Wycliffe (1994–…): Season 4, Episode 3 - On Account - full transcript

Seven jars of baby food from a local supermarket are poisoned by a blackmailer demanding 50,000 pounds, though the motive turns out to be for personal revenge, not opportunism, with a specific victim in mind. Meanwhile Kersey is investigated by Superintendent Le Page, following Sennam's death in custody. He is hostile but Wycliffe puts in a strong defence for him.

[theme music]

Mommy.

This is going to be good, isn't it?

Isn't it?

It's your favorite breakfast.

Hmm?

Your favorite.

[coughs and gasps]

Morning, sir.

How's the situation vis-a-vis the victim's family?

I've been to s see them to express



our condolences personally.

I've had warmer welcomes I have to say.

They blame us for his death.

He did die in a police cell, sir.

There's a support committee sprung up.

Yeah, so I've heard-- until they find out why he killed

himself, they're going to go on blaming it on the [inaudible]..

It's understandable. - You think so.

I would've say it was the last thing we need.

Your man Kersey has given us a first division problem.

Is he still up to scratch?

Yes, sir.

I have no reason to think otherwise.

Well, we'll what he says to Superintendent La Page.



Morning.

I hope we can rely on you to cooperate with them.

I hope so too, sir.

Kersey has my full confidence.

[music playing, snoring]

And I'm telling you inspector there

where you are this is Miles Trednor, Buy Wise Supermarkets.

Yes, I work there.

I also happen to own them.

Now, you get me the man in charge of CID and get him now.

[phone ringing]

Wycliffe.

[music playing]

Mr. Trednor, I'm leaving immediately.

Now, do exactly as I say.

From the branch manager, tell him

to clear the shelf and several others in the same aisle--

different products, so it doesn't look as if they

only removed the baby food.

Put up notices saying you've got supply problems yesterday.

They're to do this instantly.

The staff are not to be alerted there's anything wrong.

[tires screech]

Yes, go on.

[inaudible], thank you.

There's been a call from a mother

who bought a contaminated jar.

She got it at this branch some time before closing yesterday.

Fortunately, she smelt it before feeding the baby.

Anyway, if anyone asks, we're from the home service.

I'd like to see you at 10:30 tomorrow.

I've been given interview room four.

Yes, ma'am.

I understand you don't want a friend

present from the federation?

That's correct.

Your choice.

That's not what I'd advise.

I've been a police officer 14 years ma'am.

I have nothing to fear, not from an impartial inquiry.

Oh, you have nothing to fear from me then.

10:30 tomorrow, sharp mind.

And by the way, you smell.

How's business been lately?

Better every year.

I take it the products numbers and

the ransom demand are genuine?

Uh-huh.

I had the stock records checked as soon as I opened

that letter this morning.

I also double checked with the wholesalers.

The seven jars this animal says he's poisoned

were part of a batch delivered yesterday.

They were on the shelves by closing time.

[machine whirs]

Is that another one?

Darren, I said stand over there.

[machine whirs]

[inhales and coughs]

[jar shatters]

You really are a very big help, aren't you Darren?

I want you to brief all your managers personally

with no one else present.

Uh-huh.

I want the names and staff records

of anyone who's left within the past 12 months

and anyone you could think of who's still with the company

who might bear a grudge.

I can't emphasis enough the need for secrecy.

Don't worry.

This gets out, we're finished.

And that's a lot of jobs I can tell you Mr. Wycliffe.

Ah, at last.

I'll talk to my officer alone, Mr. Trednor.

There are three jars missing.

OK, the blackmailer says he poisoned seven jars

and he gave us the product numbers and the ransom demand.

Now, three of those seven are in there.

They were still on the shelves.

God knows in them, but they're definitely contaminated.

I'm afraid the last one got broken.

OK.

So that's three.

The fourth one we know was bought and opened this morning.

Again, the right product number [inaudible] station checked.

That leaves three.

Which must have been sold.

Afraid so.

We're going to have to go public on this.

What?

Let's talk outside.

[cart rattles]

Five minutes ago you were emphasizing

the need for stealth.

Five minutes ago I didn't know that three of the jars

were still missing.

Look.

this is my wife.

I haven't told her yet.

We worked for 20 years to build this business.

