All language subtitles for New.Tricks.S07E07.Where.Theres.Smoke.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-squalor_Track03

[Mysterious music]

- Morning.
- Morning.

Dawn abbott.

She was arrested three days ago,

charged with intent to
supply amphetamines.

Well, that'd be a current
investigation, wouldn't it?

It is, and there's no mystery
there, she's admitted to it.

But she does claim to
have new information

about a fatal fire
in a drinking club

in ealing called the union,

which at the time, was
classified as an accident.

Okay.

Can I help at all?

Oh, I was just looking
at the various courses.

New members are always welcome.

And these lectures.

Yes, each lecture is
given by a u3a member,

usually drawing on experience
from their previous life.

I mean, their professional life.

[Jack laughs]

What did you do?

I was a police officer.

Oh, really?

[Phone rings]

Retired presumably now, with
some extra time on your hands?

Not exactly.

♪ It's all right, it's okay ♪

♪ it doesn't really matter
if you're old and grey ♪

♪ it's all right, I
say, it's okay ♪

♪ listen to what I say ♪

♪ it's all right,
we're doing fine ♪

♪ it doesn't really matter
if the sun don't shine ♪

♪ it's alright, I
say, it's okay ♪

♪ we're getting to
the end of the day ♪

August the 4th, 1996.

The union drinking club,
ealing, went up in flames.

Four people died and seven
others were hospitalised.

The people who died
were Hailey wilde,

who worked behind the bar,

Terence cross, Chris stamp,
who worked for this one,

Mark Johnson, a local criminal.

[Gerry] Local?

That's like saying
Heathrow's a local airport.

It is if you live in hounslow.

If this wasn't an accident,

then Mark Johnson
was definitely the target,

he's a serious player.

Did you know him?

No, he had two brothers
who I did know a bit,

Danny and Carl.

Danny mostly, I met him
when I first joined the force

and he was still
robbing corner shops.

No, I think they
took over his crew,

and they're still running
it, as far as I know.

So, what are they into now?

Well, drugs mostly.

They put security in
various clubs and bars,

then they put
their own dealer in.

Well, according to
the original report,

the fire was probably caused by

faulty electrical wiring
in a first floor room.

It looks like an inferno.

[Sandra] There'd been
some building work

done there the week before,
and the contractor said that

he'd used the room
to store material,

such as turpentine,
paint thinner.

Well, they're
accelerants, aren't they?

That's why the fire
would've spread so quickly.

Yeah, that was the conclusion.

So, what's changed?

[Sandra] We have
a witness that claims

it wasn't an accident.

Oh, listen, could you put these

in the locker with your stuff?

- Yeah.
- Cheers.

Detective superintendent
Pullman, Gerry standing, ucos.

There you are.

You know, according to
dawn abbott's arrest report,

she's never been charged
with anything before.

Got a completely clean record.

This place must've come
as a bit of a shock, then.

I'd worked in the union
for almost four years,

since I was 18.

But you weren't there
the night of the fire.

It was my evening off.

I was lucky.

Not so lucky now though, eh?

I made a mistake.

We can't offer you a
deal for information, dawn,

it doesn't work like that.

I'm not looking for a deal.

[Sandra] Why don't you
think the fire was an accident?

Because someone
was after Mark Johnson.

I never knew who or why,
but someone wanted him dead.

[Sandra] How do you know that?

I heard some of
them talking about it

a couple of days
before the fire.

Mark and a couple of the others.

Terry cross was one of them.

Who also died in the fire.

Yeah.

I don't remember who else,

but they were taking
the threat seriously.

Why didn't you
come forward earlier?

You don't tell tales
where I come from.

You keep your head
down, look the other way.

But I heard Johnson talking
about someone coming after him,

and two days later, he was dead.

Do you think that's
a coincidence?

I don't think it's evidence,

you'd have to give
us more than that.

Have you got more than that?

They said it was an accident.

