"Hail Mary, full of grace" "The Lord is with thee" "Blessed art thou among women" "And blessed is the fruit of thy womb," "Jesus." "Holy Mary, Mother of God" "Pray for us sinners" "Now and at the hour of our death" "Hey!" "Here, boy." "Unidentified male." "Dog walker found him in the water." " Is that him?" " Yeah." "SOCOs hauled the body out." " So what can you tell us, Tony?" " Late 20s." "Emaciated." "Signs of possible malnutrition." "How long's he been dead?" "There's some post-mortem staining, so, a few hours, I'd say." "So, some time last night." "Drowned?" "Unlikely." "We've got a blunt trauma wound to the back of the head." "A shiner, a cut lip." "What are those marks on his arms?" "Are they needle tracks?" "We found this in his trouser pocket." "Heroin wrap with a dealer's stamp." "What's that say? "Dark Angel."" "Dealers like to stamp their gear." "Users know they're getting quality product." "Well, if it's quality heroin, that makes it OK, does it?" "Put a call in to Vice, see what they can tell us." "What's on the end of that chain?" "That's a mourning ring." "Worn to remember the dead." "Right, well, I want a sweep of this whole riverbank -- footprints, drag marks, the lot." "I'm gonna talk to that fella who found him." "Can you give us a hand up, love?" "I'm DCI Stanhope, I'm heading the investigation." "Oh, I've already given your copper a statement." "I won't keep you long, love." "You were out with your dog when you found the lad?" "Yeah, floating face down in the burn." "Have you seen him before?" "Doubt he was local." "He doesn't look the type." "Did you see anyone else on the path, in the woods?" "No one about, not at that hour." "Ma'am." "So, can you give your address to one of my officers?" "And they'll make sure you get home." "I'd rather walk, clear my head." "Aye, I know how you feel." "I've got intel on the heroin wrap." "It's a brand that's been flooding the streets in Gateshead." "Pretty potent stuff, by all accounts." "Oh, he's a city lad?" "What's he doing all the way out here?" "There's a needle exchange on Altworth Road." "We should check it out, see if someone knows him." "Yes, I do know him." "There you go." "His name's Nathan." "He came in twice a week." " How well do you know him?" " He's a troubled soul." "Troubled?" "How?" "Well, he had a rough time of things." "A lot of these kids, well, they struggle just to stay on their feet." "We found his body in a woodland up in Alnwick." "I don't know why he'd be up there." "Nathan was a creature of habit, never strayed far from his patch, you know." "Do you think he was homeless?" "I'd set him up the odd night in a hostel, but they shelter you long-term if you're clean." " When did you last see him?" " He came in two days ago." "Was he registered with the exchange programme?" "We don't ask for personal details." "I couldn't even tell you his surname." "What about his friends?" "No one I can think of." " Well, someone must be missing him." " Oh, hang on, hang on." "There was a girl he sometimes knocked around with." "I think she called herself Kelly." "Kelly?" "Another user?" "I'm pretty sure she enrolled on the methadone programme." " Pharmacy would need an address." " I'll talk to them." "If you do manage to track down his next of kin, perhaps I could pay them a visit?" "You know, some small solace." "I'll keep you informed." "Thanks for your time, Father." "Excuse me, love." "So, he definitely died from the blow to the head." "Fractured skull." "Internal bleeding." "Yeah, he was hit from behind with some force." "Blood tests?" "There were traces of opiates in his blood and urine." "IV injection." "So, yes, he had been using last night." " I've taken swabs for a DNA profile." " Anything I can work with meantime?" "The bruising to his ribs and this shiner on his eye, both consistent with some kind of assault." "Does suggest he might have known his killer." "I'm gonna leave that little puzzle for you to solve." "Violent struggle, puts up a fight... .. comes off second best." "We're here about a friend of yours." "A regular down at the needle exchange." "We know his name is Nathan." "I've seen him around." "Wouldn't say we were friends." "Has something happened?" "I'm afraid he was found murdered last night, love." "Poor fella." "So when did you last run into Nathan?" "Must have been a few days ago." "Didn't see him on Tuesday, when you picked up your methadone?" "I didn't get to the centre at all this week." "Picked it up from a chemist in town." "We found this in Nathan's pocket." "Do you know who he might have scored that off?" "Could be any of the dealers in Newcastle." "Now, Father O'Brien, he told us Nathan was homeless." "Well, if that's what he told you." "What about his family?" "He never mention anyone?" "We just need to give them the news, pet." "I think his surname was Weaver." "I know he didn't get on with his mam." "Grew up in one of those mining towns, somewhere like Ellington." "Right, well, that's something to be going on with." "Well, if there's nothing else..." "Are you expecting company?" " What if I am?" " Nothing, no." "This your own place, is it?" " That's right." " Nice view!" "Where were you last evening?" " I was here all night." " Verify that, can you?" "Well, short of phoning up a client for a character reference..." "Look, I'm sorry he's dead." "Really, I am." "But there's nothing I can tell you." "Right, well, we'll leave you to it." "Thanks." "If anything does spring to mind, ask for CID." "Business must be good, plush pad on the river." "The place doesn't look lived in." "You reckon she's hiding something?" "She was frightened, I know that much." "I tell you what, let's apply for a surveillance order." "And get on to the Land Registry, find out who really owns that flat." "Nathan Weaver." "Late 20s, victim of a violent assault." "His body was found by a dog walker, Jeb Branning, in Brunhill Woods." "He's thought to have been dead about six hours, so killed late last night, early hours of this morning." "Heroin addict, possibly homeless." "He was seen by a witness two days ago." "Needle exchange, Gateshead." " A Father O'Brien." " Who told us the lad was troubled." "I've got a witness statement here from a regular at the exchange." "She claims that Nathan Weaver was dealing." "Well, the chances are, this is drug related." "So, who was he working for and who might he have crossed?" "Kenny, have you got anything on the stamp on this heroin wrap?" "No one seems to recognise it." "But they're hardly gonna shop their suppliers." " Aye." " We've ran checks on his prints." "No record." " Missing Persons?" " Nothing on the database." "We could issue a public appeal." "It might throw something up." "Aye." "There's nothing to be gained by keeping this quiet." "And what about this ring, what have we got?" "Antique. 