01x04 - Disappearance at Oare

[bunniefuu]

♪ It's a wonder ♪

♪ The spell I'm under ♪

♪ Because of the chill
in the air ♪

♪ Snow is falling ♪

♪ And folks are calling ♪

♪ To bring in
some Christmas cheer ♪

-Arthur?
-♪ What a feeling ♪

-♪ The yuletide season ♪
-Arthur? It's dinnertime.

♪ Nothing else can compare ♪

♪ When together we'll be
around the Christmas tree ♪

♪ What a wonderful time
of the year ♪

♪ There once was a place
with my little lovely ♪

♪ Whey, hey, h* ♪

♪ And I seek and I search,
and I know that I'll find it ♪

♪ Whey, hey, h* ♪

♪ I know the wind, she blows ♪

♪ I know the tides are low ♪

♪ But you'll find me at
the Whitepost ♪

♪ You'll find me
at the Whitepost ♪

Hi, Mike. It's me.

Just wanted to hear
how you're holding up.

And because I needed someone
to talk to, I guess.

I went to her grave today
and put up some lilies.

I know it's just a date,

but somehow it hit me
full-force today

like she's a phone call away

and I just can just pick up
and talk to her.

Strange, isn't it?

One second
and everything changes.

Anyway, call me
if you want to talk.

♪ Deck the halls with
boughs of holly ♪

Come on, Ruby.
Find that angel for the top.

♪ 'Tis the season to be jolly ♪

Do you think
it's a bit too much?

It's Christmas, darling.
It can never be too much.

I once saw Arnold Schwarzenegger
on top of a plastic sledge

being pulled
by six elves wearing bikinis.

Even that filled me
with the holiday spirit.

More is more.

Uh, Mum, do you still want
beef and oyster pie on the menu?

Oh, can we skip it this year?
I hate making it.

Have we ordered
enough champagne?

I ordered, Pearl, and I can
assure you there's enough.

Champagne and decorations --

that's all
the holiday spirit needs.

Hmm, absolutely.

That's why
Jesus died for mankind.

So no pie then.

Not unless you wanna make it?

-Hmm.
-I could make it.

Yeah, okay. I'll help.

Oh, God.

That's what love
looks like, dear.

You should try it sometime.

Do you remember that?

Dad got it.

He said I could choose any one
I want, and I chose that.

Right, you two
are in charge of pies, then.

Hi. Pearl Nolan.

Okay. Right.

A note?

It is small,

but you can't beat the view.

These flats are selling
like hot cakes.

You're lucky to have
snapped it up just in time

to make it your own little nest
before Christmas.

Mr. McGuire?

You okay?

Yeah, absolutely.

Just admiring the great sea view
the brochure promised.

Yeah, okay.

Uh, I'm just gonna
leave the keys here

and, uh, leave you to it.

Hope you like the flowers.

Merry Christmas.

Pearl.

Please have a seat.

So your husband disappeared,
yeah, seven years ago?

His car was found abandoned
by a slipway in Oare.

I was three months pregnant.

And the police?

Police were there.

By the car. Nothing.

No body.

And then they found
a suicide note so they,

um, stopped looking.

What do you think happened?

He's alive.

And he's out there somewhere
and he needs me.

What did the suicide note say?

I never saw it.

They never showed it to me.

And how would you like me
to help?

I don't need to see a note
to know

that my husband
didn't k*ll himself.

No one believes me.

And then this came
through my door.

It was just posted
through the letterbox.

Told the police?

They'll say it's just someone
being cruel.

They won't...

They say it's not enough
to reopen the investigation.

They think I'm mad, you see,

because I believe
that he might come back.

The rest of them
think he's dead.

Them? Who -- Who are them?

The people who were
in our lives.

They've abandoned us now.

They told me to let him go.

But how could I do that, huh?

Tell me how?

How can I let my son
believe that his daddy

didn't want to meet him?

That he wasn't enough
to stay alive for?

No.

This -- This is the truth.

I know it in my bones.

They're Robert's.

He painted them.

They help me keep him alive.

Have you ever lost a child?

No.

It's God's way of testing us,
isn't it?

He takes away
what we love the most

to teach us not to be selfish.

And it's His way of reminding me
every day

that what He gives can be
taken away just like that.

Like my son.

Minister Cameron says
they never really leave us.

They're just watching us,

and we're spinning so fast
we don't see 'em.

