"So if I had to put it in a nutshell, the job is a case of 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration." "And 100% desperation." "Any questions?" "Sir?" "Sir?" "Sir?" "Sir?" "You got a gun?" "Not one of my own, no." "Anybody else?" "Well, how do you kill people?" "Sir?" "I bore them to death, apparently." "Can you kill Fat Freddie for us?" "Quiet!" "Have a bit of respect." "All right!" "What do you want to be when you leave school?" "William Burroughs." "What?" "Sir?" "!" "He's the only serious novelist currently working, and you've just confirmed my opinion that the police force is an obsolete, reactionary monolith." "Right." "Sir?" "Yes, Freddie." "I want to be a policeman, sir." "Will you remind me why I had to do that?" "To get to know the community you serve." "The England of tomorrow." "Well, if that's the England of tomorrow, we're stuffed." "What are you doing?" "I'm looking up "monolith"." "Sir?" "Mrs Laura Fenwick on the line again." "Third time this week." "Please tell her I will call her back as soon as time permits." "Yes, sir." "You get that stupid grin off your face." "Go on, then." "Who is she?" "Hello." "Right." "Get your coat back on." "XK140, that." "I saw it." "Sergeant Blacksmith, sir." "Local nick?" "Yes, sir." "Victim known to you?" "Alfred Peachment." "Aged about 75." "Let's have a look." "Oh, God." "What do these injuries tell you?" "Well..." "Uh... something sharp, and... you know, heavy, as well." "No injuries to the body, sir." "Found a weapon yet?" "We're searching the shed now, Mr Gently." "Something sharp and heavy." "Take your pick." "Something missing." "Keep searching the garden." "Back door's been forced, sir." "Any ideas, sergeant?" "The position of the body would indicate..." "Sergeant Blacksmith." "Victim disturbs a burglar, or burglars, chases them into the garden... ..there's a fight, the old man's beaten to death." "Sir." "Excuse me." "He was selling the house and a Mrs Davidson, who found the body, was here to view the property." "Yeah, that's right." "Live here alone, did he?" "He had a wife but she left him years ago." "Do you want me to find her?" "Uh, no, it's all right, I can manage that, sergeant." "CID takes over the case now, right?" "What's the story?" "The place just got too much for him, did it?" "I imagine so, sir." "Big old place." "What's the history?" "It's been all sorts over the years." "It was a school at one time." "Was he a teacher?" "His wife did the teaching, I think." "But that closed down years ago, after the Children's Act of 1947." "The Act brought in a load of rules and regulations." "A lot of little charity schools decided to close down." "After that he just lived in it." "You're very well informed, sergeant." "I like to know the community I serve, sir." "Mr Peachment a keen gardener, was he?" "No, sir." "He was too frail for that." "I was wondering if you'd notice." "Notice what?" "The gardens are very well tended." "Oh, yeah, yeah." "That's obvious." "So?" "He had a lad do the garden for him." "His name's Harry Carson." "And where can I find him?" "There's no sign of him, sir." "I can get onto that." "Did the shed have a lock on it?" "No." "Ask Mrs Davidson to go inside, will you?" "Shall I let the body go?" "Yes, Sergeant Blacksmith." "Very impressive." "Thank you, Mr Gently." "Something annoying you, sergeant?" "He's a bit of a swot, him, isn't he?" ""Children's Act, 1947, sir."" "What is he going on Double Your Money or something?" "I should imagine he's studying for his Inspector's exams." "He's a keen lad." "Sir, nobody is keener than me on that promotion." "I just don't make a song and dance about it." "Well, maybe you should." "There's only one Inspector's job going." "I'm in property." "The house and land were for sale." "As of this morning, they belong to me." "So you had an appointment with Mr Peachment?" "Like a handover?" "No, he had no reason to be here." "Right." "So, how exactly did you find the body?" "I went through the door to the garden and there he was." "Dead?" "Well, obviously." "Any sign of anybody else?" "No." "You didn't see a lad called Harry Carson, for instance?" "I don't know anyone called Harry Carson." "I didn't ask you if you knew him." "I asked you if you saw him." "He's the gardener." "No." "Had you been to the house before?" "No." "Why?" "You bought the place without looking at it?" "I'm not intending to live in it." "I'm going to redevelop the site." "Demolish the house?" "Yes." "So, right, you found the body, you drove to a phone box, you dialled 999, you came back and waited for the police." "And that's all I know, so can I go now, please?" "Do I detect a local accent, Mrs Davidson?" "It's not Mrs Davidson, it's Miss Davidson." "Sorry." "And yes, I was born in Hexham." "May I go now?" "Is this not a listed building?" "Yes." "So you would need permission to demolish the house?" "The local authority's already passed a demolition order on it." "Town And Country Planning Act, guv." "Also 1947, by the way." "So, if a planner wants to demolish a listed building, they have to prove it's in serious danger of collapse." "Doesn't look like it's collapsing to me." "The surveyors disagreed." "If Mr Peachment had sold you the house, how come his stuff's still here?" "He was supposed to have moved out." "But he didn't." "Did Mr Peachment want to leave his house, Miss Davidson?" "No." "He didn't." "But this demolition order meant he had no choice." "That's a stroke of luck for you, innit?" "What does that mean?" "Well, maybe you've got friends here from the old days." "You know, folks on the local authority, or planning committee even." "I have no friends here, Mr Bacchus." "Of any kind." "And please tell me when it becomes an offence in this country to build houses because that's when I'll emigrate." "That's Harry Carson." "The gardener?" "Mh-hmm." "He's already on our books." "He's been cautioned for violent behaviour three times." "If he knows the community he serves, how comes Sergeant Clever Clogs didn't know that?" "Can't know everybody." "What do you make of Cora Davidson?" "They're all at it, man." "Who are at what?" "Property developers, local authority and that." "Little