Art Detectives (2025) s01e06 Episode Script
Final Bid
1
♪♪
Do we have £1.3 million?
Thank you.
Bid stands at £1.3 million
with you, madam.
Do I hear any more
for this beautiful 18th-century
Zhaoqing dragon design vase,
rarely brought to market?
£1.35 million with you, sir.
£1.35 million.
[Attendees murmuring]
£1.4 million?
Thank you. Currently at £1.4 million.
Sir, do I have £1.45 million?
£1.45 million with you, sir.
Do I hear £1.5 million?
£1.5 million.
We are now at £1.5 million
with you, madam.
Back with you, sir.
£1.55 million.
Madam?
£1.6 million.
Do I hear £1.65 million?
[Attendees murmuring]
£1.65 million?
No?
In the room with you at £1.6 million.
Going once,
going twice.
£2 million.
[Attendees gasp, murmur]
♪♪
With the lady at the back
for £2 million.
Any advance?
♪♪
At £2 million.
All done?
Going once, going twice.
Sold.
Congratulations, madam.
Thank you. [Chuckles]
♪♪
We now move on to lot number 17,
a reproduction marble sarcophagus
with Indo-Chinese touches.
Who will start the bidding for me?
[Indistinct conversations]
- Harry.
- Hello, Mum.
This is a surprise.
It's been a while.
Going to have me escorted
off the premises?
- You're always welcome.
- I never wanted us to
Look, perhaps we can have
a drink together later.
Bit late for that, isn't it?
Always in trouble, Harry?
More your department, isn't it?
[Chuckles]
It all went smoothly, so
cheers.
Keep your voice down.
You ignorant woman.
That is China's heritage.
And you treat it
like some sort of trinket.
You will regret this.
- That's enough, madam.
- Don't touch me.
[Chuckling] What's a fuss!
Now, I wonder.
Is there any more champagne?
♪♪
Here's to your wonderful vase.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
- Good morning, Lady Margaret.
- Good morning.
- Would you like to follow me?
- Right.
So exciting.
♪♪
[Elevator dings]
♪♪
♪♪
[Touchpad whirs, beeps]
[Touchpad whirs]
Sorry.
[Touchpad whirs, beeps]
[Mechanical whirring]
[Electricity crackles]
This is it. Lot 16.
- Can I take a look?
- [Power drill whirs]
♪♪
[Chuckles] Well
Where is it?
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Oh, yes. Uh, hello.
I was wondering if you could help me.
I'm trying to track down my father.
His name is Ron Palmer.
He's white.
Uh, he's early 70s.
He's very chatty.
Would have been admitted
in the last four days or so.
I'll have a look for you. Can you hold?
Yes, I-I'll hold.
- Hello?
- Hi.
- Mr. Palmer?
- Yes.
Sorry. Can't find anyone of that name.
Okay.
- Thanks for your help.
- No problem.
[Doorbell rings]
- Mick Palmer?
- Yes. Can I help?
I'm looking for someone
to find a painting for me.
It's a work by Walter Sickert.
It's been stolen.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that,
but I don't work freelance,
and I don't appreciate
people just turning up
on my doorstep, either.
It's been stolen
by a man named Ron Palmer.
It's your father, I believe.
Let's talk inside.
[Children shouting indistinctly]
♪♪
Nice place.
♪♪
You're taking a bit of a risk,
aren't you?
We have your father.
He's all tucked up, safe and sound.
- What?
- For now.
You know exactly what your dad does.
He's not part of my life anymore.
I'm not sure that's how some
of your colleagues see it.
Those rumors you tipped Ron off
before he disappeared 15 years ago.
Wouldn't take much to end your career.
And I'm sure you don't want that,
what with your dad looking so frail.
♪♪
This is the work.
Once it's returned, we'll talk
about getting your dad back.
Find it. Call me.
♪♪
I'll be in touch. Clock's ticking.
Have we met before?
The sooner, the better.
I'll see myself out.
♪♪
[Door opens and closes]
[Radio beeps] [Police radio chatter]
[Radio beeps]
What time do you call this then?
Something came up. Sorry.
So, this is a new one for me
- pottery theft.
- Yeah, yeah.
Come on, we're late.
Someone got out of the
wrong side of bed this morning.
♪♪
This is Greg Kemp, head of security.
I want all the CCTV from last
night until this morning
and details of the vase.
Yes, of course.
Well, Kemp, is there a catalog?
Yeah.
I want all these crates
opened and searched.
Let's find out if there's
anything else missing.
It's lot 16.
18th-century Zhaoqing vase.
The dragon design.
It's beautiful.
Could you take us through last night?
Yeah, so, everything gets
packed and taken down.
We opened it up this morning,
and the crate was empty.
Alarm still on. No sign of entry.
And the vase was definitely in the crate
- when it entered the vault?
- 100%.
Me and Olivia oversee the whole process.
And there's no way in or out
except the main entrance?
None.
Who has access to the locks?
Just Kemp and myself.
Fingerprint recognition.
So, a £2 million vase
in a sealed vault
with no way in or out has just
disappeared into thin air?
[Cellphone vibrating]
Olivia, Drew Carswood is here.
Well, I'd better speak to him.
Excuse me.
Who's Drew Carswood?
He's the dealer selling the vase.
♪♪
I was half-expecting Dracula.
♪♪
Could do without this.
Just keep your mouth shut for once.
You can do that, can't you?
Mr. Carswood?
DI Palmer, Heritage Crime, DC Malik.
We'd like to talk to you
about last night.
I'm sure there's
a perfectly simple explanation.
Yeah, well, there'd better be.
I'm out 2 million quid.
Uh, when we've accounted for everything,
can the other buyers collect?
Once forensics
are finished up, go ahead.
Was there anything
unusual about the auction?
Nothing. A successful evening.
What about Harry, then?
- Who's that?
- Drew, don't be ridiculous.
Harry's my son.
Yeah, and what was he even
doing there, eh?
You wanna have a word with him.
Uh, well, there was the
incident with the Chinese lady.
A disappointed bidder.
A small altercation with Lady Margaret.
I had to show her out.
She was making all sorts of threats.
Got a name for us?
Qian. Xie Qian.
She's a cultural attaché
at the Chinese embassy.
♪♪
♪♪
You want to know why someone
would steal a piece of pottery?
Emperor Zhaoqing oversaw the end
of one of the most bloodthirsty
periods in Chinese history,
and yet they created this.
If you're lucky enough
to see it in person,
it's like the glaze is still liquid.
Very eloquent.
You appreciate China's heritage.
Well, what we have left after
being picked clean by the West.
