♪
Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
[vicar] Surely, goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Into your hands, Father of Mercy,
we commend our brother, Jack, and our sister, Mary,
in the sure and certain hope that together,
with all who have died in Christ,
they will rise with him on the last day.
For as much as it hath pleased almighty God
of his great mercy to take unto himself the souls
of our dear brother and sister, here departed,
we therefore commit their bodies to the ground.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust
in sure and certain hope of the resurrection
to eternal life
through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
[playing "Last Post"]
[crow cawing]
[butler] Welcome back, sir.
May I be of any further assistance?
[Robert] Thank you, we'll manage from here.
[butler] Very good, sir.
[maid] We'll leave you now, sir.
Why was your uniform different to everybody else's?
Because they served in the British Army,
and I served in the U.S. Marines,
which is how I met your father.
We served together overseas.
I didn't know that.
Good night, Lizzie.
[sighs]
[Lizzie sobbing softly]
What do you want me to do with her, Jack?
[birds tweeting]
[clock ticking]
What is it, today?
Terpsichore, the fifth of the Herodotus histories.
Right now, the Megabazus are thrashing the Thracians.
Sounds pretty bloody.
It is, Robert. It's frightful.
Are you dragging me out now?
We made a deal. You can spend the morning reading
if you spend the afternoon exercising.
[sighs]
You've got to get the heart pumping.
Can't I just kick a ball around instead?
This is all about your confidence, Lizzie.
This is all about you not having to be afraid.
Now, you're right-handed,
so your left shoulder faces the opponent.
Legs shoulder width apart, knees bent.
Okay, one-two.
- I feel stupid. - Well, you're not.
Pretend you're... thrashing the Thracians.
That's it, left-right.
Remember, when you see a good move,
look for a better one.
Emanuel Lasker beat William Steinitz in 1894
to win the World Chess Cup.
- I'm impressed. - Not really.
You tell me every time.
I was reading Appian today.
The Battle of Zama.
- Those poor elephants. - Forget about them.
It's Scipio's maneuvers you have to...
Robert! I could never forget about the elephants!
[sighs]
Oh, for goodness' sake, Robert,
make your move and stop pretending
that you're going to let me win.
[chuckles]
Left-right.
One, two.
Three.
Goodbye, Laura, and thank you for everything.
Goodbye, Mr. Thompson.
[car engine starts]
What is it this time?
The wooing of the Amazons by the Scythes?
That was last night.
Great Expectations.
Estella's being vile to poor old Pip.
Are you going to go away, Robert, like everyone else?
Are you going to leave me like Laura?
No.
No, I'm staying here with you.
I'm your guardian.
It's what your mother and father instructed in their will.
I have no reason to argue.
When you're an adult and running the house and estate,
then it'll be up to you.
But for now, you're stuck with me.
Good.
Lights out, Lizzie.
♪
[exclaiming]
[grunts]
[yells]
[clock ticking]
Yes!
[cows lowing]
Oh, shut up.
[yelling]
♪
[cows lowing]
Oh, shut up.
[breathing heavily]
♪
- Thank you, Andrew. - Miss Willoughby.
[engine starts]
♪
And so, through a lethal combination of death,
extreme hubris and rampant ambition,
the First Triumvirate ceased to exist.
And clearly, politics hasn't evolved that much
- in the past 2,000 years. - [all laugh]
- [school bell rings] - That's all for today.
I'll get you the reading list for tomorrow morning.
Please find time in your busy social lives
to have a look at it.
[indistinct chattering]
I am so proud of the lot of you. You bring me such joy.
[chuckles]
[cell phone vibrates]
Oliver, how lovely to hear from you.
I've been meaning to pop by the shop.
- How are you? How's Helen? - Well, thanks.
Yes, uh, Helen's...
okay, she's okay.
Uh, the reason I'm calling: the books have arrived.
- Oh, marvelous. - And I wondered
if I couldn't swing by and drop them off?
Oh, you really don't need to do that.
No, no, no, honestly, sweetheart,
it's no trouble.
Actually, we're headed in your direction tomorrow, so...
To be frank, Lizzie, it would be good to talk.
Is everything all right?
- I'd rather say in person. - Oh, of course.
Why don't you come around teatime.
- It's a good excuse for cake. - [laughs]
Well, cake would be great.
- Thank you. - Marvelous, see you then.
See you then.
Hmm.
Well.
[door chime jingles, door closes]
[knocks]
I understand we're expecting company tomorrow.
Yes. I got a call from Oliver Deakin.
He and Helen are popping round
with those first editions he found me.
I haven't seen Helen in a while.
Her father, Brigadier Ronald.
Wonderful old chap,
and a good friend to your father.
He was in Burma under Wingate. Chindits.
There was some controversy,
but I'd say that they were among
the bravest and the toughest.
Do you remember him?
Ah, that's a shame.
Tiny, but utterly fearless.
You know, he never did approve of Helen marrying Oliver.
Used to say his eyes were too close together.
[laughs]
Oh, dear.
Well, they're coming for tea.
And?
And...
there'll be cake?
And?
And what?
You're no fun.
I can't keep anything from you.
Something's up. Oliver wasn't himself.
- In what way? - You'll laugh.
- Try me. - He called me "sweetheart."
I've known him for 20 years, he's never called me sweetheart.
He's just not the type.
Let me clarify a little something for you.
All men are the type.
[sighs]
[liquid pouring]
So, what do you make of Philip?
Does the author intend us to feel sympathy for him?
Sympathy?
With Rachel throwing herself at him?
[laughs] Lucky sod.
I think it's obvious we're meant to despise Philip
for the weak man-child that he is.
- That's a bit harsh. - He's so whiny and so lovestruck.
I'm surprised Rachel had anything to do with him.
- She was playing him. - We've all known women like Rachel,
women with a certain amount of superficial beauty
but little intelligence,
using men and then throwing them away on a whim.
