Crookhaven (2026) s01e06 Episode Script
Crooxeat
There's a spy in our school? I'm not
with the Nameless. I'm being set up.
My father staged a conversation
to put me off the scent.
They don't want us working together.
They're scared of what we'll find.
Grandma, what do you know
about my birth parents?
I have no idea.
You think she lied to you?
You all get to go home
for three days.
Lockett is doing everything to
stop me finding their names.
Found it.
Where are you taking me, Avery?
This had better be quick.
OVER SPEAKER: The first wave of
Crooxeat transport stands ready
They're outside right now,
ready to whisk you away.
Three blissful days
without your face.
Trust me, I can't wait to escape.
But you need to see this first.
Here's what they're hiding.
Velasquez and your dad.
My parents.
Here's proof this is all
a massive cover-up.
I'm going to use Crooxeat to finally
get the truth from my father.
Yeah, good luck with that.
The truth means nothing here.
But I'm going to get it from
my grandma.
The same gran that lied to you about
the coin, and your parents?
She won't lie to my face.
Your dad, though
This place'll be empty.
I'll have him all to myself.
He'll have nowhere to hide.
Final call for Crooklings.
Your chariots await.
Come on.
Everyone's going home. If I left
now, no-one would question it.
You can't leave yet.
All the heat's on Amira.
No-one suspects me, but
the longer I stay
Your mission's not complete. There's
one last piece of the puzzle.
A special request from
the Chameleon.
Anything.
The Trials are coming up.
They're quite particular about who
they let into Crookhaven.
So she'll need an identity
and a biometric pass.
And if I succeed? I can come home?
Get Chameleon into Crookhaven
and she'll get you out.
Gabriel!
Transport is leaving.
This is your last chance to
leave the island.
Amira. Seem to be heading in
the wrong direction.
No, actually, I've decided to stay.
Oh? Any particular reason?
Yeah. I'm going to prove who
set me up -
that's why I need to find Gabriel.
You were set up.
That's right, course you were.
Assume you have compelling evidence.
I'm working on it.
Good. Good.
Have a good Crooxeat.
LIVELY CHATTER
Ah-h-h!
Reunited. And it feels so good.
Gabester! Hand me your phone, man.
Let's swap digits.
Well, I don't have one, remember?
How do you even function?
What if we want to call you
over Crooxeat?
Why would you? I thought the
whole point of Crooxeat
was so we can get
a break from each other.
JIA SCOFFS
Well, some of us aren't so lucky.
I'm stuck with the idiot twins.
Here.
Give me your arm.
Give him your number.
If you have any mercy at all,
call it.
I'm going to need rescuing.
Or a lawyer.
Before you take off,
a word of warning.
Merits must maintain their
cover story at all times.
Remember, you're at
St Jude's Academy.
Under no circumstances
are Crooklings to use their
Crooked skills in the outside world.
Cos trust me, we WILL know.
Enjoy.
Heading back to see Uncle Andrei?
Yeah.
How about you? Your grandma
know you're coming?
It's going to be a surprise.
ENGINES REV
Listen up. Everyone else, go get
changed for the next transport.
Feels a little reckless, no?
Letting them run free.
They're our pupils,
not our prisoners.
Well, at least facial recognition
means we can track 'em
in real time.
I want constant surveillance
on every Merit.
We can't take our eyes
off them for a second.
Grandma?
Grandma?!
Ah, Penelope.
Come in. Don't bother knocking.
I'm going to ask you some direct
questions and I'd appreciate
some direct answers. Of course.
But since we have company,
later, perhaps?
I was just explaining that,
during Crooxeat, this is no longer
a school.
It is our home. Which means that
Nicki and Amira are now our guests.
Why are they still here?
My parents are both working
and your father said I could stay.
Hope you don't mind.
And I realised this is the perfect
chance to practise for the Trials.
You know us three Legacies have the
whole place to ourselves -
it'll really give us an opportunity
to get to know each other.
I know that you will do everything
you can to make them both
feel welcome.
LINE RINGS
Yo! This is Ade. I'm either busy
with the hustle or my phone's out of
juice cos Ede's nicked my charger.
You know what to do when you hear
that be-e-e-e-p.
Yeah, answer your phone, Ade!
My grandma's been cut off.
No heat, no light, no water.
And I need your help to fix her
bills.
Look, if I can't sort this, there is
no way I'm coming back.
DOOR OPENS
And
Hello? Someone there?
Gabriel!
Oh! What you doing here?
Oh!
Honestly, nothing for
you to worry about.
It's just a little misunderstanding.
It's not a misunderstanding, though.
You've not paid your bills.
There There might have been a
week or so last month
when I was a bit poorly.
I'm fine now.
But it meant that I couldn't work
quite as hard as usual, so
Mr Mercier docked my wages a bit.
A bit? CHUCKLES: Honestly
How much, Grandma?
The full month.
A grand.
He stole a full grand from you cos
you were sick?
It wasn't stealing, love.
It's as good as.
And I had no idea you were even ill.
Why are you keeping all these
secrets from me?
I'm not! That's it.
I've kept nothing else from you.
That's not true.
On the phone, when I asked you about
my birth parents, you said you
had no idea who they were.
But you were lying.
Nicki, I don't mean to be rude but
how can you be a Legacy and struggle
with a basic task? Did you never
have a padlock
on your cot like the rest of us?
If I'm like this when it's the
three of us, how am I going to be
at the Trials? I'm going to
humiliate myself
in front of the entire
Crooked Complex.
It's not the entire Crooked Complex.
It's only 20 people or so.
And who are these 20 people?
VIPs. Parents.
And Sisman vets every guest himself.
Will your parents be coming, Nicki?
My mother's hoping to.
If she can make it onto the guest
list. How about you, Amira?
Oh, no. No, my family's not
popular round here.
Given that everyone thinks my
brother's with the Nameless.
And half the school think I am, too.
