Episode 1 The Fall

SHE SPRAYS, WATER FLOWS

WATER SPLASHES

LATCH RATTLES

DOOR CLOSES

QUIET CREAKING

DOOR HINGES CREAK SOFTLY

QUIET BREATHING

PHONE BEEPS

'You don't need his approval,'

-you just want it.

-What's the difference?

Well, most of what we call "needs" are desires.

We need air to breathe, water, warmth, food to eat.

And speaking of which...

The rest - love, approval, recognition, praise,

whatever - they're desires.

So, what's sex? Is that a need or a desire?

Hmm... Well, both if you're doing it right!

SHE CHUCKLES

'But don't you want children?'

Of course I do.

So, then you do want marriage in the end?

I didn't know you were so conventional!

There's a province somewhere in China where the Mosuo people live.

The head of the family is a mother or grandmother

and she controls the family's finances. Marriage doesn't exist.

Instead they practise "walking marriage" -

a woman can invite a man into her hut to spend a "sweet night",

but he has to be gone by daybreak.

I'm up for that.

The Mosuo language has no words for "war", "murder" or "rape"

and there are no jails. Think about it.

I'd be out of a job.

MOBILE RINGS

Hmm, as would I.

I have to take this.

'We don't want this to turn into an international custody battle.'

We have to consider the emotional wellbeing

of your children, we can't just...

INDISTINCT MALE VOICE ON PHONE

-Look...

-'..What the hell am I paying you for?'

I will go into the office tomorrow.

'We can talk it through then.

'I will ring you first thing. CAMERA CLICKS

'OK. Bye.'

-I should go.

-It's Friday night.

Seems I have work to do.

POUNDING MUSIC PLAYS

What are you doing? I've just got you a drink.

I've had two already, that's my limit. Three and I'm anyone's.

-That's the plan.

-SHE GIGGLES

Oh, I know. That's why I'm going home!

HE EATS NOISILY

CAR APPROACHES

BRAKES SQUEAK

TAXI ENGINE IDLES

KEYS JANGLE

KEYS CLINK

TAXI REVS

CAT MIAOWS

WATER SPLASHES

I'm calling the police! If you're still here, you should go!

KEYPAD TONES I'm calling the police!

RINGING TONE

DOG BARKS IN DISTANCE

MUFFLED FOOTSTEPS, TWO-WAY RADIO BEEPS

Police officers!

We're entering with weapons drawn!

If anyone is in the house, make your presence known immediately.

Alpha-Papa-1-0 to Uniform. Checking the rear area now.

DOOR RATTLES

-SHE KNOCKS

-Police officer.

It's OK. There's no-one here.

OK.

PEOPLE TALKING, SIREN IN DISTANCE

CANS OPENING

GATE SQUEAKS, LATCH CLICKS

Daddy?

Where have you been?

What are you doing out of bed?

I was frightened. I woke up and you weren't here.

I just popped out. Just to the all-night shop.

-Why?

-To get some headache pills.

We have headache pills. Mummy keeps them up in the bathroom.

I've just been five minutes.

No, you haven't, you've been ages. I called your phone.

I didn't take it with me.

Come here.

What's in your bag?

Just some stuff from the shop.

I tried to ring Mummy, but I got her number wrong.

I'm sorry.

I promise I won't go and leave you again, OK?

Cross my heart and hope to die.

Only don't tell Mummy. She'll be cross.

-With me?

-No, no, with me.

Kiss Mac.

Is this your underwear?

Yes.

Oh, my God!

Is that yours too?

Yes.

And you didn't just leave these things on the bed yourself?

No, I ...

No.

Where have you been this evening, Sarah?

Out with some colleagues in the city centre.

And what do you do for a living?

I'm a solicitor.

And you've been drinking?

Just some wine.

How much wine, Sarah?

INDISTINCT TWO-WAY RADIO CONVERSATION

No sign of forced entry.

Who else has keys to the house?

My sister, she has keys.

And she wouldn't have done this? As a joke?

What? No.

No boyfriend who has keys?

No.

An ex? Could have kept keys?

Um, I don't know.

I see you have a cat?

Yeah.

