Father Dowling Mysteries (1989) s03e06 Episode Script

[CAR HORN HONKS]
He's here, Mr. McCauley.
Money makes you
tall and handsome.
Remember that, Mark.
Let's welcome our guest.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[MEN TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
MARK: All right.
Ernie?
Oh. Ahem.
- What's up?
- Uh, I've been looking for you, boss.
Uh, you need me
for anything else?
No, not tonight.
Okay then. Well, see
you tomorrow, yeah.
Ernie's a wreck.
[DOOR OPENS]
- What's making him so jumpy?
- Beats me.
His girlfriend's pretty
and his bookie's paid up.
Maybe Ernie's been working too
hard. Tag along with him, Mark.
- Relax him a little.
- Yeah.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[BAND PLAYING SLOW MUSIC]
Thanks.
Hey, Ernie, relax, heh.
Scotch, rocks.
- Everything okay?
- It's all right. Yeah.
- Why?
- Oh, boss thought
you seemed kind of nervous.
Oh, it's the girlfriend.
She wants to get married.
Heh, dump her.
Yeah, I will. I've
been thinking about it.
But I'd miss her.
Heh, for about two minutes.
Look over there.
She hasn't taken her eyes
off you since you came in.
You're kidding.
She's hot, Ernie. Why
don't you ask her to dance?
[SCOFFS]
Why not.
Thank you.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
[WOMAN LAUGHS]
[ERNIE SIGHS]
- Women.
- Heh, yeah.
It's a good thing you didn't
score. The boss just called.
- He wants to see us.
- What's up?
[CHUCKLES]
You've worked for him long enough
to know better than to ask that.
We'll find out when
we get there. Come on.
- So where's McCauley?
- Oh, he'll be here.
[GRUNTS]
Can you believe that Mother
Margaret is celebrating her silver jubilee
at the Holy Mother Convent?
Seems like only yesterday
she was Steve's age, heh.
Morning, Frank. Morning, Marie.
- God is smiling on
me. FRANK: Oh?
Now what did you
do to amuse him?
Heh, me? Nothing.
Except that I have been blessed
with the most extraordinary luck.
Out of the blue, I received a call
from the Brothers of St. Sebastian,
who told me,
through an interpreter
that they are going to be
touring the United States,
promoting their
exquisite liqueur,
which they produce in
their Abbey in Sardinia.
They have offered to
present the one millionth bottle
of their highly
medicinal liqueur
to Mother Margaret on the
occasion of her silver jubilee.
[CHUCKLES]
That is the kind of
publicity I pray for.
- Oh, I know. I heard
you. PHILIP: Heh-heh.
I'm sure Mother Margaret will
be happy to hear about that.
Not one word to
Mother Margaret, Sister.
The brothers would
like this to be a surprise.
Since you asked, Phil,
I won't say anything,
but Mother Margaret is not
very big on surprises, you know.
One time this cat I smuggled into
the convent had kittens in her parlor.
- Heh.
- She made me scrub floors for a month.
That's just the consequence
of breaking the rules, Steve.
I know. She always cases
me fair and square, you know.
When I was postulant I must have
scrubbed 500 miles of linoleum.
Tsk. Ugh.
Bye.
- Thanks for everything.
MARIE: Unh
You tell Mother Margaret
that I send her my best.
- You have a wonderful
time. STEVE: Thanks.
Bye. I'm gonna miss you guys.
Oh, I almost forgot. With all the
excitement I forgot to eat breakfast.
There's always tomorrow.
Hey, Edward.
- How's it going?
- It's cork, Steve.
Faster than light,
and faster than sound,
and if you could have a
transmitter big enough,
- you could talk to God.
- That's a thought, Edward.
- See you later, all right?
- Yeah.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Come in.
Mother Margaret, it's
so good to see you.
[MARGARET CHUCKLES]
Sister Stephanie, my blessing.
- Welcome home.
- Thanks.
Sit.
I see that Edward is still
sleeping in the garden.
Oh, of course, uh, the feeding
and sheltering of Edward
is our daily act of charity.
You know, Mother Margaret,
I've been talking to Edward
since I was a postulant.
I know he's very confused
but he's really a sweetheart.
- You know and he's smart.
- Well, Edward is not of sound mind.
But I have this feeling that he could
be if we could just get him to a doctor.
Sister Stephanie, do not
concern yourself with Edward.
He will always
have a home with us.
But Mother Margaret, I
think he could get better.
[SIGHS]
Heh, he's talking to the
wall. The subject is closed.
