Silent Witness (1996) s07e07 Episode Script

It's Eddie.
Agh! Agh! SCREAMING Neville Anderson is on trial for the murder of Craig Proctor.
His record shows a history of violence and intimidation.
Come on! The police have been after Anderson for some years.
They believe he is responsible for at least one other murder.
Crucial to police evidence is Proctor's time of death, which is where Professor Peter Sachs comes in.
The winner of the award on behalf of the International War Crimes Commission, Professor Peter Sachs! In recent trials, his time of death estimate has been questioned by the CPS AND the coroners concerned.
Professor Sachs is a highly respected pathologist! I'm as surprised as you that we find ourselves in this delicate situation, but Anderson's trial hangs on Sachs' evidence.
We're setting up an enquiry into three of Sachs' cases.
That means three exhumations, three postmortems.
Estimating time of death is notoriously difficult - we're not dealing with an exact science.
That's why we're concerned - Sachs seems to have been so precise.
'Why are you asking me?' Peter Sachs! 'Sachs is a big name.
' A lot of his colleagues might take this opportunity to discredit him.
You, on the other hand, would, I believe, be fair and impartial.
And that's what you want, is it? Not a witch hunt, or a whitewash? Exactly so.
Mr Gibbs.
Mr Osbourne.
What do you want out of this? Don't tell me you want the truth - inquiries like this have an agenda.
Professor Sachs needs to be pressured to consider his position.
Resign, you mean? What if he doesn't? Do you know how many murder cases Professor Sachs has been involved in over his career? Thousands.
So if we prove Sachs did something wrong Every murderer he testified against will demand a retrial.
It'll cost you millions.
Heads would roll.
Yes, but not mine.
Does Professor Ryan know about this? She will be the one exerting the pressure.
She'll be out to protect her own.
I wouldn't be too sure.
A word of warning - Sachs is not only a brilliant mind, he's also a very experienced operator.
I accept this award on behalf of all the brave and courageous men and women who've worked alongside me.
I had a speech prepared, but Against the Commission's wishes, I recently visited Chechnya.
Chechnyan rebels smuggled me in, but I'm not here to fight their cause.
I was shown mass graves, the result, I believe, of atrocities carried out by the Russian armed forces.
Please, Professor.
This is happening now! Men, women and children tortured and executed, and Western governments are doing nothing to prevent it.
We, all of us, were rightly horrified by the mass graves in Kosovo, in Rwanda, in Iraq, but what about this genocide? Professor Sachs! I apologise.
This is a great honour and I thank you .
.
but it means nothing if we do nothing.
Thank you.
Boo! You should be ashamed of yourself, Professor! Disgrace! Who's handling the police end? Colin Osbourne.
You're joking.
Know him? When I was at Sheffield, our paths crossed several times.
And? According to him, forensics are a black art.
So why have they appointed him? He has a fearless reputation - he disrespects everyone equally.
Who are we investigating, anyway? Professor Peter Sachs MBE.
Now you are joking.
I wish I was.
OK? OK.
Is this going to help us? Do more harm then good, I'd think.
I doubt they'll find anything new.
They're going to question the evidence Sachs gave us.
Without that, Anderson walks free.
Bloody experts - say one thing, mean another! One thing might help convict Anderson If you found Eddie.
I've been trying to find him.
I'm just saying.
What do you think I've been doing for seven months? Professor Sachs, congratulations.
Oh, thank you.
I've been asked if I'd like to do some work for the International War Crimes Commission.
I can see what I might be letting myself in for.
I'm sorry.
You are? Harry Cunningham.
Dr Cunningham! Have you been spent to spy on me? I shouldn't be talking to you, but Aren't you were working on this inquiry with Professor Ryan? This is Alice Pettman, my associate.
.
.
And the mother of his children.
He forgets that bit sometimes.
If there's anything you want to talk to me about - with regard to the War Crimes Commission - call me anytime.
Thanks.
Colin Osbourne.
Sam Ryan.
Lovely day for it.
Gibbs phoned.
Apparently there was a cock-up in inviting Professor Sachs to the exhumation.
I wondered why he wasn't here.
He's asked if he can attend your post-mortem on the body.
Whatever for? I said it'd be OK.
And if I don't want him there? Why wouldn't you? Excuse me, Professor Ryan.
