The Postcard Killings (2020) - full transcript

The owner of the flat discovered
them late Wednesday night.

It's him.

Yeah.

The owner of the flat

discovered them
late Wednesday night.

Come on,
it's gonna go.

- It's a really good one.
- Sylvia!

So loud in there.

Are these free?

They're all yours.

Football fans on trains
are the worst.



Yeah.
I'm Pieter.

I'm Mac.

And this is Sylvia.

On a tight budget, huh?

Scrapbook.

Nice tats, man.

Thanks.

I'm almost done
with both sleeves.

Like a living canvas.

They're beautiful.

My wife appreciates art.

Oh, Jesus!
Thank you.

Get up.

I've been
trying to call you.



I want to see Kimberly.

Hey, what time is it?

9:00.
You look like shit.

Oh, fuck.

Oh, I feel like shit.

Get ready, I'll
order you something to eat.

Oh, okay. God damn it,
I'm not hungry. Stop.

Fine. I won't get you
anything to eat.

Fuck. Valerie.

Get off! No!

It doesn't help.

I need to see her.

You shouldn't.

Okay?
Just trust me.

Then I want to see
where it happened.

Give me a minute.

This is highly
unconventional.

I don't give a damn.

I want to see it.

Just cut the tape.

It is still
a crime scene.

Yeah. I've been
a cop for 30 years.

I know how to
walk through a crime scene.

Okay.

I'm afraid you'll have
to wait downstairs.

We have dusted
for prints, but...

It's been rented
by hundreds of people.

You've questioned everyone
in these buildings?

Yes.

No one saw
or heard anything.

There were two
glasses in the sink,

only the victims' prints.

No one saw anything,
no one heard anything,

and there was
no forced entry...

My daughter
knew the killer.

She's a cop's kid, she would
never let some stranger in.

We need to check
their credit cards,

social media, everything.
Find out where they were.

It's all in motion.

Where's the blood?

Their blood
was completely drained.

The victims
were on the bed.

The male victim's eyes
were held open with pins.

His lips had something
attached to them.

The female victim
was in his arms.

The arms were severed
below the elbow.

The left upper arm was inserted
into the male victim's mouth.

Why do you think
he posed them?

Because he's extremely sick,
I'd imagine.

But he was
saying something.

A highly organised crime scene

like this is done for a
specific reason.

The couple that was
murdered in Madrid,

are there similarities?

A few.

Were they staged, Inspector?

I can't say.

At this stage, it's not clear

whether or not
these are isolated incidents.

We both know this is not
the MO of a random killer.

America's
an arrogant country.

I hope
I don't offend you.

No.

Where are you headed
actually, man?

Working my way north.

You?

Erm...
Same. No real plans.

We should all
hang out together.

Pick a place
to get off.

Come on,
it'll be fun.

Venture into
the unknown.

Let's get some drinks and then
we can discuss it. Vodka?

What else?

I can't believe you almost
invited him to come with us.

I just didn't think,
okay? I'm sorry.

Hmm.

Like obviously, I'd much rather
spend every second with you.

You only.
Hmm.

I just thought he was
a bit strange,

didn't you, Mr
Randolph?

You know what?
I did, Mrs Randolph.

You remember
when she was eight...

Karate class?

She loved that class.

Hmm. You mean
she loved making you proud.

You couldn't just

let them go to Hawaii

or the Caribbean
for their honeymoon?

No...

You had to be the hero,

buy her
the big Euro adventure.

That's one of the reasons
it didn't work out,

you always had to be
the one she loved the most.

Why did you have to
send her here? Hmm?

Why?

Why did you have to
send her here?

Why? Why!

I just... I feel like

I'm going crazy.

I'm so sorry.

How did this
happen to us?

One bottle of vodka,
and three cups...

I guess one cup then.

I...

I feel like
I'm abandoning her.

No. You're not.

I'm here, okay?

This is what I do.

You'll...

You'll let me know everything,
right, no matter what?

Of course I will.

No, you won't.

I heard
everything, Jacob.

Someone mutilated
our daughter.

Find him.

Over two weeks
after the gruesome murder

of a young American couple,

the Metropolitan Police are
refusing to confirm reports

that a journalist,
Charles Hardwick,

received a postcard
with information

on the killings days before...

Sir.

Get your
hands off me.

Give me half an hour, I'll...
I'll call you back, thanks.

Would you get
Mr Kanon a coffee?

Sorry about that.

I'm sure he's just
trying to do his job.

Yeah.

Well, we're all trying to do
that. Why don't you take a seat?

It's been over two goddamn weeks
since my daughter's murder.

You've been
avoiding me,

and I know that
you have new leads.

Absolutely, we do,

but nothing I can share with a
member of the public,

however close they are
to the case.

How about
a fellow cop?

This postcard that I
hear about on the news,

when I should be hearing from
you... What does it say?

You know
I can't tell you that.

