Pie In The Sky (1994) s04e06 Episode Script
Gary's Cake
1 S04xE06 "Gary's Cake" Oct 20, 1996 Gary, I´m thinking of putting cod and lentils on the menu for lunch.
Yeah, right.
Great.
With what? Chips? Well, how about mash? You did mash yesterday and the day before.
Yeah, but olive-oil mash is great with cod and lentils.
All right, olive-oil mash it is.
Where´s Nicola today, then? She´s just turned up.
Are you going to have a word with her or not? Good Lord, is that the time? All right, if you won´t, I will.
Hiya.
Hiya.
Guess what.
What? Paul has given me a brand-new mobile phone.
No kidding.
So we can keep in touch with each other 24 hours a day.
That´s nice.
Have you sussed out exactly what Paul does yet? Nicola, could I have a word, please? Haven´t done much talking yet, I suppose.
What you do outside the restaurant is your own business, but, please, can you come to work on time? I know.
I´m sorry about last night, Mrs.
Crabbe.
It won´t happen again.
And don´t be in such a hurry to leave.
It won´t happen again, I promise.
I´ll be back to normal from now on.
Aside from that, I´m very happy things are working out for you.
It´s amazing, isn´t it? I´ve never felt so Well, so Well, you know.
Yes.
I have a vague recollection.
Very vague.
Two pies, table 4.
Desserts, table 6.
Here, that´s the second lot of mash you´ve polished off.
Well, I´m hungry, aren´t I? Yeah? The leftovers are mine.
It´s part of the agreement.
That is like eating my wages.
Bang! Gun.
Acid.
Get over to the bar.
Come on.
Come on, move it! Now, listen.
It´s be good or get hurt, all right? Your watches.
Acid.
Acid! Give him the watch.
Come on, your watches.
Necklace.
Give us your ring.
No, please.
It won´t come off.
I said give us your ring! Come on! I´ll do it.
You´re hurting me.
Come on! Thanks very much for your cooperation.
Let´s go! See you, pal.
I hope so.
Go! Go! Go! Go! Yeah, see? That wasn´t too bad, was it, eh? You might even end up on the telly.
Ladies and gentlemen, I´m terribly sorry.
Do you think you could all just sit down in your seats for a few moments till we get ourselves together? I´m sorry.
You can´t go.
Put your coat on and sit down there.
Didn´t even get a number.
Yes, yes, we´ll look after that.
Gary, stay down here and keep an eye on these people, all right? I´ll go upstairs and phone the police.
Drinks all round.
Singles.
All right? Right.
Margaret? Henry, we´ve had a robbery.
All right, Kev? Detective Sergeant Stringer, Barstock C.
I.
D.
- You the owners? - I am.
My name´s Margaret Crabbe.
This is my husband, Henry.
Yeah, the famous DI Crabbe.
I´ve heard a lot about you.
Sir.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
Right, one Rolex, two Cartiers, a couple of necklaces, and a diamond ring.
Approximate value, 27K.
Oh, no.
Not bad for five minutes´ work.
What a cheeky little team, eh? Can´t have been local.
No one round here´s got the goolies.
No, I reckon they were up from London.
What´s your view on that, Inspector? Well, that thought had crossed my mind, too.
Want me to do the back door, Brian? If you insist.
You´ll find the rest of the staff in the kitchen.
You could take their prints at the same time.
I think we´ll leave that on the back burner for the time being.
Thank you, Kev.
May I ask why? Well, first off, this is a restaurant, so God knows who´s had their mucky paws over everything.
Second off, one thing our witnesses agree on so far is that the blaggers were gloved up.
And while we´re on the subject of your staff, can I ask you about Leon Henderson and Gary Palmer? Funny sort of people for a man in your position to have around the place, wouldn´t you say? Henderson was arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana more than 10 years ago and not charged.
- As for Gary Palmer - Palmer, yes.
Theft, taking and driving away, assaulting a police officer, drunk and disorderly.
He was charged all right.
Yes.
But his problems were partly at least drink-related.
He´s been sober for two years.
He´s been out of trouble for two years.
I can vouch for him and Henderson.
And so can I.
Sorry to interrupt, sir.
Can I have a word? Perfect.
Fisher wants to see you immediately.
It´s about last night.
Excuse me.
Are you going to leave me on my own with him? Why on earth not? Because I don´t like him.
Can´t you sort this out on your own? Margaret, it´s not my job.
Sir.
In a minute, Cambridge.
All right? I´ll be back as quick as I can.
I promise.
I´m sorry.
ACC Fisher wants to see me.
Well, we´ll just have to muddle along without you, won´t we, Mrs.
Crabbe? Look, I´m sorry.
I´m very sorry.
Doesn´t sound like local lads.
No, but it sounds like local info, though.
How do you mean? They obviously knew that Cliff Burdett and his family were going to be at Pie in the Sky last night.
The question is "How?" And what´s the story on DS Stringer? Oh, you know, not much.
Oh, come on, Cambridge.
Well, he´s a bit of a star.
Very high success rate, much admired by the hierarchy, but the view among the lowerarchy is that he gets away with murder.
So, he took Mrs.
Burdett´s watch and then he went for her ring.
No.
No, that´s wrong.
He took her watch, then he took her daughter´s watch, and then he went back to Mrs.
Burdett and he said something.
"Give me the ring.
" Well, something like that.
Well, that´s what he said according to the Burdetts.
When I was standing over by the bar, I couldn´t hear everything.
Okay, so, the red helmet tried to wrench the ring off Cherry Burdett´s finger.
Yes, but there was something else.
Thereby subjecting her to considerable physical pain, whereupon she removed the ring herself.
Look, I´m trying to remember something important here.
You keep interrupting me.
Shouldn´t you be writing this down? Mrs.
Crabbe, when you tell me something I don´t already know, I´ll write it down.
Okay, the chef, Gary Palmer.
Where was he during the robbery? Gary? He was over there by the bar.
He had a conversation, didn´t he, with the villain in the white helmet? A conversation? No, I don´t think so.
Gary said something to him, didn´t he? That´s hardly a conversation.
According to a witness, the villain in the white helmet said, "See you later, pal," and Palmer said, "I hope so.
" Well, I don´t remember that.
You don´t remember that.
I see.
Look, I was being threatened by a man with a long knife.
And my customers were being threatened with guns and acid and God knows what.
I cannot be expected to remember every little detail.
Come in.
Ah, Crabbe.
I´d like to introduce you to our new press officer, Jenny Drabble.
Hello.
How do you do? Now, this is awkward, Crabbe.
Very awkward.
Talk about worst-case scenarios.
Sir? One thing we´ve got going for us is Baby Diana.
Baby Diana? The baby who was snatched from Barstock Hospital yesterday.
Oh, right, yeah.
I´m parading her parents for the press this afternoon.
TV, radio, newspapers.
None of them are interested in anything else.
Thank God.
Baby Diana will be on all the front pages.
With a bit of luck, the robbery at Pie in the Sky will be tucked away inside.
I hope you´re right.
Any queries from the press, refer them straight to me.
Same thing goes for your staff.
The important thing to emphasize is that the restaurant is your wife´s and that you have absolutely nothing to do with the running of it.
