Strike (2017) s05e04 Episode Script
Season 5, Episode 4
1
Margot Bamborough. Missing since 1974.
There was a book written
by a man called Carl Oakden.
There were lots of names
of people who knew Mum.
In terms of people we haven't spoken
to, there's Steve Douthwaite..
- Who's the guy in the shirt?
- You're a married woman.
You need to behave yourself.
Margot was a good doctor.
She knew her stuff.
Yeah. I suppose so.
And you've no alibi for the evening
Dr Bamborough went missing?
I can't magic one up, can I?
Talbot was looking for a serial killer.
I think he might have found one.
You and me ♪
Me and you ♪
Somehow we made it through ♪
I may be gone ♪
I may be far away ♪
But I walk beside you ♪
Every step of the way ♪
When you're used ♪
Bruised ♪
Black and blued ♪
Don't think about it ♪
Never doubt it ♪
I'll walk beside you ♪
Steve Douthwaite started seeing
Dr Bamborough as a patient.
He complained of stomach aches,
headaches.
He made six appointments
to see her in six weeks.
DI Talbot was looking for a
serial killer.
He was also looking for a pattern.
We think before he got unwell
he found something important.
Talbot links Steve Douthwaite
to three deaths.
Joanna Hammond was married but
having an affair with Douthwaite.
She died by ingesting
industrial weedkiller.
It was ruled a suicide,
but there were bruises found
on her face and neck.
Someone could have knocked her out
and poured it down her throat.
Hold up. She had visible bruises
and no-one followed it up?
Her husband used to beat her up.
There were older bruises
all over her body.
They must have assumed it was
normal for her.
- Different times.
- This is the last victim,
the one Talbot refers to as Julie W.
A year after Margot disappeared,
Steve Douthwaite changed his name
to Steve Jacks and went to work
at Baxton's holiday camp.
He start going out with Julie
Wilkes shortly before she was found
drowned in the camp pool, intoxicated.
The third death linked to him.
We could do with your help finding him.
After Julie Wilkes dies, he vanishes.
I feel like I've read the entire
internet looking for him.
Changed his name to Steve Jacks.
He might have changed it again.
Well, there's no compulsory
register for name changes.
The staff at the practice think
Douthwaite sent Margot
a box of chocolates.
And we believe this is the empty box.
We know the cleaner emptied the bin
before the police searched her office.
So we know Margot didn't throw
it away, even though it was empty.
Now, Gloria Conti remembers seeing
the box unopened on Margot's desk
less than an hour before Margot left.
Did she think they were drugged?
Something odd about them.
Thing is, if you're drugging
chocolates, how do you dose them?
How do you know how many she's going
to eat
or if she's going to take them
home or give them away?
I don't see how you can plan
with that many variables
if the timing matters.
And the timing did matter.
We know that, because she walked out
and she never got to that pub.
We also believe the witness who saw
two people struggling is credible.
Even if she didn't eat
the chocolates, Douthwaite could
have waited and attacked her.
Used something to subdue her.
Do you want us to take a look
at the box?
Yeah, that would be great if you could.
Our prints are all over it. Sorry.
We're going to talk
to the practice staff.
Douthwaite is seen in a home movie
Dr Gupta made at the Christmas party,
so he's definitely someone's guest.
But any help you can give us
I'll get a couple of lads on it.
I said Douthwaite was
a fishy fucker, didn't I?
I want to ask about Steve Douthwaite.
Steve was a gorgeous man.
He lived in my block.
Always had a joke for you.
I love a man who can make you laugh.
Mind you, he had his problems,
though, didn't he?
When whatshername died.
- Who?
- His girlfriend, Joanna something.
Thing is, she was married.
She killed herself and left three kids.
And people blamed Steve for it.
How was Steve when Margot disappeared?
I don't think I saw him.
He up and left. He cleared out.
He didn't even say goodbye.
I thought we were mates.
Any idea where he went?
No.
He liked a drink, though.
And men like that
don't always last long.
Steve
He was a bit of a flirt,
I could tell you that much.
Standing by my desk,
looking down at my you-know-whats.
Did Steve ever send Margot gifts?
Well, I was there when this box
of chocolates arrived,
and she just chucked them in the bin
straight away,
right in front of us,
as if she's above it all.
Thing is, she's a total hypocrite,
because when she thinks nobody's
looking,
she goes and takes them out again.
I have seen her do it.
This is about them chocolates,
innit? Cos I don't honestly think
he sent them.
And even if he did,
Margot chucked them away.
She took one look at them
and tossed them in the bin.
Why would she do that?
Probably showing off she wouldn't
take gifts from patients.
Do you think Steve made so many
appointments with Margot
because he had a crush on her?
Yeah.
Yeah, I reckon.
I was there the last time he came round,
and he'd been in with Margo
and he rushed out.
Hiya, Steve.
He was in a terrible state.
Probably just been told
he's got herpes, eh, Jan?
And I thought maybe she'd turned him
down, or else she'd had her fun
and then told him to scarper.
I mean, you're not going to turn
down that big fancy house
for a double-glazing salesman, are you?
Anything else I should know?
Well, I don't like to gossip, but
..I reckon Margot
thought Carl Oakden was dodgy.
His grandma was Margot's patient,
and she was on bed rest after an op.
And suddenly she's fallen down
the stairs,
and Carl inherited the house.
Well, I'm only telling you this
cos you are working with him.
What makes you think that?
He told me.
He came over a few days ago
asking me all sorts.
If he comes back, don't let him in.
He's got nothing to do with me.
Oh.
Saul, I don't really understand
your last invoice.
Yeah. Pat's got you covered.
She understands everything.
What I don't understand is why
you've charged for three dinners
when you've been doing surveillance.
Yeah. Yeah, I tried surveillance,
and it was going nowhere.
But I have got a good instinct
about Shifty's PA.
You finished that job.
No. No, Strike put me back on it.
Ask him. The client paid for more info.
I'm not messing about.
I want to do a good job. It's Christmas.
I need this gig.
I'll talk to Strike.
Understood. Thanks, Robs.
Can you call me Robin?
My ex used to call me Robs.
And you divorced him over that?
- All right?
- Yeah.
Sorry I missed the meeting.
- Have you got Carl Oakden's details?
- Yeah.
Why? Do you think he's got
something on Douthwaite?
I want to bloody wring his neck.
He's been telling people
he's working with us.
Can he do that?
He's been doing it. Better make sure
it's somewhere public,
so I'm not tempted to strangle him.
You two are always going off to meet
people you either don't like
or who might have killed someone.
I'm just saying, in most jobs,
going out for drinks is a perk.
Excuse me. What's going on?
Jonny Rokeby. Are you a guest?
No, I'm not.
Cormoran, around the corner
I know. Rokeby's party.
Yeah. I clocked it.
I should have checked after Oakden
insisted on meeting here.
He's probably being paid to get me here.
"Estranged son drinks around
the corner as Rokeby celebrates."
Makes it look like I showed up
and then bottled it.
- Is Oakden here yet?
- He's sat at the back.
Here.
- Shall we?
- Mmm.
Hi.
Cormoran Strike.
This is my partner, Robin Ellacott.
Not Robin Cunliffe?
You must have me mistaken
with someone else.
Do I?
Uh, club sandwich and another
one of these on his tab.
We heard you visited Janice Beattie.
Yeah, I did.
I'm thinking of writing a new book.
Maybe you can give me a quote
for the cover.
The last thing of yours I read was
an article about Steve Douthwaite.
[HE CHUCKLES]
Steve Jacks.
I liked him.
The press didn't.