The cat couldn't have, I don't know, been on the bed?

Have you checked the loft? Can you check the loft?

Is anything missing?

Where was the underwear kept?

Er, the underwear is here in these top two drawers.

The other thing is in the bedside cabinet drawer.

I think...

Maybe some underwear's gone.

'Loft is clear.'

MOBILE RINGS

It's a client.

Isn't it rather late for that?

Yeah, it is.

I think maybe you should just go.

I have to be up in the morning to deal with this.

I really appreciate you coming, but I need to sleep.

If you're worried you should stay with a family member, a friend.

Yeah, yeah, I'll call my sister.

-Just make sure you don't drive anywhere.

-I won't.

If you're not sure who might have keys, you should change the locks.

I will. Thank you.

Sorry. I just want to go to bed.

We've checked the premises and surrounding area.

No intruder located.

We've given assurances we'll pay passing attention throughout the night.

What?

-Could it have been the cat?

-She's drunk.

That's her excuse, what's yours?

You could have warmed my side for me.

Why would I do that?

You horrible man.

-That be Detective Superintendent Gibson?

-Yes, ma'am.

Then that would be me.

Stella.

Nice to see you.

Armoured car, Jim?

Welcome to Belfast.

He's a good man. Very experienced.

First and foremost, we want to progress the investigation.

-We don't want a trial by audit.

-I've done 28-day reviews before.

-Sir.

-Not here, you haven't. Things are different here.

What?

All that "My Jesus is better than your Jesus" stuff?

Policing is political here, Stella.

And it isn't at the Met?

The victim's ex-father-in-law is a Unionist MP.

Morgan Monroe. Unionist MP, ex-lawyer,

chair of the Independent Policing Executive.

-I haven't walked in here totally unprepared.

-Good.

We have nothing, Stella.

The killer is out there somewhere and we have nothing at all.

DOORS GROAN AND CLANK

This is Detective Superintendent Gibson.

She's seen your file, so I'll let you make your own introductions.

Garrett Brink. Pleased to meet you.

-Is there anything you need?

-Is that coffee?

-It's actually hard to tell.

-I'll risk a cup.

-I'll have your case taken to your hotel.

-Thank you, sir.

COFFEE SPLASHES

It's been three months.

And I haven't even stepped into his room.

Can of Coke he had the day before is still sitting there.

You know at first they thought it was a virus?

You've told him before.

Gave him paracetamol.

By the time they put him on antibiotics, it was too late.

The boy told the doctors he felt better.

He'd have said anything to be allowed to go home!

Are you eating?

Not really.

How are things in the bedroom?

Before they took him away...

I painted his hands and his feet.

And made prints.

Three other people are living because of him.

A little boy regained his sight because of our Daniel.

That's something.

It's almost like he's still living.

Somewhere his heart is beating.

'KNOCK AT DOOR'

Come in.

Er, Jerry McElroy. You asked to see me?

Come in, Jerry.

-I'm Detective Superintendent Gibson.

-Ma'am.

This is DCI Brink, who I think you know.

Jerry and I go way back.

Have a seat.

I've been brought in from the Metropolitan Police to lead a review

into the investigation of the murder of Alice Monroe.

Yes, ma'am.

As the Senior Investigating Officer on that case, Jerry,

we want to work closely with you to advance

the investigation if we can, not to find fault.

If any problems are identified through review,

you will be notified immediately so that remedial action

-can be taken if possible.

-I see.

I will be looking at the investigative response,

the initial actions at the scene, information gathering,

witness and suspect management, together with forensic issues,

exhibit management and submission.

And, I'm going to be looking at record-keeping.

document management, action administration,

together with communications,

internal, external and with the victim's family.

We will, in time, read all documentation

relating to the inquiry.

To that end, I will need your policy book and your action book.

Er, yeah. Have them here.

Any questions?

I feel so alone.

Have you anything to say, Jimmy?

Of course he doesn't! Sitting there.

The hard man.

Useless waste of space.

Men and women express grief differently, Liz.

Try not to make comparisons.

How long am I going to feel like this, Paul?

How things are in the bedroom is none of your fucking business!

