The Chelsea Detective (2021) s04e03 Episode Script
Beauty Costs
1
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪
Hiya, love, how you doing?
Good. Thank you.
Take a seat. Sonia will be
with you in just a moment.
- Thanks.
- OK.
I'd go full set with gels.
It'll take an hour, though.
Yeah. Thank you.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Sonia, do you have a moment?
- You all right?
- Yes, that's lovely.
- Thank you.
- Do you have a jacket?
Yes, I did.
- It's camel.
- Oh, right.
- All right?
- Thanks so much. See you soon.
Lovely. Thank you.
Sonia, if I could have a word.
Er, no, not now, love.
I've got a full Bliss 'n Body
till the end of play.
Tara, good to see you.
Let me take your jacket.
Would you like to come with me?
After your client, then, OK?
[SONIA] Just down here today.
[DOG BARKS]
Don't stress, Nan.
I'll I'll send some money
by the end of the week, yeah?
All good. Love you, too.
All right, love you.
[DOG BARKING]
[CARD MACHINE BEEPS]
All good.
Thank you.
See you soon.
Sonia, we need to talk.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
No, just trust me.
- Ow! Ow!
- Oh.
I'm so sorry. Are you OK?
- I'm so sorry.
- Ow. Ow.
[SOMBRE MUSIC]
Tara, I'm off.
You OK?
Yeah. What do you mean?
I thought those massages
were supposed to chill you out.
You seem
I don't know, a bit tense.
I'm fine. I'm
I'll get it. It's OK.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[SIGHS]
- All right, I'm cancelling.
- No
No, honestly, Piers,
I'm fine. It's fine
It's fine,
but you're spiralling again.
It's fine. It's OK.
Honestly. Come here.
It's fine. I promise.
It's all right.
[SIGHS]
[BEEPING]
[SOFTLY] Yep.
[SPORTS PLAYING ON LAPTOP]
Oh
[MOBILE RINGING]
- Olivia!
- There's someone in the garden.
What, again?
Are you sure?
I didn't want to phone 999, but
I heard rustling and and footsteps.
Erm
OK, yeah
Sit tight.
I'm I'm on my way.
Thank you.
What? Oh!
[SIGHS]
Please, Piers, I don't want
to ruin your weekend.
- You never go away.
- It's all done. It's sorted.
Who wants to go away with
a bunch of old blokes anyway?
Night in,
a glass of wine, takeaway on the sofa
with my gorgeous wife.
What could be better?
Nothing there now anyway.
Well, it
It was probably
the foxes again. Sorry.
Don't be. Well, better foxes
than burglars, right?
To say thank you
It'll make me feel better
for dragging you out.
I really, really shouldn't
I'm cycling back.
Well, it's Friday night.
Why don't you stay over?
And it really is a very fine bottle.
Overnight oats for breakfast.
Ugh.
Ooh. [SIGHS]
I think we need to address
what's happening here.
It was just a blip.
Look, I heard a noise.
I overreacted. That's all.
Well, why don't we upgrade
your security anyway?
There's no harm, is there?
Good idea.
I'll call a locksmith.
Has she slept in?
She's not answering.
Have you spoken to her
since yesterday?
Only, she kind of overreacted.
I've got keys in here somewhere.
There they are.
Oh, my God.
Sonia?
Sonia
Where is she?
I don't know. Sonia?
Sonia?
I don't think she's upstairs.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[GASPING]
What is it?
[GASPS] No!
Sonia!
[THEME MUSIC]
Any more?
No.
- [MOBILE RINGING]
- Oh!
Stupid.
[MOBILE CONTINUES RINGING]
Yes?
OK.
Hey.
[LAYLA] Hey.
Sonia Blessing, 52.
Owner-proprietor of the place.
Yeah, colleagues called it in
when they arrived for work
to find the salon still closed.
Jess said she's taking
statements down at the station.
All right.
Death likely by asphyxia bruising,
petechiae around the eyes,
position of the body,
and a right glenohumeral
joint dislocation.
I'd say someone's had her
in a sort of chokehold.
Timing?
Er, last staff member, Kathy Ahmed,
left at 17:45 yesterday.
[ASHLEY] She's still in rigour.
What's up there?
It's the victim's flat.
It looks like the assault
started up there.
Shall we?
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
Separate front door,
access from the street.
No sign of a break-in,
so we think she buzzed her
assailant up via the intercom.
CCTV?
Nothing to cover the flat
or salon specifically,
but we're checking local feeds.
Well
She was expecting someone.
Yeah, someone she was
comfortable with.
She was dressed down
in a sweatshirt and leggings.
Looks like her laptop
was damaged in the struggle.
No sign of her phone yet, but
She may have been going somewhere.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
She never said anything
about going away,
but she's got bookings
all next week. I can show you.
Did she mention expecting anyone
to call around to her flat last night?
Her partner, perhaps?
We didn't really talk
about personal stuff.
Well, she's quite a private person.
Was private.
[SNIFFLES]
She used dating apps once in a while.
We had that much
in common, being single.
I mean
But there was no-one serious.
There was that karate guy.
Remember, he picked her up that time?
Karate?
She took a class at the leisure
centre, but it didn't last long.
It's all so insane.
We only saw her yesterday.
Can you think of anyone
who might have had
a grudge against Sonia?
I suppose there's the guy
who trolled us, Kathy.
What, that pervert, you think?
This client who got a bit too handsy
in the massage room once too often.
Sonia barred him,
and we had some pretty
rubbish reviews right after.
Might you have a record of his name?
Johnny Leonard.
He's a DJ at the Pig's Ear.
Never stopped banging on
about it when I did his brows.
Sonia Blessing opened her own salon
two years ago, employing
beautician Bella Dooley,
who she'd worked alongside
in a previous outlet,
and trainee Kathy Ahmed.
The victim lived alone
above the salon.
Single, no children or extended family
that we know of. Both Bella and Kathy
say they went home
after work as usual,
and neither heard from Sonia again.
A victim had a packed case
in the bedroom, all brand new clothes,
three packs of pants and socks,
T-shirts, leggings, toiletries.
A capsule wardrobe.
Oh, and an envelope of money
adding up to nearly £3,000,
but no holidays booked.
So
What was Sonia packed for?
A weekend away, maybe?
Or a hospital visit?
Any online activity, Connor?
Mmm. I've requested records
from the server
- [MOBILE CHIMES]
- and the comms team
are recovering what they can
from the damaged laptop.
But it was last online
at 23:34 last night.
Well, let's get that over to Ashley,
help narrow down the time of death.
We have two suspect priorities.
The man that Sonia
was dating most recently,
let's get a name
and how and why it ended.
And secondly,
the problem client Johnny
Er, that'll be Johnny Leonard.
Ex-customer turned troll.
Yes. And we have
his place of work, so
Let's go. Layla?
Layla?
[LAYLA SIGHS]
What's going on?
I've just had an email from the IOPC.
You're copied in.
They're opening an investigation
into my conduct in arresting the guy
who mugged your aunt, Charlie Weir.
- What?
- Yeah.
He's only gone and filed
a complaint against me.
Says I twisted his arm back
with undue force.
They're sending someone
to interview me this afternoon.
OK.
Have you got all your notes?
Good. Well
I can't make a statement.
Conflict of interest.
But, well, your record
should speak for itself.
[ED] Oi, Johnny!
Police here for ya.
DI Arnold, Chelsea CID.
I'm DS Walsh.
We believe you know a Sonia Blessing?
Oh! What's that witch been saying
- about me now?
- "Witch"?
Accusing me of trolling her, right?
What, I can't leave a legit bad review
as a disappointed customer?
It's her you should be hassling.
That's a hate crime.
Discriminating against
someone cos of their sex.
Why don't you go talk to her?
That won't be possible, Mr Leonard.
Sonia Blessing is dead.
Look, I'm not denying
it got a bit aggie, all right?
I had a, like, a natural
physical reaction during the massage,
probably cos I was relaxed.
But barring me?
What about the damage to my rep?
[MAX] What damage was that?
Well, if anyone caught wind,
I'm saying.
Did they?
My understanding is that
this natural physical reaction
happened on three occasions.
Which I booked and paid for, right?
I mean, if she didn't like it
She didn't. She barred you.
Right.
Well, well, if I'm barred,
how could I murder her?
Can you account for your whereabouts
last night, Mr Leonard?
Yes, I was here. Ed?
I was working the bar,
and then I did a DJ set
downstairs until 1:30 am.
Yeah, he'll tell ya.
[MAX] Nice guy.
[LAYLA] Sensitive, empathetic.
I'm surprised it took three goes
before they barred him.
We're giving him
the benefit of the doubt.
- That's what women do.
- Mmm.
It's a shame, he's got a firm alibi.
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Oh.
Jess has got a positive ID
on the karate boyfriend Mark Hart.
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
- Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
- [SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
Attention stance.
Great work, everyone.
Good concentration. Good session.
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
All right. See you next week.
No, no, I get it. You have to ask.
I was at home with my dad.
He lives with me. He's got dementia.
Sorry, this is
Such a shock.
Sure.
I understand.
Anything you can tell us
at this stage would be helpful.
When did you two meet?
Erm, she came to a few
classes at my dojo here,
maybe six months ago.
She'd been followed
at night a few times
and wanted
some self-defence resources.
Then we started
chatting and hit it off.
She seemed very, erm,
natural, very genuine.
You know, my type, you know.
When you say "followed",
did she elaborate?
No. I mean, this is London, right?
Anyway, we went out a few times.
Pubs, dinners her place,
like my dad.
And then I guess it just, erm,
fizzled out.
I was looking for a relationship.
- And she wasn't?
- Not with me, anyway.
I mean, we we got on great.
It's just I think
it was more physical for her.
But I guess you get
to that age where
you just know what you want, right?
She was kind of private, independent.
So who actually ended it, Mr Hart?
I suppose I did, regretfully.
I lay all my cards on the table
and told her I wanted more commitment.
And she didn't.
And that was that.
Pretty much.
Yeah. I did ask her out
again a few weeks ago,
but she said no.
So, yeah, that was that.
I haven't heard from her since.
Excuse me.
Whoever Sonia was expecting,
it was someone
she was already familiar with.
Bubble bath and leggings don't
exactly scream date night.
Well, speak for yourself.
But the Prosecco
- Girls' night?
- [MOBILE CHIMES]
Ashley's asked us to stop
by the path lab.
I could do with a break
from trying to find anything
"Sonia Blessing".
Like, "Blessings Holistic", yes.
But Sonia herself?
Nothing apart
from her professional profile.
Well, not everyone loves social media.
And we were told
that Sonia was private.
OK, sure.
But it is strange.
And since her National
Insurance number isn't recognising,
I'm not getting
any registered data either.
Wait up. I've uploaded Sonia's laptop.
Looks like she was going away.
Three weeks ago, she booked
a one-bed chalet on Loch Lomond
for a fortnight, starting tomorrow.
So why didn't she tell anyone
or cancel her clients?
And why bring so much cash?
Cash doesn't leave a digital trail.
But an online booking does.
She wasn't worried about that.
Maybe she was paying
someone, a cash deal.
That's not all I found.
Looks like she was doing emails
when she was interrupted.
But there's still one email
sitting in her outbox
to Bella Dooley, her work colleague.
"Hey, Bella, I feel bad
about this afternoon.
"Let's talk tomorrow.
But FYI meantime,
"I've had to sack Kathy
for gross negligence.
"We'll need to find a replacement."
Aye, aye
Kathy didn't mention that
this morning.
No.
[ASHLEY] Your time of death
works for my window
Stomach contents, body temp,
and rigour, all consistent.
The fractured hyoid bone
confirms death by strangulation.
And we've got the shoulder
dislocation and bruising
from where the attacker
pulled her neck back
with their hand over her mouth.
Male, female?
Er, I can't tell without DNA,
and the killer was wearing gloves.
But injuries sustained, hand span,
it was someone strong.
I'll do some more imaging,
but this is what I wanted you to see.
Surgery on her jaw.
Maybe 15 years old?
Cosmetic surgery?
It's hard to tell after so long.
And I'm still waiting
on her medical records.
But if you look at it
in conjunction with this
Surgery for an open compound fracture
from around the same time.
I mean, it could be related.
