Houdini and Doyle (2016): Season 1, Episode 3 - In Manus Dei - full transcript

The Bible teaches us that all things are possible to him that believeth.
And I ask all of you...
Do you believe in the power of the Almighty Father?
I know the Good Lord can hear.
I witnessed a miracle first-hand.
When I was 11 years old,
the Devil himself came into our home
and tried to take my little sister Jane.
She was dying of pneumonia.
The doctors told my parents there was nothing more to be done.
"Start planning the funeral."
I loved my little sister more than anything in the world.
And I stood by her death bed, took her hand.
And I prayed.
Asked God to heal her.
I felt a warmth move through my body.
It was God, bestowing his gift of healing upon me.
And here she is today!
My little sister, Jane, alive and well!
Hallelujah!
From that moment on, I knew God had chosen me
to be his vessel here on earth.
And today, I'm here to share my gift with all of you.
I'm told this poor young woman is suffering from a heart condition.
She's in pain every day of her life.
Do you have faith the Lord can heal you today,
- free you from your pain? - I do.
Then, Lord, I ask you to bless this woman,
free her from her suffering!
In God's holy name, I demand you demons of sickness
to leave this woman now!
My pain... It's gone!
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
- What a load of rubbish! - Frank, you promised.
- I'll wager she isn't even sick. She's an actress! - Stop!
Sir, if you do not wish to be here, I suggest you leave.
Don't do this, I'm begging you.
You can't take away people's pain. You're a fraud!
If you disparage me, you disparage God.
God's as big a fraud as you.
He will punish you for your lack of faith.
This man has been blind since birth.
Never gazed into his wife's eyes,
never seen the faces of his beautiful children...
Are you all right? Fred?
Fred?
Oh, God! Oh, God!
Help me! Help me!
Please help me!
Please, help! Help!
Please! Help me, please! Please!
I suppose it's too late to decline their dinner invitation.
You're a brilliant wordsmith. No doubt you can conjure up a few hours of polite conversation.
Allow me.
Arthur!
I see what you're doing.
- Do you? - It's not going to work.
Shame.
There. That should get you through dinner.
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Don't pack those away.
She's going to come home.
Here's a headline for you.
People who go to faith healers are already sick.
This fellow Batch just happened to die
moments after the Reverend Elias Downey condemned him?
- That was a gift from my wife. - You're in the soup now.
Uh! Ooh, what's this?
You're suggesting they're performing tricks just like you?
Mine don't endanger people's lives.
Guys like Downey promote quackery over medicine.
Someone comes to them with a treatable condition like French gout.
They offer prayer instead of sending them to the doctor for mercury.
- The sooner we stop Downey, the better. - I have to agree with Harry.
Beautiful and smart.
You're a Catholic, but don't believe in the hand of God?
I do, but I don't believe just anyone can channel it.
According to this paper, this man has performed countless miracles.
He's cured cancer, gave a blind man back his sight.
Has he ever regrown a lost limb? Something you can actually witness?
I know a lot of faith healers are charlatans, but he seems different.
He doesn't even charge for admission.
I bet he accepts donations, though.
If we can prove he can actually heal people,
imagine the possibilities, the lives that can be saved.
You want to save lives? Let's prove that Downey's a fraud.
First we need to determine if Batch did die of natural causes.
Right. We should do an autopsy.
As far as I can recall, I'm still in charge. And I will not authorise an autopsy
without strong evidence that a crime was actually committed.
Batch was a sick man who died.
That's an end to it. Now, if you'll excuse me...
You heard him say we should investigate this, right?
- Without a doubt. - I know just where to start.
Fred did have a mild case of the flu.
But that's not why we went to the show.
Mrs Batch?
If I'm being honest, I wasn't sure which one of us had a problem.
You wanted a child?
It was difficult because Fred travelled so much for business.
But after trying for three years, I knew something was wrong.
Reverend Downey was our last hope.
Clearly your husband didn't share your beliefs.
He went to the show to appease me.
But he just couldn't keep his mouth shut.
- You're saying he brought this on himself? - He evoked the wrath of God.
The sooner we bury him, the better.
