The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 4, Episode 17 - Requiem for Murder - full transcript
A Bishop gets shot after receiving a crank letter.
Check out with
Johnson on down there.
Tried to reach you at
home. You already left.
I had to get some
tickets. What's up?
Yeah, they, uh, the bishop's
not gonna make the
game tonight, Mike.
- What?
- He got shot.
Paramedics are
working with him now.
He got it in the chest.
This doesn't look too good.
Mike, it's a nightmare.
Tim, Tim.
Tim, can you hear me?
Tim.
I called the
ambulance, your office,
then I administered
the last rites.
No sign of a gun, Mike.
One bullet, close range.
Um, anything you come
up with, give it to Steve.
I'm going in the
ambulance with him.
He didn't open his eyes,
or say a word either to
Mrs. Costello or to me.
Who's Mrs. Costello?
Oh... She's the housekeeper.
In fact, it was she
and Father Tony who found him.
Thank you.
Uh, excuse me, Mrs. Costello,
my name is Inspector Keller.
Just got a couple of
questions to ask you.
Now, did you hear the shot?
No, sir.
It's my novena night.
I was around the
corner at the church.
Father Tony and I walked back
and he went
upstairs to his room.
And then you came
directly here to the study?
Directly.
I always look in on my
bishop before I retire.
Now did you see anybody
here in the room with him?
Only himself.
Lying there so pale...
I thought he was dead.
And when I heard her scream,
I came running in.
And neither one of you
saw anybody in the hall?
Only Father Tony.
There he is... Tony.
Yes, Monsignor?
Thank you very much, ma'am.
This is Inspector Keller.
Father Anthony Pedillo,
the bishop's secretary.
Oh, uh, Father, did the bishop
have any guests here tonight?
Uh, no, sir. He cancelled
all appointments.
Said he wanted to be left alone.
Now I understand the
rectory's entirely locked up.
Who exactly has
keys to get in here?
Only the private staff.
I can't imagine why anyone
would walk in off the street
and shoot a man
like Bishop Farrow.
Did you tell him
about the letter?
No.
What letter's that?
Uh, it came in yesterday's mail.
One of those anonymous cranks.
We get them all the time.
Well, I'd still like to see it.
- I'll get it for you.
- Thank you.
- Steve?
- Yeah.
- Got a minute?
- Monsignor, excuse me.
We still can't find the gun
but we did find the slug.
Uh.32 caliber.
It went right through him
and lodged right there.
Mm-hmm.
Mike and the bishop
were pretty close, huh?
Yeah, yeah,
they're pretty close.
What else you got?
Tell me... what
was troubling him?
Oh, the archdiocese is
a great responsibility...
I don't mean that.
Steve just called.
I heard about the
threatening letter.
Why didn't he tell me?
Mike, I feel sure that if...
Tim had felt you could
help him in any way,
he would have confided in you.
Ah, Miss Simms.
Monsignor, how is he?
They won't tell us
anything downstairs.
He's in God's hands.
In His, and those of the
finest surgeon in this hospital.
The radio said he was critical.
I couldn't believe
it when I heard it.
- Who would have done such a...
- We don't know yet.
Excuse me,
this is Lieutenant
Stone, an old friend.
Ellen Simms and Mr. Webster.
Why?
When he cared for people,
the way he loved them.
Please.
Here, come and sit down.
The waiting will be easier.
Ellen Simms
is a coordinator for
social counseling.
I'm afraid she's
a little bit in need
of some counseling
herself right now.
Would you excuse me?
You get any word?
No, nothing yet.
What about the letter?
Lab's got it under a microscope.
They've had it for an hour.
Sir, you're not allowed
here without a pass.
I'm here to find out
about Bishop Farrow.
I'm sorry, you'll have to
inquire on the first floor.
- I'm under strict orders...
- That will be all right, Nurse.
This is Father
Wilson, he's with us.
Excuse me, Father, you
just didn't look like a priest.
Yes, that's the idea. I...
Is he going to make it?
We'll know soon.
Is there anything
I can do to help?
Yeah, you could try praying.
Lieutenant?
The man has an
extraordinary will to live,
that and the constitution
of a freight train.
Tell me something I don't know.
Bishop Farrow stands
a fighting chance.
That's all he needs.
Thank you, Doctor.
Sure.
Well, he's still alive.
Now we've got to find the
one who tried to kill him.
No, before the ambulance came.
Like I said, I was walking Romeo
and I saw her run
out from the rectory.
Wait, you saw a woman
come out of there?
Young woman... she drove off
in one of those little sports cars.
Now, would you
recognize her again?
No, she was too fuzzy. I
didn't have my contacts in.
I'm myopic, near-sighted.
But she was young,
I could see that.
I didn't think they were
allowed, you know?
Yeah.
Okay, thank you
very much, ma'am.
I want the names of
all your domestic help.
People who clean here,
gardeners, maintenance men,
anyone who could have
been here last night.
Well, that all happens
in the daytime.
After 6:00, there's
only the resident staff.
Uh, Bishop Farrow
of course, myself,
Father Tony, Mrs. Costello,
and yes, Father Wilson.
He lives here?
Yes.
Oh, Lieutenant,
certainly you don't suspect...
No, I say that anyone who
could get that close to Tim,
to be able to shoot point blank,
must have been
someone that he knew.
Lieutenant Stone,
the bishop is still
in the shadows,
and here you are, acting it out,
like the Devil's
own passion play.
And I thought you
were his friend.
I'm afraid that, uh,
we're all standing on...
hallowed ground
here with Mrs. Costello.
To her, the bishop is a saint.
And to Father Wilson?
I don't think he has any.
What is a street priest like
him doing here on the staff?
Frankly, it was an effort to...
tame him down.
All those arrests for
civil disobedience,
and protest marches and all...
The bishop felt it might help to
reign him in, so to speak.
Did it?
Did it reign him in?
Some.
They don't have
conversations exactly yet,
but they do have...
nose-to-nose discussions.
And the man with the flowers,
you called him,
um... Oh, Webster.
Yes. He's one of
our lay advisors.
I suppose he represents
the more conservative
element in the archdiocese.
He must love Father Wilson.
Well, he certainly opposes
Wilson's latest venture,
the rent strike
against slum landlords.
I suspect George Webster
might be one of them.
And that would put
Tim right in the middle.
Uh, excuse me one second.
One of the neighbors
saw a woman running out of
here just before the shooting.
She got into a gray Mustang.
Yes. Monsignor Carruthers.
Just a moment.
Inspector, it's for you.
Thank you.
Yes. Inspector Keller.
Is Miss Simms
still in her office?
Yes, I believe so.
Would you like me
to have her come in?
Please, yes... no,
no. Don't bother.
I'll talk to her.
Mm-hmm. It's B-R-E-N-N-E-R, huh?
You got a current address?
My car?
Last year's Pinto,
sunshine yellow
with bucket seats.
Miss Simms, did you come back
here last night for any reason?
No, I left at five and
went directly home.
I had a good deal of work to do.
This is much more
than a full-time job.
Is there anything else you
want to know, Lieutenant?
Were you alone?
Yes, why shouldn't I be?
Miss Simms, nothing personal.
It's my job.
I have to ask these questions.
Yeah.
