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TRANSCRIPT:
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Act One

Vicki is in her office looking up information on her demon tattoos when Mike stops by, at her request; even though he doesn’t look too happy about it. Chinese take-out boxes litter her desk.

Vicki: Hey Mike. Glad to see you alive. I was gonna have to send out a search party.

Mike: I got your messages. I’ve been busy.

Vicki: (nods) Well, look who over ordered as usual. You gotta help me here.

Mike: I’m not here for Chinese.

Vicki: This is serious. I’ve never seen you turn down free Chinese.

Mike: You should have told me Fitzroy was a vampire.

Vicki: Yeah ‘cause you’ve been so open to that kind of thing before. So what do you want me to do? Rally the villagers? Light a few torches? Drive a stake through his heart?

Mike: Yeah, maybe.

Vicki: You’re kind of forgetting that he saved my life so he can’t actually be a threat to me.

Mike: Okay so you do admit though that he is a danger to other people.

Vicki: Don’t twist my words.

Mike: The last time I was at the multiplex, these were the bad guys.

Vicki: You believe everything you see at the movies? Look he’s helping me.

Mike: (laughing scornfully) Helping you with what? Catching zombies and werewolves, that kind of thing?

Vicki: Mike I know this seems unbelievable but is it any stranger than any of the guys that we put away? How about that guy that stuffed his victims and used them as marionettes? Does it get any weirder than that? Comparatively, Henry is a frigging lightweight.

Mike: (looking at the Chinese, clearly ready to give up the argument for now) How much did you order?

Vicki: Far, far too much.

Mike: (Chuckling) You got any Kung Pao in there?

Vicki: Yeah. I think I, uh, lost my appetite.

In an office across town a man works at a computer. All of the sudden the lights start to sizzle and as he turns away to look a ghostly image of a man appears in his computer. It disappears as the lights go back to normal and the man’s phone rings. He picks it up and answers it.

Stamp: Hey hon. Lost track of time, I’m leaving right away. Five, ten minutes…

He trails off as he hears raspy breathing and realizes it’s not his wife.

Stamp: O’Conner?

Magnus: You failed me.

Stamp: How’d you get to a phone this late at night?

Magnus: You’re a dead man. You …

Stamp: Look me up when you get out of prison, I’ll buy you lunch.

Magnus: hear me?

Fred Stamp, Magnus O’Connor’s defense attorney, hangs up on Magnus and returns to work. The phone rings again and this time Stamp just turns off the phone completely.

Stamp: Leave a message at the sound of the beep.

He again tries to go back to work but his computer shuts off and then a ghostly image of Magnus appears in the monitor again.

Magnus: You hear me, Stamp?

The lights and the computer continue to go crazy. Stamp decides to leave as Magnus continues haunting him.

Magnus: You’re dead… you’re all dead.

Stamp gets up to leave and finds all the monitors and lights going crazy in the office.

Magnus: Stamp… hear me… you’re all dead.

Stamp rushes to the elevator and is relieved to get in there unharmed. He breathes heavily, sagging against the wall when all of the sudden Magnus’ Ghost comes through the closed doors.

Stamp: No, no! No! Nooooo…

The ghost reaches into Stamp’s chest and crushes his heart, causing Stamp to fall on the floor of the elevator, dead.

 

Act Two

Mrs. Stamp comes to see Vicki in her office to discuss Fred’s death

Mrs. Stamp: When Freddy wasn’t home by midnight I knew something was wrong. A janitor found him in the elevator. They’re saying it was a heart attack.

Vicki: But, uh, you believe otherwise?

Mrs. Stamp starts crying and Vicki walks over to her desk to get some tissues.

Mrs. Stamp: I’m sorry. It’s just…

Vicki: It’s ok… take your time.

Mrs. Stamp: It was Magnus O’Connor.

Vicki: Magnus O’Connor.

Mrs. Stamp: He’s a former client of Freddy’s.

Vicki: Yes, well, defense attorneys are bound to make a few enemies. But, why do you think Magnus O’Connor’s involved?

Mrs. Stamp: (getting out a cell phone and hitting a button) This is from his cell phone voicemail.

She hands Vicki the phone and Vicki listens to Magnus’ last message to Stamp.

Magnus’ voice: Stamp… you failed me. You’re a dead man. You hear me? You’re dead. You’re all dead.

Vicki clicks the phone off and looks up at Mrs. Stamp.

Vicki: What did O’Connor have against your husband?

Mrs. Stamp: All I know is that Freddy loved to win. But when he lost that case, he seemed relieved.

Vicki goes to the station after her meeting with Mrs. Stamp to find Mike, who quickly shuts down his internet search for Vampire Slaying Kits as she approaches. Vicki sets a box of doughnuts down on his desk.

Mike: Whatever you want it’s gonna cost more than doughnuts.

Vicki: You can’t hide ulterior motive behind a box of doughnuts. Yeah, plus, I would make sure that we were totally square before I asked for any favors. You know, like everything you have on Magnus O’Connor?

Mike: And what is so important about Magnus O’Connor.