Mrs Batch?
I wanted to offer my condolences.
Thank you so much. That's very kind.
I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
There's nothing to forgive. The Lord knows the strength of your faith.
And for that, you'll be rewarded.
Amen to that.
Harry Houdini!
- What an honour. Elias Downey. - Yes, I know, I've seen your work.
Nice suit. Conning the sick and desperate must pay well.
It's unwise to insult a servant of God.
Especially in a church.
Is that a threat?
Everyone, come on, gather near and watch,
as Reverend Downey strikes me down before your very eyes.
What's it gonna be, Downey? Are you gonna turn me to stone?
Are you gonna summon a horde of wild animals to tear me limb from limb?
Or perhaps a good old-fashioned lightning bolt? Ooh!
It promises to be something really dramatic.
- God decides who's punished. - Don't be so modest.
This looks like a tan line.
Judging by the skin tones, I'd say around a month old.
He didn't get that tan in London.
Who doesn't love seeing the wrath of God up close and personal?
I know I do.
You too, sir, huh? I see it.
I see it. Am I right?
A rash.
His wife said he travelled for work. Must have been somewhere tropical.
I don't think he had the flu.
It might have been dengue fever.
If left untreated, it can be fatal.
Maybe he did die of natural causes.
Isn't it odd that Mrs Batch didn't mention her husband's rash?
He might have downplayed his illness, didn't want her to worry.
I'll ask around at his work. Maybe others were infected as well.
If God really gave a damn, there'd be no illness.
- We cannot begin to understand his plan. - Or maybe...
God is just a louse who gets a divine thrill out of watching people suffer.
Still no lightning bolt?
I'm sure it's coming. He must just be busy with other blasphemers.
God knows what is truly in your heart.
Again, my deepest condolences.
I'm still waiting to hear from Batch's boss
to see if he was suffering other symptoms of dengue fever.
But... he wasn't the first non-believer to have been struck down.
A man in Liverpool burned to death, a woman in Bristol was electrocuted,
a man in Manchester was trampled by a horse and carriage.
They were all determined to be accidents.
But they all died hours after they disparaged Downey.
These can't be coincidences.
It does seem that heresy led to their demise.
If anything, the timing of these accidents suggests foul play.
With the good Reverend as the main suspect.
Wild speculation. I'd say you had a grudge against the man.
I know his kind. We've gotta shut this guy down before more people are killed.
He draws a bigger crowd than you.
I don't use the fear of God to fill seats.
You're Harry Houdini, ain't you?
By your tone, I gather you're not a fan.
Don't think it's a good idea for you to be here, after what happened to the last doubter.
It's all right, Joseph. All of God's children are welcome.
Thank you. He's very devoted to my brother. We all are.
I'm alive today because of him.
His abilities are real.
Now that you're here... Excuse me. ...you can see for yourself.
All things are possible for him that believeth.
All things are possible for him that believeth. Say it with me.
All things are possible for him that believeth.
See, he's putting them in a suggestive state.
There's a lot of techniques these guys use, starting with the placebo effect.
Charlatans have been using it for years. Science has finally put a name on it.
If you believe you'll feel better, you will.
This tent is full of people who want to believe in miracles.
Nothing wrong with that.
- Are you all right? - My stomach.
Hey.
What are you doing?
He's bleeding.
What is that?
The source of your pain - a tumour.
But...
You healed me. God bless you!
That tumour looks suspiciously like a chicken gizzard.
Sleight of hand - another faith healer trick.
And when all else fails, they use plants.
That woman on crutches, she lives near me.
Unless she's been feigning for two years, she's not a plant.
Then I'm afraid she's not walking out of here.
Deliver him, Lord, from his cough. Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord!
- My lungs are clear. It's gone! - Hallelujah!
Ooh, it's a miracle.
Coughs are always fatal.
Oh, very funny.
Are you all right?
It's food poisoning.
I need to find a bathroom.
Drop your crutches and walk!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Miss Downey, there's something I'd like to discuss with your brother.
Lord, Father, place your healing hand upon this woman.
Lend her your might, your strength, Good Lord.
