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01x04 - Risk On

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Steal". Aired: January 21, 2026.*
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A contemporary, high-octane thriller about the heist of the century and the ordinary office worker who finds herself at the heart of it.

01x04 - Risk On

Post by bunniefuu »

Stop doing that. I'm checking the mirrors.

-Well, they might be following us.
-[Rhys] I'll see them if they are.

Why would MI5 want to abduct me?

They wanna know what you know.

They abduct you,
threaten you, t*rture you.

You disappear. That's how it works.

No, they could interview me.
They could talk to me.

Yeah, they could.
Or they could go in heavy.

How did you know
they were gonna be at my flat?

Stop the car. Stop the f*cking car--

-They planted someone.
-Stop the f*cking car

or I'm jumping out!

-Are you--
-[Zara] Stop the car!

Why were you at my flat?

I wanted to put you under surveillance.

MI5 blocked it.
I figured either you're working for them

or they wanted to pick you up, so I came--

I'm not working for MI5!

Yeah, I kind of figured that out already.

Why? Why would they...

-I'm not...
-You're not what?

You're a criminal, Zara.

You did steal that money, right?

-You and your mates?
-Yes, but I wasn't...

Look, they're not my mates, okay?

I met them through Luke.

I just gave them some info, that's all.

[stutters] They said it was for a hack.

I didn't know what they were
gonna do, okay? I swear. I...

Here.

Cheers.

My investigation is being set up to fail.

I confronted my boss about it earlier.
He basically confirmed it.

Told me to resign the case.

I figure we've got common enemies...

common goals.

Maybe we team up, help each other out.

You want me to work with you?
Like, behind their backs?

They're obstructing my case.

I'm on my own here.

Okay. Okay. So I team up with you,
you arrest the robbers and then what?

You tell the court what you told me.
You were duped. You thought it was a hack.

-I doubt you'll do any prison time.
-You doubt?

You're worried about the thieves
coming after you, right?

We put them behind bars,
they can't come after you.

Yeah, but then I've still got
MI5 to deal with.

If the thieves are in prison,
MI5 don't need your info.

You go back to being an afterthought,

not a target.

No. No. There's way too many things

that could go wrong. No. Sorry.

This has got "Nope" written all over it.

Fine.

Take your chances on your own.

I'll drop you back at your flat.

MI5's probably still there.

You can tell them
you thought it was a hack

while they load you into the back of a van
with a hood over your head.

That's if your mates don't get you first.

What's in it for you?

If I catch the people who did this,
my investigation hasn't failed.

Okay, so you're using me?

You are just as bad as the others.

You need to find some armed robbers
before they k*ll you, right?

I'm an armed robbery cop.

So, maybe, if it makes you feel better,

you're using me.

What if they're still here?

They'll be long gone.

And if they're not, I'll arrest them.

The nightmare's over.

Stay put. Doors locked.

Anything happens, press the horn.

Keep it held down.

I'll just be a couple of minutes.

Okay?

[car door opens]

[lock clicks]

[door closes]

[sniffs]

[sniffs]

[car horn honking]

[bangs] Open the door!

Er...

You okay?

-[stutters] There was a van--
-Was it them?

-I don't know.
-Did you see who was inside?

-No.
-Did you get the number plate?

No! Jesus. I...

[car door opens]

Did you find anything?

It's empty. They know what they're doing.

Place was bleached, floor to ceiling.

So... so what do we do now?

Find you somewhere to stay.
Preferably near Lochmill.

[engine starts]

For the money to be stolen,

it had to be moved out
of investments and into cash, right?

Now it wasn't you or Luke who did that?

We're way too low down the ladder.
It would have...

You think someone
on the Investment Committee was involved?

Not just involved.

Someone that high up,
I wouldn't be surprised

if they were in charge
of the whole bloody thing.

Who would have made the decision
to move the investments into cash?

[Zara] Cartwright's
the Chief Investment Officer,

but they have these committee meetings
where they all vote on strategy.

Are there meeting notes?

