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“Toxic” is episode four of season two of Perception and it stars with Daniel asking his class what their deepest, darkest secret is, the one they have never told a soul. There’s a war in the brain; one part is desperate to tell the truth, another part worries about how bad it will be if we tell. If we tell, we suffer less stress. So, if it’s healthier to confess secrets, why do we keep them hidden.
At the FBI, Donnie hands Kate a coffee. She wants to know what he wants. He denies it, then admits he’s been assigned to a case of a real estate mogul who sold Ponzi schemes in retirement centres. Donnie needs someone to do the background interviews with the victims, and the old dears just love Kate. Kate suggests she gets Daniel involved. Because he’s brilliant and, unlike Kate, never says no to a case.
Cue Daniel saying no. Albeit to Lewicki. Daniel had apparently already agreed to meet an environmental activist. Who is currently in his office. She tells Daniel there’s something he needs to see; videos of a number of girls who appear to have Tourette’s. All live in the same small town and all developed symptoms within days of each other. This is not normal; Tourette’s is not communicable.
The activist, Rebecca Abbott, says that one of the mothers found her website and thinks the girls have been poisoned. By trichlorethylene. A chemical plant, the biggest employer in the county, processes tonnes of the stuff, and the girls came back positive for TCE. Abbott is doing a class action against the chemical company. Brooksville Chemical, and the case will be helped if Daniel testifies. Daniel will need to do an examination. Abbott agrees, and asks if this weekend is good. She will spring for the plane and hotel. The case is in Pennsylvania. Daniel isn’t interested. Then Kate arrives about her case. Suddenly Daniel has to be out of town for a couple of days on another case.
Natalie asks Daniel what the real reason is. Him going on a plane and sleeping in a musty hotel. Donnie told Daniel that Kate has a thing for him. Daniel wonders if Kate asking him to help on cases is simply a way to get closer. Natalie wants to know if that would be so bad. Daniel doesn’t want to subject anyone to his insanity. Besides, how bad can the trip be. Bad question.
After an awful plane trip, Daniel is complaining about the hotel room to Lewicki when Rebecca’s assistant, Chad, arrives. They are late for the town hall meeting, because somebody slashed the tyres on their rental car again. Daniel is only here to see the girls. They are at the meeting.
To be continued…
