Litvinenko (2022): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript
"Acute Radiation Syndrome."
That's the term the coroner will use
on his report.
Just after he calls this
the most dangerous postmortem
Just after he calls this
the most dangerous postmortem
ever undertaken
in the Western world.
He'll need a lead coffin,
is the other thing.
For the radiation.
So, polonium poisoning, then?
Essentially.
Pharyngeal damage, confirming
the fact it was ingested orally.
Liver and kidneys
were worst affected,
but all his organs
suffered severe atrophy,
resulting in an almost total state
of internal...
You know.
No.
Well...
..sludge.
..sludge.
Right...
Thank you.
So, what did they do it with?
Sorry?
What did they use to administer it?
Well, was it a bottle,
some sort of food stuff, or...?
Probably none of my business. Sorry.
No, no, it's OK.
That's more than OK. Thank you.
A guilty man would never do that...
No.
..unless he's got a sick mind.
Exactly.
Like I said, we're gonna change
the locks and the landline number.
Not because there's anything
to worry about,
Not because there's anything
to worry about,
it's more just for peace of mind.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
And the name of the landlord?
Boris Berezovsky.
He's a friend of the family.
They can't get to you here,
Mrs Litvinenko.
He's right.
The people who did it
are thousands of miles away.
Olly? How long till we get
to the hotel?
My tol'ko
v'yezzhayem v gorod.
Nearly there.
Nearly there.
Oh, 'ang on, wrong phone.
Right.
Our contact is Ingrid Campbell.
She wants to meet at noon tomorrow.
Funny place to keep your mobile.
No, we've all got one.
There's, er... everything on these.
You'll find two numbers
saved in the contacts.
One's mine.
The other's each other's.
That's all we'll ever need.
Yeah, Campbell's gonna introduce us
to someone from
the Prosecutor's Office.
to someone from
the Prosecutor's Office.
And they'll connect us
with Lugovoy and Kovtun?
Maybe.
Or at least someone who will?
Maybe. Not necessarily.
Right, well, well,
we do know where they are...?
Well, how...?
How we gonna know they'll talk?
We don't.
You said the Russians
had agreed to cooperate.
They have. Whatever that means.
Look, we're here in their country
asking for their help
to prove that their people
killed someone on our patch.
We've got no guarantees
of getting anything.
We've got no guarantees
of getting anything.
We're here, purely and simply,
because there's a chance.
OK?
Olly was saying
they've got all kinds here.
They've got Topshop, Body Shop,
M&S... He's been here before.
That's globalisation.
Yeah, but those are all the things
that we've given them.
You tell me one thing the Russians
have put on our high street.
What, apart from polonium, you mean?
You know,
"State-sponsored assassination,
"coming soon
to a high street near you."
That's proper globalisation.
Etazh shestoy.
Hello?
'My burner's not working.
Nor's Gadney's.'
Nor's mine.
'You think it's them?'
Er, it's probably us.
Us and our shitty phones.
'Only, I-I didn't like the look
of that bloke who checked us in.'
No. The Russian Prosecutor
knows we're here, but that's it.
Anyone else, this whole trip's
totally under the radar.
Anyone else, this whole trip's
totally under the radar.
You get some kip.
Moscow, MI6, radiation.
Strip it all away,
and what we've got is something
that everyone in this room has
worked on dozens of times before.
A murder.
We've got a victim, crime scene,
we've even got suspects.
But what we don't have...
..is a weapon.
That's what's missing.
Now, we've got Colonel Mustard
in the ballroom, but using what?
We don't know.
Yeah, we do, though, don't we?
It's polonium-210.
No, no, you see,
that's what I've been thinking.
But polonium's not the weapon.
Polonium's just the thing
that killed him
after they put it in his tea.
But we can link polonium to Lugovoy
and Kovtun because of the plane.
Yeah, but is that enough?
Yeah, but is that enough?
That plane has been in and out
of Russia, the home of polonium,
since this happened.
What's to stop the Russians
attributing polonium
we found on the plane
to any other person on that plane
who's come into contact with it?
Look, we all agree
the polonium was in the tea.
But what we need to do
is find the item, or items,
that the polonium was held in,
and we need to link that
to these two.
Dmitry Kovtun and, most importantly,
Andrei Lugovoy.
Dmitry Kovtun and, most importantly,
Andrei Lugovoy.
That way, anything they tell Tarpey
and the team in Moscow
can be directly contradicted.
Think of it this way.
If polonium-210 is the bullet...
..what we need to find is the gun.
I want to lead on the weapon search.
Or whatever we're calling it.
You had Tarpey lead on Moscow...
Brent... ..and despite him
not knowing the case,
I can see how you arrived
to that decision.
I can see how you arrived
to that decision.
You two go way back
and he's trusted and what have you,
but I made a personal promise
to Marina Litvinenko, and...
Brent...
..I was gonna ask you anyway.
Martin Svensson.
Who?
He's the manager
of the Millennium Hotel.
Give him a ring.
Tell him we're paying him
another visit.
Miss Campbell.
You're early.
Sorry.
No, it's good.
The Russian Prosecutor
got here an hour ago.
All the usual cliches apply,
I'm afraid.
If you're early, they're earlier.
If you're on time,
they'll keep you waiting.
Your phones don't work.
But is it them, or is it you?
And?
I'm sorry?
Which is it?
Oh, them, probably.
As my predecessor used to say,
"If they'd included mind games
in the Moscow Olympics,
"they'd have swept the board."
Gentlemen, Nika Privalova
from the Prosecutor's Office.
