" I'm sorry..." "It's blinking." " Really?" "Yeah look..." "Hey Ally, it's me..." "Coming from beautiful downtown Afghanistan." "And this over here is my buddy Tommy Lehane." "Two-time Orange County short board surfing champion and my personal bodyguard..." "Hey, hey, hey, Michael's sister." "Hey, is she hot, dude?" "Can you hook me up?" "Chill, brother." "She's totally married." "And a mom." "Hey, Joe." "Hey, kids." "Uh, Bridgette, Ariel, and..." "I can't remember what the other one's name is." "Anyways, Uncle Mike is doing fine." "Just over here fighting for freedom and beer... and chips and dip and whatnot." "So don't worry." "The company just sent us this camera so we could send back video letters, and I was the first one who got it, so..." "Yeah, 'cause he's still learning how to write." "Stand down, soldier." "Stand down." "Anyways, we're over here in, uh..." "I don't even know where the hell we are." "We just got here." "Uh, we're protecting some shelled-out little village that nobody's ever heard of." "And this over here..." "Incoming!" "Incoming!" "Medic!" "Medic!" "Benoit." "B-E-N-0-I-T." "He's with the 47th Infantry." "My name?" "Dubois." "Well, I'm married." "No." "Benoit's not my maiden name." "He's my half brother." "No, wait, wait." "I just called them." "They told me to call you." "Yes, I'll hold." "Hey, there's nothing on the CNN website or the State Department home page about any attack involving the 47th." "The kids are dressed, they're fed." " So I'm just going to run them off to school." " Hello?" "Hello." "Yes, I'm looking for information on the 47th Infantry." "My brother" " Specialist Michael Benoit." "Ma'am, please don't transfer me." "I have been on the phone with every branch of the government since 5:30 a.m." "She's going to check." "She's actually going to check." "Yes, I am a family member." "Hey." "I'm his sister." "Okay, you're transferring me to who?" "All right, can you give me the direct dial number just in case we get..." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Damn it!" "Got disconnected." "Is Mom okay?" "Mom's just worried." "Take your sister." "Put her in the car seat." "I'll be right out." "Okay, good girl." "Okay, go on, go on." "Here." " What are you doing, Joe?" " Just stop for a minute." "You've been on the phone for three hours." "I've checked all the news services and the government websites." "You've called every agency imaginable." "And no one knows anything about any ambush on the 47th." "Well, maybe they haven't found them yet." "Maybe they're not releasing the information." "Maybe it hasn't happened yet." "I could warn them, Joe." "I could warn them, if someone would just listen to me." "It's 8:25 in the morning." "Don't you have an appointment with your boss at 10:00?" "Yeah." "I don't think I'm going to make that." "Right." "You need to stay home and worry about something that may or may not have happened to someone you haven't seen in five years and didn't much like before that." " He's my brother." " Well..." "Well, we have the same mother." "Okay, but you didn't exactly grow up together." "I don't care about that." "I'm talking about somebody who might be laying dead in the dirt somewhere." "More likely passed out in a bar somewhere." "I can't believe you just said that." "Allison, the man missed our wedding because he was so stoned at the airport and having such a trippy time watching the planes taking off and landing, that he forgot to get on one." "That was 11 years ago." "Look, I'm just saying it's the 21st century, okay?" "When something like this happens, it's on the news in 15 minutes." "I think the thing to do is go on with our day." "You know what?" "Go on with your day." "So you're not going to work?" "I'm going to work!" "I'm going to work!" "I love you, too." "And in international news today, no reports of American casualties for the sixth straight day in either Iraq or Afghanistan..." "Oil production remains steady as tensions continue to ease and American forces report no casualties for the sixth straight day in a row..." "It's not a police action, it's a war." "Well, right now it's apparently no action, since reports from both Iraq and Afghanistan indicate a prolonged period of calm." " What's this?" " What does it look like?" " An address." " Incredible." "And still some people doubt you." "You know, I'm so not in the mood." "Sorry." "Something wrong?" "I don't know." "Maybe not." "Certainly all the evidence says it's nothing." "It's nothing." "So what's this?" "Like you said, just an address." "But I'd like you to drive over there, maybe spend some time." "See if you get any kind of impression