Is that it? Is that what
you're gonna tell me?

That's everything.

Okay.

The questions that I have
that need to be answered?

I will find
the answers myself.

I don't recommend
you do that.

You had
your chance.

Floor
minus three. Doors open.

Hey.
Hi, can I help you?

I'm waiting
for him actually.

Me?
Charles Hardwick?

You received
a postcard, right?

You're on
private property.

My daughter is dead.

And you received a postcard from
the person that killed her.

I'm not at liberty
to talk about this.

Look, sir,
all I wanna know is

if anyone in Madrid
received a postcard?

Do you have kids?

It's okay,
I'm good.

I've been told that it's

breaking the law if I discuss
the details.

How many kids
do you have?

One... Baby girl.

There is nothing more special
to a father than a daughter.

A Spanish reporter

got a postcard
of the Prado.

The victims,

apparently,
they had their lips...

Severed.

I'm sorry,
that was our last flight.

We have one leaving
tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.

Yup, you have told me
this now numerous times.

Listen to me.
This is a police matter.

An emergency. You have
to get me on a plane.

Sir, please, I've told you
that was our last flight.

I know. It's your job to
be helpful, right?

Be helpful.

Do me a favour,
and get on your computer

and find me
a connecting flight.

I don't even care
where it connects from,

I just can't have it be
tomorrow. I need it to be now.

All other flights
are full. I'm sorry.

I need
to get to Madrid.

What part of that
do you not understand?

Sir, you need
to calm down.

I am calm! Can someone
just get me a fucking flight?

Is everything
okay, madam?

Perfect.

Sir, you
need to come with us.

Yeah.

Thank you
for your help.

Hi there. Can I see
your passport?

Yup.

Torturing yourself,
Detective.

I do understand
how hard this is.

Really?

Do you?

See, I don't think you have
any idea how hard this is.

Go home
and mourn, sir.

"Go home"?

I'm not going anywhere
without my little girl.

I am sympathetic, Mr
Kanon, I assure you...

"Detective Kanon".

It's Detective Kanon.

And the last thing I want is
your sympathy.

Your daughter's
personal belongings.

Now please, think
about what I said.

Reports suggest the couple were

backpacking through Europe.

They had been staying
at the Cathedral youth hostel

in Munich for a week.

Early speculation indicates
that this is the third

in a series of brutal murders.

Hey!

Detective Kanon.

There's still
a restaurant in Munich

where you can drink a cup of
coffee and smoke a cigarette.

You look like
you could use both.

This must be
a very painful time.

Did you find
her hands?

No.

But there were...

There were body parts
that didn't belong?

Let me guess,

there were no liquor
bottles at the scene,

but the victims,

they had high levels
of alcohol in their system.

They were
probably drugged.

We found traces
of cyclopentolate.

It's an agent
in eye drops.

And they were a young...
A young, married couple?

Crazy people often obsess
about youth and beauty.

But they don't all
mutilate their victims.

This bastard, he's very
selective about his targets.

Certainly his actions

don't fit
with existing profiles.

The postcard,
then the photograph.

What photograph?

I wish
I could tell you.

Is there a photograph
of my daughter?

Yes.

Is she alive?

I need to see it.

It's already been
marked as evidence.

It's part of
the London investigation.

I'm sorry.

The eyes. They don't
belong to the victims.

Jesus!

Detective Kanon, now
I have someone to question.

You're wasting
your time.

He's moved on.

Ms Lombard,

you are now part of
an ongoing investigation.

It is a criminal offense to
reveal what is on the postcard.

Understand?

Each day your mail
will be opened

by a police officer,
morning and afternoon,

starting tomorrow.

Okay.
Okay?

Police
sources have confirmed

that an American journalist
living in Stockholm,

received a postcard
this morning.

Good night,
Ms Lombard.

Night.

Ms Lombard.

What?
What do you want?

My name is Detective Kanon,

and I just want to ask you
about the postcard.

If you're a detective,
talk to the detectives.

Please, they're gonna
send you something else,

and by then,
they'll be dead!

Please, I just
want to help.

I'm leaving you
my card.

Er...
Well...

Well, maybe it's fate,
running into him twice.

Well, he's seen us now. So,
we don't have much choice.

Hey, man. How bizarre
bumping into you!

And you thought
you'd ditched me.

No, God, we just... We got
off the train last minute.

You were at the bar.
So... We left a note.

No note.

Mac, I assumed
that you...

No, I left it
to you.

You Americans
crack me up.

Come, let's go for drink,
life's for the living.

So, er, how long have you
been here for, man?

A couple of days.

Yeah? Us too.
Where are you staying?

By the, er...
Stortorget.

You?

Oh... Just a place
back there.

The Six, fancy.

How do you know that?

I'm stalking you.

Ah, the bag.

The first murders
were eight days apart.

Munich was exactly
16 days after London.

It could be a pattern.

Which means there are
undiscovered victims out there.

