New Tricks s06e07 Episode Script

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

How can Strickland afford to keep a boat in a place like this? I couldn't afford to fish in it.
When I was a kid this whole place was a toilet.
Literally.
A few yards down the road, the biggest sewage plant in Bermondsey.
Thanks for that precise mental image, Gerry.
Does he have to drag us all the way out here? I think it's very nice of him, actually to take us for a bit of a sail.
It's his way of saying thank you for all our hard work.
I'd prefer hard cash.
Oh, oh, oh, dear be careful.
Shut up! Well, which one is Strickland's? G7.
It must be the mooring number.
G9, G8 must be this one Blimey! Wow! Ah! Welcome aboard The Last Minett! He's having a laugh, in't he? I've seen bigger bathtubs.
# It's all right, it's OK # Doesn't really matter if you're old and grey # It's all right, I say it's OK # Listen to what I say # It's all right, doin' fine # Doesn't really matter if the sun don't shine # It's all right, I say it's OK # We're gettin' to the end of the day.
# Mind your step.
No helipad, then? Thank you.
She may be small, Gerry, but she's perfectly formed.
Cheers.
I'd like to raise a toast to a notable year for UCOS.
While your methodologies may not always be conventional it's difficult to argue with the results.
So to UCOS.
To UCOS.
Hello there, Strickland.
Any of that going spare? Alistair.
This is Alistair Dudley.
He's President of the yacht club.
Outgoing.
Will you have a glass? Oh, thank you.
I say! Strickers has kept you very quiet, my dear.
Detective Superintendent Pullman is in charge of UCOS.
These are the rest of her team.
Ahh.
Oh, I can see I'm going to have to be on my very best behaviour.
Out of interest what do you reckon they're asking for that boat over there? If it was up to me you could have it for nothing.
You are not thinking of buying it? No, of course not.
I was just wondering about the market value.
Oh, this is lovely, Fisher Trouble at t'mill? Why don't you tell your friends what you've done? What do you want, Leanne? How you've ruined someone's life.
Get off! You're a liar! Why don't you tell everyone Leanne Sweeting.
Her father owns that old tub you were asking about.
Who's she having a go at? Lawrence Fisher, he's a developer.
Liar! That's enough.
You're just making yourself look silly now.
Now who looks silly, eh? Get her off, Emilio! Get off me! Right, off the boat.
Get off! I can walk myself.
Excuse me.
Get off! Is everything OK? Yeah, fine.
I think Ms Sweeting was about to leave anyway.
Just a gatecrasher without an invitation.
And you don't come back.
This is private property.
Get your hands off me, you creep! You think you've got away with what you did to my dad? You are wrong.
And I can prove it.
Go on! Get her out of here! Don't worry! I wouldn't stay in this poxy marina if you paid me! She's not happy! Get off! Get off! Come here! Easy, easy That's enough, I said that's enough! Enough! Get out of here! Jack? You all right? Leave me alone! I'm not one of that lot, you know.
Who are you? I'm with the Metropolitan Police and I'd like to know why you would want to destroy a perfectly good jacket.
Ask Fisher.
I'm asking you.
You said down there something about "being able to prove it".
Prove what? How he killed five people then looked on while my dad took the blame.
Well, go on I'm listening.
Dad was a Waterman he used to tow barges up the river.
Eight years ago he had a head-on collision with a boat owned by a guy called Grant Milburn.
Yes, I remember.
I also remember the coroner said it was a tragic accident.
Accident?! Lawrence Fisher sabotaged Grant Milburn's boat because he wanted him dead.
And have you any evidence to prove that statement? Better than that.
A witness.
Does this witness have a name? Dean Collier.
And who might he be? He's the guy Fisher hired to murder Milburn.
And I told Strickland what Leanne said and I think he's going to go for it.
Go for what? Reinvestigate the case.
I compiled a report.
Did you? Why not it's perfectly legitimate.
Jack, get real.
There is no way that Strickland is going to stir up a hornet's nest at his own yacht club.
Isn't he? He acted very strangely when Leanne went berserk.
Like he wasn't even surprised.
What, Strickers? he's one of them! It's all deck shoes and flannels.
I wouldn't be surprised if he still uses Brylcreem.
When I spoke to him he wasn't very keen on Fisher.
Who wasn't? Strickland.
I've put in a report.
About the boat crash.
Morning.
I've read your report, Jack.
I think you should go ahead.
I'm sorry? We're re-investigating the Sweeting case.
Are you absolutely sure about this, sir? Yeah.
Fisher's a decent enough guy but if there's a scintilla of doubt.
Lawrence Fisher.
Multi-millionaire property developer.
Grant Milburn.
He's the man Leanne claims Fisher murdered.
He made his millions in casinos.
Oh, right I remember him.
I'm not surprised.
It was probably you that made him rich.
They were business rivals.
On the 16th of October 2001, Milburn was out on the Thames in his gin palace along with his teenage son, Justin, and a family friend, Patrick Nash.
His wife, Carole, had stayed at home.
But also on board were two East European sisters, Anna and Branka Kamenov.
They were both croupiers at one of Milburn's casinos.
