Episode #104
Episode 104 | 42m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Everything James thought he knew has been turned upside down...
Everything James thought he knew has been turned upside down and he barely escapes with his life. He returns to London to pursue the killer but Barbara has fired him and no one believes his stories of what happened in Budapest. When he refuses to drop the case the police arrest him. He finally finds the one piece of evidence which proves the killer's identity but may also lead to his destruction.
Deadline is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television
Episode #104
Episode 104 | 42m 42sVideo has Closed Captions
Everything James thought he knew has been turned upside down and he barely escapes with his life. He returns to London to pursue the killer but Barbara has fired him and no one believes his stories of what happened in Budapest. When he refuses to drop the case the police arrest him. He finally finds the one piece of evidence which proves the killer's identity but may also lead to his destruction.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship-The only thing that was missing was a murder weapon and she had to get rid of that 'cause it was incriminating her.
-I'll give you the interview.
I want you to find the person killed my husband.
-I took care of the tapes.
-She's holding our footage hostage.
-In your earlier career, you made yourself extremely unpopular.
-There was a missing girl.
I contaminated evidence that would have had him convicted of murder.
No copper is gonna talk to me.
-I know who killed him.
My brother.
-Oliver's dead!
Out!
-Can we find out who the birth parents are?
-Adoption services don't share records.
-What about your mate?
-You've just established the person who killed my husband is in Hungary.
-Is she saying that Oliver killed her husband?
-He wanted to control every move I made.
-I think she did.
-You're sleeping with her?
-Where is that coming from?
-You're fired.
-Whatever she's told you, it will be lies.
-He has a daughter.
Leila.
-They're my family, too.
-You're not having them.
She did it.
I watched her do it.
[ Gunshot ] -They were going to kill him if they didn't get their money.
George just laughed.
I don't even remember doing it.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Cellphone rings ] -What is it?
-I can't.
-What?
-Let him go.
-No.
-I can't do it.
I don't care about me anymore.
-I care.
He won't stop.
-Please.
Did you hear me?
-[ Scoffs ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ On your knees.
Come on.
♪ ♪ ♪ [ Click ] You're a lucky man.
I wanna say, "Go home."
Forget about everything, live your life."
Hmm?
No, you won't.
The charming English phrase "dog with a bone" comes to mind.
[ Sighs ] Stay.
[ Engine starts ] [ Vehicle departs ] ♪ ♪ -Hey!
♪ Hey!
Hey!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ -[ Speaking indistinctly ] -No!
Stop!
♪ -Cut!
[ Indistinct conversations ] -She's called Molnar.
Mrs. Molnar.
That's all -- I-I don't have her first name.
And she -- she said she's her lawyer, but I don't know.
Maybe that's a...lie.
-[ Chuckles ] -Do you understand me?
-Yes.
Yes, we understand.
-Because I'm -- I'm talking about a homicide.
Natalie Varga?
O-Oliver Sewell?
I-I have a picture of Oliver.
He's the brother who's officially dead, but...
Wait.
They...
They deleted my photographs.
Um...
Wait.
Uh...
Okay.
Vera Dorati.
She's an artist.
She's been helping them.
She's...
Finished now?
Or... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Card reader beeps, buzzes ] [ Card reader beeps, buzzes ] [ Ringing ] -I told you... you're out.
-For what?
Going after the story?
Look, I need you to get me to DI Khan.
The police aren't taking my calls.
-It's done.
I completed the documentary.
Case closed.
-Natalie killed her husband.
-I don't want to hear about Natalie Varga.
Let's talk about Lucy Gallagher.
-What has Lucy-- -You didn't only... up your career over what you did, you...up your life because you became obsessed.
Can't you see you're doing the same thing?
Take a step back.
Think about whether that's a person you wanna be.
Do what I'm doing.
Walk away.
[ Door closes ] -I've got nothing to say to you.
-I met your son, Mary.
-I told you, Oliver's dead.
-Enough!
I followed your piece of...son to Hungary and ended up with a gun against my head.
-Is Oli alright?
-You're so worried about your son and his family, let's -- let's talk about your other little psycho.
-Does she know about my granddaughter?
He wasn't just running from those thugs, you know, he was running from her!
-Why?
