Silent Witness (1996) s25e05 Episode Script

When we won the contract, we gained a data gold mine The independence of Unitas Health is being recognised.
and the powerful enemies that go with that.
Oscar Harris.
Number 10 special adviser.
You come highly recommended by Sam Ryan.
This is my stepson David and his wife Fiona.
It was Fiona's research that fixed Jomo's heart.
Wow.
I'd say we need to get our accounts in alignment.
What are you worried about? I think they're blood samples that were being manipulated to plant as evidence.
But no-one would have taken it.
Would they? Some of your questioning goes way beyond your remit, never mind expertise.
The Home Office's golden boy right now is obviously the chap behind Vigil, Ethan Daley.
But what would Jomo think? I can be very persuasive, Oscar, if needs be.
Good enough to run through Vigil Network? Should get some candidates.
Sure.
Vigil finds a link you didn't know was there.
DNA was recovered from a cartridge left by the assassin.
That DNA belongs to Tom Faulkner.
Who is Tom Faulkner to you? Apart from your ex-husband? What is this? Where did you get it? The PM wants to press pause on the health passporting programme.
How long for, exactly? Well, not until Faulkner's in custody - at the earliest.
- On your knees! Get down! In Paris he was assigned to covert operations.
On what planet does he leave this much evidence behind? I just have a few questions.
I'm a reporter.
Oliver Meehan.
I really think the Lyell might want to comment on this.
No.
Sorry.
Allegations of DNA manipulation in the case of the Health Secretary's assassination.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
Hello.
You've reached Sam Ryan.
Please leave a message after the beep.
Sam.
It's Nikki again.
I need to talk to you about the blood samples I showed you.
Can you call me back? - Are you OK? - Yeah.
Work's a good distraction, isn't it? Hey.
- You made it back, then.
- Yeah.
Oh OK.
- Sorry about your dad.
- Thank you.
DC Sharon Griffiths.
You're the forensic team? Yes.
We're from the Lyell.
He's over here.
No sign of forced entry to his flat, so looks like a jumper.
Name's Oliver Meehan.
We'll have more on his background soon.
Oh.
Back in a sec.
He came to the Lyell.
After you left for Ireland.
He's a journalist.
He was asking about allegations of DNA manipulation in the Health Secretary's assassination.
Found a phone or a laptop yet? Nothing.
Place is clean.
Good.
That means we can rule out foul play? No, it's REALLY clean.
I'm barely getting any prints at all.
Nikki, there's some kind of barb or spike on his lapel.
Oh, yeah.
- Wow, there's quite a few, actually.
- Mm.
Here we go.
- What is it? - Looks like blood.
Diluted blood.
Splash-back with hand washing, maybe.
Thanks.
Anything useful? Found blood in the bathroom.
No prints or shoe prints on the balcony he's supposed to have jumped from.
Strange.
Yeah.
What are you thinking? Just things I wish I'd said to Dad.
You know.
Ethan Daley's here.
Thank you.
I thought Professor Ryan might be joining us.
I'm eager to meet her.
Sam has been held up this morning, but I can speak for the both of us.
We know there are concerns in Cabinet over your suitability to continue handling the health passport programme at Unitas.
When is the contract set to be reviewed? Six months from now? My experience in data processing can make those concerns go away.
But at what cost to us? You must understand that independence is a cornerstone of everything we do here.
The public will never give up their private health data unless they trust us to use it responsibly.
We have the exact same philosophy at Vigil Network.
But, with respect, your network is eradicating privacy altogether.
Facial mapping, mobile phone activity, financial records You are monitoring every corner of people's private lives without even declaring it half the time.
HE LAUGHS Your health passport tracks people 24/7.
But we are helping to save lives.
The passport programme will transform public health.
And Vigil Network has transformed law enforcement.
Is a life saved by a police officer less valuable than one saved by a doctor? You're losing your investors.
You need me.
I admire your principles, Jomo, but you're ignoring the political reality in front of you.
With my backing, we can take the health passport programme global.
I already have footing in the Asian markets.
You and your wife would remain at the head of the company.
Your son, too.
You're asking us to take quite a leap of faith jeopardise everything that we have built here.
