The Marlow Murder Club

TERRENCE: Geoffrey!

Someone's just killed the mayor of Marlow.

Geoffrey was poisoned.

Well, you can't possibly think it came from here.

TERRENCE: If you're looking for the person who put the poison in Geoffrey's coffee pod, I bet it was the person in the kitchen.

(door opens) (Becks gasps) SUZIE: Oi!

Stop right there!

JUDITH: Did you see who it was?

(panting): No idea.

You know you wanted Geoffrey to have a dark secret?

(thunder claps) (whimpers) (click) (siren blaring) (siren stops) (police radio running) (car door closes) TANIKA: What were you all doing here?

JUDITH: Ah, well, that is the question.

Yes, Judith, it's the question I'm asking.

Mm.

We found out who Judith's mystery caller is.

His name's Dave Butler.

And you didn't think to tell me?

We were going to.

Just as soon as we could.

JUDITH: The point being that when we spoke to Dave, he said that he and Geoffrey were working together on his novel, and we came here to check out his story.

It checks out.

Guv?

TANIKA: An intruder left here 20 minutes ago.

Black hoodie, average build and height.

Go door to door, see if anyone saw anything.

Yes, Guv.

Anyway, as I was saying, you aren't able to just carry on and do... JUDITH: I... I think I know who the intruder was.

You do?

BOTH: You do?

(traffic passing, people talking in background) (door closes) JUDITH: Hello, Marcus.

Mrs.

Potts.

Detective Inspector.

Rupert!

Would you mind taking my next client for me?

RUPERT: Yeah, sure.

MARCUS: And tell Sue no interruptions.

(clears throat) Uh, how can I help you?

Just got back from a house viewing, have you?

I, uh, really don't know what you're talking about.

TANIKA: The break-in at Mr.

Truman's house.

And, if you really don't know, why make sure we won't be interrupted?

Let me tell you exactly what happened.

You'll find I've done nothing wrong.

Although I am intrigued, how did you work it out?

Well, the intruder was definitely male, there are only two men on the council, and D.I.

Malik was with Terrence at the time.

It was a guess.

It was correct.

I've committed no crime.

Now, I didn't break in, I used Geoffrey's spare key.

But when we disturbed you, you ran for it.

With the blackmail letter you sent to Geoffrey.

The blackmail letter wasn't sent to Geoffrey.

It was sent to me.

I found it in my pigeonhole at the council, and Geoffrey was with me when I opened it.

It was mortifying.

Why would someone send something like this?

MARCUS: But he said, as mayor, that he would take it for me and try and find out who sent it.

When he died, I realized it was still at the house.

I knew how bad it would look covered in my fingerprints.

So, that's all I was doing.

You know, taking back property that already belonged to me.

TANIKA: Okay, let's say we believe you.

The blackmail letter was sent to you.

Why?

I... (chuckling) I really have no idea.

I mean, look into my life.

Tear it apart-- you won't, you won't find anything.

All an estate agent is is their reputation, and I wouldn't risk that.

Not for anything.

Don't you get it?

You know, I'm the victim here.

You know, someone has been harassing me.

If he's so innocent, why did he wear a hoodie and gloves to Geoffrey's house?

And run off when we challenged him?

But is whatever he's up to connected to Geoffrey's death or is it something else?

Can I give you a lift back to the station?

Oh, thank you, I'm meeting someone.

You know, you and I should do more interviews together.

I enjoyed that.

(chuckles) Don't push it.

SUZIE: Seriously?

All these receipts are from the council?

(sighs) Seriously.

(blows through lips) We could help, if you liked.

Get some food in?

Make a night of it.

Bosh-- get the job done.

That would be amazing.

(door opens) TANIKA: Okay.

Marcus Percival's saying that the blackmail letter was sent to him and not Mr.

Truman, but he doesn't know why.

What have we got on him?

Oh, come on.

We find a blackmail letter.

Finally, Geoffrey's up to no good, and now you're saying it wasn't even his?

ALICE: So, Marcus is married.

Two kids, both in boarding school.

He spends a lot.

You know, fancy cars, holidays, and trips to nice restaurants, but he could afford it.

Any hint of wrongdoing?

