New Tricks s07e02 Episode Script
It Smells Of Books
# Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream # Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream! # Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream # Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily # life is but a dream! # Row, row, row your boat # Oh, baby! You're really turning me on! You really shouldn't say these things.
# Row, row, row your boat # You don't know what you're doing to me.
But you're making me really hot.
You know what I mean.
What, the red ones? You know I love those, baby! # Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream # Silence! This is a bloody library! Oh, Brian.
Come on.
# It's all right, it's OK # Doesn't really matter if you're old and grey # It's all right, I say it's OK # Listen to what I say # It's all right, doing fine # Doesn't really matter if the sun don't shine # It's all right, I say it's OK # We're getting to the end of the day.
# Hold on, we've seen all these.
And these.
Yup, we've read all of them, and none of them seemed worth pursuing.
Well then.
So now we're going to read them all again.
Why? Because the DAC noticed that a bunch of these files never seem to get to the top of the pile, and he'd like to see some of them progressed.
So that's what's going to happen.
Smashing.
Well, is this all right? This is heaven! They've got over a million volumes, and, unlike the British Library, they're on open shelves, so you can browse them yourself.
Terrific.
And you can take them home! What, like a library, you mean? Look, there's no racks of CDs, DVDs, no misery memoirs.
No fun at all, then? It's a proper library.
It smells of books! Any progress with these files? Nah.
Yeah, this one's interesting.
Richard Symes, 2007, suspicious death.
Died from traumatic injuries apparently sustained in a fall.
It wasn't interesting the last time we looked at it.
Well, among the deceased's possessions was a London Library card.
Do leave off! Don't you think you're getting a little bit, er, forgive the expression, obsessive? Hang on a moment, I think Brian's got a point to make.
Thank you.
At least, I hope he has.
Richard Symes had a load of books out from the London Library, some of which he'd taken out just before he died.
Which seems a bit odd if you're feeling suicidal.
Accident? What's he doing falling off a roof on a cold, wet night in November? Any motive for murder? Not according to the original inquiry.
Coroner recorded an open verdict.
What makes you think we're going to do any better? Is there any new evidence? No, but I was wondering, did anybody ever read these books? Reading the books might tell an investigator something.
You go and read them.
You're a member.
Oh, now, Sandra, hang on a minute.
I've only just joined.
If I go barging in there with my ex-copper's boots on, I'll put everyone's backs up.
Just find the books and have a look at them.
Any reader can do that.
Basically, Brian, you'll be drawing your salary for sitting on your arse with your nose in a book.
Enough said.
Dr Richard Symes, head of the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science, London Municipal University.
He was an authority on botanical sciences in the 18th century.
I've solved this already.
He died of boredom.
The body was discovered November 2007.
Now, the post-mortem found injuries consistent with a fall from the roof terrace of the university library building.
Witnesses? No, nobody saw the fall.
Body discovered by Pavel Illich, a security guard.
Family? Yes, a widow, Paula Symes.
Ooh, hello! Maybe he didn't die of boredom.
So predictable, Gerry.
Described as an antiquarian book dealer.
No children.
I'll talk to her.
I'll come with you.
Jack, you can go to the university and check if the security guard's still around, and see if any of his colleagues are available for interview.
Yeah.
And Brian I'll get my reading boots on.
Pavel Illich? Yes.
My name's Jack Halford.
I'm with the Metropolitan Police.
We're reinvestigating the death of Richard Symes.
You found the body? Ah, yes, about where you're standing now.
Hmmm.
Can we get access to the roof terrace? Sure.
This way, please.
Thank you.
Come this way, please.
All this work Refurbishing the library, are they? Never.
It's being turned into student accommodation.
More money that way.
So where are they putting the library? No more library.
Did you know Richard Symes? I knew who he was.
Security, we have to know.
But not more than that.
What was he doing up here? This "roof terrace" is hardly the hanging gardens of Babylon, is it? Library is a no-smoking area.
Students, staff, come out here for a cigarette.
According to my information, Symes was a non-smoker.
So what might've been the attraction on a wet November night? A mystery.
Type in as much information as you have about a book.
MAN COUGHS Mr Lane? Yeah, sorry, sorry.
The display shows that we've got it.
Now click on "availability".
Now you can see the book's available for borrowing.
All you need to do is note down the shelf-mark and you can find it.
I think I've got the hang of that.
Thanks very much Emma.
Just ask if there's anything you need help with.
What's your particular area of interest? Yeah, well Books, really.
Well, you've come to the right place.
Mr Halford, the Vice Chancellor.
Jeremy Ventham.
Jack Halford.
Thank you for seeing me, Mr Ventham.
It's Doctor, actually, but we don't go in for formality at LMU.
Oh, not being a varsity man myself, I don't grasp all the distinctions.
Sit down, Jack.
Thank you.
I told your secretary, that we're, um, investigating the circumstances of the death of Richard Symes.
Yes, er very sad business.
Can you think of any reason why he would've been on the roof terrace that night? Your guess is as good as mine.
I was hoping to see some of his old colleagues, but of course his department doesn't exist any more, does it? That's right, Jack.
"History and Philosophy of Science".
Bit ivory tower for us.
Doesn't cut it with LMU's target demographic.
Really? A bright kid with straight As or the International Baccalaureate wants to hear about accountancy, management economics, company and commercial law.
She's made an investment, she's heavily leveraged, she wants to see big-time pay-back.
When was the Symes department closed down? Just after his death.
How did he feel about the department closing down, and the imminent end of his career? Well, nobody wants to be in a situation like that, but, er, I mean the fact is, poor old Richard wanted to go on living in the 1960s, when he was a student.
Academia was a different world back then.
Jobs for life, grants, not loans.
Cloud cuckoo land.
It couldn't last.
We all had to grow up.
And he accepted it? I think he found ways to live with it.
Yes, all right, till after lunch, yes.
Am I right for Bibliography? Dear me, no, this is Biography, A to H.
Two more floors to go! You're new here, aren't you? Yes.
Don't worry, we still get lost.
And we've been regular users for 30 years! Follow us! Thank you.
I'm Jasper Urquhart, by the way.
This is my wife, Sophie.
Brian Lane.
How d'you do? What's your field, Brian? Sorry? What are you researching into? If it's not a secret! Oh, well, er, history and philosophy of science, and so forth.
Oh, how interesting.
That's rather close to our own field.
Oh? What's that then? The corn field.
Oh, Jasper, you wicked man.
Or the fallow field, or the pasture.
We're economic historians, Mr Lane, and we specialise in the agricultural revolution.
Fantastic! Not a fashionable topic in today's academic world, but we struggle on.
Religion, that way.
Bibliography, this way.
I must say I'm a bit surprised at the university closing its library.
Wasn't cost effective, given the overheads.
If the students need books, there's our excellent and highly profitable shop, but, quite frankly, Jack, LMU's new multi-media learning resource centre is a far better source of information access than any old library.
This is the digital age - books are history.
Yes, well, thanks for your time, Jeremy.
We may need to talk again.
Of course, Jack.
Er, as a matter of interest, what's your academic discipline? I came up through the business school.
Before I became Vice Chancellor, I was head of the Department of Financial Control.
No end to what people study these days, is there? Check out our prospectus, Jack.
You might find something that appeals.
Oh, thank you.
I thought this might help.
Thanks.
Any assistance we can give, feel free to ask.
Thanks very much.
Ssh! Oh, that's a bit posh.
I've never met a rich widow.
She doesn't own the business, she just works here.
Well, maybe some day Richard's sudden death was a deeply traumatic experience for me.
These past three years, I've moved on.
I really see no purpose in reopening the matter.
The cause of death was never established.
The cause of death was Jeremy Ventham.
What exactly do you mean by that? I don't mean that he pushed him off the roof He just destroyed Richard's life, that's all.
How? Richard believed in giving his students the very best, and he expected the best from them.
I know that because he was my teacher, 20 years ago.
Richard believed in academic standards.
So, what did Jeremy Ventham do wrong? Ventham thinks that the university is a degree factory, and that the students are customers.
So they should get what they want for their money.
Meaning? Meaning high marks for average achievements, and pass marks for no achievement at all.
Richard objected to this, but Ventham told him to "teach to their expectations".
When Richard tried to defend his department's integrity, Ventham decided to close it down.
When you say this was the cause of your husband's death? I don't know whether he took his own life, but I know he felt betrayed and abused.
Brian.
Y'know, Esther, I ask myself if I'm not wasting my talents in the rough and tumble of criminal investigation.
I'm sure I'm better suited to the life of the mind.
Quite possibly.
Look, will you please come and have a look at the cracks in the plasterwork upstairs? It could be subsidence.
