Silent Witness (1996) s21e01 Episode Script

1 Ssh, ssh.
(There you are.
) (That's a big light.
) You going to put her down? I'll put her down when she's ready.
Are you going to relax? We're supposed to be on holiday.
Let it go.
They were just kids.
Right.
I'm sorry.
Give me a cuddle.
Come here.
It's them.
Get back.
- We should call the police, Greg.
- Police? They'll be the ones need the police by the time I'm finished with them.
- Greg, c'mon - Shut up.
You want some? I'm right here! Come on! Testator silens Costestes e spiritu Silencium Testator silens Get me out of here! Morning, Gwen.
Be with you in a sec, OK? Fine.
We sent a Melissa Lowell over to you on Monday.
Is she still with you? I'll have to check.
Why? I need you to look her over for me.
Top to bottom.
What am I looking for? I'm not sure.
Anything out of the ordinary.
- I'll call you back.
- Thanks, Brian.
- Morning.
- Morning, David.
Weren't here all night, were you? No.
No, I got here early.
Yeah.
Get that if you need to.
We'll start without you, shall we? Nikki.
Sorry I couldn't make it over last week.
- It's OK.
I know you're busy.
- I don't mind busy, it's Oh, well.
No excuses.
You're just one of the few people I'd rather see than not.
Thank you.
Come in.
My husband dropped dead right in front of me and it turned out that sitting at home was a disaster.
I'm not saying you should go back to work, either, by the way.
But you were glad you did? It was right for me.
But only you know what you went through, what you need to do.
You've been home six weeks? Two months.
In one sense that's no time at all.
But in another It's an eternity.
Only you know which -- everyone else can respectfully shut up.
After Mexico I didn't want to come home.
I stopped off in New York, did I tell you? You said you made a pit-stop.
What happened? For about 48 hours, it was incredible.
I didn't feel scared, I didn't feel relieved I felt alive, awake, and I wanted to hold on to that.
And then you woke up? Now I'm scared, Sally.
I'm scared of my own shadow.
I'm scared of the bloody dark, and that's not me.
And that makes you angry? Furious.
Come here.
- What're you doing, David? - I just want to talk.
You've had all day to talk.
Except every time I try, you brush me off.
If Brian Hawke wants a word, no problem, yeah? - But your own colleague - That is such bullshit.
At least allow me to explain how it would work.
You don't even have to be directly involved.
Five minutes.
Two minutes.
Hi, this is Sally, please leave a message.
Sally, it's Nikki.
Checking in with you again like you said to.
I know you're up to your eyes, but .
.
text me, call me, whatever.
I haven't heard back from you -- you've got me worried.
It's probably just my paranoia, I'm sure there's nothing Sorry.
Rambling.
Just let me know you got this.
Lots of love.
Sorry, can I help you? - Where's Sally? What's going on? - What's your connection? I'm a friend of hers.
Is she OK? Who are you? Guy Bernhardt.
NCA.
Can I see some ID? Sorry.
Nikki Alexander.
Right, well, I'm afraid she's gone missing.
- How long? - Three days.
- But couldn't she? - She didn't turn up for court.
When did you last see her? Er Four days ago Tuesday? - Oh, my God - Don't panic.
We'll go and sit down.
So how long have you known her? Er We worked together on a difficult case and we stayed in touch as friends.
And when you saw her last Tuesday, how did she? How did she come across? A bit distracted.
Tense.
She said she didn't mind being busy like .
.
like there was something else bothering her other than day-to-day stuff.
Anything specific? She was selling her lab.
Did you know that? Mm-hmm.
One of her staff had made her an offer.
If Sally signed over the lab to them, then she'd get a cut, something like that.
She wasn't interested? No, but they were being difficult.
Weren't taking no for an answer.
She didn't say the word "bullied", but that's what it sounded like.
Are we talking about David Cannon? Is he a suspect? He's a person of interest.
Why? - He's just one of a number of leads we're - Why? Four years ago, he was arrested for falsifying PM reports.
But he wasn't charged? No, but he still warrants a closer look.
