Original subtitles

He had more gods around him than your children.

I found his wife instead.

What's she like?

Everything about him fascinates you.

It's professional curiosity. We need to know, that's all.

You identify with him.

Don't be ridiculous.

Did you know he was born the same month and year as you?

And that he spent most of his childhood in Berlin because his father was

stationed here?

Where do they live?

Out in the country, the Neuschen.

Northeast of the city, the last station on the S -Bahn. I pretended I was doing

a public transfer survey.

You lunatic. You've got West Berlin papers.

I suppose you should call the police to check your credentials.

She wasn't going to call anyone.

She wouldn't have answered the door if I hadn't caught her in the garden.

Half of her face was black and blue.

Told me she'd fallen over. You could see the fist mark.

Stennis beats his wife?

The neighbor said so.

It's quite usual for them to quarrel.

And he runs around with other women.

I can vouch for that myself.

Thanks to you.

Zena's doing a job, that's all.

I hope you're right.

She seems to enjoy too much for a job.

I think they are going to split up.

The son had left home.

They have nothing to stay together for.

Except office rules and regulations.

KGB like happy families.

I asked her what her husband did.

What was his daily journey on the S -Bahn.

She said he's an embassy official, Russian.

I said I thought Russians have chauffeurs to drive them to work.

That set her off.

About how he's being passed over for promotion.

Second motive.

Fed up with his wife, fed up with his job.

It's all too neat.

Suppose the KGB set all this up as a cover story.

Giving her a black eye.

On the off chance I went knocking at the door.

How do I know Fiona's not second

-guessing every move I make, huh?

How do I know she's not planting Stennis?

That's not the way it feels anymore.

London are negotiating with Stennis through Frank Farrington and Zena.

Shows how much they trust me.

And they found Mackenzie.

And they're asking questions.

What did I tell you?

You break the rules, you dig yourself deeper and deeper in.

Now they'll find out I was down there with you.

Just when I'm working myself back with the department.

Silesia.

Silesian songs, Silesian food.

Silesian nostalgia.

Berlin is a dustbin for refugees.

Zena's family is just the same.

Big reunions to tell the old stories and remember the old farm.

But Sena never saw any of that.

Growing up with the stories as he even wrote.

God, what a pair we ended up with.

Sena in love with a past that never happened.

Fiona in love with an ideology that never existed.

Sena's a child, Bernie.

That's why I love her so much.

She believes in all the fairy stories.

I don't want to lose her.

I don't want her falling for Erich Stinnes.

Listen, Werner, if she's falling for anything, it's the quarter of a million

dollars London have offered him.

I don't understand why you sent Werner into the East.

I already know it all from Erich himself.

Like the fact he beats his wife?

I am your only contact with him.

Things must be done as I say.

How many times?

Did you see Stennis whilst I was over the wall?

Once here.

And once in the east.

You went into the east?

Are you crazy?

Harry phoned to say he had two tickets for the opera.

He seemed to know you were not at home.

He sent a car.

I was worried it might drive up to the door with the Russian army driver in

uniform.

Or a hammer and take a flag out of a bonnet.

Erich Dennis is not a polite and cultured gentleman. He likes to pretend

What if he'd held you hostage?

Promises, promises.

It's not funny.

It could have happened.

I can't handle Erich Stinnes.

I understand Erich better than you men will ever understand him.

You should ask a woman to help.

If you really want to understand a man like that.

I understand him all right.

Perhaps I understand him too well.

They did know you were over there.

Now, are you sure that you weren't tailed when you spoke to his wife?

What difference would it make now?

Whether we believe what she told you.

She didn't fake a black eye, Bernie.

Zena, did Stenis ever talk about his family?

He complained about his wife.

And the fact his son's left home.

He just has the one.

Nineteen years old.

He's come back to his mother in Moscow.

His what?

His son's come back to live with Zari's first wife.

Perhaps you'll let me manage things my way now.

How long ago was his first wife?

They separated almost as soon as they had the child.

The boy did his last two years at school in East Berlin.

He got very good marks, but he couldn't get into university.

Erich was furious.

How furious?

Very furious.

It's hardly a motive to defect, is it?

He won't see me here anymore.

He feels very exposed.

He's not the only one.

He won't see me until he's back in Mexico.

He will be there for five days to finish what he was doing.

He said, whatever happens will have to happen out there and before the fifth

day.

Have you been hiding?

Everybody is searching for you. Frank Harrington, his driver, Mr. Tiptree.

He's out in the city streets looking for you.

Tell me, are you running away from something?

Perhaps they think I'm a spy.

They think that?

Are you pulling my leg, Liebchen?

