The Woman in the Wall (2023) s01e06 Episode Script
A Little Resurrection
1
The convent was selling our children.
Private donation £10,887.
- They sold her.
- Who's this?
That's one of the men Father Percy
introduced us to.
The Wisconsin Holy Cross
Adoption Agency,
formerly the House
of the Sacred Shepherd,
founded by Jim McCullen.
That's James Coyle.
I think you know exactly
where Aoife Cassidy is
and you'll tell us right now.
The last time I saw her, she was
walking away with my baby.
She was a nun in the convent
and she was trying to help me.
I killed her! I killed her!
I remember Aoife Cassidy.
She died and she rose again.
- There was a body.
- Then where is she? Where's Aoife?
[KNOCKING]
[CROWS CAW]
[BANGING]
I'm not awful sure
what I'm supposed to say.
You could ask what it is
I'm doing here after 30 years.
What is it you're doing here after
30 years, Sister Cassidy?
Not Sister.
No, you'll remember
I never completed my final vows.
[CHURCH BELL]
Something happened that day.
PERCY: Yes, I remember.
Catalepsy.
That was the name they gave it.
A rare side-effect of untreated
epilepsy, apparently.
Sister? Sister Cassidy?
[BELL TOLLS]
[RAGGED BREATHING]
[COUGHING]
[LOUD GASP]
[SHE COUGHS]
The condition gives
the appearance of death.
Doctors say it's often
triggered by
extreme emotional stress.
The moment of prostration is
always an emotional one.
It wasn't that.
It was something I heard.
[CHILDREN CRY]
It was the sound of children.
Dozens of children, Father.
And I recognised every
single one of them.
It was all the children that you
and I stole from their mothers.
- Now, hang on
- That we stole and that we sold
- to complete strangers.
- Calm down now, Sister.
We stole them, we sold them,
and then we lied
and we pretended they were dead
in case their mothers went
looking for them one day
and found out what we had done.
Let me show you something.
Letters of thanks from parents.
Christmas cards written to me
from their children.
Safe and sound and happy.
Living with good Catholic families,
all of them.
- You kept these?
- I kept copies of everything.
If anyone came
looking for these children,
I had to make sure no-one
would find them.
I had to protect them.
We saved these children, Sister.
You should be proud
of the work you did.
You're mad in the head.
You're deluded.
We didn't save anyone.
We disappeared these children.
And you have all this just sitting
here rotting away in a box,
when you could be using all this
to help reunite mothers
- with their babies.
- They're not their mothers.
They never were in the first place.
- Now, give them back to me.
- No!
Give them! Come back!
No! Stop it!
[WHEEZING]
[HE GROANS SOFTLY]
[HE GROANS MORE LOUDLY]
That's Breda, in the middle.
She wouldn't give me her name,
but she left you something.
I know what happened to your child
They're not coming.
What did you say?
I thought maybe you'd been stood up.
Sorry, you don't remember me.
We were at school together.
How did you know she wasn't coming?
- I don't understand what you're saying.
- Get your hands off me!
[VOICES ECHO]
[DOG BARKS]
Don't worry.
We can talk in the morning.
[DOOR CREAKS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[DOOR CREAKS]
[SHE PANTS]
[BABY CRIES]
No! Where are you going?
SCREAMS: Give me my baby!
[BABIES CRY]
[BABIES CRY]
[BABIES CRY]
[SHE GASPS]
Lorna. [SHE GASPS]
Please!
Help me!
Episode 6/6
[WHEEZING BREATH]
[SHE PANTS]
[SHE WHIMPERS]
[SHE SCREAMS]
Hello?
[PHONE RINGS]
COLMAN: Lorna.
Can you get over to the station?
I think we've found something.
Hello, I'm James Coyle,
and I'm here to talk to you
today about the Eadrom Group.
The Eadrom Group was founded
to help bring Catholicism
into the 21st century.
Why are you showing me
this shite talk?
It's him.
Coyle.
He's Ignatius McCullen.
He's the man my mother paid
to adopt me.
Wait, wait. Wait.
You're saying that Coyle is the one
who trafficked our children?
He worked for the House
of the Sacred Shepherd
alongside Father Percy.
Maybe Aoife too.
I mean, God knows who else.
Coyle is just one of many.
What, so he sold my Agnes?
Yeah. He's been
using the Eadrom Group
to cover his tracks for years. Look.
Alongside out advocacy work,
we have helped raise funds
from all over the world
to restore and refurbish
community centres, churches
orphanages, mother and
baby homes, laundries.
He's destroying the evidence
of everything they did
and he's calling it charity.
[EXHALES]
I was right.
That's why he wanted us
to sign that fucking contract.
- To shut us up.
- The man has a lot to lose, Lorna.
We think he's involved
in Father Percy's murder.
but rather to have
- Go back!
- What?
Go back, go back, go back.
There!
It's a primary school. St Alma's.
That's the place
that Breda was talking about.
Where most of the kids were sent
from the Kilkinure
mother and baby home.
[KEYS CLACKING]
Eadrom refurbished it in '91.
It used to be a children's hospital.
Do you see what I see?