In Jesus Christ's name.
You can't expect a miracle if you don't have faith.
- I do have faith. - Then prove it.
I know I'm not in a position to ask for favours.
Especially since I turned my back on the Church.
Nothing to do with you - bloody fools in the Vatican.
I hope...
you won't hold it against me.
Or that I killed Holmes.
You probably prefer Dickens.
I'm rather partial to him myself.
I need your help.
The children need their mother.
They miss her.
I miss her.
So much.
I can't go through the rest of my life without hearing her voice...
...her laughter.
Please.
Please.
Arthur.
You need a haircut.
How long have I been?
Six months.
The children?
They're fine.
Although I have occasionally entertained the notion of boarding school.
I must look a fright.
You're the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen.
Then you need a haircut and spectacles.
Her awakening is truly remarkable.
But we need to exercise caution.
If she's to make a full recovery, she'll need plenty of rest.
- So, please, keep your visits brief. - Of course.
I got your message. That's fantastic.
Thank you.
But you couldn't possibly believe this has anything to do with Downey?
He laid hands on her, and moments later, she opened her eyes.
- Diseases do go into remission. - TB?
There has to be a rational explanation.
So far, her doctor has been unable to provide one.
Before you mention the placebo effect - she was unconscious.
If you're suggesting she was a plant,
I suppose I have to admit that our 12 years of marriage and two children could be a ruse.
She could have faked her illness to get away from your long speeches.
I don't trust Downey. He's a con artist.
- And maybe a murderer. - Then why heal my wife?
He didn't! It's all part of his scam.
You're famous - kind of. Imagine the publicity.
Believe whatever you want.
But something happened here that you can't explain.
Something wonderful.
I enquired at Batch's work. He hadn't been anywhere tropical in months.
You're looking a little peaky.
You're not going to throw up again, are you?
- You do care! - Only about my shoes.
Admit it, you enjoyed our dinner.
We should do it again.
Let's just focus on the investigation.
Good idea.
Right now, we have no medical explanation for Batch's death.
We need that autopsy.
Merring was adamant there'd be no autopsy.
However did you get him to authorise this?
Put forth a convincing argument. I can do that, you know.
And you thought it best to dig up the body in the middle of the night?
It is a matter of some urgency.
- You didn't ask Merring's permission, did you? - Ooh, bad girl! I like it.
You could lose your job.
Only if she gets caught - which is quite likely.
Not if Dr Doyle performs the autopsy.
I've a friend at the coroner's office who can grant us access in discretion.
Even if we do find something, that won't disprove Downey's abilities.
- Look at my wife. - Which is why I pulled her medical records.
You did what?
- Those are confidential. - Most people can't say no to a celebrity.
You had no right to go behind my back.
Seems our buddy here forgot to mention his wife was given an experimental treatment.
Her lungs were injected with antiseptic.
Several TB patients in France were completely cured by it.
That treatment was administered weeks ago with no improvement.
- Her doctor ruled it a failure. - Then her doctor was wrong.
Isn't it more likely that the treatment took time to work,
than some supernatural force magically cured her?
Are you all right?
Yeah, my back.
Here.
- I'm fine! - Let me look.
You're covered in boils.
Doctor, have you ever seen a case of food poisoning like this?
- It's not food poisoning. - It's not the wrath of God either.
I believe Mr Houdini is suffering from Hidradenitis suppurativa.
Clogged sweat glands. It's the price of a great physique.
Does it also cause vomiting?
Not normally, but there could be an underlying infection.
I've drained the boils. This poultice will help them heal.
He'll be back to his old self in no time.
Hey, that's a good thing.
It's just the timing of it all.
If a man is struck by a train, and a year later his brother is struck by the same train, what is that?
- Coincidence. - Exactly.
One coincidence I can accept, but this?
You express lack of faith and are struck with an affliction.
Correlation does not equal causation.
I've already explained Mrs Doyle's miraculous recovery.
Dr Kasad has explained my illness.
And I'm sure the autopsy will explain Mr Batch.
Doyle!
- Is he... - Still alive.
Come on, Sleeping Beauty, wake up!
