The Suffering

I love you, Henry.

Mr. Dawles?

I'm Henry Dawles.

- I'm an associate of Mr. Remiel.

Please, get in.

Mr. Remiel's very appreciative

of you coming on such short notice.

We do hope it wasn't

too much of an inconvenience.

Oh, not at all.

To be honest, I needed the work.

It hasn't really been easy to come by.

Ah.

Well, then I hope this is the first step

toward reversing your fortune.

Yeah, me, too.

My wife and I, we're expecting a kid.

Congratulations, Mr. Dawles.

Thank you.

Is this your first?

Yes, it is.

Might I ask,

boy or girl?

We actually don't know.

Ah.

Another surprise.

How delightful.

Don't worry, Mr. Dawles.

This bridge has proven quite reliable.

- We're sorry, your call

did not go through.

- I wouldn't fidget with that too much,

Mr. Dawles, service out here can be scarce.

Great.

My wife's gonna think I left for good.

I'm sure she'll understand.

I don't think so.

Ah.

Well,

here we are.

It's a beautiful structure, isn't it?

Late 18th century?

Precisely.

Word to the wise, Mr. Dawles,

Mr. Remiel can be a rather demanding soul.

Just do ask he asks and I promise you

the compensation can be quite generous.

- Let me give you a little something.

- No need for gratuity, Mr. Dawles.

It's all been taken care of.

Thank you.

When can we expect you back?

Hmm.

Well, that is entirely up to you, Mr. Dawles.

Oh, uh, yes.

Have a good stay.

Hmm?

May I help you?

I'm Henry Dawles.

Here to appraise the estate.

- Mr. Remiel has put you in the north

end of the house, overlooking the pond.

Once you've settled, you're to join him

for a nightcap in the library.

This will be your room.

You'll find the bathroom at

the far end of the hall.

It's wonderful, thank you.

It is widely believed

that Bach died from complications of eye surgery.

An infection festered

when a traveling oculist attempted

to remove cataracts

from his eyes.

The procedure failed mightily

and within four months,

Bach was dead.

The greatest composer the world

has ever known

chose to fight his blind fate

rather than accept it.

Pride was his undoing.

I'm not proud, but I am happy

and happiness blinds, I think,

more than pride.

Alexandre Dumas.

The Count of Monte Cristo.

My wife made me read it.

Smart woman.

You have no idea.

Mr. Dawles, I presume.

Please, call me Henry.

Come, Henry,

join me by the fire.

I hope your journey wasn't too uncomfortable.

Oh no, not at all.

Would you care to join me for

an evening spirit?

Yes, I would love to.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Gates.

Cheers.

Cheers.

You've got a beautiful home here.

Thank you.

Sadly, I'm the last of a dying breed.

I fear once I'm gone,

the estate will follow suit.

No family?

- My late wife was unable to bear children.

Adoption was always a conversation,

rather than reality.

- I apologize if I'm overstepping my bounds,

but without a beneficiary, why bother

with the appraisal?

Curiosity, I suppose.

Even I don't know everything about this place.

Then again,

maybe I just wanted the company.

Well then,

to paid company.

To you, Henry.

My old body is begging for some rest.

Feel free to look around the place, if you like.

I'll see you in the morning for breakfast.

Goodnight, Henry.

Goodnight.

Mr. Dawles.

The attic is very dangerous at night.

May I suggest you wait 'til morning?

Of course.

Good evening, Mr. Dawles.

Back there, about 300 yards,

my mother built herself a little

home away from home.

We lovingly refer to it as a madhouse.

A small cottage where she could

cool the daily agitations

that my father presented her.

You see, my father was a drinker.

My mother was a Methodist.

- Well, my parents divorced when I was 15.

Maybe your mother was on to something.

Maybe she was.

Maybe she was.

The house has been vacant for over two decades.

Due to my declining health,

I haven't seen it nearly that long.

Would you mind taking a few pictures

to share with me at dinner tonight?

Yeah, whatever you need.

Thank you.

Holler if you need anything.

No way.

Not bad.

Holy shit!

I'm sad to say,

he is not the first that we've

dealt with over the years.

Transients, drifters,

even fugitives

have sought asylum in our woods.

Property this large

lends itself to stowaways.

Did you find anything else on the body?

Any sort of identification?

No, I didn't look.

Legally, I shouldn't have even touched the note.

What a sin.

To give up on life so easily.

- Well, we should call the police.

- I'll take care of that, Mr. Dawles.

I'll see that the body is properly disposed of.

Disposed of?

Poor choice of words.

A proper burial, of course.

I do hope you'll stay and finish the appraisal.

I'm prepared to offer you greater pay

to compensate for today's unpleasantries.

- I don't think that would be appropriate.

$5,000.

On top of your fee.

That's a sizable offer.

$7,000.

- Mr. Remiel, I think you should find

someone else.

Tell me, Mr. Dawles,

just what will your departure accomplish, hmm?

An ethical victory?

Moral triumph?

Because it certainly won't help

to take care of your wife.

Or your unborn child.

- How do you know about my family?

My driver and I,

we spoke.

I understand this job is very important

to you, Mr. Dawles.

Yeah.

It is.