Then let's do it in English.
You want to interview Andrei Lugovoy
y Dmitry Kovtun, da?
That is correct. And, er,
we thank you for your help in this.
Hm. You have list of questions?
Hm. You have list of questions?
Well, there are certain things
we'll be looking
to talk to them about, certainly.
You need list of questions.
You give questions to me.
After this, we arrange.
So you know where they are?
Yes.
And we can definitely talk to them?
Lugovoy, yes. No problem.
And Kovtun?
Kovtun... yes.
But Kovtun...
you have to be very fast.
Kovtun is serious.
How do you mean, "serious"?
How do you mean, "serious"?
Kovtun is, er, sick. From polonium.
Just to be clear, you're saying
that Kovtun has also been poisoned?
Yes.
As in, he's ingested some polonium
accidentally?
No. Kovtun is victim of poison.
By who? By... Lugovoy?
No.
By Alexander Litvinenko.
And number four,
"Describe the reasons
"for your meetings with Litvinenko
in October and November this year."
Number five,
"Can you give an account
"for your movements on
the afternoon of November 1st?"
Right. That's the one. That's
the one we definitely need to ask.
That's our best chance
to trip 'em up. Yeah.
So, the plan is to meet Privalova,
give her the questions,
then follow in convoy to
the hospital to see Dmitri Kovtun.
then follow in convoy to
the hospital to see Dmitri Kovtun.
Er...
You need to make a phone call?
Yeah.
The one on the right, the red phone.
That's secure.
Thank you.
Nice one. This is huge.
Just remember, Tarpey, it's worth
nothing unless it's on tape.
I know you know, it's just good
to remind ourselves of these things.
Right. Good man.
Right. Good man.
Kovtun.
They're interviewing him tonight.
Finally, we're getting somewhere.
They said we have to wait
in the bar.
This is the one. This was the table.
So, this was Litvinenko's seat?
No. This is.
No. This is.
You're in Lugovoy's.
He was sitting where you are.
Confident, relaxed.
Eyes on the door, waiting.
Then I'd have come in, hurried in
cos you brought the meeting forward,
sat down to find
the tea already here.
Already ordered.
Already getting cold.
So, why drink it?
You knew the risks.
You didn't consume anything
you hadn't bought yourself
at your lunch with Scaramella
a few hours before.
So, why?
Why... in here, did you drink...?
So, why?
Why... in here, did you drink...?
Because you're my boss.
No, Lugovoy wasn't
Litvinenko's boss.
Not boss, but, you know, superior.
An alpha male.
You exert a certain level
of social control over others,
men your own age.
And... when you ask people
to do things...
..they tend to do them.
Are we still talking about Lugovoy,
Brent?
Can I get you gentlemen a drink?
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
We're actually waiting for someone.
In fact, here he is, look.
You all right? Well, if he has been
poisoned, he's in the right place.
Hospital Number Six is where they
treated the victims of Chernobyl.
Oh, she also told me
that under Russian law,
all police interviews
must be completed by 10pm.
Why is that even a law?
Get in, Tarps.
Fine.
If we can't get through it tonight,
we'll come back tomorrow.
Not an option either.
His health's getting worse,
apparently.
They're making it very clear
this is a one-off.
You're lucky to be seeing him
at all.
Come on!
They wanna help or not?
Come on!
They wanna help or not?
Nearly seven! Cutting it a bit fine.
Could you ask him
how long it's gonna take
to get there, please?
20 minutes, apparently.
What? What does that mean?
Every guest has one glass
and one cup in their room
to make tea, or coffee,
or whatever they like.
to make tea, or coffee,
or whatever they like.
And these are the same cups and
glasses you use in the restaurant?
Same as restaurant,
same as Pine Bar.
So, how many are we talking?
And these are just the clean ones.
Well, you asked for it, Brent.
Let's get cracking.
It's taking forever. This is a joke.
20 minutes? Two hours.
Vperedi.
It's just up ahead.
OK, listen.
Obviously,
they're running the clock out on us.
So, when we get in there,
we're not gonna ask any questions,
we're not gonna complain
about delays,
that'll... only cause more delays.
So, we just do as we're told
and we get on with it.
Apparently, the hospital are
providing hazmat suits for you.
Apparently, the hospital are
providing hazmat suits for you.
OK.
I thought this was supposed
to be under the radar?
Ignore them. Just push past
the bullshit and get this done.
Here. You change.
All right.
But, please, keep these outside.
We need to record the interview.
We will record. It's all prepared.
OK. Then after it's finished,
we're gonna need a copy of the tape.
No problem.
I need your guarantee on that.
No problem.
But, please, only two persons
inside the interview.
Two?
Two. It's a rule.
Whose rule? Whose rule is that now?
Tarps. Remember what you said.
Tarps. Remember what you said.
OK. In that case,
it will be DC Oliver Gadney
for his Russian,
and myself, DI Brian Tarpey.
Thank you.
Fast as we can, boys.
Questions.
Mm-hm.
Right, let's get in there.
Gentlemen, this is Dmitri Kovtun.
This is Dmitri Kovtun?
This is Dmitri Kovtun.
OK.
If it was green tea,
we can rule out the espresso cups.
And the milk jugs.
And the sugar bowls and the saucers
are unlikely
to have had any direct contact
with any liquid, right?
So, what does that leave?
Teapots, cups...
Teapots, cups...
Does this mean
we must stop using these items?
That would be wise.
But we have been using them
all this time.
He's got a point.
