Between the Lines (1992) s02e05 Episode Script

Shit.
Oh, shit! Give me the phone.
Sir.
This is Inspector Pollock, Special Branch.
we have three intruders at Crouch End Territorial Army drill hall.
Possibly armed.
They have a Mercury telephone van, registration H, Hotel, 428, Kilo, whisky, Golf.
Get it checked, will you? Not registered.
Right, we have to contain them.
The place is chock-a-block with weapons.
I need permission to draw arms.
we also need armed support.
And uniformed officers to seal off the streets.
Silent approach.
- Armed police! - On the deck! Armed police! - Drop it! - Inspector, he's The temperature's Nice, cool breeze and the air quality's said to be good.
I knew it must be fair when I saw my engineer in his shorty shorts.
But before the next blast from the past, we're going to the newsroom.
Reports are coming in of a shooting incident in Crouch End, at the Territorial Army Centre.
- Can I help you? - Detective Superintendent Clark, CIB.
I'm supposed to be investigating a shooting.
There has been a shooting, hasn't there? Yes.
- Can I come in, please? - I'm afraid not, sir.
we don't have clearance to let anyone in.
Army SIB are dealing with it.
And the police officers involved? - All at Crouch End police station.
- Great.
- Right.
Thank you.
- My pleasure.
I'm not a passenger.
I'm investigating the shooting And a weapon was discharged.
- Yes.
- By one of your officers.
My Special Branch officer, Inspector Pollock.
He was accompanied by armed officers.
- The victim was an intruder? - Yes.
- Killed outright? - Yes.
Two bullets to the chest.
- Armed? - Not exactly.
He was carrying a cordless drill.
- what about the other intruders? - They're downstairs.
Three of them.
They claim to be Ml5.
- Oh, this is great.
- Yup.
Morning.
I'm Inspector Naylor, this is Sergeant Connell, CIB.
we'd like to have a word with each of you about what happened out there this morning.
All right? Sergeant.
Hello.
I'm Superintendent Clark, Complaints Investigation Bureau.
- I'm the investigating officer.
- Hello.
- I'll need witness statements.
- Can't do, I'm afraid.
"Can't do"? A man has been killed.
we have to establish what happened.
we're just not authorised to talk about it.
I'm sorry.
what? You - I don't believe this.
- Sorry.
All right, how about name, rank and serial number? - Sorry.
- Are you gonna give me evidence that you had a legal right to be in that drill hall? Right, well, I'm charging you with breaking and entering, OK? - They're for real.
- Yeah.
- They actually said they're Ml5? - Yeah.
That's all they'll tell us.
- Have you told the Home Office? - Yeah.
They're sending someone over.
Excuse me.
Can I see the officer in charge, please? He's very busy at the moment, sir.
Can I help? Er, no.
- He is expecting me.
- I see, sir.
- what name shall I tell him? - No name.
Er, tell him it's the Home Office.
Guv, that was Forensics.
They're allowing us into the drill hall.
Good.
You and Mo get down there.
I'm staying here.
- You OK, guv? - No.
Just checking.
Harry, have you got any cigarettes? I thought you'd Don't you forget to take the patch off.
we'll see you later, then.
Tony, we have a visitor.
Hello.
Detective Superintendent Clark.
Chief Superintendent Newall tells me you are in charge of this affair.
I'm a director from A-Branch.
Ml5.
- Yes? - You have some of our bods here.
- I've come to collect them.
- Really? - And you are? - Ah.
If you'd like to sit over there until you can think of a name, - I'm gonna investigate the shooting.
- You don't understand.
No.
I don't.
I want to know who you are, who they are, what authority you have and what authority they had to be in that depot.
well This is supposed to tell me who you are? - Mm-hm.
- It's just a piece of Home Office paper.
I don't think you realise what you're doing.
I'm a director of Ml5.
The equivalent to a police commander.
Prove it.
- I think you're being very silly.
- well, I don't.
These bods have witnessed a very serious incident.
