Patience (2025) s02e03 Episode Script
The Magpie
1
BACKGROUND CHATTER
If there was any way that we were
going to get the deal done, we have.
And here we are.
Thank you.
THEY CHUCKLE
It's been a long road to get here
but I hope you all agree
it's been worth it.
HE LAUGHS
Here's to a bright new future
for us all.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
-Cheers.
GLASS SMASHES, THEY GASP
What was that?
Did a bird just smash through
the window?
GRUNTING
-Ben?
-Oh, my God.
-GASPING - Oh, God!
-Ben!
Hey, Headphones,
we've got another homicide.
OK.
You coming or what?
Bullet through the heart.
Very clean.
Yeah, they're looking into vantage
points for a sniper.
There's something strange about
the trajectory of the bullet.
Yeah, there is.
There must have been two.
-Two?
-Yeah.
Well, the bullet from that window
couldn't have killed the victim,
so there must have been two shots.
Yeah, but there's only one hole in
the glass.
So, what? Are you saying
the killer was inside the room?
-Yeah.
-Are you sure?
Well, she's always sure.
We should look into links between
the people present
and the victim, boss.
No, hang on.
Witnesses say they only heard one
gunshot.
What the hell's that?
It's a genus Pica pica.
Sorry, what?
Didn't do Latin in Deptford.
Magpie.
Exactly. A Eurasian magpie.
Well, maybe it came in through the
window when the glass was shattered.
Is anyone else thinking what
I'm thinking?
Statistically unlikely, but
Maybe it's a calling card.
"The Magpie."
Oh, what, the infamous art
and jewellery thief?
This is York, not Monaco,
DI Monroe.
It's more likely the bird did it.
- ELLIOT:
- Patience.
-Hi.
-Hi.
I was just
This might be a bit presumptuous or
whatever, but
the address you got,
the one for your mum
there's a bus that goes right near
it if you wanted to go
this weekend or one evening
after work.
OK. Um
I just wanted to say
I'm really happy to come along.
Why?
Well, you know, moral support.
- WHISPERS:
- OK.
I'm not actually sure
I want to find her.
OK, yeah.
-Yeah, I'm going to
-OK. I
No pressure.
WILL: - On the 13th of
July 2016, a £25 million
William Turner painting vanishes
from Westminster Gallery.
It was one of his earlier pieces,
actually.
Focused more on his
architectural work.
Really interesting moment in
his ca
Anyway, there were guards,
no visitors,
no alarm was raised,
no trace, no prints,
just this, the thief's calling card.
- PHONE RINGS
- Oh, sorry.
Oh, not now, Zinzi.
Sorry, Will, carry on.
So, this theft heralded in
a series of increasingly spectacular
heists around the world,
but no-one's ever been able
to unmask The Magpie.
PHONE CHIMES
Unmask? You make him sound like
-Batman, Will.
-Well, the next one took place in Moscow.
Ballistics have come back.
Patience, you were right.
There were two shots fired.
One through the window
and one into the victim,
fired from inside the room.
So, someone in that meeting
definitely pulled the trigger, then?
Except, apparently, no-one
had enough gunpowder residue
left on their clothes
to have fired the gun.
So, there was someone else present
that no-one saw?
The Magpie?
Yeah, but, I mean, is that
The Magpie's MO?
They're a thief, not a murderer.
Yeah, and they leave a stencil,
not an actual dead bird,
don't they?
And what about the two shots?
Why was only one shot heard?
I'll give my contact in Interpol
a call
and see if there's any updates on
The Magpie.
Good work, Will. Well done.
Yeah, we're looking
for any recent intel,
any evidence they've moved from
art theft and jewellery heists
to a homicide in York.
Listen, thanks for that, Rob.
I've got to go.
-You're a hard man to get hold of.
-Not hard enough.
Listen, I just wanted a quick
chat about your socials.
You haven't posted anything all week.
Yeah, I've been a bit busy.
Well, yeah, sure, but the rebranding
is going to lose momentum
-if we don't keep
-Yeah, there's no point me posting about work if
I'm not actually doing any.
-No, no, no. Sure
-You know, I'm sorry I haven't
wanged on about my risotto
or the colour of my duvet,
we're in the middle of
a serious investigation.
Is that the York homicides?
Look, I've got to go,
but I will post to the internet, OK?
Sir.
So, what have we got on the victim?
He was single, no kids,
no close friends,
no girlfriend, just colleagues.
Looks like the guy lived
for his work.
Here's something. A Guy Delton.
He was on the list of visitors to
the office building this morning.
He's also on the list
of Interpol's Magpie suspects.
Right. Well, he's not hard to find,
he's all over social media.
Yeah. He's a pretty famous
behavioural psychologist.
Sort of breakfast TV type, right?
Apparently, he's got a new book out,
and he's doing a signing in
York right now.
Yeah? I'll go.
Might be free wine.
The Mastery Of Misdirection.
It's the basis of most magic tricks.
You look behind the curtain
and you'll find magicians rely on
your brain taking shortcuts,
making assumptions
and filling in the blanks.
And that's when you
fall in the trap.
MUFFLED LAUGHTER
Thank you.
Who should I make it out to?
Oh.
SHE CLEARS THROA
City of York Police.
Oh.
I have quite a few fans in
the police force.
-Really? - Yeah.
-I don't. HE LAUGHS
-I'd like to talk to you about
-Magpie.
I read minds.
And
it's all over social media.
Yeah, it's gone viral.
I bet your friend Zinzi will be
pleased.
-How did she know about this?
-Eavesdropping, I presume.
Hello.
-Sorry, can I interrupt?
-Oh, please do.
OK. So, I did find something
in the archives on Ben Jarrett.
He reported a mugging
about two weeks ago.
Sounds like an opportunist took his
house keys.
Anything happen with the muggers?
Have we managed to track them down?
No. We did actually give him
a parking ticket when he came
to report it.
Oh, brilliant.
PHONE CHIMES Oh.
Guy Delton's in the interview room.
See what he's got to say for himself.
Do you want me in on this one?
No, but I wouldn't mind
your eyes on it.
-You got time? -Mm-hm.
-Come on, then.
This seems like a bunch of
wild accusations, DI Monroe.
I don't think I've accused you
of anything yet.
