The Bletchley Circle s02e02 Episode Script

I'm afraid something awful has happened.
Social call? Are you working for that Merren bitch? The bitch in prison, are you working for her? What happens if she offers no defence? She'll be hanged.
It is a promotion.
It's a two-year posting.
Abroad.
Her name's Elizabeth Lancaster.
She's 17 years old.
She moved down from Yorkshire about a year ago.
Look out! Someone tried to kill me! I know.
Not us.
She can't be my mother.
We abandoned our child because I was young and foolish and not prepared to face the shame.
There was a deadline for the appeal.
It's just gone.
I told them.
No appeal.
He said he had blood on his hands.
He told me to keep them somewhere safe.
The accident occured on Salisbury Plain in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Military personnel who attended the chemical spill are being treated for fume inhalation.
There were severe respiratory complications.
The tissue of their lungs are, erm, corroded.
I don't know they'll survive.
Morning, Susan.
How's she holding up? Well enough, under the circumstances.
Alice has got five days.
We need to concentrate.
I know.
Come on, get that brain of yours into gear.
Why do they want Lizzie dead as well as Richards? Because she's still dangerous to them.
They're after her because they don't know what Richards told her and they daren't take the risk that she might know whatever it was that Richards knew.
It's in these clippings.
Somewhere, something makes that story worth killing for.
Sorry, I couldn't get away.
Anything about the Salisbury crash? There's nothing in the case file apart from a note saying, "Please refer all information to the Ministry of Defence.
" Official Secrets.
To think it used to be our job to protect them.
Not anymore.
Surely this isn't something that the army would want to publicise if they had a choice? Go on.
I think they did have a choice.
It happened in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere on Salisbury Plain.
All the people involved were military personnel.
They could have kept this as quiet as they liked and yet Richards was reading about it in his daily newspaper.
You're right, that is odd.
The families of these servicemen must have wanted to know what was happening.
Yes, good.
We need to find out who the families are.
If we can get to them, then we'll find out the truth.
I have to pick the children up from school.
I've got to get to work.
The German business world would crumble without me.
I'm sorry, your services are no longer required.
What? The translation post has been reassigned.
Your services are no longer required here.
I don't understand.
Why? I can't go into details.
Why? I believe some query as to your security clearance.
I'm sorry.
Sam? Sam! Sam! Sam? Mummy, look, it's a dog.
Mummy, are you all right? Yes.
Yes, of course, darling.
Shall we go home? Lizzie? It's me.
I forgot my keys, sorry.
Aren't you supposed to be at work? Apparently not.
How are you? How are you feeling? I don't know.
How should I be feeling? I'll go make us some tea.
These should lead us to the families.
I hope you ladies are in the mood for a little light reading.
Mummy? Yes? If Daddy goes abroad, does that mean Sam and I come too? Or does it mean boarding school? Who told you Daddy's going abroad? I heard your talking.
Come here.
Nothing's decided yet.
But if? I don't want you worrying about it.
I don't want to go to boarding school.
Hello? This is either very important or it's the world's biggest coincidence.
What is it? You know we were going to talk to the families, ask them about Jean, did you hear something? Like what? Don't worry about talking to the families.
It's only dinner, I'm sure they'll make it.
I have to go, I'm sorry.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Bye now.
Mummy, are you all right? What is it? What's going on? Nothing, dear.
Are you sure it wasn't just a noise? Telephones do make noises, you know.
Of course it wasn't just a noise! Whoever killed Richards thought a military court would best keep Lizzie's trial under their control.
The killer is in the army or the government.
I erm I lost my job.
Someone's altered my security clearance, so I can't get governmental translation work.
Do you see? Somebody knows about us.
The police have a file saying, "Refer to the Ministry of Defence".
Say we go to the police.
What if they refer us straight to the person who killed John Richards? Somebody knows.
Somebody who tried to kill Lizzie, who did kill Richards.
Somebody is watching us.
I can't do this again.
Susan, it's not like that.
