Edge of Doom

Father Roth counsels George, a priest despondent about caring for parishioners and considering leaving. He interrupts with the story of Martin Lynn, a murderer whose actions bring Roth nearer to God. The tale is presented as a meditation on guilt, mercy, and the complexities of faith.

Martin fights to raise funds to marry his girlfriend and to take his ailing mother to Arizona for recovery. His mother remains deeply religious, but Martin resents the church, especially Father Kirkman who refused his father a proper burial after suicide. The financial pressure compounds his resentment and desperation.

Martin's father killed himself and Kirkman refused him a proper Catholic funeral. His mother’s devotion contrasts with Martin's growing anger at the church. This grievance sows the seeds for the later confrontation with Kirkman.

After his mother's death, Martin tells Craig he wants a grand church funeral, even though he cannot afford it. Craig implies that someone owes you something and that you should have the nerve to collect, feeding Martin's resolve.

Martin demands a lavish parish funeral; Kirkman explains the parish's poverty. Kirkman writes Martin's name and address on a notepad. When Martin explodes and refuses to leave, he strikes Kirkman with the base of a crucifix, then flees, wiping his fingerprints from the scene.

On his way home, Martin passes by a cinema where Craig has just robbed. A gawking crowd swells as Craig is recognized and arrested by two policemen. This event ties Martin's fate to Craig's criminal past and foreshadows future complications.

Father Roth, at the station for another man, vouches for Craig and escorts him home. His involvement foreshadows the priest's growing moral ambiguity as events unfold.

Later, police hold Craig for the murder of Kirkman because of his past threats toward the priest, and because Kirkman had warned Craig's wife about his criminal history. The case drags both men into the investigation and complicates the priestly investigation.

At the funeral home, Martin meets Father Roth, who takes him to the church for counsel. An elderly woman claims she can identify the man she saw shortly before the murder, triggering a panic in Martin as he tries to control the situation.

Roth, while at Kirkman's desk, absentmindedly rubs the pencil on the notepad and reveals Martin's name and address. The realization that Martin may be the killer solidifies the priest's suspicions and heightens the tension.

The police assemble an improvised lineup including Martin and Craig. The elderly woman mistakenly identifies Craig as the man she saw, muddying the investigation's focus and complicating who might be responsible.

Feeling tormented, Martin prays aloud to his mother at the funeral home, confessing to the crime. After finishing, he seeks help from Roth and asks for reassurance that he will be allowed to attend the funeral.

Father Roth recalls that Martin writes letters to him from his cell and hopes to return to the church for prayer someday. The epistolary bond hints at possible redemption under the priest's guidance.