Burden of Truth – Devil in the Desert

By: Stacy Miller

Joanna (Kristin Kreuk) tells Billy (Peter Mooney) that if Dr. Calvin Williams (Kevin Hanchard) can link the girls’ symptoms to the Benzine that will help their case. If not, CTS’ (Carver, Thatcher and Stokes) next move will be to sue her. Billy sympathizes with Joanna as he knows she didn’t sign up for going up against her old law firm. “I should have known my father wouldn’t let me get away so easily,” Joanna says. When they approach the Crawford and Associates office, the attorneys find it has been trashed.

Owen (Meegwun Fairbrother) investigates and asks Joanna whether anything is missing. “My laptop and my trial strategy for the case. I map it out on a yellow legal pad,” Joanna answers. Another cop brushes it off as “boys being boys” but Joanna tells the officer that she’s also received death threats. Owen questions Joanna about whether she knows of anyone who would have done it to which Ms. Hanley replies her CTS, her old law firm. After Owen and the cop leave, Billy askes Joanna does she think CTS brought goons to Millwood. Dr. Calvin Williams enters Crawford and Associates and after looking at the trashed law office, asks to see the girls. Joanna brings him to the girls and makes the introductions. Dr. Williams tells the girls that he needs to speak with them one-on-one to make a psychological assessment of their symptoms. Calvin speaks with Molly (Sara Thompson) first. Molly admits that she hid her symptoms at first because she didn’t want to jeopardize her college scholarship. She tells him about how everyone in school were talking about the death of star athlete Steve Magnus. Calvin finishes up with the girls and tells Joanna after speaking with the girls, he has a full picture but it doesn’t indicate Benzine poisoning. “I believe the girls are suffering from Conversion Disorder.” “And what is that?” Billy asks. “It’s a psychological reaction to trauma,” Calvin replies. Although it doesn’t look like Billy and Joanna have a case, Calvin does think that may have a cure as he believes psychological stress presents itself as physical symptoms. “I can treat these girls, it’s what I do. I just need a few days.  A law suit will only make things more stressful for the girls,” Calvin tells Billy and Joanna. After Calvin leaves, Billy wonders whether there could be any truth to Dr. Williams’ theory. Joanna reminds about the barrels they found on the field. “Don’t lose heart on me now counselor,” Joanna urges.

Meanwhile, Luna (Star Slade) opens the fridge and tells her mother Gerrilyn (Jessica Matten) that they are out of eggs and milk again. “That’s what happen when you sue the place that used to pay me, work dries up and so does the groceries,” Gerrilyn replies. But Gerrilyn tells her daughter that she does have some savings: Winning scratch tickets adding up to seventeen dollars. Luna comments that will only last them half a day.

Luna goes to work and Joanna notices the teen’s bag. Luna tells Joanna that she needs a break from her mom and assures that it’s not running away because she’s eighteen. Joanna recalls the time she ran away when she was ten. Joanna remembers after they both stopped crying, her mom made her dumplings and taught her how to use chopsticks.

Billy picks up Molly at her house so they can go to court. He asks whether she’s sure she wants to be there. Molly reminds that he said she was the face of their claim and the court needed to see her. At the courthouse, Billy urges Joanna to let him present because CTS doesn’t know him from Billy Idol but know all her moves. Joanna agrees but tells Billy she’ll bail him out if he gets into trouble. She says that CTS will try to get in his head but tells him to focus on the judge and keep his eye on the prize. Inside the courtroom, Joanna notices that Alan (Benjamin Ayres) is wearing the same suit he wore in another case. Alan says that it’s his lucky suit.  He asks the judge to call their expert witness who will prove Ms. Hanley and Mr. Crawford presented a false case missing facts. “They won’t let us take an inch.  Welcome to the show,” Joanna whispers to Billy. Joanna is shocked when Dr. Calvin Williams enters the courtroom. He shows video testimony of a girl from the town of Cotton Head who displays the same symptoms as the Millwood girls. Dr. Williams explains he diagnosed them as having Conversion Disorder and was able to cure them in a couple of months. Billy insists that the defense’s motion to dismiss is unfounded. But after Joanna speaks, the judge gives Counselor Crawford the weekend to examine the defense’s evidence. Joanna tells Billy they have to debunk Dr. Williams’ Conversion Disorder theory. “You’re trying to win a lawsuit, I’m trying to cure these girls. If left untreated Molly’s symptoms will only get worse,” Dr. Calvin Williams tells Billy and Joanna. Molly asks her Uncle Billy whether there is really a cure. Although he assures it’s just a defense strategy, Billy corners Dr. Williams in the courtroom to question him about the cure.  Molly overhears and invites Dr. Williams to dinner. “I thought you’d never ask,” says Calvin.

