Lie to Me Episode 3.12 Gone

It's breakfast, and as a family gathers around the table, the air is filled with tension. The father, Lane, alternates between doting on baby Kim and criticizing the parenting skills of his wife, Colette, in front of their teenage son, L.J.

Later that morning, Colette enters a drugstore, leaving Kim alone in the car, and returns to find her daughter is gone.

Hired by the police, Cal and Gillian watch video of the press conference during which Colette claims to have been assaulted by a couple who then kidnapped Kim. Cal notices that Colette is guilty, ashamed, and more frightened by her husband than about what's become of her daughter. And who's the guy in the shiny suit? Dr. Heaton, replies Gillian, adding that after an uncompleted call to Lane, he was the first person she contacted.

Cal and Gillian order Ria and Eli to analyze the existing evidence; they then head for Heaton's office, where the doctor, who operates a fertility clinic, tells Cal that Colette was a former patient, but his face says Colette is capable of lying. Meanwhile, Eli notices that the police report states Kim's blankets and bottles were also taken: a sign that whoever kidnapped Kim wants to parent the child.

When Detective Wallowski brings Lane and Colette in for questioning, Lane tells Cal he believes that Colette is telling the truth. But when Ria asks Colette to recount the incident, she trips over the details, then breaks down. And when Cal puts the couple together, Colette confesses to Lane that she'd left Kim alone for a minute - but she was too afraid to tell him. Meanwhile, Cal determines that Heaton is hiding something about Kim's conception, then he contrasts Colette's courage with Lane's lack thereof, and Lane storms away.

Cal visits L.J. and notices that the teenager has injured his hand in a fight. Why? L.J. says another student was repeating rumors about Colette, who teaches at his school. He won't give details but hopes Lane hasn't heard them.

Gillian and Cal meet with the school's principal, Ben Aston, and determine that he and Colette have been having an affair for years. While Aston denies kidnapping Kim to prevent Lane from learning about this, Cal says that - for Colette's safety - Aston should tell Lane about the affair while Lane's under investigation.

Cal and Wallowski visit Colette at home. A half-drunk Lane enters, says Aston told him everything, and orders Colette out. When Cal asks Lane if he's the kidnapper, Lane orders him out. Cal refuses, and Lane decks him with a punch to the stomach.

Cal goes home and finds Emily studying with Liam, who scurries away. Cal explains that he provokes people until they lose control and display their true emotions, adding that Emily does the same to him because he's an authority figure and it's in her blood.

Questioned again at the Lightman Group office, Lane admits that he already knew about Colette's affair, adding that their inability to conceive brought them to Heaton. Cal says that Colette's shame showed Lane isn't Kim's father - and he suspects Heaton is.

When Cal and Gillian revisit Heaton, asking if Lane is Kim's father, he says that Lane and Colette are her parents. Gillian busts him for weaselly language and voices suspicions that Kim's father is the kidnapper. While Heaton truthfully denies being Kim's father, Cal notes Heaton's squinting eyes and pressed lips indicate that he's lying about her father being Lane.

Eli and Ria show Cal video footage taken earlier this morning at the drugstore where the kidnapping took place; in the video Lane can be seen buying diapers. Cal and Wallowski immediately throw Lane into the cube. While Lane agrees that he's not the best husband or father, he claims to have bought the diapers out of habit - otherwise he'd be admitting he'd lost hope - and breaks down in tears. Cal wants to re-question Colette, L.J., and Heaton.

Cal shows Heaton a live video feed of Ria interrogating Colette, who denies having an affair with Heaton, but admits Aston is Kim's father - which she never told Heaton, who confirms her story. But when Ria tells Colette that someone close to her kidnapped Kim because no one forced their way into her car, Colette remembers that she always kept a spare key in a kitchen drawer.

Cal asks L.J. about his obvious enjoyment in seeing Lane suffer, noting the teen's smiling photo from the press conference and his reaction to Cal's recounting Lane's recent tears. Cal understands how L.J. feels, citing his own youthful struggles with his father abusing his mother, which causes L.J. to admit he kidnapped Kim and stashed her at a friend's house whose parents are out of town.

L.J. brings Kim back to his parents, who are all tears, and the teen tells his father that they've got a lot of talking to do. However, the law requires Wallowski to arrest L.J. - even though Lane doesn't want to press charges - but they won't charge Colette with making a false statement. Lane says that he won't be happy until his whole family is reunited; Cal advises him to take it easy.

Cal goes home and watches Emily practice debating with Liam, telling Emily not to make it personal and don't directly engage your enemy. When Liam says that "enemy" is making it personal, Cal's busted. He wishes Liam luck, adding that Emily won the first round, but there's 11 to go. Emily flashes a smug smile.