I've got a feeling I will, so we've
got that to look forward to, eh?
I thought the police were supposed
to use evidence.
All right.
Here's your evidence.
The register and the CCTV show
you entering the building
an hour before the murder,
and leaving 20 minutes after.
What were you doing there?
I was meeting a potential
new publisher,
Orford Press.
-My current ones are a bunch of charlatans.
-Who did you meet with?
Well, no-one in the end.
I was asked to wait as they were
running late,
and, eventually, a PA had
the audacity to tell me
that the meeting was cancelled.
You're welcome to check.
Oh, we have.
We could see that you signed in
for a meeting with the Orford Press,
but the publisher has no office in
the building and no PA working there.
She's got him.
-They also told us that they'd never been in touch with you.
-Well
I'm at a loss,
as, I suspect
are you.
These questions seem
rather tangential, DI Monroe.
I'm wondering if The Magpie has
rather stumped you.
Hm? He does that.
It's all riddles,
there's no solution.
How frustrating.
I don't know about you,
but it's not in my nature
to live my life riddled
with curiosity.
I need to go.
-Just need
-Yeah, sure.
You're not still worried about
DI Monroe, are you?
I think she's coming around.
No, it's not that.
I just need to do something.
All right.
Hi, Elliot.
I think I've changed my mind.
I need to know.
I'm particularly curious about why
I'm still here.
All right, Guy.
Sorry, may I call you Guy?
Please.
Free to go.
Or you could give us
the benefit of
one of the finest
minds of our time.
This is nuts.
I've worked with criminal profiles
like him before.
He's a classic narcissist.
He wants a show.
Yeah, or maybe he's just trying
to muddy the water.
I'm telling you,
with that level of arrogance,
he will confess.
He's dying to take credit.
He is a master manipulator.
Jake, I can handle him.
And what other choice do we have?
The victim was killed here?
Obviously.
So, everyone's around the table
listening to the lawyer's speech?
They raise a glass.
GLASS SMASHES
Oh, ha, ha.
And a noise makes them turn
their heads.
They see a broken window
and a bird on the floor.
One colleague wonders
"Did a bird just smash through
the window?"
And your victim collapses,
stone-cold dead.
SILENCED GUNSHO
I'm spot on, aren't I?
Yes, according to eyewitnesses.
Would you like to know what
actually happened?
- QUIETLY:
- DI Monroe
Please. The floor is yours.
Looking at it, one might deduce
there was only one shot.
And only one shot was
heard. QUIETLY: - DI Monroe
Wrong.
No shots were heard.
But we have witnesses that say
that they
First, there is the magpie
dropped to the floor.
Then, the first shot
which breaks the window.
Gun has a silencer.
It's the noise of
the shattering glass
that draws everyone's attention,
thus distracting them.
When the victim cries out,
everyone turns back to look.
They see the bullet wound
and their brains do the rest,
putting the facts in
the most logical order,
telling them that what they heard
was a gunshot,
when, in fact,
it was simply shattering glass.
So, why did you do it?
Oh, no!
No confession today, DI Monroe.
I'm not your murderer.
Then what are we doing here?
We are admiring The Magpie's
handiwork.
I knew there'd be a trick,
and there was.
It's so elegant.
It's all about misdirection,
it's his forte.
Are you aware of
the gorilla basketball test?
Are you aware of wasting
police time?
A focus group was asked to count
the number of passes played between
two basketball teams.
During the game, an actor,
dressed as a gorilla,
flagrantly bounded onto
the court.
Most viewers, focusing on
the ball, didn't even notice him.
Yeah, well,
they sound like a bunch of idiots.
Their attention was simply
elsewhere, as was yours, DI Monroe.
What?
He's removed his handcuffs.
That's what I was trying
to tell you.
You're a clever girl.
You'd spot the gorilla.
The brain, it's fascinating.
It's such an interesting
and yet untrustworthy organ.
-All right, you can say it.
-Boss?
I got had.
But at least now we know how
the murder went down.
And he can shove his
untrustworthy organ.
And yes, I do know how that sounds.
This is it.
So, how come you changed
your mind?
Well, I guess it's
I guess it's better not to be
riddled with curiosity all my life.
Ready?
Yeah.
-Thank you.
-Here you go.
I don't really know what
I can tell you.
Your mum moved away a long time ago.
It's just me and my daughter,
Maddie, here.
Right.
Do you
Do you know where she moved to?
You don't know?
She passed away.
When?
About 13 years ago.
I'm so sorry.
Hang on.
This was here when I came.
I think this is you.
You held on to this for 13 years?
I never throw anything away.
Mummy, can you come and help me?
-Mummy!
-Oh, Maddie.
Sorry, won't be a second.
You OK?
-Stupid question.
-I'm fine.
Is that you?
Yeah, and her.
-You want me to help you put it on?
-No.
No, I don't want to wear it.
-We're going to go.
-Of course.
I'm sorry to give you such sad news.
If there's anything else
Thank you.
Sorry.
He was right, wasn't he?
All the witnesses say they only
heard one shot.
I've got something for you.
-Uh
-Oh, right. Can you watch out?
That's from the Cayman Islands.
-Oh, sorry. Oh.
-MONROE CLEARS THROA
What you got, then?
Ben Jarrett, our victim,
was a loyal visitor.
"Angels of the North."
No cliche spared.
His login history shows he always
requested the same girl,
Amber.
What does that mean?
"Specialist in GFE."
Girlfriend experience.
Oh, what's that, then?
WILL CLEARS THROA
It seems, just, like,
accompanying clients
to parties and taking them on dates,
that sort of thing.
Want to go and meet her, Jake?
-What, me?
-Yeah.
You're a police officer, I'm not
asking you to go on a date with her.
No. Yeah, no, of course. All right.
Jake? I'm Amber.
I was so happy to get your call.
I hope you didn't have
to come too far.
So, what kind of thing
are you looking for?
Look, I'm not interested in how you
make a living, all right?
I want to know about
a client of yours, Ben Jarrett.
-Oh, I'm afraid I can't
-He's been murdered.
- WHISPERS:
- Oh, my God.
Did you know him well?
Well, he was my client, but
we were close.
-What happened?
-We don't fully know.
Did he ever mention anything he was
worried about? Family? Friends?
No, he didn't talk about his private
life at all.