Or worse, driving them mad.
Never mind if they're someone's husband.
- Family men. - Ooh, Sarah,
are you speaking from experience?
Absolutely not. Don't be absurd.
I'm just saying that Philip is a victim in all this.
Rachel is a predator.
And, of course, she's punished for her sexuality.
- Perhaps we should just... - She's punished for using
her sexuality to destroy people's lives, quite rightly!
Oh, come on!
Philip gave her the jewels. She didn't ask for them.
- Not directly, no. - Now you're being obtuse.
[Helen] And on that note,
I think we should call it a night.
Excuse me. Sarah, are you all right to drive?
No, I'm all right. Fine.
[sighs]
Thank you. Thank you.
- Thank you. - [door chime jingling]
You've upset her.
Ugh, Sarah ought to live in the real world for a change.
It's not all gin and jacks and bridge.
But you know that, don't you, Helen?
You're such a free spirit.
Such a dear friend.
- [door opens] - [door chime jingles]
[door closes]
[car door slams]
[loud crash]
Hello?
Is anyone there?
- [door creaking] - [rumbling]
[nervous breathing]
Please.
- [loud crash] - [electricity crackles]
[loud rumbling]
[gasps]
♪
[engine starts]
[creaking]
♪
[birds tweeting]
- Thank you. - Hi.
So good to see you.
Helen.
You have missed me, haven't you?
Come.
Hello, darling.
Nothing's changed.
Comforting, isn't it?
So lovely to be here, Willow.
You know, you're practically the only person
who still calls me that.
Well, you don't mind?
Of course not. It's lovely.
We have such fond memories of this place, Lizzie.
Your parents...
such a tragedy.
You two met each other here?
No, no, but Helen proposed to me in the folly.
Oh, Helen, you didn't?
Well, I'd still be waiting if I'd left it to him.
[all laugh]
She's probably right.
How's the...
the estate managing, Lizzie?
I expect it runs itself.
Oh, well, that's Robert's domain.
I just sign the checks.
Yes, we've had to make some changes
over the past few years,
but I've brought in young Matthew Cridick.
He's worked out wonderfully well.
Ah, well, I suppose it's a business like anything else.
Yes, how's the bookshop?
I mean, do people even buy books anymore?
I'm appalled at the gaps in some of my students' reading.
It's not easy.
What is it, Oliver?
It's not Oliver. It... It's me.
I'm sorry, it's just that
we couldn't think of anybody else to talk to.
Well, there's nothing you can't tell us.
I've been having these weird experiences.
Encounters, I suppose you could call them.
I think I'm being haunted.
I think I'm being haunted by my dear old dad.
I know how it sounds.
It happened again last night when I was closing up the shop,
only this time, I saw something afterwards...
from outside.
Someone in the shop, I'm sure.
I don't know what to think.
Have you seen anything, Oliver?
Uh, no, no.
But that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
[sighs]
Ah.
Oliver, old chap,
why don't I show you some of the changes
we've made in the cellar.
Oh, yes, yes, of course.
[Robert] We added more room,
which of course means more wine.
[Oliver] Ah, marvelous.
I suspect Robert will introduce Oliver
to a glass of single malt on the way.
- [crying softly] - Helen, please don't.
I'm sorry.
Don't cry. I'm sure it's nothing.
There's an explanation for everything under the sun.
Why don't you start at the beginning?
When did it first happen?
[sighs]
Well, it was a couple of months ago.
And these encounters,
they've only ever happened at the shop?
Well, they started small.
The odd book moving.
Things not being where they should be.
I became aware of things in my peripheral vision.
Just there.
Recently...
Go on.
Oh, it's the weirdest thing,
but sometimes there's this distinct smell,
and it's my father.
He always wore this particular cologne
from a perfumery in Provence.
I'd turn a corner in the shop, and the smell would just hit me.
And it's as though he's standing right there.
And it couldn't be another customer wearing the same scent?
I doubt it.
The perfumery went out of business in the late '90s.
I remember my dad using the last of it one Christmas.
I must sound insane.
Oh, so what if you are? We're all a little bit potty.
It's what makes life so interesting.
[laughs]
Have you told anybody else about this?
Well, I'm seeing a psychiatrist.
It was Oliver's idea.
Well, that's good. How's it going?
Dr. Shirani's all right.
She can be a bit cold at times, but...
Dr. Gaya Shirani?
- Oh, do you know her? - Um...
I used to, yes.
Has she given you any medication?
Just some mild anxiety medication
when it all gets too much.
Is that why your hands shake?
Oh, do they?
I don't know. I suppose it must be.
I'm just so exhausted.
I spend all my time waiting for it to happen again.
Do you want me to see what I can do?
What do you mean?
There's a logical explanation for this. I know there is.
Do you want me to see if I can get to the bottom of it?
You can't. I mean, your work.
- You couldn't possibly. - I want to do this for you.
You were so kind to me when I was little
after my parents died.
I haven't forgotten.
Please let me help you.
Oh.
Thank you.
I still can't believe you remember Daddy
calling me Willow.
Well, your father copied mine.
His special name for me was Bella.
Jack decided you had to have one too.
That's so sweet.
I don't think I've ever heard anybody call you Bella.
- Not even Oliver. - No, I've never told him.
I've never told anyone.
It was just between my father and me.
And now I've told you.
Well, I'm glad.
Now, why don't we have some of that cake
before the boys come back and eat it all.
Poor Helen seems very fragile.
You've known her longer. Is this in her character?
It certainly wasn't in her father's.
I never knew her mother.
You noticed the shaking?
- Yes. It's not alcohol. - You sure?
I couldn't smell it on her breath.
More likely it's the anti-anxiety medication.
So, we're in the business of ghost-busting now?
Do I detect a teeny-weeny degree of cynicism?
Can you blame me?
I know it's an unusual one,
but I haven't had a case to work on for ages.
