Whitstable Pearl (2021) s03e02 Episode Script

1
[SWEEPING MUSIC]
♪
[EXCITED CHATTER]
♪
Oh, go on.
Get your tarot cards read or something.
- They're all scammers.
- Shh.
Keep your voice down.
The psychic there are paying a
lot of money to use this space.
Just a bit of fun, Tom.
Oh, you're wasting your time.
He's too close-minded.
I'm a man of science.
You're a math teacher.
As was Sir Isaac Newton
and Albert Einstein.
Mathematics is the very
foundation of all science.
Oh, go on, there's
loads to choose from
crystal balls, you
could get tarot cards.
He won't do it.
You're just not the kind of man
to take a risk, are you, Tom?
Is this still about the musical?
Oh, look, he's clearly scared.
I'm not scared.
Prove it.
[CHATTER]
Safiya, I told you not to run ahead
when there are lots of people.
You could get lost.
Let's go get an ice cream.
This reminds me of being a kid.
Dragon's blood and the lot.
It spoils the balance
of the mind and soul.
Oh, hi, Tom.
How did it go?
Yeah, a load of old
mumbo jumbo, obviously.
I'm gonna get a coffee.
That's mine!
One more wins it.
[EXCITED CHATTER]
Let's go.
[SIGHS]
There you go.
Go on.
Off you go.
[EXCITED CHATTER]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Safi.
Safiya.
Safiya.
Safiya!
Safi!
[INTENSE MUSIC]
♪
Safi!
[CHILDREN LAUGHING]
Look.
What a beauty.
That's Flora.
Safiya!
Safiya!
Safiya!
Safi!
Safiya!
[MUSIC INTENSIFIES]
♪
[MUSIC STOPS]
There once was a place ♪
With mudlands a lonely ♪
Way-hay-ho ♪
And I'll seek and I'll search ♪
And I know that I'll find it ♪
Way-hay-ho ♪
I know the wind, she blows ♪
I know, the tides are low ♪
But you'll find me at the White Post ♪
You'll find me at the White Post ♪
[INTENSE MUSIC]
♪
- Hi.
- Hi.
Hiya.
The missing girl is Safiya Thomas.
She's seven years old.
I just sent you a recent
photograph and a picture
- of what she's wearing.
- Okay.
Fast work.
Every second counts.
This is the nanny, Flora Jenkins.
She's a local girl.
She went to school with
Ruby, as it happens.
She works for a DFL couple that have
made a mint from marriage counseling
to the rich and famous.
They live in a big house
up Chesterfield Way.
- All right.
- Right.
I'll call the station, get
this photo escalated ASAP.
- Cheers, yeah?
- No worries.
The parents, do you know 'em?
Not personally.
- They're away a lot with work.
- Where are they now?
Paris. She's already called them.
- They're on their way back.
- All right.
Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
Keep your ear to the ground, yeah?
Sure.
Hiya.
I'm DCI, Mike McGuire.
Tell me what happened.
[CHATTER]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Stop it.
I can't help it.
It doesn't do to dwell on these things.
[SIGHS] Do you remember when Charlie
went missing in Canterbury?
Oh, please don't.
It's like the world
just stops turning
all the awful things
that go through your mind.
Him getting stuck behind the
vending machine wasn't one of them.
Well, Charlie was always
a curious little boy.
He loved an adventure.
And look at him now,
exploring the wilds of Canada.
I feel like I've lost
him all over again.
No.
[DOOR OPENS]
Thank you.
Yeah.
Pearl Nolan?
Yeah?
Cassandra?
Hello, Dolly.
Can't talk.
- We've got work to do.
- Sorry.
Have we met?
It depends on your
definition of the word "met."
Shall we go to your office?
Who's that?
Cassandra, a psychic.
She used to do readings
for me back in the day.
She knew things about my past
that I had never told anyone.
She knew you were pregnant
before you even did.
She was bloody good at it, too.
Good at pulling the wool over your eyes.
Come on. We ain't got all day.
Go on, Pearl, see what she wants.
So where have we met?
I had a vision.
What?
You had a vision of me?
Of us.
It told me to speak to you.
What, the vision did?
Ooh, you're a skeptic.
I thought, being Dolly's daughter, you'd
be a bit more open-minded.
Well, I'm a detective.
I like proof.
All I know is you and I working together
is how we'll find the missing girl.
What, this is about Safiya?
Of course.
Why else would I be here?
Well, you didn't say.
You're the mind-reader, not me.
My abilities run far
beyond simple telepathy.
When I heard the girl was missing,
I tried to connect with her spiritually.
