Dani Acosta is a police officer from the Camden Police Department in Maine. After rescuing Henry Kavanaugh and Tabitha Matthews from the scene of a car crash, their ambulance becomes trapped in the Township.
Biography[]
Season 3[]
After Henry and Tabitha get into a car accident, Acosta is one of the first responders and rides with them in their ambulance on the way to the hospital. When Tabitha wakes up, Acosta tells her that they have been looking for her since she ran out of the hospital. As Tabitha tries to convince them to let her go, the ambulance stops, as their path is blocked by a Fallen Tree.[1]
As the EMTs examine the Fallen Tree blocking the road, Acosta observes how empty the area is. Tabitha exits the ambulance and stares in shock at the tree as the crows begin squawking overhead. Acosta orders the EMTs to find a detour around the tree. As Tabitha mutters that it will not work, Acosta escorts her back to the ambulance.
The ambulance continues driving through the Forest, with night having fallen. The EMTs suggest turning around, believing they are lost, but Tabitha urges them to keep going forward towards Town. The EMTs remind her that they are looking for the highway. As they pull into Town, they notice a body on the road. Tabitha frantically tries to prevent them leaving, but Acosta cuffs her to a bar and orders her to calm down. The EMTs begin examining the Creature as Acosta approaches. The Creature then turns into her monstrous form and slaughters both of the EMTs. Acosta tries shooting the Creature, to no effect. As more Creatures approach, she runs away.
As she approaches Colony House, she continues firing rounds at the circling Creatures, and a stray bullet hits the house. After Clara helps her inside, she realizes that she accidentally shot Nicky and begins panicking. Donna arrives and has Acosta tell her what happened and if there are others with her. When Boyd arrives with Tabitha, Jim and Henry, Tabitha admonishes Acosta for not listening to her. Despite Marielle's best efforts, Nicky dies from her wounds. Boyd spots Acosta and excoriates her for firing wildly in a panic. As Boyd begins to grab her, Donna escorts him upstairs.[2]
Acosta joins the rest of the Townspeople and Colony House residents in attending a meeting in the Diner so they can hear Tabitha Matthews tell them about how she escaped and then returned. Before they begin, Boyd Stevens tells the assembled that they have no easy explanations, and to be mindful of the fact that Tabitha has been through a lot. Dale leads the others in demanding that Tabitha speak, but Donna calms them down. Bakta asks Henry why he was in the ambulance, and as he begins to explain, Tabitha arrives, with Jim. Dale immediately asks if she went through a tree. Tabitha begins explaining her story.
Tabitha concludes her story for the people in the Diner. Fatima asks if she tried reaching out to the police, and Tabitha says she wanted to, prompting anger. Tabitha justifies herself, saying they would not have believed her, and Henry tries to back her up, pointing out that he didn’t believe her at first, and that his circumstances are different than the average person’s. Acosta agrees, noting that she and the EMTs thought Tabitha hysterical, but this only angers people further, who point out that she killed Nicky. Clara admonishes Tabitha for wasting her opportunity in the outside world to get help. Jim asks the crowd what they would have done. Fatima also criticizes Tabitha, who apologizes for not finding answers and leaves.
After the meeting, Dani approaches Boyd in his office, thanking him for sticking up for her in the Diner. Admitting that she cannot take back what she did, she offers to help. She advises him to give the Townspeople something to focus on besides the tree, explaining that after a large storm had flooded the town, her precinct captain had people sandbag the marina, even though the worst had passed, to make them feel in control. Boyd reacts with anger, reminding her that her actions cost people their lives and could have killed more. Acosta then leaves.[3]
At the Church graveyard, Acosta looks over Nicky’s grave. She then goes to the Diner, where Kenny Liu apologetically informs her that they no longer serve food. Acosta asks why there is a Diner, Sheriff’s Office/Post Office and travel agency sign. Acosta asks why no one is asking her questions and Kenny admits they already have. Kenny then offers her tea.
Kenny explains that things are different when people first arrive, as they think that they will be the person able to figure everything out and free themselves. However, as time goes on that feeling passes. Dani refuses to accept this, but Kenny explains that he has been on both sides of this conversation, and everyone eventually realizes that every question and theory has been posited before, and people either adapt or lose their mind. As he talks about how he adapted, he reveals that both of his parents died in the Township, and Acosta expresses her condolences. After Kenny asks, Acosta admits she does not really have family back home. Kenny points out that they have Talismans, which keep them safe at night, and that Boyd found them. Acosta begins complaining about Boyd taking her gun and his attitude towards her. Kenny offers her fresh clothes, but Acosta snaps at him that she does not want to grow comfortable in the Township. The Jukeboxes begin playing O-o-h Child as Acosta leaves, pushing Bakta out of the way as she does.
