Smother (2021) s03e06 Episode Script

1
And if I see a sign
In the sky tonight ♪
No one's gonna tell me
It's a trick of the light ♪
May never come
But I'm willing to wait ♪
What can I say?
I'm a man of the faith ♪
And there's an ocean in my body ♪
And there's a river in my soul ♪
And I'm crying ♪
People thought my dad
was ruthless, but cross my mam
You mess with the things she loves,
and you're as good as dead.
Get back.
Murdering bitch!
That you, the said accused,
on the 2nd of May,
in the County of Clare
within the State,
did murder Paul Madigan.
How do you plead,
guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.
He killed her.
He killed Grace.
God.
- Stop it, don't touch him!
- He could still be alive.
He's, he's gone, don't touch him,
don't touch anything that
You know,
you-you were never here.
Just go. Please, get out.
We're not going anywhere!
I'll just turn myself in,
and I'm just
gonna take what's coming.
No, Mam, you're not doing that.
We're not going to let you do that.
No, I'm going to tell
the world the truth,
about what he did to Grace,
why I did this, and you know what?
I don't regret it!
I just, I don't regret it!
No, Mam, you can't!
Just please, would you just go? Go!
He's a murderer.
You're not confessing.
You're not going
to prison for him?
Well, then what?
What are we gonna do?
What are we gonna do? What?
Okay.
You were asleep.
Paul disturbed a burglar.
They struggled.
This happened.
You woke up hours later
and you found him here.
There's gloves in the car.
Okay.
Okay.
Now, I mustn't coach you
on your testimony,
but it is better that you know
how you're going to respond
to questions from me,
and of course, the prosecution.
If you are asked,
how did you spend that evening
in the hours
preceding Paul's death?
We had a lovely evening.
You know, I went for a swim and,
around ten o'clock,
I took a sleeping pill.
Paul kissed me good night
and I was asleep
within half an hour.
Do you recall waking?
Yes, I woke around 4:40,
saw Paul was not in bed with me.
Um, the bathroom light wasn't on.
I wasn't worried, Paul often worked
in the night if he couldn't sleep.
And, I came down and
I was expecting
to find him in the study, and
Sorry.
Forensics can read
spray patterns like text
and they can tell how long
the blood has been drying for.
It's gotta seem
like you came down here
and found him hours later tonight.
Okay, we need to get her cleaned up
and get rid of those clothes.
So, I I I should shower?
Mam, you can't wash
in the house, they
they can detect
even the tiniest fleck.
We'll go down to the beach.
Right, okay.
Okay.
I was still drowsy
from the sleeping pill,
and I noticed that there
were some broken things,
and then I I found Paul
in the kitchen.
And there was just
blood everywhere.
And I tried to revive him
but I was far too late, it was
I mean, it was hours late,
he was totally gone.
And I was just terrified,
you know, I was just in shock.
I was just worried that the killer
was still in the house.
But I was alone completely.
I'm sorry.
Mam!
Mam!
Mam, are you taking
Prazosin and Xanax together?
Well, Paul said
That's insane.
It's a wonder
you're still standing.
Taken anything tonight?
No, no, he tried
to get me to take Solpadem.
Okay, um,
take one 10 milligram pill.
Needs to be in your system
for later
when the Guards do bloods.
Mam, they will go over you
literally with a fine tooth comb.
I found this.
You need to be wearing it
when they come.
You need to be the grieving,
loving wife.
It's not pretending.
I really did love him.
Look, Mam, um, we've cleaned
the fresh blood off you,
but in order for your story
to be convincing,
you have to have made contact
with him.
How do you mean?
So you can say you attempted
to resuscitate him.
We ca we can't.
Mam, we can't just
leave you here alone like this.
Go now.
I'm going to call the Guards,
and you mustn't be on the road
when they come out this way, go.
You attempted
to resuscitate Paul.
When did you phone the Guards?
Um
I think right away,
but I can't say for certain.
I was hazy from the pill
and just in shock, really.
I just sat there.
Not knowing how
I'd say the words about Paul.
Not knowing if I'd even be able
to speak them.
- Emergency
- Hello?