We're working closely
with the joint task force.

This is a Europe-wide
investigation.

You do understand that this
would explain

why my daughter's hands are
still missing.

Detective Kanon...

Did you hear
what I just said?

All our units have been
provided with the profile.

Your profile
is wrong.

Look, this killer's brand
of murder is very specific,

extremely hard
to profile.

People like him can be
charming, dynamic.

I have worked
cases that are...

I'm sure you are
a hotshot detective,

but we don't conduct ourselves
like the American police.

What the fuck
does that mean?

Shoot
first, ask questions later.

I don't give a rat's ass
what either of you think.

You've got exactly four
days to prevent a murder.

It's not personal. I do
sympathise, of course,

but your
objectivity has...

Fuck!

Tilda, I have a human interest
piece on the killings.

No.
Wait, please.

I...

The reporter
I interned for in Chicago,

he did a similar piece

and it out-sold
everything that year.

So, you found it okay?

Yeah.

People are helpful and thank God

they speak a little
bit of English.

Why didn't you tell me about
your daughter last night?

Because it's hard.

It's not something
I want to open with.

What do you
want from me?

I want to know what
was on the postcard.

What do you
want from me?

I've been thrown into this mess,

and nobody is telling
me anything.

Look, I write
a weekly piece

at a newspaper about
being an American

living in a strange
country.

Why would
something like this

happen to
someone like me?

I'm sorry, I know it's
hard being on the outside.

And I feel like that too,
and... And I want to help.

So, I, erm... I contacted
this Spanish journalist

and that guy Hardwick
from The Guardian.

But you know, it doesn't
make much sense.

I mean,
there seems to be

no connection between
what we do as journalists.

You know,
one covers politics,

one covers finance,
one culture.

And the postcards?

Well, what do
we have?

In Madrid, it said,

"Till death
do us part."

In London,
"Watch the innocent die,"

in Munich it said,
"Feel the pain, see the truth."

And here,
"Love will never die."

And every sentence is always
followed by an ellipsis.

"Dot, dot, dot".

A continuation.
Yeah.

He announces his arrival in
a city with the postcard.

Selects a couple...

Young, newly married,
happy...

You like herring?

It's the worst decision
I've ever made.

I was trying
to be polite.

Why did he say
she wasn't with him?

They're very
independent people.

She likes to fly,
and he likes trains.

Here he comes.

Mac, Sylvia,

meet my wife and the artist
behind my tattoos, Nienke.

It's a pleasure
meeting you both.

He kept your
existence very quiet.

Well, in my
husband's defence,

it sounds as if
you two ditched him

before he could
reveal very much.

Touche.

Would you like
another drink?

Maybe
something stronger?

Yes, we would.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Okay, let's go.
Tequila!

Have you guys
been to Bjorkskar yet?

Is that the island?
Yes.

Part of the archipelago.

This time of year,
it's really something.

Desolate, moody.

It's just a short ferry
ride. You should come.

The finger in the
wound I recognise,

but the woman's hand...

No.

The Incredulity
of Saint Thomas.

It has been depicted
by many artists.

This is by Caravaggio.

Thomas the Apostle,

skeptical of Jesus'
resurrection.

You see here,

he is testing the wound
to see if it bleeds.

"Unless I see the nail marks
in his hands"

"and put
my hand into his side,"

"I will not believe it."

Hence the phrase,
"Doubting Thomas."

Saturn Devouring His Son,

by Francisco Goya,
exhibited in London.

Postcard said,

"Watch the
innocent die."

This, The Incredulity
of St Thomas,

on display, right there
in that building.

Why didn't you bring this to
the Stockholm task force?

Because they're
by the book,

and you seem...

You seem open
to possibilities.

Whoa, stop.

I've seen him before.

This woman is
moving off with him.

That's not a "him."

It's a "them."

Go back,
to the day before.

Stop.
There they are.

Come on.

Pick up
your goddamn head!

Forty-odd cameras and not one
of them picked up their faces!

Seriously, you must
take it easy on yourself.

You've gotten us somewhere,
and that's a good thing.

Detective Hoglund promised me

she will include you in all
intelligence going forward.

Big fucking deal.

Tomorrow, at this time,
another couple will be dead.

Look, have them
cross-reference passports.

Any couples that have been to
Madrid, London, Stockholm, here,

it can't be that hard
to find them.

The European Union operates a
freedom of movement agreement.

We still
have porous borders.

Are you telling me
there's no fool-proof way

of registering people's
comings and goings?

With terrorism
and the refugee crisis,

some countries have reinstated
temporary controls.

But generally
speaking, no.

You have to let me
see all the files.

You want me to retire
immediately, huh?

No, I don't.

I want to
help you catch them.

Sylvia?

Did you lose
a little thing?

That's my hat.
Where did you get it?

It's your
so-called note.

Give it to me.
Yeah.

You weirdo.

You know what?
A gift.

You're not gonna
get it back though.

