Gone (2026) s01e04 Episode Script

1
Did you kill your wife, Michael?
No, I did not.
Stay with us, just for tonight.
No, I need to be here for Dad.
The Governors are all agreed.
A suspension is a pause.
There needn't be
any negative connotation.
I know you'll have looked
through her phone records
and seen how much we spoke.
'His name is Stephen Sedgwick.
He's a dad at the school.'
He was having an affair with Sarah.
Dylan's dad's been arrested, sir
for murder.
This case you're working on
at the school,
it does still mean
you'll be working on Tina?
What did I promise you in 2004?
You'd find the bastard who did it.
What have you got in your pocket?
Diary pages, from Mum's Filofax.
What are you gonna do about them?
Burn them.
At least we still have each other.
Right?
I'm gonna go to Nan and Grandad's,
just for a few nights,
make sure they're OK.
Yeah. That's a good idea.
He knew about the affair,
makes this big song and dance
about not knowing anything,
but he knew about the affair.
Yeah. He's gone round
to do something about it.
He's clearly agitated, in't he?
Mm.
Don't you think?
If he lied to us about the affair,
what else has he lied about?
Well, there's a chance that
Sarah might not have been killed
until as late as the Thursday.
So, the rugby match didn't help him.
No.
Which means his alibi's gone.
Which means his alibi's gone.
We need to bring him in
and see what else he's hiding.
Where's Ivan?
Calling CPS
so we can charge Stephen Sedgwick.
Yes, but where?
We've got plenty of corroboration,
and the forensics'll be
at the cottage first thing.
I mean, I know we don't judge a book
by its cover, but
Wait! Samira,
can I just call you back? OK.
I want you to know,
whatever happens,
this is a safe place.
Erm, what do you mean?
It means you can come here,
shut everything away.
Everyone needs a place like that,
don't they?
Sorry, what do you?
What do you mean, "safe"?
Oh, it's just
it's just what your mum
used to call it.
She used to call it her safe place.
OK, right, I'm gonna leave
the landing light on,
just so you don't wake up
and forget where you are.
OK?
Yeah.
ALARM BEEPING
BEEPING STOPS
DOORBELL RINGS
Michael Polly, I'm arresting you
on suspicion of the murder
of Sarah Polly.
Michael Polly has been suspended,
and Alana Polly
is still on compassionate leave.
The other update
is that the police are wanting
to talk to you all individually.
MURMURING
I've said I'm sure that won't be
a problem for any of us, given
HE SIGHS
well, given what's happened.
The message is we are cooperating
in every way possible
while continuing with the timetable.
Yes.
ALL CHATTER
Can we? Can we all please?
Let's just
Let's please try not to take this
back to our respective classrooms.
All right, thank you, everybody.
My client would like to make
the following statement.
While he has of course been willing
and happy
to answer all of your questions,
Mr Polly now believes he has stated,
more than once,
that there is nothing
more substantial he can add,
either in helping you find
the person responsible
for the death of his wife
or in terms of explaining
his own whereabouts and actions
during that time.
As such, he will not be answering
any more of your questions.
Is that right, Michael?
Why, when we asked you if there was
anything else we should know,
did you fail to mention your wife's
affair with Stephen Sedgwick?
Or the fact you visited his property
on the night she went missing
and you chose not to tell us?
Michael?
Would you like me to read
the statement out again,
or did you hear it the first time?
He's definitely hiding something,
but that is not footage
of a man committing a crime,
or even at a crime scene,
or thinking about it, even anywhere
near the victim of the crime.
To be honest,
I'm not sure it gives us anything.
And Polly knows it.
It shows us he lied.
It shows he gets angry, motive.
It's not evidence.
No, but it helps. That's how
it works. We get there in stages.
If it were me,
I'd be working that timeline.
Where were Michael Polly
and Stephen Sedgwick
during the three-day period
between the last sighting
of Sarah Polly
and her body being found?
They are
our two most credible suspects,
but we can't hold either of them
without more evidence.
We have to release them.
So, let's get surveillance
on Sedgwick's house as well.
Boss.
Look, I don't know if you know,
but I was actually the first person
on this case originally.
I'm just wondering
if there's any way I can go back
to doing
more of that investigative work.
You're the FLO.