Miss Qian, thank you for seeing us.
Happy to help.
Yesterday evening, you attended
an auction at Mountford's,
where you put in a number
of bids for this vase.
That is my job.
That vase belongs to China.
Mountford's told us
you were angry to miss out.
You threatened the winning bidder.
Ridiculous woman.
She pushed the vase beyond my budget
simply to satisfy her own monstrous ego.
The vase was stolen last night.
How is that possible?
Would you mind telling us
where you were last night
after the auction?
- I was here.
- Can anyone confirm that?
Let me remind you, I am
a Chinese government official
and I have full diplomatic immunity.
♪♪
♪♪
Auction catalogs from Mountford's.
I'll stick with the CCTV, thanks.
[Cellphone vibrating]
- Another cheese sandwich?
- Yeah.
Don't you ever fancy a change?
Uh, you heard from Olivia's
son, Harry, yet?
Not answering his phone.
Get an address. Let's track him down.
[Cellphone dings]
Vase turn up on eBay?
It's Rosa. She's back in London.
Would have to be this week.
She's giving you another chance?
Dinner part two.
Hey, you can make her a cheese sandwich.
Just make sure you keep
your dad away this time, right?
You got anything yet?
The vase is definitely inside the vault.
I've tracked it getting boxed up
and taken all the way in.
But there is something odd.
♪♪
I've gone back a bit earlier.
This is the camera
outside the goods lift.
This guy enters the lift,
and then 30 seconds later,
the lift arrives in the basement,
and he's gone.
- Keeps his face hidden.
- He knows where the cameras are.
- Someone could hide in that.
- I did check it, boss.
I know. I saw.
Find out where and when
it was delivered.
Hello. Shazia Malik.
I need a delivery address
and contact details for lot 17.
This is it.
Try the button.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
It was delivered about 30 minutes ago.
See? Empty.
[Pounding on sarcophagus]
It's hollow.
Come on.
[Both grunting]
♪♪
- Harry Mountford.
- Yep.
- No, that's great.
- You've been very helpful.
Okay. Thank you.
[Camera shutter clicks]
- Any sign of the vase?
- No.
No sign of a wallet or phone, either.
You?
Company who bought the sarcophagus
was registered to this address,
one director Harry Mountford.
- Hmm. That figures.
- There's more.
Company selling the sarcophagus
also registered here,
sole director
Harry Mountford.
He sold the sarcophagus to himself.
He hid inside it,
knowing it was going into
the vault overnight.
So, once he was inside, all he had to do
was get the vase and wait.
I'm guessing he climbed back
inside just before they came
and opened up in the morning.
[Camera shutter clicking]
One for the way in, one for the way out.
But something went wrong, and he
Asphyxiation.
And if the vase isn't here
Harry had accomplices.
And they took the vase,
but not the body.
Brutal.
And there's this.
♪♪
Puncture marks.
He was holding on to something
when he died.
He was clasping it.
And it was taken by the person
or the people
that took away the vase.
Delivery driver said
he was left instructions
to carry the sarcophagus inside.
Doors were unlocked.
The sarcophagus
left Mountford's at midday.
We got here at 1:30.
It's a tight window for an alibi.
I'll talk to everyone again.
Alright.
Can you stay with these guys
till they're done?
- Sure.
- Nice one.
I'll leave you to it.
Call me if you need me, yeah?
Mm.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Comfy sofa.
Stop messing us around, Ron.
The Sickert we want it back.
Everybody wants something, sweetheart.
World peace,
Chelsea back in the Champions League.
You were well paid for that copy.
It's still in the private collection.
No one's any the wiser.
Except us. We know what you did.
You kept the original,
gave us a second copy.
What sort of a snake do you think I am?
Six months ago, my father had it valued.
Fake.
Can you imagine how happy he was?
Mm. You're saying this fake Sickert
was so good it fooled Frank
and the original owner
and you?
Whoever did it must be incredible.
That's okay.
We can loosen you up a little bit.
Plus, we've already
got someone else on the case.
Good luck to him.
Policeman. Name of Mick Palmer.
Ring a bell?
♪♪
Hi. You've got through to
Detective Inspector Mick Palmer.
I'm not here at the moment.
Please leave your message
after the tone.
- Hey, boss, it's me.
- I'm outside Mountford's.
Where are you?
We're supposed to be interviewing
Olivia Mountford.
[Sighs]
♪♪
Hello, Janey. Long time no see.
Been a while, love. What's new?
Not still in the fuzz, I hope?
Yeah. I'm still a copper.
You gonna let me in?
[Stammers, sighs]
But I don't understand.
Why was he hiding
inside the sarcophagus?
I really am so sorry.
Can't answer that.
Do need to ask some questions.
Just procedure. Is that alright?
So, Harry used to work here.
Why did he leave the business?
[Sighs heavily]
I mean I mean, it was a mess.
[Sniffles]
And Harry was a
You know, easily led.
He met someone who persuaded him
the future was in online auctions,
got him to sink money my money
into some stupid app.
And we lost thousands,
hundreds of thousands
that I spent my life
building this place up.
I just couldn't trust him.
Wait.
You fired him?
I had no choice.
What did he do after you let him go?
[Chuckles] He basically
set up in Evelyn's.
[Sniffles]
Oh, it's a restaurant on the Strand.
That's where he'd meet his clients.
And he always had a scheme.
Next one was always the big one.
Can I ask where you were yesterday
between midday and 2:00?
In my office. You can ask my secretary.
It's been quite the reunion.
- First Ron, now you.
- Dad was here?
Yeah, as usual,
he only wanted one thing.
- Money.
- Sex.
Oh.
I can't believe you made him
sleep in his lock-up.
Well, you could have let him stay here.
You're joking. Three years was enough.
Anyway, you're family.
- It's complicated.
- No, it ain't.
Just need to get over yourselves.
Still doing the Jackson Pollocks, I see.
Private commission.
Uh Signed by me.
All above board.
[Chuckles] The Yanks go mad for them.
One Pollock a week and a Mondrian
when the council tax is due.
[Laughs]
Do you want a go?
Ohh! [Laughs]
What's all this about, then?
Did dad give you a painting
to look after a few years ago?
- A Sickert?
- Ah.
He was good at them.
Genius, really.
I think this might have been
the real thing.
[Laughs]
How would he get one of these?
Actually, no, don't answer that.
[Both chuckles]
Well, no, he never gave it to me.
Can you think of anyone else
he might have left it with?
- Phil?
- No.
Silver Phil's out of the game.
Half-dead Steve's in Thailand.
Don't ask.
Not many of the old gang still around.