I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with the question.

"Uncomfortable" doesn't even begin to cover it!

My wife says it comforts her

to think of our dead son giving life to others?!

-How does it make you feel?

-How does it make me feel?

His heart beating in some Taig's chest? It makes me feel sick.

I've done things.

Bad things. In the past.

Really bad things.

And my son has paid the price.

Your son had bacterial meningitis, Jimmy.

An illness, that's all.

You don't believe a son has to pay for the sins of his father?

No, I don't.

Don't you believe in God?

Jimmy, let me go.

Answer me.

Of course, I believe in God. And Jesus Christ too.

I have seen angels ascending and descending Jacob's Ladder.

Is that what you want to hear?

It makes no odds what I believe, Jimmy.

It's what you believe that matters.

Now, let me go.

What kind of name is Spector, anyway?

It's Russian. Jewish.

That explains a lot.

Daddy, look what I found!

Where did you get that?

-You're not supposed to pick things.

-It was on the floor.

I'm not lying.

Give it to me.

Come on.

-Hey.

-Hey. You all right?

-Shall we sit?

How much do I grow every night?

I don't know. A little bit probably.

But, you know, you only grow if you go to sleep straightaway at bedtime

-and you stay asleep all night long.

-You should have called me.

I didn't want to wake you. I didn't want to wake Lucy.

I'm your sister for Christ's sake. You should have come over.

-I was tired. I'd had a couple of glasses of wine.

-Even so.

I've been thinking, who might still have keys?

Nobody now. I got the locks changed.

The front anyway. The back door needs to be replaced apparently.

I'm glad I'm eight. It's the oldest I've been in my entire life.

Why don't you stay with us, at least until the back door's done?

I can't. I have too much work to do.

Shall we go? Come on.

Oh, gosh, you're heavy!

-Tell me about the three billy goats.

-Once upon a time...

Oh, it's the best smell in the world.

-GIBSON:

-There's no evidence of any defensive wounds.

Maybe, she was...

..too fearful, or thought cooperation would make things better,

or he overpowered her so she didn't have a chance to fight back.

But whatever, he had things entirely under his control.

Which leads me to think that this was not his first murder.

The pathologist reports extensive petechial haemorrhages

that suggest that the killer tightened and loosened his grip

around her throat over a period of 45 minutes to an hour.

I was part of a review team. Now, this was actually

a seven-day review, and I remember the pathologist on that case

making the same observation.

-When was this?

-Three months ago?

It was felt at the time, still is, as far as I know,

that the killer was known to the victim.

She had, at the time of her death, more than one boyfriend.

Boyfriend One was quickly eliminated.

Boyfriend Two left the country, fled, disappeared.

He remains the prime suspect, I believe.

-White professional woman?

-A teacher at the university.

In her early thirties?

Posed after death?

Only if you call being stuffed in the bedroom closet "posed".

-What was her name?

-Fiona Gallagher.

The essence to a committed relationship is exclusivity.

Physical and emotional.

Anything that impinges on that is cheating and harmful.

Jesus, you should have your own daytime TV show.

I mean what is it, £20 a dance?

That's money you could have spent on your kids, or me, even!

Well, maybe you shouldn't go through my pockets!

Seven years of marriage. Seven years of marriage and now this.

-Jesus. Nothing happens in those places. It's just flirting.

-Oh?

-That's the name you give to somebody pushing their silicone tits in your face?

-It is! It's flirting!

The promise of something that will never, ever happen.

Yeah, only because no laptop-dancer would ever have you.

-Lap-dancer!

-What?

Not laptop. Lap-dancer. Looking isn't cheating.

It's just fantasy.

It's your fault for getting caught -

-you should have destroyed the evidence.

-Not helpful!

Same again?

Excuse me? Is this your purse?

Yeah, it is.

It was on the floor.

Oh, um, thank you so much.

Hi. How were they?

Fine. Did you have a nice evening?

Very nice.

-Four hours?

-Thank you.

Paul will walk you home.

English, I like.

Art.

I love Music. I'm a singer.

What sort of singer?

I posted a couple of clips online.

Really?

You should take a look.

Maybe I will. Where can I find you?