18-carat gold." "" " Worth a bit, then." "There's an inscription." ""Veritas me dirigit"." "Latin, that is, Kenny." ""Let the truth guide me"." "Ooh!" "Stone me!" "Why hadn't he sold it?" "He had a habit to finance." "Ah, now, that's my thinking exactly." "So run a check on the NMPR, any recent burglaries, pilfered jewellery." "And what do we know about this friend, Kelly Horton?" "She has an online profile with an escort agency." "It's how every self-respecting client books a girl these days." "Well, I'll take your word for that, Kenny." " Available for in-calls only, ma'am." " Right." "Have you got any plans for tonight, Hicham?" "Football practice, pizza and a pint with the lads." "Nah." "Well, get yourself a takeaway, love, because I want a watch on that flat." "Got you." "Have you got a licence for that?" "Mrs Weaver?" " Oh!" " We're here about your son, Nathan." "What's he done?" "You might wanna sit down, love." "God!" "When did you last see Nathan?" "He came round about three weeks ago." "First time I'd clapped eyes on him in months." "How long has he been...?" "What, an addict?" "Since he was 17." "Around the time his dad walked out on us." "Well, that must have been hard to deal with, all on your own." "It was!" "Especially when he started stealing from me." "Strange thing was that the last time I saw him, he looked better." "He even talked about applying for a job." "Did he tell you where?" "Somewhere in town." "On the factory floor." "And then he asked for a loan." "Didn't say what the money was for?" "He said he owed some people." "Same old story." "Did this belong to you, love?" "I've never seen it before." "Nathan was wearing it when we found him." "Probably nicked it off someone." "DS Healy." "This photo, love, can we borrow it?" ""No one can help me, Mam."" "That's what he said." "Maybe if I'd have let him come home." "It's not your fault, love." "The driver that picked up Kelly last night, Hicham ran his plates." "And?" "Get that circulated." "It's registered to an Adam Gascoigne." "Just finished a five-year stretch." "Drug offences and violent affray." "Here he is." "Well, that might explain why none of the users are talking." "He runs a salvage yard over in Blaydon." "Right, let's pay him a little visit." "Are you sure you wanna park there?" "Very funny!" "Adam Gascoigne?" "DCI Vera Stanhope, Northumberland and City Police." "We're investigating a homicide." " What's that got to do with us?" " Didn't say it had, love." "Do you recognise this man?" " Should I?" " Name of Nathan Weaver." "Victim of a violent assault." "I'm six months into a Prevention Order." "Do you think I'd get mixed up in something like that?" " We know he was dealing drugs." " Asking for trouble, then, wasn't he?" "We also know you've got previous, possession with intent to supply." "I've put all that behind me." "You picked up a woman in this vehicle last night, didn't you?" "Kelly Horton." " She needed a lift." " To one of your clients?" "That's my business." "Where were you Wednesday evening?" "Billiards club on the Durham Road." "Amateur tournament, came third." " Didn't get home till 4:00am." " Well, we can check." "You do that." "Save you wasting my time." "We're done here." "Get Hicham down to that billiards club, see if his alibi holds up." "We've got nothing to pin him to Nathan Weaver." "He's a violent thug with form for drugs, that'll do for starters." "That flat on the river... is owned by a lettings company, Mayfield Residential and Commercial." "So Kelly was lying." "Landlord's name's Stuart Mayfield." "But he's not at work till Monday." "Well, let's go and see him at home." "Biscuit would have been nice." "We had a couple of complaints from one of the neighbours." "Noisy visitors late at night." "Aside from that, she's never been any trouble." " She always pays the rent on time." " How does she pay you?" "Direct debit, I think. 1st of every month." "Ever see this man at the flat?" "I don't get over that way too often." "Haven't been round there in months." " Stuart?" " I'll be right over, love." "Oh, it's a bit of a turnout." "Just a few of the neighbours." "If I'd known she was working from home..." "Maybe we can keep this between us." "It wouldn't look too good for business." "Oh, I can't guarantee that, sir, I'm afraid." "I'll make sure I take care of things." "We've just gone and got her evicted." "Yeah, well, I had to tell him something." "All he cares about is his reputation." "And do a run on his plates." "Might as well cover all our bases." "Mark." "I've pulled out Nathan Weaver's bank statements." " Not quite down and out." " His current account was barely used, but there is a recent deposit, dated five days before he died." "Bennick's Convenience Food." "It's a factory over in Pelaw." "Thanks, Mark." "What did his mam say?" "Went for a job on the factory floor?" "We've reason to believe Nathan Weaver had been working here." "Aye, we took him on." "We were looking for packers." " He barely lasted a week." " Why was that?" "The foreman gave him his marching orders." "You'll need to talk to him." "Oi, Joe, a minute." "Nathan Weaver, that lad you got shot of last week." "Ah, yeah." "He'd had a few warnings for turning up late," "I didn't need the aggravation." "We've got standards here at Bennick's." "Quality product." "Oh, aye!" "Gave him plenty of chances to sort himself out." "Even paid him up to the end of the week." "But between you and me, I think he was on something." "He looked like he needed a good wash." "Did he make friends with any of the other packers?" "Nah." "Nah, he wasn't here long enough." "What's he supposed to have done?" "I'm afraid he's been murdered, love." "Sorry to hear that." "Is it all right if my sergeant has an ask around?" "Be my guest." " And you must have some details." " We should have his home address." " Joe." " Aye, it'll be in the office." "Just come round." "So much for being homeless." "For a job, might have put down any old address." "A bit out of the way, though." "He's keeping his head down, if someone's out to get him." "There's someone in there." "Police." "Open up, please!" "I let him stay here sometimes." "He had nowhere else to go." "So why lie to us?" "I open the door to a couple of coppers, you tell me Nathan's been