02x08 - Second Skin

[bunniefuu]

So I said, "darlin'

you're just gonna
have to trust me."

How many times
I got to tell her?

You talking about
your wife or your girlfriend?

I'm talking about
your sister, you smart aleck.

All right, rookie.
What's going on with this call?

Dispatch wasn't really clear.

A citizen complaint,
disturbing the peace.

I'm not really sure
what that means.

Well, besides a whole lot
of paperwork for you,

it could mean anything
with these folks.

Keep your eyes and ears open.

Where is everybody?

Oh...

Yes, he's right there.

Okay.

You talked to them?

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.
This is my kind of church.

No, no, no, no, no.
Don't even think about it.

That food is part
of the crime scene.

Well, isn't the victim
supposed to be

part of a crime scene, too?

Really?

What? I'm catholic.

I don't even want to know
what you are.

Well, hungry.

Aaron Matthews, 35-year-old
assistant minister

of the Holiness Pentecostal
Charismac Church.

He was k*lled on the altar.

What, by a bolt of lightning?

That would be ironic.

Who says God doesn't have
a sense of humor, huh?

There are signs of a struggle.
Looks like he was attacked.

Knocked over the pulpit,

and then broke through a plastic
lid that covered the snake pit.

I'm sorry.
Did you just say "snake pit"?

Cottonmouths, copperheads,
and rattlesnakes.

Oh, crap

You see?

He was bitten,
most notably on his hand.

That's a hand?

Yeah. Swollen to four times
its normal size.

My best guess...

cause of death...
a snake bite.

You haven't examined the body?

What part of "cottonmouths,
copperheads, and rattlesnakes"

don't you understand?

The part that has you peeing
yourself like a scared little girl.

I kind of need you
to examine the body, Carlos.

No, no, no. You kind of
want me to get bitten, right?

As much as it pains me
to say it,

I can't do my job
till you do yours.

Yeah, and as much
as I love hearing that,

there's absolutely no way
that I'm gonna touch that body

until fish and wildlife
removes those snakes.

Well, then, I guess
there's nothing left to do,

except leave you to it.

Good news, huh?

- Hey, stranger.
- Hey.

How you doing?

Oh, not good as you, obviously.

Yeah.

- 1,300 bucks is pretty sweet.
- Wow.

Just cashing in on that
forensic-nurse big bucks, huh?

Yeah.

That's a lot of longneck beers
and littleneck clams.

You buying?

Oh, uh, more like
medical textbooks

from the bookstore
at the uversity, so...

You know you can buy those
used, right?

That is used.

Wow.

Uh, so...How is Sam?

Uh, you know...

stil in Chicago.

So you're good?

Yeah. Great.

Okay.

You?

Yeah, good.

Okay.

The victim
was bitten six times,

but he also had a convulsion.

The abrasions and contusions
on his hands, arms, and legs

are consistent with
knocking over the pulpit.

Then he dropped to his knees,

broke the plastic cover
around the snake pit

with his thrashing, and fell in.

That's why it looked like
there had been

a struggle
at the crime scene.

Are you saying
Aaron wasn't m*rder*d?

Oh, no, no.
He was definitely m*rder*d.

Snake bites
release a neurotoxin

that affect
the cardiovascular system

and stop the heart.

But Aaron's cause of death
was circulatory collapse.

Which means the snake bite
didn't k*ll him.

Mm-hmm. He was poisoned
by something else.

Oh, great. Poison.
Easiest way to k*ll.

So simple, anyone can do it.

Well, my pool of suspects
just got deeper.

The Glades, Season 2, Episode 8
Second Skin
July 31, 2011

♪ Oh, what a blessedness ♪

♪ Oh, what a peace is mine ♪

♪ leaning on
the everlasting... ♪

Hi.

Sorry.
Uh, Detective Jim Longworth.

You must be
Rverend Trent Staley.

Indeed I am, Brother James.

Sorry about
your assistant minister.

Well he's gone on
to a better place.

Well, apart from the snakes,
this place isn't too bad.

Unless, uh,
Aaron had problems here.

Oh, no. Brother Aaron
got along just fine.

In fact,
everybody here loved him,

even though he'd only been
with us for six months.

He ran all the ministries I
didn't have time to attend to...

the bowling ministry
and the youth ministry.

What about the
suspects and m*rder ministry?

I'm gonna need a full list
of your congregation.

I don't keep track of my flock
that way, Brother James.

They'll all be here later.
We worship every evening.

But I promise you no one in this
congregation had anything to do with it.

Here in this sanctuary,
Brother Aaron was among friends.

What about out there?

Godless non-believers.

Satan's children.

Also known as
the rest of the county.

Well, this morning,
before we found Aaron's body,

one of those
godless non-believers

phoned 911 anonymously to
complain about what goes on here.

Now, we're tracking
that person down, but...

any ideas who that might be?

