Original subtitles

(tense music)

(train rumbling)

- [Man] Somebody important, is it?

Is it the prime minister?

- It's Byrne, Neil Byrne.

(dramatic music)

- [Don] I could, maybe, have believed her once.

- [Mr. Wheelditch] Ah, ah, ah, ah!

You have to wait, it's his move.

- [Don] Every single bloody jockey on the card

would have to be bent.

- I think somebody's been pulling your pisser.

- [Mr. Wheelditch] What?

- [Don] Oi, bit more respect for a prison officer, sonny.

- Shit faced.

- If this was for money you'd be rich.

- Instead of which, you're gonna be dying of cancer.

Read a lot?

- Got all the time in the world.

- Bet you have, but Jesus.

Yep, it's gonna be a lot colder up in Peterhead.

- Wanna be near my sister.

I need a piss.

Mr. Wheelditch, I need to go.

- [Mr. Wheelditch] Piss out the window.

- Mr. Wheelditch!

- He's been four bloody times since we left Euston.

You got a problem?

Closet and chain, please, Don.

(train rumbling)

Oi!

- [Neil] You mean it were a regular thing?

- I dunno, maybe six, seven Tuesdays, something like that.

We're talking just after the war.

An old leg told me.

Tipped a few winners over the years.

- Mr. Wheelditch, just gimme a few moments in here.

You know what I mean?

- Yeah, all right.

(suspenseful music)

Here, Byrne.

- Yeah?

- You're not reading that bloody book in there, are you?

- Oh, shit.

No!

- [Mr. Wheelditch] Only, I haven't got all night.

- Yeah, I won't be long.

(dramatic music)

(Neil grunting)

(train brakes squeaking)

(door clattering)

- Oh no!

Oh, I don't believe it!

(phone beeping)

(phone ringing)

- Clive Gregg.

- It's Don, Don Simpson.

Byrne's gone missing.

- Oh, brilliant.

Where?

- [Don] I dunno, on the edge of the borders.

- When?

- 'Bout five minutes ago.

- I'm coming in.

- Does that mean you're not gonna take me to Sainsbury's?

- Neil Byrne.

He never intended to go near Peterhead.

(Neil panting) (tense music)

(suspenseful music)

(toilet flushing

- The Russian ambassador to the United Nations

continues to veto the latest Vulcan initiative.

Meanwhile, in London, Ambassador Kropotkin

has been called to the foreign office

for a further round of talks with the foreign secretary.

Neil Byrne, serving two life sentences for the 1997

murders of his wife and four-year-old daughter,

has escaped from custody.

Described by the judge as a sadistic and viscous killer,

Byrne was linked to organised crime

in a trial which rocked the nation.

(cameras clicking) (reporters yelling)

Seen here at the time of his arrest,

Byrne is categorised as extremely dangerous.

He went missing in the early hours of this morning

while been transferred, by rail,

from Garston Prison in the Isle of White

to Peterhead Prison on the east coast of Scotland.

Police leave in the Lothian area

has been cancelled and 300 soldiers

from the Queen's Border Regiment

have been called in to assist in the manhunt.

(tense music)

- [Announcer] The train now on platform two

is the 11:28 to Manchester Piccadilly.

Stopping at Ashley, Hale, Sale, and Stretford.

- [Passenger] Muriel!

Come on, hurry up.

About to go!

- Joe!

Byrne's out.

- Released?

- Escaped.

- What?

- [Joe] Byrne's out.

- Well, if he turns up here

he's dead.

- If he turns up here we'll take a vote.

Meanwhile, we have 27 million invested in this project

and an arsehole of a city surveyor.

- Where does he live?

- Train went like the clappers to Lockebie,

nobody could've jumped off.

Passengers complaining, somebody had a nosebleed,

no sign of Byrne.

- Who's the Noddy in charge?

- Detective Chief Superintendent Wallace,.

First name George, Lothian and Borders CID.

- Where's Simpson and the other bloody brain surgeon?

- Wallace wants them for, quote, "further interview."

- Get them back here.

Anyone interviews their sorry arses, it's gonna be me.

- [Wallace] I don't believe it.

- It was common knowledge, what, in the racing fraternity.

- On the other hand, it could be apocryphal.

A mere whisper assuming the form of a legend.

- And that's what you and the man who murdered, brutally,

his wife and baby daughter were chin wagging about?

You on one side of the Benghazi door,

him on the other taking the entire window

off the side of the train.