I still don't get why Sisman
dragged you off like that.
Hmm. Someone is trying to frame me.
But Sisman must think you're
innocent if he chose to let you go.
Oh, no. If Sisman had his way,
I'd still be locked up right now.
It was your dad who overruled him.
I was a housekeeper back then,
in this smart hotel.
One night, a couple check
in with this baby.
You smile up at me with them
big brown eyes and I'm a goner.
The woman says, "Oh, he must like
you - he never smiles at strangers."
That night, they're going out,
would I mind you for a bit?
Give me 50 quid.
50 quid?
Well, all right, thanks very much.
I sit with you all night
but they never come back.
So I take you home while they
try to find your parents.
But it turns out that the names
they checked in with weren't real.
Did you ever get their real names?
No.
Anyway, a day turns into a week
and then a month and
I thought that being a mum
had passed me by.
I'd made my peace with that.
I try so hard not to fall in love
with you.
VOICE BREAKS: But I fail, don't I?
Miserably.
So you adopted me?
Well, eventually, this police
officer
comes to take you away
and I'm in bits
and you were crying
your little heart out and
..well, this officer,
she takes pity on the pair of us.
She says how she'd grown up in care,
how it doesn't feel right
to split us up when she can
see what a good mum I am, and
..she says, "I could lose my job
for this."
But, well, she deletes us from the
system
and she gives you to me.
So you never legally adopted me?
You're mine, love.
Don't you ever, ever doubt that.
But not in the eyes of the law.
And that's why I've spent your whole
life looking over my shoulder,
moving on when people get nosy.
Always waiting for the knock.
And that's why we
have to be invisible.
Everything in cash.
No contracts.
So that's why you have to
work for the Merciers.
Oh! I have dreaded this
day for so long.
But now it's done. And the sky
hasn't fallen in, has it?
It's me and you against the world.
Right, Grandma?
Excuse me. I need to speak to
Mr Mercier.
He's made a serious mistake
and he needs to put it right.
You think you're the first person
to turn up here with a sob story?
It's a Saturday.
Mr Mercier's not here.
And if he was, he's got better
things to do
than be whinged at
by the likes of you.
Clear offout of it.
Finally, a chance to talk.
Why is the table laid for?
Perfect timing, ladies.
Five minutes late.
Nothing ruder than a
punctual dinner guest.
Make yourselves comfortable.
As you can see, I have.
I've given Jackie the weekend off,
so I'm afraid you'll have to
endure my cooking.
Talk amongst yourselves.
I'll fetch your starters
from the kitchen.
Sohow have we spent our
Crooxeat so far?
Revising for the Trials.
Especially Infiltration.
Right, Amira?
Afraid I've got a lot of
catching up to do.
You're too modest, Nicki.
I'm sure you have hidden talents.
Deception's where YOUR talents
really lie, though,
isn't it? Like my mother.
She's able to justdisappear.
Right, Father?
She's a generational talent.
We're very proud of her.
How's the trout?
A tad under-seasoned?
It's wonderful, Mr Lockett. Where
did you learn to cook like that?
Oh, well, I once shared a cell
with a Sicilian arsonist.
He was a genius at grilling fish.
Though he did have a
tendency to burn it.
Did you catch it yourself?
In the lake?
Not this time.
I left it to the gardeners.
You didn't ask them to let
it off the hook?
Then we'd all be hungry.
I'm not a fan of the water.
Though I always fancied fishing.
There's something about
setting the bait,
waiting for the little fish to bite
and then reeling it in.
Not sure I have the patience myself.
Rather let someone else
catch it for me.
INDISTINCT VOICES
Grandma?
Gabester!
We brought jollof!
Oh, it is cracking!
Your friends decided to pay
you a surprise visit.
Isn't that lovely?
Really missed you, bud.
Nicki, remind me why you
didn't go home for the Crooxeat.
My parents are both working.
Where is home, actually? I never
hear you talk about your family.
To be fair, no-one's family's
talked about as much as yours.
Poor you.
Can't be easy.
Any photos? In your room, perhaps?
You know I don't, Amira.
How would I know that?
Cos you broke into my room earlier.
I wasn't going to say anything.
But you have a very
distinctive scent.
Oud.
I'm highly sensitive to smell.
You broke into her room? Why?
Practising infiltration.
Those training locks are fine but
nothing beats the real thing.
That shows great initiative, Amira.
Thank you, Mr Lockett.
So why is your room so bare, Nicki?
There's not a single personal
possession in sight.
My parents are both master Crooks.
There's almost no photos
of them in existence.
It's too great a risk.
But my mum's a master Crook
and I have photos of her.
Just as well, otherwise I'd barely
remember what she looks like.
It hasn't been that long.
It's been months!
Shall we talk about something else?
Shall we not? How about for once we
don't deflect
or deceive or cover things up?
How about for once we actually
have an honest conversation?!
We're Crooks.
Honesty's overrated.
So please tell me about St Jude's.
Gabriel tells me nothing.
Erm, I mean, what's to tell?
It's just a totally standard school.
Right, Ede?
Erm, uh, yes.
Erm, our syllabus is totally normal
and the emphasis
is arguably more on practical
rather than theoretical.
Practical, like as?
So how'd you even find me?
Wasn't easy.
We had a few breadcrumbs left from
the deep dive we did into
you and your nan. Why didn't
you just answer your phone?
No-one answers caller withheld.
Everyone knows that.
So do you think you can do it?
Fix her bills?
Sorry, Gabester.
It'll take a week and look well sus.
So you came all this
way just to say no.
You said you wouldn't come back.
But there's no crew
without Gabester.
So what CAN we do?
Well, there is one way
you could help.
But I just don't know
if you'd be up for it.
I don't know what prompted that
undignified little outburst
but I fear you embarrassed
our guests.
How am I supposed to play
happy families when you've been
lying to me about everything?
Mum. Amira. Gabriel.
