♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ CHILD: Ma, I'm finished.

Good.

Come on then, or we'll be late.

Bright and early once again.

You know, I've been wondering, how long does it take to make a fitted kitchen?

Well, that depends, doesn't it, on how long you spend on the job?

Did I say something?

You don't really imagine-- No more than you do.

But I think they might be a bit more discreet about it.

Hi.

Good morning.

Come on, Paul, we'll be late.

It must be particularly galling for Susan.

One of her neighbors keeps two men on the go, and she hasn't had any in 18 months.

All right, be a good boy.

Don't play anything rough.

Don't do that.

You don't know where he's been.

See you this afternoon.

We were wondering, we're going for a coffee, if you'd like to join us.

I'm sorry, I don't have-- We have a duty, you know, if there's gossip, we mustn't keep it to ourselves.

Louise North and the everlasting fitted kitchen.

I don't know anything about the Norths.

Oh, come on.

I'm sorry.

I don't pry into other people's lives.

Enjoy your coffee.

From the moment she woke that morning to the welcome click, an agonizing two hours later, which announced her husband's departure, Lavinia's blood burned with the expectation of her lover's arrival.

Paul.

PAUL: Yeah?

How many fish fingers can you eat?

PAUL: Three.

Louise, are you all right?

I couldn't come in a minute, could I?

Yes, of course.

I was-- I was just making Paul's tea.

Can I get you something?

Oh, couldn't I have a drink, could I?

Yes, of course I'll put the kettle on.

No, I mean a real drink.

I'm afraid the vodka isn't lasting very long in our house these days.

Vodka?

Actually, I don't think we've got any.

It doesn't matter.

I shouldn't have asked.

No, hang on.

I think there's some gin, though.

Julian, used to like gin.

So does Bob, his favorite, a gin and bitter lemon.

Here.

I came for my tea.

Sorry, it's not ready yet.

Why don't you go outside, and I'll call you?

He's sweet.

Yes.

I'm sorry.

I probably shouldn't have come.

No, it's fine.

It's not as if we've ever been what you call friends.

Well, not real friends.

There's just so much going on in my head, rolling round and round.

I just thought-- well, I thought after what happened, you know, with you and Julian, you might at least understand.

If I don't talk to somebody soon.

It's Sam.

Can he stay for tea?

Can he?

Look, I'll go.

No, no, no, there's no need, really.

This isn't the time.

Come round tomorrow lunchtime, will you?

Well, I've got to go up to town first thing in the morning Yes, all right, I'll come.

You won't forget?

No, I won't forget.

You see the kitchen?

It'll be wonderful when it's finished.

Bye.

♪ ♪ Hi, Susan.

Oh, Bob.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to frighten you.

No, no no, no, you didn't.

Not at all.

I-- I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing when I'm gardening, I forget there's anyone else around.

So you're the one with the green fingers, then?

It wasn't Julian.

No, no, I don't think he cared much one way or another, really.

He used to mow the lawn once in a while if I nagged him.

Louise is exactly the same.

Odd, I suppose, for a woman.

Is it?

Well, yes.

Female instinct, nurturing, you know.

I like the music.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Is it too loud?

No, no, I mean it.

I liked it a lot.

It's just an old tape.

I don't know why I dug it out.

I used to play it all the time.

Yes, I remember hearing it before, when Julian-- Yeah.

Look, I feel pretty bad about all that.

What do you mean?

When all that was happening, the divorce and everything, I kept meaning to say something, to see how you were, to invite you around, but somehow I never-- we never did.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.

There's no reason why you should.

I think we all need someone to speak to when things start to go wrong.

It's-- it's getting chilly.

I think I better go in.

- Yeah.

Good night.

Good night.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Susan, are you going to the station?

Yes.

Well, hop in.

Thank you.

A meeting?

Sort of.

The woman I type for, it's her latest novel.

Really?

Well, it does sound fascinating work.

Not at all.

It's pretty mechanical, really.

But admirable nonetheless.

I don't mean to be personal, but I do think the way you've looked after yourself and Paul since Julian, well-- and I do think we could have been better neighbors.

We could have helped you out more.

Why?

I'm fine.

I wish Louise was more like you.

I wish she'd get a job.

Well, not for the money, of course.

Just-- What?

Well, I-- she needs an outside interest.

She gets bored at home with nothing to do, and I try to encourage her to do something, even if it's just day classes, maybe interior design.

The amount of times she's changed her mind over this kitchen, you wouldn't believe.

I'm going to have the most perfect cooking facilities on the whole estate.

You must come to dinner when it's finished.

