Vera s07e03 Episode Script

Broken Promise

1 'Hi, I'm back, and as you can see, I've tidied! Rant of the week is going to be on a topic close to all of us.
Money.
And by money, I mean debt.
You know, the type we won't pay off in, what, 60 years maybe? And that's just the fees.
I mean, that doesn't include the 100 quid a week for the hutch here .
.
which, full disclosure, is paid for by the Bank of Dad.
Anyway, there's the debt and that's bad enough.
But then there's the whole, like commodity side of it.
I mean, this is supposed to be about learning, isn't it? About bettering our prospects.
I mean, that's what university was set up for.
But now our education and our debt is their commodity.
We are how they make money.
We are their product and they know that.
And that's why these uni committees are stuffed full with businessmen who are trying to work out ways to extract more cash from us.
And we go along with it because we've been told that we're making our lives better.
It's a total scam.
Anyway, I'm done with it.
And I know people won't listen and that I'll hack people off, but you have to speak up sometimes.
Don't you? And, Dad, if you are watching .
.
just don't worry.
You know I always land on my feet.
Excuse me, love.
The body's over there, ma'am.
- Kenny, here she is.
- Ma'am? There's at least three people over there videoing this.
Sorry, I'll have a word.
Our victim's called James Marshall.
His friends call him Jamie.
Final year, studying journalism.
21.
21, eh? Now, there's no glass, so did he come through that gap? What is that building anyway? Library? Former science building.
The body was found about ten past seven by this fella just here.
Steve Devonshire, head of security.
No eyewitnesses saw him come down, but there was a reception just here.
Well, that's a definite line of sight.
Some of them have dispersed, but I've got a guest list.
- Bet that put a dampener on the party.
- Yeah.
Right.
Hicham, I want the crime scene extended all the way down to the gate, and TIEs on everyone who visited this facility today.
And secure and search the student halls in town.
OK, Tony, what have we got? Cause of death asphyxia, from the internal bleeding.
- Conscious or not? - It's impossible to say.
What's this? - That's not blood, is it? - I'd use the word discharge.
It's due to the basilar skull fracture, which in layman's terms is -- - No, I'm all right with the proper terms.
- Of course.
He's grabbed hold of this plastic, so I'd say he came from the top.
Well, I'd better go up.
I'm guessing there's no lift.
You've got your pumps, Kenny? Ah, we have a problem, ma'am.
Apparently the structure's unsafe.
He won't give us access.
For our own safety.
Don't tell me this is a rag week prank gone wrong.
Shona Adams called, said someone was messing about up there.
And Shona Adams is? Executive in the Vice Chancellor's office.
You'll need a prints and DNA sample from me.
I checked for signs of life, then secured the scene as best I could.
- Are you ex-police? - Yeah.
- Ah.
- 26 years.
Avon and Somerset.
But you don't get used to that, do you? No.
No, you don't.
Poor lad, he must have been desperate.
You couldn't get us up there, could you? I'm sorry, my hands are tied.
Most I can do is give you this, for your own risk assessment.
Survey they had done.
Ah, come on.
I've taken a risk on more ramshackle than that.
I bet you have and all.
Surveyor's number's there.
You'd need to clear access with him.
Aiden.
I'm looking for Shona Adams.
- The lady in the black there.
- Right.
- See if anyone's taken photos.
- From the party? - The party, the building, the body.
- Right.
Shona Adams? Right? Is there somewhere quiet we can talk, love? As soon as I saw him up on the old science block, I came through here to get my phone, called Mr Devonshire right away.
- Do you have a rough idea of what time? - Yes, I could see the clock.
I had to speak at seven and it was just before.
So you didn't see him fall? No.
I went back through to the reception while I was on my phone.
It's just such a waste.
- Did you know him personally? - No, but I've been through his records.
Good student.
No trouble, no warnings.
As regards informing his family, is that something the university should? No, you'd best leave that to us, love.
The surveyor's here.
Well, that was quick.
- You called him earlier, right? - Yes.
I needed to establish the university's position vis-a-vis liability and insurance.
I can't overemphasise how unstable the structure is.
That lad walked through it without it collapsing.
Look, I'm sorry, but I think your superior would be reluctant to place you or your colleagues in danger.
Well, let's get a second opinion.
Get onto the surveyors.
Mr Greenhill, can you compromise at all? We will get access to that building.
Maybe there's a bit of wiggle room.
If you have one of our engineers with you Problem solved.
What's happening? Someone fell from the roof of the old science block.
I heard it was that guy Jamie Marshall.
How many rooms are there, Kenny? 45.
A lot of people are out at the moment, but we've found a girl who says she's his best friend.
Her name is Lucy Curran.
- She's just over there, ma'am.
- Right.
Thanks, Ken.
Lucy? We're police.
I'm Vera, this is Aiden.
We're sorry about your friend, love.
Is there someone who can come and sit with you? Did he jump? We don't know.
It's what everyone's saying.
Ah, there'll be a lot of rumours.
My advice would be to turn that thing off.
Why, do you think he might have jumped? The last couple of weeks he's been off with me.
In what way? Distant.
Not the Jamie I know.
And that's what people call him, is it? Jamie? I mean, it's important we get that right.
When did you last see Jamie? Go on.
What? This afternoon.
There was a guy banging on his door.
Banging? What, aggressively? Yeah, aggressively.
I could hear them shouting at each other.
- What time was that? - Three.
- Can you describe this fella to us? - 50, maybe.
I asked Jamie, but he said he had the wrong room.
So do you think he was lying about that? Mm? OK, love.
First thing tomorrow, I'm going to need you to come down to the station and give us a statement.