Well, in any case,
you have your answer.
Uh, Lieutenant, your inspector's
looking for you.
His name is Neil Brenner.
He's got a track record
as an anti-religious freak.
Positive I.D.?
Yeah, the letter he sent
matches a threat letter
that was sent to an
archbishop about a year ago.
Had to do with birth control.
Except on that one, he
left his return address.
Yeah, well, what else?
Uh, so he got picked up
before for threatening letters.
Psychological profile
just says his father
was some old fire and
brimstone preacher,
used to use the
rod on him a lot.
And he's been getting
even ever since, huh?
Yep.
Well, if he thinks
he's a fanatic,
wait till I get my hands
on him. Come on, let's go.
Yeah, Mr. Brenner?
- Yes, what?
- From the police department.
I'd just like you to put
that box down, please.
And put your hands
above your head.
Not this time, mister.
You freeze.
So I write letters to
The New York Times,
The Chronicle, even
Christian Science Monitor.
And after this
inquisition is over,
I'm going to write
some more letters.
- Excuse me.
- And I am about ready
to book you right now.
All right, all right, look...
I'm studying political science.
It's an extension
program at the university.
We had an exam last night
from about 6:00 till 9:00.
Voila.
Found this in your house, Neil.
The type on it matches
those of the letters.
Book him.
I didn't shoot any bishop!
We're going to find
out soon enough.
Right now you're being
booked for possession
of illegal explosives and
sending a threatening letter.
Oh, my God...
I-I had to do that.
You... They have
got to be stopped.
They're stealing
us blind. If you...
Get him out of here,
will you?! Come on!
No, please try to listen to me!
You've got to
understand! Please?
Homicide. Stone.
Well, that's the best news
I could have heard, Doctor.
Yeah, I appreciate your call.
Tim's conscious.
Great. Great.
All right.
Now, where's that mug shot?
Will you find a mug
shot of Brenner for me?
I'll get my coat.
So... who won the game?
I hate to tell you.
49ers lost it in the
last ten seconds.
Well, I'm glad I missed it.
But Tim, I think we found
the man who shot you.
Do you recognize him?
No.
You sure?
Mm.
Well, now, he must have been
as close to you as I am right now.
What did he look like?
Mike... let it be?
You know him?
Someone you know.
If we don't catch him,
he could try it again.
Come on, Tim, give me some help.
Vengeance is not
mine, it's the Lord's.
Tim... Please, Mike, there's...
there's nothing you can do.
It's in... It's in God's hands.
Oh, that stubborn...
Boy, is he bullheaded.
Who's that?
Farrow.
He talked the hospital
into releasing him.
That makes him an easier target,
and Brenner is out on
bail, or haven't you heard?
No, I heard, Mike,
but he's not our man.
He's got a classroom
full of witnesses.
He-he got a D minus on the test.
Well, he's doing
better than we're doing.
No gun, no suspect.
A victim who doesn't
want to protect himself.
Well, I guess we go right back
to our homework again, huh?
We check all the names
for access or a motive.
Here's a list of all known
anti-religious fanatics
with a record of violence.
Every one of them
has an airtight alibi.
Well, we know
that no one broke in.
No one from the
outside had a key.
Yup, which leaves
somebody from the inside.
Somebody he's protecting.
Now you don't think that someone
from his staff shot him, do you?
You said yourself, given
the proper motivation,
anyone's capable of
violence, even murder.
I guess my religious
background is beginning to show.
Nah, it's just around the edges.
Now I've been doing
a workup on the staff.
We got Father Carruthers.
He was at a Bible study group.
Father Tony and Mrs.
Costello were at the novena.
And Father Wilson... he was
downtown feeding the hungry,
if you're going to
believe his street people.
So the only one left
unaccounted for is Ellen Simms.
Yes, but wait a minute now.
That witness of yours...
She wasn't too reliable,
either, you know.
Could have been a priest
in a cassock she saw.
Yeah, could have been.
Or it could have
been a girlfriend.
What are you getting at?
Let's just suppose
that Ellen Simms
came back to see
someone... like Father Wilson.
If you're talking about
celibacy or the lack of it,
then we can't forget Father Tony
or Carruthers, either, you know.
For me, it keeps
coming back to Wilson.
He's the one with the
juvenile record two inches thick.
He's been resisting
authority all his life.
All right.
You go to Father Wilson's
center and lean on him.
Okay.
Press him about Miss Simms.
And I'll go to the rectory.
Tim is well enough to
be sent home, then...
Then he's well enough
to be interrogated.
Your bed is made up
and ready, so you can rest.
That's all I've been doing.
Now, what's been happening here?
Who's minding the store?
Well, we've all
been waiting for you.
Father Wilson
called from the center.
Ah, yes. I told him
to come by later.
And George Webster
wants to see you.
He insists it's imperative.
Oh, does he?
All right, I'll see
him when he arrives.
Oh, yes, and Lieutenant
Stone is on his way over.
Oh, that must be him now.
Better answer the door, Tony.
Mike doesn't like
to wait on doorsteps.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, you really shouldn't let all
these people bother you now.
Oh, Mrs... Mrs.
Costello, I'm perfectly fine.
But I tell you what.
I would dearly love a
pot of your golden tea.
The memory of that alone has
sustained me beyond measure.
Oh, God bless you, Bishop.
And welcome home.
Ah, Mike, come in! Come in.
I've been wanting
to talk to you.
Now that I'm out of danger,
I think you can, uh,
call off your guard.
The answer is no.
Now, now, now,
now, don't be difficult.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
you're still in danger.
Tim, come on, now,
tell me the truth, will you?
Well, the truth is that
God gave me back my life
for his own reasons,
according to his own plan.
I had to come close to dying
to find out what
living's all about.
Have faith, Mike.
The man who shot
me won't try it again.
And he's already been punished.
Well, not in my book.
I'm not going to
drop this investigation
just because you decide
to turn the other cheek.
Tim... I want you
to tell me the truth.
Who are you protecting?
No one but myself.
That's not good enough.
It'll have to do.
What are you trying to do,
hide behind that collar on me?
I'm asking you
to leave it alone!
And I am asking you to tell
me who that young lady was
that ran out of the rectory
the night you were shot!
Who did she come to see?!
Mike, I'm... I'm sorry. I...
I couldn't make that ball game.
All right.
Have it your way.
But until I find out who
you're protecting and why,
they stay!
Take care of yourself.
Do you feel strong enough
to go from Mike Stone
to George Webster?
It'll be like choir
practice after Mike.
Right.
Frank?
I just want you to know that
I've come through the crisis,
and... I'm truly
off the critical list.
That's better than
having you home.
How long have you known?
When you don't want
to see something,
you put on blinders.
And when someone
finally takes them off,
you realize it was
there all along.
Is there anything
I can do for you?
Hmm?
Confession?
Oh, no thanks, anyway.
I've already made
arrangements with Father Tony.
I'll say a prayer for you.
Say two prayers.
Come in, George.
Your Excellency, I'll
come right to the point.
I wouldn't recognize
you if you didn't. Sit down.
Thank you.
How are you feeling?
Is it true
that archdiocesan funds
are about to be used
to support Father
Wilson's center?
I'm considering it, yes.