Well, I spoke to some of his colleagues, and they all say that he's trustworthy, honorable, a perfect gentleman.

So there's no obvious secret he's keeping hidden from the world?

(sighs) Brendan, Jason, Mr.

Clarkson's saying he saw someone with light hair in the kitchen at the start of the meeting, but he couldn't see them properly through the glass.

Can you check out his story?

Got it.

Sure.

(church bell tolling) Hello, Dave.

(bell continues) Why did you want to see me?

To thank you for your tip-off about the council receipts.

Also to give you this.

You got my book?

I was an archaeologist once.

I know how important publication is.

And you must know more about the petty cash than you've told us.

All I know is that the total that was claimed went up significantly for the last two years, but the accounts were still signed off.

Suggesting that there must be receipts covering all that extra cash.

Receipts that must be fake.

Yes, that's very interesting.

Thank you.

He only fixed the first half.

Well, who knows?

Maybe you can take what you learnt in the first half and apply it to the second.

Maybe.

This is really kind of you-- thank you.

It's not me you should be thanking.

It's Geoffrey.

He really was a great friend to all.

(hip-hop music playing indistinctly) (song playing on speakers) (song continues) Who ordered the veggie supreme?

Oh, that's me.

Oh, thank you, Suzie.

We should definitely get pizzas delivered more often.

For you.

(door opens) JUDITH: Oh!

How lovely!

A party!

(door closes) If you've got a boring job to do, you might as well have some fun.

My thoughts exactly.

How's it going?

Uh... We're focusing on the petty cash, just like Dave told us.

There's a lot.

Dave has suggested there might be fake receipts in there to cover the cash that was stolen.

BECKS: But how can we tell which receipts are real and which are fake?

Lots of them are handwritten.

(R&B song playing over speakers) BECKS: So, what made you join the force, Alice?

Oh, um... Well, I had an aunt who was a copper.

Growing up, I just thought she was the coolest person in the family.

(laughs) I just wanted to be like her.

She must be so proud of you.

My great-aunt was hugely important to me.

Well.

To aunts.

And great-aunts.

(chuckles) An excellent toast.

(chuckling): Yes.

(phone chimes, vibrating) SUZIE: Oops, that's me.

Sorry, I need to be somewhere.

BECKS: Where?

A group of us are trying to get the bridge reopened.

We're meeting up.

Oh-- should we come along?

Nah, there's no need.

I know how these things go.

We'll have a few drinks, we'll agree that the High Street needs to be locked down with some kind of massive protest, and then... (chortles) And then... Yeah, we'll settle on starting a petition.

(Judith chuckles) I'm not giving up, though!

(card reader beeps, door opens) (sighs) We're not going to finish this, are we?

Why don't I take the boxes home?

I'd love the chance to really get stuck into them.

Yeah.

Yeah, they, they're all yours.

(chuckles) SUZIE: Let's get this show on the road, yeah?

(talking in background) TANIKA: Oh, hello, Suzie.

Ah, hi.

You all right, Shanti?

You're starting a petition?

Oh, we can't have these landowners closing bridges just because.

I mean, the community needs them.

Mm, where do I sign?

Oh, thank you.

There we go.

Nice.

Sorry, can't stop-- I've got to get Shanti to school.

All right.

Maybe see you later?

Yeah, laters.

Go nearer the entrance.

Oh, you got a flyer?

(continues indistinctly) I spoke to your teacher.

When I was your age, I saw a girl being bullied, and I did nothing.

I know it was wrong, but I was just so grateful it wasn't me she was bullying.

Is that what happened?

(coos) That's why you're feeling bad, sweetie.

Because you're a good kid.

And you know if you see someone being bullied, you have to stand up for them.

Come on.

Hard at it, are we?

Oh, sorry.

Just remembered, I need to dig out that book on the Avebury Standing Stones for Darius.

Oh, of course.

So I can show it to him when we meet for tea.

Oh!

Here it is.

Right, come on.

I thought I was going mad with this one, but it really says �8.88.

What's that?

This receipt, it's for �8.88.

Well, hold on.

�8.88.

We've had that before.

You can't possibly know where.

Give me a moment.

No.

Yes!

Here.

And here's another one.

They're both for �8.88.

