Steal (2026) s01e03 Episode Script

1
Are you gonna tell me
how you're involved?
I wasn't involved.
Did they
Our best guess is they
abducted him for some reason.
Okay, so shouldn't you be
out there chasing after them?
Or at the crime scene or something?
I've got two entire squads doing that.
Right now, my only
job is to sit at this table
till you tell me what
you're doing here, Zara.
He, he called me up.
He was babbling. Distraught.
So, I told him I would come
over and see if he was okay.
And then when I got there,
I saw the blood in the lift
And I, I just had to get out.
Of a window?
The, the men at the door, the cops,
I thought they were the kidnappers.
So, yesterday, during the robbery,
you took the call and saved the day.
And tonight, you're
at it again, helping out.
You and Luke must be pretty tight then,
you rushing through the night for him.
Yeah, we are.
So, he tells you everything?
He didn't tell me he was
gonna get kidnapped.
- What about the heist?
- No.
- Did he offer you a share?
- No!
So, your best mate had a £4 billion
payday and he didn't think to cut you in?
You see anyone when
you were inside the building?
Anything might make the difference
between us saving Luke or not.
It's not just him.
If they saw you, you're
in just as much danger.
Okay.
Someone will call you
tomorrow to take your statement.
It wasn't your fault, you know, Rhys.
It was the surveillance
team that fucked up.
Where were you when Luke called?
Why are you asking?
Because I'm your mate?
What about Zara?
Did you get a read on her?
Yeah, she's involved.
We've got enough to arrest her.
Not yet.
Let's put her under surveillance.
I'll gather some background info.
You go get a statement from her.
We can cross-check it with the
team who were watching Luke.
Could be she's involved.
Or she's just an office worker
whose life is so pointless
she has to get wasted
every weekend just to bear it.
Where's Wayne and chee?
They went to, er Nice.
I'm so hungry.
Zara, do they not piss you off?
Who?
The investment committee dickheads.
They're not all dickheads.
- Milo's all right
- they're on a million quid a year, basic
with 100% guaranteed bonus.
What the fuck do they do for it?
They're getting rich off our work.
- No, that's not true. They
- meanwhile, meanwhile,
we're sitting there, processing
all their bullshit trades,
and what do we get for it?
Chips?
We're supposed to be getting drunk.
Aw, boo!
Eating's cheating, Zara.
Especially when, you know,
the woo-woo train is at the station.
100 grand?
- Yeah.
- And where did you meet them?
Like, online.
Where online?
Playing call of duty.
- You gotta okay.
- Okay, yes, I know.
Some people you've never met,
who just happened to be playing
the same online game as you,
just happened to mention
that they're interested in
hacking a pension fund,
which you just happen to work for?
It's 100 grand.
- You are being groomed, my love.
- Listen, they said,
they said they need two of
us, which is why I'm asking you.
Do you want in? Yes or no?
No. I am not going to jail for 50 grand.
No. No, no, no. It's 100 grand.
It's 100 grand each, okay?
And you're not gonna go to
jail, because all they wanna do
is just get some info
to hack our accounts.
Right? And they didn't
just want any accounts.
They asked for our worst account.
So who do you think I said?
- Washington tobacco.
- Okay.
Right, they're just gonna
hit their executive pot.
All right, course. So, we're
basically saving people from cancer.
Think what we can do with 100 grand.
Coke and video games?
I'm in debt.
To who?
To credit card companies, to
- To financial institutions. Banks!
- Okay. All right.
- I, I'm fucked!
- Okay, calm down!
- I am fucked!
- Calm down.
I'm fucked, Zara. Please.
They said they're only gonna do it
with two people. I'm begging you.
I, I, need this.
Okay, but why would they need
two of us to give them the same info?
I don't know, they, something
to do with the verification,
- hacking the log-in system
- well, that's what's
- even fucking dodgier, Luke.
- Sure.
There's no way that we're
gonna come on, hurry up!
Yeah. Hold on.
Er, no, no.
I just like onions with mine.
God.
Why do we do this every weekend?
It's 100 grand!
We we fucking deserve it.
Look into your future 30 years from now,
doing the same mind-numbing shit,
reading the same fucking spreadsheets
and all the while, the traders
are getting younger and younger
and making more in a year
than we are ever gonna see
in our entire lives.
