01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

[quiet, tense music playing]

- [tape hisses]
- [birds singing]

Can you see Daddy?
Should we wave to Daddy?

- [man] Go on. Wave.
- Do you need both hands on it?

- [man laughs]
- Hello!

[child] Ah, no! No!

- [woman laughs]
- [child] No! No! [squeals]

- [birds singing]
- [tense music continues]

[male voice] I went for a walk
with my mother when I was a child…

and she never made it home.

[music intensifies]

- [tape hisses]
- [music ends]

[man] Right, let's get this sock on.

And then we'll get this jumper on as well.

- Yeah?
- No, I want Mummy to do it.

- Get it on.
- I want Mummy to do it.

Come on, Alex.

[hesitates] Alex… Alex… [sighs]
Come on. Just for once, let Daddy do it.

Oh, hello! [laughs]

Alex.

- Put my jumper on.
- Daddy can put it on for you.

- I don't want Daddy to put it on.
- Please, Mummy's getting ready.

- Come on, we need to let Mummy get ready.
- I want Mummy to do it.

- [Alex] Put my jumper on.
- Okay.

[mum] I'll put it on.

If you insist. [grunts lightly]

Here we go.

Shall I get your jumper?
Come on. The quicker we get ready,

the quicker we can go to the park.
And then…

- Then we're gonna ride my tricycle.
- We're gonna ride your tricycle.

Going to the park first, yeah?

- Shall we say bye to Daddy?
- Okay.

Have a fun day. I love you.

- I'll call at lunchtime. Love you.
- Mm-hmm.

Love you too.

- Right, what do we need now?
- My shoes.

[mum] Yes, where are they gonna be?
Are they in there?

- Have you hidden them up your sleeve?
- [Alex laughs]

[horns beeping]

[motorcycle revving]

[car horn beeping repeatedly]

[man 1] Come on, mate! Got places to be!

- [horns beeping]
- [man 2] Move!

Here we go.

Ready. Can you jump? [grunts]

Well done.

Okey-dokey. Right, will you hold my hand?

'Cause we're going through the car park.
How many trees do you think you can climb?

- Fifteen.
- Fifteen?!

- Actually, no, 100.
- 100?

Actually, no, 110.


That's a very reasonable amount.

[mum laughs]

No, dear. Here we go. [laughs]

- And fish?
- [Alex] Yeah.

[mum] What kind of fish? Big fish?

- [Alex] Yeah.
- [mum] Big fish?

[Alex] Big, medium, and small.

[mum] Aha!

- Good morning, mate.
- Good morning. Just the one today.

Tap gently. Gently, gently.

Oh, what's that? Is that a worm?

Look! [gasps]

Can you see it?

Thank you.

That's all right. I'll just find my pen.
Just down there, please.

You know who would love this?
I think the frogs would love this.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Elephants.
- [mum] Elephants would love it.

They'd be going squish, squish, squish.

I don't think you thought…

[birds singing]

[distant sirens wailing]

- [indistinct chattering]
- [sirens wailing]

[hectic, overlapping chattering nearby]

[poignant music playing]

[indistinct speech]

[distant siren wailing]

[quiet, poignant music continues]

[telephone keypad clicking]

[phone rings out]

- [receiver clicks]
- Hello?

[man] Hello, is that André?
Are you Rachel's boyfriend?

Who the hell is this?
What are you doing in my flat?

[man] André, where are you?
Are you on your own?

[siren wailing nearby]

[indistinct chattering]

[shakily] Hi, I'm André Hanscombe.
Alex Hanscombe's dad.

Mr. Hanscombe?

- Alex isn't here.
- Where is he?

He's safe. Please, come…
come… come with me.

- [man 1] Can we have the room, please?
- [woman] Of course, sir.

Thank you.

What's happened?

- [door closes]
- Take a seat.

[André sniffles]

[breathes shakily]

Rachel was attacked
and k*lled with a knife.

[André exhales sharply]

[sobs, sniffles]

- [man 1] I'm sorry.
- [André gasps, sobs]

[André breathes raggedly]

[hesitates] Just… just tell me everything.

I just…
I need to know what happened. [sniffs]

[muffled chattering outside]

[quiet, tense music playing]

[man 1 mutters, grunts]

[helicopter whirs overhead]

- Afternoon.
- [man 2] Afternoon, sir.

