Original subtitles

The killer lives among us.

He's targeting men between the ages of 16 and 30,

and he's doing so with the use of this.

Philly. Monica?

You didn't leave the Burning Light, did you? They left you.

Another? This kid managed to escape.

Tammy, you have got to stop your obsession with this.

So, Jason was taken from in here.

And a few years ago now, I found him down by the loch with...

hosepipe looped through the window, engine still running.

'The victims were forced to ingest these stones.'

Should've left you years ago. Stop it! Stop it! The pair of you.

You see this? It's a warning.

Whoever did this to Jason, he's coming back.

'Please do not let him find us.'

This man is weak.

He lures his victims into traps, and then he incapacitates them.

Above all else, he is, at his core, a coward.

Get on to that now.

Here. Female victim. Wild, wild deviation of his MO.

Monica, you know her. Who is she?

Philly Murray.

Does Philly have any next of kin? Family?

She has a daughter. No-one else.

We'll get the family liaison onto it.

It's not that simple.

Is that because she's got the same mark on her arm as you?

Her daughter's with the Burning Light, then.

So you went beyond investigating them.

You were one of them too.

I was worse. I recruited Philly.

That mark on her arm, that was me. I branded her.

Father of Philly's child - he's Lucy's, too.

If it wasn't for you saying so, I'd say this is not his work.

The gender, clothed...

Staging, yes, dramatic, but the kill, it was efficient.

He said, "This one's for you."

What do you mean? He's taunting me.

Wait, you... you spoke to him? This was a gesture.

He thinks I'm like him but could never be him.

Whatever sick connection he feels towards you, it's not on you.

He's a psychopath.

Who I provoked and is now killing people in my orbit.

So you think this one's about you, right?

This is personal.

I need to get my family safe.

I mean, will it be for long?

I mean, I need my tablets, I need my own clothes.

Mum... Is it because of what you said on television?

Have you made him angry?

Maybe. Yes.

Maybe I've set him on a path to killing everyone I know.

And... I do love you, and I want to make sure you're safe.

Monica.

You know that...

It's... OK.

We'll finish this later.

I'll just get on with Lucy's packing. Thanks.

You wanted to show me something? Highly likely I'll be stood down.

When did you gather all this?

Can I...? Yeah.

What's a "baytle"?

Er, baetyl. From classical mythology.

Stones of divine power.

I think he's creating his own myth.

Well, this is from Plotinus.

Same fella as this rabbit quote? Yeah.

"He who is awake in the intelligible world"

"sleeps in the sensible one."

Think of it as...

there are two kinds of selves within us.

Our killer has two sides.

Yes, and his true self emerges at night.

And that's how he wants to be recognised -

the myth, not the man.

He's piecing together other people's stories to tell his own.

He lacks the imagination to do it all himself.

He's clever, yes, but he's frustrated.

He thinks he should be bigger, better...

living a less mediocre existence.

So your average civil servant, then.

You might not be far wrong.

Point being, he's someone we'd walk past in the street

and not look twice at.

Might already have.

All right, Dunc?

MOUTHS Yes.

Yes. Right, I'll see you soon.

We just got a hit on CCTV.

'Burner phone untraceable.'

But... we got this.

Car reg not clear, but got him in all his glory.

Bet it won't be the last image either.

Joys of modern community - forever snooping on each other.

Removing, his time in, time out, direction of travel.

Lucy, hop into your seat for me. Clip her in, will you?

Of course.

Seatbelts keep us safe, Grandma.

We've got you secure accommodation, hundred miles out west.

We've got him on CCTV. We'll have his vehicle tracked.

This is a major lead.

I've emailed you the address. Need to make a stop first.

Mum needs her prescription and clothes.

It's the opposite direction.

Gregg can take her and then drop her off. No.

Trust me.

Yeah, all right. Dunc?

Lovely Angela needs to collect a few things, right?

Can you take her and then head to the safe house?

Yeah, I can do that.

I'll run you home. We'll catch them up.

Let me take your bag.

I'll let you ride shotgun. Thank you.

Starsky and Hutch.

Yes?

Hi. Is that Michael Bach?

