
Episode 1
Episode 1 | 48m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
Bakerbury police call on the “Puzzle Lady” to help solve the murder of a young girl.
When a murder takes place in the sleepy market town of Bakerbury, the local police are baffled by a crossword puzzle left on the body. With their case going nowhere, they turn reluctantly to Cora Felton, a recent arrival in Bakerbury, whose fame as the eponymous “Puzzle Lady” suggests she can help DCI Hooper and the Bakerbury police unravel the crossword clue and solve its first murder case.
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Episode 1
Episode 1 | 48m 33sVideo has Closed Captions
When a murder takes place in the sleepy market town of Bakerbury, the local police are baffled by a crossword puzzle left on the body. With their case going nowhere, they turn reluctantly to Cora Felton, a recent arrival in Bakerbury, whose fame as the eponymous “Puzzle Lady” suggests she can help DCI Hooper and the Bakerbury police unravel the crossword clue and solve its first murder case.
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How to Watch The Puzzle Lady
The Puzzle Lady is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(light-hearted music) There!
Finished in record time.
But Grandma, that's cheating!
It was your puzzle.
No wonder it was so easy!
(laughs) The real puzzle?
How do I make these biscuits so tasty?
Mm.
(thunder rumbling) (sinister music) (rain pattering) (thunder rumbling) (suspenseful music) Danny!
Have you been speaking to Anton Grant again?
-Well, Sir, he just...he came... -HOOPER: Well, don't!
This is a murder investigation.
It's serious.
DANNY: Sorry, Sir.
What did you find, Sir?
HOOPER: Nothing to identify her.
She was fully clothed except her socks and shoes, which were missing.
Hopefully the autopsy will give us something useful.
In the meantime, Sam, can you find us a sketch artist, please?
We need to get public appeal out as soon as possible.
We found this in her pocket, and I have no idea what it means.
SAM: Four D, line five.
Computer passcode, maybe?
DANNY: Looks like a... like a crossword puzzle clue.
-Oh yeah?
-SAM: Yeah, yeah.
D for down.
Five-letter word for line.
-You think?
I've got absolutely no idea about crosswords.
You should ask the Puzzle Lady, Sir.
-She just moved to Bakerbury.
-Ask who?
DANNY: You don't know the Puzzle Lady?
No, I don't.
Well... Here.
Yeah, well, I'm sure she's a delight, Daniel, but I don't think we need an expert for this.
I mean, how hard could it be to solve?
Come on.
(Hooper clears throat) Line, five letters.
Right.
-Verse.
-Verse?
Like a...line of poetry.
Right, er... -Ruler?
You rule a line.
-Yeah.
Or queue.
You stand in a line.
Right, um, er... String line?
It's too long.
Six letters.
Cable?
-Line of cable... -Word games at a time like this?
It's not as if an innocent girl's just been found murdered or anything.
Yeah, we're aware of that, Mayor.
If you must know, a puzzle clue was found on the girl's body.
Left on the body?
My God, this is worse than I thought.
You do realize the only people who leave notes on corpses are serial killers?
Well, I don't think it's necessary the truth... MAYOR: Haven't you watched CSI, for fuck's sake?
This is terrible.
A serial killer in my town.
And who do we have to deal with it?
You.
Have you ever run a murder case before?
-Not on my own, no.
-No.
Ha!
I knew it.
Do you have any idea how bad this will be for business?
For tourism?
It's not just lives at stake here.
-It's livelihoods!
-I know.
So what you gonna do about it, Hooper, eh?
Eh?
Perhaps I'll give the Chief Constable a call.
Let him know your department's not up to the task.
Oh no, wait a minute, Mayor.
Wait a minute, please.
Now we're more than up to the task, eh?
And I'll tell you what else.
We've actually consulted one of the world's leading experts on crossword puzzles.
Show him.
Yeah.
She's got a brain like a Rubik's Cube.
And if anyone could unpick the mind of a serial killer, it's, um... Cora Felton.
Cora Felton.
Now if you'll excuse me... We all have work to do.
(playful music) Thanks.
(birds chirping) (keyboard tapping) (phone ringing) Hello?
Hello?
Dennis?
(handset beeps) (phone ringing) ANSWERPHONE: You've reached the residence of the Puzzle Lady.