murdered," "I wasn't thinking straight." "Well, now you've had a bit of time, perhaps you'd like to think about giving us some straight answers." "Mam!" "It's all right, sweetheart." "We're just talking." "Nathan's stuff's in the bedroom upstairs." "How long have the two of you been together?" "We weren't." "Not really." "We met at the centre." "It must have been five years ago." "Fell in with each other." "Suppose it was easier than being on my own." "So, the bairn..." "Nathan's?" "I'm still trying to take it all in." "The meth, it numbs you, shuts you down." " None of this seems real." " What's the lad's name?" "Kyle." "So who looks after Kyle when you're working?" "Child minder." "Lives round the corner." "I'm a good mum." "And I'm trying to find out who killed his dad." "So if there's anything you can tell me that might shed some light on that, pet..." "He tapped me for some cash, said he was going into town to score." " When was this?" " Over a week ago." "Well, weren't you worried when he didn't come home?" "He used to take off sometimes." "Disappeared for days." " Do you know where he went?" " Nathan did as he pleased." "He hated being tied down." "He could never go far from the smack, though." "Always pulled him back." "Well, we know he was dealing to pay for his habit." "Who told you that?" "He was selling drugs down at the needle exchange." "So, I'll ask you again, where's he getting this heroin from?" " I don't know." " Not Adam Gascoigne, then?" "We know he picked you up from that swanky flat last night." "You've been keeping tabs on me?" "Well, if you'd been honest with us from the start..." " If he knew I'd been talking..." " What, he'd come after you?" "Oh, that's why you were hiding with the curtains drawn?" "Look, love, if someone's threatening you, we can offer you protection." "I'm doing fine on my own." "Under the thumb of a drug-dealing thug?" "You don't get it, do you?" "This has always been somewhere safe, somewhere away from the girl in that flat, and now you've brought it all here." "I don't know what happened to Nathan, and I'd rather it stayed that way, so, please, just leave us alone." "Kyle!" "Ma'am." "Anything?" "A few clothes, sleeping bag." "I found this in his pocket." " Father O'Brien?" " Chances are he did a runner." "Nah." "Abandon his son?" " The lad's his?" " Mm." " Probably for the best, then." " Hark at you!" "Dad six months, suddenly you're Father of the Year." "I was just saying, we could be looking at a Child Protection issue." " And Max will be one next week." " Who?" "Oh, right." "Is he?" "Yeah, we're having a few drinks and a cake." " Oh." " So, you know, if you're free..." "Well, I'll tell you what, I'll drop you back at the station, you can do a routine enquiry with social services." "Yeah." "It's better to be safe than sorry." "We managed to locate Nathan's mam, a Diane Weaver." "Ah, you could have left her address at the centre, saved yourself a trip." "I wanted to talk to you about Nathan." "See, you told me he was troubled." "Well, that was the impression I got." "Yeah, well, I think you knew him a bit better than that." "You gave him a character reference for that job at Bennick's." "Well, I was just trying to get him back on his feet." "And I found this in one of his pockets, The Sacrament of Confession." "Uh-huh." "Well, he must have picked it up from the centre." "Well, anything he confided in you could help shed light on how he died." "You know I can't break the seal of the confessional." "So he did confess to something, then?" "Ma'am, a lorry driver's come in." "Says he gave Nathan a lift on the night he died." " I've put him in the interview room." " Right." "Mark, give us that." "Make him another one." "Yeah, that's him." "He was hitching by the Blue House roundabout." " What time was this?" " Around nine o'clock Wednesday evening." "So where did you drop him?" "Hedgeley Services." "I stopped off to get some fuel, went in to pay, realised I'd left my wallet in the cab, and the thieving toe-rag had nicked it, ran off across the fields." "Oh." "Thanks." "Salmon and cucumber?" "I got you the healthy option." "Meaning?" "What have you got?" "Cheese and pickle." "Do you wanna swap?" "Go on, then." "What did the cashier have to say?" " Well, she was definitely working that night." " And?" " Doesn't remember seeing Nathan." " CCTV?" "No, nothing we can work with." "He left Gateshead under his own steam, on edge, in a hurry, thumbs a lift." "And then does a bunk." "Steals a wallet, so he'll wanna keep away from the road." "And it's what..." "It's gone 10:00, it's dark, cold." "He'd be looking for somewhere to kip." "Nearest village is a couple of miles away." "Where's the river from here?" "His body was found a mile from here." "So where do you think he was heading, hm?" "Check out those outbuildings." "Ma'am!" "Have a look at this." "Get on to the station, find out what happened here." "Looks like Nathan made himself at home." "Right, then, Nathan Weaver." "Possibly killed here." "Or at the house." "Dumped in the river, floats downstream to where we found him." "That would explain why the riverbank was clean." "What's the story with this farmhouse?" "Any intel yet?" "Scene of a homicide." "Domestic:" "Farmer shot his wife." "That's gotta be over ten years ago." "So Nathan comes across an old murder scene, ends up dead himself." "Well, that puts a new slant on things, doesn't it?" "Right, Nathan Weaver broke into a farmhouse and it looks like that's where he's been dossing." "But it also happens to be the scene of a previous homicide." "China Farm Murder?" "Poultry farmer, Edward Thurston, convicted for killing his wife." "Currently serving life in Dursdale nick." "The farm was on the market for a few years, couldn't get a buyer." "He's always protested his innocence." "Claimed to have run into intruders." "Thurston shot her." "He made up a story to cover his tracks." " How do you know that?" " I worked on the case." "Oh, well, perhaps you can fill us in with the facts, Kenny." "His wife was playing away, Laura Thurston." "She'd packed her bags on the night she was killed." "So he shot her in cold blood?" "Eddie Thurston's a piece of work." "Was there anyone else in the frame for the murder?" "It was 13 years ago..." "I'll have to look up the file." "One of the neighbours was questioned as a suspect." "He'd had a previous altercation with Eddie Thurston." "A dog walker who was trespassing on his land." "A dog walker?" "This fella got a name?" "Well, well, well!" "Mr Branning?" "Hello?" "Mr Branning?" "DCI