Vera (2011–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - The Ghost Position - full transcript

I'm assuming this is another of
your famous wind-ups, is it, love?

Dad, I can't help it I
fell asleep in the bath.

You what?

I don't know, I'm just a
bit knackered at the moment.

Look, I'm two minutes
from the house, OK?

And I wanna find the table
laid when I get back, right?

Sorry, Dad, my hair's,
like, sopping wet.

Can't you do it?

All right. At least tell me
you put the plates in the oven?

I tried. It just kept
switching to grill.

Oh, we went through it! I
wrote it all down. Remember?



Sorry, Dad, you're just too easy!

Aye, all right.

About time, too. I'm starving.

Did you get that pickle?

Sorry, love. About time for what?

I just saw the car. I'll get
those plates out, piping hot.

I'm not back yet. Stella?

Stella, pick up.

Stella!

Stella!

Vera
Season 2 - Episode 01

ITFC Subtitle
Sync: Marocas62

The Ghost Position

Bad news?



No. Well, I wouldn't go that far.

Nah, no chance.

My dad used to smoke those.

Snap.

I got used to the smell.

Lucky you!

- Is that your lad, is it?
- No. It's my uncle.

I'm sorry I was a bit late.

Fran had us up all night.

I was late myself.

Where was your car, anyway?

Oh, I had a little bit of a...

- nightcap.
- Oh, right.

Not that I have to go round
explaining myself to you.

No, not at all.

So, what did the GP say?

News of my death has
been greatly exaggerated.

You're OK?
What, clean bill of health?

Complete waste of time.

Really?

Ah, that's fantastic news.

The things that go through
your head, you know.

Well, we should go out. Celebrate.

Aye. Why not?

Kenny.

What?

Hey, Joe, just give us five
minutes, will you, love?

Thanks.

Stuart?

I've only just heard. I
came as quick as I could.

I haven't changed that much, have I?

Vera?

Hey.

Christ.

Well, thanks very much.

You don't look too clever yourself.

Shouldn't you be in bed, or summat?

Nurse?

Oh, speak to yourself.

What do we call you these days?
Chief Inspector?

- Superintendent?
- Nah. Just plain old Sergeant.

Here. Come here.

So...

how is she...

your daughter?
Stella, is it?

She won't wake up.

Can't breathe without a tube.

Her heart keeps conking out.

"Is she a fighter?"
they said.

Well, if she's
anything like her dad...

Finally got the consultant on
his own. You know what he said?

"Hope for the best, prepare for the
worst."

Trouble is, love, I
can't seem to do either.

So, last night...

You saw a vehicle,
on your way home?

Make and model of the car, no idea.

It had fog lights on, you know?

And the house itself?

The lights were on when you left?

Aye. But the car was with me.

So, whoever did this

might have thought
there was nobody home?

Arson attack? Nothing more?

Aye, looks like.

Anyone you suspect?

Any recent cases? Old grudges?

What does it matter now, anyway?

Sir, Stella's mother's down in
Reception.

My wife?

Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no.

I can't see her.

You go see her.

- What?
- Just talk to her.

Keep her busy.

I just...

I just need a minute
to get my head in gear.

Right?

Good lad!

Will you do something for me?

Go get her a coffee. She can't
last five minutes without a coffee.

White. Two sugars.

- Here, I'll give you some change.
- Don't be daft.

I just wanted to be
there for her, you know?

To protect her.

Well, of course you did, love, course
you did.

Now, will you sit down?

White, two sugars.

Yes?

Tea.
With Sugar?

Stuart?

Stuart!

An hour ago I was...

trying to pack the tent
into the back of the car.

We'd been away, you see.

It was just a normal day.

Oh, well, you'll be wanting
to see your daughter?

The doctor will be here
in a minute to take you up.

Marianne?

We're here.

- OK.
- Who's that?

That's my husband.

Who...?

You and Stuart were separated?

Oh, yeah. Eight... Eight, nine years
back.

Why?

Marianne?

Sorry.

Who was he?

My first sergeant.

Vera Stanhope?
Rachel Waite.

We met last summer at the
National Intelligence Conference.

- What a day out that was.
- I remember.

We had a mutual friend.

DS Joe Ashworth.
Chief Superintendent Waite.

Two coffees, one flapjack,
a receipt and the change.

You'll find us in the car park.

Why?

Couldn't bear to outlive
his daughter, I suppose.

How long is it since
you last saw him?

We ran into each other
over the years, but

we hadn't sat down
properly since...

..his stag do, I think.

End of an era.

He got promoted.

Transferred to
Fenwick or somewhere.

I thought I'd end up working for him.

- So...
- So, "What happened?"

Marianne happened.

Ten years of marriage.
Not many of them happy.

His fault, goes without saying.

She moves out, taking
the daughter with her.

Somewhat laboured divorce.

Marianne remarries,

in haste perhaps. I don't
know the ins and outs.

Stuart's having none of it. He
wouldn't let go.

The wife, the daughter.

I'll spare you the details.

Stuart... let himself go.

Various restraining orders

on wife and family.
Psych assessments.

He was stripped of rank, demoted to
sergeant.

