Original subtitles

Did you kill your wife, Michael? No, I did not.

Stay with us, just for tonight. No, I need to be here for Dad.

The Governors are all agreed. A suspension is a pause.

There needn't be any negative connotation.

I know you'll have looked through her phone records

and seen how much we spoke.

'His name is Stephen Sedgwick. He's a dad at the school.'

He was having an affair with Sarah.

Dylan's dad's been arrested, sir... for murder.

This case you're working on at the school,

it does still mean you'll be working on Tina?

What did I promise you in 2004?

You'd find the bastard who did it.

What have you got in your pocket? Diary pages, from Mum's Filofax.

What are you gonna do about them? Burn them.

At least we still have each other.

Right?

I'm gonna go to Nan and Grandad's, just for a few nights,

make sure they're OK.

Yeah. That's a good idea.

He knew about the affair, makes this big song and dance

about not knowing anything, but he knew about the affair.

Yeah. He's gone round to do something about it.

He's clearly agitated, in't he?

Mm. Don't you think?

If he lied to us about the affair, what else has he lied about?

Well, there's a chance that Sarah might not have been killed

until as late as the Thursday.

So, the rugby match didn't help him. No.

Which means his alibi's gone. Which means his alibi's gone.

We need to bring him in and see what else he's hiding.

Where's Ivan?

Calling CPS so we can charge Stephen Sedgwick.

Yes, but where?

We've got plenty of corroboration,

and the forensics'll be at the cottage first thing.

I mean, I know we don't judge a book by its cover, but...

Wait! Samira, can I just call you back? OK.

I want you to know, whatever happens,

this is a safe place.

Erm, what do you mean?

It means you can come here, shut everything away.

Everyone needs a place like that, don't they?

Sorry, what do you...? What do you mean, "safe"?

Oh, it's just...

it's just what your mum used to call it.

She used to call it her safe place.

OK, right, I'm gonna leave the landing light on,

just so you don't wake up and forget where you are.

OK? Yeah.

ALARM BEEPING

BEEPING STOPS

DOORBELL RINGS

Michael Polly, I'm arresting you

on suspicion of the murder of Sarah Polly.

Michael Polly has been suspended,

and Alana Polly is still on compassionate leave.

The other update is that the police are wanting

to talk to you all individually.

MURMURING

I've said I'm sure that won't be a problem for any of us, given...

HE SIGHS

...well, given what's happened.

The message is we are cooperating in every way possible

while continuing with the timetable. Yes.

ALL CHATTER

Can we...? Can we all please...? Let's just...

Let's please try not to take this back to our respective classrooms.

All right, thank you, everybody.

My client would like to make the following statement.

While he has of course been willing and happy

to answer all of your questions,

Mr Polly now believes he has stated, more than once,

that there is nothing more substantial he can add,

either in helping you find the person responsible

for the death of his wife

or in terms of explaining his own whereabouts and actions

during that time.

As such, he will not be answering any more of your questions.

Is that right, Michael?

Why, when we asked you if there was anything else we should know,

did you fail to mention your wife's affair with Stephen Sedgwick?

Or the fact you visited his property on the night she went missing...

...and you chose not to tell us?

Michael?

Would you like me to read the statement out again,

or did you hear it the first time?

He's definitely hiding something, but that is not footage

of a man committing a crime, or even at a crime scene,

or thinking about it, even anywhere near the victim of the crime.

To be honest, I'm not sure it gives us anything.

And Polly knows it. It shows us he lied.

It shows he gets angry, motive. It's not evidence.

No, but it helps. That's how it works. We get there in stages.

If it were me, I'd be working that timeline.

Where were Michael Polly and Stephen Sedgwick

during the three-day period

between the last sighting of Sarah Polly

and her body being found?

They are our two most credible suspects,

but we can't hold either of them without more evidence.

We have to release them.

So, let's get surveillance on Sedgwick's house as well.

Boss.

Look, I don't know if you know,

but I was actually the first person on this case originally.

I'm just wondering if there's any way I can go back

to doing more of that investigative work.

You're the FLO.

Alongside being the FLO. That's the job you've been given.