Your Excellency,
it's clearly immoral
for the church to
support illegal groups,
financially or otherwise.
George, your strongpoint
has always been finances,
not moral theology.
Wilson intends to use that money
to feed and house lawbreakers,
people who refuse
to pay their rent.
Now, surely, you don't
intend to subsidize criminals.
Father Wilson claims
that you are one of the
city's largest slum landlords.
Is that true?
Oh, that's merely an
attempt to smear me.
You haven't answered
the question, George.
Have a lot of investments,
but I break no laws.
Now you know that
I'm a major contributor
to virtually every
church-sponsored charity
in this archdiocese.
Think you'd better leave
before I come out of this thing
and hold that door open for you.
Force me, and I'll
wire the archbishop
and apprise him of
the situation here.
You don't seem to have any
more respect for law and order.
You left your sense
of responsibility
at the hospital.
What I left was a rib.
But I did find something...
A sense of humanity.
I've been humanized, George.
It's a painful process.
I'd recommend it, but, uh,
I don't think you're ready.
Ah, ah, come in, Father Tony.
Mr. Webster's
just on his way out.
Exactly how well you
knew Ellen Simms?
Well, I know her well enough
that I want her down
here where it's happening,
rather than shuffling
papers up at Farrow's castle.
She's a very good lady.
Yeah.
I guess the, uh, bishop
feels the same way about her.
I understand that, uh,
you and the bishop
have been arguing a lot.
Has any of it been over her?
Keller... I have
broken a lot of rules.
I've broken a lot of rules,
but that is not one of them.
What we argue about is money.
Money to keep this
place going, and that is it.
'Cause the bishop
won't support you, right?
Well, let us say
that we are, uh,
in the process of negotiation.
Now you really don't think
that I shot him, do you?
Well, he canned you,
took you out of your parish.
Inspector, you see,
he did me a big favor,
because this is where I belong.
Now, I am, uh...
a very busy man.
Are you going to be taking
me downtown, or aren't you?
No, no.
You'll be down there
soon enough anyway.
Thanks a lot, Father.
Mrs. Costello, could I have
another slice of lemon, please?
Lemon? You never
use more than one slice.
Oh, it must be all that,
uh, bland hospital food.
Please?
Ellen...
I couldn't say this before, but
thank you for protecting me.
I didn't tell the
police anything.
I should have known.
You were always full
of gentle surprises.
And you've got more
courage than a linebacker.
No, I don't.
If I did, I would
have gone long ago.
But I'm running now, Tim.
My resignation's on
the monsignor's desk.
That's the correct
protocol, isn't it?
Ellen, it's not
necessary anymore.
You're needed here.
No, I've made up my mind.
I told Father Wilson I
would work downtown.
Tim, I'm so sorry for
everything that happened.
I'll regret it all my life.
But I won't.
And as far as the blame
goes, don't you think
I should take a
rather large share?
Tim, if only I hadn't...
Oh, no, no, please.
No tears, no regrets.
The... the choice
had to be made, and
thank God that you
gave me the courage
to make the honest one.
Well, it isn't fair, is it?
Other people don't have
to make such choices.
They're not priests; I am.
Even though, I...
I tried to forget
it for a little while.
Ellen, forgive me for...
for not loving you enough.
Oh, excuse me.
I'll come back in...
Oh, no, no, no, Frank.
Come in, come in.
I did promise the doctor
that I would see to it
you took your medicine
on time.
He's...
He's worse than...
than Mrs. Costello.
Yes.
Well, I'd better be going.
I'll miss you.
Well, I expect you've
had, uh, just about enough
for your first day at home.
Oh, no, no, there is
still a lot to be done.
My sermon tomorrow.
I hope I can make the
people understand the...
peace and joy that I've found.
Frank, I... I
thought I'd lost Him,
but God found me.
And in a way, Ellen
was His instrument.
I don't think it's wise for you
to attempt a sermon tomorrow.
Certainly not until you've
got your strength back.
You don't know the
strength that I've found.
I'm going to tell them
that you'll make a
better bishop than I am.
What are you talking about?
I'm resigning Sunday.
Because of Ellen?
Oh, Tim, I... I can't
allow you to do that.
Believe me, Frank, I
know what I'm doing.
And if, uh, Mike Stone calls,
tell him I'd like to see him.
Very well.
You can't resign,
not if you ever expect
to wear the cardinal's hat.
Mrs. Costello, I... I was
never meant to be a cardinal.
Of course you were.
It's God's will.
You-you mustn't
turn against Him.
Not at all.
In fact, I think that God and I
have made the decision together.
I can still serve
Him... as a priest.
Bishop.
Ah, Father Wilson.
Uh, would you give me
a ride over to the church?
Of course.
I'm, uh... I'm glad to
see you're feeling better.
You sure you trust me
with your new wheels?
Just mind the speed limits.
Thought this might
be a good chance
for me to settle a few things.
Bare knuckles, or
six ounce gloves?
Make it easy on yourself.
Okay. I've got 25 families
that are going to be kicked out
in the street tomorrow
unless we help them.
None of the agencies
are going to lift a finger,
because it's a rent strike.
Bishop, I have got to
have that money by tonight.
Lord...
somehow, I feel closer
to You than ever now,
after all these years.
Thank You for
restoring my faith, and...
and for sustaining me
during the long night.
Forgive me.
Forgive the pain
I've caused to others.
In the name of the
Father, and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Mother Mary of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the time of our death.
Amen.
I let Tim down, I
let my partner down.
Because...
well, I walked on
tiptoe around here.
I treated everyone
with kid gloves.
Well, no more.
I understand.
Mrs. Costello said that
he was terribly troubled.
And you said it was because
of the responsibility
of the office.
Now, I want to know
what really bothered him.
Bishop Farrow was
going through a crisis...
of faith.
Ellen Simms was involved.
Two fundamentally
good people caught up
in a... terrible situation.
He was going to tell you, Mike.
He was.
When did you see her last?
In her office, packing.
She said she was going away.
Excuse me, um... I found
this out in the garden.
It's been recently fired.
You want me to take it down to
Ballistics or have Tanner do it?
- Let Tanner do it.
- Okay.
I want you to pick
up Miss Simms,
- bring her down to headquarters.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- I'll meet you there.
Is this your gun?
No.
You quit your job, and
you say you're going
to work for Father
Wilson at the center.
So why the plane
ticket to New York?
I had to get away.
It was you who
ran from the rectory
the night of the first
shooting, wasn't it?
See, your landlady told us
you borrowed her car
that night, a gray Mustang.
All right, it was me.
I loved him, and
he loved me, too.
Did he?
Or is that why you shot him?
No!
You don't understand.
Neither did we at first.
At least, I didn't.
I just wanted to help
him, to be close to him.
Nobody ever wants
to be the other woman.
Well, how did he feel?
Tim didn't see
it coming, either.
One day, it was just
business as usual.
The next, we were in love.
Only ours had nowhere to go.
He began to doubt
his belief in God,
in the church he'd
served all his life.
It was tearing him apart and me.
That night...
that night, I went
to the rectory
to ask him to marry me.
He had tears in his eyes.
He said he couldn't.
I was hurt and angry.