Come on, let's have a drink to good old times.

Instead of making bad moods, though.

Berlin changes for you. You are no longer easy here in your mind.

Boy.

Let's drink to the next time, huh?

And the summer sun on the Wednesday.

We'll have a picnic together.

Like you used to with your wife and children.

When did you know something was wrong?

Did you know before it happened?

Did you?

After all, she lived here for five years.

She carried your children?

Yeah, I'm cold with you every single day.

You must admit you never liked her.

And I'll tell you why.

In 30 years, she was the only person who ever complains to Liesl Hennig about

her wounds.

Well, everyone else was too frightened to complain.

That was like divorce. The fault was on both sides.

If you are sad, Liebchen,

Then she has defeated you.

Your life is worth more than the regrets she's left you with.

About bloody time, too.

Our Berlin's been out looking for you during the last 12 hours.

A one -way ticket to Paris, Samson.

A man called Paul Biederman was arrested at Charlie de Gaulle Airport last

night.

Arrested? What for?

The unauthorized possession of classified material.

They ran his name and his passport number through the computer and found

had NATO protection.

It appears that some bloody idiot in London had put a sacred tab on him

referring it to committee.

The tab had your name on it.

What exactly has this got to do with you, Tiptree? I mean, what particular

are you wearing today?

I only possess one hat.

The FCO.

Which sometimes doubles as internal security.

Biederman was arrested in France.

France is not NATO, thus it becomes Foreign Office Liaison.

Me.

The French don't usually cooperate on NATO matters.

They are this time.

They're keeping him at the airport until we can get one of our chaps out there

to check him out.

I need hardly say you better take it pretty carefully with the French.

They're under no obligation to hand him over.

Or indeed to give you access.

Toujours la politesse.

That's what I always say, Samson.

Yeah, yeah.

We'll be with it.

Well, you know he has an American passport.

Did you tell the embassy?

No.

We thought we...

I should talk to you first.

And me to him?

Oh, the coat.

Hang your coat on the camera and turn on the ventilator if you don't want me to

listen.

Thanks.

I actually was praying it would be you. I said someone was coming from London.

Berlin, Paul.

I was doing everything you told me to do. Low profile, being careful. Shh.

So, Paul, what's all this business about you carrying submarine specifications?

I never saw it before in my life.

What do I know about submarines?

For Christ's sake, if the Russians want information like that, they don't go to

an amateur.

The

whole

day I've been in here.

Where are you flying for?

Rome.

Why are you in Paris?

Business.

Currency transfers through the French Margin Bank are perfectly legal.

You arrived in Paris yesterday?

Yes. Who knew you were coming?

The bank.

No one else?

Who did you see in Mexico?

Moskvin.

You won't watch out for him.

He is an evil bastard, that Marsh Queen, I tell you.

So, Paul, how did

these papers come to find their way into your briefcase?

It's not my briefcase.

I came to the airport in a taxi and went to the Alitalia desk.

A man came running up, pushed the case in my hands, and said I left it in the

taxi.

And off you went.

And in these days, you don't fool around in airports with baggage you don't

know. So I called to the girl on the desk to ring the police. Two seconds

I was arrested.

What's going on, Pat?

Can you get me out of here, please?

who forced the case on me, a way to get me to work for you.

Oh, dear.

Deputy Chief, before German death in London, I wouldn't have the faintest

what to do with you.

Except throw your credit cards out to lunch.

But why would the Russians do it?

Why, indeed.

I wouldn't forget if you get me out of here.

Don't worry, Paul.

With the kind of bank balance you've got, neither would I.

Excuse me. Could you let me out, please?

Merci.

Sorry?

For Mr. Biderman.

Emile Theodore.

After Pascal Marti. There, it's the Corsican stories.

Dominique Sampieri, Pascal Marti, with an I at the end.

Well, we put them both in a GT.

And you ask the central for the 54 AM 1523.

I also remind you for Anne -Christine Ballereau.

And her girlfriend Julie Lamour.

Julie Lamour is the M .O .R.

Do you make your conclusion already?

The briefcase was clearly planted.

Why so clearly?

I know Paul.

He spent most of his life lying.

It becomes painfully obvious when he actually tells the truth.

Planted by whom? For what reason?

For all I know, to embarrass the French authorities in some way.

Oh,

would you like maybe another coffee?

Here's a Grand Creme, like you just sent your prisoner.

What are you talking about?

When the plague is sent down...

Thank you. Thank you.

Just a few papers to sign.

French Embassy would like a written statement to say that your friend, Mr.

Biederman, didn't die as a result of French police brutality.

And they also require your voluntary assent to attend a post -mortem, should

become necessary.