[man 1] Uh, investigation team.
Where am I going?

- Over there, guv.
- [man 1 mutters]

[indistinct speech over radio]

Any first impressions?

[man 3] Well, from a cursory glance,

I'd say that the initial attack happened
some way from where we found the body.

So you think she was moved?

Injuries are consistent with dragging,

possibly from
this first area of bloodstaining.

After which point
the blood trail becomes sporadic.

- [man 1 sighs]
- She was eventually forced to here.

This is where
he violently sexually assaults her.

She's been stabbed multiple times.

Who's that?

He found her.

And the child.

The boy didn't seem to want to,
um, leave the… the body.

Excuse me, sir. DCI Wickerson.
Did you hear the boy say anything?

Yeah, he said, um,

uh, "Get up, Mummy. Get my mummy."

So he saw it all?

[man 1] This whole place is on lockdown,

so no one can get near him.

Uh, we've sedated him.
Uh, he's only just gone off.

Your son's injuries are superficial,
mostly to his face.

If you could wait for him to wake up,

our child psychologist
would like to speak to you.

- Could I--
- [man 2] Why don't we nip to the flat?

You'll need things for the two of you.
You can't stay there now.

- Can I just go in--
- He's… he's been sedated.

[man] The brutal m*rder of a young mother
shattered the tranquility

of one of London's most affluent suburbs.

She was sexually assaulted,
and her throat had been cut.

The little boy was also beaten
in the attack

and was found clinging
to his mother's body by a passer-by.

[man 2] The boy
was covered in mud and blood.

He appeared to have been beaten
about the head.

Police say he may have been seized first
and dragged into the bushes

and his mother attacked
when she went after him.

[report continues]

Why didn't he k*ll the kid?

[muffled shouting]

[frenzied shouting]

[man 1] Get back. Get back now.

- [knocks on window]
- [man 1] Come on, André, this way.

[shouting continues]

All right, that's it! Get back!

All right, we're done!
All right? That's enough!

[door closes]

They've offered the neighbors money
for pictures inside the flat.

[man 1 sighs]

André's mother uses her married name,
so they can hide out there.

[sighs] Can we help at all?

Rachel handles most of this stuff.
I don't…

I don't know what he needs.

- I don't even know what he needs.
- We'll need some clothes too.

Yours and Alex's for…
[inhales] …forensics.

[André sighs]

- Might be worth packing some of his toys.
- Yeah. [sniffs]

Yeah.

[man 3] He hasn't spoken
since he was pulled away from the body.

It's important you understand, André,
that if Alex is going to get over this,

you can't lie to him now.

It's absolutely vital he knows
exactly where he stands from the start.

What he needs now is honesty and routine.

[André sniffs]

Okay.

Thank you.

[quiet, poignant music playing]

[André sniffles]

[André sniffles]

There you go. [sniffs]

Okay, listen.

There's been an accident.

Mummy's been k*lled,

and she's gone.

She won't be coming back.

Hey.

Come here.

[poignant music continues]

[André] They, um, used to walk locally,
but she was flashed at months ago.

But she started driving to Wimbledon.

- It was just… safer.
- [man 1] Yeah.

- Okay.
- [woman] He's asleep.

Thanks, Mum.

They were the unit,

Alex and Rachel, you know?

- I was just…
- [man 1] Yeah.

Listen, I know this is tough--

Could social services
take him away from me?

Have they caught him?

[man 2] They've got
an 11-hundred-acre crime scene, André,

and so far no witnesses. Well…

What?

Whatever Alex saw
could obviously be invaluable,

but nobody wants to make things worse.

No, and, look, it won't be our decision.

But if Alex is the only witness,

he's in danger, isn't he? I mean,
the k*ller knows that he saw him.

He'll be safe here, André.

[tense music playing]

[man, on TV] She says that, at the moment,

it's unclear exactly how much
of the attack Alex witnessed.

I think a child would have
no concept of death at all,

so as far as he's concerned,
his mother has left him.

And he would think,
as many children that age do,

it was because of something he did.

[man] How long could this trauma last?

[Dr. Black] It could last a lifetime.

[tense music playing]

[music fades]

[birds singing outside]

What's wrong?

What's wrong with this one?
Look, it's just… [sighs] Alex.

I want to wear my dinosaur one.

- [André] We don't have the--
- Where is it?

