Ridley (2022) s01e01 Episode Script

The Peacefull Garden

1
BELL RINGS
WOMAN: Last orders, please!
WIND WHISTLES
Who's there?
GUNSHOTS
ANSWER MACHINE: You've reached Kate,
Alex and Ella.
We're not home right now,
but if you leave a message,
we'll get back to you.
MACHINE BEEPS
MACHINE: You have no new messages.
SMOOTH JAZZ PLAYS
Boss?
Darren.
First lead on a murder case.
SHE SIGHS
Bit early.
Jesse Halpin. Sheep farmer.
Right.
This is his place.
Someone shot him last night.
He was walking home from the pub.
It's a bit out of the way,
these woods.
There's a footpath from the village.
Leads straight across his land.
Up through those trees
to the farmhouse.
Who called it in?
Farm worker.
Lorna Spalden.
She's given us a statement.
I still need to speak to her, yeah.
I'm gonna check in
with Dr Newstone first.
Dr Newstone.
Shotgun wounds to the upper torso.
No soot staining
or secondary projectile damage.
Any sign of a firearm?
Nothing yet.
What about these shoe treads?
We've ruled them out
as the victim's.
It's a public footpath.
Any number of people
will have traipsed all over it.
We'll get them photographed.
But we did find
some expended shell cases.
If we're lucky,
we might lift some latent prints.
So, whoever shot him
was standing here.
So he either chanced upon
his killer,
or someone was lying in wait.
That's a reasonably accurate
assessment.
This is hardly the time,
but well done with that promotion.
Thanks.
Ambitious new DI
with a point to prove.
Pretty much sums it up.
Ridley never let himself get carried
away with theories and guess work.
Well, Ridley isn't running
this case.
I'm not saying he was always right.
Play to your strengths.
You'll get there.
HE GRUNTS
SOFTLY: Oh, Jesus
So, this is where
you've been hiding?
Jean.
What are you doing out here?
Oh, I've come to see you.
Can I come in?
Place is a bit of a mess.
I'll get my boots on,
we'll go for a walk.
Lorna, isn't it? DI Carol Farman.
Copelton Police.
I understand
that you found the body?
Yeah, he was lying by the footpath.
Must've been there all night.
Do you always walk to work
along the footpath?
I've a place
down by Wensbeck Bridge.
Live-in tenant.
Edge of the woods?
That's right.
So, erm, how long have you
worked for the Halpins?
Must be 20-odd years now.
You'd have known Jesse Halpin
pretty well, then?
Well enough.
Is there anyone you can think of
that might have fallen out with him?
Well, people round here.
..they never had
a good word to say about Jesse.
Any of those people
I should be talking to?
Halpins keep themselves
to themselves.
It's just the way it's always been.
Hmm.
I'll let you get on.
How's your retirement shaping up?
Well, you know,
takes a bit of getting used to,
all this time on your hands.
Well, you cut adrift in your prime.
You've still got so much to offer.
"Access to pension
on medical grounds"
was the phrase
they used to dress it up.
Well, I used to run
a Major Crimes team.
And these days, the school run
is about as exciting as it gets. Ha!
The grandkids.
You gotta enjoy that.
Do you know, if I'm honest,
they make me feel old.
You miss it then. The job?
So much more than I thought I would.
Your presence was noted
at the funeral.
I should have come earlier, but
To be honest,
I didn't know what to say to you.
Nothing anybody can say.
Won't bring them back.
He went to the pub after tea.
And that's The Mason's Arms
in Wensbeck?
20-minute walk
if you cut across the fields.
And when he didn't come home,
you rang the police?
He wasn't answering his mobile.
What time was this?
Must have been well after midnight.
And you were both here all evening?
We don't get out much.
The farm keeps us busy.
Mm.
You own most of the land
around the village.
Just shy of 300 acres.
Sheep farming, mainly.
I'm sorry to have to ask you this,
Mrs Halpin,
but, erm, is there anybody
who might have had a grievance
with your husband?
No-one I can think of.
The chances are
this wasn't a random shooting.
Well, we keep our own company.
Always have done.
Your tenant, Lorna Spalden,
hinted that there was tensions.
Neighbours in the village.
Best pay no heed to what Lorna says.
How long will they be out there
in the woods?
We've locked off the area
as a murder scene.
Crime Scene Investigators
are searching for evidence.
She's been up all night.
She's exhausted.
I understand.
We'll still need you
to identify your husband's body.
There's no rush.
I can speak
to a family liaison officer?
No, no. No need for any of that.
I'll see she's looked after.
Thank you.
You heard from
Carol Farman lately?
Carol. Yeah.
No, I suspect she's busy. You know,
with the promotion and that.
So you won't have heard about
last night's homicide?
Sheep farmer right in Wensbeck.
Jesse Halpin.
I thought it would be better
if you heard it from me.
Have they any idea who killed him?
Well, that's a question for the SIO.
So this wasn't a social call, Jean.
You came all the way out here what,
to warn me off, is that it?
It's just some friendly advice,
that's all.
From one ex-copper to another.
You can't solve them all, Ridley.
It doesn't pay to dwell on the past.
See you later.
Adless Woods homicide.
Victim's name was Jesse Halpin.
He's a sheep farmer from Wensbeck.
Last seen drinking
in The Mason's Arms in the village.
It appears
he was killed on the walk back home.
Fatal shotgun wound to the chest.
Body was discovered by Lorna Spalden
- one of his tenants.
Any names in the mix?
No-one so far.
It does seem that
the Halpins have a bit of a rep.
