Between the Lines (1992) s02e04 Episode Script

Honourable Men

Hi.
Can you take me to the Houses of Parliament, members' entrance? Bye-bye, darling.
Bye, boys.
- Bye, Daddy.
- Bye, Daddy.
Morning, Karen.
Bye, Daddy! Oh.
A word in my office, please, Constable.
what I was saying Sunday.
Are you still interested? - Mm-hm.
- Right.
I talked to who I said I'd talk to.
It's OK for you to come in.
- Are you sure? - Sure.
- I cleared it with the boys.
OK? - OK.
There have been too many miscarriages of justice and quashed convictions from which suspect officers have walked away, Minister.
The public are deeply concerned.
I echo the public's sentiments.
The last time you were before us, you gave certain assurances regarding the case of Detective Chief Inspector Bourne.
Mr winter's been discussing the case with officers of the Complaints Investigation Bureau.
Mr winter? CIB understand the minister's very proper concern and are vigorously pursuing their inquiries.
However, gathering evidence to prosecute such a long-serving and formerly respected officer is proving difficult.
Difficult? The Court of Appeal found Detective Chief Inspector Bourne's evidence sufficiently tainted to render a conviction unsafe.
Are you saying what's good enough for the Court of Appeal is not good enough for the CIB? Mr winter is merely repeating what he found.
I believe you're aware that my office has been conducting an inquiry into the complaints and discipline procedures in the police forces.
we are aware, Mr Shaw.
As yet, we have not had the privilege of hearing your findings.
I recommend a much firmer grip on many areas of police activity but none more so than complaints and discipline.
If they can't be relied upon to investigate themselves, we are justified in allowing a more powerful body to do the job for them.
- Ready? - Is it today? It's my turn to collect.
First of the month, Mo.
Payday.
we have to be seen to be keeping a tight leash.
That's why we have to come down on people like Bourne.
I think you should tread very carefully, Nick.
Don't forget Linville Simpson gunned down one of Bourne's mates.
Simpson's conviction was overturned.
Look, forget I'm your PPS and just take a friend's advice.
The rozzer is by nature a vindictive animal.
If Bourne hadn't contaminated the evidence, Simpson would still be inside, wouldn't he? - Simpson was still guilty.
- Not in the eyes of the law.
There's none so blind as those who will not see.
- Sorry, Nigel.
- I know.
Your minder cometh.
- Ready to make a move, sir? - where am I? Lunch with your constituency chairman.
No peace for the wicked.
- One bacon sarnie.
- Cheers.
There you go.
Look, if it was anything else - drugs, whatever, I wouldn't touch it with a - Right.
- Bloody right I'm right.
- Yeah? - DS whittaker? DI Naylor, CIB.
Can you get out of the car, please? what is this? Just get out of the car, will you, love? - what's going on? - You cautioned her? - No.
- who are you? Detective Superintendent Clark, CIB.
Jackie whittaker, I'm arresting you for receiving a corrupt payment and for conspiracy to defraud.
Anything you say will be taken down and may be given in evidence.
All here, guv.
You made a mistake.
DC Connell and I won that on the horses.
Those are your proceeds from an ongoing insurance fraud.
Today, being the first of the month, is payday.
No.
No, I'm not having that.
we won that fair and square.
- Tell him, Mo.
- Yes, Sergeant, tell me.
You? I trusted you, you bitch! You cow! I trusted you! - Cow! - All right, Mo? Yeah, she'll do.
Pinch, punch, first day of the month.
Traditional, innit? # who am I to disagree? # I travel the world and the seven seas # Thank you, Peter.
I'll take it from here.
Very good, sir.
what time do you want collecting? Er, 6:30.
Let's say 8:30.
Two hours? As per.
whittaker's offering up the rest provided we give her an easier ride.
Good.
Results have been too thin on the ground of late.
I'm glad we're pulling together.
we couldn't have done it without Mo.
No, indeed.
well done, Maureen.
Thank you, sir.
I understand congratulations are in order.
- Yes, sir.
- Good.
Things are looking sniffy on another front, however.
Nicholas Shaw is queering the Bourne investigation.
Your case, wasn't it, David? Yes, sir.
D'you fancy French pasta with three kinds of mushrooms? Mm.