I suppose if you were faking piles of receipts, you're going to make a lot of them for �9.99.

But if you got bored and your finger slipped... ...and you hit the key next door, it would be �8.88.

Oh, hold on.

This one's for Jackson's Hardware Store.

Well, Jackson's closed two years ago.

So, how come it was selling paint supplies this January?

BECKS: They all have the same initials on them.

D.S.

Ah!

Debbie Smith.

Debbie Smith.

(door closes) You know who's got light hair?

Paul.

He has, hasn't he?

And he'd have access to the aconite in Sophia's garden.

(footsteps approaching) How may I help you?

I can only spare a few minutes.

We wanted to know why you've been stealing cash from the council.

(quietly): Oh, God.

(exhales) Last year-- no, earlier-- I started getting forgetful.

It was like I had brain fog.

I'd start talking about something, forget what I was saying, and have to ask the person that I was talking to what I was talking about.

I thought I had early-onset dementia, and I... I couldn't sleep, and I had hot flashes the whole time.

BECKS: Oh, I see.

I found carrying a fan in my handbag worked wonders.

I was falling apart.

Work suffered.

Paul gave me a formal warning.

For going through the menopause?

I needed treatment, but when I went to see my GP, he wasn't interested, and the waiting list for a referral was over a year.

And I knew that if I went private, I could have a consultation tomorrow.

It would just be expensive.

I told myself I was only borrowing the money.

I was always planning to pay it back.

But you haven't.

Did Geoffrey find out?

I couldn't help noticing that, on the day he died, only you and he went anywhere near that coffee machine.

And your fingerprints were on his coffee pod.

He didn't find out-- you know he didn't.

If he had, he'd have gone to the police, and he never did.

Well, maybe you poisoned him before he could.

It was a few thousand pounds!

BECKS: People have killed for less.

And you're an accountant.

A crime like this could mean you'd never work again.

(whimpering) (crying): No, I know, I... I don't know why I did it, I was just... I was just so desperate.

(sniffles) I will admit to skimming the money from the petty cash.

That was wrong, but Geoffrey never found out, and I didn't kill him.

He was my friend.

(Debbie sniffles, phones ringing) (door closes) (computer keys clacking) (knocks) Sorry to interrupt, but where were you when Geoffrey died?

I beg your pardon.

Just so that we know.

Where were you?

As it happens, I went to the cinema that afternoon.

Oh-- who with?

On my own.

What did you see?

"Brief Encounter."

Oh.

I didn't have you down as a romantic type.

That shows how little you know me.

I actually really love any kind of romantic, slushy film with a happily-ever-after ending.

And now, if you wouldn't mind, I was working.

(talking indistinctly) (swan chirps) (man talking indistinctly) (chirping) How did it go?

(sighs) I'll be honest.

Not good.

Everyone's down by the river for the swan upping.

How many signatures did you get?

43.

And ain't no one going to get a bridge reopened with 43 signatures.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, Suzie.

(Suzie sighs) Guys, I think I'm going to head to the cinema this afternoon.

I like it!

The cinema?

Box of popcorn, kick back and relax.

I'll catch up with you both later.

All right.

Laters!

(people talking in background) You know, we still don't know who sent Marcus his blackmail letter.

Do you think we'll be able to work out where the individual letters came from?

I don't know.

Perhaps.

I mean... (exhales) ...even if we figure out that one of those letters came from, oh, "Homes & Garden," anyone could have got hold of it.

Anyone?

Yeah.

JUDITH: Then what if I tell you that the C in this word "secret" is a perfect match for the C in "Architecture International"?

And I can't help noticing that Terrence is the only architect among our suspects.

Let the record show I've been giving my full cooperation.

Let the record show that you've been blackmailing Marcus.

I beg your pardon.

You shouldn't have cut the letters out of your trade magazine.

Why did you do it?

You're an upstanding member of the community.

A town councilor.

There's a social media account that posts awful things about the council and the town.

Yes, we've seen it.

Marcus is Marlow1628?

The man who always thinks he's better than you because he's got money and a fancy job.

I don't believe it.

Nor did I, not at first.

But there's this thing that Marcus does, where he says "undermime" instead of "undermine."

Idiot.

And one day, that account-- Marlow1628-- was attacking me, and it said "undermime."