[SIGHS]
You have a problem
with obedience, Sister.
- But it's my fault. I have failed you.
- No, no, no. You did your best.
It's me. I'm stubborn.
Well, that's what I heard.
[SIGHS]
I am grateful that Father
Dowling is so tolerant of you.
If you weren't at St. Michael's I
don't know where I would assign you.
I love St. Michaels, Mother. I really
do. And I love Father Dowling too.
[SIGHS]
Well, good. Uh,
that will be all, Sister.
- You may go.
- Yes, Mother.
Oh, before you go.
Uh, we have a sister from
California who's visiting.
I would appreciate it if
you would show her around.
- Well, sure. I'd be happy to.
- Ah, thank you.
[SIGHS]
STEVE: Happy Silver Jubilee.
- May I help you? MARY:
I'm Sister Mary Catherine
- from California.
- Yes, we've been expecting you.
Thank you, Sister.
Thank you, Sister.
MARY: The convent's beautiful.
The grounds are so serene.
Wonderful trees.
You can see downtown
from the top of the big oak.
The top? Sister,
you climb trees?
Oh, yeah, I used to. You
know, when I got homesick.
Could see my old
neighborhood from up there.
What's your convent like?
Well, my mother house is
in California, Pear Blossom,
which is right on the
edge of the Mojave.
It's desolate,
but it's beautiful.
No wonder you like trees.
- Are you assigned to Chicago?
- No, I'll just be here for a few days.
I've been assigned to a
Mission School in Appalachia.
STEVE: Oh.
So I'm told that Sunday your
Mother Superior celebrates her
- 25th jubilee?
- Yeah.
Yeah, that's why I'm here.
Well, I'm glad that
I'm able to participate.
Were you born in California?
No, no, I just went
to school there.
I was born and
raised in Philadelphia.
Hmm.
I know a family who lives in
Philadelphia, name of Butler.
Father and son are
undercover cops.
Do you know them?
Um
No, I'm sorry, I don't.
Ahem.
Excuse me, Sister, it's
been a very long day, heh.
- Will you excuse me, Sister?
- Sure, absolutely.
STEVE: Sister Mary Catherine?
Sister?
Look, I just want you to know
that if you have any problems at all,
if there's anything that I can do
for you, all you have to do is ask me.
- All right?
- I don't know what you mean?
Okay.
I'll just see you around then.
Um,
keep your habit
pulled over your ankles.
Thanks.
[MARY GRUNTING]
[MARY GROANS]
[PEOPLE MURMURING]
She wasn't a nun,
Frank. She was a cop.
Could we step in here, please?
What are you talking about?
Okay, yesterday at dinner,
I sat across from her. Right?
I dropped my fork. I went
under the table to pick it up,
and I saw that she was
wearing an ankle gun.
Well, did she identify
herself as an officer?
Well, she practically said
that she was a cop, Frank.
Maybe you didn't see what
you thought you saw, Steve.
You mean, the
gun? I saw the gun.
My men have gone over this room,
and all they found is what you'd expect.
A change of clothes, a
prayer book, a rosary,
and a plane ticket to
Wheeling, West Virginia.
She was a nun, Steve,
on her way to Appalachia.
No, she wasn't a nun, Clancy. I know
what I saw. You've gotta believe me.
Sergeant, we found this
knife next to a vagrant
- who was asleep in the garden.
- Do you have him?
Yeah, right outside.
Give that to
Forensics. Excuse me.
She was not a nun, Frank. She
was a cop. She had a cop's gun.
I believe you, Steve.
- Father Dowling. Sister.
- Mother.
Mother Margaret, I'm
sorry to see you again
under these circumstances,
especially during your jubilee week.
MARGARET: This has
been a terrible shock, Father.
What kind of a depraved person
would murder a sister in her sleep?
Mother, she wasn't
a nun. She was
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
That's Edward. I'm sorry.
I've gotta go. I'm sorry.
Sister Stephanie!
[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]
- I must apologize for Sister Stephanie.
- Oh, there's no need, Mother.
She hasn't done anything wrong.
Ah. Oh, you are very
tolerant of her, Father.
Sister Stephanie believes
rules were made to be broken.
She's a real test of patience.
- If you'll excuse me, Father?
- Of course.
[DOOR CLOSES]
STEVE: Clancy, believe
me, you're making a mistake.
Clancy, Edward wouldn't hurt
anybody. You've gotta let him go.
I'm sorry, Sister, the
evidence is against him.
Frank. They don't understand.
Edward's been sleeping in the
garden since I was a postulant.