And all the while, that buzzing
sound in the back of your head, yeah?
You hear it? That little mosquito
getting louder and louder?
That is your fucking life.
You fucking wasted it.
So, wait, d'you know what
you're gonna turn out like?
- Your mum. And
- fuck you!
No, you know what? Fuck you!
I'm going in on Monday,
I'm gonna change teams.
I'm gonna get put on
track for an investment role.
You can process trades
on your fucking own.
That's never gonna work, Zara!
You said it yourself. They'll
laugh you out the room.
What, 'cause I'm, I'm such a joke, am I?
No, because they don't see what I see.
Okay? They just see
a girl in a crumpled suit
with a psychology degree
from a second-rate uni
who has never, ever
shown any ambition.
And that's not gonna
change, Zara. Not for them.
We'll see.
Well?
Well, they said
I'm an exceptional worker with
An outstanding eye for detail,
a meticulous approach
to the paperwork and a
Rare gift for the
numerate side of the job.
And
it's for those reasons
they think I'm best suited
to a continued role in the back office.
Yeah.
One condition.
I don't wanna do this over your
PlayStation, okay?
If I'm gonna get involved in
Whatever this is,
I wanna meet them.
In person. Otherwise,
I'm not getting involved.
Deal.
MI5? Are you serious?
It's in their remit.
And it's just one analyst. A liaison.
- Thanks for the heads-up.
- Yesterday, you were worried
we were moving too slowly,
today, we're going too fast?
This surveillance
request for Zara dunne.
She's Luke selborn's work wife.
I think she's involved.
Right, well, put in the
paperwork. I'll see what I can do.
Here he is.
You never know.
Might be fun to have an
actual spy in the office.
Dci covaci? Sam Fitch.
- Rhys is fine. Pleased to meet you.
- You, too.
Look, I, er, just wanted
to say, straight off the bat,
I'm not here to step on any toes.
I'm a resource. I've got a line
straight back to thames house,
all the tech and
expertise we've got there.
But only if you want it.
That's great. Thank you.
Er, we'll introduce you to the team
- and, er, Ellie can show you around.
- Sure.
Everyone. Listen up.
This is Sam Fitch, from
the security services.
He's gonna be in the office, helping out.
It's not every day they
get introduced to a spy.
Er, spy is not really the right word.
I'm an intelligence officer, which is
basically just a glorified civil servant.
Kinda like you lot.
Hey. Welcome to crime scene pro.
Today, we're gonna show you
how experts copy fingerprints
that have been left in blood.
It's a different process to
lifting regular fingerprints
and you can still get it done with
just a few everyday household items.
Here's how.
Twenty grand.
Congratulations.
I want the rest in a week
or I'm selling your loan.
Selling it to who?
To "whom". Fuck's sake.
To people who don't
care what your job is.
- Come on, Matt, i
- no.
I've tried to be a mate about this.
One week, and then
I wash my hands of it.
And you can take your chances
with the kind of people
who buy these kinds of debts.
See you in a week, I guess.
Yeah.
It's covaci.
- What have you got?
- Er
I'm still waiting for access to
some of their shared drives,
but everything I've seen
so far is by the book.
What about people of interest?
Anyone in debt? Or suddenly flush?
I've been going through some
of their personal bank accounts.
Er, Luke selborn has
Got seven of them.
All overdrawn. No unusual
transactions, though.
What about Zara?
Low balance but clean as a whistle.
Same as all the other back-office staff
and the investment committee.
Which makes sense, considering
the amount they're paid.
- How much?
- They could earn a million a year
in basic.
Same again in bonuses.
The ones there, in the
bullpen, Zara and Luke's bit,
30, 40 grand annual.
Which means it takes
them three decades
to earn what their colleagues
take home in a year.
Double that, if you include the bonuses.
How's it going with the stolen money?
Our British virgin island
request is still in the queue.
Do you have any idea what's going on?
So I was I was thinking
Maybe we could bypass them.
Go on.
Okay, so you know there's been
all these leaks over the years,
pandora papers, Panama papers
well, there are these databases online
where all the leaked
offshore account details are.
I could cross-check our
accounts with the ones online,
see if anything pings.