[André] It's at home,
and we can't go home right now--

- But I want it.
- [André] What about…

Desperate Dan?

- I know you like this one.
- [Alex] No.

Alex, we can't go home,
so you have to wear this one.

[Alex] I wanna go home!

- Ah, Keith. Take a seat, please.
- Sir.

[door closes]

[man] It's everywhere you look.

[Keith] A pretty blonde and a sex m*rder.

Even without the boy,
it's an editor's dream.

Mm. Meanwhile, we've got nothing.

A woman is stabbed 49 times
in a public space in broad daylight.

Nothing.

Commissioner himself wants
a daily progress report.

Pressure's on already?

Yeah, I need a DI who can handle that.
Go in there and sort this out.

With respect, sir, it sounds like
it could be a poisoned chalice.

[scoffs]

Could also be an ideal opportunity

for a copper on the rise
to really prove himself.

[Alex] I want the bus bowl.

- His… his bowl isn't in there.
- [André] This is fine.

- He won't eat out of that.
- He will today.

- [doorbell rings]
- [André] Alex, what is it?

- The way Mummy does it.
- On his shelf.

Alex, come on.
I'm gonna have to put you down.

- Anything?
- No.

[André's mum] Let me help.
He won't eat that.

- All right.
- Yeah?

Grandma June's gonna help you out, okay?

- Come on.
- [Alex hums quietly]

[man 1] All right, matey?

- [Alex hums]
- [man 1] You all right, André?

[Alex babbles]

It's on the front page of every newspaper.

About…

[Alex babbles]

There's reporters
camped outside his nursery.

Look what we've got now.
Look what I've found.

- Has he said anything?
- No.

- [June] You don't wanna look?
- Okay.

Okay. Here we are.

You need him, don't you?

[June] I know. Take that off your…

[Alex babbles]

[cartoon playing on TV]

[Alex babbles]

I know that when Mummy died,

someone else was there, wasn't there?

[Alex babbles softly]

[André] Remember much about them?

[Alex sighs]

[Alex babbles]

What… what about if I draw him?

Can you help me draw him?

Maybe tell me what he was wearing?

Just…

[Alex babbles quietly]

[André] What about this?

See the bad man? I don't like him.

And this is what I want to do with him.

[paper rustles]

[André grunts]

Yeah? Do you wanna have a go?

[Alex mouths silently]

[André] Nice.

Ooh, good shot.

Well, he remembers something,
God help him.

[man 1] Sit on that, I'll bring it over.
Go on. On you get.

You ready? [grunts theatrically]

[grunting continues]

Nice!

- [man 1 laughs]
- He hasn't cried once.

[man 1] Anything we need?

Well, maybe he doesn't understand
that she's… gone.

[André] What's up?

You want me to come? [sniffles]

Nick and Paul are great at forts.
I'll come and look after, yeah?

He'll come soon.

- What do you want?
- I want that pillow for a wall.

- Okay, you take it, then.
- [André chuckles]

[Nick] Nice one.

Who knows what's going on
in his little head?

[Nick] What are we gonna use that for?

Alex?

Oh, wow, look at that.

Maybe I'll take him with me

when I identify her.

Really?

[André sighs]

I don't know about that.

It would be his last chance
to see her face.

- [Nick] Where'd he go?
- [Alex giggles]

[door closes slowly]

[André exhales]

[André sniffles]

Do you wanna see Mummy now?

Alex?

[André breathes deeply]

[quiet, mournful music playing]

[cries softly]

[cries quietly]

Alex?

Do you want to see Mummy now?

[André sniffles]

[Wickerson] Keith?

Ladies and gentlemen,
can I have your attention, please?

Thank you.

Right, this is DI Pedder.
Keith's one of the sharpest around.

- One of?
- [laughing]

So what's the latest?

Right, well, we've got two possibles.

A short-haired man seen washing his hands
in a nearby stream,

or a chap with a ponytail in a rush
just after the body was found.

- Well, he wants nicking for the ponytail.
- [laughing]

But we still haven't got
a single matching description,

along with no weapon,
no DNA, no fingerprints,

and, apart from half a footprint

and some flecks of red paint
in Alex's hair,

no physical evidence.

What about the piece of paper
on her forehead?

Ah, yeah. That was a notification
from the bank of Rachel's PIN number.

