18 months after series one
Back at home after her shift, Catherine tells Clare about her eventful day at work. Earlier this afternoon she was called to Alison’s farm after a sheep (who three local lads on acid were trying to steal) was found mauled by dogs. After being told the vet will be hours away, Catherine had to put the sheep out of it’s misery with a blow to its head. And so with her job done, Catherine returns to the station only to be called back out to a local housing estate as three dead mongrels lie dead. It turned out she hadn’t finished off the sheep as she thought. The vet arrived and administered the lethal injection and soon after, the dogs came to maul the sheep again, therefore taking in the poison. Catherine went to reprimand the lads who tried to steal the sheep in the first place and while she was there smelt a pungent, rancid smell. She opens the door to a bin shed and finds a dead body.
Early evening that same day, John is at home with wife Amanda and teenager Jack and five year old Amber. As the chaos of a family household ensues, John receives a text. It’s a threat from ‘VF’, “come and meet me or I’ll knock on your door”. John makes his excuses and heads outside to find needy Vicky waiting in her car. They’ve been having an affair and John senses that she is beginning to be increasingly unpredictable and flaky. He appeases her, promises to ring her. She leaves happy but John is left haunted.
Clare’s gone to spend some time with Nev and Ann at the hospice where Helen, clearly in the final stage of her illness, is unconscious. Nev’s nervous about Ann starting a new job tomorrow but Ann has developed a steely determination, she doesn’t want to delay her start date.
The next day at Norland Road police station, Catherine gives Ann, in her brand new PCSO uniform, a run down of how things work at the station. She introduces Ann to the team. Meanwhile the murder investigation team (H-MIT) are using Norland Road police station as a base. Detective Superintendent Andy Shepherd is briefing Detective Inspector Jodie Shackleton, as well as Detective Sergeant John Wadsworth (who we recognise from the earlier scene) and his team. Andy suggests that there are links with the latest body found by Catherine and the previous two murders – Ana Vasalescu found five months ago and an unidentified white adult female found in Brighouse three months ago. Jodie receives a message as Andy continues his briefing – the DNA of the latest body tells them it’s Lynn Dewhurst. Mike Taylor breaks the news to Catherine who is shocked. She’s told that H-MIT will want to go through her first account in detail.
Meanwhile, Clare’s leaving a grocery store giving the manager a few choice words after ignoring her application for a job. She bumps into Neil Ackroyd, an old school friend who works at the store. They’re both pleased to see each other and it’s clear that there’s an attraction there. They arrange for Neil to come by the house when he finishes work later this afternoon. Meanwhile at the high security prison where Tommy Lee Royce is serving life, a chaplain tells Tommy that his mum has been identified as the woman found dead yesterday afternoon.
Ann has been paired up for the house-to-house with a distracted John. She’s suspicious and thinks he might be having an affair. He makes his excuses and takes a call from Vicky. John is treading on eggshells as he gently attempts to dump her and end their affair. Vicky masks her emotions and reminds John that she still has some of his things, like his warrant card. She suggests meeting in a pub tonight and makes it clear that she holds the cards here. John’s disturbed by her behavior.
At Nevison Gallagher Associates, Nev sacks Sean Balmforth after he damaged someone’s wall with an NGA lorry and refused to apologise.
Catherine’s interviewed by D.I. Jodie Shackleton regarding her connection to Lynn Dewhurst. Things begin to look bad for her when she reveals that she called Lynn a couple of times five or six weeks ago to warn her to stay away from Ryan.
She admits that she said that if Lynn didn’t stay away, she’d regret it. Jodie explains that they need to eliminate Catherine from their enquiries and she needs to alibi herself. Catherine knows what this means; she’s a suspect. A few hours later, she walks to the car park with Ann who is giddy from her first day. Ann reveals that whoever murdered Lynn not only strangled her but mutilated her with a bottle.
