Episode 4 Hard Sun

This programme contains some violent scenes and scenes which some viewers may find disturbing.

-Ever think it might be a lie?

-In five years, this is all gone!

No-one will ever sing your favourite song again.

You can't break the vow of the confessional, can you?

I hurt someone.

That's my confession.

All right, so why this bloke? I mean, why this priest?

It can't just be random.

Can somebody help me?

You see, this killer, he's on a spree.

Unless you give us a name,

more people are going to die.

I'm sorry.

I can't help you.

Did my dad rape you?!

Yes.

We cut you a deal.

We keep your son out of prison, you bring us Charlie Hicks.

If you can find out what she's done with this file,

then she's not in your life any more.

-..some praying...

-The Hard Sun is coming,

and I am its messenger.

If he's there...

..let him stop me.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...

Get dressed.

DOOR CLOSES

News just coming in. We have several unconfirmed reports

of multiple casualties at a shrine

set up in memory of helpline volunteer Jamie Unwin. A young

woman who was brutally killed on the same spot just two days ago.

Police say they are unable at this time to confirm or deny

any link to yesterday's so-called Good Samaritan murder

on a local bus.

Police are urging members of the public to remain vigilant,

and to avoid approaching anyone claiming to need help

or anyone seemingly in distress.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel safe on our streets?

Phone in now on 08081 570 999.

Eyewitnesses didn't see much.

One of them saw a man kneel to put that head down.

She's with the sketch artist now.

That's Jason Walker, him and his news team, totally wiped out.

Nobody tried to help - too scared.

So first he brings Jamie Unwin to this spot.

We assumed he was looking for maximum visibility,

maximum shock value.

Well, he's succeeded.

But maybe he knew he'd be coming back.

-Knew he'd be back?

-Yeah.

Yeah, young woman like Jamie Unwin dies in circumstances like this,

it's a fair bet a shrine's going to spring up, bring the media with it.

I need the last footage that this took.

He took it.

What?!

These things hold standard SDXC memory cards.

The killer took them both.

Where's DCI Hicks?

He says he'll see us at Lethe Road.

We started going out when I was 14.

Everyone loved him.

I mean, he was handsome and good at sport, all that.

But he was kind, too. I couldn't believe he was my boyfriend.

Then I couldn't believe he was my husband.

I'd hear all these other women moaning about their husbands

and I-I'd feel guilty because Alex wasn't like that at all.

I mean, at all.

I'm sorry, I just...

I just can't believe he's gone.

I just can't believe it.

Oh, Jesus, Elaine.

# Blue moon

# You saw me standing alone. #

HE CHUCKLES

DOOR SLAMS, WHISTLING

Do you know why I'm here?

No.

Do you know who I am?

No.

Well, I know who you are.

It must eat you alive.

Being silenced.

Because they can't bear the truth of it.

Please...don't do this...please.

Oh, Jesus!

Oh, God!

I'm giving you your life back.

In exchange, I want you to give me a voice.

I'll be watching, Will.

..now just a few hours ago, an estimated 300 people

were stood on this spot, some singing, some praying...

Keep filming or he dies.

The Hard Sun is coming.

And I am its messenger.

DOOR CLOSES

Listen, Will, I know you see this as being a way back into the game,

but it's not going to happen.

Except, you know everyone's going to want this, Alan.

And here you are at the sorry end of a career in a dying industry,

editing a third-rate click-bait engine that you hate

and don't even understand.

When was the last time you had an actual scoop, Alan?

And more to the point, when's it ever going to happen again?

All right, you lovely people, have we caught him yet?

If not, why not?

Er, forensics got footprints at the allotments.

Size nine and a half,

tread pattern consistent with German paratrooper boots.

These are being circulated as we speak.

Narrows it down to about eleventy million people.

Where'd he get this?

Well, it turns out there are 52 Catholic churches in London,

hundreds of C of E and other denominations,

and right now, it's about five o'clock in the morning, so...

Have you checked St Mary's? You know, Dennis' place?

Yeah, yeah. First place we looked.

Come with me, please.

Come on.

This is what your silence is leading to.

You got it?

I just want to show you this, too.

Who is he, Dennis?

Who is he?!

