The Rosary Murders

- He looks so peaceful. - No. He looks dead.

Just kidding. Who's paying for all this anyway?

Excuse me. I'm very sorry.

- What do you think? - I understand Jim has new dentures too.

"Priest murdered in Catholic hospital." Has a nice ring to it.

It'll sell. What do you want to do?

A nurse is avoiding me. She knows something.

- Why aren't the police investigating? - No one's making a complaint.

Shut the door!

Ody's in the ground already, right?

A story like this takes too long, starts to stink.

Give me a day. Two days.

- Ob. - Hi, Ann.

These are for you. They're from my kids.

If you could make a comment or two in the margins to show you looked at 'em.

- Have you eaten? - Not hungry.

- Could I have a word with you? - Yeah, sure. Come on.

- What's up? - Sit down.

Oh, yeah?

I wanted you to be the first to know.

There's a man in my life.

Well... that's all.

- Are you in trouble? - No.

I'm not in trouble. I'm in love.

I'm in love.

I'm leaving the sisterhood.

- Are you sure? - I've never been more sure of anything.

Ob...

He isn't a Catholic or I'd ask you to marry me... us.

Would you walk me down the aisle?

Would you give me away?

- I'm going to miss you. - I know. I'm sorry.

Congratulations.

- Feels good to have told you. - Yeah.

- Ann? - Yeah?

- God bless you. - Thanks. I'll need it.

Good morning, Sophie.

- Did you see Sister Ann at mass? - No. Why?

She promised to bring me something before school.

- Do you want me to go to the school? - I already called. They said she isn't there.

Sister Ann?

Sister Ann?

Ann?

Father? Father Koesler?

- No, I can't now. Not now. - It's about my baby.

Could you baptise my baby for me and Gregory, Father?

- Father Nabors. - I don't want Father Nabors. I want you.

Father Nabors can baptise your baby as well as I can. Call me later. We'll talk.

Margaret?

Father Koesler? I'm Pat Lennon. Detroit Free Press!

- I hope you don't mind. - No.

Nobody was here. I made myself at home.

Margaret's just gone around the corner.

- May I smoke? - Sure.

- This must be a doubly bad time for you. - How's that?

I heard about Sister Vania's accident at the convent.

- She was young for a nun, wasn't she? - Yes.

- Thank you. Do you mind if I sit? - No, of course not. Excuse me.

That's OK.

Then there was Father Lord's passing away. You knew him too, didn't you?

Yes. That's right.

He was one of your instructors in seminary school... in St Louis.

- How can I help you? - Pat Lennon.

I got that.

Let me be blunt. We're both in the newspaper business.

You know of the rumours surrounding Father Lord's death?

- I've heard the talk. - What sort of talk?

- I thought you were getting to the point. - I'm sorry, Father.

A nurse named Nancy Baldwin looked in on Father Lord

after the Ash Wednesday service in the chapel.

She needed to talk, but didn't want to go to the police.

A lot of Catholics aren't comfortable talking to a priest unless they're in a confessional.

I'm Catholic. I'm just the opposite. I guess I don't like guilt.

Nancy told me she discovered Father Lord and the plug was out of the wall.

She thinks somebody did it to him. She's sure of it.

And when she found him already dead, he was holding a rosary.

It was not his own rosary, the one he was buried with. Lt was a different one.

I got her to give it to me and now I don't know what to do with it.

I thought you might want it.

These were found by yourself and Nancy Baldwin?

- Yes. - Good.

- You were the first one to discover Sister Ann? - Yes, I was.

Did you notice at that time that she was holding a rosary?

- Yes. - Sister Ann wasn't raped.

Nothing was stolen.

- No sign of a break-in. - Maybe she left a door unlocked.

- No. She wouldn't do that. - Why not?

Because of where the neighbourhood is. It's not very safe.

Could have followed her in. But why arrange the scene in the bathtub?

No sign of a break-in anywhere.

Windows were locked. All the doors were locked.

- The tunnels? - What tunnels?

These tunnels connect all the buildings at Holy Redeemer, one to another.

