Episode 4: Part 1 Hinterland

MARSHES RUSTLE

INSECTS BUZZ

BIRDSONG

BIRDSONG

FAINT POLICE RADIO

SOCO need another hour.

She's been placed like that.

Carefully placed.

Do we have a name?

WAVES CRASH

Mrs Thomas?

Gwen?

When did you see Alys last?

-A couple of days ago.

-Is that normal?

We speak on the phone sometimes, but...

..we haven't been that close just recently.

Any particular reason?

-There was an argument.

-About what?

I don't remember.

She's impulsive. Like her dad.

Is he here?

Can we talk to him?

My husband and I haven't spoken in months.

I have no idea where he is.

POIGNANT MUSIC

SHE SOBS

Alys Thomas.

Classics undergraduate, was studying in Aber.

Pathology think she'd been dead for 8-10 hours before she was found.

That puts time of death between ten and 12 last night.

What else have we got?

Bruising to the face consistent with a blow or a fall.

No signs of sexual assault.

We're waiting for the medical examiner's report to confirm.

What about her shoes, her mobile?

Missing. No sign.

I want them found.

Alys was dressed to impress.

She was taking care of the way she looked.

Was that for her own benefit, or somebody else's?

What about the tattoo?

A Celtic symbol of female power, sir. Triskele.

It's got other meanings, too.

Could be religious, could be lots of things.

What about her parents?

Gwen and Iwan Thomas married young. 1989.

Gwen was 18, Iwan 21.

They separated in 2004.

But they were never divorced. What do we know about the father?

He was one of us.

A police officer? What happened to him?

We had to let him go. The man liked his drink.

Did you know about this? Let's find out where he lives.

House on the estate, sir. We've already checked.

There's no sign of him. He hasn't been seen for days.

-Well, let's find out where he works.

-Yes, sir.

I want a picture of how the dead girl lived.

Who she knew and what she believed in.

Whoever did this felt something for her.

She wasn't dumped, she was placed.

It was a conscious act.

And I want to know why.

I don't think I ever spoke to Iwan Thomas.

I was still in uniform back then.

But you know what happened?

Rumour has it he wasn't up to it.

I've found where Iwan Thomas works, sir. I'll check him out.

What about friends?

She doesn't have any really.

Only Sara.

Sara Perkins.

They study together, classics.

They've been close for years. Still are.

Did Alys have any plans last night?

Was she due to meet someone, go somewhere?

Did Alys come home in the evenings? Generally, I mean.

No. No, she's got a flat in town.

-She shares it with Sara.

-We'll need an address.

Could you think of anyone that would want to hurt your daughter?

What's her relationship with her father like?

I don't know.

They used to be close.

KNOCK AT DOOR

Sara Perkins?

You were friends, weren't you, you and Alys?

We've known each other since primary school.

You must've been through a lot together.

Did Alys have a boyfriend?

Alys didn't like to get involved.

Why not?

You don't seem to know much about your friend, do you?

Don't you care?

Of course I care.

Lately, I'm not sure she cared much about me, though.

Alys changed.

The last few months, she was...

..she was different.

We need to see her room.

Odi et amo.

I hate and I love.

I hate and I love.

Who does she hate? Who does she love?

Catullus 85. Odi et amo.

"I hate and I love.

"Why, you may ask? I know not,

"but I feel it happening" and I am tormented.

She was really taken by it.

She was so full of life.

When did you see Alys last?

-Yesterday.

-When?

Morning, in my lecture.

-What kind of a student was she?

-Bright.

But she suffered the usual problems one associates with growing up.

In what way?

Hm! Alys felt things intensely.

She was unique. She didn't just study it, she lived it.

She had character.

She was bright.

There was no place for mediocrity.

She was a creative soul.

But recently she'd lost her way and, er...

Well, it happens.

Were you concerned about her?

Well, she was fragile. There was a darkness in her.

And there was something going on at home.

It was a difficult time for her.

We need to speak with her father.

Well, I can't help you there. I'm sorry.

This is Alys at 17:22 yesterday afternoon,

arriving at Aberystwyth station

wearing the same dress, carrying a small bag.

She was dressed up for something.

-For a man?

-Not necessarily.

Now, this is an angle from inside the station.

She's catching the 17:30 heading east to Shrewsbury.

I checked CCTV all along the route. She didn't go very far.

Ten minutes later, she got off at Borth station.

Now, if we scroll forward to 22:55...