Going to keep it.

Twenty-six, and
twenty-three. They're Dutch.

He gave
his passport information

to rent an apartment
on Kindstugatan.

According to the owner,

they arrived
separately from Germany.

At the airport,
we have evidence

she changed sterling
into Swedish krona.

He has two recorded offences
for drug possession.

She works at
a tattoo parlour,

and has spent two years at
the Gerrit Rietveld Academie.

What's that?

It's an art school.

Welcome.
We got jobs to do.

The owner says they
haven't been here all day.

This hat...

It's Kimberly's.

Detective
Kanon, I'm so sorry.

The ears...

They're from
the Munich murders.

Yeah, you may be right.

Somewhere, there are
undiscovered victims.

This is
Antonio Canova,

Psyche Revived
by Cupid's Kiss.

Let me guess,
exhibited at...

Here in the National
museum in Stockholm.

And it represents Cupid
waking Psyche's lifeless corpse,

and reuniting
the torn apart lovers.

"Love will never die."

Hmm.

So do you think that the ears

are supposed to
represent the wings?

I guess so.

I also think that...

Madrid is a sculpture.

This one,
Rodin's The Kiss.

I mean,
look at the lips.

They don't actually touch, like
they were interrupted...

"Till death do us part."

Yeah.

Messages
on the postcards...

Death, pain, I...

I get it, but...

- But love?
- I just...

I don't understand
what they're trying to say.

Er, that love
is deadly,

that love is painful?

I...

I think they're trying
to destroy joy.

I'm... I'm sorry. I...

I forgot
for a moment.

It's okay.

I just want
to bring her home.

I fell asleep, God knows
how. I feel like...

I haven't
slept in weeks.

I get dressed
and go to the office,

just so that I don't
sit at home feeling useless.

I think that "useless" is

exactly how we're
supposed to feel.

Hey, I got to go.
I will keep you posted.

I promise, okay?

Okay, see, this is footage from
a storefront security camera,

one block away
from the ferry terminal.

So, we slowed it down
and had it enhanced.

Have you got the keys?
No, you have the keys.

I have a key.

Erm, hi, we are checking
out of room 418.

Let me get
your bill ready.

Mr and Mrs Randolph.

Mmm-hmm.

"Mr and Mrs Randolph."

I love
the sound of that.

Hmm?

Police! Police!

What is going on?

Can you tell us
what's happening?

Can somebody please tell
me what's going on?

Can you tell us
who they are?

Yeah, that's Pieter
and Nienke, from Amsterdam.

Wait, why?
Did they do something?

Is that why
you brought us here?

Fuck!
Jesus Christ!

You took a ferry with
them to Bjorkskar.

That happened there?

You were with them?

We have you
on surveillance footage.

Yeah. Yeah, we were with them.
We... We took a ferry,

we planned to
explore and stay over.

But then Mac wasn't
feeling well, so we left.

So you left
on the next ferry?

There's something about being
sick in a foreign country,

you know, it's like,
double worse.

You just want to be at
home in your own bed,

eating room service.

We went back
to the hotel.

I had chicken soup
and I barely touched it,

and Sylvia had
burger and fries.

Yeah, we got the ferry back.
I have a receipt.

Mac always makes fun of me

because I save everything for a
memory book.

I can show you.
It's with my things.

We will check.

She seems
genuinely distressed.

I agree.
He seems unsettled.

Should just
play along,

empathise with her.

She is
a clever girl.

I can see
her wheels turning.

I wonder,
how you liked Madrid?

Madrid?
I don't understand.

Are we
making you nervous?

Well, I mean, yeah. You know,
I've seen these movies.

You know,

Americans thrown in jail
in a foreign country

for something they didn't do.

There's no way these kids
are responsible for

what I saw five weeks ago.

No. I've never even
been to Spain.

Look, we landed in Rome.
We spent a while there,

then we got a train to Paris
and rented a little apartment.

Do we have proof
they were in Paris?

Anyone can rent an apartment
and not stay in it.

He's right.

What was
that, Pierce?

He said you're right.

Ask her
about the details.

Yes.

Ask her about the details.
Make her be specific.

We ate at the same
restaurant every day,

Le Comptoir.

If you get me my bag,
I can show you the receipts.

Like I said, I'm a
bit of a collector.

Yeah,
we'll have it checked.

She is lying.

Perhaps...
No.

She's too polished,
it's rehearsed.

You've got to push her
harder, trip her up.

Let me in there.

Detective Kanon, please,
we have a process.

Your process sucks!

So where did you
travel to from Paris?

Luxembourg,

which I did not expect
to like, but we did.

The exhibits, the
museums, Notre-Dame...

Not the
Notre-Dame,

but, beautiful.

It is possible, I mean,
maybe it is not them.

No. They would have you
believing that up is down,

that black is white.

That girl...

That girl,

she killed
my daughter.

I will stake
my life on it.

