Inspector Lewis (2006) s07e05 Episode Script

1
Who can remember what we learnt
last lesson about chain reactions?
It's like dominoes, sir.
That's right.
It's like dominoes.
When just one molecule
is activated,
it can cause a reaction,
which in turn releases
unstable molecules.
They then trigger
further reactions.
And so the chain gathers momentum.
See how it's branching and growing
as it feeds itself.
L is the angular momentum quantum
number.
L tells you
the type and shape of
Tells you the type of the orbitals.
L is the magnetic quantum number
Quantum number
..tells you where the orbitals are
along the X or Y
Good luck, mate.
Home?
Home.
Today, we're gonna take a look at
the first chain reaction
ever discovered.
Hydrogen and chlorine.
All you need to trigger this
is UV light,
which you get by burning magnesium.
But, once the chain is in motion
it's unstoppable.
Chrome every time, sir.
James.
The erflat's looking a bit tired.
So this is what you're doing with
your day off.
Sprucing up the bachelor pad.
I'm not sprucing.
'Marine Dream Blue'. Nice.
Look, haven't you got somewhere else
to be?
I don't remember you booking the day
off.
Community Partnership seminar,
3:00pm.
Enjoy.
I wasn't sure what
you'd want to do.
The garage said they could fix it -
Just get rid of it.
The interview isn't that bad,
as long as you know your chemistry.
Make sure you do some mock
interviews with Mr Drew,
if you do decide to apply.
They asked me all the same stuff.
Glad to be of service. Anyone else?
Is it loads more work than A-level?
Well, it's a big step up,
obviously.
But it's all rightmost of the
time.
Good. Well, I think we should give
Adam a round of applause
to say thank you
for coming back to talk to us.
That was good.
Erin had this bean plant.
She was supposed to grow it
over the holidays
and measure it every day.
Mum carried on watering it
for weeks afterwards,
and I just kept thinking,
'How is this thing still alive?'
'How is it possible that
this stupid little plant
can keep on living and yet'
We both realise how difficult this
must be.
But do you feel able
to let Richard respond?
Rachel
I need you to know that
your sister, and what I did,
will stay with me forever.
If I could do anything
to change what happened
All you had to do was think,
'I've had a nice boozy lunch.
Maybe I won't get in my car,
this afternoon.'
How hard is that? I know I can't
expect forgiveness
but prison has strengthened
my faith,
and as part of my recovery -
YOUR recovery!
Of course.
That's what this is about.
Rachel, please. Forget it.
Three years. Out in one.
It's a joke.
You were right, OK?
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I know you don't want to hear it,
but I think that was brave.
It was selfish.
Things will get easier, I promise.
With God's help.
Yeah, I'm not sure that
I've got it right.
No, that sounds fine.
As long as the juices run clear,
you're OK.
Anything else?
Yeah, then leave it on a hot dish
for 20 minutes to relax.
Thanks. Just as long as
one of us is relaxed.
Ahwish me luck.
Good luck.
Beautiful place this, isn't it?
What we got? - Deceased is a Professor
Richard Seager, biochemist,
fellow of Benison College.
He was released from prison
yesterday after serving a year for
death by dangerous driving.
No signs of a break-in.
Body was discovered by his wife,
the Reverend Martha Seager,
crushed under his own car.
Bloody hell. I know.
You do read about these freak
accidents, don't you?
No, sir, this is not an accident.
The car must have accelerated
pretty hard
to churn up this much gravel.
I can't get to them properly,
but the first thing I'm seeing
is multiple flaying injuries,
where the wheels have taken
the skin away.
Suggests he was knocked down, then
driven back over several times.
Yeah, all right, all right.
I can see it wasn't an accident.
Just giving humanity
the benefit of the doubt for once.
She left here the first time at
around eight, if that's any use.
Sorry, who left at eight?
Rachel Cliff.
The girl who killed my husband.
Erin Cliff was the young girl
involved in the fatal road accident
with Professor Seager.
Rachel was Erin's sister.
And the Jag outside
is the same car that killed Erin?
Yes.
It was my fault.
Rachel and her mother were on their
own and I thought I could help.
What do you mean?
I persuaded her to meet Richard.