Right.
Good girl.
Kenny, don't lean on the door.
- Ma'am? - I need you to shout up a prints team.
Get this door dusted down.
And the corridor.
See what they can salvage.
- And see if there's any CCTV in the area.
- Will do.
Visitors' logs, swipe cards, the lot.
Anyone entering or leaving around 3pm today.
OK, no worries.
What did she say? - Old fella, 50s.
- Yeah, well, 50 isn't old.
Ah.
It doesn't narrow it down intelligence-wise, does it? I'll get Mark to check with Organised Crime, see what Jamie's name flags up.
- Looks like he had a party.
- Or a fight.
The computer.
Somebody's made a mess of that.
Yeah, and why would they do that? See if Mark can recover the hard drive, asap.
There are cheques here from a newspaper.
Was he selling stories about the place? Hm.
Political scandals .
.
organised crime, corruption you get on.
What do you make of this? I don't know.
Looks like one of those Pinterest things people do on the internet.
Yeah, but that's out in cyberspace, isn't it? This is the back of his wardrobe.
It's a positive on alcohol in the bloodstream.
- So it's just booze? Nothing else? - Just booze.
But enough to impair judgement, lose motor stability.
Maybe he just fell, then? Well, if he was pushed, I can't give you anything to support that.
I'm sorry.
Right, OK.
Thanks, Tony.
Oh, Vera? There are, however, signs of another attack, but not that killed him.
See that, and there? Now, these are recent.
- What, from today? - No, at least a couple of days old.
It looks as though somebody's grabbed him, like that, and then So he was beaten up, just a couple of days before he died.
- Dr Carmichael, this just got sent on a bike.
- Thanks.
- Is that his? - Mm-hm.
Oh.
Right.
OK.
- What? - It's not quite what I thought.
The discharge from his nose, that wasn't from a basilar skull fracture.
Right.
- I've made a misjudgement.
I'm sorry.
- Ah, shut up.
We've all done that.
You see this? Displaced septum.
He was punched? Yep.
Single blow to the nose, considerable force.
And you missed it, because there's no bruising .
.
because the blow was struck just before his heart stopped, - which means he was punched and then he fell.
- Correct.
Right.
Mark, the victim's mobile.
Get on to the network provider.
I want a list of all calls and texts, and copies - of any recent photos he might have taken.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Hicham, where are we on next of kin? - No change.
- What? - Wrong surname.
He enrolled as James Marshall, but his birth name was James Stoddart.
- He changed it by deed poll four years ago.
- Well, chase that, then.
Plus the next of kin details he gave the university, father and sister, - they don't exist.
- What do you mean, they don't exist? He's gone to a lot of trouble to cover his birth identity.
A lot of trouble.
- His real parents must be somewhere.
- Well, let's find them, Kenny.
So what does this tell us, hm? He was secretive.
He was leading a double life.
What? And throwing himself into it, head first.
- Is that meant to be funny? - No.
No.
- Well, Jamie Marshall was a serial vlogger.
- A what? Vlogger.
It's video logs.
Look, loads of talk about politics, injustice, stuff like that.
But this made-up family of his, he goes on about them all the time.
His dad was an investment banker and his sister was doing a PhD in Shanghai.
He's really proud of them.
Right, so he's a fantasist.
Goes to university, reinvents himself.
Yeah.
More to the point, see if Jamie Stoddart has a criminal record.
Next on the list.
- Right, now let's have a look at his latest video.
- Oh, I've not finished it yet.
- Well, let's see what you've got.
- Yeah.
'.
.
deal with all this and, sort of, why will no-one talk to us? It's time to take a stand, everyone.
It's time to make our voices heard.
Unless your voice doesn't agree with mine and then, well Here you are.
This is the knocking that Lucy heard.
So here comes our angry 50-year-old.
- It's not the end.
- Well, fast-forward to the end.
You know what? See, I know a lot of things about a lot of people .
.
and I can make 'em pay, you see.
It's kamikaze time! He's on self-destruct.
Less than two hours before he died.
What on earth was this lad mixed up in? And who was he going to make pay? He looked after me.
There are a lot of public-school types in our halls, but he had my back.
He just got on with everyone.
That's why this doesn't make sense.
Was there anyone else in his life? Did he have a girlfriend? In the first year, yeah.
Karen, an American girl.
Went back.
No-one since? - Not in three years? - No.
Their break-up was a bit of a nightmare.
I think he was really hurt by it.
Were you ever his girlfriend? No.
Wasn't ever like that.
OK.
Right.
Well, thanks for coming in, love.
Have you met his dad or his sister? I think his sister's in Shanghai and his dad travels a lot for business.
Ah.
We think he made 'em up.
- Made them up? - Mm.
But who'll look after him? Who does the funeral? Right.
Guests at the party.
Have we found them? - How many and what are they telling us? - 83 and counting, but, so far, no-one saw him fall or saw anyone enter or leave the building.
Oh, brilliant! Kenny? Sorry, ma'am, nothing to put Jamie or anyone else up on that building.
You're kidding me.
They've got to have found something.
Should have used that Celtic charm of yours, Kenny.
Now, Mark, criminal records? No.
He's clean, as James Marshall and James Stoddart.
So we've got nothing.
Right.
Main line of inquiry, apart from locating relatives, is who attacked him last week? Now is it this 50-something male who he threatened the day he died, according to his mate Lucy? And why after this confrontation did he go 'kamikaze time'? Do we take that at face value? Planning to top himself - and take others with him? - Well Or do we take it the opposite way? That he was planning to sacrifice himself for the good of others? That's interesting.
Now, Hicham, money.