off of it." "I mean, is it a house?" "Is it a business?" "I'm confused." "Is it a crime scene?" "I mean, isn't there some kind of file I could look at?" "Nope." "If it's all right with you, I'd like to hear what you think after you've been there." "Without any kind of influence from me." "Who are you?" "I asked who you were." "My name's Allison." "What's your name?" "Is this your house?" "I'm Diedre." "Are you Daddy's friend?" "Mom says you're the reason he comes home late every night and is on the phone all the time." "No, honey, I've never even met your dad." "Is he here?" "No." "Not since the fire." "Since the fire, Mom says he's with her." "What about your mom?" "Is she here?" "I have to go to my room." "Wait." "Wait." "The fire was set intentionally in two places at around 3:00 in the morning." "The first ignition site was outside the daughter's room." "The second ignition site was the master bedroom." "We believe that the wife woke up and tried to save the daughter but couldn't." "The daughter perished." "The wife has been in a coma for several weeks." "She's not expected to recover." "What about the husband?" "Husband claims to have been working all night in his office trying to get out a last minute deadline." "Anyone corroborate that?" "His assistant." "A woman." "The daughter mentioned that her father had a friend." "Sounds like the marriage had some trouble." "The daughter mentioned that?" "She happen to tell you who set the fire?" "Well, she wanted to, but I wouldn't let her." "I told her you'd be upset if she made it too easy for us." "Any chance the assistant's the friend?" "We're watching both of them." "So how'd you like to spend some quality time with the comatose mother?" "Excuse me?" "Well, I don't really know how these things work, but you never know." "She might have seen something-- might have even seen who did it." "But how does that work?" "If someone's in a coma do you... can you...?" "I don't know." "But she's in the hospital, right?" "I'm really not crazy about hospitals." "Oh." "Well, I just assumed." "I mean, you've had three kids." "You know what, it's fine." "Set it up." "I'll be fine." "...yards from the Americans." "Two Americans were killed." "A third died views on democracy and the Middle East has..." "Okay, kisses, stories..." "It is so not my bedtime." "Yeah, we want to watch cartoons." "Someone's here." "There's a car in front of the house." "It has a big eagle on the door, like the President's car." "Dad, two soldiers are getting out." "Oh, my God." "Ariel, go to your room." "Take your sister." "Go." "You little bastard!" "You hear that?" "She called me a bastard." "My own sister called me a bastard." "That's the last time I fight a war for you." " Hey, Joe." " Welcome home, Mike." "Quit staring." "Ever since he walked in you've been acting like you've seen a ghost, not in your usual way." "I can't help it." "The dream really spooked me." "Don't say anything, okay?" "About the dream?" "About my dream, or working in the D.A.'s office, or any of it." "They wouldn't understand." "Okay." "I'll get it." "Go." "Be with your brother." "Oh, there we go." "Oh, man, chips and salsa." "Just like Mom used to open." "We've been living on MRE's and hummus for a year." "I'll tell you, that gets real old, real fast." "So when did all this happen?" "When did you get out?" "And why didn't you call and let me know you were coming to town?" "Our tour just ended last month." "Really?" "Took us about a week to get a transport to Germany." "And then we hung around for a few days until we could hook up something to good old South Carolina." "Finally landed in Sky Harbor today at noon." " God bless America." " God bless America." "And then you were our first stop." "So back off, Sis..." "We could've hitched a ride all the way to Cali, but Michael said we had to stop here and see his big sister first." "Well... and we have that thing." "What thing?" "A memorial service." "One of our buddies didn't make it back." "Our sergeant." "I'm sorry." "Yeah, he was a good guy." "Very good guy." "So, Mike... what's your plan now that you're back?" "Yeah, besides laying on my couch, drinking beer and watching court shows?" "Well, as a matter of fact... comfortable and roomy as it may be, this couch holds absolutely no interest to this soldier come 0800 Monday morning." "Oh, really?" "Why is that?" "That is because that is when Tommy and I are off to San Diego, California to open ourselves up a surf shop." "A what shop?" "Right on the beach, up to our asses in long boards and beach bunnies." "Is that something you want to do or something you're going to do?" "Oh, no, it's already