Louise, I don't think this is right.
what? PCA figures for the last quarter.
Must be a mistake.
Yes.
Go on, go on.
Beautiful.
Yes.
Lovely.
Shouldn't lose any sleep over whittaker.
She was a good copper.
She was a slag.
A slag I got on with.
A slag you had to get on with.
There's a difference.
If you hadn't got inside we would never have got her.
we were talking about going away in a foursome.
Me and Richard, her and her bloke.
Last week we had Sunday lunch together.
And all the time I'm thinking, "I'm gonna do you.
" well, us nicking her is one thing.
whether the CPS will run with her to the Bailey's another, innit? They'll probably give her the option of going quietly.
So what's the point? # Sweet dreams are made of this # Duh doo-doo duh duh doo-doo # - Is that you, Roger? - Yeah.
So, what's happening? Let the pack loose.
Come here.
we're out of time.
It won't always be like this, Lou.
I promise.
I know.
- Love you.
- You, too.
will you be resigning? Christ! Out of the way! will you be resigning, sir? How long, sir? where were you? It's half past eight, you should have been there.
I'm very sorry, sir.
Traffic.
You bloody fools! God Almighty! How did they know where I was? - I don't know, sir.
- well, you bloody well should! It's not in my appointments.
How did they know? Look, David.
I don't see what it has to do with us, sir.
Apart from Shaw himself, the only people who knew where he was were his protection officers.
Has a complaint been made against them? No.
But given the sensitive relationship between Shaw and the force, the DAC has requested a pre-emptive investigation.
- On what grounds? - On the grounds that shit sticks.
Already rumour is the jobs decided to do his legs for sticking his nose in where it wasn't wanted.
- well, is he having an affair? - That's not our problem.
He could bugger the Vienna Boys' Choir for all I care.
So long as we're not meant to be watching him.
So neglect of duty, then? Yes.
If the press could get through his protection, why not somebody else? A lone nutter.
The Irish.
whoever.
I still don't think we should get involved, sir.
David, it's a no-lose situation.
If we find the Prot officers were implicated, it will restore faith in CIB as a non-partisan entity.
If they're exonerated, it will restore faith in the job in general.
whatever the outcome, friend Shaw can no longer play cop-beater-in-chief.
This is outrageous! These people will read any filth the press vomit up! we were working.
Does she always work in her nightdress? I arrived early.
She'd taken a bath.
There was a lot to do.
I didn't give her time - Evidently.
to get dressed! Penny, d'you think I'd really risk Morning, sir.
Er, ma'am.
DS Stowe, sir.
David Stowe.
I'm your new protection officer.
There's also a DC Dodd, sir.
He's Dave, too.
- He'll be driving you from now on.
- what about Sergeant woodward? - Er, been reassigned, ma'am.
- who are you? This kind man's come to take care of me, Tom.
when you're ready, sir.
You're due at the whip's office at half past.
Right.
well, I'II I'll see you later.
Tom.
George.
- Bye, Daddy.
- Bye, Daddy.
Are you seeing Miss Parker today? where's your wife, Mr Shaw? Have you told your wife? Mr Shaw.
Mr Shaw.
Two officers to see you over there.
Shaw, is it? You're not out here because people are pleased with you.
- Ours not to reason why, sir.
- Mine is.
what went wrong? I don't know.
- How did the press know where he was? - Your guess is as good as mine, sir.
we normally got back there early, but we were stuck in traffic.
I dug him out, bundled him in the car, but the damage was done.
Is he having an affair with this woman? It's not a matter we discussed.
wasn't my place to question the nature of their relationship.
- How d'you get on with Shaw? - All right.
D'you like him? Liking the principal is not a prerequisite for the job, sir.
He's not someone I'd go out for a drink with.
why not? He's an MP, I'm a copper.
So, what did you make of Shaw? He's all right as politicians go.
Some people think he had it in for the job.
There's more harm done by bent coppers evading prosecution than comes from seeing them nicked.
Sure.
So you had no personal axe to grind, then? No, I thought he was an all right bloke.
This is a bit different for you.
Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you? You are on very thin ice, Nicholas.
The PM is in two minds, you know.
He's already pissed off with you about the Bourne business and now all this.
what shall I do, Grenville? I don't wish to be an embarrassment to the party.