And I like it. I really... So keep doing it, please.

Let the team focus on Michael Polly and Stephen Sedgwick.

And don't go over Ivan's head. I... I wo...

No. That's the end of the conversation.

'Nice To Each Other' by Olivia Dean

For Ivan - and he's a decent enough guy,

I've worked with him - you're a threat.

Oh, please.

We have two good suspects, and I feel like I can't be effective.

Come on.

You could be the person who solves

two of Bristol's highest profile cases.

I don't feel like I'm solving anything at the moment.

Well, don't speak too soon. SHE SIGHS

I said I'd look into the Tina files, and I did.

There was a handbag found, wasn't there? Yeah.

Her handbag, not far from the club.

Her silver bag. Well, I have a mate in FRC.

And he has offered to do a forensic review.

You would do that for me?

Yeah.

For Tina. And Carol.

That's the Mum's name, isn't it? Yeah.

Yeah. Thank you.

I mean it. Thank you.

♪ Nice to each other... ♪

Here we go. Pasta for the lady.

Thank you. And pizza for the tramp.

SHE CHUCKLES Enjoy.

I've been thinking about this situation with Michael.

Yeah? Mm.

If he's not saying anything, then technically, as FLO,

I've got the best job there is, haven't I?

I'm right in there with the suspect.

I could interview him. Without him knowing?

Yeah. That's what I mean, yeah. You'd be brilliant at that.

But be careful. You don't know what he's capable of.

DOORBELL RINGS

Alana not here? She's gone to her grandparents'.

Hm.

They'll be wanting to look after her.

Well, she wants to look after them.

She's lost her mother, but they've lost their daughter,

so she wants to be there for them.

That's the type of young woman she is.

Sedgwick's neighbour has CCTV cameras on his house.

That's how they knew you were there, Michael.

That's why they arrested you. It's not like they had any choice.

And for what it's worth...

Milk? Yes, please.

And for what it's worth,

even though I could see how agitated you were,

I thought you might've been after him, not her.

I wasn't after anyone.

You can't say that, Michael.

No.

You can say you didn't hurt Sarah,

and you can refuse to answer any more questions,

but you can't just shrug that off like it's normal behaviour, Michael,

prowling around somebody's house like that

in the middle of the night. I'm sorry, no.

He was having an affair with my wife, and she'd gone missing.

So I thought that's where she might be.

And that makes sense, but...

Did you see me talk to anybody when I was there, on this CCTV?

You've seen it, yeah? Yeah.

So did you see me confront anyone or knock on the door?

Well, then.

"Well, then."

You say "well, then" like that's all there is to it.

That is all there is to it.

So, why didn't you tell us about this affair

when we first met, Michael?

You know, if you can sit there and be so matter of fact about it...

...why not be like that then?

Because... It obviously hurt you, Michael.

I saw you crying. That was not to do with the affair.

That was because she was gone.

I see. That was not to do with the affair.

I apologise. I'm sorry.

But the question still stands, Michael.

Why didn't you tell us about this affair?

Because people don't expect that of people like Sarah and I.

You know, erm... people in our position.

It's not easy for anyone, is it?

That's not good enough.

Because I knew, and I didn't want to know.

And because...

...it wasn't easy to talk about, that's all.

And it's easier now, is it?

With me?

Charlie-X-ray-655, suspect has returned from the office, over.

SIGHS

STEPHEN EXHALES DEEPLY

FAINT VIDEO GAME PLAYS

CONSOLE BEEPS

It's not true.

I want you both to hear that from me.

What's not true?

I think you both know what I'm talking about.

Why don't you tell us? Don't talk to him like that.

Like what? In that voice.

It's a perfectly normal question to ask.

What's not true?

That there was something between me and... Sarah Polly.

It's all over socials... that you killed her.

It's all your fault,

and it's literally all being taken out on me.

VIDEO GAME RESUMES

STEPHEN CLEARS THROAT

I had the meeting. We agreed I'll take a week off work.

HE EXHALES DEEPLY

Whatever you might think of me, or think I might've done...

I know what you've done.

Just let me say what I have to say, Claire,

and then you can speak, and I won't interrupt you, OK?