Which service do you require?
Hello, yes, Guards, please hurry.
Gardai, what's your emergency?
It's my husband,
he's been murdered.
Please help.
I've just found him, he's cold.
God! Please hurry, please!
It just felt like
the Guards arrived instantly.
The place was so crowded.
I don't know if I spoke
to anyone, I was so sedated.
And after that, it's just a blur.
You know, just being arrested
and taken to the station.
We can leave it there.
Unless you have any
questions about tomorrow?
No.
No, I'm ready.
Thank you, Mr Beckett.
Val Ahern
did murder Paul Madigan.
She was motivated to do it
by a mother's fresh grief.
You see, on this fateful day,
Val Ahern learned a dark secret
about her husband.
He had actually known
her youngest daughter, Grace.
He had been a therapist to her
at the time of her tragic death.
Fatefully, he had chosen
to keep this a secret.
Just hours
after his wife learned of it,
Paul Madigan was dead.
Stabbed in the heart with a knife
she had just used
to prepare dinner.
The prosecution will prove
that after she murdered
her husband,
Val Ahern concocted a shabby plot
to stage a break-in.
She invented an intruder,
a mystery figure who left
no physical evidence whatsoever.
When all was prepared,
she phoned the Guards,
offering an impeccable performance
as a horrified and grieving widow.
But you will hear expert testimony
which entirely dissolves
Val Ahern's version of events,
and you will hear evidence
that Val Ahern has a history
of lying to Gardai.
You will hear forensic science
and you will hear
the reliable testimony
of the detective sergeant
who was first at the murder scene.
Armed with the facts,
you will do justice.
You will convict Val Ahern
for the murder of Paul Madigan.
A single, sharp force trauma
penetrated the chest cavity,
rupturing the thoracic aorta,
causing death.
- Is that accurate?
- Yes.
A blood stained dressing gown,
worn by the defendant
when Gardai arrived at the scene.
Is the blood
that of the victim, Paul Madigan?
It is.
Were the blood stains consistent
with contact with the deceased
several hours postmortem?
Yes.
Were any bloodstains
on this garment consistent
with the kind of blood lost
at the time
of Paul Madigan's fatal injury?
No.
For the jury,
can you explain the difference
between these two states of blood?
Fresh blood is more fluid
and absorbs further.
Blood that has clotted for more
than 45 minutes is thicker.
It does not absorb
as far along fabric,
as seen in this dressing gown.
Can you estimate
how long after death
this dressing gown came
into contact with blood?
Several hours,
but that is only an estimate.
Were the blood stains consistent
with someone wearing the gown
while astride the deceased,
attempting CPR?
Yes.
This knife is property
of the defendant,
tagged as Exhibit C.
Were the defendant's fingerprints
identified on this knife?
Yes.
A spatter of blood mixed
with saliva, do you recognise it?
I do.
Was the saliva identified
as that of the defendant?
Yes.
Did you identify this circle
as perfectly fitting
- the defendant's wedding ring?
- Yes.
Is this spatter pattern
and mix of blood and saliva
consistent with the defendant
spitting her wedding ring
at the time of the victim's death?
Yes.
No more questions. Thank you.
How would you characterise
your relationship
with Paul Madigan?
It was fine.
Friendly, I suppose.
And your relationship
with your stepmother?
My mother and I love each other.
We're close.
This closeness
didn't stop your mother
from rejecting you
and your young son
from living in her home?
- Objection, commentary.
- Sustained.
Can you tell us the reason
you moved out
of your mother's house?
She and Paul were newlyweds.
They needed privacy
in their own home.
Naturally. And of course,
your mother had just learned
of your affair with her husband.
This is real.
Finally, this, I can trust.
Well, you can trust me, Grace.
With everything
you're going through,
this is not the time to even
think about romantic relationships.
The creep! The fucking creep!
I was just trying
to reboot my life.
I felt I deserved some fun,
and then Paul showed up
and I thought,
"What harm could it possibly do?"
What harm?
My God, I feel sick.
He came here and sized us all up.
You couldn't have known
what you were dealing with.
He was still treating Grace,
she was alive.
It certainly was not an affair.
