Plot

When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case.

Disorganized and disabled from military service in Afghanistan, private investigator Cormoran Strike is visited by an old friend, John Bristow, who believes his adopted sister, model Lula Landry, a declared suicide, was murdered. His basis is CCTV footage of a man in the area where Lula was found. An interview with a very young inspector, Eric Wardle, puts Lula's boyfriend Evan Duffield in the clear, sending Cormoran and temporary secretary Robin in pursuit of would-be suitor, rapper Deeby Macc, and fellow flat dweller Tansy Bestigui, who alerted the police to Lula's death. Also in the frame is Lula's greedy friend Rochelle, now fallen on hard times. John's uncle, solicitor Tony Landry, steps in to divert Cormoran and undermine his investigation but then Cormoran discovers another body.—don @ minifie-1

Supermodel Lula Landry (Elarica Johnson) is enjoying an evening at a party. When she leaves, she smiles and poses obligingly for the paparazzi that have gathered outside. Her driver takes her home; she lives on the top floor of an elegant three story condo. She changes out of her designer dress into a sweater and jeans and goes to answer the doorbell. Later, the camera pans the condo, out to the balcony, and over the railing to the street, where we see police and a crime scene squad surrounding Lula's lifeless body.

Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger) takes the underground to Leicester Square Station, taking a happy glance at her engagement ring. She goes to a three story walk-up and heads upstairs where a loud argument is taking place, objects being thrown, heated words being traded. Robin reaches the top landing as a woman storms out, yelling at the man inside, and slamming the door behind her. Robin reaches out to knock on the door when the man storms out, crashing into Robin. Just before she topples down the staircase, the man grabs Robin by the collar and pulls her to safety. The glass-paned door says "C.B. Strike Private Investigator."

Cormoran (Tom Burke) apologizes and Robin introduces herself as his temp for the week. He thought he had canceled the service, but she points out that the service doesn't give refunds. The front-room is a mess with papers strewn around a desk with a guest sofa next to it. There is a kitchenette adjacent to the front-room, and further back down a short hall is Cormoran's private office. Robin offers to clean up the room and Cormoran agrees, gathering a pillow and bed-sheet that were on the sofa, and heads back to his office.

As Robin cleans, a man introducing himself as John Bristow (Leo Bill) enters and asks to see Cormoran. He doesn't have an appointment, but says he knows Cormoran. He reintroduces himself to Cormoran as Charlie's brother. Cormoran asks how their mother is, especially since Charlie's death. John tells him she is not doing well and has stage four cancer. John says he needs Cormoran's help regarding the death of his adopted sister, Lula Landry. The inquest concluded it was suicide, but John thinks Lula was murdered. John shows Cormoran a still from the CCTV of a man, apparently black, pacing outside before her death. The police never determined the identity of the man. John thinks the verdict came down as suicide because the coroner could not see past the fact that Lula had a poor history of mental health. He gives Cormoran a file and asks that he goes over it to see if he would be interested if further involvement. John also produces an envelope with a thousand pounds, which Cormoran looks at with eyebrows raised. Noting Cormoran's hesitancy, John reminds Cormoran of his relationship with Charlie, and that he considers Cormoran a friend of the family. Cormoran agrees to review the file.

After John leaves, Cormoran asks Robin to research the Landry law firm, and to look up Lula's family history. Cormoran heads to the Tottenham Pub to go over the file. Robin Googles Cormoran: Cormoran is estranged from his rock star father ("Jonny Rokeby"); Cormoran was engaged to a socialite, Charlotte Campbell, the woman he was arguing with; and, he was posted to Helmand Province in Afghanistan, where he lost a leg in an explosion.

Cormoran finds out the investigating officer was DI Wardle. Cormoran leaves the bar and walks to Kentigern Gardens with its cluster of well-appointed condos. The concierge, Derrick (Brian Bovell), greets Cormoran with disdain, mistaking Cormoran for a reporter. Cormoran explains he's a private investigator hired by the family to check the efficiency of the police investigation. Derrick says that night he was the first to the body. Mrs. Bestigui, the tenant on the first floor, ran down to the lobby screaming, saying someone had fallen past her window. Derrick immediately ran up to Lula's flat because Mrs. Bestigui had said she thought someone else was there.

Just then Mr. and Mrs. Bestigui (Kevin Fuller and Tara Fitzgerald) are driven up by their driver. Derrick follows them inside, and recommends Cormoran speak to the driver, Nico (David Avery), who was Lula's favorite. Nico says he has another client but Cormoran asks if he can ride with him for half the fare. Nico says Lula's death was sad. He had a lot in common with her, including they were both mixed-race. Nico says that morning he had driven Lula to Vashti, a clothes shop. Lula met Rochelle Onifade there, and he then drove them both back to Lula's flat. Lula and Rochelle were in the same "nuthouse." Nico had picked up Rochelle from a hostel a few times to take her out with Lula. Cormoran asks what Rochelle and Lula had talked about, and Nico says they were looking for a piece of paper - which Lula said would "piss people off big-time."