Are you going to make me ask what's going on here?

Just trying to jog Father Dennis' memory, boss.

And can we?

Apparently not.

Dandy. Then let's send Father Dennis home, shall we?

DI Renko, spare me a moment, please?

So, you have concluded that Charlie Hicks didn't kill Alex Butler,

but the people who put you in place to run this investigation

don't believe that conclusion to be supported by the evidence.

There is no evidence. That's the point.

There is a concern you might become compromised.

As a result of which, the deal you brokered

has been rendered null and void.

Once he's released from hospital, Daniel will be transferred to

a maximum-security prison facility forthwith.

-You can't do that.

-Sit back and watch me.

Unless...

I give you what you want.

DCI Hicks is not innocent.

-He's innocent of this.

-So you say.

But if your new pal didn't put that bullet in Butler's head, who did?

Because if you really want to keep Daniel from being subjected

to nightly bukkake parties on the secure wing,

it's not enough to tell me Hicks is innocent.

Prove it. Bring me whoever did,

soon...

..or it is out of my hands.

Hey, hey, hey. What was all that about?

He knows about Daniel.

He ordered me to take compassionate leave.

-What, today?

-Yeah. He knows what he can swivel on.

BUZZING

So, I-I've been chewing this over,

this thing with the news cameras, the SD cards and what have you.

Now, I'm wondering if it's not about legitimacy.

I mean, any common or garden Looney Tunes can put himself on YouTube,

but our boy doesn't think of himself as common or garden Looney Tunes.

He thinks of himself as news.

So, if he's got something important to say, what are the chances

-he's already tried to say it somehow and failed?

-Hm.

Actually, that's not a daft thought.

Thank you so much.

No, I mean, the thing about lone-actor massacres is,

82% of the time, friends

and family know about the killer's grievance well in advance, so...

Whatever his message is,

he's probably tried to get it out there before.

Yeah, probably on the internet, but nobody listened.

BUZZING

So, what if he's decided to go direct to source? Old-school media.

-TV.

-Or newspaper.

Too late.

..it's now just a few hours ago, an estimated 300 people

were stood on this spot, some singing, some praying, others...

Keep filming or he dies.

The Hard Sun is coming.

And I am its messenger.

Hard Sun is coming. Hard Sun is not God.

God is the Creation and the Light. God is the Word.

Hard Sun is destruction and darkness and silence.

You think yourselves good, but you're monsters.

You consume more than you could ever need,

while all over the world children die in misery.

Your gluttony is a holocaust of dead infants.

Your charity is nourished by death and despair.

Your charity is your hypocrisy

and your hypocrisy is your death sentence.

I'm here to punish you.

This city is an unmarked grave.

But Dennis can stop me. Father Dennis Chapman can stop me.

Christ! He's named the priest!

So breaking news, we have a priest who knows who the killer is.

This is your time for your thoughts.

We have another caller here, Richard...

Yeah, they wonder why the churches are empty on Sunday morning, they haven't got a clue!

Dennis.

Adam, it's your time, you called...

Well, I-I'm a Catholic and I love my god and my Church, but how can

a priest ever offer absolution to a murderer who's not repentant?

That's a very good point, Adam.

I really think you'd better leave here.

We've got time for one more...

It's the antidepressants. She's gone all glass-half-full.

Well, that's not the worst crime in the world, though, is it?

Being an optimist.

Yeah. And I mean, it's not like I don't feel bad about it.

-Hm.

-But she used to be... not sarcastic,

-but she had, like, this dry wit?

-Hm.

Now she's all like, "Everything happens for a reason."

And I'm like, "Actually, no!"

No, it don't happen for no reason.

Oh.

Hey, what's he doing?

No, is that...

Is that...

Is that petrol?

-Nah!

-I hope not.

Dude, there's a man in the front seat, as well. Go, call them.

-Is there?

-Call them, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

No! No, no, no, no, no.

Oi, no!

He's got a light! Oi!

No! No, no, no, don't do that!

Don't do that. Don't do that! I said don't do that!

Come on out.

Help him out.

What's going on? Hey, what are this lot doing here?

The case has been passed up to Counter Terrorism.

-What?!

