Law and Order: UK (2009) s01e05 Episode Script
Buried
'In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate but equally important groups - the police, who investigate crime, and the Crown Prosecutors, who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
' No, no, no, no.
We can't finish any sooner.
I'm not a miracle worker.
If I was a miracle worker, I'd be on a pleasure boat in Hawaii.
Hello? Hello? Bloody developer put the phone down on me.
Come here.
There's something you should see.
And how long's it been empty? About a year.
Who owned it before? Council.
Young.
Eight, nine.
Poor kid.
What happened? Crawl over the top and fall in? Massive skull fracture.
More likely a hit.
Not a gentle cuff round the ear, either.
Boy or girl? Male.
How long's he been there? Matt.
Old West Ham badge.
I've got one of these.
If that's original, that kid's been in there for over 20 years.
Could be a mum and dad out there still hoping their son's alive.
When I first joined CID, the first week, we had a young girl go missing.
She was ten.
Name was Shona Morris.
I still catch myself looking for her.
Who lived in that house? Before 1995, it was privately owned.
We need to know who this poor boy is.
Get Angie onto it.
Merlin database.
All the missing children from 1981 to 1984.
Ohthat is a lot of kids.
About 200 open cases just from last year.
Press only feature the pretty ones.
Male.
Eight years old.
Reported missing July 16th, 1983.
Thomas Keegan.
Same street the body was found.
Says he has a broken collarbone.
We're checking for missing kids with similar injuries.
Mother Phillipa Keegan.
Arthur Keegan was the dad.
But he died the year before.
1982.
How many losses can one woman take? Dad was born 1939, Upton Park, E15.
His dad got him into the Hammers.
Sorry? West Ham, called the Hammers because they keep getting hammered.
Watch it.
Investigating officer DS McFadden.
I'm fluent and illegible.
If you look at the last page, they had a suspect - Edward Connor.
Oh.
Devlin, yeah.
The boy in the wall had a broken collarbone.
Thank you very much.
It's him.
Track down Jeffrey McFadden.
Game on.
So, this is what retired Old Bill get up to, is it? Bet you can't wait.
So, anyway, Jeff.
This old case of yours.
Missing child.
1983.
Keegan.
Eight years old, blue eyes, brown hair, broken collarbone, West Ham supporter.
Blimey.
Sounds like you just read the file.
You ever done a missing kid? It stays with you, doesn't it? So, the case is alive again? We've found Tom.
Tommy.
Tommy.
Bones in a basement inside a fireplace.
Opposite his home.
Where the poofter lived? Sorry? Edward Connor.
You mean the suspect from the file? He was the last one to see the boy alive.
He was mucking about with him on the steps.
An hour later, Connor goes for a drive.
He did it, but we couldn't nail him, despite going over the boot of his car with a fine-toothed comb.
He couldn't tell me where he'd been or who he was with that night.
I was sure he'd taken Tommy in the boot of his car for his ownsick pleasure.
You didn't search the house? We did, smart-arse.
Jeff, sorry.
Where can we find Edward Connor? Moved out.
Changed his name.
Went off radar.
Now, if that isn't a sign of guilt, what is? Forensic evidence, maybe? A corpse? OK.
So we missed the corpse.
But we had the right guy.
OK, so we missed the corpse.
You're the crappiest copper I ever met.
He's a product of his time.
There were no good detectives then? You're talking to one.
Like I keep telling you, I am special.
So, we've got to find Edward Connor, even though he's changed his name? Yeah, but first we need to talk to Tommy's mum.
Cos thanks to that bigoted prat, she probably hasn't slept in 25 years.
Are you sure it's him? As sure as we can be, ma'am, yeah.
I've been waiting for this.
But part of me still thought He was still out there.
I know.
I'm sorry.
We're looking for Edward Connor.
Mrs Keegan, at the time, if you remember, he was a suspect.
I didn't think it was him.
But if Tommy was found in the basement Let me get you a tissue, ma'am.
I hope you don't mind if I ask you what you remember about that day.
Um I dropped him off at school.
Didn't kiss him.
Didn't want to embarrass him.
It was my teacher training day, so he was going to a friend's for tea.
It was just the two of us, you see, because his dad died the year earlier.
Well, I came to pick him up.
Joe's Mum called them in.
But Joe said they'd argued and Tommy had gone home.
And I said, "Not to worry," because we only lived a few streets away, and Tommy was good at crossing roads.
And the key was under the mat.
But he wasn't at home.
I tried the neighbours.
And then I called the police.
I remember saying to them, "I'm sure it's nothing.
He'll be back any second.
" I stayed in that house for 20 years.
You know, just in case.
How can she still believe in God after what happened? You won't be lighting a candle for little Tommy, then? You already have, haven't you? Once a Catholic Don't suppose it does any harm to throw in the odd prayer, eh? We're still trying to track down the previous tenants of Kenville Road.
Thank you very much, Jane.
You are an angel.
Ta.
Bye.
OK.
We've got a trace.
Vernon Mortimer.
Work and Pensions says he retired to Pimlico in 2005.
So, there's a chance he stayed in touch with Edward Connor.
Let's hope he's in.
Vernon's not in.
Moved out about a year ago, according to the caretaker.
That for me? Cheers.
Yeah.
Right.
It's like chasing ghosts, isn't it? But he left his flat to his daughter, who works around the corner in, "one of them overpriced, poncy flower gaffs".
You grew up in Kenville Road, Ladbroke Grove? Yeah.
What's this about? A little boy.
Do you remember him? Yeah, that's Tommy.
He was my friend.
He disappeared.
We recently found his remains in the basement of the building in which you grew up.
God, no.
That's horrible.
Can you remember the day he went missing? It was such a long time ago.
Well, we know that Tommy went to his friend Joe's house after school.
Yeah, that's right, because I think I wanted to go with them.
My mum wouldn't let me.
I don't think I was very well.
I know I played outside the house for a while.
My mum was going out, I think.
And then I got into my pyjamas.
And Dad made me some tea.
Tomato soup and Dairylea sandwiches.
Well remembered.
He always made me that if I was ill or upset.
And then I went to bed.
I didn't wake up until Mum told me the police wanted to talk to me.
And that was the next morning, so I didn't see Tommy.
What about Edward Connor? Lived in the flat upstairs.
Publisher.
Remember him? No.
I didn't see him either.
Sorry.
Well, we'd like to talk to your parents.
