Father Dowling Mysteries (1989) s02e06 Episode Script

(theme music playing)
I still remember
him so perfectly.
Sometimes, when I close my eyes,
I can actually see him.
And when I go to sleep,
it's like he's still there.
And he needs me.
What are you feeling right now?
How much I love him.
How much I miss him.
My mother died so long ago.
I never really knew her.
But it never really mattered
as long as I had Daddy.
When the doctors
told him he was sick,
he just seemed to give up.
I walked into his room.
He'd taken an
overdose of his pills.
And he was just lying there.
It's been over three years.
Do you think your father
would want you to continue
grieving over his death
for such a long time?
But I don't remember
him that way.
I remember him the way
he was in my dreams,
calling to me.
I know.
I'm afraid we're
out of time for today.
Are you all right?
Yeah. I'm okay.
Good.
Now, we're going to pick up
right here at our next session.
Okay?
Come on.
Bye, Doctor.
Good-bye.
She just left.
It went exactly
as I said it would.
She's ready for phase two.
It's all arranged.
We'll start tonight.
♪♪
Anything else, Miss Van Horn?
No, thank you.
(door opens and closes)
(crickets chirping, owl hooting)
MALE VOICE (echoing): Carol
Who's there?
Carol, come to me.
Carol
♪♪
Carol
Carol Carol
(clattering)
Carol, come to me.
(Carol screaming)
Come to me, Carol.
No!
- (screams)
- Carol
Carol
(screams)
STEPHANIE: Oh, look,
you're just a sore loser.
- That's all there is to it.
- Sore?
What do you mean, sore loser?
St. Leo made the winning
basket after the buzzer.
Oh, clean your glasses.
Between the time
the shot went up
and the buzzer went off, you
could have said a Hail Mary.
And the officiating was
absolutely disgraceful.
They missed one
foul after another.
You're just mad
because my team won.
- Now, pay up.
- Oh.
Come on. You made the bet.
Five bucks.
One, two, three
I know four, five.
- (phone ringing)
- There you go.
My youth group will have
chocolate chip
cookies this week.
Yeah.
St. Michael's.
Yeah.
It's the police.
What?
Okay, it
Okay, well, we'll
be right there.
Thank you very much.
It's Carol Van Horn.
She's in some kind of trouble.
Well, let's go.
(siren wailing)
Clancy, we're looking
for one of our parishioners,
uh, Carol Van Horn.
Finishing her statement.
Is she all right?
Well, other than
being very scared,
she seems to be okay.
I sent a man out to her
place to check out her story,
but didn't find anything
to substantiate it.
The housekeeper said that
she's got something of a history?
Yeah, her father
committed suicide there,
and it's been very
traumatic for her.
So traumatic she
went to a sanitarium.
I'm afraid so, yes.
Can she come with us?
I don't see why not.
STEPHANIE: Hi, Carol.
- Hi.
- DOWLING: Hi.
I'm sorry I'm
sorry to drag you out
in the middle of the night.
I just didn't know
who else to call.
- Oh, we're glad you did.
- No, that's okay.
- That's all right.
- Here, come on.
- Put this on.
- Yeah.
Cubs.
I'm a Sox fan.
I won't hold it against you.
Come on. Let's get out of here.
Here you go, ladies.
This cocoa really hit the spot.
Well, it's my specialty.
Particularly when all you
have to do is add hot milk.
(Carol and Stephanie chuckle)
You've both been very kind.
I, um, have to ask you this.
Do you believe me?
I mean, about what
happened tonight?
We have no reason
not to believe you, Carol.
And we really care about you.
That's still not
quite the same thing
as believing me, though, is it?
Steve, I think you should
stay with Carol for a while.
MALE VOICE (echoing): Carol
Carol
Carol
Carol
- (door opens)
- Come to me.
(creaking)
Yes, come to me, Carol.
Come to me.
Carol?
Carol?
Carol!
