01x06 - Episode 6

[bunniefuu]

Matt: She actually said that she thought it was a body?

Yes. Yeah, she did.

He told me he'd stolen some of your jewellery. He wouldn't tell me why.

Joanna... she got pregnant.

Thea's now 38.

What have they done? What did you tell them to do?

He fell asleep smoking. Wouldn't have known a thing.

(BARKS)

OK, we've got something!

Just there!

Nicholas Howard Whitmore, known as Nick.

My wife... What have you done to her?

I don't know where your wife is, Ray.

I didn't do it.

But I know who did.

♪ OH WONDER: All We Can Do ♪
♪ All we do is hide away ♪
♪ All we do is, All we do is hide away ♪
♪ All we do is lie in wait ♪
♪ All we do is, All we do is lie in wait ♪
♪ I've been upside-down ♪
♪ I don't wanna be the right way round. ♪
♪ Can't find paradise on the ground ♪

(DRILLING IN DISTANCE)

Ah, Mrs Slater. If you'd like to follow me...

Mr Slater?

Yeah.

Er, both of us, we're her sons.

I wanted to tell you what's happening.

Your mother's being released now and has been bailed to return here in a month.

OK.

And so, has she been charged with anything, or...?

No, not yet.

Right. I see.

And, my father... Is-Is he...? What's happening there?

Your father went before a magistrate's court a couple of hours ago and was then transferred to East Bridge Prison.

He's being held in remand after being charged with two murders.

No.

Has he confessed?

All I can tell you, I'm afraid.

He... k*lled two people?

Like I said, that's all I know at the moment.

So... I think what would be best is if you just took your mum home.

All right, Mrs Slater?

Oh, Matthew, I've been so scared.

It's Les, Mum.

Um, the car's outside.

Mr Slater?

In cases like this, it might be worth trying to find somewhere quiet for a few days to take everyone.

Till the papers and TV settle down a bit.

It's not... gonna be easy for you.

Asil: A witness saw a man's car leaving at four in the morning.

He drove there in his own car?

He says he parked half a mile away but, er...

Where is he now?

He just rang me from the police station.

But it's fine.

If they do link the fire to him, he's not going to name anyone.

As long as we can look after his family.

He has a wife, two kids.

How much?

Two million.

And how much of that are you getting?

Or he just gives them your name and gets a reduced sentence.

I know people, Asil.

The only reason I didn't go to them to deal with Fenwick is cos I thought the police was watching me.

But they're not watching me now.

You knew what I was when you married me.

In fact, you liked it.

You should have called, Dad. I would've come and picked you up.

No, it's all right.

Bus came almost immediately.

What did the police say?

Oh, they were very nice.

They said that... that, perhaps, if I offered to pay it all back... then... I might escape a custodial sentence.

I might need a day or two.

Sort things out with Grace.

And the girls.

And the church.

Lots to sort out.

Excuse me, mate.

Sorry, but have you seen this woman on the paper?

There's a number there as well, mate.

Thanks. Thanks very much.

Cheers. Ta-ta.

You're welcome.

Come on, mate. We're both exhausted.

Let's go home and get some rest.

No, you can stop if you want to. I'm staying.

Excuse me.

Have you seen this woman on your travels?

You still say you didn't k*ll them, but you know who did?

Yes.

And are you gonna tell us?

Yes.

I-I-I want to be moved to a prison near my boy, Leslie.

And I want a doctor.

I-I don't feel, um...

I don't feel well.

Well, we can certainly look into all that, Eric.

But first we need a name.

What?

I'm sure you understand this.

It might look like you're just... you're just making things up.

Just, um, toying with us.

Y-Y-You get me what I've asked for... and then I'll tell you.

(DOOR BUZZER)

What do you think?

I think I'm struggling very hard not to punch him in the face.

You think it's bollocks?

Yeah. I think it's bollocks.

Except whatever name he gives us...

Which he won't.

It would be easy enough to discount very quickly, so what's the point?

You said it.

He's yanking our chain.

Having a bit of fun.

He's had all this... this power for the last 40 years, this secret only he's known.

And now, now it's all gone.

