The Pastor Who Preys (2026) Movie Script
1
[dramatic music]
Thank you so much for coming.
It's so good to see you.
Good night.
- [parishioner] Good to see you.
Hey.
[Jenn] Good to see you.
- Thank you.
Martha, I'm praying for
a successful hip surgery
next week. Okay? Now don't you worry.
Thank you, Pastor Caleb.
That means so much.
Thank you. Thank you, Jenn.
Aw. Good to see you, Martha.
- [both chuckle]
[Caleb] Hey. Good to see you.
- Good to see you.
Alex, thank you for calling Mr. Thompson.
Of course. It's my pleasure.
[tense music]
Nice to see you, Phyllis.
[Phyllis stammers]
- [gentle music]
Thanks.
You too.
Yeah.
Hi, honey.
Oh, what was wrong with Phyllis today?
She seemed so distant.
Is everything okay with her?
I believe so.
- Okay. Um.
Jenn, did you get the
links that I sent you
about the importance of folic
acid for pregnant women?
I did. I did. Thank you.
I'm just looking out for
my future grandchild.
When are we gonna tell everyone?
Once we're past the first trimester.
I'm so excited.
I can't wait.
- [both women giggling]
Drive safely.
I love you.
- Right. Bye.
I have to grab some stuff from my office,
but I'll lock up and see you back home?
Mm-hmm.
- [lips lightly smacking]
[dramatic music]
[insects chirping]
- [distant dog barking]
[Caleb] I gotta run to the drug store.
[Jenn] But it's so late.
Don't tell my mom,
but the chicken gave
me terrible heartburn.
You need anything?
No, I'm okay.
Hurry back?
Won't be long.
[lips smacking]
[pensive music]
[tense music]
[Phyllis] I can't believe it.
What are you doing here?
[suspenseful music]
[Phyllis grunts]
No, no!
[suspenseful music continues]
[knife chopping]
[dramatic music]
[sirens wailing]
- [gentle music]
I can't believe we're really doing this,
finally starting our own fashion line!
Between your marketing skills...
[Taylor] And your designs,
we're gonna set the scene on fire.
Yeah, baby. [Both laugh]
Nicole, you have been working for years
to get to this point.
You've designed for others long enough.
Now it's your time.
Well, and nothing like a divorce
to really kick you in the
butt and get you moving.
So are you excited to see
your cousin this summer?
Oh yeah.
Amanda and I have both been
so busy the last few years,
we've barely seen each other.
Hey, you should come visit.
It's only a two hour flight.
I might be able to get
away from John and the kids
for a long weekend,
[sighing]
sit by the lake, soak in some sun.
That sounds so good right now.
I know, right?
Now we can talk about business.
[Nicole] Oh, sure.
Hey, to you and me.
To me and you.
To new adventures.
[glasses clink]
- [Nicole chuckles]
[bright music]
[thoughtful music]
"Never forget how much I love you."
"My love, you're all I think
of every minute of every day."
"And I swear to you, I'm leaving her."
"We need to finally be
honest with everyone."
"She's going to be furious,"
"but we'll weather that storm together."
"Always."
"Xoxo."
Hm.
Wonder who left this behind.
[pensive music]
[Caleb] Hey there!
Oh, I'm sorry.
We don't mean to interrupt.
Oh, no problem.
I was just unloading some stuff.
Uh, I'm Caleb.
This is my wife, Jenn.
[Jenn] Hi. We live not far from here.
Just a block down.
Nicole Alday. Pleased to meet you.
I'm just renting the place
for a little summer getaway.
My cousin Amanda and her
husband, Tom, live next door.
Oh yeah, we know Tom and Amanda.
It's a small town.
Well, I'm a pastor at Faith of Hearts.
It's the local ministry.
[Jenn] He's also the coach
at the high school too.
Oh, Amanda's a part of the congregation,
so we all know each other pretty well.
Oh, great.
[Jenn] So where are you from?
[Nicole] Uh, New York City.
- [Jenn] How exciting!
Well, this place is pretty quiet.
A big change from New York, I bet.
[Chuckles]
Well, you should join Amanda
one Sunday for a service.
Yeah, maybe.
Well, anyway,
we'll let you get back to it.
But hey, we are just so excited
to see somebody finally
moving into the house.
It was empty for, what, six months now?
Yeah. Really seemed like it.
Oh, I found a love letter
left behind in a closet.
Really? Love letter?
I mean, I assume you knew
who lived there before me.
We did. Yeah.
[Jenn] My friend Phyllis lived here.
Yeah, Phyllis passed
away a few months ago.
Oh. Oh God.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
I didn't realize.
[Jenn] Really?
Maybe the letter belonged to her?
Well, actually,
three or four different families
lived in this house over the past decade,
so I guess any one of 'em
could have left it behind.
Who knows?
Anyway, please don't hesitate to reach out
if you need anything at all.
We're neighbors now.
- [Jenn] Yes, please.
Thank you. Will do. [Chuckles]
And really though,
you should think about joining
us one weekend for service.
We're non-denominational,
and we're open to everybody.
I will definitely consider it. [Chuckles]
[Caleb] No pressure.
Bye.
- We'll see you around.
[pensive music]
[Jenn sighing] Your mom's here.
[Caleb] Yeah.
[Jenn] It looks like she
probably let herself in
without asking
again. [Sighs]
[Caleb] I know, sweetie,
she's been stopping by a lot.
I think she's just lonely
since Dad's passing.
[Jenn] I completely sympathize.
I just wish she'd call first.
[Hattie] There we go. Nice and hot.
Mom, you really didn't
need to do all of that.
Really, you didn't, Hattie.
[Hattie] Nonsense.
You two are always so busy,
and I have nothing but time
on my hands these days.
I sauted extra vegetables
for you to have tomorrow.
I worry that you don't eat healthy enough.
I noticed that someone was
moving into Phyllis's old house.
Yeah, a nice lady.
I think she's only here for the summer.
She's a cousin of Amanda from church.
Can't believe it's been almost six months
since Phyllis passed away.
I still can't wrap my head
around what happened to her.
I'm gonna take a shower.
Is she okay?
Yeah, I think it's just hard
to see somebody moving into
her best friend's house.
Phyllis was always so full of life,
and for Jenn to be the
one to find her body.
I mean, that's, it's horrible.
[Jenn crying] Okay.
Pull yourself together. [Sobs]
I'm worried about Jenn.
I think just between the
miscarriage and Phyllis dying,
it's just...
[Hattie] Yeah.
Jenn's been through so much,
but at least she has you to lean on.
[dramatic music]
[dog barking]
[phone ringing]
[phone clicks]
Hey, cuz, how are you?
How's the moving going?
Almost done, finally.
Where are you two at now?
Oh my god, we have had so many delays.
It has completely rerouted us
all the way through Chicago.
So we're just stuck here
till our next flight.
Ugh. I bet Hawaii was amazing though.
Can't wait to see pictures.
[Amanda] It was eventful.
You, ugh, I can't wait to see you!
It feels like it's been forever.
All right, I'm gonna have to go find Tom.
He wandered off somewhere.
Fly safe.
[phone beeps]
Remember to freeze your leftovers
before you go to sleep.
Yes, yes, yes.
[hands clap]
- Mom?
What is it, sweetie?
I need you to do me a favor.
Anything.
Can you maybe just call next
time before coming over?
Did Jenn say something?
I was just trying to give
you guys a nice dinner
because you work so hard!
And we appreciate it.
And we love you. We do.
Okay.
No more surprise visits, I promise.
Thank you.
[tense music]
Hey, I can, I can...
- Got it.
Hey, guys!
[Amanda] Nicole, hey.
Oh, I'm so excited we get to be neighbors.
Yeah. Right? And this place is amazing!
Thanks again for telling me about it.
Hey, Tom.
Hey, Nicole.
I'm gonna take the bags inside.
Let us know if you need anything.
Will do.
Everything okay?
Yeah. [Chuckles] You know,
travel is just really
stressful with the crowds,
and we had that delay.
Sure. Yeah. [Chuckles]
The vibe here is exactly what I needed.
Oh, good.
The summers here are so gorgeous.
But I'm not gonna lie, it took me a bit
to get used to the change
of pace around here.
Everybody is super friendly though.
Yeah, I met Caleb and Jenn
from down the street earlier.
Yeah, Caleb is actually the
pastor at a church I go to.
Yeah, that's what he said.
The community there is pretty welcoming,
and Caleb isn't bad to look at.
Yeah, I couldn't help but notice. [Laughs]
It's good to see you.
[both grunting]
All right, have a good night.
Okay. Night, neighbor.
[Amanda] Bye.
You know, you could have been
a little nicer to Nicole.
Why did you insist on taking this trip
if you weren't really serious
about rebuilding things between us?
Tom, what are you talking about?
Of course...
[Tom] If you can't even
tell me the name of the guy
you were having an affair with?
[sad music]
I don't know what there is to talk about.
I'm beat.
I'll be in the guest room.
[insects chirping]
- [eerie music]
[door gently shuts]
[distant dog barking]
[footsteps]
- [floorboards creaking]
[suspenseful music]
[tense music]
[birds chirping]
Morning, neighbor.
Morning, neighbor.
[Amanda] The view is not too shabby, huh?
Uh yeah, certainly not New York.
[both laugh]
Oh, I'm so glad you're here.
[Nicole] You're right;
It is so beautiful here.
[Amanda] Oh. Isn't it? Hm.
Oh, how are you liking the new place?
Do you have enough time to concentrate
on your new fashion line?
Yeah, I think it's gonna be perfect.
I really needed to get away from the city
to get my creativity flowing
for this new collection.
[both chuckle]
What was the deal with the
woman who lived there before me?
Caleb said she died.
[Amanda] Yeah. It was Phyllis.
It was really sad.
She was an active member
in the congregation,
and she was murdered outside
of a drugstore one night.
Oh my God!
[Amanda] They never
caught who did it though.
They said it was wrong place, wrong time.
Mugging gone bad.
It rocked the whole community.
Yeah, I can imagine.
That house stood vacant though, until you.
I'm really happy you're here though.
What is it?
[sad music]
It's Tom and I.
Our marriage is kind of
on the rocks right now,
and we went to Hawaii to
try to patch things up.
Oh, I had no idea.
I'm so sorry.
It's fine. It's my fault anyways.
How do you mean?
You promise you won't judge?
Promise.
So, um, remember when
I told you a while ago
that I had a crush on someone?
Oh yeah. Didn't sound like
anything serious, though.
That developed into a relationship.
Didn't last very long,
but I was just so guilty that
I confessed everything to Tom.
I didn't tell him who it was with though.
But Tom just won't stop.
I just feel really horrible
about the whole thing.
Listen, all marriages go
through their ups and downs.
I mean, I know I went
through something similar
with my marriage to Jack.
We just weren't the same people anymore,
but... sometimes I wonder [sighs]
if I should have tried harder to fix it.
So if there's even a little
part of you that feels that way,
you gotta do everything you can,
so when you look back,
you'll at least know you
gave it your best shot.
That's what I intend to do.
Good.
Well, [chuckles] I am actually on my way
to a church fundraising
meeting later this afternoon
if you wanna tag along.
I don't know.
- Oh, come on!
I wanna show you off.
You're my cool fashion designer cousin.
Well, when you put it like
that, how could I say no?
Yes.
All right, let's go.
- Okay.
[both chuckling]
[Nicole] How about we
grab lunch before, on me.
[Amanda] Deal.
[engine quits]
Got our mail at the post office.
Here's the power bill.
Oof.
I don't understand.
It just keeps going up and up.
Maybe we could do more
outreach into the community?
Numbers haven't been this low in...
[Caleb] Yeah, don't you think
I understand that, Jenn?
I didn't mean to upset you.
No. Hey, wait.
Look...
I'm sorry.
I'm just, I'm trying to
balance my job at school
and the church.
[Jenn] I know you feel pressure
to keep your dad's legacy going,
but maybe we could just
move to a smaller location.
No, I can't do that.
My mom is counting on me
to grow my dad's legacy
here at this church.
We just have to find a way
to grow the fellowship again.
You know, it's been a few
months since the miscarriage.
We said we'd try again when...
