Vincent: This is where the wealthy and the powerful rule.
It is her world, a world apart from mine.
Her name is Catherine.
From the moment I saw her, she captured my heart
with her beauty, her warmth and her courage.
I knew then as I know now,
she would change my life... forever.
Catherine: He comes from a secret place, far below the city streets.
Hiding his face from strangers, safe from hate and harm.
He brought me there to save my life.
And now, wherever I go, he is with me in spirit,
for we have a bond stronger than friendship or love.
And although we cannot be together,
we will never ever be apart.
(People conversing)
Man: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Wonderful, wonderful.
What are the rest of you having?
(Laughter)
I think it's a legitimate write-off,
in spite of the new law.
Wouldn't you agree, William?
(Weakly): Yes...
You're, you're absolutely right, Arthur.
It happens occasionally.
(Light laughter)
Is it hot in here?
I don't think so.
I'm absolutely burning up.
-Are you all right? -I'd like to propose a toast.
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
(Gasping)
Sit down and relax! William!
He'll kill me! He'll kill me! He'll kill all of you!
(Gasping)
Get 'em off!
(Screaming)
(Horns honking)
Got a choice one, Radcliffe.
Wealthy socialite throws himself out a window.
Turns out he was poisoned by a loyal servant.
You mean I finally get a case where the Butler did it?
Hey, good help's hard to find.
Suspect's name's Hector ocala.
Cops found the poison in his room.
Lab says it was Haitian, just like Hector.
Awfully damning. Do we have a motive?
His boss left him $50,000 in his will.
That'll do.
Sounds like this one's open and shut.
Yeah, well, up until about an hour ago.
Now the public defender claims Hector ocala is incapacitated.
Unable to stand trial.
On what grounds?
Get this.
Pd says Hector ocala's some kind of voodoo priest.
They says he's gone into a trance.
Go check it out.
Ocala: N'oublie pas moin, papa ougan. N'oublie pas moin, grand bois.
Officer: We get all types, but this guy's too much.
See for yourself.
He's been like that ever since he got here.
He don't eat, he don't sleep.
Mr. Ocala?
He don't talk either.
He's spooking everybody with that crazy talk.
The word is it's some kind of voodoo spell.
Who told you that?
A couple of pd's were down here yesterday.
I heard 'em talking.
Don't believe everything you hear.
...pas moin, papa ougan.
(Knocking)
Man: Yes, come in.
Professor Ross?
Yes.
I'm Catherine Chandler. Chandler.
Yeah, my secretary said you phoned.
Have I caught you at a bad time?
No, no, not at all.
Sit down. Let me... I'll take this.
So, what can I do for you, Catherine Chandler?
Well, I've been told
that you're an authority on voodoo.
Yeah. Yeah, much to the chagrin of my colleagues in science.
We have a murder suspect in custody.
His defense attorneys claim that he's a voodoo priest.
Well,
if he's committed a murder, he's not a priest.
More likely a sorcerer, a "boko,"
a servant of evil.
Voodoo is full of dualisms:
White magic, black magic,
and each has its cult.
If you're inside the cult, then you're protected,
bit of you are outside, then you are the enemy
and their gods and demons are everywhere.
"Loa," they are called.
And they can assume any form: Birds, clouds, beasts.
Well... they do possess people.
Scientifically speaking, of course.
Well,
I can explain it in medical terms
if you prefer, yeah.
Voodoo, long ago, discovered a truth
that modern medicine still resists:
The mind rules the body.
If faith can heal, then fear can paralyze.
Or kill, all in your point of view.
I don't know if I believe that.
Here, look at this.
What do you see?
A shell.
No, it is the key to the universe.
It is a beacon to the gods.
You see, in voodoo, nothing is what it appears to be.
Really?
Is this intrinsically any less powerful than the sacred images
of all the other religions?
I guess not.
No, no, you keep it
for good luck.
Look, forgive me.
You gotta forgive me
for carrying on like this about this stuff.
I mean, I have this bad habit
of lecturing all the time and I know
you didn't come her for a seminar.
No, I didn't.
I need to determine if Hector ocala's trance is a put-on,
a maneuver to avoid prosecution.
See, I couldn't possibly tell you that
without seeing him in person.
Would you be willing to go the tombs and have a look?
I was hoping that you would ask.
♪ ♪
No!
No... no...
How is he? The same.
Ocala: N'oublie pas moin, papa ougan.
N'oublie pas moin, papa ougan.
