time you saw Mike Peters?
Mrs Anderson: (Her mouth turns down in disgust at the mention of him.) Over six months. Haven't seen Billy since then. I love that baby but when Mike was there, I wouldn't go. Fell out with my daughter because of him. I told her to choose, and she chose him.
Scully: Why did you dislike him so much?
Mrs Anderson: Because he was a violent, lying drunkard.
Scully: Do you think it's possible he was harming Billy?
Mrs Anderson: I know he was, I just know. He never loved that kid as much as my daughter did. As much as I did.
Mulder: Just out of interest Mrs Anderson, what was Billy's date of birth.
Mrs Anderson: January 21st.
(Mulder coughs and Scully looks at him, puzzled.)
*****************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are walking back to their car.)
Scully: Did you hear that, Mulder? She said Billy was born on January 21st, but her daughter said it was January 14th. If she made a mistake, it's a pretty big one.
Mulder: I'm going to check out Mrs Peter's background. I tell you, Scully, never mind Mrs Peters apartment giving her the creeps, Mrs Andersons place was much worse. (He grins.) I mean, who has fake flowers nowadays? That IS spooky!
(Scully allows herself a resigned grin, and then stops.)
Scully: Speaking of flowers Mulder, I've just realized what Mrs Peters apartment smelt of.
Mulder: What?
Scully: Lavender.
Mulder: Lavender… like the incense we found on the vase.
Scully: You think there's a connection?
Mulder: It's worth checking out. Let's get down to the lab.
********************************************************
Man: Goddamn baby. Why don't you just shut up?
(The child continues to cry.)
Man: I'm gonna teach you a lesson.
(He raises a fist. The baby stops crying as the man is knocked back forcefully. A vase flies through the air, smacking him full on the head. He slumps to the ground. The baby sits up in his high chair, giggling.)
TITLE CREDITS
(Mulder sits opposite a crying woman in the same apartment. He wears a grey suit with blue shirt and navy tie. She has shoulder length brown hair and wears all black. Scully is looking around the apartment. She wears a cream suit and skirt, with a black blouse.)
Mulder: Where were you the night of your husband's death, Mrs Peters?
Mrs Peters: I had gone out with some friends for the night. It was just Mike, my husband, and the baby.
Mulder: What's your child's name?
Mrs Peters: Billy. I can't believe someone would do this in front of the baby. (She starts to cry again.)
Mulder: So you believe that your husband was killed by an intruder?
(She puts her tissue in her pocket and looks at Mulder strangely.)
Mrs Peters: Well what else could it be?
Mulder: (Looking around the apartment.) Well, it's just that no forceable point of entry was found. There were no disturbances reported, and your apartment has not been ransacked in any way. Did your husband have any enemies, or someone he might have unknowingly let into your apartment?
Mrs Peters: No. Look, I've told all this to the local cops already, I really don't see what…
Mulder: It's okay, Mrs Peters. Thankyou for your help.
(Mulder gets up and heads to the door, with Scully following. The baby giggles. Mulder pauses and approaches him.)
Scully: He's a happy child.
Mrs Peters: (Smiling) Yes, he is. Always laughing at something.
(Billy is not laughing at the scene in front of him, but looking into the distance. Mulder raises an eyebrow and waves at Billy. The child doesn't notice him and continues to laugh at a spot behind Mulder's head.)
Mulder: Well we'll be in touch.
(There is a crash as a book flies off the end of the shelf.)
Mrs Peters: Oh! (She runs to pick it up and put it back.) That damn shelf- must be on a slant. Things always fallin' off it. I've been on at Mike to get it fixed but…
(Scully nods sympathetically and the agents leave.)
*****************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are back in their office. Mulder is sitting back at his desk, while Scully sits at the end of it, an eyebrow raised.)
Scully: Mulder, I don't see how this is an X File. Surely it's just a matter of finding a neighbour who saw someone enter the Peters' apartment. With fingerprinting of the vase, it's only a matter of forensic police work to catch the killer.
Mulder: But the vase WAS fingerprinted.
Scully: And?