I remember shouting at him,
all the things a woman
says when she's lost.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
said it best:
"The worst things
in the world are
"to lie in bed and not to sleep,
to wait for someone
who does not come..."
"to try to please and not."
Her paraffin test was negative,
No traces of nitrate.
Inspector Tanner
will take you home.
And I'm afraid you'll
have to postpone your trip.
It doesn't matter
now, Lieutenant.
Not anymore.
Well, she's off the hook, right?
Nope.
She could have
been wearing gloves.
Hell hath no fury like
a woman scorned.
Yeah, something like that.
Yeah, but she had me convinced.
That's why they
invented the polygraph.
Homicide. Keller.
Yeah, Burt, yeah, go ahead.
Okay, I'll tell him.
Ballistics has those two
bullets matching perfectly.
Same gun, both shooting.
He's running a registration
check on the gun now.
Okay, same gun, same person.
And Tim said it was a
man who pulled the trigger.
And all the staff had
alibis for the first shooting.
So where are we?
Right back to St. Ambrose,
first thing in the morning.
Hey, Mike, what does
this smell like to you?
It's not sacramental wine.
No cleaning fluid.
Gun oil?
That's what I thought.
I found it in the sacristy.
- Get it to the lab.
- On my way.
You know, if that's
where the gun was hidden,
the killer's gotta
be on the staff.
Come on.
Oh, Father, have a seat.
Thank you.
My knees are still shaking.
Father, the night
of the first shooting,
you said that, uh, you walked
from the novena services
with Mrs. Costello,
is that right?
Yes, that's right.
And you went
directly to your room?
Mm-hmm.
Where were you last night
when Bishop Farrow got killed?
I wish I could be more original,
but I was in my room
writing a letter home.
Anybody see you there?
Uh, no.
You heard Tim's confession
yesterday afternoon, didn't you?
A policeman saw
you wearing your stole.
I guessed.
Well, then, Lieutenant, you've
also already guessed the answer
to your next question.
I will not disclose anything
Bishop Farrow revealed
during his last confession.
Oh, Lieutenant, may
I see you, please?
It's important.
There's $10,000 missing from
one of the church accounts.
Well, how did that happen?
The cash was withdrawn with a
check signed by Bishop Farrow.
There's no
explanation on the stub.
The money isn't in the safe.
There's no disbursing record.
Nothing, just like that,
$10,000 gone. Stolen.
Well, who would have taken it?
I'd ask Father
Wilson if I were you.
Because he was in
here demanding money
immediately before
the bishop's death.
And nobody's seen
that... that priest since.
You know the kind of
people he hangs out with:
long-haired perverts and
junkies and ex-cons and all that.
Oh, all violent
people, Lieutenant. All.
Let's check first, see if
Wilson's down at the center.
If he's not there, I'll try some
of the tenement buildings.
Inspector eight-four
to inspectors eight-one.
Inspectors eight-one, go ahead.
Yeah, Mike, we've got
the registration on that gun.
Let's have it.
Hey!
You know, it used to be
when I was a bartender,
I used to get to
drink my mistakes.
Now I got to eat 'em.
Uh, cops?
Yeah. You Eddie Madden?
Mmm. Yeah.
You own a.32, don't you, Eddie?
I used to.
Um, this boozing, you
know, it can get you paranoid.
What happened to it?
Oh, a priest took it
from me one night
when I was, uh, shooting
holes in my nightmares.
Father Wilson.
Yeah, oh, he's a great guy.
How long ago was that?
I've been dry for six months.
Um, a little longer than that.
Okay. Thank you very much.
Keller!
All right, we'll take him.
These people, they need me.
Yeah, what about yourself?
Look, buddy, you're
in the way. You mind?
Rocky, Rocky, it's all right.
Everything's gonna be okay.
Okay, then why the rescue?
We want to talk
to you about a gun.
- Come on.
- Eddie Madden's gun.
That gun was taken away from me.
Taken away from you?
You're not gonna tell me you
were mugged by your own people.
No. Bishop Farrow took it.
Oh, come on, Father.
You took that $10,000
to finance your rent strike.
I told you, Bishop Farrow
gave me that money.
I signed a receipt for it.
Which happens to be missing.
You also happen
to be the last person
that saw the bishop alive.
Are you accusing me of murder?
It was your gun, wasn't it?
I told you, I gave the
gun to Bishop Farrow.
Did anyone at the
rectory see you do it?
No, it was the
day that I arrived.
He was showing me around.
He took me to my room.
He's giving you a guided tour.
He's just dismissed
you from your parish,
but now he's giving
you a guided tour.
Well, that's the
kind of man he was.
I was unpacking. He saw the
gun, he took it away from me.
He said he was gonna
give it to some of his friends
on the force, which
was probably you.
Well, he didn't give it to us.
Now is there anything
else you want to say?
I'm sure I've said
enough already.
Mike, Inspector, could I
see you both for a minute?
Yes, step into my office.
Tanner, take him to the tank.
- No visitors.
- Gotcha.
What is it?
Father Tony found
the receipt for $10,000.
It had been misfiled.
It's in the bishop's
handwriting.
He did give the money
to Father Wilson.
Well, Father Wilson will still
have to be held for murder.
It was his gun that killed Tim.
Before you decide on that...
would you read this, please?
It was to have been
the bishop's last sermon.
Same handwriting.
Read the last page, Mike.
Tim tried to take his own life.
Well, I guess the, um...
gun was in the bishop's hand,
at least for the first shooting.
Monsignor, do you have any idea
who'd have taken
it from the study?
As God is my
witness, no idea at all.
I just hope that it was all
right for me to go this far.
Tim's soul wouldn't have
rested unless you did.
May I take Father
Wilson home now, please?
All right.
He'll be in your custody
until we find the murderer.
Mass will begin in five minutes.
Mrs. Costello, there will
also be a private Mass
at the bishop's altar.
Please prepare it.
I'll see to it.
♪♪
God, help me.
Oh, Lord, forgive me.
Why, Mrs. Costello?
Did you kill him?
Did you kill the bishop?
He was going to resign.
All the years of preparation,
sacrifice, work,
it would all have been wasted.
I ached for the man to succeed.
I devoted my every waking
moment to making that happen!
So all you were trying to do
was just help him, is that right?
To-to spare him a
lifetime of shame.
I did it out of
love for the man.
And for my church.
It would have
disgraced my church
if he had confessed to his sins.
Mrs. Costello,
the Church has
survived many crises.
It would have survived
a bishop's confession.
But he was going to
be a cardinal, you know.
A prince of the church.
Tim Farrow was a prince
long before he
ever was ordained.
Good morning.
- Mike, Steve.
- Monsignor.
- Beautiful morning, isn't it?
- Yes.
You wanted to talk to us?
Yes. I'm going to give
Bishop Farrow's last sermon
at Mass this morning,
just the way he wrote it.
Every line speaks eloquently
of hope and rekindled
faith in God and in man.
- I never had a doubt.
- Mmm.
How's she doing?
Well, she's working
for Father Wilson now.
He got his parish
back, you know?
I don't think much of his
sermons, but perhaps Tim would.
He wouldn't tell
me what happened
because he was
protecting her, right?
Well, he thought Ellen
hid the gun for him.
She would have.
So would I.