It got me thinking.

The next time I saw Marcus, I told him Travelers had moved into Riley Park when they hadn't.

By that evening, Marlow1628 was spewing hatred against them.

You set a trap for him.

I had to know I was right-- I was.

But now you had a bit of a problem, didn't you?

You knew Marcus was behind the vile account, but how to prove it?

If you confronted him, he'd just deny it.

So, you decided to mess with him.

How long were you planning on stringing him along?

I thought he'd stop after he got my letter, but he just carried on posting that stuff.

It made no difference.

Which is why you were arguing with Geoffrey before the meeting.

You told him about Marcus, didn't you?

And I bet Geoffrey took the side of the law, telling you that you'd just confessed to blackmail.

(chortles) Which is why Mrs.

Eddingham heard him saying how badly you'd dealt with the situation.

Did he threaten to tell the police?

(scoffs) And that's why you killed him.

I didn't kill him.

And the fact we had an argument proves it.

Oh, punchy!

Do you think I'd have time afterward to pick some aconite, extract its poison, and then lace Geoffrey's coffee with it?

And remember, I saw the killer behind the glass in the kitchen.

That's who killed him.

Right, then.

Let's see if Mr.

Terrence Clarkson's story adds up.

Okay, ready?

Ready!

Right, I'm going to make everyone a lovely cup of tea and a hot pot of coffee.

Here's a couple of scoops of poison.

Step forward.

One more step.

One more.

Really?

It's important!

(laughing) (window opens) Very funny.

I can see that someone was behind the glass, but until you got right up close, you were just your hair color and a, a shape.

Ah.

Mm.

Then the architect's story checks out.

Come on.

Okay, so let's say I'm the killer.

I put out the poisoned coffee pod, and I've stuck around long enough to make sure that Mr.

Truman's taken it.

What next?

You're going to want to get out of the building, and fast.

Mm, through the nearest exit.

Okay.

Well, let's see where that goes.

Hold on.

(door opening) What's up?

I just want to be thorough.

(knocks) Why is there a ladder here?

Hm.

Hang on.

Look at this.

Right, then.

(exhales) Up you go.

(slowly): Okay.

Don't worry, I'll hold it.

(sighs) Great-- no, I'm going.

It's just a ladder-- what's your problem?

What can you see?

Just insulation and dust.

Huh.

Hold on.

What is it?

I've found something.

(train whistle blowing) (whistle continues) (gasps) (slurping) LAURA (in film): I meant to do it, Fred.

I really meant to do it.

I stood there trembling, right on the edge.

(crying softly) But I couldn't.

I wasn't brave enough.

I should like to be able to say that it was the thought of you and the children that prevented me, but it wasn't.

(crying) I had no thoughts at all.

(crying softly) Only an overwhelming desire not to feel anything ever again.

(sobs) (closing music begins) (music continues) TANIKA: So, we now know that it was Terrence who was behind Marcus's blackmail, because Marcus has been running a vicious online account, and it was Debbie who was stealing petty cash.

Welcome to the town council.

(scoffs softly) Any of these three people could've had reason to want Geoffrey dead if he had found out their secrets.

Leaving only Sophia with no secret, or motive.

SUZIE: Even though it's her that grows the aconite, and who called Alec Miller and told him not to come to the meeting that day.

(phone vibrating) Oh, excuse me.

(button clicks, vibration stops) Becks.

I just finished watching "Brief Encounter."

JUDITH (on phone): Oh!

Is that what you went to see?

It was brilliant, but Judith, it proves that Paul Hollingbry lied about where he was at the time of the murder.

(knock at door) (knock at door) Hello, Paul.

If you're looking for Sophia, she's in the garden.

JUDITH: Actually, it's you we want to talk to.

Oh.

BECKS: You told me you were in the cinema when Geoffrey died.

Watching "Brief Encounter."

That's right.

You also said that it ended happily ever after.

It does.

I don't know anyone who'd call that a happily-ever-after.

As I was leaving, I showed your picture to the ushers, and none of them remember seeing you at the screening.

(sighs) I was there, okay?

Really?

All right, look.

Taking care of other people's money is high pressure.

You know, sometimes, when work's, you know, intense, I go to the cinema.

