INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT, CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS

A voice said over the television, "I'm Ashley Frank, and I will..."

Jane Peterson, a waitress, emerged from the kitchen and walked to the till in the restaurant, all the while speaking on her cellphone. "He said he'd call, but of course he never did. But -- I don't know. I just -- we had such a good time. I-I should call him, right? Do you think? I mean, should I call him? I don't know. Oh. Uh, Olivia, just hold on a sec." She turned away from the frowning front manager, but continued her phone conversation. "I just need the truth. That's all. I really gotta go, 'kay? Call you later."

INT. BIGGERSON'S KITCHEN

Jane was picking up an order.

"I pity you," the cook said.

"I'm sorry?" Jane asked.

"You're sad and pathetic, and I pity you -- only reason I'm giving you a head's up. Stay away from the clam chowder. I flavored it with my own... seasoning."

Jane looked shocked and went to deliver the order.

"Hey, Jane," the front manager called. "You know that new girl, Misty? Way hotter than you."

"Excuse me?" Jane replied.

"Basically, she's an eight, and you're a... a three."

Jane, disconsolate, continued her duties. She said to an elderly patron, "Can I get you anything else, ma'am?"

"No, thank you," the elderly patron said. "I ran over a homeless man once, and I never even stopped to see if he was alive."

Jane turned. Other people addressed her as she moved through the restaurant.

A little girl said, "I hate Mommy. I want to burn her in her sleep."

A waiter spoke. "I don't know what it is, but you just give me the creeps. Like I get physically nauseous."

A female voice said, "You're pathetic."

A male voice. "Loser."

Another male voice. "Desperate."

Jane was in a back room, unlocking a drawer and pulling out a gun.

A female voice. "Stupid. Mousy."

Yet another male voice. "You're a desperate, pathetic loser."

"You're gonna die alone."

Jane was in a corridor outside the main dining room, speaking on her cellphone to her sister Olivia.

"Hey, can you come get me?" Jane asked.

"You sound awful," Olivia told her. "Have you been drinking?"

"I think I'm going crazy. I'm freaking out."

"Of course you are. 'Cause you are a freak. You're certifiable. Every time the phone rings, my stomach drops. Jane with another crisis. You're a walking disaster." Jane pulled the gun out of her apron. "The whole family's just waiting for your next big breakdown, Jane. We're like hostages. Why don't you just go ahead and kill yourself already?"

Jane placed the gun under her chin. A shot rang out and Jane's blood splattered on a sign that reads: BIGGERSON'S: THE HAPPY PLACE.

EXT. - DAY - HOT DOG VENDOR

Sam was in the line up. Dean was walking away, talking to Bobby on the phone while holding his wife's hand.

"I know what I saw, Bobby," Dean said. "Alana knows."

Bobby, in his home, replied, "We tested him. Salt, silver -- everything."

"He threw me and Alana to that vamp. I'm telling you, it's not my brother."

"Well, then he's something we ain't ever seen before."

"Yeah, or it's freakin' Lucifer."

"Did you call Cas?"

"'Course I called Cas. He's not answering. Screw him. I can't wait anymore."

"Look, I get it. You're rattled. You're right to be. But let's be professional-"

"Professional? He watched my wife get turned! He almost let me get turned!"

"What you saw... are you sure that's what you saw?"

"Damn it, Bobby, yes. I know. She knows."

"Well, "you know" ain't the same as proof. 'Cause we're talking about-"

"-we're talking about doing something about this, and fast. It's not just the vamp, okay? He has been different from the jump."

"All right. I'm with you."

"Are you?"

"Yeah. I'll hit the books, hard. Just don't shoot him yet, all right? Watch him. We need facts. 'Cause if it ain't Sam... we don't know what it is. And if we're gonna put him down, we need to know how."

"I don't even want to ride in the same car with him, much less work a damn case. I want Alana to even less."

"Get in the car. He's yours and Alana's case."

Sam walked up to Dean and Alana with a newspaper and lunch in hand.

"Hey," Dean greeted. "I was just, uh, I was checking a message."

"Anything important?" Sam replied.

"No."

Sam handed Dean a foil-wrapped hot dog. "Sucks."

"Yeah."

Sam looked at Dean and Alana intensely. "You two okay?"

Dean, stilted, replied, "Yeah. I'm fine. Alana's fine. How are you?"

Alana nodded. "Like he said, I'm fine."

"Me? Great," Sam said. "Here, look. Check this out. Think it might be something." He handed Dean a newspaper featuring the story about Jane Peterson. "Four people, out of nowhere, all in the last couple of weeks. What do you two say?"