If I release them without getting their names or taking a statement, just because they've got a note from their mum, then I really would be silly.
He's an idiot.
Are you responsible for those men and know what they were doing? well, you provide me with evidence it was legal.
Right.
I'm arresting you, too.
Conspiracy to burgle.
Er having a spot of bother with the plod.
Hello, willy.
So where's the stiff? They've shipped him off to the mortuary at Muirhead Hospital.
They've what? You gotta be joking.
what about procedure? Good question.
I've been looking in my book for what we do when an Ml5 man is shot on army property by a Special Branch officer.
The chapter's missing.
well, you better get over there, Mo.
Have a look at him, see if you can find out who he was.
So, erm what about the other exhibits? The drill and that.
You know.
The squaddies have got them in there.
They've let me look at them.
In the bags.
Everything's up in the air.
My recommendation is that you say absolutely nothing.
Thank you, sir.
Sorry, I'm going to have to ask you all to wait downstairs.
Do you think Inspector Pollock might go home for a while, sir? He could use a rest.
He's pretty shocked.
OK, but make sure he's near a phone so we can get him if we need him.
Tony, they want you to stay.
Give me a hand, please.
what's going on? So For those of you who don't know, I am Thomas wenleigh, deputy undersecretary at the Home Office.
There seems to be a bit of shit flying about and I have been cast in the prestigious role of pooper-scooper.
with your help, I intend to collect this shit before it hits the fan and tuck it neatly into the bin with a minimum of fuss.
If you would introduce yourselves in a clockwise sequence, starting with you, Sir Timothy.
Rear Admiral Sir Timothy Vaughan-Taylor, chairman, Police Complaints Authority.
Commander Graham Sullivan, head of Complaints Investigation Bureau.
Detective Superintendent Tony Clark, Complaints Investigation Bureau.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Gollap, head of Special Branch.
Chief Superintendent Newall, divisional officer.
Angela Berridge, Home Office.
Ah.
The next two are senior members of Ml5 who will remain unnamed.
Major weatherilt, Army Intelligence and security staff.
Thank you.
And thank you all for assembling so promptly.
Perhaps we should hear what's been going on.
Chief Superintendent? To be honest, sir, Detective Superintendent Clark is more up to speed with this than I.
In that case, we can do without you, Chief Superintendent.
Thank you.
well Ah.
I wonder if, in deference to the hazards of passive smoking, we might declare this a no-smoking meeting.
This is a smoking area of a Metropolitan Police canteen, Mr wenleigh.
Maybe we should take a vote.
Right.
Detective Superintendent Clark, as concisely as possible, tell us what's been going on.
well I don't really know.
Half the people involved have refused to speak to me.
- This is him? - Don't you recognise him? No, I don't know him.
How old would you say he was? You haven't had anyone else in? You mean anyone else with two chest wounds? No.
No, this is Crouch End, love, not Beirut.
Your colleague, he was quite happy this was the bloke.
My colleague? Yeah.
Tallish, plain clothes.
And at that point Inspector Pollock shot the man.
Do we know his identity? well, we don't.
All we know is that he was an Ml5 officer.
- He wasn't.
- what? The man who was killed was not one of our people.
what? Right.
I suppose we'd better find out who he was.
I'd like the investigation to continue.
I'd like Superintendent Clark, who's knuckled down to this difficult task most diligently, to continue his examinations of those police officers involved.
And will we have access to the Ml5 operatives? Mm no, not directly.
Sir, I don't like this.
My men are subject to disciplinary action, dismissal, even imprisonment, while their people, doing essentially the same sort of work, can just vanish the moment it suits them.
I take your point, John.
If you'll let me finish, I'll explain what I want to happen here.
Superintendent Clark will deal with those police involved.
Angela Berridge here will deal with the Ml5 side of the affair.
They will work together and provide each other with full and frank cooperation.
Only those present will be involved.
when all the information is gathered I'll decide how to proceed, after consulting with all of you.
All communication with the press will be done only with my approval.