No wonder he left his old woman at home! Around about 6.
30, the fog came down so Milburn headed back up the river towards the marina.
Meanwhile, coming back the other way was Leanne's father, Neville Sweeting piloting his tug, the Sydney G.
The only other person on board was Luke Wilkins, his 15-year-old deck-hand and they were heading back to their boatyard.
What happened next made all the front pages.
The Sydney G ploughed head-on into Milburn's oncoming boat.
In fact, it ploughed right through it.
There were only two survivors, Neville Sweeting himself and Milburn's teenage son, Justin, who incidentally was at the wheel.
But what happened to the others? The postmortem says that Milburn was already dead when he entered the water.
Massive trauma to head consistent with the impact of collision.
Anna Kamenov's body was found a mile down the river.
Luke Wilkins wasn't found till a week laterwashed up in Essex.
Yeah, well, they're all washed-up in Essex! What about Patrick Nash and Branka? Their bodies were never recovered.
How come there weren't any witness statements? Because there weren't any witnesses.
You're telling me that two big boats crashed into each other in the middle of the Thames and nobody saw it? Not in the fog, they didn't.
Where you going? Well, I thought we could take a look at Sweeting's tug.
Go on, then.
It's been moored here since the accident waiting to be scrapped.
Hold on, if it was an accident, how come Neville got the blame? Justin claimed that the Sydney G was travelling too fast.
According to the files, Neville had previous, didn't he? Several members of the yacht club testified that he'd tried to ram them in the past.
They reckoned he'd got some kind of a grudge about yachties "gentrifying" the river.
What did Neville say? He didn't.
He hardly said two words all the time he was in custody.
Guilt? He was never charged with anything criminally.
Why not? Because of lack of evidence.
Except that one of his navigation lights was on the blink.
Apparently if that had been working there might never have been an accident.
That's why the coroner ruled "unlawful killing".
Neville was done for negligence in the civil courts by Milburn's widow.
He lost the lot.
Boatyard, business, everything.
MOBILE BEEPS So the crash was his fault? Apparently.
Until eight years later, when along comes Dean Collier and he claims that Fisher asked him to sabotage Milburn's boat.
When was this? Just before the accident.
But there was never any evidence of the boat being tampered with.
And it was scrapped years ago.
And has this Dean Collier got any proof? That's what I'm hoping to find out.
He's in the office now.
So what was the point dragging us down here? It's evidence, isn't it? Come on! Photographic evidence is all that I need.
What d'you expect? You're ex-army.
Royal Green Jackets.
The ones that walk fast.
We do other stuff as well.
You were in the Gulf.
How was that? Hot.
How did you meet Lawrence Fisher? When I come out the army I got a job as a doorman at one of the clubs I got to know some of his people.
They said Fisher wanted to see me.
What about? He wanted me to "sort someone out".
Grant Milburn.
What did he ask you to do, exactly? Something to his boat.
But make it look like an accident.
What did you say? I said just because I'd been a squaddie, didn't mean I killed people for a living.
How come you never reported this to the police? Day after I turned Fisher down, my car went straight through a school crossing.
All I could do to avoid killing a mum and her kid.
I found out later my brake pads had been cut.
You think Fisher did it? Nah, I think it was the Christmas Fairy(!) D'you still have the car? It was eight years ago.
No, I dumped it.
When you heard about the boat accident, what did you do then? I didn't I was back abroad.
A few of my mates had got jobs out in the Gulf again working in private security.
I didn't know about the crash till I got back.
So who told you? Leanne.
We met out the blue.
When I found out what had happened to her Dad I had to say something.
Otherwise I reckoned Fisher's getting away with murder.
But you turned him down.
So what are you're accusing him of? Well, isn't it obvious? He got someone else to do it, didn't he? But you have no actual proof? How much bloody proof d'you need? Fisher killed those people and he's been getting away with it ever since.
Fisher and Milburn were business rivals.
It's just a slanging match.
Collier's word against Fisher's.
Ex-squaddie with a grudge versus Mr Moneybags.
Yeah.
guv'nor, word is that Fisher had been trying to buy into Milburn's casino empire for years but kept getting knocked back.
So who owns it now? Fisher.
He bought a majority shareholding three months after Milburn died.
But that's nothing.
Guess who owns Neville's boatyard after it went bust? Fisher.
No flies on him, are there? So one way or another, Fisher made a fortune from that accident.
Doesn't mean he caused it.
Yeah, and the Pope's not Catholic.
It's still worth giving Fisher a call.
If nothing else, he's very good for a decent gin and tonic.
Oh, hello, you been shopping? You're joking there's a recession on.
This is everything that remains from the first enquiry.
Everything? Is that it? There was an inventory of what everyone was wearing on the day of the accident.
Milburn's lot were all in casual clothes, polo shirts, and the like.
Patrick Nash was wearing a blue jacket with an open neck collar.
And Neville and his crew hand were both in overalls.
Who said the class system was dead? But nobody seems to have owned this tie.
Milburn could have kept it on board for formal occasions.
His widow said she'd never seen it before.
Maybe it was floating in the river? It was recovered from the sunken boat.
