The Norwood Builder - Part Two

31m
SIEGE AT THE MUSEUM - Everything seemed to be within our control at one moment and then in this sudden altercation with Hector things began to spiral wildly out of control. Just how far this thing would go still baffles me. Sherlock and I decided to go over the case with the help of Hector's wife Shireen.

Part 2 of 4

This episode contains swearing, misogyny, depictions of violence and gun usage.

Listener discretion is advised.

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Copyright 2025.

SHERLOCK AND CO.

Based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Paul Waggott as Dr. John Watson
Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes
Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra
Dominic Sandbrook as Hector McFarlane
Ant McGinley as Gregson
Lucy-Jane Quinlan as Shireen McFarlane
Sharon D. Clarke as Lestrade

Additional voices
Adam Jarrell
Joel Emery
Darcey Ferguson
Vanessa Emery
Julia Green
Felicia Prince

Written by Joel Emery

Directed by Adam Jarrell

Editing and Sound Design by Holy Smokes Audio

Produced by Neil Fearn and Jon Gill

Executive Producer Tony Pastor
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Transcript

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Previously on Sherlock and Co.

Yeah, this is Hector.

Hector McFarlane, hi, hi there.

You're a solicitor.

I am, yes.

And you're on the run.

The run?

Very much so.

Very, very much so.

This bloody air fryer, my wife wanted one.

And I said, Shireen, we don't have the space.

She said, we do, Hector.

We have the space.

It's a big kitchen and all this.

And I said, no, we don't have the counter space.

The kitchen counter.

There's not enough room.

We decide to get a whole kitchen renovation.

And I think, well, that's just bloody marvelous, isn't it?

Let's tear up the whole kitchen for this air fryer.

Anyway, it drags on and we eventually get a guy from Norwood.

A fellow from Norwood, Jonas Oldacre.

Oh.

But

he's dead.

Hector, he was.

he was murdered.

This man comes into my kitchen under false pretenses, smashes the place to bits, pulls out the oven, the dishwasher, all the cupboards and counters, and holds me to ransom.

To ransom!

I said, I'm not bloody having this.

You are taking the piss.

We have this big row.

I told him, in no uncertain terms, I'm taking you to court, mate.

You are screwed.

And then on.

Last Monday, I came back from work and Jonas was still at the house, which was odd, as I had been working late.

Well, very late, so I expected to not see him.

And he was actually...

He'd hung around for some legal advice.

He said his partner was pregnant, recently pregnant, and he wanted to draw up a will and he asked if I could help out and he said if I helped him he would knock down some of the labor costs even more and I thought well why not you know I mean I mean I arranged the forms for him.

He was right back the next morning before I was even out for work.

The forms were on the side ready to be signed by me.

I signed it.

Caught him as I was heading off on my bike and I said to him, we'll make a couple of copies and I can get it filed at work.

That

was the last time anyone saw Jonas Oldacre.

I left the meeting room, I walked down the hallway and

Dame Gwen Lestrade is there.

She introduces herself and she says she's overseeing an investigation that she says concerns her greatly and I say, oh what's that?

And she says the murder of Jonas Oldacre.

And there

is the will.

All the belongings, assets, and financial holdings of Jonas Oldacre will be left to

me.

To Hector MacFarlane.

You killed Jonas Oldacre.

How dare you?

You beat him to death with a club hammer.

That's not true!

A clubhammer you took from his own van on the 13th.

You're a liar!

Hey, whoa, whoa, that's an answer, right?

Come on.

And did you see?

He

reacted to the blood on his own hand.

His face ran pale, he gagged.

His walk into the kitchen denoted a spell of dizziness.

He was unbalanced and numb.

Hector has acute hemophobia.

Wait, leave him in there.

No, I need more information on what exactly.

What?

What is it?

Is he fainted?

No.

He's vanished.

Quite a lot of swearing in this episode, but you'll survive.

Get in that episode description for more info.

Get a transcript at sherlockandco.co.uk forward slash transcript if you fancy.

Or not.

You know, whatever.

Bye.

He's vanished.

What do you mean he's vanished?

He's vanished.

He's a solicitor, not a magician.

Solicitors don't vanish into thin air.

Guys, look, he probably climbed down onto the delivery truck roof.

He's gone out the kitchen window.

Is he mad?

Look.

See?

Oh, for God's sake.

Bloody Amazon deliveries.

It's relentless.

We should really go and let the police in.

