Original subtitles

[owl hooting]

[sighs] Peter, it's getting late.

Come on, Mom. Dad always lets me stay up when I'm visiting him.

Your father and I disagree about a lot of things.

That's why you live with me and visit him.

Don't forget to brush your teeth.

Hey, Mom, I'm 15, okay?

Yeah, well, I still pay the dentist bills, okay?

I know. I know.

I'll wind up with wooden teeth just like my grandfather.

[laughs] That was George Washington.

Don't be so smart.

Yes, ma'am.

Love you.

[chuckles]

[thudding]

Oh, no, not again.

[music stops]

[dog barks in distance]

[eerie music playing]

Peter.

Peter!

It's happening...

Mom, Mom, Mom, don't do this.

-No, it's real, Peter. -Please.

Peter, everything is moving in there.

No, no, it's not.

Okay? Look.

-No, don't-- -Look.

I saw it all. I...

[exhales shakily]

-I'm calling him tomorrow. -Not again.

Mom, the man is a fake. Okay? He's not gonna help you.

Peter, I have to do something.

Mom, it's just the stress.

Everything's going to be okay.

Happy anniversary, darling.

[knock on door]

Mrs. Hoth, I am so sorry I couldn't come any earlier,

but I've been booked up with appointments all day long.

That's all right.

I'm just glad you're here.

How are you holding up?

[sighs] I'm scared. Uh...

-I don't know if I-- -Yes.

You don't know if you can take the strain.

You're worried about your son.

You don't know what the future holds.

But I do, Michelle.

It might take some time, but I can help you.

By calling me,

you took a critical step

toward putting this whole thing behind you.

I hope so.

Where is Peter?

Uh, he's out.

He, um, he doesn't approve of any of this.

[chuckles]

I understand.

Divorce can sometimes make children suspicious...

untrusting.

Someday...

What?

What? What is it?

The entity, I sense it.

Last night's disturbance in the family room...

The dining room.

Family room and the dining room.

The entity's in great pain.

It's lashing out.

It needs to find peace.

Peace, so that it can move on.

[exhales]

We'll begin in here.

But I need to know that I have your full commitment.

Oh...

-Do you have the check? -[Michelle] Yeah.

Excellent.

Be strong.

You, who have left the world of flesh and blood,

listen to my plea.

Hear me.

Break through the veil of darkness and come into the light.

I am your catalyst, your conduit.

Come through me into this plane of existence.

Yes.

I feel your sorrow.

Come, show yourself.

Show yourself that we may help you.

[eerie moaning]

Oh, my God.

Yes, that's it. Don't be afraid.

I want only to heal the wounds.

Show yourself.

[Michelle exclaims]

Welcome, my friend.

[moans]

I know, the pain.

You died before your time.

The Civil War, far away from home.

This was your home, wasn't it?

And you left it all behind.

This house was built in the '20s.

On the very spot where his cabin once stood.

Who is it?

Lieutenant Nathaniel Swanson of the California Volunteers.

Beloved father and husband,

torn from this world

before he had a chance to hold his only child in his arms.

It was so unfair.

But don't make this woman pay.

Don't torment the innocent for injustices done to you.

They are not responsible.

I implore you to stop.

Stop the wandering, stop the suffering,

stop living in the past.

It's time to move on.

The war is over!

What the hell?

Young man, you have just interrupted

a very critical event for your mother and I.

Right. What a crock.

You.

You have no business being here.

Good evening, Mr. Starr.

Peter, what's going on?

I talked to the police

and they introduced me to Dr. Rayne and Miss Moreau.

They dealt with this guy before, unfortunately.

You know them?

Yes, Mrs. Hoth,

he certainly does.

Unbelievers. Modern day witch hunters.

Mrs. Hoth, your son called us

because he was concerned about you.

Look, I don't understand.

You have no right to be here--

What are you doing?

Just put that down.

[Derek] It's remote-controlled.

[beeps]

[eerie moaning]

This man is a fake.

Unfortunately, you're not his first victim.

All right, give me that. Just give me that, will you?

And that.

Don't listen to them, Michelle.

-They're the fakes. -Oh, really?

Jeffrey Starr, Danny Jones, also known as Chet Sinclair,

also known as...

-I mean, the list goes on and on. -[stutters]

It is not against the law to change your name.

I'll be out of jail by morning.