Under the circumstances, you must draft and submit your resignation to the PM.
But er, I The PM will duly refuse to accept it, naturally.
But you'll have made the right noises.
I'm very grateful.
It shouldn't do you any harm in the long term.
No, a bit of scandal.
The great unwashed lap it up.
Joe Public's probably rooting for you.
Joanna Public, of course, would have your plums on a platter.
- You're both denying it? - Oh, yes.
Good.
Then it's only idle speculation on behalf of the media.
- As long as there's no evidence.
- No, nothing.
The Prot officers have denied any involvement.
- You'll need more than that.
- Like what? Proof? what happened to the presumption of innocence? These are police officers.
You'll have to prove them innocent.
It's hard enough proving someone guilty.
Not for these people.
According to them, Shaw is the victim of a Met-organised smear campaign.
They're saying we did his legs for hounding Ronnie Bourne.
Come on, Bernie, Fleet Street owes me.
How'd you get to hear about it? Just sort of filtered down.
About eight o'clock, word went round the newsroom.
You see, I'm trying to pin it down as to who got onto it first.
we did.
Yeah, right.
Some exclusive.
Stop arsing about.
It's important.
well, I think it's a wind-up, but I have it on very good authority that the guy you're looking for is Clive Palmer.
why d'you think that's a wind-up? Till about four months ago, Palmer was a third-rate stringer.
He had one of those who's-shagging-who columns.
His gossip was always two months past its sell-by date but people are stupid, so what does it matter? - Come on, Bernie.
- All right.
Four months ago, he teams up with some septic camera jock, Monty Mitchell.
The pair of them trace Princess Honkalot to some hideaway island, snap the royal baps, big scoop, la la la.
So? So titled and telephotoed titties, fair do's.
A weighty political scandal requiring insider info? No way, son.
No way.
This should be with you tomorrow.
Yep.
Hold on, please.
- Is Nick around? - He's with two men from the CIB.
- I think he should see this.
- OK.
Sorry about that.
There's been no official complaint made about your protection officers, but the force has its own self-regulating disciplinary code.
with a breach of security, we have to reassure ourselves that no neglect of duty was involved.
Yes, of course.
How do you think the press were aware of your whereabouts? Besides myself, only Peter woodward and Karen McPhail knew where I'd be.
And Miss Parker.
You're clutching at straws, Mr Clark.
Louise Parker is going through hell.
Do you imagine anyone would willingly subject themselves to that? well, I have to explore all the possibilities, sir.
As long as none of them lead to your own back yard.
well, what exactly could the Prot officers have told the press, sir? That you were working with your secretary? why should they suspect any impropriety if, as you and Miss Parker have stated, these meetings were for work purposes? There are those who are eager to believe the worst of a man.
And if that man happens to be a politician, they'll grab any malicious innuendo and run with it.
Much the same with policemen, actually, sir.
All any of us want is the benefit of the doubt.
- Mrs Shaw! - Mrs Shaw! Just a few words, love.
Mrs Shaw! Did you have much to do with his protection officers? No.
Hardly anything.
And you hadn't told anybody else that Mr Shaw would be coming by? No.
He mentioned it in passing yesterday morning.
But one thing and another, I'd pretty much forgotten myself.
You haven't got a an ashtray? Ta.
I mean, it wasn't a firm arrangement or anything.
Right.
So you yourself weren't certain that he was gonna be here? No.
Right.
It's all right.
Oh.
It's all right, it's all right.
I won't break anything.
I usually You all right? I'm sorry.
Bad day.
According to their guv'nor, woodward is a regular boy scout.
He was awarded the Queen's medal for gallantry and McPhail is going to be canonised any day now.
- Can you buddy up to McPhail? - why me? - why not? - why can't Harry take her? Because I'm putting him onto woodward.
- Guv.
- D'you have a problem with that? You want me to gain McPhail's confidence, see if she's on the level and if she's not, to drop her in it.
No.
I don't have a problem with that.
That's what I do best, right? There isn't anything else.
I'll see you tomorrow.
You see Parker? Yeah, nice girl.
Going through it a bit.
Mind you, it's the wife I feel sorry for.
Tom's been missing you about the place already.