Might not.
Car crash maybe, or fall?
I can't say, but she was
certainly being hospitalised.
Yeah.
I spilled a tiny bit
of wax on my client.
But Sonia was in a mood,
so she took it out on me.
I was hoping she'd change
her mind by the morning.
You you say
she was in a mood, Kathy.
Do you know why?
Something Sonia felt bad about,
she said in her email.
I don't know. I mean, they had
a row just before Bella left.
I couldn't hear what they were saying,
but I could see them in the mirror.
And Bella was mad.
She doesn't usually get wound up.
That's how I wasn't concentrating.
[MOBILE VIBRATING]
Sorry.
So you stated this morning
that you were here last night
with your parents,
Kathy, is that right?
Can they confirm that?
Everything all right?
Yeah, all good.
Helen had the embryo
transfer last week.
And, you know, she's a bit jittery.
So am I, to be fair. It's the waiting.
And bad timing for a murder case.
You should be waiting it out together.
Honestly, it's better to stay busy.
What do you reckon?
Well, Mum confirms her alibi,
and I can't see her as our killer.
But Max is gonna wanna know more
about this row
between Sonia and Bella.
Let's get Bella Dooley in right away.
And start checking hospitals.
Sonia had surgery about 15 years ago.
If we find out where and why,
we might get a lead.
Good luck finding her with that name.
Why?
I sourced the cock-up
with Sonia's NI number.
DVLA had a digit wrong
on her driver's licence,
and it turns out Sonia Blessing
doesn't actually exist.
Well, at least she didn't
until a Linda Norris
changed her name
by deed poll 10 years ago.
[SIGHS] I had no idea.
I've never heard of a Linda Norris.
I mean, why would Sonia
change her name?
That's what we're trying
to find out, Miss Dooley.
I mean, I know we weren't close,
but I'm starting to think
I didn't know her at all.
Kathy said you had a row
with Sonia yesterday.
You didn't mention it.
Well, I didn't think it was important,
given the circumstances.
It could well be.
We're trying to build
the full picture.
I invested in the business
at the beginning of the year,
so we could look at providing
higher-end treatments,
such as injectables,
dermal fillers, chemical peels.
So I was alarmed to see
some odd figures
in the books recently.
It looked like Sonia
was charging clients
for treatments
or add-ons they didn't have.
Stealing from her own business?
[SIGHS] I I don't know.
Just seemed so unlike her.
That's why I was confused.
But she's almost overkill
on all the rules hygiene,
health and safety, all that.
But when I confronted her,
she just fobbed me off.
That's what really got to me.
What do you mean, fobbed you off?
Said it was just a bit of
short-term creative accounting.
Said she was just borrowing
money from the company.
Like, it was none of my concern,
even though I've got a stake
in the business now.
How long has this been
going on, did you see?
How many other clients
were overcharged?
So far only one client,
Tara Mason, loaded.
Husband's a banker or something.
Well, she's in every two minutes,
so I suppose Sonia thought
she wouldn't notice.
But you did. And you were angry.
So let's check Bella's story
against Sonia's banking.
And I want everything we can
get on Linda Norris as was,
work, personal, that surgery.
Already on it, Max.
Was she hiding
from something or someone?
Was she about to run because someone
found out her real identity?
Well, maybe she just
wanted a fresh start.
I've got a mate who changed
his name to Voldemort for a bet.
Stuart Voldemort.
OK. I've got the victim's
phone records from the server,
and one number stands out.
Incoming calls only, starting
just over three weeks ago,
mostly late at night, brief.
The longest is three minutes,
but typically less than a minute each.
The last one is a text message,
last night, 23:03. "On my way."
I ran the number,
but it's a burner phone,
so I've asked the comms team
to do what they can.
So, three weeks ago Sonia booked
a holiday chalet, and days afterwards,
she started getting these calls.
Someone from her past life,
when she was Linda?
Whoever it was,
Sonia was expecting them,
less than an hour
before she was attacked
and killed in her own home.
[LAYLA] Let's say Linda had forms,
so she changed her name,
but old habits die hard.
And so the client discovers
she's been stealing,
flies into a rage and kills her?
Right.
Thanks.
Excuse me.
I'm looking for a Tara Mason.
Yeah?
Detective Inspector Max Arnold.
Detective Sergeant Walsh.
Look, we've been at the hospital
all night. It's not a good time.
Well, we'll try
and be brief, Mr Mason.
- Well
- I'm OK.
OK. Right.
OK. Please.
[PIERS] That's terrible.
[TARA] Are you sure it was Sonia?
I'm afraid so.
I'm sorry to have upset you.
We were hoping to ask some questions.
You've been going
to Blessings Holistic
for how long now?
Erm, about a year, I think.
I can check the diary if you'd like.
- Yeah, that'd be helpful.
- Will you excuse me?
- You OK?
- Yeah. Sorry.
I just I'm just
No. Sorry. That's OK.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Sorry. She gets these
terrible panic attacks.
That's why we were
at the hospital, actually.
A bit of a mix-up with her meds.
Well, apologies
for the timing, Mr Mason.
We could come back?
No, no. I'd rather get it over with.
Yeah, my wife, she, er
She deals with anxiety
and depression. And now this
It must be very worrying for you.
Yeah, it's a it's a lot.
Just give her a minute.
Erm, did Tara ever mention
being charged for massages
or therapies she didn't have?
Er, as in?
Extra beauty treatments,
reflexology, hot stones, spa days.
To the tune of £3,000?
No.
No, she, erm
Well, I pay the bills, and I
can't say that I've noticed.
Er, I think I was quite happy
for her to spend
whatever she wanted
in order to feel better.
I can't say I'm thrilled
about being ripped off, but
Well, does it matter now?
I mean, the poor woman's dead.
I can hardly sue her now. Can I?
Oh. Excuse me. Sorry.
Hey, listen, erm,
Tara's not feeling very well.
Would you mind if you just look
after Lulu for another night?
Would that be OK?
- Yeah.
- Thank you. Yeah. All right.
Thanks. Bye.
- [LAYLA] Cute dog.
- [PIERS] Yeah.
Tara's best friend.
Apart from me, actually. [LAUGHS]
Look, it has been
a bit of a long night.
- I think it's
- Yeah.
We'll leave you in peace.
We will need to come back, though.
But in the meantime, if you
or Tara think of anything.
Oh, of course, absolutely. Yeah.
Detox body wrap.
I wouldn't know a "radiance skin spa"
if it slapped me in the face.
[LAYLA] If you don't mind me saying
[LULU BARKING]
that's not a massive surprise.
They're recommending a course of 10.
I wouldn't pay that for a new bike.
I mean, what on earth
is a "welcoming foot ritual"?
Well, I'd tell you,
but then I'd have to kill you.
What
Do you actually know?
- Not a clue.
- Ah.
That's Connor.
He's found something
at the crime scene.
OK?
Er, can I drop you off?
I just I wanted to go over
my notes at the station
before the interview.
Absolutely.
Look, you can anticipate
the questions.
Just prep clear, concise answers.
Did you push the suspect
down the steps?
- Well, did you?
- No.
Is there anything you think
you would have done differently?
I mean, maybe emotion
was involved, it was Olivia.
No, no. If you look like
you're doubting yourself,
they'll doubt you, too.
Just so you know, Max,
if you're trying
to make me feel better,
it's not working.
[CAR DOOR BEEPS]
Hey.
It was in amongst a bunch of
junk mail in our recycling bin.
Linda?
"Linda, I know what you did." [SCOFFS]
3:00 pm, Monday,
and an SW11 address.
It's a cafe in Battersea Park,
and from that postmark,
that would be a week last Monday.
Nice work, Connor.
- Thanks. Feedback when you can.
- Will do.
[MOBILE RINGING]
Olivia?
Yeah, good.
Well, I'll I'll try
and pop over this evening.
Olivia?
Yeah, sorry, I I gotta go.
[MAN] That's a major
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[MOBILE CAMERA CLICKS]
Oh, Max.
Linda Norris's medical
records detail surgeries
at Conquest Hospital
in Hastings in 2009,
for a compound fracture
of the tibia and a broken jaw
from a fall down the stairs.
She was in for eight days.
[MAX] Any personal data?
Er, parents deceased, no siblings.
I'm digging to see
where she might have
trained as a masseuse.
But it would have been pre-digital.
And on social media, she seems
just as shy as Sonia Blessing.
She had any accounts,
she's deleted them since.
But checked Sonia's bank
records against the sums.
Bella said she moved from the
business account into her own
and subsequently withdrew in cash,
and they match to the penny each time.
Why so precise, I wonder?
To look legitimate to HMRC?
Just to keep track of her debt.
Excuse me.
- How'd it go?
- Yeah
- What's that?
- Well,
it looks and smells
like a blackmail threat.
Connor's checking it out as we speak.
Blackmail for what?
Well
It could be linked
to the incoming calls
from the burner phone,
maybe the person Sonia
was expecting before she was killed.
Well, she was relaxing, though,
celebrating even,
there was Prosecco out.
Yeah.
Our killer was prepared.
He was wearing gloves.
He wasn't there on a social call.
I just found Johnny Leonard
hanging around the salon
like a rubbernecker.
Or a killer returning
to the scene of a crime.
He's got a solid alibi, though.
Well, we need to check that
with the club's security.
He might have nipped out.
None of the staff
recognised Sonia's photo.
I'm not surprised it's a busy place.
CCTV?
Not at the cafe itself,
but there is a council camera
that covers the area.
I've put in an urgent
request for footage.
[MOBILE VIBRATING]
I'm sorry.
Listen to this.
In 2013, one Linda Norris was
struck off the General Council
of Massage Therapists
for failing in her duty of care.
She's working out of a salon
in Croydon called Hair by Moira.
Looks like we've found a reason
for the name change.
Oh, and someone found out.
Hence the overcharging
in order to pay the blackmailer.
Hair by Moira stopped trading
seven years ago.
I'll see if I can find
a current contact.
Max, I need to go home for a bit.
- Sorry. Bit of a family thing.
- No problem.
Maybe we could all do with a break.
Well, I'll stay on a bit,
wait for the Battersea Park CCTV.
- OK.
- You want to share a pizza?
Yeah.
- [MOBILE RINGING]
- [DOG BARKING ALARM SOUNDS]
[OLIVIA] Hang on!
Oh! [GRUNTS]
Oh, it's supposed to turn itself
off, that stupid, bloody thing!
I mean, it's loud!
Well, it's supposed to deter burglars,
not visitors!
- Well, there must be an on/off!
- Oh!
Oh, give it to me.
- [ALARM STOPS]
- [SIGHS]
Was only an afterthought.
I mean, the new lock
is the main thing.
Here. Feel free to let yourself in
when I've keeled over with boredom
and dispose of my body as you see fit.
Jolly good. Silver linings.
Drink?
I can't.
Well, I can,
I have, and will continue.
Olivia, do you want me
to stay the night again?
Oh, God, no.
I can't bear any more of your snoring.
Just go! I'll be fine.
I'll be fine, go.
You don't look fine.
Well, I'll be fine when I've had
a good night's sleep.
And the mood I'm in,
I dare anybody try and break in.
OK.
Look, call me, all right,
if you need anything.
I need my head looked at
for spending good money
on that bloody thing!
Cheerio.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Bye, Anna.
- Bye, Jess.
Companies House
has the registered owner
of Hair by Moira as a Moira Duncan,
but she goes to Singapore
on a work visa in 2017,
and there's just nothing after that.
Tell me that's something
more fun than this.
A mate? A date?
I don't have time or inclination
for either at the moment.
What about you?
Well, I had this thing
with this guy called Dinesh,
but it fizzled out.
- I'm sorry.
- I'm not,
because this is
Manfred.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Oh, the Battersea Park CCTV's in.
[SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC ON RECORD]
[CHUCKLES]
- There she is.
- Mmm.
[JESS] Hello, Sonia.
Or is it Linda today?
"Nancy Gilmarsh."
- [MAX] Hey.
- Max.
I was just about to call you.
There's a name for you to check.
"Nancy Gilmarsh."
Max, I think
we found Linda's blackmailer.
All right.
Can you see?
Got it.
OK, there's Sonia going in.
Now, let's go forward.
Well, approximately 20 minutes later.