But we don't know how it got there
or what it means.

So, out of 500 potential witnesses…

Who we're still tracing,

along with 100 known sex offenders
living in the immediate vicinity alone.

Sorry, go on.

…we still don't have
one definitive sighting of our man?

No. And the pathologist says,

because no arteries were severed,
he probably wasn't covered in blood.

So, needle in a haystack.

I'm not even sure
we're looking in the right haystack.

[Keith clicks tongue]

Have we interviewed the boy yet?

[woman 1] Police tell me
at least 100 people were on the common

at the time of the attack.

It's a popular spot for joggers
and for people walking their dogs.

In fact,
there was a golf tournament going on,

and there would have been golfers
a few hundred yards away

when the m*rder took place.

[man] We were here from half seven on.
Never heard nothing like this.

[woman 2] I know we're all nervous,

but I've worked in childhood trauma
for many years,

and I can assure you
that if Alex can talk about what happened,

then it will help him in the future.

So… [grunts] …now that

we've all shared
how we found out about what happened,

there's only one person left.

And you were there, weren't you, Alex?

[Alex hums softly]

When the bad man k*lled your lovely mummy.

[Alex hums]

Do you remember if he said anything, Alex?

[babbles quietly]

Which hand
did the man have the knife in, Alex?

Is it left or right?

[toys clattering]

Hey, Al… Alex?

[toys clattering]

- Gentle.
- It's all right.

- [Alex hums]
- [toys clattering]

You must have felt

so small and helpless.

- [Alex hums]
- [toys clattering]

[suspenseful music playing]

[music fades]

[Alex hums gently]

Do you remember what happened
when you first saw the bad man, Alex?

[mouths silently]

Hey, nicely, Alex.

It's okay. It's all right.

[sighs] Alex, stop. Draw.

See, I think that Alex can remember
everything about his worst-ever day.

'Cause he's such a clever little boy.

Okay, Alex, stop. Stop. Gentle.

Gentle or stop. Al… Alex.

Alex, stop. Alex. Alex!

- [Alex pants]
- Hey. Alex, stop it. Come on, calm down.

[Alex yells]

- [Nick] What's that? A chimney?
- [Alex] Building.

This is all building, yeah?
And that's the boat?

[Nick] A sort of outhouse.

[chattering continues indistinctly]

Hi.

Are you… you ready to continue?

I think maybe I should just go
and get his trike or…

Well, André, I want you to try to remember
how young he is.

Alex doesn't yet have the vocabulary
or experience to articulate what happened

or his feelings about it.

It's just it feels like an interrogation.

You're doing the right thing.

Do you know that? Can you be certain?
Because I didn't recognize that child.

In truth,
this is unprecedented for all of us.

Nobody can say exactly
what the long-term effects will be,

but without therapy,

the risk of Alex growing up
to live an angry and chaotic life

and hurt himself or others,

it only increases.

[tense music playing]

[man] André.

Thank you so much for coming.

Um, Ivan Agnew. We spoke on the phone.

Uh, was the journey okay?
I know you had some concerns.

Yeah, the press usually get tipped off
from flight logs, so…

- Right.
- Now I buy my ticket at the airport.

Yeah, yeah, I can understand.

Um, do you wanna put your bag on there?

Um…

I'd like to show you something.

[lock beeps]

So this room
is solely dedicated to the investigation.

It's already one of the largest inquiries
in British police history.

And we're opening it up again, André.

I don't understand what's changed.

Well,

DNA technology has moved on since 1992,

and we've commissioned
an independent forensic firm

to reanalyze all the original samples.

Okay, and does the media know about this?

No.

[scoffs]

Not yet.

[Ivan] Look,
I know mistakes were made last time,

but… we need your help, André.

And I know this is sensitive…

but I'd like to talk to you about Alex.

[lively jazz music playing]

[music continues through headphones]

[indistinct chattering nearby]

[youths chattering excitedly]

[in Catalan] Hey, how's it going?

- [laughing]
- [speaking in Catalan]

What's up, mate?

[speaking in Catalan]

[chattering continues in Catalan]

Look, look, look.

[excited muttering]

[youth 1] About time.

Wait. The three wise men came for a visit?

- He's finally bought some.
- f*ck off.

Are we gonna smash this joint or what?

[speaking in Catalan]

[gate opens]

[gate closes]

[indistinct speech on radio]

[door opens]

[André] Alex.

