Between the Lines (1992) s01e12 Episode Script

Here we go.
- Got the reg? - No probs.
This one's on offer for more than a letter home.
Let's go.
- You stay right where you are! - Hand me the keys! - we can knock this on the head now.
- Turn off the ignition.
- we need to have a quiet word.
- Take out the keys and give them to me.
All right.
All right.
You're doing your job but this thing doesn't have to go any further.
Now, step out the car.
- Name? - Urquhart.
Got any identification? well, sir you're under arrest.
Naylor.
Sorry to bring you in on this, guv.
King's Cross have nicked a big guv'nor for kerb crawling.
How big are we talking? Superintendent? Yeah, and it gets better.
It's only Billy Urquhart.
Did he say anything when he was brought in? Nothing of consequence.
Off the record, did he try it on? well, the old bollocks about how he knew my guv'nor and my guv'nor's guv'nor, and not to do anything hasty cos it'll all be squared up in the morning.
I decided not to hear all that.
He's in enough shit, isn't he? Yeah.
Billy Urquhart won't have any friends in the morning.
Erm Inspector Capstick, sir.
Commander Huxtable.
Morning, sir.
Sorry you've been disturbed.
Line of duty, Inspector.
Not a happy situation for any of us but you've done what's right.
- Sir.
- Good work.
- Mr Urquhart.
- Sir.
I have to serve notice on you of an inquiry into your conduct and inform you that you are suspended from duty until further notice.
Sir.
You will accompany my officers during a search of your premises.
For a kerb-crawling charge? It's no' ground for a spin.
Do you want to cooperate, Billy, or shall we do it the hard way? Now, you know what we're looking for.
with any luck we've got the son of a bitch.
There's no need for this.
I mean, you could have told that young copper to piss off.
You were working but you didn't want anything recorded in his pocketbook.
- why was that? - Let's get this done with.
Mrs Urquhart, I'm DS Clark.
This is Inspector Naylor.
Sergeant Connell.
They're giving us a spin.
what now? It's the middle of the night.
They've got their job to do, Sandra.
All this is totally uncalled for.
I know the ropes.
I'm willing to do the spare-the-job embarrassment.
I expect you could afford to retire very comfortably from the look of this place.
You're not dependent on a super's salary.
I know that.
Depends on how you manage your affairs, Mr Clark.
You're right.
we do have our modest comforts here, which are due largely to the contribution made by my wife.
Oh, bit of a choker for her that you were caught out tomming in the family limo.
My wife's backing me up all the way.
Partnership, Mr Clark.
You have to experience it to understand.
You walk off with that lot and the whole business will go down the tubes.
we won't keep it longer than necessary.
Tell me about the business.
well, you know about the business.
That's what this charade is all in aid of.
Tell me anyway.
It's a recruitment and personnel consultancy.
which involves? Recruiting staff to handle cash and sensitive information.
References don't tell you much and people don't have time to check them.
we take a lot of that off their hands.
- Positive vetting.
- Sometimes.
Sometimes just negative checks, unspent convictions, undischarged bankruptcies.
It depends what the client wants.
You get a lot of work from Ralston Publications & Leisure.
It's a thriving business.
So just how much would you be earning from Ralston? well, let's look and see.
And then we can all get to bed, eh? I don't know how long you're staying this time, but if you must leave your case in the middle of the room, you might at least put your clothes away in it.
Jenny, are you worrying about it? well, I would be, wouldn't I? In a few hours time, I've got to walk into your office, CIB and front up a load of bastards like you.
You know what you've got to say.
we've been through it.
Yeah, sure.
I know what to say.
You've nothing to worry about.
You're fireproof.
It's not just me, though, is it? Guv.
So what have we got? And I'm not asking about kerb crawling.
Urquhart's living way above his salary.
He puts it down to his wife's business.
Sandra Urquhart's got one really important client, Dennis Ralston.
Ralston's got form as a pimp and pornographer.
Urquhart, as a CID officer, has access to privileged information.
Not only can he warn Ralston when there's a raid but he can also feed him the dirt on his business associates, rivals, maybe more.
That's another line of enquiry altogether.
This is all hypothetical.
There's been stories about Urquhart since he was in the vice squad in the '70s.
why haven't we gone after Urquhart before? Cos he's fireproof.
But that's just canteen talk, sir.
It's simply that he's never given us enough to pull him on up to now.
None of this is proof.
And I'm looking for action to get that proof.
Action on Sandra Urquhart's business, action on Urquhart's conduct in Area HQ and action on Dennis Ralston.
Oh.
And be aware, there's a message in all this.