Have a chat with Dudley and see if it's got any nautical significance.
Why don't I go and see Leanne's father, see what he has to say? OK.
I'm going out for a cigarette.
No, you are not.
Thanks very much.
Cheers.
Detective Superintendent Pullman.
This is Gerry Standing.
We met the other day at the marina.
Tug driver's daughter.
Sorry about your friend's jacket.
He'll get over it.
Thanks for sparing us your time.
Thank you for dragging me away from bloody architects.
So you're planning to change the landscape, are you? All this was working docks when I was a child.
Cargo ships from around the world.
Loved it.
You're from round here? About 1,200 yards that way? We had nuffink, but we was honest.
So.
Grant Milburn.
I didn't think you were looking to buy off-plan.
We are re-investigating the circumstances surrounding Grant Milburn's death, yes.
A long way of saying you think Ms Sweeting has something.
Well, you and Milburn were rivals.
No secret in that.
We spoke to someone who claims that you wanted to "sort Milburn out".
A turn of phrase I don't recall using since I was about ten.
This would be Dean Collier, I presume? You know Collier? I think that's stretching the meaning of the word.
Then why did Collier say that you tried to hire him to kill Milburn? Because I wouldn't pay him off when he tried to blackmail me.
Blackmail? You never reported that to the police.
I had been told that Collier had been invalided out of the army.
Post-Traumatic Stress.
I'm not in the business of trying to ruin someone who's already ruined especially fighting for his country.
When Milburn died you took control of his casino.
When Sweeting was ruined you bought his boatyard.
I could have paid a lot less for that boatyard but I didn't.
I gave him the market price.
Only Leanne thinks otherwise.
Mr Fisher.
I'm sorry, I have to go.
Give Bob my regards.
Bob? I preferred "Strickers".
Dad! Dad! He'll be down here.
Dad? Dad.
This is the man I told you about.
From the police.
Jack Halford.
Unsolved Crimes and Open Case Squad.
Mr Halford's trying to help, Dad.
He wants to talk to you about what happened.
Mr Sweeting, for me to help you, you're going to have to talk to me at some point.
You're eight years too late.
Better late than never.
My daughter's led you here on a fool's errand.
Dad! Who's the fool? Five people died.
One of them a boy that was like a son to me.
And nothing Leanne, or you, or any other bugger can do is going to bring that boy back.
So do me a favour and go home! Is he always like that? I'm sorry.
Is he on medication? Anti-depressants.
But he doesn't always take them.
He said Luke was like a son? I think I let him down by being a girl.
Oh, I doubt that very much.
Grief can affect people.
No, I mean he felt he had no-one to pass it all on to, tugboat skills, river traditions.
Then he found Luke.
Must have been very hard on you.
Yeah.
He just won't forgive himself.
Because of the light on the tug being broken.
But it wasn't his fault Luke and those people died.
He's a good man.
Fisher's a liar.
She was a pretty thing once.
All it needs is some TLC? Spot on.
You'd make a lovely couple.
I don't think me wife would approve.
Jealous type? She prefers things more on the dry side.
Well, you could always make it a solo venture.
Man and boat pitted against the elements.
Sir Francis Chichester! Gypsy Moth IV.
Absolutely! Well if you decide you want her you know where to find me.
You know that motor yacht over by the lock gates there? That's similar to Grant Milburn's boat, isn't it? Well, it's a more recent model, but essentially, yes, more or less.
Only we're reopening the investigation into the accident and there's not much left of the original.
Any chance of a quick peek? Yeah, why not? I'll take you up here.
Wow! May I? Yes, please.
Mind you don't start her up.
One nudge of those throttles and you'll be half way to Calais.
Fantastic! And Milburn's ended up just matchwood?! Terrible.
That must have been very upsetting for people at the club.
I didn't know him all that well but he was pretty popular with a lot of the members.
And is it right some of them claimed Sweeting had intimidated them? Oh, yes.
Man was a menace.
He'd steer straight at you to prove a point.
What point? Well, because he and his family had worked the river for generations he thought that he owned it.
God forbid any pleasure craft should get in the way of his "working" tug.
Oh, I know what I wanted to ask you.
D'you know what this is? Yes, it's a tie? Yeah.
But what kind of tie? Silk? No, no look the crest, the motto.
Does that mean anything? Anything nautical? Does it? Thanks for your time.
Not at all, not at all.
Do you know where I can find Justin Milburn? I take it you're not here for the race meeting? Well, they are a jolly little bunch.
The idea is if the local joyriders are getting their thrills here they're not killing anyone out there.
Very commendable.
Well, I hope a social conscience means that you won't mind helping me.
Do what? Re-examine what happened to your father and the others who died.
I'll take that as a yes.
Tell me, before the accident, was there anyone who might have threatened your father? What's so funny? You could threaten my dad, but you'd regret it.
Why? Was he violent? He could handle himself, but he didn't need to.
Look, I've said all this, eight years ago.
Was there anyone who might have held a grudge against him? Enough to want to sabotage his boat? I was steering, I'd have noticed if there was something wrong.
You say you were travelling slowly when you came up the river.
