Original subtitles

I'm the luckiest man in the world.

When I first met this...

beautiful,

talented, gorgeous woman,

I never dreamed that two years later,

we'd be standing here together as man and wife.

The simple truth is...

I fell in love with Cecily the moment that I saw her.

I don't know anything about her,

but I knew...

that we were made for each other.

And when she introduced me to her amazing family,

I felt like I'd come home.

And I also want to say to my mum,

I'm so glad that you were able

to come down all the way from Derbyshire for today.

Literally, none of this would have been possible without you.

Aww.

But one thing you need to know about the Trehernes,

is that in this family,

the women

have a powerful voice,

which is why I'm passing the mic

to my all-powerful wife, Cecily.

I met the man who was to become my husband

on August 16th,

which also happens to be his birthday.

...and I was trying to buy a flat in Birmingham...

...well, I didn't like the flat,

but I definitely took a fancy to the estate agent.

We knew from the day we met,

that we were 100 percent compatible.

And every day that Aiden has been here

helping run the hotel with me and Lisa,

I've had it proved over and over again.

And I just want to say I am so proud of my mum and dad

who bought Branlow Hall all those years ago,

and together,

turned it into the most successful hotel in Suffolk.

- Natasha? - I want to promise you that I...

He's dead!

He's dead!

He's dead!

- A cockroach. - A cockroach?

Yes. We look forward to seeing you. Bye-bye.

- In the bedroom. - Is that a big deal?

Well, I think so.

Well, this is Greece, it's a hot climate.

It has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the hotel.

Is that what you want to read on TripAdvisor? An infestation in the room?

And zero sympathy or understanding from the staff.

What is it exactly that you want?

A reduction in the bill.

Fifty percent.

- What did he say? - He's coming.

- Yeah, when? - He didn't exactly say when.

Andreas, we have no electricity.

We have plenty of water, but it's all over the kitchen!

- What are we gonna do? - We'll manage.

We have 14 guests at the hotel.

How are we going to cook lunch?

We'll make salad.

Atticus Pund.

Are you coming to bed?

What?

It's not working, Andreas.

The hotel, Crete...

Everything.

You're just tired.

Yes, I'm tired.

I'm tired... I'm tired of all of it.

Come to bed.

It will all seem better in the morning.

We have no money.

Getting a new water tank is one thing,

but the whole structure of the roof is damaged,

and that means rebuilding half the kitchen.

How are we gonna manage that?

Look at that view.

This is the most beautiful place in the world.

And you want to talk about plumbing?

All right, maybe you'd prefer

to talk about your cousin Yannis.

Yannis?

Yes. He's supposed to be your partner.

Our main investor.

We never see him. He never comes anywhere near.

- We're better without him. - Can he cook?

Why do you ask that?

Because you may have not noticed,

but we just lost our chef.

Yiorgos has walked because he wasn't paid.

- We'll find another chef. - Oh!

- Andreas... - Get in.

I can't think straight.

I thought I saw someone that I knew today.

Who was it?

Not sure.

Get some sleep.

You'll feel better in the morning.

Thank you. Keep the change.

Oh, good morning!

Welcome to the Trifilli, um...

I'm afraid the kitchen's closed at the moment,

but we will be serving salads and snacks on the terrace.

Actually, we're not here for lunch.

We're staying at the Blue Palace in Elounda.

Oh, that's very nice.

Are you Susan Ryeland, by any chance?

Yes, that's me.

We were wondering if we could talk to you

about a personal matter.

My name's Lawrence Treherne, this is my wife, Pauline.

I'm sorry, what's this about?

It's about our daughter.

Do I know her?

No, no, you've never met her...

It's not easy to explain...

She's gone missing.

- In Crete? - In England.

And we've travelled all this way out to speak to you,

Susan, because...

We think it may be because of one of your books.

What is it exactly that you want me to do, Mr. Treherne?

Lawrence, please.

I'm afraid it's a long story.

I have to go back eight years.

