Beyond Paradise (2023) s01e02 Episode Script
Episode 2
TV: once played
an important ecological role
in the countryside.
The Devonshire Nature Trust
is looking to recruit
ECHOEY SOBBlNG
Laura!
Laura!
TV: ..for southern parts of England
Morning.
Oh!
SHE CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY
Sorry.
I'll Yeah.
I left you to sleep.
Oh, I need to get to the cafe.
Check on things.
Um Open house night?
Drinks and canapes?
Yes, I forgot. Sorry.
Need to get word out
that we open tomorrow. Right.
I went for a walk.
I just
PHONE RINGS
Hello, Esther?
Um No, no, I can meet you there.
Will you text me the address?
OK. OK. Bye.
Work.
I can put it off.
Why?
I just thought
it's been over a week.
Maybe we could talk?
If you want to.
Only if you wanted to
Can we just not do this?
Not now.
DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS
ESTHER: Yeah. Yep. All right, then.
You do that. I'll do the same.
Yeah. All right.
Good.
Yeah.
Thank you, Margo.
Right, what have we got?
Laura and Matthew Colbert
and their two children -
Arlo, who's five,
and three-year-old Cora -
seem to have disappeared.
Disappeared? As in
As in disappeared.
Right.
Neighbour Dorothy Trowman came
this morning just after 8:30
to pick up Laura Colbert
to take her into town shopping
and found the house like this.
I've left everything
exactly as it was found.
TV on.
Meals at the dining table, half-eaten,
seemingly abandoned.
Lights left on, doors unlocked.
The oven was on.
There's even an apple pie
waiting to be put in.
Car's in the drive.
Nearest house?
Three miles.
Mary Celeste. Wasn't that a ship?
Found off the Azores in 1872.
In perfect working order,
but all the crew had simply disappeared.
Meals left haff-eaten, just like this.
Are you suggesting
there might be a link, sir?
One that would be tenuous at best.
Have we checked with family and friends?
The only family I found is
Mr Colbert's elderly mother.
She's in sheltered housing in Babbacombe.
She last saw her son two days ago.
The children were due at school,
and Mr Colbert due at work this morning.
None of them arrived.
Her birthday, maybe?
No cards.
They can't have just vanished
into thin air. Mrs Trowman said
they would never have left the
place like this - everything on.
And Laura would always be on time.
I wonder what this is for.
There's no shed.
I've no idea.
But as all the doors were left unlocked,
I'm not entirely sure it's relevant.
Yes.
Oh, wait, I forgot.
I bought you this.
Oh, l usually just
Scribble on random bits of paper.
It makes my teeth itch.
Um Mobile phones?
We've tried calling both numbers.
They go straight to voicemail.
I've asked for call logs
from the service providers.
What happened here?
How does the entire family
simply vanish?
Uhthis neighbour?
Mrs Trowman.
CHICKENS CLUCK
Mrs Trowman?
Detective lnspector Goodman.
Well, this is a waste of time.
Is it?
I told her what I saw.
I watched her write it down.
Er, yes.
I just wanted to talk to you myseff.
Why?
Can't you read her writing?
Oh, no. Yes, I can.
I'd just like to hear it
first-hand, as it were.
You're new, aren't you?
Yes. Yes, I am.
Thought you were a bit weird.
So you were friends with Laura Colbert?
Well, depends what you mean by friends.
You were going shopping together?
Well, car-sharing to buy groceries
doesn't make us Ant and Dec.
CHICKENS SQUAWK, HUMPHREY YELPS
Oh, for God's sake, man!
He won't hurt you.
HE CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY
No.
Yes. Um
And when was the last time
you saw the Colbert family?
The weekend.
They brought the children over
to see the baby goats.
HUMPHREY GROANS
GIGGLES
lt bit me!
And, um
And, um And you've no idea
where they might be right now?
Well, I didn't say that.
Well, didn't she tell you?
A passing vagrant, probably from London,
broke in, murdered them all
in their beds
and buried their bodies
in nearby woodland?
She watches a lot of true crime.
I wonder how she sleeps at night.
GROANS
You must have seen a man's leg before.
It's blood. Makes me feel queasy.
Not mine, just other people's.
Sorry.
Just a scratch. All done.
If the car's still in the drive,
then they left the house on foot,
and someone must have seen them.
I've asked Margo to check taxi drivers,
delivery drivers, nearby properties.
Anyone who might have been
on this road last night. Although
they may not have used the road.
Ask Kelby to pull out all maps
of nearby footpaths and bridleways.
Will do.
Thank you.
GEARS GRlND
Even if you can paint it in time,
it'll never be dry by this evening.
So when you said
"Come and lend your support,"
is this what you had in mind?
I'm being pragmatic, darling.
Well, don't! It's not helping.
Besides which, I'm not painting.
Ooh!
You asked me to invite
haff of Shipton Abbott.
I've a right to be anxious.
Besides, being anxious
is also how you feel
when you're excluded from things.
You tend to fear the worst.
What?
Is Humphrey having an affair?
You two have been
creeping around for days.
And l'm not stupid.
I know something's going on
between you two.
If it's not that
what is it?
I just need to speak to
Mr Bromley when he's up to it,
if that's all right.
Oh, and I've got his phone
and stuff we found from the scene,
so I can bring that into the hospital.
And how's your mum?
Say hello to her for me.
And if she's making
any more of them apple cakes,
don't forget me.
OK. Thanks, Susie.
No luck?
She's making a batch on the weekend.
On Christopher Bromley?
Oh, the hit-and-run bloke?
He's still in A&E.
They're doing more scans.
She's going to call me when he's done.
You found them?
No.
How are you getting on with
the family and friends?
Report's on your desk.
Headlines?
Well, that was a load of typing
for nothing.
No family close by apart from
Matthew Colbert's mum.
They moved to Shipton
about eight years ago.
He plays five-a-side football
for the Weary Friar pub,
where Laura Colbert used to
work as a barmaid.
She still covers the odd shift
if they're short.
Oi ! Thank you.
Anything else come in?
Hit-and-run on the Raleigh Estate.
Bad? As opposed to one of those
good hit-and-runs, you mean?
Oh, yes. Good point.
Victim is Christopher Bromley,
a 35-year-old financial consultant.
He's been in A&E overnight, but he's got
a suspected leg fracture,
a broken wrist, a few bumps and bruises.
No driver of the car?
Wetve got witnesses saying
that they heard
the screech of tyres and collision,
but no-one actually saw anything.
I found broken plastic at the scene.
Looks like one of the
headlights was smashed in.
OK. Let me know if you need anything.
Have we got the details
of Mr Colbert's employer?
Why?
Well, l'd quite like to talk to him.
What for?
l'm a detective.
Well, he won't know anything.
He's as mad as a barbed-wire badger.
Ha!
Thank you.
Can we check the PNC,
see if we have anything at all
on file concerning our missing family?
Domestic neighbour disputes,
criminal records,
anything we can find.
A family of four
simply vanish
midway through their evening meal
without taking their car.
The question is, did they leave
of their own accord?
Or were they taken against their will?
You went through all that
without telling me?
Without telling anyone.
I'm not sure that makes it any better.
We
l just couldn't cope with
the daily IVF updates.
"Has it worked yet?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Are you pregnant?"
And then l had to deal with
Humphrey's endless optimism
that every time we did it,
this was the one.
And then every time, the look
on his face when it wasn't.
Oh, you poor darling.
I can't begin to imagine how
that must have felt.
And I wish I'd been there for you.
Well, you couldn't have done anything.
It's this stupid body of mine.
Will you try again?
I don't know.
But you do want children?
I want to make Humphrey a dad.
And you a grandma.
That's not what I asked !
So
How's life at the in-laws?
Oh, fine.
Mostly.
I'm surprised Martha
isn't pulling her hair out.
Must feel like a step backwards for her,
moving back in with her mum.
I never really thought of it like that.
No, of course you didn't.
You're a man.
Marvellous Harris?
Yes, I am.
Unless I owe you money,
then I'm Robert Johnson.
It's quite a name, Marvellous.
I'm Detective lnspector Goodman.
This is DS Williams.
