Miss Scarlet and The Duke (2020) s04e01 Episode Script

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(UPBEAT MUSIC)
Here at Nash and Sons
we offer the most
professional of services.
And I do not boast when I say
that these past few
months under my leadership
have seen even greater success.
A woman, no less, at
the helm of London's most
- esteemed private detective agency.
- Ha.
Eliza Scarlet, Chief Investigator.
- One T in Scarlet, Mr. Godfrey.
- Ah.
- (BUSTLING OFFICE SOUNDS)
- As you can see,
my success here speaks for itself.
Sorry to disturb you, Miss Scarlet,
but I need your sign-off on
the Whitlock case investigation.
Of course.
Another successful conclusion
to one of our many cases.
And if you could ensure that our address
is placed somewhere prominent
in the article, Mr. Godfrey.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- (DOORBELL CHIMES)
(OFFICE FALLS SILENT)
How many times?
It's the Whitlock case or the
Whitlock investigation, not both.
I was not hired by Mr. Nash to
pretend to be a private detective.
So you said, three times.
Thank you everyone. You
know the drill by now.
- (BUSTLING OFFICE SOUNDS)
- (COINS JANGLE)
- Miss Scarlet, may I speak my mind?
- No.
I know it's not ideal that
Mr. Nash's entire staff of men
- have left you.
- Thank you.
Deserted is more an appropriate term.
But whilst he's in Paris, it
is my number one responsibility
to make sure his business
is financially viable.
- As it is mine. Thank you.
- So so, as his accountant
I must advise you in the strongest
possible terms that this
this financial practise is not prudent!
- Thank you.
- Thank you, Miss Scarlet.
- I know what I'm doing, Clarence.
- (HIGH TEMPO MUSIC)
Really? Really, because
because hiring actors to pretend
- (DOOR OPENS)
- to be detectives tells me otherwise!
- (DOOR SLAMS)
- (THEME MUSIC)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(HOOVES CLOPPING OUTSIDE)
So, I've done some sums
and our financial situation is
not as bad as we first thought.
It is worse.
Hence my reservations at hiring actors
who purport to be employees.
It's a waste of money.
It's not. The Illustrated Police
News will publish an article
declaring our success since
Mr. Nash left me in charge.
This in turn will attract more clients.
The term "more" implies we
already have a full roster.
But the last time I
checked, we have exactly
no clients.
I, I I do not wish to lay the
blame squarely at your door
Good, because the fact that
they didn't want a woman
running their accounts is a
question of biology, not fault.
And the same goes for
Mr. Nash's staff of men.
My recollection is
that Mr. Nash's men left
because of the manner in
which you dealt with them.
Half of them never returned
after their luncheon,
the other half strolled
into work when it suited.
I was trying to run a tighter ship.
(LAUGHS) Well, Mr. Nash's way
was a little more respectful.
Clarence, need I remind you
that he's not here anymore?
I'm running this London office now,
and I can assure you
things will pick up.
- If you say so.
- I do.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
DUKE: Get me files on the local talent
from Feltham Street to Bridge Lane,
- anyone handy with a knife.
- Yes, sir.
You track down the dead man's relatives,
- inform them of the stabbing.
- POLICEMAN: Straight away, sir.
(NOISY CHARGE OFFICE)
- Hey, Duke
- Not now.
Sir!
Not now!
- (FILES BANG ON DESK)
- (DETECTIVES CHATTERING)
Right, let's get started.
- I said, quiet!
- (PAPERS SLAP DESK)
Now, I know this last
month has been difficult
Diabolical, more like.
But it has just been confirmed that,
as well as the additional
areas in Essex and Kent,
we'll now be policing
further districts in Surrey
- and Middlesex too.
- (DETECTIVES PROTESTING)
Bloody hell, Skipper.
We're flat out as it is.
To cope with demand, all
leave will be canceled,
- and double shifts implemented.
- (DETECTIVES GROANING)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) I said not now!
- It's urgent, sir.
- What's this?
(PAPER RUSTLES)
Get to it, then.
(DISGRUNTLED CHATTER)
Fitzroy, Phelps.
Listen, if I want your opinion,
Charlie, I will ask for it.
I'm not telling you to do anything
that I'm not already doing myself.
- I haven't been home for days.
- I know, Skipper. Sorry.
Right, there's been
a shooting in Mayfair.
Sounds like an armed robbery.
It's that place at the
end of Turner Street.
- The Temple of Elysium.
- (MYSTERIOUS MUSIC)
Elysium? Is it a theater?
No, son.
It ain't no theater.
(MISCHIEVOUS MUSIC)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
'Ello handsome.
I've already given my
statement to the officer
that was here earlier, as did my girls.
I really must insist
that they be allowed home.
They've been working all night.
Well, that is as may be,
but I need you and them to
tell me the chain of events.
