Original subtitles

So far the police haven't been able

to trace any next of kin.

Not a pretty site is he?

- The prosecution are alleging that he died

as a result of head injuries sustained in a fight

with your client.

This is a scan of his head taken shortly before he died.

Some atrophy, tis hardly surprising given his lifestyle,

but they're only small subdural bleeds that are chronic,

not acute.

There's no evidence of a skull fracture,

nor of an acute extradural hematoma.

- Which translated means?

- Go!

- The injuries are not consistent with a fatal head wound.

It's possible they had nothing to do

with your client at all.

- Which is exactly what he said in his statement.

- Either way I think we should be looking at

something else as a possible cause of death.

Have the toxicology reports come through yet?

- The prosecution have been so slow.

- Well let me know when they do.

- Mavis!

Mavis come here.

- Mary there's someone outside to see you.

- Mrs. Townsend?

John.

- Reverend.

Mrs. Townsend,

is there somewhere private?

The body of a young woman has been found.

The Norwegian police have been unable to make

a formal identification as yet but,

I thought...

- Ruth.

- Well as I said they don't know for certain

but I wanted to let you know just in case.

- Do they know,

have they said what happened?

No.

- Where did they find her?

- In the snow on the side of a mountain,

there was an avalanche.

- She was killed by an avalanche?

- They're not sure how she died.

She was found under he snow whilst the rescue team

were looking for a couple of snowboarders

who'd gone missing.

You see she, um...

- Hello, Sam Ryan.

Sam, it's Peter.

- Did the reports come through then?

- No they haven't.

This is another matter entirely I'm afraid.

Have you got a minute?

Of course.

- We represent a company, Torway Travel,

they specialize in all year round skiing holidays.

Uh huh.

A young employee of theirs went missing

a few weeks ago.

- Yeah.

Whereabouts?

In a place called Lom.

- Where's that?

Norway.

The company's owned by a John Taylor.

It's extremely reputable,

very much at the exclusive end of the holiday business.

Unusual resorts, that sort of thing.

The missing girl Ruth Townsend was 19.

It was her first season working for them.

The avalanche has apparently caused quite a bit

of physical damage to the body.

Right.

And she was found naked.

John knows the parents

and he wants to minimize their ordeal.

The father is worried about his wife seeing Ruth's body,

so John would like someone to go on their behalf

to assist with identification.

How long was the body out on the mountain?

Long enough to freeze solid.

Its gonna be pretty mushy once it's thawed out.

Exactly.

Who's doin' the post mortem?

A Dr. Jan Strom.

Do you know him?

Yeah, yes.

Okay, a few phone calls and I'll be on my way.

- Sam.

- Jan.

- Good to see you. - And you.

- How was your journey?

- Well it beats my usual drive to work.

I've got something for you.

Here you go.

- Oh yes, I'll enjoy this.

Thank you.

- Seeing as you're the one doing all the hard work.

- Ah yes, this is one of yours, arrived yesterday.

Forget his name.

- Bloody fresh air.

I'm used to breathing stuff you can see.

- This is Professor Ryan, forensic pathologist.

She has come to help identify the body

on behalf of the family.

- Hi.

- DCI Norton, Ian Norton.

- This your investigation?

- Ish, yeah, I'm with OCG.

New Scotland Yard.

We were contacted, what, two months ago

when she first disappeared.

- Do you know what happened?

- No.

Rather hoping this'll tell us something.

- Follow me please.

The crowns on the front teeth have been sheared off.

Maybe she hit something on the descent.

There are abrasions on the body as you would expect.

But no bleeding from the wounds.

The right ankle looks broken.

See, it is at an unnatural angle.

Again, there is no blood.

- These are all probably post mortem injuries

caused by the avalanche.

- We'll save these.

- Everyone out here says she was rather lovely.

Hard to believe now, isn't it?

Ruth was last seen in one of the bars in the village

having a drink with a middle aged bloke, mid 50s.

Apparently it all ended rather abruptly

when she threw her drink into his lap.

