Original subtitles

Sonia Baker was a bright, well-liked researcher for the Energy Committee...

Everyone was shocked by her death.

Kelvin Stagg rang Sonia Baker to warn her she was on a hit list.

Why did you lot discount drugs in the Kelvin Stagg case?

Why were the postmortem results changed?

Is he being buried or cremated?

They don't own the story.

You do.

You couldn't resist her. That's totally unprofessional.

Foy was employing Sonia Baker.

We think that she was feeding preview information to U-Ex via Warner-Schloss.

Warner-Schloss are lobbyists for U-Ex Oil!

The U-Ex Oil story - draw the line. We can't afford to upset the Government.

It's a stop!

U-Ex's injunction, gagging every aspect of the story.

As from now, Yvonne will be making all my headline decisions for me.

Who knew Sonia was working for U-EX Oil? George, for one.

Did you put her into that position at U-Ex's request?

This conversation is over - a lot like your career,

if you repeat a single word of that accusation.

You've damaged me!

They're offering me a seat in the Cabinet.

She wanted to pull out of the whole deal.

She'd fallen in love with Collins.

She got herself pregnant to him.

Stephen!

Get off me! Agh!

Stephen?

There's a...a toothbrush and a shirt here.

Thanks.

I'll leave 'em outside.

Your shoes are here.

How are you going to get round the injunction?

We don't know yet.

If you say George Fergus was taking backhanders, he'll sue you and win.

Yeah, that would get past an editor, wouldn't it!

"They're all clean as whistles.

"And I know because they sent my friend Stephen to tell me!"

The Government knew exactly who Sonia was.

George upwards...

...from day one.

What do you call that, eh?

It's not corruption.

What, "inverted corruption"?

They watched her leak anything relevant

and they watched U-Ex take the piss out of me.

I don't understand.

- How come they just didn't blow it? - "Blow it"?!

Why would they want to do that? That would involve a scrap.

This was never a scrap.

Just so long as U-Ex were eventually

going to concede points to the Treasury, they didn't mind them running the show.

Stephen...

...why are you telling me this?

You write it and print it.

If I... If I print that, they'll know it came from you.

Good.

It'll finish you.

So?! Not before I scare the shit out of U-Ex.

They'll concede points, then!

Whoa, Stephen, Stephen...

Hang on, you're upset. You need to think...

Not before I bury George Fergus.

Oh, I've thought about it.

Select Committee Report.

The minutes of every meeting, every hearing.

Now, I can show you conversations we had in private that directly relate

to inexplicable changes in strategy by U-Ex.

I'll give you an affidavit repeating everything George Fergus told me.

I'll give you everything you need to blow this sky-high.

Am I allowed to print this off?

How much paper do you think you'll need?

Listen, we're on with Foy.

I need you to go with Della to the hospital, put the squeeze on him.

We need whatever information this guy...

- We're on?! - Yeah, we're on.

- We need either a letter or a fax or... - Take my car.

We need it tonight!

I've got Stephen Collins ready to put his name

to everything we've got and more.

He can implicate George Fergus upwards.

Lot more.

- How much is he asking? - He's not asking.

But he's going to need a lawyer acting solely on his behalf.

How do I go and ask her for that without sending flares up?

I'm still editor.

Yeah, but this story...

If she finds out we can back it, will she not try and fuck us over?

Pete, can you use upstairs?

- Would Collins talk to anybody else? - He came to me.

How do you know he's not stitching you up?

They've hurt him. He's going to talk.

- Exclusively? - Yes.

Can I hear him say that?

This a bad time?

No, we're finished now.

How are you feeling?

Here's something to cheer you up, Dom.

No?

Dominic...

...you implied you've got some kind of protection.

Something to verify what you've told us.

- Letter? - Nghh!

- Taped call? - Nghh!

No, what? There isn't, or never was?

Forget it!

Look, that's...

...that's mine!

Dominic, stands to reason,

the only way you cover yourself is by letting somebody else see it.

I don't need protection from you!

And I don't need to "verify" anything...

- ...to people like you! - Dominic,

you're not even here under your real name.

How come, if you're not scared?

We've just heard.

Stephen Collins has resigned.

Good.

Yeah, not resigned, as in "resigned to".

He's raving. He's going to the press.

