01x06 - The Dutiful Child

[bunniefuu]

BASSY CLUB MUSIC

READING TO HIMSELF

Biotech. Their succession

of policy initiatives,

their design to build

closer links between education

and industry and promote

biomedical research

They're ready for you, sir.

Great. Shall we?

LIFT PINGS

APPLAUSE

Ladies and gentlemen.

Nice to see you all, folks.

You guys always seem to come out

when there's free champagne.

All right, so,

this speech will be very

GUNSHO

BIKE ENGINE REVS,

TYRES SQUEAL

- Are you OK?

- Yeah.

Oh, my God.

BUSY CHATTER

Paul, what are you doing here?

I thought you weren't due back

till tomorrow?

No time like the present.

I picked it up on the scanner.

A sh**ting

at the Cambridge Science Park?

- Not exactly The Bronx, is it?

- So what have we got?

Drive-by, single shot,

single sh**ter.

- And do we know the target?

- This is James Samson's company.

Have I heard of him?

If not, you soon will have.

You look, er better.

I feel it, although I don't

want to get ahead of myself.

One day at a time.

Something like that.

Where's Winters?

Running late.

By the way,

she's his wife, not his daughter.

- Thanks for the heads-up.

- Welcome.

Mr Samson? Mrs Samson.

This is Detective Inspector Rabbit.

Are we interrupting your day off,

Detective Inspector Rabbit?

Not exactly.

Look, I don't mean to be rude,

but is this gonna take long?

- I have a press conference on hold.

- James, you're not serious?

Respectfully, sir, I think you may

need to reconsider your priorities.

DISTANT SIRENS

We'll see. In the meantime, perhaps

I can expedite your inquiries?

And how would you do that?

Well, I can say with certainty,

no, I have no idea who did it.

And I can also say that whoever

it is that you're looking for

is an absolutely terribly shot.

My husband's joking. It's not funny.

This whole farrago has actually

given my wife a bit of a fright.

That may well have been

the perpetrator's intention.

How do you mean?

Whoever did this may be more intent

on scaring than harming you.

Do you think it might have anything

to do with your announcement?

Because it would seem a funny way

to thank you for your largesse.

We are pioneers

in embryonic stem cell research,

there's no end of whack jobs

that just think

I'm the spawn of the devil.

KNOCK AT DOOR

I'm going.

Ah, we are just finishing up here,

reschedule for 12.

You're unbelievable.

The press conference has been

cancelled, everyone's going home.

No! Bugger it!

My God, are you OK?

This is my younger boy, Freddie,

and the charmer over there in

the doorway is Henry, my older son.

I told you the interview

was a bad idea, Dad.

- Yeah, we all did.

- What interview is that?

Weekend Business Magazine.

If your budget

won't stretch to a copy,

I'll have my office, you know,

- ping one over.

- That won't be necessary.

I think you'll find it raises

loads more questions,

but in the meantime,

unless there's anything else?

DISTANT SIREN

Thank you, Mr Samson, Mrs Samson.

LIFT PINGS,

NEARBY SIREN WAILS

- Someone's in a hurry.

- Not exactly happy families, was it?

He's back! You look better.

- Did you two work on that together?

- Here's a b*llet casing.

Better get that back to the lab.

Hey, I missed you first thing.

- I overslept.

- Unlike you, Dan.

How was last night?

Not now, Lisa, it's not a good idea

to mix work with pleasure.

MUSIC: 'Piccolissima Serenata'

by Jula De Palma

Mi faro prestare ♪

Un soldino di sole ♪

Perche regalare lo voglio a te ♪

Lo potrai posare ♪

Sui biondi capelli ♪

Quella nube d'oro accarezzero ♪

Questa piccolissima serenata ♪

Con un fil di voce si puo cantar ♪

Ogni innamorato all'innamorata ♪

La sussurrera, la sussurrera ♪

Mi faro prestare ♪

Un soldino di mare ♪

Perche regalare ♪

Lo voglio a te ♪

- Lo potrai posare ♪

- MUSIC ECHOES

Nel tuo sguardo azzurro mi tuffero ♪

Questa piccolissima serenata. ♪

SINISTER MUSIC BLENDS IN,

SONG FADES

BLOWER WHEEZES

- I've cancelled your 9am, professor.