The important thing is to keep a lid on the fact that half the staff are convicted criminals.
I can´t for the life of me understand how you could How your wife could employ such people.
Given up on rehabilitation, have we? I must have missed that meeting.
Actually, if the worst comes to the worst, we could put a spin on that.
"The Copper Who Cared Too Much.
" Not bad.
"´I was Duped, ´ says Do-Gooder Detective.
" That´s very good.
Can I say something? No, you can´t, Crabbe.
You can´t say anything to anybody without clearing it with Jenny first.
Is that understood? And then the one in the red helmet said something like, "You´re all gonna be on the telly," and then they did a runner.
Very good, Nicola.
Very good.
By the way, did you recognize the Burdetts? Oh, yeah.
I´ve waited on them before.
The bloke´s a good tipper.
I always remember good tippers.
Did Gary Palmer ever talk to the Burdetts? No, not that I´m aware of.
Gary hates coming out of the kitchen.
Gary´s from Liverpool, isn´t he? Yeah, he´s a Scouser.
The bloke in the white helmet, the one who spoke to Gary, didn´t he have a Scouse accent? No.
No, it definitely wasn´t Scouse.
Actually, now you come to mention it I bet you work out, don´t you? No.
No, I don´t, actually.
That´s amazing, ´cause you look in really good shape.
Shouldn´t we be talking about the robbery? You ever been to the Barstock Health Club? They´ve got terrific facilities.
Gym, Jacuzzi, swimming pool.
Maybe I could show you round sometime.
I don´t think my boyfriend would like that.
You´ve got a boyfriend? You´ve broken my heart, Nicola.
It´s not Gary Palmer, is it? No, it is not! He had this big knife, like a machete.
I reckon he was 5´11", athletic build, jeans, sweatshirt.
What did he say? He told us to go into the dining room.
Then he yanked the phone off the wall.
Did you have a look in the reservations book yesterday? Yeah.
Well, I do most days, you know, just to see what we´re in for.
Cherry Burdett booked a table three days in advance, so you would have seen the Burdett name in the book, wouldn´t you? I suppose so, yeah.
You didn´t recognize the name? No.
But the Burdetts are regulars.
Nicola tells me Cliff Burdett is a big tipper.
You can´t get many customers like Cliff Burdett in here.
We serve the best food for miles.
We get all sorts in here.
We don´t go weak at the knees if some fella comes in wearing a watch.
The bloke in the white crash helmet, the one you had a little chat with, didn´t he have a Scouse accent? Oh, I get it.
They were my mates and I put them up to it.
Very good.
You should be a detective.
Well, were they your mates? Did you put them up to it? No and no.
Come to think of it, their accent was very similar to yours.
Maybe they were your mates.
I doubt that, Gary, ´cause I´m not a thief, am I? Eh? Whereas you are.
A thief and a drunk, as I recall.
Fair description, would you say? You can think what you like.
It´s not a matter of what I think, Gary.
It´s a matter of public record.
Gary Palmer is a thief and a drunk.
And in my experience, once a thief, always a thief.
For that matter, once a drunk, always a drunk, right? What´s your view on that, Gary? Speaking as a thieving little alkie? Come on.
Go on and have a pop.
Please, Gary.
I beg of you.
Have a little pop at me.
Oh, I forgot.
You can´t fight unless you´ve had a bevvy first, can you? Well, come on, then.
It´s my shout.
What´s it to be? What´s your poison? Scotch? Brandy? Wait a minute, I know.
Nice drop of vodka, yeah? Yeah, I reckon you´re a vodka man.
Slips down easy first thing, doesn´t it? Go on, then.
Neck that.
Do you know what, Stringer? You´re in a bad way.
I´m in a bad way? Yeah.
Are you going to drink that? No.
I hate your type, do you know that? I like my villains up front.
I like the ones who go out and do it for the money, no excuses.
But your type "It wasn´t my fault.
It was the drink.
It was the drugs.
" You know what I mean, Gary? - Drink it.
- No! What´s going on, Sergeant? I´m trying to take statements, that´s what.
Who poured this? I did.
A word? I´m busy.
Now, Sergeant! You okay? Yeah.
I will not have it.
I will not have you coming here, intimidating my family and my friends.
Yes, friends, that´s what they are, just in case you weren´t sure.
Your choice of friends is your problem.
Look, another thing.
You seem to have decided already that somebody here is implicated in this robbery.
There are other avenues to be explored, you know.
Look, Cherry Burdett booked a table three days in advance.
She didn´t tell Cliff.
She didn´t tell her daughter.
So, how did the blaggers find out the Burdetts were coming to the restaurant? Nobody knew except your staff.
Now, my governor My governor thinks I´ve gone soft on this one ´cause of you.
If he thinks I haven´t done my job, I´m history.
I´m not saying don´t do your job.
What I´m saying is do it by the book.
Look, no disrespect.
I´ve heard you were a bit tasty in your time, but these days, it´s a different book.
Hello, Pie in the Sky.
No, no, no, that´s fine.
Yes, thanks for letting us know.
Bye.
Nngh! Customers? Cancellation.
Twelfth so far.
Plus a call from a local vicar asking if we wanted counseling.
Honestly, one mention on the local news, this happens.
Margaret.
Henry, a crime has been committed here.
I don´t see why you´re not sorting it out.
I´ve told you, Margaret.
Detective Sergeant Stringer is conducting the investigation, and there´s nothing I can do about it.
Yes, well, he´s dreadful.
He treated me like a suspect, not a witness.
He shouted at Henderson.
He made sexist remarks about Nicola.
Poor Gary.
Margaret, I know.
And all this nonsense about a Liverpool accent.
Anyone with half a mind could see that he was Cockney.
South London, actually.
I used to go out with a boy from Lewisham.
His accent was exactly the same.
Did you tell Stringer that? Well, I hardly got the chance, did I? And I remembered something really important.
He kept interrupting.
I´ve forgotten it.
Henry, you have got to do something.
Barstock Gazette.
Inspector Crabbe, do you hold yourself in any way responsible for the assault on the Burdett family? Get out.
Are you Gary Palmer? Are you the one that´s been in prison? Were you aware you were employing a convicted criminal, - Inspector Crabbe? - No comment.
Now, out.
Is it true all your employees have got criminal records? Get out of my kitchen! So it is your restaurant, then, is it? Out! You´d better get on to that press office right away, Henry, and you can change your whites whilst you´re at it.
All right.
Who is it? I´ve come to pick up Nicola.
Thank you.
She´s in the dining room.
Tell her I´m here, would you? Why don´t you tell her? Oh, yeah, of course.
Sorry.
You´re rushed off your tiny little feet, aren´t you? - Hi.
- Hello, Paul.
Paul, you´re early.
Don´t I get a kiss? Not here.
Come and meet my boss.
Mr.
Crabbe, this is my friend, Paul Travis.
- How do you do? - How do you do? Nice to meet you.
Listen, I think you should be on your way now.
Oh, what about Oh, I think we can manage.
Don´t you? Thanks, Chef.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye.
I´m just going to get my stuff.
Have you met him before? Yes.
Came round one night last week to pick up Nicola.
I don´t think you were here.
No, I wasn´t.
