All language subtitles for Beyond.Paradise.S04E01.1080p.bbciplayer.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.HFR.H.264-SNAKE[EZTVx.to]_Track3

JOLLY MUSIC

DUCK CLUCKS NEARBY

Morning, Selwyn.

QUACKING

There's no hot water!

OK. I'll come and take a look.

MUSIC DISTORTS AND SLOWS TO A STOP

And the carpet's all wet in here!

I think we've sprung a leak, or...

Right.

I think the most important thing...

...is to not... panic.

We need to think logically.

Does the engine work?

Engine! Brilliant!

Ohh... Ah.

Oh!

CLATTERING

Humphrey, are you all right?

I'm fine! OK...

CLANKING

Ah...

What's that?

I'm not entirely sure.

It's dripping oil.

Have we got life jackets?

Well, I didn't think
we'd need them.

You know, being parked up.

Wood!

We could make a raft.

MARTHA SCREAMS

Humphrey?!

I need two pencils and a pair
of underpants, please.

Oh!

Oh...

Morning!

Dad?

SWITCH CLICKS ON AND OFF

Dad?

Dad?!

SHE GASPS

HORN BLOWS

HORN BLOWS

CHEERING

What happened?
We were really worried.

Yes. The mooring rope snapped,

and the current dragged us
out to sea, Kelby.

Thank heavens for the RNLI.
Yes.

Oh! Anne said to phone her
the second you get back.

Er, you all right, sir?

Yes.

Oh, it's, er...
It's just a bump.

Um, I...

Only, you're needed.

Esther's gone on ahead.

Where? Kenneth Linder's house.

Oh, sir! Sir!

Oh, yes. I'm so sorry. Yes.

There we go, there we go.
I do apologise.

Yes.

Up here, sir!

HE SIGHS

Are you OK? How's Martha?

We're both fine, thank you.

Oh, Kenneth.

You know,
I only spoke to him last night.

Oh, of course.
You went to the book signing.

Yes. Here we are.

I'm still not sure
this qualifies as a date.

In my defence, I was coerced

into your Mamma Mia!
karaoke night.

Coerced?
Well, maybe not coerced,

but if those photos ever
get into the wrong hands...

Right, here we are.

So, consider this payback.

This week sees the launch

of the new Kenneth Linder novel,
The Final Breath.

Now, since he's moved
to Shipton Abbott,

we are brazenly claiming him
as one of our own.

So, as your new local councillor

and treasurer
of the Devon Literary Group,

I would like you all
to give a huge welcome

to our guest, Kenneth Linder.

His daughter Helen
found him in the bath.

The electric fan in the water
at his feet.

It looks like
he's been here all night.

Looks like the power
tripped eventually,

but not quick enough
to save him.

Well, this is something
of a conundrum.

Why? Because in his latest novel,
serial killer Jeremy Cook

is walking to the electric chair,

which is where
the last book left him,

but it turns out he bribed the guard
to short-circuit the prison power,

therefore delaying his
execution until the next day.

Hmm.

But, that night he murdered
the guard that helped him

and stole his uniform to escape.

Nice. Then...

...he found the judge
that sentenced him

and, like his nine previous
victims, killed him...

...by dropping an electrical appliance
into his bath.

Hmm.

HUMPHREY SIGHS

Thank you, Sergeant.

Hmm... Ah, yes.

We've got something outside, too.

Trampled flowerbed
by an open rear door.

We did a quick check,

and the footprints
are probably male,

judging by size and weight,

but they're not an obvious match

for any of the footwear
found in the house.

We've taken moulds, but there's
a difference in indent depth,

so we're pretty sure

whoever made them
had a distinct limp.

Limp? Yeah.

Much less weight
put on his left leg.

The main road runs across
the back of the garden,

so someone could have got over
the fence and along this path.

Cameras?
Er, nothing this side.

Doorbell camera at the front.

We've got him
being dropped off last night

by his daughter Helen,

and then her coming back
this morning.

I know you, don't I?

From the, er, book signing
last night.

You were with your father.
That's right. DI Goodman.

Er, Humphrey Goodman. Ah.

A huge fan. Ah.

This is my fian...
Um, my... my wife, Martha.

Hi. Hi.

So, Humphrey,
do you have a favourite case?