- Ah.

I know you don't like

birthday cakes,

so I bought you a doughnut instead.

POP Whoa!

DONCKERS:

We've recovered the motorbike.

False plates

and the vehicle identification

number's been filed off.

Nothing reported stolen in the area

that matches its make or model.

- Anybody see our sh**ter dump it?

- No, it's a wasteland.

- No cameras or buildings overlooking.

- And no sign of the weapon.

So what else?

Well, we're convinced

James Samson was the target.

Bit of a Branson figure,

endurance racing, skydiving,

that kind of thing.

- Worth a billion quid, give or take.

- I'll take if he's giving.

He's no stranger to controversy.

I can see that.

Maybe it was a pro-life activist

firing a shot across his bows?

What does the professor think?

Tempest?

Have you put a whole load more

on the payroll in my absence?

CHUCKLING

SOULFUL STRING MUSIC

BLOWER WHEEZES

Please.

I've got something for you.

- James Samson?

- Yes, I thought you might know him.

As a matter of fact, I do.

My father was friends

with his business partner.

Oh, didn't know he had one.

Aaron Bell.

More of a drinking companion,

actually.

- Of James Samson?

- Of my father.

Did they have a falling out,

Samson and this Bell character?

You could say that.

Enough for Mr Bell

to wanna sh**t him?

I doubt it. Aaron Bell has been dead

for more than a decade.

Well, I don't suppose you know

anything about

stem cell research, do you?

Not a great deal, though neither

does James Samson by all accounts.

It was Bell's brilliance

that made his millions.

We're trying to work out

who would want to sh**t him.

SAMSON, ON VIDEO: 'That's why,

today, I'm announcing

'that I'm signing the Giving Pledge,

'which commits me to giving away

the vast majority of my fortune

'to deserving causes between now

and the time of my death.'

How do you know about this?

James Samson is something of

a bete noire in university circles.

Why's that?

Academics are somewhat prone

to professional jealousy, it seems,

especially former colleagues.

Looks like they've got

plenty to be jealous about.

So glad you're here.

Mrs Samson, this is

Professor Tempest and DS Winters.

Hello. I really need you

to talk some sense into James.

He seems to be treating the whole

thing like a bit of a joke.

I know. I begged him to take it

seriously, but he just won't listen.

I even told him to hire a bodyguard,

but

GUNSHO

Pull.

GUNSHO

- Mr Samson.

- Ah.

Our friends from the police.

You arrested anyone yet?

- We're working on it.

- Well, I should bloody well hope so.

DS Winters and Professor Tempest,

he works with us

in an advisory capacity.

- This is my son Freddie.

- Adopted son.

No need for the qualifier.

Well, your recent profile

was very specific about it.

Son will suffice.

Freddie's a bit of a whizz

with the numbers,

he's my right hand man, in fact.

Ironic, then, that his right hand

can no longer

be tested for gunpowder residue.

What?

I'm guessing this sh**ting

party was his idea.

It's OK, Dad.

Oh, help yourselves to refreshments.

You weren't on site at the sh**ting

yesterday, were you, Mr Samson?

No. I was driving in

from a breakfast meeting.

- Is that business or pleasure?

- Pleasure, actually.

Someone who can vouch for you?

Unfortunately not, I got stood up.

Oh, I know how you feel, mate.

It's just someone

I met on a dating app.

The plan was to take her

to the press conference

if she was up for it,

thought it might impress her

to hear the old man give away

50 million quid.

But she didn't turn up.

And where was this breakfast meeting

supposed to take place?

The Bird In Hand,

just in the centre of town.

They do a mean fry-up

on the weekdays.

- Oh. Bugger it.

- We'll look into it.

Really? Is that necessary?