And sometimes I fall asleep.

Oh.

So, that's your new line, is it?

You were asleep at the time?

Well, I didn't know I was going to need an alibi, did I?

I mean, what even is this?

I barely knew Geoffrey-- why would I want to kill him?

(phone vibrating) (button clicks, vibration stops) Show yourselves out, yeah?

Yeah.

Yeah.

He fell asleep?

That's not much of a defense.

JUDITH: Although he's right.

Why would he want to harm Geoffrey?

I don't know, but he fits the description of the person in the kitchen that day.

He's got light-colored hair.

Hm.

Interesting.

Judith?

JUDITH: I've seen that earring before.

SOPHIA: It's not how it looks.

I hope not, because I think it looks like murder.

It's not what you think.

SUZIE: Says the woman who grows aconite.

(scoffs) You know I said how Geoffrey had helped me?

Well, I didn't really see him after that.

Not until he became mayor.

But it was then that I, I really got to know him.

And he was just so lovely, and so supportive.

You may have noticed I don't get much of that at home.

And I know it sounds silly, but I found myself thinking about him more and more.

And then we had a council meeting at his house, and I stayed behind after everybody had left, and Geoffrey was telling me about how much he was enjoying my podcast.

How he was using my tips to revive an orchid he was growing, and I just... Oh, Sophia.

I'm so sorry-- I don't know what to say.

But he wasn't interested.

He was still in love with his wife.

That's what he told me.

My earring must have come off then.

I was so embarrassed-- what was I thinking?

When was this?

Last month.

Geoffrey said we could just forget about it and carry on as before, as friends.

But you couldn't, could you?

I was just so confused, but I would never hurt him.

I loved him, I... Oh, God-- did I?

I don't even know, I, he, he just... He just meant so much to me.

Did he threaten to tell your husband?

No!

Geoffrey would never have betrayed me like that!

Not when it would have ruined my marriage.

You know that about him, you know what a good man he was.

I was the last to arrive at that meeting.

I never went anywhere near him or his coffee, and, and now I've got to meet up with the others because we're due to choose his commemorative bench this afternoon, just in case you were wondering if my day could get any worse!

Means, motive, opportunity.

She's always had the means, now she got the motive.

But she's right.

She never had the opportunity.

But what about Paul?

What would he do if he ever found his wife was having an affair?

He can't prove where he was when Geoffrey died.

Nah.

Nah, I, I don't buy it.

Are we saying that Sophia called Alec Miller, told him the meeting was canceled, so that her husband could be in the kitchen putting the aconite into her lover's coffee?

Actually, Sophia's not the only person who needs to be somewhere else.

Of course!

Your afternoon tea with Darius!

You're getting nearer to that nightcap, one meal at a time.

Oh, stop it, the pair of you!

(laughing) Six, two, seven, five, eight, four, two... Okay, so, Jason spotted a ventilation hatch at the council building that wasn't properly closed.

In it, he found a plastic bag which contained a white coat, catering gloves, a syringe, and a blonde wig.

(exhales) So, whoever was in the kitchen was in disguise?

Mm.

TANIKA: Which also means Terrence Clarkson's description of him just went out the window.

It could have been anyone behind the glass.

BRENDAN: Exactly.

(exhales) (piano playing in background) Thank you.

Just here, there you are.

(chuckling) There you go.

And the other one.

Thank you.

(piano continues, people talking in background) (people talking in background, piano silent) (phone vibrating) (button clicks, vibration stops) JUDITH (on phone): Tanika.

Jason and Brendan found a wig and a syringe hidden at the council building.

Forensics say they found traces of aconite in the syringe.

Is that how the poison got into the coffee?

TANIKA: It's how it's looking.

But they also found two strands of human hair inside the wig.

Both auburn-colored, both a perfect match for Sophia Hollingbry.

JUDITH: No.

So, Sophia was in the kitchen?

TANIKA: Disguised in a blonde wig so no one would recognize her.

Thank you.

SUZIE: Alec Miller-- are you saying you didn't ring him?

That's exactly what I'm saying.

SOPHIA (on recording): And now on to a topic... (knock at door) (rewinding) And now on to a topic... (rewinding) Do you mind if we put some software on your phone, in case he calls again?

