Between the Lines (1992) s01e13 Episode Script

I can quite understand your feelings, Mr Dunning.
- Really? - But as chair of the police committee, I had no real choice but to suspend you while the investigation's in progress.
- No smoke without fire, hey? - we're not prejudging the outcome.
A deputy chief constable can't command credibility when he's under investigation.
And a deputy chief constable who's been suspended can never command credibility again.
Right.
Let's get our act together for the reptiles.
Morning, Mr Dean.
If you'd like to come this way? # O love that wilt not let me go # I rest my weary soul in thee # I give thee back the life I owe # That in thine ocean depths # Its flow may richer, fuller be # O light that followest all my way # I yield my flickering torch to thee # My heart restores its borrowed ray # That in thy sunshine's blaze # Its day may brighter, fairer be # Thank you, Mrs Urquhart.
Ring when you've finished.
So this is the stuff that's too naughty to keep in the office.
- You can put it that way if you like.
- And it implicates Mr Dunning.
You have to understand, when you're doing this sort of business, you don't get signed receipts.
You have to read between the lines a bit.
- we'd had a row the night before.
- It happened, Tony.
Leave it at that.
Did she say anything to you between walking out on me and er No, she didn't.
I told you.
It's happened.
It doesn't need investigating.
That won't help.
This is Dad.
Mr Dean, I'm Tony Clark.
I was, erm Yes, I know.
You were giving her one.
Thanks a lot.
Sir? I thought you might like to go off and get legless somewhere.
It's not hitting the spot right now, you know what I mean? well, the offer's still open, whenever.
Understood.
To tell you the truth, sir, what I'd really like is to get back to work.
Use the free time.
Piss off for a couple of weeks.
work up a thirst.
You know me, sir.
I'm not fragile.
I'll be fine.
Maybe you will.
I don't know.
To be blunt, Tony, it suits everyone for you to be out of the way just now.
Personal involvement.
If it's any consolation, you're not the only one.
Huxtable has been told to go and prune his roses.
You're joking.
He can't supervise the investigation of his best mate, can he? Take care, eh? You've asked to talk to us, Eddie.
That's right.
The fact is, I gilded the lily at the Carswell trial.
I thought Carswell was admitting guilt, so I exaggerated his words to get that impression across.
why did you do that? I firmly believed Carswell was guilty and I'd been assured that this was the case.
Assured by whom? Detective Superintendent Urquhart.
He said Carswell was definitely guilty and that him going down for it would be appreciated by the higher echelons.
who do you think he meant by that? He made it quite clear he meant Mr Dunning.
DAC Dunning.
we've got a problem here, Eddie.
we've got interviews with wPC Dean where she clearly states that Carswell said nothing at all in the panda.
No, she wouldn't have heard it.
She was driving the car.
How could she have missed it? She had to get out.
She had to stop the car and get out.
A bird - must have been a bloody great seagull - dropped a packet on the windscreen.
She tried the wipers and it just smeared it.
She had to get out of the car and use a paper hankie.
That's when That's when Carswell said it.
Dean never mentioned it.
But of course, being dead, she can't be cross-examined on the point, can she? I think that's what they call a rhetorical question.
Sorry, mate.
Can we talk? Cheers.
So what's this picture Hargreaves is painting? I don't know.
I'm not doing Hargreaves.
- I'm in with Urquhart.
- Yeah, but you know.
Same story Urquhart's telling.
Hargreaves has put his hand up to gilding the lily.
He dressed up what Carswell said cos Urquhart and Dunning told him to.
Hargreaves has done a deal.
He coughs to perverting the course of justice, they drop the accessory to murder cos he's offering Urquhart and Dunning.
I don't know.
Look, I've got to go.
The one thing standing in his way was Jenny's swearing Carswell said nothing.
Christ, he must have leant on her.
Maybe some things best left to lie, eh, guv? She wasn't with me the night before she topped herself.
She didn't come home.
I reckon she was with that bastard Hargreaves, being wound up to swear her evidence away for him.
It sent her right over the edge.
what's happening, sir? Can you give us a report on what is happening today? - Give us a comment, sir - In the back, sir.
Are you being arrested, sir? what's it like being on the other side of the bars? Run them over.
They're insured.
Brian, that was Laura Dunning on the phone.
- I can't talk to her.
- I said you were out.
She understands.
She was saying that Trevor's been taken for an interview.