a done deal." "We're already incorporated and everything." "Yeah, Tommy's coming into some money." "Yeah, I got a little inheritance from my grandfather." "A friend's renting us the storefront." "Looks like Mikey's grown-up card is finally getting punched." "You got it, man." "Me and Lucky are gonna be merchants." ""Lucky"?" "It's a nickname." "It's not a nickname, man." "I'm telling you, it's a fact." "This guy is my lucky rabbit's foot." "He's my four-leaf clover." "Hell, I wouldn't have made it back in one piece if it weren't for him." " Really?" " Cut him off." "Cut him off." "No, man, come on." "I put my life in this guy's hands, okay?" "Everybody did." "Lucky said "zig," you zigged." "Lucky said "zag," ooh... you better zag." "Zag, zig, zag." "My tank is full." "I have to whiz." "So..." " Down the hall." " Oh, whoa, whoa!" "I got it." "All the way down." "The end of the hall." "He's something, ain't he?" "That's my cab." "Oh, goodness, I forgot." "Do you need a place to stay?" "Oh, no, no, no." "No, thanks." "No, actually, I'm looking forward to getting a little room service if you know what I mean." "I'm sorry." "It was real nice meeting you folks." "Tell the kid I'll be back for him tomorrow, okay?" "You sure you don't want to wait and say good-bye to Michael?" "Oh, no, that's okay." "You can tuck him in for me." "He looks pretty good, don't you think?" "For a functional alcoholic, absolutely." "You know he's still out there drinking by himself?" "Wow, who died and appointed you the mayor of Funville?" "You're forgetting," "I've done my fair share of drinking once upon a time." "In fact, I did your fair share, too." "I believe that you were attempting to quiet the voices in your head." "What's his excuse?" "I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill." "Excuse me?" "Have you seen the pile of empties next to your brother?" "I'm getting up early and taking all those bottles to the recycler so I can retire a wealthy man." "That's not nice." "He just got home." "He's been through a lot." "They both have." "But he's alive." "He's home." "He's here." "And he's alive." "Hey, kid, you want to turn those down for me?" "Wow, you don't sleep in jammies?" "Damn." "I knew I forgot to do something last night." "Where is everybody?" "Where's your mom?" "She's getting ready for work." "Since when does she work?" "What does she do?" "She's a guesser." "For the State." "A "guesser."" "What's that?" "Well, you tell your mother good morning for me and tell her I wish her... good guessing." " Ready?" " One second." "Oh, maybe you misunderstood." "There's nothing to record." "The woman's in a coma." "This isn't for her." "This is for me." "Excuse me?" "Look, you see a hospital and you think "care, hope, life."" "And it is all of that." "But I get within 100 feet of one of these places and every soul that's passed within the last 24 hours and is still roaming the halls thinks," ""Oh, great, there's a medium on the floor."" ""One last chance to tell Aunt Tilly that the will's in the closet."" "Okay, but I still don't get..." "When they realize I can't hear them, they tend to leave me alone." "I want to prepare you." "She's burned over 30 percent of her body." "Been in a coma for three weeks." "Her prognosis for survival is slim, but there's still plenty of brain wave activity." "Okay, I want to prepare you." "I've never tried to get something off of someone in a coma before." " I mean, I'll do the best I can." " That's all I'm asking." "Would you like to hold her hand?" "Oh?" "May I?" "Sure." "Hey, how are you feeling?" "Wow." "I took her hand and suddenly everything just went black." "I don't know if it was fear or... anger or some amazing kind of rage." "Well, I suppose I'd feel all that, too, if I knew that my spouse had tried to burn me and my child to death." "Did she see him?" "Did she see anyone set that fire?" "That's what I'm trying to tell you, all I saw, all she showed me was black." "I got to go get my kids." "Who told you that?" "I didn't hear that." "Mike?" "Michael, I'm home with the girls." "You guys... here, take your sister, go change her." " Go." " Come on." "Bridge, quick." "M ichael." "What are you watching?" " Ally." " I just brought the girls home from school." "Little Oral Annie?" "I guess you were right, it's not a kid's movie." "Want a beer?" "I'm sorry." "You sure you want to go into business with this numskull?" "What, are you kidding me?" "See, I think you know your little brother, but I'm telling you, you don't." "This guy's a born leader." "Now, our sergeant, he was in charge," " but he wasn't the guy people listened to." " Knock it off." "He