It happened once, and at the time,
Paul hadn't even met my mother.
Not an affair.
Would you call it a casual sex?
Objection.
Judge, is it relevant
how the witness defines
intimate matters
of her private life?
Sustained.
Your intimacy with Paul occurred
before your mother met him.
But she met him,
and they did marry.
Why did you keep
that casual sex a secret from her?
I didn't want to hurt her
or complicate things.
Things were complicated.
Paul also kept that casual sex
a secret from your mother.
How did your mother react
when you finally informed her
that you had had casual sex
with her husband?
She forgave me.
We put it behind us.
I have to delete all
of this before the Guards
No! Grace
It's not erasing her.
It's erasing him.
I should never have blamed you
for what happened with him.
I swear I only kept it from you
because I didn't want
to ruin your happiness.
Please, can you forgive me?
Forgive you?
God, Anna,
there's nothing to forgive.
I just wish I could hold you.
She forgave you.
But did she forgive Paul,
her husband?
One last thing, Ms Ahern.
In the case of the wrongful death
of your father, Denis Ahern,
you were charged
with wilful obstruction
and perverting the course
of justice.
- Is that correct?
- Objection, relevance.
I'm allowing it.
It's important background.
Yes.
You received a caution
for that offence?
Yes.
Thank you, Ms Ahern,
no further questions.
Secrets, cover-ups, lies,
that's the glue that holds
the Aherns together.
With my mother and my sisters,
the lying was just constant.
You value the truth
in a way that they do not?
They're not fabulists.
Lying is just something they do
to survive.
In the case
of the wrongful death
of your father, Denis Ahern,
you also were charged
with wilful obstruction
and perverting the course
of justice, is that correct?
Yes.
- And you were cautioned?
- Yes.
On the day
of Paul Madigan's murder,
you returned from Donegal,
where you had learned
that he had secretly treated
your deceased sister, Grace.
Yes.
Did you phone your mother
with that information?
I did not.
You suspected Paul Madigan
was involved
in your sister's death.
No, no, we only knew
that he was at the retreat
at the same time as Grace.
But you felt compelled
to alert the Gardai?
You did speak
with Sergeant Aoife O'Rourke.
Yes.
Did you assert
to Sergeant O'Rourke
that Paul Madigan
posed a serious risk
to your mother's well-being?
Yes.
Sergeant O'Rourke
recorded that you were upset
when told there were no grounds
to investigate Madigan.
Did you fear your mother was in
physical danger from her husband?
No, the only physical danger I felt
for my family
was from Leon Granger.
A known criminal
who had made threats against us.
Did you raise that supposed
threat with Sergeant O'Rourke?
- No.
- Then please
restrict yourself
to answering my questions.
But Granger has convictions
for burglary and assault,
and he was never investigated
by the Guards
Ms Ahern
He went missing right
after Paul was murdered.
I will find you in contempt.
You did choose
to inform Sergeant O'Rourke
about Paul's liaison
with your sister, Anna?
Yes.
Earlier, we heard you deny
that you informed your mother about
Paul's connection to Grace,
your deceased sister,
but you did phone your mother
on that day at 7:15pm.
It's right here
in her phone records.
Mam, you need
to get out of there now.
We don't think
that you're safe with him.
I know.
The call duration
was 17 seconds.
I remind you
that you're under oath.
Will you correct
your earlier remarks?
You did speak with your mother.
What was said?
I don't remember
that phone call or the details.
The detail which matters
is that you did speak
with your mother,
and a few hours later,
Paul Madigan was murdered.
- Objection, commentary.
- Sustained.
Thank you, Judge.
No further questions.
From the second we met,
I knew I had to be with you.
Nothing like that's
ever happened to me before.
And from that second on,
I was ready to turn my entire life
upside down for you.
Nothing was gonna stand
in my way, nothing and nobody.
And how right I was.
Here we are.
Till death do us part.
I am so sorry
I said anything to O'Rourke
about you and Paul.
I really added to the damage.
You wanted to expose Paul
for what he was.
If O'Rourke had listened
and done something, anything.
I don't like that jury.
They look churchy.
It doesn't matter how they look.
