The Girl Before (2021) s01e03 Episode Script

Episode 3

1
What would happen if one of us moved out
but the other one wanted to stay?
I'd like to have a relationship with you.
You look perfect.
Thank you.
The young woman who lived here before.
How well did you know her?
Not very well.
We can confirm that the CPS
are going to charge Ray Nelson
with aggravated burglary and with rape.
I found her things in a service cupboard,
as though she were hiding in there.
She died in that house.
It was an accident on the stairs.
You're in danger.
Have you ever seen
Edward lose his temper?
No. He's quite the opposite, in fact.
He's always very composed.
Doesn't that strike you as odd?
A person so completely in control
of everything, all the time?
His need for absolute control,
for rules
Thanks for coming.
I need to talk to you, actually.
Of course.
Let's grab a coffee afterwards.
Can't wait for you to see this.
They're actually shut now,
but I know one of the curators.
Emma's resemblance to his dead wife,
and now your resemblance to them both
Hello.
Right this way.
Thank you.
..this has all the hallmarks
of "Repetition Compulsion",
acting out the same sexual psychodrama
again and again, with new players
allotted the same unchanging roles.
And you think that's happening here?
For a very few people,
these patterns of behaviour
can become extreme.
When a man, possibly Edward,
is challenged or forced to change,
he may become threatened,
even violent.
But I
..I-I just can't see him
doing anything like that,
especially given what's happened
recently.
Yes.
You and Emma had both been
through significant traumas
when he chose you.
Have you ever had the sense
of him manipulating you?
No.
He's polite, charming.
Controlling men often are,
but then before you know it,
they're controlling what you wear,
what you do, what you think.
Can you really tell me you feel safe?
I make it a rule only to look at one thing
when I visit a museum.
Any more and you tend to lose focus.
Thank you.
In the Isese tradition,
when you wear the mask of a god,
your weak human spirit vanishes,
and you become capable
of any act, good or evil,
that the god wishes of you.
While we're here,
would you mind breaking your rule
and looking round the rest of the museum?
I'd rather not.
I'd really like to see it.
This isn't usually on display.
Even so.
Why?
Do I need a reason?
Fine.
If you wish.
This isn't so bad, is it?
So, Folgate Street is full of surprises.
I found the service cupboard.
I had no idea it was there.
The agent didn't show it you?
No.
Do you think Emma knew about it?
Probably.
What is this about?
Were you and her in a relationship?
Yes.
Why didn't you tell me?
I make it a rule never to discuss
The rules.
..to talk about people I've
had a relationship with,
however briefly,
feels like a betrayal
of their privacy and trust.
I don't talk about her, just
as I'll never talk about you.
I should've told you.
I apologise.
You deserve better from me.
Thank you.
I still feel like I know
so little about you.
You're an enigma.
No more than you are to me.
Well done, Emma.
That was
..that was tough.
So the judge has reserved judgment.
She clearly sees
difficulties with our case,
no DNA, no fingerprints.
We weren't expecting for
Emma to be cross-examined,
particularly so soon.
I just heard that Nelson got bail.
Emma, are you OK?
We can bring the video ID line-up forward.
Well, that'd be something.
Getting Nelson's identification
confirmed would definitely help.
Emma?
Oh, Rachel, did you get my email?
Hi, Jane. Sorry, I'm really
late for next meeting.
Um, uh,
let's catch up another time, yeah?
This is Edward Monkford,
leave a message.
I don't know what to do.
I can barely say the words out loud.
Part of me is thrilled
..a baby.
But then
I couldn't go through with
it again, Mia, I couldn't.
Hey, hey.
What if it was my fault?
It's OK.
SHE SNIFFLES
And what are you going to tell Edward?
I don't know.
I don't know how he's going to react,
given his background.
Yes, given his background.
What's that mean?
A woman died here.
A woman we now know he was in
some kind of relationship with.
Aren't you even remotely
wondering if he could have had
..something to do with it?
I
..I don't know how I'd ask him.
Then ask someone else.
So, Emma,
they're all set to go.
The video identification will be done
in the presence of an inspector
unconnected with the case,
plus the defence solicitor. Then
I don't want to do it.
Right.
Why's that? You told me
that he would plead guilty.