No.
I'm offering to save it.
Multiple injuries consistent with a fall from a considerable height.
With bilateral compound fractures of the lower limbs.
Swelling of the right lateral malleolus.
Protrusion of the fibula on the right leg.
And the tibia on the left.
There are also ragged fresh lacerations to the elbows and anterior aspect of both knees.
It looks like he landed feet first and then fell forwards.
There's a circular recent mauve bruise on the skin overlying the frontal bone.
And a smaller, equally fresh-looking bruise under the point of his chin.
What's up? He has a midline fracture of the mandible and bilateral fractures of both condyles.
What does that mean? It used to be called a guardsman's fracture.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, soldiers who fainted on duty would fall and hit the ground chin first.
Unlikely to be consistent with the sort of fall that Meehan had, though.
This could have been caused by a hard punch on the chin.
So I'll be in touch.
Give my regards to Professor Ryan.
Of course.
There you go.
I see we found you before the paparazzi this time.
Should spare us another tabloid saga.
You crashed the party halfway through.
You are an extension of my reputation, Lewis.
You realise that, don't you? Not this speech again.
I've worked so hard to give you everything you ever wanted.
And now you're undermining it all.
You're breaking your morn's heart.
No wonder she's thinking of leaving us.
David.
How nice of you to check in.
Are you free later today? I've got something I want to share with you.
What is it? There's a coup injury on the anterior aspect of the brain, a haemorrhage on the frontal lobe.
Any contrecoup? No.
Nothing on the opposite occipital lobe.
When a moving head hits the ground, the brain bounces back and forth after impact, picking up injuries on both sides.
If a moving object hits a stationary head, then any injury to the brain is limited to the side the impact occurred.
So this injury was caused by a moving object hitting Meehan's head, not his head hitting the ground.
So, cause of death? Cause of death likely to be multiple injuries from blunt-force trauma due to impact, but it's possible that he was attacked before the fall.
Do you think someone pushed him over the balcony? To stage a suicide? It's a possible scenario, and it would be consistent with the injuries, yeah.
Yeah, there were two blood samples recovered from the bathroom tap.
One is a match to Meehan.
The other's a partial, incomplete DNA profile.
Did you run it through the database? It's too degraded.
It's been mixed with disinfectant, unfortunately.
So you're thinking the second DNA profile belongs to our potential attacker? Yeah.
Meehan could have drawn blood from his attacker before sustaining the head injury.
Whoever was in that flat did a good job cleaning up afterwards.
Luckily, they didn't do as good a job washing their hands.
The spines found on Meehan's jacket are from a Cholla Cactus.
They are barbed, so they catch on skin and clothing pretty easily.
I didn't see a cactus in Meehan's flat.
Yeah, there wasn't one.
And I can't seem to find traces of it on any of his other clothing, so I'm thinking if there was someone else in the flat they could have transferred it over to Meehan during an altercation.
Hm.
If someone was there, they could have taken his laptop and his phone.
Maybe he was working on a story that they didn't want getting out? The coverage around Meehan's flat isn't great, but Vigil Network ran a facial scan on every CCTV camera in the city.
It'll take me a while to work through, but we should be able to identify everyone he spoke to the day that he died.
Oliver Meehan visited the Lyell.
He was asking questions about the investigation into the Health Secretary's death.
Right.
Well, that kicks things up a notch.
Wait Can you play that one again? So that's Oliver Meehan.
And look who's following him.
It's Sam Ryan.
You know, I had started to wonder if this day would ever come.
Er, you're building your own scientific empire, and now you'll have an heir to the throne.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Hey, hey, hey! Time to step up now, son.
OK? David tells me you have a big meeting with Ethan Daley tomorrow.
Uh I met with him today, actually.
You you moved the meeting with Daley? Is that a problem? Why didn't you tell me? I was meant to be there.
My PA must have forgotten to put you in the loop.
We're talking about the future of the company here, a company I'll be running one day.
One day.
Not today.
I'm still in charge - for the time being.
Excuse me.
You know, I will never understand how my son and I both got so lucky with the women that we married.
You're going to be a wonderful mother.
- You think so? - Mm.
I just wish Sam could have been here.