Alongside being the FLO.
That's the job you've been given.
And I like it. I really
So keep doing it, please.
Let the team focus on Michael Polly
and Stephen Sedgwick.
And don't go over Ivan's head.
I I wo
No. That's the end
of the conversation.
'Nice To Each Other'
by Olivia Dean
For Ivan -
and he's a decent enough guy,
I've worked with him -
you're a threat.
Oh, please.
We have two good suspects, and
I feel like I can't be effective.
Come on.
You could be the person who solves
two of Bristol's
highest profile cases.
I don't feel like I'm solving
anything at the moment.
Well, don't speak too soon.
SHE SIGHS
I said I'd look into the Tina files,
and I did.
There was a handbag found,
wasn't there? Yeah.
Her handbag, not far from the club.
Her silver bag.
Well, I have a mate in FRC.
And he has offered to do
a forensic review.
You would do that for me?
Yeah.
For Tina. And Carol.
That's the Mum's name, isn't it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank you.
I mean it. Thank you.
Nice to each other ♪
Here we go. Pasta for the lady.
Thank you. And pizza for the tramp.
SHE CHUCKLES
Enjoy.
I've been thinking
about this situation with Michael.
Yeah?
Mm.
If he's not saying anything,
then technically, as FLO,
I've got the best job there is,
haven't I?
I'm right in there
with the suspect.
I could interview him.
Without him knowing?
Yeah. That's what I mean, yeah.
You'd be brilliant at that.
But be careful.
You don't know what he's capable of.
DOORBELL RINGS
Alana not here?
She's gone to her grandparents'.
Hm.
They'll be wanting
to look after her.
Well, she wants to look after them.
She's lost her mother,
but they've lost their daughter,
so she wants to be there for them.
That's the type of young woman
she is.
Sedgwick's neighbour has
CCTV cameras on his house.
That's how they knew you were there,
Michael.
That's why they arrested you.
It's not like they had any choice.
And for what it's worth
Milk?
Yes, please.
And for what it's worth,
even though I could see
how agitated you were,
I thought you might've been
after him, not her.
I wasn't after anyone.
You can't say that, Michael.
No.
You can say you didn't hurt Sarah,
and you can refuse to answer
any more questions,
but you can't just shrug that off
like it's normal behaviour, Michael,
prowling around somebody's house
like that
in the middle of the night.
I'm sorry, no.
He was having an affair with
my wife, and she'd gone missing.
So I thought
that's where she might be.
And that makes sense, but
Did you see me talk to anybody
when I was there, on this CCTV?
You've seen it, yeah?
Yeah.
So did you see me confront anyone
or knock on the door?
Well, then.
"Well, then."
You say "well, then"
like that's all there is to it.
That is all there is to it.
So, why didn't you tell us
about this affair
when we first met, Michael?
You know, if you can sit there
and be so matter of fact about it
why not be like that then?
Because
It obviously hurt you, Michael.
I saw you crying.
That was not to do with the affair.
That was because she was gone.
I see.
That was not to do with the affair.
I apologise. I'm sorry.
But the question still stands,
Michael.
Why didn't you tell us
about this affair?
Because people don't expect that
of people like Sarah and I.
You know, erm
people in our position.
It's not easy for anyone, is it?
That's not good enough.
Because I knew,
and I didn't want to know.
And because
it wasn't easy to talk about,
that's all.
And it's easier now, is it?
With me?
Charlie-X-ray-655, suspect
has returned from the office, over.
SIGHS
STEPHEN EXHALES DEEPLY
FAINT VIDEO GAME
PLAYS
CONSOLE BEEPS
It's not true.
I want you both
to hear that from me.
What's not true?
I think you both know
what I'm talking about.
Why don't you tell us?
Don't talk to him like that.
Like what?
In that voice.
It's a perfectly normal question
to ask.
What's not true?
That there was something
between me and Sarah Polly.
It's all over socials
that you killed her.
It's all your fault,
and it's literally
all being taken out on me.
VIDEO GAME RESUMES
STEPHEN CLEARS THROA
I had the meeting.
We agreed I'll take a week off work.
HE EXHALES DEEPLY
Whatever you might think of me,
or think I might've done
I know what you've done.