I asked David Cannon when he last saw Sally.
He said Tuesday at the lab.
But we pulled his fingerprints off a smashed mug found in her kitchen bin.
- But that doesn't mean - He said, HE said, the last time he'd been there was a Christmas party two years ago.
- How did he explain it? - Didn't ask him to.
- Why? - He knows the drill.
If we show our hand, he'll clam up and get a lawyer.
Then, of course, if he does know where Sally is - He'll never tell you.
- Exactly.
We've closed the lab on a ruse that we're looking into old cases that might explain her disappearance.
We applied for warrants to search his flat and access his phone, both denied.
Now you can tell me to buzz off .
.
but maybe you can help us? Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us.
Early on, somebody said to me, "Starting your own club isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.
" Having run a few marathons myself, I can safely say that was a cruel lie.
It's been a hard road, and I would've given up years ago without the faith and encouragement of my wife Emma.
Even now, we're not quite there on our funding.
Which is why you've all been invited here today.
Anyway, I'm sure you've all heard quite enough from me.
Now it's your turn.
Does anybody have any questions? Yes.
What's the total budget for this project? Hi.
What the hell are you doing here? Nice to see you, too, Thomas.
So we're offering this guy a job just so we can keep an eye on him? Yep, that's what we've been asked to do.
- What? - You know what.
- Thomas - Not exactly page one of the recovery manual, is it? This wasn't my idea.
No-one goes through what you did and gets away unscathed.
- Not even you, Nikki.
- Four days.
If she's alive, we might not have long.
Look.
If it doesn't work out, we can call it.
All right.
But supportive capacity only.
- OK! - Baby steps.
No postmortems.
I volunteered to go on leave in the first place.
And if you hadn't, I'd've insisted.
Thanks for seeing us, David.
No problem.
Is there any news? No.
Nothing.
Course, the police are saying they're not winding down the search, but I know for a bloody fact all the lads from Berkshire were sent home last night.
So what's this about? Well, we were wondering How would you feel about coming to work at the Lyell for a bit? Seriously? Yeah.
Truth is, Nikki's been off for a while and we've been struggling with our workload.
You've got a backlog? - I'm about to install a freezer in my office.
- Right.
Why me? Sally said you were the best.
And if you're anything like me, time on your hands is the last thing you want right now.
It was just a thought, so please don't feel like Sally said that? About me? She said you were bloody good.
Ah, Jack.
David, this is Jack Hodgson.
Jack.
Good to know you.
How you doing? You all right? David's going to help us out for a bit.
Us? As in you're back? He's a colleague of Sally Vaughan's.
- Right.
How long's it been now? - Hello, stranger.
- Clarissa! My goodness, it's so good to see you.
- What? Did she put you up to this? Hang on, what, you two know each other? - Hello! - David! Moscow, 2008, the Monarch Hotel.
- Seven days.
- 7,000 Russian criminologists - You're exaggerating.
- .
.
hanging on your every word.
They wanted to learn from the best.
Hello.
- Good to see you.
- Maybe I should leave you two to it.
- Will you show him around? - She can indeed.
Let's go.
See you later.
See you in a bit.
- Welcome to my world.
- Are you having fun here? Hello, Jack.
Hi.
Good to see you.
Mmm.
I've been trying to call you.
I know.
- You got my messages, then? - Mm-hmm.
So? So, uh, it's been full-on since I've been back, it's just been really - Full-on? - Yeah.
Fair enough.
- A few changes, I see.
- Yeah.
A few.
We don't hear a word, then you show up with David bloody Cannon in tow.
- Is he that bad? - No, he's great.
How are you, Nikki? Yeah.
I'm getting there.
Absolutely getting there.
Right.
We've got a job on.
DCI Pete Hollis, DC Heidi Bailey.
- Nikki Alexander, David Cannon.
- Hi.
Body was found floating face-down about 20 yards out.
Who found him? Early fisherman.
- Did divers bring the body up here? - Yeah.
We should supervise a move like that.
Yeah, I needed to get started.