You're the new fella at Shipton station
everyone's talking about, are you?
Yes. Yes, l am.
So what are they saying?
A bit odd.
So you work with Margo Martins?
Yes, we do.
In that case, I confess.
Take me in.
Confess what?
Anything you like, as long as Margo
frisks me when I get there.
You know Margo?
Know her? I've been lusting after her
nigh-on 60 years, ever since
she showed me her knickers
in the Wendy house of St Vincent's
when we were seven.
Oi, Picasso!
Keep it below the waterline,
you gert noodle.
Last I looked,
barnacles were under the water,
not swimming on the top.
Always thought I'd marry her,
but Jamie Martins beat me to it.
Broke my heart.
Night they got married, I sat in the
old snug at Kitty Jay's,
listening to One Man Band
on the jukebox.
Leo Sayer.
Sang it dressed as a clown, he did.
Or maybe that was just in my head.
Right. Well, we'll pass on
your regards to Margo.
Now, can we ask you about
Matthew Colbert?
Have you had any news?
No, not yet.
Was he at work yesterday?
Yeah.
Finished off a refit on the
Mighty Flynn, got his bonus,
went home happy as Larry.
And while he was here,
he didn't seem preoccupied,
worried about anything?
Not that I noticed.
And is it unlike him
to take a day off work
without telling you?
Matty's a good lad.
Never late, not afraid of hard work.
Lives for his family.
He even looks after
his old mum, too, he does.
If he could have called me, let
me know, he would have done.
Something's wrong.
Sir?
Hmm?
Is there anything else?
No, l don't think so.
Beauty, ain't she?
Came in last week.
Needs a lick of paint
and a bit of a refit inside.
But she's solid enough, though.
Can l?
You be my guest.
Five minutes!
Just be a bit careful, you know?
I heard there's a new bloke
up there. From London.
that's right.
God help us all!
He's all right, as it goes.
For a grockle.
HE LAUGHS
What's that?
It was a headlight.
Why are you showing it to me?
I thought you could tell me
what make of car it came from.
Therets been a hit-and - run.
I'm going up the doctor's later.
That's a pee sample I did
a half hour ago.
Me working out what car
them bits of glass came from
is a bit like giving that
to the hospital
and asking what my shoe size is.
To work out what car it came from,
you'd have to see the shape it was.
Not much shape there, is there?
ESTHER:
We know it's a worrying time for you,
but we're doing everything we can-
MRS COLBERT:
I just can't think what's happened.
And what about those little 'uns?
Is there anything that might help us?
Problems within the family,
money worries?
Issues between Matthew and Laura?
No, nothing like that.
Oh, don't get me wrong,
they don't have much.
But Matthew dotes on Laura and the kids.
Is there anything
that's happened recently?
Have circumstances changed in any way?
Not that I can think of.
Ah-ah-ah!
Um You last saw Matthew two days ago.
Is that right?
After he finished work,
he brought me in some fish and chips.
And he seemed OK to you?
Fine.
He didn't stay long.
He wanted to get home,
see the children
before they went to bed.
And the last time you saw him
before that?
The weekend I had a fall.
They came out to check
I was all right. Oh, dear.
Next door's cat.
I let it in sometimes.
Stupid thing got under my feet.
I went flying.
Can you Can you think of
where they might go?
Anywhere at all?
I know my Matthew.
There's nowhere he'd go
without telling me.
OK.
Well, l think that's all
for now, Mrs Colbert.
We'll let you know as soon
as we hear anything.
But for now, we'll leave you in peace.
Finish your cake first!
I believe her when she said that Matthew
wouldn't go anywhere without
telling her. Yes, I agree.
Two children out there somewhere,
and we've no way of knowing
if they're safe.
So l think we need to escalate this.
Call HQ.
Let's get people out looking.
PHONE RINGS
Hello?
Um No, we're out and about. Why?
Oh, ten minutes?
OK. OK, love you. Bye-bye.
Esther?
Could you drop me off?
I need to pop in and see Martha.
There she is.
The most beautiful restaurateur
in Shipton Abbott.
The bank have refused my overdraft.
I thought they said it was a formality?
It's because our savings
have dropped so drastically.
It's thrown their risk
assessment out or something.
They haven't dropped that much.
23,000. Three rounds of IVF, moving here.
Without the overdraft,
I can't pay the contractors.
I think I need to use the house deposit.
Ah.
You bought a boat?
A houseboat.
It's still a boat.
It's our new home.
It's our own space.
You'll still be close to your mum.
WHISPERS: Don't worry, it moves.
Well, was I asleep or drunk?
Sorry?
When we discussed it.
Well, we didn't. Not exactly.
Define "not exactly".
We didn't.
Think about it, though. lt's
lt's our new home.
Out in the fresh air, on the water.
It'll be the most amazing
and yet worst decision of my life.
I'lll'll send it back.
It was a stupid idea.
Yes, it was.
But it's also very beautiful.
And veryyou.
Us!
Us.
Oh
Let me talk to the bank again.
HUFFS
HELICOPTER BLADES WHlR
Colberts have been missing all night.
let's spread out, look for any traces.
Anything new come in?
HQ have been on, moaning about
how much manpower we're using.
Oops. And I checked the PNC
like the inspector asked.
Nothing from any of the Colbert family.
Not even a parking ticket.
OK.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to glue this
headlight back together.
Why?
I need to know what shape it was
so I know what make of car it came from.
But if the hit-and-run car was
damaged, what about garages?
Body repair shops?
I tried them all. Nothing.
This is my last chance.
All right. What about
the victim, Chris Bromley?
Do we know anything else about him?
One of the neighbours said that
they heard an argument
between him and his wife, which is why
he might not have been looking
where he was going.
Ah, the course of true love.
Talking of which, we had
an interesting conversation
with Mr Harris, Margo.
Sounds like he's holding
a bit of a candle for you.
And something about the Wendy house
at St Vincent's?
He's not right in the head.
Never has been.
Anything from the search teams?
Nothing yet.
But HQ have been on.
Oh?
Five search teams covered a
three-mile radius of countryside
around the Colbert house,
including all footpaths and
bridleways, but found nothing.
Chief Superintendent Woods called to ask
if we know how much a helicopter costs.
Oh Charlie Woods is a bit of
a stickler.
Doesn't like smaller stations
using divisional resources.
We've got two missing children
out there somewhere.
Any sign of those phone records
for Matthew and Laura?
Still waiting on
the network providers, sir.
Oh, hello, it's Martha Lloyd again.
Is Mr Gissing out of his meeting yet?
SAWlNG AND HAMMERlNG
It is rather urgent.
No, I understand.
OK, yes, that would be great.
Thank you.
SIGHS
Hello, stranger.
GASPS
CHlLD CHEERS WOMAN: Yay!
What have you got there, baby girl?
Sand castles. Sand castles!
I love sand castles.
Oh! Rubbish!
Rubbish!
DVD CONTlNUES
Show me, show me, show me.
Right, let's go, go, go!
SCREAMlNG AND LAUGHlNG
Ready? Three, two, one!
Yesterday evening, Matthew Colbert
returned home from work
and the family sat down
together, as they usually did,
to eat their evening meal.
At some point, Matthew even
presented his wife with a gift.
A necklace.
And yet, before they finished eating,
all four of them got up from the table,
left the house and disappeared
without a trace.
No signs of a struggle,
no notes left behind.
And haven't contacted anyone since.
Questions! Questions!
How did they leave the house -
on foot or by car?
If on foot, why did no-one see them?
If by car, then whose car?
Theirs is still at the house.
If they did leave of their own free will,
why would Mr Colbert
not contact his employer
or his elderly mother,
who he knows relies
heavily upon him?
Why would Mrs Colbert
not inform the school
that the children wouldn't be in?
It can't be kidnap.
They're not rich.
We must be missing something.
This is amazing!
All my notes
in the order l made them.
I know, right?
It's a revelation. Welcome to
21st-century policing.
LAUGHS
We must be missing something.
At the house.
You want to go back?
Do you mind?
It's not like we're knee-deep
in other leads.
I justneed to make a couple
of stops on the way.
That's great, thank you.
Humphrey!
What are you doing here?
