01x02 - Jack-in-the-Pulpit

[bunniefuu]

Previously on American Gothic...

Stunning break tonight in the case of the elusive serial k*ller known as "Silver Bells."

Brady: It's the biggest lead on this case in years.

Newscaster: k*ller known for his eerie calling card: small, silver handbell.

Alison: Our dad? Has to be some kind of sick joke.

Silver Bells murders stopped 14 years ago.

Do you remember what else happened 14 years ago?

Garrett left.

Hey, little sister.

What did you hear him say?

I'm gonna tell him it was you.

We have to tell the truth.

I love you.

(AIR HISSING)

There's been some tough stuff... with my family.

But I've been good, you know? I really have.

Until last night.

I buckled. I called Rick.

That's my dealer.

They're always named Rick, it seems like.

Anyway, I called him, you know the rest, so...

(SIGHS)

My sobriety starts over today.

(SOFTLY): Yeah.

See, you can't keep Domino's on speed dial when you're on a diet.

Delete Rick's number from your phone, brother.

Yeah, I'll do that.

I'll watch.

(EXHALES)

Ah, phone's dead.

Charger.

(PHONE CHIMING)

♪

(MADELINE GASPS)

(SOBBING QUIETLY)

(SOBBING)

Maybe we should try Cam again.

I've called him five times from a few different numbers in case he's screening.

(PHONE CHIMES)

It's just Brady.

Checking on me.

Tom and I haven't figured out how to tell the twins.

(SNIFFLES)

Where did Garrett go?

I told him, then he said he was going for a walk.

That was at about 8:00 this morning.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

(DOOR SLAMS)

Where were you? You lied.

My cell phone was dead. I'm sorry.

If you had gone to the hospital like you said, Mom wouldn't have been alone when...

We should talk about planning the funeral.

Without Mom?

Where...

She's taking a bath.

Be good to save her the trouble, anyway.

Um, I called St. Paul's Church about having the service there and then a reception here afterward.

We should probably limit the guest list, 'cause everyone's gonna want to come.

Yeah.

Everyone loved Dad.

What...

Why are you so...

What?

Our father is dead, and not a single tear.

Whoa.

No, you I can understand, but Tess...

Okay, Alison's grief coordinator.

Oh, come on.

It's a self-appointed position.

How many tears should we cry?

Will ten suffice?

Look, I'm sorry.

I can't bury our dad until I have some answers.

About what?

You know what.

The box we found in the shed.

Brady: Is this about Silver Bells?

'Cause I'm on this case now, so I should probably be here if it is.

Newly minted Detective Ross.

Brother-in-law of city councilor Alison Hawthorne-Price.

I'm sure she didn't pull any strings.

(SIGHS, STAMMERS) Hang on.

Why don't you, uh, take us through a briefing on the Silver Bells murders?

Okay.

Sure.

(CLEARS THROAT)

The Silver Bells k*ller committed six murders between 1999 and 2002.

The victims are all members of Boston's wealthy elite.

Consistent M.O.: strangulation with a belt.

He carefully posed each corpse in a chair like a dead king on his throne.

And next to each body he placed a single silver bell.

Now, the working theory is that SBK had a deeply ingrained resentment of wealth and power.

SBK saw himself as some sort of a mascot of a populist uprising.

Then he stopped.

Maybe he decided to quit while he was ahead.

Maybe he knew that we didn't have a shred of evidence to help us find him.

But that all changed last week in the tunnel collapse.

This high-end leather belt was found in the rubble.

It is the first SBK m*rder w*apon ever recovered.

Now, in addition to the paint on the belt, forensics managed to pull a fingerprint, which was matched to David Morales, SBK's final victim, and a faint blood stain, which didn't match Morales.

Now, we believe that the belt belonged to Morales, which we're gonna confirm with his next of kin.

We believe the blood belonged to SBK himself.

It's most likely that he disposed of the belt in the concrete thinking it would never resurface, so our best bet is to compile a list of all the workers who were on-site the day the concrete panel was poured.

Those are our suspects.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

What exactly is it you think you're gonna do?

Hold on. Gunther.

Give us a minute?

Right.

Sure, right.

Tessa: I want to show Brady one of the bells, so he can tell us if it's real.

No, absolutely not.

The last thing we need is to tell a cop about the bells.

Not a cop, my husband.

We agreed we'd keep this between us until we know what we're dealing with.

Back me up here.

I-I'm not on anyone's side, okay?

I don't want to bury it, but I don't want to come forward either.

I just want it to not exist.

Not helpful.

The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we can lay Dad to rest.

Wait a minute.

Where's the box?

