Whitechapel s04e02 Episode Script

I believe an agent has gone rogue.
One of yours killed Alex Zucanov? Perhaps.
Good way to make an enemy suffer.
But who is the real enemy? My coat made me invisible and so I was able to kill him first.
You have been infiltrated by an agent whose purpose is to incite others to commit evil acts.
Her name is Cherry Thrapston.
She might be who you're looking for? It all begins with a curse.
Milk sours.
Vermin enters your house.
Your crops are blighted, then your cattle die, but there are no signs of disease.
Family members are stricken with seizures.
Children cough themselves to death.
The only explanation iswitchcraft.
1645 One man set out to rid England of its witches.
That man was Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General.
We're looking for a modern-day Matthew Hopkins and he killed hundreds.
Better start looking for gingerbread houses.
You're an idiot! I don't believe in witchcraft but that doesn't matter, witches exist.
They are people who think rituals and superstitions have real power.
They believe, and so does the killer.
You all have your tasks.
Go.
Did I tell you, locals call this the witchy house? They're all spooked by Dorothy's burning.
Have you seen these? They're similar to ones from the first crime scene.
Do you think the killer did them? If he did, who are they for? Who can read these? Come on.
Is this Dorothy's sister? Yes, DI Chandler.
Is she OK? Can she talk? Yes, she seems calm.
We'll take it from here.
OK, sir.
Miss Cade My name's DI Chandler.
Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? Come in, sit down.
What is your name? It's DS Miles.
Please take a seat.
Thank you.
That young girl has been fussing over me all morning.
If I drink any more tea I shall spring a leak! It must have been a terrible shock.
Oh, yes! To think of some poor soul burnt alive at the bottom of the garden.
Dorothy agrees with me, a most ghastly thing.
Dorothy? You've spoken to Dorothy? Of course.
She wanted to speak about nothing else ever since it happened.
Why don't you ask her? Do you know where Dorothy is? What is wrong with everyone today? She's there.
Dorothy's sitting beside you! Argh! Oh! I'm really sorry, sorry.
I beg your pardon.
Steady, relax! Just calm down.
All right?! OK, right, call for paramedics! Go! This is interesting.
Witches used to hand quilts down from one generation to another.
The quilt's a record of their history in The Craft.
Dorothy's not happy with you seeing things that gentlemen shouldn't see! I've had enough of this.
Sorry, Dorothy.
No offence.
I've gotta get out.
Miles? There was a man here yesterday.
He came to see Dorothy.
Can you tell me anything about him? Well, he was heavy, he made the floorboards creak, but he was light on his feet.
So, I should think he was tall, well-built.
About the, about the same age as yourself.
Erm, did you hear him speak? He never said a word.
I could smell him, though.
He had a very strong odour, sweet and sickly, like the way the mice get when they die under the kitchen sink.
I shouldn't have walked out like that.
I'm sorry.
What happened in there? It was Cecilia.
She gave me the creeps.
You.
Afraid of a spinster? Don't you ever get spooked? Ever? Don't you believe in any kind of supernatural phenomenon? When my father died .
.
my mother was desperate to contact him.
She needed answers I suppose.
She did everything she could to try to talk to him.
Mediums.
Empaths.
Psychics.
They all came to the house and they all took her money.
It went on for years.
She drove herself insane trying to find him.
I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
My father was not a cruel man.
If he could have given her a sign, he would have.
So, no, I don't believe.
It's false hope.
Bysack's being seen by the doctor.
He thinks it's acute alcohol withdrawal.
It's the same marks again.
Bysack must be connected.
That's what I was thinking.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Spare us the drama, what is it? The positioning would suggest apotropaic marks.
Protection against witchcraft.
Protection? You find them carved into doorways and around windows and fireplaces in 16th century houses.
They were used to ward off evil along with witch bottles and the practice of putting a dead cat in the walls.
It's a ritual.
Bysack makes the marks to protect the killer.
So, if we can find more of these marks, it might lead us to the next victim.
Mansell! What? Found it.
Well done.
You get a gold star.
Hang on.