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "Sounds like a plan. Babe?"

Alana shrugged. "Sure."

"Let's go," Sam told them.

INT. - DAY - OLIVIA'S HOUSE

Dean, Alana and Sam were posing as FBI agents. Dean and Alana explored the house while Sam questioned Olivia.

"I don't understand," Olivia said. "Why would federal investigators be interested in a suicide?"

"Well, um... it's a new, more caring administration," Sam replied.

"Well, I already told the cops. Jane was having a really bad day, so I-I did what any sister would do." She played with her hair as Dean and Alana dropped in. "I... tried to cheer her up, you know? Told her to hang in there."

"You know what a "tell" is?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's a poker term... for when you're bluffing. Like what you just did with your hair."

"What are you trying to say?"

"You're lying."

Dean and Alana were surprised at the force of Sam's inquiry.

"What?!" Olivia cried.

"Tell us what you did to your sister," Sam demanded.

Dean and Alana were shocked.

Olivia looked to Dean and Alana for reassurance. She broke down as Sam looked vindicated. "Okay. You're right. I was lying. I wanted to tell her, "I love you. I'm here for you." Oh, but what came out was... "You're a burden. Just kill yourself." Who says that?! I-I-I just couldn't stop!"

EXT. - DAY - OUTSIDE OLIVIA'S HOUSE

Dean, Alana and Sam were walking back to the car.

"See anything in the house?" Sam asked.

"No hex bags, no sulfur, no EMF," Dean replied. "You?"

"A tuba and an issue of Crochet Today. So, what, already kinda suicidal?"

"Right, and then big sis's Taxicab Confession sends her over the edge. Question is, what made big sis open her big, fat mouth in the first place?"

"Yeah, that is the question."

Sam, Alana and Dean got into the Impala.

INT. - DENTIST'S OFFICE

A voice said over the television, "Are organic fruits and veggies worth the high cost?"

Paul, a dentist, said, "Thanks. Uh, can you grab some gauze, please?"

"Mm-hmm," the dental hygienist hummed.

"Should've had you prescribe me a Valium," the patient said.

"Just relax," Paul told him.

The television came into view; the volume was low. "What is the truth?"

Paul, preparing a needle for freezing, reassured, "It'll be fine."

"I'm Ashley Frank."

"I got to be honest, Paul -- I don't really want to be here," the patient told him.

"You and most people," Paul said. "But you know what? I don't take it personally. Okay, open up." He injected the needle into the patient's mouth. "You and Donna should come over for supper. How long has it been?" He pulled the needle out. "There. Worst part's over."

"I'm not really into Donna anymore. She's old."

Paul was surprised. "Your wife looks great for her age."

"Her saggy skin makes me want to hurl. I have urges, you know."

"Okay."

"Remember that camping trip I missed 'cause I was sick? Well, I wasn't. I was just afraid to be around Melissa."

"My daughter Melissa?"

"But then... she spent the night for Jill's slumber party. Oh... it just seemed so easy, you know?"

"What are you saying?"

"It's not so much I couldn't control myself. I just knew I wouldn't get caught. And I didn't get caught."

Paul grabbed the patient by the throat, forcing him to gasp for air. Paul shoved a drill into the patient's mouth. Blood spurted incessantly. The dental hygienist entered and screamed.

EXT. - DAY - HOTEL ROOM

Dean was on the phone, speaking to Bobby. "Hey. You got anything?"

"I've been up all night lookin'," Bobby replied. "Nothing fits."

"Awesome."

"You got anything else to go on?"

"Yeah, my skin crawls being in the same room with him. Why don't you look that up?"

"I'm working on it."

"I don't know how much longer Alana and I can do this, Bobby. You got to figure out what the hell he is and fast."

"I'm trying. But, Dean, there's a worst-case scenario."

"What, Satan's Alana's and my co-pilot? Yeah, I know."

"Well, that'd be the other worst case."

"Well, then what?"

"Maybe it's just Sam."

"I gotta go."

"Dean."

"You got a day, Bobby, and then Alana and I are handling this."

Dean hung up, took a pull from a beer. Alana rubbed a hand along his back.

Sam, dressed as an FBI agent, entered and said, "There was another one."

"Yeah? What?" Dean and Alana asked.

"Dentist drilled a guy to death."

"You mean the... non-sexy kind of drilling, right?" Dean questioned, seeing a frown from his wife. "Sorry, babe."

Sam eagerly said, "50 bucks says he's mixed up in all the crazy."

"You think?"

"Yeah. Let's go talk to him."

"Okay. Uh... why don't you go ahead? I'll catch up. I'm gonna do a little research. Alana's gonna stick with me."