Good morning, Lisa.
It's your good friend - Detective Inspector Lloyd.
How are we this morning? Just so you know - they've dug up Craig Proctor's body.
'Did you ever see the pictures of what Anderson did to Craig?' Mum! Well done.
KNOCK AT DOOR Where's Harry? Haven't seen him.
Fine.
I'm due to start this post-mortem in a few minutes.
That's the case I'd like you to look at.
Brian Morris.
He was murdered seven years ago.
What am I expected to find out after six years? KNOCK AT DOOR Sorry I'm late.
This one's for you - Zoe Adams.
I suggest we meet up at the end of the day to look through them.
Leo, can you look at these? Ah.
The Peter Sachs collection.
Can I just ask why we agreed to do this? You know Sam - the challenge of the unknown! Peter Sachs is going to take a bit of dissecting.
So? What? Did you go and see him? Even though Sam specifically asked you not to? If I'm to work for the War Crimes Commission, it makes sense to talk to the world's leading expert.
You spoke to him? Well, not really spoke.
I wouldn't like to be in your shoes.
I was one of hundreds of people Dr Cunningham.
Good to see you again.
Professor Sachs.
Um, hello.
This is my colleague, Dr Dalton.
Pleased to meet you.
How do you do? The body of Craig Proctor.
It's recently interred, so not badly decomposed.
Cause of death is stated as multiple stab wounds.
Two in the neck, one in the left shoulder .
.
three deep wounds into the heart .
.
and two in the stomach.
Good morning, Professor Ryan.
Good morning.
Sorry we're late.
Please don't let me stop you.
His right radial bone has been fractured as has his wrist, hand, and the index finger.
It's consistent with repeated impact from a blunt object.
The poor sod was defending himself.
And the man who did this is going to get off because of some stupid technicality.
Have you done me another drawing? Oh, wow! You should see my cell now - it's covered.
You are coming home, aren't you? Look, how many times do I? Yeah, of course I am.
I'd hate to be locked up.
It's not too bad being on remand - you can wear your own clothes, you can watch the telly and that.
Phone your friends.
You'd like that, wouldn't you? You been looking after your mum, like I asked you to? Good girl.
How's the trial going? I wish you'd let me come - I get nervous at home! I told you, didn't I? I don't want you there.
They say things that I don't want you to hear.
The expert witness who said when Proctor was killed is being investigated.
What does that mean? It means his evidence won't stand up in court and they'll have to believe me.
When Craig Proctor was killed, I was at home with you.
Is that why they've dug up Proctor's body? Who told you that? I just want you home.
For everything to be back to normal.
- You took samples from every organ? - That's correct.
Is that normal procedure? I thought this was about Professor Sachs' estimation of time of death.
It is, but if he got that wrong If you want to talk, will you go outside? I have work to do.
We should leave now.
Thank you very much, Professor Ryan, for letting me be here.
You don't have to go.
I had hoped these exhumations wouldn't be necessary.
If you hadn't made a mistake, we wouldn't be here at all.
The truth is, I haven't made a mistake - therefore, this whole process is a damaging waste of time.
Did Craig Proctor lose an eye? Not that I remember.
What's that? Mortician's wax.
It gives the eyelid shape, so it looks as if the eye is intact when relatives view the body.
How's Mum? Good.
She's worried about you following in Dad's footsteps.
Well, I'm not like him, Tom.
I never said you was.
What about Lisa? Yeah.
Yeah, she's doing all right.
You checked her mobile? Come on, Nev.
I told you to check her mobile, didn't I? There's nothing like that.
So you looked? Yeah.
Yeah, I've looked.
She could've deleted them.
Who's going to call her? No-one would dare.
Unless they think that I'm staying in here.
But you're not, are you? Just the thought of someone else .
.
with her .
.
touching her What happened down there? I saw Sachs walking out.
He thinks all this is a waste of time.
Well, he would think that.
What's that? Rwandan War Crimes.
By our friend Peter Sachs? He just gave it to me.
Did you get him to sign it for you? Dr Dalton, I presume.
Hello.
Well, well, well.
How the hell did you make Detective Superintendent? Not with your help! Are these the original post-mortems? About to look through them.
Care to join me? You know me - glutton for punishment.
How is he, then? What do you want? Reckons he'll get off, does he? He's coming home.