I can't do anything about that.
I think she just wanted a friend to talk to, Brian.
Chief Constable Gordon.
Yes, I know Mr Gordon from ACPO meetings.
Good afternoon, sir.
Good afternoon.
I'm here to supervise the investigation, as you know, but day-to-day matters will be in the capable hands of Mr Deakin.
Sit down, gentlemen.
Interview with Chief Constable Dunning by Chief Constable Gordon, Chief Superintendent Deakin and Detective Inspector Naylor.
Just leave them on the front seat, love.
I have no knowledge of this building society account.
All my financial affairs are open to scrutiny.
But you would agree that an account of this nature, accessible with a service till card, would be quite an effective channel for laundering illicit payments.
Am I the interviewee or are you asking my advice as a witness? The Urquharts said the account was set up to provide you with backhanders.
The account is in the Urquharts' name.
Given the card and the PIN number, anyone could access it.
The Urquharts have made a career out of corruption and perjury.
They won't give up the habits of a lifetime just because they've been caught.
why would the Urquharts want to implicate you? why do informants bring us all manner of false information? To extract rewards and favours.
To mitigate their own offences.
To protect their own confederates.
All too often they find us ready to believe the things we most want to hear.
There's nothing to tie me to that money.
Set me up in court against the Urquharts.
The CPS will let you.
would you take a look at this for me, please, Mr Dunning? Interviewee was shown photographic exhibit number 2A.
Can you identify the people in the picture? - It's me.
- And your companion? The lady's name is Miss Dawn wilding.
She was born Miss Myfanwy Protheroe but her professional name is as you say.
Can you tell us about your relationship with Miss wilding? That has no relevance to this inquiry.
Address yourself to the question please, Mr Dunning.
I don't see why my personal life should be dragged through the mud.
- It's of no relevance.
- Come, now, Mr Dunning.
we've all spent our careers asking members of the public about their personal lives.
we didn't back off because they didn't like it, did we? we wouldn't be raising this matter if we didn't think it was relevant.
So could you please tell us about your relationship with Dawn wilding? we happened to be staying at the same hotel.
we were both on our own in an unfamiliar town.
we got into conversation.
we spent time in each other's company.
- Slept together? - Yes.
Satisfied? what does Miss wilding do for a living? - She's a conference organiser.
- who for? - Does it on an independent basis.
- She told you that? - Yeah.
- You believed it? Certainly.
I had no reason to disbelieve it.
I wasn't interviewing the woman under caution, for Christ's sake.
what business was it of mine what she did for a living? Dawn wilding was a tart, supplied by Dennis Ralston.
- who says so? - She does.
She uses words like model and escort but she makes no bones about it.
She was sent by Ralston to keep your feet warm, as a favour.
- If that's true, I had no knowledge of it.
- She says you knew.
If I knew any such thing, I'd have had nothing to do with her.
Unless she was a reward for services rendered to Ralston.
That's not true.
She paid for your meals and drinks.
How come? I paid for a couple of meals outside the hotel.
- I bought - Yes? I bought her a present.
well, a sort of romantic sort of a gift.
Silk underthings, you know.
Lingerie.
You know the kind of thing.
She wanted to pay her own way, so she picked up the tabs for drinks and meals.
Said it came off an entertainments account.
Ralston's entertainment account.
Tape's finished.
Get off my back and stay off, Clark.
Slags have died being restrained like this, but you'd know all about that.
You useless, bent, poxy twat.
Jenny was with you that last night, wasn't she? wasn't she? Sure she was.
And you wound her up so much that she topped herself, isn't that right? Bollocks.
You know that's bollocks.
It wasn't me, for Christ's sake, it was Deakin.
Deakin? what do you mean, Deakin? - Look - Oi! All right.
All right.
No problem, officer.
- Shall we call it a day, then? - Yes, I think that's wise.
we all need some rest and recuperation.
- Sign this, please, sir.
- we resume tomorrow morning, then.
- You'll be collected from your hotel.
- No, that's the investigating officer.
You're the interviewee.
Good night, Mr Dunning.
Perhaps if I prepare the report, you can run your expert eye over it.
Yes, I think that's the way forward.
It's unfortunate.
Still one hopes it's a contribution to cleaning up the Met.
The Met has never been cleaner.
I can tell you that for a fact.
It's also a fact that our clear-up rate for crime is at an all-time low.
what conclusion you draw, Mr Gordon, is entirely up to you.
