[person breathing heavily]
[panting]
[abductor] Emily.
[yelps] Oh, shit! [gasps]
Is there any circumstance more terrifying than when a child goes missing?
By now, we all know the haunting stories of Natalee Holloway…
…the 18-year-old who vanished during a trip to Aruba,
and Gabby Petito,
the young blogger whose remains were eventually discovered in a park.
The nation watched around-the-clock coverage…
[Aames] OPD!
…as every parent feared the worst.
The same story is unfolding again.
[Aames] Emily Mills!
Recently, a 16-year-old local teen named Emily Mills disappeared.
[Aames] Sun.
Hey. Hey.
[groans]
Okay.
-[Aames sighs] -[groans]
[addict groans]
It's not her.
But what if I told you another local teen went missing a year ago?
Her name is Drea Spivey.
Drea's mother, Charise, is a friend of mine.
You haven't heard of Drea because her story has never been covered
by a single news outlet.
Charise was finally able to find Drea
by enlisting the help of friends in the community.
I interviewed this young girl to better understand her story.
But there's been an upsetting development.
Sixteen-year-old Drea went missing again almost 72 hours ago.
With every hour that passes, the hope to find Drea dims.
This means…
Charise is forced to live that nightmare all over again.
[Noa] Just uploaded the podcast to our new bosses at Boisterous.
[sighs]
I never wanted to see Drea up here.
Another in a sea of sweet, stolen faces.
Drea makes 11 total.
All reported missing over the last four years in Oakland.
But only one had come home to safety.
Why run again?
Okay. What's our next step?
We conducted over 10 hours of interviews with Drea before she went missing again.
There must be something in those recordings that could guide us.
[Poppy] Drea, when the Capstones found you,
you were in a drug den and addicted to fentanyl.
How did you end up there?
[Drea] This boy I met gave it to me.
And the first time I snorted fentanyl, I went somewhere else in my head.
A door opened, I stepped through it,
and everything on the other side was different.
I just sort of floated along, and there was no more hurt.
I kept doing it 'cause I wanted to go wherever I wanted.
Where would you go?
[chuckles] Japanese Gardens.
It's so green. I love it there.
[Poppy] Why?
[Drea] I, uh, had my 11th birthday party there.
That was probably the last time I remember being legit happy.
That was before my mom had problems and I had to go into foster care.
[inhales sharply] After a few years of, uh,
foster homes, I just started doing drugs.
You've been sober now for six weeks.
-[inhales deeply] -Do you get tempted?
[exhales deeply] Oh, my God.
Just the other day, I ran into a friend from my trapping days.
She told me she had the High Hunter hookup.
It would've been so easy to meet her.
-But I didn't. -What is that? "High Hunter?"
Oh, it's a-- It's just a new drug.
But I-I thought about my life now,
like all the little things being one big reason to say no.
So, I turned her down. [inhales deeply]
[scoffs] I know that probably sounds hella corny.
Hmm.
I think that sounds very brave.
[reporter] Good morning, Oakland.
Three full days have passed since Bay Area teen Emily Mills was last seen.
Local police departments assured Channel 13
that bringing Emily home is their top priority.
[announcer] The PTA meeting will begin shortly.
Do you need me to get you something, baby?
No, no, no. I'm good.
-You sure? -Yeah.
But you might need to step in here if she doesn't get here soon.
-[chuckles] -There might be a riot.
How long is she gonna keep us waiting?
She will be here any second. Everyone, just settle down, please.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I was on the phone with the superintendent,
discussing protocol for tomorrow night's Get Out The Vote event.
Now, with all the cameras and people on campus tomorrow,
I wanted to have a conversation about school safety.
Two girls have gone missing in the last few days,
Emily Mills and Drea Spivey.
Some of you may know that Drea is a student--
Um, I hate to be indelicate, but is this really a school safety issue?
What are you saying, Mrs. Williams?
[sighs]
Drea was a drug addict.
[scoffs]
What's Ashley's cell phone number?
What does my daughter have to do with this?
You know what? It's okay. [clicks tongue] I'll just message her.
All I'm asking is what this has to do with our kids.
Our kids know not to do drugs or whatever Drea was into.
Mm-hmm.
[phone beeps]
Done. I just messaged Ashley, who should be in choir right about now.