Vicki: Remember Fred Stamp, the defense attorney? Found dead in an elevator.

Mike: And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bottom feeder. Coroner’s report said natural causes.

Vicki: Well, Mrs. Stamp thinks that O’Connor wanted her husband dead.

Mike: Oh, all right.

Mike sets down his doughnut and looks up O’Connor’s information in his database.

Mike: O’Connor, Magnus. Oh, he’s a sweetheart. Solid jacket of assaults from his teens on; suspect in six hits with the Irish mobs in Montreal on a couple of the bike clubs.

Vicki: Any affiliations?

Mike: Nope, pure freelancer. Seems like hurting people was a vocation. Ten years ago he got nailed on a traffic violation with a severed head in the passenger seat of his car.

Vicki: Nobody likes riding alone.

Mike: They gave him dangerous offender status, no chance of parole. His first night in Mill haven, he kills his cellmate.

Vicki: Did he try to turn him out?

Mike: No, I think he just wanted his own room.

Vicki: Well, what about prison? Any, uh, gangs, any other affiliations?

Mike: No, total loner. Only one visitor, every week.

Vicki: Mom

Mike taps a few more keys into his keyboard and shakes his head.

Mike: No, no. He’s not your guy.

Vicki: Why not?

Mike: Killed himself a week ago.

As night falls Vicki comes to see Henry at his penthouse. Walking in she calls out for him.

Vicki: Henry? Henry? Henry!

Surprised, Henry throws his sword at the intrusion. It lands in the wall next to Vicki’s head. She looks at it, stunned, for a moment.

Vicki: Work not going well?

Henry makes Vicki pose for him as he sketches her. They talk about the case, her twirling the sword Henry threw at the wall.

Vicki: Is this really necessary?

Henry: If you want to talk you have to pose.

Vicki: (sighs) Okay. Fred Stamp is a defense attorney right? He’s found dead in his elevator. Coroner says cardiac arrest, but his wife finds a threatening voice mail on his phone from psycho freak ex-client, Magnus O’Connor.

Vicki stops talking and playing with the sword and looks at Henry, annoyed.

Vicki: Henry!

Henry: Hmm.

Vicki: This works a little better if we bounce ideas off of each other.

Henry: Okay. Why?

Vicki: Because we want to consider every possibility, you know? You don’t want to commit to any one theory too soon.

Henry: What if the first theory is the correct one?

Vicki: This is the way we do it, okay? You said you wanted to learn how we work cases. This is how we work cases.

Henry: Fair enough, I’m listening.

Vicki: Okay, Mrs. Stamp thinks that Magnus O’Connor is the prime suspect but there’s a little problem with that one. The guy committed suicide a week ago.

Henry: He hired somebody; that was easy.

Vicki: Hmm, but why go to all the trouble to have someone killed when you’re planning to commit suicide? Maybe this is just a coincidence.

Henry: Or maybe… O’Connor sought revenge from beyond the grave.

Vicki: Oh yeah, that is great. That is just what I need.

Henry: I thought you wanted to consider every possibility.

Vicki: Are you done?

Henry: (laughs) Just about.

Vicki points the sword in Henry’s direction and he grins at her and holds up the picture he drew of her so she can see it.

Vicki: Hmm. Yeah, it’s just you forgot the, uh, cheesy job, bad eyesight and demon tattoos.

Henry: Well that’s how I see you.

Vicki: Great. (swings the sword around some more) Vicki Nelson. Warrior Princess.

The next day Vicki goes to question Magnus’ mother, Lavena, and brother, Brady, at Lavena’s salon.

Lavena: The Salon is closed. I’m not taking any customers. This is a house of mourning.

Vicki: I’m not here for a haircut. I’d like to ask you some questions about your son.

Lavena: Brady? What have you been up to now you no good lay about?

Vicki: Actually, it’s your other son, Magnus I’m here about. I’m a private investigator.

Lavena: What do you want to know?

Vicki: Just wanted to know about any of his, uh, friends or acquaintances.

Lavena: Why don’t you just let him rest?

Vicki: Mrs. O’Connor. Your son’s defense attorney was found dead the other morning.

Lavena: He was a good lad! He quit school when his dad died so he could support me and Brady. He built me this salon. They killed his spirit in there.

Vicki: I’m very sorry for your loss.

Lavena: You have no idea! Get out. Get out now.

Lavena leaves Vicki in the entrance way of the house and walks past Brady who’s been quietly eating in the dining room. He gets up and watches his mother leave and then comes into the room where Vicki is still standing.

Brady: You shouldn’t have done that… made her cry. You come around here again; you’ll live to regret it.

Vicki: You’re not like your brother. And he might actually have intimidated me.

Brady: People who cross this family get hurt. That’s not intimidation, that’s a fact.

Lavena comes back into the room as Brady finishes.

Lavena: Brady? 

Brady looks behind him and turns away from Vicki, heading back to his meal as Lavena watches Vicki.

Lavena: On your way then.

Vicki turns to leave as Lavena looks on. Once she’s gone Lavena turns her gaze on Brady.

Vicki heads down to the morgue to meet with Rajani Mohadevan about Stamp’s death.