- Possible bruising on the neck.

Okay.

- According to her mate she was a good girl,

towed the family line.

No sex before marriage.

Well her dad's a vicar.

- What's he got to say for himself now?

- Mary— - Don't you dare

suggest to me that some good will come of this.

- Terrible things happen to people every day.

I'm not about to lose my faith

now that it's happened to us.

- This is Lensmann Hansen,

he's the SIO in charge of the case out there.

Professor Sam Ryan.

- Hi. - Hello.

Sorry I'm late.

But we've been trying to search higher up on the slopes,

hoping to find clothes or, well at least some indication

of where the body was buried.

- Buried?

- Yes well if the body had just been

lying up on the mountains, somebody would have seen it.

There hasn't been enough snow recently to cover it you see.

- There's no indication of sexual assault.

- Good, good.

But, are you sure there was no boyfriend?

- Why?

- This girl was pregnant.

Probably expecting twins.

- Who's gonna break that to the reverend?

- Someone gentle I hope.

- Can you tell us how many weeks?

- 12 or 13.

- I see.

- So it probably happened over here?

- How do you know?

- Well she came over from England, what four months ago?

That's right.

- The fact that she's been frozen,

is that gonna make it more difficult

to say when she was killed?

- No, if she was found 100 years from now,

she'd still look pretty much the same.

- They hyoid is fractured.

- Any sign of a ligature?

- What does that mean?

- She's probably strangled, manually.

- Oh no.

- Are you sure?

It couldn't have been damaged by the avalanche?

- No.

- When are we expecting the forensic dentist?

- I don't know.

- I brought the dental records with me.

Here. - Thank you.

- If they find her boyfriend,

does that mean that the DNA of the fetus can tell us

whether or not he's the father?

- Almost certainly.

- Sam, look.

- What's wrong?

- These dental records don't match the body we have here.

- This isn't Ruth.

- Our trace of a missing person shouldn't be too bad,

but suspects, I hope for Nils' sake it is local.

I mean visitors to a place like this

must run into thousands, if not more.

- What are you gonna do about Ruth?

- Well we'll inform the parents.

There's not much else we can do 'til we find the body.

Anyway, I think I'd better go and pack.

- I haven't even unpacked.

- So there's time for you to sample

some of our Norwegian delights.

Where shall we go?

- You'll see.

You can't go home without trying one of these.

- Oh, thank you.

You're looking very well.

How's Greta?

- She’s fine.

- And little Finn?

- He's great.

Still happy not to sleep.

I don't suppose you could stay on for a couple of days,

have a bit of a break.

Greta's skis would probably fit you.

I could show you around.

- Sounds wonderful, but no,

some of us have got work to do.

- Shame.

- Anyway, good luck with your mystery body.

- Ah yes, Nils is very excited.

Hard to tell, I know,

but there was another disappearance many years ago.

Similar story, another English girl.

The local legend has it, now don't laugh,

but we're in the heart of troll country here.

Many people said the trolls have taken her.

- Maybe they did.

I'm sorry it was a complete waste of time.

Not at all.

It's always nice to catch up with colleagues.

I just wish I coulda stayed longer.

- Sam, this is John Taylor from Tolray Travel.

John, this is Professor Ryan.

- Hi. - Thank you

for all your help.

Ruth's parents were very grateful.

- Still no news of her?

- No.

- Do the Norwegian police have any idea

who the other girl is?

- They're checking the local records first

before they widen the search.

Apparently another English girl

went missing at the same resort 15 years ago.

- Really? - Um hmm.

- Louise.

- Who?

- Louise Hutton.

She was the girl that went missing.

- How do you know?

- I was there when she disappeared.

We were part of the same set, we grew up,

we even holidayed there together.

Do they think it might be her?

- By now the police would've confirmed it

one way or another.

- Have they said how?

- I'm afraid she was murdered.

We always hoped, you know,

maybe an accident or perhaps one day

she'd just turn up.

But I think we always knew.

It must be terrible for parents all these years,

the uncertainty.