And we'd like a chronology of the facts for our own files.

So if you'd like to confirm that Mr. Biederman died from poison in a cup of

coffee given to him by you.

Philip Gordon.

My God.

Bad news travels fast.

You're a bloody fool.

Twice. You break the rules.

Now you wonder why they throw the book at you.

Except this time someone set me up.

Fiona? Why should she play such an elaborate game? To discredit you?

Why not just knock you off?

Perhaps my wife has scruples about killing the father of her children.

Besides, Fiona never could resist an intellectual challenge.

Like you.

Sit down there when I'm beaten.

Well, thanks a lot.

My wife's been playing the come -on game with sinners in Mexico and Berlin for

you.

And now you say you're beaten?

Where is Tina?

Waiting in the airport.

She didn't fancy meeting you.

So you're on your way then?

Flight out in two hours.

Tomorrow we are back in Mexico with Stinners.

Get it in your thick head.

I'm going for Stinners.

And you better be right there behind me.

And when Stinners wants to bargain, you better have some answers.

Otherwise, old friend,

Take Frank's advice.

If you are a Russian agent, now's the time to walk.

Do you think she was ever genuinely pure?

Uncle Silas said you'd just come back from doing something very dangerous.

Well, that sort of thing's very dangerous when something goes wrong.

Say that about everything.

Uncle Silas said you'd be feeling like you'd been on a high in perception,

low in spirit.

You gave Biedemann a sacred tab.

To the means of cover, in case we needed him as an approach to Stimis.

Why didn't you clear it through committee?

I was only here for a few days.

The committee meets once a month if it's lucky.

Now you tell us Biederman was a KGB agent himself.

Is that why you tagged him?

He was hardly an agent.

He was used for finance.

Maybe courier work.

I dare say they used his house in Mexico and his boat.

He was a very small piece of the KGB machinery.

He was carrying secrets.

That was a very crude plant.

Generalized material covering a whole lot of NATO countries and third world

countries. The secrets were important enough for him to be killed.

He was killed to incriminate me.

That's how expendable he was. That doesn't change the fact that it was your

of coffee that killed him.

I think if the French had any doubts about that, they wouldn't have let me

Another theory is that Biederman was about to blow the whistle on you. And

left you no alternative.

Look, we could go on picking stories out of a hat all day, trying to figure out

Biedermann's role in all of this, instead of acknowledging that there's

in East Berlin laughing at the script she herself has written for this

Fiona.

Come on, brother, that's absurd.

Oh, I don't know.

I think we'd be delighted to have the KGB floundering around like this, trying

to find out who's on which side.

We're not floundering.

We're examining permutations.

Thank you, Mr. Tiptree.

Your wife was a KGB agent passing information to Moscow.

The questions we want to ask Stinnes concern your role in that operation.

There are some people in this building who have always thought that you and

Fiona were working together as a team and that you yourself tipped her off in

good enough time for her to get out.

But when she ran, I was already in East Berlin.

Why would I bother to come back and put my head in the noose?

That's the cunning of it. What guilty man would come running back to the

department he betrayed?

It's the most ingenious defense you could have contrived. And what's more,

Bernard, it's very you.

Very me?

Still your own breath?

Hypothesis.

Double bluff.

You're one of the very few people who could carry it off.

You're cool, Bernard.

Very cool.

Even today.

You can invent some wonderful plots, Brent.

But you're overlooking the fact that I was the one who flushed my wife out in

the first place.

She was a burned -out case.

She'd run her course.

Moscow said, bring her home and told you to blow the whistle on her.

Which makes you golden boy back here in London Central.

Well placed to carry on her good work.

Well, since my duplicity was so bloody obvious, why wasn't I arrested as soon

I got back here?

Insufficient evidence.

We wanted to see what you'd do about enrolling Stinnis.

Give you the rope to hang yourself.

Hypothesis.

Right, Dickie?

I've always said there was insufficient evidence to justify any action against

Bernard.

I want to make that quite clear to everyone around this table.

I mean, according to your scenario, Brad, if Bernard doesn't manage to turn

Stinnis, then that proves his guilt.

Positively medieval.

Throw the accused into a lake, and if he comes up, he's guilty, so you execute

him. Wonderful.

already. Oh, thank you.

Would it be accurate to say that you suggest that Fiona or the KGB or both

intend to feed us Stinnis as a disinformation plant?

I doubt if he would sustain a prolonged interrogation.

I believe the first motive was and still is to get me to run.

Run?

Run where?

Moscow, Brett.

That sounds like a piece of fancy Samsung footwork to me.

I disagree.