backhander here, greasy palm there." "And what is your evidence for this?" "I don't need any evidence." "Did you see the way she looked at us?" "Here's a tip, sergeant." "Don't put that in your Inspectors exam." "Question 23, what are the laws of evidence in corruption cases?" "John Bacchus' answer, "They're guilty if they give you a funny look."" "How do we know Cora Davidson didn't kill him?" "Why would she force the lock?" "She had her own key." "To make it look like a botched robbery." "Maybe." "A lot of blood came out of that old man." "Did you see any on her?" "She had time to clean herself up." "I asked her the exact time she made the 999, but we've only got her word for it, what time she got to the house." "Go on." "The old man found evidence the demolition order was bent, right?" "So he threatened to expose her." "That is why he was at the house." "She couldn't stand the thought of losing the money she'd make, so she topped him." "Sir, she's greedy!" "She's got pound signs hanging in festoons from her eyes!" "Find the gardener." "All right, all right." "One question though." "Was she or was she not hiding something?" "100%." "Then let's bring her in!" "When we know what to ask her." "Meanwhile, find out what happened to Enid Peachment and then find me at Harrison House." "It seems you have a visitor." "One of the lads you spoke to this morning?" "Ah, not Fat Freddie!" "Evening all!" "Good luck, sergeant." "I was thinking, maybe I should just destroy the system from the inside." "You know the most contra-instinctual thing a writer could do?" "Join the police force." "Contra what?" "You all right, sergeant?" "Sir." "What's happening here?" "Chief Inspector, Philip Morgan." "What are you doing here?" "Doctor Morgan's here because..." "Be quiet." "I was the deceasedman's GP." "I'm retired now..." "No, I said, what are you doing here?" "I was looking for some papers that I thought might've caused embarrassment to poor old Alfred." "Medical things?" "No." "Mr Gently, I happen to be on the planning committee." "Alfred wrote us some rather silly letters, silly allegations." "I thought he might've kept copies." "He thought the decision was bent?" "Yes." "Was it?" "Of course not!" "What exactly was he alleging?" "I can't remember the details." "And why exactly did the planning committee decide to demolish the house?" "It had become a blot on the landscape." "Really?" "Have you any idea who would want to kill Alfred Peachment?" "I think when you find Harry Carson, you'll find your answer." "Poor lad can't keep control of his temper." "I've known him all his life." "And why would Harry Carson lose his temper with Alfred Peachment?" "That I don't know." "But he loves the garden." "Maybe Alfred told him it was to be bulldozed." "Is that what you think happened?" "No, sir." "Why would Harry Carson force the back door?" "How well do you know him?" "I know him well, sir." "Empty your pockets, please." "What?" "Empty your pockets!" "I suggest you spend tonight trying to remember the details of those silly allegations." "Because I want to hear them." "Tomorrow morning." "Police Headquarters. 10 o'clock sharp." "Sir, I can vouch for..." "You're suspended." "Sir, I've got exams in a couple of days!" "Oh, you can sit them." "If you think it's worth your while." "How do you and Morgan know each other?" "He was..." "Don't give me any flannel about knowing the community you serve, either." "He was our family doctor when I was a kid." "Now, this is a close-knit little community, innit?" "Go home." "Sir?" "This is a letter dated two years ago from Cora Davidson, offering to buy Harrison House." "Sir?" "Here is Alfred Peachment's reply, politely declining." "And what happens next?" "A demolition order is passed." "How convenient." "Sir!" "What?" "Harry Carson is in the garden." "I'm walking down the side of the house and he just walks past us, like nothing's happened." "Harry Carson?" "Harry?" "You've got blood on your shirt." "He hasn't said a word." "What's all that about?" "He has the right to remain silent." "Yeah, but literally not a word." "Do you think he looks capable of murder?" "If the garden was his life..." "And apparently he has a temper." "The stains on his shirt match Alfred Peachment's blood group." "The same as his own." "So it proves nothing." "Sir, I know you're busy..." "But Mrs Fenwick?" "She keeps calling." "What do I say?" "Same as last time." "She's just somebody I used to know a long time ago, all right?" "Yeah, yeah." "Harry?" "Mr Gently and me, we..." "We're trying to help you." "Do you understand?" "Well, then you need to talk to us, Harry." "Something's happened to Mr Peachment." "He's been murdered." "Did you know that?" "Come on, Harry, talk to us." "How did you cut your hand?" "Were you at Harrison House this morning?" "Harry, if you did this, it is best that you tell us now." "Was it you?" "Guv, he can't talk." "Can you write, Harry?" "Can you write?" "Can I take his cuffs off?" "Yeah." "Who killed him, Harry?" "Write it down." "Sir!" "Get men in here!" "You said he was off this case." "He's known the lad a long time." "We need somebody he trusts." "Why did you ask him to write?" "Course he can't write." "He's never been to school in his life." "You OK?" "Why didn't you tell us he was dumb?" "The locals call him "the dummy lad"." "You should let the doctor check you out." "I'm fine." "You're a clod, aren't you?" "You can't bash people because you bloody well feel like it." "Can you?" "Did you think Mr Bacchus was taking the Mickey about writing?" "You what?" "He wasn't, Harry." "I wasn't." "He thought you were, though." "I wasn't." "Yeah, but he thought you were, though." "Mr Bacchus says he's sorry." "Don't you, sergeant?" "Do it." "Sorry." "Harry." "Did you know the house was going to be demolished?" "And your garden with it?" "If I ask you a question, will you give me the right answer?" "Good lad." "Did Alfred tell you about the house having to be pulled down?" "And your lovely garden with it?" "That wasn't today though, was it?" "Ask him questions, don't give him answers." "Were you at the house this morning?" "Think carefully." "Do you know anything, anything about Alfred's