Show me receipts
from the museums you visited.

I'm really tired.

Please,
have a look.

Okay.

I love museums.

See?

Forum d'art
in Luxembourg.

I still don't know
how any of this

is relevant to what
happened.

Hey, I am really trying
to be helpful here,

but can we
please go now?

Once again,

you arrived to London.
And then?

From London,
back to Luxembourg,

then Czech Republic,
and now we're here.

And everywhere you went,
you paid with cash?

You must admit
that's not common.

Do you know what credit card
companies charge in fees?

It's the only way to travel and
not come back

to a mound of debt.

A prepared answer
for everything!

Each of us lost
our parents young

and we both got
a small inheritance.

Being alone
in this world,

it's made us
very, very close.

Can we go now?

Everything
they say checks out.

Sylvia and Mac Randolph, 22
and 19, reside in Los Angeles.

They have proof
of being in places far away

from when and where
the crimes took place.

They could've stopped in Paris
on their way from Madrid.

But we can't
prove it.

Well, hold them
until we can.

But why would they go to London,
where passports are required,

or book a hotel
like the Six,

if they're trying to stay
under the radar?

To make it appear as if
they've got nothing to hide.

Their luggage
contains no match

for the clothes
in the museum footage.

At least
hold them overnight!

I can't hold suspects
more than 12 hours

without a formal arrest,

which I can't make
without sufficient evidence.

Best we can do is order them
to remain in Stockholm

as persons of interest,

mark their passports

and keep them
under surveillance.

I mean, have you ever
seen a file so thin?

It's like until four years
ago, they didn't exist.

Interpol is coordinating
with the US.

If there is something
out there, they'll find it.

Listen,

I had this case once.

The beautiful daughter of
the most celebrated architect

in Germany, beaten to death.

Her father hunted down
the guy who did it

and shot him 12 times.

Later, after the whole
thing calmed down,

he shot himself.

Well...

I'm not real sure how you
want me to respond to that.

Getting justice
won't be the end.

You see, the problem is
every time I close my eyes,

the image
that I see

is my daughter
laying on a cold slab.

And that's never
gonna go away.

I have to go now.

Safe travels.

Wait.

Think of her smiling.

How did you
get this?

Don't ask.

It is like I am bashing
my face into a wall

over and over again.

Hey, it's okay.

No, Val.

It's not okay.
I am telling you,

everyone has a history.
Everyone.

But these two,
there is just nothing.

It's like they're
goddamn ghosts.

Maybe I can
call in a favour.

Jacob?
You still there?

Yeah.
Yeah, I'm here.

I have some influence
with the DA's office.

Thanks for
doing this, Bill.

People keep asking what
they can do to help, and...

There really isn't
anything. But I thought,

just maybe,
you might.

Does the name Simon Haysmith
mean anything to you?

You mean the guy
who defrauded some of

the richest men on Wall Street

for, like, 300 million?

Yeah, that's him. Yeah.

The Feds spent a fortune in
taxpayer dollars

preparing to prosecute him.

They didn't have
the case they wanted,

so they squeezed his employees,
his accountants, attorneys...

But none of them
said anything, so,

one of the biggest white-collar
criminals in history

was about to walk away.

What does this have
to do with Kimberly?

Well, they were just about
to drop the charges

when out of nowhere, the
case was just given to them.

Bank account numbers
in Brussels, Cayman Islands,

and so on, and so on, and so on.

Somebody gave him up?

Who?

His son.

The son of a bitch's son.

Kid detests him,
wants him destroyed.

Are you telling me
that Mac is Haysmith's son?

Yes, I am.

Do you have any idea
why he gave him up?

No, not from the little bit
I've been able to access.

The real story is behind a
shit-load of

redactions in that file.

Witness protection.

Was he a minor
at the time?

Yup.

That's why the Bureau has kept
tight-lipped about everything.

And how old
was he then?

Fifteen.
And the wife?

No mention.

And where's Haysmith?

Doing life at Osborn.

Well, can you
get in to see him?

Oh, I'm trying.

Did you
sleep at all?

You know when you look
in someone's eyes

and you know
they're lying to you?

They're guilty.

I've never been more sure
about anything in 30 years.

They've discovered
a fifth couple.

Outside Amsterdam.

Artist's studio, a bit
away from everything.

The targeted journalist
was away on assignment.

You know what
I'm gonna ask.

At least
now you know.

Yeah, at least
I know.

She collects them.

Receipts. She collects
other people's receipts!

Museums,
ferries, restaurants.

Physical proof
of places

they were
supposed to have been!

The artist must be

prepared to sacrifice
everything,

even life itself.

No weakness!

"Art is a wound
turned into light."

Room service.

Come in.

How are we tonight?

Very well,
thank you.

Okay, so
they confirmed

the room service order was
placed from outside the hotel.

Apparently it's more
common than you'd think.

I need to see
a detailed map.

Use my computer.
I got to pee.