Wasn't it right there?

You said you wouldn't move it.

No, we didn't touch it. How could it just...

Madeline: If you're looking for the bells... they're gone.

Your father was always interested in true crime stories, do you remember?

Right, of course.

He watched Unsolved Mysteries religiously, and he always had a theory.

"The nanny did it, Mad, I'm telling you."

But that true crime hobby had taken a turn lately because he was... slipping.

Wha...

What do you mean?

Dementia.

What?

He did a pretty good job hiding it.

But he was sundowning.

Mornings were fine, but by evening, he started to deteriorate.

The last few weeks were...

(VOICE BREAKS): really bad.

Oh, Mom.

Madeline: About a week ago, I found him out in the shed.

He was disoriented, he called me Mary, his sister's name, and he said, "Mary, I think I'm a bad guy."

And then he showed me that box.

He'd found all the old articles he'd saved from years ago, and those dumb collectible bells that he must've gotten off of some m*rder memorabilia site.

But his brain was failing him, and he'd started to think it was him.

That he was the Silver Bells k*ller.

Oh, God.

Cam: Mom?

Are you sure...

Am I sure what?

That he was losing his mind? Yes.

Are you sure that he wasn't...

A serial k*ller?

I won't even dignify that with a response.

I just lost my husband of 38 years, and the only thing that I have a tiny sliver of gratitude for is that he went before this bizarre delusion could go any further.

He could've brought down the whole family with this nonsense.

And that would have been his worst nightmare.

So where is it now?

The box.

It's gone.

I had Gunther get rid of... all that old stuff from the shed.

Not spouses, not long-lost siblings.

It's our responsibility to keep Dad's legacy intact.

Thank you.

So, we'll do the visitation, the service, followed by cremation.

Per his wishes.

I'd like to speak at the service.

Of course.

Garrett: What about me?

I want to speak at the funeral.

I have something to say.

(DOORBELL CHIMING)

I think it's better if I speak on behalf of the whole family.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

I disagree.

I'm here about Caramel.

Something's happened to his tail.

It's been sewed up, but something happened, I know it.

I suspect an incident of animal mutilation.

Perhaps someone in your family saw something.

Phyllis, do you remember my husband Mitchell?

Tall guy, gray hair.

He's dead.

Good luck with your cat.

(PHONE RINGS)

Hello?

Woman: This is Renee from Fisher Hill Hospital.

My apologies for bothering you, Mrs. Hawthorne, on such a difficult day, but we need to discuss an issue related to Mr. Hawthorne's passing, and it just can't wait.

What is this about?

There were some irregularities in the machine tracking his vitals.

It's important we discuss this in person, as soon as possible.

Alison: You just caught us by surprise.

Showing up.

After 14 years.

Yeah, I should have called.

What's your agenda here?

My agenda?

Violet said something strange last night.

She said she heard you say to Dad, "I'm gonna tell them it was you."

Well, she's, what, five?

And likes pretending to be a slug.

Maybe she's not the most reliable source.

You vanish for a decade and a half, show back up to watch Dad die, then disappear on "walks" for hours.

Did you have a specific itinerary for me?

Maybe a duck tour?

Do you get the sense you're wanted here?

(SIGHS)

Not to worry, sis.

I'm leaving.

Right after the funeral.

What is it you want to say at the service?

Oh, I just want to share a few special memories.

A few favorite quotes.

If you have something you want to say, just feel free to share it with me now.

You're a politician, Alison.

You know the benefits of reaching a large audience with your message, right?

Now, if you're finished with me, I would like to take one of my long weird walks.

He cannot speak at the memorial.

What do you mean?

Care to hear his opening quote?

"In all ages, the people have honored those who dishonored them. They have canonized the most gigantic liars and buried the great thieves in marble and gold. Under the loftiest monuments sleeps the dust of m*rder..."

That's enough.

Sounds like he's gonna accuse Dad of something horrible.

Why? Why would he do that?

I don't know.

They had that horrible fight before he left.

Because Garrett didn't want to join the family company?

Th-That's a mild grudge. This is a vendetta.

I don't know what a* he has to grind, but clearly we can't let him do it in public.

Do you think... he's the one who did something horrible, and now he's gonna blame Dad for it?

Is it possible... that box in the shed...?

No. It can't be.

Linda: Hmm, critical error.

What?

Your list of workers present the day the concrete panel was poured.

Yeah?

It only included laborers, not supervisors.

Yeah, because SBK's profile says he's poor and disenfranchised.

Supervisors are well compensated.

Thing is, profile is an assumption, and you know what they say about assumptions.

Oh, do you not know that one?