So, an armed gunman
entered the brothel
It's not a brothel.
It is an elite gentlemen's club.
An armed gunman entered
the elite gentlemen's club,
robbed it, then shot
one of your punters.
A gunman came through the entrance.
He held our watchman at gunpoint
and demanded that he tie himself up.
Then he went from bedroom to
bedroom robbing my clients.
My watchman managed to untie himself.
And then he went
outside calling for help,
instead of tackling the gunman
and protecting me and my girls,
which is what he's paid to do.
You'll need to come to the
station to make a statement, sir.
I need a description of the gunman.
A black scarf covering his face,
shabby cloth cap and overcoat,
average height,
fair hair and blue eyes.
We'll need to talk to your punters, too.
Well, they've all left.
This is a private club, Detective.
Gentlemen come to the Temple of Elysium
to enjoy some discrete time
with one of my goddesses,
not to be part of some
police investigation.
- On that
- (UP TEMPO MUSIC)
were you aware that Greek goddesses
actually lived on Mount
Olympus, not Elysium?
Elysium was a paradise for
warriors favored by the gods.
I mean, there may have been
- some women there but
- Yes, thank you
for the lesson, Detective
Fitzroy. Fascinating, I'm sure.
- What about the punter who was shot?
- They are not punters!
They are gentleman callers.
PHELPS: So, this gentleman caller
was sleeping off some overindulgence
and the intruder tried to rob him,
and a fight ensued?
Which I assume is why
the fella got shot.
So, who tended to him?
One of my girls happened
to be with a doctor.
He examined him and
took him off to hospital.
And what did this doctor
say about his injuries?
I never asked.
Which hospital was he taken to?
I never asked.
What was the name of
the man who was shot?
- They never say.
- And let me guess?
You never asked?
Discretion is what this
place is built on, Detective.
Gentlemen come here for good reason.
There is never a good reason
to be unfaithful to your wife, Madam.
Let's talk again when
you're married, son.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
- (HOOVES CLOPPING)
- (CHURCH BELL RINGING)
I'm in a vicious circle.
No clients means no money.
No money means no hiring of new staff.
I'm just hoping that when
this article is published,
it will attract new business.
- Ivy, are you even listening to me?
- Sorry.
I've just got to a really
good bit in the story.
The detective has just
found another dead body.
Blood everywhere.
All you ever do these days
is have your nose in a book.
You're the one who told me to
read novels like a normal person,
instead of your father's old law books.
Yes, but not all the time.
(SIGHS DRAMATICALLY)
What about some freshly baked biscuits?
Will that help?
Always.
And what about Moses?
He brings in a case
or two. When's he back?
(BISCUIT CRUNCHES) Not any time soon.
Paris seems to suit him.
Well, what about the inspector?
- I can't ask him.
- Why?
Things aren't quite
the same since Arabella.
But I thought that ended?
Well, yes, but we haven't
seen each other in a while.
Why not?
- Because I've been busy.
- No, you haven't.
Go and see him, Lizzie.
(SIGHS)
Ah, (SLAP) back!
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)
The rest are for Barnabus.
(HOOVES CLOPPING)
(MEN ARGUING, SHOUTING)
Excuse me.
Jim.
- Watch out, sir.
- Hey.
JIM: Here we go. Thank you very much.
(SIGHS, CLEARS THROAT)
(LOUD CHATTER, BANGING)
(DOOR OPENS)
William, there you are.
I thought perhaps you'd
left for the evening.
(DOOR CLOSES)
You look tired.
You look beautiful.
(ROMANTIC MUSIC)
Oh
well, (LAUGHS) thank you.
So to what do I owe
this unexpected visit?
Well
I was just passing and thought I'd
- pop in to visit my oldest friend.
- Passing?
To where at this time of night?
- Dinner.
- With whom?
- Well, you wouldn't know them.
- Because they don't exist?
- What's that supposed to mean?
- I know you, Eliza.
You neither "pass", nor
"pop". You premeditate.
Now, I'm afraid it's not a good time.
We are experiencing an
unprecedented level of cases.
I cannot go into why
Well, because of the further expansion
of Scotland Yard's jurisdiction.
That's classified
information at the moment.
How do you know that?
I read it in the report
that's on your desk.
Well, it seems you could
do with more manpower.
So, how fortuitous
that I should drop by.
Since I'm now in
charge at Nash and Sons,
I have a large team
of men at my disposal.
Ah. There it is.
The real reason that you're here.
- (PLAYFUL MUSIC)
- Uh You were the one
- who brought up being understaffed.
- (DOOR OPENS)
- All I'm saying is
- Yes Eliza, I know exactly what you're saying.
I always know exactly
what you're saying,
even when you're not saying it.
Goodnight.
Thank you.