Where is she? Oh, she's completely absorbed in her work, as usual.
You both have that in common.
I I have to get going.
- Oh? - OK.
Mm-hm.
Thanks, Jomo.
Take care.
If Sam was meeting Meehan, was it about the same charges he brought to us? But why would Sam discuss those allegations with a journalist? If the idea of fake DNA got out, it would completely undermine the field of forensic science.
- Sam would know that better than anyone.
- Yeah.
So maybe she wanted to kill the story.
Hello? I'm at Sam Ryan's registered address.
It's an apartment on the river.
I'm not sure what's happened, but I think you'd better get here now.
There's a lot of blood, but no sign of a body.
Huh.
They said they were bringing in some hot-shot detective.
The Greater London Commissioner has requested our involvement in Sam Ryan's disappearance and Meehan's murder.
We know they were caught potentially meeting on CCTV.
Our investigation into the Health Secretary's assassination was winding down with Faulkner's arrest, but if Meehan was asking around about fake DNA before he died, that obviously raises some questions.
Thank you, DS Chalal.
DC Griffiths, can I have a word? Just in case you've forgotten who's in charge.
Right.
There's no ridge detail on the bloody fingerprint here.
Whoever left it likely had a glove on.
Let's cross-reference everything with the samples - recovered from Meehan's flat.
- Yeah.
These small drip bloodstains become more frequent as we move into the flat.
Chances are the victim was injured in the doorway, staggered back into the dining room.
Signs of a violent struggle in here.
We've got a shoe print.
Looks like size nine or ten.
Too big for Sam, but could belong to the assailant.
No other shoe prints.
So she could have been carried from here toward the balcony maybe.
See? There's another bloody hand print here.
You're going to want to put divers in the water.
It's possible she was thrown from the balcony.
DS Chalal.
I can manage things here.
You go and inform Jomo Mashaba.
That his wife's missing, presumed dead? Great, thanks.
What is going on here, Jack? Jomo Mashaba? We're here regarding your wife.
When was the last time you spoke to Sam? Er, yesterday morning.
I'm I'm not sure what time, exactly.
You didn't think to call her when she didn't come home? Of course, but it's not uncommon for her to stay in the city when she's working late.
That's why she kept the flat.
So, just to be clear, you haven't heard from your wife in over 24 hours but you didn't think to report her missing? Unitas is under a lot of scrutiny at the moment.
I imagine Sam disappearing probably won't help on that front.
We've been haemorrhaging political support since the launch.
We can't afford another scandal.
Do you ever stay at the flat? Sometimes.
Not recently.
Would you be willing to give us a DNA sample, just so we can eliminate you from our inquiries? Of course.
It'll just take a second.
OK.
Everything all right? What's the matter? I know I promised I wouldn't ask you this.
But I need you to do something for me.
It's about the phone call I got earlier.
We looked at the CCTV footage of Sam and Meehan.
There's nothing conclusive.
Well, we discussed the possibility that they might have met to talk about Meehan's allegations that Tom's DNA was faked.
Do you have any evidence to go with this theory? - No.
- Then drop it.
I spoke with Meehan's colleagues.
Whatever he was working on he was keeping under wraps, but he did mention to one of them that he was looking into Unitas Health.
Where are we with retracing Sam's movements after she met with Meehan? We've pulled everything from Vigil Network.
This is all they've got from the last week.
That's not much.
It's almost like she's been trying to stay off the grid.
She made a few phone calls, bank transactions, paid for dinner with Oscar Harris.
No, I've spoken to Harris.
The meeting has no relevance to our investigation.
What was it about? Oh, I'm sorry, have I missed something here? I'll handle the investigation.
You handle the forensics.
That's how it usually works.
Jack, can you come with me to Unitas HQ? I need to search Sam's office.
Someone must know what Sam's been up to.
The heart patch is seeded with cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.
Each engineered iPSC contains a genetic barcode, so we can monitor any mutations as the healing process begins.
The barcode essentially helps us identify which cells have come from the patch and which haven't.
Absolutely.
Especially the stuff on mutations.
I never thought Fiona.
Hi.
I'm Dr Nikki Alexander.