He's gentle, Frank.
He's harmless.
CLANCY: We'll test
him for alcohol and drugs.
Let's go.
[MARGARET SIGHS]
Sister, it's God's
will. You must accept.
I'm going to say a
rosary for Edward.
[SOBBING]
Edward didn't kill her, Frank.
He wouldn't hurt anybody.
It's not in his nature.
Frank, Mother Margaret's
never gonna forgive me.
Oh, of course she will, Steve.
She comes down hard on you
because she cares about you.
That's her way of showing it.
As for Edward right now,
I think he needs a friend.
- But I don't know how to help him.
- I forgot to show her.
Well, you could go
on down to the station.
Have a talk with him.
Find out if he remembers
hearing or seeing anything.
STEVE: That's a good idea.
I think I'll do that, Frank.
Frank?
I knew I saw this someplace.
I found this note in
the victims' prayer book.
Now it must have held
some significance for her,
and look there's a date
on it. January 10th, 1990.
Well, what happened
on January 10th?
I don't know.
But I think St. Michael's
needs some sacramental wine.
This winery must be a
mob operation, Frank.
Sam McCauley is
mob from way back.
- Are you sure?
- Everybody knows that.
I didn't know that.
Say, Penny, file
this for me, huh?
Wait a minute, Frank. That's the
guy I saw last night at the convent.
- I'm gonna go check him out.
- Steve.
SAM: Can I help you father?
What can I do for you?
Oh, I'm Father Dowling
from St. Michael's parish.
Sam McCauley. What
can I do for you, Father?
Well, I, uh
That is our church could, uh,
use some sacramental wine, heh.
Well, you've come
to the right place.
- Yeah, heh.
- Heh.
[DOOR OPENS]
MAN: Who is it?
CHARLIE: Charlie.
MAN: Come on in.
All right. Come on.
Hey, Charlie, I thought I
told you to nail this thing shut.
CHARLIE: I'm working on it,
Mark. I've gotta get a handle.
MARK: Do that, Charlie.
Then you take this limey snitch
and you dump him in the river.
Goodbye, Ernie.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[DOOR OPENS]
[HAMMERING]
Help yourself, Father.
Like everything else,
choosing a wine for the mass
- is a matter of personal taste.
- All this is sacramental wine?
The purest, and of course we
have a fine selection of table wines.
- For your rectory.
- Heh, I'm a tea drinker myself.
[MOUTHS WORDS]
Oh, dear me, I must go.
- The O'Malleys will never forgive me.
- O'Malleys?
I almost forgot
the twins' baptism.
You've been a great help,
Mr. McCauley. Excellent wine.
Lovely bouquet. I'll be
back. Thanks again. Bye-bye.
He was dead, Frank.
A guy named Mark
called him a limey snitch.
Steve, how could you take such a
risk? Don't you ever do that again.
Yeah, but it was worth
it. Look what I found out.
What's this Mark gonna
do with a dead stitch?
- Snitch.
- Snitch.
[ENGINE REVVING]
STEVE: See that barrel, Frank?
That snitch is
heading for the river.
I found this torn piece of
paper in the murdered nun's cell.
And it was embossed with the
logo from the McCauley Winery.
So, Steve and I went over there
and while was snooping she around,
she saw a dead man
stuffed in an empty wine cage.
Okay. Who was the
victim and who killed him?
I think they called him
Ernie, but that's all I know.
McCauley's Winery
is, uh, a mob operation.
Whoever this guy was, they're
not gonna let anyone find him.
Aren't you gonna
do anything about it?
Look, we've raided
McCauley's a dozen times
and never found anything.
If we do it again,
we're facing a lawsuit.
I'm not going in again
unless it's a dead bang winner.
Clancy, the last we saw of this guy,
he was in a barrel headed for the river.
We could drag for a
month and not find him.
If the stiff comes
back, Frank, call me.
Right now, I'm up to my
eyes in the Fontaine case,
and no, you can't help me,
and it's none of your business.
I didn't say one word.
Good luck, Clancy.
Look, Clancy, about Edward,
- you can't believe he killed somebody.
- Do you remember that serial killer
in San Francisco last year?
The sweet little grandmother
who knitted mittens, and they found
16 bodies buried under her house.
We found the murder weapon next to
Edward, we had to arrest him, Steve.
Clancy, Edward is
innocent. I can feel it.
You're a nun, Steve. You
can afford to have feelings.
I'm a cop. I go by
the evidence. Let's go.
Marie, this is the best
potato salad you ever made.