This is a matter of extreme sensitivity and not a snippet of information is to be communicated to anybody not in this room.
what's this, then? Bloody Mothers' Union? This isn't about firearms procedure.
It's us against them.
They had no right to be there without telling us and they know it.
I won't have my men scapegoated.
They try Superintendent Clark knows his job.
Of course.
Far be it from me to prejudice his inquiry.
But if they manage to turn this into our fault, I'll have your bollocks, son.
Fair enough? - Are you going to the drill hall? - Yeah.
- I'll meet you there, then.
- Right.
- Yes.
There has been a shooting.
- Sir, erm - And a man is dead.
- Yes.
who was he? This is a delicate matter.
we can't reveal his identity at this time.
were the IRA involved? As I say, this is a sensitive and delicate matter.
we are carrying out a full investigation with complete Home Office support.
when more is known, we will let you know.
In the meantime, I'm sure we can rely on your cooperation.
That is all I have to say at this time.
That is a friendly brick.
You slip it in a wall, still be transmitting long after BBC1's become a 24-hour porn channel.
And these? I don't know what they are.
I'll have to ask the boffins.
- This? - No, don't know what that is.
- This? - Ah.
That is a spy-mic.
Microphone, transmitter, aerial, all in one.
Nice bit of gear.
what's this? Ray gun? No, that is a cordless drill, guv.
The army said we can have all this now.
- That's nice of them.
- Hello? Hello.
Angela Berridge, Home Office.
Inspector Naylor, CIB.
- Hiya.
- Hello.
- Right, here we are, then.
- Yes.
Perhaps I should say what I think we should do and then you can disagree.
No.
It's a joke.
Oh, I see.
why don't you say what you think we should do? All right.
well, I think we should establish some objectives.
One, find out why Ml5 hadn't informed Special Branch - of this operation.
- Mm.
Establish that Inspector Pollock's actions were justified.
Right.
Not only in the shooting itself but also in the armed containment.
Uh-huh.
Thirdly, find out who the dead man was.
Oh, it's Jack Edmonds.
what? His name is Jack Edmonds.
I got his wallet.
Oh, for Christ's sakes.
So do we know who he was? I thought he was Ml5.
No, apparently not.
Shall we deal with finding out who Edmonds was? Yes, and talking to the police.
- I'll talk to Ml5.
- Right.
And will you try to find out what they were doing here? Of course.
- And when you do, will you tell me? - Of course.
As you'll tell me what you learn from Inspector Pollock and his men.
Of course.
It's fairly obvious they were bugging the place and I've established that they were suspicious of a TA corporal based here, by the name of Hodges.
He's apparently had contact with members of a terrorist organisation.
- I see.
D'you know any more? - No.
I'll be pursuing that with Ml5.
Have we got grounds to pull the soldiers in? - I think so.
- Right.
Harry! - Yes, guv.
- Have a word with Major weatherilt.
Get him or Chief Superintendent Newall to pull this guy in.
Hodges.
Right.
Jack Edmonds' details.
Good.
Up and running.
Yes.
Let's hope it's the beginning of a fruitful partnership.
Yeah.
I better be going.
This is my number.
- Yeah, Michael John David Hodges.
- we've sent someone to get Hodges.
Do we know what he was involved in? Gonna have to get that out of Ml5.
I've told Crouch End what's happening with Hodges.
Captain Goods, I believe you saw the dead man before he was taken away? Yes.
- Did you recognise him? - No.
- Nothing to do with the battalion? - Definitely not.
Maybe he's a builder or contractor.
No.
All right.
we're finished here for now.
we may need to come back with a witness or two.
OK? - Of course.
- Thank you.
Don't underestimate Ml5, Tony.
They're not stupid.
They can't be.
They're still in business despite not catching a spy since 1947.
They won't last long when they're privatised.
Sir.
Jack Edmonds was a retired painter and decorator.
His last employers were the Ministry of Transport.
He had worked for a private building company.