They moved out of London a year ago.
They live in Lewes.
Lovely.
Is it? I don't know.
I've never been.
It shook us all.
Thomas was a sweet boy.
He only lost his dad the year before.
Julia wasn't well.
You went out, right? To the PTA meeting, yes.
When I left, at about half-past five, Thomas was with Edward Connor, outside on the steps.
But I said all this in my statement.
Yeah, but we now know that Tommy was probably killed inside the building.
So, I mean, we still have to - Do your job.
Of course.
We're trying to track Connor down.
He's changed his name.
To Ralph Drake.
Yes, I know.
And he wrote several children's books under that pseudonym.
Oh, I kept tabs on him down the years.
We all knew it was him.
I told her there was no proof.
He was a volunteer at St Peter's Church youth group.
Not this again.
And three months after Thomas disappeared, he was accused of propositioning a 12-year-old boy there.
Well, I call that proof, don't you? Just make sure you get him this time.
The cheeky little bastard who made the complaint He knew I'd been arrested over Tommy's disappearance.
Wanted attention.
He retracted it soon after.
No-one wanted to hear that.
Because all gays abuse kids.
As you know.
Well, I think we both know that most child abusers are straight, don't we, Mr Connor? So, tell us about the day Tommy disappeared.
Why should I? Because we're trying to get to the truth.
Deja vu.
We chatted outside on the steps.
I went in and left him playing football.
I came out a bit later to go for a drive, and he was gone.
Is that all? No, no.
I forgot.
Before that, I took him down to the basement, tortured and killed him.
That's not funny, Mr Connor.
Mm.
Neither is being hauled off the street for no reason, and kept in a cell for three days while some rat-faced detective kicks the shit out of you.
Hehe only stopped when he drew blood and I told him I had AIDS.
I couldn't give him an alibi.
My lover was married.
Gays had never been so unpopular.
After all, we brought in the plague.
It's not like that now, sir.
No.
No.
Now, I'd get 100 grand in compensation.
Then, I got three broken ribs and a black eye.
McFadden has persecuted Edward Connor and took his eye completely off the ball.
SOCO can't find any crime stains to reanalyse.
This should have been solved back then.
Now we've got nothing to go on.
Think I'll go home and cuddle my boys.
Which they'll hate, of course.
Night-night, guv.
Wait.
Listen to this.
READS: Mum picked me up from school.
I played outside for a bit.
I was feeling ill because of my cold.
Mum was going out.
I put on pyjamas.
Dad made tea - tomato soup and Dairylea sandwiches.
I went to bed.
I didn't wake till Mum said the police wanted to speak to me next morning.
Does that ring any bells? That's the statement we took from Julia this afternoon.
Wrong.
It's the statement Jeff McFadden took in 1983.
It's practically word for word.
Well, what you make of it? Well, maybe Tommy going missing was so traumatic for her, that day was etched on her brain forever.
No.
To her, the trauma didn't occur until the next day.
The night before was a normal night.
She didn't know there was anything to witness.
Or a story to perfect.
She's lying.
After you.
Blimey, what's he done wrong? I take it you're not here to buy flowers.
Maybe in a few weeks, for Tommy's funeral.
But we need to solve the case first.
Well, I've told you what I know.
You told us exactly what you told the police in 1983.
That's what happened.
Well, not quite, Julia.
Because one of your ex-neighbours told us that she saw you with Tommy.
Yet you told us you hadn't seen him.
It was a long time ago.
Which is why we'd like to take an hour to go over that day.
Listen, I was eight years old, OK? I don't want to go back to that day.
I am really sorry about Tommy.
But it's in the past.
Tell that to his mother.
Julia - I'm sorry.
I'm very busy.
I've got work to do.
I take that as a no.
I take that as a sign she's got something to hide.
It's possible someone told her what to say.
She was sworn to secrecy.
Not necessarily.
As a child, you can be coaxed into believing an alternative version of events.
If what she witnessed was traumatic, then the real memory could have been repressed, because it was just too hard to process.
So, she doesn't know what she's hiding? What can we do? We could try EMDR.
Come again? It's a process that involves the patient following an object with their eyes.
Oh, he's good at that.
It's used to treat post-traumatic stress sufferers.
It helps with the healing.
It's also used to help stimulate the processing system and retrieve lost memories.
I don't know.
Sounds like a load of old mumbo-jumbo to me, hypnotising.
EMDR's not hypnosis, Ronnie.
It's a form of psychotherapy.
If Dr Rawls thinks it's a good idea, I believe her.
Anyway, it's not like we've got a whole bag full of other options.
All right.
I ain't sleeping well cos I'm wondering what Tommy Keegan's mum is going through.
If it'll give her a bit of peace, it is worth a go.
But first, we'll have to convince Julia Mortimer.
I don't have any buried memories.
How would you know? Dr Rawls can help you remember what really happened.
She's used the technique before with good results.
They're nice flowers, Julia.
Gladioli.
Knights used wear the roots under their armour for protection.
Maybe we should try it.
You are our only hope.
We would like to find out who killed your friend.
But it's your choice, Julia.
Have a think about it.
I keep seeing Tommy's face.
Frightened.
Crying.
Calling out my name.
And I don't know if it's my imagination or if I'm remembering it.
Could she help me with that? Mum got cross.
Because I'd been to the shop and bought sweets.
She found them in my pencil case.
Called me her little liar.
I went out into the street.
I did see Tommy.
He waved at me.
Threw his ball for me to catch.
Mum told me to come back indoors.
"I was getting into bed when the doorbell rang.
It was Tommy.
He wanted to make sure I was OK.
" Vernon never mentioned Tommy calling round.
Tommy didn't stay.
Julia's dad sent him away.
And then she went to bed.
I keep getting her to the point where she remembers waking up, but I can't get her beyond that.
This is getting us nowhere slowly.
Give it a chance.
She's shutting down for a reason.
I can't do this to order.
Sometimes it takes years.
I woke up.
Wanted my dad.
I looked for him everywhere.
Kept calling out for him.
He must have gone out.
I'm scared.
What did you do, Julia? I went out of the flat.
Look at the light.
You went out of the flat.
The basement light was on.
I could see it through a crack in the door.
I walked towards it.
I opened the door.
Oh, God, can we stop? It's OK.
You're safe.
Please.
You're doing so well, Julia.
Keep going.
You opened the door.