No. People don't understand
the way we worship.

Quite frankly, Brother James,

I think they're just
too afraid to know.

Yeah well, poisonous snakes

tend to have that effect
on people.

Where were you this morning?

You're funny, Brother James.

I can see I'm gonna have
my work cut out for me with you.

Yeah. No, seriously.
Where were you, Reverend?

Bible study.

I was teaching my favorite
book... Thessalonians.

"God is just.

"He will pay back trouble
to those who trouble you

and give relief
to you who are troubled."

Huh.

Daniel?

Really?

Send me the address.
I'm on my way.

We traced the anonymous call
to the church back to you.

No, that call wasn't from me.

The number you traced the call
back to belongs to my ex.

I pay his cellphone bill
and his car insurance.

Thank you.

Uh, it's what we agreed to
in the divorce.

He's unemployed.

I can't believe he's still
making complaint calls.

"Still"?
Has he done this before?

A few times since the divorce.

Well, he's upset
about the divorce,

so I can understand why
he'd want to lash out at you,

but any reason
why he'd be angry at Aaron?

He thinks
the church is dangerous,

but he doesn't understand
our beliefs.

Yeah. Actually, I'm having
a hard time with that.

Um...What's with
the snakes?

Well, they're the incarnations
of the devil.

When we handle snakes, we're
proving our power over evil.

The Bible says
we are to take up serpents.

And you ke that literally?

Well, it's the way
we prove our faith in the Lord.

It's the same as passing our hand
through fire or taking poison.

- You take poison?
- Strychnine.

Pentecostals have been doing it
for a hundred years,

and we're still very much here.

And, uh, your ex?
Is he still here?

He's in Georgia
looking for work.

He had to move in
with his folks.

He didn't k*ll Aaron.

But he sll felt compelled
to make a complaint.

Just sounds like
there's a lot more going on

to this breakup
than religious beliefs, Frannie.

He blamed Aaron
for our marriage falling apart.

Why?
What did Aaron do?

Nothing
except show me the way,

Praise the Lord.

He just showed me what was
really important in this life.

And the next.

My ex wanted me to choose between
my faith and my marriage.

- And you chose Aaron.
- I chose my faith.

It sounds like you got
feelings, there, for Aaron.

And maybe
you couldn't have Aaron,

so you me sure
no one else could, either?

Now you're accusing me.
That's just... ridiculous.

Where were you this morning?

I was here,
going over the menu.

Then I went and took inventory
at my shop.

I have small butcher shop.

We sell exotic meats
and specialty cuts.

Anybody here with you?

No. I was alone.

Is that problem?

I'll let you know.

The alibi
from Frannie's ex checks out.

He's back in Georgia
with his parents.

Working hard
or hardly working?

Sitting on their couch,
playing video games,

trying to cheer himself up.

Apparently, yesterday morning,
he got notice

that his divorce from Frannie
was final.

So, the ex puts in
a last phone call

to complain about the church,

and then he picksp a joystick

and moves on
with his so-called life?

How do we know his mom and dad
aren't covering for him?

They might be, but so is
DeKalb County in Georgia.

The ex has been on jury duty
the last three days.

So it's a good thing
he didn't ignore that summons.

Hey. Have you figured out
what poison k*lled Aaron yet?

No, but I did figure out
which poison didn't. Strychnine.

See, the thing with poison
is you almost have to know

what you're looking for
to run the tests.

Or what you're
looking at.

I know what I'm looking at.

Intense cyanosis
of the mucus membrane.

Irritation of the mouth,
esophagus, and stomach,

which indicates
it was something he ingested,

not inhaled or injected.

And, since it was something
he ingested there's a good chance

that the substance was colorless
and probably odorless.

That all you got?

I'm telling you,
I'm running tests.

It fee like
you're walking them.

Crawling them, even.

And what is all this
disgusting-looking stuff?

That's stomach content.

I had to separate it first,

then test it.

That's sausage.
Ostrich, if you can believe it.

The rest is green beans,
um, sweepotatoes,

chicken and mushrooms,
and, uh, your favorite...

- Mac and cheese.
- Casseroles.

There were casseroles
at the church this morning.

They're probably still there.

If the casseroles are poison,

the congregation could be
eating them right now.

- Go. I'll meet you there.
- Yeah.

Hallelujah and praise the lord!

You have to believe
to be healed, brother!

In Thy name

shall they speak
with new tongues.

In Thy name
shall they take up serpents.

In Thy name shall they
lay hands upon the sick,

and they shall recover.

When I lay my hands upon you,
you will be healed.

In the name of Jesus... say,
"Thank you, Lord."

" Thank you, Lord!

Oh!

Sorry, Reverend.

Everyone, everyone.
Can I have your attention?

Everyone. People.

Ity drosta dum bob
a la tinte danta.

Um... Brothers and Sisters!

