New Tricks (2003–2015): Season 8, Episode 7 - The Gentleman Vanishes - full transcript

9:02 p.m. 7th of February, 2004.

This is the 7:00 p.m. train
from Charing Cross to Dover,

and it's two hours
into its journey.

Two hours? Shouldn't
they be in Dover by now?

Yeah, it should be,

but a couple of miles
out of the station,

someone pulled the
emergency handle.

Now watch this.

Four seconds.

It takes four seconds to
go through that first door,

along the short
connecting corridor,



and then into the buffet car.

Four seconds.

This guy here is
Dr. Phillip Mackenna.

He's a physics professor at
University College London.

He was due to catch the
ferry from Dover to Calais

and then another train to Paris

where he was going to
speak at a conference

on theoretical physics
the following evening.

Now keep watching.

He talks to the blind man.

Then he gets up, and
he heads to the buffet car.

Four seconds.

Doesn't matter
how long you wait...

Phillip Mackenna never
comes through that door,



and he hasn't been seen since.

♪ It's all right, it's okay ♪

♪ Doesn't really matter
if you're old and gray ♪

♪ It's all right, I
say it's okay ♪

♪ Listen to what I say ♪

♪ It's all right, doing fine ♪

♪ Doesn't really matter
if the sun don't shine ♪

♪ It's all right, I
say it's okay ♪

♪ We're getting to
the end of the day ♪

Subtitling made
possible by Acorn Media

Let's not waste any
time on the first mystery.

The train was stationary
for nine minutes,

and Mackenna disappeared
six minutes into that time.

The connecting corridor
between the carriages

is where the external doors are,

and it seems likely that
someone opened that door

and grabbed Mackenna
on his way to the buffet car.

Now, there's a country lane

a few hundred
yards from the track,

and a witness
from the local village

reported seeing an unmarked
van parked on the verge there

around the time
of the abduction.

That van has never been traced.

Yeah, but are we really
sure it was an abduction?

I mean, Mackenna didn't
just do a vanishing act

to get away from his old woman?

There are easier
ways to disappear.

CCTV show Mackenna
sitting in his seat

when the emergency
handle was pulled,

so he couldn't
have done it himself.

So who did?

Don't know. Happened off camera.

Do we know what the blind
man was saying to Mackenna?

Yeah, he came
forward as a witness

in the original investigation.

Apparently he'd been
chatting to Mackenna off and on

during the journey and had just
asked him for a glass of water.

That's a bit of a
coincidence, isn't it?

- I mean the timing.
- Guy checked out, apparently.

Oh, yeah? And who was in
charge of the show back then?

Thomas Doyle. He's a D.I...

I know Tom Doyle.
Good, detailed.

If he said he checked
out the blind man...

The problem with
Doyle's investigation

was that they got
off to a late start.

Although we now know

that Mackenna went
missing from this train,

someone using his passport
boarded the ferry to Calais

and checked into
his Paris hotel room.

So he wasn't even reported
missing until he failed

to turn up at the conference
the following evening.

And because he
checked into the hotel,

the search started in Paris.

Exactly.

It was four days

before anyone thought to
check the CCTV from the train

and realized that
he had gone missing

this side of the Channel,

at which point it finally
became Doyle's case.

Any CCTV footage
of this mystery man

boarding the ferry or
checking into the hotel?

No, and he was careful
to avoid the cameras,

and the hotel staff
don't remember him.

So whoever abducted Mackenna

were laying a false
trail to buy time.

But for what?

Get him out the country.

A boat from the
coast, a private airfield.

- Take him where?
- Possibly Switzerland.

Why Switzerland?

Well, that's what this new
evidence is suggesting.

See, the original investigation
hit a brick wall very quickly.

Doyle looked at every
single person on that train.

He even interviewed
most of them.

But he couldn't find out who
pulled the emergency handle,

and he couldn't come
up with a single passenger

that seemed in any way
linked to the abduction.

But now there's this.

Bea Mackenna,
Phillip Mackenna's wife,

came to us because she's been
receiving anonymous e-mails

claiming to know what
happened to her husband.

And the latest one came
with a document attached,

purporting to be
from the archives

of a private research
institute just outside Zurich.

Now, this document
seems to suggest

that the institutor
engaged in a project

which wouldn't be possible

without the expertise that
Phillip Mackenna possessed.

Cold fusion.

Yeah, that's what
Mackenna was working on.

That's what this company
in Switzerland are now doing.

Although don't
ask me to explain it.

Oh, it's to do with
splitting atoms

and releasing huge amounts of
energy but at room temperature.

Most people don't think
it'll ever be possible.

But if this Mackenna bloke
thought he had cracked it,

it would be massive.

We're talking about wiping out

oil, gas, and nuclear
power overnight

and replacing it with something

that's cheaper, cleaner,
and more efficient.

Mm.

I do occasionally read the
bits before the sports section.

And is this document real?

We don't know.

The Swiss company
obviously denies it,

and we won't know
whether it's genuine or not

until we find out who sent it
and how they got hold of it.

"I know what happened
to your husband.

I'll be in touch soon."

That was the first one. It
came about a month ago.

I have since had
five more messages,

each one getting a
little bit more specific,

almost as if this person

is finding out more
information as they go.

And the latest e-mail had
the document attached?

That's right.

What did you make of the
document, Mrs. Mackenna?

I'm not a scientist.

I recognized some
of the technical terms

and phrases on there from
things that Phillip has talked about,

but really it's
gobbledygook to me.

We have a deal...

Phillip doesn't try to
explain science to me,

and I don't bore him with
anecdotes about my work.

It's probably one of the main
reasons we're still married.

