The Long Shadow (2023) s01e06 Episode Script

1
All triple area sightings
is to go on a list,
any fella on that list
can expect a visit.
Well, let's hope their wives aren't in.
- Let's hope they are.
- Hey!
If their wives are
in, we tread carefully.
The last thing we want to
do is embarrass these men.
In our determination to catch this man
we're driving him out
of his comfort zone.
He is now making repeated mistakes.
Is it fair to say that
every woman is at risk?
Inadvertently.
So, Chief Constable,
what would your advice be
to the women of Yorkshire?
Stay home. Stay safe.
I want you to go into that
office and type up what's on here.
Who's it from?
So, we're all agreed. Whoever
wrote those letters, sent that tape.
- And if it's not him?
- It's him.
We call a press conference,
have it on television tonight.
Someone is going to know the voice.
The voice you're about to hear
is the man we believe to be
the so-called Yorkshire Ripper.
Thank you for calling
this freephone number.
After the tone, you will
hear the voice of the man
believed to be the Yorkshire Ripper.
If you recognise it, please
contact West Yorkshire Police.
I'm Jack.
I see you are still
having no luck catching me.
I have the greatest
respect for you, George,
but, Lord, you are no
nearer catching me now
than four years ago when I started.
I reckon your boys are
letting you down, George.
They can't be much good, can they?
- Millgarth incident room?
- Are you still in touch with him?
OK, can you describe him for me, please?
From Roker but moved to Ryhope
Works in Kirkgate Market. Thank you.
No, that's very useful. Will
you just hold the line for me?
Good morning, Millgarth incident room?
Short hair. Short temper, did you say?
Can you speak up for me?
Were there any peculiarities?
COUGHING All right?
Says I can take two
spoonfuls every four hours.
Right
Let's get this done, and then we'll
get down to Wakefield, see Gregory.
- Oldfield.
- I've got Mike Dugdale.
Yeah. Send him through.
Mike?
Look, I can put this on the front
page again, but I need a quote.
Something from you, give the
readers a sense of how it's going.
Well, tell them it's going fine.
Fucking hell, is that
the best you can do?
It's hardly Oscar Wilde, is it?
Oh, aye? Tell 'em 50,000
calls so far to the hotline,
2,000 calls coming into
the station every day
and we're closer to catching
this bastard than ever.
Yeah, not before time an' all.
Right, in light of the
letters and the tape,
there are five points of elimination.
One: the Ripper must be
born between 1924 and 1959.
He must not be coloured.
Can you take that off the hook, please?
- What if it's important?
- They'll call back, won't they?
Just do as you're told,
take it off the hook.
He must not have a shoe
size bigger than a 9.
He must be blood group B, same
as whoever killed Joan Harrison
Take them off the hook
for two bastard minutes!
Right, finally. He must
speak with a Geordie accent.
Anybody not meeting these
five points, they're gone.
- Is that clear?
- Sir.
- Is it clear?
- Yes, boss.
Good. Now, just put the phones
back on, get back to work. Let's go.
Jim
you're coming too, apparently.
I've been questioned
once already. End of '77.
Like I said, these are
just routine inquiries.
Have you been to Huddersfield,
Leeds and Bradford
in the last 12 months, Mr Watkins?
This is about your blue Ford Escort.
Well, yeah, I travel for work.
Have you ever visited
a prostitute, Mr Neale?
We can do this here or we can
take you down to the station.
Once. Maybe twice.
But never in Huddersfield.
Sugar?
Two, please.
What about Bradford or Leeds?
I'm not sure.
So, you don't know where your
husband goes at night, Mrs Ashworth?
At-at night?
Only he's been spotted out,
driving late in the evenings.
Well, if he goes anywhere,
it'll be to see his parishioners.
Alan always makes sure to make time.
Why?
Does he look like someone
who goes off with prossies?
He's got no need, he's got me!
It's all right, they're
only doing t'job.
Would you be willing to provide
us with a handwriting sample?
Maybe a letter or a page from a diary.
It's not him!
Right, so let's prove
it, and then that way,
we won't have to come back a third time.
- Sir.
