Luther

We can make this work. You don't know what I've done!

I don't want to hurt you. That's not what I'm here for. I want to trust him.

Ian Reed's here. He's got a gun... No!

Zo?

No!

Zo?

This programme contains some violent scenes.

What have you done, Ian?

'You have one new message. Ruth, Ruth, it's me, it's me, Luther!

'It's Ian, I think he's hurt her. Send a medic. Please.

'Just send a medic over there now!'

You were right.

Poor bastard.

Poor bastard, my arse. Poor Zoe!

Argh...

Arrrrgh!

Arrrgh!

What's happening here?

And you are, sir? Mark North. Where's Zoe?

Ah, Jesus God.

No, no, no...

What's going on? About an hour ago we received a 999 call.

Gunshots heard, 23 Parthenial Street.

First responders found a woman dead.

Single gunshot wound. Zoe Luther.

No... Don't speak up for him, Justin. Not yet.

He argued with her. That doesn't mean he did it. He was there.

His fingerprints are all over the place, in his wife's blood. She's murdered. He's in the wind...

What does that tell you?

He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't do it.

Painful as it may be, I'm afraid the evidence currently tells us otherwise.

You ready?

Ready.

First thing to know, we're in damage control.

We keep an airtight lid on this until it's resolved.

That means no press, no briefings and no leaks.

Well, the press will get there soon enough.

Which is why we need Luther in custody without delay.

I don't want any "Killer policeman at large" headlines. Are we clear?

Teller is in charge of the investigation, but, er,

Martin will be assisting, heavily.

Give him your absolute co-operation. You need one of us on the ground, to advise.

Someone who knows him. Yeah? And should that be you?

Absolutely. It should be me. Yeah. Right, so, do you believe John Luther shot his wife tonight?

I can't be sure. Not yet. It's just too early...

Exactly. The last thing I need is for this operation to be hindered by your loyalty.

DS Ripley, you'll assist Detective Chief Superintendent...

Oh, well, with respect - sorry, Justin - but Ripley...

He may not know Luther as well as you, but he's a damn sight better placed to be non-partisan.

You, you remain here, you can advise as necessary.

Sorry, I think that's a mistake.

I'm not interested in saving John Luther.

I want the full force of the law stamping down on his face

before sunrise, and I want your help to do it.

Are we clear on that?

Good. Then let's bring him in.

MOBILE PHONE RINGS

MESSAGE TONE BEEP

I know what you did, Ian.

You tried to make it look like I killed her because you think,

if they're coming for me, I can't come for you.

Well, you're wrong. I am coming for you.

All I have to do is stay free long enough to see you dead.

And I'll do that, Ian.

I'll see you dead.

'I'll see you dead.'

Justin. Justin?

Hey.

What do you think?

I don't know what to think.

Yeah, me neither.

Thing is, though, if he didn't do it,

where the hell is he?

Perhaps he knows who did it and he's gone after them.

Whatever happens, all right,

if you hear from him,

you contact me, OK?

Not Teller, not Schenk.

Me. He needs his friends.

Yeah, of course.

PHONE BEEPS

I'm sorry for your loss.

I didn't lose her.

She was taken from me.

You know why?

The truth is, we're not here to talk "why". That comes later.

Right now, it's all about "who".

Meaning John Luther.

That is a possibility. It's something we're looking into.

Oh, I can't tell you the time, since I met Zoe,

I've had to talk about this guy, John. John, John,

poor John. Needy John. Broken John.

I need to know anything that might have happened between

John Luther and Zoe, over the last few days...

They were seeing each other. Seeing?

Yep, sleeping together.

When did you find out?

Look, I stayed with friends tonight. You've only got to ask them.

We know where you were. When did you find out about John and Zoe?

About a day and a half ago.

I said to her, "Choose. Choose between us,

"but stick with your choice.

And she chose me.

She chose me...

..and she paid for it.

If that turns out to be the case, you must never blame yourself.

If you pull the trigger on another human being, the responsibility for that is yours and yours alone.

If John killed Zoe,

I will not rest until I see him punished for it.

If you'll excuse me.

I'll have another officer come and take an official statement.

Sorry, I, um...

No, no, it's me.

Sorry, I'm miles away.

Is this actually happening?

No. In a few minutes, I'll wake up and my alarm's going to go off.

By the time I get in to work, I'll have forgotten I ever dreamt it.

Um, he, he just called me.

Who?

Who'd you think? When? Just now.

What did he say? Where is he?

He just said that I did it. Again.

Oh, Ian.

'I know what you did, Ian.

'You're trying to make it look like I killed her,

'because you think if they're coming for me,

'then I can't come for you. Well, you're wrong.'

I just don't understand it.

Why would he project it onto me?

I don't know what to do.

I'm telling you this - it feels like I'm...

betraying him, you know?

It doesn't matter, now you've told me. See if you can track the phone,

get a lead on where he might be.

Yeah, OK. If we can pin this mess on mental illness,

then I can't be held accountable and the unit might survive.

OK, all right. Wow, I hadn't really thought of that.

You don't have to think like that. I do.

I should never have taken him back.

Oh, I knew the risk!

God knows they warned me, "He's nitro glycerine."

I didn't listen, because I was so bent on making it work.

I just so wanted to make it work!

Boss.

It's not your fault.

It's not your fault.

SHE SOBS

CLICK

If you wanted a key, all you had to do was ask.

I didn't think you slept.

Oh, only lightly and not for very long.

Why are you here?

I just needed a place to think.

About what?

Zoe's dead.

Are we speaking figuratively?

No.

Did you kill her?

Would it matter? To me?

Well, it's nice to see you retain your sense of humour.

I mean it.

Well, I liked her.

But if you killed her, I'm sure you had a reason.

Well, I didn't.

Fine.

Who did?

He only smashed symbols of her relationship with this new chap.

Makes for a very intimate scene.

And we know that he smashes things when he's angry.

All of which tends to align us in Luther's direction.

Unless this was staged for our benefit.

By whom?

Mr North?

It's worth considering, surely.

Well, even if he didn't have an alibi,

when a man stages a murder scene, he tends to make it look like

how he thinks it should.

It's always wrong. But this scene is...

consistent with the thesis.

To stage such a scene...

correctly, would require a very chilly heart.

Which doesn't seem compatible with a crime of rage.

But it's not right.

Tell me how.

This kind of killing - jealous husband, sex, rage and all the rest of it.

You'd expect a knife, a bludgeon of some kind. A fist.

Not a gun.

You don't like the choice of weapon, so that makes Luther innocent?

I want him to be innocent.

But, if he's not, then I'll do my job properly and without hesitation.

That's a very brave answer.

It's not supposed to be. It's just the way it is.

So...are you going to kill him?

I've thought about it.

That's all I've thought about.

Then why are you here?

I just need a safe place to think.

You know, in 1988, two psychologists published an article

arguing that "positive self-deception"

is a normal and advantageous part of most people's lives.