▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Chicago ▁arch bishop ▁Joseph ▁Bernard in . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁When ▁a ▁Catholic ▁priest ▁is ▁bur nt ▁at ▁the ▁st ake ▁in ▁Ta com a , ▁Washington , ▁private ▁investig ative ▁organisation ▁the ▁Mill en ni um ▁Group ▁des patch ▁off ender ▁profil er ▁Frank ▁Black ▁( L ance ▁Henri ks en ) ▁and ▁Ar dis ▁C ohen ▁( L inds ay ▁Cr ouse ) ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁worked ▁together ▁on ▁a ▁case ▁involving ▁the ▁mur ders ▁of ▁three ▁cler ics ▁several ▁years ▁earlier . ▁Black ▁sees ▁similar ities ▁between ▁the ▁mur ders ▁and ▁the ▁methods ▁of ▁tort ure ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁medieval ▁In quisition . ▁This ▁is ▁confirmed ▁when ▁a ▁Protest ant ▁minister ▁is ▁d rown ed ▁in ▁im itation ▁of ▁another ▁rit ual ▁tort ure . ▁At ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁the ▁d row ning , ▁two ▁wed ding ▁rings ▁are ▁found — a ▁man ' s ▁in ▁the ▁st om ach ▁of ▁the ▁victim ▁and ▁woman ' s ▁nearby . ▁ ▁At ▁a ▁church , ▁the ▁k iller ▁is ▁searching ▁through ▁files ▁when ▁he ▁is ▁interrupted , ▁and ▁fle es , ▁leaving ▁blood ied ▁finger print s ▁at ▁the ▁scene . ▁Black ▁construct s ▁a ▁profile ▁of ▁the ▁man , ▁and ▁dedu ces ▁that ▁his ▁actions ▁are ▁attacks ▁on ▁faith , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁the ▁k iller ▁has ▁suffered ▁a ▁dev ast ating ▁loss ▁which ▁has ▁caused ▁him ▁to ▁lose ▁his ▁own ▁faith . ▁As ▁the ▁man h unt ▁for ▁the ▁k iller ▁tight ens , ▁another ▁cler