Frances rejects Catherine’s evidence of Tommy’s crimes
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Frances counters Catherine's accusations, claiming Tommy was fond of her daughter and denying his responsibility for her suicide, then stating that Catherine deprived Tommy of a relationship with his child.
Catherine lists Tommy's heinous crimes including the rapes and murders he committed, but Frances denies Tommy committed some of the crimes.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Not physically present, but his absence is palpable. The tension in the room is driven by the fear of what Tommy’s influence could do to him.
Ryan is mentioned as the focal point of the conflict between Catherine and Frances. His well-being and future are central to Catherine’s mission to protect him from Tommy’s influence. Frances argues for Ryan’s right to a relationship with his father, while Catherine vehemently opposes this, framing it as a threat to Ryan’s safety and emotional stability. Ryan himself is not physically present, but his absence underscores the stakes of the confrontation.
- • To be protected from Tommy’s manipulative influence.
- • To have a stable and safe upbringing, free from the shadows of his father’s crimes.
- • Ryan is unaware of the full extent of his father’s crimes and the danger he poses.
- • His relationship with Tommy would be harmful and exploitative.
Controlled anger and sorrow, masking deep desperation and frustration. She is visibly pained by the need to relive her daughter’s trauma but remains focused on her mission to protect Ryan.
Catherine enters Frances’s sitting room with deliberate calm, masking her controlled anger and desperation. She sits down uninvited but with measured politeness, her body language restrained yet assertive. She methodically lists Tommy’s crimes—rape, murder, attempted murder—while carefully observing Frances’s reactions. Her voice remains steady, but her internal struggle is visible in her pauses and the way she forces herself to say her daughter’s name. She accuses Frances of being deluded and complicit, but her primary focus is on protecting Ryan, framing her arguments around his well-being.
- • To dismantle Frances’s delusional belief in Tommy Lee Royce’s redemption by presenting irrefutable evidence of his crimes.
- • To convince Frances that Tommy is grooming her and using her to get to Ryan, thereby protecting Ryan from further manipulation.
- • Tommy Lee Royce is an irredeemable predator who will continue to harm those around him, including Ryan.
- • Frances is a victim of Tommy’s manipulation and is too emotionally invested to see the truth.
Defiant and emotionally invested, masking deep insecurity and fear of losing her connection to Tommy. She is accusatory toward Catherine, particularly when her own delusions are challenged.
Frances follows Catherine into the sitting room, her posture defensive and her tone dismissive. She touches her engagement ring repeatedly, a physical anchor to her delusion. She interrupts Catherine frequently, insisting on Tommy’s innocence and childhood trauma as excuses for his actions. Her voice is sharp and accusatory, particularly when Catherine suggests she is being groomed. She clings to the idea that Tommy is capable of redemption, insisting she sees 'no evil' in his eyes. Her defiance is absolute, even as Catherine’s arguments become more pointed.
- • To defend Tommy Lee Royce’s character and insist on his redemption, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
- • To maintain her delusional belief system, even as Catherine presents irrefutable proof of Tommy’s crimes.
- • Tommy Lee Royce is not inherently evil and can be redeemed through kindness and help.
- • Catherine is motivated by jealousy and a desire to keep Ryan away from his father out of spite.
Not physically present, but his psychological presence is overwhelming. Frances idealizes him, while Catherine’s anger and fear are directed toward his continued influence.
Tommy Lee Royce is referenced extensively throughout the confrontation, serving as the central figure whose crimes and manipulation are at the heart of the dispute. Frances defends him vehemently, attributing his actions to childhood trauma and insisting he is not evil. Catherine counters with forensic evidence and personal testimony, framing Tommy as a psychopath and predator. His influence looms over the entire scene, shaping Frances’s delusions and Catherine’s desperation to protect Ryan.
- • To maintain control over Frances and use her to get to Ryan.
- • To undermine Catherine’s authority and protect his own narrative of redemption.
- • He is capable of manipulating others into believing his version of events.
- • His crimes are justified or excusable due to his traumatic childhood.
Not physically present, but her trauma is a lingering presence in the room, reinforcing the gravity of Tommy’s actions.