Do you know why? He liked screwing birds
and birds liked screwing him.
That's all he ever did wrong.
How did you track him down?
Mate of mine went on holiday at
Baxton's and recognised him
from the papers. I was trying to
get a job in journalism.
Reckoned I had a scoop.
- How was he when you got there?
- Pissed off.
But he did talk to me.
Did he say why he'd changed his name?
That's obvious.
He'd had a bad time,
wanted a fresh start.
I don't blame him.
You know why he went for Jacks?
It was from a singer he liked,
Terry Jacks.
He wrote a whole list of singers.
Gary Glitter, Neil Diamond, David Essex.
He got some girls to pick
their favourite,
and they went with Jacks.
I told him, "You should have gone
with Steve Glitter."
It's got a real ring to it.
[HE CHUCKLES]
Did he talk about Margot Bamborough?
Yeah. He was her patient. End of.
You're going to need something
more substantial than that
if you're going to write
another book about her.
Oh
I'm not writing a book about her.
She's old news.
My book's about you, Cormoran.
Huh!
I went to see Janice Beattie
to find out how you operate.
Got a tip-off you were working
the Bamborough case.
There's no trick to how we operate.
We just turn up and ask questions.
Me too.
And it's my turn now.
We're not doing that.
What do you reckon the 1970s
did to women?
There was Margot palming off
her kid to a nanny,
even though she never needed the money.
Something went wrong with motherhood.
I mean, look at Leda Strike.
Always off chasing some rocker.
And here we are with the result.
[HE CHUCKLES]
Come on, Cormoran. People are
filming. He's setting you up.
If you write anything about me,
I'll devote my agency
to destroying you. It won't take long.
Standard operating practice?
Pay for your own sandwich.
- Let's go out the back.
- Where's your curiosity, Cormoran?
Don't you want to know what I dug up
on your mum and dad?
Ignore him.
You know your dad's
just round the corner.
Why don't you pop in and thank him
for fucking your mum
on a pile of beanbags
with 50 people watching?
- Ohh!
- Argh!
[GLASSES CLATTER]
- Fuck!
- Ohh
- Robin
- I want you to leave right now.
Did you see that?
He assaulted me. Call the police.
You could be sent to prison.
You'd lose everything.
- I'll take you to A&E.
- Don't be ridiculous.
- I'll take you home.
- Just Just get me something to eat
and a strong drink.
I had a thought about Douthwaite.
If he took his borrowed name
from a singer
Could you just get me something to
mop up the blood? Please.
I've ordered a curry. Won't be long.
- How's your nose?
- It's not broken.
How is it now?
Colder. It's all right.
You can stop fussing.
It was an accident.
Yeah, I know.
But you're only trying
Why did you let him get
under your skin like that?
You knew it was a set-up.
My father's kids have been on at me
about meeting Rokeby.
He's been calling too.
I thought I was
- What?
- I don't know.
You've never met him, have you?
No, I have.
My mum took me to see him once
when I was a kid.
We went down to the recording studio.
I asked her to put me
in my best trousers.
- How old were you?
- Seven.
And did he like your trousers?
We weren't allowed in.
I was saying to the bloke
on the door, "You don't understand.
"He's my dad. He's asked to see me."
In the end, their manager came down
and he took us into a side room
and he was having a go at Mum
saying, "If this is about money,
"you have to go to lawyers,
not pull a stunt like this."
At some point I realised
he hadn't invited us.
It was all Mum.
Oh, God
Rokeby did come down, though.
Probably heard the shouting.
I had snot all over my face
cos I'd been crying.
I was wiping it off.
I didn't want to look like a whiny kid.
I didn't want to ruin it.
Rokeby and Mum were shouting
at each other
and, eventually, he did look at me.
And he said,
"This was a fucking accident."
I thought he meant the situation.
Even after we left, I thought
he was going to find me and say,
"Sorry about that.
"I'm having a bad day.
"I didn't mean it."
I mean, I was wearing my best trousers.
And that's why I've never
worn trousers again.
That is a terrible thing to
say to a kid.
Cocaine.
To be fair to him, he wasn't wrong.
Well, it doesn't matter
where you come from.
You're a good man,
and that's all that matters.
And that's coming from someone whose
nose you nearly broke.
I thought I was
..free of him.
It's obviously not true.
Sorry.
More booze?
Yes. Please.
I'm supposed to be going home tomorrow.
How do I look?
Be honest.
Beautiful.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Who's that?
Rohaan with the curry.
How did he get in the main door?
I had a key cut for him. Save me
going up and down the stairs.
[MORE KNOCKING]
I'll go.
No.
You know where the plates are. I'll
Oh. Hi.
Sorry. Erm
I didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh, no, no, no. That wasn't
It's honestly, honestly,
none of my business.
Boss man said he wanted these
before end of play today, so
I needed some ice for my nose,
which is why
Very Christmassy.
Have a good one, Robin.
Erm I'll leave you to it.
- Yeah. Happy Christmas.
- Yeah.
Mrs Strike?
Got your delivery.
Thank you.
Time for a change of shift.
- Martin can do the sprouts.
- It's all right. I'm happy doing them.
See? Don't ruin Robin's fun.
[BABY GURGLES]
Aww.
It's so lovely having
a baby in the house again.
Bathroom smells worse.
They're only nappies.
You can always empty the bin.
The family's expanding.
Technically, we gained Stephen's
baby but we've lost Robin's husband,
so it's zero gain.
Martin, stop being such an arse.
Sorry for being a tit at dinner.
- It was thoroughly enjoyable.
- Hmm
I'm not sure
Robin would agree with that.
When are you going to ask her out?
Kidding.
You're not the first to ask.
Any more questions about the Army?
I think I'm set.
And you should get home and wrap up.
You're getting a cold.
I'm not.
You sound nasal. It's a cold.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
PAT: Only me.
Where are you?
[HE GROANS]
Oh. Got you your post, some soup
and a few presents
from your clients and admirers.
They ought to cheer you up.
How are you feeling?
Bad.
Apple cider vinegar.
My daughter swears by it.
Maybe with chips.
Call me if you need anything.
I don't mind popping back.
- Happy Christmas.
- Happy Christmas.
Thanks, Pat.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[PHONE CHIMES]
SAUL: Robbles. Just wanted to
wish you happy Christmas.
Mine is shite.
I'd rather be on surveillance,
and that is a personal low.
Hi. I'm trying to track down
Steve Douthwaite.
I wondered if you might have
a list of his old classmates.
OK. Well, when you reopen, is there
anyone who might have the records?
OK. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Happy Christmas. Bye.
[LABOURED BREATHING]
[HE VOMITS]
[MUFFLED CHATTER]
We're having dinner
if you could bear to join us.
Oh, sorry, Mum. It's a
It's a really tough case.
There's more to life than work.
I'll be right down.
[MESSAGE ALERT]
[MESSAGE ALERT]
In what universe is it OK
for you to send me a picture
of your dick?
I'm sorry. I got it wrong.
You made a big deal out of you and
Strike not being in the flat to shag
- What?
- and You know, I thought
that you wanted me to
know that for a reason.
Please. I'm sorry.
I should kill myself now.
I can't lose this job, though.
I need the money to pay alimony.
I'll lose my girls.
Please don't say anything.
I won't tell Strike, but only
because he's had a shit year.
Don't you EVER send me anything
other than a case report ever again.
Sorry not to see you, Luce.
I love you but you do not want this bug.
I love you too, Stick.
Come over when you're better.
- Holy fuck.
- What?
Sorry. Not you.
I think I found Steve Douthwaite.
I hope you'll be very happy together.