They're here too, which makes sense, since Whitechapel is the Gates of Hell according to Buchan.
Ah, there's more here as well.
How we gonna tell what each one means? We can't stake them all out.
This isn't a good murder site.
There's too many people, CCTV.
I think we're wrong about what the marks mean.
Excuse me.
Do you know anything about these marks? Safe house.
Two women.
Food for work.
Talk religion, get food.
Good for a handout.
No fighting.
How do you know the code? Who told you? Does it matter? Right, if someone finds a kind house, where they'll give you a bit of work in the garden, they leave a mark.
If it's a house where they like .
.
get angry and chase you off, they leave a mark.
This is our private language.
It's what keeps us alive.
Look at this.
That's a bit unexpected.
You made these marks in your cell.
Warm bed.
Good food.
Tell them what they want to hear.
Sorry.
You didn't kill Alex Zukanov, did you? I tried to, but he got away, and then I got arrested.
Why confess to a murder you didn't commit? 'Cause it's scary living on the streets.
You see things, you You hear things that you people wouldn't believe.
I was tired, all right.
I I wanted somewhere safe to sleep, somewhere warm.
I found that here.
Lee Bysack, I am arresting you for wasting police time.
I'm afraid you'll have to remain in custody for a couple of days.
Thank you.
It's funny that old lady's dead, too.
Alex went to her house all the time.
No suspects, two dead and probably more to come, and you reward him for wasting police time? He's given us a link between Alex Zukanov and Dorothy Cade, two dead witches who knew each other.
Perhaps they were part of a group? A coven.
It's possible.
How many's a coven? A baker's dozen? Got to be 13, innit? A coven.
Unlucky for some.
Eleven? She had 11 fingers? She was a real witch.
No! It's just a quirk of nature, like a, crooked nose or a third nipple.
Bet she had one of those, too.
No.
She had ten fingers, like us.
Then, what's the? The challenge is to find the odd one out.
They all look the same.
Then don't look at them.
Ugh! Ugh, that one! What's that smell? Gangrene.
This finger looks burnt, but it's not, it's necrotic.
Who does that one belong to? There were only two people at the bottom of the garden so I would say, the killer.
So, he tied Dorothy Cade to a stake, and his finger fell off? Yeah.
Cecilia said she could smell something sweet and sickly.
Rotting flesh.
That's your man.
This piece of gauze was found at the scene.
It's from a bandage.
My guess is the killer is wrapping himself up.
It suggests he has a long-term, chronic health condition, something like diabetes, or issues with his circulation.
It mainly affects the extremities, so fingers, toes How long before he dies? Without amputation or treatment, he's at risk of septicaemia.
He could die at any time.
Not if I get there first.
The accused is placed on trial.
Evidence is heard of enchantments, and curses and possessions.
Once they admit to being consorts of the devil, they're forced to denounce other witches until the coven is exposed.
Alex denounced Dorothy.
Who did Dorothy denounce while she was being burned? Whose name did she give in order to extinguish the flames? Dorothy belonged to a lot of groups.
She volunteered at animal shelters, quilting circle.
Any one of these people could be next.
Ed, will you have a look at something for me? DCI Mansell.
Liar.
Cheat.
Bastard.
Liar.
Mansell? Sir? The killer is suffering from gangrene.
Check hospitals.
See if anyone's asked for treatment.
Yes, sir.
Would you like a lolly? That's it.
Come closer.
Time for milk, Morgana? Yes, here you go, my babies.
Mm, here we are.
That's it, good girl.
Yes.
Yes, lovely.
What is it, Lilith? DI Chandler.
I'm sending you my files.
Wingfield, is that you? She's onto me.
I don't have much time.
Someone has to carry on the work.
Have you been threatened? Find the Agent Provocateur before she destroys you.
Wingfield I wish you the best.
Riley, would you mind checking on Wingfield for me? The MI6 man? Yes.
Thinks he's being hunted down.
Well, is he? I don't know.
It could be all in his head.
Take a uniform with you.
OK, sir.
I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Oh! Night.
No chance of that.
There's been another one.
