Lockbox (2026) Movie Script
1
Pull over the van!
I'm sorry.
Okay, guys.
I understand what
you're feeling.
We don't need to go
where we're going, okay?
Just pull the van
over and we'll talk.
It feels so good right now.
I just need you to listen, okay?
I just need you to fucking
listen to me! I...!
I'm so sorry.
I don't want to go see the boy!
I don't want to see
the fucking boy!
I don't want to see the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the--
My name is Ellen Hershbergen
and I will tell you
all that happened
in hopes that
it will never happen again.
My mother died in February.
She had been
battling Alzheimer's.
I had been all kinds
of things before that.
A modestly successful
fashion designer.
The author of
a children's book about peas.
Then I became a caretaker.
Now, I wasn't even that.
So all I could do is reinvent
myself and start over.
Morning.
I'm father John Dore.
- Nice to meet you.
- Lovely to meet you, too.
Your call was a godsend.
I've been needing a hand,
but I don't have
the budget to hire
someone full time.
I used to volunteer at
my church in Buffalo,
so I thought it might help me
find my footing here.
And why Pontiac?
How did we get so lucky?
Uh, more chance than luck.
I had this weird feeling
I could fit here,
be myself again.
You know, we could pull
together a yard sale,
raise some money,
fix the pews.
I'm actually pretty good
at that.
Yes.
All right.
It's worth a shot.
Yes.
Donna. Hi.
Ellen, how's the new town
treating you?
Oh, uh.
It's good.
Quiet. Not tripping
over boxes anymore.
It suits me.
I'm glad.
Buffalo will miss you.
You needed a new start.
Yeah. Thanks, Donna.
I really did.
Hey, do you remember
our Cousin Winthrop?
Babysat for him every Thursday.
Ate his weight in spaghetti.
Of course
I remember him.
He's been staying
with us for a while
but Dan wants him gone.
Not enough space
in the house.
Right.
Good news is he's got
a job at a sheet metal plant
not too far
from Pontiac, actually.
Starts in the spring--
You don't even have to finish.
I would be happy to have him.
Really? That would be amazing.
Of course.
He's been bouncing
around family for years.
Like a ball with no air in it.
Just know Winthrop
is a little different.
He has some PTSD stuff
from his time in the army.
But he's a good guy.
All right,
well, we'll figure it out.
I think it might do me some
good to have someone around.
Thank you, Ellen.
Okay, bye.
All right. Bye, Donna.
Winthrop?
Cousin Helen?
It's been a long time.
Only about 30 years.
Is that all you have?
That's all I need.
All right.
I appreciate you taking me in
for a while.
Thank you.
Glad for the company.
It's really good to see you.
This is it.
Let me show you your room.
You like it?
Look. That's us.
Thank you.
Okay.
I had never seen
anyone inhale
spaghetti and meatballs
like you did.
You remember?
It was almost scary.
I still do.
I was sorry to hear
about your mom.
Mm.
Thanks.
I remember her always
laughing, telling jokes.
Mm.
She was a good cook,
like you.
Mm. Thanks.
She was.
She had a laugh that
could fill the whole house.
Then your parents...
nothing about that was fair.
Let's get you some more.
Would it be okay
if I take a bath?
Mm. Of course.
Oh!
Winthrop?
Winthrop?
Hm.
I don't believe I ever met
your uncle Ray.
Your father's
younger brother, right?
I'm sorry.
I don't want to talk about that.
Sure.
I find it hard to reckon what
people do to one another.
No, you don't have to think
about any of that here.
Something's on your mind.
Wanna share?
It's my cousin... Winthrop.
He's staying with me, and...
I'm not sorry I took him in,
but he's been through a lot.
Fought in Afghanistan.
He doesn't sleep.
Walks all night.
Locks himself in the bathroom
for hours.
Eye contact is a struggle.
And I just keep wondering if
he should be with someone
who can handle real PTSD.
Someone who doesn't just sit
outside the bathroom door
hoping he'll come out.
Sometimes that's enough.
Someone waiting
outside the door.
Huh?
That's what
I told myself with my mom.
I stayed in case...
she came back out
just for a minute.
She never did.
I can't let
that happen to Winthrop.
I failed him once,
and I won't do it again.
Ellen...
you did more for her than
most people ever get.
Now you're doing the same
for Winthrop.
Oh.
I'm sorry, I didn't hear
you pull up.
Vahna.
Oh, hi.
I am... I am Ellen.
Oh, wow.
You had a lot of work done here
in such a short amount of time.
Well, it's good to have someone
helping you.
It rains a lot here,
so everything just gets
really overgrown.
I've been living here
for about a year now
and I will
warn you, it is quiet.
There's really like
nothing to do at all.
The closest bar
that doesn't have
a bowling alley attached to it
is actually all the way up
in Buffalo.
Um, I don't drive
or bowl, but it's all good.
Mhm. Mhm.
Want one?
- Oh, no. Thanks.
- I have more
I'm good. I know, thank you.
They look delicious though.
- Yeah.
- Crispy.
I've been having migraines
sort of general all over
aches and pains like every
joint is on fire.
But they got
a pill for that.
They got a pill for everything.
A pill for this,
a pill for that.
Pill for the fucking pills.
I actually moved here
because I was going to take
some college classes.
You know, Genesee College.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Just up.
- Yeah.
Poetry.
Oh.
I did get involved
with the... teacher.
Grace, whose...
a bitch and dumped me
out of a blue.
And just kind of...
You feel used, you know,
you just want back
everything they took from you.
I'm trying to track her down.
I'll find her.
Is that your husband?
Oh, no.
That's, uh, my cousin Winthrop.
Hmm.
You need a hand?
I've killed a few weeds
in my day.
Honestly. No, you
don't need to.
- You sure?
- Yeah. No, I--
Your ice cream is
probably melted.
No. That's fine.
I can just put it
in your fridge.
Um...
- Oh. Ellen. Ellen.
- Ellen.
Yeah. Uh.
Let me, uh...
Okay. Here.
You can get the other bag.
I will.
I'm just going to show you
where the kitchen
is first and then.
Hi.
Hi.
Who watches TV on
such a beautiful day.
It's a good day for gardening.
Let's do it.
Mm.
It's so nice to have
somebody to actually talk to.
Here are some gloves.
How long ago did
your mother pass?
I saw the photos.
Just a few months back.
Mm.
She was pretty.
Doesn't that hurt?
Oh, Ellen...
Everything hurts.
Mm.
Almost there?
Mm.
Sorry.
Oh. It slipped.
All right, here we go.
Winthrop, dinner
if you're hungry.
You must be Winthrop.
Winthrop, Vahna,
our neighbor who was
kind enough
to provide us
with this beautiful food.
So what's a guy like you
doing living with his cousin?
Don't you have a job?
He lined up a job
for the spring.
Not too far away, actually.
Oh, yeah.
What kind of job?
Sheet metal plant.
Does he speak?
I speak.
Sorry, I was just teasing.
I didn't mean anything.
Okay. Get home safely.
Yeah.
How long has Winthrop
been staying with you?
Not long.
Just be careful.
I can tell that man has
done some terrible things.
- Okay.
- Mm.
Toodles.
I'm sorry, I didn't know
you were in there.
It won't happen again.
You think you can hide from me?
Anywhere you go...
I will find you.
Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!
Bitch!
