Father Dowling Mysteries (1989) s03e14 Episode Script

[DOOR CLOSES]
Do you need some
help getting started?
No, Father, I'm ready.
I have a wonderful wife.
Two of the sweetest daughters.
I love my family.
I don't understand.
There's another woman.
Now I understand.
Every morning I tell myself,
I'm gonna break off the affair
and then
I see her again
and I just can't.
I don't know what to do.
I understand your
turmoil, my son.
Tim.
My name's Tim.
I won't leave my wife,
but I just can't give up Rita.
This Rita, does she love you?
I don't know.
And do you love her?
It's
I can't get her out of my mind.
And if I see another guy so much
as look at her, I get insanely jealous.
That's not exactly love.
Do you love your wife?
Yes.
I always have.
All right.
Suppose we start
with a full confession.
Um
I can't. I'm not Catholic.
I was, but I'm not anymore.
Why did you come to me?
I'm your son.
I realize how confused
you must be, but
My mother was
Mary Ellen Connell.
Mary Ellen.
Oh, my God.
I promised her
I'd never tell you.
Never confront you.
Oh, my God, now I'm breaking
my promise to my mother.
I'm sorry, Father, I've made a
terrible mistake coming to you.
Wait. Come back.
Tim.
STEVE: Is something
bothering you, Frank?
Oh, I'm just a
little tired, that's all.
You're twisting your ear.
You only do that when
you're really upset.
You don't miss
much, do you, Steve?
PHILIP: Frank?
What am I doing wrong, Frank?
What's the problem, Philip?
Nobody takes me seriously.
I prepared detailed financial
reports for the bishop.
His Excellency
doesn't even read them.
Only just yesterday, I was
counseling a troubled youth.
He fell asleep right in
the middle of the session.
Well, maybe he needed the sleep.
Frank, you have never
asked me once for my advice,
my priestly counsel or
my professional opinion.
Well, yes, that's true, Phil.
But it's not because
of lack of respect.
I've just been waiting for
something really important.
The sort of problem that only
you could help me think through.
[CHUCKLES]
- Really, Frank?
- Mm.
MARIE: Father Prestwick?
Oh, I'm glad you're here.
I need your help.
Well, what a pleasant
surprise, Marie.
Anything, Marie,
you name it. Anything.
Counseling? Advice?
Furnace filters.
Furnace filters.
They need changing
and they're hard to get at.
Don't worry, you won't have any
trouble with your long, thin arms.
Did you see Candy's artwork?
The preschool teacher
says she's another van Gogh.
I don't know whether
to enroll her in art class
or take her directly to therapy.
You're a million
miles away again.
I'm reading.
Tim, I know when
something's bothering you.
What's going on, baby?
Nothing's going on.
If you would just
leave me alone.
[LINE RINGING]
RITA [ON
RECORDING]: Hi, it's Rita.
I'm not here right now, but if
you leave your name and number,
I'll get back to you. Bye.
[MACHINE BEEPS]
Rita, where are you?
Why did you stand me up?
MALONE: Why are you alone, Rita?
Why are you alone? I thought
you were seeing him tonight.
Get someone else.
I'm fed up, Malone.
But, honey, I'm
depending on you.
You've got this guy hooked.
All you've gotta
do is reel him in.
It's not that simple.
Tim's sweet and so guilt-ridden.
Last time he left, I cried.
Poor baby.
I quit, Mike.
I can't do it anymore.
Hey.
Trust me, Rita,
you don't wanna quit me.
Am I making myself clear, babe?
I knew there was someone else.
Is this the guy who's
been calling you?
Tim, no.
Just keep your hands off her.
Relax.
Relax. Rita and
I are old friends.
Sit down. Let's have a drink.
Tim, don't.
Malone, leave him alone.
Stay out of this, Rita.
Damn you, Malone.
After you, tough guy.
MALONE: Garbage.
- Hello, lovely Rita.
- Malone.
You're making a
big mistake, Rita.
What are you talking about?
You fell for him.
My best angler and you fell
for him, hook, line and sinker.
You let me down, Rita.
Mike?
What are you, crazy?
Let me go.
- Where's Rita?
- She left.
Where did she go?
How do I know?
Rita?
Come on, Rita, I
know you're in there.
Oh, my God.
[CAT SCREECHES]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Evening, ma'am. We are
looking for Tim Connell.
SUSAN: What's going on?
We'd like to speak
to Mr. Connell.
CLANCY: Mr. Connell?