Look, why don't you try
and stop working for two minutes
and get some sleep?
- Bye.
- Yeah. Bye.
Happy bloody Christmas.
You look terrible.
I don't care.
I've found Steve Douthwaite.
Thanks for the headphones.
You're welcome.
I am going to get you something.
That's all right. You've given me
the gift of our suspect's location.
That's all I wanted. That or a pony.
So how did you do it?
I went through the surnames
of every pop star in the mid-'70s.
Barry Manilow, David Essex,
Elton John, Mark Bolan,
David Bowie, Neil Diamond.
And I found Steve Diamond
running a guesthouse in Skegness.
Only took me three days.
The Allardice. Donna speaking.
DISGUISED VOICE: All right, duck,
is Steve in? Got a delivery for him.
Is this the sheets?
He told the boss to have us
call ahead, make sure he's in.
He's back in an hour, hen.
Well, I'll do my drop in Seathorne
and come back then. Ta, duck.
NORMAL VOICE: Was the "duck" a bit much?
I enjoyed the "duck".
- Well, we've got an hour to kill.
- I know.
Go on. Just try it.
Mushy peas.
Yorkshire caviar.
It's just wrong.
Well, they have to be mushy,
otherwise they'd roll off the chips.
See? We've thought of everything.
- Soft southerner, you are.
- Yeah.
A good sword and a trusty hand ♪
A merry heart and true ♪
King James's men shall understand
what Cornish lads can do. ♪
What was that?
Song Of The Western Men.
Gist of it is
Cornishmen aren't "soft bastards".
[SHE CHUCKLES]
Ted taught it to me.
It's good to see the water.
We used to go for donkey rides.
Fight over who got the best one.
How did you know
which one was the best one?
Whichever one Stephen picked.
[HE LAUGHS]
Poor Stephen.
Go on.
Ah
No.
No, no, no, no.
Oh
Rest in peas.
- That was terrible.
- That was brilliant.
You're just jealous you didn't
think of it first.
We'd better go.
Are you Steve's wife?
Aye. Are you looking for a room?
We were hoping for a chat with him.
We're private detectives
investigating a missing persons case.
You heard all that, did you?
Mr Douthwaite.
It's Diamond.
Why did he call you Douthwaite?
Your husband was born Steven
Douthwaite, as I'm sure you
When were you Douthwaite?
His name used to be Jacks.
We've been hired by
the family of Dr Margot Bamborough.
Steve, what have you done?
[SHE LAUGHS]
I mean, how many names
does one man need? Huh?
You don't change your name
three bloody times for nothing.
I never did anything!
We'd like to ask about
Margot Bamborough.
What about her?
We heard you sent her chocolates.
I never bought her anything.
She was my doctor.
I wasn't trying to shag her neither.
I was sick.
One witness said you looked
angry and upset after
your last appointment with Margot.
She was
- She says
- Turned you down, did she?
I didn't try it on with her!
Mrs Diamond, if you're feeling unwell,
- perhaps we can speak to Steve
- No. I'm staying. I'm hearing this.
I've got nothing else to say.
The doctor told me to get some rest.
That's it. That's all.
Final answer.
Thank you for your time.
Yours too, Mrs Diamond.
Are you planning on
telling anyone where I am?
Did you hear what
he was saying at the end?
He's worried someone's going to
come after him, isn't he?
Yeah, I think he is.
He was living as Steve Jacks
when he was working at Baxton's,
but then Carl Oakden's article
outed him as Steve Douthwaite,
but he didn't run away immediately.
He can't have been that worried
about someone coming after him.
He only ran after Julie Wilkes died.
Talbot got it wrong.
He had all the right pieces,
but he put them in the wrong order.
And it wasn't three women dead either.
If what I'm thinking is right,
the killer might have murdered at
least six people, including Margot.
I'll text you if we find anything.
All right. I'm nearly there.
- I'll be leaving in two minutes.
- OK. Bye.
[SHE GASPS]
[THUD]
[HE GROANS]
What the hell?
What is wrong with you?
It was a joke.
I was trying to break the ice.
Would you sneak up on Strike
and grab him?
Would you send Strike
pictures of your dick?
You bitch.
You said you wouldn't say anything.
I don't want your hands on me.
I don't want to see you again.
You're fired.
- You can't fire me.
- Yes, I can. I am a partner here.
Send in your final invoice.
Your NDA stands. Now get out.
I'll ring Strike.
You're too much of a coward for that.
Fuck off out of my office.
[DOOR SLAMS]
You could have stabbed him.
It's all right. I didn't.
No. I mean, if you'd stabbed him,
I'd have said it was self-defence.
Sending you pictures of his penis.
What a waste of a stamp.
Can I make you some tea, love?
Thanks, Pat.
I'd better go.
Mustn't forget the biscuits.
Thanks, Pat.
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]
[SHE INHALES]
Mr Diamond.
My name's DI George Layborn. I'm
with the London Metropolitan Police.
Now's not a good time.
[CLATTERING]
Bang as much as you want.
It's made out of metal.
Can we talk?
[DOOR CLOSES]
[PHONE RINGS]
Phone call for Beth Spencer.
You going to pick it up?
You are the Athorns' social worker.
So that's what this is about.
Look.
Samhain and Delia
are decent people, but
..they'd lose their flat if they
didn't get a bit of help from me.
I never meant to lie.
But people listen if they think
you're social work,
the same as they listen to a nurse.
Let's talk about Steve Douthwaite.
What, again?
Did you find him?
We did.
Oh, you must tell me his news.
Always liked him.
How do you take your tea?
Milk, no sugar. Thanks.
Can you tell me about
the night she died?
We'd been up drinking.
A few of us.
Julie said she'd had enough
and was going back to her chalet.
I wasn't with her.
They found her in the pool
in the morning.
They said she slipped and drowned.
Did you believe that?
I did.
Yes, I did.
Of course!
But
..as soon as she came to talk to me
..I knew.
Hello, Steve.
You look awful.
That's a terrible thing about that girl.
Want to get a drink?
I never hurt anyone.
All I did was try to get away.
Did Margot Bamborough say anything
to you about Janice Beattie?
Yeah. The last time I saw her.
You need to stop eating the food
that Janice Beattie prepares for you.
Oh, my God.
I'm not making accusations.
Nor should you, but
..take my advice.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Oh, hiya, Steve!
Probably just been told
he's got herpes, eh, Jan?
It was like I woke up
..and there was a monster in my life.
[MUG SMASHES]
I think we'll skip tea.
I think you might be
the best liar I've ever met.
You never tried to do too much.
Wrong name here or there.
I've always been clever.
Better to be pretty, though.
That's what men want.
I just wanted a chance.
Margot never thought Carl Oakden
killed his grandma, did she?
That was misdirection for my benefit.
I did tip him off
you was working on the case.
I thought it might give you
a bit of a headache.
None of that's a crime.
What about the story
you told Samhain Athorn?
That the Riccis killed Margot.
You did that so people
wouldn't wonder about
what Gwilherm Athorn was saying.
What, that he killed Margot
with his magic?
We both know he didn't kill Margot.
You have a cupboard full of poisons.
Steve Douthwaite is being
interviewed about Julie Wilkes.
You have a photo of Julie on your wall.
That's Joanna Hammond.
Did you kill all these people?
If you stop recording
..then I don't mind talking to you.
Let's talk about Steve Douthwaite.
When you read Carl Oakden's article,
you found out he was living
in Canvey Island.
What did you do then?
I went on a diet,
I bought a new dress
and I showed up at Baxton's,
and I saw him kissing some girl.
