03x06 - An Appetite for m*rder: Part Two

[bunniefuu]

What's going on?

Ferdy Blake's been m*rder*d.

The brigade all thought that he was a genius,

but he enjoyed humiliating people who worked for him.

Ferdy was desperate to buy me out,

but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

We keep our heads down and our mouths shut. Got it?

That's Omari, the kitchen gardener.

How are the rest of the staff taking it?

I don't know, I haven't seen anyone since it happened.

More threats?

Get them to forensics.

Put that down.

We need to get back to the restaurant.

Now.

Looks like he died of hypothermia.

If we're assuming this wasn't an accident,

we need to work out when he went into the freezer room.

What time did you meet Omari Joseph to go foraging?

Nine o'clock.

Isla De Souza raised the alarm at 11.

Forensics have just arrived, Guv.

Right, let's go and talk to Ms De Souza.

I wonder where that goes.

It's just a store room.

What are those?

Must be the gas they use in Ferdy's smoking c*ck.

Liquid nitrogen.

What's that pipe doing there?

The valve is open, and according
to that gauge, the tank's empty.

Its contents taken by this pipe to where, I wonder?

If I've got my bearings right,

that vent is on the back wall of the freezer.

So, someone knowingly pumped gas into a locked room?

That does not sound good.

It isn't.

According to this, gas released
into a sealed area displaces oxygen

and can cause suffocation.

Whoever did this was leaving nothing to chance.

And it's a far faster way to die than hypothermia.

What time did you find Mr Merson?

Just before I called you.

Around 11.

You were expecting him to be here?

I'd asked him to do some cleaning, and then,

when I couldn't find him, I checked the freezer room.

Is there any chance he could have
locked himself in accidentally?

No!

Someone had locked the door
on the outside and taken the key.

We need to know your movements from 6pm last night.

Are you suggesting I might have something to do with this?

You found both bodies, Ms De Souza.

If I was the k*ller then I think

I would've been smart enough not to do that.

I'd been given permission to return, so I did.

Being the one to find Cal was an unfortunate coincidence.

Tanika, may we have a word?

Just checked the freezer room control panel.

The ventilation system had been switched off.

And the tube?

Found the other end hidden in a grill on the inside wall.

If we think the primary cause
of death could be suffocation,

we need a revised timeline ASAP.

Guv.

What's going on? I saw the police cars.

Where's Cal? I've been trying to get hold of him.

Why don't you come inside, Mrs Merson?

That's all we know right now.

Guv.

Excuse me.

You're needed at the station.

Some sweet tea.

It might help with the shock.

We're so sorry for your loss, Mrs Merson. Thank you.

And it's Nicki.

When did you last speak to Cal?

Around 5pm.

He called to say he wouldn't be home till at least 3am.

I thought it must be taking longer than he thought.

But when he still wasn't picking up

when I got back from paddleboarding around 10.30,

I decided to come here.

Was there any history of conflict between your husband

and Isla De Souza?

As far as I know, Isla and Cal got on pretty well.

Was there anyone else that Cal had issues with at work?

Omari Joseph?

Not that I know of. I'm so sorry, I can't do this now.

I...

I need to go home.

We'll get someone to take you.

Your father, Jackson Laronde -

worked with Ferdy Blake at his first restaurant, Synthesis.

We found this photograph of them looking very pally.

Ferdy told my father that he wanted
to go into partnership with him,

that he'd help him get citizenship.

But it was all a lie.

When Dad's visa expired,
he was forced to return to Dominica.

And why would he do that?

Because my father was the true genius.

But Ferdy couldn't bear not being a star.

So he stole my father's notebooks
and rewrote them under his name.

What exactly were you planning to do with the mushrooms?

Ferdy's signature dish was a wild mushroom rag...

I was going to tell him I'd discovered some rare cepes

that would give the flavour an even deeper intensity.

I knew he wouldn't be able to resist trying it.

I'd been planning it for months.

The threats were meant to unnerve him.

And why did it take you so long to
put your plan into action?

I was too much of a coward to ever go through with it.

But I got lucky.

Someone else was braver than I am.

We need you to account for your movements

over the past 12 hours.

I was at my cottage until 9am, when I met your colleagues.

Can anyone verify that?

No. I was on my own.