Chances are this was personal.
Someone with a grudge.
Someone local who knew the area.
So let's get some legs
over to Wensbeck.
I want house-to-house inquiries.
Cameras. Phone records. ANPR.
Who did Jesse Halpin talk to
last night?
Have a seat.
This stays strictly between us.
But it won't hurt
to give you the heads up.
Jesse Halpin was questioned
by DI Ridley
in connection with
the Zoe Lindsey case.
The three-year-old abducted
near Dunmore Sands.
Yeah, I know. Must've been
14 years ago.
West Riding were running
that case.
My old stomping ground.
Lowly DS back then.
Why was Ridley anywhere near it?
He was asked to rule out Halpin
after his plates flagged up
near the crime scene.
And was he ruled out?
Ridley was convinced
he was somehow connected.
You clearly weren't in agreement.
A suspect had already been arrested,
Daniel Preston.
A lot of evidence pointed to him,
but the charge never stuck.
So Ridley might actually
have been on to something?
If Ridley gets wind of this, he's
bound to start stirring things up.
Wouldn't hurt to bring him in.
See what he can add to the mix.
He's just lost his wife and
daughter, Carol. Full on breakdown.
I hear he can barely get out of bed.
This might give him
something to focus on?
I don't want him anywhere near it!
Last thing we need is Zoe Lindsey
coming back to haunt us.
JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS
'If anyone out there
knows where she is,
'please, please come forward.
'She'll be tired and frightened.
'She'll be wanting her mum.'
LAUGHTER
MUSIC CONTINUES
RADIO: 'Control from Bravo Delta,
'potential witness
on 25 Wishbone Street.'
Jesse Halpin always drank
on his own.
Regular, was he?
He'd show his face most evenings.
Barely a civil word out of him.
I get the impression
that he wasn't well liked?
Halpins have always been oddballs.
You'll see Moll in the village,
and she'll look right through you.
So she doesn't get out much?
Jesse liked his women
to stay at home.
Even had his daughter
home-schooled.
Any trouble last night
we should know about? It was quiet.
Usual faces. Well, I'll need you
to put some names to those faces.
Yeah?
HIP-HOP PLAYS ON CAR RADIO
Hiya.
What's all this?
DI Farman. Copelton Police.
Steve, my lad.
They're here about Jesse Halpin.
Aye, erm
I heard someone shot him.
You work in the pub, then,
with your mum?
Not much else on offer round here.
Were you working last night?
Busy collecting glasses
till closing.
Truth be told,
we had a bit of a lock-in.
Oh, right.
I'd keep that one between us, eh?
Boss?
Yeah.
Nothing we can work with
from house-to-house.
No-one seems to have seen him
walking home.
Well, clearly he ran into someone.
But I need you to retrace
Halpin's steps last night.
Walk along the lane
until you get to the footpath.
See if it throws up anything.
Boss.
Darren.
Yeah?
Run a check on Steve Parry
soon as you get back at the station,
yeah?
Summat I should know about?
Just covering all our bases.
Detective Inspector Farman.
Nice ring to it, don't you think?
HE CHUCKLES
It's been a while.
Too long. I know.
Listen, er, wondered if you had
any plans later this evening?
Thought I could buy you dinner.
Makes a change from takeout, eh?
Pulling an all-nighter.
Pizza sauce
all over the custody suite.
LAUGHTER
How's it going anyway?
Let's just say
I'm still on probation.
What? You deserve it, the promotion.
Five years on the job with you
and that is the first compliment
you've ever paid me.
That's got to be a lie.
I've been meaning
to call you for ages.
Things have been pretty full-on.
That murder up in Wensbeck.
must be keeping you busy.
Jean Dixon came to see me
this morning.
Jesse Halpin.
Someone shot him last night.
So, what, you thought I might be
able to shed a bit of light on it?
Goodwin warned me
not to talk to you.
But he said that you had concerns
about Halpin.
Yeah, I was always convinced
he'd taken her.
What made you so sure?
Well, apart from inconsistencies
in his statement,
he could never explain
what he was doing in the area.
I asked them to keep on,
but they never did.
But they arrested a suspect.
A convicted sex offender.
Yeah. Daniel Preston.
He's serving time
for an unrelated offence.
Indecently assaulting a minor.
CPS ruled there was insufficient
evidence to charge him
with Zoe Lindsey's abduction.
And you think he was innocent?
The investigation was flawed,
I know that much.
Perhaps they were in it together?
Halpin and Preston.
# You remember young
Danny McClaren, of course
# Well, he's over here
# With the rest of the force
# I've seen him myself
As he stood on the Strand
# Stopped all the traffic
With a wave of his hand
# And as we were talking
Of days that are gone
# The whole population of London
Looked on
# But for all his great powers
He's wishful like me
To be back where the dark Mourne
Sweeped down to the sea. ♪
I've missed that voice.
Oh, Annie.
HE CHUCKLES
Yeah, I'm a bit rusty.
Sounded good to me.
HE CHUCKLES
Didn't expect to see you tonight.
No, I was just round the corner.
I thought I'd drop in.
I didn't expect to see you either.
How are we doing?
Well, by the time
we've paid the talent,
we're barely breaking even.
I keep telling you,
you know, you see,
you're giving away
too many free drinks.
You want a return
on your investment?
You could always play a set
this weekend.
Oh, I don't know, Annie.
These days,
I'm more of a silent partner.
You know, I could do with
a bit of support, Alex.
It's been tough on me, too,
coming to terms with what happened.