murder?" "Anything?" "Good lad." "Well done." "So, not only a legal genius." "He's a saint an' all." "Nah, saint my arse." "He was leading him by the nose." "We need to find out more about Sergeant Blacksmith." "His dad was an inspector." "In this force?" "In that town." "Divisional commander." "Topped himself year before last." "Find out if there's any connection between the Blacksmith family and Alfred Peachment." "Listen, sir." "Who's fault is all this?" "Who was pushing Peachment into selling up?" "It was Cora Davidson and her friends on the planning committee." "I want to go after them." "Fine by me." "Right." "Any sign of the widow?" "Oh, yes." "We traced her to a house in Berwick, but it was empty." "Right." "Find out when the will's being read." "Right." "And check that 999 call." " Yep." "Which service do you require?" "I'm thinking maybe I should just go for the fast-track route - graduate entry into the police force." "Who wants to waste time plodding around on the beat?" "Kevin." "A, you haven't got a degree, because you're only 17." "And B, it's been a long day, I'm tired, I haven't got me dictionary with me so I won't know what you're talking about." "I've got me first poetry reading on Friday." "You know, if you're free..." "For clarity, Kevin, piss off and leave me alone!" "I'm a detective." "I'm not a careers advice officer." "I'm not a... poetry critic." "I mean, why me?" "He's just a kid with a head full of ideas he's got from books and he doesn't know what to do with them." "He was hoping you might help him." "Harry Carson hasn't had much of a life, has he?" "No brothers or sisters." "And no parents." "They died in the war." "Let's look around - they might have missed something." "Sir." "This is, well, it's brilliant." "Where did you get it?" "All in the box marked "Harrison House Legal"." "Clearly, Alfred Peachment threw nothing away." "So, the wife wrote letters supporting the demolition of her husband's house." "Correct." "And the survey condemning it as structurally unsound was carried out by Dr Morgan's brother." "Also correct." "And the wife, Enid Peachment, is Doctor Morgan's sister." "Yes - tight knit little town, sergeant." "They were stitching up that old feller up like a kipper, weren't they?" "D'you mind if I lean on Morgan a little bit?" "Much as you like." "One man's dead because of decisions made by your planning committee - does that bother you, at all?" "I've been advised not to say anything." "Oh, you felt the need to take legal advice, did you?" "It seemed a wise precaution given..." "Can I just interrupt you there, just for a minute, Doc?" "You are a doctor, aren't you?" "Well, I used to be." "I keep getting this funny buzzing sound in me left ear." "It's been driving us mad." "Well, how long has it been going on?" "Since you opened your mouth!" "Right." "What were you looking for at Harrison House?" "Was it this, Dr Morgan?" "This is the dead man's copy of the survey your committee ordered to be carried out on Harrison House." "A survey which found the house to be unsound." "A survey which was carried out by a man called Trevor Morgan." "Now, please tell me it's just a coincidence that this damning survey was carried out by your brother." "And please tell me that it's also a coincidence that the person who might benefit most from this was your sister." "Enid Peachment." "My brother's firm is the most reputable in..." "Not only that." "I keep getting sweaty armpits, you know?" "Must be all this hot air." "And I keep getting anxiety attacks, and I find that the only thing that cures them is if I hit somebody really hard." "Maybe" " MAYBE - we erred on Enid's side." "My sister is elderly." "Without the income from the sale of the house, she was facing destitution in old age." "Where is your sister now, Dr Morgan?" "I would like to ask her some questions about how Alfred Peachment died." "Enid is at my house." "She needed somewhere to stay for the funeral." "Did you know Inspector Clive Blacksmith, Dr Morgan?" "Of course." "Of course." "Everybody knows everybody in your little town, I forgot." "And did he also know Alfred Peachment, by any chance?" "Well, yes, they were friends until..." "Yes." "They were friends." "Until what?" "Until Inspector Blacksmith died." "Or killed himself, in fact." "Would you have any idea why he did that?" "No." "Until what, Doctor Morgan?" "Did something happen between Alfred Peachment and Clive Blacksmith?" "Alfred..." "Alfred asked Clive Blacksmith to stop the demolition order." "And how was Inspector Blacksmith going to do that?" "Just..." "I don't know... exert pressure." "Exert pressure how?" "On whom?" "I see." "And shortly after this, Inspector Blacksmith took his own life?" "Yes." "Oh, merciful God." "The father of our lord Jesus Christ." "Who is the Resurrection and the life." "And whomsoever believeth shall live though he died." "Whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall not die eternally." "Come ye blessed..." "Well, there's Dr Morgan." "Who's the other bloke?" "I bet he's the brother." "You know, the one who did the dodgy survey." "Is there anybody here who isn't related to everybody else?" "Probably all got webbed feet." "Why's she here?" "Guilt?" "Or callousness?" "Oh, here we go, look - the broken-hearted widow." "And this year's Oscar for Best Supporting Hypocrite goes to..." "Guv?" "Now, wouldn't you just love to hear that conversation?" "Why did you have to come here today?" "You've got what you wanted." "Maybe I like burials." "And Harry Carson - what will happen to him?" "Bit late for you to start caring about Harry Carson, isn't it?" "All this has happened because of you." "No, no, Dr Morgan." "All this has happened because of YOU." "And you." "Harrison House costing you more than you thought, dear?" "Old friends?" "I've told you, Mr Gently, I have no friends here." "I have only one friend in the world." "Money." "Money never lets you down." "Money always gets you what you want." "Is that what you were talking to Mrs" "Peachment about?" "Or was it what happened the day her husband died?" "Are you questioning me, Chief Inspector?" "No, but I will want to." "So stay in the area, please." "I'll