No, I can't! Susan! Susan, hang on.
I had to make myself ready to die fo them? I know.
I know.
No, you don't.
You don't know.
That's the problem, you don't know.
None of you do.
And now it's happening all over again.
None of you have children.
I know.
None of you have families, Jean.
And neither did the men who died that night.
It's what I was trying to say on the telephone.
The men in the crash - we were gonna talk to their families, find out who was asking questions.
But they don't have any, they don't have families none of them.
No-no No wives, no parents, no sweethearts.
Not one.
Now, tell me, is that a coincidence or is it something else? I'm so sorry.
I just can't think about this any more.
Susan, you're good at this type of thing.
Look, we need you.
Other people need me more.
All I want to know is, what can be done? And all I can tell you, Miss McBrian, is nothing can be done.
I'm truly sorry.
I know she was your friend.
She still is my friend.
There's nothing you or anyone else can do now.
She refused the chance of an appeal.
Alice Merren will be hanged in five days time.
What if there were new evidence in the case, hypothetically speaking? If there were compelling, conclusive evidence, we could present it to the Home Secretary.
But there isn't, is there? We need your help.
It was easier to get to see you this time.
Could they losing up the regulations what's the sentences poss? It's compassionate.
Is this a bad idea? No.
No, tell me what you've got.
Anything is better than just waited.
You knew John better than anyone.
Can you have a look at these and tell us what you think we're missing? We think John found out something about this crash.
He saw something in these reports that sent up a red flag, so he was killed for.
We can't work out if there's a pattern or clue Sh, sh.
Four men, none of them have loved ones.
It's far too much of a coincidence.
They were chosen.
That's what John saw in these stories.
You've been working from a false assumption all along.
Code 14.
Corruption in the data set, redo calculation from start.
You used it yourselves to get to see me.
What? What did we get wrong? Everything comes back to the military, you were right about that.
You were wrong about John.
He was recruited for Bletchley, and then he was assigned somewhere else.
Somewhere secret.
He couldn't tell me where.
What if he never left? The car crash on Salisbury Plain is a cover story.
What if John's career is as well? What if he didn't need to see a clue in these newspaper reports because he already knew the story? From the inside? Blood on his hands.
Do you think John could have been responsible for these deaths? I don't know.
He was a good man, he wouldn't The only thing that makes sense is that John wasn't working for some fertiliser company after the war, he was still working for the army.
Whatever John was doing for the army is what they're trying to cover up.
So which department in the army was he working for? Sorry.
I have to go now.
Jean, will you Could you give Lizzie my love? Of course.
Thank you.
Richards didn't just disappear for 12 years, he was posted somewhere.
We need to find out where.
Well, don't look at me.
I'm no use to you.
All the people I know are connections from the army or the government.
Our cards are marked there.
If we go asking any of them about - Jean, the military archives will show where he was posted.
The police.
A Scotland Yard requisition form would get you in.
You could lose your job.
But not my life.
Ben, is the DCI in? No, meeting upstairs.
What was it? The Records Department wanted a signature on this.
It's just file requests.
Who wants it? Somebody Fowler, I think.
Don Fowler? Mm-hm.
The DCI's supposed to sign for restricted files.
Yeah, er I know.
Erm There.
Don't tell anyone.
I'll have all you girls knocking on my door.
Promise.
No paperwork must leave the room.
Two piles: 'At Bletchley' and 'After Bletchley'.
Anything at all with Richards' name on it.
Ah, here we go.
There's still nothing post Bletchley.
Bletchley.
Bletchley.
This is a dead end.
Nothing here shows us where Richards was posted.
All right.
Let's go at it a different way.
He left Bletchley and he went somewhere else.
I mean, he literally went somewhere else.
He took a train.
Travel orders.
Good girl.
Let's see, shall we? Here we go.
"Richards, J.
Travel Order 6741.
4th April.
" Countersigned and stamped Bletchley to Salisbury.
Salisbury? Salisbury Plain is where the crash happened, where the fake fertiliser company is meant to be.