Oh, yes. The first
of the Bathtub trilogy,

Death By Design.
The bottle-top MacGuffin -

genius.

Oh! Thank you.

Wait...

...you're not
Detective Humphrey Goodman?

Yes. How'd you know that?
Well...

I'm something
of a fan of yours, too.

I read the newspaper report
about the case you solved,

the poor chap
murdered by his partner,

made to look like a car crash.

Yeah.

Brilliant! Thank you!

THEY ALL CHUCKLE

KENNETH SCRIBBLES

Well, a pleasure to meet you,
Humphrey.

And you, Martha.

Thank you.

This must be difficult for you.
Is there family we can call?

No, it's just me and Dad.

Are you up to a few questions,
Helen?

I'll try.

When was the last time
you saw your father...

...before this morning?

Last night. I dropped him home
after the book signing.

Promise me
you'll have an early night.

Oh...
A nightcap first, I think.

One. At least!

Love you.

Love you, too.

ESTHER: And how did he seem
in himself?

Quiet.

But I know he was tired.

Can I ask, was your dad
a particularly tidy man?

Tidy?

God, no!

He was bloody-minded,

intelligent, playful,

and a rather wonderful father.

But tidy? No.

There's something else
you need to know.

He was dying.

He had end-stage amyloidosis,

an abnormal build-up
of proteins.

Stops his organs working properly.

Said he refused to die until he'd
finished his damn book.

But... he'd been going
downhill pretty rapidly

these past few weeks.

We knew it wouldn't be long.

But this...

Do you think
he took his own life?

Do you?

I know he was in a lot of pain,

but he refused the palliative
care he was offered.

People are coming in.

Are you sure you're up to this, Dad?

Stop fussing.

I'm strong as an ox.

We need to take care
of your dad,

so you might be better at home.

They'll take him
to the chapel of rest,

and I promise I'll call and let
you know when he's there.

Thank you.

DOOR CLOSES

Do you think that's it?

He did this himself?

There was a towel, neatly
folded by the side of the bath.

Dressing gown and slippers ready.

So, why go to all that trouble

if you know you'll never
be getting out of the bath?

Exactly. So, it has to be an
accident.

Hmm, possibly.

Wait...

...you're thinking it's murder?

We should consider it. Why?

Because the victim
wrote murder mystery novels?

No, Sergeant,
because there are some things

that don't make sense. Such as?

Well, it's all rather neat,
don't you think?

Too neat, perhaps, for a man
not known for his tidiness.

That's it?

It was... too neat?

So what if someone
put those things in place

to make it look like an accident?

And what about the fact that he died

in exactly the way described
in his own book?

Can we really accept
that's just a coincidence?

No.

So, if we can rule out suicide,

accident and coincidence -
which we can,

because there's no such thing -

then what happened to Kenneth
Linder must be by design.

Let's confirm cause of death.

Let Forensics finish up.

And I want an electrical report.

Why didn't the power trip out
immediately?

Oh, and have his clothes
checked, too.

See if this belongs
to any of them, please?

OK. Thank you.

And we should talk to his agent.
Yes.

DOOR CLOSES

Ha...

"PM."

Pothole Pete was on the RNLI boat.

He said, if they overslept,

they could have ended up
in Guernsey.

"Pothole Pete"?

Oh, they call him that because
people try to avoid him.

He goes on a bit!

PHONE RINGS
Oh!

Shipton Abbott.

No, that's not here.

The press office is at the hub, darling.

Do you need the number?

No problem.

Bye!

OK. I've got a criminal damage,

and also an assault
on a shopkeeper in town.

I'll be a couple of hours.

OK.

PHONE RINGS

Shipton Abbott.

As his agent, you knew he was ill.

Of course.

But it wasn't public knowledge?

It's the way Kenny wanted it.
He's a very...

He was a very proud man.

He didn't want people
fawning over him.

I, um... I saw you
at the book signing last night.

How did he seem to you?

Oh, sweetheart!

You were wonderful.

Calm...

...considering this was
his last roll of the dice.

Why do you say that?

His last book
was a decade ago, and...

...that did appallingly.

Obviously, he couldn't get
a publishing deal,

so started borrowing
against the house

so that he could write this one.

He was in financial difficulty?

