The Tower II: Death Message episode 4 recap — the depraved killer is unmasked
The Tower II: Death Message episode 4 sees DS Sarah Collins (Gemma Whelan) and PC Lizzie Adama's (Tahirah Sharif) harrowing journey for justice finally come to an end.
Of course, their resilience to solve the crimes sees them come face-to-face with two brutal killers, with Lizzie fighting for her life and a shocking revelation turning the investigation upside down.
Here are the key moments from The Tower II: Death Message episode 4...
Deadly vendetta
At the beginning of The Tower II: Death Message episode 4 — the final episode of the series — DCI Jim Fedden (Stuart McQuarrie) congratulates Sarah for finding Tania Mills' body.
Sarah tells him that Tania's body was rolled up in a stair carpet and hopes that they will be able to ID the carpet. However, she has doubts about whether forensics will be able to analyse the body after being buried for 25 years.
Determined to get more evidence to arrest Tania's music teacher Adrian Stephenson (Tristan Sturrock), Sarah wants to speak to Tania's best friend Katherine Herringham to find out more about Adrian's abuse of Tania.
Meanwhile, DS Steve Bradshaw (Jimmy Akingbola) interrogates police mole PC Colin Ryle (Jack Shalloo) after he was arrested for assisting murder suspect Matt Brannon (Charley Palmer Rothwell) and giving him a tip off which allowed him to evade the police.
When Colin reveals Brannon’s vendetta against Lizzie, Steve guesses Matt's next move and the real danger Lizzie is in. Steven calls Lizzie to try and inform her, but he fails to reach her.
Steven and PC Arif Johar (Michael Karim) look over past CCTV footage of Matt confronting Lizzie outside the police station on the day he murdered his girlfriend Georgina Teel (Rosa Coduri).
As Steven struggles to get in contact with her, Lizzie is clueless to the danger she's in as she has just spent the night with her boss and lover DI Kieran Shaw (Emmett J Scanlan).
Sarah and her partner DC Elaine Lucas (Ella Smith) speak to Tania's flustered best friend Katherine, who is devastated when they inform her that they found Tania's body.
Sarah questions Katherine on whether she knew Adrian was sexually abusing Tania and she reveals that Adrian convinced Tania to play the violin naked to "feel the music more."
Katherine rushes out and refuses to speak to the police any further, but her statement is enough for Sarah and Elaine to arrest Adrian.
Lizzie fights for her life
Unable to reach Lizzie, a desperate Steve calls Sarah for help and she rushes to the scene. Sarah finally manages to get a hold of Lizzie and she soon realises the danger she's in when she spots Skye standing in the window of her flat.
Despite Sarah's orders to walk away, Lizzie defiantly storms into the flat to rescue Skye. But her rescue mission is soon intercepted by Matt, who brutally hurts Candy the dog to manipulate Skye.
Matt holds Skye hostage and threatens to hurt her to lure Lizzie into the flat and soon the pair end up in a desperate and brutal fight.
Matt violently stabs Lizzie, before Sarah arrives in the nick of time and helps Lizzie take Matt down.
Sarah rescues Skye and while Lizzie is rushed to hospital with serious stab wounds, she returns Skye to her grandmother Cathy Teel (Tamzin Outhwaite).
In hospital, Kieran breaks the awful news to Lizzie's parents that the doctors are operating on her as they're worried about two deep stab wounds she received during the brawl.
An unlikely killer
With barely a moment to catch her breath, Sarah heads back to the station to interrogate Adrian. As the custody clock ticks down, Adrian tells the officers that he was watching Princess Diana's funeral with his ex-wife Abigail on the day Tania was killed.
Convinced that he's lying, Sarah and Elaine talk to Abigail who confirms his alibi and reveals that she never knew about the accusations of sexual assault against her ex-husband. Sarah notices a scar on Abigail's wrist, but she quickly pulls her hand away and asks them to leave.
Later on, Sarah has a drink with Julie Woodson (Camilla Beeput) and they spend the night together.
The next day, Sarah and Elaine speak to Katherine once again and they learn about the abuse she also suffered at Adrian's hands on the day he supposedly killed Tania.
There's also a crucial lead on the carpet Tania's body was found in as DC Lee Coutts (Bobby Lockwood) reveals that Adrian's landlord fitted the same carpet in his flat in 1997, before Adrian changed it without his permission.
Sarah begins to believe that Abigail is lying to protect him and Elaine soon comes across some horrifying information about Abigail and Adrian's marriage. It turns out that Abigail was only 17 when she got married to Adrian and not 21 like she had said, meaning that she was Adrian's first victim.
But when Sarah and Elaine question Abigail, her revelations turn the investigation on its head as she confesses that she killed Tania in a fit of rage.
Abigail reveals that she was drunk when Tania turned up at her home on September 6th and made her play the violin. Knowing that Adrian had an interest in Tania like her, an intoxicated Abigail pushed her down the stairs and Tania broke her neck.
As a terrified Abigail tended to Tania's lifeless body, she called Adrian for help, but he didn't answer and continued drinking until she passed out.
Adrian returned home and wrapped Tania's body up in the carpet, before burying her in the car park.
The truth about Tania's death
Only after Sarah goes over the exact details of Tania’s murder with Steve does the full extent of Adrian’s abuse and manipulation become apparent.
The pathologist tells her that Tania didn't break her neck and the loud crack Abigail heard was actually from a broken ankle. Sarah's suspicions are soon confirmed when another terrible truth is exposed about Tania's demise. The pathologist points out that Tania's remains have a broken hyoid, which points to strangulation.
Confirming that Adrian let Abigail believe his cruel crime was hers, Sarah and her team arrest Adrian for the murder of Tania.
Tania, and all the other women who have been silent for so long, can finally get justice.
Life-changing news
At the hospital, a recovering Lizzie receives a visit from Cathy, who gives her the bracelet from Skye and a knitted blanket she made.
Later on, Lizzie shares the life-changing news with Kieran that she's pregnant. As he absorbs this, Kieran is approached by Steve. Steve agrees to join Kieran’s task force, even though this will mean him going undercover.
Elsewhere, Claire (Niamh Cusack) sees Tania's remains and pays her respects to her late daughter.
Sarah pays a visit to Lizzie in hospital and the former rivals make amends as Lizzie tells her that if a child is in danger, she will always rush in no matter the consequences.
The Tower II: Death Message airs on ITV1 and ITVX on Monday, August 28 to Thursday, August, 31 at 9pm.
