Unforgotten (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

A skeleton found in the cellar of a building prompts investigation from DCI Stuart and her colleague into the murder of a young man that could potentially span back thousands of years.

♪ All you do is hide away

♪ All you do is, all you do is hide away

♪ All you do is lie in wait

All you do is, all you do is lie in wait

♪ I have been upside down

♪ I don't wanna be the right way round

♪ I've found paradise on the ground ♪

(RADIO ON)

Oh... Dad, I'm off.

Smell all right to me.

- What have you got on today?
- Oh, you know... Busy busy.



- Losing your touch here, love.
- I had to take a work call.

Could still wipe the floor
any day with you, mate.

- I'll finish it for you.
- See you later on.

(LOW CHATTER)

- I'll get onto it right away.
- Very good.

- Morning.
- Guv.

Late one?

Oh, yeah, an all-nighter at Whisky Miss.

It's Mist, I think you'll find, Mr Coolio.

- Whatevs!
- (CHUCKLES)

- You're a woman, aren't you?
- Apparently.

What is it with girls and
crying for absolutely no reason?

- Which one?
- Gemma.

Till one in the bloody morning.



I cried last week with my dad.

- Why? - Don't know,
really. Just felt like it.

What did he do?

Gave me a hug.

And that made you feel better?

Not really, no.

DCI Cass Stuart.

Sean Rawlins. How are you doing?

Good, thanks.

- Who found it? - Some builders
looking for the mains supply.

Male. I think.

And the bones are in pretty
good nick. Young. A young adult.

- What was the building that was here?
- According to a neighbour I spoke to,

it had quite a few
incarnations over the years --

private house, British
Rail records office,

hostel, DHSS...

So this is either a very shallow grave,

or, if the body was put here before
the cellar was built, a very deep one.

Except we don't know what the
ground level was when he was buried.

What would be your gut feeling?
Richard III or five years ago?

- Could be talking 5,000 years!
- Seriously?

Bones can survive incredibly
well in certain types of soil.

- But we do know he died very young.
- By modern standards.

- Any sign of trauma anywhere?
- Not from what I can see so far.

OK.

We're gonna need to
excavate this whole site,

see if there's anything else under here.

Just make sure please that people
are aware. Until we know different,

we treat this as a crime scene.
Let's try and find out how he died,

whoever he was. I think we owe
him that at the very least.

You're gonna have to give
me a better price than that.

I'm ordering four crates!

I'll call you back.

Thieving bastards.

- Eric!
- Oop. Sorry, sweetheart.

Grandpa's got a filthy mouth, hasn't he?

- You're haggling over 50 quid there.
- 50 quid is 50 quid, mate.

50 quid is what we were short
of when we bought this place.

Our friend Terry Miller
lent it us in the end.

If he hadn't have...

He brought the cash round in
pound notes, as I remember.

God, yeah. I'd forgotten that.

Right, Liv, let's see if we
can find some choccy biccies.

- Anyone want another cuppa?
- Grandpa would!

See?

Long-term memory is the last to go, Dad.

Ask her what she had for breakfast

- or if she's had her statins today,
or her Omeprazol. - We'll cope.

But you're already not coping.

I'm not being funny, but when was
the last time you cleaned the lavs?

- Les! - I'm sorry,
but they smell a bit.

- And if I'm bringing Livvy --
- We're not going into sheltered housing!

Now leave it.

Are Ron and his wife coming to the party?

Must be nearly their sapphire as well.

Ron died a couple of years
ago, Mum. Do you remember?

(SIREN BLARES)

Come on, come on!

- Come on! Focus! Determination!
- Sprint!

- OK, and...
- (BLOWS WHISTLE)

Lovely.

Blue team on this side, red on that.

Brandon. Get back out there now.

I'm having an asthma attack, miss.

You're not having anything!

It's just your heart pumping
oxygen around your body

- as opposed to skunk fumes.
- I'm dying, I'm telling you!

Brandon! Come on, man.
We need you up front.