Just let me say
what I have to say, Claire,
and then you can speak,
and I won't interrupt you, OK?
SHE SIGHS
Whatever you might be thinking,
let's try and both remember what's
the most important thing here.
That's the kids.
You said it yourself.
Dylan's school work is suffering,
and
Freya's tests are full-on, so
Don't make this about the kids.
I'm just trying to make
my point here, baby, and then
and then, like I said,
I'll be a good listener for you.
So, the less arguing and stress
they feel
the better chances they have.
I know we both agree on that.
The police are gonna ask you
to help confirm my where
No, I'm nearly done, Claire, please.
I'm so nearly done.
You know I didn't kill her.
The police are gonna ask you
to help confirm my whereabouts
around the time
Sarah Polly went missing.
If I wasn't at work,
then where was I?
And the answer is I was here,
in here, watching TV with you,
whatever we were watching,
one of your programmes.
That's all you have to tell them.
And then all this goes away.
For Dylan and for Freya.
OK?
SIGHS,
CHUCKLES
Before we have our proper chat, I
I really need to grab a shower.
These last few days have been hard.
I just wanna wash them away. Erm
His son, Dylan,
he's a special talent
when it comes to the rugby.
I mean, he struggles elsewhere
academically, but
he's a rare talent
on the rugby field.
I mean,
I don't tell him that, obviously.
That's how you coach players,
but, erm he's a joy to watch.
Erm the fact that she chose
his father,
or let his father choose her,
whichever way round it was
is a betrayal of our marriage,
of course, but
the damage it inflicts
is on so much more.
It's on my family, his family,
on the school, on its reputation.
And this boy
who can make so much of himself
playing rugby, who loves it so much,
you know, he gets the worst of me,
because of what I know.
When I should be the best coach,
the best teacher he has
I end up taking it out on him
because of her betrayal.
You know, it's cruel,
it's vindictive.
And I, erm
well, I let myself down,
that's all.
How did you let yourself down?
In the weeks leading up
to her going missing, I
I was angry.
And
I did things that
I will never forgive myself for.
Did you notice anything unusual or
strange about Michael or Sarah Polly
in the run-up to her disappearance?
Anything at all?
I'd see her going off on walks
on her own.
Where she was going, I've no idea.
I just want the rumours to stop.
What rumours are those?
That he That he killed her.
I've not heard that myself.
Not only has it not sunk in,
I just can't imagine a time
when it will ever have sunk in.
Would you be happy for us to have
a look through your phone? Mm.
If you wouldn't mind?
Sure.
Would you hand over your phone
so we can take a quick look?
I will need that back at some stage.
What was your relationship
with Sarah like?
She was friendly.
We got on perfectly well.
She did the choir.
And then there was the book club.
SCOFFS SOFTLY
There was no book club.
I wasn't invited to that.
We scrapped it because
we couldn't get enough people.
Not enough good people, anyway.
But, erm, that's fine.
I think she wanted to escape.
She was having an affair.
I saw her by the art room.
And I would see her sometimes
when I saw Alana.
You can feel it.
It's as if they want it to be him.
You can see it
on some of their faces.
But he called her.
He?
Michael.
As soon as he knew she was missing,
he called her.
I was dropped at the front door
as an eight-year-old,
and I've barely been away,
so trust me when I tell you,
it's better under his leadership
than it's ever been.
Well, it hasn't got
the best reputation.
Does that mean
I always agree with him?
Some teachers refuse to work here.
He had his fallouts
with the parents.
Yes. Do I think he has it in him
to kill Sarah?
Michael Polly
is a wonderful man.
But someone's got to have done it,
haven't they?
I can only go on
what I know of the man,
and so I'd have to say
No way.
no.
Even though I dislike him, I would
say the same for Stephen Sedgwick.
Thank you for that.
'That was not to do
with the affair.'
'I apologise. I'm sorry.'
'I was angry.
'And I did things that
I will never forgive myself for.
'That was not to do
with the affair.'
'I apologise. I'm sorry.'
'I was angry.
'And I did things that
I will never forgive myself for.'
'It obviously hurt you, Michael.
I saw you crying.'
'That was not to do
with the affair.'
'But the question still stands,
Michael. Why didn't you?'
PHONE RINGS
Wondered if you'd call.