If you're looking for crossword answers, think again.
(dial tone beeps) Hello, uh, this is, uh DCI Hooper of Bakerbury Police.
I'm trying to get hold... Hello?
Hi.
Did you say the police?
Yes.
Hello, is it Cora Felton?
Er, no.
This is her niece, Sherry Carter.
Um, what's this about please?
Er, I'd rather speak to Miss Felton.
Is she there?
Oh, she's still, um... Er, well, she's not up yet.
Right.
Well, I think it's best if I come over actually.
Yeah, I'll be there shortly.
Thank you.
No, just wait... (dial tone) Shit.
Um... Aunt Cora!
Aunt Cora!
(classical music) Ah... (snoring) (classical music intensifies) -Oh, Aunt Cora... -Aah!
-Whoa!
Not very nice.
-Are you okay?
Are you hurt?
Uh...I'm fine!
Oh, always fussing!
Oh... You drove home drunk.
You could have killed yourself!
You could have killed someone else!
No, no, because... I pulled over to sleep it off, see?
Ooh!
What happened there?
No, get inside, now!
-Mind the bauble.
-Ooh.
-SHERRY: Okay... -CORA: Oh!
What the hell did you do?
The police are on their way.
-Really?
-Yes, really.
Ooh!
(suspenseful music) Uh... Oh... There.
That's much better.
Mm.
(doorbell buzzes) Oh, bollocks.
Okay.
You let me do the talking, okay?
(birds chirping) Hello?
Miss Felton?
You...just sit there.
Oh... Who drives that?
(doorbell buzzing) Put this in the mouth so you... can't smell the alcohol.
Don't mean to hurry you, it's the police!
There.
Whew.
Okay.
Hi, um, Inspector.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Do come in.
Thank you.
Excuse the chaos.
We've just moved here from London.
-Oh.
-My aunt has a bit of a cold.
(coughs) Then I'm sorry for the intrusion, Miss Felton.
Er... I'm told that you're, uh, an expert in, uh, solving crossword puzzles and I... I'm currently investigating a murder.
A murder?
COOPER: We think so, yes.
We found a teenage girl at the cemetery this morning and her body was on one of the graves.
Oh, poor thing!
Quite.
And we found this in her pocket.
CORA: Hm.
Oh, hm.
It certainly looks like a crossword puzzle clue.
Er, w-wouldn't you say so, Sherry?
Yes, uh, could be.
Um...four down.
COOPER: Good.
So... Sort of need the answer.
Oh, right.
Um, well, there-there could be multiple answers.
If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to hear from... from Miss Felton, please.
Ah.
It's...hard to say if it even is a clue.
D. It could be 'D' for down.
Or 'D' for dead!
Why don't you leave this with my aunt, Inspector Hooper?
If anyone can figure it out, she can.
Yes, I'm sure you're right.
Well, uh, here's my card.
-And if you think of anything... -Mm.
Just, uh, give me a call.
(playful music) I'll see myself out.
(door opens) Give me that.
And that.
(phone ringing) Hello?
What's up, love?
You're eating a muffin, aren't you?
No, darling, an apple.
I'm eating an apple.
You need to talk to your daughter.
Why, what's she done now?
It's just...it's the attitude.
Well, look, she'll grow up, love, you know?
-Are you alright?
-ANTON: Hooper!
-Derek?
-Yeah, I'm fine.
Look, I'll speak to you later on love.
I've gotta go, alright?
Bye bye.
So, I hear they found a girl in the graveyard.
Who's told you that, Anton?
You know I can't reveal my sources.
You got an ID yet?
Cause of death?
Oh, come on Hooper.
Give me something.
Why don't you ask your bloody source, mate?
(suspenseful music) (Anton sighs) Aunt Cora.
Oh, be quiet.
Hair of the dog.
Besides, I need a boost if I'm going to solve this murder.
Um, pretty sure that's not what he asked.
Then why bring the clue to me?
Because he's clutching at straws?
D for dead?
D for disgrace, more like.
(laughter) (background television) REPORTER: DCI Hooper, what can you tell us so far?
Well, we haven't been able to identify the victim as yet.
Okay.
Could you at least confirm the cause of death?
Not at this time, no.
Do you have any suspects so far?