See, the idea is when you assume...

I'll redo the list.

Oh, no need.

I did it for you.

(SIGHS)

Mitchell Hawthorne?

He's dead.

I want his DNA sample by end of day.

You're not serious. You want Mitchell Hawthorne's DNA?

As soon as possible.

The guy was CEO of the company.

And he was on-site that day.

And if a lamp goes missing from the White House, and they make a list of everyone who was in the White House when it happened, the president is gonna be on that list.

You really think that he's the burglar?

We talking Kennedy or Nixon?

Okay.

I'll take care of it.

When?

I'm gonna need a few days.

Once the body is buried, we lose our best sh*t at a good sample.

What do you want me to do?

You want me to open up the casket, pull a hair off the corpse?

This shouldn't be that hard considering you married into the family.

Look, I am not gonna march in and ask my mother-in-law for a DNA sample to prove that her husband wasn't a serial k*ller on the day she is laying him to rest.

I see your point.

Yeah.

I'll do it myself.

No. No, I'll do it.

I will get a toothbrush or something, and then we can rule Mitchell out, we can move on.

Super.

So where's his body? Grandpa's, I mean.

Because based on a postmortem timeline I looked up, rigor mortis has definitely set in by now.

I mean, he's probably like...

(IMITATES GAGGING)

Or...

You know? So where is he?

Sometimes they drain the blood and replace it with 'balming fluid.

That way it smells less bad.

Do you think they let kids in the morgue?

'Cause I've never seen a...

Sit tight.

Uh, I was supposed to find out if you have any dietary restrictions.

Caterers need to know.

(SIGHS)

I am pretty sick of squirrel.

So I guess anything but squirrel would be fine.

Did you know at this stage, Grandpa's fingernails probably look like they're getting longer?

Because of dehydration.

Like this.

(GARRETT CHUCKLES)

That's right, little man.

Same thing happens to dead squirrels.

Please don't encourage this.

Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it, Cam? Huh?

(WHISPERS): You had a dark streak, too.

Come on, Jack.

Jack: Do you think his mouth is open?

And if it is, do you think it stinks?

You think it smells bad?

Is the casket open?

Are his eyes open?

Because if they are, they're probably...

Listen to me. Listen to me.

Everyone's very sad because they won't see Grandpa again.

What about the funeral, in the casket?

They won't see him alive again.

Look, like this.

They won't be able to talk to him, to ask him for advice, to give him a hug. It's very sad.

Couldn't we still hug his corpse?

Naomi: Can someone else in your family deal with this?

Shoo him away nicely?

My mom's grief-stricken.

Cam's wrapped up in his own demons.

And when Tessa looks at Garrett, all she sees is the big brother who took her ice-skating at the frog pond.

To make things worse, we've given Kerry Treadwell exclusive press access at the service. It seemed like a boon at the time.

Yeah, but the story needs to be your eloquent heartfelt eulogy, not whatever that loose-cannon lumberjack dreams up.

But we can't stop him from getting up there if he's hell-bent on it.

We could borrow from the Republicans' voter suppression tactics and require IDs at the door.

There's no way Garrett has a current license.

(LAUGHS)

Are you okay?

I can't begin to imagine how much you miss him.

Gunther: Oh, sorry to disturb you, Miss Tessa.

Oh.

No, please, Gunther.

Keep me company.

I'm just looking at photos to display at the reception.

He never let me win.

Yeah, well, it's like our chess matches, right?

Every once in a while, I b*at him fair and square, but he never let me.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

I remember those chess battles from when I was little.

Yeah, we were still playing every Thursday night.

Even last week.

You played Thursday nights?

Yeah.

Hey, Gunther, when you played, did you ever notice... my dad seeming a little confused or out of sorts?

(CHUCKLES): No.

No, you can't pull off a French Defense if you're not sharp as a tack, right?

(CHUCKLES)

Right.

Hospital administrator: As I mentioned, we found some odd data with your husband's vitals before he passed away.

I see.

We believe, based on irregular readings from his O-sat monitor, there was possibly a machine malfunction.

Your family's donations helped build this place.

We will always be grateful, even if you decide to bring a lawsuit.

No, no.

Clearly, there was no intentional wrongdoing here.

Still, uh, we don't want this to happen to anyone else.

That's why I think it would be best if we do an autopsy, so that we can get a full picture of exactly what happened.

The body's already been released to the funeral home.

We'd need your consent to get it back.

Yes, of course.

I'll call them myself and make sure it's not too late.

Madeline: There's been a change of plans.

There'll no longer be an open casket.

Body should be sent directly to the crematory for incineration.