..the next train to Aberystwyth is due at 23:25.

What's she looking for?

Her phone. It has to be.

She was dead within an hour. Where did she go?

Let's get up there. And I want every inch of that platform searched.

Can I help you?

Yeah.

And you are?

Dyfan. Dyfan Richard.

I live at the station house. Look after the museum.

Is there a problem?

-Do you work here?

-I help out.

Keep an eye on the place. Keep everything in order.

Do you know this girl, Mr Richard?

She was found dead on the marshes this morning.

RUMBLING

TRAIN APPROACHES

I used to see her quite often.

She was pleasant. Different to the others.

The others?

Most of the people on the platform.

There was a way about her.

Always full of life.

Ready with a smile.

-When did you last see her?

-I'm not sure.

A few weeks ago?

I only spoke to her a couple of times. That's all.

Such a pretty girl.

Bachman City Class. 3439.

My brother Ian, he was a fanatic.

Does he still collect?

What did you and the girl speak about, Mr Richard?

I don't recall.

She was headed over to the hotel.

The Rhediol hotel?

Yes. That's the one.

Where were you last night?

Here. Home alone.

And you saw nothing? Heard nothing?

No. Nothing.

CONSTANT TICKING

She was here last night, about six-ish.

With a man.

Can you describe the man?

-I didn't get a look at him.

-But you remember the girl?

She's not the sort of girl you'd forget.

-Been here a few times.

-A few times?

And you say you never saw the man's face?

Oh, I'm not really sure if it was the same man.

-You heard them together?

-Only rowing.

Shouting and screaming, she was, slamming doors.

The whole shebang.

You should've seen the room afterwards. A right state.

Did they leave anything behind? A bag, shoes?

How did they pay?

-Cash. They left it on here.

-What time was this?

-10:30?

-What about the room? Has it been cleaned?

Yes, but, er...you can have a look, if you like.

Thanks.

MOBILE RINGS

'Alys?'

Who is this?

Ever decreasing circles.

-Why were you calling her?

-No reason.

How do you know her?

-I used to see her round.

-You were her dealer?

We went to a few parties last summer, hooked up a couple of times.

Had a few laughs. No big deal.

She was wild with a couple of drinks inside her.

When did you last see her?

-I don't remember.

-Try.

-A week? Two?

-Where were you last night?

-Here till closing time.

-What time was that?

-Midnight-ish.

-What about after closing time?

I went home with someone.

-Who?

-Oh, does it matter?

-Is that how you got your black eye?

-Alys' father did it.

-Iwan Thomas.

That's why I was phoning her.

To warn her he was off his head on booze.

He gets me outside, tells me to leave Alys alone.

I try to tell him I got nothing to do with Alys any more, and he smacks me.

-When was this?

-Sunday night.

Why did you wait so long before phoning Alys?

-I'd been phoning and phoning.

-I know, I checked the phone records.

I was trying to warn her. I was looking out for her.

-Iwan's not a man you want to cross.

-Why hire him?

Knows the patch. He's all right when he's sober.

-And when he isn't?

-You stay out of his way.

Terrible what happened, though.

Did you ever meet his daughter Alys?

The man never shut up about her.

-This him?

-Yeah.

You think he'd hurt her?

He drove taxis for me. I don't want to get involved.

I want a unit outside Iwan Thomas' house.

-Yes, sir. There's something else.

-What is it?

A postmortem has been completed.

There's evidence of multiple scarring on Alys' inner thigh.

-Recently?

-It doesn't appear so.

-You coming in?

-No.

BIRDSONG

-Mami?

-Gwen?

FAINT VOICES

He was a great dad.

She adored him.

What happened?

There's no room for us in his life any more.

He said the job needed him.

More than usual?

There was a case. It...got under his skin.

Drink was a release.

So they suspended him.

What happened?

They pulled him over. One of his own.

Did him for drink-driving.

Part of me was relieved.

I thought we'd get the old Iwan back.

But he was more distant than ever.

Even with Alys?

Could he have harmed her?

Sober?

Never.

Any idea where we might find him?

VOICES ON TELEVISION

HE SWITCHES TELEVISION OFF

I know this is difficult for you, Gwen.

But there's evidence of scarring on Alys' body.

Was she...was she self-harming?

It was something we knew about.

We dealt with it.

It passed.

He should never have said those things.

What things?

My husband and I had an argument a couple of years ago.

Some things were said.

Not all of them were meant, and...

