The Burning Girls (2023) s01e05 Episode Script

Do you ever think that some places
are just rotten? Black spots?
Please let me go.
You know, bad stuff
just keeps happening.
I always knew you had a reason
for me coming here.
That's what I love best
about working for you.
Is that I get to help
people that really need me.
I will set things right.
Your life.
It's all built on the
blood of two little girls
named Abigail and Maggie.
If you tell anyone,
the whole fucking
village will turn on you.
Urgh.
Oh no. Oh no.
Oh no, oh,
I'm so sorry.
Oh no.
John, are you okay?
I'd like to speak to
your father. Is he home?
Dad.
Dad.
Mike, how are you?
I'm here about the vault.
I'm writing an article about it.
Okay.
Your relatives are buried there.
So, they weren't martyrs. Did you know?
- You don't want to do this.
- No?
- No.
- Why is that?
Just don't.
One of your ancestors was responsible
for the death of the two
girls burnt at the stake.
Two little girls dying
because of the Harpers.
Your family's entire
fortune is built on that.
Does it bother you?
Fuck off.
Oh, Clara.
Oh, hi Jack. Aaron's not well.
Nothing serious I hope?
I don't think so.
He woke up with a sore
throat this morning.
Are you nervous?
No.
Everyone's curious about who you are.
I expect it to be a full house.
I'm looking forward to it.
Is it true?
Yes. Of course it's fucking true.
Why didn't you tell me?
I don't believe anyone really cares
what your ancestors
got up to 500 years ago.
It's what you do now that matters.
You've given to that
church your whole life.
People know how valuable you are.
They won't be getting another penny.
That church is gonna be destroyed.
Well, I think that would be a mistake.
It would be letting them win.
Mm, what do you know?
You're not even from here.
So, just shut your fucking mouth.
Morning Joan.
Morning Reverend Rushton.
Welcome.
I'm glad to see so
many of you here today.
Um, some of you I've met already
and some of you I haven't.
Anyway, I'm Reverend Jack Brooks
and I'm really looking forward
to getting to know you all.
My sermon today is about honesty,
not only to God, but to each other.
Before I start, why don't
we have a little sing song?
Please stand for hymn number 197.
I'm so sorry to interrupt.
So sorry. Um, forgive me.
There's something that I, I need to say.
Um, I've always been
committed to this chapel.
It's been good to me and
I've happily given back
what I could when I could.
And yet in in tomorrow's
Gazette there's gonna be a story
printed about my ancestors
saying that they weren't martyrs
and that they're buried
underneath the, the church.
Um, I'm afraid it's, it's, it's true.
There's been a, a 500 year old lie.
And yesterday I discovered the truth.
I can't tell you how devastated
I I or the whole family are.
My ancestor, James Harper,
apparently betrayed
the two young martyrs,
Abigail and and Maggie,
and bought the land
that I now own with the,
with the payment that he received.
But, you know, that's history.
And it's what happens now that matters.
I, I, I, I can't regret what
I, what I, what I didn't know,
but if I could, I would. And
I would ask for forgiveness.
And God says that if we
re regret our actions
we will be forgiven.
Isn't that right, Reverend Brooks?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Well, thank you for, um, uh, uh,
allowing me to unburden
myself. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr Harper
for sharing that with us all.
It couldn't have been easy.
Let us pray.
Hello. How lovely to see you.
Congratulations on your first sermon.
Thank you.
It's been a bit turbulent,
to say the least, but
this is a new start.
We're going to be fine.
We're a close-knit, loving community.
Good morning. Thank
you so much for coming.
That was so brave of you.
Well, um, thank you.
Well done. Well done.
That hurt man, can't have been easy.
Well, it's, uh, unavoidable.
- Liar.
- I mean
You're a liar.
You knew about the vault.
You knew your wealth was built on a lie.
I dare say you knew
about Benjamin Grady too.
What are you talking about Mrs Hartman?
Reverend Fletcher found out
your family's secret and you killed him.
I understand that you are upset and,
and I know how much Reverend
Fletcher's friendship
- meant to you.
- Murderer.
Joan, that's a very grave accusation.
Please, Mrs Hartman, don't,
don't do this to yourself.
He thinks he can get away with this
by buying us all off.
Joan, let's just go for a cup of tea.
Yeah? Come on.
He killed Reverend Fletcher.
I'm sure I'm right.
You okay, Joan? Yeah?
Oh, you must see
there's something rotten here.
And it has been very long time.
Come on. Come with me.
Rise and shine dear.
Pauline.
- Is Joy here?
- No.
She's gone. Look.
Did she go with Merry?
