Deadline (2022) s01e01 Episode Script

1
That a woman?
Yeah.
It's supposed to be Natalie Varga?
Well
She's not been found guilty,
she was held for questioning.
Oh, come on. Everybody knows.
She made it look like a break-in.
It's the oldest trick in the book!
The only thing that was
missing was a murder weapon
and she had to get rid of that cos
it was incriminating her.
There's a lamp in shot.
Where?
There.
No-one's gonna notice that.
Who shot this for you? Terry.
Terry? Terry who got fired off
a butter commercial,
because all the butter melted?
You give me a better budget,
I'll get a better cameraman.
Anyway, it's not gonna play on its
own like this.
You know, there's gonna be
..interviews and stuff all over it.
You hungry?
We're doing a criminologist on
Wednesday.
We're out to neighbours,
university friends.
George Varga's Hungarian,
so his contacts are all out there.
What was he doing here?
He's an art dealer, collector.
Autopsy?
The only thing that's come out is he
was whacked from the front.
Does she get the money?
Hmm. It's complicated.
Have you tried her?
There is no way Natalie Varga is
gonna talk to the likes of us.
We're a tiny doc.
Seriously, you're lucky it's not me
and Terry interviewing each other.
How was Spain?
Great, thanks.
The kids hate me marginally
less than they did before we went
and Pete lost his phone,
so actually had to talk to us.
Oh!
The press really do love
an evil woman.
They just love evil.
So do the readers.
The fact that she's beautiful
doesn't help her.
That and the fact that she laughed
when they questioned her.
Was that corroborated?
She hasn't denied it.
So, basically, a woman
doesn't show the correct emotions
in the correct order.
What about her alibi?
She could have got across town
and back
before the CCTV camera's picked
her up.
Look, there's a chart.
A chart!
I didn't know we had a chart.
Case closed.
And the CCTV cameras at their house
were off all day.
That could have been him.
What was George Varga up
to before he died?
I didn't know we had money to go
to Hungary and talk to people.
I hear the people in
Hungary have phones.
Lookshe was a bit of a raver
at Cambridge,
she hooks up with a rich
older dude Bit of a raver?
..who conveniently winds up
murdered.
Barbara
..she was flirting with the police
when they arrested her.
Says who? The police?
They let her back in the house.
Yeah, they have to if you don't
have anywhere else to go.
And what about family?
There's a mum,
but they're estranged, so she's not
gonna talk to us.
And there's a brother,
but he's dead, so he's not
going to talk to us either.
I think we should get you on
to something a bit more
What?
Less trashy.
Trashy pays the rent.
Stay back.
Well, it's not
a press conference
as you or I would understand it.
Any media they deem hostile,
including ourselves,
have been excluded.
The question is whether those in
the room
will push her on those
inconsistencies in her account.
Here she is.
Natalie Varga making her
first public appearance
since she was questioned.
She looks like she's dressed for
an awards do. Is that her lawyers?
..in Hungary, which they say
police here
No. PR.
And no, they're going straight to
questions.
Why was your phone off all night?
Were you sleeping with Vera Dorati?
Tell him to fuck off.
Why was the CCTV switched
off at your house?
What the fuck is she doing?
OK, even I admit it's a bit mad.
Are you going to answer any
questions, Mrs Varga?
Don't you want to address any of
the questions people have about you?
Don't you want to defend yourself?
She did it.
She definitely did it.
- Laura?
- Yes?
Laura, hi, my name's James Alden,
I'm calling from Umbrella Pictures.
Bill, hi there, my name's James
Alden,
I'm calling from Umbrella pictures.
We're covering the George Varga
case.
What we're looking for is any
..footage that anyone might have on
their home security.
Anything on the street, really.
Er, obviously, you're one of her
neighbours, so
I'mnot sure No, no.
I completely agree, the press has
been appalling.
No ..nothing like what they've
been saying.
Exactly, that's why we're doing
a much more sympathetic piece.
I know, how have they not charged
her yet?