He asked again at bathtime, "where's Peter? when's he coming back?" - Are you all right? - Just about.
will you stay with him? - He's my husband.
- Yeah.
- If ever you decided to - Peter, I know.
You and the kids.
I mean, I know I'm only drawing a copper's wages but if I make inspector then that's another three or four thousand.
Don't be silly.
She'll get over it.
Course she will.
Mo's a professional.
But maybe we should spare her the cosying-up stuff for a while.
- Christ, you've been there.
- She'll get over it.
Paranoia made easy is what it is.
Two minds, all the time.
Thinking one thing, saying another.
- watching your back.
- It's worse for them that are at it.
No, it's not.
They've got no conscience to bother them.
Someone like Mo, who's fundamentally straight.
Lying takes it out of you.
How are the family this morning, Mr Shaw? will you be speaking to the Prime Minister today? would you like to comment You have to give us some sort of news.
- what a load of bollocks! - Hm? It's designed to keep people's minds off the real issues.
So what if he is giving her one? Big deal.
He's in a position of trust.
A man who cheats on his wife "what's to say he won't cheat on his country?" That's right.
You're so naive, Mo.
well, I still believe in the value of trust.
Yeah.
And deceit.
- Now, what does that mean? - Nothing.
No, no, no, you said it.
Qualify your last statement, please.
All right.
How's DS Jackie whittaker, then? - Oh, you are a bastard.
- You asked for it, baby.
That is part of my job.
Betrayal? I meant personal relationships.
All relationships are personal, aren't they? Don't One of Bourne's officers was shot dead by Linville Simpson, a DC Carl Johnson.
There would have been enough evidence to put Simpson away but Bourne took it upon himself to gild the lily.
How? - Cross-contamination of evidence.
- Nothing you can make stick? Not without his nick moving against him.
- And they wouldn't.
- No.
Bourne was a good thief-taker.
Admired and loved by all.
why does Shaw wanna drag all this up again? why do these people do anything? To make a name for himself.
Certainly done that.
I won't just go like that.
The Northern Ireland office.
Is that what I get for keeping quiet? Darling, be reasonable.
My career is at stake.
- But I've denied everything.
- Look No.
- I thought I was special.
- You are! Very special.
Very dear.
Then why are you pushing me away? Darling, I'm thinking of you.
Of us.
It's just a temporary measure.
- I thought you loved me.
- Of course I love you.
But we have to be very careful right now.
If we can just put a little distance between us until this situation eases.
Then I can give Penny a quiet divorce and we'll be together.
You understand, Lou, I know you do.
we have to think of my career.
If you try and palm me off on Northern Ireland, Nick you might not have a career.
what are the two Daves like? They're awful.
It's not their fault, but neither of them are you.
Peter, I just want to wake up and find you there.
This hour, it's too short.
It's longer than we sometimes had and we can talk with no one to hear us.
I don't want to talk.
I want to make love to you.
Come on, Pen, it's gonna be all right.
Sorry.
I swore I wouldn't do that.
It's just without you it's death.
when you're free, Pen, when you're free.
Come on.
All right.
So, before the Branch, - woodward was where? - Vice.
- McPhail? - Robbery.
Get onto their old guv'nors, see what they've got to say about them.
- Oh, for Christ's sake! - what? McPhail's old guv'nor in Robbery was DCI Ronnie Bourne.
Can I tell Tom that you're on for this match on Saturday? Course you can.
Tell him it'll be the biggest cup upset of the season.
He's going to be overwhelmed.
- Does George wanna go? - Absolutely.
Oh, my God.
Is he press? Did he follow me here? No.
Er, no, he is not press.
No.
Don't worry about it.
You go home.
- See you later.
- Yeah, I'll call you.
well, now, Sergeant woodward.
I think my guv'nor's gonna want another word with you.
The car's over here.
Garden keeps me busy.
One thing and another.
And the fish.
Got the fish.
Are you sure you don't want your solicitor here? Solicitor? No, no.
Is Mrs Bourne well, sir? No.
Gone.
when I resigned she didn't want to move down here, away from her friends.
what friends we had left.
we was very active, had a wide circle of friends.
what with the Rotarians and the Lodge and things.
Do you keep in touch with the old firm? No.
well Christmas cards at Christmas.
we wanted to ask you about Karen McPhail.