We couldn't use it as evidence.
No, but it would mean
we're not just waiting around.
Which type were you
when you worked in the city?
Investment committee or back office?
Investment committee.
Part of why I quit.
The massive wages?
I prefer what I do now, Rhys.
Means I can look at myself in the mirror.
Do it.
What you suggested.
But not here.
I'm officially approving your request
to work from home this afternoon.
Hi
Thank you.
Zara?
Di Ellie Lloyd. We met the other day?
I'm just here to take your
statement about last night.
This is my colleague, Sam Fitch.
I thought you were gonna call.
We're calling now.
Well, no, I meant on the
phone, to arrange coming over.
Have we caught you at a bad time?
No.
No, no. I just,
flat's in a bit of a state
and I haven't really slept,
so, maybe we can do
this some other time?
No. Now's good.
Cool.
Can I, get you a drink or anything?
No, nothing, thanks.
- Shall we sit down and take the statement?
- Yeah.
Thanks.
Thanks for taking the time.
Please
I wasn't sure I'd find you at home.
Well, I'm a psychiatric nurse.
- Twelve hours on, twelve hours off.
- Yeah.
Er, it's not my preferred line of work
but, you know, I was in a bind, so
So, you think my
daughter stole £4 billion?
Not exactly.
Right. So why are you here?
Does she ever talk
to you about her work?
No. Hang on.
Why are you here?
I'm trying to look for
listen! Why are you here?
I'm not gonna say anything
until you give me a context.
I'm worried about her.
She's mixed up with
some dangerous people.
Right.
So, you're her knight in shining
armour come to save her?
Well
Watch out, dci covaci.
You've got no idea what
you're getting involved with.
The jaded office worker
stumbling through life,
that's just her pretending she chose it all,
like it's not eating her up inside.
It's a very dangerous combination.
You know?
Intelligence and frustration.
You asked me if my daughter
could have been involved in a heist?
Well, I wouldn't be surprised
if she masterminded
the whole bloody thing.
If she set her mind to it.
Problem is, she never
sets her mind to anything.
Too scared.
Wants everything to be settled and
Calm and safe.
And why is that?
How else would she be
with a mother like me?
You wanna know something about Zara?
Go on.
You're exactly her type.
Go on. Ask me something else.
Has she been acting differently recently?
I wouldn't know.
She broke off all
contact a few months ago.
You're estranged?
When was the last time you saw her?
Mrs dunne?
I haven't seen her in months.
And then I saw all the blood and I just,
I just knew I had to get out of there.
So, because we were
worried about Luke's safety,
we had a couple of our colleagues
outside of his building, keeping a log
- Okay.
- Of everyone entering and leaving.
And I went through their logs
and the cctv from the
building opposite Luke's.
Well, all that suggests that
you were in the building for
Ten minutes.
But from what you've just told me here,
it sounds like you were
in there significantly less.
Do you have any idea why that might be?
No. I mean, I'm not
particularly good with timings
and, and as I said, I
haven't really slept, so
And when you arrived,
you had your hood up?
It was cold.
- Really?
- Yeah.
It was quite mild, I thought. No?
Fifteen degrees.
And the cab that you
claimed you got there,
it's not on cctv.
There's just a shot of you
walking in, with your hood up.
Well, it the cab did drop
me, off further down the street.
And the cabbie, he said something
about, like, a one-way system or something.
Zara?
Are you sure you wanna
submit this as your statement?
Because once you sign it, that's it,
it's part of your record and
lawyers can use it in court.
Er, no, yeah, it's fine.
Okay.
Well, have a read through it all and
then sign and date this at the bottom.
Thank you.
Have
You haven't heard anything
about Luke at all, have you?
No, not yet,
but we've got an entire
unit looking for him.
Okay.
We're checking number plate
data, honing in on the vehicles,
so we'll find him.
And we'll find the people that did it.
- Great.
- Promise.
Thank you.
My god. She's so fucking guilty.
I'll write up a report
and send it to Nichols.
We need to get her
under surveillance asap.
I'm not so sure.
- Not sure about what?
- The surveillance request.
Are you serious?
Look, maybe she's involved,
but she's not the angle here.
The angle's finding Luke.
It's tracking the money.