Sam, disbelieving, asked, "You sure?"

"Yeah. We got to know what we're up against, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, good idea." He left.

Dean was relieved, but anxious. He took Alana's hand and she squeezed his.

EXT. - DAY - OUTSIDE A BUILDING

Sam had been questioning the dental hygienist.

"Thanks a lot," Sam said, walking away and called Dean and Alana.

Dean asked, "Anything from Marathon Man?"

"Not exactly. He hung himself in his cell before I could get to him."

"Yikes."

"But he was definitely involved. Just got the scoop from his assistant."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Let's say the stuff that his patient was confessing to -- I'd have murdered him, too."

"So, root canal and Russian roulette -- both of 'em, it's like they were cursed, right? I mean, people are just compelled to puke the truth all over 'em?"

"Oh, getting hit with the ugly truth, you go postal? I'd call that a curse. Do me a favor -- I'm going to the morgue to check out the body. Why don't you take the dentist's office, see what you see?"

"Yeah. No problem." He hung up, closed his laptop, which was open on an article titled "Doppleganger".

Alana stepped out from the bathroom and asked, "What?"

"We're headed off, baby."

INT. - DENTIST'S OFFICE

Dean and Alana snuck in under the police tape, past the bloodied dental chair, and into Paul's office. There was a saxophone on the credenza. Dean picked up a pack of reeds from Paul's desk and a receipt from Harry's House of Horns. He remembered seeing the shop's name on Jane Peterson's calendar, along with a note about a dental appointment.

INT. - DAY - HARRY'S HOUSE OF HORNS

Harry was holding up photos of Paul and Jane that Dean supplied.

"Jane and Dr. Conley," Harry said. "I heard. Awful. What do I have to do with it?"

"Honestly? You're the only thing they have in common," Dean told him. "Did they say anything to you before they, uh...?"

"Sorry. Not really."

"Right," Alana said. "Ah, we were just fishing. Thanks."

"Hey, by the way, how 'bout my horn?"

"Sorry?" Dean and Alana questioned.

"Stolen horn?"

"Right. Yeah. We're -- we're working on it, " Dean said as he and Alana turned to leave.

"Well, I hope so. Thing's one-in-a-billion."

Dean and Alana turned back as the latter asked, "What makes it one-in-a-billion again?"

"It's a museum piece. And near as anyone can tell, about a thousand years old." Harry showed Dean a photo of the instrument.

"Where's it from?" Dean questioned.

"No one knows."

"When did it get swiped?"

"About... two weeks ago -- same day Jane died."

INT. - DAY - MOTEL

Dean had an entry about Gabriel's Horn of Truth up on his laptop.

Dean drained a glass of whiskey and said, "Castiel? Hello? Possible loose nuke down here, angelic weapon. Kinda your department. You hear that, Cas?"

Castiel appeared. "Hello, Dean. Hello, Alana."

"Are you kidding me? Alana and I have been on red alert about Sam, and you come for some stupid horn?!"

"You asked me to be here, and I came."

"I -- I've been asking you to be here for days, you dick!"

Castiel looked abashed. "I didn't come about Sam because I have nothing to offer about Sam."

"Well, that's great, because for all we know, he's just gift wrap for Lucifer."

"No, he's... he's not Lucifer." He grabbed the bottle of whiskey.

"And how do you know that?" Alana asked.

Castiel refilled Dean and Alana's glasses. "If Lucifer escaped the cage, we'd feel it."

"What is wrong with him?" Dean wondered.

"I don't know, Dean. I'm sorry."

"What happened to you, Cas? You used to be human, or at least like one."

"I'm at war. Certain... regrettable things are now required of me."

"And Gabriel's Horn of Truth? That's a real thing?"

"You've seen it?"

Alana nodded. "Well, not me. We think it's in town. Something's forcing people..."

There was the sound of angel wings fluttering. Castiel had left.

"Oh, well, you're welcome!" Dean yelled, taking a swig.

Castiel reappeared behind them and said, "It isn't the Horn of Truth."

"What are you talking about? You were gone for like two seconds. Where did you look?"

"Everywhere."

"Right. Well, nice seeing you, anyway."

"Dean," Castiel and Alana said.

"What?"

"About your brother," Castiel stated. "I... I don't know what's wrong with him, but I do want to help. I'll make inquiries." He disappeared again.

"Yeah. Thanks." Dean took another drink.

Alana sighed. "Love, Cas is trying."

"Yeah, I know."

INT. - MORGUE

Paul's body was being pulled out.