Now all he's got to look forward to is dying in some pissy prison cell with East End Arthur to hold his hand.

I just...

Last night, after we charged him, I sat in my office and I...

Oh, I dunno.

It just felt wrong.

Of course it did.

We wanted him to admit it.

We wanted him to look us in the eye and tell us that our work had made it impossible for him to lie.

So we could go to Maureen Sullivan and tell her that he'd confessed.

Unfortunately, people like Eric Slater... don't give a toss about stuff like that.

Yeah, I think you're right.

But, let's, um, just call his bluff, anyway.

Then see what he says.

What do you think?

I reckon you're gonna do whatever you want to do.

(CHUCKLES)

Um, we need to see the Governor, please. Thank you.

On TV: Police investigating the James Sullivan m*rder case have arrested and charged a man...

(CLAMOURING)

.. with two counts of m*rder. The arrests...

It's one of our rentals, but it's vacant at the moment and it's in the middle of nowhere. I'll text you the address.

Bring Mum, obviously.

(BANGING ON DOOR)

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING CONTINUES)

(GULLS CRYING)

(GASPS)

Oh, no.

She's in theatre.

They're doing an emergency Caesarean.

Oh.

What is it? What-What caused it?

Is it connected in any way to stress, or perhaps...?

They said not.

All right.

Can I wait with you?

If Mum comes out, I think you ought to wait in the cafe.

Of course.

(BABY CRIES IN DISTANCE)

Excuse me. We're looking for a missing person.

If you see her, can you give us a call?

Yeah. Sure.

Hey! I saw her yesterday.

Where?

Here.

Well... W-Was she OK?

Was she?

I'm really sorry, mate --

Just tell me.

She jumped.

What is it?

Ah.

Oh...

No.

No!

(STAFF CHATTER INDISTINCTLY)

Does she know about us?

Yes.

And, you know... she's always wanted me to tell you about her.

Erm...

How involved in... in her life were you?

How often did you... do you see her?

Once a week.

Sometimes twice.

For nearly four decades, you've seen this woman twice a week?

My daughter, yes.

That's more than you saw us.

Yes.

I wasn't as present for you as I should have been.

I completely accept that.

At some level, I was also scared... that if I got too close you'd see me, the real me... and that was wrong.

And I'll regret the choices I made for the rest of my life.

Baby's fine.

Oh, Mum!

(CHUCKLES)

Four pounds, one ounce.

Ah, Caroline's in recovery.

The baby's in the special care unit. She'd like to see you.

OK.

We should be so happy, Robert.

Our first grandchild.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Ah, so, er, we can get you into a prison which is, um, half an hour from your son's home.

It has a good psychiatric department, where we can get you properly assessed.

Make sure you're getting the right help, if you co-operate with us now.

If you start asking for other stuff, um, this dialogue ends.

The process continues to trial and... trust me... on the evidence we have, you will be convicted.

(SHUFFLES PAPERS)

So, um, it is time to talk.

Do you wanna...?

(RECORDER BEEPS)

Resuming interview with Eric Slater.

Present: DCI Stuart, DS Khan, Duty Solicitor Elise Hughes.

Time is... Er, it's 10:17.

It was Claire.

I'm sorry. Can you say that again? Because I didn't hear you.

I said it was Claire, my wife.

It was Claire.

I met Claire at Hunter and Regis in 1969.

They-They made air conditioning units.

I worked in accounts and, um, she was... she was in the typing pool.

I-I'd never been very good with the ladies.

But I always felt very relaxed around her.

We found the same things funny.

Always had plenty to talk about and one day, she just asked me out.

A bit unconventional, but I didn't mind.

Our first date was at the Locarno, in Queen's Park.

We kissed outside and I bought us saveloy and chips from a takeaway in Townmead Road.

Yeah, we courted for, er, a year or so and then got married, before we moved to Dollis Hill.

That's where I got the job at, er, Arlingham House which was, er, which was round the corner.

1971, er, that was.

Yes, she-she wanted kids im-immediately because, you know, we were neither of us spring chickens.

Which, I did too, very much.

But there was a problem.

Which I think she always knew about in her heart and-and, er, hoped would changed.