Why don't you get that Polish bloke to look at it? He can't deal with subsidence.
It might need underpinning.
It could be an insurance job! Well, whatever you decide, my dear.
I'm beginning to feel I could spend the autumn of my days in scholarly seclusion, unearthing the mental and spiritual riches of the world of literature.
Why not go the whole hog and become a monk? You've already got the haircut.
Contrary to what you told my colleague, it's been put to us that you forced Richard Symes out of a job because he refused to lower his standards to get more students through with higher grades.
He wasn't a martyr for academic standards.
He took early retirement because I gave him a choice.
Either go quietly with a generous retirement package, or face criminal prosecution and dismissal.
For what? The theft of books from the university library.
Some valuable items went missing.
Books of the same description appeared in the antiquarian market.
You know Paula Symes is in the rare book trade? Yes.
We believed she was in charge of what you'd call the handling.
How did he get the books out of the library? I have no idea.
We had an electronic security system.
If I'd known the details, I could've sacked him on the spot instead of buying the bugger off.
Was any of this reported to the police? That's not what I wanted, for the sake of LMU's image.
But, confronted with my suspicions, Symes seemed happy enough at the prospect of taking the money and going.
It's a sad, sordid story, but that's all there is to it.
Look at the state of this lot.
I only hope they appreciate what they're getting.
University wasn't an option when I was young.
It was a privilege of the elite.
Well, it's not much of a privilege now.
In fact, most of them are up to their necks in debt for it.
Well, I hope it inculcates a sense of adult responsibility.
I doubt it.
Now, look, is that deep, or is it bloody obvious? I think you'd have to have a degree in philosophy to work that one out, Jack.
Yeah, well, a bit late in the day for degrees now.
It's never too late! Come on, Sandra.
How could I possibly hold my own with all these smart kids? When I was at university, you didn't have to be a genius.
It's certainly not got any harder.
Well, maybe.
Pavel? Hello! Oh, hello.
This is Pavel Illich.
He found Symes' body.
This is my colleague, Detective Superintendent Pullman.
Off duty? Security is a part time job.
I'm also a PhD student in economics.
Working your way through college? Well done.
Isn't that Jasper Urquhart? Yes, it is, yes.
We were told the Urquharts had retired.
Well, yes.
But they came back, part time.
Teach economic history as option for economics undergraduates.
Big demand for that? Not really.
As Henry Ford say, history is punk.
Bunk.
Yes.
A soft option for wankers.
Economists with any brain wants to do what I'm doing.
Learn to build mathematical models of derivative trading, join the merchant bank and make megabucks.
So why were the Urquharts brought back? Vice Chancellor says economics students need more breadth of cultural understanding.
If you excuse me, I have a meeting with my supervisor.
Doesn't sound like a Jeremy Ventham line to me.
Brian, join me.
Oh, thank you.
How are you settling in as a library member? Very well, thank you.
Good.
Now, Brian, tell me, as a philosopher of science, do you support Kuhn's idea of revolutionary paradigm shifts? Or are you tempted by the radical antinomianism of Feyerabend? I try to keep an open mind.
I'm sure it's very wise.
So, what brings Jasper and yourself to the library? We're academics, where else would we go? Especially since our university library has been taken over by a "multi-media learning resource centre", full of undergraduates playing with their mobile phones.
Point taken.
What exactly are you researching, Brian? Bibliographical questions in my field of interest.
So how is the work progressing? Mmm I can't quite see the wood for the trees at the moment.
Really? You know, sometimes it helps to talk things over.
Oh, I think I've got to work this one out for myself.
If Symes was a thief, maybe that's what he was doing on the roof.
What? The university library has an electronic security system.
All the books have to be checked at the desk, otherwise they set off an alarm when they go through the turnstile.
But Symes may have found a way round that.
He takes the books onto the roof, chucks them down to an accomplice, who takes them off to Paula to be fenced.
OK, OK, if we go with that, then we could be looking at an accident.
Symes leans over too far Yeah, but what about this accomplice, the book catcher on the ground? At the very least he would've witnessed the death.
Right, so we're looking for an accomplice-stroke-witness.
And murderer.
There was a criminal conspiracy.
Thieves fall out.
Nicking library books is hardly a criminal conspiracy, is it? I can't see middle-class professional people killing each other over it.
There could be a lot at stake, Gerry.
Talking about book theft's made me realise what Symes' reading list was all about.
Go on.
Well, I thought it must be about particular subjects, or authors, or periods of history.
But that was all wrong.
All these bibliographies and catalogues include information about books that are quite exceptionally valuable.
That's the common factor.
So Symes was doing his homework for the thefts? So are we talking serious money? For old books? Tens of thousands of pounds.
In some cases, millions.
The university was just a poly a few years ago.
They wouldn't have rare books lying around, surely? They might not have known what they'd got.
Right, I want to know more about Paula, and her book business.
Jack, you haven't met her.
No.
So keep an eye on her for a few days, see how she operates.
Right.
Brian, are you finished in the library? Dear me, no.
I still need to be there.
There's some very funny stuff going on.
Like what? Well, my documents have been suspiciously disturbed.
So have you, from time to time.
And there's something very odd about the way the Urquharts are behaving towards me.
Just who do they think you are, Brian? Just another member of the intelligentsia, obviously.
Thank you.
Mr Lane, this is a library! According to the original inquiry, you were both working in the university library the night Richard Symes died? Yes.
Yes, that's right.
And you said you suspected nothing suspicious.
Is that still your recollection? The first we knew of it was the sound of the ambulance, and the police arriving.
Did you speak to him that evening? No, not at all.
How well did you know him? Well, we were in different departments, but we had interests in common.
Richard was a specialist in and obviously that was relevant to our study of agricultural history.
In fact, we three collaborated on an academic paper.
In the Journal of the History of Economic Thought.
Was there anything in Richard's behaviour that might lead you to believe that he would take his own life? No.
No, not at all.
But you can never tell with people, can you? Did he have any enemies? None that we know of.
What can you tell us about the allegations that he was systematically stealing the university's books? Well, we were aware that books were missing from the library, but we never suspected Richard.
Item 17 on your list, a copy of Lewis Carroll's Through The Looking Glass.
set.
However, it's been brought to my attention that this item is not complete, as described in your catalogue.
Page 63 is missing.
Due to the incomplete nature of the item, the reserve has been removed.
Nevertheless, I'll start by asking for £500.
400? Madam? The bid is 260.
Anyone? Sold to the gentlemen in the second row.
Good afternoon, sir.
The name's Timothy Mortimer.
Mortimer? Mortimer.
And the address is Flat 3.
Three.
Winchford Road, West Hampstead.
Lovely.
Great system, this, eh? What's your particular field of interest? Business.
Yes? Particularly my own, and how to mind it.
His name is Timothy Mortimer, and he was Richard Symes' research student at the time of Symes' death.
So, Symes' widow and his research student are involved in their own book scam? And now they're getting up close and personal.
And maybe Mortimer was also involved in the library thefts.
We'll call them both in for interview.
You and I will take her, you two do the boyfriend.
Oh, no way.
Wrong.
Sorry? Well, if I show me hand as an investigator, me cover's blown at the library, isn't it? You're not there undercover, you're just doing a bit of reading.
This has gone way beyond that, I'm definitely being spied on.
You've said that before.
This is not about my medication! This case is all about books and libraries, and that's where it'll be solved.
I know it is! Oi! I'm the guvnor here! Yes, we're all clear about that, aren't we, Brian? There's no argument who gives the orders around here.
But, I mean, think about this interview with Mortimer.
It's all be about ducking and diving, a bit of rumpy pumpy on the side.
I mean, that's my territory, isn't it? I mean, poor old Brian'll be way out of his depth.
Maybe Gerry would be better off on his own.
I'm sorry.
Look, I just think I'll be more cost-effective if I can do another couple of days in the library, that's all.
A couple of days.
Yes! The meter's running.
So what exactly do you do for a living, Tim? Well, I suppose I've got what you'd call a portfolio career at the moment.
I'm still finishing my PhD.
I do a bit of teaching, I make a bit of money as a runner in the book trade.
What does that mean? I buy and sell books, but I don't have a business premises, or issue catalogues, or carry much stock.
If I see a book at a good price, I'll buy it, try to sell it to a more established dealer.
See, we've got a little problem.
We think that you conspired with Paula Symes to defraud the auction house and the vendor when this book was sold.
Well, that's putting a particular interpretation on events.
This book was on sale in the shop where you work, described as complete and offered at £600.
Now, a page has recently been "tipped in".