This book was his last chance
of avoiding bankruptcy.

He kept his money problems
from Helen, of course.

He didn't want her to worry
about that

on top of everything else.

They seem very close.

They lost Helen's mum
when she was seven,

so it's only ever really been
the two of them.

Everything Kenny ever did,
he did for her.

But Mr Linder confided in you
about his financial difficulty.

I'm his agent.
Goes with the territory.

Oh, can I ask...

Er...

Um, do the initials "PM"
mean anything to you?

No. Should they?

No.

There was another man
at the book signing last night.

He didn't look like a fan,
but I saw you speaking to him.

That would be Ken's publisher,
Anthony Westley.

Nice to see you
pushed the boat out, Anthony.

I think your client's
Oxford Street soirees

were over a long time ago.

Don't you?
He's made you a lot of money.

He's made us all
a lot of money, dear heart,

but I'm slightly surprised
that, as a literary agent,

you don't understand
the use of the past tense.

Your loyalty is staggering.

Jump off your high horse,
will you?

He's washed up.

We're both just hovering,
waiting for him to die,

so we can revive his back catalogue.

Not the nicest man.

No, his time was over,

metaphorically speaking.

People are just not
buying his books any more.

And yet, you still published
this latest novel?

True, but on
very, very different terms.

No advance.
And on the condition

that he brought back
the Bathtub Murders trilogy.

They were his most successful
books, so I thought

they will guarantee
our best chance of a return.

But with no advance,
would that mean

that he was writing for free, essentially?

Yes, but he would get
the lion's share

if the book sold well.

But you don't expect it to.

No.

So, a much better deal
for you than him, then?

What can I say?

Business is business.

Plus, I tend to come out in a rash
when I lose money.

Do you know how Mr Linder died?

He was electrocuted...

...in his bath.

Oh. Exactly the same way

as the first murder
in his new book.

To be honest, I haven't read it,

but it does sound a tad ironic.

You haven't read a book
you've just published?

I have... people.

Do the initials "PM"
mean anything to you?

No, I don't...

No, I don't think they do.

If it is murder,
can we make him a suspect, please?

I'm not sure that's quite
how it works, Sergeant.

Hmm, pity.

This PM thing,

could it be something else
rather than initials?

Such as? I don't know.

Afternoon? No.

PM only really works
as a suffix, doesn't it?

Hmm. And why have it in your hand

unless you're trying
to tell us something?

The name of his killer?

Why not?

We don't believe it was an accident.
Agreed.

And why take your own life
if you're dying?

Life insurance!

His daughter would benefit.

But she'd get that
when he died anyway.

If the prognosis was right,

he may have only had
weeks left. Days, perhaps.

Which brings us right back
to the question,

who could possibly benefit
from the death of a dying man

on the verge of bankruptcy?

They threw this.

But you didn't see anyone?
Nothing.

Just a bang, and the whole
window caved in.

Lucky no-one was hurt.

And this was what time?
Er, nine.

Yeah, just after we opened.

Financials are on your desk.

Makes for pretty grim reading.

Ah. And he had no life insurance.

Cancelled his policy
two years ago and never renewed.

And the phone's been
ringing off the hook.

Journalists all wanting to know
how Kenneth Linder died

and if it's true
he was in the bath.

I didn't think we'd released
anything yet.

No, we haven't.

Well, I passed 'em all on
to the hub's press office.

Well done, Margo.

Was there anything on
Kenneth Linder's social media?

That was easy.

He's on my Facebook friends.

You knew him? What?!

Well, back in the day, when he
was an angry young writer,

and I was a Redcoat
at Pirton Sands.

What?! Wait!

You were a Redcoat?

Only for eight months.

I got sacked. Why?

They said I rigged the over-70s
fancy-dress competition,

just because Grandad won.

And Kenneth Linder?

Oh, we met at a Mary Hopkin concert.

Turned into a weekend
of debauchery in Norwich.

We mostly lost touch after that,

although people do say he based
one of his characters on me.

Which one?

Er, Melody Allcock.

LAUGHS

She was the waitress
in the first Bathtub Murders.

Yes, she was! Yes!

I mean, she was
the killer's ex-girlfriend.

She was the one who helped
unlock the whole case.