You're home.

[André sighs]

- You okay?
- Yeah.

Where have you been?
I've been back for hours.

I was just helping a mate out
with something after school.

- Yeah?
- Yeah. Have you, uh, eaten?

Well, not yet, actually,
but I can do you a plate if you'd like.

Yeah?

[André sighs]

Um…

Are you

not gonna ask about London?

[Alex sighs]

Sure.

How was it?

[André] Yeah, it was, um…

it was okay.

They're reopening the case,

and they actually want to reinterview you.

[Alex sighs softly]

Thing is, I told them
everything I remember.

Plus, I don't even think about it now.

I know, Alex. I just…
I said we'd at least talk about it.

You can't speak for me, Dad.

Not anymore.

[inhales deeply]

[exhales softly]

Alex.

[sighs] Can you knock?

Sorry, I, uh…

I didn't think.

Alex, look, I, um…

I get that you blame the police. I do.

But this isn't about them.

And it's not about me.

- This is about--
- Don't dare bring Mum into this.

I don't wanna remember my mother
for her death.

I wanna remember her for her life,
what she wanted for me.

- She didn't want mainstream education.
- That was a conversation--

- She didn't want me eating animals.
- At least eat fish.

You need to get protein, Alex. That's…

[Alex] You're not dragging me
through that again.

Alex, wait. Al--

[tense music playing]

[sighs]

[woman] Many people asking,

is anyone safe when murders can take place
in broad daylight?

I've always felt safe here. Always.

So it's… it's changed my life.

[man] There are suspects.
Four men were spotted near the scene.

Perhaps the most important
was the one seen washing his hands

in this stream shortly after the m*rder.

He, like the others, hasn't been traced,

and the police fear
that if it was the k*ller,

he may strike again.

Sir.

André. Nicholas Campbell.

Please, stay seated.

[Campbell sighs]

I understand
you're having second thoughts.

Yeah, I just, um…

I don't think I can do this.

[Alex murmurs]

What's that? Is that a rainbow?

- Wanna show my friend?
- Let's have a look.

[Paul] Yeah.

[Campbell] We need information, André.

And in order to get it,
we must be friends with the media.

Understand?

- Not really--
- We… we really need this, André.

[Campbell] Thank you.

Okay. [sniffs]

Daddy won't be long.
Hey, it's okay. You're here with Paul.

- You can draw some more pictures.
- Yeah, he'll be back soon.

- [Alex] No. Daddy…
- [Paul] You want some stickers?

[Alex] Don't go. No.

Maybe you could draw a picture
for when Dad gets back, no?

[Paul] What's your favorite sticker?

[quiet, emotional music playing]

[distant chattering]

[man 1] Here he comes.

- [woman 1] André.
- [man 2] Can you settle down, please?

- Mr. Hanscombe's gonna make a statement.
- [press shouting]

- You'll have a chance to ask questions.
- [man 3] André!

[man 4] You'll have a chance
to ask questions.

- Quiet down now. Thank you.
- [woman 2] André!

- [man 5] Has Alex spoken yet?
- [woman 3] How much does Alex remember?

[cameras clicking]

I don't know
how Alex will be in the future.

But I just want to say to anyone
who knows the person who did this,

no matter how they might feel about them,

please come forward…
before he destroys anyone else's life.

- [man 6] Have you made any progress?
- [woman 4] Where are you living, André?

- [press shouting questions]
- [woman 5] How's Alex sleeping?

[Nick] If you could respect
the family's privacy at this stage…

- [Alex] And…
- [Paul] You all right?

- [André chuckles]
- [Paul] Who's next?

[André laughs softly]

[gentle music playing]

[Paul chuckles]

Oh.

- [man] Hey!
- [Paul laughs]

[woman] Let's go.

- [gentle music continues]
- [birds singing]

[June sighs softly]

It's not just about what Alex needs,
you know?

You lost her too, André.

What do you need?

[André cries quietly]

[André sniffles]

Come here.

[indistinct chattering]

Are you sure about this?

Hey. I won't be long.

Hey, what's the matter?

I'll only be a couple of minutes.

- We can play some games, mate.
- No.

- Be back before you know it.
- No.

Alex.

I did explain, didn't I?
I'm going to see where Mummy died.

I'm going to lay a rose

and say goodbye properly. I won't be long.