The poisoning took place,
when, November 1st?
And what's the date today?
December 5th.
So, during all that time,
this stuff's been in constant use.
And every time a cup gets used,
it gets washed?
So, even if that's once a day,
they'll still all have been
put through an industrial-strength
dishwasher
over 30 times
since the poisoning took place.
over 30 times
since the poisoning took place.
And nobody who has drunk
from any of these cups
has suffered any ill effects?
That we know of.
I'm thinking the chances of us
getting any kind
of reading here are...
well... ludicrously small.
Feels like a waste of time.
I'm sorry.
What a total waste of time!
It's the bandages I don't get.
What the hell have bandages
got to do with polonium poisoning?
Hmm. Well, Privalova says
she'll get us the tapes.
She gave me her word,
whatever that means,
and says she'll keep us
up to date on Lugovoy.
Oh, who's playing him? Al Pacino?
Lugovoy's the important one.
He's the killer.
I mean, there, physically there,
at the table, making it happen.
If we can get him,
and I mean the real him,
If we can get him,
and I mean the real him,
we get a statement,
and they can't stop us using it.
For all their effing about,
they can't stop us doing that
and using it against him.
They just can't.
Ooh!
You all right, mate?
What do you want,
a beer or a water or something?
No. I'm fine.
You guys carry on.
I'll, erm... get hold of Clive.
All right, mate. Sleep well.
Oh, yeah.
'We'll examine
the impact of Mr Litvinenko's death
'on relations with Russia.
'Britain's former ambassador
in Moscow tells us
'the political relationship
between Russia and the West
'is at its lowest point since
the collapse of the Soviet Union.'
Can you leave that?
It's a table. It's not a desk,
last time I checked.
I work from home, Brent.
I know.
We don't have an office.
No, we don't. But we could.
That's the nursery.
Yeah, but...
it's not the nursery, is it?
We said while there's a chance
it might be...
even if it's only a tiny chance...
we should wait.
Yes, but while...
"As long as it takes."
That's what we said.
We promised.
Everything all right?
I've been trying
to get a hold of Brian.
Just give me a sec.
Tarps? Tarps. It's me, mate.
It's time to... Time to get up.
All right?
It won't be polonium.
Yeah, but you still think
it was deliberate?
Yeah, but you still think
it was deliberate?
If it was, it's just their way
of putting the shits up you.
Well, without over-sharing,
it-it did the direct opposite,
I can tell you.
Thank you.
Uh, anyway, why were you
at the hotel in the first place?
I couldn't reach you by phone.
Why were you trying to ring me?
Because Privalova's contacted me.
She's been in touch with Lugovoy.
And?
He'll see you later on today.
Apparently, he's very keen to help.
I've got to get back to the hotel,
start prepping the questions.
First, er,
I need to use the red phone.
Timmons.
We've got him. Lugovoy.
He's talking to us, five our time.
'The interview with Kovtun
was a complete farce.
'Turned up covered in bandages.
Not sure it was even him.'
How's this any different?
He's asked to speak to us.
'Oh, right.'
Well, you know what to do.
Well, you know what to do.
Get down there and get him on
everything that happened that day.
'And what else?'
Get it all on tape.
Get it all on tape. Exactly.
On it, guv.
It's about to go public that we're
treating this as a murder inquiry.
But we're not.
Internally, we have been.
Yeah, but externally, we're not.
We made sure not to do that
because it would damage
our chances in Moscow.
because it would damage
our chances in Moscow.
I know.
We're asking for their help, Peter,
we're not accusing them,
well, not officially.
Clive, I know.
My lot are about
to question Lugovoy
without knowing
the rest of the world
thinks they're there
under false pretences.
I mean, who announced this?
Nobody. It's a leak.
From who?
Not everyone wants us doing this.
Like who?
Does it matter? The fact is
it's going out on the news
this afternoon.
Is it? How do you know?
Because ITN just called me
for confirmation.
Frigging...!
Tarpey's burner number?
Burners are broken.
What a f...!
I need the number of the, erm,
Hotel Belorusskaya, Duncan.
I need the number of the, erm,
Hotel Belorusskaya, Duncan.
Give me a minute.
The last email I sent you,
the hotel number's on there.
Right.
Sorry.
Feeling better?
Yeah.
Lugovoy, he's on.
We think they've got Lugovoy,
but only if the media
don't screw it up.
Hotel Belorusskaya?
'Yeah. Brian Tarpey, please.'
Room 614.
Failing that, Jim Dawson or,
um... Gadney?
Oliver Gadney.
..Oliver Gadney.
I'm sorry, I'm afraid none of those
guests are currently with us.
'Anything else I can help you with?'
No. No. Thank you.
Have you got a minute?
You know what?
Suddenly, I do.
The chances of us
finding our weapon
or getting any kind of a reading
are "ludicrously small".
That's the phrase
the woman from the HPA used.
Then I was thinking,
"Ludicrously small,"
it's not zero, is it?
And sometimes...
sometimes in life...
just because the chances
of a positive outcome are small,
or take time...
does not mean it's not worth trying.
Does it?
does not mean it's not worth trying.
Does it?
OK.
But let's have them start
with the teapots.
The green tea was served in a pot.
That's what he told you.
Mm-hm.
And there ain't as many of those.
Guv. It's starting.
'At around noon today,
'the Taliban
in southern Helmand Province.'
Now, it was being treated
as a suspicious death,
Now, it was being treated
as a suspicious death,
but in the last half-hour,
Scotland Yard have confirmed
that they are now treating
the poisoning
of Alexander Litvinenko as murder.