If anyone's eaten
some food from the back,

you may be poisoned!

No, you...
They don't understand.

Oh, they understand.
They understand perfectly.

They have faith
that God will take care of them.

Yeah, and they might die from
poisoning, same as Aaron did.

Oh, that was the hand of God.

- Do you believe in the hand of God?
- This isn't about me!

Yes, sir.
God sent you here for a reason.

Yeah!
To save your congregation.

To save yourself,
Brother James...

Take a look.

These people
aren't sick with poison.

They are filled
with the Holy Spirit.

Praise the Lord!

This is crazy.
This is crazy!

Do you believe,
Brother James?

Whoa. N-now, what are you doing?
Wait a minute.

- You have to have faith, Brother James.
- No... wait a minute.

Even the little children
have more faith than you do.

No! Wait! Aah! Aah!

- Damn! This thing stings.
- All right.

Keep his hand above his heart.

- My arm is burning.
- Shhhhh!

I can feel the venom
running through my veins.

Relax.

Jim, I need you to
restrict your movements.

How bad is it?

Bleeding, swelling,
and discoloration is minimal.

Aah! It's getting
really cold in here.

- Is it cold in here? Carlos
- Shh.

- Not quite. Relax.
- I can't move my hand.

I think the venom's
paralyzing me.

Relax, relax, relax.

All right, his... h-his
bloopressure is a little high.

I can't breathe.

You can't breathe
but you can talk?

Ugh!
I see a light.

- Huh?
- I see a light.

Mm! Oh! Oh!

Oh! A band-aid.

Oh, that... makes sense.

You don't have any symptoms.

Except for the bitching
and the drama.

It's a dry bite, Jim.

The snake didn't inject
any poison in you.

No, that impossible.

Actually,
it's entirely possible.

Snakes don't always
release their venom.

They don't like to waste it
if they don't feel threatened.

Somebody could have milked
the snake or removed its venom.

- I can find out for you.
- Yeah, why don't you do that?

Do you have
another performance tonight,

or are we done here?

Aaron Matthews? I thought this
was Reverend Trent's office.

Looks like Trent and Aaron
shared the space.

- Two desks, two chairs.
- Very Noah's ark.

And just as old.
He still used a day calendar.

Yeah, it's a small church.

There's not
a lot of resources here.

Says here the day before
Aaron was k*lled,

he had something called
"Righteous Way"

with Peyton Robinson.

Righteous Way...
That's a prison ministry.

It's an organization
that finds prison chaplains

of all faiths
to minister the prisoners.

That must be one of the
ministries that Aaron took over

when Trent didn't have
the time.

Peyton Robinson
could have been

a priest, a rabbi,
even the prison chaplain.

Well, whoever
Peyton Robinson is,

it looks like
he was the last person

to see Aaron alive, which
makes him a suspect, so...

- I'll find out.
- Yeah.

Wait a minute.

He also had a meeting
this morning,

two hours before he was k*lled.

Who's F.H.?

Frannie Harper.

Well, hallelujah.

Brother James,
my prayers have been answered.

Really?
'Cause'm still here.

Well, I prayed
for God to spare you.

You were the reason I got bitten
in the first place, Reverend.

But, hey,
thanks for thinking of me.

You lied to me.

You weren't opening
your restaurant this morning.

You were here,
meeting with Aaron.

I didn't lie, detective.

You didn't specifically
ask me about Aaron.

I had to ask him about
catering meals for the church.

You make the meals
for after the service?

Wow. That's
very generous of you.

God has blessed me
with a very successful business.

I consider it part
of my offering to the church

to cater the repasts.

But I know how this must look.

Yeah.
Like you poisoned Aaron.

Look around.

No one else who ate my food
died or even got sick.

So maybe you just poisoned
the food that Aaron ate.

I didn't poison Aaron.

Now, if you think that,
I can't do anything about it.

But I know
the truth will prevail.

So do I.

May I go now?

Sure.

Mom, you paid 400 bucks
for a book?

A used textbook?

Yeah, that's the best part...

It's already
highlighted and underlined.

Sounds like cheating.

I'm still gonna read them.

Uh, you set the table.
I'm gonna get the pizza.

Hi.

Seriously?

Yeah, the... um...

Can you look at my arm?
It's really starting to hurt.

Is it swollen or discolored?

No.
Um... I mean, not yet.

But I didn't want it
to get to the point

where I needed
medical attention, so...

And I only have
a band-aid.

Yeah. I'll take a look.
Come on in.

Thanks.

- Hey.
- Hey. What's up?

Well, I heard you got bitten
by a cottonmouth.

Yeah.

- That's pretty bad a*s.
- Yeah.

Yeah, mom let me have
a Mountain Kingsnake once.

Oh, yeah where'd you find
a mountain in Florida?

What'd you do to it?

Me?
I didn't do anything.

Yeah, snakes don't bite you

unless you're
aggressive to them first.