- Doing what? - Painting and decorating.
- Ml5? - well, I don't think so, guv.
Oh, shit.
The TA people said he wasn't with them, either.
- I'll leave it with you, Tony.
- Right.
Thank you, sir.
Follow up every lead on Edmonds.
Hello.
Oh, hello.
This is a surprise.
So, what do you know about Crouch End? Hah! You know, I thought this would be a sentimental reunion.
- You know me.
- Yeah.
I read your stuff in the Guardian sometimes.
Very witty.
Very witty, very angry.
- There's a lot to be angry about.
- Tell me.
why don't you tell me? - About Crouch End? - Yes.
- Off the record? - Yes.
No.
No, I think we're best keeping off each other's work, don't you? Shall we eat? Jesus.
Then plod steps in and puts his size 14 boot right in it.
And the dead man? Odd-job man.
Did some maintenance at the depot.
Bloody hell.
He was 68 years old, retired, a pensioner.
The name, Jack Edmonds.
He used to live in Acton.
Thanks.
Oh, this is, er non-attributable.
I understand.
Freshener? So how've you been? Getting along.
- You? - Getting along.
Sue left me.
- I wondered.
- Yeah.
I made a bit of a mess of things.
I suppose I didn't treat you too well, either, did I? - No.
- Sorry.
It's all right.
No gain without pain and all that.
No.
So this older, wiser Tony Clark still wants to sleep with the older, wiser Molly Cope? well, tough.
I really like you.
And I really like you, you bastard.
Seen this? Oh, Jesus.
Edmonds' name, his age, the fact that he was a painter and decorator.
- The bastards are shafting us.
- who? who? Don't be naive, Clark.
Ml5, of course.
Don't you see? Ml5, the Home Office, the newspaper editors and half the House of Commons were all fiddling with each other in their prep-school dormitories while we poor buggers were sitting our 11-plus.
Oh.
That's why DAC Gollap is so wound up.
Ml5 have run out of Russians, so now they want Special Branch's job.
with this kind of crap, they're gonna get it.
They've got most of the anti-terrorist surveillance stuff.
- what else do they want? - Fraud.
Drugs.
Organised crime.
- They want to be the FBI.
- Oh.
So, Tony get me a photo of Edmonds at an Ml5 reunion.
- Morning.
- Morning, Tony.
- How's it going? - Oh, great.
Did you ask the Ml5 men who went into the building if they saw Edmonds? - They didn't.
- Oh.
It's just that they went in through the door where he was working.
Did your people say why they didn't tell Special Branch what they were up to? They're worried about Special Branch security.
They what? Half their old boys own hair salons in Moscow and they can't trust Special Branch? They say they had no idea Special Branch were watching the place.
Just received this from DAC Gollap.
Operation Septimus.
"Rolling surveillance by Special Branch of all TA drill halls "and similarly sensitive installations.
" Ml5 have known about it for years.
I see.
I wonder if that will find its way into the newspapers.
I think not.
Guv, Chief Superintendent Newall.
Do you wanna speak to Hodges - before they hand him to the army? - Tell them I'm on my way.
would you like to come? I can't, I'm afraid.
Let me know how you get on.
And, Tony, Ml5 are not my people.
- I work for the Home Office.
- Of course.
what is it you normally do when you're not investigating spooks? - Personnel management.
- Ah, of course.
Morning.
Look, what is all this? - Michael John David Hodges? - Yeah.
- Date of birth 26th October 1964? - Yeah.
Corporal, Second Battalion, Middlesex yeomanry? No.
- "No"? - No.
It won't be difficult to get men from the battalion to identify you.
No, it won't.
It'll be impossible.
I'm an industrial plumber.
I've never been in the army and I'm getting very pissed off.
Captain Goods is here, sir.
Send him in.
This isn't Hodges.
- You mean this isn't your Hodges.
- No.
He has the same name and date of birth.
- where did you go to school? - Muswell Hill High School.
- Oh, shit! - Your Hodges? Same.
would somebody mind telling me what's going on? I wish we knew.