Thank you.
I wanted to apologize
again about last night.
It's okay.
The kitchen accident.
In the mess hall.
Had these huge vats of fry oil.
Some guys were messing around.
One of them tipped.
Almost killed me.
Probably should have.
You fixed it.
It's really beautiful.
Thank you.
We should have taken you in
when your parents died.
I'm so sorry.
Vahna.
Hi.
Hide the silverware.
I heard about your
church fundraiser,
so I brought this stuff.
It's not a lot,
but I don't use it anymore.
That's so generous.
Yeah. And then I was...
Well, I was just
sitting around bored sick
and I thought maybe my new
friend Ellen wouldn't mind
keeping her silly little
friend company for a while.
Well, we're pretty
much done for the day.
The sky's about to open up.
Oh, well, look at that.
Yeah, okay.
Good times.
- Yeah.
- Good times and hard times.
Oh, no.
I know all about hard times.
The cruelty people
are capable of.
Like my father.
He knew cruelty.
He was an expert.
Not only did he start to
sexually assault his daughter,
when I was, like,
four years old.
He thought it would be fun
to pass her around to all
of his friends.
All of them like
a cheap bottle of wine.
Do you know what that's like?
While your father sits back
and it's just like, you know,
"Let it feel good.
Like, why are you crying?"
No.
I don't.
And I see how strong you are.
Survivors carry it
in their eyes.
Strong.
Yeah.
No.
I would die right now
if I had a choice.
I just need a new fucking body.
Every inch of this one hurts.
I put the bird bath into
the shed so the paint won't run.
I think I'm gonna rest
for a while.
Tired?
From all that yard work?
Big, strong guy like you.
What do you want from me?
Everything.
Ignore her, Winthrop.
She's being silly.
Yes, ignore me.
I'm being silly.
You can't trust him.
Stop. You don't know him.
He wants to fuck me
and probably you too.
Probably you too.
Don't be so naive.
Can you dance with me?
- I'm good, I'm good.
- Oh, please dance with me,
- I won't bite.
- Really.
I don't bite, I promise.
You put up a very
puritan front, Ellen.
But I think you got
some secrets in there.
I don't have any secrets.
No?
It's getting late.
I'm tired.
Let's get you home.
I had to drink a lot of wine, actually.
A lot of wine,
and it's raining outside.
And I don't want to crash
my bike into a ditch.
Okay. Uh, I will drive you.
We'll put your bike
in the back.
I can't move.
Come on, I'll help.
We can make it.
I'll just sleep in
your bed tonight.
It's fine.
You won't even notice I'm there
because I'm a very
still sleeper.
Like a rock. Look.
Okay.
I was wondering, if you might
like to join me
for church this morning.
It's a short service.
That'd be okay.
Oh, great.
Morning.
Good morning.
I'm going to borrow this for a
couple days, if you don't mind.
Actually, I was going to give
it to Winthrop for his room.
Oh, he can manage.
I just need to get my heat
turned back on.
Toodles!
Here we are.
Good morning.
That man?
He scared me
to death last night.
He showed up on my porch
at 2:00 in the morning.
I had to get my husband's gun.
I thought
he was going to break in.
What are you talking about?
You're okay.
Everybody's okay.
Let's go inside.
Would it be okay if I stay
in the car?
Of course.
Hi Don.
...and Jacob said to Joseph,
go and see the world
through thy neighbor's eyes.
And the Bible tells us that
Lucifer mocked this,
and he sent out his demons
to mock it
and to weaken this idea
among men.
Why?
The Bible tells us this, too.
Because it was more dangerous
to him
than anything that--
Winthrop.
You can't disappear
on people like that.
I'm sorry.
Were you at Denise
Minotka's last night?
I don't remember.
I didn't mean to scare anybody.
Maybe it was sick or something.
I tried to save it.
You've always done this,
you know.
You remember when you pulled
that tiny, half dead
bird out of that dog's mouth,
and you built a whole ICU
in a shoebox for it?
Your smile when that
bird finally took flight.
Winthrop, is that you?
Hello.
Come meet the Porta John Man.
Porta John.
Vahna.
Vahna...
Are you okay?
Hold me.
I know what he did to you.
Who?
Your uncle...
keeping you in that cage.
Now, now...
Don't go losing your head.
John! John!
Who are you?
I brought you some food.
Feeling any better?
It's been three days.
I'm going to call the doctor.
God, it's cold in here.
Tomorrow, I'm not
taking no for an answer.
I'm going to drive up and
get that heater back from Vahna.
Do you need anything
before I go?
Vahna, it's Ellen.
Hello?
Ms. Hershbergen?
I am Detective Tom Rausch.
So you found her in there?
Well, is there anyone
we can call
someone to pick you up?
Someone you can stay with
for a while?
Oh, no. I'm okay.
I have someone staying with me.
Thank you.
Good, yeah.
Well, I think you've had more
than enough for one night,
so I'm gonna save my questions
for the morning, okay?
- Thank you.
- All right.
Oh.
Vahna's... dead.
She, uh...
was beaten to death
it looked like.
Why would anyone
want to do that?
Since, unfortunately,
you might be the last person
to see her alive
and the one who found her body,
would you mind if we take
a look around the house?
Strictly routine.
No, not at all.
Whatever you need.
Now, you mentioned
you went to Vahna Minter's house
for a heater.
She borrowed mine,
said she was going to bring
it back in a couple of days,
but I hadn't heard from her
in over a week.
And is this the heater?
Uh yes, that's it?
Is that a neighbor?
Who's that?
That's my cousin, Winthrop.
He's staying with me.
Does he know Vahna?
She came over to the house
a couple of times,
had dinner with us.
Spent the night once.
She slept over?
It was raining and she didn't
feel well,
so I offered
to drive her home, but...
Okay, well, what's, uh,
Winthrop's full name.
Oh, Winthrop Thomas Benson.
And was he here with you last
Tuesday or Wednesday night?
He's always here.
Detective?
Excuse me.
My guys are going to finish up
here, but, um,
would you mind bringing Winthrop
to the station
first thing tomorrow morning?
We'd like to ask him
a few questions as well.
Sure.
Have a good day, ma'am.
Officer.
Have a good day, sir.
Thank you.
Thanks for coming in.
Oh, thank you for making
time for me, I appreciate it.
- No problem.
- Thanks.
Detective Rausch.
Okay. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I hear you like to take walks
late at night.
Sometimes I can't sleep
and I get nightmares
so I walk.
The coroner says Vahna Minter
most likely died
sometime Tuesday night.
Were you out walking then?
You see anything strange?
So you have an OTH?
Records of several fights,
one with an officer.
And this one here.
Looks like you nearly
beat this man to death.
Lost vision in his right eye.
Mhm, mhm, mhm.
You want to talk to me about it?
Listen, Winthrop
I was in Kuwait.
Two tours.
I know the shit you see
when you close your eyes, okay?
I've been there.
But I'm gonna need you
to talk to me.
All right.
You want to play hardball?
Let's play hardball.
I see you had
an accident at the base.
You want to talk about that?
Hm?
Have you ever been
to Vahna Minter's house?
I'm going to need
a verbal response on this.
Never with Ellen.
Never one of your
midnight strolls.
Never for something else.
No!
This mitt is one half of a pair.
One of which was found in
Vahna Minter's kitchen,
and the other of which
was found in your room.