It is. It is police
incompetence, exactly,
That's entirely the angle that we're
coming from as well.
If there's anything that you wanna
do to help her out,
support her story.
..press conference, which
was more questions and no answers,
there's now an interview
with Natalie Varga's mother,
who paints her daughter in pretty
unflattering terms.
And in the last few minutes,
the latest in this tit for tat.
It's now revealed Natalie Varga's
family
have criminal connections of their
own.
Overall, I have got to say, it does
still feel
Natalie Varga is the one with more
questions to answer.
Hey. You still in bed?
No, I'm up.
I just got off the phone
with Natalie Varga's legal
representative.
Sorry, who called?
It was her lawyer.
At first, I thought they were
asking for a copy of the doc
and then I thought, "Well why
wouldn't they just phone legal?"
Barbara, what did they say?
Well, that's the thing. Very little.
She asked if you were still
working at the production.
I said yes.
And then she asked if you were
available
to meet with Natalie Varga.
Boom.
Hi, this is James Alden,
I have a 9.15 appointment.
You're early. One moment, please.
Ms Varga will be with you shortly.
She would be grateful if you could
please wait.
No problem.
Tell her take as long as she likes.
I'll let her know.
May I help you? Oh.
Uh, yeah, I was just looking
for a bathroom.
This way.
Thanks.
Ms Varga is ready now.
Hi.
Mr Alden. James. Please, James.
Natalie. Or Mrs Varga.
I don't really mind.
Please, have a seat.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry to keep you waiting.
To be honest, I've just got up.
I had a bit of sleepless
WellI didn't get any sleep.
I can't begin to imagine what you're
going through.
Well, I just did this disastrous
press conference,
you probably saw it
..where they told me not
to answer any hostile questions,
but, of course, all the questions
were hostile,
which meant I didn't answer
any questions
and I was like a rabbit in the
headlights
and I just felt so strange,
you know,
sitting there, like a zombie, so I
just
I did this stupid smile, which made
me look
Anyway, I think I'd be more
suited doing a one-to-one interview.
Or a "profile piece," I think it's
what you people call it.
And just, like, the first step,
in undoing all thatdamage.
Yeah, some of the press
has been, er
..horrendous.
Erm, where would you do
the interview?
If it was you?
Well, we couldwe could do it
pretty much anywhere.
Here?
You've met Mrs Molnar?
Not formally.
You'd be liaising with me,
as to the exact content of the
interview and the location,
were we to we'd go ahead.
I mean, we'd be very careful.
We'rewe're really accustomed
to shooting in expensive locations.
No cameras in the house.
Right, look, erm
..maybe I should talk to your
lawyer.
We could iron out all the details
Mrs Molnar is my legal
representative,
so if you could run everything past
her.
I'm completely out of my depth
with this sort of thing,
but I trust her implicitly.
Right.
When did you stop being
a serious journalist?
II wasn't aware that I had.
Oh, sorry.
I didn't mean it like that.
It's justMrs Molnar put
together a kind of a shortlist
of who might be good to do an
interview
and you were more
..of an investigative journalist a
while back.
Well, I think I still can be.
On a good day.
But I mean
What were they again?
The VIP prostitution ring.
The, umundercover police scandal.
These were big stories,
but more recently, you've been doing
more
..commercial work.
Well, everyone has to make a living.
And there's just no budgets for that
deep investigative stuff any more.
The police have been useless.
And they've made up their mind
I either killed my husband or had
him killed.
They may not be able to convict
me
Well, I'm assuming they can't,
because I didn't do it.
They're certainly not doing anything
to find who did it.
We have researched you
and it seems that,
in your earlier career,
you made yourself extremely
unpopular
..for doing whatever it takes
..to find the truth.
I'll give you the interview.
The one everyone wants.
But in return,
I want you to find the person who
killed my husband.
What d'you make of her?
She's actually pretty nice.
Not at all like she comes
across in the press,
which, of course, could all be an
act.
She had her lawyer with her,
who I thought was a maid.