Shall I fetch some smelling salts?
- No, I prefer this method. - I'm awake! I'm awake!
What happened?
We need to get out of this room.
You were right. Batch was murdered.
I knew that, but how?
Poisoned.
It explains the rash on his chest.
When I nicked his stomach, a toxic gas was released.
It happens when cyanide reacts with gastric acid.
- We need to get you to hospital. - I'm all right.
The cyanide was lethal for Mr Batch,
but the gas it produced wasn't concentrated enough to cause me any serious harm.
We need to tell Merring.
I specifically told you there would be no autopsy.
- This means dismissal. - Chief Inspector...
- Come on! - You're right.
You have every right to be angry at Stratton. She should be dismissed, absolutely.
And I'm sure you'll be able to come up with an explanation
as to how you uncovered a murder in a case you didn't even want to investigate.
You should issue an arrest warrant for Elias Downey immediately.
I said Batch was murdered, I didn't say at the hands of Downey.
Poisoning is a very human way of killing
for someone with other-worldly abilities.
Where is your evidence?
Don't say Touie. She was healed by medicine, not a miracle man.
Why are you so intent on persecuting Downey?
He's a killer! Four hecklers are pushing up daisies!
Am I the only one who sees a pattern here?
The fire in Liverpool was attributed to a stray cigarette.
Electrocution in Bristol was due to faulty wiring.
And as for the man in Manchester...
...witnesses said the horse got spooked.
- No evidence of foul play. - Doesn't mean there wasn't any.
I hope you're not suggesting all English police are incompetent?
I hope you're not suggesting every murder in England gets solved.
As long as we can all agree that this one was a murder.
I've got a matinee to do.
It appears the only thing we all agree on is that Batch was murdered.
If not by Downey, then who?
In these cases, the most obvious suspect is someone...
a little closer to home.
You said you had difficulty conceiving.
Did that cause discord in your marriage?
We'd had a few rows.
I heard it was more than that.
Your neighbours said they heard screaming one night, glass breaking.
Fred dropped a box of my mother's china.
I got upset.
You don't think I had something to do with his death?
You have a new gramophone. Must have been expensive.
You recently received a large sum from your husband's life insurance.
£2,000, was it?
I did not kill my husband!
That insurance policy has been in place for years!
- If you don't mind, I'm meeting some ladies. - A few more questions.
May I use your bathroom?
Look at this.
I could only make out a few words,
but one of them is definitely "apple",
the seeds of which are the main ingredient in cyanide.
She could have obtained a recipe from an apothecary.
This is definitely a recipe...
for apple fritters.
See, there's "flour". That looks like "eggs".
Never been a fan of fritters.
Still, I wouldn't rule her out as a suspect.
The insurance money's an excellent motive.
- How can you not like fritters? - I prefer plum pudding.
Mrs Batch also had opportunity in the hours leading up to his death.
If she was gonna poison him, what better place to throw off suspicion?
At the funeral, her behaviour seemed odd.
She wasn't acting like someone who'd just lost a spouse.
Is there a proper way to act in that situation?
Devastated.
Barely able to string a sentence together.
Eyes red and puffy from tears that never stop falling.
Walking round in a fog because everything you ever knew and loved is gone.
My mother loved my father desperately.
When he died, she never recovered.
I'm sorry.
I also found something else suspicious in Mrs Batch's bedroom.
The Rosewood?
Why would Mrs Batch have a pencil from a local hotel,
when she lives here?
Lift him out now!
He's going to die!
Out!
Out now!
Raise the curtain.
- Mummy! - Oh, my darlings!
I knew you'd wake up.
Let me take a look at you.
My, how you've grown!
Three-quarters of an inch since last month.
He's eating us out of house and home.
Oh, you've done a wonderful job.
Let's just say we haven't had any major disasters.
- Though you almost burnt the house down. - Kingsley!
- A fire? - Small one.
Vera was ill, Father tried to fry lamb chops, caught the curtains on fire.
The fire brigade showed up. There was water everywhere.
Just the kitchen.
Well, I never did like those curtains anyway.
We'll have to keep this visit short. Mustn't overtax your mother.