Sorry, that sounded a bit, um...

I just mean that our lives are
quite separate in a lot of ways.

"Are"?

- Excuse me?
- You said "are" separate.

Yes. As opposed to "were."

My husband is
missing. He's not...

Is there a reason you know of

why I should be talking
about him in the past tense?

No, no. I suppose not.

How are your lives
separate, Mrs. Mackenna?

I just want someone
to find my husband.

How difficult can it be?

He wasn't trekking
through the Amazon.

He was on a train to Dover.

Why Dover?

What?

London to Paris via the
ferry is a good old trip.

Oh, um, Phillip doesn't fly,
and he doesn't like tunnels.

It's to do with confined spaces.

This is partly what I mean
about our lives being separate.

I work in financial PR,

so my job requires
a lot of socializing,

whereas Phillip's
personality is, um...

He's not very easy with people.

Certainly not with large groups.

Were your lives separate
in any other respect?

Phillip hasn't run off
with another woman.

Your predecessors
wasted a lot of time

looking into that possibility
because they didn't understand.

Phillip needs me.

He was always, um...
nervous, I suppose you'd say.

Highly strung.

But over the years, he's become
less good at ordinary things...

Buying food, paying
bills, social interaction.

I take care of all of that.

I keep the world at bay
because Phillip needs stability

so that he can
focus on his work.

He just doesn't cope
very well with everyday life.

If Dr. Mackenna
doesn't cope very well

and isn't very good with people,

what was he doing
going to Paris alone

to address a conference?

He was a last-minute
replacement.

That's why I wasn't able to
drop everything and go with him.

Who was he replacing?

Brian Rutland?

Hi. Gerry Standing.

I'm with the
Metropolitan Police's

Unsolved Crime and
Open Case Squad.

This about Mackenna?

That's right, yeah.
Now, we understand...

What more can you people
possibly need to know?

Well, we're reopening
the investigation.

Yes, I got that from the
"unsolved crimes" reference.

I already answered
all the questions.

I'm sure you keep records.

Well, maybe I have
some different questions.

I doubt it.

Now, you were
Dr. Mackenna's partner

in the cold-fusion project?

Is that supposed to be
an example of a question

I wasn't asked before?

Look, I'm sorry,
Mr. Rutland, but...

Why don't you read
the extensive records

of my conversations with
the police on this matter?

I'm sure you'll
find all the answers

you're looking for there,

and then you'll only be
wasting your time and not mine.

Or I could phone my
detective superintendent

and get her to drag
you down to the station

for a formal interview.

Fine!

Yes, I was Phillip Mackenna's
partner in the fusion project.

And you were supposed
to be giving a lecture

at a conference in Paris.

Yes, but I couldn't go,
so Phillip took my place.

Except he didn't.

And why couldn't you go?

All this was dealt with in
the original investigation.

My house was
burgled the night before.

They took my passport,
among other things.

It was easier for
Phillip to go in my stead

than for me to get a
replacement passport in time.

- And you reported the burglary?
- I did, yes.

A policeman came 'round,
said it was probably kids,

gave me a crime number
for my insurance policy,

and was out of the door
again inside 10 minutes.

Marvelous service
you people provide.

What made him think it was kids?

Well, I'm not party to the
synaptic firework display

that went off in that
particular supersleuth's brain...

- How did they get in?
- They broke a window.

You didn't think it was odd

that a bunch of kids
would nick your passport?

Perhaps they wanted
to go to Disneyland.

Wasn't just my passport.

They broke a
window to my office,

took whatever was
immediately available to hand.

Laptop, some spare cash.

My passport was in
one of the drawers.

None of which struck
me as anything other

than completely bloody
irritating at the time.

Now, this talk you were
supposed to give in Paris

was about the
cold-fusion project

that you and Mackenna
were working on, yeah?

Well, it was a process

that could ultimately
lead to cold fusion, yes.

Do you care to be more specific?

No, I wouldn't.

Partly because the
work was subject

to a great many different
confidentiality agreements

and partly because you
wouldn't understand a word of it.

Try me.

No. I don't think I will.

Are you still working
on the project?

No, I'm not.

Phillip and I were working
together but separately,

coming at the problem
from different angles.

Without his knowledge,
there is no way to move on.

What about his notes?

Phillip's notes were
incomplete at best.

All the important
pieces of the information

were stored in his head.

Now, if this thing worked,

presumably it would be
worth a great deal of money.

You have no idea.

Were you ever approached
to sell the research?

Once or twice a month, yes.

What corporate entity
wouldn't want a chance

at providing clean,
low-cost energy to the world?

But my loyalty, Mister...

Standing.

Mr. Standing...
Is to this institution

and to the notion of science as
a means of human advancement.

I'm not in it to
make a quick buck.

And did Dr. Mackenna
think the same way?

Well, he's not here to
answer that question,

so I suppose you must
draw your own conclusions.

So Rutland's burgled and
gets his passport nicked.

And Mackenna has to
go to Paris in his place.

What a coincidence.

Okay, dig out the
original crime report,

and let's take a look at that.

Oh, you won't
get anything there.

They thought it was kids.

Apparently, they sent one
uniform and a crime number.

You all right, Brian?

Brian?

Oh, there you are.

- I've got something.
- What?

It's big.

- What is it?
- It's very big.

Well, what is it, Brian?

Phillip Mackenna was
abducted by ghosts.

If Barton was
masquerading as Elster,

then she was only
doing it for the money.

But where did that money go?

Check the private
and business accounts

of every single player on
this board, find that cash.

And look at Ferguson again.

He spent enough
time with Barton.

He must have known
what she was up to.

- D.I. Doyle?
- Yes.

Detective Superintendent...