It was all I could do to keep him in
the force.

I had him tidying paperclips
in my office for a spell.

He kept breaking the photocopier.

Last heard of working
emergency calls

in a comms centre
in Wallsend.

He'd have loved that.

Not half. He called it The Gulag.

I'd heard he'd er...

- had some trouble.
- Don't blame yourself.

Unless it drives you on, of course.

Oh, dear. Not a happy bunny.

Well, he's not cut out
for surveillance, is he?

There'll be an
inquiry into his death.

The coroner will
need your statement.

Yeah, of course.

And I'll get on with
the arson attack.

- It's what he'd have wanted.
- Is it?

You OK, ma'am?

- Hey!
- What's that?

Stuart Macken's effects,
from his pockets, you know.

Lottery ticket.

It's two years old.

Ever the optimist.

Look.

He was owed a free coffee.

Go on. He won't miss it.

The stubborn sod.

- Don't.
- OK.

Is that him? The second husband?

What's his name again?

Gower. Brian Gower.

She said they were camping last
night.

Was he in the tent with the wife and
bairns?

No, he says he was
at home, working.

Didn't hear the phone ring.
Why do you ask?

Oh, when in doubt...

Start with the family.

Suspect was stood
in the driveway.

He lobbed three petrol
bombs in the kitchen window.

Forensics found
methanol on the floor

and traces of sugar
and washing-up liquid.

- Makes it sticky.
- Three?

Nothing left to chance,
I suppose.

Right.

Any luck with the tyres?

Nothing yet, I'm afraid.

So, what do we know about the
daughter?

Stella. 18 years old.

She was home for the
weekend from college.

Year one of a science
degree, was it?

How did she get on with the old man?

We've got phone records here
for the father and daughter.

Seems they were speaking twice a
week for the past couple of months.

- And before then?
- I'll have a word with the family.

No, I can do that.

I'll have a copy of this.

- Sure.
- Right.

Petrol bomb through
the policeman's window.

He was targeted. Why?

Come on.
Route one -

any old collars? Anyone recently
released from prison? Joe?

Ma'am, take a look at this. Kenny?

Right, er... The Ten Thousand March.

Five weeks back, on Tyneside.

Peaceful protest for the unemployed

and we ended up with this lot.

Now, the hard nuts were all
blocked in up near Monument

for seven hours straight.

Heavy-handed police
tactics, blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, thank you, Kenny.

Hang on. Is that Stuart Macken?

I thought they had him
answering phones all day.

He volunteered for overtime. He
made ten arrests in one afternoon.

GBH, Section Five, you name it.

And that's not the best
bit. Take a look at this.

Someone in that crowd...

Petrol bomb.

There was no serious damage, but a
bit of a coincidence, don't you think?

- So, who lobbed it?
- They don't know.

Or nobody's saying.

Ma'am? Macken's ten arrests -

nine of them are no
longer in custody.

Right, well, get them in.

I'm drawing up a
timetable as we speak.

Oh, someone give
that girl a sticker.

I want alibis and
whereabouts for last night.

Call me when you've done.

So, tell us about the march.

Well, I was there
to support my son.

My wife made a picnic.

Well, the next thing I knew,

there were coppers everywhere.

They've kettled off
half of Grey Street.

Well, we all went mad.

I said to the officer, "Do I
look like an anarchist to you?"

Where were you Sunday night?

Teaching art to the active retired.

Seven witnesses, if it's any help.

Sunday? Oh, easy. Quiz night.

You all right?

Through here, there's
a box of digi-tapes.

They've all been
melted in the fire.

What's on them?

Nothing. There's no labels on them.

Dated.

Memories.

See what you can salvage.

Let's go meet our victim.

This bruise, what do you reckon?

Billy?

I thought he was strictly
postmortem.

I take the occasional
stroll among the living.

Unsettling for all
concerned, I can assure you.

I asked him, God forgive me.

Still. By the look of her,

I'll be seeing her again
downstairs shortly, will I?

Pity.

- Anyone we know?
- Francine. Trainee.

Russet hair, rather low forehead.

She's nine weeks late, you know.

Calling up, making
these wild allegations.

I don't know where
these lasses get off.

30 minutes in a Travelodge,
I barely grazed her.

I feel I could pick up some grubby
little bug just listening to you.

Try it, it might
even do you some good.

Bruise on her forehead.

Right. Well, first thought was,

she got smoke in her lungs.
She fell - bang.

But see this ridge here?

- She was struck hard in the face.
- By what?

Your petrol bomb.

So, warm night,

she stood at the open
window. Looking out...

He saw her. I mean, whoever

did this must have known
there was someone in.

Well, so much for arson.

Attempted murder.

The relish in her voice.

Plus she's got her fingers burned.

See these marks here, this
is all heat damage, but...

- this is an old injury.
- How old?

Hard to say. Partially healed.
Minimum a month.

Well, she has been in the wars...

haven't you, pet?

The thing about Stuart, he had

this unshakable fantasy
that nothing had changed,

his wife and daughter
were due back any minute.

No, well, it can't have been easy.

It was just something we
all learned to live with.