I pretended to be a boy from Bellarmine.
I told her she was cute
and to meet me in the gym if she wanted to come to a hooky party.
Y-You can't do that.
That's-- [stammers] That's catfishing or something.
We're using the gym right now, Ashley. You can go back to choir. Thanks.
-[parents gasping] -[inhales sharply]
In less than 45 seconds,
I got your daughter, who knows better than Drea,
to meet a stranger in the gym.
What happened to Drea could happen to any one of your kids.
Do you understand that?
[breathes deeply]
Lastly, I need volunteers for tomorrow's event.
Thank you.
My parents are just inside.
Don't worry. That meeting will go on for hours.
Mmm, yeah. But if my dad catches us, he'll kill me.
Or he'll just kill you--
He'd make me watch. [chuckles]
So, you really want me to stop?
No, I wouldn't say that.
-[softly] Yeah. -I just--
[chuckles] I just wish we had some privacy.
When can we go back to my cousins' house? It's been a minute.
Soon.
[clears throat]
[gasps] Mrs. Killebrew.
[stammers] I was just keeping Trini company during your meeting.
Well, I'm here now.
So, she doesn't need to be kept company any longer, does she?
Yes, ma'am.
-I'll text you. -Yeah.
You think I scared him?
What?
[inhales sharply] Your father always gets to be the tough one. It's not fair.
-[breathes deeply] -[chuckles] Wait, am I in trouble? Or…
Sweetheart, if I told you all the places that your grandmother caught me
and my high school boyfriend hooking up, you wouldn't look at me the same again.
Ew. Mom.
Trini, you're never in trouble as long as you are honest with me, okay?
All I care about is keeping you safe,
especially with all of this going on with Drea.
And that is why you cannot be getting…
-Mom, I know. -…into a stranger's car…
-Ugh, I told you it was Aubrey's cousin. -…and not answering your phone.
You had us worried sick, honey.
Yeah, I know.
I'm-- I'm sorry. I-I learned my lesson. Really.
Well, then you have my trust.
There's no way you're getting in.
This is ludicrous. I know Detective Aames.
Like you know Markus Killebrew?
Yeah, how's he enjoying sleeping on piles of our department's hard-earned cash?
Ugh, finally. Aames, could you please tell them to let me through?
I thought I told you you're not welcome here, Miss Parnell.
It's Scoville.
Take care of this, new guy.
Time to go.
-Did we sell it? -[chuckles] I think a little too well.
Listen, I am sorry.
I don't have any more news on Drea Spivey. I am trying.
No, they got you working Emily Mills 24 hours a day.
You are not wrong.
Well, if you can find an extra hour in your day,
something came up in one of Drea's interviews.
She made a reference to, uh, "High Hunter."
Said it was a new drug.
High Hunter? It's not one I've heard of.
Well, if it isn't a drug, what else could it be?
Oh, it could be a dealer. It could be a trap house.
I'll look into it for you.
Wait, is that--
Andrew Finney.
-[officer] Andrew. -Danny.
[Aames] Front-runner to be Oakland's next mayor.
You wanna know why we're so pressed to find Emily Mills? There's your answer.
But he's not even in office yet.
Oh, you beat that law-and-order drum hard enough
in the age of "defund police," you get a hero's welcome 'round here.
Law and order for whom?
[stammers] Mmm.
Thank you.
Oh, this guy's blowing up my phone.
Oh. You like him?
[scoffs] We had one date. We'll see.
[smacks lips] You should get back out there.
-Oof, that part. -Mm-hmm.
Tinder, BlackPeopleMeet, Bumble, Hinge, JDate.
[laughing] JDate. [chuckling] Get you a nice Jewish boy.
All of it.
I'm not using an app.
Plus, I-I think I'm fine alone. For now.
-Oh. -Uh, that's new.
I mean, the old Poppy just had to have herself some Ingram.
Right? This new you is doing baller shit.
Mrs. Rhoades would've never come up with a stunt like this.
What are you talking about? I've always been this person.
-Huh? -Uh.
-[both laugh] -I have. [chuckles]
Remember when Uncle Bug brought me over to Aunt Leona's
and I had us crash that little bougie tea party she used to hold
-in the backyard? -[Desiree laughs] I forgot all about that.
