Scene: Outdoor crime scene.

Megan: "What have you got for me, Tommy?"

Tommy: "Some mushroom hunters found a body in the woods. Unidentified male. Can you get me an estimate on TOD?"

Megan (examining): "No rigor, so it would have to be at least 2-4 days. Offhand, from the state of decomp, I'd say we're looking at around a week. Any ID?"

Tommy: "No. Face and fingerprints have been burned with some kind of chemical, and teeth have been damaged to where I don't think we will be able to use dental records."

Megan: "Somebody didn't want us to know who this was. Let's get this guy back to the lab and see what we can find."

(cut to lab)

Kate: "What are we looking at for our woodsman?"

Megan: "COD looks to be a single gunshot wound through the ear, exiting through the other side of the skull. No bullet or trace."

Kate: "So we don't have anything yet that could point us toward our killer."

Megan: "Not so far. This doesn't really look like your average domestic argument that got out of hand. If the heavy rain a couple of days ago hadn't washed the dirt out of the gully where this guy was found, he'd still be out there. Do we have any missing persons that match the guy?"

Kate: "Not so far."

Megan: "I'll have Curtis run the DNA. Maybe we'll get a hit off CODIS."

Kate: "Keep me informed."

Megan: "I always do."

Kate: "Yes. Eventually."

(later)

Curtis: "I knew Kate was pretty hot for the DNA analysis on your John Doe, so I decided to try out that new rapid sequencer test unit we have for evaluation."

Kate: "That unit hasn't been formally accepted for use by law enforcement. We can't use the results at trial."

Curtis: "I know, which is why I also sent it through our regular DNA systems to confirm. This was just a preliminary. After all, we're pretty sure our dead guy is a victim, not a perp. I don't think he'll object. But if you don't want to know..."

Kate: "OK, you've made your point. Who is our John Doe?"

Curtis: "According to CODIS, a federal marshal who oversees people in the witness protection program."

Megan: "Yikes. Make sure you cross all the t's and dot all the i's when you run the approved DNA equipment. The feds are going to be all over us when we give them this info."

Curtis: "Will do. I just thought you guys might appreciate a heads up on the ID. Taking out a federal marshal is serious business."

Kate: "I think I'll call Barry in."

Megan: "Why? We don't have any data to analyze."

Kate: "No, but he seems to have certain connections with shadowy types in the feds. I think I'd like him on board when this all hits."

(end scene)

Scene: Lab, next day.

Fed type guy, showing ID: "Dr. Murphy, I'm Victor Cunningham with the federal marshal service. My team is here to claim the body of our field agent you identified. We will be taking over the investigation from here."

Megan: "We're just going to hand everything over to these guys?"

Kate: "In this case, yes. For once, Dr. Hunt, please just cooperate. I'm sure Mr. Cunningham will appreciate having all your autopsy notes and any additional insight you might have gained."

Cunningham: "Yes, ma'am. We're not trying to cause any trouble, but certainly you can understand that there are a number of co-workers who are more than a little determined to catch the killer."

Megan: "We have some expertise of our own, Mr. Cunningham."

Cunningham: "Noted. FYI, the regional office is aware of your reputation. It's why we'd like to review your case notes before we determine whether we should conduct an autopsy of our own. We don't want to duplicate your work and just make a bigger mess of the remains."

Megan (flattered): "Oh. In that case, let me get you my files."

(she exits)

Kate: "That was well handled, Mr. Cunningham. Megan can occasionally be a little prickly."

Cunningham: "That was part of the reputation of which we are aware, Dr. Murphy."

Kate: "You guys are good."

Cunningham: "Thorough, ma'am."

(end scene)

Scene: Lab area, Barry working on some project. His cell phone rings.

Barry: "Hello?"

Chuck: "Hi, Barry. It's Chuck. What the hell are you guys doing up there? The trouble alerts are lighting up like fireworks."

Barry: "What are you talking about, Chuck?"

Chuck: "I made a couple of very discreet inquiries about anybody who might have been around when your friend's father died."

Barry: "It's an old case without much to go on, Chuck. I wasn't expecting much."

Chuck: "Well, you may have gotten more than you bargained for. Turns out there was a Russian crime boss who helped out some of our more secretive agencies regarding a shipment of nuclear materials back in the day. Name of Alexei Andreevich. When he was done, they relocated him and a chunk of his lifetime of ill-gotten gains to the U.S."

Barry: "Taking a guess on where this is going, is there any possibility he landed in Philadelphia?"

Chuck: "The Liberty Bell could have been real high on his list of tourist attractions to visit."

Barry: "So what does this have to do with Megan's father, exactly?"

Chuck: "Andreevich was treated like a witness in the relocation program. He ended up in a house down the block from Megan's family, three months before her father was murdered."