If we go public that we're selling poison baby food,

I might as well just hand it over to the competition now.

Mr. Trednor, if we don't announce this,

children are going to die.

Now, according to this ransom demand,

he wants you to contact him through this coded radio

announcement.

I'll arrange for that to happen today.

And I'll publish product recall

notices in all our branches.

Here's my mobile number.

When he calls, give it to him.

Shirley, this is-- this is Mr. Wycliffe from [inaudible]..

Hello.

I just had First Taste on the phone

saying that you've cleared all their products of the shelves.

I'm dealing with it now.

I'll see you inside.

They're going balmy. What's going on?

In a minute, Shirley.

All right, Miles, you sort it out.

Oh, bloody hell.

I never really thought I had any enemies.

Competitors, maybe, but not enemies.

I mean, staff relations have always been good.

I know everyone who works for me by their first name.

It may not be someone you know.

All right, Lucy, let's hear it.

No response yet to the appeal for [inaudible]

jars to return them.

Nothing from the blackmailer, but we

don't expect that after the coded message goes out

on the radio this afternoon.

What about the poison itself?

We don't know, yet, exactly what was in the food,

but it seems to be some, sort of, organic phosphorous

insecticide.

Hmm.

Anything else?

All right, first question, why did the blackmailer

use something that gave off a powerful warning

as soon as you open the jar?

Hopefully, because--

Yes?

Hopefully, because he doesn't actually

want to kill anyone, just to let Buy Wise know he could--

to frighten them into paying.

Agreed, hopefully.

All right.

Let's think about where he might have been able to tamper

with the product.

Well, the seven jars are all made

in a small firm in Wadebridge called First Taste.

Manager says the production line staff

have been with him for years, most of them mothers.

So I'm not holding my breath.

He probably entered the shop as a customer

and he bought the jaws, then he took them home,

and he poisoned them, and then he put them back on the shelves

again.

Video surveillance?

No.

Wednesday afternoon it was wiped.

If there's no shoplifting, they

reuse the tapes the next day.

Well, it certainly someone who knows how the company works.

The demand arrives the morning after the baby

food is delivered, and there's no visual record

of the shelves.

What have you got on employees with a grudge?

Well, so far, it seems that Trednor was a popular employer.

But there's one lead--

yeah, Donald Wesley Ferris, London originally,

has a bit of theft and aggravated

burglary eight years ago.

They took him on as a warehouse man last may

and they sacked him in October.

He threatened the manager at the time.

He said he'd get even with Trednor.

Well, you better talk to him then.

[music playing]

[microwave beeps]

[baby fusses]

All right, Daniel.

All right.

Here it is.

Now, come on.

All right.

Come on.

You like this.

[baby crying]

Oh, darling, what's the matter with you?

Come on now.

Pay attention.

Huh?

Mum, what's that horrible smell?

Where?

Ugh.

[coughs]

Oh, my God.

Derek, this is Donald Wesley Ferris.

He's volunteered to come and help us.

Yeah, that's right.

Fill that in.

Doug.

Yeah.

La Page seen you yet?

No.

My interview's tomorrow.

Well, mine's today.

Listen, I want you to know.

If they offer me early retirement, I'm taking it.

I'm afraid you're on your own, mate.

[music playing]

KELLY MARTINO: And it's Sunlight Radio, the brightest

spot on your dial.

Kelly Martino bringing you news from around

our Cornwall, together with some of the mellowest sounds around.

Now, it's competition time, brought to you

in association with Buy Wise, your

friendly local supermarket.

And our prize is a week in fabulous Florida

with the partner of your choice.

And I'm warning you, now, girls, if I win Tom

Cruise is already spoken for.

But, seriously, here to announce the details of how you can win

is Buy Wise's own Miles Trednor.

Miles.

Oh, yes.

Thank you, Kelly.

Yes, we're offering--

Uh-huh.

MILLER (OVER PHONE): We found one of the missing jars, sir.

The kid was being fed from it when the mother noticed.

It's touch and go.

So how many loaves of bread did the Buy Wise

chains sell yesterday.

And you all know the number to ring at Sunlight Radio.

Why were you sacked from Buy Wise?

It's not a crime to lose your job, mate.

I've asked a question, answer it, please.

I was late a few times.

I took a few days off.