Oh,

God.

Hiya.

John?

Tom.

Mariana.

Tom.

I'm here to make a formal arrest.

Well, I know you and Sherlock don't get on, but that's a bit dramatic, isn't it?

Where is he?

Who's Sherlock?

Just upstairs, hanging out, chilling, taking a load off.

No.

Hector MacFarlane.

We know he's here.

Yeah, I wouldn't be so sure of that, Tom.

What do you mean?

Um

You know what you should do?

You should air tag your suspects, question them, then pop one of those on them.

That's what you should do.

Just a little bit of feedback.

That would be illegal.

Right.

Right, yeah.

Um, hey, can I get you a cup of tea?

No.

Okie-dokie.

Tom, I think we should re-evaluate the case.

Consider this fugitive state of affairs as a window of opportunity.

That there

is a window of opportunity, and our suspect has just jumped out of it.

Okay, so I-I-I-I-I-I think what Sherlock is trying to say is that

he noted a few um

holes in the case, right, Sherlock?

Oh, wait, what?

Sherlock Holmes found fault with a police investigation.

I'm gonna need to sit down to process this.

Jesus Christ.

I can't believe my ears.

Take a seat, Gregson.

You'll be all right.

Watson, get a cold cloth.

Yeah, he's being sarcastic.

Oh.

Tom, if you could make arrangements for Sherlock to maybe see the crime scene, it would give you...

Guys, this is a serious matter.

They're always serious matters, and we always help.

This isn't help.

A good track record does not excuse letting a suspect jump out your back window.

A suspect, by the way, that we believe not only beat a man to death with a bloody hammer, but they cut him to pieces.

You don't have a body.

No, we don't.

But we have Old Acre's blood on a club hammer.

We have Old Acre's blood on a disposed angle grinder blade, and we have Hector MacFarlane's fingerprints on both.

You know Hector MacFarlane, the bloke who miraculously stands to inherit all of Aldacre's cash and belongings.

Funny that.

Does it not occur to you, Tom, that this murder tied to this suspect a little too easily?

Yes, that's why we're in the process of arresting him and getting him charged for crying out loud.

I too had the same thought of Hector MacFarlane, MacFarlane, but now my mind is full of questions.

Yeah, well, you're gonna have a lot more in your mind when Gwen is finished with you.

Gwen's energy would be best spent finishing this investigation.

Your body had finished the investigation.

Twenty teams!

I have deciphered more than you.

Shut up.

Your radio, Tom.

It's all right, it's not for me.

It's for units in the Baker Street area.

Oh, shit.

This is Gregson.

Over.

Gregson, we've got an armed suspect at Madam 2 Swords.

What?

Repeat an armed suspect at Madam 2 Swords.

Dispatch, I'm in the area, about a minute away.

Could you repeat?

Over.

Suspect with a firearm at Madam Two Swords on Marleybone Road.

Repeat, we have a suspect with a firearm at Madam Two Swords on Marleybone Road.

Units and special units on standby.

Over.

I think we may have located Mr.

McFarlane.

Don't you?

Sherlock, they said he's armed.

He's not an armed gunman.

He's a snobby solicitor from Blackheath.

Let me go deal with the gunman.

We'll talk about McFarlane later.

They're the same person.

Enough!

Sherlock, just.

This is serious, mate.

Right, Tom, we will get our heads together, have a think about how we can tackle this.

Yeah, you do that.

You didn't move it.

Someone is paying attention at least.

What?

The gun on the counter in the kitchen.

I told you to move it.

And you didn't.

Did you?

I did not.

Whoopsie.

He.

Oh.

You are fucking kidding me.

We need to be sure that that building is evacuated immediately.

I don't want to head down to this.

Well, I spoke to a young woman, Anien, and she said that the gentleman was armed.

Yes, absolutely.

I think we'll do it on camera too, and I'll just sweeter cells.

Thank you, Suzanne.

Now, we are just getting some information to us that Madame Two Swords in London may be the site of a potential hostage situation.

I saw him come in, and I just immediately knew that something was wrong.

And then it must have been like five seconds, literally like five seconds, and then everybody was running and screaming, and he was shouting.

These hostages have been taken by the man whose identity has just been revealed as Hector MacFarlane.

A gentleman from Blackheath by the name of Hector MacFarlane.

Five American citizens are fighting for their lives in London, England.

Five Americans, a Chinese national, and two British citizens make up the hostages taken by Blackheath-based solicitor Hector MacFarlane.