We met in Liverpool.
Of course.
From the Thomas Lyell Centre.
That's right.
I don't lecture to many pathologists.
I'm on the investigation team looking into Sam's disappearance.
Oh.
Yes.
Of course.
Jomo called David last night.
- It still hasn't sunk in.
- I'm sorry.
Jomo mentioned in Liverpool that he'd had a heart attack due to severe dilated cardiomyopathy, which was healed by an untried procedure.
Was it your heart patch that saved his life? Well, it wasn't my intention to use my father-in-law as the guinea pig, but when Jomo failed to find a suitable heart donor my husband insisted we try it.
You see, there's no risk of rejection compared to a donated organ.
And you're currently in the final phase of clinical trials? Since Jomo's surgery was a success, we were able to move into a new lab.
It helped us speed up the trials.
We should be offering our treatments publicly within the year.
That's amazing.
Listen, I don't mean to hold you up, but before Sam went missing, I spoke to her about a blood sample I'd been testing.
I wondered if she'd mentioned anything to you about it.
No.
I'm sorry.
She never mentioned anything.
No sign of a phone or a laptop.
Apparently, Sam had access to a company car, though.
- I'll go chase up the details.
- OK.
She could be halfway down the Thames, and you're rummaging through her stuff? Divers are looking for her.
Just need to search her office, see if she left anything that'll help us find out what happened.
You know, er your dadhe might he might need you over the next few days.
I'm not sure about that.
He was answering emails from his hospital bed - five hours after being shot.
- Yeah.
Still, he might not be in the right frame of mind to run this place, you know.
Wouldn't matter.
Jack, I've got something.
Nikki.
I just ran a Vigil Network search on Sam's company car.
ANPR has the vehicle arriving at Dunstanton Prison last week.
Did some digging.
Guess who got her access? Thanks for seeing me at such short notice.
How can I help? I'd like to visit Tom Faulkner in Dunstanton Prison.
Tom Faulkner is on remand for the assassination of the Health Secretary.
Visitors are restricted.
But you got Sam Ryan permission to see him.
Knowing what she and Tom spoke about could help us find out what's happened to her.
The police have already questioned Faulkner about Sam's visit.
He's refusing to talk.
He might talk to me.
It's done.
Fi, I am so sorry.
It has to be the last time.
I'm telling you it will be.
I promise.
Can you promise that? We have to stick together now.
It's the only thing that matters.
You, me and our child.
OK.
- Hello.
- Jomo? It's Ethan Daley.
I saw Sam's case was registered at Vigil Network yesterday.
I want you to know we'll be providing every resource we have.
Well, thank you.
Look, I'm afraid that any further discussion of the merger between Unitas and Vigil Network will have to wait.
Of course.
Family comes first.
If you need anything Well Thank you.
What the hell? W-What's going on? Stop the car.
Stop the car! - Mr Daley - Where's my wife? Oh, my God, is that my wife? Is that Helen?! We've arrested your son, Mr Daley.
Dad Dad! Lewis? What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?! No Thanks.
I wondered if I'd see you again.
I had to get government permission to be here.
I hear Sam came to see you.
That's why you're here.
You know she's the reason I'm in prison? She shopped me to the police.
Why did she visit you? She said she wanted me locked up so she was free to operate.
Said she wanted to help.
I didn't believe a word of it, but at the same time I didn't have anything to lose, so I put her in touch with a journalist I'd contacted before I was arrested.
Oliver Meehan.
I hadn't heard from you.
I needed to get my story out somehow.
Meehan's a good journalist.
Anyway, I gave him everything I had.
The dirty money at Unitas.
The Health Secretary's assassination.
My DNA being faked.
Going public is the only way I stand a chance of getting out.
Oliver Meehan's dead, Tom.
And Sam's missing.
We think she might have been attacked and then thrown off the balcony at her apartment.
The diving unit's still searching the river.
You shouldn't be here.
Whoever went after Sam and Meehan might come for you next.
I want to prove your innocence.
I've been testing vials of your blood for weeks.
I found a vial of blood in a drawer in Sam's office not long before I was arrested.
Do you think she framed me? One of the vials of blood went missing after she came to see me at the Lyell.