I used a new brand
of mayonnaise.
Took a real big chance, but I
thought to myself, well, what the heck.
- Go for it, heh.
- Well, it was worth it.
Wait a minute.
- You didn't like it?
- Oh, no, this is great, Marie.
It's Frank, I
was just thinking,
when I was at the
winery, I saw a guy
carrying a plate of food to
somebody in the back room.
Now I bet you anything they're
hiding somebody back there.
That's probably why
that snitch got killed.
- It certainly is a possibility.
- Guess what?
We give up. Heh.
I just got confirmation
from Tidings Magazine.
They're gonna cover Mother
Margaret's silver jubilee,
featuring presentation by
the Brothers of St. Sebastian's
one millionth bottle of liqueur.
Ha-ha-ha. I even arranged for
an interpreter. Isn't this exciting?
Every Catholic in
the country will see it.
What's wrong with
the potato salad?
What do you mean
what's wrong with it?
It tastes different.
That's the idea, Phil.
Where did Steve go? Steve!
Phil, would you give
me a ride, please?
I'd be delighted, Father.
I wasn't really hungry.
Well, I'm very
relieved to hear that.
MAN: Where do
these number fours go?
Hey, what the hell's
the matter with you?
Those cases go
over here. Move it!
MAN: How's that?
Thanks, Phil. You don't
have to wait. I'll get a ride back.
Fine, Frank.
SAM: Father Dowling?
- Oh.
Mr. McCauley, heh. I
was just looking for you.
Yes, I see.
The wine tasting
room is this way.
Oh, I must have taken a wrong
turn at the cabernet sauvignon.
Your winery is so
vast and so interesting.
If, uh, if you have the time, I
wouldn't mind a quick tour?
- I'd be delighted. This way, Father.
- Hmm.
FRANK: Well, this has
all been very interesting.
Well, Father, I think you'll
be happy with this one.
Oh, I'm sure, I will be.
Now
How large of an order
would you like to place?
Just one bottle.
- One bottle?
- Hmm.
And could you send
it C.O.D., please?
C.O.D.?
Well, I'm somewhat embarrassed.
I don't have any cash on me.
Sister Stephanie's always trying
to get me to carry a checkbook.
- I don't seem to be able to
- All right.
I'll tell you what I'm gonna
do. I'm gonna give you a bottle.
- My compliments.
- Oh, I couldn't accept that.
I insist.
[PHONE RINGS]
McCauley here.
[WHISPERS] Now look,
we've already discussed this,
and I'm going to do it my way.
That's it. No "buts".
I'll be right over.
[IN NORMAL
VOICE] Well, Father
Are you trying to give me a
heart attack? This is mob territory.
I had to find out if my
hunch was right, and it was.
They were keeping
a guy in the room.
Yeah, and if you would have been
caught they would have killed you.
Well, the room was empty,
but I found something.
- Hair?
- Hair.
Hair.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
- McCauley's leaving, Frank. Hang on.
- Oh, Steve.
- Frank, look.
- Hmm?
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
Yeah.
- They know each other.
- It seems that way.
But how do Mother Margaret
and the Holy Mother Convent
figure into whatever scheme
McCauley is trying to pull off?
I think you better be
the one to ask her.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Come in.
- I hope I'm not interrupting you.
- Ah, no, sister.
- Why aren't you wearing your habit?
- Oh, it's a long story.
Mother Margaret, I wanna
apologize for my disobedience.
Oh, so you came to
be forgiven and you are,
if you will forgive
me my bad humor.
Oh, your humor isn't any
worse than it usually is.
- Heh-heh.
- I mean, uh Oh, boy.
You're forgiven.
[LAUGHS]
Mother Margaret, I know that a man
named McCauley came to see you.
How do you know this?
- I don't mean to pry, but
- Well, then stop, please.
It's just that I'm very concerned
that you not get involved
with this man, Mother.
You see, he's a criminal.
Father Dowling and I,
we don't know for sure,
but we had this feeling that he
had something to do with the murder
here in the Convent.
[SOBBING]
I'm sorry. I didn't
mean to upset you.
I just thought that you should
know this was a bad guy
so you could stay away from him.
It's not as simple as that.
I've known for sometime
that Sam McCauley
is involved in
criminal activities.
I've asked him not to
come here, but he insists.
He'll even be here
for my silver jubilee.
Sister Margaret, why? Why
don't you just tell him to get lost?
I can't.
Sam McCauley
is my brother.
What if the brothers
can't find the convent?
I should have met
them at the airport.
Mm-hm.
