In Plain Sight (2016): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

In 1955 in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, nine years after policeman William Muncie's work put him in prison Peter Manuel is released and proceeds to taunt Muncie with greetings cards. Having picked up lonely Mary McLauchlan Manuel rapes her, threatening to kill her if she gives him away. She picks him out at an identity parade but he defends himself superbly in court and is acquitted whilst Mary is vilified. Muncie, however, is convinced of his guilt, especially after another young woman, Anne Kneilands, is sexually assaulted and murdered.

I know, I know, I understand that.

There's a conspicuous absence of
plainclothes personnel, Stella.

Well, any time, any time.

You have a nice weekend.
And you, sir.

Not half, not half, no.

Surprise!

Happy Birthday.

Daddy, you have to make a wish.
A wish, you say?

Done.

Right, can I have some cake now,
please?

No, no, I never saw that one, no.



Magic moments...

My God...

Sandra, not so hard. Ach, don't
worry, Mrs Muncie, I can take it.

Want one?
Er, no, no, I'd better not.

According to Agnes I have given up.
Yes, he has given up.

How's things down in the lab?
Progress is being made slowly,

but I managed to persuade Glasgow
University School of Medicine

to donate a microscope.
Papa, pour vous.

Merci, sweetheart.
You're welcome.

The telephone call
that tied up the line

For hours and hours

The Saturday dance
I got up the nerve

Here, take a look at that.

Are you concerned, sir?



He's come to your home.
That's out of order.

It's just posturing,
that's all it is.

He's been out three months,
he's kept his nose clean thus far.

Don't say anything to Agnes, though,
cos I don't want her worrying.

Understood, sir.

Now the woman you attacked
last Sunday

had a three-year-old son with her.
That wee boy had to sit and watch

while you punched and kicked his mother.
What do you say to that? I'm innocent.

The woman that you attacked last
night said she'd had an operation.

A woman's operation.

Said she was in pain.
She said she begged you for mercy,

but you went right ahead and raped
her anyway. What do you say to that?

I say if you're trying to make me
puke, you're doing a bang up job.

You're not a boy any more.

There's no more approved school.

There's no more borstal.

This time it's gonna be prison,
and for a good long while.

I'll see you when you get out.
I'm still gonna be here.

Don't waste your time. Chubby Miller
thinks he's God's gift.

You work in Livingston's, right?

You're on the machines
a few rows over from me.

Don't worry,
I wouldn't recognise me, either.

It's those shower caps
they make us wear.

I'm Barbara,
but everybody calls me Babs. Mary.

Are you on your own?
I'm waiting on some friends.

They were meant to be here by now.

Ba-ba-ba-baby.
You're looking good, Babs.

I'm having a conversation, Tony.

Lovely hair you've got, Mary.
Aye.

My dog's got a lovely coat?

Why don't you go
somewhere you're wanted?

All right.

Later, alligator.

Dipsticks. Actually, I was
thinking about dyeing it.

Why? Don't do that.

I'd kill to be a redhead.

'Dear Ma, I am watching the best
years of my life roll away.

And I can tell you, it's no picnic.

You tell me I'm best to do
my nine years and forget Mr Muncie,

but unfortunately for him
I am not made like you.

So with sincerest apologies
and deepest regrets,

I have to tell you
that my mind is made up.

One way or another,
Mr Muncie is going to pay.'

No, that'll be tuppence -
and it hurts.

You'd better hurry,
you'll miss your bus.

Thank you. Thank you.

Come on.

Stupid girl.

Hello?

Hello?!

Hello!

Hello!

Is there anybody there?!

Hello!

Say a word and I'll murder ya.

I'm gonna cut your head off
and bury ya.

Don't... peep.

Smoke? No. No, thank you.

Crazy day.

Crazy, crazy day.

I've been down in the dumps
since the moment I woke up.

I even went down to the Clyde to
drown myself this evening, but...

when I got there
I remembered I can swim.

Sorry you felt down in the dumps.

You should be.

You see, when I get
down in the dumps, I just...

I feel this overpowering need
to murder someone.

Are you cold? No.

Do you want my blazer? No, no.

I'm fine, thank you.

Suit yourself.

I've never done
anything like this before.

Maybe it was your hair.

You see, I had a fiancee once
and she was a redhead.

So maybe that's what did it.

Maybe if you'd been blonde I
wouldn't have laid a finger on you.

No...

Am I boring you?

No. No.

Shall we?

Come on, I'll see you home.

It's the least I can do.

Come on.

I suppose you'll be reporting me
to the police?

No.
I'll go with you now if you want,

tell them what I've done?

No. I just want to get home.

I think I'll take off my shoes.

Hi, hi, hi!

You've not been eating your carrots.

You could do some serious damage
with this.

Why don't you go?

'He had a knife.'

He told me if I screamed
he'd cut my throat.

That he'd cut off my head
and bury me.

That must have been
very frightening for you.

I told him I had two children

so he'd think I was older.

Yes, that was good thinking.
He just said I was telling fibs.