But he's out.
You said it would be over.
The thing is, Emma,
without this identification,
they're very likely to drop all charges,
even the aggravated burglary at your flat.
And Nelson does this, Emma,
time and time again.
Gets away with it.
It would just be better for
everyone if he was behind bars.
He shouldn't be allowed to
I saw him yesterday at court.
I was terrified.
What?
When I went out, he saw me.
Were there any witnesses?
Emma
..we might not have any DNA,
but you're a very credible witness.
And I think the jury will be on your side.
OK.
OK.
And, um
..seeing him at court
..I think that might just undermine
the ID you're about to make.
So let's keep that between ourselves, yes?
I've looked at all the
information you sent over
and talked it through with
one of the charity's advisers.
I can't help wondering,
had I gone in earlier,
told them I hadn't felt
Isabel move for a while
..was it something I did?
Something that could happen again, even?
I need to know.
It says here that you
went in with abdominal pain.
No, I couldn't feel her moving.
The first midwife asked me if I had pain.
I said a few Braxton Hicks.
Isabel's CTG trace showed a low heart rate,
at the very bottom
of what's considered normal.
What are you saying?
Coupled with the reduced movement,
that should have resulted
in you having an immediate ultrasound.
I didn't have an ultrasound.
I suspect the midwife
who did your initial obs
didn't tell the second midwife
the actual reason you came in.
But why?
Wh-Why wouldn't she have done that?
The most common problem is
lack of continuity of care.
The second midwife treated
you for abdominal pain.
She sent me home with paracetamol.
But I I felt her.
I felt Isabel kicking again at home.
I'm afraid that kicking
might have been distress.
I'm so sorry.
I believe that your placenta
was most likely failing,
and they should have picked up on it.
Now if you agree,
I'd like to demand a meeting.
I could come in with you if you want
You're quiet.
Are you still upset with me?
Hard day at work, but I'm OK.
There's a box in my bag.
Open it, would you?
What's this?
A gift.
An apology for the other day.
Let me.
It's gorgeous.
Thank you.
Sorry I've been so busy at work
these last few weeks.
But I'm here now.
Thank you.
Are you OK?
Perhaps I should give you some time alone?
No, I'm
I'm glad you're here, just
..wish you could be here more often.
So what's with the bag?
I have to go to Bristol in the morning.
I have a big project up there.
Why?
Did you think I was moving in?
I could if you want me to.
Really?
Well, we seem to be getting along.
You make me feel like nothing
bad will ever happen again.
What happened to no obligations?
Well, that would remain.
But we do seem to be getting on well,
and I would like get to know you more.
Well
..you could keep a few things here.
If you want.
Well, this is a cause for celebration.
Housekeeper, play me a slow jam.
Housekeeper has voice control?
Of course.
As in microphones?
Why didn't you say?
Oh, come on.
There's a microphone on your phone,
on your TV, on your laptop.
Every personal assistant device in
the world, including Housekeeper.
It's hardly a big deal.
How many are there?
I have no idea.
That's Peter's domain.
Peter Creed, how could I forget?
He's not so bad.
Peter's been with me from the start,
and he's incredibly loyal.
How many partners were there?
There were only four, me, him,
Elizabeth and Paul.
Paul Ellis.
Any more questions?
Maybe.
Housekeeper, turn up the music!
You're leaving?
I have to go to
Bristol for a while.
But you just
No, stay.
The council want to talk
to me about a new town.
A whole town?
Like this.
Yeah.
It's partly what happened to
you that made me consider it.
Instead of building each house
as a refuge against ugliness and violence,
a community where everyone can feel safe.
I'd like that.
Maybe you could name it after me.
Maybe I will.
I think you should call in sick.
I can't.
Emma, I can't.
Emma. Please?
No, I
Just this once.
Mm.
Maybe.
Mm, That's better.
Edward?
I thought you were staying?
I really can't.
You just said that you were going to
Look, I got carried away.
I can't get completely absorbed in this.
When are you coming back?
Not for a while.
Look, it's different for us,
you know that.
I can't afford to fail.
Sure.
Well, bye!
I hope you don't mind me getting
your number from the estate agent.
Thank you for coming.
It's no problem.
It's good to hear from you.