There you go, you see?
Russians ain't gonna like that.
Brent, find me that teapot.
The interview is off.
Off? What do you mean, "off"?
You said, "Unexplained death."
It IS unexplained.
Now, you're saying, "Murder."
We're not calling it that.
Yes. You... British Government.
Yes. You... British Government.
Even if we did think that,
it makes no difference.
Not to Lugovoy.
Mr Lugovoy does not do interview.
Mr Lugovoy denies murder, yeah?
Of course.
Mr Lugovoy is friend of Litvinenko?
Yes.
Then what difference does it make
what the British Government
calls it, what anyone calls it?
He can tell us what happened.
He can set us straight.
Or has he got something to hide?
OK. You get changed. And wait.
And, please, two people only.
And, please, two people only.
No. This time, I need three.
If police wants to talk
to the patient, two only.
We didn't ask him.
It is a rule.
He asked us.
We're gonna need
a copy of that tape.
You will have.
He recalls little about the meeting.
Not very memorable.
That's not true, is it, Mr Lugovoy?
That's not true, is it, Mr Lugovoy?
I mean, this is the meeting
where you were poisoned
by Alexander Litvinenko.
Well, you arranged the meeting.
Vy ustroili vstrechu.
You ordered the tea in advance.
Vy zaraneye zakazali chay.
He sat down, he drank it...
On sel, vypil etot chay.
And yet, somehow, he's the one
who's ended up poisoning you.
And with the most lethal substance
known to man.
I vso ravno poluchayetsya,
chto eto on otravil vas.
I vso ravno poluchayetsya,
chto eto on otravil vas.
A substance only available
in Russia...
Veshchestvom, kotoroye
mozhno nayti tol'ko v Rossii.
..where he hadn't been
for six years.
Gde on ne byl shest' let.
I mean, I could think of more...
..forgettable encounters.
Ya khochu skazat',
ya mog by vspomnit'
i o meneye vazhnykh vstrechakh.
He maintains it came from Sasha.
That Sasha requested the meeting.
That polonium does nothing to him.
Next question.
You could ask him
why it's taken a month
You could ask him
why it's taken a month
for the polonium to take effect.
Now, here's a question.
Why, if he's gonna be like this,
did he ask to meet with us
in the first place?
I came here
because I wanted to wish you
good luck with your inquiry.
because I wanted to wish you
good luck with your inquiry.
Trust me, Brian...
..you are going to need it.
It's one lie after another.
He didn't deny buying the tea.
That's another thing.
I mean, you know,
he pretty much denied
everything else.
And he also got a time wrong.
He said they got to the hotel
at four... When it was half three.
Those 30 minutes were used
to get the polonium ready.
Yeah, old Lugovoy's
really put his foot in it.
Privalova's got the tapes.
They've also done transcripts.
You can have those today.
The catch being...?
No catch. Just one stipulation.
No catch. Just one stipulation.
They want you to collect them
from their offices.
Hand them over officially,
mark the end of the visit and so on,
which I thought sounded reasonable.
So, if we're open to that, chaps,
you could be on a plane home
early evening.
Let's keep moving.
You ever get the feeling
you're being followed? Yeah.
On behalf of the Prosecutor General
of the Russian Federation...
..tapes of your conversation.
Transcripts from your conversation.
Is there anything more we can do
to assist your inquiry?
No.
Thank you, gents.
Look. The photographers.
Every last one of them have gone.
They wanted it all on record.
How helpful they've all been.
All right.
What's goodbye, again?
Do svidaniya.
Yeah, that.
Oh, well, welcome back, fellas.
So, who do you want first,
Kovtun or Lugovoy?
According to you, Kovtun wasn't
even Kovtun. So let's have Lugovoy.
Yeah. Claimed he'd been poisoned,
Yeah. Claimed he'd been poisoned,
then strolls in there like he'd just
been watching the Monaco Grand Prix.
OK.
Press play.
It's playing. Oh.
Hm!
It's, er... There's always a bit
of blank at the start of the tape.
Oh, is there?
Usually, yeah.
Oh, is there?
Usually, yeah.
Before it... Right.
You know.
How much blank are we talk...?
Try forwarding it a bit.
It's erm...
Excuse me.
At least we have the transcript.
Yeah. Means nothing.
You could have written it,
for all anyone knows.
Listen.
You did what I asked.
You went there...
..you got the interviews,
you got the tapes, like I asked you.
..you got the interviews,
you got the tapes, like I asked you.
And think of it this way.
That blank tape
proves they're guilty.
Proves we're on the right track.
Otherwise, why would they do it?
Now, you go home, get yourself
some rest, mate. All right?
Yeah. Thanks.
You went to Moscow?
We went.
Erm, it was a productive trip.
We all now agree who's responsible.
I wish I had better news.
Do you know this man?
Boris Berezovsky.
Boris Berezovsky.
He, er, turned his back on Russia.
He help Sasha.
He help Anatoly and me.
Today, he tell me, "Marina...
"..they murder your husband.
"They... call you.
They try to frighten you.
"They go back to Russia.
They're never coming back.
"To get justice,
it is... almost impossible.
"To get justice,
it is... almost impossible.
"Maybe it's time
to enjoy a new country.
"Sasha give you a new life.
A better life.
"Go forward and enjoy. For Sasha."
And what did you say to that?
I think about it, of course.
I think about it...
And then I say... no.
We keep fighting.
If there is chance.
Even tiny chance.
This is what we do for Sasha.