What's in Salisbury? There.
What is it? Transfer request docket.
"Richards, J, 4th April, 1943.
From the Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley, to the Biology Department, Porton, Salisbury.
" The Biology Department? My God, that place.
Jean? What's at Porton? It's called Porton Down now.
It started in the Great War making mustard gas.
By the last war, it was the Defence Department's research laboratory for chemical weapons.
As far as I knew it still is.
Richard was collecting newspaper articles.
He told Lizzie that they were vital.
If this story's what we think it is, if they're covering up something far worse than just an accident and if Richards was to blame for that - he'd have no reason to be collecting newspaper clippings.
He didn't know till he read it in the paper, but the minute he read it he knew what it was.
He knew the truth behind the cover story.
He'd seen it before.
He had blood on his hands but not from this.
This horrified him, made him collect evidence and give it to Lizzie for safekeeping.
That's it.
He was going to blow the whistle.
He knew what they were doing.
So they killed him.
What on God's earth did they do to those men? We could find out.
They were hospitalised.
We just need to find out which hospital.
Lizzie? She's gone.
Visitor.
Who is it? You must be angry.
I would be.
We were very young.
It felt like the only thing to do.
I'm sorry.
I really am.
It doesn't matter.
It does, though.
Did you love him? Yes.
Then why didn't you stay together? It wasn't that simple.
He was engaged to someone else.
He didn't love her but his family I remember war.
Did you ever think about me? All the time.
Every day.
So did John.
I miss him.
Me too.
It's all right.
You don't have to stay.
You can go if you like.
No.
No, I want to stay.
I want to see you, I just want to stay.
Here, pussy.
Come on! I told Jean I can't do this any more.
Why are you asking me to do something I can't do? I think you can do it.
And none of the rest of us can.
One man dead, three men with chemical burns - that much we know is true.
It's the causes and the reasons that are a pack of lies.
Whatever was done to those men was done on purpose, it was done on the name of the army or the goverment.
I don't know which is worse.
That's what we need to show to demonstrate that Alice Merren wasn't responsible for John Richards' murder.
Why are you here, Millie? Lucy found where they're treating the soldiers.
It doesn't have to be public.
The solicitor can approach the Home Secretary in camera, and have the case declared null.
But none of that happens without proof.
I'm right, aren't I? It's the same hospital where Timothy was treated after the war.
All those exercises.
All that physical therapy and learning to walk again, and all the while, you were there by his side, you were a fixture.
It was seven years ago.
It only takes one nurse to remember you.
Someone's bound to.
I've no reason to go back there.
Yes, you do.
There's a foreign posting coming your way.
You need Timothy's medical records for the insurance company.
You wouldn't ask but you just need a quick favour, you're in a hurry.
Gosh, you've got all the answers, haven't you? She's a lot like you.
She's nothing like me.
She thought she was giving herself up to save her daughter's life.
It isn't just Alice either.
Lizzie's gone missing.
There's an entry here on the company that employed Richards.
Even if Porton is a secret, the cover company that they created has to be public.
There's a CEO listed for the company.
Yes, Daniel Thomas.
I know.
I tried that - he's a fake too.
That's now.
But ten years ago, the CEO was listed as Oliver Masters.
So? They changed the fake boss of the fake company.
Masters isn't fake.
Timothy, can I ask you about the army? If your commanding officer did something that was wrong, would you still be proud? Yes.
The army isn't a man.
It's not my commanding officer or the battalion commander, the general It's more than any of those people.
People make mistakes.
Do cruel, foolish things.
Sometimes it's the evil things.
But do we think the entire German Army was evil or were they just following the orders of an evil man? The army's about loyalty and discipline.
Those were the things I felt proud of.
I suppose I'd like to feel them again.
Except without the bullets.
Except without the bullets, yeah.
Masters' research is mentioned throughout these journals.
Okay, here we go.
"Oliver Masters, CEO, Newgate Laboratories.