wasn't the guy whose word you depended on, you know what I'm saying?" " Tommy, leave it alone." " I'm not saying anything against the guy, God rest his soul." "I'm just saying that when the chips were down and the sides were taken," " Tommy..." " I knew I could count on Lucky..." "Hey!" "Tommy!" "Shut up, man." "Got to drain the snake." "Bridgette." "Come here, baby." "Did you meet Tommy?" "This is Uncle Michael's friend, Tommy." "At ease, soldier." "Hey, mister, did you ever kill someone?" "Bridgette!" "I'm sorry." "She's in first grade..." "Don't worry about it." "That's okay." "Come here, sweetie." "I'll tell you what." "I don't know." "I shot a few, I guess, but... that was only 'cause they were shooting at me." "Hey, you okay?" "I'm fine." "I'm fine." "Bridgette, come on." "Let's go do your homework." "Get rid of that." "He's a soldier, Allison." "Killing is what soldiers do." "I mean, I actually thought the guy was sort of a positive influence." "No." "I know, I thought so, too." "It's just there's something about the way that they are together." "Wait." "Shh!" "Do you hear that?" "Is that the TV?" "He's gonna wake the girls." "Allison, what are you talking about?" "Michael...?" "Michael." "Hey, Sis." "What's going on?" "What do you mean?" "I heard a voice." "I don't know what you're talking about." "A voice." "A man's voice." "And it wasn't your voice." "And it was very agitated." "Well, I don't know what to tell you." "I'm the only one in here." "Yeah..." "Well, it sounded like he was talking to you." "But if I'm the only one here..." "Right." "Of course." "Sometimes this makes it easier to sleep." "You think so?" "Hmm, I'm feeling sleepier already." "Now you want to get out of here so I can get some rest or what?" "Right." "I'll see you in the morning." "Would you like to see our school?" "It was her idea." "One more time." "Soft... slow." "Mom is driving us to school." "Want to come?" "That was nice of you to do that." "It meant a lot to the girls." "I got to pee so bad I can taste it." "I kind of like it." "Is that beer in Bridgette's cup?" "That's beer, isn't it?" "You got to be kidding me." "Get rid of it now." "Fine." "Where are we headed, anyways?" "One little stop-- something I have to do for work." "Wait." "Did you do this?" "Kowabunga!" "You're a pyromaniac." "Wait here a second, will you?" "Nice job, sis." "I was hoping I would find you here." "I wanted to ask you about that night, about the fire." "I wanted to ask you if you maybe saw something." "Maybe who might have set it." "Honey... it's important that we know the truth." "Even if the truth involves someone we love." "I'm guessing you did see." "And I'm guessing it was someone you knew." "Was it your father?" " Hey!" "My teeth are floating..." " Diedre!" "Diedre!" "Wait!" "Diedre!" "Diedre!" "Hey!" "What are you doing?" "Trying not to wet my pants." "No." "Who are you making faces at?" "I'm not making faces; this is what I look like when my bladder's about to explode." "You see her, don't you?" " See who?" " That little girl." "I'm guessing she's up in her room standing by the window?" "Hey... sis, there's nothing there." "Don't play with me, Michael." "A little girl died in this house." "Her mother's still in a coma." "And the fire that did it, it was intentionally set." "The police believe the husband was responsible, but they're having a hard time proving it." "Okay." "I work for the District Attorney's Office." "I help them with cases, difficult cases, cases that can't be solved by conventional means." "I can see things that other people can't." " You can "see" things?" " That's right." "Oh, so that's what the kid meant by a "guesser," huh?" "So... how's my surf shop gonna do?" "Oh, no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "I..." "I guess I should take this more seriously." "You really don't want to have this conversation, huh, Michael?" "What conversation?" " You saw that little girl." " I didn't see anything!" "And the other night you heard that man screaming at you." "What I have, you have." "What I have, you have." "That's really sweet." "And, you know, if it were blue eyes or a weakness for fried foods, I'd be tickled." "But you know something, I have to draw the line at psychosis." "You're on your own there, sis." " No, I'm not." " Yes, you are." "Michael, your nickname is "Lucky" because you can see things before they happen, right?" "That must be a very valuable talent in a war zone." "Sorry, sis, I've seen way too much real life to believe in any of this mumbo jumbo." "Oh, really?" "Yeah." "Really." "You're half right." "I've said a couple things that turned out true, but that's