I believe that's the technical term? A repair has been effected.
That's nothing unusual.
I think what I witnessed between you and Timothy Mortimer speaks for itself.
A copy of a book changed hands at auction.
A copy of the same book was for sale in the shop.
You're making a lot of inferences after snooping into my personal life.
I think you'd have a hard time proving anything.
Maybe.
But then you and the business you work for would also have a hard time whilst we were conducting the investigation, don't you think? We want you co-operation in our investigation into the death of Richard Symes.
Now, in view of your recent conduct, you'd be well advised to come clean about what you were doing in the past.
Do you understand? Yeah.
Richard Symes was stealing valuable books from the university, and you were putting them on to the market for him.
It's right, isn't it, Paula? Richard thought Jeremy Ventham was subverting the standards of the university.
He knew Ventham wanted to destroy his department and to get rid of him.
The library itself was scheduled for closure.
Collections that had taken decades to build up would be dispersed, probably at knock-down value, that's if they weren't just dumped into skips.
Surely that wouldn't happen? It's happened before, with libraries being wiped out by bean-counting barbarians.
So, Richard decided to go for what Ventham would no doubt call "pay-back".
He smuggled out some saleable books, and I found buyers for them.
When you say "saleable books", what are we talking about? Nothing very rare or precious.
Maybe, what, 50 to £100, mostly.
And can we be clear about the method, and who was involved? Richard brought the books out on to the roof terrace, and threw them down to me.
And then I took them to Paula and she sold them on in the trade.
Thank you, Tim.
That's very good.
So you were in the car park the night of Richard's fatal fall? No.
Not that night.
Oh, come on.
He was at it that night and you were his accomplice! No, I didn't know he was taking books that night so I didn't go.
So where were you? That's difficult.
Oh, Brian, I wanted a word with you.
We need a free and full exchange of views, Jasper.
When did your affair with Tim Mortimer begin, Paula? Tim was very supportive in the months after Richard's death.
Eventually, a relationship developed.
OK, so, just to be clear, you're saying that it started some time after Richard died? Yes.
We don't believe you.
Paula was, what, Something like that.
And you met her when you were his student? Graduate student, yes.
Very attractive woman, eh? Intelligent, independent.
When did the affair start? I tried to help Paula out as much as I could after the shock of Richard's death.
We started seeing each other quite frequently, and then we both realised we were strongly attracted to each other.
I don't doubt it.
But what I do doubt is when it started.
I think it happened while Richard was alive.
Look, son, we're going to be talking to people.
Friends, neighbours, colleagues.
We're going to be checking hotel registers, credit card bills, bank accounts.
Now believe me, I've been there.
And if you were at it, someone will know about it.
Someone always does.
So you'd be better off to come clean right now.
OK, the truth is Paula and I started a relationship about six months before Richard's death.
Was he aware of it? I don't know.
So, why have you two been spying on me? Why are you so interested in Richard Symes? I'm a scholar in the same field.
No, you're not, Brian.
You've no scholarly publications to your name.
And you're quite ignorant about the basics.
Look, we're not here to discuss my credentials! We're here because of your outrageously underhand conduct! Well, the truth is, we realised you must be looking for the same thing as ourselves.
Yes, and you thought you'd take a short cut by plagiarising my research.
Well, let's see just how far you've got.
We are, of course, talking about a particular book, aren't we? Stolen by Richard Symes from the university library? He shouldn't have done that.
We're the ones who found it! We took it to Richard because it was in his specialist field, to ask if it really was No, shush! Let's see what Brian thinks it might be.
Well, we're obviously talking about a work of considerable value, aren't we? We're talking about a major work, about 18th century botanical science.
Look I'm not prepared to reveal my hand any further without without having some convincing evidence of your good faith.
Bullshit.
Don't forget I could ruin your reputations with the evidence I've got.
Right, what have we got here? Photos.
And you've just deleted them.
Pleasure talking with you, Brian! It was both amusing and instructive.
Now, you've a well-supported alibi for the night of your husband's death.
But, of course, Tim could've killed him, couldn't he? The night Richard died, Tim was with me.
The police found you at the hotel to notify you of the death, but they don't record the presence of anyone else.
I got a call from reception to say that the police wanted to speak with me.
I didn't know what it was about.
Tim hid out in the bathroom.
I didn't particularly want the police in on my adulterous relationship.
Thanks, Paula.
I think we've made significant progress.
Richard Symes, married to a much younger woman, who in turn takes a young lover.
Classic scenario for murder.
Paula gave Mortimer an alibi.
Well, she would, wouldn't she? Yeah, but Mortimer could easily have travelled to the book fair with her but he would still have had time to get back in the evening and push Symes off the roof! No, the book's the key to it.
Oh, not more bleeding books.
Go on.
I fronted up the Urquharts today.
They've admitted spying on me.
They're trying to track down a book, stolen by Symes from the university library.
What book? I don't know.
They cottoned on to the fact I was bluffing, and clammed up.
Brian, does this help us with Tim and Paula? Symes stole the book, Symes was killed, the book's missing.
If Tim or Paula are now in possession of it We can hardly confront them with it if we don't know what it is.
It's something the Urquharts wanted Symes' opinion about.
So it's got to be in an area where they had shared interests - history of agriculture or botany.
They did all write a paper together.
What about? Some kind of journal.
No, no, this is important! Er, Journal of the History of Turnips, probably.
Turnips?! No, no, no.
Journal of the History of Economic Thought! That's it.
The Library's still open.
I can check this out tonight.
It's not that urgent, Brian.
Sandra, it's the thrill of the chase! The Journal of the History of Economic Thought! Yes? Well, where is it? Learned journals are on Level Seven, right at the top.
Going-home time, Jack! Yes, yes, I'm on my way.
I, er, had an e-mail from the university.
There's an Emma Curran.
She was the librarian on duty the night that Symes died.
I couldn't track her down at all.
Turns out she's now using her married name, Emma Woodford.
Works for the London Library.
There's a job for tomorrow.
Yeah.
Y'know, when we were still in the job, Brian applied to a university as a mature student.
Really? What happened? They interviewed him.
Oh.
Yes! "Arboriculture in the French Enlightenment.
" You've lost me already.
Arboriculture, the science of tree cultivation.
Richard Symes and the Urquharts wrote this paper together.
I thought you were trying to work out what this mystery book was? Well, have a bit of patience and I'll get there.
Now, part of this paper is about a fellow called Henri Duhamel, and a lot of the references are to Symes' PhD thesis on French botanical scientists, so I'm assuming that Symes wrote that bit of it.
Now the Urquharts wanted Symes' opinion on a book, so they must've thought it was potentially rare and valuable.
And remember, the Urquharts knew that Symes was an authority on Duhamel.
Hold on, hold on.
So, are you saying that this unheard-of French bloke wrote a book that was worth nicking? A list of the top ten antiquarian book prices of all time.
In 2006, Duhamel's "Traite Des Arbres Fruitiers," that's "A Treatise On Fruit Trees," sold for $4.
5 million! Good God! Bugger me! Worth nicking, eh? Worth killing for.
Sandra? If I had a copy of Duhamel's Traite, I would've disposed of it through the trade, and I'd be living in the Bahamas.
As well as searching your premises, we'll be investigating your financial records.
Waste as much time and public money as you like.
Sit down, Mr Halford.
Thank you.
Er, I don't think I can really add anything to the statement I made at the time.
I was on duty at the university library, but I didn't know anything was wrong until the police and ambulance arrived.
Did you speak to Richard Symes that evening? Only to say hello.
How well did you know him? We knew each other professionally, but not socially.
Did you notice anything out of the ordinary in his mood or behaviour that evening? Not at all.
As a member of the library staff, you must've noticed that books were going missing? Yes.
Jasper and Sophie Urquhart made a lot of fuss about it.
Did they? Yes, but books do go missing from libraries.
Quite apart from readers failing to return them, they can be mislaid or mis-shelved.
Or stolen.
Yes.
Did you know that Richard Symes was suspected? No.
Right.
Some decisions need to be made.
Mm.
About the work on the house.
Whatever you decide, dear.
If we don't do something, and soon, this house could fall down round our ears.
Did you hear what I said? House.
Fall down around us.
Well, have you got anything to say about that? Poe! What? "The Fall of the House of Usher" - made me think of Edgar Allen Poe.
What are you looking for? Tales Of Mystery And Imagination.
Why? Because that's the answer! There you are.
Esther, you're a genius! Hey, hey, I've cracked it! I know where the book is! Really? Yes, I said from the start this whole case will be solved in the library.
Is that it? No, that's Edgar Allen Poe.
What's he got to do with it? He wrote a story called "The Purloined Letter".