She must have taken it.
I won't give up on you, Tom.
Be careful, Nikki.
Whoever these people are, they're dangerous.
Hey.
Can you let me in? Hello? Hello.
I think I left my pass on the desk.
- Have they changed the code? - I don't think so.
- I thought you'd gone home.
- I thought YOU'D gone home.
I went by your house, but I remembered you live here most of the time.
Hmm, it's not here.
What are you reading? A research paper published by Fiona Mashaba.
A light page-turner, is it? I went to watch her lecture about her stem-cell research this morning.
Ah.
The applications are so vast I still can't get my head round it.
She takes skin cells from the patient and reverts them into induced pluripotent stem cells, which she then converts into heart cells.
Which contains the patient's DNA.
- Exactly.
- Hmm.
So, theoretically, this technique could be used to create any type of cell - skin, sperm, white blood cells.
And I think that the technology is capable of fabricating forensic DNA samples.
OK.
How do we find out? Each manufactured stem cell is given a genetic barcode.
So if that's how Tom's blood was fabricated, I should be able to find a barcode in the samples we have.
How long will it take? I have no idea.
OK.
Have you eaten? - Hmm? - Have you eaten? - No.
No time to eat.
- You'll burn out.
And this can wait till tomorrow.
My treat.
Hmm? Now you mention it, I'm starving.
Come on.
- Morning.
- Yo.
- Fancy a coffee? - Read my mind.
Please.
Hey My pass.
Where did this come from? What? Tyler? Tyler! Tyler, take your ear thingies out.
Hmm? Did you take this? No.
Come on.
Weird.
What do you mean, it's all gone? Vials of blood.
Faulkner's DNA.
Skin and blood results from Clemence's fingernails.
All the physical files related to the case.
The backups, too.
What about the original genetic sequencing I took - from Tom's blood samples? - No.
Great.
You said someone stole your key card.
When? And where? I don't know.
But whoever stole it left it here to show they can get to us.
I've dusted it for prints, but Wow, well done.
Eh? Thank God you're on the case.
I should have tested the samples last night.
Whoever did this obviously knew you were onto them.
Well, that's a career-defining case they just fucked up! Vigil Network isn't picking anything up in the surrounding area.
No sign of an intruder.
I wouldn't be surprised if they destroyed the evidence against Faulkner themselves.
She's his ex-bloody-wife.
I told Fiona that Sam was helping me test a blood sample from the Lyell.
Now all the samples of Tom's blood are gone.
Do you think she had something to do with this? I've got a match on the partial profile recovered from the blood in Meehan's bathroom.
Jomo Mashaba.
Hey.
Look, um I know things have been very difficult lately but, um you know, now Fiona's pregnant, can't we just try harder to get along? What is it? Yeah.
I'm at Sam Ryan and Jomo Mashaba's house.
Tom said he found a vial of blood in Sam's office.
- I'll start in there.
- Fine.
I'll make a start in the bedroom.
Find anything? No.
Can you tell me why we found a phone call to Oliver Meehan in your phone records? That was weeks ago.
He was harassing the family of my former personal assistant, Rosa Hernandez.
Kept asking all sorts of questions about her death when they were trying to grieve.
We believe Meehan may have been working on a story concerning allegations Tom Faulkner was framed for the attempt on your life.
Framed? That's absurd.
You wouldn't have wanted Meehan clearing Faulkner's name, would you? - Well, he shot me, so - Point is how far would you go to make sure Faulkner stays locked up? Is that recent? This? It's just from cooking.
Your DNA matches a partial blood sample discovered in Oliver Meehan's flat.
Can you tell us where you were the night Oliver Meehan died? The night your wife went missing? No comment.
Nikki? This just came for you.
Oh, thanks.
- Jack? - Mm-hm? Is that what I think it is? Tom Faulkner's blood sample? This has to be from Sam.
Wait, so, first you think she stole the vial.
Now you're saying she's returned it? This was posted yesterday.
What does that mean? She's still alive? I didn't know what I was looking for last time I analysed these samples.
But Fiona's papers outline exactly where to find the genetic barcode in each cell OK.
