[melodic piano music playing]
[inaudible talking]
[music continues]
[baby crying]
[woman 1] Oh, look at him!
Look at him!
-Good job! -[man 1] Good job.
[woman sobbing]
[baby crying]
[woman 2] You did good!
Oh, Shirley, he's perfect.
[man 2] Congratulations, guys.
[woman 2] Oh God, Shirley. He's just perfect.
-[Shirley] Yes, Tony. You're so perfect. -[woman 2 giggles]
-[music slows] -[background sounds fade]
[door creaks]
Ms. Hughes? Dr. Weeks will see you now.
[Shirley] I knew something was wrong.
Last couple of weeks he hasn't been responding right.
When Tony was treated for his pneumonia,
it appears your ob-gyn put him on a round of antibiotics.
Yes, uh, ampicillin and…
-Gentamicin. -Gentamicin. That's right.
The doctor said that was the most effective way to treat it.
[Dr. Weeks] In most cases, it is, but sometimes there are side effects.
Recent studies have shown gentamicin to be potentially ototoxic.
Um, harmful to a baby's hearing.
So you think it might be an ear infection?
Due to the round of antibiotics he was on,
I believe your son to have suffered a complete
and most likely permanent hearing loss.
[sharp exhale]
Now, there are resources for parents in your situation,
but I won't lie to you.
Your son is Deaf, Ms. Hughes.
[sound fades out]
[muffled thumping]
[dance music fades in]
["Everybody Everybody" by Black Box playing]
♪ When I said it was over You aimed at my heart ♪
♪ Won't be long for I'm leavin' Oh my love ♪
♪ But I feel it forever No times in my life ♪
♪ You can call that no livin' on my own So free ♪
♪ Everybody everybody Everybody everybody ♪
[song and sounds fade out]
[inaudible]
-[sound fades in] -[indistinct restaurant chatter]
[sound fades out]
[inaudible]
[glasses clink]
[man] Well, I guess that's a better name than Will.
-Hey! -[laughing]
Mm. Tony, how's the new job?
[mouthing]
["Free" by Deniece Williams playing softly]
Hey! If you getting a paycheck, that's the dream.
You don't need to be rich and famous.
Just keep making me and the Lord proud.
[laughs]
Hey, help me with these plates.
Mm.
[mouthing]
Ooh.
[laughs]
[knocking on door]
Front door.
[song and sounds fade out]
[tense music playing]
[music continues]
[bulbs rattling]
[music fades]
[bag zips]
[zips]
[Shirley sighs]
[piano notes play]
[people indistinctly chattering]
["Head On" by The Jesus and Mary Chain playing in store]
[woman] Stop discounting things.
How may I help you?
Hi, Tony. I'm Margaret, the manager.
[pen scratching]
Hey, I'm real sorry, man, but we, uh, we filled this position this morning.
Uh…
[song continues]
It's a record store.
Sorry, we're no longer hiring.
[bell jingles]
["I've Been Thinking About You" by Londonbeat playing in store]
♪ I've been thinking about you ♪
[bell jingles]
[clerk] Welcome to The Bottom Half.
Your receipt. I'll be right with you, sir.
Thank you for shopping.
-[customer] Mm-hmm. Thank you. -[clerk] Okay.
How can I help you?
♪ Suddenly we're strangers I watch you walkin' away ♪
♪ She was my one temptation ♪
♪ I feel so-- ♪
[photographer] All right, perfect.
Yes, I love that. Love that.
Love it. Great.
Awesome. Sit down.
["It's No Crime" by Babyface playing]
Love that. Oh, yes.
Good, lean forward. Look at me. Look at me.
Keep that look in your eyes. Yes, serious. Serious.
Amazing. Amazing.
Excellent. All right. Now, get up for me.
All right.
What you say we try with the shirt off?
I wouldn't have taken you for a shy guy.
Oh, all right.
Fantastic.
Yeah. Amazing.
Yes, just like that.
All right. All right.
Amazing.
[sighs] You're something else.
♪ Let me do my time ♪
You want a Coke?
[song and sounds fade out]
[inaudible]
[sound fades in]
-[Shirley] Tony. Tony. -[woman laughing]
No, you're not.
Knew that city wouldn't treat you right.
You need some meat on your bones.
[mouthing]
It's gonna happen for you, T. I know it.
If he don't die of starvation first.
[bangs table]
I got my ultrasound back. I'm having a girl.