He'll name you.

He's bound to.

- Give us a price. - Oh, hang on.

What's he offering?

It's an e-mail.

One sentence.

14...syllables.

He wants ten grand.

Jesus! For what?

Links one of the top brass at U-Ex, Richard Siegler,

to Paul Canning at Warner-Schloss, to Sonia Baker.

He says she's definitely mentioned in an e-mail.

OK, er...

Find Helen and go to my house.

Stephen knows you're coming.

And tell Dan to come back here, OK?

Cal.

- Can we talk? - I haven't finished going through it all.

- Glad you're not a proof-reader. - I'm glad you don't compile crosswords.

Dominic Foy's changed his story every time you've interviewed him!

- Yeah, it's a process. - If this went to court,

U-Ex's lawyers would bounce him all over the shop!

Look, if you don't want the story, then give it back.

- The copyright is mine. - You're a staff writer.

Cameron sacked me long before all this.

I'm freelance.

14-day rolling contracts.

But only because I brought that story.

My terms say I can walk if it's not picked up.

Well, we had no option. We wanted the story.

Adam, can you go over Cal McCaffrey's freelance contract for me?

I want to know how much it's going to cost me to break the terms.

Well...do I sound like I'm not serious?

You hard-faced bastard.

How long have I worked for you?

Long enough to know never to try threatening me.

Fine! Fine.

If the Media Group want to look like they bottled it

because they need favours from the Government...

You think the board's scared of the Government, suddenly?!

Well, I know that they want to buy the radio licences,

which will not happen if they've pissed the Government off.

- Where did you get that? - Is it that true?

Well, she doesn't care! She's been sent here to obstruct us!

Excuse me! That is not my brief...

If that gets out, and it will...

...you're going to end up looking like a mug.

The say on this story is conditional to its legal status.

Yvonne, grow up!

Why have they given you power over the budget, but only on this story?

Another...20 grand...

would nail it, conclusively.

Legally and exclusively.

For that, I can give you an e-mail linking U-Ex Oil directly to Sonia Baker.

An e-mail is not a quality document.

Well, it is, if you've got a sworn affidavit

from Stephen Collins confirming its contents.

- Since when? - Since he rejected a seat on the Cabinet.

He won't talk to anybody else.

So I'll just take a hike and, uh...

and give it straight to the Telegraph.

And, um...

Well, if he... If he does that...

...I'm going with him.

And you'd be very wise to follow,

unless you've got enough to retire on.

Mr Stagg.

Interview with Sonny Stagg, 18.05.

Present - Detective Chief Inspector William Bell

and Detective Sergeant Mark Cheweski.

So, what do you want to tell us about your brother's death?

Look for 19th May, 10th September.

May in particular. We discussed U-Ex's history on environmental requirements.

- As in no history? - As in total disregard.

Within eight weeks, they launched two offensives.

New processing emission reduction in 15 plants.

I mean, they weren't fitting them, they were just announcing them.

And a national school science-awareness campaign.

Same in September, but recreational facilities.

We'd discussed a 10% decline in their community obligations over 15 years.

- Wasn't this starting to look obvious? - Not across a year.

It just looked like they were in for a drubbing

and were shoring up their shareholders.

Oh, look up 22nd September.

Now that was one of their own submissions to a Committee session

by a young guy called Chris... Oh...

I'll look it up.

Obnoxious. I mean, really how not to submit to a session.

We discussed what a prick he was.

Fortnight later, they fire him.

Look up the 18th September...

Yv...Yvonne, I-I was just doing you a coffee.

- Tell him to spend the money. - OK.

And for that, it had better be watertight.

How much do you need to tell them?

I'll work that out in the cab.

Lovely...shoes.

"Paul Canning, Warner-Schloss to Dominic Foy..."

Which computer received this? Home or office?

Office.

Yeah, well, hardware's included in the price, by the way.

What?

Hi, Pete?

Yeah, tell Cal I've got it.

Yeah, for once in his life, Dominic's done good.

I think the money helped. It reads...

75% of the details of most sessions

wouldn't carry as good currency for espionage,

but enough significant material passed through Sonia Baker's hands

to justify - in my opinion - why she would be useful to the oil industry.