SHE SIGHS

Whatever you might be thinking,

let's try and both remember what's the most important thing here.

That's the kids.

You said it yourself.

Dylan's school work is suffering, and...

...Freya's tests are full-on, so... Don't make this about the kids.

I'm just trying to make my point here, baby, and then...

and then, like I said, I'll be a good listener for you.

So, the less arguing and stress they feel...

...the better chances they have.

I know we both agree on that.

The police are gonna ask you to help confirm my where...

No, I'm nearly done, Claire, please. I'm so nearly done.

You know I didn't kill her.

The police are gonna ask you to help confirm my whereabouts

around the time Sarah Polly went missing.

If I wasn't at work, then where was I?

And the answer is I was here, in here, watching TV with you,

whatever we were watching, one of your programmes.

That's all you have to tell them.

And then all this goes away.

For Dylan and for Freya.

OK?

SIGHS, CHUCKLES

Before we have our proper chat, I...

...I really need to grab a shower.

These last few days have been hard.

I just wanna wash them away. Erm...

His son, Dylan,

he's a special talent when it comes to the rugby.

I mean, he struggles elsewhere academically, but...

...he's a rare talent on the rugby field.

I mean, I don't tell him that, obviously.

That's how you coach players, but, erm... he's a joy to watch.

Erm... the fact that she chose his father,

or let his father choose her, whichever way round it was...

...is a betrayal of our marriage, of course, but...

the damage it inflicts is on so much more.

It's on my family, his family, on the school, on its reputation.

And this boy...

...who can make so much of himself playing rugby, who loves it so much,

you know, he gets the worst of me, because of what I know.

When I should be the best coach, the best teacher he has...

...I end up taking it out on him... because of her betrayal.

You know, it's cruel, it's vindictive.

And I, erm...

...well, I let myself down, that's all.

How did you let yourself down?

In the weeks leading up to her going missing, I...

...I was angry.

And...

...I did things that I will never forgive myself for.

Did you notice anything unusual or strange about Michael or Sarah Polly

in the run-up to her disappearance?

Anything at all?

I'd see her going off on walks on her own.

Where she was going, I've no idea. I just want the rumours to stop.

What rumours are those? That he... That he killed her.

I've not heard that myself.

Not only has it not sunk in,

I just can't imagine a time when it will ever have sunk in.

Would you be happy for us to have a look through your phone? Mm.

If you wouldn't mind? Sure.

Would you hand over your phone so we can take a quick look?

I will need that back at some stage.

What was your relationship with Sarah like?

She was friendly. We got on perfectly well.

She did the choir. And then there was the book club.

SCOFFS SOFTLY There was no book club.

I wasn't invited to that.

We scrapped it because we couldn't get enough people.

Not enough good people, anyway.

But, erm, that's fine.

I think she wanted to escape.

She was having an affair. I saw her by the art room.

And I would see her sometimes when I saw Alana.

You can feel it. It's as if they want it to be him.

You can see it on some of their faces.

But he called her.

He...? Michael.

As soon as he knew she was missing, he called her.

I was dropped at the front door as an eight-year-old,

and I've barely been away, so trust me when I tell you,

it's better under his leadership than it's ever been.

Well, it hasn't got the best reputation.

Does that mean I always agree with him?

Some teachers refuse to work here.

He had his fallouts with the parents.

Yes. Do I think he has it in him to kill Sarah?

Michael Polly...

...is a wonderful man.

But someone's got to have done it, haven't they?

I can only go on what I know of the man,

and so I'd have to say...

No way. ...no.

Even though I dislike him, I would say the same for Stephen Sedgwick.

Thank you for that.

'That was not to do with the affair.'

'I apologise. I'm sorry.'

'I was angry.

'And I did things that I will never forgive myself for.

'That was not to do with the affair.'

'I apologise. I'm sorry.' 'I was angry.

'And I did things that I will never forgive myself for.'

'It obviously hurt you, Michael. I saw you crying.'

'That was not to do with the affair.'

'But the question still stands, Michael. Why didn't you...?'

PHONE RINGS

Wondered if you'd call. 'It's for me to call you, is it?'