I was the last to arrive at that meeting.

I never went anywhere near him... (people talking in background) Excuse me.

May I have my bill, please?

You haven't started.

Just the opposite.

I've reached the end.

(rock music playing) (phone vibrating and ringing) (button clicks, vibration and ringing stop) Judith.

(music continues) How was your afternoon tea?

Darius was a no-show.

BECKS: What?!

He stood you up?

It doesn't matter, not now-- do you own a wheelbarrow?

I'm sorry?

Do you own a wheelbarrow?

It's a simple question.

Yes-- why?

I need you to bring it to my house.

What's going on?

And bring Suzie, too-- we need her, as well.

But don't come for an hour.

I need to make a couple of calls.

(call ends) He loved this spot.

It's perfect.

Now all we need is the dedication.

"A great friend to all"?

(car approaching) (siren chirps) (engine stops) (police radio running) (car doors closing) What are you doing here?

JUDITH: I'm here to tell you who killed Geoffrey Truman.

Who was it?

SUZIE: Could be you, Terrence, seeing as Geoffrey found out it was you who's been blackmailing Marcus.

That was you?

DEBBIE: What are you talking about?

But then you only sent the letter because Marcus is the person behind online account Marlow1628.

No!

Tell me that's not true.

That's not true.

BECKS: It is.

How could you do that?

Because you can't speak your mind anymore, can you?

You say the wrong thing, you get shut down.

You're right, so shut up.

You see?

Canceled!

What about Debbie?

There seems to be a theme here.

How did she cross Geoffrey?

We don't need to go into that.

I did wrong, you're right.

I've been stealing from the council's petty cash account.

BECKS: To pay for medical bills.

You're a thief.

Wait, hang on.

Aren't you covered by work?

Paul doesn't offer private healthcare.

Well, he should.

I'll speak to him, we can sort this out.

Theft is theft.

What I did was wrong.

Well, a full confession and repaying the money can help.

Whatever comes, I'll take it.

Geoffrey really was honorable, kind, and, above all, moral.

But if he found out about any of your secrets, each and every one of you would have a motive to silence him.

Not all of us.

Sophia's in the clear.

That's where you're wrong.

I... I embarrassed myself with Geoffrey.

Romantically.

SUZIE: Let's be honest.

It's always looked like Sophia was the killer.

I mean, it was her that grew the aconite.

BECKS: And who phoned Alec that day to tell him not to come to the meeting.

TANIKA: Also, Sophia, we recovered a blonde wig from the council building, along with a syringe that contained aconite.

A few of your hairs were caught in the wig.

JUDITH: This is what happened.

You started in the kitchen, wearing a wig and a white coat, making sure to stay behind the thick glass.

Then, using a syringe, you injected aconite into the decaffeinated coffee pod you knew only Geoffrey would use.

Then you left, whipping off your disguise and hiding it, and then, like a waiter going out through one door and in through another, you reentered the council chamber through the other door.

The last to arrive, and a bit late, but who was checking?

(match strikes) (gasoline ignites) (fire crackling) Sophia, is this true?

(Sophia scoffs) I could never harm him-- you know that.

It was Geoffrey who helped me when I had all... (on speaker): ...that trouble with the graves.

In fact, he and I had been working on correcting my mistake.

We had even managed to locate the one body that had never been found.

All the paperwork is in my podcast studio.

Go and read it-- I can prove it, we were working together.

I did not kill Geoffrey.

(police radio running, siren wailing in distance) TANIKA: Judith, a fire's been reported at your house.

Emergency services are on their way.

(sirens blaring in distance) JUDITH (on speaker): I have to go home-- now.

(siren blaring) (glass shatters) Let's double it up!

Get the swing hose.

(continuing orders) JUDITH (on speaker): If one bit of it goes up, the rest will go up.

Please, hurry.

SOPHIA: We'll get there, don't worry.

Look, there's a fire engine up ahead!

JUDITH: Looking for something, Dave?

JUDITH (on speaker): I can see the flames.

The whole house is on fire, it's all on fire!

What's happening?

SOPHIA: Where can I park?

You're supposed to be at your house.

(audio continues on speaker) And miss this?