Vicki: Is it possible something besides cardiac arrest killed Fred Stamp.

Mohadevan: Oh no. Everyone will die of cardiac arrest. That just means that your heart has ceased to beat. What you want to ask is “What caused the myocardial infarction that led to Mr. Stamp’s cardiac arrest?”

Vicki: What killed Fred Stamp?

Mohadevan: There were no injection marks on his body and nothing unusual in his toxicology report.

Vicki: So, no external triggers.

Mohadevan: Not necessarily.

Mohadevan picks up Fred Stamp’s heart from where it lay on a nearby exam tray and shows it to Vicki under a magnifying lamp.

Mohadevan: Bruises… on his heart. See it? Observe.

Mohadevan squeezes the heart as Vicki watches.

Vicki: Someone reached into his chest and squeezed his heart until it stopped?

Mohadevan: Like I said… a heart attack.

Vicki: What do you know about Magnus O’Connor’s suicide?

Mohadevan: I have access to every coroner’s report for the last 20 years.

They cross over to Mohadevan’s computer and she pulls up the report on Magnus. On it is a diagram of a human body with slash marks over the wrists and a huge pentagram drawn onto the chest.

Mohadevan: Oh yes. This is the coroner’s diagram showing the location of the wounds Magnus O’Connor inflicted on himself. Right up your alley.

Mike is walking through the squad room, looking at a file as he does. He sees Vicki approach, empty handed.

Mike: What? No doughnuts? Hmm?

Vicki: Did O’Connor’s file happen to mention he had a pentagram carved into his chest when he killed himself.

Mike: Uh… let’s see. Well, now that you mention it…

Vicki: And you failed to tell me this why?

Mike: Because I am not going to give you any more excuses to go hunting for the boogeyman, that’s why.

Vicki: So you lied to me about a case? I’m trying to stop a killer.

Mike: And I’m trying to keep you alive Vicki.

Crowley: (off-screen) Detective Celluci.

Crowley approaches down a flight of stairs.

Crowley: You have homicides to investigate. Your socializing can wait until after hours.

Vicki: (laughs) You’re one of those kids that got off on being the hall monitor weren’t you?

Crowley: The rules are there for a reason, Nelson. Not that you ever understood that.

Vicki: Yeah. Rules don’t solve cases.

Crowley: Detective Celluci… My office.

Crowley heads back up the stairs to her office and Mike rolls his eyes.

Mike: Great.

Vicki: Look, Mike, I need that coroner’s report okay? There’s something hinky.

Mike: Fine. On one condition. I’m feeding you information, you tell me where it takes you, got it?

Vicki: Fine.

Mike: Fine.

Mike heads off to Crowley’s office as Vicki gives a grunt of frustration and heads to the door.

Later, we find Vicki, coroner’s report and autopsy photos in hand over at Henry’s.

Vicki: So the guards found him on the floor, surrounded by a circle of salt, with a–a burning candle, a glass of water and incense.

Henry: Okay, keep going.

Vicki: He carved the pentagram into his chest and then sliced open his arms with, uh, wow. An elaborate shiv made out of a flattened spoon. Apparently it was arts and crafts day on the cell block.

Henry: There are four Celtic elements of life – earth, air, fire and water. The pentagram is the connection between the elements and the spirit. Now, I think, killing himself was part of some sort of magic ritual.

Vicki: So… what? Uh, he sacrificed himself to kill Stamp?

Henry: Yes.

Vicki: Look, people hate their lawyers, but that’s a… that’s a bit much. I-I need to find out exactly what this ceremony means.

Henry: (sighs) There’s… there’s… there’s someone we can talk to but I haven’t talked to them in awhile.

Vicki: Well, now is the time to catch up.

Henry: No, well, you see, initiating contact with this person carries certain implications I’m compelled to consider before…

Vicki: Right, well, consider on the way.

Vicki heads for the door, leaving Henry to chuckle and follow her out of the penthouse.

In a darkened parking lot a man heads to his car. All of the sudden car alarms sound and car engines start and rev by themselves. Horns start blaring as he gets in his car and tries to start the engine. In the rearview mirror he sees a ghostly Magnus O’Connor approach him. But when he turns around there’s no one there. He starts laughing nervously, shaking his head at the tricks his mind is playing on him. All of the sudden two arms reach through the roof of the car and into the screaming man’s chest. His screams die as he does, slumping in the driver’s seat of his car.

 

Act Three

Vicki and Henry arrive to speak with his former lover Sinead. Vicki doesn’t look impressed.

Vicki: This is your expert?

Sinead: Henry Fitzroy.

They hear Sinead’s voice but when they look she’s nowhere to be found. Turning back they spot her sitting behind her desk.

Sinead: I never expected to see you again.

Vicki: That’s one hell of an entrance.

Sinead: And you brought a friend… Sit.

Vicki: No thanks. I’m actually just here for your… professional opinion.

Sinead: Anyone can purchase my services. Cash only. (Looks at Henry) In your case, I’d consider an alternative form of tribute.

Henry looks uncomfortable at that remark and he and Vicki share a look.