At Cormoran's office, a delivery man brings in two large, laden boxes and dumps them on the floor. They're from Charlotte Campbell. Robin notes that written on the flap of one box is "ARSEHOLE." She takes the boxes into Cormoran's office and leaves for the day.

Nico drops off Cormoran. Cormoran calls Anstis and asks if he's had any luck with Wardle. Cormoran returns to his office and sets up a cot. He smirks at the boxes Charlotte sent to him. He has takeout for dinner, chased with some beer, and removes his prosthetic for bed. He says "Night" to the prosthetic.

Robin is at home, watching archived videos reporting the death of Lula. Her fiancé, Matthew Cunliffe (Kerr Logan), comes home and she tells him about her day. Flipping through a slide-show of images of Lula, she notes to Matthew how young and beautiful she was.

Cormoran gets a call and goes to meet DI Wardle (Killian Scott). Wardle asks if Cormoran thinks Lula was murdered and the police messed up the investigation. Cormoran says he just wants a better picture of Lula's last hours. Wardle says Lula was in a state after a recent dust-up with her boyfriend, Evan Duffield, who has the habit of wearing a full-head wolf mask. However, Evan has a cast-iron alibi for time of death. Wardell, obviously miffed that Cormoran is questioning his findings, sets the picture for Cormoran: Lula entered the lobby alone, went up alone, and there's no other way up to her flat. The flat below Lula's is a rental property, empty. Deeby Macc (Jazz Cartier), a famous rapper (Cormoran has to ask) was supposed to arrive that evening but was diverted after arriving at the airport. On the first floor of the building are Freddie and Tansy Bestigui. Freddie was confirmed to be on a conference call, and Tansy was in her nightie when she saw a body fall past the window. Cormoran says the concierge ran upstairs because Tansy told him she heard an argument upstairs. Wardle says when it came to the official statement, Tansy confessed to being high on coke and may have misperceived the sounds from upstairs. Wardle says Lula had mental health issues, had a pressure job, and had boyfriend trouble - all reasons she would have committed suicide. Wardle suggests Cormoran take the money John already gave him and drop the case.

Cormoran returns to his office and asks Robin to create a client account for John Bristow. Cormoran points out that Tansy changed her statement and Wardle is ignoring this because of his confirmation bias. Robin has laid out the last photos of Lula, along with photos of the family at the funeral: John and Lula's aunt and uncle, Lady Yvette Bristow (Siân Phillips) and her brother, Tony Landry (Martin Shaw). There are photos of people in the industry: Guy Some (Kadiff Kirwan), a fashion designer; Ciara Porter (Amber Anderson), a supermodel and Lula's best friend; Evan Duffield (Bronson Webb), Lula's rock star boyfriend; Freddie Bestigui, film producer who lives on the first floor of Lula's building with his wife, Tansy. Cormoran invites Robin to go see Lula's flat to look around.

As they walk, Cormoran asks if Robin knows who Deeby Macc is. She says he had a big thing for Lula and had written a few songs saying how he was going to take Lula off of Evan's hands. Cormoran tells Robin that Deeby Macc was going to rent the flat below Lula's for the length of his UK tour. Derrick buzzes them in; John Bristow had called ahead so they can be let it to the flat. Derrick says all visitors would have to pass by him first, and they wouldn't be allowed up if Lula did not want them to - at times, this included Evan Duffield and Tony Landry if she's had a row with him.

Derrick tells them the Bestigui's live on the first floor, the second floor is currently vacant, and Lula has the penthouse with the one way in and out. Cormoran takes a photo of a circular water stain and flower petals on an end table. Robin notes that Lula had changed out of her party dress and thinks it would be a funny thing to do if you were going to kill yourself. There's a book on "The Political History of Ghana" on the coffee table. They go out on the balcony and look over - it's a long way down. Cormoran shuts the sliding door and it locks by itself. Cormoran knocks to get back in, but Derrick, standing close by with his back turned, cannot hear him. They wave and manage to catch Derrick's eye.

Derrick says he believed Tansy when she said she thought someone was with Lula; Tansy was scared. Cormoran asks about Rochelle, and Derrick says he had warned Lula that Rochelle was only interested in her money; Lula laughed him off. Cormoran asks to see the rest of the building and Derrick says there's only the swimming pool left to see, but Cormoran and Robin head downstairs, and Derrick reluctantly follows.

At the basement level, Cormoran introduces himself as Tansy gets out of the pool. She says she saw Lula falling, but does not elaborate, and says it's a bad time for this kind of conversation. Cormoran gives her his card and Tansy asks who hired him. Cormoran tells her it was John and she promises to call Cormoran.

After they leave, Cormoran tells Robin Tansy was lying. Cormoran tells Robin when you start an investigation, it's like looking into an aquarium for the first time - and Tansy and Rochelle are the most interesting fish.