be staying until the bulldozers leave, Mr Gently." "Run a complete background check on Cora Davidson." "Find out where her money came from." "And where do you want the widow?" "I want her walking down memory lane, sergeant." "You must have many memories of Harrison House, Mrs Peachment." "Happy ones." "I had my son Laurie here." "Oh, was your son unable to attend the funeral then?" "Why have you brought me here?" "It seems you wrote several letters in support of the demolition." "Oh, yes." "The best thing to be done to this place is to pull it down." "Sorry, pet, you didn't answer me question." "Why wasn't your son at the funeral?" "Laurie lives in Tasmania, sergeant." "He has a sheep farm." "He emigrated as soon as he was 18, and I should've gone with him." "Who wants to live in England now?" "All these foreigners." "Boys with long hair, girls flashing their backsides at all the men every time they bend over." "Everything's a mess." "Do you know Harry Carson?" "Oh, all these questions." ""The Dummy Lad"?" "Oh, the lad that did the garden." "It seems possible that he may have murdered your former husband." "Yes... well, he never was right in the head." "He was still my husband, you know?" "You weren't divorced?" "Why not?" "Because that's not what you do." "Have you injured yourself, Mrs Peachment?" "I fell." "That's what happens when you get older." "Your legs let you down." "When did you last see your husband?" "Yesterday morning at the funeral parlour." "Yes." "Before that?" "Years ago." "So then I'd be mistaken in thinking that you might've been here at the house on the day he was murdered?" "Why on earth should I want to come here?" "Did the late Inspector Blacksmith try to influence you against the demolition of the house?" "What influence would he have over me?" "Any idea why he killed himself?" "None at all." "Tired of living, perhaps." "So, you'll inherit the house?" "I own half of it already, sergeant." "Yeah, but it's no value to you until it's sold though, is it?" "Which it has been." "To Cora Davidson." "Tell me, your husband clearly didn't want to sell, but once he knew he had no choice, why didn't he put it on the open market?" "Why give Cora Davidson a free run?" "She made a very good offer." "£20.000." "Which you'll inherit, now that he's dead." "The will was read this morning, sergeant." "Alfred left his share to charity." "Cora Davidson." "Harry Carson." "He had a motive." "Of sorts." "Both had the opportunity, both had the means - shed full of tools." "Yeah, and he was covered in matching blood which he can't explain." "And she paid over the odds for the house." "What about Enid?" "Now, she obviously hated him." "But why?" "And why did their son leave for Tasmania as soon as he could?" "Tasmania." "About as far away from England as you could possibly get." "Why did she leave in the first place?" "Something to do with the school closing down maybe?" "Round about the same time." "Sergeant Blacksmith mentioned school." "Oh, God, good old clever clogs Blacksmith!" ""Children's Act?" "Oh, that's 1947, Hughie!"" "Correct, sergeant, you've got yourself 16 pounds!" "Would you like to double your money, go for 32?" ""Yes, I'm thinking of taking me paralysed Mam to Lourdes...!"" "Guv?" "Sergeant Blacksmith said," ""Of course Harry Carson can't write, he's never been to school in his life"." "Well, you can't go to school if you can't talk, can you?" "So why was there a school photograph on Harry Carson's wall?" "Recognise it?" "Harrison House." "What do we do now?" "On the day of the murder," "Philip Morgan, aided and abetted by Sergeant Blacksmith, took a huge risk by going to Harrison House to try and find something." "Monday morning we start taking that place apart til we find out what." "That 999 call, sir." "The time that Cora Davidson said it was made is correct according to the log." "PHONE RINGS See if Sergeant Blacksmith was part of the response to the 999." "Sir." "Yep?" "Yeah, OK." "All right!" "No, no, no." "No, I'm not going to be home til later." "Because I'm going to a poetry reading." "I don't care if you don't believe me, actually!" "And listen, how many times have I told you never to call me at work?" "Lisa...!" "Want some advice?" "Not really." "Take a good look in the mirror some day soon." "Thanks." "Sergeant Blacksmith wasn't a part of the response team, sir." "He was already there when they arrived." "So, what was he doing there?" "Anything else before I go home, sir?" "The background check on Cora Davidson?" "In front of you there, sir." "Anything show up?" "A criminal record." "Fraud?" "Attempted suicide. 21 days in Styal Prison." "Goodnight, sir." "Goodnight, Taylor." "Taylor!" "Alfred Peachment's will." "He left all his money to charity." "Find out which charity, will you?" "Oh, I can already tell you, sir - it's all over tonight's Evening Chronicle." "He left it all to a children's home." "Goodnight, sir." "Goodnight, Taylor." "Evening." "Oh, God." "Gave me a heart attack then." "I thought you were going to a poetry reading." "Starts at eight." "So why are you here?" "Why are you here?" "I asked first." "Because there's something wrong, guv." "There is something wrong." "Exam revision time." "Suicide Act, 1961." "Oh, Erm." "Yeah, I know this one." "It's..." "yeah, it decriminalised suicide." "And prior to that?" "Well, attempted suicide was still punishable by a prison term." "Correct." "And Cora Davidson served one." "Seven years ago." "Really?" "Have you any idea why she did it?" "No." "Quite like to ask her though." "Can you imagine that?" "You think you've topped yourself and then you wake up in hospital and they go and stick you inside." "Any luck?" "I mean..." "Quotes for repainting the front of the house." "1953. 