(DOOR CLOSES)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(MAN COUGHING)
(PAGES FLIPPING)
I can confirm he is the only patient
that was brought in today with
a gunshot wound to the leg.
I need the gentleman's name.
He refused to share it
when he was admitted.
And since then, he's been
administered laudanum for the pain.
It'll be some time
before he's able to talk.
Thank you, Nurse.
Matron.
Oh, straighten that cap, Sister!
- Yes, Matron.
- And see to the patient in room five!
Reminds me of my missus.
Well, there's not much
more we can do here tonight.
We'll come back in the morning
when he's compos mentis,
find out who he is then.
- I know exactly who he is.
- (DRAMATIC MUSIC)
I've seen him at
meetings with my father.
He's a government minister, Charlie.
(CHURCH BELL CHIMES)
(FOOTSTEPS ECHO)
- (SIGHS)
- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
(MR. POTTS SIGHS)
I have all the files here, Inspector.
And once we've gone through these,
I will take you through
to the adjoining room
where there are even more
cadavers for your attention.
- I can hardly wait.
- (SIGHS) I do not exaggerate
when I say we are bursting at the seams.
Our coroner, Mr.
Wormsley's agitated indeed.
He is a precise man who prides himself
on his meticulous examinations.
Yet since this expansion, he has felt
and I hope I betray
no confidence here
disgruntled, to say the least.
- (SIGHS)
- Yes, well, I share Mr. Wormsley's concern,
- Mr. Potts. Thank you.
- Hmm.
COMMISSIONER: Wellington.
Sir.
Commissioner Fitzroy.
(LAUGHS UNCOMFORTABLY)
May I say what a
what a pleasure it is
- to have you here in person.
- Leave us.
(CLEARS THROAT) I have a delicate matter
to discuss with you.
The brothel, in Mayfair.
The man who was shot
comes from the Home Office,
and he was not the only
gentleman of influence there.
Most of the possessions that
were stolen had personal messages
and family crests engraved on them,
so, you can imagine
it would not be ideal
if it became public knowledge
where they were lost.
Yes, I can see that, sir.
Which is why we are going to
make it our absolute priority
to find out who did this and
to get those possessions back.
- Yes.
- And I want you
to lead the case yourself.
(CLEARS THROAT) Well,
sir, you, err, told me to
specifically oversee all
active investigations.
Oh, forget what I told you.
Many of these men have
a say in my budgets.
They could make my life
(CLEARS THROAT) difficult.
- So, you will lead this case
- (TENSE MUSIC)
and you will resolve it
with speed and discretion.
And if you do not,
I will hold you directly responsible.
Is that understood, Wellington?
Yes, sir.
(BIRDS SINGING)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING QUIETLY)
I won't tell you again,
I want no part in this.
Any association with that place
would be catastrophic for me.
I'm not just a government minister,
I am a married man with children.
Yes.
Nevertheless, sir, there are
some questions that I have to ask.
So, the gunman came into the bedroom,
- demanded your possessions
- Oh, I need some pain relief.
And I will send for the nurse
when you have answered my questions.
Am I under arrest?
- No.
- Then here is my statement.
I received this gunshot
in a hunting accident.
This is what I have told my wife,
and this is what I will
tell anyone who asks.
- (TENSE MUSIC)
- (GRUNTS)
I do hope that answers any
further questions, Inspector.
(SIGHS)
- (STREET SOUNDS)
- VENDOR: Illustrated Police News.
Fresh off the press!
Illustrated Police News,
fresh off the press!
- Illustrated Police !
- Excuse me.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
Illustrated Police News,
fresh off the press!
- (DOOR OPENS)
- Illustrated Police News
- (JAUNTY MUSIC)
- Morning, Clarence.
(DOOR RATTLES SHUT)
I have decided today is
the day our fortunes change.
Do not bother, Miss Scarlet.
I've already checked
and there is no article.
But Mr. Godfrey specifically said
it would be in today's edition.
Oh, well, journalists will
promise the moon and stars
until a bigger and
better story comes along.
If, as I had advised,
you'd kept our advertising
account with them,
they would have prioritized us,
as they did when Mr. Nash was here.
Instead, you saw fit
to cancel said account
and spend the money elsewhere.
For instance, on actors.
VENDOR: Illustrated Police News!
(JAUNTY MUSIC)
I'm curious, Clarence.
If you're so dissatisfied
with how I run things,
- why do you not leave like the rest?
- Because
I am not a quitter, Miss Scarlet.
And I believe you could be a
little more grateful for that.
(TYPEWRITER CLACKS)
(NEWSPAPER SLAPS DESK)
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDE)
I understand that a police investigation
might not be good for business.
- Well, that's an understatement.
- (CHURCH BELL RINGING)
None of my clients
will come within a mile
while there's a police presence.
And I can't afford to have this
place shut down for much longer.