Sisters of the Seven Joys.
That's no coincidence.
They ran a mother and baby home.
They must have run
this place too. Where is it?
Slow down, Lorna, all right?
This isn't as simple
- as you'd like to think.
- But that's it.
That's the place.
That's where they took Agnes.
Someone there must know something.
- But
- No.
I'm going, Colman.
It's an hour from here.
[DOOR CLOSES]
How are you, Lorna?
I think it's about time
we talked to Mr Coyle.
And how old is your daughter?
She's three.
Three. Lovely.
So she'll be starting with us
in the nursery,
which is just up this way.
What's her name?
- Agnes.
- Agnes. Beautiful.
Well, I'm sure she'll love it here.
Is it true this used to be
a children's hospital?
It was originally, yes.
And they brought kids
from the mother and baby homes here?
Sorry Are you a journalist?
No.
I'm one of those mothers.
And I've been looking for my kid
for a very long time.
Here, look.
So, do you mean
your daughter was brought here?
Yes, I think so.
She was taken away from me
30 years ago.
Look, I'm so sorry
that I lied, I just
This could be my last chance to find
out what happened to her
It's OK. Look,
I'm sorry, but I'm not
really sure how I can help.
I don't know, is there
someone here I can talk to?
Maybe I could speak
to the Board of Governors?
Some of them have been here
since the school first opened.
That would be amazing.
It's worth a try.
Mr Coyle? I'm Detective Sergeant
Colman Akande.
This is Sergeant Massey.
We've a few questions for you
in relation to the murder
of Father Percy Sheehan.
Of course. I, um
Let me see if I can find somewhere
a bit more private so we can talk.
Here's fine for us.
Did you take a call from
Father Percy at the Imperial Hotel,
the evening of October 30th?
I did.
The night of his murder.
What did you talk about?
Not much.
Small talk. I, er
I congratulated him
on his recent award.
[PHONE RINGS]
He didn't mention
anything else, huh?
No. Nothing significant enough
for me to remember.
I find that hard to believe,
considering he'd just been
attacked and robbed.
Did you see him
as a liability after that?
Excuse me?
Considering he knew all about you
and your friends
at the Sacred Shepherd.
The children.
Ignatius McCullen.
Is it a crime for one
to use a different name?
Child trafficking.
That's a crime.
Falsifying death certificates.
There's another.
Murder.
That's a big one.
Do you have anything
to accuse me of here, Detective?
Where were you the rest of
the night? After Percy called you?
I was giving a talk.
Not dissimilar to the one tonight.
It started at 6:30pm,
shortly after he called me,
and it lasted until
just before nine.
And er, can anyone
attest to that, Mr Coyle?
Well, I er, I don't want
to blow my own horn,
but it was a sold-out event.
So, yes, almost 200 people
can attest to that.
[SIGHS]
He must have called someone else.
Coyle.
He must have done.
He sent someone else to the house.
And how are we ever
going to prove that?
What judge would ever give you
a warrant for his phone records?
You're not even allowed
to be working,
and we've just established
the man has an airtight alibi.
Jesus, Massey, the man trafficked
children for nearly two decades!
- I was one of them.
- I know, lad. I know.
But that's not the crime
we're here to investigate.
[CHILDREN SHOUT]
Careful, guys. Don't fall.
Lorna?
You're in luck!
He said yes straight away,
he was delighted to help.
OK, he's just in there.
OK, so, I'll leave you to it.
- Thanks, Marie.
- OK. Good luck.
Lorna.
Hello.
My name's Dr Gabriel.
You're one of the governors?
I used to be.
I've still a few friends
on the board.
I'm with the Health Service.
We had a lot of dealings
with St Alma's back in the day.
When it was a children's hospital?
Exactly.
Please.
I'm really glad you asked to see me.
Marie told me
Jesus, what you've been through,
Lorna, it's, it's inconceivable.
I'm awfully sorry.
Thank you, Doctor.
Tell me, what do you need?
I'm at your service.
I think my daughter is still alive.
Can you help me find her?
Of course I will.
I'll do everything I can
to help you.
However, it's only fair
to let you know, Lorna
I've worked on
cases like this before
and sometimes these children
don't want to be found.
Right.
Er, what do you mean?
Adoptees can often feel resentful
towards their birth mothers.
They can feel abandoned.
So perhaps you're not
ready for that, emotionally,
- or psychologically.
- No.
I'm ready.
Believe me, I am.
Hmm.
I understand you were admitted
to a psychiatric hospital once.
And you had counselling afterwards
that didn't end well?
♪
How would you know that?
Well, I wouldn't be doing my job
if I didn't go into your background.
Is it true the police have
spoken to you
in connection
with an arson attack?
Nothing was proven.
And it's not the first time you've
been in trouble with the Guards.
- No, please
- Is it? Trespassing.
- Please
- Criminal damage.
- I'm a good person
- Intimidating behaviour.
Intimidating? Who am I intimidating?
And all the lies, Lorna.
I'm not lying! What am I
What am I lying about?
Someone told me
that you turned up, unannounced,
pretending that you wanted
to enrol your child.
- No, no, I didn't. That wasn't
- That has to stop.