Well, U-Ex in particular,

because they - again, in my opinion - were the only company

directly responding to hostile perceptions of their working practices.

At no time was Sonia discussed with me outside of her role as researcher.

I've since discovered that senior Cabinet members

knew about my relationship with her

before I was forced to disclose it at a press conference

orchestrated by Andrew Wilson,

but suggested by George Fergus.

My secretary, Greer Thornton, confronted George Fergus directly,

naming him as the architect of that deception. When he most needed

to make a denial, he said nothing. Now, I've just heard

that Greer's resigned from her post,

but I want to put it on record that she did absolutely nothing wrong.

The mistake she made was going on recommendations

of a senior Cabinet minister and friend,

with no justifiable indication that he was a born liar.

I'll put that statement on tape.

Greer Thornton made the mistake of acting on recommendations

from a senior Cabinet minister and friend,

with no justifiable indication that he was a born liar.

Well, what's the point in him resigning?

He's only resigning as Chairman of the Select Committee, not as an MP.

The worst that can happen is they turn him into a loud-mouthed backbencher,

which sounds like Stephen Collins to me!

Er...just bike it over, then.

I'll fire it straight back.

OK. Yeah, cheers.

I just need to charge this up.

I guess I should phone Anne and the kids.

Sure, yeah. How did it go downstairs?

Long-winded, but...

Er, listen, use the landline.

I'll... I'll leave you to it.

Hello?

Hi, it's me, before you say anything embarrassing.

How are you?

Thank you. Thank you for your help. That was lovely.

- Go OK? - Mogadon lawyer,

I wouldn't have picked him.

- Is he staying here? - I don't know.

- Helps if he is. - It doesn't help me.

Offer him a hotel and make it sound grubby.

- You know where I am if you need me. - Can I get a lift with you, Cameron?

Of course you can, we'll split the petrol.

Cal, Dan's trying to get you. He's got the document.

Della's going to try stinging Richard Siegler.

How much of this stuff are we actually going to need?

Enough to make it look like we've got more.

That's clear.

Hello?

Um, Richard Siegler, please.

Speaking.

My name's Della Smith.

I'm making enquiries about an employee of yours - Sonia Baker.

Mr Siegler?

- You're a jounalist? - That's right.

How did you get my home number?

One of your other colleagues, I think.

Sonia Baker was never an employee of ours,

and that's all I want to say.

You actually mentioned her in an e-mail to your lobbyists, Warner-Schloss.

That's not true. That's all I have to say.

- Richardsiegler@U-Ex.com

to paulcanning@W-Schloss, dated the 15th of last month.

Quote - "If Ms Baker's a lost cause, I hold you responsible."

That's what we're printing that tomorrow.

Yours is the only name we're using.

What do you want to do about that?

I'll lose my job. I suppose that doesn't matter to you at all?

Sonia Baker lost her life.

Don't even pretend to connect me with that...

You personally endorsed the misinformation of a Government department

for commercial benefit.

I'm not suggesting you pushed her under a train to cover your own back,

but somebody did.

There was a confidential internal memo,

towards the end of last year - at Christmas time.

It said we should treat all incoming information

from Sonia Baker as top priority.

I assumed she was a field worker.

Well, she was.

It was only when I was put in charge of her feedback

that I realised who and where she was.

I had nothing to do with her appointment.

Memos addressed to...?

Paul Canning at Warner-Schloss...

...Freddie Meyer and Susan Sagattchean in Communications...and me.

From?

From above me.

One name, on paper, to make yours disappear.

Difficult.

Why would they need to kill her?

Here's a woman working for us,

came straight from the Department of Energy.

They recommended her for the post, for God's sake! It was perfectly above board.

But two days before Sonia died,

we know she came to you and told you she wanted to end the deal.

- Yes, I know that... - Only two days before...

- Yes, I'm aware of that... - At the risk of that size a scandal,

weren't U-Ex wishing they'd never got involved with her?

When I heard she'd been killed, I was. God, I... I started wondering whether...

But, on the life of my family, I knew nothing about that.

Get me the memo. I guarantee your e-mail won't be needed.

But, if I were you, I'd talk to the police before they talk to you.

- I'll...I'll drop you somewhere safe. - I'm safe.

- How much did you get? - Nearly all of it.