Then help me with my inquiries.
Don't you want to
catch whoever did this?
Oh, he'll be caught alright.
It's not just the great
and the good that come here.
I have clients from all walks of life.
They'll catch that toe-rag
for me. And when they do
he'll wish he'd never been born.
I must insist that
you don't take the law
into your own hands, Madam.
We will find whoever did this.
I'm privy to many
conversations, Inspector
- (TENSE MUSIC)
- Judges, politicians
And when they've had their
fill of whiskey and women,
they like a nice little chat,
and I'm a very good listener.
Word is they're not very happy
with the great Scotland Yard.
From what I gather,
it's a shambles over there.
So, forgive me if don't
share your confidence.
(FOOTSTEPS RECEDE)
(CHARGE OFFICE CHATTER)
Sir, I've gathered files on all
those with previous convictions
for armed robbery for
the past three years,
but there's over two thousand of them.
Better get on with it, then.
But, sir, it's just such a huge task,
- and we just don't have the manpower
- Then tell your father
what a mess we're in, because he
sure as hell won't listen to me!
(SIGHS)
That was, err that was
uncalled for. I apologize.
Permission to speak, sir?
Oliver, you don't
have to ask permission.
It's just you haven't been home
for days. You need to rest.
Sleep is a luxury that I
don't have at the moment.
Right now, we need to find a
way to go through those files
and compare them to the
description of the gunman.
- (UPBEAT MUSIC)
- Well, we're gonna need more men.
- (TYPEWRITER CLACKS, PINGS)
- (KEYS CLACKING)
- (NOISY OFFICE SOUNDS)
- (HIGH TEMPO MUSIC)
(PAPER PULLS)
William, how nice to see you.
I received your telegram.
Although I must admit I was unsure
whether I'd have time to fit you in.
As you can see, things are
extremely busy at present.
Sorry to disturb you, Miss Scarlet,
but I need your sign-off on
the Whitlock investigation.
Shall we?
So, this, err, brothel in Mayfair
All I can tell you is that
it was an armed robbery
where one of the punters was
injured with a gunshot wound.
So, I assume the fact that you're
keeping his identity confidential
means that he's a man of influence?
Eliza, please don't assume anything.
It never ends well.
Well, it's an awful lot of files
you wish my men to go through.
Not to mention how vague the
description of the gunman is.
Perhaps you might be willing to
negotiate a higher fee?
- Do you want the job or not?
- Yes. I'll take the case.
Good. Then I'll have the
files delivered this afternoon.
And no sniffing around,
Eliza, or digging.
I'm not a dog, William.
No, but you are relentless.
Do only what I ask of you. Nothing more.
My word is my bond.
If only that were true.
- (DOOR OPENS)
- (JAUNTY MUSIC)
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- Yes!
(SIGHS DEEPLY)
(HOOVES CLOPPING)
(FILES THUMP ON DESK)
(SIGHS)
I should not be doing this donkey work.
Lest we not forget, Miss Scarlet,
I am a fully qualified accountant.
How could I forget, Clarence,
when you remind me so often?
And with just the two of us, this
task will take days to complete.
You're right. Perhaps we
do need to get some help.
(LAUGHS) We do not have the
money to pay for extra help.
(MISCHIEVOUS MUSIC)
Who said anything about paying?
(FILES BANG ON DESK)
I couldn't believe it when
I got your note, Lizzie.
Me, helping with a real investigation!
It's just like in my novel.
The detective asks his
uncle for assistance.
Yes, he's an ex-policeman, but still.
Right. This little lot is done.
I'll go and get some
more. (FOOTSTEPS CLIP)
Are we brought so low
that we have to turn to
your maid for assistance?
She's more efficient than you.
For every one file you've
checked, she's done five.
- Mr. Nash
- I don't care what he did or didn't do.
I'm in charge now.
And if you're so enamored with Mr. Nash,
- why didn't you go to Paris with him?
- (FILE SLAPS ON DESK)
(ANGRY FOOTSTEPS RECEDE)
What?
Go easy, hey?
I don't need advice on
how to manage my employees.
Employee, singular.
- When you were a girl
- Oh, please, God, no.
Fine.
(WHISPERS) I'll talk to him.
(SLOW FOOTSTEPS)
(PLAYFUL MUSIC)
In my determination to
keep this agency afloat,
I may come across as a little
terse sometimes. I apologize.
All I was going to say about Mr. Nash
is that he has an army
of paid informants,
including girls who work at many
different brothels across London.
Where would I find information
on these informants?
Why wasn't I told this was in here?
Well, Mr. Nash likes
to keep the identity
of his informants confidential.
I'm the chief investigator!
You're the only investigator.
(SAFE DOOR SQUEAKS OPEN)
Right, umm
Police informants,
legal informants,
government informants.
Here we are. Ladies of the night.
