Whitstable Pearl (2021) s01e06 Episode Script

1
John!
Over here!
Call the police!
Sorry.
Can we have a lane, please?
No lanes available.
League night.
League night?
League night.
There's only two teams.
It's currently a two-team league.
Well, make it three.
A fiver says he goes
for the tie-dye ball.
Nah, nah, nah. He's
gonna get the black ball.
- Ahh.
- Yep.
Well, what did I say? Called it.
Pay up.
Double or quits,
he uses the ramp.
- No way.
- Oh, yes.
Yeah.
Ooh!
How did you know?
It's a primal thing. You
can just sense it, you know.
We're gonna win.
All right.
All right.
The skeleton's 30 years old.
Forensics reckon it was buried
in a sandbank out at sea.
Must've got dislodged and
washed up with the nets.
So, he drowned?
Well, they found a hole in his skull.
Severe head trauma.
What about the, uh, dental records?
Have they identified the body?
Mike, it could be a bullet wound.
Maybe a murder.
And there's something you should know.
Say we're living on a knife ♪
Say you'll never come to life ♪
- Oh, whoo-hoo!
- Yes!
Won't you let me go? ♪
Won't you let me go? ♪
Say we're running out of time ♪
Repetition, not an alibi ♪
Yeah!
Come on.
- Hell yeah.
- Ahh!
Come on, look at you.
Well, I'm basking in our victory.
You're happy, aren't you?
Well, we won.
'Cause you're seeing that detective.
Well, it's only been a couple of days.
You're all right with
it, though, aren't you?
Yeah.
Just, uh, do give me a
heads-up if he's staying over,
'cause I need a chance
to hide all of my crack.
Hey, uh, you remember
when I used to interview
all your boyfriends,
make sure they were up to scratch.
Oh, and to see if they
had a sense of humor.
It was important to me
that you liked them, though.
Like them? I wanted to break them.
Yeah, you were quite the inquisitor.
Yeah.
We're past all that, though, aren't we?
Yeah. Yeah, course.
- Why'd you bring up Mike?
- Oh.
'Cause he's standing over there.
Interview him, like you used to.
- Seriously?
- Yeah, go on.
It'll be a laugh. The old routine.
All right then.
- Hiya.
- Uh, Mike McGuire,
what are your intentions
regarding my mother?
What you talking about?
Well, do you like her?
Uh, yeah.
- Pearl
- "Uh, yeah"?
What, that's it?
What's going on?
Well, do you love her?
Just play along.
I don't love your mum. Well, not yet.
That'd be weird. I just met her.
But I like her.
A lot.
- That good enough?
- Uh, do you drink?
Gamble? Do any drugs?
- Pearl, I need
- Oh, sorry, sorry.
Don't just change the subject, Mike.
You got a drug problem, don't you?
I'm police.
It's a joke. We're just mucking about.
Look, I need to, um
I need to tell you something.
It's about your dad.
He was a world record holder, you know.
What, Grandad?
Fastest yard of ale ever downed.
When?
A couple of weeks after
he saved those kids
who got stuck in the riptide.
He was only 17.
Well, that's younger than I am now.
It was in the paper.
He walked into The
Neptune, and he asked Angie,
the landlady then, for his usual,
and she said, "What
do you mean your usual?
I've never served you before,"
and Flash went, "Hold on.
I've been drinking here for two years."
Angie grinned, and she slid
the paper across the bar,
and the headline said,
"Local hero, 17-years-old."
And she said, "No, you haven't."
But she was already pouring his pint.
That was the night he drank the yard.
World record was 11 seconds.
It's the Australian prime minister.
Flash did it in 9.9.
Feels more real now.
What happened, uh
the night that Flash disappeared?
I know it's a long time ago.
It doesn't feel a long time ago.
He'd been out drinking.
He liked to drink.
We've established that.
People saw him leaving
the pub at closing,
but he didn't come home.
The next day, they found
one of his boats out at sea.
The assumption was, he'd gone out drunk
and
and he drowned.
Can you think of anyone
who wanted to hurt him?
Everyone loved him.
Come here.
My dad did come home that night.
What d'you mean?
Mum's got it wrong.
I could never sleep until he got in,
and I heard the door open
and footsteps on the stairs,
and, um
I must've fallen back asleep.