But I want to come with you.

- Alex, I don't think--
- I want to.

You want to say goodbye too?

Yes.

I don't think that's a good idea.

Hey.

We need to be sure
you know what we're doing.

You want to come and say goodbye?

Yes.

Okay.

He's sure.

- Yeah. Yeah, all right.
- [Nick] Okay.

Okay.

- [press shouting]
- Don't pay them any attention.

[cameras clicking]

Right. Step back, please, all right?
Let them walk.

[indistinct, overlapping shouting]

- [shouting continues]
- [Paul] Get back! You're scaring him.

Back off. Right off.

[Paul] I said back!

[soft, poignant music playing]

[André] Is this the place?

Daddy's here.

I'll always be here.

Are you remembering?

[music fades]

What about this?
He look anything like this?

Okay, that's a no.

How about this, Alex?

No? Okay, right.

Tell you what, do you remember
anything about what he was wearing?

Like, did he have a T-shirt on?
Like Daddy, like what Daddy's wearing?

Or like a shirt with a collar, like this?

Like this or what Paul's wearing?

[Paul] Like this? Like this, a shirt?

- [Nick] A shirt like that.
- With buttons on.

[Nick] Yeah? Shirt.

- Okay.
- [Paul] Okay.

Was he thin like Daddy?

Was he fat like Paul?

Just like Daddy.

Like Daddy.
Okay, that's good. Really good.

- Really good, mate.
- Yeah.

[Paul] Was he big or small, Alex?

I mean, he's a child, Paul.
Everyone's big.

Batman.

- [Nick] He was…
- Batman.

We'll play with Batman later.
Was he wearing trousers or shorts?

- [Alex] Batman.
- What about Batman?

Belt.

A belt? Did he have a belt like Batman?

- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah? He had a belt.

Batman.

[André] He meant the utility belt
he wears over his costume.

The man's shirt wasn't tucked in,
but he had a belt on top.

I know it's odd, but Alex was sure.

[Keith] Young, white, thin, short hair,

white shirt, blue trousers,

brown shoes, carrying a black bag.

That is some boy you've got.

Thank you, André.

I know you're focusing on the funeral,
but this is… [inhales]

It's excellent.

[André] Is it?

We can now go back through
every witness statement

looking for a match.

But this means
that Alex remembers everything.

We don't know what this is doing to him.

Alex's description means
we go back through every statement

looking for anything resembling a match.

Look, I know
it's a lot on top of everything else,

but this isn't wasted time.

Someone must have seen this man.

Talking of wasted time…

[Wickerson] Other leads, other details,
I'll discuss with you over the phone.

Um, now, we are aware of your work
with other forces, Professor Britton,

and… as well as your successes.

Uh, DI Pedder.

And, uh, we basically need to narrow
our pool of suspects.

- That's how you put it, isn't it, Keith?
- Yeah.

[Wickerson] So do you think
you could create

a psychological profile
of the monster who did that?

Oh, he's no monster.

He's a man, aged between 20 and 30,

with poor heterosocial skills.

He'll have a powerful,
deviant sexual fantasy life

and probably some form of dysfunction.

If he's employed,
it will be an unskilled occupation.

And he'll be single, living with parents
or alone in a bedsit.

I doubt he was known to the victim,
or the child wouldn't be alive.

Her name's Rachel,
and we don't say "the victim" here.

You got all that
from a few photographs, Mr. Britton?

That's the real conundrum.

Why was the boy allowed to live?

It's "Professor."

[quiet, tense music playing]

[June] André?

André!

What is it, Mum?

[June] They're here.

What's up?

[June] Look.

- [June] They've found us.
- [muffled chattering]

[tense music continues]

[music fades]

- [man] You're both here. Good.
- What is it, Grant?

The man washing his hands at the stream
had a black bag.

And after Alex's description,

I knew there was a statement somewhere
about a white shirt and a bag.

- And…
- You've found it.

Doctor's wife said she passed the same man
three times and was suspicious.

And when she saw him the last time…

"I noticed he had a belt or some sort
of strap wrapped around his waist."

Like Batman.

Like Batman.

Yeah. She saw our k*ller.

[suspenseful music playing]

- [man] You talked about his face as thin?
- [woman] Yes.

First, a notorious crime

that two months ago
made headlines all over Britain.