And, er, I wanted it to change.

I wanted it to change, but it wouldn't.

I couldn't.

What problem?

I liked men.

I didn't want to.

I absolutely didn't want to.

Just how I was.

You liked men and women, or just...?

I loved my wife. I mean, I still do. Very much.

And obviously, I was able to, er, you know... We had two boys.

But, right from when I was a kid, I just had this thing inside of me that made me... want to be with men.

Men like Paul West?

I never wanted to hurt West.

He asked me to rough him up a bit.

Some men seem to like that.

And Jimmy? And Nicholas?

Well, Jimmy, he just wanted money.

Nicholas, I-I met in the pub.

And how did they die?

I-I would never have hurt Jimmy.

I loved him.

I'd never have hurt him.

(SNIFFS) I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

(SOBS)

I think we might need five minutes.

Five minutes. No more, please.

We're taking a short break in the interview.

Time is... It's 10:41. Would you...?

(DISTANT DOOR BUZZER)

You gotta hand it to the man.

He is smart as f*ck.

If you're going to blame somebody else, then choose a woman whose memory is completely sh*t and can't even deny it.

His face, though.

What?

It was the same as in his house when we asked him about Paul West.

And last night at the station, when we said we were gonna charge him.

When he said it wasn't him.

And now I know why I felt so crap afterwards.

Why?

Because I believed him.

You call the station.

We need to re-arrest Claire Slater.

Yeah, but, I-I-I thought the CPS said that we could...?

Yeah, yeah. Which one of the sons took her?

Um, er, I'm not sure.

I'll... I'll call their homes.

OK.

(Bollocks.)

Mr Wilton?

Yes.

Your wife was pulled out of the river.

A passerby jumped in.

She was unconscious when she came out and was taken immediately to St Thomas'.

I'm afraid that's all I know.

Murray?

Have we got mobile numbers for the sons?

I dunno, maybe.

Why, are neither of them at the house?

No. I'm not sure they will be for a few days.

I thought we were done with her and I kind of told them they might want to lie low for a week or so.

(RECORDER BEEPS)

I'd-I'd stayed late, er, to-to see him, er, Jimmy, again.

And, er, she must've just guessed.

I think she always knew when I was, er, well...

This-This one time, she-she came to find me.

And what you need to know... is she wasn't well, mentally.

Er, we'd just had Leslie and ever since she'd been, oh!

Well, phew, ve-very s... very sick.

And, of course, in those days, the doctors, they just told you to pull yourself together.

You know? So, she never, never got any... any help.

And I never s... I never saw her coming down.

It was dark.

Well, she-she saw us.

She-She hit him with, um, with a hammer she'd found on a workbench.

Just once.

But I-I knew from the sound it made that, uh...

Oh, and then she was screaming at me, calling me... all the names under the sun.

I was trying to get me hand over her mouth to keep her quiet and by the time I'd sorted her out...

Jimmy... Well, I-I think he was dead before he hit the floor.

So, er, I locked the cellar.

Took Claire home.

Came back later.

Course I-I couldn't risk, er, carrying him outside, so, um, I buried him there... later that night.

Will you tell his mother, please, that I said prayers?

I said prayers for him.

I-I, um, I looked after him.

Of course, I, I assumed that, um, you know, er, we'd be caught.

He'd be found. But he... He never was.

And, oh, that night.

I vowed to stop all of that for good.

And we moved up to, er, Ely.

Yeah, to get away from London.

It worked. Mm.

Yes, it worked. Um...

Yeah, two years later, we had little Matty and it, it was all, er...

You know, but, it was the '70s. There was no work.

And, erm, I ended up having to get a job back in London, two days a week in Camden.

And I started to stay out late again.

So, er, one night she left the kids with a friend.

Came down to London, followed me, er...

(CLEARS THROAT).. from work up to Hampstead and found me with Nicholas in my car.

Of course, she went for him.

Pulled him out, punching.

Kicking and, er, then, he was on the ground.

Blood everywhere.

She-She always said that it was him who'd drawn it... the-the Kn*fe.

But she was, er, ill.

Very ill again aft-after-after Matty.

