Chasing Shadows (2014): Season 1, Episode 3 - Off Radar: Part 1 - full transcript

Chasing Shadows

Season 1 - Episode 03
Part 1 of 2

Subtitles by Deluxe
Sync: Marocas62

You can sit in my office
and play on your phone.

OK?
But you'll need to be quiet.

How is this suddenly my fault?

What are you doing?

You didn't tell me
a system was in place.

I meant in my office.
You never come into my office.

Your intranet says
all missing persons

could be categorised
under five headings -



runaways, throwaways,
fallaways, pushaways, takeaways.

Someone's in mine.

It's not a system, Sean.

It's a way of providing context.

I've looked through
all the open files

and identified cases
that don't fit into any of those.

This is my son, Bryan.

However,
looking more closely,

there are factors
that could have led each

to have become pushaways
or even takeaways.

All except one.

- I recognise him.
- Stephen Eli.

You were the analyst who helped the
police fail to locate him.

- That must have been...
- A year ago tomorrow.



After one year, the chances
of locating a missing person

decrease to all but nothing.

Right. Bryan
needs to be here.

Who's Bryan?

It's an inset day
and nobody told me. So...

I could have easily stayed at home.

The only thing more interesting
than someone fitting the pattern

is someone that doesn't fit any.

Do you think he was taken by a
serial killer?

That's it. I'm phoning Mum.

Haven't you got any friends?

Have you?

Solicitor, wasn't he?

Criminal lawyer.
Long-time widower,

- living with his son.
- Yes, that's right.

- I know.
- Yes.

His job meant the investigation
was especially thorough.

The assumption was it was
stress-related.

In which case,
Stephen does fit a category -

runaway.
Maybe even pushaway.

Stephen Eli had no money
worries or mental health issues,

no problems at home or work.

None of the usual triggers
that result in someone disappearing.

- You're having a blind put up?
- I'll see you at the Elis'.

Remember what we agreed.

First meetings, I lead.

Hello, Cole.
It's Ruth Hattersley.

- From Missing Persons.
- Right.

We're making some
more enquiries

into your dad's disappearance.

Is it all right if we come in?

- Yeah, sure.
- Thank you.

Do you know, I've got some biscuits
somewhere.

Please don't worry.

Sorry about the mess.

Dad was about to decorate before he
went.

Looks like you run a tight ship.

You should see the
state of my kitchen.

Yeah, well, I want everything to be
perfect for when he comes back.

What makes you think he's coming
back?

No reason not to.

Just...

needed to take some time
out, didn't he?

Oh, we're having a gathering
tomorrow. To mark the year.

That's a good idea.
It can help.

You following in his footsteps?

Trying to.

Look, no offence, but I've done this
background stuff before.

It's been a year.
Is there anything new?

- No.
- Possibly.

Well, which one?

This case doesn't fit the pattern
of a man taking time out.

There's no new evidence,
Cole.

What are you saying?

Are you saying something's
happened to him?

So why else would you be here?

The day he disappeared.
Tell us about it.

- What time did he leave?
- There's nothing to tell.

We had breakfast.

Eight o'clock he went to work.
I went to college.

He texted me in the afternoon,
saying,

"Love you",
like he did every day, and...

that was it.
It was normal.

Except he never came home.

And you weren't aware
of any issues...

at work,
in his personal life?

No. If you're
talking about women,

Dad was single.
Everything was cool.

And your relationship?
The two of you were getting on?

Yeah.
We were all right.

And I know he's gonna come back.

- Hello.
- Hello. Can I help?

We're here to see Sara Shah.

Sara Shah?
Yeah. Sign in.

I'll let her know you're here.

So, Sara, you worked closely with
Stephen?

Very closely, yes.
Is there new information?

This was the last place
he was seen, at 2pm,

and nobody knew
where he was going?

We assumed for a client meeting,
and probably on the bus.

- Why on the bus?
- Stephen didn't drive.

Yes,
but why not take a taxi?

Stephen was a man of the people.

Although, I don't think any of us
really knew him.

He kept very much to himself.

Does that mean nobody liked him?