How come there wasn't time to steer out of the way when you saw the tug? It was thick fog.
The tug came out of nowhere, straight at us.
I was seventeen.
Maybe, uh, maybe someone with more experience could have avoided it.
God knows I wished it hadn't been me at the wheel.
Can you tell me what exactly you did do? Panic.
I started shouting at the tug, everyone on board but it was too late.
Next thing I know I'm in the water grabbing hold of a life vest and The two East European girls, Anna and Branka? Whose idea was it to bring them along? Your father's? It wasn't like that.
Like what? They were just, uh, friends from dad's work.
They werenice.
I understand that after the accident, you stopped living at home? Why? I couldn't look my mother in the eye.
You think she blamed you for the accident? She never said it, but I don't see much of her these days.
You'd think a tragedy like that would bring a mother and son closer together, not drive them apart.
Still, I suppose it depends on the family.
So how did it go with Fisher? He's claiming that Collier tried to blackmail him.
You know Jack, Dean could be telling Leanne a pack of lies.
Fisher says that Collier was invalided out the army with Post-Traumatic Stress.
I checked, he's right.
So what Collier's a fantasist? Where you've been? Down the library! Cor, you know how to live, don't you? Remember that tie? The one with the motto on the crest.
"Concordia salus et veritate".
It's Latin.
No shit, Sherlock.
What does it mean? Well, according to the English-Latin dictionary, something like "Salvation through harmony".
Sounds like an advert for shampoo.
Or the Nazis.
Or a choir, even.
Yeah, I thought choir.
So whose motto is it? I've absolutely no idea.
Well, that kills two birds with one stone.
Who is it, Dean? Careful, you'll catch your death.
So, love's young dream, eh? And when exactly were you going to mention that you were an item, or d'you both suffer from selective memory loss? What's that supposed to mean? It means you carefully forgot to say that you left the army with PTSD.
That doesn't change anything.
I'd guess you weren't the brains of the outfit(!) We didn't plan this.
We got to know each other.
It just happened.
Right.
So how much did you pay him for what he told us? How can you say that?! Years of experience.
Or did you make it up in order to get her into bed? I think you better leave.
Lawrence Fisher says you tried to blackmail him.
He's a liar.
He'd say anything.
Your dad said you were taking me on a fool's errand.
Old geezer feels sorry for you, so you lead him up the garden path is that it? No! I swear.
Everything I said is true.
I doubt if you'd even know the meaning of the word! But just in case I'm wrong, I suggest that you and Romeo here find some proof.
Because if you don't, this case is dead.
Carole Milburn? Yeah? Anywhere nice? Your bag.
Oh! Just the gym.
I do a Pilates class at the leisure centre.
How long is it since you moved out here? Straight after the accident.
Me and Grant lived in that house nearly 15 years.
It didn't feel right, without him.
Justin said that you don't see much of each other any more.
Not because of me.
I've tried to keep in contact but he wouldn't have it.
He thinks I blame him for what happened.
I've told him I never have but nothing I say makes any difference.
They did everything together, him and Grant.
He's never got over it.
Did your husband ever mention someone called Lawrence Fisher? Grant never talked business, not with me.
He was a bit old-fashioned.
Women and work, you know? Were you ever aware of anyone threatening your husband? Neville Sweeting drove his tug straight through him.
I think that's pretty threatening, don't you? What can you tell us about the two croupier girls that were on board? That was more for Justin's benefit.
He had a thing for one of them.
You didn't approve? Grant thought it was Probably thought it'd make a man of him.
All those raging hormones, you know.
Patrick Nash.
Was he a close family friend? Well, yeah, sort of.
We were at school together.
Grant and him were like that.
I never got a look-in, to be honest.
Excuse me, may I use your loo, please? Just by the front door.
Thank you.
I was going to ask if I could borrow a photo of your husband, but I can't see any.
I couldn't bear to have them in the house.
I still can't.
Some people think I should be over it by now.
But I just can't.
She lives on her own.
Some of the room's are bound to be half-empty.
But both bedrooms were the same.
Plus, if Milburn was so rich, how come his widow lives in a pokey little place like that? Maybe she invested it all? Yeah, not in soft furnishings.
Oi.
I'm telling you, it felt more like a place that was for sale or rent rather than where someone actually lives.
Concordia Harmony.
Harmony.
Any joy? Whose idea was it to put mottos in Latin? I mean, what's the point of using a dead bloody language?! I've looked up the definition of this thing and all I get is "Salvation through harmony".
I mean its ridiculous It's nonsense.
"Concordia" doesn't simply mean "harmony".
It's like some Latin nouns can have several variant meanings dependant upon its context.
Like um, "union" or "working together".
Oh, yes.
"Salvation through union", the Anglicised version of the Latin motto "Concordia salus et veritate" commemorating the twinning of Schlo Schlodenburg.
Schlodenburg and Elmfield.
April 1994.
You're wrong about Dean.
Am I? He's the only one who's ever stood up for me or my dad and I love him for it.
When Dean come along he give me something to believe in again.
And I am not letting you take that away.
Every day I wake up worrying I'm going to read in the paper that my dad's killed himself.