I thought it would be good, but
she left here angrier than ever.
She must have taken the keys
from the halland come back.
Can you take us through
what happened
in between Rachel leaving here
and you finding
Richard's body this morning?
We had an early night.
He was exhausted.
Then, this morning, when I took him
his tea in bed, he wasn't there.
I thought he must be pottering in
the garden
..and then I found him.
How was your relationship with
your husband?
Good.
We were happy.
But you didn't realise
he wasn't in bed
until you took him his cup of tea.
So you weren't sleeping in
the same room?
Well,
prison makes things difficult.
He needed some time to adjust,
so he slept in the spare room.
And where did you sleep last night?
The main bedroom.
The one in the front, with the
window open? That's right.
And you didn't hear anything?
No, not a thing.
Some people do sleep very deeply.
So deeply they miss a violent murder
going on outside their window?
How's it looking, Laura?
Like a man under a car,
at the moment.
I won't be able to judge lividity
till we get him out from under
there,
but there's early rigor mortis in
the neck and jaw.
So dead maybe five, six hours?
There's something else, though.
Some small scratchings in
the body work, with
what seems to be the same colour
paint at the end of his keys.
It's a number.
It looks like Seager wrote that,
as he was dying.
Would that be possible?
Depending on his injuries,
it might have been possible.
Why 500?
Look at all these search results
for him.
He was quite famous,
for a scientist.
What did he discover?
It seems to be more about his
promotion of the idea of
Intelligent Design,
that the complexity of the universe
is due to an intelligent creator
We know what it is, Sergeant.
Sorry.
Anyway, Seager was a leading
proponent.
He ran a lecture course,
arguing that God and science aren't
mutually exclusive.
I'm sorry I missed it.
Still, it explains why
he was married to a vicar.
She claims she slept through the
whole thing. You're not convinced?
Not for a minute.
How could anybody
sleep through that kind of racket?
Well, if you find out,
do let me know.
What's she mean by that? I think
she's implying you're a snorer.
Val always said it was more of a
snuffling.
Maybe she was being kind.
It's strange, you know?
After all these years.
Good strange? Yeah.
Really good strange.
So you should've ended up with
something that looks like this,
with the intermolecular hydrogen
bonding shown by the dashed lines.
Was everyone all right with that?
Any problems at all?
Adam, do you want to hang on
for 10 minutes at the end?
Right, let's move on to disulphide
linkages and other covalent bonds.
There you go. Thank you.
You're welcome. Rachel Cliff?
Yeah? DI Lewis, DS Hathaway,
Oxfordshire Police.
Could we have a word?
What about? I'm her mother.
We understand you've had dealings
with Professor Richard Seager.
'Dealings'? I've not heard it
called that before.
He killed my daughter,
if that's what you mean.
He was found murdered at home,
this morning.
Oh, there you go. Maybe I'll buy
a lottery ticket later.
Mum.
Under the circumstances, we do need
to ask you some questions.
Ask away.
In particular, Rachel, we need to
speak to you about your contact with
the professor last night.
I'm sorry.
You promised me.
You promised me
you wouldn't go around there.
Adam said he wouldn't let you go.
Martha thought it might help.
Oh, well, if Martha thought
Rachel, is there somewhere
we can talk in private?
You'd think it'd be enough,
them taking my little girl.
But then they had to try and take
Rachel too -
phone calls and letters,
and 'come to our church',
'come to our house'
And now Now we've got the police
round here, asking questions.
If you and your daughter would be
willing
to give us DNA samples and prints
down at the station
Fine. Whatever.
Thanks.
It would also be helpful to know
where you were
in the small hours, this morning?
I was reading Heat magazine
in the waiting room of A&E.
I managed to twist this
when I was putting the bins out.
Excuse me.
Lyn? Everything OK?
When was this?
It was weird. It was like, she was
his wife, so I hated her.
But it also felt like
she understood.
Like I could say things to her
that I couldn't say to my mum.
So tell me about last night.
I finally realised
it was all an act.
She was just pretending to be nice
so I'd forgive her husband.
She said that you were really upset
when you left.
Where did you go after? Went back
to my boyfriend's. Got trashed.
Where were you during the night?
