Original subtitles

Mum.

This is going to be good, isn't it?

Isn't it?

It's your favourite breakfast. Hmm?

Your favourite.

(SNIFFS, COUGHS AND RETCHES)

Morning, sir.

How's the situation vis-a-vis the victim's family?

I've been to see them, to express our condolences.

I've had warmer welcomes, I have to say.

Do they blame us for his death?

He did die in a police cell, sir. There's a support committee already.

Yes, so I've heard.

Until they find out why he killed himself, they'll blame us.

That's the last thing we need.

Your Kersey's given us a very major problem.

Is he still up to scratch? I've no reason to think otherwise.

We'll see what he says to Superintendent Le Page.

Morning!

I hope you will co-operate with her.

I hope so too, sir. Kersey has my full confidence.

(SNORES GENTLY)

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

I'm telling you, Inspector,

this is Miles Trednor, Buy Wise Supermarkets...

Yes, I work there.

I also happen to own them.

Get me the man in charge of CID right now.

(RINGS)

Wycliffe.

'Mr Trednor, I'm leaving immediately.'

'Now, do exactly as I say.'

'Tell the branch manager to clear several shelves in the same aisle.'

'Different products, not just the baby food.'

'Put up notices saying you had supply problems.'

'They're to do this instantly.'

'Don't tell the staff there's anything wrong.'

Yes. Go on.

I see. Yes, thank you.

There's been a call from a mother with a contaminated jar.

She got it at this branch some time yesterday.

Fortunately, she smelt it before feeding the baby.

Anyway...if anyone asks, we're from the wholesalers.

I'd like to see you at 10:30 tomorrow, in Interview Room 4.

Yes, ma'am.

You don't want a friend from the Federation.

That's correct, yes.

Your choice. It's not what I'd advise.

I've been an officer 14 years.

I've nothing to fear from an impartial enquiry.

So you've nothing to fear from me.

10:30 tomorrow and sharp, mind. And by the way, you smell.

How's business been lately?

Better every year.

And the product numbers in the ransom demand are genuine?

Yes. I checked the stock records as soon as I opened the letter.

I double-checked with the wholesalers.

The seven jars this animal says he's poisoned were delivered yesterday,

and on the shelves by closing time.

Is that another one? Darren...

I said, stand over there.

(SNIFFS AND COUGHS)

(GASPS AND COUGHS REPEATEDLY)

You really are a very big help, aren't you, Darren?

I want you to brief all your managers personally,

with no-one else present.

I want the names and staff records

of anyone who's left in the last year,

and anyone you can think of who is still here who might bear a grudge.

I must stress the need for secrecy.

Don't worry. If this gets out, that's it.

That's a lot of jobs, I can tell you. Ah, at last.

I'll talk to my officer alone, Mr Trednor.

There are three jars missing.

OK. The blackmailer says he poisoned seven jars,

and he gave us the product numbers.

Three are in there. They were still on the shelves.

They're definitely contaminated. I'm afraid the last one got broken.

The fourth one was bought and opened this morning.

Again, the right product number.

I phoned the station and checked. That leaves three.

Which must have been sold.

Afraid so.

(OK...)

We're going to have to go public.

What?

Let's talk outside.

Five minutes ago you said we needed stealth.

I didn't know three jars were still missing.

This is my wife. I haven't told her yet.

We've worked 20 years at this business.

If we go public with this poisoned baby food,

I might as well hand over to the competition now. Mr Trednor...

If we don't announce this, children are going to die.

This ransom demand says to contact him via a coded radio announcement.

I'll arrange for it to happen today. I'll publish product recall notices.

Here's my mobile number. When he calls, give it him.

Shirley, this is erm... This is Mr Wycliffe from Freemans.

Hello.

First Taste say you've taken their products off the shelves.

I'm dealing with it. See you inside.

They're going barmy.

In a minute, Shirley.

All right, Miles.

You sort it out.

(Oh, bloody hell.)

I never really thought I had any enemies.

Competitors, maybe, but not enemies.

I mean, staff relations have always been good.

I know everyone who works for me by their first name.

It may not be someone you know.

All right, Lucy. Let's hear it.

No response yet to the appeal for the buyers of the three jars.

Nothing from the blackmailer.

There won't be till after the message goes out.