[Caleb] Now's not a good time
for that conversation, okay?
But we'll talk about it later.
When?
- [Caleb] I don't know when.
The summer. Later.
I have to get to practice.
I'll be back in a few hours.
[Jenn sighs]
Yeah, some of my lifelong
friends I've made
by coming here.
All right, well,
as your actual lifelong friend,
I am a little offended.
- [Amanda chuckling]
Afternoon!
Hi, Hattie. How's it going?
This is my cousin Nicole,
the one I was telling you about,
who's gonna stay with us for the summer.
The fashion designer.
[Amanda] Mm hm.
- Yes.
I'm Alex.
- Nicole. Nice to meet you.
I'm also the church's treasurer.
Oh?
It's a... It's a good group here.
Well, we're certainly pleased
that you'll be joining us, Nicole.
My son Caleb is the pastor.
Oh yes, I met him.
I live a few doors down.
Come on inside.
- Oh, okay.
I made fresh coffee.
- [Nicole] All right.
So how have you been?
Good. Good. How's Tom?
Oh, he's good.
He's just working a lot lately.
Nicole, I'm so happy to see you.
Oh, well, I'm not sure I
have much to contribute.
I'm just tagging along with Amanda.
[Chuckles]
Everybody's contributions are appreciated,
but what I really need
help with is talking
to the businesses that
gave us gift certificates
for previous fundraisers.
[Amanda] Nicole?
- [Nicole clears throat]
I guess I could maybe help with that.
[Hattie] Wonderful.
I'm here, everyone!
I apologize.
My esthetician was running behind.
I have to keep up with my monthly facials!
Well, do we have a newcomer?
[Jenn] Lacey, this is
Nicole, Amanda's cousin.
Nicole, this is Lacey Hamilton.
I'm literally the chairperson
of the welcoming committee at the church.
We are so pleased to have you.
Thanks.
[bright music]
[Caleb] Sorry. Sorry, I'm late, everyone.
[Hattie] Well, Son,
I see you didn't have time
to change or shower.
[Caleb] I apologize. Practice went late,
and I didn't want to keep you all waiting.
You're fine, man. You're fine.
Oh, Nicole.
I'm delighted to see that you're here.
Um, that would be my doing.
[Caleb] All right.
Let's jump in.
Okay.
After reviewing our
upcoming annual budget...
[chalk grinding on board]
[chalk clattering]
This is our shortfall.
We really need to raise
this at the fundraiser
if at all possible.
[Alex] Mm hm.
- Uh, really
we're at a critical point in our finances
if we wanna be able to
maintain the ministry
at this location.
[Hattie] I'm sure with Caleb's leadership,
we'll find a path forward.
He is receiving a.
Community Leader of the
Year award from the city.
[women humming in approval]
Not that my mom is at all biased.
[Chuckles]
[Nicole] See,
I thought that was pretty good today.
Yeah.
I just wanted to thank you
again for indulging me.
Of course.
- [chuckles]
All right, I'm gonna get myself home
and finish setting up my design
room before I crash tonight.
Okay. Well, you, me, and Alex,
we should grab lunch sometime
because he is a riot.
It was nice to meet you, Nicole.
Oh, you too.
She is certainly...
She's definitely something.
You know,
she divorced her husband last year,
and word is she and Caleb were
kind of an item in college.
The way she openly flirts
with him is just so obvious.
It makes meetings like
that pretty awkward.
For Jenn especially I bet.
Well, she donates a lot
of money to the church,
so there you go.
[suspenseful music]
[eerie music]
[eerie music continues]
[papers rummaging]
[suspenseful music]
[phone ringing]
[9-1-1 Operator] 9-1-1.
What is your emergency?
Hi. Yes.
There's someone in my house.
[suspenseful music]
[Jenn] Where have you been, Caleb?
[Caleb] Hey. You're up?
Uh, I couldn't sleep.
I went for a walk.
At 2:00 AM?
Do you think I'm some kind of idiot?
Who is it this time, Caleb?
You're being paranoid, Jenn.
I won't let you hurt me again.
Do you understand?
I'm going to bed.
[dramatic music]
[paper tearing]
[water flushing]
[insects chirping]
Did the police leave?
Yeah. No signs of a break-in. [Exhales]
I feel kind of silly for calling 'em
now, but I don't know.
I guess it was just some
sort of weird noise outside
or something.
God, it really sounded like
it was inside the house.
Totally freaked me out.
Do you want me to stay
here with you tonight?
No, no, I'm fine. I...
Just getting used to the new
place, that's all.
I needed that run.
Like you needed that walk last night?
Caleb, you know you have a
closet and it has clothes in it.
What are you talking about?
It's hot outside.
I just think that...
Yeah, never mind.
What? Say it.
You like the attention.
You want people to look at you.
Oh, don't be ridiculous.
I just don't think it's
appropriate for a pastor
and a local high school coach to...
[Caleb] To what?
To wanna try and stay fit?
I gotta get to church and the school.
I would suggest in the meantime,
maybe not letting your
over active imagination
get the best of you.
[Jenn sighing]
[phone ringing] [phone clacking]
Hey, Nicole.
So I was thinking,
why don't you come visit
the weekend of the sixth?
Oh, that will be perfect.
John's gonna take the kids on
a camping trip that weekend.
Oh, good luck, John.
- [Taylor chuckling]
We can talk about the logistics
of our business launch
face-to-face, darling.
Sounds good.
So how's it been spending
time with your cousin?
[Nicole] It's been nice.
You know,
I am worried about Amanda though.
Her marriage is going
through a rough patch.
Oh, that's weird.
What?
Nothing. I... [sighs]
I found this letter when I moved in,
and I thought I put it on my
table, but I don't see it.
[Tom] I want to talk about it, Amanda.
I've had enough.
- Oh God.
Speaking of Amanda.
I gotta call you back, Tay.
[Amanda] Please.
I wanna work on this with you.
[Tom] You wanna have an actual
conversation? Let me know.
Tom, don't do anything stupid, okay?
[car engine starts]
- Tom!
[dramatic music]
Hmm.
[gentle knocking]
Caleb.
Amanda, what are you doing here?
I'm sorry.
I couldn't keep us a
secret from Tom any longer.
Um...
Uh, what...
- [door thuds]
What have you told him exactly?
That I cheated on him,
but I didn't say with who.
Look, I had to.
Tom's not gonna stop until
he finds out the truth.
Damn it.
Amanda, what...
Why would you say anything to him?
Because it was killing me!
I had to!
What about you?
Don't you always preach about
the need to unburden yourself
and live your truth?
[Caleb] Sweetheart,
we need to be careful here, okay?
If this gets out, it'll destroy us,
it'll destroy the church.
We need to find a way
forward for all of us.
What happened between us, it wasn't right.
We both needed something emotionally
that we weren't getting from our spouses,
and we will pray to God for forgiveness
and for clarity on what to do next.
At least give us time to do that.
Okay. Okay.
[tense music]
[knocking on door]
Amanda?
What's wrong? Are you okay?
I really need to talk to you.
Of course. Just come on in.
[Amanda] Okay.
[Amanda] I'm scared to tell you everything
because I'm just worried
of what you're gonna think about me.
Hey, come on, I'm not gonna judge you.
Oh, this is a doozy. [Sobs]
So, um, the man that I
was having an affair with
is Caleb, the pastor.
Oh.
Can't say I saw that coming.
[Jenn] Caleb, I got your text.
What did you wanna talk about
and why did it need to be here?
I've been praying for guidance
on how to tell you this.
What did you do now, Caleb?
It may be coming to light
soon, so we need to prepare.
Tom and I hit our seven year hurdle,
and I started going to him for counseling.
And then one night he kissed me.
You went to him as your
pastor for guidance.
He took advantage of you.
That's such a breach of trust.
That is wrong on so many levels!
Yeah, but I kissed him back!
You cheated again, didn't you?
As if sleeping with Phyllis,
my best friend, wasn't enough.
Yeah, I knew about that too.
I'm not stupid, Caleb.
I can see what's right in front of me.
And then he and I carried
on for a few weeks,
until one day he just pulled
back with no explanation
or reason. I just feel so used.
[Jenn] Was it Amanda?
I noticed her whole body language
changed around you months ago.
And the worst part about this whole thing
is that I have to keep
going to those meetings
because Caleb said that if I stop going,
it's gonna look suspicious.
What a pig.
And I chose to ignore it.
And I prayed that you would
find your way back to me.
But how many times are you
going to tear my heart apart?
How many?
I'm sick, Jenn.
I have a problem with other
women, and I need help.
I know I need help.
I can't get better without you.
Do you hear yourself?
[Jenn sobbing]
When we married, we made a promise to God.
Don't touch me.
Through sickness and health.
I'm nothing without you.
I don't have any reason to live.
[sad music]
Thank you for listening to me.
But I, um, I think I need
to be alone right now.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
Um, Tom is outta town for work,
and I just, I need to figure
out what I'm gonna do next.
Okay.
Call me if you need anything.
24/7. Okay?
Okay.
Whew.
[Nichole] Come here.
Oh, thank you.
[Lacey] Caleb?
[Caleb] Lacey?
How long you been there?
I came in through the back
to drop off some donations
for the fundraiser.
And what did you hear exactly?
All of it.
[tense music]
I have to say, Caleb,
I'm very worried about what
will happen to our church
that we worked so hard to build
if and when this gets out.
And with your upcoming award reception,
a scandal like this would be
impossible to recover from.
Lacey, I need you to keep this to yourself
and allow Jenn and me time to heal.
I won't say anything, Caleb, [chuckles]
because you must know I'm
still in love with you
since we were in college.
Even the whole time I was married,
it's always been you for me.
That's the whole reason I
joined the church to begin with,
was to get closer to you again.
Lacey.
[Lacey] Caleb,
why can't you see I'm the only woman
that can truly make you happy?
What are you talking about?
I'll keep what I know to myself
as long as you start to
make your way back... to me.
I can save you from your
shameful past actions.
I know what a man like
you needs to be happy.
We can't.
- [Lacey] Oh, yes, we can.
I need for you to make love to me
right here and now.
[dramatic music]
[suspenseful music]
[water running]
[suspenseful music intensifies]
[Amanda screams]
[body thudding]
[Amanda groans]
[suspenseful music continues]
[head crunching]
[knocking on door]
Tom, I didn't realize
you were back in town.
Yeah, I drove back early.
I got here about 30 minutes ago.
Is there something I can help you with?
Have you seen Amanda?
No.
[Tom] She's not in the
house, but her car's here.
You know, I've tried
calling, I've tried texting.
Nothing.
That's odd.
Yeah.
I've got a really bad feeling about this.
I just, something feels off.
Maybe she's just out walking by the lake.
I mean, she told me she
does that sometimes.
[Tom] But at 6:00 AM?
Let's just go out there
and see if she's there.
[Tom exhales]
Okay, yeah.
Okay, just give me five minutes.
Come on inside.
[eerie music]
Good morning.
[Jenn] You were out late again last night.
Where were you?
I was at the church.
Figured I'd give you some space.
Have you thought any more
about what we talked about?
You make it sound like
I'm trying to decide
what we're gonna have for dinner tonight.
I'm gonna be sick. [Sighing]
Jenn!
[birds cawing]
- [Nicole] Amanda!
[Tom] Amanda!
Amanda!
Amanda!
[tense music]
[dramatic music]
[Nicole] Oh my God! [Gasps]
Oh no! Amanda!
No!
- [Tom] What?
Oh my God! Oh my God!
[dramatic music swells]
[reflective music]
- [indistinct police chatter]
[Detective Chandler] That's it.
Nice job. See you at the station.
Mr. Barrington,
my name is Detective Chandler.
I'm sorry about your wife.
And you are?
I'm Nicole Alday.
I'm Amanda's cousin.
I'm renting the house
next door for the summer.
We, uh...
We found her together.
Sir, when was the last time
you spoke with your wife?
I uh, I got a text from her last night
saying she was going to bed.
And you?
Uh, she came over to my house
yesterday around maybe 5:00 PM,
and we talked for a bit.
Sir, we're trying to figure out
exactly what happened to your wife.
She fell down the stairs, right?
Yes, sir, she did,
but there's some possible inconsistencies
with the wounds we found.