And did you?
No.
But I did feel a presence.
She's alive.
How can you tell?
When someone's passed on, the
energy feels very different
the way the soul responds.
But what was curious about it, though
she seemed happy.
I thought she'd be
frightened, but she weren't.
Well, could you see where
she was or who she was with?
No.
The connection wasn't
strong enough to see her.
Only face I saw was yours.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
Safiya!
- Safiya!
- Safiya!
Safiya!
Safiya!
Safiya!
- Safiya, where are you?
- Safiya!
Safiya!
She's a happy little girl.
She's got no reason to run away.
And you didn't see anyone
dodgy hanging around?
It was busier than usual
because of the fair, but no.
Her parents have been out of town?
For work.
And they were due back tonight?
Mm-hmm.
Are they away a lot?
It's not unusual.
How does that affect Safiya?
What do you mean?
Her relationship with her parents,
how is it affected by their absence?
She's not as important as their careers.
But if you're asking if she ran
away because they were coming home,
she wouldn't do that. She loves them.
I can't believe I let this happen.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Guv.
Excuse me.
So you're saying she's
with someone she knows.
It didn't feel like it was a stranger.
She seemed secure.
Content.
She's with somebody she likes.
And this vision that says
we're working together
did it say anything else?
Did we have a lead?
What?
There was one thing.
A rodent.
A rodent.
I know.
I can hear myself.
Sounds like the ravings of a mad woman.
See, these things, they don't come
to me in glorious technicolor.
Visions are like jigsaws
clues that need to be interpreted.
And that's what you do, is it not?
[CHATTER]
This was picked up on
CCTV at the car park.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Who is she waving at?
We don't know.
But the camera shows Safiya
approaching the gray van,
and she looks relaxed, goes
into the van voluntarily.
Somebody she knows.
Once she's in, it drives off.
Did we get the registration?
I ran it through the system.
False plates.
See if we can find it in any
of the traffic cams nearby.
All right.
And get a description of
the van out to all uniform.
[INTENSE MUSIC]
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[MUSIC INTENSIFIES]
[EXCITED CHATTER]
Jesus Christ.
But we did put out an
appeal for information.
Yeah, but this is
I know, otherworldly,
magical, mystical even.
The appeal asked for
eyewitnesses, not fantasists.
Oh, you're a skeptic.
Look, just because we don't
have the gift of the third eye,
it doesn't mean that we get
to just dismiss it as fiction.
We're detectives.
Our job is about facts and evidence.
And keeping an open mind.
The truth is out there, Guv.
Shall we?
[EXCITED CHATTER]
Oh, God.
Mr. Camel?
Thanks.
Right here, please.
Ooh.
Your spirit guide told you that the
missing girl is in an igloo in
Greenland.
A giant Care Bear.
Your vision sounds a lot like
the plot to "Moana," the film.
You do know Elvis is dead?
You see dead people?
Lovely, thank you.
Bloody waste of time.
Ah, and not a single
mention of alien abduction.
Very disappointing.
Please tell me we're done.
I got one more person
for you to talk to.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Oh.
All right.
Listen.
This is a bit left field,
but I've had a visit.
Yeah?
From a psychic.
What?
What did I say?
Dolly's known her for years,
reckons she's the real deal.
Of course, she does.
Yeah, take a seat here.
Her name is Cassie Gilmartin.
Apparently, she used
to work with the police.
Wondered if you'd heard of her.
No.
No, it doesn't ring any bells.
Look, I can't believe
I'm going to say this.
But according to her vision, she
said that Safiya isn't scared.
Wherever she is, she feels safe,
as if she's with a friend.
What?
CCTV shows her getting into a gray van.
Yeah, all smiles.
Clearly, someone she knows and likes.
So you think Cassie is onto something?
Sarge.
One minute.
We haven't told anyone
about the CCTV yet.
It could just be a lucky guess.
Look, I'm not one for
crystal balls and tea leaves,
but keep talking to her.
At the moment, we'll take
all the help we can get.
Okay.
Safiya's parents are here.
All right.
See you, Pearl.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
We think Safiya knows
the driver of that van.
She looks happy, relaxed.
Do you know of anyone who might
own or drive a van like that?
We're not in her life enough.
We give that child everything.
But we don't give her time.
Half the people in Whitstable
could know who she is,
and we wouldn't have a clue.
This isn't helping anyone.
[PHONE BEEPING]
Mr. Thomas
Do you have any ideas
about who this could be?
They're everywhere, those vans.
10 a penny.
Well, the number plates
are fake, which suggests
that this was premeditated.