I wasn't doing it on
purpose, I'm trying to
People are worried about you.
They are scared.
- You're not fucking listening to me!
- Oh, for God's sake!
I'm just tying to find
I'm not fucking lying!
I'm not fucking lying!
And what would your child think
if she could see you now?
All these stories
you've been telling yourself,
they're making you unwell.
If you continue like this,
you could be hospitalised
without your consent.
Indefinitely.
Do you understand?
And we don't want that for you.
We'll leave it at that, so
Thank you for talking to me, Lorna.
♪
♪
Do you remember one of the first
things I ever said to you?
What, that I look like
one of the Backstreet Boys?
[MASSEY LAUGHS]
No. No, I said that this
was a boring town.
And a couple weeks later,
what have we got?
There must be something else
we can do, Massey.
I should have done something
years ago.
Well, you didn't know
all of this was going on.
I was a part of it, Colman.
We all were.
We all knew what was going on
up in that convent,
and anyone tells you any different
and they're a liar.
I brought young girls up
and back to that place.
I let taxi drivers haul young kids
off to God-knows-where.
I saw the Cruelty Men
go up to that convent
and come out and say everything
was fine and I accepted it all
What did you say?
What?
You said, er
- The Cruelty Men?
- Well, yeah.
Yeah, that was just the nickname
we used for the inspectors from
the, the whatchacallit, the ISPCC.
You mean the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children?
Yeah.
It was just like a shorthand
we used, you know?
The Cruelty Man's coming
The Cruelty Man is coming. Run!
Those nuns
they locked me in a tunnel
and they'd say that
the Cruelty Man was coming.
"Don't make a sound
or the Cruelty Man will get you."
[WHISPERING VOICES]
[FOOTSTEPS]
I thought that he was a monster.
But he wasn't, was he?
It was a lie.
Those nuns were
protecting themselves
from the cruelty
that they were inflicting on me.
He was probably one of the few
people who could have helped me.
[HEARTBEAT PULSES]
- Where are you going?
- To put an end to all of this.
Colman
- Colman!
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[CROWS CAW]
[BIRDS CAW]
Lorna.
Are you all right?
I'm grand.
What's been going on?
I came to say goodbye.
You're leaving?
I was about to head to the station.
I tried calling you.
A few times.
I left a couple of messages.
Will you be coming back?
No.
Probably not.
You know what I'm
going to ask you, don't you?
Please.
Please.
Just let me
Let me take you out of this place.
I can't.
I have to be alone now, Michael.
Sorry.
OK.
I'd better be off, so
I'll see you
Lorna.
[PHONE RINGS]
This is Colman Akande.
Leave a message.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[SHE CLEARS HER THROAT]
Amy. Hello.
You got my message, so.
Yeah.
I've been staying with
Peggy and Deirdre.
They insisted.
I think they were worried after
the whole thing, you know.
Thomas.
Yeah, well, so was I.
And that's why you were
looking for me, right?
He wants to press charges?
Look, whatever it is, Massey,
will you just get it over with?
Is that your daughter?
♪
The problem
is Catholicism's inability
to embrace its own reckoning
and move forward.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you.
Thank you very much indeed
for what was an inspiring evening.
- Detective.
- Mr Coyle.
I wasn't expecting you
to stick around here.
Ah. I mean, of course.
That part about, er, what was it?
Embracing our own reckoning.
Yeah.
Well, thank you
for coming, Detective.
If you'll excuse me, I just need
How much did I cost?
How much did my mother pay for me?
I am coming for you
and all of your friends.
Ah, well
Well, I think that went
rather well, really.
October 30th, October 30th
[PHONE RINGS]
Hello?
Hello?
Mr Coyle?
Mr Coyle?
You rang me?
I didn't ring you.
Let me just check.
Come with me.
I don't understand.
But why is he calling me?
Look, he'll know by now
that I called you that night.
He'll work out that you went
to Father Percy's house.
Now, listen to me, Leslie.
You are going to be arrested,
but I need you to remember
there are a lot of good people here
with a lot to lose.
Now, we need to know we have
your silence, should it call for it.
I'm so sorry to interrupt, guys,
but could I speak
to your colleague here?
I'm Detective Sergeant Colman
Hey
Hey! Stop!
Hey!
- Hey
- Get away from me.
Calm down. Give me that knife.
Shit
Hey! Stop!
You're under arrest for the
murder of Father Percy Sheehan.
You're not obliged to say anything
unless you wish to do so
WHISPERING: Our Father, who art
in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom
He made you do it, didn't he?
What happened that night?
I think Aoife stole
the evidence of their crimes.
Percy called his old friend Coyle.
Then Coyle panicked,
decided Percy was a liability,
and I think he coerced you
into shutting him up for good.
How far off am I?
It didn't make a difference,
you know that, don't you?
All of this is coming out
whether you like it or not.
Those families that were torn apart.
All the people
that benefited from it.
Eadrom's attempts
to cover it all up.
Listen, I know what it's like
to be misled.
OK, you think these are good,
Christian people, but they're not.
They're godless, self-serving
You are the godless ones!
You're not willing
to make sacrifices.
