01x04 - Death by Vinyl: Final Chapter

[bunniefuu]

Previously on
"Queens of Mystery"...

Volcanic Youth are recording
a reunion record.

Well, hello, you lovely people.

- Bloody cow!
- Get off me!

- Girls! Stop!
- Kurt, is that you?

Electra Bliss is dead.

She was being watched.

There was a reel
on there yesterday.

The tape's been taken.

You can't suppress the truth!

Truth?

It's over, man.

How can you claim
to run a record company

if you don't answer
your damn phone?

To lose one lead singer

may be regarded as a misfortune.

To lose bothand your manager
looks like carelessness.

To Inspector Thorne,

that meant tough decisions
needed to be made.

There's a m*rder*r out here.

Nobody leaves
until they're in custody.

But what if someone else
is k*lled, sir?

We'd better get it solved before
that can happen, Sergeant.

Or we'll both have blood
on our hands.

To twist the Kn*fe isn't just
an expression in this case.

What, you think the k*ller
wanted it to hurt,

- like a punishment?
- Maybe.

Then, again, perhaps they knew
it would do more damage quickly.

The body also looks like
it's been moved.

Because of an interruption?

Well, it'd stop it
being found as fast.

Either could be true.

In that perfect moment,
Matilda couldn't help thinking

what a great team
she and Dr. Daniel Lynch made.

Uh, he...
Uh, it's a kitchen Kn*fe.

Seems to be a good-quality one.

Probably German.

And his knowledge
of well-engineered cutlery

did nothing to dampen her ardor.

I also got the lab results back

from Electra Bliss' autopsy.

There was cocaine in her system.

That explains why the table
was wiped down.

Someone cleaned up the room.

To protect her reputation
or themselves?

She was a rock star. They were
covering their own tracks.

- Matilda?
- Terry.

Right.

There's only two shops in London
that stock Gray River Vodka.

Here's
their client delivery list.

They have Collins.

Good work.

She was in the vicinity
of both crimes

and had motive
to k*ll Electra Bliss.

Plus, we've identified
the drill bit used.

It's a standard high-speed
with a 1/4-inch shank.

They're very common.

I've been thinking
about that peephole.

It's almost too small.

As the newly widowed Tallulah
signaled her grief with tears,

those around her were left
to wonder if they were,

in fact,
of the crocodilian variety.

Enough with the filming already!

I'm protecting us.

No one's gonna try
and m*rder anyone on camera.

Get that thing out of my face!

Ow! Oh!

Hey, man.
That was unnecessary.

Switch it off, please,
Mr. Wimmer.

Viv, I need a word with you.

In private.

Follow me, please.

So...

...are you a cocaine user,
Ms. Collins?

No. Stuff makes me
climb up the walls.

Gray River Vodka
more your thing?

I found a bottle by the road
where Ringo the dog was k*lled.

Ringo?
Is that his name?

That's a bummer.

It wasn't me.

I told you...
I'm... I'm off the booze now.

A local stocker said
you're a very loyal customer.

Ah, well, see, sometimes,
I buy gifts for people.

Why deny knowing Electra Bliss
wanted you out of the band?

We have the note
that she wrote to you.

Well

the thing is,
you see, I'm, um...

I'm paranoid.

My psychiatrist thinks
that it's because

of all the hard living
in my past,

and, um... And so really
what happened was, you know,

I-I just panicked.

- How come?
- Well, she wanted me out,

and then she was k*lled,
and so it...

And it's gonna look like
that I'm guilty,

which, you know, I'm not.

You were seen coming out of
the studio at 2:20 on the night

Electra Bliss was k*lled.

She slipped the note
under my door,

and I don't sleep much at night,
so I read it,

and then I watched her,
you know, go outside.

- And you followed her out there?
- Yes.

Because I wanted to tell her
she can't fire me.

Being in this band,
it's my life.

Volcanic Youth
wouldn't exist without me.

Now, you, on the other hand...