Everybody move back to some armed seats!

We have official confirmation of the target.

No, no, no, I'm sorry.

Look, you've got a madman with a gun who is threatening to kill innocent people, Callum.

Yeah, but what I think we're all missing is, right?

He's innocent until proven guilty, is he?

He's holding people up at gunpoints.

Because he is fighting against the press for saying that he did it.

They're saying it.

What we understand

is both Hector McFarlane and the eight hostages do not have contacts.

Here in Blackheath, where we're seeing that Shunine

Do you think that builders like Jonas Oldacre being murdered will affect the government's house building targets?

So the question is, I mean, this is going to be for Justin Brown, Member of Parliament for Buckingham at Bletchley.

Will these builder murders affect government house house building targets?

That's what the gentleman asked.

Um, well, it it

well,

no.

All units here by suspect is armed and dangerous.

All units are not.

And you're just seeing these remarkable pictures we're getting now of police units actually on the rooftops surrounding Mamantu Swords.

And I'm just wondering, Michael, if they have line of sight on Hector in there.

You've got that guy in England, right?

He's like taking it to the cops.

Wait, you don't think he killed that guy?

I don't, ma'am.

You don't?

I don't think he killed that guy.

I think he's like a typical

fuck-up elite snob who I hope is going to get what's coming to him.

He's going to get what he deserves.

The whole thing is gross if there's one or two sources.

Simple.

You shoot this, get asked questions later.

That's not what we do in this country.

That is not shooting shots.

We are now losing our grip on sanity.

No, no, no, he's on side because the right back is playing him on.

Not the football.

Is this about the mouse?

Again, they said they'd call for a humane release.

No, not the mouse.

The siege.

Oh.

Yeah, well, I mean, of course it's not fair.

It is an armed siege Sherlock.

Yes, but I'm not there.

That's what's not fair.

They're not going to let you attend, mate.

It's a potential hostage situation, not a birthday party.

Welcome to Blackheath, everyone, in southeast London.

And

I have to say, it's about as tranquil as London gets.

We're currently looking out on the expanse of the...

well, of Blackheath.

It's a big flat heathland type park, really.

Lots of people playing football.

A bit of cricket over there, tennis courts behind me, people walking their dogs, coming back from work and

yeah we are hopefully going to get a piece of this Norwood Builder case action but

not quite sure what the master detective has in mind.

Now that's where you tell me.

Nope fine.

Well I'm definitely not getting an air fryer now.

I mean look what happens.

One minute all is fine.

You're living living in Blackheath, not a care in the world.

Then you get an air fryer, and before you know it, you've chopped up a builder, you're on the run from the authorities, and now you're hold up in a landmark London tourist attraction in a standoff with armed police.

Makes you think.

Makes you think of what exactly?

I said, Oh, like

the smallest things in life can set off these massive events.

They're just...

You know, I mean, this is huge, isn't it?

People will say, oh, do you remember the siege of Madame Two Swords in in 2025?

Oh, yeah, I remember that.

I was...

You know, I was at uni, and your mother was working down the street from it, weren't you, love?

Sorry, who on earth are these characters?

No, I'm just.

I'm providing

a sense of the gravity of events, Sherlock.

Okay, that's...

People remember this shit.

What sort of events do you remember then?

Me.

Diana Death.

9-11.

Then

the London bombings, 7-7, I think that was

and uh that bloke that blew his bollocks off with the suicide nail bomb in a Nando's toilet in 2006.

It was a giraffe.

What?

It was a giraffe.

No it was a bloke, mate.

It was a suicide bomber.

No, the establishment.

It wasn't the toilet of a Nando's, it was a giraffe.

Ah, giraffe cafe, yeah.

Sorry.

We should be there.

The police will handle it.

Just focus on the task at hand.

They won't.

They'll kill an innocent man.

Yeah, innocent men don't arm themselves and march into waxwork museums taking hostages.

This one does.

Another thing, I don't appreciate being dragged from Baker Street all the way to Blackheath.

Literally the opposite side of London, to then hear you say, oh, we should be there.

We must review the crime scene.

I must be sure.

I must be able to provide the police with an alternative.

Yeah, they're gonna want to hear that right now.

It's their job to hear it.

Yeah, I mean, sure, it is also their job to shoot Hector McFarlane in the head.

So.

There she is.

Shireen.

Shireen McFarlane.

Right there.