- Sir.
There's an advertising
agency overseeing it.
Budget's a million
pounds. Unprecedented.
If ever there was a moment
to capitalise on the interest
of the tape, this is it.
We push on every front,
television, radio.
We're talking 5,500
billboards across the country.
Well, it's a mistake.
No more talk of prostitutes,
this is all about the voice.
- It's a mistake.
- Explain.
- Well, we can't cope.
- Who can't?
Nobody. The bloody
building can't even cope.
Had to reinforce the floor
'cos of all the index cards.
We're taking thousands
of calls a day as it is.
We carry on with this Project R
- then the numbers are just gonna go
- What?
What are they going to
do, George? Double? Treble?
What the hell does it matter, if
it gets us the one call we need?
What the hell does it matter?
Well, I say we don't do it.
Well, you don't get to decide.
You don't get to decide
because you have failed.
The most wanted man of the century,
more resources than anyone, ever
and you and you
and you have failed.
- Yes?
- A Detective Nevill, calling from Scotland Yard, sir.
One moment. My current
meeting's just finishing.
A fucking advertising agency?
Chief Constable, this is Jim Nevill.
I'm calling on behalf of Sir David.
- He has asked me to call and arrange a visit.
- To London?
Well, he thought it might be more
effective if he came to see you.
Says he feels like it's a trip
he should have made a long time ago.
What a tremendous idea.
Make an arrangement with Pam,
and I look forward to seeing you.
There has never been
an inquiry of this scale
in the annals of police history.
The reward being offered for
information leading to an arrest
currently stands at £30,000.
Are you sure this is the
voice of the Ripper himself?
Oh, most certainly.
We shall be publishing
copies of the letters
in 300 newspapers across Britain.
And repeating that information
on television, on radio,
and various publicity
points across the north.
The message from George
and his team is clear -
even if you have only
the slightest inkling,
about a man at work, an uncle, a
chap who lives down the street
call us. Contact us.
Help bring the worst killer in
British criminal history to justice.
Any questions?
Chief Constable, how can you be so sure
that that is the voice
of the Ripper himself?
It's OK, I've got it.
- Mr Peter Sutcliffe?
- Yes.
I'm Detective Constable Laptew,
this is Sergeant Robert Blake.
We're making house visits in
relation to t'Ripper inquiry.
Am I right in saying you're the
owner of a black Sunbeam Rapier?
Not for about a year.
Right, but you did own one?
I did, aye.
Mind if we come in?
No problem.
What do you do for a
living, Mr Sutcliffe?
I'm a lorry driver.
Have you had a visit before at
all? Have any of our colleagues
The lads are doing house visits
for the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry.
Now's the chance to get rid
of your husband if you want to,
Mrs Sutcliffe.
- Would either of you like a cup of tea?
- I'd love a glass of water.
Your Sunbeam Rapier has been
spotted in three red-light areas
relevant to our inquiries.
Manningham, over 30 times.
Leeds. Manchester.
Why might that've been, Peter?
Well, I go through
Manningham red-light district
on my way into work. I'd
be hard pushed to avoid it.
Er, Leeds, I went to not so long ago.
I dropped Sonia off to meet some
friends. Chapeltown, that were.
And what about Manchester?
When?
- February.
- February
Why would my car have been
in Manchester in February?
It's not just the car.
These are sightings of males
alone in cars. Thank you.
- Well, when in February?
- The 16th. A Tuesday.
That wouldn't have been our
Peter. We barely ever go out.
- Certainly not on a Tuesday.
- Well, the thing is, Mrs Sutcliffe
You'll have made a mistake.
Peter would have been working.
And if not, he would've
been here with me.
Would you be willing to provide
us with a handwriting sample?
Aye. Yeah, no problem.
- What shoe size are you, Peter?
- Why?
Never mind why.
An 8. 8-and-a-half.
You never owned a shoe or a
boot smaller than 8-and-a-half?
Why would I want to do that?
I'm sorry to ask
what about prostitutes?
In all of your visits
to these red-light areas,
have you ever used prostitutes?
I wouldn't want to do that either.
