Silent Witness (1996) s12e10 Episode Script

Want to tell me about Adam Garner? He said we had a relationship.
He was a fantasist.
The whole thing was dropped.
He was 14 years old.
Listen, Mr Powell, there is a boy out there, missing.
Yes, and you found the other boy.
Maybe you know where this one is.
There's damage to the liver.
There appears to be some kind of a toxic substance.
Berricane.
Trade name for Tetracynadine.
How would he have come into contact with that? He was with me! He made up a meeting with Francis Neill to distract us.
That's how he was able to do this.
This isn't Liam.
This must be Francis Neill.
Liam's still out there somewhere.
He could still be alive.
Testator Sile-ens Costestes e Spiritu-u Si-ilenciu-um.
Sorry to call you in so late.
I'd just shut my eyes for the first time in two days.
How can you be sure it's NOT Liam Neill on that slab? We cut through the bones and counted the rings(!) Dental indicators, the fusing of growth plates.
Forensic science has reached the dizzying heights of being able to tell the difference between a man in his mid-20s and a 12-year-old boy.
Yeah, this is what I want to see at 2 in the morning.
The print and hair samples match those we took from the Neill flat, and the hair that Professor Dalton found in Michael Edwards' mouth also matches this man.
So this is the abductor? This is Francis Neill? We might never know what he did with Liam.
How do you know that Liam's not still out there? It's been more than 48 hours.
59! You know, the chances are, Liam was already dead by the time Michael was found.
Powell said that a sadistic paedophile might keep the boy alive.
You've seen the photos.
Wouldn't you say we were dealing with a sadistic paedophile? As opposed to one of the nice fluffy ones(?) If Noel Hopkins was telling the truth If Francis Neill was really on his way to meet Noel, then maybe he was still holding Liam somewhere.
He planned to go back.
What is it? A case Powell told me about.
Marc Dutroux, a Belgian paedophile, kept his victims locked up.
He was arrested for something else.
Nobody knew about the girls, and they died of starvation while he was in police custody.
Look, we've been running the grid for two days, and we're no closer to finding him.
And this Francis Neill, We don't even know who he really is.
If Noel Hopkins was telling the truth I wouldn't hold on to that hope too hard.
'You don't have children of your own, do you? 'No.
Does that tick one of your boxes?' From my limited understanding of your field, Mr Powell, plenty of paedophiles have children of their own.
And you've never thought about it, all those sexed-up teenagers around you every day? Do you know why I could never be a paedophile? No, Headmaster.
Tell me.
I wouldn't want to bring the job home with me.
That's your thing, isn't it? Make jokes, disarm, screw with people.
Do you think it's appropriate in this situation? No.
I don't think ANY of this is appropriate.
I thought your training was to help you to think like a paedophile, not like a child! Blame the unmarried headmaster, who was working in the sweetie shop?! God, you're barely a neurone above the idiots who firebomb some woman's house cos they don't know the difference between a paedophile and a paediatrician.
You really think I threw Liam Neill under a train? No.
Finally! Because it wasn't Liam on the tracks.
It was Liam's uncle.
Francis? Francis Neill's dead? Yeah.
The man YOU said was coming to meet you.
And Liam? He's still alive? Is he? You knew about this.
What kind of sick game are you playing? So, I can go.
Oh, I see! I killed Francis Neill, to cover my nefarious tracks, then lured you to a fictitious meeting.
Good theory.
Do continue.
So, what? I'm running some sort of diabolic paedophile ring out of a high school in Hillingdon? I asked you if you knew this man.
I didn't.
And I still don't.
Funny.
He knows you.
He came to your school in the summer break, looking for odd-jobs - a handyman.
Your secretary remembers him.
She said he asked for you by name.
I don't remember seeing him.
He said you were old friends.
From Maidstone prison.
I did some outreach education programs there, yes.
Got him through his Maths GCSE.
Edward? Eddie.
Right? Do you know what he was in for? Burglary, or something.
Hmm, "something", actually.
of aggravated sexual assault on a boy of ten, to be precise.
