Passenger (2024) s01e05 Episode Script

Something is not right
in general in this town.
Nina Karlsson?
Nina Karlsson's the lead detective
on that Swedish TV series.
What a phenomenal waste of time
that was.
So, I've got you a transfer.
to Manc Met.
HE COUGHS
John's never in hospital.
You do owt to him?
I wanna know what you are.
DISTORTED SCREAMS
Target recovered.
Last chance, Derek.
When you gonna stop with all that?
I'm numbing the pain.
GLASS SHATTERS
You're evil spawned evil
in that daughter of yours!
My wife don't want me
My little girls don't want me.
It's everything.
It's what happened to Mehmet.
What if it wasn't suicide?
God, no.
It's pretty obvious who it is.
DISTORTED SHOUTS
DISTORTED GRUNTS
Jim? Jim, can you hear me?
Stay with us, Jim.
RIYA: Eddie?
You won't get away with this.
This is how it started
such a long time ago.
Put the bottle down.
CRUNCH
Come on, Dad, it's started.
LAUGHTER ON TV
You're missing it, Ed.
You're missing all of it.
SLOWLY: I'm coming.
Dad, it's the funny bit.
It's time, Eddie.
SIRENS BLARE
You're gonna miss it, Ed.
You're gonna miss all of it.
You're gonna miss all of it.
I don't know why I did it.
VOICE ECHOES
I don't know.
I can't remember.
VOICE ECHOES
A few things I need from you,
address, star sign, all that shite.
All right.
Have you put sugar in this?
Two, boss.
Heaped?
MUTTERING: Fucking hell.
I'm sorry about the bins, Riya.
I'll apologise to folk.
Good lad.
I just wanna put it to bed.
Yeah, I understand that.
One question.
Why did we find wire cutters?
Er Wire cut
I'm I'm not sure why.
Wire cutters.
You can see with a gaping hole
in Jim's fence.
That's easy
for me to put two and two.
Tell me about Mehmet.
Thought we was talking about bins.
How did he get
to the bottom of the tower?
Was it an overdose? An accident?
Did you argue? Did you push him?
Did something happen
that wasn't meant to happen?
Come on, talk to me. Time's ticking.
Thing is
all this stuff you're saying
you need evidence.
A draft copy
of Mehmet's suicide note
found in your lockup
in your handwriting,
Katie Wells's bracelet
found in your house,
and we're already testing DNA.
Anything?
No?
Shame.
I'm holding you on suspicion
of the murder of Mehmet Shah.
DOOR LOCKS
HE WHIMPERS
HE SOBS
You spend all this time as police
trying not to judge books, but
if someone's face
is screaming "shitbag",
they might actually
just possibly be a shitbag.
Oh, I've always judged books
by their covers, boss.
That's just my thing.
And yet, I still feel there's
something he's not telling me.
We found very high levels
of a substance in his blood.
Causes respiratory problems
and hyperactivity
in the prefrontal cortex.
That's the part of the brain
that regulates fear.
Does your son
take recreational drugs?
No.
Could anyone
have given him anything?
Not that I know of.
OK.
We're running tests, trying to
figure out exactly what's happened.
We'll keep him in for monitoring,
if that's all right?
Course.
If you can think of anything unusual
that's happened,
people he might have met,
let us know.
Hey, Dez, thanks for popping by.
Wanted to give you this
for the catering for my party.
The sausages, the honey sauce -
all was bang on.
Oh, aye, they went down well,
them sausages, didn't they?
Glad you liked, yeah.
Yeah.
Ta for this. I like a Shiraz.
Bit of steak, bit of Shiraz.
You're welcome.
HE CHUCKLES
SHE INHALES
We've arrested your brother
in connection
with the murder of Mehmet Shah.
What did you say?
Holding him in a cell downstairs.
I thought
I thought it were a suicide.
Well, we've had evidence
suggesting otherwise.
Tell me what you know.
HE LAUGHS
Same as you!
You're not telling me,
as his brother,
he hasn't said anything to you.
He keeps himself to himself.
You know what he's like.
Is he pushing drugs?
No.
Has he ever mentioned Katie Wells
to you? No.
You and Kane
found John in the forest.
What were you doing there?
Just on our way to Kane's place.
Right place, right time.
Got Mehmet dead, Katie missing,
and John in hospital,
and Kane seemingly
in the centre of all of it.
If there's a reason,
I need to know why.