And Stella stopping over at her dad's,
that was a regular thing, was it?

She's 18 now. She
can do what she likes.

Funny, isn't it?

For years she was
scared to death of him.

Number of times I had to
sit there, holding her hand,

singing her to sleep.

With my voice.

But you knew she was stopping
over this weekend, right?

- Yes.
- No.

Well, I did.

These past couple of months, she's...

had a bit more time for her father.

I was glad, I encouraged it.

Up to a point.

Well, we knew if we
tried keeping them apart

she'd only put him on a pedestal.

Stella's a great one for

revising history, when
the spirit moves her.

She's got a temper on
her, hasn't she, nowadays?

I wonder where that came from.

Daft question...

The burns on Stella's hands,

now, that was an
old accident, was it?

I know.

Chemistry practical gone
wrong, wasn't it? At college.

H2SO4 plus who knows what?

Can you get me a coffee?

I'd like to go back
in there if that's OK.

I gather you're an
engineer, Mr. Gower.

That's right.
I'm in hydraulics.

I've heard of that. Is that sewage?

Not always.

Well, good for you, at your age.

Now, I couldn't help but notice

from Stella's phone records

that she's not been calling home.

Her first year at college?
Weren't you worried?

Oh, hit a bit of a rough patch.

Nothing terminal, so to speak.

So when did you last
speak to your stepdaughter?

We haven't seen much of
each other since Christmas.

Ah, well, it can't have been easy,

after all you've done for her,

to see her mooning
over her real dad.

When you love someone, the point
is to focus on their happiness.

Oh, aye.

And is that what he
did? Her real dad?

Plainly you've never met the man.

Ma'am, I've been working
through Macken's charge sheet.

- How's the timetable coming?
- Pretty much to schedule, thanks.

Well, that's the main thing. Kenny!

Ma'am.

I want a search warrant
in front of the magistrate

right away, please.

- Who for?
- Brian and Marianne Gower.

- House. Car. Garage. Garden shed.
- Looking for what?

Anything to link Brian Gower

to the manufacture of petrol bombs.

Anything to put him at the scene.

- Ma'am.
- Why is Gower a suspect?

Why?

Well, one - there's no love lost
between him and Macken.

Two - they're rivals for
their daughter's affection.

Three - she hasn't spoken
to him since Christmas.

And...oh, no alibi. All right?

Well, it's a bit circumstantial.

I mean, if we go in now,

isn't it going to look
like we're taking sides?

I'm sorry, pet.

I'm not with you.

Well, Macken's your old sergeant.

I was saying earlier,
isn't it going to look like

we're siding against the
man who took his wife?

Honestly, love, I rue the day
you ever come out of your shell.

So, come on,
who's with her?

Show of hands.

I'm just saying

maybe we need a
little bit of evidence.

Hence the warrant.

But, seeing as you're such
a people person, and all,

perhaps you'd like to
be the one to tell them.

Thanks, Joe.

Thanks for the support.

I can always rely on you guys.

Hang on. I'll come with you.

Oi! What's he doing with
my laptop? I need that!

We'll get it back to you as soon as
we can.

You just grab what you like,
and there's nothing I can do?

Have a look at this.

How old do you think
Stella is in these photos?

13? 14?

And how old...

was she when her parents
divorced? Ten, right?

Three years before these
pictures were taken.

Exactly.

Wait, so one minute
Marianne's in court

trying to get Macken
off her back,

- and the next minute...
- They're at the beach together.

Hi.

How is she?

Well, they...

said they won't...

know how much her mind has been
affected until she wakes up.

If she wakes up.

If.

So...

You know, I get
accused of all sorts,

but I'm not here to judge anybody.

That's not something
I enjoy, the intrusion.

If that's meant to
make me feel better...

This is somebody you were
trying to get away from, is it?

- It's not what...
- No.

It's all right.

Stuart, he'd...

He'd lost all his visiting rights.

Obviously.

But Stella...

I used to dread her birthday
coming round, you know.

She'd wait till Brian, my
husband, was out of the house

and she'd get this
look on her face.

And I knew it was coming.

Every year.

Her "special present" she called it.

A day out.

Just her, and me, and her dad.

One day by the sea.

It was our little secret.

Poor kid.

I felt so wretched, you know.
With all that was going on.

You just wanna give
them a nice childhood.

Besides, she's got
enough of her dad in her.

No pushover?

You're joking, aren't you?

I've never seen these before.

Stuart had them, did he?

No, no, he didn't.

So, where were these?

Aye.

He sent them to me.

Once in a while, out of the blue.

Stuart. Her real dad.

Had them couriered to me
at work, can you believe?

On his wages!

And what did you think
of that, Mr. Gower?

Same as I always thought whenever

he tipped his litter on our steps,

had us up half the
night, honking his horn,

spying on us from his bloody car.

That man.

Every outrage, every provocation -

he was the price
I had to pay.

You never tell your
wife about these?

Why do I want to bother
her with all that?

Anyway, she always came back, didn't
she?

She always came back.

- Mr. Gower...
- I did not burn down that man's house!

OK? Boxes all ticked?

Can I please get
on with my life now?