Excuse me.
Mac and Sylvia Randolph.

Detective Kanon,
do not go to that room.

No, they crafted
their own alibi.

You have no idea what's
staring you in the face.

Do you think
he saw?

Not sure.

We'll take
care of it.

Police! Police!

They're gone.

We've marked their passports.
They can't go far.

They can go anywhere
they damn well please.

Jacob!

Jacob, I'm sorry.

I don't know
how much you read,

but it's not just
some tabloid expose.

It's about your loss and your
strength in the face of it.

Do what
you have to do.

I don't have to do anything.
I'm not going to submit it.

They got away.

What?

Good night, Dessie.

Jacob.

I'm going to bed.

I mean, who knows if
Haysmith will agree to see me.

I just can't sit at home
doing nothing anymore.

Valerie...
It's probably locked.

Right?

Yes.

Okay, should I try
the back?

You know, breaking and entering,
that is 10 to 15 minimum.

That's all?

Wow, this place is massive.

Just another empty room.

Wait, wait, wait, slow
down. What is that?

I don't know but there's a lock
on the outside. It's weird.

Hello? Hello?

I have called
the police!

Oh, shit,
I got to call you back.

We're always having
trouble with squatters,

what with the house being empty
for nearly four years.

And if it's not them,
it's the press...

You know, what with
what happened here.

Will you forgive me?
Please forgive me.

Of course.
Let me make you a coffee.

Oh, you're so sweet,
thank you.

I'm your new
neighbour, Nancy.

Oh, Valerie.
So nice to meet you.

I didn't really call
the police, by the way.

Thank God.

The boy, Simon Jr, was
friends with my son, Evan.

He was a sweet child.
Very smart, good at sports.

He came over here sometimes,
to do his homework.

And then something
changed, around...

I don't remember exactly,

maybe when
he was 10?

What changed?

He kind of
went quiet.

I knew something was wrong,
but it didn't make any sense.

Not then, at least.
What do you mean?

Well, Simon Sr was on two
boards with my husband,

a big philanthropist and an
active member of the church.

His wife, Irina, was
a stay-at-home mom.

Oh, she was beautiful.

She looked a bit like
Melania Trump,

with those big
Slavic eyes.

She used to be a model, I
think, from Russia originally.

Mmm, more wine?

Oh, I shouldn't.

If you want the whole story,
you most definitely should.

Thank you.

She loved to bake pies.

Around Thanksgiving, she would
bake five different kinds.

They seemed to be
the perfect couple.

And then
she killed herself.

Oh, my God. How?

Hanging.
The kids found her.

Oh, "kids." Simon...

Simon had
an older sister, Marina.

Ah.

Their father
was so strict,

the kids were always,

"Yes, please" and
"Thank you, ma'am."

He pushed them to be
the best at everything,

forever dragging them to
some art exhibition or lecture.

Didn't seem to
want them to have any fun.

Never, ever
went on holidays.

One time, Marina dripped
ice cream on her top.

And Simon Sr
took her inside the house.

And when they came out,
she wouldn't speak,

wouldn't say a word.

Did you find out
what happened?

I found out later, he
had beaten her so hard,

she had welts on
her backside.

My neighbour
was cruel...

He demanded perfection
from his family,

especially his children,

and if they didn't achieve
his high standards immediately,

he would
whip it out of them.

I told my husband
I had suspicions,

but he just told me
to mind my own business.

Do you know
where they are now?

Haven't seen Marina since she
left for boarding school,

and I think Simon was taken
by Child Protective Services.

It's a break in the pattern.

Not a married couple, fewer
days between murders,

and no real
signs of violence.

Actually, Mr Melitz and Mr
Riniker were recently married.

Belgium was one of
the first countries

to allow
same-sex marriage.

This is where
it happened.

We found this postcard
at the CNN offices.

Wait, was there
a photograph with it?

No photo.

"It has come full circle."

The handwriting
looks different.

No photograph.
No unconnected body parts.

Gay couple...

You think
it's a copycat?

How could the Randolphs
have left Stockholm undetected?

Look.

Bouguereau's
Dante and Virgil in Hell.

Bill's got me in to see
Haysmith. I got to run.

Valerie...

Yes, yes,
I'll be careful.

Bublitz sent the photos,
and also

the crime scene photos
of Amsterdam.

Look.

Wait, wait, go...
Go back.

That's my
grandmother's ring.

That's my
daughter's hand!

I'm so sorry.

That's my
daughter's hand.

No.

I'm sorry.

My daughter's hand...

Got 15 minutes, ma'am.

Forgive me
for staring.

You're the first
good-looking woman

I've seen in a very long time.

Do you have a mind
to match that face?

A mind brilliant enough
to get me out of here?

We're building a case
to launch an appeal.

I found a number
of inconsistencies

in the evidence
provided by your son.

Did they tell you
he defiled a de Kooning?

Those two had everything.
Everything!

