( SPILLING THE BEANS )
MOTEL ROOM
[ ☼ ]
Dean has an entry about Gabriel's Horn of Truth up on his laptop. Dean drains a glass of whiskey. "Castiel? Hello? Possible loose nuke down here, angelic weapon. Kinda your department. You hear that, Cas?" He says.
Castiel appears. "Hello, Dean." He says.
"Are you kidding me? I have been on red alert about Sam, and you come for some stupid horn?!" Dean asks.
"You asked me to be here, and I came."
"I—I've been asking you to be here for days, you dick!" Yells Dean.
Castiel looks abashed. "I didn't come about Sam because I have nothing to offer about Sam." He says.
"Well, that's great, because for all we know, he's just gift wrap for Lucifer." Dean says.
"No, he's... he's not Lucifer." Castiel grabs the bottle of whiskey.
"And how do you know that?" Asks Dean.
Castiel refills Dean's glass. "If Lucifer escaped the cage, we'd feel it." He says.
"What is wrong with him?" Dean asks.
"I don't know, Dean. I'm sorry."
"What happened to you, Cas?" Dean asks. "You used to be human, or at least like one."
"I'm at war. Certain... regrettable things are now required of me."
"And Gabriel's Horn of Truth? That's a real thing?" Dean asks.
"You've seen it?" Asks Castiel.
"We think it's in town." Dean says. "Something's forcing people..." Sound of angel wings fluttering. Castiel has left. "Oh, well, you're welcome! Dean takes a swig."
Castiel reappears behind him. "It isn't the Horn of Truth." He says.
"What are you talking about? You were gone for like two seconds. Where did you look?" Dean asks.
"Everywhere."
"Right." Dean says. "Well, nice seeing you, anyway."
"Dean." Castiel says.
"What?" Dean asks.
"About your brother. I... I don't know what's wrong with him, but I do want to help. I'll make inquiries." Castiel disappears again.
"Yeah. Thanks." Dean takes another drink.
MORGUE
[ ☼ ]
Paul's body is being pulled out. "Now, I'd actually like to see all the suicides that came in this week, not just Dr. Giggles. Is that gonna be a problem?" Sam asks.
"Well, they're—they're already gone." The Coroner says.
"As in transferred?" Asks Sam.
"Yeah, not exactly."
"Would you like to tell me what's going on here, or should I have a little chat with your supervisor?" Sam asks.
"They're gone." The Coroner says.
"As in... gone gone?" Sam asks and the Coroner nods.
BAR CAFÉ
[ ☼ ]
The televison is on. "Consumers from predatory prices. Here's the facts. Tune in weekdays for the newest addition to our award-winning local team." Ashley Frank says. Dean is sitting at the bar, drinking a shot. "Find out the truth about your layaway living room."
"Another one?" The Bartender asks.
"Uh, no, thanks. I'm working." Dean says. Bartender looks at Dean askance. Dean's phone rings. "Hey, what's up?" Sam, walking into an apartment building called Carlton Court. All the bodies are gone. "What do you mean, they just vanished?"
"That's what the coroner said. But I got a lead." Sam says. "One of the missing bodies, she died a whole week before everybody else."
"Suicide?" Asks Dean.
"Reported as a car accident, but no reason it couldn't have been."
"So then that would make her our patient zero, right?" Dean asks.
"I'm thinking maybe. Whatever got this whole curse thing rolling started with her." Sam says. "I'm at her place now, corner of Burnham and 159th."
"Yeah, give me 10." Dean says then turns to the. "You know what? I will have that other one."
"Thought you were working." The Bartender says.
Dean, rubbing his eyes. "I am working up to it." He says.
"You okay?"
"No, not really." Says Dean.
"I talked to local experts to bring you the truth." On TV, Ashley Frank speaks.
Bartender pours Dean a shot. "On me. Anything else I can get you?" He asks.
"I'd just like the freakin' truth." Dean drains the shot. "But I'll settle for another one."
"Sometimes I think I can't get pregnant 'cause God knows my marriage is a sham." The Bartender says. "Why'd I say that? I mean, I've been snorting oxy all day. Why'd I say that?"
"I'm pretty sure I know."
The Television is still on. "I'm Ashley Frank with Frank Talk..."
"I've got to go. Thank you." Dean walks by a Busty Patron.
"I'm sitting like this so you'll look at my breasts. I just bought them. I need a lot of attention." She says.
"Good luck with that." Dean leaves, then walks back for another peek. He walks back to the Impala. Dean calls Bobby. "Hey, anything you're itchin' to tell me?"
Bobby is in his kitchen, grabbing a beer. "Not really. Sorry to disappoint." He says.
"Ah, that's all right. I'm just testing a theory." Dean says.
"Well, I'm here hittin' the books while drinking a nice glass of milk, while watching 'Tori & Dean.'" Bobby says.
"Wh—wait, w-who and Dean?" Dean asks.
"Tori Spelling. I'm a huge fan. Girl's a real talent."
"Oh, I guess it does work over the phone." Dean says to himself.