Another possible dead witch.
Who is it? Woman in her forties, found in her flat.
All her cats are dead, too.
What happened? She drowned.
That's what they did, isn't it? If you drown you're innocent, if you swim you get hanged.
Erm, I just need to Oh.
Oh! I'll be home soon, OK? Just a little bit later than I thought.
Oh, don't cry, sweetheart.
I know, and I love you, too.
Was Cherry Thrapston part of Dorothy Cade's quilting circle? Yes, she was, and she was a doula, a natural childbirth midwife.
We're through here.
Spinster, bald, three black cats.
We only need a cauldron and we've got a witch's full house.
The bathroom? He didn't drown her in the kitchen sink.
You'll have to go in without me.
What, you can't walk ten feet? I thought I could do it but II can't.
This isn't a crack house with corpses and blood everywhere.
You've seen worse.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
Erm Drownings bother me.
I can't.
Snap your rubber band.
I can't.
It broke.
I'll get you another one.
No! It was fromMorgan so There was only one.
Well, that bathroom's too small for us all anyway.
Thanks.
You're just in time.
We're pulling her out.
Mind the puddles.
It's a quick check on him, make sure he's all right, then we're off.
Riley Are you all right? Wingfield fell out of the sky.
I didn't see anybody.
There's nothing you could do.
If I'd have stayed in the car for ten more seconds, I'd be dead.
Come on, love, we'll get you home.
I'm glad you didn't try and catch him.
Stella Knight.
MI6.
What are the chances of Wingfield falling out of a window? He was suicidal.
The last time I spoke to him, he was scared.
When was that? No doubt you have a transcript.
Why don't you read it? I assure you nothing sinister is going on.
Why are you so paranoid? Don't play mind games with me.
Hysteria is contagious.
You should be careful.
You're starting to sound like Wingfield.
Tell me that was a Tango.
I had to blur the edges, Skip.
I hate autopsies.
Are you an idiot? It's between me and you, Pops.
There's no harm done.
Just don't tell Mum.
You don't fear me any more, do you? Fear you? No.
You're a pussy cat.
I'm a pit bull! Yeah, you were back in the day.
I used to be, "Yes, sir.
No, sir.
Nice cup of tea, sir.
" So, what's changed? We know you too well.
Where's Joe? He sends his love.
Didn't you faint the last time you were here? Me? No.
You must have got me mixed up with someone pathetic.
I love a bit of guts.
Thiswas a wet drowning.
Any other type? Well, yeah, there is actually.
Dry drowning is when the cold water causes a laryngeal spasm.
Wet drowning is caused by water entering the lungs.
How long did it take? You drown more quickly in fresh water.
So it was quick? No.
The killer put salt into the bath water to make it last as long as possible.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What's this? They're from Wingfield.
There's thousands of pages.
You can't read this, you'll go blind.
He wanted me to have these to continue his work.
You could, if you were barking mad and had nothing better to do.
He thought the information in these files were to blame for his death.
Someone's gonna have to read them.
Knock, knock! Ah, I like presents.
Well, thisis a gift horse, Ed.
Oh.
Crispin Wingfield, MI6.
There could be great secrets here.
Yeah, well.
You've got to find them.
Erm Do you want some help? Got a lot of boxes here.
Erm, er yes, er Be my guest.
Right, now we will have a look at the contents of the stomach.
I er, I hear you had a bit of a close call.
You know at your book launch .
.
the old lady that wasn't your mum? Yes.
She spoke to me, and she wondered how I did the job, never knowing if I'd make it home to see my kids.
Ahand now you're thinking she may have had a point? Well, we never know what's round the corner.
Well, that's why I like it down here.
The only hazards I face are eye strain and paper-cuts.
And mould.
Yes! Yes, er, my biggest enemy is fungus.
Well, not to worry, you'll be safe down here with us.
I've got my eye on you.
Tea? Please.
Yeah.
There is undigested food here, so I would say death occurred less than two hours after this meal.
I think we're about to see someone else's dinner.
Igor! I spent the first 3 months of this pregnancy with my head in a bowl.