Obviously you

don't seem to think so.

I think you're wasting our time

with impertinent questions.

I'm sorry you think that, sir.

There's clearly some right-wing

crackpot you should be focused on,

- not my son.

- And why would you advise that, sir?

Because clearly somebody

is out to try and scare me,

and they're wasting their time.

I don't scare easily. Freddie.

Sorry.

Pull.

GUNSHO

Detective?

Um, my husband,

he's not telling you everything.

Really? What do you mean?

Well, he received an envelope

with a b*llet in it.

When was this?

Just a couple of days

before the sh**ting.

Do you still have it?

No, I told him to go the police,

but he, er he threw it away.

GUNSHO

Thanks for your candour, Mrs Samson,

it's very helpful.

Very helpful indeed.

Nothing to worry about.

SIRENS WAIL

We're getting nowhere with this

pro-life line of enquiry.

There's just no history of that kind

of activism here, maybe we could

Start with the family.

The professor thinks

this may suggest a motive.

SAMSON, ON VIDEO:

'That's why, today,

'I'm announcing that I am signing

the Giving Pledge,

'which commits me to giving away

the vast majority of my fortune

'to deserving causes between now

and the time of my death.'

- Are his wife and sons supportive?

- We'll soon find out.

His wife is genuinely worried.

Unlike her husband,

who's completely blase.

Perhaps he doesn't believe

his life is really at risk.

DCI BRAND:

Let's focus on the sons for now.

I'll check out Freddie's alibi.

You two should

speak to the eldest son,

that relationship seems strained.

Jasper, are you all right?

I believe so.

It's just, er it's your birthday.

It's a difficult day for you.

If you want to talk, you

you know where I am.

HORSES WHINNY

Mr Samson. DS Donckers.

- I know who you are, any progress?

- Not exactly,

we'd like to establish where

you were prior to the sh**ting.

I was here from six in the morning,

left at nine twenty

to go to the press conference.

Sam was with me until I left.

And when the sh**ting occurred?

I was already inside the building,

there are plenty of my father's

lackeys who can vouch for me.

- What were you doing there?

- I was a three-line whip.

But you're not employed by your

father, you have your own business.

- He wants to play happy families.

- And you're not inclined to?

He spent years ignoring his

first family in favour of work,

now he's got a new wife and son

and suddenly he wants us

all to hang out.

- You mean, your mother and you?

- Just me.

My mother passed a few years back.

That must have been painful for you,

to see your father marry again.

- I had a lucky escape.

- What do you mean?

You won't read this in a magazine,

but it's no secret.

- She was my girlfriend when they met.

- Natasha?

She realised he was a bigger prize

and he got played.

- She seems to genuinely love him.

- Yeah, right.

Her soulmate just happens to be

a billionaire old enough

to be her father?

So what do you think she feels

about his plan to give it all away?

- I can only imagine.

- What about you?

I couldn't care less

what my father does with his money.

Some people might find that

hard to believe.

I'm not the gold digger

in this family,

it's my step-mother you should be

talking to, or Alfred Bell.

Your brother?

He's no brother of mine.

Dan.

'Freddie Samson paid for breakfast

with his credit card at nine fifty,

'but it's no distance

to the science park.

'Doesn't rule him out.'

Well, we're heading back,

where are you?

Grabbing lunch at that pub

with a friend.

- Who's the friend?

- DIAL TONE

He hung up.

Would you mind dropping me off?

I, too, have a lunch date.

Professor. Dark horse.

- It's with my mother.

- HORSE WHINNIES

Samson doesn't act like a man with

a death threat hanging over him.

Which is what the professor's

been suggesting all along.

You should take a break more often.

- Maybe it's an insurance scam.

- Nah, he doesn't need the money.

What about the angle on Freddie,

have you spoken to him yet?

Dan checked out his alibi,

said it doesn't rule him out.

Well, you'd better

bring him in then, chop-chop.

There you go.

I'm joining Adelaide Tempest.

You're late.

I was unavoidably detained.

- Kafka is most discombobulated.