Stanhope." "Mr Branning." "Mr Branning?" " Aiden!" " No one's going anywhere." "Calm down!" "Just calm down!" "If you're gonna lamp me with that, you better get on with it." "Look, we just need to talk to you, that's all." "Am I... under arrest?" "No, but you will be if you don't put that thing down." "Come on." "Sorry to keep you, Mr Branning." "Now, according to your statement, you found Nathan Weaver's body about 7:00am Thursday morning." " I was walking the dog." " Mm." "But let's go back to the night before." "You went for a walk in the fields." "Other side of the woods." "Did you walk across Eddie Thurston's land?" "Well, let's see if this helps." "Now, if you walked from your house to the fields, you'd have gone right through his farm." "I set a few snares, that's all." "Laura Thurston's murder." "You were questioned as a possible suspect, weren't you?" "What's Laura got to do with all this?" "Well, now we've got a second murder and we're talking to you as a person of interest." "Now, that's either rotten luck on your part, or a bit of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?" "Didn't care for Eddie Thurston much, did you?" " No one did." " Ah, but you argued with him." " A violent altercation according to this." " He came at me pointing a shotgun." "Told me to get off his land." "Ah, he said you'd been harassing his wife." "I ran into her sometimes, that's all." "She used to go for walks to get away from him." "Jealous sort, was he?" "Hm!" "Loose with his fists and tight with his money." "Kept it all under the mattress." "And how do you know that little nugget?" "People talk." "Now, I think you'd been watching that farmhouse and you knew Nathan had broken in." "No." "Did you see him up there the night he was killed?" "I told you, I found him in the river." "Well, I've got a forensics team up at the farmhouse." "We'll soon know if you're telling us the truth." "Ma'am, we can definitely place Nathan in the farmhouse." "DNA and fibre matches." "His prints are all over the scene." " It's Jeb Branning we need to pin down!" " We found footprints in the farmyard that don't match the victim's, more near the bridge." "Forensics are checking Jeb's shoes and clothes." "There's some tyre treads in the mud on the lane." " Does Jeb Branning own a vehicle?" " We've checked, he doesn't drive." "Right, I want the search moved up to the house from the riverbank." "We're looking for a murder weapon." "All right to go in?" "Oh, SOCOs have set up in the kitchen, ma'am." "Must be giving you the chills, Kenny, back to the scene of a murder." "Well, I never expected to set foot in this place again." "I tell you what, get yourself over to Jeb Branning's." "I want a detective over there." "I thought you needed help with a sweep?" "Oh, Hicham can cover it, fresh pair of eyes." "Go on, we can manage." "Ma'am." "Nathan's prints are all over this room." "Probably looking for stuff to nick." "So, what do we think?" "Jeb Branning knows the lad's been snooping." "Is he afraid he's gonna find something?" "Something to tie him to Laura Thurston's death." "What, then kills him to silence him?" " Nah." "Don't think he's got it in him." " He did wave a big bloody stick at us." "Two murders, one crime scene." "This old case." "Abusive relationship." "She calls it quits." "All set to leave him." "According to Kenny, she was playing away." " But Thurston always denied that." " Well, it gave him a motive to kill her." "Hm." "Look." "He comes home, finds his wife with her bags packed." "He gets a shotgun from this cupboard." "Forensics found the slug cases in the hallway." "And her body was found?" " Bottom of the stairs." " Right." "So, he comes through this door with a shotgun, right?" "Now, she's coming down the stairs." "Right, here she comes." "I'll be Laura, you be Eddie." "Get over there." "Right, now, come on, shoot me." " Bang." " Yeah, twice." " Bang." " She falls down, fatally injured." "There's blood on the walls and the skirting according to the crime report." "One shot to the stomach, one to the chest." "A farmer, used to handling guns... .. he has to take two shots to kill her, point blank range?" "Cold-blooded killer, profile fits." "Unless Eddie Thurston's telling the truth, and there were intruders in the house that night." "Mr Thurston." "You've consented to a voluntary interview." "I'd like to ask you a few questions about an ongoing investigation." "This fella was found dead near your farm a couple of days ago, and we've reason to believe he'd broken into your farmhouse." "Do you recognise him?" "Never seen him before." "Can I take you back to the night your wife was shot?" "Now, you claimed there were intruders in the house the night your wife died." "Burglary." "It's all in my statement." "Well, I'd like to hear your version of events." "Why?" "So you can twist my words, like they did last time?" "Make me into a liar?" "Well, if you don't want to talk, that's your prerogative." "Completely understand." "Put this down to a wasted journey." "I come back late." "The front door was wide open." "She was upstairs." "I could hear her screaming." "Laura was upstairs?" "I fetched a shotgun." "I didn't have time to think." "One of them had a... .. knife to her throat..." ".. and..." "Just take your time." "Another fella jumped me from behind, grabbed the gun." "What happened then was..." "Well, Laura, she's lying on the floor, and she's... .. bleeding." "Did you see their faces, the lads?" "No, they were wearing scarves." "Hoods over their heads." "Could Jeb Branning have been one of them?" "He knew the farm well enough." "Now, you say these intruders made off with certain items." "Do you recognise this?" " It might be Laura's." " Can you be certain?" "It's been 13 years." "Right, we're done here." "They refused my parole, do you hear?" "But I didn't kill anyone." "They stitched me up." "Refuses parole, his one chance of freedom." "After 13 years banged up, you'd just say you did it." "You think he could be innocent?" "Let's say he's telling the truth, the killer could still be out there." "Puts Jeb Branning in the frame." "So who was the other intruder, hm?" "Nah, Jeb Branning's a loner, one man and his dog." "And that ring, if that was your wife's, you'd recognise it, wouldn't you?" "After 13 years?" "Well, those are the sort of things you hang on to, things you remember." "Get Mark on the case." "Jewellers, pawn shops." "I mean, if Nathan really was fleecing that farmhouse, stealing Laura's stuff to sell on..." " Someone must have been buying