And here she is coming out. And
[MAX] Mark Hart!
Mark Hart is running two classes
at the leisure centre this morning.
Good. Well, let's pay him a visit.
Meantime, see if you can
get a fix on this trainee
who worked with Linda
in Croydon. Nancy Gilmarsh.
Might be something or nothing.
Hey, how's Helen?
She's got the OK to test tomorrow.
We found out one way or the other.
Well, there's one of those for me.
So
Linda Norris's trainee
from 15 years ago.
Got any needles in haystacks
we need finding, too?
No bother. I've got her.
She's in the system.
Just out of Peterborough
for shoplifting.
Repeat offender. Peterborough,
Styal, Downview Oof.
All very minor offences.
Still added up, and she spent
more time inside than out.
[MARK] Keep it nice and slow.
Great. All right, well done.
And again.
How's it going over here? OK?
Well done, everybody.
That's that's fantastic.
Let's wrap it up there.
Let's shake it off,
take some time to wind down,
do a few little stretches.
I told you that I ran into her,
though, didn't I?
Well, not as such, no.
Well, maybe not the details,
but I'm sure I said it was
the last time that I saw her.
I asked her out again,
and she wasn't interested.
At the Battersea Park cafe?
Yeah, I I run
an outdoor tai chi class
in Battersea Park
at the Old English Garden.
Sometimes I go
to that cafe after class
for, like, a juice or something.
I only saw Sonia when she was leaving.
Did you see who she was with?
No, I I guess I assumed
she was on her own,
since she was leaving on her own.
No, I I suggested meeting up,
and she was super awkward,
so I left it.
Does the name Linda Norris
mean anything to you?
No. Should it?
He didn't look under pressure.
He's a martial arts sensei, Max.
Mental and physical discipline.
A father with dementia
is not the best alibi.
Tai chi is good exercise, though.
Good for the core,
and low impact, so even
people
of all ages
and fitness can benefit.
Do you fancy a drink?
That pub where Johnny Leonard
works is just around the corner.
I could do with a lemonade.
Totally.
Yeah, me, too.
When's he next in?
Never. I sacked him.
I caught him planting a camera
in the ladies' loos last night.
I was thinking about
calling the cops, actually.
You saved me the bother.
We'll see it's reported.
But you're sure
that Johnny didn't leave
- during his set on Friday?
- No.
He was on all night.
"Naughty Noughties."
I'll send you the CCTV.
Sweet setlist. Shame about the DJ.
Mmm.
Oh
Just make sure Johnny gets done
for being a creep, if nothing else.
[RINGS DOORBELL]
I'm not likely to forget Linda, am I?
She threw me under the bus.
I'm sorry, Nancy.
Can you rewind, please?
You said it was an accident
with a hot stone massage, right?
It was part of this
client's hen package,
but Linda knackered her shoulder
the day before,
so she got me to do it.
And I messed it up.
Made a red mark on the bride's
back, and she went mad.
She couldn't wear her wedding dress.
So Linda got closed down.
Well, she just upped and left,
so the bride tried
to sue me for compensation.
I was 18.
I got roasted.
Hang on. I'll I'll show you.
I get why Sonia was so intolerant
of Kathy making mistakes.
She'd been burnt before.
No pun intended, I'm sure.
Here it is.
The local papers
stitched me up as well.
I've passed on the allegation
to the team downstairs.
Good.
Johnny Leonard may be a sex offender
in the making, but he's not our guy.
So
Let's have another look
at the Battersea Park cafe CCTV.
I'm thinking the same. If Sonia
wasn't there to meet Mark Hart,
then whoever she was there
to meet must be here somewhere.
"Heartless. Trainee parties
as bride-to-be mops her tears."
[NANCY] Everyone I knew saw that.
It's holiday pictures
from the year before,
they took it from my social media.
Did you hear from Linda again?
No. Her phone went dead.
And when I go around her flat,
she's moved out.
Just some bloke there.
What, partner, flatmate, dad?
- I didn't ask.
- Can you describe him?
Young, old, white, black?
[NANCY] I don't know, do I?
White, bald, older?
It was years ago.
He just said she's moved out,
and he didn't know where.
I just lost the plot after that,
getting in bother all the time.
Can you remember the address?
I could, er
I could show you on a map.
Who's this?
[NANCY] Him?
That's my brother.
[SOMBRE MUSIC]
Connor, I need you to run a check
on Nancy Gilmarsh's brother, Reece.
Nancy went to pieces
after working with Linda
and I think I recognise him.
Oh, hello.
I'm sending you a screenshot now.
That's the Masons' dog walker.
And that's Nancy Gilmarsh's brother.
Motive, connection, proximity.
Bingo.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Aw.
Hello, angel.
Oh, Bob, Bob, Bob.
- There we go.
- There we go.
Aw.
I hope you're feeling better.
Thanks.
Bye.
Bye.
- Say bye.
- [BARKS]
Good girl.
[MAX] Hold it right there!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[GROANS]
What the hell is going on?
- Oof.
- Are you OK?
Thank you. It's all right.
The sink's just round there.
DC Pollock in pursuit,
heading west from Larch Drive.
Thank you.
Thanks.
I'll I'll take it from here.
Sorry. You're you're saying
that our dog walker
has something to do with this murder?
He's a person of interest.
Either of you know anything about
Mr Gilmarsh's private life?
Any connection to Croydon perhaps?
You know what? I always thought
there was something off
about him, the way that
he kept looking at you, Tara.
He's never done anything, Piers.
I don't know. He's weird.
[MOBILE RINGING]
- Connor?
- I lost him over the fences.
I think he's gone into
the Clarence Bailey estate.
[MAX] I'll try and head him off.
Inspector?
Erm, Sonia did mention
a dodgy ex from Croydon,
but, erm, I think his name was Robbie.
Good to know.
Thank you, Mrs Mason.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[CONNOR] Police.
We know you're there, Reece.
Just come out slowly
with your hands in the air.
[MAX] Last chance, Reece.
You can make this
a lot easier for yourself
by just stepping away from the bins.
If we have to come in and get you
- Face down on the ground now!
- Please hear me out, all right?
I saw her photo in a brochure
when I was picking up
the the Masons' dog.
Erm, the name was different,
but I'd pick my sister up
enough from work to know that
it was Linda Norris.
- You sent her this letter.
- Mmm-hmm.
Showing the suspect exhibit MA/20.
[SIGHS]
- Is that a yes, Reece?
- Yes.
My sister lost everything
because of her.
Linda was supposed to be
the adult, the professional,
and she let Nan do a procedure
which she wasn't qualified for,
and then take the heat for it
when it went wrong.
- I met Nancy this morning.
- Well, then, you know, right?
She cannot cope on her own,
let alone get a job.
And I give her what I can,
but I wanted Linda
to pay her fair share.
It was her fault, right?
So she met you
at the Battersea Park cafe,
and when she refused
to be blackmailed,
you tracked her down and murdered her.
What, no! No. No, it was
nothing, nothing like that.
What, then?
She was actually really nice.
She was gutted gutted to hear
what Nan had been through,
and her reasons
for disappearing were personal.
A bit of an emergency.
Getting closed down
was just the final straw.
So she changed her name by deed poll
because of a personal emergency.
I I don't know.
It could have been bullshit,
but she sounded like she was for real.
She said if she knew Nan was
gonna take the heat for it,
then she would have stepped in,
but she had to move on
swiftly for other reasons.
And she was more than open
to paying what she could.
She had some other stuff
to sort out first,
but she gave me her number.
She she said to stay in touch.
So why did you run
if you'd done nothing wrong?
Er
No comment.
OK. OK, look, I had some class As.
It was coke, it was oxy.
And I stashed them by the bins
when you nicked me.
Erm, you can check.
Oh, we will.
[SIGHS] God, I don't
I don't even touch the stuff.
I mean, it was
I was just trying to make
a little bit of extra for Nan.
I've got a really good business
walking people's dogs.
They trust me.
I can't lose that.
Where were you the night
before last at 11:30 pm?
Ladbroke Grove, selling drugs.
No details, naturally,
so we have to take
his word for it. Or not.
Reece Gilmarsh has zero alibi
and all the motive.
But if he's telling the truth,
Linda disappeared and reemerged
as Sonia for personal reasons.
Bit of an emergency.
Tara Mason mentioned a dodgy ex
of Sonia's in Croydon Robbie.
And the bald bloke in Linda's flat
when Nancy went looking for her.
Well, he could have been anyone,
the landlord, a neighbour.
One way to find out.
This has been nagging at me,
the sling Linda's wearing.
Dislocated shoulder,
it's why she got Nancy
to do the hot stones,
and she'd had surgery
for bad injuries three years earlier.
A history of injury,
keeps herself to herself,
and a dodgy ex hanging about.
And the self-defence classes
after being followed on the street.
Shall we count the red flags?
[MOBILE RINGING]
Ashley.
Max? I
found something
on the victim's scalp.
I missed it at first
because of her thick hair.
Cigarette burns, I'd say.
Possibly self-inflicted.
It's hard to tell,
but deliberate either way.
Max
You're bleeding.
Oh.
You could do with
a couple of stitches in this.
Oh
I haven't the time.
Well, I'll butterfly it. Hang on.
- [MAX SIGHS]
- You OK?
I've seen all the bad in this job.
I mean,
you have, too, I know,
but I've been around longer.
Well, it's men who inflict
the majority of this, isn't it?
Yep.
That's hard to square sometimes.
Well, suck it up, Max.
Male violence
isn't going away anytime soon,
and you can't afford to choke.
Well, I'm not choking, Layla.
- I'm angry.
- Oh, me, too.
That's why we do the job, right?
Thanks.
- Max?
- Mmm-hmm.
You do trust me, don't you?
Whatever the IOPC say?
I trust you with my life.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
Oh, so we checked the electoral roll
for Linda Norris,
going back three previous moves
to an address in Hastings,
and we found him.
Robbie Campbell. 64 last month.
I ran him through the system.
There are five domestic violence
incident reports against his name
over an eight-year period,
ended in 2012,
when it seems Linda moved out.
[JESS] Nothing stuck.
But this was before
the Serious Crime Act
let us press charges
without victim consent.
Got done for breach
of the peace, though.
2013. He'd look older now, obviously.
The bald bloke Nancy
mentioned in Croydon.
So the last time they were
officially living together
was Hastings from 2007 to 2012.
Same timeframe as the surgery.
If she left him once
and he tracked her down in Croydon,
you can see why she changed
her name the next time.
She must have been really afraid.
And determined to live her life.
Got him. He's claiming
disability benefits
from an address in Tottenham.
Let's pick him up.
Is Robbie Campbell at home?
Who wants to know?
He's not in, I'm afraid.
Do you know when he'll be back?
I only wish I knew.
You know where we can find him?
Hmm.
Hang on. I'll check his diary.
Oh
Right.
Tracy Campbell, I assume.
Any relation to Robbie?
Robbie Campbell is
a suspect in relation
to a brutal murder two days ago.
Now, where is he?
If my brother murdered anyone,
it must have been
from beyond the grave.
Nasty bastard's been dead a year.
Mind if I smoke?
Yes.
You were telling us about Linda.
She was a laugh back in the day,
before Robbie knocked it out of her.
I remember one time he slammed
her fingers in a chest freezer.
She couldn't work for six months,
and he punished her
for that 'n' all. Poor cow.
When did you last see her?
Oh, I don't know.
Years back, in Hastings.
Me and Robbie fell out when
he put Linda in the hospital,
so I cut ties.
I heard she finally got
shot of him in Croydon,
and I raised a glass.
Never set eyes on him again
till he turns up here
like a rotten banana.
When was that?
What about I just vape?
Please don't smoke or vape, Tracy.
When did Robbie last contact you?
Two years ago, last September.
He'd been working for a building
contractor in Newcastle,
got himself sacked for fighting
and come to blag what he could off me.
But I didn't have anything
to blag, so he left.
Except
Mmm.
Except,
on his way back out of the blue,
he spots Linda getting
on a tube at King's Cross.
So he comes back to mine
to kip on the sofa
till he tracks her down again.
Unfinished business, he says.
I'd have warned her
if I knew where she was.
Did he find her?