Yes. 'Hi, this is Kyle Ward.'

I'm headmaster at...

'I know. I'm due to see you on Monday.'

Yeah, about that.

I am getting flooded with calls

from concerned parents and the school board

about your colleague James.

And his paperwork is a disgrace.

'I can't make head nor tail of it.'

Well, that's no surprise. 'Were you aware of James...?'

That's not what I said. Look, why are you calling?

I was hoping that you would want

to rip the plaster off as soon as possible.

'You mean discuss this now?' The sooner we're on top of it...

No, it's really... not the best time.

Er... look, Michael. Bluntly...

My daughter is distressed.

'She was close with one of the victims,

'and I suspect she's not the only pupil having sleepless nights.'

If you and I can decipher this chaos,

we might even be able to help the police.

'Put everyone's minds at ease.'

Where are you? 'About 20 minutes away.

'I was about to take Tammy out for the day,

'try to distract her a bit.

'We could stop by.' Fine.

Just be a minute, Lucy.

We're doing our best to have a media blackout.

I've got to protect the investigation, Monica.

I'm off the case. You're replacing me as SIO.

You not fighting me?

Well, my career can wait.

And...

the only reason he knew about Philly

was because I lured him to the Burning Light.

Did you know she was there? That's not the point.

It is the point.

Less than 24 hours ago, you saved her life.

I didn't catch him. And I won't now, will I?

There you go.

How long is this gonna take? Pieces of string, darling.

That could mean hours, knowing you.

Fine. Come inside too.

No greater ticking clock than an impatient daughter.

Kyle.

You must be Tammy.

You got any cat allergies?

No. Is there anywhere we could do this privately?

I've got my headphones. I know you're not a snooper.

Regardless, your peers' privacy.

This way.

Have a seat.

It's a really nice place you have here.

Quiet, out of the way. Yeah. Yeah, it's all right.

So, er... James.

Sorry, could I trouble you for a glass of water, please?

I'm just a little dry.

So much for a quick chat?

Yeah. Yeah, fine.

Here.

Ch, ch, ch, ch, ch, ch!

Fair enough.

You must travel far and wide in your role.

Yeah. Planet doesn't love my mileage.

James was a firm believer in the office.

And it shows. Chaos.

In all my years spent in education and outreach,

I've learnt the only way we truly help

is by building a personal connection.

Hold that thought.

This room is private. Sorry.

There's a cat.

Aye, but it's long gone. Tammy?

Here.

These are the dead boys, aren't they?

That's right.

What about him?

What's all this?

Dad!

Bethany! Nichol!

Michael? Who's this?

He's taken Tammy, Monica!

Kyle? 'He had a mask!'

A mask?

God, I'm dizzy.

Kyle, did you say a mask?

Can you hear me?

It's Michael Bach. It's him.

He attacked me.

Kyle, I need to call my colleagues.

Kyle, did you say you called...?

They're 20 minutes away.

Kyle?

You're breaking up.

Shit.

1,200 cash.

But... it's worth double.

If times were different, maybe.

Where we even going?

"We"?

Look, Mum... wherever you want.

It's time for you to choose.

Kennedy. 'Michael Bach.'

What? The reception's shite. 'Michael...'

You're at Michael's? Why...?

Send me a copy of that. Aye, Sir.

Tammy! Kyle?

Monica! He's taken Tammy.

She's not here. My girl, she's gone.

I tried calling her, but no reception.

Kyle, slow down. And then the line went dead.

He's cut the phone line.

Where are your colleagues? They said he'd be 20 minutes.

Then they'll be here soon. Wait, so it's just you?

OK, look at me. You've lost a lot of blood.

No, we need to find Tammy.

The more information I can obtain, the quicker we can act. OK?

We need to stop that bleeding.

Press this against it for now.

Kyle, I need you to talk me through what happened.

The last thing...

We were in the room with the photos. What photos?

You need to see it.

Tammy started to ask all these questions about the boys,

what this meant.

And then Michael just went for me, and everything went blurry.

Have you touched anything? That's my blood.

Aside from the struggle. The photos, drawers, files?