This isn't a case.
Indulge me.
Where will you start?
[sighs]
I don't quite know yet.
[grunting]
- Good morning, Carole. - Morning.
I take it you have a plan?
I take it you found the spirit level?
You do know they have nothing to do with actual spirits?
[door closes]
Thank you, Andrew.
You have a nice day, Miss Willoughby.
[sighs]
- Let's go. - [starts engine]
Everything seems all right with your electrics.
Yeah, I told you.
There is no explanation.
Not yet.
Hmm.
Do these shelves move?
Hmm. They did.
They haven't been touched for years.
Hmm.
If you need any help, I'll be over at the desk.
Thank you.
- Anything? - Bubble gum.
Where exactly did the books start flying off the shelves?
It was...
it was around here.
Sometimes, I catch this look in his eye.
He thinks I'm going mad.
[Miss Willoughby] He's just worried about you.
That's all.
Where exactly am I supposed to be looking?
It was around the Greek mythology section.
- [door opens] - [door chime jingles]
I think. I'm sorry I can't be more specific.
It's all a bit hazy.
[Miss Willoughby] It's okay.
God help us.
Sorry Willow, will you excuse me?
Sure.
Ah, Diana.
[Helen] Can I help you?
Hi, Helen, have you got my first edition?
Oh! I'm so sorry.
You really shouldn't just step back like that.
What were you thinking?
And in those boots.
Oh. Um, here.
I know you.
You're Elizabeth Willoughby.
- Yes, I am. - I did enjoy your last book.
Informative, yet accessible, which is so rare in nonfiction.
It's always nice to meet a fan.
Sarah Clarkson.
And I wouldn't say I'm a fan, exactly.
Oh.
Um, I think this might be yours.
Oh, you can have it.
It's some harebrained project of Diana Branson's.
For an intelligent woman,
she really does have some ludicrous notions.
But given the circumstances, well, she might be desperate.
Now that we've been introduced, I wonder,
I might as well come out with it.
- I've written a book. - [nervous chuckle]
A family history, I suppose you could call it.
I come from a long line of accountants.
I wondered if you could read it for me?
Tell me if it's any good.
Oh, good Lord.
Helen?
[breathing heavily]
Helen! Oh!
What?
My pills, Ollie.
[Oliver] For God's sake, Helen, stop.
- [crying] - Here, sweetheart. Here.
Take a deep breath.
[screams]
What is it? What?
I saw him again. He was here.
Who? Who did you see?
- My father! - Hmm.
It was him standing right there!
If you don't mind, Briony, please.
- Thank you, Briony. - Thank you, Miss Willoughby.
Robert, there's something I need to talk to you about,
and I don't want you to take it the wrong way.
Oh, dear. Not sure I like the sound of this.
No, don't be silly, it's just, well... the thing is,
you've been looking after me for 25 years now,
and basically put your life on hold...
I'm not having this conversation.
I worry about you, and want you to be happy.
I am happy.
But do you not want to marry, or do something different?
I feel like I've been selfish and held you back
from the life you could have led.
This is my life.
I'm just saying, if you did want to move on, I'd be okay.
And you should do it now whilst you're still... healthy.
I am not that decrepit.
You know what I mean.
Matthew's settled into running the estate
and you could travel.
You could go back to America.
Find a nice young lady and live in Palm Beach.
- Do you want me to go? - No, I knew you'd say that.
Lizzie, when Jack and Mary died
and I was left to look after you,
I was terrified.
What did I know about bringing up a child?
You were brilliant.
But I'm an adult now.
- You saying you don't need me? - No, of course not.
You don't seem to understand what you've become to me.
I could not be prouder of the woman you've become.
Nothing makes me happier.
Just promise me you'll think about it.
Promise me you won't sacrifice your happiness for mine,
because it'll be okay, you know. I'd manage.
Of course you would.
And I'm only saying this because I love you.
I know.
- So that's settled. - Settled.
- But I'm not going anywhere. - You could if you wanted to.
- I don't want to. - You might change your mind.
- I won't. - Well, you never know...
If you keep this up, I will go.
I won't mention it again.
[school bell rings]
[indistinct chatter]
[Murray] Come in.
Elizabeth Willoughby.
For someone who lives downstairs,
I don't see you often enough.
Is this is a good time?
Yes, of course. Yes, absolutely.
- Sit down, sit down. - Thank you.
You know you only come here when you want to pick my brain.
Oh, I don't, do I?
Well, maybe,
but I did bring you these.
[Murray] Ooh.
Aah! Oh...
And this offering isn't because you called my work
pseudo-scientific claptrap?
Oh, Vernon, please don't.
Oh, I'm only teasing.
I mean, it is what people are saying,
you may well be right.
Ooh, well, what is it?
Well, I have a friend.
Oh, ah, the mythical, all-encompassing friend.
No, really, I do have a friend.
Um, she's a dear woman,
but she seems to have got herself into a bit of a state.
Mm-hmm, tell me.
She claims to be haunted by the ghost of her father.
How long has he been passed?
Um, 20 years or so.
And she doesn't have history of hysterics?
She's, uh...
not a lover of drama, or a narcissist?
- No. - She doesn't take psychedelic
or psychotropic drugs?
- No. - Alcohol consumption?
- Negligible. - And you believe her story?
I believe that certain unexplained incidents
have occurred, yes.
And are these incidents unexplained
because they are unexplainable,
or because you haven't found an explanation?
I honestly don't know, Vernon.
Yes, you do.
You're just too polite to tell me to my face.
I deal in facts, not conjecture.
I think a logical explanation is more likely.
So why do you come to me?
Because my friend is in pain and I want to help her.
I'm not your man.
[sighs]
She smells him, Vernon.
When he's there, she smells his cologne.
A specific cologne to him.
You know, I was bored. You'd lost me.
But this, this rings all the bells.
It's an olfactory experience.
It's an incredibly powerful one.