it." " Right!" "Ma'am!" " You went to see Thurston in prison?" " Aye." "Needed to ask him some questions." "I should have been there with you." "You put the man away, Kenny, no telling how he would have reacted." "Thurston plays people." "He gets his kicks out of it." "Oh." "Think he got the measure of me, do you?" "No." "What makes you so sure he's guilty?" "That feeling you get after years at the job." "I know he did it." "Gut instinct's all very well, Kenny, as long as it's backed up with hard evidence." " It was." " Well, there's nothing to worry about, then." "Ma'am, there's a pawnbrokers over in Blaydon, it's a couple of streets from the needle exchange." "It's where all the addicts pawn their stuff." "Run by a woman known as Auntie Val." "Right, come on, let's go see Auntie." "How can I help?" "We're trying to trace the movements of this man." "We think he might have been one of your customers." " Doesn't ring any bells." " No?" "He was caught on a surveillance camera entering and leaving your shop." "Now, I think on, he was in here some time last week." "Hm." "Name of Nathan Weaver." "Junkie, was he?" "What makes you say that?" "We get them in here all the time." "They'd sell you their shoes if it paid for a fix." "Ah, well, we think he was trying to hock some stuff in a hurry." "Most of my customers are." "No." "Nothing on "loans outstanding"." "DS Healey, I reckon most of this stuff's knocked off." " How long to come back with a warrant?" " 20 minutes." "Yeah, we'll tear the place apart." "He'd turn up every few weeks or so." "Pocket full of jewellery." "Where's he getting it from?" " I just buy it and sell it." " No questions asked?" "Look, if any of that stuff was nicked, obviously I wouldn't have touched it." "Did he ever try to flog you this?" "Oh, now... .. that he wouldn't part with." "Sentimental value, he said." "They'll do anything to put the price up." "He'll be back on the make when the money runs out." "And if he shows his face, I'll give you a call." "Ah, a bit late for that, love." "He's been murdered." "Surveillance camera?" "Well, it did the trick, got her talking." "And do a background check on Auntie Val." "She's as bent as a dog's hind leg." "Ma'am, I'm at Jeb Branning's place." "Looks like we've found something." "We found a steel wrench hidden in your bathroom." "Traces of Nathan Weaver's blood." "We found your footprints up near the farmhouse, which proves you've been lying to us." "I've got enough evidence to charge you with his murder." "I found it!" "Up near the bridge in the long grass." " I took it home." " Now, why on earth would you do that?" "I just pick things up." "I can't help myself sometimes." "So what were you doing up at the farmhouse?" "I knew he'd broken in, the dead lad." "I was gonna confront him, warn him off." "That was when the other fella drove up from the lane." "Well, what did this other fella look like?" "It was pitch black!" "Headlights were blinding!" "So, this vehicle pulls up to the farmhouse?" "The lad came out to meet him." "Nathan." " And then what?" " They started shouting." "Sounded like a fight." "The lad took off towards the bridge." "It all went quiet for a while." "The next thing I know, he drives off like the clappers." "Nearly ran me off the lane!" "So what happened to Nathan?" "I went up to the bridge." "There was no sign of anyone." "That was when I found it, the wrench." "And you wait until the following morning to ring the police?" "I wasn't supposed to be there." "Friction from the plastic bags wiped off any of the prints." "Well, anyone could have had their hands on it!" "Yeah, I'll run some tests for DNA, but I'm not holding out much hope." "What about the crime scene, anything?" "Tyre treads back up his statement." "Large vehicle, something substantial." "The footprints on the bridge, they don't match either Jeb's or the trainers worn by the victim." " So someone else was up there." " Mm-hm." "First thing tomorrow morning, I want you back up at that farm." "There's not a lot more we can get." "No, I want a fresh forensic sweep of the Laura Thurston murder scene." "Seriously?" "A 13-year-old homicide?" "Unless you don't think you're up for the challenge?" "No, no." "Challenge duly noted." "Count me in." "Thanks, Tony." "All right." "Hold off charging Jeb Branning for now." "Sorry?" "Ma'am?" "But we found the murder weapon hidden in his house." "We've got him bang to rights." "Well, he maintains there was someone else up at that farm, and forensic evidence backs that up." "Well, he's been in custody 24 hours, we either charge him, or we let him go." "Well, charge him with obstructing a murder enquiry." "And in the meantime, let's have a look at Eddie Thurston's conviction, because I think there's a connection to Nathan Weaver." "I told you, we are wasting our time with Eddie Thurston!" "Well, you're just gonna have to indulge me, Kenny." "Fine!" "Well, Eddie Thurston said he disturbed a robbery." "Right, we all know he was a tightwad, kept his hard-earned under the mattress." " Who else might have known about that?" " I've been looking into Thurston's finances." "The farm was in trouble." "Well, draw up a list of all his business associates -- suppliers, customers, the lot." "What about his wife, this affair she was having?" "Well, we know her bags were packed, but where was she heading?" "I'll have to inform the CPS if we're reopening the case." "We're reviewing the case, because it's relevant to the current investigation!" "Now, can we please just concentrate on our number one priority, and that's finding Nathan Weaver's killer." "Yes, ma'am." "Sorry to disturb you so late, ma'am." "I..." "Better come in." "So, what couldn't wait?" "It's hardly a social call, Kenny." "The China Farm murder case." "Ah, wanna get something off your chest?" "I was the first officer on the scene." "Aye, I know you were." "It's all in the log." "But I must confess to being a tad puzzled." "Now, here, look at this." "Here's the initial photos taken at the scene here." "The sitting room." "The windowsill is completely clear, right?" "But in the official CSI photos, two hours later... .. look at this." "Same windowsill." "There's a bloody great vase on it!" "We were working with a new police surgeon." "First day on the job." "Well, I could see he was a bit nervous, covering." "He knocked the vase onto the floor." "So I picked it up, put it back and told him not to worry." "It was only later, I realised..." "You should have put it back on the bookcase." "Right?" "But you put it on the windowsill." "So when CSIs processed the scene, they didn't consider this particular window as a possible point of entry for those intruders Thurston was banging on about." " It was an honest mistake." " Aye, but you covered it up!" "We were all under pressure to get a conviction." "It would compromise the crime scene." "Yeah, well, now you've compromised my investigation, Kenny!" "That's why we're talking." "If we had found some evidence that gave weight to this burglary... .. then Eddie Thurston's testimony might have stacked up." "Get yourself home, Kenny, we'll talk about this in the morning." "Goodnight, ma'am." "Ma'am..." "Kelly?" "Come on." "Nearly there." "Come on." "Good, good." "You've got one more." "Just in there." "Ma'am." "I've been trying to call you." "I've got news on the China Farm murder case." "Yeah, well, I'm here now, what's so important?" " You told us to look at Thurston's business accounts." " Have you done it?" "He'd lost a contract with his biggest customer, Bennick's Convenience Foods." "What?" "Of course, Thurston was a poultry farmer." "It's the factory where Nathan was sacked." "The contract was terminated six weeks before Laura Thurston was murdered." "Was it, indeed?" "If Brian Bennick was doing business with Eddie Thurston..." "He'd have been at that farm on a regular basis." " So where does Nathan fit in to all this?" " Disgruntled ex-employee, holding a grudge, finds out the dirt on Brian and Eddie." " So what did they fall out about?" " It's usually money." "Oh, no." "I think it was something more than that." "Aiden, with me." "Is the gaffer about?" "We're a bit pushed this morning." "Maybe I can help?" "I'll deal with this, Joe." "Ah, Mr Bennick, I've just got a couple more questions for you." "We can talk inside." "Everything OK?" "I need a list of all the vehicles registered to your company." " What's all this about?" " Just following procedure." "Aye, we had a contract with Eddie Thurston." "Most of our suppliers have always been local." "But the contract was cancelled." "Why was that?" "Difficult man to do business with." "He didn't leave us with a lot of choice." "Did you ever have any dealings with Thurston's wife, the woman who was murdered?" " Laura had nothing to do with the business." " First names, then?" "I might have met her once or twice." "I think Eddie Thurston cancelled that contract because he found out his missus had been playing away." "Now have a little peek at these." "Purchase orders signed by you and countersigned by Laura Thurston." "She was your first port of call up at the farm." "That when it started, hm?" "The affair." " Well, I'll take that as a yes." " He used to knock her about." "I'd see her in the office, trying to hide the bruises." "I suppose I felt sorry for her." "So you went to the farm that night to pick her up?" " No." " Eddie comes home early, finds the pair of you doing a flit." " That not how it happened!" " We've found a connection between you and Nathan Weaver, that lad who was murdered, and not just to do with working here." "He's been staying up at China Farm." " What?" " Mm!" "You send him packing with a flea in his ear." "Did he find something to tie you to Laura Thurston's murder?" "I had nothing to do with her murder." "And can you see why I find that hard to believe?" "All right!" "Yeah, we made plans." "It was too fast." "We didn't think it through." "She was waiting for me up at the farm... .. but I couldn't go through with it." "I could've stopped it, if only I'd had the balls to go up there." "But I didn't." "I just drove away." "Next day, it was all over the news." "No mention of you, luckily!" "Lucky?" "I live with it, for 13 years, what he did to her." "Eddie Thurston killed his wife." "Everyone knows it." "Ma'am." "I ran those checks on Stuart Mayfield's plates." "And?" "We got this from a surveillance camera by the needle exchange." "Tuesday night, 10:15." "That's the night before Nathan was killed." "Is that Stuart Mayfield driving?" "I can't see his face." "Oh, here comes Kelly." "And here's Nathan, our dead man walking." "And there he is, Stuart Mayfield." "No wonder he wanted this buried!" "The pair of them are lying through their teeth." "Right, now, here we are." "Now, you told me you hadn't seen Kelly for a couple of months." "That's right." "But the pair of you were caught on CCTV threatening Nathan Weaver, who you said you didn't know, the day before he disappeared." "He'd been hassling Kelly." "She called me, asked me to pick her up." "You were a client." "It wasn't just a paid-for thing." "Now, what goes on between consenting adults, that's none of my business." "But it does make me wonder what else you're hiding." "I don't know what you mean." "For example, Adam Gascoigne, what did he think of your little arrangement?" "And don't try telling me you don't know him either, because you called each other on a regular basis." "He knew I'd been seeing Kelly." "Found out I was in property." "Offered me a deal." " What sort of deal?" " I agreed to let her use the flat." "Gave Adam the keys to some other empty properties." "Places his girls could entertain in." " Ooh!" "Get a cut of the profits?" " No." "So what was in it for you?" "I play ball, I get to keep seeing Kelly." "If I don't... the wife gets to hear about what we've been up to." "OK." "So let's go back to Tuesday." "What were you arguing about?" "Nathan started mouthing off." "I'd already warned him to watch his step." "Oh... homeless junkie dragging Kelly into the gutter?" "He didn't deserve her." "I told him as much." "So you saw Nathan Weaver as a threat to your relationship." "I didn't mean..." "You warned him off, which makes me think you had unfinished business." "That was the last time I saw him." "Ma'am, a word." "I'll be back." "A neighbour of Kelly's just called in a disturbance." "Paramedics found her beaten up." " Where is she?" " They've taken her to AAU." "Get your coat." "You need to be brave for me." "Just until I'm better." "This lady is gonna look after you." "Right, you talk to the social worker, I'll go see Kelly." "Your son's in safe hands." "That's supposed to put my mind at rest?" "Just give me a name, love, the man who did this to you." "I got this for talking to you!" "He said next time it'd be Kyle." "There won't be a next time, not if I have anything to do with it." "I'll tell you what I know if you put in a word with social services." "Ah, that's out of my hands, love." "But if you cooperate, I'll make sure you're presented in a favourable light." "Now, you told me you hadn't seen Nathan for over a week." "I'd thrown him out." "I had to." "But you saw him the night before he left town." "You called Stuart Mayfield to come and warn him off." "Stuart can be overprotective." "They pay for your time, they think they own you." "You were playing your landlord like a fiddle, you and Adam Gascoigne." "Now, I think you owe me the truth, love." "You certainly owe it to Nathan." "Nathan turned up at the centre." "He was rattling, he needed a fix." "He said he wanted to see his son before..." "Before what?" "He said he was leaving." "He was scared." " Well, who was he running from?" " I don't know." " Adam Gascoigne?" " I don't know!" "I meant what I said about protection." " A copper outside the front door?" " If that's what it takes, yes, love!" "Kelly, you've got to trust me." "Nathan was buying his gear from him." "Adam gave him a loan whenever he was short." "At first he'd just front him for a bag or two, let him build up a debt." "But made sure Nathan owed him." "It all got out of hand when Nathan couldn't pay." "He started using the stuff instead of selling it on." "It was like he didn't care any more." "So how much did he owe?" "A couple of thousand." "That's hardly enough to get him killed." "You don't know Adam, the people he works for." "Do you think Adam Gascoigne killed Nathan?" "He told me Nathan had got what was coming to him." "The debt was still outstanding." "File an assault charge, love." "Just make a statement." "I'll make sure he's locked up." "All right, everyone, show's over." "As you were." "I have a warrant to search these premises." "Phone records, emails, business contacts, anything that ties him to Nathan Weaver." "Phone log of calls made and received by Nathan Weaver the week before he died." "You called Nathan twice the day he was murdered." "Doesn't prove anything." "It proves you've been lying to us." "Kelly told us the toe-rag had been giving her trouble." "I rang to warn him off." "No, no, no." "Stuart Mayfield had already done that." "And we know about that little set up an' all." "Business acquaintance." "Who told you where Nathan was hiding?" "You went to see him up at that farm near Alnwick." "What farm?" "I've never been near any farm." "You sure about that?" "Aye, crystal." "Well, we'll come back to that." "In the meantime, you're looking at a stretch for assault, bearing in mind your Prevention Order, cos Kelly Horton has decided to press charges." " She'll never testify." " What, you'll see to that, will you?" "No one's gonna believe that lying cow." "Nah." "I grew up around fellas like you." "You don't frighten me, love." "Read him his rights." " I've told you everything I know." " Here's the thing, I don't think you have." "Now, I've been going through your property portfolio, residential and commercial." "Oh, it's pretty impressive!" "And I'd wager good money that one of these lock-ups you've got on your books is where Adam Gascoigne stores his heroin." "I don't know what he's been storing in there." "Turn a blind eye, do you?" "Look, he said if I wanted to keep seeing Kelly that..." "Oh, look, there's no easy way to tell you this, love, they've been giving you the runaround." "And I've got a team of detectives right now over at your office confiscating your assets." " You can't do that!" " Save it for a detective from Vice, love." "Because if I'm proved right, that little dalliance you had with Kelly, oh, that's the least of your worries!" " Ma'am, have you got a second?" " Yes, Kenny." "I've pulled out a couple of unsolved burglaries in the Alnmouth area, the months leading up to the China Farm murder." "That pawnbroker was questioned over one of them." " Handling stolen goods." " Auntie Val?" "Yeah." "A minor was also arrested." "He was released without charge." "The record was wiped." "But his name's still on the rap sheet." "Nathan Weaver." "But there's still nothing to tie them to China Farm." "Yeah, well, you just hold that thought, Kenny." "Have a look at that and tell me what you see." "Laura Thurston." "Have a look at her hand and tell me what you see." "She's wearing the mourning ring!" " You coming or what?" " Ma'am!" "You've known Nathan Weaver for over 13 years." "Yeah, I knew him." "Him and every chancer that ever walked through that door." "The pair of you were questioned over a series of burglaries." "That was years ago." "A misunderstanding." "Does the name Laura Thurston mean anything to you?" " I can't say it does." " Well, she was murdered." "Just around the same time as those burglaries." "Oh, farmer's wife." "He put a bullet in her, didn't he?" "Oh, it's all coming back to you now, is it?" "Nathan broke into that farmhouse 13 years ago to steal jewellery for you to sell on." "No." "Well, you've already identified the mourning ring, pet, Laura Thurston's ring, and that's evidence enough to tie you to the murder." "I didn't see any of it!" "He told me he'd just dumped it all in the river." "Ma'am." "That inscription on that mourning ring, "Let the truth guide me"." "Sorry, you've lost me, ma'am." "What if it was Nathan who killed that farmer's wife?" "Couldn't live with what he'd done." "Kept that ring with him all this time, cos he was grieving." "Anything?" "We re-examined the area where they found Laura's body." "I ran some tests on that window at the side of the house." "There were some skin cells snagged on the catch." "Was it Nathan Weaver's?" "That's still inconclusive." "The sample shared a significant number of genetic markers." "Yeah, well, it's gotta be him, hasn't it?" "Well, we could only manage a partial profile." "It could be Nathan's DNA, or just somebody closely related to him." "Well, there's only him and his mam, and I couldn't see her shinning up any drainpipes!" "Unless there's more to Dad than she's letting on." "Just a couple more questions, Mrs Weaver." "Nathan's dad, you said he took off." "Something like that, yeah." " Nathan keep in touch with him?" " His dad didn't want to know." " Have you got an address?" " Maybe." "Somewhere." "But what's he got to do with all this?" "Why did he leave, if you don't mind me asking?" "Another woman." "He started seeing her just after we got married." "He even had a son with her." "Clearly preferred him to Nathan." "Nathan had a brother?" "Half-brother." " How can I get in touch with him, love?" " Joe?" "What do you want him for?" "Oh, just routine." "So it's Joe Weaver, is it?" "No, he took his mam's name." " Connell." " Thanks, love." "I've answered all your questions." "It's your foreman we're after, Joe Connell." "He's had the afternoon off." "Said he was going to the hospital." "All units to Meldon Park Hospital." "Let me get that." "Get an ANPR on Joe's van." "Look, I've gotta get you away from Adam Gascoigne." "I can't just take off." "Not without Kyle." "We'll come back for Kyle once you're sorted." "And how's it going to look, me running out on him?" "You grassed, Kelly." "You think you're ever gonna be safe here?" "Go on." "She checked herself out ten minutes ago." "Well, she can't have gone far." "We're looking for a Transit." " She said she'd protect me, that copper." " You've got me to protect you." " It's what Nate would have wanted." " Why would you care?" "You left him to rot." "You and Kyle are all I've got left of my brother." " Where are we going to go?" " Somewhere safe." "Lie low for a bit." " Get in the van." " This doesn't feel right." " Just do as you're told." " I'm not going anywhere." " Get in the bloody van, Kelly!" " It's you they're after." " What have you done?" " Shut up." "What did you do to him?" " What did you do to him?" " Shut up!" "Hey!" "Joe!" "Hey!" "Joe Connell, I'm arresting you for the murder of Nathan Weaver." "Hey, it's all right, love." "It's all right, it's finished." "When did you find out your brother was dead?" "The day you turned up at the factory." "It must have been a shock." "You didn't bat an eyelid." "Nathan was bad news." "So why did you wangle him a job at the factory, if he was such bad news?" "He said he was desperate, he needed the work." "And all said and done, he's still my brother." "How long have you been working at that factory?" "About 15 years." "I started off as a driver." "Did you ever pick up supplies from China Farm?" "Eddie Thurston's place." "I might have been there a few times back in the day, I think." "I think you went up there last week." "Why would I do that?" "We found tyre tracks that match your delivery van." "Nah." "Any one of the drivers could have borrowed it, so..." "And Nathan called you the night he was killed." "Look, that's your number, isn't it?" "I haven't seen my brother since he walked off the job." "And we've got a witness, heard you both arguing." "We've got your shoeprints up on the bridge, along with traces of Nathan's blood, and we've got your fingerprints right along the safety rail." "That doesn't mean I killed him." "Ah, you admit you were there, then?" "And then you went after Kelly to shut her up, didn't you?" "Because you were worried how much Nathan might have told her." " About what?" " The China Farm murder." " I don't have to look at this." " You cased that farmhouse, didn't you, while you were picking up supplies for the factory?" "And then you went back later with your brother to rob the place." "You had a nice little scam going on, targeting Bennick's suppliers." " Found yourself a fence." " Ah, yeah." "Auntie Val, she's confirmed it all." "Oh..." " If that's what she told you, she's lying." " Oh, you know who she is, then?" "Then Eddie Thurston came home, caught you threatening his wife," " and he came at you with a gun..." " I wasn't there!" "Oh, I think you were, love, because we've got the DNA to prove it." "And then Nathan grabs hold of the gun, and, in the scuffle, shoots Laura Thurston where she's standing." " Thurston killed his wife!" " Except he didn't, did he, pet?" "Your brother shot her." "And it haunted him, what he'd done." "And when he finds out Eddie Thurston's been refused parole, after all that time in prison, well, that sends him over the edge." "It was the drugs." "It was the drugs that messed him up." " It just dragged us all down with him." " Ah, well, at least he had a conscience." "Nathan was a bloody liability!" "It was me that looked out for him!" "It was always me!" "Thurston would have killed him!" "It was you who grabbed that gun, wasn't it?" "Not Nathan." "Oh..." "It..." "It..." "It went off in my hand." "And Laura Thurston took the bullet that was meant for your brother." " I didn't mean to kill her." " But you left her there." "You legged it, the pair of you, and let Eddie Thurston take the rap." "Thurston was a bastard!" "He deserved locking up, that was the end of it!" "It might have been the end of it for you, but not your brother." "He said he kept hearing that gunshot in his head." "It was an accident." "So why did you shoot her twice?" "I didn't." "It was just the once, like I told you." "And then last week, on Wednesday night, you went back up to that farm." "Why did you do that?" "Right, Nathan called... .. he wasn't making any sense." "God, he was off his face on God knows what, and he said he'd spoken to a priest, needed to do the right thing." " What, threatened to turn himself in?" " He had nothing to lose!" "So you picked up that wrench and went after him." "Murdered your brother to save your own skin." "But then how were you to know that that shot you put into Laura Thurston... that didn't actually kill her?" "Mr Thurston." "We're here to inform you that a Mr Joe Connell has testified to accidentally shooting your wife." "Claimed it happened during an attempted burglary at your farm." "And we need you to corroborate his statement." "Intruders." " Didn't I tell you?" " Aye!" "So what's the going rate for wrongful conviction?" "You claim the gun was fired twice, but Mr Connell claims the gun was fired only once, hitting your wife in the stomach." "Well, clearly he was lying." "We've spoken to Brian Bennick, the man your wife was having an affair with, and his testimony backs up the original prosecution's case." "She was planning to leave you." "Do you wanna know the truth of what happened that night?" "Joe Connell didn't kill your wife." "Although he spent 13 years thinking he had." "She was wounded, but not fatally." "And if they hadn't scarpered, they'd have realised that." "You could have saved her, if you'd called an ambulance." " I did call an ambulance." " Aye." "But not before finishing her cheating for good and emptying the second barrel into her chest." "What is this, another fit up?" "Your wife wasn't bleeding when you made that call and neither was she breathing." "She was already dead." "Guilty as charged." "You might wanna call that solicitor." "I hear you've arrested Nathan's killer." "Oh, aye." "His brother, Joe Connell." "He's up in court in the morning." "His brother?" "How much did Nathan tell you?" "Enough." "I absolved him, told him he had to be true to himself." "Oh, if only I...." "Hey, the burden of guilt, eh?" "Weighs heavily." "Easier not to dwell on things."