I don't think he had much of one.
He travelled a lot for work,
I know he found that stressful.
He wanted to slow down a bit.
Did he have a plan?
He said he wanted more time
with me,
and to do the things he loved.
It's going to sound silly,
but he was really into magic.
Magic?
It's just through here.
Miss Evans!
Not such a goody two-shoes after all.
Pets in the workplace? I'm quite
sure there's rules about that.
Well, yes, there are
several rules about it.
Well, it's just no-one actually
They don't come back here.
-I didn't think
-Chill out.
It's cool.
So, what are we looking for exactly?
Just talk me through this.
Yeah, OK. Well,
I'm acutely aware of noise,
but also silence.
The noise is the hundreds of cases
involving Ben Jarrett as a lawyer,
which are totally unrelated
to his death.
So, if you block that out,
you can see what you need to.
1995, Ben Jarrett was arrested
for pickpocketing.
He was a teenager.
Pickpocketing. Seems he was pretty
successful at it.
There's something else
I need to show you.
BUZZER, DOOR CLICKS
Wow, you've been busy.
PATIENCE CLEARS THROA
So, 30th of July 2016,
Ben Jarrett was in London the day
the Turner was stolen.
4th of May 2018,
he travelled to Moscow
the day the Narkovsky
diamonds were taken
from a jeweller's in the Red Square.
Lastly, 6th of August 2022, he
stayed in the Infinity Oasis Hotel
the day The Magpie stole the takings
from the Dubai steeplechase.
And Amber said he travelled
a lot for work.
Looks like he wasn't just
clocking up air miles.
Ben Jarrett wasn't
The Magpie's victim
he was The Magpie.
Brilliant.
But we're still no closer to
the murderer.
How sure are you?
-Will?
-Jarrett's bank account's healthy,
but it's in line with a lawyer's
income. No red flags.
-Where are the millions?
-Good question.
There's no paper trail
for any of The Magpie's takings.
Jake, what have you got?
Well, I managed to get hold of
Ben Jarrett's juvenile file.
He did spend some time in
a young offenders,
and this place hit the news
because they ran
a special rehab programme with
a guy called Jay Presto.
-Oh.
-Who's Jay Presto?
What? Oh, he was a famous
TV magician.
-He was huge in the '80s, wasn't he?
-Yeah.
-Woo!
-Woohoo!
Never heard of him.
Yeah, and Zinzi says
I'm out of touch.
Well, anyway, you're in luck,
cos these days,
-Jay Presto runs a little magic museum, so
-Ah, cool.
-How about it, Headphones?
-Hm?
Managed to identify The Magpie.
Interpol failed to do that
for two decades.
Let's see what else you've got.
OK.
Right, guys, keep digging.
Oh. Oh, wow.
Wow, this is amazing.
This is amazing.
Jay Presto, like,
was Saturday morning TV.
Had this brilliant show,
everyone watched.
I didn't watch.
I spent my Saturday mornings trying
to improve my interpretation
and understanding
of regression coefficients.
MONROE GASPS
WHISPERS: The sword box.
Do you know, I still have
absolutely no idea how he did it?
Really?
Well, it's actually
It's very simple.
The assistant would look like
she's lying fully down,
but, really, she'd only be in this
middle compartment.
So, all the long swords would go
into the empty compartments,
-these would be angled up or down, so
-And actually
I didn't want to know,
but thank you.
PIANO PLAYS
Good afternoon.
Hello, Mr Presto.
I'm DI Monroe from
City of York Police.
-I'd just like to ask you a few questions.
-Pick a card.
Go on.
OK.
-Lovely. -Do I look at it?
-Mm-hm.
Now put it back in
the deck, sweetie pie.
That's the stuff.
Is that your card?
No.
How about
-that one?
-Yes!
Yes, it is, yep.
Hm. Very clever.
Sleight of hand. It's a technique.
It's very easy to master if you've
got the right
Yeah, could you stop spoiling
the magic?
Hm.
Zinzi.
Hi. Did you want a drink?
I've brought you a kombucha.
I don't know what that is.
The tweet you tweeted
-You mean my post?
-Whatever.
-You compromised an investigation.
-Oh, God.
I am so sorry.
Now, look, the Chief Constable
thinks this is necessary,
but if you can't learn
to respect police procedure,
it's not going to work.
Do you understand?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
This is serious.
It's not a supermarket.
I know. I know,
I shouldn't have done it.
Damn right you shouldn't.
I feel terrible, DCI Baxter.
I've completely overstepped.
It's OK. I mean, obviously,
it's not,
but we all make mistakes,
so just don't worry about it.
You all right?
Yeah. Thank you.
-And I promise you, this will never happen again.
-Good.
And I'll make sure
I tweet post this afternoon.
-I mean, it's just post, but
-I know.
DOOR CLOSES
Mm.
- JAY PRESTO:
- No.
No, I've not seen
Ben Jarrett for years.
He was one of my proteges at
the Young Offenders Centre.
What was he like?
Eager to learn.
Absorbed everything.
He was talented.
At magic tricks?
And basic illusion.
-Can I?
-Yes.
Don't worry if you don't get it,
that's foxed the best of us,
sweetie pie.
-So, you taught young offenders magic?
-Mm. - Hm.
Whatever happened to carpentry?
Well, magic gave them confidence,
the ability to engage with others
and develop their intuition.
I turned pickpockets into
-Well, what did Ben Jarrett do?
-He was a lawyer.
Well, there you are.
Listen,
I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
No, I mean, it's
If you think of anything, just
Let me give you this.
And let me give you this.
And let me give you this.
Solved.
Hm.
She's a police officer
and they are just tricks,
-so I don't understand how she didn't see through them.
-Hm.
I think it's down
to brain wiring, you know?
How do you mean?
Well, it's like my mum.
She's neurotypical.
She's an artist.
And she loves these
Impressionist paintings.
So, when she looks at them,
she can see,
like, a landscape or maybe a train.
But when I look at one,
I just see blobs of colour.
Yeah, I'm like you.
But I think it's good, cos I can
spot details my NT friends can't,
like a nest in a tree or
a face in the window.
Yeah. My brother has
a Batman movie poster,
and one of the bats is flying
upside down.
-That's impossible.
-Exactly.
