Professor T (2021) s03e03 Episode Script

1
-(indistinct chatter)
-(intense music playing)
(breathes deeply)
-(door opens)
-(judicial assistant) All rise.
You may be seated.
Members of the jury,
the defendant,
Professor Jasper Tempest,
stands before you charged
with the attempted murder
of one Simon Lanesborough.
(muffled) Whoa!
Jasper?
(Simon) Whoa!
(judge) It is your duty
to determine
whether the defendant
is guilty or not guilty,
based only on the facts
and evidence provided in this case.
As the defendant has waived
his right to enter a plea,
it is incumbent on me,
given the presumption of innocence,
to register a plea of not guilty.
(exhales deeply)
(theme music playing)
(theme music concludes)
Acerbic.
Rude.
Distant.
Sometimes
he'll just completely ignore you.
The professor's students
will agree, he can be frightening.
Not to me.
I'm made of sterner stuff.
But if you didn't know him,
whoo, beware.
Ms Snares, you're familiar
with the term "character witness"?
Of course.
(Theresa) In that case,
would you care to outline
some of the professor's
positive qualities?
When Jasper was a child,
I strictly forbade him
from ever touching
his father's gun.
And you can strike
any Freudian connotations
from the dark recesses
of your minds.
-Mrs Tempest, if we can
-There is no connection whatsoever
between my proficiency as a mother
and my son releasing a fusillade
into the ceiling
of the local police station.
The Appointments Board
has somehow seen fit
to give the professor's post
to another man.
-(Max) A man?
-(dean) Well, a professor.
But just as qualified?
No. That's the pity of it.
Nowhere near to well-qualified.
Professor Tempest
has been invaluable
in helping us solve
a number of murder cases.
Helpful in what way?
Psychological insights, profiling.
In most of the cases, we wouldn't
have got a conviction without him.
(Theresa) Could you give the court
an example?
I could tell you about
the most recent one.
This was two weeks ago
in HMP Mandrake.
Without the professor's help,
we would have convicted
an innocent man.
(opera music playing on radio)
Got my release date.
Hm.
Aren't you supposed to say,
"Well done", or something?
(clicks tongue) You want me
to congratulate you
on something that is so obviously
causing you distress?
(all exclaim)
(indistinct clamour)
(intense music playing)
(sombre music playing)
(Professor Tempest) Mr Burridge.
(Burridge) Oh, Steddon.
(door buzzing)
(woman over PA)
All prisoners to remain
in their cells
till further notice.
I repeat, all prisoners to remain
in their cells till further notice.
(indistinct clamour)
(camera shutter clicking)
(Lisa) Thank you.
(indistinct chatter)
First on the scene
was Professor Tempest.
And is he a suspect?
Several blows to the right parietal
with a blunt instrument.
You think that'd be
the professor's MO?
-The professor would use poison.
-It could be a double bluff.
(Paul) A towel smeared with blood
has been sent to the lab for tests.
We're assuming it was used to
wipe prints from the murder weapon.
-Do you have the murder weapon?
-(Paul) No, not yet.
The officer in charge
of the workshop
has reported a hammer missing.
The prisoners will remain
in lockdown
during the investigation.
Yeah. All right, cheers, Paul.
Shall we go?
-Come through.
-Thank you.
I need a list of everybody
who had access to the workshop,
times they checked in,
times they checked out.
Yep, just give me five minutes.
(keyboard clacking)
Why is there no CCTV?
Power cut.
In a prison?
(sighs) New automatic gates
keep tripping the mains.
Killer saw his chance.
Yeah. (sighs)
Can somebody take me
to see Professor Tempest?
(exhales)
I thought you would have
some suspects for us.
Time you've been here,
you must've formed some impressions
of people.
Prison Officer Steddon
did not believe in rehabilitation.
When you deny that, you deny hope.
He sold drugs to those inmates
who could impose
upon their families
or corrupt solicitors
to smuggle money into the facility.
Anyone who tried to escape
his influence was victimised.
He was the diseased heart
pumping poison around
an already toxified system.
Every prisoner on this wing
had a motive to kill him.
(Steddon) Here you are.
Where are you hiding them?
Eh? You want me to wreck the place,
do you?
(objects clatter)
I know
that you have got drugs
in here, yeah?
You're in here for GBH,
you're an animal.
Don't act like you've changed.
(laughs) Hey?
Nobody changes.
-(clattering)
-Clear that up.
(indistinct chatter)
It's only stuff.
(chuckles)
Ah, gotta give this place a clean!