And trying to keep this place
ticking over. I know.
I know.
You think this is what
Kate and Ella would've wanted?
To see you like this?
You can't hide away forever.
Can't I?
Make sure you lock up
before you leave.
Night.
Night.
Sorry I couldn't make it
to parent's evening, Jack.
So, what did I miss?
Mr Atkins has got a new hairpiece.
It's a much better fit.
You can only see the joins up close.
And Sharon Dawkins said
could she ring you?
Wants to talk about policing
the school-run parking.
Her daughter's a right nutter.
She comes to school
with no knickers on.
What?
I'm not even gonna ask
how you know that.
Oh!
PHONE CHIMES
Can I go round Tom's for tea?
I don't see why not.
And what about that project
you still need to finish?
Well, one late night won't hurt him,
will it?!
He'll probably be outside
right now.
Er, fruit, please.
You'll get scurvy!
I can give you both a lift
if you want?
I'm headed that way.
DOOR SLAMS
I'll take that as a no, then.
He's falling behind as it is.
And all you ever do is remind him.
Yeah. It's a big year for him.
Which is why he should be able
to let off some steam
every now and then.
PHONE RINGS
Sorry.
Mm!
Yes, Darren?
I ran that check on Steve Parry
you asked for.
Six-month custodial
for stealing a tractor.
And this couldn't wait
until I get to the station?
His plates also flagged up
on Wensbeck Lane
the night of Jesse Halpin's murder.
Get a team over to Wensbeck.
Arrest him and put him
in an interview room. I'm on my way.
You've got a visitor waiting.
Catherine Halpin.
She said she'd only speak to you.
Right.
Catherine?
I want to see Steve.
Right, well,
I'm just about to question him
in relation to a very serious crime.
We had nothing to do with it.
Ah, you and Steve?
We've been together
for a couple of months now.
Boss.
Right.
Duty solicitor's arrived.
OK.
We'll finish this
after I've interviewed him.
Hi, Michael.
That pick-up truck you own,
we can place it on Wensbeck Lane.
9.46pm on the night
of Jesse Halpin's murder.
And again, nearly two hours later,
heading back towards the village.
I went for a drive.
You told us
you were in the pub all night.
I knew if you found out
me and Jesse had previous
Well, what previous is this?
My dog were injured
in one of his snare traps.
He sets them in the woods.
To keep scrotes like you
off his property?
I took it to your lot.
Official complaint.
And they said I couldn't prove owt.
Your relationship
with Catherine Halpin.
You didn't think
that was worth mentioning?
Let's just say
it wasn't common knowledge.
I'm guessing he warned you off?
Said his daughter
were too good for us.
Oh, that must've been
a blow to the ego.
You know,
they worked her like a skivvy.
Kept her locked up on that farm.
OK, so he's warned you off
his daughter. Nobbled your dog.
Chances are
you were looking to even the score.
I didn't even see him that night!
So what were you doing in the woods?
Me and a mate, we went lamping.
That's hunting after dark.
Yeah, I know what it is.
There's always plenty of bait there.
So we just placed
a few bets on the dogs.
What about a firearm,
were you carrying?
OK, we had a gun.
Well, it's licensed. You can check.
Oh, we will.
Look, we heard a shot.
So we ran because we thought
he was coming for us.
Called in the dogs
and drove back to the village.
What, and then
got your mum to cover for ya?
Look, Jesse Halpin was
a piece of work,
and I'm not sorry he's dead.
But I didn't kill him.
This mate of yours
we're gonna need his name.
'I brought you some books.'
Some of those racing sagas
that you like to read.
Good of you to remember.
How are you bearing up?
Every visit,
same sanctimonious concern.
Be rude not to ask.
My request for a transfer
was refused.
I wasn't aware you'd made one.
Maybe you could put in
a word for me?
Man of your standing.
Ex-copper to boot.
Ex-copper.
I don't think my word
would count for much.
You think I'm going to be safe
in the seg wing?
Banged up with the fruit loops
and the nonces?
You know what they'll do to a grass.
You'll just have to watch your back.
In case you're forgetting,
you owe me.
We're serving this sentence
together.
It were your fault
what I did that night.
Listen,
you don't have to answer this,
but how did your dad seem
in the days before he was killed?
Hadn't really seen too much of him.
They were arguing, night he died.
I heard them downstairs.
What were they arguing about?
It was usually money.
They even talked about
selling the land.
Buying somewhere smaller
in the village.
There was always
something stopping 'em.
Come on.
Get yourself inside.
You had no cause to speak to her.
Not without me there.
We were questioning Steve Parry in
relation to your husband's murder.
Parrys are bad news.
You must have known that Catherine
and Steve were seeing each other?
This is what happens
when you let people in.
Nothing good ever comes of it.
Ever come across Daniel Preston
on the seg wing?
A man like that,
you learn to keep your distance.
Did he ever talk about his crimes?
In case you'd forgotten,
I don't sing for you these days.
You must have heard something,
rumours.
He has a certain notoriety.
The numbers only talk to each other.
Always competing
for bragging rights.
Did he ever mention Zoe Lindsey?
Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?
Two days ago,
a man was murdered on my old patch.
Jesse Halpin.
I interviewed him at the time, in
connection with Zoe's disappearance.
And you think Preston took her?
He's always maintained
his innocence.
The powers that be
sent all kinds in to visit him,
pushing him to tell them
what he'd done with her.
Maybe he finally gave 'em something?
What makes you say that?
They released him on parole
a few days ago.
DOOR BUZZES
Lowlifes like Preston,
best not to indulge 'em, huh?