- (PUB CHATTER, LAUGHTER)
- I adore Mr. Nash.
Always so good to me. A very fair man.
Everyone loves him.
Perhaps we could talk about
something other than Mr. Nash.
So, you work at the Temple of Elysium?
For my sins.
I've heard of it.
I always thought it very clever.
A brothel themed as a
mythological paradise.
Hmm. Well, according to
the copper that came by,
women weren't even allowed in Elysium.
Well, he's right.
It was one of the three realms of
the underworld in Greek mythology.
Tartarus, the Asphodel Meadows,
and then there was Elysium,
an Eden for heroes favored by the gods.
Well, I can tell you, darling,
the men that visit me ain't no heroes.
(LAUGHING)
So, this shooting
The description of the gunman:
average height, fair hair, blue eyes.
It's a little generic.
It's a pack of lies, too.
He was tall, brown hair, brown eyes.
Me and the other girls were told
to lie to the coppers by her.
Her?
Madam Hera.
That's not her real name, of course,
just like Athena ain't mine.
Why would she tell you to lie?
Word is, she called in a favor
to find the gunman herself.
You cross the madam at your own peril.
- (TENSE MUSIC)
- Poor old Dimitrie found that out.
Dimitrie?
The watchman that was on
when the robbery took place.
She sacked the poor sod.
(STREET CHATTER)
(DESK BELL CHIMES)
Welcome to Solomon's. How can I help?
Is Solomon here?
I'm afraid my uncle's gone
back to Jamaica to visit family.
Well, perhaps you could help me.
I'm an acquaintance
of his, Miss Scarlet.
I'm looking for man, a watchman.
He was dismissed from
a, a brothel in Mayfair.
I need to find his address.
I wish to speak with him.
I'm afraid I have no idea
what you're talking about.
This is a shop to buy
things in, Miss Scarlet.
And speaking of which,
we've just had a new
delivery this very morning.
The golden vamp butterfly
from the Himalayan mountains.
Very rare.
There are no golden vamp butterflies
in the northern hemisphere.
Ah, my mistake, yeah.
This is the golden vamp from Madagascar.
And nor are they completely golden,
just the tips of their wings.
This is very pretty.
- What if I bought one?
- (PLAYFUL MUSIC)
I'll wrap it up for you.
What if I bought two?
- Then I'll wrap them both.
- How about three?
A watchman, you say?
Let me get my pen.
(TAPPING)
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Miss Scarlet?
(STREET CHATTER)
Mr. Sinclaire.
- How are you, Miss Scarlet?
- Busy.
- Always such a busy, busy bee.
- (HOOVES CLOPPING)
I suppose since you've
taken over at Nash and Sons,
not that he has any
sons, time is precious.
What do you want, Mr. Sinclaire?
Why, just to tell you how hurt I am.
When I learnt that you'd gone
to my underling, Mr. Godfrey,
instead of directly to me,
the chief correspondent of
our esteemed publication,
it was like a dagger to my heart.
You have a heart, Mr.
Sinclaire? That is welcome news.
'Basil, ' I said to myself,
'you and Miss Scarlet are old
acquaintances, are you not?
Why on earth would she do such a thing?'
The last time we worked together,
you printed a pack of
lies. Does that help?
Ooh, lies you say?
Like the ones you fed young Mr. Godfrey?
(TENSE MUSIC)
It seems that in your
eagerness to laud your success,
it has led you down the
slippery slope of dishonesty.
Oh, dear, dear me.
You see, I happen to know for a fact
that Mr. Nash's entire
staff have deserted you,
and so, too, his book of clients.
And so, in my capacity
as chief correspondent,
I have decided that I will be
the one to write the article,
and it shall be one based on the truth,
that the once most successful
private investigation agency
in London is now on
the verge of collapse.
(FAKE GASPS)
And it is all thanks
to the lady detective.
(BELLS JANGLE)
Ah.
- (WHISTLES)
- (HOOVES CLOPPING)
- CAB DRIVER: Whoa.
- Good day, Miss Scarlet.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Ride on!
- CAB DRIVER: Hup!
- (HOOVES CLOPPING)
(MEN SHOUTING, ARGUING)
- Let him go.
- Sir.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Any luck?
He's got an alibi, just
like all the others.
So, we round up some more?
We'll make a detective
of you yet, Charlie.
- William.
- Inspector Wellington.
Inspector Wellington.
- Detective Phelps.
- Miss Scarlet.
DUKE: Get the wagons ready.
I'll meet you out front.
I have something I need to
tell you, William, but
will you promise to remain calm?
(BACKGROUND ARGUMENT)
You hired actors to pose
as your staff of detectives?
I knew you'd react like this.
You fooled me into hiring you!
How would you like me to react?
Well, at least I did the
decent thing to tell you myself,
rather than you reading
it in Sinclaire's rag.