It'd be worth a lot of them to have Bernard there, asking for political

I think we have to take into account the way Bernard stayed here and faced the

music.

Speaking as director of establishment in this office, I'd say he had precious

little alternatives.

I happen to know he had several opportunities this last month. Make a

it, I so wished.

Speaking, that is, as Berlin resident.

In Berlin.

So, according to you, this whole shambles is an elaborate plot by Fiona

entice you back to the conjugal bed in Berlin or Moscow.

Couldn't that be just your wishful thinking?

Or maybe even your paranoia.

I'm not paranoid, Brett. I'm being persecuted.

Persecuted? It's a joke, Brett.

A very old Anglo -Saxon joke.

Well,

it's not so much a question of conjugal bed.

I mean, if Bernard scarpers, he'll take the kids. That's the whole point, isn't

it? You know how desperate she is to get them back.

Just as we know only too well how much we're having to pay for their

Can I ask, Bernard, has Fiona been in direct touch with you or are you with

She rang the children.

That incident was reported.

We're interested in unreported incidents.

Last Saturday, you were approached outside your house by a West Indian

When a car tried to follow you with the nurse, two other vehicles deliberately

balked at the chalk farm lights.

I'd hate to think of the times I've been carved up deliberately on Haverstock

Hill of a Saturday morning.

Who was the nurse?

A neighbor.

He had a friend working at the airport.

Someone who was prepared to help out with the children.

She was taking me to meet her.

Perhaps you'd let me have some names.

Whatever form it has taken, this was meant to be a departmental meeting.

I shall object very strongly if it turns into a cross -examination in its

present form.

I go along with that.

Bernard is a member of my staff.

There are certain procedures to go through.

If anyone's making other than hypothetical accusations.

Is there in your mind any connection between what we've been discussing so

and the death of Julian McKenzie?

What was he doing for you at the time of his death?

I don't know the time of his death.

I understand you gave this McKenzie quite a few jobs to do.

In the field.

There were more errands than jobs.

Not like you.

Do you use a probationer?

Yes, you're the one who's always complaining about the lack of

You're the one who won't tolerate amateurism.

He was keen.

He didn't mind using his spare time without expecting any extra payment for

He'd stand in the rain all bloody night without asking any questions about the

premises he was supposed to be watching.

Go down the municipal offices and spend hours rummaging around in boxes of old

birth certificates and voters' papers.

And because he was particularly rude and badly dressed, he had no trouble in

persuading anybody that he worked as a reporter in one of our great national

newspapers.

That's why I used him.

And that's why I liked him.

But you've no idea what he was doing in one of the department's safe houses.

Oh, we all know what he's doing.

It's like they're dead for seven days before some member of our highly paid

housekeeping department even bothered to check the premises.

Yeah, well, they've been shafted. We'll have no more trouble than those lazy

sons of bitches.

Oh. That'll be a great comfort to me the next time I'm in a safe house and sit

in a chair so that some cagey bee hood can stick a .44 Magnum in the back of my

neck.

How do you know what kind of weapon it was?

Not to say the way it was used.

I told him.

In Berlin.

And I repeat again, this is not meant to be a murder trial.

No one's trying to blame you for Mackenzie's death, Bernard.

Just Biedermann's. Well, that's nice to know. We're simply trying to get at the

truth.

I'll try this one on for size.

Suppose my slow and careful way of enrolling Stinneys is the best way.

Suppose there are some members of the department here in London who would like

to see my attempt end in failure.

So they hurry headlong into rape, when we're talking about seduction.

Throwing quarter of a million dollar offers at Stennis to scare the trousers

him, all because they'd rather he stayed his side of the wire.

Let me hear that again.

You heard me, Brett.

If Stennis goes into the debriefing center as I want him, relaxed and

cooperative, he'll sing.

Apart from anything else, he'll think about every screwed up mission we've

to put together over the last ten years.

And that could mean a lot of egg yolk and a lot of faces all the way around

London Central.

You include me in that sweeping statement?

I don't know, Brett.

Consult your analyst.

I deal in facts.

Don't you talk to me like that!

I'll talk to you anyway, I want money, boy!

I'm the file officer on the Stennis investigation, unless anyone's

that.

You may have given me a couple of minders and rigged this kangaroo court

intimidate me, but I hold power of attorney on that file until the DG

withdraws it.

I've been on the other side of that wall, Brett, where intimidation is done

experts, so you don't frighten me one itsy little bit.

And this pantomime has been staged.

to make me abandon the Stinnis investigation, then all I can say is

colossal waste of time and money.

Because I intend to gather Mr. Stinnis for you, to bring him back to London,

to make him sing like a red canary.

