True Confessions

In 1948 Monsignor Desmond Spellacy, a judicious, ambitious monsignor working at the behest of the worldly Cardinal Danaher, is deeply involved in church-sponsored real estate development projects, all of which are very profitable for the local Catholic diocese. He has an edgy, uneasy relationship with his gritty, quick-tempered older brother, Detective Tom Spellacy of the LAPD, a one time bag man for corrupt builder Jack Amsterdam. Despite his murky past and iconoclastic temperament, the homicide detective has a strong sense of honor and resents the hypocrisy of Amsterdam and other members of the establishment. The brothers' paths cross when Tom covers up the death of a prominent Catholic priest in a local brothel run by madam Brenda Samuels, who has history with both the detective and Amesterdam. Tom's path again crosses his brother's when he investigates the gruesome homicide of a young prostitute whose body has been cut and half and thrown in a deserted lot. Circumstances cause both brothers to have crises of conscience as each tries to attain redemption and regain self-esteem.