Mr. Connell, when was the
last time you saw Rita Winters?
Rita Winters? Um
I must have seen
her at work today.
A bartender at a club insists that
you were with her earlier tonight.
Could we talk about this
somewhere else, please?
Sure.
Might be a good time
to change your story.
Rita's neighbor saw
you running away.
[GRUNTS]
[SIGHS]
God help him.
Tim.
Father. I didn't kill Rita,
I swear it. I couldn't.
I believe you.
And I'll do whatever
I can to help.
Thank you.
What I told you yesterday,
it shocked you, I know.
I'm sorry.
Oh, don't be.
It took courage for
you to approach me.
I promised my mother
I'd never tell you.
Hmm. Coming to me
was the right thing to do.
How is your mother?
She passed away two years ago.
She was ill for a long time.
She never complained once.
She wouldn't.
She had great strength.
Did she ever marry?
No.
Why? She was such
a wonderful woman.
She only loved one man.
She never stopped loving you,
Father.
Uh
Don't give up hope.
Just let me see what I can do.
What are you thinking, Frank?
[SIGHS]
Women like Rita don't
have affairs with men like Tim
without expecting
something in return.
We need more
information on Miss Winters.
So you think this guy,
Tim Connell, is innocent?
Yes, I do.
Okay, Frank, so, what's up?
I know this is an interesting
case and everything,
but the guy is not a
member of the parish.
In fact, he's not even Catholic,
and you said yourself, you
hadn't met him until yesterday.
A year before I entered the seminary,
I fell in love with Mary Ellen Connell.
We were both counselors
for a parish youth group.
Last thought I had in my
mind was falling in love,
but there we were,
the young seminarian
and the devout Catholic girl.
Deeply in love.
Go on, Frank.
Well,
I decided not to enter the seminary
and I asked Mary Ellen to marry me.
And what did she say?
She said yes.
We went away for a week.
We couldn't be happier.
But after we got back to
Chicago, she changed her mind.
She said, I had a true
vocation as a priest.
She said, she
couldn't live with herself
if she caused me to
turn my back on God.
I tried to persuade her that I
could serve God as her husband,
that we could both serve him.
But once Mary Ellen
made up her mind
Well, a few weeks later,
I entered the seminary.
And after a while, I
knew she was right.
I had a vocation.
You never saw her again?
No.
I had a chance to,
but every time I
thought about seeing her,
I'd become afraid.
Afraid of what?
I don't know.
Maybe my feelings, maybe hers.
Mary Ellen Connell.
So then Tim is her son?
And mine too.
Oh, Frank.
So sad, huh?
So sad for everybody.
I'll help you. I'll help
you any way I can, Frank.
Thanks, Steve. That means a lot.
I think we need a
favor from Clancy.
[GLASS BREAKS]
Sounds like we're not the
only ones interested in Rita.
CLANCY: Police.
Open up.
Stay back.
Window.
[ENGINE STARTS]
[TIRES SCREECH]
Red sports car.
We must have surprised him.
Well, my guess is he was
looking for something personal.
How do you know, Frank?
The furniture has been moved around,
but none of the drawers are open.
Maybe he lost something
in his struggle with Rita.
Like what?
Well, you're the detective.
Could have fooled me.
Let's hope we scared
him off before he found it.
STEVE: Hey, Frank.
- Hmm?
Look at this, I found
it under the bed.
Well, a link to the murder.
- No pun intended.
- I don't know, Frank.
That could have been under
the bed for a couple of months.
The cleaning woman.
STEVE: The cleaning woman
swears there was nothing under the bed
when she finished.
FRANK: And if she
didn't finish until 9:30
and Tim was seen
running away before 10,
so that cufflink has got
to belong to the killer.
Turn around.
What are you doing?
Oh, just an idea.
Here, Clancy, you
take this as evidence.
It may turn out to
be very important.
Frank, leave this case alone.
We already have Rita's killer.
I don't think so.
Why are you taking
this so personally?
Clancy, please.
Come on, Clancy. He wouldn't
ask if it wasn't important.
All right.
I'll take the cufflink.
Making a copy of this
cufflink will be a piece of cake.
Did I hear someone say cake?
Oh, hello. I'm Father
Prestwick. Who are you?
This is Jimmy C.
- I'm an artist. I make jewelry.
- Oh.
Are those real?
No.
You think all of those society hens
wear their real stuff to the charity ball?
They wear paste.
The real stuff stays
home in the safe.
But my work is so good, that
even security guys think it's real.
