Silent Witness (1996–…): Season 18, Episode 1 - Sniper's Nest: Part 1 - full transcript

# Never feel too good in crowds

# With folks around

# When they're playing

# The anthems of rape culture loud

# Crude and proud

# Creatures baying

#All I've ever done is hide

# From the times

# When you're near me

# Honey, when you kill the lights

#And kiss my eyes... #



- Hey.
- Hi.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

Yeah.

Kind of day that makes you think
anything's possible.

You could climb Everest,
fall in love, learn origami.

Origami?!

Yeah. I'm sure I could manage
a basic swan.

But we're probably going to just do
pretty much what we did yesterday

and the day before.

Probably.

Work, sorry.

All right.

Thomas? Hi.

Nikki, hi, look... I, er...



I know you're on late, but I, er,
I need you to come and cover for me.

- Sure. What's up?
- Oh, it's court.

Thought I was done and dusted.

Seems the defence
don't believe I know the difference

between strangulation and suffocation.

More fool them.

I'll head in now.

All right, thanks. Appreciate it.

Ripped By mstoll

Want anything from inside?

- Coffee?
- Can't live on coffee.

You can talk.

Steven?

Steven!

Steven!

Steven!

Steven!

Help! My God! Somebody help!

Inside, everyone,
someone's been shot!

Get down! Everyone get inside!

Get under cover!

What's happening?
Bertha, what's going on?!

Stay down!

You're all right,
I'm not going to let you go.

Get in your car! Now!

Oh, my God!

# Testator silens

# Costestes e spiritu

# Silentium. #

The fact that your client chose to
confess outside an interview room

is yourproblem, not mine.
He said it, I heard it,

and so did DC Smith, the duty sergeant
and the office cleaner.

I'd call that belt and braces,
wouldn't you?

Hello?

Ma'am?

Chief Superintendent Drake's
in your office.

I think he's asleep.

Oh! Thank you, Gabby.

Hello.

Your ship come in?

No.

Bloody Russians,
depriving me of you all night.

So I thought you were going to
call it quits if nothing came in?

We did.

So where've you been?

Here.

Jane, I'm moving out.

Look, I'm 40 now, and...

Like you've said before,
'"Don't know means no,'" right?

Who is she?

She's no-one.

- Oh, please.
- Look, this hasn't been

an easy thing for me to do.

Oh, what, and that's why you were asleep
when I came in?

What's going on?

We don't have fun any more.

What? We... we have fun...

Come on. Let's, let's go and get drunk
in Soho, let's book a holiday...

I've rented a flat.

Look, who knows?
It mightn't be a permanent thing.

Oh! Oh, well, I'll cling to that,
you arrogant bastard!

Now, why didn't I want to do this
at home?

You've spent too much time
with sociopaths.

Yeah. Way too much time.

Robert!

- Greater London Police, can I help?
- Greater London Police.

DC Gabby Lawson.

What?

Three people shot dead
at a service station.

- I heard four.
- From who?

That bird in Control I had a thing with.

- What? Kathy Bates?
- That's just mean.

- That's what you call her.
- I'm allowed.

Yeah. What's your wife call her?

That's all they said?

Suspected sniper.

That's all they said.

Didn't mention if they'd been caught?

Nope.

Reassuring.

Forewarned is forearmed?

Sure.

See your ID, please?

Alexander and Hodgson,
Lyell Centre.

Just park up over there.

- Cross-reference with Jerry.
- Jim.

DCI Jane De Freitas, DS Jim Clout.

Nikki Alexander, Jack Hodgson.

- What've we got?
- This man over here

is Steven Lakhani.
The lady on top is Andrea Lakhani.

Both ID'd from driver's licence
and bank cards.

No ID on her yet.

Any idea where they were shot from?

Hoping you can help us out there.

We've done a sweep of the area,
but found nothing so far.

- Lucky all this petrol didn't go up.
- Witness said

his hand stayed clenched to the
pump handle after he was shot.

Cadaveric spasm. When people die

in extreme stress,
a muscle group remains contracted,

giving evidence of their last act of life.