And the closer I get to finding
the truth, the quicker you run
in the opposite direction.
How am I supposed to
trust a word you say?
How am I ever going to get a
straight answer out of you?
HE SIGHS
You better come with me.
This looks like trouble.
Unquestionably.
I knew something like
this would happen.
You'll need backup.
We break into the Mercier office.
We access the pay roll.
We pay Grandma back her grand.
Then we get out.
They specifically warned us not to
use our Crooked skills.
How are they going to find out?
Cos they've got eyes everywhere!
Plus there's a difference between
doing a break-in at school
versus pulling off an actual heist.
Exactly, dude.
This isn't just about points.
We get to right a major wrong.
And Gabriel gets to come
back to Crookhaven.
I'm in.
Motive governs the means.
What's the play?
First up, we need to access their
security monitors.
That shouldn't be too hard.
Just isolate the signal, clone the
feed, and run a loop, just
like we did with the library.
There's one security guard.
Lovely bloke. Likes his food.
Food delivery!
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Hey, man. Can I get a name?
I didn't order anything.
Maybe, erm, someone else in
the building?
There's no-one else here. So scram.
What the hell are you doing?!
We arelooped!
BEEPING
Look man, I've got one job.
To deliver this large
scampi and chips to this address.
So that's what I'm doing.
Be a crime to waste quality scampi,
eh?
So have it on me.
Out.
Welcome to Merciers.
Right this way.
Accounts are on the sixth floor!
Sixth?! Surely we can take the
lift, though, right?!
Where are we going?
BEEPING
Since when did you have a man cave?
Your age. And when I was pursuing
your mother,
we used to come here, we used to
No! Stop! Stop!
Way too much information.
I thought you wanted information.
Isn't that why we're here?
So that you can ask me about Amira?
She's a spy?
No reason to think so.
But the evidence Circumstantial.
The stolen gardener's pass? You
stole a pass for the dossier vault.
Broke into the library.
Hacked the Crooked Network.
So if anyone is a spy, Penelope
Amira says she's been set up.
HE LAUGHS
This place breeds paranoia.
Or do you believe her?
Sounds hollow to me.
Like your fake call to Mum.
What made it fake?
I know she's missing in action!
So how could you have just called
her up?
And how did that conversation just
happen to be the one thing
I pick up?
Because I meant for you to hear it.
Since you went to all that trouble
of bugging me, I wanted to
give you something. I hoped it would
put your conspiracy theories
to bed, but here we are.
Don't dismiss me.
If I wanted to dismiss you,
we'd hardly be here.
She called me from a burner.
Her location is unlisted because
the nature of her mission means
to do otherwise would put
her life in danger
The nature of her mission?
To capture the Leopard, you mean?
How long to get into the payroll?
About ten minutes.
Maybe more.
KEYS CLACK
Go back to camera one.
They must have looped his monitor.
I'd be proud of them if it
wasn't so misguided.
Caspian needs to see this.
BEEPING
So is this a conspiracy theory?
You ordered the raid on the Leopard
and now he wants revenge.
You put every last Crook at risk
You don't think we were at risk
before? I have no regrets.
The world would be infinitely
safer without him.
And how about Mum?
Do you regret sending her?
SENDING her? You think
this was my choice?
I did everything I
could to dissuade her.
But you know your mother.
It took me nine years
to get her to marry me.
She finally agreed -
right here, in fact.
She's just as stubborn and
infuriating as you are.
She went despite me,
not because of me.
And if you want to know the truth,
sometimes I sit here,
willing her boat to appear
on the horizon because
..because I miss her.
Just as much as you do.
Can I speak to her? Please?
I wish you could.
But for security reasons,
I'm her only contact.
And if I wrote her a letter,
can you get it to her?
How can a company this big
only have three people on payroll?
This is one sketchy outfit.
We can't get your nan her money back
if she's not on the system.
What? So this was all
a waste of time?
No contracts.
Of course she's not on the system.
That's the whole point.
That's why she has to work for them.
No paperwork. Cash only.
That's it!
Everything's done in cash payment.
Which means somewhere in this
building
there's a shedload of cashola.
Mercier's office. 11th floor. Come.
Wait!
Where the heck is the cash?
Those little thieves.
Right under the guard's nose.
Look. Fingermarks on the wall.
Why would they be there?
Whoa!
Yes, Jeeza! Can you crack it?
If I had a stethoscope.
I'll just pop to A&E.
Ede, what about your phone?
The earbuds.
If you turn the volume way up.
That's a 1936 Reynolds.
Jia should crack it in
about six minutes.
Whose stupid idea was it
to hold a Crooxeat?
Yours, and only yours.
What did you think would happen?
Not this.
What are they doing? Is that a safe?
I-Is that a heist?
You can't be in here, Penelope.
What?
What's that?
Is that? They're the Nameless,
aren't they?
Someone has to warn them!
Get out, now! Get out!
Penelope, out! Come on.
We have a code crimson.
I repeat, we have a code crimson.
Out!
Sisman, please respond.
Urgent backup required.
This is a code crimson. We have
four Crooks in immediate danger.
Repeat, immediate danger.
Code crimson. Four Crooks in
immediate danger.
Please respond!
ALARM BLARES
Wait.
Stop.
We came here to take what
Mercier owes her.
Any more than that
and we're the thieves.
Oh, man! Sometimes, it hurts
to be righteous.
£1,000.
I couldn't have done it
without you guys.
Duh!
PHONE RINGS
Caller withheld?
Reject!
The guard.
Goodbye, Violet.
Hello, Chameleon.
Where's the extraction team?
Come on!
Go, go, go!
No!
PHONE RINGS
Penelope? Says it's her calling.
I guess it means it's for you.
Hey.
You have to get out now!
Out of where?
I'm just chilling with my grandma.
I know exactly where you are,
and you're in serious danger.
What do you mean?
I mean RUN!