Nobody's fireproof.
How much did you know about the case? Nothing.
It wasn't our ground.
All I knew was an arrest was going down, they thought there might be aggravation and neighbouring units were called in to back up the CID.
So you arrived at Carswell's home in the panda, there was no aggravation - and Carswell didn't resist.
- That's right.
They brought him out.
Erm they all got in the CID car.
And when they started up, there was all black smoke coming out the exhaust.
- So DS Hargreaves got out - Did you know DS Hargreaves? Sorry, the officer I later learned to be DS Hargreaves got out, came over to me and said his vehicle was immobilised and could I offer assistance.
what, in those words? No, he said, "My big end's playing up, gorgeous.
Have you got the capacity?" And you agreed to give them a lift to their station? Sure.
I'd been sent to assist.
So Hargreaves and the two detective constables got into the panda.
- what was said? - who by? - Anybody.
- Erm The detectives were talking about how they'd have to get the car collected, how the garage sergeant would do his pieces.
Sort of chat you'd expect.
- And what was said by Carswell? - Nothing.
Are you sure about that? Yes.
You know what he's alleged to have said? That he hit Mace but didn't mean to kill him.
Yeah, words to that effect.
Did he say that? He didn't say anything.
- PNC checks you wanted.
- Cheers, Harry.
- Dennis Ralston.
- He's been a busy bugger.
How thick would it have been if he hadn't been bunging Urquhart? Yeah, well, there's knowing it and there's proving it.
- what's that? - Linda Jordan.
- The tom Urquhart picked up.
- Oh, yeah.
I've done some checks on her and all.
You weren't called as a witness at Carswell's trial? No.
Your testimony would have blown out the prosecution.
You must have been aware of that.
I didn't even know the trial was on.
It wasn't my case.
Run-of-the-mill killing by nightclub bouncer, I don't suppose the papers made much of it, did they? Perhaps not of the original trial, but the campaign once he was convicted and the appeal, that got a lot of attention.
Express, Mail, Sun, Mirror, Telegraph, Guardian.
ITN and BBC News covered it.
Now, take your time and think about this, but are you saying all that publicity, all that questioning of the police testimony passed you by? No.
what can I say? I thought I'd be causing trouble for the job.
It wasn't my case.
I thought the arresting officers must know what they're doing.
I just kept me head down.
Did you discuss it with anyone? No.
Did anyone ask you or tell you to keep quiet? No.
Eddie? It's raining.
How'd it go? Said what I had to.
That's it, then.
I'm dead meat.
I mean, I'm well in it.
You were in it anyway, Eddie.
You were in it when the witness said Carswell didn't kill Mace.
- Yeah, maybe.
- No maybe.
That said you fitted Carswell up.
I did what I could for you, didn't I? Kept me mouth shut.
Telling them a lie when they know different would just be silly buggers.
I could look after you if you'd let me.
we can't talk now.
How about tonight? If I can get away, I'll give you a bell.
At the trial of Michael Carswell, you gave evidence that he admitted killing Mace.
You said Carswell made this admission in the car, on his way to the station.
That's what you said, isn't it? On oath? You've got the transcripts.
I've got no comment to make.
After Carswell was found guilty, witnesses came forward to say that he left Mace outside the club without injuring him.
No comment.
we've got a witness who was in the car with you and Carswell.
- She says no admissions were made.
- No comment.
If no admissions were made, Eddie, you lied on oath to get Carswell convicted and the two DCs.
Now, that's perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Prove it.
Bugger off, pal, now.
Hello, Linda.
You listen.
Up to now you've taken your drops.
You've kept your hands clean.
From this moment, the favours are being called in, sunshine.
I know I've to stand up for some of this, but if I'm on offer for all of it, I'll roll over, cop a plea.
You'd better believe it.
I'll grass you up the moment the tape starts turning.
You're the organ grinder, sir.
I'm only the friggin' monkey.
You think there's a better way? Get off your arse and find it.
The meter's running.
- Yes? - Yes.
I want to talk to you about Billy Urquhart.
- You a mate of his? - No, I'm not a mate.
I'm investigating allegations against him.
what did he do to upset you? Nothing.
Look, I don't know the guy.
He was just a punter.
You know, luck of the draw.
You sure about that? You sure he wasn't a regular, Linda? No.
No, he wasn't.
There's nothing I can tell you about him.
There's something, isn't there? was he using his position? Trying to get a freebie with the old black Rover? I'm telling you, just forget it.
I've got no complaints against him.
I can't help you.
well I'm not in the business of giving you grief but, er if there is anything you want to tell me, just give me a ring.