Um, it was sponsored by the Links, and we weren't allowed to come and get any cake.
We sure did make a ruckus when we came in there banging them pots and pans.
We made an impact. Aunt Leona was pissed.
Why is she insisting that we go back to that house to pick up Mom's stuff?
I just hate the idea of going back to that place. Too many bad memories.
Yeah, it has a lot of bad memories for me too.
Not because I lived there, but 'cause Aunt Leona shut me out.
Let's just get it over with then, so we all can move on.
That heifer's moving to Vineyard,
-so it's good riddance. -Oh. Well…
All the way around.
-Uh, cheers on that. Goodbye. -[Cydie] Yes.
[chuckles]
[door opens]
Mmm. [inhales sharply]
Hey.
[Poppy] Hey.
What do you think?
It's perfect.
I can't stay long. I'm meeting with some of the other MCs, let 'em know about Drea.
Have you ever heard of High Hunter?
No, what's that?
It's a drug Drea mentioned.
I'm just trying to figure out what it is and where she used to get it.
I'll keep my ears to the ground.
Aames didn't know anything.
He knows OPD ain't doing enough.
This is something we can handle ourselves.
-Daddy-- -I mean it!
Daddy…
are you sure it's okay for me to stay in this house?
I--
I said my name is Poppy Scoville on my podcast. I--
-You don't need my approval to stay. -I know.
[inhales deeply] I'm just…
trying to figure out what my declaration really means.
Is that why you wanna do the podcast on Drea and the missing girls?
So you can prove yourself.
Maybe.
Maybe to redeem myself too.
[inhales deeply] I think of those girls,
I think how easily I could have been one of 'em.
Yeah, but you're here.
You're Poppy Scoville.
And being a Scoville has nothing to do with geography.
It's about how you carry yourself.
Keep your head up.
We got work to do.
[sighs]
I'm outside the Piedmont home of missing teen Emily Mills.
Following Emily's story is mayoral candidate Andrew Finney.
It's a horrible situation.
Every parent's worst nightmare.
[Finney] The crime in this city has gotten out of control.
[speaker] Good afternoon, community members, stakeholders and press.
I'm Lee Hackman, and this is my wife Sybil.
We started our company, Questeur, uh, out of a garage
when we were across the bay, at Stanford.
And… [stammers] …today, Questeur is one of the largest tech companies in the world.
And we're about to break ground on our new Questeur campus right here in Oakland.
That better mean jobs for the community.
[chuckles] Uh, you bet.
Uh, we owe a huge thank you to Oak Creek High School
for lending us their campus.
Over the past seven years,
this school has become one of the top performing schools in Oakland.
In other words, we know where to keep an eye out for future Questeur employees.
[audience members chuckle]
Superintendent Lennon, please stand up,
so that we can acknowledge you and all that you've done here.
All that he's done?
Just smile. I'll key his car later.
Most of you already have the Questeur messaging app.
But, uh, we've recently added a new feature
that enables anyone to easily register to vote.
And for today only,
you can use the app to submit questions directly to the candidates,
which I recommend you do.
Oakland is in a period of transition.
So now, more than ever, it's critical that we vote as informed citizens.
So without further ado,
please welcome Rachel McKegney, Everett Hoagland and Andrew Finney.
[audience applause]
They are our future, and we need to invest in them accordingly.
While in office, I championed Measure W.
By utilizing funds allocated in this anti-gang initiative,
police can focus on specific areas of the city.
And if elected, I intend to reduce the budget for local law enforcement.
[Finney] So I urge you to vote for me.
There's abs--
[engines revving]
There's absolutely no reason why a progressive candidate can't
also support a strong police department.
Please pardon the interruption.
The faces you see before you are all missing girls from Oakland,
with families who want them home.
This is Drea Spivey,
a student at this very school,
who went missing almost four days ago,
but the search party for her had very little police support.
We came to ask why.
Why?
Does this girl not deserve attention?
Is it not imperative to allocate resources to help find her?
If you feel as we do, we need you to put pressure on the police department
and the news media to bring these girls home.
[protesters] Bring our girls home!
-Bring our girls home! -Yes, bring 'em back.
[Shreve] Bring all of them home.
[Noa] Yes.
[protestor] Bring our girls home! They need to be with us!
I've heard a lot of people talking about Emily Mills.