ALARM BLARES
Come on! Come on!
Why aren't we moving?!
The door!
ALARM BLARES
PANICKED SHOUTS
NAMELESS GRUNTS
Get him off me!
What do they want?
Who are they?
PENELOPE: It's them, Gabriel.
It's The Nameless.
Penelope, I told you to get out.
I need to see your screens.
One of them's waiting for you
in reception, Gabriel.
She's talking to them.
The other one
..I can't see.
We'll take the stairs.
Go back the way we came.
No, wait! I don't have eyes on the
stairs!
Gabriel, get out!
Gabriel!
Gabriel, listen to me when I say
jab your left elbow back -
now!
There's a screen in front of you.
Grab it and swing!
What are you doing?
I know him. That's Amira's brother.
Ishaan Dhawan.
Did the others get out?
Trying to find them.
Gabriel! It was a trap! Get out!
Gabriel, turn around! Gabriel, run!
Run!
Let 'em go! I'm the one you want.
Get away from him.
Get off him!
Gabriel!
HORN BLARES
CAR ALARM BLARES
HIGH-PITCHED RECHARGE
Come on, this way! Let's go!
Get up!
Come on! Move it, move it!
NAMELESS GROWLS
Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
Ooh!
Crisis averted!
Well, that was a little too
close for comfort, my
HE SNIFFS
..beauty.
BEEPING
DOOR CLOSES
SHE EXHALES
BEEPING
Well, now.
I can't wait to tell
Sisman about this.
I can explain.
Huh. I'll bet you can.
We warned you not to use your
Crooked skills.
We were crystal clear.
I mean, this is what you trained us
for.
The motive governs the mean, right?
You've barely started your training.
And missions need to be sanctioned.
We're not vigilantes! That's what
the Crookhaven rules are for -
to keep you safe. This is what
happens when you go rogue!
I couldn't just do nothing.
You could have come to us, Gabriel!
What if the Merciers had
linked it back to you, huh?
You would have made things ten times
worse for your grandmother.
We will make sure that they can't
trace this back to you or your
grandmother.
But you put yourselves in serious
danger - that can't go unpunished.
Cos a near kidnap attempt by the
Nameless isn't punishment enough?
They came for me.
Why me? And how did they
know where I'd be?
We can discuss it
back at Crookhaven.
Yeah, but I'm not going back!
Not till I've seen my grandma.
Five minutes.
Hmm? Then we need to make a move.
You disobeyed me, went behind my
back, interfered in an operation.
If I hadn't, Gabriel would be with
the Nameless right now.
Without a doubt. Your mother would
have done the same.
Like I say -
stubborn and infuriating.
I'll see she gets this.
Why did they come for him?
All our students are targets.
Who is he?
And why did you
hide his parents' names?
HE SIGHS
You have to understand.
It's not me. I only do what I'm
told. They threatened my family!
Give me one reason why I should
believe you.
Because Ishaan's the same.
They're using us against our will.
You don't know Ishaan. Cheap trick.
I get it. I wouldn't trust me
either.
Prove it.
What if you could talk to him?
I'm not stupid, Nicki.
This is how I communicate with them.
It's a direct line.
STATIC
There's no signal.
We can't do it here.
Just popping out
with friends, you said.
Two hours later, you come home
looking like that.
Well, someone tried to mug me.
No, they didn't.
You're up to your old tricks again.
Getting into trouble.
Stealing.
How much this time?
1,000.
But I didn't steal it,
I stole it back.
That's still stealing!
Oh, what have you done?
Mr Mercier will never know I had it.
I made sure of that. But I couldn't
do nothing.
I couldn't just leave you like
HORN BEEPS
I have to go.
SHE SIGHS
I-I didn't tell you the whole
truth about your parents.
I wanted to protect you
but you have to know.
Your parents were crooks.
The night they left, they were doing
some kind of job, it went wrong.
What do you mean it went wrong?
I've always been so scared
that you'd inherit the
I-I thought, if I raised you right,
kept you on
the straight and narrow.
I can't let the same
thing happen to you.
I can't. Let what happen to me?
The police officer,
she said they were killed, love.
Killed?
That's why I was so relieved the day
that you got into St Jude's,
because I hoped that it
would save you.
Save you from ending up like them.
But how did they?
Who was it?
They were caught up in
some kind of war.
A rival gang.
This?
The morning after they left, I found
it by your cot and I don't
know why I kept it.
Just sentimental, I suppose.
Doesn't mean anything.
Uh, where are we going?
The lake. There's a spot in the
middle.
What, you think I'm going to get
on a boat with you?
It's the only place on the island
they can't listen in.
So if you want to speak to Ishaan
No. No, I'm not getting on a boat,
so we can call him from here.
You can't swim.
In fact, you're terrified
of open water.
It's in your file, which I have to
say is extremely helpful.
It's funny how you only spray
the blue one when you're in my room.
Just as well, cos when you spray
them together, well
WHISPERS: ..they may
cause drowsiness.
What are you doing?
Get off me.
Nicki I really didn't want to
have to do this.
If only you'd played along
like you were supposed to.
Do you know what it's like
being stuck here with all you
sanctimonious little Crooks?
I'm getting out, at long last,
and I'm not going to let nice
little Amira ruin everything.
Sleep well, Amira.
Na-night.
Look.
They were the best friends
I ever had, huh?
The best Crooks I'll ever know.
But their talents,
they burned too bright.
They, ermthey became a threat
that the Nameless couldn't ignore.
They were my parents.
I had a right to know.
But you and Lockett
Look, we were trying to protect you.
We thought it would be safer if
no-one knew who you were,
not even you. But you failed.
Why did they come for me?
The son of Adria and Luciano -
you're unfinished business.
You know my whole life
I thought this was lucky.
It was a warning.
Yes.
They'll come for me again.
This isn't over.
No, my friend.
This is just the beginning.
SHE GASPS
SHE WHIMPERS
HELP!
