True Confessions

In 1962, in a remote desert parish, Tom Spellacy visits his dying brother, Monsignor Desmond Spellacy, and they reminisce about the past. Flash back to 1948: As chancellor of the archdiocese, Desmond pleases Cardinal Danaher by securing financial stability through generous donations from wealthy developer Jack Amsterdam, whose daughter he recently married. Meanwhile, detective Tom and his partner Frank Crotty investigate the brutal murder of young Loïs Fazenda, her body severed and dumped in a vacant lot. Tom openly despises Amsterdam, whose shady dealings include pimping, especially since Tom once worked for him and maintains ties with brothel owner Brenda Samuels, putting Desmond in a precarious position.