He'll be back inside soon enough.
Thanks for the books.
Got you a coffee.
OK.
Daniel Preston was released
two weeks ago.
Ten days before Jesse Halpin
was murdered.
Let's go.
That's him.
Thanks.
Daniel Preston?
Detective Inspector Farman,
Copelton Police.
What's this about?
Well, we'd like to ask you
a few questions
in connection with the abduction
of Zoe Lindsey.
Yeah. I mean, we can do it here
or we can go somewhere more private.
In case you'd forgotten,
they threw out the charges.
Police tried to stitch me up.
We need to talk to you in light
of some recent developments.
Jesse Halpin. Does that name
mean anything to you?
No. Can't say it does.
You may have come across him
about 14 years ago.
Yeah. Yeah, the face Yeah, maybe.
I think he, erm,
he worked at the park that summer.
Dunmore Sands?
Yeah.
Could only have been
a couple of weeks.
The manager took him on.
And what work
was he doing there exactly?
Odds and sods.
Wherever he was needed.
I didn't have anything
to do with him.
You know that Jessie Halpin was
questioned as a person of interest
during the time
of Zoe Lindsey's abduction.
What's that got to do with me?
He was murdered three nights ago.
A few days after
you got out of prison.
What, and you think I did it?
Well, if you knew who'd taken her,
you might want to even the score
for all the years everyone pointed
the finger at you.
7pm curfew.
I guess that puts me in the clear.
I've been reading
a list of your previous convictions.
Possession of child pornography.
Five counts of indecent assault.
Statuary rape of a minor.
Was that a stitch-up, too?
Do you think you're the first person
to try and get me to confess?
I've been threatened, bribed,
all sorts of promises.
Well, maybe this is a chance
to clear your name?
Nah.
I'd rather take my chances.
We pulled out
Jessie Halpin's phone records.
Three unanswered calls from his wife
the night he died.
I ran a background check on
the daughter with social services.
The home-schooling flags up some
concerns. They queried neglect.
She also missed her MMR jabs,
several childhood
medical appointments
and developmental checks.
There don't seem to have been
any major issues.
I'm glad you think so, Darren.
I just meant
How old is that lad of yours?
Well, he'll be four in a few weeks.
Well, why don't you run
this list by his mum.
And then you get back to me, yeah.
Carol! A word.
I just got a call from
Daniel Preston's probation officer
accusing us of police harassment.
I was all set to update you
Well, I'm all ears.
Halpin worked at Dunmore Sands
the summer that Zoe Lindsey
went missing.
If Halpin and Preston
were acquainted,
his death could be connected to
Zoe's disappearance.
So, now Preston's in the frame
for his murder?
I just think that Ridley
might be on to something.
Well, this just gets better!
I might've known
he'd be pulling your strings!
We're obligated to investigate it.
That was my call to make -
not yours.
You worked the original case.
A case that was never solved.
If we could reopen it,
I really think
these cases could be connected.
I'd need to take it to the Super.
I still want Ridley in on this.
You really think
this is going to fix him?
He's going to go after Halpin anyway
and make some noise.
Surely, it's better
to have him onside?
I think he has something to offer.
Are you sure you wanna do this?
HE SCOFFS
It's too late to turn back now.
You've got nothing to prove
any more.
I don't know.
Mr Ridley,
we'll need to sign you in.
Oh, I wasn't expecting
a welcoming committee.
Thought I'd take the opportunity
to lay down some ground rules.
You will answer to Mr Ridley
as you're no longer
a working detective.
I've answered to worse.
No access to the PNC.
No powers of arrest.
You can question suspects out in
the field, but never under caution.
Hands off. Arm's length.
Hardly worth my while coming back.
Let's get one thing straight,
shall we?
I only cleared this
with human resources
after I guaranteed personally
that you're fit and able to work.
I put my neck on the line for you.
Don't let me down, Ridley.
Adless Woods homicide.
We are pursuing
a new line of inquiry.
A connection
to a well-known cold case.
We think it's possible
that Jesse Halpin
may have been involved in
the abduction of Zoe Lindsey and
The three-year-old was abducted
from Dunmore Sands Caravan Park
where she lived.
Missing, presumed dead.
A 34-year-old male was arrested
on suspicion of her abduction.
Daniel Preston, a convicted sex
offender who worked at the park,
was never charged,
but remains under suspicion.
The evidence was circumstantial.
So what's Halpin's connection
to the cold case?
I interviewed him
at the time as a person of interest,
and his plates were flagged up
in the area where Zoe went missing.
He could never really explain
what he was doing there.
There were also inconsistencies in
his statement that raised concerns.
Concerns that were
taken on board at the time.
And subsequently disregarded.
He was clean. No previous.
Nothing that tied him to any crime.
Er, Preston claims that Halpin
worked at the caravan site
that summer.
A fact that was missing
in the initial investigation.
If the two of them
were acting together
That's pure supposition.
Gives Preston a motive
for Halpin's murder.
We could be looking at extortion.
Reprisals.
A catch-up between
two guilty parties.
We can rule Preston out
as our murder suspect.
We've established that he was under
a Home Detention Curfew.
But he can place Halpin
in the caravan park.
So that puts Halpin
back in the frame for the abduction.
All right, everyone.
I don't want the press
getting wind of this.
Could blow up in our faces.
Over 100 people say
that they saw Zoe Lindsey
the day that she went missing.
Case files, statements, evidence.
Anything that might tie Jesse Halpin
to the Zoe Lindsey case.
