The sixth episode of Absentia‘s first season, titled “Nobody’s Innocent,” shifts suspicion directly onto Emily Byrne’s own family. With the FBI convinced she is a killer, a wounded and desperate Emily returns to Boston. Her search for the truth leads her straight to her brother Jack’s apartment, where she uncovers terrifying evidence that suggests he is involved in the crimes she is accused of. As Emily’s physical state worsens from a gunshot wound, she is left with no one to trust, culminating in a phone call that leaves her fate hanging in the balance.
What Emily Finds on Jack’s Computer
Emily arrives in Boston with the goal of using Jack’s medical industry connections to identify a serial number from a device found on a body. She breaks into his apartment while he is away. After hiding a cell phone in a box of cereal, she uses his computer. An online chat suddenly becomes active on the screen. A person asks Jack if he had a good time the night before.
Jack’s reply is cryptic and disturbing: “not really, bound and drowned”. He then types, “Roses are red, violet is blue”. The person on the other end asks if she is still his “favorite flower”. This exchange mirrors the known behavior of the serial killer Conrad Harlow, who also used flower names for his victims. Emily then discovers hidden folders on the laptop containing videos of women being subjected to violent acts and water torture. The sound from one video is so loud that a concerned neighbor hears it and calls the police, forcing Emily to flee the apartment.
The Police Build Their Case Against Jack
Shortly after Emily escapes, Detective Tommy Gibbs and the Boston Police Department raid Jack’s apartment. They find the same collection of violent videos and the troubling chat logs Emily saw. The evidence strongly suggests Jack’s involvement in serious crimes.
The police investigation uncovers major financial irregularities. Jack opened several bank accounts that received large cash deposits just before Emily was kidnapped six years earlier. Authorities cannot determine the source of this money. Gibbs also questions Jack’s former employer at the hospital. He learns Jack was fired for showing up drunk to a surgery and for having multiple unexplained absences. These absences, sometimes lasting a week or more, became frequent after Emily disappeared. The hospital also suspected someone was embezzling funds by paying for medical devices that were never received, though they could never prove it was Jack. He now works for a medical device wholesaler.
Nick’s Personal Life Falls Apart
While the hunt for Emily continues, Nick Durand’s personal life reaches a breaking point. He returns home to find his wife, Alice, hurriedly packing a bag to leave with their son, Flynn. Alice tells Nick she is pregnant but does not want to be merely his “second choice,” a clear reference to his rekindled feelings for Emily. She gives him an ultimatum, captured in a note she leaves behind.
She tells Nick to close the case before they discuss their future further.
Alice takes Flynn and leaves for her sister’s house, creating another major emotional crisis for Nick as he tries to solve the case.
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Emily Confronts Jack’s Associate Violet
Trying to understand the connection from the chat, Emily follows Jack to a bar where she watches him meet a woman named Violet. She later tails Violet to a strip club where she works. Emily corners Violet backstage to question her. Violet reveals that she and Jack had a physical relationship for almost two years, but it stopped abruptly when Emily was kidnapped. Jack did not contact Violet again until the very day Emily was found.
This timeline directly coincides with Emily’s abduction and return, making Jack’s behavior even more suspicious. Their confrontation is interrupted when a club bouncer finds Emily. He pulls a gun, starting a shootout. Emily manages to run but is shot during her escape. Her face is captured on the club’s security cameras, alerting the police to her location. Violet immediately calls Jack to tell him about the encounter with his sister.
A Desperate Plead and a Major Cliffhanger
Bleeding heavily from her gunshot wound, Emily drives to her mother’s gravesite. In a state of extreme distress, she uses the cell phone she hid in Jack’s apartment to call him. The episode ends with this critical voicemail.
She tells him she’s with Mom, and she needs to know why he did what he did. She asks him to come to her.
This desperate plea leaves viewers wondering if Jack will help his sister or if he is the one she should fear the most. Meanwhile, the FBI’s investigation expands as cadaver dogs uncover multiple bodies buried in shallow graves at Nottingham Park, showing the serial killer case is far larger than anyone knew.
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