I am sorry, sir.
A few more questions then you'll be free to go.
Sergeant! So your Hodges appears to have assumed this man's character.
Apparently.
- what was he like? - Superb soldier.
A natural.
And a very nice bloke.
Reliable, steady and well, yes, a natural.
- In what way? - Superb with weapons.
A strip-and-assemble-blindfold chap.
He'd done the snipers course and was about to do the unit masters course to be a shooting instructor.
- Exceptional for a corporal.
- what was his job? - Arms storeman.
- with access to weapons? - Yes.
- what sort of weapons? - SA80 rifles.
- Oh, Jesus.
Plenty of 'em? Yes.
- Anything else? - Milan anti-tank launchers.
- with ammunition? - Missiles, yes.
Oh, shit.
So this ordinary little depot in the middle of London - has enough tack to fight a war? - That's the general idea.
Yeah, I suppose it is.
So who the hell was Hodges? Good question.
That's what your man was doing here.
It's a rocker.
Detects when the door is opened.
- This is what Edmonds was doing? - I should say so.
why a painter and decorator? why weren't Ml5 men doing this? I'd say his job wasn't primarily out here.
It was inside, where they were fitting the bugs.
See, if you fit a bug in a wall, what do you need? Someone who'll cover up for you so nobody knows.
- A painter and decorator.
- Yes.
He wouldn't have been Ml5 exactly.
But he would have been working for them.
And those two little bugs, what were they? I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think they may be homing devices.
To do what? To plant on somebody, or something, to see where they're going.
To follow them, to track them.
- Like guns, for instance? - Of course.
why not? Could those Ml5 blokes have got into the army? I wonder if there's anything those bastards couldn't do.
wouldn't do.
Yeah, Molly? You know what I said about not discussing work? Forget it.
I got a story for you.
It is absolutely off the record and you can't put your name to it when it goes out in case they connect us.
OK.
It's Edmonds.
He was definitely Ml5.
Yeah.
I can't tell you that.
Partly because I don't really know.
Mm.
Anyway, I got to go now, Mum.
Mm-hm.
Yeah.
Love to Aunt Betty.
I'll see you soon.
Bye.
- That was my mum.
- Tony, well done.
- Thank you, sir.
- Excellent work.
Come.
Angela.
Hello.
- I was just gonna ring you.
- were you? Yes.
we've established that Edmonds was definitely with Ml5.
- Have you? - Yes.
And Hodges turns out to be a terrorist.
Or Ml5.
He's the army's problem now.
Or yours.
Is he? what's this? - Inspector Pollock.
- Y es.
- Visiting Hodges, the bogus Hodges.
- This supposed to mean something? I think so.
They were taken yesterday, 11:50, from Crouch End, when he was going home to get over the shock.
- Are you suggesting a conspiracy? - This is Pollock and Hodges coming out of a pub two weeks ago in Kilburn.
And this is Hodges with a very nasty piece of work called Demiger.
A terrorist.
Served eight years for kneecapping.
And this is a recorded conversation between Hodges and Pollock.
They discuss selling arms to terrorists.
Oh, Hodges also says he has money for Pollock.
I'll leave them with you.
It does seem to underline Ml5's anxiety about Special Branch security.
we'll speak later? - How'd you get on? - It's Pollock.
- Got some money for you.
- Hodges.
- How much? - Two grand.
That's nice.
They're creaming themselves about the anti-tank gear.
They're talking tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands.
- I'm shitting myself.
- we better start talking dates.
- That's it.
- Shit.
Yeah.
we may have laid Edmonds on Ml5 but now we seem to be stuck with Pollock.
- How do they do it? - Ml5? I don't know.
Every time we think we've got them cold, they shaft us.
I feel like a puppet with an Ml5 hand up my arse.
Get Newall to pull in Pollock.
It's gonna be a long night.
Go through his pocket books, his files, everything.
we'll talk to him first thing tomorrow.