[chuckling]
And, if I have your permission, I want to name her after you. Tony.
[giggles]
[laughs]
[all laughing]
[water running]
[water stops]
[sound fades out]
[muffled beat]
[sound fades in]
["Two to Make It Right" by Seduction playing]
Can I buy you a drink?
Uh, two whiskey Cokes, please.
I like your dance moves.
♪ From a serious broken heart ♪
♪ You know that it's a shame But I'm here to ease your pain ♪
♪ There's no need for you To feel so all alone ♪
Are you Deaf?
♪ Be a sure enough happening thing ♪
♪ Do you know that It takes two to make a thing go right ♪
♪ It takes two to make it out of sight ♪
♪ It takes two to make a thing go right ♪
♪ It takes two to make it out of sight… ♪
Tony.
♪ You feel the same way I feel-- ♪
["Get Up (Before The Night Is Over)" by Technotronic playing]
♪ Get up on your feet before The night is through for you want miss ♪
♪ Get down to the beat Pump it, stomp it, jam, trip on this! ♪
♪ Get the party started ♪
[Jeffrey yells happily]
♪ Pump it, stomp it, jam, trip on this! ♪
♪ Get up, get up, get busy do it Get up and move that body ♪
♪ Get up people now get down to it… ♪
How do you dance so good?
♪ We got to take a stand Now that we're in demand ♪
♪ Party all night, cut the fight Do what's right and you just might ♪
♪ Win a battle you never fought… ♪
[song fades out]
[heart thumping steadily]
[song fades back in]
I need another drink. You want one?
Oh, please? One more!
Yeah!
Stay right here.
♪ One, two, I'll party you Three, four, get your butt on the floor ♪
[Jeffrey] Two whiskey Cokes.
♪ Seven, eight, let it shake Get down, I'll party you ♪
♪ Three, four So get your butt on the floor ♪
♪ Five, six, know you dig the mix ♪
♪ Seven, eight, let it shake ♪
♪ Get down, get up ♪
[song fades]
[suspenseful music playing]
[song resumes]
♪ One, two, I'll party you Three, four, get your butt on the floor ♪
♪ Five, six, know you dig the mix Seven, eight, let it shake ♪
[sound fades out]
[inaudible]
[terse music playing]
[sound fades in]
[crickets chirping]
[laughs]
[dance music beat pounding faintly]
[indistinct chatter]
["All Around the World" by Lisa Stansfield playing]
♪ Been around the world and I, I, I I can't find my baby ♪
♪ I don't know when I don't know Why he's gone away ♪
♪ And I don't know where He can be, my baby ♪
♪ But I'm gonna find him… ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[man] Yeah. Hold that.
[camera clicking]
Take a picture?
♪ I was the one, the weakest one of all ♪
♪ And now I'm oh oh so sad ♪
♪ And I don't think He's comin' back, comin' back ♪
♪ I did too much lyin' Wasted too much time ♪
♪ Now I'm here and cryin', I, I, I ♪
♪ Been around the world and I, I, I I can't find my baby ♪
♪ I don't know when, I don't know why ♪
♪ Why he's gone away ♪
♪ And I don't know where he can be My baby ♪
And here are your jumbo orange sodas.
That'll be 5.75.
[song continues on speakers]
♪ And I don't know where He can be, my baby ♪
[chuckles]
♪ I did too much lyin' Wasted too much time ♪
♪ Now I'm here and cryin' ♪
[chuckles]
[knocking on door]
[locks clicking]
Hey, Dad. Shari. Come on in.
This just needs to be warmed up. Put that in the oven 350 for 20 minutes.
Gotcha. Looks good.
Uh, Dad, you want something to drink?
-[Lionel] Uh, what're you having? -[Jeffrey] A Coke.
[Lionel] That sounds good.
[Jeffrey] Shari?
[Shari] Water's just fine for me.
Okay.
-[Lionel] Thank you. -Yeah.
You look good, son.
Thanks. You too.
[chuckles]
-[tap water running] -You hire a housekeeper, hon?
No, I figured I should take pride in where I live, you know? Spruce it up.
Take care of it. Like you guys taught me to.
-That's good, son. -Thank you.
You got some new friends here, I see.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, they keep me busy.
On my days off, I find myself just sitting there,
-watching 'em swim around for hours. -Uh-huh.