Mulder: (Gives a grin as Scully looks underwhelmed.) No fingerprints were found, Scully.
Scully: What?
Mulder: Forensics have checked over and over.
Scully: Well, there's a simple explanation. The killer wore gloves.
Mulder: Maybe so, but what forensics did find on the vase was traces of incense.
Scully: Incense?
Mulder: Lavender scented incense to be precise. (He sniffs.)
Scully: Mulder, you're not going to give me the background of incense as used in witchcraft again are you?
Mulder: No, I don't think this case is related to witchcraft at all. What I do find odd is that Billy was the only person present.
(Scully gets up off the desk and stands in front of Mulder, hands on hips.)
Scully: Mulder, if you're suggesting for one minute that Billy, a small baby, killed Mike Peters…
Mulder: No.
Scully: …because I think that a case on a bionic baby is a bit far out even for you.
Mulder: No, I don't think Billy did it, although the idea of a super-baby is appealing. (He stands up, runs a hand along a row of books on a shelf, and pulls out a large brown book. Dusting it down, he sets it on the desk, sits on, and starts flicking through it.) Tell me Scully, ever seen Poltergeist?
Scully: (Sits down on a chair opposite Mulder.) Your theory is a poltergeist killed Mike Peters?
Mulder: Come on Scully. Even you must have read the articles and seen the TV shows about poltergeists?
Scully: Yes, of course. But even if the phenomena IS true, which I very much doubt, don't they generally occur in houses where there is a pubescent teen?
Mulder: (Looking at her with a wry grin.) You been doing your homework on the supernatural, Scully?
(Scully looks uncomfortable and unconvinced.)
Mulder: You're right; poltergeist activity has usually been associated with adolescent girls, generally ones that are emotionally troubled or have sexual turmoils. It's believed that they can unconsciously manipulate items in the house through psychokinesis. Even scientific brains such as yourself are beginning to acknowledge their existence.
Scully: But there was no evidence of psychokinesis in the Peters' apartment.
Mulder: Scully, there was! You saw it too!
Scully: Mulder- a book fell off the shelf. Mrs Peters said herself that she had to get it fixed.
(Mulder shrugs, stands up and puts his jacket on.)
Scully: Mulder, for a start, if poltergeist activity is centred around teenage girls, then Billy Peters is hardly a likely candidate.
Mulder: Well, maybe he is a super baby after all.
(He leaves the office, Scully following close behind.)
********************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are back in Mrs Peters apartment. Immediately Mulder sees an old, mothbitten teddy bear at Billy's feet. He walks over, kneels down, and picks it up.)
Mulder: Seems a very old bear. Is this one of Billy's. A family heirloom?
Mrs Peters: (She walks over and takes it off Mulder.) How odd- I… I've never seen that before.
Scully: Mrs Peters, the fingerprint analysis of the vase used to kill your husband didn't turn up anything, apart from traces of incense. Is that something you used in the house?
(Mrs Peters shakes her head and pulls her cardigan tighter around her.)
Mrs Peters: No, not at all. I'm asthmatic, so I'd never burn anything in the apartment. Where do you think it came from?
Mulder: We're still investigating that. Mrs Peters, what age is Billy?
Mrs Peters: (She pauses.) A year and a half. Yeah, he was a winter baby. January 14th.
Mulder: And he's always been a happy, contented child?
Mrs Peters: Yeah, like I said last time you were here, he's always laughin' at somethin'. God knows what.
(Mulder glances sideways at Scully. Mrs Peters gets defensive.)
Mrs Peters: Look, I don't see what this has to do with Billy. Are you gonna get the guy who killed Mike or what? Cause I tell ya, this place has been givin' me the creeps since it happened.
Mulder: The creeps? In what way?
(Mrs Peters walks to the window and looks outside, nervous.)
Mrs Peters: Aw, you know. This is an old apartment block. Neighbour's ain't exactly friendly. You hear a few taps and creaks at night, and think someone's comin' to get ya. (She shivers.)