My fiancee works here.
So l bring good news
l went to see Marvellous.
Marvellous?
Marvellous Harris.
The local boat builder.
You'll love him.
Mad as a box of frogs. Anyway,
he's agreed to take the boat back.
Oh!
I thought you'd be pleased.
You love that boat. I could tell.
But l love you more.
And l know how important this is for you.
Well, that's the thing.
You see, when I got back,
the owner of the local vineyard -
that I'll be buying my wine from -
came in to say hello,
and it turns out he's an old friend.
That's amazing. Isn't it?
Anyway, we got chatting and I
was complaining about the bank.
And then Archie That's his name.
The friend.
Yes.
Well, Archie suggested a solution
which means you won't have
to sell the boat after all.
Yay!
Wey! What kind of solution?
He supplies all my wine, as
well as locally sourced cheese
from the shop on his vineyard
at cost - and a bit of cash -
and becomes a junior partner
in the cafe.
A partner? Junior.
I doubt he'll even need to
be here much, if at all.
Oh, that's great.
Let someone else take on
some of the worry,
ease the pressure a bit.
Yes. Yes.
Oh! Archie, we were just
talking about you.
All good, I hope?
Humphrey, this is Archie Hughes.
So you're the lucky man.
Yes, I am.
Wow, that's quite a grip.
Oh, sorry.
I may never play the accordion again.
ARCHlE LAUGHS HEARTlLY
He's never played the accordion!
THEY LAUGH AWKWARDLY
Yes.
So, er Howdy, partner!
She's told you, then?
Yes.
Yes, l think it's a wonderful idea.
Yeah, a problem shared,
two heads and all that.
Well, I'll only be a small cog
in the wheel.
But it seemed like too good
an opportunity to miss.
Right. Well, best get on. So
Were you two at school together?
Oh, heavens, no.
So, anyway, lots to do.
I've got people arriving in two hours.
How do you know each other?
Family friends We were engaged.
Our parents were friends,
which is how we met and got engaged.
Didn't I say that?
No.
It was a very long time ago.
Very long.
Yeah A lifetime.
Can hardly remember.
Well, look, this is, uhuh lovely.
Uh
Oh, well, l'm actually working.
I'm just on my way to do
an interview with aa house,
so l 'd better dash.
Well, it was great to meet you,
though, Archie, and
Absolutely. Yeah.
Ow Well, congratulations.
Yes, bye.
Umcan't you stay?
Have a coffee or something?
No, no. You've got lots to do.
I'll see you at the drinks party later.
Seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late.
I won't. Love you.
I love you.
Well, he seems lovely.
It doesn't make sense.
What would possess someone
to just get up and leave
haffway through their evening meal?
Something happened to Laura
and Archie Colbert last night.
But what? Matthew.
Hmm?
You said Laura and Archie.
Did l?
Margo, do we have
a magnifying glass anywhere? No.
The station used to have one,
but we left it somewhere.
Like the 1890s. Ah.
Have you tried your phone?
No, no, no.
I've got a picture.
I just need to see it better.
It'll have a magnifier app.
Will it?
Yeah.
So it has. That's extraordinary!
SCOFFS
What is that?
"Mum's".
Keys to his mum's sheltered housing.
Yes. To have somewhere at hand
in case they needed it in an emergency.
Didn't his mum say that Matthew
was there at the weekend
because she had a fall? Maybe he
just didn't put them back.
But how does that help us?
It doesn't.
PHONE RlNGS
Hi, Kelby.
So
I put the headlight from
the hit-and-run car together.
What, you actually did?
It wasn't perfect, to be honest.
didn't even look like a headlight.
But I did enough to see
some markings.
Those markings showed that
it belonged to a Kia Sportage.
That's amazing work, Kelby, well done.
Thank you, sir.
And?
And it's not that common.
So I tracked down
only eight registered vehicles
to addresses in a five-mile radius.
Seven I've accounted for.
The last owner can't account
for the car's whereabouts
because he lent it to a mate of his.
Yes. This is all very good,
Kelby, but I'm not sure
l'm following why we're here.
Guess who the mate was.
You lent Matthew Colbert your car?
There's no law against that, is there?
Me and Matty play footy
together. Pub five-a-side.
Anyway, said he was waiting
for a part for his old heap
and was stuck without a motor
to get to work. So I lent him mine.
Actually, we were doing
each other a favour.
Got a bit of a dodgy handbrake. He
said he'd take a look at it for me.
Have you heard from him
since he took the car?
No.
I said he could have it
till the end of the week.
What's all this about?
ANNE: I thought he'd moved away
with Sally and James.
He moved back last year, apparently.
Now he owns three vineyards. Hmph!
Rich and ridiculously handsome.
Can't imagine what you saw in him.
It's purely a business arrangement.
Of course. And you said that
Humphrey's fine with it.
Why wouldn't he be?
Hey.
GIGGLES
I honestly can't imagine.
Is this for outside?
Oh, yes, please.
Oh! Oh, wait. Ooh!
I've got balloons for it.
OK.
HUMPHREY:
Now we have the car registration,
see if HQ have access to
ANPR units. Check those too.
OK, thank you. Bye, Margo.
We're on our way back now.
Exactly as I remember you.
What?
All about the detail.
Well, if a job's worth doing
It wasn't a criticism.
I should hope not,
Mr Can't It Wait Until The Morning.
Ouch! Though I'm not quite
that guy any more.
Really?
Yeah, maybe I was listening
more than you thought.
ESTHER: Ooh!
He's cute. Who's he?
Martha's business partner.
They'll just see seven
balloons, yellow and white
Do you want to stop?
No.
Let's find this car.
Yeah. Got them.
I'll print them up.
Thanks, Kate.
Anything?
No, we've got everyone looking
and IT are going through CCTV.
But the phone providers
have finally come through
with call logs for their mobile phones.
After I threatened them
with a warrant. Well done, team.
All right. Nothing after 6pm
from Matthew.
What about her?
Yes!
My hit-and-run guy, Chris Bromley's
gone up on the ward.
Oh, one call here.
6:49 to 6:53.
Around the time we think
they sat down for their evening meal.
What's the number?
07700 960721.
960 721.
I'll take Bromley his stuff.
PHONE RlNGS
Whose phone is that?
She said she was going to leave him.
Last night.
We agreed.
We planned it for weeks.
You and Laura Colbert
were having an affair?
Nearly two years now.
Last night was the night we were
finally going to get together.
I told Suze, and
Laura was finally going to tell Matthew.
Suze?
My wife.
And once you told your wife
about leaving her,
you called Laura to see if she
kept her part of the bargain.
Yeah.
She said she'd tell Matt
when he got home from work.
Call me when it was done.
But she didn't call?
No.
Then when I didn't hear anything,
I started to get worried.
So you called her?
I just needed to know that
she'd told him.
And?
She'd bottled it.
I said, "If you're not at my place
"in half-hour, I would come over there
"and we'll tell him together."
Then the line went dead.
I waited, but she never showed up.
I was still furious, to be honest.
I grabbed my car keys and I went out.
I wasn't looking, and I ran across
the road and
..next thing you know, I'm here.
You didn't see who was driving the car?
No.
I've been calling Laura
from the payphone in the
waiting room all day.
Her phone's switched off.
CHATTER
Lovely to see you. Enjoy the wine.
Yeah, enjoy.
Hello there, how are you?
We're a bit tired
It looks brilliant.
Thank you. Oh, thank you.
Where's Humphrey?
He'll be here.
Ah! Lovely. Come on in.
So is that it?
Laura Colbert told her husband
about the affair.
He drove over to confront Chris.
Saw him standing in the road
GASPS
You've torn the pages out, haven't you?
Yes. Sorry.
As great as it was having
everything in order,
my brain doesn't really work like that.
It jumps around a bit.
Yeah, no kidding.
I think l know what happened.
Laura had promised Christopher
Bromley that she'd tell her husband,
Matthew, about the affair
and that she was leaving him.
Matthew, unaware of all that,
had just got a bonus
from the boat yard and used it
to buy Laura a present.
Now, I have no way of knowing
what Laura was thinking
in this very moment.