The church, the convent, the rectory are over a hundred years old,

and these passageways are the oldest.

When the other structures were built, the grade school, junior high, high school,

the power-house, auditorium, the gym, new tunnels had to be added.

- What's this used for? - Nothing now.

- Condemned. Structurally unsound. - Lieutenant? You'd better look at this.

There's the rest of it.

What a time for the power to burn out.

Get over here. Hey, don't touch anything over there.

Lieutenant.

Hi. Where's your bar?

- Hi. - Hi. Thanks for coming down.

Sorry I'm late. I was writing Don Dailey's obituary.

- What'll it be? - Er... What are you drinking?

- It's a Virgin Mary. - That's good for me.

- You knew Father Dailey? - Well, you know...

I'm editor of the Catholic for eight years, you end up...

You know the religious of this city better than anybody.

Probably.

Do you see any pattern in all this?

Pattern? The rosary.

That's to let us know that he's making a puzzle,

like guessing a word with some letters missing.

A priest, a nun, a priest.

Did they know each other? Were they all liberals, conservatives?

Pro-abortion? Did they work on some Church council?

I'd have to look in my files.

- I think the guy wants to be stopped. - Hi, guys.

Hi. Ned Harris told me I'd find you both here.

He's all yours.

I was just leaving.

- Thanks, Father. - And I'll...

- Be in touch. - Sure.

Take good care of him. I like this guy.

Me too.

- Thank you. Do you want a drink? - No.

So, what did he want?

- Help. - Yeah, well, he's gonna need that.

And?

- And what? - Did you give him any help?

Not yet.

Can you?

I don't know.

- Are you going? - Why? You got something in mind?

I don't have anything to do and I don't want to do nothing alone.

- So... - Let's take a walk.

- I used to want to become a nun. - What happened?

I grew up. I became a woman.

Where does that leave me? I used to want to become a priest.

- I'm afraid I'm gonna lose this story. - But you broke it.

If there's another murder and the cops don't get him, it'll go national.

- So? - They'll feel it'll have gotten too big for me.

They've got other reporters with more experience.

Other reporters who are men.

- Irene Jimenez. - Yes, Father.

Come on. Let's go.

Sit down.

- You want your baby baptised? - Yes, Father.

They got this card screwed up. They list the baby's last name as Ruiz.

It's... It's no mistake, Father.

What do you mean?

The father's name is Gregory Ruiz.

You mean this child was born out of wedlock?

He will not marry me.

This child cannot be baptised in a church.

- But Father Koesler said... - It doesn't matter.

Church Law is very clear on this. It's a mortal sin to commit fornication.

Yes, Father. But what about my baby?

Good evening. Our top story.

The body of another nun has been found at her home in the Grand River area.

Police are not giving out details,

but have confirmed the nun is the fourth victim of the so-called Rosary Killer.

The nun, a 63-year-old woman named Jeanne Honora

is believed to have been murdered shortly after dark this evening.

As you live, you die.

With every breath you take, you draw closer to death.

You came to this communion rail on Ash Wednesday.

As I rubbed the ashes on your forehead, I reminded each of you:

"Remember, man, thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return."

But when?

Ask our Lord present here on the altar. He knows. Ask him.

- Lord, when am I going to die? - "Lord, when am I going to die?"

"When I am sick? Will I die under the surgeon's knife?"

- Under the wheels of a train. - "Under the wheels of a train?"

"Will my charred body be removed from a terrible fire,

or my swollen body dragged from a river?"

May the Lord be on your lips and in your heart so that you may confess your sins.

It's all right.

Take your time.

There's no hurry.

I'm the one.

Excuse me?

I am the one.

Oh, my God...

Scared, Father?

Yes.

I got one in my pocket.

- One what? - A rosary.

Why are you doing this?

My daughter died three years ago.

She was 16 years old.

Sweet 16.

- Pure. - I'm sorry.

You're sorry? Do you have any idea what it's like to lose a daughter?

- No. - Lt was because of you.

- I don't understand. - All of you.

- Will you make this a valid confession? - Say five Hail Mary's and cut it out?