At the house, Clare and Neil are catching up. Neil explains that he’s divorced with two teenage children and Clare tells him that since their parents died, Catherine’s been her rock. Just then Catherine arrives home in a bad mood. Neil’s intimidated by her, especially when she takes off her coat to reveal her police uniform. Catherine barely acknowledges Neil before she’s off to find Ryan, which embarrasses Clare. Neil takes it as a cue to leave but they arrange to meet on Sunday to go to the cinema. With Neil gone, Clare asks why Catherine’s in a foul mood. The pressure gets to Catherine and she tearfully explains that she’s required to alibi herself for the murder of Lynn Dewhurst and was interviewed by Jodie who, in her opinion, has climbed the ranks only because her dad is the Chief Constable.
John sits in a seedy looking pub with Vicky who’s bought both of them a drink. Vicky’s disappointed that after two years together, John’s getting cold feet. He’s keen to get his things from her which she hands over; a toothbrush, his warrant card and a sock. Relieved, he downs his pint.
Having had dinner, Catherine’s in the kitchen combing through the calendar and her pocket book to alibi herself when Daniel walks in with an overnight bag. He asks if he can stay for a few nights. Things aren’t good between him and Lucy, she wants a divorce. Catherine’s sure that he’s giving a heavily edited version of events but doesn’t push for more information.
Back at the pub, John’s finished his pint and is beginning to feel very strange. He can barely walk and his speech is slurred. Vicky guides him to his car. A few hours later he wakes up in a hotel bed, completely naked and with no recollection of how he got there. But he still feels disorientated and collapses and blacks out again. The next morning he wakes up in his car, which is parked at the police station. He checks his phone and notices missed calls from Amanda. He gathers himself and calls her, telling her that he had to work all night. She chooses to let it go although instinctively she doesn’t believe him. John heads into the briefing room where Andy tells the team that they have sufficient evidence to link Lynn’s murder with the previous two so they are now looking at a serial offender.
Meanwhile Catherine’s at Sowerby Bridge train station dealing with an old man with dementia. She has to contend with a local drunk lad, Liam, who finds the situation amusing. She takes the old man into the café while they wait for his relatives. Clare calls her with news on why Lucy kicked Daniel out – he was having an affair with a friend from school.
Meanwhile Frances Wealand, a middle aged, bookish woman, gets off the train at Kings Cross to meet Tommy in prison. She’s captivated by him. Tears stream down his face as he tells her the news about his mums murder. He knows that Catherine is responsible after making threating phone calls a few weeks ago. Frances can’t bear to see him sad, she loves him. Meanwhile at the station, Mike informs Catherine that because Lynn’s murder is now linked to a serial offender, she’ll need to find an alibi for the other murders too. Catherine’s livid. It might be protocol but it’s ridiculous that she’s being questioned. Joyce asks Catherine to come to reception; Alison Garrs from the farm is in reception with Daryl. He’s been beaten up by the sheep stealing lads that Catherine let off with a caution. Catherine’s assertive and asks him to make a statement. Later she goes over to see Leonie (17 years old) and Annette (32 years old) who work as prostitutes to warn them that there’s a serial nutter about who targets sex workers. Catherine arrives laden with sandwiches, which they gratefully accept. She asks the girls to watch over each other as they fit the victim profile. As Catherine is talking to the girls, a drunk Sean Balmforth drives past in his van intending to pick up a girl, but he’s spooked by the sight of Catherine’s uniform and speeds off, which Catherine clocks.
In the evening Clare and Catherine head to the hospice to see Helen but when they arrive they find an empty bed and realise that she has passed away. Daniel’s looking after Ryan at home when he blurts out that Clare’s an alcoholic. Frances checks into a hotel. Meanwhile John is at home with Amanda who’s quizzing him about where we was last night when the landline rings. Amanda answers and passes the phone on to John telling him it’s “Vicky from forensics”.
He takes the phone as Amanda heads into the kitchen. Vicky texts him photos and it takes him a moment to realise that he’s looking at himself, naked, surrounded by homoerotic magazines, sex toys and illegal drugs. She’s copied over all of his contacts and if he doesn’t give her a thousand pounds a month, all of his contacts will receive these images. John’s appalled and horrified. He realises Vicky won’t go away quietly. Meanwhile Daniel and Ryan play a game together in the kitchen as Frances stands out in the yard, in the dark, watching them.
SHORT:
Tommy finds a way of keeping a watchful eye over Ryan from behind bars. Catherine becomes a suspect after she discovers a dead body.