She was the one who eventually
led Horrace Bishop

to Jeremy Cook in the third book.

Yeah! And that was you?

Supposedly.

But I never saw it myself.

She was a bit...

...strange.

Can you give me a description of
the man who hit you, Mr Bevan?

He was a lot taller than me,
like. He had on a tracksuit.

One of them with a hood.

Did you see his face? No.

He had a scarf over his face.

I came out, on my way to the bank.

I only took three steps.

He stood right in front of me,
just like you are now,

and he hit me
with a rolled-up newspaper!

So, he just came up to you
and hit you on the head

with a rolled-up newspaper.

I'm telling you, Kelly,
this area's gone to the dogs.

Oh, it's, um... Yesterday,
a similar thing happened.

Man came up to me,

tried to punch me in the face.

A different man? Yeah.

Dressed the same, like.

He was taller than me, too.

And he tried to punch you?
Yeah.

But he missed.

Then he started crying
and ran off!

Crying?
It's these kids, Kelly.

Kelby. They're all sniffing glue
and smoking something.

Day before,

one of them stole my dog poo.

Dog poo?

Honey Badger,
my dog, got into the shop

from upstairs,
left a little present, see?

So, I bagged it up,
went outside to the bin,

and this lunatic ran up,

snatched it and ran off!

Er... Can you describe him?

He's a Border terrier...

No, the man who stole your poo.

Oh, er, dressed the same, like.

Um, a tracksuit and face covered.

Um, was he taller than you?

What do you mean?

You said the others were...

I'm just trying
to get a description. Oh.

Well, yeah,
now you mention it, Kelly.

Kelby. And he was wearing
a tracksuit?

With his backside hanging out!

But that's kids for you
these days, though, innit?

I know you've got all these
face-recognition cameras these days.

You'd be better off
with arse recognition.

OK. Um, well, I'll...

Leave it with me, Mr Bevan.

I'll talk to the other
shopkeepers,

see if anyone's seen anything.

But I'll be in touch.

Righto, Kelly.

Eh, Kelly!

Bloody good hiding!

That's what they need!

MUMBLES
Stop calling me Kelly.

Hello, Mike. All right?

Seen anything happen
down there at the barber's?

No, nothing. Nothing?

See anything?

Thank you. No problem.

Hello.

That was the boat yard.

The Lily Bond might be
out of the water for months.

It needs a... complete overhaul.

I can't say I'm surprised.

It had bits falling off
when I was staying on it.

Well, you know you're always
welcome at mine.

Humphrey will be mortified.
Thanks very much.

No, not about us staying
with you - about the boat.

Really loves that boat, doesn't he?

Yeah, but it was only ever
supposed to be a stopgap

until we found somewhere
more permanent. So...

...maybe it's time we did just that.

Find a house.

Good for you, Motty.

Won't be easy.

Hmm. There's always loads
of places up for sale.

No, I don't mean finding a house.

I mean telling Humphrey.

SHE CHUCKLES

So, you've heard, then?

Heard what?

About Archie.

What about him?

I heard he was dating.

Good for him.

Don't you want to know who with?

No.

Who?

No idea.

But very pretty, by all accounts.

They were seen coming out
of Kitty Jay's arm in arm.

PHONE RINGS

Hi, Nick. OK.

Thank you.

The button doesn't match any of the
clothes found in the wardrobe.

Right.

And the RCD switch was disabled,

which meant the power
didn't cut off instantly.

So, if it was murder,

then it was premeditated.

What were those initials you found?

PM. Why?

I might have something...

...on Kenneth Linder's page.

Someone's posted a death threat,

saying he's a fraud, that he sold
out doing a new book,

that he's ruined the trilogy
by adding a fourth book.

Some of the messages
are pretty vile.

But the last one - look.

"Be careful you don't end up
like one of your own victims."

That fits, doesn't it?
A deranged fan.

Who better to copy
a murder from the book?

Paul Meca. M-E-C-A.
Paul Meca.

What do we know about him?

Nothing. Just the name.
Not much history.

Looks like the account's
only been open a few weeks.

I can put in a request
for some more information,

but you know what these social
media companies are like.

I wouldn't hold your breath.
OK. If he's a fan,

then maybe he was at
the book signing last night.

And if he's not local, then he must
have stayed somewhere.

