Nina
Nina
I need your advice.
Eden
Eden
What’s up?
Eden
Eden
Camden issues again?
Nina
Nina
No…
Nina
Nina
For once this isn’t about my lying, cheating, loser of an ex-boyfriend.
Nina
Nina
It’s worse.
Nina
Nina
SO MUCH WORSE.
Eden
Eden
Okay, I’m listening.
Nina
Nina
You know how my computer died?
Eden
Eden
Yeah…
Nina
Nina
Well money’s been tight ever since I kicked Camden out…
Nina
Nina
For all his faults, he did always help with rent.
Eden
Eden
Nina, you had to beg him for his half of the rent every month!
Eden
Eden
And you know he only has a job because he works at his dad’s company.
Nina
Nina
Too true. Anyway…
Nina
Nina
I went down to EZ Pawn to check out their used computers.
Nina
Nina
I got a great deal on a like-new Macbook Pro.
Eden
Eden
Let me guess…you took it home and it’s a piece of junk?
Nina
Nina
No, it works great…
Nina
Nina
It’s what I found on the computer that’s the problem.
Nina
Nina
There was a file on there…
Nina
Nina
With some pretty scary pictures.
Eden
Eden
Scary how?
Nina
Nina
There are a bunch of photos of a girl…
Nina
Nina
It looks like she’s being followed and doesn’t know it.
Nina
Nina
Except in the last one.
Nina
Nina
In the last one, she’s in a small, empty room.
Nina
Nina
She’s looking right at the camera.
Nina
Nina
And Eden…
Nina
Nina
She looks terrified.
Eden
Eden
Okay, that’s really disturbing.
Nina
Nina
It gets worse…
Nina
Nina
I think I recognize the girl.
Eden
Eden
WHAT?!
Nina
Nina
You know that college student who went missing at a music festival last month?
Eden
Eden
Jessica Something or Other?
Nina
Nina
Jessica Simmons.
Nina
Nina
I can’t be sure…
Nina
Nina
But the girl kind of looks like her.
Eden
Eden
Show me a picture.
Nina sends Eden a picture of her computer screen.
Eden
Eden
WHOA!
Nina
Nina
You think it’s her?
Eden
Eden
I KNOW it’s her.
Nina
Nina
How can you be sure?
Eden
Eden
Look at her left shoulder, Nina.
Eden
Eden
There’s a birthmark.
Eden
Eden
It’s the same birthmark that’s in her missing person picture!
Nina
Nina
I hadn’t noticed that before…
Nina
Nina
But you’re right.
Nina
Nina
It’s the same!
Eden
Eden
And Nina! Look at the date on the picture!
Nina
Nina
January 17th. So what?
Eden
Eden
That’s 4 days ago!
Eden
Eden
Do you understand what this means?
Eden
Eden
Jessica Simmons could still be alive!
Nina
Nina
OMG, you’re right!
Nina
Nina
I’m calling the police right now.
5 minutes later…
Nina
Nina
I’m so upset.
Eden
Eden
What happened?
Nina
Nina
I called the police…
Nina
Nina
But they didn’t take me seriously at all!
Nina
Nina
The cop said, and I quote:
Nina
Nina
“All our detectives are busy with a pressing matter.”
Nina
Nina
Then he said he’d send someone by my house “at some point” to take my statement.
Nina
Nina
AT SOME POINT.
Eden
Eden
That’s infuriating!
Nina
Nina
I know!
Nina
Nina
So I’m going down to the pawnshop.
Eden
Eden
WHAT?!
Nina
Nina
I’m going to see if I can get info on the previous owner of this Macbook.
Eden
Eden
That’s a very bad idea, Nina!
Nina
Nina
Why?
Eden
Eden
What if the owner of that computer finds out you’re snooping around?
Eden
Eden
What might he do to shut you up?
Eden
Eden
You should leave the investigation to the cops.
Nina
Nina
I think you’re being a bit paranoid…
Nina
Nina
Besides, Jessica might be running out of time!
Nina
Nina
She’s in danger NOW.
Eden
Eden
OK. Just be careful, Nina…
Nina drives to EZ Pawn.
And luck is on her side…
The same man who sold her the computer is working again today.
She approaches the counter.
Nina
Nina
Hi, Matt? You probably don’t remember me.
Matt
Matt
Nina, right? You bought the Macbook Pro.
Matt
Matt
Is there a problem?
Nina
Nina
No. I mean, the computer works great.
Nina
Nina
But there is an issue…
Nina
Nina
I found some files that I’m sure the previous owner didn’t mean to give away.
Nina
Nina
I want to send them back to him or her.
Nina
Nina
Do you have their contact info?
Matt
Matt
I’m sorry.
Matt
Matt
We don’t take that kind of information from sellers.
Nina
Nina
Do you remember his name?
Matt thinks for a minute, then shakes his head and sighs.
Matt
Matt
I’m sorry, I don’t.
Matt
Matt
It’s been a very busy week in here.
Nina
Nina
Do you have security cameras?
Matt
Matt
Maybe I can figure out who he is that way?
Matt
Matt
No, our cameras haven’t been working for years.
Matt
Matt
Besides, even if they did work…
Matt
Matt
I wouldn’t turn them over to you.