Joanna goes to the lake with Diane (Nicola Correia-Damude) and asks her friend, who has a psychology degree, how to debunk Dr. Williams’ Conversion Disorder theory.

At the Ross house, Dr. Williams explains Conversion Disorder. Then he performs a psychological method on Molly telling her that it will help her take her power back and stop the twitching.  It works temporary.  Is there any truth in Dr. Calvin Williams’ Conversion Disorder claim?

Joanna wonders if she can find any dirt in Dr. Williams’ past but then remembers she knows where all the CTS skeletons are buried.  When she returns to Crawford and Associates, Joanna confronts a masked man.  She catches a glimpse of his license plate as he pulls off.

Owen questions the cop about what he found on the license plate of the car of Joanna’s attacker. The cop tells Owen he didn’t get anything off the plate and says to Owen “Maybe you wrote it down wrong.”

Joanna meets with Alan. She tells about a case where their expert witness perjured himself on the stand to help them win. Joanna warns she’ll prove that they helped to coach Dr. William to say what they wanted to the court to hear, which would destroy both their (Alan and Joann) careers. Then, Joanna runs into Gerrilyn who demands to know whether Luna is. “She’s a Spence, not a Hanley.  Your father made sure of that.” “My father isn’t here.” “I’m looking right at him. Stay away from my daughter,” Gerrilyn warns walking away. Luna watches the whole scene from the window of Crawford and Associates.  Joanna goes inside the law office and finds Luna holding the paternity test results. Joanna explains to Luna that she didn’t want to say anything until she knew the truth. “If it’s a no then you’re not my little sister. Either way, there’s no happy ending,” Joanna tells Luna.

Luna tells Molly what happened. She (Luna) always knew she’d find her father but imagined he’d be a deadbeat. “Someday you’ll be surrounded by family who will treat you as well as you deserve,” Molly says urging her girlfriend that she has her.  Molly thinks Luna’s better off not knowing David Hanley; it is obvious Joanna would be better off.

“I’ll handle the depositions. You’re too close to the case. She said something to make him (Dr. Williams) believe it was Conversion Disorder,” Joanna tells Billy. During the deposition, Joanna asks Molly whether she believes the tremors are all in her head and asks whether Dr. Williams coached her what to say. “Are you lying to get Dr. Williams to treat you?” Joanna asks Molly. Billy asks for a break and pulls Joanna aside. Joanna tells her legal partner that she has evidence from her CTS days that will get Alan disbarred and Dr. Williams sent home for a major inquiry of his own. Billy realizes that the evidence also incriminates Joanna. Billy admits that he saw Dr. Williams show Molly how to control her tremors when Calvin came to dinner. “Some partnership,” comments Joanna as she didn’t know Billy had dinner with Dr. Williams. In her deposition, Amanda (Katie Douglas) talks about how Steve Magnus was her boyfriend and he committed suicide by hanging himself. Amanda cries that she failed Steve. During his deposition, Joanna asks Dr. Williams whether he had a pre-conceived theory of Conversion Disorder prior to meeting the girls. Calvin insists all he wants is the girls’ recovery and asks Joanna whether she can say the same. “No further questions,” Joanna says walking out.

Sitting in the car, Molly tells Billy it’s not about winning it’s about getting her help. “Case close,” she says.  Joanna packs up her things at Crawford and Associates. “So this is really it?” Billy asks. “My father told me there was no case since day one but I was too busy trying to proof I’m not like him,” Joanna tells Billy.

Joanna finds Luna at the lake and tells her little sister that Luna will make a great lawyer someday. “The case is dead in the water. I came to say goodbye.” “Cut and run the Hanley way. I guess my mother was right about you.” Luna begs Joanna to be different and stay.