What a beautiful day it is! Aw!
(knocking on the door)
-(Dan) Got a name.
-Mm?
-(door closes)
-Emil Rhodes.
According to his cell-mates,
Steddon had been targeting him
for months.
Smashing up his things,
making life hell.
He wasn't the only one.
Steddon was
a drug-dealing bully boy.
(mouse clicks)
Okay, here we go.
Emil Rhodes, five years, GBH.
Due for release in six weeks.
Is he gonna jeopardise that?
His cell-mate overheard him
planning the murder
with the guy who's bunked up
with the prof.
Shall we take one each, or
-Dan.
-Sorry, your call.
No, it's not that.
-Are you okay?
-Yeah.
It's just since we're back
together I don't know.
(soft music playing)
I don't know. It's like I
wake up with Lisa
and then you're my boss.
(chuckles softly)
And I
Yeah, I don't know where I stand,
and it's like we're not together.
Right.
Well, it might take some time
to adjust, but
we'll figure it out.
(breathes deeply) Yeah.
-Hmm!
-Yeah.
Get on with it, then.
I I actually quite like that.
(both laugh)
-Right, I'll see you in a bit.
-All right.
(woman over PA)
Please be aware that the lockdown
will remain in place
until the safety of all staff
and inmates can be established.
(inmates screaming)
Emil, we've heard
from a number of inmates
that Officer Steddon picked on you.
Why did he do that?
He was a dealer.
I was one of his regulars.
Then I quit.
Some of the youth look up to me.
Yeah, I know, crazy.
Anyway, they quit, too,
reduced his revenue stream.
-The prison workshop
-The Hobbit Shop.
-I take it you don't work there?
-Slave labour.
-Looking at your history
-Mm, yeah, not good.
To say the least.
You have a clear motive
for killing Steddon.
I might be the one in a thousand
prison actually saved.
Now, am I going to risk
that to take out Steddon?
You were overheard planning
Steddon's murder.
(laughs)
Aw
Yeah?
Yeah.
By who?
(inmates laughing in distance)
-(knocking on door)
-(Burridge) Emil.
-These are for you.
-Cheers.
-Boss. Is it
-Nothing, sorry.
Wrote to six people. Nothing.
I'm meant to be out in a week.
You know there's classes.
Show you how to work a smartphone,
find somewhere to live.
Yeah, yeah, I applied, man,
I applied.
Who'd you give the forms to?
(clicks tongue) Er Steddon.
Steddon.
What? Think he didn't post them?
I know how we deal with Steddon.
Them that will tell, don't know.
And them that know, don't tell.
How long have you been doing shifts
in the prison workshop?
A year.
Officer Burridge said
it would help with my parole.
You were working there today?
Yeah. Making bunk beds.
What happened?
There was a power cut.
Got turfed out early.
Does Emil Rhodes work there?
Yeah.
Well, you were overheard talking
about Prison Officer Steddon.
Can I go now?
(Dan) Why? Why do you wanna go?
You're asking about Emil.
I don't talk about other people.
-Got it.
-(Dan) Great.
(indistinct announcement over PA)
(Lisa) Workshop roster for today.
You're on it.
First day.
You told me you didn't work there.
I said it was slave labour.
Didn't say I didn't work there.
When the body was found,
lockdown was imposed,
-where were you?
-(Emil) Can't remember.
You were in the shower.
Got sweaty in the workshop.
(chuckles)
Were you washing off
Steddon's blood?
Ooh! Nearly caught me out there.
Was about to say yes,
then I thought,
"Wait, hold on, don't say that."
(snickering)
-Is this a game to you?
-Pretty much, yeah.
If you didn't laugh,
you'd, erWhat is it?
Beat somebody to death
with a hammer. (laughs)
(indistinct clamour)
(woman over PA) Due to lockdown,
the serving of lunch
will be at least 30 minutes late.
Any prisoner found smoking or
(door closes)
(opera music playing)
(music fades)
(tense music playing)
(sombre music playing)
(Burridge) Mr Haq.
Is this your handiwork?
I need a brief.
(woman over PA)
Shouting and verbal abuse
aimed at staff
will not be tolerated.
Thanks.
(indistinct clamour in distance)
You're gonna be placed in solitary.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
You'll be there until the police
have concluded their investigation.
Is there anything
you wanna tell us?
I needed help finding a job,
and Steddon blocked me.
(breathes deeply)
(judge) Please bring in the next
witness, Mrs Christina Brand.
-(gavel thuds)
-(door opens)
(ominous music playing)
Miss Carver, your witness.
