01x03 - Bad JuJu

[bunniefuu]

[music playing]

I don't know whether to drink this or use it to take the rust

off my patio furniture.

It's tafia-- it's rum, anisette,

molasses, some African herbs, and a little tree frog.

It's a traditional drink back home in New Orleans.

Ah, well, I'm not much for tradition or tree frog.

Don't let this go to waste, big guy.

Listen, Angelique, if you want to find your brother,

I would suggest starting with the cops.

At least that way you're not burning through your savings.

No, no, I can't go to the police.

After the floods back home, everything

was turned upside down, and Royale lost his way,

fell in with some men.

I think it was dr*gs.

He wasn't quite himself.

Well, listen, if I do get into this,

you have to be prepared for what I might find out about him.

I understand.

All right, my time's $500 a day, plus expenses.

I'll need a list of anyone he might

know in town, your contact information,

and a recent photo of him.

My contact is in here and enough

for about a week of your time.

And that's Royale.

He's a very beautiful boy.

He's my mother's pride and joy.

Well, don't worry, if he's in town, I will find him.

The man who drew my brother into this, his name

is Anrique Gregoire.

And he's a very dangerous man.

I meet a lot of that type in this line of work.

[grunting]

Run, get out of here.

What?

Hey, Angelique, wait.

Angelique, what the hell's going on?

Who was that?

[grunting]

Angelique, run, run.

[theme music]

I can't explain these things of late.

And it burns in the night, the place where I keep my peace.

Yeah.

And I can't explain these strange things of fate,

and when the darkness falls, I hear you call.

It goes on, and on, and on.

I say, who wants to live forever?

Who wants to stop [inaudible] Who wants to live forever?

It's you, it's me, it's in our blood.

Who will be my fantasy?

Who will be my ecstasy?

Who wants to live forever?

It's you, it's me.

It's in my blood.

Hey.

Somebody tell me there's a cement mixer running

and that grinding is not my head.

No, that'd be your head.

So who is this guy?

Jean-Marc, I don't know his last name.

He's a friend of my clients.

I'm telling you, neither one of us

could slow down the guy that came after us.

And who is this client, and why does somebody

want them dead?

Her name's Angelique Jaru.

You have a contract for her?

Yeah, she gave me this number.

I haven't had any luck, though.

She's looking for her brother, Royale.

He's gotten mixed up with someone named Anrique Gregoire.

OK, I'll call it in and see what I can find on them.

All right, thanks, Ted.

OK, what else?

What do you mean what else?

Well, since when does an unarmed guy just

walk away from you, huh?

Well, this is where it gets complicated.

Complicated?

Look, I was right up in this guy's face, wailing on him.

And there's nothing.

I mean, he's making gargling noises, but he's not breathing.

So, what?

You're saying that this guy isn't

alive, that kind of thing?

I guess I am.

I mean, I don't think that guy was alive.

Vicki, don't do this.

Don't do what?

Don't

Turn into a whack job, OK?

Look, sometimes the only way I can get through my day

is knowing that there are normal people out there, OK?

And until recently, I considered you one of them,

you know what I'm saying?

I'm telling you, this guy was unstoppable.

OK, it could be PCP, crystal meth, who knows?

I saw him.

Vicki, it's pitch black, you're half blind.

I said that last part out loud, didn't I?

Uh-huh.

Look, I just--

I don't want to hear that you're back

out there chasing vampires, OK?

It wasn't a vampire.

All right, I don't know what it was.

Is Henry Fitzroy involved in this somehow?

Henry has nothing to do with this.

Because I'll tell you, ever since you met him,

he's been putting these crazy ideas in your head.

Since you've known me, when has anyone put anything

in my head I didn't want there?

OK.

OK, you say you're good, you're good.

I believe you.

You know what, Mike, you know what I hate more than the pity?

It's this macho, overprotective crap.

I can take care of myself.

Garbage cans, 12 o'clock.

[music playing]

I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away.

You're one of those guys who's just riddled with

nagging self-doubt aren't you?

I have a fair opinion of myself

and hundreds of years of positive reinforcement.

Henry, I need your help.

Something happened to me tonight,

and you may be the only person who'd believe me.

It was supernatural.