Pullman, yeah. I've
seen you around.

UCOS, isn't it?

You're reopening
the Mackenna case.

That's right. This
is Brian Lane.

"Memory" Lane.
Pleased to meet you.

Is Jack Halford
still over there?

- Oh, yes, he is.
- Give him my best.

Yeah, will do.

We've got a couple of things
we'd like to go over with you.

- Is there somewhere we can go?
- Of course. This way.

Thank you.

We're here about the
blind man on the train.

The one who asked
Mackenna for a glass of water.

I don't remember his name.

Geoffrey Bloom.

- Bloom. That's right.
- You met him?

Yeah, he came in after
we appealed for witnesses.

Do you remember
anything unusual about him?

Other than the
fact he was blind?

Other than the fact he was dead.

Excuse me?

Geoffrey Bloom died 17 days
before that train left London.

The man who was on that train,

the man you
subsequently interviewed,

was not Geoffrey Bloom.

Oh, that's not possible.

We got the names
of the passengers

from their credit-card bookings,

and we cross-referenced
those with our databases.

The system would have
thrown up a red flag if...

No, no. Not necessarily.

Not in cases where someone dies

leaving no family
or friends behind,

pressing for the
paperwork to be done.

By the time Geoffrey Bloom's
death had entered the system,

your case was all but closed.

What about Derek Mills?

He was the man who went
through to the restaurant car

ahead of Phillip Mackenna.

- Yes.
- Well, he came in as a witness.

Yeah, he was a walk-in, too.

Derek Mills died 11 days
before the man you spoke to

got on the train.

Lucy Dawson?

How many more are there?

That's it. Two men and a woman.

Lucy Dawson didn't come
in. And we couldn't find her.

Why not?

The address we had
for her was wrong.

Some kind of screw-up
on the databases

or her name wasn't
on the electoral register.

I can't remember the details.
But we couldn't track her down.

Yeah, we don't have
an image of her either.

The CCTV camera that
was supposed to be covering

her end of the carriage
was on the blink.

But we think she was the person

who triggered the
alarm to stop the train.

Here.

Anything you can remember
about these two men

would be extremely helpful.

It was a long time ago.

I know, but anything...
Speech pattern, accent...

I know what you need. I just...

It's all up there. Everything.
You just need to access it.

I'm sure that's
easy for you to say.

There are techniques.

Now, just think yourself
back into that room.

A man comes in, and
he sits opposite you.

Geoffrey Bloom.

He's a blind man, yes?

Well, he was
wearing dark glasses.

Big glasses.

Presumably to hide his face.

Yeah, he was good.

He came in on the arm of a WPC.

His hand on top of her arm,

so she was guiding
him rather than leading.

The way he found the edge
of the table, got into his chair.

You'd never have
known he was faking.

And when he spoke?

No.

I can't hear him. I
can't hear his voice.

So it was probably neutral.

No heavy accent or
unusual speech pattern.

No, but there was, um...

Something... A muscle
thing on his face.

What do you call it? A tic?

- Twitch.
- Yeah.

It was subtle.

And like I say, he was
wearing those big glasses,

which almost hid it completely.

- Which side?
- The left.

- Your left? His left?
- His left.

But like I say, it
wasn't a big thing.

But it would have
been more noticeable

without those glasses.

Yeah, twitch. He had a twitch.

Show Mr. Halford
in, please, Daph?

Uh, Mr. Halford,
Mr. Fallon will...

Yes. I heard.

Chief Superintendent.

Oh, "Mister" now,
Martin. Retired.

Oh, well, that's a very
sad loss to the force.

I mean, all this is down to you.

If you hadn't put in a
good word for me in court...

You were never malicious,
Martin, just stupid.

That's very kind
of you to say so.

Could I offer you
a tea? A coffee?

Coffee would be nice.

Two coffees, please, Daph.

How do you take it?

Milk, two sugars.

- Did you hear that?
- Yes, Martin.

Ah. Business is booming?

It doesn't look
like much, I know.

But we're doing okay.

A lot of companies are waking
up to the fact that they need,

well, people like me to protect
their computer systems from...

From people like you?

Yes, well, poacher
turned gamekeeper now.

And that's all down
to you, Mr. Halford.

I've got a little
job for you, Martin.

Really?

I help the police sort
out unsolved cases.

These e-mails are from
our current investigation.

I'd like to know who sent them.

I did hear a rumor
one or two policemen

had learned how
to use a computer.

Couldn't one of them...

Yes, if I want to take a ticket

and make myself comfortable
for a couple of weeks.

They're too busy chasing...

People like me.

Yes. We're not easy to catch.

What about this one?
Is he easy to catch?

Hmm.

Yeah, well, you see,

his IP address changes with
each message, you know?

Some of these are
Russian, they're Japanese.

You know, I mean, he's
bouncing these messages

halfway around the world and
back again to muddy his tracks.

Can you give me a name?

- For a fee?
- No.

Oh.

Because I owe you one.

This is your chance
to pay me back

for this corporate empire
I helped you create.

That's rather good.

But you need to give it five
more minutes than they say.

Stephen Fisher.

Well, well, well.

For my money, though,
the cod's slightly better.

- How are you, Robert?
- I'm... I'm fine.

Still overseeing Unsolved
Crimes and Open...

Among other
things, yes. And you?

Oh, you know me.

Paddled around for awhile

in the shallow ends of
the Special Department

until someone found me
a cozy desk in Whitehall.

Few more years pushing
paper, and I'll collect a fat pension.

Thinking of settling
somewhere green.

Might write a book.

Oh?

Yes. Japanese mythology.
It's a current passion of mine.

You should read
up on it, Robert.