SHE PANTS
HELP!
with the Nameless. I'm being set up.
My father staged a conversation
to put me off the scent.
They don't want us working together.
They're scared of what we'll find.
Grandma, what do you know
about my birth parents?
I have no idea.
You think she lied to you?
You all get to go home
for three days.
Lockett is doing everything to
stop me finding their names.
Found it.
Where are you taking me, Avery?
This had better be quick.
OVER SPEAKER: The first wave of
Crooxeat transport stands ready
They're outside right now,
ready to whisk you away.
Three blissful days
without your face.
Trust me, I can't wait to escape.
But you need to see this first.
Here's what they're hiding.
Velasquez and your dad.
My parents.
Here's proof this is all
a massive cover-up.
I'm going to use Crooxeat to finally
get the truth from my father.
Yeah, good luck with that.
The truth means nothing here.
But I'm going to get it from
my grandma.
The same gran that lied to you about
the coin, and your parents?
She won't lie to my face.
Your dad, though
This place'll be empty.
I'll have him all to myself.
He'll have nowhere to hide.
Final call for Crooklings.
Your chariots await.
Come on.
Everyone's going home. If I left
now, no-one would question it.
You can't leave yet.
All the heat's on Amira.
No-one suspects me, but
the longer I stay
Your mission's not complete. There's
one last piece of the puzzle.
A special request from
the Chameleon.
Anything.
The Trials are coming up.
They're quite particular about who
they let into Crookhaven.
So she'll need an identity
and a biometric pass.
And if I succeed? I can come home?
Get Chameleon into Crookhaven
and she'll get you out.
Gabriel!
Transport is leaving.
This is your last chance to
leave the island.
Amira. Seem to be heading in
the wrong direction.
No, actually, I've decided to stay.
Oh? Any particular reason?
Yeah. I'm going to prove who
set me up -
that's why I need to find Gabriel.
You were set up.
That's right, course you were.
Assume you have compelling evidence.
I'm working on it.
Good. Good.
Have a good Crooxeat.
LIVELY CHATTER
Ah-h-h!
Reunited. And it feels so good.
Gabester! Hand me your phone, man.
Let's swap digits.
Well, I don't have one, remember?
How do you even function?
What if we want to call you
over Crooxeat?
Why would you? I thought the
whole point of Crooxeat
was so we can get
a break from each other.
JIA SCOFFS
Well, some of us aren't so lucky.
I'm stuck with the idiot twins.
Here.
Give me your arm.
Give him your number.
If you have any mercy at all,
call it.
I'm going to need rescuing.
Or a lawyer.
Before you take off,
a word of warning.
Merits must maintain their
cover story at all times.
Remember, you're at
St Jude's Academy.
Under no circumstances
are Crooklings to use their
Crooked skills in the outside world.
Cos trust me, we WILL know.
Enjoy.
Heading back to see Uncle Andrei?
Yeah.
How about you? Your grandma
know you're coming?
It's going to be a surprise.
ENGINES REV
Listen up. Everyone else, go get
changed for the next transport.
Feels a little reckless, no?
Letting them run free.
They're our pupils,
not our prisoners.
Well, at least facial recognition
means we can track 'em
in real time.
I want constant surveillance
on every Merit.
We can't take our eyes
off them for a second.
Grandma?
Grandma?!
Ah, Penelope.
Come in. Don't bother knocking.
I'm going to ask you some direct
questions and I'd appreciate
some direct answers. Of course.
But since we have company,
later, perhaps?
I was just explaining that,
during Crooxeat, this is no longer
a school.
It is our home. Which means that
Nicki and Amira are now our guests.
Why are they still here?
My parents are both working
and your father said I could stay.
Hope you don't mind.
And I realised this is the perfect
chance to practise for the Trials.
You know us three Legacies have the
whole place to ourselves -
it'll really give us an opportunity
to get to know each other.
I know that you will do everything
you can to make them both
feel welcome.
LINE RINGS
Yo! This is Ade. I'm either busy
with the hustle or my phone's out of
juice cos Ede's nicked my charger.
You know what to do when you hear
that be-e-e-e-p.
Yeah, answer your phone, Ade!
My grandma's been cut off.
No heat, no light, no water.
And I need your help to fix her
bills.
Look, if I can't sort this, there is
no way I'm coming back.
DOOR OPENS
And
Hello? Someone there?
Gabriel!
Oh! What you doing here?
Oh!
Honestly, nothing for
you to worry about.
It's just a little misunderstanding.
It's not a misunderstanding, though.
You've not paid your bills.
There There might have been a
week or so last month
when I was a bit poorly.
I'm fine now.
But it meant that I couldn't work
quite as hard as usual, so
Mr Mercier docked my wages a bit.
A bit? CHUCKLES: Honestly
How much, Grandma?
The full month.
A grand.
He stole a full grand from you cos
you were sick?
It wasn't stealing, love.
It's as good as.
And I had no idea you were even ill.
Why are you keeping all these
secrets from me?
I'm not! That's it.
I've kept nothing else from you.
That's not true.
On the phone, when I asked you about
my birth parents, you said you
had no idea who they were.
But you were lying.
Nicki, I don't mean to be rude but
how can you be a Legacy and struggle
with a basic task? Did you never
have a padlock
on your cot like the rest of us?
If I'm like this when it's the
three of us, how am I going to be
at the Trials? I'm going to
humiliate myself
in front of the entire
Crooked Complex.
It's not the entire Crooked Complex.
It's only 20 people or so.
And who are these 20 people?
VIPs. Parents.
And Sisman vets every guest himself.
Will your parents be coming, Nicki?
My mother's hoping to.
If she can make it onto the guest
list. How about you, Amira?
Oh, no. No, my family's not
popular round here.
Given that everyone thinks my
brother's with the Nameless.
And half the school think I am, too.
I still don't get why Sisman
dragged you off like that.