What about the poison itself?

We don't know yet exactly what it was,

but it was an organophosphorus insecticide.

Mmm.

Anything else?

All right. First question.

Why did the blackmailer use something

that gave off a powerful warning as soon as you opened the jar?

Hopefully because... Yes?

Hopefully he doesn't want to kill anyone, but wants to show he could.

To frighten them into paying.

Agreed. Hopefully.

All right.

Let's think about where he might have tampered with the product.

The seven jars were all made in a small firm in Wadebridge,

called First Taste.

The staff have been there years.

Most of them are mothers, so I'm not holding my breath.

Maybe he entered the shop, bought the jars, took them home,

poisoned them and put them back on the shelves.

Video surveillance? No. Wednesday was wiped.

If there's no shoplifting, they re-use the tapes the next day.

Well, it's certainly someone who knows how the company works.

The demand arrives the day after the baby food's delivered,

and there's no visual record of the shelves.

What have we got on employees with a grudge?

Well, so far, it seems that Trednor was a popular employer.

But there's one lead. Erm...

Donald Wesley Ferris, a Londoner originally.

Theft and burglary, eight years ago.

They took him on as a warehouse man last May, and sacked him in October.

He threatened the manager, said he'd get even with Trednor.

You'd better talk to him, then.

(MICROWAVE BEEPS)

(BABY GURGLES)

All right, Daniel, here it is.

Now, come on.

All right, come on.

You like this.

Oh, darling, what's the matter? (STARTS TO CRY)

Come on, now, pay attention.

Mum?

Mum, what's that horrible smell?

Where? Euch! (COUGHS)

Oh, my God!

Derek. This is Donald Wesley Ferris.

He's volunteered to come and help us.

Yeah. That's right.

Fill that in.

Doug.

Yeah? Le Page seen you yet?

No. My interview's tomorrow.

Mine's today. I wanted you to know.

If they offer me early retirement, I'm taking it.

I'm afraid you're on your own, mate.

Sunlight Radio, the brightest spot on your dial.

Kelly Martino, bringing you news from our Cornwall,

and the mellowest sounds around.

Now, it's competition time, brought to you in association with Buy Wise,

your friendly local supermarket.

And our prize is a week in fabulous Florida,

with the partner of your choice.

And, I'm warning you now, girls.

If I win, Tom Cruise is already spoken for.

But, seriously,

here to announce the details of how you can win

is Buy Wise's own Miles Trednor.

Miles.

Oh, yes. Erm...

Thank you, Kelly.

Yes, erm... We're offering...

Mm-hm? 'We've found one jar.'

The kid was being fed with it when the mum noticed. It's touch and go.

How many loaves of bread did the Buy Wise chain sell yesterday?

And, you all know the number to ring at Sunlight Radio.

Why were you sacked from Buy Wise?

It's not a crime to lose your job, mate.

I asked a question. Answer it, please.

I was late a few times. I took a few days off.

They reckoned I was unreliable.

Have you worked since?

No. I'd just come out of prison, and Trednor gave me a job.

When he sacked me, he wouldn't give me a reference.

You didn't like that, did you?

Of course I didn't like it.

What, would you like it?

You told the warehouse manager,...

'Tell Mr Trednor from me, I'm going to sort him out.'

I don't remember that.

You don't have to.

Because we've got three witnesses who do.

And you have, haven't you?

You've sorted him out.

I haven't done nothing.

I'll tell you something else.

He's not the only one you've 'sorted out'.

One of the jars of baby food you poisoned got eaten.

I don't need this. I - You sit down!

The mother had an operation leaving her with no sense of smell,

so she fed it to the baby.

The baby is being stomach-pumped.

Even if it survives, it could have brain damage.

You're off your nut. Yes or no?

Were you going to sort him out, yes or no?

YES OR NO? I don't remember!

I'm an alcoholic.

I can't remember things.

I was drunk the day he sacked me.

I wasn't going to say anything about her.

I never have said anything.

Her? Who are you talking about?

Now, you tell me.

I used to work nights at the warehouse.

And I saw them.

Mr Trednor?

Yeah, and her. Not his wife?

No, no. Not his wife.

He's got an office there, Mr Trednor.

She used to visit him in the evenings.

Why are you telling me this?