His face seems familiar, though.
What´s this? Your bill.
- You ready? - Mm-hmm.
See you, Gary.
Good night.
Paul.
Paul, wake up.
There´s somebody at the door.
You answer it.
Tell them I´m not here.
What? What are you talking about? Only coppers knock like that! The police, Nicola! Bloody hell! Nicola.
What a pleasant surprise.
It´s a disaster, Crabbe.
A complete disaster! What makes it worse is that we´ve had some bad news about Baby Diana.
Oh, no.
Yes, they found her today, alive and well.
I´m sorry? That´s bad news? For us it is, Crabbe.
The feeding frenzy is over.
The hacks will be on to the next story, and it could be this.
The journalist who was in your kitchen, I think I can wangle him an hour alone with Baby Diana´s family in return for holding back on you.
The family´s agreeable as long as it doesn´t jeopardize their tabloid deal.
Excellent, Jenny.
Well done.
In the meantime, Crabbe, we´ll have to close your restaurant down until the dust has settled.
We can´t afford any more nonsense like this.
Close the restaurant? He´s arrested Paul! He´s a right little entrepreneur is our Paul.
You want anything in this neck of the woods, Paul´s your man.
Cars, TVs, mobile phones.
They say he shifts more phones than B.
T.
And jewelry, Nicola.
And watches.
He´s been here to the restaurant, hasn´t he? A couple of times, yes.
What about last Tuesday? Yes, he came to pick up Nicola.
She was still working.
I said he could have a drink by the bar.
So Travis was sat here on his tod with this.
Yes, but we keep that under the bar.
Not always, though.
It was on the bar all day yesterday.
Maybe that´s where it was Tuesday evening.
I don´t remember.
´Cause what I´m thinking is this.
Travis is sat here on his tod, he looks down, sees the book.
"Hang on, what´s this? Burdett, table for three.
Hmm, interesting.
I wouldn´t mind some of that.
" What? What? Sergeant, I don´t mean to tell you your job, but this is serious business.
Don´t turn it into a circus.
Get off my back.
Go and open a tin or something, okay, sir? I´ll be taking statements later.
First, I want a nice, long chat with Paul Travis.
Any messages for Paul? No? Okay, then.
See you later.
You don´t believe him, do you? Paul´s not like that.
I know he´s not.
I know why his face is familiar.
I´ve seen it on the police computer, Nicola.
I´m going home.
No, you´re not.
No one is going anywhere.
I´m just going to have to sort this mess out for myself, even though it means I´ll get into big trouble in the process.
Right, so you´ll all just have to tell me your tale again.
Anyone fancy a nice Savoy cabbage? Ah, Henderson.
You can be first.
Sit down.
He had this sword with this sort of curved handle.
It was this big.
Maybe it was this big.
Could have been this big.
And it had tape around the handle.
It was black insulating tape.
Black tape.
They were definitely South London accents.
I know that accent really well.
New Cross, Lewisham, round there.
It´s not like Paul.
Paul comes from Barstock.
I mean, he still lives there.
Can we just stick to the robbery, please, Nicola? Yeah, right.
Sorry.
Oh, yeah, the one with the acid, he had this gap between his sleeve and his glove.
And he had a tattoo, a band tattoo around his wrist.
I think tattoos are such a turn-off, don´t you? Aren´t they just? So, tattoo on wrist.
Good.
Anything else you want to tell me about? No, that´s it.
That´s good.
Oh, and a red helmet.
I reckon he was some sort of fashion victim.
He had this horrible purple jacket and these brand-new trainers, blue with a white stripe.
I remember thinking, this guy loves them so much, he´s even wearing them on a job.
Did you know Paul Travis from before? - No, Chef, I didn´t.
- You sure? You weren´t dubbed up with him in the Scrubs or anything like that? I never met him before in my life until he came here to pick up Nicola.
Good.
Thanks, Gary.
So Red Helmet must have noticed Cherry Burdett´s diamond and he asked her for it and she said, "No, please.
It won´t come off.
" But she tried anyway, and he was getting impatient.
So He tried to take it off himself, didn´t he? Yes, yes, he did, he did, but there´s something else.
Oh, buggeration.
Don´t rush it, Margaret.
It´ll come eventually.
Was it something he did before he tried to take the ring? Okay.
Okay, he was standing over her like this, getting very angry.
Blue Helmet was next to him.
And he said something like, "Give me the ring.
" And then he gave the gun to Blue Helmet, and he took his glove off.
Henry, he took his glove off.
And then he took her hand, and she said, "Stop it.
You´re hurting me.
" And so he let go, so she gave it to him anyway.
And then he leaned over her and said something.
I didn´t hear what, and he he touched the chair.
Henry, this chair.
Oh, well done, Margaret.
Well done.
Hello.
This is a nice place.
You reckon? Here.
Cheers.
I´m sorry.
I should have phoned first.
I just felt like a chat.
Would you like a cup of tea or something? No, thanks.
So, any news on Travis, then? No.
I´ve been trying to ring him all day.
They probably kept him in the nick overnight.
I don´t think he´s that bad, Gary.
I mean, you know, maybe he went through a bad patch, the same as you.
You don´t like him, do you? I don´t know the bloke, do I? You know what I mean.
Okay.
I´ve been around bad people all my life, and as far as I´m concerned, everything about Paul Travis spells trouble.
I mean, it´s written in big flashing lights, Nicola.
Look, have you eaten today? I´ve made this cheese and potato pie.
It´s mashed potato with little chunks of Yeah, right, when in doubt, eat something.
What is it with you and mashed potato all of a sudden? I´m coming up to two years off the drink, and it´s getting a tiny bit hairy.
I mean, that bloke Stringer didn´t help.
Anyway, spuds help fill the gap.
Yeah, well, Stringer got to everybody.
I read somewhere that carbohydrates have a tranquilizing effect.
I´ll probably end up going to P.
A.
Potatoes Anonymous.
You don´t reckon Paul will think he got arrested because of something I said, do you? Why, scared of him, are you? No, I´m not.
You haven´t been going out with the bloke a month and he´s doing your head in already.
Nice fella.
I knew this was a mistake.
You wanted to chat, and I´m chatting.
Yeah, good night, Gary.
It´s mashed potato with little chunks of mozzarella cheese mixed in.
You stick it in the oven until the top goes crispy brown and the cheese melts into the potato.
I think you´d like it, Nicola.
In another life, Gary.
I may have a partial palm print here.
Whether it´ll be of any use to you is another matter.
Thanks, Jimmy.
Stringer´s out there sitting in his car.
Over here, please, ladies and gents.
You, too, Henry.
Ah, Detective Sergeant Stringer, come in.
Meet Mr.
Jimmy Jacobs.
He can get a print off Scotch mist.
Of course, he´s retired now, and he´s just come in today to do us a favor.
What´s going on? Well, it seems that one of the villains took his glove off and Jimmy thinks he may have a palm print from that chair.
Yes, but don´t alert the media just yet.
No.
There you are.
Now, just hang on a minute.
You think we need to discuss one or two things, Sergeant? Too bloody right.
Let´s go out and do that, shall we? Just a second.
- What´s happened to Paul? - Travis? We let him go yesterday afternoon.