Just to be clear, well,
is DI Ridley back on the team?
Mr Ridley is here in the role
of Investigative Support.
Temporary consultancy basis.
In case anyone's forgotten,
we've still got a murder to solve.
We were wiped out by foot and mouth.
They told us
we had to cull the whole flock.
That summer, we were flat broke.
And how did Jesse hear
about the job at the caravan park?
Saw it advertised in a local paper,
I think.
It was only a summer job.
He also visited Dunmore Sands
on a later occasion.
Same day, a three-year-old child
was abducted.
You're the copper
what questioned him.
The missing child.
Her name was Zoe Lindsey.
Jesse had nothing to do with that.
He also lied to the police about
his movements that day, Mrs Halpin.
He's not even gone to his grave.
And you come to my house
and drag it all back up again.
Did Jesse ever mention
a man named Daniel Preston?
What has this got to do
with the murder of my husband?
Just answer the question,
Mrs Halpin.
Not that I remember.
Now, if we're done here,
I've got work to do.
Her husband was murdered.
What happened
to compassionate policing?
Oh, come on, she's covering for him,
she must know something.
Is this really about
closing a cold case,
or is it actually about getting
one over on Goodwin?
This is about a parent
who lost a child 14 years ago.
But we've got nothing on Halpin.
Except that he worked there
that summer.
Well, maybe it's time we went back
to the crime scene.
Penny Lindsey?
This was the picture
they used on the posters.
She took that doll with her
everywhere.
She never let it out of her sight.
She had it with her the
Look, we know it's gonna be
very difficult for you
to tell us what happened, but
It helps somehow.
Keeps her alive.
Can you tell us what you remember?
Er, she'd gone out to play
with her friends.
Kids on the park ran wild
in the summer.
It was a safe place.
A friendly place.
When she didn't come back home
for her tea,
I wasn't especially worried.
Then it went dark. Still no sign.
That's when they started the search.
Sorry, can I?
They said it was neglect.
That I'd been drinking.
Even suggested
I might have hurt her. I
Do you ever remember
seeing this man?
His name's Jesse Halpin.
We think he was working here
the summer that Zoe went missing.
Has someone come forward?
Is that why you're here?
We're just following up
some routine inquiries.
Yeah. He was questioned at the time
by detectives.
He was a person of interest.
But we all know who took her.
It was Daniel Preston.
Can you be so sure about that?
Something about him,
it just wasn't right.
Then the police found all that stuff
on his laptop.
You know, if I'd known what he was,
I'd have never let him
anywhere near her.
It wasn't your fault, you know,
what happened.
Well, she was my little girl.
Hm.
I couldn't protect her.
Right, Jesse Halpin.
Yeah, took him on for six weeks,
June 2007.
You're lucky
I've still got the book.
This about Zoe?
Only, I saw you talking to Penny.
We had a few questions we needed
to ask her, Mrs Moreland, yeah.
She used to leave her with me
in this office. Three years old.
Disappear to the pub.
Some days,
she'd even forget to feed her.
Daniel Preston,
that caretaker's job,
did you give him that?
References checked out.
None of us had any idea.
And I had a lad of my own
to look out for.
Yeah, Adam Moreland.
I remember his name on the file.
Well, he was with her
the day she was taken.
Followed him everywhere, she did.
And how old was Adam then?
Maybe six. Seven.
And did the police
take a statement from him?
Well, I know they asked him
some questions.
But they ruled him out
as a credible witness.
Oh, might be useful for us
to speak to him again.
You know, in light of
some recent developments.
Adam's only just about
getting his life together.
It'll do him no good
to go back there.
Well, we wouldn't ask, you know,
if it wasn't important.
We, er, got that statement
from Steve Parry's mate, sir.
Backed up his alibi.
Course he did.
We've got no evidence that ties him
to Halpin's murder.
What about the firearm?
Ballistic report shows it
wasn't the gun that killed Halpin.
Either we find something
solid to charge him with Fine.
Get him signed out.
Sir.
I told the police what happened.
Over and over.
Not that it made much difference.
We're listening now.
And what makes you think
I want to talk about it?
Well, if it could help us
to find out what happened to Zoe.
One more time couldn't hurt, Adam.
Yeah?
It was baking that day.
Summer holidays.
Zoe said she wanted an ice cream.
I'd managed to cadge some money
off someone. I can't remember who.
I was stood in the queue
at the prom.
When I turned back to look for her,
she was talking to somebody.
He'd pulled up
in a white van by the slipway.
Did you recognise the driver?
I didn't see his face.
But the police said
it must have been Preston.
Oh, yeah.
But you couldn't say for sure?
No.
But he used his van
when he needed to move stuff.
Did you see what happened to Zoe?
By the time I'd bought
the ice cream, I looked back,
the van had gone.
She was nowhere to be seen.
But you think she got into
that vehicle? I don't know!
It's fine. It's OK.
Look
need you to look at this photograph.
Do you recognise him?
Should I?
Name's Jesse Halpin.
She'd never have gone off
with a stranger.
We spoke to Daniel Preston.
He's out on parole.
He claims that Halpin
worked at the caravan site
the summer Zoe went missing.
Preston's out of prison?
Just need you to look
at the photograph, Adam.
I've spent 14 years
trying to forget what's happened.
Last thing I need is people
like you stirring it all back up.
I should get back to work.
The investigating team
just assumed the van was Preston's.
The van was taken apart.
Not a shred of forensic evidence.
Yeah, well, maybe they were looking
in the wrong place.
We've still got nothing
that ties this abduction to Halpin.