Your Jack squared it with the crime scene manager.
Yeah.
Blame me.
I took lots of pictures.
Thanks.
Over to you.
Got a preliminary ID from his wallet.
Livtar Singh.
Audi in the car park's also registered to him.
Lovely.
Thank you.
Well Looks like he was wearing a head torch, the lens of which is broken.
Alcohol.
Yeah.
Whisky.
Found it up by the railings.
I can't see him falling over those railings no matter how drunk he was.
But we can't rule out that he jumped, can we? No, we can't.
With a bit of Dutch courage to help him on his way.
Problem.
Did he smash it in the fall? Maybe it was already broken.
Then why not leave it in the car? Hold that a sec, would you? Cheers.
Hello, mate.
You all right? What do you need? Oooh, if you'd asked me three years ago I could have told you any number of places.
Erm the Wheatsheaf just off the Common.
I better go.
Yep.
See you later.
Ta-ta.
- Bye-bye.
- Time and place.
Illuminating? Buckfield Services, 11.
32pm.
30 quid's worth of fuel, bottle of Evian, two bunches of flowers and a miscellaneous item priced 3.
99.
- No whisky? - No.
Bottle of Evian's half-drunk.
Where are the flowers? And who were they for? Everything OK? Yeah.
Thanks.
- No breakfast.
- Most important meal of the day.
- There's no sign of the whisky bottle.
- Could be in his coat.
Yeah, but he's walking steadily.
No indication he's drunk.
Maybe he didn't imbibe until he reached his spot.
- Do you think that? - I think that it's always too early to jump to conclusions.
Sure.
OK.
Thing is, I haven't worked on an actual homicide yet, and So you're kind of hoping that it's murder? No! No.
Of course not, no.
I just Mm-hmm.
My advice? Work backwards.
Why was he here? What did this place mean to him? Who else knew he came here? Some kind of grey powder, or silt.
- Uh-huh.
- Yeah, yeah.
There's transfer on the brake and accelerator pedal.
Dried mud in the bag.
Looks like he switched his shoes for hiking boots Why would you change your shoes and strap a head torch on if you're about to end it all? I met Livtar at that reservoir.
We were both sailing instructors.
He was so great with the kids.
I didn't have the patience back then.
There's no way he'd kill himself.
No way.
We going to need a formal identification, Emma.
It's him.
Thank you.
This way.
- Emma, David.
Saw you earlier.
- Yes.
- Can I get you anything? - No, thank you.
Would you like to sit down? No.
I'm fine, thanks.
Thanks.
Emma, we were wondering if Livtar was much of a drinker.
When we first met, every couple of months or so he'd get really drunk.
I mean, annihilated, actually.
On what? Spirits, mostly.
It was like a ritual.
A valve.
Something he had to do.
I didn't like it, so when we got married he swore he'd stop.
And did he? Unless you're telling me different? No, we're not.
We haven't reached any firm conclusions yet.
Victim was wearing this.
Something white embedded in the lens frame.
- You want an upgrade on "something white"? - I do.
- Hello.
DC Bailey.
- Good to have Nikki back.
Bit of a surprise.
Yeah.
Yeah, for me, too.
You sanctioned it.
For now.
Yeah.
How'd you think she seems? So far, so good -- too early to say.
What's David Cannon like? He's a good laugh.
I don't really know him.
It was one week nine -- ten? -- years ago.
Miscellaneous item on Livtar's receipt.
Let me see.
He was so excited about becoming a dad.
But when Amy arrived he just seemed sad.
Why? I dunno it was like he couldn't enjoy her.
Sorry.
Hey, hey, come here.
It's OK, it's OK.
Gave up.
Yeah? Since when? Two years.
That how long it's been? No.
It's been four years.
Sorry.
It's all right.
You're a busy woman.
Suspected suicide? That's what they said.
I don't get it.
He'd just become a father.
Who knows what goes on in another person's head? Ain't that the truth.
Do you think it's our fault? Probably.
Hope the police didn't find anything untoward.
Like what? I've no idea.
I've got to go.