Not a good look for a pathologist.
What's this? There's writing on it.
What kind of writing? Like symbols? No.
It's an apology.
"I'm sorry I" What's that say? "Named.
" I think it says "named".
"Nick"? Is that a Nick? That's all there is.
"I'm sorry I named Nick.
" I think Cherry's given us the name of the next victim.
Here, Charlie.
Here, here.
Wait.
Good.
Charlie? Nicola Green.
Wig maker.
The diminutive of Nicola is Nicky, rather than Nick.
It's like the diminutive of Emerson is Emma.
Ha, it's very original(!) Haven't heard that since school.
Doesn't look like she had many friends, just work colleagues.
It's quite sad really.
Charlie? Charlie?! It's all right, Charlie.
It's all right.
Nick Hempstead is missing, yet he has no interest in the occult.
If Nick was not a witch, not into any of that stuff, then why did Cherry name him? Maybe she picked a person who had a chance of fighting the killer.
Maybe she thought the killer would spare him cos he isn't a witch? Well, he's still missing.
What do you see? Victims.
A coven of witches.
That's what the killer sees.
We need to challenge our assumptions.
What if Cherry wasn't a witch? She looks the part.
Black cats, sensible shoes and a wig make you a witch? It helps.
What about the Cades? Why do we think they were witches? They lived in the Witchy House and the blind lady scared me.
There was no cauldron, spell books or crystal ball.
No evidence.
Alex Zukanov did talk to a rat.
Everyone talks to their pets.
It wasn't an imp or a familiar.
Well, he visited Dorothy.
Bysack said she'd give you gardening work if you asked politely.
She was kind to people like Alex.
I see four ordinary people.
We were wrong.
We believed if a victim died like a witch, they must be a witch.
But anyone could be accused, anyone could be next.
Now we will wait for the imps to come and suckle on your devil's teat.
Ed, I need to know more about these witch hunts.
Oh er Any specifics? I want to know why innocent people were persecuted.
Right, well erm, just give me a second.
Do, do you mind if I turn this off? Oh er, no.
Be my guest.
Well, there are lots of theories.
Misogyny, with persecution being a way to punish uppity women.
No.
We have as many male victims as female.
Well, 17th century Europe suffered from a culture of persecution, targeting the Jews, the lepers and homosexuals.
Witches were part of the hysteria.
It was triggered by the rise of a heretical central Europe and the fears of the birth of an Anti-Christ.
Ed, it's not the 17th century, the world's changed.
OK, erm Politics? The McCarthy witch hunts were about rooting out communists.
No, we We need a reason why our killer would think perfectly ordinary people might be witches.
Fungus! What? There is another idea.
In 1646, the Thames froze and the roads were snow-bound and so food couldn't be transported.
People were forced to rely on stores of rye, but the rye was contaminated with fungus.
What does this fungus do? It causes ergot poisoning.
Yeah.
OK cool, right.
See you later.
You are notseeing my sister! It's a bit late for that, mate! What are you doing? What the hell is going on? That's enough! Pack it in! Stop it, that is an order! I was just about to do that.
I will not have this kind of behaviour in my incident room.
Are we clear? Yes, sir.
Sir.
Tidy up.
Don't let it happen again.
It won't.
No imps.
There's no imps.
Maybe you aren't a witch.
No, I'm not.
I told you I'm not, and I don't know anyone who is.
I don't know any witches.
If you are a witch, there will be a part of you that doesn't bleed.
No please, no please! I will find it! OK er So, ergot poisoning causes convulsive seizures and mania.
It has also been said to be the cause of accusations of bewitchment and examples of whole communities believing they were cursed.
Hmm.
It also develops into gangrene.
There are historic references to ergot toxins causing people to lose limbs.
Or a finger? If the killer has ergot poisoning? He is suffering from psychosis with delusions.
Delusions that he's been cursed.
Ergot poisoning? From mouldy rye.
Happens often, does it? Hmm! Not since the 19th century.
But he thinks it's happened here? It fits.