Let's get in the warm and let
these squints do their own work, eh?

We've got a crime scene
to process, Jim.

You're not going to get anything from them
except bullets.

It's our daily routines
that govern the ecology

- of victimisation.
- Here we go.

How did these people
elevate their victim status?

Well, CCTV, witnesses

and daylight make this
situationally low-risk for the victim,

high-risk for the killer.

Compulsion over caution
usually spells personal.

A petrol station isn't a predictable
fixture in someone's day,

like a train platform.

Unless the fixture isyour day,
because you're an employee.

Phone?

I'll check inside for personals.

For God's sake!

Sorry.

CCTV of the shooting should help us
find the sniper's nest.

- We're pulling it now.
- The victim with the head wound

should help with bullet trajectory.

The bullet missed the pump
and the car,

which gives us limitation of angles.

Exit wound is in the rear of the skull.
High-velocity spatter here.

Pitted tarmac where the bullet impacted.

Also, skull and brain fragments
travelling from the exit wound

in the same direction as the bullet.

So...

What is he? About six foot?

He's standing here.

Left hand.

Assuming he's standing at his
full height at the moment of impact...

Shooter's got to be up there.

She had kids?

Bertha?

Did she? I don't know.

She normally worked in a different garage.

All clear!

Yup. Looks like a groundsheet
or something like it

has been laid here very recently.
Everything's been flattened.

- He was here a while.
- Hours, not minutes.

OK, I want a fingertip search

radiating out from here.
He might've left food

or drink packaging.

Don't hold your breath.

I can't see any shell casings,
which means he's probably collected them.

Three bullets,
three kills at this distance.

We're talking a pro, or someone
who's putting in some serious hours

- at his gun club.
- OK, so he's evidence-conscious

and a decent shot.

He pre-selected this location
and he waited.

For what?

I don't know.
But if the cashier was his real target,

you'd think he'd want
a sightline into the shop.

He couldn't know
she'd run to the couple's aid.

Hey, Gabby,
your nanny been deported yet?

Yes, she has,
so you can stop making that joke.

Gabby.

The only access to this wood
is Quarry Lane, which is just a track.

So work your way backwards until you
hit a CCTV camera on a main road.

Jim, get on to every gun club
in the South East -

any firearms missing, anyone practising
extra hard, anyone acting weird?

Any tweed jacket gives you a hard time...

He'll be getting his licence back in 2020.

Assassin personalities don't snap
like spree killers.

They fantasise about the moment

they'll finally take a stand
against this shitty, unjust world

- for weeks in advance.
- Tell us how you feel, ma'am.

I'm telling you he will have been here
several times,

and that someone will have seen him.

She's well schooled in profiling.

Two weeks at FBI Quantico,

- she thinks she's Clarice Starling.
- Try a year.

Karbenghi. Was her first day,
but the Lakhanis

- had been coming all week.
- How do you know?

Found receipts for petrol, snacks,
flowers and coffee.

Yesterday they came twice,
at 11.34 and 17.53.

The RX Luxury.

Top of the range - wood veneers,

leather extending to the sides
and rear of the seats,

it even has polished sill tread plates.

Huh. Are you trying
to sell us the car?

It strikes me they cared about appearances
to the tune of about 12 grand

over the standard model price...

And then suddenly they didn't.

Dr Alexander?

That, er... That chimes with
my first look at the bodies.

Er, Steven Lakhani is unshaven,
untrimmed nails, greasy hair,

and some body odour.
Andrea Lakhani

looks underweight, no make-up,
traces of a manicure but it's not recent,

and same thing with her hair.

I think something went wrong for
this couple before they were killed.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. They had a house five miles away,

but they chose to stay
in a hotel by the airport.

Why couldn't they go home?

Ma'am, the Assistant Commissioner
wants an update.

This is Kate Hulton, our new assistant
director of communications.

Kate, DCI Jane De Freitas.

- Good to meet you.
- Hi.

We need to talk media strategy,
Detective Chief Inspector.

Yes, we do.

Now.

No, actually, now,
I'm processing a live crime scene.