Check his bank accounts, credit cards, student loan, the lot.
See if there's a link to anyone who might have been chasing him.
When we heard about it, I was going to text him, ask him to cover the story.
- I never dreamed it would be him.
- Oh.
So that's what you paid him for, is it? Stories from the campus? More or less, yeah.
There's always a market for, you know, antics, student politics, that sort of thing.
Did he ever cover crime stories? Investigate anything? No, no.
I wouldn't have asked him to do anything that would put him in danger.
So he wouldn't have come into contact with anyone who might have been, you know, a bit dodgy? Not on my watch, no.
That said, he did tell me he was working on something that would ruffle feathers.
And what was that? (Oh, bloody hell.
) - What? Go on.
- He was a lovely lad.
I hope he didn't embroil himself in something just to impress me.
So you're saying he might have ruffled feathers.
I don't know for sure, but I just wasn't listening.
I should have sat him down, but I .
.
I encouraged him.
Right, every story he worked on, whether you ran it or not, I'll need copies.
- Absolutely.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
- Thanks, love.
I'd like you to think back to when you last saw him.
- No.
- Have a good look.
No.
- No, no recollections? - No.
Sorry.
Just hold on a second.
Excuse me.
Excuse me! Yes, you! Can you just hang back a minute? We're talking to everyone who was on the rugby team.
- Why? - Why? Because you were all training at Stephenson Priory on Monday.
- No, I wasn't! - Oi! Aiden? Refusing to say a word till his representation arrives.
Are those the statements from the teammates? Yeah.
Very useful they were.
Has that lad's lawyer showed up yet? No.
Why? Alan Marston.
You're kidding me.
- What? - That lad you've just pulled out, Rory Marston, his old man just happens to be the defence lawyer from hell.
Kenny's been on a few sliding tackles from old Alan Marston, haven't you, pet? You don't want to go into the witness box with that toe-rag unless you've got a cast-iron case, because he will rip the The boy has a lecture at four o'clock.
I'd like him to be there.
Oh.
Are you talking as his father or his lawyer, pet? Both.
I thought you'd have bumped yourself upstairs by now.
I like to keep my hand in at the coalface.
- Hard but fair, eh? - Always.
- Why is he here? - Because he lied to my sergeant.
- He was near our crime scene, said he wasn't.
- He didn't lie.
He wanted to avoid questions because he had to be elsewhere.
- Simple as that.
- Why not just say that then? Perhaps he's never spoken to a police officer before.
And What? Rory's younger sister goes into surgery later today.
He wanted to see her.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Alan.
But I do need to question Rory.
But you can bring him back later, if you like.
- What time would suit? - Let's just get it cleared up.
Did you know a Jamie Marshall? Not really.
I'd seen him around.
Well, did you know him or didn't you? I didn't know him.
Yesterday evening, what was the route of your practice run? A loop from the changing rooms, through the woodland path, back to the Priory.
What time did you leave? Quarter to seven.
What time did you get back? I'm not sure.
About quarter past.
Ah, now, now, now, according to your teammates, you got back at half past.
Now these are their statements, and they reckon you got in about 15 minutes after everyone else, and you were badly out of breath, even though you're the fittest member of the squad.
- No comment.
- The boy's dead, Rory.
This is serious, son.
Now, these guys need to get this cleared up, and the family deserve to know what happened.
So, please.
Answer the question.
I had a few beers in the afternoon, so I wasn't really at it at training.
You were drinking in the afternoon? So between 6:55pm and 7:10 yesterday evening, did you detour from your training run to the old science block? No.
- Did you see Jamie Marshall at Stephenson's Priory last evening? - No.
Do you know who was up on that building with him? - Maybe no-one was up there with him.
- Ah, no, no.
Someone was with him.
That much we do know.
OK.
Rory, did you have anything to do with the death of James Marshall? No.
Of course I didn't.
- You're sure about that? - Absolutely.
So unless you have trace evidence or eyewitnesses that can place Rory at the scene of Jamie's death, we're done.
Are we done? You can go.
I'd call that a nil-nil draw.
Alan Marston knows how to play the game, doesn't he? He even showed his sympathy for the victim.
- Ah, he always does that.
- Aye, he does.
Ah, maybe he means it.
So what's his wife like? She died when the kids were young.
He brought them up on his own.
- Mark Dug anything up on the deceased? - A full financial profile.
He maxed out on four credit cards plus three online loans, not to mention a two-grand overdraft.
Right, so that's how he keeps up the rich-kid image.
Any progress on family? Father's a Derek Stoddart, but I don't have a current address.
Seems to have moved a fair few times in the last two years.
Last place, upped sticks and defaulted on the rent.
Well, that's not exactly the mark of an investment banker, is it? Or maybe it is these days.
Hang on.
What's a young posh lad like Jamie doing down the Dog And Crown? There was a metro ticket in his stuff.
I'll see if there's images of him.
Well, he was down there twice last week, which fits timewise with when he took that beating.
If Jamie was looking for trouble, that pub is certainly the place to find it.
Aye.
Listen, son.
If I don't know everything, I can't help you.
Oi, don't touch that! Yeah.
The two of them sat over there in the corner.
- So the person he was with, male or female? - A bloke.
Right, what were they doing? Talking, drinking.
You know, it's a pub.
Was there any aggro between them? Not that I noticed.
Now, this bloke the lad was with, is he a regular? Nah, he's not a regular.
He pops in every now and then for a tea-timer.
- Have you got a name? - No.
But I know where he works.
Er, Lexi and Jo on the back wall.
On the back wall! Ready, steady - Excuse me.
Mr Holland? - Yeah.