Right now it is. 'That's called playing hard to get.'

No, it's called playing hard to get back.

SHE CHUCKLES 'Listen, just to tell you,

'the guy at the forensics lab,

'he's agreed to fast-track Tina's handbag.'

How fast is fast-track? 'They started looking today.

'They should have it in the next couple of days.

'So, can we have that drink tomorrow?'

The Italian? 'Again?'

Yeah, well, the Italian's our new thing, isn't it?

'In that case, how's six?'

Yes, six I can do. Now stop disturbing me.

Some of us have got work to do. I'll see you tomorrow.

'That was not to do with the affair.'

'I apologise. I'm sorry.' 'I was angry.

'And I did things that I will never forgive myself for.'

Like I said, we will make arrests and continue to make arrests

wherever we see it as helpful to the investigation.

These are two such examples.

Is that not just a scatter-gun approach?

I'm not quite sure you can describe two of anything as "scatter-gun".

What they are is necessary.

If they were both men in their 50s,

would it be safe to say they're parents at the school?

I'm not going to comment. But were they known to the victim?

I'm not going to comment either.

But conversations have moved the inquiry forward.

How have they moved the...?

And both men... both men have been released without charge.

ALL CLAMOUR That is all. Thank you.

Are you looking at other suspects? Detective!

A few more questions. Detective!

'Police fending off

'a seemingly endless list of questions this morning...'

'What they are is necessary.'

'..anger at what many people deem to be a distinct lack of progress.'

'But were they known to the victim?'

'I'm not going to comment on that either, but...'

I don't know what's worse...

whether he was known to her or a stranger.

SHE SIGHS

SIGHS

You exercise.

So? So spare me the dirty look.

You're the one with the dirty look.

Charlie-X-ray-655, suspect moving off, over.

The police are still watching...

...in case you didn't know.

They're not hiding the fact, Dylan.

They want us to know they're interested in your dad.

As if we need fucking reminding.

SHE SIGHS

Sorry.

He wants me to go to the police and tell them the times he was here.

You better not be helping him.

I've seen him acting all nice and shit. I know what he's up to.

They wouldn't have just arrested him, not without a reason.

Get your stuff. I'll take you to training.

Come on, Michael.

Talk to me.

You've arrested Stephen Sedgwick?

"Two men arrested."

I was one of them. I presume he's the other one.

I can't tell you that. "A man in his 50s."

You know I can't tell you that. But you've let him go?

The other man who was arrested has been released without charge, yes.

Is that because you don't think he was responsible,

or you do think he was responsible but you can't prove it?

And has he denied it, this other man?

Denied? Strangling my wife.

And did he blame me? Who told you she was strangled?

I bet he did. Answer that question.

I would've done that if I was him. Who told you she was strangled?

SIGHS

SIGHS

I'm sorry.

Alana hasn't gone to her grandparents' to help them.

She's gone to get away from me.

Sarah's death is my fault.

Michael, whatever it is you need to say...

...say it.

It's just you and I, Michael. It's just between you and I.

I wasn't the husband she deserved.

Well, maybe at first,

but it hadn't been working for a long time,

so she found someone else, someone who could...

...give her what she needed.

I'm sure she didn't think of it like that.

The affair was my fault. How was it your fault?

Well, she went to him. Yeah, that's what I mean.

Because... I wasn't enough. It wasn't working.

I wasn't what she needed.

But she cheated on you.

Yeah. That's her fault.

Michael, you can't go blaming yourself for that,

not when someone cheats.

She went looking for what she didn't have.

Michael... The affair was my fault.

The affair, that was just a symptom. We mustn't see it like that.

Because that's what affairs always are.

And I... I couldn't confront her about it, even though I knew.

What do you mean, Michael?

Because confronting sets things in motion.

You have to talk about why it happened,

and that causes fights and divorce and damages reputations,

and it all comes out.

And I couldn't...

...I couldn't do that because I was ashamed.

And I'll never forgive myself for that.

You look on that CCTV,

do you see a man who's gonna fight for his wife?

Hm? You see a man who wants to, but...

...in the end, he just walks away and gets into his car.