Kids!

Hello?

Ma'am, Forensics sent this through.

They've trawled through
Brian Gower's laptop.

- Yeah, go on.
- Recent web history.

You can see he browsed that
website back in January.

Brian Gower was

looking up how to
build a petrol bomb.

Looks like.

Now who's taking sides?

So... next move?

We arrest Brian Gower?

OK.

Fine.

I'll do it.

And while I'm gone...

Here we go. What's
this? More timetables?

Something like that.
This is for you.

Very formal.

Transfer request.

Hol.

Holly!

Right, come on, anything
from Macken's house, car?

Digi-tapes. There must be
a camera to go with them?

The car is still with Forensics.

Well, come on, let's
go give 'em a nudge.

OK. 5th April.

It's five weeks ago?

What's that noise?

Wind chimes.

Jessie has some in her
bedroom. I always walk into it them.

What was Stuart up
to, filming them?

Surveillance?

Give me the remote.

Now, let's get a good look at you.

I need a name. Get onto it, Joe.

I'm telling you, I never went near
this website.

Someone's made a mistake.

Who else had access to your laptop?

Colleagues at work.

Family, the kids.

Christ.

You can do this, you can do this.

Hello, Mr. Gower!

Look, nobody's having a go at you.

Now, come on, you're a clever man.

You can see why we've got
you sat here, can't you?

The address...

..is vaguely familiar.

Hang on.

We did some work for the
MOD a little while back.

We were looking at
blast-resistant casings.

I'm an engineer.

Not much about sewage
here, Mr. Gower. Eh?

Now...

have you ever seen this man before?

- No.
- No?

Something you said this morning.

You said Sergeant Macken

had been honking his
horn and the bins thing.

He'd been watching you, had he?

All the time, everything we did.

It was after we got the restraining
order, you see.

Macken wasn't allowed
within 100 metres,

so he found other ways to intimidate
us.

He'd just sit there
with his video camera.

He filmed you?

Oh, he was a cracker
of an ex, that man.

Great loss. Very sad.

He's a bully, your friend.
I'm sorry, but it needs saying.

Ah, well, not when I knew him.

So, what are we gonna do with
Gower? Are we gonna charge him?

This...

That's not enough.

So this bloke on the digi-tape.

He was charged at
the Ten Thousand March

on evidence gathered
by Stuart Macken.

I called him yesterday,

left a message with him to come in.

He never showed up.

As you can see from
my hilarious timetable.

Douglas Peter Cranham, age 31.

Of course, I could have
told you this earlier,

if you didn't keep pushing me out.

Well, don't look so stunned.

Just cos she's shown
a bit of initiative.

Dougie Cranham?
I wondered about him.

- Did you work with him?
- Yeah, he was one of the gang.

Course, he was never the kind to
stop for a pint.

We all thought he was
taking holy orders.

Does he have a girlfriend?

You're joking, aren't you?

Course, he took it very
hard when he got laid off.

Well, we all did.

When was that?

Last year.

Dougie turned it
into World War Three.

He starts picketing head office,

out there, in his old uniform.

He should have kept his head down.

Six months later, I
got my old job back.

- But not Dougie?
- Nah, no chance.

He lost his house. He didn't like
that.

He was last heard
of living in a tent.

Ma'am. Building society confirms

they repossessed Cranham's
house in February,

after he defaulted on his mortgage.

Is he signing on at least?

No. He's got about £7
in his current account.

- Seven?
- He withdrew £200 last Tuesday.

- Where from?
- Cash point in Warkworth.

Right, Hol, get onto Forensics.
Please.

Anything at all to connect Cranham
to the attack on Macken's house.

I'm going to meet Joe.

Ma'am?

Plus we'll need an application
to extend Brian Gower's custody.

Either that or let him go.

OK. Ma'am, the letter I gave you?

Haven't read it, pet.
Busy, busy, busy.

Right, look. Look, watch this.

If it's still there tomorrow
night, I'll take a little peek.

But if it's gone...

Ma'am, I'm not going
to change my mind.

Hol...

..there are some things we don't do
in anger.

Douglas Cranham. There. Number 9.

Mortgaged up to his neck. Daft sod.

- Why not rent?
- It's a foot on the ladder.

Yeah, well, why do people have to do
that?

It's the dream.

I had a dream like that once.
I woke up screaming.

So, this Cranham...

loses his job, loses his house.

You think maybe it was
him who threw the petrol

- bomb at the demo?
- It crossed my mind.

Macken suspects Cranham?

Even saw him do it.

- Then what?
- He launches his own investigation.

Surveillance. Video tapes.

Tells no-one at work.

I mean, why should he?

These are the same pillocks who've

got him picking up
phones for a living.

Cranham realises there's
a copper after him.

So what does he do? Follows Macken
home?

Chucks another petrol bomb, this time
straight through the kitchen window.

It's possible.

Single man in his thirties, you just
don't buy into a street like this.

Hey, is that a neighbour?

Excuse me. Miss!

Can we ask you a few questions
about Douglas Cranham?

There you go.

- How's the stracciatella?
- Oh, try if you like.