Mrs Singh, before Livtar drove to the reservoir, he stopped off at a garage and made some purchases.
- Right? - Among other things, he bought two bunches of flowers and a teddy bear.
We didn't retrieve these items from his car.
I can't help you I'm sorry.
No friends who've just had a baby? Or a child's birthday? The journey from the garage to the reservoir was 30 minutes, but he didn't get there for an hour.
Now if he stopped off somewhere, - it explains the missing half-hour and - I'm really sorry -- - I need to go home now.
- Of course.
Just one moment.
- Can I have a word? - Yeah.
I need you to escort her home.
Sir, no! I don't want to miss the PM.
There'll be plenty more PMs.
It's the flowers and the toys we need to explain.
So take Jack, have a nose around, hoover up any computers, laptops, phones that you find.
If she asks any questions, say we're checking whether Livtar was in financial difficulties, all right? All right.
Warrant? It's my next call.
Want to give me a hand? - Excuse me.
Sorry.
- David? What is the matter with that guy? It's OK.
Want me to assist? The rectangular mark on his forehead is from a head torch.
Camera? That and the torch's broken lens suggests he struck something head-first with force.
Torch is being processed for trace.
There's a champignon de mousse -- foam in his throat, pinkish tinge.
Clear hallmark of drowning.
Lack of oxygen, myocardial and cerebral anoxia, death.
Hey.
Hey.
Sorry.
- Sorry.
- It's OK.
What happened? Just, er, lost it a bit.
Right.
Soon as I saw the body bag, all I could think of was .
.
when we unzipped it .
.
it was going to be her inside and not Livtar Singh.
Sally? Sorry.
OK.
'And now it's time for a news update.
Police are continuing the hunt for Sally Vaughan, who's now been missing for five days.
At a press conference last night detectives from the National Crime Agency said they were pursuing a number of active leads but refused to say if Dr Vaughan's disappearance is being linked to her work as a pathologist.
In other news Is that really necessary? You'll get them all back.
He He had a shortfall in the funding.
His dad could've bridged the gap easily, but .
.
Livtar could never ask for help from anyone, - even though he was the first to help others.
- I know the species.
I found it really hard.
When you love someone, you want to be there for them, right? Right.
I'll let you get on.
Thomas.
Tox is back on Livtar Singh.
Interesting results.
High levels of alcohol in his stomach contents, but almost none in his blood and urine.
Could he have drowned before it entered his system? We'd still expect to find some alcohol in his urine.
- And the fact you didn't? - Suggests the whisky was tipped down his throat after he lost consciousness.
Well, well.
I think someone tried very hard to make Livtar look like the author of his own demise.
Thank you, Emma.
Regina vs Henry Drake.
Ring a bell? No.
Why would it? Don't worry.
We've got a resident expert.
18 years ago, I worked on the Valerie Drake investigation.
It was unusual because there was no body, but the police were in no doubt her husband Henry Drake had killed her.
Why were they so sure? No other suspects, plus we found traces of her blood - and fingernails in the boot of his car.
- Not enough? No.
Drake had money -- and money bought him Morgan Lawson.
The barrister.
He kept drumming home the same simple mantra.
No body, no case.
No body, no case.
Right.
Not exactly legal argument, but it stuck - and Drake was acquitted.
- So what happened to him? Remarried and moved to New Zealand, where he made a fortune in wine.
Morgan Lawson became one of the highest-paid barristers in the country.
Karma? It's a myth.
So what do we think of this note? It says, "I can make you disappear and get away with it.
" - Threat? - Maybe.
The Drake case was national news, doesn't exactly narrow down the sender.
And I've processed the note -- no prints except Livtar's own.
Bollocks.
Excuse me.
Just going to pop out for five minutes.
Excuse me.
Come on, come on - Bernhardt.
- It's Nikki.
David just got a text and walked out of a police briefing.
I need you to keep eyes on him.
- Well, I can't.
- Nikki, please.
He could be going to find Sally.
We might not get another chance.
I've been processing the evidence you brought back from the Singh house.