Firstly, I'd like to apologise
for taking those flowers.
It was insensitive of me.
Forget it, really.
Flowers won't bring her back.
If I can stop someone else
from going through
what she went through
Right.
When you came to the house that time,
you implied her death
might have been suspicious.
It was.
Well, it still is.
How so?
She was being manipulated,
right from the start.
Manipulated by whom?
The landlord.
Edward Monkford?
It started off as
romantic.
But a few days before she died,
she told me he completely lost it.
He terrified her.
Wait. You think he?
He killed her, yes.
But
the police must have investigated.
It was an open verdict,
lack of evidence.
They couldn't be sure
that she didn't throw
herself down the stairs,
but Em wouldn't have done that.
Not that they cared by then.
I called Clarke,
but he didn't want to know.
Uh, DI Clarke,
he's a useless piece of shit.
You should have seen what she was like
in those last few weeks before she died.
It was all kicking off.
Amanda wasn't talking to her at work,
Monkford was filling
her head with rubbish.
Things are no longer perfect,
people are like houses, um,
blah, blah, bullshit.
Are you OK?
Yes, fine.
Yeah, mate, our place,
not a problem.
I can do you?
Amanda. Hey.
What's going on?
Are you OK?
Not really, no.
Trouble with working at the
same company as your husband
is that when it all goes wrong,
it goes wrong right in your face.
Saul's been at it again.
What happened?
I should've known he
couldn't keep it in his pants.
That girl in marketing,
Leona.
And he's been going out
clubbing with Simon too.
Said it was to get him back on his feet,
but, ironic because all
Simon does is moan on about
getting back with you.
He adores you.
Yeah, well,
maybe being adored by needy
boys isn't my thing any more.
Maybe I need someone more
my equal.
Like your architect, you mean?
Hey, fancy a liquid lunch?
Yeah?
Yeah.
What are you doing?
Come on!
This is Edward Monkford.
Leave a message.
Hey.
Show me.
What?
The tattoo. Show it to me.
You lied to me.
It was Amanda's tattoo,
my friend at work.
You sent me a picture
of someone else's arse?
Well, you've been ignoring me.
I cancelled a dinner with the
planning committee for this.
Because I got a tattoo?
Which I didn't.
Why are you spoiling things?
What?
You're drunk.
A little bit.
Housekeeper, play me something sexy.
I've missed you.
Are you mocking me?
What?
The mess, the tattoo.
No. I needed you here,
and you're not here.
You're never here.
One minute you're moving in,
the next minute you're gone,
no calls, no messages.
You agreed to live here
under certain rules!
OK, and what if life just
doesn't work like that?
Then make it work like that!
Stop telling me what to do!
She wouldn't do this!
You wouldn't do this.
What are you talking about?
Emma!
Emma.
How's it going?
Never been better.
You?
Yeah, about the same.
Except having to see Leona every day.
Hello?
Emma, we need to speak with you.
Yeah. Would you be able to
come into the station today?
I could do around lunchtime?
Thank you. That's great.
We'll see you then.
OK. Bye.
If you want to take a break or
come back another day, just say.
This is your meeting, it's not theirs.
We've had a chance to review
the full notes and scans,
and we believe that Jane's pregnancy
at 39 weeks was mishandled,
probably due to a lack
of continuity in care.
Ms. Cavendish and I have already been
through the postmortem summary together,
and the cause of death is unexplained.
Except I'd gone in with reduced
movement instead of abdominal pain,
as was stated in my notes.
The actual cause of death is uncertain.
Baby was already very
poorly when mum came in.
Her name is Isabel.
And my name isn't "Mum".
I get the impression what you'd most like
is an apology, is that right?
Would an acknowledgement of everything
that you and Isabel went through
help you achieve some
closure for your loss?
What Isabel went through?
She died.
But
..she should have been here,
right now,
strapped into her buggy.
I did note the discrepancy.
Then why didn't you say?
Didn't want to add to your distress,
because it may not have made
a difference to Isabel's outcome.
It would've made a
difference to how I feel.
I've been blaming myself.
Could I have been more diligent,
more caring, done better?
You could have put an end
to that particular question.
No, no, I'm fine
Emma. Hey.
Thanks for coming in.
No problem.
What's this about?