Mr Holland, can we have a word, sir? We're just wondering if you could help us at all? Yeah, if I can.
Right.
Do you recognise this fella? Yeah, I know him.
Well, what happened? - How well do you know him? - Um, not that well.
But you spent two nights in the pub with him last week.
Yeah.
Um, he was writing a book about my dad.
He was one of the guys trapped in the Allenby Pit back in the '70s.
Yes, I remember.
Some miners were trapped underground.
Three days, wasn't it? Yeah.
Jamie traced me.
He was looking for stories, anecdotes.
Did he talk about himself at all? Not much.
I tend to go on a bit when I'm talking about my dad.
He didn't mention anything that was troubling him, you know, in passing? Anything? No.
I couldn't say.
Sorry.
Only it's our understanding that he was the victim of a violent assault during the two days we're talking about.
And you'd think it'd be something that might come up.
It honestly didn't.
Can I ask where you were yesterday, between 6:00 and 8:00pm? - Yesterday? - Mm.
- That's when he died? - It's just so we can rule you out.
I was on my own.
Um, things were quiet here, so I knocked off early.
Gayle went home.
I went for a walk along the coastal path.
You see anyone? Speak to anyone? Anyone who can verify that? No.
Sorry.
- You're expecting? - Twins.
IVF.
We've been trying for three years.
Well, thanks for your time, Mr Holland.
Writing a book about something that happened 40 years ago.
That doesn't sound like the Jamie Marshall we've been getting to know, does it? No, it doesn't.
- Hicham.
- Got the dad.
I'll text you the address.
Good work! We've found the father.
Now, we'll go straight over.
Now, listen, Hicham, I want you to run a check on an Ian Holland.
He's got a bouncy castle down on South Shields.
And go through Jamie's things and see if there's anything about an Allenby mining disaster back in the '70s.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Right.
Good lad.
Are you on Facebook? No! I'm Rory Marston's sister, Jennifer.
She was diagnosed with acute kidney failure last November.
The operation's a transplant.
Tell him that you're feeling OK.
I am, Rory.
I really am.
- This can't be it.
- That's what he said.
14, Sherwood Road.
He also said his dad was an investment banker.
Amplethorpe Cars.
Window smashed here.
Hello? It's the police.
Can you open up, please? - Derek Stoddart? - Aye.
DCI Stanhope.
Can we come in, love? - What have I done? - Ah What happened to your window? Yeah, it's smashed.
- What window? - The upstairs window.
All right if we come up, sir? - Can you not touch that, please? - What's this? 'Your boy is dead.
' Mr Stoddart.
- Could you put that in there, please? - I'll go and check with the neighbours.
- What's this mean? - I'm so sorry, love.
That smashed window.
- You didn't hear anything? - I was out for the count.
When did you last see Jamie? Not since he left for uni.
A woman heard glass smashing early this morning.
Now, Jamie went off to uni four years ago.
How is it you've not seen him since then? I don't know.
He just .
.
didn't want anything to do with me any more.
I tried my best.
For both of them.
- Both of them? - Jamie and Bridget, his sister.
She died.
Heroin.
Just before Jamie left.
Oh, I'm so sorry, love.
What about his mam? She passed away not long after Bridget was born.
They're all gone now, eh? Hey.
Hey.
You might want to ease up on that, love.
Do you have any idea who might have done this? No.
I keep myself to myself.
Don't get involved in anyone's business.
Is there anyone we can call? Have someone come and keep you company.
There's no-one.
Better to pass out than fall asleep.
Better to come round than wake up, eh? Hey.
Now you make sure you get that window fixed, all right? And needless to say, you'll not be driving your taxi today, will you, pet? - Poor bloke.
- Ah.
His own son turning his back on him.
If my lad ever did that to me, I don't know what I'd do.
What did you do? At university? Business studies.
Yeah? Never had you down as an Alan Sugar.
So did people often reinvent themselves at uni then? Well, some people did.
I mean, not to the extent that Jamie did.
That's not the norm, I'd say.
So what was his motive, do you reckon? Embarrassment? Ambition? Maybe he felt like his background was holding him back.
His dad's not telling us everything, I know that much.
What did you study at uni? Oh, isn't that obvious, pet? Nutrition.
I want the prints on that.
Now, have you done the background check on Derek Stoddart yet? - I'm in the throes of it, yes.
- Yeah? Anyone with a grudge? That brick could be some random with a sick sense of humour.
His death was reported as Jamie Marshall, wasn't it? So whoever lobbed this brick knew his real identity.
Ma'am.
You're going to want to see this.
CCTV from the metro station near the Dog And Crown.
- Oh, right.
- I've found Jamie's attacker.
Good work! Can you make that bigger? Rewind it.
- There.
- That's Ian Holland.
Kenny! Did you find anything on Ian Holland? Only just his DBS.
His name does ping up on the database, but nothing criminal.
What? A hit-and-run? All right, let's bring him in.
So what is he? Half your age? Ah, don't tell me -- it looks more vicious than it was.
A simple misunderstanding.
What was that about? All right.
Now earlier, you told me you went for a walk yesterday evening.
Did you take any little detours whilst you was on your evening stroll? I was visiting my son.
Where? Walton Way Cemetery.
Ah.
Nicholas.
Victim of a hit-and-run five years ago.
No witnesses.
- I'm sorry about that, sir.
- Sorry enough to have caught the driver? So why did you come to blows? All that stuff about the book on Allenby? - That was a lie.
- Ah, now we have it.
Not my lie, his lie.
He was using it as a way in with me.
Turned out what he wanted to write about was Nicky, how it'd messed my life up, how it'd split me up with Nicky's mum.