This should be easy. It shouldn't
take more than two hours.
FRANK: Oh, that's
wonderful, Jimmy.
How many are staying for dinner?
JIMMY: What's on the menu, babe?
Stuffed peppers.
- Beef or pork?
- Beef.
JIMMY: Potatoes?
- Rice.
Of course. Here, it's
probably converted rice, huh?
[LAUGHS]
JIMMY: Sorry, Padre. You
got yourself a customer, babe.
This is my lucky day.
PHILIP: You know, if you want my
opinion about those stuffed peppers
I don't.
You see, Frank?
FRANK: Mm.
What do you know,
Frank? It was open.
Do you really think
he'll come back?
He has no choice.
His cufflink is a clue.
He's gonna wanna recover it
before somebody else finds it.
Now, we've got this fake
cufflink with Jimmy C.'s mark on it.
When the killer comes back to get it,
it'll prove to the cops that he's the guy.
- Well, it's got to.
- Hey.
[DOOR OPENS]
It looks like he's
ahead of schedule.
[LAUGHING]
I think we found our man.
Yeah, but who is he?
We better find out
before he gets away.
He's getting into
the elevator, Frank.
Come on.
Frank.
- Is he gone?
- Yeah.
But I got his license.
Oh, that's wonderful, Steve.
It looks like our plan worked.
So far, Frank.
No. Thanks a lot,
Jerry. I appreciate it.
Bye.
So Jerry at the DMV traced the
license plate back to a Bill Crawford.
- Hmm. Do you have an address?
- Ta-da.
Let's go.
- This is the address you got?
- Yup. Will you hold this?
You better stay here, Frank.
I don't think anybody inside
is gonna wanna talk to a priest.
Here.
Excuse me. Hi.
I'm looking for Bill Crawford.
Are you here about the job?
What else?
He's in the office.
Right through that door.
Thanks.
- Through this door right here?
- Yeah.
- Turn to your left, right down the hall.
- Thanks.
CRAWFORD: I
don't like this, Malone.
Particularly when they
can trace you to me.
What if somebody saw you?
MALONE: Nobody saw me.
Besides, they
think Connell did it.
CRAWFORD: You better hope now.
What happened to this big
score you were supposed to bring?
I'm mapping it out.
CRAWFORD: You
mean, you got no idea.
MALONE: Will you relax?
I'll just get somebody
else from their office.
I give you the dough to
set this up, I expect a return.
I'm not a good loser.
Neither am I.
MALONE: I'll see you later.
CRAWFORD: Can I
help you, sweetheart?
Oh, I was looking
for Mr. Crawford.
- I'm Mr. Crawford.
- Oh, hi.
I'm here about the job.
- Oh, yeah?
- Yeah.
- You ever bartend before?
- I'm the best.
You call them, I
mix them. No limits.
Oh.
- Okay, okay.
- Sorry.
That's it. That's it.
- That's it. That's it.
- Sorry.
- See you.
- Go on. Get out.
Mm.
The guy with the
cufflinks is named Malone.
Now, he and the guy who run
this place are involved in this deal
that had to do with Rita.
Which means it involves Tim.
I gotta talk to him.
I met her at the office three months
ago, when she started working there.
She was from Detroit.
She had been living
at that residency hotel
since she moved to
Chicago six months ago.
Did she have any friends
or relatives in Chicago?
Nobody that I know of.
She never mentioned
anyone outside the office.
What office is that?
Universal Management Services.
I'm the chief accountant.
She was a secretary.
I don't know what
else to tell you.
Except that she was
very interested in money.
How so?
She made it very clear that she
was looking for a nicer lifestyle
than I could ever
provide for her.
[SIGHS]
How could I have
let this happen?
What's wrong with me, Father?
Tim.
God has seen your remorse
and has forgiven you.
Now, you have
to forgive yourself.
I hope you can forgive me for any
pain I may have caused your mother
and for allowing you to
grow up without a father.
What would you have done
if you'd known about me?
I'd have married your mother and
been the best father I could to you.
Do you like baseball?
I don't like baseball.
I love baseball.
Hmm. What a coincidence.
[CHUCKLES]
STEVE: I went
back to the apartment
and found this
notebook in Rita's things.
Do you know you two twist your
ears in exactly the same way?
These are the names of
some of our firm's top clients.
- In other words, very wealthy.
- Very.
They all have Swiss bank
accounts set up through my office.
And how do these clients gain
access to the money in their accounts?