Still in my boyfriend's room
in town.
Adam Tibitt. He's a first year at
Benison College.
We went to school together.
Can anyone else confirm
that you were there all night?
Why? What's she been saying?
We just need to establish your
whereabouts.
She thinks I killed him,
doesn't she?
Well, you know what? I wish I had.
Hang on a minute.
Everything all right?
I I just need a word.
Sounds ominous. That's the sort of
thing you say to your suspects.
Yeah, well, I don't usually offer
these to my suspects. Come on.
My old granny used to pay me
in giant chocolate biscuits for
mowing her lawn.
Sounds like an excellent trade-off.
It wasn't bad.
I stayed with her almost every year.
Little bungalow out at Whitley Bay.
Do you know when I last saw my
grandson?
Christmas. For a day-and-a-half.
Took him a toy fire engine
that he already had.
Take a week off. Go up there.
Apparently he's been in hospital
the last three days.
Lyn just phoned me a couple of
minutes ago.
Is he all right?
Well, not in hospital.
Back home, running riot,
according to his mam.
The thing is she didn't even call me
until the whole thing was sorted.
Didn't want to worry me.
I don't even feel part of my own
family any more.
Anyway, that's it now.
I've been going on about retiring
for ages. Time I chucked it in.
Put my family first
..and Laura, if she'll let me.
I'm sure she will.
Thing is, when I go,
there'll be a DI job come vacant.
You should apply for it.
Set up a meeting with Innocent,
let her know you're interested.
Yeah, thanks. I don't think I'm
Oh, come on.
You're more than ready.
No, I don't mean that.
It just wouldn't feel right,
if you went, for me to stay.
Well, I hate to break it to you, but
you're too young to retire with me.
Much as I'd like us to have an
allotment and a nice little sailing
dinghy together.
Well, I've heard worse plans.
Seriously, though, you're ready
to go and do this on your own -
so go and do it.
I'll think about it.
Think about it?
Mm-hm.
Well, why don't you think about it
on your way down to the prison?
Find out if Seager had made any
enemies while he was inside.
I'll see what I can dig up at his
college.
I'm sorry, but the exams are two
weeks away
and you're still struggling with
basic concepts.
But I'm working as hard as I can.
I mean I
Why don't we see how these exams go
and then talk again, OK?
But it might be that you're better
suited to another course
..at another university.
Thanks.
Start the application straightaway.
Doctor Yardley?
Detective Inspector Lewis.
I need to speak to you about
Professor Seager.
Yes?
I'm afraid I have some bad news.
He's dead. I know.
What do you want from me?
Well, I'm told
you're the Master here,
and I was hoping you could give me
some information about his academic
life,
if it's not too much trouble.
Oh, no, not at all.
Forgive me, I'm a bit
Do you know anything about
17th-century roofs?
Not my specialist subject,
to be honest.
Nor mine. Turns out they're
expensive.
Apparently ours is on the verge of
collapse.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Well, how can I help?
Did Professor Seager have any
enemies that you were aware of?
The usual intellectual squabbles,
but nothing serious that I can
recall.
And what was the plan for after his
release?
Was he coming back to work?
Well, that was a difficult one.
Richard had a brilliant scientific
mind. Truly brilliant.
But with fellowship comes moral
responsibilities.
We held a ballot, and the majority
vote was to revoke his fellowship
and promote Stella
to his Chair of the Chemistry role.
Stella? Doctor Stella Drew,
Richard's protegee.
I think she's the best person you
can speak to.
Knew him much better than I did.
Any idea where I might find her?
You could try her rooms.
Old Quad, top of J Staircase.
Doctor Drew?
DI Lewis, Oxfordshire Police.
Hello. Stella's at work.
Is this about Richard? Yes.
Martha phoned us this morning.
Sorry. You are?
Carl Drew. I'm Stella's husband.
That's the last time I let my Year
Nines loose with the iodine.
Please come in.
So you knew Professor Seager?
He taught me and Stella
when we were undergrads here.
Stella decided to stay on
and I was kind of stuck with him.
Not his biggest fan, then?
Oh, he wasn't that bad.
Just a little bit, you know
Oxford.