We need you to help us find the
man they call the Yorkshire Ripper.
Gather round, everyone,
and listen to the tape.
Nice and quiet now, please, so
that everybody can hear it properly.
I have come here tonight to
play you a tape of the man
who we believe to be the
so-called Yorkshire Ripper.
If you recognise the voice,
don't hesitate in coming forward.
- I'm Jack
- Listen, then look at the writing.
Who do you know who might
have handwriting like that?
I have the greatest
respect for you, George
This is not a man with devil horns.
You are no nearer catching
me now than four years ago
He's a dad.
A brother.
A son.
I reckon your boys are
letting you down, George.
And he lives in one of these houses.
You can help us now.
You can tell us exactly who he is.
Right, well, sorry to bother you again.
I know you've already spoken
to our colleague DCS Domaille,
but you've also spoken to the
man that we're looking for.
You've spoken to the
Ripper. You heard his voice.
That's right, love.
I don't know if you're
aware, but he's sent a tape,
so we've heard it too now. So
It would be very helpful for us
if you can confirm that this
voice is the man we're looking for.
There are those in our organisation
don't believe it's him, you see.
It's not him.
Well, let's take a
listen first, shall we?
I don't need to have a listen.
I've heard it on t'news. It's not him.
Well, let's just listen, shall we?
Carefully, and then we'll discuss it.
I'm Jack.
I see you are still
having no luck catching me.
I have the greatest
respect for you, George,
but, Lord, you are no
nearer catching me now
than four years ago when I started.
I reckon your boys are
letting you down, George.
That's not the man who attacked me.
They can't be much good, can they?
The only time they came near
Well, I think you'll find it is.
No, love. He were a Yorkshireman.
You said it were a gentle voice.
Aye, 'cos it were. It were soft.
What size feet did he have?
- How would I know?
- Roughly.
I've got I've got no idea.
I don't want any messing
about here, Olive.
If the man who attacked
you were not the Ripper,
well, then it's time to
come clean and tell us.
I trust the evidence over some woman
who's been banged about the head.
Sir David. Ronald.
- Jim.
- Chief Constable.
Follow me.
"Never an inquiry of this scale
in the annals of police history."
Those were your words
when you announced the
launch of this Project R.
I saw that the other day,
and I thought to myself,
"Aye, I suppose that must be true."
In this country, undoubtedly.
You know, Ron, there comes a point
when your inability to catch this man
becomes a matter of national concern.
Well, it's certainly a concern
for all of us on the
West Yorkshire Force.
Our greatest priority.
But I don't know of anyone who
believes this series of crimes
will extend beyond the north of England.
That's not what he's saying.
Four years, 11 murders.
- A succession of Senior Investigating Officers
- No arrests.
No arrests. Barely any suspects,
or have I got that wrong?
That's not entirely
This is starting to affect
the public's confidence
in the police as a whole, nationally.
That is what he is saying.
This Project R, to see it another way,
this is just you highlighting
your own shortcomings.
"We need your help to
catch the Ripper " ie,
" because we can't do it ourselves."
Josephine Whitaker. She
was not a prostitute.
- No
- Jayne MacDonald. She was not a prostitute.
And yet you maintain that this man
is hunting prostitutes. You insist.
And insist that he's a Geordie.
Those are the findings of
George Oldfield and his team
- But, Ronald
- A very experienced team.
But, Ronald!
The buck stops with you. This is on you.
Downing Street called me.
Asked whether this wasn't the
time for the Met to get involved.
An internal review
from Jim here, perhaps.
To which I said no.
Such an imposition
could never be possible.
Not unless Ronald Gregory could
be persuaded to meet with us
and, er, sanction such
a thing personally.
His shoe size were an 8.
He said 8, 8-and-a-half.
And put that he's a lorry driver,
so he'll have access to tools.
- Gap in his teeth.
- This is Marilyn Moore's file.
Photofit done December '77.
What do you wanna do?
Only about half of the
people whose voices we like
have given a writing sample.
This one's not far off.
The G's and the P's.
But then again, "You say seven,
but remember Preston '75."
The Y's are completely different.