She's right, Jane.

We need a meet-and-greet in the hour.

Some things to think about meantime.
Are you appealing to the public?

Are you saying the killings are random?

Are you ruling out a racial motive?

And what's your advice to the public?

Should they just be carrying on
with their business?

Well, guess what, Kate? In order to answer
some of those questions,

I have to do some, you know, detecting.

The backlash clock is already ticking.

Get the media onside now

and they're more likely to
let you keep your job

in the unfortunate event you don't have
someone in custody this time tomorrow.

Last I heard, the media's powers
didn't include appointing SIOs.

But they can sure get them fired,

and resenting it isn't going to
turn the clock back to 1987.

Where the hell did you find her?!

- A word. Now.
- You got it.

Just give me a bloody clue.
I'm clawing at the air here.

Jane, this is a career case.

- If you're having trouble focusing...
- Oh, shut up!

...I'll have to bow to the AC

and take over. Come on, this has
Chief Super written all over it.

I don't want charity.

Look, I'm too busy with the Russian thing,

plus... you're better with
the really bad ones.

Don't flatter me, please.

I thought it was worth a shot.

He's an assassin-type personality,
not a spree killer,

although he could devolve into one.

Walk me through the distinction.

A spree killer's rage is unpredictable
even to them.

They don't conceal their identity,
plan an escape or pack groundsheets.

This man has an agenda,
top of which is getting away with it.

There may be another shooting.

OK, so was she victim number four
or victim number one?

Rigor mortis hasn't set in -
I should say four.

Clean entry wound...
exit wound, anything but.

So we're, what,
ten miles east of the service station?

Post-rush-hour,
that's a journey of minutes on the M25.

We'll pull those cameras first.

So why her?

Why not?

If it's the same guy,

who's a psycho killing at random,

then looking for patterns and motives
is going to drive us mad.

So the bullet entered the car
through here,

shattering the glass on impact.

Remnants of powder
on the passenger door...

That's weird.

Looks like gunshot residue.

- Close range?
- Ten yards or less.

Very different from
your service-station shootings.

OK. Looks like she was here
to go jogging.

Was she arriving, leaving?

Arriving.

Water bottle's full,
towel looks dry.

It's also likely she was deaf.

The car has a panoramic mirror.

Keys are still in the ignition,
so he must've shot her as soon as

- she parked up.
- Or she had reason

- not to leave her car immediately.
- Yeah, OK.

Hannah Smithson,
she was profoundly deaf.

Lived in Bayswater, but back home to
finalise her wedding this Saturday.

Who found her?

When she didn't come back from her run,
Dad went looking.

Fianc? still thinks he's got
a wedding rehearsal this afternoon.

Bullet nicked the frame,
exiting the driver window.

There's no nick
on the passenger side.

Which suggests low-to-high gradient.

You'd expect the opposite?

Yeah.

Factor in powder
on the outside of the door...

Shot was taken from low down
and close range?

Three feet from the ground, tops.

So, what, we're looking for a midget?

More likely he was crouched down.

Why would he do that?

Stealthing up on her?

What, with a 50-inch sniper rifle?

Awkward, not to say conspicuous.

Could have a different gun.

If the bullet's hit a tree,
we could be in good nick.

Clarissa,
you need to prep for another body...

What? Three just arrived.

Here's hoping there won't be a fifth.

News said a sniper
using a high-powered rifle.

You know as much as we do.

Be careful, Nikki.

See you back there soon. Thanks.

Why did it have to be Hannah?

Why did it have to be my little girl?

I'm very sorry.

Her fianc?, Andrew...

he's deaf, too.

L-I normally text him...

...but how can I text him with this?

I really don't think I can do it.

There.

You were right. Tree stopped it.

DCI? Something to show you.

See this blood?

Yep.

It's smeared...

with what look like
clothing fibres attached.

So unlike the spatter, it probably

didn't come from the victim's head wound.

We normally see this kind of transfer

when blood seeps out
through clothing.

Somebody else was in the car.

DNA from the blood will settle it.

Where's Hannah?

What's happened?

What's going on, Alec?