And he doesn't seem to care.
In fact, he got annoyed when
I pointed it out.
Maybe you ruined it for him.
Don't get me started on Batman.
The Batmobile is obviously
powered by
a gas turbine engine,
but the noise is of
a piston engine.
It's completely ludicrous.
-It's her. It is.
-Yep.
-Hi.
-Here, look who turns up half hour before
Ben Jarrett's murder
and leaves ten minutes after,
Amber.
Jarrett's favourite
girlfriend experience.
Oh, I just actually wanted
to talk to DI Monroe.
Oh.
Shoot.
QUIETLY: - Well, I
just wanted to apologise
for ruining the magic
the other day.
-What?
-Well, I just,
I didn't get how you kept missing
the tricks.
And I realise that your brain's
wired differently,
but I just wanted to say I'm sorry.
Right, thank you.
Why didn't you tell us that you were
at the scene of the crime?
I knew it would look bad.
Yeah, it looks worse now.
-I can explain.
-I think you should.
Two days before Ben died,
I'd got an email from a new client.
He wanted to play a trick on
an old friend.
Who?
Someone called Guy Delton.
I had to pose as a PA for
a publishing firm,
keep him waiting, and then tell him
the appointment was cancelled.
And you didn't ask any questions?
He paid me a grand,
and I had no reason to be wary.
But then when I found out that
Ben had been killed, I
was just too freaked out
to say anything.
And who was the client?
He didn't give a name,
it was all done by email.
-Will.
-On it.
And did Ben Jarrett mention any
financial set-ups,
-like offshore accounts for insurance?
-No, no. God, no.
He would never. He wasn't like that.
We just did normal stuff.
You know, we watched TV,
went to dinner.
You know that antique centre?
He loved the little
curiosities place.
He was such a nerd.
It was kind of adorable.
-Sorry.
-SHE CLEARS THROA
No.
No, that's OK.
Thank you.
You've been very helpful.
I guess we're releasing
Guy Delton then,
if Amber's given him an alibi.
Yeah. I was really looking forward
to pinning something on him as well.
-He was such a piece of work.
-Ah, well,
I don't think The Master
of Misdirection will love
the fact that he was duped,
if that's any consolation.
Yeah, sort of.
Wait, Will,
go back ten seconds in that CCTV of
the business centre.
So, there were five members
on the SOCO team that
day, but, look, six
six come out.
Hang on.
She's right.
Yeah, so, who's the sixth?
Our murderer making his getaway?
Have you got her emails up?
Yeah, he doesn't give much away,
this anonymous client.
-What's the address?
-It's encrypted.
"Thank you and good luck,
sweetie pie."
Sweetie pie.
SIREN WAILS
Search warrant, sweetie pie.
Check upstairs.
What the hell do you think you're
playing at?
This is outrageous.
How well did you know
Guy Delton, Jay?
-Who?
-The man you framed for Ben Jarrett's murder.
I don't know what you're
talking about.
I won't be saying another word until
my lawyer gets here.
Boss?
It has a silencer.
There's no need for that.
Will you let me get my coat?
Oh, for Christ's sake.
-Uh, where is he?
-Here, take that.
-Is he outside? -Don't know.
-Did he come past you?
-Here. -Did you check in there?
-Yeah.
Why did you do it, Jay?
Why did you kill him?
JAY CHUCKLES
You knew who Ben Jarrett really was.
Was it envy cos he was The Magpie?
Still a step behind, DI Monroe.
He wasn't The Magpie
we were The Magpie.
JAY GROANS
Jay Presto,
I'm arresting you on suspicion
of the murder of Ben Jarrett.
You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defence if
you do not mention, when questioned,
something which you
later rely on in court.
And anything you do say may be used
in evidence against you.
So
all you did was just launder
the money, stick it offshore.
Jarrett took all the risks,
you were just
a glorified accountant.
I was the mastermind behind every
single heist.
They were my ideas, my strategies.
And then he had the gall
to think he could go it alone.
So, he broke in
stole the Narkovsky blue diamonds,
worth three million.
And then you tried to get them back,
had him mugged, got his keys.
His was an act of war,
I had no choice.
But they had vanished.
Killing was revenge.
He didn't even look up.
Everything I taught him
about observation,
and he didn't even see me
right in front of his face.
I'm the best
and he forgot that.
THUMP
I waited it out in the building
while you
clucked around the crime scene.
Anyway
I'm sure you'll agree it was
a brilliant feat of misdirection.
Absolutely, yeah.
Well done.
Still got caught, though.
And neither of us are any wiser as
to where the Narkovsky diamonds are.
It looks like we've both been had.
Thought you'd be out with
the team this afternoon,
to celebrate.
I think it's probably too early
to celebrate,
and I don't really think
I'm part of the team.
Oh, really?
You look like you are to me.
Also, thank you for coming with me
the other day. It was
No, of course.
I am sorry about your mum.
It's fine.
Do you think you'll ever
want to wear the necklace?
I don't know. I don't
I don't think I can
forgive her, so
Oh, look at that.
I didn't know you were
into antiques.
I know this place.
I had a girlfriend who worked here.
Oh. Heh.
-Ooh, you're jealous? -No.
-I mean, it's not surprising.
I'm known as Hot Stuff in Forensics.
-Mm. -Must be all the PPE.
-Yeah.
I have noticed you can't keep your
eyes off me.
-It's the overshoes.
-QUIETLY: - Oh, yes, they are sexy.
Let's go in.
Sure.
Right, OK, Evans, spill it.
What are we actually here for?
Well, the Narkovsky blue diamonds.
The Narkovsky blue diamonds, right.
Never boring with you.
And what,
you think they're here somewhere?
I don't know.
Ben Jarrett liked it in here.
Well, wouldn't he have stashed them
in a safe somewhere?
I think he liked the game of it.
I mean, there'd be no fun
in hiding them away.
Too easy.
And most people don't see
the gorilla.
So, are we looking
for diamonds or a gorilla?
It's not a magpie.
No, that's a cuckoo.
But it's sitting on a magpie's nest,
though.
But, well, that's what they do,
they steal them.
What?
Ah!
It's a diamond.
Amazing.
"Unknown from an
anonymous collector."
Two.
Three.
CHUCKLING
I knew it.