Yeah, but they're on a network drive
and only committee members have access.

Do you think you could, you know...

gain access?

What? Me? Why don't you just go in there
and confiscate the drives?

Because then the drives end up
at our data lab, MI5 find out...

We're in a race against MI5
to find the thieves.

I get it.

It'll be fine.

I'm on the run.

You're not on the run.

You just need to stay around people.
Crowded places.

They won't try it anywhere busy.

Stick to cash. Try not to use
your phone outside of work.

We can't stop them. But maybe
we can put it off long enough

to find the thieves.

I think there's a way.

The meeting notes.

Cartwright is f*cking useless
with technology.

He's always forgetting his passwords.

It's kind of a running joke.
So, Dahlia, his PA,

keeps a list of them on her computer.

Maybe I can sneak the passwords.

The only thing is,
I emailed work this morning

and I told them I wanted
compassionate leave.

You'll have to go back in
and tell them you've changed your mind.

Thank you very much.

[receptionist] Enjoy your stay.

Thank you.

It's not a charity.
We're using each other, remember?

Before I took the vial
back to the warehouse...

I took an impression of the fingerprint.

Why?

I like to have an advantage.

You think you can use it
without MI5 finding out?

Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

How'd you manage to do it?

It was pretty easy, actually.

I found a tutorial channel on YouTube.

Crime Scene Pro. Do you know him?

No.

Why did you imprint it on paper?

A bloody fingerprint on glass,
you just take photos of it.

It's a million times more accurate
and you can do it all on your phone.

Oh.

I hope you didn't like and subscribe.

When you get to your room,
use the hotel phone, call reception.

Ask if the kitchen's still open.

Then I'll know you're safe.

Sure. Night.

Night.

[door closes]

[line ringing]

[receptionist] Hello, reception.

No, I'm sorry. The kitchen closed already.

Good night.

Anybody want to tell me
how she got hold of it?

f*ck off.

He knocked the syringe.
I had to reload it--

And you left a vial there
with your fingerprint.

Okay.

-It was an error.
-Yeah, it was your f*cking error.

[sn*per] f*ck are you all looking at!

You were there. It's your mistake too.

-[Junior] I'm sorry. I didn't--
-[London] Don't apologise. It's his mess.

[Junior] Maybe she's good for it?

She brought us back the vial.
We leave her alone. There's no harm done.

[Glasses] It's not so simple.

She knows the address of the office.

If she knows about that,
what else does she know about?

There's one way to find out.

[footsteps approaching]

[sn*per] Get his door open!

[door unlocks]

-Move!
-Please!

-Move!
-[Luke grunts]

[Luke panting]

I... I don't understand.

[London] Your friend.

-What does she know?
-[Glasses] What did you tell her?

[stutters] I didn't tell her anything.
I told her what I was supposed to.

How did she know about the office?

What office? I don't-- [screams]

[London] Your mate knows
where our office was.

How is that?

I don't know. I swear.

I swear.

She's my mate.
But I don't know what she's doing.

Please... don't k*ll me.

Please don't k*ll me.

Can we trust her?

[Rhys] It's from a source
I have to keep secret.

Rhys, you know
I can't run this through the system

without a reference number.

How long have we known
each other, Isaac? Please.

We've got nothing apart from this.

[sighs] Okay, look.

We're beta-testing
some new functionality tomorrow.

I could run it through overnight
as a testing sample.

You'll have to wait,
but it won't set off any alarm bells.

Thank you.

You know, my sister,
well, she's a housing officer up in Essex.

She said the entire council
might lose their pensions.

We've gotta do something about it, right?

[phone vibrates, dings]

You okay?

Yeah, fine.

[foreboding music playing]

I was just sitting in my flat,
staring at the walls.

Nothing to distract me.

I mean, I think I need
to be around people,

you know, hustle and bustle,
just for my mental health.

Oh, erm, could I, er,
could I sit somewhere else?

It's just, my desk is,
it's where it all happened.

Oh, of course.

Erm, yeah. Where, where do you wanna sit?