If you're going to change your mind, do it before the affidavit's handed over.

I won't.

You never know, you know, this could do you more good than harm.

Yeah, Anne worded it differently, but...

...I'm not interested.

You wouldn't put yourself through this

if you didn't think it was going to make a difference.

- They crossed a line. - Yeah, and at least you've got a line.

I think people knew that when we were trying to get you into Parliament.

You were a good campaign manager.

Anne was the one who thought you were too young, which...

...is ironic now.

Well...it made my job ten times easier, knowing that people trusted you.

George uses that word a lot.

Do you want to lay off that until we've finished the notes?

When you were first appointed Chairman, who told you?

No, that couldn't be rigged. It was an all-party vote.

I think that was my first real nod

that I was being taken seriously all round.

- Apologies, Gerard. Laptop again. - OK, Mr Siegler.

Biggest insult being that George was my mentor.

You know, he was the one guy you'd go to for a straight answer.

And he sits there telling me all this shit like I should be proud of him!

I swear, Cal, he thought everything he was saying was laying my fears to rest.

He thought it would make me feel better.

16 people working their arses off, all year round - for what?

Sonia meeting Paul Canning on a daily basis

down at the Trocadero and telling him everything!

No scraps, no surprises!

Everyone knows everything,

and they're telling me it's in the country's best interests!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Stephen, Stephen! Stephen, Stephen!

Come here, come here. Lay off the booze, lay off the booze...

Let's go and get some food. Let's get some food down you.

- Come on, come on. - I don't want food.

Well, you haven't slept since...

I don't know. Go and get some kip, then.

Come on.

Sonia meeting Paul Canning on a daily basis

down at the Trocadero and telling him everything!

- Can you tell her it's here? - Sure.

Now! I need to know she's got it.

Newsroom.

Della Smith, please.

Yeah, there's an envelope just arrived for you. From Mr...?

- Siegler. - Siegler.

Sonia meeting Paul Canning on a daily basis

down at the Trocadero and telling him everything!

No scraps, no surprises!

Everyone knows everything, and they're telling me

- it's in the country's best interests!

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stephen, Stephen! Stephen, Stephen!

Come here, come here. Lay off the booze. Lay off the booze...

- Where's Della? - Nipped downstairs.

I thought you were baby-sitting.

Can I help?

No.

He'd gone when I got there.

- Who? - Richard Siegler.

He's given us this - look.

Can I have a word?

Is there anything in Foy's transcripts...

...that say where Paul Canning used to meet Sonia?

No.

We haven't been told that by anybody?

No.

Why?

Because...

...Stephen has just told me they used to meet at the Trocadero.

Good a place as any.

No.

If Stephen only knows what we've told him...

...how does he know that?

The surveillance log in the hit man's briefcase.

That's the only place the Trocadero's mentioned.

Oh, Jesus.

Are you OK?

Yeah.

Yeah, fine. We're just, um...

We're fine, honestly.

- Thanks. - Stephen let me in.

I brought him some clothes from the flat.

He said you didn't get in till late.

Do you want some breakfast?

Where is he?

You've no bread, so he's gone down to the shop.

You should be in Manchester.

Well, if he's facing the press, I thought I could show a little bit of support.

You should...

...be...

...in Manchester.

Can we just get over the big bumps before we have to start dealing with...?

What?

With this.

I'm not talking about "this".

But if "this" is you changing your mind

about Stephen because you feel sorry for him...

...don't.

He didn't start it.

He was screwing her!

He wouldn't have met her,

had that lot not been manipulating things.

Five years ago,

you thought your marriage was dodgy.

Two years ago, you were certain.

Nine months back, he started having an affair.

Two months ago, he was about to move in with her.

Now, which bit of that

would a self-respecting woman want back?!

You arrogant prick.

The week before she died, she found out she was pregnant.

So...

...that's how much...

...you love me, yeah?

Slinging a rock like that?!

Thank you.

For your information...

...I'm not here for him.

I'm here because he doesn't need me against him right now,

putting himself through all this.

He is the father of my kids and, for their sake,

I don't want to see him in a bucket! Do you understand?!

No, you don't.

You couldn't.

Because, if it doesn't directly benefit you,

you don't have the patience...to listen!

Cal, if I'd known Anne was going to do this, I'd have said...