Look, just between us
is there anything
that we can cling to, anything?
Jacob keeps saying
the truth will come out.
Which, let's face it,
is not exactly what we want.
Mam!
You're asking if anybody
has anything up their sleeve?
- Yeah.
- No.
There's nothing.
I keep going over it and over it.
If we found real evidence
against Paul in time,
if we'd been smarter, faster
No more.
No more torturing yourselves.
No more ifs and if onlys.
It's just more pain.
We need to look at things
only as they are.
Joe Ryan is on the stand tomorrow.
Could that be good for us?
Joe hates our guts,
all of us.
Detective Sergeant Ryan,
thank you for joining us today.
First, please describe for us
what you encountered
at the murder scene.
Uniformed officers and paramedics
arrived before me.
Val Ahern was kept under watch.
She was
she was clearly very upset,
and it was also obvious
she was sedated.
Val, Val
I'm arresting you
on suspicion of murder.
When the doctor considers you fit,
we'll take into the station
to be charged, do you understand?
A door at the property
had been forced open.
A crowbar belonging to the home
was identified
as the tool used, is that correct?
Yes.
Did any fingerprints
or DNA indicate the presence
at the scene of anyone
but immediate family?
No.
You found no physical
evidence of an intruder?
- None.
- In your opinion,
was this break-in staged?
Objection, leading the witness.
I'm allowing it.
The witness was asked
for their opinion.
Please, go ahead,
Detective Sergeant.
Yes, in my opinion, it was staged.
Can you tell us
how you were first acquainted
with the defendant's family?
I went out with Grace Ahern.
We were very close
for a number of years.
I knew the family well,
we went through a lot together.
Indeed, you were active
in the case of the wrongful death
of the accused's first husband.
How did you come
to be involved in that case?
Grace came to me.
She told me that she herself,
along with her sisters
and her mother,
had conspired to hide the truth
about Denis Ahern's death.
Did Grace give you a reason
she was now exposing
that conspiracy?
She was leaving.
She said she could no longer live
with her family's selfish lies.
Your investigation led
to Elaine Lynch being charged
with manslaughter, and to Grace
herself being cautioned
for perverting
the course of justice,
along with both her sisters
and the defendant.
That's correct.
Thank you, Detective Sergeant.
Please remain for any questions
from my friend Mr Beckett.
In your opinion,
the break-in was staged?
Yes.
But you did establish that
Paul Madigan's valuables
were missing?
A laptop,
a mobile phone, and a wallet.
Yes.
Nationwide Gardai were alerted
to the importance
of those missing items.
Yes, of course.
Have those items been recovered?
Not to my knowledge.
How many known criminals
did you interview
as suspects
of this burglary and murder?
The defendant is the only suspect
who was interviewed.
Leon Granger, a convicted burglar,
made threats
against the Ahern family.
He was not sought for interview?
I've answered, no other suspect
than the defendant emerged.
On the day
of her husband's death,
did you meet the defendant
at her daughter's grave?
Yes.
Grace was the best of you.
The only one
who wasn't a bare-faced liar!
Look where your family's
at now, huh, Val?
You did this, Val! You did this!
Did you shout at the defendant,
calling her and her family
bare-faced liars?
I don't recall the exact wording.
But the spirit sounds correct?
Yes, I suppose.
Do you harbour
a personal resentment
against the defendant in relation
to the death of Grace Ahern?
It's not personal, it's a fact.
She has responsibility
for Grace's alienation
and therefore for her death too.
Do you agree
that you are deeply biased
and should never
have been assigned to this case?
I don't agree.
No further questions.
You're the lowest kind of traitor.
A traitor to Grace.
You attempted
to resuscitate Paul.
Realising this was futile,
you then phoned the Guards?
Yes.
This is a recording
of that phone call,
logged at 4:48am on May 3rd.
Hello.
Emergency,
which service do you require?
Hello, yes.
Guards, please hurry!
Gardai, what's your emergency?
It's my husband,
he's been murdered.
Please help,
I've just found him, he's cold.
God! Please hurry, please!
Do you recollect
making that phone call?
Between the sleeping pill
and the shock, it's barely there.