You said he had a mask?

I was on the floor,

and he took it from...

What did it look like?

Er, terrifying.

White.

I don't know. I think I passed out.

Why were you here? Here?

At Michael's house.

God.

This is my fault.

He was my new school liaison officer.

And after James, I wanted to get a grip on all the paperwork,

so I imposed ourselves upon him.

I forced Tammy to come.

Was his car here when you arrived? Green Land Rover?

I think so.

My head is spinning. I need to sit down.

Come on, Kennedy.

Who did you talk to at the station? Did you get their name?

No, just... 20 minutes, they said.

I made tea for some reason.

I thought it might calm...

I'll check the rest of the property and see if I can get a signal.

Let me help. No, no. Sit down.

You're likely concussed.

Tammy.

Will she be OK?

'It's safer to stay put for now, wait for back-up.'

Michael's someone you trusted.

My daughter's life is in peril

because you provoked him, mocked him,

claimed he was unintelligent, uneducated.

Yes, that's true.

Well, you made him adapt. Change.

That's intelligence.

Change? Yes.

No longer just young men. Women too.

Women?

The woman this morning.

So tragic.

'A young woman like that. Why did she deserve to die?'

That mask you saw, that was his true self.

Every day, he... hid behind a veneer of normality.

Monica?

He who sleeps in the intelligible world is awake in the sensible one.

Sleeps in the sensible one. Pardon?

That was a quote, I believe. A word or two out.

Cats are misunderstood.

There we are.

Apparently, they calm people.

Shit!

You OK, Monica?

Peppermint tea?

With a little twist.

How long have I got?

Three sips.

Two minutes, maybe less.

Let's find you somewhere to sit.

It's not long till my favourite part begins.

What the fuck?

Shit.

Tammy! Tammy!

There we go.

All comfy?

Why?

Why? Why? Your own daughter?

I didn't want this, Monica.

This is not the way today was supposed to go. No.

Today was about framing Michael,

planting little evidential seeds.

He's the perfect scapegoat, with his access to young men.

But then Tammy blew the whole thing apart. Clever girl.

She figured me out.

This is the kindest thing for her.

I used to fear the split within myself.

But after my wife died, I looked,

truly looked within myself.

Her death liberated me.

Doting father.

Tammy provided the perfect cover for me to indulge my true self.

How would...?

Don't worry. Much less dramatic.

More in keeping with Michael, his family history.

You three, in his car, by the loch.

Just like his dad.

Come on. Come on. Tammy, Tammy, come on.

Come on, come on. There you are. Come on.

There's a good girl, that's it. Good girl, take a breath.

There you are. Get it out of you.

That's it. That's it, that's it, it's all right.

It's all right, it's all right.

It's all right.

Not long now, Monica.

And then I'll carry you down to join the others,

and it'll all be over.

This is my favourite part.

Watching.

As the life and all its dreams, hopes...

potential fades away.

One of the tragedies of my job is seeing potential squandered.

Young men with everything ahead of them,

yet such a tragic lack of vision.

I give them a chance to do better in the next life.

I send them off with wishing stones.

Maybe that's why Philly was so unsatisfying.

She had so little left.

All quashed by you, Monica.

I did what you couldn't. I ended her life.

Michael? Michael!

You're gonna rot inside for what you did.

Get fucking off me!

You're going nowhere. Where's Kennedy?

Let go! Let him go! What?

It's not him!

It's my dad. He attacked us.

They'll write you off as a failure.

How could she have been so troubled

that she couldn't see there was a killer before her all along?

How many lives she could have s...

have saved.

Clever. You swapped the mugs.

By my count, that's three sips compared to my one.

All units, officer in distress!

You mistook my guilt for weakness.

Lucy!

There are lots of cats over here.

Yes, I think there's lots more outside. Just hold me tight.

Lucy, I love you. Mummy needs a minute.

Thank God!

Tammy and Michael are alive. Is Ward?

OK.

Are you all right, Monica?

I think she might have seen me.

What if she did? What if...?

Hey. Hey.

Hey.

Go to Lucy.

I'll deal with them.

Sorry.

It's a crime scene now.