I said as much to
that posh bird.
- Who's that?
- Oh, just some dolly
come looking for Ron.
Man in demand.
[Chuckles]
40s? Smart?
Piercing green eyes?
Charming but deadly?
[Laughs] Maybe. I don't remember.
♪♪
You know who she is, don't you?
[Sighs] Alright.
Yeah, I do.
She's Frank Claes's daughter.
♪♪
Shit.
I thought I recognized her.
[Jackhammer rattling]
- [Sighs]
- Boss.
- Where have you been?
- Something came up.
That's what you said yesterday.
Alright, don't go on about it.
Spoke to Olivia Mountford.
Two years ago, she fired Harry
from the business.
Some strange family dynamics there.
But her alibi's solid.
What about the others?
I'm just about to speak to Greg Kemp.
Are you coming?
Or have you got somewhere else to be?
♪♪
♪♪
[Door closes]
Can you confirm where you were
between midday and 2:00 yesterday?
Yeah. Bamford Security
Solutions in Kennington.
They installed our system.
- What, asking for a refund.
- [Chuckling] Yeah.
How long have you worked here?
Uh, just over six months.
And where were you before that?
Canada. Same sort of thing.
What brought you back here?
Ah, you know, time for a change.
Is it Parkinson's?
[Sighs]
Motor neuron.
How long have you known?
It was under control for a while, but
Well, it's not gonna go away.
I don't know how long I can keep going.
I'd be grateful
if you didn't tell Olivia.
Yeah.
I really need this job.
I feel sorry for Kemp.
Olivia wouldn't sack him, would she?
- She sacked her own son.
- [Cellphone dings]
The post-mortem forensic report.
So, the sarcophagus contained
two oxygen canisters,
one small one marked "in,"
large one marked "out."
The only thing is, the canister
he was using to get out
contained pure carbon dioxide.
So, whoever gave him that canister
knew that he'd be dead instantly.
Yeah.
Time of death, between
7:00 and 8:00 in the morning,
just before the vault was opened up.
Anything about those marks on his hand?
Traces of zinc alloy.
That help?
[Cellphone ringing]
Yeah? DI Palmer.
Yes, uh, Frank Claes?
Yeah. That figures.
Alright. Yeah. Thanks.
What's that?
A loose end.
So, Harry sneaks backstage
at the auction
and uses the sarcophagus
to hide in the vault.
He then gets out, gets the vase,
and before the vault
reopens in the morning,
he gets back in again.
But the tank's sabotaged,
and he suffocates.
He was already dead
when we searched the vault,
clutching onto something
that made those marks.
I've been going through
Mountford's financial records.
A couple of years back,
they appointed a new director
our friend Drew Carswood.
Two years ago? You know when, exactly?
July.
The same time that
Olivia Mountford fired Harry?
Exactly.
Carswood invested half a million
pounds in the business.
- Did Olivia mention that?
- No.
Six months later, Carswood resigned,
but the cash still stayed
with Mountford.
So, what happened two years ago
to make Drew Carswood
write off half a million quid?
Two years ago.
[Siren wailing in distance]
Hang on a minute.
♪♪
♪♪
Mountford's auction catalog.
Two years ago, July.
♪♪
There you go.
It's the same vase.
Exactly.
Mountford's have sold it twice.
So, two years ago,
Mountford's is going bust,
Carswood bails them out,
and then a few weeks later,
Mountford's auction off the vase
at a knock-down price,
saying it's a reproduction.
[Scoffs]
So, who bought it?
♪♪
♪♪
So, definitely the Gothic
Windsor armchair.
- Excuse me.
- Of course.
Inspector.
Have you got good news about the vase?
Can you tell us how you came by it?
Yeah. I picked it up a few
years back in Saint Petersburg.
It's a Russian client.
Needed to raise some money fast.
- Well, it's best not to ask, eh?
- [Chuckles]
Yeah, I was sad to let it go, really,
but, uh, I wouldn't be much of a dealer
if I didn't sell anything, would I?
- [Laughs]
- Mm.
This Russian client got a name?
No. In this game, you've
got to protect your sources.
Especially if you're trying
to pull a fast one.
For example, if you just secured
a genuine 18th-century vase
from an auction house
for a fraction of its value?
It appears you paid
20 grand for a £2-million vase.
So what? I got lucky.
The auction house
thought it was a repro.
I thought it was, too.
So, no Russian client.
Sounds good, though, doesn't it?
[Both scoff]
You are aware we're the police, right?
Yeah.
The catalog describes it as
"a 20th century copy
with surface damage and discoloration."
I mean, they've done everything they can
to put people off, haven't they?
- I know a sleeper when I see one.
- I've done nothing illegal.
Well, I hope not, Mr. Carswood,
because this is now a murder inquiry.
What are you talking about?
Harry Mountford's body
was found yesterday afternoon,
and we believe he's responsible
for the theft of the vase.
And he wasn't acting alone.
♪♪
The auction house
deliberately misrepresent a lot.
In this case, labeling a vase
as a reproduction.
That gets knocked down to Carswood,
and then they get a kickback.
Half a million pounds investment?
Everyone's just in it
for themselves, aren't they?
Carswood's as bent as a £9 note.
He's quids in. [Cellphone vibrating]
Unlike the original owner,
who misses out on £2 million.
Yeah.
We need to find out who that was.
You alright to get into that?
Sure.
- You want a lift, boss?
- No. I'm good.
- See you tomorrow?
- Okay.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
- Hi.
- Morning.
Anything for me?
Obviously.
Annabelle Tremaine,
original owner of the vase.
She sold it to raise funds.
Guess who did the valuation.
Harry Mountford pulling a fast one.
Mm.
She died from hypothermia last year.
Neighbors found her.
"Family and friends
of Annabelle Tremaine
are invited to a funeral service
at St. John's Church, Brixton.
A committal will be held
immediately afterwards
in the church graveyard."
Was there any family?
One nephew lives abroad.
One other thing
I went to Evelyn's last night,
Harry Mountford's regular spot.
He had a booking last Friday,
a long, boozy lunch.
With whom?
How well did you know Harry?
Harry Mountford from the auction house?
Not at all.
Yeah, well, last Friday
Okay. We did talk.
I had a proposition for him.
What kind of proposition?
I needed that vase.
I wanted him to pressure his mother
to see if there was a way
of securing it.
A quick hammer? Really?
Uh, it's a classic auction house trick.
They rush through the sale,
bringing the hammer down fast,
so the sale goes to the right person.
- Was Harry interested?
- He laughed.
Said his mother
would never listen to him.
I would have thought
you'd have the funds
to secure the vase, even at £2 million.