Matt
Matt
No offense or anything, but that’s just bad business.
Matt
Matt
People wouldn’t shop here if they thought I might give their info to buyers.
Matt
Matt
No one wants to be contacted from a stranger about a T.V. they sold.
Nina
Nina
Ok, I wasn’t going to do this…
Nina
Nina
But I can see I have no choice.
Nina takes the laptop out of her bag.
She opens the file…
Then turns the screen for Matt to see.
Matt’s eyes pop wide.
Nina tells Matt all about her suspicions about Jessica Simmons.
Nina
Nina
Whoever sold this computer is keeping her hostage somewhere!
Matt
Matt
Wow, that’s. Wow.
Matt
Matt
I wish I could help.
Matt
Matt
But I really don’t know the seller’s name.
Frustrated, Nina heads home.
But somewhere on the drive…
She notices a car following her.
She knows she’s probably being paranoid…
But after what Eden said, she isn’t taking any chances.
When a light turns yellow, she lays on the gas…
Sailing through an intersection at the last possible moment.
The car following her is forced to stall at the red light.
Nina speeds away, going straight home.
When she gets there, she checks her phone.
No missed calls from the police.
Frustrated, she opens the computer again and brings up the pictures.
There HAS to be a clue in here somewhere.
Something she can use to figure out where Jessica is being held.
Or who tied her up.
She analyzes the pictures.
The only possible clue seems to be a rumpled T-shirt on the floor.
There’s something written on it…
But only the letters “Ma” are visible.
That could be anything.
Nina sighs.
If only Matt had known the seller’s name.
Nina gasps at a sudden realization.
Matt had said the pawnshop had been too busy for him to remember the seller’s name…
But he’d remembered Nina’s name.
AND what she’d bought.
Plus, the shop had been dead both times she’d been in.
Then a worse realization strikes.
Someone had followed her home from the pawnshop.
Could it have been him?
Someone knocks on her door.
Nina’s heart shoots into her throat.
She goes to the door and peers through the peephole…
She breathes a sigh of relief.
It’s only her loser ex.
Nina opens the door.
Nina
Nina
What do you want?
Camden
Camden
Nice to see you too.
Nina
Nina
I thought I told you I’m done with you.
Camden
Camden
I know.
Camden
Camden
But then I saw you driving and couldn’t stop thinking about you.
Nina
Nina
Driving? When?
Camden
Camden
Around 9th and Main not too long ago.
Camden
Camden
I tried to get your attention but you blew a red light and I lost you.
Nina
Nina
Wait a minute…
Nina
Nina
That was you in the black SUV?
Camden
Camden
Yeah, that’s my new ride. Like it?
Nina
Nina
How could you afford that?
Nina
Nina
Or do I even want to know…
Camden
Camden
Relax, it’s all above board.
Camden
Camden
I sold a bunch of my stuff to make money.
Nina’s heart lurches.
All of sudden, her eyes drop to Camden’s T-shirt.
Manitouwadge Shipping Co.
His family’s business.
Nina
Nina
Did…did you sell your stuff to EZ Pawn?
Camden
Camden
Yeah, how did you know?
Just then, Camden looks over her shoulder.
His eyes lock on the computer and his jaw hardens.
He walks toward it.
Nina
Nina
Oh, that’s just my new computer.
Nina
Nina
I was doing a paper for class.
She jumps up to beat him there.
Then quickly closes the computer and shoves it in her bag…
Nina
Nina
Actually, I’m running late…
Nina
Nina
So I have to run.
She sprints for the door.
Without a word, Camden moves in front of her…
Blocking the exit.
Camden
Camden
Give me the computer, Nina.
Nina
Nina
I’m going to be late.
Nina
Nina
I don’t have time for your games, Cam.
She tries to move around him, but he blocks her again…
Then dives for her bag.
She tries to dodge him, but he tackles her to the ground.
She screams…
But his hand quickly muffles the sound.
Camden
Camden
I realized I’d left those files on the computer…
Camden
Camden
So I went back to the pawnshop.
Camden
Camden
But the guy working there said someone had already bought it.
Camden
Camden
What a coincidence…
Camden
Camden
You always were poking your head where it didn’t belong!
Just then, the door bursts open.
A plainclothes police officer enters the room, drawing his gun.
Officer
Officer
Everyone put your hands up!
Camden immediately steps away from her…
Raising his hands.
Nina raises hers, too.
And sighs with relief.
When the police said they’d send an officer to take her statement “at some point”…
She never imagined he’d come at just the right time.
10 hours later…
Nina and Eden watch the news…
Which has been playing on a loop for hours.
They just can’t believe what happened.
The police found Jessica Simmons inside a shipping container on the Manitouwadge property.
Alive.
Camden is in custody on a whole slew of charges.
Nina
Nina
I knew he was a liar and a cheater, but this?
Eden
Eden
Do you wish you’d never dated him?
Nina thinks for a minute.
Nina
Nina
No, actually.
Eden
Eden
What?!
Nina
Nina
If I hadn’t dated him, I wouldn’t have figured out who had Jessica.
Nina
Nina
And then maybe she might never have been freed.
Eden
Eden
It was a bad relationship, but at least you’re okay.
Eden
Eden
And now…
Eden
Eden
Jessica will be, too.
Nina
Nina