- Just a little longer. - Please, Father.
Let them stay. Just the sight of their faces makes me feel better.
Right, I want to hear everything I've missed.
Don't leave out a single detail.
I made a new friend at school.
Her name's Paloma, she's from Spain.
Guess what? Paloma's brother sits next to me in class!
No?
- What the hell? - Thank goodness.
Hey.
OK, I get it.
What am I doing here?
Your fever was so high, it caused a seizure in the middle of your performance.
Quite the spectacle, I heard. Florrie saved your life.
- Love that girl. - I thought you fancied Miss Stratton?
Can't figure that one out.
Are you gonna have dinner with her again, the good constable?
Maybe.
Turn you down, did she?
I don't understand. I was a complete gentleman.
I thought we had a good time.
Maybe she prefers the company of women.
Almost every one of these bones has been broken.
Most weren't even set properly.
Well, I can't do my show in a cast.
You must be in agony every single day.
High pain tolerance.
Your temperature is still dangerously elevated.
Dr Kasad's treatment clearly isn't working.
Then let's try something else.
You can't treat a condition unless you know what it is.
I think you should consider paying a visit to Downey.
I let myself believe and got my wife back.
You're a doctor!
Why would you rather believe that she was cured by God than medicine?
Do you think that your lack of faith somehow caused her illness?
Is this your way of regaining some sense of control?
Control? You won't believe in anything without tangible evidence.
God was invented to explain things that we don't understand.
Now we have science.
If I beat this illness, it'll be thanks to medicine and my constitution.
That may not be enough. If your fever continues to climb,
your brain will shut down and you will die.
You should be in bed.
I'll hop back in if you'll join me.
That pencil from the Rosewood Hotel.
Mrs Batch was there the night before her husband was murdered.
Guess who she was visiting.
Mr Houdini. You look quite ill.
Have you come to be healed?
You're not a healer, you're a murderer.
We discovered cyanide in Mr Batch's stomach contents.
I didn't poison anyone.
Mrs Batch saw you the night before her husband was murdered.
- Were the two of you having an affair? - Of course not!
You hatched a plan to get rid of her husband so you two could be together.
Mrs Batch did come to see me...
to ask for prayer
and to warn me her husband might cause a stir at the service.
Did you in turn warn her of possible repercussions?
I did. She said she'd do her best to make sure he behaved.
If you knew Batch would be there, you had time to purchase cyanide.
I've been blessed with the ability to channel the power of God.
Even if I did want to cause someone harm, why would I resort to poison?
Doyle here might find that a compelling argument.
For the rest of us, a little test.
I have here a vial of cyanide.
If you're as powerful as you say,
you'll be able to drink this and nothing will happen.
- Have you lost your mind? - Harry, please.
He's a vessel of God, he'll be fine.
Because he won't drink it.
We need to induce vomiting.
That won't be necessary.
I'm perfectly fine.
You didn't really give him cyanide, did you?
Because he's still alive?
When Downey reached for the cyanide, you didn't try to stop him.
- You're an illusionist, not a murderer. - What was the point?
- A test. - Which he passed with flying colours.
Just cos he drank it, it doesn't prove he's the real deal.
It just proves that he's crazy enough to think that he is.
But it does mean he wouldn't use poison to kill someone.
- Rules him out as a suspect. - In other words, you were wrong.
Mrs Batch is still a suspect.
If we establish where the cyanide came from, maybe we can tie it to her.
Some pharmacies stock it. It's used topically to treat wounds.
You have to request it from the pharmacist directly.
I'll request the records of every pharmacy in town, to verify who purchased cyanide recently.
What have you got?
Two runs of four and a pair for ten.
You missed 15-2, 15-4. Those points are mine.
Which means I win!
Pinochle's more my game.
Darling, you're good at many things, but cards isn't one of them.
I've missed this.
Losing to me at cards?
Yes.
Let's sneak out of here, have dinner, walk along the Thames.
Plotting your escape?
Just an excursion. I'm feeling much better.
Let's have a listen.
Your lungs are showing improvement.
But you still have a long road ahead of you.