Not at this time, no.
Well, let's hope the local police find some answers soon.
Mayor Firth, you're holding a town meeting, I believe, in one of your famously luxurious spa hotels.
That's right, Rod.
The Duke Vincent Hotel at 5 p.m., (laughs) with complimentary drinks.
Just a small gesture, you know, to help our community pull together, and a reminder that... (suspenseful music) We should go to that meeting.
-What for?
-To find out what's going on!
And you heard that awful Mayor.
There's a free bar.
That is the last thing you need.
Anyway, there could be press there.
If Dennis knew you were involved in this, he would know where to find us.
Oh, I'll keep a low profile.
(Sherry scoffs) What?
I can do that.
(chatter) (mysterious music) £13.50?
I hope it's a double.
Huh.
Keep the change.
I hope you don't mind, I had to say hello.
I do your column every morning, Brilliant Brain Teasers.
And guess what I eat when I'm doing them?
Your biscuits!
(laughter) You're too kind.
I'm glad you enjoy them.
The puzzles, I mean.
I don't really make the biscuits!
(laughter) -Hey, Danny.
-Oh, hey Katie.
Oh, Cora!
Oh, Vicki and I were just saying what fun it was last night.
A bit too much fun.
I had to get a taxi home.
Oh yeah, me too.
Dearie me.
-I'm on mineral water today.
-Oh dear.
Oh, excuse me.
(footsteps receding) (crowd chattering) Good afternoon, everyone.
Introductions are probably unnecessary, but I'm Councilor Farrow, this is Mayor Firth, and that is DCI Hooper.
Now, we know you are all concerned about the murder of this young girl in our town, DCI Hooper, can you give us an update?
-So far no-one's come forward... -Into the mic.
-Sorry?
-Speak into the mic.
Right, um...(clears throat) Er, so far nobody has come forward to identify the victim.
Although I have seen the pathologist's report, so, we know she was killed last night at about 10 p.m., so, if anybody saw anything last night, um... Yes, uh, Jimmy?
Yeah, um, but... how did she die?
Well, um, she received a blow, er, to the back of the head.
Uh, we think that was from, um, a claw hammer perhaps.
A hammer attack?
In the graveyard?
Well, um, there's actually no evidence of blood spatter in the graveyard itself, so, it could be that, uh, she was killed elsewhere and, and then brought... Had she been interfered with?
Well, no.
There's no evidence whatsoever of any... (clears throat) any sexual assault, although she had her socks and shoes removed which could be evidence of some kind of... Are our girls safe?
(crowd muttering) Well, yes.
As you know, I have a daughter myself, and, er... We'll be working as hard as we can to get to the bottom of this.
Er, can the police cope with this?
Well, we have limited resources here in Bakerbury as you know, but, uh, we do think we'll be able to get on top of this quite quickly.
Is this gonna happen again?
I really hope not.
Any other questions?
If anybody does have any information that would be useful to us, then really, the... (crowd muttering, chattering) This is a waste of bloody time.
Well, now, uh, that was short and not so sweet, eh?
But never mind.
You're all here now.
No need to rush off.
Why not grab a drink at the bar, eh?
Baz, bit of music, eh?
(background music playing) Did you figure out the puzzle?
It's a clue, not a puzzle.
Oh, whatever.
Can you help me, Miss Felton?
Well, the answer is dependent on where it fits in in the grid.
Um, you know, the little black and white squares.
-Right?
-But if the rest of them are blank, which they are, then it becomes a bit of a guessing game, so... But I would say that a five-letter word for line is most likely 'queue'.
Queue?
That's what you've got, is it?
Queue.
Right.
Because even Danny here came up with queue and he's... Thank you very much indeed for your time, Miss Felton, but I think we'll take it from here.
What's that all about?
Why's Hooper talking to the Puzzle Lady?
I'm not supposed to tell you stuff anymore.
Tell me what?
Did you talk to some journalist, this Anton something?
What if Dennis sees it?
Oh.
Oh, it's not that bad.
It's just a local rag, Sherry.
It's, it's nothing.
Hmm.
Are you going somewhere?
Damn right I am.
Where does Hooper get off?
'We'll take it from here.'
(scoffs) Take this from here.
Okay, what are you talking about?
