Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.

Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?

Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register

01x01 - Episode 1

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Ludwig". Aired: 25 September 2024.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


Reclusive puzzle setter John "Ludwig" Taylor adopts the persona of his successful twin brother, Detective Chief Inspector James Taylor, in order to solve the mystery of his disappearance.

01x01 - Episode 1

Post by bunniefuu »

Night.

We've had this
conversation before. I just...

Do you understand? No...

Goodnight.



Hello, John.

Lucy?

I know. And not even a
birthday or anniversary.

I need a favour, a big one.

How big?

Pretty big. It's going to involve
you having to leave the house...

..and get into the taxi
that I've booked you.

"Taxi"?!

There's a taxi outside my house.

Lucy, why's there a
taxi outside my house?

Uh, because I've known you
since we were six years old.

Five and four months.

Meaning, I know, all too well, that
the only way I'm going to get you

to travel the 140-plus miles to
Cambridge is if I book you one.

And then, very annoyingly, refuse
to tell you why on the phone.

What?! That...

That's ridiculous.
Lucy, I-I-I can't just...

I'll match whatever you're making
for dinner, like for like.

Given that it's Sunday,
I am assuming...

..pasta.

Carbonara.

John... No.

Lucy I'm-I'm not...

Please.

See you soon.

John Taylor?

Yes.

Hi, I'm Chris.

Cambridge, yeah?

It's, uh, it's a long drive.

You the kind of guy
who likes to talk

or shall I stick on the radio?

Radio it is.

Can you turn that off, please?

Don't get mud on your dad's new car.

Where is Dad?

He's been called in to the office.

Again.

But then he's off for
Christmas and New Year.

Why are you so dirty?

Well, then, why isn't James?

Because HE didn't get
deliberately pushed over.

Hello!

It's the Elvis Presley
of puzzle-setters!

See? You survived a
taxi trip. Well done.

Henry!

The spare bedroom's all made up.

Three pillows, just how you like it.

Goodness, you travel light.

Yes, well, my packing time
was somewhat limited.

It really is good to see you, John.

Hi, Uncle John.

Henry.

You're taller.

Yes, well, erm, teenagers do tend
to grow over the course of a year.

Dinner in ten minutes.

Or five, if you're willing
to set the table.

Off you go.

Right, now you've popped your bag
down, maybe a good next step

is to take your jacket off.

Where's James?

Dad's away. He's working a case.

Lucy, what's all this about?

Maybe we should talk after dinner.

I-I think I'd be more
comfortable knowing now.

Oh, come on, John, when have
you ever felt comfortable?

And before you ask,
no, I haven't sold any.

And, yes, I am still doing endless
weddings and bonneted babies.

And, no, I most certainly am
not artistically satisfied.

Wasn't actually going to
ask you any of those things.

Uh, John, I need your help. Erm...

Henry doesn't know anything
about why you're here.

Erm, I've told him you're on
a work thingy, a convention.

So, a puzzle convention?

Yes. No. I don't know.
Uh, I had to tell him something.

Maybe, erm...

Maybe you should sit down.

Don't worry, it won't
give you tetanus.

So, it started a
couple of months ago.

James was on some case, or other.
Uh, I don't know.

I didn't ask. I never asked.

It was like some unwritten rule.

You know, your brother spent
day in and day out

at some grisly
m*rder scene or other.

But when he came home to us...

..then DCI Taylor ceased to exist

and he was, uh, just James.

Our James.

Lucy, why... why are you
talking in the past tense?

Oh, I didn't realise that I was.

Uh...

Well, maybe it's because...

..for the last two months...

..OUR James wasn't the
one coming home to us.

What do you mean?

I mean, he changed. Something
about that last case changed him.

He'd come in, he'd barely
communicate, he'd lock himself away.

I'd be asleep by the
time he came upstairs.

Uh, he'd be gone by
the time I woke up.

Until three nights ago...

..when he didn't come home at all.

And then, the next day I...

..received this. It's from him.

Burn after reading.

It's sweet, isn't it? Do you
remember when we were kids,

the three of us, we used to pass
those notes through the fence?

DCS Shaw?

It's his boss.
It's a letter of resignation.

What does any of this mean?

Well, exactly what it says.

It's a list of instructions.

So, post the letter of resignation,
and then get Henry, and just leave.

I mean, as you can see, he doesn't
feel the need to tell me why,

or where we're supposed to go -
just that I am to do it.

And that if anyone from
his department

tries to contact me, then...