-When she was just a kid...
I thought I could fix her but whatever it was she's been through, she doesn't care now who she hurts.
-What was it that happened with her family before you got her?
-I don't know.
They don't tell you everything.
They -- They just say, "Oh, the twins were troubled."
Christ!
What an understatement.
-We're gonna go to the police.
You're gonna back me up.
Oliver saw it.
He'll testify!
-He won't.
Not now she's got him back.
And now she's got Leila.
-Help me put her away.
-You?
How's that going so far?
♪ [ Tires screech ] ♪ ♪ ♪ -[ Grunts ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Cellphone ringing ] -What the...can you possibly have to say to me?
-The police are going to arrest me.
I want to talk to you first.
Let's finish the interview.
I'm alone.
-Oh, sure, sure.
I'll come right over.
-I saved your life twice.
Why would I hurt you now?
-Because you're going to prison.
-I'm going to prison because I let you go.
Take the story.
You deserve it.
James, you can go back to working on trash, or you can tell my story.
It'll make your career.
-...you.
-I want to tell you about my father.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Knock on door ] ♪ ♪ ♪ Hello?
♪ Hello?
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ -Oh, my God.
What have you done?
Help!
Help!
-Hey, just... -Help!
-Hey, wait!
Come back!
-Someone, please help me!
-What are you doing?
-Please, don't hurt me!
Please!
She's not here!
-What the...?
-She doesn't want to see you!
[ Camera shutter clicking ] Don't hurt me!
Please, don't hurt me!
Please!
Somebody call the police!
Please!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Knock on door ] -Mr. Alden?
Detective Inspector Broughton.
Can you open the door, please?
-Yeah?
-This is DS Feehan.
-Sorry, what do you want?
-I'm arresting you on suspicion of harassment, and putting someone in fear of violence.
-Harassment?
-You do not have to say anything.
But it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.
Anything you say may be given-- -Sorry, I don't understand.
-You're under arrest, Mr. Alden.
-Just explain this to me again.
-These officers will be searching your flat.
-Who has accused me of harassment?
-Take him away.
-Who has accused me?!
♪ -Get me that.
All of it, please.
All those cards, please.
[ Camera shutter clicks ] Thank you for your statement.
Let's review.
According to Mrs. Varga's statement, in a bid to get away from you, fearing for her safety, she went to Hungary, and you followed.
-Well, she wasn't in fear, and I went first.
-According to this passenger manifest, Mrs. Varga flew out at 9 a.m. the same day.
For the purposes of the tape, Mr. Alden is examining the passenger manifest.
-Well, I didn't know that she was already there.
-What did you plan to do when you tracked her down?
-No, I went to find her brother.
-Who died four years ago.
-He didn't.
He faked it.
She wanted me to find him.
She said that he killed George, which I thought was crazy until I met his wife and his kid, and then I saw him in Hungary.
Look, you need to find the wife, Shona Strand.
He's -- He's calling himself Elliot Strand now.
And you need to find Mary Sewell, that's the adoptive mother.
She's the one who helped him fake his own death.
She identified the wrong body.
-Whose body?
-I don't know.
Maybe that's something you can find out.
-According to Mrs. Varga's statement, you tracked her down, you verbally threatened her.
-No, I was tied to a chair.
She found me.
She had a knife.
-Mrs. Varga tied you to a chair?
-No, that was Dominik, the one they shot.
-Yeah, we contacted the Budapest Police 19th District.
They have no reports of any shootings or any body.
Mr. Alden... who's "they"?
-Their lawyer, Mrs. Molnar.
I saw her shoot him, point blank.
Why would I make this stuff up?
-The same Mrs. Molnar you assaulted last night?
-I barely touched her.
She threw herself to the ground for the photographer.
I mean, they called the pap.
They staged the whole thing!
-Is your aggression directed mainly towards women, would you say?
-Officer, that's a very unhelpful comment to make and entirely unnecessary.
My client is trying to assist you.
-I am here voluntarily.
Could we recognize that, please, for the purposes of the tape?
-It will be fully recorded that you are attending this interview voluntarily and helping as best you can.
-You were seen loitering around Shona Strand's home on the evening of 12th August.
-I was looking for her brother.