No offence, pal, but I've seen enough of the police lately.
- Know what I mean? - Occupational hazard in your game.
Not just getting pulled, you live with that.
You were in the Carswell appeal, you and your mate.
Yeah, well, that's all settled.
The man's been let out.
End of story.
Yeah, but there's the murder inquiry.
Someone did kill Mace.
Look, we spoke up for Carswell.
That's well known and that is the end of it.
- Yeah, sure.
- So is that all? - Or are you here to do business as well? - No.
I mean, no offence, pal, but, erm no.
No.
I'll drop you back on your beat.
Thanks, Eddie.
I'd help you if I could, you know that.
It's your evidence they're gonna throw at me.
I told you this afternoon, it's not down to me.
Look, if me and the lads keep shtoom, we're in with half a chance.
They can't be sure of a conviction just on appeal court evidence, but a police witness against us, that's That's the end, you know that, don't you? - Eddie - Clark's told you that, hasn't he? He said, "Sell those three down the river and you'll be fireproof.
" Didn't he? But it's true.
I didn't have a choice.
All right, all right.
OK.
So you've got to say you gave us a lift to the station, fine.
You could've got out to check the tyres, scrape bird shit off the windscreen It doesn't matter.
If you can say you left us alone with Carswell for half a minute, then there's room for doubt.
- That's all I'm asking.
- I can't.
You'd still walk away.
Jenny, don't you see? I can't do it! DI Naylor, DS Clark, here to see Mr Ralston.
He's on his way.
If they don't get ridden every day, they get out of condition, know what I mean? we need to talk, Mr Ralston.
Certainly, gentlemen, come on in.
There is absolutely nothing to hide, gentlemen.
I am indeed a client of Sandra Urquhart's company and I receive an excellent service for which I pay the market price.
what you buy from Sandra Urquhart is information, right? You could put it in those terms, yeah.
Information you couldn't get anywhere else? well, I'm sure I could get it elsewhere in the end, Mr Clark, but, er well, it would take more time and trouble.
where do you think it comes from? Diligent research? what if I said it comes from Superintendent Urquhart's privileged access to the Police National Computer and central records? No, Mr Clark.
That wouldn't be legal.
Sher? Hey, it's me.
Are you all right? wake up, you old slag.
That bloke in the Mercedes wanted all night.
we ended up in Park Lane.
Oh, I won't be able to sit down for a week.
I've earned our holiday money.
Oi.
wake up.
It's me that's been working.
Oh, no! Oh! we might need to talk to you again, Mr Ralston.
Any time, Mr Clark, Mr Naylor, I can be of assistance.
Come on, Justine, come and wave goodbye to the gentlemen.
Your wheel man, Mr Ralston, what's his name? Lumley.
Mark Lumley, why? Oh, just trying to put a face to the name, you know.
Habit of the job.
I've always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the police, gentlemen.
A lot of your colleagues will tell you as much! And I intend to go on doing so! Give us ten minutes, Ang.
Coffee would be nice.
- Coffee? - No, thanks.
white, please.
Right.
As Mr Urquhart's bagman, you'll know his affairs inside out.
No, guv, you might be going a bit far there.
Mr Urquhart's a cautious man.
He could play his cards close to his chest.
Yeah, there is no suggestion of you being involved in any personal business of Mr Urquhart's so far.
Have you got a phone I can use? Yeah, guv, office next door.
Carry on, Harry.
I'm sorry, love, can I have a minute? Yeah, well, we all know the score, don't we? I mean, the guv'nors, they'd die of constipation if we didn't run round after them with a bag full of bog rolls, eh? Yeah, it is a bit like that.
Ta.
You know what, I bet there's not much goes through this office without running past you, eh? when was the last time a superintendent made his own PNC check? I'm supposed to ring her back on this? well, did she say what it was about? OK.
Hello? Yeah, it's me, Linda.
I need help.
Can you come now? Parliament Hill.
Just you.
Don't go telling no other police.
If they turn up, I'm on me way.
I'm waiting.
See, here's another one.
DS Mercer, area major inquiry, makes a PNC check on Costas El Elef Eleftherios.
- Is that right? - Something like that.
Now, not long after this PNC check, he starts taking material for his top shelf from Dennis Ralston.
Now, what does that say to you? It says that Dennis Ralston was putting the black on him using information he bought off your guv'nor.
You know what it's like.
I'm the bagman, the scribe.
It's not down to me to ask the guv'nor what he's playing at.
It's not down to you to ask.
It's down to you to know.
You don't want to get the wrong idea.
I did draw the line.