Well, I was aggressively
trying not to... get bit!

Um...

And good timing.

I, uh, bn...

Putting off mowing the lawn,

so now I guess that's gonna be
put off for another few weeks.

I'll do it.

Really?

Yeah, if you pay me.

I'll let you swim in my pool.

I already swim in your pool.

Oh. Right.

Um, what's the going rate
for mowing lawns these days?

I'm not getting
in the middle of this.

Wow. That bad, huh?

Hey, don't worry.
I'll work with you.

Right.

And you're all set.

A little ibuprofen,
and you should be good.

Already feels so much better.
Thank you.

Just, snakebite's not something
I had to deal with

in Chicago, you know?

Well, you know what they say...
Once bitten, twice shy.

Hey, don't look at, man.

According to the herpetologist
at fish and wildlife,

the cottonmouth that bit you
had been milked earlier.

Maybe that's why Aaron
was around the snake pit.

- So, what's this footage?
- Here.

The prison
Aaron Matthews preached at

has closed-circuit
television

to broadcast religious
programming.

This is a prayer session

Righteous Way broadcast for
its pentecostal prisoners.

Let the holy spirit speak
the word of God through you.

Well, even without
all the snakes on him,

I can see that that's Aaron.

- And that's Peyton Robinson.
- He's a prisoner?

Currently serving a 25-year
sentence for manslaughter.

Well, at least we know where
heas when Aaron was poisoned.

...Droste dum bob
a la tinte danta.

Bob a la tinte.
Ity drosta dum bob a la tinte.

- What's he saying?
- He's speaking in tongues.

Do me a favor.
E-mail this footage to my phone.

I tested all the food
from the church.

And none of it was poisoned?

k*ller's too smart
to leave a trail like that, huh?

Lucky for you, I'm smarter.

I figured out what poison
was used to k*ll Aaron.

Salt sodium nitrite.

Looks and tastes
just like table salt.

How much sodium nitrite
would it take to k*ll a man?

A pinch. One, maybe two
teaspoons would do the trick.

- That's it?
- Mm-hmm.

Tell me it's hard
to get ahold of this stuff.

It's not easy,
but it's not impossible.

It's a food preservative
used to cure meats.

Or k*ll assistant ministers.

Detective! You're up early.
What are you, checking up on me?

Wanted to ask you more about
these specialty meats of yours.

Ahh. Oh, that smells good.
What is that?

That's my breakfast.

Pigs in a blanket with antelope meat.
You want a taste?!

Mm...I'm good.

You sure?
You got to try something.

I figure you
for a kobe beef man.

Maybe something more exotic,

like alligator or buffalo
or raccoon.

Let me guess...
It all tastes like chicken?

You know, that is one thing
that I do not sell.

Well, what about sausages?

Do you make
your own cured meats here?

No, I don't do that.

Then whas this?

That's the second time
you've lied to my face.

- No, those aren't mine.
- And that's a third.

Frannie,
you want to go for four?

What I mean is,
is that I don't make them here.

All right? I don't have the time or
the space to process my own meats.

I use an outside vendor.

Local farmers package them
for me to sell.

Excuse me.

What?

Wait here.

Bob a la tinte.
Bob a la tinte.

Ity drosta
dum bob la tinte.

Peyton Robinson?

You're not nervous,
are you, Peyton?

Sir, yes, sir.

Last time
I was in a room like this,

I got jammed up
on a k*lling I didn't do.

Yeah, Florida prisons
are full of innocent men.

You got robbery, as*ault,
manslaughter...

Allegedly.

You got quite the record.

So why would
the warden allow

a prisoner serving 25 years
to go over the fence?

I earned that, sir.
I'm a cook in the kitchen.

I work in the prison farm,
slaughterhouse.

I'm a medical orderly,

helped save a man's life
in the infirry.

Got me enough trust and
privilege for a little C. C....

Community Custody.

That's the lowest level
of supervision in the prison.

So that's why you're allowed
out of the prison walls

to serve meat
to Frannie's restaurant.

How well do you know Frannie?

I know she got
a little brother in the joint.

That makes her good people?

Means she understands
more than most.

Huh.

She seems like a decent,
God-fearing woman me.

You also served meat
to a church yesterday morning,

the same church that Aaron, your
spiritual advisor in prison,

turned up dead.

Here we go.

I figured this was coming.

Corrections officer was with me
the whole time. You seen him.

Well, it's been my experience

that preachers
are pretty much hypocrites.

They say one thing
and do another.

But not Aaron.

He was a good man.

He was more like my friend
than my minister.

We used to confide
in one another.

Confide, huh?

So, you used to tell him
you were innocent.

And he said...

That he was
doubting the church.

Spirit wasn't
speaking to him anymore.

Aaron was struggling
with his faith?

Same as me.

We used to talk about it
all the time.

Why would he confide in you?