The decent thing was to not
lie to me in the first place.
There's nothing you can say that
I haven't already said to myself.
Oh, I am quite sure that there is.
It's all very well for you
in your comfortable job.
I haven't slept in weeks
worrying about mine!
My God Eliza, there is nothing
comfortable about my job,
and if you had any shred of concern
for anyone other than yourself,
- then you would know this!
- (DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Good day, Miss Scarlet.
Is is all well?
Not remotely.
But (SIGHS) never mind that.
You're on the brothel robbery?
I am.
Good.
Because I have some information
I'd like to share with you.
(CLIPPED FOOTSTEPS)
So, the madam lied about the
description of the gunman?
Apparently so.
I've also put feelers out to
find this dismissed watchman.
Thank you, this is most helpful.
Oliver
Inspector Wellington, how
have you found him recently?
I cannot lie, umm
I'm concerned about him.
He hasn't been home for days.
He's putting all his
attention on this robbery,
to the detriment of other cases.
Of which there are many.
Then let me help you.
Share your findings with me.
Err, this is a highly confidential
investigation. I'm afraid I cannot.
- However
- (UPBEAT MUSIC)
if I were to leave the file here,
and if I were to just
pop out for a moment,
then if someone were to read
the file without my knowledge,
well
(DOOR OPENS)
- (FILE SLIDES ACROSS DESK)
- The man who was shot.
Any identity yet?
(WHISPERS) Page four.
(DOOR CLOSES)
- (BIRDS SINGING)
- (NURSES CHATTERING)
(DOOR CREAKS OPEN)
(PAGES FLIP)
(DRAWERS SLIDE OPEN)
(DRAWERS SLIDE CLOSED)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
(DOORS FLING OPEN)
What are you doing?
Why are you not in your uniform?
- I don't understand
- You are Nurse James, due to start today?
Well, this room is a disgrace!
These soiled clothes should
have been disposed of yesterday!
And when you have done that,
his bed needs remaking,
his temperature recorded,
and bandage changed!
So, get these clothes
down to the basement
ready to be incinerated!
Get into your uniform
and report back
immediately, is that clear?
If you would just let me speak.
I'm not a nurse.
My name is Eliza Scarlet,
I'm a private detective.
And please, don't say, 'You're a what?'
(BIRDS SINGING)
(DOOR SQUEAKS CLOSED)
(SIGHS)
- (POLICE VAN DOOR OPENS)
- Come on, come on!
Come on, we haven't got all day!
Go, go, go!
(MEN CHATTERING)
Get this lot inside, Charlie.
Alright, you ugly lot, hurry up,
or you'll feel my boot
where the sun don't shine!
(DUKE CLEARS THROAT)
There you are, sir.
I have new information
on the Elysium case.
- Go on.
- The madam of the brothel lied.
The gunman wasn't fair,
blue eyes or medium height.
He was the opposite tall,
brown hair, brown eyes.
According to who?
Miss Scarlet. She seemed
quite certain of it, too.
I think I'll pay Madam
Hera a little visit.
(DOOR CREAKS OPEN)
(DOOR CLOSES WITH SOFT BANG)
Where's Ivy?
Gone to make dinner for
someone called Barnabus.
She did take a box of files
with her to work through.
Oh, and this came for you.
It's a court summons for rent arrears.
(SIGHS) I really could do
with some good news, Clarence.
Well, the watchman
you've been looking for
- He's in your office.
- (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC)
So, the madam dismissed
you after the robbery?
Because I ran outside for help
instead of tackling the gunman.
I came here twenty years ago
in search for a better life.
But, as a watchman,
I have spent those years
getting beaten up and shot at.
And when I was young,
I did not mind but
I'm getting old.
I have children I want to see grow up.
And because of that woman, I
will not be able to put some food
on my family's table tonight.
I have no loyalty to her,
so I will tell you something.
I'm listening.
(THREATENING MUSIC)
She told me to lie to the police.
When I was calling for help,
I saw no gunman leave the brothel.
But if you didn't see
the gunman leave, then
how did he get away? A back entrance?
There is no back entrance.
I was forbidden to ever go upstairs,
but I've heard there is
a secret way in and out.
(DOOR CREAKS OPEN SLOWLY)
The building that adjoins
the brothel was once
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- an exclusive gentlemen's club.
It shut down years ago.
But it was once frequented
by the rich and powerful,
by politicians and even princes.
Legend has it that the clients
would use a connecting door
into the brothel as a discrete way in.
- (FOOTSTEPS CREAKING)
- If the door exists,
I believe that's how the gunman escaped.
(SINISTER MUSIC)
The three sons of Titan.
Zeus, god of the sky.
Poseidon, god of the sea.
And Hades, god of the three
realms of the underworld.
Tartarus, the Asphodel Meadows
and Elysium.