- KAFKA WHIMPERS

- What kept you?

- My police work.

- How is it?

- Suitably diverting.

And Christina?

Suitably diverting, thank you.

I hope you've learned your lesson

there, Jasper.

MUSIC: 'Io Che Non Vivo Senza Te'

by Pino Donaggio

Siamo qui noi soli ♪

Come ogni sera. ♪

Good afternoon.

I'll have the usual, please,

Gustave.

And for monsieur?

He'll have the halibut, lightly

grilled, with a small green salad.

Oh, and a bottle of your lovely

Krug champagne. The 2003, please.

And, er two glasses?

Why, it's the least they can do,

dear heart.

I spend an absolute fortune in here.

So, Samson Bell Growth Tech started

life as Bell Samson Associates,

set up by your adoptive father,

James Samson.

'And your biological father

Aaron Bell?'

'That's right.'

'I'm told Aaron was the scientific

brains behind it all.'

- Maybe.

- But he sold out to James?

Yes, in 2003.

For £8 million.

It was a lot of money at the time.

- It was.

- Not when you consider it was sold

for 1.1 billion

just over a decade later.

Your biological father

committed suicide

not long after

that deal was completed.

Why would you go work for someone

who might be responsible

for your father k*lling himself?

Dad wasn't to blame

for Aaron's death.

You don't think the

financial betrayal destroyed him?

Alcohol destroyed

my biological father.

Dad tolerated it

as long as he could,

when he couldn't tolerate it any

longer, he paid way over the odds

for Aaron's share of the business,

for what it was worth at the time.

A toast to us.

Oh, darling, I know we never mention

the B-word, or celebrate,

God forbid, but can't we just

raise a glass to us?

For once?

It's a difficult day for me, too.

INDISTINCT YELLING

SMACK

INDISTINCT RAGING

My biological father was violent

when he'd had a drink.

Dad protected me from him.

He may have hung himself,

technically,

but the truth is

he drank himself to death.

- And James took you under his wing?

- He did. I owe him everything.

You even let him adopt you.

He was more of a father to me

than Aaron Bell ever was.

I wanted to acknowledge

my debt to him.

- And become heir to his fortune.

- I didn't ask for that.

So how do you feel about him

giving it all away?

It's his money, he's already

given me more than I can ever repay.

And how does Henry feel about it?

And about gaining a brother?

Step-mother too.

You'll have to ask him about that.

We already have.

DOOR OPENS

You're late.

I might have to start

going on a few more blind dates

- if they all turn out like this.

- Hey!

PHONE BUZZES

Sorry.

Ignore it.

Lisa?

Say again.

OK. Yeah, on my way.

HENRY: This is all your fault.

Mr Samson, I understand that

You understand nothing!

I'm lodging a complaint.

- Oh, Henry, please.

- Oh, spare us the fake hysterics.

FRAUGHT MUSIC,

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

You look like

you've won the lottery.

You look post-coital.

Mrs Samson had a night class.

When she got back, she found this.

What about Mr Samson?

- No sign.

- Penny to the pound he's dead meat.

Or well on the way.

Have you informed Freddie?

I tried calling him,

but he's not picking up.

- Maybe he saw something.

- Saw something?

Yeah, he arrived as I was leaving.

Well, why didn't you say so?

I don't know,

he comes around most evenings.

You'd better go see

if you can find him.

DOOR BELL RINGS,

KNOCKING

- Sorry to disturb you earlier.

- No worries.

- Did I wake you?

- No, I was just chilling.

- On your own?

- Just a minute!

A gentleman never tells.

Since when have you been

a gentleman?

I still haven't forgiven you,

but if it carries on like this

I might just have to.

Hey. Is everything OK?

- I was in and out in half an hour.

- What time was that?

Half past nine.

He was fine when I left.

Unfortunately, Mr Samson,

we only have your word for that.

But I have a text message from him.

- After you left?

- Absolutely.

I'd forgotten a book

I'd asked to borrow,

he said he'd bring it to me

in the morning. I'll show you.