Just like Cal Merson was at Gastronomy.

What are you talking about?

Mr Merson was found dead this morning

in highly suspicious circumstances.

Did he witness you k*lling Ferdy?

Is that why you had to k*ll him, too?

No, I swear to God.

I had absolutely nothing to do with that.

Guv.

Cal Merson's cause of death has been established.

Inert gas asphyxiation.

Time of death sometime between 9.30 and 10.30.

Mr Joseph was already in custody when it happened,

so that lets him off the hook.

But it doesn't mean he didn't k*ll Ferdy Blake,

or that he and Ms De Souza aren't working together.

Omari Joseph admits he planned to k*ll Ferdy Blake,

but claims he took no action.

Now, that's not a crime in itself,

but if his plans involved another party,

we could charge them both.

Go back through the evidence log, Alice.

See if there's a connection. Guv.

Another video of Ferdy Blake has just been posted.

It's even worse than the others.

Watch it frame by frame.

There has to be something to ID whoever's behind them.

That's a bloke's hat.

And a rather expensive one.

I'm guessing Matthew made an appearance?

He did.

He dropped by unexpectedly earlier.

I'll have to give it back to him at dinner.

So, it went well, then?

No.

It was ghastly...

The quiet young man I once knew

is now really rather full of himself,

and he was terribly rude to Darius.

What was Darius doing here?

He wanted to talk to me about the dig.

Oh, it was all so awkward.

How on earth am I going to get out of dinner with Matthew?

I'm sure we'll think of something.

In the meantime, let's lighten the mood!

How about we get back to the m*rder?

So, where are we?

Well, a few hours ago, I thought
we had the k*ller in custody.

Now I'm not so sure.

So, if Omari isn't involved, then who is it?

Isla, acting alone? Isla and Damon?

But why k*ll Cal?

What could he have seen or discovered

since Ferdy's m*rder that made him
such a threat he had to die?

I think we need to talk to Nicki again.

Good morning, Nicki. Morning.

Thank you for seeing us. What gorgeous roses!

Cal loved their delicate scent.

He always got me rose cologne for my birthday.

Sorry.

Why don't we go and put those in some water?

Thank you.

Tell us about your husband.

Cal and I were childhood sweethearts.

Married at 18.

I spent years trying and failing to
keep him on the straight and narrow.

Was your husband a risk-taker by nature?

No.

No, he was weak, easily led.

In what way?

Cal had started behaving oddly lately.

Hiding his phone.

Taking calls in other rooms.

Just like he did when he was gambling.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw
Damon Grady in the garden with Cal.

Damon seemed angry.

He said something about keeping

their mouths shut and their heads down.

Got it? Are you coming or not?

Why didn't you tell the police?

Damon had always been a good friend to Cal.

I knew he'd been in trouble.

I didn't want to point the finger in case it was nothing.

Do you have any idea what Damon
wanted Cal to keep quiet about?

No. But Cal was an expert liar.

Most gamblers are.

Guv.

Damon Grady's mobile provider just
sent through his records.

He was on the phone at the time of Ferdy's m*rder,

and it's a Marlow number.

That must have been what
he was doing when I saw him outside.

TANIKA: Find out who it was.

Anything new from the evidence log?

Ah. Well, the neoprene glove we found by the river

had WWC printed on it.

Windean Watersports Club.

I've asked for their members list.

I got the old staff records at Ferdy's first restaurant.

Isla De Souza joined the restaurant as sous-chef

a few months before Omari's father disappeared.

Was Isla De Souza responsible for
hiring Omari Joseph at Gastronomy?

I'll look into it.

Any joy from the latest videos, Jason?

Still going through it, Guv.

Oh, she's got to be having a laugh.

What is it?

Isla De Souza wants the go-ahead
for a private event at Gastronomy.

Tonight.

But it's barely 24 hours since Cal Merson was m*rder*d.

She's going to set up a kitchen tent outside.

Shall we pull the plug?

No. We let it go ahead. What?

If any of them are working together,

this is the perfect opportunity to catch them in action.

We keep eyes on all our suspects.

See who they talk to, let it play out.

We're going to need eyes everywhere tonight.

You could base yourself at the bar, Judith,

while Suzie and I act as roving spies.

But you'll need a partner.

Well, I could ask Darius.