(Theresa)
Detective Chief Inspector Brand,
how long have you known
the defendant?
Over 25 years.
And in that time,
have you ever known him
to be in any way physically,
verbally, in any way, violent?
Absolutely not.
Never.
What, in your opinion,
were Professor Tempest's intentions
on the night he discharged
the shotgun in your office?
I believe he came to help.
He thought I was in danger.
Can you describe what happened?
I was about to arrest
DI Lanesborough.
Professor Tempest entered the room.
I was distracted. I
DI Lanesborough caught me
with a blow to the head,
and Professor Tempest
fired his gun into the ceiling.
Why?
(Christina) To attract attention.
Did it work?
Two constables rushed into the room
and had him restrained in seconds.
We've heard Simon Lanesborough's
account.
Did Professor Tempest aim
the shotgun at Lanesborough's face?
No.
(Theresa) Thank you.
(judge) Mr Turnbull.
(Max) DCI Brand.
A police officer
with years of experience,
retirement and a generous pension
to look forward to.
A lot to lose, wouldn't you say?
-When you put it like that.
-(Max) How else should I put it?
It's either a lot to lose,
or it isn't.
Yes, it is.
And as well as being
an experienced police officer,
are you also a mind-reader?
-I'm sorry?
-A clairvoyant, perhaps?
I'm just trying to work out
how you knew with such precision
what was going through
Professor Tempest's mind
when he came into your office
with a fully loaded shotgun.
Is it not the truth
that you told Tempest
that Lanesborough was on his way?
Because, as we've already heard
from your answerphone message,
you'd lured Lanesborough
to your office
with a promise of a surprise.
(clearing throat)
DCI Brand is not on trial.
(Max) Your Honour.
Miss Brand, what possessed you
to invite Simon Lanesborough,
a man whom you knew
to be dangerous, to your office?
I mean, you said in your statement
you were unarmed.
Why weren't you armed?
Why take that risk?
Mr Turnbull.
Please restrict your questions
to the actions of the defendant.
(Max)
Rather than rushing to save you,
could Professor Tempest's desire
to confront Simon Lanesborough
with a fully loaded shotgun
have been motivated by jealousy?
No.
Were you and the Professor lovers?
It's a legitimate question.
-A long
-A simple yes or no will suffice.
Yes.
I'm calling a short adjournment.
One hour.
(gavel thuds)
(indistinct chatter)
Ah, DI Rabbit.
My son isn't the only Tempest
with deductive powers.
-The clouds have parted.
-(exhales deeply) Have they?
I know Jasper
is protecting DCI Brand.
Protecting her from what?
The prosecution lawyer sailed
dangerously close to the truth.
Was she unarmed?
Well?
Mrs Tempest
DCI Brand intended
to murder this Lanesborough.
Jasper protected her.
If you think for one second
I'm going to allow my son
to play patsy for this woman,
you don't know Adelaide Tempest.
Wilfred.
(door closes)
Do you want something to drink?
I wish to change my plea.
That's not a good idea.
DCI Brand is being humiliated
in front of her husband,
in front of her children
She's a senior police officer.
She can handle it.
Why would an innocent man
want to be seen as guilty?
(Lisa) How did Omar convince
the parole board
that he was a reformed character?
You must've suspected.
(Professor Tempest)
I did not suspect that
for the simple reason
that my cell-mate
did not kill
Prison Officer Steddon.
You're familiar with the expression
"Hang your head in shame?"
It's a cliché.
It is also a residual physical
reaction many of us still have.
Omar hung his head
when recounting a crime
that he committed
over 20 years ago,
a sign of genuine remorse.
Yet, he reacted to the discovery
of the hammer
with little more than a shrug.
Results from forensics.
There's traces of Steddon's blood
under Omar's fingernails,
and his prints are on the hammer.
Well, of course they are.
He found the body.
He took the hammer.
You're saying he wants
to take the blame.
Why not just do that?
Why hide the hammer?
He believed the hammer being found
gave his involvement
more credibility.
(Lisa) What if it wasn't found?
(Professor Tempest) He left pieces
of foam rubber on the floor,
the bed was unmade.
A flashing neon arrow
pointing towards the hammer
could not have been more obvious.
I keep snagging on the suspicion
they planned it together.
This guy's terrified
of getting out of prison,
but he can't do the deed
or guarantee he never leaves.
This guy
He's got good reason
to hate Steddon.
And a history of violence.
So, he kills Steddon,
Omar takes the blame. Win-win.