Sinead: Oh Henry. You do miss me don’t you?

Vicki: I’d like you to have a look at these.

Sinead: All in good time.

Sinead tosses a pile of sticks on her desk and then picks one up and rubs it between her hands. Vicki doesn’t look happy to have her time wasted but Sinead is on to more interesting things.

Sinead: Have you been tattooed recently? Scarred?

Vicki and Henry look at each other and Sinead knows she’s on to something.

Sinead: Show them to me.

Vicki immediately pulls up the arms of her blouse to show Sinead the tattoos.

Henry: Don’t!

Sinead reaches out her hands and puts them over Vicki’s tattoos as Henry watches.

Vicki: What do they mean?

Sinead: These marks are like these sticks.  They’re spells or rituals.

Henry pulls Vicki’s wrists away from Sinead, clearly uncomfortable with the way things are going.

Sinead: They can focus great power.

Henry: I knew this was a bad idea.

Sinead: Your faith brands this magic as evil, Henry. My interpretation is much more enlightened.

Henry: I prefer the word “foolish”

Vicki: So what else do the sticks say?

Sinead: The photos you brought, they show a cleansing spell. The Wiccan equivalent of last rites.

Vicki: What does it do?

Sinead: It prepares the spirit for the journey to the house of Donn. Or Heaven, you might call it. It’s a very simple spell. Anyone could do it. Even you.

Vicki: I’ll keep that in mind.

Sinead: Now, unless there’s anything else you want to talk about?

Henry: We’re done here.

Sinead: Then I’ll ask you to show yourselves out.

Henry and Vicki walk towards the door, Vicki putting the photos back in the envelope.

Sinead: Gratuities are always welcome. There’s a box on the table.

Henry: Don’t… touch that.

Henry urges Vicki out the door as Sinead watches them leave.

Henry: Vicki, everything she said about magic was a lie. Those marks are evil.

Vicki: You think I need reminding? She’s hiding something. So are you.

Henry: Sinead and I were involved, before I realized how immersed she was in the dark arts.

Vicki: (laughs) I’ll give you one thing. You have the best break-up stories of anyone I know.

As she speaks Vicki puts an arm around Henry’s neck. Then she shakes her head and leaves, leaving him to follow behind.

Henry: Thank you.

Later on, Vicki stops back by the coroner’s office. Mohadevan has called her to report some more unusual findings.

Vicki: This is going to be one of those “I want to know, I don’t want to know” situations, isn’t it?

Mohadevan: His name is George Neeley. He died by the same hand as the defense attorney.

Vicki: Neeley? The prosecutor?

Mohadevan: Tell me. Have you heard of iodine and A-naphthoflavone fingerprint visualization?

Vicki: What do you think?

Mohadevan: A process that can lift fingerprints from generally “unprintable” surfaces, such as human skin.

Vicki: Are you telling me that you found fingerprints on George Neeley’s heart?

Mohadevan: A partial thumbprint on Neeley’s and a forefinger on Stamp’s. This would never stand up in court, but, the fingerprints match those of Magnus O’Connor.

Vicki: You do realize we’re talking about dead people killing people right?

Mohadevan: It would appear so, yes.

Vicki: (sighs and indicates Magnus’ file) Can I borrow this?

They are interrupted by Vicki’s phone and Mohadevan turns away as Vicki answers it.

Vicki: Coreen, hey. I need you to find out if George Neeley ever prosecuted Magnus O’Connor. You know, find out who the presiding judge was while you’re at it. (pause) Sooner rather than later.

Vicki gives Mohadevan a wave as she leaves, file in hand.

Vicki: Thanks.

At sunset the next evening there’s a knock at Henry’s door. He opens it to find Sinead has stopped by to visit.

Henry: Sinead.

Sinead: I was surprised to see you the other night.

Sinead invites herself in but Henry doesn’t look too pleased to see her.

Sinead: It was a good surprise.

Henry: Now’s a bad time.

Sinead: You painted.

Henry: You really here to talk about decorating?

Sinead: Don’t be such a grouch.  So I used a little magic on you. I never complained when you drank my blood.

As she talks, Sinead undoes a collar like necklace she’s wearing around her neck.

Henry: It’s impolite to refuse a drink when offered. I never asked you to use magic on me.

Sinead: I did it for us.

Henry: To keep me tied to you.

Sinead: You use to enjoy being tied. You don’t want me to use my craft, I won’t.

Sinead runs a finger down the sword Henry has been using in his latest novel, cutting her finger.

Sinead: And you can still drink my blood, as much as you want.

Running the bloody finger down her chest Sinead offers herself to Henry. His eyes going black Henry takes what’s offered, leaning into Sinead’s neck and biting her, helping himself to a drink.

Vicki meanwhile, stops by the house of the judge who presided at Magnus O’Connor’s trial. She finds his car door open, the headlights still on but no sign of the judge.  She runs into his house to find him.

Vicki: Justice Pettigrew? Hello. Justice Pettigrew!