[door closes]

[indistinct chatter over police radio]

I realize you probably don't have a college degree,

so I will speak slowly so you can understand me.

You cannot do this to me.

All right? Hey! Hey!

My lawyer is on his way over right now.

Shut up.

Shut up yourself.

Are you listening to me?

-I want your badge number! -What'd you say?

I said butt out!

Let me guess, this is a glandular problem?

[exclaims]

[groans]

Happy anniversary, darling.

[Peter] Mom, could you come here for a second?

What is it?

[rattling]

[woman] No. Stop.

[woman screaming]

Watch out!

-[woman grunts] -[glass shatters]

Oh, my God, what's happening?

I don't know.

But this time I'm going to make the call.

[car horn toots]

-[intense music playing] -[grunts]

What the...

Oh, man.

There's been a stop payment put on that.

What, did you come to gloat?

No. I came to give you this.

Case histories of the people you've helped.

I never made any promises.

Really?

Old woman who spent her life-savings

to get rid of a non-existent ghost?

Teenager who quit college based on psychic advice? [chuckles]

What, I'm supposed to be responsible for what those boneheads did?

No, I just tell them what they want to hear.

Of course. Well, the police found a client list in your briefcase.

They were kind enough to make me a copy.

A client list?

That is privileged information.

And it was my privilege to call them.

You know, a smart lawyer will probably keep you out of prison,

but it won't bring back your customers.

Oh, big deal. Do you think I need them?

A new name, a new ad,

maybe a little bit of late-night TV commercial time,

I am back in business.

-You never learn, do you? -[laughing] Learn? Learn what?

What, that people believe in me?

Come on, Rayne.

I give them what they want, they give me money.

So, just blow off.

Oh, this is a good one.

A three-dollars-a-minute. That's...

That's $180 an hour. How can they get away with this?

Well, people are willing to spend a lot of money for peace of mind.

It's hardly peace of mind if what you're selling's a lie.

Why aren't we doing something about this?

"Know your future." Oh, that's rich.

Most people have a hard enough time just dealing with their past.

What's up?

Alex has found herself a new crusade.

No, it's just that there's so many of these scam artists,

I think we should do something about it.

Agreed. But for now, we have to settle for exposing the worst of them.

-Like Jeffrey Starr. -Jeffrey Starr?

-Give me a break. That's not his real name. -[phone ringing]

-Try Harold Churikian. -[Rachel] Ah.

No wonder he changed it.

Derek Rayne.

Was anyone hurt?

No, Peter, listen, go back to class.

We'll talk to both of you later.

Yes.

It was Peter again.

Something occurred last night after we left.

This might be the real thing.

[cable car bell rings]

[Jeffrey] Oh, Mrs. Silverman--

No. No, see, that was just a misunderstanding.

Yeah. No.

Look, a lot of people are very threatened by the things that I can do.

Well, if the skeptics ran the world, we'd have no modern medicine,

we'd never have gotten to the moon, we'd never--

No, no. Please, please.

We were, we were so close.

You know, I was almost in touch with your husband.

Lady, we had a deal!

[groans]

Wait, wait. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Look, I've been under a lot of pressure lately.

You have to--

[news reporter]We're at an accident right now

at the corner of 34th and Powell,

where a car ran a red light and smashed into the pole.

The driver, a man in his early 30s,

was said to bedriving under the influence...

I don't believe this.

[news reporter]...as charges are still pending.

He remains in critical condition at the Oakridge Hospital,

and no one else was injured in the accident.

[yells]

Oh, man.

Well, it's beautiful.

So much space.

-So, how long have you lived here? -Three months.

I used the money from the divorce settlement for a down payment.

I just loved it.

Well, given the disturbances you described,

there's always the possibility the house is haunted.

Okay, I want to show you something. Come here.

-Okay, this started today. -What?

The furniture, she keeps moving it.

"She"?

Yeah. We've heard a woman's voice.

-Could you help me? -Yes.

[Michelle] I think, uh...

It's always the same.

I think she keeps trying to put it back in some kind of past arrangement.

But I like it this way.

[sighs]

I guess this is the part where you tell me I'm crazy.

[wind blows]

[glass shatters]

You see?

I can definitely say you're not crazy.

[car idling outside]

Oh, damn.

[car door closes]

Oh.

[door opening]

You.

Oh, look, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Look, I know that I'm not supposed to be here,

but there's something going on in this house.

You have some nerve.