Lawrence, I'd like to help you, but this is not a good time.

The kitchen's just flooded, and there's a lot of things

that I really should be doing.

I completely understand.

We've run a hotel all our lives.

Rather larger one than this.

I'll try to be as succinct as possible, Susan.

But we honestly believe you're the only person that can help us.

We have nowhere else to go.

All right. Tell me.

Did you ever read about the murder of a man called Frank Parris?

Frank Parris. Yes. Yes, I did read about that.

At our hotel, Branlow Hall?

- In Suffolk? - That's right, yes.

It was where our daughter got married

in June, eight years ago.

We stayed open for the whole weekend,

and on the Friday evening, Frank Parris checked in.

Good afternoon. Checking in?

Yes, please. Parris. P-A-R-R-I-S.

As it happened, I saw him arrive.

And I knew at once he was going to be trouble.

And I was proved right a very short time later.

Can I help you?

I very much hope so.

I'm afraid I don't much care for my room.

I'm sorry.

May I ask, what's wrong with it?

It's small, it looks out over the car park.

You call yourself a country hotel,

so a glimpse of the countryside might be nice.

He's in number 23, Mr. Treherne,

- and I did say we were full. - Thanks, Derek.

Yeah, I'm afraid that's true. We have a wedding this weekend.

It's actually my daughter who's getting married tomorrow.

Congratulations.

But I have to say,

If I wanted to stay in a shoebox,

with a view of a car park,

I'd have stayed in Ipswich.

- Is there something wrong? - Yes.

This gentleman's not happy with his room,

but I've just told him we're full.

I'm afraid it's one of our busiest weekends, uh...

Let me... let me have a look.

We might have something in the Moonflower wing.

Yes, we could move you to Room 12.

Isn't it taken?

Yes, but the guests haven't arrived yet.

A late check-in. I'm sure they won't mind.

Room 12 has a...

a half tester and a free-standing bath.

Sounds delightful. I'll take it.

Okay.

Derek will show you up, Mr. Parris.

You know my name?

I, uh, saw it on the computer.

Are you busy?

No.

Then why don't you show me up?

Whatever you say.

Who is he?

That's Chase.

He's my wife's.

Well, my, uh... my wife-to-be's.

Nice dog.

Please.

That was Aiden's talent. People liked him.

He always dealt with the tricky customers.

We could do with him here.

So he was the one marrying your daughter?

Yes.

You mentioned a Moonflower Wing?

Yes, the hotel has two wings, um...

We thought it would feel more homely if we gave them names.

We called the other one Barn Owl.

That was Cecily's idea.

- Why Barn Owl? - It's an anagram.

Oh, yes, of course. Um, of Branlow.

- Oh, you like anagrams? - Uh, not really, no.

I don't like them at all.

So what was Frank Parris doing in Suffolk?

Well, he'd come from Australia.

He was visiting his sister.

She lived just a few miles away in Westleton.

So what happened?

There was a staff party at eight o'clock.

- The night before the wedding. - Hi.

Everyone would be working the next day,

and Cecily wanted them to be part of the celebrations.

Hello, you.

Thank you.

Stefan Leonida was there.

He was responsible for general maintenance.

He'd been at the hotel for about eight months?

Before that, he had been in prison.

My husband was running an outreach program for young offenders.

Sadly, it didn't work out with Stefan.

We had a series of petty thefts,

and it turned out, he was responsible.

So, our daughter, Lisa,

gave him his notice and this was his last week.

Are you drunk?

What? No.

- I'm just tired. - You look hammered to me, mate.

I don't blame you. Drowning your sorrows?

Don't worry about it. You'll be fine.

You'll get another job.

Frank Parris was murdered in his room

just two hours later.

And it was Stefan Leonida who became the main suspect.

The body was discovered the next day.

There was a maid, she was a Russian girl, Natasha.

But she didn't get to the room until mid-afternoon.

Housekeeping.

That was about the same time

that Aidan began his speech.

I'm the luckiest man in the world.

Sorry.