So, convicted sex offender, who you taught, comes to live in this area, comes to your school looking for a job.
What's this got to do with Liam Neill and Michael Edwards? Eddie Stokes was Francis and Liam Neill's landlord.
Liam Neill, who you enrolled, without records, at your school one month after Eddie Stokes came to visit you.
Good story, isn't it? Did you meet anyone else at Maidstone? I met plenty of people at Maidstone and Pentonville and Luton and Wandsworth I'm not thinking about an inmate - someone closer to home.
Home Office Pastoral Care Initiative You're talking about Danny Edwards.
The stepfather of Michael Edwards, who died running away from his abuser two days ago.
So, the convicted sex offender, the dead abused boy's father and the headmaster, all friends together at Maidstone Prison.
It all seems a little more "appropriate" now, doesn't it? I've got a job to do, and this isn't it.
I'm not asking you to judge him.
You look up to him.
It's why I hope he'll talk to you.
You're his pupil.
He's not that stupid.
He wants to talk to someone.
He needs validation.
Look, they distort everything.
They don't think that what they do is bad, and you've got to treat him like you agree.
Do YOU agree? Is he evil? I've only ever seen him do good.
Good and evil? What are you - a Sunday School teacher? I've been dealing in this stuff for 15 years.
There's no black and white here.
My job is to find out what shade of grey he is.
I'm sorry, Noel.
They need a DNA sample.
What can you tell from that stuff? More and more every day.
Whether you're more likely to die of liver failure or colon cancer, where your ancestors came from, how fat your children will be.
Or whether I might be a closet child abuser? You're wondering, aren't you? What? What really happened.
If you know anything about Francis or Liam, you've got to tell them.
Or tell me.
I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about you and me.
You've begun to ask yourself, haven't you? Why I came after you A pretty 15-year-old girl? Remember I put my arm around you? Held you all the way home.
Do you think it was a turn-on for me? Was it? Nikki with the two Ks and the heart above the I, the thing about us paedophiles is that generally we have a type.
And if they're right about me, you were the wrong sex, and four years too long in the tooth.
Why are you doing this? We don't have to ask why YOU'RE doing this, do we, Nikki? You always had a crusade, even then.
What was it? The Amazon tribes? Save The Whales? I heard you volunteered for an AIDS hospital in South Africa.
And now Liam Neill.
Why is he so important to you? He's a 12-year-old boy, Noel.
He's not YOUR boy.
You didn't give birth to him.
You didn't teach him.
You didn't even know him.
No.
He's just another one of your causes, to make you feel connected.
But it's not just that, is it? It's the innocent child.
Motherless, fatherless, lost.
It's YOU you're looking for.
The lost child.
Oh, but you're too late.
That child's gone.
It's not me you should be angry with.
But I AM angry with you, Nikki! You know me! And even you think I'm that monster! I don't think you're a monster, Noel.
You're still the good pupil.
Did Torquemada tell you to say that? But I don't know if you're lying to me.
You better check that out on the DNA test.
Now get out! DOOR CLOSES, LOCK CLUNKS You can't have known the truth about him.
It's hard enough to know the truth about yourself.
You've been questioning Michael's father? He's completely in Hopkins' thrall.
His wife said he moved the family in to this area because he wanted his stepson to attend Hopkins' school.
Stokes together at Maidstone Prison.
And Danny himself admitted dropping Liam off at Stokes' building on more than one occasion.
He's the weak link.
The acolyte.
Without the others, he could lead us straight to Liam.
Where are you going? Train-spotting.
Leo want to look for little bits of Francis Neill all along the Wessex Mainline.
How did it go? Are you OK? Why does everyone keep asking me that? I never ask you that and mean it.
Embarrassing as it is, we are good friends, aren't we? Besides the jokes.
The very silly jokes.
Actually, the really rather brilliant jokes, but, you know, you can talk to me.
I've always been pretty good in a crisis, haven't I? Is that what this is? What have you found? Has he said anything? Yeah.