Not if I can help it.
How long did you go out with Craig Proctor for? I've answered your questions.
That's why he followed Craig? Excuse me.
He was seen! Where's your witness? You tell me.
Back off! After six months, there's little I can say about time of death.
Proctor had been in the boiler room for 30 hours.
How did Sachs estimate time of death so precisely? Conventional methods rely on the body cooling at a regular rate.
In a boiler room it's impossible to make an accurate calculation.
Sachs got time of death down to within half an hour.
It's not credible.
Anderson's defence gave time of death as 2am to 6am, yet Sachs has got it down between 1.
30am and 2am.
Sachs' estimate tallied with a witness who saw Anderson behaving suspiciously just after 1.
30am.
Has the witness given evidence? He's disappeared.
So how do we know it's accurate, then? One of my officers, Philip Lloyd, was at the exhumation this morning.
You need to find that witness.
What do you think, Harry? Sorry? Isn't there something more pressing you could be doing? I'd like to look at the scene of Craig Proctor's murder.
Why? Sachs may have seen something.
Leonardo da Vinci dared to ask how the body worked - not just as an artist, you understand.
So what did he do? Well, he got some dead bodies from the city hospital and he cut them open.
Now, what he was searching for was man's soul, but what he discovered was something far more profound.
It went against what the Church, the state, and the medical establishment believed.
The body was just a machine! the heart was its engine - muscles, tendons, organs all connected.
But instead of being frightened that he was going to turn the world upside down, Leonardo was excited.
That's what we should be, excited by the possibilities DOOR OPENS Oh! Sorry, I'll be right back.
Gibbs called.
What did he want? I'm not sure I should tell you.
Let me guess - early retirement, enhanced pension, maybe even a knighthood.
I said he shouldn't bother calling back again.
He will, though, until he gets what he wants.
"It couldn't be human - it was four times as tall as the tallest human.
"Its head was higher than the" What did he mean? Who? The man outside the prison? Nothing.
I don't know.
".
.
windows of the houses.
Sophie opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
"Her throat, like her whole body" Craig Proctor's the man they reckon Dad killed.
Are you listening? He said he was your boyfriend.
We were at school together.
In the same class.
Before I met your dad.
All right now? One more chapter.
It's late.
I like you reading to me.
Do you miss Dad? Of course I miss him.
Where is he, Tom? Where's Eddie? I'm going to find him anyway! You off? Early start tomorrow.
Is it your first exhumation? Last one I went to was at six in the morning.
The moon was still in the sky.
I think it's the only time I've ever felt spooked by the dead, that what we were doing was somehow Wrong? Not wrong exactly, but .
.
unnatural.
Mmm.
Morning.
Morning.
A beautiful place to be buried.
A beautiful place to live! It's where Zoe was brought up.
Her parents still own the farm.
Enid was diagnosed just before Zoe was killed.
It's a wonder she's still with us.
I'll go and have a word.
A lot of his colleagues are critical of the way he gets so personally involved, but that's why he's so good at his job.
His work in Rwanda must've been very hard.
Yes, it's the first time he thought about stopping.
I think he wants you to meet them.
I'm not sure I should, at this stage.
Well, do whatever you think is right.
Who's this for? Tom, you've got to stop doing this.
It's not much.
Fantastic! Ah! I wasn't going to hit you.
What? You've just got You've got something on It's good luck.
What is? Trust me.
Close your eyes.
What for? Close your eyes.
Make a wish.
What? You make five wishes, one on each finger - the one where the eyelash is, is the one that'll come true.
Can I do it? No, it's Lisa's eyelash.
Close your eyes.
Open them.
What was the wish? Daddy coming home? She can't say, otherwise it won't come true.
This is Dr Cunningham.
Morning.
Why are you digging her up? It's not his fault.
Whose fault is it? This is Zoe's special place.
It's been blessed.
She's not been buried six months.
I am sorry.
There is concern over some of the evidence.
Does this mean he'll be let out? Far too early to say We were told his appeal's soon.
Professor Sachs told us Jeremy was there when Zoe was killed.
That's what he told the court.
Has that changed now? Are you saying he didn't kill her? No, all we're doing If Jeremy didn't kill her, who did? This is wrong, all wrong! Enid! The appeal is due at the High Court next week, Jeremy.