Barry: "That's not good."

Chuck: "Yeah, I have a bad feeling her dad might have somehow overheard something that made this guy nervous. People who were willing to ship nukes didn't feel too bad about rubbing out some random guy who might have figured out who they were. I'm surprised they didn't take out the whole family and burn the house down."

Barry: "You're right. That fits with the fake suicide. Her father must have convinced the guy that nobody else in the family suspected anything, and a suicide with a note wouldn't get investigated as closely as a homicide."

Chuck: "He must have been a pretty fast talker to have gotten that point across."

Barry: "Touching that he managed to do this to save his family."

Chuck: "Yeah. Nobody ever suspected him. He stayed in the same house for several more years."

Barry: "Where is he now?"

Chuck: "Don't know."

Barry: "Don't know? What do you mean, you don't know?"

Chuck: "I mean that when last seen, he was still in Philly. No check-in for a couple of weeks. He might have a mole somewhere, because he hasn't been heard from since I placed my inquiry."

Barry: "You tipped him off? I asked for discreet inquiries, Chuck!"

Chuck: "Not my fault. I just did a quiet database searches. Somebody may have set up a tripwire."

Barry: "We've got to find him."

Chuck: "Not going to be easy, my friend. This guy's in the wind. His handler hasn't been heard from, either."

Barry: "Wait. Was his handler a federal marshal?"

Chuck: "Yeah, why?"

Barry: "Because we just sent a dead one back to his headquarters."

Chuck: "Oooh, that's not good. This guy is more ruthless than the 1920 Red Sox."

Barry: "Chuck..."

Chuck: "OK. This guy looks like he is out to eliminate anybody who can identify him or dig up the dirt."

Barry: "Oh, crap."

Chuck: "What?"

Barry: "Who do you suppose would be next on his suspect list?"

Chuck: "Oh, yeah. Barry, you might want to take a little vacation."

Barry: "Not me. I didn't start this. "

Chuck: "Megan. Hey, Barry..."

Barry: "Megan's mom has been out of town for a few days, so the family was going to get together for dinner tonight at Megan's condo."

Chuck: "Perfect opportunity for a disguised triple homicide."

Barry: "Yeah. I'm out of here. I just hope I can get there in time."

(He exits in a hurry.)

(end scene)

Scene: Megan's condo. Doorbell rings. There is a man outside, holding a satchel.

Alexei: "Dr. Hunt. I was referred to you by some people making inquiries about your father. I have some information you might be interested in."

Megan: "What information do you have?"

Alexei: "May I come in?"

Megan: "Yes, please. What do you know about my father?"

Alexei: "I lived not far from you at the time your father died. I have evidence that it was not what the police thought it was."

Megan: "I have never believed it was really a suicide. My mother sticks by that story, though."

Alexei: "I think your instincts are good."

Megan: "Well, if you have more information, I want my mother to hear it. Come into the kitchen."

Alexei: "Very well."

(They enter the kitchen. Recognition and fear cross Joan's face.)

Joan: "Megan, what is this man doing here?"

Megan: "He says he has information about Dad's death. He doesn't think it was a suicide."

Joan: "I guess he wouldn't."

Alexei: "I believe it was murder."

Joan: "How would you know that?"

Alexei (pulling a gun from the satchel): "Because I was the one who killed him."

Lacey: "Mom!"

Alexei: "Your father received some misdirected mail of mine, and opened it without looking at the name on the front of the envelope. Our house numbers were similar. Unfortunately, he could read Russian well enough to understand who I was."

Megan: "Who are you?"

Alexei: "Now, I am retired person. Formerly, I was businessman in Russia and Ukraine."

Megan: "What kind of business?"

Alexei: "Many kinds. I helped the CIA trace some nuclear material that was for sale, headed for Middle East. In exchange, they brought me to this country. If my whereabouts ever became known, my former associates would have me killed."

Megan: "You killed my father just for knowing where you were?"

Alexei: "Da. I was going to kill entire family, but he convinced me that neither of you knew anything. So I let him commit suicide. He was right, much quieter. But I think he lied to me."

Megan: "Lied? About what?"

Alexei: "I think he told your mother about me."

Megan: "Mother?"

Joan: "He was going to return the papers and pretend he didn't know anything about them. In case anything went wrong, he wanted me to know to protect you."

Megan: "So you lied to me?"

Joan: "It was the only way to protect you. I didn't have the resources to just disappear. I had to go with the suicide story to keep you safe."

Megan: "I can't believe you kept up that lie all these years."

Joan: "You were still in danger if you figured out the real story. And once I started with the lie, I didn't think it would make much difference to find out the truth later."

Megan: "If you had told me the truth, I wouldn't have gone snooping around!"