No, you're all right,
we've just had lunch.

Postprandial snack.
He eats like a bird.

Well, he is a bit thin.

Steady on.

Lena Holgate?

That's right.

DCI Vera Stanhope.

DS Joe Ashworth.

We were hoping to have a
word with your young man.

- My...?
- Douglas Cranham?

Dougie?

You lived together at
number 9 Rawlinson Close?

Your neighbours
remembered you.

Nothing for you to
worry about, pet.

Oh. I've not seen Dougie
for a few weeks now.

He's working ever
so hard up the coast.

He can't come down
as often as he'd like.

We're saving up, you know.

- For the baby?
- That's right.

What sort of work?

Same old crew.
At the power plant.

We checked out
Dougie's phone records.

You spoke ten days ago?

Was it? Right.

I was just letting
him know I was OK.

And how did he seem?

Same as ever. You know.

He's no good on the
phone, to be honest.

So, where are you staying now?

I'm just with a friend right now on the
Wall, but we'll be moving back soon, so...

- Back?
- Aye. To our old house.

As soon as the tenants
move out.

There's no point me
living there all on my own,

when we could be saving
good money on the rent.

Well, that's what Dougie says,
anyway.

Hey!

What do you think?

Congratulations.

What's going on?

Is he all right?

Well, there was a man...
whose daughter was hurt and...

and er..we think
Dougie might know them.

I don't think so.

Do you meet all of
Dougie's friends?

No, no. He...

He likes to keep things
separate, you see.

I don't mind. It's just how he is.

You've no idea where he stays

when he's working
at the power plant?

Love?

No, er...well,

somewhere round about
Warkworth, I think.

Warkworth?

This cottage on the digi-tape.
Are we feeling lucky?

Put it in the scanner.

Get it over to the local
police and estate agents.

See if they can come up
with a match. And, Kenny,

a phone tap and surveillance
on Cranham's girlfriend,

Lena Holgate, in
case he tries to call.

What are we to do
about Brian Gower?

Who?

Send him home.

- Who drank my coffee?
- You did.

JOE: That's our cottage.

I know that woman.

Macken arrested her at the Ten
Thousand March. I interviewed her.

And how are they all doing...?

- Janice.
- Janice.

Yes, good. Youknow,

keeps them happy, stops
me from going berserk.

Right , where was I?

- Dougie Cranham.
- Right.

So I went along to teach life
drawing in some church hall -

for the recently
unemployed, God help me -

and Dougie was one
of my students.

He's such a life force.

- You can imagine.
- DC.

Is this one of his?

The ghost position.

What?

It's what they call it when you're
dancing with an imaginary partner.

So you took him in?

Yes, you know, once in a while,

he'd show up with
that tent on his back.

I'd give him a hot shower,
a meal, a bed for a change.

I expect you were
glad of the company?

Yes. As a matter of fact, I was.

Why? What's he got up to now?

Your arresting officer,
Sergeant Macken.

Do you remember we
talked about him?

Yes, I was sorry to hear
about him and his daughter.

Stella.

I heard it on the
telly. Is she all right?

Well, Sergeant Macken appears to
have had Dougie under surveillance.

- So...
- We'd like to talk to him.

God, you've just missed him.

End of last week, he went to Europe.
Barcelona.

Really?

Yeah, he's hitching.

He's such a free spirit, you know.

At the march, I gather some sort
of home-made petrol bomb was thrown?

- Don't know. Don't ask me.
- You went with Dougie?

Yes, well, that was the plan,
but we got separated.

It must have been a bit
of an adventure for you.

Yes, well, it all turned a
bit sour in the end, didn't it?

So, check the ports in the morning.

See if Cranham got on a ferry.

I can't see him running
out on his fiancee. Can you?

You and your happy endings.

Will you come inside?

Another time. I'm dead
on my feet. Hello, love.

As a favour.

Celine's made a bit of
an effort, I'm afraid.

Well, why didn't
you say so earlier?

Yeah, right, and give you
time to drum up some excuse.

Come on.

Paella.

Very nice.

We had it on our last
holiday, didn't we, Joe?

When was that?

- Three years ago, was it?
- Two.

Two years last summer.

Now, that's the sound of Joe
kicking me under the table.

Off he goes, little...

Fran.

Little Fran.

Bless her little heart.

- I'll do it.
- Go on, then.

I'm not stopping you.

You two got together at
school. Is that right?

Aye. Childhood sweethearts.

He was still growing out of
his clothes when I met him.

I expect you hear
all about us, do you?

Bits and pieces.

I tend to switch it
off, if I'm honest.

I know, I know. It's not you. It's
his voice.

I expect...

he tells you about
me, and all, does he?

Oh, no. He's much
too loyal for that.

But thank you. Seriously.

I'm so glad you
could come.

Joe told us your
news from the doctor.

And it's no fun celebrating
on your own, is it?

No. No, it isn't.

Still, I expect
you're used to doing

stuff on your own, are you?

- Love?
- Well, it's just,

I know what it's like,
something hanging over you.

Nobody likes being brave.

Sometimes you've got no
choice, though, have you?

- It's angina.
- What is?