They reckon I was unreliable.

You work since?

Nah.

I went there when I come out of prison

and Mr. Trednor give me a job.

Then when he sacked me, won't give me a reference.

You didn't like, did you?

I-- of course, I didn't like it.

What?

Would you like it.

You told the warehouse manager--

where is it?

Right.

"Tell Mr. Trednor, for me, I'm going to sort him out."

I don't remember that.

You don't have to because we were three witnesses who do.

And you have, haven't you?

You've sorted him out.

I haven't done nothing.

And I'll tell you something else.

he's not the only one you've sorted out.

One of the jars of baby food you poisoned got eaten.

I don't need this--

You sit down.

The mother had a nasal operation,

which left her with no sense of smell,

so she fed it to the baby.

That baby is being stomach pumped.

Even if it survives, it could have brain damage.

You're off your nut.

Yes or no?

Where you going to sort him out?

Yes or no.

(ANGRILY) Yes or no!

I don't remember!

I'm an alcoholic.

I can't remember things.

I was drunk the day he sacked me.

I wasn't going to say anything about her

and I never have said anything.

Her?

Who you talking about?

Now you tell me.

I used to work nights at the warehouse and I saw them.

Mr. Trednor?

Yeah.

And her.

Not his wife?

No.

Not his wife.

He's got an office there, Mr. Trednor.

And she used to visit him, you know, in the evenings.

Why are you telling me this?

What do you want me to tell you?

I wouldn't kill a baby.

On my life, I wouldn't kill anyone.

So who was this woman?

[music playing]

Now, keep those competition calls coming in for a week

in fabulous Florida.

And here we have Crowded House.

[music playing]

Hi, you're through to Kelly.

MAN (OVER RADIO): Are the police there?

No.

MAN (OVER RADIO): I don't believe you.

Put the chief on.

Hold on.

Hello?

Superintendent Wycliffe.

How can we sort this out?

I want 50,000 pounds--

used notes, no hidden dyes, consecutive numbers,

anything like that--

you bring it.

All right.

Where and when?

MAN (OVER RADIO): [inaudible],, the old lifeboat station,

midnight.

You come alone, obviously.

All right.

MAN (OVER RADIO): Also, obviously,

you'll try and deceive me.

There'll be other officers hidden in the area.

Not if we've agreed otherwise.

MAN (OVER RADIO): Do you think I'm stupid.

No, on the contrary, I think you are,

obviously, highly intelligent.

MAN (OVER RADIO): Flatter the lunatic, why don't you,

Mr. Wycliffe?

We're still looking for two more jars.

Do you have them?

MAN (OVER RADIO): Is you mobile switched on?

If I get a whisper of anyone else there tonight and you

won't see me, but you'll see what I can do.

Until midnight, Mr. Wycliffe.

[phone disconnects]

We've had an update from the hospital.

I'm afraid the baby's still critical.

Lucy.

The hospital have confirmed the feed was

contaminated with the same substance--

organophosphorus insecticide--

available at any garden center.

So, as with the others, terrible smell, big warning.

Sally.

Yes, sir.

The radio station taped the call for us and it's being analyzed.

He was using a voice encoder, but we can get evidence

of speech patterns and so on.

But it will take time.

Doug.

Well, we can count out Donald Ferris.

He-- he was with me at the time the blackmailer was

talking to you on the phone.

However, he did--

[clears throat]

--he did tell me that Mr. Trednor plays away.

Does he indeed?

Hmm.

A girlfriend comes to see him at nights

at his office-- a Mrs. Handley.

Ferris used to do her garden.

I've-- I've got a address somewhere--

somewhere here.

Then we better have a woman officer

go round and take a statement.

Well, I'll-- I'll go.

Thanks Sally.

Be discrete.

Right, onto tonight.

I'm taking the case in.

It could be fitted with a tracking device here.

But when it's dark, backup will proceed across this field

here and position themselves about here.

Unit three in position.

He's chosen his spot very well.

The boathouse is isolated to several hundred yards

in every direction--

cliffs behind it are sheer and it faces the sea.

At midnight the tide will be turning,

but he still might come in by boat.

It's not high till 3:45.

But the nearest building is this holiday cottage,

we'll obtain the keys.