Erm, maybe one of the offices?

Cartwright's?

Oh, erm, I totally understand
you not wanting to come back to your desk,

but I can't give you Cartwright's office.

Erm, you know Josh,
Josh is work-from-home all week.

Great.

Nice to have you back.

Thanks, Dahlia.

Great. Thank you.

Who are they selling your debt to?

The kinds of people who buy
off-the-books gambling debts.

Oh.

They find out I'm a cop, that's it.

Can't I get a bank loan?

For nearly a hundred grand?

A hundred grand, Demetrius.

I've been here before, Unchi.

I've always won it back.

How was I supposed to know
he was gonna sell it on?

I'll see what I can do with the loan.

But I'm telling you now,
I'm 99 percent certain it's a "no".

[Ellie] Best part of 36 hours
between Luke Selborn being taken

and us finding the abduction vehicle.

This is where it was dumped and burned.

Right in the middle
of a hundred hectares of farmland.

These are the nearest
traffic cameras with ANPR.

There's a four mile square
camera blackspot.

[Nichols] I am in charge
of this investigation, not your boss!

[Ellie] They've basically vanished again.

-The absolute wankers.
-[all laughing]

I've just...

[Ellie] ...it will be all the more
satisfying when we find them.

Surprised to see me?

What are you arguing about?

I thought we were a team.

We know where the money is.

Gould-Symmons.

Sir Toby Gould.

What? How do you know?

We had a call from The Times.

One of the crime correspondents
received an anonymous email

with the account statements attached.

Why would the thieves
send the money to a billionaire?

It's what we've been trying
to get our heads around.

Send someone to speak to the journalist.

You two are taking Darren
with you to interview Gould.

Find out what he knows.

Get the money back

and tread carefully.

He could have every one of us sacked.

[door closes]

Hey, erm,

I was just loading up
these trades in the stack,

and I wanted to run them
by Cartwright quickly,

just for a sense check.
Could you, er, see when he's free?

Sure.

Looks like the earliest
I can do is tomorrow. 9:45.

-He's got 10 minutes between--
-sh*t.

Are you okay?

God... I've just come over all nauseous.

-You want...
-[Zara] Something to eat.

A biscuit?

One of the nice ones?

[Zara sighs]

Okay.

[Zara groaning]

For f*ck's sake...

I was, erm, just looking
at Cartwright's calendar

while you were gone,
just to save some time.

Your biscuits.

Anything else whilst I'm at it?

No. 9:45 is perfect. Thank you.

-Hey, Kate.
-Hey.

I guess this one must be yours.

Hey, Zara.

Did the police say anything about Luke?

Oh, I don't know.

Well, I mean, I don't have
any special info.

Yeah, of course.

Why would you?

Er, cool. What are you playing?

Er, I, I need to go to the toilet.

[door closes]

So, erm...

How much are you guys
getting paid for all of this?

It's just...

you know, 'cause I've got, like,

five million just sitting back,
waiting for me in London.

[scoffs]

We're gonna get paid a lot more than that.

Cool.

[woman on radio]
In this morning's exclusive,

The Times claims
to have received information

confirming that the stolen Lochmill money
was sent by robbers to offshore accounts

linked to the defence contractor
and arms manufacturer Gould-Symmons.

The company, synonymous
with its flamboyant CEO, Sir Toby Gould,

has yet to comment,
causing speculation to grow

about how and why the stolen billions

were sent to accounts linked
to one of the richest men in the country.

[Fitch] How's the water?

[Rhys] It's got fennel in it.

Good for your heart, fennel.

So what have you got for me?

You must have something.

Who's behind this?
What are they playing at?

Why are they getting me involved? What?

This is a police interview, Mr Gould.

-We ask the questions.
-Sir Toby Gould to you.

You come to my house,

the least you can do
is call me by my proper title.

What have you got?

You're claiming you know nothing about
how that money landed in your account?

Of course I don't bloody know.
First I heard of it was some journo

from The Times calling me up.
Sharp as a brick, this one.

What about you?