Sir?

Sir?

Sir?

So we called the police

and they arrived about 20 minutes later.

Out of interest, who was in charge?

His name was Detective Superintendent Locke.

Why was I afraid you were going to say that?

Frank Parris arrives from Australia

and checks into your hotel.

Nobody knows him.

And yet sometime after midnight,

someone enters his room,

and murders him in a particularly violent way.

Who would do such a thing?

On this day, of all days?

I'm so sorry.

I'm so, so sorry.

So here's my first question.

The lock for Room 12 wasn't forced.

Who had a spare key?

We all did.

Cecily, me.

Derek Endicott was on reception.

He has a master key in case of emergencies.

And Stefan.

Stefan Leonida. Maintenance.

He still had his key.

Let's not jump to conclusions, Lisa.

Well, he had a prison record.

And he'd been fired just a few days before,

so I imagine the Detective Superintendent

might be interested in talking to him.

A criminal record?

Burglary and theft.

Where is he?

I was asleep. I didn't go anywhere near Room 12.

Well, Derek Endicott, the night manager says otherwise.

He says he saw you in the Moonflower wing

just before midnight.

He's wrong.

I understand you've been in trouble before.

I was young. I made mistakes.

So why did Miss Treherne fire you?

She accused me of theft.

But I took nothing. She's lying.

Well, maybe Derek Endicott's lying, too.

Derek.

He's a friend. He's a good man.

But he saw you go in to Room 12. That is interesting.

Mr. Parris's wallet was empty and there were bloodstains

inside the fold of the leather, which suggests to me

it was opened after he was killed.

There's the motive.

Why don't you admit the truth, Stefan?

Hmm?

I didn't kill him.

All right.

Let's take a look in your room.

Get nosebleeds, do you?

Sir.

It was an open and shut case.

Stefan was arrested, taken into custody.

Six months later, he was found guilty of murder.

But by then he'd confessed,

so there was no doubt in the matter.

He was given a life sentence.

He's still behind bars.

And that was the end of it?

Yeah, we thought so, yes.

Forgive me, Lawrence.

I mean, it's a... it's a dreadful story.

And I feel sorry for all of you.

But you began by saying that your daughter had disappeared.

- Yes. - And that you thought

it was connected to one of my books.

Yes.

- Which one? - This one.

"Atticus Pund Takes The Case."

Ah...

- Alan Conway came to your hotel? - Yes, he did.

And it's clear that he used the real events

that have taken place as some sort of inspiration.

We're all in the book.

Lawrence and I, for example.

He calls us Lance and Maureen, and he turns us into crooks.

We're running a hotel that's called the Moonflower.

Frank Parris, the man who was killed, becomes Oscar Berlin.

Paris. Berlin.

Our daughter Lisa becomes an actress, Melissa.

Yeah, and then there's Aiden.

He turns up as some sort of idiot swindler, Algernon Marsh.

- What about Cecily? - She's not in it.

But she read it.

- And then she disappeared? - Yes.

We all believed that the murder was far behind us.

Stefan Leonida has been in prison for seven years,

and as far as the police are concerned, it's case closed.

- And he had confessed. - Hmm.

Cecily always liked Stefan.

She really wanted to believe that he was innocent.

But even she had accepted all the evidence against him.

- Until she read the book. - Exactly.

The day after she finished it, she rang me.

Hey, Cecily!

Dad, we've made a terrible mistake.

What are you talking about, darling?

Stefan Leonida, I was right all along.

He wasn't guilty. He wasn't the killer.

Cecily. Cecily, slow down.

You know that book I bought? "Atticus Pund"?

It's got the answer.

What?

The real killer is named in the book.

Cecily, you're not making any sense.

Just read it, Dad, it's all in there!

If it wasn't Stefan, who was it?

She didn't say. Someone came into her room

and she ended the call.

And the next day she vanished.

Susan! Susan!

Have you reported her as missing?

The police are looking for her now.

What do you think's happened to her?