The pathologist at the mortuary...

...when I asked about the marks on Sarah's neck,

they said they thought she'd been strangled.

So that's how I knew.

Er, yeah, no problem, follow me. Thank you.

Just right there for you, sir. I'll just grab you some menus.

That's great, thank you. Be back in a second. Cheers.

Hey, babe. It's me.

Er, just ringing to say I got our usual table,

so hopefully, I will see you shortly.

There we go, sir. Thank you.

Did you want me to give you a few minutes,

pop back when she's arrived?

I would love you to pop back in a few minutes.

OK, no problem.

OK. I'll give you a second to have a look.

CLEARS THROAT

We are far less convinced that Sarah Polly was in Wales...

PHONE BUZZES ...on the day she went missing.

Stephen Sedgwick, we know, was in possession of her debit card.

CCTV on the bridge shows he drove to Wales alone.

No sign of anyone else in the car on the way there or the way back.

We're checking ANPR again

and more CCTV and Ring doorbells to close the gaps on his timeline

across those three days.

So we're eliminating him? Not quite.

He still needs an alibi for some of the evenings of that week.

And as we know, Michael Polly still has some gaps in his timeline.

Annie, if you could ask him for those direct.

Becky, if you could speak to Alana and get her to corroborate, please.

As for the comps with other murders...

SHE MOUTHS

...I want everyone to be familiar with the details

so we can cross-reference.

Until both men can account for every second of those three days,

we're not ruling them out.

This is gonna be a late one, folks. OK? Thank you.

CHATTERING

DOOR OPENS

Jesus Christ.

KEYPAD TONES

Is this you, er, trying to get back at me or something?

Are we playing games again? Already?

J... SIGHS

What are you looking at? Mind your own business.

Tell him what you've just told me.

It's OK. He'll just want what's right for Sarah.

The police asked if there was anything else I could think of

that might help, in terms of Sarah, Michael, people close to them.

They asked me the same thing. They asked us all.

I said there was nothing.

Yeah, but that wasn't quite true.

Last term, as I was coming past the pitches, on Abbey side,

I saw Polly behind the pavilion in a fight with one of the boys,

with James Bauri.

Fight as in... handbags, like grabbing and shoving, or...?

It was a bit more than that.

And then he saw me,

and bear in mind we go a long way back, and he stopped.

And then I went to see him later and explained I'd have to report it,

and he did a number on me.

He'd helped me overcome a complaint

about how I was managing my department -

this was before COVID -

and an email from one of the parents who thought we'd let her son down.

And he... Michael said he'd refer everything upwards,

hang Rory out to dry, if he did anything about it.

Said Bauri didn't care anyway. Yeah, probably wouldn't.

Not that that's the point, just...

No, this wasn't just handbags, as you call it.

It was violent abuse.

He almost came for me the other day... on the rugby pitch.

But, er... I just put it down to the fact that he was grieving.

INHALES DEEPLY, EXHALES

So, do we mention it, or do we keep this amongst us

because we think that's out of character?

Come on, lads! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Mate, mate, mate. What you getting changed for?

What? Why you getting changed?

Why do you think? There's no need to do any training.

Nobody wants you on the team anyway.

Ooh!

What you gonna do? Get your dad to kill me?

He'll probably get his dad to shag you.

LAUGHTER

DISTANT CHATTER

Now, Stephen's colleagues can account for his whereabouts

during the day, but we need to confirm

that when he came home, he was in all night.

If you need to know where people were that week,

then Stephen was here.

Every night after work, he came home.

You haven't been pressured into saying that, have you?

SIGHS SOFTLY

He's leant on you?

I'm not saying it for him.

I'm saying it for the kids, because it's true.

Stephen's guilty of many things,

but he can't have killed Sarah Polly,

because he was here, with me.

And I'm sorry I've left so many messages, Craig,

but I was trapped in a meeting that just wouldn't end.

I'm not stringing you along, OK? I... I-I'm not.

I want this... if you still do.

So, erm, please just give me another chance.

OK. Bye-bye.

DOORBELL RINGS

They want me to go through those days with you now, Michael,

make sure that we've got everything covered.

