Before She Disappeared

Frankie considers whether Livia and Angelique might have been romantically involved and why they disappeared within three months of each other. She wonders how many girls are included in the “us” of Angelique’s message. Human trafficking is seeming more likely. Angelique may be able to move around the city but can’t run away lest Livia or someone else be hurt as retaliation. As a natural caretaker, Angelique would be easily controlled that way.

Lotham appears at the end of Frankie’s shift at the bar. He looks tired, and Frankie recognizes that he is never entirely able to let down the burden of his job. He has confirmed that Livia Samdi has definitely disappeared, but her family is involved in various illegal activities and doesn’t want police attention. He warns Frankie not to share any new information even with Angelique’s family. Frankie chides him that the family deserves to know what is happening in the case and that Emmanuel is the reason they have the new leads they have. Also, not withholding information from the family is why they trust Frankie and not the police.

Frankie goes to talk to Livia’s family. Livia’s older brother is hostile and threatening, but Livia’s mother, Rosaline, lets her in. Frankie asks whether Livia knew Angelique, but Rosaline says no. She says Livia probably signed up for fashion camp at the rec center because she liked to make things—like a plastic pumpkin she had “carved” at school. Frankie asks about Livia’s brother JJ, the drug dealer. Rosaline says he would never hurt his sister, but Frankie knows that JJ is low in the criminal hierarchy, and there might be people higher up the chain who might want to use or hurt Livia.

Their meeting is interrupted by a disturbance outside, and Rosaline hurries Frankie out, telling her that it isn’t safe to stay, that Livia was never safe in the home, and there is someone much more dangerous involved than Johnson. If Frankie finds Livia, Rosaline tells her, she shouldn’t bring her back home.

Frankie flees through the back door as someone begins shooting at her. The sound of gunshots triggers a memory of Paul. Reaching safety, she collapses in tears. Lotham arrives and takes her in his arms.

Back at Stoney’s, Frankie tells Lotham about her interview with Rosaline, especially the part about the Samdi home not being safe for a Livia. Someone higher up the criminal hierarchy than JJ is involved. Frankie mentions the carved plastic pumpkin, and Lotham suggests that Livia must have used a 3D printer at the trade school she attends. Frankie makes the connection between printing the pumpkin and printing counterfeit money.

Lotham and Frankie visit Livia’s school, Boston Polytech. Her computer teacher, Mr. Riddenscail, describes her as a good student but emotionally detached and withdrawn. She was extremely talented at three-dimensional visualization and design, a highly valuable skill, but he was concerned that she wasn’t invested in seizing her opportunities. Looking at some of Livia’s designs, Frankie wonders if Livia had the talent to produce counterfeit money. The connection with Angelique’s fake money is too strong for coincidence. They realize that when Angelique disappeared, the police examined security video in search of Angelique, but they didn’t realize that there was another girl involved. They have to review the tapes.

At the Boston Police Department, they look at video from the security cameras near Angelique’s school. Now that they are looking, they spot Livia in her signature red cap entering Angelique’s school. Angelique, in the same frame, has obviously noticed her as well. Later, they see Angelique emerge wearing the red hat and Livia’s clothes. Livia exits later, wearing different clothes. The camera captures a glimpse of her face and her terrified expression. They realize that Angelique had been playing out a plan to help Livia.

Frankie attends another AA meeting and afterward asks Charlie if there is a gang in the area capable of producing counterfeit currency. He rejects the idea, but fake IDs are valuable, and both girls have relevant skills; one of the local gangs might have branched out into a new operation. If so, the girls have been valuable so far, but they may be outliving their usefulness. Frankie phones Lotham and tells him to look more closely at the fake ID Angelique dropped outside the phone store.

She dreams about Paul, about walking out on him in her search for the first missing girl she ever tried to find. Later, she is holding Paul as he dies in her arms.

Emmanuel and Guerline come to Stoney’s early to talk with Frankie. She fills them in what has turned up in the investigation so far: Angelique being spotted at the wireless phone store and about Livia Samdi, who has also gone missing.

Frankie calls Lotham, who brings the fake ID that Angelique dropped outside the phone store. The picture on the ID is Angelique, but made up to look older. Emmanuel notices that the birth date is the same day as their mother’s, and the PO box matches the date of Haiti’s independence. He concludes that Angelique is missing their mother. The next question is where Angelique got the ID. Emmanuel remembers Angelique’s friend Marjolie mentioning a fake ID she used to get into a club.