And I should get involved because--

Hey, listen, you're the one who

dragged me into this world of vampires, monsters, and demons.

I don't have anyone else to go to.

Well, never let it be said that Henry Fitzroy

shirked a responsibility.

What happened?

I got att*cked tonight by this guy,

at least he used to be a guy.

Used to be.

Where do I start?

Gray skin, no pupils, not breathing.

I was meeting with this client of mine from New Orleans.

She's looking for her lost brother.

This thing att*cked us.

It k*lled her friend.

And it's still out there looking for her.

The man who att*cked you, his eyes were glazed over.

He looked like he wasn't in control of his body.

I see you've met.

He was a zombie.

A zombie.

As in eating brains in the shopping mall zombie?

No, zombie like voodoo.

Dead bodies resurrected to carry out the will of a powerful

[inaudible] You need to stay away from this, Vicki.

You know what?

You're the second man to say that to me tonight.

And I wasn't crazy about it the first time.

What is the big deal?

Big scary vampire frightened of a little zombie?

You have a familiarity with me that very few people

in this world have known.

I am not to be taken lightly.

Do not forget who and what I am.

Yeah, that's unlikely.

Now, I will help you if only to keep you alive.

The trick will be to locate whoever created the zombie

and break the connection.

And I promise you, that'll be a lot

more difficult than it sounds.

I don't usually show my work before it's completed.

Call me superstitious.

That seems to be the name of the game lately.

It's beautiful.

What's it about.

Passion, politics, good and evil,

technology and magic, and a woman in search

of her own destiny.

Will you let me read it when it's done?

Well, maybe you can help me come up with an ending.

PAPA SAMEDI: A woman like Angelique can't hide.

How you hide a wildfire?

How you hide a mountain?

TI-JON: Our people are on the streets.

The girl can count the time in hours.

We know who she is.

Talk like a fool.

Her protection's gone.

A girl like that always has protection.

You're thinking you're chasing the lamb,

that's when you get gored.

You want to find her, wake up.

And tell them boys to look stronger.

Because if they don't find her, my baby's going to find me.

Uh-oh, I think one of them babies just found you.

You tell the boys Ti-Jon, find the girl or the babies find me.

You asked for voodoo in 100 words or less.

I've got a ton of stuff on curses, sympathetic magic,

voodoo dolls, zombies.

Is there anything on how to stop them?

I'm still reading, but it looks like they're

pretty unstoppable.

Yeah, I was kind of getting that.

Why isn't it like the movies, where you just

have to bash their brains in?

Don't trust the movies.

Look what they did to vampires.

Oh, yeah, right.

I've got something else too.

I was looking at the pictures you took of a guy

who got k*lled in the alley.

Something was bugging me about his tattoos.

And then it hit me.

They were in a book.

Were they g*ng related?

They're veve, voodoo symbols, marking

allegiance to certain gods.

Kind of like access codes.

They're for power and protection.

It looks like they didn't give him much of either.

This is not something we want to involve ourselves in, Vicki.

You know what, I got a client out there

with k*ller zombies on her ass.

I'm not going to bail on her.

Coming?

[music playing]

Hi.

What you drinking?

I'll have a beer.

And him, you don't want to know.

You remember me from earlier, right?

Maybe.

A lot of people come in here.

Yeah, but a lot of people don't

come and talk to Angelique.

Can't say I remember her either.

Well, you sure treated her like she was someone special.

I treat all customers that way.

That's how we do business.

Then it must not matter to you that the man she was is dead

or that she was almost k*lled.

Ah, now that got your attention, didn't it?

Let me give this a sh*t.

I've got this under control.

Trust me, I can make him talk.

Knock yourself out.

Where is she?

You know that's an excellent try,

but you might want to ramp it back a notch.

Everybody, sorry, no harm, no foul.

Just a little misunderstanding.

You know what, you see that girl, you give me a call.

How many times do I have to tell you,

don't bite the bartender.

I was only playing.

Trust me, he would have talked.

Yeah, but we would have been too busy getting

our asses kicked to hear him.

Our asses?

Trust me, my way is a whole lot neater.

And what exactly is your way?

We wait for him to lead us right to her.

[music playing]

[voices]

Please, Henry, now more k*lling.

I didn't expect to see you again.