It's him, it's The Magpie
hiding in plain sight.
BACKGROUND CHATTER
If there was any way that we were
going to get the deal done, we have.
And here we are.
Thank you.
THEY CHUCKLE
It's been a long road to get here
but I hope you all agree
it's been worth it.
HE LAUGHS
Here's to a bright new future
for us all.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
-Cheers.
GLASS SMASHES, THEY GASP
What was that?
Did a bird just smash through
the window?
GRUNTING
-Ben?
-Oh, my God.
-GASPING - Oh, God!
-Ben!
Hey, Headphones,
we've got another homicide.
OK.
You coming or what?
Bullet through the heart.
Very clean.
Yeah, they're looking into vantage
points for a sniper.
There's something strange about
the trajectory of the bullet.
Yeah, there is.
There must have been two.
-Two?
-Yeah.
Well, the bullet from that window
couldn't have killed the victim,
so there must have been two shots.
Yeah, but there's only one hole in
the glass.
So, what? Are you saying
the killer was inside the room?
-Yeah.
-Are you sure?
Well, she's always sure.
We should look into links between
the people present
and the victim, boss.
No, hang on.
Witnesses say they only heard one
gunshot.
What the hell's that?
It's a genus Pica pica.
Sorry, what?
Didn't do Latin in Deptford.
Magpie.
Exactly. A Eurasian magpie.
Well, maybe it came in through the
window when the glass was shattered.
Is anyone else thinking what
I'm thinking?
Statistically unlikely, but
Maybe it's a calling card.
"The Magpie."
Oh, what, the infamous art
and jewellery thief?
This is York, not Monaco,
DI Monroe.
It's more likely the bird did it.
- ELLIOT:
- Patience.
-Hi.
-Hi.
I was just
This might be a bit presumptuous or
whatever, but
the address you got,
the one for your mum
there's a bus that goes right near
it if you wanted to go
this weekend or one evening
after work.
OK. Um
I just wanted to say
I'm really happy to come along.
Why?
Well, you know, moral support.
- WHISPERS:
- OK.
I'm not actually sure
I want to find her.
OK, yeah.
-Yeah, I'm going to
-OK. I
No pressure.
WILL: - On the 13th of
July 2016, a £25 million
William Turner painting vanishes
from Westminster Gallery.
It was one of his earlier pieces,
actually.
Focused more on his
architectural work.
Really interesting moment in
his ca
Anyway, there were guards,
no visitors,
no alarm was raised,
no trace, no prints,
just this, the thief's calling card.
- PHONE RINGS
- Oh, sorry.
Oh, not now, Zinzi.
Sorry, Will, carry on.
So, this theft heralded in
a series of increasingly spectacular
heists around the world,
but no-one's ever been able
to unmask The Magpie.
PHONE CHIMES
Unmask? You make him sound like
-Batman, Will.
-Well, the next one took place in Moscow.
Ballistics have come back.
Patience, you were right.
There were two shots fired.
One through the window
and one into the victim,
fired from inside the room.
So, someone in that meeting
definitely pulled the trigger, then?
Except, apparently, no-one
had enough gunpowder residue
left on their clothes
to have fired the gun.
So, there was someone else present
that no-one saw?
The Magpie?
Yeah, but, I mean, is that
The Magpie's MO?
They're a thief, not a murderer.
Yeah, and they leave a stencil,
not an actual dead bird,
don't they?
And what about the two shots?
Why was only one shot heard?
I'll give my contact in Interpol
a call
and see if there's any updates on
The Magpie.
Good work, Will. Well done.
Yeah, we're looking
for any recent intel,
any evidence they've moved from
art theft and jewellery heists
to a homicide in York.
Listen, thanks for that, Rob.
I've got to go.
-You're a hard man to get hold of.
-Not hard enough.
Listen, I just wanted a quick
chat about your socials.
You haven't posted anything all week.
Yeah, I've been a bit busy.
Well, yeah, sure, but the rebranding
is going to lose momentum
-if we don't keep
-Yeah, there's no point me posting about work if
I'm not actually doing any.
-No, no, no. Sure
-You know, I'm sorry I haven't
wanged on about my risotto
or the colour of my duvet,
we're in the middle of
a serious investigation.
Is that the York homicides?
Look, I've got to go,
but I will post to the internet, OK?
Sir.
So, what have we got on the victim?
He was single, no kids,
no close friends,
no girlfriend, just colleagues.
Looks like the guy lived
for his work.
Here's something. A Guy Delton.
He was on the list of visitors to
the office building this morning.
He's also on the list
of Interpol's Magpie suspects.
Right. Well, he's not hard to find,
he's all over social media.
Yeah. He's a pretty famous
behavioural psychologist.
Sort of breakfast TV type, right?
Apparently, he's got a new book out,
and he's doing a signing in
York right now.
Yeah? I'll go.
Might be free wine.
The Mastery Of Misdirection.
It's the basis of most magic tricks.
You look behind the curtain
and you'll find magicians rely on
your brain taking shortcuts,
making assumptions
and filling in the blanks.
And that's when you
fall in the trap.
MUFFLED LAUGHTER
Thank you.
Who should I make it out to?
Oh.
SHE CLEARS THROA
City of York Police.
Oh.
I have quite a few fans in
the police force.
-Really? - Yeah.
-I don't. HE LAUGHS
-I'd like to talk to you about
-Magpie.
I read minds.
And
it's all over social media.
Yeah, it's gone viral.
I bet your friend Zinzi will be
pleased.
-How did she know about this?
-Eavesdropping, I presume.
Hello.
-Sorry, can I interrupt?
-Oh, please do.
OK. So, I did find something
in the archives on Ben Jarrett.
He reported a mugging
about two weeks ago.
Sounds like an opportunist took his
house keys.
Anything happen with the muggers?
Have we managed to track them down?
No. We did actually give him
a parking ticket when he came
to report it.
Oh, brilliant.
PHONE CHIMES Oh.
Guy Delton's in the interview room.
See what he's got to say for himself.
Do you want me in on this one?
No, but I wouldn't mind
your eyes on it.
-You got time? -Mm-hm.
-Come on, then.
This seems like a bunch of
wild accusations, DI Monroe.
I don't think I've accused you
of anything yet.
I've got a feeling I will, so we've
got that to look forward to, eh?