You're the MI5, man. You got anything?

Nothing, I'm afraid, Sir Toby.

-Who's this?
-This is Darren Yoshida.

He's a senior financial investigator
attached to our Economic Crime Department.

Are you joking me? He's an accountant?
You've got a f*cking accountant on this?

[Fitch] The main point of this interview,

aside from assisting you
in any way that we can, Sir Toby,

was to ask for access
to the account statements in question.

-No chance.
-I'm not sure--

No chance. Not gonna happen.

I am not handing over documents
which the Ministry of Defence

has designated as falling within the scope
of the Official Secrets Act.

-Rest assured, Sir Toby, any documents--
-Not f*cking happening!

Understood?

In that case,

perhaps we could discuss
the more pressing matter

of having the stolen money returned.

-I'm not gonna just--
-Sir Toby.

Unfortunately, the stolen money
is no longer in our accounts.

It was moved on
just 10 minutes after it arrived.

Most likely via a hack of some kind.

Someone hacked into your account
and moved the money out

-ten minutes after it arrived?
-[Spencer] I'm afraid so.

As you can imagine,
we're investigating as a matter of urgency

and while we have the utmost sympathy
for the poor victims here,

we just don't have the money
any more to return it.

Well, in that case, you definitely
need to give us the statements.

-You can't tell me--
-[Darren] With the money gone,

it's gonna look like you were responsible.

You're gonna be on every front page.

The Ministry of Defence
might start pulling their contracts.

Your stock price will take a hit.
That's for sure.

These documents are protected
under the Official Secrets Act.

No, they're not.
They're statements from secret accounts

you use to pay ill*gal bribes.
We already know that.

The Times are probably
figuring it out as we speak.

It's gonna be all over the news
in the next couple of days.

You might as well
just let us have the statements.

I'm not gonna be talked down to
by some f*cking loser accountant

who's clearly been such
a f*cking failure in his life

he ends up working for the police.

[scoffs]

I'm not actually an accountant.

I never gained
any accountancy qualifications.

But as well as being
a fully qualified financial investigator,

I am a chartered financial analyst,

a chartered alternative investment analyst
and a certified financial risk manager.

There are fewer than a hundred
triple charter holders in the world.

I earned the designation
while working as a risk manager

for Green Crest Capital,

setting up their quant volatility
trading arm.

By the time I left, we built up
the AUM at just under $25 billion.

I do draw the line
at weapons of mass destruction.

But apart from that,
we're quite similar, Sir Toby.

For one, my kids go
to the same school as yours.

Although, mine actually
passed the entrance exams.

Get the f*ck out of my sight.

-For f*ck's sake, Darren.
-I'm sorry. I just...

He was talking down to us.

Yeah, he's allowed to.

Can you make any bloody sense of this?

Not without the account statements.

Was all that stuff you said true?

-Triple...
-Charter holder?

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

So, what?

You're a multi-millionaire?

My parents were immigrants, Rhys.

They ran a fish and chip shop
for 30 years.

You're free to define me however you want.

[Spencer] Detectives.

I'm terribly sorry for what just happened.

As you can imagine,
this is a very trying time for Sir Toby.

I'd just like to say
that we wholeheartedly agree

with your assessment of the situation

and that it would be
in Gould-Symmons' best interest

to assist the police in any way we can.

Please, send me an email
and I'll arrange for the statements

to be delivered
via our secure document service.

There's also something else
that you should know.

When the pensions money
was moved out of the account,

they also took all of the money that was
already sitting in those accounts.

They took all of Gould's money as well?

Well, technically, he didn't have
any money in those accounts.

But if he did, then yes.
They robbed him, too.

How much?

A hundred and forty-seven million.

We're just giving you the heads up
because we will be mentioning

the theft in our statement to the press.

So you can look like you're victims?

We are victims.

Isn't that why you're here?

[sn*per] What's going on?

[Scots] Just keeping busy.

Don't wanna go stir crazy.

No, er...

changes to the plan?

Why would there be?

[sn*per] Because we've been compromised.