Unless, of course,
you had spent it all elsewhere.
Lovely earrings, by the way.
♪♪
I reckon Qian's been siphoning
cash off for years.
And we can't touch her.
Missing out on that vase
is gonna be a red flag.
They're gonna want answers in Beijing.
- [Cellphone vibrating]
- Yeah.
- Shit.
- Boss, what's going on?
Whose phone is that?
♪♪
It's my dad.
Oh. What's he done now?
Someone's taken him.
He what?
Who?
Frank Claes. Nasty piece of work.
My dad ripped him off years ago.
He took a painting off him
by Walter Sickert.
They want me to find it or
Or?
I don't know.
They've kidnapped him, and
there was blood at his lock-up.
You can't do a deal with them.
You think I don't know that?
[Geese honking]
It's not your problem.
I don't want you to get involved.
I'm already involved. I'm your partner.
Aren't I?
Yeah. I do appreciate that, but
♪♪
The key ring.
- What key ring?
- Kemp's.
It's a maple leaf.
He did live in Canada for years.
Have you got the post-mortem report?
Mm-hmm.
Get the picture of the hand.
Those marks caused by three big spikes.
That's what Harry
was clutching when he died.
Which is how he got backstage.
- Yeah.
- Call Kemp.
- [Line ringing]
- Hmm.
DC Malik. How can I help?
Mr. Kemp, we'd like to speak
to you as a matter of urgency.
I guess you found out then.
[Bells chiming]
Are you at work, Mr. Kemp?
[Line disconnects]
Did you hear that?
The church bells in the background?
Yeah. Uh, could be anywhere.
Or St. John's Church in Brixton.
Didn't you say Tremaine's
nephew lived abroad?
Okay. Thanks for your help.
[Car doors closing]
So, Kemp asked his mate
at the security company
to give him that alibi.
They haven't seen him in weeks.
♪♪
♪♪
We assumed someone wanted the vase
because of what it was worth.
Should have paid more attention
to the original owner.
You're Greg Tremaine,
Annabelle's nephew.
Harry ripped her off.
He knew what that vase was worth.
But to him, she was
just some stupid old lady
he could screw over.
She died in a freezing-cold flat
with nothing.
Why didn't you go to the police?
And say what?
I had no proof.
So you took matters into your own hands.
Got a job in security.
Faked some references.
Olivia didn't follow them up.
How'd you get Harry on board?
He didn't take much persuading.
Blamed his mother for firing him
when it was him
that bankrupted the company.
Nothing was ever his fault.
So you offered him revenge.
Gave him your keys
so he could sneak backstage.
He knew the position of the cameras.
And once he was in the lift, he
climbed inside the sarcophagus.
♪♪
He simply pulled the lid back
on top of himself and waited.
You supplied him with what he thought
was two oxygen cylinders.
♪♪
So when the porters
wheeled the sarcophagus
from the lift into the vault,
they had no idea
Harry was tucked up in there.
All he had to do
was get hold of the vase,
wait until morning,
climb back inside the sarcophagus,
ready to be delivered
to his own lock-up,
where you'd arranged to meet him.
But you never intended for
him to come out alive, did you?
♪♪
You left him sealed up
like some two-bit pharaoh.
♪♪
Believe me, he's no loss.
In the seconds before he died,
he was holding your key ring,
squeezing it so hard
it made his palm bleed.
Harry cheated my aunt.
Now he's dead,
and Mountford's is finished.
I just wanted to put it right
before I ran out of time.
All we need now is the vase.
Can't help you there.
Greg Kemp, I'm arresting you
on suspicion of murder.
You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defense
if you do not mention
when questioned something which
you later rely on in court.
Anything you do say
may be given in evidence.
♪♪
♪♪
Bingo.
♪♪
♪♪
[Engine starts]
Right. We need to concentrate
on getting my dad back.
Where the hell did
he hide that painting?
Your dad's been gone
for 15 years, right?
So it has to be somewhere safe,
somewhere that wouldn't change.
A bit like you.
Thanks.
Your house.
It's the only place your dad
knows would never change.
Yeah.
Don't suppose you, um,
kept any of my paintings?
- Like this one.
- My mum, painted by my dad.
Nothing like an original.
- I know where it is.
- Malik, put your foot down.
♪♪
♪♪
I always thought this frame was wrong.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Exhales heavily]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
That's why he wanted it back.
All that stuff about Mum
he was just playing me, as usual.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
I'm so glad you've seen sense.
May I?
Where's my dad?
[Car door opens]
♪♪
[Car door closes]
The painting?
♪♪
Where was it?
It was in my house,
behind another painting.
Really?
How awkward.
Well
♪♪
We make a good team.
Maybe we should work
together again sometime.
I mean, that's twice now
you've covered for your dad.
Handling stolen goods.
♪♪
Give my regards to Frank.
♪♪
[Engine starts]
♪♪
Shame.
"Shame"?
Is that all?
That painting was my pension.
Was it? I didn't know.
I was too busy flushing
my career down the toilet.
I wouldn't have given it up.
Still, your call.
Who's this then?
My partner.
I heard a lot about you.
All good, I hope?
All okay?
Hardly. This so-called son of mine
- just gave away my
- Stop it!
Of course I didn't give it away.
An original Walter Sickert?
- What?
- [Chuckles]
You stiffed them with a copy again?
Who did it?
- Was it Janey?
- Where are they?
Heading east.
I'm guessing to one of the ports.
Harwich or Lowestoft.
Call it in.
Give them the info for the tracker.
- You put it in the frame?
- You devious little f
You've really stitched them up.
You still don't get it, do you?
Come on, son. Crack a smile.
It's all gone perfect.
We should be celebrating!
♪♪
Ronald Palmer
♪♪
I'm arresting you
for possession of stolen goods.
What are you talking about?
You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defense
if you do not mention
when questioned something which
you later rely on in court.
Anything you do say
may be given in evidence.
[Handcuffs click]
You got to be joking, Mick.
Come on.
I'm your dad.
♪♪
Come on.
♪♪
[Clock ticking]
[Up-tempo piano music plays]
♪♪
♪♪
[Doorbell rings]
[Music stops]
[Clock ticking]
[Dog barking]
- Hi.
- Hi.
So, is your dad in?
[Chuckles] No, he's he's gone now.
I'll tell you about it later. Come in.
- Flowers.
- [Chuckles] Yeah.
Don't suppose you happen
to have a vase or?
Oh, a funny story about that, actually.
Um, let me see what I can find.
Actually
forget the vase.
♪♪
♪♪
[Cellphone vibrates]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Do we have £1.3 million?
