Ridley (2022) s01e03 Episode Script

Swansong

1
What'll I do When you are far away ♪
And I am blue What'll I do ♪
What'll I do when I am wondering ♪
Who is kissing you ♪
What'll I do ♪
What'll I do With just a photograph ♪
To tell my troubles to ♪
When I'm alone With only dreams of you ♪
That won't come true ♪
What'll I do? ♪
Didn't know we had a singer on tonight.
We didn't. Jamie knows her.
Asked her to guest.
What's her name?
Eve Marbury. She's back for a funeral.
She flew in from Chicago this morning.
Right.
What'll I do With just a photograph ♪
To tell my troubles to ♪
When I'm alone ♪
SOBBING Jed should be here.
He needs to say goodbye.
He's not coming, Liza.
That won't come true
What'll I do? ♪
So, how does Jamie know her?
Oh, they played together
at Long Beach Festival.
I've never been to California.
What I wouldn't do for a bit of sun
right now.
- Ah, yeah, the west coast.
- Huh!
All you can afford is Blackpool.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Eve, this is my business partner,
Ridley.
Hi, I'm really sorry.
I didn't know you were on.
I'd have been here sooner.
It was all very last minute.
Ridley sings with us
every now and again.
I mean, not very well,
but we humour him.
Listen, can I get you a drink?
It's the least we can do.
- Yes.
- Oh, sorry, excuse me.
Just the two of us, then.
What'll you have?
Er, surprise me.
Here we are.
Single malt Irish whisky.
The traditional welcome
of the weary traveller.
Perfect. Thank you.
- Slainte.
- Cheers.
Ridley's an unusual name.
Yes. It's, er, my surname.
I was christened Alex.
So you're a singer?
An enthusiastic amateur, yeah.
What's the day job?
Detective. Retired. But I still do
a bit of consultancy work, you know?
And your wife?
She passed away, sadly.
18 months ago. Yeah.
- I'm sorry.
- Oh.
So how long are you here?
Just till the weekend.
Ah.
First time I've been back
since I moved to the States.
What took you so long?
My mother had a problem with alcohol,
and my brother left home when he was 15.
Are you still in contact with him?
He's written to me over the years
but never with any way
of contacting him.
I've tried
all the missing persons sites,
but no, he's not to be found anywhere.
Maybe I could help you find
your brother if you wanted me to?
Hmm. Interesting.
I might take you up on that.
Can I get you another?
Better not. Jetlag's starting
to catch up with me,
and I have to save my voice.
Oh, why's that?
I'm singing at a funeral
later in the week.
Do you mind me asking
whose funeral it is?
- Julian Varnham.
- Julian Varnham. God.
Yeah, he was quite the impresario,
wasn't he?
He certainly was.
Well, look, it's, er
lovely to meet you.
I hope I can see you again some time.
I'd like that. Thank you for the drink.
Thank you.
Did you manage to get hold of Jed?
I've left him several messages,
but as yet have no reply.
I've got to leave by one,
I'm afraid, so if
your brother's not here by
Jed!
Where were you last night?
Can we just get this over with?
Dad would've wanted you to say goodbye.
It's time to let go of the past.
Eve! Thought you'd be having a lie-in.
Hmm. Still on Chicago time.
I need to speak to Ridley.
He's not here.
He might be in this afternoon.
Where would I find him now?
Probably at home.
But he lives up in Hepton Water.
That's OK. Hotel got me a hire car.
Do you want me to call him?
No, no, just his address.
I'd like to surprise him.
OK.
Annie told me I might find you here.
Yep.
This is some place.
Yeah. Not bad, is it?
I've come to take you up on your offer.
I'd like you to help me find my brother.
Oh, right.
'Thanks for agreeing to see me.'
As family solicitor, I thought a
meeting would be beneficial to discuss
aspects of the will
that might need further explanation.
What are you doing here?
Housekeeper let me in.
All right if I sit here, Liza?
Sorry for your loss.
This is a private family meeting.
To which I've been invited.
Isn't that right, Simon?
Your father made one bequest
outside the family.
Ms Conway is a beneficiary.
It was when you said
you were a retired detective,
I thought maybe you could help.
This is Luke. He's about 14 there.
And that's him in the middle.
Think that must've been taken
not long before he left.
And you're sure that he was
officially reported missing?
Mm-hm. Did it myself.
My mum didn't even notice he'd gone.
And what did the police say?
Well, it wasn't the first time,
so he was already on their radar,
and I don't think they took it
seriously.
So there was no follow-up at all?
No.
Nothing. They just thought he'd turn up.
Hmm.
These are his letters. He wrote
fairly regularly until recently.
Christmas, birthdays.
And, er, when was the last time
you heard from him?
Be a year this April. And it's the
first time he's missed my birthday,
so I really need to know he's OK.
Some people just go off grid,
and they want to stay there.
If I do find your brother,
you may have to accept
that he doesn't want to see you.
At least I'll have done
everything I can.
OK.
I'll hang onto these.
And anything else you've got.
So is that a yes?
Well
it's better than sanding that boat,
I can tell you!
And on to page four, subsection E.
"To the person named below,
Ms Julie Mary Anne Conway,
"of 13 Alcot Way, if she survives me,
"I will give the property
described below.
"Ravenstoop and all surrounding land
as per the title deeds."
I'll invite you both
to the housewarming. That'll be fun.
Procreating has become
an ethical and a moral issue.
No-one can deny
that having ever more kids
in the era of climate catastrophe
is increasingly problematic.
I've thought long and hard
about that, Seb,
but surely what's more important
is how soon countries
transition away from fossil fuels,
not the phasing out of human existence.
I get all that,
but I'm still conflicted.
Right, the thing is, Seb,
Geri's ovulating right now
and she's not getting any younger.
And I'm gonna be late for work.
Another green tea?
Thanks.
Are you deliberately
trying to sabotage this, babe?
But the thing is
we've already made our decision,
so he's either up for it or he's not.
He fits all our criteria,
has a perfect medical history,
and he's here!
Well, why don't you send him
upstairs right now, then?
Tell him to get started.
I'll get that.
Excuse me.
Cheers.
- Ridley!
- Yeah, what's going on?
I've been trying your phone all morning.