Police are today exhuming the body of black teenager Kelvin Stagg,

after new evidence raised questions

about the original inquest.

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Inspector William Bell...

Look, I can't really talk now.

I'm in a cemetery.

I know.

I'm at the wire. They won't let me through.

Dominic Foy's given us written evidence that may implicate the lobbyists

for U-Ex Oil in the death of Sonia Baker.

- At least Sonia Baker. - Saying what?

Proves Foy knew more than he told you.

So where is he now?

His secretary's just said he's in Spain, but I know he hasn't left yet.

I think you're going to need him.

Right, Chewy, Dominic Foy's trying to leave the country.

Find out what flight he's on, stop him.

That's not all you came here for, is it?

The hit man that killed Sonia Baker.

Robert Bingham.

Can I see his file?

- Which bit? - Social background.

Dominic Foy,

I'm arresting you on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

You do not have to say anything

which later may harm your defence when being questioned.

No!

No, just...just...

You two-faced bastard!

You two-faced piece of shit!

You piece of shit!

Come on, Dominic. Save your breath till we get you a speech therapist.

They don't care.

Robert Bingham's an electrician by trade. Never worked outside London.

He's got no connections with Manchester.

No schools, clubs or interests that can tie him in to Stephen Collins.

Ex-Army.

Yeah, but way back.

And Collins isn't.

Stephen Collins used to be a civilian contractor to the Ministry of Defence.

He taught literacy to squaddies.

Now, that's not on his parliamentary CV, but I know that for a fact.

They were at Aldershot together for 26 weeks in 1987.

Now, Robert Bingham's educational history says he was illiterate -

brackets - dyslexic.

They must've overlapped.

When Collins first moved to London as a new MP, his flat was broken into.

The CCTV monitors were installed by KEN Security Limited.

The registered owner of that company is Robert Bingham.

We need to talk to Cameron.

No, no! Della, please, please...

Look, if I'm wrong about this,

everybody will just use that as an excuse to stall the story.

The board, Yvonne Shaps.

They'll just dive on anything that can weaken it.

If you're right, people need warning before we get the arse sued off us!

Della, not to Cameron,

not to your copper.

If... If I'm right,

then it still doesn't excuse what U-Ex has done.

And it certainly doesn't excuse what the Government's up to, does it?

She's down there. I was just freshening up.

Get rid of her, Stephen. We need to talk.

Hey, look, I didn't invite her, you know?

If she's here and we're talking, we should all talk.

About Robert Bingham?

Tell her what you need to. Get her out of here.

I'll be back in 15 minutes.

Grandad swims a lot better than I do. You don't need me for a diving lesson.

Oh, your dad's here. Do you want to have a word?

He'll ring you back when he's just got a bit more time.

I'll ring you back, Karen.

I'll ring you back, sweetheart. Bye.

You've blown Cal out?

Is that what he says?

Speaks for itself, you being here.

I just think it's a bit more...complicated than Cal wants it to be.

You'd take me back tomorrow, wouldn't you?

With changes. But they'd be minimal?

I'm just trying to be, um...

...more civilised than my gut says.

I mean, we've got two kids who need someone to say,

"It'll be fine, everything's going to be OK."

Let's try and find a way through this

that doesn't screw up our entire family.

Cal's a really good option for you.

I beg your pardon?!

I can't make any more changes for anybody.

You're happy to even consider me,

I'd have to do you and the kids the favour of saying no.

You and him are looking at me like somebody without a bloody map!

Is that what you think?

Good.

Cos for every time that you've pumped yourself up

into something that you're not, I've had the benefit of knowing exactly

where I don't want to be.

No wonder you and Cal ended up glued to each other.

You're like peas in a fucking pod!

Stephen?

Stephen?

Where are you going?

Talk to me.

Sonia hinted twice before that I might not like her flipside.

I assumed she was referring to self-esteem.

She wasn't always so confident.

One Monday morning, I was feeling a bit rough, taken the day off work -

food poisoning, or...

It was only the second time I'd stayed at her place.

She'd gone into work. I was half-asleep, half-awake, when the phone went.

Bloke's voice.

"Sonia, can we bring tomorrow forward to 1.30,

"because I have a meeting at three?"

That's all. No name, rings off.