We think she's frightened. She's hiding.

They're searching the woods.

We know she's still alive. There have been sightings.

Her face was in the newspapers, and there was someone

who was sure they'd seen her in Norfolk.

What is it exactly that you want me to do?

I want you to come to the hotel.

I want you to read the book.

You worked on it, you must know what's in it.

If you can see what she saw,

maybe you can help us find her.

Susan! Susan!

Oh, my God! What now?

I'm sorry! I've... I've got to go!

I will think about what you said.

You were at the Blue Palace, right?

Yeah, Susan, we'll pay you £10,000 if you help us find her.

Just a week. That's all we ask.

One week of your time.

- Susan! - I'll call you.

- Susan! - Yes, what have you done? Oh!

Andreas, what happened?

- I turned the grill off after the flood. - Yeah, and?

- And then someone turned it back on again. - Ugh!

Chapter One.

Atticus Pund was the greatest detective in the world.

But his next case was going to be his greatest challenge.

No, no. Too trite. Too obvious.

Yes!

Tawley was a picturesque village

in the county of Devonshire,

known for its lush countryside and cream teas.

In the summer of 1954, its most famous resident

was, without doubt, Melissa James.

The British actress

who had climbed to the very peak of the Hollywood heights

until an accident on the set of a Hitchcock film

had brought a sudden end to her career.

She had used the insurance money

to purchase a small hotel one mile from the village.

She renamed it The Moonflower,

which was also the title of the film for which

she had been nominated for her first Academy Award.

And which had given her the fame,

which, due to the accident she had left behind.

Have a lovely stay with us.

Miss James.

We weren't expecting you today.

Do I have to phone every time I come in, Mrs. Gardner?

That's not what I meant.

Is Mr. Gardner available?

He's in his office.

- I'll let him know you're here. - Oh, no.

Why don't we surprise him?

- Miss James! - Mr. Gardner.

I hope I'm not interrupting anything.

Well, that's all part of the job, Miss James.

- You've got to keep up with the news. - The racing news?

Please, take a seat.

We were just talking about you, as it happens.

We were going through the mail, and this came for you.

We knew who it was from, it was soaked in lavender,

I don't know what they're thinking of.

Listen to this.

"How can you do it, dear Miss James?

The screen is diminished without you.

A light has gone out off our lives."

- Oh, that's so lovely. - It is.

But it's not why I'm here.

I've been looking at the accounts up until February.

Well, the winter months always gonna be a bit slow

when you're near the seaside.

That may well be the case, but even when the hotel is full,

we are still losing money, hand over fist.

Well, I don't know what more we can do, Miss James.

We run a tight ship here.

Maybe we could put up the price of the rooms?

The rooms are already the most expensive in Devonshire. No.

I've asked my financial advisor to do a complete audit.

- An audit? - When?

He's already on his way down from London.

I'm meeting him later on today.

Will you be staying for supper, Miss James?

No, thank you. I'm going home.

- Melissa. - Oscar.

You didn't tell me you were coming.

If I had told you, would you still be here?

Well, there's no need to be like that.

Six weeks and I hear nothing from you.

You make no reply to my letters,

to my phone calls.

Why don't we talk in the bar, hmm?

I'm afraid I can't offer you a drink.

These stupid licencing laws.

I don't want a drink, Melissa.

I want an answer.

It is the work of almost three years, Melissa.

I have the script, the director, the contract,

I have the costumes.

One thing I do not have...

Your signature.

Why will you not sign the contract

when production begins two months from now?

I've decided not to do it.

- What? - Well, I'm sorry, Oscar.

I've changed my mind.

What are you saying?

We are friends, Melissa, we have an agreement.

And everything I've done,

the finance I have raised, without you...

- I have nothing. - We're not friends, Oscar.

This is a business arrangement, and I'm sorry.

I should never have let you talk me into it.

And if you back out now, do you have any idea...

You will ruin me.

Oh, don't be ridiculous.

There are plenty of other actresses.

It's a good script.

