By Curt Schleier

Leeann Wellings disappeared four weeks ago and the cops are no further along in their investigation than they were on day one.  There’s no body or ransom note. There’s no forensic evidence.  All they know is what we know, that Leeann suddenly disappeared and that she left her two children in her car.

 Det. Supt. Barclay (Hugh Bonneville), who heads the investigation, is convinced it has something to do with the Eastern European peddler who sold flowers from his van on a busy highway service road.  That’s where she was when she mysteriously disappeared.  He’s already calling it a murder.

But his associate, Det. Sgt. Foster (Janet McTeer) believes the investigative team ought to be paying more attention to Leeann’s husband Matt (David Oyelowo).  She believes that he is being ignored out of political correctness – i.e. that he is a black man married to a white woman and the powers that be don’t want to make the investigation seem racial in its overtones.

To make matters worse, their superiors have a team of suits come in when an investigation is not completed in four weeks so they can report to higher ups what the investigative team is doing wrong.  Finally Barclay explodes at some cop with no field experience but a degree in psychology:

“I’m not going to make something up to fit in anybody’s text book idea of how it should be done.”


It’s also Matt Wellings’ (David Oyelowo) birthday.  Matt is Leeann’s husband; he’s beloved by his mother-in-law, Barbara Poole (Penelope Wilton), and tolerated by her father, John (Patrick Malahide).  But the pressure is starting to get to all of them.  Both John and Matt have slowly moved to the realization that Leeann is likely dead, but Barbara refuses: “I’m the only one who has faith in her.”

Matt is perplexed by rumors that his wife was pregnant. “You know someone and you think you know everything about them,” he says.  Moreover he feels guilt about their last conversation, a fight when the spoke on the phone.  His last words to her:  “Remember, I’m the guy who can kill you with one hand.”

When he tells that story in front of the PD’s family liaison officer, Simone Farnes (Nikki Amuka-Bird), she arrests him.  And that’s actually the best thing to happen to him this day.  Sarah Wheeler (Sarah Smart), the young woman who has been trying to insinuate herself in the family, has been hanging around trying to insinuate herself in Matt – or vice versa.  Because of her, Leeann’s parents start to suspect Matt’s involvement in the crime.

Then a body is found in a shallow grave.  Is it Leeann’s?  No.  It belongs to the flower seller.  Now the question is who put him there?  And why.