He hung around King's Cross
for a couple of days,
winding himself up
till he had a bloody stroke
right here on my floor.
Laid him up for the next year,
with me as his unpaid carer.
So, no, he never did find Linda.
But he managed to make
my life a misery
till he finally snuffed it
last October.
But you continued
to collect his benefits.
Maybe I did forget
to inform the government,
because maybe Robbie's benefit
was the least he owed me.
And maybe you could let me off,
seeing as I've been so helpful.
[SCOFFS]
I want every aspect
of her story checked.
Who registered Robbie's death?
Where was he cremated?
I can't believe he isn't our man.
And I bet he's no stranger
to a burner phone.
Why would he tell Linda
he was on his way?
And why would she let him in?
He'd been ringing her late at night
for three weeks,
and she was answering.
She wouldn't be the first
to give an abusive partner
another chance.
Well, I don't buy it.
She changed her
whole life to shake him off.
She was done.
OK, so Reece Gilmarsh
dumped his stash where he said he did.
Plus, a search of his flat
turned up more drugs
and related cash from dealing.
Nothing specific to the murder.
Doesn't mean he didn't do it.
- Ugh. Damn!
- I told you it needed a stitch.
Look, leave your bike,
I'll drive you to A&E on the way home.
No
Wait.
I've got a better idea.
[MAX] So far, we've only
got the sister's word for it
that the suspect's dead.
But he's a fit in every way.
You do know I'm actually alive.
[CHUCKLES] Beggars can't be choosers.
Yeah, the point is,
Campbell's in the system,
so if we had any DNA at all
I'll keep looking, Max.
All I've got is flecks of leather
from his bogs down to gloves.
Yeah, he was careful.
There you go.
Thanks, Ashley.
Much appreciated.
Least you didn't ask me
to lipread again.
That's crossing a line.
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Oh, text from Jess.
Er, "Robbie Campbell's sister
paid for a direct cremation
"at Enfield Crematorium,
October 3rd last year."
That's that, then.
Back to the drawing board?
Mmm.
By way of a large scotch.
Finish your tea. I'll walk from here.
Thanks, Ashley.
Fancy something stronger?
You could leave the car?
♪
Do I want to know
what else you keep in there?
That's a hard no.
[LAUGHS]
Right.
I'm gonna go to the gym.
Do you want to come?
Oh, no.
Oh, Connor
We were supposed to wait
till tomorrow, but Helen caved.
It's positive. She's pregnant.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC]
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Layla
Check your emails.
I knew something was bothering you.
Well, not any more.
Thanks to witness statements and CCTV,
I'm officially in the clear.
Hey.
It's OK.
Oh
I didn't realise
just how crap I felt about it.
This
This thief accuses me
[SNIFFLES] ..of undue force
for trying to stop him
from mugging women,
and they took him seriously.
I know. I get it.
For a while there,
you know, I started to wonder
myself if they're investigating,
well, there must be
something to it, right?
But there isn't.
And that's on record.
Sorry.
It's just
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
my work and my reputation
mean everything to me.
I mean,
isn't that part of the problem?
[LAUGHS]
The whole work/life balance chestnut.
Yeah. Well, if I said that
you were probably bang on,
would you pour me a top-up?
- [LINE RINGING]
- Come on, come on.
[LAYLA] Max?
Layla, meet me at the crime scene.
What, really?
I'm still asleep.
I am so sorry. Erm
I'll see you there first thing,
and let's get Connor
to chase up that complaint
on Johnny Leonard.
Right.
Coffee.
Congratulations. You must be relieved.
Honestly, it's put a lot
of things in perspective,
pulled me up a bit,
stop and smell the roses and all that,
so, you know, maybe it's
a good thing it all happened.
Gosh. Well
- It's a very
- Yeah, no, it sucked.
I'm thrilled it's over.
And if I ever see
the little creep again,
I really will be up on charges.
- Moving on.
- [CHUCKLES]
I can't get it out of my head.
If Leonard's not the killer,
why was he hanging
around the crime scene?
Well, we know he's a voyeur.
That's my point.
What if the pub loos
weren't the only place
that he was spying on women?
And another thing that's bugging me
Don't you think it's odd
that Tara Mason would know
about her masseuse's dodgy ex?
Women do share things, though.
Hairdresser bantz, right?
Yeah, but Sonia was a private
I knew it.
He wasn't rubbernecking.
He wanted his camera back.
[CONNOR] Leonard hid it there
four weeks prior to the murder,
motion-activated,
and there's footage of the attack.
That's it.
There's no clear image
of the assailant, but look.
We need that print.
[LINE RINGING]
Hi. DS Walsh.
We're after a print
from the massage table.
We're sending you some
precise footage and timecode.
I've been going through
the earlier footage,
and this is interesting.
That's the form for every massage.
Sonia sees the client in.
She leaves them to get
undressed and under the towel.
Afterwards, she leaves them
to get dressed again.
Then a glass of water,
and she sees them out, except
Take a look at this.
- Tara Mason.
- Mmm-hmm.
But instead of getting undressed,
they just talk.
♪
"Hairdresser bantz."
And then there's this,
from three weeks ago.
Sonia gives Tara something.
Wait, but rewind.
Can anybody tell what she's saying?
Let's get Ashley to take a look.
Look, blame me.
- I will.
- Yeah, so will she.
OK, so comms have pulled all
they can from the burner phone.
It seems it's been switched off
since the night of the murder,
but there's nothing we didn't
already know except this.
Its signal consistently pinged
off a tower near the Masons' house.
[ASHLEY] Seriously, Max?
Well, actually, I'm short of time.
So am I.
[SIGHS]
Call me night or day
from somewhere safe
and hide it.
Call me night or day?
And hide it.
Thanks, Ashley.
It's the burner phone.
Sonia gave Tara
the burner phone to use
without her husband knowing.
You thinking what I'm thinking?
Sonia recognised another victim
of domestic abuse,
and she tried to help.
Yeah. So the suitcase,
the Airbnb, the envelope of cash,
all set and ready
for Tara to disappear.
All funded by Tara herself
booking expensive treatments.
[MAX] But he found out anyway.
Piers Mason, you're under arrest
on suspicion of the murder
of Sonia Blessing,
otherwise known as Linda Norris.
You do not have to say anything
but may harm the defence
if you do not mention
- No, you come into my house.
- later on in court.
- [DOG BARKING]
- Tara, shut the bloody dog up!
Take her statement here, make
sure she knows he's in custody.
- [DOG GROWLS]
- Shh, shh, shh.
I thought that her ex
must have found her again.
But it was Piers.
Of course it was Piers. So
So he found out, right?
So it's my fault
Sonia's dead,
because she was helping me.
It's not your fault.
And he'll punish me, too.
As soon as they let him out,
he'll kill me.
Tara, Piers is in custody now.
He can't hurt you.
Yes, he can.
Nobody helped Sonia, did they,
when when her ex nearly killed her.
He he tracked her down,
and he stalked her,
and he hurt her all of those years.
And the police knew about it,
and nobody did anything.
It's different now.
And on top of it,
this is a murder case.
Oh, Piers killed her,
and he'll kill me, too.
And I'll deserve it.
He won't,
because we're going to stop him.
And with your help, Tara,
we're going to put him away.
I need my pills.
Yeah.
Take your time.
Let's get you calmed down.
Did you know that Sonia Blessing
was helping Tara
to escape your coercive
and violent control?
No comment.
When did you find your wife's
second phone, Mr Mason?
No comment.
I put it to you
that you followed Sonia
to find out where she lived,
before setting a trap
with a weekend away.
No comment.
You then changed your plans
at the last minute, drugged your wife
and went in her place to Sonia's flat,
where you attacked and murdered her.
Returning with ample time
to get to A&E with Tara
just after 1:00 am.
What happened was that I cancelled
a much-anticipated golfing weekend
to look after
my vulnerable wife at home.
OK?
Now you go ahead and you
ask her, because she was there.
Couldn't find any sugar,
so I put some honey in it.
I always thought Piers
would kill me eventually.
He said so often enough.
He hurts me.
And then he was so sorry, and he
would tell me that he loved me.
And he would book me spa days
and beauty treatments.
Sonia saw the bruising.
And she told me her story.
And she gave me the courage
to believe, because
because she did get out, didn't she?
Piers controls everything.
The money, my phone
He tracks me.
He's so jealous I have to prove
where I am all the time.
So Sonia came up with this plan.
And we were gonna do it this weekend
when Piers was away.
Hey, you can do this.
You're not alone.
Can you explain the number
of visits to A&E
your wife has had to make
in the last two years?
That's four in total.
She's an addict. I've told you this.
Dislocated shoulder, broken wrist.
Addicts are clumsy.
Is that why you have three bottles
of oral morphine in your cupboard?
OK [CLEARS THROAT]
Junkies have accidents,
accidents hurt.
Painkillers are required.
Painkillers are addictive.
And so the cycle continues.
Now I'm very protective
of my wife, but mistakes happen,
Like the one that knocked her
out the night of the murder.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
I hid the phone in the mattress.
Piers never does the beds, and then
And then one day,
it was gone, and I
I couldn't figure out
how he could've found it.
Do you have cameras inside?
No, no.
Er, carry on. I'm just checking.
Well, I was so afraid
that he'd found it, but he
He seemed so normal, so I just thought
that I must have lost it
or or the cleaner did.
And then he cancelled
his weekend away,
and I had no way of telling Sonia
that I wasn't gonna be there,
and then
Then I can't really
remember after that.
I took too many pills, Piers said.
But I think it was him.
I think he'd done that before.
Yeah, I think you're right.
It's the motion sensor
for the burglar alarm.
It's a camera.
Now, there's no audio on this, Tara,
so where did you go to call Sonia?
"Somewhere safe," she said, right?
At night when Piers was asleep?
Yep.
[MAX] Have a look at this.
Sonia's assailant caught on camera.
That isn't me.
Oh, but it is.
Prints don't lie.
And it seems that
the murderous palm print
matches those on file for you,
Piers Mason.
You were arrested
for driving under the influence
four years ago, on your way back
from dropping your wife
at A&E again.
[SIGHS]
My home spa.
A room with a view, Piers calls it.
I would come up here to call Sonia
and I could hear him
if he was coming upstairs.
Did that happen?
Once.
I said that I wanted to read
and I didn't want to keep him awake.
He was really sweet about it.
I felt guilty.
He even bought me
a better reading lamp.
But he only gave me this room
because it was the furthest away
from the front door.
So there's no way out.
Voice-activated microphone.
You can buy them online
for home security.
I may as well have killed her myself.
Listen to me, Tara.
Pierce killed Sonia.
No-one else.
[SNIFFLES, WHIMPERS]
We can hold him
until the CPS give us the OK.
- [LAYLA SIGHS]
- She's safe for now anyway.
Oh, physically at least.
But only because he killed someone.
Otherwise it would all
still be going on behind
fancy closed doors.
Everywhere you turn, cameras,
mics buy the kit online.
At least we can help Tara
going forward.
Mmm. If she wants to check into rehab.
Piers wouldn't let her before,
said he could take care
of her himself.
Control her, more like.
The good thing is
she wants to survive.
Said she owes it to Sonia.
All that's stopping her is
she doesn't have anyone
to look after her dog
while she's away.
Now, hear me out, I have
a security idea to run past you.
It won't bring down
any burglars, but it's real,
and it makes a hell of a noise.
You must be joking.
No, it's only temporary,
just a couple of months.
Under no circumstances
am I gonna be
palmed off with a bag rat!
You ridiculous little creature.
[CHUCKLING]
The best position.
You should go to the
Guess who's just booked
a hiking holiday in Peru.
Shot in the dark, you?
A whole month
up in the mountains, thank you,
with a bunch of strangers,
and I can't wait.
- [CONNOR] Great.
- Vamos.
Oh, you and Helen should book
a holiday while you still can.
It might be the last one you
have alone for the next, what,
16, 18 years?
Bring it on.
Honestly, I just want to be a good dad
and a positive role model.
Oh, then you already are.
Just maybe lose
the trying-too-hard yoga pants.
Yeah, and then you'll be perfect.
- Oh, oh!
- [LAUGHING]
And
Commencement.
[SPIRITUAL MUSIC]
[THEME MUSIC]
sync & corrections awaqeded
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪
Hiya, love, how you doing?