Haven't we?
Those plates that flagged
Halpin up as a possible suspect,
they were registered
to a white minivan.
We've got a statement
from Gill Moreland,
the manager of the caravan park,
confirming that Jessie Halpin worked
there for six weeks that summer.
He was probably
just casing the place.
Went back a few weeks later
and abducted Zoe.
I know this much, while
you've been off chasing shadows,
we're still no closer
to finding out who killed him.
You may not remember Gill's son,
Adam?
He was the little boy
who was with Zoe all that day.
He remembers her talking to someone
who pulled up in a white van.
Daniel Preston's van.
No! He did NOT say that
because he did not see his face.
That's the kind of evidence that
would have pushed us towards Halpin.
No decent copper
would have missed those connections!
You think I haven't questioned
my own mistakes?
The lack of a conviction,
our failure to find her,
every hour she was missing,
every dubious decision.
You think it hasn't stopped me
sleeping at night?
Well, if mistakes were made
..maybe this is our chance
to put them right.
I'll apply for a warrant
to search the farm.
Boss!
The van was never used.
The clutch was buggered.
Should have been scrapped years ago.
So why did Jesse keep it locked up,
hidden, out of sight?
Because he was a hoarder.
All that junk in the farm yard,
could never throw anything away.
We will need to get it
checked over by forensics.
You had Steve Parry locked up.
It's him you should be talking to!
Oh, yeah, that complaint that
Steve Parry made against Jesse.
It was something and nothing.
Something and nothing?
His dog was injured by a snare trap.
He shouldn't have been in
them woods. Jesse warned him.
Any time now, if we're sharing?
You said the crime scene
didn't give us anything.
But it's the one thing
that connects the two cases.
Why was Halpin so desperate
to keep people out of these woods?
TWIG SNAPS
You check in here.
I'll go down to the shed.
OK.
Lorna?
It's DI Farman.
It's OK.
We just want to talk to you,
that's all.
Put the gun down, Lorna.
Put the gun down,
we don't want anybody else killed.
Just put the gun down.
That's it. I'll take that.
It's all right.
SHE EXHALES
Our ballistics team have confirmed
that the shotgun
found in your possession
was indeed the firearm used
to shoot Jesse Halpin.
Unless you can explain how that
came to be in your possession,
then I have reasonable grounds
to charge you with murder.
Well, I took it from the shed.
When did you take it?
Can't remember.
Also recovered were a pair of
Wellington boots from your property.
Sole treads matched those found
at the crime scene.
Well, I found him that morning.
I told you.
Well, I think that you killed him
the evening before
..when he was coming back
from the pub.
And you left him for dead
on the path.
And then you went back the next
morning to cover up your tracks.
He said I'd have to leave the farm.
I didn't have anywhere else to go.
Was this the night he was murdered?
No!
No, it were years ago!
The day she
Lorna, you're not making any sense.
He swore it were an accident.
Said he never would have hurt her.
The little girl.
Zoe Lindsey.
Look at the photograph, Lorna.
"I were part of it," he said.
Made me swear not to speak of it.
What did you do with the body,
Lorna?
Hm?
I know you want to tell us.
We put her in a box.
And we buried her.
That tree.
Yeah, it was here.
We'll need to lock this space down.
I've got to check in with Goodwin.
Come with me.
You know, my dad used to tell me
these woods were haunted.
Scared me half to death
when I were little.
Maybe he had his reasons.
I found a bird
with a broken wing once.
It had fallen
out of one of these trees.
I rescued it
and nursed it back to health.
And for a while, it was fine,
but then it died.
He told me that the bird
didn't need its body any more.
Its soul had flown away
and found someone else.
I don't think you should be here,
you know.
They're looking for a body,
aren't they?
Look, I'll take you back
to the house.
What, you think I can stand
to be near her after this?
FAINT: Ridley?
Ridley?
We're scanning the site
with a hyperspectral camera.
Could be hours before we find
anything. I'll call you when we do.
Thank you.
All right.
Hiya.
Are you all on your own?
Mum went out.
Work drinks, or summat.
You doing your homework?
Yeah.
How you getting on?
Gonna be a while yet.
Mum!
What?
You used to love it
when I mussed up your hair.
Yeah, when I was, like, five.
Why don't we order a pizza tonight?
Can't really be bothered to cook.
You never cook, Mum.
I'm sorry I haven't really
been around much lately.
I told Oscar and Jase
you'd been promoted.
Oh, yeah. Detective Inspector.
They said it was kind of sick.
SHE CHUCKLES
Yeah.
I suppose it is kind of sick
when you think about it.
You gonna drink that
or just stare at it all night?
I saw Michael Flannery.
What is this,
you just prolonging the agony?
Punishing yourself.
I don't pretend to understand it
myself, Annie,
to tell you the truth.
He killed your wife.
Your daughter. My best friend.
He doesn't deserve your forgiveness.
I've been thinking about that young
lad that Ella was going out with.
What was his name?
Owen.
Owen. Owen. Owen.
I've been thinking about them,
you know?
Would they have got together?
Would they have got married,
had kids?
They'd fallen out,
the night of the fire,
they'd fallen out.
I was down the station.
If only I'd stayed at home.
If only I'd stayed at home.
I picked up the phone
to call Kate last week.
Something trivial
I wanted to share with her.
And then I remembered
that she wasn't around any more.
Still hits me like a punch.
Same way it did when
you first told me they were dead.
It was me he was coming for, Annie.
When Flannery set the fire,
it was unfinished business.
