Original subtitles

Skyway Production

One.

ALEKSANDRA NIKIFOROVA

Two.

DMITRY FRID

Three.

BORIS KHVOSHNYANSKI, SERGEI DRUZYAK

4, 5. Ready or not, here I come.

WRITTEN BY YULIA VENGLOVSKAYA

CREATED BY ALEKSEY KOLMOGOROV

DIRECTOR - DENIS KARRO

CAMERA - ALEKSANDR ALESHNIKOV

MUSIC BY ANTON SILAYEV

PRODUCERS - YEKATERINA ANDRIYENKO, VITALY BORDACHIOV,

DARYA FIALKO, VLAD RIASHIN

DETECTIVE ANNA

No water in her lungs.

And on the back of her head, look...

This is blunt trauma.

EPISODE 2: THE CASE OF THE DROWNED WOMAN

This means that by the time she fell into the water, she was already dead.

So it's murder after all.

Looks like it.

And what is the time of death?

I suppose somewhere between 10 and midnight.

- I see. - If I may be so curious...

Are you planning to stay with us long?

I think I am.

The thing is, I'm a doctor, I work at the local hospital.

But very often I help out the police as a medical expert.

So if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me.

- Thank you, Doctor. - Aleksandr.

Honored to meet you.

I think it's bad news.

Anna!

What happened?

Tatiana Kuleshova is dead. They found her in the river.

- What do you mean, in the river? - She drowned.

- Oh my God. - The horror. After last night!

How did you know?

I was taking a ride there this morning, there were police...

I can only imagine how Pyotr feels.

- I'll go tell him a few words. - Yes, of course. It's terrible.

It's terrible. Tatiana isn't with us anymore.

Ulyana told me about last night, and what happened to you.

It's nothing. It was just too stuffy there.

No. Dubious experiences like that aren't for young people.

Promise me it's not going to happen again.

Who is that now?

Pyotr, it's me. We need to talk.

Leave me alone.

Open up.

I know it was you.

- Are you out of your mind, Ulyana? - I'm begging you, let's leave.

What's keeping you here?

- I don't care what you've done. - I didn't do anything.

You did nothing then, you did nothing now...

You just take ladies to the river and then they fish them out of the water.

It's a coincidence. It's a tragic coincidence, do you hear me? Nothing more.

My darling, I'm begging you, for the sake of what we had,

let's leave. I have money, Pyotr.

Leave me alone.

Don't you dare treat me like that. I know it was you.

I can prove I saw you.

Unless you come with me.

There she was, and now she is no more. Nothing foreboded it.

We had guests last night. She joked and laughed.

- Who were the guests? - Only the closest friends and acquaintances.

Gromova, the Mironovs...

Also Semyonov the teacher,

and Mazaev, the painter.

Semyonov and Mazaev, whose friends were they?

Tatiana's.

She liked to surround herself with strange personalities.

A painter here, a wordsmith there...

And that's never bothered you?

Please. My wife was a good woman.

All those painters, it's just innocent flirting, nothing more.

Last night, before the... Do you recall anything out of the ordinary?

Yes, there was one.

You know, Tatiana wanted a seance.

I didn't object, Pyotr Mironov had come to the city, a medium.

And he was the one who foretold an inevitable death for her.

Nonsense, nothing more. There was an awkward moment for everybody.

Pardon me,

weren't you bothered that your wife hadn't been home the entire night?

You see, we have different bedrooms.

I went to mine early, and by the morning, when she didn't come out for breakfast,

I simply decided not to bother her.

And then the policeman came...

I cannot divulge all the details of the case,

but of the fact that her death was not a suicide I am almost certain.

Wait.

Here's something else. The help found this in her room just an hour ago.

DEATH IS INEVITABLE

- Do you recognize the handwriting? - No. Can't you see?

It's written in block letters, precisely so you don't recognize the handwriting.

Thank you. I'll take this with me.

My condolences.

I can't believe Kuleshov could kill his own wife.

I don't see a motive yet. Although they did sleep in separate bedrooms.

Who the hell knows those husbands?

They spend half their lives apart from their wives,

and then they're ready to kill them for a small affair.