- If it looked out of order, I didn't play.
- For instance? Like I was here on nights.
I got a bell from the guv'nor early hours of the morning.
He says "Do a check on Michael Carswell.
Ring me back.
" Carswell's never been on offer for anything on this patch.
My point.
I said, "what's it in aid of?" He said, "If you get hooky about doing your boss a favour, it'll be remembered.
" But I didn't do it.
when was this exactly? Night before Carswell was nicked for the Mace killing.
Here you go, mate.
- Linda? - My mate Sheri.
- Yeah? - She's been killed.
Hey, hey, Linda, are you talking about murder? - Have you told anyone else? - No.
- where is she? - The flat.
No, there's no need for all that.
Listen, will you? I know who did it.
Mark Lumley.
Mark He's Dennis Ralston's minder.
Yeah, and if I'd been home last night, he would have topped me too.
why? why? why? - The Carswell business.
- You've lost me.
The bloke who was murdered, Mace we saw it.
You saw it? No! So me and Sheri just legged it, got out of London.
But you came back down to give evidence at Carswell's appeal.
we only wanted to get him off.
we wouldn't have dropped Mark in it.
But Ralston and Lumley didn't believe that.
we tried to keep our heads down, went back on the game, didn't do no clubs or nothing but they still found us.
- when you say they found you - They used a copper.
Urquhart.
He didn't pick me up to do business that night.
He was putting the frighteners on.
OK, if you won't change your story for me, do it for yourself.
- And for Clark.
- what do you mean? There's people way above our heads who need this squaring up, Jen.
Now, they could do you a lot of grief.
I can't stop them.
whose dirty tricks have you been doing, Eddie? You don't wanna know, Jen.
But if you won't believe me, you'll end up talking to them.
I'll blow all this up to Tony.
No.
The people I'm talking about, Jen, if Clark puts himself in their way, they'll take his legs off like an Intercity express.
Jen? Jen, listen, come round to mine tonight.
I don't know, Eddie.
- I can't go anywhere.
- what do you mean? There's nowhere to go, Eddie.
He's inside.
- Stand there! - Don't try it! william James Urquhart, I'm arresting you on suspicion of offences against the Data Protection Act and perverting Get bloody in there and call a lawyer! were you in the job, Sandra? Civilian telephonist.
That's how I met Billy.
Lots of familiar faces here.
Small world, the Met.
- where was this? - Connaught Rooms.
This is my old chief super.
Harry Chatterton.
The only man I know who can manage a decent foxtrot.
Excuse me.
Let me spell out the situation as we understand it, Mr Urquhart.
You've been supplying confidential information to Dennis Ralston.
He's been paying for it through your wife's company.
- No comment.
- Now, that's serious enough.
But we now believe Ralston's man Lumley was responsible for the killing of David Mace.
Michael Carswell was fitted up for that crime.
we never understood why.
It was to cover up Lumley's involvement.
- why ask me? - Because you were in Ralston's pocket.
You tried to access Carswell's file before you arrested him.
You decided Carswell would do nicely for this one, you put him in the frame.
No comment.
And you found the witnesses who could have fingered Lumley, one of whom was subsequently murdered.
Think about this, Mr Urquhart.
This has gone way beyond offences against the Data Protection Act and way beyond perverting the course of justice.
we're talking about accessory to murder, maybe conspiracy to murder.
I told you, no comment.
Interview with Detective Superintendent Urquhart, 18th of September Ah, how's it looking, John? Do you need me here? It's under control.
You get off to the country.
well, if you're sure.
Anyway, you've got my number.
Don't hesitate to contact me if anything breaks.
we've got the players, just a matter of sweating it out.
Urquhart's shtoom but wobbly.
Doesn't know what Ralston and Lumley'll come out with.
There'll be pressure on both parties to grass the other up first.
- Classic prisoner's dilemma.
- Sorry.
Um games theory, you know.
Have a good time.
Give my regards to Mr Dunning.
- Yes, I will.
Bye.
- Games theory.
You realise what's riding on this, don't you? what I'm trying to say is you'd better be aware of what's involved.
- we can't talk about this now.
- You've got to listen to this, darling.
we're getting into stuff that can't be squared up.
Hargreaves and the DCs are up a tree on this one and you've got to kick the ladder away according to the script.
No doubts, no lapses of memory, no changing your story.
The locks were changed after an inmate warned prison staff of the plot.
There are new developments in the case of murdered London prostitute Sheri Donaldson.
It's believed a senior police officer already suspended from duty is now being investigated by murder squad detectives.