My guess is that she was
already having doubts
about leaving her family, and this,
this simple gift at exactly
the right moment
just confirmed that for her.
As the saying goes,
you don't know what you've got
until it's gone.
You don't actually have to
leave someone.
Sometimes it's enough to just
just look at them.
Wonder what your life would be
without them.
I think that's what happened
with Laura Colbert. On the day
she was supposed to leave her husband,
start a new life with
Christopher Bromley, she
suddenly realised she may be making
the biggest mistake of her life.
So she changed her mind?
Exactly.
And then the phone rang.
PHONE RlNGS
Just leave it.
It might be work.
But it was Christopher
telling her that he'd just told
his wife, Susan, about the affair.
I'm not coming.
I've changed my mind.
No, no-one's told me to say anything.
I just I just don't want to
do this any more.
No, I can't leave him.
I love him.
No, it is me talking !
She thought everything could
go back to how it was.
But she was wrong.
Don't you dare.
You leave us alone, or
A furious Christopher had just told
her he was about to come over
himself and tell her husband
about the affair.
Everything all right?
Her lover would soon be
banging on the door,
demanding to be heard.
Then she had an idea.
She knew she couldn't stop
Chris Bromley coming to the house,
but maybe she could get Matthew
out before he got there.
It was the warden. it's your mum.
she's fallen again
and he's really worried.
It sounds bad, so come on, we need
to go. I'll call her.
No, no. she's not in
any fit state to talk,
so let's just get there, all right?
Come on, sweeties.
Now, she got them out of the house.
But now her options were limited.
She's just painted herseff
into a corner.
She couldn't let him continue
to the sheltered housing,
knowing they'd find Mum fit and well.
And they couldn't go home because
she thought that Chris Bromley
would be there any minute. She was
trapped by her own lies.
But she knew that Chris
had already told his wife.
So, ultimately, she had no choice.
She had to tell Matthew the truth.
Matt, just stop the car.
Just stop the car! Pull over!
What? Why?
Because I need to talk to you.
She had to tell him the truth.
INAUDlBLE
You got all of that from a key hook?
Well, that was a starting point.
So once she told him
about the affair?
So, l think, in his fury,
Matthew drove over to
Chris Bromley's house, who,
having waited half an hour, as promised,
was now setting off for Laura's
house when
GLASS SHATTERS, TYRES SCREECH
I didn't I didn't see him
We have to help him.
Matt. Matt! We have to help him.
No. Matt, no!
Matty, no!
Only Matthew knows whether he could
have avoided him or not.
So where did they go?
We have no way of knowing.
There's nothing more we can do now.
But, you know, thanks to Kelby,
we have the details of the car
and every police officer
in Devon looking for them.
So we have to hope that tomorrow
will bring us some answers.
And l'm very late.
See you tomorrow.
Can l have a lift?
Yeah.
All right, come on, let's go.
Come on, Sergeant!
Archie, this is lovely.
Very glad you like it.
MARTHA SIGHS
CLEARS HER THROA
Maybe you should make a short speech.
I'll wait for Humphrey.
Better late than never.
Yes.
RADIO: Kelby here.
We found the car.
Where?
It was parked up in the woodlands.
When two of our lot
approached it, it took off.
There was a chase. it's now
cordoned off at Castle Peak.
You go. I can do it.
How far?
Three miles.
If you're going to say
something, darling,
you ought to do it now
because people are leaving.
CLEARS HIS THROA
Hello, everyone.
I just wanted to say thank you
for coming to see what we're all about,
even though I'm sure Mum twisted a
few arms to get you here!
LAUGHTER
So, welcome to the Ten Mile Kitchen,
so called because
all of our ingredients,
everything we use here, will be sourced
within ten miles of Shipton Abbott.
POSITIVE MURMURlNG
Including our wine.
So I'd just like to thank a few people
as today's been a bit of a team effort.
They chased him up here.
They're all still in the car.
But every time we go near him,
he threatens to drive it off the cliff.
Matty
Matty, please don't do this!
Please! Shut up.
I'm thinking.
We can't get near them.
LAURA SOBS
How many times have I got to say it?
If you lot come near me, I'll drive
us all over the edge.
We both know you don't want to do that.
You've got your children in the back.
I didn't mean to hit him.
I believe you.
How is he?
He's all right.
It's a couple of broken bones. Look,
Matty, at least let us take
the children.
Give you two time for a proper chat.
OK?
When I drove over there,
I wanted to kill him.
Could've done.
He's always had everything I didn't.
Always better at everything.
Money,
flash cars, nice holidays.
And now
he's got my wife.
No! No, he hasn't.
All right? I love you. I told
you that. It was a mistake.
A mistake?!
Yes!
Look, this is what you need, isn't it?
OK? To sort things out,
just the two of you.
How about we get the children
somewhere safe?
I need you to leave us alone.
I spoke to your mum.
She's really worried about you.
When she finds out where you are, OK
what do you think she'd say?
Matt?
If she was here?
I think she'd say,
"Let the little ones out the car."
I mean, if that's all right, then.
Come on, Matthew.
Let's get the kids out.
Shall we?
WHISPERS: Please.
I'm just going to open
the back door now. OK?
Can you just let the lock off for me?
ENGlNE REVS
Come on, Matthew.
Can you take the lock off for me?
Matt?
ENGlNE REVS
Matt!
DOORS UNLOCK
OK.
Come on, kids.
We'll just be a minute.
You go with the nice lady
and Mummy will be there
in a minute. OK? OK?
Look, l know you're upset.
And l understand. l really do.
I do.
This isn't helping anyone.
Are you married?
Er, no. No, l'm not.
But l'm engaged.
What would you do if you found out
she was seeing someone else
behind your back?
I'd be angry, l suppose.
just like you are.
I'd talk to her.
Let her explain.
We've been talking for hours.
I just see the same thing.
Him and her! I love you.
Get out!
Everyone's safe.
Let's get you all together,
OK? So you can sit down
and work things out.
Come on. Come on,
come and be with your family.
I need you to leave me alone.
I am here to help you.
I don't need your help.
I just need to think.
OK. All right.
I'll just stay here, then,
while you're thinking.
Getaway from me.
OK, OK. l 'll just step back a bit.
Justjust for a minute.
Matthew?
Matt. Matt!
Matt?
They've sent for a Land Rover
with a winch.
They say they can hook it
to the back of the car
to secure it, then rush him.
OK, let's give him two minutes,
then try again.
The family safe?
Yeah, yeah, they're
Matthew! No!
Oh
Matthew! Matt!
METALLIC CRASH
Didn't get time to fix the handbrake.
Matthew!
SHE SOBS
OK?
HUMPHREY:
That'd be better, wouldn't it?
Yeah?
Want to go home?
CHlLDREN CHATTER
What do you like, chocolate?
Strawberry?
Vanilla?!
Bad day? Not great.
Just watched a man's life
fall apart in front of me.
I know.
Esther called me.
Told me how you saved those children.
How was your party?
CHUCKLES
Well, I pressed a lot of flesh
and listened to a lot of nonsense.
But I made a speech.
You'd have been proud of me.
I already am.
I talked about teamwork.
About how my amazing husband-to-be
trusted me and loved me enough
to follow me all the way back
to Devon to open a cafe.
He sounds amazing.
He is!
Almost perfect, in fact.
Almost?
He spent all our savings on a houseboat.
Ah, yeah.
You hate it, don't you?
BOTH LAUGH
Actually, I've become quite
fond of it in the last hour.
So I thought we should christen it.
Well, don't you need a champagne bottle
on a piece of ribbon?
I actually had something else in mind.
I missed you. l'm sorry.
No, I'm not talking about the cafe.
I'm talking about us.
I missed you.
I missed you, too.
QUACK
What was that?
Oh, it came with a duck.
QUACKlNG
Oh, excellent.
The historic return of Shipton
Abbottts very own Solo Mare.
Augustus Craig, the artist, was
my great-great-great-grandfather.
They call themselves Edith's army.
Who's Edith?
According to them, the person who
really painted the Solo Mare.
CROWD GASPS
I thought it might be nice for you
and I to grab a beer sometime.
Beer?
I know why you came back.
Does it bother you, us working together?