So tell me.
what did you mean about Deakin? Jenny left me before I was awake.
She died just after one o'clock.
She was due to meet Deakin that morning.
There's no record of that.
Not officially, for Christ's sake.
what for? Cos he wanted to get her to change her story.
She wouldn't do it for me.
why? what's it to him? You're a detective.
I won't be for much longer.
You find out.
It's the deal you done, isn't it? You've painted a picture of the Carswell case, and Jenny's story had to fit.
If I'd done a deal, I wouldn't tell you about it.
- why is Deakin doing this? - That's not my problem.
when the ship sinks, you swim for the shore.
Bugger off.
Yes.
It's me.
I've got to see you now.
- Are you pissed? - No, I am not pissed.
will you OK, OK, OK.
- where are you? - Jenny's flat.
- About 20 minutes.
- Make sure it's no longer.
All right.
You make some coffee and I'll bring something to go with it.
- OK.
Bye.
- Be quick.
Maureen, I'm not making it up.
I don't like it any more than you do.
why would Deakin pull all these strokes? I don't know.
I'm just telling you what Hargreaves said.
- I respect Deakin, you know that? - Me too.
Best guv'nor I ever had.
That's not the point, though.
what are you gonna do about it? The question is, what are we going to do about it? - I'm sharing the grief.
It's a compliment.
- well, thanks a bunch.
Of course we don't have to do anything.
we could look the other way.
No.
we can't.
Look the other way in this job and you might as well pack it in.
- would Harry go along with that? - You'll have to ask him.
we'll have to ask him.
OK sir.
- Guv.
- OK.
Let's go.
Harry.
In the car, huh? we need to talk, mate.
inquiry going on and it's right out of our hands.
It's nothing to do with us at all.
Harry, everything I've seen, everything you've seen, says this is a puppet show.
who's pulling the strings? Come on, Harry.
Not wanting the guy to make commissioner is one thing, criminal conspiracy is something else.
If it's a fit-up.
Dunning's not short of enemies.
- He's got up a lot of people's noses.
- Yeah.
A lot of people would like to see Dunning given the big chill.
But this is the fix being put in.
- who is in a position to do that? - Gordon? He's running the inquiry.
Yeah, well, you've been there.
Is Gordon calling the shots? No.
He's a high-calibre turnip top.
So who's left in the frame, Harry? John Deakin's been a good guv'nor to me.
He's covered my back on more than one occasion.
Favours go a long way, Harry, but there are limits.
what the guv'nor's asking us, Harry, is whether we'll help him find out.
I'm not the Lone Ranger.
I tried to go up behind Hargreaves solo.
I got trashed.
If we're not team-handed on this, I'm going to exercise discretion.
walk away, let it happen.
Mo? I think we've got to go with this one, wherever it runs.
All right.
I'm on board.
But if you're right about Deakin, guv, you'll only get one shot.
And it better be a good one.
That's for sure.
You're taking a risk, Brian.
well, not unless you've improved since Lippitts Hill.
No, I meant professionally.
I mean, I thought I was a no-go area.
There was nothing I could do, Trevor.
I was sent home on leave as soon as you got the black spot.
Yeah.
I'm sorry about that.
So what's changed? Some of the troops at the sharp end aren't too happy about the way things are going.
They might be willing to stick their necks out.
I thought they'd be dancing at the thought of my legs coming off.
who are we talking about? - I was approached by Tony Clark.
- Clark? Christ, what's in it for him? Trevor, we aren't in a position to be too choosy.
You may have noticed the chill factor from all other quarters.
So what's supposed to happen? Clark flies over the Bailey in the Starship Enterprise and beams me up from the dock? Clark thinks Deakin's fitted you up.
He'll move against Deakin if you give him the background.
I don't like Clark.
I don't think I trust him.
The point is, sir, I'm the only player in the game who trusts you.
what I can't understand, sir, is why Deakin would go to these lengths to sabotage your career.
I realise you have a conflict of operational philosophies.
Operational philosophy be buggered.
He's been fitting me up to protect himself.
It's Deakin who's been getting payments from Urquhart.
Oh, my God.
You've known this and you've done nothing about it? Look at this.
Here.
Now.
Is that black birds in daylight or white birds at night? The negative image fits perfectly with the positive.
But they can't both exist.
what's been said about me has done so much damage because it fits the facts.
But it's not true about me.