"Inconsistencies"?
What, you're saying,
you're saying you think
there might have been
some kind of foul play?
I'm just saying we're
exploring all possibilities.
Do you know of anyone who would've wanted
to hurt your wife?
What?
No.
No. Amanda was...
No.
No, I don't.
No.
All right. [Sighs]
We are gonna need you to come
down to the station later.
And when you're there,
I'd like to ask you some more questions,
if that's all right.
Okay.
I'll show myself out.
Detective, uh,
there's something else that
I think you should know,
but I hope it's unrelated.
Okay...?
I didn't wanna say it in front of Tom,
uh, but Amanda had been having an affair
with a man named Caleb Whitley.
He's the pastor at her church,
and I don't think it
ended particularly well.
Thank you for telling me that.
I appreciate it.
Anything else?
No.
No, that just seemed like something
that you should probably know.
Look, I'm really hoping
what happened to your cousin
was an accident,
but right now we can't rule anything out.
You understand that?
If you think of anything else, call me.
[eerie music]
[door thuds]
[Detective Chandler] Hello.
- [door thuds]
I'm looking for Caleb Whitley.
I'm his wife.
I'm Detective Chandler.
Is your husband home?
Um, he's at work.
Is there something I can do for you?
Um,
one of your neighbors and
parishioner, Amanda Barrington,
she was found dead earlier this morning.
[Jenn gasps]
That's horrible.
Would you mind calling your husband
and having him come down to the station
to answer a few questions?
Okay.
It'd be great if you
could come down as well.
We're just trying to get to know anybody
who knew Mrs. Barrington from church.
Um, I'll... I'll call Caleb now.
[Detective Chandler] Thank you.
[Chandler groans]
[phone rings] [phone beeps]
Hey, how's my favorite medical examiner?
Business is booming.
Did you have a chance to
look at that body yet?
Just finished my initial examination,
and you're right,
there's definitely two points of trauma
to the skull.
It might have happened in the fall,
but odds of her hitting
the exact same rock twice
with that much force.
Yeah, I know.
Let's keep the scene locked off.
I wanna get out there and
dig around a little bit.
You got it, Doc.
Let me know what you find, all right?
[Medical Examiner] Yep.
[Taylor] Babe, I'm so sorry.
Where are you now?
Um, back home.
I just left Tom.
He said he wanted to be alone for a while.
God, it's just all so awful.
[Nicole sniffs]
I hope it was an accident,
but that detective definitely implied
that it could have been done on purpose.
If someone did this to her deliberately,
I'm not gonna stop until
they're brought to justice.
[dramatic music]
[Chandler] We did get
ahold of your husband.
He is coming in.
[door thuds]
Thank you for that.
Sure.
[Chandler] So tell me about
your husband's relationship
with Mrs. Barrington.
Oh, well, she was a
parishioner at our church,
so of course he knew her.
There was another
parishioner from your church,
um, Phyllis Anderson.
Didn't she also turn up
dead about seven months ago?
Um, that was a robbery gone wrong though.
[knife plunging]
- [Phyllis grunts]
How did your husband get along with Mrs.
Anderson?
Good to see you, Phyllis.
Thanks.
- [Jenn] Caleb did his best
to get to know all the people
at our church.
How about you?
Did you get along with both women?
Hi.
- Hi.
Of course I did.
Do you know of anyone, anyone at all
who would've had ill will towards her?
Hurt Amanda?
I can't imagine why anyone
would wanna do that.
Although...
Yes?
I suspect her and her
husband were having problems.
I drove by her house the other day
and saw her arguing with him.
Seemed pretty heated.
Oh, I can't say enough
good things about Caleb.
He helped me out last year
during my time of need.
In what way?
[Lacey] Pastoral counseling
during my divorce.
He really got deep with me,
dealt with some things
that needed to be handled.
In fact, I was with him most of the night
planning an upcoming church fundraiser.
[Tom] Look, I just want to
know what happened to my wife!
Oh my God! Oh my God!
[Nicole gasping]
- [tense music]
Mr. Barrington,
were you having issues in your marriage?
If you can't even tell me the name
of the guy you were having an affair with,
I don't know what there is to talk about.
Amanda had an affair.
She wouldn't tell me who with.
I imagine that would make you very angry.
[Amanda screams]
[Tom] I wasn't happy about it.
I'm sorry. Do I need a lawyer?
I don't know. Do you?
I'm expecting the autopsy
results in about three days.
That's gonna let me know
whether this was an accident
or something else.
Mr. Barrington.
Tom, are you sure you don't know
who was sleeping with your wife?
I would like to talk to my lawyer.
Thank you, pastor, for coming in.
[Caleb] Of course.
I was devastated when I heard
what happened to Amanda.
She was just an incredible person.
We're planning a small memorial for her
at the church tomorrow.
[Chandler] I see.
May I ask where you were last night?
Um, I was at the church.
Damn it.
Amanda, why would you say anything to him?
I had to!
Planning for an upcoming fundraiser.
Alone?
No, I was with Lacey.
She's another one of the parishioners.
Lacey, how long have
you been standing there?
I came in through the back
to drop off some donations
for the fundraiser.
And what did you hear exactly?
All of it.
[Chandler] Pastor,
were you having an affair
with Amanda Barrington?
Amanda had been having an affair.
I'm sorry?
With a man named Caleb Whitley.
He's the pastor at her church.
[Caleb] Is that something someone said?
[Nicole] I don't think it
ended particularly well.
Excuse me, but nothing could
be further from the truth.
Thank you.
[dramatic music]
[distant siren wailing]
Nicole, I am so sorry about Amanda.
I was just talking to the detective...
[Nicole] I know, Caleb.
Um, what are you talk... talking about?
[Nicole] Amanda told me about the affair.
I told the detective too.
I thought he might be interested
in that little piece of information.
[Caleb] Nicole, your cousin,
she was going through a lot personally.
Now, she might have been
confused or she could've been...
You can save the concerned pastor routine.
Amanda wouldn't lie about
something like that.
Not to me.
Where were you the night she died?
Nowhere near Amanda.
I was planning a fundraiser with Lacey.
[Nicole] Excuse me if I'm not
buying what you're selling.
You better hope her death
is proved an accident.
I'm watching you, Caleb.
Amanda and I always
had each other's backs.
I'm not gonna abandon her now.
[tense music]
[Hattie] I am so upset!
I just couldn't believe
it about poor Amanda.
I mean, first Phyllis and now this?
What are you doing here, Hattie?
I came to check on Caleb to
see how he's handling it.
[Jenn] Well, obviously his car isn't here.
He's down at the police station
with the detective on the case.
Caleb was having another affair.
What are you talking about?
With Amanda.
He confessed it to me weeks ago.
He swore to me after Phyllis
he wouldn't stray again.
Yeah. Don't act surprised, Hattie.
Well, these women,
they just throw themselves at him.
He's so handsome...
Stop making excuses!
I can't do this anymore!
What are you talking about?
You think about this.
Remember your vows.
You only worry about the
church, its legacy,
and what people think.
You don't care about the
reality of the situation
or who Caleb hurts.
Get off my property, Hattie.
[pensive music]
Caleb?
Did you tell the detective
everything I told you,
that we were together last night?
Of course.
I told him everything you told me to
say, word for word.
What exactly did you tell them?
Well, I told them how we
were working on the plans
for the fundraiser, how amazingly kind
you are of course.
I didn't mention anything
about you having sex with her
or me.
I don't see why you're so concerned
about having an alibi anyway.
It's not like you'd ever do
anything to hurt Amanda, right?
Well, I'm gonna need you
to do something for me now.
What?
Start laying the groundwork
to eventually leave Jenn
and then be with me again.
So simple, Caleb.
"Simple"?
Why are you making this so complicated?
We'll find a way to make the
divorce look like Jenn's fault.
The whole church will sympathize with you.
They follow you, not her.
Can't you see, we're meant to be together.
It's destiny.
You're insane.
[Lacey] Hm.
No, I'm a woman in love.
[tense music]
[knocking on door]
Taylor!
I'm so glad you're here.
Of course, hon.
Where else would I be?
Come on.
Are you sure you even
want to stay here anymore
after everything that has happened?
Come back to New York, Nicole.
Be with your friends.
I really feel like I gotta
be here for Tom right now.
How's he holding up?
Devastated.
I mean, I know their marriage was going
through some dark times,
but I can tell he really loved her.
You don't think he had
anything to do with it, do you?
No. No, I don't think so.
Although there was this woman, Phyllis,
who lived here before I did.
She got murdered six months ago.
Wait, you don't think
they're connected, do you?
I don't know.
They're having a memorial service tomorrow
at the church for Amanda.
Are we going?
For sure.
I wanna see how everybody's acting,
especially that pig of a pastor.
[tense music]
[gentle music]
[Caleb] God, help me.
Thank you for being here, everyone.
We come together in times of
joy and in times of sadness.
This is a time of sadness.
Um...
Amanda was a bright light among us.
Her warm, loving spirit was...
She, uh...
Amanda was...
I'm sorry.
[Caleb] She, uh...
Amanda...
It's a difficult time for
our entire congregation,
including me.
Amanda meant a lot.
She meant a lot to all of us.
Alex, thank you for coming.
Of course.
Still in shock.
And we all are.
Thank you, Pastor Caleb.
We all needed to be
reminded of God's love,
especially today.
Yeah.
Tom, if there's anything we can
do, I'm here, okay?
Thank you, Caleb, for, uh...
Thanks for this.
Detective, thank you for coming.
My pleasure.
I got this feeling I'm
gonna be coming around a lot
in the coming days.
You look so handsome today.
[tense music]
As always.
[Jenn] Excuse me.
[Hattie] Jenn, where are you going?
I don't feel well.
Something's wrong with Jenn.
[Caleb] Not now, Mother.
Mom!
Can you drive?
I'm gonna stay here
and talk to the pastor.
Are you sure?
We can wait.
Yeah, no, it's not far.
I'll walk.
I'm sure.
[tense music]
Keep it together, Caleb.
[knocking on door]
Who is it?
It's Nicole.
Nicole, how can I help you?
You might wanna shut the door.
Okay.
[door thuds]
Again, uh, I was sorry...
Know what? Just stop.
Stop it.
I've known men like you, Caleb.
Good looking, charming,
everything on the outside looks good,
but on the inside, you're a narcissist
who cares only about his public image.
Mm-hm.
I don't trust you, Caleb.
No?
I don't trust your ministry.
Hm.
Let me ask you this.
What kind of pastor
sleeps around on his wife?
Baseless lies.
You know, I've been
thinking about that letter,
the one that Phyllis probably left behind,
the one that mysteriously
vanished from my house
not long after I told you about it.
I bet it was you that wandered
into my house the other night
and took it.
[Caleb] Ridiculous.
Were you having an affair with her too?
Hmph.
You have a very active imagination.
Do I?
"Died under mysterious circumstances".
That's what they said
about Phyllis too, right?
I will not rest until I find out exactly
what happened to Amanda.
And I pray for that resolution as well.
Somehow I doubt that.
Have a nice day.
[tense, dramatic music]
[Taylor] All right,
I'll be home as soon as I can.
Love you.
[phone clicks]
Everything okay?
[Taylor] Not really.
John's come down with the flu
and apparently the kids are running amuck.
Do you need to go home?
I'm sorry, Nicole.
[Nicole] It's fine.
You go be with your family.
[chuckles]
I'll be okay. Promise.
The good news is I talked to our investors
about giving us a few extra
weeks to present our collection.
And?
They were fine with it.
I told them about Amanda and
everything that's happened.
Thank you. That's a relief.
[pensive music]
Nicole?
[sighs] I just...
I can't stop thinking about
that love letter I found.
If Caleb really was having
an affair with Phyllis,
and she also died
mysteriously, just like Amanda,
I wonder if Caleb's handwriting
would've matched the writing on that note.
And if it does, maybe he's the one
who broke in here to retrieve it.
Wait...
So if you saw a copy of
the pastor's handwriting,
do you think that you would be
able to match it to the note
by memory?
Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
It was pretty distinctive.
You've just given me an idea.
[insects chirping]
- [dramatic music]
[door clattering]
- Mom? What are you doing here?