Now Professor Sachs is being investigated, I think you have an even stronger chance.
I'd love to say how pleased I am, but the truth of the matter is, I shouldn't have been in here in the first place.
I know.
'Elephant juice.
' You can't say that.
'Elephant juice, Lisa.
' You're late.
DI Lloyd? This way.
The party was up there.
Proctor left about 1am.
Anderson followed him.
There were witnesses? About 50 of them.
Proctor knows he's being followed, so he hides in here.
It's a bad mistake.
Craigy! There's bloodskin.
Found on the ground against the wallstwo of Proctor's teeth.
Did anyone see what happened down here? If they did, they didn't come forward.
What about your witness? What about him? He phoned you, didn't he? It's Eddie.
'And then he disappeared.
' Did you talk to Professor Sachs about him? How do you mean? Well, did you mention what time the witness telephoned? What are you suggesting - that he fixed a time of death to fit in with me? No.
I just wondered how he could be so precise.
The smell in here was unbelievable.
It was like Craig Proctor's body was slowly cooking.
Was it as warm as this? It felt hotter.
There's no record of temperature in Professor Sachs' report.
So what? There was no rectal temperature taken.
He was more interested in wounds.
The body was found there.
The state of the body reminded him of war crimes he'd investigated.
So, he didn't give a time of death? He said we'd know within the hour - once he'd done the postmortem.
Within an hour?! Weren't you surprised at how accurate that was? Not particularly.
It helped confirm the evidence.
So, you need Professor Sachs to be proved right? I couldn't give a toss! I was given a time of death that helped us charge Anderson with murder.
You came along, and the whole thing's about to go tits-up.
The body of Zoe Adams, buried four months ago, disinterred this morning.
Early stages of decomposition.
Gunshot to the stomach.
Still some evidence of powder burns to the skin, suggesting the gun was discharged at close range.
There's little else I can tell with regard to time of death.
I suppose we'd better look at the organs.
.
.
What's left of them.
So, Dr Cunningham, are you not happy with this inquiry? No, I love this kind of work.
It's why I trained for six years - the highlight of my career so far.
Proctor was Lisa's first boyfriend.
They were at school together.
Anderson did this out of jealousy? The Professor showed me three deep stab wounds in the heart.
That doesn't prove Proctor was dancing with Lisa at the party.
Anderson didn't like it.
The rest, you've seen.
According to Lisa, Anderson came home around two.
That's true.
He phoned for an ambulance at 11 minutes past.
Why? Lisa had had one of her little "accidents".
There's more to this than digging up bodies, in the hope of finding something other than time of death to pin on him.
What's Sachs been saying? Nothing specifically.
You seemed to be having a nice chat this morning.
Meaning? I simply observed you and Sachs having a very long conversation.
He's a pathologist.
I'm a pathologist.
We've lots in common.
But you are investigating his work.
What are you frightened of? A different point of view? No, not getting an objective one.
They've taken her away.
This is all my fault.
How can it be your fault? What ifJeremy didn't kill Zoe? But he did.
Professor Sachs says he did.
The jury said he did.
The judge said he did.
But I know he didn't.
What are you on about, woman? Please forgive me.
Forgive us both.
Hello, Lisa.
I wonder if we might have a word.
Same old rubbish, is it? It's about the night Craig was killed.
And the night YOU tried to pin it on Nev! I gather he left the party about one and came home at two.
That doesn't mean he killed Craig.
No, I'm not saying that it does.
Who are you, then? Professor Ryan.
She's investigating Professor Sachs.
My dad didn't kill anyone.
What's your name? Katie Jane Anderson.
Look, you're best coming in.
Thank you.
Not YOU! Go back to your hidey-hole and watch through your binoculars! How bloody dare he! Who are we shouting about today? Osbourne.
He's a wind-up merchant.
Accused me of talking to the enemy.
Look at this.
I'm on my way out.
That's Zoe Adams.
Sachs' postmortem.
Who's she - the one at the back? Alice Pettman.
She was here.
They were married for 20 years, got divorced, still work together.
Why did she come into the cutting room? She's his associate, his PA, mother to his children.
She comes in and she goestowards the cabinet.
What does she do that for? Bet you're a Star Trek fan.
No, but I know someone who is.
MOBILE RINGS Dr Cunningham.