I was sure you'd been scared off by what you'd seen already.

But I suppose, at least I should tell you the truth, huh?

That'd be a start.

Voodoo has been in our home for generations.

Our mother was a mambo, our father a houngan,

a priest and priestess.

And Royale and I were supposed to follow in their footsteps.

Tough to get kids into the family business these days.

We saw things that no child should have to see.

Angels and gods possessing their followers,

possessing out parents.

We saw what it did to them, sucked their life away.

They d*ed when we were still small children.

How did they die?

They were m*rder*d by a follower of the [inaudible],,

dark side of our religion.

My brother and I, we came home from school one day,

and found them nailed to the wall, gutted as a sacrifice.

Royale and I, we ran away, determined to keep ourselves

apart from that world.

And then he disappeared.

I dreamt him in a vision.

He was in a dark place, crawling with snakes and spiders.

And then he opened his mouth to call for me,

there was a window to hell.

And now, my religion might be the only protection I have

that I can rely on.

Not the only thing.

We'll protect you.

And we'll help you find your brother.

Vicki, a word, please?

You don't know what you're promising.

Keeping that girl alive is one thing,

but going up against a powerful voodoo is a su1c1de.

She needs our help.

She almost got you k*lled.

That's not her fault.

You going to keep doing this?

What?

Coming up for an answer for everything I say?

Only if you keep saying things.

This is a world you know nothing about.

Then tell me.

I want you to come with us.

I think you'd be safer at my office than here, OK?

Thank you, Vicki.

Thank me once we find your brother.

COREEN: OK, I have been reading up on this stuff for like hours

now.

And I never expected to talk to a real life mambo.

So now that you're here, you've got to tell me

how to do some of this stuff--

curses, soul traveling, attracting money.

The spirits are not to be toyed with

and nothing comes for free.

The gifts you ask carry a heavy price.

Why do people always say that?

Because some of them have paid and some of them

are still paying.

All right, we've got some things to do.

Do you mind staying here with Angelique?

Absolutely, we should have a million things to talk about.

Hey.

Hey, Vic, surprise, surprise.

I see you brought your cartoonist friend.

Detective Celluci-- and what I create are graphic novels.

Yeah, if I were a cartoonist, I'd call them that too.

Yeah, did you find anything on that name I gave you?

There is Anrique Gregoire in VICAP or VI Class databases.

Nothing in DMV, property registry, or tax filings.

I have a feeling that your friend doesn't exactly take out

an ad when he comes into town.

Perhaps it might take some real detective work.

Oh, is that where you come in, sport.

Someone we'll have to.

I see.

Yeah, you know what, I have a client out there being

chased by a k*ller zombie.

So maybe we could just focus on that for, I don't know,

a minute.

Of course.

It's open.

Would you say that's a good thing or a bad thing?

I'd say very bad.

Hello?

Hello?

Oh, Jesus.

He's dead.

And whatever he knew about those guys we're looking for,

it's gone.

And whoever k*lled him isn't.

Is anyone there.

[growling]

Say it.

I didn't take this seriously enough.

It almost staked you.

You're in a new world.

It's hard to comprehend the dangers unless you've

seen them with your own eyes.

That thing's unstoppable.

It's just a puppet.

It's the person who created it we have to stop.

Yeah, well I hope he responds better to a b*ating.

Do you really have a death wish?

OK, this is not about you hating magic.

Are you going to tell me, or what?

Come on, I'm all ears.

In the 20s, I visited Haiti with a woman

I got in Paris, Sandrine.

She was keen to experience the world and everything in it.

She'd heard of a voodoo ceremony taking place

and insisted we go.

I was so full of my own power, I was sure we'd be safe.

When we got there, it was like the crowd was electrified--

people dancing, drinking, calling to the spirits,

asking them to take over their bodies and live through them.

I got so wound up in it, I didn't even

notice she was gone.

What happened?

I finally found her at the head of the crowd,

lying at the altar, her clothes ripped and bloodied.

There was a priest standing over her with a Kn*fe.

I tried to get to her through the crowd,

but I couldn't get to her before he completed the sacrifice.

I'm sorry.

There were two zombies holding me

like the thing we saw tonight.

The priest said he knew what I was.