I'd say Stephen was admired,
rather than liked.

He was clearly passionate
about his Legal Aid work,

but kept the
professional and personal

strictly separate.

This was his office.

-Whose is it now?
-It's mine.

Where are his things?

What little there was went home.

And you weren't aware of any other
problems elsewhere in his life?

No.

Apart from I got the sense his
son could be a bit of a handful.

Really?

Stephen didn't take holidays
and he wouldn't travel for work.

Any time off was
usually last-minute,

to spend time with his son.

Said he was at a difficult age.

Right.

Well, we'll be in touch, thanks.

OK.
Yep. Bye.

That's great.

Mum's cancelled her liquid lunch.
She's got Bryan.

Oyster card data from the original
investigation

shows that Stephen Eli
caught the No. 53 bus there.

What are you doing?

The investigation was thorough

but nobody went
on his final journey.

I mean, why are you going to your
car?

If we're really gonna
walk in Stephen's shoes,

then let's do it.

I'm guessing you don't spend
a lot of time on buses.

Stephen Eli boards at 14:24, stays
on till...

- What?
- The very end of the route.

Bank records show that
he used a debit card

to make a purchase of £7.83,
there, at 15:42.

Continues south-east for at least 15
minutes.

Well, aren't we going to...?

Evidently not.

According to Stephen Eli's phone
records,

at 15:57 he sends Cole Eli a text
message.

Triangulating between masts,
that puts him almost exactly here.

South Mere Road.

And that's the last act
of Stephen Eli's recorded life.

This is where he disappeared?

Sean, when I tap on the glass,
it means I want to talk.

And when I ignore it, it means I
don't.

I've put in CCTV requests,
but it has been a year,

and spoke with Sara
at Coleridge Mather.

She can't trace a single client in
that area.

Either of Stephen's or the firm's.

I mean,
it's miles from his patch.

- What was he doing there?
- I don't know.

But he's not the first person
to disappear in that area.

You've found a pattern?

More than that.

I think I know who killed him.

Leonard Vance?

- DS Stone.
- I need urgent authorisation

to visit an inmate
at a secure hospital.

You what?

I need urgent authorisation, sir.

This might surprise you,
but I'm a little bit busy right now.

He's definitely dead.

We're not sure about Stephen Eli.

Come on.

When you say "not sure"...

-How are you?
-I'm a bit stressed. You?

Fine.

Stephen Eli.
Lawyer.

Disappeared 12 months ago
from where Daniel Whistler was seen

getting into a minicab six months
earlier.

Yeah, but Daniel Whistler
was killed by Leonard Vance.

Are you saying
this Eli guy was too?

That's what I need to ask him.

OK, but Vance confessed
to Whistler's murder

and that of Christopher Maleva -
no others.

You can have schizophrenia
and lie.

Why would he?

That's what I need to ask him.

Look, I thought your thing
was that serial killers

target the vulnerable.

You know,
Vance's victims were drifters

who'd both done jail time -
this guy is a lawyer.

He's interesting because he's
anomalous.

We know Vance was active
in the same area

as Stephen disappeared from.

What harm can I do?

You don't want me to answer that,
do you?

Look, DS Stone,

I'm one of the few
people that actually

wants to hear from you -
and I never do.

I have operational
responsibility for you

but you don't answer emails,
attend meetings...

-I'm here now.
-You only

- appear when it's urgent.
- Exactly. I'd like to go first thing.

OK.

- And you'll clear this with Angela?
- Yep.

And go with him, please.

And be careful.
The guy's a nutcase.

Watch out for Vance, too.

I called the book Made To Kill

because we've all heard
about serial killers

being "born to kill".

But when you look
at Leonard's life -

abandoned as a child,

abused in various
institutions...

By the time he started
hearing voices,

he was completely
rootless.

I don't believe Leonard
Vance was born to kill.

I believe he was made to.

I can feel your breath on my neck.

What did we say about
respecting privacy,

particularly around my work?

I've read that.

Why are you so interested
in Leonard Vance?

- I'm not telling you.
- Why is your passport out?