Bugger it.

That's the third one this month.

Here, can still see the message.

Do you think he's dead?

We don't know that at this stage.

Look, is there anyone we can call

to come and be with you?

CHURCH BELLS RING

There are security

cameras at the house,

they show Freddie Samson

leaving at 9:38pm.

James sent him a text at 9:42pm,

it pinged off a tower

close to the house.

We've done preliminary forensics on

Freddie's car, no traces of blood.

What about Henry?

Worked late, a colleague

was with him the whole time

until the call came through

from Natasha.

What about her?

She has a whole classroom full of

belly dancers who'll vouch for her.

Maybe it's time we revisited

our theory about the activists.

Let's see what Professor Tempest

has to say first, yeah?

MUSIC: 'Oh! Mio Babbino Caro'

O mio babbino caro ♪

Mi piace, e bello bello ♪

Vo' andare in Porta Rossa ♪

A comperar l'anello! ♪

Si, si, ci voglio andare! ♪

E se l'amassi indarno ♪

Andrei ♪

Sul Ponte Vecchio ♪

Ma per buttarmi in Arno! ♪

Mi struggo e mi tormento! ♪

O Dio, vorrei morir! ♪

Babbo, pieta, pieta! ♪

Babbo, pieta, pieta! ♪

- I need to see the blood tests.

- We've already checked them.

- It's definitely his blood.

- I need to check for sedimentation.

- OK. Dan?

- I'll chase them up.

We need to question his wife

about the Giving Pledge.

- You don't believe in true love?

- Sure I do.

And I still put out

a stocking for Santa.

I don't know what more to tell you.

Did your husband

discuss his pledge with you

before he announced he would be

giving away his fortune?

- Yeah, of course he did.

- And you were OK with it?

Why wouldn't I be?

Well, I imagine you stood to be

substantially disinherited.

So you think I married him

for his money?

You know, James changed his will

when we got married

because I asked him to.

I insisted on a prenuptial agreement

that would leave me nothing,

so that he'd know that I love him,

not all this.

So who will it all go to?

I don't know,

it was always his plan to

leave the business to the boys,

but

Henry's stubborn,

and he's so angry.

Sergeant Donckers

brought it for you yesterday.

I told her you weren't

really into celebrating birthdays.

Are you OK?

Yeah. I'm fine.

I never did stop

believing in Santa, you know.

I just did not

want to ruin your life.

You deserved someone normal,

someone who'd make you happy.

I know.

I know you better

than you know yourself.

I'm afraid I doubt that very much.

I always understood, you know.

And I have forgiven you.

You just need to forgive yourself.

The results you asked for,

professor.

Hmm.

- Hmm.

- What?

The whole thing was staged.

It was too operatic,

like a Gothic horror.

Reality is so much more banal.

It looked pretty real to me.

And his wanton disregard for death

threats, no-one's that blasé.

I don't scare easily.

'He staged his own death?'

- Or his disappearance.

- Precisely so.

How'd you work that one out?

The blood traces show that

he stumbled as he left the room,

put out a hand to steady himself,

but it's clearly a right hand.

James Samson was left handed.

Pull!

GUNSHO

And the wall

would have been on his left,

so he would automatically have used

his left hand to support himself.

Wow.

The hand print is merely

a flashing red light.

- You're a genius.

- Proof is the sedimentation.

When blood leaves the body,

platelets start to settle.

The blood found at the scene

belongs to James Samson,

but it was collected

some time before the incident.

- There was an awful lot of blood.

- No doubt collected in stages,

the last of it some time ago,

judging by these results.

James Samson is playing dead.

It's an Oscar-winning performance,

then.

We've just found his body.

POLICE RADIO CHATTER

PHONE RINGS

Sorry.

- All right, then?

- 'We just found his body.'

- Are you sure it's him?

- As sure as I can be,

he's not exactly looking his best.

Oh, my God.

He was shot with a nine millimetre

fired from close range.

Same calibre as the b*llet

fired from the motorbike.