I've been struggling
with how we should handle this situation.
[Caleb sighing]
Okay.
Uh...
You gonna tell me what's going on
or just keep me in suspense?
Today's the day you're presented
with your Community
Leader of the Year award.
Yes, I remember.
Do you wanna get to the point, Mother?
You're obviously upset.
You've been very careless, Caleb,
just like your father could be.
I had to clean up his messes too.
Meaning..?
I know about the affair with Amanda.
I notice everything.
I see the signs.
I became an expert after all.
Mom, it's not...
- [Hattie] No,
I was the one that convinced Jenn to stay
after you seduced
Phyllis, her best friend.
I was trying to save you,
your marriage, the church,
but you didn't learn
your lesson obviously.
I overheard Nicole confront you.
I have this under control.
[Hattie] I will not let
you destroy the ministry
or our family's name.
I will not allow it.
Do you understand me?
So keep your pants zipped
while I go take care of all of this.
Look, I know you wanna know
what happened to Amanda,
but promise me that you'll be
careful, Nicole.
Please.
I hear what you're saying,
and I promise you I'll watch my back,
but I gotta find out
if Caleb's handwriting
is a match to that note.
Okay. [Sighs]
Travel safe, okay?
Okay. [Sighing]
[thoughtful music]
[knocking on door]
[Tom] Nicole?
- Hey, Tom.
Hi.
I was just headed to that
reception at the church,
but I wanted to check in on you first,
to see how you're holding up.
Need anything?
Uh, no.
No, thanks. I'm uh...
I think I just need some
more time to myself.
I reached over for Amanda
in bed this morning.
Hey, why don't we go
out to dinner tonight?
You and me.
I think it'll do us both
some good to get out.
What do you say?
I don't know.
Can I, uh... Can I let you know?
Yeah, of course.
Okay.
- Yeah.
Nicole!
Yeah?
I really appreciate all your support here.
And Amanda, she...
Amanda really loved you.
She really loved you.
[sobs] I don't know what
I'm gonna do without her.
[pensive music]
[Martha] Will Jenn be here soon, Caleb?
[Alex] Caleb? Caleb?
Are you...
Are you sure everything is fine?
You look stressed.
Yeah. Sorry.
I guess everything with Amanda...
It's hard to be in a celebratory mood.
Caleb, Amanda would want us
to celebrate your achievement, honey.
Thanks, Martha.
Uh,
I'm gonna be in my
office for a few minutes.
Something is definitely not right.
Yeah, I, uh... I agree.
[mysterious music]
[Jenn] Lacey?
Lacey!
Lacey, it's Jenn!
I need to talk to you!
[suspenseful music]
Oh my God!
Hattie?
What the hell have you done?
[Hattie] I had no choice.
I did what needed to be
done for the greater good.
Lacey was going to destroy everything.
Your marriage, the church, Caleb.
I'm gonna need you to
do something for me now.
What?
Start laying the groundwork
to eventually leave Jenn,
and then be with me again.
[Hattie] Lacey was forcing
Caleb to sabotage your marriage
so that she could be with him again.
I did this for Caleb.
I did this for you.
You're insane.
[Hattie] Try to understand.
[Jenn] Oh my God!
Did you kill Phyllis too?
Yes.
Phyllis was about to reveal
her relationship with Caleb
to the entire congregation.
It's always been up to
women like us, Jenn,
to keep our men on their righteous path
when they turn weak to the flesh.
We are the ones who have
to protect the family.
I am nothing like you.
You've lost your mind.
[Hattie] Don't you dare walk away from me!
The award ceremony is starting soon.
We need to get a move on.
We'll come back later and deal with Lacey.
"We"? No! No! No [indistinct]...
I can't bring a baby into this!
You're pregnant?
That's why you've been
feeling so ill lately!
Oh, Caleb's gonna be thrilled!
This is just what he needs to remind him
of the importance of
family and the church.
Just listen to me, Jenn.
If you don't want your baby's
father to lose everything,
and its grandmother to rot in prison,
you have no choice but to help me.
Understand?
And that Nicole is just
like a dog with a bone
over Amanda's death. It just...
She just won't let it go.
But don't worry,
I'll figure out what to do with Nicole.
You are not going to get away
with all of this, Hattie!
[Hattie] Yes, I am!
With God's guidance,
nothing is impossible.
And don't cross me, Jenn.
You've already seen firsthand
what I'm capable of if pushed.
Now, let's go.
[grim music]
[Alex] Hey, Caleb,
it's time for the reception.
The mayor's here.
Where's Jenn and your mom?
Uh, I don't know.
Okay, do you want me to call them?
I'm sure they'll be here soon.
[Alex] Okay.
We'll give them a few more minutes.
[phone ringing]
- [phone beeps]
Hello?
- [Chandler] Hey, Nicole.
Hey, it's Detective Chandler.
I got your message to call.
Yes. Thank you for getting back to me.
Of course. What's going on?
When I moved into my rental house,
I found this letter that was written to,
I think, the woman who
lived there before me,
Phyllis, who was murdered.
Uh, it strongly implied
she was having an affair,
and I just have this gut feeling
that the man she was having an affair with
was Caleb Whitley.
Interesting. Where's that letter now?
Well, that's the thing.
It disappeared suddenly from my house
not long after I moved in.
And I'm certain he broke in and got it.
I'm almost done here.
Can we get together later?
Yeah, I'm actually at the
church right now, though.
The pastor's getting some
sort of community award,
and I wanna see how he's acting.
Nicole, do not confront him.
Do you hear me?
Right. Thanks, Detective.
Yeah. I'll see you as soon as I can.
[phone beeps]
[dramatic music]
I really appreciate it.
I'm William, this is my friend.
Hi, Caleb. Nice to meet you.
[man] My pleasure.
- How do you two
[dramatic music] Excuse me for a second.
Where you two been?
We were supposed to start 20 minutes ago.
Now, don't be mad, Caleb,
we had to stop by the drug store.
Turns out your wife is pregnant.
Is... Is this true?
Isn't it wonderful news?
It's a true blessing! A miracle
how life renews and rewards
when we least expect it.
God's will is wondrous and
beyond our understanding.
Afternoon, everyone.
I'm Mayor Robert Dowton.
When I was asked to present
this year's Community
Leader of the Year award
to Pastor Whitley,
I knew what an honor it would be.
What is wrong with you?
- [Mayor speaking indistinctly]
Your mother has done
something beyond horrible.
She has to be stopped.
What are you talking about?
[Mayor] He led the charge in
building sustainable housing
for our seniors
and has taken his
considerable coaching skills
in leading a high school football team
to the state champs.
And now, without further ado,
is the man of the hour,
Pastor Caleb Whitley.
[crowd applauds]
[tense music]
My father, Edward Whitley,
who of course founded this ministry,
he taught me from an early age
that service to our fellow
man was the highest calling,
uh,
following in my father's footsteps,
it was always my dream.
I knew it.
[Hattie] What are you doing?
Hattie!
Why are you snooping in my son's office?
[Nicole] Oh, I was just trying
to find a pen and I just.
[Hattie grunts]
- [metal clanging]
My work here is never done, is it?
[guest] What a wonderful occasion
for the whole community.
It's a great turnout indeed.
I am so sorry to interrupt,
but, Jenn dear,
could I borrow you for a second?
[Jenn] Hattie, what do you want from me?
We have an issue.
I caught Nicole digging
through Caleb's office.
I told you she was gonna be trouble.
Where is Nicole now?
What have you done with her?
I knocked her out and
locked her in his office,
but she could come to you at any moment.
You've totally lost your mind.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
You're crazy!
Ouch!
I've always hated that word "crazy".
Hattie, I'm not gonna let
you get away with this.
I don't care what kind of damage it does.
[Hattie] No, you are not going anywhere.
Understand?
[Nicole groans]
You need to think twice
before you tell somebody what you know.
[Mayor] Mrs.
Whitley, why don't we get a photo?
Oh, I would, I would love to, but we...
I'm not taking "no" for an answer.
[Hattie chuckling]
Get in here, everyone.
- [Hattie chuckles]
What is going on?
[Hattie exhales] It's
all gonna be all right.
Smile, everyone, like you know each other.
[Hattie chuckling]
[camera clicking]
[dramatic music]
Nicole!
[Nicole] Hattie... Hattie did this to me.
I know. I know.
She's gone completely psychotic.
She's behind all the
deaths, all the killings,
and she killed Lacey today!
She did what?
[both gasping]
Hattie killed Amanda!
We've gotta call the police.
Oh God.
[knife clanging]
- [grim music]
Pastor.
Congrats on the award.
Thanks.
Can I help you with anything, Detective?
Yeah, I'm looking for Nicole Alday.
Know where she's at?
Please, we need help!
It's my mother-in-law, she's killed...
[Hattie] Jennifer, no!
- [Jenn muttering indistinctly]
[both grunting]
[Jenn screams]
[Hattie] I told you not to betray me!
Where is your family loyalty?
[Jenn] You killed people, Hattie!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Okay. Ma'am, drop the knife.
No!
- Mom, what are you doing?
Let her go.
- [Hattie] I'm sorry, Caleb.
I... I tried to keep everything together:
Your marriage, the church,
your father's and my work.
But you're just like your father,
you just couldn't keep your zipper
up, could you?
The two of you used your
good looks to lure in women
while your wives were just
made to sit and watch!
[Chandler] Ma'am,
please just drop the knife and walk away.
[Hattie whimpering]
The last time I found out
about your father's betrayal,
I couldn't take it anymore.
The disrespect that he showed me!
The formation of our church!
It just... It had to end!
You killed Dad?
I had to!
I realized that he didn't have it in him
to do what needed to be done
to keep the ministry healthy and growing!
He was gonna destroy it!
And then I thought you were
going to be the savior,
but then you sinned just like your father!
Now, listen, listen, listen to me.
There's nowhere to go.
Drop the knife. It's okay.
No, no, no!
This is not how it's supposed to end!
[Nicole grunts]
[Hattie and Nicole struggling]
[knife piercing]
- [Hattie grunting]
No!
[suspenseful music]
[Hattie yells]
[gunshot blasts]
No! No!
No, no, no! No, no, no!
[clattering]
You just didn't have it in
you, did you, son?
You are such a disappointment.
[gentle music]
[Tom] It's so peaceful here.
Amanda loved this spot.
She always called it her
little slice of heaven.
We'll never know if we could've,
could've somehow found our
way back to each other.
I know that's what she wanted.
I think it would've
happened for the two of you.
I really do.
If we'd never moved here...
Caleb, crazy mother...
None of this would've happened.
[melancholy music]
Rest in peace, my darling.
Goodbye, Amanda. We love you.
[Jenn] Papers are signed!
It's all yours.
I love what you're gonna do with it.
Yeah, it's a great piece of property.
I never knew you were the owner.
[Jenn] Mm, I was.
When Caleb's dad lost
the church to the bank,
he was devastated.
So I bought it with some
money I got from my parents.
Anything to make Caleb happy.
But for a guy like that,
it's just never enough, is it?
Look, I'm sorry for everything
that you've been through, Jenn.
But what's next for you and the baby?
Well, now that I've sold the house,
we're moving to my sister's in Alaska.
I wanna get me and my baby as far away
from this place as possible.
Do you have any idea where Caleb is?
He's probably literally charming the pants
off of someone else.
[Alex laughs]
[woman] Hi. Thank you for coming.
Oh my gosh, wait until you meet him.
Just wait until you meet him.
He's amazing. [Chuckles]
Hi.
- [man] Hello.
Thank you for coming.
Just wait until you see him.
He's here. He's here.
[crowd applauds]
[Caleb] Oh, wow.
Ah, hi.
Uh, thank you. How you doing?
Hi. Welcome.
Hey, welcome. Welcome, everybody.
Uh, wow, this is incredible.
I, uh, [sighing] you know, I'm blessed.
There's simply no other word for it.
You know, my father was also a pastor,
and he used to say to me,
"Now, Caleb, there's no
wrong way to get to the Lord"
"as long as you get to Him."
Now, I can only tell you how I got to Him.
That was through love.
Love.