Where's Hannah?

Andrew, I'm so sorry.

Something terrible has happened.

- Should we stand down the roadblocks?
- Another hour, please.

We've got two massive tailbacks
on the M25.

And a gunman who's killed four people
in two hours.

OK, did you get that?
Leave the roadblocks up. Thank you.

Right. Press conference?

Thank you, Jim. In case
I don't come back alive...

Everybody, could we please have 30 seconds

- on the elephant in the room?
- Guys.

Thank you.

OK.

Motivation.

What's this guy getting out of it?

He's too intelligent,

too organised to fit the profile
of a grandiose playing God.

Well, Dr Harold Shipman was intelligent.

Medical degree and whatnot.

True, Harold Shipman was intelligent
and devolved into a psychopath.

He also killed to inherit.

If this guy's in it for the money,
where's the ransom demand?

- How do you know he's a he?
- I don't,

but as forensic profiles go,

Mr Assassin personality
is pretty reliable.

White, 25 to 35, isolated,

with an extreme persecution complex.

He craves acceptance, and might excel

in a new job,
but eventually his obsessive nature

and suspicion of authority
will get the better of him.

OK, he's likely to keep a detailed
journal of slights,

real andimagined, and he often turns out
to be a functioning paranoiac.

If he's functioning,
we won't be able to tell, anyway.

Not if you come out and ask him,
Jim, no.

It's a trait of paranoiacs to make
detailed, internally coherent arguments

based on one delusional premise,
so you'll need to dig down.

- Happy days
- This guy's felt this way for years,

so there'll be some recent trauma or
stressor that's pushed him over the top.

Loss of a job or a relationship
are the most common,

and that is something
that we can check quickly.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Right, chop-chop.
Back to work, everyone.

Are you OK?

- Yeah.
- Sit down.

- Can I get you some water?
- No, thank you.

You really don't look well.

It was my brother's stag do last night.

- What were you drinking?
- Does it matter?

You look pretty ill, that's all.

I need to be with my brother now.

Yeah, I need to speak to him, too.

Are you police?

No, I'm a pathologist.

Andrew, I have to ask you
a very personal question.

I apologise in advance for that.

OK. What is it?

Is it possible Hannah
was seeing someone else?

- What?
- Is there, um,

an ex-boyfriend or colleague,

someone who made you feel insecure?

Why would you ask me that?

Why?

Because we think someone was with her
when she was killed.

We think that person left the scene
and could be an important witness.

What makes you say that?

Little things.
Little details about the scene.

Like what?

Like what?!

The passenger seat in Hannah's car
was rolled all the way back.

OK...

my brother needs to be left alone now.

That's a bad hangover.

Tell me about it.

Did you know you have broken glass
in your hair?

We were just talking!
I wanted to be sure

she was certain about the wedding.

Ah!

Andrew. That's enough.

- Calm down, OK?
- Lie down.

He's been shot.
He needs an ambulance!

What can you tell us about the gunman?

Very little at this point.

Can you confirm three of the four victims
were of ethnic origin?

- No comment.
- Has the gunman

- made any contact with the police yet?
- No comment.

What's your advice to the public?

Be vigilant, be careful,
but go about your business.

How can the public be vigilant
without any description of the killer?

I wish I could offer more specific
information, but I can't at this time.

Is it fair to say, then, that you have
no concrete leads at this point?

It's fair to say it only happened
four hours ago

and our investigation
is just getting started.

But I hope the fact that I am
taking time out to talk to you today

proves our desire to work with the media
on this.

Thank you, there'll be another
briefing at the end of the day.

- Thank you very much.
- DCI De Freitas...

Taking notes?

You cannot get away with '"no comment'"
in 2015,

and there's no point saying
'"our desire to work with the media'"

through gritted teeth.

- How would you like me to say it?
- Like you mean it!

You were testy, and testy looks weak.

Dr Alexander, not a good time.

Hannah and I had a... a drunken
one-night stand a few months ago.

I couldn't get her out of my head.

What, so you demanded one for the road?