I'm trying to tell you
we was friends.

Why would I k*ll the last good
friend I have in this world?

Peyton's lying.

What are you two doing?

- Uh... Daniel and I are...
- It's all Carlos.

You know, you know,
just helping you.

Uh... w-why do you say that
Peyton's lying? Just because he's...

The prison farm just sent me
their delivery schedule.

It says that Peyton was at the church
an hour before Aaron was k*lled.

And being at the prison farm also
gave him access to sodium nitrite.

- But he doesn't have motive.
- Oh, he has motive.

- I just haven't found it yet.
- That's because you don't have

any evidence against him,
but maybe this will help.

Turns out, the church records all
their services and posts them online.

So we have incriminating video.

- Better than that.
- Well, great.

For a second there,
I was afraid

it was gonna be
that honey badger thing.

Oh... okay. I just want you
to know that Carlos made me.

You heard the man.
Let him see it.

Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Jesus.

Ity drosta dum bob
a lainte danta.

Do you believe,
Brother James?

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you doing?

- You have to have faith!
- Hey, hey. Wait a minute.

Oh, why,
even the little children

have more faith
than you.

No, wait! Aah! Aah!

You know
that hurt, right?

You have no idea.
The look on your face...

What? Then or now?

- Can we please get back to work?
- No, no, no.

Please.
Let's see it one more time.

I... I promise you
it doesn't get old.

Hey, you know what?
Fine. I don't care.

Stop.

Take it back.

...Jes. Ity drosta dum bob
a la tinte danta.

Ity drosta dum bob
a la tinte danta.

That gibberish
sounds awfully familiar. Stop.

Daniel, get me
all of Peyton's prison files.

You have his crimal record.
No, I mean all his files.

His intake records,
his medical records,

timesheets from all the jobs
he's done at the prison,

and especially the files
from his prison chaplain.

¿Que pasa?

Anythingou got,
send it to my cell.

You're right.
This is better. Much.

Ity drosta d bob
a la tinte danta.

Ity drosta dum bob
a la tinte danta.

Thank you, Jesus. I was in the
spirit when I said that.

Speaking in tongues.

When people speak in tongues

the words are different.

They change each time,
each person, right?

Well, I don't expect
a nonbeliever to understand.

Well, maybe you
can explain to me

why Peyton Robinson,
a man in prison,

used the exact same phrase
you did

when he was
speaking in tongues.

Kind of says to me that he wasn't
really speaking in tongues.

He was just reciting
a phrase he'd already heard...

from you.

Well, I suppose it's possible.

We've prayed together before.

You pray with the man
who delivers your meat?

My baby brother
is in prison in Texas,

so inderstand
how important it is

for these men to have contact
with the outside world.

I met Peyton when I volunteered
for Aaron's prison ministry.

Oh, yeah. And you volunteered
to be his wife, right?

You're engaged to Peyton?

Peyton had to submit
an application

to get permission to marry you.

But then Aaron wrote
a letter of objection,

stopped the whole thing.

That's why he was poisoned.

Aaron stopped the wedding, yes,
but I wasn't mad at him.

He was right.

I was marrying Peyton

for all the wrong reasons.

I... was lonely and scared
after my divorce.

So you hooked up
with a guy in prison?

At least I knew
where he was every night.

Look... I know that Peyton
has done some horrible things,

but he's a good
Christian man now.

The time just wasn't
right for us.

Aaron helped me see that.

I'm surprised Aaron
could help you see anything,

considering his own...
crisis of faith.

I guess he's good at doling out advice
to everyone but himself, huh?

Not true. Aaron knew exactly
what he was gonna do next.

What do you mean, "next"?

He wanted to leave
Reverend Trent's church,

strike out on his own.

And I had faith in him,

so I agreed to co-sign
on a mortgage for Aaron.

For a house?

Mm-hmm.

4,200 square feet of house

that he could convert
into a church of his own.

Why would I poison him

and risk taking on
such a huge financial burden?

Did Reverend Trent know this?

Not from me.

I felt it was Aaron's job
to tell him himself.

But I know Reverend Trent

would have been upset
to see him go.

Yeah.

k*ll Sister Frannie
for her kind and generous heart?

That doesn't sound like
motive to me.

Even when you found out she was
setting up a new church with Aaron?

What did you say,
Brother James?

Well, Frannie is by far the wealthiest
member of your congregation.

Losing her would be
a huge financial blow.

- You need to leave.
- You had to stop Aaron

from stealing Frannie away
for his new church.

Lies.
Get thee behind me, Satan.

Oh, really? You k*ll Aaron,
and I'm the devil?

No, I know the devil
when I see him.

The devil comes disguised

as a servant of righteousness.

Yeah.
Back at you, Reverend.

Oh, let me tell you
about the battle

between the righteous
and the damned.

Oh, yeah? What about
the innocent versus the guilty?