If it is Louise, I expect they'll want to see you.

You're the only person who has seen their daughter

since 1985.

- Professor Ryan?

- That's right.

- I'm Stephen Merchant, the Huttons' estate manager.

- Hello.

- Mrs. Hutton's inside if you'd like to follow me.

- Thank you.

- This Louise business is hitting very hard.

- I'm sure.

- She was the most beautiful baby.

We've been back most years in the hope of hearing something.

We were there only a few weeks ago.

I'm sorry.

- Were you there when Louise disappeared?

- Yes.

Tony loves Norway.

It's the skiing.

He discovered it when he was in the army.

He and Louise used to ski for hours.

They were inseparable.

The Norwegian police were happy

to keep appealing for information,

but over the years, well it's not exactly

the sort of publicity a ski resort relishes.

Fathers and their daughters.

- Hmm.

- Tony, this is Professor Ryan.

My husband's about to fly out.

- Very kind of you to come.

- I'm sorry about the circumstances.

- Well I was just, well I'm probably boring her silly,

but I wanted her to see how beautiful Louise was.

- Of course.

- I'm afraid the police haven't told us very much.

Was she, had she been hurt in any way?

- She had been sexually assaulted, no.

They said she'd been strangled.

- Yes.

- Well, maybe they'll listen now.

- Oh darling, don't.

Tony!

- That man.

That man's son killed my daughter.

That was taken, on our last holiday with her,

two days before... - Darling.

- Who is he?

- Losh Vickborg.

He was a ski guide in Lom.

- And the other man?

That's my brother Henry.

- There was one thing...

I'm not sure whether you were aware.

Before Louise died, she was a few months pregnant.

- What?

Did you know?

She may not have been aware herself.

- Pregnant.

- Yes.

With twins.

- I want you to give this to the police.

- Major Hutton... - Mats, the boy was called

Mats Vickborg.

He killed her.

Grew up in those mountains.

If anyone knew where to hide her.

- Do the police know all this?

- Wouldn't surprise me if he's done the same

to the other girl that's just gone missing.

- Did you know her?

- No.

But as soon as I saw it in the papers,

if you can get him for Louise,

he might tell you where he's put the other girl.

God forbid her family should have to go through

what we have.

- I'll pass it on.

- Stephen, is Henry back yet?

- Yes.

I saw his car outside Brityard Cottage earlier.

- Thank you.

Here you go Ben.

- Oh yes.

Right let's have a look at this.

- Yep.

- Hi.

- Oh hi.

- Henry?

Henry?

- Virginia.

Pleasant surprise.

Drink?

- Louise is dead.

- Not sure I follow.

- They found her.

- What?

When?

- Four days ago.

- Where?

Lom.

- All this time.

God.

- God.

Is that all you can say?

She'd been strangled.

And she was...

- What? - Nothing.

Tony's gone to bring her back.

The funeral should be next week some time.

If you're not doing anything.

- Ginny.

I really am sorry.

- Louise.

Losh Vickborg.

He was her ski guide.

- And Losh's son?

- Mats. - Is the person

the major thinks killed his daughter?

Did he say why?

- No.

He just seemed very convinced.

Okay, I'll pass it on.

I expect I'll see you out there?

- No, my job's done.

Even when they bring her home,

I doubt the coroner'll want a 2nd post mortem.

- Oh I'm sorry, I just assumed you'd be going.

You haven't heard?

- They found Ruth.

- The first look suggests?

- Strangulation.

- Same as before?

No clothes.

- She was found near to where they think the first body

must've lain before it was dislodged by the avalanche.

They're similar, but not identical

to the ones on the first body.

I haven't been able to find anything under the fingernails.

My guess is they both still had gloves on

when they were killed.

- So they were probably both fully dressed?

More than likely.

- And then the clothes were removed.

- Hence no scratches or marks.

- Any sign of assault?

- No.

And what's more, her hymen's intact.

- They're both kinda similar, aren't they?

The victims.

- One pregnant, the other a virgin?