So, let's check local hotels,
guest houses, all of that.

Right.

PHONE RINGS

Shipton Abbott.

Psst!

You're wanted!

What?

At the hub!

They'll...
They'll just have to wait, OK?

I need to speak
to Helen Linder first.

Sergeant!

I can't ever remember
Dad mentioning a Paul Meca.

It seems he disapproved
of the new book,

accusing your dad of selling out.

Oh. We had lots of that.

The thing is, Dad didn't necessarily
disagree with them either.

But going back to the
Bathtub Murders

was the only way
he could get published.

I think he needed the money.

Oh, he never said anything,

but he hated Anthony Westley.

I know he'd never have
gone back there unless he had to.

PHONE RINGS

Sorry, excuse me.

Hello?

DI...Goodman, I presume?

James Smith. Please.

CLEARS HIS THROAT

Sorry...

I was expecting
Chief Superintendent Woods.

No longer with us, I'm afraid.

Oh...

Oh, not deceased.

In Dartmouth.

Though some might argue
they're much the same thing!

Yeah, but I digress.

Look, there's been
a small... restructure.

Yeah, we're not trying
to boil the ocean, just a...

...realignment.

Bringing all the remaining
sub-stations under our control.

"Our"?
Administrative planning.

Which, in turn, reports to the
local Police and Crime Panel.

In your case, that would be
Shipton Abbott, of course.

Non-invasive.

Just building a loop. Hmm?

Everyone's in it
and we all... open our kimono.

Kimono?

Show what we have.

Get all our ducks in a row.

That's how we move the needle.

You follow?

Yes... Er, no.

Not really.

Now, the first carriage on the train

to Efficiency Harbour...
HE SIGHS

...is streamlining.

Trimming the fat.

Cutbacks.

Well... unclogging the pipes.

There's only four of us.

Which is rather the point!

In what way?

There should only be three.

Your staff-to-square-footage
ratio is...

...off message.

Oh, but it's not all bad news.

No. The decision about
who to lose...

...all yours.

LINE RINGS

Hey, Sam. It's Martha Goodman.

There's, um, one of your
properties I'd like to see

if it's still available.

On Polkirt Hill?

Cheer up!
It might never happen.

That's the point.

What?

Everyone seems to have things
going on.

Martha's looking to buy a new house.

Anne's just been made
a new councillor,

going off on fancy lunches
all the time.

Archie's dating again.
And here's me.

Exactly the same
as I was... last week,

last month, pretty much
the whole of last year.

Literally nothing is happening
in my life right now.

One morning,
I'm just going to wake up

and find out I'm old,

still on my own

and still living
in Shipton Abbott.

I can't think of anything worse.

I know, right?

So, who's Archie dating, then?

Not that I'm bothered.
Just interested.

No idea.

Supposed to be really pretty, though.

RADIO: Tributes are pouring in
following the death

of renowned author Kenneth Linder,

who was found dead in his home
at Shipton Abbott this morning.

It comes in the week he launched
his latest novel, The Final Breath.

No-one seems to have
seen anything.

If it's the town centre, the CCTV
should have picked them up.

Hi, sir!

So, the name Meca -

I ran a quick trace.

We have 34 families
with that last name

in Devon and Cornwall,

but with nothing
to cross-check it with,

it's tough to narrow down.
Right.

So, what do we know about him?

Er, he's a Kenneth Linder fan,

he's got a limp, and...

...he's got a button missing.

Not much. All right! Er...

See if there's
a Kenneth Linder fan club

or a book-reading group.
They'll have a list of members.

Why didn't I think of that?
Yes. And, er,

maybe we could take a punt
on the limp, too?

Check for local hospital admissions

in the last six months.
Injuries to his left...

Left leg. I'm on it.

Yes.

So, the hub.

Anything to report?

Er, yes.

Yes, seems we're
under new management, everyone.

The Chief Super's moved on
and we are now being overseen

by the planning team and the local
Police and Crime Panel.

So, where's Charlie Woods gone?

Dartmouth, I think he said.
Oh, no.

She was lovely. I really liked her.

Yeah, she was definitely
one of the better ones.

Is that it, though,
now Charlie's gone?

No new directives or anything?

Er... Er, no.

Mmm.