So, I, um, I pulled him back, back into the car.

I want you to know that I stood outside police stations dozens of times.

Dozens of times after Jimmy.

And, um, what did she feel?

Well, when she got better, of course, she was devastated by what she'd done.

But, you know, we had a little boy.

If we'd both gone to prison...

And after Nicholas Whitmore?

I-I drove my car into a tree two weeks after Nicholas.

I wanted to die.

But actually, in the end, I think, er, this... er, this, erm, was a fairer punishment.

I'm sure Jimmy and Nicholas's families, er... wouldn't agree.

(CLOCK TICKS)

(DOOR OPENS)

I've already made calls, Joshie.

People who'll make that little prick Asil sh*t out of his ears.

Dad, the police are coming.

Huh?

The police are coming in to arrest you in five minutes.

They've already pulled up down the road.

What do you mean, coming in to...?

Why are police coming to arrest me?

Because I told them about Fenwick.

Cos I think you've lost your way, Dad. I think we all have.

And because I love you.

Goodnight, Mum.

(VEHICLE PULLS UP OUTSIDE)

I'm so sorry, Ray, I...

Don't you say another word.

Not one word.

It's me who should be apologising.

It's me.

(DOOR SLAMS SHUT)

DS Khan: Uh-huh.

What?

Oh...

OK, cheers. Thanks.

(PHONE BEEPS)

Nobody has any idea where Claire or her sons are.

They've disappeared.

(SEAGULLS CALLING)

(CRIES)

Oh, Caz, he's gorgeous.

You can't call him Noah. (LAUGHS)

(RINGING)

(sh*t.) Sorry.

Hello. Ellie speaking.

Hello?

Hi, Ellie. Erm, er, you don't know me.

My name's Thea.

I'm your half-sister.

And how bad is it?

I spoke to her GP earlier.

I mean, obviously we'd have to get our own assessment done but, yeah, it's, it's fairly advanced.

She first presented four years ago, but the decline in the last few months has been particularly rapid, apparently.

Right.

Well, you know what I'm going to say.

Could she properly remember what she's been accused of?

Could she tell her solicitor her side of things?

Could she challenge what witnesses say in court?

And, if she can't do any of those things, she's unfit to plead.

OK, so...

Well, there are a number of questions here.

I mean, if he's worked all this out, why would he not say it was her?

Assisting an offender carries a maximum sentence of ten years.

Now, given his age he might get, I don't know, eight. Out in four.

For double m*rder, he's gonna die in prison.

Yeah.

What's your gut feeling?

All of it is true.

To admit what he did, my feeling is that, that was actually harder for him than saying he k*lled them.

Which might sound unbelievable, until you think that for the first 30 years of his life what he was, what he did was illegal and, um, utterly disgusting to 99% of the population.

I think that shame absolutely remains.

Then why did he admit it, then?

Because, in the end, he knew that his boys were gonna lose their mother pretty soon, anyway.

Already had, to a degree.

So telling us what he did, I think his reasoning was that that meant at least they didn't lose both.

And is there any evidence to corroborate his version?

I think we'll find evidence that he had multiple h*m* relationships.

We might find, er, medical records confirming she had some form of postpartum psychosis.

Maybe even we'll be able to place her at the hostel, um, on the... on the night Jimmy d*ed.

And then, if we do, then, his narrative is better than ours.

(KNOCKING)

We've got a mobile number for Matthew Slater's work.

No answer from him yet, but his work have told us where he is.

Local police are on their way.

OK, thank you.

You really are an evil bitch, aren't you?

Matthew...

How could you have watched your husband put a body in the ground and not said anything?

What body? What are you talking about?

How could that ever have seemed an acceptable thing to do?

Matthew, you're scaring me.

Good!

I wonder if you feel as scared as your grandson was yesterday?

Or as I did when I watched the news and realised that this is who we are now.

(WHIMPERS)

(APPROACHING SIREN)

Ooh! Sorry.

Oh, sorry. Uh...

No, no, I-I'll just...

♪ .. The unspeakable wrong... ♪

(RAP MUSIC)

Hey.

I've just walked in on your granddad.

Oh, right, with Annie.