It'll be a great film.

I'm sorry to disappoint you.

You just have to find somebody else.

What are you doing?

I was looking for you.

Why, what's happened?

The plumber's here.

Can't you deal with him, Andreas?

You know, I don't know the Greek for floods

and exploding water tanks

and going very rapidly mad!

He speaks English.

Can you give me five minutes, please?

Yeah, sure.

Melissa's journey took her past

the local church of St Daniel's.

This was close to the home of Dr. Leonard Collins,

her personal physician.

As things turned out,

he would be one of the last people to see her alive.

But right then,

Dr. Collins was not interested in his celebrity patient.

Even as her life seemed to be collapsing around her,

his had just taken a significant

turn for the better.

How much?

£980,000.

That's impossible.

You were her niece.

She had no other relatives.

What about Algy?

No other relatives she cared for.

You are... the sole beneficiary.

Well, he won't be pleased.

Does he need to find out?

He's my brother. I've got to tell him.

Samantha...

He will spend every waking minute

trying to wheedle the money out of you.

And you are too soft-hearted, my dear.

He'll succeed.

But he's coming here.

He's on his way down from London.

- Why? - He's seeing Melissa.

You know, he advises her on her investments.

Don't tell me, he's draining more money from her wallet?

Is he staying here?

You don't mind, do you?

No, of course not.

Just don't trust him, Samantha.

Don't say a word.

And what of Melissa?

She was not in a good mood

as she returned to her home at Clarence Keep.

And the sight of her husband's car in the driveway

only made things worse.

- Good evening, Miss James. - Hello, Phyllis.

Mr. Spencer is waiting for you in the drawing room.

I've left you a light supper for after the opera.

It's just some cold ham and salad.

Are you going out tonight?

Yes, Miss James, it's Wednesday.

My evening off.

I'm visiting my sister in Bideford.

Is Eric going with you?

He's driving me.

You did say we could take the car.

Yes, of course I did.

Well, have a nice time.

Haven't you done that yet?

I'm doing it now.

You should have finished an hour ago.

Come on, we're going out.

Was that her?

Who'd you think it was? Marilyn Monroe?

- Did she say anything? - No.

But she knows?

I don't know.

Why don't you ask her?

I can't do that.

We'll soon find out if she does.

And what do you think is going to happen then?

It's what you deserve.

I was waiting for you.

Sorry, I got held up.

- Did you see the Gardners? - Yes.

So, what did you say?

I don't want to talk about it.

Aren't you gonna change?

Actually, John, I'm not going to join you.

I've got Algernon coming to the house.

What? When?

- He's on his way now. - Why?

I need to talk to him.

But we bought the tickets weeks ago.

Sorry.

Well, I'll... Well, I'll stay.

I don't want to go without you.

I don't need you, John.

I need Algernon.

We're talking about money.

Something you just take for granted,

which I've always worked for.

I don't even want to go.

I don't even like the bloody opera.

That's not true.

It's "The Marriage of Figaro."

You loved it when we saw it at Glyndebourne.

I was bored stiff when we saw it at Glyndebourne.

And I don't want to see it tonight.

You don't get it, do you?

You and I are from different worlds.

You and your posh friends.

Ugh, a night at the opera

with Mummy and Daddy and Lord and Lady so and so.

Black tie and political chitchat at the interval.

It's just not me.

I'm not interested.

I think you're forgetting something, Melissa.

My parents cut me off when I married you.

-I wasn't good enough for them. -I didn't care. I gave up everything for you!

As you've told me a thousand times!

Look, I don't I want to have this argument now!

Just go!

Don't do this to me, Melissa.

And you can sleep in the spare room when you get back.

Try not to wake me.

- Oh. - Hello.

I think Melissa's expecting me.

Miss James is upstairs, sir.

Would you like to go into the living room?

Sure.

I don't suppose you could rustle up a whisky

and ginger, could you?

Mr. Marsh is waiting for you in the living room, Miss James.

Thank you, Phyllis.