It's fascinating stuff.
Dining alone tonight?

Oh, afraid so.

Miserable, isn't it?

Audrey's off on some
evening class or other.

Fad-of-the-week stuff.

Can I buy you dinner?

Well, I-I...

It'd be good to catch up.

I know a place does
a beef Wellington

you won't forget in a hurry.

You haven't turned vegetarian
or anything, have you?

Me? N-No. No, no.

Excellent!

We can get a table
before the rush starts.

Fascinating stuff,
I'd have thought...

Sniffing out these people

who think they'd got
away with it years ago.

Well, it can be.

Satisfying to get
cases off the books.

The Wellington was very
good, Carlo, as always.

Thank you, sir.
I'll pass that on.

Will you be having
dessert, gentlemen?

- No, not for...
- You'll try the baked Alaska.

- No, really.
- You'd never forgive yourself.

- Two baked Alaska?
- Thank you, Carlo.

Of course, news of
UCOS's escapades

does reach us in
Whitehall from time to time.

Oh, really?

In the most positive
light, of course.

I'm still not clear on exactly
what it is you do now, Stephen.

Although lately, perhaps,
the light isn't quite so positive.

- I'm sorry?
- We shouldn't talk shop.

What did you mean by that?

Perhaps past successes
have gone to your head.

Perhaps that has encouraged
your team to get involved with cases

that don't always represent
best use of scarce resources.

Such as?

A man disappears from a train

with a lot of very important
knowledge in his head.

Is this really something a
bunch of over-the-hill bobbies

should concern themselves with?

The Mackenna case falls
very well within our purview.

As does a whole host of
unsolved murders and robberies

that would, I'm sure,

prove a better focus
for your concern

than pursuing the
likes of Simon Crane.

Simon Crane?

I'm simply expressing
concern, Robert.

One likes one's friends
to be well thought of.

What exactly is your
job now, Stephen?

Doesn't this look wonderful?

Who is Simon Crane?

Delicious.

There are seven Simon Cranes

with criminal records,

none of whom seem
linked to Mackenna.

This one may not
have a criminal record.

Is Fisher trying to
help us, do you think,

or is he warning us off?

Stephen Fisher is never
that black and white.

It's possible that someone
has told him to warn us off

and that he has a
completely different agenda.

So what do you want to do?

Keep this Simon Crane in
mind, in case his name comes up,

but let's not put
him front and center

until we have a clearer idea
of the game Fisher's playing.

Kirsty Daniels?

- No.
- Is she in?

What's it regarding?

And you are?

- Asking you what it's regarding.
- Who is it?

- Kirsty Daniels?
- Yes.

Detective
Superintendent Pullman.

This is Brian Lane.

We're from the
Metropolitan Police's

Unsolved Crime and
Open Case Squad.

- This is about Dr. Mackenna?
- Yeah. That's right.

We understand you were
his research assistant at UCL?

- Yes.
- You don't have to let them in.

I know. It's fine,
Alice, really.

Well, I've got work to do.

- Come in.
- Thank you.

Was that your lawyer?

No. Alice is a Web designer.

Her last girlfriend was involved

in a lot of the
antiglobalization protests,

so Alice has developed a bit
of an attitude towards the police.

So you're freelance
now, are you?

Yeah, for the last three years.

You didn't fancy
staying on at UCL?

I was hired specifically

to assist with the
research on that project.

Without Dr. Mackenna, there
was no project and no job.

In the weeks leading up to
Dr. Mackenna's disappearance,

did you notice anything
different about his behavior?

No.

He didn't seem agitated
or worried about anything?

No. Nothing like that.

I racked my brains at the time
for any clue I might have missed

that something was wrong,
but there was nothing.

If someone abducted Dr. Mackenna

because they wanted to advance
their own cold-fusion project,

would that be possible?

Theoretically, yeah.

I don't know how you'd get that
knowledge out of him, though.

How do you mean?

He could have sold his expertise

to any number of
companies for a fortune.

But he chose to work out
of UCL because he wanted

the fruits of his labors
to be available to all.

He really wasn't interested
in financial rewards.

Well, it wouldn't necessarily
have been money.

There are some
pretty unpleasant ways

of forcing someone to
tell you what they know.

We understand that Dr. Mackenna
was quite dependent on his wife.

If someone threatened
her, for instance...

I don't know. Maybe.

Even then it's really
hard to imagine

anything making
him betray his work.

Did he ever mention a
man named Simon Crane?

Crane?

No. No, I don't think so.

Sorry.

It's the timeline
that's bothering me.

In what way?

Well, after the abduction,

somebody checked
into the hotel in Paris,

pretending to be
Phillip Mackenna,

which bought them some time,

and don't forget
it was four days

before anyone checked
the CCTV from the train.

Four days would be long enough

to fiddle with Mackenna's
passport or get a new one

to get him out of the country.

Yeah, that's plenty of time.

So, why did two
of the kidnappers

stay in character and present
themselves to Doyle as witnesses

two weeks after the abduction?

It doesn't make
sense It's a huge risk.

And one you'd only take if
you really needed the extra time.

For what, though?

Perhaps it wasn't Mackenna
they needed, but what he knew.

It's a lot easier to
smuggle information

across a border than a person.

So if they can get him to tell
them what he knows here...

Then they don't need
to take him anywhere.

Oh, dear God. That's why
they needed the two weeks,

to break him.

And once he'd given
them what they wanted...

Hello?

Brilliant. Where is he?

You're kidding.

Okay, I'll meet you
there in half an hour. Bye.

I'll give you a lift
back to UCOS.

Pull the files of every
unidentified Caucasian male body

found in the
southeast of England

during the six months
following the abduction.