You're saying Deakin's been watching Urquhart's back all these years? Deakin's been paid off with money from Ralston.
Through the building society account.
Deakin is Ralston's fireproof asset in the Met.
Christ almighty, if you suspected Deakin, why didn't you tell me? I didn't know who I could tell, Brian.
Is there any proof of this? If I could prove it, I wouldn't be in this shit, would I? No.
Deakin's got his retaliation in first.
It all fits, doesn't it? Urquhart's nicked, he threatens to grass on Deakin, Deakin offers him a plea bargain and sets me up instead.
There is still the matter of the wilding woman, sir.
I had the chance of a casual leg-over.
I took it.
Sound plausible to you? Yeah, they set that one up well in advance.
If we went public, Deakin would just say it's the last-ditch lie of a desperate man.
If we're gonna nail this bastard, we'll have to move before he gets wind of it.
Good luck, Mr Clark.
we're not having this conversation, guv.
I don't know your business and I don't want to, but I owe you more than a favour.
Be aware.
Tony Clark's moving against you.
He's roped me in on it but well, what else could I do? He reckons you put pressure on Jenny Dean to change her evidence.
well, the boy's been under a lot of stress.
Clark says he's got some sort of tape.
Tape? So I'm supposed to have leant on Jenny Dean and all the time she was wearing a wire? would I talk to a girl like that without wondering what's under her dress? All I know is what Clark says.
If the man's got evidence, what's he doing with it? At the moment he's hiding it away at home.
Thanks, Harry.
Suspect has arrived at plot.
IC-5 male.
30, 35.
Just a minute, guv.
It's Ralston's houseboy.
who? A bloke who works for Ralston.
- Suspect has entered premises.
- Understood.
Suspect is now target.
I say again, suspect is now target.
Understood.
Target is leaving premises.
I say again, leaving premises.
Looks like he got what he came for.
You're OK to move now.
westminster - Circle Line, clockwise.
- That's it? Yeah, that's it.
It's all we know.
Just keep going straight ahead.
Tower Hill.
Looks like he's moving.
Shit.
Do you think that's the scene? He's not going there to brush up on his naval history.
we're never gonna keep the target in sight without showing out.
we'll have to give up on the handover.
Catch him on the way out.
what if the gear's stashed on the ship to be picked up later? You don't stash a dodgy parcel on a warship.
Especially one called the Belfast.
Ring this number.
wait for them to arrive.
I'm employing the destroyer.
The battle cruiser has been damaged and it was retiring at high speed.
The two destroyers are altering course towards us.
Roger, sir.
Crew, check, check, check.
Check fire.
Can I have a word with you, sir? - Yeah? - No.
But he has got it on him.
Is everybody listening? You've all drawn your pictures of the guns? Yes.
Good.
Now, today they're called 150mm guns.
Can anybody tell me why that is? Do you know why? what do you think you're doing? Hey! Hey! what are you doing? You filthy bastard! For Christ's sake, guv, don't turn it into a floor show.
- You owe me, Naylor.
- No, guv, it's over.
Leave it out! Cuff him.
John Deakin, you're under arrest for conspiracy to commit burglary, dishonestly handling stolen goods, suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and resisting arrest.
- You don't have to say anything - You'd better get this right, Clark.
Leave one loophole between here and the Bailey and God help your arse.
But anything you do say may be used in evidence against you.
Anyone in from the opera, the interval will be over in five minutes.
Here's to a great result.
well, a result.
Cheers.
All right, it was a shitty job but it needed doing.
Yeah, I think that says it all, guv.
Come on, Dunning was being fitted up on criminal charges.
we got him off.
That's the good news.
But they'll still do him for the improprieties.
Getting his leg over while he was off on exes.
But they'll have to reinstate him as deputy chief constable.
Sure.
But he can kiss the Met goodbye.
He'll never make commissioner.
well, he can write to Jimmy Saville.
we got him off.
I've gotta make a move, guv.
The missus is waiting.
Ring her.
Tell her you're out on inquiries.
No, I'm committed.
Quarterfinals.
Ballroom dancing.
Oh.
Erm well, you play a blinder, Harry.
Cheers, guv.
Maureen.
Have a good one.
we could stay here if you want or we could go somewhere really special.
Can't do it, guv.
I'm going out.
I've got a date.
- Boy or girl? - One of each.
Good night.
Hurry up! You'll get soaked! Sue?