JUDITH (on recording): We can't get any closer.

I'm not letting it go up in flames.

SOPHIA: Judith!

Come back!

(phone vibrating) Have we got him?

We've got him.

(stammers) I don't understand.

You killed Geoffrey Truman.

How can you say that?

I told you, he was trying to help me!

He's a good man.

And there it is-- why he had to die.

You killed him precisely because he was such a good man.

He helped Sophia all those years ago.

When she messed up running the graveyards.

But then my mum died, and I moved to the States to live with my aunt.

Sophia mixed up where people were buried.

It was pretty bad.

The location of one body was never found.

It was your mother's grave that was never found.

How that must have eaten away at you, not having a grave to visit.

You tried starting a new life in the States, but you couldn't let it go.

So, you came back to Marlow.

You needed to find your mother.

We're right, aren't we?

Go on.

But you couldn't find her, and you needed someone to blame.

SUZIE: And that's how you found out about all of that missing money at the council.

You were all over them, like a rash, trying to find out what happened to your mother.

But you kept hitting a brick wall, and you started to wonder if there'd been a cover-up.

BECKS: But you did discover that Sophia was in charge at the time.

And now she was on the town council.

How could that be?

You needed to get closer to her.

BECKS: Which is when you had a stroke of good fortune.

You bumped into Geoffrey, and when you learnt that he was now mayor, you realized this was your chance to get to Sophia.

You started working with him on your novel, and when Sophia needed a podcast studio installed, Geoffrey knew of your skills, and he put you forward for the job.

So I tend to use the same password for, well, pretty much everything, so that should make your job easier.

SUZIE: Finally, you could get to the bottom of it.

You had access to all her emails and files from back then, but you still couldn't work out where your mum was buried.

BECKS: And while you guessed there might have been a cover-up, you never thought Geoffrey could have been part of it.

But here was the proof.

He was the person who'd helped Sophia get away with her mistake.

SUZIE: So, you decided to punish them both.

Geoffrey had to be killed for protecting Sophia.

And Sophia you'd frame for the murder, so that she would suffer every single day for what she'd done.

Just like you suffer.

I do.

I think about it every day.

JUDITH: You needed justice, so you constructed a plan.

You took some aconite from Sophia's garden.

SUZIE: And some of her hair that she uses to repel the slugs.

BECKS: You then had to make sure Alec wouldn't attend the council meeting that day.

SUZIE: Easy for someone with your I.T.

skills.

BECKS: You constructed a fake message.

SOPHIA (stilted, on recording): ...at the council meeting tomorrow.

SUZIE: You tricked Alec into staying away from the meeting.

SOPHIA (on recording): It's Sophia Hollingbury.

SUZIE: You then went to the council building, put on a disguise, and injected the aconite into the decaf coffee pod you knew only Geoffrey would use.

(cups rattling) You made sure you were seen and then slipped away... ...making sure to hide the disguise and the syringe where the police would later find it.

The fiction was complete.

When the police found Sophia's hair in the wig, you knew they'd figure it was her that Terrence saw before the meeting.

I was so careful.

JUDITH: But you made a mistake.

When I returned your manuscript to you, you glanced down at the bench as you said... He really was a great friend to all.

JUDITH: Which I thought rather odd at the time.

I knew the town council were organizing a memorial bench for Geoffrey, and one option for the plaque was, "A great friend to all."

But how did you know?

And then I remembered, the police had put an app on my phone.

Do you mind if we put some software on your phone, in case he calls again?

JUDITH: And here you were, the person who'd installed Sophia's I.T.

It would be a simple matter for you to bug her phone, installing spyware to listen, even when it's switched off.

BECKS: But that cuts both ways.

Judith asked Sophia to lie.

Say that she and Geoffrey found the location of the missing body.

SOPHIA (on speaker): He and I were working on correcting my mistake.

We had even managed to locate the one body that had never been found.

That was the bait-- next, she had to set the trap.

BECKS: Judith met up with Sophia this afternoon, and together, they recorded a little play.

JUDITH: Thank you so much for giving me a lift.

SOPHIA: Oh, don't be stupid-- my car was right there.

But what do you think's happened?

I've no idea.

Can't you go any faster?