"Now, I'd actually like to see all the suicides that came in this week, not just Dr. Giggles," Sam said. "Is that gonna be a problem?"

"Well, they're -- they're already gone," the coroner replied.

"As in transferred?"

"Yeah, not exactly."

"Would you like to tell me what's going on here, or should I have a little chat with your supervisor?"

The coroner said confidentially, "They're gone."

"As in... gone gone?"

The coroner nodded.

EXT. - STREET VIEW OF A BAR CAFE

INT. BAR CAFE

The television was on.

Ashley Frank said, "...Consumers from predatory prices. Here's the facts."

An announcer spoke. "Tune in weekdays for the newest addition to our award-winning local team."

Dean and Alana were sitting at the bar, drinking a shot.

Ashley Frank said, "Find out the truth about your layaway living room."

"Another one?" the bartender asked.

"Uh, no, thanks," Dean said. "I'm working."

The bartender looked at Dean askance. Dean's phone rang and he answered. "Hey, what's up?"

Sam was walking into an apartment building called Carlton Court.

All the bodies were gone.

"What do you mean, they just vanished?"

"That's what the coroner said," Sam said. "But I got a lead. One of the missing bodies, she died a whole week before everybody else."

"Suicide?" Alana repeated, moving closer to Dean to speak.

"Reported as a car accident, but no reason it couldn't have been."

"So then that would make her our patient zero, right?" Dean guessed.

"I'm thinking maybe. Whatever got this whole curse thing rolling started with her. I'm at her place now, corner of Burnham and 159th."

"Yeah, give us 10." He spoke to the bartender. "You know what? I will have that other one."

"Thought you were working," the bartender said.

Dean rubbed his eyes. "I am working up to it." Alana held out her hand and Dean took it.

"You okay?"

"No, not really."

"I talked to local experts to bring you the truth."

The bartender poured Dean a shot. "On me. Anything else I can get you or her?"

"I'd just like the freakin' truth." He drained the shot. "But I'll settle for another one."

"Sometimes I think I can't get pregnant 'cause God knows my marriage is a sham. Why'd I say that? I mean, I've been snorting oxy all day. Why'd I say that?"

"I'm pretty sure I know."

INT. - BAR CAFE

The television was still on. "I'm Ashley Frank with Frank Talk..."

"I've got to go. Thank you. Come on, Kennedy," Dean said, walking by a busty patron.

"I'm sitting like this so you'll look at my breasts," the busty patron informed. "I just bought them. I need a lot of attention."

"Good luck with that." Dean left, then walked back for another peek.

Alana smiled. "I love you, Dean."

"Nothing you want to confess?"

She shook her head. "No, I can't think of anything. Maybe because we're honest with each other and tell the truth to each other. Sometimes not right away; but we always tell the truth."

"I'm thankful for that. I love you too, Alana."

EXT. - BAR CAFE

Dean and Alana were walking back to the Impala. Dean called Bobby. "Hey, anything you're itchin' to tell me?"

Bobby, in his kitchen, was grabbing a beer. "Not really. Sorry to disappoint."

"Ah, that's all right. I'm just testing a theory."

"Well, I'm here hittin' the books while drinking a nice glass of milk, while watching "Tori & Dean.""

"Wh- wait, w-who and Dean?"

"Tori Spelling. I'm a huge fan. Girl's a real talent."

Dean said to himself, "Oh, I guess it does work over the phone."

"You know what else? I get a pedicure once in a while -- this nice Vietnamese joint." He took off his boots.

"Okay. Okay, please stop."

"This one gal, Nhung Phuong -- her name means "velvet Phoenix." Tiny thing, but the grip on her. She starts on my toes, and I feel like I am gonna-"

"Whoa, whoa! Hey, come on, ma-- now I'm scarred for life. Thank you."

"I never told anyone that. Why am I telling you? Maybe 'cause you're my favorite. Although, Sam's a better hunter. Lately, anyway. Whoa. Why the hell am I tellin' you this?!"

"Because I'm cursed."

"Cursed?"

"Yes."

"How is it... that half the time you clean a mess, you end up dirty?"

"Actually, this might be the best thing that's happened to me in a while."

"What do you mean? Dean... Dean, what damn fool move are you about to-"

"I gotta go."

"Okay. But did you know my first girlfriend turned out to be a-"

Dean hung up emphatically. "No, no! Mnh-mnh. Mnh-mnh." He turned to Alana. "Did you know Bobby likes pedicures and Tori Spelling?"

Alana shook her head. "No, I didn't. Truth spell?"

"Truth spell."

Dean and Alana got into the Impala, he called Sam and got his voicemail.

"It's Sam. Leave me a