- Where are you going?
- Gerry's found the blind man.

Oh.

There are seven con
men on the wanted lists

of seven different
European police forces.

Now, it wasn't
until we circulated

a description of our blind man

that they all realized they
were looking for the same bloke.

One Peter Rowley.

And we had you all along.

18 months into a
five-year stretch for fraud.

It's always nice
to have visitors.

We're here to talk
about the abduction

of Dr. Phillip Mackenna.

And what are you
putting on the table?

What are we putting
on the table, Gerry?

Is that better?

Your faces.

You think you've really
cracked this whole thing

by finding me, don't you?

Well, I've got some
bad news for you.

I never met these people,
never knew their names.

- Then how...
- E-mail.

All my instructions
came via e-mail.

And, no, I didn't keep
them. I'm not that stupid.

The only reason I'm
still walking around today

is because...

I don't know anything.

That won't stop us charging
you for the part you played.

Hard to prove
conspiracy, though,

when I didn't know
any of the conspirators.

Why don't you tell
us what you do know?

I was given a passport
and a train ticket.

How?

Dropped through the letter
box of the place I was staying

in the middle of the night.

They wanted me to get on a train

and cozy up to the guy
sitting in the seat next to me.

They didn't even
tell me his name.

He did, though,
while we were talking.

Odd bloke. Nervy.

They said the train
would stop before Dover.

I was to give it a
couple of minutes,

then ask the guy if he'd
fetch me a glass of water.

That was it.

I caught the ferry,
spent the night in Paris.

Then I came back.

You spent the night in Paris?

Where did you stay?

I don't remember.

You checked into
Mackenna's hotel.

You were the one masquerading
as Phillip Mackenna.

Just a bit of fun.

But it didn't end there, did it?

Two weeks later you
presented yourself to the police.

That was an add-on.

A bonus payment to
show up in character

and act like I didn't
know anything.

Didn't really
have to act, did I?

How did you get paid?

Cash. In an envelope.

Again, it landed on my
doormat while I was asleep.

Easy money.

Did you recognize
anyone on the train?

I couldn't see much of anything.

Those dark glasses
were practically black.

Helped with the act, though.

The original owner of that
passport was registered blind,

It would have been
a bit of a giveaway

to show up at passport
control doing the crossword.

Yeah, but the glasses didn't
hide the twitch, did they?

That's nice.

Bring that up.

Well, it's a bit of a
distinguishing feature

for a con man, isn't it?

You'd be surprised.

An affliction like this
tends to draw the eye.

People remember it.

But most of the time,
that's all they remember.

You say that you didn't know
the people who hired you.

How did they know you?

Mutual acquaintance.

Who?

And now you want a name.

So now you have to deal.

I've already told you,
when we charge you...

What difference does a few
more months in here make to me

versus the advantage
to you in getting a name?

A few more months?

I don't think so, Mr. Rowley.

You see, we have
reason to believe

that Phillip Mackenna
was murdered

by whoever took
him off that train.

I don't know
anything about that.

Yeah, but if you're the only
person who was involved,

well, you know the courts.

They're gonna want
to punish somebody.

Then we'll see how easy
that money was, won't we?

Well played.

Townsend.

He put them onto me.

David Townsend.

Window shopping, Mr. Townsend?

Window shopping.
That's very good.

Detective
Superintendent Pullman.

This is Jack Halford.

Jack Halford, really?

I thought you'd
retired, Mr. Halford.

That's right.

Which makes this a
visit from UCOS, then.

Welcome to my fully
licensed premises.

It's charming.

I think we can allow
it's got character.

Can I offer either of
you a refreshment?

No, we're fine.

So, what piece of
gloomy underworld history

can I illuminate for
you this evening?

- Peter Rowley.
- Peter Rowley.

Maestro of the short con
and scourge of rich widows.

Currently a guest of
Her Majesty, I believe.

- You put him onto a job.
- No. That's not right.

For while dear Peter may have
dropped by here once in awhile

to wet his whistle
after a long day

peculating from the gullible,

our relationship didn't extend
beyond cheerful publican...

You're an authority

on the history of the
underworld, I understand.

Well, you flatter me,

but I do like to consider
I have a certain flair...

That means, therefore,
that you must know

a fair amount about the police.

That follows, yes.

So, what have you heard
about me, Mr. Townsend,

that makes you think
I would come in here

without knowing exactly
who you are and what you do?

What job are we talking about?

The abduction of
Dr. Phillip Mackenna.

I don't know
anything about that.

That's not what
Peter Rowley says.

- Criminals will say anything.
- Yes, you will.

This is a case which involves
the illegal transportation

of sensitive information
across international borders.

Now, we have reason to believe

the people who
abducted Dr. Mackenna

may have murdered him

once he'd told them
what they wanted to know.

That's quite a conspiracy charge

you're gonna want to
get out from under, isn't it?

Bernadette.

Excuse me for a moment.

I have an irritable bowel,

specifically
irritated by threats

from the law-enforcement
community.

Go with him.

Jack?

He came out of nowhere.
Townsend took off.

Oh, no.

Detective
Superintendent Pullman.

Can you hear me?

I need MIT and
an ambulance to...

He's been stabbed. I
don't know how many times.

- Sutton Yard.
- Listen to me.

There's an ambulance
coming. You're gonna be all right.

I doubt it.

What do you know about
the Mackenna abduction?

Tell me something. Come on.

- Jack.
- Come on!

K-Kit...

Kit.

Soon.

Jack!

You're sure it was the
second man from the train?

Positive, yeah.

- Jack?
- Yes.

We need a name. Somebody's
got to know who he is.

