The Good Lie

Gwen knows that Luke might react violently to her notes on Randall Thompson, which are easily accessible in her office. The security guards arrive, saying that they have Luke at the front desk, but they have to let him go because he did not technically assault anyone. Gwen thinks back to what Luke said about Randall being a “pervert.” She goes back to her office to clean up a lamp that Luke broke and calls Robert’s office to warn him about Luke, as Robert’s business card was on her desk when Luke entered her office. Now, she checks her purse and realizes that her wallet and keys are missing. Robert tells her to call the police and to meet him at her house.

Jacob gives Gwen a ride to her house, where Robert and a police car are already waiting. While the policeman checks her house, Gwen and Robert talk. Robert insists on having dinner together later. Detective Saxe arrives, having heard Gwen’s name on the radio. Gwen asks if there are any updates about John Abbott’s death, and Saxe says there are none and leaves. The officer reports that Gwen’s house is clear and departs, leaving Robert and Gwen alone. They plan to have dinner later, and Gwen ruminates on her attraction to him.

Robert returns to Gwen’s home that evening. He asks if she has heard from Luke, but the police have not yet located him. Gwen mentions that she has finished the first draft of her profile; all that is left is to meet with Randall Thompson and see if he fits the description. She is still convinced that he is guilty and says so, which frustrates Robert. During dinner, they share information about their pasts and their families. The conversation shifts to Gabe, and Gwen suggests that Robert take time for himself to heal from his son’s death. Then they talk about the case and the profile that Gwen is building. She asks if other students have come forward to complain about Randall Thomspon, and Robert says that only female students have done so. After dinner, Robert asks about Detective Saxe and wants to know why she asked him about John Abbott. She slips up and hints that Brooke’s “heart attack” is the suspicious death, not John’s.

Gwen wakes up the next morning, frustrated because she had expected to have sex with Robert again. She reflects that her job may be hindering her from finding love. Gwen knows that Robert is hiding something, but she also thinks that he suspects her of something. She reexamines John Abbott’s case file, reflecting on their past sessions. In one of their sessions, she had written a note indicating that he was a “high risk” to Brooke.

Nita, George, and Scott go to a police station to answer further questions. Detective Erica Petts asks Scott about the house in which he was being held, and Scott’s answers are vague and evasive. The police also ask him about the handcuffs, and his answer has changed from his previous story and from his publicized interviews on the news. After a round of questions, Scott asks to take a break. He goes outside alone, then returns to the detectives and tells a completely different version of the story.

Gwen goes to the grocery store and runs into a client named Lela. They talk, and Lela’s teenage daughter is there; Gwen notices cuts on the teenager’s arms, and Lela says that she tries to “keep up with the Neosporin” (158). Something about this phrase stands out to Gwen, so she calls Jacob and asks him to send photos of the wounds of the Bloody Heart Killer’s victims. Looking at the photos, she notices ointment on the wounds and realizes that the killer was first hurting his victims and then giving them first aid, which does not match Gwen’s profile.

Gwen goes to her office to examine the case files and photographs. She notices a pattern of first aid and aftercare; the boys were well fed, and their wounds were partially healed at the time of their deaths. These “kindnesses” do not match up with the violent and calculated nature of the kills. Gwen’s analyses lead her to suspect that the killer may have had paranoid schizophrenia or dissociative identity disorder. However, she decides to keep her hypothesis to herself, as she does not yet have enough information. She thinks about Luke, who has not yet made any attempt to contact her; the police have questioned him, and he denied taking her keys and wallet. Gwen feels uneasy.

Gwen meets with Robert at his office. He has reviewed the profile and compliments it, but he observes that she seems to be holding something back. He asks if the profile fits any of her other clients, and Gwen says it does not. After Robert presses her, Gwen shares her theory that the killer might possibly have paranoid schizophrenia or dissociative identity disorder, and Robert laughs off this idea. He suggests that they visit Randall to see if he fits the profile.

Rober and Gwen arrive at the jail, and Gwen is allowed to speak to Randall alone. She introduces herself to Randall and explains the purpose of her visit—to see if he fits her psychological profile. She mentions Luke Attens, but Randall does not remember him. She reads the subtext of what Luke said to her and says that Luke alleged that Randall touched him inappropriately. Randall vehemently denies this. Gwen notes that he seems like a predator, but she is uncertain if he is the actual killer. When Gwen and Robert leave the jail, they plan to discuss Gwen’s impressions at his house later. Gwen anticipates what the night at Robert’s house will bring, even though she knows that both Randall and Robert are lying about something.

Nita has been tense ever since Scott changed his story and admitted that he lied. Now, she watches the news, knowing that the story of Scott’s lie will become public any day now. The news is currently discussing Randall’s legal team, Robert and Gwen. Nita is concerned about Scott, who has been in his room constantly since his return. She monitors his phone records and sees that there is no activity except for outgoing calls and texts to a single number.

Nita brings food to Scott’s room, and she and George demand that he open the door. When he does, Nita asks him why he lied about escaping when in reality, the killer let him go. Scott claims to have been afraid that no one would believe him, but Nita senses that he is lying. She orders him to tell her what else he is hiding and asks him who he has been calling. Scott admits that the outgoing calls and texts are to a girl he dated before he was kidnapped. He says that she has not answered his calls and apparently moved away while he was held captive. Nita is relieved that his reclusiveness has only been the result of “teenage heartbreak.”