Honestly, you two should be
working with the police, not me.

I need my passport
because I'm going

to Crowley Secure
Hospital tomorrow...

- to visit a patient.
- Leonard Vance.

Don't ask me anything else
because I really won't tell you.

- Who's Leonard Vance?
- He's a serial killer.

- Ruth!
- Note the word "secure"

before
hospital, Mum.

Promise me you'll be careful.

Of course.

I promise.

And you actually met the boy?
And talked to him?

What's his name?

Byron.

He likes serial killers.

You asked about his hobbies?

I don't understand
why I should show an interest

in things I'm not interested in.

Because this is how we get to know
others,

and getting to know others
is one of life's pleasure.

You get to know others by what they
do and not by what they say.

I have to go.

I wouldn't normally ask, Sean,

but can I have next week's
money as well,

please -
in advance?

- Sean?
- Yes.

Thank you.

Dear Mr. Wernley...

OK, can you stand
a little further to your right?

There you go.

Sir. I need your coat, please.

Thank you, Latisha.

Hi. I'm
Dr. Alison Ellesmere,

Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist.

I'm Leonard Vance's responsible
clinician.

First meetings,
you lead.

I'm Ruth Hattersley
from Missing Persons Bureau,

and this is DS Sean Stone.

Nice to meet you both.

I haven't been told

what you're here
to talk to Leonard about.

Do you need to be told?

We couldn't find a social
worker in time,

so I'll be acting as Leonard's
appropriate adult.

And also if there's anything

that you think might
affect his mental state.

Leonard finds police visits very
unsettling.

I don't mind if he's unsettled.

We're here to ask Leonard
about a missing person.

Look, can I just say,
DS Stone,

this is a hospital,
not a prison.

- With patients, not inmates.
- Can they leave?

- No, but...
- Have they committed serious crimes?

- Yes, many.
- Then it's a prison.

It looks like my old college.

We don't show visitors the
dungeons.

It's a therapeutic environment.
Committed by the courts or not,

the majority of our men
will be released at some point.

Colin here's leaving
us in a few days.

Aren't you, Colin?

You've got to be careful

who you tell

where you've been
all this time.

Yes, but there are people to talk
to.

We encourage
patients to access

support services
when they're out,

to stay on radar.

Right.

But...

Leonard Vance,
he won't ever be released?

His status can change, though,
and his freedoms increase.

I read that you've won awards for
your work.

With the right mix of medication and
therapy,

patients with schizophrenia
can start to determine

between their
delusions and reality.

And we can help them.
We have to.

And the most powerful substance we
have is understanding.

- How is he, Tommy?
- All good.

We monitor all patients' hearts.

Leonard's last ECG
had an abnormal rhythm,

so we've changed
his antipsychotic.

He seems calm enough.
And don't panic.

It's before they have their
meds you need to worry.

Can we go in now?

Listen...

never let them sit between you and
the door.

And always know
where the panic button is.

You'll be fine.

Stress can cause a relapse in
psychosis.

Leonard is occasionally
volatile,

always fragile,

and whether sensitivity comes
naturally to you or not, Detective,

I'd ask you to make a special
effort.

If I see any change
in his mental state,

this visit's over.

Thank you, Dave.

Leonard.

This is DS Stone
and Ruth Hattersley.

And, as I explained, they're just
gonna ask you a few questions.

And I'll be here.
OK?

Yeah, I'm Leonard.
It's nice to meet you.

Did you kill this man?

No.

You didn't pick him up in your
minicab?

Not that I can remember, no.

I never used to take my coat off
anywhere.

You were arrested for hitting
shoppers with a crowbar

at Lowry's Department Store, sectioned,
and brought here for evaluation.

During interviews
with Dr. Ellesmere,

you confessed to
the unsolved murders

of Daniel Whistler and
Christopher Maleva.

- Yeah, that's right.
- You picked both of them up,

with your minicab and
you sprayed them with Mace,

beat them to death
with a scaffold bar...

..and then you buried them -

one in a quarry,
the other in scrubland.

Yeah, I wasn't well.

Why them?

Yeah, I dunno...