Have I talked to you about morphic resonance?
Um, focus, Vernon.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, yes.
Well, I'll need to give you some homework.
You'll find messages online.
You'll come across some firewalls, but...
perhaps you can use a proxy.
Hmm.
Thank you.
And, Elizabeth...
you'll need an open mind.
Can you do that?
[sighs]
I can try.
♪
[Robert] Thought you could do with a bit of this.
Thank you, Robert.
Oliver called.
He said Helen was doing much better.
Good.
So, how far have you got?
[sighs]
I don't know.
I mean, look at this.
The Rogers' Foundry, 1996.
A night watchman was fired for being drunk on duty
because he claims he saw the ghost of a former employee
who died in an accident,
and then, the following year, on the same day,
his replacement makes the same claim.
And the next year, and the next.
- Yes, Lizzie, but... - Oh, the Docklands drownings.
2003.
Five independent witnesses all call 999
because they saw a woman drowning
in the same part of the Thames,
but over a six-month period.
The same screams, the same clothes,
but no body was ever found
and no missing persons reports...
People drown and are never found.
It happens all the time.
The Enfield Poltergeist.
Ah, I know about that one. The sisters,
They were making it up, weren't they?
I just... I mean, I don't know at this point.
The Myrtle's Plantation...
I think you need to take a break.
Yes.
I'm not saying I believe in ghosts.
So, what are you saying?
I'm saying that the individuals who witness these events
do believe in them.
All sane, rational people, just like Helen.
And they may be mistaken,
and there's a logical explanation,
but they're not lying.
And is that what you're going to say to Helen?
If she thinks she's being haunted by Ronald, then she is?
No, of course not.
It's just, after reading all this bunkum,
it's made me even more determined to find an answer.
I'm not going to let it get the better of me.
That's my girl.
You're going to want to finish that.
Where are you taking me, Lizzie?
They're rerunning Heroes of Telemark
for the umpteenth time,
yet I am still eager to watch it.
- I've made you an appointment. - With whom?
[Miss Willoughby] Dr. Gaya Shirani.
You stole her boyfriend.
She set fire to my lab coat.
And why, exactly,
do I have an appointment with the pyromaniac?
Because, Robert, you've been seeing ghosts.
[car door closes]
[engine starts]
[church bell tolling]
How long have you been experiencing these apparitions,
Mr. Thompson?
Over the past several months.
They just pop up when I least expect it.
And has this ever happened before?
Good God, no.
And have you suffered a trauma recently or a bereavement?
These events can trigger huge shifts in the psyche.
Nothing comes to mind.
I think you'd remember.
Yes.
Of course, no.
No trauma.
My doctor did give me some pills recently and, um,
I think they might be making it worse.
Could they do that, you think?
Could they be giving me hallucinations, for example?
- Is that what's happening? - Yes, all the time.
What were you prescribed?
Uh, yeah.
It's, uh, hang on.
It's pro... Pro...
Yeah, Propram...
Propranolol.
It's a beta blocker,
often prescribed for panic attacks,
but it rarely causes hallucinations
or any kind of delusional behavior.
- What was his name, by the way? - Who?
Your doctor.
- Foster. - Dr. Foster?
Was he in Gloucester, by any chance?
Yes, do you know him?
Of course, having said that,
Propranolol is unlikely to cause delusions.
There's always the exception to the rule.
Hmm.
Tell me more about Dr. Foster.
Well, there's really nothing much to say.
Then tell me about yourself.
Your childhood.
Oh, you don't want to hear about that.
I do.
Well, it was, uh...
perfectly normal childhood.
It was a happy childhood.
I laughed a lot.
Brothers and sisters?
I was an only child.
And yet you laughed a lot?
With my dog.
I had a dog.
He made me laugh.
[chuckles]
It was a great dog.
Was your dog your only friend?
No.
Yes.
Yes, I suppose he was.
You know, I don't really see what this has to do
with my seeing ghosts.
I mean, this was 50 years ago.
Our childhoods mold our lives.
The seeds of psychosis are planted when we are very young.
Tell me, did you have an imaginary friend?
- Doesn't everybody? - I didn't.
Tell me about yours.
Her name was Betty.
And do you miss her?
No, of course not.
Is it Betty you see?
No, I haven't seen or thought about Betty in years.
And how does it feel to be talking about her now?
It feels rather wonderful, actually.
[laughs]
You see?
Now we're getting somewhere.
[pen scratching]
No, thank you.
I know, bit of an odd request,
but you've been very helpful.
Who knew the art of perfumery was so involved?
Yes, thank you again. Goodbye.
[indistinct chatter]
[sighs]
Hello, again.
Miss Willoughby.
You don't mind, do you?
I'm awfully worried about Helen.
This really is too much.
I come in here for my daily dose of me time.
Yes. Um, you seem to be somewhat of a regular at the bookshop.
I suppose I am.
And, of course, the book club meets there.
It's one of Helen's attempts to stay afloat.
Bit of a mixed bunch.
And rather too much alcohol is involved.
But it does one good to flex one's critical muscles.
Yes, I'm sure.
Considering what happened yesterday,
have you seen anything unusual or different recently?
In York? Or in the bookshop?
No.
It's as dead as it always is, thank God.
It was just a thought. Thank you.
Of course, Helen isn't without some stress in her life
on top of the bookshop.
I'm sorry?
There's talk that she's being pressured
into selling the house.
It's her family's, you know.
Yes, they've been there for generations.
I wouldn't know about that, but I'd heard,
God knows where,
that a developer is offering her silly money.
You don't happen to know the name of this developer?
- Ch... - [Diana] Charles Vaines.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
Diana Branson.
No relation.
And I know who you are.
Has Sarah been telling you about her book?
Oh, you should ask Elizabeth to read it.
I'm sorry, Charles Vaines has been putting pressure on Helen?
Oh, he's been hounding her for months.