For a man with no jaw and very little brain matter, he has been quite eloquent.
We found traces of tartrazine, beloved of hyper-active children everywhere, on his tongue.
And vodka - cheap vodka - on his clothing.
And we also found this.
He shaves.
So do you, sometimes.
It is not from his chin, Nikki.
Perhaps you should get out more.
Perhaps you should stay in more! HE LAUGHS It's not just his genitals.
As the skin has shrunk back, it is clear that he's shaved almost all of his body hair.
Perhaps we should check the local cycling clubs.
Or the fetish clubs.
I found make-up and lubricant in his bathroom cabinet.
They used to think you could SEE evil.
The bumps on the head, the horns under the hairline.
Hmm.
Are you sure you're all right? I'm going, I'm going! Just going now! Gone, now gone! Excuse me.
Just take a look, see if you recognise him.
Thank you.
All the best.
Doctor Cunningham.
I knew it wasn't him, the body they found on the train tracks.
How did you know? I prayed about it.
That normally does the trick, does it? It never hurts.
I know you'll find him.
"On the third day He rose again from the dead" Have you finished dissecting Michael yet? We want to bury our son.
It's not up to me, I'm afraid.
But you must know now what happened to him, how he died, what he suffered.
They won't tell me, or his mother.
He drowned - that's all they said.
It was quick.
The water was cold.
He wouldn't have suffered much.
Thanks, Dr Cunningham.
I feel so much better now.
CAR HORNS BEEP Shit.
What are we doing here? SOCA have crawled over this entire area with a toothbrush.
They didn't find any other clothing.
We found very little blood.
Most of Mr Neill's bodily fluids are going to be plastered over the nose of the 12.
15 to Merthyr Tidfyl There's still plenty missing.
Brain matter, most of his mandible, several of his extremities I don't think this was the point of impact.
Leo! Trains are not unlike rivers.
Bodies can be dragged for quite a distance.
The three-foot gap between the track and the undercarriage is the perfect place for the kinetic frictions of an Intercity train to hold a body in situ, and then when the speed changes at a corner or junction, it spits it out like a bloody cherry stone.
A very bloody cherry stone.
Harry! What have you found? A pound coin.
Really? A human tooth.
Yeah.
Second permanent molar, if I'm not much mistaken.
How far up is the line closed? Up to the next junction, about 150 yards.
They'll have to extend the closure if they want to find out how Francis Neill died.
They're stretched as it is.
If we can find out where he hit the track, we can also find out how he got here, and if he was with anyone.
What, you think Hopkins killed him? Or Danny Edwards? I don't know and I don't care.
The fusion of the epiphyseal plates indicate a fully grown adult male.
There appears to be evidence of an historic fracture in the right arm, TWO places in the right arm.
Also in the pelvis.
The fractures are consistent with scarring, again historic, on the back and lower side of the abdomen.
Where they wouldn't be seen.
So it happened to you too.
'It's been going on since the Greeks' but we've chased it underground.
It's not as if you can go down the pub, is it, Eddie, chat about it with your mates? Nothing to say? Well, you have a think about it.
I'm going to get some food.
Do you want some? Division have asked me to go back to the original search area, policy my decisions.
But we KNOW he's not there.
It's not about that now.
They're covering their arses.
Maybe you should think about doing the same.
What, no tears, Eddie? Had Francis become the weak link? I was with you lot when he got killed.
I don't mind identifying the body.
HE VOMITS I thought you two were friends.
Who was he? Get it away.
It stinks! Will I let you go, huh? Let whoever did this to Francis do the same to you? We need to find the boy.
Where did he take him? Where did he go? Stop this! What is going on? This is not a freak show! I'm very sorry, Dr Alexander.
I was hoping to get a positive ID, from the only man who knew him.
You knew what state this body was in! It must have slipped my mind.
What the hell were you thinking? I needed to get him out of his comfort zone.
You got him to vomit over his own shoes.
Look, Stokes didn't kill Francis.
He was in custody.
But he's the link.