She knows about the office.
Maybe she knows about this place too.

[London] Look, this is the plan.
We stick to it.

We stay here in case
there are any more clean-up jobs.

Then we get the all-clear,
we get the money and leave.

Nothing's changed.

You know, if it was me that hired us,
I'd have us all...

hide out together too.

Nice and cosy.

And when the time was right
I'd wipe us all out in one go.

I mean, what do we even know
about this person we're working for?

Except what he's been
telling us about him!

Listen, just a few more days,
then this will all be over.

[sn*per] That's another thing
that's pissing me off.

What's this big thing
we're waiting around for?

Just keep yourself busy, all right?

Exercise, train, do drills.
It'll help with the--

With the what?

Paranoia.

f*ck this.

[indistinct chattering]

Okay.

[door opening]

[Luke] I think you're right.

The f*ck you talking about?

Them lot making you all hang around here.

It's dodgy as f*ck.

Right? I mean, they know it
and you know it.

They're f*cking with you.

I need you more than they do

and I've already been paid.

[door closes and locks]

[mobile phone dings]

sh*t.

[mobile phone rings]

-Hello?
-[Rhys] Miss Dunne.

This is DCI Rhys Covaci.

I was just wondering if you're free
to answer some questions.

I know it's late but it's urgent.

Hello, DCI Covaci.

Erm, I mean, I'm actually
still at the Lochmill offices

if you want to come by?

I'll be there in a bit.

[printer whirring]

-[indistinct chattering]
-[footsteps approaching]

Oh, look, there it is. I told you.

Right, come on. Let's get out of here
before anyone sees.

We could just, like, christen the place.

[Milo] Yeah? Or we could go back to mine?

Mmm-hmm.

That's weird.

The printer's lit up.

[Myrtle] Milo!

Priorities.

[Milo] Go on then.

[Myrtle] Thank you.

[knock on door]

New office?

Perk of the trauma.

So what was with the, er,
the phone call, DCI Covaci?

Do you think maybe our phones are bugged?

Nah. I just like calling people up
randomly and talking like a robot.

[laughs]

[Rhys] We have to assume
you're under surveillance.

Wait, so should we even be meeting?

Not really. But I figured you might
need an escort back to the hotel.

Just, you know, in case.

I had a call before I came here.

The estate agent who rented
the basement to the thieves.

The contract's with some front company
based in Panama.

Dead end. What about you?

Any joy?

The decision to move everything into cash

was made in a committee meeting
because of a risk report.

That's what it was based on. Risk metrics.

So I got it all wrong?

There was no one person behind it?

Maybe, maybe not.

But I was thinking what if someone
faked the numbers in the risk report,

knowing it would cause everything
to be moved into cash?

That's the report.

Look at the names.

Kate, Milo and Lena.

Lena went back to Poland
about three months ago,

and if you met her,
you'd know it wasn't her.

So it's either Milo or Kate.

Milo's a bit of an idiot, but Kate...

I mean, she's in charge of that team.

She checks every report that goes out,

and if the numbers are fake,
she would have picked it up.

So if there's a mastermind at Lochmill,
it's Kate.

[scoffs]

So what's the next step?

Can you figure out
if the numbers are fake?

I could try to reverse engineer
the numbers,

but it is needle in a haystack stuff.

I mean, can't you put Kate
under surveillance or something?

-I do that, MI5 find out.
-Okay, all right.

-I'll start running risk numbers then.
-This is good, Zara.

We're making progress.
This is how investigations work.

[Zara] No, it's not that.

I've just been stuck in here all day.

Just the thought of going back to that
hotel room is giving me a panic attack.

How risky would it be
if we went out for some food?

I might know somewhere private.

Rhys, how's it going?

Good. I need a favour.

Hey.

[woman] Call it.

Cheers, Jay.

So...

what the f*ck is up with this place, hmm?

I play poker here sometimes.

So, so you're a cop who plays poker
at ill*gal card games?

It's not ill*gal to run a private
poker game in the UK or to gamble.