Classy. Personally I hope your brother
never forgives you, but in the meantime,

could you please tell me
everything that happened in the car park?

I knew it was wrong,

but I just needed to see her
one more time.

We were talking, then...

Then this car pulled up.

A Volvo, I think.

- Colour?
- Blue, or black. Dark.

It was weird -

the car park was really empty,

but it pulled up close,

and... with the boot facing us.

Did you get a look at the driver?

No, uh, I just registered
it wasn't my brother's car...

or anyone I knew.

But you're sure it was a Volvo?

Then there was this crack.

Suddenly my arm was on fire

and Hannah's slumped on the wheel
and the horn's blaring

and... and Hannah was dead.

And I ran away.

We're anxious to trace the driver
of a black or navy Volvo saloon,

mid-to-late '90s model,
seen in the vicinity

of the Saddleworth Common area
at around 11 o'clock this morning.

If anyone has seen this vehicle

or thinks they've seen this vehicle,
please contact...

Bullet from the tree is a.308 ball round,
the sniper's ammo of choice.

Easy to shoot.
Superior terminal ballistics.

Predictable trajectory,

- even in high wind.
- Any trace?

Negative for prints.

I've swabbed for DNA,
but doubt it'd survive the heat of firing

- and impact.
- What kind of range are we talking?

If you know what you're doing,
you can score reliable hits

from up to 800 metres in all but
the most extreme weather conditions.

And if you just want to hit anything?

There's been documented fatalities

at well over 1,000 metres
with this bullet.

The body is that of an adult female,
aged approximately 37.

No decomposition changes noted.

The deceased
is in good general condition,

although she is on the cusp
of malnourishment.

Stretch marks suggest she's given birth,

or gone through extreme weight change.

There is a Pfannenstiel incision
just below the belly.

Caesarean?

Probably, but it's also
a hallmark of hernia repair.

I just checked medical records -

the baby died at six weeks
from a heart defect.

Andrea had tried IVF on and off
for ten years when she got pregnant.

They buried their daughter
at Ewell Garden of Rest.

Two junctions along from
the service station, three from the hotel.

Sleep, drive, mourn, repeat.

But they would've come through it.

Eventually.

Stomach contents are minimal,

with a preponderance of a dark liquid...

...that's almost certainly coffee.

Tests will confirm.

There is what appears to be
a healed knife wound

to Steven Lakhani's right buttock.

Stabbing of the buttocks
is associated with '"shaming'" injuries.

Humiliation rather than serious injury.

Who did you piss off, Steven?

I suggest you contact local hospitals,
because from the size of this wound

I'm sure Lakhani would've needed
medical attention.

Cause of death,
massive trauma to the brain

resulting from a single gunshot wound.

Hi. Julia here.
Please leave a message.

Hi, hi, it-it's me. Um, listen.

I... I don't know where you are today, I'm
presuming Rosie's at school, but, er...

Well, I don't want to panic you,
but you must've seen the news and...

Maybe it's best if you, er,
call me back as soon as you can.

And l-I promise this isn't some kind
of ruse just to get you to talk to me,

I just... really need you to call me back.
Thanks. Bye.

Oh, God.

How did you know there was someone else
in Hannah Smithson's car?

The blood on the passenger door
strongly suggested it.

Oh, cos I thought you left the scene
before we found that blood.

OK.

As a pathologist you develop an eye
for signs of a staged scene

or scenes that aren't what
they appear to be.

- Like a suicide that's really a murder?
- Right.

And nearly always those signs
relate to the least effort principle.

Which says?

People take the path of least resistance,

and when they don't,
you have to ask why.

This girl drives five miles
to go jogging in suede trainers

she'll ruin the second
she steps out of the car,

parks in the spot
furthest from the entrance,

and chucks her towel and water bottle
in the back

where they're hardest to reach.

But remove the premise she was there to
go jogging and the scene reveals itself?

That's it?

Then there's personal experience.

- Of getting shot?
- Of getting married.

Two days before my wedding,
I didn't have time to pee.

Oh. I...
I didn't have you down as married.

I'm not. I was 21
and it was all over extremely quickly.