Good. Thank you.
Take a seat. Sonia will be
with you in just a moment.
- Thanks.
- OK.
I'd go full set with gels.
It'll take an hour, though.
Yeah. Thank you.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Sonia, do you have a moment?
- You all right?
- Yes, that's lovely.
- Thank you.
- Do you have a jacket?
Yes, I did.
- It's camel.
- Oh, right.
- All right?
- Thanks so much. See you soon.
Lovely. Thank you.
Sonia, if I could have a word.
Er, no, not now, love.
I've got a full Bliss 'n Body
till the end of play.
Tara, good to see you.
Let me take your jacket.
Would you like to come with me?
After your client, then, OK?
[SONIA] Just down here today.
[DOG BARKS]
Don't stress, Nan.
I'll I'll send some money
by the end of the week, yeah?
All good. Love you, too.
All right, love you.
[DOG BARKING]
[CARD MACHINE BEEPS]
All good.
Thank you.
See you soon.
Sonia, we need to talk.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
No, just trust me.
- Ow! Ow!
- Oh.
I'm so sorry. Are you OK?
- I'm so sorry.
- Ow. Ow.
[SOMBRE MUSIC]
Tara, I'm off.
You OK?
Yeah. What do you mean?
I thought those massages
were supposed to chill you out.
You seem
I don't know, a bit tense.
I'm fine. I'm
I'll get it. It's OK.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[SIGHS]
- All right, I'm cancelling.
- No
No, honestly, Piers,
I'm fine. It's fine
It's fine,
but you're spiralling again.
It's fine. It's OK.
Honestly. Come here.
It's fine. I promise.
It's all right.
[SIGHS]
[BEEPING]
[SOFTLY] Yep.
[SPORTS PLAYING ON LAPTOP]
Oh
[MOBILE RINGING]
- Olivia!
- There's someone in the garden.
What, again?
Are you sure?
I didn't want to phone 999, but
I heard rustling and and footsteps.
Erm
OK, yeah
Sit tight.
I'm I'm on my way.
Thank you.
What? Oh!
[SIGHS]
Please, Piers, I don't want
to ruin your weekend.
- You never go away.
- It's all done. It's sorted.
Who wants to go away with
a bunch of old blokes anyway?
Night in,
a glass of wine, takeaway on the sofa
with my gorgeous wife.
What could be better?
Nothing there now anyway.
Well, it
It was probably
the foxes again. Sorry.
Don't be. Well, better foxes
than burglars, right?
To say thank you
It'll make me feel better
for dragging you out.
I really, really shouldn't
I'm cycling back.
Well, it's Friday night.
Why don't you stay over?
And it really is a very fine bottle.
Overnight oats for breakfast.
Ugh.
Ooh. [SIGHS]
I think we need to address
what's happening here.
It was just a blip.
Look, I heard a noise.
I overreacted. That's all.
Well, why don't we upgrade
your security anyway?
There's no harm, is there?
Good idea.
I'll call a locksmith.
Has she slept in?
She's not answering.
Have you spoken to her
since yesterday?
Only, she kind of overreacted.
I've got keys in here somewhere.
There they are.
Oh, my God.
Sonia?
Sonia
Where is she?
I don't know. Sonia?
Sonia?
I don't think she's upstairs.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[GASPING]
What is it?
[GASPS] No!
Sonia!
[THEME MUSIC]
Any more?
No.
- [MOBILE RINGING]
- Oh!
Stupid.
[MOBILE CONTINUES RINGING]
Yes?
OK.
Hey.
[LAYLA] Hey.
Sonia Blessing, 52.
Owner-proprietor of the place.
Yeah, colleagues called it in
when they arrived for work
to find the salon still closed.
Jess said she's taking
statements down at the station.
All right.
Death likely by asphyxia bruising,
petechiae around the eyes,
position of the body,
and a right glenohumeral
joint dislocation.
I'd say someone's had her
in a sort of chokehold.
Timing?
Er, last staff member, Kathy Ahmed,
left at 17:45 yesterday.
[ASHLEY] She's still in rigour.
What's up there?
It's the victim's flat.
It looks like the assault
started up there.
Shall we?
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
Separate front door,
access from the street.
No sign of a break-in,
so we think she buzzed her
assailant up via the intercom.
CCTV?
Nothing to cover the flat
or salon specifically,
but we're checking local feeds.
Well
She was expecting someone.
Yeah, someone she was
comfortable with.
She was dressed down
in a sweatshirt and leggings.
Looks like her laptop
was damaged in the struggle.
No sign of her phone yet, but
She may have been going somewhere.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
She never said anything
about going away,
but she's got bookings
all next week. I can show you.
Did she mention expecting anyone
to call around to her flat last night?
Her partner, perhaps?
We didn't really talk
about personal stuff.
Well, she's quite a private person.
Was private.
[SNIFFLES]
She used dating apps once in a while.
We had that much
in common, being single.
I mean
But there was no-one serious.
There was that karate guy.
Remember, he picked her up that time?
Karate?
She took a class at the leisure
centre, but it didn't last long.
It's all so insane.
We only saw her yesterday.
Can you think of anyone
who might have had
a grudge against Sonia?
I suppose there's the guy
who trolled us, Kathy.
What, that pervert, you think?
This client who got a bit too handsy
in the massage room once too often.
Sonia barred him,
and we had some pretty
rubbish reviews right after.
Might you have a record of his name?
Johnny Leonard.
He's a DJ at the Pig's Ear.
Never stopped banging on
about it when I did his brows.
Sonia Blessing opened her own salon
two years ago, employing
beautician Bella Dooley,
who she'd worked alongside
in a previous outlet,
and trainee Kathy Ahmed.
The victim lived alone
above the salon.
Single, no children or extended family
that we know of. Both Bella and Kathy
say they went home
after work as usual,
and neither heard from Sonia again.
A victim had a packed case
in the bedroom, all brand new clothes,
three packs of pants and socks,
T-shirts, leggings, toiletries.
A capsule wardrobe.
Oh, and an envelope of money
adding up to nearly £3,000,
but no holidays booked.
So
What was Sonia packed for?
A weekend away, maybe?
Or a hospital visit?
Any online activity, Connor?
Mmm. I've requested records
from the server
- [MOBILE CHIMES]
- and the comms team
are recovering what they can
from the damaged laptop.
But it was last online
at 23:34 last night.
Well, let's get that over to Ashley,
help narrow down the time of death.
We have two suspect priorities.
The man that Sonia
was dating most recently,
let's get a name
and how and why it ended.
And secondly,
the problem client Johnny
Er, that'll be Johnny Leonard.
Ex-customer turned troll.
Yes. And we have
his place of work, so
Let's go. Layla?
Layla?
[LAYLA SIGHS]
What's going on?
I've just had an email from the IOPC.
You're copied in.
They're opening an investigation
into my conduct in arresting the guy
who mugged your aunt, Charlie Weir.
- What?
- Yeah.
He's only gone and filed
a complaint against me.
Says I twisted his arm back
with undue force.
They're sending someone
to interview me this afternoon.
OK.
Have you got all your notes?
Good. Well
I can't make a statement.
Conflict of interest.
But, well, your record
should speak for itself.
[ED] Oi, Johnny!
Police here for ya.
DI Arnold, Chelsea CID.
I'm DS Walsh.
We believe you know a Sonia Blessing?
Oh! What's that witch been saying
- about me now?
- "Witch"?
Accusing me of trolling her, right?
What, I can't leave a legit bad review
as a disappointed customer?
It's her you should be hassling.
That's a hate crime.
Discriminating against
someone cos of their sex.
Why don't you go talk to her?
That won't be possible, Mr Leonard.
Sonia Blessing is dead.
Look, I'm not denying
it got a bit aggie, all right?
I had a, like, a natural
physical reaction during the massage,
probably cos I was relaxed.
But barring me?
What about the damage to my rep?
[MAX] What damage was that?
Well, if anyone caught wind,
I'm saying.
Did they?
My understanding is that
this natural physical reaction
happened on three occasions.
Which I booked and paid for, right?
I mean, if she didn't like it
She didn't. She barred you.
Right.
Well, well, if I'm barred,
how could I murder her?
Can you account for your whereabouts
last night, Mr Leonard?
Yes, I was here. Ed?
I was working the bar,
and then I did a DJ set
downstairs until 1:30 am.
Yeah, he'll tell ya.
[MAX] Nice guy.
[LAYLA] Sensitive, empathetic.
I'm surprised it took three goes
before they barred him.
We're giving him
the benefit of the doubt.
- That's what women do.
- Mmm.
It's a shame, he's got a firm alibi.
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Oh.
Jess has got a positive ID
on the karate boyfriend Mark Hart.
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
- Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
- [SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
Attention stance.
Great work, everyone.
Good concentration. Good session.
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
All right. See you next week.
No, no, I get it. You have to ask.
I was at home with my dad.
He lives with me. He's got dementia.
Sorry, this is
Such a shock.
Sure.
I understand.
Anything you can tell us
at this stage would be helpful.
When did you two meet?
Erm, she came to a few
classes at my dojo here,
maybe six months ago.
She'd been followed
at night a few times
and wanted
some self-defence resources.
Then we started
chatting and hit it off.
She seemed very, erm,
natural, very genuine.
You know, my type, you know.
When you say "followed",
did she elaborate?
No. I mean, this is London, right?
Anyway, we went out a few times.
Pubs, dinners her place,
like my dad.
And then I guess it just, erm,
fizzled out.
I was looking for a relationship.
- And she wasn't?
- Not with me, anyway.
I mean, we we got on great.
It's just I think
it was more physical for her.
But I guess you get
to that age where
you just know what you want, right?
She was kind of private, independent.
So who actually ended it, Mr Hart?
I suppose I did, regretfully.
I lay all my cards on the table
and told her I wanted more commitment.
And she didn't.
And that was that.
Pretty much.
Yeah. I did ask her out
again a few weeks ago,
but she said no.
So, yeah, that was that.
I haven't heard from her since.
Excuse me.
Whoever Sonia was expecting,
it was someone
she was already familiar with.
Bubble bath and leggings don't
exactly scream date night.
Well, speak for yourself.
But the Prosecco
- Girls' night?
- [MOBILE CHIMES]
Ashley's asked us to stop
by the path lab.
I could do with a break
from trying to find anything
"Sonia Blessing".
Like, "Blessings Holistic", yes.
But Sonia herself?
Nothing apart
from her professional profile.
Well, not everyone loves social media.
And we were told
that Sonia was private.
OK, sure.
But it is strange.
And since her National
Insurance number isn't recognising,
I'm not getting
any registered data either.
Wait up. I've uploaded Sonia's laptop.
Looks like she was going away.
Three weeks ago, she booked
a one-bed chalet on Loch Lomond
for a fortnight, starting tomorrow.
So why didn't she tell anyone
or cancel her clients?
And why bring so much cash?
Cash doesn't leave a digital trail.
But an online booking does.
She wasn't worried about that.
Maybe she was paying
someone, a cash deal.
That's not all I found.
Looks like she was doing emails
when she was interrupted.
But there's still one email
sitting in her outbox
to Bella Dooley, her work colleague.
"Hey, Bella, I feel bad
about this afternoon.
"Let's talk tomorrow.
But FYI meantime,
"I've had to sack Kathy
for gross negligence.
"We'll need to find a replacement."
Aye, aye
Kathy didn't mention that
this morning.
No.
[ASHLEY] Your time of death
works for my window
Stomach contents, body temp,
and rigour, all consistent.
The fractured hyoid bone
confirms death by strangulation.
And we've got the shoulder
dislocation and bruising
from where the attacker
pulled her neck back
with their hand over her mouth.
Male, female?
Er, I can't tell without DNA,
and the killer was wearing gloves.
But injuries sustained, hand span,
it was someone strong.
I'll do some more imaging,
but this is what I wanted you to see.
Surgery on her jaw.
Maybe 15 years old?
Cosmetic surgery?
It's hard to tell after so long.
And I'm still waiting
on her medical records.
But if you look at it
in conjunction with this
Surgery for an open compound fracture
from around the same time.
I mean, it could be related.
Might not.
Car crash maybe, or fall?
I can't say, but she was
certainly being hospitalised.