Hmm. Someone is trying to frame me.
But Sisman must think you're
innocent if he chose to let you go.
Oh, no. If Sisman had his way,
I'd still be locked up right now.
It was your dad who overruled him.
I was a housekeeper back then,
in this smart hotel.
One night, a couple check
in with this baby.
You smile up at me with them
big brown eyes and I'm a goner.
The woman says, "Oh, he must like
you - he never smiles at strangers."
That night, they're going out,
would I mind you for a bit?
Give me 50 quid.
50 quid?
Well, all right, thanks very much.
I sit with you all night
but they never come back.
So I take you home while they
try to find your parents.
But it turns out that the names
they checked in with weren't real.
Did you ever get their real names?
No.
Anyway, a day turns into a week
and then a month and
I thought that being a mum
had passed me by.
I'd made my peace with that.
I try so hard not to fall in love
with you.
VOICE BREAKS: But I fail, don't I?
Miserably.
So you adopted me?
Well, eventually, this police
officer
comes to take you away
and I'm in bits
and you were crying
your little heart out and
..well, this officer,
she takes pity on the pair of us.
She says how she'd grown up in care,
how it doesn't feel right
to split us up when she can
see what a good mum I am, and
..she says, "I could lose my job
for this."
But, well, she deletes us from the
system
and she gives you to me.
So you never legally adopted me?
You're mine, love.
Don't you ever, ever doubt that.
But not in the eyes of the law.
And that's why I've spent your whole
life looking over my shoulder,
moving on when people get nosy.
Always waiting for the knock.
And that's why we
have to be invisible.
Everything in cash.
No contracts.
So that's why you have to
work for the Merciers.
Oh! I have dreaded this
day for so long.
But now it's done. And the sky
hasn't fallen in, has it?
It's me and you against the world.
Right, Grandma?
Excuse me. I need to speak to
Mr Mercier.
He's made a serious mistake
and he needs to put it right.
You think you're the first person
to turn up here with a sob story?
It's a Saturday.
Mr Mercier's not here.
And if he was, he's got better
things to do
than be whinged at
by the likes of you.
Clear offout of it.
Finally, a chance to talk.
Why is the table laid for?
Perfect timing, ladies.
Five minutes late.
Nothing ruder than a
punctual dinner guest.
Make yourselves comfortable.
As you can see, I have.
I've given Jackie the weekend off,
so I'm afraid you'll have to
endure my cooking.
Talk amongst yourselves.
I'll fetch your starters
from the kitchen.
Sohow have we spent our
Crooxeat so far?
Revising for the Trials.
Especially Infiltration.
Right, Amira?
Afraid I've got a lot of
catching up to do.
You're too modest, Nicki.
I'm sure you have hidden talents.
Deception's where YOUR talents
really lie, though,
isn't it? Like my mother.
She's able to justdisappear.
Right, Father?
She's a generational talent.
We're very proud of her.
How's the trout?
A tad under-seasoned?
It's wonderful, Mr Lockett. Where
did you learn to cook like that?
Oh, well, I once shared a cell
with a Sicilian arsonist.
He was a genius at grilling fish.
Though he did have a
tendency to burn it.
Did you catch it yourself?
In the lake?
Not this time.
I left it to the gardeners.
You didn't ask them to let
it off the hook?
Then we'd all be hungry.
I'm not a fan of the water.
Though I always fancied fishing.
There's something about
setting the bait,
waiting for the little fish to bite
and then reeling it in.
Not sure I have the patience myself.
Rather let someone else
catch it for me.
INDISTINCT VOICES
Grandma?
Gabester!
We brought jollof!
Oh, it is cracking!
Your friends decided to pay
you a surprise visit.
Isn't that lovely?
Really missed you, bud.
Nicki, remind me why you
didn't go home for the Crooxeat.
My parents are both working.
Where is home, actually? I never
hear you talk about your family.
To be fair, no-one's family's
talked about as much as yours.
Poor you.
Can't be easy.
Any photos? In your room, perhaps?
You know I don't, Amira.
How would I know that?
Cos you broke into my room earlier.
I wasn't going to say anything.
But you have a very
distinctive scent.
Oud.
I'm highly sensitive to smell.
You broke into her room? Why?
Practising infiltration.
Those training locks are fine but
nothing beats the real thing.
That shows great initiative, Amira.
Thank you, Mr Lockett.
So why is your room so bare, Nicki?
There's not a single personal
possession in sight.
My parents are both master Crooks.
There's almost no photos
of them in existence.
It's too great a risk.
But my mum's a master Crook
and I have photos of her.
Just as well, otherwise I'd barely
remember what she looks like.
It hasn't been that long.
It's been months!
Shall we talk about something else?
Shall we not? How about for once we
don't deflect
or deceive or cover things up?
How about for once we actually
have an honest conversation?!
We're Crooks.
Honesty's overrated.
So please tell me about St Jude's.
Gabriel tells me nothing.
Erm, I mean, what's to tell?
It's just a totally standard school.
Right, Ede?
Erm, uh, yes.
Erm, our syllabus is totally normal
and the emphasis
is arguably more on practical
rather than theoretical.
Practical, like as?
So how'd you even find me?
Wasn't easy.
We had a few breadcrumbs left from
the deep dive we did into
you and your nan. Why didn't
you just answer your phone?
No-one answers caller withheld.
Everyone knows that.
So do you think you can do it?
Fix her bills?
Sorry, Gabester.
It'll take a week and look well sus.
So you came all this
way just to say no.
You said you wouldn't come back.
But there's no crew
without Gabester.
So what CAN we do?
Well, there is one way
you could help.
But I just don't know
if you'd be up for it.
I don't know what prompted that
undignified little outburst
but I fear you embarrassed
our guests.
How am I supposed to play
happy families when you've been
lying to me about everything?
Mum. Amira. Gabriel.
And the closer I get to finding
the truth, the quicker you run
in the opposite direction.