Do you think he knows we're here?
It's hard to tell.
Hey, you got company.
Hey!
(Chanting stops)
Beast!
Beast of the night!
Revoquer la magiqu, revoquer wang.
Beast of the night!
Revoquer la magiqu, revoquer wang.
What is he saying?
It was a chant of protection;
an invocation against evil spirits.
Most of it, anyway.
And the part about the beast?
That was a hallucination.
A projection of his fear.
Only, to him, it was really there.
Now, look.
Look, I know you don't want to hear this,
but I think your suspect is for real.
(Soft music playing)
Lindsey gates?
I'm Catherine Chandler with the district attorney.
I'd like to talk to you
about the William Coleman murder.
You were sitting next to him
at the party on the night of his death.
I've already talked to the police.
Can you tell me anything about Hector ocala
and his involvement with voodoo?
I tried to tell the police, and they thought I was crazy.
I'm not the police.
You'll still think I'm crazy.
Try me.
All right. Hector was a boko.
A voodoo sorcerer.
Even though Hector was his servant,
William was terrified of him.
We first met when he came into the store,
looking for help.
A spell, a charm, anything that might guard him
against Hector's power.
I tried to help him,
but I'm no expert.
Everyone thinks I know more than I do.
What happened the night of the murder?
William phoned me and insisted that I come to the party.
It was as though he thought my being there
would protect him from Hector's power.
It didn't.
Coleman was poisoned.
He didn't die of a curse.
It wasn't poison that threw him through that window.
You got to be kidding me.
We roll over on this one, we'll never hear the end of it.
Do you want to go down in legal history
next to the twinkie defense?
All I'm saying is the p.D. Might have a bona fide claim.
Radcliffe, please...
My expert says it's a protective chant.
Yeah, he's protecting himself against a long jail term.
Now will you get back down there.
He can't keep up the zombie act forever.
(Wolf whistles)
What happened?
He dropped dead. No marks, nothing.
Drugs?
No sign of it.
We're taking him down for an autopsy.
I want a copy in the da's office
as soon it's done.
♪ ♪
Oh, my god.
♪ ♪
Vincent: Catherine.
Are you all right?
I am now.
Did you see what they did?
Who would have done this?
I was investigating a man who belonged to a voodoo cult.
He died this afternoon,
but I'm sure it's related.
You can't stay long, the police are on their way.
Whoever did this to you was trying to frighten you.
Control you with fear.
I'm not afraid.
Good.
The drawing...
Yes.
What do you think it means?
It's a picture of what they're most afraid of.
For them it has power.
You must not surrender to it.
(Siren wailing)
I won't.
Ross: If you hadn't phoned this morning,
I was going to call you and warn you.
You ought to see what they did to my place.
But why?
And who?
Ocala's followers, I imagine.
Catherine, I don't want to frighten you,
but this thing isn't over yet.
Ocala's followers will avenge his death.
They liken themselves to the stars, working at night,
touching everything-- and invisible during the day.
Well, if they think they can frighten me off, they're wrong.
Catherine, I don't think you understand.
They're not just trying to scare you off the case.
They're trying to scare you to death.
I will not drop this.
I have two suspicious deaths
and more questions than answers.
Well, then obviously I will do everything I can to help you.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Oh, yeah, look...
I have a class, now.
Maybe we could have dinner, tonight.
Around 8:00?
Okay.
Good.
Father: You'll find it under several different names-- chango,
saneria, macumba, voodoo.
The rulers of Haiti have always used voodoo
in order to stay in power...
But why this, uh, sudden interest
in such a primitive superstition?
Someone is trying to harm Catherine.
What with incantations and sorcery?
With fear.
I'm going to see Narcissa.
For what possible reason?
I can tell you all you need to know.
I have dozens of books on voodoo folklore...
Histories, case studies.
Scholarship and belief are two very different things, father.
Narcissa is irrational.
She lives in a fantasy world of spirits and demons.
Perhaps, but to save Catherine
that's the world I shall have to visit.
(Distant train passing)
Catherine: He was your brother, he was in perfect health.
Do you believe he simply dropped dead?
The autopsy said it was a heart attack.
Not if you believe in voodoo.
I don't buy into any of it.
Your brother did.
Hector believed in a lot of things.
Me, I believe in oil changes and seat belts.
I know how to stay out of the way.
Out of whose way?
You ask too many questions.
Maybe you would rather talk to the police.