A compromising letter goes missing, and the great detective discovers it, in open view, in a domestic letter rack! I thought we were looking for a book? It's the same principle.
Where do you hide a book? In a library! And that's what Richard Symes did.
He nicked a copy of Duhamel, he re-bound it with a fake title, and he stuck it on a shelf at the London Library.
Wouldn't they notice? No, they've got a million volumes, how are they going to know about an extra one that's not in the catalogue? A book could sit there for years, especially if it's an obscure subject with a boring title.
Why did he do this? He couldn't cash in on the book immediately.
Other people were on the trail of it.
The Urquharts in particular.
And he was right to be anxious, wasn't he? He was killed over that book! Maybe.
So who is it? The Urquharts? Tim Mortimer? Person or persons unknown? Oh, I haven't thought about that.
Thank you.
And where, amongst the millions of volumes, is this book? That's the question.
I haven't worked that bit out yet.
But if I could just enter into Symes' mind, I'm sure I could reconstruct his thought processes.
That would be a very impressive trick.
In the meantime, why don't you just disappear back into the library and leave all the dreary stuff to us? Witness statements, interviews, suspects.
I'm sure I'll have the nub of the matter in my grasp.
Mind you don't go blind.
Oh, er, I'm supposed to give this to Dr Urquhart.
We're expecting her any minute.
Uh, thing is, I'm late for another class.
We'll make sure she gets it.
Cool.
That's not how you spell "plough".
It is in the States.
He's probably downloaded the whole thing from an American website.
What, is that what they get up to? Yeah, I told you, Jack, doing a degree is not rocket science.
Unless you're doing rocket science, I suppose.
Actually, there are some bits that must be his own work.
For "must have" he's got "must of", and he spelt "input" with an "m".
I could do better than this! So what's stopping you? Well, I wouldn't come to this place.
I want to be able to stretch the old brain a bit before it seizes up completely.
There are much better places than this, Jack.
Yes, well.
Oh, hello.
Hi.
Sophie, we would like you to come down to the station with us to do an interview about the death of Richard Symes.
Oh! Very well, then.
By the way, a budding Nobel Prize-winner left you this.
Thank you.
Well, he's progressing.
Really? Oh, yes.
Last time, he printed out the bit that said, "For further information, click here".
There's one thing that puzzles us, Sophie.
Jeremy Ventham seems very keen to have got rid of departments and teachers who, in his terms, weren't pulling their weight.
And yet he took you two back on.
So what favours does he owe you? For keeping quiet.
About what? One evening, we happened to be passing through the dogmatic theology section of the university library, which was somewhat under-used, and we came across Dr Ventham having it off with the librarian, Emma.
Who is now at the London Library? Yes.
And of course, they are both married.
So you blackmailed him? In a nutshell, yes, we did, really.
What do you know about a book written by Henri Duhamel, called Well, in English, "A Treatise On Fruit Trees"? It's very rare, and very valuable.
We have information that you found a copy of this book at the London Municipal University library.
Is that right? It's what we hoped we might've found, but we couldn't be sure.
The title page was illegibly foxed.
Foxed? Brown staining caused by metallic or chemical impurities in the paper.
And you drew Richard Symes' attention to the book? Yes.
He was the authority on Duhamel.
And you were willing to cut him in on the deal? We weren't thinking about any kind of deal.
We didn't have any notion of the potential value.
We asked a colleague to confirm an academic discovery! And where was this? In the university library.
Richard was working there.
What did he say? He wouldn't commit himself.
He asked us to leave the book with him, said he needed to study it and to consult some reference books and bibliographies.
We had classes to teach.
When we looked for Richard later, we couldn't find him and the book hadn't been checked out of the university library, but it wasn't on the shelves.
So we decided to do our own research on what the book might be worth.
And you realised that you'd been closed out of a multi-million- dollar scam? Ah.
If you want to put it in vulgar terms, yes.
And you confronted Symes on the roof terrace the night he died? No, no.
We saw him in his office.
He said he'd taken the book to show to his wife, and that she'd taken the view that it wasn't a first edition, and that so many of the plates, the illustrations, because that's what makes these books so valuable, were missing, that it was almost worthless.
And you didn't believe him? Well, we said, in that case, why isn't it back on the shelves? Well, he didn't have an answer.
He treated us with contempt.
This gives you a motive for killing him.
But we didn't.
What, you just shrugged your shoulders? I find that very hard to believe! We're not violent people.
We didn't try to hurt him.
We just grassed him up.
Grassed him up? Isn't that what you say? Or is it "dobbed him in"? We denounced him to the authorities, anyway.
What authorities are we talking about? We said to the security officer, the nice Russian boy.
Pavel Illich? That's it.
We said, we're terribly sorry, but we have an awful suspicion that Dr Symes has taken a very valuable book.
Then you tried to find out what happened to the book? Yes.
To no effect, sadly.
Of course, we realised he'd probably hidden it in the London Library.
What, you worked that out? Well, any idiot could have guessed that.
We'd like you to tell us what you know about the death of Richard Symes.
All of it, this time.
We've been checking your immigration status.
You're here on a student visa.
And you shouldn't be working.
And anyhow that visa expired some years ago.
Where is Accountancy and Financial Control? We don't get many requests for that.
That's what I thought.
Where is it? The basement, the rolling cases.
You were told that Symes had stolen a valuable book from the university, and the next thing that happened was that Symes was found dead, and the book was never seen again.
And you kept quiet about it.
That'll take a lot of explaining, Pavel.
Yes.
Well? You think I killed Richard? Richard and me, we were like this.
How come? He comes to me, maybe three months before he dies.
He says he wants me for private security job, cash in hand.
Thinks his wife is shagging that research student, Tim.
I follow them both.
And it's true.
Richard gives me a big bung.
Yeah? Then Richard says, "I have this little earner going, do you want some?" And I say yes.
He was stealing books from the library, throws them off roof to Tim, and his wife, Paula, sells them.
But Richard says, "They're cheating on me, I owe them nothing!" So I become his partner.
And you became the book catcher? Yes, I became the book catcher.
So the Urquharts weren't actually giving you any news? No.
I had caught that book myself.
What d'you do with it? I gave it back to Richard.
He says, "I'll hide this until I can put it on the market.
" It's worth megabucks.
And the night he died, you were there? Yes.
I'm waiting in the car park.
Richard throws some books, I take them to the car.
Then, I look up and there is a fight going on.
Richard and Vice Chancellor.
Ventham was up there? Yes.
Richard falls, Vice Chancellor disappears.
I check the body and Richard is dead.
How did Ventham know he'd be there? The only person who could've told him was you.
The small problem with my student visa, Vice Chancellor also knew about that.
He says he'll keep quiet if I give information about Richard, so he could give him the sack.
Oh, so you were spying on Symes for Ventham? Busy little bugger, weren't you? Did you tell Ventham about the really big scam, the Duhamel book? Yes, I did.
You've missed the Vice Chancellor, I'm afraid.
He's flying out to Geneva tonight for an academic conference.
Will he be at the airport now? He had something to do in town on the way.
Thank you.
Oi! I'm in here! Oi, I'm still in here! Excuse me! Help! There's no-one here but us, Mr Lane.
You've found it, haven't you? Found what? Don't play silly buggers! Give me the book and this will all be over.
I can't move! Slide the book along the floor.
What book? There's hundreds in here! Ahh! Ahh! Where's Brian Lane? I believe he's in the library.
He's an investigator for the Metropolitan Police.
Look, I really don't know where Yes, you do.
You've been watching him! And reporting to your boyfriend, Jeremy Ventham.
So where is he? The basement.
Jeremy said he was just trying to recover university property.
Oi! Hey, no! Ah! No! Aaahhhh! Come here! All right, that'll do, that'll do! Are you all right? I've got it, I've got the book! Look, it's French.
It's 18th century, and it purports, according to the cover, to be an exposition of the merits of double entry book-keeping! That's mine! Get off.
Whereas in fact It is an exposition of the merits of double-entry book-keeping.
Shit! Come on.
Well, never mind, Brian.
Only another 999,999 volumes to go.
Well, I'm going for a pint.
You going to the library? I've had it with libraries.
Eh? They're full of weirdos.
I thought that's why you felt so at home? Anyway, they're a thing of the past.
Oh, really? This is the way forward! Linked to the internet, it allows me to access the world's literary culture from the comfort of my own armchair! Cool, let's have a go.
Can you play Football Manager on it? No, you can't.
Be careful.
I've just downloaded the Complete Poems of Philip Larkin.
Now there's a man who spent his life in libraries.
Here's a good quote.