I'm not good.

You've just got to catch your wind.

It's only ten minutes each way.

Come on, man. We need you.
You're our only striker.

- If I croak, Curtis, I'm
tellin' you... - Whatever.

Oh, here he comes! A round of
applause for our star striker.

So happy you could join us.

Sir Phillip, I'm so sorry,
the vote went on forever.

- How are you? Very good to see you.
- I'm good.

- How are you? Glass of fizz?
- Oh, God. Yes.

Long day. Thank you.

So did the PM ring you?

Er, no. Why? Did he say he would?

- He said he'd try, which I suppose
is not always the same thing. - Right.

Basically, he just wanted to say that
he's talked it through with the Chancellor,

and to be honest,

we all think it's a superb idea.

Bottom line, we would really
love to have you on board.

Well, that's...

I genuinely think it's a
good move for us all, Liam.

How does Lord Cross of Frognall sound?

You know that's not why I'm doing this.

Oh, you'll earn it. Trust me.

To our new entrepreneur
tsar! Congratulations!

♪ The way that I've
been holding on too tight

♪ With nothing in between

♪ The story of my life I take her home

(SINGS ALONG TO TUNE) ♪ I drive
all night to keep her warm

♪ And time

♪ Is frozen

(SOUND OF CHURCH BELLS PEALING)

- Geoff.
- 'Robert. Hi.'

Just ringing to check you got my email.

I did, yes.

I was going to respond tonight, Geoff.

I've got a manic day.

I know it's tedious, but it would
just help me sell your case a bit

- to the diocese.
- 'Oh, yeah, absolutely.'

I'm not quite sure how the
accounts are going to do that.

I mean, how do you quantify the cost of
buying a group of very lost women some hope?

- Well, I agree. - OK, I will get
it to you as soon as... ASAP, Geoff.

- I mean, if it were down to me...
- 'Hello? You're breaking up there.'

Sorry. I've lost you.

♪ Story of my life

♪ I take her home

♪ I drive all night to keep her warm

♪ And time

♪ Is frozen... ♪

(SIREN)

- Morning.
- Hi.

- All right?
- (BUZZ OF CONVERSATION)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Cheers.

(PHONE RINGS)

DCI Stuart.

- It's Sean Rawlins.
- 'Sean. Hi. What's happening?'

There's something you should see.

As you can see, it's about an inch wide

and it's caused by a blunt force trauma.

Couldn't have been from the drill?

I'd expect the boom at the point
of fracture to be lighter.

No time to be discoloured.

So this could have been
the cause of death?

This is a very significant injury.

It would have caused massive blood
loss, profound brain damage,

and yes, in all likelihood,
it would have caused death.

How's business, Les?

Get in the van, Livvy, please.

You really think this about me
trying to get my hands on the house?

(INDISTINCT)

Just... leave them be,
Les. They're happy here.

Are they? How would YOU know?

I'm the one who's round here every week

while you ponce off back to London.

It's about keeping them
safe, Matt. Nothing more.

(DOOR OPENS)

- Morning, ladies.
- ALL: Morning!

Oh, hi, Bob! I wasn't
expecting you in today.

I'm not stopping.

Just wanted to pick up
some bumph for an AGM.

- How are they doing in there?
- Oh, good.

Nine. The best turn-out
for a couple of months.

That's brilliant. Well done, you!

Did Geoff also get hold of you?

Oh, I switched my mobile off.

Bishop's on the war path again.

Not urgent, just wedding stuff.

Oh. Well, if it's wedding stuff,
then it's never not urgent.

I'll call him.

Here. Buy them some nice biccies.

Always good for flagging spirits!

See you.

- 'Did you tell the kids?'
- I spoke to Josh. He was dead chuffed.

Can't get hold of Bella. She's
probably still in court.

Well, we'll have to celebrate tonight.

I'm making your favourite.
What time do you want to eat?

I've got the Cameron thing
early doors, and then...

He wants to meet me.

- So, 8:30?
- Perfect.