- I mean, I was hearing voices, but...
- Yeah.

No, it was random.

And the burial sites?

Yeah, same.
It was random.

Daniel Whistler went missing
from the A13 Thames Gateway.

Is that an area you regularly
picked up in?

Yes.

Six months later,
this man

went missing from almost
exactly the same location.

Yeah, I'm... I'd like to help you,
I would, but...

I can't remember
any dates and uh...

no, I don't know him.

So...

Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah.

It was a Thursday.

Did you drive your cab
on Thursdays?

- Yes.
- Days or nights?

Nah, I never went out nights.
It's too dangerous.

So it is possible that you were

in your cab in the
Thames Gateway area

around 4pm on this Thursday last
year?

Unless I was here.

Yeah, it's possible.
Yeah.

Yet, despite not knowing
what month it was,

you can say with certainty
that you didn't pick up this man,

who we know didn't drive, and who
disappeared from the very spot

you admit to having picked up
a previous victim?

Look at him.

Have you seen this man before?

Take your time, Leonard.
There's no pressure.

- Are you OK, Leonard?
- Yes or no?

Do you want to stop?

- Leonard?
- Look, I don't know!

That's enough.

I don't believe in random.

Vance is lying.

He did it.

We need to work out what connects

Stephen Eli to Vance's other victims.

What if one or all of them
received Legal Aid?

- That's a good point.
- We need to find out

if Stephen Eli represented
Vance, Whistler, or Maleva.

Huh. Alex Wernley - you know,
the author of Made To Kill -

he wants to meet for coffee.

I contacted him.
I thought it just might be useful.

Alex Wernley. Welcome to my office.

Hi, I'm Ruth.

- From Missing Persons, yes.
- Yeah.

- I'm intrigued.
- Well,

Well, not as intrigued as I am

by your relationship with Leonard
Vance.

A cappuccino, please.

How did you two meet?

Well, there's very little intrigue,
I'm afraid.

I declared a journalistic
interest,

he agreed to see me,
and we became...

well, friends.

I have to be careful who I say that
to.

Most don't believe monsters deserve
friendship.

I don't believe in monsters.

Are you interested in Leonard
for any particular reason?

Have you...
identified more victims?

Do you think there are more?

I asked you first.

And you know I can't talk about
active investigations.

I am happy to help, Ruth, if I can.

Look, I really can't give any
details.

But if you could
reinforce to Leonard

how much it would
mean to a young man,

whose father has been missing for a
year,

to know what happened to him...

I see the families of missing people
- a lot.

And...

not knowing is always harder
than the truth.

However horrible.

Well?

- Well, what?
- Was Vance a client of Stephen's?

Did he give Leonard legal aid?

No. Nor either of his victims.

That's not the pattern.

Come on. We should go to Cole Eli's
gathering.

- Why?
- Well, because...

Because everyone who knows Stephen
will be in one room,

and we might pick up
some useful information, Sean.

Is this it?

I think we've established
that Stephen

wasn't exactly Mr. Social.

Something I'm sure you can empathise
with.

I've spoken with his cousin.

Not only was Stephen the first in
his family to go to university,

he was the first
in his postcode.

Thank you guys for coming, all
of you.

Honestly, it means a lot. So...

It's been a year, today,
since Dad went, and...

I miss him.

You know?

I guess this is a good
excuse to remember him,

you know,
with all us being here.

Some people used to say that Dad walked
around with a chip on his shoulder.

That's not what it was.

Dad was carrying a lot of other
people's hopes around with him

and he took that serious, you know?

Maybe a little too seriously.

But...

But, no, if we all keep thinking
and talking about him,

and remaining positive...

then that energy will help bring him
back to us.

So...

- ..to Dad.
- To Stephen.

Hello.

Tell them to call back.

Yeah, it's Leonard.
Leonard Vance.

It's Leonard Vance.

Yeah,
I don't want to say much

because they record all the
calls in and out, but...

..I need to see you.

I need to see you now.

Leonard's with someone
at the moment,

but they've been told
they have to leave.

Hi.
Alex Wernley.