", but here "Professor Oliver Masters: Crossover Functions of Diseases of The Metabolism, 1936.
Neural Decay as a Precursor of Metabolic Failure, 1937.
" Two other papers in 1938, one on human biology.
And one on biochemistry.
And then the war starts and he just vanishes.
Oh, he doesn't vanish.
He just stops publishing.
How did you realise? I recognised the name.
He signed the transfer request.
He must have known Richards if he was the one asking for him to be seconded to Porton.
Maybe he'll know exactly what Richards was involved with.
Where's Professor Masters now? According to this, he retired.
Five years back, when the CEO changed to Daniel Thomas.
I think tomorrow we should dig him out of retirement, don't you? Good luck.
Thank you for doing this.
I hope you find Masters.
Thomas Park Military Hospital, please.
Brave, girl.
Height, please.
Five-nine.
40 inches.
Miss Havers? Good gracious, what a surprise! Hello, Lily.
It must be Seven years.
Yes.
Er, it's not Miss Havers any more, it's Mrs Grey.
We always knew it would be one day.
How is he? Oh good, very good indeed.
The stick's gone, the leg's as good as new.
What on earth brings you back here? You're supposed to fill out 100 forms, you know? We didn't realise until yesterday and then Don't worry.
Just don't tell anyone.
No.
Of course.
"Lieutenant Timothy Grey.
Discharged 6th March, 1946.
" Should be all in there.
Thank you so much.
Gosh.
An awful lot of it.
Then I shall let you get on.
Give me a call if you need anything.
"Ward C.
" .
.
years before we establish Who are you? Um, I'm from Porton Down.
I just wanted to ask you about what happened.
You're a scientist? That's right.
And you want to ask me what happened? Yes.
You should know.
You did it.
Don't you even know what you did? Sorry, I don't understand.
Piss off! I just want to ask you a few questions.
You can ask what you like.
It's not gonna make any difference, is it? It's not gonna fix me.
You lied to us.
Lied to us all, all of you did.
What did we lie about? We were gonna help people.
Do something useful.
A cure for the common cold.
It wasn't a cure for anything, was it? It was just a bloody weapon.
And then Jimmy was screaming.
And dying on the floor.
And you lot stood there making notes.
All you doctors and scientists can go and hang yourselves.
They told you it was medicine? Who are you? Miss, this is a restricted area.
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to upset you.
I didn't mean to upset you.
Susan? Professor Masters? May we have a word? It's about the crash that happened near Salisbury.
Salisbury? Near Porton Down.
Come in.
We can have you imprisoned immediately for spying on a military establishment, do you understand that? What the hell were you doing? I'm not sure I understand.
You knew John Richards back in the war.
You requested his transfer from Bletchley Park to Porton.
We think that after you retired from Porton something happened.
Something John was prepared to live with until this crash was reported.
The crash is a cover story, isn't it? Whatever John was ashamed of was happening again, but this time he was prepared to say something to stop it.
Only someone killed him for it.
An innocent woman is gonna hang for this death unless we can show what happened.
Please, will you talk to us? Where's the other one? What? There are four of you, we're one short.
Where's your friend? Mrs Grey, I really do advise you to explain yourself.
Or this is going to go very badly for you indeed.
Come! Oh, erm Please, sit down.
See if you can talk some sense into her.
What on earth's happening? All right.
Stop.
Stop keeping things from me.
You always have been.
Don't think I don't know.
Damn it, they're talking about locking you up.
The children without a mother, is that what you want? Stop it.
I'll stop when you tell me the truth.
If I tell you the truth, I'm breaking the law.
They'll lock me up anyway.
I don't want riddles, Susan.
- I want to know.
- The truth? Yes! I worked at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park.
We intercepted signals intelligence and broke German encryption.
This is who I am.
That's who I am, Timothy.
We saved lives.
We We made a difference.
I tried.
You want the truth? The men in this hospital weren't hurt in a chemical spill.
They were poisoned by their own government without their consent.
They had no idea what was being done to them.
