Karen Pirie season 2 ending explained: Who kidnapped Cat Grant?

The heiress to an oil magnate's fortune, Cat, and her infant son Adam were ruthlessly kidnapped at gunpoint, with the investigation being reopened at the start of the season with Karen in charge, following the surfacing of new evidence.

But with so many twists and turns taking place in just three episodes, you may be looking to get a clearer picture of how the ending came about, what actually happened in the final episode, and what Karen and her team uncovered.

For a full recap of the Karen Pirie season 2 ending, read on for what you need to know.

Who kidnapped Cat Grant?

It turns out that one of the leading proponents of the kidnapping of Cat Grant was in fact, Cat Grant.

Cat wanted to punish her father and run away with his money, as he had used Fergus to cover up the fact that his own operations had led to deaths. She planned to start a new life for her and her son, put the plan for the kidnap together with her boyfriend Mick Prentice.

Mick had brought his friend Andy in on the plan, but Andy also brought Kevin in – a live-wire that Mick couldn't trust. Mick told Andy that from then on out he could only tell Kevin what Mick wanted him to know. This meant hiding the fact that Cat was involved.

Kevin wasn't meant to bring a gun to the kidnapping, but had done so anyway. As Cat and Mick argued after the kidnapping, debating whether to tell Kevin the truth, he overheard anyway.

Kevin confronted Mick and then threatened Cat, telling her that he was going to come clean to Brodie, tell him of Cat's involvement and get his payday that way. In response, Cat shot him in the head, killing him instantly. It was his body which was uncovered at the start of the season, putting Karen on to the case.

Who killed Cat and what happened to Adam and Mick?

During the investigation, Karen and her team found the remains of Cat Grant in a cave, confirming that she had died.

It turned out Fergus and Brodie had worked out that Cat was in on the kidnapping, by the fact that Fergus received one of the ransom letters. Nobody knew that he was Adam's father, so his relationship with Cat was a secret.

Mick, Andy and Cat had arranged with Brodie for the handover of the ransom to take place at the cave. Brodie had given them the money, but unbeknownst to him, his wife, Lady Mary, had followed him.

She had driven the gamekeeper's car, which had a gun inside it. She brought it with her to the cave and had entered via the back entrance. Unaware that Cat was part of the plan, she had seen her with Mick and her shot twice, once intended the scare him, the second to stop him.

In the end, she had shot Cat, and also brought down the entrance to the cave, crushing her and leaving her body trapped inside for the years to come.

Mick and Andy escaped with Adam, and Brodie and Mary decided to stay silent. They didn't know for certain whether Cat had escaped or not, and had always hoped that she was with them as well.

Brodie had later told Fergus that Cat wouldn't listen and had taken the money and run. He didn't mention anything about Lady Mary, the gun and the stand-off, meaning Fergus had always believed she and Adam were out there somewhere, together.

Mick and Andy had headed to Italy and started new lives under new names. Mick had raised Adam, re-named Gabriel, as his own son, and never told him the truth about his biological father and about what happened to his mother - until Karen and her team arrived. Finally, Gabriel learned the truth.

Where did we leave Karen and the rest of the team?

At the end of the season, Mary and Brodie were arrested, while Adam/Gabriel was introduced to his biological father, Fergus. Fergus was charged for his actions earlier in the season (having Karen's laptop stolen), with the trial set for later in the year.

Gabriel maintained that he was not interested in his inheritance and the wealth, saying that he was "not like" Fergus. Fergus recognised that, but said he was proud of him. Gabriel then headed to Malta to be with his adoptive father Mick.

Mick said he would go to Scotland to face justice, but Mick implored him to stay – he couldn't be reached by the Scottish police in Malta due to their lack of extradition, and Gabriel said that all they had was each other.

Meanwhile, having wrapped up the case, Karen returned to appear in Bel's documentary, which she walked out on at the start of the season. With a new-found confidence, she spoke up for her beliefs and the importance of finding the truth no matter the circumstances.

She said she would keep working to find the truth, presumably with Mint by her side, and also with Phil, with his and her relationship now out in the open.

Karen Pirie season 2 will air from Sunday 20th July 2025 on ITV1 and ITVX.

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