If you weren't ridiculously gifted
like Stell,
you basically were invisible
to him.
How well did you know his wife?
Far too well.
She's Stella's best friend.
One of mine, too.
We've been treated to the ongoing
saga of their marriage for years.
The saga?
It's been dragging on forever.
Richard filed for divorce
a couple of years ago,
Martha was fighting it
and he never quite moved out.
I think she was almost glad
when he was sent to prison.
At least it meant
he wouldn't leave her.
Stella knows more about it.
Greenaway Labs, science park.
She'll be there till late.
James? See what you can find out
about a Doctor Stella Drew
of Benison College,
then meet me in the science park
in about an hour.
Can we make it more like three?
I've got a bit sidetracked.
Oh? What by?
Stapleton did some digging,
came up with years of debate in
the scientific press
between Seager and the Master of
Benison College - Graham Yardley.
I just met him. A bit cagey.
Well, he's waged war on Seager
since the '80s,
arguing that his Christian teaching
should be banned from universities.
Really. I don't think
he got around to telling me that.
How's that thinking going?
Have you fixed up a meeting with
Innocent yet?
No. But I managed to get in touch
with Seager's prison officer.
Changing the subject. OK.
Apparently Martha forgot to tell us
that he was a raging alcoholic
and had been for a decade.
He had a drink problem?
Are they sure about that?
Everyone in the prison says the
same.
He spent his days praying,
going to alcohol recovery meetings
and talking about how to lead a
better life when he got out.
Visitors?
Only Martha the entire year -
with the exception of one visit
10 days ago from Adam Tibitt.
Rachel's boyfriend. Interesting.
Now, where are we?
Greenaway Labs
I realised after you called,
I've come across
Stella Drew before.
I heard her interviewed
on Woman's Hour a few months ago.
Woman's Hour?
It's an excellent programme.
You should download the podcast.
And what did she have to say for
herselfon Woman's Hour?
She was quite impressive, actually.
She made a breakthrough in
Alzheimer's research
while she was a post-grad,
became a Fellow in her early 20s,
campaigns for more women in
science
Oh, God. One of them.
What, feminist?
No. Over-achiever.
They make me uneasy.
He was my mentor for 15 years.
Everything we're doing here's down
to him.
It's research into dementia -
is that right?
Into Alzheimer's, yes.
My particular research stems from
my doctoral work on the Amyloid
Hypothesis.
Whether amyloid fibril formation
is a cause of neurodegeneration
or if another protein such as
I lost you at 'hypothesis',
didn't I? You might have.
Never mind.
So let's get to the point.
Carl called.
He thinks he put his foot in it
about Richard divorcing Martha,
and now you want to know whether or
not my friend killed her husband.
We wouldn't have put it
quite like that.
Presumably it's one of your
hypotheses?
I can tell you that she isn't
capable of it.
I've asked her to stay with us
until she's ready to go back home.
I wouldn't have done that if I
thought she was a risk to anyone.
Surely you should be speaking to
the family of the little girl from
the accident?
We have to keep an open mind
for the moment.
You run Professor Seager's research
team now. Is that right? Yes.
And you were promoted to his Chair
of Chemistry.
And you think I stood to gain from
his death?
Just establishing the facts.
No, that's fair enough.
The facts are that
I have taken over his positions,
but that happened while he was in
prison.
When there was controversy about if
he should be allowed to stay on at
the college,
I voted in his favour.
Any way we can confirm that?
The Master's secretary should be
able to show you the ballots.
It wasn't anonymous.
Fine, thank you.
Does the number 500
mean anything to you?
A measurement?
A reference to a chemical?
500?
No, not particularly. Why?
Just part of our investigation.
Could you keep it in mind? Let us
know if anything occurs to you?
Course.
Surely if Seager wanted to point to
somebody in the chemistry department
he'd have written their name,
not their extension number.
There could be a connection. If all
the phones begin with extension 500
there might be a voicemail
on one of them.
I could ask the university
to grant me access.
Are you proposing phone hacking,
Sergeant?
It's not phone hacking if you ask
nicely.
From the degree of hypostasis and
the decreased fluid pressure behind
the eyes,
I'd put time of death at
2:00 or 3:00am.