I recovered data from the USB in Livtar's drawer.
Simplest if I just show you what's on it.
Who is this woman? And who was she to Livtar Singh? Flowers and teddy bears Any ideas on location? Well, I'm working on the shop fronts visible in the background.
She's pretty.
I've also sourced the white fragments embedded in Livtar's head torch.
Barium metaborate.
- Anti-rust paint? - Yeah.
I assumed it was grit from the dam wall.
Anything painted white at the scene he might've run into? Some missing paint chips consistent with Livtar's head torch striking the gate.
Also traces of glass or plastic on the ground.
- From the head torch? - I'll be pissed off if they're not.
Yeah.
I've got to say you've seemed rather pissed off most of the day.
I should have seen this the first time.
You've seen it now.
That's the important thing.
It's good.
So he hits the gate face-first coming from this direction So he was heading back to his car.
Running back, given the impact.
And if he was looking round as he ran, explains why he didn't see it until it was too late, even with a head torch.
- Begging the question - What was he running from? I told you.
I don't know her.
Are you sure, Emma? Yes, I'm sure.
Look, what am I doing in a police station? I'm sorry, Emma.
But you say you don't know this woman.
You say you don't know why Livtar went off on midnight drives or why he bought flowers or teddy bears or why he drank whisky back in the day What is your point? I'm just trying to find out what happened to your husband.
You think this wasn't an accident? That's why you're in a police station.
- He's right.
- Huh? - It's no big deal you missed the gate.
- Out of character, though.
- I was distracted.
That's what I mean.
Out of character.
What do you want, Nikki? I want to know why you missed the gate.
- I told you.
- The real reason.
- I missed it cos I was thinking, "Why is Nikki back when she's so clearly not ready?" How would you know? You haven't seen me in months.
- Sorry.
- I don't want an apology.
I just want to understand why.
Why you haven't seen me.
- Why do you think? - I don't know! - It's a genuine question - I was supposed I went out there to find you.
To bring you home.
I failed.
Jack that's nuts.
You're here.
I'm here.
- We made it.
You saved the lives of - Please stop.
Jack, you've got nothing to prove.
Nothing.
Get a room! Check this out.
So, came through here.
Got various broken branches, got trampled ground.
That gave me a reverse path round to .
.
this.
I didn't bag it, cos, well, that's your bag.
You're on fire, David.
So you say there was a problem with the contractors.
Anything specific? Not really.
But they knew he had a launch date that he needed to hit and they dragged their heels.
At the fundraiser I had to leave early to take my daughter to an appointment.
I went to say goodbye to Livtar and I found him in the spa with this man who was obviously giving him grief.
Do you know what about? Money, I think.
Anyway, the guy was dodgy.
As soon as he saw me coming he picked up some plans that were lying around.
But it was bullshit.
He was holding them upside down.
He said something like, "It's one thing asking for money "for yourself, but asking for it for her is something else.
" I know it doesn't make any sense.
Who was the her? I don't know.
And you didn't ask Livtar about it? I never got a chance.
OK.
Will do.
Thanks, Heidi.
- Where's Jack? - Went back to the reservoir.
Why? - Thinks he might've missed something.
- And did he? What are you after? Clarissa I think he was a bit thrown by Nikki coming back.
Sally Vaughan must be dragging it all up for her.
What did you need Jack for? Secure some plans from Livtar's club, - see if we can lift fingerprints.
- OK.
I can do that.
Right.
Good.
Go carefully -- it's still a building site.
Good day's work.
Fancy a beer later? Nice offer, but knackered.
- OK, raincheck? - Raincheck.
- Raincheck.
Hello? Sally's phone just came back online for 30 seconds.
- You're kidding! - Is David Cannon with you? Yes.
The phone pinged a mast in North Kent.
One mast means no exact location, but Cannon's definitely with you? - Yes.
- Great.
Thanks, Nikki.
Just the one, then.
Yeah.
Can I help you with something? You do know you're on private property? Excuse me.
OK, so we've traced the signal from Sally's phone to a farm.
Angus Merrick.