What do you want me to tell you?

I wouldn't kill a baby.

On my life, I wouldn't kill anyone.

So, who was this woman?

(RADIO JINGLE)

Keep those calls coming in for a week in fabulous Florida.

And here we have Crowded House.

Hi, you're through to Kelly.

'Are the police there?'

No.

'I don't believe you. Put the chief one on.'

Hold on.

Hello?

Superintendent Wycliffe.

How can we sort this out?

'I want £50,000.'

'Used notes. No hidden dyes, consecutive numbers or anything.'

'YOU bring it.'

All right.

Where and when?

'The Lizard. The old lifeboat station. Midnight.'

'You come alone, obviously.'

All right.

'Obviously, you'll deceive me.'

'There'll be other officers hidden.' Not if we've agreed otherwise.

'Do you think I'm stupid?'

No, I think you're highly intelligent.

(LAUGHS) 'Flatter the lunatic, Mr Wycliffe.'

We're still looking for two more jars.

Do you have them?

'Leave your mobile switched on.'

'I get a whisper of anyone else there tonight and you won't see me.'

'But you'll see what I can do.'

'Until midnight, Mr Wycliffe.'

(PHONE GOES DEAD)

We've heard from the hospital.

I'm afraid the baby is still critical.

Lucy? The hospital have confirmed

the feed was contaminated with organophosphorus insecticide,

available at any garden centre.

So, as with the others, terrible smell, big warning.

Sally? Yes, sir. The call was taped, and it's being analysed.

He was using a voice encoder.

We can get evidence of speech patterns, but it will take time.

Doug?

Well, we can count out Donald Ferris.

He was with me at the time the blackmailer was on the phone.

However, he DID (CLEARS THROAT) tell me that Mr Trednor plays away.

Does he, indeed?

Mm. A girlfriend comes to see him at night at his office.

A Mrs Handley. Ferris used to do her garden.

I've got her address somewhere. Somewhere here.

We'd better have a woman officer take a statement.

I'll go.

Thanks, Sally.

Be discreet.

Right, on to tonight.

I'm taking the case in.

It'll be fitted with a tracking device...here.

Now, when it's dark...

..the back-up will proceed across this field,

and position themselves about here.

'He's chosen his spot very well.'

'The boathouse is isolated in every direction.'

'The cliffs behind it are sheer and it faces the sea.'

'At midnight, the tide will be turning,

but he still might come in by boat.'

'It's not high till...erm...3:45.'

'But the nearest building is this holiday cottage.'

'We've obtained the keys.'

(DANCE MUSIC)

Where the hell did they get this car?

Ronnie Munroe. The bookie.

Ronnie Munroe?! It's his son's.

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

Here we are, then...darling.

(MUSIC OFF)

As you're here for a dirty weekend,

try and look as if you're likely to enjoy it.

Darling, come and look at the cottage. It's lovely.

It's freezing in here.

This is Lane. We're in position. 'All right, Lucy.'

'Synchronising.'

'Lights out in 26 minutes at 10:02. Out.'

Received. Out.

So, now we wait.

Doug? Yeah?

When did you last wash that shirt?

I'll put the kettle on.

Good idea.

I'll do it.

Sorry.

Look, Doug, you've got to stop this.

Get a grip.

Feeling sorry for yourself is not going to help.

I'm not feeling sorry for myself.

Oh, come on.

OK, Lucy.

What's the one thing every police officer can rely on?

The one thing? Loyalty. So where is everyone?

We're all behind you, every one of us.

I'm being interviewed tomorrow like a bloody suspect.

It was a death in the cells.

They can't just put the body out for the bin men.

It doesn't mean you're being accused. Doesn't it?

If anyone's responsible, it's Derek Cannon, the Custody Sergeant.

If he'd done his job properly,

he wouldn't have had the chance to top himself.

I know it happened after you interviewed him,

but that doesn't make it your fault.

I don't see how they can blame you. Act your age, Lucy.

They'll hang me out to dry. Senior careers are on the line.

Do you think Stevens will stand up for me? Charlie will.

Yeah, but he's only a superintendent.

14 years...

and I've had it.

For what?

I was talking to a suspect who was lying to me.

I didn't hit him.

I wasn't all that hard on him.

I'll tell you, I could bloody kill him now if he wasn't dead already.

I'm going for a drink. What?

It's quarter to ten. Nothing's happening till 12.

You're completely out of your mind.

One, it's orders. Two, what if our man is watching?

He sees me going to the pub.

I won't cover for you. If this gets out, you're on your own.

Where the hell did you think I was, eh?

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

Wycliffe.

'Is it all in place, Mr Wycliffe?'

I am. Yes.

'Good.'

'I'm bringing you forward.'

'You're to go immediately.'

Erm...look, I'm only a few minutes away. Erm...it might...

(PHONE GOES DEAD)

Wycliffe to all units. The operation's happening now.

'No-one is to move except on my order. I'm going in immediately.'

Lucy?

Here, sir.

There's been no movement at the boathouse?

Nothing.

He's already in there.

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

Wycliffe.

'Are you there yet?'

I'm here.

And I've got the money.

'You've also got friends with you.'

There ARE people in the area.

Sorry about that, but there's a certain procedure.

A few rules we have to follow.

Um, but there's nobody HERE.

Where are you? 'Near enough.'

'Leave the money and go.'

There's something I need from you.

Where are the other jars?

Can you help me with that?

'Not yet.'

(PHONE GOES DEAD)

Thank you very much.

Wycliffe to all units.

'I'm going back in.'

(COUGHS)

(COUGHS VIOLENTLY) Are you OK, sir?

Yeah.

At least you saved the money. Mr Stevens will be pleased.

Almost as pleased as me. (COUGHS)

I'm sorry our man didn't come. He must have had surveillance.

I don't think he ever meant to.

It looks to me like he's playing games with us.

OK, Lucy, I'll leave you in charge. OK.

Doug, you can drive me.

Why are you trying so hard to get dismissed?

All I'm trying to do is my job, sir.

Well, you're drinking like a fish.

That's my business.

You left a surveillance job to go to the pub. That's mine.

Oh, she told you, did she?

I saw you.

Can we get something straight? Get in the car.

I didn't kill him.

I upset him, I frightened him. But worse, I didn't do the admin.

I went home and had a drink.

Then he tops himself, and I go to the wall for it.

It wasn't my fault.

So now you can put fellow officers' lives at risk?

Take a look at yourself, Doug.

You're speeding downhill with your eyes shut and no brakes.

You're late, you're dishevelled. They've done this to me.

YOU'VE done this to you. No-one's making you drink or go unwashed.

YOU're doing it, Doug.

I can't go in and bat for you like this. I know.

All right. I just can't cope.

You've bloody well got to cope.

You're a police officer. So stop feeling sorry for yourself,

and face this with courage and dignity. Understand? Yes, sir.

All right. This is how it's going to be.

You're going to go home, clean yourself up, and lay off the booze.

What you did didn't harm the operation.

I'm going to forget about it.

Thank you, sir.

It's this once only. No second chance.

'Control to Wycliffe.'

Wycliffe.

Somebody walking their dog reported it.

Bomb Disposal say it's not a bomb or an incendiary device.

Keep everyone back, all the same.

Doug.

'Mr Wycliffe.'

'You lied to me, and disobeyed my instructions.'

'Now you've seen what I can do.'

'The price is now doubled to £100,000.'

'The sample of poison you are looking at

has also been put in the missing jars,

which I am now putting into circulation.'

'This time, there is no smell to warn the victim.'

'Take off the top and see.'

'This one is also much quicker, and there's no antidote.'

'If you want to find out where the other two jars are,

don't switch off your phone.'

Brown rice.

What's he got to have brown rice for?

Because he's a vegan.

(SCORNFULLY) Vegans.

They come over here, break our laws, then get a special diet.

You break our laws. That's why you're in here.

What about this vegan, eh? Wanting to eat this stuff.

He's on psychiatrist's orders.

After what he done to them kids.

Do you know what I'd do with him?

Baldry, shut up and pour that out.

Mr Wycliffe. I've heard about your attempt to catch the extortionist.

I'm here to say I am not satisfied.

I've given you every co-operation so far,

but I warn you, I can cause a lot of trouble.

Mr Trednor.

You causing trouble isn't going to be of any help,

but if you want to, I can't stop you.

You haven't helped so far, by being dishonest.

What the hell do you mean? I mean...

you didn't tell us you were seeing another woman, apart from your wife.

Well, that's none of your business.

Oh, it is my business, Mr Trednor.

You knew we were looking for someone with a grudge.

I can tell you the woman in question has no grievance against me.

And your wife?

My wife knows nothing about her. Nothing.

In my experience, wives often know about these things

for a long time before they announce it.

Even if... For God's sake, we've got two children of our own.

And as for...the other woman...

Mrs Handley.

She'd never do anything like this. She's a mother herself.

We have to talk to her to eliminate her from our enquiries.

But your wife needn't know.

Sorry.

Excuse me.

One of the missing jars has been eaten.

It wasn't a baby. John Larsen.

The child killer?

Ate baby food by request.

The psychiatrist OK'd it, and they brought it in every week. He's dead.

All right, all right. Settle down.

The good news is, the baby's out of danger and recovering.

Now...

All the signs are...

that Larsen's death is a result of his obsession with eating baby food.

John, go through the files on Larsen and his victims.

Whatever our feelings about Larsen

- and I helped put him away - a death is a death.

We now know we're dealing with a very dangerous extortionist

who is prepared to kill.

And there's still one jar out there.

So...

..let's look very hard at the picture we've got of this person.

One.

He specifically targets baby food.

Two.

There's been serious preparation -

the voice encoder, the chemicals, the incendiary device.

And three.

So far, he's only targeted Buy Wise.

So it could well be someone who hates Trednor.

Thoughts.

Someone who wants to damage Trednor.

We know he's got a girlfriend.

Chances are, his wife does too. I'd back her.

Set up a watch on Mrs Trednor.

Sally? Have you seen the girlfriend?

I went round several times.

She's been out.

Keep going round till she isn't.

Yes, of course. Erm...good luck.

EVERYONE: Good luck, Doug.

You are aware that this interview takes place under caution?

I am aware of that, yes.

Detective Inspector Kersey, I have served discipline forms on you

in respect of offences of:

unjustified questioning, obtaining evidence under duress,

interviewing in inappropriate circumstances

Where did you get...

And oppressive interviewing.

You did not give necessary support to a vulnerable person,

maintain custody records, or a proper record of an interview.

Finally, there is concealment of evidence.

Describe your last interview with Mr Sennan.

Um...he...erm...(CLEARS THROAT)

He was in Custody Cell...4.

He sent a message via the custody sergeant requesting to see me.

You went to the cell alone with him?

That's correct.

Was that wise?

I'd arrested him and charged him with murder.

When Wycliffe and I saw him, he'd admitted withholding information.

Now he wanted to see me, so, yes, I think it was wise to see him.

Alone?

Wycliffe was off duty. Anyway, Sennan wanted to see me.

Why didn't you take him to an interview room?

I didn't know what he wanted, did I?

I'm not au fait with the kind of policing

you were used to in Hampshire, ma'am.

We find it pays to establish confidence with a suspect

before starting the tape.

You established so much confidence he killed himself.

Now, why do you think that was?

How the hell do I know?

How the hell DON'T you?

'Mr Wycliffe? The price of the final jar is £100,000.'

'This time, you really will be alone.'

'You will bring it to the main entrance of Buy Wise in Porthennon

at midday today.'

'I will contact you there.'

'If you try and deceive me again...'

(PHONE GOES DEAD)

He was...depressed.

What about?

His life. Everything.

He was a...failure.

He was a mess.

He'd never had a job, a decent car, a holiday.

He'd never been any good.

He'd got a small son, the best thing that ever happened to him.

Now he was going down for murder, he'd lost that as well.

How did you respond to this?

I made him tea, held his hand, kissed it and made it better

Answer the question.

I told him he was right. I agreed with him.

He WAS a mess. He WAS a failure.

It WAS all his own doing, and there was no-one else to blame. All right?

I have served discipline forms on you

for the previously detailed offences.

I am to note your reply in receipt of them, if you wish to make one.

My reply?

My reply is that you've been sent here to bury me.

We know it's all set up for the criminal against the police,

and you are helping them against a fellow officer.

Do you know what? He was a bloody waste of space,

and I couldn't care less he's dead.

Have you got all that?

'He was a bloody...waste...of space,

and I couldn't...care...less.'

And I'll be needing your -

My pocket book.

Thank you.

Control to No.5.

'Receiving.'

The question is, do you consider

DI Kersey to be a reliable officer?

I consider all my officers reliable.

That isn't what I asked, Mr Wycliffe.

No. Erm...

You know the stresses of the job as well as I do.

Look.

The DI Kersey that you may have seen...is not at his best.

But he's been under a terrible strain.

Whatever you saw, he blames himself for Sennan's suicide.

I wonder, would you or I cope any better?

Luckily for me, I've never had to find out.

You have done your homework. Oh, yes. I'm notorious for it.

October 4th, 1985, it happened to you. In Leeds.

In almost identical circumstances.

You still haven't answered my question, Mr Wycliffe.

Is Kersey a reliable officer or not?

If he was unreliable,

don't you think we'd have found that out by now?

This is now.

OK. Er...

He's been a good policeman.

A successful detective.

A motivator of other officers.

I'd have thought you'd done enough homework to see that.

I have, as a matter of fact.

But I needed your statement.

Oh, dear, my pen's stopped working. I've got one.

No, no, it does this.

I just have to rest it for a while.

Have you ever done a disciplinary enquiry? No.

I have.

It's the job they give a successful woman, to get you out of the way.

When I've done these before,

it's never been about one particular incident.

All sorts of things come into play.

Local things?

Mmm. Local politics.

Station politics.

Thankfully, there's no pressure like that here.

No. There wouldn't be.

(CLICKS PEN) Oh, working again.

Well if you can think of anything else that would help me...

Yes. I'd be grateful if you'd look at case loads

carried by our officers as a result of other duties in the division.

And at staffing levels generally.

They tend to create incidents like this one.

As our critics are always ready to say,

we're top-heavy, managerially.

Too many chiefs, and not enough Indians.

You could say that.

I'll bear that in mind.

Morning, ma'am.

I'm meant to be going to the shopping centre,

so what am I doing here?

Mrs Handley's in, but I didn't talk to her.

Why not?

When she was out, I found out where she worked.

Anyway, she don't fit in anywhere.

She's no driving licence,

Inland Revenue don't know her, no National Insurance, nothing.

Whoever it is in there hasn't always been called Margaret Handley.

So I hope it was all right, ma'am. Go on.

I came early and waited for the postman.

I asked him who lived at No.12.

She DOES get letters to Margaret Handley.

But she still gets letters in her old married name. Which was?

Margaret Ezzard. That's E-double Z-A

I know how to spell it. Ezzard.

Ezzard...

DC Miller, I think you might have taken up the right career.

'Lane to Wycliffe.'

Wycliffe. Go ahead, Lucy.

I'm outside Trednor's girlfriend, Margaret Handley's, house.

DC Miller is with me.

I've just discovered from her

that Margaret Handley used to be Margaret Ezzard.

Is she in there now?

Sally saw someone moving round a few hours ago,

but no-one's come out yet.

Stay there. I'm coming.

What about the drop? You're in charge here.

She's still in there. Do you need us?

Hello, Charlie.

Hello, Margaret.

You got him, then.

I said I would, didn't I?

I promised her as I buried her I'd get the man that did it.

Your little girl would be 16 now.

That's right.

I did think I'd get away with it.

Not that it matters.

I'm so sorry about that baby.

The mother couldn't smell.

I read that in the paper afterwards.

They're all right, though?

I found out Larsen had started eating baby food in prison.

The kitchen officer used to do his special shopping in Buy Wise.

So you got to know him?

He was lonely.

He was separated from his wife.

It wasn't his fault.

At first, I thought I'd do it all through him.

Just swap my jar for one of his.

But you knew you'd be an obvious suspect

if Larsen suddenly got poisoned.

So you thought of the blackmail.

It took a while.

Then I saw the Trednors in the shop one day.

One look at his sour-faced wife, and I was home and dry.

Miles is a nice man.

They're both nice men.

I'm sorry I had to deceive them.

You put five poisoned jars on the shelf.

Ones you could smell, and...

The one you couldn't smell, I put in the prison officer's bag.

Don't blame me, do you, Charlie?

It's not my job to blame you.

We should be going now, Margaret.

Subtitles by accessibility@itv.com