Dalgliesh

Present estimate,

she's been dead for between 36 and 48 hours.

Which means she could have died at around

the same time as Neville Dupayne.

Cause of death, obvious... She was strangled.

The killer was wearing gloves and was right-handed.

- Could a woman have done it? - Yes.

She's slight. Her neck's narrow.

It would have taken strength,

but not remarkable strength or expertise.

Barely more than a child.

Why did you attack Major Arkwright, Ryan?

Because he was trying to stop you running?

And why run? Because you killed Neville Dupayne.

At the park, you said, "She's going to kill me."

Who were you talking about?

The Major said you seemed frightened.

Is he okay?

Yes. Sore head, but we think he'll live.

I think we should bring the Major in.

He's not angry with him.

He can talk some sense into him.

Yeah.

She was wearing a cream skirt suit.

Around 20 years old,

"5'3" with long, fair hair, blue eyes.

I certainly haven't noticed her.

Nor have I.

Mrs. Godby, you're responsible for signing people in.

- Do you remember her? - No.

And I do normally remember visitors.

And I saw her face in the trunk.

It's most likely she would have arrived at some point

on Friday on her own or with one other person.

We did check that everyone had left, didn't we, Muriel?

Of course. We always do.

Is there somewhere someone could hide if they chose to?

Basement.

There are several tall archive shelves down there.

Unless you check behind every shelf, ladies.

We don't.

But the girl was found in the trunk exhibit, yes?

Well, that means someone was reenacting the murder

- of the prostitute. - Violette Kaye.

Just like someone was reenacting the car murder.

It's a crank. It has to be.

Someone obsessed with the Murder Room.

I swear to God, we're going to get rid of it

when all this is over.

There's a second door in the mudroom.

It leads to the flat.

But it can't be opened from the Museum side.

My father used it when he was alive.

I'm the only one who uses it now.

It's my refuge from the school.

Much needed.

Does anyone else have a key?

Marcus does.

Neville was given one originally,

but he lost it years ago.

It leads down to the Murder Room.

Dust both sides for prints, please.

Yes, sir.

Ryan.

Friday night,

after we locked up, I hung around.

I wanted to talk to him,

tell him how unfair he's being.

Do you mean Dr. Neville Dupayne?

Yeah.

I wanted him to get what it'd do to Tally

if she had to leave the cottage,

so I hung around the heath for a bit.

I knew he was coming back for his car,

so I waited on the drive and I saw him coming.

But then I saw her.

Who, Ryan?

Mrs. Strickland.

She came out of the car park and started talking to him.

So I hid in the trees.

Could you hear what they were saying?

Not much. I heard him say, "Stop lying."

And she was trying to give him something...

A bit of paper, but he stormed off.

And then she turned round, sudden like, and she saw me.

- So I ran. - Why?

Why didn't you talk to her?

Ryan's frightened of Mrs. Strickland.

She's a bitch.

She's always trying to make me jump.

She's always telling me stories about murders and stuff.

A couple of weeks ago,

when I was cleaning out the Murder Room,

she came in and showed me the trunk.

And then she said, "Do you wanna open it?"

And I said yeah, 'cause... 'cause who doesn't?

And then she said, "Do you want to get in?"

So I did, just to see.

Then she closed the lid on me.

I thought she was gonna lock me in,

but she just laughed and walked off.

Did she say anything to you today

about you seeing her with Dr. Dupayne?

She didn't have to.

She gave me this look like

"If you tell, you're dead."

Marie Annette Strickland. No criminal record.

But then we checked the War Office records.

We just thought she was the right age to have served.

She's smart.

Something in the way she talked to me.

She knows her history. Interested in the war.

And sure enough.

Her military record.

Classified.

So she could have served in intelligence...

Code breaking, maybe? She's half-French, sir.

And if she did have military training, well...

Do we bring her in?

She served in Special Ops,

an exceptionally brave young woman.

She was undercover in Paris... 1940 right to the end.

A leading light... One might even say legendary.

She was once arrested and questioned by the Gestapo

for 48 hours and walked away free.

They couldn't break her cover.

You're sure they didn't turn her?

Sure. There's no evidence for that whatsoever.

She saved the lives of dozens of our boys.

She'd have known Felix Dupayne.

Yes. Her boss.

He probably had a hand in training her.

There were rumors about the two of them.

Unsubstantiated.

Another body in the Museum...

It's unfortunate.

The press will have a field day.

We're trying to keep it out of the press.

Still. The publicity should ensure the Museum survives.

Your man could work from anywhere, couldn't he?

He's the asset, not the Museum.

Why should it matter if it closes?

Did I say it would?

Keep me posted.

I assume Ryan Archer has been singing?

Isn't that the expression?

Can you confirm that you spoke to Dr. Neville Dupayne

on Friday evening around 7:15?

Yes, I can confirm that.

Can you tell us why you spoke to him?

I had started trying to give these up.

Turns out I'm too late.

Cancer.

- I'm very sorry. - It is what it is.

A prosaic death is a sort of privilege.

I wanted Neville to know the truth.

That I am his biological mother.

Felix Dupayne is his real father.

We fell deeply in love during the war,

and it lasted until the day he died.

Conceiving Neville was a mistake,

but given that Felix's wife, was au fait with the situation,

he decided that they should adopt Neville

as if from an agency.

His real birth certificate.

I tried to give it to him on Friday,

but he wouldn't take it.

So Neville didn't believe he was a real Dupayne.

Correct.

What do Marcus and Caroline believe?

Same thing. They thought their parents

had simply decided to do a good deed and adopted him.

I thought that if Neville knew the truth

that he had Dupayne blood in his veins,

he might change his mind about wanting the Museum closed.

So you waited for him to come along the drive?

Yes. Didn't go very well, our chat.

I dare say I handled it badly.

Not very good with feelings.

Neville became angry.

Refused to believe what I was saying and walked away.

To his death, as it turned out.

Look, I don't claim to have profound maternal feelings

towards Neville.

I gave up my right to those.

But I did feel a...

A sort of bond with him.

Sometimes I thought that he felt it, too.

Occasionally he'd come into the Murder Room and watch me work.

I think he... He found it peaceful.

What happened after the encounter?

Oh.

I saw Ryan spying,

and then I watched him run away.

And then I returned to my car and drove back home.

Ryan is a stupid boy.

Lazy. Pointless.

I suspect you're too young to have served, Chief Inspector.

A little, yes.

Well, I'm afraid the cliche is true.