He doesn't have an alibi, does he?

The note is strange. A threat?

You go to the precinct, find out about that case from five years ago.

I'll go see that Mr Medium.

This is all quite unpleasant.

I'll visit with the Chief of Police today. Find out the details.

Yes, and talk to your brother. He has lost all spirit.

Yes, definitely.

Are you expecting anybody? We have a visitor.

- Good day. - Good day.

Detective Shtolman. I wanted to talk to Mr Mironov.

Ivan Mironov.

It's Pyotr Mironov that I need.

My brother? What is the occasion?

I am investigating the circumstances of Kuleshova's death,

I wanted to ask him a few questions.

Pardon me, but what does Pyotr have to do with it? You see, I'm a lawyer.

It's a formality, just a few questions.

Praskovya, be so kind as to find Pyotr and take him to my study.

And you take a seat. Maria Mironova.

Yakov Shtolman.

- And this is our good neighbor Ulyana. - Glad to meet you.

Poor Tatiana, poor Tatiana. She looked so happy yesterday.

The center of attention, surrounded by admirers...

Although yesterday I thought her husband wasn't very happy about them there.

- Like he was, annoyed. - Who do you mean exactly?

Semyonov and Mazaev. They were both trying to court her.

Pyotr is waiting in the study.

Thank you.

If you don't mind, I would like to be present as a lawyer.

I don't mind.

- So you predicted Mrs Kuleshova's death. - Not me.

Fine, not you. And what happened next?

What did? The seance was over, everybody went wherever.

- Be more precise. - I proposed Kuleshova and I take a walk.

Why?

There was a necessity.

I felt the seance had left an unpleasant impression on her.

I thought it necessary to undo it and explain that

a prediction is not a death sentence.

- And where did you go? - To the river.

- And when were you back? - You see, I was back alone.

Because Kuleshova said

she wanted to be alone, I left her

and walked away. Then my niece and I went home.

And as far as I understand, you never saw Mrs Kuleshova again.

I didn't.

I must arrest you on charges of murder.

Listen, that is nonsense.

Me? A murderer?

Nonsense!

Your charges are baseless.

The investigation will make sense of it.

If you are innocent, you have nothing to fear.

But in these circumstances, I must arrest you.

- I will appeal your actions. - Of course, that is your right.

I will wait for you. The stagecoach is at the gate.

What are you doing? You practically admitted your guilt.

Why did you have to tell him about that walk?

What do I have to hide? Tell me, what?

Everybody saw that the two of us left, then I returned alone.

I don't want to lie, and I won't lie.

You don't have to lie, but you don't have to spill everything like that either!

I am innocent. Innocent!

Detective? What happened?

I had a few questions for your uncle.

Are you suspecting my uncle? That's ridiculous,

my uncle couldn't kill anybody.

And still, what were you doing at the river?

I already answered that question for you.

She was upset, and I wanted to explain myself, to tell her that

the words that came out of my mouth weren't mine.

The spirit was saying them.

And you had to go to the river for that?

Don't answer that. You don't have to.

What sort of relationship did you have with Mrs Kuleshova?

Answer, don't drag it out.

Well, let's say...

our relationship had a romantic aspect.

So you were lovers.

Yes.

And what happened? Did you have a fight?

Not exactly.

We talked, and then she said she was going to take a walk, and...

So you left the lady alone at night in a deserted place. Right?

She insisted. She insisted.

So you did have a fight.

I think my brother

has helped the investigation enough and has nothing more to add.

Agreed. Yevgashin!

Mr Mironov is detained until the circumstances are clear.

Spirit of Tatiana Kuleshova, come.

Spirit of Tatiana Kuleshova, come.

Lady Anna! Lady Anna!

- You scared me so much. - Don't be afraid.

You left a deep impression on me yesterday.

I wonder how.

Excuse me, I'm in a hurry.

Wait, listen. This absurd and horrible death...

- I wanted to come here. - What for?

I don't know, I just did. Poor Tatiana.

Beauty and death always walk together.

Love and death walk arm in arm.

You know, I write poetry. Have you read my works in journals?

Sometimes.

- And what do you think of them? - They're good. Expressive.