Alexei: "Which brings me to our next topic."

Joan: "Even after all these years, you would still kill us?"

Alexei: "I am afraid it is necessary. I am old man now; for myself, I might take the risk. But, I have family in this country. Russian criminals have long memories. They would take it out on my family here if they could find them through me."

Megan: "We wouldn't tell anyone."

Alexei: "Just making inquiries was enough to stir up the past. The federal marshal who was my contact started asking me about your father. I have immunity for crimes in Russia, but not for crimes committed here. I cannot afford the publicity of a trial."

Joan: "What are you going to do to us?"

Alexei: "I have a drug which will immobilize you. Then I will damage your furnace so that it produces carbon monoxide. The drug will be out of your system when you die from the CO2. It will look like an unfortunate accident."

Megan: "I won't go along with it."

Alexei: "Then you, and your family will die much more painfully, and the bodies will never be recovered. Do you want your daughter to be tortured to death?"

Megan: "No."

Alexei: "I promise, she will live the longest and have the most pain of anyone."

Lacey: "Mom!"

Megan: "Oh, God..."

(The doorbell rings. Barry is standing outside with flowers.)

Alexei: "Whoever it is, get rid of him."

(Megan answers the door. Alexei stands a short distance behind her, gun to Megan's back. Joan and Lacey are positioned where he can keep an eye on them.)

Megan: "Hello, Barry. Why are you here?"

Barry: "Do I have the wrong night? I thought sure tonight was our date. I was going to take you see that new chick flick that opened. Maybe put you in the mood for something afterward..."

Megan: "Degenerate. I'm sorry, Barry, you have the wrong night. Tonight I was just going to have a quiet evening at home with my mother. She brought an old friend from the neighborhood, um..."

Joan: "Alexei."

Barry: "Pleased to meet you, Alexei. Sorry about the mix-up, Megan. I'll just take my lonely self home. Still, you may as well have these flowers."

(He hands them to her.)

Megan: "Thank you, Barry..."

(He then pushes her down, revealing the gun in Alexei's hand, as well as the one he had hidden in the flowers. Alexei and Barry are now standing face to face, guns drawn. They both fire at each other, point blank range. Barry manages two shots, the second an obvious and immediate kill shot. He is hit himself, however, and goes down. Lacey screams, Megan recovers and goes to Barry.)

Megan: "Mom, call 911! We need an ambulance!"

Megan (to Barry): "Hang on! We'll get you to a trauma center. There's one just 2 miles away."

Barry: "Too late."

Megan: "I'll put pressure on the wound. You'll make it."

Barry: "I won't. It's OK, though. I always wanted to be in Kate's zombie army."

Megan: "You've cheated death before, you can do it again!"

Barry: "I did."

Megan: "What?"

Barry (weakening): "The body count would have been 3, and now it's 2. Totally worth it. I win."

(He lapses into unconsciousness, with Megan holding him. Fade out.)

Scene: Barry's memorial service. Kate, Megan, Joan, Lacey.

Kate: "I'm going to miss him. Not least because several times, he saved my butt."

Joan: "I just wish he could have managed to cheat death one last time."

Megan: "He claimed he did. He said by saving the 3 of us, he reduced the body count from 3 to 2. Said he won."

Kate: "Kind of a costly win."

Megan: "He said it was worth it."

Kate: "No doubt. Still..."

Megan: "What?"

Kate: "During the memorial, I had this eerie feeling he was going to sit up and kiss you or something."

Megan: "He did say he wanted to sign up for your zombie army."

Kate (laughs a little, in spite of herself): "He would. If only I could actually manage it."

Lacey: "I feel guilty that I'm alive and Barry is dead."

Megan: "Honey, I know it's hard, but you can't dwell on that."

Kate: "I got a little news from the pathologist that might make you feel better."

Megan: "I doubt it."

Kate: "After the autopsy, I requested Barry's medical records. He went in a short time ago for some follow-up after the shooting he survived last year. They found pancreatic cancer. The pathologist confirmed it."

Megan: "Oh."

Lacey: "He still might have made it, Mom. He might have lived a long time."

Megan: "He might have, honey, but he also knew the odds weren't very good. Pancreatic has one of the worst prognoses of any kind of cancer."

Kate: "He was kind of a dead man walking already. He probably considered himself a member of my zombie army the way it was."

Lacey: "I'll still miss him."

Joan: "We all will, honey."

Kate: "Curtis and Ethan are having a farewell meal at the office in his honor. We could stop by there."

Megan: "I'm not really hungry."

Kate: "Wait until you see the menu."

Megan: "What?"

Kate: "Mountain Dew and donuts."

Lacey: "Eww. Why would they serve that?"

Megan: "Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

(end scene)

The End.