Ann Gallagher is referenced by Catherine as one of Tommy’s victims, specifically as a rape survivor. Frances dismisses this claim, attributing the rape to Lewis Whippey instead. Ann’s trauma is invoked to underscore the severity of Tommy’s crimes, but her absence highlights the broader pattern of his predatory behavior and the systemic failure to protect his victims.
- • To serve as evidence of Tommy’s crimes and the need for justice.
- • To highlight the broader pattern of violence and manipulation.
- • Tommy’s crimes have had lasting, devastating effects on his victims and their families.
- • The legal system has failed to fully address the extent of his predatory behavior.
Not physically present, but his fate serves as a warning of what happens to those who challenge or are perceived as threats to Tommy.
Lewis Whippey is referenced by Frances as a scapegoat for Tommy’s crimes, particularly the rape of Ann Gallagher and the murder of Kirsten McAskill. Catherine dismisses this as part of Tommy’s manipulative ‘slant’ on events. Lewis’s role as a low-level enforcer and his eventual murder by Tommy are used to illustrate the depth of Tommy’s control and the lengths he will go to protect his own narrative.
- • To illustrate the extent of Tommy’s violence and control.
- • To highlight the complicity of those who enable his crimes.
- • Tommy’s manipulation extends to framing others for his crimes.
- • Lewis’s death is a direct result of Tommy’s predatory nature.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The missing photos of Tommy Lee Royce and Ryan Cawood are a critical detail in the confrontation. Frances accuses Catherine’s ‘people’ of taking them, her voice sharp with accusation. The absence of these photos underscores the fragility of Frances’s delusions—she has physically removed evidence of her connection to Tommy, yet she clings to her belief in his redemption. The empty spaces on the wall serve as a visual metaphor for the gaps in her logic and the erasure of reality she is attempting to maintain. Catherine does not directly address the missing photos, but their absence looms over the conversation, reinforcing the idea that Frances is hiding from the truth.
The cuddly toy in Frances’s sitting room serves as a stark contrast to the austerity of the room and the gravity of the conversation. Its childlike form clashes with the religious icons and the missing photos of Tommy and Ryan, silently underscoring Frances’s delusional nurturing instincts toward Ryan. Catherine does not directly interact with the toy, but its presence in the otherwise sparse room highlights the dissonance between Frances’s self-image as a caring figure and her complicity in shielding a predator. The toy symbolizes the innocence Frances claims to protect, while her actions threaten to corrupt it.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Frances’s sitting room is a battleground for the clash between Catherine’s reality and Frances’s delusions. The room’s sparse decor—featuring a crucifix, a picture of Jesus, and a single cuddly toy—creates an atmosphere of austere religiosity, contrasting sharply with the emotional intensity of the confrontation. The missing photos of Tommy and Ryan add to the tension, serving as a visual representation of Frances’s denial. The room’s barrenness mirrors the emotional void at the heart of Frances’s relationship with Tommy, while the religious icons underscore her attempt to justify her actions through moral absolution. The sitting room is not just a physical space but a metaphor for the moral and psychological conflict unfolding within it.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Catherine arrives at Frances' house aiming to stop the harm to Ryan, and tries build trust by suggesting she she isn't a bad person. Paralleling their efforts."
Key Dialogue
"FRANCES: We’re getting married."
"CATHERINE: Tommy Lee Royce is a psychopath. He’s a murderer and he’s a sex offender. And you must know - you must realise - that I think. That you. Have allowed yourself to be deluded by this dangerous man because you’re infatuated with him."
"FRANCES: I believe that no-one is born evil. He may have done things, I know he’s done things, and yes, he will inevitably have put his own slant on it all and made it seem not as bad as it might really have been. But we all do that, we’re all human. But. He isn’t evil. He’s a product of his childhood, and he had an awful childhood. But he isn’t intrinsically evil. We condemn the sin, not the sinner."
"CATHERINE: He’s using you. He’s used you. To get close to Ryan. He’s groomed you. You’ve been groomed. You’ve been picked, you’ve been chosen, for what he can get out of you."
"FRANCES: You’re jealous."