- I still had tension on the closet and chain.

- [Wallace] Describe his demeanour.

- Relaxed.

- [Wallace] Because he knew he was gonna jump off.

- Byrne never really lets you know what he's thinking.

- He's like a sphinx.

- A relaxed sphinx.

- With a hint of danger.

There's always a hint of that with Byrne.

- I'm sending you back to Garston Prison.

Consider yourselves in my custody

till I hand it over to Governor Gregg.

- [Don] Custody, sir?

- Until proven otherwise, I have to consider collusion.

And get a shave, the pair of you.

- [Shopper] Can you do something for me in the sale?

- Just 25%. - 25 bloody percent?

I know your markup darling.

80% will still wash your face.

Where's your changing room?

I suppose you do have one.

(firetruck siren blaring)

- [Wallace] 16 sightings in four hours.

- They're mostly from pubs,

and I bet half of them were pissed.

- Sir, maybe his application for transfer was just a rouse?

- A rouse?

- Aye, to get on to the train?

- Request to Manchester CID.

Discrete watching the flat where Byrne butcher his wife

and the skip where he dumped his daughter,

or most of her, surveillance there too.

Also his sister's place in Peterhead,

check it out, check her out.

- Do you think he's got an agenda?

- I think this man Byrne's got a reason

for everything he does.

(tense music)

- [Taxi Driver] Moss Side, taking to Stretford.

- Okay, one-six.

Take a seat, pal, I'll see who's free.

- I don't want a car, mate.

- Shit.

- [Byrne] I'm after a job

- [Ali] A job?

- Yeah, you know, driving.

- Rough neighbourhood.

- Yeah, it's no sweat.

- Well, pal, we ask few questions 'round here

and I could always use a good driver.

- Good.

- In fact the one question we ask is dead easy.

You got a car?

- Um.

- "Um," is not the perfect answer.

Come back when you have wheels.

We provide a two-way radio, okay?

- Yeah, seems fair enough.

When do you close?

- Flu epidemics and major gang wars.

- See you then.

- Go with God.

(upbeat music)

(aeroplane roaring)

- No chance we could get jet lag, Mommy?

- No, should be fine.

- [Child] Are we going to Montreal forever?

- No, silly, we come back in two weeks.

After we visit Granny.

- [Child] How long's two weeks?

- Long enough.

Right then.

- [Ali] Driver's licence?

- So there is more than one question.

- I lied.

- That's not my age, it's a misprint that.

- Don't tell me any secrets, pal,

then you might have to kill me.

You know Manchester?

- [Byrne] Like the back of my hand.

- Without looking, describe it.

- Big, sprawling inner city

centred around Deansgate and Piccadilly.

- I meant describe the back of your hand.

- It's like the back of any man's hand my age.

- Not mine, I'm a Paki.

- That's all I need, a philosopher.

- Nevermind.

You seem to know the city better.

Six-hour shifts, okay?

100 squids deposit on the two-way.

Charge the fares what you like,

but log each pickup and drop-off.

Try cheating and you'll get hurt.

Deal?

- Yeah, deal.

- Your call sign is four-three.

What do people call you?

- Spanish John.

- Spanish John.

That's cool.

(Ali speaks in foreign language)

- Got a room with a sink. - [Neil Yeah.

- Do you wanna have a look?

- [Neil] If you don't mind, yeah. All right, thank you.

Thank you very much.

- This is it.

50 a week.

Gas was disconnected after some twat tried to top himself.

- What drove him to that?

- You want it, or not?

- Yeah, I'll take it.

- Two weeks in advance.

Plus 100 quid deposit.

- There's 50 for the week, 50 quid deposit.

- Ramsay's the name, Edith Ramsay, Mrs.

Once a barmaid, plaything of actors and travelling salesmen.

Now, traffic warden's widow passed me prime.

- Set the whole street alight doing that.

- Oh, moment I saw you I said to myself,

"This man is an arsonist and a non-bloody-smoker to boot."

- [Neil] Is that right.

Well I started 21 months back.

What was it?

- Bit of pressure?

(eerie music)

- [Girl] Morning, Daddy.

- [Edith] What you need's a nice cup of tea.

- That's very kind.

- Kettle's in't cupboard under the sink,

or cafe on't corner'll sell you one for a couple of bob.

- All right.

- [Edith] They call me a heartless Hannah around here,

but if you ever want to borrow a cup of sugar

I'm just downstairs.

- Thanks.