- Why does he take their clothes off?

- Hiding evidence, traces of skin, hair, semen,

who knows.

- Yeah but, would he've known that, 15 years ago?

- Possibly.

We haven't found anything, have we?

- Could I have a moment with her?

Alone.

- Of course.

- Major?

- I'm gonna kill him.

- Major Hutton, wait!

- What's going on?

- Losh Vickborg.

- What about him?

- I think he's going after Losh's son,

he thinks Mats killed Louise.

- If we're dealing with the same killer,

and I think we are,

then it couldn't possibly be Mats because he's dead.

He killed himself.

- And Major Hutton doesn't know?

- Well Losh blames the Major

just as much for the death of his son.

As the Major blames the war for killing his daughter.

- Vickborg?

Vickborg!

- Mats never got over Louise's disappearance you know.

All the suspicion and the Major's constant accusations,

I mean over the years,

got too much for him.

So when he killed himself Losh didn't want the Major

to have the satisfaction of him knowing it.

- Vickborg!

Come out here!

Where is he I know he's in there.

- Major?

Mats is dead.

The boy's dead.

He died four years ago.

Come on.

Here.

Drink that.

Police are convinced that Ruth and Louise were killed

by the same man.

- They're wrong, I'm telling you they're wrong.

Mats Vickborg killed Louise. - Major.

- Then his father killed this other girl.

Killed her, to clear his son's name.

- You seen him,

he can barely walk let alone get up a mountain.

Both girls disappeared at the height of the tourist season.

Both were English.

The police are now focusing on the tourists who return

to Lom at the same time each year.

You could help.

- How?

- By giving them a list.

Friends, family, anyone you can think of who came out

regularly to ski with you, especially this year.

It's possible that you and your wife weren't the only ones

who had a good reason to return.

The anniversary of Louise's disappearance.

No wonder the prosecution were dragging their heels

on these results.

Don't tell me,

he had a liter of meds in his blood.

- As good as.

He'd taken enough sedative to depress his breathing

to a dangerous level,

and enough drink to give himself acute alcohol poisoning.

The combination was lethal.

- So my client's off the hook?

- Yes.

- Great.

We're in court on July the 24th morning session,

can you make that?

- I'll ring if there's a problem.

- Brilliant.

On another matter, I hate to ask,

but I've been doing the legal work for the Townsends,

Ruth's parents, arranging the return of the body to England.

Mrs. Townsend wanted to know if she could see you,

but I said I couldn't promise anything, but.

- It's fine, I don't mind.

Louise?

Louise?

Louise over here.

- Oh stop it I don't want you filming me.

Come, come on give us a smile.

- John, don't film me.

I don't like it.

Idiot, stop it!

- Mrs. Townsend for me?

- Yeah, she's just over there.

- Thanks.

- Mrs. Townsend?

Sam Ryan, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting.

- Oh no no I'm early.

- Should we go to my office and get a coffee?

- Louise was so full of life.

She was always happy, kind, and loving.

Everything that I'm not.

I know it sounds bizarre but it helps knowing the details.

Knowing that she didn't suffer,

but no one's telling us anything.

Malcolm doesn't want to know but I do, I need to know.

Do you understand?

- Yes.

Yes I do.

Losing someone so close can be unbearable.

It's hard enough without it being shrouded in mystery.

- Do you know how the investigation's going?

The police came to interview us

but they said it's all being dealt with in Norway.

- I'm not involved in the investigation

but I know when I was out there the police didn't expect

any sudden breakthroughs.

As far as I can tell

they've virtually no physical evidence to go on.

- Well, what about those psychologists that the police use

you know that are on the television,

they build up a picture of what the killer's like,

I mean, would they be able to help?

- They make it look very easy on television.

I don't think it quite works like that.

- So they're not going to find the person

who killed my daughter?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

- Don't be, it's okay.

- I don't know what I'm gonna do.

I can't stop thinking about her.

I'll never forgive myself for letting her go.

I've got no one who knows what I'm feeling who can help me.