God, this is going to sound kind of weird.

[stammers] I got hit in the head,

and ever since then, I keep on seeing these terrible things.

Oh. This is great. This is just what I need.

Do I have to get a restraining order?

I saw a woman, all right?

She was crying. There was a gun.

Don't you ever quit?

I can't explain this.

Look, I saw this.

It was in the bedroom upstairs.

You have to leave.

Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go. I just... I only, uh...

What's this all about, huh?

What, what, you're doing a little remodeling?

[groans]

Stop!

Someone threw a woman into that window.

Mrs. Hoth doesn't need to hear this.

No, this is not a scam. You've got to believe me.

You watched your father die in that cave.

What's a sepulcher?

Get out of here.

Now.

[birds calling]

We did the standard background check on Michelle's house,

looking for any unusual deaths that might account for the haunting.

We found one.

Sandra Bruskin.

That's Victor, her husband.

Her father, William Carter, built the house for them in 1927.

Two years after they were married,

she committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

[Rachel] June 2, 1928.

Now, the details are sketchy, but apparently,

she and Victor were no longer

living together as man and wife in the house.

And suicide. There's your unresolved death.

Yeah, given Michelle's own history of abuse prior to her divorce,

it's possible this ghost is responding to a kindred soul.

What about Starr? He did talk about a gun.

He could have dug up the same information.

No, that doesn't explain how he would know about Derek's past.

Good point.

There have been verified accounts

where a blow to the head has resulted in ESP.

You mean like Peter Hurkos.

Yeah, exactly.

So, Rachel and I will continue working with Michelle tomorrow,

and I want you and Nick to check out Starr.

We need a clear picture of how he operates.

[in singsong voice] He's not going to be very responsive.

But if he has something up his sleeve, I want to know what it is.

[Michelle] The old couple I bought the house from

said a lot of this stuff's from the original owner.

[Rachel] Hmm.

Oh, this is great.

Yeah, so Sandra's father originally owned this whole area.

It was a farm.

And, uh, she fell in love with his foreman.

They got married, and that's when he cleared this property

and built them a house.

Yeah, and he sold it after she killed herself.

-What exactly are we looking for? -Reasons.

The more we know,

the better chance we have to bring peace to this house.

And Sandra.

Derek, I think I found something.

Handwritten.

Yeah, it looks like a journal.

[wind howling]

[Sandra]You're not going to hurt me anymore.

No more, Victor.

This is where it stops.

[gasps]

Is there another place where you could stay for the next couple of days?

-No, I'll be fine. -You sure?

I'm just worried about Peter, though.

I think when he gets home from school,

I'm going to send him off to stay with friends until this is over.

All right.

[panting]

[creaking]

[woman laughing]

It's going to be all ours, sweetheart.

Dad even let me pick the spot and everything.

He's still not very happy about us.

He's tried every argument.

That I'm too young.

We should wait. It's the wrong season for a wedding.

He just couldn't bring himself to admit the real reason.

Daddy's little girl wasn't supposed to marry the hired help.

I just wish my mother were alive to watch him squirm.

Victor, I don't know if I can wait for the honeymoon.

We're going to have such a wonderful life.

Make love whenever we want, raise a family,

-grow old together-- -[blow landing]

Victor, what's wrong?

[Victor] You're what's wrong.

[demonic roaring]

[screams]

[door opening]

Peter.

Is everything okay?

[stammering] I saw her. The ghost.

-You saw her? -She was right there.

It was like she was talking to someone or something.

I don't know. This is too crazy.

Peter, I was just talking to the Wallings.

I want you to go and stay there until this is over.

[mouthing]

Ah.

You guys seem to be everywhere.

We just want to talk.

Something really is going on in that house, isn't there?

Well, maybe you can tell us.

[laughing] Oh, wait a minute.

That's what you people do, isn't it?

You do the real thing.

Sometimes. What was it you saw?

Why should I tell you? You wouldn't believe me anyway.

He's a fraud. Let's go.

Wait, let's at least give him a chance.

Come on, Alex.

Okay. Give me your hand.

You hurt her, I hurt you.

Oh, man.

Wait a minute. You got it, too. I can...

[screaming]

-Are you okay? -Yeah, I'm fine.

No, no, no, I don't believe it.

What? What is it?

You.

I saw you in that house.

You're going to die.

I never thought I'd be saying this,

but I don't think Jeffrey's faking it this time.