- You've got four minutes left on your metre

before it runs out, and no cooking in't room.

(tense music)

- [Taxi Radio] Over to control.

I've got a Mrs. Strayovia at Piccadilly wants picking up.

It's a cash job, who wants it?

I've got a pick-up at Piccadilly

for Didsbury, cash job.

And it's immediately and she's waiting now.

- [Girl] Daddy.

- [Woman] You're spoiling that child, Neil Byrne.

- Trollip and his teddy bear.

- [Woman] You soft twit, I love you.

(van door thudding) - Your change over, watcher

will be 10 minutes later tonight.

- Thought you were gonna be late.

- Situation normal, mate.

- I understand, mate. - That's right.

Right, see you.

(van engine revving)

(suspenseful music)

- [Woman] You can't heal it all with kisses.

- [Man] Thanks love.

- [Woman] All right, hopefully they'll catch him soon

then life can get back to normal.

- [Woman] Ta-ra.

(tense music)

- [Annie] What you thinking?

- I wonder where he is right now.

- He can't hurt us.

- Why would he want to?

(car whirring)

(handbrake clicking)

(suspenseful music)

- (sighs) How was Tai Chi?

- I didn't go in the end.

(phone ringing)

Clive, take it downstairs will you?

- Gregg. - You know who this is?

- [Woman] God's sake.

- Where are you?

- I let you down.

- Stay where you are, I'll have you picked up.

Dry clothes, hot food, no rough stuff.

- Yeah.

I made a stupid mistake.

- Come back, say that to the parole committee.

I'll speak up for you.

- I left something on the train.

- [Gregg] I'm not with you.

- It's a book.

"Patagonia".

Nobody's handed it in, have they?

- Byrne, you're not a common or garden commuter, man!

You are an escaped prisoner

and this is not a bloody lost property office.

- Yeah, it's just,

well it's just that it's quite rare, actually.

- And you left it on the train?

- [Neil] Nobody's perfect.

- Look, Neil, staying on the lamb won't help.

The police will catch up with you sooner or later.

- [Neil] Yeah, well I've got things to do first.

(car engine revving)

(car screeching)

- [Wallace] Byrne just made a call on a mobile phone

to the governor of Garston Prison.

His home number, which has caused some alarm.

- [Man] Location?

- Oh, our boy's too smart for that.

- These phone companies operate

on a system of relays, right?

- If you say so, aye.

- Well, assuming that it's the phone he nicked

from the farm house it might register as an oddity

with the network system.

- All right, give it a spin.

And wake up sleeping beauty here, would you?

This is not a doss house.

- The superior's less than pleased.

- Guess the next time you or I get escort duty.

- [Don] Does never sound about right?

- Plus that Scotch git thinks we had a hand in it.

(book thuds)

- It's all grief.

- [Neil] Hiya.

Hello. - Hi.

- [Neil] How's he doing?

- Well, he's had better days.

- Yeah.

- And you are?

- I'm family.

- Right, five minutes then.

- Yeah, five minutes, right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

- Orchid Daisy.

Phalaenopsis.

- If you say so, Frank.

- Surprised we let you live?

- Yeah.

It wasn't B landing.

One phone call would've done it.

- Most of us thought, "Why bother?"

(chuckles) After you've topped your own beloved

who's gonna listen to a thing you say?

Word is

your spooky pals dropped you like a leper's turd.

- Tell me about the book, Frank.

- [Rank] What book is that?

- Sammy Leman sent me a book when I was in the nick.

It's like a book with loads of numbers in it.

- [Frank] Not me.

If I'd have sent you something

it would have been treated with bloody botulism.

(Frank gasping)

Haven't lost your touch, Neil.

- Who killed them, Frank?

I said who killed them, Frank?

- You help me.

I'll help you. (panting)

(oxygen hissing)

So,

"Patagonia",

what did you make of it?

- Numbers, codes or some sort.

I couldn't make sense of it.

- [Frank] Ah well, that's a pity.

The reason you're still breathing, Neil,

is because I figured you might be useful.

- Who the hell do you think you are?

- The boys won't like you running around, Neil.

But me,

I say prayers they won't get to you.

- Yeah and why's that, Frank?

- Every day, every night,

you have to live with what you did.

I took you in to my family

and all the time you were Judas bleeding Iscariot.

Death is too good for you.

- [Nurse] Your time's nearly up.

- Yeah, I know.

(car beeping)

- Hello, dad.

Who brought you that?