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music continues]
[upbeat music]
[reel clicking]
- [dramatic music]
[dramatic music]
Thank you so much for coming.
It's so good to see you.
Good night.
- [parishioner] Good to see you.
Hey.
[Jenn] Good to see you.
- Thank you.
Martha, I'm praying for
a successful hip surgery
next week. Okay? Now don't you worry.
Thank you, Pastor Caleb.
That means so much.
Thank you. Thank you, Jenn.
Aw. Good to see you, Martha.
- [both chuckle]
[Caleb] Hey. Good to see you.
- Good to see you.
Alex, thank you for calling Mr. Thompson.
Of course. It's my pleasure.
[tense music]
Nice to see you, Phyllis.
[Phyllis stammers]
- [gentle music]
Thanks.
You too.
Yeah.
Hi, honey.
Oh, what was wrong with Phyllis today?
She seemed so distant.
Is everything okay with her?
I believe so.
- Okay. Um.
Jenn, did you get the
links that I sent you
about the importance of folic
acid for pregnant women?
I did. I did. Thank you.
I'm just looking out for
my future grandchild.
When are we gonna tell everyone?
Once we're past the first trimester.
I'm so excited.
I can't wait.
- [both women giggling]
Drive safely.
I love you.
- Right. Bye.
I have to grab some stuff from my office,
but I'll lock up and see you back home?
Mm-hmm.
- [lips lightly smacking]
[dramatic music]
[insects chirping]
- [distant dog barking]
[Caleb] I gotta run to the drug store.
[Jenn] But it's so late.
Don't tell my mom,
but the chicken gave
me terrible heartburn.
You need anything?
No, I'm okay.
Hurry back?
Won't be long.
[lips smacking]
[pensive music]
[tense music]
[Phyllis] I can't believe it.
What are you doing here?
[suspenseful music]
[Phyllis grunts]
No, no!
[suspenseful music continues]
[knife chopping]
[dramatic music]
[sirens wailing]
- [gentle music]
I can't believe we're really doing this,
finally starting our own fashion line!
Between your marketing skills...
[Taylor] And your designs,
we're gonna set the scene on fire.
Yeah, baby. [Both laugh]
Nicole, you have been working for years
to get to this point.
You've designed for others long enough.
Now it's your time.
Well, and nothing like a divorce
to really kick you in the
butt and get you moving.
So are you excited to see
your cousin this summer?
Oh yeah.
Amanda and I have both been
so busy the last few years,
we've barely seen each other.
Hey, you should come visit.
It's only a two hour flight.
I might be able to get
away from John and the kids
for a long weekend,
[sighing]
sit by the lake, soak in some sun.
That sounds so good right now.
I know, right?
Now we can talk about business.
[Nicole] Oh, sure.
Hey, to you and me.
To me and you.
To new adventures.
[glasses clink]
- [Nicole chuckles]
[bright music]
[thoughtful music]
"Never forget how much I love you."
"My love, you're all I think
of every minute of every day."
"And I swear to you, I'm leaving her."
"We need to finally be
honest with everyone."
"She's going to be furious,"
"but we'll weather that storm together."
"Always."
"Xoxo."
Hm.
Wonder who left this behind.
[pensive music]
[Caleb] Hey there!
Oh, I'm sorry.
We don't mean to interrupt.
Oh, no problem.
I was just unloading some stuff.
Uh, I'm Caleb.
This is my wife, Jenn.
[Jenn] Hi. We live not far from here.
Just a block down.
Nicole Alday. Pleased to meet you.
I'm just renting the place
for a little summer getaway.
My cousin Amanda and her
husband, Tom, live next door.
Oh yeah, we know Tom and Amanda.
It's a small town.
Well, I'm a pastor at Faith of Hearts.
It's the local ministry.
[Jenn] He's also the coach
at the high school too.
Oh, Amanda's a part of the congregation,
so we all know each other pretty well.
Oh, great.
[Jenn] So where are you from?
[Nicole] Uh, New York City.
- [Jenn] How exciting!
Well, this place is pretty quiet.
A big change from New York, I bet.
[Chuckles]
Well, you should join Amanda
one Sunday for a service.
Yeah, maybe.
Well, anyway,
we'll let you get back to it.
But hey, we are just so excited
to see somebody finally
moving into the house.
It was empty for, what, six months now?
Yeah. Really seemed like it.
Oh, I found a love letter
left behind in a closet.
Really? Love letter?
I mean, I assume you knew
who lived there before me.
We did. Yeah.
[Jenn] My friend Phyllis lived here.
Yeah, Phyllis passed
away a few months ago.
Oh. Oh God.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
I didn't realize.
[Jenn] Really?
Maybe the letter belonged to her?
Well, actually,
three or four different families
lived in this house over the past decade,
so I guess any one of 'em
could have left it behind.
Who knows?
Anyway, please don't hesitate to reach out
if you need anything at all.
We're neighbors now.
- [Jenn] Yes, please.
Thank you. Will do. [Chuckles]
And really though,
you should think about joining
us one weekend for service.
We're non-denominational,
and we're open to everybody.
I will definitely consider it. [Chuckles]
[Caleb] No pressure.
Bye.
- We'll see you around.
[pensive music]
[Jenn sighing] Your mom's here.
[Caleb] Yeah.
[Jenn] It looks like she
probably let herself in
without asking
again. [Sighs]
[Caleb] I know, sweetie,
she's been stopping by a lot.
I think she's just lonely
since Dad's passing.
[Jenn] I completely sympathize.
I just wish she'd call first.
[Hattie] There we go. Nice and hot.
Mom, you really didn't
need to do all of that.
Really, you didn't, Hattie.
[Hattie] Nonsense.
You two are always so busy,
and I have nothing but time
on my hands these days.
I sauted extra vegetables
for you to have tomorrow.
I worry that you don't eat healthy enough.
I noticed that someone was
moving into Phyllis's old house.
Yeah, a nice lady.
I think she's only here for the summer.
She's a cousin of Amanda from church.
Can't believe it's been almost six months
since Phyllis passed away.
I still can't wrap my head
around what happened to her.
I'm gonna take a shower.
Is she okay?
Yeah, I think it's just hard
to see somebody moving into
her best friend's house.
Phyllis was always so full of life,
and for Jenn to be the
one to find her body.
I mean, that's, it's horrible.
[Jenn crying] Okay.
Pull yourself together. [Sobs]
I'm worried about Jenn.
I think just between the
miscarriage and Phyllis dying,
it's just...
[Hattie] Yeah.
Jenn's been through so much,
but at least she has you to lean on.
[dramatic music]
[dog barking]
[phone ringing]
[phone clicks]
Hey, cuz, how are you?
How's the moving going?
Almost done, finally.
Where are you two at now?
Oh my god, we have had so many delays.
It has completely rerouted us
all the way through Chicago.
So we're just stuck here
till our next flight.
Ugh. I bet Hawaii was amazing though.
Can't wait to see pictures.
[Amanda] It was eventful.
You, ugh, I can't wait to see you!
It feels like it's been forever.
All right, I'm gonna have to go find Tom.
He wandered off somewhere.
Fly safe.
[phone beeps]
Remember to freeze your leftovers
before you go to sleep.
Yes, yes, yes.
[hands clap]
- Mom?
What is it, sweetie?
I need you to do me a favor.
Anything.
Can you maybe just call next
time before coming over?
Did Jenn say something?
I was just trying to give
you guys a nice dinner
because you work so hard!
And we appreciate it.
And we love you. We do.
Okay.
No more surprise visits, I promise.
Thank you.
[tense music]
Hey, I can, I can...
- Got it.
Hey, guys!
[Amanda] Nicole, hey.
Oh, I'm so excited we get to be neighbors.
Yeah. Right? And this place is amazing!
Thanks again for telling me about it.
Hey, Tom.
Hey, Nicole.
I'm gonna take the bags inside.
Let us know if you need anything.
Will do.
Everything okay?
Yeah. [Chuckles] You know,
travel is just really
stressful with the crowds,
and we had that delay.
Sure. Yeah. [Chuckles]
The vibe here is exactly what I needed.
Oh, good.
The summers here are so gorgeous.
But I'm not gonna lie, it took me a bit
to get used to the change
of pace around here.
Everybody is super friendly though.
Yeah, I met Caleb and Jenn
from down the street earlier.
Yeah, Caleb is actually the
pastor at a church I go to.
Yeah, that's what he said.
The community there is pretty welcoming,
and Caleb isn't bad to look at.
Yeah, I couldn't help but notice. [Laughs]
It's good to see you.
[both grunting]
All right, have a good night.
Okay. Night, neighbor.
[Amanda] Bye.
You know, you could have been
a little nicer to Nicole.
Why did you insist on taking this trip
if you weren't really serious
about rebuilding things between us?
Tom, what are you talking about?
Of course...
[Tom] If you can't even
tell me the name of the guy
you were having an affair with?
[sad music]
I don't know what there is to talk about.
I'm beat.
I'll be in the guest room.
[insects chirping]
- [eerie music]
[door gently shuts]
[distant dog barking]
[footsteps]
- [floorboards creaking]
[suspenseful music]
[tense music]
[birds chirping]
Morning, neighbor.
Morning, neighbor.
[Amanda] The view is not too shabby, huh?
Uh yeah, certainly not New York.
[both laugh]
Oh, I'm so glad you're here.
[Nicole] You're right;
It is so beautiful here.
[Amanda] Oh. Isn't it? Hm.
Oh, how are you liking the new place?
Do you have enough time to concentrate
on your new fashion line?
Yeah, I think it's gonna be perfect.
I really needed to get away from the city
to get my creativity flowing
for this new collection.
[both chuckle]
What was the deal with the
woman who lived there before me?
Caleb said she died.
[Amanda] Yeah. It was Phyllis.
It was really sad.
She was an active member
in the congregation,
and she was murdered outside
of a drugstore one night.
Oh my God!
[Amanda] They never
caught who did it though.
They said it was wrong place, wrong time.
Mugging gone bad.
It rocked the whole community.
Yeah, I can imagine.
That house stood vacant though, until you.
I'm really happy you're here though.
What is it?
[sad music]
It's Tom and I.
Our marriage is kind of
on the rocks right now,
and we went to Hawaii to
try to patch things up.
Oh, I had no idea.
I'm so sorry.
It's fine. It's my fault anyways.
How do you mean?
You promise you won't judge?
Promise.
So, um, remember when
I told you a while ago
that I had a crush on someone?
Oh yeah. Didn't sound like
anything serious, though.
That developed into a relationship.
Didn't last very long,
but I was just so guilty that
I confessed everything to Tom.
I didn't tell him who it was with though.
But Tom just won't stop.
I just feel really horrible
about the whole thing.
Listen, all marriages go
through their ups and downs.
I mean, I know I went
through something similar
with my marriage to Jack.
We just weren't the same people anymore,
but... sometimes I wonder [sighs]
if I should have tried harder to fix it.
So if there's even a little
part of you that feels that way,
you gotta do everything you can,
so when you look back,
you'll at least know you
gave it your best shot.
That's what I intend to do.
Good.
Well, [chuckles] I am actually on my way
to a church fundraising
meeting later this afternoon
if you wanna tag along.
I don't know.
- Oh, come on!
I wanna show you off.
You're my cool fashion designer cousin.
Well, when you put it like
that, how could I say no?
Yes.
All right, let's go.
- Okay.
[both chuckling]
[Nicole] How about we
grab lunch before, on me.
[Amanda] Deal.
[engine quits]
Got our mail at the post office.
Here's the power bill.
Oof.
I don't understand.
It just keeps going up and up.
Maybe we could do more
outreach into the community?
Numbers haven't been this low in...
[Caleb] Yeah, don't you think
I understand that, Jenn?
I didn't mean to upset you.
No. Hey, wait.
Look...
I'm sorry.
I'm just, I'm trying to
balance my job at school
and the church.
[Jenn] I know you feel pressure
to keep your dad's legacy going,
but maybe we could just
move to a smaller location.
No, I can't do that.
My mom is counting on me
to grow my dad's legacy
here at this church.
We just have to find a way
to grow the fellowship again.
You know, it's been a few
months since the miscarriage.
We said we'd try again when...
[Caleb] Now's not a good time
for that conversation, okay?