I can't help it. Every
time I look around,
I expect to see him.
Oh, he's around, all right.
Johnson on down there.
Tried to reach you at
home. You already left.
I had to get some
tickets. What's up?
Yeah, they, uh, the bishop's
not gonna make the
game tonight, Mike.
- What?
- He got shot.
Paramedics are
working with him now.
He got it in the chest.
This doesn't look too good.
Mike, it's a nightmare.
Tim, Tim.
Tim, can you hear me?
Tim.
I called the
ambulance, your office,
then I administered
the last rites.
No sign of a gun, Mike.
One bullet, close range.
Um, anything you come
up with, give it to Steve.
I'm going in the
ambulance with him.
He didn't open his eyes,
or say a word either to
Mrs. Costello or to me.
Who's Mrs. Costello?
Oh... She's the housekeeper.
In fact, it was she
and Father Tony who found him.
Thank you.
Uh, excuse me, Mrs. Costello,
my name is Inspector Keller.
Just got a couple of
questions to ask you.
Now, did you hear the shot?
No, sir.
It's my novena night.
I was around the
corner at the church.
Father Tony and I walked back
and he went
upstairs to his room.
And then you came
directly here to the study?
Directly.
I always look in on my
bishop before I retire.
Now did you see anybody
here in the room with him?
Only himself.
Lying there so pale...
I thought he was dead.
And when I heard her scream,
I came running in.
And neither one of you
saw anybody in the hall?
Only Father Tony.
There he is... Tony.
Yes, Monsignor?
Thank you very much, ma'am.
This is Inspector Keller.
Father Anthony Pedillo,
the bishop's secretary.
Oh, uh, Father, did the bishop
have any guests here tonight?
Uh, no, sir. He cancelled
all appointments.
Said he wanted to be left alone.
Now I understand the
rectory's entirely locked up.
Who exactly has
keys to get in here?
Only the private staff.
I can't imagine why anyone
would walk in off the street
and shoot a man
like Bishop Farrow.
Did you tell him
about the letter?
No.
What letter's that?
Uh, it came in yesterday's mail.
One of those anonymous cranks.
We get them all the time.
Well, I'd still like to see it.
- I'll get it for you.
- Thank you.
- Steve?
- Yeah.
- Got a minute?
- Monsignor, excuse me.
We still can't find the gun
but we did find the slug.
Uh.32 caliber.
It went right through him
and lodged right there.
Mm-hmm.
Mike and the bishop
were pretty close, huh?
Yeah, yeah,
they're pretty close.
What else you got?
Tell me... what
was troubling him?
Oh, the archdiocese is
a great responsibility...
I don't mean that.
Steve just called.
I heard about the
threatening letter.
Why didn't he tell me?
Mike, I feel sure that if...
Tim had felt you could
help him in any way,
he would have confided in you.
Ah, Miss Simms.
Monsignor, how is he?
They won't tell us
anything downstairs.
He's in God's hands.
In His, and those of the
finest surgeon in this hospital.
The radio said he was critical.
I couldn't believe
it when I heard it.
- Who would have done such a...
- We don't know yet.
Excuse me,
this is Lieutenant
Stone, an old friend.
Ellen Simms and Mr. Webster.
Why?
When he cared for people,
the way he loved them.
Please.
Here, come and sit down.
The waiting will be easier.
Ellen Simms
is a coordinator for
social counseling.
I'm afraid she's
a little bit in need
of some counseling
herself right now.
Would you excuse me?
You get any word?
No, nothing yet.
What about the letter?
Lab's got it under a microscope.
They've had it for an hour.
Sir, you're not allowed
here without a pass.
I'm here to find out
about Bishop Farrow.
I'm sorry, you'll have to
inquire on the first floor.
- I'm under strict orders...
- That will be all right, Nurse.
This is Father
Wilson, he's with us.
Excuse me, Father, you
just didn't look like a priest.
Yes, that's the idea. I...
Is he going to make it?
We'll know soon.
Is there anything
I can do to help?
Yeah, you could try praying.
Lieutenant?
The man has an
extraordinary will to live,
that and the constitution
of a freight train.
Tell me something I don't know.
Bishop Farrow stands
a fighting chance.
That's all he needs.
Thank you, Doctor.
Sure.
Well, he's still alive.
Now we've got to find the
one who tried to kill him.
No, before the ambulance came.
Like I said, I was walking Romeo
and I saw her run
out from the rectory.
Wait, you saw a woman
come out of there?
Young woman... she drove off
in one of those little sports cars.
Now, would you
recognize her again?
No, she was too fuzzy. I
didn't have my contacts in.
I'm myopic, near-sighted.
But she was young,
I could see that.
I didn't think they were
allowed, you know?
Yeah.
Okay, thank you
very much, ma'am.
I want the names of
all your domestic help.
People who clean here,
gardeners, maintenance men,
anyone who could have
been here last night.
Well, that all happens
in the daytime.
After 6:00, there's
only the resident staff.
Uh, Bishop Farrow
of course, myself,
Father Tony, Mrs. Costello,
and yes, Father Wilson.
He lives here?
Yes.
Oh, Lieutenant,
certainly you don't suspect...
No, I say that anyone who
could get that close to Tim,
to be able to shoot point blank,
must have been
someone that he knew.
Lieutenant Stone,
the bishop is still
in the shadows,
and here you are, acting it out,
like the Devil's
own passion play.
And I thought you
were his friend.
I'm afraid that, uh,
we're all standing on...
hallowed ground
here with Mrs. Costello.
To her, the bishop is a saint.
And to Father Wilson?
I don't think he has any.
What is a street priest like
him doing here on the staff?
Frankly, it was an effort to...
tame him down.
All those arrests for
civil disobedience,
and protest marches and all...
The bishop felt it might help to
reign him in, so to speak.
Did it?
Did it reign him in?
Some.
They don't have
conversations exactly yet,
but they do have...
nose-to-nose discussions.
And the man with the flowers,
you called him,
um... Oh, Webster.
Yes. He's one of
our lay advisors.
I suppose he represents
the more conservative
element in the archdiocese.
He must love Father Wilson.
Well, he certainly opposes
Wilson's latest venture,
the rent strike
against slum landlords.
I suspect George Webster
might be one of them.
And that would put
Tim right in the middle.
Uh, excuse me one second.
One of the neighbors
saw a woman running out of
here just before the shooting.
She got into a gray Mustang.
Yes. Monsignor Carruthers.
Just a moment.
Inspector, it's for you.
Thank you.
Yes. Inspector Keller.
Is Miss Simms
still in her office?
Yes, I believe so.
Would you like me
to have her come in?
Please, yes... no,
no. Don't bother.
I'll talk to her.
Mm-hmm. It's B-R-E-N-N-E-R, huh?
You got a current address?
My car?
Last year's Pinto,
sunshine yellow
with bucket seats.
Miss Simms, did you come back
here last night for any reason?
No, I left at five and
went directly home.
I had a good deal of work to do.
This is much more
than a full-time job.
Is there anything else you
want to know, Lieutenant?
Were you alone?
Yes, why shouldn't I be?
Miss Simms, nothing personal.
It's my job.
I have to ask these questions.
Yeah.
Well, in any case,
you have your answer.