As she climbs the stairs she hears the distant ring of a phone which leads her to the judges hiding place, a secret panic room in the upper level of his house. She finds the entrance and goes in to find the judge, sitting shaken on the floor of his panic room.

Vicki: Justice Pettigrew.

Pettigrew: Who are you?

Vicki: My name is Vicki Nelson. I’m here to help you.

Vicki and the judge head downstairs and discuss the situation on the couch in his living room.

Pettigrew: He told me he killed Neeley and – and – and Stamp and I was next. I tried to call 911 but all I heard was his voice.

Vicki: Judge what’s going on here? What is this all about?

Pettigrew: I have no idea. He’s a psychopath!

Vicki: You see, in my experience, guys who go to jail blame either the prosecutor or their defense attorney but not both. And not the judge.

Pettigrew: What exactly are you implying?

Vicki: I’m not implying anything. I’m not the one who was hiding in a panic room. What does Magnus O’Connor have against you?

Pettigrew: Nothing. Magnus O’Connor is a killing machine

Vicki: So you all put your heads together and decided to railroad him? Okay, sorry to have bothered you. I will be on my way but uh, be sure to say ‘hi’ to O’Connor when you see him.

Pettigrew: No! It didn’t start out as a setup. Everyone knew he was guilty… of all the killings. Not just the one where he was caught red-handed. Everything needed to convict him was in that car. And then a rookie detective blew the whole thing by opening a door. The evidence fell out; the cop covered it with a jacket. And the evidence was corrupted.

Vicki: So you, Neeley and Stamp buried that information in the name of justice?

Pettigrew: Stamp never knew. And now Miss Nelson, it’s your turn.

Vicki: I’m working for Stamp’s widow. I figured out the connection between Stamp, Neeley, yourself and O’Connor. I figured O’Connor would want you dead as well, so I came here to try and uh, stop that from happening.

Pettigrew: And now, the full story?

Vicki: Magnus O’Connor isn’t quite alive. It’s going to take me some time to explain. I just need you to do what I say and I will try to get you out of here in one piece. Pack a bag. We’re getting you out of here.

Vicki gets out her phone as Pettigrew goes to pack a bag. In the fireplace a fire starts on its own and we see Magnus’ ghost image in the flame.

 

Act Four

Henry and Sinead share a few moments in bed

Sinead: I missed this.

Henry: It did have its moments

They are interrupted by the phone.

Henry: Yeah? (pause) I’m on my way.

He hangs up and gets out of bed, much to Sinead’s chagrin

Sinead: Henry, no! Stay with me.

Henry: I have to go.

As Henry begins to dress, Sinead goes for her purse and takes out a perfume spritz and sprays it on herself. The magic she’s infused in it immediately gets Henry’s attention.

Sinead: You’ll have more fun if you stay.

Henry drops his shirt and crawls back into bed with her.

Sinead: That’s more like it.

Henry: You did it again, didn’t you?

Sinead: That’s what you want.

Henry kisses her passionately and then he realizes what she’s done.

Henry: No. You dare to use magic on me?

Sinead: It’s to protect you. I saw your future. You’re in danger and I just want to keep you safe.

Henry: Vicki…

Sinead: Forget about her. It’s too late.

Henry: Pray you’re wrong.

Henry leaves Sinead, stunned, in bed and heads over to Justice Pettigrew’s house where Vicki and the Judge are waiting for him.

Vicki: Hey, I want you to take him to a hotel. Make sure you’re not followed. Pay cash. Don’t contact anyone.

Henry: Okay.

Pettigrew: How do I know I can trust him?

Vicki: Because I trust him with my life.

Henry: You do? Thank you.

Pettigrew: (To Vicki) How do I know I can trust you?

Vicki: Would you like to stay here and wait for O’Connor?

Pettigrew: (To Henry) Let’s go.

Before they can leave O’Connor shows up and the judge sees him in the window of the door.

Pettigrew: Mother of god!

Pettigrew runs up the stairs as Magnus enters the house and bypasses both Henry and Vicki easily by simply walking through them. Vicki tries to grab on to Magnus from where he’s knocked her down and her tattoo lights up enabling her to grab on to his ankle. Magnus looks at her, surprised, for a moment, then shakes her off and goes upstairs, finding Pettigrew in his panic room and killing him as Henry helps Vicki up.

Henry: Vicki, you okay?

Vicki: Yeah.

Henry: Come on.

They run upstairs and into the panic room, only to find Pettigrew dead at Magnus’ hand. Vicki, visibly upset at her failure to keep the judge alive, falls on her knees next to his body and tries to resuscitate him with CPR.

Henry: Vicki no…

Vicki: Don’t!

Vicki shakes him off and keeps trying the CPR

Henry: Victoria. He’s dead. I can smell it.

Vicki backs away and breaks down for a moment, crying as she gets out her phone.

Vicki: Please… just meet me back at the office. I have to call 911 now.

Henry is hesitant to leave her but does as she asks.

A little while later Vicki watches as the coroners roll the dead body out of the house. Crowley approaches her.

Crowley: I know these men are connected. I want to know why they’re dying. Quid pro Quo or persona non grata.