It's really quite simple.
We have a system of
secret access numbers
and they're stored
on a computer disk.
Where do you keep the disk?
In a safe in the office.
And who's got the combination?
The president of the firm, the
senior VP and, of course, I do.
Hello.
STEVE: Mike Malone.
Do I know you?
No.
But Rita told me all about you.
Rita and I, we didn't have
any secrets, you know.
Rita had a big mouth.
Fortunately for us.
You know that little business
deal that you and she didn't finish?
I can finish it for you.
Yeah? How?
I work with the senior VP,
very closely.
You might even say that we
have a relationship, you know?
I can get anything I want
from him, anything we want.
You know what
I think, little girl?
I think you're bluffing.
You don't have any idea
what you're talking about.
Rita never confided in you.
My mistake.
I thought you were
interested in the computer disk
with the Swiss
account access codes.
Do I detect an interest?
Oh, I'm interested, little girl.
But let me warn you.
People who think they
can play games with me,
pay a very high
price for that mistake.
So if you're not playing it
straight, I'll send you the bill.
Understand?
And why would a little girl like me
lie to a big, strong man like you, huh?
[LAUGHING]
MAN: Thank you very much.
It's just like Tim said, Frank.
That's Bates' office
and Bates is at lunch.
His secretary leaves at 1:00.
We've got between five and
ten minutes until Bates gets back.
- Five or ten, that's all?
- Yeah.
She doesn't waste
any time, does she?
Steve,
shouldn't that be longer?
Frank, this is what the well-dressed
businesswoman of today is wearing.
Okay, if you say so.
- I'm ready.
- Good luck.
- I'm gonna be outside.
- Yeah.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
[MOUTHS] Malone.
Come in.
Oh, excuse me.
Duane Bates, this
is Mr. Mike Malone.
- Mr. Malone, pleased to meet you.
- Mr. Bates, my pleasure.
[RINGING]
[RINGING CONTINUES]
I think you should get that.
Okay, Frank Ly
Frankly, I don't know who
would be calling at lunchtime.
Why don't you
answer and find out?
Hello?
[RINGING]
Hello?
[PHONE RINGING]
Hello?
Mr. Bates is in a meeting.
No, I can't take a message
right now, I'm sorry.
Can you call back?
Thank you.
We'd like to talk business.
Oh, right, Frank Ly
Frankly, business talk bores me.
Obvious you didn't hire her for
her clerical skills. Heh-heh-heh.
[CHUCKLING]
You know, you don't look like the
dishonest type to me, Mr. Bates.
I'm retiring, Mr. Malone.
I've broken my back
for this company.
And how do you think
they're rewarding me?
A gold watch?
Goldplated.
I feel I'm entitled to a more
rewarding bonus and I aim to get it.
Well, I imagine your side venture with
the little skirt out there isn't cheap.
Then you understand
the situation.
Sure. You want the girl, gold
watch and everything. Heh.
Let's talk figures, Mr. Malone.
In exchange for the computer
disks, I want 50 percent for my cut.
Fifty percent?
[LAUGHING]
You're crazy.
Oh, good, you're finished.
Mr. Bates, you're 1:05 to 1:10
is gonna be here any minute.
Well, we're definitely finished.
Seems like your boss is not interested
in keeping you in diamonds and minks.
Is that right, honey bunny?
We don't have time for
your games, cupcake.
Okay. Here's the deal.
Fifty grand now and
then $1 million for my end.
You get one access number.
One?
I sell all five at once,
the bank authorities will
figure out what happened
and they'll trace
the theft back to me.
There's $22 million in
the account I'm selling you.
I'm charging you
less than 5 percent.
Take it or leave it.
It's the best offer you're gonna
get, Mr. Malone, don't pass it up.
All right. It's a deal.
Good.
I'll deliver the
disk to your house.
No, no, no. I'll
take the disk now.
No, the disk is in a vault.
The vault's on a timer
and the timer doesn't go off till
tomorrow morning around 6 a.m.
All right. You get the disk.
You take it to the southwest
corner of Grace and Halsted at 7 a.m.
and you wait for my call.
I'll be there.
Seven o'clock.
- We're in business.
- Let's get out of here, Frank.
What's going on here? What
are you doing in my office?
Oh, I'm Father Dowling
and this is Sister Stephanie.
We're collecting for
Saint Michael's Church.
I'm sorry, but I'm a Methodist.
Oh, don't apologize.
You people sing so well.
Good day, sir.