The whole thing was fucking bizarre.
Do you know anyone who
knows anyone on the inquiry?
Barbara, no copper is gonna talk to
me.
You're the only one beating yourself
up over that.
No-one holds a grudge
against you except you.
I can pull in some favours.
Look, whatever she asks, we're not
going to say no, are we?
You still think she did it?
Yeah.
She's a bloody good actress.
Mrs Varga, welcome.
Um, allow me to introduce my
producer, Barbara Curtis.
Very good to meet you.
It's called an Interrotron.
It's supposed to make the whole
..being interviewed thing feel less
stressful.
Because you can feel like you're
looking at me,
rather than down a lens.
"Interrotron." It's
..it's not the most relaxing word.
Agreed.
Natalie, in this first section,
we'll just go over the
more general questions
about you and your background.
OK? James.
Let'slet's talk about your
childhood. Growing up.
Where was it? Erwho were
your parents? That kind of thing.
I was born in Bermondsey.
Well, my mum, Mary, raised
us, really.
My brother, Oliver, and me.
My father, I never really knew.
Er, you mentioned your brother,
Oliver, there.
Could you talk a little about him?
He
Oliver
..died four years ago.
He took his own life.
I'm sorry.
It was an overdose.
He left a note, sowe know
it was deliberate.
Were you close?
We're twins. We were
We are twins.
Do you know why he did it?
I'm sorry, I
..Idon't understand what that's
got to do with this.
It's a profile.
The more people know about you,
the more they can understand why you
present the way you do.
Like someone who killed her husband?
No.
Like someone who's been very
badly hurt before
..and knows how to get through it.
Oliver got into trouble in Budapest.
He ran up debts with some bad
people.
Andhe did some bad things
himself.
He always came to me
and I always bailed him out.
Until I realised it wasn't doing him
any good, so I stopped.
You have to do that with addicts.
It'sit's what everyone tells you.
And then he killed himself.
Well, that must have been
unbelievably hard.
I blamed myself for ages.
You learn to come to terms with the
fact that
there are some people you just
can't save.
If it wasn't for George, I
..I wouldn't be around either.
Let's talk about him a bit.
I mean my job took me all over
the world, but
..in Hungary, I met George.
George was a collector.
He always loved
..beautiful pieces, I suppose.
We met at an auction house in
the Palace District.
We got talking and he was interested
in Archaic Etruscan ceramics.
So we continued our conversation
along the Danube and
..I just remember there was the most
incredible sunshine.
It turned out he was lying about
the Etruscan bit.
He had been swotting up from
a brochure,
when he realised it was my area of
expertise.
But
..by then, I was
..I was falling in love with him.
Did you kill him?
I loved my husband.
And someone took him from me.
I want him caught
and I want him punished.
That's enough for today.
What? Sorry
Only James can call cut.
Cut!
We've only just begun.
We're finished for today.
Did you get what you needed?
It would be a lot better if
you didn't have a minder with you.
I'll be even more nervous if she's
not there.
Couldn't you see me shaking?
Look, if you are really
feeling nervous
..put your thumb on these points
here.
Acupressure.
Your thumb on your palm.
It relieves anxiety, like that.
It really does work.
Do you ever get nervous?
Sure.
If you don't get a bit nervous,
you're not doing it right.
Any other tips?
Try not to nod when I'm
asking questions.
It makes you look like you agree
with me.
And don't blink, if you want people
to believe you.
Hmm. Now you're coaching
the witness.
I'm not a prosecutor.
You should come round for dinner.
After we do the next interview.
Tell me what you've found.
Is there anything you don't eat?
Er, no.
Oh, and you need to talk with Mrs
Molnar.
Why, is she cooking? No.
Just to discuss the terms before we
do the next bit of the interview.
Theterms?
The tapes of the interview.
As part of our agreement,
I take care of the tapes.
Right. Ermhave you seen
the provisional contract
our legal department drew up?
This interview will only continue
so long as Mr Alden investigates
this case.