..Alys overheard.

Overheard what?

The usual drunken rant about how I never forgave him

for never being able to give me a baby of my own.

How he was the reason I had to settle for...

..second best.

Alys was adopted?

And was there any truth in what your husband said?

(No.)

I loved my daughter.

(Alys'?)

Yes.

Where did you find it?

Rheidol Hotel in Borth.

(What was she doing there?)

That's what we're trying to find out.

VEHICLE APPROACHES

TYRES SCREECH

A CRASH

She's dead...because of us!

We killed her, you and me! Our own daughter!

This is between me and her!

-Iwan, stop it!

-Our daughter!

Our own daughter!

Our own daughter!

HE SOBS

FAINT TELEVISION

Hiya.

Hiya.

SHE SOBS

There's another meaning, sir. The triskele design.

Mother, father, child.

I hate and I love.

The two people she loved the most.

The two people that let her down.

CRACKLING

SNAPPING

RUSTLING

Stop!

Oi!

How do you feel?

I've felt better.

Take your time.

There's no rush.

CONSTANT TICKING

Do you have children?

You?

No.

No, I haven't.

Does your brother build the whole model world,

or is he a train enthusiast only?

Hm!

Oh, Ian loved his trains.

Always did.

Did?

You know the marshes well, do you?

I see them every day.

Can you think of any reason why someone

would want to place a body out there...like that?

Not to my knowledge, no.

But if I think of anything, or...

..if I hear something...

..I'll let you know.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I switched on my phone...

..and there they were.

Message after message.

About Alys.

Two from my boss.

One telling me you lot were looking for me.

The other sacking me for going AWOL.

So you got drunk.

Then I got angry.

So, what now?

-Well, that depends.

-On what?

On whether you had anything to do with Alys' death.

Why did you hit Dean?

He's a...waste of space.

Do you think he killed your daughter?

He's capable of it.

She was...

..a precious...beautiful girl.

She was.

Catch him!

Please.

Catch the man who did this to Alys.

"They took the flowers of the oak

"and the flowers of the broom

"and the flowers of the meadowsweet,

"and from those, they conjured up the fairest

"and most beautiful maiden that anyone had ever seen."

"And they baptised her in the way they did at that time

"and named her Blodeuwedd."

Rootless, lonely and ignored by the man she was made for.

Hardly the fairytale it's made out to be.

Dates and times from the hotel in Borth.

Alys stayed five times in total.

-I also ran a check on phone numbers taken from Alys' mobile.

-Thanks.

She phoned one number three times that night

between 6:00 and 6:15pm. No reply.

Then she calls a landline at 6:20pm.

The call only lasted a few minutes.

The landline was traced to an address on Constitution Hill.

-Wynford Rees.

-Yes, sir.

You shouldn't have gone up to the marshlands alone like that.

-No.

-It was reckless.

-I know. I'm sorry.

You might not value yourself much but it doesn't mean that we don't.

I said sorry, Mared.

He never asked about Alys. Not once.

-Never asked about the case, how it was going.

-Who?

Dyfan Richard. He never asked the questions he should have had asked.

What are you talking about?

-Is this Professor Rees' class?

-Yes.

-Where is he?

-He didn't show.

-Mrs Rees?

-Yes.

Is your husband in?

You weren't at your lecture this morning, Mr Rees.

My husband hasn't been well.

She started missing classes.

She seemed distracted...

disinterested.

I called her to my office to try to get to the source of the problem.

Offered one-to-one tutorials to help.

Doesn't explain the large number of calls she made to you.

Well, she was behind with her work.

She was nervous, panicking, anxious.

It happens sometimes.

She called you at home.

Yes.

You gave her your private number?

She was a troubled soul.

Was the tattoo for you?

-Sorry?

-The tattoo on her arm.

-Where were you Monday night, Mr Rees?

-Here.

-Can anyone verify that?

-I can.

Wynford and I had dinner together.

Thank you, Mr Rees.

-Get Lloyd to run a check on Wynford Rees.

-Already on it.

-Same goes for Dyfan Richard.

-Yeah.

-PHONE RINGS

-Yeah, Mathias.

Sir, it's Lloyd. I think you need to get down here.

FAINT POLICE RADIO

I-It was Dean.

It was Dean that killed Alys.

They got together last summer.

She thought it was just a fling.

But Dean thought it was more than that.

He loved her?

I think so.

But he'd never admit it.

Why does that hurt you so much, Sara?