Yes, well, I-- I will, of course.

Don't bother pulling into the forecourt.

You can just drop me here.

Oh, it's no problem.

So will you get another manuscript to type when you deliver this one?

Should do.

Good luck, and whatever you say, it sounds better than clambering over building sites from dawn till dusk each day.

There you go.

Thank you.

Susan, I just wanted to ask you a question.

I hope you don't mind.

But if you're at home most of the time, then maybe you notice things.

No, I-- I'm not insinuating you're nosy.

No, not like a lot of women on the estate, but I just wondered-- I really don't.

I keep my head buried in my work.

I don't spend my time gazing out of the window.

No, very wise.

Well, I'd better get off.

Long drive ahead of me.

Bye.

- Bye bye.

- Thank you.

Susan.

Susan!

What have you got there?

Oh, nothing.

It's just a little self-indulgence.

Well, let's see.

Oh, Wow.

Ooh, that is really something.

Where are you going to wear it?

I don't know.

You can wear it on Saturday.

I want you to come for dinner.

We're having a few people around.

Rebecca will be there.

Well-- Oh, don't mind her.

Well, I don't mind any of us.

We only want the best for you.

Don't want to see you wasting the best years of your life.

Well, I'll see.

No.

Come please, and I promise we won't even mention the-- you know.

What?

What time is it?

About half one.

Why?

I'm sorry.

I've got to go.

LOUISE (ON ANSWERING MACHINE): Susan, it's Louise.

I just wanted to make sure you were OK for lunchtime.

I'm sorry I almost made a scene yesterday, but I really, really do need someone to talk to.

I promise I won't keep you all day.

Please come.

I really, really do need someone to talk to.

I promise I won't keep you all day.

Please come.

Louise?

Louise?

♪ Louise?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Susan?

B-- Bob.

What's-- where is Louise?

Louise.

Louise.

Louise.

- Don't go upstairs.

BOB: Louise.

Louise!

CROWD MEMBER: What happened to this book?

♪ ♪ You'd have known her pretty well, I reckon, the Norths, being neighbors and all.

Good friends, maybe?

Close.

Not at all.

When we were married, my husband-- we had our own friends, Julian's friends.

Apart from that, we kept ourselves to ourselves.

But you did know them well enough to call 'round.

I mean today.

No, that wasn't usual.

It was just-- Louise, you see, she asked me yesterday.

She wanted to talk.

What about?

Mrs. Townsend?

Susan, how did she seem to you?

She was upset.

I think she'd been crying.

The man who was with her, Heller, you'd seen him at the house before?

How often?

He was fitting their kitchen.

That's what it says on the side of his van, Fitted Kitchens, a Speciality.

Here you go.

Is there anyone that can sit with you for a while?

One of the neighbors?

No, it's no need.

Just for half an hour.

Susan?

Yeah.

So you don't-- you don't normally come back at lunchtime then.

Came back to pick up a computer disk I'd forgotten for a meeting.

Come with me.

I won't leave your side.

Suicide pact, that's what I heard, suffocated her and shot himself.

If only we'd known, known what was going on.

Oh, you should have let us do that.

It's all right.

Better if I keep busy.

Let me do this at least.

And don't even think about going out there amongst all that performance to fetch your Paul.

Dawn and I will see to that, OK?

You just get some rest while you can.

Mrs. Black at number 31, thinks she heard something, but she's not quite sure.

She's still being interviewed.

- Yeah.

No one in next door.

No one at 19.

POLICE OFFICER: No.

Well, it's-- it's all the even numbers.

I'm concerned with.

I mean, they're the ones that-- Come on.

But did you see them?

They were dead, weren't they?

Mrs. North-- That's enough.

Sam's mom says you saw them.

She says you were the one who found them.

She says-- All right now, off to sleep like a good boy.

I can't.

What do you mean, you can't?

I'm frightened.

Hey, there's nothing to be frightened of, not here.

Tell you what, I'll leave the light on out on the landing All night?

No, just till you're safe asleep.

No, all night.

All right, all night.

Promise.

Go to sleep.

NEWS ANCHOR: The couple were married-- What I'm saying is that although the plastic bag was placed over the head and sealed with tape, there were no signs of any bruising or contusions, which were consistent with force having been used to put it there and hold it on or any panic attempts to remove it.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the bag was the cause of the oxygen flow being severely restricted, thus resulting in asphyxiation.

I knew my brother, Bernard, had been very unhappy for a long time.

I used to go 'round and find him there, sitting in his workshop in the dark, just staring at the wall.

More than once, I heard him talking about taking his own life, finishing it all.