She was the only one I done
without drugs.
She was drunk.
All I had to do was hold her under
in the pool.
How'd you work it out?
The same way Margot worked it out.
I imagine she noticed things
stacking up.
The Imotil capsule in Dr Brenner's
mug that you blamed on Gloria.
People around you always getting sick.
You've been poisoning Irene
for half a century, haven't you?
Well
..she can be annoying.
Why did you start poisoning
Steve Douthwaite?
I only wanted to keep him feeling
like he didn't want to go out.
I liked looking after him.
Then he made a doctor's appointment.
The first of many.
It's cramping.
Margot thought it was stress.
But then he told her
all about his problems.
About Joanna Hammond dying
after drinking poison.
At some point, she must have started
to look at you more closely.
Hoity-toity bitch, she was.
Sticking her nose in.
You fooled everyone.
But not Margot.
Margot was a good doctor.
She noticed things.
Come on, then.
So does it happen
after you eat certain foods?
She nearly lost her job examining
Kevin without your consent.
Why would she do that?
Why wouldn't she want you in the room?
It gets bad after I have my drinks.
What drinks are these?
The drinks that Mum makes.
When did you decide to kill your child?
Kev had a tantrum when Steve came over.
[KEVIN WHINES]
I could tell Steve didn't like that.
He took off. So I thought
..Kev needs to go.
Kids don't just drop dead, though.
They don't drink weedkiller,
like Joanna Hammond.
You've got to be gradual with a kid.
It took too long, though, didn't it?
Steve Douthwaite was out of there
before you finished the job.
Was that what saved Kevin's life?
Well, there didn't seem any point
in killing him after that.
I spoke to Kevin this morning.
You never.
He's going to testify.
How did you find out about Margot?
The box of chocolates.
You told me Margot
threw them in the bin.
Can you grab me my doughnut
from the fridge?
I can open these for you, if you like.
Leave those alone, please.
But Gloria Conti saw them on her desk
during her final appointment.
It was Irene who saw Margot
take the chocolates
out of the bin in reception.
- Of course, she told you about that.
- Mm.
Irene thought Margot did it
when no-one was looking
because Margot was a hypocrite.
But you knew better.
You knew she suspected
the chocolates were poisoned
and didn't want any of the staff
knowing about it.
When Irene shared what she saw,
you knew Margot suspected you.
You knew you were on the clock.
Someone sent me a box of chocolates
at Christmas.
I only had one.
Threw it up later.
How many would it have taken to kill me?
Four or five.
If she didn't eat the chocolates,
how did I poison her?
The doughnut.
Margot sent Irene out to get her
a snack to keep her going.
I'm guessing you knew Margot
was due to go to the pub.
She'd probably eat it
just before leaving.
I injected it with
Nembutal sodium solution.
She took her time.
I started worrying
that I'd got the dose wrong.
Need some help, dear?
No, I'm fine.
She made a bit of a fuss,
but it didn't last long.
No
I needed to put her somewhere,
and the Athorns lived close by.
- Hey.
- Hey. What have you got in yours?
- [INTERCOM BUZZES]
- Chocolate biscuits.
Seems fair.
Only hauled this half a mile.
You all right?
[DOOR OPENS]
- Hi, Samhain.
- Who are you?
I'm Robin. We met before.
- Can we come in? I've brought biscuits.
- OK.
Hi, Delia. I came here once before.
We talked about Gwilherm
and how he used to say
he'd killed Margot Bamborough.
You said you only met them once.
Yeah, once for work.
But I kept in touch with them,
because I thought it would be fun
to kill a whole family.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
But what happened with Margot
changed all that.
[SHE PANTS]
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
Gwilherm was a junkie.
He let me give them all injections
if I gave him uppers.
I knocked them all out
before the surgery closed.
Do you mind if we take a look around?
Don't move my jigsaw.
Don't worry, hen. We'll be careful.
Because Gwilherm doesn't want
anybody touching it.
Does the ottoman open?
You can't open it. It's locked.
It's not allowed.
I'm calling Beth.
We're here instead of Beth.
Why don't you two go and have
some biscuits in the kitchen
and we'll call you when we've finished?
Come on, silly woman.
I left the bag of concrete
the night before.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
There's nothing here.
Oh, my God.
Jesus.
It's like it's locked from the inside.
[SHE STRAINS]
Here, we'll move this.
It's not smart to keep things
but I did think about it, though.
You sent a very similar locket
to her daughter.
That was very cruel.
I knew it would stop her snooping about.
Just like her mum.
Couldn't keep her nose out.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
It's hard dosing a junkie, because
their bodies work differently.
Oh, Gwilherm.
What have you done?
Eh? I was just walking by.
I told him I'd seen the front door open,
went up to check on,
saw a woman lying there dead.
I told him he must have done it.
Magic was the only way he could
understand. He was into all that.
How long did you wait to kill him?
Six months.
I did him with pseudoephedrine.
Looked like an overdose.
[SHE EXHALES]
He wouldn't shut up about killing her.
[THEY STRAIN]
Come on, you bastard
[SPLINTERING]
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
Inside the ottoman.
That left you with
a new problem, didn't it?
Impossible to lift
with all that concrete.
It was practically falling through
the ceiling of the shop below.
If anyone came round to clear up
that flat,
they'd find her.
You had to keep the Athorns alive.
Oh, I've done their admin, all sorts.
It's been a pain.
- And all for Steve Douthwaite.
- Mm.
Will Steve be in court?
Cos I'll enjoy telling him
what happened cos of him.
Useful lesson for men everywhere
..if you ask me.
Actions have consequences.
Time to go.
What did you get out of it?
Sometimes it's to make them grateful
after I look after them.
Sometimes it's because they piss me off,
and other times
I just like watching them go.
[SIRENS APPROACH]
It would have been nice
to have killed you, though.
That would have been a special one.
They've found Margot's locket, too.
The real one.
You should have that back
once the trial's over.
You'll never know
how much this means to me.
I'm so sorry we ever lied to you.
- We never meant
- I know why you did it.
Mum chose you to raise me.
She got that right.
We have one last thing for you.
- Um
- Dr Gupta found this.
It's not relevant to the case, but
we thought you'd like to have it.
Oh
My God.
Oh, my God.
We should probably get going.
I'll see you to the door.
- All right.
- Thank you.
When's Sarah due?
Six months.
And she wants to get married
before she has it,
which is why you finally
decided to wrap it all up.
You are good at your job.
If you knew all that, you could
have had me over a barrel.
You were there when I needed you most.
I'll never forget that.
Good luck, Robs.
[SHE EXHALES]
How many people coming?
I think about 200.
You going afterwards?
In the morning.
I'll be back soon.
She wanted to talk to you about this
at Christmas,
but Joanie thinks
..you should talk to Rokeby.
She thinks it would help you.
I know he's messed you about,
but he's still your father.
He was never my dad.
That was always you.
[MESSAGE ALERT]
STRIKE: Can you meet me
this evening? I've got a job for us.
Might need to dress up a bit.
Trying to blend in?
So what's the job?
Your birthday present.
You already got me flowers.
I should have done better.
If it's not too late, I'd like
to buy you some new perfume.
That's what you wanted, isn't it?
Did Ilsa tell you that?
I don't want to choose it for you.
You pick it out and I'll pay for it.
Afterwards I'll take you to dinner.
I like both of these,
but you've got to live with it.
In the Landy.
This one smells of cake.
You like cake.
This one is
What?
I like this one.
I prefer this one too.
Oh, God, it's not cheap.
I'll cope.
Strike.
Thank you for this.
It really means a lot.
You're my best friend.
Margot Bamborough. Missing since 1974.
There was a book written
by a man called Carl Oakden.
There were lots of names
of people who knew Mum.
In terms of people we haven't spoken
to, there's Steve Douthwaite..
- Who's the guy in the shirt?
- You're a married woman.
You need to behave yourself.
Margot was a good doctor.
She knew her stuff.
Yeah. I suppose so.
And you've no alibi for the evening
Dr Bamborough went missing?
I can't magic one up, can I?
Talbot was looking for a serial killer.
I think he might have found one.
You and me ♪
Me and you ♪
Somehow we made it through ♪
I may be gone ♪
I may be far away ♪
But I walk beside you ♪
Every step of the way ♪
When you're used ♪
Bruised ♪
Black and blued ♪
Don't think about it ♪
Never doubt it ♪
I'll walk beside you ♪
Steve Douthwaite started seeing
Dr Bamborough as a patient.
He complained of stomach aches,
headaches.
He made six appointments
to see her in six weeks.
DI Talbot was looking for a
serial killer.
He was also looking for a pattern.
We think before he got unwell
he found something important.
Talbot links Steve Douthwaite
to three deaths.
Joanna Hammond was married but
having an affair with Douthwaite.
She died by ingesting
industrial weedkiller.
It was ruled a suicide,
but there were bruises found
on her face and neck.
Someone could have knocked her out
and poured it down her throat.
Hold up. She had visible bruises
and no-one followed it up?
Her husband used to beat her up.
There were older bruises
all over her body.
They must have assumed it was
normal for her.
- Different times.
- This is the last victim,
the one Talbot refers to as Julie W.
A year after Margot disappeared,
Steve Douthwaite changed his name
to Steve Jacks and went to work
at Baxton's holiday camp.
He start going out with Julie
Wilkes shortly before she was found
drowned in the camp pool, intoxicated.
The third death linked to him.
We could do with your help finding him.
After Julie Wilkes dies, he vanishes.
I feel like I've read the entire
internet looking for him.
Changed his name to Steve Jacks.
He might have changed it again.
Well, there's no compulsory
register for name changes.
The staff at the practice think
Douthwaite sent Margot
a box of chocolates.
And we believe this is the empty box.
We know the cleaner emptied the bin
before the police searched her office.
So we know Margot didn't throw
it away, even though it was empty.
Now, Gloria Conti remembers seeing
the box unopened on Margot's desk
less than an hour before Margot left.
Did she think they were drugged?
Something odd about them.
Thing is, if you're drugging
chocolates, how do you dose them?
How do you know how many she's going
to eat
or if she's going to take them
home or give them away?
I don't see how you can plan
with that many variables
if the timing matters.
And the timing did matter.
We know that, because she walked out
and she never got to that pub.
We also believe the witness who saw
two people struggling is credible.
Even if she didn't eat
the chocolates, Douthwaite could
have waited and attacked her.
Used something to subdue her.
Do you want us to take a look
at the box?
Yeah, that would be great if you could.
Our prints are all over it. Sorry.
We're going to talk
to the practice staff.
Douthwaite is seen in a home movie
Dr Gupta made at the Christmas party,
so he's definitely someone's guest.
But any help you can give us
I'll get a couple of lads on it.
I said Douthwaite was
a fishy fucker, didn't I?
I want to ask about Steve Douthwaite.
Steve was a gorgeous man.
He lived in my block.
Always had a joke for you.
I love a man who can make you laugh.
Mind you, he had his problems,
though, didn't he?
When whatshername died.
- Who?
- His girlfriend, Joanna something.
Thing is, she was married.
She killed herself and left three kids.
And people blamed Steve for it.
How was Steve when Margot disappeared?
I don't think I saw him.
He up and left. He cleared out.
He didn't even say goodbye.
I thought we were mates.
Any idea where he went?
No.
He liked a drink, though.
And men like that
don't always last long.
Steve
He was a bit of a flirt,
I could tell you that much.
Standing by my desk,
looking down at my you-know-whats.
Did Steve ever send Margot gifts?
Well, I was there when this box
of chocolates arrived,
and she just chucked them in the bin
straight away,
right in front of us,
as if she's above it all.
Thing is, she's a total hypocrite,
because when she thinks nobody's
looking,
she goes and takes them out again.
I have seen her do it.
This is about them chocolates,
innit? Cos I don't honestly think
he sent them.
And even if he did,
Margot chucked them away.
She took one look at them
and tossed them in the bin.
Why would she do that?
Probably showing off she wouldn't
take gifts from patients.
Do you think Steve made so many
appointments with Margot
because he had a crush on her?
Yeah.
Yeah, I reckon.
I was there the last time he came round,
and he'd been in with Margo
and he rushed out.
Hiya, Steve.
He was in a terrible state.
Probably just been told
he's got herpes, eh, Jan?
And I thought maybe she'd turned him
down, or else she'd had her fun
and then told him to scarper.
I mean, you're not going to turn
down that big fancy house
for a double-glazing salesman, are you?
Anything else I should know?
Well, I don't like to gossip, but
..I reckon Margot
thought Carl Oakden was dodgy.
His grandma was Margot's patient,
and she was on bed rest after an op.
And suddenly she's fallen down
the stairs,
and Carl inherited the house.
Well, I'm only telling you this
cos you are working with him.
What makes you think that?
He told me.
He came over a few days ago
asking me all sorts.
If he comes back, don't let him in.
He's got nothing to do with me.
Oh.
Saul, I don't really understand
your last invoice.
Yeah. Pat's got you covered.
She understands everything.
What I don't understand is why
you've charged for three dinners
when you've been doing surveillance.
Yeah. Yeah, I tried surveillance,
and it was going nowhere.
But I have got a good instinct
about Shifty's PA.
You finished that job.
No. No, Strike put me back on it.
Ask him. The client paid for more info.
I'm not messing about.
I want to do a good job. It's Christmas.
I need this gig.
I'll talk to Strike.
Understood. Thanks, Robs.
Can you call me Robin?
My ex used to call me Robs.
And you divorced him over that?
- All right?
- Yeah.
Sorry I missed the meeting.
- Have you got Carl Oakden's details?
- Yeah.
Why? Do you think he's got
something on Douthwaite?
I want to bloody wring his neck.
He's been telling people
he's working with us.
Can he do that?
He's been doing it. Better make sure
it's somewhere public,
so I'm not tempted to strangle him.
You two are always going off to meet
people you either don't like
or who might have killed someone.
I'm just saying, in most jobs,
going out for drinks is a perk.
Excuse me. What's going on?
Jonny Rokeby. Are you a guest?
No, I'm not.
Cormoran, around the corner
I know. Rokeby's party.
Yeah. I clocked it.
I should have checked after Oakden
insisted on meeting here.
He's probably being paid to get me here.
"Estranged son drinks around
the corner as Rokeby celebrates."
Makes it look like I showed up
and then bottled it.
- Is Oakden here yet?
- He's sat at the back.
Here.
- Shall we?
- Mmm.
Hi.
Cormoran Strike.
This is my partner, Robin Ellacott.
Not Robin Cunliffe?
You must have me mistaken
with someone else.
Do I?
Uh, club sandwich and another
one of these on his tab.
We heard you visited Janice Beattie.
Yeah, I did.
I'm thinking of writing a new book.
Maybe you can give me a quote
for the cover.
The last thing of yours I read was
an article about Steve Douthwaite.
[HE CHUCKLES]
Steve Jacks.
I liked him.
The press didn't.
Do you know why? He liked screwing birds
and birds liked screwing him.
That's all he ever did wrong.
How did you track him down?
Mate of mine went on holiday at
Baxton's and recognised him
from the papers. I was trying to
get a job in journalism.
Reckoned I had a scoop.
- How was he when you got there?
- Pissed off.
But he did talk to me.
Did he say why he'd changed his name?
That's obvious.
He'd had a bad time,
wanted a fresh start.
I don't blame him.
You know why he went for Jacks?
It was from a singer he liked,
Terry Jacks.
He wrote a whole list of singers.
Gary Glitter, Neil Diamond, David Essex.
He got some girls to pick
their favourite,
and they went with Jacks.
I told him, "You should have gone
with Steve Glitter."
It's got a real ring to it.
[HE CHUCKLES]
Did he talk about Margot Bamborough?
Yeah. He was her patient. End of.
You're going to need something
more substantial than that
if you're going to write
another book about her.
Oh
I'm not writing a book about her.
She's old news.
My book's about you, Cormoran.
Huh!
I went to see Janice Beattie
to find out how you operate.
Got a tip-off you were working
the Bamborough case.
There's no trick to how we operate.
We just turn up and ask questions.
Me too.
And it's my turn now.
We're not doing that.
What do you reckon the 1970s
did to women?
There was Margot palming off
her kid to a nanny,
even though she never needed the money.
Something went wrong with motherhood.
I mean, look at Leda Strike.
Always off chasing some rocker.
And here we are with the result.
[HE CHUCKLES]
Come on, Cormoran. People are
filming. He's setting you up.
If you write anything about me,
I'll devote my agency
to destroying you. It won't take long.
Standard operating practice?
Pay for your own sandwich.
- Let's go out the back.
- Where's your curiosity, Cormoran?
Don't you want to know what I dug up
on your mum and dad?
Ignore him.
You know your dad's
just round the corner.
Why don't you pop in and thank him
for fucking your mum
on a pile of beanbags
with 50 people watching?
- Ohh!
- Argh!
[GLASSES CLATTER]
- Fuck!
- Ohh
- Robin
- I want you to leave right now.
Did you see that?
He assaulted me. Call the police.
You could be sent to prison.
You'd lose everything.
- I'll take you to A&E.
- Don't be ridiculous.
- I'll take you home.
- Just Just get me something to eat
and a strong drink.
I had a thought about Douthwaite.
If he took his borrowed name
from a singer
Could you just get me something to
mop up the blood? Please.
I've ordered a curry. Won't be long.
- How's your nose?
- It's not broken.
How is it now?
Colder. It's all right.
You can stop fussing.
It was an accident.
Yeah, I know.
But you're only trying
Why did you let him get
under your skin like that?
You knew it was a set-up.
My father's kids have been on at me
about meeting Rokeby.
He's been calling too.
I thought I was
- What?
- I don't know.
You've never met him, have you?
No, I have.
My mum took me to see him once
when I was a kid.
We went down to the recording studio.
I asked her to put me
in my best trousers.
- How old were you?
- Seven.
And did he like your trousers?
We weren't allowed in.
I was saying to the bloke
on the door, "You don't understand.
"He's my dad. He's asked to see me."
In the end, their manager came down
and he took us into a side room
and he was having a go at Mum
saying, "If this is about money,
"you have to go to lawyers,
not pull a stunt like this."
At some point I realised
he hadn't invited us.
It was all Mum.
Oh, God
Rokeby did come down, though.
Probably heard the shouting.
I had snot all over my face
cos I'd been crying.
I was wiping it off.
I didn't want to look like a whiny kid.
I didn't want to ruin it.
Rokeby and Mum were shouting
at each other
and, eventually, he did look at me.
And he said,
"This was a fucking accident."
I thought he meant the situation.
Even after we left, I thought
he was going to find me and say,
"Sorry about that.
"I'm having a bad day.
"I didn't mean it."
I mean, I was wearing my best trousers.
And that's why I've never
worn trousers again.
That is a terrible thing to
say to a kid.
Cocaine.
To be fair to him, he wasn't wrong.
Well, it doesn't matter
where you come from.
You're a good man,
and that's all that matters.
And that's coming from someone whose
nose you nearly broke.
I thought I was
..free of him.
It's obviously not true.
Sorry.
More booze?
Yes. Please.
I'm supposed to be going home tomorrow.
How do I look?
Be honest.
Beautiful.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Who's that?
Rohaan with the curry.
How did he get in the main door?
I had a key cut for him. Save me
going up and down the stairs.
[MORE KNOCKING]
I'll go.
No.
You know where the plates are. I'll
Oh. Hi.
Sorry. Erm
I didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh, no, no, no. That wasn't
It's honestly, honestly,
none of my business.
Boss man said he wanted these
before end of play today, so
I needed some ice for my nose,
which is why
Very Christmassy.
Have a good one, Robin.
Erm I'll leave you to it.
- Yeah. Happy Christmas.
- Yeah.
Mrs Strike?
Got your delivery.
Thank you.
Time for a change of shift.
- Martin can do the sprouts.
- It's all right. I'm happy doing them.
See? Don't ruin Robin's fun.
[BABY GURGLES]
Aww.
It's so lovely having
a baby in the house again.
Bathroom smells worse.
They're only nappies.
You can always empty the bin.
The family's expanding.
Technically, we gained Stephen's
baby but we've lost Robin's husband,
so it's zero gain.
Martin, stop being such an arse.
Sorry for being a tit at dinner.
- It was thoroughly enjoyable.
- Hmm
I'm not sure
Robin would agree with that.
When are you going to ask her out?
Kidding.
You're not the first to ask.
Any more questions about the Army?
I think I'm set.
And you should get home and wrap up.
You're getting a cold.
I'm not.
You sound nasal. It's a cold.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
PAT: Only me.
Where are you?
[HE GROANS]
Oh. Got you your post, some soup
and a few presents
from your clients and admirers.
They ought to cheer you up.
How are you feeling?
Bad.
Apple cider vinegar.
My daughter swears by it.
Maybe with chips.
Call me if you need anything.
I don't mind popping back.
- Happy Christmas.
- Happy Christmas.
Thanks, Pat.
[DOOR CLOSES]
[PHONE CHIMES]
SAUL: Robbles. Just wanted to
wish you happy Christmas.
Mine is shite.
I'd rather be on surveillance,
and that is a personal low.
Hi. I'm trying to track down
Steve Douthwaite.
I wondered if you might have
a list of his old classmates.
OK. Well, when you reopen, is there
anyone who might have the records?
OK. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Happy Christmas. Bye.
[LABOURED BREATHING]
[HE VOMITS]
[MUFFLED CHATTER]
We're having dinner
if you could bear to join us.
Oh, sorry, Mum. It's a
It's a really tough case.
There's more to life than work.
I'll be right down.
[MESSAGE ALERT]
[MESSAGE ALERT]
In what universe is it OK
for you to send me a picture
of your dick?
I'm sorry. I got it wrong.
You made a big deal out of you and
Strike not being in the flat to shag
- What?
- and You know, I thought
that you wanted me to
know that for a reason.
Please. I'm sorry.
I should kill myself now.
I can't lose this job, though.
I need the money to pay alimony.
I'll lose my girls.
Please don't say anything.
I won't tell Strike, but only
because he's had a shit year.
Don't you EVER send me anything
other than a case report ever again.
Sorry not to see you, Luce.
I love you but you do not want this bug.
I love you too, Stick.
Come over when you're better.
- Holy fuck.
- What?
Sorry. Not you.
I think I found Steve Douthwaite.
I hope you'll be very happy together.
Look, why don't you try
and stop working for two minutes
and get some sleep?
- Bye.
- Yeah. Bye.
Happy bloody Christmas.
You look terrible.
I don't care.
I've found Steve Douthwaite.
Thanks for the headphones.
You're welcome.
I am going to get you something.
That's all right. You've given me
the gift of our suspect's location.
That's all I wanted. That or a pony.
So how did you do it?
I went through the surnames
of every pop star in the mid-'70s.
Barry Manilow, David Essex,
Elton John, Mark Bolan,
David Bowie, Neil Diamond.
And I found Steve Diamond
running a guesthouse in Skegness.
Only took me three days.
The Allardice. Donna speaking.
DISGUISED VOICE: All right, duck,
is Steve in? Got a delivery for him.
Is this the sheets?
He told the boss to have us
call ahead, make sure he's in.
He's back in an hour, hen.
Well, I'll do my drop in Seathorne
and come back then. Ta, duck.
NORMAL VOICE: Was the "duck" a bit much?
I enjoyed the "duck".
- Well, we've got an hour to kill.
- I know.
Go on. Just try it.
Mushy peas.
Yorkshire caviar.
It's just wrong.
Well, they have to be mushy,
otherwise they'd roll off the chips.
See? We've thought of everything.
- Soft southerner, you are.
- Yeah.
A good sword and a trusty hand ♪
A merry heart and true ♪
King James's men shall understand
what Cornish lads can do. ♪
What was that?
Song Of The Western Men.
Gist of it is
Cornishmen aren't "soft bastards".
[SHE CHUCKLES]
Ted taught it to me.
It's good to see the water.
We used to go for donkey rides.
Fight over who got the best one.
How did you know
which one was the best one?
Whichever one Stephen picked.
[HE LAUGHS]
Poor Stephen.
Go on.
Ah
No.
No, no, no, no.
Oh
Rest in peas.
- That was terrible.
- That was brilliant.
You're just jealous you didn't
think of it first.
We'd better go.
Are you Steve's wife?
Aye. Are you looking for a room?
We were hoping for a chat with him.
We're private detectives
investigating a missing persons case.
You heard all that, did you?
Mr Douthwaite.
It's Diamond.
Why did he call you Douthwaite?
Your husband was born Steven
Douthwaite, as I'm sure you
When were you Douthwaite?
His name used to be Jacks.
We've been hired by
the family of Dr Margot Bamborough.
Steve, what have you done?
[SHE LAUGHS]
I mean, how many names
does one man need? Huh?
You don't change your name
three bloody times for nothing.
I never did anything!
We'd like to ask about
Margot Bamborough.
What about her?
We heard you sent her chocolates.
I never bought her anything.
She was my doctor.
I wasn't trying to shag her neither.
I was sick.
One witness said you looked
angry and upset after
your last appointment with Margot.
She was
- She says
- Turned you down, did she?
I didn't try it on with her!
Mrs Diamond, if you're feeling unwell,
- perhaps we can speak to Steve
- No. I'm staying. I'm hearing this.
I've got nothing else to say.
The doctor told me to get some rest.
That's it. That's all.
Final answer.
Thank you for your time.
Yours too, Mrs Diamond.
Are you planning on
telling anyone where I am?
Did you hear what
he was saying at the end?
He's worried someone's going to
come after him, isn't he?
Yeah, I think he is.
He was living as Steve Jacks
when he was working at Baxton's,
but then Carl Oakden's article
outed him as Steve Douthwaite,
but he didn't run away immediately.
He can't have been that worried
about someone coming after him.
He only ran after Julie Wilkes died.
Talbot got it wrong.
He had all the right pieces,
but he put them in the wrong order.
And it wasn't three women dead either.
If what I'm thinking is right,
the killer might have murdered at
least six people, including Margot.
I'll text you if we find anything.
All right. I'm nearly there.
- I'll be leaving in two minutes.
- OK. Bye.
[SHE GASPS]
[THUD]
[HE GROANS]
What the hell?
What is wrong with you?
It was a joke.
I was trying to break the ice.
Would you sneak up on Strike
and grab him?
Would you send Strike
pictures of your dick?
You bitch.
You said you wouldn't say anything.
I don't want your hands on me.
I don't want to see you again.
You're fired.
- You can't fire me.
- Yes, I can. I am a partner here.
Send in your final invoice.
Your NDA stands. Now get out.
I'll ring Strike.
You're too much of a coward for that.
Fuck off out of my office.
[DOOR SLAMS]
You could have stabbed him.
It's all right. I didn't.
No. I mean, if you'd stabbed him,
I'd have said it was self-defence.
Sending you pictures of his penis.
What a waste of a stamp.
Can I make you some tea, love?
Thanks, Pat.
I'd better go.
Mustn't forget the biscuits.
Thanks, Pat.
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]
[SHE INHALES]
Mr Diamond.
My name's DI George Layborn. I'm
with the London Metropolitan Police.
Now's not a good time.
[CLATTERING]
Bang as much as you want.
It's made out of metal.
Can we talk?
[DOOR CLOSES]
[PHONE RINGS]
Phone call for Beth Spencer.
You going to pick it up?
You are the Athorns' social worker.
So that's what this is about.
Look.
Samhain and Delia
are decent people, but
..they'd lose their flat if they
didn't get a bit of help from me.
I never meant to lie.
But people listen if they think
you're social work,
the same as they listen to a nurse.
Let's talk about Steve Douthwaite.
What, again?
Did you find him?
We did.
Oh, you must tell me his news.
Always liked him.
How do you take your tea?
Milk, no sugar. Thanks.
Can you tell me about
the night she died?
We'd been up drinking.
A few of us.
Julie said she'd had enough
and was going back to her chalet.
I wasn't with her.
They found her in the pool
in the morning.
They said she slipped and drowned.
Did you believe that?
I did.
Yes, I did.
Of course!
But
..as soon as she came to talk to me
..I knew.
Hello, Steve.
You look awful.
That's a terrible thing about that girl.
Want to get a drink?
I never hurt anyone.
All I did was try to get away.
Did Margot Bamborough say anything
to you about Janice Beattie?
Yeah. The last time I saw her.
You need to stop eating the food
that Janice Beattie prepares for you.
Oh, my God.
I'm not making accusations.
Nor should you, but
..take my advice.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Oh, hiya, Steve!
Probably just been told
he's got herpes, eh, Jan?
It was like I woke up
..and there was a monster in my life.
[MUG SMASHES]
I think we'll skip tea.
I think you might be
the best liar I've ever met.
You never tried to do too much.
Wrong name here or there.
I've always been clever.
Better to be pretty, though.
That's what men want.
I just wanted a chance.
Margot never thought Carl Oakden
killed his grandma, did she?
That was misdirection for my benefit.
I did tip him off
you was working on the case.
I thought it might give you
a bit of a headache.
None of that's a crime.
What about the story
you told Samhain Athorn?
That the Riccis killed Margot.
You did that so people
wouldn't wonder about
what Gwilherm Athorn was saying.
What, that he killed Margot
with his magic?
We both know he didn't kill Margot.
You have a cupboard full of poisons.
Steve Douthwaite is being
interviewed about Julie Wilkes.
You have a photo of Julie on your wall.
That's Joanna Hammond.
Did you kill all these people?
If you stop recording
..then I don't mind talking to you.
Let's talk about Steve Douthwaite.
When you read Carl Oakden's article,
you found out he was living
in Canvey Island.
What did you do then?
I went on a diet,
I bought a new dress
and I showed up at Baxton's,
and I saw him kissing some girl.
She was the only one I done
without drugs.
She was drunk.
All I had to do was hold her under
in the pool.
How'd you work it out?
The same way Margot worked it out.
I imagine she noticed things
stacking up.
The Imotil capsule in Dr Brenner's
mug that you blamed on Gloria.
People around you always getting sick.
You've been poisoning Irene
for half a century, haven't you?
Well
..she can be annoying.
Why did you start poisoning
Steve Douthwaite?
I only wanted to keep him feeling
like he didn't want to go out.
I liked looking after him.
Then he made a doctor's appointment.
The first of many.
It's cramping.
Margot thought it was stress.
But then he told her
all about his problems.
About Joanna Hammond dying
after drinking poison.
At some point, she must have started
to look at you more closely.
Hoity-toity bitch, she was.
Sticking her nose in.
You fooled everyone.
But not Margot.
Margot was a good doctor.
She noticed things.
Come on, then.
So does it happen
after you eat certain foods?
She nearly lost her job examining
Kevin without your consent.
Why would she do that?
Why wouldn't she want you in the room?
It gets bad after I have my drinks.
What drinks are these?
The drinks that Mum makes.
When did you decide to kill your child?
Kev had a tantrum when Steve came over.
[KEVIN WHINES]
I could tell Steve didn't like that.
He took off. So I thought
..Kev needs to go.
Kids don't just drop dead, though.
They don't drink weedkiller,
like Joanna Hammond.
You've got to be gradual with a kid.
It took too long, though, didn't it?
Steve Douthwaite was out of there
before you finished the job.
Was that what saved Kevin's life?
Well, there didn't seem any point
in killing him after that.
I spoke to Kevin this morning.
You never.
He's going to testify.
How did you find out about Margot?
The box of chocolates.
You told me Margot
threw them in the bin.
Can you grab me my doughnut
from the fridge?
I can open these for you, if you like.
Leave those alone, please.
But Gloria Conti saw them on her desk
during her final appointment.
It was Irene who saw Margot
take the chocolates
out of the bin in reception.
- Of course, she told you about that.
- Mm.
Irene thought Margot did it
when no-one was looking
because Margot was a hypocrite.
But you knew better.
You knew she suspected
the chocolates were poisoned
and didn't want any of the staff
knowing about it.
When Irene shared what she saw,
you knew Margot suspected you.
You knew you were on the clock.
Someone sent me a box of chocolates
at Christmas.
I only had one.
Threw it up later.
How many would it have taken to kill me?
Four or five.
If she didn't eat the chocolates,
how did I poison her?
The doughnut.
Margot sent Irene out to get her
a snack to keep her going.
I'm guessing you knew Margot
was due to go to the pub.
She'd probably eat it
just before leaving.
I injected it with
Nembutal sodium solution.
She took her time.
I started worrying
that I'd got the dose wrong.
Need some help, dear?
No, I'm fine.
She made a bit of a fuss,
but it didn't last long.
No
I needed to put her somewhere,
and the Athorns lived close by.
- Hey.
- Hey. What have you got in yours?
- [INTERCOM BUZZES]
- Chocolate biscuits.
Seems fair.
Only hauled this half a mile.
You all right?
[DOOR OPENS]
- Hi, Samhain.
- Who are you?
I'm Robin. We met before.
- Can we come in? I've brought biscuits.
- OK.
Hi, Delia. I came here once before.
We talked about Gwilherm
and how he used to say
he'd killed Margot Bamborough.
You said you only met them once.
Yeah, once for work.
But I kept in touch with them,
because I thought it would be fun
to kill a whole family.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
But what happened with Margot
changed all that.
[SHE PANTS]
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
Gwilherm was a junkie.
He let me give them all injections
if I gave him uppers.
I knocked them all out
before the surgery closed.
Do you mind if we take a look around?
Don't move my jigsaw.
Don't worry, hen. We'll be careful.
Because Gwilherm doesn't want
anybody touching it.
Does the ottoman open?
You can't open it. It's locked.
It's not allowed.
I'm calling Beth.
We're here instead of Beth.
Why don't you two go and have
some biscuits in the kitchen
and we'll call you when we've finished?
Come on, silly woman.
I left the bag of concrete
the night before.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
There's nothing here.
Oh, my God.
Jesus.
It's like it's locked from the inside.
[SHE STRAINS]
Here, we'll move this.
It's not smart to keep things
but I did think about it, though.
You sent a very similar locket
to her daughter.
That was very cruel.
I knew it would stop her snooping about.
Just like her mum.
Couldn't keep her nose out.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
It's hard dosing a junkie, because
their bodies work differently.
Oh, Gwilherm.
What have you done?
Eh? I was just walking by.
I told him I'd seen the front door open,
went up to check on,
saw a woman lying there dead.
I told him he must have done it.
Magic was the only way he could
understand. He was into all that.
How long did you wait to kill him?
Six months.
I did him with pseudoephedrine.
Looked like an overdose.
[SHE EXHALES]
He wouldn't shut up about killing her.
[THEY STRAIN]
Come on, you bastard
[SPLINTERING]
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
Inside the ottoman.
That left you with
a new problem, didn't it?
Impossible to lift
with all that concrete.
It was practically falling through
the ceiling of the shop below.
If anyone came round to clear up
that flat,
they'd find her.
You had to keep the Athorns alive.
Oh, I've done their admin, all sorts.
It's been a pain.
- And all for Steve Douthwaite.
- Mm.
Will Steve be in court?
Cos I'll enjoy telling him
what happened cos of him.
Useful lesson for men everywhere
..if you ask me.
Actions have consequences.
Time to go.
What did you get out of it?
Sometimes it's to make them grateful
after I look after them.
Sometimes it's because they piss me off,
and other times
I just like watching them go.
[SIRENS APPROACH]
It would have been nice
to have killed you, though.
That would have been a special one.
They've found Margot's locket, too.
The real one.
You should have that back
once the trial's over.
You'll never know
how much this means to me.
I'm so sorry we ever lied to you.
- We never meant
- I know why you did it.
Mum chose you to raise me.
She got that right.
We have one last thing for you.
- Um
- Dr Gupta found this.
It's not relevant to the case, but
we thought you'd like to have it.
Oh
My God.
Oh, my God.
We should probably get going.
I'll see you to the door.
- All right.
- Thank you.
When's Sarah due?
Six months.
And she wants to get married
before she has it,
which is why you finally
decided to wrap it all up.
You are good at your job.
If you knew all that, you could
have had me over a barrel.
You were there when I needed you most.
I'll never forget that.
Good luck, Robs.
[SHE EXHALES]
How many people coming?
I think about 200.
You going afterwards?
In the morning.
I'll be back soon.
She wanted to talk to you about this
at Christmas,
but Joanie thinks
..you should talk to Rokeby.
She thinks it would help you.
I know he's messed you about,
but he's still your father.
He was never my dad.
That was always you.
[MESSAGE ALERT]
STRIKE: Can you meet me
this evening? I've got a job for us.
Might need to dress up a bit.
Trying to blend in?
So what's the job?
Your birthday present.
You already got me flowers.
I should have done better.
If it's not too late, I'd like
to buy you some new perfume.
That's what you wanted, isn't it?
Did Ilsa tell you that?
I don't want to choose it for you.
You pick it out and I'll pay for it.
Afterwards I'll take you to dinner.
I like both of these,
but you've got to live with it.
In the Landy.
This one smells of cake.
You like cake.
This one is
What?
I like this one.
I prefer this one too.
Oh, God, it's not cheap.
I'll cope.
Strike.
Thank you for this.
It really means a lot.
You're my best friend.