We didn´t find anything at his house, and anyway, on the night of the robbery, he was at a party for his mother-in-law with 40 other people.
His mother-in-law? Yeah, Paul Travis is married.
Didn´t you know? Wife, two kids, nice little semi in Harrow.
But he comes from Barstock.
He´s got a flat there.
Yeah, but I don´t think he actually lives there, darling.
Shall we step outside? I´m going straight to my governor and put him in the picture.
Do you know what? He doesn´t mess about.
You´ll be history, Crabbe.
I already am history, Sergeant.
That´s what gives me the edge in this.
I´ve only got two years left in the job.
I don´t care if I spend it polishing the chief constable´s car.
In fact, I´d rather be thrown out of the job than be pushed around by the likes of you.
- Is that so? - Yes, it is.
I just want to offer you my cooperation in this case.
If you can´t accept that, then I´ll come after you instead, and I will do it by your book.
That bottle in the glove compartment.
Don´t think I won´t use that.
Are you saying Stringer, if you put that finger in my face once more, I shall take it as a refusal.
What do you mean, cooperation? It´ll be your case, your collar.
I just want to make a contribution, that´s all.
- How? - Easy.
Let´s go and talk to Cherry Burdett, shall we? I´ll drive.
So when I realized he was going to yank it off, I said to myself, "Hang on a minute, girl.
It´s not worth losing a finger over," so I took it off myself.
Look, I have been through this once already.
Nice car out there.
Yes, it is.
Bit of a crush for the whole family, I should think.
That´s my car.
Cliff drives a Range Rover.
Ah.
So, you went to the restaurant in the Range Rover? No, of course not.
It was a night out, wasn´t it? We´re very careful about drinking and driving.
So, you went in a taxi, then? We used a local firm in Barstock.
Proper chauffeur-driven cars.
Volvos, Granadas.
If you book in advance, you can get a Merc.
Did you book in advance on the night of the robbery? Yeah, I booked it the same time as I booked the restaurant.
Well, why´s the car so important? It means someone else knew where you were going to be that night.
We´ve got a match on the palm print, sir.
The lucky owner is one Lee Greenall, a highly active thief operating out of Deptford.
But the really interesting thing is The really interesting thing about Lee Greenall is he´s got a brother called Carl, also with form, who lives locally and has a job driving for the Barstock Limousine Service.
Thank you, Cambridge.
Isn´t it irritating the way he does that? I think I can leave that to you now, Sergeant.
So those two brothers were in it together all the time? Mm.
The Burdetts used to use Carl Greenall and his Mercedes quite regularly.
I think he and his brother Lee had them on their shopping list from the start.
Then Cherry Burdett books the Mercedes to bring the family here for dinner.
So he gets on the phone to his brother Lee, gives him all the details, and bingo.
And so we can reopen the restaurant? Well, we can as soon as they´ve been arrested and charged.
We´re supposed to be picking them up tonight.
Well, Stringer is, actually.
I think knocking down doors and jumping on people is much more his cup of tea.
I shall be observing from a discreet distance, with my dignity intact.
Do you know what, Henry? You´re brilliant.
Hiya.
It´s all right.
I´m not stopping.
I just wanted to say that I´m really sorry about the other night.
It´s okay.
No, it was really No, Nicola, really, it´s okay.
Anyway, I spoke to Paul this afternoon.
And? I´m going to meet him at his flat.
I want to give the bastard his phone back, and I left this coat of mine there The black leather one with the belt.
I love that coat.
I really want to get it back.
Of course you do.
So I was wondering if you´d give me a lift.
Sort of come with me, really.
Nicola, I can´t.
I mean, I´ve got something on.
Oh.
Oh, fine.
No problem.
It doesn´t matter.
No, Nicola, of course I will, but we´ll have to be quick.
I mean, it can´t clash with this other thing.
You will? Yeah.
You sure? Come on.
Yeah, DS Stringer.
We´ve just arrived at the premises.
We´re gonna get in position now before we go for it.
All right.
Oi! What the This thing starts in half an hour, okay? Five minutes is all I need.
Nic, Nic.
I was going to tell you.
Yeah, sure you were.
Hey, I´m going to leave her, Nic.
It´s just a question of the kids and stuff.
Yeah, you´re a very caring person, Paul.
Where´s my coat? Nic.
It´s your little friend the cook.
Is everything all right? It will be once I get my coat.
Only, I´ve got this thing.
Excuse me, are we supposed to discuss this in front of him? There´s nothing to discuss, Paul! I just want my coat.
Is this to do with him? No, it´s not.
Now, will you just get the flaming coat? Here.
There´s a good boy.
Nicola, I´ve got to go now.
So, what is this meeting, anyway? It´s my boozers´ group.
I´ve been sober two years today, so they´re having a bit of a party for me.
I even get a cake.
A party.
That´s nice.
Can I come with you? No, Nicola, you can´t.
Can I wait for you in the car, then? I just I don´t feel like going home yet, that´s all.
Congratulations, Gary.
Bye.
See you next week.
Bye! See you tomorrow! Brr! Brought you a piece of cake.
Cheers.
Is everything all right? Yeah.
No, it was great.
Two years, eh? Yeah.
Do you know, I think I´m actually ready to make some changes in my life now.
Like what? Oh, like a relationship maybe.
If the opportunity arises.
Really? I reckon so.
Of course, it´s a big step.
Huge.
I wouldn´t want to rush anything.
You mean take things a step at a time, right? Exactly.
There is one thing that does worry me, though.
Well, I´ve never actually done it sober.
There and here.
Ah, ah.
Excellent.
Excellent, Jenny.
There´s no mention of DI Crabbe´s connection with the restaurant.
Very well done.
Thank you, sir.
And you come out of this extremely well, Sergeant.
Sir.
First-rate piece of good, old-fashioned police work.
Most impressive.
Thank you, sir.
Right, that´s all.
Thank you.
Sir.
Sir.
Crabbe, a word? Sir? This restaurant of your wife´s, Crabbe.
Yes, sir.
Had it come to my attention earlier Had it come to your attention earlier? Had it come to my attention earlier, I would have taken steps.
That is what I told the chief constable this morning.
That is my official position vis-Ã -vis your ruddy cafe.
Do you follow me? I think so, sir, yes.
Now, while it may be well aboveboard, it does lay us open to potential embarrassment.
So I have decided it´s time you had a change.
We´re fully booked tonight, Henry.
Isn´t this great? We did do the right thing, didn´t we, Margaret? What do you mean? I´ve just had a meeting with Freddy Fisher today.
You´ll never guess what he´s asked me to do.
What? - Hi.
- Hiya.
What´s that? This is mashed potato with saffron.
Wow.
Here, try some.
- Good? - Mm.
Do you know what? I haven´t seen you eat in ages.
Well, I seem to be getting my appetite back.
But Fisher can´t make you do that, can he? - Probably.
- Ugh! Aha, saffron mash.
Mmm.
You must try this, Margaret.
No, not now, Henry.
Now, come on.
Now, don´t rush it.
Just let the flavor of the saffron come through.
Sort of soft and pungent all at the same time.
Well, it´s a nice color.
"Well, it´s a nice color"? On behalf of my wife´s taste buds, Gary, I apologize.