Now, I'd like for you
to tell me
how this wound up
in your room.
Excuse me.
Who are you?
I'm Ellen Hershbergen.
That's my cousin.
Oh, I see.
Actually, I wouldn't mind
asking you
a few questions
if you're willing
to come down to the DA's office.
Of course.
Winthrop Benson,
we are placing you under arrest
for the murder-
- What?!
- of Vahna Minter.
- No.
There is an explanation,
that mitt--
Ms. Hershbergen you can explain
everything in the interview.
For now, we are done here.
My office will be in touch.
Let's go.
I've been in law for 20 years,
and I must say,
I'm stunned they've
actually charged him.
They have no DNA, no clear
prints, no motive.
One troubling issue is this
ridiculous oven mitt
they found in Winthrop's room.
Yes. I wanted to talk to you
about that.
So Vahna brought over
a bag of stuff
for the church fundraiser,
and the mitt was in there,
but there was only one.
Oh, excellent.
Winthrop must have found it
and taken it into
his room for some reason.
So what's the next step?
Can I post bail?
You may not need to.
I've requested a preliminary
hearing to determine
whether or not
they have enough evidence
to even bring this case
to trial.
Now, prosecution is certainly
going to make a big deal
about Winthrop's
late night walks, but
I found an expert who is
willing to submit an affidavit
explaining the effects of PTSD
and how victims often have
trouble sleeping.
I know he has some issues,
but Winthrop is not a murderer.
And from the moment I met Vahna,
you could tell
something was very off.
Oh, we have somebody looking
into her past as we speak.
Good.
All right.
I appreciate your time.
You're welcome.
Porta John Man.
Porta.
No.
Hey, hey!
Freak show.
Hey!
I don't feel right.
Ellen...
I'm seeing things.
What kind of things?
Just...
flashes.
But violent things.
Like I'm seeing through
someone else's eyes.
Thinking someone else's
thoughts.
Winthrop.
I need you to be
very honest with me.
Did you have anything to do
with Vahna's murder?
No.
No.
Okay.
We're gonna get you
out of here.
No.
No, I don't mind being here.
And I don't want you
to come back to visit.
Guard!
I'm finished in here.
I just knew the answers
lay with Vahna.
But the woman was a phantom.
I couldn't find her, anywhere.
I'll let you sleep
for 10 hours
and paint a rainbow on you.
And then I'll slice you open
so your heart falls out
before you wake up.
It's the first thing
that you will see
me rubbing your heart blood
on my face.
I'll be laughing at you
as I feed
my little throat people.
I'll use your blood
to wash my fucking dishes.
Where did you get these?
Vahna's house.
I know, I just...
You should have
seen him yesterday.
He's terrified, and it just
feels like the police think
they've got their man.
Well, this falls right in line
with Vahna's very sordid past.
What?
I've searched,
and I haven't found
anything online about her.
It pays to have a good P.I.
Here.
He tracked a long line
of aliases.
Vahna was constantly changing
names and appearances.
Here.
Inet Goodreaux.
Zilka Goodhanz.
Sarah Morrison.
Francesca Milani.
Noah Jules-Domley.
Not to speak ill of
the dead, but she was insane.
She was living
in Salt Lake City.
Two young Mormon
boys came to her door
and she invited them in...
only to tie them up
in her basement for hours,
forcing them to perform
various sex acts
on her and each other.
What?
She was arrested, but by
the time of her arraignment,
she had vanished.
One year later,
you met her in Pontiac.
The point is that she was
clearly not well,
and there are
many people out there
who might have
a vendetta against her.
You bet your ass I'm going
to be spelling this out
in my motion to dismiss.
But I need you to promise me
that you will
not go back to that house.
Oh, you don't have to worry
about that.
Just before we start,
I know this would
be your first murder trial
and a conviction could be
a big boost for your career,
but it could also be
a big mistake.
Hmm.
Look, with all due respect--
Did you know that Winthrop
was commended for bravery
for saving a platoon
member's life?
And that when he was caught
beating up that soldier,
he was actually
defending himself?
Did you know that the burn on
his leg was not an accident?
It was revenge for testifying
against the soldier
that attacked him and that
he was relentlessly abused
because he's small, quiet
and a little delayed.
But wouldn't you be delayed if
your parents died in a horrific
car accident when you were only
10 and you were in that car.
And now you are sent to live
with a sick and sadistic uncle
who beats you repeatedly.
And yet still, he's not violent.
In fact, he is kind, empathetic.
I have years of psychological
reports from the VA
verifying all of this.
So go ahead.
Put your reputation on the line
with nothing but
circumstantial evidence.
Uh...
I will sleep on it.
I will see you in court tomorrow
as scheduled.
Apparently the prosecution
has decided to delay
the proceedings pending
more concrete evidence.
I'll give you two weeks.
So ordered.
Are you okay?
I thought you'd be ecstatic.
I am.
Okay.
Call me if
you need anything.
You may think you got away
with this,
but you and I both know
the truth, don't we, Winthrop?
I told you we'd get you home.
How are the headaches?
Well...
I'm going to head to bed and...
we can talk in the morning
once we both had a good
night's sleep, okay?
Can I sleep with you tonight?
Your room's all ready for you.
Clean sheets and all.
You'll be good.
- Yeah.
- Hey, it's Nina.
I know it's late,
but guess what?
We found Winthrop.
He's at a homeless shelter.
I'll send you the address.
Thank you, Nina.
Sh-sh-sh.
Here you go.
Hello, Winthrop.
It's good to see you.
Okay.
Listen, I want to take
you home, okay?
All right, well, at least
let me give you some money
so you can get a real meal
and some rest, okay?
Where does Grace Beck live?
I-I-I don't know who that is.
I don't know her.
I don't know who she is.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
You- you have to give me
something to go on.
Who is she?
She's your teacher?
Where does Grace Beck live?
All right.
All right, I'm gonna
try to find out.
Grace Beck.
Okay.
Come back home
whenever you're ready.
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch.
Bitch, bitch, bitch.
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch!
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch!
Nina was right.
It does pay to know
a good investigator.
We had found Grace Beck.
Um...
Hello.
Hi. Miss Hershbergen.
My name
is Robert Edgewood.
I'm a rep with the state
looking for Winthrop Benson.
Hi.
Hi.
I'm with the state
welfare office.
There's some money owed
to Mr. Benson,
and we have this as his
last known address.
Is he home?
Uh, unfortunately, he's
not living here right now.
You might be able to find him
at the shelter
on Stanton up in Buffalo.
Oh, okay.
Um, well, if you do hear
from him,
I'd really appreciate you
giving us a call.
Of course.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
Yeah, you too.
I'm sorry we haven't seen
Winthrop in over a week now.
I thought maybe he had
gone back home with you.
Thank you.
Um, you might want to try down
at the Covington overpass.
It's a long shot, but some
people set up tents under there.
Much appreciated.
Please stay back.
Please.
Did you find Grace Beck?
Yes.
You have to tell me why--
Stay back I said!
Tell me where she is, bitch,
or I'll kill you too!
You did not kill Vahna.
Vahna.
I know this isn't you
and I will help you.
Grace can help me!
Bring her here.
Hello, this is Grace Beck.
Ellen Hershbergen.
I reached out about
Vahna Minter.
Yes, Ellen.