Uh, Lieutenant, your inspector's
looking for you.
His name is Neil Brenner.
He's got a track record
as an anti-religious freak.
Positive I.D.?
Yeah, the letter he sent
matches a threat letter
that was sent to an
archbishop about a year ago.
Had to do with birth control.
Except on that one, he
left his return address.
Yeah, well, what else?
Uh, so he got picked up
before for threatening letters.
Psychological profile
just says his father
was some old fire and
brimstone preacher,
used to use the
rod on him a lot.
And he's been getting
even ever since, huh?
Yep.
Well, if he thinks
he's a fanatic,
wait till I get my hands
on him. Come on, let's go.
Yeah, Mr. Brenner?
- Yes, what?
- From the police department.
I'd just like you to put
that box down, please.
And put your hands
above your head.
Not this time, mister.
You freeze.
So I write letters to
The New York Times,
The Chronicle, even
Christian Science Monitor.
And after this
inquisition is over,
I'm going to write
some more letters.
- Excuse me.
- And I am about ready
to book you right now.
All right, all right, look...
I'm studying political science.
It's an extension
program at the university.
We had an exam last night
from about 6:00 till 9:00.
Voila.
Found this in your house, Neil.
The type on it matches
those of the letters.
Book him.
I didn't shoot any bishop!
We're going to find
out soon enough.
Right now you're being
booked for possession
of illegal explosives and
sending a threatening letter.
Oh, my God...
I-I had to do that.
You... They have
got to be stopped.
They're stealing
us blind. If you...
Get him out of here,
will you?! Come on!
No, please try to listen to me!
You've got to
understand! Please?
Homicide. Stone.
Well, that's the best news
I could have heard, Doctor.
Yeah, I appreciate your call.
Tim's conscious.
Great. Great.
All right.
Now, where's that mug shot?
Will you find a mug
shot of Brenner for me?
I'll get my coat.
So... who won the game?
I hate to tell you.
49ers lost it in the
last ten seconds.
Well, I'm glad I missed it.
But Tim, I think we found
the man who shot you.
Do you recognize him?
No.
You sure?
Mm.
Well, now, he must have been
as close to you as I am right now.
What did he look like?
Mike... let it be?
You know him?
Someone you know.
If we don't catch him,
he could try it again.
Come on, Tim, give me some help.
Vengeance is not
mine, it's the Lord's.
Tim... Please, Mike, there's...
there's nothing you can do.
It's in... It's in God's hands.
Oh, that stubborn...
Boy, is he bullheaded.
Who's that?
Farrow.
He talked the hospital
into releasing him.
That makes him an easier target,
and Brenner is out on
bail, or haven't you heard?
No, I heard, Mike,
but he's not our man.
He's got a classroom
full of witnesses.
He-he got a D minus on the test.
Well, he's doing
better than we're doing.
No gun, no suspect.
A victim who doesn't
want to protect himself.
Well, I guess we go right back
to our homework again, huh?
We check all the names
for access or a motive.
Here's a list of all known
anti-religious fanatics
with a record of violence.
Every one of them
has an airtight alibi.
Well, we know
that no one broke in.
No one from the
outside had a key.
Yup, which leaves
somebody from the inside.
Somebody he's protecting.
Now you don't think that someone
from his staff shot him, do you?
You said yourself, given
the proper motivation,
anyone's capable of
violence, even murder.
I guess my religious
background is beginning to show.
Nah, it's just around the edges.
Now I've been doing
a workup on the staff.
We got Father Carruthers.
He was at a Bible study group.
Father Tony and Mrs.
Costello were at the novena.
And Father Wilson... he was
downtown feeding the hungry,
if you're going to
believe his street people.
So the only one left
unaccounted for is Ellen Simms.
Yes, but wait a minute now.
That witness of yours...
She wasn't too reliable,
either, you know.
Could have been a priest
in a cassock she saw.
Yeah, could have been.
Or it could have
been a girlfriend.
What are you getting at?
Let's just suppose
that Ellen Simms
came back to see
someone... like Father Wilson.
If you're talking about
celibacy or the lack of it,
then we can't forget Father Tony
or Carruthers, either, you know.
For me, it keeps
coming back to Wilson.
He's the one with the
juvenile record two inches thick.
He's been resisting
authority all his life.
All right.
You go to Father Wilson's
center and lean on him.
Okay.
Press him about Miss Simms.
And I'll go to the rectory.
Tim is well enough to
be sent home, then...
Then he's well enough
to be interrogated.
Your bed is made up
and ready, so you can rest.
That's all I've been doing.
Now, what's been happening here?
Who's minding the store?
Well, we've all
been waiting for you.
Father Wilson
called from the center.
Ah, yes. I told him
to come by later.
And George Webster
wants to see you.
He insists it's imperative.
Oh, does he?
All right, I'll see
him when he arrives.
Oh, yes, and Lieutenant
Stone is on his way over.
Oh, that must be him now.
Better answer the door, Tony.
Mike doesn't like
to wait on doorsteps.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, you really shouldn't let all
these people bother you now.
Oh, Mrs... Mrs.
Costello, I'm perfectly fine.
But I tell you what.
I would dearly love a
pot of your golden tea.
The memory of that alone has
sustained me beyond measure.
Oh, God bless you, Bishop.
And welcome home.
Ah, Mike, come in! Come in.
I've been wanting
to talk to you.
Now that I'm out of danger,
I think you can, uh,
call off your guard.
The answer is no.
Now, now, now,
now, don't be difficult.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
you're still in danger.
Tim, come on, now,
tell me the truth, will you?
Well, the truth is that
God gave me back my life
for his own reasons,
according to his own plan.
I had to come close to dying
to find out what
living's all about.
Have faith, Mike.
The man who shot
me won't try it again.
And he's already been punished.
Well, not in my book.
I'm not going to
drop this investigation
just because you decide
to turn the other cheek.
Tim... I want you
to tell me the truth.
Who are you protecting?
No one but myself.
That's not good enough.
It'll have to do.
What are you trying to do,
hide behind that collar on me?
I'm asking you
to leave it alone!
And I am asking you to tell
me who that young lady was
that ran out of the rectory
the night you were shot!
Who did she come to see?!
Mike, I'm... I'm sorry. I...
I couldn't make that ball game.
All right.
Have it your way.
But until I find out who
you're protecting and why,
they stay!
Take care of yourself.
Do you feel strong enough
to go from Mike Stone
to George Webster?
It'll be like choir
practice after Mike.
Right.
Frank?
I just want you to know that
I've come through the crisis,
and... I'm truly
off the critical list.
That's better than
having you home.
How long have you known?
When you don't want
to see something,
you put on blinders.
And when someone
finally takes them off,
you realize it was
there all along.
Is there anything
I can do for you?
Hmm?
Confession?
Oh, no thanks, anyway.
I've already made
arrangements with Father Tony.
I'll say a prayer for you.
Say two prayers.
Come in, George.
Your Excellency, I'll
come right to the point.
I wouldn't recognize
you if you didn't. Sit down.
Thank you.
How are you feeling?
Is it true
that archdiocesan funds
are about to be used
to support Father
Wilson's center?
I'm considering it, yes.
Your Excellency,
it's clearly immoral
for the church to
support illegal groups,
financially or otherwise.