-And you were recorded on CCTV breaking into Vera Dorati's studio.
-She is a blackmailer.
She tried to have me killed.
She gave Natalie a false alibi, probably for money.
I was just trying to find out.
I'm not on some general mission to terrorize women, least of all Natalie.
-How do you see your relationship with Mrs. Varga?
-It was...professional.
You know, she offered me an opportunity to interview her, to get a good story.
And then she made me feel like we had a connection.
-You're calling it "a connection"?
♪ -Fine, we slept together, fully consensual.
♪ Tell me she's not saying that I forced her.
-James, let the officer ask her questions.
I'm sure she'll happily tell us what Mrs. Varga is saying.
Officer?
-You got into Mrs. Varga's home through your position as a journalist.
-She invited me.
-You gained her trust by offering to help with her criminal case.
-No, she was asking me to investigate.
-Does "Who remembers Spangles?"
require much investigation?
As I understand it, you haven't engaged in that kind of journalism for some time, years.
Well, have you or not?
-No.
-So when you approached Mrs. Varga offering to help with her case, you were in fact posing as an investigative reporter?
-I-It wasn't like that.
-When did you first become aware of Natalie Sewell or Natalie Varga, as she became?
-About two months ago, the same time as everybody else.
-So you're saying you never met her or been aware of her before that point?
-No.
I don't read Tatler or go to charity auctions or Elton John's house, or wherever it is people like her hang out.
-When we arrested you, you were viewing covert video recordings of Mrs. Varga.
Footage of her in her bathroom.
-I did not make those tapes.
-For the purposes of the recordings, DS Feehan is showing Mr. Alden the memory cards seized from his flat.
-They say "Natalie Varga interview."
I thought they were ours.
That's the only reason I took them.
-When you broke into her home?
-No, she invited me.
She... She told me she was gonna confess.
-These recordings date back 10 months.
So, when you say you met Natalie a couple of weeks ago... -Why would I record her?
-I don't know, Mr. Alden.
Why would you forensically pick over a woman's private life... ...drooling over every intimate detail?
-Well, that's the voluntary part of this interview over.
-Let's wrap this up, please.
-Yeah, you will be released on bail whilst we present our evidence to the CPS.
Your conditions require you to remain in the country.
Any attempt to contact or approach Mrs. Varga will result in you being rearrested and held in custody until a date is set for your hearing.
Terminating the interview.
-Should I take it personally you never stalked me?
Too soon?
I considered bringing you something stronger.
-Gin?
-Cyanide.
-I'm sorry.
-I guess neither of us are very good at walking away.
-She was gonna confess.
-I'll write a statement.
I hired you to make a documentary, the invitation for the interview came from Molnar.
We both tracked down Shona.
You had a mark on your neck from when you were attacked.
-Yeah, but you didn't see it happen.
You didn't see anything in Hungary.
You're my ex-girlfriend for...sake.
They'll discredit you.
-Why is she doing all of this?
-She said she needed to tell me something, some... sob story about her dad.
Did your mate ever get back to you about the birth parents?
-No.
Let your legal team handle this.
I'll help.
Do not go after her.
You will make it worse.
And I'm not bailing you out again.
Understood?
-Ugh.
You didn't get sugar.
-You're such a... And... My old phone, till you get yours back.
And we need to find you a decent lawyer.
Maybe Miss Molnar's free.
-Yeah, no, the thing is, Kemi, um... she's actually gone in for a bit of an operation.
No, no, nothing serious.
Nothing serious.
Um, I'm just following up.
-[ Speaking indistinctly ] -You -- You e-mailed her?
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I know who you are.
-When I saw you outside my house making your little documentary about me, you seemed fine.
I mean, a bit tragic, but essentially fine.
You don't get to be fine.
-I am sorry, truly sorry but your father was a murderer before I came into his life.
-And he was free to rape and murder again because of what you did.
-I thought I might find her.
I thought I could save her.
-You wanted a story.
Who cares how many more Lucys he would have taken?
-It's the biggest mistake of my life.
-It wasn't a mistake.
You knew exactly what a crime scene was, but you did it anyway because you wanted the story.
It's all about your needs to be the best, to be the first.
-I know you may not believe this... but I've punished myself for that every day for the last 20 years.