- Can we have it with peas?
- Of course.

- 'Love you, sweetheart.'
- Love you too.

Ah, Bel. It's me again. Can you
give us a ring when you're free?

I've got some good news.

Your old man's going up in the world.

DS Khan.

I'm being stupid. These are the
plans for 27 Arlingham Place?

No, these are plans for the original.

They built hundreds of
buildings to this design

- but all of them to exactly
the same spec. - Right. Got it.

So...

This details the depth of the footing,

but more importantly it tells the builder

that each cellar will have a three-inch
concrete and screed floor laid as standard.

Right.

- Can you date concrete?
- No.

I just googled it.

Because all this tells us is
that it had a concrete floor

when it was built in...

Er, 1886.

We have no way of knowing if it's the
same floor as the builders broke up.

What, you really think that
someone dug up the original floor,

stuck a body under it and
then... relaid a new one?

- It was good enough for Fred West.
- If we haven't found anything else!

Disposing of a body is all about ease.

Yeah, I do know that, Sunny.

I think it was already there when built.

If it was, then... I'm not
entirely sure what we'd be doing

investigating a suspicious death
from at least 130 years ago.

(LIVELY BANTER)

- Sir?
- Oh, cheers.

- Oh, and er, thanks for getting
Brandon back onside. - No worries.

(BOYS WHOOP)

I've seen it all before, Joseph.

- Bigger and better, an' all!
- (BOYS WHOOP AND LAUGH)

- Haven't I, sweetheart?
- (LAUGHTER)

- Curtis. - You all right, miss?
- I meant to give you this earlier.

Of Mice And Men. Have you seen it?

- No. - When's the exam? - 24th.

Might be worth a squint, I dunno.

Always easier to remember quotes
from a film than a book somehow.

What?

My mum sold the DVD player.

Right. Is she using again, then?

Well, how about you watch it round ours?

- I'm in Thursday.
- Serious?

Spend an evening with John
Malkovich. What's not to like?

- I'd like that.
- Good. 6:30, then.

Play your cards right, I
might even get a pizza in.

- Thanks, miss.
- Soft as a pudding, you are.

I'll put this in the car.

You think he was wrong?

No. Cos the logic suggests he's right.

So, what's your cut-off point?

No statute of limitations on murder.

So, suppose you do date it, I don't know,

somewhere in the '30s...

Are you seriously gonna use
your ever-dwindling resources

to investigate a crime 80 years old?

Still somebody's son, though, isn't it?

Might even have his own kids

who might still be alive
if it was the '30s.

I never knew my father.

I got over it. 68 years ago.

I don't know...

Is a crime less serious
because time's passed?

Is it... Is it less wrong...

because it was done 50
years ago, or 60, or 70?

I think if people are still
alive who are affected by it,

or even if they remember
people that were affected,

society has a responsibility
to take it seriously,

no matter how far back, no
matter how old they are.

I don't know.

Feels like history to me.

Ancient history.

Tea?

(LIGHT SCRAPING)

Hang on...

If you go along this way...

It looks...

.. like a key.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but
this looks like a car key.

We think so too.

And how sure are we it
belongs to the body?

Well, where it was found,

a few inches below the top of the femur,

it's consistent with the
key in a trouser pocket.

So we did some very
quick tests on the metal

and we found chromium and chromium oxide,

which explains the retarded corrosion.

We think it's stainless steel.

Earliest common usage of
which was around 1917.

But if it is an ignition key,

they weren't invented until
1949, and that was in America.

So this is '50s, earliest?

If it is a car key.

So we're gonna get this
down to a lab in Wapping.

They'll blast it with an X-ray
source called a synchrotron,

which, amongst many other things,

cam illuminate traces of tooling
obscured by the corrosion.

You mean tooling, like in a serial number?

That would be kind of cool, wouldn't it?

- If this key belongs to
the victim's car... - Yeah.

.. that would be... very kind of cool.

I wouldn't insist you
use the title at home.