Carol
Carol, I'm here.
Carol, come to me.
(indistinct talking)
(yells)
You're gonna be all right.
(sobbing)
You're okay.
DOWLING: Is she asleep?
Finally.
I'm telling you,
Frank. I saw it too.
She is not crazy.
At least not yet, you
know, but she's gonna be
if this, whatever it is, keeps
coming back to haunt her.
We have got to find out
what's going on over there.
The house is haunted; that's
what's going on over there.
I think I'd like to
take a look around.
It was right over
there by the bed.
What are you looking for, Frank?
Well, it could be anything,
fiber optics, lasers,
and we won't
necessarily recognize it
even if we find it.
We don't have a clue.
Well, I guess we
better find one.
Oh, hello, Father.
Oh, hello, Marie.
I see Father
Dowling has gone out.
Any idea when he'll be back?
You know Father Dowling
He comes and he goes.
Hmm, like all of us.
Rushing here and
there on our petty tasks,
and when the final
day of reckoning comes,
what have we accomplished?
Personally, I just
salted the roast.
You know, I thought being
the bishop's troubleshooter
would lead to great things,
but sometimes it just
seems like a dead end.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
I've got to go and
do the laundry.
I really wanted to go
over the parish goals
with Father Dowling; do
you know where he's gone?
As a matter of fact,
he and Sister Steve
have gone out prowling
around a haunted house.
Oh, you're joking.
I never joke about
things like that.
You mean a possession?
An actual possession?
It wouldn't be a haunted house
without a ghost, now would it?
If I were a ghost, this
is where I'd hang out.
GARDENER: Having a
church service in here?
(exhales) Who are you?
The gardener.
Well, what are you
doing down here?
Looking for the big rake.
What's the matter?
Did you think I was
one of those spooks?
(laughing sinisterly)
Could have fooled me.
Good morning.
Good morning.
How are you feeling?
Better. Thanks.
Carol, we went over to
your house to look around.
Find anything?
Not yet.
Has anyone ever tried to
get you out of your house?
A man did offer
to buy the house,
but I told him I
wasn't interested.
Who was that?
A Mr. Hopkins.
Douglas Hopkins, the
real estate developer?
Yeah, he's the one.
Could we have your
permission to stay there tonight?
Sure, but shouldn't
I be there, too?
It's best if we go alone.
I think I should go with you.
Carol, if it's a ghost,
he's gonna show up
whether you're there or not.
And if it's someone
playing tricks on you,
well, we have one or two
tricks we can play ourselves.
(crickets chirping)
(tires squeak)
Hmm.
Well, I think I'm going to
go check out the downstairs.
I'll be back in a
few minutes, Carol.
As long as it's
not past midnight.
(chuckles)
Oh, I didn't see you.
How is Carol?
Oh, she's, uh, very
comfortable for the moment.
You don't expect me to
make dinner for you, do you?
- Oh, no.
- Good
because I'm going to bed.
(on TV): Come out tonight,
can't you come out tonight ♪
Buffalo gals, can't
you come out tonight ♪
And ♪
(chuckles)
I love this part.
Of the moon ♪
What'd you wish when
you threw that rock? ♪
Marie, I have to go home.
No, Father Dowling said
you were to stay overnight.
He and Sister
Steve will be there.
I'll be okay.
Now just relax and
watch the movie.
You're gonna love it.
(pounding on door)
Ah, Father Dowling.
Father Prestwick.
(door slams)
What are you doing here?
I heard about your
little apparition.
Oh, well, I'm not sure
what it is, if anything.
You haven't told the
bishop, have you?
No, I don't want to
tell him until I have
something positive to report.
Positive?
Like a verifiable
supernatural manifestation.
If I can actually document
a demonic apparition,
then I will notify
His Excellency,
who will then notify
the diocesan exorcist.
But first we'll need proof.
So, I gathered some
equipment, and here I am.