She's a bit part, at best.
We've got our inside man.
That's who we focus on.
- So, the surveillance request?
- We don't need it.
I'll speak to Nichols. He'll understand.
- Luke and Zara?
- Yes.
So, this is just a
get-to-know-you meeting, all right?
- You got drinks?
- Er, yeah.
We'll get some, and then
we can have a chat. All right?
Cool. And that's good with me.
And just so, like I said in the messages,
it's mainly Zara that needed convincing.
I'm good with whatever
Basically, you can trust
me, is what I'm trying to say.
Let's get some drinks?
We'll, just see you over there.
It's just an hour-long chat,
where you tell us how
your trading system works,
give us your account
details, log-in details.
Just an hour of your life chatting.
For more money than
you'll earn in two years.
No one's gonna know you
had anything to do with it.
No one's going to get
hurt. And the money,
we take it from the
tobacco execs, like we said.
Yeah.
Look, there's no need to make a
decision now. This isn't a hard sell.
Just have a think about
it and let us know. Okay?
Any questions?
Yeah.
Why aren't you guys wearing
masks or disguises or anything?
I mean, you're about to do this big crime,
and you've just shown a
pair of strangers your faces.
It kinda suggests that
what? We're a bunch of amateurs?
No, no. That it doesn't really matter,
because after the hack,
you're gonna kill us.
Look,
the point of this meeting was to get
to know each other, build some trust.
We couldn't do that if we'd
turned up in disguises, could we?
Yeah.
This is gonna be a victimless crime.
Like I said, no one's gonna get hurt.
Especially not one of us.
- I promise you.
- Er, is this why they brought you along?
To provide the female reassurance?
Like I said, have a think.
And in the meantime, it's probably
best if we leave one by one.
Okay.
- Evening. Hackney, right?
- Hiya. Yeah.
Wait. Do you see that car behind us?
When it moves, can you follow it?
The app says greenarch street, hackney.
Yeah, well, I've changed my mind.
Can you follow that car, please?
I can't just drive around all night.
I need a destination for the app.
Okay, well, fine. I will cancel the
trip and I'll give you 50 quid cash.
Is that okay?
I could earn more booking this.
Please. Look, he's leaving. Can you
Jesus! All right.
So, what is he? Your boyfriend?
Yeah.
Just, er just stop here.
Okay. You can, you can go.
So These accounts are
where the money's been sent.
- Are you serious?
- Yeah.
Gould-Simmons? The gould-Simmons?
Yeah, well, I mean,
like, it's a shell company
in a holding company, in a shell
company, if that makes sense,
but yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Someone stole £4
billion worth of pensions
and sent it to the offshore
accounts of an arms dealer?
They're not an arms dealer,
Rhys. They're a defence contractor.
Every one of our fighter
jets, missile systems
yeah. Right. So, why would
they take money from a heist?
You don't think that maybe
whoever is behind this
might be using the money to buy arms?
You're buying arms under the table,
you don't go to a household name
with money that's all over the news.
Okay. Well, then what?
Someone's just using their accounts?
Yeah, but why?
Why use their accounts?
Why not set up your own?
And why the fuck have
gould-Simmons got accounts
in some no-name bank in
the British Virgin Islands?
My guess would be,
these are the kinds of
accounts you use to pay bribes.
Slush fund accounts?
Well, er, except slush fund
accounts you use to pay money out.
- This, er
- This money is moving the wrong way.
- Yeah.
- What do we do with this?
Well, we, er, we take it
upstairs or we sit on it.
We take it upstairs, they'll sit on it.
Yeah, well, it's gonna get
out there sooner or later.
So, what?
Maybe we leak it ourselves?
I don't know, Rhys.
You think MI5 know about this?
They planted an agent in
the incident room this morning.
Rhys, I
I found this out via an open
source, online database.
Think about the tools MI5 have.
They probably knew ten
minutes after the heist.
Which is why here at gould-Simmons,
we're upgrading britain's rapid
response capability with state-of
we need to talk.
Fitch came with me to
take Zara dunne's statement.
She's totally involved, Rhys.
I could see it. Fitch could
see it. She could see it.
But we get outside,
and Fitch says, "she's
probably not involved."
And he's going to talk to Nichols about
turning down our surveillance request.