I went down the stairs.
My dad was there with his back to me.
I was so glad to see him.
Oh, God.
What's wrong? It's Tommy.
He's got blood on his head and his hair, and he's not moving.
Where is he, Julia? He's on the ground.
At my dad's feet.
"It's Tommy.
He's got blood on his head and his hair, and he's not moving.
" "Where is he, Julia?" "He's on the ground.
At my dad's feet.
" What do you think? She's not faking it.
She didn't want to remember.
It took seven sessions to get her there.
She's telling the truth.
Yeah, but will a jury believe her? Building a case on this evidence It all hinges on Julia Mortimer being a credible witness.
She at least deserves the chance to be heard.
I'll talk to her.
Why are you estranged from your parents? Dad's always interfering.
Every time one of my relationships falls apart, he gloats.
And when my last marriage ended, I just .
.
I couldn't face him.
Must be tough on your mum.
Dad's her world.
No-one else matters.
Why did your marriage end? My husband cheated on me.
Hardly your dad's fault.
Was your father violent? No.
Even the night he talked me through the story, he wasn't angry.
He was crying.
Sorry for himself.
You hate your dad, don't you? No.
Long before you allegedly remember what he did.
I thought you believed me.
This is a vendetta against him, done to punish him.
A man who's shown you nothing but love all your life.
He terrified me.
He kept telling me about all the bad men out there.
And all the time, I was holding the bad man's hand.
I grew up with my best friend rotting in the basement.
Yes, I want him punished.
For what he did to Tommy.
Thank you.
I apologise.
I hope you understand why I had to do that.
Now we build a case.
Julia's evidence is nothing if not backed up by some hard facts.
OK.
So, we get everything we can on Mortimer as quietly as possible.
Find out why he might attack and kill a small boy, so that we can corroborate what she saw.
If we don't, that's it.
Phillipa Keegan will live her life without her son's killer being brought to justice.
The system failed her once.
We can't let that happen again.
James, you're never going to believe this.
Doug Greer, Mortimer's lawyer, called.
He's coming in with the Mortimers tomorrow.
Julia told her father what she's doing.
Why the hell would she do that? She was angry.
Ranting, according to Greer.
I mean, you wound her up and sent her off.
It's a lie.
I don't know why she's doing this.
Look on the Net at all the forums for people with fake memories.
All around the world, women blaming their eating disorders on some fabricated crisis from their past.
Innocent parents accused, left, right and centre.
Just like my client.
It's my duty to look at the facts.
Yes, but you don't know our daughter, Mr Steel.
She has a habit of running off with unsuitable men who bleed her dry.
We pick up the pieces.
All her life, Vernon's done nothing but take care of her.
She lives in our flat, rent-free.
He pays the lease on her shop and this is how she thanks him.
She's not herself, Catherine.
You don't know how suggestible she is.
I'm worried sick about her.
Look at me.
Are you really going to put me through this? I'm not saying you're guilty.
I'm saying there's a case worth prosecuting.
Then the jury can decide.
Yes, but it will ruin us.
It will ruin the reputation of the CPS first.
A 25-year-old case that doesn't dignify the word evidence.
A witness with zero credibility.
You might want to think about that.
Good day.
Unbelievable.
If your husband was accused of murdering a child, would you sit there and talk about your reputation? Tell me you've got something.
Ladbroke Grove Life & Casualty.
Mortimer got sacked in 1986.
I've spoken to five people.
No-one will tell me why.
Doorstep them.
After you.
Thank you.
Take a seat.
Chief executive officer back then? You must have been rather young.
And upwardly mobile.
Got a lot to thank old Maggie for, eh? I had my first alcoholic drink the day she resigned.
Asti Spumante.
Our estate celebrated for a week.
How very urban.
Vernon Mortimer.
Did you know him well? He was a good salesman.
Vernon could sell fire insurance to Eskimos, even after a liquid lunch.
Then why did you sack him? We all have our demons.
What were his demons? Is it to do with young boys? I'm investigating the murder of a child.
We did a job once, in Birmingham.
On the way back, the train stopped at High Wycombe.
He went to the loo.
I went to the bar and had a few too many.
Next thing I know, he's with some policeman.
A 13, 14-year-old boy said .
.
Vernon made a pass at him.
More than 20 years ago now.
Weren't just him.
I was experimenting.
Gave him the come-on and then I lost my bottle.
What exactly did he do? He offered me £20.
It was something in his eyes, though, like he hated himself for doing it.
I turned it down.
He grabbed me and said, "All right, £50, you little shit.
" I kicked him and ran.
Funny thing was, though, out there in the daylight, he just just looked sad.
Kept saying, "I'm sorry".
Even tried to give me the 50 quid.
The policemen called him a sick, disgusting man.
Took a statement.
But the case never went to trial.
My parents suspected I was gay, but didn't want the neighbours knowing I hung around station toilets.
So, they wouldn't let you give evidence? They took me to see a shrink instead.
She said it's not about sex when it's adults with kids, it's about power.
Somebody they can control.
The judge won't allow Kevin Jackson's evidence.
It was sexual conduct, rather than violence, which is what we're prosecuting.
Any application on that basis is bound to fail.
The sexual abuse probably led to violence.
We can fill in the gaps all that we like, but that's not the way the law works.
It's time to let this go.
We can't.
Julia Mortimer will go into the witness box with nothing to back her up.
Her dear old dad is an elderly pillar of the community.
He was 39, strong and dangerous back then.
That's how we must see him, not as some frail old pensioner.
But that's what he'll look like to the jury.
It's just not worth the risk.
My son is eight too.
No parent would say that.
Phillipa Keegan has suffered enough - And should be spared the pain of a trial.
And I'm a dad too.
Remember? Hello.
Castle? Just a second.
It's Dr Rawls.
It came back to her in our session this morning.
"Dad would come into my room at night, read me a story.
He'd lie on the bed, touch me.
Kiss me on the lips.
Stroke me under my nightdress.
I told my mum.
And she said that if it told anyone else, that I'd never see my dad again.
That's when it stopped.
" It's my fault.
He couldn't have me, so he moved on to Tommy.
Mr Mortimer, you stand charged on this indictment with murder.
How do you plead, guilty or not guilty? Not guilty.
Is the defendant on bail? Yes, My Lady, with a number of conditions.
He's lodged a surety in the sum of £30,000, surrendered his passport, is subject to daily reporting at Lewes police station.