Isn´t saffron terribly expensive? Yes, Margaret.
Terribly.
Yeah, right.
Great.
With what? Chips? Well, how about mash? You did mash yesterday and the day before.
Yeah, but olive-oil mash is great with cod and lentils.
All right, olive-oil mash it is.
Where´s Nicola today, then? She´s just turned up.
Are you going to have a word with her or not? Good Lord, is that the time? All right, if you won´t, I will.
Hiya.
Hiya.
Guess what.
What? Paul has given me a brand-new mobile phone.
No kidding.
So we can keep in touch with each other 24 hours a day.
That´s nice.
Have you sussed out exactly what Paul does yet? Nicola, could I have a word, please? Haven´t done much talking yet, I suppose.
What you do outside the restaurant is your own business, but, please, can you come to work on time? I know.
I´m sorry about last night, Mrs.
Crabbe.
It won´t happen again.
And don´t be in such a hurry to leave.
It won´t happen again, I promise.
I´ll be back to normal from now on.
Aside from that, I´m very happy things are working out for you.
It´s amazing, isn´t it? I´ve never felt so Well, so Well, you know.
Yes.
I have a vague recollection.
Very vague.
Two pies, table 4.
Desserts, table 6.
Here, that´s the second lot of mash you´ve polished off.
Well, I´m hungry, aren´t I? Yeah? The leftovers are mine.
It´s part of the agreement.
That is like eating my wages.
Bang! Gun.
Acid.
Get over to the bar.
Come on.
Come on, move it! Now, listen.
It´s be good or get hurt, all right? Your watches.
Acid.
Acid! Give him the watch.
Come on, your watches.
Necklace.
Give us your ring.
No, please.
It won´t come off.
I said give us your ring! Come on! I´ll do it.
You´re hurting me.
Come on! Thanks very much for your cooperation.
Let´s go! See you, pal.
I hope so.
Go! Go! Go! Go! Yeah, see? That wasn´t too bad, was it, eh? You might even end up on the telly.
Ladies and gentlemen, I´m terribly sorry.
Do you think you could all just sit down in your seats for a few moments till we get ourselves together? I´m sorry.
You can´t go.
Put your coat on and sit down there.
Didn´t even get a number.
Yes, yes, we´ll look after that.
Gary, stay down here and keep an eye on these people, all right? I´ll go upstairs and phone the police.
Drinks all round.
Singles.
All right? Right.
Margaret? Henry, we´ve had a robbery.
All right, Kev? Detective Sergeant Stringer, Barstock C.
I.
D.
- You the owners? - I am.
My name´s Margaret Crabbe.
This is my husband, Henry.
Yeah, the famous DI Crabbe.
I´ve heard a lot about you.
Sir.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
Right, one Rolex, two Cartiers, a couple of necklaces, and a diamond ring.
Approximate value, 27K.
Oh, no.
Not bad for five minutes´ work.
What a cheeky little team, eh? Can´t have been local.
No one round here´s got the goolies.
No, I reckon they were up from London.
What´s your view on that, Inspector? Well, that thought had crossed my mind, too.
Want me to do the back door, Brian? If you insist.
You´ll find the rest of the staff in the kitchen.
You could take their prints at the same time.
I think we´ll leave that on the back burner for the time being.
Thank you, Kev.
May I ask why? Well, first off, this is a restaurant, so God knows who´s had their mucky paws over everything.
Second off, one thing our witnesses agree on so far is that the blaggers were gloved up.
And while we´re on the subject of your staff, can I ask you about Leon Henderson and Gary Palmer? Funny sort of people for a man in your position to have around the place, wouldn´t you say? Henderson was arrested on suspicion of cultivating marijuana more than 10 years ago and not charged.
- As for Gary Palmer - Palmer, yes.
Theft, taking and driving away, assaulting a police officer, drunk and disorderly.
He was charged all right.
Yes.
But his problems were partly at least drink-related.
He´s been sober for two years.
He´s been out of trouble for two years.
I can vouch for him and Henderson.
And so can I.
Sorry to interrupt, sir.
Can I have a word? Perfect.
Fisher wants to see you immediately.
It´s about last night.
Excuse me.
Are you going to leave me on my own with him? Why on earth not? Because I don´t like him.
Can´t you sort this out on your own? Margaret, it´s not my job.
Sir.
In a minute, Cambridge.
All right? I´ll be back as quick as I can.
I promise.
I´m sorry.
ACC Fisher wants to see me.
Well, we´ll just have to muddle along without you, won´t we, Mrs.
Crabbe? Look, I´m sorry.
I´m very sorry.
Doesn´t sound like local lads.
No, but it sounds like local info, though.
How do you mean? They obviously knew that Cliff Burdett and his family were going to be at Pie in the Sky last night.
The question is "How?" And what´s the story on DS Stringer? Oh, you know, not much.
Oh, come on, Cambridge.
Well, he´s a bit of a star.
Very high success rate, much admired by the hierarchy, but the view among the lowerarchy is that he gets away with murder.
So, he took Mrs.
Burdett´s watch and then he went for her ring.
No.
No, that´s wrong.
He took her watch, then he took her daughter´s watch, and then he went back to Mrs.
Burdett and he said something.
"Give me the ring.
" Well, something like that.
Well, that´s what he said according to the Burdetts.
When I was standing over by the bar, I couldn´t hear everything.
Okay, so, the red helmet tried to wrench the ring off Cherry Burdett´s finger.
Yes, but there was something else.
Thereby subjecting her to considerable physical pain, whereupon she removed the ring herself.
Look, I´m trying to remember something important here.
You keep interrupting me.
Shouldn´t you be writing this down? Mrs.
Crabbe, when you tell me something I don´t already know, I´ll write it down.
Okay, the chef, Gary Palmer.
Where was he during the robbery? Gary? He was over there by the bar.
He had a conversation, didn´t he, with the villain in the white helmet? A conversation? No, I don´t think so.
Gary said something to him, didn´t he? That´s hardly a conversation.
According to a witness, the villain in the white helmet said, "See you later, pal," and Palmer said, "I hope so.
" Well, I don´t remember that.
You don´t remember that.
I see.
Look, I was being threatened by a man with a long knife.
And my customers were being threatened with guns and acid and God knows what.
I cannot be expected to remember every little detail.
Come in.
Ah, Crabbe.
I´d like to introduce you to our new press officer, Jenny Drabble.
Hello.
How do you do? Now, this is awkward, Crabbe.
Very awkward.
Talk about worst-case scenarios.
Sir? One thing we´ve got going for us is Baby Diana.
Baby Diana? The baby who was snatched from Barstock Hospital yesterday.
Oh, right, yeah.
I´m parading her parents for the press this afternoon.
TV, radio, newspapers.
None of them are interested in anything else.
Thank God.
Baby Diana will be on all the front pages.
With a bit of luck, the robbery at Pie in the Sky will be tucked away inside.
I hope you´re right.
Any queries from the press, refer them straight to me.
Same thing goes for your staff.
The important thing to emphasize is that the restaurant is your wife´s and that you have absolutely nothing to do with the running of it.
The important thing is to keep a lid on the fact that half the staff are convicted criminals.