But if we slow down,
we can catch glimpses of 'em.

Hmm.

They're all watching us until we
slow down enough to join 'em.

-Christina said that there's --

Christina doesn't live
in the real world.

Um, I'm just trying to help.

Christina turned away from us.

And from the light.

She won't let us take Arthur
to church,

won't let him be baptized even.

She can live her life
how she wants,

but to do that to her son,
the selfishness.

Look, I know this is hard.

But I'm just trying to
find out more about Robert.

What was his life like?

No, I don't wanna talk
about Robert.

Robert betrayed us.

He betrayed God's gift.

I lost two children that day.

I lost the light of my life.

No, I don't want to talk
about Robert.

Sorry, I -- I'm just trying
to help Christina

to understand what happened.

-Oh.
She'd got this note.

-And she's been --
-Yeah.

She sent us that, didn't she?

She probably wrote 'em both
to persuade the police that...

My son is dead.

They both are.

Christina is sick.

And cruel.

The only one who can help
her now is Minister Cameron.

You tell her that. You tell her.

Sorry. Sorry, I didn't...

I...

I am sorry.

My, uh, my wife, s-she, uh --

Evie has never fully recovered
after the accident.

What accident?

Robert had a twin brother, Mark.

He died.

Uh, they went swimming
out at Oare.

Red flags were up,
but, uh, he was only 12.

They swam out.

Mark got caught
in the undercurrent.

He never should've
been out that far.

Robert was the better swimmer.

And he screamed for help,
but there was no one there.

Just Robert and somewhere
underneath him, his brother.

I'm sorry.

It wasn't Robert's fault,
but he blamed himself.

They were our world.

And, um, and Evie, uh,

couldn't believe
God could do that to her,

so she needed someone to blame.

And then when Robert ended
his life, uh,

and left us with nothing,

she knew she could've saved him
if she'd just...

Christina doesn't think
that Robert's dead.

Look we all believe in -- in --

in whatever helps us
from going insane.

My wife believes
in the minister and God.

Christina has --
has her own reality.

Our sons are dead.

Robert is dead.

Please just stop
this madness now.

So you didn't put a 30-pound
frozen turkey in your pram?

Well, how could I?

My baby was in the pram.

I hate to tell you,

but your kid's
never gonna play piano.

And its head is missing.

Probably feels a bit cold too
when you're breastfeeding.

-I want a lawyer.
-Oh, bloody hell.

Just -- Just stop.

Find out if there's actually
a baby somewhere

that we need to worry about.

Maybe she stuffed
the turkey with it.

Guv, I have something for you.

I know you just bought
an apartment,

and I know you would never
get round to buying a tree,

so just, you know,
pimp her up a bit.

You're a glitter and sparkles
kind of guy.

Oh, come in. It's open.

Alright?

You've been busy.

Yeah, it's a cold case.

Woman's husband went missing
nearly seven years ago.

Car found by the River Oare.

Suicide note but no body.

So you're chasing a ghost.

Well, I'm helping a woman
who needs help.

But I need to see the suicide
note, and it's in police files.

Is this why you wanted to meet?

Pearl, we've been through this.

It's a police file.
I can't give it to you.

Well, you don't have to
give it to me.

But you could -- Like, you could
describe it to me

or you could, like,
take a picture of it

or you could draw it
or do charades.

I-I just need
to know what it says.

You hungry?

-Uh...
-Get your blood sugar levels up.

No, I-I-I've got --
got some stuff to sort out

so, uh, maybe another time,
yeah.

You okay?

It's not your fault, it's...

It's just a bad day.

I got something for you.

I got you this for your
new flat, make it Christmassy.

Well, that's, uh, nice.

Got any plans for Christmas?

I've, uh -- I-I've gotta go.

I'll give you a-a call later.

Hello. Can I help you?

Hi. I was looking for
Minister Cameron.

He has a baptism ceremony
out by the beach

and can't be disturbed.

And after that, he works
with our outreach programs.

He'll be back for group
and therapy meetings

in the afternoon.
Come back then.

What's a Lazarus meeting?

That's our grief
counseling meeting.

It's open to everyone.

Is that what you're looking for?

-Yeah.
-Great.

Well, you're welcome.

Did Robert Scott used
to come to these meetings?

He used to with his girlfriend.

You mean Christina?

No.

Alice.
Tsk, that's right, yeah.

Were they together for a while?