Maybe bow... once in a while,
doff your cap occasionally.

Your think I'm an idiot,
don't you, for giving a toss!

Whatever floats your boat, Dad.

It makes me smile, Bel.

It's me saying it doesn't
matter where I come from,

I can get it,

what this lot have...

if I want it.

Why would you want it? Why
would you want any of this?

Hang on, you chose this gaff!

It's close to my chambers. It's
convenient. But I don't aspire to this.

And even if I did, I learnt
every day at school for 14 years

it doesn't matter how you speak or how
rich you are, you can never make the leap.

- If you don't want this and you're
embarrassed by your roots -- - No!

- Dad! - I'm embarrassed
myself sometimes.

What I'm saying is,
you've got a great job.

You're making a difference.
You're way smarter than me.

I just never really get the
sense if you're... happy.

It's all we want, your mother and me.

We just want you...

.. to be happy.

And Ellie turned to her sister,

narrowed her eyes, and said,

'you are dead. D-E-D, dead!'

Tragically I was 23 at the time.

So listen, we just, erm...

- wanted to discuss something about the wedding.
- 13 weeks and counting.

So, er, we've been talking lots about it,

you know, and, um, we
wanted to ask you guys

how you would feel if
actually it wasn't...

.. exclusively a church ceremony.

Not exclusively? What do you mean?

Well, obviously, as you know,

- I'm not religious.
- Of course.

- But the vows are still
very important to me. - Good.

And so we were just...
discussing the possibility of...

absolutely still having a church ceremony,

but whether we should consider
doing the actual marriage...

legal bit in a register office.

I think we'd just be more comfortable

endorsing our vows in a
non-religious setting.

And then having the blessing in church,

which, of course, as per, we'd
still love you to preside over.

Good. All right. Yes.

I'm sorry, when you say 'we'...

Why would you not want to get
married in church, Ellie?

Well, for Tom.

And if it were just your decision...

Well, it were just my decision,

of course I'd get married in church.

You wouldn't do this to
make my daughter happy?

Well, I mean, yeah, of course,

if I felt she did want that.

It's just a thought, anyway.

Yes, and a very interesting
one, certainly.

But you see, the church is
going to look so, so lovely.

More wine?

(DOOR SHUTS)

(CAR ENGINE ON)

Nice evening, wasn't it?

Yep.

Grace?

- Are you all right, love?
- I'm fine.

What's the matter?

Why should anything be the matter, Robert?
You got what you wanted, like you always do.

- So how could anything be the matter?
- No. I got what Ellie wanted.

And how would you know what she wants?

I mean, how would you know
what any of us really want?

Have you ever actually sat down and asked?

I'm not sure what this is about.

Oh, it's about...

drying my hair on 15-year-old towels

and not having had a holiday in six years.

Everything we've ever had
you've given to other people,

which is very kind and
charitable and everything...

But actually I don't ever
remember being fucking asked!

It's about you getting
your way for 40 years.

And it's about me sometimes getting
just a tiny bit fed up of it.

I'll sleep in the spare room.

MS-11-65-174.

Is that cool enough?

Oh, yeah. That'll do very nicely.

Thank you.

Key ignition didn't come in till
'52, so it's a backstop date.

Actually, you don't
need to worry about that,

because this is quite simple to date.

- MS stands for Morton Spyder.
- Right.

First number is month
and year of manufacture.

So, November 1965.

The following numbers -- we'll have to
check this with Morton archive people --

I suspect that's simply the number
it came off the production line.

So this is 174th in November 1965?

Yeah. Luckily for you there were far
fewer cars on the road back then.

You should be able to
get the reg with that.

- Thank you. That's great. Thanks
very much. - You're welcome.

Guv. Just spoke to an old
caretaker at the building.

The concrete WAS ripped up -- in the
late '60s after a burst water main.

It was definitely not relaid until 1978,

which narrows down our burial
window to about ten years.

- Sunny...
- Oh, don't!

♪ Yesterday my life

♪ Was filled with pain...