He wants to discuss the dig in Wales.

Oh! But what about Matthew?

I agreed to have dinner with him tonight.

Oh. Wait!

Matthew is expecting to meet Judith,
but Judith would rather meet Darius.

But...

we all know a woman who would love to accompany

a wealthy widower for the evening.

Yeah? Yeah?

I'll be out again tonight.

Ah, we'll be fine. There's some pizzas in the freezer.

Oh, yes. Of course there are.

Have you got a problem with that, Mother?

I have a problem with your wife swanning around

like Miss Marple of Marlow,

while we're stuck inside these four walls.

I was going to ask if you wanted to 'swan around' with me,

but as I happen to be in your bad books...

Oh, that was just my little joke.

I'd be absolutely delighted.

Casual or dressy?

Dressy, definitely.

Oh, well.

What are you up to, Becks?

I've found something! The new video might ID our cameraman.

In this still frame, you can see a mirror.

Reflected is part of the mobile phone,

and a red T-shirt with a logo on it.

It's a stag. We need to find the owner of that T-shirt.

Oh, and Digital have a match
for the number on Damon's mobile,

from the call when Ferdy Blake was m*rder*d.

It's an empty shop in Station Road.

And the weird thing is, they were calling him.

OK. Alice and I will check out those premises.

You and Jason head over to Gastronomy.

They've let me go.

I won't be long.

Windean Watersports Club just sent
through their members list.

Isla De Souza's on it.

Do you think that glove could have been hers?

We'll have to ask her.

It looks like nobody's been here since it closed down.

Well, if that's the case, why is the bin completely full?

Ladies and gentlemen, please can we have your attention?

Welcome, everyone, and thank you
so much for coming this evening.

While recent events have been challenging, we wanted you,

our loyal clientele, to know that Gastronomy will be

reopening as soon as possible, with me as Chef Patron.

Thank you. APPLAUSE.

SHE KNOCKS

What's through there?

We'll need to call this into Vice when we get back.

So, Damon was involved in gambling?

Look, this is from last week.

Good spot.

Judith. Oh, thank you for coming.

I took the liberty of getting you a glass of champagne.

Well, thank you very much.

Well, it's the least I could do after yesterday.

I hadn't seen Matthew in years,

and I'm afraid he's changed rather drastically,

and not for the better.

He's on his way over now, and doesn't look very happy.

Ah, yes. Bear with me.

I thought we had a date this evening, Judith?

We did, but Professor Gifford and I have a rather urgent

archaeological assignment to discuss.

Well, I must say this is incredibly annoying... I'm sorry.

May I introduce Marian Starling?

It's a great pleasure to meet you, Marian.

Oh. The pleasure's all mine.

True gentlemen are hard to come by these days.

As are great beauties.

Oh. You're too kind.

Well, how about some champagne?

I feel in a celebratory mood.

Devine.

If Judith will excuse us...

Oh, be my guest.

Shall we?

Didn't take him long to jump ship, did it?

So far, so good.

Oh!

Where is he going?

I'm afraid I have been slightly
economical with the truth, Darius.

This isn't purely a social occasion.

Go on.

All our key suspects are here,
and might even be in it together.

And you need me to be your partner in crime?

If you don't mind, that is...

On the contrary, I'd be delighted.

Tell me more.

Where's he going?

He's heading for the restaurant. Come on.

What are we supposed to do now?

Oh! I saw some keys behind the bar.

Oh, yes! I'll call Judith. Yeah.

Goodness. PHONE RINGS.

Oh, excuse me.

Oh, it's Suzie.

Hello?

Right.

A development? Yes.

I need to 'borrow' the barman's keys without him noticing.

What if I caused a distraction?

I think you might be a natural at this, Darius.

Argh! Oh! Help me! Help me! Help me...

Please hurry, hurry! Are you OK?

Gosh.

Just trapped wind, but thank you.

Thank you very much, anyway.

Nice one, Judith.

Well, I couldn't have done it without Darius.

It turns out he's got an unexpectedly devious side.

Oh, something else you have in common.

Oh! This seems to be the one.

Quick, quick.

This one.

Got them! I'll keep watch.

OK.

We're in!

That is a lot of money.

What are Isla and Damon up to?

Why does this case keep coming back to cash?

Oh...

The red T-shirt.

We seem to have found our covert film-maker.

And we found the red T-shirt in Damon's locker

along with the cash Isla gave him earlier.

I'm not going to ask how you got access.

Yeah, best not.

Um... If I may add something?

Oh, here we go.

Has D'Artagnan joined the Three Musketeers?

Not exactly, but I overheard this gentleman

telling this lady

that the police had nothing on him
and that they were in the clear.

What did she say?

That they could carry on as planned.

Right.

Well, I'll... um...

I'll update the DI.

Come on.

Rebecca? Uh?

I won't need a lift now.

Matty's going to drive me home.

Yes, I think we could both do with a...

night cap?

Enjoy the rest of your evening, Judith.

You, too.

When Marian knows what she wants, she really goes for it.

I almost feel sorry for him. Oh, don't.

I think they're made for each other.

I'm so sorry about this evening.

It all got a bit chaotic.

Well, then let's do it properly next time.

And no more pretending that we're meeting to discuss a dig

or catch up about an investigation.

An evening when we can spend some time together,

with a view to becoming more than 'just friends'.

Um...

Life's just so busy.

I'm afraid I can't commit to anything at the moment.

Of course.

It was just a thought.

Well, good luck with the case.

You do realise he was asking you out on a date?

That would've taken so much courage, poor bloke.

You took the wind right out of his sails.

According to Judith's mate,

our suspects now think they're in the clear to carry on.

Isla de Souza got back to me about the neoprene glove.

She confirmed she is a member of the club,

but she said she always keeps her kit there.

OK, but back to last night.

Let's focus on why she gave Damon Grady all that cash

when she knew we were at the event.

Did his interest in ill*gal gambling
get him in financial trouble?

The red T-shirt identifies Damon
as the person behind the videos.

Could he be blackmailing her?

Hmm.

Or is she paying him off for services rendered

as her personal hit man?

We need to talk to Damon Grady again.

Mr Grady? Recognise this?

You've got some explaining to do, mate.

Why were you filming Ferdy Blake
in the months before his death?

I got the job through the ex-offenders programme.

I thought Ferdy really believed in me,

but then I got wind I was going to get dumped

the minute the programme was over.

So, I started filming his rants on my phone.

Just in case.

But why release the videos after he was already dead?

I owed some people money.

Bad people.

So, I sold some of them to a tabloid.

But it wasn't enough.

There was a large amount of cash found in your locker.

Given to you by Isla De Souza.

She realised that the videos were coming from me,

so she offered to pay my debt to stop me selling the rest.

Mr Blake withdrew increasing amounts of cash

during the period you worked for him.

What was it for?

Ferdy loved gambling.

High-risk, high stakes.

I knew some people that ran an ill*gal gambling den.

I loved the job, and I wanted to
get into Ferdy's good books.

So, I made the introduction.

Cal Merson was an ex-gambling addict.

Did you know that?

Ferdy bullied him into joining
the after-hours poker sessions.

Could someone from the den have come after Ferdy and Cal?

For unpaid debt?

Ferdy was loaded, and he wasn't stupid.

He'd never get himself into trouble with those guys.

And Cal - he got lucky.

He won 300k in hard cash.

I was an amateur by comparison.

The den kept calling to settle what I owe,

but I just didn't have it.

You were desperate for money,

and you knew Cal Merson had loads of it.

k*lling him would solve all your problems.

No, I'd never do that.

No, Cal was my mate.

If Cal won all that money,

wouldn't the first person he'd tell be his wife?

Well, not necessarily.

He might have been afraid of her reaction.

If Damon's telling the truth and that 300k actually exists,

then Nicki deserves to have that money.

But where is it?

I don't think he'd risk hiding it at home.

This is all connected to gambling somehow, isn't it?

That must be the reason the £50 note was pinned

to Ferdy's body when he died.

What if Cal hid his winnings at work somewhere,

the k*ller got wind of it somehow?

If someone knew that Cal was at Gastronomy alone

and suspected the money was there,

they could've forced Cal to reveal his hiding place

and then be obliged to k*ll him.

Do you remember when we saw him outside the restaurant?

He said he'd dropped his keys.

He looked shifty as hell.

I think I know where the money is.

Damon Grady claims the cash he received from you

was to stop him releasing any more videos to the press.

That's correct.

We now know that Omari Joseph came

to work at Gastronomy at your invitation.

You'd worked with his father years ago.

Did you know Omari planned to k*ll Ferdy?

Not until yesterday, but he would
never have gone through with it.

Omari's incapable of hurting anyone.

I gave him the job here as a way of redressing past wrongs.

With Ferdy gone, you had what you'd always wanted.

You all did.

Were you working together?

Not in the way that you're implying.

Mr Grady also claims that Cal Merson won a large amount

of money in an ill*gal poker game.

What do you know about that?

Nothing. I had no idea.

So, you're saying Cal stashed his money at the restaurant

while the police were still here?

He knew they'd completed their initial search,

including the cellar.

Cal must've hidden the money somewhere

and retrieved it unseen,

and then sent it down this coal chute -

which is when we saw him.

But why would he take that risk?

It was his least worst option.

He couldn't take the money home.

As a person of interest, his house could be searched next.

Do you think the money's still down there?

We'll find out soon enough.

This should be the door to the cellar.

So, how are we going to get in?

I forgot to return these.

We need to get our bearings.

Work out where the coal cellar might be.

This way.

It's like a labyrinth down here.

If I'm right...

Yes!

This is where the coal chute comes out...

And...

Whoa. Nice one, Judith.

Oh. You don't seem very happy about it.

I keep thinking about Cal's relapse...

the stress of keeping all that to himself.

What a difference that money would've made to their lives,

had he lived.

Can anyone else smell roses?

Yes... I can.

I need to make a fresh start.

Judith? What is it?

The roses...

the paddle board...

Cal's fresh start.

It all makes perfect sense.

Don't you see?

We kept asking ourselves why

someone would choose that night to k*ll Ferdy.

Why take such an enormous risk?

And the answer is, they didn't choose to do it at all.

This was never about money or power.

It was about love and betrayal.

Are you saying the m*rder*r is Isla?

I'm saying Ferdy was never the intended victim.

It was Cal Merson.

And I believe his k*ller is here with us now.

Nicki?

Come on.

Just getting the money.

I'm sure I saw a light on the wall here, somewhere.

Well, never mind that now.

We just need to get out of here.

GASP, DOOR SLAMS

Judith?! Are you OK?!

Judith! Judith!

Judith!

That's all for now, Ms De Souza.

DS Perry will see you out.

I just want to apologise for not
being entirely honest with you.

I know I can appear heartless,

but that's what years of brutality does to you.

And I'm so desperately sad for Nicki.

I knew her from the water sports club.

She was forced to leave when they
couldn't afford the fees any more.

The members' list at the Watersports
Club, how far back did it go?

It's just the current members.

I know you're in here, Nicki.

I just need to talk to you.

That's...

That's my money.

I know, and you deserve to have it.

BANGING ON DOOR

Judith! Judith!

I need that to stop.

Tell them to stop it.

There's no need to worry.

I'm perfectly fine.

How can she be fine?

She's locked in a room with a m*rder*r!

I'll stay here. Go and get help. Yeah.

Nicki Merson's phone isn't online.

Its last known location is Gastronomy.

TELEPHONE RINGS It's Suzie.

All right, hold tight. Yeah, we're already on our way.

Nicki Merson's locked herself in the cellar with Judith.

We need to get over there, now!

I understand why you're so angry, Nicki.

None of this was about the money.

I need you to know that.

It was about Cal not wanting to share it with me.

We always said, if we ever got back on our feet again,

we'd emigrate together.

But he was going to go to Australia with the money...

on his own.

That was...

our dream.

It must have been devastating.

How did you find out?

On the morning of the book launch.

I'd come home from an early paddle board.

I'd locked myself out.

Cal always kept a spare set of keys in the glove box,

and that's where I found his secret phone.

He'd sent a text to his brother in Brisbane,

saying he'd won £300,000...

playing poker.

And that's when you found out he was gambling again.

He told his brother he'd booked a flight for Tuesday...

and he wasn't to breathe a word to me about any of it.

That's why you had to act so quickly.

I'd stood by him...

through everything.

But there were other texts on the phone.

Buy-ins.

He'd lied to me...

about everything for so long.

So, that's when you made your plan?

For once in my life, I had to put myself first.

You understand that, don't you?

