The present. Night. Miss Parker's house. Shot of Broots slightly hesitant on whether to knock on Miss Parker's door. He finally decides to do so. Eventually Miss Parker opens the door.

BROOTS
Oh, you're still up. That's great.

MISS PARKER
(sarcastically)
Yes Broots, I'm burning the midnight oil.

BROOTS
Right.
(pause)

MISS PARKER
(impatiently)
Well?

BROOTS
You probably don't want to hear this.

MISS PARKER
No I don't. I want to go to bed. In fact, I want to have one night without nightmares, phone calls, or visitors.

BROOTS
(not really understanding the nightmare or phone call comment)
Sorry.

MISS PARKER
Please give me one good reason not to slam the door on your sorry face.

BROOTS
I looked in the computer files and there's nothing on Ruin.

MISS PARKER
Not a good enough reason…

BROOTS
(hurrying)
I also talked to Evan, down in Communications today. He didn't know anything about it either, but told me he'd talk to his co-workers.

MISS PARKER
Again, not a good reason…
(starts to close door)

BROOTS
He got back to me and said no one he knew had any idea about the project.

MISS PARKER
This conversation is going nowhere.

BROOTS
(tries to ignore her)
I even hacked into Mr. Raines's email account, but there wasn't anything there either.

MISS PARKER
Ok then. Goodnight.
(slams door)

BROOTS
(talking to the door)
And then I thought, there's no record of Ruin. What if it isn't an official Centre project? And then I thought, if it's about your mother, she must have left something behind that I can't figure out. And I realize that it could be in your mother's old office. That's where I found this.
(shoves a folder under Miss Parker's door)

No response from Miss Parker's side of the door.

BROOTS
Ok. Hope you feel better tomorrow.
(pause)

Interior shot of Miss Parker perusing the folder.

BROOTS
(just his voice from outside the door)
Not that you were sick today or anything.
(another pause)
I know it just looks like random numbers, but I think it has to do with a security feed on one of the sub-levels.

MISS PARKER
(annoyed he's still there)
Goodnight, Broots.

The contents of the folder are revealed. In it is a single piece of white paper, which is handwritten on in black ink a string of numbers, headed by the single word RUIN at the top. Miss Parker pours herself some alcohol, and sits down with the paper in front of her on the table. She takes a sip, and looks resigned to the fact that she won't be getting much sleep again.

CUT SCENE

The Same night. Scene shifts to Jarod's 'lair'. He's fiddling with some electrical equipment. Next, he picks up a place on the coffee table from where he's sitting on the floor, and and picks up two pieces of bread. One has peanut butter and bananas on it, and the other is plain. He carefully puts the plain side on the buttered side, and takes a big bite. The TV is on, and there's a 'got milk' commercial on, so he stands up, goes to the kitchen, and mumbles 'I'vgomik' before he takes a sip. Then he comes back, sits down, and starts pushing in the plastic pins for a lite brite. He's already got an 'M' in pink and 'I' in orange, and now he's starting on the 'S'--in blue.

CUT SCENE

Next day. The Centre. Lyle and Mr. Raines greet a member of the Triumvirate. They head towards Lyle's office.

LYLE
Everything is just as we discussed before.

TRIUMVIRATE MEMBER
I'll see to it that the necessary plans are given to you both.

MR. RAINES
(He looks at Sydney as they pass him)
We won't have any trouble with the… victim.

LYLE
I'll make sure of that. Best not to go calling him that. I would say, 'subject' or 'case study'.

MR. RAINES
(dismissively)
Call him what you like.

TRIUMVIRATE MEMBER
And Mirror?

MR. RAINES
All taken care of, as we said before.

Sydney keeps watching them after Mr. Raines's look, and when they disappear into Lyle's office, he walks over to Broots. Broots looks as if he's had a long night of research, and is drinking coffee to wake up.

SYDNEY
Broots, I need you to find out what Lyle and Mr. Raines are up to.