He's got issues,
you know that.
The whole town does,
but he don't harm folk.
How would you know that?
Like you said, he keeps
himself to himself, don't he?
DOOR SHUTS
KNOCKING
Something weird's going on
in that forest.
What is this, theory 9,333?
Other info's come to light,
and it's telling me my "theories"
aren't so bad after all.
Why do you find it so hard
to relax?
There are pieces missing,
and it's all pointing to Kane.
Who's sitting in a cell down stairs.
Look, you're going soon.
You've given us a murderer
to be getting on with.
Now let it be.
They're not gonna tolerate this
at Manc Met, you know.
Look,
everything I've been going on about,
everything,
might just have some weight.
Can you just let me
finish this case?
This town is crying out for truth.
What would you know about this town?
You've been here ten minutes.
Those who were born in Chadder know
what this town is crying out for.
It's crying out for light.
And they don't need to know
what's going on
until they need to know
what's going on.
First Eddie, now Kane.
There are monsters
living amongst us, kid.
I'm not prepared to let this
community be destroyed again.
Time to change the headline.
To what?
You know what!
You are not going on about
Best Kept Village, are you?
Of course I bloody am!
It's a certificate, Linda.
It's not just a certificate, though,
is it?
It's what it means for the people.
It gives 'em hope,
and it gives 'em light!
Does it? Does it?!
Does a certificate
give you light and hope?
Maybe explain it to me another time.
Just figure it out for yourself!
CAR DOOR SLAMS,
ENGINE RUMBLES
Meet me at the carvery. One hour.
LINDA EXHALES
Listen up, everyone.
The judges'll be here
in a couple of days.
They'll be looking at you.
Looking for the cracks,
staring at your lives,
your lawns
and all the bits in-between.
Last week,
I saw a condom on a bench.
LAUGHTER
Not good enough.
To me,
that's a sign you've given up,
that the monsters among us
have broken your spirit.
Now, you can bend to that,
if you like,
or you can show 'em your poker face
and bring it home.
They said there was a curse
on Chadder. Well, not any more.
We've got the best bread
in Lancashire.
WEAK CHEERING
We have though, haven't we?
We got a new B&B
and The Tree Of Good Hope.
We haven't won this since 2011.
I'm fucked if we're gonna
lose it again yeah?
CLAPPING
Let's get a victory for the Vale.
CLAPPING INTENSIFIES
Best Kept Village! Thank you.
Katie,
got a new girl starting today.
She'll need setting up.
You all right, Katie?
Oh, you have got
to be fucking kidding me.
You fucking slut.
If you think I won't, think again
cos I fucking will.
Katie! Hey!
THUMP
Get up! I said, "Get the fuck up!"
Come at me again
and I will snap you in two.
Katie!
Did you shag him?!
No.
Don't fucking lie to me.
What the fuck are you on?
Think you know him, do you?
Think you've got what it takes?
Yeah, good luck with that.
Oi, come here.
You what?
Come here.
We got back to his room that night,
and I took my top off
and he told me to put it back on.
Said that you were his girl.
Said you always would be.
John?
I know I'm not who you wanna see
right now.
HE COUGHS,
SPLUTTERS
HE GULPS
What happened in the forest, John?
Did you take something?
Did you take the same thing
as Mehmet?
What's going on, John?
WEAKLY: You wouldn't understand.
Try me.
I saw things.
What?
STRAINING: Like
Can you leave now?
OK, er
HE COUGHS
Talk to me.
JOHN SPLUTTERS
Really need you to leave.
JOHN WHIMPERS
JOHN STRAINS
No, no, Katie, wait!
Don't leave!
HE COUGHS,
MONITORS BEEP
Morning, Keith.
Ah, do you ever take a day off?
That lad that you brought in
from Chadder, Mehmet Shah,
what can you tell me about him?
Barely had the body ten minutes
before Manc Met took him.
Yeah, but a man as exceptional
as you are,
you can find out the cause of death
in, what, thirty seconds, no?
He had fluid in his lungs.
Cause of death was drowning
in my opinion.
Is that right?
Blood samples
showed traces of a black liquid,
a kind of resin.
I've never seen it before.
You took samples, right?
I did.
Did Manc Met get their hands on it?
Most of it.
But you kept some for yourself,
didn't you?
Keith, I love that.
Ever the professional.
See, that resin,
I think it's caused by a drug,
and it's affecting all of the kids.