"Don't talk to them.
Don't meet with them.

"Don't believe them."

That's it.

Now, does anything about that
letter strike you as odd?

Yes!

Everything!

It's the single most terrifying
thing I've ever read in my life!

No, John! That's not what I mean!

I mean... Look, John, you know me.

In fact, the only person
who knows me better is him.

Would either of you expect me
to read that, and then just go,

"Oh, I know. I'll what I'm told,
and I won't think any further on it,

"I'll just pop off"?

Does that even
remotely sound like me?

Not right now, it doesn't, no.
And he knows that.

Which brings me to the big favour.

Uh, Lucy, I'm not sure...

Just...

OK. So, I went into his home office,
looking for clues as to what

he might have been, erm, working on,
and there's nothing.

He's been hid in there for two
months - nothing to show for it.

Now, either he took his files and
tatty orange notebook with him,

or it's in his other office.

The one at the police station.

Now, I can't access that.

In fact, the only person
that can is James.

Or...

..somebody who looks
remarkably like him.

No!

It's nothing. It's easy.
It is in and out.

Are you...?

No! Absolutely not!

I've been there, I know the layout.

You won't have to talk to anybody.
Really?!

And if they talk to me?
Well, just stick to small talk.

Just keep walking.
What "small talk"?!

Have you heard my small talk?

This, right now, is about
as good as it gets!

Look, I've met most
of his colleagues.

I mean, I can brief you on
all of them, certainly enough

to get through a piddly
little visit to the office.

Just... just there and back.

Lucy, stop!

That would be ill*gal.

James wouldn't just abandon
his family without reason.

He... he knows what that feels like.

If he's not telling you everything,

it's because he's
trying to keep you safe.

This is how he does it?

You don't get it.

That isn't a letter that a husband
of 20 years sends his wife,

no matter how much he's
trying to protect her.

There's nothing personal in it.

There's no comfort.

No feeling.

It's more like the
type of letter that...

That's true.

Maybe I shouldn't have involved you.

I don't know, I should, erm...

I love you.

Always have.

Oh...

It's an acrostic.

The same one we used as kids.

So, same one every kid learns.

Oh, right! Ha!

Right, yes. What?

First letter of each sentence.

I'll just be in and out, right?

Oh, thank you...! Oh.

Thank you, John.

Thank you.

How's this?

Yes, you do look like him.

But something's different.

Of course something's different.

I'm literally a different person.

These pens will have to go.

I might need them. Not in there.

You're not a school prefect.

You'll need his car.

James still has your dad's.

Do you drive much these days?

I've got his work phone, he left it.

It's locked.

I've tried every date
I can think of.

My birthday, Henry's birthday.

Too obvious. Try your first date.

How am I supposed
to remember when...



You went to the village fair.

Right.

Nope.

Historical dates, then. Uh...

Battle of Hastings,
signing of the Magna Carta.

Oh, the list is endless.
James always liked trains.

Try the invention of the
steam locomotive, or...

Oh, right, well,
I'm locked out for an hour now.

Look, when you get there, just look
for his notebook, the tatty orange.

I'll keep trying
the pin on this thing.

We're going to have
to keep in contact.

Do you even own a mobile phone?

Course I do!

You know I do - you bought
me it me for Christmas.

No, I didn't. You...

What...? Wait.

That was 20 years ago!

Detective Chief
Superintendent Carol Shaw.

I've never liked touching
eyeballs, especially mine.

Well, James doesn't wear
glasses, so you're going to

have to suck it up, I'm afraid.

She's the one that I was supposed to
have sent the resignation letter to.

James's boss.

Everybody's boss.

Probably best to avoid.

Hold. Hold!

Doors closing.

Cheers.

DCI Taylor.

Oh, yes, hello...

..you.

How's Henry?

Oh...

You know, kids today with...
with their...

..skateboards.

Doors opening.

Second floor.

His team are on the second floor,

in front of the stairs.

It's a large, open-planned room

with shared desks and work spaces.

They'll probably be manned
but don't worry about that,

just walk straight through.

James's office is at
the back, on the left.

Don't talk to anyone.

Oh, James, hello. Do you have...?

DI Matt Neville.

They've worked together for ten
years, James was his best man.

He knows him better
than anybody else.

Memorise this face.

He's the only one you can trust.

But be careful.

Oh, there you are, Guv.

New pens?

Looking sharp.

Thank you.
Anyway, here's a good one.