Right. No record of Steven Lakhani
being stabbed in the arse.

However, he was accused
of intimidation two years ago.

In what context?

His company acquires premises
for big corporations.

- Supermarkets, petrol stations.
- Any links to the petrol station

- where he was shot?
- Nah, nah, nah.

His thing was inner-London locations.
Anyway,

two years ago
he was taken to court by a woman

who accused him of
infesting her caf? with rats

and smashing windows
cos she wouldn't sell.

- Was he acquitted?
- Get this.

Woman was found to be unreliable
and got done for tax evasion.

OK, have a look at her,
see if she had it in her

to take revenge on Lakhani.

- It was two years ago.
- You know what they say...

best served cold.

Martin?

Martin!

- Here we are.
- How many times, Mary?

- I don't need a glass.
- But not to bring one would be rude.

- You look tired, Martin.
- No, I'm fine.

A busy life's a happy life, right?

Thanks, Mary.

Martin! Martin!

Martin. What?

What? What is?

Get inside!

Why didn't he kill me?

- Why didn't he kill me?
- Did Martin work here full-time?

He-he-he didn't work here.

He... started cutting the grass
when the MoD cut our grant.

Did he come at the same time
every week?

In spring and summer.

So do you know what Martin
did for a living?

He was a sports teacher
at St Arthur's School,

but his charity work
was like a second job.

I was one of the people who
recommended him for an MBE.

Sounds like a good man.

He was a saint.

Thank you.

We're within three miles
of the M25 again.

Approximately 15 miles west
of the second shooting

and five miles west
of the first shooting.

So he's going back on himself.
North, south, east, west...

'"Don't try and second-guess me
or look for any pattern.'"

Which doesn't mean there isn't one.

Nothing off the M25 cameras yet?

Oh, too much.

'"Dark-coloured Volvo'"
is such a wide search parameter.

They're flooded with possible
suspect vehicles?

'"Overwhelmed'" is the word they used.

- We've got his phone.
- I'll take it. Thanks.

She was bringing him a drink.

At the service station,
he shot the cashier who tried to help.

- Think he's getting soft?
- Shooting the victim's ankle

is his first deliberate nonfatal strike.

Which is a well-known technique
to incapacitate, right?

When a headshot is difficult, which
it wasn't, and you finish the job.

He waited.

He delayed his escape.

He risked a second nonfatal shot.

But it was worth it
to watch this man suffer.

Maybe someone
didn't think he was a saint.

You're saying it's personal?

The location, the risks, the sadism,

the knowledge of the victim's routine...

- Yes.
- What about the other victims?

Target practice?

Or this is the work of an expedient
but unrelated copycat.

Someone hears about the sniper

and thinks today's the day
to get away with murder.

Martin Cross
becomes victim number five.

Explains why this killing's so different.

Well, let's wait for ballistics,
shall we? Talking of which...

Where's he likely to have fired from?

Well, he was sitting on the mower

when he was shot in the right ankle,
so my best guess...

Somewhere over there.

Scratches on these,
from the extractor of the firing pin.

If he still has the gun when you get him,
you can tie him to this murder, at least.

First time he's left casings.

Fits with him unravelling.
He got closer than necessary, too.

The dogs tracked him up to the lane,
but they didn't need to.

Trampled undergrowth, broken branches -
he got away as fast as he could.

Adrenaline and fear.

If you find excrement,
don't assume it's animal.

- Oh, come on.
- I'll take my DNA any way I find it.

DNA is 12 hours.

If he fits with the spree-killer model,
he'll be dead by tonight.

Probably by his own hand.

- Look forward to that!
- Yeah, but how many more

will he take with him?

- You all right?
- Yeah.

Thank you.

From what I've heard, it sounds like
your husband was an exceptional man.

Thank you.

Sheila, do you mind if we ask you
a few questions?

What about?

We need to be sure
Martin wasn't targeted personally.

I thought this man was shooting people
at random.

- That's almost certainly the case.
- But you want to know

if he had any enemies?

I'm not the only kid in school
whose dad's a teacher,

but I'm the only one

- who doesn't get stick.
- It's true.