What have you got in
there Bell, book, and candle?
(chuckles) Hardly.
I borrowed His
Eminence's video camera.
We'll need to document this.
I think we could
be into something
very, very exciting
here, Father Dowling.
I'm kind of excited.
(sighs)
(sighs)
So, uh, is this the room
where he did away with himself?
Yeah.
Well, logic tells us this is
the place for him to reappear.
Logic has nothing
to do with this.
Could you, um, could you give me
your flashlight for a second,
Father Dowling; I want to
- I want to set my video levels.
- Mm-hmm.
Besides, he won't appear
if there is too much light.
Huh, they're funny about that.
You know, it's only 11:30.
He's not going to
appear until midnight.
Good point, good point.
(grunts)
How did you happen to fall in?
I didn't fall in.
I jumped in to save George.
You what?
To save me?
OLD MAN: Well, I did, didn't I?
You didn't go through
with it, did you?
- (grunts)
- GEORGE: Through with what?
- Suicide.
- (sniffs)
MAN: It's against the law to
commit suicide around here.
OLD MAN: Yeah, it's against
the law where I come from, too.
Where do you come from?
Heaven.
I had to act quickly.
That's why I jumped in.
I knew if I were drowning,
you'd try to save me.
You see, you did, and
that's how I saved you.
GEORGE: Very funny.
Your lip's bleeding, George.
Yeah, I got a bust in the jaw
in answer to a
prayer a little bit ago.
Oh, no, no, no, George.
I'm the answer to your prayer.
What time have you got, Father?
One minute to midnight.
I've got midnight already.
I always like to set my watch
at least two minutes ahead
(door opens)
Steve, Father Dowling?
Carol, what are you doing here?
- I had to come.
- No, you've got to get out of here.
He's gonna be here any second.
PRESTWICK: Oh, you must
be the young lady who is
- Who's he?
- Oh, I'm Father Prestwick.
I'm with the diocese.
I'm going to be
making a record of
VOICE: Carol
Carol.
I'm here.
I've come to take you with me.
Go away!
(whimpering)
That was incredible.
I only hope I got
that on videotape.
(sobbing)
I told you so, Frank.
Don't you worry, Carol.
We're gonna get
to the bottom of this
and make him go away forever.
I don't want him to go away.
I just want to be with him.
(crickets chirping)
Well, both Mrs. Dansky
and the gardener
were in their rooms.
They didn't hear anything.
I don't believe it.
I called Carol's shrink,
and he came right over.
- He's upstairs now.
- Here he comes.
Dr. Latimer, I'm Father
Dowling from St. Michael's.
Yes, so Carol told me.
How is she, Doctor?
I've just given her a sedative.
- She's sleeping.
- Oh, that's good.
Father, I must ask you
not to encourage
her in these delusions.
Doctor, we both saw
exactly what she saw.
Yeah, we didn't even know
she was gonna show up.
Let me put it this way.
We're talking about
the emotional well-being
of a very disturbed young woman.
We can appreciate that,
Doctor, but Carol is not delusional.
Father, with all due respect,
I think I'll make
that evaluation.
Doctor, we just
want to help Carol.
You know, if you
really want to help,
you can get her
out of this house.
Carol is very fragile.
She could have
a psychotic break.
She could end up back in
the sanitarium indefinitely.
(sighs, door closes)
Why don't you go up
and stay with Carol?
I'll look in on you later.
Where are you going, Frank?
Oh, I'm just gonna
have a look around.
Be careful.
(chuckles)
(creaking)
(floorboards creaking)
(sighs softly)
(door creaks)
(door creaks)
(gasps)
(gasps)
Frank, you scared me to death.
Shh.
What is she doing?
- (loud thud)
- Oh!
Oh, you nearly
scared me to death!
What are you doing up here?
I was going to ask
you the same thing.
I'm just keeping
an eye on Carol.
It's Carol's bedroom.
I worry about her.