Bailed as before.
I want to withdraw.
You can't.
We've come too far.
We've built the case.
But this is killing him.
My mother said he's losing his mind.
She's trying to manipulate you, Julia.
He's my dad.
He's 65.
He will die in jail.
He killed an eight-year-old child.
Walk away, he'll never pay for what he did to Tommy.
I was better off not knowing.
Tommy's mum is on her way.
Please, Julia.
Wait.
I didn't realise you had an appointment.
Julia just showed up.
I am so sorry about Tommy.
You were joined at the hip, you two, weren't you? You played weddings with my veil.
I would love to have seen him married.
Don't, please.
I'm not sure I can do this.
Your father held me while I cried.
He drove me round and round, day and night, searching.
And all the time, he knew.
Tommy wouldn't go to that basement.
He said there was a monster down there.
There was, wasn't there? Yeah.
You've got to help me.
Tell me, James, exactly how much research have you done on your key - oh, sorry - only witness? I believe her and the jury will too.
Not when they hear where she spent her summer holiday last year.
Little clue.
The staff wear white coats.
Hm? Let's go.
Tommy was seven when his father died of leukaemia.
And that brought us closer.
Did your son have a relationship with the defendant? Yes.
Mr Mortimer started helping us out after my husband died.
And what did you personally witness in this relationship? He'd arrange treats for him.
He took him to see West Ham play.
Tommy's dad used to support them.
Once, he came home with one of the players' autographs and I remember thinking that at least he had a father figure.
Thank you, Mrs Keegan.
No further questions.
Did you tell the police about my client's relationship with your son? No.
So, it didn't seem unusual? It's the strangers you worry about.
Not the nice man over the road.
If you were as close as you claim, you would have noticed if something was wrong.
Yes.
No.
Because I trusted Vernon.
Mr Mortimer.
And continued to do so, until this hysterical notion was planted.
If I'd have known, I would have kept him away.
Well, maybe there was nothing to know.
No further questions.
You do know I'll demolish Julia Mortimer in the witness box tomorrow? She's a mess, James.
You're right.
She's long since learned not to trust her own mind.
Tomorrow might break her.
That's not what I want.
If you cared for her, you'd confess.
How can you say I don't care? I love my daughter! Don't get involved.
Don't look for absolution from me.
I'm a good man.
I've worked hard all my life.
Don't Don't you walk away from me! You don't know me! Tell me about the day Thomas Keegan disappeared.
Erm I saw him outside the house briefly.
Later on, he came to the door.
I thought my dad sent him away.
What else happened that evening? I wasn't well.
I went to bed early.
Ermwhen I woke up, the flat was empty.
I went outside and I saw that the basement light was on.
I went down some steps.
And my dad was there.
Tommy was lying at his feet.
He had blood on his head.
What happened then? ErmDad My father, he saw me, and he shouted at me to go back to bed.
He came running at me, up the stairs, eyes all bulging out.
And I ran to my bedroom, but later he came in.
And he hugged me.
And he told me that I'd had a nightmare because I was ill.
And that if I told anyone about the nightmare, then I would lose him forever.
When did you remember all this? When I started doing therapy with Dr Rawls.
And I also remembered that my father sexually abused me when I was seven years old And when I told my mother, it stopped.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Prior to the past few weeks, Miss Mortimer, when did you last see your parents? Erm about a year ago.
Long time.
Why is that? Ever since I was a child, Dad tried to control me.
Did they treat you badly when small? Well, there was the abuse.
Ah, yes.
The abuse.
It suddenly came back to you while you were moving your eyes back and forth.
Much like the memory of your father with Tommy's corpse.
Did yourdelusions last year include images of blood or basements? No, you don't understand.
I think I do.
You have always been resentful of your father, because he told you the hard truths that you didn't want to hear.
And when you heard that Tommy's bones had been found, you wanted revenge.
No.
He did it! That is why, all my life, he has been there watching me! Good job.
He warned you off the then forced you to have an abortion, which made you sterile at the age of, what, 15? That's hardly relevant.
What is your point, Mr Greer? That Miss Mortimer's life is a catalogue of disastrous relationships.
She is deeply unstable.
Mum, I told you what he did to me and you blamed me! You called me a dirty, precocious little whore! You always took his side! And there you have it.
The sole motivation of this hysterical witch-hunt.
A spoilt child who resents the bond between her.
.
I can't .
.
loving parents.
Thank you, Mr Greer.
I can'tI can't take it.
Great.
Our main witness falls to pieces in the witness box.
So, now the jury think she's a hysterical mess and they'll side with her dad.
We've got nothing left.
We've lost.
There's one last chance.
Vernon himself.
He knows why Julia fell apart in the box.
He's carried that guilt for 20 years.
Imagine what that's done to him.
And how is he going to respond under pressure? I I cared about Thomas.
So much so that you abused him, just like you abused your own daughter.
I never hurt her.
Oh, you did, Mr Mortimer.
And you're still hurting her now, aren't you? You saw her in the witness box.
It didn't look much like she was gloating, did it? More like she was falling apart.
Mr Steel's opinions are neither here nor there.
You didn't just destroy one family, Mr Mortimer.
You destroyed your own.
Are you ever going to make it right for your daughter? Or for Tommy? Will you ever take responsibility for the damage you caused? The damage you continue to cause.
When are you going to be a father again? I sexually assaulted my daughter when she was seven years old.
It went on for four months.
Julia, she told her mother, who said she'd call the police My lady, this is most irregular.
.
.
if I ever did it again.
May I ask the jury to retire? This is my turn to talk! The jury will hear what Mr Mortimer has to say, Mr Greer.
Go on.
I didn't know where to get help.
I took work away from home.
I approached young boys in toilets.
But they were strangers.
When Thomas's dad died, all I wanted to do was help.
We got close.
Oh, I came to love him like he was my own son.
I made him do things to me.
For six months.
In return for treats.
He wanted to stop.
Said it felt wrong.
We were in the basement.
He said he was going to tell his mother.
Tried to get away.
There was a hammer .
.
by the boiler.
I hit him with it.
The side of his head.
Just the once.
I didn't mean to kill him.
I didn't want to lose you! What did you do then, Mr Mortimer? I I put him inside the fireplace.
I bricked it up.
My boy! I'm sorry.
My boy! Mrs Keegan.
Ronnie.
We got our man in the end.