1941." "Quotes for repairs to the cellar steps." "Letters to the Ministry of Supply for the siting of pylons for the National Grid " ""not across my land, thank you very much."" "It's just, it's endless." "This'll make you laugh." "Did you know that they were both MBEs?" "What cellar?" "Here, look." "1946." "To Alfred and Enid Peachment." ""In recognition of your service to the local community"." "You what?" "I said, what cellar?" "There is a cellar under this house somewhere, and we need to find it." "Take up the carpets." "Tap the walls." "Do it thoroughly, there might be a hidden panel." "Guv, what you looking for?" "I'm looking for signs of change." "For something that doesn't..." "That small window." "That must be under the stairs." "Guv, Guvnor." "Look." "There's the window." "Harrison House Children's Home." "Medical Records." "This wasn't a school." "This was an orphanage." ""April 121945." ""Daniel Mason, aged 11." ""Broken arm." "Fell in cellar."" "All signed by the same doctor." "The medical officer for Harrison House, Dr Philip Morgan." "Sir, look at this." "May 18th." "Cora Heston." "Cora. "Cora Heston, aged ten." ""Bleeding in the night."" "Do you think it's her?" "Well, if it is, she's back again as the owner." "Why, after 19 years?" "Yeah." "But, remember what she said, she doesn't want the house to live in it." "She wanted the land to build on." "Well." "She doesn't want the house." "She wants to demolish it." "She wants to wipe the house off the face of the earth." "I mean, what are we saying here?" "Revenge?" "Cora got The Dummy Lad to kill him?" "And bloody Blacksmith, covering their tracks." "You know, he lied about the 999, right?" "Cos he was already there." "Sorry."Bleeding."" "What sort of bleeding?" "What does that mean?" "Well." "I mean, do girls start their em... periods at that age?" "Yeah, it's feasible." "Do you think he was cutting them?" "Cutting kids with knives or something?" "Is that why his face was all cut to shreds?" "No." "I don't think he was cutting them with knives." "And I don't think that that was why a ten-year-old girl was bleeding in the night." "This never had anything to do with planning applications or demolition orders, did it?" "No." "We need to draw up a list of every child who ever lived in Harrison House." "And we keep this enquiry between ourselves for now." "I don't want anybody else to know about it." "You talk only to me." "OK." "Wait, wait, what's this?" "Well, he's violent." "Violent?" "He can hardly keep his eyes open, man." "Go on, take the handcuff's off." "No can do." "Has he seen a doctor?" "Ay, he's had something to calm him down." "Like what?" "Largactil." "Bang on the door when you're ready." "Harry!" "What's Largactil?" "You call it The Liquid Cosh." "Harry." "Harry." "I want to show you something." "Do you remember us, Harry?" "Are you in this photograph, Harry?" "It says 1945 on the back." "It's Harrison House, isn't it?" "I don't even think he knows that we're..." "Do you want the pen?" "Give him your pen." "You are joking, aren't you?" "He nearly killed me last time." "Come on." "Go on, son." "LABOURED BREATHING" "Is that you, Harry?" "Who are they?" "Have I changed that much, George?" "Laura." "I was looking for long hair." "It's been a long time." "I was devastated to hear about Isabella." "I was never sure." "Did she ever know about us?" "Oh, yes, I told her the whole story." "About how I'd met this beautiful medical student who was patiently waiting for me to come back from the war." "Then I met somebody in Naples." "More beautiful." "No." "Isabella was my soulmate." "Anyway." "If I hadn't found Isabella, you'd never have found Ken." "Yeah." "Well..." "That didn't work out?" "Oh, it has to work out." "For the children." "Shall we be bold and not talk about the past?" "Shall we go on our first date?" "Well, that's a good idea." "So tell me, Laura, what do you do for a living?" "I'm a clinical paediatrician, George." "I treat illness and injury in children." "Yes..." "I think I may need some help from you, Laura." "I've got all evening if you have." "I think some children have been harmed." "I think someone has been hurting children." "Hurting them, how?" "Which children?" "Who are they?" "Broken bones, concussions, scalp wounds, stitches, vomiting." "And?" "Bleeding." "A ten-year-old girl bleeding in the night." "From where?" "Records don't say." "But I think this girl has come back to demolish the house in which she "bled" 20 years ago." "Are you familiar with the term "paedophile", George?" "Yes." "It's usually a father or an uncle." "Or a father and an uncle." "They tend to hunt in packs." "And it's never dealt with." "Never." "The police - sorry, George, the police are hopeless." "Nobody wants to believe this." "Even the wives and the mothers, they always say the same thing," ""I didn't know"." "This wasn't a family, Laura." "This was a children's home." "You weren't going to call me back, were you?" "Until this came up." "No." "The way I feel at the moment, Laura, I just have great difficulty with the past." "I'm sorry." "I just needed..." "I don't know." "This is real, is it?" "This sort of thing does happen on this sort of scale, I'm not imagining it?" "Well, I've never come across it in that sort of... organised way." "But... if you believe it, George, then it's real." "I'm trying not to believe it." "Be careful where this case leads you, George." "This stuff is corrosive." "Children are so vulnerable." "And every fair from fair sometimes declines." "By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd." "But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou owest." "Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade," "When in eternal lines to time thou growest." "So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see," "So long lives this, and this gives life to thee." "Thank you." "APPLAUSE" "Thank you, Shirley." "A lovely choice for tonight's theme of The Writer and His Love." "And now..." "Kevin." "Well, I dunno what that was all about." "This is one I've written meself." "It's called "Love, Bill"." "It's a kind of homage to William Burroughs, who... none of yous will have heard of." "In fact, you won't probably understand it." "Anyway, here goes." ""Love, Bill"." "Oh, to get it you need to understand that" "Burroughs tried to kill his wife." ""Love, Bill"." "If I had known sooner, how much you loved me," "I'd have shot you earlier." "Thank you." "I'm not quite sure I understood what you were trying to get at, actually." "I mean, aren't poems supposed to rhyme?" "Night, Kev, I liked ya pome." "Weirdo." "Get in the