I'm going to look for clues.
No, no, no, you are not.
Uh-uh.
Yes, I am.
And you're coming with me.
No.
No, I'm not.
Aunt Cora... Mm.
Mm-hmm.
Come along.
(mysterious music) (gasps) (gates rattling) Oh, the one time I get up early.
Oh, it's low enough.
Give us a leg up.
-No, no.
We'll get into trouble.
-Oi!
-What do you think you're doing?
-Ooh... Conducting an experiment.
It seems this gate is low enough for anyone to breach.
Are you the Puzzle Lady?
I'm advising the police.
And I'll ask the questions, thank you.
Cigarette?
Can I assume you found the body?
Yes, I thought so.
We'll need every detail, but first we need to see the grave.
(mysterious music) You two better have a bloody good reason for disturbing my crime scene.
We, we both know you've examined every inch, Inspector.
Not that you've found much I'm guessing after the rain yesterday morning.
Oh.
Well, did you bring me up here to state the bloody obvious, did you?
No.
No, Aunt Cora has a theory.
Oh, does she?
-Indeed, I do.
-Lovely.
What if 4-D, line five isn't a crossword clue at all?
Maybe the killer wants us to count four graves down and five lines across.
(sighs) And... (humming) And...(mumbling) Three... Four... Five.
To our loving daughter Bonnie Burnside, 1994-2015.
Hm, she died young.
Just like our Jane Doe.
-Yeah.
-And only ten years ago.
Recent enough to be connected.
No, it's not.
Because this was a car accident.
I remember it very well.
This is a dead end.
Now, please, the pair of you, stop wasting my time and stay out of this case.
Your services are no longer required.
And if you don't mind, I'd like you both to leave.
Yes, absolutely, Inspector.
Consider us gone.
Come on, Aunt Cora.
Sorry.
Oh, you take the car home.
It's a nice day.
I fancy a stroll.
It's a nice day...(sighs) What are you up to?
(door opens) Ah, good morning.
Oh, Miss Felton.
Ha... What brings you here?
Research for puzzle, perhaps?
A puzzle of sorts, definitely.
And I may need some assistance.
Then my son Jimmy's just your man.
Oh.
Thank you.
Jimmy... I'm investigating a murder.
Er, I didn't kill anyone.
Good to know.
No, I'm after some newspaper articles.
Anything you can find about the death of a young woman from Bakerbury, Bonnie Burnside.
And did she have a family?
(suspenseful music) Just between us.
Yeah.
Yeah, I-I can do that.
Oh, excellent.
(engine humming) (sighs) Oh, hello there.
I'm looking for Miss Felton.
Yeah, she's at the library.
Ah.
I was hoping to interview her.
Follow-up piece.
Sorry, my name's Anton Grant.
Of the Bakerbury Gazette... Bakerbury Gazette, yeah, I know.
You've got some balls showing up here, you really do.
With your big wanky headline about the graveyard killer like it's a what, a teen slasher movie?
Why don't you try growing up and attempting some proper journalism?
-Feedback.
I love it.
-Good.
Because it was a complete non-story.
The bit about the Puzzle Lady trying to figure out the crossword clue.
No, she doesn't even think it is one.
She thinks it's the number of graves down from the body.
Really?
Thanks for the tip-off.
-No, it wasn't a tip-off.
-If you say so.
No, it wasn't a tip-off... Goddamn it.
This is Bonnie with her boyfriend?
Yes, that's Casey.
He's been like a son to us since, uh... Oh, how lovely.
Oh, if we'd have known you were coming, we'd have bought in some of your biscuits.
No.
I'm offered plenty of those, thank you.
These are far nicer, thank you.
So, you're helping to solve this graveyard murder, is that right?
I'm certainly trying to.
So, why have you come to see us?
Well, I have reason to believe that the location of your daughter's grave could be connected.
-To a murder?
-Exactly.
You see, a young girl dumped in a graveyard barefoot with a note on, well, it feels a little bit serial killer-ish to me.
So, I was thinking, what if Bonnie was in fact the first victim?
But Bonnie was in an accident.
Oh yes, I-I know... Then how the bloody hell could she have been serial killed?
No, I'm saying she may have been.
It's only a theory.