What's that then? "Books are a load of crap".
I think you'll find that's an example of Larkin's use of irony.
# Row, row, row your boat # You don't know what you're doing to me.
But you're making me really hot.
You know what I mean.
What, the red ones? You know I love those, baby! # Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream # Silence! This is a bloody library! Oh, Brian.
Come on.
# It's all right, it's OK # Doesn't really matter if you're old and grey # It's all right, I say it's OK # Listen to what I say # It's all right, doing fine # Doesn't really matter if the sun don't shine # It's all right, I say it's OK # We're getting to the end of the day.
# Hold on, we've seen all these.
And these.
Yup, we've read all of them, and none of them seemed worth pursuing.
Well then.
So now we're going to read them all again.
Why? Because the DAC noticed that a bunch of these files never seem to get to the top of the pile, and he'd like to see some of them progressed.
So that's what's going to happen.
Smashing.
Well, is this all right? This is heaven! They've got over a million volumes, and, unlike the British Library, they're on open shelves, so you can browse them yourself.
Terrific.
And you can take them home! What, like a library, you mean? Look, there's no racks of CDs, DVDs, no misery memoirs.
No fun at all, then? It's a proper library.
It smells of books! Any progress with these files? Nah.
Yeah, this one's interesting.
Richard Symes, 2007, suspicious death.
Died from traumatic injuries apparently sustained in a fall.
It wasn't interesting the last time we looked at it.
Well, among the deceased's possessions was a London Library card.
Do leave off! Don't you think you're getting a little bit, er, forgive the expression, obsessive? Hang on a moment, I think Brian's got a point to make.
Thank you.
At least, I hope he has.
Richard Symes had a load of books out from the London Library, some of which he'd taken out just before he died.
Which seems a bit odd if you're feeling suicidal.
Accident? What's he doing falling off a roof on a cold, wet night in November? Any motive for murder? Not according to the original inquiry.
Coroner recorded an open verdict.
What makes you think we're going to do any better? Is there any new evidence? No, but I was wondering, did anybody ever read these books? Reading the books might tell an investigator something.
You go and read them.
You're a member.
Oh, now, Sandra, hang on a minute.
I've only just joined.
If I go barging in there with my ex-copper's boots on, I'll put everyone's backs up.
Just find the books and have a look at them.
Any reader can do that.
Basically, Brian, you'll be drawing your salary for sitting on your arse with your nose in a book.
Enough said.
Dr Richard Symes, head of the Department of the History and Philosophy of Science, London Municipal University.
He was an authority on botanical sciences in the 18th century.
I've solved this already.
He died of boredom.
The body was discovered November 2007.
Now, the post-mortem found injuries consistent with a fall from the roof terrace of the university library building.
Witnesses? No, nobody saw the fall.
Body discovered by Pavel Illich, a security guard.
Family? Yes, a widow, Paula Symes.
Ooh, hello! Maybe he didn't die of boredom.
So predictable, Gerry.
Described as an antiquarian book dealer.
No children.
I'll talk to her.
I'll come with you.
Jack, you can go to the university and check if the security guard's still around, and see if any of his colleagues are available for interview.
Yeah.
And Brian I'll get my reading boots on.
Pavel Illich? Yes.
My name's Jack Halford.
I'm with the Metropolitan Police.
We're reinvestigating the death of Richard Symes.
You found the body? Ah, yes, about where you're standing now.
Hmmm.
Can we get access to the roof terrace? Sure.
This way, please.
Thank you.
Come this way, please.
All this work Refurbishing the library, are they? Never.
It's being turned into student accommodation.
More money that way.
So where are they putting the library? No more library.
Did you know Richard Symes? I knew who he was.
Security, we have to know.
But not more than that.
What was he doing up here? This "roof terrace" is hardly the hanging gardens of Babylon, is it? Library is a no-smoking area.
Students, staff, come out here for a cigarette.
According to my information, Symes was a non-smoker.
So what might've been the attraction on a wet November night? A mystery.
Type in as much information as you have about a book.
MAN COUGHS Mr Lane? Yeah, sorry, sorry.
The display shows that we've got it.
Now click on "availability".
Now you can see the book's available for borrowing.
All you need to do is note down the shelf-mark and you can find it.
I think I've got the hang of that.
Thanks very much Emma.
Just ask if there's anything you need help with.
What's your particular area of interest? Yeah, well Books, really.
Well, you've come to the right place.
Mr Halford, the Vice Chancellor.
Jeremy Ventham.
Jack Halford.
Thank you for seeing me, Mr Ventham.
It's Doctor, actually, but we don't go in for formality at LMU.
Oh, not being a varsity man myself, I don't grasp all the distinctions.
Sit down, Jack.
Thank you.
I told your secretary, that we're, um, investigating the circumstances of the death of Richard Symes.
Yes, er very sad business.
Can you think of any reason why he would've been on the roof terrace that night? Your guess is as good as mine.
I was hoping to see some of his old colleagues, but of course his department doesn't exist any more, does it? That's right, Jack.
"History and Philosophy of Science".
Bit ivory tower for us.
Doesn't cut it with LMU's target demographic.
Really? A bright kid with straight As or the International Baccalaureate wants to hear about accountancy, management economics, company and commercial law.
She's made an investment, she's heavily leveraged, she wants to see big-time pay-back.
When was the Symes department closed down? Just after his death.
How did he feel about the department closing down, and the imminent end of his career? Well, nobody wants to be in a situation like that, but, er, I mean the fact is, poor old Richard wanted to go on living in the 1960s, when he was a student.
Academia was a different world back then.
Jobs for life, grants, not loans.
Cloud cuckoo land.
It couldn't last.
We all had to grow up.
And he accepted it? I think he found ways to live with it.
Yes, all right, till after lunch, yes.
Am I right for Bibliography? Dear me, no, this is Biography, A to H.
Two more floors to go! You're new here, aren't you? Yes.
Don't worry, we still get lost.
And we've been regular users for 30 years! Follow us! Thank you.
I'm Jasper Urquhart, by the way.
This is my wife, Sophie.
Brian Lane.
How d'you do? What's your field, Brian? Sorry? What are you researching into? If it's not a secret! Oh, well, er, history and philosophy of science, and so forth.
Oh, how interesting.
That's rather close to our own field.
Oh? What's that then? The corn field.
Oh, Jasper, you wicked man.
Or the fallow field, or the pasture.
We're economic historians, Mr Lane, and we specialise in the agricultural revolution.
Fantastic! Not a fashionable topic in today's academic world, but we struggle on.
Religion, that way.
Bibliography, this way.
I must say I'm a bit surprised at the university closing its library.
Wasn't cost effective, given the overheads.
If the students need books, there's our excellent and highly profitable shop, but, quite frankly, Jack, LMU's new multi-media learning resource centre is a far better source of information access than any old library.
This is the digital age - books are history.
Yes, well, thanks for your time, Jeremy.
We may need to talk again.
Of course, Jack.
Er, as a matter of interest, what's your academic discipline? I came up through the business school.
Before I became Vice Chancellor, I was head of the Department of Financial Control.
No end to what people study these days, is there? Check out our prospectus, Jack.
You might find something that appeals.
Oh, thank you.
I thought this might help.
Thanks.
Any assistance we can give, feel free to ask.
Thanks very much.
Ssh! Oh, that's a bit posh.
I've never met a rich widow.
She doesn't own the business, she just works here.
Well, maybe some day Richard's sudden death was a deeply traumatic experience for me.
These past three years, I've moved on.
I really see no purpose in reopening the matter.
The cause of death was never established.
The cause of death was Jeremy Ventham.
What exactly do you mean by that? I don't mean that he pushed him off the roof He just destroyed Richard's life, that's all.
How? Richard believed in giving his students the very best, and he expected the best from them.
I know that because he was my teacher, 20 years ago.
Richard believed in academic standards.
So, what did Jeremy Ventham do wrong? Ventham thinks that the university is a degree factory, and that the students are customers.
So they should get what they want for their money.
Meaning? Meaning high marks for average achievements, and pass marks for no achievement at all.
Richard objected to this, but Ventham told him to "teach to their expectations".
When Richard tried to defend his department's integrity, Ventham decided to close it down.
When you say this was the cause of your husband's death? I don't know whether he took his own life, but I know he felt betrayed and abused.
Brian.
Y'know, Esther, I ask myself if I'm not wasting my talents in the rough and tumble of criminal investigation.
I'm sure I'm better suited to the life of the mind.
Quite possibly.
Look, will you please come and have a look at the cracks in the plasterwork upstairs? It could be subsidence.
Why don't you get that Polish bloke to look at it? He can't deal with subsidence.