But we'll talk about it later.
When?
- [Caleb] I don't know when.
The summer. Later.
I have to get to practice.
I'll be back in a few hours.
[Jenn sighs]
Yeah, some of my lifelong
friends I've made
by coming here.
All right, well,
as your actual lifelong friend,
I am a little offended.
- [Amanda chuckling]
Afternoon!
Hi, Hattie. How's it going?
This is my cousin Nicole,
the one I was telling you about,
who's gonna stay with us for the summer.
The fashion designer.
[Amanda] Mm hm.
- Yes.
I'm Alex.
- Nicole. Nice to meet you.
I'm also the church's treasurer.
Oh?
It's a... It's a good group here.
Well, we're certainly pleased
that you'll be joining us, Nicole.
My son Caleb is the pastor.
Oh yes, I met him.
I live a few doors down.
Come on inside.
- Oh, okay.
I made fresh coffee.
- [Nicole] All right.
So how have you been?
Good. Good. How's Tom?
Oh, he's good.
He's just working a lot lately.
Nicole, I'm so happy to see you.
Oh, well, I'm not sure I
have much to contribute.
I'm just tagging along with Amanda.
[Chuckles]
Everybody's contributions are appreciated,
but what I really need
help with is talking
to the businesses that
gave us gift certificates
for previous fundraisers.
[Amanda] Nicole?
- [Nicole clears throat]
I guess I could maybe help with that.
[Hattie] Wonderful.
I'm here, everyone!
I apologize.
My esthetician was running behind.
I have to keep up with my monthly facials!
Well, do we have a newcomer?
[Jenn] Lacey, this is
Nicole, Amanda's cousin.
Nicole, this is Lacey Hamilton.
I'm literally the chairperson
of the welcoming committee at the church.
We are so pleased to have you.
Thanks.
[bright music]
[Caleb] Sorry. Sorry, I'm late, everyone.
[Hattie] Well, Son,
I see you didn't have time
to change or shower.
[Caleb] I apologize. Practice went late,
and I didn't want to keep you all waiting.
You're fine, man. You're fine.
Oh, Nicole.
I'm delighted to see that you're here.
Um, that would be my doing.
[Caleb] All right.
Let's jump in.
Okay.
After reviewing our
upcoming annual budget...
[chalk grinding on board]
[chalk clattering]
This is our shortfall.
We really need to raise
this at the fundraiser
if at all possible.
[Alex] Mm hm.
- Uh, really
we're at a critical point in our finances
if we wanna be able to
maintain the ministry
at this location.
[Hattie] I'm sure with Caleb's leadership,
we'll find a path forward.
He is receiving a.
Community Leader of the
Year award from the city.
[women humming in approval]
Not that my mom is at all biased.
[Chuckles]
[Nicole] See,
I thought that was pretty good today.
Yeah.
I just wanted to thank you
again for indulging me.
Of course.
- [chuckles]
All right, I'm gonna get myself home
and finish setting up my design
room before I crash tonight.
Okay. Well, you, me, and Alex,
we should grab lunch sometime
because he is a riot.
It was nice to meet you, Nicole.
Oh, you too.
She is certainly...
She's definitely something.
You know,
she divorced her husband last year,
and word is she and Caleb were
kind of an item in college.
The way she openly flirts
with him is just so obvious.
It makes meetings like
that pretty awkward.
For Jenn especially I bet.
Well, she donates a lot
of money to the church,
so there you go.
[suspenseful music]
[eerie music]
[eerie music continues]
[papers rummaging]
[suspenseful music]
[phone ringing]
[9-1-1 Operator] 9-1-1.
What is your emergency?
Hi. Yes.
There's someone in my house.
[suspenseful music]
[Jenn] Where have you been, Caleb?
[Caleb] Hey. You're up?
Uh, I couldn't sleep.
I went for a walk.
At 2:00 AM?
Do you think I'm some kind of idiot?
Who is it this time, Caleb?
You're being paranoid, Jenn.
I won't let you hurt me again.
Do you understand?
I'm going to bed.
[dramatic music]
[paper tearing]
[water flushing]
[insects chirping]
Did the police leave?
Yeah. No signs of a break-in. [Exhales]
I feel kind of silly for calling 'em
now, but I don't know.
I guess it was just some
sort of weird noise outside
or something.
God, it really sounded like
it was inside the house.
Totally freaked me out.
Do you want me to stay
here with you tonight?
No, no, I'm fine. I...
Just getting used to the new
place, that's all.
I needed that run.
Like you needed that walk last night?
Caleb, you know you have a
closet and it has clothes in it.
What are you talking about?
It's hot outside.
I just think that...
Yeah, never mind.
What? Say it.
You like the attention.
You want people to look at you.
Oh, don't be ridiculous.
I just don't think it's
appropriate for a pastor
and a local high school coach to...
[Caleb] To what?
To wanna try and stay fit?
I gotta get to church and the school.
I would suggest in the meantime,
maybe not letting your
over active imagination
get the best of you.
[Jenn sighing]
[phone ringing] [phone clacking]
Hey, Nicole.
So I was thinking,
why don't you come visit
the weekend of the sixth?
Oh, that will be perfect.
John's gonna take the kids on
a camping trip that weekend.
Oh, good luck, John.
- [Taylor chuckling]
We can talk about the logistics
of our business launch
face-to-face, darling.
Sounds good.
So how's it been spending
time with your cousin?
[Nicole] It's been nice.
You know,
I am worried about Amanda though.
Her marriage is going
through a rough patch.
Oh, that's weird.
What?
Nothing. I... [sighs]
I found this letter when I moved in,
and I thought I put it on my
table, but I don't see it.
[Tom] I want to talk about it, Amanda.
I've had enough.
- Oh God.
Speaking of Amanda.
I gotta call you back, Tay.
[Amanda] Please.
I wanna work on this with you.
[Tom] You wanna have an actual
conversation? Let me know.
Tom, don't do anything stupid, okay?
[car engine starts]
- Tom!
[dramatic music]
Hmm.
[gentle knocking]
Caleb.
Amanda, what are you doing here?
I'm sorry.
I couldn't keep us a
secret from Tom any longer.
Um...
Uh, what...
- [door thuds]
What have you told him exactly?
That I cheated on him,
but I didn't say with who.
Look, I had to.
Tom's not gonna stop until
he finds out the truth.
Damn it.
Amanda, what...
Why would you say anything to him?
Because it was killing me!
I had to!
What about you?
Don't you always preach about
the need to unburden yourself
and live your truth?
[Caleb] Sweetheart,
we need to be careful here, okay?
If this gets out, it'll destroy us,
it'll destroy the church.
We need to find a way
forward for all of us.
What happened between us, it wasn't right.
We both needed something emotionally
that we weren't getting from our spouses,
and we will pray to God for forgiveness
and for clarity on what to do next.
At least give us time to do that.
Okay. Okay.
[tense music]
[knocking on door]
Amanda?
What's wrong? Are you okay?
I really need to talk to you.
Of course. Just come on in.
[Amanda] Okay.
[Amanda] I'm scared to tell you everything
because I'm just worried
of what you're gonna think about me.
Hey, come on, I'm not gonna judge you.
Oh, this is a doozy. [Sobs]
So, um, the man that I
was having an affair with
is Caleb, the pastor.
Oh.
Can't say I saw that coming.
[Jenn] Caleb, I got your text.
What did you wanna talk about
and why did it need to be here?
I've been praying for guidance
on how to tell you this.
What did you do now, Caleb?
It may be coming to light
soon, so we need to prepare.
Tom and I hit our seven year hurdle,
and I started going to him for counseling.
And then one night he kissed me.
You went to him as your
pastor for guidance.
He took advantage of you.
That's such a breach of trust.
That is wrong on so many levels!
Yeah, but I kissed him back!
You cheated again, didn't you?
As if sleeping with Phyllis,
my best friend, wasn't enough.
Yeah, I knew about that too.
I'm not stupid, Caleb.
I can see what's right in front of me.
And then he and I carried
on for a few weeks,
until one day he just pulled
back with no explanation
or reason. I just feel so used.
[Jenn] Was it Amanda?
I noticed her whole body language
changed around you months ago.
And the worst part about this whole thing
is that I have to keep
going to those meetings
because Caleb said that if I stop going,
it's gonna look suspicious.
What a pig.
And I chose to ignore it.
And I prayed that you would
find your way back to me.
But how many times are you
going to tear my heart apart?
How many?
I'm sick, Jenn.
I have a problem with other
women, and I need help.
I know I need help.
I can't get better without you.
Do you hear yourself?
[Jenn sobbing]
When we married, we made a promise to God.
Don't touch me.
Through sickness and health.
I'm nothing without you.
I don't have any reason to live.
[sad music]
Thank you for listening to me.
But I, um, I think I need
to be alone right now.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
Um, Tom is outta town for work,
and I just, I need to figure
out what I'm gonna do next.
Okay.
Call me if you need anything.
24/7. Okay?
Okay.
Whew.
[Nichole] Come here.
Oh, thank you.
[Lacey] Caleb?
[Caleb] Lacey?
How long you been there?
I came in through the back
to drop off some donations
for the fundraiser.
And what did you hear exactly?
All of it.
[tense music]
I have to say, Caleb,
I'm very worried about what
will happen to our church
that we worked so hard to build
if and when this gets out.
And with your upcoming award reception,
a scandal like this would be
impossible to recover from.
Lacey, I need you to keep this to yourself
and allow Jenn and me time to heal.
I won't say anything, Caleb, [chuckles]
because you must know I'm
still in love with you
since we were in college.
Even the whole time I was married,
it's always been you for me.
That's the whole reason I
joined the church to begin with,
was to get closer to you again.
Lacey.
[Lacey] Caleb,
why can't you see I'm the only woman
that can truly make you happy?
What are you talking about?
I'll keep what I know to myself
as long as you start to
make your way back... to me.
I can save you from your
shameful past actions.
I know what a man like
you needs to be happy.
We can't.
- [Lacey] Oh, yes, we can.
I need for you to make love to me
right here and now.
[dramatic music]
[suspenseful music]
[water running]
[suspenseful music intensifies]
[Amanda screams]
[body thudding]
[Amanda groans]
[suspenseful music continues]
[head crunching]
[knocking on door]
Tom, I didn't realize
you were back in town.
Yeah, I drove back early.
I got here about 30 minutes ago.
Is there something I can help you with?
Have you seen Amanda?
No.
[Tom] She's not in the
house, but her car's here.
You know, I've tried
calling, I've tried texting.
Nothing.
That's odd.
Yeah.
I've got a really bad feeling about this.
I just, something feels off.
Maybe she's just out walking by the lake.
I mean, she told me she
does that sometimes.
[Tom] But at 6:00 AM?
Let's just go out there
and see if she's there.
[Tom exhales]
Okay, yeah.
Okay, just give me five minutes.
Come on inside.
[eerie music]
Good morning.
[Jenn] You were out late again last night.
Where were you?
I was at the church.
Figured I'd give you some space.
Have you thought any more
about what we talked about?
You make it sound like
I'm trying to decide
what we're gonna have for dinner tonight.
I'm gonna be sick. [Sighing]
Jenn!
[birds cawing]
- [Nicole] Amanda!
[Tom] Amanda!
Amanda!
Amanda!
[tense music]
[dramatic music]
[Nicole] Oh my God! [Gasps]
Oh no! Amanda!
No!
- [Tom] What?
Oh my God! Oh my God!
[dramatic music swells]
[reflective music]
- [indistinct police chatter]
[Detective Chandler] That's it.
Nice job. See you at the station.
Mr. Barrington,
my name is Detective Chandler.
I'm sorry about your wife.
And you are?
I'm Nicole Alday.
I'm Amanda's cousin.
I'm renting the house
next door for the summer.
We, uh...
We found her together.
Sir, when was the last time
you spoke with your wife?
I uh, I got a text from her last night
saying she was going to bed.
And you?
Uh, she came over to my house
yesterday around maybe 5:00 PM,
and we talked for a bit.
Sir, we're trying to figure out
exactly what happened to your wife.
She fell down the stairs, right?
Yes, sir, she did,
but there's some possible inconsistencies
with the wounds we found.