(DOOR HANDLE CREAKS)
(DOOR CREAKS OPEN)
(OMINOUS MUSIC)
(TENSE MUSIC)
(HANGERS CLANK ON RAIL)
(DOOR SQUEAKS OPEN)
(UPBEAT MUSIC)
A bullet hole.
DUKE: Well, that's news to me.
What do you mean they've been returned?
Exactly that.
Everything stolen is in this box.
It was outside the
entrance this morning.
I've got no idea who left it.
So, I will return these to
their rightful owners and
- the case is closed.
- The case is closed when I say it is.
I'll be taking the contents of
that box back to Scotland Yard
where it will be logged as evidence.
As for you, you'll come
with me and make a statement
explaining how you came to be in
possession of these stolen goods.
- I'm quite sure, Inspector,
- (TENSE MUSIC)
that your superiors have instructed you
to close this case with
speed and discretion.
Taking these valuables
to Scotland Yard, (LAUGHS)
and indeed me,
I would argue that is the
very opposite of discretion.
(SCOFFS)
So, we're agreed.
I will return these to my clients,
and you will leave my
premises and bother me no more.
See, you're forgetting something, Madam.
There is a man lying in hospital
who was shot on these premises.
Last I heard, the poor minister,
he was adamant that he was
wounded in a hunting accident.
No more days out shooting for him.
Not if his wife has
anything to do with it.
(TREACHEROUS MUSIC)
(DUKE SIGHS)
(DOOR CREAKS OPEN)
(FOOTSTEPS CREAK)
(BAG CLICKS OPEN)
(BAG CLICKS CLOSED)
(BULLET CLINKS)
(DANGEROUS MUSIC)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH HURRIEDLY)
I do not have the appetite
nor the inclination
for another argument, Eliza.
My day has been vexing enough.
I do not come to argue.
I come to tell you I've made a
discovery on the brothel case.
- No, Eliza
- I know who the gunman is.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
- (PAPER RUSTLES)
- There's a hidden door
that leads from the bedroom
where the minister was shot
into a room of an abandoned building,
and it's there that I found a bullet.
I believe it was discharged
by the gunman as he escaped.
(PAPER RUSTLING)
Trousers, belonging to the minister.
They were due to be
incinerated at the hospital.
So, what does this have
to do with the bullet?
(METAL BOX OPENS)
This was attached to the bullet.
I recognized the pattern on the cloth.
I knew I'd seen it
before at the hospital.
- (LAUGHS)
- (PAPER RUSTLES)
So, why, why would the minister lie
and say that the gunman
shot him in the bedroom?
Because he is the gunman, William.
Why on earth would I
want to stage a robbery?
I'm a government minister,
for heaven's sake!
Well, I've done some
digging on you, sir,
and it would appear that you're
also in grave financial straits.
I would say that is motive enough.
Being a junior minister
must be a costly business
if you hope for a promotion.
Dinners, theater trips,
hosting parties with the right wine.
It must be a strain on one's resources.
(SCOFFS)
Anyone who tells you
it's not who you know,
but what you know, is a liar.
I needed the money to rise up the ranks.
To impress those with the
power to help me advance.
So, you staged a robbery in a place
where no-one would
want to admit to being.
It is the favored brothel
by those at the Home Office.
It seemed like the
perfect place to do it.
So, while everyone thought
you were in bed intoxicated,
you disguised yourself as the gunman.
And when it came to robbing yourself,
you staged a fight to make it
look like there'd been a struggle.
I planned to leave the gunman's attire
and what I'd stolen
in the room next door.
I would then get back into
bed as the drunk minister,
and no-one would be any the wiser.
But then I heard the watchman on duty
yelling for help outside and I
I flew into a panic.
As I squeezed through the
door to the disused room,
I stumbled and fell.
And the handgun went off.
(SIGHS)
I've never used a handgun before.
Bought it from some
rough type in a pub in Whitechapel.
But you had to cover
the fact you'd been shot,
so you put a bullet in
the bedroom floor too.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
I told the madam everything.
I had to.
I needed her help.
She was livid I'd done such a
thing in her place of business,
so she instructed that
I keep my mouth shut.
And she would get rid of the evidence.
Which is why she pretended to
track down the stolen possessions
when, in fact, she
had them all the time.
They would be returned to their owners,
and the case would be closed
quickly and discreetly.
(SCOFFS)
Minister Delaware will resign and
go away quietly.
And this Madam Hera,
- she's up to her eyes in all this, too?
- Oh, no, no. She is to be left alone.
She knows too much about too many.
Sir, umm
this expansion is crippling us.
We lack the manpower and
the resources to cope.
My biggest fear is
that I am sending my men
into situations that
they are ill prepared for.
- Someone is going to get hurt.
- What would you have me do?