With all that's been going on,
I just wanted to make
sure she was safe.
So you watch her in the middle
of the night through a peephole?
You told me you sleep
all night, every night.
I don't have to stand here
and be grilled like a heretic.
And what good have
you done for her?
(sighs)
Excuse me.
Can I help you?
Yes. I'd like to see
Mr. Hopkins, please.
Do you have an appointment?
No, I just happened to drop by,
hoping he'd spare a few minutes.
Father, believe me, he
wouldn't see the Pope himself
without an appointment.
I'll pray for a miracle.
♪♪
Father.
I'm Douglas Hopkins.
Father Dowling, St. Michael's.
How good of you to see me.
Please, come in.
Thank you.
It's a miracle.
Have a seat.
Thank you.
Well, how can I
help you, Father?
I'm a good friend
of Carol Van Horn's,
and I was wondering if
you were still interested
in purchasing the Van Horn home.
Is it for sale?
- There's been some discussion.
- Ah, it's a great old place.
My father used to take me
by there when I was a little boy.
- Full of history.
- Really?
Oh, it was originally built
for Anna Held, the actress.
And Gentleman Jim Corbett,
the heavyweight champ,
moved in around
the turn of the century.
And in the '20s,
Jake "Greasy Thumb" Gusic,
the gangster, lived there.
It's a great old place.
Well, then you're
still interested.
Oh, I don't know, Father.
I wanted to give it to
the city as a museum,
you know, a historical
landmark, something like that,
so it didn't really
break my heart
when Miss Van Horn
didn't want to sell.
Frankly, I've got other
projects in the works,
so I guess the answer is no.
Hmm.
Well, I just thought I'd ask.
Well, it's been nice
talking to you, Father.
Hmm.
I appreciate you
giving me the time.
By the way, you're,
uh, into electronics
as well as real
estate, aren't you?
I'm into a lot of
things, Father.
It's how I keep my
head above water.
(chuckles)
While I was waiting to see you,
I just happened to browse
through one of your brochures
on three-dimensional holograms.
Oh, are you into
that kind of thing?
I don't understand it at all,
but it certainly is interesting.
Well, neither do
I, and yes, it is.
But it's still in research
and development.
It'll be a long time before
we're able to make money on it.
Mm, well, don't get discouraged.
I try not to.
(laughs)
- Good-bye.
- Good-bye.
(sighs)
May I help you, Sister?
Yeah.
I'm here about a story.
You want to see Mr. Simpson.
Next office over there.
Thanks.
Oh, are you, are
you lost, Sister?
Are you Mr. Simpson?
Yeah.
Then I'm not lost.
Are you in the market
for a bizarre story?
Of course I'm in the
market for a bizarre story.
This isn't the National
Review, you know.
I know.
Uh, come on.
Come into my office.
Okay, Sister, what do you got?
Well, one of the altar
boys at St. Michael's
saw a Guernsey cow
that glows in the dark.
Why?
What do you mean, "why"?
Well, I mean, did the cow
spontaneously combust?
Was it kidnapped by aliens?
You know, did it
swallow a nuclear bomb?
Why-why is it
glowing in the dark?
He didn't say.
Gee, Sister, you know, I got
to have a hook for the story.
Either that or pictures.
Have you ever done
anything on a haunted house?
Gee, your timing's bad, Sister.
We already got a haunted
house piece in the works right now.
This wouldn't, by any
chance, be from a tall woman
in a black cape
and a hat, would it?
Well, she's in there being
interviewed right now.
Do you know her?
Well, she's got a lot of nerve.
What do you mean?
Well, isn't it unethical
to sell the same story
to two magazines?
She did that?
I'm lucky she didn't
sell them my cow story.
(sighs): Gee, how
do you like that?
Well, thanks for telling us.
Don't mention it.
You know, I-I'll try to get
you a picture of that cow.
Color would be great.
Better make sure
she has some pictures.