- [Frank] Mystery visitor.

- He took the bate?

- Who knows with him.

(children yelling)

- [Alan] Press is having a right laugh.

- [Frank] Well it's not every day

you have to re-seed the pitch

because the turf's been nicked. (laughing)

- [Joe] Well, look at it this way,

the club collects the insurance

and our sports and leisure complex

gets a brand new grass tennis court,

as if by magic.

- [Frank] (laughs) What word on Byrne?

- We should have done him in the nick.

- Right. - He's nothing to us.

- Call it insurance.

- [Joe] He's There.

- [Frank] Yeah, he's out there somewhere.

- He's bloody there you jubb.

(dramatic music)

(phone beeping)

Harry, get three men, block off the back lane.

(dramatic music)

He's over there, come on!

(men yelling)

(tense music)

- [Man] He ran off site!

- [Man] Nick said he went down there!

- [Man] Nothing here.

(upbeat music)

♪ Billy Ray was a preacher's son ♪

♪ And when his daddy would visit he'd come along ♪

♪ When they gathered around and started talkin' ♪

♪ That's when Billy would take me walkin' ♪

♪ Out through the back yard we'd go walkin' ♪

♪ Then he'd look into my eyes ♪

♪ Lord knows, to my surprise ♪

♪ The only one who could ever reach me ♪

- Annie?

♪ Was the son of a preacher man ♪

- Annie?

Hey, lock the door, I could have been anybody.

- [Annie] What's up with you?

- [Joe] I mean, what's his sodding game,

hanging around the stadium?

- [Annie] Who?

- [Joe] Neil bloody Byrne, who'd you think?

- Well, he's on the run.

Maybe he thinks he can pay for a deal.

- With what?

- With the 200 grand we each shelled out

before he got creative with a boning knife, remember?

- Yeah, well he used most of that

to finesse his way out of his cat-A cell

on the Isle of White,

on to an inter city express which slows down

to 40 miles an hour by a bridge

in the middle of nowhere.

- You kidding?

- Yeah, I'm thinking of doing the Comedy Store.

♪ He was ♪

♪ Oh, yes, he was ♪

♪ Yes, he was ♪

♪ How well I remember ♪

♪ The look that was in his eyes ♪

♪ Stealin' kisses from me on the sly ♪

- Thought you didn't carry?

- Only sometimes.

- Dad never did.

He never had as much as a parking ticket.

♪ And the only one who could ever reach ♪

♪ Was the son of a preacher man ♪

♪ The only buy who could ever teach me ♪

- Yeah, well look where it got him.

Copper's nark for a minder.

How is your dad?

- He's dying, Joe.

- [Joe] Well that's down to Byrne.

Old fella trusted him like a son.

"That Neil Byrne will go places," he used to say.

- There's a lot of things made dad ill, Joe,

we both know that.

(thunder crashing) - Roger one.

- [Ali] Roger two one.

- [Taxi Driver] This one for Disley, wants to pay by check.

- Your problem.

- [Taxi Driver] If I take it, can you cover it?

- You must be mistaking me for the bank of Funland.

- [Taxi Driver] He's got a banker's card.

- [Ali] Good luck.

- Ow.

- Wet out there?

- Cats and dogs.

(door clunking) (door creaking)

- Man the heavens have opened up,

my dreds are all ruined.

- [Ali] What's that?

- Somebody leave it in the motor.

Maybe they'll phone in.

- [Ali] Don't leave it here, squire,

you see a sign saying lost property?

(Ali speaks in foreign language)

- Well, he might need it.

Working man's gear, his uniform, you know?

- Listen, I'm going past their place in a bit,

I'll drop it off if you like?

- Are you fooling with my arse?

You've got badness in mind.

- You give a shit?

- Does it look like I do?

Take it, man.

Rastafari.

- [Neil] Hold the door love.

Ta. - And let's see

if we can get all the cleaning done

by 7:30 this morning, ladies.

- [Neil] Room for one more?

- [Woman] You in to that sexual harassment, then?

- [Neil] Not me, missus.

- [Woman] Just our luck, girls.

(woman laughing)

(elevator pings)

(woman chattering) (woman laughing)

- [Woman] You can tinker with my retainer any time.

(tense music)

(buttons beeping)

(door lock whirring)

(door clunking)

- Attended a fatal about 03:20,

I'll type up notes for you, Andy.

City surveyor fell off one of those high-rise monstrosities.

The coroner, even now, is asking the cadaver,

did you fall or was you pushed?