-You'll give them access to all the evidence collected so far,

and continue working in a support role.

Oh, come on. Look, he's just getting started. You know that!

Look, he's not a name on a Counter Terrorism database.

He's a murderer.

Look, they'll just keep blundering after him until they get lucky.

All right, how many people does he kill between now and then? Huh?

That may or may not be so,

but as of now, this case belongs to Counter Terrorism,

who will be dazzled

and charmed by the extent of your willingness to cooperate.

Let's start by fetching Father Chapman back for them.

Maybe they'll have more luck extracting a name than you did.

RINGING

Hello.

Dad?

Hey, you all right, sweet pea?

Don't call me that. Is it OK to go to school?

Well, that's a new one! What are you on about?

I heard it on the news.

What if he comes to my school or something?

Like happens in America.

Hey, now you listen here.

Look, he's just some twonk with 1,000 beefy-faced coppers

chasing after him.

Promise, though?

Cos he's well fearsome.

"Well fearsome"?! What you on about?

Look, he's just some wanker in a mask.

Dad!

Well, he is!

Now, you listen to me, young lady - I will take him one-handed,

with a Jaffa Cake stuffed in my mouth,

and be home before the chocolate's melted. How's that?

All right?

All right, love you.

Love you.

You want to step away from this?

Absolutely not.

OK.

What's the plan?

OK, look, we, er, we let the others show support for Counter Terrorism,

you know, interview witnesses, turn the soil.

You take that day as leave?

Not on your nelly.

Right. Well, the boss is still watching us.

So do what he says. Go and see your boy.

What about the priest?

OK. Look, Dennis is obviously not going to cooperate -

well, not willingly or deliberately -

and the killer knows that, so I think we can use it against him.

-You know, tickle him out like a trout.

-How?

Unethically.

Fair play.

Your mate, the, er, journalist, the one that went into hiding?

Will?

Yeah. We know the killer's watching him. We can use that.

You think you can track him down?

Absolutely.

All right, good.

Where will you be?

Probably best you don't know.

Excuse me, sir, do you have a second?

Absolutely.

Excellent! OK! Did you know that cancer...

Why are you doing this?

Er...for Cancer Action UK.

OK. But why are YOU doing it?

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

Has cancer affected your life?

Right, with you.

Well, I suppose I know people who it has affected, so that's why...

But that's not why you're here, doing it?

No. Not-not as such.

But, yeah, well, it's actually a job, so...

Which means you're basically a cancer whore.

Er, well-well, I wouldn't say that.

I'm actually... I'm actually a student. Hotel management.

Did you see it? Her room?

Yeah. Yeah, I saw it.

She's like a feral cat. You don't want that thing stalking you.

No.

I assume the password worked?

So...

..the flash drive?

Oh, look, you're going to have to give me a chance here.

You know what she's like. Look, she's got no-one.

You know, no family. No friends. No social life. No-one.

No, all she's got is enemies.

Including her own son.

Which is why you went after him.

It was a sound idea, in theory.

Yeah, what theory was that?

If all she's got is enemies, which enemy can she trust the most?

Look at that...

He rented the downstairs flat. And there was just something about him.

I don't know...

Going on about decadent this and purifying that...

Two years ago he went to Macedonia as an aid worker.

Something happened over there.

He came back and he was... different.

I know it sounds mad, but I swear it was him.

Absolutely swear. I collect money for cancer research.

He called me a "cancer whore" and then laughed.

Did you do this to me?

Allow the press to release my name?

No. I wouldn't do that.

But listen.

This isn't going to get any easier.

All right, you've been getting a lot of death threats -

we have to take that very seriously.

You know, a lot of very scared people are blaming you for this.

Make him stop! Catch him, for Christ's sake!

You're the police!

And you're the only person in London that knows his name.

Look, things have moved on quite a bit.

It's being treated as a terrorist incident.

It's not even my case any more.

Look, I've been sent by Counter Terrorism to see that you're protected.

So, if you'd like to accompany me, please?

I suppose I don't have any say in the matter?

Absolutely none. Sorry.

..police presence in London has been greatly increased.

In related news, officers say they're concerned

for the safety of Father Dennis Chapman, who's gone missing from

his parish in Shepherd's Bush after receiving dozens of death threats.