Merry's ill. She's in bed.
- I have to talk
- She's sleeping.
Please. Wake her up.
She must know something.
She needs her rest.
I'll ask her later.
Is she really here?
You think I'm a liar?
Please, phone me when
you've talked to her.
I will. And I'll pray for you.
There will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents
than over 99 righteous
persons who need no repentance.
You have no idea where
she might have gone or,
or who with?
Sorry. No.
What about her friend Merry?
My first thought that it was her,
but she's home sick.
Untie me. Please untie me.
But Mum
I really, really need your help.
Jacob, I need you. Please, please. No.
Joy's a teenage girl, Pauline.
Sometimes they overreact.
I need to confess.
When I was seven years old,
I woke up to hear my father
returning to the house
and it was the middle of the night.
I sneaked downstairs and he
was standing in the kitchen.
He had taken off his clothes
and there was blood on them.
He was stuffing them
into the washing machine.
It was the first time I'd
ever seen my father cry.
I never asked him about
it. I was devoted to him.
I've been devoted to
the church my whole life.
And now
is my father a murderer?
Why would you say that?
They found my father's DNA
on both the coffin and on Grady's body.
Aaron, that that doesn't prove
that he murdered him.
They won't prosecute him.
He's too ill. He will
evade earthly justice.
Aaron. Aaron.
If indeed your father has sinned,
he would have prayed for forgiveness.
And God forgives those
who ask for redemption.
The Bible says murderers
cannot be forgiven.
If we say we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves.
And the truth is not in us.
That's why bad things happen to me.
It is about the sins of my father.
And my sins.
I have ignored the words of the Lord.
I loved him.
I loved him. Matthew.
Love is never a sin.
God accepts all kinds of love.
Then why has he abandoned me?
God hasn't abandoned you.
It was the traditional
feast out in the meadow
to commemorate the burning girls.
I was waiting for Matthew,
but he didn't come.
I thought work must have kept him.
So, I walked back to the chapel
and he was hanging there.
He had wet himself.
I ran up to him and I
tried to grab his legs.
I tried to pull him
up. But it was too late.
I've got nothing left.
Aaron. Sh-sh-sh.
Aaron. I know how you feel.
There have been times in my life
when I felt as though
God has abandoned me.
As if I was being tested.
And then just when I
was about to give up,
he showed me the right path.
And, you know, sometimes it can feel
as if God isn't listening
and he isn't there.
But he is. God is everywhere.
He's all around us.
You see, you just have to be patient.
Keep listening because I promise you,
God has not abandoned you, Aaron.
I promise.
It's okay. God bless you.
Um, I'm gonna go to the youth
club in Henfield tonight.
If we're gonna stay here, might
as well make the most of it.
In this shit together, right?
Who are you going with?
Wrigley.
How are you getting there?
Bus.
I'll give you a lift back.
No, we'll get the last bus back.
I'll meet you at the bus stop.
Please, Mum. It's fine.
Wrigley's gonna walk
me home. No big deal.
I said I'll meet you at the bus stop.
Okay.
Ah.
Shit.
Yeah.
You look nice.
Oh, thank you.
What am I gonna do here
tonight without you, eh?
Oh, I don't know. Um, have a bath?
What? In the darkroom?
Mm. Well, in that case,
maybe you can just drink
some wine and relax.
Yeah. I'll just relax
and drink some wine.
I've got to go.
What about your dinner?
Oh, I'll just, I'll just
grab something in Henfield.
Alright.
Thank you, Mum.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
Be good.
Okay. I will. I'll see you later.
Have fun.
Will do.
The time is 7 PM.
Police are looking
for a man in connection
with the murder of a vicar at
St Anne's Church in Nottingham.
Reverend Philip
Bradley's semi-naked body
was found in the ground of the church
shortly after midnight on Saturday.
The suspect, a white
male of medium build,
was last seen boarding a train
to London wearing vicar's attire.
Police are warning the general
public to be extra vigilant.
St Anne's was previously
at the centre of a controversy
when an eight year old girl
was found murdered on its altar.
The cases are not thought to be linked.
Wrigley?
Wow.
What romantic teen shit
have you been watching?
Glad to see you're impressed.
No, I do. I like it.
It's just a bit
Too much?
Yeah, just a little bit.
I mean, nobody's ever burned a house
down for me before though, so
Too soon?
Cheers.
Cheers.
Urh.
I don't understand why
anyone drinks that stuff.
To get drunk usually.
- Oh.
- Oh shit. It's okay, it's fine.
No, uh, it's not.
I I I wanted this to be perfect.
It is.
What was that? Somebody there.
A ghost?