He came home?
Yeah.
So, Dolly's lying?
She remembers it wrong.
She's upset. She's had a lot to drink.
Well, what makes you think she's lying?
What?
Let
Let's talk inside.
Mike, what aren't you telling me?
The photos in The Old Neptune.
- Behind the bar?
- Yeah.
Remember the one of Dolly?
Yeah, you said how young she looked.
Well, there was another
photograph covering it,
and if you looked underneath, then
What?
Vinnie was in the photo with Dolly,
And you can tell by the way
he's looking at her that
it was intimate.
Well, where is this photo?
I ripped it up. I threw it in the bin.
What, because you didn't
think I could handle it?
I just
I didn't want it to hurt you.
Well, don't you think
that's my decision?
I'm sorry, all right?
I don't get it.
What's this photo got to
do with my dad's death?
No.
No, no.
You think Dolly's a suspect?
I didn't say that.
Are you here as a cop?
- Or as
- As a what?
To I don't know now.
Don't do that.
We were a family tonight,
and we were remembering
someone we loved,
and I invited you to join us,
and the whole time,
you were being a cop!
Just
No, no. No, Mike.
Go.
Just go.
Stan the Giant is
our only suspect with a criminal record.
Flash left that actress for Dolly.
We could go there, but we
have an obvious suspect.
Whether you like it or not.
And what makes you so sure?
Look, maybe you're getting a
bit too personally involved.
Break, break, break on thy
cold grey stones, O sea.
And I would that my tongue could utter,
the thoughts that arise in me.
O, well for the fisherman's boy,
that he shouts with his sister at play.
And O, well for the sailor lad,
that he sings in his boat at the bay.
And the stately ships go on
to their haven under hill.
But O for the touch of a vanished hand
and the sound of a voice that is still.
Break, break, break at the
foot of thy crags, O sea.
But the tender grace
of a day that is dead
will never come back to me.
Well done.
Thank you.
You still on duty?
Sharks? In Whitstable?
Get out of it.
Hey, Pearl, here's one.
I was in a pub once
with your dad, right?
- Yeah.
- And, uh, this biker comes in,
a right Herne Bay hell raiser,
you know, acting the big
one, threatening people,
and your dad just knocks him out,
one punch.
Hardest punch I've ever seen.
Huh.
Real fighter, your dad.
So, I've heard, Keith.
They called her the Greta Thunberg
of the Kent Coast.
- Garbo.
- Huh?
She's an actress.
They called her the Greta
Garbo of the Kent Coast.
That's the one.
Flash left her for Dolly.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Vinnie was mixed up in drugs.
Then there was Stanley the Giant.
Oh, Six O'clock Stan.
He did a 10 stretch not so long ago.
Found 50 kilos of cocaine in his boat.
Said it was his first time.
First time he got caught.
Stan was on Flash's
crew when he was a kid.
Flash kicked him out not
long before he disappeared.
Flash used to have a
way of finding things.
Fags, bit of knock-off
gear. Harmless stuff.
He wouldn't get messed
up in nothing serious.
No, no. He had a code.
Exactly.
Maybe that's what got him killed.
For some reason, I was
expecting him to be short.
Well, the clue's in the name, Sergeant.
Yeah, Stanley the Giant,
but I thought it was
like an ironic thing, like Little John.
Well, they call him
Six O'clock Stan, too.
No, I don't get that one.
He's a beanpole.
Tall and thin like the
hands of a clock at
Six o'clock. Hmm.
Touché, Columbo.
I'll tell you what I told Pearl,
I won't sugarcoat it, not like some.
Pearl Nolan came to see you?
Got nothing to hide.
I did my time.
People 'round here talk about
Flash like he was perfect,
but he made a lot of
money, and he made it quick.
There's only one way
to do that in this game,
and it comes with its risks.
I paid my price, so did Vinnie.
You're saying Flash did too?
Flash fired you from his crew.
Why?
Two and two together.
You're the detective.
Maybe you can, too.
I bumped into Stanley the Giant.
Playing detective again?
Who else did you talk to?
He said Dad used to smuggle drugs.
Pfft.
Is it true?
All fisherman have
the option to smuggle.
Some say yes, some say no,
some get caught, some don't.
- And Dad?
- No.
He never took the risk.
He warned his crew against it.
But Stan had other ideas,
so your dad let him go.
Look, he worked hard.
He made money, more than others.
That's why there were so many rumors.
Stan was jealous.
He wanted an easy life,
and he's still spreading gossip
because he can't stand the fact
that your dad made his money straight.
I was just scared
that he wasn't the
person I thought he was.
It seems like everybody
knew him better than me.
People thought they knew him.
He wasn't superman,
and he wasn't a crook either.
He loved being a dad.
And he adored you.
And that's all that matters.
Do you think Stan killed Dad?
Oh, pfft.
Well, who then?
I don't know.
Mum, why did Vinnie
have a key to our house?
Oh, I'm tired.
I'm drunk.
Let's go home.
- Mum, I just
- What?
The key, I don't know.
I thought I'd already told you.
Please don't ask me again.
Hey.
Cheers.
Dolly didn't wanna press charges.
Flash did this?
It's all in the report.
So much for the local legend.
Ha, yeah.
My aunt and uncle ran a pub.
They said their regulars
were half people.
They showed you the side
they wanted you to see,
but they always had another side, too.
How am I gonna tell Pearl?
What, her dad was scum?
Or
that her mum had reason to kill him?
St
Ooh, we should do something, right?
No, no, no, no.
Never lie to my daughter again.
Argh!
Three across
What was the name of the ship
in "Mutiny on the Bounty"?
Tina.
I appreciate you coming.
When I was a kid, Vinnie
had a key to our house.
Do you know why?
Was it 'cause him and Flash were mates?
Well, Vinnie knewFlash
since they were kids.
Did that make them mates?
Not sure.
Not everyone thought Flash
walked on water, you know.
For every belly laugh Flash got,
someone else was the butt of his jokes.
A lot of time, that was Vinnie.
Flash could light up a room,
he could also suck the air out, too.
You either loved him, or you hated him.
What about Dolly?
What about her?
Well, was
was she and Vinnie mates, too?
Were they sleeping together, you mean?
Do you think that's why he had a key?
D'you really wanna know?
Vinnie always swore
that there was nothing
between him and Dolly.
He swore it on our marriage,
on his mother,
on Gillingham Football Club,
and that was a rare commitment
he didn't take lightly.
Then one night,
30 years or so ago,
he didn't come home.
Next morning, I asked him
if he'd been with Dolly.
He said no,
but I knew he was lying.
Later that day,
they found your dad's boat out at sea.
Well, what does that mean?
You don't need to be
a private detective to figure it out.
I started playing gumshoe meself.
I followed him, Vinnie.
He used to meet Dolly at her beach hut.
My mum hasn't got a beach hut.
Maybe she sold it.
DFLs pay 30 grand for them now.
Or maybe she had a
reason to keep it secret.
Say she shot him in self-defense
and kept the gun,
good place to hide it?
I'll get a warrant.
Then let's bring her in.
- Is Pearl around?
- She's out.
Do you know where she is?
She's not answering her phone.
Dunno. Maybe you should take a hint.
Well, she's had a hard couple of weeks.
Last thing she needs is
you messing her around.
Is this a joke?
Go on then, what's your next line?
What, you gonna smash my face in or
Well if you hurt her, then yeah,
that's exactly what I'll do.
- Charlie
- If he doesn't, I will.
Hey, Dolly.
Is this about Stan?
'Cause he had that coming a long time.
It's not about Stan, but for the record,
the pepper spray, it was pretty cool.
Have you got it on you now?
We need to talk.
Did you know about this place?
I've only found out today.
How did you find it?
We followed Dolly here.
So many secrets.
I dunno what to believe.
Everyone's got a different
version of my dad,
and my mum's hiding something.
I've got some answers
I think.
But it might be painful.
What have you found out?
Be honest with me.
There was a police report
from a long time ago,
and, uh
Dolly had been beaten up.
It wasn't the first time.
She didn't press charges,
but she said who did it.
It was Flash.
Was it bad?
Does that make my mum a suspect then?
It doesn't mean she killed him,
but it does mean we need to talk to her.
I picked the lock.
You're a real private eye.
I watched a YouTube video.
What was your plan, kick the door in?
I've got a warrant
to search the hut.
What for?
Officially a gun.
Well
thegun.
Unofficially?
Something to clear Dolly.