STRAW SCRAPES

Lab have confirmed Kenneth Linder

as death by electrocution,

although they have listed
his amyloidosis

as a secondary cause.

His body was so weak,
he was unlikely

to survive the initial shock.
Mm-hm.

This is madness!

What's that, Kelby?

The local bookmaker Dafydd Bevan,

assaulted three times in three days.

Got the town centre CCTV footage,

but not one of them makes any sense.

Look, here.

This is the first one.

His dog makes a mess in his shop.

He bagged it up and was taking it
to an outside bin.

Then someone snatches it off him.

That's weird.
HUMPHREY CHUCKLES

Then the next one.

Same time next day, near enough,

a different bloke runs up

and tries to punch him, misses,

and then Mr Bevan said that he
started crying, and then ran off.

And then, this morning,

a third bloke came out of nowhere,

whacks him on the head
with a rolled-up newspaper -

for no reason - and then
just runs off as well!

That is all very odd.
We'll send someone over now.

Just kids messing about.

I think I've found your Paul Meca.

Yeah, he arrived two nights ago.

Said he was here on business.

Kept himself to himself.

Thank you.

Would you know him
if you saw him again?

Oh, doubt it.

Don't pay much attention
to overnighters.

Can I ask how he paid?

Er, cash. Cash.

Has anyone else stayed in this room?

No.

The cleaner's supposed to check
for things like this.

Did he give any personal
details when he checked in?

Address, phone number?

He filled a registration card out.

Can we see it? It's downstairs,
in the office. Esther...

Do you have any security cameras?

We have a doorbell camera.

Excellent.

Hmm, can't see him arriving.

Oh, but he might have come in
through the side door.

Let's look at when he left.

OK. Thanks, Margo.

Address and phone number are false.

There he is.

He's got a limp.

That's him.

Come on! You should have
gone an hour ago!

Nearly done.

Boy your age should be rushing home,
getting ready to go out!

Haven't you got a date or anything?

Nah, I've given up
on all them dating apps.

Oh. Last one I met up with

must have used a photo
that was older than me.

Oh.

She keeps sending me
photos of her...

...lasagne.

Well... don't be long.

I won't.
Hm.

KELBY SIGHS

Hi.

Hi.

HUMPHREY SIGHS

Bad day?
CHUCKLES

Not as bad as Selwyn.

Look, he's homeless.
QUACKING

Oh, your author's been
all over the news.

They're saying it was murder.
I think so, yeah.

Any idea who it was?

Well, we've got a good suspect -

a disgruntled fan who was
sending threatening messages,

and we can place him
at the scene, so...

I'm sorry.

I know you liked him.

I did, yeah.

But it's not that.

I got called in to the hub.

Oh.

You've been told off again?
Not this time.

SIGHS

They're saying I've got to lose
someone at the station.

What? Yeah.

Apparently, there should only
be three of us at the station,

so I need to lose one of either
Esther, Kelby...

...or Margo.

That's awful! Yeah.

What will you do?
I have no idea.

So, I've got something
that might cheer you up,

or... make you feel ten times worse.

Right.

If it's bad timing and you
don't want to talk about it,

then just say so.
It's bad timing.

But the Lily Bond will be
out of the water for weeks...

HE SIGHS

...maybe months.

And, although we can stay
at Mum's again...

...I was thinking that maybe

it was time to move on

and went back to our original plan

when we first moved down, and...

...bought a house!

Are you serious?

Look.

Hello, Pete!
Where have you been?

Out and about! Oh, Arthur,
still not better, that leg?

No. Oh.

Hello, lovey! See you Friday!

Oh, yeah! Ha!

MARGO GASPS

You're in early.

What's up with you? Wet your bed?

No!

So, I had a brainwave.

Ohhh...

I was sitting in the bath,

listening to Billie Eilish,
when I realised

that all those things
that happened to Mr Bevan,

outside the bookmaker's,

all happened at the same time,

between five to nine
and ten past nine,

three days in a row.

So, what if they're
there again today?

I can get there first
and wait for them to show up.

So...

...what's Billie Eilish
got to do with it?

Oh, nothing. I just like her.

The fan club
hasn't got a Paul Meca listed.

I'm still waiting on
hospital reports.

OK.

That's sad. What is?