So can you do me a favour?
Can you test it for me,
like, yesterday?
You're a bossy fucker.
Er! Assertive, Keith. Assertive.
Trim that bush
Will you trim that bush?
Trim that bush ♪
Looks pressing. Boss! Boss.
Wow, tasteful.
That's just BKV, boss.
Best Kept Village, boss.
Apparently,
you get marked on topiary, so
We've got John, Mehmet and
a dead stag all linked to a drug.
I wanna know all about it,
why it's in the forest
and why these kids are taking it.
Yeah, on it, boss.
Like Sonic, boss.
What are those called again?
Secateurs.
ROWING
MAN: You bloody witch.
WOMAN: Who are you calling a witch,
you drunken old tosser?
I've checked the DNA.
'Manchester Met are here, kid.'
They found your DNA
on Mehmet's note, on his clothes.
They are gonna charge you
with his murder, Kane.
Anything you have to say,
now's the time to say it.
Did someone force you
to do something, Kane?
Something you didn't wanna do?
I never knew what I wanted to be
when I were little.
But I knew what I didn't wanna be.
I didn't wanna be known.
Didn't want people to see me.
It's why I became a driver.
Pick it up, drop it off,
wipe my hands of it. Done.
Quiet life.
And then people
put seeds in your head.
They They push you down roads
that you don't wanna go.
And that
that one wish you had as a kid
vanishes.
Time to go.
Kane?
I'll get you out.
This is my out.
Good day?
"Good day"?
It's just a question.
Very couple-y.
You're overthinking.
Just relax. Take a seat.
I don't want a seat.
I want answers.
These kids in the forest,
they're dropping like flies,
and I don't know how or why.
Mehmet didn't fall, he drowned.
But no-one's listening.
Just arrested a man today
for a crime he may
or may not have committed.
Story of your fucking life.
What is?
Doubt.
Excuse me?
You're riddled with it.
You go a thousand miles an hour
in one direction
and then slam it in reverse.
Also, why don't you ask me
about my day for a fucking change?
Sorry (!) How was your day?
Not great.
You wanna elaborate?
Too much work, not enough time,
customers shouting.
Is there anything I can do to help?
Yeah.
You can sweep the floors.
LAUGHS
I'm not sweeping your floors.
Yes, you will. Start at the back
and work your way in.
I'm not sweeping your floor.
Ri?
Every fucking time.
Yeah?
Sorry if I'm interrupting.
Could you not have called?
Better in person.
Er, not necessarily.
Hi, again.
Hi.
Cut to it.
Mum's had a turn.
She won't listen to me.
I was wondering if you
Oh, for
You're unbelievable.
'What is that?'
What, love?
Inside there!
Why's it trying to hurt me?
There's no-one trying to hurt you.
I'm not talking about a person.
What is that thing?
What thing?
It's beneath us.
Don't you take me back.
I've signed the paperwork,
they never asked this.
Don't!
You lied to me.
It's under my skin. You lied!
Sue, Sue.
You lied!
I'm gonna get you some water, OK?
You're all right.
SHE GROANS
This doesn't just up and off, Nick.
She's got a degenerative condition.
She needs her tabs.
I'm just suggesting
a different approach. Well, don't.
Where are these tablets
even coming from?
From a clinic on Harley Street.
Specialists.
Is that a good enough approach
for you? Goodness sakes.
I don't know where the glasses are.
Where have you put the glasses,
Nick?
That smells nice.
Well, I thought
you might fancy a bite.
That for me?
It's your favourite.
Where's er Ricky Martin?
She's gone back to Spain.
Why?
Cos I'm still in love with you.
'Game complete.'
Hm?
What a waste of time.
What are you hiding, Nina Karlsson?
Are you OK?
Just work stuff.
I feel lost.
Like I'm getting things wrong.
In the build up to any crime,
there's a change.
A departure from the norm.
A change in behaviour,
action, word.
This town,
it's riddled with something.
Drugs, dead stags, missing kids.
The signposts are all there.
Just whether we choose
to see them or not.
And I can't work out
what I'm not seeing.
'What have you got for me, Keith?'
You know how many islands
there are in Indonesia?
A few.
18,000. The scheramine plant
grows on one of them.
What it's doing here
is anyone's guess.
That it?
Scheramine.
More commonly known as Devil's Door.
As a plant,
it's completely harmless.
If turned into a gas,
it's slightly more terrifying.