- Have you spoken to Nichols?
- No. I was waiting for you.
Whatever Fitch is up to,
Nichols is involved too, no?
They don't want us going near her.
He basically told me, "she's off-limits."
- Fitch definitely knew she was lying?
- Yeah.
And then he pretended she
wasn't, but it was fucking blatant.
What are we gonna do?
Act like everything's cool.
I'll take care of it.
Can I help you?
What are you doing here?
It's evidence, on the desk.
I could have given it to the
cops, but I brought it here to you.
How did you get this address?
I just wanted to come here
and tell you that you can trust me.
I'm not going to make
any trouble, like Luke
I said how did you get this address?
I promise
- Hey, mum.
- Yeah? What's up?
I was, er, I was just
thinking about popping over.
My dear, I'm on a night shift tonight.
Or maybe maybe tomorrow?
Yeah. Come round tomorrow.
I'll be home tomorrow.
All right. See you.
Bye, love.
Is my investigation being set up to fail?
Why?
If someone's pressuring you
They aren't pressuring me.
They're threatening me.
Rhys,
if you want to carry on being a
policeman when this is all over,
find a reason to excuse
yourself from the case
that doesn't point suspicion
my way, then step away.
I cannot guarantee that
whoever is in charge of this case
will come out of it in one piece.
Especially someone like you.
Someone like me?
A man with debts.
Is this why I was picked for this?
To be the fall guy?
Don't be so bloody paranoid.
But your
Problem
Will come out in the wash.
Resign the case.
It's the only way you're
going to survive this.
Going somewhere?
Jesus, you scared the shit out
of me. I thought you were at work.
Yeah, and I thought you
were coming round tomorrow.
It's not up there any more.
I'm not stupid, Zara.
Fuck's sake.
I haven't seen you in months,
and then you turn up out of the blue
the day after your
company's been robbed?
It's funny to think there's
been four billion quid
stashed under my floorboards,
and I didn't have a clue.
It's not four billion.
Well, I looked up what a cold wallet is.
Spent all afternoon researching it.
So how much is on it?
Well, if you read up,
then you would know
that you can't get into it
without my passwords.
It's worthless without
my passwords, actually.
Right. And your passwords are
worthless without the cold wallet.
So, here we are.
Okay.
What do you want?
What do you think I want?
Storage fees.
The people that I am dealing with,
I think I think they want me dead.
- I don't know, they were chasing me and
- you brought them here?
- Well, I was trying
- Nice.
To do a deal with them.
Mum, please, please. I
need the cold wallet so I
Get out of the country.
I can't do it without the money,
so I need it. So please give it to me.
And then
And then when it's all calmed
down, yes, I will sort you out.
Wow.
You've really bitten off more
than you can chew, haven't you?
Look,
love, I give you that cold wallet,
you're off to Brazil and
I never see you again.
I don't fucking believe you.
Come on. How much is
on it? You can at least
You can at least tell me that much.
A million. Depending
on the exchange rate.
What, they steal, you know, four billion,
and they give you what,
one million? I don't think so.
- Come on. How much?
- Five. Five million.
Five? Wow!
My maths was never my strong point,
but I would say for a very
reasonable 20% storage fees
- i
- come on, you give me one million.
You get to keep the other four million.
- Everybody's happy.
- Mum, you are not getting a million quid.
You're gonna end up blowing through
it, and we'll both end up arrested.
Come on, darling. Look, you've
got to learn to trust me more.
What, because you have
done so much to earn my trust!
Don't fucking get all high
and mighty with me, Zara!
Just take a guess who the
hospital has all its pensions with.
You have stolen your own
fucking mother's pension!
So don't turn your
fucking nose up at me.
You've been doing it since you
were a kid, and I'm fucking sick of it.
Yeah, you just just go home,
calm down and then, you know,
give me a call in a few days and
we'll work something out, okay?
You don't get it, mum.
After tonight, I won't
be alive in a few days.
Get in!
Are you okay?
Thank you.
I feel like such a fucking idiot.
I was trying to reason with
them. Give them a peace offering.
- Fuck!
- Who's "them"?
The thieves.
Zara, that wasn't a thief
trying to pick you up back there.
Who else would it be?
It was MI5.