Are you sacrificing yourself?
For him?
[PHONE RINGS]
COLMAN: Lorna? Are you all right?
Can I ask you a question?
Sure.
Do you love your mam?
You know, the woman who adopted you?
Raised you?
Yeah.
Of course I do.
Did she make you happy?
Did she give you a good life?
Lorna, what's this about?
Please, please,
just answer the questions.
Yes.
I love my mam.
I'll always love her
for what she's done for me.
You know, I think
I think she saved me.
And what about your birth mother?
Do you ever think of her?
I think about her every day.
What if you never find her?
That's OK.
I'll always love her, too.
Because she loved me.
Didn't she?
Yes.
Yes, she did.
OK. [SOB]
Thank you.
Wait, Lorna
[CLICK]
[SHE SOBS]
[BIRDS CAW]
[BIRDS CAW LOUDER]
[WIND HOWLS]
[BIRDS CAW]
[SHE GASPS]
[CAWING GROWS LOUDER]
[MORE CAWING]
[WHISPERING VOICES]
[SHE GASPS]
[FLIES BUZZ]
I'm so sorry.
[INHALES]
You can't go in there! Stop!
I always wondered
what these rooms looked like.
We've got it from here, Sister.
Thank you.
What do you think you're doing?
Do you remember me?
Well, how about them?
I remember her.
Me too.
What is this? What Aiden?
AMY: 298 children
died here at the convent.
And thanks to Lorna Brady,
we have all their names.
Three of those children
have burial records.
208 of them, we now know, were
trafficked and sold.
That leaves 87 children
completely unaccounted for.
Like this one here.
Emily.
Emily Kane.
That's my daughter.
You know I wanted to call her Emily.
I remember telling the midwife that.
And there she is.
We know for a fact that Emily died.
So we're assuming
the other 86 children did too.
There's only one place
where they could be,
where my little girl could be.
And that's here.
Still at the convent.
Where did you bury
their bodies, Sister?
You can't come here
making new accusations.
Because you all signed an agreement!
That's right, Sister.
We can't.
But he can.
So what have you got to say, Sister?
No-one will believe a word
those women are saying.
You know, for a long time, most
of us would have agreed with you.
But I believe that's because
we couldn't possibly fathom
that such evil could exist
in this country.
Now, this is your
last chance to tell us
what happened to those children.
Because after that, I'm coming
after you with everything I have.
Because the way I see it,
you will be held to account
for this either way.
If not by me,
then by the man himself.
If he's half the man
you claim him to be.
[FRUSTRATED BREATH]
Very well so.
Good day to you, Sister.
I'll be seeing you.
Soon.
What happened?
How did she get up there?
She must have been still alive
when I put her in the wall.
I killed her.
I didn't mean to, but I did.
OK.
OK.
It's your daughter?
Aoife found her.
She's alive.
Listen to me, Lorna,
we have to get your story straight.
This wasn't your fault.
You didn't know
what you were doing, OK,
you have to say that
you were sleepwalking.
- No.
- That you were traumatised,
- that you weren't of sound mind.
- No! Colman.
I'm not mad.
I never was.
But what about Agnes?
Lorna, you are
so close to finding her.
My daughter's alive.
Look at her.
[LAUGH] Look at her.
She is so happy.
That's all I needed to know.
The Magdalene Song
by Sinéad O’Connor:
I am the cause ♪
Of misery ♪
To those I love ♪
And who love me ♪
I'm everything ♪
with instruments:
A woman's not supposed to be ♪
That's why they took ♪
My children off of me. ♪
LORNA, WHISPERING:
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
NORMAL VOICE:
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.
How are you feeling?
Well, I'm sleeping.
How about you?
You look tired.
Ah, we've got nothing on Coyle yet,
or anyone else involved.
They're all protecting each other,
but there's got to be someone
out there willing to talk.
Well, good luck.
Lorna, do you remember the payments
in the church accounts books?
Some of them were weird amounts.
Like Agnes's.
£10 887.09.
It was because of
the currency exchange.
Dollars to pounds.
It turns out St Alma's was
a sort of processing centre.
Kids were sent there while
the nuns got their papers sorted.
Got passports made up for them.
What, so you're saying
that they were what, sent abroad?
I found her, Lorna.
It took a little while, but
Who?
I found your daughter.
No, you didn't.
She's been looking for you too.
She's been looking for me?
Ever since her family told her
she was adopted.
What, so you spoke to her?
Yes.
And where is she?
- In Boston.
- Boston.
Boston
well, is she?
You know, is she?
It's OK.
It's OK.
Why don't you speak to her yourself?
I I can speak to her?
If you'd like.
There's a room you can use.
Now?
All right.
Now
You just press call.
What time is it in Boston?
It's nearly half seven.
Well, I I wouldn't want
to interrupt her breakfast.
She's waiting for you, Lorna.
[VIDEO CALL RINGS]
[PING]
Hi.
Sinéad with instruments:
But that's not going to happen ♪
I'm going to live ♪
Not for anybody but myself ♪
On the mountainside so steep ♪
Where the little donkeys sleep ♪
That's where I'll lay
my sorry head tonight. ♪
The convent was selling our children.