[music playing]

DOUG KERSEY: Where the hell did they get this car?

LUCY LANE: Ronny Monroe, bookie in the high street.

DOUG KERSEY: Ronny Monroe?

LUCY LANE: It's his son.

[music playing]

Here we are then, darling.

As you're here for a dirty weekend with me,

try and act as if you're likely to enjoy it.

[car door opens]

[waves crashing]

Darling, come and look at the cottage, it's lovely.

[zippers undone]

[door opens]

[door closes]

It's freezing in here.

This is Lane.

We're in position.

WYCLIFFE (OVER RADIO): All right, Lucy.

Synchronizing.

Lights out in 26 minutes at 10:02.

Out. - Received.

Out.

So now we wait.

Doug.

Yeah.

When did you last wash that shirt?

I'll put the kettle on.

Good idea.

[wind howling, waves crashing]

[door squeaks open]

I'll do it.

Sorry.

Look, Doug, you're going to have to stop this.

Get a grip.

Feeling sorry for yourself is not going to help.

I'm not feeling sorry for myself.

Oh, come on.

OK, Lucy.

Tell me what's the one thing every police officer

knows they can rely on, hmm?

The one thing?

Loyalty.

So where is everyone?

We're all behind you, every one of us.

I'm being interviewed tomorrow like a bloody suspect.

It's a death in the cells, Doug.

They can't just put the body out for the binmen.

It doesn't mean you're being accused.

Doesn't.

If anyone's responsible is Derek Cannon.

He was the custody sergeant--

he checked the cell and done his job properly,

like he should've done, the guy wouldn't have

had the chance to top himself.

[exhales sharply]

I know it happened after you interviewed him,

but that it-- that doesn't make it your fault.

I don't see how they can blame you.

Act your age, Lucy.

They're going to hang me out to dry.

This is senior careers on the line.

Do you think Stevens is going to stand up for me?

Charlie will.

Yeah, but he's only a superintendent, isn't he?

14 years and I've had it.

For what?

I was talking to a suspect.

He was lying to me.

I didn't hit him.

I wasn't all that hard on him.

Tell you something-- I bloody kill him

now if he wasn't dead already.

[sighs]

I'm going for a drink.

What.

It's quarter to 10:00.

There's nothing happening-- 12:00, is it?

You completely out of your mind.

One, it's orders.

Two, what if our man is watching.

He sees me going to the pub.

I'm not covering for you.

This gets out, you're on your own.

Where the hell did you think I was, eh?

[door slams shut]

[music playing, waves crashing]

[phone rings]

Wycliffe.

MAN (OVER PHONE): Is it all in place Mr. Wycliffe?

I am, yes.

MAN (OVER PHONE): Good.

I'm bring you forward.

You're to go immediately.

Um, look, I'm only a few minutes away.

It might--

[phone disconnects]

[music playing]

Wycliffe to all units, the operation

is brought forward to now.

No one is to move except on my order.

I'm going in immediately.

[music playing]

Lucy.

Here, sir.

I take it there's been no sign of movement

down at the boathouse?

Nothing.

He's already in there.

[music playing]

[music playing, waves crashing]

[phone rings]

Wycliffe.

MAN (OVER PHONE): Are you there yet?

I'm here and I've got the money.

MAN (OVER PHONE): You've also got a lot of friends with you.

There are people in the area.

I'm sorry about that, but there is a certain procedure--

a few rules we have to follow.

But there's nobody here, where are you?

MAN (OVER PHONE): Near enough.

Leave the money and go.

There's something I need from you, where are the other jars.

Can you-- can you help me with that?

MAN (OVER PHONE): Not yet.

[phone disconnects]

[waves crashing]

[bag thuds]

Thank you, sir, that's 3.25, please.

- Thank you very much. - Thank you.

PUB PATRON: Oh, yeah, I give you that.

[indistinct conversation]

[car door opens and shut]

[waves crashing]

[door opens]

[door closes]

[SEA BIRDS CALLING, WAVES CRASHING]

[music playing]

Wycliffe to all units I'm going back in.

[music playing]

[fire crackling]

[coughing]

You OK, sir?

Yeah.

At least you save the money, sir.

Mr. Stevens will be pleased.

Almost as pleased as me.

[coughs]

Sorry our man didn't show up.