On Wimbledon Common in Southwest London,
a young mother,

Rachel Nickell,
was waylaid and repeatedly stabbed.

Her scratched and bruised two-year-old son
was found clinging to her body.

The man was in his twenties or thirties.

He was tall, more than 5'10",
and had short brown hair.

He had a white shirt with buttons
and dark trousers, possibly blue,

and was carrying a small, dark bag.

[indistinct chattering outside]

- [press shouting outside]
- Paul, this can't be normal.

- They're going through our bins.
- Yeah, and we'll deal with that.

They're stealing our post,
ringing the doorbell at all hours.

- We'll have a word.
- They're not listening.

André, there's been
a development overnight

as a result of the Crimewatch appeal.

Several people have come forward
and given the same name from the photofit.

He's in custody now.

[tense music playing]

Okay.

[man] All right. Out you get.

[suspenseful music playing]

- [keypad beeps]
- [lock clicks]

[Wickerson] It all matches up.

Basically, he's our photofit on legs.

[Keith] And an even better match
for Professor Britton's profile.

Oh. "Professor" now, is it?

Colin Stagg. Twenties, single,
unemployed, lives near the common

and visits every day.

Yeah, and he admits to
walking his dog there on the 15th.

But he says he was back at home
by the time of the m*rder.

The neighbors reckon he's a weirdo.

We've already found knives in his flat,

plus books on black magic.

[Colin] You know, I… I wake up,
do my paper round, and I, um…

Well, I go back to my flat,
get my dog, Brandy, and we…

we, uh… we… we… we walk around the common.

And did you ever see Rachel, Colin,
on the common?

Well, I saw someone who looked like her,
yeah, about two years ago.

I… I thought, "That's a…
that's a nice-looking girl," you know,

like, "I'd, um…
I'd like to bump into her again."

[Colin laughs awkwardly] You know, but…

But you didn't?

Well, no.

[Alex laughs]

[André] What about this one?

- What one?
- [André] It looks good.

Oh, it's in half. No good.
Do you wanna throw that one?

Go on. There's another two there.

[woman] I'm so sorry.
I just had to come over to, um…

It's André, isn't it?

It was your wife
who was m*rder*d in Wimbledon.

- We gotta go. Sorry.
- Oh, this must be your little Alex.

- Sorry.
- I wanted to make sure you're both okay.

- Yeah, he's okay.
- [Alex] No.

- [woman] Sorry, I didn't…
- [Alex] I don't want to go.

[Kevin] Now, the thing is, Colin,

your neighbor says
you were acting strangely

on the day of the m*rder.

When you told her about it,

you looked like
you'd recently bathed and changed.

I know who you're talking about,
and she's wrong.

[knock at door]

Uh, sorry, can I have a quick word?

[door closes]

Yeah, we've got another neighbor
saying she saw him earlier that day

going on to the common at a time
when, according to him,

he was already back home.

She also says
she saw him carrying a black bag.

[tense music playing]

Now, take your time.

[woman] It's number five.

[Keith] You sure?

Number five is the man I saw, 100%.

[Keith sighs]

[Keith] What if I told you, Colin,

that a very reliable witness

picked you out of an identity parade
this morning

and is certain that she saw you
on the day of the m*rder,

near the m*rder scene,
at 10:10, 10:17, and 10:23 a.m.?

It wasn't me.

The thing is, I don't believe you, Colin.

And neither will anybody else.

It wasn't me.

[Campbell] Well… [sighs]

…he admits sunbathing naked on the common,
so charge him with indecency.

But we need an admission on the m*rder.

But he's lying, sir.

[Campbell scoffs] I agree.



Yeah, he's a compelling suspect.

But you know as well as I do,
without an admission,

CPS will say all this is circumstantial.

[Keith sighs]

Can we get the eyewitness to…
well, shore it up?

- [Wickerson] Alex?
- [Campbell] Yeah.

Or should we consider
a special ID parade for him?

Or show him the suspect's picture,
at least?

No.

[Wickerson] He's so young.

Its evidential value will be limited.

Alex needs to be allowed to be a child,
and we need to get that confession.

Well, get it.

Try and remember,
people here don't know about our past.

So just don't forget that.

Yeah, as if you'd let me.

[knocking on door]

André! Alex!

[André, in Catalan] Hi. How are you?

[man] Very good, and you?