- Just give me a rough idea...
- ♪ Sunny

.. how long you're gonna find that funny.

- Several years yet, my friend.
- Great (!)

Ah! November '65.

Here we are.

It was a direct sale from the
factory. 12th of January 1966.

Reg 775 UCC.

To a Stephen J White.

Either of those any use?

This could be him, Sunny.

Thank you. You've been incredibly helpful.

We're in luck.

DVLA have Mr White down as
the only registered owner.

Shit, he's not here.

- Nothing?
- No.

- How far back does it go?
- Far enough.

Before the '50s.

If anyone ever reported a Stephen
J White missing, he'd be here.

(SIGHS)

OK, so maybe he's not our victim,
but if he's... still alive,

he might be able to
tell us if, I don't know,

he sold... our victim his car

without informing DVLA.

Or sold it to the man who
sold it to the victim.

If he's still alive,
we're in with a shout.

Oh... Sorry to hear that, Mrs White.

- Good innings.
- Very good innings.

To get back to the car, the Spyder.

We couldn't find any record of it
being sold on after he bought it.

Did your husband keep it? Did YOU keep it?

Keep it? No.

No. I thought you knew.

It was stolen.

- Stolen?
- From right outside our house,

and never found. Christmas 1975.

Broke his heart.

Right...

Stolen...

It's like nearly a hundred years
ago, but what's really changed?

Curtis, everything has changed.

And you know why? Cos you have education,

which gives you choices those
poor buggers could only dream of.

(DOOR OPENS)

- Home!
- Hi, love.

Blimey. Are you still here, Ugly?!

Actually, he's just off.

Got some revision to
do. Haven't you, matey?

Come on, big man, I'll spin
you round to your mum's.

Oh. Thanks, Mr Wilton.

- Put the kettle on, love.
- Thank you.

- Night, miss.
- Night, love.

(LITTLE CHUCKLE)

Hello?

Here we are.

I know you'd never think of it like
this, but... I reckon he was lucky.

Your son. Having you guys for 15 years.

That was special.

Believe me, not half as
lucky as we were, Curtis.

- Night, sir.
- Night, son.

OK...

So let's assume then, for now,

- it was our victim that stole it.
- Right.

So let's go back to the factory records.

We'll get the chassis
number, the engine number...

Even if the number plate was
changed after it was stolen,

we must be able to find it.

Those cars were
collectables even back then.

So we try... scrap merchants,

classic car dealers,
spare parts dealers...

A car like that doesn't just
disappear off the face of the earth.

But, er... why?

What use is finding the
car now? It was stolen.

It can't identify anyone,
there'll be no traceable link.

I don't know...

But right now we've got bugger all else.

Sorry, mate.

775 UCC.

You have it?

Er, no.

We did. According to this,
my dad bought it in 1977.

- From...?
- Islington Car Pound.

- A police pound?
- Yeah. Unclaimed vehicle.

Probably towed it in off the
street, nobody claimed it.

Fairly common for stolen cars.

Why wouldn't they have
returned it to the owner?

- Do you know when it was nicked? - '75.

And the owner was never
informed that it was found.

Human error, maybe?

No computers back then.

- Much harder to cross-reference things.
- And what happened to it?

Er, we kept it for spares till '91.

Then we sold it to a Steve Bennett.

Total restoration job by that stage.

Got his address here if you want it.

It was one of Dad's retirement projects.

Except he didn't retire for
about another ten years.

By then his health was starting to go.

He died a couple of years ago,
but he barely made a start on it.

I've been meaning to sell it ever
since, but... you know how it goes.

And this is it?

This is all that's left?

.. that was restorable.

What exactly is it that
you're looking for?

Well, to be honest, Mr Bennett...

.. I'm not really sure.

- You're welcome.
- Cheers.

- What?
- That.

Mr Bennett?

- Yeah?
- Could those be from the Spyder?

Er, yeah, might be.

I know my son took a few
spares off after Dad died.