not so hard when all someone's asking is," ""Are we gonna live or are we gonna die today?"" "You're bound to be half right-- and if I'm wrong, there's not gonna be anyone around to prove it." "You want to know what I believe in?" "I believe in percentages." "Now, does that make me psychic?" "Me?" "I say the wife did it." "And, hell, I got a 50/50 shot of being right." "Yeah?" "Specialists Lehane and Benoit requesting permission to enter, sir." "Come on in." "Hey, Sarge, uh, Lucky and me were wondering if we could talk to you about those orders for tomorrow?" "What about them?" "Well, sir, it seems that, uh, Lucky here has had... one of his feelings." "You guys are kidding me with this stuff, right?" "No, sir." "This man's intoxicated." "Hey, come on, man, pull yourself together." "Tell the sergeant what you saw." "Um, I don't know, Sarge, we're standing in the middle of this Afghan village, and I'm talking to my sister..." "What?" "Your sister lives in an Afghan village?" "No, man, you're explaining it all wrong." "We get to that village, 'kay?" "Sometime during the day, the enemy's gonna start hitting us with mortars, all right?" "And according to Lucky... none of us survive." "Really?" "Yes, sir." "But he doesn't look worried." "You worried, soldier?" "Is there somewhere that I could sit down?" "Oh, man." "Come on." "Look, Sarge, I know he's a sloppy drunk, okay?" "But I've been with the guy eight months, and I'm telling you, when he tells you something's gonna to happen..." "What are we talking about here, huh?" "Winning card games?" "Flipping quarters?" "We're in a war here, mister." "You seriously expect me to disobey or disregard an order because some alcoholic told you we're all gonna die?" "That guy's a world-class screw-up." "Been in this man's army eight years and can't rise above specialist." "But you... you ain't barely been in a year-- you're going home in three weeks, brother-- and you'd risk a dishonorable 'cause along with pink elephants, the town drunk here told you he saw a vision?" "Get out of here before I throw your cowardly ass in the stockade." "Sir, don't you think we could just maybe... just get lost, you know, maybe... show up a day late?" "And be sure and take your trash with you when you go." "Yes, Sir." "Come on, man, get up!" "Wait a second." "Just arrived from H.Q." "When we get where we're going tomorrow, you two lovebirds can make a tape, let your families see that you cowards are safe and sound." " Now, get your asses out of here." " Hey." "Look at that." "I said get your sorry asses out of here." "You two are the sorriest excuses for soldiers that I've ever had the misfortune of knowing, and let me tell you something, Mr. "why-don't-we-all-just-show-up- a-day-late-or-maybe-not-at-all..."" "I'm pleading with you, soldier." "You can't let my little boy grow up thinking his daddy was a coward, that his daddy killed himself." "You can't go to that memorial tomorrow and let those people walk away thinking I did this to myself." "I did not spend 14 years serving my country to have all that I accomplished undone by a drunken clown and his cowardly friend!" "Damn it, soldier, open your eyes!" "Look at me." "You can see me, can't you?" "And you can hear me, too." "It's 6:20 in the morning." "You're up early." "Michael, that man's family thinks he killed himself." "He was here last night." "I spoke to him." "I know what happened." "Really?" "Hey, Sis, you don't know anything, and for that matter, neither do I, and for everybody's sake, I say we just leave it that way." "You have to tell them the truth." "The truth?" "The truth is, far all I know, he blew his brains out." "The truth is, he was just as terrified of going on that mission as we were." "The truth..." "I told him not to ring the bell." "I'll get it." "He's in the kitchen." "Tell him I'll be back in a minute." "I'm going to go throw on some clothes." "Hey." "What's with your sister?" "She, uh... she's not a morning person, huh?" "You didn't tell her anything, did you?" "About what?" "Anything." "About what you know, about what a person might suspect." "No." "It's just hard lookin' her in the eye is all." "It's gonna be the same this morning with the sergeant's family, you know?" "Uh, no, I don't know, Mike." "You listen to me." "Now, for all the times that we coulda ended up caught, or hurt, or dead, but we came through because of whatever you dreamt, or what you saw?" "I owe you, okay?" "But now you owe me, 'cause I'm saving your life." "Here." "Right now." "See, without this plan, without this business we're gonna do together-- you have nothing, and you know it." "You can't function, you can't