The love of his life,
and he was hers.

Now they're both gone.

Gone?
Where -- Where did Alice go?

You said you were looking for
Minister Cameron.

It was just seeing
Robert's photograph,

it just reminded me of him.

So sad.

Well, thanks for your help.
I'll -- I'll come back.

Think not that I came
to send peace on earth,

I came not to send peace
but a sword,

for I am come to set a man
at variance with his father

and the daughter
with her mother-in-law

and a man's foe shall be
those of his own household.

Hello.

Sorry to disturb.

It's just I have
another question.

There's not much more to say.

I know. I'm sorry I came back.

It's just do --
do you remember an Alice?

She was a friend of Robert's.

-Alice.
Yeah.

I think maybe she was
his girlfriend.

He used to take her to church,
so it was before he stopped.

He used to have a girlfriend
before he met Christina.

Maybe Alice was her name.

I-I'm not sure, but she left.

Left?
What do you mean she left?

Uh, I-I don't know.

Somebody told me
she was the love of his life.

She was a bit of a lost soul,
I think.

Ran away a lot.

Do you remember her parents?

-No.
-No?

Come on.

It's a small town.

And she was dating your son.

You must have known her parents.

She, uh, grew up
in the children's home, I think.

So like I said, no.

-Near here?
-Guess so.

Can you remember the name of it?

Look, you need to stop this.

Robert is dead.

My wife is having a breakdown.

We lost both sons,

and now this note.

Have you asked Christina
if she wrote it?

Okay, well, if you do remember
her surname or her family,

could you let me know?

Thank you.

Ooh.

It's delicious.

Do you really think so?

Yeah. It's better than mine.

Well, I worked on the recipe
you taught me

and added a couple of things.

Wow.

I'm really proud of you, Ruby.

Did Charlie help?

Uh, yeah.

You're a horrible liar.

Ruby, you should take
over the kitchen

for a couple of evenings a week.

Give Pearl a chance to get laid.

What?

H-How have you gone from
the beef and oyster pie to that?

Come on,
I'm not gonna stand here

and discuss my sex life
with you,

least of all in front of
my son's girlfriend.

Listen.

What?

That's the sound of us
discussing your sex life.

I think she means
it's non-existent.

Yeah, I got it, thanks,
thank you.

I think you should take over
every now and then.

I think it's a brilliant idea.

I'm going out
to the Mather's Church.

Why?

A man went missing
a few years ago,

and his wife's asked me
to find him.

But they're like a cult.
I've read about them.

They're like the Manson family
but with a priest.

No, it isn't.

They call themselves a church.

Yeah, they all say that, dear.

Do you know I have always wanted
to visit a cult.

Feels kind of secret.

Hi. It's me.

Um, listen sorry
about asking for the note.

I-I won't ask any more favors.

And you didn't answer
when I asked

if you had plans for Christmas.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

But for everything there is
a season and a time

for every matter under heaven.

A time to be born
and a time to die.

A time to plant

and a time to pluck up
what is planted.

A time to k*ll

and a time to heal.

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Can you feel the comfort,
my friends?

Can you feel God within you?

Yes.

Ah, ah, do not whisper to God.

Let him hear your voice.

Can you feel God?

Yes.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength
of my heart

and my portion forever.

And now my friends,

what would you like to
share with us this week?

Ah.

I felt Jason very close
this week.

Like we spoke about,
it didn't hurt as much.

I felt more comforted.

Well, we cannot rush healing.

-But healing...
-Cult.

...comes to us all.

And you?

Yes, you.

You're welcome to
Mather's Church.

What about your loss
would you like to share?

Well, hello.

Um, my husband died


Pff, I mean so long ago
now that I...

compared to most of you,

I should
barely think of him anymore.

It's just that I'm reminded
of it every day.

I lost my husband.
I can cope with that.

But what I felt most was
the loss for my daughter.

She was only 8 at the time.

And I wanted so much
for it not to hurt her.

But I think some things
get stored

in our subconscious, don't they?

I watch her now,

and she's scared to love.

She's scared of being hurt.

And I know it's not my right,

but sometimes I-I
just wanna scream at her.

But to be scared to love...

...because you're scared
of being hurt,

well, that's sacrilegious,
isn't it?

Thank you.

Now, that was wonderful.

-Oh.
-Wonderful.

-Alright, see you.
-Go well. See you next week.

-God be with you.
-Thank you.