BROOTS
(dismissively)
Miss Parker will kill me. I have to find out what those numbers mean.

SYDNEY
I think they're planning to do something big—and potentially harmful to one of us.

BROOTS
(sighs)
If you explain to Miss Parker…

SYDNEY
I will. Don't worry.

Both look up and see Miss Parker coming towards them. She looks much better than Broots does after a sleepless night. Broots scuttles away before she reaches them.

SYDNEY
Mr. Raines and Lyle are planning something. I asked Broots to try and find out what it is.

MISS PARKER
It's always wise to keep close tabs on the Odd Couple.

SYDNEY
They met a member of the Triumvirate just now.

MISS PARKER
(walking to her office)
Broots better find out what it is quick. I need him to figure this out.
(she holds up the file Broots gave her as she opens the door to her office.)

SYDNEY
(taking the file and opening it)
This is strange.

MISS PARKER
What?

SYDNEY
It's not your mother's handwriting.

MISS PARKER
Of course it is.

SYDNEY
(examining it closely)
It's different.

MISS PARKER
Did they teach you handwriting analysis in psychologist school?

SYDNEY
This top word is hers, and so are some of the numbers…but not all of them.

MISS PARKER
Number analysis then? I didn't know you were a mathematician.

SYDNEY
Here
(he points)
She never did her 9's that way. Ever.

MISS PARKER
Do you know what the numbers mean? Is it a code?

SYDNEY
I don't think so. It's a bit too short for a proper code.

MISS PARKER
Broots thinks it could be a security feed number.

SYDNEY
It might be.

MISS PARKER
You don't think so?

SYDNEY
All I know is, your mother and another person wrote this file. Both with the same ink, so probably at the same time.

MISS PARKER
(thinking out loud)
My mother…and Jarod's mother…

CUT SCENE

Exterior. Early Evening. Shot of the traffic on the city streets. Miss Parker is driving home from work, but the street she's taking doesn't have many cars on it. A bus is a few cars in front of her. She glances at it, and the neon lights flash 'sorry' and then 'not in service'. As her car idles at a stoplight, the lights on the screen now flash 'hello Miss Parker' and then 'not in service'. Her eyes widen, and she slightly shakes her head—wondering whether it's just too late and she's seeing things. She keeps staring at the lights though.

They flash 'sorry', then 'it's Jarod'. Now she knows she's not seeing things.

The message continues: 'not in service—Ruin: 167—sorry—East Poplar—not in service—love Jarod'.

There is a green light, and the bus turns left. Miss Parker vainly tries to follow it, but the turn signal goes red far before she can get there. She looks left as she goes through the intersection, and sees

'Sorry—not in service—have a nice day—sorry—Miss Parker—not in service'.

MISS PARKER
Unbelievable.
(she picks up her cell phone)

Shot changes to the bus, where Jarod is driving. He smiles to himself, and looks in the rearview mirror.

CUT SCENE

Exterior shot. Day. Miss Parker is walking the same route Jarod did to visit the boy. She comes to a large hedge separating the boy's house from the others. Jarod steps out from behind it.

JAROD
So, you found this place… and me.

MISS PARKER
(holding her gun ready to shoot him if he runs away)
I can do my own digging on occasion. You'll find me up for sale on the "GeeksRus" website.

JAROD
(apprising her up and down with his eyes)
I'm sure you'd fetch a pretty sum on eBay.

MISS PARKER
And I would ban you from ever bidding on me.

JAROD
(serious now)
I'd never want to own you, Miss Parker.

MISS PARKER
(outwardly joking, but inwardly serious)
You wouldn't pay enough for me.

JAROD
(pushing her more)
You think so highly of yourself?

MISS PARKER
(sarcastic)
I don't think I'm some Turkmenistan rug, Elvis collector's place, or faux Chippendale end table, no.

Jarod doesn't get it. He just looks at her, wondering how she's suddenly been contrasted with an end table.

MISS PARKER
You haven't been to a flee market yet, have you?

JAROD
I once worked at a flee circus.

MISS PARKER
(after a pause)
It's frighteningly similar, now that I think about it.

CUT SCENE

Broots is lurking near Lyle's office, trying to loiter without looking like he's loitering. It's not working very well. He gets a flash of inspiration, and cautiously looks to see if the office next to Lyle's is occupied. It luckily isn't, and he hurriedly closes the door. He goes up to the wall separating the offices, and puts his head to it.

LYLE
(in the office, sitting in his chair)
When we take over the Centre, I'm going to strangle that guy myself.

MR. RAINES
It would not be wise now.

LYLE
I didn't threaten him…that much.

MR. RAINES
You'd best be careful. Remember, there's always plots within plots here.

LYLE
Oh, I don't actually know who's paying the Centre to do this, but I can make a fair guess. Who else wants that much blown up?

The scene shifts to Broots who unfortunately can only hear mumbling. He looks up, wondering how he can hear them better. His eyes lock on an air vent, fairly high up on the wall. He gets a chair, stands on it, and unscrews the cover (as he was installing some computer hardware earlier, he has a screwdriver). When it opens, he stifles a cry of shock. Perched further on in the vent listening is Angelo.

CUT SCENE

Exterior. Day. Resuming the conversation with Jarod and Miss Parker.

JAROD
Miss Parker, I don't think he'll tell you anything if you have that gun pointed at me.

MISS PARKER
Who?

JAROD
Put the gun away and I'll show you.

Miss Parker thinks, but her curiosity gets the upper hand and she puts the gun away. Satisfied, Jarod walks down the sidewalk and stands where he did before next to the gate of the picket fence. The boy is there again; it's almost as if he hasn't ever left.

JAROD
Hello again.

BOY
Hi.
(looks at Miss Parker)
Who're you?

JAROD
This is Miss Parker.

BOY
(still staring at Miss Parker)
How do I know she's really Miss Parker? Grandma said to make sure.

MISS PARKER
(giving him a fake smile which is almost a sneer)
What a bundle of joy you are!

BOY
You're not so happy yourself.

Miss Parker is momentarily abashed, for what he says is frighteningly true. She doesn't respond.

JAROD
(addressing the boy)
I know her.
(looks at Miss Parker)
This is definitely Miss Parker.

Miss Parker shoots Jarod a look of revulsion.

BOY
(still looking at Miss Parker)
Got some ID?

JAROD
(looking at the boy again)
Now, you're just making things difficult aren't you?

Now the boy doesn't respond. In fact, he makes as if to turn his bike, and prepare to head back up the sidewalk to his front door.

MISS PARKER
Ok, ok.
(gives him a card)
This better be good.

BOY
(examining it)
How do I know this isn't fake?

MISS PARKER
Get talking, bike boy, or I'll…
(the boy looks into her eyes, and she trails off. She's hearing faint sounds from somewhere far away.)

BOY
(handing back the card, and never breaking eye contact)
9780140444308…

MISS PARKER
Excuse me?

BOY
…91401.

MISS PARKER
That's it?

The boy just turns and rides away from them.

JAROD
(cheerily)
Bye!

The boy puts up his right hand over his shoulder and waves without looking back.

MISS PARKER
Didn't know my Mom was such a big fan of numbers.

JAROD
Numbers are sometimes harder to interpret than letters…
(thinks a bit and smiles)
but sometimes they become simple if you know what they are meant to represent.

MISS PARKER
You know what they mean, don't you.

JAROD
I have a guess.

MISS PARKER
(thinking out loud)
Almost exactly like the numbers on the file…

JAROD
What file?

MISS PARKER
(snapping back to the present)
None of your business. I'm sure I wouldn't be here if the kid hadn't refused to talk to anyone but me.

She looks beside her for Jarod. Miss Parker looks annoyed he isn't around to suffer further abuse from her. He has eluded her yet again.

CUT SCENE