Right, so we should eliminate
that and move on, yeah? David?
David?
What date was this sent?
This first letter to Oldfield?
It was, erm last year. Erm
March 8th, '78.
Yeah.
And when was Donna DeAngelo found?
DeAngelo was, er, found
after the letter came
- April 10th, '78.
- Yeah, April 10th, '78.
So, the letter is 8th of March.
DeAngelo is found 10th of April.
So we have McCann, one.
Jackson, two. Richardson, three.
Atkinson, four. MacDonald, five.
Jordan, six. Rytka, seven.
- And then March 8th, '78
- The letter.
And then the letter. It says,
"You say seven but
remember Preston '75."
Meaning, er, Harrison's linked.
Meaning eight.
And then on the 10th of April,
Donna DeAngelo is found
underneath the mattress.
David, where are you going with this?
DeAngelo becomes number nine.
She was found April 10th, a
month after the letter arrived.
But here's the question: how
long had poor Donna DeAngelo
been lying dead
underneath that mattress?
Two months. Two months.
Meaning she was killed
Before the letter was sent.
Now, here's a man who is
keen on making sure Oldfield
gets the total number of victims right.
So why no mention of DeAngelo?
Why does our man with the Geordie accent
fail to mention so recent a victim?
Because he doesn't know about her.
And why doesn't our man with the
Geordie accent know about her ?
Because he's not the Ripper.
- Meg, I need to get
- That's OK.
So he lives where, sorry?
Newtown Farm Estate?
And what's his name, please?
- Is Nunn in?
- No, I don't think so.
Sir.
I think we might have something.
Lorry driver. From Bradford.
- I visited him last week.
- Geordie accent?
He's a dead ringer for
t'Marilyn Moore Photofit.
Shoe size is close, but
here's the bit that gets me.
This is from t'Jackson scene.
Now, we only noticed this the other day.
The right boot, 8, faded. Look.
Like he's been using that bit
of his foot more than t'rest.
Well, he's a lorry driver, in't he?
So he'll have been pressing on t'pedal.
How many times?
Sir?
Has he got a Geordie fucking accent?
- No.
- Thank you. That's all I wanted.
The body of Barbara Leach,
a 20-year-old university
student from Kettering
was found on Monday afternoon.
She left the Mannville
Arms around one o'clock
and was walking home alone in the
dark, when somewhere along the way
she met the man they
call the Yorkshire Ripper.
Miss Leach becomes the 12th victim
and the third in the Bradford area.
Like Josephine Whitaker,
Miss Leach had no links to prostitution
- and was murdered nowhere near
- What's this?
- a red-light district.
- She was a student. Like Jackie.
In Leeds?
Bradford. She was just walking home.
The truth is, they couldn't
do much to stop him.
For, even with his voice
on tape, his handwriting
and the evidence of 12 murders,
they still don't know who he is,
leaving many women afraid
to walk the streets at night.
I don't go out to pubs and clubs.
It's not just pubs and
clubs, it's anywhere.
And if you do go out, go
out in a group or a pair.
But never alone. D'you understand?
Mam, I get it.
I don't want anything
to happen to me either.
I love you.
- I love you, too.
- Yeah. Bye.
OK, bye.
I'll be one minute.
Have you seen this?
Look at her. She's just a child.
No, you daft 'apeth. No,
the article on t'other page.
Oh, right.
All the papers are saying the same.
They're all saying
they've not got a clue.
- It proves nothing.
- It's a vital detail.
If we spent our time worrying
about what criminals didn't tell us,
we'd drive ourselves fucking daft!
He's also stopped going for prostitutes
in case you hadn't noticed.
He's stopped 'cos we've driven
him out of t'red-light districts.
Maybe we should stop
patrolling them, hm?
Say that again?
Well, he might come back, stop
going after innocent lasses.
I can't believe I'm hearing this!
I do not think the man
on the tape is the Ripper.
- You've made that clear.
- I want that on record.
But you're wrong.
There are things in those
letters and on that tape
that only the Ripper would know.
You not heard about the
similarities between our letters
and the ones sent to
the inquiry in London?