He said that we'd greet the dawn together, him, me and Sandrine.

I thought you said he k*lled her?

He did.

And then he made me watch as he brought her back.

It took the rest of the night.

And when she finally arose, it wasn't

Sandrine that stood before me.

It was one of them.

No, she wanted to go.

You couldn't have known.

Now I do.

And I'm not going to let that happen to you.

Just in time, Vic.

I almost gave up on our dinner date.

Yeah, that's the thing, Mike, I think

I'm going to have to cancel.

This case is getting really hairy.

Sorry.

Did you find anything out on Gregoire?

Yeah, yeah.

Turns out this guy runs a Hodoo voodoo freak show.

He calls himself Papa Samedi.

That would be the guy.

Yeah, he's got a place in the old McMillan Building

on King West.

He offers healings, love filters,

curses to the people that can find him.

I'll tell you, this is not an easy guy to do a workup on.

Not many people willing to talk about him.

I think I know why.

All right, your turn.

You tell me.

How do I connect that guy to the body I got in the morgue?

And don't tell me this is where it gets complicated.

OK, if I told you that Samedi created

a zombie to k*ll my client's friend, would you believe me?

Not in a million years, no.

Well, that being said, it's complicated.

Vicki, why do you keep shutting

me out of these things?

What is going on?

You're the one banging your head against an open door.

Your friend, Henry, does he believe in all this crap?

Believe it or not, he wants me off this case even more

than you do.

He has no problem supporting your trip to fantasy land,

does he?

In fact, he's driving the bus, isn't he?

Mike, this is not about Henry.

I know you think I'm going nuts, and maybe I am,

but I still feel like I'm thinking straight.

It's like the more I lose my vision,

the more clearly I'm seeing the world.

And there is a whole other side to it

that I was completely missing.

It's scary, and it's exciting, and it's real.

And I know you don't believe me.

A month ago, I wouldn't have either.

I'm just asking you to sit tight, OK?

I will share whatever I find out with you,

and you can take it or leave it.

It's the best I can do.

Dave, I need you to do me a favor, OK?

Run a record check on this Henry Fitzroy,

some kind of comic book writer.

You think he's got something to do with the homicide?

Well, even if he isn't, Vicki's bringing him into it,

so let's do it.

So this is about the case or about Vicki?

Why, what are you getting at?

Nothing.

I mean, I'm certainly not suggesting

that you asked me to run a guy just to see

if he's hitting on your woman.

Oh, you think that's what this is about?

Well, no, no, I mean, just because she

canceled a dinner date with you to spend

quality time running around--

They're not running around, Dave.

It's a case.

It's as simple as that, OK?

You know, that's what I told one of my wives.

I'm not sure it was number two or number three.

I'm trying to remember.

Yeah, thank you for that, Dave,

because if something was on my mind,

that'd put my mind completely at ease.

Thanks a lot.

Oh, hey, I'm here for you, brother.

Yeah I can see that.

You know what I'm saying?

[music playing]

Right, Mike said the Papa Samedi's

working out of the McMillan Building on King West.

Did they find Royale?

Is he with him?

No, they don't know.

But until we have concrete proof of a link between him

and Jean-Marc's death, we're on our own.

It's kind of romantic, isn't it?

Nobody believing us?

Plumbing of deep horizons of experience?

Having to search out the truth all on our own?

Well, more accurately, you'll be here searching out

dinner for you and Angelique.

I should be with you.

What?

No, no.

If this guy's looking for you, I'm

not going to lead you to him.

You're safer here.

Henry and I will be fine.

It's for your protection.

Hopefully you won't need it.

Thanks

Angelique, I think I still need a little

help with my love ju-ju.

Say I was trying to attract a man, much older than myself,

but who doesn't look it.

He's incredibly attractive-- a real night owl.

Would I be better off using aloes or acacia?

Maybe I should just use both?

Actually, maybe we should start again from scratch.

OK.

[music playing]

[laughter]

PAPA SAMEDI: You've come to k*ll me knight walker.

You got to be way more quiet.

I hear you thinking.

We're not here to k*ll you.

PAPA SAMEDI: You too late for dinner,

too early for breakfast.

What you here for then?

You tried to k*ll my client, Angelique.

We want her brother back.