I can´t for the life of me understand how you could How your wife could employ such people.
Given up on rehabilitation, have we? I must have missed that meeting.
Actually, if the worst comes to the worst, we could put a spin on that.
"The Copper Who Cared Too Much.
" Not bad.
"´I was Duped, ´ says Do-Gooder Detective.
" That´s very good.
Can I say something? No, you can´t, Crabbe.
You can´t say anything to anybody without clearing it with Jenny first.
Is that understood? And then the one in the red helmet said something like, "You´re all gonna be on the telly," and then they did a runner.
Very good, Nicola.
Very good.
By the way, did you recognize the Burdetts? Oh, yeah.
I´ve waited on them before.
The bloke´s a good tipper.
I always remember good tippers.
Did Gary Palmer ever talk to the Burdetts? No, not that I´m aware of.
Gary hates coming out of the kitchen.
Gary´s from Liverpool, isn´t he? Yeah, he´s a Scouser.
The bloke in the white helmet, the one who spoke to Gary, didn´t he have a Scouse accent? No.
No, it definitely wasn´t Scouse.
Actually, now you come to mention it I bet you work out, don´t you? No.
No, I don´t, actually.
That´s amazing, ´cause you look in really good shape.
Shouldn´t we be talking about the robbery? You ever been to the Barstock Health Club? They´ve got terrific facilities.
Gym, Jacuzzi, swimming pool.
Maybe I could show you round sometime.
I don´t think my boyfriend would like that.
You´ve got a boyfriend? You´ve broken my heart, Nicola.
It´s not Gary Palmer, is it? No, it is not! He had this big knife, like a machete.
I reckon he was 5´11", athletic build, jeans, sweatshirt.
What did he say? He told us to go into the dining room.
Then he yanked the phone off the wall.
Did you have a look in the reservations book yesterday? Yeah.
Well, I do most days, you know, just to see what we´re in for.
Cherry Burdett booked a table three days in advance, so you would have seen the Burdett name in the book, wouldn´t you? I suppose so, yeah.
You didn´t recognize the name? No.
But the Burdetts are regulars.
Nicola tells me Cliff Burdett is a big tipper.
You can´t get many customers like Cliff Burdett in here.
We serve the best food for miles.
We get all sorts in here.
We don´t go weak at the knees if some fella comes in wearing a watch.
The bloke in the white crash helmet, the one you had a little chat with, didn´t he have a Scouse accent? Oh, I get it.
They were my mates and I put them up to it.
Very good.
You should be a detective.
Well, were they your mates? Did you put them up to it? No and no.
Come to think of it, their accent was very similar to yours.
Maybe they were your mates.
I doubt that, Gary, ´cause I´m not a thief, am I? Eh? Whereas you are.
A thief and a drunk, as I recall.
Fair description, would you say? You can think what you like.
It´s not a matter of what I think, Gary.
It´s a matter of public record.
Gary Palmer is a thief and a drunk.
And in my experience, once a thief, always a thief.
For that matter, once a drunk, always a drunk, right? What´s your view on that, Gary? Speaking as a thieving little alkie? Come on.
Go on and have a pop.
Please, Gary.
I beg of you.
Have a little pop at me.
Oh, I forgot.
You can´t fight unless you´ve had a bevvy first, can you? Well, come on, then.
It´s my shout.
What´s it to be? What´s your poison? Scotch? Brandy? Wait a minute, I know.
Nice drop of vodka, yeah? Yeah, I reckon you´re a vodka man.
Slips down easy first thing, doesn´t it? Go on, then.
Neck that.
Do you know what, Stringer? You´re in a bad way.
I´m in a bad way? Yeah.
Are you going to drink that? No.
I hate your type, do you know that? I like my villains up front.
I like the ones who go out and do it for the money, no excuses.
But your type "It wasn´t my fault.
It was the drink.
It was the drugs.
" You know what I mean, Gary? - Drink it.
- No! What´s going on, Sergeant? I´m trying to take statements, that´s what.
Who poured this? I did.
A word? I´m busy.
Now, Sergeant! You okay? Yeah.
I will not have it.
I will not have you coming here, intimidating my family and my friends.
Yes, friends, that´s what they are, just in case you weren´t sure.
Your choice of friends is your problem.
Look, another thing.
You seem to have decided already that somebody here is implicated in this robbery.
There are other avenues to be explored, you know.
Look, Cherry Burdett booked a table three days in advance.
She didn´t tell Cliff.
She didn´t tell her daughter.
So, how did the blaggers find out the Burdetts were coming to the restaurant? Nobody knew except your staff.
Now, my governor My governor thinks I´ve gone soft on this one ´cause of you.
If he thinks I haven´t done my job, I´m history.
I´m not saying don´t do your job.
What I´m saying is do it by the book.
Look, no disrespect.
I´ve heard you were a bit tasty in your time, but these days, it´s a different book.
Hello, Pie in the Sky.
No, no, no, that´s fine.
Yes, thanks for letting us know.
Bye.
Nngh! Customers? Cancellation.
Twelfth so far.
Plus a call from a local vicar asking if we wanted counseling.
Honestly, one mention on the local news, this happens.
Margaret.
Henry, a crime has been committed here.
I don´t see why you´re not sorting it out.
I´ve told you, Margaret.
Detective Sergeant Stringer is conducting the investigation, and there´s nothing I can do about it.
Yes, well, he´s dreadful.
He treated me like a suspect, not a witness.
He shouted at Henderson.
He made sexist remarks about Nicola.
Poor Gary.
Margaret, I know.
And all this nonsense about a Liverpool accent.
Anyone with half a mind could see that he was Cockney.
South London, actually.
I used to go out with a boy from Lewisham.
His accent was exactly the same.
Did you tell Stringer that? Well, I hardly got the chance, did I? And I remembered something really important.
He kept interrupting.
I´ve forgotten it.
Henry, you have got to do something.
Barstock Gazette.
Inspector Crabbe, do you hold yourself in any way responsible for the assault on the Burdett family? Get out.
Are you Gary Palmer? Are you the one that´s been in prison? Were you aware you were employing a convicted criminal, - Inspector Crabbe? - No comment.
Now, out.
Is it true all your employees have got criminal records? Get out of my kitchen! So it is your restaurant, then, is it? Out! You´d better get on to that press office right away, Henry, and you can change your whites whilst you´re at it.
All right.
Who is it? I´ve come to pick up Nicola.
Thank you.
She´s in the dining room.
Tell her I´m here, would you? Why don´t you tell her? Oh, yeah, of course.
Sorry.
You´re rushed off your tiny little feet, aren´t you? - Hi.
- Hello, Paul.
Paul, you´re early.
Don´t I get a kiss? Not here.
Come and meet my boss.
Mr.
Crabbe, this is my friend, Paul Travis.
- How do you do? - How do you do? Nice to meet you.
Listen, I think you should be on your way now.
Oh, what about Oh, I think we can manage.
Don´t you? Thanks, Chef.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye.
I´m just going to get my stuff.
Have you met him before? Yes.
Came round one night last week to pick up Nicola.
I don´t think you were here.
No, I wasn´t.
His face seems familiar, though.
What´s this? Your bill.
- You ready? - Mm-hmm.
See you, Gary.