Please it wasn't his fault.
How did you get in here? I shifted a couple of mops.
How long you going to keep up this vow of silence? You're not the first person to lose someone you love, you know.
But at least you ought to recognise someone who still loves you.
Blimey, I thought I was good at feeling sorry for myself but you're the gold medallist.
Leanne says you blame yourself, that's why you don't want to talk.
But I am beginning to think you don't want to talk because you know it was your fault and that they were right.
You drove into Milburn's boat deliberately.
He was going too fast.
Justin Milburn swears he was going slowly.
He's a liar.
All right, the light on my tug may not have been working too well, they might have seen me a bit earlier but the truth is he drove into me.
That was taken about just before the crash.
This is Luke? Yeah.
He was fifteen.
He'd have been 24 next month.
He loved his tugs but the Sydney G was his favourite.
You know, when she was pulling a heavy load she used to lie, really lie in the water and he used to love being up the front on the bow.
And his mum was always worrying about him, but I used to tell her that I'd make sure that no harm ever came to him.
Now I can't even bring myself to go and visit his grave.
So Milburn's boat drove into you - not the other way round? He was going like a madman but I couldn't prove anything, could I? So, Professor.
"Caesar ate sum jam for tea", is that it? You may mock, but the fact is Latin is a very evocative and beautiful language.
So you don't know what it means? As it happens, through my intuitive grasp of linguistics I realised that Concordia, like many Latin words, can have several variant meanings dependant upon it's context.
Ah, so it's a guess? No.
I simply accessed various websites with different translations of the motto and came up with this.
What, a Bavarian beer festival? Not the beer, the town.
Schlodenburg was twinned with Elmfield Borough Council in 1994.
The tie commemorates the inaugural ceremony.
Neville Sweeting finally decided to talk.
Sandra! So after I spoke to him, I went to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Now this is the latest state-of- the-art software which they use to reconstruct shipping accidents.
So I got them to programme ours in.
Now Justin says that Neville's tug was coming at him at full speed.
With the tide that would be about 20 knots.
If that's true, this is what would have happened.
Cool! Can I play with that later? Now these are the scene-of-crime photos of Milburn's boat.
They don't match the simulation.
Right.
So we ran the crash again, only this time according to what Neville told me.
Now he said that his tug was crawling along and it was Milburn's boat that came out of the fog like a mad thing.
Almost identical.
Justin lied about his speed.
Hardly surprising, seeing as he killed five people.
But the light was broken on Neville's boat.
So Justin's still only partly culpable.
And he's the first to blame himself for not steering out the way.
His mother said he had a crush on one of the girls on board.
He's only human.
Dig out what you can about them.
Anna and Branka.
I could take a trip down to the casino where they used to work? See if any of the punters remember them.
Very self-sacrificing of you.
And how are you going to fund that trip? It's police business.
Presumably any out of pocket expenses will be covered by the appropriate funds? OK, but Jack goes with you and the money goes with Jack.
Right, I think we should split up.
Give us half the float.
Oh, Gerry that's more than my life's worth.
Ah? Whisky? Cheers! Ohhh.
Jack, you're giving too much away.
You're supposed to bluff 'em into thinking you've got a good hand.
Do the words "grandmother" and "suck eggs" mean anything to you? German porn? How many, sir? I'll play these, thanks.
I think I'm going to have a sniff around.
Yeah, well, don't get lost.
Just don't lose the whole float in one hand.
Evening I've heard about women like you.
And there are laws about men like you.
No, I mean the casino employs gorgeous women to get high rollers to the table.
High roller? Well, no, I'm more a smiler, actually.
You're right.
I do want your money.
Devil woman.
Because I'm the Duty Manager.
Ah, excellent! Then you may be able to help me.
Anna and Branka Kamenov.
They worked here as croupiers eight years ago.
Before my time.
Things run a little differently here now.
Meaning? And why should I tell you? Ah, yeah, I'm sorry, Gerry Standing.
The Met.
Unsolved Crime and Open Case squad.
These two girls died in a boating accident along with the bloke who used to own this place.
Grant Milburn.
That's right.
And you say he ran things differently? He recruited a lot of his croupiers from overseas.
From outside the EC.
Because? Because they were cheaper.
Any other reasons? When I first arrived, one of the former regulars asked if our croupiers still did private work.
And private meaning? Meaning, I suspect, that some of the previous girls did more than spread betting for their clients.
Guess what I just heard about the Transylvania two? Hang on a minute, Gerry.
I'm on a roll here.
Full house, 2s on Jacks.
Full house wins.
Thank you.
Now, what were your hot tips for success? Class of '68.
Patrick Nash and Grant Milburn.
"Hall of Shame"? End of School Disco 1968.
"Patrick and Carole seal their true love.
" Oh, do they? The secret, Gerry, is to have an unreadable face, nerves of steel And talk through your arse.
Now, don't let bitterness creep in.
It's beginner's luck, Jack.
It's how they suck you in.
Bitter AND twisted.
Well, come on, then, let's divvy up the dosh.
Winner takes all.
Anyway, I've got to have another little chat with Justin.