(Scully walks over to Billy and lifts up his arm. The sleeve of his sweater is ripped. She looks at Mrs Peters disapprovingly, rolling the sleeve up further to reveal an angry bruise on Billy's arm. She catches Mulder's eye, and he nods.)
Scully: Mrs Peters, how did Billy get this bruise?
Mrs Peters: What? (She shuffles over to Scully and puts her hands over her mouth in horror.) Oh my God, I don't know how this could have happened!
Scully: (Running a finger lightly over Billy's arm.) These look like fingerprints. I…
Mrs Peters: (Angrily.) Are you sayin' I'd hurt my boy? Are you? That child is all I have left. I'd never harm him, not after all I went through to get him!
Mulder: Calm down Mrs Peters. No-one is accusing you of harming Billy. What about another relative? Grandparents?
Mrs Peters: (shakes head) No… my father and both Mike's parents are dead. I don't speak to my mother.
Mulder: To your knowledge, did your husband ever hit or hurt him?
(Mrs Peters turns around to face Mulder, furious.)
Mrs Peters: Of course not! Mike loved that kid like… loved that kid.
(There is a crash as a photograph falls off the mantelpiece and smashes. It is a photograph of Mike Peters, the glass scratching and destroying the picture.)
Mrs Peters: Oh!
(She kneels down and tries to pick up the shattered glass. She cuts her hands and holds them up to Mulder and Scully, crying as the blood seeps through her fingers. Mulder goes to help her, but is distracted as Billy bursts into a giggle. He points to the door. Mulder and Scully both turn to see what he is pointing at, but there is nothing.)
******************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are back outside in their car.)
Scully: Mulder, I think you're right. There's definitely something very odd going on in that apartment, not to mention suspected child abuse.
Mulder: I don't think she's guilty though, Scully. I think it was Mike.
Scully: Well she was certainly very adamant that it wasn't him.
Mulder: Of course she was. She's not going to let anyone speak ill of her dead husband.
Scully: I must say, for all her protestations about how much she loves Billy, she certainly hesitated when she was asked when he was born. What mother can't rhyme her child's birthdate off the top of her head?
Mulder: Do you have the child's grandmother's address there?
(Scully flips through the case notes.)
Scully: Yeah- Mrs Jenny Anderson. It's not too far from here. What are you thinking?
Mulder: I'm thinking that there might be a reason why Mrs Anderson doesn't speak to her daughter anymore, and that we could maybe find out from her what Mike Peters was really like.
(Mulder and Scully sit in Mrs Anderson's house. It is dim and old, and she is a tiny, grey haired, frail woman.)
Scully: Mrs Anderson, when was the last time you saw Mike Peters?
Mrs Anderson: (Her mouth turns down in disgust at the mention of him.) Over six months. Haven't seen Billy since then. I love that baby but when Mike was there, I wouldn't go. Fell out with my daughter because of him. I told her to choose, and she chose him.
Scully: Why did you dislike him so much?
Mrs Anderson: Because he was a violent, lying drunkard.
Scully: Do you think it's possible he was harming Billy?
Mrs Anderson: I know he was, I just know. He never loved that kid as much as my daughter did. As much as I did.
Mulder: Just out of interest Mrs Anderson, what was Billy's date of birth.
Mrs Anderson: January 21st.
(Mulder coughs and Scully looks at him, puzzled.)
*****************************************************
(Mulder and Scully are walking back to their car.)
Scully: Did you hear that, Mulder? She said Billy was born on January 21st, but her daughter said it was January 14th. If she made a mistake, it's a pretty big one.
Mulder: I'm going to check out Mrs Peter's background. I tell you, Scully, never mind Mrs Peters apartment giving her the creeps, Mrs Andersons place was much worse. (He grins.) I mean, who has fake flowers nowadays? That IS spooky!
(Scully allows herself a resigned grin, and then stops.)
Scully: Speaking of flowers Mulder, I've just realized what Mrs Peters apartment smelt of.
Mulder: What?
Scully: Lavender.
Mulder: Lavender… like the incense we found on the vase.
Scully: You think there's a connection?
Mulder: It's worth checking out. Let's get down to the lab.
********************************************************