It might need underpinning.
It could be an insurance job! Well, whatever you decide, my dear.
I'm beginning to feel I could spend the autumn of my days in scholarly seclusion, unearthing the mental and spiritual riches of the world of literature.
Why not go the whole hog and become a monk? You've already got the haircut.
Contrary to what you told my colleague, it's been put to us that you forced Richard Symes out of a job because he refused to lower his standards to get more students through with higher grades.
He wasn't a martyr for academic standards.
He took early retirement because I gave him a choice.
Either go quietly with a generous retirement package, or face criminal prosecution and dismissal.
For what? The theft of books from the university library.
Some valuable items went missing.
Books of the same description appeared in the antiquarian market.
You know Paula Symes is in the rare book trade? Yes.
We believed she was in charge of what you'd call the handling.
How did he get the books out of the library? I have no idea.
We had an electronic security system.
If I'd known the details, I could've sacked him on the spot instead of buying the bugger off.
Was any of this reported to the police? That's not what I wanted, for the sake of LMU's image.
But, confronted with my suspicions, Symes seemed happy enough at the prospect of taking the money and going.
It's a sad, sordid story, but that's all there is to it.
Look at the state of this lot.
I only hope they appreciate what they're getting.
University wasn't an option when I was young.
It was a privilege of the elite.
Well, it's not much of a privilege now.
In fact, most of them are up to their necks in debt for it.
Well, I hope it inculcates a sense of adult responsibility.
I doubt it.
Now, look, is that deep, or is it bloody obvious? I think you'd have to have a degree in philosophy to work that one out, Jack.
Yeah, well, a bit late in the day for degrees now.
It's never too late! Come on, Sandra.
How could I possibly hold my own with all these smart kids? When I was at university, you didn't have to be a genius.
It's certainly not got any harder.
Well, maybe.
Pavel? Hello! Oh, hello.
This is Pavel Illich.
He found Symes' body.
This is my colleague, Detective Superintendent Pullman.
Off duty? Security is a part time job.
I'm also a PhD student in economics.
Working your way through college? Well done.
Isn't that Jasper Urquhart? Yes, it is, yes.
We were told the Urquharts had retired.
Well, yes.
But they came back, part time.
Teach economic history as option for economics undergraduates.
Big demand for that? Not really.
As Henry Ford say, history is punk.
Bunk.
Yes.
A soft option for wankers.
Economists with any brain wants to do what I'm doing.
Learn to build mathematical models of derivative trading, join the merchant bank and make megabucks.
So why were the Urquharts brought back? Vice Chancellor says economics students need more breadth of cultural understanding.
If you excuse me, I have a meeting with my supervisor.
Doesn't sound like a Jeremy Ventham line to me.
Brian, join me.
Oh, thank you.
How are you settling in as a library member? Very well, thank you.
Good.
Now, Brian, tell me, as a philosopher of science, do you support Kuhn's idea of revolutionary paradigm shifts? Or are you tempted by the radical antinomianism of Feyerabend? I try to keep an open mind.
I'm sure it's very wise.
So, what brings Jasper and yourself to the library? We're academics, where else would we go? Especially since our university library has been taken over by a "multi-media learning resource centre", full of undergraduates playing with their mobile phones.
Point taken.
What exactly are you researching, Brian? Bibliographical questions in my field of interest.
So how is the work progressing? Mmm I can't quite see the wood for the trees at the moment.
Really? You know, sometimes it helps to talk things over.
Oh, I think I've got to work this one out for myself.
If Symes was a thief, maybe that's what he was doing on the roof.
What? The university library has an electronic security system.
All the books have to be checked at the desk, otherwise they set off an alarm when they go through the turnstile.
But Symes may have found a way round that.
He takes the books onto the roof, chucks them down to an accomplice, who takes them off to Paula to be fenced.
OK, OK, if we go with that, then we could be looking at an accident.
Symes leans over too far Yeah, but what about this accomplice, the book catcher on the ground? At the very least he would've witnessed the death.
Right, so we're looking for an accomplice-stroke-witness.
And murderer.
There was a criminal conspiracy.
Thieves fall out.
Nicking library books is hardly a criminal conspiracy, is it? I can't see middle-class professional people killing each other over it.
There could be a lot at stake, Gerry.
Talking about book theft's made me realise what Symes' reading list was all about.
Go on.
Well, I thought it must be about particular subjects, or authors, or periods of history.
But that was all wrong.
All these bibliographies and catalogues include information about books that are quite exceptionally valuable.
That's the common factor.
So Symes was doing his homework for the thefts? So are we talking serious money? For old books? Tens of thousands of pounds.
In some cases, millions.
The university was just a poly a few years ago.
They wouldn't have rare books lying around, surely? They might not have known what they'd got.
Right, I want to know more about Paula, and her book business.
Jack, you haven't met her.
No.
So keep an eye on her for a few days, see how she operates.
Right.
Brian, are you finished in the library? Dear me, no.
I still need to be there.
There's some very funny stuff going on.
Like what? Well, my documents have been suspiciously disturbed.
So have you, from time to time.
And there's something very odd about the way the Urquharts are behaving towards me.
Just who do they think you are, Brian? Just another member of the intelligentsia, obviously.
Thank you.
Mr Lane, this is a library! According to the original inquiry, you were both working in the university library the night Richard Symes died? Yes.
Yes, that's right.
And you said you suspected nothing suspicious.
Is that still your recollection? The first we knew of it was the sound of the ambulance, and the police arriving.
Did you speak to him that evening? No, not at all.
How well did you know him? Well, we were in different departments, but we had interests in common.
Richard was a specialist in and obviously that was relevant to our study of agricultural history.
In fact, we three collaborated on an academic paper.
In the Journal of the History of Economic Thought.
Was there anything in Richard's behaviour that might lead you to believe that he would take his own life? No.
No, not at all.
But you can never tell with people, can you? Did he have any enemies? None that we know of.
What can you tell us about the allegations that he was systematically stealing the university's books? Well, we were aware that books were missing from the library, but we never suspected Richard.
Item 17 on your list, a copy of Lewis Carroll's Through The Looking Glass.
set.
However, it's been brought to my attention that this item is not complete, as described in your catalogue.
Page 63 is missing.
Due to the incomplete nature of the item, the reserve has been removed.
Nevertheless, I'll start by asking for £500.
400? Madam? The bid is 260.
Anyone? Sold to the gentlemen in the second row.
Good afternoon, sir.
The name's Timothy Mortimer.
Mortimer? Mortimer.
And the address is Flat 3.
Three.
Winchford Road, West Hampstead.
Lovely.
Great system, this, eh? What's your particular field of interest? Business.
Yes? Particularly my own, and how to mind it.
His name is Timothy Mortimer, and he was Richard Symes' research student at the time of Symes' death.
So, Symes' widow and his research student are involved in their own book scam? And now they're getting up close and personal.
And maybe Mortimer was also involved in the library thefts.
We'll call them both in for interview.
You and I will take her, you two do the boyfriend.
Oh, no way.
Wrong.
Sorry? Well, if I show me hand as an investigator, me cover's blown at the library, isn't it? You're not there undercover, you're just doing a bit of reading.
This has gone way beyond that, I'm definitely being spied on.
You've said that before.
This is not about my medication! This case is all about books and libraries, and that's where it'll be solved.
I know it is! Oi! I'm the guvnor here! Yes, we're all clear about that, aren't we, Brian? There's no argument who gives the orders around here.
But, I mean, think about this interview with Mortimer.
It's all be about ducking and diving, a bit of rumpy pumpy on the side.
I mean, that's my territory, isn't it? I mean, poor old Brian'll be way out of his depth.
Maybe Gerry would be better off on his own.
I'm sorry.
Look, I just think I'll be more cost-effective if I can do another couple of days in the library, that's all.
A couple of days.
Yes! The meter's running.
So what exactly do you do for a living, Tim? Well, I suppose I've got what you'd call a portfolio career at the moment.
I'm still finishing my PhD.
I do a bit of teaching, I make a bit of money as a runner in the book trade.
What does that mean? I buy and sell books, but I don't have a business premises, or issue catalogues, or carry much stock.
If I see a book at a good price, I'll buy it, try to sell it to a more established dealer.
See, we've got a little problem.
We think that you conspired with Paula Symes to defraud the auction house and the vendor when this book was sold.
Well, that's putting a particular interpretation on events.
This book was on sale in the shop where you work, described as complete and offered at £600.
Now, a page has recently been "tipped in".
I believe that's the technical term? A repair has been effected.
That's nothing unusual.
I think what I witnessed between you and Timothy Mortimer speaks for itself.