And then he started kissing me,

touching me.

I told him to stop but he wouldn't.

Then he started
pushing against me.

'So five foot four, five foot five,

dark hair,

smartly dressed, a smoker.

And then this... business
with the American accent.

Does that sound about right to you,
Mary? Yes, sir.

Now I know it's a tall order

to ask you to be precise

about such an ordeal,

but are you sure about these times?

Because three-and-a-half hours
seems like an awful long time

to be sitting in a field
in the middle of the night.

I'm sure, sir.

He said he was gonna keep me
there all night.

Did he give you any reason
for wanting to do that?

No, sir.

We're nearly there.
You're doing great.

Now is there any...

anything else that
you can remember, Mary?

It doesn't matter how small it is.

I think he might live on our estate.

What makes you say that?

I think I've seen him before.

I think him and his dad
take the same bus as me to work.

Are you OK?

Mr Manuel?

What the bloody hell do you want?

As if it's not enough.

For you to deprive our Peter of his liberty for
nine years for crimes he dinnae do, nine years!

No, that's not enough, is it? No.
The disgrace to our family.

The disgrace!

Muncie, I'm talking to you.

Yes, Mr Manuel, I'm aware of that.

Bastards.

Peter!

Mrs Manuel.

How's your work at the hospital,
Theresa? Fine.

Peter!

Detective Inspector Muncie.

Long time no see.

What brings you here?

I was in the field...
just not with her.

Your father said
you were in all night.

I'm his son,
he's looking out for me.

You mean lied to the police.

Come on, Muncie,
keep the old buffer out of it.

I told you I was there.

Now, show me what you've learnt
since our last encounter.

Dazzle me with some detective
brilliance.

If you weren't with the victim in the field, what
were you doing there? Checking on my snares,

seeing if I'd caught any conies.
Poaching rabbits?

Guilty as charged.

We found a sheath knife in the field

in a location consistent with where
Miss McLauchlan said you'd thrown it.

She identified it as the knife
you'd used to threaten her with.

Any fingerprints on it?

The knife matched her description.
What?

Sharp and pointy?

Where did she get this stuff?

The only reason my knife was in that
field was cos of Rusty, my dog.

He was sniffing about the railway tracks so I
slung the knife at him to scare him back to me.

When Miss McLauchlan picked you out
of the line-up,

you looked at her in a manner
that suggested that you knew her.

Why was that?

It's a nice bit of WPC
you've got on you there, boys.

Mr Muncie asked you a question. You look
awful fetching in that uniform, darling.

Watch your mouth.

I like there's a wee smack of
romance in the air. Peter.

Yes, sir?
Had you met Miss McLauchlan before?

No.

Did you get my birthday card?

You're gonna hear that Peter Manuel

just loves the sound of
his own voice.

Peter Manuel's all mouth
and no trousers.

I don't want any of you
getting taken in by any of that.

Because Peter Manuel is
a very real threat

to the women of this community.

In 1946,

when he was out on bail,
he seriously assaulted a young mother

walking home with her child.

Four days later he attacked and
sexually assaulted a second woman.

And the very next day
he attacked and raped a third.

He did nine years in Peterhead
for those crimes

and he very badly wants to make up
for all that lost time.

Mary McLauchlan was the first.

I want to make sure
that she's also the last.

Now he's up in court on Tuesday
and he's got a chance of bail.

It is our job to guarantee that there
is enough evidence for a conviction.

Well, good luck. Get on with it.

Come on, Ma,

let me have my grub,
standing there all gloomy.

Is there something
you want to say to me, son?

Like what? You know.

You think I did it, don't you?

You think I did that
to that poor girl.

That hurts me. I don't want to hurt
you, son, I want to help you.

If that's the best you can do,
feel free not to try.

Morning, Hugh. Morning, sir.

Go on.

Bill.

Sir.

Too many man hours
on this Manuel thing.

That's just because I don't want
to leave anything to chance, sir.

The lassie wasn't raped, no theft.

Your approach is out of proportion.

I'm not sure Mary McLauchlan
would see it that way, sir.

Well, she's not your boss.

You've got Sherriff "Bang 'Em Up"
Boyd on Tuesday.

There's no way the nasty little
tartar's getting bail.

It's not just the bail, sir.

We've also got the trial to consider.

Look what he got up to last time.

He lost.

Don't be getting obsessive, Bill.
Let the lawyers deal with the trial.

Sir.

We have some items of
Manuel's clothing.

And the footprints from the field

exactly match the tread
on his shoes.

Also,

thanks to our new bit of kit,

I was able to ascertain that soil
found on his shoes and trousers

was consistent with samples taken
from the field.

And then there's this.

A significant quantity
of dried semen.

Just like 1946.

Premature ejaculation.

It's the fear in his victims which arouses
him rather than penetrative intercourse.

It's not just about catching them, Laird, it's
about finding out what makes them tick. Yes, sir.

This is excellent work, Hugh.

Thank you, sir.

Remanded to Barlinnie
pending trial, sir.

Thank you, Sheriff Boyd.