Private donation £10,887.
- They sold her.
- Who's this?
That's one of the men Father Percy
introduced us to.
The Wisconsin Holy Cross
Adoption Agency,
formerly the House
of the Sacred Shepherd,
founded by Jim McCullen.
That's James Coyle.
I think you know exactly
where Aoife Cassidy is
and you'll tell us right now.
The last time I saw her, she was
walking away with my baby.
She was a nun in the convent
and she was trying to help me.
I killed her! I killed her!
I remember Aoife Cassidy.
She died and she rose again.
- There was a body.
- Then where is she? Where's Aoife?
[KNOCKING]
[CROWS CAW]
[BANGING]
I'm not awful sure
what I'm supposed to say.
You could ask what it is
I'm doing here after 30 years.
What is it you're doing here after
30 years, Sister Cassidy?
Not Sister.
No, you'll remember
I never completed my final vows.
[CHURCH BELL]
Something happened that day.
PERCY: Yes, I remember.
Catalepsy.
That was the name they gave it.
A rare side-effect of untreated
epilepsy, apparently.
Sister? Sister Cassidy?
[BELL TOLLS]
[RAGGED BREATHING]
[COUGHING]
[LOUD GASP]
[SHE COUGHS]
The condition gives
the appearance of death.
Doctors say it's often
triggered by
extreme emotional stress.
The moment of prostration is
always an emotional one.
It wasn't that.
It was something I heard.
[CHILDREN CRY]
It was the sound of children.
Dozens of children, Father.
And I recognised every
single one of them.
It was all the children that you
and I stole from their mothers.
- Now, hang on
- That we stole and that we sold
- to complete strangers.
- Calm down now, Sister.
We stole them, we sold them,
and then we lied
and we pretended they were dead
in case their mothers went
looking for them one day
and found out what we had done.
Let me show you something.
Letters of thanks from parents.
Christmas cards written to me
from their children.
Safe and sound and happy.
Living with good Catholic families,
all of them.
- You kept these?
- I kept copies of everything.
If anyone came
looking for these children,
I had to make sure no-one
would find them.
I had to protect them.
We saved these children, Sister.
You should be proud
of the work you did.
You're mad in the head.
You're deluded.
We didn't save anyone.
We disappeared these children.
And you have all this just sitting
here rotting away in a box,
when you could be using all this
to help reunite mothers
- with their babies.
- They're not their mothers.
They never were in the first place.
- Now, give them back to me.
- No!
Give them! Come back!
No! Stop it!
[WHEEZING]
[HE GROANS SOFTLY]
[HE GROANS MORE LOUDLY]
That's Breda, in the middle.
She wouldn't give me her name,
but she left you something.
I know what happened to your child
They're not coming.
What did you say?
I thought maybe you'd been stood up.
Sorry, you don't remember me.
We were at school together.
How did you know she wasn't coming?
- I don't understand what you're saying.
- Get your hands off me!
[VOICES ECHO]
[DOG BARKS]
Don't worry.
We can talk in the morning.
[DOOR CREAKS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[DOOR CREAKS]
[SHE PANTS]
[BABY CRIES]
No! Where are you going?
SCREAMS: Give me my baby!
[BABIES CRY]
[BABIES CRY]
[BABIES CRY]
[SHE GASPS]
Lorna. [SHE GASPS]
Please!
Help me!
Episode 6/6
[WHEEZING BREATH]
[SHE PANTS]
[SHE WHIMPERS]
[SHE SCREAMS]
Hello?
[PHONE RINGS]
COLMAN: Lorna.
Can you get over to the station?
I think we've found something.
Hello, I'm James Coyle,
and I'm here to talk to you
today about the Eadrom Group.
The Eadrom Group was founded
to help bring Catholicism
into the 21st century.
Why are you showing me
this shite talk?
It's him.
Coyle.
He's Ignatius McCullen.
He's the man my mother paid
to adopt me.
Wait, wait. Wait.
You're saying that Coyle is the one
who trafficked our children?
He worked for the House
of the Sacred Shepherd
alongside Father Percy.
Maybe Aoife too.
I mean, God knows who else.
Coyle is just one of many.
What, so he sold my Agnes?
Yeah. He's been
using the Eadrom Group
to cover his tracks for years. Look.
Alongside out advocacy work,
we have helped raise funds
from all over the world
to restore and refurbish
community centres, churches
orphanages, mother and
baby homes, laundries.
He's destroying the evidence
of everything they did
and he's calling it charity.
[EXHALES]
I was right.
That's why he wanted us
to sign that fucking contract.
- To shut us up.
- The man has a lot to lose, Lorna.
We think he's involved
in Father Percy's murder.
but rather to have
- Go back!
- What?
Go back, go back, go back.
There!
It's a primary school. St Alma's.
That's the place
that Breda was talking about.
Where most of the kids were sent
from the Kilkinure
mother and baby home.
[KEYS CLACKING]
Eadrom refurbished it in '91.
It used to be a children's hospital.
Do you see what I see?
Sisters of the Seven Joys.
That's no coincidence.