If I'd known he had a gun, if I'd thought he'd really do it-- Bernard was always violent, moody.

I didn't know that when I married him, of course.

Like most women, I only found out later.

A year ago, he took a knife to me and did this.

I'm going to kill you, he said, you first and then myself.

To be honest, when I found out about the affair, I thought it was for the best, but all that happened was is that he felt more trapped.

She was on the phone to him all the time.

Tell Bernard it's Louise North.

Tell Bernard it's Louise.

When I saw the effect she was having on him, I tried everything I could to persuade him to give her up, and he promised that he'd try, but once she'd got her hooks into him, he didn't stand a chance.

--by means of a single shot from a point 38 caliber pistol, and that prior to taking his own life, he did place a plastic bag over the head of Louise Ellen North, sealing it with tape, thereby causing her death by asphyxiation.

Given the fact that there is evidence, neither of struggle nor bruising to Louise North's head or neck, I must conclude that she colluded with this act and that the deaths of Bernard Vincent Heller and Louise Ellen North, were the result of a bizarre suicide pact.

It's you.

It's you.

You killed him.

You was going to kill them both.

You might as well have pulled the trigger-- you're a gutless bastard-- except you would never have had the balls.

If you'd known how to treat a woman properly, this would never have happened.

If you'd been the kind of husband you should have been, she'd never looked at mine twice.

No, you were too busy.

You didn't think.

You didn't care.

You couldn't have done more to bring them together if you'd locked them in the bedroom and thrown away the key.

Get off me.

Leave me alone, you stupid bitch.

He should be locked up.

Leave me alone!

Get off!

The sensational end to an already highly charged inquest.

As expected, the coroner recorded verdicts of suicide on Louise North and her lover, Bernard Heller.

Then, seconds later, Heller's widow, Magdalene, assaulted Robert North, the dead woman's husband.

She seemed to accuse him of being responsible for starting their affair.

After the incident, Mrs. Heller was rushed to a waiting car by her brother-in-law.

It's understood she's now staying with friends.

Hello.

Julian.

No, I'm fine.

Yeah.

Yeah, of course.

No, he's fine.

He's having tea at his friend Sam's.

Of course he understands, at least half understands, which is slightly worse.

What do you mean there's a problem with this weekend.

What kind of a problem?

Well, you and Elizabeth should have thought about that before you agreed.

Really?

The next weekend is just as good.

You think so?

Well, let me tell you something.

Apart from all that awful stuff over the road, he's talked about nothing else for days.

He's really been looking forward to this.

That's the point, Julian, the whole bloody point.

If it's not-- no, no, you listen to me for a change.

If it's not got anything to do with your pleasure, your personal well-being, your shining, empty career, you don't care about one single, solitary, bloody thing and that includes your son.

♪ Rotten, miserable, selfish-- Listen, this is what we've got, a married man with serious mood swings, proven violent, daft in love with a woman married to someone else.

Can't live with her.

Can't live without her.

The only way you can see out of it is the pair of them up there in la la land, holding hands.

He gets-- - So he gets hold of a gun.

So he gets hold of a gun.

Not the most difficult thing in the world these days, and-- She goes along with it?

I have no idea.

Because if they planned it, why would she ask Susan Townsend in for lunch?

OK, so it came as a surprise to her.

What she was expecting was a morning of adulterous sex and the opportunity to unload her guilt on her neighbor.

Isn't that what women do?

I have no idea.

What she got instead was a little more exciting, if terminal.

Well, why do you want to make waves?

No one was seen entering or leaving that house between the time that Bob North went to work and Susan Townsend found the bodies, except Bernard Heller, and, in that street, they see everything.

So what else?

I don't have any answers.

Well, you do have your feminine-- should I say female intuition.

We've-- Had a verdict.

Leave it at that.

Oh, darling, it doesn't mean that Daddy doesn't love you.

Of course not.

It's just-- do you remember when we all lived together, and sometimes Daddy would go off at a moment's notice and not come back for days?

Well, it's like that, that's all.

He was really upset, though, Paul, honestly.

He told me to tell you that, and he's promised that next weekend will be really, really special.

All right, young man.

Are we going to wash your hair tonight or what?

Or what?

Hello.

Could you put me through to patient records, please?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Bob?

Are you all right?

I was going to drive somewhere, just to get away, then I remembered I don't have anywhere to go.

I feel-- I don't know, stupid, really stupid.

Bob.

Everybody knowing, absolutely everyone, in the street, in the whole wretched estate, watching me through their curtains when I come home.

There he goes, poor, gullible Bob North, hasn't got a clue what his wife's up to when his back's turned.