How am I supposed to
trust a word you say?
How am I ever going to get a
straight answer out of you?
HE SIGHS
You better come with me.
This looks like trouble.
Unquestionably.
I knew something like
this would happen.
You'll need backup.
We break into the Mercier office.
We access the pay roll.
We pay Grandma back her grand.
Then we get out.
They specifically warned us not to
use our Crooked skills.
How are they going to find out?
Cos they've got eyes everywhere!
Plus there's a difference between
doing a break-in at school
versus pulling off an actual heist.
Exactly, dude.
This isn't just about points.
We get to right a major wrong.
And Gabriel gets to come
back to Crookhaven.
I'm in.
Motive governs the means.
What's the play?
First up, we need to access their
security monitors.
That shouldn't be too hard.
Just isolate the signal, clone the
feed, and run a loop, just
like we did with the library.
There's one security guard.
Lovely bloke. Likes his food.
Food delivery!
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Hey, man. Can I get a name?
I didn't order anything.
Maybe, erm, someone else in
the building?
There's no-one else here. So scram.
What the hell are you doing?!
We arelooped!
BEEPING
Look man, I've got one job.
To deliver this large
scampi and chips to this address.
So that's what I'm doing.
Be a crime to waste quality scampi,
eh?
So have it on me.
Out.
Welcome to Merciers.
Right this way.
Accounts are on the sixth floor!
Sixth?! Surely we can take the
lift, though, right?!
Where are we going?
BEEPING
Since when did you have a man cave?
Your age. And when I was pursuing
your mother,
we used to come here, we used to
No! Stop! Stop!
Way too much information.
I thought you wanted information.
Isn't that why we're here?
So that you can ask me about Amira?
She's a spy?
No reason to think so.
But the evidence Circumstantial.
The stolen gardener's pass? You
stole a pass for the dossier vault.
Broke into the library.
Hacked the Crooked Network.
So if anyone is a spy, Penelope
Amira says she's been set up.
HE LAUGHS
This place breeds paranoia.
Or do you believe her?
Sounds hollow to me.
Like your fake call to Mum.
What made it fake?
I know she's missing in action!
So how could you have just called
her up?
And how did that conversation just
happen to be the one thing
I pick up?
Because I meant for you to hear it.
Since you went to all that trouble
of bugging me, I wanted to
give you something. I hoped it would
put your conspiracy theories
to bed, but here we are.
Don't dismiss me.
If I wanted to dismiss you,
we'd hardly be here.
She called me from a burner.
Her location is unlisted because
the nature of her mission means
to do otherwise would put
her life in danger
The nature of her mission?
To capture the Leopard, you mean?
How long to get into the payroll?
About ten minutes.
Maybe more.
KEYS CLACK
Go back to camera one.
They must have looped his monitor.
I'd be proud of them if it
wasn't so misguided.
Caspian needs to see this.
BEEPING
So is this a conspiracy theory?
You ordered the raid on the Leopard
and now he wants revenge.
You put every last Crook at risk
You don't think we were at risk
before? I have no regrets.
The world would be infinitely
safer without him.
And how about Mum?
Do you regret sending her?
SENDING her? You think
this was my choice?
I did everything I
could to dissuade her.
But you know your mother.
It took me nine years
to get her to marry me.
She finally agreed -
right here, in fact.
She's just as stubborn and
infuriating as you are.
She went despite me,
not because of me.
And if you want to know the truth,
sometimes I sit here,
willing her boat to appear
on the horizon because
..because I miss her.
Just as much as you do.
Can I speak to her? Please?
I wish you could.
But for security reasons,
I'm her only contact.
And if I wrote her a letter,
can you get it to her?
How can a company this big
only have three people on payroll?
This is one sketchy outfit.
We can't get your nan her money back
if she's not on the system.
What? So this was all
a waste of time?
No contracts.
Of course she's not on the system.
That's the whole point.
That's why she has to work for them.
No paperwork. Cash only.
That's it!
Everything's done in cash payment.
Which means somewhere in this
building
there's a shedload of cashola.
Mercier's office. 11th floor. Come.
Wait!
Where the heck is the cash?
Those little thieves.
Right under the guard's nose.
Look. Fingermarks on the wall.
Why would they be there?
Whoa!
Yes, Jeeza! Can you crack it?
If I had a stethoscope.
I'll just pop to A&E.
Ede, what about your phone?
The earbuds.
If you turn the volume way up.
That's a 1936 Reynolds.
Jia should crack it in
about six minutes.
Whose stupid idea was it
to hold a Crooxeat?
Yours, and only yours.
What did you think would happen?
Not this.
What are they doing? Is that a safe?
I-Is that a heist?
You can't be in here, Penelope.
What?
What's that?
Is that? They're the Nameless,
aren't they?
Someone has to warn them!
Get out, now! Get out!
Penelope, out! Come on.
We have a code crimson.
I repeat, we have a code crimson.
Out!
Sisman, please respond.
Urgent backup required.
This is a code crimson. We have
four Crooks in immediate danger.
Repeat, immediate danger.
Code crimson. Four Crooks in
immediate danger.
Please respond!
ALARM BLARES
Wait.
Stop.
We came here to take what
Mercier owes her.
Any more than that
and we're the thieves.
Oh, man! Sometimes, it hurts
to be righteous.
£1,000.
I couldn't have done it
without you guys.
Duh!
PHONE RINGS
Caller withheld?
Reject!
The guard.
Goodbye, Violet.
Hello, Chameleon.
Where's the extraction team?
Come on!
Go, go, go!
No!
PHONE RINGS
Penelope? Says it's her calling.
I guess it means it's for you.
Hey.
You have to get out now!
Out of where?
I'm just chilling with my grandma.
I know exactly where you are,
and you're in serious danger.
What do you mean?
I mean RUN!
ALARM BLARES
Come on! Come on!
Why aren't we moving?!