"I won't let your inability

to deal with the past
ruin our future."

What in your past
is she referring to?

Uh, well, I had
a rough childhood,

you see, and that's why I drink.

Well, I don'tdrink.
I used to drink. I don't drink.

We found you last night
standing over Len's body.

I told you.
I was stir-crazy.

I just needed a walk,
and then there he was.

A walk in the cold and the dark?

Look, I've got a lot going on at
the moment in my mind, you know?

I mean, Susan's death,

and then Len trying
to rush-release her last song.

I mean, this is
really heavy stuff, you know?

Her last song?
When did she record it?

Well, on the night she d*ed.

And Len had the tape?

Yes.

He said that he slipped back
into the studio

first thing
the following morning

and before they sealed
the place off.

Look, are you gonna charge me?
Because my psychiatrist

says that I don't deal very well
with stress,

and, you know, I think
I've answered enough of...

of all your questions now
and all that.

We came in that way.

You're right.
I remember.

What were you doing
in a bin anyway?

So, the bassist, Gina,
was threatening Len,

wanting money for something?

We should tell Matilda.

You think that's motive
for m*rder?

I don't know.

The body looked staged to me,
like, uh...

like he'd been stabbed

and then positioned
under the statue of Apollo.

God of music, song, and poetry.

Huh. The three things that
Len didn't give a fig about.

Oh, he loved the music-biz
parties and the girls,

but the one thing that
he really cared about was cash.

Maybe the k*ller knew that
and was making a statement.

Like some kind
of poetic justice?

- How big's this tape?
- It's about that big.

It'll be in a box.

"Retrodisc Records."

Volcanic Youth's new contract.

Steven W. Tyne.

Let's get in contact
with Mr. Tyne.

What's in the other one, Terry?

He tried not to smile
at her use of his first name,

but it was hard.

It's a legal letter,
banning Jonas Wimmer

from ever using
an interview he did with Len.

Now, that's some TV
I want to see.

Ready?

♪ Oh, the reason ♪

♪ For my floods of tears ♪

♪ Is 'cause you're saying
we're ♪

♪ Surely dying ♪

♪ Remember me ♪

♪ 'Cause that's all you've got ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm a road ♪

♪ That don't go home ♪

Kurt?

Kurt, stop messing about.

- Kurt, is that you?
- It's not me.

I'm... I'm not in there.

Kurt, this isn't funny anymore.

What did she say
right at the end?

I couldn't make it out.

I think it was...

Sorry.

..."Sorry."

It says here Apollo

was also the god
of protection of the young.

Who Len Savage literally spent
most of his life exploiting.

And the sun, light, prophecy.

Not to mention archery,
the plague,

medicine, and knowledge.

Busy chap.

So, um... maybe we're barking up
the wrong tree or statue

or whatever with
this whole poetic-justice thing.

Okay.

- What about water?
- What about it?

Well, Len's body
was dumped in water.

Was Apollo the god of that, too?

No.
That was Poseidon.

Put that down, please.

Sorry.
Force of habit.

I forget
I'm holding it sometimes.

The interview you did that
Len didn't want you using...

I need to see it.

Are you sure about this?

Len's gone.

Let's do this.

Who's gonna be
the third member of the band?

We have
a short statement to make.

The death of Electra Bliss

and now the band's
long-term manager, Len Savage...

...is a huge tragedy.

But after careful consideration,

we've decided that
Volcanic Youth must continue

and that the two of us will
soon be recording her last song

and then going out on tour.

Thank you for your support
during this difficult time.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

I heard that Volcanic Youth

nearly split up
after the '85 tour.

Yeah, well, you know, when
your lead singer dies, it's...

The surviving members
of the band

are bound to consider
their futures, you know?

Yeah, but you know there
are all other sorts of rumors

flying around
that Nikki was m*rder*d

or that she didn't want to be
famous and faked her own death.

You know what?
I've changed my mind.

I don't want to be
in your crappy film.