It's pathetic.

Bob, it wasn't like that, honestly.

No?

People don't talk, gossip?

And you, I tried to ask you.

I thought that you would-- I know I'm sorry, but I couldn't be sure.

Why were you there?

In my house?

She asked me to come.

She wanted to talk.

What about?

Oh, Bob, it's no good, you know.

There's no point in going over and over and over it.

I've said to myself 100 times, if only I'd got there earlier, I might have been able to stop it.

Louise might still be alive.

That's not what I meant.

It's true.

I'm sorry.

You know, when I found out about Julian and Elizabeth, the worst part of it wasn't that it had actually happened, but that I hadn't known, you know, that we'd been carrying on in exactly the same way, eating together, taking Paul to the park, sleeping together.

And-- and I had no idea that anything had changed, so that when Julian finally did tell me, it turned everything into a lie.

And I felt as if the whole ground had been pulled out from underneath me, so that for a while I couldn't trust myself to put one foot down in front of the other.

It was as if my whole world had suddenly been crumpled up into a ball and tossed away.

Oh.

There you go.

Yes, I do remember her, strangely, something about the eyes.

Wild, fighting the anesthetic, too.

I remember that.

Of course, she lost a lot of blood.

Took forever to get her sewn up.

The line outside had doubled back around the corridor by the time I finished.

- And the wound?

Clean, deep, whatever had caused it was sharp, at least.

Could it have been self-inflicted?

Is that a possibility?

Is there a history?

Afraid I don't know.

Then neither do I. Oh, come on.

Wouldn't want to make an educated guess, would you?

No, I wouldn't.

I'm not allowed to.

Hippocratic oath.

Mm.

Right.

Thanks.

Come on.

Let's get you ready for your party.

I don't want to go to the party.

What?

Not show off all the lovely presents you've had.

That kite your dad sent you, I bet your friends would love to see that.

I don't have any friends.

What about Sam?

Isn't he your friend?

Well, isn't he?

♪ All those burgers that Dawn's cooking, we're going to have to eat those all ourselves.

Yes.

Mm-hm, those cans of cola, we're going to have to drink them?

Yes.

How about the magician?

Don't you want to see him do his tricks?

Get a penny out from behind your ear.

It's stupid.

He can pull a rabbit out from under his hat.

He can't do that.

Come and see.

That thing's not going to last five minutes.

No, leave him.

What's it matter?

He's having a lovely time.

Yeah, I know.

Listen, I can't thank you enough, both of you.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

We'll send you the bill.

She thinks we're joking.

I see the "For Sale" sign has gone up over the road.

Yeah, first thing this morning.

For all the good it'll do.

Well, would you live there after what happened?

For $20,000 off, I might.

Poor Bob.

MAGICIAN: Honestly, you noisy lot.

I've never met such a noisy lot.

Now, what do you think is the most suitable animal for a magician?

Is it a rabbit?

CHILDREN: Yes.

All right, we're going to see if we can make our very own special rabbit appear inside here.

So-- CHILDREN: 1, 2, 3, go.

It.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Let's try it again.

Right, all count to three, really loud.

You ready?

CHILDREN: 1, 2, 3 , go!

MAGICIAN: Is he in there?

CHILDREN: Yes.

OK, we're going to just take him out like this-- hello-- and there is our very own gray magic rabbit.

CHILDREN: Aww.

Oh, that's lovely.

Thanks very much for coming.

- Bye bye.

- Bye.

Susan.

I don't want to intrude, just-- happy birthday, Paul.

Go on, Paul.

Paul, don't be so rude.

It doesn't matter.

Thank you.

Detective Sergeant James.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you.

There are one or two loose ends.

I wonder if you could spare a moment.

That scar.

Do you like it?

Like it?

Maybe you need to be a man.

They love it, some of them, like to touch it.

Don't know why.

Why did he do it?

What?

At the inquest, you didn't say, the reason he attacked you?

Oh, one of those little moods came on him.

Do you think he needed a reason?

He'd just lash out at anyone, himself, others, anyone who got in the way.

And on this occasion?

Some man.

Some man, I suppose.

Someone he'd seen making eyes at me in some pub or another, a restaurant or whatever.

You know what it's like, or maybe you don't.

It was another excuse to accuse me of fooling around.

Bernard liked to think of me fooling around.

It excited him.

He was an excitable man, then?

Oh, yeah.

I think it's best if I pack these up.

Carl, you remember Sergeant James?

Sergeant, you know Carl from the inquest?

Carl's staying with me for a while, looking after me, aren't you, Carl?

