Episode 2 - Part 1 Hinterland

PHONE RINGS

What is it?

I'm on my way.

HE GROANS

The victim's name is Owen Beynon, lawyer.

The housekeeper found him this morning.

You all right?

Where were you? Out, killing myself.

Running.

How long have you worked for Mr Beynon?

16 years.

I look after the house when he's in London.

That's where he works.

I do the laundry here for him.

He was just lying there...

on the floor. How often does he come back?

He came when he could.

This place...

..meant a lot to him. Yes.

Were you expecting him back?

Not until the weekend.

He must have arrived late last night, I didn't hear anything.

He never married?

I never asked him about his private life - it wasn't my business to.

Did he ever bring anyone back to the house? No.

Who's this?

Lewis, my son.

Does he live here?

When it suits him.

Where's he now?

Working...over at the church - renovations.

I'll need to speak to him.

Owen Beynon was on the 16.43 from Euston, London.

He arrived into Aber at 21.25,

caught a taxi from the station, was dropped off at the gate. Alone?

According to the taxi driver,

Mr Beynon showed no sign of concern or agitation.

So, the victim arrives home late, pours himself a whisky

and goes to bed.

Some time later, he was woken by an intruder.

Do we have a list of what was taken from the house?

We searched the house, we searched the grounds - as far as we can tell,

a pair of antique shotguns - nothing else, sir.

Get on to local gun dealers, see if anyone's been approached.

What else do we know about Owen Beynon?

We've spoken to the victim's sister,

she hadn't spoken to Owen in over a year.

What about neighbours, associates? Glyn Powell, neighbouring farmer,

he did some odd jobs around the estate for some extra cash.

So, he has access? Yeah.

Do we have an address? Home and work.

The Beynons were a big noise in the county -

Owen and his sister were the last of them.

You knew him, sir?

Our paths crossed a few times. His family was well respected.

What about Owen?

His death won't go unnoticed.

Glyn Powell, we should talk to him.

I know you're under a lot of pressure, Tom.

If there's anything I can do to help...

Thank you.

KNOCKING ON DOOR

Vermin, game keepers do it, they shoot them

and then hang them up as a warning to poachers.

PHONE RINGS

What is it, Lloyd?

The missing guns, they're vintage Purdeys.

They were recently valued, sir, by local antiques dealer Huw Griffiths.

For how much? 80,000, sir.

Whoever stole the guns knew what they were worth, knew what they

were looking for.

FLIES BUZZ

DOOR OPENS

Can I help you?

Mr Griffiths? Yes.

How well do you know Mr Beynon?

I did some business for him.

I knew what he liked and I knew when to put a call in.

When did you last see him?

Oh, six months ago.

When you valued the guns? The Purdeys, yes.

Lovely-looking things.

Expensive, too. Yes, well, depends who's buying.

We'll need a list of employees, brokers, drivers - anyone

who might have come into contact with Mr Beynon.

Anyone who would have known about the guns. Of course.

It's a man trap. These were used right up until the 19th century.

Not lovely, as you can see.

There's always a market for the curious and the specialist.

FIRE CRACKLES

BANG

Mr Powell.

You're a hard man to find.

I do my best.

Do you know why we're here?

It's not the news you want, is it?

Did you know Mr Beynon well?

Of course I did.

I've known the family for years.

I've lived in this valley all my life.

Were you and Mr Beynon friends?

I wouldn't go as far as that. I did a few jobs for him.

We used to say hello to each other and then mind our own business.

Foxes, they can't through the fence, so they dig underneath it.

They're like bloody rats!

Where were you last night, Mr Powell?

At home with my wife and daughter.

Esyllt said some shotguns have gone missing. That's right.

Do you have any idea who might be responsible?

I have an opinion.

Whether you want to listen or not, well, that's up to you.

Oh, we'd be very keen to listen to it, Mr Powell.

Daniel Protheroe...you should have a word with him.

He's been a thorn in the side of this place for years,

stealing, poaching, running wild.

He lives at the top of the mountain there with his mother -

she's not better...never puts a curb on him.

You know a lot about him, Mr Powell.

I should...

My wife, Bethan, was the midwife, she brought him into this world -

worst thing she ever did.

Foxes, rats, predators...

..if you don't look after your own,

they'll come back and take, take, take!

Nora Protheroe, the boy's mother, drugs caution, 1996,

possession of marijuana.

Shoplifting charge the following year, given a few warnings

and that was it, sir.

What about Daniel? Plenty of complaints,

prowling about people's property, poaching, stealing.

Was Owen Beynon one of the complainants? No.

See what else you can find out.

We're on the way to Daniel's house now.

HE BANGS ON DOOR

Hello!

DOOR CREAKS OPEN

KETTLE WHISTLES

CHIMES RATTLE

MUSIC BUILDS IN TENSION

Nora Protheroe is an epileptic.