Very stressful for her.
I'm sure it's not helping anything.
In fact, everything could be his fault, don't you think?
Should we blame him?
I mean, knowing Charles Vaines,
I wouldn't be at all surprised.
Poor Helen.
She's such a free spirit.
Such an old and wise soul.
The Charles Vaines of this life
must be something of a shock for her.
It's no wonder she's falling apart, really, is it?
♪
- Mr. Vaines. - You can speak to my secretary.
- She'll make an appointment. - This won't take long.
Ah.
Miss Willoughby, how lovely to see you again.
You look a bit hot and bothered.
You can't still be angry with me.
A row of 16th century tied cottages
converted into a health spa aimed at the celebrity market.
Of course I'm still angry at you.
Well, at least we can pretend to be civil.
Why are you pressuring Helen Deakin
to sell her father's estate?
It's been in her family generations.
Not everyone can afford
the luxury of sentimentality
when it comes to paying the bills.
What are your plans for it?
Green Acres Golf Course and Spa.
- Another spa? - That house is falling apart around their ears,
coupled with that hemorrhaging albatross of a business.
They'll soon be begging me to take it off their hands.
Helen Deakin doesn't want your money,
and no amount of bullying
is going to make her change her mind.
Bravo. Fabulous. You quite made my day.
But I will get my hands on that property,
histrionics or no histrionics.
I'll send you a voucher for a facial.
You can bring a friend.
[door opens]
- [sighs] - Elizabeth.
Vernon. Robert, you made it in time.
- I take it everybody's met? - Yes.
What is that?
It's an electromagnetic field meter.
It detects objects that move with electricity.
Wait, do ghosts move with electricity?
Well, by way of electrical field, yes.
Possibly.
It all comes under the banner
of the theory of morphic resonance.
It's a fascinating hypothesis if you've got a minute.
Not now, Vernon.
Well, so, I shall use the recording equipment
to capture any electronic voice phenomena.
Of course you will.
I think that's it. I think we're all set.
And we'll start where you first sensed something.
If you wouldn't mind observing from over there, thank you.
So, how was the charming Gaya?
Oh, absolutely delightful. We had a wonderful time.
Yes, she is still crippled by your treachery
and your betrayal of the sisterhood,
but she's not going to let that stand in her way.
[laughs]
What did she say about the medication?
She did mention post-traumatic psychosis.
But I think that's a non-starter.
You shouldn't really be encouraging this, Lizzie.
I completely agree.
Oh, come on.
Aren't you just a little bit intrigued?
I think it was...
I hear Charles Vaines has been snooping.
...around about here.
Helen won't sell. I pleaded with her.
But she just won't.
Absolute quiet, please.
Sorry.
Please.
[device beeps]
[beeping]
I don't want to go on.
No, just a little bit farther, please.
[beeping]
[rapid beeping]
[rapid beeping continuous]
All right, you can return.
- Did you get anything? - Did anything happen?
- Bit of a washout, I'd say. - Shh.
- Let's see what we've got. - [devices beeping]
[Helen, on recording] I don't want to go on.
[Murray] Just a little bit farther, please.
[faint scratching, voice whispers]
There!
No, I... I didn't hear anything.
Listen, listen.
[beeping]
[Helen] I don't want to go on.
[Murray] Just a little bit farther, please.
[faint scratching, voice whispers]
There.
I can hear what it's saying.
- Do you know that voice? - It's him. It's my father.
And I know what he's saying.
- [man's voice] Bella. - Bella.
He's saying "Oh, Bella."
Oh, Bella.
[device beeps]
[cries]
I'm really excited. This is an incredibly strong response!
- Yes, thank you, Vernon. - When do you think I could come again?
- I'd like to bring a colleague. - I don't know.
I'll see you later, thank you.
I... I think we should go, Robert.
Right.
Get a good, stiff drink down. You're going to be just fine.
[Helen] The book club this evening, I can't let them down.
To be among friends will do me good.
I'll, um...
I'll call you tomorrow, okay?
Yes, thank you, Lizzie.
I think.
Do you think that was a mistake?
Helen wouldn't even look at me.
Did you see that?
You felt something, didn't you?
Not sure what I felt.
It was pure theater, Lizzie, nothing more.
If I felt anything,
it was because I was being manipulated by Murray
by tapping into and exploiting some
latent fear that we all share.
Are you listening to me, Lizzie?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh...
why don't you take the car and go home?
I need to clear my head.
I can call Andrew later and he can come get me.
All right, Lizzie. Take your time.
Who the hell is Bella?
That's me, Oliver.
For God's sake, that was Daddy's name for me.
I'm Bella.
How was I supposed to know that?
Oh, it doesn't matter.
Helen...
- you're not going ahead with this evening. - Why not?
It's not as if my dead father's trying to make contact with me.
It's not as if I'm losing my mind, like,
unraveling or falling apart or losing my grip or anything.
So why not?
May as well carry on as if nothing's wrong
and your wife isn't a lunatic with unresolved daddy issues,
because, admit it,
that's what you're really thinking.
[clock chiming]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
[Miss Willoughby] Hotel by the Shore.
Oh, next week's offering.
Diana's choice.
Such a very slim volume. Not really to my liking.
I find extramarital relationships rather dispirited.
I thought it was more to do with the loneliness and futility
of being a middle-aged woman.
Why the change in venue?
Oh, isn't it marvelous? So much space.
And what about Helen? She's over there right now, setting up.
No. No, she knew. I thought you'd told her, Diana.
- What? - Well, I thought you'd spoken to her,
it was your idea after all.
Oh, God, I'm so sorry.
It completely slipped my mind.
So you just thought you'd hijack her book club without telling her?
Hardly hijacking. Slight overdramatization.
- We just thought... - You thought.
I thought that with everything that's going on,
this was just the last thing that Helen needed.
She's not well. We worry about her.
I worry about her.
I worry about her safety.