"Inconsistencies"?
What, you're saying,
you're saying you think
there might have been
some kind of foul play?
I'm just saying we're
exploring all possibilities.
Do you know of anyone who would've wanted
to hurt your wife?
What?
No.
No. Amanda was...
No.
No, I don't.
No.
All right. [Sighs]
We are gonna need you to come
down to the station later.
And when you're there,
I'd like to ask you some more questions,
if that's all right.
Okay.
I'll show myself out.
Detective, uh,
there's something else that
I think you should know,
but I hope it's unrelated.
Okay...?
I didn't wanna say it in front of Tom,
uh, but Amanda had been having an affair
with a man named Caleb Whitley.
He's the pastor at her church,
and I don't think it
ended particularly well.
Thank you for telling me that.
I appreciate it.
Anything else?
No.
No, that just seemed like something
that you should probably know.
Look, I'm really hoping
what happened to your cousin
was an accident,
but right now we can't rule anything out.
You understand that?
If you think of anything else, call me.
[eerie music]
[door thuds]
[Detective Chandler] Hello.
- [door thuds]
I'm looking for Caleb Whitley.
I'm his wife.
I'm Detective Chandler.
Is your husband home?
Um, he's at work.
Is there something I can do for you?
Um,
one of your neighbors and
parishioner, Amanda Barrington,
she was found dead earlier this morning.
[Jenn gasps]
That's horrible.
Would you mind calling your husband
and having him come down to the station
to answer a few questions?
Okay.
It'd be great if you
could come down as well.
We're just trying to get to know anybody
who knew Mrs. Barrington from church.
Um, I'll... I'll call Caleb now.
[Detective Chandler] Thank you.
[Chandler groans]
[phone rings] [phone beeps]
Hey, how's my favorite medical examiner?
Business is booming.
Did you have a chance to
look at that body yet?
Just finished my initial examination,
and you're right,
there's definitely two points of trauma
to the skull.
It might have happened in the fall,
but odds of her hitting
the exact same rock twice
with that much force.
Yeah, I know.
Let's keep the scene locked off.
I wanna get out there and
dig around a little bit.
You got it, Doc.
Let me know what you find, all right?
[Medical Examiner] Yep.
[Taylor] Babe, I'm so sorry.
Where are you now?
Um, back home.
I just left Tom.
He said he wanted to be alone for a while.
God, it's just all so awful.
[Nicole sniffs]
I hope it was an accident,
but that detective definitely implied
that it could have been done on purpose.
If someone did this to her deliberately,
I'm not gonna stop until
they're brought to justice.
[dramatic music]
[Chandler] We did get
ahold of your husband.
He is coming in.
[door thuds]
Thank you for that.
Sure.
[Chandler] So tell me about
your husband's relationship
with Mrs. Barrington.
Oh, well, she was a
parishioner at our church,
so of course he knew her.
There was another
parishioner from your church,
um, Phyllis Anderson.
Didn't she also turn up
dead about seven months ago?
Um, that was a robbery gone wrong though.
[knife plunging]
- [Phyllis grunts]
How did your husband get along with Mrs.
Anderson?
Good to see you, Phyllis.
Thanks.
- [Jenn] Caleb did his best
to get to know all the people
at our church.
How about you?
Did you get along with both women?
Hi.
- Hi.
Of course I did.
Do you know of anyone, anyone at all
who would've had ill will towards her?
Hurt Amanda?
I can't imagine why anyone
would wanna do that.
Although...
Yes?
I suspect her and her
husband were having problems.
I drove by her house the other day
and saw her arguing with him.
Seemed pretty heated.
Oh, I can't say enough
good things about Caleb.
He helped me out last year
during my time of need.
In what way?
[Lacey] Pastoral counseling
during my divorce.
He really got deep with me,
dealt with some things
that needed to be handled.
In fact, I was with him most of the night
planning an upcoming church fundraiser.
[Tom] Look, I just want to
know what happened to my wife!
Oh my God! Oh my God!
[Nicole gasping]
- [tense music]
Mr. Barrington,
were you having issues in your marriage?
If you can't even tell me the name
of the guy you were having an affair with,
I don't know what there is to talk about.
Amanda had an affair.
She wouldn't tell me who with.
I imagine that would make you very angry.
[Amanda screams]
[Tom] I wasn't happy about it.
I'm sorry. Do I need a lawyer?
I don't know. Do you?
I'm expecting the autopsy
results in about three days.
That's gonna let me know
whether this was an accident
or something else.
Mr. Barrington.
Tom, are you sure you don't know
who was sleeping with your wife?
I would like to talk to my lawyer.
Thank you, pastor, for coming in.
[Caleb] Of course.
I was devastated when I heard
what happened to Amanda.
She was just an incredible person.
We're planning a small memorial for her
at the church tomorrow.
[Chandler] I see.
May I ask where you were last night?
Um, I was at the church.
Damn it.
Amanda, why would you say anything to him?
I had to!
Planning for an upcoming fundraiser.
Alone?
No, I was with Lacey.
She's another one of the parishioners.
Lacey, how long have
you been standing there?
I came in through the back
to drop off some donations
for the fundraiser.
And what did you hear exactly?
All of it.
[Chandler] Pastor,
were you having an affair
with Amanda Barrington?
Amanda had been having an affair.
I'm sorry?
With a man named Caleb Whitley.
He's the pastor at her church.
[Caleb] Is that something someone said?
[Nicole] I don't think it
ended particularly well.
Excuse me, but nothing could
be further from the truth.
Thank you.
[dramatic music]
[distant siren wailing]
Nicole, I am so sorry about Amanda.
I was just talking to the detective...
[Nicole] I know, Caleb.
Um, what are you talk... talking about?
[Nicole] Amanda told me about the affair.
I told the detective too.
I thought he might be interested
in that little piece of information.
[Caleb] Nicole, your cousin,
she was going through a lot personally.
Now, she might have been
confused or she could've been...
You can save the concerned pastor routine.
Amanda wouldn't lie about
something like that.
Not to me.
Where were you the night she died?
Nowhere near Amanda.
I was planning a fundraiser with Lacey.
[Nicole] Excuse me if I'm not
buying what you're selling.
You better hope her death
is proved an accident.
I'm watching you, Caleb.
Amanda and I always
had each other's backs.
I'm not gonna abandon her now.
[tense music]
[Hattie] I am so upset!
I just couldn't believe
it about poor Amanda.
I mean, first Phyllis and now this?
What are you doing here, Hattie?
I came to check on Caleb to
see how he's handling it.
[Jenn] Well, obviously his car isn't here.
He's down at the police station
with the detective on the case.
Caleb was having another affair.
What are you talking about?
With Amanda.
He confessed it to me weeks ago.
He swore to me after Phyllis
he wouldn't stray again.
Yeah. Don't act surprised, Hattie.
Well, these women,
they just throw themselves at him.
He's so handsome...
Stop making excuses!
I can't do this anymore!
What are you talking about?
You think about this.
Remember your vows.
You only worry about the
church, its legacy,
and what people think.
You don't care about the
reality of the situation
or who Caleb hurts.
Get off my property, Hattie.
[pensive music]
Caleb?
Did you tell the detective
everything I told you,
that we were together last night?
Of course.
I told him everything you told me to
say, word for word.
What exactly did you tell them?
Well, I told them how we
were working on the plans
for the fundraiser, how amazingly kind
you are of course.
I didn't mention anything
about you having sex with her
or me.
I don't see why you're so concerned
about having an alibi anyway.
It's not like you'd ever do
anything to hurt Amanda, right?
Well, I'm gonna need you
to do something for me now.
What?
Start laying the groundwork
to eventually leave Jenn
and then be with me again.
So simple, Caleb.
"Simple"?
Why are you making this so complicated?
We'll find a way to make the
divorce look like Jenn's fault.
The whole church will sympathize with you.
They follow you, not her.
Can't you see, we're meant to be together.
It's destiny.
You're insane.
[Lacey] Hm.
No, I'm a woman in love.
[tense music]
[knocking on door]
Taylor!
I'm so glad you're here.
Of course, hon.
Where else would I be?
Come on.
Are you sure you even
want to stay here anymore
after everything that has happened?
Come back to New York, Nicole.
Be with your friends.
I really feel like I gotta
be here for Tom right now.
How's he holding up?
Devastated.
I mean, I know their marriage was going
through some dark times,
but I can tell he really loved her.
You don't think he had
anything to do with it, do you?
No. No, I don't think so.
Although there was this woman, Phyllis,
who lived here before I did.
She got murdered six months ago.
Wait, you don't think
they're connected, do you?
I don't know.
They're having a memorial service tomorrow
at the church for Amanda.
Are we going?
For sure.
I wanna see how everybody's acting,
especially that pig of a pastor.
[tense music]
[gentle music]
[Caleb] God, help me.
Thank you for being here, everyone.
We come together in times of
joy and in times of sadness.
This is a time of sadness.
Um...
Amanda was a bright light among us.
Her warm, loving spirit was...
She, uh...
Amanda was...
I'm sorry.
[Caleb] She, uh...
Amanda...
It's a difficult time for
our entire congregation,
including me.
Amanda meant a lot.
She meant a lot to all of us.
Alex, thank you for coming.
Of course.
Still in shock.
And we all are.
Thank you, Pastor Caleb.
We all needed to be
reminded of God's love,
especially today.
Yeah.
Tom, if there's anything we can
do, I'm here, okay?
Thank you, Caleb, for, uh...
Thanks for this.
Detective, thank you for coming.
My pleasure.
I got this feeling I'm
gonna be coming around a lot
in the coming days.
You look so handsome today.
[tense music]
As always.
[Jenn] Excuse me.
[Hattie] Jenn, where are you going?
I don't feel well.
Something's wrong with Jenn.
[Caleb] Not now, Mother.
Mom!
Can you drive?
I'm gonna stay here
and talk to the pastor.
Are you sure?
We can wait.
Yeah, no, it's not far.
I'll walk.
I'm sure.
[tense music]
Keep it together, Caleb.
[knocking on door]
Who is it?
It's Nicole.
Nicole, how can I help you?
You might wanna shut the door.
Okay.
[door thuds]
Again, uh, I was sorry...
Know what? Just stop.
Stop it.
I've known men like you, Caleb.
Good looking, charming,
everything on the outside looks good,
but on the inside, you're a narcissist
who cares only about his public image.
Mm-hm.
I don't trust you, Caleb.
No?
I don't trust your ministry.
Hm.
Let me ask you this.
What kind of pastor
sleeps around on his wife?
Baseless lies.
You know, I've been
thinking about that letter,
the one that Phyllis probably left behind,
the one that mysteriously
vanished from my house
not long after I told you about it.
I bet it was you that wandered
into my house the other night
and took it.
[Caleb] Ridiculous.
Were you having an affair with her too?
Hmph.
You have a very active imagination.
Do I?
"Died under mysterious circumstances".
That's what they said
about Phyllis too, right?
I will not rest until I find out exactly
what happened to Amanda.
And I pray for that resolution as well.
Somehow I doubt that.
Have a nice day.
[tense, dramatic music]
[Taylor] All right,
I'll be home as soon as I can.
Love you.
[phone clicks]
Everything okay?
[Taylor] Not really.
John's come down with the flu
and apparently the kids are running amuck.
Do you need to go home?
I'm sorry, Nicole.
[Nicole] It's fine.
You go be with your family.
[chuckles]
I'll be okay. Promise.
The good news is I talked to our investors
about giving us a few extra
weeks to present our collection.
And?
They were fine with it.
I told them about Amanda and
everything that's happened.
Thank you. That's a relief.
[pensive music]
Nicole?
[sighs] I just...
I can't stop thinking about
that love letter I found.
If Caleb really was having
an affair with Phyllis,
and she also died
mysteriously, just like Amanda,
I wonder if Caleb's handwriting
would've matched the writing on that note.
And if it does, maybe he's the one
who broke in here to retrieve it.
Wait...
So if you saw a copy of
the pastor's handwriting,
do you think that you would be
able to match it to the note
by memory?
Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
It was pretty distinctive.
You've just given me an idea.
[insects chirping]
- [dramatic music]
[door clattering]
- Mom? What are you doing here?