At the office, Robin shows Cormoran a Deeby Macc video. The lyrics suggest that Lula had flirted with him. Cormoran appears mystified by the appeal. Robin then shows Cormoran a website where Ciara had posted clips of her and her mates, including Lula. In one clip, Lula calls Rochelle (Tezlym Senior-Sakutu) over and Cormoran recognizes her from the funeral photos that Robin had showed him earlier. Cormoran gets the photo from the CCTV showing the man pacing outside the building before Lula's death. Robin says its hard to tell if the person is Rochelle. In the video, Lula calls Rochelle her "Little Rock." Tansy calls to set up a meeting.

Cormoran goes to the restaurant and instead of Tansy, the person waiting for him is Tony Landry (Martin Shaw), Lula and John's uncle. Tony mentions that his law firm represents the Bestigui's. He tells Cormoran that he's looked him up and mentions Afghanistan, Jonny Rokeby, and Cormoran's late mother, Leda. Tony thinks John is delusional and is causing more pain to the family. Cormoran replies that he is trying to lessen John's pain by finding the truth. Tony stresses that Cormoran stay away from the Bestigui's. As Cormoran tells Tony that he only takes instructions from his client, John, Tony interrupts and points out that people are often just two mistakes away from becoming homeless, and, for example, Cormoran would have to show off his stump and beg for money on the street. As Cormoran gets up to leave, he tells Tony that he can insult his financial status, and his disability, but if he ever brought up his mother again, he'll introduce Tony to a bad experience.

Cormoran returns to his office, ignores the ringing office telephone as he grabs a beer, and winces in pain, grabbing his leg. The answering machine reveals the call is from Charlotte, begging him to pick up the phone as she can't cope; she needs him. Back at his desk, he removes his prosthetic and then realizes he needs to piss. He asks the prosthetic why he always takes it off just before he needs it again. He grabs an empty ramen cup from the window sill, pisses into it, and returns it to the sill. He gets a call on his cell - Charlotte again - which he ignores. He goes through photos from Lula's apartment the night of her death, including one showing a large bouquet of flowers that was sitting on the same table he saw earlier in the flat.

The next day, Cormoran goes to the club to shower and returns to the office. Robin hands him the client contract for John Bristow, sees the ramen cup on the ledge, and offers to throw it away for him. Cormoran quickly says no, and says she's not a cleaner; Robin smiles. Cormoran meets John at a restaurant and gives him the contract. Besides indicating his rate, the contract has a sheet of questions. John goes over the list, saying that Lula did have a computer, but the police took and then returned it, and then the family wiped the drive and gave it to charity. John adds Tony took Lady Yvette to the flat and they took a few things. Cormoran, with a smirk, tells John he met Tony. John shrugs as if he understands, and says that Tony sometimes clashed with Lula. Cormoran asks if Lula ever mentioned Rochelle to him, but John does not recognize the name.

Cormoran goes to the hostel that Rochelle stayed at. One of the hostel's residents propositions him outside, but Cormoran ignores her. In the hostel's office, the administrator says Rochelle was asked to leave and she cannot give Cormoran any contact info. As she takes a phone call, Cormoran notices the inside latch to the office door is close to the office's transaction window. He goes back outside and asks the hostel girl if she would do him a favor for 50 quid. Shortly, there's a girl's scream from outside. The hostel administrator runs out to investigate, locking the door behind her. Cormoran enters and reaches through the transaction window. He enters and finds Rochelle's file, and takes photos of the documents it contains. He leaves just as the administrator returns, the girl complaining about a spider in her room. Cormoran takes the girl to a coffee shop and asks her to call Rochelle to tell her that a friend of Lula's needs to meet to give her an important message. He tells the girl to refer to "Little Rock."

Later, Rochelle comes to the diner and immediately realizes Cormoran is not a friend of Lula. He assures her he's not the police. When she sits down, Cormoran offers to get her some food. When he goes to the counter, she bolts; Cormoran follows. He hobbles through a crowded shopping district, wincing in pain, out of breath. Rochelle has stopped to make a call on her cell phone. Cormoran calls to her, but Rochelle points him out, and the shoppers tell him to leave her alone.

Back at the office, Cormoran tells Robin that it went badly. He shows her a photo on his phone and asks her how she feels about identity theft. Robin places a call pretending to be Rochelle and manages to get Rochelle's current address. Cormoran, slightly impressed, takes the address and turns to leave, but Robin asks him to sign her time sheet as today is her last day. Cormoran is surprised but signs the time sheet and wishes her luck job hunting. She offers to come back the following week without going through the temp agency. He agrees and says, great.

Cormoran goes to a massive high-rise apartment block. As he waits for a lift, a tenant walks past, noting that the lift is broken. Cormoran sighs, climbing the stairs, eventually reaching Rochelle's apartment, winded and sweating. He knocks but there is no answer. Water seeps from under the door. He picks the lock and enters. Water is running and the floor is sopping wet. He rushes into the bathroom and slips. Rochelle is in the tub. The tub is full and the tap is running hot water at full force. He pulls her lifeless body out, scalding his hands in the process.