Chest pains. Dizzy
spells. It's angina.

- I thought it was...
- I know.

I know. I just didn't want
anyone making any fuss.

I mean, they've
gone through it all.

It's all perfectly
manageable nowadays.

Cut out this, cut down on that.

I had an aunt once who had
it. I expect we all did.

I'm sorry, love.

I've just had a bloody
awful week.

Thanks for the meal.
Oh, that was lovely.

Don't get up.

Night.

Come here, you.

Help!

Help! Please!

Please, hurry up!

Stella.

No pulse.

Rotate her.
Charge 360.

All clear.
Shocking.

Oxygen away.

We're losing her.

What is so important?

You all right?

Now, did you...?

Did you see him?

Did you see anything at all?

I was...

I was asleep.

Don't speak to us, please. Would you
mind?

Security's checking the CCTV.
There's nothing yet.

Outside hospital?

Well, there's
officers on every exit.

Neighbourhood lot are working
doorsteps.

And so much for Barcelona.

Cranham doesn't
even own a passport.

So he must have lied to Janice.

What's this?

I said coffee.

Yeah, well, those are super foods.

Go on, treat yourself.

Well, thanks very much.

I'll save them for later.

What you doing?

Taking your witness statement

for the coroner's report?

Piss off, you, back
to your lovely missus.

No wonder you keep pelting
out kids, the pair of you.

Anything to keep her
away from the cooking.

I'll be sure to pass that on.

Come on, then. You and Macken.

Right, OK.

We were up in the cafe
on the fourth floor.

Marianne was waiting downstairs.

So Stuart sent the PC to fetch her.

- What were you doing?
- I was queuing for coffee.

White, two sugars.

I had my back turned, you see.

So, I mean...

you knew each other pretty
well, you and Macken.

Not that it's any of my business.

We had our moments.

Did you ever...?

What?

What? Me and Stuart Macken?

Oh, come on. Use your eyes.

I was way out of
his league, wasn't I?

Aye, that's what I said.

What? This was a
discussion, was it?

Dare I ask who with?

Yeah, well, you know,
Kenny, made a few calls.

Kenny!

A reliable source.

That's all he said.

So how come you lost touch?
I mean,

you were such great mates.

I dunno.

There were three of us.
Me, Stuart, and this other lad.

And then one day it was just myself.

Why didn't I see it coming?

Nah, don't beat yourself up.

You had your back turned.

Aye, I did. 20 years.

Too busy, too proud
to pick up the phone.

Something he said, before he died.

"All I ever did was
try to protect her."

Meaning Stella?

I thought it was just something,
you know, that people say.

I think he knew.

I think he suspected...

it was Cranham who
torched his house

and if that's the case...

Why didn't he tell me?

Fire exit by Stella's ward.

1:30am. It's the
best they could get.

Cranham.

It has to be Douglas Cranham, ma'am.

Stuart cautioned
him at the big march.

So, no job, no house,
pregnant girlfriend.

And all this whets his radical edge.
Is that the line?

He was looking for a fight.

And we're thinking he's behind
the petrol bomb at the demo?

There are no witnesses yet,

- but it adds up.
- Yeah, OK.

And last night at the hospital?

Well, Stella was a
witness to the fire.

Cranham doesn't want her waking up.

Well, thank you for the update.

Very considerate.

Stuart never mentioned Cranham to
you?

No.

God, if only.

Why do you ask?

Silly, just...

his phone records.

Stuart's?

I called him?

Half a dozen times
in the last quarter,

to and from your private line.

OK.

So no wriggle room there, then?

Stuart and I, we never talked.

Three parts old-fashioned
desire, seven parts minibar.

Christ.

- I'm sorry.
- No, it's OK.

Now he's gone, I'd hate it
somehow if nobody ever knew.

You'll keep this out
of sight, as a favour?

Ma'am?

Please. Rachel.

Was he happy?

You tell me.

It was you.

Was it?

Kenny's reliable source?

- Oh, that.
- Oh, that.

Thanks, Billy.
One word from you,

my whole crew thinks me and
him were at it like rabbits.

It's all right. I don't
expect you to thank me.

Anyway, who cares?

No harm sending them haring
off in the wrong direction.

Billy, I wanted to ask,

those burns
on Stella's hand?

Is there any chance they
could have been caused

by spilling acid in
an experiment or...?

No. No. The damage was too general.

She was exposed to heat.

- Heat?
- Or fire.

No, no.

I'm in the way, aren't I?

Douglas Cranham is
wanted by the police

in connection with an incident at

Newcastle City Hospital
late last night.

Cranham
- also wanted by police

in connection with an
unrelated arson attack -

is thought to have
attacked a teenage girl

who was recovering in hospital.

The victim's condition is described
as critical.

Oh, hi!

Lucky you caught me,
as a matter of fact.

I just nipped back for a shower.

I just wanted to reassure you.

We will find him, the
man at the hospital,

just in case you happen
to see the news or...

How is she?

Well... we lost her for a bit.

The doctor says she's
one hell of a fighter...

Well, her own dad may have
given up on her, but...

I heard someone say on the radio
the other day, what was it?