Everyone loved him.

His charity work, it's remarkable.
And on top of his job.

- Yeah.
- Where did that drive come from,

apart from wanting to help others?

It wasn't to win an MBE,
if that's what you mean.

No, no, no, no, of course not.

But... did Martin's work
fulfill a personal need, or...

compensate for anything?

When he was passed over for Head of Sport,

he practically doubled his charity work.

Gave ten years to that school,
and what do they do?

Parachute in some wimp
with a sports degree.

All the kids thought Dad
should've got the job.

Were the other teachers jealous
of your dad's popularity?

Definitely.
But not enough to want to kill him.

Right.
OK, well, thanks for talking to us.

Excuse me, er, where's the toilet?

- Oh, um...
- Oh, it's back down there,

I'm afraid. To the left.

Have you got, er, family,
friends you can call on?

Of course we have. We'll be fine.

Are you going to be all right?

Why do you ask?

Craig, I'm sorry to ask, but...

...does your mum normally drink whisky
at three in the afternoon?

It's not a normal day.

Sure. Yep.

When she has too much, I...
I hide the bottle.

Here.

I want you to give me a call
if you need to talk about anything, OK?

Thanks, Jack.

Er, take mine, too.

If you or your mum need to speak
to anyone, just give me a call

and I'll assign you
a police liaison officer.

OK. Cheers.

- I have to check on my mum.
- Yeah, all right.

Police liaison officer. Wow

Look, mate, I know you meant well,
but it's not your gig.

I just feel for the kid.

Then let's catch the bastard
that killed his dad.

Yeah. Let's.

Printout of his iCal appointments.

Busy man.

- Organised, too.
- Oh, yeah?

I cross-referenced the iCal
appointments with

- the handwritten entries in his Filofax.
- Belt and braces?

Almost.

One appointment on his phone
that's not

- in his Filofax.
- What, an oversight?

It's a weekly appointment.

What are we talking - hotel?
Secret tryst?

Nothing so promising.

Rayleigh Civic Hall.

Oh.

Hi. Please, come in.

Take a seat.

Everyone's welcome.

Perhaps you'd like to start this evening,
Graham?

OK.

My name is Graham.

I have an uncontrollable temper,

and sometimes I've hurt
the people that I love.

Hello.

My name is Martin.
I have an uncontrollable temper.

And sometimes
I hurt the people I love.

And what about our newcomer?

Er...

Yes, preliminary ballistics are in.

The same gun was used to kill
all five victims,

including Martin Cross.
I was wrong about a second killer.

- Coffee?
- No. Had enough already.

And I don't like my spree-killer theory
much more.

If he'd degenerated,
we'd have more victims by now?

Clinical assassin to hot-headed sadist
takes more than an afternoon.

One gun doesn't necessarily
mean one killer.

Assassin personalities are
paranoid loners - they don't do teams.

And they don't stumble away
from crime scenes

- leaving a trail of evidence either.
- True.

He's pretty much profile-proof.

Unless your idea
of somebody using the killings

to hide a body in bodies still holds.

If the sniper's using random victims
to camouflage

- a pre-selected one.
- Martin Cross?

The victimology
says he's the odd one out.

Why go to those lengths?
Why not just kill Martin?

Good question. I don't know.

Because if he kills Martin in any
other context, he's prime suspect,

but with a spree killer on the loose...

Martin's just another unlucky victim.

I know what you're going to say.

Martin Cross was a saint
and everybody loved him.

No, I wasn't, actually.
Jack pulled some data from his phone.

Martin was due at a self-help group
tonight for anger management.

Robert.

Hi.

Hi.

Can I help you, mate?

- Is, er, is Julia in?
- No.

You're Thomas, right?

Right. And you are?

Conrad.

- Conrad?
- Mm.

- Hi, Dad!
- Hi, darling. All right?

Is it, er, OK if I wait here for Julia?

We're just heading out.

- What?
- Yeah,

we're meeting her from work
and going for a pizza.

Well, have you seen the news?
The sniper?