He must of had good surveillance.

I don't think he every meant to.

Looks to me like he's playing games with us.

[waves crashing]

OK, Lucy, I'll leave you in charge here.

OK.

Doug, you can drive me.

[sea birds calling]

Why you're trying so hard to make yourself dismissible?

All I'm trying to do is my job, sir.

Is it?

You're drinking like a fish.

That's my business.

You left a surveillance operation

to go to the pub, that's mine.

Oh, she told you, did she?

I saw you.

Can we get something straight, sir.

WYCLIFFE: Get in the car.

[keys rattle]

I didn't kill him.

I upset him.

I frightened him, but, worse, I didn't do the admin.

I went home and I did drink.

And then he goes and tops himself

and I'm going to the wall for it.

It wasn't my fault.

So, now, you can put fellow officers lives at risk,

can you?

Take a look at yourself, Doug.

You're speeding downhill with your eyes

shut and the brakes off.

You're late.

You're disheveled.

They've done this to me.

You've done this to you.

No one's making you drink.

No one's making you not bother to change your clothes.

You're doing it Doug.

I can't go in and bat for you like this.

I know.

All right, look, I just can't cope with all this.

You bloody well got cope.

You're a police officer.

That means you stop feeling sorry for yourself,

and you take charge, and you faced this

with courage, and with dignity.

Do you understand me?

Yes, sir.

All right.

This is how it's going to be.

You're going to go home.

You're going to clean yourself up.

You're going to lay off the booze.

What you did tonight didn't harm the operation,

I'm going to forget about.

Thank you, sir.

But it's this once only, Doug.

There's no second chance.

OFFICER 1 (OVER RADIO): Control to Wycliffe.

Wycliffe.

Somebody walking their dog reported it, sir.

Bomb disposal have checked it.

It's not a bomb or an incendiary device.

OK.

Keep everyone back all the same.

Doug.

[indistinct radio chatter]

MAN (OVER RECORDING): Mr. Wycliffe, you lied to me

and you disobey my instructions.

Now, you've seen what do I can do.

The price is now doubled to 100,000 pounds.

The sample of poison you are looking at

has also be missing jars, which I'm,

now, putting into circulation.

This time there is no smell to warn the victim.

Take off the top and see.

This one is also much quicker and there's no antidote.

If you want to find out where the other two jars are,

you better not switch off your phone.

[metal clanking]

Brown rice.

What's he got to have brown rice for?

Because he's a vegan?

Vegans.

They come over here, they break our laws

and they get a special diet.

You break our laws, that's why you're in there.

What about this [inaudible] then, eh?

[inaudible] this stuff.

He's an psychiatrist orders.

After what he'd done to them kids.

Do you know what I do with animals like him?

Baldry, shut up and pour that out.

Oh, I'm sorry, sir.

I'll just pour this nancy's breakfast out, sir.

[spitting]

[music playing]

[phone ringing]

Mr. Wycliffe.

[door closes]

I've heard about last night's botched attempt

to catch the extortionists.

I'm here to tell you I'm not satisfied.

Now, I've given you every cooperation so far,

but, I warn you, I can cause a lot of trouble.

Mr. Trednor, I don't see that you trying to cause trouble

is going to be of any assistance,

but if you want to do that, I can't stop you.

You, certainly, haven't helped us so far by being dishonest.

What the hell do you mean?

I mean, you didn't tell us you were seeing another woman,

apart from your wife.

Well, that's none of your business.

Oh, it is my business Mr. Trednor.

You knew we must be looking for someone with a grudge.

Well, I can tell you, categorically,

the woman in question has no grievance against me.

And your wife?

Well, my wife knows nothing about her.

Nothing.

In my experience Mr. Trednor, wives often

know about these things for a long time

before they announce it.

Well, even if she did-- for God's sake Wycliffe, we've got

two children of our own.

And as for the other woman--

Mrs. Handley.

--she would never do anything like this.

It's out of the question.

She's a mother herself.

We have to talk to her, I'm afraid,

to eliminate her from our inquiries,

but your wife needn't know.

Sorry.

Excuse me.

[beep]

One of the missing jars has been eaten, wasn't a baby--

John Larson.

The child killer.

Ate baby food by request as a special diet,

psychologist OKed it, they brought it in for him

every week.