God be with you.

-Thanks.
-Thank you.

Thank you for sharing.
God go with you.

Lovely to see you.
Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

May God bless you.

Minister Cameron.
-Hmm?

Ah, I wondered if
I could ask you

a couple of questions
about Robert Scott?

Why?

Well, he used to come here
with his girlfriend, Alice.

And?

And, well, she disappeared,

and then a few years later,
he allegedly committed suicide.

Don't you think that's strange?

Do you believe in God,
Miss Nolan?

Well, it's a simple question.

Do you come here to mock Him
in His own house?

I came here to ask
some questions about Robert

and try and understand
his life.

Christina received a note.

-It's ridiculous.
-Why?

It's a wound she
doesn't want to heal.

She's constructed her life
around it.

Two of your f-flock,
is that what you call them,

went missing, so how
would you explain that?

I failed.

There is a world out there
that I try to protect them from

but, uh...

I don't believe you.

I don't believe that
you don't know anything

about Robert or Alice.

Really don't care
what you believe.

There is only one
who can judge us,

and it's not you, Miss Nolan.

Robert made a choice to turn
his back on us a long time ago.

Our church does a lot
of good work.

I've dedicated my life to that.
We all have.

Christina wrote that
message herself.

She needs help.

You're only encouraging
her fantasy world,

so please leave.

That went well.

I don't get it.

That's not a normal response
to suicide.

They're Christians, dear.

They have
a 2,000-year-old tradition

of not having a normal response
to anything.

Did you miss him?

Who?

Dad.

Doesn't really help
to miss someone, does it?

Doesn't bring them back.

But that doesn't answer
my question.

Is there something
you're not telling me?

Like what?

About you and dad.

Something I don't know.

Did you love him?

What kind of question is that?

You're not a child anymore,
Pearl.

Life isn't black and white.

I just...

Still here?

No.

There was no baby.

The woman who stole the turkey.

No baby.

There was a dog, though.

Yeah? Maybe they share like
Lady and the tr*mp.

Tell you what, why don't you
call her lawyer,

tell him there's no baby
and have him explain

what his client was doing
in the store

with a pram full of meat.

Shouldn't you be at home
in your new flat

settling in for Christmas?

I got your tree.

All I need now
is a plum pudding,

liter of vodka, and a Santa hat.

And I'll be all set.

Sounds like fun.

Humbug.

What do you think?

It's like one of the quotes

that have been ripped off
his sketches.

He put quotes on everything.

Look, you've got a young man,
right,

disappeared, what,
almost seven years ago.

I read the case file,
a lot points to suicide.

You've got a car abandoned
by water.

Right, he's shy, no friends.

Got a history of tragic loss,
depression.

Yeah,
but his life was looking up

and he had a decent
relationship with his wife

even though she had problems.

And he was about
to become a father.

Uh, maybe the responsibility
was too much.

And maybe he was more depressed
than people noticed

and didn't talk to anyone.

It's t-typical male behavior.

Not me, of course.

I'm the male equivalent
of Oprah.

I dunno, maybe you're right.

I've spoken to all the people
that his wife said

he was close to or that
he had regular contact with,

and that's a grand total
of four, including her.

And there's this one
I can't find.

She grew up at the kid's home.

Shut down.

Sorry, I wasn't eavesdropping.

I'm the reason it shut down.

How's the fish?

Yeah, yeah, great, yeah.

Suspect it hasn't seen water
in a while,

but the oil makes up
for that perfectly.

Really, you shut it down?

Well, the girls
weren't properly cared for.

In what way?

Well, when I first started here
as a waitress,

they used to all
come over and spend time here.

The bloke that run it used
to dish out free tattoos

to the girls right there
in that corner.



So I called the home
to report it.

Nothing was done,
so I called the council.

They investigated,

and they found a bit more
than just tattoos.

Did you know a girl
called Alice Lowry?

I remember Alice.

Troubled.

Scottish, big hair,
makeup out here.

I always thought underneath
all the guck,

she'd look just like
a little girl.

First tattoo she ever had
was right by her suicide scar

she had on her wrist.

Tattooed the word "failure"
right next to it.

And after that,
she got her whole chest

covered in butterflies.

Was this the girl
that disappeared?

Hmm.

Must've run off with
her boyfriend.

She used to boast about
how she'd found someone,

how he was gonna
take care of her.

She was pregnant last time
I saw her.