What? Nothing. Sorry, carry on.
The contusions, multiple fractures
and tyre impression are all
consistent with
I'm sorry. I'm not smiling at
Oh, God, sorry.
It's all a bit odd now, isn't it?
You and me and
Well, I don't know. Some of our
best times together have involved a
mangled corpse.
Yeah, that's just my point.
It's not normal, surely?
We do have to work together,
Robbie.
I hope this isn't going to be a
problem.
Well, I have been having a think.
You know I'm always banging on about
retiring?
What would you say if I just did it?
I'd say about bloody time.
Would you?
Really, I mean, you'd be all right
about being with a pensioner?
Would that pensioner have my dinner
on the table when I get home
and rub my back for me
till I can retire too?
I'm sure he would.
Then I'd love it.
Reverend?
Martha!
Hello?
Oh. Could we have a chat?
Is there any news?
Why are you lying to us?
I'm not sure I know what you mean.
Why didn't you tell us
that your husband was an alcoholic?
Because he was in recovery.
And that he'd asked you for
a divorce?
I didn't say anything
because it was all in the past.
Richard filed the petition
before he went to prison,
but only because he wanted
to protect me from his drinking.
He did it because he loved me.
Had he withdrawn the divorce
petition?
No. But he would have done.
I'm certain.
If there's anything else
you haven't told us, Martha,
we really do need to know.
There's nothing.
It must have been difficult to stick
by him through the alcoholism,
through the accident,
through prison.
And at the end of all that, to find
that he's still filing for divorce.
What are you saying?
Did he reject you?
Did you snap?
I went to his room and tried to
comfort him.
He pushed me away.
He always said he was leaving
because of the drink -
no other reason.
So, when he was released,
and he was doing so well,
I thought I was getting my husband
back
..but then, last night, he told me
I wasn't.
He said the drinking wasn't just
about work - it was about me.
I went upstairs
and I lay in our bed,
on my own, until I went to sleep.
I didn't hurt him.
I didn't expect to be saying this,
but I think I believe her.
You're just a sucker for a dog
collar. It's true.
But if she did snap, why would she
use the car? It's a bit elaborate.
Well, maybe she was driving away
and he was trying to stop her?
Look, I need to check on how they're
getting on down at the station.
Why don't you try and track down
this Adam Tibitt?
See if he admits to visiting Seager
in the prison.
Cheers.
Good little artist, wasn't she?
Erin? Yeah, she was brilliant.
I gave her a paint set for her
eighth birthday,
and then the pictures just kept on
coming.
So, tell me what you can
about Professor Seager.
Did you know him before the
accident?
Well, I met him once, for my
interview
..and the strange thing was -
I actually liked him at the time.
Did you see him again after?
Not at college, no, no, no.
He was in prison by the time I came
up.
But thenthen he started writing
these letters to Rachel
and it was getting creepy -
every week, wanting to meet up
when he got out of prison.
So I went to see him,
asked him to leave her alone.
And what did he say?
Oh, he promised he'd stop.
But by this point it was too late.
Martha had already gotten into her
head
and persuaded her it was a good
idea.
So did you go with Rachel when she
went to see Seager last night?
Yeah, I waited outside.
What did you do after?
We came back here.
Hasn't Rachel told you this?
I need to confirm it with you.
Where were you between
the hours of 2:00 and 3:00am?
Why are you asking me that?
I'm not accusing you of anything.
Well, I was asleep, right there.
With Rachel.
Look, I've got my exams
in less than two weeks,
and I'm really behind with my
revision so
Mm. Good luck with that.
I'll I'll try not to disturb you
again.
Robbie?
What's this from HR
about your pension forecast?
Ah, I was going to talk to you about
that, once I was certain.
You're going?
Well, I'm giving it some serious
thought.
Has something happened
I should know about?
Old age.
It happened when I wasn't looking.
Well, probably when
I was sitting here,
trying to figure out
stuff like this.
Oh, don't be so bloody maudlin.
You love it really.
No, I love my kids.
I love my grandson.
I quite like Laura.
But it'd be nice to spend some time
with them.
Then I'm glad you're thinking about
it.
That's not the same as believing
you'll go through with it.
