S1E3

The Call That Unleashes the Obsession: Catherine’s Clandestine Pursuit of Royce

In a moment of raw, unguarded urgency, Sergeant Catherine Cawood steps away from the chaotic aftermath of Kirsten McAskill’s murder to make a clandestine call—one that reveals the depth of her fixation on Tommy Lee Royce. The call is a turning point: it marks the moment her personal demons (guilt over Kirsten’s death, her estrangement from her son, and the unresolved trauma of her daughter Becky’s loss) collide with her professional duty, blurring the line between justice and vengeance. Her voice is tense, her posture guarded, as she references Royce’s prison release—a detail that suggests she’s already been monitoring him, possibly even before the murder. The call isn’t just about information; it’s a confession of her own moral unraveling. She’s no longer just investigating Royce; she’s hunting him, and the audience senses this is the first domino in a chain reaction that will force her to confront the fragility of her own psyche. The scene is a masterclass in subtext: her dialogue is sparse but loaded, her body language (walking away from the scene, isolating herself) speaks volumes. This isn’t just a phone call—it’s the ignition of her obsession, a choice that will have devastating consequences for her and those around her. The event serves as both a setup (for Catherine’s rogue investigation of Royce) and a revelation (of her emotional state), while also foreshadowing the moral compromises she’ll make in her pursuit of the truth. The call’s abrupt cutoff (implied by the ellipsis in the script) leaves the audience hanging—who is she talking to? What does she already know?—creating a sense of unease that mirrors Catherine’s own instability.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

Catherine walks to her car to make a call concerning Tommy Lee Royce being out of prison.

Neutral

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

Catherine Cawood

Sergeant

primary

A fragile facade of professionalism masking deep anxiety, guilt, and a simmering rage tied to her unresolved trauma over Becky’s suicide and Kirsten’s murder. The call is a moment of vulnerability, where her fixation on Royce surfaces uncontrollably.

Catherine walks briskly away from the murder scene, her body language tense and withdrawn, as she retreats to the privacy of her personal car. She is mid-conversation on her mobile phone, her voice low and strained, referencing Tommy Lee Royce’s prison release. The call is abrupt, cut off by the ellipsis in the script, leaving her words hanging in the air. Her physical isolation in the car contrasts sharply with the chaos of the crime scene, underscoring her emotional detachment and the personal nature of her fixation on Royce.

Goals in this moment

• To confirm or seek information about Tommy Lee Royce’s movements or status, suggesting she is already monitoring him.
• To maintain secrecy about her personal investigation, as evidenced by her retreat to the car and the clandestine nature of the call.

Active beliefs

• That Royce’s release is directly tied to the recent violence, including Kirsten’s murder, and that she is the only one who can stop him.
• That her pursuit of Royce is justified by her past losses, even if it means crossing ethical or professional lines.

Character traits

Obsessive Guarded Emotionally volatile Professionally detached (but personally unraveling) Secretive

Follow Catherine Cawood's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

Catherine Cawood's Personal Car

Catherine’s personal car serves as a private sanctuary in the midst of chaos, providing her with the physical and emotional space to make her clandestine call. The car’s enclosed environment contrasts with the open, chaotic crime scene, symbolizing her need to compartmentalize her personal demons from her professional duties. It acts as a transitional space where her obsession with Royce can surface without immediate scrutiny. The car’s interior—likely dimly lit, with the hum of the engine or the distant sounds of the crime scene—amplifies the intimacy and urgency of the call, making it a pivotal moment in her unraveling.

Before: Parked near the crime scene on Milton Avenue, …

After: The car remains parked, but its interior now …

Before: Parked near the crime scene on Milton Avenue, unlocked and accessible. It is Catherine’s personal vehicle, not a patrol car, emphasizing her need for privacy.

After: The car remains parked, but its interior now carries the weight of Catherine’s confession. The call has ended, but the car’s role as a refuge for her secrets is solidified, foreshadowing future moments where she will use it to plan or process her rogue investigation.

Kevin Weatherill's Handheld Mobile Phone

Catherine’s mobile phone is the catalyst for this event, serving as both a communication device and a symbol of her secrecy. She uses it to make a clandestine call while physically isolated in her car, away from the prying eyes and ears of her colleagues. The phone’s role is twofold: it facilitates the exchange of critical information about Tommy Lee Royce, and it underscores Catherine’s need for privacy, highlighting her growing detachment from institutional protocols. The call’s abrupt cutoff (implied by the ellipsis) leaves the phone—and Catherine—hanging in a state of unresolved tension, mirroring her emotional state.

Before: Possessed by Catherine, fully functional, and used for …

After: Still in Catherine’s possession, but the call has …

Before: Possessed by Catherine, fully functional, and used for a prior call (likely to Ashley Cowgill, as referenced in canonical entities). It is in her hand as she walks away from the crime scene.

After: Still in Catherine’s possession, but the call has ended abruptly, leaving the conversation—and her emotional state—unresolved. The phone remains a tool for her secretive pursuits, foreshadowing its eventual destruction in a later moment of rage.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

Driveway in Front of Derelict Garage (Milton Avenue, Sowerby Bridge)

The driveway in front of the derelict garage on Milton Avenue serves as a liminal space for Catherine, bridging the chaos of the crime scene and the privacy of her car. As she walks back to her vehicle, the driveway becomes a transitional zone where her professional role as a police officer collides with her personal obsession. The location is public yet semi-isolated, allowing her to make her call without immediate interference but still within earshot of the ongoing investigation. The driveway’s gritty, urban atmosphere—tires grinding over grit, voices echoing from the chaos—mirrors Catherine’s internal turmoil, reinforcing the tension between her duty and her vengeance.

Atmosphere A tense, chaotic atmosphere permeated by the distant shouts of officers, the flashing lights of …

Function Transitional space where Catherine physically and emotionally detaches from the crime scene to pursue her …

Symbolism Represents the blurred line between Catherine’s professional and personal lives. The driveway is a threshold …

Access Publicly accessible but semi-isolated due to the ongoing police activity. Catherine’s movement is unobstructed, but …

The distant shouts of officers and the flashing lights of police vehicles, creating a sense of controlled chaos. The gritty surface of the driveway, with tires grinding over loose gravel or debris, adding to the urban, tense atmosphere. The enclosed space of Catherine’s car, providing a stark contrast to the open, chaotic crime scene.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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Key Dialogue

"**CATHERINE** *(low, urgent, into phone)*: *'You know that day I came home and said, “Tommy Lee Royce is out of prison”—'* "

"*[Implied subtext: The call is cut off mid-sentence, but the weight of what she’s about to say—or already knows—hangs in the air. Her tone suggests this isn’t just professional curiosity; it’s personal. The audience infers she’s been tracking Royce’s movements, possibly even before Kirsten’s murder, and that her fixation on him is deepening into something dangerous.]*"