I hope they find her safe, so she can be returned to her family.
But my daughter is missing too.
My Drea matters too.
She's my only child, and I need you to help me find her.
-[Shreve] Bring her home. -Bring 'em home.
-[protestor] Do something! -Your daughter does matter.
And I hope she's home with you soon. Your questions are good ones.
But there is a time and a place for all our words.
-Say her name! -[protester 1] Say her name!
-Say her name! -[protesters chanting] Say her name!
Say her name! Say her name! Say her name!
Say her name! Say her name!
[protesters] Say her name!
[Lennon] That was some stunt.
I know you were aggrieved that this was foisted upon you,
but to embarrass your school, your students
and your boss this way makes me question your judgment entirely.
If you continue to act like one of the school's children,
I will have no choice but to treat you like one.
I'll do better.
[sighs]
Ooh.
I hope I didn't get you into trouble.
Only the good kind. [sighs]
-Eva Pierre. -Poppy Scoville.
Markus Killebrew told me all about you.
You think that demonstration is gonna make a difference?
I don't know. [sighs]
Right now, I'd just settle for action. Police, political, tweets, whatever.
It's what all these girls deserve.
Yeah.
We can hope. [sighs]
Miss Pierre?
Poppy, this is Tanya, one of Drea's friends.
-Oh. Nice to meet you, Tanya. -You too.
I saw what you did in there. I wanna help. I ju-- I'm just not sure how.
Well, uh, have you ever heard Drea mention someone
with the nickname "High Hunter"?
Could that be her drug dealer maybe?
I don't know anything about him. I don't use.
Um, I should go. I have a lot of homework to do.
I think it can wait.
I don't think you're being honest with me, Tanya.
That's very disappointing.
She hasn't texted me in a week. I'm scared.
Give me your fear. Let us act on it.
I never heard her call him High Hunter,
but Drea did have this guy she was hanging around with.
Do you know his name?
All I know is that he was older,
and that Drea said that he took care of her.
But you didn't like the sound of him?
She seemed scared.
Everything she described sounded real controlling.
The last few weeks, she kept telling me
that she needed some time in her happy place.
That's all I know. I-I s-swear.
It's okay. You can go, Tanya. Thank you.
Thanks.
I hate to be the one to bring this up, but have you considered that--
This controlling guy is Drea's pimp?
I'm trying not to go there.
But…
I think I know where Drea's happy place is.
-[Zarina] You look good doing the dishes. -[chuckles]
-I look good doing a lot of things. -[chuckles]
-Hey, baby? -Uh-huh.
-Let me ask you a question. -Hmm.
You think that Trini and Aubrey are, uh-- [sighs]
-Oh. [chuckles] -Jesus Christ, I can't even say it.
[chuckles]
No. Trini told me she's a virgin.
So you two talked about it?
[stammers] Don't look so shocked. We talk about a lot of things.
[scoffs] How come you never told me about it?
You never asked before.
And seeing as how you-- [chuckling] You can't even say it,
I was right in assuming it's a don't ask, don't tell policy.
[sighs] Damn.
[sighs] So I guess we have to invite that knucklehead over for dinner, huh?
-Uh-- -Look,
I just want to sit the boy down, look him right in his eyes.
See what he's all about.
Okay.
You wanna broach that subject with Trini… [scoffs] …by all means, go ahead.
I will.
-And I won't even be nice about it either. -Uh. Okay, big man.
-[chuckles] -Excuse me.
-I gotta go to work. [kisses] -Uh-huh.
-Love you. -I love you, baby.
Bring me back something sweet?
Yes, I will.
It'll be me.
[laughs]
[Eva] Oh, that's--
Hi, sir.
Where are you racing off to, urgent meeting of the assholes?
-Oh. -What?
[Poppy groaning]
Just wondering, um,
how someone with your temperament became a principal.
[sighs] I don't need them to like me.
They need me to protect them.
That's what my high school principal did for me.
My mom was illegal.
She brought me here from Haiti for a shot at a better education,
but was, uh, deported while I was still in high school.
I didn't have anybody looking out for me.
My high school principal, Evelyn Varga,
she made sure that school was a safe place, you know?
Like a refuge for me.
She made sure I graduated on time,
and I was the first one in my family to go to college.
Here I am.