This is what we do for Sasha.
That's the term the coroner will use
on his report.
Just after he calls this
the most dangerous postmortem
Just after he calls this
the most dangerous postmortem
ever undertaken
in the Western world.
He'll need a lead coffin,
is the other thing.
For the radiation.
So, polonium poisoning, then?
Essentially.
Pharyngeal damage, confirming
the fact it was ingested orally.
Liver and kidneys
were worst affected,
but all his organs
suffered severe atrophy,
resulting in an almost total state
of internal...
You know.
No.
Well...
..sludge.
..sludge.
Right...
Thank you.
So, what did they do it with?
Sorry?
What did they use to administer it?
Well, was it a bottle,
some sort of food stuff, or...?
Probably none of my business. Sorry.
No, no, it's OK.
That's more than OK. Thank you.
A guilty man would never do that...
No.
..unless he's got a sick mind.
Exactly.
Like I said, we're gonna change
the locks and the landline number.
Not because there's anything
to worry about,
Not because there's anything
to worry about,
it's more just for peace of mind.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
And the name of the landlord?
Boris Berezovsky.
He's a friend of the family.
They can't get to you here,
Mrs Litvinenko.
He's right.
The people who did it
are thousands of miles away.
Olly? How long till we get
to the hotel?
My tol'ko
v'yezzhayem v gorod.
Nearly there.
Nearly there.
Oh, 'ang on, wrong phone.
Right.
Our contact is Ingrid Campbell.
She wants to meet at noon tomorrow.
Funny place to keep your mobile.
No, we've all got one.
There's, er... everything on these.
You'll find two numbers
saved in the contacts.
One's mine.
The other's each other's.
That's all we'll ever need.
Yeah, Campbell's gonna introduce us
to someone from
the Prosecutor's Office.
to someone from
the Prosecutor's Office.
And they'll connect us
with Lugovoy and Kovtun?
Maybe.
Or at least someone who will?
Maybe. Not necessarily.
Right, well, well,
we do know where they are...?
Well, how...?
How we gonna know they'll talk?
We don't.
You said the Russians
had agreed to cooperate.
They have. Whatever that means.
Look, we're here in their country
asking for their help
to prove that their people
killed someone on our patch.
We've got no guarantees
of getting anything.
We've got no guarantees
of getting anything.
We're here, purely and simply,
because there's a chance.
OK?
Olly was saying
they've got all kinds here.
They've got Topshop, Body Shop,
M&S... He's been here before.
That's globalisation.
Yeah, but those are all the things
that we've given them.
You tell me one thing the Russians
have put on our high street.
What, apart from polonium, you mean?
You know,
"State-sponsored assassination,
"coming soon
to a high street near you."
That's proper globalisation.
Etazh shestoy.
Hello?
'My burner's not working.
Nor's Gadney's.'
Nor's mine.
'You think it's them?'
Er, it's probably us.
Us and our shitty phones.
'Only, I-I didn't like the look
of that bloke who checked us in.'
No. The Russian Prosecutor
knows we're here, but that's it.
Anyone else, this whole trip's
totally under the radar.
Anyone else, this whole trip's
totally under the radar.
You get some kip.
Moscow, MI6, radiation.
Strip it all away,
and what we've got is something
that everyone in this room has
worked on dozens of times before.
A murder.
We've got a victim, crime scene,
we've even got suspects.
But what we don't have...
..is a weapon.
That's what's missing.
Now, we've got Colonel Mustard
in the ballroom, but using what?
We don't know.
Yeah, we do, though, don't we?
It's polonium-210.
No, no, you see,
that's what I've been thinking.
But polonium's not the weapon.
Polonium's just the thing
that killed him
after they put it in his tea.
But we can link polonium to Lugovoy
and Kovtun because of the plane.
Yeah, but is that enough?
Yeah, but is that enough?
That plane has been in and out
of Russia, the home of polonium,
since this happened.
What's to stop the Russians
attributing polonium
we found on the plane
to any other person on that plane
who's come into contact with it?
Look, we all agree
the polonium was in the tea.
But what we need to do
is find the item, or items,
that the polonium was held in,
and we need to link that
to these two.
Dmitry Kovtun and, most importantly,
Andrei Lugovoy.
Dmitry Kovtun and, most importantly,
Andrei Lugovoy.
That way, anything they tell Tarpey
and the team in Moscow
can be directly contradicted.
Think of it this way.
If polonium-210 is the bullet...
..what we need to find is the gun.
I want to lead on the weapon search.
Or whatever we're calling it.
You had Tarpey lead on Moscow...
Brent... ..and despite him
not knowing the case,
I can see how you arrived
to that decision.
I can see how you arrived
to that decision.
You two go way back
and he's trusted and what have you,
but I made a personal promise
to Marina Litvinenko, and...
Brent...
..I was gonna ask you anyway.
Martin Svensson.
Who?
He's the manager
of the Millennium Hotel.
Give him a ring.
Tell him we're paying him
another visit.
Miss Campbell.
You're early.
Sorry.
No, it's good.
The Russian Prosecutor
got here an hour ago.
All the usual cliches apply,
I'm afraid.
If you're early, they're earlier.
If you're on time,
they'll keep you waiting.
Your phones don't work.
But is it them, or is it you?
And?
I'm sorry?
Which is it?
Oh, them, probably.
As my predecessor used to say,
"If they'd included mind games
in the Moscow Olympics,
"they'd have swept the board."
Gentlemen, Nika Privalova
from the Prosecutor's Office.