- Yes, I have, thank you.
- Or has that passed you by and all?
Remember who you're fucking talking to!
Commander Nevill's here.
Sir. Mr Oldfield's asked me to
find you a desk somewhere quiet
so the noise in the incident room
doesn't put you off your work.
If you'd like to follow me?
Come on, ladies.
All right, ladies, that's us full now.
- You'll have to wait.
- Oh, come on.
- I'm only round the corner.
- Sorry, love.
I'll be back in 30
minutes. Get the door, love.
Will he be waiting up?
Oh, no. Thank goodness.
He's not been in the house for a while.
Oh, Meg.
Don't you dare.
- Night, love.
- Thank you.
Millgarth incident room, how can I help?
Hi, Jenny, you're on
KBC. What's your question?
Well, what I'd like to know is,
what if he just put on a
Geordie accent for the tape?
That's what nobody seems to be saying.
That's a really good question, Jenny.
We've been ask
Hey
Excuse me. Hey, wait a minute.
You dropped your keys, love.
There. See?
- You're a lucky lady.
- Thank you.
D'you wanna go for a drink?
- No.
- Oh, go on.
No. Thank you.
Grange Moor.
George? It's Mike Dugdale.
We're running a piece
tomorrow saying that
we've lost faith.
The nationals are saying the same.
George. It's out of control.
All the things I've done for you.
It's nothing personal.
He's killing the wives and
daughters of our readers.
They're fucking terrified.
Who was that?
What?
Hello? Mr Oldfield?
- Speaking.
- Oh, erm, this is Mrs MacDonald.
Irene MacDonald.
Jayne's mother.
Mrs MacDonald.
How can I help you, love?
Well, you know you came
to see us that time,
and you gave us your number and you
said we were to call you anytime.
Aye, I meant it.
Only we heard the tape, you see.
The voice.
And it got us thinking
Now, this were five, six years ago now,
but we went on holiday to Scotland.
And there were this man
staying at the hotel
and he were a Geordie.
James, he were called. Or Jim.
Do you need a minute to find a pen?
Thank you.
Jim. Average height. Fair hair.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs MacDonald.
Only They want us to
think now, don't they?
It said in t'paper
he could be anybody.
Nobody knows.
Thank you, Mrs MacDonald.
And I meant what I said, you know, if
you think of anything, then
you just call me, all right?
No woman is safe,
with bank workers, students,
baby sitters all being killed?
Well, what women need to
do, and George has said this,
is make sure they do not
go out alone, late at night.
Is that the official advice?
Well, that's just common sense.
How would you best characterise the
system that you have in place here?
The system's the same system as
is put in place for any murder.
But this being several murders,
that system has become overburdened.
"Overburdened." "At a maximum."
Depends what word you wanna use.
I want to use the word overburdened.
We haven't spent all this
money and done nothing.
We've tried to catch the man
who's committing all these murders.
So if I were to ask you to
bring me all the evidence
pertaining to a Joe Bloggs,
how would you do that?
That depends. Does
Joe Bloggs drive a car?
- No idea.
- Sorry?
That's what I mean. You tell me.
Well, you'd look under B,
for Bloggs. Then J, for Joe.
Then it'll come down to which
Joe Bloggs you're on about,
'cos there'll be more
than one, name like that.
It's 12-hour days, six days a week.
But we don't mind that,
'cos we want him caught.
And nobody does more
hours than Mr Oldfield.
Where is Mr Oldfield?
Well, I've been told he's
got a chest infection.
Meaning he's unfit to lead?
- I can't think of anyone fitter.
- What would George say if,
in my report,
I were to recommend a
different approach here?
- A new way of doing things?
- Honestly?
Please.
I think he'd say you
should get back to London,
concentrate on catching
your own Ripper first,
then once that's done,
you'd be more than welcome
to come back up here
and tell us all how it's done.
Is there anything else about this
case that you want to tell me?
Anything you feel we could learn from?
Only that SHE SIGHS
Go on.
Only that they say
there's been 12 victims.
But you think there are more?
There will be.
People's lives will
carry on being destroyed.