Boyd returns to the Sheriff's Office and finds the place ransacked. He finds Acosta, searching for her gun. She demands he return her gun, and he simply orders her to leave. Boyd reminds her that she shot someone in a panic, but she defends her actions. Boyd says that until she proves herself able to handle things, he will not give her a loaded gun. Acosta reminds him that she is an actual cop. Boyd asks when she graduated the academy, and when she says it is not his business, he tells her that everything about her and the Township are his business because he keeps people safe and alive. Acosta retorts that he has been doing a poor job it lately, and repeats his order to leave. Acosta repeats her request for her gun, and Boyd returns it, but only after unloading the bullets, telling her that she will receive those when he believes she deserves it. As she leaves, he says that they will have a problem if she returns without his permission.[4]
After word of Tillie's death spreads, Boyd and Kenny head to the greenhouse, where Acosta is examining the body. Kenny and Acosta report that there were no witnesses, and time of death is unclear. Acosta suggests interrogating the residents of Colony House. Boyd says he and Ellis will scout out the road to see if there are any new arrivals that arrived unnoticed. Kenny and Acosta talk to two Colony House residents, who says they saw nothing, and they should talk to Sara, as she is the only person who has killed someone before. The residents remind Kenny that she killed his father, surprising Acosta. As Kenny and Acosta leave Colony House, Acosta asks him about Sara. The two are interrupted by Ethan's arrival, as he frantically tells them that Julie is having a seizure. Ethan them to the Ruins as Julie wakes up, and she pulls her brother into a hug.[5]
Acosta and Kenny notice the commotion caused by Victor throwing things out of his bedroom window. As he storms down the stairs, Acosta tries to block him but is stopped by Kenny. They follow him to the kitchen, trying to calm him. Victor retrieves the axe, and Kenny tries to get him to put it down. Victor promises he will not hurt anyone, but he needs the axe. As he grows more agitated, he asks to be let go, and Acosta says they will if he tells them what he needs the axe for. Victor answers that he is going to chop down the tree.
Later that day, Boyd and Donna assemble everyone outside the Diner. Donna acknowledges that everyone is scared and wants answers about what happened to Tillie. Boyd then reveals that Fatima is missing, and they ask everyone to help with the search. One person asks if the same thing that took her is what killed Tillie. Boyd admits he does not know, and only knows that she is close. When asked how he knows this, Boyd says it is because something wants them to know she is close, is alone, afraid, and it believes they do not have what it takes to find her. Boyd says he cannot order them to do anything, but reminds them that they did not always have the Talismans and used to live day to day. The Talismans allowed them to prove that the Township would not break them. The Township is trying to break them again, and Boyd says they have the choice of laying down and dying, or fighting back. They have proven themselves able before, and he asks for their help again, although there is no shame in refusing. Batka asks how they will do this, and Boyd says they will pair up in groups of two and cover every inch.
While searching in the woods with Donna, Acosta asks about the voice that told Boyd that Fatima was close. Donna explains that Sara told him, as she is connected to the Township in ways that are hard to understand. Acosta is skeptical, and theorizes that Sara may have killed Tillie and Fatima, and hid Fatima’s body. Acosta continues to ask why the voices aren’t revealing more information, and Donna says that it does not work that way. Acosta says that Donna is hiding something from her, and that she is a good cop and can be an asset to the Town. Donna retorts that she does not have time for a tutorial, and they need to find Fatima because she means a lot to her and the rest of the Townspeople. Donna tells Acosta she needs her help, and when Acosta agrees, Donna promises to talk to her.[6]
Acosta returns to Colony House from the search and overhears Elgin Williams being tortured upstairs. She runs upstairs, followed by the others, and demands to know what is happening. As she demands to know what is happening, Boyd orders them all downstairs. Boyd and Ellis argue with Acosta, who insists that there is a better way to find Fatima than torturing Elgin. As they continue arguing, Boyd says she can raise the issue again after they find Fatima. Acosta threatens to tell everyone what is happening, but they are interrupted by Elgin’s screams. They arrive to find Sara gouging out Elgin’s eye with the screwdriver. Sara then informs them that Fatima is in the Root Cellar.[7]
Appearances[]
Season 3[]
- Mouse Trap
- There and Back Again
- The Light of Day
- These Fragile Lives
- Thresholds
- Revelations: Chapter One
- Revelations: Chapter Two