Vicki: Neeley and Pettigrew conspired to railroad a con named Magnus O’Connor. Stamp got painted with a conspiracy brush.

Crowley: Evidence?

Vicki: Pettigrew confessed before he died.

Crowley: Suspects?

Vicki: I think a member of the O’Connor family is trying to avenge Magnus’ death.

As Vicki explains Mike and Dave come inside after interrogating the neighbors.

Dave: Any of them wear loud silk tracksuits?

Mike: Neighbors saw a guy lurking around Pettigrew’s house yesterday morning.

Dave: When he confronted the prowler he told the neighbor to “eff off you effing wanker”. His eff’s not mine.

Vicki: Had to be Brady O’Connor.

Crowley: (To Mike and Dave) You two go question O’Connor. (To Vicki) You should have come to us first.

Vicki: I wasn’t sure.

Crowley: And now a judge is dead. You never could follow protocol. Pettigrew’s death is on your hands.

Crowley stalks off as Vicki, Mike and Dave look on. Mike turns to face Vicki as Dave follows Crowley out. Vicki pre-empts him.

Vicki: Come on, Mike. I don’t need this from you too.

Mike: Tough. What happened to our deal?

Vicki: I didn’t have anything concrete.

Mike: You’ve always been a bad liar, Vicki, and you better start talking right now before I arrest you on obstruction.

Vicki: Okay, but just remember if I do, you can’t freak out.

Mike: Fine.

Vicki: Pettigrew, Stamp and Neeley were killed by the ghost of Magnus O’Connor.

Mike: Ghost. Great. Got any proof?

Vicki: I saw him.

Mike: Any real proof?

Vicki: Two crushed hearts with Magnus O’Connor’s fingerprints on them?

Mike: Anything else?

Vicki: (sighs) Neeley and Pettigrew forced a rookie detective to lie on the stand in order to ensure O’Connor’s conviction. I think that the ghost is going to go after that cop next. (Pauses) You’re taking this rather well.

Mike: Well, you know, in light of everything else lately a killer ghost seems like nothing, right? Okay, I can ID the detective from the casebook, but listen. From now on I am part of this, do you understand me? Somebody’s got to watch your back.

Vicki: You know you could lose your job for this.

Mike: Well I guess I’ll just have to open a private investigation agency, won’t I?

Mike leaves Vicki standing in the foyer of the house. She returns to her office where she and Henry discuss the case.

Vicki: We’ve got to find a way to stop this sonofabitch and fast.

Henry: That might be tough when he can walk right through you. We can’t even touch him.

Vicki: I can.

At Vicki’s words Henry stops rubbing her feet and sits up straight, concerned.

Vicki: When we were on the stairs at the house. I reached out for him, I mean it was just instinct but I grabbed his ankle. Henry, my marks heated up and glowed. He was as surprised as I was. Maybe Sinead’s right about these things.

Henry: No. It’s not that simple. Dark magic marks you. It draws forces towards you and you’re already in enough danger because of it.

Vicki: So be my safety net.

Vicki and Henry head back over to Sinead’s, who is dropping and rubbing her sticks.

Vicki: you can throw them all you want; you’re not going to find a future with Henry in there.

Sinead: I’m closed.

Vicki: Well, you start talking, this won’t take long.

Sinead: (grabbing her box) All your answers are in here.

Sinead prepares to open the box.

Vicki: What, are you going to tip me to death?

Sinead just smiles but all of the sudden Henry is there with his hand on the box to keep it closed.

Henry: You don’t want to know.

Sinead lets go of the box as Henry sits down.

Henry: Now… tell us the truth.

Sinead: Henry…

Henry says nothing, just points the box at Sinead and opens it a crack. Sinead looks horrified at what she sees and distant screams can be heard from the box.

As Vicki and Henry question Sinead, Mike and Dave question Brady.

Dave: Three men connected to your brother’s trial are dead. Now one, I’ll say, is natural causes. Two, an unhappy coincidence. Three? I’d say that smells like revenge.

Brady: You know what I smell?

Dave: (menacing) You got motive! Witnesses place you at the scene. You killed three men, right?

Brady: Is that a question?

Dave: Look, I…

Mike: Dave.

Mike gives Dave a look and Dave leaves him alone with Brady.

Mike: Look Brady… we understand, really. He was your brother, your blood. Now he’s dead, you had to do something. I get honor, family. Listen, somebody messes with one of my own, I’m not waiting for the system, you know what I’m saying?

Brady: The reason he’s dead is because of the killing. That was my brother’s way. He knew I wouldn’t do it so…

Mike: Who knew? Brady, you know who did this. Tell me.

Brady: I don’t know anything.

Mike: Who did Magnus hire to kill these men?

Brady: Aw, he didn’t hire no one. That’s the truth. I’m not saying nothing else, not without a lawyer.

Back at Sinead’s, Henry’s convinced her to co-operate.

Vicki: I touched a ghost tonight, even though I know that’s impossible.

Henry: We’re trying to save somebody’s life. It’s in your best interest to help.

Sinead: Your marks, do you notice anything familiar in the photos?