car, you!" "You're a bloody embarrassment." "Hey, hey, there's no need for that." "You that copper he's been on about?" "Yeah, might be." "Yeah?" "Well, stop encouraging him, will you?" "He's too stupid to be a police." "Hello, Mr." "Hello." "Do you like poems?" "What?" "Poems." "Oh." "Yes, I do." "I been reading one at school." "Can I read it to you?" "It's a bit late for you to be out on your own, sweetheart." "Is that your car?" "Yeah." "Can I have a ride in it?" "I don't think that's a very good idea." "How far is your house?" "Doesn't matter." "I can walk." "See you, mister." "See ya." "HE SOBS" "Last fag for three hours." "Yeah." "Know the feeling." "I was up at four in the morning meself." "Your dad was an inspector, wasn't he?" "Yeah." "Yeah, he was." "How come you never told us that he knew Alfred Peachment?" "Everybody knew Alfred Peachment." "Yeah, but not everybody fell out with him and then killed themselves, did they?" "Oh, and by the way, how come you were already at Harrison House when the response team turned up?" "Hmm?" "Just happened to be passing?" "Good luck with the exam." "Yeah." "Good luck." "These what you were looking for?" "I don't know what they are." "Yes, you do." "Between 1939 and 1948, these were the medical records of Harrison House Children's Home." "Of which you were the Medical Officer." "Almost ten years." "During which time there were 137 reports of unexplained injury or illness among the children." "Children get ill!" "They fall off ladders, boys have fights, they climb trees." "And girls bleed in the night." "I never received a day's pay in all those years." "It was a service to the community." "It was the least I could do with the war on." "Who appointed you?" "The board of trustees." "Alfred, Enid, Clive Blacksmith." "Sergeant Blacksmith's father?" "Do you recall Cora Davidson at Harrison House, Dr Morgan?" "I mean, when she was a child?" "When she was called Cora Heston?" "No." "And Harry Carson?" "Hundreds of children passed through." "We took in children from the bombed out cities." "Cora Heston "bled in the night" at age ten." "And you examined her." "No, no." "That wouldn't've been me." "It's your signature." "Yes!" "Obviously cases like that," "I wouldn't of conducted intimate examinations of girls." "That would have been Enid." "I simply signed the report." "Mrs Peachment?" "I see." "How did the exam go?" "I failed." "You don't know that." "No, I do." "I didn't answer any of the questions." "Who cares about the Road Traffic Act, when we've... you know?" "I was awake all night." "Yeah, me as well, John." "Thinking about me daughter, actually." "I mean, what does this stuff do to a kid?" "Let's ask, shall we?" "Why here?" "I like the sea." "I find it soothing." "Come to arrest me?" "No, Miss Davidson." "Or is it Cora Heston?" "I assume Davidson is your adoptive name?" "The one you took when you left Harrison House." "Would you mind looking at this photograph, please?" "Why?" "Because I think you're on it." "Mr Gently." "Why don't you just let me do what I came here to do?" "Then I can get on with my life." "You came to demolish Harrison House." "That's right." "Why?" "To make money, sergeant." "Lots and lots of money." "Why did you try and kill yourself?" "What?" "I'm afraid it left you with a criminal record." "I can't hire a car." "Did you know that?" "There are certain kinds of finance agreement I'm not allowed to sign, because the law says I'm an ex-con." "Yes, I agree that law was vindictive." "But you didn't answer the sergeant's question." "I don't have to." "I don't want to see that." "Cora, I need your help." "It's not too late to put this right." "Put it right?" "You know absolutely nothing, Mr Gently." "Somebody already put it right." "God bless 'em." "You could help him, you know?" "By telling the court I saw Harry Carson beat Peachment to a pulp?" "That would help his case, would it?" "Anyway, I saw nothing." "Well, he's going to get a hangman's noose unless I can find a defence for him." "Don't charge him." "There's a lot of evidence against him." "Ignore it." "I can't ignore it!" "I'm a policeman trying to uphold the law." "Forget the law." "Think about justice." "Look at this photo, please." "Who are these children?" "Why are their faces circled?" "That's Harry Carson." "That's Daniel Mason." "And the girls?" "Her name was Jenny Marr." "And their faces are circled because they were the lucky ones." ""The lucky ones"?" "That's what they were called." "That's you, isn't it?" "You were one of the lucky ones?" "What happened to the lucky ones, Cora?" "The lucky ones got special treatment." "And the other two?" "Where are they now?" "Jenny Marr was adopted the same time as me." "Daniel Mason seems to have had a lot of injuries." "Little Danny Mason." "He was especially lucky." "I have no idea where he ended up." "Cora, we are trying to help." "I asked for help for ten years." "You're wasting your time, Mr Gently." "The world didn't believe me and it won't believe you." "Cora?" "We've searched the whole house." "We found a cupboard under the stairs with some files in it." "We haven't found the cellar." "Do you know where it is?" "You're already there." "She's our witness." "Yeah, but she's not going to testify against Harry in a court." "But I think I know where the cellar is." "Sorry, sir." "No-one's allowed inside." "Hey, do you have any idea who you're talking to?" "Yes, Mr Gently." "I was given specific orders from the top." "The top?" "The Chief Constable." "Your father in law, sergeant." "This isn't London, Gently." "Things are done differently up here." "Yes, clearly." "You've got your man." "Either prosecute him or let him go." "Let's end this business." "What, exactly, should end, sir?" "You've got to understand how upsetting it is to the community to have you questioning people about their integrity." "There is no shady land deal." "Just people sticking together." "Can't you simply accept that?" "No, I can't." "Are you saying you've got evidence?" "Evidence is emerging." "Of corrupt practice?" "Of criminal activity." "What crime?" "The organised sexual abuse of young children." "Have you taken leave of your senses, Gently?" "This