I worry about Oliver and his safety too.
But you know what she's like, Elizabeth.
She wouldn't dream of letting us down.
It's just a shame you didn't bother to tell her.
It was a genuine mistake.
I really don't know why you're making such a fuss.
You've got something green stuck in your teeth.
Yeah, it is right there, love.
Yeah, you've got something.
[thunder rumbling]
[strikes computer key]
Good night, Miss Willoughby.
Thank you, Andrew. Good night.
Not for me, thank you.
You're letting all this mumbo jumbo get to you.
[sighs]
You're probably right.
But listen to this and tell me you can't hear it.
- [strikes computer key] - [static over recording]
[Helen, on recording] I don't want to go on.
[Murray] Just a little bit farther, please.
[faint scratching]
What do you want to achieve?
I want to hear it again. It was so clear in the shop.
You heard what you wanted to hear.
So did Helen.
But that's the point.
I don't want to hear it. I don't want it to be true.
I don't want it to be the ghost of Helen's father.
I don't understand.
Because...
because if it is...
then...
then why haven't Mummy and Daddy ever come to see me?
Lizzie...
There's nothing there.
What you thought you heard, what we all felt...
it's just a flimflam.
Pepper's ghost, with Murray as the Wizard of Oz,
pulling his levers and fiddling with his dials.
Can you be absolutely certain?
The only think I can be absolutely certain of
is that Helen is a wonderful, lovely woman,
who is not well.
The kindest thing to do is to take a step back
and let Oliver get her the help she needs.
I'll see you in the morning.
Lizzie...
You parents loved you.
They loved you very, very much.
[thunder rumbling]
[faint piano music playing]
Oliver?
[thunder crashes]
[piano music playing]
Oliver?
[piano playing continuous]
[piano playing stops]
Oliver?
[Oliver] Helen?
Did you hear the piano?
Just now?
[Oliver] I'm just grabbing a glass of water.
[thunder rumbles]
[faint gasp]
[gasps]
[thunder crashes]
- [screams] - [glass shatters]
- He's here. - Who?
My father. He's here.
[piano music resumes]
- Do you hear that? - What?
I can't hear it. Anything, I can't hear it.
- For God's sake! - Please, let me go!
No! There's no one here. Helen, I promise you!
There's nothing to be afraid of.
- Let me go, Oliver! Let me go! - Listen to me!
[cell phone vibrating]
Hello?
[Helen and Oliver arguing over phone]
- Hello? Hello? - [voices breaking up]
[Helen and Oliver shouting on phone]
Helen! Helen, Oliver!
Somebody pick up the phone!
[phone line beeps]
Andrew, I'm sorry to wake you,
but I need the car brought around immediately.
[Robert] Are you sure about this, Lizzie?
[Miss Willoughby] You didn't hear them.
I don't think turning up half-handed is the answer.
- She said her father was there. - Sounds like she's hysterical.
She wasn't. It was when Oliver got the phone it all kicked off.
- Should I drive? - Do you want to?
- Yes! - Don't be ridiculous.
I've got my advanced driver's certificate.
[engine revs]
♪
[Robert] Lizzie!
He's still breathing.
Oliver. Oliver!
It was like this when you arrived?
- Lizzie? - What? Sorry.
The front door was open and Mr. Deakin unconscious...
I found him there, yes.
And you heard Mrs. Deakin attack her husband?
Well, I don't know what I heard.
Mr. Deakin said it was his wife.
She's been under an awful lot of stress recently.
And there's no sign of her.
No. Both cars are still here,
so she's on foot.
I hate to say it, Elizabeth,
but you are a trouble magnet, aren't you?
Hmm. That is exactly what I keep telling her, Jimmy.
Well, I do.
[Miss Willoughby] She probably ran into the woods.
And what makes you think that?
Well, there's only one track out of here, and none of us saw her,
and Helen knows these woods like the back of her hand.
Oliver said she's wearing a blue tartan dressing gown
with slippers.
It's a full moon,
should make it easier to find her.
You stay here in case she doubles back.
- I'll go with Jimmy. - You and I are going nowhere.
It's the middle of the night and I've only got one officer.
- What time does backup arrive? - God knows.
- That's not good enough, is it? - It's protocol, Elizabeth.
- Helen is out there alone. - And we'll find her.
But we've got to do it by the book.
You're gonna let a defenseless member of the public,
a woman, and a taxpayer, I might add,
go out there into the impenetrable forest, alone,
in the middle of the night,
with just a torch to protect herself?
Or are you going to start acting like a detective?
[Pryce] Stay with Deakin, will you?
Elizabeth's right.
She usually is!
[Miss Willoughby] Helen! Where are you?
[Pryce] Mrs. Deakin!
[Miss Willoughby] Helen!
Helen! Mrs. Deakin!
Mrs. Deakin!
Helen?
Helen Deakin!
[Miss Willoughby] Helen!
Mrs. Deakin!
Jimmy! Jimmy, I found something!
Helen!
Helen.
♪
[police radio squawking]
[helicopter flying overhead]
Have you done this before, Jimmy?
Do you think she's down there?
I'll keep you posted.
Any luck?
Where's Oliver? They put him in the ambulance?
No, it was just a superficial wound.
He's asleep upstairs.
[sighs]
You were right.
About what?
Helen.
I should have listened to you.
She's very ill,
and I didn't see it because I didn't want to.
I can solve a mystery,
but I can't solve somebody being sick.
This is all my fault, Robert.
Me and my ego
thinking I know better than everybody else,
when all I've done is make it worse.
Lizzie...
don't do this.
You were just trying to help.
It's what you always do.
You can't win every battle.
How many times have I told you that?
Too many.
[chuckles]
I'll go up and check on Oliver.
Ma'am.
Lizzie.
He's out like a light.
[sighs]
You look like you could use some rest.
I'm fine, honestly.
I'm not going to take no for an answer.