'Harry, it's Peter.
Peter Sachs.
' Oh, hi.
How do you know my number? I've just had a call from the Home Office.
'Yes?' It seems they're up to their old tricks.
How do you mean? Just warn Professor Ryan that all is not what it seems to be.
'What did the Home Office say?' II don't want to compromise you, Harry.
Have they suggested you resign? 'Something along those lines.
' I see.
Thank you.
Bye.
All right? You know they can't find anything.
I sense that Professor Ryan is the sort of person who'll keep searching until she does.
Tell Lloyd to stop following us.
He's out there all the time.
He follows us to school.
Is that why you're not at school today? No.
Because of the trial and everything.
You don't go? Nev doesn't like me to.
On the night Craig was murdered, you were taken to hospital.
Yeah.
Nev called an ambulance just after two.
What happened? She had an accident.
I'd had a lot to drink.
We had an argument, I fell over.
Did Professor Sachs examine you? He said the marks on my arms matched Neville's hands, but I was trying to hit him.
He was holding me back, that's all.
What was the argument about? Something and nothing, really.
I was just being silly.
Dad says that the trial is going to collapse and he'll be home soon.
You think he's got a good chance? I don't know.
We think he has, don't we, Mum? Good afternoon.
You've performed another postmortem.
Unfortunately, it was necessary.
I have nightmares about Zoe being buried.
The doctor says it's because I never saw the body.
Professor Sachs said, "Zoe died between eight and nine.
" That's right.
My client wasn't there.
He left for work at 7.
30 that morning.
When the police questioned you, you said you weren't sure when you left the house.
I was upset.
I was in shock.
I barely even knew my name.
ZOE: You know, if you leave me, I'll kill myself! "You knowif you leave me, I'll kill myself.
" Is that what she said to you? Yes just before I left and in my dreams.
So, you claimed that you left at 7.
30, and then you called in at her parents' farm.
Zoe's parentstold her that they'd seen me with another woman, so I went round to tell them to stop interfering with our marriage.
Well, they were right, though.
About the affair, yes.
About telling Zoe no.
You and Zoe had a fight that morning.
We'd been arguing all night.
Zoe's parents say they were in that morning.
You never came to the farm.
Professor Sachs said, "Zoe died between eight and nine.
" I was not there.
Have you established another time of death? No, it's not possible after four months.
Then why did you dig her up? Dr Cunningham has yet to complete his investigation.
It doesn't matter what I say, does it? Let's face it, you've already decided Doctor Sachs is right.
She knows you're watching her.
It's unusual to do this sort of surveillance alone.
I wouldn't call it surveillance.
No, it's more like intimidation.
Were you following Neville Anderson? Were you the witness? Would I be here if I was? So, who was he? A police officer? His name was Eddie Doyle.
He was working undercover.
He called me when Anderson left the party, and again later by the service area.
Why wasn't this given in evidence? Both calls were unrecorded, then he disappeared.
So, what was he doing at the party? Anderson was a builder.
He worked with his brother.
He was also the main drugs dealer for the estate, and we were very close to ending his career.
Is this why you have Lisa under surveillance? She's not stupid.
She knows about Eddie Doyle.
Having done the postmortem on Zoe Adams, I feel more strongly that her exhumation was unnecessary.
And this is your judgment as a pathologist, is it? Rather than as an admirer of Professor Sachs? Do you know the Home Office offered him a deal? Did he tell you that? He said, "They're up to their old tricks.
" Sounds like Sachs has been up to some of his own.
Why tell you? A sympathetic ear? Maybe he was counting on that.
I know how difficult this is - investigating a man whose reputation we admire and respect.
This inquiry is doing more harm than good.
We have a contract of trust with the public.
To needlessly dig up their relatives? To find the truth.
We owe it to Zoe.
S-Shall I call an ambulance? No.
I need to talk Shall I get Reverend Duncan? .
.
about Zoe.
Talk to me.
I'm your husband.
Who was that man who was here earlier investigating Zoe's death? Are you denying you offered Sachs a deal? Professor Sachs is keen to minimise the distress to victims and their families.
So, he approached you? Let's face it, it would make all our lives a lot easier if Professor Sachs just retired.
Why? All we've found so far is that the Home Office would lose a very brilliant pathologist.