Oh, wait. Look...

Enough!

You seem to have hit a nerve.

You're not wrong.

He made it a condition for me
being allowed to film the band

during the making of this album
that I sign a letter

to never sell
or even use this clip.

Your documentary just keeps
getting more interesting,

doesn't it?

First Electra Bliss,
then Len Savage.

I know.
It's practically making itself.

But... obviously, I wish
none of this had happened.

It's all very tragic.

What is it, Cat?

I thought you should know.
I overhead Gina arguing with Len

about money that she was owed.

Okay. Thanks. I have to go.
I'll call you back. Bye.

Where were you yesterday between
6:00 and 7:00, Mr. Wimmer?

In here, editing the rushes.

Mattie's interviewing a suspect,

- and she's forgotten to hang up.
- Put it on speaker, then.

Couldn't have written
a better plot, could you?

The band going to the house

of a world-famous
reclusive rock star,

and then the lead singer
and their manager get m*rder*d.

She makes a good point.

Got everything
a decent detective novel needs.

Interesting characters,
quirky world, plenty of mystery.

- Even some tunes.
- I'd imagine you'd have

film companies
lining up to buy it.

A great documentary maker
is a lucky documentary maker.

And that's you, is it,
Mr. Wimmer?

You were just lucky?

Jonas was, in fact,
the latest in a long line

of highly unfortunate Wimmers.

His great-grandfather
had been k*lled

in a freak yodeling accident.

His grandfather lost to
a donkey in local elections

and never fully recovered.

And his father...

Well, the less said
about his encounter

with a Samoan arm-wrestling
champion, the better.

So these murders
were either a sign

that the Wimmer luck
was finally changing

or that Jonas had decided to
change that luck for himself.

- May I?
- What are you...

Had you worked with Len before?

No.

This is my first film.

So, why did he hire you?

Len didn't.

Fairsight Films hired me
after I answered their ad

for a documentary maker
in Wall of Rockmagazine.

Check it out.

No website for Fairsight Films.

Where can we get back copies
of Wall of Rockmagazine?

Well, Pat Cardosa
has an Aladdin's cave

of music-related stuff...

mags, albums, films, the works.

There is a link
to this site, though.

- I've got to go.
- Cat?

How big is the business
end of that microphone?

About 1/4 inch?

Your guess is as good as mine.

- What, you don't know?
- It's not my mic.

I borrowed it off Kurt after
Sir Ray broke mine this morning.

Mr. Lee.

Oops!

Oh.

I love the sound of her.

That's all.

She was so full of life.

Were you listening
the night she was k*lled?

Yes.

♪ Remember me ♪

♪ 'Cause that's all you've got ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm a road ♪

It is good stuff.

The best.
So go easy, all right?

Is that Gina Galvin with her?

Don't be funny.
I can handle it.

What's that chopping sound?

They're preparing dr*gs, Terry.

Oh, right. dr*gs.

Yeah, I thought so.

That's going on your tab,
which, by the way,

is well over its limit.

My tab?

I just got you a spot
in the band.

That's got to cover it.

You haven't settled up
for months.

We owe a lot of money.

You mean you owe a lot of money.

Had a small technical glitch.

That's it, I'm afraid.

A stage-dive fail
of truly epic proportions

had left Viv with back problems

and a deep mistrust of
all East Lithuanian audiences.

So, do we arrest him
or caution him?

Just need to have a few words
with her first.

Any other instrument's
not a problem.

I'm the backbone of this band!

Stay away from me!

You don't want to do this.

Viv, put that thing down,
please.

I'm sorry.

Viv, I shouldn't
have gone along with it.

We shouldn't have gone along
with any of it,

but we can't change the past.

I still have nightmares
about the lake.

It was an accident, Tallulah.

The brakes.

I know.

Nikki was our friend.

Why did we listen to them?

We were young.

We were scared.

Well,
there's the Wall of Rockbox.

What was it you were after?

A small ad for a documentary
filmmaker circa 2016.