Where?

Where I expected her to be, on her way back from work.

Come.

Oh.

That is a lot of paparazzi around her, mate.

Are you surprised?

No, not one bit.

Pick up the pace.

Oh, hi again, everyone.

As I said, in Blackheath, Blackheath is, of course is whoa shit me fellow Blackheath is the home of Hector McFarlane which is where the missing presumed dead Jonas Oldacre was who was contracted for his building

work.

We're just blunt help.

We're just about to speak to Shireen see if we can okay wow we're going straight into the paparazzi.

Hey

move it out of the way.

Get off me.

Oh god you lot of the world.

Shireen!

Ow!

Shireen McFarlane!

Shireen!

Shireen!

Get away from me!

Parasite!

Shireen!

I just met your husband!

Get the fuck up this!

Hey!

Hey, that got me!

I'm a detective!

He came to see me!

I think he may be innocent.

Shireen!

I think Hector may be innocent.

What?

I said.

This is the lounge.

Lovely.

Yeah, I love the frame quotes over the walls.

Wine o'clock.

And yeah, you have me at Merlot.

Funny, um,

funny, funny stuff.

Some people think they're tacky, but uh.

No, not at all.

Not at all.

No, no.

Let let the night be gin.

Yeah, no, this is

tasteful, classy decor, Shireen.

I'm glad you like them.

Yeah, very, um,

yeah.

Then, um, a dining room here.

Uh, I decorated this room.

Yeah, wow, that's.

The leopard print really kind of throws you at first, but once.

Yeah, once your eyes settle.

It's quite something.

Yeah, crushed, crushed velvet dining chairs, very swanky.

Table all set for dinner?

It's just gonna be me tonight, though.

Hey, Shireen, it's okay.

It's gonna be okay.

Charlotte, will you get one of those serviettes for Shireen?

The pink ones.

Yeah.

Of course.

Yeah.

Here we go.

Oh, look, little

inspirational quotes on each one of us.

The only disability is a bad attitude.

That seems insensitive.

Thank you.

Oh,

I'm sorry.

Oh, God, Hector, what have you done?

He's taken some hostages in a London tourist attraction.

I don't think she was being literal, mate.

Ah.

Shireen, could could we uh

could we see the kitchen, maybe?

Uh, yeah, it's a a bit of a a mess.

Still under construction, obviously, and we haven't been allowed to touch it for a good week.

Here.

Yeah, a bit of a building site, isn't it?

But um, it looks lots of potential.

Um, Cornelius Kitchens?

The name of his company.

Of Jonas's company.

Right.

Do you recall what the police took away for evidence?

Uh mostly Jonas's tools.

Uh uh they took his van too, as it it was parked on the drive.

And the hammer was in the van?

No, it was on the counter there, in the kitchen.

Jonas had left it with the documents he had for Hector to process at work.

The will?

Jonas Oldacre's will, yeah?

Yeah.

Then over here is where he was doing the extension.

No.

Sorry?

We're not done.

How did you know the documents were in the kitchen?

Hector said he took them first thing in the morning.

To his work.

Yeah, but I was up first to let Jonas in.

Hector was showering.

Mrs.

McFarlane.

Shireen.

Shireen, it's very important you relay this information to me with as much accuracy as possible.

Mm-hmm.

On the morning of Jonas Oldacre's disappearance, you got up at what time?

6 a.m.

Same every morning.

I do yoga in the lounge.

What time does Jonas usually arrive?

Usually 7.

That morning it was 6.30.

Why?

He didn't say, but the yoga session, the video is 45 minutes long, so I just quickly let him in and he got on with it.

You finished the session, and you at some point saw the documents on this countertop?

I did.

I came through to make a coffee, and the documents were right there.

Here?

Yeah.

How were they presented?

Well, they were folded open on the last page, because, well, that's how I knew it was for Hector.

So the signature box for the solicitor, in this case, Hector, was presented.

Well, with a pen beside it, yeah, and he put the hammer on it as a paperweight.

Probably because the extension's still drafted.

Whoa, stop.

What?

The hammer?

It was.

Well, it didn't have blood on it or anything.

No, no, Shireen.

The hammer was on the documents.

As a paperweight, yeah.

Is that

have I said something wrong?

No.

Hector comes down.

He sees the signature box.

He knows the form, as he's drafted it the night before, so he's not going to read through.

He moves the hammer.

His prints go on it.

And he signs.