Well, of course I do.

You're a kind, loving, loyal person, Nicki...

and were brutally betrayed by the man you loved.

Cal broke my heart.

You can still live your dream, Nicki...

if we go now.

I'm leaving.

Stay back.

It's OK, let her go.

Mrs Merson!

Come with me.

We can talk inside.

Can you talk us through what happened

on the day of Ferdy Blake's m*rder?

That afternoon, I left the paddle board by Gastronomy.

I came back on foot.

I knew Cal would be alone at the
moment of Ferdy's grand entrance -

be in the kitchen or front of house.

I had to time it perfectly.

I thought the £50 note might implicate Ferdy

or the gambling ring, or at least keep the police busy.

Cal was exactly where I wanted him to be.

All I needed was a knife.

And then Ferdy appeared out of nowhere.

In that moment, I knew it was either him or me.

I wasn't going to end up in prison
while Cal got away with everything.

I only just made it out before Isla raised the alarm.

Then you ran to the river, dropping one of your gloves.

It must have fallen out of my pocket.

I didn't realise till later.

But with Cal still alive, you hadn't solved your problem.

But when he was asked to deep-clean Gastronomy alone,

it was the perfect opportunity to strike again.

It was my last chance.

I had to stop him getting on that flight.

So I came back to the restaurant with a plan.

I knew Ferdy kept his liquid
nitrogen tanks in the storeroom.

If I could release the gas into the airtight freezer room,

Cal would suffocate.

With everything set up, I just had to wait for my moment.

FROM INSIDE: Hello? POUNDING ON DOOR.

Hello?!

All I had to do was go back up the tank and open the valve.

And when I got home,

I kept calling Cal to make it
seem like I was worried about him.

But you still didn't have the money. No.

I realised it must be somewhere in the restaurant.

But I couldn't go there to look until you lot had gone.

But Judith was one step ahead of me.

JUDITH: Cal must have hidden
the money, retrieved it unseen,

and then sent it down the chute.

SUZIE: And you think the money's still down there?

The police were always going to catch up with you, Nicki.

You do know that, don't you?

I wish I could say I was sorry, but...

Cal got what he deserved.

It's time.

I know how WE figured out it was
Nicki Merson, but how did you?

It was the scent of her rose cologne.

It took me straight back to her garden.

And the paddle board -

Nicki confirmed it was hers.

And I got back from paddleboarding around 10:30.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

But her alibi checked out.

Her call to Cal, nine minutes after Ferdy's m*rder,

was a cast-iron alibi.

It would be impossible to get home
in such a short space of time.

And then I remembered I hadn't swum that day

because the river was in spate,

and it was possible to get home on
the paddle board in the time frame.

So, I was half right.

The m*rder WAS premeditated.

But the identity of her victim changed at the last minute.

You were bang-on the money, as it were, Mrs Potts.

She always is.

Judith.

Thank you so much for coming.

Another mission?

No, actually.

This is about us.

In answer to the question
I so clumsily dismissed last night...

I'd love to spend time as more than just friends.

If it's not too late, that is.

How could it be too late?

This is just the beginning.

Please have a scone. I've made so many of them.

Lovely.

Would you pass me one of those sandwiches? Thank you.

What a wonderful spread.

Becks, this looks amazing.

I'm a vicar's wife.

Serving a good tea is a key skill.

Talking of food, what's going on with Gastronomy?

Oh, they should be back in business in a couple of weeks.

And it's all changed.

The new menu credits Omari's father
as the inspiration behind the brand.

No mention of Ferdy Blake.

Which is as it should be.

English Breakfast or Earl Grey?

English Breakfast. English Breakfast.

Oh, finally,

something we can agree on.

Something else to celebrate.

Tanika's interview is in today's paper.

Now, I'm not going to lie, I thought it would be OK, but...

it's bloody brilliant! LAUGHTER.

Come on, then. Let's have a look.

Oh, thanks for all your help, Suzie.

I think I might have actually enjoyed it.

Not too shabby, girl.

Proud of you, Guv. Thank you.

Oh, and the interviewer said they were interested in

doing more profile pieces, so I suggested you three.

No, not my thing at all. Absolutely not.

No way I'm doing that.

Maybe you could reframe that more positively.

THEY ALL CHUCKLE