But I knew his name, because I talked to him on a weekly basis.

Paul Canning -

main lobbyist for U-Ex Oil.

Played it back about 15 times, just trying to put some rational sense...

Yeah, Robert Bingham...

...Stephen.

I met him again when his company fitted my alarm.

He used to be this chubby little squaddie

and he'd lost loads of weight and I didn't...

He recognised me.

He'd done security for...

Well, he said Arabs, but that was laughable.

He'd left...

...one of his business cards.

I wanted to know what damage she'd done me,

and I couldn't ask the security services to help me out, could I?

Come on! This was the biggest year of my life!

And Bingham did that thing, you know,

his ex-teacher made it to the Commons, needed looking after.

He loved it.

He took it on personally.

Wow, what a mate.

He wasn't a mate. He just wanted to be, you know?

I wasn't that optimistic, but he surprised me!

He went everywhere, he got everything!

He had her diary covered, her phone covered,

he had laptop her cloned so we knew when she e-mailed who.

What, he'd been in her flat?

Yeah.

Keys from you.

If I was going to have to go before Parliamentary Standards,

I needed every detail clear as a bell,

because I was the one that was going to be on trial!

Who did you contact in Parliamentary Standards?

- Nobody by then because we didn't have... - You liar!

- No, I couldn't go to them until... - You're a liar, Stephen!

If you had any intention of going to the Standards Committee,

you would have confronted Sonia first.

And we know, through Dominic Foy, that you didn't!

If she'd have coughed,

you'd have had nowhere to go but down.

The night before she was murdered, you slept with her.

That wasn't my idea!

What?

That.

Which bit, Stephen?

Killing her?

Yeah.

No, that was Bingham's solution, was it?

Freaked out. I told him to shut his stupid mouth.

Was he listening?

He wasn't, was he?

So what did you do then?

Fire him? Go to the police?

I told him no!

Oh, you told him no!

Well, big fucking deal!

You still carried on paying him,

- though, didn't you?! - I loved Sonia!

If you go saying I didn't, then I've got nothing left!

You know better than anybody,

I was prepared to turn my family inside out for her!

For Christ's sake, she's turning in her bloody grave here!

Along with all the other poor sods that Bingham's murdered!

Sonia Baker stood up to U-Ex Oil.

She scared the shit out of 'em.

She had guts!

She would have blown the whole thing wide open,

because she loved you enough to take the flak!

She was trying to protect you,

because she found out she was pregnant.

Well, I only realised that yesterday!

All I knew, she's feeling like the best thing that's ever happened to me,

but all the proof's pointing the opposite!

So, what? He said he was going to make it look like an accident, did he?

I told him no.

You saw more of her the week she died.

You knew something was going to happen.

He'd stopped making contact.

Which is how you knew.

Tell me this, cos I won't get it.

What did you think you could ever have achieved...

...however high you went...

...that was worth demolishing all those families?

You're no good to Anne any more...

...if this is going on the front page with your name.

When you've had your own, you'll realise. Kids...

...they shoot the messenger.

They just do.

You wouldn't stand a chance!

You'd better think about that!

George Fergus's office have seen the accusations

and issued a "no comment" on the record,

but I've had half a dozen calls for private briefings.

Well, just for ease of narrative, let's stick to "on the record"?

Andrew Wilson's offering some kind of exclusive on a Cabinet reshuffle.

That's about as exclusive as a Selfridges open day!

I know for a fact the Telegraph got the same call.

Is that McCaffrey?

Where's Collins?

Well, did he come in with you?

Is he coming in? Hello?

Cal!

Yes or no?

Just tell me.

On tape?

Yes or no?

That wasn't my idea.

What?

That.

Which bit, Stephen? Killing her?

Yeah.

Use that! Use that! Hang on.

Fire him? Go to the police?

I told him no!

Oh, you told him no!

Well, big fucking deal!

You still carried on paying him, though, didn't you?!

I loved Sonia! If you go saying I didn't, then I've got nothing left!

You know better than anybody,

I was prepared to turn my family inside out for her!

For Christ's sake, she's turning in her bloody grave here!

Along with all the other poor sods that Bingham's murdered!

I'm sorry, Michael, but you're going to have to read that in tomorrow's paper.

All right?

That's it.