Uh...

- Shall we have a look?
- Mm-hmm.

As the troubled drummer
faced the prospect

of a lengthy incarceration,

Matilda wondered
what it was in their past

that they should not
have gone along with...

...and how it related
to Nikki Holler.

Cat?

It's me... Nikki.

I'm about to get a ferry home.

I wanted to say that...

I missed you and I'm sorry.

Come on, Nikki.

Hurry up,
or we'll miss the boat.

I really want to see you
and the baby,

maybe give things
another sh*t...

except, this time,
there'll be three of us.

Come on, Nikki!

The tour's not been the same
without you, Cat.

I spent my 27th alone

in some crappy hotel room
in Dusseldorf.

Look, I'll call you tomorrow
when I get back.

I love you.

I love you, too.

I spent my 27th alone
in some crappy hotel room in...

I spent my 27th alone...

Coordinates
for Len Savage's house.

Ah.

1-6-1.

8-0-3.

The lake...

that gives Viv nightmares.

"Carry your sin
through a moonlit wood."

Moonlit wood.

Moon phases?
What...

Hang on.

Why 31st of July, 1985?

That's the night Nikki Holler
drowned in Len Savage's pool.

Whoa.

Yesterday, when I asked you
about an accident, you panicked.

Why?

Len's house.

The lake.

The woods.

"Carry your sin
through a moonlit wood."

Nikki was your friend.

It's time the truth came out.

We were nearly at Len's house.

- You got a beer?
- No, no.

Yo, Viv!

Len. Yeah.
Beer!

- Here.
- Thanks.

I only took my eyes
off the road for a minute.

Viv!

Viv, wait! Aah!

The van was sinking.

Nikki didn't make it out.

Len reckoned
that we'd all end up in prison

because of all the dr*gs
in the van.

No, no!
I'm not doing that!

Me and Tallulah didn't want to,
but Len and Susan made us.

- Come on.
- It's what we have to do.

Len said that we owed it
to the memory of Nikki

to protect the band.

We moved the body.

Protect the band?
What for?

Because nothing
was gonna stand in the way

of making Susan a star.

So the four of you
made it look like,

after taking too many dr*gs,
Nikki drowned in the pool.

A classic rock-n-roll death.

And then, 33 years later,
Electra Bliss has the nerve

to kick you out of the band...

after you'd lived with the guilt
and the pain all that time.

So you k*lled her.

Look,
I'm a pill-popping alcoholic,

my head's all messed up,

and I've made
some terrible mistakes,

but I swear to God...
I did not k*ll Susan or Len.

Matilda.

Can I have a word?

This interview is suspended.

What is it, Terry?

Uniform just called
from the house.

They've searched
Gina Galvin's room.

Did they find her stash
of cocaine?

No, but Susan Foyle's
missing jacket

was hidden in her suitcase.

It must be worth a lot
of money, so the question is,

did Gina k*ll her
for the Joplin jacket,

or did she steal it when she'd
learned their singer was dead?

And I still can't get through
to the record label.

Also, your Aunt Cat's
waiting in reception.

Says it's important.

Have you heard of the 27 Club?

Uh... yeah.

The list of rock stars
who all d*ed at that age.

Janis Joplin was
a founding member.

The jacket.

Nikki drowned three weeks
after her 27th birthday.

Making her a member of the club.

Exactly.
It's why Volcanic Youth

named their next album
"Twenty Seven."

I think it's all connected.

There's
something I need to tell you.

It's about Nikki.

- Got it.
- Oh.

Oh, hang on a minute.

Fairsight Films.

Rings a bell.

They contacted me a couple
of years ago to ask

if I'd got any archive footage
of Volcanic Youth.

- And do you have any?
- Yes.

A lot.

Let's give them a ring.

You have reached
the office of Steven W. Tyne

at Retrodisc Records.

Please leave a message.

Strange.

- It's now a record company.
- Oh.