And this thing Townsend said?

"Kit soon."

You're sure that was it?
He'd just been stabbed.

If he wasn't speaking clearly...

It was clear enough.

I don't know what it means,
but that's what he said.

So does this case actually
have a solid lead yet?

We think there's a good chance

that Mackenna
never left the country,

that whoever abducted him

extracted the information
they needed and then killed him.

But there's only been a
handful of unidentified bodies

found in that area since 2004,

none of them a
match for Mackenna.

But that's not to
say he's not there.

They just haven't found him yet.

So, short of digging up

the whole of the
southeast of England...

We are trying to
trace the e-mails

that Bea Mackenna was sent.

Look, if you want to get
that kind of information

out of a man like Mackenna,

torture is the obvious way.

I mean, even the
tough-nut army guys say

that everyone cracks eventually.

But this is complicated
information.

There'd be no way they
could verify it then and there.

How could they be sure Mackenna
had given them what they needed?

I don't know. Money?

Even his partner, Brian Rutland,
said everyone has a price.

Not Mackenna, though.

By all accounts, he was odd,

absolutely single-minded
about his work.

So how do you get
someone like that to talk?

What?

Slash his bicycle tires?

Threaten his wife?

That could work if he
was that dependent on her.

- No.
- Why not?

Well, for the threat to be real,

they'd have had to abduct
the wife as well, wouldn't they?

They'd have to show her to him,

threaten to hurt
her in front of him.

And we know Bea
Mackenna wasn't abducted.

Well, even if she had been, it
still wouldn't work as a threat.

How do you know they're
not gonna kill both of you

once you've offered
up the information?

And it wouldn't guarantee

that Mackenna had
told them everything.

So, what then?

They'd have to
make him want to talk.

No, there's really
nothing I can think of.

You're right. There would
be no amount of money

that would make Phillip talk.

He's not interested in money.

I don't think he even
knows how much he earns.

Why are you talking about
him in the present tense?

Brian...

I believe he's still
alive, somewhere.

Where?

Well, if this Swiss company
are working on the same project,

then how could they be doing
it without Phillip's know-how?

You just said there's no way

that Dr. Mackenna
would have sold out.

No, but if they were putting
his work to better use.

Phillip was only ever concerned

about how his work
would benefit people.

Then why hasn't he
been in touch since 2004?

Why didn't this Swiss
company just offer him a job?

I mean, why abduct
him from a train?

I think you should leave.

We have to look at every
possibility, Mrs. Mackenna.

My husband is alive.

- Just supposing, for a moment...
- I've said...

No, no, no, no. Just supposing
for a moment that your husband

did give up the information,

and it wasn't for money or
because they'd threatened him,

or threatened you even,

and it wasn't because he
thought that whoever wanted it

might put it to
better use than him...

What might make him do that?

I've told you. I have no idea.

Because this is his life's work.

Yes.

You said your husband didn't
socialize or have any hobbies.

He had work, and he had home.

Yes.

What if the reason he
gave up the information

had nothing to do with work?

I'm not following you.

He's asking if there's
anything about your home life

that could have been used
as leverage, Mrs. Mackenna.

Is there something
they could have told him

that he didn't already know?

No. Nothing. Now,
if you don't mind...

What is it, Mrs. Mackenna?

So you haven't been able
to trace these e-mails yet?

Um, no.

Do you want more time?

Um, no. It can't be done.

Whoever sent these
covered their tracks very well.

These messages have been
sent through some servers

that are very hard to access.

Great.

Although that is
in itself is a clue

because whoever
did this is a pro.

I did have a little more luck,
however, with the document.

Go on.

I can't be too specific
about my methods

because that knowledge would
compromise your position...

Look, just tell me.

I hacked into the Swiss company.

And?

Well, I was actually very
impressed with their security.

Here... I made some
notes about their setup.

I'm gonna incorporate some
of their methods into a project...

Does the document
originate from them?

I believe so.

I mean, I couldn't get all
the way into their archives,

but I did manage to match up

some of the reference
numbers on this document

to the numbers system
that they employ.

So I would say there is a
90% certainty this document

came from there.

But you didn't actually find it?

No.

Admittedly that would not
stand up in a court of law.

But, again, the fact that I
couldn't get into the system,

whereas someone else
did, is in itself a valuable clue.

It means the person
who sent these e-mails

is a better hacker than you are.

Yeah.

I should have gone
to him in the first place.

I don't think it's likely he'd
have helped you, seeing as he...

It was a joke!

Oh.

So you have no idea
who this person might be?

Actually, I've got
a very good idea.

You know, out of all
the hackers I know,

there is only a
handful I can think of

who could give me as many
problems as this one has.

And of that handful,
there is one whose trail

I've been on before and
was routing his connections

through very many of the
same servers as this one was.

So?

Ninetails.

- Excuse me?
- That's the handle he uses.

Ninetails.

I was the Ghost
Doctor. He's Ninetails.

But what's his real name?

Oh, I've no idea.

That's the whole point of
having a handle, is anonymity.

There must be a way to find out!

Someone this good? No.

Trust me, Mr. Halford,

you will find Lord Lucan
feeding sugar lumps to Shergar

before you get
close to discovering

Ninetails' real name.

We met online, on a financial
forum that I help administer.

We got chatting over the course
of a couple of weeks and, uh...

This had never
happened before or since.

I love my husband.

I consider myself
very happily married.

I just...

Phillip didn't like going
out. He wasn't at all sociable.

I have to be in my line of work.

I just started to feel as though
there was something missing,

going out on my
own all the time.

And this man filled the gap?

Yes.

We'd just get together for
drinks sometimes or dinner.

Sex?

Yes.