I thought the police were supposed
to use evidence.
All right.
Here's your evidence.
The register and the CCTV show
you entering the building
an hour before the murder,
and leaving 20 minutes after.
What were you doing there?
I was meeting a potential
new publisher,
Orford Press.
-My current ones are a bunch of charlatans.
-Who did you meet with?
Well, no-one in the end.
I was asked to wait as they were
running late,
and, eventually, a PA had
the audacity to tell me
that the meeting was cancelled.
You're welcome to check.
Oh, we have.
We could see that you signed in
for a meeting with the Orford Press,
but the publisher has no office in
the building and no PA working there.
She's got him.
-They also told us that they'd never been in touch with you.
-Well
I'm at a loss,
as, I suspect
are you.
These questions seem
rather tangential, DI Monroe.
I'm wondering if The Magpie has
rather stumped you.
Hm? He does that.
It's all riddles,
there's no solution.
How frustrating.
I don't know about you,
but it's not in my nature
to live my life riddled
with curiosity.
I need to go.
-Just need
-Yeah, sure.
You're not still worried about
DI Monroe, are you?
I think she's coming around.
No, it's not that.
I just need to do something.
All right.
Hi, Elliot.
I think I've changed my mind.
I need to know.
I'm particularly curious about why
I'm still here.
All right, Guy.
Sorry, may I call you Guy?
Please.
Free to go.
Or you could give us
the benefit of
one of the finest
minds of our time.
This is nuts.
I've worked with criminal profiles
like him before.
He's a classic narcissist.
He wants a show.
Yeah, or maybe he's just trying
to muddy the water.
I'm telling you,
with that level of arrogance,
he will confess.
He's dying to take credit.
He is a master manipulator.
Jake, I can handle him.
And what other choice do we have?
The victim was killed here?
Obviously.
So, everyone's around the table
listening to the lawyer's speech?
They raise a glass.
GLASS SMASHES
Oh, ha, ha.
And a noise makes them turn
their heads.
They see a broken window
and a bird on the floor.
One colleague wonders
"Did a bird just smash through
the window?"
And your victim collapses,
stone-cold dead.
SILENCED GUNSHO
I'm spot on, aren't I?
Yes, according to eyewitnesses.
Would you like to know what
actually happened?
- QUIETLY:
- DI Monroe
Please. The floor is yours.
Looking at it, one might deduce
there was only one shot.
And only one shot was
heard. QUIETLY: - DI Monroe
Wrong.
No shots were heard.
But we have witnesses that say
that they
First, there is the magpie
dropped to the floor.
Then, the first shot
which breaks the window.
Gun has a silencer.
It's the noise of
the shattering glass
that draws everyone's attention,
thus distracting them.
When the victim cries out,
everyone turns back to look.
They see the bullet wound
and their brains do the rest,
putting the facts in
the most logical order,
telling them that what they heard
was a gunshot,
when, in fact,
it was simply shattering glass.
So, why did you do it?
Oh, no!
No confession today, DI Monroe.
I'm not your murderer.
Then what are we doing here?
We are admiring The Magpie's
handiwork.
I knew there'd be a trick,
and there was.
It's so elegant.
It's all about misdirection,
it's his forte.
Are you aware of
the gorilla basketball test?
Are you aware of wasting
police time?
A focus group was asked to count
the number of passes played between
two basketball teams.
During the game, an actor,
dressed as a gorilla,
flagrantly bounded onto
the court.
Most viewers, focusing on
the ball, didn't even notice him.
Yeah, well,
they sound like a bunch of idiots.
Their attention was simply
elsewhere, as was yours, DI Monroe.
What?
He's removed his handcuffs.
That's what I was trying
to tell you.
You're a clever girl.
You'd spot the gorilla.
The brain, it's fascinating.
It's such an interesting
and yet untrustworthy organ.
-All right, you can say it.
-Boss?
I got had.
But at least now we know how
the murder went down.
And he can shove his
untrustworthy organ.
And yes, I do know how that sounds.
This is it.
So, how come you changed
your mind?
Well, I guess it's
I guess it's better not to be
riddled with curiosity all my life.
Ready?
Yeah.
-Thank you.
-Here you go.
I don't really know what
I can tell you.
Your mum moved away a long time ago.
It's just me and my daughter,
Maddie, here.
Right.
Do you
Do you know where she moved to?
You don't know?
She passed away.
When?
About 13 years ago.
I'm so sorry.
Hang on.
This was here when I came.
I think this is you.
You held on to this for 13 years?
I never throw anything away.
Mummy, can you come and help me?
-Mummy!
-Oh, Maddie.
Sorry, won't be a second.
You OK?
-Stupid question.
-I'm fine.
Is that you?
Yeah, and her.
-You want me to help you put it on?
-No.
No, I don't want to wear it.
-We're going to go.
-Of course.
I'm sorry to give you such sad news.
If there's anything else
Thank you.
Sorry.
He was right, wasn't he?
All the witnesses say they only
heard one shot.
I've got something for you.
-Uh
-Oh, right. Can you watch out?
That's from the Cayman Islands.
-Oh, sorry. Oh.
-MONROE CLEARS THROA
What you got, then?
Ben Jarrett, our victim,
was a loyal visitor.
"Angels of the North."
No cliche spared.
His login history shows he always
requested the same girl,
Amber.
What does that mean?
"Specialist in GFE."
Girlfriend experience.
Oh, what's that, then?
WILL CLEARS THROA
It seems, just, like,
accompanying clients
to parties and taking them on dates,
that sort of thing.
Want to go and meet her, Jake?
-What, me?
-Yeah.
You're a police officer, I'm not
asking you to go on a date with her.
No. Yeah, no, of course. All right.
Jake? I'm Amber.
I was so happy to get your call.
I hope you didn't have
to come too far.
So, what kind of thing
are you looking for?
Look, I'm not interested in how you
make a living, all right?
I want to know about
a client of yours, Ben Jarrett.
-Oh, I'm afraid I can't
-He's been murdered.
- WHISPERS:
- Oh, my God.
Did you know him well?
Well, he was my client, but
we were close.
-What happened?
-We don't fully know.
Did he ever mention anything he was
worried about? Family? Friends?
No, he didn't talk about his private
life at all.