Come on, you can curl up in one of their spare bedrooms.
I will wake you if there's any news.
[Oliver] I know.
I know, yes.
They're searching the lake.
I know, you were right.
- Lizzie. - Sorry.
I'm just gonna put my head down for a minute.
Yes, yes, of course, of course.
♪
[sighs]
[Oliver] They're searching the lake.
I know, you were right.
- [knock on door] - [Robert] Lizzie, wake up.
They found something.
I can't do this, Lizzie.
It's okay. You stay with Robert.
[sighs]
Do you think it's her?
We don't know.
You sure you want to do this?
[sighs]
Oh.
[Pryce] Call the coroner, please. Tell her it's not Helen Deakin.
Tell her we've got another corpse on our hand,
looks like he's been down there a while.
- What now? - We keep looking.
What are the odds of you finding another body down there?
Extraordinary.
Bodies aren't like London buses. They don't come all at once.
The coroner would like a word.
Excuse me.
I can't believe it. I convinced myself it was her.
No, it's...
it's been down there a few years,
by the looks of things.
Well, then this is good news.
Yes.
Yes, I know.
Um...
Ahem, I'm going back to the house.
I can't go through that again.
- We'll come with you. - No, it's all right.
I'd... I'd rather be on my own, please.
Just leave me alone.
That was odd.
- Very. - [boat motor starts]
That was Oliver!
Where's he going in such a hurry?
I don't know, but I'm going to find out.
You stay here and wait for Pryce.
♪
Willoughby.
You caught me, got me bang to rights.
I'll come peacefully, officer. No need to cuff me.
- Oliver, what are you doing? - I actually...
You'll laugh, because I know this sounds strange,
but I booked Helen a spa day for when she returns,
because that's what she's going to do, isn't it?
She's going to... She's going to come back.
I realized that when she wasn't in the lake,
that she's going to come back,
and when she does, she'll have a spa day.
For our wedding anniversary.
- Oh, I see. - Hmm.
When is that?
Next month. Why?
Oh. August wedding. How lovely.
Oliver I... I think you should go home.
Have something to eat, take a shower,
wait for D.I. Pryce to update you.
You're right. Of course you're right.
I'm not thinking straight, am I?
I'll go home now.
Look at me going home.
[car door closes]
[engine starts]
[jiggles doorknob]
[indistinct chatter]
Diana Branson.
- What about her? - Who is she?
I'd heard you were the amateur sleuth.
I'd have thought that was basic research.
But you know everything.
Humor me, and I'll read your book.
Born and raised in London, then Oxford,
a degree in something pharmacological.
Oxford's also where she met her first husband.
- Her first? - There have been four.
First one died,
choked on a salt and vinegar crisp.
Second one divorced.
Third one disappeared.
- And the fourth? - He was some financial hotshot.
- "Was"? - He died...
about a year ago, in prison,
having been convicted of fraud.
Diana was also tried, but got off.
She lost all her money.
How she pays for that house is anyone's guess.
As for that ridiculous business of hers...
Thank you.
Where do I send my book?
[engine starts]
♪
[car door closes]
[doorbell rings]
[vibrates]
[voicemail beeps]
Lizzie, call me back, please.
Oliver's back. He is acting oddly.
Elizabeth, what a surprise.
- May I come in? - Yes, of course you can.
Do you want tea?
I was just steeping some matcha.
- What do you say? - Uh, no, thank you.
I'm a English breakfast kind of girl.
That's a shame.
[Miss Willoughby] So you know Charles Vaines?
Mm, Charles and I go back years.
This house was one of his more recent developments.
You visited him on the same day that I did.
Was it to warm him?
Have you been following me?
You left a rather juicy calling card.
House like this can't come cheap.
You have been doing your homework.
Subject: The Lifetimes and Finances of Diana Branson.
Oh, not really.
I just had tea with Sarah.
Oh.
Dear Sarah.
The eyes and ears of the world.
Why are you here?
Helen's missing.
Oh.
That's dreadful.
Uh...
how's Oliver coping?
He's devastated, obviously.
Yes, I can imagine.
What have the police said?
Nothing.
They haven't found anything?
[chuckles]
No clues as to her whereabouts,
isn't that what they say?
The investigation is ongoing.
And you?
What about me?
The word around town is
you're quite the detective.
Since the police are getting nowhere,
I wondered if you had the answer.
Just another question.
Which is?
How long have you and Oliver been having an affair?
It's a long story.
I've got plenty of time.
Why don't you let me go and put the kettle on.
I've let this get cold.
You're sure I can't tempt you?
No. Thank you.
[gun cocks]
I don't know about you,
but I quite fancy a drive.
What do you think?
You were in the house when Helen disappeared.
Stop talking.
I've done this before, you know?
The third husband?
Where is Helen? Is she alive?
"Where is Helen? Is she alive?"
Yes, of course she's alive.
Come on.
Pretend I'm your best friend.
[laughs]
Where are we going?
Get in.
♪
Get out. Come on.
You won't need that.
Walk, walk, walk.
Here, take these keys.
The big one.
Inside.
[door creaking]
- Helen! - [muffled screams]
Get back.
[door lock clicks]
[Robert] How long until they've finished?
Twenty-four hours at a guess, 36 tops.
After that, we'll focus on the moors.
- Hmm. - [cell phone rings]
If that's Willoughby,
tell her to call me back.
[whispering] What is it?
Elizabeth Willoughby.
What?
She turned up at the house.
My house.
She knows about everything.
Sweetheart, sweetheart, I can't just leave.
My wife's supposed to be missing, remember?
This is your mess.
Come and clean it up.
- I can't, not right now. - [phone line disconnects]
Everything all right?
Yes.
Absolutely.
That was Helen's psychiatrist.
I have to go into town.
Now?
Yes.
Uh, I want to pick up Helen's prescription.
She'll need it when she comes back.