Thank you.

You know, I was in love with her, unrequited...

And I think this was a murder.

And who do you think is the murderer?

Your uncle was the last to see her.

What are you hinting at?

It's a fact.

When my uncle left Kuleshova here, she was still alive.

But you, you left after we did. You could have gone back to the bank afterwards.

No, no, no, I... No, no, no.

But Mazaev. Yes, Mazaev.

He went back right after we left Kuleshovs' place.

- He'd forgotten his cane. - And what, did you wait for him?

No, I left.

Thank you. Good day.

Anna, you look so wonderful on that contraption!

Mr Mazaev!

You?

My God, what are you doing here?

Your door was open, and I knocked, and this is your hat.

Yes, thank you, this is my hat.

I suppose you know already.

Yes. I know. It's horrible.

It's horrible.

Horrible.

I cannot quite grasp what you want here.

You see, I'd like...

I'd like to buy your cane.

- My cane? - Yes.

Why would you want it?

It has such a beautiful head, and my father collects them.

I would like to give him a present.

- Anything else, my lady? - Your cane.

You know, I'm very busy now, I have no time.

- Let's do it later, all right? - Yes, of course. But...

You did get it back from the Kuleshovs yesterday?

Yes, I did.

Or maybe not. I don't remember.

Listen, my lady... What was your name, Anna?

You go, I'll find that cane for you, but not now, I'm very busy.

- Yes, of course. - Yes.

- I'll visit you in a few days. - Yes, yes. In a few days.

- Thank you. - Yes. In a few days.

- Detective Shtolman! - You've managed to dig something up?

Yes. The drowned woman's name was Yekaterina Savushkina.

It was about five years ago.

- Have you read the case file? - Of course, but there is not much in it.

Because there was not much to investigate. However, I asked around the precinct...

Savushkina was engaged, and she jumped in the river the day before the wedding.

Remarkable that at the time, she was being courted by who do you think?

- Out with it! - Our medium.

- Pyotr Mironov? - Yes.

This story looks a lot like our story with Kuleshova.

Come in.

Detective, sir, someone's come here, saying it's about Kuleshova.

Okay.

Please.

This, this is the murder weapon.

Mazaev's cane, and I found it on the slope.

Can I?..

It does look like blood.

- Are you sure this is Mazaev's cane? - Positive. I got a good look at it.

- You will have to show me that place. - Yes, of course.

- Anton. - Yes?

- You bring me that Mazaev. - Will do.

Take the revolver. Do you know how to shoot?

Of course. I have been to the shooting gallery.

- Okay, just be careful. - Yes. Yes.

Maybe you want to get into my carriage? It's a long way there.

It's all right, I'll get there. Don't worry.

Get up, I'm with the police.

Police, the burglar is there! Not me! In there!

In my house.

- There he is, there he is! - Get him!

Here is the spot.

Are those your footsteps all over the place?

You know, it's probably your policemen's.

Too bad they didn't find the murder weapon.

Pardon me, I forget about tactfulness when lost in work.

The body fell there, then they rolled it over the slope and dropped it in the river.

There is blood both here and there.

How did you know where the cane was? Are you clairvoyant?

Look how many suspects you've got.

First, Mazaev. He could have hid his cane, then go back for it...

And go to the river?

Exactly. By the way, he won't admit he's lost it.

- I checked. And why is that? - Why is that?

Because he's afraid. Then, Semyonov. He could have hidden the cane, too.

And when Mazaev came back for it and didn't find it, then went home,

Semyonov took the cane himself, went to the precipice and killed Kuleshova.

Who, by the way, was walking along the shore alone by that moment.

- And then... - And then your uncle.

No, it couldn't have been my uncle. He left without a cane,

and he returned without it, too.

And he was in everyone's view all the time, he couldn't have taken that stupid cane.

Are you doing your own investigation?

What am I supposed to do if the police aren't doing their jobs?

By the way, Semyonov was telling me some nonsense today,

about how love and death always walk hand in hand...

And he was in love with Kuleshova and even wrote poetry for her.

First about love, and then about death.

Mazaev is too simple for this story. It's Semyonov.

I have to check something.