Vicki: The pentagram?

Sinead: It’s a powerful symbol. Binding. The soul and the flesh. The Natural and the Supernatural. You and the demon.

Henry: What are you talking about? How is Vicki bound to Astaroth?

Sinead: Only time will tell.

Vicki: All I want to know is how to stop O’Connor. Okay? That was not a cleansing spell he performed.

Henry: What did O’Connor do?

Sinead: It blocks the spirit’s passage. Traps it.

Vicki: Binds it to what?

Sinead: Something or someone.

Henry: Why did you lie to us?

Sinead: I know better than to cross any person who’s capable of teaching that kind of magic to a thug.

Vicki: Who’s doing it?

Sinead: Take a look at your photos. You already know the answer.

Vicki: (To Henry) Let’s go.

Vicki gets up and nudges Henry to get up as well.

Henry: Goodbye Sinead.

Sinead: See you soon.

Back at the station, Mike opens up the interrogation room and leads Brady out. Brady looks back at Mike as Lavena comes over.

Lavena: Is it true what they say? Were you at that judge’s house?

Brady: No.

Lavena: Liar!

Brady: I didn’t do anything.

Lavena: Quiet.

Lavena leads Brady away as Dave and Mike look on.

Dave: Whew, I’m glad she’s not my mom.

Mike: Yeah? So is she.

Dave: Yeah.

Dave gets the joke and looks at Mike in annoyance then they both share a laugh.

Back at Vicki’s office, she, Henry and Coreen look once again through the crime scene and autopsy photos.

Vicki: She said we already had the answer?

Coreen: What are we looking for?

Vicki: I don’t know. I don’t know, just keep looking. Ok, let me think about this. Revenge is personal, right? Crushed hearts are personal. I mean if you just wanted somebody dead you’d hire a hit man, you know? One shot to the head it’s over right?

Vicki picks up the photos again and goes through them.

Vicki: It was a binding spell and it binds the spirit to someone. And the pentagram is a binding symbol right?

Henry sees a symbol with the word MATHIR in the middle of the pentagram.

Henry: And that’s Gaelic for mother.

Vicki: Son of a bitch… and I mean that literally.

Mike comes into the office and they all look his way.

Mike: We got a problem.

Vicki: Mike?

Mike: One guess who screwed up O’Connor’s case.

The next day, Crowley and Dave enter her office, a case file in Dave’s hands.

Crowley: Just put it down there. Who knows who else O’Connor was going to target? He was in and out of the system so many times anyone could be his next kill.

Dave: Okay, well I’ll help…

Crowley: Thank you detective. I’ll take it from here.

Dave looks at her in surprise for a moment then leaves her alone with the files. Crowley picks up one and looks at it, in the background her monitors start to flicker and Magnus’ ghost appears in them.

 

Act Five

At Vicki’s office, Vicki, Coreen, Mike and Henry are still trying to figure out how to stop Magnus.

Coreen: So let me get this straight. Magnus kills himself in prison and his mother makes his ghost get revenge on the people who put him there?

Vicki: Stamp loses his case. Neeley, Pettigrew and Crowley all conspire to conceal the evidence.  Makes sense.

Mike: You know what terrifies me is that I’m starting to get to the point that that makes sense to me, too.

Vicki: Where’s Crowley?

Mike: Back at the office.

Vicki: You need to go keep an eye on her. O’Connor’s being summoned by the mother so we have to go find her.

Mike: Well if she’s behind this, then I’m coming with you.

Vicki: No, someone has to stay with Crowley. I mean I-I really don’t think she wants to spend quality time with me, so...

Mike: Right, so I’m supposed to baby-sit her while you go square off with some psycho ghost all by yourself?

Henry: (offended) I’ve got her covered.

Mike: I’ll hold you to that.

Mike picks up his coat and leaves to go find Crowley as Vicki shakes her head and laughs.

Vicki: Oh, I can’t believe this. All these years, Crowley has been riding me about obeying the rules and she’s the one breaking protocol.

Henry: She’s not the villain here, Vick.

Vicki: I know! It just still sucks to have to go save her.

Mike shows up at the station to confront Crowley.

Mike: We need to talk.

Crowley: I don’t have time.

Mike: Make the time.

Crowley looks at Mike like he’s lost his mind and Mike backs off… slightly.

Mike: Please.

Meanwhile, Vicki and Henry show up at Lavena’s salon to confront her.

Vicki: Lavena O’Connor?

Brady: (Off-screen) You’re too late.

Vicki: Oh my god!

Vicki and Henry find Brady held in a chair by his melted hands and forearms.

Brady: It doesn’t pay to cross my ma.

Henry: Where is she?

Brady: She’s gone off to kill that cop, Crowley.

Vicki: We have to help him.

Henry and Vicki both move toward Brady but he calls them off.

Brady: No, no! Don’t. She says it will wear off if she lets it.

Henry: I can’t believe she’d do this to her own son.

Brady: What she did to Magnus was worse.

Vicki: No, he performed that binding spell all on his own.