- Your husband?

- Malcolm cocoons himself in his faith.

I'm afraid I have difficulty

in seeing God's plan in all of this.

I'm sorry, you don't want to hear all of this,

you've been so kind.

- I'm just sorry I can't tell you anymore.

- Thank you for seeing me.

I know it may not look like it

but you have been a great help.

- DCI Norton.

Sam, yeah.

Yeah.

What?

- A profiler, to find out why the killer does what he does.

- I don't think so.

Would you get a carpenter in to do your job?

No, I know it isn't.

Look I once spent 500 quid on a profiler

only to be told that the murderer was male, white,

age between 18 and 35.

Didn't exactly narrow it down.

- Well just so long as you're keeping an open mind.

Hello, Sam Ryan.

No, no tell him no I've got too much on at the moment.

Well just get him to make an appointment, okay.

Thanks.

- Professor Ryan could I, could I have a word.

- I'm sorry Mr. Taylor my secretary did say...

- Yes, yes, I know but...

- So if you don't mind, this isn't the proper place.

- Right.

- Hey.

- Right, sorry.

- I don't have much time.

- I uh, I hear that Louise was pregnant.

- Yes.

- Is it still possible

to identify who the father might have been.

- Yes.

- I'd like to volunteer for that,

to take a paternity test.

- Are the Huttons aware of this?

- No, no they're not but uh, if the test's positive,

then of course...

Louise and I we um...

- Look you don't have to explain.

- One night, here in England

Louise came to see me.

She was very upset, she was very confused, family trouble.

I don't, I don't I don't know, she didn't really say.

All she wanted was comfort, to be held you know,

to feel safe and I, I took advantage

and she never forgave me.

Later when we ended up on holiday together as usual

I tried to make amends.

The last time I saw Louise I said some terrible,

terrible things and I never had the chance to unsay them.

I tried.

I followed her back into the bar but she took refuge

with her uncle.

- Henry.

- Yeah.

- Have you spoken to DCI Norton about this?

- No, no not yet but I've made an arrangement to see him.

- Evening sir, what can I get you?

- Eh, tonic water please.

- Can I get you anything else sir?

- Have you got a bottle of champagne?

- I think so.

- Come in.

Ah, Professor Ryan.

- Professor Michaels.

Don't see you in this department

very often.

- Could I pick your brains about something?

- Sure.

What now?

I mean is it a quick thing or?

- Well. - Just I'm famished.

I was hoping to grab a bite before Stuart's lecture.

- Shall I join you?

I mean I don't mean the lecture.

Didn't think you did.

Two glasses.

Keep the change.

- Thank you very much sir.

Excuse me girls, you see the young chap standing by the bar?

Has he gone?

Oh, em tall chap, specs, a bit spotty you know?

- No.

- Strange.

Well he asked me to bring this over to you

but he seems to have lost his nerve.

Well it seems a pity to waste it.

Who'd like a glass?

- So what are the police actually doing?

- I don't know but they don't seem very keen on the idea

of a profiler.

They want facts, hard evidence.

A broad spectrum of possibilities doesn't always

go down very well with the boys in blue.

- Still with no physical evidence

can they afford to be choosy?

- I don't think they quite see it like that.

- Thank you.

- They say the camera never lies, to think that someone...

- Mrs. Hutton.

- Remember that couple?

Was it the Fordhams?

- Yes.

Yes that was the year that I met um,

the year I met Claire.

- Oh yes.

I'm sorry to hear about you two.

- I shouldn't even have mentioned it.

I uh,

I saw Louise the night she disappeared,

and we had a row and I upset her.

You see,

I never got the chance to apologize, to say sorry,

stupid pride.

The last thing I wanted was to be shown up

in front of anyone else.

Especially someone like Henry.

- Henry?

- Yes, he was there too.

Always so sophisticated.

- Bottle of Tuscana please and some water.

- Grazie.

- Two bodies killed 15 years apart

but both given the same snow burial.

And they were completely naked?

- The only thing found on the body were hair slides.