Control, we have one deceased... Hey.

You're OK, you're OK.

It's OK.

That song...

I'll be honest, it used to drive me mad.

"Rob, that's not real music! This is real music."

And I'd bung on some Paul Weller as a counter.

I know, typical dad behaviour. I'm sorry.

But now? That song now?

It does nothing but make me smile.

We have to cherish the time we had

with the young people that were taken from us.

Because it's too easy to let grief win...

to think about what we've lost and not gained.

Because my son Rob Wright was the kindest, most beautiful soul.

And we're so lucky to have known him.

And that's what must win - the joy.

The smiles that he put on his friends' faces.

Tammy? Hey.

Hey. You're having a panic attack. You're having a panic attack.

You're OK. You're OK. Breathe, breathe.

Look at me. This will pass.

He was at our house. It was a few months ago.

Tammy, who? I thought I was dreaming.

I thought it was just part of the nightmares.

I wasn't supposed to know, I was supposed to be in bed, but...

They argued.

Dad sent him away, told me it was part of his outreach work.

Who was it? Tammy, who was in your house?

I saw his photo on Michael's wall.

Jason's brother.

Dad knew him. Something was wrong, it just felt wrong.

Nichol?

It's just you?

It is.

We were easy to find?

You didn't change your name, Nichol. I think you wanted to be found.

Is Ward really dead?

Was he kind to begin?

It wasn't kindness I was looking for.

Did he give you what you didn't have at home?

I had so much hate in me.

Barclay... pushed me out of my own family, and...

Jason was everything to him.

Ward...

he told me stories of revenge...

of stones that granted wishes.

Black stones?

I heard that, and I made that my dream.

And all I ever wanted was my mum to love me.

Then Ward...

got darker, dripping darker ideas.

The only way to hurt Barclay is to hurt Jason, and...

You were hurt, angry.

He groomed you, Nichol.

What did he ask you to do? I left phones for them.

I watched them, and I reported on them.

He killed them with my help. That is not being groomed!

Like, what the fuck am I? But you stopped.

Was it after Owen? Before Scott?

You're not a killer. No.

No, no, you don't understand. Nichol, I do.

No... Loneliness, anger,

they are gateways for the malicious to twist and exploit.

No, don't excuse my actions!

Your mother chose you.

If only she knew.

He was my brother. Yes.

My brother, and... Nichol.

You've got handcuffs, right? Yes.

Then cuff me. Put them on me. I can't whilst you're holding that.

No, p-please. Monica, please.

I can't do this any more. I can't run.

Please, just make it stop.

Thanks.

Hi.

There was a memorial for Jason and Rob.

Barclay was there.

We do shut soon. Stephen organised it.

Please don't say his name.

Nichol's in my car. Your car?

Why? I came to find him.

We... We just want a fresh start.

He asked me to put him in handcuffs. Handcuffs?

Did you?

We've kept investigating Kyle Ward's history, how he operated.

He manipulated and groomed a lot of people.

Not only those whose lives he took, those he needed in other ways.

We suspected he hadn't worked alone. We were right.

I really do need to lock up.

Nichol told me he can't live with the guilt.

He's not carrying it alone.

I chose a man who hated my son.

If I'd been...

stronger and a better mother...

Do you really believe that?

I just...

I just want to give Nichol the love he deserves.

That's what we mothers try to do.

Justice can set people free.

It's just a... a little something.

Is it a puppy? Silly Granny. Puppies bark.

Thank you, Crawford. Aw, pal.

Put it under the tree, darling.

Here, I... I didn't know you had any plans. I'll get going.

Connor, don't you fancy Winter Wonderland with us?

I can just see you on the dodgems.

Aye, he's more of a teacups kind of man.

I do love the teacups, to be fair, so...

Piggyback, Crawford?

Well, if you're offering. Would be rude to refuse.

OK, you ready? No!

What? I'm sorry?

You want ME to do all the hard work, do you?

Right, OK. He's silly, Mummy.

That's one word for him.

'Ey, another jump.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Are you all right? You watch your back.

Horsey ready, Granny ready. Are you ready, Mummy?

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