I'm sorry,
that's not how documentaries work.
We can't split the interviews up
over different days,
we need to shoot it all in one go,
otherwise we're gonna get into
continuity errors,
and the emotional continuity will be
all over the place.
If you can demonstrate progress
..Mrs Varga will, uh
..will submit to the next part of
your profile.
She's holding our footage hostage.
"Quid pro quo" is the legal term.
Well
..we're going to need
a written contract of some sort.
That won't be happening.
The cards, please.
I will be careful.
I know how valuable they are.
We have arranged for you to meet
with Vera Dorati.
After that, you can pursue the
investigation any way you see fit.
Everyone is a suspect.
It's ridiculous. We've only got
their word for it
we're even going to get any more
interview.
I mean, she knows, she
knows we've got just enough
to get us interested, but not enough
to actually make a documentary.
It's not her,
it's Natalie calling the shots.
Oh, come on, it's that Ms Molnar
who's got her claws in.
Bloody lawyers.
She can't expect you to actually
find the killer.
Thanks. What, what's the rush?
I want to see how long it takes to
get from Vera's to Natalie's.
Google Maps? Well, that's fine, if
you're driving at the speed limit,
which, if you're trying
to fake an alibi,
after clubbing your husband
to death, you're probably not.
Just a bit of basic journalism.
"I want him punished."
Huh?
I want "him" caught and punished.
Why "him", and not "them"?
Just a bit of basic journalism.
3.54.
That's less than half-an-hour.
And in early afternoon traffic.
Just cos she could make it there
and back, doesn't mean she did.
Hi, er, Vera?
James Alden. We spoke on the phone.
I agreed with Molnar to talk
to you. Who's this?
This is my producer, Barbara Curtis.
No, this is not about your TV show.
This is to find out who killed
George Varga.
I'll be in the car.
We went out for drinks in
a bar in Shoreditch.
A lot of people saw us there.
There's a CCTV footage that proves
it. And they say, what?
She could get an Uber over there
and kill him? That's just stupid.
Do you know if there was any trouble
between Natalie and her husband?
She was with me. All night.
That's it.
How did you meet Natalie?
She came to a show in Budapest.
We started talking
and I liked her, she's smart.
Then we saw each other through,
you know, mutual friends,
and then her brother took his
own life.
And I lost a friend, too, so
Anyway, we kind of bonded over that.
Was George part of the same set?
No. George was totally straight.
He's one of those people who
makes their money in a boring world
and tries to buy some creativity.
Natalie, she understands the
creative.
Were you sleeping together?
Sorry, Natalie said I should ask
whatever I needed.
Before she met George.
Once they got together, no, of
course not.
She's a good friend.
Friends are rare.
So, are we all done here?
Actually, I'm very interested in
this.
You like it?
Natalie has one exactly the same.
She commissioned me to do it,
so I hope it's not in a skip.
Did she choose the subject?
One time, I said maybe we'd tried
enough permutations.
It's the closest I've ever seen her
to being angry.
I know what you're thinking.
This looks like blood.
I always tell Natalie that she's
very sensitive.
I think she saw her husband's death
before it happened.
But that night
..she was with me.
See that guy?
He arrived about five minutes ago.
He was checking you out just now,
as you came out.
Yeah, he was outside Natalie's
house. I thought he was a pap.
Maybe George Varga's friends
have hired someone too.
Tell us about the night
George was murdered.
On the night he
..when it happened
..I was with a friend of mine.
Vera. She's an artist.
We had dinner together in
East London
and then I went back to her's
for drinks.
It got late, so
..I phoned George
to say I was staying over.
I slept on her couch,
so I woke up early.
I rang George.
Thinking he'd be at work.
But he didn't answer.
I didn't think anything of it.
I just thought, "Mm, he must be
busy."
So I got to the house.
I made myself a coffee.
I was puzzled, because
..there'd been no sign that he
was home, so
..I rang his mobile.
About half an hour later,
the cleaner found his body.