Oh, no, I'm not telling YOU that.

If you want to see them, you're going to have to work at it.

Track me down. I'm worth it!

SHE LAUGHS

You look different. From when you last baby-sat.

That was months ago.

Yes.

I've had my braces removed.

Thank you for walking me home.

GATE CREAKS AND CLOSES

KEYS JINGLE

CAT FLAP CLATTERS

What's the matter with you? Hmm? You been fighting?

GIRL SCREAMS LOUDLY

GIRL SCREAMS AGAIN

It's OK. Olivia.

-It's OK, darling.

-Mummy!

GIRL CONTINUES SCREAMING

Shhh, it's OK. It's all right. Just another bad dream. It's OK.

It's OK. Shhh.

GIRL SOBS

Shhh.

Mummy?

It's OK, Mummy's here. It's all right, come here.

It's all right. It's just a bad dream, it's OK, shhhhh...

It's OK. Shh. It's all right, Mummy's here.

Shhh.

It's OK. Shhh.

Shhh.

How is she?

SHE SIGHS

DOOR HINGES CREAK

Hey, are you asleep?

No.

How is she?

Did you tell her that she wouldn't grow

if she didn't sleep all night through?

You need to be careful what you say to her.

She's been having night terrors for months.

What I said has nothing to do with it.

She doesn't like being teased. Especially not by her daddy.

I just wish I knew what was going on in her mind when she's like that.

No-one knows what's going on in someone else's mind.

And life would be intolerable if we did.

CHURCH BELL RINGS IN DISTANCE

I hope I'm not keeping you from church.

Already been.

'I brought you in to progress the Monroe investigation.'

You need a new and substantial line of inquiry

and linking these two murders would give you one.

We already have a prime suspect in the Gallagher case. Patrick Warwick.

His brother provided DNA which is a familial match to the DNA

-gathered at the crime scene.

-That doesn't mean it was the killer's DNA.

She was in a relationship with Warwick.

So, there's no real surprise his sperm was found in her oesophagus.

If he didn't kill her then why has he fled?

I don't know. There was no sign of forced entry,

so it was assumed that she knew the killer and let him in.

But I think that assumption is false.

It was treated as a self-solver from the off and I think that's wrong.

Alice Monroe was found posed in her bed,

Gallagher stuffed into a cupboard.

The postmortem interval puts the time of death at an hour

before she was discovered.

She called her boyfriend and told him she was going out with friends.

He came home after work at 1.30 in the morning,

assumed that she was still out and called her.

Her phone rang in the closet.

He went to look and found her stuffed inside, dead.

Now one possibility is that the killer was still with her

when the boyfriend came home and disturbed him.

So he shoved her in the cupboard and fled.

I just don't buy it.

This would account for the three months between this murder

and the killing of Alice Monroe.

It didn't go as planned with...with Gallagher and it spooked him.

And so when he struck again he made sure that he did it right.

Two professional women in their early 30s,

killed in their own homes by strangulation.

I mean, look, they could be sisters.

The strangulation marks are different.

Yes, the marks might be different but both of them

have extensive petechial haemorrhages which indicates that

he strangled them, released and then strangled again, over and over.

So now you're adding torture into the mix?

Well, it might be sadism or it might just be

that his hand lacks strength.

I mean, you try it.

Go on, grab my wrist. See how long you can grip it.

No, thank you.

It's amazing how quickly your hand tires.

Stop for God's sake.

I mean, how long was that? 30 seconds?

Go back to your review, Stella.

I don't want the two murders linked.

HE PANTS

# Rainclouds are moving across an empty sky

# Leaving their shadow on the sleepless eye

# Dying and hoping that soon will be our day... #

Paul? >

Yes?

We need you down here. >

# Now that I love you

# Do you think that it will end?

# I was above you

# We were just friends

# Now that I've found you, darling... #

Daddy! >

# It won't take long. #

MUFFLED DANCE MUSIC

MUSIC: "We Found Love" by Rihanna

What's up?

Ready when you are.

# Shine a light through an open door

# Love a life I will divide

# Turn away cos I need you more

# Feel the heartbeat in my mind... #

Daddy, look.