What? I don't know, it was a little old lady.

Yeah. She works at the Feathers.

Sorry about that.

No, no, no. It's fine, you know.

I shouldn't have barged in.

No, it's your house.

I should've knocked or...

Anyway, I'm bushed so, uh...

Sure. No problem.

.. I'm gonna turn in.

Yeah.

Night.

Night, then.

That went well (!)

Class (!)

You have absolutely no proof my client was connected to these events in any way.

And if either of you have kids, I don't need to tell you just how many reasons there could be for Josh saying what he did without any connection to the truth whatsoever.

Which is all well and good, Mr Archer, but doesn't really answer my question.

Did you pay to have Gordon Fenwick m*rder*d, Sir Phillip?

If you have no further questions, I think we'll be on our way.

They've got nothing to hold you here, Sir Phillip. Let's go.

Yes.

Er... I'm sorry?

Sir Philip.

Yes.

I paid for Gordon Fenwick to be k*lled.

Early?

Listen, um, last night...

Please. There's no need.

No, I just wanted to say that I'm trying to look forward, Cass.

Cos life goes on, doesn't it?

And just live your life for you, Dad.

Just-Just do what makes you happy.

Please.

Please, please.

Hey there, Miss.

Hello, sweetheart.

How lovely to see you again.

(SIGHS)

Harding: Well, if you could conclusively prove she did it, then a judge and a jury could hear the prosecution evidence, despite her being unfit to plead.

Except they can't convict her.

No. But the court is at least acknowledging the facts, which might be better for Jimmy and Nicholas's family.

And what happens to her?

Well, she'd just get the supervision order.

Which is what she'd get if it didn't got to court.

Right, so she causes the death of two people.

All the pain those two families have been through.

And she sees out her days in a care home.

Do you recognise him, Claire?

No, I don't think so. Sorry.

You don't remember hurting him?

No, I don't. I'm trying.

It was in the cellar of Arlingham House, July 1976.

You went to find your husband.

What?

I don't know.

You remembered something?

Maybe I remember this boy...

Maybe. I don't know.

Do you, um, remember... being unwell, after your children were born, Claire?

Maybe. I don't know.

Do you remember that your husband liked men?

Oh!

Was it to do with that?

You know what? I'm really not happy with this.

We need to stop.

I'm so sorry if I hurt anyone. (SNIFFS)

If I could remember I'd tell you, but I can't.

I'm sorry. (WAILS)

Woman: We can't thank you enough.

How is it I feel sorry for her?

Hi, Maureen.

Can I come in?

Hi.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

So, what I wanted to tell you, Grace, was that actually Dad... Robert... he very much wanted to tell you about me.

In fact, from the moment he found out, when I was about 18 months old, he desperately wanted to admit his mistake to you.

But my mother, she...

Well, she was scared she would lose me, somehow.

So she told him that if he ever did tell you... he would never see me again.

So, he chose to live this terrible lie... so he could be there for you and for me.

And be the best father he could to all of us.

But him not telling you... well, that came from a place of love and decency.

And I just hope that, some day... you'll be able to forgive him for it.

Every time I turn a corner, I meet someone from the old days.

Like a bloody school reunion.

And next week. How are you feeling about the trial?

The next week's just a bit of theatre, isn't it?

It's the last two months that have really mattered.

Thinking time.

All I ever wanted... was for my children to be better than me.

The start I had, the things I was taught, things I did... back then.

Everything I've ever achieved since, beneath the ambition and the money and the vanity, was all really to buy you your escape... from me.

What I was.

I'm so proud of you.

Both of you.

Of what you did for me and what you are.

All your visits, Mr Slater. Your mother's a very lucky woman.

No. No, I'm the lucky one.

Me again.

Does she ever mention me?

She can hardly speak now, Dad.

She-She doesn't... She doesn't know me.

Or Matt.

Matt sees her, does he?

I mean, I know he already knows but...

I'd always love to see him.

Tell him again.

I'm so sorry.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

How comes you always walk in when Baz has got his shorts off, Miss?

Timing, Curtis.

Good timing.

(LAUGHTER)

Lads, move please.

(ALARM)