She was in her late 30s, Social Services confirm she was

on their "at-risk" register up until 18 years ago when she had her son.

She dropped off the radar after that.

I can't find any documents.

Nothing official, no social security details, bills, birth certificates.

No record of Daniel existing.

The electricity was cut off about a year ago.

Why would anybody live like this?

We need cause and time of death, as quickly as possible.

I've issued an alert to the public concerning Daniel Protheroe.

Is that wise, sir?

We've no proof that he's involved with the Beynon case.

You've no proof that he isn't, either.

With respect, sir, I should be consulted before those

kind of decisions are made.

And until you or the IPCC tell me otherwise, this is my investigation.

Let me be the judge of that.

Daniel?!

Daniel, stop!

Stop!

Get off me!

Who are you? What are you doing here?

I heard about Daniel's mother.

You know Daniel?

Where is he?

Branwen Powell, Glyn Powell's daughter.

I'll take her home.

FIRE CRACKLES

She just locks herself in her room and shuts the world out.

Is it true...

..Nora Protheroe?

You delivered her baby? Yes.

What was Nora like?

She was troubled.

Nora had a tough upbringing...

..but having the baby seemed to settle her.

And after that?

Nobody saw her.

She never left the house?

What about Daniel?

What about him?

How well does he know Branwen?

What is it?

Bethan...

..I really need you to help me.

My daughter is headstrong, like her father.

She doesn't always do what's best for herself.

Meaning what?

Daniel's got a hold on her.

In what way?

In the way that men do, sometimes.

VEHICLE PULLS UP OUTSIDE

PHONE RINGS

DS Owens.

Yeah.

I warned you about that boy!

You forgot to mention that your daughter

and Daniel were friends, Mr Powell.

There's no friendship, it's finished!

Sir, there's been a possible sighting of Daniel Protheroe.

You took your time.

That's the third time I'm going to have to replace that.

It's hard enough making a living up here without all this nonsense!

The till?

Never went near it.

Batteries he wanted...

..and sardines -

tins of the stuff - and he ran like a rat when saw me coming back.

Do you have the CCTV footage?

That's him.

Can you rewind it back a bit?

Stop it there.

What happened to his face?

Well, someone must have given him a hiding - no more than he deserved.

We'll need a copy of that CCTV.

It's Lewis, isn't it? That's right.

Ran out of milk? No.

There's a meeting.

About what? Pest control.

BLEATING

LOW CHATTER AND BARKING

There is no evidence that Daniel Protheroe has hurt anyone.

Get your facts straight before you do something you might regret.

The facts? Huh!

The facts are there for all to see.

What sort of boy kills his own mother,

allows her to rot in the house

and then carries on as if there's nothing wrong?

We have a right to defend ourselves.

You'd better find him, then.

We intend to.

FOOTSTEPS

How did they survive up there?

Just the two of them.

They must have been completely dependent on each other.

He loved her.

He couldn't bear to be without her.

The radio appeal, there are sightings of Daniel Protheroe

coming in from all over the county. Dozens of them.

And they all have to be followed up.

This is interesting.

What is it, Lloyd?

I've been checking through employee records for Huw Griffiths' place.

He had a delivery driver working with him up until last summer.

Lewis Jones?

You going somewhere?

Out. That's all.

You used to work for Huw Griffiths, didn't you?

For a bit.

Do you think he had anything to do with what happened to Owen Beynon?

No.

They got on, as far as I know.

Everyone knows it was Daniel.

Do they?

Of course they do.

He was off his head. Always has been.

He never talked to anyone in school.

If he bothered coming to school, that is.

Did you ever go up to the house?

Sometimes.

As soon as they saw us coming, they'd lock themselves in.

Why?

They were scared of you.

We were just kids.

Just having a bit of fun.

CAR DOOR CLOSES, ENGINE STARTS

MOBILE PHONE RINGS

Lloyd?

According to Lloyd, Lewis' alibi stacks up.

He was out drinking with his mates in Aber.

Having fun.

We should be out there.

We have to find Daniel before Glyn and his mob do.

There's hundreds of acres. We couldn't possibly cover the area.

We don't have the resources. So we just do nothing?

You're not coming in? No.

BARKING

FLARE BOOMS

FAINT BARKING

DISTANT VOICES

WHISTLING

FAINT VOICES

WHISTLING

FAINT BARKING

Protheroe! Protheroe!

Argh!

BIRDSONG

Sir?

Look at how it was buried.

That child was loved.

Tom? Have you spoken to Prosser?

The IPCC have submitted their report.

You're in the clear.

It doesn't feel that way.

Preliminary report from the scene, sir.

The body was that of an infant male, 18-24 months.

No sign of injury, no broken bones.

We need a DNA comparison between Nora and the dead child.

We need to establish time and cause of death

and when the child was buried.

Are there any records of a second child? No. I checked.

Nora Protheroe was visited regularly by a health worker until 1999.

Only one pregnancy was ever recorded.