I cannot pluck money out of thin air!
No, sir, but umm
But perhaps this this case can
can give you more sway
with the Home Office?
After all, it's for their
sake that we're staying quiet.
You are asking me to blackmail them?
- A government department?
- (TREACHEROUS MUSIC)
No, of course not, sir.
Not blackmail. More umm
more leverage to negotiate.
If I had my way,
I would dismiss you
with immediate effect
for the mere suggestion of such a thing.
But given the flux we are
in, that would benefit no-one.
You are to keep your
mouth shut about this case.
Is that clear, Wellington?
Perfectly, sir.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR BANGS CLOSED)
(HOOVES CLOPPING)
- (WOMAN LAUGHING)
- (STREET LIGHT FLARES)
ELIZA: You were simply
thinking of your men.
The Police Commissioner
didn't quite see it like that.
Would you like me to
have a word with him?
(LAUGHTER)
It's nice to see you smile.
Well, I haven't had much
to smile about recently.
- (SIGHS)
- (SOFT MUSIC)
I'm sorry I lied to you.
(SIGHS)
I did try to lead Nash's men.
But they just saw me
as some bossy woman.
You're not bossy, Eliza.
You are determined.
(SIGHS LOUDLY)
Things haven't quite
turned out how I'd hoped.
Sometimes I do wonder
If it's all worth it?
You are a good detective,
Eliza. Very good.
And whatever happens from here,
you'll find a way to make it work.
You always do.
Are you just saying that, so that
I pay for dinner tomorrow evening?
I wasn't aware we were due to dine.
Well, the last Wednesday
of every month we dine,
and that just happens to be tomorrow.
It's been a while since
we enjoyed an evening out.
It has.
(LAUGHS)
Well, no more burning the midnight oil.
You must go home tonight and rest.
I will not have you
falling asleep at the table.
I take back what I said. (GULPS DRINK)
You are bossy.
Goodnight, Eliza.
Goodnight, William.
(DOOR OPENS)
IVY: Night, Inspector.
- DUKE: Night, Ivy.
- (DOOR OPENS)
I've found something in these files
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- you asked me to look through
- The case is closed, Ivy.
- It's not about the gunman.
It's about someone else entirely.
(TENSE MUSIC)
Now I understand why you haven't
sought another position like the others.
Or gone to Paris with Mr. Nash.
The small issue of a criminal record
would have put paid to that!
You are mentioned as
an associate to not one
but three criminal gangs
as their accountant.
And not a very successful one,
given you've served
time for taxation fraud.
Mr. Nash hired me
when no-one else would.
And I shall be forever
grateful for that.
I shall fetch my coat and hat.
(PURPOSEFUL FOOTSTEPS)
No, don't.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Neither of us is perfect, Clarence.
And if I promise to
be more accommodating,
I would like you to promise to
stop comparing me to Mr. Nash.
So, we are stuck with each other?
It seems so.
(CHUCKLES)
Together, Clarence, we shall once
more make this agency successful.
And those that underestimate us
should do so at their own peril.
- (LAUGHS)
- (DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Oh, erm, on that, our informant
from the brothel, Athena,
came by for her fee.
She likes to chat, that one.
She told me something that
may be of interest to you.
- (STREET CHATTER)
- (DOOR CLOSES)
Mr. Sinclaire?
Oh, Miss Scarlet. How serendipitous.
I was intending to pay you
a visit this very afternoon.
It appears you have saved me a journey.
Here is the story I have just
penned about you and your
lamentable fall from grace.
Would you care to read it now?
Or perhaps you would rather
wait until it's published,
which I believe it will be
in tomorrow morning's edition.
No, it will not, Mr. Sinclaire.
In fact, you will return
immediately to the office
- and retract the article.
- And why on earth would I do that?
You've no doubt heard about
the robbery that took place
at the brothel in Mayfair,
the Temple of Elysium?
The madam has asked her girls
to reunite their regular clients
with their stolen possessions.
And one of those girls just
happens to be an associate of mine.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Athena?
She kindly allowed me
to return this to you.
- (SINCLAIRE CLEARS HIS THROAT)
- (WATCH CHAIN JANGLES)
Very nice inscription of your name.
No mention of you being
Chief Correspondent, though.
Perhaps next time your
wife inscribes a gift,
she'll remember to include it.
Oh, and just to reassure you,
Inspector Wellington has
logged it as evidence.
So, should the need ever arise
to prove your presence at the brothel,
- it will not be hard to do so.
- (WATCH CHAIN JANGLES, CLANKS)
(HOOVES CLOPPING)
(PAPERS RIPPING)
- (UPBEAT MUSIC)
- Good day, Mr. Sinclaire.
(HOOVES CLOPPING)
- Thank you.
- (HORSE WHINNIES)
- Here. Hup!
- (HOOVES CLOPPING)