Scotland Yard has not denied persistent speculation that more junior officers will also face questioning about the connection between this case and the wrongful conviction of Michael Carswell.
The two men arrested in the Donaldson case have been named as Dennis Ralston It's beautiful.
Must take a lot of work.
- A man comes to do it.
- It all costs money, though.
Having money to spend isn't proof of corruption.
- You'll have to do better than that.
- You called me, Sandra.
You know the way it's stacking up against your husband.
we're not guessing or painting pictures.
Corruption's not the half of it.
what have you got? A tom shooting her mouth off.
Comes to court, a good brief will sort her out.
It's been done before.
Does Billy want to take a bet on that? we say Billy got all this from being bent.
It's not the same as being a total chancer.
This isn't an interview.
It's a conversation.
what about if Billy could spread the blame? which way? - Up.
- Go on.
If Billy was at it, he wouldn't have been on his own.
If he had had his hand out all these years, somebody would have to be watching his back.
- who are we talking about? - That's my problem, Maureen.
That's where Billy would need a lot of reassurance.
Cos he'd be talking about somebody fireproof.
Oh, God.
Blimey, Brian.
we used to parade at six o'clock sharp.
That was work.
And we hadn't got into malt whisky in those days.
Early start beats the crowds up here.
Crowds? You don't know what a crowd is.
Are you sure you want to come back to London? All this will be here another day.
You only get one crack at being Metropolitan Commissioner.
Don't tell me you wouldn't take it.
I sometimes wonder.
Bullshit.
we don't do the job.
we are the job.
- Coming to lunch, guv? - Er no, thanks, Harry.
I've got phone calls to make.
I might join you later.
Oh, right.
Jacqui, hi, it's Tony Clark.
Yeah.
Erm is Jenny there? No, I just wondered if she might have dropped in.
No? OK, well, I'll see you soon.
Cheers.
- Guv.
- I'm off for a pie and a pint with Harry.
- Do you want to come? - Could we have a word alone? Yeah, sure.
Two coffees, please.
I've been talking to Sandra Urquhart.
- She asked to see you, did she? - That's right.
- Is she coming across with something? - Overtures.
If Urquhart offers something up, what's it worth? There might be a bit of leeway.
Depends what he's offering.
If he wants to talk to us about Ralston and Lumley with corroboration, - then we'll listen.
- It goes deeper than that.
The idea is Ralston had a bigger asset than Urquhart, someone who kept Urquhart fireproof while he was doing the business.
In the Met? So who are we supposed to be talking about? Oh, bloody hell.
- He could be the next commissioner.
- That's why I'm talking to you.
He's at a social function.
That doesn't mean anything.
Sandra Urquhart says there's plenty more.
Started off as one of those poxy days.
It is not getting any better.
Bollocks, I've been to dos with Billy Urquhart.
Maybe even Ralston for all I know.
we're the Old Bill, not Carmelite nuns! - But Sandra Urquhart - None of this is in an official complaint? - No.
- Or in a statement under caution? we're under no obligation to do anything.
I know this isn't evidence yet, but it is information It is shit-stirring.
You're talking about the commander's big mate here.
Now, look, you've already had your cards marked.
You go after Dunning, you can kiss your legs goodbye and your arse with them.
Same again.
- You all right, love? - Yeah.
Yeah.
So they tell me.
Sorry? I hear everything you say and my first thought was let's kick this into touch.
But when you think about it, how will we look if it's kosher? Mm? Carswell, Urquhart, the Mace murder, it's all one case now.
Yes, I'm aware of that.
Supposing one of those suspects offers up Dunning's name as well, we look like whitewash artists.
I'm looking at this from the point of view of the force.
People are keen to allege a lack of zeal when it comes to investigating ourselves.
well, it's not my nuts in the cracker.
I've nothing to lose.
I've put all my years in for the pension.
Nobody's fireproof.
That's the message we're supposed to put over.
well, we'll find out whether it's true, won't we? Thank you, sir.
- Of course you won't be in on this.
- what? You were taken off Carswell because of your association with the Dean girl.
If we're going for broke, you're out, I'm afraid.
This one's got to be armour-plated.
Look, don't you think you've had enough? Yeah.
I think I have.
Naylor speaking.
No, I'm afraid Mr Clark's in a meeting.
Yeah, you can tell me, I'm his bagman.
Yeah.
Could you hang on a minute? Yeah.
Yeah, I see, yeah.
Just after one o'clock.
Sorry I didn't make lunch, Harry.
You will not believe what's been going on.
Sorry about this, guv.
Er I've got some bad news for you.
I just had a call from the river police, guv