Carl's girl? Carl Johnson, the copper who died? Carl didn't die.
- Carl was murdered.
- Yes, of course.
But Carl Johnson and Karen McPhail were a couple, sir? Is that what you're saying? Yes, Sergeant.
A couple.
Do you hear much from McPhail nowadays? No.
when did you last see her? when when when would you like more tea? Got plenty of biscuits.
Always got plenty of biscuits in.
- Jesus Christ.
- well, he's gone, guv.
Long since.
They can't try him now, surely? Let's just get back to civilisation, huh? Are they having an affair? well, they looked quite lovey-dovey to me.
Oh, wonderful.
That's all we need.
He's knocking the arse off Shaw's wife, and McPhail's trying to nail Shaw for hounding Bourne.
Come on.
- where? - Pub.
I feel a hangover coming on.
So you think she'll go to the press? what else? Is there no way we can shut her up? Nothing she signed when she came to work here? The Official Secrets Act doesn't extend to cover your peccadilloes.
Surely she can be persuaded.
In her own best interests.
whose best interests? I suppose you could always offer some cash inducement.
Money? Oh, I don't think she's that sort.
In my experience, they're all that sort.
Yeah, all right, Bernie.
Cheers.
Apparently, my mate Bernie had it right.
The scribe that broke that story was the Clive Palmer geezer.
- Better speak to him.
- Yeah.
Same again? Should be going, shouldn't you? Er, no, not tonight, no.
Oh, yeah? You got a bit of spare lined up? No, she's in hospital.
- what? - The missus, she's in hospital.
Oh, Jesus.
Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't know.
Ah, it's nothing.
Nothing.
She's just in for a few tests, that's all.
Keeping her in overnight.
Poor old cow.
- Harry, I - Look, it's nothing, guv.
It's just that well, things have a habit of catching up with you, don't they? Er well, I let her down a little bit a few years ago.
Another woman.
Bit on the side.
I shouldn't worry about it.
You're only human.
Yeah, I know.
But I've just been thinking about it lately, you know.
well, I never let her down again.
That is certain, you know.
- Have another drink, will you? - Er, yeah.
# Angels, help us to adore Him # Ye behold Him face to face # Praise Him still the same forever # Slow to chide and swift to bless # Hallelujah, hallelujah # - what about woodward? - what about him? Close to Mrs Shaw, I understand.
You get close to people.
You come into close contact with a principal and his family.
You're protecting them.
So they weren't having an affair? You're determined to pin this on one of us.
- I would rather it wasn't you.
- No worries.
You won't find anything on me, Maureen.
we know about Carl Johnson.
Bourne brought down the man who murdered your bloke and Nicholas Shaw wanted to crucify Bourne.
Are you You're not serious? So you're saying you didn't do Shaw's legs to protect Bourne? Me? Go out on a limb for Ronnie Bourne? Are you mad? He put the man who killed Carl behind bars.
Carl? what do you know? That's Carl.
Good-looking, isn't he? Good-natured, too.
If that bent slag Ronnie Bourne had done his job, the bastard that murdered Carl would still be inside.
I wouldn't cross the road to piss on Ronnie Bourne if he was on fire.
# Dwellers all in time and space # Hallelujah, hallelujah # Praise with us the God of grace # I'm sorry, Nick.
She turned the money down.
D'you think she'll go to the press? I'm afraid so.
She's just waiting for her moment.
well, that's it, then.
I've denied everything.
I'm finished.
Look, I probably made a bit of a hash of it.
Perhaps if you made the approach yourself.
Turn on the charm.
- She might see sense.
- I don't think Look, Nick, she was supposed to be in love with you.
Use it.
You're having an affair with Mrs Shaw.
No, sir.
Inspector Naylor saw you together, walking arm in arm.
- Yeah.
- well, is that usual behaviour for a protection officer and his principal's wife? I expect it is if they're in love, sir.
- So you are having an affair? - No, sir.
- Please don't piss me about, Peter.
- Let me put it another way, then.
There is no sexual relationship between myself and Mrs Shaw.
- You expect me to believe that? - I've told you the truth.
She's another man's wife, sir.
I've got rules about things like that.
You can't buy me off, Nick.