I don't think he had much of one.
He travelled a lot for work,
I know he found that stressful.
He wanted to slow down a bit.
Did he have a plan?
He said he wanted more time
with me,
and to do the things he loved.
It's going to sound silly,
but he was really into magic.
Magic?
It's just through here.
Miss Evans!
Not such a goody two-shoes after all.
Pets in the workplace? I'm quite
sure there's rules about that.
Well, yes, there are
several rules about it.
Well, it's just no-one actually
They don't come back here.
-I didn't think
-Chill out.
It's cool.
So, what are we looking for exactly?
Just talk me through this.
Yeah, OK. Well,
I'm acutely aware of noise,
but also silence.
The noise is the hundreds of cases
involving Ben Jarrett as a lawyer,
which are totally unrelated
to his death.
So, if you block that out,
you can see what you need to.
1995, Ben Jarrett was arrested
for pickpocketing.
He was a teenager.
Pickpocketing. Seems he was pretty
successful at it.
There's something else
I need to show you.
BUZZER, DOOR CLICKS
Wow, you've been busy.
PATIENCE CLEARS THROA
So, 30th of July 2016,
Ben Jarrett was in London the day
the Turner was stolen.
4th of May 2018,
he travelled to Moscow
the day the Narkovsky
diamonds were taken
from a jeweller's in the Red Square.
Lastly, 6th of August 2022, he
stayed in the Infinity Oasis Hotel
the day The Magpie stole the takings
from the Dubai steeplechase.
And Amber said he travelled
a lot for work.
Looks like he wasn't just
clocking up air miles.
Ben Jarrett wasn't
The Magpie's victim
he was The Magpie.
Brilliant.
But we're still no closer to
the murderer.
How sure are you?
-Will?
-Jarrett's bank account's healthy,
but it's in line with a lawyer's
income. No red flags.
-Where are the millions?
-Good question.
There's no paper trail
for any of The Magpie's takings.
Jake, what have you got?
Well, I managed to get hold of
Ben Jarrett's juvenile file.
He did spend some time in
a young offenders,
and this place hit the news
because they ran
a special rehab programme with
a guy called Jay Presto.
-Oh.
-Who's Jay Presto?
What? Oh, he was a famous
TV magician.
-He was huge in the '80s, wasn't he?
-Yeah.
-Woo!
-Woohoo!
Never heard of him.
Yeah, and Zinzi says
I'm out of touch.
Well, anyway, you're in luck,
cos these days,
-Jay Presto runs a little magic museum, so
-Ah, cool.
-How about it, Headphones?
-Hm?
Managed to identify The Magpie.
Interpol failed to do that
for two decades.
Let's see what else you've got.
OK.
Right, guys, keep digging.
Oh. Oh, wow.
Wow, this is amazing.
This is amazing.
Jay Presto, like,
was Saturday morning TV.
Had this brilliant show,
everyone watched.
I didn't watch.
I spent my Saturday mornings trying
to improve my interpretation
and understanding
of regression coefficients.
MONROE GASPS
WHISPERS: The sword box.
Do you know, I still have
absolutely no idea how he did it?
Really?
Well, it's actually
It's very simple.
The assistant would look like
she's lying fully down,
but, really, she'd only be in this
middle compartment.
So, all the long swords would go
into the empty compartments,
-these would be angled up or down, so
-And actually
I didn't want to know,
but thank you.
PIANO PLAYS
Good afternoon.
Hello, Mr Presto.
I'm DI Monroe from
City of York Police.
-I'd just like to ask you a few questions.
-Pick a card.
Go on.
OK.
-Lovely. -Do I look at it?
-Mm-hm.
Now put it back in
the deck, sweetie pie.
That's the stuff.
Is that your card?
No.
How about
-that one?
-Yes!
Yes, it is, yep.
Hm. Very clever.
Sleight of hand. It's a technique.
It's very easy to master if you've
got the right
Yeah, could you stop spoiling
the magic?
Hm.
Zinzi.
Hi. Did you want a drink?
I've brought you a kombucha.
I don't know what that is.
The tweet you tweeted
-You mean my post?
-Whatever.
-You compromised an investigation.
-Oh, God.
I am so sorry.
Now, look, the Chief Constable
thinks this is necessary,
but if you can't learn
to respect police procedure,
it's not going to work.
Do you understand?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
This is serious.
It's not a supermarket.
I know. I know,
I shouldn't have done it.
Damn right you shouldn't.
I feel terrible, DCI Baxter.
I've completely overstepped.
It's OK. I mean, obviously,
it's not,
but we all make mistakes,
so just don't worry about it.
You all right?
Yeah. Thank you.
-And I promise you, this will never happen again.
-Good.
And I'll make sure
I tweet post this afternoon.
-I mean, it's just post, but
-I know.
DOOR CLOSES
Mm.
- JAY PRESTO:
- No.
No, I've not seen
Ben Jarrett for years.
He was one of my proteges at
the Young Offenders Centre.
What was he like?
Eager to learn.
Absorbed everything.
He was talented.
At magic tricks?
And basic illusion.
-Can I?
-Yes.
Don't worry if you don't get it,
that's foxed the best of us,
sweetie pie.
-So, you taught young offenders magic?
-Mm. - Hm.
Whatever happened to carpentry?
Well, magic gave them confidence,
the ability to engage with others
and develop their intuition.
I turned pickpockets into
-Well, what did Ben Jarrett do?
-He was a lawyer.
Well, there you are.
Listen,
I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
No, I mean, it's
If you think of anything, just
Let me give you this.
And let me give you this.
And let me give you this.
Solved.
Hm.
She's a police officer
and they are just tricks,
-so I don't understand how she didn't see through them.
-Hm.
I think it's down
to brain wiring, you know?
How do you mean?
Well, it's like my mum.
She's neurotypical.
She's an artist.
And she loves these
Impressionist paintings.
So, when she looks at them,
she can see,
like, a landscape or maybe a train.
But when I look at one,
I just see blobs of colour.
Yeah, I'm like you.
But I think it's good, cos I can
spot details my NT friends can't,
like a nest in a tree or
a face in the window.
Yeah. My brother has
a Batman movie poster,
and one of the bats is flying
upside down.
-That's impossible.
-Exactly.
And he doesn't seem to care.
In fact, he got annoyed when
I pointed it out.
Maybe you ruined it for him.
Don't get me started on Batman.
The Batmobile is obviously
powered by
a gas turbine engine,
but the noise is of
a piston engine.
It's completely ludicrous.
-It's her. It is.
-Yep.
-Hi.
-Here, look who turns up half hour before
Ben Jarrett's murder
and leaves ten minutes after,
Amber.
Jarrett's favourite
girlfriend experience.
Oh, I just actually wanted
to talk to DI Monroe.
Oh.
Shoot.
QUIETLY: - Well, I
just wanted to apologise
for ruining the magic
the other day.
-What?
-Well, I just,
I didn't get how you kept missing
the tricks.
And I realise that your brain's
wired differently,
but I just wanted to say I'm sorry.
Right, thank you.
Why didn't you tell us that you were
at the scene of the crime?
I knew it would look bad.
Yeah, it looks worse now.
-I can explain.
-I think you should.
Two days before Ben died,
I'd got an email from a new client.
He wanted to play a trick on
an old friend.
Who?
Someone called Guy Delton.
I had to pose as a PA for
a publishing firm,
keep him waiting, and then tell him
the appointment was cancelled.
And you didn't ask any questions?
He paid me a grand,
and I had no reason to be wary.
But then when I found out that
Ben had been killed, I
was just too freaked out
to say anything.
And who was the client?
He didn't give a name,
it was all done by email.
-Will.
-On it.
And did Ben Jarrett mention any
financial set-ups,
-like offshore accounts for insurance?
-No, no. God, no.
He would never. He wasn't like that.
We just did normal stuff.
You know, we watched TV,
went to dinner.
You know that antique centre?
He loved the little
curiosities place.
He was such a nerd.
It was kind of adorable.
-Sorry.
-SHE CLEARS THROA
No.
No, that's OK.
Thank you.
You've been very helpful.
I guess we're releasing
Guy Delton then,
if Amber's given him an alibi.
Yeah. I was really looking forward
to pinning something on him as well.
-He was such a piece of work.
-Ah, well,
I don't think The Master
of Misdirection will love
the fact that he was duped,
if that's any consolation.
Yeah, sort of.
Wait, Will,
go back ten seconds in that CCTV of
the business centre.
So, there were five members
on the SOCO team that
day, but, look, six
six come out.
Hang on.
She's right.
Yeah, so, who's the sixth?
Our murderer making his getaway?
Have you got her emails up?
Yeah, he doesn't give much away,
this anonymous client.
-What's the address?
-It's encrypted.
"Thank you and good luck,
sweetie pie."
Sweetie pie.
SIREN WAILS
Search warrant, sweetie pie.
Check upstairs.
What the hell do you think you're
playing at?
This is outrageous.
How well did you know
Guy Delton, Jay?
-Who?
-The man you framed for Ben Jarrett's murder.
I don't know what you're
talking about.
I won't be saying another word until
my lawyer gets here.
Boss?
It has a silencer.
There's no need for that.
Will you let me get my coat?
Oh, for Christ's sake.
-Uh, where is he?
-Here, take that.
-Is he outside? -Don't know.
-Did he come past you?
-Here. -Did you check in there?
-Yeah.
Why did you do it, Jay?
Why did you kill him?
JAY CHUCKLES
You knew who Ben Jarrett really was.
Was it envy cos he was The Magpie?
Still a step behind, DI Monroe.
He wasn't The Magpie
we were The Magpie.
JAY GROANS
Jay Presto,
I'm arresting you on suspicion
of the murder of Ben Jarrett.
You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defence if
you do not mention, when questioned,
something which you
later rely on in court.
And anything you do say may be used
in evidence against you.
So
all you did was just launder
the money, stick it offshore.
Jarrett took all the risks,
you were just
a glorified accountant.
I was the mastermind behind every
single heist.
They were my ideas, my strategies.
And then he had the gall
to think he could go it alone.
So, he broke in
stole the Narkovsky blue diamonds,
worth three million.
And then you tried to get them back,
had him mugged, got his keys.
His was an act of war,
I had no choice.
But they had vanished.
Killing was revenge.
He didn't even look up.
Everything I taught him
about observation,
and he didn't even see me
right in front of his face.
I'm the best
and he forgot that.
THUMP
I waited it out in the building
while you
clucked around the crime scene.
Anyway
I'm sure you'll agree it was
a brilliant feat of misdirection.
Absolutely, yeah.
Well done.
Still got caught, though.
And neither of us are any wiser as
to where the Narkovsky diamonds are.
It looks like we've both been had.
Thought you'd be out with
the team this afternoon,
to celebrate.
I think it's probably too early
to celebrate,
and I don't really think
I'm part of the team.
Oh, really?
You look like you are to me.
Also, thank you for coming with me
the other day. It was
No, of course.
I am sorry about your mum.
It's fine.
Do you think you'll ever
want to wear the necklace?
I don't know. I don't
I don't think I can
forgive her, so
Oh, look at that.
I didn't know you were
into antiques.
I know this place.
I had a girlfriend who worked here.
Oh. Heh.
-Ooh, you're jealous? -No.
-I mean, it's not surprising.
I'm known as Hot Stuff in Forensics.
-Mm. -Must be all the PPE.
-Yeah.
I have noticed you can't keep your
eyes off me.
-It's the overshoes.
-QUIETLY: - Oh, yes, they are sexy.
Let's go in.
Sure.
Right, OK, Evans, spill it.
What are we actually here for?
Well, the Narkovsky blue diamonds.
The Narkovsky blue diamonds, right.
Never boring with you.
And what,
you think they're here somewhere?
I don't know.
Ben Jarrett liked it in here.
Well, wouldn't he have stashed them
in a safe somewhere?
I think he liked the game of it.
I mean, there'd be no fun
in hiding them away.
Too easy.
And most people don't see
the gorilla.
So, are we looking
for diamonds or a gorilla?
It's not a magpie.
No, that's a cuckoo.
But it's sitting on a magpie's nest,
though.
But, well, that's what they do,
they steal them.
What?
Ah!
It's a diamond.
Amazing.
"Unknown from an
anonymous collector."
Two.
Three.
CHUCKLING
I knew it.
It's him, it's The Magpie
hiding in plain sight.