But I was hoping you'd be able to tell me if there was anything about your daughter's death that struck you as odd.
Odd?
(suspenseful music) Our little girl is dead.
You come in here and say she's mixed up in some murder?
How dare you!
-I'm so sorry.
-Get out!
Get out of our house!
(sobbing) (jaunty music) (gasping) Hey, Jimmy.
I hear the puzzle lady was here.
Maybe.
Who's asking?
I am.
Hey... Can you tell me what you wanted?
Uh... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
(coins jingling) Hm.
She, uh, she wanted to read some old articles.
-Articles?
-Mm-hmm.
Which ones?
I'm not made of money, Jimmy.
(sighs) I'm gonna kill that guy.
Look at this.
‘The puzzle lady thinks the graveyard murder may be connected to the death of Bonnie Burnside in 2015.'
I told you not to meddle and so did Inspector Hooper.
This is bad, Aunt Cora.
This is really bad.
You're right.
Sleuthing is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.
I need to change tack.
Forget about the past.
Focus on the present.
The latest victim.
Find out all I can.
You're not seriously thinking of carrying on with this, are you?
I'm just getting started.
(suspenseful music) (sighs) I had the Burnsides up my arse all morning.
And the mayor.
Well, take that up with the Gazette.
They're the ones who went public.
I will, believe you me.
I'm sorry, what are you doing here?
How-how's the case progressing?
Well, I can't discuss that with you.
Why not?
I'm an expert cruciverbalist.
Ha.
The more I know about the crime, the more I'll be able to make sense of the clue left on the body.
Well, I thought you said it wasn't a clue.
Oh, of course it's a clue!
Right, well... It's lucky for you I'm desperate, 'cause the truth is, Ms.
Felton, we have more questions than answers.
Right.
This is our victim arriving into Bakerbury station on Wednesday night.
It looks like her phone's dead because here she goes to make a call, but she can't.
Did you ever find the phone?
Nope.
(knocking) -Tommy.
-Er, sir, uh, this is, uh, Patricia Phelps and her daughter Chloe.
They're from York.
My elder daughter Donna, she's been missing since Wednesday.
(chilling music) I'm so sorry about your big sister.
(somber music) Didn't even know she ran off.
Mum thought she was with Dad.
He thought she was with us.
They had just got divorced.
And now Donna's... (sniffs) I promise I will do everything I can to help catch whoever did this to her.
Thank you.
Do you have any idea who she was visiting?
A boyfriend, maybe?
She didn't tell me anything, but she was always messaging someone.
I think it might have been a boy, because, well... she seemed in a good mood for once.
(chuckles) Alright.
I'll give you my mobile number.
Call me anytime if you remember anything, or if you just want to talk to someone.
(dramatic music) How many times do I have to tell you?
-I'm sorry.
-You cannot print a story that is completely bloody unsubstantiated!
Yes, I know, you're right.
I'm really, really sorry, Mr.
Trotter, I am really, really sorry.
If the Burnsides sue us, you're paying!
(imitates a whip cracking) (sighs) Hey...when did this come?
(mumbles) I don't know.
You Anton Grant?
That's him.
I'm kidding.
I'm Anton.
-Who are you?
-I'm Casey Roth.
-Ah.
-Yeah, that's right.
Bonnie Burnside was my girlfriend.
And I won't have you writing rubbish about her or upsetting her mum and dad to sell papers.
Got it?
Yeah.
I think you made your point.
Good, because if you so much as print her name again, I will kick the living shit out of you.
Alright.
(footsteps receding) (under breath) Jesus.
(heavy exhale) (sighs) (suspenseful music) (doorbell buzzes) (head clunks) (Sherry sighs) I'm looking for Cora Felton.
Yeah, she's not here.
Well, can you tell me where she is?
Can you tell me who you are?
Becky Baidwan.
Solicitor.
It's a legal matter which my client considers to be urgent.
So, either tell me where to find Miss Felton, or I keep ringing your doorbell.
(doorbell buzzing) Hm.
(chuckling) So, how did you all meet?
Oh well, Babs and I were friends with Vicki's mum, Sylvia.
-She passed away recently.
-Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm only in town to sell the house.
My husband and I live in London, so, he comes up at weekends, but it's all taking longer than we planned.
Sylvia was a hoarder.