And there are extensive burns,

we're waiting on a postmortem

to establish cause of death.

God, what a mess.

- Seems like overkill.

- Operatic, even.

So where does this leave us?

Natasha has an alibi

and no obvious motive, seeing as

she stands to inherit nothing.

- What about the sons?

- Freddie was the last to see him.

James was alive when he left.

I don't believe that either of them

are happy with his Giving Pledge.

- Maybe they cooked it up together.

- PHONE RINGS

Martin.

Are you joking?

OK. Yeah, I'm gonna have to

call you back.

He died of a heart attack.

He was already dead

when he was shot and burnt.

- Are they sure?

- Biomarkers were sky high,

Martin says he was

a cardiac arrest waiting to happen.

Draining himself of blood can't have

helped his underlying condition.

Seems like it was staged after all.

Bring both the sons in.

Tempest, can you sit in?

'Which of his sons

did your father love the most?'

I've asked myself the same thing.

He loved us both equally.

Henry may pretend otherwise,

but deep down he knows it's true.

And which of you loved him more?

It's not a competition.

This ain't for you, maybe.

Henry clearly thinks

you'd win on both counts.

Our father and I had our issues.

Including your step-mother, Natasha.

I've made no secret of it.

Were you aware she insisted

on a pre-nuptial agreement?

In the event of your father's death,

or their divorce,

she receives nothing.

Her love for your father

is entirely genuine.

I

I had absolutely no idea.

Natasha told us your father

was desperate to bring you

into the business,

but you persisted

in rejecting him.

Our relationship was complicated.

Working with him or Freddie

wouldn't have improved matters.

You did not consider it

your filial duty?

That's a bit of a quaint notion.

Perhaps, but I've been

thinking about it a lot lately.

What is a son's duty to his father?

To respect him?

Even if he doesn't deserve

our respect?

Tests show the blood found

in your father's study had been

collected over a number of weeks.

The evidence indicates

he staged the scene

to make it appear

as if he'd been attacked.

We know he must have had help.

One of you was a dutiful son

who honoured his wishes.

Which of you loved him enough

to do that?

I tried to stop him.

He'd been drawing blood for weeks.

It wasn't difficult for someone

with his background.

I can imagine.

Told him it was a terrible idea.

So why was he so hell-bent on it?

He was convinced it would

bring Henry back into the fold.

You know how it is.

We take love for granted

until something terrible happens.

Difficult circumstances

bring people together.

The plan was he'd go into hiding

probably for no more than a week,

then he'd come back,

he'd pretend

he'd escaped his abductors.

Everyone would be so relieved.

You'd all live happily ever after.

What happened?

I smuggled him out

in the boot of my car.

I had to stop at the gate,

we arranged that he would text me

once he felt the car

speeding up again.

So how did he end up dead, Freddie?

I messed up. I messed it all up.

We agreed I'd pull over and

get him out once I was in the woods.

Dad?

SOBBING

Oh, sh*t!

I didn't know what to do,

I panicked.

Sorry, Dad.

'I couldn't go to the police,

you see.'

I mean, who'd believe me?

A dead man couldn't vouch for me.

Ah!

I sort of just acted out

what I thought might have happened

if Dad really had been abducted.

I'm sorry, Dad.

GUNSHO

'I tried to make it look

as if they k*lled him.'

But his heart had already stopped.

There wasn't much blood.

I thought it would be pretty obvious

to forensics.

So I tried

to get rid of the evidence.

It was too wet.

I couldn't keep the fire going.

So I just left him there.

I messed up.

I messed him up so badly.

SOBBING

So the drive-by sh**ting,

that was the father's idea as well?

- Sounds like it. The g*n was his.

- But the bike was Freddie's.

It's been sitting in his garage

since he was 16,

he paid for it in cash.

Was probably stolen

in the first place.

Poor b*stard.

Imagine doing that to your own dad.

Are you OK?

I have to go home.

DISTORTED YELLING

Pull the trigger!

SOUND DULLS