A copy of a book changed hands at auction.
A copy of the same book was for sale in the shop.
You're making a lot of inferences after snooping into my personal life.
I think you'd have a hard time proving anything.
Maybe.
But then you and the business you work for would also have a hard time whilst we were conducting the investigation, don't you think? We want you co-operation in our investigation into the death of Richard Symes.
Now, in view of your recent conduct, you'd be well advised to come clean about what you were doing in the past.
Do you understand? Yeah.
Richard Symes was stealing valuable books from the university, and you were putting them on to the market for him.
It's right, isn't it, Paula? Richard thought Jeremy Ventham was subverting the standards of the university.
He knew Ventham wanted to destroy his department and to get rid of him.
The library itself was scheduled for closure.
Collections that had taken decades to build up would be dispersed, probably at knock-down value, that's if they weren't just dumped into skips.
Surely that wouldn't happen? It's happened before, with libraries being wiped out by bean-counting barbarians.
So, Richard decided to go for what Ventham would no doubt call "pay-back".
He smuggled out some saleable books, and I found buyers for them.
When you say "saleable books", what are we talking about? Nothing very rare or precious.
Maybe, what, 50 to £100, mostly.
And can we be clear about the method, and who was involved? Richard brought the books out on to the roof terrace, and threw them down to me.
And then I took them to Paula and she sold them on in the trade.
Thank you, Tim.
That's very good.
So you were in the car park the night of Richard's fatal fall? No.
Not that night.
Oh, come on.
He was at it that night and you were his accomplice! No, I didn't know he was taking books that night so I didn't go.
So where were you? That's difficult.
Oh, Brian, I wanted a word with you.
We need a free and full exchange of views, Jasper.
When did your affair with Tim Mortimer begin, Paula? Tim was very supportive in the months after Richard's death.
Eventually, a relationship developed.
OK, so, just to be clear, you're saying that it started some time after Richard died? Yes.
We don't believe you.
Paula was, what, Something like that.
And you met her when you were his student? Graduate student, yes.
Very attractive woman, eh? Intelligent, independent.
When did the affair start? I tried to help Paula out as much as I could after the shock of Richard's death.
We started seeing each other quite frequently, and then we both realised we were strongly attracted to each other.
I don't doubt it.
But what I do doubt is when it started.
I think it happened while Richard was alive.
Look, son, we're going to be talking to people.
Friends, neighbours, colleagues.
We're going to be checking hotel registers, credit card bills, bank accounts.
Now believe me, I've been there.
And if you were at it, someone will know about it.
Someone always does.
So you'd be better off to come clean right now.
OK, the truth is Paula and I started a relationship about six months before Richard's death.
Was he aware of it? I don't know.
So, why have you two been spying on me? Why are you so interested in Richard Symes? I'm a scholar in the same field.
No, you're not, Brian.
You've no scholarly publications to your name.
And you're quite ignorant about the basics.
Look, we're not here to discuss my credentials! We're here because of your outrageously underhand conduct! Well, the truth is, we realised you must be looking for the same thing as ourselves.
Yes, and you thought you'd take a short cut by plagiarising my research.
Well, let's see just how far you've got.
We are, of course, talking about a particular book, aren't we? Stolen by Richard Symes from the university library? He shouldn't have done that.
We're the ones who found it! We took it to Richard because it was in his specialist field, to ask if it really was No, shush! Let's see what Brian thinks it might be.
Well, we're obviously talking about a work of considerable value, aren't we? We're talking about a major work, about 18th century botanical science.
Look I'm not prepared to reveal my hand any further without without having some convincing evidence of your good faith.
Bullshit.
Don't forget I could ruin your reputations with the evidence I've got.
Right, what have we got here? Photos.
And you've just deleted them.
Pleasure talking with you, Brian! It was both amusing and instructive.
Now, you've a well-supported alibi for the night of your husband's death.
But, of course, Tim could've killed him, couldn't he? The night Richard died, Tim was with me.
The police found you at the hotel to notify you of the death, but they don't record the presence of anyone else.
I got a call from reception to say that the police wanted to speak with me.
I didn't know what it was about.
Tim hid out in the bathroom.
I didn't particularly want the police in on my adulterous relationship.
Thanks, Paula.
I think we've made significant progress.
Richard Symes, married to a much younger woman, who in turn takes a young lover.
Classic scenario for murder.
Paula gave Mortimer an alibi.
Well, she would, wouldn't she? Yeah, but Mortimer could easily have travelled to the book fair with her but he would still have had time to get back in the evening and push Symes off the roof! No, the book's the key to it.
Oh, not more bleeding books.
Go on.
I fronted up the Urquharts today.
They've admitted spying on me.
They're trying to track down a book, stolen by Symes from the university library.
What book? I don't know.
They cottoned on to the fact I was bluffing, and clammed up.
Brian, does this help us with Tim and Paula? Symes stole the book, Symes was killed, the book's missing.
If Tim or Paula are now in possession of it We can hardly confront them with it if we don't know what it is.
It's something the Urquharts wanted Symes' opinion about.
So it's got to be in an area where they had shared interests - history of agriculture or botany.
They did all write a paper together.
What about? Some kind of journal.
No, no, this is important! Er, Journal of the History of Turnips, probably.
Turnips?! No, no, no.
Journal of the History of Economic Thought! That's it.
The Library's still open.
I can check this out tonight.
It's not that urgent, Brian.
Sandra, it's the thrill of the chase! The Journal of the History of Economic Thought! Yes? Well, where is it? Learned journals are on Level Seven, right at the top.
Going-home time, Jack! Yes, yes, I'm on my way.
I, er, had an e-mail from the university.
There's an Emma Curran.
She was the librarian on duty the night that Symes died.
I couldn't track her down at all.
Turns out she's now using her married name, Emma Woodford.
Works for the London Library.
There's a job for tomorrow.
Yeah.
Y'know, when we were still in the job, Brian applied to a university as a mature student.
Really? What happened? They interviewed him.
Oh.
Yes! "Arboriculture in the French Enlightenment.
" You've lost me already.
Arboriculture, the science of tree cultivation.
Richard Symes and the Urquharts wrote this paper together.
I thought you were trying to work out what this mystery book was? Well, have a bit of patience and I'll get there.
Now, part of this paper is about a fellow called Henri Duhamel, and a lot of the references are to Symes' PhD thesis on French botanical scientists, so I'm assuming that Symes wrote that bit of it.
Now the Urquharts wanted Symes' opinion on a book, so they must've thought it was potentially rare and valuable.
And remember, the Urquharts knew that Symes was an authority on Duhamel.
Hold on, hold on.
So, are you saying that this unheard-of French bloke wrote a book that was worth nicking? A list of the top ten antiquarian book prices of all time.
In 2006, Duhamel's "Traite Des Arbres Fruitiers," that's "A Treatise On Fruit Trees," sold for $4.
5 million! Good God! Bugger me! Worth nicking, eh? Worth killing for.
Sandra? If I had a copy of Duhamel's Traite, I would've disposed of it through the trade, and I'd be living in the Bahamas.
As well as searching your premises, we'll be investigating your financial records.
Waste as much time and public money as you like.
Sit down, Mr Halford.
Thank you.
Er, I don't think I can really add anything to the statement I made at the time.
I was on duty at the university library, but I didn't know anything was wrong until the police and ambulance arrived.
Did you speak to Richard Symes that evening? Only to say hello.
How well did you know him? We knew each other professionally, but not socially.
Did you notice anything out of the ordinary in his mood or behaviour that evening? Not at all.
As a member of the library staff, you must've noticed that books were going missing? Yes.
Jasper and Sophie Urquhart made a lot of fuss about it.
Did they? Yes, but books do go missing from libraries.
Quite apart from readers failing to return them, they can be mislaid or mis-shelved.
Or stolen.
Yes.
Did you know that Richard Symes was suspected? No.
Right.
Some decisions need to be made.
Mm.
About the work on the house.
Whatever you decide, dear.
If we don't do something, and soon, this house could fall down round our ears.
Did you hear what I said? House.
Fall down around us.
Well, have you got anything to say about that? Poe! What? "The Fall of the House of Usher" - made me think of Edgar Allen Poe.
What are you looking for? Tales Of Mystery And Imagination.
Why? Because that's the answer! There you are.
Esther, you're a genius! Hey, hey, I've cracked it! I know where the book is! Really? Yes, I said from the start this whole case will be solved in the library.
Is that it? No, that's Edgar Allen Poe.
What's he got to do with it? He wrote a story called "The Purloined Letter".