Should it?
Of course not.
an important ecological role
in the countryside.
The Devonshire Nature Trust
is looking to recruit
ECHOEY SOBBlNG
Laura!
Laura!
TV: ..for southern parts of England
Morning.
Oh!
SHE CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY
Sorry.
I'll Yeah.
I left you to sleep.
Oh, I need to get to the cafe.
Check on things.
Um Open house night?
Drinks and canapes?
Yes, I forgot. Sorry.
Need to get word out
that we open tomorrow. Right.
I went for a walk.
I just
PHONE RINGS
Hello, Esther?
Um No, no, I can meet you there.
Will you text me the address?
OK. OK. Bye.
Work.
I can put it off.
Why?
I just thought
it's been over a week.
Maybe we could talk?
If you want to.
Only if you wanted to
Can we just not do this?
Not now.
DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS
ESTHER: Yeah. Yep. All right, then.
You do that. I'll do the same.
Yeah. All right.
Good.
Yeah.
Thank you, Margo.
Right, what have we got?
Laura and Matthew Colbert
and their two children -
Arlo, who's five,
and three-year-old Cora -
seem to have disappeared.
Disappeared? As in
As in disappeared.
Right.
Neighbour Dorothy Trowman came
this morning just after 8:30
to pick up Laura Colbert
to take her into town shopping
and found the house like this.
I've left everything
exactly as it was found.
TV on.
Meals at the dining table, half-eaten,
seemingly abandoned.
Lights left on, doors unlocked.
The oven was on.
There's even an apple pie
waiting to be put in.
Car's in the drive.
Nearest house?
Three miles.
Mary Celeste. Wasn't that a ship?
Found off the Azores in 1872.
In perfect working order,
but all the crew had simply disappeared.
Meals left haff-eaten, just like this.
Are you suggesting
there might be a link, sir?
One that would be tenuous at best.
Have we checked with family and friends?
The only family I found is
Mr Colbert's elderly mother.
She's in sheltered housing in Babbacombe.
She last saw her son two days ago.
The children were due at school,
and Mr Colbert due at work this morning.
None of them arrived.
Her birthday, maybe?
No cards.
They can't have just vanished
into thin air. Mrs Trowman said
they would never have left the
place like this - everything on.
And Laura would always be on time.
I wonder what this is for.
There's no shed.
I've no idea.
But as all the doors were left unlocked,
I'm not entirely sure it's relevant.
Yes.
Oh, wait, I forgot.
I bought you this.
Oh, l usually just
Scribble on random bits of paper.
It makes my teeth itch.
Um Mobile phones?
We've tried calling both numbers.
They go straight to voicemail.
I've asked for call logs
from the service providers.
What happened here?
How does the entire family
simply vanish?
Uhthis neighbour?
Mrs Trowman.
CHICKENS CLUCK
Mrs Trowman?
Detective lnspector Goodman.
Well, this is a waste of time.
Is it?
I told her what I saw.
I watched her write it down.
Er, yes.
I just wanted to talk to you myseff.
Why?
Can't you read her writing?
Oh, no. Yes, I can.
I'd just like to hear it
first-hand, as it were.
You're new, aren't you?
Yes. Yes, I am.
Thought you were a bit weird.
So you were friends with Laura Colbert?
Well, depends what you mean by friends.
You were going shopping together?
Well, car-sharing to buy groceries
doesn't make us Ant and Dec.
CHICKENS SQUAWK, HUMPHREY YELPS
Oh, for God's sake, man!
He won't hurt you.
HE CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY
No.
Yes. Um
And when was the last time
you saw the Colbert family?
The weekend.
They brought the children over
to see the baby goats.
HUMPHREY GROANS
GIGGLES
lt bit me!
And, um
And, um And you've no idea
where they might be right now?
Well, I didn't say that.
Well, didn't she tell you?
A passing vagrant, probably from London,
broke in, murdered them all
in their beds
and buried their bodies
in nearby woodland?
She watches a lot of true crime.
I wonder how she sleeps at night.
GROANS
You must have seen a man's leg before.
It's blood. Makes me feel queasy.
Not mine, just other people's.
Sorry.
Just a scratch. All done.
If the car's still in the drive,
then they left the house on foot,
and someone must have seen them.
I've asked Margo to check taxi drivers,
delivery drivers, nearby properties.
Anyone who might have been
on this road last night. Although
they may not have used the road.
Ask Kelby to pull out all maps
of nearby footpaths and bridleways.
Will do.
Thank you.
GEARS GRlND
Even if you can paint it in time,
it'll never be dry by this evening.
So when you said
"Come and lend your support,"
is this what you had in mind?
I'm being pragmatic, darling.
Well, don't! It's not helping.
Besides which, I'm not painting.
Ooh!
You asked me to invite
haff of Shipton Abbott.
I've a right to be anxious.
Besides, being anxious
is also how you feel
when you're excluded from things.
You tend to fear the worst.
What?
Is Humphrey having an affair?
You two have been
creeping around for days.
And l'm not stupid.
I know something's going on
between you two.
If it's not that
what is it?
I just need to speak to
Mr Bromley when he's up to it,
if that's all right.
Oh, and I've got his phone
and stuff we found from the scene,
so I can bring that into the hospital.
And how's your mum?
Say hello to her for me.
And if she's making
any more of them apple cakes,
don't forget me.
OK. Thanks, Susie.
No luck?
She's making a batch on the weekend.
On Christopher Bromley?
Oh, the hit-and-run bloke?
He's still in A&E.
They're doing more scans.
She's going to call me when he's done.
You found them?
No.
How are you getting on with
the family and friends?
Report's on your desk.
Headlines?
Well, that was a load of typing
for nothing.
No family close by apart from
Matthew Colbert's mum.
They moved to Shipton
about eight years ago.
He plays five-a-side football
for the Weary Friar pub,
where Laura Colbert used to
work as a barmaid.
She still covers the odd shift
if they're short.
Oi ! Thank you.
Anything else come in?
Hit-and-run on the Raleigh Estate.
Bad? As opposed to one of those
good hit-and-runs, you mean?
Oh, yes. Good point.
Victim is Christopher Bromley,
a 35-year-old financial consultant.
He's been in A&E overnight, but he's got
a suspected leg fracture,
a broken wrist, a few bumps and bruises.
No driver of the car?
Wetve got witnesses saying
that they heard
the screech of tyres and collision,
but no-one actually saw anything.
I found broken plastic at the scene.
Looks like one of the
headlights was smashed in.
OK. Let me know if you need anything.
Have we got the details
of Mr Colbert's employer?
Why?
Well, l'd quite like to talk to him.
What for?
l'm a detective.
Well, he won't know anything.
He's as mad as a barbed-wire badger.
Ha!
Thank you.
Can we check the PNC,
see if we have anything at all
on file concerning our missing family?
Domestic neighbour disputes,
criminal records,
anything we can find.
A family of four
simply vanish
midway through their evening meal
without taking their car.
The question is, did they leave
of their own accord?
Or were they taken against their will?
You went through all that
without telling me?
Without telling anyone.
I'm not sure that makes it any better.
We
l just couldn't cope with
the daily IVF updates.
"Has it worked yet?"
"How are you feeling?"
"Are you pregnant?"
And then l had to deal with
Humphrey's endless optimism
that every time we did it,
this was the one.
And then every time, the look
on his face when it wasn't.
Oh, you poor darling.
I can't begin to imagine how
that must have felt.
And I wish I'd been there for you.
Well, you couldn't have done anything.
It's this stupid body of mine.
Will you try again?
I don't know.
But you do want children?
I want to make Humphrey a dad.
And you a grandma.
That's not what I asked !
So
How's life at the in-laws?
Oh, fine.
Mostly.
I'm surprised Martha
isn't pulling her hair out.
Must feel like a step backwards for her,
moving back in with her mum.
I never really thought of it like that.
No, of course you didn't.
You're a man.
Marvellous Harris?
Yes, I am.
Unless I owe you money,
then I'm Robert Johnson.
It's quite a name, Marvellous.
I'm Detective lnspector Goodman.
This is DS Williams.
You're the new fella at Shipton station
everyone's talking about, are you?