I think it's best we wait
until we're all together.
Follow me.
Emma, this is Detective
Chief Inspector Shapton.
Hello, Emma.
Hello.
Take a seat.
OK, can someone please
tell me what's going on?
As you probably know,
it's requirement these days
for the prosecution and defence to
share information before a trial
to prevent cases coming
to court unnecessarily.
Ray Nelson is claiming misidentification.
The meta data on your
phone has now been analysed,
something my officers hadn't
seen fit to prioritise.
It shows a video was recorded five
days before the alleged assault,
a date for which Nelson has an alibi.
Be very careful what you say next, Emma.
Did Ray Nelson force you to give
him oral sex at knife-point?
Emma?
No.
Did Ray Nelson sexually assault you in any way
when he burgled your house
and stole your phone?
No.
Emma Matthews, you do not have to
say anything, but if you do No!
..mention when questioned
something you later.
No, no, no! What's happening?!
Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
No, no, no!
We take cases of rape
very seriously, Emma,
which means starting from the assumption
that every woman who reports a
sexual assault is telling the truth.
The flip side of that?
We take false allegations
equally seriously.
You wrote a victim statement.
You went up on front of a judge.
Why say all of this if it wasn't Nelson?
Because you asked me in front of Simon!
And yet you passed up
countless opportunities
to tell us what really happened.
Well, he needed to be off the streets!
You made me do the ID,
you you knew he'd seen me!
You said it wouldn't go to trial.
Emma
were you raped?
Yes!
By who?
No!
Can you tell us a name?
I just want to go now.
Can I go, please?
Open a new rape investigation, please.
Can I go home now, please?
No, I'm afraid it's not
as easy as that, Emma.
Do you have a solicitor?
We're going to arrest you now,
which means you'll have
access to a duty solicitor.
Emma, I'm arresting you
on suspicion of perjury,
attempting to pervert the course of
justice and wasting police time.
Do you understand?
Emma, I need you to answer.
Do you understand?
Yes.
So she was raped,
just not by Nelson.
There was a video on her phone.
We
I thought it might be Nelson.
She appeared to confirm it.
We didn't have enough time
to do the relevant checks.
The jury would've been eating
out of the palm of her hand,
that's for sure.
And she was clearly traumatised,
but we weren't able to obtain
evidence on either identification
or lack of consent.
She just wouldn't give
us any information.
She was probably terrified.
Emma was arrested for
wasting police time, perjury.
I put my neck on the
line for that girl.
I—I wanted to help her.
And her death?
Did you investigate that?
DS Willan handled that.
I'd
retired.
Didn't fancy all the retraining
my boss was going to put me through
after such a
cock-up.
They did look into it, though.
Interviewed her former
partner after she died,
given that she'd made
an accusation he was abusive.
Edward Monkford?
No, Simon.
Simon Wakefield.
Sami Ahmed, your solicitor.
I'm afraid the other rooms were in use.
We'll have to talk in here.
Thing is, Emma, these charges
will continue to be dealt with
under RASSO guidelines, that's Rape
and Serious Sexual Offences.
They have some particular
stipulations that don't apply
in other circumstances.
Not loopholes as such, but
Sometimes I've acted on behalf of
women who may have felt pressured
into making or withdrawing a
rape accusation, for example.
Perhaps they were frightened
of someone's reaction,
a partner, for example.
Do you understand what I'm saying to you?
You mean
..if I were afraid to tell someone,
you can make this all go away?
It would certainly help,
a lot, actually.
Perjury can carry a custodian
sentence, that's prison.
I was afraid to tell Simon.
That's why I said what I said.
Right.
But it's not enough to be afraid
of someone's normal reaction,
you see, but if
they've been violent,
coercive,
controlling,
That's the kind of thing that
would make the difference.
It's not as if anything
would happen to him,
not without evidence.
Clever brief, most likely.
I've been around a lot
of criminals in my time
but Simon Wakefield, abusive?
Didn't strike me as the type.
So was Emma's rapist ever found?
Like I said,
Nelson was my case.
And what about her death?
Surely there were other suspects?
It wasn't a murder case.
It looked like an accident or suicide.
Ray Nelson was questioned too, of course.
Emma was window dressing, wasn't she?
