The agents discuss the case and Mulder expresses his theory that the murder is a result of psychic surgery – the victim’s heart was removed without any incisions, prints, or forensic evidence of any kind left as clues. Scully, at best, is dubious.
When a similar murder occurs out on Lover’s Lane, Mulder calls Scully at his office. She finds that a pendant has been slipped inside an envelope under Mulder’s door. It’s a “milagro” – a lucky charm, with an image of a burning heart engraved on it. Scully feels it may be from the murderer and sets out to do some research.
At a nearby church, Scully is studying a painting of Christ with a flaming heart in his hands when she is approached by Mulder’s neighbor, Padgett. He says that he sent her the milagro and that he has been studying her for a character in his novel. Padgett admits he’s become enamored of Scully.
Scully is both intrigued and disquieted by Padgett, yet is drawn to visit him on her way to Mulder’s apartment. He seems to be getting underneath her skin when Mulder barges in, gun high, and arrests Padgett. It seems that the murders which they have been investigating coincide with personal ads taken out in a local paper; Padgett used the ads to find his victims. He also wrote about each murder, in detail, in his novel.
Another murder occurs while Padgett is locked up. Mulder is even more fervent in his belief that Padgett psychically communicated with a partner in crime, Dr. Ken Naciamento – the noted Brazilian psychic surgeon, and that somehow Padgett directed Naciamento to commit the crime. Hoever, Naciamento has been dead for three years. Mulder feels the only way to catch Padgett is to release him.
Back in his apartment, Padgett is visited by Naciamento. Mulder and Scully, who have set up a surveillance on Padgett’s apartment, see nothing on the screen of Naciamento. Naciamento coaxes Padgett into the realization that Scully must be killed. Padgett hurriedly finishes his novel, then heads for the basement incinerator to burn the pages. Mulder follows him there and is about to arrest Padgett when he hears a scream from above. It’s Scully and she is being attacked by Naciamento. Mulder races to find her covered in blood, but alive. Padgett, on the other hand, lies at the foot of the incinerator, his heart removed and beating in his own hand.
THE X-FILES “Milagro” #6X18
Original Air Date: 04/18/99
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
John Hawkes as Phillip Padgett
Nestor Serrano as Ken Naciamento
Michael Bailey Smith as Guard
Angelo Vacco as Kevin
Jillian Bach as Maggie
D. Bennett Nelson as Maggie’s Dad
WRITTEN BY:
Chris Carter, John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz
DIRECTED BY:
Kim Manners