He's dead.

All right.

All right, settle down.

The good news is that the baby's out of danger and recovering.

Now, all the signs are that Larson's

death is as a result of his obsession

with eating baby food.

So, Joe, you better get to the files on Larson

and his victims Whatever our feelings about Larson,

and I was one of the ones who helped put him away,

a death is a death.

We, now, know that we're dealing with an extremely

dangerous extortionist, who's prepared to kill.

And that's still one jar out there.

So let's look very hard again at the picture.

We've got of this person.

One, he, specifically, targets baby food.

Two, there's been some serious preparation done.

I'm talking about the voice encode, the chemicals,

the incendiary device.

And, three, so far he's only targeted Buy Wise.

So it could well be someone who hates Trednor.

Thoughts?

Someone wants to damage Trednor.

Well, we know he's got a girlfriend,

chances are his wife does too.

I'd back her.

Set up a watch on Mrs. Trednor.

Sally, you spoken with the girlfriend yet?

I did go round several times, sir.

She's been out.

Well, keep going round till she isn't.

Oh, yes, of course.

Good luck.

[crowd expresses best wishes]

LA PAGE: You are aware that this interview

takes place under caution.

DOUG KERSEY: I am aware of that, yes.

LA PAGE: Detective Inspector Kersey,

I have served discipline forms on you

in respect of offenses of unjustified

questioning, obtaining evidence under duress,

interviewing in inappropriate circumstances--

Where'd you get--

Under pressive interviewing.

You failed to give the necessary support to a vulnerable person,

maintain adequate custody records, or a proper record

of an interview.

Finally, there is concealment of evidence.

Describe your last interview with Mr. Sennan.

He-- he was in custody cell four.

He sent a message via the custody

sergeant requesting to see me.

You went to the cell alone with him.

That's correct.

Was that wise?

I'd arrested him and charged him of my murder.

And when Mr. Wycliffe and I had interviewed him previously,

he admitted withholding information.

Now, he wanted to see me, so, yes, I think it was wise to my

him.

Alone?

Mr. Wycliffe was off duty.

Anyway, Sennan had asked to see me.

Well, why didn't you take him to an interview room?

Well, I didn't know what he wanted, did I?

I'm a-- I'm not ofay with the kind of policing you are used

to in Hampshire, ma'am, but, down here, we find it pays

to establish confidence with a suspect

before starting to run the tape.

You established so much confidence with him-- he killed

himself when you left the cell.

Now, why do you think that was?

How the hell do I know?

How the hell don't you?

MAN (OVER RECORDING): Mr. Wycliffe,

the price of the final jar is 100,000 pounds.

This time you really will be alone.

You will bring it to the main entrance of Buy Wise

in [inaudible] at midday today.

I will contact you there.

If you try and deceive me again--

[recording ends]

DOUG KERSEY: He was depressed.

What about?

His life, everything.

He was a failure.

He was a mess.

He never had a job, a decent car, a holiday,

never been any good.

He'd got a small son, which was the best thing

that ever happened to him.

And, now, he's going down for murder, so he

managed to lose that as well.

How did you respond to this?

I made him tea.

I held his hand.

I kissed it.

I--

Answer the question.

I told him he was right.

I agreed with him.

He was a mess.

He was a failure.

It was all his own doing.

And there was no one else to blame, all right?

Detective Inspector Kersey, I have

served discipline forms on you in respect to the previously

detailed offenses.

I'm required to note your reply in receipt of them

should you wish to make one. - My reply?

My reply is that you've been sent here to bury me.

You come and sit in judgment on me

because some junkie decides to top himself.

We know it's all set up for the criminal against the police.

And you are doing your best to help

them against a fellow officer.

What-- do you know what?

He should have topped himself years ago.

He was a bloody waste of space.

And I couldn't care less he dead.

Have you got all that?

He was a bloody waste of space and I couldn't care less.

And I'll be needing your--

My pocket book.

Thank you.

[music playing]

Control to number five.

OFFICER 2 (OVER RADIO): Receiving.

The question is, do you consider DI Kersey

to be a reliable officer?

I consider all my officers to be reliable.

That isn't what I asked you Mr. Wycliffe.

No.

Well, you know the stresses of the job as well as I do.