Tuesday the 24th, the day after Sarah went missing,

Wednesday the 25th, Thursday the 26th... the day she...

The day her body was found. Yes.

So, yes, I know my diary.

It's been the same for years. I...

Back-to-back meetings then lessons and...

Simone has it all on records. And the evenings?

Here, you know, every evening.

Alana can vouch for that?

Yes. We can vouch for each other.

Yeah. PHONE BUZZES

I'm sorry. Just gonna...

Hi. Yeah, I'm really, really sorry. I mean...

I literally couldn't get away, so it...

Totally my fault. So I should have just...

Well, I can't now. I'm at work, at the school.

We can do it later.

Course I wanna see you. What?

No, no, nobody is messing anybody about.

Stop that. Please. Please, stop it.

No, don't come here. I'm working.

Craig, listen to me. Do not come here.

I am at work. Please. Craig?

Sorry about that. No.

Everything all right?

I mean, we can do this later or tomorrow.

I seem to have a clear diary. No, it's OK. It's fine.

You know what it's like, just, er, juggling work and personal life.

It's very difficult.

Well, never put work ahead of personal life, Annie.

I know I'm not one to talk, but...

...if I've learnt anything through all this, it's that, so...

We need to know where your dad was on those evenings

of the 24th, 25th and the 26th.

He was at home.

On all three nights? Mm-hm.

No.

Some of those times, you were with me.

Do you remember? Was I?

Yeah.

You needed to get out the house.

You can explain Alana's whereabouts for the times she wasn't at home?

Mm.

So, for those times you were with Paul,

can anyone explain where Michael was?

Some of the teachers are talking.

About Michael? Yeah.

I know you don't wanna hear it, but it's true.

You know it is.

Why do you think she came here? To get away from him.

That's what I was thinking. That's what Sarah used to do.

Alana?

Alana. I don't know!

I don't know.

I thought we were happy.

I thought we were gonna have a family.

I would've loved to have been a mum.

But he was never ready, Craig.

And you've both gotta be ready, haven't you?

Otherwise, you shouldn't really go there.

That's what I've told myself, anyway.

And then he met somebody else.

I mean, it didn't work out, but she's...

I don't wanna say her name. She's too young for him.

Well, she was too young, or he was too old.

Is there a difference? Yes, there is.

He should know better.

So, why is it, for all the shit he puts me through,

I still try to make it work, even now?

Maybe it's what you said yesterday.

I've given it a lot of thought, what you said.

The fact that they cheated on us, that's our fault, too.

No, look...

Everyone's circumstances are different, Annie, so don't, er...

Sorry, I shouldn't really be telling you this.

I'm... blurring the boundaries.

CAR HORN BLARES Is that him?

No, I told him not to come.

I'll go and speak to him now. He just gets so bloody angry.

Angry? Erm, no, no, I don't mean angry.

I mean, er... impatient. Erm, I won't be a second.

I just need to try and find my phone.

Do you know where my phone is?

Yes, it's in your pocket, recording our conversation.

CAR HORN BLARES Erm... I won't be a second.

EXHALES SHAKILY

Hey. Hi.

SHE SIGHS

I can't be long. I'm not really meant to leave.

Oh, you'll be fine. Just get in the car.

There's something I need to tell you.

Well, can't we talk here? Annie, we'll be ten minutes.

Get it in the car. Come on. Don't worry. Get in the car.

Craig, I'm in work. You're fine. Get in the car.

Everything all right?

HE SIGHS

Annie, are you all right? Yeah, I'm fine.

Are you sure? Yes. See.

She's fine.

Now get back in the house, mate, please. Thank you, mate.

No, you have no authority to tell me what to do on my property, so...

I'm gonna ask you one more time.

Given the trouble you're already in, do yourself a favour

and go back insi... Take your hands off me.

Go back inside. Take your hands off me!

Go back ins... I said take your hands off me!

MICHAEL GRUNTS

I'm arresting you for assaulting a police officer.

Craig, please stop. Is that what you want?

You trying to attack us? Craig, please stop!

Is that what you want? All right! Argh!

All right, get him up. Get him up.

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