Good night.
Paul.
Paul, wake up.
There´s somebody at the door.
You answer it.
Tell them I´m not here.
What? What are you talking about? Only coppers knock like that! The police, Nicola! Bloody hell! Nicola.
What a pleasant surprise.
It´s a disaster, Crabbe.
A complete disaster! What makes it worse is that we´ve had some bad news about Baby Diana.
Oh, no.
Yes, they found her today, alive and well.
I´m sorry? That´s bad news? For us it is, Crabbe.
The feeding frenzy is over.
The hacks will be on to the next story, and it could be this.
The journalist who was in your kitchen, I think I can wangle him an hour alone with Baby Diana´s family in return for holding back on you.
The family´s agreeable as long as it doesn´t jeopardize their tabloid deal.
Excellent, Jenny.
Well done.
In the meantime, Crabbe, we´ll have to close your restaurant down until the dust has settled.
We can´t afford any more nonsense like this.
Close the restaurant? He´s arrested Paul! He´s a right little entrepreneur is our Paul.
You want anything in this neck of the woods, Paul´s your man.
Cars, TVs, mobile phones.
They say he shifts more phones than B.
T.
And jewelry, Nicola.
And watches.
He´s been here to the restaurant, hasn´t he? A couple of times, yes.
What about last Tuesday? Yes, he came to pick up Nicola.
She was still working.
I said he could have a drink by the bar.
So Travis was sat here on his tod with this.
Yes, but we keep that under the bar.
Not always, though.
It was on the bar all day yesterday.
Maybe that´s where it was Tuesday evening.
I don´t remember.
´Cause what I´m thinking is this.
Travis is sat here on his tod, he looks down, sees the book.
"Hang on, what´s this? Burdett, table for three.
Hmm, interesting.
I wouldn´t mind some of that.
" What? What? Sergeant, I don´t mean to tell you your job, but this is serious business.
Don´t turn it into a circus.
Get off my back.
Go and open a tin or something, okay, sir? I´ll be taking statements later.
First, I want a nice, long chat with Paul Travis.
Any messages for Paul? No? Okay, then.
See you later.
You don´t believe him, do you? Paul´s not like that.
I know he´s not.
I know why his face is familiar.
I´ve seen it on the police computer, Nicola.
I´m going home.
No, you´re not.
No one is going anywhere.
I´m just going to have to sort this mess out for myself, even though it means I´ll get into big trouble in the process.
Right, so you´ll all just have to tell me your tale again.
Anyone fancy a nice Savoy cabbage? Ah, Henderson.
You can be first.
Sit down.
He had this sword with this sort of curved handle.
It was this big.
Maybe it was this big.
Could have been this big.
And it had tape around the handle.
It was black insulating tape.
Black tape.
They were definitely South London accents.
I know that accent really well.
New Cross, Lewisham, round there.
It´s not like Paul.
Paul comes from Barstock.
I mean, he still lives there.
Can we just stick to the robbery, please, Nicola? Yeah, right.
Sorry.
Oh, yeah, the one with the acid, he had this gap between his sleeve and his glove.
And he had a tattoo, a band tattoo around his wrist.
I think tattoos are such a turn-off, don´t you? Aren´t they just? So, tattoo on wrist.
Good.
Anything else you want to tell me about? No, that´s it.
That´s good.
Oh, and a red helmet.
I reckon he was some sort of fashion victim.
He had this horrible purple jacket and these brand-new trainers, blue with a white stripe.
I remember thinking, this guy loves them so much, he´s even wearing them on a job.
Did you know Paul Travis from before? - No, Chef, I didn´t.
- You sure? You weren´t dubbed up with him in the Scrubs or anything like that? I never met him before in my life until he came here to pick up Nicola.
Good.
Thanks, Gary.
So Red Helmet must have noticed Cherry Burdett´s diamond and he asked her for it and she said, "No, please.
It won´t come off.
" But she tried anyway, and he was getting impatient.
So He tried to take it off himself, didn´t he? Yes, yes, he did, he did, but there´s something else.
Oh, buggeration.
Don´t rush it, Margaret.
It´ll come eventually.
Was it something he did before he tried to take the ring? Okay.
Okay, he was standing over her like this, getting very angry.
Blue Helmet was next to him.
And he said something like, "Give me the ring.
" And then he gave the gun to Blue Helmet, and he took his glove off.
Henry, he took his glove off.
And then he took her hand, and she said, "Stop it.
You´re hurting me.
" And so he let go, so she gave it to him anyway.
And then he leaned over her and said something.
I didn´t hear what, and he he touched the chair.
Henry, this chair.
Oh, well done, Margaret.
Well done.
Hello.
This is a nice place.
You reckon? Here.
Cheers.
I´m sorry.
I should have phoned first.
I just felt like a chat.
Would you like a cup of tea or something? No, thanks.
So, any news on Travis, then? No.
I´ve been trying to ring him all day.
They probably kept him in the nick overnight.
I don´t think he´s that bad, Gary.
I mean, you know, maybe he went through a bad patch, the same as you.
You don´t like him, do you? I don´t know the bloke, do I? You know what I mean.
Okay.
I´ve been around bad people all my life, and as far as I´m concerned, everything about Paul Travis spells trouble.
I mean, it´s written in big flashing lights, Nicola.
Look, have you eaten today? I´ve made this cheese and potato pie.
It´s mashed potato with little chunks of Yeah, right, when in doubt, eat something.
What is it with you and mashed potato all of a sudden? I´m coming up to two years off the drink, and it´s getting a tiny bit hairy.
I mean, that bloke Stringer didn´t help.
Anyway, spuds help fill the gap.
Yeah, well, Stringer got to everybody.
I read somewhere that carbohydrates have a tranquilizing effect.
I´ll probably end up going to P.
A.
Potatoes Anonymous.
You don´t reckon Paul will think he got arrested because of something I said, do you? Why, scared of him, are you? No, I´m not.
You haven´t been going out with the bloke a month and he´s doing your head in already.
Nice fella.
I knew this was a mistake.
You wanted to chat, and I´m chatting.
Yeah, good night, Gary.
It´s mashed potato with little chunks of mozzarella cheese mixed in.
You stick it in the oven until the top goes crispy brown and the cheese melts into the potato.
I think you´d like it, Nicola.
In another life, Gary.
I may have a partial palm print here.
Whether it´ll be of any use to you is another matter.
Thanks, Jimmy.
Stringer´s out there sitting in his car.
Over here, please, ladies and gents.
You, too, Henry.
Ah, Detective Sergeant Stringer, come in.
Meet Mr.
Jimmy Jacobs.
He can get a print off Scotch mist.
Of course, he´s retired now, and he´s just come in today to do us a favor.
What´s going on? Well, it seems that one of the villains took his glove off and Jimmy thinks he may have a palm print from that chair.
Yes, but don´t alert the media just yet.
No.
There you are.
Now, just hang on a minute.
You think we need to discuss one or two things, Sergeant? Too bloody right.
Let´s go out and do that, shall we? Just a second.
- What´s happened to Paul? - Travis? We let him go yesterday afternoon.
We didn´t find anything at his house, and anyway, on the night of the robbery, he was at a party for his mother-in-law with 40 other people.
