Ain't No Sunshine - Recap

Nurse Bill Rand is walking home after a night at the bars. As he goes to his car, a shadow appears behind him. Bill is suddenly slapped and he looks around, but there's no apparent source for the blows. He's hit repeatedly and then Rand's attacker runs a sword-like weapon through his chest. As Rand collapses, the shadow walks away... with no one to cast it.

The next morning, Jess finds Nate waiting for her outside with her favorite coffee. She notes he could have stayed the night but he dodges the issue. Jess tells him she has to visit a few people and invites him to come to dinner that night, and he accepts. Audrey calls and Jess realizes who it is, and he picks up Audrey to go to the murder scene. Audrey figures Nathan didn't stay the night, and he asks if she has any friends. Audrey figures he's ducking her question but is forced to admit that she doesn't have any friends. They check the body and are unable to determine the exact murder weapon, but confirm someone with incredible strength killed Rand. They realize Rand worked at the Hessberg Medical Center, the same place where Jess helps out.



The officers go to the medical center and Audrey finally admits that she's never had time for friends. Nathan suggests small talk, but it doesn't go well. They talk to the head doctor, Mrs. Wilson, who insists that Rand had no enemies and everyone liked him. However, she admits that there are patients and staff who believe that a "Dark Man" kills patients. Audrey insists on talking to the patients. They walk by past a grief counseling session that Jess is running, and Audrey wants to find out more about them. The patients are talking about their dead family members, and one of them, a blind man named Thornton Aarons, says that he was a miserable husband who treated his wife, Sarabeth, like garbage. Now that she's dead, he's become a better man.

After the session, Jess explains that all of the members lost someone recently. They tell her that Rand was murdered. Members of her group, including Thornton, Menchie, and Bart come over and insist that the Dark Man is real, even though none of them have seen him. They take their contact information and promise to call them if they find anything.



That night, Nathan and Audrey go over the files but find no information on the Dark Man, or anyone who had a reason to murder Rand. Jess arrives with food and both Audrey and Jess make awkward comments about sex. Nathan suggests she take a few days off but Jess refuses. Nathan promises that he'll try to get over to her place that night.

Mrs. Wilson is at home planning a trip with her husband, and assures him that they have the money. He goes to get dinner and the shadow man appears on the wall behind her chair. It takes out a long blade and stabs through the back of the chair and then through her chest.



Audrey and Nathan are called to the scene, and confirm that a knife long enough to penetrate the chair and Mrs. Wilson couldn't have fit in the space between the chair and the wall. Nathan figures that a blade is an emotional weapon, and someone really hated Mrs. Wilson. They call in Menchie, Thornton, and Bart, but none of them can agree on a consistent description. The next morning, the officers go to see David and Vince to check their archives. The only thing Audrey finds on "Dark Man" is an old article on a black man moving into town. They don't know anything about the Dark Man.

Audrey then checks obituaries and confirms that 27 cancer patients have died at the center and 12 died before their time. Audrey suggests they exhume one of the bodies and Nathan agrees to convince someone in the courthouse. However, Nathan warns that it won't make them popular with the family members. As they go, Audrey volunteers to do the paperwork so Nathan can be with Jess. When he refuses, she realizes that something is going on. Nathan admits that he's not sure about sex and that he hasn't tried since his neural condition began. Audrey tells him to go figure it out and won't take no for an answer.



That night, Thornton and Menchie come to the station and blame Audrey for exhuming their families. Audrey insists she didn't have a choice and they have to figure out how the Dark Man is killing people. They agree but warn her that they shouldn't have gone behind their backs.

At her house, Jess offers Nathan wine He then explains that it's his first date since he stopped feeling anything. He admits that he feels nervous, just like when his dad caught him kissing a girl in high school. Jess starts kissing him and tells him to concentrate on her face, Finally he starts kissing her back.

David and Vince arrive at the station and want Audrey decide which is better, photography or painting. as they talk, the Dark Man enters the office Audrey notices it and gets the brothers out of the way. David fends it off using the flash on his camera but it then swings at them. Audrey tells them to turn off the lights so the shadow can't exist. They manage to get most of the lights off but the Dark Man cuts them off from the hallway light and moves in for the kill.