She collected antiques.
(chuckling) A lot of cheap replicas as it turns out.
Still trying to sell it all.
Cora, this is my husband, Stuart.
Enchanté.
Vicki never shuts up about you.
Honey, I need the house keys.
I left mine in the flat.
Oh, well... Why don't you join us?
I've been driving for four hours, so it's, uh, TV and a takeaway, I think.
Cora Felton?
I'm Becky Baidwan of Baidwan Solicitors.
I'm representing the Burnsides.
They've asked me to give you this.
It's a cease and desist letter.
If you go anywhere near the family or anyone connected to their late daughter, we'll see you in court.
Have a nice night.
Mr.
Tanner, I didn't see you there.
What are you... My wife's from here.
You?
I have family here.
-Excuse me.
-Hm.
She used to work in my London practice.
-We had to fire her.
-Oh.
Anyway, you girls have fun.
Vic, don't stay too late.
It's not safe.
(mysterious music) Oh, well.
Hey-ho.
(laughter) Where was I?
(owl hooting) (mysterious music intensifies) (doorbell buzzes) Well, if it isn't Mr.
Tip-Off.
Hope you're proud of yourself.
Your second article's even more fucking spurious than the first.
Oh, I've been yelled at a lot today, a lot.
Can I just come in?
Please?
Three no trumps made.
That's game and rubber.
Damn it.
You always win.
(text message pings) (chuckling) Hubby checking up on you?
Ah, yeah.
I should go.
Thank you.
Is that your auntie's latest crossword?
Oh, yeah.
I edit them for her, but she's the brains behind them.
(chuckles) My niece is being modest.
She could probably create them without me.
Don't be ridiculous.
Sherry, who's this handsome chap?
Uh, this is Anton.
The idiot who wrote the stories in the Gazette.
Yeah.
So what's the idiot doing here?
Yeah, that's a good question.
Well, someone left this on my desk today.
Oh, my God.
Did you tell the police?
No, not yet, but I will.
But I just thought you... your aunt should know.
It was your hunch after all.
And there's more.
Bonnie's boyfriend, Casey Roth, showed up today.
He wanted to rip my nuts off.
Interesting, because the Burnsides sent some hot shot solicitor to warn me off.
Maybe there is really more to this story.
-(loud ringtone) -Oh, excuse me.
(phone vibrating) Irene, hi.
No, not since she left with you.
Right.
I'll, I'll let you know if I hear anything.
Vicki Tanner.
She never made it home tonight.
Earlier in the bar, Vicki got a text.
It's why she left.
I could have sworn she blushed when she read it.
She said it was from her husband.
But what if she was lying?
-(ominous music) -What if it was her lover?
She knows this town.
Maybe she rekindles an old flame while she's here to sell her mother's house.
Yeah, she goes to meet him.
But where?
Anton, I imagine you've parked up with a girl or two in your time.
One or two.
(laughs) There is a murderer on the loose.
I'll drive.
(ominous music intensifies) CORA: That's her car.
-It's locked.
-CORA: Oh... CORA: Vicki!
No, Aunt Cora, be careful, please.
You could fall.
She might have slipped in the dark.
-Vicki!
-ANTON: What's that?
Oh... Oh... Vicki was wearing those.
Oh, God.
I think I know where she might be.
(wind whistling) How did you know to come here?
He moved the first body to the graveyard and we found two pairs of shoes up at High Ridge.
There was blood up there too.
And a mobile phone.
We didn't touch anything.
Alright, good.
We'll send a forensic team up there.
Let's just... hope that phone belongs to Donna Phelps.
This one was bludgeoned, probably with a hammer.
Same as the first victim.
Right.
(unnerving music) Can you make any sense of that?
You should probably have this too.
It was left for me at the Gazette.
Is she hurt?
-Is she dead?
-Oh, Danny... -We're really sorry... -Vicki!
-Come with me, Sir.
-Let me see her, please!
-Please come with me... -Vicki!
-Come with me, come with me.
-Vicki!
-Now, listen to me... -Let me see her!
Please!
Vicki!
(dramatic music) (sighs) Another body, another clue.
Why?
I don't know.
And it's not much of a clue.
Fourteen across, a three-letter word for sheep.
-It's ewe.
-Me?