It's like a dream.
It's a nightmare, really.
Thank you, Ms Ahern.
Please remain on the stand
for questions
from my friend Ms Sheahan.
At the time of his death,
how long had you been married
to Paul?
It was three weeks to the day.
And how would you characterise
your relationship?
We were in love, entirely.
We were preparing
for a full life together.
I loved Paul with all my heart.
But we have heard evidence
that your daughters returned
from Donegal on this day,
having learned that Paul
had secretly been a therapist
to your youngest daughter.
We've heard evidence
how that same day,
Jenny Ahern phoned you.
- Do you remember that call?
- No.
Did you confront Paul
about his connection to Grace?
- Did an intense quarrel erupt?
- No.
- She needed her mother!
- put out of her fucking misery!
Did you settle
that quarrel fatally
by putting a knife
through Paul's heart?
No, I did not.
Objection, prosecution
is speculating wildly.
Sustained.
The jury will disregard
that last exchange.
It's on record
that you lied to Gardai
and concealed the truth
of the violent death
of your first husband, correct?
Yes.
But the jury should accept
your story now,
explaining the gruesome death
of a second husband?
Yes, I am telling the truth.
Leon Granger.
I filed a complaint.
He
He skipped out on his bill.
I don't remember
how many nights he owed for,
but it was more than a few.
Plus drinks, more than a few.
And Anna Ahern asked you
to contact the Guards?
Well, no.
No, I didn't even tell her.
Um, this was right after
Jacob, will you take a break?
Just finishing this.
Go on.
This was right after
Paul Madigan's murder,
and Anna was obviously preoccupied,
and I wasn't going to drag her
into more Garda business
over an unpaid bill.
And you met the responding guard?
Yeah, um, he came to collect
things from the room.
He said that Granger
was a known criminal,
and you know,
the items were stolen property.
Like, there was a laptop
and a few wallets.
And do you remember
the responding Guard?
Yeah, of course, it was Joe Ryan.
And I was kind of impressed
that they sent
an actual detective, but I guess,
you know,
he is friends of the Aherns,
so he took an interest.
And Detective Sergeant Ryan
collected these items,
- the stolen property?
- Yeah.
Yeah, sorry,
have you found Granger?
No, not yet. No.
Elaine, are you willing
to attend Val Ahern's trial today
to give evidence if required?
Please, please, please.
Please.
Please, Gracie, please.
Come on, Grace, please.
Please, please, please.
Please, please, please.
Please, Grace, please.
Yes?
Hello, Sergeant.
What?
Okay, let's hear it.
Detective Sergeant Joseph Ryan
recovered Paul Madigan's
stolen property.
Ryan collected the items
from a hotel room
vacated by Leon Granger,
who has been mentioned
during this trial.
Your star witness
concealed evidence
to bolster the prosecution's case.
I want Ryan back on the stand.
So do I.
I I did collect
those items at the hotel
and I filed them
according to procedure.
Here is one of the items
you retrieved.
Do you recognise it?
I see that it is
Paul Madigan's driving license.
You did not see this at the time?
It escaped my attention.
To avoid all doubt,
you were handed
the murder victim's wallet,
laptop, and mobile phone,
and it escaped your attention?
Yes, I,
I admit that I failed there.
Did you attempt
to conceal this evidence
because it casts major doubt
over the murder charges
- against Val Ahern?
- That was not my intention.
It beggars belief
that this concealment of evidence
was unintentional.
These actions permanently scarred
the reputation of An Garda Síochána
and I believe
that you have destroyed
your own reputation entirely.
Detective Sergeant,
please leave the stand.
I cannot allow this case
to proceed.
Judge, please allow me
to take a formal direction.
Judge, the prosecution
is entering a nolle prosequi.
Thank you for that development.
I will now address the defendant.
Valerie Ahern, you are discharged
from this indictment.
You are free to go.
Members of the jury,
you are dismissed
from your service.
Thank you.
We ca we can't.
Mam, we can't just
leave you here alone like this.
Go, now.
I'm going to call the Guards,
and you mustn't be on the road
when they come out this way, go.
The story, it's not enough.