His mother-in-law? Yeah, Paul Travis is married.
Didn´t you know? Wife, two kids, nice little semi in Harrow.
But he comes from Barstock.
He´s got a flat there.
Yeah, but I don´t think he actually lives there, darling.
Shall we step outside? I´m going straight to my governor and put him in the picture.
Do you know what? He doesn´t mess about.
You´ll be history, Crabbe.
I already am history, Sergeant.
That´s what gives me the edge in this.
I´ve only got two years left in the job.
I don´t care if I spend it polishing the chief constable´s car.
In fact, I´d rather be thrown out of the job than be pushed around by the likes of you.
- Is that so? - Yes, it is.
I just want to offer you my cooperation in this case.
If you can´t accept that, then I´ll come after you instead, and I will do it by your book.
That bottle in the glove compartment.
Don´t think I won´t use that.
Are you saying Stringer, if you put that finger in my face once more, I shall take it as a refusal.
What do you mean, cooperation? It´ll be your case, your collar.
I just want to make a contribution, that´s all.
- How? - Easy.
Let´s go and talk to Cherry Burdett, shall we? I´ll drive.
So when I realized he was going to yank it off, I said to myself, "Hang on a minute, girl.
It´s not worth losing a finger over," so I took it off myself.
Look, I have been through this once already.
Nice car out there.
Yes, it is.
Bit of a crush for the whole family, I should think.
That´s my car.
Cliff drives a Range Rover.
Ah.
So, you went to the restaurant in the Range Rover? No, of course not.
It was a night out, wasn´t it? We´re very careful about drinking and driving.
So, you went in a taxi, then? We used a local firm in Barstock.
Proper chauffeur-driven cars.
Volvos, Granadas.
If you book in advance, you can get a Merc.
Did you book in advance on the night of the robbery? Yeah, I booked it the same time as I booked the restaurant.
Well, why´s the car so important? It means someone else knew where you were going to be that night.
We´ve got a match on the palm print, sir.
The lucky owner is one Lee Greenall, a highly active thief operating out of Deptford.
But the really interesting thing is The really interesting thing about Lee Greenall is he´s got a brother called Carl, also with form, who lives locally and has a job driving for the Barstock Limousine Service.
Thank you, Cambridge.
Isn´t it irritating the way he does that? I think I can leave that to you now, Sergeant.
So those two brothers were in it together all the time? Mm.
The Burdetts used to use Carl Greenall and his Mercedes quite regularly.
I think he and his brother Lee had them on their shopping list from the start.
Then Cherry Burdett books the Mercedes to bring the family here for dinner.
So he gets on the phone to his brother Lee, gives him all the details, and bingo.
And so we can reopen the restaurant? Well, we can as soon as they´ve been arrested and charged.
We´re supposed to be picking them up tonight.
Well, Stringer is, actually.
I think knocking down doors and jumping on people is much more his cup of tea.
I shall be observing from a discreet distance, with my dignity intact.
Do you know what, Henry? You´re brilliant.
Hiya.
It´s all right.
I´m not stopping.
I just wanted to say that I´m really sorry about the other night.
It´s okay.
No, it was really No, Nicola, really, it´s okay.
Anyway, I spoke to Paul this afternoon.
And? I´m going to meet him at his flat.
I want to give the bastard his phone back, and I left this coat of mine there The black leather one with the belt.
I love that coat.
I really want to get it back.
Of course you do.
So I was wondering if you´d give me a lift.
Sort of come with me, really.
Nicola, I can´t.
I mean, I´ve got something on.
Oh.
Oh, fine.
No problem.
It doesn´t matter.
No, Nicola, of course I will, but we´ll have to be quick.
I mean, it can´t clash with this other thing.
You will? Yeah.
You sure? Come on.
Yeah, DS Stringer.
We´ve just arrived at the premises.
We´re gonna get in position now before we go for it.
All right.
Oi! What the This thing starts in half an hour, okay? Five minutes is all I need.
Nic, Nic.
I was going to tell you.
Yeah, sure you were.
Hey, I´m going to leave her, Nic.
It´s just a question of the kids and stuff.
Yeah, you´re a very caring person, Paul.
Where´s my coat? Nic.
It´s your little friend the cook.
Is everything all right? It will be once I get my coat.
Only, I´ve got this thing.
Excuse me, are we supposed to discuss this in front of him? There´s nothing to discuss, Paul! I just want my coat.
Is this to do with him? No, it´s not.
Now, will you just get the flaming coat? Here.
There´s a good boy.
Nicola, I´ve got to go now.
So, what is this meeting, anyway? It´s my boozers´ group.
I´ve been sober two years today, so they´re having a bit of a party for me.
I even get a cake.
A party.
That´s nice.
Can I come with you? No, Nicola, you can´t.
Can I wait for you in the car, then? I just I don´t feel like going home yet, that´s all.
Congratulations, Gary.
Bye.
See you next week.
Bye! See you tomorrow! Brr! Brought you a piece of cake.
Cheers.
Is everything all right? Yeah.
No, it was great.
Two years, eh? Yeah.
Do you know, I think I´m actually ready to make some changes in my life now.
Like what? Oh, like a relationship maybe.
If the opportunity arises.
Really? I reckon so.
Of course, it´s a big step.
Huge.
I wouldn´t want to rush anything.
You mean take things a step at a time, right? Exactly.
There is one thing that does worry me, though.
Well, I´ve never actually done it sober.
There and here.
Ah, ah.
Excellent.
Excellent, Jenny.
There´s no mention of DI Crabbe´s connection with the restaurant.
Very well done.
Thank you, sir.
And you come out of this extremely well, Sergeant.
Sir.
First-rate piece of good, old-fashioned police work.
Most impressive.
Thank you, sir.
Right, that´s all.
Thank you.
Sir.
Sir.
Crabbe, a word? Sir? This restaurant of your wife´s, Crabbe.
Yes, sir.
Had it come to my attention earlier Had it come to your attention earlier? Had it come to my attention earlier, I would have taken steps.
That is what I told the chief constable this morning.
That is my official position vis-Ã -vis your ruddy cafe.
Do you follow me? I think so, sir, yes.
Now, while it may be well aboveboard, it does lay us open to potential embarrassment.
So I have decided it´s time you had a change.
We´re fully booked tonight, Henry.
Isn´t this great? We did do the right thing, didn´t we, Margaret? What do you mean? I´ve just had a meeting with Freddy Fisher today.
You´ll never guess what he´s asked me to do.
What? - Hi.
- Hiya.
What´s that? This is mashed potato with saffron.
Wow.
Here, try some.
- Good? - Mm.
Do you know what? I haven´t seen you eat in ages.
Well, I seem to be getting my appetite back.
But Fisher can´t make you do that, can he? - Probably.
- Ugh! Aha, saffron mash.
Mmm.
You must try this, Margaret.
No, not now, Henry.
Now, come on.
Now, don´t rush it.
Just let the flavor of the saffron come through.
Sort of soft and pungent all at the same time.
Well, it´s a nice color.
"Well, it´s a nice color"? On behalf of my wife´s taste buds, Gary, I apologize.
Isn´t saffron terribly expensive? Yes, Margaret.
Terribly.