Thank you.
Bid stands at £1.3 million
with you, madam.
Do I hear any more
for this beautiful 18th-century
Zhaoqing dragon design vase,
rarely brought to market?
£1.35 million with you, sir.
£1.35 million.
[Attendees murmuring]
£1.4 million?
Thank you. Currently at £1.4 million.
Sir, do I have £1.45 million?
£1.45 million with you, sir.
Do I hear £1.5 million?
£1.5 million.
We are now at £1.5 million
with you, madam.
Back with you, sir.
£1.55 million.
Madam?
£1.6 million.
Do I hear £1.65 million?
[Attendees murmuring]
£1.65 million?
No?
In the room with you at £1.6 million.
Going once,
going twice.
£2 million.
[Attendees gasp, murmur]
♪♪
With the lady at the back
for £2 million.
Any advance?
♪♪
At £2 million.
All done?
Going once, going twice.
Sold.
Congratulations, madam.
Thank you. [Chuckles]
♪♪
We now move on to lot number 17,
a reproduction marble sarcophagus
with Indo-Chinese touches.
Who will start the bidding for me?
[Indistinct conversations]
- Harry.
- Hello, Mum.
This is a surprise.
It's been a while.
Going to have me escorted
off the premises?
- You're always welcome.
- I never wanted us to
Look, perhaps we can have
a drink together later.
Bit late for that, isn't it?
Always in trouble, Harry?
More your department, isn't it?
[Chuckles]
It all went smoothly, so
cheers.
Keep your voice down.
You ignorant woman.
That is China's heritage.
And you treat it
like some sort of trinket.
You will regret this.
- That's enough, madam.
- Don't touch me.
[Chuckling] What's a fuss!
Now, I wonder.
Is there any more champagne?
♪♪
Here's to your wonderful vase.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
- Good morning, Lady Margaret.
- Good morning.
- Would you like to follow me?
- Right.
So exciting.
♪♪
[Elevator dings]
♪♪
♪♪
[Touchpad whirs, beeps]
[Touchpad whirs]
Sorry.
[Touchpad whirs, beeps]
[Mechanical whirring]
[Electricity crackles]
This is it. Lot 16.
- Can I take a look?
- [Power drill whirs]
♪♪
[Chuckles] Well
Where is it?
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Oh, yes. Uh, hello.
I was wondering if you could help me.
I'm trying to track down my father.
His name is Ron Palmer.
He's white.
Uh, he's early 70s.
He's very chatty.
Would have been admitted
in the last four days or so.
I'll have a look for you. Can you hold?
Yes, I-I'll hold.
- Hello?
- Hi.
- Mr. Palmer?
- Yes.
Sorry. Can't find anyone of that name.
Okay.
- Thanks for your help.
- No problem.
[Doorbell rings]
- Mick Palmer?
- Yes. Can I help?
I'm looking for someone
to find a painting for me.
It's a work by Walter Sickert.
It's been stolen.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that,
but I don't work freelance,
and I don't appreciate
people just turning up
on my doorstep, either.
It's been stolen
by a man named Ron Palmer.
It's your father, I believe.
Let's talk inside.
[Children shouting indistinctly]
♪♪
Nice place.
♪♪
You're taking a bit of a risk,
aren't you?
We have your father.
He's all tucked up, safe and sound.
- What?
- For now.
You know exactly what your dad does.
He's not part of my life anymore.
I'm not sure that's how some
of your colleagues see it.
Those rumors you tipped Ron off
before he disappeared 15 years ago.
Wouldn't take much to end your career.
And I'm sure you don't want that,
what with your dad looking so frail.
♪♪
This is the work.
Once it's returned, we'll talk
about getting your dad back.
Find it. Call me.
♪♪
I'll be in touch. Clock's ticking.
Have we met before?
The sooner, the better.
I'll see myself out.
♪♪
[Door opens and closes]
[Radio beeps] [Police radio chatter]
[Radio beeps]
What time do you call this then?
Something came up. Sorry.
So, this is a new one for me
- pottery theft.
- Yeah, yeah.
Come on, we're late.
Someone got out of the
wrong side of bed this morning.
♪♪
This is Greg Kemp, head of security.
I want all the CCTV from last
night until this morning
and details of the vase.
Yes, of course.
Well, Kemp, is there a catalog?
Yeah.
I want all these crates
opened and searched.
Let's find out if there's
anything else missing.
It's lot 16.
18th-century Zhaoqing vase.
The dragon design.
It's beautiful.
Could you take us through last night?
Yeah, so, everything gets
packed and taken down.
We opened it up this morning,
and the crate was empty.
Alarm still on. No sign of entry.
And the vase was definitely in the crate
- when it entered the vault?
- 100%.
Me and Olivia oversee the whole process.
And there's no way in or out
except the main entrance?
None.
Who has access to the locks?
Just Kemp and myself.
Fingerprint recognition.
So, a £2 million vase
in a sealed vault
with no way in or out has just
disappeared into thin air?
[Cellphone vibrating]
Olivia, Drew Carswood is here.
Well, I'd better speak to him.
Excuse me.
Who's Drew Carswood?
He's the dealer selling the vase.
♪♪
I was half-expecting Dracula.
♪♪
Could do without this.
Just keep your mouth shut for once.
You can do that, can't you?
Mr. Carswood?
DI Palmer, Heritage Crime, DC Malik.
We'd like to talk to you
about last night.
I'm sure there's
a perfectly simple explanation.
Yeah, well, there'd better be.
I'm out 2 million quid.
Uh, when we've accounted for everything,
can the other buyers collect?
Once forensics
are finished up, go ahead.
Was there anything
unusual about the auction?
Nothing. A successful evening.
What about Harry, then?
- Who's that?
- Drew, don't be ridiculous.
Harry's my son.
Yeah, and what was he even
doing there, eh?
You wanna have a word with him.
Uh, well, there was the
incident with the Chinese lady.
A disappointed bidder.
A small altercation with Lady Margaret.
I had to show her out.
She was making all sorts of threats.
Got a name for us?
Qian. Xie Qian.
She's a cultural attaché
at the Chinese embassy.
♪♪
♪♪
You want to know why someone
would steal a piece of pottery?
Emperor Zhaoqing oversaw the end
of one of the most bloodthirsty
periods in Chinese history,
and yet they created this.
If you're lucky enough
to see it in person,
it's like the glaze is still liquid.
Very eloquent.
You appreciate China's heritage.
Well, what we have left after
being picked clean by the West.
Miss Qian, thank you for seeing us.
Happy to help.