Then let's do it in English.
You want to interview Andrei Lugovoy
y Dmitry Kovtun, da?
That is correct. And, er,
we thank you for your help in this.
Hm. You have list of questions?
Hm. You have list of questions?
Well, there are certain things
we'll be looking
to talk to them about, certainly.
You need list of questions.
You give questions to me.
After this, we arrange.
So you know where they are?
Yes.
And we can definitely talk to them?
Lugovoy, yes. No problem.
And Kovtun?
Kovtun... yes.
But Kovtun...
you have to be very fast.
Kovtun is serious.
How do you mean, "serious"?
How do you mean, "serious"?
Kovtun is, er, sick. From polonium.
Just to be clear, you're saying
that Kovtun has also been poisoned?
Yes.
As in, he's ingested some polonium
accidentally?
No. Kovtun is victim of poison.
By who? By... Lugovoy?
No.
By Alexander Litvinenko.
And number four,
"Describe the reasons
"for your meetings with Litvinenko
in October and November this year."
Number five,
"Can you give an account
"for your movements on
the afternoon of November 1st?"
Right. That's the one. That's
the one we definitely need to ask.
That's our best chance
to trip 'em up. Yeah.
So, the plan is to meet Privalova,
give her the questions,
then follow in convoy to
the hospital to see Dmitri Kovtun.
then follow in convoy to
the hospital to see Dmitri Kovtun.
Er...
You need to make a phone call?
Yeah.
The one on the right, the red phone.
That's secure.
Thank you.
Nice one. This is huge.
Just remember, Tarpey, it's worth
nothing unless it's on tape.
I know you know, it's just good
to remind ourselves of these things.
Right. Good man.
Right. Good man.
Kovtun.
They're interviewing him tonight.
Finally, we're getting somewhere.
They said we have to wait
in the bar.
This is the one. This was the table.
So, this was Litvinenko's seat?
No. This is.
No. This is.
You're in Lugovoy's.
He was sitting where you are.
Confident, relaxed.
Eyes on the door, waiting.
Then I'd have come in, hurried in
cos you brought the meeting forward,
sat down to find
the tea already here.
Already ordered.
Already getting cold.
So, why drink it?
You knew the risks.
You didn't consume anything
you hadn't bought yourself
at your lunch with Scaramella
a few hours before.
So, why?
Why... in here, did you drink...?
So, why?
Why... in here, did you drink...?
Because you're my boss.
No, Lugovoy wasn't
Litvinenko's boss.
Not boss, but, you know, superior.
An alpha male.
You exert a certain level
of social control over others,
men your own age.
And... when you ask people
to do things...
..they tend to do them.
Are we still talking about Lugovoy,
Brent?
Can I get you gentlemen a drink?
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
We're actually waiting for someone.
In fact, here he is, look.
You all right? Well, if he has been
poisoned, he's in the right place.
Hospital Number Six is where they
treated the victims of Chernobyl.
Oh, she also told me
that under Russian law,
all police interviews
must be completed by 10pm.
Why is that even a law?
Get in, Tarps.
Fine.
If we can't get through it tonight,
we'll come back tomorrow.
Not an option either.
His health's getting worse,
apparently.
They're making it very clear
this is a one-off.
You're lucky to be seeing him
at all.
Come on!
They wanna help or not?
Come on!
They wanna help or not?
Nearly seven! Cutting it a bit fine.
Could you ask him
how long it's gonna take
to get there, please?
20 minutes, apparently.
What? What does that mean?
Every guest has one glass
and one cup in their room
to make tea, or coffee,
or whatever they like.
to make tea, or coffee,
or whatever they like.
And these are the same cups and
glasses you use in the restaurant?
Same as restaurant,
same as Pine Bar.
So, how many are we talking?
And these are just the clean ones.
Well, you asked for it, Brent.
Let's get cracking.
It's taking forever. This is a joke.
20 minutes? Two hours.
Vperedi.
It's just up ahead.
OK, listen.
Obviously,
they're running the clock out on us.
So, when we get in there,
we're not gonna ask any questions,
we're not gonna complain
about delays,
that'll... only cause more delays.
So, we just do as we're told
and we get on with it.
Apparently, the hospital are
providing hazmat suits for you.
Apparently, the hospital are
providing hazmat suits for you.
OK.
I thought this was supposed
to be under the radar?
Ignore them. Just push past
the bullshit and get this done.
Here. You change.
All right.
But, please, keep these outside.
We need to record the interview.
We will record. It's all prepared.
OK. Then after it's finished,
we're gonna need a copy of the tape.
No problem.
I need your guarantee on that.
No problem.
But, please, only two persons
inside the interview.
Two?
Two. It's a rule.
Whose rule? Whose rule is that now?
Tarps. Remember what you said.
Tarps. Remember what you said.
OK. In that case,
it will be DC Oliver Gadney
for his Russian,
and myself, DI Brian Tarpey.
Thank you.
Fast as we can, boys.
Questions.
Mm-hm.
Right, let's get in there.
Gentlemen, this is Dmitri Kovtun.
This is Dmitri Kovtun?
This is Dmitri Kovtun.
OK.
If it was green tea,
we can rule out the espresso cups.
And the milk jugs.
And the sugar bowls and the saucers
are unlikely
to have had any direct contact
with any liquid, right?
So, what does that leave?
Teapots, cups...
Teapots, cups...
Does this mean
we must stop using these items?
That would be wise.
But we have been using them
all this time.
He's got a point.
The poisoning took place,
when, November 1st?