Nathan and Jess are attempting sex when Audrey calls. Jess figures that it's Audrey, and realizes that once Nathan takes it, he'll leave. He takes it anyway and she makes him promise to try again tomorrow. Nathan goes to the station and turns off the remaining lights, and then shoots out the overhead light, forcing the shadow away. Audrey realizes that they described him differently because his shape varied based on the light. David volunteers to take the film developed to see if they can find any clues. Once they're gone, Audrey apologizes for interrupting and wonders if anything happened. When Nathan informs her that it was about to, she apologizes again.



Jess meets at Thornton's home and reads Sarabeth's favorite book. He insists that he's hanging in there, but some days are worse than others. Thornton explains about how she died prematurely, and Jess goes to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

At the station, Eleanor goes over the exhumation reports and informs the officers that there are no traces of chemotherapy drugs. She figures they died of untreated cancers, but doesn't offer any theories.

In the kitchen, Jess notices Sarabeth's anti-pain medications and realizes that the bottles are all full.

Audrey and Nathan go over the pictures and realize that the Dark Man was disappearing a bit at a time whenever David used the flash. They figure that Rand withheld chemotherapy and Wilson sold the drugs to other clinics, and that Wilson was planning an expensive trip. Nathan goes to the bank to check their records.

Jess talks to Thornton about the bottles, and he claims he keeps them because it makes him feel that she's still there. He explains that the bottles are full because Sarabeth never felt any pain from her treatments. Jess gives him all of bottles except two and says that she'll see him later.



Nathan confirms that Rand and Wilson had similar large cash deposits at the same time. They realize that was the Dark Man's motive, but they're not sure why it attacked Audrey. Jess calls Nathan from her home and tells him she has proof that the patients weren't getting treatment. Nathan tells her to stay there and warns that people close to the case have died. He quickly leaves and Audrey insists on going with him.

At his home, Thornton realizes that pill bottles are missing and calls Menchie.

At home, Audrey waits for Nathan, unaware that the Dark Man is approaching her. She finally realizes something is amiss and calls Nathan, who tells her to hide in the closet. As the officers arrive, they hear a scream and run inside to find Jessica on the floor. They confirm that she's unwounded. that night, Nathan insists he needs to stop the Dark Man because it's his job. He figures that whoever knew she took the bottles sent the Dark Man. Nathan goes to see Thornton, and Audrey asks for his gun first. He turns it over and they go to the clinic, and find Thornton talking to someone. They realize his cane could be the long blade, and notice that he has no shadow. Nathan reluctantly decides to just talk, and they get Thornton into a dark room. He insists he knows nothing about the Dark Man, and Audrey figures he's telling the truth. She then tells Thornton about the drug-selling scheme, and says that they have the people responsible at the station.

Audrey sets up two target silhouettes in an interrogation room and practices making small talk. Meanwhile, Nathan watches over Thornton and wonders if he really knew nothing about the Dark Man. Thornton admits he was furious at Audrey for exhuming Sarabeth's body, and that all of the rage left him when Sarabeth died. He wonders if the shadow took the negative feelings with him, but then says that he's glad that Wilson and Rand died. Nathan wonders how he feels about Jess, and Thornton is shocked to learn that his Dark Man tried to kill her. He finally admits that the Dark Man is a part of him and suggests that Nathan kill him since he can't control the creature. Nathan considers it.



The Dark Man finally comes after the supposed persons responsible in the interrogation room. Audrey triggers the camera flashes they've set up, temporarily dissipating it. She then calls Nathan and tells him to make sure it doesn't come back. At Thornton's house, he asks Nathan if he's going to kill him. Nathan says that he promised Audrey that he wouldn't. The Dark Man returns and merges with Thornton, and Nathan turns off the lights.

Later, Nathan goes to see Jess. He discovers that she's packed and ready to leave for Montreal. Nathan misunderstands and suggests that he go with her, but she tells him that she can't handle being around him when he attracts the Troubles.

Nathan and Audrey go to Thornton's house and he puts a sign on the door. She demands answers and he explains that Jess has left.



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