Why do I know that name? Shit.
He's not going to come quietly.
- Mobilise Firearms, be discreet.
- Sir.
Well, it's really good of you to help us out, David.
Don't be daft.
You're helping me.
I was worried about you earlier.
- Why? - You disappeared again.
Did I? Yeah, yeah, I went to see Gwen Blair.
Our lab technician.
- I thought maybe she'd have some news about Sally.
- Did she? Did you and Sally see each other much outside of work? No.
Not lately.
Used to.
When I got divorced She's a bloody good listener.
Yeah, she is.
Can I tell you something? In confidence.
Sure.
When I last saw Sally .
.
we argued.
Right.
Well, Jack and I fight sometimes.
No, I mean a proper, full-on, stand-up row.
About what? About the lab.
You know she was selling the lab.
And I wanted her to make it over to me.
She'd be a sleeping partner.
She could keep her hand in if she wanted - That doesn't sound like a terrible idea.
- No, it wasn't.
She thought it was.
And that's what you rowed about? Yeah.
We made the lab together.
You know, I did everything to help her with it.
But she owned it all on paper.
Every brick.
She could be stubborn.
Yeah.
So can I, believe me.
I should've let it drop.
- I didn't have the right.
- Did you tell the police? Of course.
And they said the same -- I shouldn't beat myself up about it.
I'm going to nip to the loo.
Excuse me.
- Hello? - Hi, Nikki, it's Bernhardt.
Listen.
The woman that Cannon met earlier -- she gave him a map of Sally's village.
We traced her phone to a farm in Kent.
Angus Merrick -- ring any bells? No.
His brother Craig was killed in a high-speed police chase last year.
Angus blamed them and then didn't want a pathologist adding insult to injury by cutting up his brother.
Sally did the postmortem? Sorry, I'm going to have to go.
I'll call you back.
Thanks.
Bye.
Everything OK? Yeah.
Sorry, where were we? Nikki? Nikki! - Hello, mate.
- All right? - What brings you here? Fancy a couple of rounds yourself? I've got a slot Friday night.
Yeah.
Why not? Angus Merrick! We just want to talk, Angus.
Yeah -- like you wanted to talk to my brother! We need to know Sally's safe.
I don't know any Sally! That's not true, is it, Angus? Go, go, go! Call Sally's mobile.
- Hello? - Hi, Nikki, it's Bernhardt.
- Have you found her? - No, but we've got him.
How do you know it's him? Merrick had her phone.
Blood on the screen matches Sally's.
Christ.
David Cannon was a blind alley -- sorry.
I've ID'd the man Emma saw arguing with Livtar.
Gary Hadlow -- loan shark and bouncer.
He was at the club yesterday -- I saw him.
- What were you doing there? - My job.
- Why were his prints on file? - He has form for GBH.
I've been over Livtar's phone records -- there's calls to and from Hadlow's mobile in the past month.
Loan shark? We know Livtar had some issues with some contractors.
Sir, we should bring Hadlow in now.
And hit him with what? Making phone calls? We can't even place him at the reservoir.
No -- but somebody breached that fence.
This snagged material contains neoprene, a synthetic rubber.
Neoprene finger ridges are found in army tactical gloves.
- It was a good find.
- David's find.
I just ran it.
Don't don't we need to focus on the gap between Livtar leaving the service station and getting to the reservoir? Where did he go in that half an hour? What did he do with the flowers and the toy? We might have a few ideas about that.
Clarissa looked at the grey powder on the bottom of Livtar's shoes.
It's significantly degraded amorphous carbon.
Ash, basically.
Would you do me the honours? Given the limits of where Livtar could've gone in 30 minutes, we have a best guess.
- Yeah, it's the globe, isn't it? - Yeah.
- Here you go.
Maitland Salt Factory, which burned to the ground in '85.
Necklace is quite distinctive.
Might help with the ID.
Look at that.
Any idea how long we're talking? Ten years? Maybe more.
Livtar knew where they were buried.
Look at this.
Testator silens Costestes e spiritu Silencium.