A compromising letter goes missing, and the great detective discovers it, in open view, in a domestic letter rack! I thought we were looking for a book? It's the same principle.
Where do you hide a book? In a library! And that's what Richard Symes did.
He nicked a copy of Duhamel, he re-bound it with a fake title, and he stuck it on a shelf at the London Library.
Wouldn't they notice? No, they've got a million volumes, how are they going to know about an extra one that's not in the catalogue? A book could sit there for years, especially if it's an obscure subject with a boring title.
Why did he do this? He couldn't cash in on the book immediately.
Other people were on the trail of it.
The Urquharts in particular.
And he was right to be anxious, wasn't he? He was killed over that book! Maybe.
So who is it? The Urquharts? Tim Mortimer? Person or persons unknown? Oh, I haven't thought about that.
Thank you.
And where, amongst the millions of volumes, is this book? That's the question.
I haven't worked that bit out yet.
But if I could just enter into Symes' mind, I'm sure I could reconstruct his thought processes.
That would be a very impressive trick.
In the meantime, why don't you just disappear back into the library and leave all the dreary stuff to us? Witness statements, interviews, suspects.
I'm sure I'll have the nub of the matter in my grasp.
Mind you don't go blind.
Oh, er, I'm supposed to give this to Dr Urquhart.
We're expecting her any minute.
Uh, thing is, I'm late for another class.
We'll make sure she gets it.
Cool.
That's not how you spell "plough".
It is in the States.
He's probably downloaded the whole thing from an American website.
What, is that what they get up to? Yeah, I told you, Jack, doing a degree is not rocket science.
Unless you're doing rocket science, I suppose.
Actually, there are some bits that must be his own work.
For "must have" he's got "must of", and he spelt "input" with an "m".
I could do better than this! So what's stopping you? Well, I wouldn't come to this place.
I want to be able to stretch the old brain a bit before it seizes up completely.
There are much better places than this, Jack.
Yes, well.
Oh, hello.
Hi.
Sophie, we would like you to come down to the station with us to do an interview about the death of Richard Symes.
Oh! Very well, then.
By the way, a budding Nobel Prize-winner left you this.
Thank you.
Well, he's progressing.
Really? Oh, yes.
Last time, he printed out the bit that said, "For further information, click here".
There's one thing that puzzles us, Sophie.
Jeremy Ventham seems very keen to have got rid of departments and teachers who, in his terms, weren't pulling their weight.
And yet he took you two back on.
So what favours does he owe you? For keeping quiet.
About what? One evening, we happened to be passing through the dogmatic theology section of the university library, which was somewhat under-used, and we came across Dr Ventham having it off with the librarian, Emma.
Who is now at the London Library? Yes.
And of course, they are both married.
So you blackmailed him? In a nutshell, yes, we did, really.
What do you know about a book written by Henri Duhamel, called Well, in English, "A Treatise On Fruit Trees"? It's very rare, and very valuable.
We have information that you found a copy of this book at the London Municipal University library.
Is that right? It's what we hoped we might've found, but we couldn't be sure.
The title page was illegibly foxed.
Foxed? Brown staining caused by metallic or chemical impurities in the paper.
And you drew Richard Symes' attention to the book? Yes.
He was the authority on Duhamel.
And you were willing to cut him in on the deal? We weren't thinking about any kind of deal.
We didn't have any notion of the potential value.
We asked a colleague to confirm an academic discovery! And where was this? In the university library.
Richard was working there.
What did he say? He wouldn't commit himself.
He asked us to leave the book with him, said he needed to study it and to consult some reference books and bibliographies.
We had classes to teach.
When we looked for Richard later, we couldn't find him and the book hadn't been checked out of the university library, but it wasn't on the shelves.
So we decided to do our own research on what the book might be worth.
And you realised that you'd been closed out of a multi-million- dollar scam? Ah.
If you want to put it in vulgar terms, yes.
And you confronted Symes on the roof terrace the night he died? No, no.
We saw him in his office.
He said he'd taken the book to show to his wife, and that she'd taken the view that it wasn't a first edition, and that so many of the plates, the illustrations, because that's what makes these books so valuable, were missing, that it was almost worthless.
And you didn't believe him? Well, we said, in that case, why isn't it back on the shelves? Well, he didn't have an answer.
He treated us with contempt.
This gives you a motive for killing him.
But we didn't.
What, you just shrugged your shoulders? I find that very hard to believe! We're not violent people.
We didn't try to hurt him.
We just grassed him up.
Grassed him up? Isn't that what you say? Or is it "dobbed him in"? We denounced him to the authorities, anyway.
What authorities are we talking about? We said to the security officer, the nice Russian boy.
Pavel Illich? That's it.
We said, we're terribly sorry, but we have an awful suspicion that Dr Symes has taken a very valuable book.
Then you tried to find out what happened to the book? Yes.
To no effect, sadly.
Of course, we realised he'd probably hidden it in the London Library.
What, you worked that out? Well, any idiot could have guessed that.
We'd like you to tell us what you know about the death of Richard Symes.
All of it, this time.
We've been checking your immigration status.
You're here on a student visa.
And you shouldn't be working.
And anyhow that visa expired some years ago.
Where is Accountancy and Financial Control? We don't get many requests for that.
That's what I thought.
Where is it? The basement, the rolling cases.
You were told that Symes had stolen a valuable book from the university, and the next thing that happened was that Symes was found dead, and the book was never seen again.
And you kept quiet about it.
That'll take a lot of explaining, Pavel.
Yes.
Well? You think I killed Richard? Richard and me, we were like this.
How come? He comes to me, maybe three months before he dies.
He says he wants me for private security job, cash in hand.
Thinks his wife is shagging that research student, Tim.
I follow them both.
And it's true.
Richard gives me a big bung.
Yeah? Then Richard says, "I have this little earner going, do you want some?" And I say yes.
He was stealing books from the library, throws them off roof to Tim, and his wife, Paula, sells them.
But Richard says, "They're cheating on me, I owe them nothing!" So I become his partner.
And you became the book catcher? Yes, I became the book catcher.
So the Urquharts weren't actually giving you any news? No.
I had caught that book myself.
What d'you do with it? I gave it back to Richard.
He says, "I'll hide this until I can put it on the market.
" It's worth megabucks.
And the night he died, you were there? Yes.
I'm waiting in the car park.
Richard throws some books, I take them to the car.
Then, I look up and there is a fight going on.
Richard and Vice Chancellor.
Ventham was up there? Yes.
Richard falls, Vice Chancellor disappears.
I check the body and Richard is dead.
How did Ventham know he'd be there? The only person who could've told him was you.
The small problem with my student visa, Vice Chancellor also knew about that.
He says he'll keep quiet if I give information about Richard, so he could give him the sack.
Oh, so you were spying on Symes for Ventham? Busy little bugger, weren't you? Did you tell Ventham about the really big scam, the Duhamel book? Yes, I did.
You've missed the Vice Chancellor, I'm afraid.
He's flying out to Geneva tonight for an academic conference.
Will he be at the airport now? He had something to do in town on the way.
Thank you.
Oi! I'm in here! Oi, I'm still in here! Excuse me! Help! There's no-one here but us, Mr Lane.
You've found it, haven't you? Found what? Don't play silly buggers! Give me the book and this will all be over.
I can't move! Slide the book along the floor.
What book? There's hundreds in here! Ahh! Ahh! Where's Brian Lane? I believe he's in the library.
He's an investigator for the Metropolitan Police.
Look, I really don't know where Yes, you do.
You've been watching him! And reporting to your boyfriend, Jeremy Ventham.
So where is he? The basement.
Jeremy said he was just trying to recover university property.
Oi! Hey, no! Ah! No! Aaahhhh! Come here! All right, that'll do, that'll do! Are you all right? I've got it, I've got the book! Look, it's French.
It's 18th century, and it purports, according to the cover, to be an exposition of the merits of double entry book-keeping! That's mine! Get off.
Whereas in fact It is an exposition of the merits of double-entry book-keeping.
Shit! Come on.
Well, never mind, Brian.
Only another 999,999 volumes to go.
Well, I'm going for a pint.
You going to the library? I've had it with libraries.
Eh? They're full of weirdos.
I thought that's why you felt so at home? Anyway, they're a thing of the past.
Oh, really? This is the way forward! Linked to the internet, it allows me to access the world's literary culture from the comfort of my own armchair! Cool, let's have a go.
Can you play Football Manager on it? No, you can't.
Be careful.
I've just downloaded the Complete Poems of Philip Larkin.
Now there's a man who spent his life in libraries.
Here's a good quote.
What's that then? "Books are a load of crap".
I think you'll find that's an example of Larkin's use of irony.