It's all kicking off out there.

Here. Take these.

Do you think Charlie's all up in it?

Who knows?

-Do you think he'll be OK?

-No-one's going to hurt Charlie Hicks.

You can't say that, though.

I can totally say that. In fact, I think I just heard myself saying that.

You didn't say it about Dad.

RINGING

Hello?

I'm sorry. Who is this?

Are you Elaine?

I am, yeah.

All right, well, then, what's happening? What's this about?

Charlie Hicks.

Listen, I know you two are close,

but can I just be candid here?

Yeah. Please do. I mean, that'd be nice.

And this is in total confidence now.

Right. You're actually freaking me out a bit.

Do you think he killed your husband?

What?! No, of course not! Of course he didn't!

Jesus!

For what it's worth, I don't think so, either.

But some people disagree.

What people?

Serious people.

Does he ever talk to you about it?

No. Why would he?

He knows they're coming for him, Mari.

And do you know what he's done to clear his name? Nothing!

OK. You're going to need to slow down for a second cos I'm-I'm-I'm not following.

I'm just saying, why would he be happy to walk around with it hanging over his head?

I don't know.

Nor do I.

Not really.

Basically, I can only think of one reason.

And what's that?

To protect someone he loves.

Right.

And now are you accusing me of something?

I am asking you. Completely off the record.

If you know anything - anything at all - about your husband's death,

you've got to tell me.

Please. Because I think Charlie really needs your help right now.

I really do.

There's nothing.

OK.

Can you do me a favour and just think about it, all right?

Just think about it for me.

And how do you answer your critics who say you have to

acknowledge a connection between these crimes and the Hard Sun hoax

which seems to have ended your career?

Well, if my career had been ended, I wouldn't be sitting here.

Well, given this man claims to be motivated at least in part

by that story, do you feel any sense of responsibility?

Absolutely not. Look, however warped his motivation,

however deluded his world view, this isn't about me.

It's about people's right to know.

Oh, it's totally demented. We've got multiple unconfirmed sightings,

hundreds of witnesses,

no usable CCTV footage, dozens of confessions.

People just keep adding straw onto the haystack.

The harder we look for him, the more difficult he is to find.

Ask George to cross-reference everyone coming forward against Dennis' little black address book.

Yeah, just to be sure.

Got it. Done and done.

All right.

What are you doing?

Oh, I'm sorry. Is there somewhere you need to be?

I've got a home.

Oh, I wouldn't recommend it. You're the most hated person in London.

I'm sure the police can look after me.

Well, why should we?

Why should we waste our resources on someone who refuses to help us?

Or refuses to help himself, for that matter.

Why'd you become a priest, Dennis?

Because I wanted to serve God!

All right.

Well, before that, ever been in love -

with an actual human being?

I've loved. And I've been loved.

And you gave it all up. For God?

Yeah.

You never felt like maybe He was asking for quite a lot?

Course I did.

Yeah, I mean, after all that, after everything you gave up,

you think-you think this is what He wants for you?

Right here, now? Today?

You've heard of waterboarding, I expect?

Stop now, Charlie. Enough.

I mean, honestly, it's, er,

well, it's one of the worst things that can happen to someone.

Yeah, even the, er, the Special Forces...

You know, people that are trained for it, you know, hard men

and women,

even they can't stand it for more than a few seconds.

You know, it's only ever used as an absolute last resort.

It's very effective, though.

You don't want to do this.

No, you're right, I don't.

So don't do it.

Well, then, don't make me.

This isn't you, Charlie. You're a good man.

You have a kind heart.

But you can't hide that kind of heart.

I'm a good man, am I?

You don't need to do this.

Then tell me what I need to know and it doesn't have to happen.

Don't put yourself through this!

Then let me stop!

-I can't do this!

-You can!

-Who is he?

-For your own sake!

WHO IS HE?!

Let me go!

Go where, Dennis?

Huh? Go where?

I mean, where is there you can go?

The people are scared and they blame you, and scared people

do terrible things.

They'll crucify you.

They'll rip you to pieces!

-People are animals.

-You don't think that.

Oh, I more than think it.