Oh, Geri made me turn my phone off.
We're interviewing prospective sperm
donors.
You can join us if you like?
No, I think I'll pass on that, thanks.
Is everything OK?
Yeah. I'm just looking into
a long-term missing persons case.
Gotta get access to the files, we're
gonna have to run it past Goodwin.
I promised Geri
I'd have nothing to do with work.
How long are you gonna be, then?
I can be back at the station
in an hour. Tops.
Send me everything you've got,
I'll see you there.
OK.
Julie?
Julie!
You swore to me
you'd never see him again.
And you said you loved me.
Don't worry. It won't be long
till I'm out of your life for good.
Oh, here we go!
Are you gonna top yourself?
Haven't we had enough drama?
I'm ill, Jed. Really ill.
Like you were really pregnant?
You stay away from me.
I mean it this time.
I never wanna see you again.
You'll be seeing me
sooner than you think,
when I tell the police
what really happened.
I need to make my peace
before it's too late.
And if I'm going down,
I'm taking everyone with me.
There'll be no hiding then
for any of you.
All right? Any news?
Ah, there's no record of
a MisPer report for Luke Marbury,
but we did find
his criminal youth record.
Yeah, all minor offences. Theft
mainly. Cash. Wallets. Jewellery.
But his disappearance
was reported at this station!
I mean, it must be on file somewhere.
Not all files pre 1985
made it to the database.
If you want, I can get Darren to go
and check the archives for you?
Cheers, boss!
Thanks, Darren.
No problem.
So who's looking for him?
His sister, Eve Marbury.
Where did you meet her?
At the club. Yeah, we got talking,
she asked me to help.
You know, she's been through
the usual channels, but no joy.
We'll see what we can do.
Yeah. What about Goodwin,
is he all right with this?
Well, I can be very persuasive.
See you later.
That just came in this morning.
There's a bit of light scuffing
on one side,
but, er, overall
it's in pretty good nick, that.
Yeah. I've got the reissue, but
you can't beat the original vinyl.
That's had a life.
If you ever come across, er,
Coltrane's Impressions on Impulse,
I'd be really interested.
- LAUGHS
- You and me both!
Well, go on. Leave us your number
and I'll see what I can do.
All right.
You've been here for a while, then?
Ah, music's always been my thing.
I used to DJ a lot, but, er,
I'm more of a talk show radio host now.
Here you are,
Allerton Bridge Community Radio.
Now that'll be 15 quid.
I have got more vintage jazz
out the back,
if there's anything else
I can do for you?
Actually, there is something.
This photograph was taken outside
the shop here
about 30-odd years ago.
The boy in the white T-shirt
went missing about 1989.
His sister's looking to make contact.
What's his name?
Luke. Luke Marbury.
- Here's a clearer photograph.
- Yes, that's him, Luke.
Oh, he were a nice kid.
He's a bit light-fingered, though.
You had to watch him like a hawk.
Yeah! Listen, maybe you could
give us a shout-out on the radio,
something might show up.
Sure. No worries. Tonight I've got
a tribute to Julian Varnham,
so I should get a decent audience
for that.
He seems like a popular fella.
Oh, he was, yeah. I used to DJ
for him all over the north.
Well, that is, er, outside the Alhambra,
the Old Alhambra in Uttley.
He used to own that,
the bingo hall next door
and the night club
the other side of that.
It was like his own little Vegas.
Right. A right little empire.
So, do you recognise anybody else
in the photographs, just, er?
Only that girl.
Julie Conway.
Piece of work, she was.
You wouldn't have any details
for her or any of 'em?
No. Haven't seen her for years,
thank you.
- All right. Thanks a lot, mate.
- You're welcome.
You take care now.
- 'Hello?'
- Yes, hi.
I'm trying to contact Julie Conway.
'Sorry, wrong number.'
OK.
- 'Hello?'
- Hello. Erm, I'm so
'I'm not interested.'
Just, erm charming!
Charming.
'Hello?'
Hello. I'm trying to contact
Julie Conway.
'Speaking.'
Oh, hi, Julie, yeah.
I, er I was wondering
if you could help me.
You'll have to do the band rota
for the next couple of weeks,
and, er, Jamie's at a wedding
this weekend
- so you'll have to find a dep.
- Yeah, I can do that.
Eve hasn't seen her brother
for quite some time now,
and she's been asking me
to help her track him down.
And?
Well, I just need a bit of time,
that's all.
I mean, she's only here
for a couple of days, so
You hardly know her.
What's that supposed to mean?
I just think you should tread carefully.
Call it woman's intuition.
Really?
Lost me there.
You're supposed to be taking
a step back from police work
to deal with what happened, not
taking on other people's problems.
I am dealing with it. In my own way.
Yeah. By not dealing with it.
'A Different Kind Of Love'
I got a bit behind because I'm not
used to cooking for two people.
It's my fault for being early.
Do you like spicy food?
- Love it.
- Penne arrabiata.
Oh!
Can't beat the location. It's so quiet.
Yeah. Except when it's blowing
a force nine gale.
Listen, I've just got these, er,
peppers to do and then we're done.
Hope you're hungry?
I'm always hungry.
That's good cos I think I've
cooked enough pasta to feed an army.
So your message said
you'd made some progress?
Yes, we found Luke's criminal record,
but unfortunately we can't place his
missing persons file at the minute,
but don't worry
because I've got somebody on it.
Would you like a drink?
Glass of wine'd be lovely.
Good on you. Coming right up.
And if you don't find the file?
Well, the Evening Reporter
carried a lot of it at the time,
so there's bound to be a few clues
there.
I've also got an ID on the girl
who's in the photograph with Luke
at the record shop. Julie Conway.
Ring any bells?
- I didn't know any of Luke's friends.
- Oh, right.
She might be able to tell us, you know,
who some of the other people
in the photograph are.
And we've also put out an appeal
on local radio.
Thank you.
You know, it's customary practice
in these kind of long-term
missing cases that, er,
if you were OK to provide me
with a DNA sample,
it could save us a lot of time.
Whatever it takes.
- It's OK, you missed me.
- That was funny.
Which is just as well as this is the
dress I'm singing in at the funeral.
Well, I shall remember that
when I'm dishing out the pasta.
Take a seat.