-Did you say something? - No, nothing.

What was that wondrous moment?

"It was a long time ago, I don't remember when,

"The years zoomed past like a mirage and disappeared,

"My tired heart has forgotten the past,

"It was a long time ago, I don't remember when.

"All those daydreams, those reveries,

"Tender sadness and love in my heart,

"And in my eyes, inexplicable tears"

"My life goes by lifeless, day and night I fight life's quicksand,

"I am my own judge, my own prison, executioner, guillotine."

So I came back for my cane. It wasn't there.

I start thinking, am I going to lose it?

Go on.

And I thought, I am not, this is a respected house.

I went back, but Semyonov wasn't there. He must have left without waiting.

Here, he ran. Two officers and I had to chase him down.

Were you trying to get away?

How was I supposed to know he's a policeman?

Look at his face. One look at you and you know you're a cop.

And him? A thug is a thug.

- Here. - What is this?

I searched his house and confiscated his letters.

Could be something interesting there.

You exchange letters with Lady Gromova?

Well, she did send me the invitation to that, unfortunate dinner.

MR MAZAEV, I AM EXPECTING YOU AT THE KULESHOVS THIS EVENING

DEATH IS INEVITABLE

Yevgrashin!

Let Mr Mazaev go.

That's more like it.

Absolutely not. We're keeping it as evidence.

Don't forget to give it back.

I believe him.

Go to Mironov's house, I need letters Mironov has received lately.

Letters...

Anna!

Wait, it's me, Semyonov. You were riding so fast I couldn't catch up.

I've been trying to catch up from the house.

What is the matter?

Nothing, I was just waiting for you.

- What for? - I wanted to take you out for a walk.

The weather is great. Maybe we could go to the river.

- The river? - Yes.

No, you know, I'm quite busy right now.

It's all right, you can do it in the evening.

Do you know how the nightingales are singing?

No, I am busy the entire time lately.

Anna, my dear, I must explain myself.

No, please don't.

Anna, wait. You see, I barely survived the few hours that have passed

since I saw you this morning.

- What are you trying to say with that? - Exactly what I am saying.

That I saw you this morning, so fresh,

flying by in your seat, like an Amazon...

Please don't.

Anna, my dear, you've rocked my world, I even wrote a verse...

Oh my God!

That's my poetry.

It's been so long. You kept it?

No. I mean yes. I mean no.

It's dedicated to Tatiana...

Excuse me, is it because?..

Do you think it was me? Give me the newspaper.

Anna, give me the newspaper!

Leave her.

Anton boy, class of 1884.

I'm not "Anton boy" for you, I'm on duty.

You are under arrest. Follow me, immediately.

- Do you admit to the murder? - What murder? I only wrote love poetry.

That's right. First about love, then about death?

Look, it's not my fault that both of my beloveds died.

It's just a coincidence. You can't prove anything.

Which is it, we can't prove it or you're innocent?

Don't fret over semantics.

You can go.

What?

- You're free to go. - What?

I can't detain a man over some poetry.

Really? What did you detain my uncle for, then?

Let's see how it looks. 5 years ago, Savushkina dies, your uncle leaves the city.

Five years later, he returns to the city, and Mrs Kuleshova dies.

He was involved with both of them, and they claimed he was guilty.

There are too many coincidences.

I'll prove he's innocent to you.

All we need is for the murderer to give himself away and admit everything.

And how do we do that?

Very simple. A seance. I'll talk to Kuleshov and we'll do it again.

I'll call everybody who was at the last one.

But you'll have to let Uncle go there.

No, that's impossible.

Why? It's in the best interest of the investigation!

I can't let a suspect go for some dubious version.

Detective Shtolman, the killer doesn't know it's dubious, he'll show himself. You'll see.

You're so naive, Anna.

Detective Shtolman, please.

You're not risking anything.

Detective Shtolman...

All right, but I'll bring the uncle myself.

Tomorrow at the Kuleshovs', then.

What do you suggest I do with her, Anton?

Take the lady for a ride outside the city.

What?

You asked for advice, and I...

I must have misunderstood you.

- Hello, gentlemen. - Good evening.