We? Did you know? I just wanted us to be a family.
Well, wherewhere will you go?
These are their stories.
' No, no, no, no.
We can't finish any sooner.
I'm not a miracle worker.
If I was a miracle worker, I'd be on a pleasure boat in Hawaii.
Hello? Hello? Bloody developer put the phone down on me.
Come here.
There's something you should see.
And how long's it been empty? About a year.
Who owned it before? Council.
Young.
Eight, nine.
Poor kid.
What happened? Crawl over the top and fall in? Massive skull fracture.
More likely a hit.
Not a gentle cuff round the ear, either.
Boy or girl? Male.
How long's he been there? Matt.
Old West Ham badge.
I've got one of these.
If that's original, that kid's been in there for over 20 years.
Could be a mum and dad out there still hoping their son's alive.
When I first joined CID, the first week, we had a young girl go missing.
She was ten.
Name was Shona Morris.
I still catch myself looking for her.
Who lived in that house? Before 1995, it was privately owned.
We need to know who this poor boy is.
Get Angie onto it.
Merlin database.
All the missing children from 1981 to 1984.
Ohthat is a lot of kids.
About 200 open cases just from last year.
Press only feature the pretty ones.
Male.
Eight years old.
Reported missing July 16th, 1983.
Thomas Keegan.
Same street the body was found.
Says he has a broken collarbone.
We're checking for missing kids with similar injuries.
Mother Phillipa Keegan.
Arthur Keegan was the dad.
But he died the year before.
1982.
How many losses can one woman take? Dad was born 1939, Upton Park, E15.
His dad got him into the Hammers.
Sorry? West Ham, called the Hammers because they keep getting hammered.
Watch it.
Investigating officer DS McFadden.
I'm fluent and illegible.
If you look at the last page, they had a suspect - Edward Connor.
Oh.
Devlin, yeah.
The boy in the wall had a broken collarbone.
Thank you very much.
It's him.
Track down Jeffrey McFadden.
Game on.
So, this is what retired Old Bill get up to, is it? Bet you can't wait.
So, anyway, Jeff.
This old case of yours.
Missing child.
1983.
Keegan.
Eight years old, blue eyes, brown hair, broken collarbone, West Ham supporter.
Blimey.
Sounds like you just read the file.
You ever done a missing kid? It stays with you, doesn't it? So, the case is alive again? We've found Tom.
Tommy.
Tommy.
Bones in a basement inside a fireplace.
Opposite his home.
Where the poofter lived? Sorry? Edward Connor.
You mean the suspect from the file? He was the last one to see the boy alive.
He was mucking about with him on the steps.
An hour later, Connor goes for a drive.
He did it, but we couldn't nail him, despite going over the boot of his car with a fine-toothed comb.
He couldn't tell me where he'd been or who he was with that night.
I was sure he'd taken Tommy in the boot of his car for his ownsick pleasure.
You didn't search the house? We did, smart-arse.
Jeff, sorry.
Where can we find Edward Connor? Moved out.
Changed his name.
Went off radar.
Now, if that isn't a sign of guilt, what is? Forensic evidence, maybe? A corpse? OK.
So we missed the corpse.
But we had the right guy.
OK, so we missed the corpse.
You're the crappiest copper I ever met.
He's a product of his time.
There were no good detectives then? You're talking to one.
Like I keep telling you, I am special.
So, we've got to find Edward Connor, even though he's changed his name? Yeah, but first we need to talk to Tommy's mum.
Cos thanks to that bigoted prat, she probably hasn't slept in 25 years.
Are you sure it's him? As sure as we can be, ma'am, yeah.
I've been waiting for this.
But part of me still thought He was still out there.
I know.
I'm sorry.
We're looking for Edward Connor.
Mrs Keegan, at the time, if you remember, he was a suspect.
I didn't think it was him.
But if Tommy was found in the basement Let me get you a tissue, ma'am.
I hope you don't mind if I ask you what you remember about that day.
Um I dropped him off at school.
Didn't kiss him.
Didn't want to embarrass him.
It was my teacher training day, so he was going to a friend's for tea.
It was just the two of us, you see, because his dad died the year earlier.
Well, I came to pick him up.
Joe's Mum called them in.
But Joe said they'd argued and Tommy had gone home.
And I said, "Not to worry," because we only lived a few streets away, and Tommy was good at crossing roads.
And the key was under the mat.
But he wasn't at home.
I tried the neighbours.
And then I called the police.
I remember saying to them, "I'm sure it's nothing.
He'll be back any second.
" I stayed in that house for 20 years.
You know, just in case.
How can she still believe in God after what happened? You won't be lighting a candle for little Tommy, then? You already have, haven't you? Once a Catholic Don't suppose it does any harm to throw in the odd prayer, eh? We're still trying to track down the previous tenants of Kenville Road.
Thank you very much, Jane.
You are an angel.
Ta.
Bye.
OK.
We've got a trace.
Vernon Mortimer.
Work and Pensions says he retired to Pimlico in 2005.
So, there's a chance he stayed in touch with Edward Connor.
Let's hope he's in.
Vernon's not in.
Moved out about a year ago, according to the caretaker.
That for me? Cheers.
Yeah.
Right.
It's like chasing ghosts, isn't it? But he left his flat to his daughter, who works around the corner in, "one of them overpriced, poncy flower gaffs".
You grew up in Kenville Road, Ladbroke Grove? Yeah.
What's this about? A little boy.
Do you remember him? Yeah, that's Tommy.
He was my friend.
He disappeared.
We recently found his remains in the basement of the building in which you grew up.
God, no.
That's horrible.
Can you remember the day he went missing? It was such a long time ago.
Well, we know that Tommy went to his friend Joe's house after school.
Yeah, that's right, because I think I wanted to go with them.
My mum wouldn't let me.
I don't think I was very well.
I know I played outside the house for a while.
My mum was going out, I think.
And then I got into my pyjamas.
And Dad made me some tea.
Tomato soup and Dairylea sandwiches.
Well remembered.
He always made me that if I was ill or upset.
And then I went to bed.
I didn't wake up until Mum told me the police wanted to talk to me.
And that was the next morning, so I didn't see Tommy.
What about Edward Connor? Lived in the flat upstairs.
Publisher.
Remember him? No.
I didn't see him either.
Sorry.
Well, we'd like to talk to your parents.
They moved out of London a year ago.
They live in Lewes.