Shireen, take me through the rest of your husband's movements that morning.

Okay, so

he had a late night the night before with work, with Jonas asking him about this will.

He wanted to help him out.

Bit of a side gig, I suppose, to reduce the cost of all this.

He was a little behind that morning, so he put his coffee in his takeaway cup and then he put the documents in his briefcase.

Mm-hmm.

And he went to his bike.

He would have then cycled to the station.

Where is his bike stored?

It's round the side.

Show me.

He'd undo the lock for the storage, and his bike is in here.

Did you see him leave?

No.

You said goodbye inside?

Yeah.

Is Sherlock?

Yes, Watson.

Look at this, on the floor.

Ah, yes.

What do we have here?

A very small bit of plastic.

Yes, moulded and adjoining a gauze shield.

Most likely fitting a fan to expel air.

Is that from his bike?

Was it tampered with?

No, not at all.

Shireen, are you aware of what an angle grinder is?

It's a saw.

That's what they're saying he used on the body.

That's right.

It's a handheld circular saw.

Two grips, one at the rear, one at the front.

The police report states that they found a disposed blood-stained blade for it, and a new blade had been fitted poorly, and the angle grinder itself had been damaged in the process.

And that's why they think he did that.

Because it looked it appeared amateur-ish.

Someone disposed of the evidence and refitted a new blade to cover their tracks, but did it poorly.

But this here,

the small plastic moulding would fit the damage depicted in the report.

So the angle grinder, like the hammer, was left in a location that would require Hector to touch it.

To transfer his prince.

I mean it's no wonder he's snapped.

This press coverage is absolutely mental.

Hey look, there's us.

God's sake, I look so short because I'm next to you.

I'm not that short in real life.

This is why I should do more case within Harry Armour.

God, my hair's looking a bit long there too.

Could do with a cut.

Gotta go to the usual place though, can I?

All closed off because of bloody

own gunman here.

Sorry, who are you texting?

An associate.

So, Mariana, different kind of associate.

Right, could you elaborate?

Yes, actually.

Really?

Hey, where are you going?

We just got back.

I'm going to 29 Marlebone Road,

and so are you.

That's right.

Look at the siege.

It's opposite Madden Two Swords.

Why are we going there?

Shut up.

Oh, for God's sake.

Sherlock, please.

Just don't do anything stupid, all right?

Why not?

Well, A, Madame Two sort is right there.

Hector could be pointing that thing out the window for all we know.

Doubtful.

And B, there's police everywhere.

Yes.

And so there should be.

This way.

Mr.

Holmes.

Hello there.

Some identification, please.

You too, Mr.

Watson.

Ah, Mr., is it?

Sorry?

No, nothing.

Uh, there you go.

Driver's license has a Swindon address, but I'm gonna get it changed.

Also, there's a blonde streak in my hair because of a stag this way.

Certainly.

Ooh.

This is.

something.

Yes, quite.

I've ever seen so many guns.

Well, I'd hope you have.

Otherwise, the British Army is in terrible shape.

No, I know that.

I've seen guns in an army context.

That's a different context.

You know, that's a

natural environment for guns.

This is London.

Yeah, it's

like when a bird flies into your house, you're like, Jesus Christ, you know, look at that thing.

What the fuck am I going to do?

What am I going to do?

But ultimately, it's just a bird, but in a different context, you know, it's the context.

Please stop.

Right through here.

Ma'am, Holmes and Watson are here.

There you go, chance.

Hello.

You're smirking.

Stop smirking.

Oh, this.

This isn't a smirk.

Yes, it is.

No, it's not.

What is it, then?

I'm smiling.

It's because I'm pleased to see you.

We both know that's not the reason you're smiling, Sherlock.

Fine.

I may be a smidge excited.

Is that a crime, Gwen?

I realise you may be a little rusty for that question.

Feel free to consult your policing practices handbook.

What did I say?

You said best behaviour.

Exactly.

Of course.

How rude of me.

John Watson, this is Gwen.

Gwen, this is John.

Oh, uh, nice to meet you, Gwen.

Nice to meet you, Mr.

Watson.

It's sorry, I never do this, you know, but

it's actually Doctor.

Doctor Watson.

Oh, my goodness.

I do apologise.

I'm so sorry.

No, no, no, not at all.

I know how you feel, because it's not actually Gwen.

Oh, is it not?

No.

It's Dame Gwendolyn Lestrade, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service.

Right.

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