PAPA SAMEDI: [laughter] You working for the zombie queen?

Man, you already sewed uptight in the devil's pocket.

Enough games.

Show yourself.

PAPA SAMEDI: You don't even know, do you?

That woman been hunting me a long time.

You took her brother.

Somebody had to.

The two of them was a family from hell.

Some serve the [inaudible],, serve with two hands.

Them two only serve the dark.

They bring a lot of people to hell with them.

That's why I take the brother, bring him here after the floods

washed open my hiding place.

So you k*lled him too.

I helped him along the path.

His bones are hidden in the cemetery.

But his soul, it stays with me.

Without him, the Crone's not so strong.

Crone? She's what?

25?

Looks are deceiving, girl.

You know how Angelique and our brother keep looking so young?

There's a long train of dead children

give up their lives for her to look so good.

A lot of those young spirits were children of my flock.

You're saying she k*lled children to stay alive.

Angelique cut their innocent hearts out and fed on them

while they were still b*ating.

When the floodwaters washed their bodies up,

they called out to me.

Them children not going to rest until that witch is dead.

Why should we believe you?

You've got no choice, [inaudible]..

The moon and starts be right tomorrow

night for [inaudible] cemetery give up his dead.

Angelique want to bring that black soul

brother back to Earth.

If she gets him back, the children

start dying in this place too--

disappearing.

[music playing]

Maybe we should wait for Vicki, order some food,

like she said.

I don't really need a love ju-ju.

There's always online dating.

Shutup.

How do we know you're telling the truth?

Why you think I care about you believing?

You're not strong enough to stop me.

And I'm plenty strong to push you down.

I underestimate that old girl.

I think she sent you here to talk.

But she sent you in wearing a back door.

What?

Oh, geez.

She walk in bold as brass to eat my soul.

You have to tell us where Royale is buried.

OK, what cemetery?

The amulet, don't let her have it.

She played us.

And we delivered her right to Papa Samedi and the amulet.

Oh, God, she's got Coreen.

Oh, Coreen, thank God, you're OK.

Henry, her mouth.

Coreen--

You are a big help, Ms. Vicki Nelson.

I knew you and your undead friend would

give me everything I needed.

You've given me a gift.

And now I give you one.

You know what, I think I'm a little old to play with dolls.

I squeeze too hard, who knows what will happen.

You and this doll have a lot in common.

They hair came right from your brush.

And you see this, this is a [inaudible]..

My bug is very hungry.

When she gets hungrier, I tell her to eat.

Vicki dies.

What do you want?

I want the amulet.

I want my brother's soul.

You know we can't give you that.

I can wait one more night.

Can you?

Vicki, Vicki.

She took my mouth away.

Oh, I'd love to learn that trick sometime.

Do you have to wisecrack even when you're dying?

I'm not dying, yet.

Henry, do something.

She needs help.

We can't exactly take her to a hospital

and ask for a voodoo curse specialist.

The only thing we can do is get the doll back

before she makes her next move.

Now, it's almost daylight.

And I've got to go.

You can't just leave her like this.

Coreen, you have to be strong.

Keep her comfortable until I get back, OK?

Comfortable.

I screwed up trusting her, huh?

I should have listened to her.

You only do it one way.

I have to stop her, Henry.

I just keep thinking about the parents, you know?

Finding their kids' bodies and realizing

how they suffered and d*ed.

If she gets her brother back, how many more families

are Royale and Angelique going to destroy?

Do what you can to find the cemetery Royale's hidden in.

Wait for me until I get back, OK?

Yeah, I'll think about it.

Keep her here.

Sit on her if you have to.

Coleen, I need you to do something for me, OK?

Papa Samedi said that he sent the brothers remains up here

after Katrina hit New Orleans.

So I need you to check all the cemeteries

in the downtown core.

We're looking for the of anyone who was shipped up

here after the hurricane, probably

interred without a ceremony.

Right.

Are you sure you're OK?

I'll be fine, just go, OK?

[music playing]

Vicki, I got something.

Say it's a quick death.

I called every cemetery in town.

At first, I thought it was going to be a total bust.

But then, the guy at Mount Pleasant

said someone came in, bought a crypt there, 11 months ago.

The guy who bought it paid cash and gave the name Danbala.