Goodnight.
Oh, did I miss the starting line-up, then? Was there something you wanted? Quick question.
You said that Neville Sweeting's tug was travelling towards you at full speed.
Yeah, that's right.
Ah.
Well, we ran some computer tests, courtesy of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
And guess what? The computer doesn't agree with you.
You should run some more, then.
I was there.
I know what I saw.
In the fog? In a split-second? Neville Sweeting says that yours was the boat speeding out of control.
He would do.
Did you know that Anna and Branka worked as prostitutes in your father's casino? Did you get that from the Maritime blah as well? Is that why your mother didn't want you to see Anna again? Because she knew she was a working girl? That's not true! Look, I was 17.
And yes, OK, I was mad about Anna.
But the only reason my mother didn't want me to see her is because she's a xenophobic snob.
"Xenophobic", eh? Oh, well.
See you again.
God, there's hundreds of them.
Bloody hell.
Cuddly Dudley.
DOORBELL RINGS All right.
Keep your wig on! Morning.
It's seven am.
He said it was urgent.
I've got something to show you and it couldn't wait.
Is that coffee? I might have known Grumpy wouldn't be far behind.
Alistair Dudley was a councillor before he retired There he is wearing the exact same tie that was recovered from the accident.
Well, you don't know it's the same tie.
Just one like it.
He said he didn't recognise it.
He lied.
Possibly.
All right, go to the Council Offices in Elmfield see if any of those people might have known Milburn.
In the meantime, Gerry, you and I are going to go back to talk to Carole.
What about? I was on their old school website.
Patrick Nash and Milburn were best mates.
However, it turns out that before Milburn and Carole got together, Carole and Patrick Nash were the school's Romeo and Juliet.
Oh, shagging? I think the preferred term is "childhood sweethearts"? Eh, shagging.
If Anna and Branka were on the game I reckon Carole knew about it.
That's why she didn't want Justin mixing with them.
Maybe that's why Justin still keeps his mum at arm's length? Oh, before we forget tell the guv'nor the good news.
Go on.
You weren't so coy last night when you won all that money.
You won? Whoa, good man.
Hand it over.
Loss or profit, Jack, it stays with the department, so hand it over.
Where would I find the names of former councillors, please? Thanks very much.
"Planning sub-committee, "Chair, Councillor A Dudley.
" What is this let's doorstep Halford week? Leanne doesn't know I'm here.
I came to tell you that I love her, but I didn't lie for her.
What's this? It's a receipt from the garage where I took my car.
I found it.
You can ask them about the brake pipe.
Me and Patrick?! That was when we were at school.
It was ancient history long before I got together with Grant.
I didn't mention it because I honestly didn't think it relevant.
Didn't it cause any awkwardness between your husband and Patrick? Don't be silly.
Mind you, a bit of jealousy might have made him more appreciative.
Is that all you wanted to ask me about? No, not quite.
When we couldn't find you here, we tried at the leisure centre and they said they hadn't seen you for six weeks.
If I told you that I belong to five different keep-fit classes, would that explain it? And honestly, that is not my favourite.
The changing rooms are a little bit Oh, by the way, I dug out some pictures of Grant.
Thanks.
Justin's 14th birthday.
MOBILE RINGS Oh, excuse me.
.
.
Hello? There was something else I wanted to ask you? Oh, yeah.
Were you aware that the croupiers at your husband's casino often worked as prostitutes? That's ridiculous.
Grant would never have tolerated that for a start.
How would you know? You said he didn't involve you in business matters.
I think I'd have known if my husband was running a brothel.
So that wasn't the reason why you and Justin stopped speaking? I haven't stopped speaking to him.
Have you ever lost anyone in a terrible accident, Superintendent? No.
Then you'll have very little idea of what it's like for those who are left behind.
Guv'nor, Brian wants us to meet him at the marina.
It's about Dudley.
Is that Alistair Dudley? Thanks for your time.
D'you bike it all the way from Elmfield?! Never again.
OK, what have you got? I couldn't find anyone who was at that German do who might know Milburn except Dudley.
But get this Cuddly wasn't just any old councillor.
He was chairman of the Planning Sub-Committee, the same year that Grant Milburn applied for permission to build a new casino.
So Dudley must have known Milburn a lot better than he's letting on.
I'm not finished.
According to back copies of the Elmfield Recorder, Dudley took early retirement from the council a couple of years ago after he was caught inside a Thai massage parlour.
It was a very vigorous massage.
Bangkok? Brent Cross.
Did he get charged? Cautioned.
He's expecting us.
Come on, then.
Mr Dudley? Ah.
Three of you, eh? Well, I can't offer cocktails but it's very nice to see you.
That is you, isn't it? Wearing a tie like this one, which was recovered from the accident.
What I'm asking is, is this your tie? Um, absolutely not! Hundreds of people had that tie.
Any one of them could have been on board.
So where's yours? Oh, I chucked the ghastly thing out years ago.
Oh, OK.
Only this one, which was recovered from the scene of the accident, is now at our forensics lab.
What's amazing is how, because of the massive advances in forensics, through a thing called sweat tracing, they can now locate the DNA of the owner of any article of clothing.
