S1.E3 Bewitched - Scene 8

Ritual S1 - Episode 3 - Scene 8

St Aloysius of the Innocents

Characters in this Scene

Angela Bassett as Ronnie Dupree

Kathy Bates as Celia Grey

Wes Bentley as Father Bryan Farrelly

Mother Catherine a nun

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Ronnie Dupree parks the un-marked police car on the other side of the street outside St Aloysius of the Innocents, observing the comings and goings for a couple of hours before she goes inside. She has done some preliminary research into the head of the parish, and it is not a very well-kept secret that Father Francis Deakin is a practicing exorcist sanctioned by the Vatican. A local newspaper is lying next to her with the headline Sudden Death of Popular Parish Priest. The article includes a photo of a Father Bryan Farrelly and noted that he will now be taking over from Father Deakin’s administrations. Ronnie is spying through a pair of binoculars when she is startled by someone rapping on the passenger side window.

“Shit!" Ronnie drops the binoculars. “Oh, it’s you.” She winds down the window to face an angry Celia Grey.

“I thought we agreed to do this together.”

“We agreed on jack-shit. I’m on official police business, what’s your excuse?”

“Does your boss know that? I notice you’re going solo, no partner, so I am betting that he doesn’t.  Anyway, I have a professional interest in what’s going on.”

“All right, all right! Let’s do this then, shall we?”  Ronnie gets out of the car and marches over to the front gate with Celia in tow. An elderly nun sees them coming and walks over to greet them.

“Good morning, ladies. I am Mother Catherine. How can I be of assistance?”

“Mother Catherine, we would like to talk to whoever coordinates the visits to the LA Mental Health Centre by the sisters from this parish – would that be you?” Ronnie flashes her badge.

Mother Catherine smiles serenely. “I’m afraid not, that would be Father Farrelly now that Father Deakin has passed.” She led the way to the parish office where a young, rather good-looking priest sat behind a large mahogany desk, studying paperwork. Sister Catherine introduced them both. Father Farrelly stood up and nervously greeted them with a handshake. Sweaty palms, Ronnie noted to herself.

“Father Farrelly, we have a missing patient from the LA Mental Health Centre, and the last person to visit her on Tuesday 12^th September was one of your sisters from this parish.”

Farrelly takes a leather-bound logbook from out of the drawer and flicks through it. “Detective, I’m afraid none of our sisters visited the Centre that day.”

“Is that a fact? Well, according to the Centre records there was a Sister Immacolata that visited at 4.30 pm just before the girl was discovered missing from her room.”

“Detective - ”

“Now you better not be obstructing the course of the law. I know you must abide by the sanctity of the Church and all that, and y’all are protecting your own secrets, but a girl’s life is at stake here!”

“Detective Dupree, we don’t have a Sister Immacolata here.”

“Well, who is this then?” Ronnie produces a still photograph taken from the surveillance tape which shows Sister Immacolata’s face in close-up. She throws it on Farrelly’s desk.

Celia examines it intently. “Hey, that’s that witch!”

Ronnie looks at Celia with amusement. “Well, what did she do to piss you off?”

“No, she’s really a witch. A practicing witch. She was next to me at a book fair peddling some spell compendium. Her name is Levitt..or Levoy or something.”

“Levay. Lilith Levay” Farrelly said quietly. They both look at him with surprise. “I believe she is an actress. She came to the parish last week seeking an audience. She said she was doing research for a film. I turned her away - the workings of our faith are not something to be studied for the purposes of entertainment.”  Farrelly starts to perspire at the memory of his sexually charged encounter with Lilith but refuses to acknowledge the effect she had on him.

“Father, do you know why this woman would impersonate one of your sisters.”

“I’ve no idea,” Farrelly paces. “This parish has an arrangement with the Centre. In the past Father Deakin has assisted with some of the more difficult patients and the sisters have helped facilitate that.”

“How about you be a bit more specific. Father Deakin performed exorcisms at the LA Mental Health Care Centre, and the Centre allowed this to occur. Isn’t that what happened?”

“Yes Detective, I’m afraid that is correct.”

Celia Grey shook her head angrily. “I’ve seen the aftermath of this barbaric practice on the mentally ill. I can’t believe that the Centre turns a blind eye to this medieval claptrap. I’m going to see the mayor about this, it needs to be reported to the council!”

“No need Dr Grey. There is no one to take on that mantle - I have no desire to do so myself, and besides, to perform exorcisms requires the appropriate sanction by the Vatican.”

“I still think there needs to be an investigation. Who knows what has happened to these patients because of this - this archaic nonsense!”

“Dr Grey in your line of work have you ever come across something that you couldn’t explain?”

“It’s not often I have been stumped, but then I just work doggedly through to find a solution by applying the many principles I have learned.”

Farrelly was seated at his desk again; the tips of his fingers placed under his chin in a contemplative triangle. “I too am seeking answers to a great many questions. Dr Grey I would appreciate the advice of a learned professional in the field of psychiatry such as yourself. Perhaps you would be so good as to accompany me as I make home visits to members of our parish that are suffering from a malady of the spirit.”

“Sorry Father, but I don’t think our methodology quite aligns.”

“A pity. I’m sorry, Detective Dupree and Dr Grey – that is all the information I have for now.” Farrelly sees them to the parish gate.

Back at the car, Ronnie presses Celia. “Do me a favour, why don’t you go with the priest next time on his rounds and see what you can pick up. “

“Oh, so you want my help now. So, this is a private sideline of yours outside of your authorised work.”

“Yeah, well what of it! Are you in or not?”

“Alright I’m in, so what’s the deal?”

“I want to know if this ‘possession’ stuff is for real and there isn’t something else going on, some other mental problem. You want to know what I think about Lorraine Jaxon – I think she was the real deal. I want you to find out who is the real deal.”

“Not you too now, please!”

“Do not judge me. I saw you back in the holding cell, you just about jumped three yards when she mentioned something about a cause. That girl knew things that were impossible to know.”

“Ok, ok. So, while I’m out playing holy helper, what are you going to be doing?”

“I’m going to pay a little visit to Lilith Levay, see if I can get this witch to confess when I light a fire under her.” Ronnie puts the car into gear and roars off.

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