Yeah.
I spilled a tiny bit
of wax on my client.
But Sonia was in a mood,
so she took it out on me.
I was hoping she'd change
her mind by the morning.
You you say
she was in a mood, Kathy.
Do you know why?
Something Sonia felt bad about,
she said in her email.
I don't know. I mean, they had
a row just before Bella left.
I couldn't hear what they were saying,
but I could see them in the mirror.
And Bella was mad.
She doesn't usually get wound up.
That's how I wasn't concentrating.
[MOBILE VIBRATING]
Sorry.
So you stated this morning
that you were here last night
with your parents,
Kathy, is that right?
Can they confirm that?
Everything all right?
Yeah, all good.
Helen had the embryo
transfer last week.
And, you know, she's a bit jittery.
So am I, to be fair. It's the waiting.
And bad timing for a murder case.
You should be waiting it out together.
Honestly, it's better to stay busy.
What do you reckon?
Well, Mum confirms her alibi,
and I can't see her as our killer.
But Max is gonna wanna know more
about this row
between Sonia and Bella.
Let's get Bella Dooley in right away.
And start checking hospitals.
Sonia had surgery about 15 years ago.
If we find out where and why,
we might get a lead.
Good luck finding her with that name.
Why?
I sourced the cock-up
with Sonia's NI number.
DVLA had a digit wrong
on her driver's licence,
and it turns out Sonia Blessing
doesn't actually exist.
Well, at least she didn't
until a Linda Norris
changed her name
by deed poll 10 years ago.
[SIGHS] I had no idea.
I've never heard of a Linda Norris.
I mean, why would Sonia
change her name?
That's what we're trying
to find out, Miss Dooley.
I mean, I know we weren't close,
but I'm starting to think
I didn't know her at all.
Kathy said you had a row
with Sonia yesterday.
You didn't mention it.
Well, I didn't think it was important,
given the circumstances.
It could well be.
We're trying to build
the full picture.
I invested in the business
at the beginning of the year,
so we could look at providing
higher-end treatments,
such as injectables,
dermal fillers, chemical peels.
So I was alarmed to see
some odd figures
in the books recently.
It looked like Sonia
was charging clients
for treatments
or add-ons they didn't have.
Stealing from her own business?
[SIGHS] I I don't know.
Just seemed so unlike her.
That's why I was confused.
But she's almost overkill
on all the rules hygiene,
health and safety, all that.
But when I confronted her,
she just fobbed me off.
That's what really got to me.
What do you mean, fobbed you off?
Said it was just a bit of
short-term creative accounting.
Said she was just borrowing
money from the company.
Like, it was none of my concern,
even though I've got a stake
in the business now.
How long has this been
going on, did you see?
How many other clients
were overcharged?
So far only one client,
Tara Mason, loaded.
Husband's a banker or something.
Well, she's in every two minutes,
so I suppose Sonia thought
she wouldn't notice.
But you did. And you were angry.
So let's check Bella's story
against Sonia's banking.
And I want everything we can
get on Linda Norris as was,
work, personal, that surgery.
Already on it, Max.
Was she hiding
from something or someone?
Was she about to run because someone
found out her real identity?
Well, maybe she just
wanted a fresh start.
I've got a mate who changed
his name to Voldemort for a bet.
Stuart Voldemort.
OK. I've got the victim's
phone records from the server,
and one number stands out.
Incoming calls only, starting
just over three weeks ago,
mostly late at night, brief.
The longest is three minutes,
but typically less than a minute each.
The last one is a text message,
last night, 23:03. "On my way."
I ran the number,
but it's a burner phone,
so I've asked the comms team
to do what they can.
So, three weeks ago Sonia booked
a holiday chalet, and days afterwards,
she started getting these calls.
Someone from her past life,
when she was Linda?
Whoever it was,
Sonia was expecting them,
less than an hour
before she was attacked
and killed in her own home.
[LAYLA] Let's say Linda had forms,
so she changed her name,
but old habits die hard.
And so the client discovers
she's been stealing,
flies into a rage and kills her?
Right.
Thanks.
Excuse me.
I'm looking for a Tara Mason.
Yeah?
Detective Inspector Max Arnold.
Detective Sergeant Walsh.
Look, we've been at the hospital
all night. It's not a good time.
Well, we'll try
and be brief, Mr Mason.
- Well
- I'm OK.
OK. Right.
OK. Please.
[PIERS] That's terrible.
[TARA] Are you sure it was Sonia?
I'm afraid so.
I'm sorry to have upset you.
We were hoping to ask some questions.
You've been going
to Blessings Holistic
for how long now?
Erm, about a year, I think.
I can check the diary if you'd like.
- Yeah, that'd be helpful.
- Will you excuse me?
- You OK?
- Yeah. Sorry.
I just I'm just
No. Sorry. That's OK.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Sorry. She gets these
terrible panic attacks.
That's why we were
at the hospital, actually.
A bit of a mix-up with her meds.
Well, apologies
for the timing, Mr Mason.
We could come back?
No, no. I'd rather get it over with.
Yeah, my wife, she, er
She deals with anxiety
and depression. And now this
It must be very worrying for you.
Yeah, it's a it's a lot.
Just give her a minute.
Erm, did Tara ever mention
being charged for massages
or therapies she didn't have?
Er, as in?
Extra beauty treatments,
reflexology, hot stones, spa days.
To the tune of £3,000?
No.
No, she, erm
Well, I pay the bills, and I
can't say that I've noticed.
Er, I think I was quite happy
for her to spend
whatever she wanted
in order to feel better.
I can't say I'm thrilled
about being ripped off, but
Well, does it matter now?
I mean, the poor woman's dead.
I can hardly sue her now. Can I?
Oh. Excuse me. Sorry.
Hey, listen, erm,
Tara's not feeling very well.
Would you mind if you just look
after Lulu for another night?
Would that be OK?
- Yeah.
- Thank you. Yeah. All right.
Thanks. Bye.
- [LAYLA] Cute dog.
- [PIERS] Yeah.
Tara's best friend.
Apart from me, actually. [LAUGHS]
Look, it has been
a bit of a long night.
- I think it's
- Yeah.
We'll leave you in peace.
We will need to come back, though.
But in the meantime, if you
or Tara think of anything.
Oh, of course, absolutely. Yeah.
Detox body wrap.
I wouldn't know a "radiance skin spa"
if it slapped me in the face.
[LAYLA] If you don't mind me saying
[LULU BARKING]
that's not a massive surprise.
They're recommending a course of 10.
I wouldn't pay that for a new bike.
I mean, what on earth
is a "welcoming foot ritual"?
Well, I'd tell you,
but then I'd have to kill you.
What
Do you actually know?
- Not a clue.
- Ah.
That's Connor.
He's found something
at the crime scene.
OK?
Er, can I drop you off?
I just I wanted to go over
my notes at the station
before the interview.
Absolutely.
Look, you can anticipate
the questions.
Just prep clear, concise answers.
Did you push the suspect
down the steps?
- Well, did you?
- No.
Is there anything you think
you would have done differently?
I mean, maybe emotion
was involved, it was Olivia.
No, no. If you look like
you're doubting yourself,
they'll doubt you, too.
Just so you know, Max,
if you're trying
to make me feel better,
it's not working.
[CAR DOOR BEEPS]
Hey.
It was in amongst a bunch of
junk mail in our recycling bin.
Linda?
"Linda, I know what you did." [SCOFFS]
3:00 pm, Monday,
and an SW11 address.
It's a cafe in Battersea Park,
and from that postmark,
that would be a week last Monday.
Nice work, Connor.
- Thanks. Feedback when you can.
- Will do.
[MOBILE RINGING]
Olivia?
Yeah, good.
Well, I'll I'll try
and pop over this evening.
Olivia?
Yeah, sorry, I I gotta go.
[MAN] That's a major
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[MOBILE CAMERA CLICKS]
Oh, Max.
Linda Norris's medical
records detail surgeries
at Conquest Hospital
in Hastings in 2009,
for a compound fracture
of the tibia and a broken jaw
from a fall down the stairs.
She was in for eight days.
[MAX] Any personal data?
Er, parents deceased, no siblings.
I'm digging to see
where she might have
trained as a masseuse.
But it would have been pre-digital.
And on social media, she seems
just as shy as Sonia Blessing.
She had any accounts,
she's deleted them since.
But checked Sonia's bank
records against the sums.
Bella said she moved from the
business account into her own
and subsequently withdrew in cash,
and they match to the penny each time.
Why so precise, I wonder?
To look legitimate to HMRC?
Just to keep track of her debt.
Excuse me.
- How'd it go?
- Yeah
- What's that?
- Well,
it looks and smells
like a blackmail threat.
Connor's checking it out as we speak.
Blackmail for what?
Well
It could be linked
to the incoming calls
from the burner phone,
maybe the person Sonia
was expecting before she was killed.
Well, she was relaxing, though,
celebrating even,
there was Prosecco out.
Yeah.
Our killer was prepared.
He was wearing gloves.
He wasn't there on a social call.
I just found Johnny Leonard
hanging around the salon
like a rubbernecker.
Or a killer returning
to the scene of a crime.
He's got a solid alibi, though.
Well, we need to check that
with the club's security.
He might have nipped out.
None of the staff
recognised Sonia's photo.
I'm not surprised it's a busy place.
CCTV?
Not at the cafe itself,
but there is a council camera
that covers the area.
I've put in an urgent
request for footage.
[MOBILE VIBRATING]
I'm sorry.
Listen to this.
In 2013, one Linda Norris was
struck off the General Council
of Massage Therapists
for failing in her duty of care.
She's working out of a salon
in Croydon called Hair by Moira.
Looks like we've found a reason
for the name change.
Oh, and someone found out.
Hence the overcharging
in order to pay the blackmailer.
Hair by Moira stopped trading
seven years ago.
I'll see if I can find
a current contact.
Max, I need to go home for a bit.
- Sorry. Bit of a family thing.
- No problem.
Maybe we could all do with a break.
Well, I'll stay on a bit,
wait for the Battersea Park CCTV.
- OK.
- You want to share a pizza?
Yeah.
- [MOBILE RINGING]
- [DOG BARKING ALARM SOUNDS]
[OLIVIA] Hang on!
Oh! [GRUNTS]
Oh, it's supposed to turn itself
off, that stupid, bloody thing!
I mean, it's loud!
Well, it's supposed to deter burglars,
not visitors!
- Well, there must be an on/off!
- Oh!
Oh, give it to me.
- [ALARM STOPS]
- [SIGHS]
Was only an afterthought.
I mean, the new lock
is the main thing.
Here. Feel free to let yourself in
when I've keeled over with boredom
and dispose of my body as you see fit.
Jolly good. Silver linings.
Drink?
I can't.
Well, I can,
I have, and will continue.
Olivia, do you want me
to stay the night again?
Oh, God, no.
I can't bear any more of your snoring.
Just go! I'll be fine.
I'll be fine, go.
You don't look fine.
Well, I'll be fine when I've had
a good night's sleep.
And the mood I'm in,
I dare anybody try and break in.
OK.
Look, call me, all right,
if you need anything.
I need my head looked at
for spending good money
on that bloody thing!
Cheerio.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Bye, Anna.
- Bye, Jess.
Companies House
has the registered owner
of Hair by Moira as a Moira Duncan,
but she goes to Singapore
on a work visa in 2017,
and there's just nothing after that.
Tell me that's something
more fun than this.
A mate? A date?
I don't have time or inclination
for either at the moment.
What about you?
Well, I had this thing
with this guy called Dinesh,
but it fizzled out.
- I'm sorry.
- I'm not,
because this is
Manfred.
[SPEAKING GERMAN]
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Oh, the Battersea Park CCTV's in.
[SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC ON RECORD]
[CHUCKLES]
- There she is.
- Mmm.
[JESS] Hello, Sonia.
Or is it Linda today?
"Nancy Gilmarsh."
- [MAX] Hey.
- Max.
I was just about to call you.
There's a name for you to check.
"Nancy Gilmarsh."
Max, I think
we found Linda's blackmailer.
All right.
Can you see?
Got it.
OK, there's Sonia going in.
Now, let's go forward.
Well, approximately 20 minutes later.