- I... I read your book.
- Did you like it?

No.

Is Ruth not with you?

We're here to conduct
a police interview.

- Why are you here?
- I still visit Leonard regularly.

He has no-one else.

All right.

There was too much opinion
and not enough fact.

Before we beginning,
I would like to inform you

that this interview will take place
under police caution.

Could you tell us
why you asked us

to visit you here today?

The man in the picture you showed me
- Stephen Eli.

Yeah, I do remember him.

How do you know his name?

From the ID in his wallet after I
killed him.

I... don't know
which day it was but...

..it was definitely light.

I was down near the Thames
Gateway, in the cab,

and I pulled up next to him and...

Did he flag you down?

So why did you home in on Mr. Eli?

I was told to kill him like the
others, so I did.

Leonard's delusions
were often

agents of evil who told
him to harm others.

Let him speak.

I drove out to Ottley Marsh,
near the water, and...

..and when we got close,
I sprayed him with the Mace,

and then I parked up
and I dragged him out, and...

I hit him with the bar.

I hit him in the head.

Till...

all the noises stopped.

And then what?

Yeah. Yeah, I felt better. Yeah.

I'm really sorry...

Leonard.

See, I...

I knew I'd seen him somewhere
but I didn't know where,

- and then...
- Yeah?

You see, I remember the tooth.
The gold tooth.

Like all his teeth
lying next to him,

and then it all come back.

No, but the memory
has a particular way

of protecting us
from traumatic events.

It's called
dissociative amnesia.

Where did you bury him?

- I told you.
- Be specific.

There was, like,
water in front of me.

- Yeah, I think I'd like to stop now.
- OK.

- Can you show us where exactly?
- On a map.

- No, Leonard said he
would like to stop.

- This is a police interview.
- Please.

- As Leonard's appropriate adult...
- OK, relax.

- Can you show us where?
- Enough.

- Stop!
- Sit down!

Leonard...

Just breathe. Just breathe.

Wait, Sean.
Wait...

Everything all right?

Does your dad...
have any gold teeth?

One. Right at the back.
Why?

You didn't list it as a
distinguishing feature.

You can't see it, so...
it wouldn't help anyone who spots him.

What's happened?
Have you found Dad?

No.

What, then?

We might have a lead.
Might.

Uh... I don't know any more and I
don't want to get your hopes up or...

Or what?

Stop me hoping completely?

There was water.

This is what Vance calls "specific"?

- We'll never find anything in here.
- We have to.

You want us to excavate this whole
place?

- No.
- Good.

We bring Leonard Vance here.

I think I'd rather dig.

He knew about the tooth.
We've no choice.

And who goes to DCS Drayton
to get authorisation

to bring a convicted serial killer
out for the day?

I will.

No, you won't.

OK.

I still don't see
how Stephen Eli

fits with Vance's
established MO.

I understand it's a
bolt out of the blue, sir.

And yet...

..in other ways,
it all sounds perfectly reasonable...

..once you know DS Stone's involved.

In fairness,
if Vance can lead us

- to Stephen...
- Yes, yes.

Stone's your problem now.
All I'd say is this.

This is sensitive.

- He's anything but.
- Yes, sir.

You make sure this goes off without a
hitch.

Cuff him to your own arm if you have
to, DI Prior.

And the media don't get anywhere near
this.

Understood.

It's OK.
I'll do it.

OK, we're ready. Off you go.

Just so we know where we stand...

There are armed police
all over this place.

Clear?

You Tommy?

You got what we need in case he gets
lively?

Good. Take me to him.

Yeah, it's quite a way.

Is this it?

Yeah, the track looks familiar,
but...

..I'm looking for a particular...

It's just I don't want to let anyone
down, you know.

No, it's not here. It must be
further on.

Well?

You said he was round here
somewhere.

Where is he?

Yeah, I thought...
I think it must have changed.

It's been a
while. I...

I can't remember.

DS Stone,
deal with this.

You're moving further and further
away from where you left your cab.

I mean, Stephen Eli...
He weighed 92 kilos.

- Why drag him so far away?
- I'm sorry.