He knew each of them individually - Hopkins, Edwards.
Powell reckons Stokes recruited Francis Neill.
Because Francis had Liam.
Neill was the perfect partner.
He had access to a child and he was a clean skin.
He'd never been arrested, he wasn't on the PNC or the sex-offenders register, otherwise we'd have his fingerprints, his DNA.
We'd be able to ID him from that.
If I had a photograph to circulate, find out if somebody had seen him, trace his movements I don't even have his real name.
What if I can get you a photograph? What, off Facebook? We could try a facial reconstruction.
What from? Half his face is gone.
It's tricky.
A lot of the bone and cartilage is missing.
But some of the facial musculature is there, and there is tissue.
Every bone of the cranium is bilateral, so I can copy it where one side is present.
If I can physically build on what's here, use the biometric modelling It would be a start.
How long? There's no need tell me it's urgent.
A day? Twelve hours.
Oh, did you ever manage to track him down - Adam Garner? Your old schoolmate? We've been trying, but I suppose all this publicity's sent him underground.
Not even the tabloids have managed to get hold of him.
He was short, fair skinned, same sort of age.
I just wonder You think that could be Adam Garner? It's a long shot.
Francis Neill told Noel Hopkins he blamed him.
He told him he thought it was all his fault.
Maybe you could find me Adam Garner's medical records.
A recent photograph, even? You get me the reconstruction, and then we'll see if the faces match.
PHONE RINGS Sorry.
Leo? 'Is Gallagher there?' Yeah.
There it is.
Arterial spray.
How do you know? It could be an animal, a fox, a badger Badgers don't wear trainers.
Jesus.
Right, get onto the train companies.
They have nose and tail cameras, pull everything for this section of track.
We should be able to find out how he ended up on the line.
We have the school, the river where Michael went in, the ill-fated Hopkins rendezvous.
And here, where man met train.
We can refocus our search, but it's still eight square miles.
A search could take another week.
It's like a sick jigsaw.
Someone's stolen all the corners.
It's now 11:30am on the third day.
On the third day, he rose again Sorry? Danny Edwards said it this morning.
I don't suppose his prophesy came with any co-ordinates? Where the hell are you? You see, Detective Gallagher, even YOU are starting to believe he's still alive.
I don't know what I'm looking at.
It's there.
Is that him? Did someone push him? He looks like he's alone.
What's he doing? Maybe he's getting ready to jump.
Watch this.
This is from the tail-camera of the same train.
So he waited for the train to pass.
He's crossing now.
Then, what? This is the nose camera The 10.
45 to Bristol Temple Meads.
It was going the other way.
Jesus.
The driver didn't see a thing.
It was an accident.
He was crossing the tracks to go to his meeting with Hopkins.
So Hopkins was telling the truth? About that, maybe.
At least now we know which direction he was coming from.
He probably planned to head back there afterwards.
And the boy's trapped there, waiting for him.
It might be like your Belgian case.
The guy doesn't come back, two girls starve to death.
It's not just that.
I've got the initial tox report on Francis Neill.
His body tested positive for tetracynadine at very high levels.
What, the stuff you found on Michael? The Berricane? Right, let's get onto the Environment Agency.
They test the Colne Valley for pollutants, and their soil samples will show any abnormal chemical levels.
72 hours.
There's a hell of a lot of Berricane out there.
Find the Berricane, find the boy.
We're not even close to exhausting possibilities.
I need more men, more equipment.
Well, what about if we bring in Army S and R? They've got technology we don't have access to.
And you think resources are better employed there, huh? What, a bigger story, is it? What's the matter - press losing interest? Yeah, you do that.
You get back to me.
Is it true? It's not like I had a choice.
Francis Neill's death was an accident, and we don't have anything on him for Michael Edwards.
So he walks, scot-free? Scot-free?! You reckon? THEY ALL CHATTER Shouldn't you be in chemistry, Wayne? What the hell are you doing here?! I heard they released you.
Yeah.
Turned me over to the mob.
Spelling standards have definitely improved.
You need to get those windows boarded up.
At least they've got the guts to say what they're thinking.
What are you doing here? Go home, Dr Alexander, back to your crypt.
Adam Garner.
What? They haven't been able to locate him.
Do you want to check under my patio? Please.
I'm just wondering You met Francis Neill.
Oh, this again.
Could Francis Neill be Adam Garner? Why? Because he wanted to get his own back on you? He has.
I've been suspended.
Again.
They had no choice after the arrest.
What did you expect? Er, the support of my colleagues and my friends? I'm not accusing you, Noel.
I'm just trying to help find a missing boy.
I haven't seen Adam Garner since I left Abbots, 16 years ago.
As a rule, I prefer not to see my former students again.
It tends to be a bit of a disappointment.
They don't specifically list Berricane, but they list various chemical anomalies.
I'm just trying to cross reference with European sites where they've positively identified Berricane.
We're all so quick to blame, aren't we? Hmm? The strange ones, the ones that don't fit in religious nutters Danny Edwards? He wanted to know what happened to his stepson, and I thought it was strange.
Didn't want to tell him.
But a couple of days ago, I thought it was strange that he DIDN'T want us to do a PM.
What could be more normal than wanting to know what happened to your son? TV IS ON Pervert! GLASS SMASHES TV VOLUME INCREASES Harry Cunningham, pathologist.
Thanks.
Sorry to disturb you, Mrs Edwards.
He's on the computer.
He's always on the computer.
I just came to tell you that I've asked the coroner about releasing Michael's body, and when he's set a date for the inquest, he'll be in touch.
I want to take him home.
I know.
The place must feel very empty without him.
Not here.
This isn't his home.
SHE KNOCKS DOOR Danny, Dr Cunningham wants to talk to you.
Danny? Danny? If they find out he's gone Do you know where he is? Do YOU think he's involved in this? I'm sorry, I don't know.
But you've met him.
You have an opinion.
He's a weak man.
I know that now.
When I met him, I was so naive.
I liked that he was different.
Now all I see is his weakness.
Mrs Edwards, do you know where he is? Who was he talking to? TV IS ON SWITCHES OFF TV FIRE CRACKLES Help! SIRENS BLARE Jesus, Danny! What have you done? HE COUGHS AND WHEEZES We need to get you to A&E.
No! I'm not leaving you out here.
We could take him to my place.
You should get properly checked out.
I don't need a second opinion.
I just need a wash and some sleep.
Nikki says she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.
I taught her science could be fun.
That's not what she was talking about, though, is it? 'They set fire to his house.
' Who? 'You know who.
' Noel Hopkins.
Will you to come down? Cos he won't talk to me.
'Nikki?' I'm not a counsellor.
It's not what we're here to do.
We're here to help them find Liam.
Look um, I've got to go.
You did it? You burned his house? Of course not.
I saved him.
I saw in the chat room that they wanted to hurt him.
I was worried.
The house was burning when I got there.
I saved him, Anhil.
And you brought him here? I'd rather you HAD killed him.
Why would I kill him? I believe in him.
Of course you do.
You have to.
What does that mean? If you admit what everybody knows about that man, then you gave my son up to be tortured, to be killed.
You gave Michael to him! Why did you do that?! I would do it again.
I have faith in him.
What do you believe in, Anhil? You killed my son! You put him in there with him! I hate you for that! You started hating me a long time before this.
I love you.
Of course you do.
You love ALL sinners! We're all just charity to you! What's wrong, Danny? Could you not find a wife here? Or did they all see through you? Get out of my house, you murderer! Stop it! You murderer! Get out! BEEPING Thanks.
No problem.
Nikki.
This is Adam Garner.
What do you think? Harry just called.
Noel Hopkins has cut his wrists.
Nikki? I think I could have a good image by morning.
The DNA should be in by then.
We can find out if Francis Neill really is Liam's uncle.
Did you hear what I said? cuts on his lower legs and his feet.
And we believe the he may have run barefoot for some time through the woods, before he reached the river.