Yesterday evening, you attended
an auction at Mountford's,
where you put in a number
of bids for this vase.
That is my job.
That vase belongs to China.
Mountford's told us
you were angry to miss out.
You threatened the winning bidder.
Ridiculous woman.
She pushed the vase beyond my budget
simply to satisfy her own monstrous ego.
The vase was stolen last night.
How is that possible?
Would you mind telling us
where you were last night
after the auction?
- I was here.
- Can anyone confirm that?
Let me remind you, I am
a Chinese government official
and I have full diplomatic immunity.
♪♪
♪♪
Auction catalogs from Mountford's.
I'll stick with the CCTV, thanks.
[Cellphone vibrating]
- Another cheese sandwich?
- Yeah.
Don't you ever fancy a change?
Uh, you heard from Olivia's
son, Harry, yet?
Not answering his phone.
Get an address. Let's track him down.
[Cellphone dings]
Vase turn up on eBay?
It's Rosa. She's back in London.
Would have to be this week.
She's giving you another chance?
Dinner part two.
Hey, you can make her a cheese sandwich.
Just make sure you keep
your dad away this time, right?
You got anything yet?
The vase is definitely inside the vault.
I've tracked it getting boxed up
and taken all the way in.
But there is something odd.
♪♪
I've gone back a bit earlier.
This is the camera
outside the goods lift.
This guy enters the lift,
and then 30 seconds later,
the lift arrives in the basement,
and he's gone.
- Keeps his face hidden.
- He knows where the cameras are.
- Someone could hide in that.
- I did check it, boss.
I know. I saw.
Find out where and when
it was delivered.
Hello. Shazia Malik.
I need a delivery address
and contact details for lot 17.
This is it.
Try the button.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
It was delivered about 30 minutes ago.
See? Empty.
[Pounding on sarcophagus]
It's hollow.
Come on.
[Both grunting]
♪♪
- Harry Mountford.
- Yep.
- No, that's great.
- You've been very helpful.
Okay. Thank you.
[Camera shutter clicks]
- Any sign of the vase?
- No.
No sign of a wallet or phone, either.
You?
Company who bought the sarcophagus
was registered to this address,
one director Harry Mountford.
- Hmm. That figures.
- There's more.
Company selling the sarcophagus
also registered here,
sole director
Harry Mountford.
He sold the sarcophagus to himself.
He hid inside it,
knowing it was going into
the vault overnight.
So, once he was inside, all he had to do
was get the vase and wait.
I'm guessing he climbed back
inside just before they came
and opened up in the morning.
[Camera shutter clicking]
One for the way in, one for the way out.
But something went wrong, and he
Asphyxiation.
And if the vase isn't here
Harry had accomplices.
And they took the vase,
but not the body.
Brutal.
And there's this.
♪♪
Puncture marks.
He was holding on to something
when he died.
He was clasping it.
And it was taken by the person
or the people
that took away the vase.
Delivery driver said
he was left instructions
to carry the sarcophagus inside.
Doors were unlocked.
The sarcophagus
left Mountford's at midday.
We got here at 1:30.
It's a tight window for an alibi.
I'll talk to everyone again.
Alright.
Can you stay with these guys
till they're done?
- Sure.
- Nice one.
I'll leave you to it.
Call me if you need me, yeah?
Mm.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Comfy sofa.
Stop messing us around, Ron.
The Sickert we want it back.
Everybody wants something, sweetheart.
World peace,
Chelsea back in the Champions League.
You were well paid for that copy.
It's still in the private collection.
No one's any the wiser.
Except us. We know what you did.
You kept the original,
gave us a second copy.
What sort of a snake do you think I am?
Six months ago, my father had it valued.
Fake.
Can you imagine how happy he was?
Mm. You're saying this fake Sickert
was so good it fooled Frank
and the original owner
and you?
Whoever did it must be incredible.
That's okay.
We can loosen you up a little bit.
Plus, we've already
got someone else on the case.
Good luck to him.
Policeman. Name of Mick Palmer.
Ring a bell?
♪♪
Hi. You've got through to
Detective Inspector Mick Palmer.
I'm not here at the moment.
Please leave your message
after the tone.
- Hey, boss, it's me.
- I'm outside Mountford's.
Where are you?
We're supposed to be interviewing
Olivia Mountford.
[Sighs]
♪♪
Hello, Janey. Long time no see.
Been a while, love. What's new?
Not still in the fuzz, I hope?
Yeah. I'm still a copper.
You gonna let me in?
[Stammers, sighs]
But I don't understand.
Why was he hiding
inside the sarcophagus?
I really am so sorry.
Can't answer that.
Do need to ask some questions.
Just procedure. Is that alright?
So, Harry used to work here.
Why did he leave the business?
[Sighs heavily]
I mean I mean, it was a mess.
[Sniffles]
And Harry was a
You know, easily led.
He met someone who persuaded him
the future was in online auctions,
got him to sink money my money
into some stupid app.
And we lost thousands,
hundreds of thousands
that I spent my life
building this place up.
I just couldn't trust him.
Wait.
You fired him?
I had no choice.
What did he do after you let him go?
[Chuckles] He basically
set up in Evelyn's.
[Sniffles]
Oh, it's a restaurant on the Strand.
That's where he'd meet his clients.
And he always had a scheme.
Next one was always the big one.
Can I ask where you were yesterday
between midday and 2:00?
In my office. You can ask my secretary.
It's been quite the reunion.
- First Ron, now you.
- Dad was here?
Yeah, as usual,
he only wanted one thing.
- Money.
- Sex.
Oh.
I can't believe you made him
sleep in his lock-up.
Well, you could have let him stay here.
You're joking. Three years was enough.
Anyway, you're family.
- It's complicated.
- No, it ain't.
Just need to get over yourselves.
Still doing the Jackson Pollocks, I see.
Private commission.
Uh Signed by me.
All above board.
[Chuckles] The Yanks go mad for them.
One Pollock a week and a Mondrian
when the council tax is due.
[Laughs]
Do you want a go?
Ohh! [Laughs]
What's all this about, then?
Did dad give you a painting
to look after a few years ago?
- A Sickert?
- Ah.
He was good at them.
Genius, really.
I think this might have been
the real thing.
[Laughs]
How would he get one of these?
Actually, no, don't answer that.
[Both chuckles]
Well, no, he never gave it to me.
Can you think of anyone else
he might have left it with?
- Phil?
- No.
Silver Phil's out of the game.
Half-dead Steve's in Thailand.
Don't ask.
Not many of the old gang still around.
I said as much to
that posh bird.
- Who's that?
- Oh, just some dolly
come looking for Ron.