I am trying.
I...

- I'm scared.
- Of what?

You do know where Stephen Eli is,
don't you?

Leonard?
Leonard?

- Can you hear me?
- What's happening?

What's happening?

He needs to go to hospital.
We need an ambulance!

- Guys, we need an ambulance here!
- Leonard?

- Get the medics in!
- Leonard?

Call it in!

***

He's been taking haloperidol
for the last ten months.

Dr. Ellesmere changed it
to flupentixol three days ago

because of a
prolonged QT interval.

- Here we go.
- BP's still falling.

Cardiac arrest.
We need to ventilate.

Is everybody ready?
Quick as we can, please.

- You're going to have to step right
- back. Ready, sir?

Sir.
Are you the leading officer?

I am.
DS Stone, move.

We need to remove his handcuffs.

Because it's unethical,
it's unsafe.

- So's he.
- We're gonna need to shock him.

Now.
Please.

He's going into VF.
Paddles, please, quickly!

Ready for CPR.
Is everybody ready?

What exactly did Vance say to you
out there?

I'm not sure that he killed Stephen
Eli.

- Is that what he said?
- Forget what he said.

Look at what he did.

He had no idea where he was,
let alone Stephen Eli.

He'd barely set foot outside his
ward in a year, Sean.

He was disorientated.
It doesn't matter

if he said he didn't do it,
cos

schizophrenia is
split personalities.

- No, it's not.
- Actually, that's a misconception.

It's difficulty in telling the difference
between what's real and what's not.

That's a relief.

Cos if it's just
an annoying voice

telling you to do things
that you don't want to do,

I thought I had it.

Look, you said yourself,
DS Stone,

he knew about the tooth.

If he didn't do it,
how could he have known about that?

I need the files on all Vance's
victims.

Does he just do that
to you all the time?

Yeah.

Alex Wernley.

He was the guy at Crowley
asking for you.

"Sources close to Missing Persons
have revealed

"that senior officers

"have questioned
serial killer Leonard Vance

"over the disappearance
of criminal lawyer, Stephen Eli..."

Did you do this?

I had coffee with him.
That's all.

- And told him what?
- Nothing.

He'd have had to have done a lot of
research.

It's a good job he's not a
journalist, then.

I need to warn Cole Eli.

What did he do?
Flash a smile? Flatter you a bit?

I did tell you I trust the wrong
men.

You don't come today -
and you've got a key.

I wouldn't normally do this, Sean.

If there was anyone else I could
trust...

Can I leave my daughter
with you, please,

for a few hours?

- You have a daughter?
- Gabby?

Gabby.
Say hello to your Uncle Sean.

Hello.

I'm working.

She has eaten
and she's very well behaved.

For a few hours. That's all.

Thank you.

Come and sit down.
You be very good for Uncle Sean

and do exactly what he tells you.

Where are you right now?

Is this a dirty phone call, Sean?

You need...

You need to go to the hospital
and sit with Leonard Vance.

One of us has to be there
as soon as he wakes up.

- Why?
- I don't think

he killed Stephen Eli.

I'm not convinced
he killed anyone.

But I think
he knows who did.

What?

I've been through the evidence
in the Whistler and Maleva cases.

Leonard Vance knows one
telling detail about each -

like Stephen Eli's tooth -

but I think he was
fed those details

by the real killer.

Because, apart from that,
there's nothing -

no witnesses,
no forensics.

Just the confessions.

We need to question him -
and quickly.

Are you on your way?

- Why aren't you there?
- I will be.

Se...
Sean?

I am so sorry.
I...

Roger that.
Will do.

- I can't get a signal up here.
- Where is he?

- He's gone.
- He's escaped? He can't have.

He's not escaped, Sean.

He's dead.

I don't think Leonard Vance did it.

Stephen Eli is the key.
If we find him, we find the true.

Why do you think we're here?

To question a suspect.

You're a parasite.
You know that.

And you are particularly striking
when you are angry.

- You're not lying to me?
- When have I ever done that?

Leonard Vance can't claim this one.

Am I really a suspect?

I know where he is.

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