Hector must've had an enemy--
a very powerful one.
Some people believe that Hector
was a very powerful sorcerer-- a boko.
Do you think a powerful sorcerer
would have to work as a servant?
No.
A boko uses his strength for selfish ends.
Hector was no boko.
Did Hector poison William Coleman?
Coleman was Hector's friend.
No.
Hector's enemy killed Coleman
to get at Hector, to steal his power, to destroy him.
Just like they'll do you if you keep asking questions.
(Wind whistling)
♪ ♪
Welcome, Vincent.
You remember me?
When you were a young boy,
you would play in the chamber of the winds.
I remember.
Narcissa...
I need your help, your knowledge.
I am a crazy old woman.
Hasn't father told you so?
(Chuckles)
How can I help you?
I have a friend who's in danger.
Her name is Catherine.
She lives in the world above.
Men have broken into her home,
shattered her mirrors, defaced her walls.
She's afraid it is the work of those who believe in voodoo.
The bizago.
La culte des mortes.
They have placed your friend under a curse.
There was a drawing on the wall
drawing is veve.
It is used to summon the demon baka,
the great beast, the devourer.
No magic is as great as baka's--
no magic is as evil.
The magic can only touch those who believe in its power.
No! Magic is power...
Power of the words, of the powder,
of the fear that curls in the heart like a black worm.
Watch your friend, Vincent.
Guard her close.
The way is dark before her.
Man: Ayida-wedo, ma déese des serpents,
quand vous venez, c'est comme UN coup de foudre.
Ayida-wedo, ma déese des serpents,
quand vous venez, c'est comme UN coup de foudre.
Hey, Radcliffe, how did your lead pan out?
I'm working on it.
We put an extra patrol on your block.
Don't want anyone else redecorating your apartment.
Thanks. I'll keep you posted.
See you later.
(Engine starts)
(Brakes squealing)
(Screaming)
(Rapid footsteps moving away)
(Indistinct conversations)
Catherine: Look at me. I'm still shaking.
I heard footsteps running away.
I must have just missed them.
I think you need some more champagne.
I may not be afraid of voodoo curses,
but I'm terrified of snakes.
Hector ocala's brother believes
one of Hector's enemies killed William Coleman.
Ah! Well, he may be right.
Because, you see, I did some checking this afternoon,
and ocala apparently had worked himself in
with a powerful circle of wall street financiers.
I mean, he... he was advising these guys on business matters.
Now, I'm sure that there are some people
that would envy his position.
The autopsy says he died of natural causes--
a massive coronary.
It just seems like such an unlikely coincidence.
In voodoo, there are no coincidences.
His brother believes he was killed by a rival.
How could they get to him inside of the tombs?
Brick and iron can't stop a curse, Catherine.
I don't believe in curses.
Yeah, but Hector ocala did.
If you believe that magic can kill, then it can.
Alexander, that drawing on the wall of my apartment..
The creature...
The beast. La bete noire.
Or baka, as he is sometimes called.
A terrible demon who rends men apart
and feasts on their flesh.
Why?
I mean, the rest of it
makes a certain kind of twisted sense,
but why that drawing?
To make you afraid, Catherine.
To show you the face of baka, the demon that will destroy you.
But then, if you don't believe,
then no harm can come to you.
And there are much nicer things to believe in.
Is it hot in here?
Um... not particularly.
Oh, I feel like I'm burning up.
Well, you've had a long day.
I'll take you home.
Okay.
Nous nous rassemblons.
Nous arrivons au bassin.
Nous ne savons pas ce qui se passe.
Mais nous ferons le travail.
Oh, lord baka, your strength is our strength.
Under your protection, nothing can harm US.
Nothing can affect US.
Your magic is invincible.
Come to US, lord baka.
Help US to destroy our enemies!
(Screams)
(Screaming)
(Knocking on door)
Hi. Hi.
Thanks for coming.
It's all right.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a wreck.
I didn't sleep last night at all.
I made some tea. Let me get it.
No, no, no, no.
Look, why don't you
sit right down here and relax?
That's right. Sit. Yeah.
And I'm going to bring you a hot cup of tea.
I don't know what to do.
How are they getting in?
How are they getting past security?
Well, I'm going to do all I can today
to find you some answers.
Here. This will make you feel better.
Thanks.
Good?
Good.
I must have sounded pretty hysterical when I called.
Under the circumstances,
I thought you sounded remarkably cool.
Mmm...
Oh, that feels good.