The door!
ALARM BLARES
PANICKED SHOUTS
NAMELESS GRUNTS
Get him off me!
What do they want?
Who are they?
PENELOPE: It's them, Gabriel.
It's The Nameless.
Penelope, I told you to get out.
I need to see your screens.
One of them's waiting for you
in reception, Gabriel.
She's talking to them.
The other one
..I can't see.
We'll take the stairs.
Go back the way we came.
No, wait! I don't have eyes on the
stairs!
Gabriel, get out!
Gabriel!
Gabriel, listen to me when I say
jab your left elbow back -
now!
There's a screen in front of you.
Grab it and swing!
What are you doing?
I know him. That's Amira's brother.
Ishaan Dhawan.
Did the others get out?
Trying to find them.
Gabriel! It was a trap! Get out!
Gabriel, turn around! Gabriel, run!
Run!
Let 'em go! I'm the one you want.
Get away from him.
Get off him!
Gabriel!
HORN BLARES
CAR ALARM BLARES
HIGH-PITCHED RECHARGE
Come on, this way! Let's go!
Get up!
Come on! Move it, move it!
NAMELESS GROWLS
Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
Ooh!
Crisis averted!
Well, that was a little too
close for comfort, my
HE SNIFFS
..beauty.
BEEPING
DOOR CLOSES
SHE EXHALES
BEEPING
Well, now.
I can't wait to tell
Sisman about this.
I can explain.
Huh. I'll bet you can.
We warned you not to use your
Crooked skills.
We were crystal clear.
I mean, this is what you trained us
for.
The motive governs the mean, right?
You've barely started your training.
And missions need to be sanctioned.
We're not vigilantes! That's what
the Crookhaven rules are for -
to keep you safe. This is what
happens when you go rogue!
I couldn't just do nothing.
You could have come to us, Gabriel!
What if the Merciers had
linked it back to you, huh?
You would have made things ten times
worse for your grandmother.
We will make sure that they can't
trace this back to you or your
grandmother.
But you put yourselves in serious
danger - that can't go unpunished.
Cos a near kidnap attempt by the
Nameless isn't punishment enough?
They came for me.
Why me? And how did they
know where I'd be?
We can discuss it
back at Crookhaven.
Yeah, but I'm not going back!
Not till I've seen my grandma.
Five minutes.
Hmm? Then we need to make a move.
You disobeyed me, went behind my
back, interfered in an operation.
If I hadn't, Gabriel would be with
the Nameless right now.
Without a doubt. Your mother would
have done the same.
Like I say -
stubborn and infuriating.
I'll see she gets this.
Why did they come for him?
All our students are targets.
Who is he?
And why did you
hide his parents' names?
HE SIGHS
You have to understand.
It's not me. I only do what I'm
told. They threatened my family!
Give me one reason why I should
believe you.
Because Ishaan's the same.
They're using us against our will.
You don't know Ishaan. Cheap trick.
I get it. I wouldn't trust me
either.
Prove it.
What if you could talk to him?
I'm not stupid, Nicki.
This is how I communicate with them.
It's a direct line.
STATIC
There's no signal.
We can't do it here.
Just popping out
with friends, you said.
Two hours later, you come home
looking like that.
Well, someone tried to mug me.
No, they didn't.
You're up to your old tricks again.
Getting into trouble.
Stealing.
How much this time?
1,000.
But I didn't steal it,
I stole it back.
That's still stealing!
Oh, what have you done?
Mr Mercier will never know I had it.
I made sure of that. But I couldn't
do nothing.
I couldn't just leave you like
HORN BEEPS
I have to go.
SHE SIGHS
I-I didn't tell you the whole
truth about your parents.
I wanted to protect you
but you have to know.
Your parents were crooks.
The night they left, they were doing
some kind of job, it went wrong.
What do you mean it went wrong?
I've always been so scared
that you'd inherit the
I-I thought, if I raised you right,
kept you on
the straight and narrow.
I can't let the same
thing happen to you.
I can't. Let what happen to me?
The police officer,
she said they were killed, love.
Killed?
That's why I was so relieved the day
that you got into St Jude's,
because I hoped that it
would save you.
Save you from ending up like them.
But how did they?
Who was it?
They were caught up in
some kind of war.
A rival gang.
This?
The morning after they left, I found
it by your cot and I don't
know why I kept it.
Just sentimental, I suppose.
Doesn't mean anything.
Uh, where are we going?
The lake. There's a spot in the
middle.
What, you think I'm going to get
on a boat with you?
It's the only place on the island
they can't listen in.
So if you want to speak to Ishaan
No. No, I'm not getting on a boat,
so we can call him from here.
You can't swim.
In fact, you're terrified
of open water.
It's in your file, which I have to
say is extremely helpful.
It's funny how you only spray
the blue one when you're in my room.
Just as well, cos when you spray
them together, well
WHISPERS: ..they may
cause drowsiness.
What are you doing?
Get off me.
Nicki I really didn't want to
have to do this.
If only you'd played along
like you were supposed to.
Do you know what it's like
being stuck here with all you
sanctimonious little Crooks?
I'm getting out, at long last,
and I'm not going to let nice
little Amira ruin everything.
Sleep well, Amira.
Na-night.
Look.
They were the best friends
I ever had, huh?
The best Crooks I'll ever know.
But their talents,
they burned too bright.
They, ermthey became a threat
that the Nameless couldn't ignore.
They were my parents.
I had a right to know.
But you and Lockett
Look, we were trying to protect you.
We thought it would be safer if
no-one knew who you were,
not even you. But you failed.
Why did they come for me?
The son of Adria and Luciano -
you're unfinished business.
You know my whole life
I thought this was lucky.
It was a warning.
Yes.
They'll come for me again.
This isn't over.
No, my friend.
This is just the beginning.
SHE GASPS
SHE WHIMPERS
HELP!
SHE PANTS
HELP!