It's reassuring to know that one of
us looks forward to going home at
night.
So how's the current puzzle
looking?
Well, house to house
didn't come up with anything,
andSeager's place is too remote
for CCTV to be much use.
Well, maybe Hathaway's solved it
and you can get off early?
Alas not, Ma'am, but the phone
company got back to me.
Seager took a 30-second call from
a pay-as-you-go mobile
at 2:20 this morning.
They can't trace the pay-as-you-go,
but they say it was only used
to make that one call.
So the killer called Seager
to lure him onto the driveway.
And it was someone he'd agree
to see in the middle of the night.
An affair?
That's what I was thinking.
Then there's this. Screen shot from
the John Radcliffe.
It shows that Debbie was in A&E all
night.
Well, that's good. Just as useful
to know who it isn't.
What about this '500' - the thing
he scratched into the paintwork?
Eight phones in the lab.
All have extensions beginning 500.
None of the messages left seemed
significant.
Nothing more concrete? Not yet.
I've got two teams
going through his papers,
his computers, but so far nothing.
There must be something else.
Come on, Cambridge -
your starter for 10.
Find out what it means.
Do you fancy a pint?
Yeah. Well, usually.
It's just Laura's
No, don't worry about it.
We'll do it another night.
You know what, though? Ma'am?
James wants a word,
if you've got a minute?
Early start.
Someone's trying to impress.
Yeah, thanks for that, last night.
How'd it go? It didn't.
If it's all right with you, I'll
decide when I go for promotion,
if I go for promotion.
OK. Message understood.
I got the results of the Fellows'
ballot.
Stella was telling the truth.
She did vote for Seager to stay on.
Oh, right.
So she wasn't after his job.
But the weird thing is,
Yardley also voted the same way.
If he objected to Seager's beliefs
that much,
you'd think he'd get rid of him.
Robbie? Hello.
Did I forget something?
No, but the lab have just called.
They've got DNA results from the
car. Anything helpful?
There are dozens of DNA profiles in
there -
his wife, his colleagues,
and some that we can't identify.
One hair on the driver's headrest
had some follicle matter attached,
and the DNA from that follicle
is an exact match for Rachel Cliff.
Morning.
Two full English.
Your pancakes are on their way.
Promise.
We were hoping for another chat
with Rachel, if she's around.
Does it look like she's around?
Any idea where we might find her?
It's quite urgent.
She's 18. I don't keep tabs on her.
Shall we try her boyfriend?
Try wherever you like.
She's not going to say anything
she hasn't already said.
OK. Thank you.
Whoa.
This is important.
Are you sure you've never been
inside Professor Seager's car?
No, I told you. Why would I want to
go anywhere near that thing?
In that case, we'd like you
to come to the station with us
and answer some questions on the
tape. What?
Are you arresting her? You can't!
You can't arrest her!
Not arresting - no.
But we do need your help with our
investigation.
I haven't done anything.
And it would be better for everybody
if you'd do that voluntarily.
Are the police in there?
There's no problem.
They needed to check something.
Sorry to interrupt, but
the Master's asking if you can pop
down to the main quad.
Thanks. Tell him we'll be there in a
few minutes.
He says it's urgent.
Don't go anywhere.
Call her, now.
It would appear we have
asituation with our roof.
What kind of situation?
I think it's best you take a look,
but your discretion would be
appreciated. It's delicate.
This gentleman will show you.
This way, gents, if you would.
THOMAS TALLIS: If Ye Love Me
Keep my commandments
And I will pray
The Father
It's up here, then.
Just through here.
Mind your step.
Good God.
How long has this been up here?
Sir? Hm?
Maybe it wasn't a number that
Seager was scratching into his car.
It was a name.
Multiple fractures, including the
skull.
She was an exchange student from
South Korea. It's me.
Call me as soon as you get this.
Look, tell me what they said.
Are you saying Reverend Seager's
been pulling your hair out?
I don't wanna hear sob stories.
I wanna know what happened that
night.
What has the fact I went out with
Soo-Min got to do with Seager?
I should never have left her
in that house.
Seager's blood is on Soo-Min's
suitcase.
Under the handle. I knew there had
to be a connection.