Man in demand.
[Chuckles]
40s? Smart?
Piercing green eyes?
Charming but deadly?
[Laughs] Maybe. I don't remember.
♪♪
You know who she is, don't you?
[Sighs] Alright.
Yeah, I do.
She's Frank Claes's daughter.
♪♪
Shit.
I thought I recognized her.
[Jackhammer rattling]
- [Sighs]
- Boss.
- Where have you been?
- Something came up.
That's what you said yesterday.
Alright, don't go on about it.
Spoke to Olivia Mountford.
Two years ago, she fired Harry
from the business.
Some strange family dynamics there.
But her alibi's solid.
What about the others?
I'm just about to speak to Greg Kemp.
Are you coming?
Or have you got somewhere else to be?
♪♪
♪♪
[Door closes]
Can you confirm where you were
between midday and 2:00 yesterday?
Yeah. Bamford Security
Solutions in Kennington.
They installed our system.
- What, asking for a refund.
- [Chuckling] Yeah.
How long have you worked here?
Uh, just over six months.
And where were you before that?
Canada. Same sort of thing.
What brought you back here?
Ah, you know, time for a change.
Is it Parkinson's?
[Sighs]
Motor neuron.
How long have you known?
It was under control for a while, but
Well, it's not gonna go away.
I don't know how long I can keep going.
I'd be grateful
if you didn't tell Olivia.
Yeah.
I really need this job.
I feel sorry for Kemp.
Olivia wouldn't sack him, would she?
- She sacked her own son.
- [Cellphone dings]
The post-mortem forensic report.
So, the sarcophagus contained
two oxygen canisters,
one small one marked "in,"
large one marked "out."
The only thing is, the canister
he was using to get out
contained pure carbon dioxide.
So, whoever gave him that canister
knew that he'd be dead instantly.
Yeah.
Time of death, between
7:00 and 8:00 in the morning,
just before the vault was opened up.
Anything about those marks on his hand?
Traces of zinc alloy.
That help?
[Cellphone ringing]
Yeah? DI Palmer.
Yes, uh, Frank Claes?
Yeah. That figures.
Alright. Yeah. Thanks.
What's that?
A loose end.
So, Harry sneaks backstage
at the auction
and uses the sarcophagus
to hide in the vault.
He then gets out, gets the vase,
and before the vault
reopens in the morning,
he gets back in again.
But the tank's sabotaged,
and he suffocates.
He was already dead
when we searched the vault,
clutching onto something
that made those marks.
I've been going through
Mountford's financial records.
A couple of years back,
they appointed a new director
our friend Drew Carswood.
Two years ago? You know when, exactly?
July.
The same time that
Olivia Mountford fired Harry?
Exactly.
Carswood invested half a million
pounds in the business.
- Did Olivia mention that?
- No.
Six months later, Carswood resigned,
but the cash still stayed
with Mountford.
So, what happened two years ago
to make Drew Carswood
write off half a million quid?
Two years ago.
[Siren wailing in distance]
Hang on a minute.
♪♪
♪♪
Mountford's auction catalog.
Two years ago, July.
♪♪
There you go.
It's the same vase.
Exactly.
Mountford's have sold it twice.
So, two years ago,
Mountford's is going bust,
Carswood bails them out,
and then a few weeks later,
Mountford's auction off the vase
at a knock-down price,
saying it's a reproduction.
[Scoffs]
So, who bought it?
♪♪
♪♪
So, definitely the Gothic
Windsor armchair.
- Excuse me.
- Of course.
Inspector.
Have you got good news about the vase?
Can you tell us how you came by it?
Yeah. I picked it up a few
years back in Saint Petersburg.
It's a Russian client.
Needed to raise some money fast.
- Well, it's best not to ask, eh?
- [Chuckles]
Yeah, I was sad to let it go, really,
but, uh, I wouldn't be much of a dealer
if I didn't sell anything, would I?
- [Laughs]
- Mm.
This Russian client got a name?
No. In this game, you've
got to protect your sources.
Especially if you're trying
to pull a fast one.
For example, if you just secured
a genuine 18th-century vase
from an auction house
for a fraction of its value?
It appears you paid
20 grand for a £2-million vase.
So what? I got lucky.
The auction house
thought it was a repro.
I thought it was, too.
So, no Russian client.
Sounds good, though, doesn't it?
[Both scoff]
You are aware we're the police, right?
Yeah.
The catalog describes it as
"a 20th century copy
with surface damage and discoloration."
I mean, they've done everything they can
to put people off, haven't they?
- I know a sleeper when I see one.
- I've done nothing illegal.
Well, I hope not, Mr. Carswood,
because this is now a murder inquiry.
What are you talking about?
Harry Mountford's body
was found yesterday afternoon,
and we believe he's responsible
for the theft of the vase.
And he wasn't acting alone.
♪♪
The auction house
deliberately misrepresent a lot.
In this case, labeling a vase
as a reproduction.
That gets knocked down to Carswood,
and then they get a kickback.
Half a million pounds investment?
Everyone's just in it
for themselves, aren't they?
Carswood's as bent as a £9 note.
He's quids in. [Cellphone vibrating]
Unlike the original owner,
who misses out on £2 million.
Yeah.
We need to find out who that was.
You alright to get into that?
Sure.
- You want a lift, boss?
- No. I'm good.
- See you tomorrow?
- Okay.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
- Hi.
- Morning.
Anything for me?
Obviously.
Annabelle Tremaine,
original owner of the vase.
She sold it to raise funds.
Guess who did the valuation.
Harry Mountford pulling a fast one.
Mm.
She died from hypothermia last year.
Neighbors found her.
"Family and friends
of Annabelle Tremaine
are invited to a funeral service
at St. John's Church, Brixton.
A committal will be held
immediately afterwards
in the church graveyard."
Was there any family?
One nephew lives abroad.
One other thing
I went to Evelyn's last night,
Harry Mountford's regular spot.
He had a booking last Friday,
a long, boozy lunch.
With whom?
How well did you know Harry?
Harry Mountford from the auction house?
Not at all.
Yeah, well, last Friday
Okay. We did talk.
I had a proposition for him.
What kind of proposition?
I needed that vase.
I wanted him to pressure his mother
to see if there was a way
of securing it.
A quick hammer? Really?
Uh, it's a classic auction house trick.
They rush through the sale,
bringing the hammer down fast,
so the sale goes to the right person.
- Was Harry interested?
- He laughed.
Said his mother
would never listen to him.
I would have thought
you'd have the funds
to secure the vase, even at £2 million.
Unless, of course,
you had spent it all elsewhere.