The river was his only route of escape.
We believe Michael tried to swim, but the river was very cold, the current was very strong.
Drowning in fresh water takes between three and four minutes.
With Michael, it might have been quicker.
Fresh water has much less salt in it than blood.
It's drawn quickly in through the lungs, into the blood vessels, places great strain on the heart.
Cardiac arrest would have happened very quickly.
We found signs of abuse on Michael's body.
Sexual abuse.
We think it happened that night.
We found no evidence of prior orlong-term abuse.
Whoever took Michael .
.
whoever chased him is responsible for the events that led to his death.
They alone are responsible.
Not you - either of you.
No You've lost a lot of blood.
But you're going to be OK.
No! Help me.
They've stabilised you.
They know what they're doing.
You know what to do.
Please Do what? I need this to be over.
Have some pity.
I have to go.
I paid him.
Who? You know.
Adam.
Paid him for what? He kept writing to me, threatening to bring it all up again.
So it was true? He told me he wanted to go to Australia, start again.
I gave him £10,000.
There's nothing left for me now, Nikki.
Tell them.
Tell them what's happened.
Tell them where Liam is.
And if they find him, will everything be better? He'll be safe.
HE LAUGHS You're a selfish bastard.
I thought I could save them all.
That's how I'd heal myself, through all of you.
It happened to me.
I was 10 years old.
I thought everyone could tell just by looking at me.
But it all looks so normal from out there, doesn't it? That's why you cut them open, isn't it? To find out what's really inside.
What did he say? It doesn't matter.
We haven't got time to sit around worrying about Noel Hopkins.
Nikki, come on.
He says he paid off Adam Garner.
That doesn't necessarily mean Harry, it might as well be a signed confession.
That's how it looks.
Is that how it looks to you? I think Francis Neill might be Adam Garner.
The abused become abuser Isn't that the way it always goes? Hopkins was abused too.
He's just told me.
He made me who I am, Harry.
What? It's the fourth day.
They're looking for a body now.
I looked up that Belgian case.
The two girls who starved to death? He kidnapped two other girls.
They found them.
They survived.
I'll have this to you by 10.
You can have it in this evening's paper.
That's very helpful, Dr Alexander.
Is it? Is any one still looking? That boy could still be alive.
He could.
We all did our best, Nikki.
DIALLING TONE Anything? Nothing.
Plenty of it.
HE SIGHS Hang on.
Go back a bit.
Go back.
For God's sake! They've opened the line again.
It was here, somewhere.
Harry! TRAIN BEEPS Look! Look! Do you want my professional opinion? It's definitely dead.
Time of death is notoriously difficult.
Shut up! Look at the eyes.
See? Berricane? Yeah, and I saw a crow over there yesterday - same thing.
Francis Neill was killed by a train here.
About half a mile away.
Liam must be somewhere round here.
The Berricane must be coming from somewhere.
The Alaskan leaks were waterborne.
Look down there! This is well outside the search zone.
There's more of them.
More dead animals.
Some sort of drainage pipe.
Where's this coming from? There! We've all been looking in the wrong direction.
Where the hell does this thing lead?! Where's the pipe gone? Shit.
There's nothing here.
Maybe we missed something.
What, like a large industrial plant? DULL CLUNK CLUNKING Liam! Liam! So much for their safety procedures.
Liam! Liam! Get me DCI Gallagher.
We've found the container.
We're going to need cutting equipment and an ambulance.
Location approximately one mile north of the railway tracks, grid reference SP726349.
Are you in there?! It won't budge! Jesus.
You're not wearing a chem suit.
Nor are you.
Ben.
This DNA report on Francis Neill Are you sure about this? 'Liam?!' Liam? Ah, Jesus.
Look.
That's Eddie Stokes.
CLUNKING Shhh.
Liam? BIRD CALLS He was here.
This is where he brought them.
These were Michael Edwards' clothes.
Where is Liam? We'll find him.
But my guess is he was dead before we even knew he was gone.