Yes. Yes, l am.
So what are they saying?
A bit odd.
So you work with Margo Martins?
Yes, we do.
In that case, I confess.
Take me in.
Confess what?
Anything you like, as long as Margo
frisks me when I get there.
You know Margo?
Know her? I've been lusting after her
nigh-on 60 years, ever since
she showed me her knickers
in the Wendy house of St Vincent's
when we were seven.
Oi, Picasso!
Keep it below the waterline,
you gert noodle.
Last I looked,
barnacles were under the water,
not swimming on the top.
Always thought I'd marry her,
but Jamie Martins beat me to it.
Broke my heart.
Night they got married, I sat in the
old snug at Kitty Jay's,
listening to One Man Band
on the jukebox.
Leo Sayer.
Sang it dressed as a clown, he did.
Or maybe that was just in my head.
Right. Well, we'll pass on
your regards to Margo.
Now, can we ask you about
Matthew Colbert?
Have you had any news?
No, not yet.
Was he at work yesterday?
Yeah.
Finished off a refit on the
Mighty Flynn, got his bonus,
went home happy as Larry.
And while he was here,
he didn't seem preoccupied,
worried about anything?
Not that I noticed.
And is it unlike him
to take a day off work
without telling you?
Matty's a good lad.
Never late, not afraid of hard work.
Lives for his family.
He even looks after
his old mum, too, he does.
If he could have called me, let
me know, he would have done.
Something's wrong.
Sir?
Hmm?
Is there anything else?
No, l don't think so.
Beauty, ain't she?
Came in last week.
Needs a lick of paint
and a bit of a refit inside.
But she's solid enough, though.
Can l?
You be my guest.
Five minutes!
Just be a bit careful, you know?
I heard there's a new bloke
up there. From London.
that's right.
God help us all!
He's all right, as it goes.
For a grockle.
HE LAUGHS
What's that?
It was a headlight.
Why are you showing it to me?
I thought you could tell me
what make of car it came from.
Therets been a hit-and - run.
I'm going up the doctor's later.
That's a pee sample I did
a half hour ago.
Me working out what car
them bits of glass came from
is a bit like giving that
to the hospital
and asking what my shoe size is.
To work out what car it came from,
you'd have to see the shape it was.
Not much shape there, is there?
ESTHER:
We know it's a worrying time for you,
but we're doing everything we can-
MRS COLBERT:
I just can't think what's happened.
And what about those little 'uns?
Is there anything that might help us?
Problems within the family,
money worries?
Issues between Matthew and Laura?
No, nothing like that.
Oh, don't get me wrong,
they don't have much.
But Matthew dotes on Laura and the kids.
Is there anything
that's happened recently?
Have circumstances changed in any way?
Not that I can think of.
Ah-ah-ah!
Um You last saw Matthew two days ago.
Is that right?
After he finished work,
he brought me in some fish and chips.
And he seemed OK to you?
Fine.
He didn't stay long.
He wanted to get home,
see the children
before they went to bed.
And the last time you saw him
before that?
The weekend I had a fall.
They came out to check
I was all right. Oh, dear.
Next door's cat.
I let it in sometimes.
Stupid thing got under my feet.
I went flying.
Can you Can you think of
where they might go?
Anywhere at all?
I know my Matthew.
There's nowhere he'd go
without telling me.
OK.
Well, l think that's all
for now, Mrs Colbert.
We'll let you know as soon
as we hear anything.
But for now, we'll leave you in peace.
Finish your cake first!
I believe her when she said that Matthew
wouldn't go anywhere without
telling her. Yes, I agree.
Two children out there somewhere,
and we've no way of knowing
if they're safe.
So l think we need to escalate this.
Call HQ.
Let's get people out looking.
PHONE RINGS
Hello?
Um No, we're out and about. Why?
Oh, ten minutes?
OK. OK, love you. Bye-bye.
Esther?
Could you drop me off?
I need to pop in and see Martha.
There she is.
The most beautiful restaurateur
in Shipton Abbott.
The bank have refused my overdraft.
I thought they said it was a formality?
It's because our savings
have dropped so drastically.
It's thrown their risk
assessment out or something.
They haven't dropped that much.
23,000. Three rounds of IVF, moving here.
Without the overdraft,
I can't pay the contractors.
I think I need to use the house deposit.
Ah.
You bought a boat?
A houseboat.
It's still a boat.
It's our new home.
It's our own space.
You'll still be close to your mum.
WHISPERS: Don't worry, it moves.
Well, was I asleep or drunk?
Sorry?
When we discussed it.
Well, we didn't. Not exactly.
Define "not exactly".
We didn't.
Think about it, though. lt's
lt's our new home.
Out in the fresh air, on the water.
It'll be the most amazing
and yet worst decision of my life.
I'lll'll send it back.
It was a stupid idea.
Yes, it was.
But it's also very beautiful.
And veryyou.
Us!
Us.
Oh
Let me talk to the bank again.
HUFFS
HELICOPTER BLADES WHlR
Colberts have been missing all night.
let's spread out, look for any traces.
Anything new come in?
HQ have been on, moaning about
how much manpower we're using.
Oops. And I checked the PNC
like the inspector asked.
Nothing from any of the Colbert family.
Not even a parking ticket.
OK.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to glue this
headlight back together.
Why?
I need to know what shape it was
so I know what make of car it came from.
But if the hit-and-run car was
damaged, what about garages?
Body repair shops?
I tried them all. Nothing.
This is my last chance.
All right. What about
the victim, Chris Bromley?
Do we know anything else about him?
One of the neighbours said that
they heard an argument
between him and his wife, which is why
he might not have been looking
where he was going.
Ah, the course of true love.
Talking of which, we had
an interesting conversation
with Mr Harris, Margo.
Sounds like he's holding
a bit of a candle for you.
And something about the Wendy house
at St Vincent's?
He's not right in the head.
Never has been.
Anything from the search teams?
Nothing yet.
But HQ have been on.
Oh?
Five search teams covered a
three-mile radius of countryside
around the Colbert house,
including all footpaths and
bridleways, but found nothing.
Chief Superintendent Woods called to ask
if we know how much a helicopter costs.
Oh Charlie Woods is a bit of
a stickler.
Doesn't like smaller stations
using divisional resources.
We've got two missing children
out there somewhere.
Any sign of those phone records
for Matthew and Laura?
Still waiting on
the network providers, sir.
Oh, hello, it's Martha Lloyd again.
Is Mr Gissing out of his meeting yet?
SAWlNG AND HAMMERlNG
It is rather urgent.
No, I understand.
OK, yes, that would be great.
Thank you.
SIGHS
Hello, stranger.
GASPS
CHlLD CHEERS WOMAN: Yay!
What have you got there, baby girl?
Sand castles. Sand castles!
I love sand castles.
Oh! Rubbish!
Rubbish!
DVD CONTlNUES
Show me, show me, show me.
Right, let's go, go, go!
SCREAMlNG AND LAUGHlNG
Ready? Three, two, one!
Yesterday evening, Matthew Colbert
returned home from work
and the family sat down
together, as they usually did,
to eat their evening meal.
At some point, Matthew even
presented his wife with a gift.
A necklace.
And yet, before they finished eating,
all four of them got up from the table,
left the house and disappeared
without a trace.
No signs of a struggle,
no notes left behind.
And haven't contacted anyone since.
Questions! Questions!
How did they leave the house -
on foot or by car?
If on foot, why did no-one see them?
If by car, then whose car?
Theirs is still at the house.
If they did leave of their own free will,
why would Mr Colbert
not contact his employer
or his elderly mother,
who he knows relies
heavily upon him?
Why would Mrs Colbert
not inform the school
that the children wouldn't be in?
It can't be kidnap.
They're not rich.
We must be missing something.
This is amazing!
All my notes
in the order l made them.
I know, right?
It's a revelation. Welcome to
21st-century policing.
LAUGHS
We must be missing something.
At the house.
You want to go back?
Do you mind?
It's not like we're knee-deep
in other leads.
I justneed to make a couple
of stops on the way.
That's great, thank you.
Humphrey!
What are you doing here?
My fiancee works here.