It was me who should have burned
that night.
PHONE RINGS
We've recovered
the remains of a body.
We've reason to suspect
that it's Zoe Lindsey.
"Reasons to suspect."
You've got nothing.
We've also interviewed
Lorna Spalden,
who told us that
she helped Jesse bury the body.
Lorna'd say anything
if you asked her to,
if someone put her up to it.
Lorna was found in possession
of your husband's shotgun.
The weapon we now know
was used to kill him.
Jesse always kept it locked away.
Did Lorna have access to the keys?
They were kept on a hook
in the annexe.
She'll be making an appearance
in court later today.
We're looking for a warrant
for further detention.
Is Catherine home?
You shouldn't be alone
at a time like this.
Catherine's gone.
She took off last night.
Why couldn't you have
just left us alone to grieve?
Still leaving
a spare key under the mat?
The skeletal remains
of an infant child.
Shape of the pelvis would suggest
she was female.
Right, and how long do you think
she'd been down there?
I'd say somewhere between
10-15 years.
Is this a fracture?
I'm pretty certain
that's what killed her.
Any chance of a positive ID?
I might be able to extract
some mitochondrial DNA
from the marrow in the leg bones.
IF Penny Lindsey agrees
to provide us with a swab,
we can run it for a familial match.
It would tell us for certain
if they're related.
What do you think you're playing at
coming back here?
The police have been round
asking questions.
Jesse Halpin.
Hm.
They're saying
it was him that took her.
Well, we'll never know now, will we?
He's dead.
The last chance
of clearing your name.
I never laid a finger on Zoe.
You know that
better than anyone else.
I need you to tell 'em the truth.
What,
that you were with me that night?
Never gonna happen!
You know what they'd do
to a paedophile's girlfriend.
Thought I might get a place
round here
soon as my parole's up.
Get one of them caravans
down near the dunes.
Nothing too fancy.
We could pick up where we left off.
You disgust me.
Maybe I'll pass.
Place looks on its arse to me.
Preston!
Adam! No!
DOOR BUZZES
I was angry.
I lashed out.
What was Daniel Preston
even doing in the caravan park?
He'd been to see my mum.
Trying to wheedle his way back
into her good books.
Not to mention her bed.
Your mum and Daniel Preston?
Oh, I knew what they got up to.
Even as a kid.
It's the only reason
he got that caretaker job.
Did the police know about this
at the time?
That she was sleeping with the man
that took Zoe Lindsey?
Is he gonna be OK?
He's got a bleed on the brain.
You'd better hope
that he pulls through.
KNOCK ON DOOR
DOOR BUZZES
We found the body of a child
buried up on Jesse Halpin's land.
No!
You think it might be Zoe?
Well, we can run a DNA test
to confirm
if there's a familial match. No.
Look
I know it's gonna be hard, but
You have no idea!
SHE SOBS
Wouldn't it be easier in the end,
Penny
..to get to the truth
of what happened?
Then she's never coming back.
No.
No, I'm not sure
I'm ready for that.
SOBBING
I lost my wife and daughter.
They died in a terrible house fire.
I would do anything
..anything
..to get some answers to
To get some closure, you know?
To move on.
How old was she, your daughter?
Ella, she was 19.
You had her for longer
than I had Zoe.
I did, yeah.
Anything'd be better than this,
Penny, wouldn't it?
Living in some kind of purgatory.
All I want is a swab.
Yeah?
14 years of hating Preston.
But now you're telling me
he might not have taken her,
that someone else
The evidence that the police found
on Preston's computer.
How did you find out about that?
One of the detectives
must've told me.
It was the woman in charge.
DI Dixon?
Yeah.
I was very pleasantly surprised
when I got your message.
It's been a while
since I've been invited to lunch.
Forensics have discovered a body,
Jean.
It was buried up in Adless Woods.
Lured me here under false pretences.
We've also recovered a white van
hidden on Halpin's farm.
The same farm that I pushed you
to search 14 years ago.
We had no solid evidence.
You had a first-hand account
of Zoe Lindsey's abduction
from Adam Moreland.
A contradictory testimony
from a seven-year-old child.
That you manipulated
to suit your version of the truth.
Daniel Preston took Zoe.
That was always the consensus.
For Christ's sake, Jean.
"The consensus." You were the SIO!
And I needed an arrest!
So you found a suitable suspect
and you set about fitting him up.
You also shared confidential
information about a murder inquiry
with Penny Lindsey,
a mother
who wanted somebody to blame.
I did what I had to do.
If you'd gone after Halpin,
Zoe Lindsey might still be alive.
She'd been missing for days, Ridley.
We both know she was already dead!
WHISPERING: It was a a moment.
A misstep.
You're stonewalled.
You're damaged goods.
I don't need to tell you
how that feels.
Oh, I know.
All those years
of distinguished service.
They don't count for much.
WHISPERING: Let this go, Ridley.
For old time's sake.
Sorry, Jean, I can't.
After all that's happened,
there'll be an inquiry.
You were never a team player.
That was always your trouble.
We ran tests on the clothing.
Green cotton top.
Polyester trousers.
Both of which were 80% decomposed.
No traces of any fibres.
No skin cells. No bodily fluids.
Any touch DNA we do lift
is likely to be seriously degraded.
So, nothing to implicate Halpin,
then?
Dental X-rays.
The deciduous teeth
were all still in place.
I can say with near certainty that
this child was under five years old.
Zoe was three when she disappeared.
Now, hang on a minute. Hang on.
Zoe was missing a tooth
at this point, wasn't she?