-I believe what I see and I see you behaving in exactly the same way.
-Let's stop.
-You can't stop... any more than he could.
-But he did.
-No, James.
I stopped him.
-He shot himself.
-He was drunk, passed out, wasn't that hard.
-No.
You were a child.
-Mm-hmm.
Thirteen.
♪ -Oh, Jesus.
-No one else was going to do it.
Oliver was useless.
He kept crying.
He's been crying ever since.
-Oh, I'm so sorry.
-You keep saying sorry, but I...
I don't know what you're sorry for.
♪ -What do you want me to say?
♪ Maybe you can destroy my life, maybe you can.
But it won't give you what you want.
-Maybe not.
♪ But it's worth a try.
♪ -Detective Inspector Broughton?
-She's busy.
Is it urgent?
-Yes, it's an emergency.
♪ -Barbara, I need help!
-Yes, the police are here right now looking at the tapes you stole.
-Well, tell them who she is.
-They already know.
They think you're the one with the grudge.
-Barbara, you know me.
-I bail you out and you hack my e-mail.
No, I don't know you.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ Piano music plays ] ♪ ♪ ♪ -You stated that you first met Natalie Varga after her husband's murder.
-Yes.
-But you'd come to know her biological father, Kurt Duvall, 22 years previously.
And during the course of your investigation, you never realized he had two children?
-It wasn't part of the story.
I never even thought about it.
-For the purposes of the recording, I am showing Mr. Alden a photograph of 13-year-old Tanya Duvall taken from his home.
Have you been holding on to this for 20 years?
-I didn't know her then -- -I think you did.
I think you've been fixated on her all these years.
Maybe you lost track of her when she was adopted but then, she became Mrs. Varga, the socialite, in the public eye and you reconnected with your obsession.
-There is no obsession.
You don't think you're obsessive, Mr. Alden?
You don't fixate?
You arrived at the scene of Lucy Gallagher's murder before any police detective.
-I was reporting on a missing girl.
I suspected Kurt Duvall.
And I went to a lock-up that I had reason -- -Kurt Duvall was never charged.
-No, because I messed up the evidence.
For which, I am eternally and profoundly...sorry!
-This is your file, also taken from your home.
All this material on Lucy Gallagher.
Now, what would you call it?
Mementos?
Trophies?
It -- It didn't feel right just to throw it in the bin.
-No, you preferred to keep it, relive it, revisit the experience -- -Officer, that's a very unhelpful comment to make.
-All my life, I've had no voice.
As a child... no one listened to me.
As a woman... everyone sneered.
They said I was hysterical, imagining things, so yes...
I do feel vindicated.
-The detective on the Gallagher case gave a statement.
How do you counter his suggestion that you contaminated the evidence on purpose?
-Why would I?
-Why would a journalist have 12 cable ties, two rolls of gaffer tape, three syringes, a pair of pliers, and two vials of Rohypnol?
-That key was planted on my -- -I think you were planning to abduct Natalie Varga, sexually assault and murder her.
♪ -That is utterly... ...in--insane.
-Just as you did Lucy Gallagher.
♪ [ Piano music fades ] Was it Natalie that you wanted all along?
Did she get away?
Did you have to make do with Lucy?
-I'm not answering... any more questions.
-And when you went after Natalie again did George Varga try to stop you?
-Officer, I'd like... -Did he try to protect his wife?
-...this interview terminated, now!
♪ -Mr. Alden, where were you on the night of George Varga's murder?
♪ -Yes.
I do think monster is the right word for him.
What James Alden did to me was monstrous.
That man took everyone I loved.
My best friend... my father... my husband... maybe even my brother.
♪ And after everything he'd done... ...he wormed his way into my life... and convinced me to share my pain on camera... ...so he could enjoy it all over again.
So, God knows who else he's hurt.
There must be others.
[ Rattling, clanking ] It's like... he wanted to turn me into some kind of... living trophy.
♪ He may have a messed-up childhood.
I don't know.
Honestly, I don't care.
All I know is he won't be able to hurt anyone anymore.
♪ He's powerless.
His life is over.
♪ ♪ I came close... to being broken by him.
♪ ♪ But in the end, I won.
♪ I won.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Deadline is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television