You'll have to wait. No one is here yet. I invited them at 9.

It's fine. I'll ask you to gather all the help.

Very well. Let's go.

Do you recognize this item?

Take your seats, please, gentlemen.

- How are you? - I'm agitated.

What if nothing really does come from this?

These spirits are so whimsical, you never know what to expect from them and...

Everything is going to work out. You'll see.

Here you go.

Gentlemen, I see everyone is here. I suppose we can start.

I will ask you to hold hands.

Tatiana...

Who murdered you?

I can't. I beg your pardon. I can't.

That's it, enough.

You called us here in the middle of the night...

Quite. What manner of joke is this?

Ladies and gentlemen!

I will ask for your silence, and for everybody to take their seats.

I will conduct the seance myself.

I don't know. Maybe for the lady's sake.

I concur.

Everybody please put your hands on the slider.

Spirit of Tatiana Kuleshova, come.

Spirit of Tatiana Kuleshova, come.

Spirit of Yekaterina Savushkina, come. Spirit...

Gromova. They wrote Gromova!

Gromova, what does that mean?

What? Please stay sane.

You, you killed Savushkina and Kuleshova.

Please stay sane!

Sit down.

You're not going to accuse me based on the testimony of some ghosts.

Of course not.

Here are the notes the victims received shortly before their deaths.

They were written in a distorted hand, impossible to find out who wrote them.

And here is the letter we find at Mr Mazaev's.

It was written by you and signed with your name.

Here are also the letters from your correspondence with Mr Mironov.

There is a connection between those anonymous notes and your letters.

The brand of paper is the same.

The paper? Many people could have used the same kind of paper.

I checked, no one sells this kind of paper in Zatonsk, it's impossible to buy here.

It's made in Germany, where you visited five years ago.

That's not evidence.

It's circumstantial, but there is also a witness.

Come in, please.

Tell us what you saw on the evening

of the seance.

When the guests were beginning to leave, Mr Mazaev left his cane

in the anteroom.

- Which one? - This one.

And what happened next?

And then I saw Lady Gromova take it and leave.

- I wanted to give it back to Mr Mazaev. - Really? Why?

Where did Lady Gromova go?

She went to the river. I was so surprised...

I suppose it's all clear from then on.

Mrs Kuleshova was found dead at the river, and she was killed with this cane.

Her blood is on it.

You betrayed me.

Mr Mironov betrayed you five years ago, when he left you

and got into an affair with Yekaterina Savushkina.

You couldn't forgive his treachery, but you couldn't forget it either.

So you decided to get rid of your competitor.

But Mr Mironov left and only went back to the city in five years.

But, again, not for you. This time he fell in love with Tatiana Kuleshova.

I begged Tatiana to leave with me. I was afraid the nightmare would repeat itself.

So that's why you came up with the seance and the absurd prediction of her death?

I thought it would scare her.

But it turned out completely differently.

That night, you saw that Mr Mazaev had left his cane.

You took it and went down to the river, where you find your victim.

You are under arrest on charges of two murders, Lady Gromova.

Tatiana Kuleshova and Yekaterina Savushkina.

Are you happy?

It could have all gone differently. All you had to do was love me.

Like I loved you.

Come on, what is it?

All is well that ends well.

If you consider a good ending the death of beautiful young women

that I used to love,

at the hands of a woman I used to love, too.

And also I'm no medium.

Quit it. What matters is that you're alive and you're free.

And the murderer is found out.

Love is the most dangerous thing

on Earth and in heaven, Anna.

The most beautiful and the most dangerous.

I must admit, despite your strange methods, you did solve the case.

Was it me? No. I only scared the murderer.

No, without you, I would have put an innocent man behind bars.

How did you do it?

You wouldn't believe me anyway.

All right. There is one positive moment in all this story.

Yes. You got your first victory at your new posting.

No. It's meeting you.

I have to go.

I will get going.

And still, what happened at that seance?

I'm afraid I cannot tell you that.

You're going to leave without gracing me with an explanation?

I need to understand it myself first.

Detective Shtolman, I'm sorry for that kiss.

Good night.

See you later.

THE CASE OF THE DROWNED WOMAN