It's an interview
with Kenneth Linder.

They asked him where the title
of his book came from.

When his wife was dying,
she made him promise

to look after their daughter Helen.

He said to her that he would,
to his final breath.

I think he kept his promise.
They were very close.

Yes. I only wish we had
more answers for her.

Right!

Let's run through
what we've got again.

Oi!

Stop!

Oi! Stop!

MUSIC: I Fought The Law
by The Clash

Go get him, Kelly!

♪ Breakin' rocks in the hot sun

♪ I fought the law and the law won

♪ I fought the law
and the law won

♪ I needed money
cos I had none... ♪

Oi! Stop!

♪ I fought the law and the law won

♪ I left my baby and it feels so bad

♪ Guess my race is run

♪ She's the best girl
that I ever had

♪ I fought the law and the law won

♪ I fought the law and the... ♪

In pursuit, Coopers Passage!

OK! There's nowhere to go!

I said come here!

BOTH GRUNT

I've got you now!

SIRENS APPROACH

You lived here as a teenager,
didn't you? Yes, I did.

Didn't you find it weird, seeing
the same people every day

and them always looking the same?

Kelby?!

Mm...

Hello!

Um, can I use your bathroom, please?

MUD SPLATTERS
Oh!

No, neither can we rule out a...

Kelby.

Kelby?!

Mum's washing my uniform.

I was chasing one of the kids
that assaulted Mr Bevan.

Caught one of them,
and he dobbed the other two in.

They're in the hub at the
moment, being questioned.

Well done, Kelby.

Yes, indeed. Well done. Kelby.

So, what was it all about?

OK, so, Mr Bevan keeps the cash from
the tills and the slot machines

in a safe overnight,

then banks it the same time
every morning.

They obviously found out about it...

...and decided to rob him.

But they weren't very bright.

The first one thought
Mr Bevan was on his way

to bank his takings, but he wasn't.

He was disposing a bag of dog poo.

The next day,
they had a different plan.

The second one
was going to throw pepper

into Mr Bevan's face
and steal the bag of money,

but he didn't account
for the wind direction.

SOBBING

The third one had another plan.

He had put a big chisel in a
rolled-up newspaper to cosh him,

but he hadn't wrapped it
tightly enough,

so when he pulled his arm back...

LIGHT THUD

GLASS SMASHES NEARBY

So... that's what happened
to the barber's window.

And lucky it did, cos it could
have killed someone.

Oh, what have you done?

I turned my ankle when I was
getting pulled out the mud.

HE WINCES

Esther, have we got the doorbell
footage of Paul Meca?

Er, yes. Hang on.

Oh! They're talking about us!

RADIO: Shipton Abbott police have
no comment on the theories

that the author was murdered
in the same way as the victims

in his latest thriller.

The new book is flying
off the shelves,

with fans saying
his death is something

he could have written himself.

Yes, it could!

Oh, that's exactly what it is.

The Final Breath.

Yeah.

But why Paul Meca?

Who is he?

An accomplice, perhaps?

Er...

Oh, that's very clever.

Do you know what happened?

HE LAUGHS

I think I do.

So, was it murder?

Not exactly.

He took his own life?
Strictly speaking...

...both.
SHE GASPS

The button, the memo pad,

the footprints in the garden,
the mysterious Paul Meca,

the jacket he just happened
to leave behind -

all very convenient
and easy to find.

All ultimately leading nowhere.

Why?

Because they weren't clues at all.

They were simply
the... the pen strokes

of a master storyteller.

Kenneth Linder's books were no longer

attracting the following
they once did, and...

...facing financial ruin...

he was then, very literally,

dealt a killer blow.

He was dying, but his thoughts
were not for himself,

they were for his daughter, Helen.

Having kept his financial woes
from her,

he knew that when he was gone,

she'd be left with nothing.

So, I think,
when he was told he was dying,

he concocted a plan.

First, he had
to get a publishing deal.

He did so by agreeing to return
to his most successful trilogy,

the Bathtub Murders.

But, more importantly,

I think he's the one
who suggested he write it

without an advance,

instead taking the lion's share
of profits from book sales.

But why would he do that
if he was broke?

Because he intended
to make sure the book

was a runaway success.

And I think he did so
by murdering himself.