Brady: Magnus wasn’t always a killer. She turned him into that. She used her magic and made him get a taste for it. When the prison put him out of her reach, she made him kill himself. Said she could bring him back.

Henry: That’s insane.

Brady: Sanity is not this family’s strong suit. Go, go help your friend.

Vicki and Henry turn to leave but Brady calls them back.

Brady: You try not to hurt her yeah? She is my ma.

Back in Crowley’s office, Mike is telling her what he’s found out.

Mike: I pulled the Magnus O’Connor case. You had just been assigned to homicide when O’Connor got pulled over. You were the rookie cop who spoiled the evidence in the case, weren’t you?

Crowley: Nice detective work.

Mike takes a seat next to her.

Crowley: Even after I opened the door and the head fell out, we still would have had him dead to rights.

Mike: So what happened?

Crowley: A playground. Kids everywhere, I didn’t want them to see the head so I draped my jacket over it.

Mike: Well, you can’t beat yourself up for being compassionate.

Crowley: I do not want this becoming squad room gossip understand? Breathe a word of this to anyone and I will bury you.

Mike: This um… this doesn’t make you look incompetent. It certainly doesn’t make you look weak. I mean, if anything, it makes you look human.

Crowley: Yeah, thanks for the hug.

Crowley gets up and grabs her things.

Crowley: I’m tired. I’m going home.

Mike: All right, well then I’m going with you. Three men have already died because of this. You’re likely the next target.

Crowley: I can take care of myself.

Crowley leaves her office and Mike hesitates for a moment before following her out.

 

Act Six

Henry and Vicki pull into the police parking lot and get out of Henry’s car, walking towards the entrance.

Vicki: I touched him before. If I have some kind of connection to him I’m gonna use it.

Henry: It’d be silly to try to convince you otherwise.

Vicki: Straight up waste of breath.

Henry: At least you’re consistent.

As they go inside the station Lavena comes out from behind the door. She stands near the entry way and chants the incantation to release Magnus.

Lavena: Taibhse Magnus, tabhair ar ais. Taibhse Magnus, tabhair ar ais. Taibhse Magnus, tabhair ar …

Lavena breaks off in a loud groan and Magnus emerges from her mouth.

Crowley leaves the station through the back door, her hand on her gun as she walks towards her car.

Mike: Crowley!

She turns and points the gun at Mike who puts his hands out towards her.

Mike: Whoa.

Crowley: Don’t do that, Celluci.

All of the sudden police sirens go off on all the cars and Mike pulls his gun. He and Crowley both look around, guns raised, but Magnus sneaks up on Crowley from behind and goes for the kill. At Crowley’s scream Mike turns and raises his gun, pointing it at Magnus.

Mike: Magnus!

Magnus drops Crowley and goes after Mike, knocking the gun out of his hand. Vicki surprises Magnus from behind.

Vicki: Hey, mama’s boy!

Mike: No Vicki, don’t…!

Vicki doesn’t listen and reaches into Magnus’ chest. Magnus just looks at her in surprise and Vicki groans in pain as she tries to stop the ghost. In another part of the parking lot, a safe distance away Lavena tries to get Magnus to save himself.

Lavena: Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!

Henry surprises Lavena and puts a hand over her mouth, stopping her from ordering her son around any longer.

Henry: You talk too much.

Vicki gains the advantage over Magnus and pulls his dead heart out of his chest. As she does so Magnus disappears and Lavena collapses and dies in Henry’s arms. Vicki holds out the dead heart but it too disappears and she rushes over to Mike.

Vicki: Mike, are you okay?

Mike: Yeah.

They check out Crowley for signs of life.

Vicki: Oh she’s alive. Oh thank god.

Henry runs up to them.

Vicki: Where’s Lavena?

Henry: She’s dead.

Mike: How did she die?

Vicki: Heart attack. I was just trying to stop her.

Mike crouches down again and tries to help Crowley. He and Vicki turn her onto her back.

Mike: Here, help me.

Vicki: You’re okay, come on.

In the squad room conference area Henry brings Vicki a glass of water.

Vicki: What did you tell them?

Mike: The truth. That Lavena O’Connor attacked Crowley in the parking lot. I just didn’t tell them that the weapon of choice was the ghost of her dead son.

Vicki: Thank you… both of you.

Mike: right.

Vicki: Oh for god’s sakes. Would the two of you pretend to play nice just for a minute? It’s been a long night. Saving lives is exhausting.

Mike: Hmm, Saving lives, there’s a first for you, huh, vampire?

Henry: Like you’d know. Your job doesn’t even start until it’s too late for the victim.

Mike: Really.

Vicki rolls her eyes and tilts her head back.

Mike: I’ve had it with this… you two better get going. I’ve got this report to file.

Vicki: Oh yeah, I gotta figure out how to bill this.

Vicki and Henry get up.

Vicki: Goodnight Mike.

Mike: Goodnight.

As Henry and Vicki leave, Mike checks to make sure they’re gone and then fingerprints the glass Henry touched. As Mike holds it up, the camera shows a fingerprint clearly visible in the glass.

Mike: Just… like… magic.

End Deadly Departed

== BLOOD TIES ==
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