- So you lost your temper? - It's not something that's healed.
- I can see it was the wrong thing to do.
- Aye, it was.
This is Nicky.
You see that on his neck? Eczema.
Terrible, it was.
But you know what? He never complained.
Not once.
He just got on with it.
Even this age, he was twice the man I was.
I just feel rage.
All the time.
It's just always there.
What do you think? Why was Jamie so interested in his son? - Do we need to press charges? - Oh, aye.
- What good will it do? - Ah, nothing.
No good will come of any of it.
Ma'am? Uniform took these off the party guests.
Oh, right.
Who's that? Alan Marston.
- Impressive.
- Yeah, well.
His company's got a finger in every pie.
Tax law, company law, patents, overseas investments, you name it.
Ah, Mr Marston.
I'm in a bit of a hurry.
You didn't tell us you were at the Law Faculty party the night Jamie died.
Yes.
I'm still involved with the university.
It's where I studied.
But we appealed for all the party guests to come forward.
- You didn't.
- I didn't witness anything.
I didn't see the point.
It's my job to decide what's relevant to the case and what isn't.
- You're right.
- Mm.
I've been a bit preoccupied.
- How is Jennifer? - We'll know in the next 24 hours.
- Now, if you don't mind, I have to get -- - No, this won't take long.
Thank you.
I arrived at the reception at 5:30 and I left at 7:15.
- And were you there the whole time? - Yes.
- You didn't go outside at any point? - No.
I didn't go outside at any point.
Yes, only we've got these time-coded photos of you at the party.
But between 6:40pm and 7:15pm, you don't show up in any of 'em.
And Jamie was murdered between five to seven and ten past.
I'm sure there were a lot of guests at the party who don't show up in random photos taken between those times.
Mm.
Did you see your son while you were up there? He was running nearby.
No, I didn't.
What, even though you only go to the place occasionally? Trying to fool me into covering for my son is a low blow, Vera.
Well, even if you had, I wouldn't have thought anything by it.
Perfectly natural.
And that's your expert opinion on being a parent? You're right about one thing, though.
It was a low blow.
Thanks for your time, Alan.
He's rattled, isn't he? Why is he so rattled? Cos he's a man who's not used to being caught out.
Or he knows more about what Rory was doing on Monday night than he's letting on.
Yeah.
This is DS Healy.
Where are we with Stephenson Priory? SOCOs have finished at the crime scene.
It's not great, I'm afraid.
Absolutely nothing.
Three full sweeps.
No footprints, no skin flecks.
There's got to be something.
There's something we're all missing.
Excuse me! I thought you were finished here.
Yeah, we'll be finished when I say so.
I'm responsible for getting the place locked up.
Well, we'll let you know as soon as we're done, Mr Greenhill.
We've already had one fatality here.
Look, I'm a big girl.
He's a witness.
On my own head be it.
Could you get here from the reception, kill that lad and then saunter back in ten minutes? I reckon it's possible, yeah.
Might be tight, but it's possible.
'I know a lot of things about a lot of people .
.
and I can make them pay.
' Hm? OK.
Why here? Is he looking for somewhere to hide? Looking for safety, knowing that he's followed? Ah, it's possible.
It's not exactly a great place to arrange to meet someone, is it? Yeah.
But then, that said, it's definitely quiet.
Wouldn't be overheard.
That's a good place for a set-to.
He's drunk, hell-bent on a confrontation and he gets one.
- Unlucky punch? - Hm.
Or maybe the killer didn't intend for him to fall? But if our victim provoked that punch, that suggests he planned to come here, doesn't it? But why here? What's the link? That's ten minutes fast.
Miss Adams, a detail.
You told us you called Mr Devonshire at five to.
Is that right? - You said you looked at the clock.
- Because I was speaking at seven, yes.
Ah.
- Oh, my God.
It's fast, isn't it? - Mm-hm.
I know that! Now can I see the phone you called Security on? Of course.
I I'm so sorry.
Yep.
Call to Steve Devonshire at 18:45, not 18:55.
Have I mucked everything up? And when you spoke to Mr Devonshire and told him there was someone up there messing about, how did he react? Well, he said he'd deal with it.
Said he'd be over right away.
- And was he? - I didn't actually see.
- I was focused on my speech.
- Ah, yes.
Your big speech.
- It's a big job.
- Yes.
So you don't strike me as being a woman who might so easily get mixed up with the time.
I'd drunk a couple of glasses by the time we spoke.
OK.
If you say so.
- Do you buy that? - Well, maybe.
She's not linked to the deceased.
Doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd chuck a rock through somebody's window.
Clearly has an alibi, even with the time change.
But she seems more interested in lawsuits and insurance.
Maybe something's being covered up here.
Something to do with that building.
- Mr Devonshire.
- Ah.
Hi.
Hey.
You're in fine shape for a man your age.
- I'm guessing you work out? Whereas me - Yes.
I'm not the Intermediate Schools 400-metre champion I once was.
Yet it's only taken me, what, 12 minutes to get from the science block to here.
Whereas you, on Monday, took a full 25 minutes to get from here to the science block.
Now why was that? Well, I think you might be getting your facts wrong.
And I think you might want to give your solicitor a buzz.
We know there's nearly half an hour between him being told Jamie's up there and him finding him dead.
That much we know.
So what was he doing in the meantime? - On a 14-minute call to John Greenhill.
- What, that surveyor? That would fit with your cover-up theory.
Except you can't cover up something that hasn't happened yet.
Right.
This call came before Jamie died.
All he knew at this point, via Shona Adams, is that there was someone messing about on that building.