♪

(SIGHS)

Hey.

Hey.

(SIGHS) You doing okay?

Why am I curling my hair?

Is this day gonna be any better or worse if I have waves gently cascading down my shoulders?

Well, you know, certain rituals can be comforting sometimes.

I guess.

(SIGHS)

It's weird.

I noticed your dad's stuff seems to be disappearing from the house already.

Yeah. That's what Mom does in grief.

That's her ritual.

It's too painful to see all the constant reminders around the house.

She did the same thing when our dog d*ed.

Removed every trace of him.

You know what?

I'm ready before everyone else.

I'm gonna head down to the church early and see if there's anything I can do to help set up.

You know.

That's sweet of you. Thanks.

(IMITATES GAGGING)

All right.

Go put your jacket on.

(SIGHS)

Why is there no un-delete?

You holding?

No.

Come on, man.

Hey.

I'll pay a lot for whatever you got.

(BELL TOLLING)

Just missed him.

What?

There was a change of plans, per Mrs. Hawthorne.

Yeah. Uh, I'm her son-in-law.

She sent me down here to make sure everything was taken care of.

So you've sent Mr. Hawthorne to...?

Shore Road Crematory.

Right.

Good.

That's good. Good.

That's what she wanted, so... that's great.

Would you excuse me?

(HORN HONKS)

(HORN HONKS)

(TIRES SCREECH)

(SIREN WAILING)

(SIGHS)

(SOFTLY): You got to be kidding me.

(SIGHS)

License and registration, please.

I don't have my registration on me.

Your tags expired.

About 12 years ago.

Your ID, too.

All right, step out of the car, please, sir.

(SIGHS)

I thought there was a visitation.

There's no casket.

I decided to go ahead with the cremation.

I just couldn't stand to see him that way anymore.

Not after the hospital.

I'm sorry.

I-I should've been there with you.

What's cremation?

Um...

Grandpa's not in his body anymore.

It's just a shell, and sometimes people decide to burn the shell, and then they just have their ashes to remember them by.

Soph.

You wait right here, buddy?

(EXHALES)

Could've called me.

Whatever we are, I still loved him.

He's still Jack's grandpa.

If you want me to leave, I will.

(PANTING): Hawthorne, Mitchell.

Just missed him.

What?

Yeah, he went in about three, four minutes ago.

Went in...?

The oven.

Damn.

He was dead, right?

(PHONE CHIMES)

(SIGHS)

(RINGING) Ah, damn.

Yeah.

I thought you might like to know that your brother-in-law was just brought in.

What?

Yup. Garrett.

He was driving around with an expired license, no registration, no insurance.

Will you transfer me to the lieutenant?

They need to let him go.

Whoa, whoa.

Three different violations and...

Cutter, the guy's about to miss his father's funeral, okay?

We can deal with his minor infractions later.

Just transfer me.

(ORGAN PLAYING SOMBER MUSIC)

I'm glad you could make it. Thank you.

Have you seen Brady?

No.

At our last bridge game, Mitchell was the life of the party.

Just doesn't seem real, Madeline.

I know.

Yeah.

I'm so glad you're here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mom, can I have a minute?

Of course.

What's going on?

Excuse me?

Dad was still playing bridge and b*ating Gunther at chess at night?

I'm not following you.

It just doesn't track with what you told us.

Dementia, sundowning...

You think... I'm lying?

You have no idea what I've been through, keeping up appearances.

Your father's last bridge game was eight months ago, and a gerbil could b*at Gunther at chess.

So now you come to me and accuse me of lying about his condition at his funeral?

Mom, why didn't you tell us?

No.

We could've helped.

He begged me to keep his secret because he was so humiliated.

He would forget my name, where he was.

It was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking.

And he did a heroic job of sparing you from all of it.

(QUIETLY): There were nights, towards the end, in his lucid moments, when he told me he wanted to die.

And he asked for my help.

(CRYING): I had no idea.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(SNIFFLES)

(CLEARS THROAT)

Thank you. Please take a seat. Is she okay?

Oh, it's just all hitting her now.

(SIGHS)

We should start soon.

Yeah, okay.

You look surprised to see me.

No, I just...

I'm glad you could make it.

Oh.

You look great.

Nice try.

(ORGAN PLAYING SOMBER MUSIC)

Hey.

All right?

Yeah.

All right, come on.

I'm just struggling.

I know. It's okay.

It's normal.

Well, yeah.

Except...

I've taken meds for years for anxiety, and the last few months, I stopped.

I had to because Brady and I are trying to get pregnant.

And without the meds, I just feel shaky, you know?