Autopsy report on Nora Protheroe.

No external injuries or signs of violence.

She died of natural causes? Looks that way.

Most likely she suffered an epileptic fit.

Nora Protheroe.

A troubled girl, gets pregnant, has a baby,

lives a life of virtual recluse.

Why?

Perhaps she had something to hide.

Daniel didn't report his mother's death

because she was all he ever had.

All he ever knew.

And the only person who ever loved him.

This boy...

..is a poacher, a stargazer.

He's not a killer.

BIRDSONG

I want to talk to your daughter. I'm not sure. My husband's...

It's OK, Mam, I want to talk to him.

On my own.

I used to see him in school.

Across the playground.

And up on the mountain.

He was the loneliest boy I ever saw.

All those times I saw him...

..he never looked back at me.

So, what changed?

I dunno.

About...a year ago...

..it's like he looked up for the first time.

Like he saw me.

A year ago?

His mother was dead.

He was lonely.

He was reaching out.

Where is he, Branwen?

I wish I knew.

Why does everyone hate him so much?

They treat him like he's an animal

just because he's different from them.

Do you know who could've done this to him?

Who did it, Branwen?! You have to leave! You can see she's upset!

(OK.)

The baby was wrapped in a blanket and plastic.

But inside, it was wrapped in newspaper.

The paper underneath the body perished,

but above the body, a few bits survived.

Look at this date.

20th June, 1999.

If that was the date of burial,

it makes the approximate date of birth February, 1997.

The same age as Daniel.

It doesn't make any sense. There were no other children, right?

The records confirm that.

So, the little boy we pulled from the ground, who is he?

I think it's Daniel.

The child's DNA matches the mother's.

Confirmation just came through.

So, if the dead child is Daniel Protheroe...

Who are we chasing?

BIRDSONG

Branwen? Branwen?

1997, Nora Protheroe has a son, Daniel.

1999, Daniel dies and Nora buries the body in the garden.

After that, she disappears off the radar.

Next thing you know, it's 2001

and Nora enrols a child at Coed-y-Fedw Primary School

and that boy is also called Daniel.

They tested Daniel's toothbrush from the house.

The DNA results confirmed there is no familial match

between Nora Protheroe and the boy she enrolled at school.

So, who...

..is this?

We've been through every database, local and national,

searching for any missing or abducted children.

We extended the age range in case we're wrong about the timeline.

There are no unsolved disappearances of any boy of that age at that time.

But a child doesn't just disappear like that, unnoticed.

There's media coverage, grieving parents. Look!

This...is the important timeline.

1999-2001. Please, check again.

What is it?

Tom?

What's the latest?

We're still looking for Daniel Protheroe, sir. Is he our killer?

In my opinion, no, he's not.

Then why are we pursuing him?

To save him from the ones who think that he is, sir.

And Owen Beynon? We're still pursuing all possible leads, sir.

He was very well connected, Tom.

I need results.

Well, I'm doing my best, sir.

You can tell that to the IPCC next time.

We were looking for a missing child, not a dead one!

April, 1999, a child disappears in the sand dunes at Ynyslas.

His name was Aled Roberts. He was three years old.

The area was searched, but the boy was never found.

It was presumed that he drowned at sea.

The body was never recovered.

This is the same boy.

This is Daniel.

I was part of the team that searched Ynyslas.

I'd only been in uniform two years.

I remember what the mother said at the press conference.

"One minute he was laughing, the next he was gone."

In 2006, the child was legally declared dead.

The case officially remains open,

but with no evidence of foul play, it hasn't been reviewed in years.

Why didn't he come up on the database?

It hadn't been updated properly.

Why didn't you remember? He was presumed dead!

Have we got an address for the parents?

I don't think we should speak to them. Their child is still alive!

As far as the family is concerned, their son is dead.

You're not listening to me!

We should contact Social Services.

We don't know their situation, what the consequences might be.

They deserve to know!

Of course they do, but there's a way of doing things.

They shouldn't have to wait!

Tom! Objection noted, Mared.

KNOCK AT DOOR

FOOTSTEPS

Ayesha?

Well, we have...

..reason to believe that your son, um...

..Aled...

..is still alive.

A young man we have come into contact with... No, you've made a mistake.

I know this is difficult. You've no idea.

Is Aled's father home?

Mrs Roberts? We're no longer together.

I'm sorry.

Is there a way we could contact him?

How do you know it's Aled?

Um... Circumstances are...

..difficult.

Difficult?

He's a suspect in a crime.

After all these years,

you come here and tell me you've found my son?

That this criminal is Aled?

My son is dead.

He drowned 16 years ago.

Mammy?

I want you to leave.

Now.

Please.

We've got a dead man in the mortuary, a dead mother and child

and a boy running for his life on the mountain.

His mother is dead, he needs someone

to look after him and I need the truth, Bethan!

If you had done your job, it would never have come to this.

Tom, no!