Ep 13. The Letter

The show Cold Case is an American crime drama series that aired from 2003 to 2010. Each episode takes place in Philadelphia and follows the investigations of a special division of the police department that focuses on unsolved cases. The show typically involves taking a case from the past and examining it in the present day with new technology and methods. The series aired for seven seasons and 156 episodes.

Season 1, Episode 13, titled "The Letter," follows the investigation of a missing person case from 1932. The episode begins with a young woman named Elizabeth, who is sorting through her late grandmother's belongings and discovers a letter that reveals her grandmother's sister, who was only 16 at the time, ran away from home and disappeared in 1932. The letter also reveals that her grandmother, who had always been haunted by her sister's disappearance, had spent her life searching for her.

Lilly Rush, a detective with the Philadelphia Police Department's cold case division, takes on the case. She meets with Elizabeth and learns that her great-aunt, Emma, had been living in a convent in Philadelphia at the time of her disappearance. Emma had been sent to the convent after her mother died and her father remarried. The family had been falling on hard times, and Emma's stepmother didn't want the burden of caring for her. Emma had always been a bit of a rebel and had trouble fitting in at the convent.

Lilly speaks with Sister Margaret, who is the only surviving nun from the convent in 1932. Sister Margaret remembers Emma as a troubled girl who didn't want to be at the convent. She also remembers that Emma had been seeing a boy named Tommy, who was from a rough neighborhood and had a reputation for being a troublemaker.

Lilly tracks down Tommy, who is now an elderly man. He remembers Emma fondly and tells Lilly that the two of them used to meet secretly and talk about running away together. He also reveals that Emma had been pregnant at the time of her disappearance.

Lilly and her team continue to investigate and learn that Emma had been taking piano lessons from a man named Mr. Fisk. Mr. Fisk had a reputation for being strict and had been fired from his previous teaching position after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

The team brings Mr. Fisk in for questioning, and he denies any involvement in Emma's disappearance. However, they find evidence that suggests he had been in contact with Emma in the days leading up to her disappearance.

As the investigation continues, Lilly and her team uncover more secrets and lies from the past. They learn that Emma's father had been abusive, and her stepmother had encouraged her to leave home. They discover that Mr. Fisk had a dark and disturbing past that included sexual abuse of his students.

Finally, Lilly and her team are able to piece together what happened to Emma on the night she disappeared. They bring closure to Elizabeth and her family by revealing the truth about what happened to Emma all those years ago.

Overall, "The Letter" is a poignant and emotional episode of Cold Case that shows the impact that one missing person can have on an entire family. The episode is well-paced and keeps the audience engaged with its use of flashbacks and twists. The performances are solid and the themes of love, loss, and redemption are handled with sensitivity and care. So, the episode is worth watching for true crime enthusiasts and fans of the series.