That's quite a turn-around. What makes you think that?

Oh. What he says, how he says it.

But mainly, it's just a feeling.

Despite his track record?

[Rachel] I hate to say this,

but sounds like a guy tried to get your attention.

Well, why bother? And why go back to Michelle's?

What's the point? She knows what he's all about.

He also said he saw you dead on the floor.

Yeah, but that terrified him more than it did me.

I mean, who knows what he really saw?

It can mean anything. He has no real experience.

I wish we could just test him to see if he really does have the sight.

Yeah, well, until we find out more about him,

-just be careful. -Hmm.

Any luck with reconstructing those pages we found?

Yeah, yeah, these are the most pertinent entries.

-Oh. -[keyboard clacking]

Both take place on the same day, a year apart.

Looks like Victor Bruskin became a different man

once he married into money.

He started beating Sandra,

and she became despondent, felt trapped and helpless.

And on their first wedding anniversary, he left her.

She became more depressed.

Well, unfortunately, that follows the pattern.

The victim fears loneliness more than they do the abuse.

Well, the last page is a rambling suicide note.

She said she couldn't take it anymore.

She claimed that she hid her secrets up in the attic,

and that night she killed herself.

It was their second wedding anniversary.

Well, there's your test.

Just take one of the scraps of the journal and ask him to touch it.

If he's for real, who knows, maybe he can help us.

It's worth a try.

Where did you get all this stuff, huh?

[whirring]

Oh, no. [laughs]

Some lady wanted to talk to her dead dog, so...

Did you have to bark?

All right, even I wouldn't stoop that low.

That's my, uh, old man's parents.

Mmm. The circus.

It's a living.

I modernized the routine.

[chuckles]

Grandma always claimed to be the real thing.

Guess it runs in the family.

All I needed was a nice whack in the back of the skull

to bring it out in me.

So, tell me what you see.

Depends on what I touch. It's different every time.

Can you describe the visions?

It's not what I expected. I always thought that it would be, uh...

It would be misty and obscure.

And it's not?

All right. What I don't get is this.

I'm seeing things from both the past and the future.

What's that all about?

Well, maybe it's not as crystal clear as you think.

And if I see things in the future, can I change it?

Well, that's a good question. I...

Knowing what's going to happen

might be creating the very future you're seeing.

You're right.

Yeah, well, whatever it is I'm seeing, it's scaring the hell out of me.

Yeah. I understand.

Listen, I want to try something.

-Just a little test. -What kind of a test?

Give me your hand.

Hold this.

[Sandra] No!

Okay, okay. Tell me.

There's a closet in the attic.

[beeping]

I don't think it's gonna make too much of a difference

where we drill in the chamber.

-Well, let's have a look. -All right.

[beeping]

[drill whirs]

Wait! Wait! Don't do that.

-This guy again? -Alex, what is it?

A closet in the attic.

When I gave him that piece of paper, this is exactly what he saw.

This is it. This is it. Exactly. It was so real.

Well, real or not, this is not a game.

So, if you want to stay, stand over there.

Yeah, but I can help.

By doing exactly as you're told.

Don't open up that wall!

-Alex. -Okay, come on. Let's just stand over--

Yeah, but I had the vision.

I know you had the vision, but...

In having that vision, you've opened up a channel.

You're very vulnerable right now.

[beeping]

I wouldn't do that. That's very dangerous.

So, you have a better idea?

I...

[stammers] I don't know.

Okay, so if you want to stay, you have to be quiet, okay?

[Nick] Okay, I got a visual.

Looks like some old newspapers.

Here's a date.

June 2, 1927.

It's a year to the day that Sandra Bruskin committed suicide.

Peter's off. I did--

-What's he doing here? -I'm trying to help.

Who let him in?

I did. I'm sorry, Michelle.

We have to explore every possibility,

and we thought that he might know more than we thought.

I don't care what he knows, I want you out of this house now.

Fine. Have it your own way.

[beeping continues]

Wait, Jeffrey.

I can only stick my neck out so far.

Listen, you have a gift, use it.

For what? This isn't me, Alex.

Oh, man. I was a fool to think I could be part of this.

I could run my head into a brick wall to get rid of it.

The real thing is wasted on me.

Listen, it doesn't have to be that way.

Just go and play with your little ghost, okay?

I'm going to go back to the real world.

I'm telling you, Mel, my new act's going to blow you away.