Until they catch this man.
No.
Long after that.
Tonight, we bring you a special
report on the Yorkshire Ripper,
asking if the police are
looking for the wrong man.
Some senior police
officers and other observers
fear that the investigators could
be so entrenched in their beliefs
about the kind of man they're hunting,
that the killer has been overlooked.
I reckon your boys are
letting you down, George.
They can't be much good, can they?
It has been four years
since the first killing,
nearly two months since
the murder of Barbara Leach
and the Yorkshire Ripper
investigation needs a fresh mind.
Many are feeling that George Oldfield,
who recently stepped back from the
investigation due to health issues,
has become too close and too
personally involved in the case
to view the matter objectively.
Tonight, we take a look at
what has been going wrong
for the UK's biggest manhunt.
What Jasper means is
that nobody in this room
works for the Probation Service
itself, we're volunteers.
I'm Ruth. This is Tina, Tony
and, of course, Jasper,
who is our chair.
We visit prisoners.
Prisoners who don't have
anyone else to visit them
and prisoners' partners, for support.
Everyone does what they can
but we can always do more.
Tonight is just an
opportunity for us all to meet
and for anyone to ask any questions.
Yes?
Do we get to choose who we visit?
Well, I don't want to go see
a some kind of pervert.
It's a very good question. Erm
you don't have to meet
anyone you don't want to.
But what I would say is
depending on how long they've served,
the man that you meet in prison
is not necessarily the man
who committed the crime.
But if you're unsure,
it's better to know.
If you sign up and don't turn up,
you're not letting us down
it's the prisoners.
But a good question,
thank you. Anybody else?
OK, well, I'll pass
it back to you, Jasper.
I've been reading up.
I think it's important people do this.
Why are you so certain?
- Because punishment's not enough.
- My dad says it's too good for some.
There's no point just
locking people away,
whatever terrible thing
they might have done.
They need to get better.
So we can all get better.
Or does it not work like that?
It doesn't work like that, Jackie,
but I rather think it should.
What were her name?
Thanks for letting me know, Dick.
Can you tell me what
sort of accent he's got?
- They could have saved her.
- What?
Two students found her handbag on
the road at ten o'clock last night.
The bag had blood on it.
They've given it to the police
and they've told 'em to look for Jackie,
look for her straight away,
and they've done nothing!
They've not looked for her.
No, no! She might've been alive.
She might've been alive
So sorry
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
We have already made a statement,
and as the investigation is ongoing,
we will only be taking a
limited number of questions.
Had you looked for her at the
point you found the handbag,
there's a chance she
might have survived.
Is this true?
It's easy to say they should
have found the body sooner.
Maybe they should.
But what should've been
done and, with hindsight,
what might have been done,
is, of course, pure conjecture.
Should Scotland Yard be
taking over the inquiry now?
Scotland Yard sent one of their
very best men to see us not long ago,
and I don't think it
would be an understatement
to say that he was rather
impressed by what he saw.
Chief Constable!
Oh, hell, what are they doing here?
What makes them think that we
would ever want to talk to them?
What if we can say something
that makes her be more careful?
Who be more careful?
The next lass.
I want to ask everyone, not
just in Leeds or around Leeds,
but the whole of the country,
to please help us find the
person who killed my daughter.
He could live in a mansion,
or a block of flats or down the street.
Perhaps he lives in your house.
He lives somewhere.
He works for someone.
But please please think.
Shall I put the kettle on?
Doreen?
Doreen.
What are you doing?
Doreen, what
Doreen ?
OK, if everyone's ready,
let's go and meet on the front lawns,
and we'll walk into town from there.
All right, let's do it. Come on!
Reclaim the nights!
Reclaim the nights! Reclaim the nights!
Women unite, reclaim the nights!
Wherever we go!
Women unite! Reclaim the night!
Women unite! Reclaim the night!
Five years is too long. No,
it's been going on too long.
If they can't If they
haven't caught him yet,
I don't think they ever will.
He won't be back in a hurry.
No.
But he'll turn up somewhere.
- Business?
- How much?
Ten pound.
With a rubber.
Go on, then.