What about a suspect
who used to be a witness?

Hate is the fist
that would lay his brother low!

But love is the hand
that would raise him on high.

Only love is the hand of God.

Okay, you must be
speaking in tongues,

because I have no idea
what you're talking about.

Okay, I guess this means
you're not coming down

to the station
to answer some questions?

I don't answer to you,
beelzebub.

Brother James,
I know you can hear me.

I won't let you be corrupted

by the devil's
murderous accusations

or his cloven-hoofed
trickery.

Let me lay hands on y now.

No, no. You really don't want
to do this, Reverend.

The Bible says
that God is just.

He will pay back trouble
to those who trouble you

and give relief
to you who are troubled.

Say yes, Lord!

Thank you, Jesus!

Ow!

Trent Staley,
you're under arrest

for assaulting
a police officer.

Arresting a preacher's
a new low, even for you.

The man was possessed.
He called me beelzebub.

There's an inscription
in Aaron's ring...

"T. S. 16"?

T.S....

Is there a chapter
in this book

that starts with a t,
ends with an s?

"Chapter"?

They're called books.
Give me that.

When I first met him, he said
something like "thistle."

It's from the second book
of Thessalonia,

Chapter 1, Verse 6.

"God is just.

"He will pay back trouble
to those who trouble you

and give relief to you who are
troubled, and to us, as well."

That's what Trent quoted me
before he hit me upside the head.

I believe the correct term is
"laying on of hands."

Why is Thessalonians 1:6
so important to Aaron and Trent?

It makes sense for Aaron.

It's comforting, especially if
he's struggling with his faith.

And his finances.

I have Trent's bank statements,

last couple of tax returns,
and w-2's.

The average pastor's salary
is around $60,000.

Trent makes
less than half of that.

Because he displays
the snakes publicly,

he's required to have
a $10,000 bond.

- How does he pay for that?
- Frannie.

Without her, he wouldn't be
able to keep running the church.

That's why he's
so against Aaron leaving

and potentially
taking Frannie with him.

Trent doesn't make a lot of money,
but he sure has a lot of jobs.

Look at all these w-2's...
From Christian magazines,

revival meetings
at other churches.

He even presided over
a Halloween Hell House.

He's cobbling together a living,
one sermon at a time.

Two years ago, he got
a W-2 from Starke for $150.

- Starke prison?
- Yeah.

It says that he was a volunteer,
but they paid him.

There's only one volunteer job
at starke that pays $150.

Death row.

Trent was an executioner.

Thought you might
want this.

No burning,
not even hot.

Still think I'm the devil?

The devil is crafty and smart.

You, Detective Longworth,
have no idea what you're doing.

But you do?

As God is my witness,
I did not k*ll Aaron.

Well, too bad that's not
an alibi I can confirm.

I'm not talking
about Aaron, anyway.

Two years ago, you helped k*ll
Leon Earl Montrose

by lethal injection
at starke prison.

Not very pentecostal of you.

Oh!

Lying is a sin, Reverend.

Be very careful
what you say next.

The warden promised me
that I would be anonymous.

How did you know?

I didn't.

But you just
confirmed it, so...

So much for
"Thou shalt not k*ll," huh?

That was God's will.

Says you. I'm thinking
you got a taste for m*rder.

Figured next time
someone crossed you,

you'd just play God again.

I don't have to play God.

I got the indwelling of the
spirit when I was 16 years old.

Besides, Leon Earl Montrose

r*ped and strangled
a 10-year-old girl.

That he was convicted of.

Even the warden said
Leon Earl was railroaded.

The guy had an I.Q. Of 50.

He asked for
a coloring book and crayons

with his last meal.

That's why I had to be there.

If Leon Earl
was meant to be spared,

then the hand of God would have
stopped that execution.

Through you.

I'm at peace
with what was done.

God is just.

He will pay back trouble
to those who trouble you

and give relief to you who
are troubled. Thessalonians...

Chapter 1, Verse 6.
"T. S. 16," right?

Wait.

Those are your initials.

T.S.

Trent Staley.

You took that quote
as your own personal mantra

when you were 16,
didn't you?

It's served me well.

Where's your ring, Reverend?

You have it.

In evidence.
I gave it to Aaron.

Yeah, 'cause he was
losing his faith.

That's why he's milking
the snakes before every service.

- He didn't believe.
- Aaron was afraid of getting bit.

You were afraid
of him leaving your church.

I was afraid
for his eternal soul.

I gave him my ring
to remind him not to get lost.

But it was you
who had the most to lose.

All poisonings are tracked

by the state
medical examiner's board.

When Aaron's case
was entered into the system,

the database found
another death by sodium nitrite.

A homicide?

It was listed as an accident,
so it was never investigated.

- May I?
- Oh. Sure.

This is our victim,
Marcus Jordan.

Any connection to Aaron?

Yes. Starke prison.