George, your strongpoint
has always been finances,
not moral theology.
Wilson intends to use that money
to feed and house lawbreakers,
people who refuse
to pay their rent.
Now, surely, you don't
intend to subsidize criminals.
Father Wilson claims
that you are one of the
city's largest slum landlords.
Is that true?
Oh, that's merely an
attempt to smear me.
You haven't answered
the question, George.
Have a lot of investments,
but I break no laws.
Now you know that
I'm a major contributor
to virtually every
church-sponsored charity
in this archdiocese.
Think you'd better leave
before I come out of this thing
and hold that door open for you.
Force me, and I'll
wire the archbishop
and apprise him of
the situation here.
You don't seem to have any
more respect for law and order.
You left your sense
of responsibility
at the hospital.
What I left was a rib.
But I did find something...
A sense of humanity.
I've been humanized, George.
It's a painful process.
I'd recommend it, but, uh,
I don't think you're ready.
Ah, ah, come in, Father Tony.
Mr. Webster's
just on his way out.
Exactly how well you
knew Ellen Simms?
Well, I know her well enough
that I want her down
here where it's happening,
rather than shuffling
papers up at Farrow's castle.
She's a very good lady.
Yeah.
I guess the, uh, bishop
feels the same way about her.
I understand that, uh,
you and the bishop
have been arguing a lot.
Has any of it been over her?
Keller... I have
broken a lot of rules.
I've broken a lot of rules,
but that is not one of them.
What we argue about is money.
Money to keep this
place going, and that is it.
'Cause the bishop
won't support you, right?
Well, let us say
that we are, uh,
in the process of negotiation.
Now you really don't think
that I shot him, do you?
Well, he canned you,
took you out of your parish.
Inspector, you see,
he did me a big favor,
because this is where I belong.
Now, I am, uh...
a very busy man.
Are you going to be taking
me downtown, or aren't you?
No, no.
You'll be down there
soon enough anyway.
Thanks a lot, Father.
Mrs. Costello, could I have
another slice of lemon, please?
Lemon? You never
use more than one slice.
Oh, it must be all that,
uh, bland hospital food.
Please?
Ellen...
I couldn't say this before, but
thank you for protecting me.
I didn't tell the
police anything.
I should have known.
You were always full
of gentle surprises.
And you've got more
courage than a linebacker.
No, I don't.
If I did, I would
have gone long ago.
But I'm running now, Tim.
My resignation's on
the monsignor's desk.
That's the correct
protocol, isn't it?
Ellen, it's not
necessary anymore.
You're needed here.
No, I've made up my mind.
I told Father Wilson I
would work downtown.
Tim, I'm so sorry for
everything that happened.
I'll regret it all my life.
But I won't.
And as far as the blame
goes, don't you think
I should take a
rather large share?
Tim, if only I hadn't...
Oh, no, no, please.
No tears, no regrets.
The... the choice
had to be made, and
thank God that you
gave me the courage
to make the honest one.
Well, it isn't fair, is it?
Other people don't have
to make such choices.
They're not priests; I am.
Even though, I...
I tried to forget
it for a little while.
Ellen, forgive me for...
for not loving you enough.
Oh, excuse me.
I'll come back in...
Oh, no, no, no, Frank.
Come in, come in.
I did promise the doctor
that I would see to it
you took your medicine
on time.
He's...
He's worse than...
than Mrs. Costello.
Yes.
Well, I'd better be going.
I'll miss you.
Well, I expect you've
had, uh, just about enough
for your first day at home.
Oh, no, no, there is
still a lot to be done.
My sermon tomorrow.
I hope I can make the
people understand the...
peace and joy that I've found.
Frank, I... I
thought I'd lost Him,
but God found me.
And in a way, Ellen
was His instrument.
I don't think it's wise for you
to attempt a sermon tomorrow.
Certainly not until you've
got your strength back.
You don't know the
strength that I've found.
I'm going to tell them
that you'll make a
better bishop than I am.
What are you talking about?
I'm resigning Sunday.
Because of Ellen?
Oh, Tim, I... I can't
allow you to do that.
Believe me, Frank, I
know what I'm doing.
And if, uh, Mike Stone calls,
tell him I'd like to see him.
Very well.
You can't resign,
not if you ever expect
to wear the cardinal's hat.
Mrs. Costello, I... I was
never meant to be a cardinal.
Of course you were.
It's God's will.
You-you mustn't
turn against Him.
Not at all.
In fact, I think that God and I
have made the decision together.
I can still serve
Him... as a priest.
Bishop.
Ah, Father Wilson.
Uh, would you give me
a ride over to the church?
Of course.
I'm, uh... I'm glad to
see you're feeling better.
You sure you trust me
with your new wheels?
Just mind the speed limits.
Thought this might
be a good chance
for me to settle a few things.
Bare knuckles, or
six ounce gloves?
Make it easy on yourself.
Okay. I've got 25 families
that are going to be kicked out
in the street tomorrow
unless we help them.
None of the agencies
are going to lift a finger,
because it's a rent strike.
Bishop, I have got to
have that money by tonight.
Lord...
somehow, I feel closer
to You than ever now,
after all these years.
Thank You for
restoring my faith, and...
and for sustaining me
during the long night.
Forgive me.
Forgive the pain
I've caused to others.
In the name of the
Father, and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Holy Mother Mary of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the time of our death.
Amen.
I let Tim down, I
let my partner down.
Because...
well, I walked on
tiptoe around here.
I treated everyone
with kid gloves.
Well, no more.
I understand.
Mrs. Costello said that
he was terribly troubled.
And you said it was because
of the responsibility
of the office.
Now, I want to know
what really bothered him.
Bishop Farrow was
going through a crisis...
of faith.
Ellen Simms was involved.
Two fundamentally
good people caught up
in a... terrible situation.
He was going to tell you, Mike.
He was.
When did you see her last?
In her office, packing.
She said she was going away.
Excuse me, um... I found
this out in the garden.
It's been recently fired.
You want me to take it down to
Ballistics or have Tanner do it?
- Let Tanner do it.
- Okay.
I want you to pick
up Miss Simms,
- bring her down to headquarters.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- I'll meet you there.
Is this your gun?
No.
You quit your job, and
you say you're going
to work for Father
Wilson at the center.
So why the plane
ticket to New York?
I had to get away.
It was you who
ran from the rectory
the night of the first
shooting, wasn't it?
See, your landlady told us
you borrowed her car
that night, a gray Mustang.
All right, it was me.
I loved him, and
he loved me, too.
Did he?
Or is that why you shot him?
No!
You don't understand.
Neither did we at first.
At least, I didn't.
I just wanted to help
him, to be close to him.
Nobody ever wants
to be the other woman.
Well, how did he feel?
Tim didn't see
it coming, either.
One day, it was just
business as usual.
The next, we were in love.
Only ours had nowhere to go.
He began to doubt
his belief in God,
in the church he'd
served all his life.
It was tearing him apart and me.
That night...
that night, I went
to the rectory
to ask him to marry me.
He had tears in his eyes.
He said he couldn't.
I was hurt and angry.
I remember shouting at him,
all the things a woman
says when she's lost.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
said it best:
"The worst things
in the world are
"to lie in bed and not to sleep,
to wait for someone
who does not come..."