[PHONE RINGING]
- Yes? MALONE:
You have the disk?
Right here in my hand.
Excellent.
This is a double-cross.
Just plain business.
Nothing personal.
- Follow him.
- Fasten your seatbelt, Frank.
[TIRES SCREECH]
Nuts.
FRANK: What time
does this place open?
STEVE: Not for
another half an hour.
Think Malone's gonna call?
Trust me.
When he discovers
that that disk is an attack
by the Nuclear Nerds
video game, he'll call.
It's a good thing
Tim had his key.
Yeah, and you've
got the alarm code?
You've got 25 seconds
before the alarm goes off.
I can't tell if this last
number is a 7 or a 9.
Well, you'd better decide.
Heads it's seven,
tails it's nine.
[SIGHS]
That's a two-headed coin.
You never know when
it'll come in handy.
Oh, come on.
MALONE: Seems we
don't trust each other.
I've got the real disk.
And this time, it's my deal.
You hold the cards.
Name it.
There's a retirement
dinner for me tonight at 6:30
in the Grande Ballroom
of the Lakeshore Hotel.
I doubt if you'd try
anything in a crowded room.
- And bring cash.
- Deal.
It's black tie, you
wanna blend in.
Six-thirty. I'll be there.
He'll be there.
Father Dowling, Sister,
how did you get in here?
Why, through the front
door. How did you get in here?
The door is
supposed to be locked.
Well, is that any way
to run a business?
And no wonder you
don't have any customers.
- We're not even open yet.
- Well, I'm not surprised.
Look, if I make a donation to St.
Michael's, will you leave me alone?
Oh, that's very generous of
you, but I can't take your money.
You're not even Catholic.
I'll convert. Just
leave me alone.
Bless you. Come, Sister.
After you, Father.
FRANK: Glad you could
join the party, Mr. Malone.
What party?
There's nobody here but you.
What are you
wearing that collar for?
Oh, one question at a time.
It's a retirement party,
Mr. Malone, your retirement.
And the guest list
is almost complete.
I don't like games.
Where's the disk?
Oh, I don't have the disk.
No, if I had taken the disk, that
would be stealing and I wouldn't steal
because as you
see, I'm a priest.
And I'm a nun.
What do you take me for?
Well, for a start, a sharp
dresser, but I knew that.
I knew when I said "black tie" that
you'd be in this with those cufflinks.
So what?
So one of those cufflinks
is a fake, a duplicate,
like the one you left at Rita Winters'
apartment the night you killed her.
Well, if you look on the back,
I think you'll find the initials
of the artist who made it.
Where's the cufflink?
Oh, never fear.
It's in a safe place.
Where's the cufflink?
Drop it, Malone.
Now, all the
guests have arrived.
The party's over.
STEVE: You all right?
No.
I did a terrible thing, Steve.
I abandoned Mary Ellen,
I abandoned our son.
Frank, you didn't even
know that Tim existed.
Mary Ellen begged you to go.
Deep down, I must have known
that she was hiding something.
I never called, I never wrote.
Because I was afraid
to find out what it was.
Father Dowling,
you have to stop this.
You have nothing
to feel guilty about.
You don't.
You were forgiven for
your affair a long time ago.
And since you didn't know that you
had a son, you haven't committed any sin.
I know, but it feels like a sin.
Phil, what's the matter?
I told the paperboy to throw
the newspaper on the porch.
I just had to fish
it out of the hedge.
I don't even get any respect
from the pre-adolescent crowd.
FRANK: Phil, I
- No, no.
Father Dowling, don't worry about
me. Us Prestwicks are a strong people.
Maybe it's the way I dress.
FRANK: Phil?
I wonder if you'd do me a favor.
A favor? Anything, Frank.
Father, will you
hear my confession?
Of course, Frank.
[PHILIP SIGHS]
Go in peace.
Thank you, Father.
I wanna thank you
for what you did.
It's the least I could do.
Susan wants to give
us another chance.
After the way I hurt
her, I'm grateful.
God gives us all
a second chance.
Now your life is moving forward.
We're moving back to Baltimore.
That's where we
were the happiest.
And we're gonna see
a marriage counselor.
Thank God.
I have faith that
counseling and loving hearts
will preserve your marriage.
You know, all the
time I was growing up,
I considered myself lucky.
Even though I had no father,
I did have the best mother
anyone could ask for.
And now,
looks like I did pretty well
in the father department too.
FRANK: Mm.
I miss Mom.
I miss her so much.
So do I.