So l bring good news
l went to see Marvellous.
Marvellous?
Marvellous Harris.
The local boat builder.
You'll love him.
Mad as a box of frogs. Anyway,
he's agreed to take the boat back.
Oh!
I thought you'd be pleased.
You love that boat. I could tell.
But l love you more.
And l know how important this is for you.
Well, that's the thing.
You see, when I got back,
the owner of the local vineyard -
that I'll be buying my wine from -
came in to say hello,
and it turns out he's an old friend.
That's amazing. Isn't it?
Anyway, we got chatting and I
was complaining about the bank.
And then Archie That's his name.
The friend.
Yes.
Well, Archie suggested a solution
which means you won't have
to sell the boat after all.
Yay!
Wey! What kind of solution?
He supplies all my wine, as
well as locally sourced cheese
from the shop on his vineyard
at cost - and a bit of cash -
and becomes a junior partner
in the cafe.
A partner? Junior.
I doubt he'll even need to
be here much, if at all.
Oh, that's great.
Let someone else take on
some of the worry,
ease the pressure a bit.
Yes. Yes.
Oh! Archie, we were just
talking about you.
All good, I hope?
Humphrey, this is Archie Hughes.
So you're the lucky man.
Yes, I am.
Wow, that's quite a grip.
Oh, sorry.
I may never play the accordion again.
ARCHlE LAUGHS HEARTlLY
He's never played the accordion!
THEY LAUGH AWKWARDLY
Yes.
So, er Howdy, partner!
She's told you, then?
Yes.
Yes, l think it's a wonderful idea.
Yeah, a problem shared,
two heads and all that.
Well, I'll only be a small cog
in the wheel.
But it seemed like too good
an opportunity to miss.
Right. Well, best get on. So
Were you two at school together?
Oh, heavens, no.
So, anyway, lots to do.
I've got people arriving in two hours.
How do you know each other?
Family friends We were engaged.
Our parents were friends,
which is how we met and got engaged.
Didn't I say that?
No.
It was a very long time ago.
Very long.
Yeah A lifetime.
Can hardly remember.
Well, look, this is, uhuh lovely.
Uh
Oh, well, l'm actually working.
I'm just on my way to do
an interview with aa house,
so l 'd better dash.
Well, it was great to meet you,
though, Archie, and
Absolutely. Yeah.
Ow Well, congratulations.
Yes, bye.
Umcan't you stay?
Have a coffee or something?
No, no. You've got lots to do.
I'll see you at the drinks party later.
Seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late.
I won't. Love you.
I love you.
Well, he seems lovely.
It doesn't make sense.
What would possess someone
to just get up and leave
haffway through their evening meal?
Something happened to Laura
and Archie Colbert last night.
But what? Matthew.
Hmm?
You said Laura and Archie.
Did l?
Margo, do we have
a magnifying glass anywhere? No.
The station used to have one,
but we left it somewhere.
Like the 1890s. Ah.
Have you tried your phone?
No, no, no.
I've got a picture.
I just need to see it better.
It'll have a magnifier app.
Will it?
Yeah.
So it has. That's extraordinary!
SCOFFS
What is that?
"Mum's".
Keys to his mum's sheltered housing.
Yes. To have somewhere at hand
in case they needed it in an emergency.
Didn't his mum say that Matthew
was there at the weekend
because she had a fall? Maybe he
just didn't put them back.
But how does that help us?
It doesn't.
PHONE RlNGS
Hi, Kelby.
So
I put the headlight from
the hit-and-run car together.
What, you actually did?
It wasn't perfect, to be honest.
didn't even look like a headlight.
But I did enough to see
some markings.
Those markings showed that
it belonged to a Kia Sportage.
That's amazing work, Kelby, well done.
Thank you, sir.
And?
And it's not that common.
So I tracked down
only eight registered vehicles
to addresses in a five-mile radius.
Seven I've accounted for.
The last owner can't account
for the car's whereabouts
because he lent it to a mate of his.
Yes. This is all very good,
Kelby, but I'm not sure
l'm following why we're here.
Guess who the mate was.
You lent Matthew Colbert your car?
There's no law against that, is there?
Me and Matty play footy
together. Pub five-a-side.
Anyway, said he was waiting
for a part for his old heap
and was stuck without a motor
to get to work. So I lent him mine.
Actually, we were doing
each other a favour.
Got a bit of a dodgy handbrake. He
said he'd take a look at it for me.
Have you heard from him
since he took the car?
No.
I said he could have it
till the end of the week.
What's all this about?
ANNE: I thought he'd moved away
with Sally and James.
He moved back last year, apparently.
Now he owns three vineyards. Hmph!
Rich and ridiculously handsome.
Can't imagine what you saw in him.
It's purely a business arrangement.
Of course. And you said that
Humphrey's fine with it.
Why wouldn't he be?
Hey.
GIGGLES
I honestly can't imagine.
Is this for outside?
Oh, yes, please.
Oh! Oh, wait. Ooh!
I've got balloons for it.
OK.
HUMPHREY:
Now we have the car registration,
see if HQ have access to
ANPR units. Check those too.
OK, thank you. Bye, Margo.
We're on our way back now.
Exactly as I remember you.
What?
All about the detail.
Well, if a job's worth doing
It wasn't a criticism.
I should hope not,
Mr Can't It Wait Until The Morning.
Ouch! Though I'm not quite
that guy any more.
Really?
Yeah, maybe I was listening
more than you thought.
ESTHER: Ooh!
He's cute. Who's he?
Martha's business partner.
They'll just see seven
balloons, yellow and white
Do you want to stop?
No.
Let's find this car.
Yeah. Got them.
I'll print them up.
Thanks, Kate.
Anything?
No, we've got everyone looking
and IT are going through CCTV.
But the phone providers
have finally come through
with call logs for their mobile phones.
After I threatened them
with a warrant. Well done, team.
All right. Nothing after 6pm
from Matthew.
What about her?
Yes!
My hit-and-run guy, Chris Bromley's
gone up on the ward.
Oh, one call here.
6:49 to 6:53.
Around the time we think
they sat down for their evening meal.
What's the number?
07700 960721.
960 721.
I'll take Bromley his stuff.
PHONE RlNGS
Whose phone is that?
She said she was going to leave him.
Last night.
We agreed.
We planned it for weeks.
You and Laura Colbert
were having an affair?
Nearly two years now.
Last night was the night we were
finally going to get together.
I told Suze, and
Laura was finally going to tell Matthew.
Suze?
My wife.
And once you told your wife
about leaving her,
you called Laura to see if she
kept her part of the bargain.
Yeah.
She said she'd tell Matt
when he got home from work.
Call me when it was done.
But she didn't call?
No.
Then when I didn't hear anything,
I started to get worried.
So you called her?
I just needed to know that
she'd told him.
And?
She'd bottled it.
I said, "If you're not at my place
"in half-hour, I would come over there
"and we'll tell him together."
Then the line went dead.
I waited, but she never showed up.
I was still furious, to be honest.
I grabbed my car keys and I went out.
I wasn't looking, and I ran across
the road and
..next thing you know, I'm here.
You didn't see who was driving the car?
No.
I've been calling Laura
from the payphone in the
waiting room all day.
Her phone's switched off.
CHATTER
Lovely to see you. Enjoy the wine.
Yeah, enjoy.
Hello there, how are you?
We're a bit tired
It looks brilliant.
Thank you. Oh, thank you.
Where's Humphrey?
He'll be here.
Ah! Lovely. Come on in.
So is that it?
Laura Colbert told her husband
about the affair.
He drove over to confront Chris.
Saw him standing in the road
GASPS
You've torn the pages out, haven't you?
Yes. Sorry.
As great as it was having
everything in order,
my brain doesn't really work like that.
It jumps around a bit.
Yeah, no kidding.
I think l know what happened.
Laura had promised Christopher
Bromley that she'd tell her husband,
Matthew, about the affair
and that she was leaving him.
Matthew, unaware of all that,
had just got a bonus
from the boat yard and used it
to buy Laura a present.
Now, I have no way of knowing
what Laura was thinking
in this very moment.
My guess is that she was
already having doubts
about leaving her family, and this,
this simple gift at exactly
the right moment
just confirmed that for her.
