Object

Doctor Nat Sharp's Handkerchief

Doctor Nat Sharp wraps the handkerchief around his hand, grips the devil head knife, and drives it into Monsignor Wicks's back without leaving fingerprints. The fabric shields his touch during the precise stab amid Martha's scream. Nat later uses it to handle the lodged figurine during examination and search for the missing flask, preventing contamination or evidence transfer.

4 appearances

Purpose

Handling weapons and evidence without leaving fingerprints or traces

Significance

Facilitates Nat's murder of Wicks and subsequent cover-up, exposing his complicity in Martha's plot while heightening tension as missing flask threatens exposure

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S1E3 · WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Jud Discovers Wicks’s Murder in Closet

Doctor Nat Sharp’s handkerchief serves a dual purpose: as a tool to examine the murder weapon without leaving fingerprints, and as a symbol of his complicity. By using it to grip the devil head figurine, Nat ensures he doesn’t contaminate the scene with his own DNA, but his careful handling also suggests prior knowledge of forensic procedures—and possibly, his involvement in the crime. The handkerchief becomes a silent accomplice, shielding him from immediate suspicion while tying him to the cover-up.

Before: Folded in Nat’s pocket, unused until the moment he needs to examine the body.

After: Wrapped around the devil head figurine, potentially stained with blood, and later used to search for the missing flask—becoming a piece of evidence in its own right.

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S1E3 · WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Jud discovers Wicks's murder

Doctor Nat Sharp’s handkerchief is used as a tool to investigate the crime while preserving evidence. He wraps it around his hand to grip the devil head knife, driving it into Wicks’s back without leaving fingerprints. Later, he uses it again to handle the lodged figurine during his examination, ensuring that no contamination or evidence transfer occurs. The handkerchief serves a dual purpose: it allows Nat to interact with the weapon without compromising the crime scene, and it subtly reinforces his role as both investigator and potential accomplice. Its use is clinical and precise, reflecting Nat’s pragmatic approach to the horror unfolding around him.

Before: Folded neatly in Nat’s pocket, a personal item carried for hygiene or emergencies.

After: Stained with blood and potentially trace evidence, now a tool of the investigation. Its use raises questions about Nat’s involvement and his motives for preserving the scene so carefully.

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S1E3 · WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Nat stabs Wicks with the devil knife

The handkerchief serves as Nat’s primary tool for avoiding detection, wrapped around his hand as he grips the knife and tears the devil emblem from Wicks’s vestments. It is a practical yet symbolic object—its use underscores Nat’s careful planning, but its presence also highlights the fragility of his alibi. The handkerchief is a temporary shield, one that cannot protect him from the consequences of his actions or the missing flask’s implications.

Before: Folded and carried by Doctor Nat Sharp, ready to be used as a tool to avoid leaving fingerprints.

After: Still wrapped around Nat’s hand, now a potential piece of evidence linking him to the crime, though its absence of fingerprints complicates forensic tracing.

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S1E3 · WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Nat removes the tranquilizer flask

The tranquilizer flask, used earlier by Nat to subdue Wicks, is the linchpin of this moment. Its disappearance from the closet shelf is the catalyst for Nat’s panic, as it represents irrefutable evidence of his involvement in the murder. The flask’s absence suggests either a witness’s interference or a deliberate attempt to frame Nat, deepening the conspiracy’s complexity. Its role shifts from a tool of control to a symbol of Nat’s unraveling, as he frantically searches for it amid the chaos. The flask’s symbolic weight lies in its potential to expose the truth, making it a critical object in the unraveling of the church’s secrets.

Before: Placed on the closet shelf, containing tranquilizer liquid, used to subdue Wicks earlier in the scene.

After: Missing from the closet, its absence implicating Nat and suggesting external interference.

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