"to try to please and not."
Her paraffin test was negative,
No traces of nitrate.
Inspector Tanner
will take you home.
And I'm afraid you'll
have to postpone your trip.
It doesn't matter
now, Lieutenant.
Not anymore.
Well, she's off the hook, right?
Nope.
She could have
been wearing gloves.
Hell hath no fury like
a woman scorned.
Yeah, something like that.
Yeah, but she had me convinced.
That's why they
invented the polygraph.
Homicide. Keller.
Yeah, Burt, yeah, go ahead.
Okay, I'll tell him.
Ballistics has those two
bullets matching perfectly.
Same gun, both shooting.
He's running a registration
check on the gun now.
Okay, same gun, same person.
And Tim said it was a
man who pulled the trigger.
And all the staff had
alibis for the first shooting.
So where are we?
Right back to St. Ambrose,
first thing in the morning.
Hey, Mike, what does
this smell like to you?
It's not sacramental wine.
No cleaning fluid.
Gun oil?
That's what I thought.
I found it in the sacristy.
- Get it to the lab.
- On my way.
You know, if that's
where the gun was hidden,
the killer's gotta
be on the staff.
Come on.
Oh, Father, have a seat.
Thank you.
My knees are still shaking.
Father, the night
of the first shooting,
you said that, uh, you walked
from the novena services
with Mrs. Costello,
is that right?
Yes, that's right.
And you went
directly to your room?
Mm-hmm.
Where were you last night
when Bishop Farrow got killed?
I wish I could be more original,
but I was in my room
writing a letter home.
Anybody see you there?
Uh, no.
You heard Tim's confession
yesterday afternoon, didn't you?
A policeman saw
you wearing your stole.
I guessed.
Well, then, Lieutenant, you've
also already guessed the answer
to your next question.
I will not disclose anything
Bishop Farrow revealed
during his last confession.
Oh, Lieutenant, may
I see you, please?
It's important.
There's $10,000 missing from
one of the church accounts.
Well, how did that happen?
The cash was withdrawn with a
check signed by Bishop Farrow.
There's no
explanation on the stub.
The money isn't in the safe.
There's no disbursing record.
Nothing, just like that,
$10,000 gone. Stolen.
Well, who would have taken it?
I'd ask Father
Wilson if I were you.
Because he was in
here demanding money
immediately before
the bishop's death.
And nobody's seen
that... that priest since.
You know the kind of
people he hangs out with:
long-haired perverts and
junkies and ex-cons and all that.
Oh, all violent
people, Lieutenant. All.
Let's check first, see if
Wilson's down at the center.
If he's not there, I'll try some
of the tenement buildings.
Inspector eight-four
to inspectors eight-one.
Inspectors eight-one, go ahead.
Yeah, Mike, we've got
the registration on that gun.
Let's have it.
Hey!
You know, it used to be
when I was a bartender,
I used to get to
drink my mistakes.
Now I got to eat 'em.
Uh, cops?
Yeah. You Eddie Madden?
Mmm. Yeah.
You own a.32, don't you, Eddie?
I used to.
Um, this boozing, you
know, it can get you paranoid.
What happened to it?
Oh, a priest took it
from me one night
when I was, uh, shooting
holes in my nightmares.
Father Wilson.
Yeah, oh, he's a great guy.
How long ago was that?
I've been dry for six months.
Um, a little longer than that.
Okay. Thank you very much.
Keller!
All right, we'll take him.
These people, they need me.
Yeah, what about yourself?
Look, buddy, you're
in the way. You mind?
Rocky, Rocky, it's all right.
Everything's gonna be okay.
Okay, then why the rescue?
We want to talk
to you about a gun.
- Come on.
- Eddie Madden's gun.
That gun was taken away from me.
Taken away from you?
You're not gonna tell me you
were mugged by your own people.
No. Bishop Farrow took it.
Oh, come on, Father.
You took that $10,000
to finance your rent strike.
I told you, Bishop Farrow
gave me that money.
I signed a receipt for it.
Which happens to be missing.
You also happen
to be the last person
that saw the bishop alive.
Are you accusing me of murder?
It was your gun, wasn't it?
I told you, I gave the
gun to Bishop Farrow.
Did anyone at the
rectory see you do it?
No, it was the
day that I arrived.
He was showing me around.
He took me to my room.
He's giving you a guided tour.
He's just dismissed
you from your parish,
but now he's giving
you a guided tour.
Well, that's the
kind of man he was.
I was unpacking. He saw the
gun, he took it away from me.
He said he was gonna
give it to some of his friends
on the force, which
was probably you.
Well, he didn't give it to us.
Now is there anything
else you want to say?
I'm sure I've said
enough already.
Mike, Inspector, could I
see you both for a minute?
Yes, step into my office.
Tanner, take him to the tank.
- No visitors.
- Gotcha.
What is it?
Father Tony found
the receipt for $10,000.
It had been misfiled.
It's in the bishop's
handwriting.
He did give the money
to Father Wilson.
Well, Father Wilson will still
have to be held for murder.
It was his gun that killed Tim.
Before you decide on that...
would you read this, please?
It was to have been
the bishop's last sermon.
Same handwriting.
Read the last page, Mike.
Tim tried to take his own life.
Well, I guess the, um...
gun was in the bishop's hand,
at least for the first shooting.
Monsignor, do you have any idea
who'd have taken
it from the study?
As God is my
witness, no idea at all.
I just hope that it was all
right for me to go this far.
Tim's soul wouldn't have
rested unless you did.
May I take Father
Wilson home now, please?
All right.
He'll be in your custody
until we find the murderer.
Mass will begin in five minutes.
Mrs. Costello, there will
also be a private Mass
at the bishop's altar.
Please prepare it.
I'll see to it.
♪♪
God, help me.
Oh, Lord, forgive me.
Why, Mrs. Costello?
Did you kill him?
Did you kill the bishop?
He was going to resign.
All the years of preparation,
sacrifice, work,
it would all have been wasted.
I ached for the man to succeed.
I devoted my every waking
moment to making that happen!
So all you were trying to do
was just help him, is that right?
To-to spare him a
lifetime of shame.
I did it out of
love for the man.
And for my church.
It would have
disgraced my church
if he had confessed to his sins.
Mrs. Costello,
the Church has
survived many crises.
It would have survived
a bishop's confession.
But he was going to
be a cardinal, you know.
A prince of the church.
Tim Farrow was a prince
long before he
ever was ordained.
Good morning.
- Mike, Steve.
- Monsignor.
- Beautiful morning, isn't it?
- Yes.
You wanted to talk to us?
Yes. I'm going to give
Bishop Farrow's last sermon
at Mass this morning,
just the way he wrote it.
Every line speaks eloquently
of hope and rekindled
faith in God and in man.
- I never had a doubt.
- Mmm.
How's she doing?
Well, she's working
for Father Wilson now.
He got his parish
back, you know?
I don't think much of his
sermons, but perhaps Tim would.
He wouldn't tell
me what happened
because he was
protecting her, right?
Well, he thought Ellen
hid the gun for him.
She would have.
So would I.
I can't help it. Every
time I look around,
I expect to see him.
Oh, he's around, all right.