isn't Egypt, man!" "No, sir." "This is England." "I think I understand what's happening here." "I was warned by certain voices in Scotland yard before I agreed to your appointment." "But I believe in giving a man a chance." "Warned about what?" "The death of your wife." "It's clear that what you needed was a long holiday." "Time for your wounds to heal." "I see it all now." "The mind is a delicate instrument, Gently." "There is nothing wrong with my mind." "Oh, I think there is, Chief Inspector." "You are on indefinite paid leave, as of this moment." "Well?" "What did the old git say?" "He told me to get on with it." "Find Enid Peachment, bring her to Harrison House." "It's time for her to face the music." "Sir, nobody's told me to..." "Shut up, Constable." "Sir." "Get out of my way." "Sir, I'll have to report you." "Go and report me then!" "Sir?" "Is she here?" "Huh?" "Is she here?" "Yeah, she is." "Bring her down." "What was this room, Mrs Peachment?" "It was our air raid shelter." "What?" "Out here in the middle of nowhere?" "The Luftwaffe have a grudge against you or something?" "You can't be too careful, sergeant." "And after the war?" "Well, we didn't need it any more." "Is that when it was walled up?" "I suppose so." "I really can't remember." "Why didn't you keep it as a kiddies' playroom?" "Do you remember Daniel Mason or Cora Heston, Mrs Peachment?" "Yes, I remember Cora." "She bled... in the night." "C-c-cora was an early starter." "Poor thing." "It was very shocking for her." "Why don't you just tell us the truth, Mrs Peachment?" "Truth?" "Cora was being sexually assaulted and you knew that it was happening, didn't you?" "Was it your husband, Mrs Peachment?" "Was it Alfred?" "Nonsense!" "Girls make up stories." "They're always flirting with men." "Especially girls who've lost their fathers." "They get ideas about men." "Forever... flirting." "And Daniel Mason?" "Harry Carson?" "They were children in your care." "I never knew anything." "Why did you leave your husband?" "Why did your son leave England as soon as he could?" "What was he so keen to get away from, Mrs Peachment?" "Mind your step, sir." "I told you to stop, Gently." "No." "No, no, no." "Leave it." "My sergeant knows nothing about this." "Both of you will leave this house immediately." "Take Mrs Peachment home." "Nobody is going to tell us anything." "Not the victims, not the criminals." "The perfect crime." "Why was the cellar boarded up, sir?" "Why did she keep looking into that same corner?" "Tell me?" "Because there was something there in that room." "Something in that corner." "Such as what?" "Dunno." "Maybe we're looking at the wrong part of the story." "Let's ask ourselves this." "Why did it have to close down?" "Oh, well, we know that, don't we?" "Good old, clever clogs Blacksmith told us that one." "Yes." "The Children's Act of 1948." "Harrison House either couldn't or wouldn't comply with the new regulations." "Or else they didn't want to be subject to outside inspection." "1947." "No, 1948." "Blacksmith said 1947." "Well, he was wrong." "Ha ha." "He's not as clever as he thinks he is then, is he?" "Well, unless he's trying to confuse us." "When exactly did it close down?" "The last medical entry was... signed October 131947." "Well, there you go." "That was a year before the Act." "It didn't close because of new regulations, it closed for some other reason." "Yes?" "Sir." "Top floor's asked me to make an appointment for you with Mr Kanagasundaram." "Who?" "Mr. Kanagasundaram." "Who's he?" "He's the psychiatrist the force uses for officers that need help." "OK." "Anytime that suits him." "I've been told this case is closed, sir, and I've been asked to escort you from the premises." "They're going to charge Harry Carson." "Five minutes, Taylor." "Five minutes!" "OK?" "What happened to these children?" "Where did they go?" "Where are they now?" "All of them, including Daniel Mason, either went to other institutions or into adoption." "Yeah." "The local authority has an obligation to keep records." "It's your career, John" " I wouldn't blame you." "What do you want me to do?" "Find those records." "I'll see you tonight." "Thank you." "No, I said the complete records." "Where's 1947 gone?" "The last year." "I assumed your colleague had given it to you already." "My colleague?" "Sergeant Blacksmith." "Thank you." "New toy." "Mind you, what'll it be like when everybody's got one?" "No more peace and quiet." "This is me little lad, Terry." "You were told that you were off this case." "Come on, the file?" "You went to County Hall." "Great minds think alike, eh?" "How did you find the exam?" "What is it you're playing at?" "Where is it?" "I was just curious about what happened to the kids that were left in Harrison House before it was closed." "Yeah, why did you say it was a school when it was a children's home?" "Did I?" "Yes, you did, yeah." "You, who knows all about the community you serve." "What exactly were you curious about?" "That woman Cora Davidson." "Her behaviour struck me as odd." "Sure you saw the same." "And there she is in Harrison House." "Right." "Get it, now please." "It's here." "OK?" "No, it's not OK." "You stay away from this case, right?" "Did Dr Morgan ask you to get hold of this by any chance?" "Dr Morgan?" "Why would he ask that?" "When was The Children's Act, sergeant?" "The Children's Act?" "1948." "Correct." "Sir?" "Sit down." "Shut up." "You haven't seen me." "Sir, it was a direct command." "Get your hand off that phone." "Taylor." "Do you trust me?" "Yes, sir." "Good." "What happened to the last child?" "Well, that's the point." "I've absolutely no idea." "It was Daniel Mason." "The lad who kept breaking his bones?" "Yeah." "One of "the lucky ones"." "And Sergeant Blacksmith had this file?" "So he could've taken the paperwork?" "Why else would he want the file?" "Removing evidence of crime from medical records I could understand." "Sir." "Sergeant Blacksmith." "Says you might want to talk to him?" "Sir." "There's some paperwork missing from this file." "Did you remove it?" "You're a disgrace to the force, Blacksmith." "If I may speak, sir." "I've got something to give you." "My resignation