'It's for me to call you, is it?'
Right now it is.
'That's called playing hard to get.'
No, it's called
playing hard to get back.
SHE CHUCKLES
'Listen, just to tell you,
'the guy at the forensics lab,
'he's agreed to fast-track
Tina's handbag.'
How fast is fast-track?
'They started looking today.
'They should have it
in the next couple of days.
'So, can we have
that drink tomorrow?'
The Italian?
'Again?'
Yeah, well, the Italian's
our new thing, isn't it?
'In that case, how's six?'
Yes, six I can do.
Now stop disturbing me.
Some of us have got work to do.
I'll see you tomorrow.
'That was not to do
with the affair.'
'I apologise. I'm sorry.'
'I was angry.
'And I did things that
I will never forgive myself for.'
Like I said, we will make arrests
and continue to make arrests
wherever we see it as helpful
to the investigation.
These are two such examples.
Is that not just
a scatter-gun approach?
I'm not quite sure you can describe
two of anything as "scatter-gun".
What they are is necessary.
If they were both men in their 50s,
would it be safe to say
they're parents at the school?
I'm not going to comment.
But were they known to the victim?
I'm not going to comment either.
But conversations have moved
the inquiry forward.
How have they moved the?
And both men both men
have been released without charge.
ALL CLAMOUR
That is all. Thank you.
Are you looking at other suspects?
Detective!
A few more questions.
Detective!
'Police fending off
'a seemingly endless list
of questions this morning'
'What they are is necessary.'
'..anger at what many people deem
to be a distinct lack of progress.'
'But were they known to the victim?'
'I'm not going to comment
on that either, but'
I don't know what's worse
whether he was known to her
or a stranger.
SHE SIGHS
SIGHS
You exercise.
So?
So spare me the dirty look.
You're the one with the dirty look.
Charlie-X-ray-655,
suspect moving off, over.
The police are still watching
in case you didn't know.
They're not hiding the fact, Dylan.
They want us to know
they're interested in your dad.
As if we need fucking reminding.
SHE SIGHS
Sorry.
He wants me to go to the police
and tell them the times he was here.
You better not be helping him.
I've seen him acting all nice
and shit. I know what he's up to.
They wouldn't have just arrested
him, not without a reason.
Get your stuff.
I'll take you to training.
Come on, Michael.
Talk to me.
You've arrested Stephen Sedgwick?
"Two men arrested."
I was one of them.
I presume he's the other one.
I can't tell you that.
"A man in his 50s."
You know I can't tell you that.
But you've let him go?
The other man who was arrested has
been released without charge, yes.
Is that because you don't think
he was responsible,
or you do think he was responsible
but you can't prove it?
And has he denied it,
this other man?
Denied?
Strangling my wife.
And did he blame me?
Who told you she was strangled?
I bet he did.
Answer that question.
I would've done that if I was him.
Who told you she was strangled?
SIGHS
SIGHS
I'm sorry.
Alana hasn't gone
to her grandparents' to help them.
She's gone to get away from me.
Sarah's death is my fault.
Michael, whatever it is
you need to say
say it.
It's just you and I, Michael.
It's just between you and I.
I wasn't the husband she deserved.
Well, maybe at first,
but it hadn't been working
for a long time,
so she found someone else,
someone who could
give her what she needed.
I'm sure she didn't think of it
like that.
The affair was my fault.
How was it your fault?
Well, she went to him.
Yeah, that's what I mean.
Because I wasn't enough.
It wasn't working.
I wasn't what she needed.
But she cheated on you.
Yeah.
That's her fault.
Michael, you can't go
blaming yourself for that,
not when someone cheats.
She went looking
for what she didn't have.
Michael
The affair was my fault.
The affair, that was just a symptom.
We mustn't see it like that.
Because that's what affairs
always are.
And I I couldn't confront her
about it, even though I knew.
What do you mean, Michael?
Because confronting sets things
in motion.
You have to talk
about why it happened,
and that causes fights and divorce
and damages reputations,
and it all comes out.
And I couldn't
I couldn't do that
because I was ashamed.
And I'll never forgive myself
for that.
You look on that CCTV,
do you see a man who's gonna fight
for his wife?
Hm? You see a man who wants to,
but
in the end, he just walks away
and gets into his car.