In what way?
It delves into the neurocircuitry
of your fears,
ignites a thousand little fires.
Once those flames
get out of control,
there's not much you
can do about it.
You become so consumed with anxiety
that it cripples you.
The levels in Mehmet's blood were
so high that, if he was in water,
he wouldn't have got very far.
How does a gas get into a forest?
Beats me.
It's called scheramine.
Devil's Door.
I need to know for sure
there haven't been
any other cases like John's.
Our files are strictly confidential.
Confidential, yep, yep, I get it.
But this is a murder
I'm investigating.
Quick ganders, then I'm off.
Go on.
Oh, er, did some more digging
on the drug front, boss.
Kids are mainly on E and whizz.
And weed. A lot of them love weed.
It's called scheramine.
Just been to the hospital,
and turns out
there was another person
admitted with that exact same drug
in their system a few months back.
Who?
A Swedish girl.
No! The one and fucking only,
Nina Karlsson.
You take your time, kidda.
But take it quickly.
What is it you want to know?
Well, let's start with your name.
Nina.
Nina what?
Karlsson.
Swedish?
Stockholm.
Well, well.
Stockholm to here.
That's an easy transition.
Tell me about it.
It's a long story.
Shorten it.
Do you know this guy?
No.
You sure?
Never met him.
OK.
The B&B.
I was there for two nights.
To see the tree?
No.
So that was a lie?
We get told to say it.
Told by who?
It's on the the paperwork.
What paperwork?
I can't say. When you
When you sign, you sign.
Ever heard of Devil's Door?
What about it?
How'd you get your hands on it?
It was presented to me.
Presented? Where? In the forest?
It was just a game.
Hospital records said
you nearly died. Who gave it to you?
How did they cure you?
They didn't.
I had to fight it.
How?
I faced it.
You were on forums with Mehmet Shah.
Well, we connected.
Over drugs?
Video games, the planet.
You know we we have a purpose.
An end point.
We We chose it.
We made that decision.
You and Mehmet? What decision?
You do know he's dead?
At least answer me this
Is anyone in danger?
I can't say.
Don't be thinking
you're anything special.
You were born nothing.
You're just like your dad.
You are nothing.
You're pathetic.
Nothing.
JOHN SCREAMS
COUGHS,
SOBS QUIETLY
COUGHS
Oh, for f
Guilt. That's what this is.
Five years?
Every week.
They try to cauterise the wound.
All they do is open it back up.
Who's they?
It must be the Wells family,
who do you think?
It'll be the wife,
clearing her conscious.
What you gonna do with it?
'Ey up.
Hiya.
Hey, so, I thought, later on,
we could go for
go for a bite, yeah?
Maybe.
I don't know, we could, er,
go for a walk. Take in the shites.
But does it fix this?
Well, I just You know.
I thought after the other night
That night mean nowt.
To either of us.
It were just two people
desperate to find something
that ain't there any more.
It felt It felt real, no?
Felt like the old us.
Did it heck.
Conning ourselves.
I just felt angry and sick.
Right.
AUDIOBOOK: 'I'm not interested in
the things within my reach.
'I'm interested in
the things beyond my reach.'
KNOCKING
How's your John?
Not my John. Keep saying.
KATIE SIGHS
Been quiet.
Too much noise, in't there?
Your dad?
No, no. Not really.
Look, if you're scared of him
I'm not scared, Mum.
You've changed, darling.
It's like him being here is
pushing you away.
I've wanted out for ages now.
I'm gonna miss you when you go. Hm?
I mean, who am I gonna walk
to t'factory with? Mum.
Who am I gonna have
my lunchtime cig with?
Who's gonna give me the goss?
JOANNE LAUGHS
Things have happened recently, right?
And it's made me realise
SHE SCREAMS
You wrap me up in this routine,
in this way of being,
and it's not me.
I don't wanna become that.
Become what? You.
JOANNE SIGHS
It's not Dad I'm afraid of, Mum.
It's you.
JOANNE SIGHS
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
It's j I don't
I don't want the life you've got.
It's fine for you,
but it's not fine for me.
I want more, more than Chadder Vale.
You know that. I always have.
I'm sorry, Mum.
I'm sorry.
Don't be.
Mum.
KATIE SIGHS
MUFFLED CHATTER
JIM: Hey! Hey!
Enough. I've had enough.
But I-I-I don't
I don't know what this is!