Even after them just having touched it.
Even after eight years.
Now you were arrested two years ago at a massage parlour That was a complete misunderstanding.
Of course it was.
The thing is, as it's now routine to take a DNA swab after every arrest, We won't need to take yours again to see if it matches the DNA on the tie or not.
So, I'm giving you one last chance.
Were you there, on the boat? At the accident.
Yes, or no? I don't wish to say anything else without a solicitor present.
Of course.
As is your right.
In which case shall we go somewhere a little less public? Um, would you excuse me? Sweat tracing? When did that happen? It didn't.
I made it up.
You lied? Everyone else is.
I thought it was just a friendly boat ride.
Milburn said he wanted to show me his plans for the development from the river.
Well, it turned out he'd applied for planning consent for a super casino.
I didn't know he was going to set me up with one of those girls.
Which girls? Well, the croupiers.
The sisters Yeah, what happened? Well, I thought we were on our way back to the marina when suddenly they walked in on me below deck and started taking their clothes off.
And you had no idea this was going to happen? Absolutely not! So you didn't indulge? Look I'm I'm not saying, I'm not saying they weren't attractive.
But I also realised it was one of Milburn's ploys.
You mean like a bribe? I mean like blackmail.
I discovered a camera hidden in the cabin.
One of those digital camcorder things.
It was filming everything.
What did you do when you found it? Well, I didn't get much chance to do anything.
The door burst open and Justin was there.
Cor, he threw a fit.
I didn't know he was sweet on one of the girls? What did he do? Screamed, shouted, then stormed out.
I told the girls to get dressed but next thing I knew there's an almighty crash and we're in the river.
You know you can't imagine how terrifying that is.
Not knowing which way is up freezing cold water.
Next thing I know I'm bobbing along on the surface hundreds of yards downstream.
Go on, you swam away and pretended you'd never been on the boat? I was in shock.
By the time I got out of the water I realised no-one had seen me, so there was no reason to believe anyone would know I was on board.
Why cover it up? Well, there had been other incidents in the past.
Incidents? With girls.
If it had come out you see that I had been involved It, um I panicked.
Justin never mentioned you being on board.
Why not? Well, I went to him afterwards.
He didn't take much convincing to say nothing.
The last thing he wanted coming out was that his father was running a prostitute scam especially with this Anna? So he knew Anna was a prostitute? He did by then.
And you never saw the other boat? No.
But I felt it, all right.
How long between Justin leaving the cabin and the crash? Ooh, a minute or two? Justin would barely have had time to get back up on deck.
He certainly wasn't at the wheel.
His dad and Patrick Nash would still have been up there.
Either way, the lad lied.
Everybody's lying.
Still doesn't explain why the boat was going so fast.
Well, he didn't go up there to ask his dad the going rate for three-in-a-bed.
.
.
Standing.
Something must have happened after Justin stormed out the cabin.
All right, I'll be right up.
Well, you can ask him yourself.
Justin's just arrived.
It must have been a bit of a blow, finding out your own father was pimping out the girl you fancied? Even harder to take knowing she was happy to go along with it.
She didn't just "go along with it".
I told you, it's not true.
I see.
So Anna and her sister being filmed naked in a cabin with Alistair Dudley? What was that, then an advert for Health & Efficiency magazine? Your father knew you were sweet on Anna, and yet he got her and Branka to play naughty with a dirty old letch like Dudley knowing you were on board? I mean, what's that about? Dudley said you stormed up to the deck.
You must have been furious.
Did you confront your dad? Justin? Did you confront your dad about Anna? What was it? Was it a fight? The start of one? You fought with your father.
No.
It was him and Patrick.
They were having a go at each other.
Patrick Nash was fighting your father? Why? What about? It's my mother.
Dad was screaming at himPatrick.
About him and my mum having an affair.
Next thing I knew, Patrick smashed my dad into the wheel hit his head against it.
The boat swung one way, then the other.
My dad fell against the throttle and the boat justuh, lurched forward.
So you were never at the wheel? And now the boat was out of control? And then, um You hit the tug.
I didn't even see it.
I went overboard Um, trying to find the others.
To find Anna.
But she was gone.
All of them had just gone.
You're saying Patrick Nash killed your father? I don't know if he killed him, but I saw my dad's head hit the wheel.
Rather convenient, blaming your father and Patrick.
Seeing as how they're both dead.
I'm telling you the truth.
Eight years too late.
Why have you been lying? My mother.
She asked me to.
She begged me.
Not to say anything.
Because? Why do you think? My dad was a pimp.
She said it wasn't my fault.
I was only seventeen.
She said what happened wasn't shouldn't be allowed to ruin my life.
So you ruin Neville Sweeting's instead? Your mother got you to lie because she was about to receive a large pay-out in compensation, plus a huge sum of money from the sale of her dead husband's business.
Between you, you destroyed Sweeting's name and made him bankrupt.
What's going to happen next? Well, you lied at a coroner's inquest.
That's perjury.
As for your mother Let's just say I am going to be having a few words with her.
Does your mother know Dudley was on board? Not in, is she? Never is.