They ran a mother and baby home.
They must have run
this place too. Where is it?
Slow down, Lorna, all right?
This isn't as simple
- as you'd like to think.
- But that's it.
That's the place.
That's where they took Agnes.
Someone there must know something.
- But
- No.
I'm going, Colman.
It's an hour from here.
[DOOR CLOSES]
How are you, Lorna?
I think it's about time
we talked to Mr Coyle.
And how old is your daughter?
She's three.
Three. Lovely.
So she'll be starting with us
in the nursery,
which is just up this way.
What's her name?
- Agnes.
- Agnes. Beautiful.
Well, I'm sure she'll love it here.
Is it true this used to be
a children's hospital?
It was originally, yes.
And they brought kids
from the mother and baby homes here?
Sorry Are you a journalist?
No.
I'm one of those mothers.
And I've been looking for my kid
for a very long time.
Here, look.
So, do you mean
your daughter was brought here?
Yes, I think so.
She was taken away from me
30 years ago.
Look, I'm so sorry
that I lied, I just
This could be my last chance to find
out what happened to her
It's OK. Look,
I'm sorry, but I'm not
really sure how I can help.
I don't know, is there
someone here I can talk to?
Maybe I could speak
to the Board of Governors?
Some of them have been here
since the school first opened.
That would be amazing.
It's worth a try.
Mr Coyle? I'm Detective Sergeant
Colman Akande.
This is Sergeant Massey.
We've a few questions for you
in relation to the murder
of Father Percy Sheehan.
Of course. I, um
Let me see if I can find somewhere
a bit more private so we can talk.
Here's fine for us.
Did you take a call from
Father Percy at the Imperial Hotel,
the evening of October 30th?
I did.
The night of his murder.
What did you talk about?
Not much.
Small talk. I, er
I congratulated him
on his recent award.
[PHONE RINGS]
He didn't mention
anything else, huh?
No. Nothing significant enough
for me to remember.
I find that hard to believe,
considering he'd just been
attacked and robbed.
Did you see him
as a liability after that?
Excuse me?
Considering he knew all about you
and your friends
at the Sacred Shepherd.
The children.
Ignatius McCullen.
Is it a crime for one
to use a different name?
Child trafficking.
That's a crime.
Falsifying death certificates.
There's another.
Murder.
That's a big one.
Do you have anything
to accuse me of here, Detective?
Where were you the rest of
the night? After Percy called you?
I was giving a talk.
Not dissimilar to the one tonight.
It started at 6:30pm,
shortly after he called me,
and it lasted until
just before nine.
And er, can anyone
attest to that, Mr Coyle?
Well, I er, I don't want
to blow my own horn,
but it was a sold-out event.
So, yes, almost 200 people
can attest to that.
[SIGHS]
He must have called someone else.
Coyle.
He must have done.
He sent someone else to the house.
And how are we ever
going to prove that?
What judge would ever give you
a warrant for his phone records?
You're not even allowed
to be working,
and we've just established
the man has an airtight alibi.
Jesus, Massey, the man trafficked
children for nearly two decades!
- I was one of them.
- I know, lad. I know.
But that's not the crime
we're here to investigate.
[CHILDREN SHOUT]
Careful, guys. Don't fall.
Lorna?
You're in luck!
He said yes straight away,
he was delighted to help.
OK, he's just in there.
OK, so, I'll leave you to it.
- Thanks, Marie.
- OK. Good luck.
Lorna.
Hello.
My name's Dr Gabriel.
You're one of the governors?
I used to be.
I've still a few friends
on the board.
I'm with the Health Service.
We had a lot of dealings
with St Alma's back in the day.
When it was a children's hospital?
Exactly.
Please.
I'm really glad you asked to see me.
Marie told me
Jesus, what you've been through,
Lorna, it's, it's inconceivable.
I'm awfully sorry.
Thank you, Doctor.
Tell me, what do you need?
I'm at your service.
I think my daughter is still alive.
Can you help me find her?
Of course I will.
I'll do everything I can
to help you.
However, it's only fair
to let you know, Lorna
I've worked on
cases like this before
and sometimes these children
don't want to be found.
Right.
Er, what do you mean?
Adoptees can often feel resentful
towards their birth mothers.
They can feel abandoned.
So perhaps you're not
ready for that, emotionally,
- or psychologically.
- No.
I'm ready.
Believe me, I am.
Hmm.
I understand you were admitted
to a psychiatric hospital once.
And you had counselling afterwards
that didn't end well?
♪
How would you know that?
Well, I wouldn't be doing my job
if I didn't go into your background.
Is it true the police have
spoken to you
in connection
with an arson attack?
Nothing was proven.
And it's not the first time you've
been in trouble with the Guards.
- No, please
- Is it? Trespassing.
- Please
- Criminal damage.
- I'm a good person
- Intimidating behaviour.
Intimidating? Who am I intimidating?
And all the lies, Lorna.
I'm not lying! What am I
What am I lying about?
Someone told me
that you turned up, unannounced,
pretending that you wanted
to enrol your child.
- No, no, I didn't. That wasn't
- That has to stop.