The pathologist at the mortuary
when I asked about the marks
on Sarah's neck,
they said they thought
she'd been strangled.
So that's how I knew.
Er, yeah, no problem, follow me.
Thank you.
Just right there for you, sir.
I'll just grab you some menus.
That's great, thank you.
Be back in a second. Cheers.
Hey, babe. It's me.
Er, just ringing to say
I got our usual table,
so hopefully,
I will see you shortly.
There we go, sir.
Thank you.
Did you want me to give you
a few minutes,
pop back when she's arrived?
I would love you to pop back
in a few minutes.
OK, no problem.
OK. I'll give you a second
to have a look.
CLEARS THROA
We are far less convinced
that Sarah Polly was in Wales
PHONE BUZZES
on the day she went missing.
Stephen Sedgwick, we know,
was in possession of her debit card.
CCTV on the bridge
shows he drove to Wales alone.
No sign of anyone else in the car
on the way there or the way back.
We're checking ANPR again
and more CCTV and Ring doorbells
to close the gaps on his timeline
across those three days.
So we're eliminating him?
Not quite.
He still needs an alibi for
some of the evenings of that week.
And as we know, Michael Polly
still has some gaps in his timeline.
Annie, if you could ask him
for those direct.
Becky, if you could speak to Alana
and get her to corroborate, please.
As for the comps
with other murders
SHE MOUTHS
I want everyone to be familiar
with the details
so we can cross-reference.
Until both men can account for
every second of those three days,
we're not ruling them out.
This is gonna be a late one, folks.
OK? Thank you.
CHATTERING
DOOR OPENS
Jesus Christ.
KEYPAD TONES
Is this you, er, trying to get back
at me or something?
Are we playing games again? Already?
J
SIGHS
What are you looking at?
Mind your own business.
Tell him what you've just told me.
It's OK. He'll just want
what's right for Sarah.
The police asked if there was
anything else I could think of
that might help, in terms of Sarah,
Michael, people close to them.
They asked me the same thing.
They asked us all.
I said there was nothing.
Yeah, but that wasn't quite true.
Last term, as I was coming past
the pitches, on Abbey side,
I saw Polly behind the pavilion
in a fight with one of the boys,
with James Bauri.
Fight as in handbags,
like grabbing and shoving, or?
It was a bit more than that.
And then he saw me,
and bear in mind we go
a long way back, and he stopped.
And then I went to see him later
and explained I'd have to report it,
and he did a number on me.
He'd helped me overcome a complaint
about how I was managing
my department -
this was before COVID -
and an email from one of the parents
who thought we'd let her son down.
And he Michael said
he'd refer everything upwards,
hang Rory out to dry,
if he did anything about it.
Said Bauri didn't care anyway.
Yeah, probably wouldn't.
Not that that's the point, just
No, this wasn't just handbags,
as you call it.
It was violent abuse.
He almost came for me
the other day on the rugby pitch.
But, er I just put it down
to the fact that he was grieving.
INHALES DEEPLY,
EXHALES
So, do we mention it,
or do we keep this amongst us
because we think
that's out of character?
Come on, lads!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Mate, mate, mate.
What you getting changed for?
What?
Why you getting changed?
Why do you think?
There's no need to do any training.
Nobody wants you on the team anyway.
Ooh!
What you gonna do?
Get your dad to kill me?
He'll probably get his dad
to shag you.
LAUGHTER
DISTANT CHATTER
Now, Stephen's colleagues
can account for his whereabouts
during the day,
but we need to confirm
that when he came home,
he was in all night.
If you need to know
where people were that week,
then Stephen was here.
Every night after work,
he came home.
You haven't been pressured
into saying that, have you?
SIGHS SOFTLY
He's leant on you?
I'm not saying it for him.
I'm saying it for the kids,
because it's true.
Stephen's guilty of many things,
but he can't have killed
Sarah Polly,
because he was here, with me.
And I'm sorry I've left
so many messages, Craig,
but I was trapped in a meeting
that just wouldn't end.
I'm not stringing you along, OK?
I I-I'm not.
I want this if you still do.
So, erm,
please just give me another chance.
OK. Bye-bye.
DOORBELL RINGS
They want me to go through
those days with you now, Michael,
make sure that we've got
everything covered.