And what's the date today?
December 5th.
So, during all that time,
this stuff's been in constant use.
And every time a cup gets used,
it gets washed?
So, even if that's once a day,
they'll still all have been
put through an industrial-strength
dishwasher
over 30 times
since the poisoning took place.
over 30 times
since the poisoning took place.
And nobody who has drunk
from any of these cups
has suffered any ill effects?
That we know of.
I'm thinking the chances of us
getting any kind
of reading here are...
well... ludicrously small.
Feels like a waste of time.
I'm sorry.
What a total waste of time!
It's the bandages I don't get.
What the hell have bandages
got to do with polonium poisoning?
Hmm. Well, Privalova says
she'll get us the tapes.
She gave me her word,
whatever that means,
and says she'll keep us
up to date on Lugovoy.
Oh, who's playing him? Al Pacino?
Lugovoy's the important one.
He's the killer.
I mean, there, physically there,
at the table, making it happen.
If we can get him,
and I mean the real him,
If we can get him,
and I mean the real him,
we get a statement,
and they can't stop us using it.
For all their effing about,
they can't stop us doing that
and using it against him.
They just can't.
Ooh!
You all right, mate?
What do you want,
a beer or a water or something?
No. I'm fine.
You guys carry on.
I'll, erm... get hold of Clive.
All right, mate. Sleep well.
Oh, yeah.
'We'll examine
the impact of Mr Litvinenko's death
'on relations with Russia.
'Britain's former ambassador
in Moscow tells us
'the political relationship
between Russia and the West
'is at its lowest point since
the collapse of the Soviet Union.'
Can you leave that?
It's a table. It's not a desk,
last time I checked.
I work from home, Brent.
I know.
We don't have an office.
No, we don't. But we could.
That's the nursery.
Yeah, but...
it's not the nursery, is it?
We said while there's a chance
it might be...
even if it's only a tiny chance...
we should wait.
Yes, but while...
"As long as it takes."
That's what we said.
We promised.
Everything all right?
I've been trying
to get a hold of Brian.
Just give me a sec.
Tarps? Tarps. It's me, mate.
It's time to... Time to get up.
All right?
It won't be polonium.
Yeah, but you still think
it was deliberate?
Yeah, but you still think
it was deliberate?
If it was, it's just their way
of putting the shits up you.
Well, without over-sharing,
it-it did the direct opposite,
I can tell you.
Thank you.
Uh, anyway, why were you
at the hotel in the first place?
I couldn't reach you by phone.
Why were you trying to ring me?
Because Privalova's contacted me.
She's been in touch with Lugovoy.
And?
He'll see you later on today.
Apparently, he's very keen to help.
I've got to get back to the hotel,
start prepping the questions.
First, er,
I need to use the red phone.
Timmons.
We've got him. Lugovoy.
He's talking to us, five our time.
'The interview with Kovtun
was a complete farce.
'Turned up covered in bandages.
Not sure it was even him.'
How's this any different?
He's asked to speak to us.
'Oh, right.'
Well, you know what to do.
Well, you know what to do.
Get down there and get him on
everything that happened that day.
'And what else?'
Get it all on tape.
Get it all on tape. Exactly.
On it, guv.
It's about to go public that we're
treating this as a murder inquiry.
But we're not.
Internally, we have been.
Yeah, but externally, we're not.
We made sure not to do that
because it would damage
our chances in Moscow.
because it would damage
our chances in Moscow.
I know.
We're asking for their help, Peter,
we're not accusing them,
well, not officially.
Clive, I know.
My lot are about
to question Lugovoy
without knowing
the rest of the world
thinks they're there
under false pretences.
I mean, who announced this?
Nobody. It's a leak.
From who?
Not everyone wants us doing this.
Like who?
Does it matter? The fact is
it's going out on the news
this afternoon.
Is it? How do you know?
Because ITN just called me
for confirmation.
Frigging...!
Tarpey's burner number?
Burners are broken.
What a f...!
I need the number of the, erm,
Hotel Belorusskaya, Duncan.
I need the number of the, erm,
Hotel Belorusskaya, Duncan.
Give me a minute.
The last email I sent you,
the hotel number's on there.
Right.
Sorry.
Feeling better?
Yeah.
Lugovoy, he's on.
We think they've got Lugovoy,
but only if the media
don't screw it up.
Hotel Belorusskaya?
'Yeah. Brian Tarpey, please.'
Room 614.
Failing that, Jim Dawson or,
um... Gadney?
Oliver Gadney.
..Oliver Gadney.
I'm sorry, I'm afraid none of those
guests are currently with us.
'Anything else I can help you with?'
No. No. Thank you.
Have you got a minute?
You know what?
Suddenly, I do.
The chances of us
finding our weapon
or getting any kind of a reading
are "ludicrously small".
That's the phrase
the woman from the HPA used.
Then I was thinking,
"Ludicrously small,"
it's not zero, is it?
And sometimes...
sometimes in life...
just because the chances
of a positive outcome are small,
or take time...
does not mean it's not worth trying.
Does it?
does not mean it's not worth trying.
Does it?
OK.
But let's have them start
with the teapots.
The green tea was served in a pot.
That's what he told you.
Mm-hm.
And there ain't as many of those.
Guv. It's starting.
'At around noon today,
'the Taliban
in southern Helmand Province.'
Now, it was being treated
as a suspicious death,
Now, it was being treated
as a suspicious death,
but in the last half-hour,
Scotland Yard have confirmed
that they are now treating
the poisoning
of Alexander Litvinenko as murder.