How long have you been seeing Dean?

Six months.

-Did Alys know?

-Yeah.

-Did she care?

-No.

She didn't love Dean?

I told you...it was just a fling.

But to Dean, it meant more? He couldn't let go?

He was only with me to be close to her.

He wanted me to dress like her, dye my hair like her.

He even went and got the same tattoo on his arm.

Like there was some kind of connection between them.

But there wasn't?

She hadn't really been close to anybody recently.

She'd been in a really...weird place.

The Blodeuwedd stuff in her notebook,

is that what that was about?

She said that her and Blodeuwedd were the same.

Reckoned they'd been conjured out of nothing.

Whatever that means.

Monday night, Dean was at work, wasn't he?

According to this, he was at the Pier Amusements till gone midnight.

-No, he wasn't.

-Oh, go on.

I couldn't get hold of him.

I went down there about 10:00 and he wasn't there.

The guy looking after the place was pissed off,

said he hadn't seen Dean for hours.

Where was he, Sara?

You think he was down on the marshes?

WAVES CRASH

Checked out Dyfan Richard.

His record's clean,

but there was an incident on the marshes a few years ago.

A run-in with a guy called John Clancy. He's in prison now.

-It was his boys that found the body.

-Yeah, exactly.

-Shall I go up there and find out what they know?

-Yes.

-Be careful.

Did it hurt?

-The tattoo.

-A bit.

Was it worth it?

Obviously not.

I bet you don't even know what it means.

It's from Lord Of The Rings.

Where were you on Monday night, Dean?

I've already told you, I was down the arcade.

That's not what I've been told.

I was with a girl.

Alys?

In Aber.

Does she have a name?

Kirsten. Kirsten Reid.

MUSIC BLARES

Kirsten?

Does the name Dyfan Richard mean anything to you?

Never heard of him.

What about Wynford Rees?

Alys and Mr Rees spent a lot of time together.

He didn't love her.

And you did?

Yeah.

Clancy wasn't making any sense.

I told him over and over I hadn't seen anybody take his horses...

but he wouldn't accept it.

I must've seen something. That was his take on it.

What about the money you owed for the building work?

It was nothing. Some slates on the roof, some plastering work.

I did them a favour, paid the agreed price.

That's not how they remember it.

There was a deal. Clancy tried to renegotiate after the event.

What sort of a man does that?

He's in prison now, am I right?

Yeah.

The three boys are alone out there.

It's a terrible thing.

Seeing children abandoned like that.

The eldest boy's 19. He's doing a good enough job.

Yeah, I'm sure.

And Mr Mathias?

What sort of a job is he doing?

Give him my regards.

I spoke to Kirsten Reid.

Dean's alibi checks out.

-How was she?

-Slow.

Someone to see you in reception.

Release him.

FAINT POLICE RADIO

Gwen?

I want to see the place where Alys was found.

-That's not such a good idea.

-Please?

GULLS CAW

INSECTS CHIRRUP

Thank you.

WIND GUSTS

Ah! Shit!

PHONE RINGS

What is it, Lloyd?

Wynford Rees used to lecture at Edinburgh Met, sir.

I spoke to the department up there, he was moved on three years ago.

-Moved on? Why?

-Accusation of rape, sir.

I want Wynford Rees picked up. And his wife, too.

-And make sure they keep them apart.

-Yes, sir.

-The charge was dropped.

-Why?

The girl who made it, Chloe...

..she retracted the accusation.

But you WERE sleeping with her?

Yes.

You took advantage of her.

-Just like you did with Alys.

-No.

Alys was extraordinary.

I stood by him.

How did that make you feel,

your husband, carrying on like that?

I felt nothing.

I-I knew he didn't love them.

But were things different with Alys?

Why are you defending him?

Why did you say you were with him that night

when you knew he was at the hotel with Alys?

Because despite everything...

..I still love him.

My husband may be a fool but he's not a killer.

You seem very sure about that, Mrs Rees.

Our marriage is a strong one.

The only thing that can threaten it...

..is love.

And Alys Thomas...

..didn't love my husband.

You seem to possess a chequered past, Mr Mathias.

Yaaarrrggghhh!

You! You! It's you!

Lloyd, with me, now!

Dyfan Richard complained about the family on the marsh

23 times in the last four months. It's like he was watching them.

I'm not going to apply for a warrant on a hunch.

Wynford Rees is downstairs. We have evidence.

He's the last known person to have seen her alive!