Better to live humbly for a cause

than to die nobly for one.

Stuart...

..couldn't seem to
manage either in the end.

DEMOCRACY IS NOT
A SPECTATOR SPORT

I meant to say, that website
you made such a fuss about.

I got a colleague to chase
up the details for you.

That's good.

I'd appreciate it, however,
if you'd let me field

any further questions
that you may have.

How long has she had this?

Do you know, I couldn't say?

Is it all right if I borrow it?

Brian!

That was the hospital.

Hello, darling.

Where's my dad?

Welcome back, pet.

Where's my dad?

What?

What?

- Ma'am?
- Joe?

How soon can you raise an army?

Stella Macken.

I was her form teacher
a few years ago.

Aye, her mam said how good
you've been to her over the years.

Pity you didn't see fit to mention
this the last time we spoke.

You never asked.

And she's even been up
here to stay, I gather.

Yes, just once in a while

when her home life
went up in smoke.

Her father and that fella -
what was his name?

Gower?

They were cracking
heads every two minutes.

This is where they met,

isn't it, right here in
this cottage? Correct?

- Who?
- Stella and Dougie Cranham.

What difference does it make?

Tell her, Joe.

We've been working on the assumption

that Dougie Cranham
had some sort

of grudge against
Sergeant Macken.

Whereas now we have
to ask ourselves

whether Cranham was
targeting Stella all along.

Why would he do that?

But the good news
is the second attack,

the attack at the hospital
last night, backfired.

You see, instead of killing
Stella, he shocked her back to life.

- So, she's all right.
- Oh, aye.

She's fine.

Not quite up to visitors
yet, so don't go rushing over.

- That is good news.
- As you can imagine,

I'm wanting to speak to her myself.

Just tell us where he is.

One word, this whole
circus will go away.

I told you, he's on his way to
Europe.

Barcelona, right, I forgot.

Such broad horizons
for a man without a passport.

I didn't know that.

She just drove off.

Aye, middle of her shift.

Where is she going?

If I knew that...

Look, she seemed pretty frantic.

I'm guessing either she's
going for a drive or...

Or she's meeting Cranham.

Dougie drew Stella's
portrait, and all.

Did you know that?

Did he?

Very romantic.

No, it wasn't. Well,

Well, it might have been in Stella's
head, but I didn't see any harm in it.

She's 18. She's your ex-pupil.

All grown up, that one, trust me.

Besides, you know, Dougie's
not so easy to pin down.

Oh, did you not know, pet?

He's engaged to be married
to a woman in the city.

No.

I don't think so.

He's not the marrying type, is he?

OK, honey.

Not long now.

Does she know that
you're behind her?

Eight years in surveillance.

I'm the invisible man here.

Listen, just don't let
her out of your sight

cos with any luck she'll
lead us right to him.

Oh, hang on.

Where are you going to now?

The march last month.

Stella was there with you and
Cranham.

Yes, that's right.

And you lot had us
penned in like cattle.

You and Cranham were
cautioned, and not Stella. Why?

Because her father, Sergeant Macken,
was there on duty,

and he saw his daughter, saw
her in the heat of battle.

So what did he do?

He went in and he fished her out.

- Right.
- Nice for some.

So he saw Cranham?

He saw Dougie Cranham with his
daughter.

Yes.

And that's why Stuart
was watching him.

Filming him to frighten
him off his daughter?

Ma'am?

Yeah.

Just keep us in the loop.

Is this yours, is it?

No.

- Is it Dougie's?
- Aye. He must have dumped it.

Typical.

What's that smell?

Petrol?

This is where he brewed
up his little bombs, is it?

Like the one thrown at the march.

Like the one lobbed through
Sergeant Macken's window?

Who knows, maybe you helped him?

No.

That reminds me.

- Joe, have you got that statement?
- Yeah, it's all here.

£13.45. Five litres of methanol five
weeks ago.

So?

Methanol.

Delivered to your door. How come?

Look, I never hurt anybody.

I'm a teacher.

Well, you'll know all
about conspiracy, won't you?

Where's Dougie Cranham?

Ma'am, it's Lena.

I really hope he's worth it, pet.

She was heading north up
the coast road towards here,

but then she doubled back on herself
and now she's going into town.

She must have rumbled
Kenny on her tail.

Well, he says not.

Well, tell him to
keep following her.

Are you sure about that?

No. No, I'm not.

You better go and give
him support.

I don't want him
turning into Mr. T.

Got a hanky?

Look at that.

Soot.

- Here, bung it in the wash.
- No. You hang onto it.

Well, what happened here?

Joe? Kenny.

Guess what.

Lena's come back to her old house.

I've only been here
five minutes myself.

How long's she been
in there?

Ah hour at least, ma'am.

Now, when did Lena
last speak to Dougie?

Spoke on the phone last Tuesday.

For two minutes, right?

Why?

Do you think she's
all right in there?

Oh, for Christ's sake!

Ma'am? Ma'am!

It's him. It's Dougie. He's in there
with her.

Ma'am.

Police officer! Show yourself!

Police! Show yourself!

Dougie?

Dougie, I want you
to stay where you are.