I think it's best you remain under our care. Get some rest.
I'll look in on you tomorrow.
Why don't we have dinner tomorrow night, here, just the two of us?
Chateaubriand, roast potatoes.
- You're not going to try and cook again? - I'll ask Vera.
If we're going to have a proper dinner,
I'd like to dress the part.
I don't know. I reckon you'd set a fashion trend wearing that hospital frock.
I was thinking more of my black evening dress. The one with the lace trim.
Or the grey silk if you'd prefer.
What is it?
I gave up on you.
It was precisely your faith that brought me back.
You've nothing to feel guilty about.
Unless you've taken up with Vera.
I do like her plum pudding.
Harry, get back in bed.
I've got to tell you, Ma, I don't feel so hot.
Rest.
And my chicken soup.
That will make you better.
Thanks.
You're not going to leave me.
Understand?
You're the great Houdini.
You can escape everything.
Don't...
I'm gonna be OK, Ma.
I promise.
This pharmacy was robbed the night before Batch was killed.
Let me guess, they took cyanide?
It's round the corner from Downey's hotel.
Police collected fragmentary evidence from the scene.
You sound surprised. Some constables embrace Sherlock Holmes's methods.
The majority renounce them.
"A dark hair was recovered from the broken window, 18 inches long."
Our thief was a woman, but Mrs Batch is blonde.
"One other item was stolen.
A box of Goa powder."
- Meaning? - I know who the killer is.
I am not the only dark-haired woman in London.
But you're one of the few with psoriasis -
- a condition treated with Goa powder. - I don't have psoriasis.
This is a misunderstanding. You have the wrong person.
Your nails are cracked and brittle, a classic symptom.
From washing dishes after every show.
I doubt you've ever touched a bar of lye.
The day we saw the show was quite hot,
and yet you were wearing a scarf just as you are now.
My sister is a woman of modesty.
- Prove us wrong. Remove your scarf. - This is madness!
It's all right, Jane. Show them you have nothing to hide.
If I had psoriasis, why wouldn't I ask my brother to heal me?
Because you know he has no healing powers.
That's not true. When I was a child, he brought me back from the brink of death.
In all likelihood, your pneumonia got better on its own.
The timing was just coincidence.
You saw I drank cyanide and nothing happened.
It was water - a test.
I've cured hundreds of people,
restored their sight, made them walk, took away their pain.
Because they believed.
As for those who didn't, your sister made an example of them.
Like Frederick Batch.
His wife warned you he might make a scene at the show.
So Jane offered him a refreshment...
one laced with cyanide.
What better way to make people believe
than by showing them what happens to those who don't?
- Do you know what you're saying? - Your sister is a murderer.
That's a lie. You've got to believe me.
Remove your scarf.
Are you going to take their word over mine?
- Elias! - Put the gun down.
If I truly have powers like you say I do, I can heal you.
That's not the way to prove it.
Please.
You'll kill me.
- It's all been a lie. - No.
You helped so many people because we made them believe in you.
But this is... You kept saying I had a gift.
You do. It was your faith... that gave people hope.
Your faith made them better. They really got better.
Mr Batch and all the others?
They gave their lives so others could believe.
As long as people had faith in your divine powers, they could be healed.
There's no higher calling than that.
Their blood is on our hands.
No need to spill any more.
If you shoot her, you're no better than she is.
Jane Downey, you're under arrest on the charge of murder.
Are you all right?
Houdini!
Every time I open my eyes, I've gotta see your face?
- Good afternoon to you too. - Doctor says your fever has broken.
And the boils are gone.
Downey loses his faith and you have a miraculous recovery.
Maybe, subconsciously, you did believe in his powers.
It was my mother. Her chicken soup can cure anything.
What's more interesting is why you showed up at that tent.
You didn't know Adelaide and I would be there, leaving me with only one conclusion.
You went there to ask Downey to heal you.
I lost my cufflink at a show.
It cost more than most people make in a year.
I'm sure it'll turn up.
Nurse, start again and draw some blood. We need a full test.
Doctor?
She slipped back into unconsciousness.
I can't explain it. I'm sorry.
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