Where would someone get ergot poisoning? Badly stored cereals, somewhere damp and cool.
Well, there's lots of dodgy windmills all over Whitechapel.
I was thinking of bakeries.
There was an artisan bakery off Brick Lane specialising in sour doughs, rye breads, that kind of thing.
It was flooded last year and had to close.
The owner was called John Washington.
He had a daughter who died of an undiagnosed illness.
His wife left him soon after that.
The bakery flooded, he lost his house, the insurance refused to pay out.
He complained to the paper, but it didn't change his fortune.
That's a lot of bad luck for one man.
We've met him before.
The homeless bloke, where Zuckanov lived.
If Washington has ergot poisoning, he's gonna die.
No! He just needs medical attention.
He can survive this.
He can be saved.
Bysack! Bysack! Where's Washington? He has a plague.
Wewe didn't want him here.
Where's he gone? Crawled off somewhere to die, I guess, somewhere quiet.
Like a rat.
He's not to die under any circumstances.
No suicides or anything like that.
Mansell, go in the back.
Kent, stay here, I don't want him getting away.
Yes, sir.
Ugh, rye.
It stinks.
Boss.
Shh.
Ugh! I know there's more of you.
Give me a name and I'll spare your eyes! No, there's more of them! They have to be sent back to hell! Nick? Can you hear me? You're going to be OK.
You're safe now.
The good news is Nick Hempstead's in a stable condition, and will make a full recovery.
And Washington? The necrosis is so advanced, I'd measure his time in hours rather than days.
Thanks.
Look, this is just a coincidence.
It's bad luck.
No.
I failed again.
Ugh.
I need to find the one that cursed me.
You weren't cursed.
You ate mouldy rye in your bakery and gave yourself ergot poisoning.
The rye didn't flood my shop .
.
or make my child cough to death .
.
or make my wife leave.
I can't be cured, because medicine can't cure evil.
I need to find who did this, or I can't get better.
The people you killed weren't witches.
No, I just didn't find the right ones.
It's still out there.
I was so close.
So close So close If you say or do anything to put Erica off of me, you're dead.
And if you go near her again, you're dead.
You two getting along now? Yeah.
All sorted.
Because I'm watching you.
You don't have to worry.
Take it easy, Skip.
Who's there? Come here! What's the matter with me? Go on then! Show yourself! I ain't scared of you! I'm not scared of you, either.
Oh, sorry I .
.
thought you were someone else.
Septicaemia.
Once the infection took hold, there was nothing doctors could do.
I'm sorry.
Another killer escapes justice.
You're being too hard on yourself.
You saved Nick's life.
If you told me 500 years ago I was cursed, I'd have believed you.
Here.
Here's to bringing one in alive.
Why Whitechapel? How can so much horror be visited on such a small area? Poor Wingfield.
How can you hear a bottle open down in the archive? Come in.
I'm so sorry to intrude, but I have a matter of some urgency to share.
Have a drink.
Oh.
Yes.
After you hear this, we'll all need one.
Erm, as you know, Wingfield was trying to catch a provocateur.
The instigator of evil in Whitechapel.
This is a visual record of all Wingfield's points of surveillance.
It's a madman's map.
Yes, so it would seem.
This is us.
Here.
He was watching us from the hotel across the road.
Did you know he was also watching John Washington's bakery? Fascinating, isn't it? Washington thought his life had been blighted by a witch.
Wingfield was following an ancient evil that visited the bakery.
They were after the same person? Wingfield seemed to think so.
And he followed them to this building.
Are you saying there's a demon in this station? Right.
That's enough for one night.
Well, you criticise me for not being open-minded.
There's a rational explanation, we just need to find it.
I hope we do.
Where is your Daddy now, little girl? The victim's face was found at the Temple Ros Gallery.
He always gets a bit agitated when he's shedding his skin.
He was alive when the flaying took place.
Jesus! It's just like peeling a satsuma.
I've got no witnesses, no forensics.
I can't even identify the victim.
Gein removed their faces and wore them as masks.
Some people only look skin-deep.
The killer could be recreating scenes from all the Grand Masters.