I wasn't doing it on
purpose, I'm trying to
People are worried about you.
They are scared.
- You're not fucking listening to me!
- Oh, for God's sake!
I'm just tying to find
I'm not fucking lying!
I'm not fucking lying!
And what would your child think
if she could see you now?
All these stories
you've been telling yourself,
they're making you unwell.
If you continue like this,
you could be hospitalised
without your consent.
Indefinitely.
Do you understand?
And we don't want that for you.
We'll leave it at that, so
Thank you for talking to me, Lorna.
♪
♪
Do you remember one of the first
things I ever said to you?
What, that I look like
one of the Backstreet Boys?
[MASSEY LAUGHS]
No. No, I said that this
was a boring town.
And a couple weeks later,
what have we got?
There must be something else
we can do, Massey.
I should have done something
years ago.
Well, you didn't know
all of this was going on.
I was a part of it, Colman.
We all were.
We all knew what was going on
up in that convent,
and anyone tells you any different
and they're a liar.
I brought young girls up
and back to that place.
I let taxi drivers haul young kids
off to God-knows-where.
I saw the Cruelty Men
go up to that convent
and come out and say everything
was fine and I accepted it all
What did you say?
What?
You said, er
- The Cruelty Men?
- Well, yeah.
Yeah, that was just the nickname
we used for the inspectors from
the, the whatchacallit, the ISPCC.
You mean the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children?
Yeah.
It was just like a shorthand
we used, you know?
The Cruelty Man's coming
The Cruelty Man is coming. Run!
Those nuns
they locked me in a tunnel
and they'd say that
the Cruelty Man was coming.
"Don't make a sound
or the Cruelty Man will get you."
[WHISPERING VOICES]
[FOOTSTEPS]
I thought that he was a monster.
But he wasn't, was he?
It was a lie.
Those nuns were
protecting themselves
from the cruelty
that they were inflicting on me.
He was probably one of the few
people who could have helped me.
[HEARTBEAT PULSES]
- Where are you going?
- To put an end to all of this.
Colman
- Colman!
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[CROWS CAW]
[BIRDS CAW]
Lorna.
Are you all right?
I'm grand.
What's been going on?
I came to say goodbye.
You're leaving?
I was about to head to the station.
I tried calling you.
A few times.
I left a couple of messages.
Will you be coming back?
No.
Probably not.
You know what I'm
going to ask you, don't you?
Please.
Please.
Just let me
Let me take you out of this place.
I can't.
I have to be alone now, Michael.
Sorry.
OK.
I'd better be off, so
I'll see you
Lorna.
[PHONE RINGS]
This is Colman Akande.
Leave a message.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[SHE CLEARS HER THROAT]
Amy. Hello.
You got my message, so.
Yeah.
I've been staying with
Peggy and Deirdre.
They insisted.
I think they were worried after
the whole thing, you know.
Thomas.
Yeah, well, so was I.
And that's why you were
looking for me, right?
He wants to press charges?
Look, whatever it is, Massey,
will you just get it over with?
Is that your daughter?
♪
The problem
is Catholicism's inability
to embrace its own reckoning
and move forward.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you.
Thank you very much indeed
for what was an inspiring evening.
- Detective.
- Mr Coyle.
I wasn't expecting you
to stick around here.
Ah. I mean, of course.
That part about, er, what was it?
Embracing our own reckoning.
Yeah.
Well, thank you
for coming, Detective.
If you'll excuse me, I just need
How much did I cost?
How much did my mother pay for me?
I am coming for you
and all of your friends.
Ah, well
Well, I think that went
rather well, really.
October 30th, October 30th
[PHONE RINGS]
Hello?
Hello?
Mr Coyle?
Mr Coyle?
You rang me?
I didn't ring you.
Let me just check.
Come with me.
I don't understand.
But why is he calling me?
Look, he'll know by now
that I called you that night.
He'll work out that you went
to Father Percy's house.
Now, listen to me, Leslie.
You are going to be arrested,
but I need you to remember
there are a lot of good people here
with a lot to lose.
Now, we need to know we have
your silence, should it call for it.
I'm so sorry to interrupt, guys,
but could I speak
to your colleague here?
I'm Detective Sergeant Colman
Hey
Hey! Stop!
Hey!
- Hey
- Get away from me.
Calm down. Give me that knife.
Shit
Hey! Stop!
You're under arrest for the
murder of Father Percy Sheehan.
You're not obliged to say anything
unless you wish to do so
WHISPERING: Our Father, who art
in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom
He made you do it, didn't he?
What happened that night?
I think Aoife stole
the evidence of their crimes.
Percy called his old friend Coyle.
Then Coyle panicked,
decided Percy was a liability,
and I think he coerced you
into shutting him up for good.
How far off am I?
It didn't make a difference,
you know that, don't you?
All of this is coming out
whether you like it or not.
Those families that were torn apart.
All the people
that benefited from it.
Eadrom's attempts
to cover it all up.
Listen, I know what it's like
to be misled.
OK, you think these are good,
Christian people, but they're not.
They're godless, self-serving
You are the godless ones!
You're not willing
to make sacrifices.
Are you sacrificing yourself?