- Mind if we take a look?
- Be my guest.

Hang on, what's that?

Just a bag.

It was in the boot wedged
underneath the spare.

- Don't touch it.
- There's nothing really in it.

Have you got any gloves?

Thanks!

My dad bought my brother one of those.

Alicante Airport.

'78 it must have been.

I was dead jealous of it.

OK...

I'm just going to... Let's
have a look what we've got.

A shirt.

Comb.

Toothpaste.

And a... diary.

- No?
- 1976.

- Whoa whoa whoa.
- I'll leave it to the lab.

Mr White's widow says it
definitely wasn't his.

So we think it could be our victim's.

OK. First up, we need to dry it
without doing any more damage.

Best option is, we freeze it, then
stick it in the high-vacuum chamber.

Give us a couple of hours and
then let's see where we are.

OK.

Yes, I know. 45 years.

If I'd killed, I'd be out by now.

No, it'd be lovely if
you could come, Monica.

I'm trying to get hold of as
many of the old gang as possible.

- (WAILS)
- I'll call you right back.

Claire?

- I thought it was the cold.
- Hold on, love.

Let's have a look.

It doesn't look too bad.
We'll get some cream on it.

If you pass me that stuff
there. Let's turn this off.

That should do it.

- I'm scared, Eric.
- No need to be scared, my darling.

I want to be somewhere safe.

I've told you, sweetheart,
we're fine here.

No. I want to be looked after.

You will be. I can look after you.

I want to leave.

No, no, my darling. We're not leaving.

We can't leave.

(LAUGHTER AND BANTER)

Hey, Curtis! Come here, man.

Hey, Curtis, where are you going, man?

Whoa, Curtis! You gonna air me, bruv?

Curtis?

Upset?

Got you this.

- I've got pens.
- Nice to have new ones, isn't it?

Not every day you sit your GCSEs!

(ANGRY) Hey, Curtis!

We'll be late.

That's all I'm saying. You
know what the Yanks are like.

They shoot their wads for a title.

We just want you on the
letterheads. That's all I'm asking,

and then it could push it over the line.

Never asked my old man
for a brass farthing.

Wouldn't have dared.

I don't want your money, Dad.

No. You want my name.

Send the paperwork to the office.
I'll get my CFO to look at it.

'Chelle. It's on.

(TURNS UP VOLUME)

TV: 'The appointment of Sir Phillip Cross

is deemed to be a smart
move by the Government...'

As I say, I'm sure it is
just an arithmetic issue.

You came all the way down here
to tell me my maths is shit?

I could have saved you the bother.

I could have sent you
my O Level certificate.

By my reckoning, we seem to be about
£2,000 out over the last three years.

As you say, I'm sure it is
just an accounting error.

If you could look at it
ASAP, I'd appreciate bit.

I'll get Grace onto it first thing.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have
a six o'clock service to prepare.

Thanks for your time, Robert.

- CASSIE: Are they all like this? - All.

So then we scanned them with infrared.

Still unreadable.

So then we tried them with luminescence.

Oh, man!

I always like this bit.

How do you do that?

Certain materials have the ability
to change visible wavelengths

into longer invisible reflective ones

if you shine a luminescent
infrared light at them.

Ink is one of them.

I have absolutely no idea
what you're talking about,

but I've slightly fallen in love with you.

OK, go back to the fly page, please.

'Happy Christmas, Jimmy.

With much love, Jo-Jo.

James Niall Sullivan.

Address...

Wherever I lay my hat.'

The last entry's July 12th,

though there's not actually
anything on the pages before that.

But we thought you might like this...

(GASPS)

Names and phone numbers.

Brian Kent.

Mrs Stevens.

Paul Hall. GP.

Beth.

Sean Collins.

Clive Crowther.

Father Rob.

Trotsky.

Maccie.

Mr Slater.

Paul Fleet.

Frankie C.

Kev Flemming.

Shrimp.

Rita Monroe.

Guv?

Hello, Jimmy.

Let's get you home, shall we?