A beautiful, traumatised
victim to help convict your guy
on the other counts.
Nelson's a dangerous individual.
Getting him sent down
for aggravated burglary
would have been a very
good day at the office.
You were never really interested in her.
No-one protected her,
and then she died.
She deserved better.
Last time I came here,
you implied that Edward
might have been
responsible for Emma's death.
I need to know if you have
any actual proof of that.
You're very interested in
Edward and Emma, Jane.
Why is that do you think?
I'm
pregnant.
It's his.
And how do you feel about that?
I need to decide
whether to keep it or
I know you said I
should stay away from him
but this changes things.
He needs to be part of the decision.
I suspect he won't be happy.
The deal was an
unencumbered relationship.
I don't even know if he's
ready to be a father again.
I asked about your feelings Jane,
not his.
You mentioned before you'd lost a child.
Yes.
And I do
feel
..there's a crazy sense of
guilt.
There's a
..if
..if I have this baby
I'd be betraying her.
Killing her almost.
Because on some level you would be.
Your feelings make perfect sense, Jane.
Isabel now exists only in your memories
and your continuing love for her.
It's only natural.
This quest for Emma's truth,
could it be partly because
you still haven't processed
your feelings about Isabel, do you think?
A kind of distraction.
I spoke to the police.
They clearly failed her in some way.
There was more to it than just
the false accusation, wasn't there?
Emma's sexual history is something
I definitely can't discuss.
But you're right,
there was more to it.
Think about yourself and how
your feelings from Isabel's death
got overlaid onto the
conception of another child.
Traumatic emotions are like water.
They have a knack of locating the
cracks and finding a way out.
Poor girl.
Everyone let her down.
Her partners, her friends,
including you.
Including me.
You asked me whether I have any proof
whether Edward Monkford
was a threat to Emma
She asked me the exact same question,
and I didn't have a
definitive answer for her either.
But do you really want to risk it,
especially now?
Wouldn't the safest thing
still be to just walk away?
Jane?
Amanda. Thanks for meeting me.
Uh, I can't stay long,
I have to get back to work.
Do you, uh, really live
in that crazy house, then?
Yes, I do.
So you and Emma were good friends?
Were friends, yeah, um
..but she changed.
How so?
Once she got together
with that architect,
lived in the house, dumped Simon
..he and my husband, Saul,
were best mates.
We used to go out all the time,
the four of us,
but, uh,
then it stopped.
Must've been hard,
her being with someone else when
you were all such good friends.
It wasn't just that.
We had an argument
just before she died.
I went off at her.
What was it about?
Nothing, um,
it seems so silly now.
And what about
everything she went through?
The business with the police?
Oh, look, I don't, um,
want to get into all that.
I really do have to get back.
Of course.
Hello?
Hello?
Ugh!
Fucking house.
Oh!
That's what you get for lying, bitch!
Leave me alone!
Oh!
Oh!
Excuse me.
DI Clarke here.
There's paint everywhere.
Why are you calling
me on this number?
You gave it to me.
You said to call you if I had any
Look, the
circumstances have changed.
If you need to report a crime,
call the appropriate number.
Excuse me, are you DS Willan?
DI Willan.
Yeah, that's me.
Can I have a quick word?
What about?
Emma Matthews.
If you've got any new
information you can call 101.
No, I don't have information,
I'm looking for some.
Look, I don't know if this is allowed but,
I'm living at 1 Folgate Street,
and I've become concerned.
I met your old boss, DI Clarke.
I know there was an accusation
against Simon Wakefield,
but what about the other partner,
Edward Monkford?
Did he have an alibi?
I really can't discuss these
kind of details with you,
I'm sorry. Excuse me.
Please!
I'm
..I'm in a relationship with him,
and
..I'm expecting his child.
You can set your mind at rest,
he had an alibi.
What was it, if you don't
mind me asking, the alibi?
Uh, a colleague if I remember correctly.
Creed. They were together.
I hope that's reassured you.
Hey.
Hey. Just checking in.
How's everything at Folgate Street?
Pristine as ever.
I wouldn't have expected anything less.
When are you coming back?
Not for a while.
I'm having to explain
to the building officers
why I won't be installing safety lighting.
I miss you.
I miss you too.
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