Rain lashes against the windows of the nearly empty police station.

The clock on the wall reads 11:47 PM.

A lone man stands outside the station doors, soaked from the rain.

It is NEWBURGER.

He looks nervous, but determined.

He glances behind him.

No Larry.
No Bethany.
No Shara.

Tonight, nobody can know why he has come.

The station is quiet.

A police officer leads Newburger toward the holding cells.

Behind the bars sits SHARA’S MOTHER.

She looks exhausted.

Her face is pale.

Then she sees him.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Newburger…?

NEWBURGER

I’m here.

Her eyes immediately fill with tears.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Why?

NEWBURGER

Because you shouldn’t be here.

The officer unlocks the cell. The metal door slowly opens.

Shara’s mother steps outside. She nearly loses her balance.

Newburger quickly reaches for her arm.

She looks at him.

Then, without saying another word, she throws her arms around him.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Thank you.

Newburger gently places a hand on her shoulder.

NEWBURGER

It’s all right.

He gently kisses her forehead.

Neither of them speaks.

They simply walk out of the station together.

The rain has become lighter.

Newburger opens the passenger door of his car.

NEWBURGER

Come on.

She slowly gets inside.

NEWBURGER

Are you hungry?

SHARA’S MOTHER

A little.

NEWBURGER

Then we’re getting coffee.

For the first time that night, she smiles properly.

The car disappears into the wet streets.

A quiet café glows beneath warm yellow lights. Only a few customers remain.

Newburger and Shara’s mother sit opposite each other near the window.

Two cups of coffee sit between them.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Do you remember those days?

NEWBURGER

Which days?

SHARA’S MOTHER

College.

Memories return. A classroom. Old books. Young faces. A girl laughing near a window.

SHARA’S MOTHER

You always used to look at me.

NEWBURGER

You noticed?

SHARA’S MOTHER

Of course I noticed. I just pretended I didn’t.

NEWBURGER

Yes. I remember.

NEWBURGER

Sometimes I wish I had married you. You would be with me today.

Her smile disappears. She looks down at the coffee.

SHARA’S MOTHER

But what can we do now?

NEWBURGER

If you give me permission… we could secretly get married.

Silence.

She stares at him. The café suddenly feels completely silent.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Secretly?

NEWBURGER

Yes.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Let me think about it.

NEWBURGER

Take all the time you need.

But neither of them notices the figure standing outside the café window.

Someone is watching them.

The mysterious figure slowly steps away from the window.

A phone is held tightly in one hand.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

He’s with her.

A pause.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

And I think I know why.

The call ends.

Morning light enters through the curtains.

SHARA sits at the table. LARRY walks into the room, followed by BETHANY.

SHARA

Has anyone heard from my mother?

LARRY

No.

BETHANY

Maybe she’s still at the station.

SHARA

I’m going there.

None of them notice the car parked across the street.

Shara, Larry, and Bethany enter the station.

SHARA

My mother was here last night.

OFFICER

She was released.

SHARA

Released?

LARRY

Who released her?

OFFICER

Newburger.

Silence.

Shara slowly turns toward Larry.

SHARA

Newburger?

LARRY

He didn’t tell us.

Newburger sits alone at his desk. His phone lies beside him.

He looks at an old photograph.

The photograph shows a group of college students. Among them are a young Newburger and Shara’s mother.

A knock comes at the door.

NEWBURGER

Who is it?

No answer. Another knock.

His phone rings. The screen shows an unknown number.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

Did you really think nobody knew?

NEWBURGER

Who are you?

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

Why was she arrested in the first place?

Newburger becomes silent.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

You should remember who betrayed you.

The call ends.

Shara’s mother sits alone at the same table.

SHARA’S MOTHER

I needed to see you.

NEWBURGER

Did you think about what I said?

SHARA’S MOTHER

All day.

NEWBURGER

And?

SHARA’S MOTHER

I don’t know if I’m brave enough.

She reaches into her handbag.

Her fingers tremble.

She pulls out a small envelope.

SHARA’S MOTHER

There is something you don’t know.

NEWBURGER

Tell me.

She places the envelope on the table.

SHARA’S MOTHER

The night I was arrested… I wasn’t arrested because of what they told you.

NEWBURGER

Then why?

She looks toward the café entrance.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Because of this.

Before Newburger can open it—

CRASH!

The café lights suddenly go out.

Emergency lights flicker on.

Newburger looks across the table.

SHE IS GONE.

He searches the café.

The envelope remains on the table.

Newburger opens it with shaking hands.

Inside is an old photograph.

It shows Newburger, Shara’s mother… and a third person.

Someone he believed had been dead for years.

On the back of the photograph is a handwritten sentence:

“IF YOU MARRY HER,
SHARA WILL LEARN THE TRUTH.”

A black car speeds away through the rain.

Inside, Shara’s mother sits silently.

SHARA’S MOTHER

You promised you wouldn’t hurt him.

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

I don’t want to hurt Newburger.

SHARA’S MOTHER

Then what do you want?

MYSTERIOUS VOICE

I want him to remember who betrayed him.

Newburger enters his house and locks the door.

He places the photograph on the table.

NEWBURGER

No…

His phone rings. It is Shara.

SHARA

Newburger, where is my mother?

NEWBURGER

I don’t know.

SHARA

You should.

NEWBURGER

What do you mean?

SHARA

Someone sent me a photograph tonight.

NEWBURGER

What photograph?

SHARA

The same one you are holding.

Newburger freezes.

SHARA

And there’s a message on the back.

NEWBURGER

What does it say?

SHARA

“Ask Newburger who Shara’s real father is.”

The call suddenly disconnects.

A slow knock comes from the front door.

KNOCK.
KNOCK.
KNOCK.

Newburger slowly walks toward the door.

A folded piece of paper slides underneath i