How'd you get on? - I've got some money for you.
- How much? - Two grand.
- That's nice.
They're creaming themselves about the anti-tank gear.
They're talking tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands.
- I'm shitting myself.
- we better start talking dates.
- Morning, Mo.
- Morning, guv.
You seen this? No.
what's it say? That Edmonds was Ml5 and Ml5 were crawling all over the drill hall.
Oh.
One up to us, then.
The Guardian isn't usually our best friend.
I suppose when we're lined up against Ml5 it makes us look positively left-wing.
I suppose so.
- Does your mate still work there? - who? Oh, her.
Dunno.
No mention of meetings with Hodges in his pocket books, files, nothing.
He hadn't told his guv'nor, either.
- It don't look good, does it? - No.
The Home Office rang.
wenleigh wants to see you and the Berridge woman at 11 o'clock, urgent.
Should be all right.
Tell me about Michael Hodges.
- Have you got him? Is he all right? - Tell me about him.
I met him 18 months ago.
we're in a squash league.
He's a very nice bloke.
About six weeks ago he contacted me.
As you probably know, he's a corporal in the drill hall.
He was very scared.
He said he'd been approached by a man who was interested in the drill hall.
In guns.
Yeah.
As I say, he was scared but he was willing to string them along.
So we waited for this guy to contact him again and when he did, Hodges said he would help.
Did he inform his superior officers at the depot? - No.
- why? He didn't trust them.
The man who approached him said they had someone else on the inside.
He described the layout of the place to Hodges.
It was spot-on.
It could have been anyone.
Hodges didn't feel safe.
I see.
Did you tell your superiors about him? - No.
- No? He would only help on condition that I told no one.
For his safety.
It was a brave thing he was doing.
So you put nothing in your pocket books or files? Oh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I met him twice on business, as it were.
Er, I put him down as Jonah.
You'll find it in the pocket books.
And I spoke to him on the phone a couple of times.
I put the calls down as well.
I suppose he told you about the money.
The money? They gave him two grand.
He passed it on to me.
- where is it? - In the safe at South Hill Park nick.
Signed in as retrieved stolen goods.
what were you planning to do? I suppose find out what they wanted, let them believe they were gonna get it, then grab them.
This was early days.
we had no set plan.
But I felt it could have been a runner.
Good.
we'll stop now.
Interview suspended 09:14 hours.
This is good.
It's not perfect, but it's good.
I wanna fill you in on some background of what's happening.
Are you prepared to talk informally? - Yes, sir.
- All right.
The actual shooting is less important than other matters that have arisen.
Thank you, sir.
we have a major problem with Ml5.
They're saying that the man you shot wasn't Ml5 at all, - just some cuddly old caretaker.
- Yeah, I saw the papers.
Don't worry.
I think we've called their bluff on that.
The next problem is that they're justifying their little escapade and the fact that they informed neither Special Branch nor the army by saying they had evidence of you and Hodges planning some terrorist-inspired heist at the drill hall.
Jesus! They have a tape of you talking to Hodges about guns and money.
Convinced them you were bent.
- I'm stupid.
- No I am.
I thought it would be safe if Hodges always called from a coinbox.
I should have thought they might be bugging Special Branch phones.
Are you serious? It's the only way they could have heard that conversation.
I know Ml5 a bit.
They put out on the back of 300 or 400 warrants.
It just never occurred to me they might bug us.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
Superintendent Clark to see Mr wenleigh.
Ah, yes, Superintendent.
would you wait a moment, please? would you like to go in, Superintendent? Tony.
Good morning.
Thank you for coming.
Things are getting messy.
The minister's under pressure to make a statement.
So I need to know exactly where we are.
Ml5 went in because they misunderstood the relationship between Hodges and Pollock.
Because they were bugging Special Branch telephones.
Because they suspected Pollock? No.
They were bugging Pollock's phones before they had any ground for suspicion.
Had they told Special Branch about Hodges, they would have prevented this whole thing and saved Edmonds' life.