Making sure I don't get too depressed or lonely with Bernard gone.

In the same business, are you, Carl?

Carpentry?

No.

Oh, no.

No.

But Carl's very good with his hands.

Mom.

Bad dream?

Oh, you try and get to sleep.

We've got a busy day tomorrow, remember?

Going to take that kite of yours to the beach?

Isn't next weekend Daddy's coming?

Yeah, next weekend.

Night, night.

Sleep tight.

- Don't-- - --let - --the-- - --bed-- --bugs-- --bite.

OK, go for it.

Come on, we'll give it another try.

Don't worry.

OK. Go.

Oh, it's no good.

It doesn't work.

It's no good.

Come on, Paul, it's not quite.

It's the wind.

It's just too strong.

So what did we come here for?

Hey.

I thought it was you two.

What are you doing?

I'm making a hash of flying Paul's new kite.

I'm afraid.

His father gave it to him for his birthday.

Well, let's see if we can do something about that, shall we?

Thank you.

Well, the first thing is you fly a kite, you don't knit it, and you're too low.

Come on.

You got to get up to the top of the beach.

Pick up those handles, Paul.

Let's see if we can get a bit more line on it.

Come on then.

Race you to the top of the beach.

Come on.

♪ Now come on, let's get you started.

I think you can get it straight.

That's it.

Come on.

Come on.

♪ ♪ Yay.

♪ Go.

Get.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Thanks.

That was wonderful, wasn't it?

Yeah, can we go again?

OK, I'd love to.

Maybe next time we can all go in your car.

If you like.

Bye, then.

Bye.

Bye.

Thank you.

♪ Oh, looking for you this afternoon.

- Yeah, sorry.

- No, no, no, not me, the CPS.

They want your report on the car theft.

It's urgent.

- Yeah, I'm doing it now.

POLICE OFFICER: Well, it's your evening.

Hi.

Here.

I just wanted to say thank you.

I had such a good time today with you and Paul.

Really took me out of myself.

Well, there's really no need.

Come on in.

You don't expect me to drink this all on my own, do you?

Put your jacket there.

You know, when I saw you on the beach this morning and all that wind-- thank you-- in all that wind, well, I thought-- That I was back to my old self again.

Yes, something like that.

I was.

What happened?

I was sorting Louisa's things out today.

I'd been putting it off and putting it off, and then today I thought, yeah, fine, I can do this now.

That's when I found them.

What?

Letters.

Letters from him to her, Bernard Heller to Louise.

They'd been stuffed down the back of-- they were pretty much what you'd expect, I suppose, how much he loved her.

Susan, I need to be honest with you about something.

I need to be honest for myself.

As I read them, I thought if I'd found them before, when she was still alive, I don't know what I'd have done.

Oh, well, don't say that.

No, no.

I have to face up to it.

I don't know how I would have reacted.

PAUL: No!

No!

Go away!

No!

No!

Stop it!

No!

No!

No!

No!

Go away!

Oh, sweetheart.

Come on.

Oh, Go away!

No.

Oh, dear, oh.

Shh.

Come on, come on.

Oh, whatever is it?

I was frightened.

Yes, I can see that.

Something was trying to kill me.

Darling, you've had a dream, a bad dream.

Next door, the house.

It's a nightmare.

It was trying to kill me.

No, no, listen.

The house can't hurt you.

It can't do a thing.

I promise you, it can't do a thing.

Shh.

That's it.

How is he?

He sounded so upset.

He's had a bad dream.

He's all right now, though.

You know what kids are like.

I wish I did.

I best go.

No, you don't have to, really.

He's fine now.

Anyway, haven't finish your wine yet?

It'll keep.

Besides, I've got an early start tomorrow.

Oh, I've just remembered.

It was a favor I was going to ask of you.

Yeah, if I can.

Well, someone's coming to see the house tomorrow, half 10.

You wouldn't mind letting them in, would you?

Well, keeping an eye on them.

Make sure they don't run off with the family silver.

Something like that.

Yeah, of course.

Thanks.

Night.

♪ ♪ We'd just like to take another look upstairs, if that's OK. Yeah, of course.

Take your time.

BERNARD (VOICEOVER): My darling.

I know you say you do, but you can't understand how much I spend of each day missing you.

I've only just left you and I want to be back with you again.

It's hopeless.

I don't know how long I can go on like this, while all the time, you're wasting your life, wasting it on him.

I need to open your eyes to make you see that he's not worth it, that he could survive without you.

It would be a shock, but he'd recover.

People do.

Sweetheart, you must tell him about us.

You really must.

I can't let things drag on much longer.

I'll kill myself.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