Oh, and I'll see you at that thresh tonight.

- [Police Officer] Murder.

- New shoes.

- Might be nothing, but there was a jacket nicked Monday

from one of those mens shops.

- In Hilda?

- Yeah, somebody, maybe the thief,

left a beat-up old barb in one of the changing rooms.

- This should be on "Crimewatch".

- It smelled of fodder.

- Fodder? - And dung.

I was brought up on a sheep farm.

- [Danny] And was there anything in the pockets?

- [Police Officer] I didn't wanna touch it.

And the jacket's still at the shop?

- It's tagged and signed for.

- Now this is what I call good coppering.

Get yourself a fry-up and put it on my check.

Get me anyone who's awake at Lothian and Borders, CID.

(computer mouse clicking)

(computer beeping) (tense music)

- [Woman] Can't you just give me a hint?

- [Neil] I'm sort of like a civil servant.

- Your bosses rang the other day.

- [Neil] Ericson?

- [Woman] He said I should be proud of you.

He said I should be proud of you.

- [Neil] What was he doing 'round here?

- think he wanted to check me out.

See if I was secure.

- [Neil] Bastards.

Don't know who's worse.

Ones who investigate or ones who employ me.

(tense music)

(door buttons beeping)

(door whirring)

- Morning.

You got scrambler problems.

- Neil?

- Hello, Alicia.

- Christ, it is you.

- [Neil] Yeah.

It's okay, it's okay, it's cool.

- Oh God.

- Listen. - Oh God.

- It's okay.

- I saw the police photographs.

I saw what you did to them.

(eerie music)

- Wasn't me.

You remember the radio game?

- Course.

- [Neil] You know how to get in touch with me.

(door whirring)

(door clunking)

- [Alan] I'm still not happy

with the swimming pool on the top floor.

- [Annie] The Quay Street design was a disaster.

- [Joe] We're not using the same architect.

- Well, you'd need a Ouija board.

243 tonnes of water cascading through eight floors

of ceilings, parquet floors,

carpets, chairs, tables.

- Got the picture, Jecko.

What's eating you?

- Everywhere you look, he's on the telly.

Newspapers.

There's even a bloody website.

- It's the media spotlight, Alan.

- He was not hanging 'round my football club for fun.

- Oh, it's your club now is it?

- So long as Neil Byrne

has the slightest interest in any one of us

he remains a threat.

And we voted to eliminate that threat two years ago.

Well, I say it stands.

- Is this a personal thing?

- You said it yourself, Joe,

we've an international business at risk,

plus he made fools of us all.

Personal?

You can bet on it.

(dog barking)

(tense music)

(pedestrians chattering) (taxi engine whirring)

(passengers chattering)

- Did you wanna go on to the Flamingo?

Keep the change.

- Besides, I wanna celebrate in private with you.

(woman giggling)

- [Woman] Hey, did you leave that light on?

- No.

Look, if I'm not back in three minutes call for backup.

- [Woman] Yeah, Danny, be careful.

- I'll be fine.

(tense music)

(door creaking)

(gun clicking)

(door crashes) (Danny screaming)

(fists thumping)

(books clattering)

- Now, Danny, I'll be brief.

You were the investigating officer

in the murder of my wife and daughter.

- Don't make things worse for yourself.

- How could I do that, I'd like to know?

Now, I've been over and over in my mind

every second of my 19 interviews with you

and one thing stands out very clearly.

- What's that?

- They got to you.

- They?

Who's they, Neil?

- How much did you take, Danny?

- I am not a bent police officer.

You do what you like, I put the right man away.

(Danny grunts)

- And at the trial when you gave your evidence,

now I've seen a few bent coppers in my time,

but you were good.

- Get to the point.

- You convinced the jury.

You damn-nearly convinced me, mate.

- Is that why you escaped,

to have a re-trial in my room?

- I escaped to find out who set me up!

- Put a lot of killers away, Neil,

and they've looked me in the eye

just like you're doing now

and they believed they hadn't done it.

They lied for so long that they began to believe the lie.

Two of them committed crimes so horrific,

such appalling acts of butchery, like yours,

that they genuinely and honestly

could not remember doing it.

See, their brains

had completely wiped the memory.

Believe me, Neil, I have never put the wrong man away.

You did it.

You slaughtered Alison and Sarah Byrne.

Now, give yourself up.

You need help.

(police sirens blaring)

(Byrne sobbing)

(dramatic music)