Now, gentlemen, I have a previous appointment with the Director General,

travel warrant for him to sign to Mexico.

And if anybody wants to change his mind,

Then I suggest he walks out of that door ahead of me.

Make too many enemies, laddie.

I said what needed saying.

You said it very well.

Brett went home to change his underwear.

Oh, that'll be the day.

You're inclined to the overkill.

Is that a warning?

Advice. Fatherly advice.

Not to guard my tongue.

I enjoyed the way you scared them half to death in there.

They know how easily you can make fools of them.

Brett, never forget the way you described his visit to Berlin.

Checkpoint, Charlie.

Did he really sneak a peep over the wall, hiding behind a party of tourists?

He saw an East German border guard looking at him through a pair of

And he turned round so bloody fast he fell down the steps. I promise you.

Just a time, Bernard.

You can't antagonize a whole room full of people.

Sooner or later, they'll gang up on you.

Everything's very quiet today.

No one around.

Thought it was Sunday.

Departmental meeting, sir.

Someone in trouble, I suppose.

Better now, is it?

Clearly, yes, sir.

Precisely.

That's what meetings are for.

Well, you're going to Mexico about this Russian.

Trouble warrant for your signature, sir.

Is this, um... Steiner's worth the trouble?

Wasn't he your idea in the first place?

I want to know what you think.

Not those desk jockeys in there.

If he's genuine... he's the biggest and best affection we've ever had.

It must occur to you from time to time, Samson, that you'd be just as useful to

them.

We need to score, Euro.

No more near misses.

Thank you, sir.

Did you see this, uh, McKenzie body?

We don't always put everything into the report, do we?

Did you see Mummy?

Lily, I'm afraid we can't go home just yet because I've got to go away again.

See Mummy?

No. Doris is shopping. She left her gun at home.

You can always tell she's back here and she carries it. You are.

Mummy doesn't telephone anymore.

When can we go home?

Next week.

Where are you going?

Mexico, for exactly five days.

Race you down the hill. Give you three seconds.

One, two... Hello. Bernie.

Silas was looking for you. He wanted a chat, but not in the office.

He's at our new flat with George.

I'm afraid, darling...

George is convinced that you and I are having a passionate affair.

What?

You must have caught my wishful thinking.

Cost George a pretty penny, this place.

I gather you're meant to be renting or buying something yourself.

A bed sit?

Without the children?

Tessa told me.

Tessa should keep a pretty little mouth shut.

Remarkable pair of sisters.

One with a KGB.

One by all accounts.

Sleeping her way through Whitehall.

They really were good girls, though.

You're out on a limb, Bernard.

I can't do much to help you in London office.

D .G. has backed you so far.

Cut off your arms and legs if he even begins to think he's wrong.

Best you don't encourage such thoughts.

After 30 years, even you're not sure, are you, Silas?

After 30 years, I thought I knew Fiona.

I still believe I do know you.

Don't isolate yourself.

The human race may not seem very dignified, but you'll need one or two of

before you're through.

This is quite a place you've got here, George.

Don't you start.

I get enough of this from our mutual father -in -law.

Please.

He's after you, Bernie.

He wants your children.

Tessa wants a white carpet in here.

Oh, that'll be very elegant.

Look, I do have to say how grateful I am to Tess for...

Watching the kids while I'm away.

It's very good of you to let her.

She doesn't ask, Bernie.

I just assume she's looking after your children when she's not at home.

Well, she really has been a great help since Fiona left.

But I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea, George.

Wrong idea, Bernie?

What would be the wrong idea?

I'm not sleeping with your wife, George.

And I have no plans to try.

That's all Tessa drinks these days.

She's costing me a couple of hundred quid a week feeling bubbly. Talk.

Cheers. Cheers, George.

The feeling is dire, I suppose, Bernie.

What else would they do with a woman that's so consistently unfaithful?

It's not as if she's ever attempted to hide it.

You see, the trouble with being a Catholic is you can't admit a mistake

change your mind.

No, I'm... Tessa loves you, George. I'm absolutely sure that she always has.

She's a damn funny way of showing it.

Let's face it, we're both in a bit of a mess, aren't we?

Our mutual father -in -law.

He seems to think it's your fault Fiona skipped it.

I imagine instead she'd planned it ever since she climbed out of the cradle and

saw him standing there.

Did you see that pink Rolls Royce outside?

Yeah.

I'm delivering that later this evening.

£70 ,000 worth of motor car.

My markup's 15 ,000 pounds.

Succeed.

As it goes, it's time you had another car, Bernie.

Something with a little oomph.

I'll keep my eye open for you.