So brilliant, he's opened the gates to every con wanting a retrial.
If he resigns, the Anderson trial will collapse.
I wonder what DI Lloyd would say about that? Or Eddie Doyle's wife.
It doesn't mean anything to me.
He was in his late twenties, about my height, stocky build I don't know Eddie Doyle or Edward Doyle or anyone who looks like this.
This would have been six, seven months ago.
I'm sorry.
OK.
If you do remember anything, give me a call on that number.
Cheers, love.
OK.
He might have been a previous tenant, of course.
How do you mean? Well, this used to be two flats.
We had it converted back to a house.
When? The beginning of the year.
It went on for months.
You know what builders are like.
Who were the builders? Oh, God, umthe main one was called Terry, but there were lots of people Was Neville Anderson one of them? Yeah! Nev and Tom did most of the plastering.
'It's Peter Sachs.
' I was just talking about you.
'Instead of talking about me, why not talk to me, with me?' I was thinking of coming over to Oxford in the next couple of days.
'Can I suggest neutral territory?' You make it sound like war.
'That's what I am determined to avoid.
' This is the Zoe Adams PM, yeah? Yeah, I've just split it into two sections, um, before Alice arrived and after she left.
It's the bit when she's near the cabinet that I'm curious about.
OK.
About there? Fine.
OK, let's have a look before and after.
Has she taken something from the cabinet? Can you get any closer? How's that? That wasn't there before.
Can you see it? Yeah, there's nothing there before she arrived.
It's definitely there when she left.
Can we get closer? What is it? So, do you think you'll accept their offer? Like you, Sam, I love my job too much.
I'm as angry and as excited and as desperate to understand as I was when I was a kid and I opened my father's watch to see how it worked.
I did that.
I bet you weren't locked into your room for a week because of it.
It's the only time my father's ever really smacked me, and I deserved it.
The cost of the inquiring mind.
Oh, I don't think you ever lose that.
It just gets buried in work and routine.
I think the fear is that one day you might be satisfied.
It's what makes us who we are.
You haven't answered my question.
I'll just have orange and toast, thank you.
We start at the bottom and work our way up.
Look under all the floorboards, behind the stud walls, lowered ceilings, up into the loft.
I want every inch of this place gone through.
Right-o.
Shit! "Fundamental to our work as pathologists is a more complete understanding of death's stopwatch.
"Professor Sam Ryan, 1998.
" You've read my paper on time of death? Of course.
You are trying to impress me, aren't you? No.
Well, it's worked.
You certainly asked all the right questions.
But you're closer to most of the answers.
Yes.
I am.
Very close.
Is that why you won't resign? I have never run away from anything in my life.
Have you? Once when I was a little girl, maybe a couple of times later.
What if one of those times got in the way of you doing your job? When I've been investigating war crimes, my life has often been under threat.
Knowledge is power.
There are a lot of people who would rather the likes of you and me kept quiet about what we know.
We can't give in to those people, can we? Nothing, sir.
Let's try the next room.
He's in here somewhere.
Thanks for driving over.
It sounded urgent.
I saw him.
Who? Jeremy.
On the morning of Zoe's death.
You never did.
Why are you saying? It's true! I will not go to my grave with this.
Why did Jeremy come here? We knew he was having an affair.
We saw him with another woman.
In his car and everything.
It was none of our business.
Zoe had a right to know.
We should never have told her.
None of what happened was our fault.
Yes, it was.
You know it was! Jeremy came round banging on the door.
I couldn't face him.
You told the police he was never here.
I know.
Later that morning, I went to see Zoe.
To see how she was.
Zoe? Zoe? 'And there she was.
My little girl' Oh, my God! .
.
lying there.
I have two cancers.
The one killing my cells and this other one - this guilt! YOU didn't kill Zoe.
.
.
No-one killed her, Laurence.
In that drawer.
The letter.
When I found Zoe I found that.
There's something here, sir! Come on now! Upstairs! DOG BARKS LOUDLY Frank, what have you got? Back up.
DOG WHINES HIGH-PITCHED WHINE Right.
Let's open her up.
Get the cutters up here now! On me way! DIALLING TONE Just to let you know, we've found Anderson's last project.
What the hell is it for? Do you think it could be Eddie Doyle? After seven months of looking round, it had better be.
Eddie.