There you go, you see?
Russians ain't gonna like that.
Brent, find me that teapot.
The interview is off.
Off? What do you mean, "off"?
You said, "Unexplained death."
It IS unexplained.
Now, you're saying, "Murder."
We're not calling it that.
Yes. You... British Government.
Yes. You... British Government.
Even if we did think that,
it makes no difference.
Not to Lugovoy.
Mr Lugovoy does not do interview.
Mr Lugovoy denies murder, yeah?
Of course.
Mr Lugovoy is friend of Litvinenko?
Yes.
Then what difference does it make
what the British Government
calls it, what anyone calls it?
He can tell us what happened.
He can set us straight.
Or has he got something to hide?
OK. You get changed. And wait.
And, please, two people only.
And, please, two people only.
No. This time, I need three.
If police wants to talk
to the patient, two only.
We didn't ask him.
It is a rule.
He asked us.
We're gonna need
a copy of that tape.
You will have.
He recalls little about the meeting.
Not very memorable.
That's not true, is it, Mr Lugovoy?
That's not true, is it, Mr Lugovoy?
I mean, this is the meeting
where you were poisoned
by Alexander Litvinenko.
Well, you arranged the meeting.
Vy ustroili vstrechu.
You ordered the tea in advance.
Vy zaraneye zakazali chay.
He sat down, he drank it...
On sel, vypil etot chay.
And yet, somehow, he's the one
who's ended up poisoning you.
And with the most lethal substance
known to man.
I vso ravno poluchayetsya,
chto eto on otravil vas.
I vso ravno poluchayetsya,
chto eto on otravil vas.
A substance only available
in Russia...
Veshchestvom, kotoroye
mozhno nayti tol'ko v Rossii.
..where he hadn't been
for six years.
Gde on ne byl shest' let.
I mean, I could think of more...
..forgettable encounters.
Ya khochu skazat',
ya mog by vspomnit'
i o meneye vazhnykh vstrechakh.
He maintains it came from Sasha.
That Sasha requested the meeting.
That polonium does nothing to him.
Next question.
You could ask him
why it's taken a month
You could ask him
why it's taken a month
for the polonium to take effect.
Now, here's a question.
Why, if he's gonna be like this,
did he ask to meet with us
in the first place?
I came here
because I wanted to wish you
good luck with your inquiry.
because I wanted to wish you
good luck with your inquiry.
Trust me, Brian...
..you are going to need it.
It's one lie after another.
He didn't deny buying the tea.
That's another thing.
I mean, you know,
he pretty much denied
everything else.
And he also got a time wrong.
He said they got to the hotel
at four... When it was half three.
Those 30 minutes were used
to get the polonium ready.
Yeah, old Lugovoy's
really put his foot in it.
Privalova's got the tapes.
They've also done transcripts.
You can have those today.
The catch being...?
No catch. Just one stipulation.
No catch. Just one stipulation.
They want you to collect them
from their offices.
Hand them over officially,
mark the end of the visit and so on,
which I thought sounded reasonable.
So, if we're open to that, chaps,
you could be on a plane home
early evening.
Let's keep moving.
You ever get the feeling
you're being followed? Yeah.
On behalf of the Prosecutor General
of the Russian Federation...
..tapes of your conversation.
Transcripts from your conversation.
Is there anything more we can do
to assist your inquiry?
No.
Thank you, gents.
Look. The photographers.
Every last one of them have gone.
They wanted it all on record.
How helpful they've all been.
All right.
What's goodbye, again?
Do svidaniya.
Yeah, that.
Oh, well, welcome back, fellas.
So, who do you want first,
Kovtun or Lugovoy?
According to you, Kovtun wasn't
even Kovtun. So let's have Lugovoy.
Yeah. Claimed he'd been poisoned,
Yeah. Claimed he'd been poisoned,
then strolls in there like he'd just
been watching the Monaco Grand Prix.
OK.
Press play.
It's playing. Oh.
Hm!
It's, er... There's always a bit
of blank at the start of the tape.
Oh, is there?
Usually, yeah.
Oh, is there?
Usually, yeah.
Before it... Right.
You know.
How much blank are we talk...?
Try forwarding it a bit.
It's erm...
Excuse me.
At least we have the transcript.
Yeah. Means nothing.
You could have written it,
for all anyone knows.
Listen.
You did what I asked.
You went there...
..you got the interviews,
you got the tapes, like I asked you.
..you got the interviews,
you got the tapes, like I asked you.
And think of it this way.
That blank tape
proves they're guilty.
Proves we're on the right track.
Otherwise, why would they do it?
Now, you go home, get yourself
some rest, mate. All right?
Yeah. Thanks.
You went to Moscow?
We went.
Erm, it was a productive trip.
We all now agree who's responsible.
I wish I had better news.
Do you know this man?
Boris Berezovsky.
Boris Berezovsky.
He, er, turned his back on Russia.
He help Sasha.
He help Anatoly and me.
Today, he tell me, "Marina...
"..they murder your husband.
"They... call you.
They try to frighten you.
"They go back to Russia.
They're never coming back.
"To get justice,
it is... almost impossible.
"To get justice,
it is... almost impossible.
"Maybe it's time
to enjoy a new country.
"Sasha give you a new life.
A better life.
"Go forward and enjoy. For Sasha."
And what did you say to that?
I think about it, of course.
I think about it...
And then I say... no.
We keep fighting.
If there is chance.
Even tiny chance.
This is what we do for Sasha.
This is what we do for Sasha.