It's probably hard to understand

how I could love my
husband and still do that.

Did anyone else know about this?

No. I didn't tell a soul.

Neither did he.

He has a family to
protect in Cambridge.

But if your husband
had found out somehow,

could the revelation that
you'd been unfaithful to him

have tipped him over the edge?

The realization that everything

solid and stable in
his life was in flux.

The thought that you were
about to leave him for another...

- I had no intention of leaving!
- He didn't know that, did he?

And whoever it was that
was trying to manipulate him

would have certainly painted
the bleakest picture possible.

Thank you, Brian.

What was this man called?

Simon. Simon Crane.

What?

That name has already come up

in connection to the
disappearance of your husband.

No.

That can't be.

Simon was in marketing.
He had no connection at...

No, no, no. That's not possible.

We were still in contact
after Phillip had disappeared.

For how long?

Not long. A week,
maybe ten days.

Simon said he felt uncomfortable
continuing the relationship,

given how worried
I was about Phillip.

He called it off?

Yes.

Have you spoken to him since?

No.

We both wanted a clean break.

Neither of us wanted
to make things difficult.

I did try once a few weeks later

because I just needed
somebody to talk to, and, um...

His phone was dead.

And I sent him an e-mail,
and it bounced back,

saying the recipient's
address was unknown.

I don't suppose you have a
photograph of Simon Crane?

And no one else
ever saw him but you?

How could I have been so stupid?

There was something.

Um, Simon's parents
had left him a house

here in London, in the suburbs,

which he used to use if
he had to stay over for work.

- You went there?
- Yeah.

Yes, I did, a few times

because I couldn't
bring him here.

We'll need the
address of the house.

The house is owned by a
company called InfoTech Analysts.

They bought it in November 2003.

The company's
registered in Luxembourg.

They have no offices
or employees, et cetera.

They're just a shell company.

Looks like it's been
empty for awhile.

Yeah, the articles of
incorporation list Simon Crane

as the director of the company.

Is there an address for him?

Right here.

Hmm. I don't think he's home.

Not exactly riddled
with clues, is it?

Ah. That's interesting.

What?

Hold on.

This is a coaxial cable
carrying a video signal from...

Ahh.

- What you got?
- Hidden camera.

Hoo-hoo.

It's proper kit, too.

The sort our
surveillance guys use.

See, the cable runs
all the way 'round there,

through the other
side of the wall,

and then straight downstairs.

Wow. Look at this.

Bolted to the floor.

Here's our cable, and...

This is a bracket for a TV.

Feeding pictures
from the bedroom.

So whoever was in the
chair was forced to watch.

Mrs. Mackenna?

Detective
Superintendent Pullman.

Did you ever spend a
night with Simon Crane

after your husband disappeared?

So Mackenna was
grabbed from the train,

bundled into a van, driven
here, and put in the basement.

And given Mackenna's
aversion to confined spaces,

that was probably bad enough.

And then the next night,

Simon Crane invited
Bea Mackenna over.

She didn't have a clue that
her husband was missing.

She thought he
was still in Paris.

And they ended up
having sex in this bedroom.

And Mackenna was forced
to watch from the basement.

Poor devil. He must
have been horrified.

Yeah, that's how they
finally cracked him.

He thought he had a
secure, stable home life,

and they pulled the rug
out from underneath him.

Pretty nasty, eh?

Have a look at this.

Hang on, Jack.

What?

Look. In the corner.

Where?

In front of the tree.

See, the foxes have paid
more attention to that patch there

than to the rest of the garden.

They can smell something.

They found him?

The remains they pulled
out the garden were male,

right height and age.

It'll take a couple
of days to confirm,

but it's gonna be Mackenna.

So it's a murder charge.

Yeah, if we could ever
find anyone to arrest.

Simon Crane.

Somewhere there's
a trace of that man.

What about Strickland's mate?

Maybe he knows more
than he's letting on.

Sure he does, but
whether he gives it up or not

is gonna be down to Strickland.

Any luck with Fallon?

Yes and no.

He's pretty certain the
document is genuine,

and he thinks he knows
who sent the e-mails.

- That's a result, isn't it?
- Not really.

He thinks he's a hacker.

Only knows him by
his nickname. Ninetails.

- Like the fox.
- You what?

Japanese mythology.

Esther did a night class
in Japanese painting

few months back.

There's a god in
Japanese mythology.

- He's a trickster.
- A trickster?

Yeah, a being not to be trusted,

that goes out of
its way to deceive.

And the shape
that it usually takes

is that of a fox
with nine tails.

I thought Esther had lost
the plot with a paintbrush.

But, no, nine tails.

- Kitsune.
- Eh?

Kitsune! That's the name of
this Japanese nine-tailed fox!

Kitsune!

That's what David
Townsend was trying to tell us.

So the word that
Townsend said to you

and the nickname of the hacker

who sent the document to
Bea Mackenna are the same?

The same.

But if the hacker was
Townsend's original contact,

he helped plan the
abduction in the first place.

So what's he doing now

sending clues to Bea
Mackenna as to what happened?

Maybe he had a change of
heart and wanted to make amends.

Maybe Simon Crane
double-crossed him somehow,

and this is payback.

Or her.

I mean, why are we assuming
that Ninetails is a man?

Yeah.

Yeah, the woman on the train.

The one who pulled
the emergency handle.

Yeah, and she was savvy
enough to avoid the CCTV.

And Doyle said they
couldn't trace her

because her records
got all mixed up.

Maybe she hacked the databases.

Blimey, if she's that good
at covering her tracks,

what chance have
we got of finding her?

She wants us to find her.

Ninetails is a fox.

A fox.