Him and the surveyor were plotting a cover-up? Or plotting something else.
Now, 14 minutes and 26 seconds, Mr Devonshire.
So what on earth were you and Mr Greenhill talking about all that time? All right.
I I took my eye off the ball.
Maybe if I'd got there sooner when I should have -- - You haven't answered -- - John's my brother-in-law.
- John Greenhill? - Yeah, that's right.
Him and Alice, my sister, they're going through a bit of a rough patch.
I've been trying to play peacemaker.
So at best we're looking at dereliction of duty, that right? I just thought Shona was in a flap.
Students mess about.
You know what it's like.
As I say, I took my eye off the ball.
I'm sorry.
I've been looking at your service record.
It says here, 'Highly efficient, dedicated and rigorous officer.
' Mm! So what personality change did you have, that when a lad is larking about on a dangerous building, you, as head of the university's security, choose to spend 14 minutes on the phone playing marriage guidance counsellor? I don't know where you think you're going with this, - but I did not go near that boy before he died.
- Doesn't mean you don't know who did.
So come on, Mr Devonshire.
What were you really talking about? - No comment.
- Well, it must have been interesting, to take precedence over an urgent call from Shona Adams.
Were you giving someone the chance to get away? No comment.
Have a word.
I will keep asking.
- Where are we with Greenhill? - Devonshire's his brother-in-law.
Claims he was at a Chamber of Commerce dinner on Monday evening.
Yeah, well, even if he wasn't, it doesn't mean they're not involved in that lad's death.
I want a full background check on the pair of them.
- Ma'am.
- What? Prints from the door of Jamie's flat belong to Derek Stoddart.
So drunk he forgot he went to see his own son? Mr Stoddart? Open up! Police! He's on the floor.
Get that door open.
Call an ambulance.
Mr Stoddart? Mr Stoddart, love? He's still breathing.
I'll check the ambulance.
They're taking him to the hospital now.
I need you to get over there, Kenny.
He's in a bad way and as soon as he's conscious, I need to know.
Have you got that? 'Will do.
' A witness over there saw a bloke banging on the door earlier.
The description fits - Fits Ian Holland.
- Yeah.
Couldn't be closer.
- He came straight here from being bailed.
- Aye.
- Why would he beat up Jamie, then his dad? - Why do you think, love? - Revenge? - Revenge.
If you thought Derek Stoddart was responsible for your son's death, you should have come to us.
Did Jamie tell you it was his dad who was the hit-and-run driver? Eventually.
'I want to honour Allenby and what they went through'? He got what he deserved.
A violent death? That wasn't me.
Mr Holland? This way, please.
Do you honestly expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this lad's death? I mean, look at this.
Here's you knocking him about.
Here's his old man.
Look at him! Now that is a vicious, savage attack.
I'll confess to putting that note through Stoddart's window.
I'll confess to attacking him.
I've said I lost my rag with Jamie, too.
But that's as far as it went, though God knows I thought about it.
That boy is just as guilty as his dad, really, but that doesn't mean I -- Hey, hold on.
Hold on.
What do you mean, 'just as guilty as his dad'? Jamie was in the car.
He saw his dad kill my son! And for five years he never said a word.
That's guilt.
That's wrong.
That lad knew it was wrong, Mr Holland.
He was ashamed of his old man.
And I believe he approached you, to tell you that.
So why did I have to beat it out of him? Probably couldn't find the words, love.
And I expect he was scared of what you might do.
Wasn't wrong there, was he? I mean, why would he kill the one witness who saw Stoddart run over his lad? So, could Stoddart have killed his own son? Well, that's more than possible.
Keep digging.
- You'll want to hear this.
- Eh? Yeah.
- Ma'am.
- What? Greenhill and Devonshire.
They're not just related.
They're both non-executives of a Jersey-based company.
- What sort of company? - Property.
Tyneford Estates.
- Tyneford? - Yeah.
They purchased the science block to develop it into luxury student accommodation.
Did they indeed? - How much for? - One pound, with an undertaking to make the necessary structural repairs detailed in the survey.
And before the survey, how much was the building worth? Its market value is £1.
8 million, and our forensic accountant reckons once it's developed, it'll be worth £8 million to £10 million.
Bloody hell.
A £1 stake for all that? That's Jamie's big story.
His kamikaze mission.
In there.
Ma'am.
Stay exactly where you are, Mr Greenhill.
Do not move.
Do not touch your phone or your computer.
I have a warrant here to search these premises, and a second warrant to arrest you on suspicion of fraud.
Did Jamie Marshall know about your little scam? Is that why he's dead? I was nowhere near that boy.
I'd never heard of him until I read about it in the papers.
Ma'am.
We've got our surveyors' results on the science block.
Now, then, Mr Devonshire, our structural engineers have been over this.
Greenhill's survey is complete fiction.
Nothing wrong with that building.
Which begs the question, did Jamie Marshall know about that? Listen to me.
I was nowhere near that building! Do you mean the building at the centre of a multi-million-pound swindle? The building from which a young, ambitious investigative journalist fell to his death? Now if you were me, and you once were me, what would you make of that? I'd never heard of Jamie Marshall until this happened.
Don't you underestimate me, love.
Mark.
Ma'am? We need more.
Go back through Jamie's computer, his hard drive.
And what about his phone records? Why aren't they on my desk? We're still waiting on the network provider.
Now if Jamie was onto this fraud, and I think he was, I need proof.
- I need proof, love.
- Yes, ma'am.
Hello? 'Were you ever struck by the similarities between Jamie's family and Rory Marston's?' I suppose so, if you exclude poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction 'One, absent mother.
' Two, brought up by the father.