Your guilt. Your family's guilt.
As if money could repair this.
Come near my property again,
and I'll take matters
into my own hands.
Fuck.
SHE GASPS
ZIP
Do you know evil, Lilly?
You have evil in your blood
because your father is evil.
And days after he came back
into our lives,
my son is dead.
And you were breaking into his room,
going through his things.
That is evil, Lilly.
Now leave.
Hiya, Dad.
Hi, Lil.
D'you want?
Can I tell you a secret?
If you like.
I wish you were dead.
You ruined my life,
and I wish you were dead.
HE GROANS
OK.
Come with me. Come on.
Where are we going?
You'll see.
Dad? Dad, please can we go home?
I'm tired.
Just keep walking.
Why are we here?
I wanna go back.
Where are we?
We're near the lake.
We used to come here
when you were little.
Just wait there.
No. Where are you going?
Just-Just wait.
You don't get to do that.
You don't get to march into my space
throwing accusations about.
You don't know
the first fucking thing about me.
Pay you?
Pay you with what, exactly?
While you're sitting here
in your ivory drill tower,
some of us are scraping our knuckles
down here at zero.
But you wouldn't know any of that,
would you?
No. Cos you're all you, you,
fucking you!
PHONE RINGS
Lil?
Mum? Can you hear me?
Lil? Lil, you're breaking up, darling.
I'm-I'm with Dad at the lake.
You're where?
The lake. I'm really scared.
ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE
Lil?
I dunno what he's gonna do.
Lil?
PHONE LINE DROPS
Mum?
JOANNE: Lilly!
Lilly!
BIRD SCREECHES
JOANNE: Lily!
Fuck.
Oh, what's happened?
LILY SOBS
Hey. Hey, what is it?
Hey, look at me. Shh!
Where's your dad? Where is he?
Hm.
Mm.
Eddie!
Eddie?
Eddie, come back!
Eddie.
Eddie. Look at me.
When you came home
I didn't give us any hope.
I I shut that out.
I shut you out.
I were angry
that you'd walked back
into a life that I'd built.
Me, on my own,
and I were angry about that.
But I were wrong to be.
I should've given us hope.
Why?
Because we chose each other
for a reason, all those years ago.
And that has to mean something.
Dad!
Jim.
Jim!
JIM GRUNTS
Eddie.
JOANNE WHIMPERS
It's too warm.
The ice won't hold.
It's too late, Jim.
This is what monsters deserve.
Dad, please!
THEY SCREAM
Eddie! Hold on.
HE SNIFFS
Here have this.
HE CLEARS THROA
You saved his life, Jim.
Huh.
However that makes you feel.
You did right.
I didn't do it to be right.
I did it because
I'm owed an explanation. Look.
Eddie's sin.
Left at my door every week.
I thought it was her, the wife
but no.
Who was it?
HE SNIFFLES
There's things that need saying.
I see your pain,
and I promise you
that I can match that.
What
the fuck would you know
about pain?
I've had five years screaming
in my sleep,
five years of injections,
just trying to get me through
the next five minutes.
Match that!
Jim.
Tell me about that night.
You know what happened.
Just walk me through it,
one last time.
He was convicted by a jury
beyond reasonable doubt.
He was convicted
because there were no witnesses.
He was found covered in my blood.
With a broken bottle in his hand.
I get it.
So what else do you need?
Clarity.
It was dark. I was walking home.
I heard laughter.
I turned and saw him
at the top of the street.
He was swaying, drinking from a
a glass bottle.
I turned back, carried on walking.
He attacked me from behind.
Did you see his face?
Uh?
Did you see anyone else?
No!
Are you sure?
Yes, I'm sure. There was no-one.
Eddie.
The day of the attack,
where had you been?
At work.
And then what?
I finished work early,
went went the Dog.
Who was in the Dog?
I can't remember.
Did you speak to anyone?
Did you drink with anyone?
No. No, I mean, not-not apart
from Jakub. No, no-one.
So Jakub was there?
Well, yeah. I mean, he'd come in
and get his wages early, you know.
Did he leave with you?
No.
Are you sure?
We weren't mates. So
Why are you asking all this again?
Because this money
it's from someone
who feels guilty about this
someone who was there that night.
On some of the notes,
there were some marks.
Some stains.
Like oil.
Fucking hell.
EDDIE SNIFFLES
Fucking hell.
EDDIE SOBS