If Emil is the killer,
how do we prove it
when we've got Omar's prints
on the hammer,
and Steddon's blood
under his nails?
And a confession.
What's the Professor saying?
-He wants to talk to Omar himself.
-Prison governor said no.
If we're gonna take
another crack at Emil,
we need Omar
to retract his confession.
(sighs softly)
I'll talk to the governor.
(woman over PA)
Please carry out quiet activities
in your cell until lockdown
(ominous music playing)
(door buzzes)
The police believe
Emil was involved.
No, he wasn't.
So
tell me what you did.
(sighs deeply)
They are going to charge Emil
as an accessory, at the very least.
There was a power cut.
I took the hammer.
On my way back to the spur,
I saw Steddon.
I told him I had some cash.
Said to meet him
in the laundry room.
To buy drugs?
Steddon was waiting for me
when I walked in.
I hit him three, four times.
Took the drugs, took the hammer,
and walked out.
Nobody saw me.
What did you do with the drugs?
Flushed them.
Where was Prison Officer Steddon
when you assaulted him, exactly?
He was, er
by the main drier.
And you struck him
when he was facing you?
No, he was
When he was turned away?
Yeah.
-(knocking on door)
-Come in.
Mr Burridge, may I have the key
to the laundry room?
(indistinct chatter)
Bring them right back.
Anything else?
-(inmates screaming in distance)
-No.
(intense music playing)
-(lock clicks)
-(keys jingle)
(Burridge) Hey!
I saw what you did.
(Steddon) Yeah. Did you?
Where you wanna take it,
the governor?
(Burridge) You're making this job
harder for everyone.
(Steddon)
You're gonna lecture me, eh?
A junkie's dad.
(Burridge) And whose fault is that?
(Steddon) Get your hands off me.
Back in your box.
(sombre music playing)
You may be seated.
Mr Turnbull.
(Max) To remind the jury,
DCI Brand has already admitted
that she and the defendant
were lovers,
but denied
that he came to her office
with the intention of murdering
her new lover, Simon Lanesborough.
DCI Brand,
was Professor Tempest hopeful
that your romance
might be rekindled?
Yes, I believe he was.
And he knew about your affair
with Simon Lanesborough?
(judge) Where is this going?
I'm attempting, Your Honour,
to establish jealousy
as the key motivator
for the defendant.
Tell me, DCI Brand, how did a man
such as Professor Tempest,
a man who so clearly likes
to keep his own counsel,
how did he communicate the fact
that he was still in love with you?
Did you manipulate him?
No, I did not.
(Max) Did you tell him
Lanesborough was on his way,
because you knew how deep
the wells of jealousy are
in this very private man?
You gave him the information,
safe in the knowledge
that he was almost certain
to do the very thing
that you wanted to do.
Except you're too canny
to risk your position
your job, your family,
your pension.
Why take any risks when you can
watch Simon Lanesborough,
the man who betrayed you,
being murdered,
-and walk away with impunity?
-Erm
Did you or did you not tell Tempest
to come to your office?
I demand to change my plea.
-(all exclaim)
-(indistinct chatter)
-(gavel thuds)
-Order.
Silence in the court.
As your plea was not guilty,
am I correct in assuming
you now wish to plead guilty?
-(shrieks) Oh!
-Adelaide!
-(gavel thuds)
-(judge) Order!
(dean) The lady has fainted!
We need a doctor!
Is there a doctor?
(knocking on door)
-Yeah? Come in.
-(door opens)
(door closes)
(Burridge) Just drop the keys
on the desk.
(keys jangle)
Mr Burridge
you killed Prison Officer Steddon.
-What?
-You murdered your colleague.
(scoffs)
Have you taken something?
When you examined the crime scene,
there was, for a moment,
an expression of surprise
on your face.
I assumed you had found something,
but your surprise
was due to the lack of something.
The hammer.
Someone had removed it.
Are you seriously accusing me?
Have you forgotten where you are?
(Professor Tempest)
I know you did not kill
Prison Officer Steddon.
His injuries were caused
by someone right-handed.
You are, to use boxing parlance,
a southpaw.
What happened
to Prison Officer Burridge's son?
His photograph
is no longer on display.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
(Professor Tempest)
Talking to my police colleagues,
I was informed that your son
died of a drugs overdose.
You blamed Prison Officer Steddon.
You invited him into your home,
and he repaid your hospitality
by introducing your son to heroin.
(inhales deeply)
You come in here
you think your morals, your rules,
you think they still apply.
In here,
they're worse than useless.