Didn't Cat say
that's who Volcanic Youth

have recently signed with?

Yes.

Here.

I can't believe
they did that to her.

I think Viv and Tallulah
were pressured into it.

Yeah, well,
Len always was a bully.

I watched Electra Bliss
become one.

Still...

What is all that?

Oh, it's a transcript
of the audio

that was recording in the studio

just before
Electra Bliss was m*rder*d.

- What, Susan said all this?
- Yeah.

Though the last word
was hard to hear.

The tape was slowing to a halt
as it was said.

Well, I'll tell you right now,

- it's not "sorry."
- How do you know?

Because Susie never said "sorry"
in her life.

Not to anyone.
Not once.

Can you work a studio console?

Yeah.
I know my way around one.

Beth?
Yeah, I'm with the kid now.

We've think it's got something
to do with the 27 Club.

The 27 Club?

I'll put you on speaker.
Hang on.

Mattie, we did some digging
into Fairsight Films

and found they're now
called Retrodisc Records.

Volcanic Youth's record label.

Yeah. Turns out Retrodisc
has never released any music.

Well, maybe they're just
a new company.

Well, that's what we thought,
but Patrick Cardosa

rang 'round a few people,

and none of them
have heard of Retrodisc

or Fairsight Films
or Steven Tyne.

We haven't been able
to contact him.

Steven W. Tyne is not a man.

He is an anagram.

Twenty-seven.

Oh, Mattie.

I wanted to say it.

- Keep everyone in the house.
- Yes.

Well, this is the archive
footage that I have of them...

concert clips and interviews.

Right.
Well, where should we start?

Well, there's a very rare copy
of an interview

that Nikki Holler did
five weeks before she d*ed.

It was never broadcast.

Out of a mark of respect
for her family.

In fact, Fairsight Films
wanted a copy of it.

Ready?

Volcanic Youth
have been threatening

to break into the mainstream.

Are you an ambitious band?

I just play songs and hope
that some people like them.

I don't really care
how many people.

As long as I make a connection,
the numbers don't matter.

So, what do you think?

It does sound like "sorry."

I just can't picture her
saying it.

You want to know
about my mother.

Well, she was
a pretty tough lady.

I mean, she had to be.

She brought me up on her own.

What about your father?

I don't know who he was.

My mum, she only told me
one thing about him.

Hm. Ah.

Aunt Beth?

Nikki Holler's dad
was in a band?

Hang on.
Play it again, Cat.

I know what Electra Bliss
is saying.

It's not "sorry."
It's "Sir Ray."

Wait for me in the car.

Okay, kid, but be careful.

Yeah.

Quiet, or I'll k*ll you.

Where's Sir Ray?

He's just gone to the bathroom.

No one else leaves
for any reason.

Tallulah?
Tallulah!

She's been poisoned!

- Hold her head. Hold it.
- Just keep her steady.

- Keep her steady.
- We're here.

Yeah, we're here.

We need an ambulance... fast.

Right here.

P.C. Foster, come in.

Go ahead.

We have a situation at the gate.

D.S. Stone is en route.
Over.

We're here.

Get back.

Tell the officer
to let us leave.

This won't bring Nikki back.

They had to be held accountable.

That's what the courts are for.

It was too long ago!

Unless one of them confessed,
the evidence is all long gone.

This was the only way.

Sir Ray.

It's Len. Savage.

Thanks.

I won't let you take my aunt.

I have no grievance with her.

Why should I believe you?

She didn't exploit my daughter's
death like the others.

They moved her body
to save their asses

and then used her death
to get headlines, to get famous.

Huh! They even made
a bloody album about it!

- "Twenty Seven."
- Yeah!

But you're the mastermind,
aren't you?

Hiring Jonas
to interview the band

so you could decide
who was guilty,

creating Retrodisc Records
to get them here,

k*lling two of them,
maybe even three,

judging by the state
Tallulah's in.

She's a clever girl, your niece.

You should be thanking me.

It was all for Nikki.

If you really cared about Nikki,

you would have made contact
with her.

I mean, you knew about her.

Didn't you?

"57 years ago,

you chose not to be a parent
to the most amazing person.

She called herself Nikki Holler,

and she b*rned twice as bright
and half as long as most.

Nikki's death
has never made sense to me,

and I've spent many years
trying to find out

what really happened
to our daughter.

But now I'm out of time,

so it's your turn, Ray."

"Do not fail us again."

I gave Nikki my talent.

You think that's enough?

It's not.
It's nowhere near.

What do you know about it?

I know how it feels to have
an absent father,

to wonder who he is and why
he's never been in contact.

I know all about it.

Now get out of my way!

Move it!

Open the gates,
or this gets ugly!

Do as he says, kid.

- Move aside!
- Get back!

How did you find out
what really happened?

The backmasking.

♪ Carry your sin
through a moonlit wood ♪

It felt like a confession.

Now tell me about Nikki.

I saw it in their eyes
when they talked about Nikki.

- Their guilt.
- When she d*ed,

I took the band
in a different direction,

and that's when we actually
started having some success.

And there was
Viv Collins' autobiography

that was dedicated
to her therapist.

You'd be surprised how 50 grand

will persuade
a Harley Street shrink

to spill their client's deepest,
darkest secrets.

You know, all these years,
I've blamed myself

for not being there.

I thought Nikki d*ed
because she'd taken something

or there was something

I could have done to prevent it,
but...

I may not have known Nikki
in life.

But we'll meet each other soon.

Well, I'll tell you one thing
about her.

Nikki was nothing like you.

And she would have hated
what you've done.

Hey!

Aunt Cat?

Oh, I'm getting too old
for this.

He said he wanted to be
with Nikki.

I think I know
which way he was going.

Come on.

We're too late.

- What are you doing?
- We can't let him win.

See you at the station.

Ma'am.

I spoke to the hospital.

Tallulah's gonna be okay.

Luckily,
she didn't drink it all.

She'd be dead
if she'd finished the glass.

You know, you did
the right thing, kid.

- Are you coming?
- Uh...

I'm gonna stay here awhile.

Mattie.

What you said about your dad...

Oh, forget it.

I was just trying to get him
to connect.

I had you three.
It's...

It's been more than enough.

It had been 22 years,
17 days, and 12 hours

since Matilda decided
never to ask about her father,

and she suddenly wondered

if she needed to re-evaluate
her thinking.

Meanwhile, Cat's mind turned
to the other great sadness

she still carried...

the relationship
with her only child, Annie,

or lack thereof.

Hello.
This is Annie Stone.

I'm sorry I can't take
your call at the minute,

but leave a message,
and I'll get back to you.

Quite the sweep
from Sergeant Stone.

Good work.
Both of you.

Thank you, sir.

It's a pretty dramatic end
to your film.

Should you need an interview,
one could be easily arranged.

That would have been great,
but now I know the truth,

I'm not sure I want
any more part of it.

I really think she'll like him.

How did you manage
to convince her this time?

She's under the impression that
this is just a family outing.

The words "blind" and "date"

were not mentioned.

Concerned to see
they were one short

for their skittles team,

Matilda was excited to spot
a potential recruit.

Daniel. Hi.

- Hey.
- Oh. Hi, Melinda.

Come on.

Looks like we're teammates.

Matilda immediately suspected
this coincidence

to be one of her aunts' making.

- I want that hamper.
- Yeah.

Not one to let a setback
dampen her spirits,

Matilda determined that the
best way to enjoy the evening

was to win... and win big.

For any victory,
however trivial,

would bring with it a respite

from her unresolved feelings
for Daniel

and the recently resurfaced
questions of who her father was

and whether he was
still out there somewhere,

waiting to be found.

♪ Keep things a mystery ♪

♪ You know they have history ♪

♪ And, no, it never ends well ♪

♪ It's called death by vinyl ♪♪