BECKS: She got Alec to start a fire at her house, knowing that the smoke would be seen from Marlow.

SUZIE: Including from your house.

SOPHIA (on recording): Oh, don't be stupid-- my car was right there.

(siren blaring in distance) But what do you think's happened?

You'd think they were rushing to the fire.

So the coast would be clear.

You had to come here.

This was where you'd find the paperwork that would tell you, finally, where your mum was buried.

Or so you thought.

You lied to me?

Sophia doesn't know?

We can look into it, start an inquiry, but currently, no.

You're just as bad as him!

He was the worst!

Don't believe anyone who says how great he was.

He was a bad man-- covering up crimes is evil.

Look, he was trying to help.

Where's my mum?

Where is she?

Answer me that.

She's lost in the dirt somewhere, alone!

Mr.

Butler, you're coming with us.

At least you had to burn down your house to catch me!

What makes you think I burned down my house?

(car approaching) (engine stops, car doors open and close) JUDITH: Alec!

Ooh!

Thank you so much for your help.

Oh, what are you talking about?

It was an honor to assist the crime-solving trio of Marlow.

And who doesn't love a good bonfire?

Ah, quite.

It's Emperor Nero again, idn't it?

Although the three of you did more than just fiddle while I made Rome burn.

(all chuckling) Thank you.

Judith, you said Darius didn't turn up for your tea.

Oh, it's nothing.

It's not nothing-- a no-show is a no-show.

I was just looking forward to a nice cup of tea and a chat about the Standing Stones of Avebury.

I've spoken to the chief fire officer.

Apparently, they're called out to paper fires all the time.

CHIEF FIRE OFFICER: D.I.

Malik, if I could have a word, please.

Sorry, I'm needed, but great work.

Thank you, all three of you.

BECKS: You really don't mind losing your great-aunt's archive like this?

She'd be thrilled to know we used it to catch a killer.

(both laugh) I love it!

(television playing, door opens) SAM: They're your bags!

COLIN: Yeah, absolutely.

SAM: I didn't even want to go.

That's not fair.

COLIN: Okay, great, thank you.

CHLOE: I'm getting in the shower first.

(footsteps sloshing) I woke up in the middle of the night, and I was dead from the cold-- literally dead.

Hi.

Remember, what's the camping mantra?

BOTH: We don't do these things for fun.

(doorbell rings) Oh.

Judith, I am so sorry about this afternoon.

There was a, a medical emergency at work, and I, I had to go to hospital with one of my staff.

Oh, that's terrible.

Not that that excuses anything.

Look, I stood you up, and that's unacceptable.

Please accept my sincerest and my deepest apologies.

As it happens, your absence allowed me to solve a murder.

You did?

You did?

(chuckling) Look, Judith, let me be honest with you.

I am very much taken with you, and I hate the idea that I messed up.

Well, how about we reschedule?

Well, I would love that, but it would have to be in the next few days.

My colleague's illness means that I've been asked to head up a dig in Wales.

They've found some new standing stones in the Preseli Hills.

Well, they, I say "new," they... They're at least 5,000 years old.

How fascinating!

But anyway, I, I just wanted to apologize in person and assure you that it will never happen again.

How about now?

Would you like to come in for a drink?

There's a book I've been wanting to show you.

I would like that very much.

Please.

Hello, sir, could I ask you to... Thank you.

BECKS: Shanti.

TANIKA: Hello.

Hi, Shanti.

Hello, Suzie.

I wanted to help.

Oh!

I've shared the leaflet with my friends.

No!

And Riko's mum made forms, and I've collected 817 signatures.

Whoa!

When you see something that's not right, you've got to stand up.

Preach.

Will it make a difference?

Mm-hmm.

Doing the right thing always makes a difference.

JUDITH: Come on.

Let's do this together.

BECKS: So good!

Hi, would you like a flyer?

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Would you like a flyer?

Oh, thank you!

Thank you!

Would you like a flyer?

It's for the bridge at Temple.

(click) (woman screams) UNA: Oh, my God!

JUDITH: A house like this must be hiding a million secrets.

OSKAR: Perfect place for a murder.

Keep your distance from Becks.

At best, she's a witness.

At worst, a suspect.

BECKS (whispers): We're not alone.

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