Your mother must be so proud.
You honor her sacrifice every day.
She passed away shortly after being deported.
I was barely 20.
Ah. I lost my mother too young as well.
Isn't it always too young?
Hmm.
-Hi, we're looking for a missing girl. -Thank you.
Take a look.
Excuse me, have you seen that girl?
Nah.
[scoffs]
[motorcycles revving]
You'll have to stop blaming yourself for Drea going missing again.
It's not on you or the Capstones.
I've been thinking about a lot of things, Lil.
-My legacy-- -Is secure.
Is it?
What are you talking about?
OPD put out a list of calls they gonna stop responding to.
Basically, 10 commandments that all say, "Fuck you, deal with it yourself."
So, I been thinking I will.
You got nothing to prove to anyone.
Hmm. Said the same thing to Poppy. [clicks tongue]
I'm happy y'all two have gotten so much closer the last couple of months.
I can see it's good for you.
Ah, she's still lost.
And my grandma used to say,
"There always gonna be some people who are just a little bit restless."
[chuckles] Georgia grandmas know everything.
-Yeah. [inhales sharply] -[sighs]
You got a call today from Andrew Finney.
-The cat running for mayor? -Mm-hmm.
Said he wants to meet with you.
Could be he saw the influence that you have and wants to work with you.
With our history?
Capstones don't do politics.
Well, maybe they should.
Why did you fall in love with me?
Hmm,
because there's no one else in the world like you.
Nothing you do will make you more of a man than you already are.
You're the most compassionate, authentic soul I've ever met.
And I've loved you from the inside out.
Always.
Inside out, huh?
Have you seen the latest dispatch from our new overlords at Boisterous?
Do they have a problem with our VO sample?
No, but they'd just love us to lean into the "tragic nature of Drea's life."
Look, Noa…
I think Drea is being trafficked.
[sighs]
They're gonna hang Drea and Charise out to dry.
I will control it, okay? I know how to handle Boisterous.
It-It may mean a lot of haggling with corporate, but I can handle Boisterous.
We are going to have to be able to do the story we wanna do.
These guys are asking for sensationalist chum.
And we may not feel it at first, but it'll be a picture here
and a sound bite there, and before we know it,
the marketing will start to drive the narrative.
It's how Micah lost sight of who she really was.
Okay.
I'll call the lawyers.
See if they can amend the contract to give us marketing approval.
Thank you.
[sighing] Okay.
[straining, grunting]
[panting]
[both grunting]
[straining, screams, grunts]
Use your legs.
-[grunts] -Okay, okay, okay. Enough.
[panting]
What happened at the Gardens with Poppy?
I haven't seen you like this in years.
You think she's good people?
You're the one that talked to her.
Yeah, she's-- she's not how I expected her to be.
And don't forget cute.
This man's not blind.
So what, you're thinking about working with her or something?
I can't do this alone.
Just be careful
because that's a fucking live wire right there.
So am I.
Let's go. Come on. Again.
-[groaning] -Let's go, old man.
-Shake a leg. -All right. [groans]
[groaning]
[cell phone ringing]
[Poppy] Hello?
Hello?
[Drea] You have to stop looking for me.
Drea?
I'm fine.
So, why don't you come home?
We all miss you and-and-and want you safe.
What-What's going on, honey?
You wouldn't understand.
Well, does it have anything to do with that guy Tanya mentioned?
[sighs]
I owe him.
How much? [stammers]
Whatever it is, we can-- we can pay off your debt to High Hunter.
What?
It's not that simple.
Look, he's done so much for me, so now I have to return the favor.
What does that mean?
I don't know.
Give guys blow jobs and stuff.
Drea, that man is-is pimping you out.
Drea?
Don't tell my mom.
[Poppy] She loves you so much.
She'd do anything for you.
Can that guy you're with say that?
I got this, okay?
Tell my mom that.
Okay, can you a-at least call her… [stammers] …and let her know you're alive?
Okay?
[exhales deeply]
Trafficked?
[Marcus sighs]
How did this happen?
Could you tell where she was? Did you hear anything?
No.
But it's not too late for her, Charise. We can still bring her home.
Look, Poppy's right, okay?
Now, Drea wouldn't even had called her
if some part of her didn't wanna come home.
My question for you is,
do you want me putting this on the podcast?