You may have justified this
to yourself,
but are you prepared to let
Omar Haq spend the rest of his life
-in prison?
-Omar wouldn't survive outside.
You want him out and me in?
Have you any idea
what they'd do to me?
You do realise you are throwing
your life away.
Yeah. Me?
You know, when you walked into
my cell I thought,
"Somebody's taking the piss."
I mean, could you find anybody
less like me?
Turns out, we're the same.
It would be better for you
if you confessed to the police.
No.
You've got nothing.
Everything you've said
is guesswork.
What are you gonna do
with your theory, eh?
You gonna go running to the police?
Let me know when you decide.
Now, get out.
(door opening)
(door closing)
(sobs, sniffles)
(door closing)
Your mother's fine.
(clicks tongue)
The judge has called us back in.
I know the cross-examination
of DCI Brand has been bruising,
but I'm imploring you,
you cannot change your plea
to guilty.
Yes, I can.
And that is exactly what
I intend to do.
MUSIC: "Trouble My Way"
by Robert J. Walsh.
# Lord, Lord
# Trouble my way
# Is here to stay
# I know
# Is here to stay
(Professor Tempest)
You killed Prison Officer Steddon.
# If I can't change
(Professor Tempest)
You murdered your colleague.
# My ways, yeah
(Burridge)
Omar wouldn't survive outside.
# Oh, my day
(Burridge) You've got nothing.
Everything you've said
is guesswork.
# Lord, there's trouble
# Trouble my way #
-(banging on doors)
-(inmates clamouring)
(breathes heavily)
Mr Burridge?
It would be better for you
if you confessed to the police.
(Burridge) No.
(sobs)
(sombre music playing)
(sobs)
(breathes heavily)
(judicial assistant) All rise.
(judge) You may be seated.
(whispers) Your Honour, Miss Brand
would like to change her plea.
(judge) Would DCI Brand
please return to the witness stand?
(sombre music playing)
I believe you want to amend
your testimony?
(stammers) I
I failed to tell the truth
in my witness statement
to Detective Superintendent Hines.
When Lanesborough
came to my office
I was armed.
(public exclaims)
(Christina) I was armed,
and I shouldn't have been.
Professor Tempest fired the gun
into the ceiling because he
he was afraid
I was going to kill Lanesborough.
(judge)
And was that your intention?
No.
Lanesborough had betrayed me
professionally and personally,
and
nearly caused the death
of one of my colleagues.
One of my team.
I wanted the satisfaction
of arresting him
-myself.
-(door closing)
Professor Tempest,
for all his undoubted brilliance,
can
sometimes misunderstand
people's emotions.
Professor Tempest,
you want to change your plea?
Your Honour, if I may,
I would like to plead not guilty.
(public exclaims)
-(gavel thuds)
-(judge) Order!
(sighs)
I should've realised
he was a suicide risk.
You suspected he was the killer?
I did not suspect.
I knew.
Why didn't you tell us?
I wanted to give
Prison Officer Burridge
the opportunity
to approach you himself.
Did you see the note he left?
It's a confession.
Paul has his doubts.
Thinks the note could be Burridge
trying to help Omar.
Have you spoken to Omar?
He's refusing to speak.
He won't believe Burridge is dead.
Thinks we're trying to trick him.
(sighs)
The police know Prison Officer
Burridge killed Steddon.
They know it was not Emil.
They know it was not you.
Help is available when you get out.
That's not why I said it was me.
Mr Burridge made life better here.
I felt that
I could swap my freedom
to keep a good man in his job.
(buzzer buzzing)
(woman over PA) Lockdown is over
I repeat, lockdown is over.
(indistinct chatter)
(soft music playing)
(inhales deeply, exhales)
(Adam) Omar!
The Prof got in touch.
Said you might need a job?
Somewhere to stay?
Just till you get on your feet.
Come on.
(Christina)
Thought I might find you here.
I wanted to say how sorry I am
what I put you through,
trying to keep my job.
It was not your responsibility.
I made a choice.
And did you?
Keep your job?
I quit before they could fire me.
I'm still under investigation.
I have no future in the force.
(Christina sighing)
I'm here to say goodbye.
I'm moving to the coast.
With
(Christina) Michael and the kids.
I'm glad that I've known you.
I am.
I loved you.
Well, I sincerely hope
that you and Michael can
navigate the rapids
and (inhales)
surmount any difficulties.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
What about you?
You might meet someone.
Fall in love again.
It is a long way down.
(sighs)
(theme music playing)
(theme music concludes)