Some big-shot solicitor guy,
found in his office this morning

with an antique letter
opener stuck in his chest.

Been there all weekend, apparently.

The rest of the team,
already down there.

Uh, Guv?

Dead bloke's this way.

Erm... Uh, yes, I just, erm...

I need to get something
from my office.

What?

My g*n...

Your g*n? Gum.

Curry night, was it? Oh...

Don't worry, I've got some
Tic Tacs in the car. Come on.

Come on, let's go.

There's only, like, ten people
in the whole building.

No CCTV. But security on the door.

You have to sign in when you arrive,
sign out when you leave -

which, according to the sheet, they
all did, including the victim.

Is there something in your eye, Guv?

Sorry. New contacts.

For some reason, I don't
wear glasses, you see?

Oh...

OK, uh, well...

Guess that explains the parking.

Are you all right?

Um... Yeah, yeah. Good, great.

Uh, I just...

I need to make a quick phone
call on my mobile telephone.

OK...

John?

I didn't get to the office,
there's no Matt Neville.

I'm back outside, and I'm supposed
to be attending a crime scene.

What?

I didn't get to the office, there's
no Matt Neville. I'm back outside...

Yes, no, I heard you
the first time, John.

What do you mean
there's no Matt Neville?

I mean James has a
completely different partner

from the one you told me about,
that's what I mean.

One that's sat waiting for
me to go and look at

a dead solicitor with him.

No, that doesn't make any sense.

I'm sure he would have
told me if Matt had left,

or if he had a new partner, or...

I mean... wouldn't he?

He's looking at me.

Yes, it's probably not helped by
the fact you're standing there

holding a phone that's
older than the Bible.

Oh, God, I'm going
to prison, aren't I?

No, you're not going to prison!

I'm impersonating a police officer!

Well, yes, but he's your brother.

That's really not the
legal loophole you think it is.

Oh, Henry's school is calling.

What? So?!

Look, Lucy, what am I going to do?!

Look, you've got no choice, you're
just going to have to wing it.

I mean, it's easy.
You're lead detective,

so just, erm, delegate.

"Delegate"? Yes.

Let them do their jobs,
maybe engage their reaction,

see if they're acting sus.

Look, the main thing is,
you need to get back

to the station and into that office.

John, you can do this.

Lucy, you can't still think...

Please, John. Look, if nobody's
noticed so far, you'll be fine.

Call if you need me.

What? Wait... Lucy!

OK, bye.

You good?

Oh...! Ah...

What are you doing?

Nothing. Uh, making notes.

Morning.

Morning.

Thank you.

You're doing...
you're doing a fine job.

Well done.

Looks like we're taking the stairs.

Oh, there you are.

Detective Constable Simon Evans,
youngest member of the team.

I think he's into his
graphic novels.

Know much about superheroes?

Well, I do know that he
still lives with his mother,

so if you get stuck,
then just ask after her.

Oh, that's a...

..nice selection of pens, sir.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Right, OK, yeah, so, we've
commandeered the biggest

conference room in the building.

I've got them all gathered in there,
everyone who was here Friday.

I haven't questioned them, as such,

but I have taken a detailed
statement

of their movements at the time.

Now, I mean, it
all gets a bit... Uh...

Agh.

Well, no, they were in
and out, up and down

all over the place, really.

But I figured you'd want to talk
to them all separately anyway, so...

No, I'm all right, thanks.

Oh.

Erm, well...

Yeah, DCI Taylor's right,
we're not talking to anybody

until we've visited...

You weren't kidding, were you?

It's like a dance number.

Uh, no, we're not talking to anybody
until we've visited the scene.

So, just try and keep them
entertained for now. Sir.

How's your mum?

Oh. Very well, thank you, sir, yeah.

Good.

Well, she has actually
started dating a...

I-I'll see you in there.

Morning.

Morning, sir.

Detective Sergeant Alice Finch.

Shaw's protege.

Ambitious.

Very letter of the law.

Probably spent her
teenage years dobbing in

fellow students to the head.

Lives for the job.

Rule of thumb with her...

Don't attempt witty repartee.

Actually, just be you.

This feels big, really big.

Like, six-part docu-drama big.

Phone records, had the
provider email them through.

So, there was an incoming call
Friday afternoon at 1706 hours.

It was pay as you go,
unregistered, and it connected.

There's no answer-service
set up on the office phone.

If nobody's here, it just rings out.

So, somebody was definitely
here at 1706 hours.

Although, according to the security
book, both the assistant

and victim signed out at 1703
and 1705, respectively.

Yes, but it's pretty safe
to assume he was here, Sergeant,

given the fact that, you know...

..he still is.

Guv, do you want to come
and take a look at this?

No, thank you.

So, nobody reported him missing
over the whole weekend?

No. Divorced, no children.

I'm just going to come
out and say this, yeah?

This feels professional, like,
organised crime professional.

Someone trying to send a message.

I think that we need to look
if he was working any big

criminal trials, you know, people
that might have the reason,

the resources, or the connections
to put the brakes on.

He... he did conveyancing law.

Sir?

Probably not too many big
criminal trials, then, Sergeant.

But, hey, maybe a
disgruntled estate agent.

Well, then, I think it's about time
that we introduced ourselves

to the chorus line. Don't you?

Right, how long are
we going to be here?

Until we've ascertained
everybody's whereabouts

at the time of the incident.

And how long will THAT be?

We've already been
through all this with him!

Calm down, Brian. What?

I'm just saying, I never knew the
guy, I barely even spoke to him.

I couldn't even tell you his name!

Alan Howells!

All right.

All right, I'm sorry.

But I honestly never knew the guy.

None of us did.

It's three different companies,
three different floors.

We share the same building,
that's all.

Yeah, I've never even been
on this floor before.

It's nice, though.

Guv, do you want to...?

Hmm? Do... do I want to what?

OK, well, in that case,
regardless of floors or companies,

you were the only people in
the building on that Friday.

How do you know that?
It's not Fort Knox.

Erm, I don't just
let people walk in.

Oh, you're not always
there, though, are you?

Well, you said earlier you
went to check a fire door.

Well, yeah. The alarm was going off.

Right, there you have it.
Somebody broke in, in the back.

Well, if they did, then they
walked straight back out again.

You've got to go through another
set of fire doors to get into

the main building -
none of those went off.

OK, fine, somebody came in the
front when you were out the back.

Brian. What?

I'm just saying, it's
not rocket science, is it?

The alarm went off at 5:03.

That was, uh, just after
the phone call.

Are you OK, sir?

Is it hot in here?

Not especially, no.

Ahem. Excuse me.

Sorry, but what phone call?

Someone called your office off
an unregistered number.

I take it you're not
the one who answered it?

No.

And I were back
behind my desk by then.

By which point, anybody could have
waltzed in, that's all I'm saying.

Well, did any of you see anybody?

Waltzing in, waltzing up
to the third floor,

and waltzing down again -

during the three-minute window,
where everybody seemed to be either

on the stairs or inside the lift?

In that case, let me ask this -
did any of you, throughout the whole

of Friday, see anyone in this
building who isn't currently

sat around this table?

I didn't see anything.
But I don't know half the people

sat around this here.
Brian, just stop taking...

How can you not have seen
me? I was right there.

And don't you dare think that
I don't know where you spend

most of your time...

I was just behind you.

Why am I still sat here in
this room?

Do your job!

Guv?

DCI Taylor.

Are you all right?

I-I think I need some air.

It's a push, sir.

John?

I want to go home.

My home. My house. My life.

I... I can't do this, Lucy.

I don't know how anybody can.

I don't know how James ever did.

Look, I know it's not... easy.

But James chose to
do this job because...

I'm not talking about his job.

I'm talking about all of it.

I'm talking about just getting up
in the morning

and leaving the house,
coming out here to...

This! All this!

Crowds and noise,

and buildings and offices,
and computers, and people!

Nobody seeing each other,

and everybody talking at once.

Alarms going off, phones ringing.

Everybody moving around,

up and down and in and out,

and no order to any of it.

No structure, no purpose.

You do realise that, in many ways,

James was as intimidated
by the world as you?

It was easier for him.

He had you.

Look,

you and James, you're so alike.

But...

John...

..I remember the day
that your father left.

Night. Night he left.

New Years Eve, 1989.

Yes.

But it changed you both.

James, it pushed him forward,
gave him drive,

made him want to take
on the whole world.

Whereas, it's made you...

Just want to hide from it.
Yes, I know.

And I'd quite like to go
back to that now, please.

And you can - tomorrow.

But, first, I just need you
to get back to the station

and find his notebook.

It's just one day, one day in a
life. I mean, if you think about it

logically, you can
get through one day.

Logic doesn't come into it.

If it were up to me, everything
would be logical, the whole world.

But it... but it isn't, is it?

It doesn't work that way.

Things don't always fit neatly
into some ordered, structured,



..puzzle.

Look, I know it's difficult,
it is, but I really do have...

I've got to go. Sorry?

Bit awkward, really. Uh, I think
I might have just solved a m*rder.

I'll... I'll call you back.

You think you've what...?

Please, please, please, please.

Yes!

Ha!

Is it OK if I use this?

Erm... Yeah, sure.

OK, so, what we're looking
at here is a concatenation

of syllogisms, obviously.

A series of statements and
propositions, one of which

will be false, but which we
can weed out via a process

of cross-reference
and deductive reason.

It's a logic puzzle.

In this room, we have seven
subjects, or suspects.

I will label you
A to G for simplicity.

Three definitive facts, presumably
connected - the fire door alarm,

the phone call
and the m*rder itself.

I'll label them one to three.

Plus, of course, the alleged
movements of everyone in this column

within the time-scale of the factual
events contained in this one,

which we'll put into a third
column of seven, T to Z.

So, C was exciting the elevator
in the foyer at the same time

as D was leaving by the front.

Both statements confirm the other,

which means that neither C nor D

could have been present
at factual events one or two,

so we can cross those off - which,
naturally, means we can also

put crosses here and here.

And here, since this dictates
that A and E could not have been

present at that location at that
time, or else they would have

crossed with C or D. Do you follow?

No.

Hello, hello, hello. Listen,
we're going to have to do

the leg work on this one.

And we know that E was still in
the office at the time of factual

event one, which was verified by A,
who left immediately afterwards.

Alice, you're going
to want to see this.

A signed out just after G,
who had left the building

between factual events one and two.

F left the building last
and locked it up,

leaving no-one inside
but Mr Howells.

Which, in turn, locks up the rest
of everything for A in this column

and this column, meaning...

..that F must be
movement Y in this column,

locking off all of these ones.

And there we go.

Only one subject remains
that could possibly have been

at events one, two and three.

Opening the fire door
to create a distraction

and opportunity to forge
Mr Howell's signature.

Making the telephone
call to delay his departure.

And, finally, making their way
up the stairwell to his office,

just as the last of the
other subjects was leaving.

Therefore, we have our k*ller.

And that person is?

Well, B.

Oh, sorry. Erm...

Sarah Gilmarsh.

Are you joking?

What the hell are you talking about?

Why would Sarah want to m*rder
some solicitor bloke

she barely even knew?

I've absolutely no idea.

Right, I think it's best if we, erm,
you know, all just take a beat,

take time to think a
bit more about this.

And regroup, relax,
you know, everybody?

I'm sorry...!

I'm so, so sorry...!

I didn't plan any of this, I swear!

No, you definitely did.

You set off a fire alarm,
faked a telephone call

and forged a signature.

Yeah, but I...

I never wanted any
of THIS to happen...!

Well, you probably
shouldn't have done it, then.

OK.

Um, Sergeant, would you
like to do the honours?

Sarah Gilmarsh, I am arresting
you on suspicion of m*rder.

You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defence

if you do not mention, when
questioned, something which you

later rely on in court. Anything you
do say may be given in evidence.

Is it OK if we go back
to the police station now?

Well, well, well.

If there's anything I'm taking from
today, it's that maybe I should

start making notes before
attending a crime scene, too.

I mean, they told me you were
brilliant when I transferred,

but I did not expect something
of this level in my second week.

You... you've only
been here two weeks?

Oh, you're going to tell me it
feels like a lot longer, are you?

Well, you know what, I choose
to take that as a compliment.

I'll be in my office
if you need me, guv. Hmm?

Oh, great. Yes, uh...

Me... me, too.

There it is.

Guv!

DCI Taylor?

Congratulations, sir! Yeah!

Full confession!

Crime of passion,
would you believe it?

Yeah, they were having
an affair for six years.

He chose to end it,
she chose to end him.

Agh!

Sorry, we do realise that if she
hadn't confessed, we'd have nothing?

Like, there was no actual evidence.

Yes, well, fortunately for us,
Sergeant Finch, she did.

I'm reliably informed you
went slightly unorthodox

on this one, DCI Taylor.

Nonetheless, results
speak for themselves,

so I suppose
congratulations are in order.

Thank you very much...

..ma'am.

DCS Shaw?

Chief Constable Ziegler, I wasn't
aware you were at the station today.

No, it's just a flying visit.

Although I would like a quick word,
if you're not too busy.

Yes. Of course, sir.

Two minutes.

Ah, DI Carter.

It's good to see you.

Settling in OK, are we?

Yes, yes. Thank you, sir.
Good.

Good. I'll be in your office.

Right, then, another 90 seconds
of celebrating,

and then onto
the paperwork, please.

Let's see if we can get that
wrapped up as quickly as the case.

This is something of
a new look for you,

isn't it, Detective Chief Inspector?

Hmm?

Oh, uh, yes...

Uh, thank you for noticing.

Erm, ma'am.

Thought you were resting.

My phone charger's not working.

Oh, you need your phone to rest.

Hello.

That was, uh, quite
the puzzle convention.

I think there's a
charger in my studio.

Just careful what you're unplugging.

So, the pens are back?

For easy access.

And I'll have you know,
I've been getting compliments

on my attire all day.

What was it you were saying...?

Follow me.

What were you saying about a m*rder?

Oh, that.

Yes, I... I solved it.

Everyone seemed very pleased.

You solved a m*rder?

But...

I don't care.

I need to show you something.

I cracked the code on the phone.

It was a significant date, one
only he - and, of course, you -

would never forget,
New Year's Eve, 1989.

Oh. The night Dad left.

But he'd cleared
the calls and texts,

and he'd attempted to delete
a photo, which I've restored.

I'm not sure that James quite
understands how the cloud works.

What cloud?

Yes. Look at this.

That's nice.

Hmm?

No, not that.
Sorry, I've gone too far back.

Uh... Not that. No.

Not that.

No. No. No.

You know, we do
invite you every year.

You do. He doesn't.

Would you have come if he did?

Oh, here it is.

No clue who this chap is.

That's Chief Constable Ziegler.

Who? Who's... who's Chief
Constable Ziegler?

Someone else at the station you
didn't warn me about, that's who.

Yeah, sorry about that, John.

I may have slightly exaggerated
my, uh, knowledge of that place.

Well, you wouldn't have gone
there otherwise, would you?

No, obviously not.

But since I did...

Oh, you found it.

Looks like a cypher,
polyalphabetic -

number and symbols substituted
for letters.

Most likely a pretty advanced one.

He was obviously using this
to take notes about whatever

he was investigating, notes
that nobody else could read.

What does it mean?

I presume it answers every
single question we have.

You presume?

Well, I haven't actually
been able to solve it.

But you're Ludwig.

I'm sure even Elvis
had his off days.

I WILL solve it.

Just need more data, that's all.

A key word to search for that...

That might unlock the rest.

Need to find out what he's been
doing, what he's been working on,

who he's been working with.

I'll start tomorrow.

You're going back in there?

I have to. It's a puzzle.

Puzzles are meant to be solved.

Oh, John...

..thank you.

Henry! Your uncle's going to be
staying with us for a few days.

Oh, Henry...

Dad's gone?

What's Mum reading?

Why is she crying?

It's all right. I'll talk to her.

Just give us...

A few minutes, OK?

OK.

OK.

Ten, nine, eight, seven...

..six, five, four, three, two, one!

Happy New Year!

Ode to Joy
by Ludwig van Beethoven

James didn't just vanish.

He left... breadcrumbs.

Coded messages. A puzzle.

You're supposed to be looking
into James's last case,

find out what this Zeigler chap...

What's he got to do with anything?

DCI Taylor. Ah...!

You've no idea
who you can trust.

Dad's letter
said, "Trust no-one."

John, you are the only
person that can do this.

Just focus.

And no more distractions.

That wasn't a distraction.

It was a m*rder.

What if there's another one today?

How often do people
get m*rder*d round here?

Agh!

May I ask what this
is all about, detective?

He's completely vanished.

What is it I can do
for you gentlemen?

I've been led to believe
that you've been performing

miracles recently, DCI Taylor.

I'm certainly keen to witness it.

The puzzle is impossible.

Ah...! Can we go back down now?

Something is very, very wrong here.

And none of them seem able see it.

What if I can't solve the cypher?

What if I actually
can't do any of this?

James is cleverer than me,
he always has been.

He... he's always been better
than me at everything.

Oh, uh, yeah, I've got
one of those, uh, as well.

There it is.

Oh, it's got sugar in.

Yeah, there is.

Which, as you know,
is exactly how I like it.

I don't think you can leave.

Can they? You-you're all suspects.

Aren't they?

His disappearance was
prepared in advance by him.

I had a feeling about you, Taylor.

I'm really good at this.
Don't you read the paper?