Lovely.
Is it? I don't know.
I've never been.
It shook us all.
Thomas was a sweet boy.
He only lost his dad the year before.
Julia wasn't well.
You went out, right? To the PTA meeting, yes.
When I left, at about half-past five, Thomas was with Edward Connor, outside on the steps.
But I said all this in my statement.
Yeah, but we now know that Tommy was probably killed inside the building.
So, I mean, we still have to - Do your job.
Of course.
We're trying to track Connor down.
He's changed his name.
To Ralph Drake.
Yes, I know.
And he wrote several children's books under that pseudonym.
Oh, I kept tabs on him down the years.
We all knew it was him.
I told her there was no proof.
He was a volunteer at St Peter's Church youth group.
Not this again.
And three months after Thomas disappeared, he was accused of propositioning a 12-year-old boy there.
Well, I call that proof, don't you? Just make sure you get him this time.
The cheeky little bastard who made the complaint He knew I'd been arrested over Tommy's disappearance.
Wanted attention.
He retracted it soon after.
No-one wanted to hear that.
Because all gays abuse kids.
As you know.
Well, I think we both know that most child abusers are straight, don't we, Mr Connor? So, tell us about the day Tommy disappeared.
Why should I? Because we're trying to get to the truth.
Deja vu.
We chatted outside on the steps.
I went in and left him playing football.
I came out a bit later to go for a drive, and he was gone.
Is that all? No, no.
I forgot.
Before that, I took him down to the basement, tortured and killed him.
That's not funny, Mr Connor.
Mm.
Neither is being hauled off the street for no reason, and kept in a cell for three days while some rat-faced detective kicks the shit out of you.
Hehe only stopped when he drew blood and I told him I had AIDS.
I couldn't give him an alibi.
My lover was married.
Gays had never been so unpopular.
After all, we brought in the plague.
It's not like that now, sir.
No.
No.
Now, I'd get 100 grand in compensation.
Then, I got three broken ribs and a black eye.
McFadden has persecuted Edward Connor and took his eye completely off the ball.
SOCO can't find any crime stains to reanalyse.
This should have been solved back then.
Now we've got nothing to go on.
Think I'll go home and cuddle my boys.
Which they'll hate, of course.
Night-night, guv.
Wait.
Listen to this.
READS: Mum picked me up from school.
I played outside for a bit.
I was feeling ill because of my cold.
Mum was going out.
I put on pyjamas.
Dad made tea - tomato soup and Dairylea sandwiches.
I went to bed.
I didn't wake till Mum said the police wanted to speak to me next morning.
Does that ring any bells? That's the statement we took from Julia this afternoon.
Wrong.
It's the statement Jeff McFadden took in 1983.
It's practically word for word.
Well, what you make of it? Well, maybe Tommy going missing was so traumatic for her, that day was etched on her brain forever.
No.
To her, the trauma didn't occur until the next day.
The night before was a normal night.
She didn't know there was anything to witness.
Or a story to perfect.
She's lying.
After you.
Blimey, what's he done wrong? I take it you're not here to buy flowers.
Maybe in a few weeks, for Tommy's funeral.
But we need to solve the case first.
Well, I've told you what I know.
You told us exactly what you told the police in 1983.
That's what happened.
Well, not quite, Julia.
Because one of your ex-neighbours told us that she saw you with Tommy.
Yet you told us you hadn't seen him.
It was a long time ago.
Which is why we'd like to take an hour to go over that day.
Listen, I was eight years old, OK? I don't want to go back to that day.
I am really sorry about Tommy.
But it's in the past.
Tell that to his mother.
Julia - I'm sorry.
I'm very busy.
I've got work to do.
I take that as a no.
I take that as a sign she's got something to hide.
It's possible someone told her what to say.
She was sworn to secrecy.
Not necessarily.
As a child, you can be coaxed into believing an alternative version of events.
If what she witnessed was traumatic, then the real memory could have been repressed, because it was just too hard to process.
So, she doesn't know what she's hiding? What can we do? We could try EMDR.
Come again? It's a process that involves the patient following an object with their eyes.
Oh, he's good at that.
It's used to treat post-traumatic stress sufferers.
It helps with the healing.
It's also used to help stimulate the processing system and retrieve lost memories.
I don't know.
Sounds like a load of old mumbo-jumbo to me, hypnotising.
EMDR's not hypnosis, Ronnie.
It's a form of psychotherapy.
If Dr Rawls thinks it's a good idea, I believe her.
Anyway, it's not like we've got a whole bag full of other options.
All right.
I ain't sleeping well cos I'm wondering what Tommy Keegan's mum is going through.
If it'll give her a bit of peace, it is worth a go.
But first, we'll have to convince Julia Mortimer.
I don't have any buried memories.
How would you know? Dr Rawls can help you remember what really happened.
She's used the technique before with good results.
They're nice flowers, Julia.
Gladioli.
Knights used wear the roots under their armour for protection.
Maybe we should try it.
You are our only hope.
We would like to find out who killed your friend.
But it's your choice, Julia.
Have a think about it.
I keep seeing Tommy's face.
Frightened.
Crying.
Calling out my name.
And I don't know if it's my imagination or if I'm remembering it.
Could she help me with that? Mum got cross.
Because I'd been to the shop and bought sweets.
She found them in my pencil case.
Called me her little liar.
I went out into the street.
I did see Tommy.
He waved at me.
Threw his ball for me to catch.
Mum told me to come back indoors.
"I was getting into bed when the doorbell rang.
It was Tommy.
He wanted to make sure I was OK.
" Vernon never mentioned Tommy calling round.
Tommy didn't stay.
Julia's dad sent him away.
And then she went to bed.
I keep getting her to the point where she remembers waking up, but I can't get her beyond that.
This is getting us nowhere slowly.
Give it a chance.
She's shutting down for a reason.
I can't do this to order.
Sometimes it takes years.
I woke up.
Wanted my dad.
I looked for him everywhere.
Kept calling out for him.
He must have gone out.
I'm scared.
What did you do, Julia? I went out of the flat.
Look at the light.
You went out of the flat.
The basement light was on.
I could see it through a crack in the door.
I walked towards it.
I opened the door.
Oh, God, can we stop? It's OK.
You're safe.
Please.
You're doing so well, Julia.
Keep going.
You opened the door.
I went down the stairs.
My dad was there with his back to me.
I was so glad to see him.