Can I help you? No, thank you.
She's not there.
We know that.
Hardly ever is.
She's gone away.
Won't be back for a while.
Away? About an hour ago.
She had cases with her.
She's always going away.
Nice for some, eh? Did your mother give you any money from the pay-out? A little.
To set-up the kart track.
And how much is a little? Fifty thousand.
She wanted me to have more but I wouldn't take it.
Very noble.
So what did she do with the rest? She bought houses.
She likes houses.
They're abroad.
Most of them.
Whereabouts? Northern Cyprus.
Apart from the one in Stanmore, and the other one in Kent Where in Kent? Uh, I'm not sure.
She got it just after the accident.
Carole Milburn heard us say we were going to see Dudley.
She must have realised we were getting close that she and Justin had lied.
I've notified all ports, airports.
Don't you think you're a little late? No.
I believe there's still a chance we can get her.
We think she'll make one last call en route.
And Fisher? Land Registry have Carole Milburn owning a house called The Gables in Blean, near Canterbury.
It's very nice, apparently.
Rented to a David Livingstone.
Sorry, sir.
I'll call Kent Police, get you some back up.
'After 100 yards, turn right.
' Ah, I love this thing.
'After fifty yards, turn right.
' I don't think this is right.
Don't listen to him, he's knows nothing.
No, this is wrong.
'Turn right.
' This is wrong.
It's gone.
'Turn right.
' Turn it off! 'Turn right.
' Oh, for God's sake! 'Take the next exit' Turn left.
'At the first opportunity turn around' No, left Jack! Left! 'Take the next exit' Now! 'After 200 yards, turn around Turn around' Oh, shut up!! We're here.
You can't beat a good map.
Hello, Carole.
Going anywhere nice? Patrick! You look pretty good for a drowned man.
I'm not the first bloke to have had an affair.
You might be the first dead one.
Eight years living under an assumed name is quite a trick.
But, why don't we go back to the night of the sinking.
Tell me why you killed Grant Milburn.
I didn't kill him! Justin said he saw you hit Grant's head on the wheel of the boat.
It was self defence.
I don't think so.
Yes! He found out about Carole and me.
That's why he attacked me.
He went bananas.
So why, after the boat sank, didn't you come forward? Because you knew Justin had seen what happened, that's why.
So you fake drowning, you change your identity and go into hiding.
I'd so like to meet the jury that returns an innocent verdict on that one(!) Look! We both could have gone abroad.
But we didn't! We stayed Yeah.
You stayed until you got found out.
Four people drowned.
Wasn't my fault! Nothing I could have done would have bought them back.
No.
Neville Sweeting feels exactly the same way.
You knew that Neville hadn't caused the accident Did I? His navigation lights were faulty.
The coroner's verdict was unlawful killing.
The coroner didn't know that Justin had lied.
That Dudley was on board.
And that Patrick Nash had survived.
And he certainly didn't know that you were having an affair with him.
And how do we know that you and Patrick didn't plan it all? Accident on a boat? Justin was on board.
Do you really think I'd risk my own son's life .
.
even for Patrick? Carole, four people drowned.
All you were worried about was your lover and your money.
You are so wrong.
Patrick pushed and pushed me to move abroad.
But I had to put things right with Justin.
I couldn't just take off and leave him here in bits.
Hope he appreciates it.
Where is he? Where is Justin? I've got to talk to him.
Don't worry.
I'm sure he'll be up for a bit of prison-visiting.
I love you! Love(!) You still don't mention Fisher.
No.
You honestly don't think he had anything to do with the crash? I can't see how.
There's nothing whatsoever to link him with Patrick Nash.
I meant Dean Collier's crash.
His car.
Collier has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
He and Leanne do seem genuinely in love so maybe he simply believes it happened, because he wants it to be true for her sake.
So we have Dudley, Justin Milburn and Carole Milburn ready to be charged with perjury, perverting the course of justice and fraud.
And Patrick Nash facing a charge of manslaughter? Yeah.
Well, normally we just get through one or two in a case so four is quite an achievement.
Stillpity about Fisher.
So you've finally decided to scrap her? Taking her to the workshop.
What, you're going to do it up? Yeah Leanne talked me into it.
I must be an idiot.
She can be very persuasive, your daughter.
Thank you.
For believing us when nobody else did.
Oh, all hands on deck, here comes Captain Bligh.
Morning.
Sir.
I came to tell you that the Commissioner is very impressed.
He asked me to pass on his congratulations.
New blazer, sir? Yes.
Yes, d'you like it? They chuck one of those at every President of the yacht club.
You're the new president? Yes.
Yes, didn't I tell you? There was some talk about Lawrence Fisher taking the helm, but it was felt he was a little too, close to, er, recent events.
Have to dash.
Club committee meeting.
Time and tide wait for no man.
Not even the President! What a total # It's all right, it's OK # Doesn't really matter if you're old and grey # It's all right, I say, it's Ok # Listen to what I say # It's all right, doin' fine # Doesn't really matter if the sun don't shine # It's all right, I say, it's OK # We're gettin' to the end of the day.
#
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