I've been struggling
with how we should handle this situation.
[Caleb sighing]
Okay.
Uh...
You gonna tell me what's going on
or just keep me in suspense?
Today's the day you're presented
with your Community
Leader of the Year award.
Yes, I remember.
Do you wanna get to the point, Mother?
You're obviously upset.
You've been very careless, Caleb,
just like your father could be.
I had to clean up his messes too.
Meaning..?
I know about the affair with Amanda.
I notice everything.
I see the signs.
I became an expert after all.
Mom, it's not...
- [Hattie] No,
I was the one that convinced Jenn to stay
after you seduced
Phyllis, her best friend.
I was trying to save you,
your marriage, the church,
but you didn't learn
your lesson obviously.
I overheard Nicole confront you.
I have this under control.
[Hattie] I will not let
you destroy the ministry
or our family's name.
I will not allow it.
Do you understand me?
So keep your pants zipped
while I go take care of all of this.
Look, I know you wanna know
what happened to Amanda,
but promise me that you'll be
careful, Nicole.
Please.
I hear what you're saying,
and I promise you I'll watch my back,
but I gotta find out
if Caleb's handwriting
is a match to that note.
Okay. [Sighs]
Travel safe, okay?
Okay. [Sighing]
[thoughtful music]
[knocking on door]
[Tom] Nicole?
- Hey, Tom.
Hi.
I was just headed to that
reception at the church,
but I wanted to check in on you first,
to see how you're holding up.
Need anything?
Uh, no.
No, thanks. I'm uh...
I think I just need some
more time to myself.
I reached over for Amanda
in bed this morning.
Hey, why don't we go
out to dinner tonight?
You and me.
I think it'll do us both
some good to get out.
What do you say?
I don't know.
Can I, uh... Can I let you know?
Yeah, of course.
Okay.
- Yeah.
Nicole!
Yeah?
I really appreciate all your support here.
And Amanda, she...
Amanda really loved you.
She really loved you.
[sobs] I don't know what
I'm gonna do without her.
[pensive music]
[Martha] Will Jenn be here soon, Caleb?
[Alex] Caleb? Caleb?
Are you...
Are you sure everything is fine?
You look stressed.
Yeah. Sorry.
I guess everything with Amanda...
It's hard to be in a celebratory mood.
Caleb, Amanda would want us
to celebrate your achievement, honey.
Thanks, Martha.
Uh,
I'm gonna be in my
office for a few minutes.
Something is definitely not right.
Yeah, I, uh... I agree.
[mysterious music]
[Jenn] Lacey?
Lacey!
Lacey, it's Jenn!
I need to talk to you!
[suspenseful music]
Oh my God!
Hattie?
What the hell have you done?
[Hattie] I had no choice.
I did what needed to be
done for the greater good.
Lacey was going to destroy everything.
Your marriage, the church, Caleb.
I'm gonna need you to
do something for me now.
What?
Start laying the groundwork
to eventually leave Jenn,
and then be with me again.
[Hattie] Lacey was forcing
Caleb to sabotage your marriage
so that she could be with him again.
I did this for Caleb.
I did this for you.
You're insane.
[Hattie] Try to understand.
[Jenn] Oh my God!
Did you kill Phyllis too?
Yes.
Phyllis was about to reveal
her relationship with Caleb
to the entire congregation.
It's always been up to
women like us, Jenn,
to keep our men on their righteous path
when they turn weak to the flesh.
We are the ones who have
to protect the family.
I am nothing like you.
You've lost your mind.
[Hattie] Don't you dare walk away from me!
The award ceremony is starting soon.
We need to get a move on.
We'll come back later and deal with Lacey.
"We"? No! No! No [indistinct]...
I can't bring a baby into this!
You're pregnant?
That's why you've been
feeling so ill lately!
Oh, Caleb's gonna be thrilled!
This is just what he needs to remind him
of the importance of
family and the church.
Just listen to me, Jenn.
If you don't want your baby's
father to lose everything,
and its grandmother to rot in prison,
you have no choice but to help me.
Understand?
And that Nicole is just
like a dog with a bone
over Amanda's death. It just...
She just won't let it go.
But don't worry,
I'll figure out what to do with Nicole.
You are not going to get away
with all of this, Hattie!
[Hattie] Yes, I am!
With God's guidance,
nothing is impossible.
And don't cross me, Jenn.
You've already seen firsthand
what I'm capable of if pushed.
Now, let's go.
[grim music]
[Alex] Hey, Caleb,
it's time for the reception.
The mayor's here.
Where's Jenn and your mom?
Uh, I don't know.
Okay, do you want me to call them?
I'm sure they'll be here soon.
[Alex] Okay.
We'll give them a few more minutes.
[phone ringing]
- [phone beeps]
Hello?
- [Chandler] Hey, Nicole.
Hey, it's Detective Chandler.
I got your message to call.
Yes. Thank you for getting back to me.
Of course. What's going on?
When I moved into my rental house,
I found this letter that was written to,
I think, the woman who
lived there before me,
Phyllis, who was murdered.
Uh, it strongly implied
she was having an affair,
and I just have this gut feeling
that the man she was having an affair with
was Caleb Whitley.
Interesting. Where's that letter now?
Well, that's the thing.
It disappeared suddenly from my house
not long after I moved in.
And I'm certain he broke in and got it.
I'm almost done here.
Can we get together later?
Yeah, I'm actually at the
church right now, though.
The pastor's getting some
sort of community award,
and I wanna see how he's acting.
Nicole, do not confront him.
Do you hear me?
Right. Thanks, Detective.
Yeah. I'll see you as soon as I can.
[phone beeps]
[dramatic music]
I really appreciate it.
I'm William, this is my friend.
Hi, Caleb. Nice to meet you.
[man] My pleasure.
- How do you two
[dramatic music] Excuse me for a second.
Where you two been?
We were supposed to start 20 minutes ago.
Now, don't be mad, Caleb,
we had to stop by the drug store.
Turns out your wife is pregnant.
Is... Is this true?
Isn't it wonderful news?
It's a true blessing! A miracle
how life renews and rewards
when we least expect it.
God's will is wondrous and
beyond our understanding.
Afternoon, everyone.
I'm Mayor Robert Dowton.
When I was asked to present
this year's Community
Leader of the Year award
to Pastor Whitley,
I knew what an honor it would be.
What is wrong with you?
- [Mayor speaking indistinctly]
Your mother has done
something beyond horrible.
She has to be stopped.
What are you talking about?
[Mayor] He led the charge in
building sustainable housing
for our seniors
and has taken his
considerable coaching skills
in leading a high school football team
to the state champs.
And now, without further ado,
is the man of the hour,
Pastor Caleb Whitley.
[crowd applauds]
[tense music]
My father, Edward Whitley,
who of course founded this ministry,
he taught me from an early age
that service to our fellow
man was the highest calling,
uh,
following in my father's footsteps,
it was always my dream.
I knew it.
[Hattie] What are you doing?
Hattie!
Why are you snooping in my son's office?
[Nicole] Oh, I was just trying
to find a pen and I just.
[Hattie grunts]
- [metal clanging]
My work here is never done, is it?
[guest] What a wonderful occasion
for the whole community.
It's a great turnout indeed.
I am so sorry to interrupt,
but, Jenn dear,
could I borrow you for a second?
[Jenn] Hattie, what do you want from me?
We have an issue.
I caught Nicole digging
through Caleb's office.
I told you she was gonna be trouble.
Where is Nicole now?
What have you done with her?
I knocked her out and
locked her in his office,
but she could come to you at any moment.
You've totally lost your mind.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
You're crazy!
Ouch!
I've always hated that word "crazy".
Hattie, I'm not gonna let
you get away with this.
I don't care what kind of damage it does.
[Hattie] No, you are not going anywhere.
Understand?
[Nicole groans]
You need to think twice
before you tell somebody what you know.
[Mayor] Mrs.
Whitley, why don't we get a photo?
Oh, I would, I would love to, but we...
I'm not taking "no" for an answer.
[Hattie chuckling]
Get in here, everyone.
- [Hattie chuckles]
What is going on?
[Hattie exhales] It's
all gonna be all right.
Smile, everyone, like you know each other.
[Hattie chuckling]
[camera clicking]
[dramatic music]
Nicole!
[Nicole] Hattie... Hattie did this to me.
I know. I know.
She's gone completely psychotic.
She's behind all the
deaths, all the killings,
and she killed Lacey today!
She did what?
[both gasping]
Hattie killed Amanda!
We've gotta call the police.
Oh God.
[knife clanging]
- [grim music]
Pastor.
Congrats on the award.
Thanks.
Can I help you with anything, Detective?
Yeah, I'm looking for Nicole Alday.
Know where she's at?
Please, we need help!
It's my mother-in-law, she's killed...
[Hattie] Jennifer, no!
- [Jenn muttering indistinctly]
[both grunting]
[Jenn screams]
[Hattie] I told you not to betray me!
Where is your family loyalty?
[Jenn] You killed people, Hattie!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Okay. Ma'am, drop the knife.
No!
- Mom, what are you doing?
Let her go.
- [Hattie] I'm sorry, Caleb.
I... I tried to keep everything together:
Your marriage, the church,
your father's and my work.
But you're just like your father,
you just couldn't keep your zipper
up, could you?
The two of you used your
good looks to lure in women
while your wives were just
made to sit and watch!
[Chandler] Ma'am,
please just drop the knife and walk away.
[Hattie whimpering]
The last time I found out
about your father's betrayal,
I couldn't take it anymore.
The disrespect that he showed me!
The formation of our church!
It just... It had to end!
You killed Dad?
I had to!
I realized that he didn't have it in him
to do what needed to be done
to keep the ministry healthy and growing!
He was gonna destroy it!
And then I thought you were
going to be the savior,
but then you sinned just like your father!
Now, listen, listen, listen to me.
There's nowhere to go.
Drop the knife. It's okay.
No, no, no!
This is not how it's supposed to end!
[Nicole grunts]
[Hattie and Nicole struggling]
[knife piercing]
- [Hattie grunting]
No!
[suspenseful music]
[Hattie yells]
[gunshot blasts]
No! No!
No, no, no! No, no, no!
[clattering]
You just didn't have it in
you, did you, son?
You are such a disappointment.
[gentle music]
[Tom] It's so peaceful here.
Amanda loved this spot.
She always called it her
little slice of heaven.
We'll never know if we could've,
could've somehow found our
way back to each other.
I know that's what she wanted.
I think it would've
happened for the two of you.
I really do.
If we'd never moved here...
Caleb, crazy mother...
None of this would've happened.
[melancholy music]
Rest in peace, my darling.
Goodbye, Amanda. We love you.
[Jenn] Papers are signed!
It's all yours.
I love what you're gonna do with it.
Yeah, it's a great piece of property.
I never knew you were the owner.
[Jenn] Mm, I was.
When Caleb's dad lost
the church to the bank,
he was devastated.
So I bought it with some
money I got from my parents.
Anything to make Caleb happy.
But for a guy like that,
it's just never enough, is it?
Look, I'm sorry for everything
that you've been through, Jenn.
But what's next for you and the baby?
Well, now that I've sold the house,
we're moving to my sister's in Alaska.
I wanna get me and my baby as far away
from this place as possible.
Do you have any idea where Caleb is?
He's probably literally charming the pants
off of someone else.
[Alex laughs]
[woman] Hi. Thank you for coming.
Oh my gosh, wait until you meet him.
Just wait until you meet him.
He's amazing. [Chuckles]
Hi.
- [man] Hello.
Thank you for coming.
Just wait until you see him.
He's here. He's here.
[crowd applauds]
[Caleb] Oh, wow.
Ah, hi.
Uh, thank you. How you doing?
Hi. Welcome.
Hey, welcome. Welcome, everybody.
Uh, wow, this is incredible.
I, uh, [sighing] you know, I'm blessed.
There's simply no other word for it.
You know, my father was also a pastor,
and he used to say to me,
"Now, Caleb, there's no
wrong way to get to the Lord"
"as long as you get to Him."
Now, I can only tell you how I got to Him.
That was through love.
Love.
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music continues]
[upbeat music]
[reel clicking]
- [dramatic music]