And here she is coming out. And
[MAX] Mark Hart!
Mark Hart is running two classes
at the leisure centre this morning.
Good. Well, let's pay him a visit.
Meantime, see if you can
get a fix on this trainee
who worked with Linda
in Croydon. Nancy Gilmarsh.
Might be something or nothing.
Hey, how's Helen?
She's got the OK to test tomorrow.
We found out one way or the other.
Well, there's one of those for me.
So
Linda Norris's trainee
from 15 years ago.
Got any needles in haystacks
we need finding, too?
No bother. I've got her.
She's in the system.
Just out of Peterborough
for shoplifting.
Repeat offender. Peterborough,
Styal, Downview Oof.
All very minor offences.
Still added up, and she spent
more time inside than out.
[MARK] Keep it nice and slow.
Great. All right, well done.
And again.
How's it going over here? OK?
Well done, everybody.
That's that's fantastic.
Let's wrap it up there.
Let's shake it off,
take some time to wind down,
do a few little stretches.
I told you that I ran into her,
though, didn't I?
Well, not as such, no.
Well, maybe not the details,
but I'm sure I said it was
the last time that I saw her.
I asked her out again,
and she wasn't interested.
At the Battersea Park cafe?
Yeah, I I run
an outdoor tai chi class
in Battersea Park
at the Old English Garden.
Sometimes I go
to that cafe after class
for, like, a juice or something.
I only saw Sonia when she was leaving.
Did you see who she was with?
No, I I guess I assumed
she was on her own,
since she was leaving on her own.
No, I I suggested meeting up,
and she was super awkward,
so I left it.
Does the name Linda Norris
mean anything to you?
No. Should it?
He didn't look under pressure.
He's a martial arts sensei, Max.
Mental and physical discipline.
A father with dementia
is not the best alibi.
Tai chi is good exercise, though.
Good for the core,
and low impact, so even
people
of all ages
and fitness can benefit.
Do you fancy a drink?
That pub where Johnny Leonard
works is just around the corner.
I could do with a lemonade.
Totally.
Yeah, me, too.
When's he next in?
Never. I sacked him.
I caught him planting a camera
in the ladies' loos last night.
I was thinking about
calling the cops, actually.
You saved me the bother.
We'll see it's reported.
But you're sure
that Johnny didn't leave
- during his set on Friday?
- No.
He was on all night.
"Naughty Noughties."
I'll send you the CCTV.
Sweet setlist. Shame about the DJ.
Mmm.
Oh
Just make sure Johnny gets done
for being a creep, if nothing else.
[RINGS DOORBELL]
I'm not likely to forget Linda, am I?
She threw me under the bus.
I'm sorry, Nancy.
Can you rewind, please?
You said it was an accident
with a hot stone massage, right?
It was part of this
client's hen package,
but Linda knackered her shoulder
the day before,
so she got me to do it.
And I messed it up.
Made a red mark on the bride's
back, and she went mad.
She couldn't wear her wedding dress.
So Linda got closed down.
Well, she just upped and left,
so the bride tried
to sue me for compensation.
I was 18.
I got roasted.
Hang on. I'll I'll show you.
I get why Sonia was so intolerant
of Kathy making mistakes.
She'd been burnt before.
No pun intended, I'm sure.
Here it is.
The local papers
stitched me up as well.
I've passed on the allegation
to the team downstairs.
Good.
Johnny Leonard may be a sex offender
in the making, but he's not our guy.
So
Let's have another look
at the Battersea Park cafe CCTV.
I'm thinking the same. If Sonia
wasn't there to meet Mark Hart,
then whoever she was there
to meet must be here somewhere.
"Heartless. Trainee parties
as bride-to-be mops her tears."
[NANCY] Everyone I knew saw that.
It's holiday pictures
from the year before,
they took it from my social media.
Did you hear from Linda again?
No. Her phone went dead.
And when I go around her flat,
she's moved out.
Just some bloke there.
What, partner, flatmate, dad?
- I didn't ask.
- Can you describe him?
Young, old, white, black?
[NANCY] I don't know, do I?
White, bald, older?
It was years ago.
He just said she's moved out,
and he didn't know where.
I just lost the plot after that,
getting in bother all the time.
Can you remember the address?
I could, er
I could show you on a map.
Who's this?
[NANCY] Him?
That's my brother.
[SOMBRE MUSIC]
Connor, I need you to run a check
on Nancy Gilmarsh's brother, Reece.
Nancy went to pieces
after working with Linda
and I think I recognise him.
Oh, hello.
I'm sending you a screenshot now.
That's the Masons' dog walker.
And that's Nancy Gilmarsh's brother.
Motive, connection, proximity.
Bingo.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Aw.
Hello, angel.
Oh, Bob, Bob, Bob.
- There we go.
- There we go.
Aw.
I hope you're feeling better.
Thanks.
Bye.
Bye.
- Say bye.
- [BARKS]
Good girl.
[MAX] Hold it right there!
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[GROANS]
What the hell is going on?
- Oof.
- Are you OK?
Thank you. It's all right.
The sink's just round there.
DC Pollock in pursuit,
heading west from Larch Drive.
Thank you.
Thanks.
I'll I'll take it from here.
Sorry. You're you're saying
that our dog walker
has something to do with this murder?
He's a person of interest.
Either of you know anything about
Mr Gilmarsh's private life?
Any connection to Croydon perhaps?
You know what? I always thought
there was something off
about him, the way that
he kept looking at you, Tara.
He's never done anything, Piers.
I don't know. He's weird.
[MOBILE RINGING]
- Connor?
- I lost him over the fences.
I think he's gone into
the Clarence Bailey estate.
[MAX] I'll try and head him off.
Inspector?
Erm, Sonia did mention
a dodgy ex from Croydon,
but, erm, I think his name was Robbie.
Good to know.
Thank you, Mrs Mason.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[CONNOR] Police.
We know you're there, Reece.
Just come out slowly
with your hands in the air.
[MAX] Last chance, Reece.
You can make this
a lot easier for yourself
by just stepping away from the bins.
If we have to come in and get you
- Face down on the ground now!
- Please hear me out, all right?
I saw her photo in a brochure
when I was picking up
the the Masons' dog.
Erm, the name was different,
but I'd pick my sister up
enough from work to know that
it was Linda Norris.
- You sent her this letter.
- Mmm-hmm.
Showing the suspect exhibit MA/20.
[SIGHS]
- Is that a yes, Reece?
- Yes.
My sister lost everything
because of her.
Linda was supposed to be
the adult, the professional,
and she let Nan do a procedure
which she wasn't qualified for,
and then take the heat for it
when it went wrong.
- I met Nancy this morning.
- Well, then, you know, right?
She cannot cope on her own,
let alone get a job.
And I give her what I can,
but I wanted Linda
to pay her fair share.
It was her fault, right?
So she met you
at the Battersea Park cafe,
and when she refused
to be blackmailed,
you tracked her down and murdered her.
What, no! No. No, it was
nothing, nothing like that.
What, then?
She was actually really nice.
She was gutted gutted to hear
what Nan had been through,
and her reasons
for disappearing were personal.
A bit of an emergency.
Getting closed down
was just the final straw.
So she changed her name by deed poll
because of a personal emergency.
I I don't know.
It could have been bullshit,
but she sounded like she was for real.
She said if she knew Nan was
gonna take the heat for it,
then she would have stepped in,
but she had to move on
swiftly for other reasons.
And she was more than open
to paying what she could.
She had some other stuff
to sort out first,
but she gave me her number.
She she said to stay in touch.
So why did you run
if you'd done nothing wrong?
Er
No comment.
OK. OK, look, I had some class As.
It was coke, it was oxy.
And I stashed them by the bins
when you nicked me.
Erm, you can check.
Oh, we will.
[SIGHS] God, I don't
I don't even touch the stuff.
I mean, it was
I was just trying to make
a little bit of extra for Nan.
I've got a really good business
walking people's dogs.
They trust me.
I can't lose that.
Where were you the night
before last at 11:30 pm?
Ladbroke Grove, selling drugs.
No details, naturally,
so we have to take
his word for it. Or not.
Reece Gilmarsh has zero alibi
and all the motive.
But if he's telling the truth,
Linda disappeared and reemerged
as Sonia for personal reasons.
Bit of an emergency.
Tara Mason mentioned a dodgy ex
of Sonia's in Croydon Robbie.
And the bald bloke in Linda's flat
when Nancy went looking for her.
Well, he could have been anyone,
the landlord, a neighbour.
One way to find out.
This has been nagging at me,
the sling Linda's wearing.
Dislocated shoulder,
it's why she got Nancy
to do the hot stones,
and she'd had surgery
for bad injuries three years earlier.
A history of injury,
keeps herself to herself,
and a dodgy ex hanging about.
And the self-defence classes
after being followed on the street.
Shall we count the red flags?
[MOBILE RINGING]
Ashley.
Max? I
found something
on the victim's scalp.
I missed it at first
because of her thick hair.
Cigarette burns, I'd say.
Possibly self-inflicted.
It's hard to tell,
but deliberate either way.
Max
You're bleeding.
Oh.
You could do with
a couple of stitches in this.
Oh
I haven't the time.
Well, I'll butterfly it. Hang on.
- [MAX SIGHS]
- You OK?
I've seen all the bad in this job.
I mean,
you have, too, I know,
but I've been around longer.
Well, it's men who inflict
the majority of this, isn't it?
Yep.
That's hard to square sometimes.
Well, suck it up, Max.
Male violence
isn't going away anytime soon,
and you can't afford to choke.
Well, I'm not choking, Layla.
- I'm angry.
- Oh, me, too.
That's why we do the job, right?
Thanks.
- Max?
- Mmm-hmm.
You do trust me, don't you?
Whatever the IOPC say?
I trust you with my life.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
Oh, so we checked the electoral roll
for Linda Norris,
going back three previous moves
to an address in Hastings,
and we found him.
Robbie Campbell. 64 last month.
I ran him through the system.
There are five domestic violence
incident reports against his name
over an eight-year period,
ended in 2012,
when it seems Linda moved out.
[JESS] Nothing stuck.
But this was before
the Serious Crime Act
let us press charges
without victim consent.
Got done for breach
of the peace, though.
2013. He'd look older now, obviously.
The bald bloke Nancy
mentioned in Croydon.
So the last time they were
officially living together
was Hastings from 2007 to 2012.
Same timeframe as the surgery.
If she left him once
and he tracked her down in Croydon,
you can see why she changed
her name the next time.
She must have been really afraid.
And determined to live her life.
Got him. He's claiming
disability benefits
from an address in Tottenham.
Let's pick him up.
Is Robbie Campbell at home?
Who wants to know?
He's not in, I'm afraid.
Do you know when he'll be back?
I only wish I knew.
You know where we can find him?
Hmm.
Hang on. I'll check his diary.
Oh
Right.
Tracy Campbell, I assume.
Any relation to Robbie?
Robbie Campbell is
a suspect in relation
to a brutal murder two days ago.
Now, where is he?
If my brother murdered anyone,
it must have been
from beyond the grave.
Nasty bastard's been dead a year.
Mind if I smoke?
Yes.
You were telling us about Linda.
She was a laugh back in the day,
before Robbie knocked it out of her.
I remember one time he slammed
her fingers in a chest freezer.
She couldn't work for six months,
and he punished her
for that 'n' all. Poor cow.
When did you last see her?
Oh, I don't know.
Years back, in Hastings.
Me and Robbie fell out when
he put Linda in the hospital,
so I cut ties.
I heard she finally got
shot of him in Croydon,
and I raised a glass.
Never set eyes on him again
till he turns up here
like a rotten banana.
When was that?
What about I just vape?
Please don't smoke or vape, Tracy.
When did Robbie last contact you?
Two years ago, last September.
He'd been working for a building
contractor in Newcastle,
got himself sacked for fighting
and come to blag what he could off me.
But I didn't have anything
to blag, so he left.
Except
Mmm.
Except,
on his way back out of the blue,
he spots Linda getting
on a tube at King's Cross.
So he comes back to mine
to kip on the sofa
till he tracks her down again.
Unfinished business, he says.
I'd have warned her
if I knew where she was.
Did he find her?
He hung around King's Cross
for a couple of days,
winding himself up
till he had a bloody stroke
right here on my floor.