They were just laboratory rats for a weapons experiment.
John Richards was going to spill the beans, if you will.
And someone killed him.
And now you're going to let a 17-year-old girl take the blame for it.
That's the truth.
Now an innocent woman is going to hang for something your people did.
That is the truth! Do you want me to go on or have you heard enough? Who was it who killed him? Was it you or did you just give the order? No You might as well tell me.
Oh, God.
If you don't, I'm sure Masters will.
Have you spoken to Masters? My friends are with him now.
He may be retired but I'm sure he knows plenty about what's been going on here.
The ch-chemical you're talking about is called Sarin.
It's the future.
When we pushed through Germany after the war, we discovered stockpiles of the most ingenious horrors.
Nerve gases that kill in moments.
Aerosol agents c-capable of penetrating the skin.
Astonishing and awful creations.
That kind of threat has to be countered.
Men lost their lives.
One or two.
The casualties of war.
The war's over.
Y-You have the nerve to say that to me? Who's your contact? I want the name of your contact, your handler.
I give you my word, this will go easier for you if you cooperate.
Let me just get this straight.
Richards was going to talk publicly about an experiment conducted at Porton Down? You're certain of this? Yes, that's why he was killed.
It was a domestic murder.
No, it was an assassination.
A young girl called Elizabeth Lancaster was framed for it.
War documents were planted in her flat so the case would come under military jurisdiction.
Her mother stumbled on the crime scene, thought the worst and put herself in her place.
You know all this.
I most certainly do not! Then, if you don't mind me saying, you're not in possession of the facts.
You say your friends are talking to Masters now? Yes, perhaps he'll know who's responsible.
W-What is it? What's the matter? Masters didn't retire.
He's been promoted.
He was made head of the whole division.
And he's evidently working on his own.
I'm sorry, who do you think we are? Enemies of the state.
No, no No, you're wrong.
Agh! Argh! Argh! Argh! Don't be foolish.
You're traitors, all of you.
I know what Richards was doing, passing information to the Lancaster girl and now you four.
I want the name of your contact.
You thought she was a spy? You thought we were spies? He was passing classified information to the Russians.
Now tell me who your contact is before this gets a great deal less pleasant.
Come with me.
Stay where I can see you.
Masters, I need to talk to you about John Richards.
- Operator.
- Get me the London office.
Now! Yes, sir.
Friends in high places indeed.
How far does this go? Tell me now.
And tell me who you're working for.
I have to safeguard the things we value.
Honour and decency.
Goodness.
I am a patriot! Whereas Oh.
You would have us all ruled from Moscow in the name of so-called equality.
What you did was was evil.
Well, you're about to find out just how wrong you are.
They're the traitors.
There they are.
Put the gun down.
! Arrest them.
Now! Get on the floor! Do it! Now! Dismissed.
Everything is all right.
But one of your friends has been hurt.
Only a flesh wound, as I understand it.
My men are looking after her.
Hurt? Sorry, who Who's hurt? I'm sorry, I don't have any names.
I have to see them.
I have to go.
I'll get you a car.
Erm what my wife said about those men we experimented on.
That's That's not true, is it? I can't talk about that, sir.
And neither can you.
I'll get someone to take you to the hospital.
How do we fix this? We'll start again.
I want you to take the job.
What? And I don't want to leave the children behind.
I want us all to start again in some exciting new place.
Yes.
You'd be an excellent teacher.
Or maybe research or whatever you wanted.
I could make some calls, find out.
God, I'd like that.
Hello.
Hello.
Why are you in an army car? Cos your mummy is a hero.
Come on, you.
Your very own big adventure.
Perhaps this time it will be.
We'll miss you.
I'll miss you.
I'll miss you too.
Send us a postcard.
Let me know where you wind up.
Promise.
I have to go.
Thank you.
I think you've caught someone's eye.
Oh, God.
That's Jasper.
Do you know who he was working for? A couple of times he was in here with two Maltese lads.
Maltese? One of you is stealing from me.
Which one?