But why would he kill him? He's, he's kept him alive this long, why not just take him away, disappear again? Don't look for logic.
You won't find it here, Dr Cunningham.
We need to tell her.
PHONE RINGS Hello.
'Nikki, it's Leo.
We found the source of the Berricane.
'It's a old container in the woods.
'And we found 'Are you still there?' Yep.
'We found Michael's clothes, but 'we haven't found Liam.
' I know.
'Gallagher thinks he's dead.
' Gallagher's wrong.
'Nikki' Liam Neill doesn't exist.
He never did.
There was no boy.
The DNA from the man's razor, from the child's clothes, they were the same.
MUSIC: "Grace Kelly" by Mika MUSIC BECOMES DISTORTED Robert Wheeler.
Born Burringham, Lincolnshire, 23rd of November 1981.
He was 27 years old.
Passing for 12? How did no-one spot this? Nobody looked at him twice.
He was just another kid.
He'd been at that school for months.
He befriended Michael Edwards, another outsider.
Maybe they went to the container more than once.
Michael must have caught on that night, and he ran.
Michael! Don't leave me! Michael! Oh, yeah.
Me and Robert.
Can I keep them? We've already got you for wasting police time.
Oooh, what's that, community service? Maybe they'll let me help out with the Boy Scouts.
He was a big football fan, young Robert.
He would pop round sometimes, I'd tell him about the great Arsenal team of the '70s - Brady, Stapleton and old Terry Neill.
Now, that was a manager, he really knew what he was doing.
Liam Brady, Francis Stapleton, Terry Neill.
He got the names off a bloody Arsenal poster.
It's all been a bit of a wild goose chase for you this, hasn't it? You mind dropping me home? It's on your way.
Don't push it, Mr Stokes.
You must feel pretty stupid.
You were all running around looking for a child who was never really there.
All that science, and you couldn't even see what was in front of your eyes.
You need to look after your health, Mr Stokes.
You what? Have you been to the doctor about your eyes? You must have noticed.
The yellowing of the whites of your eyes.
I saw it in Michael Edwards' body, in Robert Wheeler's body? But even Robert wasn't as advanced as you.
You must have been going there for years.
Going where? The container.
Didn't you know? It's contaminated.
Your body is riddled with a toxin called Berricane.
Your liver is shutting down and your blood will refuse to clot.
Don't worry, though.
You've probably got a few months.
A few very painful months.
You jumped-up little bitch! Oi! Get off her! You're lying, you're lying! She's a lying bitch.
She's trying to mess with my head.
It's Karma? The places you've been, Mr Stokes.
They never really leave you behind.
You all right? I don't know how you handle it, dealing with this stuff every day.
Funny.
I was going to ask you the same thing.
Will Sanath be there at the funeral? You remember them playing together? They were four.
Michael never forgot him.
Take Michael home.
It's important.
And then come back to me? "To whom it may concern.
"I was a student of Noel Hopkins for five years at Abbots Secondary School.
"He was an inspirational teacher and I came to think of him as a friend.
"He helped me during a very difficult period of my life, "when nobody else was willing to take that risk.
"For that, I repaid him with suspicion, "and I regret any harm I may have done to him and his reputation.
"He only ever acted towards me with propriety, respect and charity.
"I would put my own children in his care.
"Yours sincerely, "Adam Garner.
" Gallagher found him in Australia.
He had no idea.
Everyone wants you to stay, Noel.
The parents, the teachers, the kids Even the governors.
You belong here.
You were put under a lot of pressure, by all the people who should have known better.
Everyone doubted you.
I doubted you.
I prefer my apologies in writing these days, Dr Alexander.
I tried to kill myself because they weren't going to let me be headmaster any more.
Because I'd no longer be a figure of adulation and fear to a bunch of 12-year-olds.
You see, however much these kids needed me, I needed them more.
When I was dying, lives flashed in front of my eyes, and none of them were mine.
I've been missing out, Nikki.
Noel Hopkins - a warning from history.
Oh, think of me as homework, Nikki.
With two Ks and a heart above the I.