They're not happy that Special Branch is secure.
Oh.
On what grounds? If they suspect them, why don't they make this evidence available so that this lack of security can be dealt with? Right.
Anything else? well, I've told you about Edmonds.
The only other thing is Hodges.
what about him? He was seen by a neighbour, leaving his flat a few minutes before Pollock got there.
It seems a bit odd that Ml5 have photos of Pollock but not of Hodges leaving.
I think they arrived just before Pollock got there.
I see.
So this hot suspect that Ml5 had been monitoring for months - just slipped through their fingers? - It seems that way.
Right.
OK.
Good.
Erm you've both done a tremendous job on this and I'm extremely grateful.
However, we do have a problem.
This is threatening to boil over into a public debate which we absolutely can't tolerate.
It's a very sensitive issue of huge significance to national security.
I propose that we stop the inquiry at this point.
Unless Hodges turns up.
So, thank you both.
I'll make sure that your excellent work doesn't go unnoticed.
well, say hello to Hodges for me.
Here we go! It is not usually our policy to comment on such matters but there have been rather far-fetched stories bandied about by the press.
Our preliminary inquiries have shed little light on this matter.
Although I do have to be circumspect not to prejudice any official inquiries and I have to be sensitive about matters of national security.
But what I can say is that the man killed was repairing a door.
Any suggestion that he was somehow connected with security services is infantile fantasy.
As is any suggestion that Ml5 or any of the security services were involved.
I don't believe this! The man was employed to carry out repairs on the building and had failed to turn up at the appointed hour.
And so Buildings like this have very high security and the police were, rightly, quick to react when they saw what they had taken to be an intruder.
But does that explain why he was shot dead? well, he was carrying a drill.
But I really can't say any more as this matter is under investigation.
what I can say is that the police have a very hard job to perform and situations can arise within seconds.
I would be very happy if we could just leave it at that for now.
I don't believe it.
will Special Branch take that lying down? I don't know if they've any choice.
Hello.
Hello, Molly.
Yes, I did.
well, of course I don't like it! what can I do? No, I'm not gonna stick my neck out.
It's not my problem.
It's Special Branch.
But it's lies.
I stuck my neck out running that article.
How do I look now? The bastard said that any suggestion Ml5 are involved is infantile nonsense.
Yeah, all right, I'm sorry.
I'm angry, too.
Look, I'll decide what I'm gonna do and get back to you, OK? Yeah.
Bye.
- Good morning.
- Ah, Tony.
I watched the news.
It's war, Clark.
we don't admit it because that in itself would be a victory for them.
You don't give your enemy any more encouragement than you can help.
- But it's such blatant lies.
- Oh, Clark! Truth is an abstract, romantic concept.
what do we do? Do we tell them we're all running around bumping into each other? where do your loyalties lie? Do we want them to get guns and missile launchers? How can we improve what we do if we lie? I've noted all your findings.
Action will be taken.
How do I know that? You'll just have to trust me.
I hope you won't get silly about this.
No, not silly.
But I do have this romantic attitude towards the truth.
I can't help it.
Tony, let me ask you a question.
- You know the Official Secrets Act? - Yes.
Right or wrong, it's the law of the land and it's your job and mine to uphold it.
- Yes.
- Right.
If a man, let's say a policeman, communicated to someone in the press, let's say a woman, information about a case involving Her Majesty's security services, doing this in direct contravention of Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, and the evidence was available from let's say recorded telephone conversations, this breach could lead to a man losing his job and his pension and quite possibly spending several years behind bars.
- Is this a threat? - No, Tony, it's a question.
would your affections for the truth push you to expose this man and this very attractive woman to the full horrors of the law and the Prison Service? I think you're very wise to think about it, Tony.
Hi, Tony, is that you? Er, yeah.
- well, how did it go? - I can't really say.
- Is he going to change his story? - I doubt it.
- But he's lying.
- who isn't? I can't believe that's you.
You sound so weird.
Is somebody with you? Sort of.