And three, both with vulnerable younger sisters.
That's a bit odd, that, isn't it? Could try a little nip of malt.
Yeah, I think you'll find you get put in prison for that these days.
Hm.
There's Jamie's mood board, full of happy families.
'Yeah, I suppose so.
He's jealous.
So what?' Yeah, well, maybe he was.
I mean, Rory's this golden boy, isn't he? He's got everything in life that Jamie wanted.
'Are you still there?' - Ma'am? - Lucy Curran.
She's Rory Marston's girlfriend.
How did we not know that? Of course Jamie and Rory knew each other.
They They met through me.
When was that? When I first started going out with Rory, about a year ago.
So, through you, Rory and Jamie would have spent quite a lot of time in each other's company? Ah yes.
I suppose.
Only, when we spoke to Rory, he told us he didn't know Jamie.
And he certainly didn't tell us that Jamie was his girlfriend's best friend.
Now why would he keep that from us? Is Rory the jealous type? No, I wouldn't say that.
Look, I'm going to have to ask, love, was there something going on between you and Jamie? No.
There wasn't.
Ever.
Maybe Rory got a sense of this and he was jealous.
No.
Rory didn't like Jamie.
He didn't not like Jamie.
He was indifferent to Jamie.
No-one was indifferent to Jamie.
He made his mark wherever he went.
He got noticed.
And you're telling me, after all that time they spent together, Rory didn't notice Jamie, he was indifferent? Yes.
When did you last see Rory, love? Monday night.
He came to my place.
And what time was that? About midnight.
After you'd been through Jamie's flat and talked to me.
And how did Rory seem? He was upset.
Upset? But you just told me upstairs that he was indifferent to Jamie.
- Because he was upset for me.
- Oh.
Rory takes things to heart, you know? He was He was crying.
We just held each other and He knew how much I cared for Jamie, so he was upset for me, I guess.
Crying? - Mark.
Jamie's phone records.
- Yes, ma'am.
I've got them.
- Finally.
- Yeah, but there's nothing in there about Tyneford Estates, Greenhill or Devonshire.
I mean, as an investigative journalist, he might have used a pay-as-you-go.
Well, we don't have that.
I want to see the texts.
Ah, well, that's where it gets interesting.
They're the most recent.
I'm right.
Rory Marston and Jamie Marshall were in a relationship.
We'll have to monitor your kidney function but you must continue with the immunosuppressants and I think you'll recover extremely well.
Thanks.
Thank you so much.
I'll leave you to it.
You're going to be OK, Jenny.
- Your daughter on the mend? - Yes.
Well, that's good news, Alan.
That's good.
But we need to talk to Rory, about your relationship with Jamie Marshall.
- Vera - It's OK, Dad.
We've seen his texts, Rory.
All last weekend, wondering why you dumped him, wanting to meet and talk, saying how much he loved you, didn't understand why you dumped him.
Now, because you ignored him, he got angry, drunk and angry, - and went to meet you out at the Priory.
- No.
- That's not right.
I didn't see him on Monday.
- So why did he go out there? He had a lot of things going on in his head and and he was a bit intense, and I couldn't deal with it and Jennifer was ill, so .
.
I ended it.
After that, I couldn't face him.
You shouldn't have lied to us.
I didn't want Lucy to get hurt.
Now, we know Jamie had been distant with Lucy.
Maybe he wanted to tell your girlfriend the truth, come clean.
Is that how the pair of you ended up on that building? Hm? Arguing about it? He's drunk, a loose cannon, things got out of hand? - No! That's wrong.
- Is it? That's all wrong.
You can't prove anything.
You're your father's son, right enough.
Now, there's a pattern here, Rory.
Every time you lie to me, I find out the truth.
So I'll ask you again.
This is your last chance.
Did you see Jamie at Stephenson Priory on Monday? No.
OK.
Derek Stoddart's regained consciousness.
Can you remind me when you last saw your son? Before he went to uni.
Years ago.
Only we know you saw him just hours before he died.
Your prints are all over the door.
And we've got a witness who saw and heard you shouting at him.
So why were you threatening Jamie? Was it because he wanted you to own up, take responsibility for killing Nicky Holland? Is that it? I don't know what you're on about.
Well, you did kill Ian Holland's son, didn't you? Hit-and-run.
So this argument with Jamie did you go up to the Priory later on and lamp him one, and he fell? - No.
- No? Where were you between 6pm and 8pm on Monday? Home, passed out.
Find me anyone that tells otherwise.
Ah, that's what you rely on, is it? No witnesses, apart from your son, of course.
That's how you got away with killing Nicky Holland.
Your son was ashamed of you for not owning up.
Invented a whole new family for himself.
Well, something nasty must have happened for him to do that.
Mr Stoddart, did you kill Nicky Holland? - No.
I didn't.
- Well, I think you did.
And the one person who saw you do it is also dead.
Did you kill him, too? No.
Right, CPS are happy.
We've got enough to charge Devonshire and Greenhill with fraud.
Good.
Just got to prove Jamie knew what they were up to.
Motive.
- I need to speak to someone! - You need to rest.
- Can you listen to me? - Is that Jennifer? - Who's in charge? - Come on I'm in charge, love.
DCI Stanhope.
What's the matter? This is the guy that turned up in my room.
- When? - Before my op.
Monday.
Rory.
Call me back as soon as you get this.
Please.
Rory? I thought it was the medication.
But, you know, he was just standing there, staring at me.
And it was definitely this lad? Did he say what he wanted? He was looking for Rory.
He just had this look of complete hate on his face.
I mean, I don't know if he was trying to scare me but I was scared.