Knowing he only had weeks,
perhaps days, left to live,

Kenneth Linder said goodbye
to his daughter,

but as he wasn't insured,

he knew he had to find
a way to secure her future...

Promise you'll have an early night.

Oh... A nightcap first,
though, I think.

One. At least!

I love you.

Love you, too.

...to fulfil the promise
he made to her mother...

...all those years ago.

I doubt that
any right-minded person

would consider such a thing,

but once he'd made his plan,
his course was set.

The first thing
he did was plant his clues.

First, the footprint,

adding a limp for dramatic effect.

Then the mysterious note.
SCRIBBLES

PAPER RUSTLES

And the button.

And then,
with everything in place...

...he carried out his plan.

ELECTRICITY CRACKLES

A few days before,
he booked into Sandals guest house

in the name
of the character he created,

making sure
that he left the jacket

with the missing button behind,

and to get caught on the
doorbell camera,

allowing us to see the supposed limp

he'd orchestrated in the flowerbed

to confirm his identity.

I also think he sent himself
the death threats.

The account used by Paul Meca

had only been operating
a few weeks.

So, he did it all himself?

Yes, Kelby.

I think he did.

As news spread

of the fictional murder
that became real life,

he ensured that his new book
became a bestseller.

Remember the words that he spoke
to his dying wife

all those years ago,
when she begged him

to look after their daughter?

That he'd look after her
until his...

...final breath?

And that's exactly what he did.

So, what gave him away?

Who's Paul Meca?

Right, OK. Two things...

...were his undoing.

Footprint casts from the garden

show that the weak leg
was on the left, yet...

KEY CLACKS

...walking away from the guest house,

the limp was clearly
on his right leg.

And the other thing?

The hubris? Yeah.

Ah...

HE CHUCKLES

It's an anagram.

Paul Meca.

Mea culpa.

Latin?

An admission of guilt,
quite literally.

"It was me who did it."

SHE GASPS

Thank you for taking the time
to stop by.

We thought you'd want to know.

Though I doubt it's much comfort.

No. None at all, to be honest.

The truth is, I'd swap every penny

of the fortune he worked
so hard to leave me for...

...one more day with him.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, lots of, you know,
like, filing and stuff...

Here we go. Don't think
I forgot anything.

Well done. There you go.

Well done, Kelby.
Want some good news?

Yes, always.

Kenneth Linder's publisher,
Anthony Westley,

just got sacked.
Why?

For signing a contract
that gives most of the money

from the book sales
to the Linder estate.

Yes, the book is bigger than ever.
It's a bestseller.

Losing all that money,

he must have a nasty rash!

ALL CHUCKLE

Well, I think we shouldn't
lose sight of the fact

that a daughter
lost her father, but, er...

...well done, everyone.

And well done, you.

To our amazing Inspector,

Martha, who saved him
from a watery grave,

our brilliant Kelby,
who cracked his own case

and waded through mud
to bring his prisoner in,

and Margo, who is
the font of all knowledge.

And Esther, the voice of reason,

and the glue that holds us
all together.

Oh, and not forgetting
our new councillor.

Oh!

ALL: Cheers!

OK. So, the pictures
I showed you are a bit old...

...and no-one's lived here
for a while.

Really? Close your eyes.

HE LAUGHS

Oh, God.
I can't see anything.

Oh! This way.

And, er, there's a step.

OK, yup.

Do we have a key?

Don't need one.
There's no front door.

Oh.

Up! Up! Up, yeah.

Whoa! I'm sorry!

Seriously...

Oh, what's that smell?

Best not ask.

All right, Martha.

OK.

Are you ready?
I'm not sure.

Open your eyes!

OK. Two questions.

One, are you sure
we're in the right house?

And, two, if we are,

what on earth possessed you?

I'm glad you asked.

Oh, oh!

Ah!

Isn't it amazing?!

Two crimes, two attempts
to undo those crimes...

I am not mad!

You think someone trashed the place,

then immediately
put everything back?

Mr Smith is still hounding me for a
decision on who I'm going to let go.

Oh, my God. There's Archie
and that woman.

Pausing fostering still feels like
the right thing to do.

Especially now we're back
living with your mum.

Remember, you are enough.

I've definitely had enough,
I know that much.

It came this morning.