When you agreed to let me interview her initially,
it was a talk about her time missing and the drugs.
But this is different.
It's up to you.
I won't air anything you don't want me to.
[sighs]
If you think it… [sniffs] …has a chance to bring her home…
do it.
[breathing shakily]
Hey.
So… [sighs]
…Charise approved using Drea's interviews to talk about trafficking.
What'd the lawyer say about amending the contract?
[sighs, chuckles] Yeah, she said,
"Boisterous is open to discussion regarding marketing."
Pop, they'll use the most lurid details.
The campaign will be all about sex,
-and the girls will be a footnote. -Not if we find them.
Have you seen the advertising for their women's prison podcast?
Every female inmate wears the tightest tank top imaginable.
But that's not gonna happen with Reconsidered.
Maybe not, but doesn't it bother you that it's the Boisterous MO?
Sure, but these girls' story is way too important,
so… [chuckles] …I'll give the tank tops a-an eye roll
and keep it moving if it means our message gets out to the masses.
We're not even ready to go on air with a trafficking episode.
This pivot requires more research. We need more time.
Drea doesn't have time!
We're already compromising. Can't you see that?
What I see is an opportunity to help.
Look, when I was with Alex,
I saw how our podcast affected his daughter.
She heard every word other kids said about her,
and that was without salacious marketing and sensationalized copy.
If we do things the Boisterous way,
Drea and the other girls will be hurt much more than Alex's daughter.
What are you saying?
The message doesn't matter if this is how we're gonna convey it.
Oh, I wish you would just trust me!
I wish you would trust me! I'm telling you,
I am not gonna let Boisterous exploit Charise, Drea or any of the girls.
I'm not, Noa.
Poppy, uh, I just--
I just don't think that I'm compatible with Boisterous.
So, this'll be my last podcast.
As a journalist,
when I came across something horrific, something I wanted to turn away from,
I couldn't. I had to confront it.
So, here it goes. [sighs]
[Poppy] Drea Spivey is a bright, beautiful young woman.
She's a junior at Oak Creek High in Oakland.
Her favorite subject is biology, and her dream is to become a nurse.
And she is also a victim of sex trafficking.
When people think of sex trafficking,
their minds go to scary men kidnapping girls
and taking them across borders.
[Poppy] But sex trafficking is more often a neighbor, a friend,
even someone on social media who lures kids into trusting them,
only to turn around and abuse them.
People always assume this could never happen to them
or their kids.
But the truth is, it is happening.
And not just in some shadowy, forgotten corner of the hood.
It's happening in our schools, our community.
Trafficking has been labeled an epidemic in Oakland.
[sex workers chattering]
How much we are to blame for our negligence
is a conversation for you…
and the god you worship.
What you looking for, mama?
Get in.
[Poppy] I know one thing:
Drea and the other missing girls like her,
wherever they are,
deserve our love.
I don't got track marks. I don't mess with that shit.
Smart girl.
[Poppy] I aim to find them
and the people responsible for taking them away.
Sex trafficking is a cancer on our city.
[Poppy] I know I can't cure it.
But I can expose it.
I hope you'll follow me into this world,
however dark it may be.
My name is Poppy Scoville,
and I'd like you to reconsider.
[sighs]
I'll clean this up and send it to ya.
I may lay a little music over the end, but it'll be ready to air tomorrow.
-Oh, sounds good. -Yeah.
-Thank you. -Sure.
Oh, um… [chuckles]
…I was gonna give this to you when we got to 50 million listeners,
-but you'll be there soon enough. -[chuckles]
[clicks tongue] Oh, thank you.
It's been an honor.
-Me too. -Yeah.
Nothing new under the sun.
-But there are new suns. -Yeah.
[sighs]
Is that…
[Noa] "To my favorite Oakland girl.
Now that you have your roots, may you never lose your voice.
Love, Noa."
[cell phone ringing]
Hey, Aames.
Wait, what?
["Holding Me Down" playing]
[police sirens blaring]
[Aames] Hold up, guys.
[Aames] Thank you.
I don't want this to be real.
This motel's on High Street.
Guess what the nickname is.
High Hunter.
Somebody wanted to shut her up, Aames.
I'm gonna find out who.
[exhales sharply]
[car alarm chirps]