And I never contacted
the interpreter.
You know, my
Italian's fairly weak.
Good lord.
Frank, is there
something in that paper
that's more important
than this jubilee?
Joe Fontaine, the mob
boss, he jumped bail.
The police have got a
manhunt going for him.
Fontaine is dangerous.
What does that have
to do with the jubilee?
Hopefully nothing.
I'm off. Wish me
good luck, Father.
Good luck, Father.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Frank, sorry I'm
late. I had a flat tire.
- We gotta go.
- You changed it yourself?
Sure, no big deal. A little
elbow grease. I am a mess.
I couldn't have done it.
Well, now it's done
and we gotta go.
- Steve.
- What?
This note I found in
the victim's prayer book.
STEVE: Yeah.
- It's dated 10 months ago.
Now who gave it to her,
and why was it so important?
- I don't know, but we gotta hurry.
- Well, wait a minute.
You said that Mark
called Ernie a limey snitch?
Yeah, he did.
Well, if Sister Mary
Catherine was a cop,
then Ernie must
have been her snitch.
That's why he was killed
and that's why she was killed.
You're right, Frank.
And it also means
that Ernie was British,
and I've been reading
this date all wrong.
The British put the day
first and the month, second.
This date isn't January
the 10th, it's October the 1st.
- That's today.
- Yes.
And now I know why our lady
cop went undercover at the convent.
- Why?
- Because whatever is happening,
is happening today
at the convent.
So now we really better hurry.
Oh, boy, the mass is starting.
PHILIP: Please join me in
the celebration of this mass
to honor Mother Margaret on
the occasion of her silver jubilee.
[SINGING IN LATIN]
[CHOIR SINGING IN LATIN]
FATHER: Margaret, the body of Christ.
- Amen.
FATHER: And the blood of Christ.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
May Almighty God bless us.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen.
- This mass is ended now.
- We go in peace.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
[ORGAN PLAYING HYMN]
- What are we looking for, Frank?
- I'm not sure yet.
It's McCauley and Mark. Is
that what we're looking for?
Maybe.
[BELL TOLLING]
Excuse me, sir. This is still a chapel.
Would you mind taking your hat off?
[SPEAKING IN ITALIAN]
Steve, I know what's
happening. Come on.
[CHATTERING]
PHILIP: Hello.
Step away, to this
side. Away, over here.
Get moving over
there a little bit.
One of those monks
is Joe Fontaine.
What?
Do you remember the hair
you found in the winery?
- Yeah, weird.
- Yeah, well, that hair was long.
It was shaved. It
hadn't been cut.
And whoever McCauley
was hiding in that room
had the crown of
his head shaved.
And, uh, the fellow that
bumped into me in the chapel.
- The guy with the hat.
- Yes, he was wearing his hat
to cover up the fact that
his head was shaved.
And if you remember
he didn't speak English.
He was in a hurry to leave the
convent before anyone discovered that
- Joe Fontaine had taken his
place. STEVE: You're right, Frank.
- It all fits together.
- Yeah.
Four monks arrived
here from Sardinia,
and four are going back, but
one of them is Joe Fontaine.
[CHATTERING IN ITALIAN]
- Phil, where are they going?
- They have a plane to catch.
Frank, Joe Fontaine is leaving
and we don't even
know which one he is.
Freeze!
Joe Fontaine, the only
one who speaks English.
You're a dead man, Father.
Hold it, Fontaine!
[CROWD MURMURING]
Clancy, what is this?
The Feds informed us
that Murphy was theirs.
Undercover. So
we went from there.
Occasionally we do some good
detective work of our own, Father.
Steve, you'll be glad to know
that Edward is on his
way back to the convent.
Thanks.
Frank, what is all this?
Phil, you're about to make
the papers in a big way.
You just go tell the press
you'll give them the inside story
- in just a few minutes.
- Right.
- What's the inside story?
- Well, that's what I'm gonna give you
to give them.
It all started with four
fake monks from Sardinia.
Excellent.
Mother Margaret, I'm
sorry about your brother.
So am I. But God has melted
harder hearts than Sam McCauley's,
and I will keep praying for him.
Goodbye, Mother.
I'll be right there, Frank.
Mother, is there anything
that I can do for you?
Pray for me, Sister.
I do, every day.
I might have known.
I have many spiritual daughters
who scrupulously follow the rules,
but none whose heart is as
charitable and loving as yours.
Thank you, Mother.
My blessing.
[MARGARET CLICKING TONGUE]
- Come see me.
- I will.
Bye.