And did you find it? What's happened? Is it Sam? I found a genetic barcode in a blood sample allegedly belonging to Tom Faulkner.
A barcode that could only have been created by your technology.
Did you have anything to do with the fabricating of evidence against Tom Faulkner? No.
The barcode is proof that your technique was used to frame an innocent man for murder.
My my work could save millions of lives.
And it could destroy the field of forensic science forever.
You know that's too big a price to pay.
Did someone ask you to fabricate the evidence against Tom? You don't understand.
I did what was necessary to get my research where it is today.
I think you should come down to the station for further questioning, OK? And forensics will need access to your apartment.
OK.
The blood at Meehan's was only a partial, degraded profile.
Technically, Jomo might not be the only match.
What if the sample came from a blood relative? David Mashaba.
- Cactus.
- Cholla Cactus.
Dad what did the police want? They think that we had something to do with the death of a journalist.
Now, I know that I didn't, so I need you to tell me that we are not involved.
David? Oh, son.
What the hell have you done? David Mashaba, I'm arresting you in connection with the murder of Oliver Meehan.
You do not need to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court.
Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
Come along, sir.
I need to search David's office.
Everything I've done with Unitas was for him.
How can I protect him now? I'm not sure you can.
Just try and be there for him.
Oliver Meehan contacted me with questions about the funding for our health passport bid suggesting that the money had come from people with ulterior motives.
He was a credible journalist, so if the story came out, then it would ruin the company.
There have been allegations about dirty money in Unitas for a while now.
Where did the money come from, David? You have to understand.
I just wanted to help my wife achieve her dream.
And show my dad I could contribute to the business.
Did you know Meehan also talked to Sam? I don't know what happened to Sam.
I swear.
That's why I wanted to handle the whole Meehan situation on my own.
That's why I went to his apartment, to try and reason with him, to try and bribe him, if necessary.
But he wouldn't listen.
We argued.
He hit me.
And I hit him back.
He just went straight down.
He was dead, just like that.
I never meant to kill him.
I thought if I threw his body over the balcony, then it might look like a suicide.
Meehan wasn't dead when you threw him over the balcony, David.
He died from the fall.
Tell us about the framing of Tom Faulkner.
A few weeks before the health passport launch, David brought a skin scraping to my laboratory.
He wanted me to engineer blood and skin samples using iPSCs and formulate the amino acids found in sweat.
It was just a one-time request, a chance to show off my technology to our investors.
If I didn't do it, the the funding we'd secured for my research would have been withdrawn.
I can't believe you could have been so naive.
So, you fabricated the evidence against Tom Faulkner? We had no idea what the samples would be used for.
We didn't even know who Tom Faulkner was.
Oh, you didn't think to ask whose DNA sample you were making or why? No.
You started to suspect that the sample you created had framed an innocent man, though.
And you still said nothing.
Jomo had been shot and and the Health Secretary was dead.
People were dying all around us.
If we'd have said anything, it would have been me and Fiona next.
I don't think you're telling us the whole truth, David.
The money you were taking must have come from somewhere.
Whoever's been backing you is still out there.
And you know who it is.
I'm not going to say anything more.
Not until I get guaranteed protection for me and my wife.
What a balls-up.
This could see Faulkner walk.
Faulkner's innocent, Ronnie.
David Mashaba can tell us who ordered the Health Secretary's assassination.
Just go and sort out a safe house for the pair of them, will you? And transport them in the morning.
The police have briefed me on everything.
Thanks.
You've proved that fabricated DNA samples exist.
What will happen to Tom now? Well, the charges against him will be dropped and he will be released in due course.
So, why did you call me here? Because what you have uncovered could derail the entire justice system.
If this information ever got out, it would be a political catastrophe.
Are you asking me to stay quiet about it? Just until we have the full picture.
Do you have any idea of how Sam fits into all this? I think she took one of Tom's fabricated blood vials from the Lyell a few weeks ago.
It arrived in the post this morning after all the other samples had been stolen.
And you think Sam sent it? Yeah.
I do.
Then where is she? There's there's something I want to tell you.
I think you'll want to know this now.
Martine? Fiona didn't just do it once.
What? Ethan Daley's son was Watch out! Martine?