"A. Fox."

Sorry. Now's not
a very good time.

Actually, we'd like
to speak to Alice.

Alice?

- Is she in?
- No, she...

She's not here. She left.

When's she coming back?

She's not, is she?

Alice Fox.

I was out at a
meeting this morning.

When I came back, she'd
packed up her things and...

Did she leave a note?

She said she was
sorry she'd lied to me.

That was it.

What did she lie about?

Everything.

Could we see Alice's office?

Sure.

Simon Crane.

The chops are particularly
good tonight, Robert.

Can I tempt you?

That photograph was left for
us by a woman named Alice Fox.

Ah, yes.

The delightful Ninetails.

Quite a resourceful
character, I'm led to believe.

Japanese mythology.

Just another
breadcrumb on a trail

your team followed
quite impressively.

You should be proud.

Alice left behind her confession
along with that picture.

Did she happen to
mention her real name?

No.

Not much of a
confession, then, is it?

She was on the train.

She pulled the emergency handle

so that Crane could
abduct Mackenna.

Crane had hired her

to construct the false
identities of his associates.

But she claims she didn't know

that he was planning to
torture and kill Mackenna.

When she found out, she
threatened to blow the whistle,

and Crane tried to kill her.

She's been in hiding ever since,

trying to gather
evidence against Crane.

That sounds about right.

So who is he?

Crane?

Usual story.

We trained him,
army intelligence,

then he went freelance.

Abducting Mackenna was
just the tip of the iceberg.

Simon Crane has been a
very naughty boy, I'm afraid.

But he has dirt on
all the right people,

so no one could get the
green light to go after him.

But when Alice Fox

contacted Bea Mackenna,
and Bea came to us...

Awkward, yes.

I was asked to gently
steer you off the case.

But you didn't want
Crane to get away with it.

Well, if I happen
to casually let slip

a couple of useful details

over a pleasant dinner
with an old friend...

So your bosses were quite
prepared to let Crane walk away

just to protect their
own reputations,

despite the fact that
he'd stolen something

that could have been
worth billions to this country.

Billions?

I rather think not.

Why not?

It doesn't work.

As I'm sure your detectives
have gathered by now,

Phillip Mackenna was
as mad as a box of frogs.

I'm sure he was quite
brilliant in his own way,

but cold fusion was a
pipe dream, I'm afraid.

- You used us.
- Hardly.

Simon Crane wasn't to know
cold fusion was dead in the water.

He still abducted and
murdered a British citizen,

and your people
tracked him down.

Well done.

Except we don't
know where he is.

Oh, that's easy.

He'll be at St. Pancras
station tomorrow morning.

He and his associate,
Paul Leonard...

Whom you'll recognize
as the other person

you've been looking for...

Are booked on the
8:17 to Brussels.

Obviously, you don't have to
act on that information, Robert.

Wouldn't want you to feel used.

So, what was the
point of all this?

This is the intelligence
community, Robert.

If you start worrying
about the point of it all,

you'll end up tying
yourself in all sorts of knots.

Yeah, they're here, and
they're going downstairs.

That's them.

No one approaches until
they're going through check-in.

We don't know how they'll
react. I don't want anyone hurt.

Crane's buying a newspaper.

They're very aware
of their surroundings.

Yeah.

Your men are all
out of sight, yeah?

Yes, yes.

Okay. Here they come.

What's happened?

- I've lost all the signals.
- Get them back!

Radios are down.

I'm gonna change position.

Hello?

Brian, we've lost camera
feed. Can you see them?

Brian? Brian?

Gerry, can you hear me?

Governor?

Sandra?

Can anybody hear me?

Shit.

Hello? Hello?

Can you hear me?

'Cause Alice Fox is here.

Hi, Gerry, it's me.

All the radios are down,
and we've lost CCTV feed.

I don't know how.

Yeah, can you make sure

that Crane and Leonard
don't come back past you?

- Have you see Brian?
- Yeah.

Well, I could a minute ago.

Where the bloody hell's he gone?

Okay, cheers.

We've lost contact with Brian,

but Gerry's on
his way back to us.

Jack.

Stop him!

There's somebody shooting.

Hello?!

Excuse me. Can I help you?

Yes, please, quick! Come on.

Aaah!

You're all right.
You're all right now.

There's a man up
there with a gun!

Get back to the concourse.
Find a policeman.

Hold it! Police!

- It's me, Brian.
- Where is she?

I was following
Crane. I heard a shot.

- Alice Fox.
- Alice...

Oh, shit.

Well, good luck in finding
her. She's well gone.

How did she even know that
Crane was gonna be at the station?

I imagine she was tipped off
by the same person that told us.

Insurance.

Your friend making doubly
sure Crane never got away.

Or he wanted to make sure

Crane didn't embarrass
anyone with his testimony.

Good riddance to bad
rubbish, if you ask me.

Crane, I mean.

He should have stood trial for
the murder of Phillip Mackenna.

He was never gonna stand trial.

No, he'd have pulled some
strings, wriggled out of it.

Still vigilante justice, Brian.

Well, as Gerry says, good
luck tracking down Alice Fox.

On the other hand, she
might be hiding in the pub.

Oh! I'll get the first round in.

Bloody hell.

Yeah, well, don't
get used to it.

Don't think there's
any danger of that, sir.

♪ It's all right, it's okay ♪

♪ Doesn't really matter
if you're old and gray ♪

♪ It's all right, I
say it's okay ♪

♪ Listen to what I say ♪

♪ It's all right, doing fine ♪

♪ Doesn't really matter
if the sun don't shine ♪

♪ It's all right, I
say it's okay ♪

♪ We're getting to
the end of the day ♪

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