As the saying goes,
you don't know what you've got
until it's gone.
You don't actually have to
leave someone.
Sometimes it's enough to just
just look at them.
Wonder what your life would be
without them.
I think that's what happened
with Laura Colbert. On the day
she was supposed to leave her husband,
start a new life with
Christopher Bromley, she
suddenly realised she may be making
the biggest mistake of her life.
So she changed her mind?
Exactly.
And then the phone rang.
PHONE RlNGS
Just leave it.
It might be work.
But it was Christopher
telling her that he'd just told
his wife, Susan, about the affair.
I'm not coming.
I've changed my mind.
No, no-one's told me to say anything.
I just I just don't want to
do this any more.
No, I can't leave him.
I love him.
No, it is me talking !
She thought everything could
go back to how it was.
But she was wrong.
Don't you dare.
You leave us alone, or
A furious Christopher had just told
her he was about to come over
himself and tell her husband
about the affair.
Everything all right?
Her lover would soon be
banging on the door,
demanding to be heard.
Then she had an idea.
She knew she couldn't stop
Chris Bromley coming to the house,
but maybe she could get Matthew
out before he got there.
It was the warden. it's your mum.
she's fallen again
and he's really worried.
It sounds bad, so come on, we need
to go. I'll call her.
No, no. she's not in
any fit state to talk,
so let's just get there, all right?
Come on, sweeties.
Now, she got them out of the house.
But now her options were limited.
She's just painted herseff
into a corner.
She couldn't let him continue
to the sheltered housing,
knowing they'd find Mum fit and well.
And they couldn't go home because
she thought that Chris Bromley
would be there any minute. She was
trapped by her own lies.
But she knew that Chris
had already told his wife.
So, ultimately, she had no choice.
She had to tell Matthew the truth.
Matt, just stop the car.
Just stop the car! Pull over!
What? Why?
Because I need to talk to you.
She had to tell him the truth.
INAUDlBLE
You got all of that from a key hook?
Well, that was a starting point.
So once she told him
about the affair?
So, l think, in his fury,
Matthew drove over to
Chris Bromley's house, who,
having waited half an hour, as promised,
was now setting off for Laura's
house when
GLASS SHATTERS, TYRES SCREECH
I didn't I didn't see him
We have to help him.
Matt. Matt! We have to help him.
No. Matt, no!
Matty, no!
Only Matthew knows whether he could
have avoided him or not.
So where did they go?
We have no way of knowing.
There's nothing more we can do now.
But, you know, thanks to Kelby,
we have the details of the car
and every police officer
in Devon looking for them.
So we have to hope that tomorrow
will bring us some answers.
And l'm very late.
See you tomorrow.
Can l have a lift?
Yeah.
All right, come on, let's go.
Come on, Sergeant!
Archie, this is lovely.
Very glad you like it.
MARTHA SIGHS
CLEARS HER THROA
Maybe you should make a short speech.
I'll wait for Humphrey.
Better late than never.
Yes.
RADIO: Kelby here.
We found the car.
Where?
It was parked up in the woodlands.
When two of our lot
approached it, it took off.
There was a chase. it's now
cordoned off at Castle Peak.
You go. I can do it.
How far?
Three miles.
If you're going to say
something, darling,
you ought to do it now
because people are leaving.
CLEARS HIS THROA
Hello, everyone.
I just wanted to say thank you
for coming to see what we're all about,
even though I'm sure Mum twisted a
few arms to get you here!
LAUGHTER
So, welcome to the Ten Mile Kitchen,
so called because
all of our ingredients,
everything we use here, will be sourced
within ten miles of Shipton Abbott.
POSITIVE MURMURlNG
Including our wine.
So I'd just like to thank a few people
as today's been a bit of a team effort.
They chased him up here.
They're all still in the car.
But every time we go near him,
he threatens to drive it off the cliff.
Matty
Matty, please don't do this!
Please! Shut up.
I'm thinking.
We can't get near them.
LAURA SOBS
How many times have I got to say it?
If you lot come near me, I'll drive
us all over the edge.
We both know you don't want to do that.
You've got your children in the back.
I didn't mean to hit him.
I believe you.
How is he?
He's all right.
It's a couple of broken bones. Look,
Matty, at least let us take
the children.
Give you two time for a proper chat.
OK?
When I drove over there,
I wanted to kill him.
Could've done.
He's always had everything I didn't.
Always better at everything.
Money,
flash cars, nice holidays.
And now
he's got my wife.
No! No, he hasn't.
All right? I love you. I told
you that. It was a mistake.
A mistake?!
Yes!
Look, this is what you need, isn't it?
OK? To sort things out,
just the two of you.
How about we get the children
somewhere safe?
I need you to leave us alone.
I spoke to your mum.
She's really worried about you.
When she finds out where you are, OK
what do you think she'd say?
Matt?
If she was here?
I think she'd say,
"Let the little ones out the car."
I mean, if that's all right, then.
Come on, Matthew.
Let's get the kids out.
Shall we?
WHISPERS: Please.
I'm just going to open
the back door now. OK?
Can you just let the lock off for me?
ENGlNE REVS
Come on, Matthew.
Can you take the lock off for me?
Matt?
ENGlNE REVS
Matt!
DOORS UNLOCK
OK.
Come on, kids.
We'll just be a minute.
You go with the nice lady
and Mummy will be there
in a minute. OK? OK?
Look, l know you're upset.
And l understand. l really do.
I do.
This isn't helping anyone.
Are you married?
Er, no. No, l'm not.
But l'm engaged.
What would you do if you found out
she was seeing someone else
behind your back?
I'd be angry, l suppose.
just like you are.
I'd talk to her.
Let her explain.
We've been talking for hours.
I just see the same thing.
Him and her! I love you.
Get out!
Everyone's safe.
Let's get you all together,
OK? So you can sit down
and work things out.
Come on. Come on,
come and be with your family.
I need you to leave me alone.
I am here to help you.
I don't need your help.
I just need to think.
OK. All right.
I'll just stay here, then,
while you're thinking.
Getaway from me.
OK, OK. l 'll just step back a bit.
Justjust for a minute.
Matthew?
Matt. Matt!
Matt?
They've sent for a Land Rover
with a winch.
They say they can hook it
to the back of the car
to secure it, then rush him.
OK, let's give him two minutes,
then try again.
The family safe?
Yeah, yeah, they're
Matthew! No!
Oh
Matthew! Matt!
METALLIC CRASH
Didn't get time to fix the handbrake.
Matthew!
SHE SOBS
OK?
HUMPHREY:
That'd be better, wouldn't it?
Yeah?
Want to go home?
CHlLDREN CHATTER
What do you like, chocolate?
Strawberry?
Vanilla?!
Bad day? Not great.
Just watched a man's life
fall apart in front of me.
I know.
Esther called me.
Told me how you saved those children.
How was your party?
CHUCKLES
Well, I pressed a lot of flesh
and listened to a lot of nonsense.
But I made a speech.
You'd have been proud of me.
I already am.
I talked about teamwork.
About how my amazing husband-to-be
trusted me and loved me enough
to follow me all the way back
to Devon to open a cafe.
He sounds amazing.
He is!
Almost perfect, in fact.
Almost?
He spent all our savings on a houseboat.
Ah, yeah.
You hate it, don't you?
BOTH LAUGH
Actually, I've become quite
fond of it in the last hour.
So I thought we should christen it.
Well, don't you need a champagne bottle
on a piece of ribbon?
I actually had something else in mind.
I missed you. l'm sorry.
No, I'm not talking about the cafe.
I'm talking about us.
I missed you.
I missed you, too.
QUACK
What was that?
Oh, it came with a duck.
QUACKlNG
Oh, excellent.
The historic return of Shipton
Abbottts very own Solo Mare.
Augustus Craig, the artist, was
my great-great-great-grandfather.
They call themselves Edith's army.
Who's Edith?
According to them, the person who
really painted the Solo Mare.
CROWD GASPS
I thought it might be nice for you
and I to grab a beer sometime.
Beer?
I know why you came back.
Does it bother you, us working together?
Should it?
Of course not.