from the force." "Notwithstanding any disciplinary action or criminal charges you want to bring against me." "Well, you can count on both." "Where is he, Blacksmith?" "What happened to Daniel Mason?" "You're coming with me." "Sergeant, find Cora Davidson and bring her to Harrison House." "It's not a request, sergeant." "Sir." "We're gonna get slaughtered for this." "So?" "Go and get a couple of spades." "What?" "Why?" "Just do it." "What was in this corner?" "Mrs Peachment kept looking at it." "Why?" "What happened to Daniel Mason?" "All right, let's find out, shall we?" "Stop." "Stop." "Daniel Mason's not down there." "Where is he?" "I took this from the file." ""Daniel Mason."What is it?" ""Adoption." "February 1947."" "Why did you take it?" "Sir." "Daniel Mason was... adopted by Inspector and Mrs Clive Blacksmith." "Are you Daniel Mason?" "Yes, sir." "You were adopted by Inspector Blacksmith." "Well, what was that?" "Above and beyond the call of duty?" "Was he trying to help you?" "He wanted one of "the lucky ones"." "What happened down here?" "What was Enid Peachment staring at?" "There was a bath in the corner." "The water was freezing." "It was a punishment." "When you hadn't been loving enough." "How often was this happening?" "You never knew when it would happen." "We all had tea together about half past five." "Then at six sharp we were sent to our dormitories." "You couldn't wait to get out of that room." "You were dreading your name being called out and getting asked to stay behind." "And your name was called?" "Oh, yeah." "I was a really pretty little girl." "Who was it who called your name?" "Peachment." "You?" "Alfred wasn't interested in little boys." "But every now and then people from the Board of Trustees would join us for tea." "When Sergeant Blacksmith, as he then was, when he was at the table..." "..you knew it would be a boy." "How old were you when this started?" "I was nine." "Til it happened to me I didn't really know what was going on." "The kids never talked about it." "Before he took a shine to me... it was Harry Carson." ""The Dummy Lad"." "But I suppose he got too old, too big, too strong." "Putting up too much of a fight." "So one evening he turned to me." "And you never really talked about it amongst yourselves?" "We were told to keep quiet." "We were told we'd get into trouble." "It's what we ask kids to do, isn't it?" "Shut up and be quiet." "Harry heard it so often, he decided to never talk again." "We're still telling kids." ""Do as you're told." "Respect your elders." "Respect authority."" "That's starting to change now." "That world's slowly washing away." "But there's a lot of people, especially in the police, in the classroom, whatever - that regret its passing." "But you know what?" "I think... just let it all be washed away." "Because children shouldn't be asked to take grown ups on trust." "And they shouldn't learn to be silent." "About six months after Sergeant Blacksmith adopted me, the House was closed down as a children's home." "Why?" "Enid made it happen." "She discovered her own son, Laurie..." "..had joined "the lucky ones"." "Courtesy of my father." "And Mrs Blacksmith?" "Did she never try to help?" "I don't know what she knew." "I don't think my mother... ..knows what she knew." "Nobody helps you, Mr Gently." "If Harry Carson hadn't killed Alfred Peachment..." "I would never have talked about it." "Never." "I've always wanted my life to be about what I can do for myself, not about what other people did to me." "Cora called me first on the morning of the murder." "Harry had already run away." "You forced the back door, didn't you?" "Didn't you?" "Make it look like a robbery." "HE SIGHS" "So where's the murder weapon then?" "You'll never find it." "I didn't see why Harry should hang for what he did." "I still don't." "Do you?" "What happened that morning?" "Come for your revenge, have you, sweetheart?" "Little Cora Heston." "Cora!" "Cora." "Remember what you used to say to me when you were on my knee?" "You used to say, "I love you, Grandpa Peachey." ""I love you"." "Remember?" "And if you didn't like it, all you had to do was speak." "Ah, it's the Dummy Lad!" "Come on, Harry, speak up!" "Say something for..." "You want love." "So they tell you, this is love." "Take this resignation letter and tear it up." "I'll do my best for Harry Carson... ..and to see that Morgan and Mrs Peachment are charged." "With what?" "All they did was do nothing." "They'll never tell you what they really knew." "He doesn't know what he knew and neither does she." "People don't want to know, Mr Gently." "And neither of us will ever go into a witness box." "You will go into the witness box if I order you to." "No, Mr Gently." "I won't." "Go home, sergeant." "Goodnight, Miss Davidson." "Goodnight, Chief Inspector." "I can't thank you." "SCRAPING" "Leave it, John." "John." "Let's go home." "You disregarded a direct order from me." "Yes, sir." "I'm glad you did." "If you prosecute Harry Carson, will Sergeant Blacksmith testify?" "Or Cora Davidson?" "No." "Both of them would rather perjure themselves than help to convict Harry Carson." "And without their testimony?" "There's probably enough circumstantial evidence to persuade a jury." "The wrong judge might hang him." "But that would allow you to put Enid Peachment and Philip Morgan into the witness box?" "Indeed it would." "Which would destroy them both publicly." "With a bit of luck." "And bring shame on their community." "The community has shamed itself." "The decision is yours, of course, Gently." "All right?" "So, why do you want to be a cop?" "Because you know what, Sergeant Bacchus?" "What's that?" "I think this world is a load of shite." "And?" "And I want to do something about it." "Right." "Let's go for a walk." "Come on." "I'll tell you what it's really like." "Does that not stick in your throat though, sir?" "Morgan and Enid get away scot free, and she's rich." "Makes me sick." "But I can't stomach the thought of dragging those three through the courts." "They've suffered enough already." "It ends here." "The past gets buried." "And the truth with it." "Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd"