Silent Witness (1996) s24e10 Episode Script

1 I've just had the police on the phone.
Why would they want to come here if it's not suspicious? Mr Robson died in his sleep.
- Your sister was here.
- What the hell does she want? You think he was murdered? That student's back in reception again.
You know, the good-looking one.
What? Ollie? They're post-grads, right? Been looking at a few places for my dad.
It's like looking for a plot in a cemetery.
Many people live in care homes happily.
THUNDER CRACKS "I know who killed Robbo.
" Who sent you this? Must be someone from the care home.
We've got to get the residents out of the lodge.
I wanted to invite you to our Halloween party.
"I think they're going to kill again.
" Drive.
I would urge people to stay where they are.
Next question.
Are you single? Water levels are still rising Flood defences to the west have been breached.
People in the affected area are being advised not to travel A large volume of water is heading our way and will almost certainly have a devastating impact.
.
.
and, if possible, to move furniture and treasured possessions upstairs.
We could be trapped out here for days.
Jack! Testator silens Costestes e spiritu Silencium Testator silens.
♪ PIANO PLAYS, THUNDER CRACKS When they turn up the lights And the dark, lonely nights - Come on, Jack.
- I don't know the words.
It doesn't matter.
Just come make a noise.
Nevermore, we'll be apart Always together ♪ SINGING FADES PHONE VIBRATES VIBRATING CONTINUES - Hello? - Hello, it's Conor.
Are you with Jack? No.
Isn't he home with you? No, no.
I think he's out in the storm.
It doesn't look good.
If you speak to him, will you get him to call me? Yes, of course.
I'm not going anywhere.
Is that clear? Just please - Always together ♪ - HE GROANS - Derek! - Derek? HE GROANS LOUDLY It's all right.
I'm fine.
I'm fine.
NEWSREADER: Flooding along the Thames corridor is being described as the worst since 2014, with hundreds of properties and families affected.
Water levels are still rising.
VOICEMAIL: Hi there.
You've reached Jack Hodgson.
If you leave me a message, I'll get back to you.
Hi, Jack, it's me.
I'm just wondering if you're OK and where you are.
Your dad's just phoned.
He's worried about you.
I'm worried about you.
I hope you're all right.
Can you call as soon as you get? DOOR OPENS - Are you coming back to bed? - Yeah.
Where's Derek's medication? It's in the Lodge.
- What was he taking? - Gabapentin.
It's for It's for neuropathic pain.
Can he get something else? - Hi.
It's Nikki.
- Hi, Nikki.
- Are you at the care home? - No.
I couldn't get there.
We tried to join them, but we couldn't get through.
And it's not just the flood waters.
I mean, it's fallen trees, mud slides.
We're not even sure if the road to the care home's there any more.
We're probably only about a mile away.
We've set up base at the Nightingale sports centre.
Have you spoken to either Jack or Simone? No, we tried.
But the storm's taken out all the phone masts.
I really hope they're OK.
Does the name Janice Pitram mean anything to you? Janice Pitram? No, why? She was a care home worker in Scotland.
Her boyfriend brutally murdered his elderly parents.
She was convicted for aiding and abetting.
What about her? Well, when she got out of prison, she changed her name to Amrita Naidu.
And she's now working at the care home? Yeah, which she shouldn't be, given her history of violence.
- DS Galloway - Look.
I've got to go.
I'll let you know if we hear anything from Jack or Simone.
- OK.
- OK.
What happens if Derek doesn't take his medication? He will be in very great pain.
I can't watch people like that.
Do you reckon that I should make preparations? - How do you mean? - I can I can get morphine.
- What are you suggesting? - Just for when things get Just for when he just if the worst comes to the worst This is a care home! How do we care for Derek when he's in such pain? Hm? - Are you mad? - I just I just I just want to help.
Do you want to go back to prison? And me with you? Hm? Now, please make sure that the house residents stay in their rooms.
- And you, whatever you're planning - I'm not planning anything.
.
.
just leave Amrita out of it.
You know those text messages I got sent? Well, whoever killed Robbo is here.
- Derek has gone walkabout again.
- What? SHOUTING SHOUTING CONTINUES Derek? DEREK SHOUTS SHOUTING CONTINUES HE SHOUTS IN PAIN - Derek? - HE YELPS Pray to God .
.
you never have to experience pain like this.
Can you walk? Oh, God.
DEREK LAUGHS Come on, Derek.
Look, everyone's really worried about you.
Come on.
You did it to Robbo.
You can do it to me.
No, no.
Mr Robson, he passed away of natural causes.
If that were the case, why .
.
are they here? DEREK GROANS All right? BEEPING - You all right? - The battery's going.
There's no power to recharge it.
Are there any more batteries? In the Lodge.
Hang on.
- Keep an eye on them.
- Yeah.
OK.
RAIN POURS HEAVILY, WIND RUSHES THUNDER CRACKS THUNDER CRACKS Damn it! HE GROANS THUNDER CRACKS That that that isn't the battery I thought we needed a challenge.
I-I-I'm going to get you something dry.
- It's OK - DEREK GROANS There you go.
You can't do that all night.
Do we have a choice? NEWSREADER: .
.
continues to grow.
A government spokesman has said more than £2 billion has been spent on flood defences.
But when a once-in-a-generation storm like this occurs, there's very little that can be done.
Emergency services and the army are attempting to evacuate those in the most urgent need, but they are You say nothing, okay to Mrs Thorpe? What is it? Morphine.
For pain relief? I hope it doesn't come to that.
I looked for Derek's medication, but it was all flooded.
The drugs cupboard must have been left open.
SHE SIGHS It could have been the flood water.
I'm going to get the blame for that.
What, even for the flood? LAUGHS: Yeah.
You name it.
Amrita, you're doing your best, all right? Amrita, just one thing.
Kate said Robbo left some money for you in his will.
I I-I-I I didn't ask for it .
.
okay? I I'm just as surprised as anyone else.
I'm not accusing you, Amrita OK, it's not my fault that Mr Robson is dead.
OK? It's not It's not my - What was that? - I was just asking You need to understand that my staff has been under extraordinary pressure these past two years.
I can only imagine.
I don't know how Robbo got hold of a fentanyl patch.
What about Dr Young? Could he have given him the patch? We don't have a stock of fentanyl.
I thought you said fentanyl wasn't the cause of death? Are you saying that Robbo was murdered? I'm here to see DS Galloway.
Simone was sent a text message by someone saying they knew who killed Mr Robson.
We rang the number, but Robbo's son Michael tried to stop them using Robbo's body for medical training.
Do you know why? I tried to talk to Michael, but he's a very angry man.
He's angry with his father, his mother, his sister, you name it.
Did Mr Robson ever complain about how his son was treating him? - You mean physically? - Mm.
They argued a lot - mainly family things, you know? SHE COUGHS Because the new defences breached, this whole area is now completely flooded There must be a way that we can get through to the care home.
We'd send up a helicopter, but there's no chance in this weather.
The whole network's down and there's no physical way of reaching them.
Not at the moment, at least.
Mr Robson? Mr Robson, do you live near here? Yeah, I've just been helping out some of the locals get to safety in my tractor.
Can you help us? Do you know of any way that we could reach the care home? This is Michael Robson.
He might be able to help us.
There's an unmarked track through this top field here, in between my farm and Watercress Lane, but - Could you get us there? - No civilians are going anywhere until this storm is over and this water has receded.
Are you lonely, Jack? No-one special in your life at the moment? Apart from me, that is.
Right.
HE SHIVERS THUNDER CRACKS THUNDER CRACKS DOOR RATTLES As flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods.
They kill us for their sport.
What are you doing, Derek? Stay away from me.
I just want to get out there I can't let you do that This HE GROANS This bloody scar tissue - it's killing me, but not quickly enough.
Derek, come on.
Let's go back upstairs If I were your father My father? You wouldn't want this for him, would you? Derek.
Please.
That's not my decision.
Yes.
It should be mine and I want to make it, but these bloody stupid hands You use that, you'll just end up hurting yourself.
You do it, then.
In the vain.
I beg you.
Derek! He's fine.
I've sorted it.
- Have you seen Amrita? - No.
THUNDER CRACKS Have you seen Amrita? I'll go help Mary look for her, then.
I'll come and help you in a second.
She must be outside.
OK.
Amrita? Amrita? Amrita? Amrita? Amrita! VOICE ECHOES BIRDSONG Aah! Morning, Beattie.
Fancy some porridge? Where's Mrs Thorpe? Straight through that way, please.
Keep moving.
Kate? Is it morning? It is.
Simone? Nikki.
Are you all right? Yeah.
Jack? Are you all right? Where have you been? Let's get this off.
Sit.
Sit.
What's happened? Caravan - .
.
washed away - Was Amrita inside? I don't know.
There was a light Let's hope not.
Let's get you warm.
Morning, Jack.
You look how I feel.
Steve? - Simone? - Yeah? What is it? - This man's dead.
- What? No.
How? There's some bruising on his face .
.
and a puncture mark on his hand.
Could he have done it to himself? No.
Arthritis.
Left handed.
You wanted to see me? Derek's dead.
Mrs Thorpe.
I need to speak with a Miss Amrita Naidu.
We're looking for her.
She's been missing for hours.
- Jack.
- Caravan What? Jack saw her caravan being taken away by the flood.
No! Was she in it? When you employed Ms Naidu, how much did you know about her? What do you mean? Well, I'm assuming that you looked at her references or an employment record.
She came to us at the beginning of the first lockdown.
- We were desperate for staff - Something to put it in.
Mrs Thorpe, we believe Ms Amrita Naidu is a false identity.
This is now a crime scene.
I'm going to need a statement from you both later.
Mrs Thorpe, you need to come with me.
- Can you get him some water? - Yeah.
I think we should get you to hospital.
I'm fine.
Hot bath, I'll be fine.
I need to go home.
I'm going to call a taxi.
I called you.
Yeah.
Sorry, I missed your call.
I tried calling you back.
I was out.
Fun times.
ENGINE STARTS VOICEMAIL: You have one new message.
New message.
NIKKI: Hi, Jack, it's me.
I'm just wondering if you're OK and where you are.
Your dad's just phoned.
He's worried about you.
I'm worried about you.
I hope you're all right.
Can you call as soon as you get this? DOOR OPENS - OLLIE: Are you coming back to bed? - Yeah.
To save your message, press two.
To delete your message Dad? Dad? Dad? What's happened to you? What's happened to you? Don't you start.
I slipped over.
All right, I can do that.
I'm doing it.
An ambulance came? I never called them.
That woman over the road - did you ask her to look in on me? I'm not a child.
HE SOBS I'm sorry, Dad.
I'm sorry, Dad.
- What's all this? - I'm sorry I wasn't here.
No, no.
Don't fash yourself.
HE CHUCKLES You're my boy.
I thought you were going to take today off.
- Can I get you anything? - No, it's fine.
I'm sorry about what happened to Derek.
I'm about to do his postmortem so hopefully we can Are the students coming to watch? No.
Why? Were you with one of them last night? I was with all of them.
Ollie invited me to their Halloween party.
I drank too much.
I don't really care.
- But I do care if you lose your job - Jack! I heard him on the message you left me.
- Ollie's just - Ollie.
Sorry I'm late.
You all right? - Recovered? - Yeah.
I think so.
I've never been so cold.
I didn't know what I was doing half the time.
Yeah.
When I left the lounge, to look for Amrita, what were you doing? How do you mean? I saw you look at the green box with the morphine.
Uh Derek had taken one of the syringes.
I was putting it back.
Right.
Recent injection mark on his left hand, as noted at the scene.
There are a few scattered petechial haemorrhages in and around his eyes.
Suffocation? Same as Mr Robson? Well, petechial haemorrhages can be seen in natural - and unnatural deaths.
- Yeah, come on.
I mean, two almost identical deaths, in the same care home, same main carer? You mean Amrita? Yeah.
We found the caravan, but there was no sign of Amrita, or Janice Pitram, as she's better known as.
You think she killed Mr Galton? LAUGHS: I was with her the whole time.
What, even when she went missing? She went missing before Derek was found dead.
Are you sure? Because that's not what you said in your statement.
For now, Amrita's our number one suspect.
The frenum is torn and there are abrasions and bruising on the inner aspects of his lips.
OK, just like Mr Robson.
I told you! Look, the injection marks suggest that there's drugs in his system, and there's evidence of suffocation/strangulation.
Thank you, I'll follow it up.
OK.
What do you want? I was hoping to speak to Dr Alexander.
- You shouldn't be here.
- Yeah, well - Where are you going? - Relax.
Listen, I don't really give a shit what you and Dr Alexander are up to, but - It's not - Listen to me.
If you jeopardise her position here at the Lyell, so help me God Jack! - She'll want to see me, all right? - Tell that to her boyfriend.
They're not together any more.
What, you didn't know? ENGINE RUNS So, you and the student - what was that all about? A misunderstanding.
TEXT ALER They've found a body.
I'll let Nikki know! Thanks for getting here so quickly.
We believe it's Amrita Naidu, AKA Janice Pitram.
- Where was the caravan found? - About half a mile that way.
So how did the body end up here? You saw the strength of the river from the flood water.
Yes, but Has this body been moved? No, not that I know of.
Who found her? A dog walker spotted her.
What is it? She looks surprisingly clean.
You see, she's lying on top of the flood-disturbed vegetation, rather than lots of detritus gathering on or around her.
It suggests that she was deposited here after the flood.
Really? - You've got all your photos of her? - Yeah, it's all done.
There's no wrinkling of the skin or any skin slippage to suggest she's been in the water for any significant length of time.
There's no obvious bloating either to suggest prolonged immersion.
There's mud on her boots which hasn't been washed off.
So how did she get here, then? Michael? Nikki, how's it going? Well, there's a strong smell of smoke.
Yeah.
Jack lit a fire, to get everyone warm.
Particularly coming from her lungs.
Both lungs were of normal weight.
They weren't hyper-inflated.
There was no fluid in the sphenoid sinuses, no water in the stomach and no froth in the airways, so I don't think she drowned.
So if she didn't drown, but was dumped in a flooded field, stinks of smoke, what happened? Her tissues are more red than normal.
Carbon monoxide poisoning? Very good.
If it was, the blood will have raised carboxyhemoglobin saturation.
She also had fibres under her nails I'd love you to identify.
Did you find anything? Chicken shit.
From the soles of her boots.
Take a look.
What am I looking at? Frizzled feather fragments.
Don't try saying that drunk.
Or sober.
DNA from the feather suggests it's a mutation in the KRT75 gene which causes feathers to frizzle.
So not just any old chicken shit? Rare breed of Bantam chicken shit.
And guess who has a farm full of them? I'm sorry.
That's why I'm here.
It has to stop.
I was fine until you came back.
Michael, put it down.
Michael, please! IN DISTANCE: Michael, stop! No! I'm not going to do what you tell me! Mum had the right idea.
You just pull the trigger Michael, please, please put it down! Hey, Michael! No! I need your help.
Amrita - we know she was here.
How? Bantams.
I found a feather on one of her boots.
She wanted my help, but I couldn't because she went behind my back.
How? She knew what Dad was going to do - donate his body Why didn't you want him to? Cos nobody tells me anything - about Mum, about you, about Dad, anything! Our mother killed herself.
Dad never talked about it.
No-one did.
He wouldn't even let me go to my own mother's bloody funeral.
- I didn't know that - You weren't here! Is that why you objected? You wanted him to have a funeral.
I thought I'd finally have this moment just to say goodbye, just draw a line, but That's why I'm here.
Please, Michael, just give me the gun.
Sorry I left and didn't say goodbye the other night.
What was it, the walk of shame? No way.
It's the first time I've enjoyed Halloween, ever.
But, Ollie, I'm hundreds of years older than you.
- Oh, it's just a number.
- And it was totally unethical.
You know, none of that stuff matters if you don't want it to.
- Ollie, how can I teach you if I'm - Start by giving me an A-plus.
A-minus, then.
Always room for improvement.
Look, we can make this work - Ollie, I can't.
- We're both adults! Shouldn't it be up to us what we do? When I was in your room and I got calls about work .
.
I realised that I shouldn't be there.
I needed to be somewhere else.
Somewhere else, or with someone else? I told you, I had no idea who she was.
Had I known It's very possible that she killed two of your residents, Mrs Thorpe.
No, no, I can't believe that.
If it was anybody, it was Mr Hodgson.
Sorry, sorry.
Are you saying that Jack killed Derek? That night, there was a discussion between you and Mr Hodgson about preparing for a worst-case scenario.
It was after Mr Hodgson had put down Kate's poor dog.
Yeah, the dog was suffering and Kate begged him to.
Well, how did he kill it? With a syringe and morphine.
And you're suggesting that that's what Derek was injected with? I'm not pointing any fingers.
OK.
But we're here about Amrita, not Derek.
What about her? Your stepladder.
My stepladder? We found insulation fibres under Amrita's fingernails.
There's a crack in the chimney breast.
And I've taken fibres for comparison.
Are we sure? It's Amrita.
As far as I can make out, she would have needed that to get up there, but then someone moved it afterwards.
Jack just sent me this.
When was this taken? I used to run .
.
a care home in Aberdeen.
And Janice used to work for me.
Everyone loved her.
But she She was so easily led, though.
Or misled.
I tried to help her.
Save her.
I tried to show her that her boyfriend was manipulating her.
I warn you now you're under caution.
You don't have to say anything.
I want to tell you.
Amrita had absolutely nothing to do with her boyfriend's parents' murders.
I knew that when she was let out of prison she was banned from working as a nurse or a caregiver.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
We needed her.
She was devoted to these people.
So you let us search the entire building.
- You let Jack go outside - She was frightened! She Not for herself, but for me, because I gave her a second chance.
So you hid her in the loft.
Well, I I thought it would help.
I I knew it was smoky but I thought she'd be fine.
So you found the body and? Have you never done something wrong for the right reason? How did her body end up in the middle of a flooded field? Even if she didn't mean for Janice to die, it's still gross negligence.
She could be charged with manslaughter.
Disposal of a corpse - that's also an offence.
Either way, I don't think her or Janice had anything to do with Derek's death.
After Jack injected the dog, how did he seem to you? What do you mean? Well, killing a dog, albeit humanely.
I don't think I could do something like that without being deeply affected.
Something.
Yeah, well .
.
it was suffering.
Like Derek was suffering.
You and Jack, in both your statements, said that when you left the room Derek was alive - when you went to go and look for Janice.
- Yeah.
That's right.
Mary told me that Jack had a syringe in his hand.
What happened to it? At any point, when you left the room, did you leave Jack alone with Derek? Yes.
Yes.
Derek was in a lot of pain.
He wanted me to put him out of his misery.
It might have been the humane thing to do, actually.
But I couldn't do it.
If it wasn't you, Jack then who was it? Nikki.
Look, I've just spoken to my super and she doesn't think it's appropriate that Jack continues working on the case.
What? He's not answering his phone.
Is he there with you? No.
OK.
Well, if you speak to him, can you tell him? I will.
Thanks.
Jack's been taken off the investigation.
Galloway's been asking Jack about what happened at the care home on the night that Derek Galton died.
Simone? I don't know Jack as well as you do What happened? Before I left the room to look for Amrita, I saw Jack with Derek, and it looked like he was taking something out of the green medical box.
You think that Jack injected Derek with morphine? That's ridiculous.
We've established that both Nigel Robson and Derek Galton were killed in the same manner, implying they were killed by the same person.
Jack couldn't have killed them both.
Well, I know that, but I've examined the syringe, and Jack's fingerprints are all over it.
DOORBELL RINGS - Dr Alexander.
- Hi.
Is Jack here? PHONE RINGS RINGING STOPS Shall I try? PHONE RINGS Dad? Hi, Jack.
I'm with Nikki.
She really wants to talk to you.
Jack? Jack.
Do you know what happened before Derek Galton died? Please talk to me, Jack.
Please let me help you.
We get through everything together.
You know I'll always be there for you.
Nikki? Come to arrest me? Have you told the police? The police think it was me.
I didn't mean that to happen.
What? Them blaming me, or you killing Robbo and Derek? Robbo .
.
was haunted.
He pleaded with me to help him die.
And Derek We were lovers.
Does that shock you? I couldn't let him suffer any more.
You played God.
If someone's got to play him, why not me? Where did you get the fentanyl patches from? When I first came here, I was in such pain I kept a few back for a rainy day.
And the text message Simone received? You sent that, didn't you? They couldn't trace the phone.
Derek had worked out it was me that killed Robbo, and he wanted me to do the same from him.
And I wanted you to stop me.
I don't regret what I did, Jack.
I'm done with all that.
If this place has taught me anything, it's to seize the day.
If a thing feels right, do it.
Um I found some footage um on a camera Michael had installed in Robbo's room.
The police will want to see that.
Will they charge me with murder? Probably.
Why did you suffocate them? I didn't mean to do that.
I just I I couldn't bear to see their faces.
SHE SOBS Do you know who I blame? Bloody Peter Pan.
"To die will be an awfully big adventure.
" Death maybe.
But dying and getting old .
.
not so much.
When our mother killed herself .
.
I was convinced that I knew the truth about my dad and about what had happened and why.
But I was wrong.
Sometimes the truth isn't what we want to hear.
And neither of us knew the truth.
We just made it up, and that changed us.
Both of us ran away inside.
Well, we've stopped running.
We can finally say goodbye.
LINE RINGS PHONE RINGS - Hi.
- Hello.
So, Galloway was just here.
I think I owe you an apology.
For thinking I was a murderer? No need.
Well, look, maybe next time you should take your own advice.
Don't touch anything without gloves on.
Touche.
- Bye, Simone.
- See you later.
HE SIGHS Testator silens Costestes e spiritu Silencium ♪ PHONE RINGS Nikki Alexander.
I'm sorry.
It's a bad line.
SIRENS WAIL Can you say that again? It's Professor Sam Ryan, Nikki.
I need your help.
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