So why play here and not a casino?

Because it's fun.

When was the first time
you knew I was lying?

That night at Luke's.

And it was the circumstances,
not what you said.

You're actually a pretty decent liar

and strategist.

You'd make a good poker player.

[scoffs] I don't think so.

Too risk averse.

You got involved in a giant heist.

Well, I didn't know it was a giant heist,
though, did I?

One time in my life I did something
off script and it blew up in my face.

I wouldn't have done it
if I'd known the risk.

That's the trick
when you're playing poker.

You have to divorce the stakes
from the strategy.

If you're worried about losing,
you play badly,

then you'll lose.

Maybe that's why I ended up
in the back office at Lochmill.

Wait, so you didn't grow up dreaming
of being a trade settlements analyst?

Trade support and settlements analyst.

And no, I mean, I've never really known
what to do with my life.

Lochmill was just supposed to be
temporary while I sorted out a plan.

Must be hard not knowing
what you want to do.

Life's kind of short, though.

Maybe just pick something, dive in?

No, it's not...
If you don't love what you do,

you'll never be any good at it.

Still better
than standing on the sidelines.

Maybe that's why you
got involved in the heist.

And now you're in the middle of it
and you're coping with it.

Maybe it's exciting?

Maybe for you it's exciting,

but I'm nauseous, Rhys.

I'm terrified.

I'm staying in a budget hotel.

I've been wearing
the same clothes for two days.

I've been through
like half a bottle of Febreze already.

So why did you do it?

I don't know.

To shut up Luke?

Because I'm a dickhead?

Because they offered me a hundred grand?

They never paid me anyway.
So I did it all for nothing.

You'd have thought
with how much they stole,

they'd have paid you something.

Four billion quid,
they stiffed you on a hundred grand?

Story of my life.

Well, thanks for helping me
put off the inevitable.

It's just a hotel.

No, it's not.
It's me, hiding out in fear of my life

because of how spectacularly stupid I am.

You're not stupid, Zara.

You're smart and capable and resourceful,
tactical and...

I'm not the only one who thinks it.

Okay.

So who else is on Team Zara?

Your mum.

-I interviewed her before--
-You talked to my mum?

Why?

Because I'm a detective,
and you're a suspect.

She's a twat.

Yeah, I know.

Well, what did she say?

[Rhys] She said
the same thing I just said.

You're smart, capable,
but you're too scared

-to put yourself out there, because--
-Oh! Wow! Okay.

Just get straight
to the heart of it, Rhys.

All this having known me about 10 seconds?

[chuckles] Ten pretty intense seconds.

[sighs]

Look, I can't imagine
what it must have been like--

-I'm going, I'm going.
-Zara. Wait!

One last thing. My mum
is not an excuse to feel sorry for me.

-Okay?
-Okay.

And another thing.
I'm not defined by the fact

that my mum's a narcissistic
dickhead, okay?

I'm not Zara, the survivor.

I'm a f*ck up on my own terms.

Zara! Zara, you're not a f*ck--

[sighs]

-Rhys?
-Give me a minute, yeah?

[door closes]

Is he always this elusive?

It's stress.

We're all stressed, Ellie.
It's a big case, lot of pressure.

Lots of upside, too, though...

for the right person.

[man] Do you mind? There's nowhere free.

The man sitting to your right
has got a syringe in his left hand.

The syringe has got a toxin in it
that will see you dead in ten minutes.

It will look like a coronary.

You'll be one of those cases
you hear about.

That young person that suddenly died
from an undiagnosed heart problem.

It will just take a nod from me

and the syringe will be in and out
of your thigh before anyone's noticed.

You're MI5.

[man] Am I?

You're gonna finish your food.

And when the two men next to you rise,
you're gonna rise too.

And they're gonna let you
go in front of them

because they're very,
very well brought up young men.

Then the three of you
are gonna walk outside

and you're gonna get into the taxi
that's waiting across the road.

Okay?

It's fine.

Except I'm suddenly not hungry any more.

Then go.

[closing theme music playing]