Tuesday the 24th,
the day after Sarah went missing,
Wednesday the 25th,
Thursday the 26th the day she
The day her body was found.
Yes.
So, yes, I know my diary.
It's been the same for years. I
Back-to-back meetings
then lessons and
Simone has it all on records.
And the evenings?
Here, you know, every evening.
Alana can vouch for that?
Yes. We can vouch for each other.
Yeah.
PHONE BUZZES
I'm sorry. Just gonna
Hi. Yeah, I'm really, really sorry.
I mean
I literally couldn't get away,
so it
Totally my fault.
So I should have just
Well, I can't now.
I'm at work, at the school.
We can do it later.
Course I wanna see you. What?
No, no,
nobody is messing anybody about.
Stop that. Please. Please, stop it.
No, don't come here. I'm working.
Craig, listen to me.
Do not come here.
I am at work. Please. Craig?
Sorry about that.
No.
Everything all right?
I mean, we can do this later
or tomorrow.
I seem to have a clear diary.
No, it's OK. It's fine.
You know what it's like, just, er,
juggling work and personal life.
It's very difficult.
Well, never put work
ahead of personal life, Annie.
I know I'm not one to talk, but
if I've learnt anything
through all this, it's that, so
We need to know
where your dad was on those evenings
of the 24th, 25th and the 26th.
He was at home.
On all three nights?
Mm-hm.
No.
Some of those times,
you were with me.
Do you remember?
Was I?
Yeah.
You needed to get out the house.
You can explain Alana's whereabouts
for the times she wasn't at home?
Mm.
So, for those times
you were with Paul,
can anyone explain
where Michael was?
Some of the teachers are talking.
About Michael?
Yeah.
I know you don't wanna hear it,
but it's true.
You know it is.
Why do you think she came here?
To get away from him.
That's what I was thinking.
That's what Sarah used to do.
Alana?
Alana.
I don't know!
I don't know.
I thought we were happy.
I thought we were gonna have
a family.
I would've loved to have been a mum.
But he was never ready, Craig.
And you've both gotta be ready,
haven't you?
Otherwise,
you shouldn't really go there.
That's what I've told myself, anyway.
And then he met somebody else.
I mean, it didn't work out,
but she's
I don't wanna say her name.
She's too young for him.
Well, she was too young,
or he was too old.
Is there a difference?
Yes, there is.
He should know better.
So, why is it,
for all the shit he puts me through,
I still try to make it work,
even now?
Maybe it's what you said yesterday.
I've given it a lot of thought,
what you said.
The fact that they cheated on us,
that's our fault, too.
No, look
Everyone's circumstances are
different, Annie, so don't, er
Sorry, I shouldn't really
be telling you this.
I'm blurring the boundaries.
CAR HORN BLARES
Is that him?
No, I told him not to come.
I'll go and speak to him now.
He just gets so bloody angry.
Angry?
Erm, no, no, I don't mean angry.
I mean, er impatient.
Erm, I won't be a second.
I just need to try
and find my phone.
Do you know where my phone is?
Yes, it's in your pocket,
recording our conversation.
CAR HORN BLARES
Erm I won't be a second.
EXHALES SHAKILY
Hey.
Hi.
SHE SIGHS
I can't be long.
I'm not really meant to leave.
Oh, you'll be fine.
Just get in the car.
There's something
I need to tell you.
Well, can't we talk here?
Annie, we'll be ten minutes.
Get it in the car. Come on.
Don't worry. Get in the car.
Craig, I'm in work.
You're fine. Get in the car.
Everything all right?
HE SIGHS
Annie, are you all right?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Are you sure?
Yes. See.
She's fine.
Now get back in the house, mate,
please. Thank you, mate.
No, you have no authority to tell me
what to do on my property, so
I'm gonna ask you one more time.
Given the trouble you're already in,
do yourself a favour
and go back insi
Take your hands off me.
Go back inside.
Take your hands off me!
Go back ins
I said take your hands off me!
MICHAEL GRUNTS
I'm arresting you
for assaulting a police officer.
Craig, please stop.
Is that what you want?
You trying to attack us?
Craig, please stop!
Is that what you want? All right!
Argh!
All right, get him up. Get him up.