Marcus Jordan was an inmate?

No. Marcus Jordan
was a volunteer.

He got paid $150
for one day of work

on the same day as Trent.

Lethal injections in Florida
require two executioners.

Anonymous executioner.

Besides the warden, no one's
supposed to know they're there.

- Looks like somebody found out.
- Yeah, but how?

Marcus and Trent would've had
their faces concealed.

What about their hands?

Maybe the k*ller s the ring
that was on Trent.

And then later met Aaron?

The k*ller might think
Aaron was the executioner.

Aaron was poisoned.

Maybe the k*ller was trying
to poison Trent.

Well, obviously,
Trent's not the k*ller.

This changes everything.

Yeah. Someone's executing
the executioners.

Woman on P.A.
Dr. Spieser to radiology.

Dr. Spieser to radiology.

Trent Staley is who
the k*ller was trying to poison.

So, the k*ller confused
Aaron Matthews

with Trent Staley?

Yeah. Two years ago,
Trent helped execute

a death-row inmate from Starke
prison named Leon Earl Montrose.

I remember that.

Ray was at Starke before he got
transferred over to Raiford.

Right. But Leon Earl Montrose
was intellectually disabled,

so everyone thought
that he was innocent.

I'm thinking that someone wanted
to avenge Leon Earl's death...

Someone who was actually
at the execution

and saw the executioners there
at the prison that day.

- Well, that could be anyone.
- I know.

Anyone can apply to be a witness
in an execution...

The victim's family members,
reporters, protestors.

But executioners
are shrouded in secrecy,

and the whole prison
goes into lockdown.

So, if I can figure out

when the k*ller actually saw
the executioners or where,

then maybe
I can figure out who.

Does the k*ller know that
he poisoned the wrong person?

That, I don't know.

Does Reverend Trent know
that someone wants to k*ll him?

- I haven't told him that yet.
- Maybe you should.

I mean,
he's the only one who knows

exactly where he was
on the day of the execution.

- Maybe you can get him to retrace his steps.
- Callie? I need you.

That way, maybe I can see
who saw him.

Huh.

Thank you.

Yeah, no problem.

In Your name,
I pray over this room, O Lord,

to bless it and keep it safe.

Uh, no one's getting ex*cuted
here today, Reverend.

I hope.

I take comfort in prayer,
Brother James.

Well, then, you should pray
that I find that k*ller, huh?

I can't believe
someone would want to k*ll me.

Is this what you wore?

Executioner's robe.

It's not very subtle.

They had to conceal
our identity.

By dressing you up
as the grim reaper

and bringing attention to you?

It's important that we were
covered from head to toe.

That's probably why
they got you to wear the gloves.

Except at some point,
you saw fit to take them off.

That's when the k*ller
saw your ring.

I...
I don't remember.

Well, that's why we're here.

Maybe wearing this
will jog your memory.

Put that on.

This, too.

All of it.

Wow.

Okay.
Walk me through it?

We had on these robes
the whole time.

No one could see us,
not even Leon Earl Montrose,

who was laid out
on that gurney right there.

And this is how you administer
the lethal injections?

You injected the chemicals from all
three syringes into the I.V., right?

The first two...

Paralyzed his muscles,
put Leon Earl to sleep.

The third
was potassium chloride.

It stopped his heart.

He took a little breath.

His lips went blue.

His eyes rolled back
in his head,

and then Leon Earl
went to his final resting place.

It's... it's a terrible thing
to watch a man die.

I d...

I don't think
I'll ever forget that.

So, you did more than watch,
Reverend.

- Did you get sick then, too?
- I felt nauseous.

Did you throw up?

No. Guard!

What happened after you ex*cuted
Leon Earl Montrose, Reverend?

Nothing. No, you're not
telling me something.

I'll interview the warden. I'll interview every
prison guard in this place if I have to.

I already walked you through it.
I want to get out of here.

Guard!

Really? Huh.

Thank you, warden.

Mm.

Don't forget to put
that ring back into evidence.

- Yeah, yeah.
- How's Trent?

Sick as a dog.
And not just the first time.

He was sick
after the execution, too.

Happens a lot.

Sometime the guards
get so traumatized

about being part
of an execution,

they can't go back to work
in the prison.

What'd the warden tell you?

Before Leon Earl Montrose
was ex*cuted,

the prison hosted a reception
just for the witnesses

in one of the meeting rooms.

Oof.
Sounds appetizing.

Yeah, nothing like a snack

before you k*ll a man, right?

So, when Trent got sick
at the execution,

the warden brought him
into that meeting room

and gave him a can of soda
just to calm his stomach.

Trent takes off his gloves
to open the can...

Revealing the ring.

Who was in the room with him?

Just the warden.
Oh, and the caterer.

Frannie.

Please. Don't do that.

Ah, you're right.

Probably ruin my appetite
anyway.