Good.
That's good.
I do feel better.
Well, I'm glad.
And I would really like to stay here,
but I can't miss this department meeting today.
I'll call you later.
Okay.
I'm here if you need me.
Remember that.
Spiders in your bed?
You got to be kidding me.
I mean, tell me you're kidding me, Radcliffe.
It had to be a dream.
It was no dream.
Real spiders?
You don't believe me.
Well, just listen to yourself for a minute.
I might as well.
No one else will listen to me.
Look, we're trying to find out
who trashed your apartment, Cathy.
Give me a break, huh?
I'm going to put you on something else.
We got a heavy caseload here.
What about the William Coleman murder?
You're beating a dead horse.
Hector ocala killed Coleman.
Ocala is dead-- natural causes.
That's all she wrote.
It was a coincidence.
Next case. Let's move on, huh?
What's wrong?
Don't you see it?
What?
On your desk.
What?
Are you all right?
Are you okay?
I'm fine.
Cathy, I think you need to sit down.
(Screams) Don't touch me!
What the hell is wrong with you?
Cathy?!
Professor Ross, please.
He has to be there.
This is Catherine Chandler.
If you would have him call me right away?
Yes, it's an emergency.
Hey, girlfriend, you okay?
I'm just tired.
Didn't get much sleep last night.
If you would just let me get back to work.
The work can wait, Cathy.
Maybe you should take the rest of the day off.
Yeah, that's right.
Come on. I'll go with you. We'll get some ice cream
and watch the soaps. Let's go.
Joe: Go ahead. It'll do you some good.
Why are you both trying to get rid of me?!
Okay. Okay, I'll go.
But I don't need any help.
Man: He's talking about turning himself in.
(Shrieks)
♪ ♪
(Gasps)
(Sobbing)
(Tapping on window)
(Tapping continues)
Look at me!
Look at what's happened!
It's in your mind.
It isn't real.
Of course it's real!
(Sobbing)
Oh, look at my hands!
What is that?
No, my shell.
(Echoing): Let me see the shell.
You must let me help you.
You're doing this to me.
How?
I could never hurt you.
I don't know you.
Catherine, it's Vincent.
You're one of their demons.
You are. You are.
I saw the picture in my room!
Stay away!
Don't come any closer! Catherine!
You're my life.
Tell me what I can do.
Don't you ever come back.
I can't.
I hate you.
I hate you!
I hate you.
I hate you!
Even in this terrible darkness, I'm with you.
I'll never leave you.
You stay away!
Hello, Alexander.
Please, help me!
(Knocking)
Ah.
Where is she?
She'll be here soon.
What, what, what?
What's the matter?
Nothing.
Good.
Now is no time to lose your faith.
We're so close.
I can feel it.
I'll light the candles.
Yes.
It's the powder.
The powder takes away the soul.
The powder.
Is it a drug?
The shell opens the door.
She clings to it.
Believes in it.
She will die, Vincent.
She is already dead.
I must go to her.
No!
The evil one will take away your soul!
He has great power.
He preys on weakness.
He has no power.
For those who wish to harm US,
there is no escape.
(Knocking)
Come.
Help me.
I will.
I will free you.
I will fill you with power.
You will never need fear again.
I feel so dizzy.
It's all right.
What is she doing here?
She's a friend.
A helper.
Ocala.
Drink
this.
Drink it!
No. No!
No!
It's all right.
Look at her.
Can you feel the power in her?
Erzuli coeur-noir..
Erzuli je-Rouge..
Father baka, she is here.
She is yours. Body and soul.
Come to her now, father baka,
and possess her.
(Roaring)
Doctor!
(Roaring)
Alexander!
Oh, baka.
(Roars)
Come on. We've got to get out of here.
Alexander: Baka.
Baka came to me.
Filled me with his power.
The fire!
Fire can't harm me now.
(Alexander gasping)
Man: How can you be sure that he'll take the stand?
Man 2: We've notified the FBI.
5:00. No excuses.
How you feeling?
Much better.
I was worried about you for a while.
I know.
You stuck with it.
You did good work.
Thanks, Joe.
Lindsey gates just rolled over.
She's giving US the names
of Alexander Ross' other followers.
And she copped to poisoning Coleman.
Alexander Ross was right.
Hector ocala did have a powerful rival.
Can you believe that?
A tweed-suit type like Ross?
Makes you wonder what they're teaching in college these days.
♪ ♪
(Crackling)