For him?
[PHONE RINGS]
COLMAN: Lorna? Are you all right?
Can I ask you a question?
Sure.
Do you love your mam?
You know, the woman who adopted you?
Raised you?
Yeah.
Of course I do.
Did she make you happy?
Did she give you a good life?
Lorna, what's this about?
Please, please,
just answer the questions.
Yes.
I love my mam.
I'll always love her
for what she's done for me.
You know, I think
I think she saved me.
And what about your birth mother?
Do you ever think of her?
I think about her every day.
What if you never find her?
That's OK.
I'll always love her, too.
Because she loved me.
Didn't she?
Yes.
Yes, she did.
OK. [SOB]
Thank you.
Wait, Lorna
[CLICK]
[SHE SOBS]
[BIRDS CAW]
[BIRDS CAW LOUDER]
[WIND HOWLS]
[BIRDS CAW]
[SHE GASPS]
[CAWING GROWS LOUDER]
[MORE CAWING]
[WHISPERING VOICES]
[SHE GASPS]
[FLIES BUZZ]
I'm so sorry.
[INHALES]
You can't go in there! Stop!
I always wondered
what these rooms looked like.
We've got it from here, Sister.
Thank you.
What do you think you're doing?
Do you remember me?
Well, how about them?
I remember her.
Me too.
What is this? What Aiden?
AMY: 298 children
died here at the convent.
And thanks to Lorna Brady,
we have all their names.
Three of those children
have burial records.
208 of them, we now know, were
trafficked and sold.
That leaves 87 children
completely unaccounted for.
Like this one here.
Emily.
Emily Kane.
That's my daughter.
You know I wanted to call her Emily.
I remember telling the midwife that.
And there she is.
We know for a fact that Emily died.
So we're assuming
the other 86 children did too.
There's only one place
where they could be,
where my little girl could be.
And that's here.
Still at the convent.
Where did you bury
their bodies, Sister?
You can't come here
making new accusations.
Because you all signed an agreement!
That's right, Sister.
We can't.
But he can.
So what have you got to say, Sister?
No-one will believe a word
those women are saying.
You know, for a long time, most
of us would have agreed with you.
But I believe that's because
we couldn't possibly fathom
that such evil could exist
in this country.
Now, this is your
last chance to tell us
what happened to those children.
Because after that, I'm coming
after you with everything I have.
Because the way I see it,
you will be held to account
for this either way.
If not by me,
then by the man himself.
If he's half the man
you claim him to be.
[FRUSTRATED BREATH]
Very well so.
Good day to you, Sister.
I'll be seeing you.
Soon.
What happened?
How did she get up there?
She must have been still alive
when I put her in the wall.
I killed her.
I didn't mean to, but I did.
OK.
OK.
It's your daughter?
Aoife found her.
She's alive.
Listen to me, Lorna,
we have to get your story straight.
This wasn't your fault.
You didn't know
what you were doing, OK,
you have to say that
you were sleepwalking.
- No.
- That you were traumatised,
- that you weren't of sound mind.
- No! Colman.
I'm not mad.
I never was.
But what about Agnes?
Lorna, you are
so close to finding her.
My daughter's alive.
Look at her.
[LAUGH] Look at her.
She is so happy.
That's all I needed to know.
The Magdalene Song
by Sinéad O’Connor:
I am the cause ♪
Of misery ♪
To those I love ♪
And who love me ♪
I'm everything ♪
with instruments:
A woman's not supposed to be ♪
That's why they took ♪
My children off of me. ♪
LORNA, WHISPERING:
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
NORMAL VOICE:
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there.
I did not die.
How are you feeling?
Well, I'm sleeping.
How about you?
You look tired.
Ah, we've got nothing on Coyle yet,
or anyone else involved.
They're all protecting each other,
but there's got to be someone
out there willing to talk.
Well, good luck.
Lorna, do you remember the payments
in the church accounts books?
Some of them were weird amounts.
Like Agnes's.
£10 887.09.
It was because of
the currency exchange.
Dollars to pounds.
It turns out St Alma's was
a sort of processing centre.
Kids were sent there while
the nuns got their papers sorted.
Got passports made up for them.
What, so you're saying
that they were what, sent abroad?
I found her, Lorna.
It took a little while, but
Who?
I found your daughter.
No, you didn't.
She's been looking for you too.
She's been looking for me?
Ever since her family told her
she was adopted.
What, so you spoke to her?
Yes.
And where is she?
- In Boston.
- Boston.
Boston
well, is she?
You know, is she?
It's OK.
It's OK.
Why don't you speak to her yourself?
I I can speak to her?
If you'd like.
There's a room you can use.
Now?
All right.
Now
You just press call.
What time is it in Boston?
It's nearly half seven.
Well, I I wouldn't want
to interrupt her breakfast.
She's waiting for you, Lorna.
[VIDEO CALL RINGS]
[PING]
Hi.
Sinéad with instruments:
But that's not going to happen ♪
I'm going to live ♪
Not for anybody but myself ♪
On the mountainside so steep ♪
Where the little donkeys sleep ♪
That's where I'll lay
my sorry head tonight. ♪