Oh, God.
What's wrong? It's Tommy.
He's got blood on his head and his hair, and he's not moving.
Where is he, Julia? He's on the ground.
At my dad's feet.
"It's Tommy.
He's got blood on his head and his hair, and he's not moving.
" "Where is he, Julia?" "He's on the ground.
At my dad's feet.
" What do you think? She's not faking it.
She didn't want to remember.
It took seven sessions to get her there.
She's telling the truth.
Yeah, but will a jury believe her? Building a case on this evidence It all hinges on Julia Mortimer being a credible witness.
She at least deserves the chance to be heard.
I'll talk to her.
Why are you estranged from your parents? Dad's always interfering.
Every time one of my relationships falls apart, he gloats.
And when my last marriage ended, I just .
.
I couldn't face him.
Must be tough on your mum.
Dad's her world.
No-one else matters.
Why did your marriage end? My husband cheated on me.
Hardly your dad's fault.
Was your father violent? No.
Even the night he talked me through the story, he wasn't angry.
He was crying.
Sorry for himself.
You hate your dad, don't you? No.
Long before you allegedly remember what he did.
I thought you believed me.
This is a vendetta against him, done to punish him.
A man who's shown you nothing but love all your life.
He terrified me.
He kept telling me about all the bad men out there.
And all the time, I was holding the bad man's hand.
I grew up with my best friend rotting in the basement.
Yes, I want him punished.
For what he did to Tommy.
Thank you.
I apologise.
I hope you understand why I had to do that.
Now we build a case.
Julia's evidence is nothing if not backed up by some hard facts.
OK.
So, we get everything we can on Mortimer as quietly as possible.
Find out why he might attack and kill a small boy, so that we can corroborate what she saw.
If we don't, that's it.
Phillipa Keegan will live her life without her son's killer being brought to justice.
The system failed her once.
We can't let that happen again.
James, you're never going to believe this.
Doug Greer, Mortimer's lawyer, called.
He's coming in with the Mortimers tomorrow.
Julia told her father what she's doing.
Why the hell would she do that? She was angry.
Ranting, according to Greer.
I mean, you wound her up and sent her off.
It's a lie.
I don't know why she's doing this.
Look on the Net at all the forums for people with fake memories.
All around the world, women blaming their eating disorders on some fabricated crisis from their past.
Innocent parents accused, left, right and centre.
Just like my client.
It's my duty to look at the facts.
Yes, but you don't know our daughter, Mr Steel.
She has a habit of running off with unsuitable men who bleed her dry.
We pick up the pieces.
All her life, Vernon's done nothing but take care of her.
She lives in our flat, rent-free.
He pays the lease on her shop and this is how she thanks him.
She's not herself, Catherine.
You don't know how suggestible she is.
I'm worried sick about her.
Look at me.
Are you really going to put me through this? I'm not saying you're guilty.
I'm saying there's a case worth prosecuting.
Then the jury can decide.
Yes, but it will ruin us.
It will ruin the reputation of the CPS first.
A 25-year-old case that doesn't dignify the word evidence.
A witness with zero credibility.
You might want to think about that.
Good day.
Unbelievable.
If your husband was accused of murdering a child, would you sit there and talk about your reputation? Tell me you've got something.
Ladbroke Grove Life & Casualty.
Mortimer got sacked in 1986.
I've spoken to five people.
No-one will tell me why.
Doorstep them.
After you.
Thank you.
Take a seat.
Chief executive officer back then? You must have been rather young.
And upwardly mobile.
Got a lot to thank old Maggie for, eh? I had my first alcoholic drink the day she resigned.
Asti Spumante.
Our estate celebrated for a week.
How very urban.
Vernon Mortimer.
Did you know him well? He was a good salesman.
Vernon could sell fire insurance to Eskimos, even after a liquid lunch.
Then why did you sack him? We all have our demons.
What were his demons? Is it to do with young boys? I'm investigating the murder of a child.
We did a job once, in Birmingham.
On the way back, the train stopped at High Wycombe.
He went to the loo.
I went to the bar and had a few too many.
Next thing I know, he's with some policeman.
A 13, 14-year-old boy said .
.
Vernon made a pass at him.
More than 20 years ago now.
Weren't just him.
I was experimenting.
Gave him the come-on and then I lost my bottle.
What exactly did he do? He offered me £20.
It was something in his eyes, though, like he hated himself for doing it.
I turned it down.
He grabbed me and said, "All right, £50, you little shit.
" I kicked him and ran.
Funny thing was, though, out there in the daylight, he just just looked sad.
Kept saying, "I'm sorry".
Even tried to give me the 50 quid.
The policemen called him a sick, disgusting man.
Took a statement.
But the case never went to trial.
My parents suspected I was gay, but didn't want the neighbours knowing I hung around station toilets.
So, they wouldn't let you give evidence? They took me to see a shrink instead.
She said it's not about sex when it's adults with kids, it's about power.
Somebody they can control.
The judge won't allow Kevin Jackson's evidence.
It was sexual conduct, rather than violence, which is what we're prosecuting.
Any application on that basis is bound to fail.
The sexual abuse probably led to violence.
We can fill in the gaps all that we like, but that's not the way the law works.
It's time to let this go.
We can't.
Julia Mortimer will go into the witness box with nothing to back her up.
Her dear old dad is an elderly pillar of the community.
He was 39, strong and dangerous back then.
That's how we must see him, not as some frail old pensioner.
But that's what he'll look like to the jury.
It's just not worth the risk.
My son is eight too.
No parent would say that.
Phillipa Keegan has suffered enough - And should be spared the pain of a trial.
And I'm a dad too.
Remember? Hello.
Castle? Just a second.
It's Dr Rawls.
It came back to her in our session this morning.
"Dad would come into my room at night, read me a story.
He'd lie on the bed, touch me.
Kiss me on the lips.
Stroke me under my nightdress.
I told my mum.
And she said that if it told anyone else, that I'd never see my dad again.
That's when it stopped.
" It's my fault.
He couldn't have me, so he moved on to Tommy.
Mr Mortimer, you stand charged on this indictment with murder.
How do you plead, guilty or not guilty? Not guilty.
Is the defendant on bail? Yes, My Lady, with a number of conditions.
He's lodged a surety in the sum of £30,000, surrendered his passport, is subject to daily reporting at Lewes police station.
Bailed as before.
I want to withdraw.