I think we're
allowed a wee smile, Iris.

"600 mourners were in attendance at
the Friends Church in Fairmount,

Indiana. An estimated 2,400 fans
gathered outside the church."

For a poxy actor who bawled and
grated his way through

a grand total of three films?
People are mugs.

And you could do better I suppose?

I will do better, pal, and I'm not
some poxy actor neither.

Yep. Thanks.

Manuel's put in a request
to conduct his own defence.

The prison doctor's examined him and
declared him sane and fit to plead.

The cocky wee arse is
definitely stuffed now.

For God's sake, Duncan, he did
the exact same thing nine years ago.

Represented himself in court.

The judge even complimented him
on his professionalism.

Nor does anything without a reason.

It says that women are more likely
to poison their victims than men.

Isn't that curious?

Bill?

Why do you think...

Why do you think Manuel kept Mary
with him for three-and-a-half hours

when he'd got what he wanted
in ten minutes?

Well, there's no mystery there.

He...

wanted to drag it out
for as long as possible.

Poor girl.

Mr Manuel?

Mr Manuel?!

Miss McLauchlan, have you ever
spoken to me

at any time prior to the night of
Saturday, the 30th July, 1955?

I'm sorry, Miss McLauchlan,
could you speak up, please?

No.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

you've heard one version

of what transpired
that fateful night.

Now is the time
for you to hear the truth.

Somewhat embarrassing facts which,
to spare Miss McLauchlan's blushes,

I declined to tell the police.

Objection, milord.
On what grounds, Mr Farrel?

There is a danger here
that he may seek

to unfairly influence jury opinion

with unsubstantiated statements
not made under oath.

Indeed there is, Mr Farrel,

and now the jury have been
alerted to it.

You may continue, Mr Manuel.
Thank you, milord.

Is it not true, Miss McLauchlan,

is it not true,

Mary,

that for some weeks prior to
the night of 30th July, 1955,

you and I had been,
as the saying goes,

romantically involved?

Miss McLauchlan, His Lordship
did not ask you the question,

I asked you the question.

No, that's not true.

Furthermore, is it not also true
that on the night in question,

I told you
as tactfully as I was able

that I wished our affair to end?

You were saddened by
this information

and that I tarried at your side
to proffer you some comfort.

Her silence is eloquent, is it not?

Ladies and gentlemen, what other
plausible explanation can there be

for the fact that the witness,
by her own admission,

spent over three hours,
half the night, with me,

a total stranger
she would have you believe,

in a field. No.

He's lying. He's lying!

He's lying!

They say hell hath no fury like
a woman scorned.

Well, I've certainly learnt
my lesson in that regard.

No further questions, milord.

Please, sir, you can't believe him.
Calm down, Miss McLauchlan.

I swear to God, I've never met him
before in my life. Miss McLauchlan!

Please... He's a liar!

Miss McLauchlan... Please?

There she is, there's the slag.
Aye, you tart.

Have a heart, boys.
Life's not easy for gingers.

Mary?

Mary?

Mary.

The law let you down badly today,

but I want you to know
that I will not rest

until Peter Manuel's behind bars.
Och, leave her alone.

You promise me? I promise you.

Hello, darling. Hello.

Mum, he's early.

Well, don't just stand there.

Come in, Douglas, she's just getting
ready. Thank you, Mrs Muncie.

Sir.

Douglas is taking our daughter
to the pictures.

Which one was it again?

Lady And The Tramp, sir.

You don't let her out of your sight and you
get her back here by 11 o'clock sharp.

Yes, sir.

I'll just go check on Jane.

Jane?

Right, I'm off out.
Doing anything nice, son?

Ask me no questions, Ma, I'll tell
you no lies. Bye, son. See ya.

What is it, Bill?

Do you remember Jane
up at View Park?

Got on at me, got on at me
to make the fence

stronger around about the hen house.
Yes.

Me being too busy, and then of course
the fox getting amongst the hens

and she wouldn't speak to me
for a week...

You can't build a fence around
every house in the country, Bill.

I know.

If, heaven forbid,
that monster does strike again,

you will catch him.

They will put him away for years.

What if this time
he does something worse?

What if this time
he doesn't leave a witness?

Excuse me.

I see you dyed it then. Yeah.

It suits you.
Do you want to dance?

Definitely.

You're an OK dancer.
Thanks very much.

Sorry about the old trot.

What's your name?
Private... Private Andrew Murnin.

You? Private Anne Kneilands.

You know what, Private Kneilands?
What?

I think 1956 is
gonna be a good year.

She was so badly beaten
that her hands and her arms

which she'd held up to try
to defend herself were broken.

Wembley, '38.

Sir.

He traipsed all over my crime
scene and that's the bombshell?

C'mon, please tell me
you've got something else?

A fingerprint or something? We can't
use fingerprints. A motive then.

He's a psychopath.
That's all the motive he needs.

That's egotism. Come on, Charlie,
I'm front page news.

What do you think? There's no question you
will be the belle of Belleshill ball.

It's Manuel.