Are you a gambling man, Charlie?

Why?

Because I'm offering a wager.

If you agree to let me go,

we'll tell everyone where I am.

Everyone - and then we'll see who comes.

OK, looks like the priest's on board.

What? He gave you a name?

Yeah, well, not in so many words, but, yeah.

I think I've talked him round. How'd it go your end?

Ready to spread the word?

I'm good to go.

KNOCKING

It's me.

Let me in.

No.

I will break down your door down if I have to.

How-how did you find me?

ISP. You answered my e-mails.

Wait a minute! I thought that was a booty call.

You were playing me?

Like a Swanee whistle. Open the door.

All that stuff about your son, was that even true?

Of course not.

Oh, shit, Elaine! That... That's pretty dark.

That-that's not the sort of thing you lie about!

Your son tried to kill himself!

Well, you should've come to me with this, Will -

not just run to a newspaper, used it to save yourself.

Oh! The reason I lost my job in the first place is

because you ran to a newspaper to do exactly the same thing.

I've got something for you.

Another story.

What story? Why?

Because I need it out there, unofficially,

and it cannot be traced to me, ever.

Why not?

Because I'm trying to catch a spree killer before he kills anyone else.

And if I'm going to do that...

..I need you...

I need you to hang Dennis Chapman out to dry for me.

All right, you need to understand this, now.

No-one is going to be protecting you. No-one will be watching you.

And no-one will help you. You are completely alone.

One of the advantages of my line of work - you're never alone.

Dennis.

Thank you for this.

RINGING

Boss?

I need you to do me a favour.

I need you to dig out an old file, late '90s.

Rape of a minor.

What, connected to this thing?

No. Listen...

I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. You know that.

All right, give me the details.

Dennis, this sounds very risky.

I'd like to stay with you, if I may?

I'd like it, too. But I can't have that, Michael.

I can't have your safety on my conscience.

Not only has Father Dennis refused all offers of protection,

he's refused to put at risk anyone whom the killer might believe

to be helping him and thereby making them a potential target.

In the last few minutes, Father Dennis

has tweeted from an undisclosed location,

thanking people for their offers of support.

So all we know is, as London holds its collective breath tonight,

Father Dennis is alone, with his God, his faith and his conscience.

RINGING

He's done it. He's posted the story.

OK, good.

And if the killer can smell what we're doing?

Nah, he's too wrapped up in his own shit to smell anything else.

Look, he'll just think that it's Dennis leaving him a message,

you know - "Here I am. I'm alone and I want to talk."

Look, trust me, he's a gloating bastard,

he won't be able to resist it.

And how does Dennis feel about that?

Well, he's pretending not to know that's how it is.

What, that you've staked him out

on a leash like the goat in Jurassic Park?

Yeah, I believe it's called a lie of omissions - you don't ask,

you don't tell.

Look, I need you here as soon as you can.

All right, I'm on my way.

All right.

Any news on the flash drive?

No, not as such.

Although, er, something you said did ring a bell.

Something about trusting your enemy.

Go on.

All right, look, when she was 14, Elaine Renko's parents

brought in a complaint of rape, against a teacher.

Yeah, a guy named...Noah Underhill.

He taught English.

And then Elaine denied everything,

claimed she'd been assaulted by a stranger,

so the investigation didn't go anywhere.

So she was a lying, intransigent bitch even back then.

Well, you do have to wonder why.

Well, not really.

No, she was a kid. She was scared.

You know, maybe she thought she was in love.

Maybe she just wanted it all to come to an end.

But whatever, she saved his career

and most likely kept him out of prison.

So, if there's one favour she can call on,

one enemy she can trust...

..well, he's your man.

This is good work, Charlie.

This is really good.

Right, so now you need to make good on your end.

You make sure that my family are well looked after.

Right up until the end.

And don't hurt her.

Elaine. You don't need to hurt her.

Mishal.

Hm?

Miriam Blackwood.

She was worried about her son - devout Catholic,

some kind of aid worker.

Apparently, he worked with Dennis Chapman at an inner-city night-shelter.

And here's his name, in Dennis' address book.

OK. Let's check him out. I'll update Counter Terror.

Armed police! Armed police!

-Clear...