Yeah. The place we're going's
all covered in.

Thanks for your concern, though.

It just, um,
seems like an unnecessary risk.

As I say, I appreciate the advice.

But not enough to take it.

We're late, so if you don't mind...

Come on, Rosie.

- Bye, Dad.
- Bye, darling.

You, er, you might want to get that
tail-light looked at.

Yep. It's on my To Do list.

It was nice meeting you.

By the way, why have you
gone to the hassle of renting a flat?

We're not doing this now. I've told you,
there's no-one else involved.

Well, I know, but why not just book into

- a hotel?
- What does it matter?

Because people follow
the path of least resistance,

and when they don't,
you have to ask why.

Have you got
a suspect prioritisation matrix yet?

- Two hours ago.
- Scoring what factors?

Ownership of a Volvo, a gun licence,
a military record.

So you have a preliminary line-up?

We're working through names.

Make an arrest.

Tonight.
Whoever's on top of your list.

Five people are dead, Jane.

We have to reassure the up-aboves,

the public and the media
that we're being proactive.

Better to be seen to be doing something

than to admit catching murderers is hard?

Yeah. Much better.

Mm.

OK. Anything else?

- My hand hurts.
- Oh, sorry about that.

No, you're not.

Look, I'm not going to knowingly
waste time and resources.

If you don't, the time and the resources
won't be yours to waste.

Oh. And he giveth and he taketh away.

- In all things.
- Jane...

Oh, go to hell.

Hi.

You said it was urgent?

Look, l-l-I was just...

Er, you know I came by last night?

Yes. Conrad told me.

OK. Well. Two things.

One, he took her out,

which is completely crazy,
to be going outside unnecessarily

with this-this sniper thing going on...

Now you tell me.

Two... who is Conrad, exactly?

Someone I met.

- Where?
- None of your business.

Well, it is my business if he's
under the same roof as my daughter.

Calm down, he doesn't live with us.

He was looking after her last night.

For two hours after school.
Big deal.

Also, he's driving her around in a car
with a broken tail-light,

which is unsafe, not to say illegal.

A broken tail-light?

That's what this is all about?

That's what we're risking
life and limb to discuss?

What do you really know about Conrad?

Look, I have to go.

Next time, please call
before you come to the house.

I did! Twice!

What you said in your message,

that this sniper thing wasn't a pretext
to get me to engage with you?

- Yeah.
- Total bullshit.

- That's not true.
- You're so good

at dressing up control as concern,
you even fool yourself.

But you don't fool me.

Chief Superintendent John Macready.

Hello, John. It's Thomas.

I wonder if you could do me a favour.

I need you to run a background check
on someone.

This related to a case?

Mmm, yeah, yeah. Might be.

I'm not sure yet.

I pinged you his licence plate
a couple of minutes ago.

Christian name Conrad.

Ah, yes. Got it.

- OK, let's see.
- Thanks.

Multiple drug convictions,
but it's all historic,

most of it in the '90s.

I'll send you the file, if you like.

Hello?

OK. I'll be there as soon as I can.

Five victims around the southwest corner
of the M25

and then one 40 miles east.

An expanding comfort zone,
or him saying, '"Look behind you'"?

I will strike anywhere...

any time.

I can't control myself.

Close all the schools.

Tell the public.

Is this bastard invisible or what?

Last night you told me
he was unravelling.

Six people are dead
and you don't even have a suspect.

The news says
this man's killing people at random.

- It was just bad luck.
- I don't think so.

What about the threat to schools?

- It stays under wraps.
- Are you sure it's the right move?

We can't keep every kid in London
at home under lock and key.

What are you doing? Warrant?!

He invited us in.

Why do you need to get in there?

Martin synced his phone to a laptop.
It's not in his office at school

and it wasn't in his bag.

Close all the schools? It's not a demand
he can expect us to meet.

Well, tell that to the parents
of the first child he kills

when it gets out he also said,
'"Tell the public.'"

Rosie, hi, it's Dad.
Where are you, my love?

# Testator silens

# Costestes e spiritu

# Silentium. #

Ripped By mstoll