01x05 - V

[bunniefuu]

[BRAKES SQUEALING]

- Hiya, Mum.
- Hello, poppet.

Thanks for letting me stay.
[SIGHS] I really appreciate it.

[HELEN] How are you?

Oh, God. Everything's such a mess.

[SIGHS] You know, with
the builders and Robert.

I... Is Robert in America again?

Mmm. Yeah. He's in America again.

Can I... Can I get you something to eat?

Uh, no, thanks. I'm not really hungry.
I feel a bit sick actually.

[HELEN] It's almost 8:00.
You should have something.

[CATHERINE] No, I think
I'm getting a migraine.

[CHUCKLES]

Do you mind if I just, uh...
Could I lie down for a bit?

I used to get headaches
when I was your age.

Yeah.

[NARRATOR] Your mother
suffers from dementia.

Her notion of time and space
has lost any sense of linearity.

[SIGHS]

[NARRATOR] You can smell
the peculiar merge of odors,

and the fake floral scents plugged
in to try and disguise them.

[SIGHS]

[NARRATOR] The smell
of an old person's home.

You can't remember the last time
you slept on your mother's bed.

The same bed where
your father once slept.

[CLOCK TICKING]

You think that if you manage to sleep,

you might be able to think more clearly.

Maybe start making sense of
what is happening to your life.

Thank you, Mum.

[LIVELY MUSIC PLAYING]

[BRIGSTOCKE] Tommy, Justin's ex-pupil,

helped me to bring
Jonathan back to life.

He explained to me that only
old people use Facebook,

so we used the Instagram.

... but nothing's happening.

[TOMMY] Use the screen.
That's the keyboard. Touch screen.

[BRIGSTOCKE] I see.

[TOMMY] The photos looked old,
but I've done some filtering.

I think they're looking all right.

This is remarkable.

Cheers. We should add some posts

about some of his
favorite music, I think.

What's he listening to? You know?

No, I don't.

Um... [STAMMERS]
... maybe Kylie Minogue.

Oh, Kylie. Yeah. Sexy.

Uh, we should add some
other stuff as well.

Like, uh, Drake and Tyler, the Creator.

Post Malone. That sort of stuff.

I'll, uh... I'll forward him
some of my posts, I think.

Sure. What about books?

Books?

He's 18, so I was thinking Demian.

Hermann Hesse.

Yeah... [STAMMERS]
... I've not heard of those.

Um, maybe Harry Potter,

but personally, I wouldn't
post about books.

You're the expert.

Yeah.

Now, we should work on
some of these comments.

[BRIGSTOCKE] I have
kept Jonathan a teenager.

He is forever young,
forever on his gap year,

about to start at university.

Now our son has a future.

[TAP RUNNING]

[NARRATOR] Robert is jealous
of the dead young man

who had an affair with his
wife and saved his child.

He wonders how many times
Catherine has thought of this boy

when she has been with him.

How many times has she compared the sex?

Does she fake it with him?

Sometimes? Always?

Nicholas knows that he
should be helping his father

to clear after supper,

but he doesn't want to.

He will go mad if his father
keeps up the cheery banter.

He knows that staying
with him won't be easy...

but that it's worth it.

He's saving money.

He knows his father can't smell
the smoke drifting down,

but even if he could,
he doubts he'd say anything.

His father would be afraid of
breaking their special bond.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

[NARRATOR] He figures that something
must be going on with his parents.

Earlier that evening,
he'd felt sorry for his mother,

and he can't remember
ever feeling sorry for her.

Seeing her leave that way
reminded him of when he was little,

and she used to go away for work.

And later, when she got home,

she'd fuss around him, telling
him she'd missed him so much.

He used to ignore her for days
because it never felt real.

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Nighty.

Night.

Um, you off to work tomorrow?

Yeah.

- Early?
- Late.

Um, so I'll see you at
dinner then. [CHUCKLES]

[SIGHS]

Yeah.