[SIGHS]
We have an alert out for any vans
matching this description.
So you got nothing.
No leads, no suspects, no
idea who took our daughter.
I don't understand how
this could be happening.
Officers and volunteers are scouring
every inch of the search radius.
We're doing everything we
can to find your daughter.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Safiya!
Safiya!
[MUSIC INTENSIFIES]
♪
Safiya!
So you decided to work
with me then, Pearl?
How did you know that?
Oh, it's written in the stars, darling.
Plus, the fact, you
could have just called me
to tell me to sling me hook.
I talked to the police.
Why didn't you tell me that
you used to work with them?
They tell you that?
I looked you up.
Due diligence.
So you know what happened then.
I know what the press said.
Missing person case.
- You made a mistake.
- Once.
It was a missing teenager.
A boy.
We'd been up all night. I was tired.
I thought I knew where he'd been taken.
By the time I realized my mistake,
it had become a murder case.
But I am not wrong this time.
I know we can find her.
The fact that I can feel her energy
means there's an opening, a channel.
I just need to make
a stronger connection.
How?
How do you do that?
We need something that belongs to her
clothing, a favorite toy.
We've got to move quick.
These doors don't stay
open for very long.
Even if there's just
the smallest chance,
we have to try, don't we?
Yeah.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[KNOCKING]
Hi, Mr. Thomas.
I'm Pearl Nolan.
I'm a private detective.
I'm helping with the
search for your daughter.
So you want money. Is that it?
No.
No. That's not why I'm here.
I was hoping, if there
was a possibility,
we could have something that belongs
to Safiya, like a toy
or an item of clothing,
something like that.
What for?
Well, we sort of need something
that has a connection to her.
- Is this some kind of joke?
- No.
I know it's unusual but
- It's ridiculous.
- Sorry.
- I'm just trying to help.
- You're wasting my time.
Mr. Thomas, please.
We just need something
that has a sense of Safiya.
You're not a detective.
You're one of those lunatics
from the psychic fair, aren't you?
No.
We are living through a
parent's worst nightmare.
I won't have you filling my
wife's head with false hope.
[SIGHS]
You just don't care about her.
You think I don't worry about her?
You know what? Sometimes,
I think you don't.
- What?
- If you care so much about
You are out of your mind.
All you care about is
this house and this stuff.
She's my daughter as well!
I don't care about the money!
I just want my daughter back.
You really think, if
we make the payment,
they'll just hand her back?
Even you can't be that naive!
Please, Paul.
If we give in to this,
they're just gonna keep asking
for more, and more, and more!
If we pay them
With what?
There's nothing left!
Whose fault is that?
She's our child, Paul.
[INTENSE MUSIC]
♪
[PHONE RINGING]
This is DCI McGuire.
Please leave a message.
Mike, call me back.
It's urgent.
Did you find something of Safiya's?
Not yet.
Ruby, I need to ask you a favor.
Yeah?
Thanks.
Well, the police told
me to stay here in case
she's lost and comes looking for me.
Makes sense.
I always told Safiya, if we ever
get separated, to go to the
place where I last saw her.
I should be there.
I just I just want her back.
Well, there's loads
of police all around.
She goes looking for
you, they'll find her.
I've I've got something to ask you.
My boss, Pearl, she's
a private detective.
She was wondering if you've
got any toys or clothes
that belong to Safiya.
Yeah. She's always leaving stuff here.
Why?
She's, uh she's working with
one of the psychics from the
fair to try and find Safiya.
A psychic?
It's a long shot.
If there's even the smallest
chance it'll help find Safiya,
it's worth a try.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
- You all right?
- Mike.
I got your message.
This is Mike McGuire.
He's leading the
investigation to find Safiya.
This is Cassie Gilmartin.
Hi.
She's the psychic I told you about.
You said it was urgent.
Yeah.
When Paul saw me, he stuffed
a letter in his pocket.
Then, when I left, I heard them arguing.
And Tanya was begging
him to pay the money,
but he was having none of it.
So what are you thinking,
it might be a ransom?
I think whoever's got Safiya
has been in touch with them.
All right.
I'll follow it up, see what I can find.
Look, if that was my
Charlie, I'd beg, steal,
or borrow to pay a ransom.
Do you think he's in on it?
The dad?
He had an affair with a client.
Business is in ruins,
reputation in tatters.
Could be a publicity stunt.
Or the lover's husband
looking for payback.
I'll get into it.
Thanks.
What do you know about tarot cards?
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Sorry about that.
Don't apologize for
finding your soulmate.
Twin flames one in
a lifetime connection.
No.
Mike's not he's a
he's a friend. This is Tom.
Tom's my boyfriend.
Hi.
[LAUGHS] Right.
Sorry.
My mistake.
I'll just get back to it.
Okay.
Yeah.
I was never any good at love readings.
Ask my ex-husbands.
Any joy?
Yeah.
Flora gave me this.
Safiya loves Guinea pigs.
She takes that little guy
everywhere, apparently.
A rodent.
Can we find somewhere quiet?
I need to focus.
[SIGHS]
[TEA CUP CHATTERING]
[WHISPERS] I thought
Cassie might like a coffee.
Caffeine sharpens the mind.
Very thoughtful.
Bit of quiet, please, ladies.
Oh, sorry.
Anything?
Shh.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
I can feel her now.
Told you.
Quiet.
♪
She's scared now.
Alone.
I can see letters on a red wall, maybe.
It doesn't make any sense.
L, S, G, U. And there's numbers
1, 0, 7, 7.
And there's a sign.
I think it says "Pegasus."
Pegasus.
Does that mean anything to you?
No.
Wait, though.
Isn't Pegasus the name of Jesse
Fleming's shipping company?
Are you sure?
I think so.
Was she hurt?
It's dark.
She's cold now.
Right, that's a lead.
I'm gonna go down there.
Well, you're not going on your own.
I'm okay.
Look, why don't you call Tom?
I don't know where you're
getting your information,
but there hasn't been any ransom note.
My source is good.
If someone's been in
touch, making demands,
you need to tell us.
The sooner we know what
we're dealing with
How many times do I have to tell you?
There is no note.
Did they tell you not
to contact the police?
This is a waste of time.
Paul.
Quiet.
You come into our home, harassing us,
when you should be out
there finding our daughter.
We're trying to help.
You're not listening to me!
It was delivered this morning.
He didn't tell me, but I
caught him trying to destroy it.
He doesn't want to pay.
You think if we make the payment,
they'll just hand her back?
She's a witness.
He never wanted her.
She's just an
inconvenience, a distraction
from your precious career.
Our career.
What do you think paid for all this?
I never wanted any of it.
I just wanted us to be a family.
We are a family.
No, we're a brand
a perfect couple helping other people
with their marriage problems.
You know, he signed her up
for boarding school, Safiya.
No discussion with me, just
Because you're too
emotional to see sense.
Of course I'm emotional!
She's our daughter!
Do you still have the note?
Give them the note, Paul!
They want 100 grand in cash.
Told me to text that number
when I have the money.
We're on forensics.
I'll check the number, but it'll
likely be a pay as you go.
Text them.
Say that you got the cash.
I can't get my hands
on that kind of money.
We'll sort that.
Just find out where they
want you to make the drop.
I'm doing it.
[INTENSE MUSIC]
♪
- Safiya!
- Safi!
Safi!
- Safiya!
- Safiya!
I found it.
It's over here.
Oh.
Safiya, are you here?
[BANGING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
She's not here.
But she must be.
She has to be!
Well, maybe we can look over there.
We didn't we didn't
This is a big mistake.
Cassie, wait.
This whole thing's
been a wild goose chase.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
I can't get it out of my head,
how confused she was when she
saw that place was deserted.
Well, dented pride is like a paper cut.
It hurts more than it should.
No, Mom, it was more than that.
She was she was really
thrown by it, like she
expected Safiya to be there.
Look, psychics have a very strong
connection to their gifts.
If they have a vision, they
really believe that it's true.
I know, you said.
It was very brave of
Cassie to reach out to you
after what happened the last
time with that poor boy.
She lost everything her
career, her reputation.
She wouldn't put herself out
there again if she didn't
really believe she could help.
Oh, hello.
I wonder if you can help me.
I was just ringing to make
an inquiry about a psychic
called Cassandra Gilmartin.
Cassie Gilmartin?
Yeah.
I was just wondering when
she was last on your books.
Oh, let me see.
Yeah.
She's not been on our
books for about four years.
Right. Okay.
Does that help?
Yeah, that's really helpful.
Thank you.
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Thought you might need this.
You're my actual hero.
Is that about Cassie?
Yeah.
Something's not right.
I can't put my finger on it.
Don't you think it's weird
that she stopped working
with the police years ago, and
now this kid's gone missing
and suddenly she's here to help?
It could just be a coincidence.
Yeah.
And then this article is from 2010,
and her name wasn't Gilmartin
then, it was Jenkins.
That's Flora's last name.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
There she is.
In position.
Standby for the drop.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
All right.