I really enjoy reading about
how to keep the nitrate and ammonia down to safe levels.
Very good distraction.
Oh, yeah. Pets… pets keep you honest.
-Oh yeah. -And out of trouble. Yeah.
-Oh, for sure. -[chuckles]
Hm.
[Lionel sighs]
-[chuckles] -[Jeffery] Hmm.
You know… [clears throat]
…I haven't been drinking much.
-Oh. -What, you quit?
Well, quit drinking alone, that's for sure.
It wasn't doing me any good. [sighs]
And I don't drink on weekdays anymore either.
Don't get me wrong. I'll still have a beer or two at a bar, but…
that's about it.
That's good, son. That's…
[chuckles]
Dad, I…
I wanna thank you.
For, uh…
just sticking with me.
I know I haven't always been easy.
But, uh…
I promise things are turning around for me.
I got a promotion at work.
-[Lionel] Did you? -A little more pay.
New friend in my life.
Oh, Jeff.
Gosh.
-I'm happy. -[Lionel] Oh…
-Oh, that's… that's… -[Shari] Hm.
That's just… That's… that's good, son.
-[emotionally] That's real good. -[Jeffrey] Hm.
Boy.
[sighs]
You know, I don't… I don't know how to tell you, um…
how happy this makes me…
um…
to know my son is okay.
[laughs] Oh…
A friend?
A good friend.
[melancholy music playing]
[inaudible]
[door opens]
[bottles clink]
[eerie melancholy music playing]
[distant police siren wailing]
[sighs]
[glasses clink]
[Jeffrey] There's this game I made when I was a kid.
It's called Infinity Land.
[chuckles]
So
your soldier starts at that end.
My soldier starts from here.
And each time you roll the dice…
your soldier travels along the spirals.
And the first person to get to Infinity Land wins the game.
But there's a catch.
If your guy gets too close to mine…
he disappears into the vortex.
'Cause that's the game.
You just can't!
[tense music playing]
You go first.
Okay.
Don't go.
Wha--
When will I see you again?
How do I know that?
[breathing heavily]
[panting]
[paper rips]
[chuckles softly]
Okay, what is your son's name again?
Tony. Anthony Hughes.
-[officer] Age? -Thirty-one.
-Last time you saw him? -Two days ago.
What makes you think he's missing?
He was staying with me over the weekend, but he didn't come home yesterday.
He hasn't contacted me or his sisters, which isn't like him.
And I called his job in Madison, and they said he didn't show up for work.
-Do you know the last place he went? -He said he was going to see a movie.
-By himself? -With a friend, I think.
What's the friend's name?
I didn't ask.
Was it a lady friend?
I don't think so.
My son, he's…
Deaf.
Is it possible he left town and just didn't tell you?
Tony wouldn't do that. He's a good boy, a good son.
Life's always been hard for him.
You can't imagine what it's like going through the world not being able…
But Tony never let it bring him down.
That's who he is.
He's always true to his word too.
So if he said he's gonna come and see me before he goes back to Madison,
ain't no way he gonna break that promise.
Any history of drug abuse or gang violence?
Anything you're leaving out?
No.
Like I said, he's a good boy.
Okay.
[tense dramatic music playing]
[dance beat pounding faintly]
[indistinct happy chatter]
[Shirley] I just wanna thank you all
so much for all your support.
The cops aren't searching for Tony.
So we have to take matters into our own hands,
and we're not gonna stop until Tony is back home.
Safe.
Just keep praying for him.
Please.
Thank you.
[clapping]
[intense music playing]
[clattering]
Argh!
[intense music building]
Fuck!
[muffled banging]
[Jeffrey muffled yelling]
[can bangs]
[soft tense music continues]
[dialing]
[line ringing]
[woman] Hello.
Hello, is someone there?
Is this the family of Errol Lindsey?
Yes. I'm his sister.
Who's this?
[Jeffrey] You should stop looking for him.
He's gone now.
Into the vortex.
Into the… what? Who is this?
Hello?
Where's my brother?
-Who the-- -[hangs up]
[knocking on door]
[lock clicks]
[dramatic tense music playing]
[breathing heavily]
[baby crying]
[intense music playing]
It's okay, Mama. We got it.
[laughs]
[suspenseful music playing]
[sobs]
[melancholy music playing]
-[stove clicks] -[gas whooshing]
[sizzling]
[meat cutting]
[breathing heavily]
[eerie music playing]