No, ewe.
E-W-E.
Why don't you pop it on the grid?
Let's see how it fits.
(clears throat) How do you know where to put it?
I don't.
This is all guesswork.
There's a common E, so I chose intercept, but it depends on the grid size.
I've chosen 11 by 11, but it could be 12 by 12, 16 by 16... -Shouldn't you be doing this?
-Oh, this is child's play.
The real puzzle is catching the killer.
SHERRY: Ahem.
Oh...ah.
Whoever it is, they're playing with us.
Take your Burnside warn-off note.
It could be a double bluff.
The killer knew that we were looking into an old case because Anton printed it, so they could be sending us further down a blind alley as a diversion.
Or maybe the two cases really are connected.
Vicki's body was left on Bonnie's grave for a reason.
Oh, now's not the time to drop it as a lead.
Yes, it is.
You could be sued.
Yes, I could.
But that doesn't stop you looking into it.
No, I..I don't know the first thing about investigating.
Well, if you don't want to, I could always... No, no, I didn't say that.
(suspenseful music) -I'll do it.
-Hm.
(sighs) Cora?
I told you this would happen, didn't I?
I told you it was a serial killer and now you have two dead women and zero suspects!
We are doing the best that we can, Mayor.
Well, your best needs to get a whole lot better or more women'll die!
What happened to your so-called expert, eh?
Your puzzle genius.
Actually, I'm getting closer by the minute.
Closer to understanding the depraved mind behind these macabre acts.
And thanks to Inspector Hooper and his excellent team, the net's closing in.
So why don't you run along and leave us to it, hm?
Well, how... As you were.
Please tell me you've got something, Miss Felton.
(sighs) Not really.
Queue and ewe.
Damned if I can make any sense of it.
You know, I hate to agree with the mayor, but this may only make sense if the killer leaves more puzzles on more corpses.
Although I doubt he'd be stupid enough to return to the graveyard.
-Right.
Danny, I need you to gather a printer samples so we can check for potential matches with the new puzzle clue.
And that note to Anton as well, just anything typed, yeah?
Printer samples from who, Sir?
Anyone connected with the murders, Dan.
The Burnsides.
Plus any of the public access printers in shops or the library.
Use your head, please, Dan.
-Yes, Sir.
-Sir, sir?
-Yes.
-I have something.
We managed to access Donna's phone.
So, she was coming here to meet someone.
-Right.
-She messaged this Sean from the train, asked him to meet her at Bakerbury station.
He said he would, and her last message to him was to say her battery was running low.
Right, can we locate Sean using this number?
-I'm working on it.
-Right, get on with it, please.
Er, what about Vicki's phone?
Well, uh, there's nothing untoward.
It was mostly messages about her late mother's house sale, and, uh, several missed calls from Stuart last night.
His voicemails got more and more desperate.
She got a text as she was leaving the bar at around 10 o'clock.
She said it was from her husband.
-Can you check it?
-Yeah, go on.
(sinister music) Yeah, it's from Stuart.
It says, 'Don't talk to strangers.'
'Don't talk to strangers.'
That's odd.
Don't you think that's odd?
(somber music) (under breath) Still in shock.
Oh, thanks.
The kitchen's just around the corner.
(knocking) Hi.
Thanks.
Mr.
Tanner.
I just wanted to offer my condolences.
I didn't know Vicki well, but she was just lovely.
Thank you.
I hear you helped to find her.
Oh, uh, some of us were trying.
I'm just sorry we couldn't find her alive.
I...I can see why it's taking so long to find a home for all this stuff.
Should have it all thrown in a skip.
But Vicki would hate that.
(sobs) My wife died for a house full of junk.
Sorry... It's okay.
(sobbing) (suspenseful music) (Stuart continues sobbing) Don't embarrass me, okay?
-I won't say a word, I promise.
-Well, good.
(rain pattering) Yeah, that's what I said.
-I'll knock.
-No...(sighs) -I can't say anything?
-That's the last thing, that's the last thing.
Mr.
Hodges.
You were the DI who worked the Bonnie Burnside case in 2015, right?
Sorry, um, I'm Sherry Carter and this is Anton Grant.
I know who he is.
Printed that rubbish about Bonnie's death.