No, stop it. I heard something.
I will go and check.
Just in case.
Wait. Wrigley, I'm gonna come with you.
Wrigley?
No, no!
Flo, I'm over here!
Wrigley! Please just let us go!
Say goodbye to your boyfriend.
Please! What the fuck are you doing?
Flo. There are some bones down here.
Wrigley!
One down. One to go.
What the fuck?
Shit.
Hello there.
Tom?
Tom, run, run!
Aargh! Argh!
Please.
Sh, sh, sh.
Wrigley?
- Flo, Flo, get me out.
- Wrigley.
Flo, over here. Get me out of here.
Oh my God. Wrigley are you hurt?
What the fuck! What the fuck! Oh!
- Sorry, you can't come through.
- No, no, I have
my name's Reverend Brooks. I had
a phone call from, uh, DS Jackson.
I'm I'm here for my daughter Flo.
In that case, if you just
want to go down there.
Thank you. Thank you.
What the fuck, Flo?
- Mum!
- Oh my darling.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay. Sh-sh-sh-sh.
Mum, I'm so sorry.
You're alright, okay.
- You're alright.
- I'm sorry.
You're safe. And that's the
only thing that matters. Okay.
- They put bags over our heads.
- Who did?
Ro Rosie Harper and
her cousin, they put
Well, well have you told the police?
Yes, I've told them everything. But Mum,
they pushed Wrigley down the well.
- What?
- Yeah.
- Is he okay?
- Yes, he's fine. He's bruised.
- But I mean, he said he found a body.
- What?
I was reaching down to look at him
- and then he was said he
- Reverend Brooks?
DS Jackson.
Yeah. We, we met before.
We did. You can take Flo home now.
Flo said that that they found a body.
Your daughter's boyfriend
found a skull in the well.
DS Jackson, come in.
We'll be in touch.
I've got to go and
pay my respects, okay.
I need you to stay here and keep warm.
Excuse me. Could you keep
an eye on my daughter please?
Just for two more minutes? Thank you.
I'll be right back. Okay?
I just want to pay my respects.
You can't be back here.
Okay.
I know what you think of Wrigley,
but it wasn't his fault.
Well, it's never his fault, is it?
Oh, Mum, can you just not be mad at him?
The police officer said
he was your boyfriend.
Is he?
I don't know. Think so.
There was this man.
What man?
At the house. I didn't see him,
but he, he scared off Rosie and Tom.
And did you tell the police?
Yeah, they said he was
probably just someone
sleeping rough.
There, there was this weird
guy hanging around the place
when I was on my way there.
It could have been him.
And do you know what he looks like?
Yeah. Like a tramp.
He came like proper close to my face
after Rosie and Tom were gone.
I think he sniffed my hair.
I don't want you going
back to that place.
- It's, it's dangerous. Okay?
- Okay.
Yeah. I promise. I'm really sorry.
Do you think those bodies in the well
are those missing girls?
Well, it would make sense, wouldn't it?
Mm.
It isn't his fault.
Reverend Brooks, I know
you're in there! Come on!
I'm coming!
You never fucking give up do you?
Okay, come through, come through.
Your daughter accused
Rosie of, of assaulting her.
Well, that's because
and don't you shout at me.
That is because her and her cousin
tried to kill them last night.
No, Rosie was at home all,
all night. Like I told the police.
Well, there's nothing you
won't lie about is there?
I mean, I know it must be
hard for you to see her flaws,
but your daughter is
seriously disturbed.
If anyone is seriously disturbed,
it's your daughter's boyfriend.
- What, Wrigley?
- Yeah.
Do you know that psycho
nearly killed a girl
when he tried to burn
down his last school?
Stop accusing Rosie.
She'll always have an alibi.
You wrote an article
about a year ago
about a fire at a school
in Tunbridge Wells.
Yeah. Why?
Was it Wrigley?
Hm.
Do you know why you did it?
Because a girl dumped him.
And was that the girl that almost died?
Yes.
Do you think he knew that
she was still in the school?
No. He said he didn't.
He's Flo's boyfriend now.
Oh, look, he's not a bad kid, Jack.
Yeah.
But every time they're together
something bad happens, you know?
Well, he had a tough childhood.
His dad died when he was
nine. His mom couldn't cope.
He ended up moving in with
his aunt, Saffron Winter.
The author?
Yeah.
Well, he said to me
that his mom was away.
Listen, I need to go and see her.
Would would you stay
here with Flo for a while?
Yeah. No problem.
Not a word of this, though.
Thank you.
Hello, Miss Winter.
Hello, Miss Winter.
Hello?
Hello?
Oh my God.