Which immediately rang
alarm bells.
So, what are you saying,
that there might be some doubt?
I ran the bone marrow DNA
against the sample
we took from Penny Lindsey.
They didn't match.
What?!
The body we found isn't Zoe.
The child that you buried
in Adless Woods
..wasn't Zoe Lindsey.
You helped Jesse Halpin
bury that child, Lorna.
Why won't you give us her name?
I can't.
We know she died
from a blow to the head.
Were you with Jesse
when he killed her?
Jesse Jesse never killed anyone!
She were already dead
when he found her!
But you said it was an accident
the last time we spoke to you.
He told me she'd fallen.
Climbed up on the tractor
when no-one was looking.
Wanted to sit with her dad.
We We carried her
into the farmhouse.
Laid her out on the table.
Still as stone, she was.
Moll
Moll said a prayer to Our Lady.
The same words over and over.
"Blessed Mary, pray for us."
She couldn't live
with what had happened.
Sent her half mad with grief.
SHE SOBS
Let's get into the barn.
Can you go to the barn as well,
please?
Can you just lock it off here?
MUSIC BOX PLAYS
Ridley?
There's no sign of her outside.
The team are searching the farm.
How old is Catherine Halpin?
Social services report said
she's 17.
Zoe Lindsey isn't dead, Carol.
She's been hiding in plain sight
for 14 years.
I wanted to take her to hospital,
but Jesse said
there'd be too many questions.
He never trusted outsiders.
He said if we nursed her,
she'd get better.
But she didn't get better, did she?
But we were blessed
when God brought her back to us.
And the accident that
led to your daughter's death,
can you remember the date
that it happened?
June 3rd.
We were cutting the first grass
for haylage.
And she would have been
how old then?
She'd just turned three.
But you must have known
she'd be missed.
That people would start
asking questions.
Only a matter of time, Jesse said.
Yet, he went off
looking for work in Dunmore Sands?
Where he found our little girl.
Our little lost soul
made flesh and blood.
So you knew he planned to take her?
He did it for me.
To save me, he said.
She was someone else's child.
That woman never cared for her,
not the way we did.
We gave her a good home.
A better life.
Everything she needed.
Daniel Preston, was he involved?
Well we'd heard
he'd been arrested.
We saw it on the news.
But
Jesse barely remembered him.
That was handy, wasn't it?
A convicted sex offender.
The man everyone assumed
had taken Zoe.
Her name's Catherine!
I take it "Catherine" is none
the wiser about who she really is?
And Jesse wanted to tell her.
Cos he couldn't live
with what he'd done.
She's all grown up, Moll.
She's got her own life to live.
Will you keep your voice down?
We keep her locked up here,
she'll start resenting us.
And how do you think she'll feel
if she found out the truth?
Maybe she deserves to know.
Maybe it's time she was told.
Je Jesse..
I tried to make him see sense,
to see reason.
But, no, he wouldn't listen.
He stormed off to the pub.
Like he always did.
So Lorna didn't kill him.
She just took the gun afterwards.
She was just looking out for us.
The way she's always done.
Who's there?
Moll?
HE GRUNTS
I
I couldn't lose another child.
Don't you see? I couldn't.
Moll Halpin, I'm arresting you
on suspicion of murder
and also
on suspicion of kidnapping.
You have a right to remain silent.
You don't have to say anything,
but anything you do say
will be given in evidence.
She needs to hear this from me,
from her mam.
You'd do anything
..anything to get a child back.
To fill the void.
It could never justify
what Halpin did.
No.
He lost his daughter.
He thought he was losing his wife.
He must have thought
his whole world was ending.
No, please.
Catherine!
I'm so sorry.
I always knew
there was something.
A distance.
Like they never really knew me.
None of it was real.
They loved you, though.
Despite what they did.
I mean that was real, wasn't it?
I don't know who I am any more.
You're Penny Lindsey's daughter,
Zoe.
The child she lost
all those years ago.
That little girl
in all the pictures
..they stole her away.
She's gone.
Hey. I hope you're not leaving
without saying goodbye.
Oh, I just didn't want to outstay
my welcome, that's all.
OK.
You know,
if you hadn't contacted me,
I would definitely
have come looking for you.
Still got one more call to make if
you want to come along for the ride?
No. I think you've got it covered.
I'll catch you later, then, yeah?
Yeah.
Friday night. Italian.
It's a date!
JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS
Hey.
You were missed!
Great house.
It wouldn't hurt
to do a couple of songs.
About bloody time.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
One, two
# Hold back the night from us
# Cherish the light for us
# Don't let the shadows
Hold back the dawn
# Cold city lights glowing
# The traffic of life is flowing
Out over the rivers
And on into dark ♪
Hi.
# Cold city lights glowing
# The traffic of life is flowing
# Out over the rivers
And on into dark
# Hold back the night from us
# Cherish the light for us
# Don't let the shadows
Hold back the dawn
# I'm going downtown
Where there's music
# I'm going where voices
Fill the air
# Maybe there's someone
Waiting for me
# With a smile
And a flower in her hair
# I'm going downtown
Where there's people
# The loneliness
Hangs in the air
# With no-one there real
Waiting for me
No smile
No flower nowhere ♪
ANSWER MACHINE:
'You've reached Kate, Alex and Ella.
'We're not home right now.
'But if you leave a message,
we'll get back to you.'
ANSWER MACHINE:
'You've reached Kate, Alex and Ella.
'We're not home right now.
'But if you leave a message,
we'll get back to you.'
Hold back the night. ♪
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