What were you looking for?
The truth.
I know this may be difficult.
Oh, yes.
I thought these might raise their head.
I'm sorry.
Ancient history.
Do you wanna talk about it?
Everything's in the report.
End of story?
30 years ago,
everyone was very
happy with that outcome.
Especially your colleagues.
They're not my colleagues.
30 years ago
You probably weren't even born.
Things were different then.
Four weeks after these
photos were taken,
your husband disappeared.
It looks like he was murdered.
You must understand why
we need to talk to you,
even if we let you down 30 years ago.
You seem like a nice
girl. I'd like to help you.
But I've gotta be honest with you.
I won't say another word.
I made a promise, you see,
and that's the end of it.
What promise?
It's in my dad's handwriting.
- Have you read it?
- No.
I'm too scared to.
Will you read it?
Are you sure?
"Dear Dolly "
Go on.
"You've read letters like this before,
and I know what you think
it's just another threat.
But this is the last one.
I'm not going to try
and make you understand.
I know the sea,
and it'll take me.
I don't want to be found.
There's something sacred
about a dying wish,
and I need you to honor it.
Light another fire for
me down by the beach.
Burn these words and these thoughts
and watch them fade into smoke.
I was a bad husband, Dolly
but I tried to be a good father.
So make a promise.
This sickness stops with me.
Pearl never has to know."
He killed himself.
And Dolly knew.
And she kept it secret all these years.
To protect me,
so that I wouldn't
think it was my fault.
She kept her promise.
Is it a crime
to conceal a suicide note?
It is, yeah.
But only if anyone finds out.
Charge me, my love.
Or let me get back to work.
I knew his mum committed suicide.
I just
People just didn't talk about it.
I heard people alluding to it, but
I never made a connection.
Some detective.
Mike told me about the police report.
Mum, I'm so sorry.
He found the hut?
Yeah.
And you read what was inside?
I burnt it.
Why didn't you?
Oh, I wanted to,
so many times.
Today even.
But it was the last
thing he ever said to me.
I just couldn't let it go.
I found the letter
after I'd put you to bed.
It wasn't the first.
I should've phoned
the pub or the police.
I should've acted quicker,
but I was just so tired of it all.
I loved him, and it
was all more complicated
than him being a good or a bad man.
When he didn't come home,
I called Vinnie.
I'd given him a key because he
because he knew about your dad's temper.
I don't know why.
It made me feel safe.
He was a good friend.
Vinnie came round to the house.
Then he went out looking for Flash.
He found your dad's boat
about a mile from here.
I swore him to secrecy about the letter.
Why?
'Cause Dad didn't want me to know?
Because
I didn't want you to
carry the weight of it all.
So, youcarried it.
Mum
thank you.
Thank you.
Where did you even get it?
Pub.
They said it was my birthright.
Right, get the timer ready.
Aussie P.M. did it in, what, 11 seconds?
Flash did it in 9.9.
Can't be so hard.
Ready?
Three
two, one, go.
Oh, my God.
Go on, Charlie.
That's it. You've got a bit more.
Go, go, go.
More! Keep going.
Ugh!
Yes! 59.9 seconds.
Oh, not bad.
Yeah. Still slower than Flash, though.
Ooh, I dunno.
I think I might have Flash beat.
You said he did it in 9.9 seconds.
Can you keep a secret?
Right.
Heard the story a million
times, but I always play along.
So, Mum told me that Grandad
did it in exactly one minute.
Then someone told me it
was Whitstable record,
30 seconds.
Next thing you know, a
couple of years later,
Dolly tells me he was the
fastest man in all of Kent,
20 seconds.
Then they find his body,
and he's all of a sudden
a world record holder.
Maybe he never even did it at all.
Yeah.
There are loads of stories
like that about Flash.
Probably only about
half of them are true.
Doesn't matter, if
they make people happy.
Yeah.
All right, come on then.
- Your turn.
- No way.
Ooh, come on. It'll be fun.
- No way. No.
- Come on!
So, no charges?
So, it's over then?
Yeah.
Thank you.
No problem.
I'm gonna
Yeah, go. I'll wait for you here.
No, don't wait.
You need some space?
Yeah.
And some time.
So don't wait, okay.
Is that beach hut really worth 30 grand?
40 if you sell it to a DFL.