Now we wait.
That's a pretty common surname, right?
Well, when you hear hoofbeats,
think horses, not zebras.
What?
Occam's razor.
It's a science thing.
When all things appear equal,
the simplest explanation
is usually the right one.
Who's that?
Flora's boyfriend.
I thought they'd split up
after she lost the baby.
There you go.
Horses.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Hi, it's Flora.
Please leave a message.
You need to call me
back right now and tell
me what the hell's going on.
I I came to find the nanny.
Something told me I had to speak to her.
Oh, another vision, was it?
Look, you took a big
risk coming to see me,
putting yourself out
there after all this time.
Well, I couldn't ignore
what I were feeling.
It's a gutsy move, though, sticking
your neck on the line again.
Unless you were completely sure
you were going to be a hero.
You were so shocked, weren't you,
that Safiya wasn't in
that shipping container
because you expected her to be.
Because that's the arrangement
that you made with Flora,
your niece.
Where's Safiya now?
Honestly, I don't know.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
Suspect approaching vehicle.
Stand by.
Flora was meant to keep Safiya safe
until I was able to find her.
And rebuild your
reputation in the meantime?
I just wanted to get my life back.
Whose idea was it?
Flora came to me.
She was so angry with the parents,
spending so much time away from Safiya.
It was just meant to be a wake-up call.
And then she didn't
take her to the shipping
yard, as planned.
Have you got any idea where she is?
Herne Bay.
It's where her boyfriend lives.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
Pearl, I can't really talk
It's the nanny, Flora Jenkins.
- She's got Safiya.
- How do you know?
The psychic confirmed it, Cassie.
Oh, come on, Pearl. Jesus.
No. She's in on it.
The whole thing's a scam.
Look, I've just sent you and
Nikki a photograph of Jason.
That's Flora's boyfriend.
I think he's involved.
Where's the kid now?
Well, we don't know.
But we're gonna go to
his place in Herne Bay.
Guv, that's our guy.
Right.
We've got him.
Thanks, Pearl.
This is our man.
Nobody move until he touches that bag.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[SIRENS WAILING]
Police!
Stop!
[GROANING]
Game's over, Jason.
Where's the girl?
[GROANS]
It's okay!
Where's Safiya, Flora?
Look, sweetheart
It's time for Safiya to go home.
- She's right.
- You told them?
I had to.
Look, Safi, sweetheart, go back inside.
- You can't take her.
- You can't stop me.
No. They can.
- [SIRENS WAILING]
- Flora!
Flora!
She's gone around the back.
Flora!
[SIRENS WAILING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
It's gonna be okay, Flora.
We just want to help you.
I can give her a better life.
She needs to be with her parents.
So they're taking her away from me.
Just come away from the edge.
No.
Stay back.
Safi should be with me,
with someone who loves her.
I can't I can't lose her.
It won't bring Olivia back.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
Ruby told me about your baby.
I'm so sorry.
She was she was born sleeping.
She was so beautiful.
I only held her for an
hour and then she was gone.
I've got nothing left.
Flora!
Flora, give me your hand.
Give me your hand. Okay?
You need help. Please let me help you.
Please. Give me your hand.
Give me your hand.
Come on.
It'll be okay.
Give me your hand.
[INTENSE MUSIC]
♪
[WAVES CRASHING]
Come on.
Pearl.
[SOBS]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
It'll be all right.
It's gonna be all right.
[WAVES CRASHING]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[DOOR BUZZES]
[HOPEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Hello, baby girl.
Safiya.
Look, Saf.
Look who's come to see you.
Hello, sweetheart.
Mommy!
[LAUGHS]
Can you get her out of here, please?
I love you, munchkin.
Wait.
Tanya.
I understand why you
did it, and I hear you.
It's just me and her from now on.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Bet you're hungry, aren't you?
Would you like to get some biscuits?
Later, Pearl.
See ya.
Chief Inspector, can I have a word?
I don't bite.
She doesn't blame you.
Who?
Your wife.
She wants you to be happy.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Oh, thank God.
I don't suppose there's any point in me
asking you never to put me
through anything like that
ever again.
Or me.
Thanks.
Have you seen Tom?
No, sorry.
Maybe he's lost in the
Swiss Alps somewhere.
[CHUCKLES]
[HOPEFUL MUSIC]
♪
I had a reading this
morning, actually, but
well, let's just say I
wouldn't mind a second opinion.
We do it with doctors, don't we,
if we get news we don't like?
Okay.
Should I ask Pearl to marry me?
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
[SIGHS]
[THEME MUSIC]