Lovely earrings, by the way.
♪♪
I reckon Qian's been siphoning
cash off for years.
And we can't touch her.
Missing out on that vase
is gonna be a red flag.
They're gonna want answers in Beijing.
- [Cellphone vibrating]
- Yeah.
- Shit.
- Boss, what's going on?
Whose phone is that?
♪♪
It's my dad.
Oh. What's he done now?
Someone's taken him.
He what?
Who?
Frank Claes. Nasty piece of work.
My dad ripped him off years ago.
He took a painting off him
by Walter Sickert.
They want me to find it or
Or?
I don't know.
They've kidnapped him, and
there was blood at his lock-up.
You can't do a deal with them.
You think I don't know that?
[Geese honking]
It's not your problem.
I don't want you to get involved.
I'm already involved. I'm your partner.
Aren't I?
Yeah. I do appreciate that, but
♪♪
The key ring.
- What key ring?
- Kemp's.
It's a maple leaf.
He did live in Canada for years.
Have you got the post-mortem report?
Mm-hmm.
Get the picture of the hand.
Those marks caused by three big spikes.
That's what Harry
was clutching when he died.
Which is how he got backstage.
- Yeah.
- Call Kemp.
- [Line ringing]
- Hmm.
DC Malik. How can I help?
Mr. Kemp, we'd like to speak
to you as a matter of urgency.
I guess you found out then.
[Bells chiming]
Are you at work, Mr. Kemp?
[Line disconnects]
Did you hear that?
The church bells in the background?
Yeah. Uh, could be anywhere.
Or St. John's Church in Brixton.
Didn't you say Tremaine's
nephew lived abroad?
Okay. Thanks for your help.
[Car doors closing]
So, Kemp asked his mate
at the security company
to give him that alibi.
They haven't seen him in weeks.
♪♪
♪♪
We assumed someone wanted the vase
because of what it was worth.
Should have paid more attention
to the original owner.
You're Greg Tremaine,
Annabelle's nephew.
Harry ripped her off.
He knew what that vase was worth.
But to him, she was
just some stupid old lady
he could screw over.
She died in a freezing-cold flat
with nothing.
Why didn't you go to the police?
And say what?
I had no proof.
So you took matters into your own hands.
Got a job in security.
Faked some references.
Olivia didn't follow them up.
How'd you get Harry on board?
He didn't take much persuading.
Blamed his mother for firing him
when it was him
that bankrupted the company.
Nothing was ever his fault.
So you offered him revenge.
Gave him your keys
so he could sneak backstage.
He knew the position of the cameras.
And once he was in the lift, he
climbed inside the sarcophagus.
♪♪
He simply pulled the lid back
on top of himself and waited.
You supplied him with what he thought
was two oxygen cylinders.
♪♪
So when the porters
wheeled the sarcophagus
from the lift into the vault,
they had no idea
Harry was tucked up in there.
All he had to do
was get hold of the vase,
wait until morning,
climb back inside the sarcophagus,
ready to be delivered
to his own lock-up,
where you'd arranged to meet him.
But you never intended for
him to come out alive, did you?
♪♪
You left him sealed up
like some two-bit pharaoh.
♪♪
Believe me, he's no loss.
In the seconds before he died,
he was holding your key ring,
squeezing it so hard
it made his palm bleed.
Harry cheated my aunt.
Now he's dead,
and Mountford's is finished.
I just wanted to put it right
before I ran out of time.
All we need now is the vase.
Can't help you there.
Greg Kemp, I'm arresting you
on suspicion of murder.
You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defense
if you do not mention
when questioned something which
you later rely on in court.
Anything you do say
may be given in evidence.
♪♪
♪♪
Bingo.
♪♪
♪♪
[Engine starts]
Right. We need to concentrate
on getting my dad back.
Where the hell did
he hide that painting?
Your dad's been gone
for 15 years, right?
So it has to be somewhere safe,
somewhere that wouldn't change.
A bit like you.
Thanks.
Your house.
It's the only place your dad
knows would never change.
Yeah.
Don't suppose you, um,
kept any of my paintings?
- Like this one.
- My mum, painted by my dad.
Nothing like an original.
- I know where it is.
- Malik, put your foot down.
♪♪
♪♪
I always thought this frame was wrong.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
[Exhales heavily]
♪♪
[Sighs]
♪♪
That's why he wanted it back.
All that stuff about Mum
he was just playing me, as usual.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
I'm so glad you've seen sense.
May I?
Where's my dad?
[Car door opens]
♪♪
[Car door closes]
The painting?
♪♪
Where was it?
It was in my house,
behind another painting.
Really?
How awkward.
Well
♪♪
We make a good team.
Maybe we should work
together again sometime.
I mean, that's twice now
you've covered for your dad.
Handling stolen goods.
♪♪
Give my regards to Frank.
♪♪
[Engine starts]
♪♪
Shame.
"Shame"?
Is that all?
That painting was my pension.
Was it? I didn't know.
I was too busy flushing
my career down the toilet.
I wouldn't have given it up.
Still, your call.
Who's this then?
My partner.
I heard a lot about you.
All good, I hope?
All okay?
Hardly. This so-called son of mine
- just gave away my
- Stop it!
Of course I didn't give it away.
An original Walter Sickert?
- What?
- [Chuckles]
You stiffed them with a copy again?
Who did it?
- Was it Janey?
- Where are they?
Heading east.
I'm guessing to one of the ports.
Harwich or Lowestoft.
Call it in.
Give them the info for the tracker.
- You put it in the frame?
- You devious little f
You've really stitched them up.
You still don't get it, do you?
Come on, son. Crack a smile.
It's all gone perfect.
We should be celebrating!
♪♪
Ronald Palmer
♪♪
I'm arresting you
for possession of stolen goods.
What are you talking about?
You do not have to say anything,
but it may harm your defense
if you do not mention
when questioned something which
you later rely on in court.
Anything you do say
may be given in evidence.
[Handcuffs click]
You got to be joking, Mick.
Come on.
I'm your dad.
♪♪
Come on.
♪♪
[Clock ticking]
[Up-tempo piano music plays]
♪♪
♪♪
[Doorbell rings]
[Music stops]
[Clock ticking]
[Dog barking]
- Hi.
- Hi.
So, is your dad in?
[Chuckles] No, he's he's gone now.
I'll tell you about it later. Come in.
- Flowers.
- [Chuckles] Yeah.
Don't suppose you happen
to have a vase or?
Oh, a funny story about that, actually.
Um, let me see what I can find.
Actually
forget the vase.
♪♪
♪♪
[Cellphone vibrates]
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