Look, the DI Kersey that you may have seen is not its best,

but he's been under a terrible strain.

Whatever you saw, he blames himself for Sennan's suicide.

I wonder, would you or I cope any better?

Luckily, for me, I've never had to find out.

You have done your homework.

Oh, yes, I'm notorious for it.

October the 4th 1985, it happened to you, in Leeds,

in almost identical circumstances.

You still haven't answered my question Mr. Wycliffe.

Is Kersey a reliable officer or is he not?

If he was unreliable, don't you think we would

have found that out by now?

This is now.

OK.

He's been a good policeman, a successful detective,

a motivator of other officers--

I though you would have done enough homework

to have seen that?

I have, as a matter of fact, but I needed your statement.

Oh, dear, my pen stopped working.

- I've got one. - No, no.

It's all right.

It does this, I just have to rest it for a while.

[pen clicks]

Have you ever done a disciplinary inquiry.

No.

I have.

It's the sort of job they give to a successful woman

to get you out of the way for a bit.

Whenever I've done one of these before it's

ever been about one particular incident.

All sorts of other things come into play.

Local things?

Hmm.

Local politics, station politics.

Thankfully, there's no pressure like that here.

No, there wouldn't be.

[pen clicks]

Ah, working again.

Well, if you can't think of anything

else that would help me in my inquiries, Mr. Wycliffe.

Yes, I'd be grateful if you could look at caseloads carried

by our officers here as a result of other duties in the division

and at staffing levels generally--

have an effect of creating an incident like this one.

And as our critics are always ready to say,

we are top heavy, managerially.

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

You could say that, yes.

I'll bear that in mind.

[car door opens]

Morning, ma'am.

I'm supposed to be on the way to the shopping center, so

what am I doing here?

Mrs. Handley's in now, ma'am, but I didn't

think I should talk to her?

Why not?

When she was out I did some checking to find

out where she worked and that.

Anyway, she don't fit in anywhere.

She's no driving license, Inland Revenue don't know her,

no national insurance, nothing.

Whoever it is in that house hasn't always

been called Margaret Handley.

So I hope it was all right, ma'am?

Go on.

I come round her early and waited for the postman.

When I asked him who lived at number 12, it was right.

She does get letters to Margaret Handley,

but she still gets letters in our old name,

from when she was married.

Which was?

Margaret Ezzard.

That's E, double Z, A--

I know how to spell it.

Ezzard?

Ezzard?

DC Miller, I think you might just have

taken out the right career.

LUCY LANE (OVER RADIO): Lane to Wycliffe.

Wycliffe.

Go ahead, Lucy.

Sir.

I'm outside Trednor's girlfriend Margaret Handley's house.

DC Miller's with me.

I've just discovered from inquires

carried out by her that Margaret Handley

use to be Margaret Ezzard.

Is she in there now?

Sally said she saw someone moving around a couple of hours

ago, but no one's come out yet.

Stay there I'll be right over.

What about the drop?

You're in charge here.

[music playing]

She's still in there.

Do you need us?

[music playing]

[door creaks]

[music playing]

Hello, Charlie.

Hello, Margaret.

You got him, then?

I said I would, didn't I?

I promised her as I buried her, I'd get the man that did it.

Your little girl would be 16, now.

That's right.

I did think I'd get away with it, not that it matters.

I'm so sorry about that baby.

Mother couldn't smell.

I read that in the paper afterwards.

They're all right though.

I found out Larson had started eating baby food in prison.

The kitchen officer used to do a special shopping

in the Buy Wise down the road.

So you got to know him.

He was lonely.

He was separated from his wife.

It wasn't his fault. First I thought

I could do it all through him, just

swap my jar for one of his.

But you knew you'd be an obvious suspect

if Larson suddenly got poisoned, so you

thought of the blackmail.

Took awhile.

Then I saw the Trednors in the shop one day.

One look at his sour-faced wife and I was home and dry.

Myles is a nice man.

They're both nice men.

I'm sorry I had to deceive them.

You put five poisoned jars on the shelf--

ones you could smell and--

The one with the poison you couldn't smell I put

in the prison officer's bag.

Don't blame me too, Charlie.

It's not my job to blame you.

Have to be going now Margaret.

[music playing]

[theme music]