You cannot buy the kind
of education they had.

Respect for money
is important to you, isn't it?

Of course.

Listen to me
very carefully.

The sins of the father
this is not.

Care to elaborate?

Oh!

We have 15 minutes
together, Ms Kanon,

can we please not spend it
talking about

these ungrateful
bastards?

Let's talk about
politics, art.

Let's talk about the late
works of the Cubists,

how the Expressionists
were a reaction to fascism.

Or how being sent to boarding
school affects your child?

What happened
to your daughter?

There seems
no trace of her.

We're looking for cause.

Why would Simon Jr
make up stories about you?

Did you know your senses get
heightened in this place?

I don't know why.

Perhaps it's all the noise,

followed by
the silence.

A father's duty is to
teach, and I did just that.

I taught them culture,
ethics, morality, discipline.

Is that right?

Oh, you're just like her.

Devious little bitch.

Young girls
need to be just that.

Young girls.

You'll find them together.

You can't
keep them apart...

Except by force.

That's something
you're very good at.

Oh, are you
judging me?

Oh, I think
a court already did that.

Well, society is
full of wrong decisions

made by decent people.
Take me, for example.

I met with you

because I actually thought
you might be able to help me.

Well, that was a huge error
of judgement on your part.

So I take it you won't
be handling my appeal.

Enchante, madame.

Enchante.

It seems the majority of
Haysmith's rage was...

Was focused on the girl.

So, Marina gets sent away
to boarding school,

and Simon stops at
nothing to get her back.

That is
one hell of a brother.

Unless...

Unless it's
more than that.

What do you mean?

Valerie said that Haysmith
called Marina "a devious bitch",

but he also said
something about

young girls needing to be
young girls,

and that it would take force
to keep them apart.

Christ.

Mac and
Sylvia Randolph...

They are Marina
and Simon Haysmith.

What?

I mean, our suspects that we've
been chasing across Europe,

they're not married,
they're not...

They're not husband and wife,

they are
brother and sister.

Head of
Saint John the Baptist.

What?

Head of
Saint John the Baptist.

A fitting tribute
to that sadistic bastard.

We have to make sure
that everyone knows,

and most importantly, why.

He took beauty and made
it cruel and ugly.

Will they even let him see,
do you think?

I want him to see
the destruction, Marina.

I want him to hurt

like we did.
Hey, hey.

I'm here.

I'm right here.

We have fucked with
his notion of perfection.

That'll get inside his mind
like no incarceration can.

I know I shouldn't,
but I almost feel...

They're playing out
their story.

Look, The Kiss,
the pain of lovers torn apart.

Saturn Devouring
His Son,

the father that
destroyed their lives.

It all makes
horrible, twisted sense.

Love, pain, death...

Completion.

Yeah, but the last postcard
still had an ellipsis.

They're not
finished yet.

The message they're sending
is that their love is valid.

They are angry at the world
for not accepting them.

I think the murders in Brussels
were exact and purposeful,

not random.

Why?

Because other forms of love,
for centuries forbidden,

are now accepted by most,

but not theirs.

To feel powerful in the
face of powerlessness.

Yeah, exactly.

What if we took that
away from them?

How do you mean?

That article you were
going to write about me...

My name is Dave Bennings and
I'm with my brothers,

Brian and Jesse, and our
partner, Peter.

Simon, babe,
come here.

"Over the last
two weeks,

"I've had a front-row seat
to the investigation

"of the serial murders

"dubbed 'The Postcard Killings'.

"They've dominated our
headlines,

"but the media
analysis is wrong.

"As odd as it sounds,

"these crimes are not driven
by bloodlust or cruelty.

"Instead, they are
a cry for understanding..."

"I've had a front-row seat via
Detective Jacob Kanon,

"the American father
of one of the victims.

"He's an
outsider here, like me,

"but he will not let
the grimness of this world

"distract him from
his commitment

"to find justice for
his daughter.

"Because unlike
the killers' family,

"this father's love
is 100%..."

"It is obvious from
the brutality of the crimes

"that the killers had a
horribly abusive childhood.

"The words on their postcards
have been kept guarded,

"but they reveal
a rage

"and passionate commitment
to the validity

"of their own struggle...

"And that struggle
is their message.

"And that message
is justice..."

"But now we have heard
you, and you can stop.

"This has been difficult
for me, and frightening,

"but Jacob has shown me

"what it means
to be really good.

"A good detective,

"a good father,

"a good man."

We make her
our final piece.

She makes
everything complete.

Maybe we
should stop.

Get a car,
disappear.

No.

Maybe we
should split up?

We're not splitting up!

I want to
live a normal life.

That's what we are doing,
creating a chance for that.

Artists were judged
in their lifetimes,

just as we are.

My God, do you really
care about this?

All I care about
is losing you.

We shouldn't
have to hide anymore.

I went to the police

so that we didn't
have to live like this.