Why the hell did you have to
do it when the priest was there?!
It's an automatic, Mr. Hopkins.
I set it on a timer.
Goes off every
night at midnight.
Why the hell did you do that?
So I'd have an alibi, in case
somebody came to check me out.
Well, now you got the
priest snooping around.
Well, I don't see how he
could be onto anything.
Nobody knows about
Gusic's vault but us.
You know, Martin,
I'm getting real tired of
waiting to see what's inside.
Well, it's gonna be worth it.
That old con at
Joliet guaranteed me
Gusic kept his most valuable
stuff socked away in there.
Well, we can't open it as
long as the girl is in the house.
You're right about
that, Mr. Hopkins.
You know, it's gonna take
dynamite to crack that baby.
Go back to the house.
(dialing)
(line ringing)
It's me.
LATIMER: What do you want?
What do I want? I want results!
Don't worry.
She's almost ready
to self-destruct.
Ah, you've been
saying that for weeks.
It's me you're
driving crazy, not her.
Now, whatever is inside,
I want it and I want it now.
I don't care how
you get rid of her,
but get her the
hell out of there!
I'll see to it.
When?
Tonight.
Frank, where have you been?
I've been at the
Hall of Records.
I had to change buses
three times to get home.
I've got big news
about Mrs. Dansky.
Yeah, well, I got some news,
too. I went to see Hopkins
She's selling her story
to the National I'm sorry.
No, no, go ahead.
Father Dowling, I
have amazing news.
What is your
amazing news, Father?
Documentary proof
that this ghost exists.
I got him on tape, after all.
Come inside and I'll show you.
Where's Carol?
I don't know.
I've been calling
her all afternoon.
She's not answering her phone.
Come on, Father Dowling.
Try her again.
And spread this out
on my desk, huh?
Okay.
(line ringing)
Right where?
Right there.
But that's Steve.
No, no, that's me.
No, not you, that!
Wait, wait, I'll run it
backwards in slow motion.
No, that's all right, Father.
- I've seen enough.
- (chuckles)
Well, when the bishop sees this,
he's bound to
authorize an exorcism.
Well, I wouldn't mention
this to the bishop quite yet.
This whole thing may
turn out to be technological
rather than supernatural.
(line ringing)
(mouthing)
Father Dowling, I was there.
I know a ghost when I see one.
Yeah, would you excuse
me for a minute, Father?
I have to make a phone call.
I'll rewind.
Still no answer, Frank.
Hmm.
(dials phone)
Dr. Latimer? Father Dowling.
Yeah, uh, Sister Stephanie
and I we've been trying
to get a hold of Carol Van Horn.
I suggested that she
take a few days off
just to try and get
a hold of herself.
I don't know if she took
my advice. She rarely does.
Hmm. Well, thanks, Doctor.
If you hear from her we'd
certainly appreciate a call.
Of course. Absolutely.
Good-bye.
Is it time yet?
Almost.
Will you come with me?
Oh, yes.
And we'll put an
end to all those things
that are making you so unhappy.
I don't want to be selfish
about this, Father Dowling.
I'm perfectly happy to
share any credit with, with you
and Sister Stephanie.
Oh, that's all right, Father.
You can run with this
one all by yourself.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Uh, come on. I want to show
you what I found at City Hall.
Hopkins told me all about the
history of the Van Horn house.
You know a lot of
famous people lived there.
And one of them was a gangster,
Jake "Greasy Thumb" Gusic.
It must have been
before my time.
Yeah, well, Gusic was one of
the kingpins of crime in Chicago
during the '20s until they
put him away at Alcatraz.
While he lived in the house,
he made some alterations.
STEPHANIE:
According to this it says
that there's a vault
underneath the basement.
You know, we must have
been standing right on top of that
when we ran into the gardener.
And I think that that
vault is the reason
that Hopkins wants
to get hold of the place.
He'd dig it up, take
out what he wants
and then turn the house
over to the city as a museum.