You're just in time.
We're downstairs already.

I'm coming. Welcome.

[indistinct chattering]

- [laughing, chattering]
- [music playing quietly]

I hope you're hungry.

Ah, you've arrived. Come in, come in.

[man] You left the oven on.

[man] Sit down.

[chattering continues in Catalan]

It rained so much
that it left the pool full of leaves.

I spent the whole morning
getting them out.

You were lucky you weren't here.

Oh, of course, how was London?

[Alex shushes]

Nobody mention London.

It's very good.

[woman speaks in Catalan]

You don't like the food, Alex?

It's not that. I'm vegetarian.

- But your father said you eat fish.
- He does.

But there are some vegetarians
who eat fish.

No, I told him
I would never eat fish again.

Look, it's no trouble.
I'll make something else for him.

No, Alex is being stubborn.

[man] He's being a teenager.

Precisely because he's an adolescent.

Alex, try a bit, and if you don't like it,
you don't have to finish it.

Do you want me to vomit?

That's a bit much.

[speaking in Catalan]

[quietly] Why are you getting involved?

What do you mean?

[quietly, in English] Alex, listen.
Until you're 18, you do as I say, okay?

Stop embarrassing us. Eat the fish.

Spare the rod and spoil the child, eh?

[in Catalan] It's not a big deal.
I'll make something else.

- [André, in English] No.
- Do I get punished for this?

[André, in Catalan] Thank you.
He'll eat it.

[in English] You're letting her down.

[quietly] Your mother would be ashamed
with how you're acting right now, okay?

- Eat the fish.
- You're worse than the police.

- Eat the food.
- [yells] You don't speak for her!

[in Catalan] Hey, put the knife down.
Come on, calm down, guys.

- [woman] Alex.
- Alex, put the knife down, please.

[tense music playing]

[André breathes heavily]

[tense music continues]

[doorbell rings]

- [press shouting] André!
- [cameras clicking]

[indistinct, overlapping shouting]

So you're saying it isn't him?

I'm saying that we've had to release him.

But if it is him,

what if he comes for Alex
now that he knows that you're onto him?

Alex is safe, André. And this man
will not be out there much longer.

How can you say he's safe?
You said this was the man.

And now he's free. I don't understand.

- [door closes]
- [cartoon playing on TV]

I'll be back in a minute.

What did he say?

- [André] They've had to release him.
- Why?

I don't know, Mum. I don't know.

- Insufficient evidence… I don't know.
- That doesn't make sense.

I know. It doesn't make sense.
But I… I don't know what to do.

I don't know what to do about these gifts,
about that lot out there.

As soon as they catch him, I'm--

But what if they don't?

Because right now,
the k*ller's still out there.

And Keith can't guarantee Alex's safety.

- No one can.
- Okay.

And I promised Rachel
that I would look after that boy.

- You don't want him to hear you.
- We can't carry on like this.

- He can't carry on like this.
- I know, I know.

And between the kind, kind people,

therapists, police, and press,

he can't have a normal childhood, can he?

[June sighs sadly]

And maybe that's what I need to do,

is take him somewhere
where they don't know who he is.

- No.
- Well, what else, Mum? What else?

Maybe this is his only chance of having
a fresh start if I take him away for good.

No, you can't make
a decision like that now.

Mum, stop.

Not now.

[June sighs] Okay.

Don't let Alex see you like this.

Since the beginning
of the Rachel Nickell inquiry,

police have questioned


but still appear to have little to go on.

And despite the massive public response
to the Crimewatch appeal,

it seems
they're virtually back to square one.

[Keith] Colin Stagg isn't just
a good suspect. He's our k*ller.

And we need you to help us prove it.

Now, we've been contacted

by a woman who saw Stagg on the news
at the indecency hearing.

She says they were swapping
lonely hearts letters

at the end of 1990 through '91
until Stagg's became explicit.

Well, obscene, she said.

And you're thinking of providing him
with a new pen pal of your own?

I think it's worth a try.

Now, with that in mind,
do you think you can help us

to design a… covert operation
to get the truth out of Stagg?

[Britton sighs]

I think so.

Oh, okay.

But we'll need to move quickly.

Because if Rachel's m*rder*r isn't caught,
he will k*ll again.

[ominous music playing]

[music intensifies]

[music fades]

[solemn instrumental music playing]