Why didn't you pick it up earlier when you were in town?
Different direction.
[chuckles]
Went to fill the car up.
I have to do something. I can't bear all this waiting.
I completely understand.
Mind if I catch a ride with you?
Hmm.
Great.
Willoughby's left me high and dry, you know, so...
Hey, thanks for this.
Thought you could use some company anyhow.
Um, actually...
actually, uh...
no.
No, I'd prefer to be by myself.
Well, if you're sure.
Drive safe.
[engine starts]
I need to speak to D.I. Pryce,
and I need somebody to give me ride
back to Willoughby House, now!
♪
Here it is.
[beeping]
Success. Pryce, I have him.
The Howardian Hills.
He's a long way from home.
[Pryce] Okay, Robert, direct me.
What a mess.
You weren't followed?
No.
They were all too busy at the lake.
Oh! Oh, Helen!
Sweetheart.
I know it's difficult,
but you did agree it was the only way.
I know.
- What am I going to do? - Try and stay calm, okay?
- She's going to kill us. - Take a deep breath.
Now, just be calm.
You sure I can't just talk to her?
Get a divorce, like normal people.
And live off what the bookshop makes?
[giggles]
I don't think so.
We need the house.
But it's her family home.
Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me or not?
Notice you have to think about it.
No! No, of course I... Of course I do, of course!
I just...
Look, there are two of them now.
You got Willoughby involved,
you can sort her out.
Key, gun.
Bang-bang.
That's it.
Do it for me, sweetheart.
Do it for us.
Hmm?
This way.
Okay, shh.
Stay here. Just stay.
- [keys rattle] - Shh.
[door lock clicks]
I'm sorry.
[grunts]
Helen!
You're utterly pathetic.
♪
- Keep going. - [computer beeping]
It should be the next right.
Down the bottom of the track.
[birds tweeting]
Where are they? Where's Willoughby?
[bird wings beating]
Hey, shh, hey.
Come on, quick, this way.
Quick!
Cuff him.
I need armed response.
We've got gunfire at the Howardian Hills.
[whispering] Shh, stay here.
[shushing]
[twig snaps]
[both grunt]
[Pryce] Elizabeth!
Jimmy. Just in time.
- Thank you, Willow. - I think I broke her nose.
Good.
[distant police sirens and helicopter flying]
♪
[Robert] So, a lovestruck husband,
a bankrupt mistress, an estate worth a fortune.
Why didn't Oliver just ask for a divorce?
Well, because a divorce would mean sharing,
and Diana's not the sharing type.
So the two of them set about to drive dear Helen mad.
Well, they set about making her think she was mad.
It's classic gaslighting.
You know, sometimes I fail to see how you do it.
You and I have exactly the same information and yet,
to me, it's still a mystery.
Well, our brains work in different ways.
Once I realized that Oliver was having an affair with Diana,
I mean, everything fell into place.
And then he confirmed it with that silly little lie
about the date of his wedding anniversary.
She'll have a spa day for our wedding anniversary.
[Miss Willoughby] When is that?
[Oliver] Next month.
August wedding. How lovely.
I'm afraid I really don't understand what you are saying.
I suspect that Oliver ran to Diana in a panic
after that other body was found,
which, by the way, I think we'll find
was Diana's third husband, the one that disappeared?
Classic black widow.
Then there's the connection to Vaines,
because that's what this was all about.
You left a rather juicy calling card.
The house and the estate, I mean God knows
what would have happened to Oliver eventually.
The abduction?
Well, Diana was in the house that night.
She had a recording of the piano music,
and her car was parked outside while it was raining,
hence the dry patch on the driveway.
She drove off with Helen, probably drugged,
and Oliver hit himself over the head with a plant pot.
That's why the wound was so superficial.
But how did you know that Diana was in the house?
Her OCD.
She has this thing about straight lines.
It was all in the pencils.
She couldn't resist.
What about Ronald's ghost?
Well, you gave me the clue for that
when you mentioned Pepper's ghost.
It's easy to make a few bookcases wobble.
I mean, they're movable,
and they had been moved recently,
because I saw fresh drag marks on the bookshop floor.
Books fly off the shelves with a push, that's easy.
They put the idea of the ghost in Helen's head,
and that's what she saw.
With the aid of Diana's pharmaceutical knowledge,
I'm willing to guess her beta blockers were anything but,
swapped out for something more prone to hallucinations.
I'm supposing they must have sourced
Ronald's cologne from somewhere.
Yes, the cologne.
[sighs]
It's the only thing that's niggling.
I checked with the perfumery in town.
Ronald's cologne was an artisanal creation
that was made before certain ingredients were banned.
A synthetic musk in particular.
There's just no way that anyone could recreate that scent now.
So, it was all in her head then?
We'll never know.
You know, you have a brilliant mind.
Thank you, Robert.
Ha.
Oh, you monster.
[laughs]
Good night, my dear.
Good night, Robert.
[sighs]
♪
Gaya! I'd forgotten you were Helen's doctor.
- How is she? - She'll be fine.
She's still affected by the medication,
but it'll take time to get out of her system.
Good. Well, it's...
It's nice to see you after all these years.
[chuckles nervously]
No hard feelings, I hope?
Of course there are.
Oh.
Mr. Thompson?
How are you feeling?
Wonderful.
I feel wonderful.
That's marvelous.
Do send my regards to Dr. Foster.
Miss Willoughby, how lovely to see you.
Come in, come in.
I, uh...
I couldn't leave Helen here on her own.
She's been through so much.
That's very nice of you.
- Can I take those? - Of course.
And who's this?
Um, uh, Robert, an old friend.
And American? How romantic.
I'll just... I'll just go.
I made some tea. And there's cake.
Lemon drizzle.
[sighs]
Ooh.
Oh, Bella.
Oh, Helen, this will make you laugh.
♪
Provided by explosiveskull https://twitter.com/kaboomskull
♪