-Sir, it wasn't my intent... -Stop it, stop it.
Look, I was furious with him for printing that too.
But we have good reason to be asking more about it now.
And why's that?
Because everyone's telling us not to.
It was bonfire night.
Bonnie had had an argument with her boyfriend, Casey Roth.
He said she got in her car and drove off drunk before the fireworks.
He stayed to watch but got worried, borrowed his friend's car to go looking for her.
A few of them went with him.
They found Bonnie less than half a mile away, dead.
She'd hit a tree.
And there was nothing about it that seemed wrong?
Nothing at all?
Casey's friend, the one with the car, I forget his name, his family moved away after that.
We questioned him that night.
He was pretty shaken up.
But he said Casey borrowed the car before the fireworks.
Before?
Then he said it was a mistake.
He said it was after.
They were all upset, they'd been drinking.
So, I let it go.
Maybe I shouldn't have.
(mysterious music) (giggles) No.
Okay, let's say they fought and Bonnie drove off before the fireworks.
What if Casey didn't wait to follow her?
You know, he's angry.
He takes his friend's car and he gives chase.
-Drives her off the road.
-Yeah.
He sees the crash, so he panics.
He drives back to the party, joins the others, makes a big show about being worried.
Makes sure a few people come along with him and they witness him finding the wreck.
(exhales) Yeah.
(tense music) (engine humming) Yeah, but even if we're right about Casey, we can't, like, prove that he killed Bonnie.
No, I know.
And we still wouldn't know if it's connected to the bodies in the graveyard.
No.
(sighs) Hey, we um, we made a good team today.
(sighs, giggles) Yeah.
Yeah, we did.
No, um... Sorry, goodnight, -Anton, sorry.
-Goodnight.
(suspenseful music) -Have you got Sean's number?
-Yeah.
(knocking) (knocking) Oh.
We were looking for Sean.
I...I've never heard of him.
Sorry.
(ringtone buzzing) Your phone's ringing, mate.
(ringtone buzzing) (radio blaring) (car radio blaring) (engine starts) You know what's funny, Gary?
You don't look a thing like you do in the picture on Donna's phone.
So, I said I was younger.
So what?
She was 16, bell end!
He can't talk to me like that.
I didn't do anything.
I...I never even met her.
We just chatted online.
So, we know that Donna was coming to Bakerbury to see you.
You picked her up from the station, you drove her to High Ridge and then you killed her.
-(laughs) No.
-You did.
No.
When I got her message, I...I panicked.
She was already on her way, so I just... I never went.
What, you just never went?
I couldn't let her see me, could I?
Then when I saw her picture on the news, I knew something bad had happened, but I...I couldn't report it.
Or maybe you had a taste for it, Gary.
Maybe you lured Vicki Tanner back to that same spot and maybe you killed her too.
-Who is...?
No!
I don't know what you're talking about.
I... I never killed anyone.
(dramatic music) I hear you arrested a suspect.
-Danny.
-I'm sorry Sir, but if it were me, I'd wanna know.
Well, yes, we have been questioning a Gary Gibson.
So, we've searched his house and we could find nothing to tie him to either murder.
-And plus he has an alibi.
-What alibi?
The lad's mother says that he was with her both nights.
-His mother?
-You're shitting me!
I know that it's frustrating, I understand.
But as it stands, we have nothing to charge him with, and so we have to release him.
I'm so sorry.
But if I just could beg you for some patience.
We will be doing everything we can... (dramatic music) Oi.
Are you a killer nonce?
Yeah, keep walking, you wrong'un.
(muttering) Hey kid, I need a favor.
(horns honking) Fuck off, Grandma.
Listen, you little shit.
I'm working a murder case.
You wanna make some money or not?
(engine humming) Does Sherry know you're here?
-I wanted to talk to you.
-Hm.
I need some help with today's crossword.
Oh, go home, Anton.
It's late.
I'm serious.
Look, it's right there.
It's 52 across, nine-letter word for spy, starting with 'e'.
(suspenseful music) You don't know the first thing about crosswords, do you?
This is all Sherry's work.
(scoffs) I knew it.
You've been lying to everyone all this time.
(scoffs) So, if you're not really the Puzzle Lady, then what the hell makes you think you can outsmart a killer?
(ominous music)
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