Darling, I just wanted to help.
I thought maybe you could take a holiday, use the money to get away from all this unpleasantness, - the press hounding us.
- No, you didn't.
You want me to keep quiet.
That's what the money's about.
- How can you say that? - I know you.
I know how your mind works.
No, no, no.
It's not like that at all.
All right, then.
You've been promising to leave Penny for God knows how long.
If you really love me, do it.
Now.
No, I can't.
I'm fighting for my life, Lou.
Please! If I leave Penny now, the press will tear me to pieces.
If you don't, they'll tear you to pieces anyway.
why are you doing this? why are you doing this to me? Louise! You shouldn't have tried to drop me, Nick.
Now you want me to take money.
I'll make a damn sight more from the papers.
No! - Oh, I'm sorry! I'II I'II - You'll what, Nick? what'll you do? what you always do.
Nothing.
It's my understanding you were the first person on this story, Mr Palmer.
I'm just a humble seeker after truth, like yourself, Mr Clark.
Quite a big story, I'd imagine.
I'd have wanted to keep it exclusive.
Yet from what I can make out, you passed it on to other papers.
why? Reciprocal arrangement.
And I'm generous by nature.
who put you onto the story? Ah.
Journalistic privilege.
Of course.
Some things are still sacred.
About the only thing that still is.
we are serving the public interest, Mr Clark.
- Really? - we made the front page.
- Our readers have a right to know.
- Do they? would obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty interest them? Let me give you some advice, Mr Clark.
At the moment, you're nothing.
A piece of grit in life's Vaseline.
A foot soldier, safe in obscurity, about to stick your head over the trench.
You'll get it blown off.
- Just like him.
- He's still in one piece.
watch this space, Mr Clark.
watch this space.
- Same again? - Er, yeah, please.
Not for me, no.
- Missus back? - Yeah.
Oh, good.
Just a Scotch, then, please.
Large one.
Is that right? will there be anything else? Er, no.
No.
- How'd it go with the tests? - I don't know yet.
Give her my best, huh? I will, yeah.
Oh, here he comes.
- Evening.
- Bernie.
This is my guv'nor, Tony Clark.
It's you who wanted me to have a dig over Palmer, is it? Yeah, I'm looking for some leverage on him to make him open up.
waste of time, Mr Clark.
Tomorrow the world and his wife will know who landed Shaw in the shit.
The pussy's out the bag.
Jesus Christ! Reluctantly, and with the utmost regret, the Prime Minister feels that he must accept your resignation, Nick.
- I'm personally very sorry indeed.
- Thank you, Grenville.
It's not necessarily the end of the line, you know.
A couple of years on the back benches.
Time to consider, time to reflect.
we're not shutting the door completely.
People forget.
I'm sure we'll see you hold office again.
Oh.
I don't think you should be here.
I'm just clearing some things away.
Appalling that such a shabby little episode should mean you have to go.
I'm sure Nick would agree.
Yes.
we'll all be very sorry to lose you.
Thank you.
I understand congratulations will soon be in order.
Yes.
All good things to those who wait.
So the Prot officers are in the clear.
- It was the girl all along.
- Yes, sir.
She must have been biding her time, pushing the price up.
Shaw is dead in the water, that's the important thing.
I thought the important thing was the integrity of the officers.
Yes, of course.
But even you must be aware, Tony, that Shaw's demise is a good result for the job - and for us in particular.
Christ Almighty, if he'd had his way we'd all have been out on our ear.
And you know who would have taken over, don't you? Ml-bloody-5.
I obviously hadn't considered those ramifications, sir.
well, you bloody well want to.
At least winter seems to know which side his bread's buttered.
- Absolutely.
- They need us, Tony.
They need our goodwill to govern effectively.
without us, where would they have been over the mines, the poll tax? They'll need us again.
winter knows that.
He's a realist.
He won't be waving old skeletons like Bourne in our faces.
well, lucky for us the girl did Shaw's legs, then, isn't it, sir? Nick.
- I'm so very sorry.
- Yes.
Just sorry it had to be this way.
well, you deserve it.
You've worked hard.
You'll make a good job of it.
I'm pleased for you.
- Any words of advice? - Yes.
Don't get caught screwing your secretary.
Oh, I never get caught.

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