I'd like to have a word with you and Eric before you leave.

If you don't mind?

Oh...

Melissa. Darling.

Please, will you sit down, Algernon?

What's the matter?

You, uh... You look a bit rough. Ha!

I've been having a terrible day, if you want the truth.

Oh, well, that makes two of us.

Bit of a rotten journey down.

Well, say, if you're not in the mood for a drink,

what can I do for you?

I want to sell my shares in Day's End Holdings.

What? What do you mean?

I thought you wanted to talk about the hotel.

I do want to talk about that. I want to talk about everything.

I need money. This house, the hotel, my marriage...

I feel I'm being sucked dry,

That is why I've recommended Day's End. It'll make you rich.

Well, so far, it hasn't made me a penny.

When have I ever given you bad advice?

No, please don't argue with me, Algernon.

I've come to the end of the road.

There's no money in the bank.

I need to cash in my shares now.

Yes.

The shares aren't worth anything, of course,

because Algernon is ripping her off.

And Algernon is based on Aiden.

So what's that meant to tell me?

I'm not going to find the answer

written in a book eight years ago, am I?

And how am I supposed to know

what's happened to Cecily Treherne?

It's got nothing to do with me.

Is that true? Hmm?

All right.

Alan may have mentioned something.

He showed me a picture of Frank Parris in a newspaper.

A murder on a wedding day and maybe...

maybe I did say that it would make a good story,

but I didn't tell him to write it!

Murder is the worst of all crimes.

Not only because of the lives it destroys.

But there are also the reverberations, huh?

It's like a stone dropped into the sea.

The ripples come all the way to the shore.

Did you put that in your book?

"The Landscape of Criminal Investigation"?

Oh, of course.

But I'm not a detective.

I can go to the hotel, but I can't investigate.

I wouldn't know where to begin.

Do you believe that Cecily Treherne is dead?

She's been missing for five days.

Then that is where you must start.

She sees something in the book

that tells her who killed Frank Parris.

She calls her parents and...

someone overhears the conversation.

And that person kills her.

Perhaps.

Yes, but the book is set

in a boutique hotel in Devonshire.

It's about a famous actress who gets strangled.

It's got nothing to do with what happened at Branlow Hall.

So, what was it that Cecily saw?

I don't know.

I have no idea.

I should leave this alone.

But you won't.

I can't.

Not if it's my fault.

- Waiter! Waiter. - Just a second. Coming.

What can I get you, madam?

I'll have a glass of wine, please, barman.

Coming right up.

Andreas, I'm going back to England.

- When? - Soon.

Tomorrow.

For how long?

I don't know.

I've been offered a job.

- In publishing? - No.

Has it got something to do with Alan Conway?

I saw you reading the book.

Yes, it has.

You know that everything to do with that man is bad, eh?

Last time you were almost killed.

I've been offered £10,000.

To find a missing chapter?

No, not this time. To find a missing person.

Cecily Treherne.

We need the money, Andreas.

Without it, we're finished.

So you'll come back when you find her?

I don't know.

I still love you, but this world is not for me.

Changing beds, chasing plumbers.

It's not making us happy.

I'm happy.

We argue all the time.

We don't have any fun, not like we used to.

I never said it would be easy.

Well, you never said it was going to be miserable, either.

I miss books.

I miss being an editor, my old life.

Your old life burned down, Susan.

Well, I want to build another one.

But I'm not sure I want it to be here.

You must do what you have to do.

Let's not make any decisions.

Let's just take one day at a time.

But you're still leaving?

Yeah, I have to do this.

Don't be angry with me.

Think of the money.

Can you get an advance?

Melissa James had made a great many enemies

in the village of Tawley.

There were the hotel managers Lance and Maureen,

in fear of her.

The film producer, Oscar Berlin,

whose life had been ruined by her.

What was Algernon Marsh, her financial adviser,

hiding from her?

And what would her husband, John Spencer,

do after she had rejected him?

Fear and hatred lead to an inevitable conclusion.