That's the sky serpent spirit in voodoo.

Remind me never to make fun of your supernatural obsessions

again.

[phone rings]

Vicki Nelson Investigations.

It's Mike.

Hi, Mike.

Where are you?

In the office, why?

I've got two more bodies racked up,

connected to your case-- the Guy from the bar where you

met your client and Gregoire, the guy

whose address I gave you.

Don't look at me, I didn't k*ll them.

Yeah, but you know something about who did.

Well, to tell you the truth, it was my client.

What?

That young, innocent thing, looking for her brother?

Yeah, try voodoo witch trying to resurrect her dead brother

so they can go on a k*lling spree

at your local elementary school.

Are you still there?

Yeah, I'm here and I don't know why, Vicki.

Listen, I need to see you.

I can't right now.

I'm kind of battling a bit of a stomach bug.

I'll call you later, though.

No, not later.

Vicki, I need to talk--

Vicki--

Hey, Mike, we did that search on that Fitzroy guy

you asked for.

Yeah?

The dude leaves less footprints

than a cat on concrete--

squeaky clean driving record, perfect credit

rating, no previous address or employment record.

It's like the guy just started one day.

And why does this not surprise me?

Want me to roust him a bit, you know, see what

he's got to say for himself?

No, no, put a pin in that for now, OK?

All right.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Where are you going?

I can't wait for Henry.

I got to find Royale's body before Angelique does.

Don't do this, Vicki.

[music playing]

[coughing]

[groaning]

Vicki Nelson Investigations.

Coreen, it's me.

How is she?

Henry, she didn't listen.

She took off out of the cemetery.

The lamb to the slaughter.

Which cemetery? - Mt.

Pleasant.

OK I'm on my way.

If she calls, tell her to wait for me.

Hey, one more thing.

One of my books says something about zombies.

You can use salt.

I don't want a season them, Coreen.

I'd like to k*ll them.

The book says that if they taste salt,

it's supposed to remind them of their mortality.

They'll return to the grave.

Coreen, you can't believe everything you read.

Now, if Vicki calls, tell her to wait for me, OK?

All right.

Bye.

Salt-- salt.

[coughing]

[groaning]

[music playing]

I was wondering when you would get here.

How did you find this.

You said that you didn't know where Royale was.

I knew where the body was.

I just needed someone to breach Samedi's defense,

so I could get to him.

You still don't have the amulet.

It's coming.

We both know that.

[inaudible].

Bring him to me.

I don't think so.

Let her go, or I destroy this.

Hello, my Royale.

Hello, my brother.

I'm going to bring you back real soon, now.

And as for you, you get to see this foolish girl

help bring him back.

Vicki.

See my sacrifice.

See this woman's life who I trade.

Come to me now.

This is for your worms--

[inaudible]

You missed, but I won't.

Who says I missed?

[music playing]

No.

Come on, let's go.

[music playing]

[expl*si*n]

Are you OK?

Destroying the soul amulet, we ruined the ceremony

and angered the god.

Well, remind me not to do that.

Would it do any good?

No, but you could just keep trying.

You might want it as a souvenir.

You know, I stopped playing with dolls a long time ago,

but as for voodoo.

Hey, I think we've had enough of that

in our lifetime, maybe two.

Thank you, Henry.

And, take care of that.

[music playing]

What took you so long?

How'd you know it was me?

Well, it's like the guy in the comic books.

The more you lose your sight, the sharper

your other senses get.

Well, that or I would have been here an hour ago if I was you.

Want to hear what I found in Mount Pleasant cemetery?

Oh, I'm all ears.

Two old corpses and an open casket.

One in fresh clothes, the other a body of your client's

friend, who magically jumped out of the city morgue on his own.

Well at least he was walking in the right direction.

You were there, weren't you?

You don't want to know that, Mike, even if you think you do.

Vicki, Vicki, come on, what's next?

Goblins in the subway?

Bigfoot in the shopping mall, that kind of thing?

What's next is lunch.

OK?

Come on, I'm buying, big guy.

[theme music]

[inaudible] Who wants to live forever?

Who wants to stop the [inaudible]

Who wants to live forever?

Who wants to stop the [inaudible]..

It's you, it's me, in our blood.