I'm talking about Frannie.

You can't arrest her.

I don't believe
she could k*ll anyone.

No, you don't want to
believe it.

You need the money.

But she's damaged, Reverend.
She's troubled.

She's got a brother in prison.

I know she's hurt,
and she's angry about that.

But that doesn't prove
that she k*lled anybody.

I believe God's will was done.

Well, that's easy
for you to say

'cause "God's will"
is not being done to you.

I'm sure Aaron might have
a different opinion,

but he's six feet under, so...

The wages of sin is death.
Aaron knew that.

He didn't have faith.
That's why he died.

No, he was poisoned

because you couldn't go back
to the prison

after you ex*cuted Leon Earl.

I mean, you preach
the ten commandments,

but you broke
"Thou shalt not k*ll."

So, you gave Aaron your ring.

You let him take over
the prison ministry.

I mean, you might as well
have k*lled him yourself.

I've begged God to forgive me
every day since.

I didn't mean to put Aaron
in harm's way.

Well, so much
for the hand of God.

Now the long arm of the law
is about to make an arrest.

You can't go against God's will,
Brother James.

Why even when
Leon Earl Montrose was shanked

and almost died
in the prison infirmary,

God sent an orderly
to nurse him back to health.

Yeah, I know.
I read the file.

That orderly
saved Leon Earl's life.

But then you ex*cuted him,

so I guess I can see why someone
would be upset about that.

You can't arrest Frannie.

Who said anything
about arresting Frannie?

Reverend?

Brought you a little something
extra for the service.

Even made you a sandwich
in case you're hungry.

- What are you doing here?
- Waiting for you, Peyton.

Actually, did you know that
Peyton was one of the inmates

in Aaron's prison ministry?

- No, I didn't.
- Huh.

Oh, before you chow down on that
sandwich, you should probably also know

that Peyton was the one
that poisoned Aaron.

Yeah, he was working
in the prison kitchen

the night that
Leon Earl Montrose was ex*cuted.

No, sir. Prison goes into
lockdown during an execution.

For the general population,

but not for someone with
as high a clearance as you.

You were there,

helping Frannie
with the reception,

where one of the executioners

stupidly gave his number
to the warden.

And the other one
took his gloves off

to, uh, have a can of soda,

where you saw this.

Reverend Trent's ring.

You're the executioner?

And you're the orderly

that nursed Leon Earl Montrose
back to health.

You spent time with him,
got to know him.

You thought he was wrongly
accused, just like you.

Leon was innocent.
He had the mind of a child.

He didn't even know
what was going on.

- But they k*lled him anyway.
- And that was wrong!

Someone should've stopped it.

Someone could've.

Oh!

If you was a half a Christian,

you'd have yanked them tubes
out of Leon's arm

instead of k*lling him!

You thought
you poisoned the executioner?

You poisoned Aaron by mistake.

It's no big loss.

Aaron was a hypocrite,
just like the rest.

Used to stand up in the pulpit
and preach his righteous ways,

but he didn't even
believe them himself.

And neither did I.

I played those fools
like a fiddle.

I even got
old money bags Frannie

- wanting to take my last name.
- Why would you do that?

Because they sentenced me
to 25 years!

What the hell else
am I supposed to do?!

Yeah, well,
now you're gonna serve 25 more

for the m*rder of Aaron Matthews
and Marcus Jordan.

- You can take him.
- Probably just put me in solitary.

Take away my privileges,

which I'll have back
in two years.

At least I'll be out
for the trial.

I'll see you in court,
Reverend.

Pack a lunch.

Let's go.

- You okay, Reverend?
- No! Don't!

Oh. It's okay.
I have faith.

Hey, great job on the lawn,
by the way.

Uh, well, figured I'd better
do a good job,

since you're, uh,
seriously overpaying me.

Wait.
I'm seriously overpaying you?

Not if he wants to go
to college.

Hey.

Uh, let's go, buddy.

Get you a beer?

Uh, no. Can't.
I'm studying.

Right.
Yeah, of course.

You know, it's okay
to be bummed about Sam.

No, I'm not bummed about Sam.

'Cause you're acting
a little bummed, so...

Has she...
Planned a visit or...

Booked a flight, maybe?

No, she just, um...

she needs a couple of weeks
to set up... shop,

uh, acclimate up there.

Yeah, I mean, she's, um...

she's got big shoes to fill.
It's a big job.

And it's hard enough for women
in law enforcement, anyway.

I mean, if I was her,

I'd be doing
exactly the same thing.

You know...

Prioritizing.

Okay, buddy, let's hit it.

All right.

Great job on the lawn.

Yeah, you said that already.

Uh, but thanks.

So, uh, next week?

Yeah, if it's cool
with your mom.

Hey, it's 20 bucks less
I have to give him.

Cool. Later.

Yeah. Later.

You know,
sometimes things work out

the way they're supposed to.