And I just had this awful fight with Mom... about Dad, (SOBBING): who's gone.

I don't know.

I really can't take anything else right now, I...

Listen to me.

You're gonna be fine.

Okay?

You hear me?

I promise you.

All right?

Do you remember when I was five and I started having nightmares?

Yeah.

(CHUCKLES)

You were the only one that could calm me down.

Not Mom. Not Dad.

Just you.

(SIGHS)

♪

I thought you took care of that.

I thought so, too.

(MAN COUGHS)

I hated my father.

(SCATTERED MURMURING)

He's the reason I left my family behind 14 years ago.

When I left, he told me that my anger would fade one day, and I'd come home, and we could just pick up where we left off.

He lied to me.

Time ran out.

(CROWD MURMURING QUIETLY)

(WHISPERING): Excuse me, I'm so sorry.

Hey, I'm so sorry.

I had a work emergency...

Shut up.

When I was a little girl, I kept a music box by my bed to help me go to sleep.

I was like every little kid... afraid of monsters.

I thought they were in the closet, but as long as the doors were closed and the music box was playing, they couldn't get me.

(WHISPERS): Meet me in the bathroom.

Now?

Alison: And every night, my dad would kiss me on the forehead and say good night, and I'd ask him, "Close the closet and wind up the music box."

The same thing every time.

"Close the closet and wind up the music box."

Alison (faintly): Every time, he did it.

He knew the drill.

I knew the drill.

But we both got comfort from the ritual...

What are you doing?

(GRUNTING)

You need to be present for this.

Your dad is dead. Feel it!

No. Pass. Too much.

Listen to me.

When I lost my dad, I got messed up.

I numbed the pain.

It feels like an escape.

But trust me, the pain will always find you, and the longer you put it off, the harder it beats you up.

All right, maybe you're right.

But... just...

I got to take the edge off.

(KICKS DOOR)

(LOCK CLICKS)

Alison: I'm grateful to be his daughter.

There are other ways. That his legacy will live on through his children and his grandchildren.

Grateful to the man who inspired me, challenged me, protected me from the monsters.

(QUIET MURMURING)

(BOTH GRUNTING LOUDLY)

Jack (faintly): My name is Jack Hawthorne.

I want to talk about my grandpa.

Oh, no.

It's very sad that I'll never get to see him alive again.

It's also sad that I'll never get to talk to him, hug him, or ask him advice.

But I'm mostly sad because Grandpa was cremated, and I never got to see his decomposing body.

(CHUCKLES)

Jack: Did you like my speech?

It was good, bud.

Really good.

I, uh... I better get going.

Come here.

Cam: Hey, uh, Soph.

Um, thanks for earlier. You made the right call.

You'll throw away that cookie for me?

Why would you throw away a cookie?

Too much sugar.

Everything's gonna be fine.

(QUIET CHATTER, VIOLIN PLAYING GENTLE MUSIC)

Madeline: Thank you so much.

Oh, Madeline.

It's so sad to see you under the circumstances.

So appreciate you coming.

If there's anything that we can do for you.

Tom: Honey, I have something for you.

What's this?

Just a little gift for you. For the girls, too.

We can put it in their room.

(LULLABY MUSIC CHIMING)

Thank you.

(MUSIC BOX LULLABY FADES)

(SIGHS)

Look, I'm sorry about Jack.

He needs therapy.

Eh, he just... loves the science of things.

It's how he processes the world.

Doesn't mean he... I saw the neighbor's cat.

No one wants to think their child is troubled, but you went to therapy when you were younger.

I was a teenager.

He's only nine.

And he needs help. Now.

Yes, that's the one.

Thank you very much, sir.

They even have a coat-check guy.

They thought of everything.

(CELL PHONE RINGS)

(SIGHS)

Listen, I haven't gotten the DNA yet, but I'm...

Linda: Not why I'm calling.

I talked to David Morales' daughter today.

She says the belt we found in the tunnel wasn't his.

Never wore leather.

Vegan guy.

All right, so then probably the belt belongs to SBK himself.

He could've even worn it to Morales' house.

Pretty snazzy belt for a bitter blue-collar guy.

It's $180 retail. So...

So maybe we got the profile backward.

Maybe SBK does come from money.

Ding, ding, ding.

You see now why we have to avoid assumptions?

♪

Thank you.

For keeping your mouth shut.

I didn't do it for you.

I know.

Madeline: Tessa's trying to have a baby, Alison's weeks from the election, and Cam's sober.

He's b*at his demons.

What's your point, Mom?

I think you should leave.

Why?

Because you're a grenade.

Well, then maybe you should handle me carefully.

♪