"You know what else? I get a pedicure once in a while—this nice Vietnamese joint." Bobby takes off his boots.
"Okay. Okay, please stop." Dean says.
"This one gal, Nhung Phuong—her name means 'velvet Phoenix.' Tiny thing, but the grip on her. She starts on my toes, and I feel like I am gonna—" Bobby starts.
"Whoa, whoa!" Dean yells. "Hey, come on, ma—now I'm scarred for life. Thank you."
"I never told anyone that. Why am I telling you? Maybe 'cause you're my favorite." Says Bobby. "Although, Sam's a better hunter. Lately, anyway. Whoa. Why the hell am I tellin' you this?!"
"Because I'm cursed." Dean says.
"Cursed?"
"Yes." Says Dean.
"How is it... that half the time you clean a mess, you end up dirty?" Bobby asks.
"Actually, this might be the best thing that's happened to me in a while."
"What do you mean? Dean...Dean, what damn fool move are you about to—" Bobby starts.
"I gotta go." Dean says.
"Okay.But did you know my first girlfriend turned out to be a—"
Dean hangs up emphatically. "No, no! Mnh-mnh. Mnh-mnh." He gets into the Impala, calls Sam, gets his voice mail.
"It's Sam. Leave me a message."
"Sam, it's me. Listen, I'm on my way to you, but if you get this before then, give me a call back. There's a few things I want to ask you."
CARLTON COURT
APARTMENT
[ ☼ ]
"So, why is there an investigation for a car accident?" The Roommate asks.
"It wasn't an accident. Corey committed suicide." Sam says.
The Roommate breaks down. "You know... I wondered. I-I'm sorry. I just..." She says.
Sam hands her a box of tissues. "So, you had some idea Corey might have taken her own life?" He asks.
"Well... she had been going through a bit of a hard time lately... at school. And then, um, her cat, Mittens, had just ran away. But, really, it was her boyfriend." She says. "She was sure that he was cheating on her. But he was just very good at covering his tracks. Which, of course, made her completely obsessed with—"
"Finding out the truth." Sam finishes.
"Yeah."
"You mind if I check out her room?" Sam asks.
Dean pulls up in the Impala. His phone rings. "Hey." He says.
"So... I saw you called." Lisa says.
"Yeah, it's been crazy." Dean says.
"Ben won't even talk about it."
"Lisa, I'm sorry, but this is actually the... worst time in the universe to talk. C-can we do this later?" Dean says.
"You shoved my kid, Dean. How about we do this now?" Asks Lisa.
"It wasn't like that."
"Then how was it?" Lisa asks.
"I can't really explain." Dean says.
"You want to know the truth?"
"Probably not." Says Dean.
"You've got so much buried in there, and you push it down, and you push it down." Lisa says. "Do you honestly think that you can go through life like that and not freak out? Just, what, drink half a fifth a night and you're good?"
"You knew what you signed up for." Dean says.
"Yeah. But I didn't expect Sam to come back. And I'm glad he's okay. I am. But the minute he walked through that door, I knew. It was over. You two have the most unhealthy, tangled-up, crazy thing I've ever seen." Says Lisa. "And as long as he's in your life, you're never gonna be happy. That came out so much harsher than I meant."
"It's not your fault."
"I'm not saying don't be close to Sam. I'm close to my sister. But if she got killed, I wouldn't bring her back from the dead!" Lisa yells.
"Okay, Lis... I'm not gonna lie. Okay, me and Sam, we... we've got issues. No doubt. But you and Ben—" Dean starts.
"Me and Ben can't be in this with you. I'm sorry." Lisa hangs up, leaving Dean despondent.
COREY'S BEDROOM
[ ☼ ]
Sam is searching the room. He finds a box under the bed. He opens the box and takes out a cat's skull. "Sorry, Mittens." He says.
Dean is walking up, Sam is walking down. "Hey, where you been? I found something." Sam says.
"It can wait. We got to talk." Dean says.
"Yeah. What's up?" Sam says as he and Dean walk back downstairs.
"There's a few things I want to ask you, and, uh, you're gonna tell me the truth." Dean says.
"Uh, yeah, Dean. Of course. What are you talking about?" Sam asks. "Whoa. Are you saying you're..."
"I asked for the truth. And you know what? I'm getting it. So, like I said, I have a few questions for you." Says Dean. "When that vamp attacked me, why did you just stand there?"
Sam falters, turns on puppy dog eyes. "I-I didn't. I froze." He says.
"You froze. You have been Terminator since you got back." Dean says.
"I don't know. Shock? And then it was too late. I feel terrible about it. Believe me. Dean... I can't lie here. Do you really think I would let something like that happen on purpose? You're my brother. H-how could you even—"
"Okay. Okay. Sorry. I...I thought—I thought I saw something. I... I guess I was wrong. It's just been a really, really bad day." Dean says.
"Hey. It's okay. I got your back, all right? I always have." Sam says.
"Thanks, Sammy." Dean says as Sam turns. His expression goes blank as he walks down the stairs.