Minus the most valuable exhibit.
Mmm. But look at this.
That looks like a
secret room, Frank.
DOWLING: With a concealed
entrance in the basement.
Do you know what you could
do if you had a secret room
and you rigged it with three-
dimensional hologram projectors?
What?
You could haunt a house.
Didn't you say that Hopkins
was into high-tech electronics?
Owns his own research company.
I'm gonna call Carol again.
(dials phone)
(busy signal buzzing)
We don't want to be disturbed.
It may be Sister Steve
or Father Dowling.
They may be worried about me.
Oh, I've already spoken
to Father Dowling.
After tonight he'll have
nothing to worry about.
Neither will you.
It's almost midnight.
Come on, Carol.
Let's go. He's waiting.
He's waiting for you.
I'm afraid.
I'll be right outside.
Go on in, Carol.
This is the answer. Believe me.
(tires squealing)
I'm gonna check the basement.
Carol!
Carol.
Carol!
HOLOGRAM: Carol.
STEPHANIE: Carol
Carol, let me in.
- Carol, I will heal you.
- Carol!
I've come for you.
(door creaks)
Carol, come with me.
It's time.
So I was right!
This is how it works.
MARTIN: You
better leave, Father.
DOWLING: I think not.
HOLOGRAM: Carol.
STEPHANIE: Carol!
HOLOGRAM: Join me.
Carol.
HOLOGRAM: Yes
STEPHANIE: What are you doing?
MAN: That's right.
Don't be afraid.
STEPHANIE: Let me in!
- Carol!
- Can't you see what's happening?
She's gonna die
unless we stop her.
STEPHANIE: Carol!
HOLOGRAM: Yes, Carol, yes.
That's the way.
For God's sake, man, is
Hopkins paying you enough
to be a party to murder?
I thought we're just gonna
throw a little scare into her.
Shut that thing off!
HOLOGRAM: Come to me, Carol.
Join me.
STEPHANIE: Carol!
DOWLING: She's still
gonna take the pills.
I've got to do something.
Carol, Carol!
Carol!
What are you doing?
- DOWLING: Carol
- STEPHANIE: Let me in!
DOWLING: Carol, listen to me.
Your father is gone to rest.
He doesn't want you to do this.
Now put the pills down.
Put the pills down.
Trust me.
That's it.
Now, Steve is
waiting for you outside.
DOWLING: Sister Stephanie
Boo!
Frank, is that you?
Well, it's not the real me,
but an incredibly
lifelike simulation.
- Mr. Hopkins?
- Yes.
You're under arrest for
the attempted murder
of Carol Van Horn.
CLANCY: You too, Dr. Latimer.
STEPHANIE: Nice job, Clancy.
CLANCY: Thanks to you.
Oh, Mr. Hopkins
the police dug up the safe
that "Greasy Thumb" Gusic
had planted in his basement.
And this was what
was so valuable to him.
DOWLING: It's a plan
for escaping from Alcatraz.
Well, what do you think
we ought to do with this?
We could send it to Geraldo.
Ooh, I'll call you as
soon as I get back.
You sure you'll be all right?
I think all my ghosts
are gone this time.
Well you take care
of yourself. Huh?
Thanks, Father.
Okay.
(reporters clamoring)
DOWLING: Please, please
the young lady has no comment.
MAN: What happened, Father?
Oh, well, uh, here's a man
who can explain everything.
This is Father Philip Prestwick.
How did you discover
the hoax, Father?
The what?
Oh, come now,
Philip, don't be modest.
Just tell them how you found
out that the ghost was a fake.
Ah, that.
Yes.
Well, naturally we were
suspicious from the beginning.
Although there was no
hard evidence of anything.
Uh, you know,
in cases like this,
um, I always believe that
So you're letting
him grab all the credit.
Hmm?
Oh, it looks better on him.
Sister Stephanie
- Boo.
- Boo.