Tell them you saw somebody.
Tell them you saw the intruder.
Anna's right.
Leon Granger.
Tell them that you saw him leaving.
He fits, he deserves it.
Stop it.
You must go. Please, go.
It's Val.
I need you to come here.
If you ever truly loved Grace,
get here now.
Jesus Christ.
What have you done?
Joe, Joe, there's something else
you need to see.
Of all my family
and all my friends,
Joe is the only one
who always tells me the truth.
Without fail
always.
It's like
your feet finding the ground
when you've been afloat or adrift.
This is real.
Finally, this, I can trust.
Well, you can trust me, Grace.
And with everything
you're going through,
this is not the time to even
think about romantic relationships.
Is that Paul
with Grace?
It's Paul.
The truth is the truth.
Joe and I love each other.
We're completely honest
with each other.
Anyone who thinks you'll find that
twice in a lifetime
is even crazier than I am!
You are not ready to go near
that place or any of those people,
including Joe.
You're right.
Still though
Joe and me are gonna be together.
It's meant to be.
Joe
He killed her.
Paul murdered our Grace.
The break-in setup,
it won't work.
It won't pass the uniformed Guards,
never mind forensics.
I know.
I just needed you to see Grace,
to understand.
I'm turning myself in, Joe,
now, to you.
No.
There's another way.
Do you trust me?
With my life.
Val, you're definitely going
to be charged with this,
but we might be able
to get the case thrown out.
I'll take Paul's
most identifiable property.
Give me ten minutes to get home,
then call the Guards.
Hello, yes, Guards, please hurry.
Gardai, what's your emergency?
It's my husband,
he's been murdered, please help!
I've just found him, he's cold.
God! Please hurry, please!
I'm the nearest detective,
I'll be sent for.
Hello?
Right.
I'm on the way in.
Val, Val, are you okay?
Medic, medic, in here now!
The name is Leon Granger.
We'll need help at the hotel.
- Anna?
- No.
This will only work if my family
believe you're against me.
Then who?
Those women ruined
my life multiple times.
You know, I've hated them
with every fibre of my body,
- especially Val.
- Me too.
But you're saying
that if it wasn't for Paul,
Grace would still be alive?
Two went into the water and
one came out.
And he did this
while he was first seeing Val?
What do you need me to do?
I need you to phone in
a complaint against Leon Granger.
Just, I was, doing my rounds
and people leaving behind
a laptop, and wallets,
and phones and stuff, so
Thank you.
Sure. Of course.
We'll both need to keep
secrets and lie to everyone.
I'm used to that.
Instruct your defence counsel
to really press me on Leon Granger,
I'll push back.
Joe, this will end your career.
Career?
If I'd known what he did,
I'd have done worse than this, Val.
And besides, I'm
I'm done with the Guards.
I need a fresh start.
But I can do this
for Grace.
- I better go.
- Joe
I won't get another chance
to thank you.
So, no matter how this goes
thank you.
Mam!
It's okay. It's okay.
I know
that you were involved in this.
Thank you. Thank you.
Mam! Mam!
What was that?
What was Joe thinking?
He did this because he loved Grace.
Same reason I did what I did.
Same as I'd do anything
for you two,
anything to protect you.
My girls, come here.
My girls.
People thought my dad was ruthless,
but cross my mam
You mess with the things she loves
and you're as good as dead.
It's always maternal love
that drives her.
For a mother, you were once
an actual second heartbeat
inside her body.
Maybe some mothers never
stop feeling that heartbeat.
No matter how far you run,
you stay a part of each other.
And there's just no limit
to what she'll do for you.
I love my mother.
I really do.
I can't be with her right now.
No way!
But I will be with her again.
Besides we're always
with each other, really.
Like it or not.
We're in each other.
We're in each other's head,
in each other's hearts,
in each other's blood.
Always.
And if I see a sign
In the sky tonight ♪
No one's gonna tell me
It's a trick of the light ♪
May never come
But I'm willing to wait ♪
What can I say?
I'm a man of the faith ♪
And there's an ocean in my body ♪
And there's a river in my soul ♪
And I'm crying ♪
And we carry the sun ♪