I know this is crazy and
..people think I'm crazy, but
..when the police started
questioning me
as though I did it, as though I
killed my own husband,
I thought it was a joke.
So that's why I laughed.
Which the press have made into
a big thing,
but it was just
That's how surreal it was.
The thing is Natalie, I'm a bit
confused
..because you said that
Vera was a friend.
And I spoke to her,
and she said you weren't friends.
She told me that before you married
George,
that you were lovers.
It's true.
But that was years ago.
Before I met George
and found out who I was.
Perhaps we should stop here?
Eight o'clock?
Great.
Just the three of us?
She will expect to hear progress.
You play?
George did.
Ah.
We don't have to make conversation.
We can talk shop.
The painting you commissioned.
She said you were quite obsessed
with it.
You mustn't believe everything
Vera tells you.
I commissioned it
because she needs the money.
She's always been broke,
ever since I've known her.
Anyway, you're supposed to be
finding out who killed him,
not who I slept with ten years ago,
or what pictures I hang on the wall.
Your husband is
Sorry, murdered
the way he was
..and you commission a painting
like that?
Like what?
Like something happened to his head.
Really?
Well, just looks very violent.
It could be my brother.
Could be a self-portrait?
Was your brother violent?
If I had murdered my husband,
it'd be pretty mad to commission a
painting about it, before the fact.
If the tabloids got hold
of it, they'd have a field day.
Mrs Molnar
..told me about a case of yours.
A Laura somebody?
What'd she tell you?
Nothing, really. Just that, erm
..a case went wrong
and you either quit, or
We don't have to talk about it.
Is Barbara really your boss?
You don't speak to her like she's
your boss.
That's cos we've known
each other forever.
Did you go out with her?
If you want more than one-word
answers,
you have to ask more open-ended
questions.
Tell me about your relationship.
No.
No, we tried it.
Didn't work out, we're better as
friends.
With or without benefits?
No, I'm like herannoying brother
at this point.
Had one of those.
Sorry. Seem to keep putting my
foot in it.
Do I make you nervous?
I know a little trick for that.
It's just not very professional
to be socialising with your subject.
Thought you'd get better dirt
that way.
Anyway, we're not socialising.
This is work.
You're here because you want
an interview.
And let's not kid ourselves,
there's
no real rapport going on here.
I am doing everything I can
to find whoever killed your husband.
Do you want to see where it
happened?
Forensics unsealed it yesterday.
Come on.
They keep saying
the CCTV was switched off.
It wasn't.
It's been playing up for weeks.
George thought we'd been hacked.
And what if it was him?
Whoever he was meeting,
he didn't want me to know about.
Who do you think that was?
I don't know everything about
his business.
Sure it was business?
If he was having an affair, I
doubt he'd bring them back here.
You made a reconstruction.
Who told you that?
I'd like to see it.
I don't have it. It's at the office.
I think you can get it on
your phone.
Another condition.
I'd rather you showed me
because I asked you to.
There's my hand. Lovely.
You think I did it.
I thought you might have.
But now you're not sure?
Goodnight, James.
Thank you.
I want him caught and I want
him punished.
When did you stop being a
serious journalist?
That the woman?
Trashy pays the rent.
What did you do with her body,
Mr Alden?
Hello? Mr Alden, I need you to
come to the house.
Right now?
She's not well. I'm afraid she's
gonna do something.
She got pills from the bathroom
and she locked herself in her room.
She says she'll only speak to you.
I have Mr Alden with me.
It's open.
I thought I could tell you.
Natalie?
Natalie.
You can trust me.
I know who killed him.
My brother.
He was charged with attempted
murder.
He wanted to control every move
I made.
We can't use this.
You're a journalist, not a fucking
thief!
We are investigating a murder.
You and your bloody ego.
He's trying to kill me.
We're out of here.
Fucking scum! This is my house!
Vera.
She's unstable.
You want to give me a kicking?
Get off me!
Keep pushing. When's the last time
you lost control like that?
When I killed my husband.