He was drunk.
Did you tell your family? Of course.
I phoned Rory.
And you told Rory this fella was frightening you? - And what did he say? Was he angry? - Yeah, of course.
He said he'd talk to him that evening.
But he can't have done, cos that's when the boy died.
So you're telling me that Rory intended to confront this fella.
No.
Rory would never hurt anyone.
Kenny? I need you to find Rory Marston and bring him in.
'What's the charge, ma'am?' Well, what do you think? The murder of Jamie Marshall.
Rory, you need to stop running.
You can't run from this, son.
I'm here for you .
.
but you can't do this on your own.
'I love you, no matter what.
' He's not here.
I don't know where he is, but something's happened between him and Lucy.
Ma'am, he's not answering his phone.
They've tried all around here, his dad's house.
Nothing.
- Well, have we spoken to his dad? - Yeah.
Says he's no idea.
Huh.
Course he hasn't.
Lucy? What's happened? Look at me, pet.
What's happened? It was all lies, wasn't it? - Did Rory hurt you at all? - He told me the truth, about him and Jamie.
He said the lies were over and the truth had to come out.
He wasn't making any sense.
He looked like he was going to lash out.
Lucy, you have to tell me everything.
He said he didn't mean it.
Jamie just fell.
He told you he saw Jamie that night? He just kept saying it was an accident and Jamie just fell because he was drunk and You need to find him.
- Please, you need to find him.
- We will.
If he loved Jamie .
.
why would he hurt him? Right, so we've got Rory admitting to Lucy that he did it.
- Well, that's uncorroborated.
- Yeah, I know, but he's our best bet for this.
All the circumstantial evidence, all the hearsay, does point to him, doesn't it? But we've got an opportunity here.
He's unstable, he wants to talk.
All we've got to do is find him.
Well, there is one place we haven't looked.
Ma'am? We just recovered this from Jamie's laptop.
We've got to find that lad before his father does.
There he is.
Get an ambulance here, now.
- Shall I seal off the area? - It's a bit late for that, love.
Mr Marston.
Mr Marston, it's all under control.
We'll deal with it.
- No.
He's my son.
- I'm sorry, sir.
I can't let you through.
Vera.
He needs his dad.
Oh, go on.
Rory? Rory! Alan, don't frighten him.
Rory.
Just Just come away from the edge, eh? Do as your dad says, Rory.
You need to face this.
- Let's get you home.
- The boy's got something to get off his chest.
You can't do this, Vera, and you know you can't.
He's already confessed to another witness.
Confessed what? What is it you want to tell us, Rory? Rory, please.
Don't say another word.
It's all my fault.
If I hadn't hurt him, none of this would have happened.
Jennifer told us you were looking for Jamie, so did you find him up here? The pair of you got into a fight? Is that it? No.
- He fell.
- How do you know that? Were you up here with him? You're trying to get him to incriminate himself under duress.
OK.
Early hours of Tuesday morning last week Alan, where were you? I'm sorry? It's a simple question.
Early hours of Tuesday morning, last week, where were you? Manchester.
Overnight, on business.
Mm.
So did you invite Jamie into your dad's house that night? And did he ask to look at your dad's things? You never told me this.
Dad, I'm sorry.
I asked him to stay and then then I woke up and I found him creeping round the house.
He was there for a reason, wasn't he, Alan? I don't know what you're talking about.
Tyneford Estates.
See, Jamie was putting together a newspaper story exposing a scheme to defraud the university out of millions of pounds.
DS Healy? We retrieved these files from Jamie's hard drive.
Photos of documents tagged at 2am last Tuesday.
All the usual smoke and mirrors.
Shell companies, dummy investments, offshore trusts.
But what Jamie found in your house proves that you're an investor in Tyneford Estates.
That's not true.
Ah, come on, Alan.
You know this implicates you.
Jamie was going to expose the whole scheme.
He was going to make people pay.
Jamie fell, Dad.
OK.
Look, this has gone far enough.
It stops now.
My son needs help.
You said he was drunk and he fell! Rory, are you saying your dad was up here with Jamie? Jamie fell.
Rory, the only thing we know about Jamie's death is that he was punched immediately before he fell.
No Dad? Dad? You've got no witnesses.
You can't prove anything.
Oh, I have motive and now I've got your boy - confirming you were up here with our victim.
- He didn't actually see me come up here.
You haven't got a single eyewitness.
You know I'm going to pin this on you, Alan.
I'll turn your life, your house, your whole world upside down.
Your son's been lying for you.
You can't leave him like that, Alan, knowing you killed the lad he loved.
You need to tell the truth, Alan.
Not to me.
To your boy.
Jamie got me to meet him up here.
It was OK, he said, the building wasn't dangerous .
.
and he could prove it.
I tried to buy him off.
He didn't want money, he said.
He wanted justice.
And you, Rory.
But the more he talked, the more he ranted.
I realised it wasn't about justice, it wasn't about you.
It was really about our family.
He was jealous of what we have.
He wanted to destroy us.
Me in prison, you and Jennifer alone.
I couldn't stand the thought that he might be using you .
.
so I lashed out.
I'm sorry, son.
We need to be sure beyond reasonable doubt.
I punched him, in the face.
I punched him as hard as I could.
Alan Marston, I am arresting you for the murder of Jamie Marshall.
You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.
He didn't mean for him to fall.
- Do you believe him? - Yes.
I do.
Allegation of fraud.
He'll wriggle out of that.
It was the attack on his family he couldn't stomach.
- Can you finish up here, love? - Yes, ma'am.
Ma'am? 400-metre champion? Aye.
You'd better believe it! Hurdles!
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