-What?
-Yeah.

Did the test here.

I spent an hour holding her
while she sobbed in the loo.

That's the last time
I ever saw her.

Who was the boyfriend?

Who knows?

Glad I reported it, though.

Ooh, excuse me.

You only use that thing
as a pager, don't you?

Oh, it's, um...

When I came
to see you yesterday...

It's just been
a rough couple of days.

I'm sorry about that.

I'm gonna have a party
at the restaurant for Christmas.

If you haven't made
any other plans.

Look, I know you don't like
meeting new people,

but you could --
you could just talk to me.

Stand in the corner
and have your back

on all the other guests.

I gotta get back to work, um...

Give me a call
if you find anything, alright?

And, uh, don't go
speaking to people alone.

Just call me.

I'll see you later.

Mike, it's me.

Um, I've done something
really stupid.

I went to the children's home.

I know I said I'd tell you
but, well, I'm telling you now.

Look, I-I think Robert is alive.

I think I just saw him.

He attacked me
or I-I scared him.

But either way, I lost him.

Can you, um -- Can you call me?

Hi.

I got your message.
Are you alright?

-Sorry.
For what?

Well, you warned me.

Listen, Pearl,
this is a small town.

What do you mean by that?

What if he knows who you are?

Or where you live?
Or where you work?

Well, I think I just scared him.

He's living there
or he's sleeping there.

And what if he k*lled Alice?

Where are you?

At home.

Listen, uh, why don't you get
some sleep and, um, tomorrow,

bring me everything you've got,
and I'll go through it, okay?

Okay.

Thank you.

Alright, good night.

Night.

Sorry, we're shut.
The kitchen isn't ready yet.

Do you think I could
just have a cup of coffee?

I can sit on the balcony.

Sure.

Just plain black.

I could use one myself.
Do you mind if I join you?

Why are you looking for Robert?

Because Christina hired me
to find him.

Is he with you, Alice?

I saw him last night.

No, you saw me.

What do you want?

I wanna help.

Robert's dead.

How do you know?

Why have you come back?

I'm here to meet the father
of my child.

And who's that?

He's the one that k*lled Robert.

I've imagined this moment
so many times in my head.

What I would say,
what you would do.

What you'd look like
when you're scared.

I was 14.



I was a child.

And I trusted you.

When I told you
that I was pregnant

I thought that you would
take care of me.

But you made me do things
that no child should do.

Took pictures.

Threatened to take my baby away
if I didn't disappear.

You had to involve
my son, didn't you?

Couldn't stay away from him.

Robert tried to save me
from you.

He gave me money so that
I could run from you.

Why did you come back?

I had to tell him.

When I first left, I lied.

I said I didn't know
who the father was.

And it hurt him.

But it was better
than the truth, wasn't it?

I came back
and told him about you.

The night that you beat him
to death.

I saw you leave the car at Oare.

Do you think I mean to hurt him?

He was my son.

Try to imagine that.

I loved you.

Uh, I tried to explain, but --

but he --
he just wouldn't stop shouting.

So you hit him
until he stopped.

Don't you dare judge me.

Every single night
when I close my eyes,

I see his f...

...face.

No sin is forgiven as long
as the conscience knows.

Try k*lling your own son.

Try losing two sons.

You k*lled Robert by spreading
your legs for anyone

who'd give you a minute's
attention, you little wh*re.

Why did you send those notes?

Why?!

Now you know how it feels
to be scared.

They're looking for him,

and they will find you.

There is nowhere
that you can run.

Blessed are they that mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4.

It's a lie, though.

It's a lie, Alice.

I want this to end.

I want this to be over.

I want this to be over.

Whoever strikes a man
so that he dies

shall be put to death.

You shall take him
from my altar so he may die.

Now everyone will know
who you really are.

He will never hurt me
or anybody else again.

Mike, it's me.

You're not gonna like this.

You came.

Yeah.

Oh, thanks.

The corner.

What?

You said there was a corner
where I could stand.

Well, I've got a balcony
if the corners are too crowded.

Are there Christmas songs
playing out there?

No.

Balcony sounds like a good idea.

♪ La, la, la, la, la ♪

♪ La, la, la, la,
la, la, la, la ♪

♪ La, la, la, la, la ♪

♪ La, la, la, la,
la, la, la, la ♪

♪ La, la, la, la, la, la, la ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ La, la, la, la,
la, la, la, la ♪