I meant to ask you, so how come
you knew Julian Varnham?
I didn't. Not personally.
His organisation awarded a bursary
for Outstanding Northern Talent.
And you won.
I couldn't have gone
to music college without it.
The world needs a lot more people
like Julian Varnham.
Which is why I said yes
when his daughter asked me to sing.
I owe him my career.
The pasta, it'll be perfect.
What, now?
No secrets. We agreed.
Jack's always been a part
of this decision.
Jack?
Hmm?
Remember when we talked
about us trying for another baby?
Yeah.
Well, erm, the donor
that we found for you,
he's got his own family now
and so he doesn't do this anymore.
So we met another potential donor today.
And?
Yeah. He's Seb is his name
He's, um
Yeah, he's perfect.
So everything's happening, then?
Well, we'll give it a go.
Are you still OK with that?
Yeah. I'd like a little brother
to boss around.
Well, it might be a sister,
and then you'd have three women
to contend with.
I hadn't thought of that.
Is it too late to back out?
Oi! We're not that bad.
So what now?
Do you actually have to?
No. No!
What, then?
Erm
Well, erm
He would Seb he would
do, you know do his thing
into the pot thing
- He's not doing that here, is he?
- God, no! No.
At his place. And then he sends it over,
and we get something like, er
like this
and then we dip it into the pot thing
OK, OK, I get it. That's gross!
It wasn't until my husband
filed for divorce
that I started thinking seriously
about finding Luke.
- He's the only family I've got left.
- Hmm.
And I started missing him,
which is odd, isn't it?
Because I don't really know him anymore.
But I sometimes
feel him in the ether.
That make any sense
or have I had too much to drink?
No, I mean, you know,
he's still your brother
whether you're with him or not.
What was he like?
Cheeky. Funny.
Always getting into trouble.
But deep down, I think he was
desperately sad. We both were.
And that level of neglect
makes you selfish.
You do what you can to survive, so
..when the chance came to get out,
I took it.
Yeah, well, you know,
you were vulnerable, too.
You know, you had to save yourself.
Just like he did.
I let him down, Alex.
Is it OK to call you that?
Yes! Yes.
I just want the chance
to tell him I'm sorry.
Don't you worry.
We'll find him.
Thanks, Alex.
It's late, I should go.
Yeah.
This is 106.1.
Right, we're just gonna
take a break from our tribute show
to make an appeal, for a long
missing, but much loved brother.
Luke Marbury.
Now, Luke has not been seen
in this area for over 30 years,
but his sister is very, very keen
to get back in touch,
so if you know Luke Marbury,
if you have any information
about him at all,
then please, please, please
give us a call
and help to reunite a family.
Thank you.
Thanks for coming, Ridley.
Yeah, no worries. What's the story?
Woman found dead
from some sort of neck injury.
- Time of death?
- Somewhere between 11 pm and 2 am.
Any idea exactly how she died?
Well, it looks like
she fell backwards on to her bag
which contained a glass vodka bottle.
The bottle shattered on impact
and a shard of glass severed
the carotid artery in her neck
resulting in sudden and severe
blood loss.
- Right.
- So it could have been an accident?
Or the consequence of an assault.
Post mortem might tell us more.
Her name's Julie Conway. She's 46.
Known to the police.
A history of minor alcohol-related
incidents.
Julie Conway?
Yeah.
Are you sure?
I found ID in her bag.
Do you know her?
No, she's the lead on that
missing persons case I'm working on.
I was supposed to see her today.
Maybe someone
didn't want that to happen.
Who called it in?
Just a fella walking a dog.
Was there any witnesses
to the actual incident?
There was a group of teenagers here
all night.
They heard raised voices around
midnight, saw someone hurrying away.
Man or a woman?
It was too dark to tell. They
wrote it off as a drunken barney.
They didn't wanna get involved.
Do we know a next of kin?
Yeah, Donna Wellingfield,
the victim's sister.
She runs a caff on Rugton Street.
We'll need to speak to her.
Would it be obvious to whoever she
was with that she was in trouble?
A severed artery pumps blood
with significant force.
Hard to miss, even at night.
So why did they leave her to die?
'People were always drawn to our Julie.
'In another life
she could have been a movie star,
'but she made bad choices.
'Started drinking young. Couldn't stop.'
Alcohol meant more to Julie
than anything or anyone.
That must have been hard.
Did she have any significant
relationships that you know of?
Well, she never married,
but she was with Jed Varnham
off and on for years.
Jed Varnham.
Any relation to Julian Varnham?
Yeah, his son.
At first I thought she was punching.
Our Julie and a Varnham!
But he was even more damaged
than she was back then.
- In what way?
- Oh Drink. Drugs.
He managed to get himself clean, though.
So they didn't stay together, then,
or?
He tried his best,
I'll give him that. We all did.
But she made his life a nightmare.
Still didn't stop her
inheriting from his old man, though.
What do you mean?
She called me yesterday, told me
she'd been left a house in his will.
Wanted me to know
it would be mine one day.
She was drunk.
I mean, I hadn't spoken to her
in months.
Julian Varnham left your sister a house,
why the hell would he do that?
I have no idea.
I asked her to come over
and explain, you know,
when she was sober. But
Well, that never happened.
You'd be better off talking to Jed.
Have you got any idea
where we might find him?
Yeah. The old barge on the canal,
you know, by Bilton Lane lock?
Yeah, I know that.
Or you could you try his sister Liza.
She moved in with her dad
after his second stroke.
We're looking for your brother,
Ms Varnham.
Well, you won't find him here.
He's been estranged from the family
for many years.
Well, it's really important
that we speak to him.
We've been to the barge,
but there's no sign of him there.
What's this about?
Julie Conway was found dead
this morning.
Oh, my God!
We just need to talk to him.
We understand that Julie
was due to inherit some property
from your father's estate,
is that right?
Yeah. Ravenstoop. Up on Bilton Moor.
Belonged to my great grandfather.
Hmm. So why would your father
leave that to Julie?
Dad was vulnerable
after his second stroke,
and Julie was
a very manipulative person.
But you never saw her here,
with your father?
No. But then I work full time,
and some of the carers
were less than vigilant.
How did Jed feel about Ravenstoop
being left to Julie?
Like I said, we don't really speak.
Can you tell us why?
Jed went off the rails, big time.
And that's how he found Julie.
We tried to reach out,
but she poisoned him against us.
He wouldn't even say goodbye
to his own father.
Julie Conway was found dead at
Allerton Bridge Park this morning.
Her carotid artery was severed
by a shard of broken glass.
Now, initially, we believed
it could have been an accident,
but according to the evidence, the PM,
it indicates that she was
deliberately pushed.
A witness reported a heated argument
a few hours before the body was found
which confirms that she wasn't alone,
so finding that person is obviously
of great interest to us.
So separate to this investigation,
I'm looking into an historic
missing persons case,
- which I think may be connected.
- How?
Luke Marbury was reported missing
in 1989.
It turns out that he and Julie Conway
used to run with the same bunch
of teenagers back in the day.
Ridley starts asking questions
about Luke's disappearance
and then the following day,
Julie turns up dead.
However, this is the day after
Julie inherits a house
from the late Julian Varnham's
estate. It's up on Bilton Moor.
It's called Ravenstoop.
And that was a bit of a shock
to Julian's daughter Liza,
who believed the house
was gonna be left to her.
So Luke Marbury's a person of interest?
We can't rule him out.
Do we know why he left Ravenstoop
to Julie Conway?
Well, Liza believes that Julie
coerced their vulnerable father
into changing his will, but
there's no evidence to back that up.
We need to speak to Jed Varnham,
who, so far, has evaded all attempts
we've made to contact him.
I think we should focus
on the murder enquiry for now.
Where are we so far?
Trying to establish
Julie Conway's movements
after the meeting with the Varnhams.
Where was she? And who was she with?
There's a few houses
with security cameras on Alcott Way.
I'm getting those checked out now.
Make sure I'm kept fully updated.
So, are we pressing pause
on the missing file?
For now, yeah. But Ridley's right.
Julie's murder and
Luke's disappearance is a connection
that we don't wanna lose sight of.
Let's just keep it low in the mix
to keep Goodwin happy, yeah?
Got it.
I've managed to track down
Duncan Darwin's place of work.
Who's Duncan Darwin?
He's the last person to see Luke
before he went missing.
I'm gonna go there now.
OK. I'll keep trying Jed Varnham.
Okey-doke.
Boss?
Yeah?
Tech worked their magic
with Julie Conway's phone.
Found a series of abusive text messages
between Julie and Jed Varnham.
They really didn't like each other,
did they?
No.
Jed Varnham?
Jed?
Yeah?
Ah, well, you're a hard man
to track down!
DI Carol Farman. Coppelton Police.
Is it all right if we have a chat?
Yeah, come in.
Julie was the most beautiful girl
I'd ever seen.
I loved her more than anything.
I still do.
But I couldn't stop her
destroying herself.
You mean the drinking?
You have to be able to be honest
about the mess you're in,
but Julie could never be honest
about anything.
When I decided I couldn't take anymore,
she told me she was pregnant
..and then that she'd lost it.
I really wanted that baby,
but it never even existed.
So the relationship ended then?
That was years ago now, but
I couldn't cut her off completely.
And then my sister
called me out of the blue,
said she'd found Julie
with my father.
Your sister Liza? Are you sure?
She went absolutely mental.
What did Julie say?
That Liza was making it up.
But she-she wouldn't lie
about something like that,
so I told Julie it was over
for good this time.
We recovered some very abusive
text messages from Julie's phone.
I wanted to make her stop,
but she wouldn't.
I turned my phone off in the end
and she starting writing me letters
telling me how much she hated me.
Have you still got those?
Yeah.
Could Could we see them?
Thanks.
Do you mind if we keep hold of these
for a bit, Jed?
Yeah. Duncan?
He's just underneath there.
Ah, right, thanks, mate, thank you.
Er, Duncan?
Yeah?
Duncan Darwin?
Alex Ridley. Coppleton CID.
I wanna ask you a few questions
about Luke Marbury.
His sister's back from the States,
shes want to get connected.
And what makes you
think I'd know where he is?
Well
..you were the last person named
to have seen him.
That's going back a bit.
Yeah. Do you recognise anybody
in this photograph?
That's Luke
..but the others, no, sorry.
What about the girl? Julie Conway?
I was older than him,
didn't mix in the same crowd.
So how did you know him, then?
Look, I was always
getting in trouble back then.
Shoplifting, nicking cars.
Luke wanted to get involved.
Followed me round like a puppy till
I said yes. I felt sorry for him.
Can you tell me about the last time
you saw him?
He'd had a massive row with his mum.
Said he couldn't take any more.
Well, do you know where he went?
Scrapyard over in Craydale.
They used to take kids on,
no questions asked.
I dropped him
at the station and that was it.
- And you never saw him again?
- No.
Oh, gaffer's on my case.
Gotta get back to work.
Thanks for your time, anyway.
Yeah?
'Er, it's Ray. Ray Trevice.'
Don't tell me
you've found the John Coltrane?
Ah, er, no, but I'm, er
I'm on the lookout.
No, I got a result from the shout-out.
Caller said he'd seen Luke in a pub
in Craydale. The Shepherds Rest.
About two months ago.
Craydale? Are you sure?
Hundred percent, yeah.
Did you get any details?
I tried, but, you know,
they wanted to remain anonymous.
'Right. Male or female?'
Male. Mature voice. Local.
I'll keep you posted
if I hear anything else.
All right. Thanks, Ray.
Craydale.
We've had a response
from the radio shout-out.
Apparently, Luke Marbury
was spotted at a pub up in Craydale
about two months back.
So he could be in the frame
for Julie Conway's murder.
Yeah. We'd have to get
the sighting corroborated.
Did you get a name?
No. The, er, caller remained anonymous.
Darren, get on to tech,
see if they can trace it.
Yeah, boss.
Any sign of Jed?
Yes. We finally got hold of him
at his barge.
He said he'd been avoiding us
because he'd sussed that
something bad had happened to Julie.
And you believed him?
I'm not sure. He did seem genuinely sad,
and he said that he still loved her
in spite of all the abuse.
And there was letters
as well as text messages.
Yeah. Make sure I'm copied in
on all that stuff, Darren, will you?
Yeah, no problem.
Where are you going with this, Ridley?
Well, we've already established
that Julie Conway's death
may not be premeditated
but a violent response
to extreme provocation,
so that puts both
the Varnham siblings in the frame.
Jed said that Liza told them
that she'd seen Julie at the house
with their father, but then Liza
told us that that never happened.
Which means that one of them is lying.
Oh, sorry to call in unannounced.
Ah, I'm grateful you did. I'd have
slept through till midnight.
Fancy a coffee?
Caffeine would be good.
Cup of coffee, thanks.
- Yes, sir.
- Good lad.
Listen, I've been called in
to consult on a murder enquiry,
a girl called Julie Conway.
She's the girl in the photograph
with Luke.
And you think
there might be a connection?
Well, it's always a possibility,
isn't it?
But the good news is, is that
someone phoned the radio station
and said that they saw Luke in a pub
up in Craydale about two months ago.
Now, the caller was anonymous,
but there was a witness at the time
who said that's where he was heading
the day he went missing,
to some scrap yard up there.
Alderford's. I've dragged Luke home
from there a couple of times.
Anyway, I'm thinking about
checking out the pub tomorrow.
Why don't I come with you?
I'm not I don't think
that's a good idea, Eve.
Why not? I know the area.
I've got nothing better to do.
Yeah, but it may not be good news.
I'm aware of that.
OK.
Well, the caller said
he was spotted in a pub up here,
but it certainly wasn't this one.
It's all boarded up.
- Is there another pub in the village?
- Don't think so.
Well, the scrap yard's still there,
so do you think if he was in
the area he might go and see them?
Luke was more at home here
than he ever was with us, so yeah.
If he was gonna seek anyone out,
it'd be them.
Right. Well, let's try that, then.
OK.
So the property opposite
Julie Conway's has a camera.
It seems she had a visitor.
That's Liza Varnham.
Did they leave together?
No. She leaves alone,
and Julie leaves at 8.07.
We pick her up at the end
of the road walking towards town,
then we lose sight of her.
Did you find any cameras on Halton Way?
Yeah, but she's not on any of them.
There's a pedestrian gate
on the other end of the park.
She and whoever she was with
must've used that.
Seems Liza Varnham's
got some questions to answer.
- Hello?
- Hello.
- Can I help you?
- I'm trying to trace my brother.
Luke. Luke Marbury?
He worked here on and off,
- a long time ago.
- And?
Well, it's just that somebody said
that, er,
he was seen in the area recently.
You might be able to remember him
from this picture?
I might be getting on a bit,
but there's nothing wrong
with my memory.
You'd better come in.
When kids like Luke turned up,
they got fed, bed for the night,
no questions asked. Sit down.
Some of them'd steal the fat off
your bacon.
But he never messed me about.
I liked him.
He liked you, too, which is why we
thought he might've looked you up.
Well, he didn't.
Did he ever mention
what brought him up here?
He was very young
to be living away from home.
No. And I didn't want to know.
This isn't a kind of place
you ask too many questions.
Most of the kids that came here,
this was the closest thing to family
they ever had.
We looked out for them.
Made 'em feel safe.
Yeah, Luke said he was coming up
here the last time he was seen.
What are you saying?
Nothing. Only that this was
his last known destination.
He might very well have said that.
But just like I told the police all
those years ago, he never arrived.
I'm sorry, Eve,
but I think we're gonna have to
face the distinct possibility
that Luke has passed on,
and that somebody
wants us to believe otherwise.
Why would someone do that?
I have no idea.
I can't help thinking that your
arrival is some kind of trigger.
I'd be surprised if
it wasn't connected in some way,
but I've got to find out
who made that call.
What are you thinking?
That I need more time to process it all.
Yeah.
We could always stop by my place
on the way back if you'd like?
I'd like that.
You OK?
It's just sad that Luke felt so lost,
so cut off from his own family
that he had to go all the way out
there to feel he belonged.
Neither of us really knew
what family was.
Which is why, when my husband
told me he didn't want kids,
I went along with it.
Hmm.
That and being terrified
I'd turn out like my mother.
Yeah, well, I
I didn't think I wanted kids,
but then when Ella came along,
it was the best thing that happened.
At the time,
it didn't feel like a sacrifice.
Because I was loved, unconditionally.
And that's all I ever wanted, really.
Then one day, he told me he had
a lover who was six months pregnant
and he was leaving me.
Wow.
And just like that,
I'm back at square one,
with no-one who loves me,
no-one to belong to,
no real connection to anyone.
Oh, Eve.
I'm sorry.
Yeah
..I know how that feels.
What happened, Alex?
There was a fire at the house.
By the time I got there
..it was too late.
I'm so sorry.
It was started deliberately.
I was the target, but
Have you talked to anyone?
Well, you know,
they offered me counselling
and all that kind of thing,
but what's the point?
It might help.
How?
I've lost everything.
I've lost my family, and
..I've lost everything that
made any sense.
We just have a couple of questions.
What's this about?
This person called
at Julie Conway's house
three hours after your meeting.
We were wondering if you recognise her.
Yeah, it's me.
But you told us
you didn't contact Julie.
What was you doing there, Ms Varnham?
I made her an offer, for Ravenstoop,
but she refused.
I thought she wanted more money but
she said she'd never sell it to me.
And how did that make you feel?
Angry. Anybody would be.
As angry as you were when you saw
Julie here at the house
with your father?
You see, I know that, because your
brother told us that you called him
in a rage, demanding that he keep
"evil" Julie away from your father.
Why are you lying to us, Ms Varnham?
I can't talk for long, because,
er, I'm on air in ten minutes,
but this is where the magic happens.
Wow! Yeah. Who funds all this?
Oh, erm, you know grants. Trusts.
Public donations.
It's run by the community
for the community.
- It's all volunteers like me.
- Yeah. So listen, Ray,
I was wondering if you had
a call log I could look at?
Oh, yeah, of course. Through here.
Yeah. This is the one
that come in after the appeal.
9.47.
During a music break.
He didn't wanna be on air.
Right. And did you take the call?
I did. All the hosts
run their own shows.
Oh, right. And you have no idea
who it was?
Well, it wasn't one of my regulars,
so no. What's this about?
Oh, no, it's just that the caller
said they saw Luke Marbury
up, er, you know, two months ago,
in a pub up in Craydale
that's been shut for over a year.
Oh. I'm only the messenger.
There's plenty of crazies out there.
This must be hell for his sister.
Would you give her my best?
Yeah, of course, yeah. Thanks, Ray.
All right, yeah.
I'll have a look now for you.
All right. Cheers, Darren.
Ah! So you are alive!
I've been calling you all day.
Yeah. I was chasing up that sighting
in Craydale.
What, you went to Craydale?
Why didn't you tell me?
I took Eve with me.
Thought she'd be useful, you know.
She knew the place,
people that Luke used to mix with.
- Why didn't you pick up?
- Signal's terrible up there.
And?
The call was a hoax. There's no way
that pub was open two months ago.
Ah. So someone's playing us,
and they're not the only one.
Liza Varnham claims that the reason
she lied to us
is to avoid us
pointing the finger at her,
but I I'm not sure I believe her.
What is it? What have you found?
All right, so, on the left
are the letters Julie sent to Jed,
and on the right are the letters
that Luke sent to Eve.
- Well, the handwriting looks similar.
- I'd say they look identical.
So you think the letters from Luke
to Eve were written by Julie Conway?
I'd say we need an expert to confirm it,
but it all ties in with those
fake sightings up in Craydale.
A lot of information
designed to mislead us.
But the hoax caller was a man.
Which tells me that Julie
isn't the only person out there
who wants us to believe
that Luke Marbury is still alive.
We need to find that MisPer file.
- I'll get Darren back on to it.
- Yeah.
Jed Varnham, him and Julie
were an item years ago.
He must know something
about Luke's relationship with her.
So why don't we ask him?
Let's do it.
Does the name Luke Marbury
mean anything to you, Jed?
He went missing about 1989,
up at Allerton.
Luke wrote his sister letters over
the years to let her know he was OK.
And what has this got to do with me?
Well, Luke and Julie were friends
as teenagers.
I didn't even know Julie then.
The letters were written
over a period of time
that you two were in a relationship.
And we've now reason to believe
that Luke didn't write the letters.
The letters were written by Julie.
What? Why would she do that?
We thought you might know.
Well, I don't.
Never even heard of Luke Marbury.
And as far as I know,
Julie never wrote him any letters.
'It's all the rich incomers,
Ray, happy to pay silly money.
'My grandchildren
can't even afford to buy a shed
'in the town they grew up in.
It's a total disgrace.'
Thanks, Mary.
See, there's a view
shared by a lot of you this evening.
I remember a time when
this town were a community of people
who'd lived here for generations.
The world's gone mad, my friends.
Let's see if our next caller agrees.
What's your name
and where are you calling from?
'My name's Luke.
'And you know exactly where I am.'
And what do you wanna say, Luke?
'I think you know, Ray.
'Why don't you share it with everyone?
'Get it off your chest.
'If you don't, I will.'
Thanks for coming, Ridley.
Yeah. Your call sounded very urgent.
I've had some bad news.
It's Mum.
Doc-Doctor says she's dying.
Stomach cancer.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
She were always there for me.
No matter what.
Supported me through thick and thin.
I-I need to see her, Ridley.
If you were a Category B prisoner,
maybe,
but you're Category A, not a chance.
There must be some-some
special licence I could apply for.
I mean, you-you could put a word in.
Can't change the rules.
Even if I wanted to.
But you don't want to.
I didn't say that. It is what it is.
Half an hour. That's all I'm asking.
It might be the last time I see her.
Our kid's vulnerable. You know that.
Needs-needs me to explain what's
going on otherwise he'll lose it,
and-and Mum's got no-one else.
Look, there's nothing I can do.
But he won't be coping, Ridley,
and-and neither am I!
Stuck in here when
my whole family's been blown apart.
Now you know how I feel.
Ooh!
Eve, you all right?
Alex, are you free tomorrow night?
It's just that Jamie and the lads
have, erm,
have asked me to sing again at
Marlings, and I'd love you to come.
Yeah, then I shall be there.
That's great. That's great.
See you then.
Tech got a result
on Ray Trevice's phone records.
There was no call to that number
at 9.47.
But I saw it on the log.
According to them, it was
manually altered the following day.
It looks like Ray is our hoaxer.
Really?!
And listen to this.
'What's your name
and where are you calling from?
'My name's Luke.
And you know exactly where I am.
'What do you wanna say, Luke?
'I think you know, Ray.
'Why don't you share it with
everyone? Get it off your chest.
'If you don't, I will.'
Tech traced the number.
It's Duncan Darwin.
Look, I've told Mr Ridley
everything that I know.
So why were you
on Ray Trevice's show last night
pretending to be Luke Marbury?
Not here.
Ray Trevice isn't the man
you think he is,
Mr Community Radio,
everybody's best mate.
Who is he, then?
Someone you'd never want
anywhere near your kids.
Why do you say that?
Ray's shop was a mecca for teenagers
back in the day.
Everybody idolised him,
which is just the way he wanted it.
Sorry.
It's OK, Duncan. Take your time.
First it was free records,
then it was parties above the shop.
He used to measure kids on the wall,
see who was tallest, shortest,
who'd grown the most,
like he was everybody's fun dad.
But it was just
an excuse
..to get a bit closer.
He chose his victims well.
Troubled. Neglected.
Julie Conway.
I tried to warn her,
but she wouldn't listen.
She-She liked the attention.
Ray acted like
it was all normal behaviour.
Did Luke Marbury
go to any of these parties?
Julie got him involved.
And now she's dead,
and Ray's walking around scot-free
like none of it ever happened.
Duncan
..when I showed you that photo of Julie,
you said you didn't know her.
I've never told anyone
about any of this.
Not even my wife.
But when I heard
what happened to Julie
..I knew it was time.
Do you think Ray's
got something to do with her death?
You were asking questions about
Luke. Ray wouldn't have liked that.
He'd wanna make sure
that Julie kept her mouth shut.
Her drinking made her a liability.
Look, I've got to pick my daughter up.
I never let her walk anywhere
on her own. Thank you.
Right, well, I've rang him
five times. He's left us no option.
- I can't go in without a warrant.
- No, but I can.
Ray?
Ray?
Ridley?
This ties in with Duncan's statement.
Right.
Look at these.
These kids are Jack's age.
That's Julie Conway.
What? Look. His phone.
Right, let's see where he is.
Raymond?
Ray?
Where's Darren?
I've been trying to call him.
I think we're gonna have to start
without him.
Yeah, all right.
OK. Good morning, everyone.
If you'd like to open your files.
So, yesterday, Ridley and I
found this man, Ray Trevice,
dead in the flat above
his record shop. He'd hung himself.
Earlier that day, we'd obtained
information from a Duncan Darwin
that led us there.
Duncan gave us a detailed, and it
has to be said, harrowing account
of Ray Trevice's involvement
in the historic serial abuse
of vulnerable teenagers.
What period was this?
According to Darwin, he was
most active in the mid to late '80s.
And we're sure he's reliable?
Oh, yeah, we've found
photographs and evidence
in Trevice's flat
that back up Duncan's statement.
How does this relate to our murder case?
Well, Julie Conway can be seen
in several of the photographs,
and she can indeed be seen with
Ray Trevice himself in some of them.
Duncan Darwin is also present,
as is Luke Marbury.
Why would Ray Trevice
kill Julie Conway now?
Well, when Ridley started
asking questions about Luke Marbury,
it unnerved him.
It would be reasonable
to assume that Ray Trevice
needed to ensure that
she would keep her mouth shut.
Good work, Carol.
Thank you, everyone.
Looks like we've found our man.
Yeah, but we also found
incriminating photographs
of Julie Conway in another location.
Ray Trevice may not be
the only person involved.
Hang on. Hang on there, Ridley.
Before we start expanding the search,
we need to target our limited resources
on nailing Ray Trevice
as Julie Conway's killer.
What, pause all other lines of enquiry?
For now, yes.
Ridley?
Come over here a sec.
So finally heard back
from the Varnham's solicitor.
It turns out that Julian Varnham's
will hasn't been amended
since 1989.
So Julie Conway was always
gonna inherit that house.
- Boss.
- Darren, where have you been?
In the Archives. I found
Luke Marbury's MisPer report.
Oh. Where?
Concealed in a box of RTAs
from 1989. Signed out by a DCI.
So it was deliberately misfiled?
And here's why.
The day before he went missing,
Luke Marbury came in to this station
to make a serious complaint
against Julian Varnham.
Ridley!
Come on.
Ridley! Wait!
Where are you going?
Julian Varnham gave Ravenstoop
to Julie Conway in 1989,
the same year that Luke Marbury
went missing.
I am convinced that that house
is central to this case
and that Duncan knows a lot more
than he's letting on.
- OK. I'm coming with you.
- What about Goodwin?
We got a new lead.
I wouldn't be doing my
job if I didn't follow it up.
You have it.
'Right, Duncan, let's go
and get in the car. Come on.'
Why? I've done nothing wrong.
All right. We can do it here
if you want?
So, Duncan
..tell us about the house.
What house?
Ravenstoop.
I don't know what you're talking about.
We think you do.
Were you really the last person
to see Luke Marbury alive
or was it Julian Varnham?
The story doesn't end with Ray
Trevice, does it? You lied to us.
Did you do it to cover your tracks?
No.
You needed to silence Julie and Ray,
didn't you?
Stop the truth from coming out.
No I told you.
Then what?
I was the last person to see Luke,
but not how you think.
Start the car.
Doesn't look like
a much-loved family heirloom.
Let's, er, try the back.
I'll pretend I didn't see that.
Ooh! It's cold in here, in't it?
Very cold.
- I'm going upstairs, yeah?
- Yeah.
What is this place?
This is every parent's worst nightmare.
This is the bed in the photograph.
Julie Conway sat right here.
Where's Duncan?
Duncan?
Duncan?
Yeah.
What's going on here?
You wanted to find Luke.
You've been arrested on suspicion
of the murder of Julie Conway.
Do you understand?
I already told you, it wasn't me.
Just answer the question.
Yes, I understand.
How did you first come in contact
with Julian Varnham?
We knew him as JV. Never Julian.
Reckon it was a way
of distancing himself.
Didn't like getting his hands dirty.
Ray was the middle man.
Got kids to trust him
then brought them to Ravenstoop.
So Ray wasn't actively involved
with the abuse?
No.
Ray was just a sleaze. Idolised JV.
Did whatever it took
to stay in his good books.
And he recruited Julie Conway?
How did that work?
She'd hang out at JV's venues,
the ones that attracted
an underage crowd
..and she'd get them pissed
and invite them to a party.
Were you at these parties?
Nothing happened at the start.
JV needed to build our trust
..make sure no-one
was looking out for us.
Then he'd spike our drinks
..wait till we were all out of it
..and then he
He did whatever he wanted,
and he got away with it
because JV had friends in
high places who always had his back.
That's how he knew that Luke
had made a complaint to the police?
But Luke went back to Ravenstoop. Why?
Julie tricked him into coming.
Told Told him JV was away
for the night.
But he was there, waiting.
No-one ever crossed JV.
Ever.
But Luke wasn't like the rest of us.
He was brave.
Stood up for himself.
Told JV that
if the police didn't do anything
..he was gonna tell the papers.
JV was never gonna let him leave.
He came at him with
He came at him
with this heavy glass ashtray.
I can still remember the sound of it
smashing his skull.
Why didn't you tell anyone?
He had videos
..and photographs.
He said he'd show them to our parents.
We were so scared
we just went along with it.
Then what happened?
He told us we had to get
our story straight.
If anyone asked, Luke had done
a runner, and that I'd seen him go.
Then he got me to carry him down
to the cellar.
So you were the last person to see him?
Oh, he barely weighed anything.
He was just a kid.
Goodwin wants us to keep him in custody
until the remains have been identified
and the cause of death established.
But Wendy thinks it could be a while
yet.
Well, Goodwin's right. We have
to be one hundred percent sure
he wasn't involved in either Luke
or Julie's murder.
Julian Varnham's funeral's tomorrow.
How do we handle that?
Hang fire until Duncan's statement
is corroborated.
I've got to see Eve this evening.
So if you need me here or
No, no. We're done here.
What are you gonna tell her?
Nothing. Till we know for sure.
You OK?
Yeah, no, I'm fine, yeah.
Just had a bit of a long day,
that's all.
Any news on Luke?
Yeah, I-I think we're getting closer
to an answer on Luke.
I'm not sure anymore that I want you to.
I found it harder than I thought,
stirring up the past.
I just want to go home now.
Home. So this doesn't feel
like home anymore?
I thought it might, but it doesn't.
Not without my brother.
So I'm leaving after the funeral.
Really? What, so soon?
You could come with me?
Oh, what, to the States?
Well, why not? We're both a bit lost.
I'm singing at Jacksonville in
two weeks. You would love it there.
Yeah. I bet, yeah.
I think we could be good
for each other, Alex.
I'm not asking you to marry me.
I'm-I'm just saying,
I'm not ready for this to end.
Whatever this is.
- But maybe that's just me.
- No.
No, no, really, it's not.
So
..come with me.
Is it time to move on
like everybody says I should?
What do you want to do?
I had everything I ever wanted.
Maybe I should be just happy with that.
So, are you gonna stay
on your own forever, then?
As you can see there's evidence
of cranial blunt force trauma.
Now, a depression fracture like that
is typically the result
of some kind of high energy impact,
which ties in with
the witness report of the victim
being hit repeatedly
with a heavy glass object.
Are you saying this is Luke Marbury?
No. I'm saying it's someone
who was beaten over the head
with considerable force some years ago.
I need more than that.
And I'm going as fast as I can.
OK, is there anything that could
identify him as Luke Marbury?
Potentially, yes. A watch.
We're getting the serial number
checked out now.
I also managed to retrieve
a couple of strands of hair
which we're fast tracking for DNA.
How long will that take?
Could be hours, could be much
longer than that, I'm afraid.
Any news from CSI?
No, not yet. Goodwin's doing his nut in.
Been asked to keep a discreet
presence until we know for sure.
Well, if it's a yes, the family will
need to know as soon as possible.
I know.
Not looking forward to that one bit.
Where are you going?
There's something I need to do.
'It's OK. You missed me.'
Which is just as well as this is the
dress I'm singing in at the funeral.
What have you got for me, Carol?
Nothing yet, sir.
That's Wendy now, though.
Hiya, Wendy. It's Carol.
I'm with DCI Goodwin.
Finally got some answers for you.
The watch found with the remains,
the serial number belongs to a watch
believed to have been stolen in 1988
by Luke Marbury.
Ms Marbury returned to the hotel
around 11.
Are you sure about that?
She'd mislaid her room key so
we issued her another one at 11.07.
And then she went to her room?
No. There was someone waiting for her.
What about the DNA?
We managed to extract a DNA sample
from the strand of hair
found on the body.
No direct match on the database,
but it did give us
a more surprising result.
Turns out it's a fifty percent match
to a DNA sample
found on a shard of glass at
the scene of Julie Conway's death,
a percentage shared by a full sibling.
So I ran the profile
against a sample given to us
by Luke Marbury's sister Eve.
And it's a match.
People always associate
my father's success
with his entertainment venues,
but the Bursary was the achievement
that he was most proud of.
Allowing generations of young people
to take up opportunities
that they couldn't otherwise
have afforded.
And I'm delighted to say that
we have one of them with us today,
Eve Marbury,
whose own life was transformed
by my father's generosity,
singing one of his favourite songs,
After You've Gone.
I can't sing for the man
who killed my brother.
Julian Varnham chose his victims well.
Victims like my brother Luke.
Lost. Vulnerable. Unloved.
Julian Varnham's real legacy
is the damage he did
to all those young people,
leaving them with feelings of shame
and guilt
from which they never recovered.
But my brother Luke,
my 15-year-old brother,
he was brave
and he went to the police
to expose the truth,
but Julian Varnham
has friends in high places
who made it all disappear.
And my brother paid for his bravery
with his life.
And I am so very proud of him.
I need to speak to her.
Really?
Yeah. I just need five minutes.
All right, five minutes.
I'll talk to the family.
Sure.
Just wait outside.
How did you know it was me?
The dress. The dress you wore
to my place that night for dinner.
You said you'd brought it across
for the funeral.
When I saw you weren't wearing it,
I wondered what made you
change your mind.
Then I remembered something you said.
You said home just wasn't the same
without your brother
..like you already knew he was dead.
Which of course, you did.
I didn't plan any of this, Alex.
I need you to believe that.
Julie Conway came to me.
What?
Someone she drinks with saw me at
Marlings, knew where I was staying,
so when I got back from our dinner,
she was there waiting.
I think Julie saw my return
from the States as a sign,
the chance to atone
before it was too late.
I need to talk to you. About Luke.
Who are you?
Not here.
So she told me about Ray Trevice,
the parties,
how she'd got Luke involved
knowing what would happen to him,
and I-I couldn't take it all in.
I-I asked her where was Luke now,
I want to see him
..and that's when she told me
he was dead,
that Julian Varnham had killed him
..that the Bursary he'd given me
was leverage for Luke.
And that she'd written
all those letters. It all was a lie.
Friends are supposed to protect
each other!
So are sisters!
And where the hell were you?
You're just as guilty as I am.
No!
'Which is when I lost it.
Because I knew it was true.
'There was so much blood.
'I know I should've helped her,
but I-I panicked.'
You should've come to me.
But if I'd told you
..it would've been over.
And I didn't want it to be over.
For Christ's sake! What about Craydale?
You knew Luke was dead already!
That was a wild goose chase.
You just lied and lied, and lied!
It was an accident!
I didn't know what to do!
You could've told the truth!
You know, I thought
I thought, here is someone who
who I could let in to my life
Ridley? Ridley. Hold on.
Glad I caught you.
Just wanted you to know that
there will be a full investigation
into every aspect of this case,
including all officers involved.
That file was signed out by a DCI.
All officers, however senior.
Luke Marbury will finally
get the justice he deserves.
What'll I do when I am wondering ♪
Who is kissing you ♪
What'll I do ♪
What'll I do with just ♪
A photograph To tell my troubles to? ♪
When I'm alone
With only dreams of you ♪
That won't come true
What'll I do? ♪
Previous EpisodeNext Episode