"Thank you, Ms Lombard,

"for telling our story with the
meaningful heart it deserves.

"The curtain is
pulled back."

I don't
understand.

Iron Curtain.
Mother was Russian.

Irina Smirnova, she, erm,
was born in St Petersburg.

She moved to the US
with her parents

after the Soviet Union
collapsed.

My guess is
they're travelling

under the name Simon
and Marina Haysmith again,

using their
Russian passports.

Which would explain
how they left Sweden.

And how they
passed across borders.

If we checked,

I'll bet Haysmith is using
a bank account in Brussels.

Or what if Brussels was
not to throw us off,

just to redirect
our thinking.

No, look, we know
that they're heading northeast.

They cross the border on
the other side of Helsinki,

they're damn near
in St Petersburg.

If they make it to Russia,
they're virtually untouchable.

No extradition treaties.

Jesus. Why can't we
catch a break here?

A postcard turned up at a
newspaper in Paris this morning,

and in Hamburg,
and in Budapest...

What did they say?

All the same.

"Now we are reborn."

With a "dot, dot, dot"?

No, just a single dot.

I'll loop in Hoglund
and Interpol,

see if we can trace
the email.

There's a manhunt
across Europe.

In the meantime
sit tight, my friend.

Not a
chance in hell.

I'm going back
to Munich.

Understood.

You do
what is expected.

I'm going to
do what's needed.

I know you know
how to use this.

Only you can determine
if you should.

How far
to the Russian border?

Around three hours.
There's only one road.

Is it them?
Yeah, it's them.

Dessie!

Dessie!

Morning.

We knew
you'd figure it out.

It was Mac's idea to mention
the curtain being pulled back.

Our mother was the one
good thing in our lives.

She tried to
protect us from him.

But monsters
will remain monsters,

no matter what you try
to do to tame them.

For centuries, artists have
killed things in a moment.

We reinvented that.

When you wrote about the
intensity of our rage,

it was
so perceptive.

You were lucky
to have each other.

My father wasn't
a good man either.

If I'd had a brother, it
would have been easier.

That man deserves
to rot in hell.

Who can say how we feel
is "unacceptable"?

Love is love.

I like you.

So why don't you
let me go?

Hey, stop, stop!

I wouldn't...
Mac, this is good.

Mac, stop the car.

Listen...

Sylvia, listen,
please... Let me go!

Shh.

Please.

I'm so cold...

It won't take very long.

And I promise, you won't
feel any pain.

Okay?

We good to go?

Perfect.

There they are.

Modigilani's
Reclining Nude.

"Art is a wound
turned into light."

Look, you drink this, you
won't feel any pain. Okay?

Come on.
Come on.

Christ!
Fuck you!

Do you think
that you can stop this?

Now, one more time.

Step away from her.

Hands where
I can see them.

Your daughter
was lovely.

Shut up.

She had the longest
fingers, so graceful.

You didn't know
my daughter.

You don't get
to talk about her.

But she
talked about you.

She talked
about you a lot.

She said she wished kids had a
say in their parents' divorce.

Our father
was nothing like you.

But your mother...

It must have really hurt
when she died, huh?

He took
everything from her,

till there
was nothing left.

Marina,
we okay?

No!

No!

No! No!

You're not gonna
go after them?

Nowhere
for them to go.

Marina,
are we going home?

Yes. The sun
never sets there. Never.

We'll be accepted.

No one can
hurt us again.

Hello.

Hey.

I was worried I wasn't
gonna get to see you again.

Ready to go?

Yes, I am.
Let me carry that.

Your countrymen will be
reading the salacious details

over their cornflakes.

Somehow just compounds
the tragedy of it all.

Haysmith has enormous amounts
of blood on his hands.

And really,

no family
connection at all?

They were
adopted at birth

three years apart,
from two different states.

According to
press reports,

he had this attorney
on retainer.

Was very specific
on what he wanted.

Sign, please.
Looks, background...

Early genetic engineering
at its finest.

Exactly.

Seemingly, he was
impotent in more

than just the
emotional sense.

Damn, you know...

Simon and Marina, they
could have gotten married,

lived happily
ever after,

and my daughter
and all those others...

They would
still be alive.

Ah.

Everything is arranged,
car to the airport,

a plane to take you
to London so that you...

Well, you know,

bring her home.

Yeah.

You're a good man.

Thank you
for everything.

And you'll let me know
when they find their bodies?

It was nice to have you
with me on my last case.

What will
you do tomorrow?

Fire my dog walker.

Don't end up like me.

Find a new
beginning.

We raised
a great kid.

She was happy.

Well, at least
we got something right.

I think
we got it all right.

Till we didn't.

"We"?

You probably don't
want to, but,

people are coming
back to my place...

Oh... I will see
you there in a bit.

Oh, kiddo.

I'm gonna
miss you so much.

Yeah?

Haysmith?
Yeah?

You got a call.

Thanks.

Hello? Hello?

Hello?