You can't.
We've come too far.
We've built the case.
But this is killing him.
My mother said he's losing his mind.
She's trying to manipulate you, Julia.
He's my dad.
He's 65.
He will die in jail.
He killed an eight-year-old child.
Walk away, he'll never pay for what he did to Tommy.
I was better off not knowing.
Tommy's mum is on her way.
Please, Julia.
Wait.
I didn't realise you had an appointment.
Julia just showed up.
I am so sorry about Tommy.
You were joined at the hip, you two, weren't you? You played weddings with my veil.
I would love to have seen him married.
Don't, please.
I'm not sure I can do this.
Your father held me while I cried.
He drove me round and round, day and night, searching.
And all the time, he knew.
Tommy wouldn't go to that basement.
He said there was a monster down there.
There was, wasn't there? Yeah.
You've got to help me.
Tell me, James, exactly how much research have you done on your key - oh, sorry - only witness? I believe her and the jury will too.
Not when they hear where she spent her summer holiday last year.
Little clue.
The staff wear white coats.
Hm? Let's go.
Tommy was seven when his father died of leukaemia.
And that brought us closer.
Did your son have a relationship with the defendant? Yes.
Mr Mortimer started helping us out after my husband died.
And what did you personally witness in this relationship? He'd arrange treats for him.
He took him to see West Ham play.
Tommy's dad used to support them.
Once, he came home with one of the players' autographs and I remember thinking that at least he had a father figure.
Thank you, Mrs Keegan.
No further questions.
Did you tell the police about my client's relationship with your son? No.
So, it didn't seem unusual? It's the strangers you worry about.
Not the nice man over the road.
If you were as close as you claim, you would have noticed if something was wrong.
Yes.
No.
Because I trusted Vernon.
Mr Mortimer.
And continued to do so, until this hysterical notion was planted.
If I'd have known, I would have kept him away.
Well, maybe there was nothing to know.
No further questions.
You do know I'll demolish Julia Mortimer in the witness box tomorrow? She's a mess, James.
You're right.
She's long since learned not to trust her own mind.
Tomorrow might break her.
That's not what I want.
If you cared for her, you'd confess.
How can you say I don't care? I love my daughter! Don't get involved.
Don't look for absolution from me.
I'm a good man.
I've worked hard all my life.
Don't Don't you walk away from me! You don't know me! Tell me about the day Thomas Keegan disappeared.
Erm I saw him outside the house briefly.
Later on, he came to the door.
I thought my dad sent him away.
What else happened that evening? I wasn't well.
I went to bed early.
Ermwhen I woke up, the flat was empty.
I went outside and I saw that the basement light was on.
I went down some steps.
And my dad was there.
Tommy was lying at his feet.
He had blood on his head.
What happened then? ErmDad My father, he saw me, and he shouted at me to go back to bed.
He came running at me, up the stairs, eyes all bulging out.
And I ran to my bedroom, but later he came in.
And he hugged me.
And he told me that I'd had a nightmare because I was ill.
And that if I told anyone about the nightmare, then I would lose him forever.
When did you remember all this? When I started doing therapy with Dr Rawls.
And I also remembered that my father sexually abused me when I was seven years old And when I told my mother, it stopped.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Prior to the past few weeks, Miss Mortimer, when did you last see your parents? Erm about a year ago.
Long time.
Why is that? Ever since I was a child, Dad tried to control me.
Did they treat you badly when small? Well, there was the abuse.
Ah, yes.
The abuse.
It suddenly came back to you while you were moving your eyes back and forth.
Much like the memory of your father with Tommy's corpse.
Did yourdelusions last year include images of blood or basements? No, you don't understand.
I think I do.
You have always been resentful of your father, because he told you the hard truths that you didn't want to hear.
And when you heard that Tommy's bones had been found, you wanted revenge.
No.
He did it! That is why, all my life, he has been there watching me! Good job.
He warned you off the then forced you to have an abortion, which made you sterile at the age of, what, 15? That's hardly relevant.
What is your point, Mr Greer? That Miss Mortimer's life is a catalogue of disastrous relationships.
She is deeply unstable.
Mum, I told you what he did to me and you blamed me! You called me a dirty, precocious little whore! You always took his side! And there you have it.
The sole motivation of this hysterical witch-hunt.
A spoilt child who resents the bond between her.
.
I can't .
.
loving parents.
Thank you, Mr Greer.
I can'tI can't take it.
Great.
Our main witness falls to pieces in the witness box.
So, now the jury think she's a hysterical mess and they'll side with her dad.
We've got nothing left.
We've lost.
There's one last chance.
Vernon himself.
He knows why Julia fell apart in the box.
He's carried that guilt for 20 years.
Imagine what that's done to him.
And how is he going to respond under pressure? I I cared about Thomas.
So much so that you abused him, just like you abused your own daughter.
I never hurt her.
Oh, you did, Mr Mortimer.
And you're still hurting her now, aren't you? You saw her in the witness box.
It didn't look much like she was gloating, did it? More like she was falling apart.
Mr Steel's opinions are neither here nor there.
You didn't just destroy one family, Mr Mortimer.
You destroyed your own.
Are you ever going to make it right for your daughter? Or for Tommy? Will you ever take responsibility for the damage you caused? The damage you continue to cause.
When are you going to be a father again? I sexually assaulted my daughter when she was seven years old.
It went on for four months.
Julia, she told her mother, who said she'd call the police My lady, this is most irregular.
.
.
if I ever did it again.
May I ask the jury to retire? This is my turn to talk! The jury will hear what Mr Mortimer has to say, Mr Greer.
Go on.
I didn't know where to get help.
I took work away from home.
I approached young boys in toilets.
But they were strangers.
When Thomas's dad died, all I wanted to do was help.
We got close.
Oh, I came to love him like he was my own son.
I made him do things to me.
For six months.
In return for treats.
He wanted to stop.
Said it felt wrong.
We were in the basement.
He said he was going to tell his mother.
Tried to get away.
There was a hammer .
.
by the boiler.
I hit him with it.
The side of his head.
Just the once.
I didn't mean to kill him.
I didn't want to lose you! What did you do then, Mr Mortimer? I I put him inside the fireplace.
I bricked it up.
My boy! I'm sorry.
My boy! Mrs Keegan.
Ronnie.
We got our man in the end.
We? Did you know? I just wanted us to be a family.
Well, wherewhere will you go?