No, listen, if it doesn't double the tenants in the first week,

I'll give you your money back.

No, in fact, you don't have to pay me until you're completely satisfied. Huh?

What do you mean? It's Vegas.

Of course you can find a stage.

Perfect!

You just let me pack a toothbrush.

I'll be there in a day and a half. Huh?

Oh, hang on. Hang on.

You better give me a phone number where I can reach you during the day.

Okay.

Okay. You won't be sorry.

Oh, the hell with--

[drill whirring]

[Nick] No! No!

[screaming]

No.

I told you.

You didn't listen.

[Alex moans]

[Jeffrey] I saw it.

I couldn't stop it.

Jeffrey?

Oh. [sobs]

You're alive.

I was wrong.

-You saw it. -Yeah.

Oh, you mean the vision. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, that's what brought me back.

It was just like being here.

I thought you were dead.

No. I need to know exactly what you saw.

Oh.

Well, uh, you guys were cutting through this wall,

and all of a sudden, there was like this...

explosion of light.

No.

[demonic muttering]

Jeffrey.

Oh, he's still unconscious. I got here as quick as I could.

Whatever it was that hit him,

must've been trapped in that wall for years.

I can remember feeling it hit me

while we were cutting through the wall.

Yes, the four of us must have absorbed the initial release,

and then Jeffrey caught the full force when he pried out the board.

Wait. Are you saying that he saw it before it happened?

It looks that way.

Well, assuming that whatever it was has dispersed,

why don't we go upstairs and have a look at what's behind that wall?

I don't know. I think it's time we got Michelle out of here.

We don't know what's going to happen next.

Listen, Michelle, you and I can get your son,

you can come to my house and stay there.

Yeah, his pulse is stable. I think he's going to come to anytime.

Well, don't worry. I'll take care of him.

Okay.

Is it going to take very long? I mean...

It's hard to say. Possibly all night. Maybe longer.

Why don't you try to get some sleep, and we'll call you if anything turns up?

Okay, well, thank you. Thanks a lot.

Just be careful.

-You can call us when it's over. -Count on it.

-Come on. -Okay.

Hey.

How're you feeling?

[Nick grunts]

It's all from 1927.

Looks like whoever built this house

had a skeleton in the closet, literally.

Yeah. The question is who.

[grunts]

Jeffrey?

It's Victor.

Victor?

[Sandra] Happy anniversary, darling.

-What's wrong? -You're what's wrong.

[Sandra crying] No, stop!

[glass shatters]

Happy anniversary, darling.

[gasps]

It's Victor.

Sandra's haunting this house

because Victor's soul has been trapped in the attic.

Sandra committed suicide after she killed him.

What's wrong?

[grunts]

You.

You're what's wrong.

[Sandra] Victor.

Victor.

You're not going to hurt me anymore.

[Alex grunts]

[Alex] Derek!

How I have waited for this.

No. Jeffrey!

Now you both pay.

[Derek] We have to force the spirit out.

-Are you all right? -I have her.

Jeffrey! Jeffrey!

Jeffrey, listen to me.

Victor's spirit is using your body.

You have to fight back. Retake control.

[struggling] I can't do it!

You must!

Stop!

Let me be!

[Sandra] No more, Victor.

This is where it stops.

[Victor] No!

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

[Jeffrey coughing]

What, is it over?

Yeah, I think it is.

How about you? Are you okay?

Yeah.

At least I think I am.

[coughs] Oh, man.

Oh.

Is it always so rough?

It has its moments.

Having the sight isn't always a blessing, huh?

Yeah.

Oh, gee.

I'm still going to knock them dead in Vegas.

So to speak.

Well, you've been given a gift.

Don't abuse it.

He's right. Another knock on the head, maybe it's all gone.

-Really? -You never know.

Well, excuse me, but I got a plane to catch.

What about the people you duped?

Oh. What... Don't worry. I still got that list.

You know, if this is as big as I think it's going to be,

I'll make good.

Really.

You believe me, don't you?

Yeah, I guess I do.

Thanks.

I knew you would.

With any luck, maybe I'll come back and give you a hand again sometime.

Yeah, well, with any luck, let's hope it will never come to that.

[Alex] There's an ancient proverb

that warns us to be careful of what we wish for

because we just might get it.

Sometimes, as Jeffrey Starr discovered,

seeing into the future and the past can be more a burden than a blessing.