Night then.

Night.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC STOPS]

[NARRATOR] His parents
know nothing about him.

[FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING]

[CLOCK TICKING]

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

[NARRATOR] You study your mother's face

and figure this is how she
will look when she's dead.

You're overwhelmed with
the sadness of things lost.

Your childhood and your
own child's childhood.

Your mother's strength

and your belief that you had absorbed
that strength into your bones,

that your mother's love
had given you the strength

to overcome anything.

You know that your
mother's name is Helen,

and that Helen must have suffered
anguish, loneliness and pain.

But you don't really know about it

because for you, Helen
has always been Mum.

[SNIFFLES, BREATHES SHAKILY]

Mum. [SNIFFLES]

Mum, something's happened.

I'm not here because of the builders.

Oh, you probably don't
remember, but years ago...

uh... was about twenty
years ago actually.

'Cause Nick was five.

We went on a holiday to...
[BREATHES SHAKILY] ... to Italy,

and, you know, I was really looking...

[NARRATOR] You tell your mother
everything you have not been able

to tell Robert.

All of it.

Your shame and your guilt.

Throughout, your mother is silent,

and you wonder if she can hear anything,

if what you are telling her
will slip into her dreams

and then she'll remember some of it.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING]

- [VOICE] Yo.
- Looking for Elvis.

- Who are you?
- I'm Nicholas. Been here before.

All right.

- What'll it be?
- Two nickels.

If you're staying,
it'll be an extra fiver.

I get 15, don't I?

- Yeah, 'cause I laid a piece.
- Oh, come on, son.

Chop-chop.

[NARRATOR] Nicholas
had only been in this place

a couple of times before.

He doesn't want to make a habit of this,

and he is certain that he
is managing it very well.

Just a little something now
and again to soften the edges,

but never too much.

[HELEN SNORING]

[NARRATOR] You revealed everything
while your mother snored peacefully.

And by the end, you felt drained,

and you relaxed into a deep sleep.

Verbalizing your story

was like prodding the core
of a malignant tumor

that had caused you so much pain.

And now, you understand, also to others.

[BRIGSTOCKE] I arrived early that
morning, before her office opened,

and waited for the Asian girl to arrive.

[JISOO] I think there's
something going on.

- She must have been a subordinate.
- [CHUCKLES]

I'd seen her walking out
with Catherine Ravenscroft,

acting clearly honored by having
been invited to lunch with her.

[JISOO] I feel today was...

[CLEARS THROAT] Excuse me.
Miss... Miss, excuse me.

Sorry. You... You, um... [CLEARS THROAT]

You... You... You work with
Catherine Ravenscroft,

- don't you?
- Yes.

Um... Uh, might I, uh, just
borrow a minute of your time?

You can drop the packages at reception.

Oh, no, no, no, no. This is about
a-a-a rather important matter.

You can go ahead.

- And your name is?
- Oh, yes.

[COUGHS]

Sorry.

Yeah, my name is Stephen Brigstocke.

My name is Jisoo Kim.

Um, why don't you come with me upstairs

so we can have a chat, Mr. Brigstocke?

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
[STAMMERS] I'd rather stay here.

Okay. Why don't you
take a seat there then?

[STAMMERS]

Fine. Uh... [STAMMERS]

... you're sure she won't be,
uh, coming in anytime soon?

- Catherine?
- Mmm.

No, she called.
She's not coming in today.

[ROGER] There she is. Hey, Jisoo.
How you doing? You all right?

- You know that email...
- Good. Yes.

... I sent you I wanted
to show Catherine?

- You done that yet?
- Yes. Can I have a minute please?

Oh, sorry. You're in the
middle of something.

- Yeah.
- How are you doing? You okay?

- But listen, it's really important.
- I know, I know.

[ROGER] So if you can sort that
out for me today, I'd love it.

[BRIGSTOCKE] Ambition has a stench
that is impossible to hide,

and Jisoo Kim reeked of it.

She had sniffed the opportunity
to dig out a great story

to snatch her career-making moment.

Clearly, she had worked closely
with Catherine Ravenscroft

for a long time

because she tried on me Catherine's
tricks to making people open up.

So, what is this about, Mr. Brigstocke?

[STAMMERS] This is... This is difficult.

[STUTTERS] I don't know
if I should be here.

[STUTTERS, GRUNTS]

- [SIGHS]
- You're safe here.

You can talk to me.

Or if you prefer, I can
give you my number

and you can call me anytime.

Catherine Ravenscroft
has been harassing me.

- Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Brigstocke.
- Mmm.

Could you please elaborate?

She keeps on threatening me.

Why is she threatening you?

Because of what I wrote.

What did you write, Mr. Brigstocke?

A book?

Are you a writer, Mr. Brigstocke?

Uh, no, but I had to tell
the world the truth.

I published it myself, with my
own money, under a pseudonym.

I brought copies, uh, for you
and, uh... uh, y-your staff.

Th... The world needs to know who
Catherine Ravenscroft really is.

She keeps trying to prevent
me from distributing it.

- That is terrible.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry to hear this. [GASPS, SIGHS]

Sh... She has left threatening messages
on my answering machine.

But why is Catherine trying to
prevent your book coming to light?

Because it tells what
happened years ago.

What is it that happened years ago,
Mr. Brigstocke? Can you tell me?

She was involved with someone,
and when he became inconvenient...

she let him die.

That is awful.

- But how did she...
- I... I... I shou... I should go. She...

[STAMMERS] What if she...

[STAMMERS] She, uh...

[STAMMERS] It's all there,

- i... in the book.
- No.

- Please wait.
- Yes, I really should go. Bye.

[JISOO] Can you please tell me?
Mr. Brigstocke! Stephen?

[BRIGSTOCKE] How delicious,
predictable and pathetic it was

to witness Catherine Ravenscroft's
closest allies and admirers so eager

to turn on her at the slightest chance.

[IMITATES expl*si*n]

[NARRATOR] Your head replays your
nighttime confession to your mother.

You wonder if any of what
you said has filtered through.

That morning, your mother
didn't say anything,

and you are moved by the thought
that she knows and doesn't judge you.

[BREATHES DEEPLY]

[GRUNTS]

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

[VOMITING, COUGHING]

[NARRATOR] Nicholas's plan
was to be awake and dressed

when his father went down for breakfast.

He couldn't wake up.

[PHONE BUZZING]

It doesn't matter though.

He knows that if his father asks,

he will invent some story,
and that he'll believe it.

[BUZZING CONTINUES]

- Hello.
- [CATHERINE] Nicholas. Hi, how are you?

Fine. What do you want?

Um, I was just online,

and... [STAMMERS] ... I saw that
they, um, were publishing a book

with all of those comics
that you used to read.

Do you remember? Hellboy?

Yeah, I was just wondering, do you
want me to pick you up a copy?

- Nah.
- You sure?

I think it looks really cool actually.

Don't want it. Busy, gotta go.

Yes, I know. I know you are.

Okay, bye.

- Look, sorry. Nick. Wait.
- What?

Um, you don't remember going
on a trip together to Italy

- when... when you were little?
- Wait.

[SIGHS]

- What?
- Oh, yeah, that's all right.

Um, you don't remember,

we took a holiday to Italy
when you were little?

- Nah.
- You were about five.

- Don't remember?
- Don't remember.

You know, you had a...
an inflatable boat,

- and your favorite swimming outfit.
- f*ck's sake.

Will you and Dad stop
with this bloody trip?

So, wha... Um, has D... has Dad talked
to you about it, sweetheart?

I... I don't have time for this.
I've got important stuff to do. Bye.

Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, da...

Oh. Sorry.

[SIGHS]

["EGO DEATH" PLAYING]

[SLURPS]

[PHONE CHIMES]

[GRUNTS]

[PHONE DINGS]

[BRIGSTOCKE] When I heard
that bing, my heart stopped.

I'd never received a
notification before.

[EXCLAIMS]

The fish had bitten.

It surely hit the bait hard.

I needed to strike softly, very softly.

[HUMMING]

I never understood the new
generation's obsession

with reducing words to initials.

Thankfully, Tommy had left a
glossary of terms for my use.

He also told me no full stops,

no commas, or question marks.

[PHONE CHIMES]

Traveling.

[NARRATOR] Nicholas had
never traveled across the USA.

Two years before,

his father had to travel to Los Angeles

for a conference on human rights law

and had taken him along.

[PHONE CHIMES]

They spent five days there,

and they visited Universal
Studios and Disneyland together.

♪ From the fake, I wish 'em well ♪

♪ This song already was turnt ♪
♪ But here's a bell ♪

[PHONE CHIMES]

[NARRATOR] Nicholas likes the
sense of respect and admiration

that he commands over the young
stranger he has just met online.

[EMPLOYEES MURMURING]

Morning, Jodie.

[CATHERINE] Morning.

Hi.

[EMPLOYEES MURMURING]

Cathy, we need to talk.

[CATHERINE] Yes, of course.

Stephen Brigstocke came in.

He brought in the books.

- What? He was here?
- This book.

The thing is, Jisoo came to me because
she didn't know what else to do.

And she told me that you asked her

to drop the story about Mr. Brigstocke.

- Yeah.
- I'm just wondering why you were so keen

to k*ll it off.

Look, it has nothing to do with you.

But I think it does.

I mean, I wish that it didn't,

but when a junior member of the team
comes to me asking for advice,

it becomes my business.

A junior member of the
team, Simon? Come on.

You told Jisoo he was a pedophile

- and asked her to track him down.
- I...

And once she'd done that,
you told her to forget all about it.

I'm just... I'm...
I'm wondering why you did that.

I don't have to explain
myself to you or you, Jisoo.

This is a personal matter,

and it has absolutely
nothing to do with work.

Then why did you ask me to get his
address and telephone number?

- I don't have to explain myself to you.
- Yes, you do.

Okay. Here's the thing.
I don't know what's in this book.

I haven't had time to read it yet,

but a man you had been
investigating as a pedophile

turns up here with a
book he has written,

and he tells Jisoo that
you are part of the story,

that you are in this book,

and that you harassed
him, threatened him.

- I mean, what's in this book, anyway?
- Jisoo...

[SIMON] Some kind of confession?

- You're a liar.
- [JISOO] What?

I never once said he was a pedophile.

- I asked you... No, no.
- No! No, no! You didn't correct me.

... find the contact details
for Stephen Brigstocke...

- It's all right.
- [SCOFFS] I'm the liar?

... that was it. I'm sorry, I asked you

- because I trusted you.
- Stop.

Don't take this out on Jisoo.

She's not the one who
needs to defend herself.

- You're enjoying this, aren't you?
- [SIMON SCOFFS]

No, I mean, we-we could
have had this conversation

in the meeting room,

but you wanted everyone
to watch this charade.

- [SIMON] Cathy, Cathy...
- It's Catherine.

This is a situation that
you created, okay?

- You've not been honest with us.
- Okay.

And that worries me.

I mean, it jeopardizes the reputation

- of the whole team.
- [EMPLOYEES GROAN] Yes!

This... This company's
built on its integrity.

[STAMMERS] Who do you think you are?

Mr. Brigstocke came to us
because he was frightened.

You lied to Jisoo.

You used her to get his address
and his telephone number

and then left threatening messages
on his answer machine.

- Cathy...
- Get your hands off me.

[BREATHES SHAKILY] He is
the one stalking me, all right?

He is the one threatening me.

If he is threatening you, why
haven't you contacted the police?

Because it is private. Can't you
get that through your head?

All right. Listen. Just to
try to stay calm, all right...

Don't you dare tell me to stay calm!

You have no right

- to ask me about any of this.
- Cathy, listen to me.

- No, no!
- Cathy... No, listen to me.

- Do I ask you about your personal life?
- That's not important.

- No. What... What drugs you've taken?
- Stop it. Enough!

- What sites you've visited?
- Look, clearly you-you're very upset.

Yes, I am upset.

But I think whatever it is
that you're covering up,

I-I-I'm sure it would be better
if you just came clean about it.

- Get your f*cking hands off me.
- [EMPLOYEES GASP]

- [EMPLOYEES MURMURING]
- [EMPLOYEE] Whoa! sh*t!

You shouldn't have done that.

Cathy, what are you
gonna say about this?

That... You asked for it.
[BREATHES SHAKILY]

My name is Catherine!

You are so canceled, Catherine.

[ALL MURMURING]

- Are you okay, Simon?
- Yeah.

- She just went for him.
- Went for him.

What a psycho.

- [PEDESTRIAN] Watch where you're going.
- [CATHERINE] Oh. Sorry.

[BRIGSTOCKE] Nicholas had
been chatting with Jonathan

for most of the day.

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

He was eager to talk
and to give his advice,

and he thought that Jonathan
hung on his every word.

It was touching how he opened up to him.

Poor sod.

Dribbling out his sorry tales
to a boy six years his junior,

who had been dead for nearly 20 years.

My teaching days had taught me

to spot the boys with the
black hole at their center.

There was a time when I might
have felt something for that boy.

Once, I might even
have tried to help him.

But Nicholas was not a boy.

He was a 25-year-old man.

And however much he bragged
to my 19-year-old self,

he couldn't hide his
shivering, shrinking soul

from a man with my experience.

He was desperate. Desperate to talk.

It was time to begin reeling.

I started making him wait for me.

Just ten minutes or
so, to keep him keen.

[CATHERINE] ... f*cking hands off me.

[CATHERINE] Oh.

[JISOO] You shouldn't have done that.

What do you want me to say?

You deserved it.

- [PHONE CHIMING]
- [BREATHES SHAKILY]

[CHIMING CONTINUES]

[NARRATOR] You know that
your reputation is at stake.

For years, your credibility has
been what has kept you going.

Now, you see the likelihood of
having to endure public shaming.

You will never again be the
person they thought you were.

But for you, right now,

the only thing that matters
is to protect Nicholas,

to keep him out of this situation.

[CHIMING CONTINUES]

["AIN'T GOTTA SAY IT" PLAYING]

[NARRATOR] Nicholas has given
Jonathan his full attention.

He feels he's only a kid
and looks up to him,

hanging on his every word.

They have a lot in common, even
considering the age difference.

Jonathan has even read the only
book Nicholas has picked up in years.

[PHONE CHIMES]

[CHUCKLES, CHEWS]

[BRIGSTOCKE] Why?

[BRIGSTOCKE] Ha, ha, ha.

[CLEARS THROAT]

What you think?

[PHONE CHIMES]

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[MOANING]

[MUSIC STOPS]

[LAPTOP CHIMES]

Right.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

[CATHERINE] Hello? Mr. Brigstocke.

Would you please open the door?
It's Catherine Ravenscroft.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

[CATHERINE] Open the door, please.

We need to talk.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

[CATHERINE] Please.
I know you're in there.

[KNOCKING]

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

[CATHERINE] My husband's left me

and I'll probably be fired from my job.

You've won. Do you hear me? You've won.

The least you can do
is look me in the eye

and listen to what I have to say.

Stephen.

Please open the door.

I know you're there.

[STAMMERS] I need you to listen to me.

I have a right to be heard.

This has to stop.

No... Nothing you do to me or my
family is gonna bring your son back.

- [PHONE RINGING]
- [GASPS, GROANS]

- [SIGHS]
- [NANCY] You have reached 020 7946 0534.

Neither Stephen nor Nancy are
here to respond to this call,

but if you would please leave a message

with the date, time, and
your telephone number,

- we'll try to get back to you.
- [KNOCKS ON DOOR]

- Have a nice day.
- [BRIGSTOCKE WINCES]

[TONE BEEPS]

- [CATHERINE] Yes, it's me.
- [THROUGH PHONE] Yes, it's me.

- I want to talk about Jonathan.
- I want to talk about Jonathan.

- Look, I know you have my number.
- Look, I know you have my number.

- So, call me...
- So, call me.

- [BRIGSTOCKE GROANS]
- ... and speak this time.

[SIGHS]

[BRIGSTOCKE] She wanted me to listen.

She wanted to talk.

She said that she had something to say.

Well, it was too late for that.

- [SIGHS]
- But the snake was getting closer.

It was time to wrap things neatly.

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

The fish was ready to be landed.
It was time for the final thrust.

[GROANS]

[BRIGSTOCKE] The poor sod had
opened his heart to Jonathan,

but it was I who had marched in.

["BELIEVE THE HUSTLE" PLAYING]

[PHONE CHIMES]

[BRIGSTOCKE] It wouldn't take much

to nudge this feeble
specimen to the brink.

All I needed was to feed his darkness

and lead him to a point of no return...

then leave him there,
teetering on the edge.

... how the mother left her
child alone in the sea?

Oh, f...

[PHONE CHIMES]

[BRIGSTOCKE] She didn't want
Jonathan to risk his life.

[PHONE CHIMES]

["TO DRILL OR NOT TO DRILL" PLAYING]

[BRIGSTOCKE] Was her lust for Jonathan

greater than her love for her child?

[PHONE CHIMES]

What the f*ck?

[BRIGSTOCKE] ... young man who
saved the little boy in the book?

[PHONE CHIMES]

[BRIGSTOCKE] I'm sending
you some photographs.

Check them against pages...

... of The Perfect Stranger.

There was no going back.

I was on a mission.

There was no chance of him failing
to recognize her or himself.

No child should have to see
their mother like that.

But it had to be done.

[PHONE CHIMING]

[CHIMING CONTINUES]

[PHONE CHIMES]

f*ck.

[BREATHING DEEPLY]

[BRIGSTOCKE] I felt as if I had
stuffed a kitten into a sack

and dropped it in a river.

I could hear it mewing,

but there was nothing
I could do to save it.

Sink or swim, it was up to him.

I could have stayed in the kitchen
and waited for an answer,

but I had to go.

I had an important dinner to attend.

[ALEENA] There. Excellent. There we go.

- Oh, hi, Catherine.
- Hi, Aleena.

- [ALEENA] There we go. Under here now.
- You all right, Mum?

- Oh, you're drenched.
- Ooh.

- Uh, yeah.
- That's better, isn't it?

- Gosh, this carpet needs a nice, good...
- So I am.

Oh, do you know what you
should have, Catherine?

A nice warm cuppa.
I'll make you a cup of coffee

- or a cup of tea if you like.
- No, no, no. I'll do it.

Now, you gonna have tea
or you gonna have coffee?

- [HELEN] There he is.
- [ALEENA] Oh, there he is.

Helen, you like him, don't you?

[HELEN, ALEENA SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

[ALEENA] Must be that time of year.

[SIGHS]

[NARRATOR] The images of his mother
having sex with a 19-year-old boy

has deeply troubled Nicholas.

But the image that disturbs him the most

is that of the red and yellow dinghy

bouncing off the edge of the world.

f*cking hate you!

[NARRATOR] He knows
that he had been saved

when he should have been lost.

He imagines a different
story for his mother.

[NICHOLAS GRUNTING]

That of a tragic heroine

who lost her only child
in an accident at sea.

She would have made a full
recovery from that loss.

She would have played that part well.

It would have suited her
better than being the mother

of a low-key, low energy,
underachieving worthless sh*t.

[PERSON] Yo!

Nicholas.

[BOLT UNLOCKS]

Whoa. You all right?

Yes.

Clean yourself up, mate.

[BRIGSTOCKE] Robert Ravenscroft
had become quite a pest,

leaving messages on the site
for The Perfect Stranger.

He was desperate to
make up for lost time,

desperate to meet us.

He believed we were still us.

Still Mr. and Mrs. Brigstocke.

First, I had no interest in meeting him,

but then I saw that I could
dig the dagger deeper,

shove it further once it was inside.

The place reeked of
businessmen and politicians.

Mr. Brigstocke, I am so
sorry to keep you waiting.

- It's a pleasure.
- [BRIGSTOCKE GROANS]

Beg your pardon.

[GROANS] No, no. It's not your fault.

It's-It's a... arthritis.

It was good while it lasted.

Oh. Um, thank you so,
so much for coming.

Uh, I was hoping Mrs.
Brigstocke might join us.

Sadly, my-my wife died some
years ago, Mr. Ravenscroft.

I am so very sorry.

Um, please, will you call me Robert?

[SERVER] Excuse me, gentlemen.
Glass of champagne? Kir Royale?

Um...

I read the book, and I... [STAMMERS]

I want to make clear that the way
my wife behaved was pitiful.

Absolutely pitiful.

[BRIGSTOCKE] Jonathan
was our only child.

Nancy never recovered from his loss.

[ROBERT] Dreadful.

All Nancy wanted was to meet your son.

To see that our son's giving
his life was for something,

for your little boy to breathe and grow.

Your wife wouldn't allow it.

She-She-She threatened my Nancy
if she ever tried to contact her again.

To s... To s... To set
the record straight,

um, I believe that my wife's
actions, both past and present,

are absolute... absolutely unforgivable.

It's clear to me that she behaved
with a completely shameful cruelty,

and you should know that we
are no longer living together.

[BRIGSTOCKE]
Very sorry to hear that. I...

And I'm sorry for any pain and shock

that, uh, sending you the book and
photographs must have caused you.

No, don't... don't be. I'm actually
relieved to finally know the truth.

It's been so many years.

Well... [GROANS]

Thank you, Mr. Ravenscroft.

[STAMMERS] All I... [SIGHS]

All I want now, all I...
All I hope for is some...

some form of reconciliation,
some forgiveness,

um, for Nicholas and myself.

Uh, you see, like you and your family,

we too have suffered from
my wife's awful cruelty.

Of course, Mr. Ravenscroft.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Of course.

[BRIGSTOCKE] He's a pitiful, poor man.

- I think he was well aware...
- Um...

... that he's only an incidental
character in this story.

And now, he'd joined the
ranks against his own wife.

[CLOCK TICKING]

[PHONE BUZZING]

Nick?

[NICHOLAS SOBBING, WHIMPERING]

Nicholas, darling, what's wrong?

Nicholas.

- Nick, talk to me.
- [NICHOLAS WHIMPERS]

- Where are you?
- [CALL ENDS]

Argh. sh*t.

[SIGHS] God.

[LINE RINGING]

[AUTOMATED VOICE] Welcome
to the O2 messaging service.

- The person you are call...
- [CALL ENDS]

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS] Oh, God. No, don't
do this. Don't do this to me.

[AUTOMATED VOICE] Welcome
to the O2 messaging service.

- [SIGHS]
- The person you are calling is unable to...

[SOBBING]

[SNIFFLES] I hate you! You f...

[GROANS]

[SOBBING]

[PHONE VIBRATING]

[SOBBING]

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

[NICHOLAS GROANS]

[NARRATOR] Nicholas
doesn't want to move.

He just needs to close his eyes.

He never wants to leave this place.

This is where he knows
he can be his best self.