Look, Daddy, look!

# I just can't deny

# But I've gotta let it go

# We found love in a hopeless place. #

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

How did it go with Burns?

He didn't buy it.

Maybe just as well.

There's no way this team could cope

with the increased workload of linked inquiries.

There are probably 200 statements, documents, officers' reports

waiting to be read and actioned.

Recommend increasing technical support staff.

Failure to see that crimes are linked - linkage blindness,

it's the thing that will allow the killer to strike again.

We refuse to recognise the series and he carries on regardless.

I didn't sell it hard enough, Garrett.

'I'm off.'

-Hey!

-SPLASHING IN BATHROOM >

How you manage to listen to people whining all week in your day job

and then volunteer to listen to them

whining all night on the phone, I'll never know.

This from a neonatal nurse? All those crying babies.

The babies I look after are too small to cry.

Crying would be great, crying means they're getting better.

Maybe you should visit me at work sometime.

Maybe I should.

Say goodnight to the kids.

Good night, you two.

-Night, Daddy!

-> I'll see you in the morning.

-<

-Mummy, I need you!

-Yes. See? Told you. Finally.

-Mary.

I wonder if I can book you

-to look at the exhibits store tomorrow morning.

-Yes, ma'am.

And I'm going to need a lift back to the hotel.

-We're free, ma'am.

-Good.

Finish your food. I'll wait in reception.

Is it Glen?

Yes, ma'am.

Um, DCI McElroy is doing

a violent crime analysis of the last five years.

Could you ask him to also include break-ins

where valuables were ignored

but items of clothing, underwear, clean or soiled, were taken?

Underwear. Yes, ma'am.

MUFFLED POLICE RADIO

Who's that?

James Olson. Detective Sergeant.

Introduce us.

What's going on, Sergeant?

There's been a shooting in a house about a mile away.

A car was stopped just up along there.

We found guns and arrested three men.

Just waiting on the dogs.

Explosives?

This is Detective Superintendent Gibson.

She's here to review the Monroe investigation.

Oh, right. DS Olson. Nice to meet you.

It's drugs. The deceased was well-known to us.

Will the review take long?

A week, maybe more.

I'm staying at the Hilton.

Very nice.

Room 203.

James! Oi!

Good luck with your arrests.

SIRENS APPROACH

I think we might have fucked up.

What? How?

Did you not hear her?

What?

Robberies where items of underwear were taken?

Sarah Kay.

We should have moved her out of there,

put her in a hotel, called in CSIs.

Jesus, the woman more or less told us to go.

I think we should take a look.

ENGINE STARTS AND REVS

Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson?

Ned Callan, Belfast Chronicle. Can I have a word?

Not at the moment, no.

-Not even off the record?

-There's no such thing, as you well know.

Did I invite you to sit down?

-I don't think so.

-So, call the police.

-How did you find me here?

-It's a small city, Stella.

It's not easy to hide. Unless, of course,

you're the murderer of Alice Monroe.

Oh, gosh, you really are a journalist, aren't you?

So, why bring someone in from the outside?

That looks remarkably like a vote of no confidence in the PSNI

and its ability to run an internal murder investigation review,

don't you think?

What have you found so far? Staggering levels of incompetence?

Mr Callan, no-one knows better than me

how important the media is as an investigative resource.

But really and truly, you should fuck off. Now.

You have my card.

-Thank you.

-Enjoy.

SHE KNOCKS

DOORBELL RINGS

DOORBELL RINGS

Nothing.

RINGING TONE

ANSWERPHONE BEEPS

This is a message for Sarah Kay. Sarah, this is PC Dani Ferrington.

MUFFLED SCREAMS 'I'm calling from outside your house.

'If you're there, it is the police at the door.

'I was hoping to speak with you to follow up on the incident

'that occurred on Friday.

'Please, ring the number I gave you when you get this message.'

ANSWERPHONE BEEPS, SHE MOANS

TWO-WAY RADIO CHATTER

Perhaps she did go stay with her sister.

ENGINE STARTS AND REVS

MUFFLED SCREAMS

MUFFLED WHIMPERS

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd