"What did she think she saw?" "Over." "Not too sure." "Some sort of fight, I think." "Over." "A fight?" "Yeah, that's what she said." "Over." "Stop!" "Stop, mate!" "Stop!" "How are they feeling?" "Not so tight?" "Look at you, blood from a stone." "You're as bad as your mam." "Yeah, a woman you met, like, twice?" "Give it here." "See?" "One, two, three." "59.99." "Thank you." "Ooh, look, there's even change!" "That's nice, isn't it?" "I don't understand why you're making such a big deal of it." "Only cos maybe it's the biggest, most important day of her life?" "It's work." "It's Saturday." "I know." "I'm sorry." "Ashworth." "Welcome to Brighter Mobile!" "Did you know you might be entitled to an upgrade?" "To speak to one of our customer advisors..." "No..." "I told 'em to stuff it." "Come on." "What do you say?" "Thanks, Dad." "Yeah!" "It's done." "I said, didn't I?" "It's my daughter's first communion." "It's not like she's getting married." "Ten years old, I should hope not." "Eight." "She's eight." "And I don't remember people making such a fuss when I did mine." "Here, hold this for me, will you, love?" "Anyway, it's this coming Sunday, if you're around." "I said I'd ask." "Door!" "DCI Stanhope." "Something to crack your teeth on." "You listening?" "Young male, multiple stab wounds, no wallet, nothing to ID him, found 72 hours ago in a skip outside Portsmouth Docks." "So what's it got to do with us?" "Receipt in his pocket for a pharmacy on King Street, 18:02, Friday night, which makes him local, theoretically." "One incident report." "Estimated time of death early Saturday morning." "Pathology report?" "Anyone?" "It's pending, according to this." "Well, get onto him." "Or her." "Bethany, chase up the pharmacy." "Any missing person reports since the weekend?" "I'm on it." "Right." "Um... a dead bloke buys a few ibuprofen in Tyneside." "Since when does that prove he's local?" "Oh, his shoe, pet." "Eh?" "Dead bloke only had one shoe on, hand-made, local manufacturer by the name of..." "Harbison  Leach." "There you go." "Mr Guthrie?" "That's a lot of trouble over an old shoe." "Have a rifle through my sock drawer if you're after a change of scene." "But this is your shoe, isn't it, Mr Guthrie?" "Aye, if that's what old Dragon Breath told you." "Harbottle, is it?" "Harbison." "Anyway, he keeps a record of all the, what are they called..." "Serial numbers." "Do you keep a lot of hives?" "About 40-odd." "There's some here, and a farmer up near Weldon lets me use his land as well." "Hm." "Did you take these?" "Aye." "Collector, are you?" "No." "I had some bees last spring, on my balcony." "How did you get on?" "Ah, well, they all flew away." "Ah." "Catch." "Thanks!" "Honey from the heather." "Anyway, I'm not much use with the shoe, like I told the other fella." "I got fed up with them, gave them to a charity place a couple of months back." "What other fella?" "A copper." "He was... um... so high." "Something of a lost lamb." "He was here yesterday." "Right, go on." "Two people having some sort of knife fight on Sherburn Road." "People?" "Men?" "Women?" "Witness didn't get much of a look." "She made an emergency call." "I got there maybe 30 minutes later." "Well, she wasn't making it up." "There was some blood up the pavement, and this." "We've met before, ma'am." "Have we?" "Yeah." "The Margaret Wilde murder." "Ah!" "PC Edwards." "She was your first corpse, right?" "Was she?" "So did you find a knife or anything like that at the scene?" "No." "But I called round the hospitals." "I called the morgue twice." "Nothing in the relevant time frame, no 999 calls." "My boss, Sergeant Blakey, maybe you know him?" "Yeah, well, anyway, he said, drop it." "No victim, no investigation." "Left foot." "Right foot." "Looks like a match to me." "What, how do you mean?" "Well, its twin brother showed up on a corpse outside Portsmouth Docks." "Well done, lad." "I thought you were here to buy me lunch." "Shut up, will you, Billy?" "Just read it." ""Youngish white male, seven stab wounds, six-inch blade."" "And?" "It's fair to say the killer's new to this game." "So the bus is on the slip road heading back into town." "He's fatally wounded on the bridge." "So how does he end up in a skip outside Portsmouth?" "Killer stabs the victim, hauls him in the back of his boot, hits the motorway, heading south, dumps the body, crosses the Channel." "That's what we reckon." "In the boot of his car?" "It's what, a six-hour drive to Portsmouth?" "Where are the fibres?" "According to this, no fibres on the body." "Because the murder's calculated." "The killer laid something under the body." "Canvas, tarpaulin, something that doesn't stick." "Hang on." "Heavy bruising, upper torso." "So the killer got stuck in, threw a few punches." "Here." "Partially fractured spine." "He's not getting that from a few punches." "What if he fell?" "You what?" "Over the barrier." "What if he fell on top of a truck?" "Broken spine, bruising to the upper torso." "Driver, none the wiser, drives 300 miles, then stops for breakfast outside Portsmouth, sees a little bit of extra freight on his roof, deals with it, dumps it, then on to Europe?" "Nothing's ever straightforward with you, is it?" "Does it make sense of the evidence?" "I guess." "Then he died here." "Our murder, our investigation." "Hey, I'll tell you what, though." "Our man might have been stabbed here, but it wasn't a knife that killed him, or a broken spine." "According to this, he died of hypothermia." "You mean he died on top of the truck." "So." "Forensics found traces of the victim's blood on the railings of our bridge." "It stands up." "He went over the bridge..." "Onto a lorry, that's the theory." "All the way to Portsmouth?" "That's the theory." "So how come he didn't roll off?" "Anyone find that lorry driver?" "There may be a bottle in it." "Aye, home brew." "Well, since the job requires patience and cojones, you might want to sit this one out, pet." "Cheers." "Joe, tell Billy to do his own report as soon as we get the victim home." "Did you not get the note?" "What?" "Hampshire won't give up the body." "What?" "It's our case, our body." "I talked to the Super half an hour ago." "The corpse belongs to the coroner." "First he's got to give permission." "Well, somebody call the coroner's office." "I already did." "And?" "He's gone sailing, apparently." "He's what?" "Plus there's all the protocol." "Ashworth..." "They've got to inform every coroner all the way to Tyneside." "And there's paperwork to be squared off." "There's a nice job for you, pet" "Ma'am, I trawled the missing persons list." "There's a woman down in Reception." "She's been looking for her son since Monday." "He fits the description." "29, blond hair, leather jacket." "Ticks all the boxes." "Ah." "Right, go on." "Niall." "Niall Andrew Culham." "And he lives with you?" "At home." "I last saw him..." "Friday, was it?" "Friday, early evening, he was off to work." "Did he arrive at work?" "I assume so." "And you called the police on Tuesday?" "Yesterday." "He's a young man." "You don't like to crowd them." "No." "Do you have a photo?" "Oh." "Yes." "I had to bribe him to sit still." "Do..." "Do you think you might know where he is?" "Mrs Culham..." "Shirley." "Shirley, I wonder... um... at home, do you have um... a comb of his, or toothbrush, or..." "Right." "The sergeant did mention it on the phone." "It's just for... you know." "Do you fancy a coffee?" "One thing I can tell you." "The young man..." "Apparently, you see, they found traces of heroin in his bloodstream." "I'm sorry, do you know if your son ever..." "No." "No." "OK." "It's a lot to take in." "I'm not saying he's perfect." "After Tom had his accident..." "Tom?" "Niall's dad." "He worked on the shop floor at Treadshaws." "Drill parts, you know." "When he died..." "Well, they'd been ever so close, Niall and his father." "And he ran me ragged for a bit." "This may be some other poor fella." "Right." "So, um... no new friends?" "Anyone at work perhaps?" "Hm?" "What, drugs?" "Niall?" "No, no." "I'd have noticed." "I rely on him, you know." "He's an example-setter." "He's never let us down." "Never showed up pissed or scoffing mints like half of them." "How's she doing at home?" "Ah." "I should give her a call, should I?" "We still don't know it's Niall, Mr Randall." "No." "Still, you're here." "Theresa... pockets." "You know the family?" "Yeah, course." "Niall's been with us eight years, night manager for five." "29, and still living at home with his mam?" "Saving for a deposit on a place, I believe." "Same goes for half the kids on my payroll." "Niall doesn't ram down anyone's throat." "He's a cut above." "Not like the rest of them." "His mam, she used to buy him these crazy jumpers." "We had laughs about that one." "He made me wear it." "Are you the police?" "Yeah, Sergeant Ashworth." "It's true, what they're saying?" "Well, we don't know yet." "I should get back." "Why don't you take a seat, uh..." "Roxy." "Roxy... were you two close?" "He was my boyfriend." "Go on." "I've not touched it, I swear." "You know when you can just tell something ain't right?" "I rang his mam from work." ""Where's Niall?" "Why's he not come in?"" "When was this?" "Saturday or Sunday." "So what did she say?" "Oh, I left messages." "She never picks up." "Not for me." "And why's that?" "Stuck up." "Niall can't even say my name in the house." "You know she got 100K after Niall's dad died?" "I kept saying, "Move in with me."" "So what stopped him?" "He would've done." "In the end." "But his mam?" "Who else?" "Selfish cow." "I'm sorry." "Excuse me." "Ashworth." "That was quick..." "Just got word on the DNA results, the hair on the comb." "Niall's our man?" "Come on, Lester." "It's me!" "What's your name, anyway?" "Boris bloody Karloff." "Who?" "This fella." "You ever seen this guy before, round about the city?" "A dealer?" "User." "What, regular?" "That's what I'm trying to find out." "No." "If he was a regular user, I'd know." "Kid?" "No." "OK?" "Anything else I can do you for?" "Aye, you can pass it about for me, and maybe you can have a wee word with your co-workers." "Priceless, you." "Aye." "Nice place." "Nice mate you've got." "Very fit." "I'll tell him you said that." "Lester and me go way back, you know." "8th September 2008, big coke bust, Wallsend, remember?" "No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me." "When..." "When can I see him?" "Oh, any day now, I expect." "So, um..." "I gather a young lady from Niall's work called a couple of times at the weekend?" "Roxy, is it?" "Did she?" "I forget." "You know she's a regular drug user, that young lady." "Niall as good as told me." "Do you still have the message?" "I never know how to wipe them off." "One message." "Niall..." "We missed you at work... again." "What's the matter with you?" "If you can just..." "If you can just call me..." "Can I see his room, love?" "This lass at work..." "Who, Roxy?" "The heroin came from her, do we think?" "I ran her name through the PNC." "There's no record of it." "Joe?" "What's this?" "A running-away bag?" "Roxy did say Niall was ready to move in with her." "Maybe he was ready to take the jump." "She waits three days before reporting him missing." "Her own son." "No, I don't think so." "No, I'm just saying..." "I mean, she had him all to herself." "I mean, look at it." "How's she going to feel when he suddenly turns around and says, "I'm..."?" "He was off his face." "His wallet's missing." "It's a random mugging." "End of." "Surely?" "No." "By chance a certain priest was going down that way." "When he saw him, he passed by on the other side." "In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side." "A certain..." "But a certain Samaritan, as he travelled, came where he was." "When he saw him, he was moved with compassion came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine." "Making lists." "Ta." "Very nice." "You been here all night?" "Ah, pretty much." "Why?" "Deodorant might be a nice touch." "Oh." "Right." "I was thinking, look at this." "Red paint under victim's fingernails." "So?" "Well, if he was scratching the roof of the lorry, yeah?" "Plus high lead content in the paint, so we're talking old container, manufactured outside the EU." "That's got to narrow it down a bit." "Has it?" "You made it, then?" "Wouldn't have missed it for the world." "Look, I got you a little something." "Oh, ta very much." "No, it's for you give it to our Jessie." "It's a communion gift." "Oh." "What is it?" "Here she is." "Here I am." "A certain Samaritan." "Have we converted you, then?" "Oh, not half." "Go on." "What's this?" "That's for Jessie." "Oh, you shouldn't have..." "Lovely wrapping paper." "We've got some just like it." "Have you?" "Mm." "Go on." "Lights, camera, action!" "Come on, kids, over there." "Oh." "She's still my little lass." "Right?" "Aye, you've got your work cut out for a few years yet." "I just want it to be like this for always, you know?" "I should be busy, shouldn't I?" "More like you, less demanding." "Well, you could always get yourself a little job if you're bored." "Here comes the weather." "You gonna come up to the house?" "Oh..." "Give her a break." "She's done her duty, eh?" "Come on, then." "Hm?" "Truck drivers, ma'am." "Whenever you're ready." "Well, I don't know there's any room for doubt, Mr Meadow." "Your truck left the depot at North Berwick when?" "21:17 Friday night, bound for Brittany." "Look at this." "Highway camera puts you right under our bridge." "Cafe owner at Portsmouth confirms you stopped for breakfast." "She saw your lorry." "Plus crap paint under the victim's nails is a match with your container." "Do you mind turning that off?" "I had half-an-hour to spare, so I stopped for my breakfast." "And?" "And there he was... one leg hanging off the roof." "So I slung him in the skip." "Hang on." "Here." "You nicked his wallet?" "It fell out." "I didn't take nothing." "See for yourself." "He died on the roof of your truck." "And you knew he was up there." "I heard something, this... tapping, banging." "I can't get it out of my head, to be honest." "I was late enough already." "You don't automatically go, "Hello, dead bloke on roof," do you?" "Do you?" "So much for random mugging." "He died with a wallet full of cash in his back pocket." "Who's good at adding up?" "When's our body deigning to arrive?" "Do we know?" "Last heard of outside Worcester waiting for the coroner to get back from lunch." "Oh, hang on." "Ma'am, this credit card, it's not his." "Hm?" "Belongs to a BJ Guthrie." "Guthrie?" "Our bee man?" "240, 260, 280, 300. 300 here." "Right, who says I'm not a woman of my word?" "Who gets the booty?" "Well, it was more me, wasn't it, to be fair?" "Good for you." "Now, Kenny, check out the victim's own bank account." "Transactions, withdrawals, the usual drill." "I can do that." "Well, good for you, pet." "No need." "Is that the mother-in-law I can hear, doing the tarantella?" "Hey, no, no, no, just one quick question and I'll let you get back to your party." "Well, go on." "Out you get." "Look, there's nobody home." "Where did he say he keeps his hives?" "Is it his car?" "Looks like it." "Mr Guthrie?" "You all right?" "You're all wet!" "Mr Guthrie?" "Yeah, I'm..." "I'm OK." "I dropped my keys... somewhere," "Here, come on, up you get." "Well, you'd better come back to mine." "You can leave your car here till your head's back on." "I'm only up the road." "Rather dapper, wouldn't you say?" "It was my dad's." "Hm!" "I keep meaning to throw it out." "Cup of tea?" "Splendid." "What happened to your poor hives?" "Torched, the Friday before last." "How come?" "Who knows?" "Slow night on the telly?" "The sheep were having the night off?" "So." "Niall." "How did you meet?" "In his wee shop." "I was only after a bit of masking tape." "And there he was, bored smile, hazel eyes, in this crimson sweatshirt, sort of wasting away..." ""Can I help you?"" "You picked him up?" "I couldn't pick up that kettle." "No, no, I needed a strapping man." "Ten quid an hour." "Throw all the crap out of my house." "Niall had your credit card, plus 300 in cash, d'you know that?" "Did he?" "What, he stole it?" "I can't say I missed it." "He had your shoes, your money and your wallet." "Anything else?" "No..." "No." "He died with heroin in his body, Mr Guthrie." "You offered him heroin." "I may have." "I may have done." "As a well-wisher once put it, it's sort of my super-power, you see." "What is?" "Hurting people." "We're gonna need to take a statement." "Of course." "And your movements last Friday night?" "Home." "Where else?" "You all right?" "Oh, fresh out of the box." "One of your old man's?" "Yeah, lonely old junkie." "Easy pickings." "Niall taking advantage?" "Yeah, course." "Don't you think?" "It's hard to tell who was preying on who." "Find out if Guthrie cancelled his credit card at least." "Will do." "So." "What do you think?" "Hm?" "This tape of your old man's?" "Oh..." "Bird song?" ""7/8/82, Majestic Studios."" "What are you doing?" "Joe, would you stop?" "All right, it's OK." "Don't you want to find out?" "What's that?" "Is that you?" "Hm!" "When did you last hear me sing?" "Point taken." "The day I cleared this place, remember?" "Mm-hm." "There was all this stuff..." "Well, it wasn't my mam's, I knew that much." "It was Dad's other woman." "None of my business." "Obviously." "And when was this?" "What, her?" "Well, I joined the force '82." "Me and my dad hardly spoke for a couple of years." "And he had her living here for a while." "Hey, you OK?" "Yeah... just cramp." "Anyway... poor deluded cow clearly thought she could sing." "I bet they filled the rafters, one way or another." "What was her name?" "Oh, just drop it, will you, Joe?" "He did nothing for me." "I'm sorry, but it's true." "He's dead, so let's just keep him that way, shall we?" "I'll speak to you soon, Marty." "OK." "Goodnight." "Night." "New messages." "Where were you?" "Where's my suitcase?" "Don't make me come and get it." "Hail Mary, full of grace The Lord is with thee..." "What's the matter with you?" "If you can just..." "If you can just call me..." "Shut the door." "Niall... we missed you at work... again." "What's the matter with you?" "If you can just..." "If you can just call me..." "Mm?" "What?" "Well, what do you hear?" "She missed him at work." "What's wrong?" "Joe, you said to let you in." "I'm letting you in." "OK." "Niall..." "We missed you at work... again." "What's the matter with you?" "See?" "Not, "What's the matter?" "What's the matter with you?"" "She's mad with him." "Correct." "She's not worried, she's pissed off." "They had a fight?" "Right." "Who are you?" "DCI Stanhope." "Is this seat taken?" "I heard there was a lovers' tiff." "Chipped mugs flying, that sort of stuff." "When was this?" "Oh, lately." "So not long before..." "..We lost him." "I try not to get too involved." "I dish out the cheques, you know." "I'm not Alex Ferguson." "Did you tell my sergeant everything?" "I was losing him." "I could feel it, you know, so..." "So, what, you followed him?" "See anything on your travels?" "He had this..." "He was seeing this... this..." "What?" "Woman." "Are you sure?" "A woman?" "Fella." "Ben Guthrie." "I know what his name is." "And Niall and him, they were what, an item?" "Maybe." "I dunno." "Maybe." "Did you confront Niall with this?" "He said he was gonna move in with him and that's the end of that." "I'm sorry, love." "I'm gonna have to ask." "Last Friday night?" "I was here." "Try again." "Look, I called his home, left a message." "Why would I bother..." "I don't know, pet." "I don't know." "Calculated act of murder, covering yourself?" "Oh, well, I didn't!" "Were you wearing a hat?" "Eh?" "Cos normally they go for the eyes and mouth, when they're under attack." "What do?" "Bees." "When Niall was going over the bridge, you were on a jaunt of your own, weren't you?" "Murdering bees." "I always was a rubbish vegan." "So you were fond of Niall?" "Fond?" "Do you need a glass of water?" "No, no." "I just picked up a bit of a cold the other day." "What happened to these?" "Oh." "Varroa, poor sods." "It's a parasite." "Once it gets into the colony, pretty much game over." "Helps, does it?" "Puts it all in perspective?" "What have you got?" "Leukaemia." "It's an old-fashioned word, don't you think?" ""Meet my great-aunt Leukaemia."" "Anyway, they caught it too late, so..." "I'm sorry." "Yeah." "Are you scared?" "You have no idea." "And Niall?" "We made a deal." "You see, I don't want to die on my own, or with some nurse asking me about my holidays." "I liked him." "He had a kindness about him." "I asked him to be with me." "At the end?" "Aye." "I'd be just the same in your shoes." "Shoe." "This deal, what did Niall get out of it?" "Oh, he was willing to help." "Something to do with his late father." "They never got to say goodbye." "Oh, plus the house." "You were leaving him the house?" "Whose idea was that?" "You can't take it with you." "Right?" "Mr Guthrie, please, one last time." "The night Niall was killed, did anyone see you?" "No." "There were no witnesses?" "I was on my own." "I told you." "And Niall was moving in when?" "Can you tell us that, at least?" "Any day." "As soon as he broke it to his mother." "She was rather possessive of him, by all accounts." "How's she going to react, do we think?" "Hm?" ""Hey, guess what, Mam?" "I'm moving out!"" "Her son and heir shacking up with some dying old queen?" "Hey." "Now, easy does it." "Mm." "You know me." "Aye, I do." "That's the point." "Mrs Culham?" "What are you doing?" "Trying her phone." "Oh... were you sleeping?" "Later." "We'll be in and out." "I promise." "What happened to your face?" "I had a fall." "When can I see him?" "Why won't you let me see him?" "Are you sure you're OK, Mrs Culham?" "Yes, I'll..." "I'll just... sleep it off." "Right, um..." "I just want to ask you a question." "Your son didn't seem to have a bank account." "His salary went into your account, is that correct?" "Quite true." "Niall was saving up for a deposit." "Money seemed to pour out of him." "Forgive me, Mrs Culham..." "you have savings of your own?" "Your husband's death left you comfortably off?" "Amongst other things." "Did you not think to give Niall a leg-up?" "What?" "From your savings?" "Young men should stand on their own feet." "Oh, is that what he was doing?" "30 years of age." "29." "Living at home with his toy aeroplanes." "You know, I've met people like your son before." "I very much doubt that." "From a boy to an old man, and not a lot in between." "But I've never come across anyone quite like you." "If this is coming from that young woman of his, Roxy..." "There was no future in it, none at all." "And what about his other friend?" "Ben Guthrie?" "The gentleman he was going to be moving in with?" "Ah, come on." "He even packed a suitcase." "Ma'am!" "I..." "I'm calling a doctor, Mrs Culham." "No, don't." "Just leave me alone." "Yes, I am." "Don't tell me he never said." "You know what puzzles me?" "You sit around, you watch him like a hawk... and then when he goes missing, you wait three days before telling a soul." "I need an ambulance." "Because I didn't know." "Oh, come on." "I didn't know." "I went away for the weekend." "Ask Marty." "Marty?" "Campbell Close." "Yes, right away." "No doctors." "No doctors!" "We had a long weekend together, in Europe." "Overnight ferry to Amsterdam, then the train on to Brussels." "And you boarded the ferry when?" "Ten o'clock?" "Yeah, ten o'clock, Friday night." "And you were with her?" "I carried her luggage." "Oh." "Very chivalrous." "I mean, it's not like she's in the dock, is it?" "I just wish you'd told us all this before." "I would have." "Ah." "Shirley told you to keep quiet?" "You don't see." "She's a very moral person." "She felt it was a sort of a disgrace." "You're not that wicked, surely?" "Who?" "Me?" "I'm single, honest, got all my own teeth." "I asked her out to dinner that many times." "Do her good." "Let her hair down." "But she prefers to look after herself." "Aye, I'd noticed." "Still." "Wore her down in the end." "Your weekend?" "It was her idea, as a matter of fact, not mine." "Poor Shirl, having to come home to this lot." "Excuse me." "How are you getting on?" "She won't let the police doctor see her." "North East Crossings confirms she and Marty boarded the ferry at 21:37, an hour before Niall went over the bridge." "Yeah, OK." "So we're back on the random mugging." "Are we?" "Excuse us." "Is everything OK?" "Yes, it's good." "Come on." "I've got all the information." "The witness you asked for, Mrs Margaret Kinsdale." "I wrote it all down." "Ta." "Majestic Studios." "She recorded one session back in 1982." "OK, look, it's just not a very good time." "If you want me to pick her up..." "Later." "Right." "Well, just call, whenever." "Don't know what that was, sorry." "New lead on the case?" "No." "Well, come on, I'm all ears." "No, it's nothing." "This is my dad's girlfriend." "Listen, Joe, it's my dad's business." "It's not my business." "And it's certainly not your business." "I know, I know." "I just thought you might want to know her name at least." "Oh, here we go." "More happy endings?" "Look, sometimes we all need a little bit of help." "Hats off to you, love." "I'm sure they're very happy for you down at your church." "Hey, it was my mistake." "I just thought you might be curious... if not today, then maybe later." "Now where are you sneaking off to?" "I'm going home." "What, at three in the afternoon?" "Hey!" "Someone's got to look after these two." "Come here!" "Hey!" "So where's Celine?" "She is at a job interview." "Didn't you know?" "She wants to be a checkout girl." "Since when?" "Since first thing this morning." "It was your advice that swung it, apparently." "I never said a word!" "Yeah, well, that's not how she tells it." "Oh, no..." "I was just talking, you know." "Didn't expect her to listen." "Nobody else does." "Ah, I see." "She looks up to you." "What?" "She must get it from me." "Hey!" "Does this mean she'll get a discount, like, on her shopping?" "Very funny." "Come on." "See you tomorrow." "Take it away." "I'd rather be hungry than ill." "Margaret Kinsdale?" "I've... some things of yours." "Just put them here, shall I?" "I know that one." "My dad gave you that, did he?" "Hector's lass?" "Well!" "Vera." "I don't think we ever met." "How's he getting on?" "Oh, he died, couple of years back." "Good turnout?" "Not really." "No." "Well." "It's just odds and ends." "But... he hung onto them all these years." "He was all heart, was Hector." "Well, I'd best, um..." "What happened?" "Mm?" "To the old place?" "I'm living up there myself, actually." "Aye." "He said you'd end up there." "Did he?" "How d'you manage?" "Oh..." "Hanging on, you know." "Well, he got that wrong, at least." "How did you meet my dad?" "Spanish City." "I used to sing there Monday nights, quiet nights, drum up a bit of a crowd." "And there was Hector, smoking those God-awful fags of his." "I knew what he was about, but I couldn't help myself." "A week later I'm out of my sister's place and I've moved in with him." "Six..." "Six months passed, middle of winter... and I find this beige skirt stuck behind the washing machine." ""What's that?" says I. "Oh." That shrug of his." ""My daughter's."" "And I looked at him." ""What daughter?"" "Well, we..." "The minute you had that trouble of yours, that fella you were going with, what was his name?" "Peter." "Peter." "Of course." "What happened there?" "Died?" "Oh..." ""Maggie, Maggie, Maggie," he says, "Out, out, out."" "Hector and his little jokes." "There was no reasoning with him." ""And take your clobber with you."" "That's what he called it." ""Your clobber."" "Still." "It was a relief, in the end." "I'd never have had the strength to leave him on my own." "What was your name again?" "Vera." "Vera." "Of course." "It's hard for me to think of that house without him in it." "I find it hard, and all." "Where's the rest of it?" "Mm?" "Where's the rest of it?" "Do I look like the duty sergeant?" "Ma'am." "What?" "From the police doctor." "Look." "Your Mrs Culham took quite a beating." "Heavy bruising to the upper torso, two fractured ribs." "We tried calling you." "Sexual assault?" "Why d'you ask?" "Well, I was just thinking, you know, a dirty weekend." "Maybe Marty got a little bit rough?" "Ah, no." "No evidence." "Some of these injuries go back, what?" "Years." "I spoke to the doctor myself." "Did she tell her who did this?" "No, of course not." "Right." "Oh, Kenny." "Guthrie's not picking up his phone." "Go up to his place." "Ask him again, where was he the night of Niall Culham's murder?" "Anyway, where have you been?" "Oh... possible witness." "Any use?" "We'd like to see your clothing from last night, if you'd be so kind." "I got rid of them." "Threw them out this morning." "Check the bins, please." "What?" "You won't find them." "Mrs Culham, I'm experiencing some... compassion fatigue, is that what they call it?" "Now, tell me who did this to you." "Who hurt you?" "Marty, was it?" "No matter." "Wait." "No." "No." "No!" "No!" "Mrs Culham, you're going to need my help, whether you like it or not." "What are you doing?" "Praying." "Well, it's a bit late for that." "I'm praying for you." "Well, mind I don't get stuck in your teeth, pet." "Hail Mary, full of grace The Lord is with thee..." "Celine not make you breakfast?" "Got here straight from the lab." "They've been running tests on Shirley's coat overnight." "And?" "Did they find anything?" "Plenty." "Fibres, DNA, blood spatter." "Blood?" "What, hers?" "No." "So go on then, whose?" "Well, that's the weird bit." "You remember Lester, Kenny's informant?" "Oi!" "Lester!" "Police!" "Police!" "Police!" "Police!" "Stay where you are!" "House all clear." "Quick!" "Help!" "Over here!" "Not exactly his best profile at a guess." "Crabs made a bit of a meal of him, I'm afraid." "Any name?" "Lester." "Something about Rasputin, your Mr..." "Lester!" "He's called Lester Lester?" "Billy, I'm not aware of his surname." "OK?" "Jeez, Billy, crack on." "When and how?" "Well, how?" "Drowned." "I'll get a proper look at his lungs when we get back." "As to when, couple of days." "OK." "Maybe less." "He made a bit of a night of it." "Broken ribs and, to be confirmed, partially fractured spine." "Go on." "See these?" "Remains of tyre marks." "Now I'm guessing..." "He was knocked down?" "And reversed back over." "Make of tyre?" "Paintwork?" "We'll take a look, but he's had a good old swim." "Hang on, hang on." "I'm not done yet." "Very clean wound, lower abdomen." "It's not very deep, but he'll have felt it." "Old or new?" "Put it this way." "He was still bleeding from it when he died." "And your next question is... knife wound, same weapon as the one that did for the man on the bridge?" "And?" "I'll get back to you on that." "Kenny." "Our bee man?" "Any word?" "Oh, right." "Yeah, I tried to..." "Oh, get a move on, will you, Kenny?" "Find that elusive extra gear." "And what about your Mr Lester?" "How did he earn a crust?" "How do you mean?" "Butcher?" "Baker?" "Candlestick maker, what?" "Ma'am, he was a good informant, end of." "Oh." "Drugs." "Prostitution." "Aye, all of that." "And stolen goods." "Well, let's hope none of this comes within a mile of cause of death, for your sake." "Who was on his payroll?" "Do you know that, at least?" "Come on, lads!" "OK, pet?" "Where's um..." "Kenny?" "He's um... running late." "This woman?" "Hm?" "I don't know her." "Mm." "Why, what... what happened to her?" "Well, your Mr Lester bled on her coat." "I'm assuming that was before you drove over his spine and dumped him in the North Sea." "What are you talking about?" "Well, somebody did, Sunday night." "Charlie, just tell us what you saw, all right?" "She got in the car." "The same night?" "Yeah." "Lester forced her in the car?" "No." "No, she got in the car." "She was..." "He was picking her up." "Lester must have called her up or something." "You ever see her before that night?" "Once or twice, maybe, yeah." "Well, carry on." "Well, that's it." "She just come out with it. "You murdered my son" and all this." "She said that to Lester?" "Oh, yeah." "And she was... just... her whole body was shaking, and Lester went for her." "I didn't realise she'd got him till he chucked her out the car." "Got him?" "Got him how, Charlie?" "Stuck him." "Hm?" "With a knife." "It's the same car?" "Yeah." "Who's the lucky Princess?" "Just uh... keeps you lot off our backs, if you know what I mean." "Very funny." "Well, get this over to the lab." "Car keys." "You what?" "We need to borrow your car." "Yeah, but I'm gonna need my wheels." "So take the bus." "So she fell where?" "Down here." "And you did what?" "I dropped Lester round the corner from the hospital." "And then what?" "That was it." "Just left him, didn't phone, see how he was doing?" "Well, he left his phone." "What was going on, Charlie?" "I don't..." "I don't know." "He wasn't happy with her, I could see that." "But he never, you know, let me in on his business." "Business?" "They were in business together?" "I don't know..." "I don't know." "Oh, he doesn't know." "Did Lester murder her son?" "Do you know that?" "No, no, course he didn't." "Very sure of himself all of a sudden." "Isn't he just?" "Maybe it was you, Charlie." "Look, I just know." "OK?" "And why do we think he's so sure, Joe?" "How do you know, Charlie?" "Why don't you just tell us?" "Because he was my dad." "Lester?" "That's right, yeah." "He just never really liked me going on about it." "But I guess I can say it now, can't I?" "He can't really kick off about it now, can he?" "No, son." "He can't." "Hang on a second." "You said Lester called Mrs Culham, is that right?" "Yeah, like an hour before we picked her up." "I went through Shirley Culham's phone log myself, and there are no calls from Lester, to or from." "Where's Lester's mobile now?" "It's here." "Sunday 13th. 19:02." "Shirley." "That her?" "Yeah, that's it, yeah." "Got it." "Here we go." "Must have dropped it when he kicked her out of the car." "The phone's only got one contact." "She was taking calls exclusively from Lester?" "She must have been, aye." "What sort of phone is this?" "Where were you?" "Where's my suitcase?" "Don't make me come and get it." "Suitcase?" "Shirley Culham." "Where is she?" "Well, she's not answering at home." "Bethany's looking for her now." "Winter." "Can you feel it?" "Mr Guthrie." "Ben." "We had a job finding you." "On the night of Niall's death, you were home alone, no alibi, you said." "You were in here, weren't you?" "Hm?" "Admitted overnight for palliative care." "Oh, that." "You like the attention?" "Comfort in my hour of need." "Tell me about Niall." "He was the parasite, was he?" "Sucking you dry?" "It's not as simple as that." "No?" "This is no place to die." "You hear?" "And the heroin?" "Did you really give it to Niall?" "No." "He gave it to you, hm?" "Help with the pain, he said." "And it did." "Outstanding pain relief." "Here." "Give it here." "I know an addict when I see one." "Niall was long gone." "Pinholes in his head." "No way back for Niall." "Well, I wish you'd told us before." "Oh, I couldn't do that." "Why not?" "For his mammy's sake." "Mm?" "He needed to get out of that house before he tore it apart." "Why?" "What was he doing to her?" "Look at this place." "Ah, the number of times I came here... filled my lungs with it." "Hope." "But Niall..." "What are you doing?" "Hm?" "I'm taking charge." "Thank you... for the suit." "Morphine." "He'd been saving it up." "You weren't to know." "Listen, I just spoke to Billy." "It turns out that Lester and Niall Culham were stabbed with different blades." "OK." "You sure?" "It's a one-off." "And tell Kenny I need to see Shirley Culham's bank accounts." "Will do." "Billy?" "Hey, go easy." "It's not a tank." "No, she's more of a battle-axe." "I heard that." "What?" "So this is where he was going to live?" "I wanted to take a look." "You can see him now, if you like." "Niall?" "That's right." "We've got him home." "You were right." "Tiny little neat track marks, all over his ankles." "Going back how long?" "That's the point." "More than a few weeks." "Years?" "Shirley, your savings account." "The payout from your husband's death left you well off. 120,000?" "What, you spent the lot?" "You withdrew the last 500 nearly two years ago." "Then you remortgaged this place." "What was that, Joe?" "55,000." "55, all gone." "What did you spend it on, Shirley?" "Eh?" "This place?" "I-I really should get going." "I'm late enough as it is." "I mean, all these columns, dates, figures." "You know, when I first saw these, I thought it was housekeeping." "But it's not, is it, these lists?" "It's heroin." "Day in, day out." "Went from August 7th '97..." "He was 15?" "Right up until the week before last." "You were managing your son's drug habit?" "I was weaning him off it." "What, for 13 years?" "You went out and you scored for him?" "For my son." "Yes." "And there were times, you know, there were times, when we were winning." "See?" "Here!" "Look." "Here." "June 2002." ""11 days C." That means clean!" "Here." "September, September 2004." "31 days." "31 days without touching it." "Yes, and look..." "You had him on a little bit of elastic." "He was still your little boy." "If you're somehow implying that I kept him on it..." "There were days I had to lock myself in the bathroom." "Oh." "The old bruises?" "Not Niall." "No." "The filth in his veins." "So all the money went to Lester?" "And when the cash till stopped ringing?" "How much do you owe, Shirley?" "Hm?" "About 8,000." "8,000 to a drug dealer." "I-I need to get going." "How were you planning to pay it back?" "Amsterdam." "A weekend away with Mr Randall?" "No wonder you were so slow to bring it up." "You were bringing drugs home, through customs?" "A suitcase full of heroin?" "Lester just said, "Do it, do as you're told, or Niall..."" "Or Niall gets hurt?" "Yeah." "Where is that suitcase now, Shirley?" "I threw it in the river." "I did it." "I went." "And when I was gone, he just..." "Lester, he killed him anyway." "No." "The night your son died, Shirley," "Lester was watching his own son get thrashed at basketball." "Hoop Stars versus Walsall Giants." "No!" "Lester's body was recovered at North Blyth first thing this morning." "What?" "We know that you stabbed him, Shirley." "Now did you strike first or were you protecting yourself?" "No!" "No..." "Now, listen to me, Shirley." "We will look into this and everything else more formally at a later date, I can promise you that." "But right now I need you to listen." "You did not kill that man." "After Lester threw you out the car, someone else had a go at him." "Where was it you said you were going?" "Back to Belgium." "For the weekend?" "No, a bit longer this time." "Put all this behind me, now that I've finally got..." "got to see him." "And Marty had the devil of a job parking last time." "Oh, did he?" "Yeah, he was double-parked." "He had to take me to the cabin." "Oh." "That was nice." "What, and then he went back for his car?" "That's right." "How long did that take?" "A while." "They had to hold his ticket for him." "No, no..." "No!" "Shirl?" "Shirl!" "Shirl." "Shirl." "Hey, you had me going there!" "Come on, I've got my travel pills." "Where's your bags?" "What's going on, Shirl?" "Thank you." "I know." "You just wanted to help." "See her home." "We'll deal with her tomorrow." "Ma'am." "Mr Randall, sir." "No." "No, please." "Will you just leave me alone?" "Friday 4th, the night of Niall's death." "You boarded the Amsterdam ferry, then went back to your car." "To park, right." "He was gone how long, Joe?" "An hour or so, according to the steward." "You were the last one in." "Just had a bit of trouble parking, that's all." "How long have you known Niall Culham was using?" "No need to answer that." "How long?" "Five years, give or take." "All those mysterious headaches." "Oh, he could manage well enough." "When I met his..." "When I met Shirley..." "I used to follow her." "Wrong end of town." "I couldn't believe it." "Sucking the life out of her." "She couldn't see it, she was so devoted." "And I just thought, "I love her, but what's the point?"" ""What's the point?"" ""She's got no life."" "All because of him." "Some junkie." "So you threw him off the bridge?" "I was going to bury him out by the dunes." "He kept fighting." "I had this knife in my hand, I don't know how many times..." "Then he ran up the bridge." "And Lester?" "I saw him throw her out the car like a rag doll." "So you what?" "Round the back of the hospital, I ran him over." "How many times?" "I had to be sure." "And the body?" "In the water." "Wait!" "I just wanted to give her some sort of future." "Will you tell her that?" "Did she get the job then, your missus?" "No." "It's all right." "We had a chat." "Bad timing, that's all." "Still, I don't want her waking up one morning thinking she missed out on something cos of me, or anything else." "What's that?" ""Where's the rest of it?"" "You what?" "Oh, just something she said." "Who?" "Maggie." "It's my dad." "That's what he called it." ""Your clobber."" "They had a kid together, your dad and Maggie?" "You've got a kid sister?" "A lass, is it?" "You've got a sister." "Let's hope she takes after her mam, eh?" "Have you got any booze?" "I'll fetch some glasses." "Yeah, that's a good idea."