I'm sorry.
It's just getting word
that accused killer
is out there looking for me.
Brought back all the Vahna stuff
I've been trying to forget.
I hate to admit it, but...
I'm glad Vahna is dead.
Anything you're willing
to tell me is invaluable.
Vahna was a...
student in my poetry class.
I was going through
some dark times.
Vahna played on that
vulnerability like a maestro.
It got very intense,
very quick and...
there were drugs and...
Domination.
I realized that she was
obsessed with what I let her
do to me.
She liked to hang me.
It was sick.
I wanted out,
and she became furious.
She...
said that I would
never be free of her.
And that's when she told me
about the Porta John Man.
This man told Vahna she no
longer had to be afraid
that she would now live forever.
[sinister voice
I got something for you.
And you get to keep it.
And Vahna swore to me
that if I ever left her,
she would do whatever it took
to find me.
I'm, um, changing my number, so.
Wait...
I found some letters.
Some are to you.
I just thought if we could meet.
You saw the letters,
maybe we could make
some sense of this.
Grace.
Grace...
Vahna's not dead.
What do you mean?
Move.
And leave no trace.
Vahna is not dead.
Help!
Help!
Where's Grace Beck?!
Where is Grace Beck?!
Kevin.
What the fuck is going on?
Drop it!
Drop it!
Who are you?
Got him.
Let's get him outta here.
Did he hurt you?
James.
Hey!
What are you doing
with Winthrop?
It's freezing out here.
Come inside where we can talk.
My name is James,
and this is Kevin.
We'll be inside.
Hi, my name is James Light
and I'm a priest
like Father Caldwell.
And this is Doctor Emily Warren.
Hello, Ellen.
How's Winthrop doing?
Sleeping peacefully.
I'd like to see him.
It will take some time for the
tranquilizers to wear off,
but I can assure you
he's safe.
Here, why don't you have
a seat
and we'll tell you everything.
We're dealing with nothing less
than evil incarnate.
Some people call them demons.
Imps. Succubi. Djinni.
They like to nestle in and hide,
forcing us to seek them out.
One of these entities
had been in Vahna Minter
for a very long time,
and is now residing in Winthrop.
Vahna was taken very young.
The evil infusing in her
its own twisted desires,
becoming obsessed
with Grace Beck.
But Grace had enough
self-worth to get away in time.
And this is when
we lost track of Vahna.
Which is too bad
because I believe
we could have captured it
and saved her life.
How?
Evil is seeking those
who've been weakened by abuse,
neglect, drugs like
Vahna Minter or Winthrop.
The abuse rewires pathways,
making the brain
more vulnerable, allowing
possession to take hold.
But in very rare cases, a brain
is forming a neural cage
that an entity cannot escape.
You lost me here.
We have such a brain.
Kevin, do you mind?
The book tells us about them.
Now, the language used
is very archaic,
but it translates
something akin to lockbox.
Now, the only way to save
Winthrop now is
to have the very
powerful force inside him
moved into another host,
one that he can't escape.
A lockbox.
Surely you sense something
strange in Winthrop.
A change.
Yes.
He told me he felt like
he was thinking someone
else's thoughts.
Here it comes.
What are you doing
with that boy?
James, we need
to get him upstairs.
That boy was in a coma at
Saint Mary's for almost a year.
His brain scan shows
he has the neural cage.
What?
So he was sent to us,
and he just might save Winthrop.
Are you fucking kidding me?
He's the lock box?
He's more than a child.
He has the ability to absorb
pain like water into sand.
The boy was born to parents
whose cruelty
was matched only
by their neglect.
They drugged him.
They abandoned him.
So now we do our best
to take care of him.
But he was built for this.
Yeah. Brave boy.
Mm.
We should be good
to go by sunset.
Do you have a nosebleed?
Mmhmm.
Here.
I got it.
Feed us now.
Why are you here?
You vile...
obscene creatures.
We are you.
And if you let them do this,
Winthrop will die.
James.
Those things in that boy
just told me that if you
do this, Winthrop will die.
They spoke to you?
Yeah.
They are the prince of lies.
He does not stand in the truth
because there
is no truth in him.
So no one has ever died.
There is always a chance
that something goes wrong.
How many have you lost?
Two.
Out of how many?
Eight.
The evil that is in Winthrop,
do you know how many
lives it has destroyed?
Condemning their souls to hell.
So this is a bargain?
No.
It is God's work.
God doesn't trade souls.
That is the devil's work.
Morgan Hetfield,
a mother of five.
Brandon Paige, a surgeon
who has since saved
hundreds of lives.
These are just two
of the people
this remarkable boy
has saved.
All right,
I'll tell you what.
If you believe what we're doing
is wrong,
then take Winthrop
and walk out that door.
We won't stop you.
Winthrop is not dying tonight.
Do you understand that?
Now, now.
Don't go losing your head.
Who are you?
That's who I am.
Not to sound like your uncle.
I'm not done with you.
Argh!
I've got something for you.
And you.
Get.
To keep it.
Sorry. We should have
known better, I'm sorry.
All right.
We'll take him down now.
All right, let's get you up,
Winthrop.
Okay.
Let's take him
to the basement.
What do we do now?
We wait.
Is that normal?
It's fine.
Help me!
Help!
What?
What just happened?
What's going on?
The video always cuts out.
We're not allowed to see what
happens in the transition.
Ellen!
Ellen! Help!
Help
What?
James?
James. We're losing him.
Ellen?
Ellen!
Oh.
No!
No!
Ugh!
Mom.
My...
Ellen.
You're not her.
Don't you dare use her voice.
I'm Winthrop.
You knew where he was going.
To that sick sadistic uncle
who would beat him
until he could no longer cry.
No.
I didn't know.
Don't lie to me again.
You did know.
Yes.
I know who I owe.
And you're not him.
Hello.
Hi.
I've got to go.
Do you have a name?
I used to, but I don't remember.
Thank you for saving Winthrop.
You can walk?
Yes.
Ellen?
Where is it?
No more games.
Open the door!!!
Ellen.
You interrupted us.
I don't have it.
Ellen! We're coming in!
Open the door!
I can still finish this.
He's lying.
Open the door!
Ellen!
God,
give me counsel, for I am
facing the Prince of Lies.
Give me the wisdom to not fall
for his wicked tricks,
for it is but deception
that gives him his power.
It is the Prince of Lies.
God, give me counsel.
...For facing the Prince
of Lies.
What is it, then?
What's the lie?
It's in me.
Ellen!
Touch my hand!
You will not touch the boy!
He's got it.
It's um...
Okay.
Okay.
What happened down there?
It tried to pull me apart.
Didn't work.
Someone brought you up, right?
Yeah.
The boy is resting now.
- I'll pay him a visit.
- Okay.
If we give you a tape recorder
would you be willing
to share what happened on record
just for us
for the next time we
try to save someone?
Sure.
Okay.
Thank you, James.
Oh, yes.
You're welcome.
That thing was destroying
the last good memory I had.
But you wouldn't let it.
Thank you.
Let's not make a thing of it.
Dear cousin Ellen.
I saw this Michael
the Archangel
vanquishing the demon, and
it reminded me of you.
I wanted to let you know
I started my new job
and I really like it so far.
Maybe you want to come?
See the new place?
It would be good to see you.
Love, Winthrop.
Pull over the van!
I'm sorry.
Okay, guys.
I understand what
you're feeling.
We don't need to go
where we're going, okay?
Just pull the van
over and we'll talk.
It feels so good right now.
I just need you to listen, okay?
I just need you to fucking
listen to me! I...!
I'm so sorry.
I don't want to go see the boy!
I don't want to see
the fucking boy!
I don't want to see the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the boy!
Not the--
My name is Ellen Hershbergen
and I will tell you
all that happened
in hopes that
it will never happen again.
My mother died in February.
She had been
battling Alzheimer's.
I had been all kinds
of things before that.
A modestly successful
fashion designer.
The author of
a children's book about peas.
Then I became a caretaker.
Now, I wasn't even that.
So all I could do is reinvent
myself and start over.
Morning.
I'm father John Dore.
- Nice to meet you.
- Lovely to meet you, too.
Your call was a godsend.
I've been needing a hand,
but I don't have
the budget to hire
someone full time.
I used to volunteer at
my church in Buffalo,
so I thought it might help me
find my footing here.
And why Pontiac?
How did we get so lucky?
Uh, more chance than luck.
I had this weird feeling
I could fit here,
be myself again.
You know, we could pull
together a yard sale,
raise some money,
fix the pews.
I'm actually pretty good
at that.
Yes.
All right.
It's worth a shot.
Yes.
Donna. Hi.
Ellen, how's the new town
treating you?
Oh, uh.
It's good.
Quiet. Not tripping
over boxes anymore.
It suits me.
I'm glad.
Buffalo will miss you.
You needed a new start.
Yeah. Thanks, Donna.
I really did.
Hey, do you remember
our Cousin Winthrop?
Babysat for him every Thursday.
Ate his weight in spaghetti.
Of course
I remember him.
He's been staying
with us for a while
but Dan wants him gone.
Not enough space
in the house.
Right.
Good news is he's got
a job at a sheet metal plant
not too far
from Pontiac, actually.
Starts in the spring--
You don't even have to finish.
I would be happy to have him.
Really? That would be amazing.
Of course.
He's been bouncing
around family for years.
Like a ball with no air in it.
Just know Winthrop
is a little different.
He has some PTSD stuff
from his time in the army.
But he's a good guy.
All right,
well, we'll figure it out.
I think it might do me some
good to have someone around.
Thank you, Ellen.
Okay, bye.
All right. Bye, Donna.
Winthrop?
Cousin Helen?
It's been a long time.
Only about 30 years.
Is that all you have?
That's all I need.
All right.
I appreciate you taking me in
for a while.
Thank you.
Glad for the company.
It's really good to see you.
This is it.
Let me show you your room.
You like it?
Look. That's us.
Thank you.
Okay.
I had never seen
anyone inhale
spaghetti and meatballs
like you did.
You remember?
It was almost scary.
I still do.
I was sorry to hear
about your mom.
Mm.
Thanks.
I remember her always
laughing, telling jokes.
Mm.
She was a good cook,
like you.
Mm. Thanks.
She was.
She had a laugh that
could fill the whole house.
Then your parents...
nothing about that was fair.
Let's get you some more.
Would it be okay
if I take a bath?
Mm. Of course.
Oh!
Winthrop?
Winthrop?
Hm.
I don't believe I ever met
your uncle Ray.
Your father's
younger brother, right?
I'm sorry.
I don't want to talk about that.
Sure.
I find it hard to reckon what
people do to one another.
No, you don't have to think
about any of that here.
Something's on your mind.
Wanna share?
It's my cousin... Winthrop.
He's staying with me, and...
I'm not sorry I took him in,
but he's been through a lot.
Fought in Afghanistan.
He doesn't sleep.
Walks all night.
Locks himself in the bathroom
for hours.
Eye contact is a struggle.
And I just keep wondering if
he should be with someone
who can handle real PTSD.
Someone who doesn't just sit
outside the bathroom door
hoping he'll come out.
Sometimes that's enough.
Someone waiting
outside the door.
Huh?
That's what
I told myself with my mom.
I stayed in case...
she came back out
just for a minute.
She never did.
I can't let
that happen to Winthrop.
I failed him once,
and I won't do it again.
Ellen...
you did more for her than
most people ever get.
Now you're doing the same
for Winthrop.
Oh.
I'm sorry, I didn't hear
you pull up.
Vahna.
Oh, hi.
I am... I am Ellen.
Oh, wow.
You had a lot of work done here
in such a short amount of time.
Well, it's good to have someone
helping you.
It rains a lot here,
so everything just gets
really overgrown.
I've been living here
for about a year now
and I will
warn you, it is quiet.
There's really like
nothing to do at all.
The closest bar
that doesn't have
a bowling alley attached to it
is actually all the way up
in Buffalo.
Um, I don't drive
or bowl, but it's all good.
Mhm. Mhm.
Want one?
- Oh, no. Thanks.
- I have more
I'm good. I know, thank you.
They look delicious though.
- Yeah.
- Crispy.
I've been having migraines
sort of general all over
aches and pains like every
joint is on fire.
But they got
a pill for that.
They got a pill for everything.
A pill for this,
a pill for that.
Pill for the fucking pills.
I actually moved here
because I was going to take
some college classes.
You know, Genesee College.
- Yeah, yeah.
- Just up.
- Yeah.
Poetry.
Oh.
I did get involved
with the... teacher.
Grace, whose...
a bitch and dumped me
out of a blue.
And just kind of...
You feel used, you know,
you just want back
everything they took from you.
I'm trying to track her down.
I'll find her.
Is that your husband?
Oh, no.
That's, uh, my cousin Winthrop.
Hmm.
You need a hand?
I've killed a few weeds
in my day.
Honestly. No, you
don't need to.
- You sure?
- Yeah. No, I--
Your ice cream is
probably melted.
No. That's fine.
I can just put it
in your fridge.
Um...
- Oh. Ellen. Ellen.
- Ellen.
Yeah. Uh.
Let me, uh...
Okay. Here.
You can get the other bag.
I will.
I'm just going to show you
where the kitchen
is first and then.
Hi.
Hi.
Who watches TV on
such a beautiful day.
It's a good day for gardening.
Let's do it.
Mm.
It's so nice to have
somebody to actually talk to.
Here are some gloves.
How long ago did
your mother pass?
I saw the photos.
Just a few months back.
Mm.
She was pretty.
Doesn't that hurt?
Oh, Ellen...
Everything hurts.
Mm.
Almost there?
Mm.
Sorry.
Oh. It slipped.
All right, here we go.
Winthrop, dinner
if you're hungry.
You must be Winthrop.
Winthrop, Vahna,
our neighbor who was
kind enough
to provide us
with this beautiful food.
So what's a guy like you
doing living with his cousin?
Don't you have a job?
He lined up a job
for the spring.
Not too far away, actually.
Oh, yeah.
What kind of job?
Sheet metal plant.
Does he speak?
I speak.
Sorry, I was just teasing.
I didn't mean anything.
Okay. Get home safely.
Yeah.
How long has Winthrop
been staying with you?
Not long.
Just be careful.
I can tell that man has
done some terrible things.
- Okay.
- Mm.
Toodles.
I'm sorry, I didn't know
you were in there.
It won't happen again.
You think you can hide from me?
Anywhere you go...
I will find you.
Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!
Bitch!
Thank you.
I wanted to apologize
again about last night.
It's okay.
The kitchen accident.
In the mess hall.
Had these huge vats of fry oil.
Some guys were messing around.
One of them tipped.
Almost killed me.
Probably should have.
You fixed it.
It's really beautiful.
Thank you.
We should have taken you in
when your parents died.
I'm so sorry.
Vahna.
Hi.
Hide the silverware.
I heard about your
church fundraiser,
so I brought this stuff.
It's not a lot,
but I don't use it anymore.
That's so generous.
Yeah. And then I was...
Well, I was just
sitting around bored sick
and I thought maybe my new
friend Ellen wouldn't mind
keeping her silly little
friend company for a while.
Well, we're pretty
much done for the day.
The sky's about to open up.
Oh, well, look at that.
Yeah, okay.
Good times.
- Yeah.
- Good times and hard times.
Oh, no.
I know all about hard times.
The cruelty people
are capable of.
Like my father.
He knew cruelty.
He was an expert.
Not only did he start to
sexually assault his daughter,
when I was, like,
four years old.
He thought it would be fun
to pass her around to all
of his friends.
All of them like
a cheap bottle of wine.
Do you know what that's like?
While your father sits back
and it's just like, you know,
"Let it feel good.
Like, why are you crying?"
No.
I don't.
And I see how strong you are.
Survivors carry it
in their eyes.
Strong.
Yeah.
No.
I would die right now
if I had a choice.
I just need a new fucking body.
Every inch of this one hurts.
I put the bird bath into
the shed so the paint won't run.
I think I'm gonna rest
for a while.
Tired?
From all that yard work?
Big, strong guy like you.
What do you want from me?
Everything.
Ignore her, Winthrop.
She's being silly.
Yes, ignore me.
I'm being silly.
You can't trust him.
Stop. You don't know him.
He wants to fuck me
and probably you too.
Probably you too.
Don't be so naive.
Can you dance with me?
- I'm good, I'm good.
- Oh, please dance with me,
- I won't bite.
- Really.
I don't bite, I promise.
You put up a very
puritan front, Ellen.
But I think you got
some secrets in there.
I don't have any secrets.
No?
It's getting late.
I'm tired.
Let's get you home.
I had to drink a lot of wine, actually.
A lot of wine,
and it's raining outside.
And I don't want to crash
my bike into a ditch.
Okay. Uh, I will drive you.
We'll put your bike
in the back.
I can't move.
Come on, I'll help.
We can make it.
I'll just sleep in
your bed tonight.
It's fine.
You won't even notice I'm there
because I'm a very
still sleeper.
Like a rock. Look.
Okay.
I was wondering, if you might
like to join me
for church this morning.
It's a short service.
That'd be okay.
Oh, great.
Morning.
Good morning.
I'm going to borrow this for a
couple days, if you don't mind.
Actually, I was going to give
it to Winthrop for his room.
Oh, he can manage.
I just need to get my heat
turned back on.
Toodles!
Here we are.
Good morning.
That man?
He scared me
to death last night.
He showed up on my porch
at 2:00 in the morning.
I had to get my husband's gun.
I thought
he was going to break in.
What are you talking about?
You're okay.
Everybody's okay.
Let's go inside.
Would it be okay if I stay
in the car?
Of course.
Hi Don.
...and Jacob said to Joseph,
go and see the world
through thy neighbor's eyes.
And the Bible tells us that
Lucifer mocked this,
and he sent out his demons
to mock it
and to weaken this idea
among men.
Why?
The Bible tells us this, too.
Because it was more dangerous
to him
than anything that--
Winthrop.
You can't disappear
on people like that.
I'm sorry.
Were you at Denise
Minotka's last night?
I don't remember.
I didn't mean to scare anybody.
Maybe it was sick or something.
I tried to save it.
You've always done this,
you know.
You remember when you pulled
that tiny, half dead
bird out of that dog's mouth,
and you built a whole ICU
in a shoebox for it?
Your smile when that
bird finally took flight.
Winthrop, is that you?
Hello.
Come meet the Porta John Man.
Porta John.
Vahna.
Vahna...
Are you okay?
Hold me.
I know what he did to you.
Who?
Your uncle...
keeping you in that cage.
Now, now...
Don't go losing your head.
John! John!
Who are you?
I brought you some food.
Feeling any better?
It's been three days.
I'm going to call the doctor.
God, it's cold in here.
Tomorrow, I'm not
taking no for an answer.
I'm going to drive up and
get that heater back from Vahna.
Do you need anything
before I go?
Vahna, it's Ellen.
Hello?
Ms. Hershbergen?
I am Detective Tom Rausch.
So you found her in there?
Well, is there anyone
we can call
someone to pick you up?
Someone you can stay with
for a while?
Oh, no. I'm okay.
I have someone staying with me.
Thank you.
Good, yeah.
Well, I think you've had more
than enough for one night,
so I'm gonna save my questions
for the morning, okay?
- Thank you.
- All right.
Oh.
Vahna's... dead.
She, uh...
was beaten to death
it looked like.
Why would anyone
want to do that?
Since, unfortunately,
you might be the last person
to see her alive
and the one who found her body,
would you mind if we take
a look around the house?
Strictly routine.
No, not at all.
Whatever you need.
Now, you mentioned
you went to Vahna Minter's house
for a heater.
She borrowed mine,
said she was going to bring
it back in a couple of days,
but I hadn't heard from her
in over a week.
And is this the heater?
Uh yes, that's it?
Is that a neighbor?
Who's that?
That's my cousin, Winthrop.
He's staying with me.
Does he know Vahna?
She came over to the house
a couple of times,
had dinner with us.
Spent the night once.
She slept over?
It was raining and she didn't
feel well,
so I offered
to drive her home, but...
Okay, well, what's, uh,
Winthrop's full name.
Oh, Winthrop Thomas Benson.
And was he here with you last
Tuesday or Wednesday night?
He's always here.
Detective?
Excuse me.
My guys are going to finish up
here, but, um,
would you mind bringing Winthrop
to the station
first thing tomorrow morning?
We'd like to ask him
a few questions as well.
Sure.
Have a good day, ma'am.
Officer.
Have a good day, sir.
Thank you.
Thanks for coming in.
Oh, thank you for making
time for me, I appreciate it.
- No problem.
- Thanks.
Detective Rausch.
Okay. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I hear you like to take walks
late at night.
Sometimes I can't sleep
and I get nightmares
so I walk.
The coroner says Vahna Minter
most likely died
sometime Tuesday night.
Were you out walking then?
You see anything strange?
So you have an OTH?
Records of several fights,
one with an officer.
And this one here.
Looks like you nearly
beat this man to death.
Lost vision in his right eye.
Mhm, mhm, mhm.
You want to talk to me about it?
Listen, Winthrop
I was in Kuwait.
Two tours.
I know the shit you see
when you close your eyes, okay?
I've been there.
But I'm gonna need you
to talk to me.
All right.
You want to play hardball?
Let's play hardball.
I see you had
an accident at the base.
You want to talk about that?
Hm?
Have you ever been
to Vahna Minter's house?
I'm going to need
a verbal response on this.
Never with Ellen.
Never one of your
midnight strolls.
Never for something else.
No!
This mitt is one half of a pair.
One of which was found in
Vahna Minter's kitchen,
and the other of which
was found in your room.
Now, I'd like for you
to tell me
how this wound up
in your room.
Excuse me.
Who are you?
I'm Ellen Hershbergen.
That's my cousin.
Oh, I see.
Actually, I wouldn't mind
asking you
a few questions
if you're willing
to come down to the DA's office.
Of course.
Winthrop Benson,
we are placing you under arrest
for the murder-
- What?!
- of Vahna Minter.
- No.
There is an explanation,
that mitt--
Ms. Hershbergen you can explain
everything in the interview.
For now, we are done here.
My office will be in touch.
Let's go.
I've been in law for 20 years,
and I must say,
I'm stunned they've
actually charged him.
They have no DNA, no clear
prints, no motive.
One troubling issue is this
ridiculous oven mitt
they found in Winthrop's room.
Yes. I wanted to talk to you
about that.
So Vahna brought over
a bag of stuff
for the church fundraiser,
and the mitt was in there,
but there was only one.
Oh, excellent.
Winthrop must have found it
and taken it into
his room for some reason.
So what's the next step?
Can I post bail?
You may not need to.
I've requested a preliminary
hearing to determine
whether or not
they have enough evidence
to even bring this case
to trial.
Now, prosecution is certainly
going to make a big deal
about Winthrop's
late night walks, but
I found an expert who is
willing to submit an affidavit
explaining the effects of PTSD
and how victims often have
trouble sleeping.
I know he has some issues,
but Winthrop is not a murderer.
And from the moment I met Vahna,
you could tell
something was very off.
Oh, we have somebody looking
into her past as we speak.
Good.
All right.
I appreciate your time.
You're welcome.
Porta John Man.
Porta.
No.
Hey, hey!
Freak show.
Hey!
I don't feel right.
Ellen...
I'm seeing things.
What kind of things?
Just...
flashes.
But violent things.
Like I'm seeing through
someone else's eyes.
Thinking someone else's
thoughts.
Winthrop.
I need you to be
very honest with me.
Did you have anything to do
with Vahna's murder?
No.
No.
Okay.
We're gonna get you
out of here.
No.
No, I don't mind being here.
And I don't want you
to come back to visit.
Guard!
I'm finished in here.
I just knew the answers
lay with Vahna.
But the woman was a phantom.
I couldn't find her, anywhere.
I'll let you sleep
for 10 hours
and paint a rainbow on you.
And then I'll slice you open
so your heart falls out
before you wake up.
It's the first thing
that you will see
me rubbing your heart blood
on my face.
I'll be laughing at you
as I feed
my little throat people.
I'll use your blood
to wash my fucking dishes.
Where did you get these?
Vahna's house.
I know, I just...
You should have
seen him yesterday.
He's terrified, and it just
feels like the police think
they've got their man.
Well, this falls right in line
with Vahna's very sordid past.
What?
I've searched,
and I haven't found
anything online about her.
It pays to have a good P.I.
Here.
He tracked a long line
of aliases.
Vahna was constantly changing
names and appearances.
Here.
Inet Goodreaux.
Zilka Goodhanz.
Sarah Morrison.
Francesca Milani.
Noah Jules-Domley.
Not to speak ill of
the dead, but she was insane.
She was living
in Salt Lake City.
Two young Mormon
boys came to her door
and she invited them in...
only to tie them up
in her basement for hours,
forcing them to perform
various sex acts
on her and each other.
What?
She was arrested, but by
the time of her arraignment,
she had vanished.
One year later,
you met her in Pontiac.
The point is that she was
clearly not well,
and there are
many people out there
who might have
a vendetta against her.
You bet your ass I'm going
to be spelling this out
in my motion to dismiss.
But I need you to promise me
that you will
not go back to that house.
Oh, you don't have to worry
about that.
Just before we start,
I know this would
be your first murder trial
and a conviction could be
a big boost for your career,
but it could also be
a big mistake.
Hmm.
Look, with all due respect--
Did you know that Winthrop
was commended for bravery
for saving a platoon
member's life?
And that when he was caught
beating up that soldier,
he was actually
defending himself?
Did you know that the burn on
his leg was not an accident?
It was revenge for testifying
against the soldier
that attacked him and that
he was relentlessly abused
because he's small, quiet
and a little delayed.
But wouldn't you be delayed if
your parents died in a horrific
car accident when you were only
10 and you were in that car.
And now you are sent to live
with a sick and sadistic uncle
who beats you repeatedly.
And yet still, he's not violent.
In fact, he is kind, empathetic.
I have years of psychological
reports from the VA
verifying all of this.
So go ahead.
Put your reputation on the line
with nothing but
circumstantial evidence.
Uh...
I will sleep on it.
I will see you in court tomorrow
as scheduled.
Apparently the prosecution
has decided to delay
the proceedings pending
more concrete evidence.
I'll give you two weeks.
So ordered.
Are you okay?
I thought you'd be ecstatic.
I am.
Okay.
Call me if
you need anything.
You may think you got away
with this,
but you and I both know
the truth, don't we, Winthrop?
I told you we'd get you home.
How are the headaches?
Well...
I'm going to head to bed and...
we can talk in the morning
once we both had a good
night's sleep, okay?
Can I sleep with you tonight?
Your room's all ready for you.
Clean sheets and all.
You'll be good.
- Yeah.
- Hey, it's Nina.
I know it's late,
but guess what?
We found Winthrop.
He's at a homeless shelter.
I'll send you the address.
Thank you, Nina.
Sh-sh-sh.
Here you go.
Hello, Winthrop.
It's good to see you.
Okay.
Listen, I want to take
you home, okay?
All right, well, at least
let me give you some money
so you can get a real meal
and some rest, okay?
Where does Grace Beck live?
I-I-I don't know who that is.
I don't know her.
I don't know who she is.
Okay. Okay. Okay.
You- you have to give me
something to go on.
Who is she?
She's your teacher?
Where does Grace Beck live?
All right.
All right, I'm gonna
try to find out.
Grace Beck.
Okay.
Come back home
whenever you're ready.
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch.
Bitch, bitch, bitch.
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch!
Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch!
Nina was right.
It does pay to know
a good investigator.
We had found Grace Beck.
Um...
Hello.
Hi. Miss Hershbergen.
My name
is Robert Edgewood.
I'm a rep with the state
looking for Winthrop Benson.
Hi.
Hi.
I'm with the state
welfare office.
There's some money owed
to Mr. Benson,
and we have this as his
last known address.
Is he home?
Uh, unfortunately, he's
not living here right now.
You might be able to find him
at the shelter
on Stanton up in Buffalo.
Oh, okay.
Um, well, if you do hear
from him,
I'd really appreciate you
giving us a call.
Of course.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
Yeah, you too.
I'm sorry we haven't seen
Winthrop in over a week now.
I thought maybe he had
gone back home with you.
Thank you.
Um, you might want to try down
at the Covington overpass.
It's a long shot, but some
people set up tents under there.
Much appreciated.
Please stay back.
Please.
Did you find Grace Beck?
Yes.
You have to tell me why--
Stay back I said!
Tell me where she is, bitch,
or I'll kill you too!
You did not kill Vahna.
Vahna.
I know this isn't you
and I will help you.
Grace can help me!
Bring her here.
Hello, this is Grace Beck.
Ellen Hershbergen.
I reached out about
Vahna Minter.
Yes, Ellen.
I'm sorry.
It's just getting word
that accused killer
is out there looking for me.
Brought back all the Vahna stuff
I've been trying to forget.
I hate to admit it, but...
I'm glad Vahna is dead.
Anything you're willing
to tell me is invaluable.
Vahna was a...
student in my poetry class.
I was going through
some dark times.
Vahna played on that
vulnerability like a maestro.
It got very intense,
very quick and...
there were drugs and...
Domination.
I realized that she was
obsessed with what I let her
do to me.
She liked to hang me.
It was sick.
I wanted out,
and she became furious.
She...
said that I would
never be free of her.
And that's when she told me
about the Porta John Man.
This man told Vahna she no
longer had to be afraid
that she would now live forever.
[sinister voice
I got something for you.
And you get to keep it.
And Vahna swore to me
that if I ever left her,
she would do whatever it took
to find me.
I'm, um, changing my number, so.
Wait...
I found some letters.
Some are to you.
I just thought if we could meet.
You saw the letters,
maybe we could make
some sense of this.
Grace.
Grace...
Vahna's not dead.
What do you mean?
Move.
And leave no trace.
Vahna is not dead.
Help!
Help!
Where's Grace Beck?!
Where is Grace Beck?!
Kevin.
What the fuck is going on?
Drop it!
Drop it!
Who are you?
Got him.
Let's get him outta here.
Did he hurt you?
James.
Hey!
What are you doing
with Winthrop?
It's freezing out here.
Come inside where we can talk.
My name is James,
and this is Kevin.
We'll be inside.
Hi, my name is James Light
and I'm a priest
like Father Caldwell.
And this is Doctor Emily Warren.
Hello, Ellen.
How's Winthrop doing?
Sleeping peacefully.
I'd like to see him.
It will take some time for the
tranquilizers to wear off,
but I can assure you
he's safe.
Here, why don't you have
a seat
and we'll tell you everything.
We're dealing with nothing less
than evil incarnate.
Some people call them demons.
Imps. Succubi. Djinni.
They like to nestle in and hide,
forcing us to seek them out.
One of these entities
had been in Vahna Minter
for a very long time,
and is now residing in Winthrop.
Vahna was taken very young.
The evil infusing in her
its own twisted desires,
becoming obsessed
with Grace Beck.
But Grace had enough
self-worth to get away in time.
And this is when
we lost track of Vahna.
Which is too bad
because I believe
we could have captured it
and saved her life.
How?
Evil is seeking those
who've been weakened by abuse,
neglect, drugs like
Vahna Minter or Winthrop.
The abuse rewires pathways,
making the brain
more vulnerable, allowing
possession to take hold.
But in very rare cases, a brain
is forming a neural cage
that an entity cannot escape.
You lost me here.
We have such a brain.
Kevin, do you mind?
The book tells us about them.
Now, the language used
is very archaic,
but it translates
something akin to lockbox.
Now, the only way to save
Winthrop now is
to have the very
powerful force inside him
moved into another host,
one that he can't escape.
A lockbox.
Surely you sense something
strange in Winthrop.
A change.
Yes.
He told me he felt like
he was thinking someone
else's thoughts.
Here it comes.
What are you doing
with that boy?
James, we need
to get him upstairs.
That boy was in a coma at
Saint Mary's for almost a year.
His brain scan shows
he has the neural cage.
What?
So he was sent to us,
and he just might save Winthrop.
Are you fucking kidding me?
He's the lock box?
He's more than a child.
He has the ability to absorb
pain like water into sand.
The boy was born to parents
whose cruelty
was matched only
by their neglect.
They drugged him.
They abandoned him.
So now we do our best
to take care of him.
But he was built for this.
Yeah. Brave boy.
Mm.
We should be good
to go by sunset.
Do you have a nosebleed?
Mmhmm.
Here.
I got it.
Feed us now.
Why are you here?
You vile...
obscene creatures.
We are you.
And if you let them do this,
Winthrop will die.
James.
Those things in that boy
just told me that if you
do this, Winthrop will die.
They spoke to you?
Yeah.
They are the prince of lies.
He does not stand in the truth
because there
is no truth in him.
So no one has ever died.
There is always a chance
that something goes wrong.
How many have you lost?
Two.
Out of how many?
Eight.
The evil that is in Winthrop,
do you know how many
lives it has destroyed?
Condemning their souls to hell.
So this is a bargain?
No.
It is God's work.
God doesn't trade souls.
That is the devil's work.
Morgan Hetfield,
a mother of five.
Brandon Paige, a surgeon
who has since saved
hundreds of lives.
These are just two
of the people
this remarkable boy
has saved.
All right,
I'll tell you what.
If you believe what we're doing
is wrong,
then take Winthrop
and walk out that door.
We won't stop you.
Winthrop is not dying tonight.
Do you understand that?
Now, now.
Don't go losing your head.
Who are you?
That's who I am.
Not to sound like your uncle.
I'm not done with you.
Argh!
I've got something for you.
And you.
Get.
To keep it.
Sorry. We should have
known better, I'm sorry.
All right.
We'll take him down now.
All right, let's get you up,
Winthrop.
Okay.
Let's take him
to the basement.
What do we do now?
We wait.
Is that normal?
It's fine.
Help me!
Help!
What?
What just happened?
What's going on?
The video always cuts out.
We're not allowed to see what
happens in the transition.
Ellen!
Ellen! Help!
Help
What?
James?
James. We're losing him.
Ellen?
Ellen!
Oh.
No!
No!
Ugh!
Mom.
My...
Ellen.
You're not her.
Don't you dare use her voice.
I'm Winthrop.
You knew where he was going.
To that sick sadistic uncle
who would beat him
until he could no longer cry.
No.
I didn't know.
Don't lie to me again.
You did know.
Yes.
I know who I owe.
And you're not him.
Hello.
Hi.
I've got to go.
Do you have a name?
I used to, but I don't remember.
Thank you for saving Winthrop.
You can walk?
Yes.
Ellen?
Where is it?
No more games.
Open the door!!!
Ellen.
You interrupted us.
I don't have it.
Ellen! We're coming in!
Open the door!
I can still finish this.
He's lying.
Open the door!
Ellen!
God,
give me counsel, for I am
facing the Prince of Lies.
Give me the wisdom to not fall
for his wicked tricks,
for it is but deception
that gives him his power.
It is the Prince of Lies.
God, give me counsel.
...For facing the Prince
of Lies.
What is it, then?
What's the lie?
It's in me.
Ellen!
Touch my hand!
You will not touch the boy!
He's got it.
It's um...
Okay.
Okay.
What happened down there?
It tried to pull me apart.
Didn't work.
Someone brought you up, right?
Yeah.
The boy is resting now.
- I'll pay him a visit.
- Okay.
If we give you a tape recorder
would you be willing
to share what happened on record
just for us
for the next time we
try to save someone?
Sure.
Okay.
Thank you, James.
Oh, yes.
You're welcome.
That thing was destroying
the last good memory I had.
But you wouldn't let it.
Thank you.
Let's not make a thing of it.
Dear cousin Ellen.
I saw this Michael
the Archangel
vanquishing the demon, and
it reminded me of you.
I wanted to let you know
I started my new job
and I really like it so far.
Maybe you want to come?
See the new place?
It would be good to see you.
Love, Winthrop.