hold down a job, you can't... you can't live like a normal person." "Look at you." "Pathetic." "You're right." "I owe you." "You're damn right." "So I'm changing the plan." "I'm gonna go to the memorial by myself." "You're gonna stay here, and after it's all done, then we'll... sunny California." "No." "Can't." "I can't do that." "I gotta go to the memorial." " No, no, you don't." " Yes, I do." "No." "Now, listen to me." "That'll only mess you up, Mike." "Mike, you gotta... you gotta learn to stay away from the things that hurt you." "I mean, what are you, a pain freak?" "Huh?" "You just wanna feel bad?" "Now, come on." "Come on." "Sit down." "I'll go to the memorial, pay our respects." "And hey, don't... nobody's gonna think badly of you for not coming down there." "Just... everybody handles grief in their own way." "Right?" "Okay." "Hey." "You need a beer?" "No." "I'm okay." "I heard the front door." "Tommy left." "He's gonna go without me." "Um..." "I don't know if I can handle it." "You're kidding yourself." "You think skipping the funeral's going to put an end to it?" "Michael." "There is not enough beer in the world to drown out what you know." "There aren't headphones tight enough." "There isn't music loud enough." "I don't know anything!" "That's a bunch of crap." "Michael!" "You told Tommy what was going to happen." "You told him about your dream, and when the sergeant wouldn't abort the mission," "Tommy killed him." " I don't know that." " Oh, yeah, you do, and so does your sergeant, and I am here to tell you, the rest of your life is gonna be like A Christmas Carol, except without the happy ending." "No, you just get to keep seeing ghosts at the end of your bed, and you want to know why?" "Not cause you have a gift, but because you have a conscience." "Excuse me, ma'am." "I just wanted to let you know that he was a good man, your husband." "We were all very proud to serve with him." "Thank you." "Save me a seat, will you?" "I thought we agreed you being here wasn't such a good idea." "I changed my mind." "Don't go doing something you'll regret." "His family deserves to know the truth." "The truth?" "I'll tell you the truth." "The truth is, you, me and half the guys in there'd be dead right now if it wasn't for me-- if I hadn't had the guts to do what had to be done." "And u know what else?" "He wouldn't've made it either." "Sarge was a goner no matter what happened." "So you tell me, what the hell difference does the truth make, huh?" "What difference does it make?" "Hey!" "You go in there, it's over." "You hear me?" "Without me, you got nothing." "No California, no surf shop." "All you got is a little couch to sleep on until your sister gets so sick of your sorry ass she throws you out." "Yeah, now, you think about that, Michael." "Hmm?" "You think about that long and hard before you go in there and do something stupid." "You're a loser, Michael." "You're a loser, and you always will be." "You think this changes anything?" "Huh?" "Makes you a hero?" "I'm no hero, Tommy." "I'm just a guy I want to keep from going crazy." "Better sit down." "You're not gonna believe this." "I'm at the hospital, right?" "Please don't ask me to go down there." "You know how that turned out." "No need." "The wife regained consciousness." "Just got her statement." "It turns out you were right." "The husband was having an affair with his assistant." "So he set the fire?" "You're stepping on my punch line." "He tells her he wants out of the marriage." "Wife says fine, but she's taking the house and kid-- only she didn't mean taking as in divorce-settlement taking." "She meant taking as in where-I'm-going-you-can't-follow taking." "So I gave the Army investigator your number." "I mean, if they want to interview me again or they need me to testify." "I told them you know where to find me." "Okay, but why go anywhere at all?" "I mean, what's in California for you now?" "You mean since I outed my financial backer as a murderer?" "I really don't know." "I'll figure something out." "Well, figure it out here." ""Here" is a nice place to visit." ""Here" is a good place to come back to." ""There's..."" "a good place to start again." ""There's" a good place to... be new." "You better call me." "Okay?" "I promise." "Allison." "Next bus doesn't leave until tomorrow." "Okay." "Hey!" "I almost forgot." "You were right." "What else is new?" "About what?" "That house I took you to." "The briquette?" "The wife started the fire." "50-50 shot, just like I told you, right?" "Just like you told me." " Love you." " Love you." "See, I knew you were gonna say that." "I can see the future." "I'm a human marvel."