Laid him up for the next year,
with me as his unpaid carer.
So, no, he never did find Linda.
But he managed to make
my life a misery
till he finally snuffed it
last October.
But you continued
to collect his benefits.
Maybe I did forget
to inform the government,
because maybe Robbie's benefit
was the least he owed me.
And maybe you could let me off,
seeing as I've been so helpful.
[SCOFFS]
I want every aspect
of her story checked.
Who registered Robbie's death?
Where was he cremated?
I can't believe he isn't our man.
And I bet he's no stranger
to a burner phone.
Why would he tell Linda
he was on his way?
And why would she let him in?
He'd been ringing her late at night
for three weeks,
and she was answering.
She wouldn't be the first
to give an abusive partner
another chance.
Well, I don't buy it.
She changed her
whole life to shake him off.
She was done.
OK, so Reece Gilmarsh
dumped his stash where he said he did.
Plus, a search of his flat
turned up more drugs
and related cash from dealing.
Nothing specific to the murder.
Doesn't mean he didn't do it.
- Ugh. Damn!
- I told you it needed a stitch.
Look, leave your bike,
I'll drive you to A&E on the way home.
No
Wait.
I've got a better idea.
[MAX] So far, we've only
got the sister's word for it
that the suspect's dead.
But he's a fit in every way.
You do know I'm actually alive.
[CHUCKLES] Beggars can't be choosers.
Yeah, the point is,
Campbell's in the system,
so if we had any DNA at all
I'll keep looking, Max.
All I've got is flecks of leather
from his bogs down to gloves.
Yeah, he was careful.
There you go.
Thanks, Ashley.
Much appreciated.
Least you didn't ask me
to lipread again.
That's crossing a line.
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Oh, text from Jess.
Er, "Robbie Campbell's sister
paid for a direct cremation
"at Enfield Crematorium,
October 3rd last year."
That's that, then.
Back to the drawing board?
Mmm.
By way of a large scotch.
Finish your tea. I'll walk from here.
Thanks, Ashley.
Fancy something stronger?
You could leave the car?
♪
Do I want to know
what else you keep in there?
That's a hard no.
[LAUGHS]
Right.
I'm gonna go to the gym.
Do you want to come?
Oh, no.
Oh, Connor
We were supposed to wait
till tomorrow, but Helen caved.
It's positive. She's pregnant.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC]
[MOBILE CHIMES]
Layla
Check your emails.
I knew something was bothering you.
Well, not any more.
Thanks to witness statements and CCTV,
I'm officially in the clear.
Hey.
It's OK.
Oh
I didn't realise
just how crap I felt about it.
This
This thief accuses me
[SNIFFLES] ..of undue force
for trying to stop him
from mugging women,
and they took him seriously.
I know. I get it.
For a while there,
you know, I started to wonder
myself if they're investigating,
well, there must be
something to it, right?
But there isn't.
And that's on record.
Sorry.
It's just
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
my work and my reputation
mean everything to me.
I mean,
isn't that part of the problem?
[LAUGHS]
The whole work/life balance chestnut.
Yeah. Well, if I said that
you were probably bang on,
would you pour me a top-up?
- [LINE RINGING]
- Come on, come on.
[LAYLA] Max?
Layla, meet me at the crime scene.
What, really?
I'm still asleep.
I am so sorry. Erm
I'll see you there first thing,
and let's get Connor
to chase up that complaint
on Johnny Leonard.
Right.
Coffee.
Congratulations. You must be relieved.
Honestly, it's put a lot
of things in perspective,
pulled me up a bit,
stop and smell the roses and all that,
so, you know, maybe it's
a good thing it all happened.
Gosh. Well
- It's a very
- Yeah, no, it sucked.
I'm thrilled it's over.
And if I ever see
the little creep again,
I really will be up on charges.
- Moving on.
- [CHUCKLES]
I can't get it out of my head.
If Leonard's not the killer,
why was he hanging
around the crime scene?
Well, we know he's a voyeur.
That's my point.
What if the pub loos
weren't the only place
that he was spying on women?
And another thing that's bugging me
Don't you think it's odd
that Tara Mason would know
about her masseuse's dodgy ex?
Women do share things, though.
Hairdresser bantz, right?
Yeah, but Sonia was a private
I knew it.
He wasn't rubbernecking.
He wanted his camera back.
[CONNOR] Leonard hid it there
four weeks prior to the murder,
motion-activated,
and there's footage of the attack.
That's it.
There's no clear image
of the assailant, but look.
We need that print.
[LINE RINGING]
Hi. DS Walsh.
We're after a print
from the massage table.
We're sending you some
precise footage and timecode.
I've been going through
the earlier footage,
and this is interesting.
That's the form for every massage.
Sonia sees the client in.
She leaves them to get
undressed and under the towel.
Afterwards, she leaves them
to get dressed again.
Then a glass of water,
and she sees them out, except
Take a look at this.
- Tara Mason.
- Mmm-hmm.
But instead of getting undressed,
they just talk.
♪
"Hairdresser bantz."
And then there's this,
from three weeks ago.
Sonia gives Tara something.
Wait, but rewind.
Can anybody tell what she's saying?
Let's get Ashley to take a look.
Look, blame me.
- I will.
- Yeah, so will she.
OK, so comms have pulled all
they can from the burner phone.
It seems it's been switched off
since the night of the murder,
but there's nothing we didn't
already know except this.
Its signal consistently pinged
off a tower near the Masons' house.
[ASHLEY] Seriously, Max?
Well, actually, I'm short of time.
So am I.
[SIGHS]
Call me night or day
from somewhere safe
and hide it.
Call me night or day?
And hide it.
Thanks, Ashley.
It's the burner phone.
Sonia gave Tara
the burner phone to use
without her husband knowing.
You thinking what I'm thinking?
Sonia recognised another victim
of domestic abuse,
and she tried to help.
Yeah. So the suitcase,
the Airbnb, the envelope of cash,
all set and ready
for Tara to disappear.
All funded by Tara herself
booking expensive treatments.
[MAX] But he found out anyway.
Piers Mason, you're under arrest
on suspicion of the murder
of Sonia Blessing,
otherwise known as Linda Norris.
You do not have to say anything
but may harm the defence
if you do not mention
- No, you come into my house.
- later on in court.
- [DOG BARKING]
- Tara, shut the bloody dog up!
Take her statement here, make
sure she knows he's in custody.
- [DOG GROWLS]
- Shh, shh, shh.
I thought that her ex
must have found her again.
But it was Piers.
Of course it was Piers. So
So he found out, right?
So it's my fault
Sonia's dead,
because she was helping me.
It's not your fault.
And he'll punish me, too.
As soon as they let him out,
he'll kill me.
Tara, Piers is in custody now.
He can't hurt you.
Yes, he can.
Nobody helped Sonia, did they,
when when her ex nearly killed her.
He he tracked her down,
and he stalked her,
and he hurt her all of those years.
And the police knew about it,
and nobody did anything.
It's different now.
And on top of it,
this is a murder case.
Oh, Piers killed her,
and he'll kill me, too.
And I'll deserve it.
He won't,
because we're going to stop him.
And with your help, Tara,
we're going to put him away.
I need my pills.
Yeah.
Take your time.
Let's get you calmed down.
Did you know that Sonia Blessing
was helping Tara
to escape your coercive
and violent control?
No comment.
When did you find your wife's
second phone, Mr Mason?
No comment.
I put it to you
that you followed Sonia
to find out where she lived,
before setting a trap
with a weekend away.
No comment.
You then changed your plans
at the last minute, drugged your wife
and went in her place to Sonia's flat,
where you attacked and murdered her.
Returning with ample time
to get to A&E with Tara
just after 1:00 am.
What happened was that I cancelled
a much-anticipated golfing weekend
to look after
my vulnerable wife at home.
OK?
Now you go ahead and you
ask her, because she was there.
Couldn't find any sugar,
so I put some honey in it.
I always thought Piers
would kill me eventually.
He said so often enough.
He hurts me.
And then he was so sorry, and he
would tell me that he loved me.
And he would book me spa days
and beauty treatments.
Sonia saw the bruising.
And she told me her story.
And she gave me the courage
to believe, because
because she did get out, didn't she?
Piers controls everything.
The money, my phone
He tracks me.
He's so jealous I have to prove
where I am all the time.
So Sonia came up with this plan.
And we were gonna do it this weekend
when Piers was away.
Hey, you can do this.
You're not alone.
Can you explain the number
of visits to A&E
your wife has had to make
in the last two years?
That's four in total.
She's an addict. I've told you this.
Dislocated shoulder, broken wrist.
Addicts are clumsy.
Is that why you have three bottles
of oral morphine in your cupboard?
OK [CLEARS THROAT]
Junkies have accidents,
accidents hurt.
Painkillers are required.
Painkillers are addictive.
And so the cycle continues.
Now I'm very protective
of my wife, but mistakes happen,
Like the one that knocked her
out the night of the murder.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
I hid the phone in the mattress.
Piers never does the beds, and then
And then one day,
it was gone, and I
I couldn't figure out
how he could've found it.
Do you have cameras inside?
No, no.
Er, carry on. I'm just checking.
Well, I was so afraid
that he'd found it, but he
He seemed so normal, so I just thought
that I must have lost it
or or the cleaner did.
And then he cancelled
his weekend away,
and I had no way of telling Sonia
that I wasn't gonna be there,
and then
Then I can't really
remember after that.
I took too many pills, Piers said.
But I think it was him.
I think he'd done that before.
Yeah, I think you're right.
It's the motion sensor
for the burglar alarm.
It's a camera.
Now, there's no audio on this, Tara,
so where did you go to call Sonia?
"Somewhere safe," she said, right?
At night when Piers was asleep?
Yep.
[MAX] Have a look at this.
Sonia's assailant caught on camera.
That isn't me.
Oh, but it is.
Prints don't lie.
And it seems that
the murderous palm print
matches those on file for you,
Piers Mason.
You were arrested
for driving under the influence
four years ago, on your way back
from dropping your wife
at A&E again.
[SIGHS]
My home spa.
A room with a view, Piers calls it.
I would come up here to call Sonia
and I could hear him
if he was coming upstairs.
Did that happen?
Once.
I said that I wanted to read
and I didn't want to keep him awake.
He was really sweet about it.
I felt guilty.
He even bought me
a better reading lamp.
But he only gave me this room
because it was the furthest away
from the front door.
So there's no way out.
Voice-activated microphone.
You can buy them online
for home security.
I may as well have killed her myself.
Listen to me, Tara.
Pierce killed Sonia.
No-one else.
[SNIFFLES, WHIMPERS]
We can hold him
until the CPS give us the OK.
- [LAYLA SIGHS]
- She's safe for now anyway.
Oh, physically at least.
But only because he killed someone.
Otherwise it would all
still be going on behind
fancy closed doors.
Everywhere you turn, cameras,
mics buy the kit online.
At least we can help Tara
going forward.
Mmm. If she wants to check into rehab.
Piers wouldn't let her before,
said he could take care
of her himself.
Control her, more like.
The good thing is
she wants to survive.
Said she owes it to Sonia.
All that's stopping her is
she doesn't have anyone
to look after her dog
while she's away.
Now, hear me out, I have
a security idea to run past you.
It won't bring down
any burglars, but it's real,
and it makes a hell of a noise.
You must be joking.
No, it's only temporary,
just a couple of months.
Under no circumstances
am I gonna be
palmed off with a bag rat!
You ridiculous little creature.
[CHUCKLING]
The best position.
You should go to the
Guess who's just booked
a hiking holiday in Peru.
Shot in the dark, you?
A whole month
up in the mountains, thank you,
with a bunch of strangers,
and I can't wait.
- [CONNOR] Great.
- Vamos.
Oh, you and Helen should book
a holiday while you still can.
It might be the last one you
have alone for the next, what,
16, 18 years?
Bring it on.
Honestly, I just want to be a good dad
and a positive role model.
Oh, then you already are.
Just maybe lose
the trying-too-hard yoga pants.
Yeah, and then you'll be perfect.
- Oh, oh!
- [LAUGHING]
And
Commencement.
[SPIRITUAL MUSIC]
[THEME MUSIC]
sync & corrections awaqeded