-Clear!

The Problem Of Pain.

Evil And The Justice Of God.

Reflections On Suffering And Evil. On and on.

I'll get onto CT.

Looks like Blackwood's our man.

We've got a name for you.

Help me! Please! Somebody!

We should help.

The police warned us about helping strangers.

OK? It was on the news. Just call 999.

No, you call them.

-Please! Somebody! Help me!

-Dia! Dia!

Hey! What are you doing?

Ssh.

Hello?

Open the door, Andreas! Open up!

Please help me!

Oh, my God!

BUZZING

Yeah. What's up?

They've got him.

He's dead.

So who is he?

William Cherry. 48. Unmarried driving instructor.

Was he on the list?

Top of it. Counter Terrorism had him flagged as prime suspect.

History of psychiatric problems, religious mania.

Promising God's vengeance on sinners.

That sort of fun and games.

Yeah, but is there any connection to Dennis Chapman?

Sorry, boss, not really.

Counter Terror's profiler thinks it was random.

They reckon he did make a confession.

You were right about that.

He was probably in the first church he stumbled across after killing Jamie Unwin.

Oh, shit!

All right, we'll leave the paperwork to the victors.

We'll tie this off tomorrow, yeah?

BANGING

I suppose I'd better tell Dennis face-to-face.

I at least owe him that.

Do you think he'll press charges?

Nah, the bloke's a Christian. Let him forgive me.

So how do you say sorry for waterboarding someone?

Yeah, all right, threatening to waterboard someone - it's a different kettle of fish.

-Oh, completely.

-Why? Do you think I would have done it?

You'd totally have done it.

BANGING

Michael... I-I'm sorry, Michael.

I-I don't understand.

Someone recognised the neon crucifix.

In your Tweet.

When it was on the news.

Word got around.

I tried to intervene, but there was no stopping them.

They're here for you, Dennis.

They're here to stand with you.

And so am I.

Good evening, Father.

Good evening.

RINGING

George.

Boss, sorry to do this to you, but they've got the wrong man.

-What?

-The dead man at Thamesview was a copycat.

I think we're looking for a man called Blackwood, Thomas Blackwood.

All right, on a scale of one to ten, how sure are you?

Ten.

Well, nine point something recurring.

But I'm in a minority of one.

I already reported this to Counter Terror and to Bell,

but they don't want to hear it. But they're wrong.

All right, now, listen, you send me what you've got.

You tell Armed Response to go to The Sacred Heart Church

and to do it quietly.

-On our way.

-All right, good.

Right, he's saying we've got the wrong man on the slab.

-Do you think he's in there?

-Oh, shit, I don't know.

I've been trying to tickle him out.

I didn't expect the Glastonbury festival to turn up.

Well, we can't wait for Armed Response.

It's very moving.

Erm...

I look at your faces...

..and you all seem

so content in your bravery and goodness.

So keen to be congratulated.

But, looking out at the faces before me...

..I don't see goodness.

And I don't see self-sacrifice.

I see a rabble

of complacent

self-satisfied

narcissists.

Now, you... You may not like what I'm saying,

but it's truth, and the truth will save you.

You're contemptible.

And I need you out of here.

All of you, out of my sight!

No!

Leave! Everyone! Go!

SCREAMING

Ha, ha, ha! Oh, yes, Dennis!

You were telling the truth up there. That's all I wanted.

For you to know the truth.

Stop!

Enough!

Bring him here.

He tried to attack me and I defended myself as best I could,

until you managed to restrain him.

Are you sure you want to do this to yourself, Dennis?

It's already done.

Can you hear Him now, Thom?

Can you hear Him?

Because I can.

Oh, I can hear Him.

Oh, yes!

Oh, oh, Dennis!

Do you hear that?

Do you hear Him, Thom?

I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING!

Hi, I'm Gretchen Ross from Social Services.

Someone on high wants Charlie Hicks.

You just keep your people out of my way.

Could you just look him in the eye

and...tell him it wasn't his fault?

I will kill you stone dead.

I will finish you!

I just want to treasure what we've got...

..while we've got it.

I can take it all away.

All the people you love.

Here they come...

..ready or not.

Oh...

..here comes trouble.