- Hair slides.

- The second victim's hair had been tied back

into two bunches.

- Before or after death?

- I don't know

but the hair slides didn't belong to either victim.

- Then they'll be significant.

- In what way.

- Only the killer would know for sure,

could be resentment, could have been made to wear

them himself or been abused by someone who did.

Fantasy, sometimes a particularly traumatic event occurs,

often in childhood or adolescence that becomes embedded

in a fantasy.

Association, could remind him of someone, sometime.

Arousal, memories of an early sexual experience.

- One victim was pregnant and the other was still a virgin,

but neither had been sexually assaulted.

- For some killers it's the killing itself

that gives a sexual high.

- If this is a sex crime

could he have killed more than twice?

- Maybe.

After he killed the first time he might not have intended

to kill again but if for some reason he became stressed...

- Stressed?

- Personal circumstances changing for the worse,

trouble with a significant other, debt.

Killer's fantasies are a refuge from real life.

- That's fine thank you.

- All this is straying a long way from your territory.

- I know.

- What's got you so involved?

- Nothing.

I'm not.

I had to meet with the parents of both girls.

- Ah.

Kinda sucks you in, doesn't it?

- That didn't last very long did it?

I don't see our peculiar friend returning.

- Tough.

- That's what I think.

Well look, I'm Henry by the way.

Let me see if I can get this right.

Um, Julie,

and uh...

- Vicki.

You've both been very charming company but

all good things come to an end.

- Yup.

- Or maybe not.

I wonder, perhaps we can just go on enjoying ourselves.

- How?

- Can ask for another bottle.

- No!

Why not?

- Because.

- So sorry,

I was assuming that you have nothing more exciting to do,

two beautiful girls like you must be in constant demand.

- No, we're not.

- Okay well in that case, how much do you think we'll need?

- Ah, pint?

- That's Bob Jones' daughter isn't it?

- Yeah.

- She's underage.

- Is she?

She looks old enough to me.

- Who's the other girl?

Dunno.

- Can I have another bottle and uh,

put a couple more on ice while you're back.

I say girl, how many bottles did we say we needed?

- Bob, it's Steven.

Look, it's probably none of my business but,

I'm down the pub and Julie's here.

- When you're analyzing a crime you have to think about

how the killer and the victim met.

- I'm right to assume it's a him?

- Female serial killers are very rare,

and their victims tend to be men or children, not women.

You're almost certainly dealing with a male psychopath.

- Psychopath?

- Well firstly the lack of overkill.

He strangled them but nothing more.

Neither of his victims fought for their lives

so neither of them suspected what he was about to do.

And these crimes show a degree of planning.

No one saw anything, he hid the bodies,

disposed of the clothes.

- And he had the hair slides.

- Yes.

- Drive safely.

- Thank you.

Goodbye.

If you want me to ring back, you know what to do.

- Henry,

Henry I know you're there.

You couldn't leave her alone could you, you bastard!

20.

- Back in a minute.

Oh.

- Julie, out.

- Excuse me?

- And who the hell are you?

- Dad?

- Get your coat.

- She's drunk and she's underage.

Someone has to look out for her.

- Natural selection.

I think it's time we moved on, don't you.

Or we could be both be a little more adult

without the world and someone's dad.

Want to?

- No.

No way.

Get off.

- Come on. - Get off!

Get off.

- If he's been able to pass himself off in a smart ski crowd

he must have a certain degree of social competence.

And what about friends?

- He'd have few close friends,

more likely to have acquaintances.

Most psychopaths have had an appalling childhood

and lack any ability to empathize at all.

They have difficulty in showing affection.

If he'd ever been married he'd probably be divorced.

Quite a withdrawn personality.

Bear in mind that everything I've said

comes with the usual government health warning,

profile is about a type of person, not a specific one.

- Of course.

Thanks.

Grand, thank you.

One last question.

How would he react to the discovery

of the bodies in the snow?

- Big stressor, big big stressor.

- Enough to cause him to kill again?

Maybe.