Stay where you are,
Dougie, all right?

All stand back.

I'll take it from here.

Lena?

Nobody's going to hurt you, pet.

Now, come on, up you get.

That's it. I've got you.

Come on. Up you get, pet. Stand up.

Where's our bed?

Where's our stuff?

What have they done
with all our stuff?

Hey, you've got Dougie's jacket,
though, haven't you?

Eh? Now, who gave it you?

Ma'am.
Ma'am.

There's bottles and pills
all over the bathroom.

Lena, wake up, love.

We need a paramedic now!

Wake up. Look at me.

Look at me, love.

Lena? Come on, pet.

I hadn't heard from
him in such a long time.

I kept ringing and ringing.

And then somebody picked up. But...

..it wasn't my Dougie.

These burns.

I got 'em at college.

What? Acid burns?

Right.

See, now, a very clever
friend of mine told me

that burns like these...

aren't caused by acid, but...

by heat.

Fire.

So you were helping your
boyfriend, Dougie, were you?

Helping him to make petrol bombs?

Me and Dougie weren't
like that, you know.

We were just friends.

Kindred spirits?

Right.

Like you and my dad.

Aye, we were a team.

He told me.

Did he?

You and him...

and what's his name?

One who died.

That's Peter.

His name was Peter.

And your dad,

he was very kind
to me after.

Dad was good like that.

So what have you done with him?

Where's Dougie?

So you and Dougie were
making petrol bombs?

It wasn't...

We weren't going
out to hurt anybody.

It was just something that we did.

So how did he die...

Dougie?

Can you tell me that?

He wanted to try one out.

It was a stupid game we had in our
heads.

He had fuel on his arm.

He just went up.

He just went up like a flame.

And your hand?

He kept grabbing at it.

I didn't know what he was doing.

But he was getting
me out, you see...

..in case the whole place went up.

So you called your dad.

He drove up.

And he did what any
dad would. He fixed it.

He took Dougie's body and...

He buried it.

Now, your old
teacher... Janice, is it?

She can't have liked that.

Dad said to her she'd be in trouble.

Aye, for buying the methanol.

Right.

So we all agreed,

if anybody asked,

we'd just say Dougie had gone away.

And... did anybody ask?

This weird little voice on the end
of the phone.

Lena.

What did you tell her?

Just the idea,

that there was someone out there
waiting for him and not knowing.

You met her.

You told her Dougie was dead.

She said I was
a liar,

how Dougie was away
working up the coast

and what a good man he was,

and how they were moving back
into their old house any day now.

Well, in the end, I just
gave her his old things -

phone, credit card, his old jacket.

She believed you then?

What she couldn't stand

was that I was making him out

to be some bloke
she didn't even know.

Ah, well, you see, pet...

..you killed him twice.

You killed the man she loved.

And the man she thought she knew.

Would you like to go in?

Is it going to be OK?

- What's that?
- Their baby?

Well, it's... It's
too early to tell.

Hello.

You, rest. Come on.

She's not ready.

I'm sorry. I'm gonna
have to do this.

Stella, have you ever
seen these before?

Your stepdad said he looked
these up for his work.

- That's right.
- What?

And you looked it up when?
8th January was it, Mr. Gower?

- If you say so.
- Bri...

Shut up for once in your life.

Now, 8th January...

..you hadn't even met
Dougie Cranham, had you?

No.

So, the manufacture
of petrol bombs -

whose idea was it?

- His or yours?
- Stop this.

She's not well.

It was me.

It was me.

And the march?

That was me, and all.

Why?

I just get so sick of
always being so small...

..and stuck in a corner somewhere.

Did you never just
once in your life...

want to get out there and...

fight?

And there he was.

My dad.

The great guardian angel.

Wakey, wakey, rise and shine.

Oh, good morning, ma'am.
How are you, ma'am?

We... We found this
in Lena's locker at work.

Manchester CID?

Yeah. Well...it's closer to home.

Oh, that's nice.

I see this is dated two weeks ago.

We were busy, so...

I'm so sorry.

I had so much I
wanted to say to you...

..and now I'm here...

I feel like I'm letting you down.

Oh, love...

I don't know what I'm
gonna do without you.

You're smart.

You never stop.

You've an eagle eye for detail.

You don't have to say all of that.

You never did before.

No.

Well, I hope you're gonna pop
in, if you're ever up this way?

- Course I will.
- On the plus side,

there won't be such a...

queue in the ladies'!

I'm going to be all on my tod.

Hardly.

Well...

You know, I don't think
she meant to hurt anyone.

Just...something in her head.

Who are we on about now?

Stella.

What was it Stuart said?

"All I wanted was to protect her."

And I thought to myself,
"From what? From whom?"

Not Cranham, not her stepdad.

I think what he meant was
protect her from herself.

With good behaviour,
she'll be out inside a year.

Lena won't, poor kid.

Anyway, I thought I'd look in

on Stella when
she's inside.

Police visit,
she'll get lynched.

Ah, I won't make a fuss.
Just see how she's doing.

For her dad's sake.

Aye, course you will.

Have a go at that, will you?

Go on.

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