They said the fire
spread so quickly

'cause there was things left
in the room where it started.

[Sandra] Yeah.

Except there wasn't.

There was nothing
like that in the room,

everything had already
been taken away.

You sure about that?

We were storing empty
bottles in that room,

empty beer bottles.

Nothing that would catch alight.

I was in and out of there,
all the tools, all the paint,

everything was gone
days before the fire.

Anyone fancy a coffee?

Not for me, I
remember what it's like.

Must be odd being back
in the heart of the Nick.

We don't work from home at ucos.

I meant an incident
room, no offence.

None taken.

Speak for yourself.

Look, let's start
again, shall we?

I was the investigating officer,

so any questions you've
got on the union fire,

anything you want to ask at all.

Well, the witness
statements were sketchy.

There was no establishment
of a coherent timeline.

And there's barely
any information

about the possible motives

regarding the deaths
of the deceased.

Let's take this into
my office, shall we?

Nice place you've got here.

There are people out
there I have to work with.

I prefer some privacy.

[Brian] What happened
to the witnesses, then?

Most of them wouldn't even admit

to being there when
the fire broke out.

Those that did didn't know
anything, didn't see anything.

And why do you think that was?

I know why it was.

And if you spent
more than five minutes

with the file, so do you.

Mark Johnson was a player.

Nobody talked out of turn.

Not to him, not about him.

Not even after he died.

[Sighs]

This thing was dead in
the water from day one.

So, given the chance,
it was just easier

to write it up as an accident.

It wasn't just me,
forensics pointed that way.

Forensics could've been wrong.

I had no reason to think that.

Well, you might've done if
you'd spent a bit more on it.

Dug a bit deeper.

You don't know what it was like.

Operation Horatio
had just been pulled,

feelings were running high.

Horatio.

Yeah, it was a drugs team set up

to clamp down on
supply in west London.

Mark Johnson was a
name that kept cropping up.

We had a surveillance
team on him.

Some wire taps,
lot of man power.

But we didn't find
what we needed.

Not enough to build
a case against him.

Then the brass pulled the plug

about a month before the fire.

It was getting too expensive.

That must've been frustrating.

People were angry.

Won't deny that.

And so, not too upset when
Johnson turned up dead.

I don't remember anyone
crying into their beer.

They just let it go.

Petfield admitted as much.

Brushed it under the carpet.

So, it's possible that dawn
abbott's telling the truth.

Well, if she is, then the
fire was made to look

like an accident,
when in fact, it wasn't.

And there's nothing
in the case file

to indicate they found
anything else, is there?

Just a couple of baseball
bats behind the bar

and a gun in the male toilets.

[Jack] Was that sort of place.

What do we know about
this contractor bloke?

Oh, his name was Derek Ross.

You contacted him?

Not possible, not
without a ouija board.

Died in 2001.

But I have traced his wife.

Oh, gold star for
Gerry. [Chuckles]

But the point is, why did
the fire spread so quickly

if Ross had taken
his stuff away?

I blame prometheus,

who, according to
Greek mythology,

stole fire from Zeus and
gave it to us mere mortals.

So, this is all
his fault, is it?

Yeah, if it wasn't for him,

you'd be drinking
your cocoa cold.

Mind, he paid for it.

[Sandra sighs]

He got tied to a
rock and had his liver

eaten by an eagle day after day.

Sorry.

It's just a fascinating
subject, this fire.

Glad you think so, Brian,
you can come with me.

1996.

August, wasn't it?

The 4th.

You remember?

I was the lead fire
investigator at the time.

Four people died, I should.

Plus it was one
of my last cases.

I took early retirement
about six months later.

We've recently
received information

that the fire may not have
been an accident, Mr. Mackie.

Is that right?

You don't sound very surprised.

I'm not.

[Sandra] Why is that?

Because I suspected
it was arson at the time.

Really, 'cause there's no
mention of that in the report.

I couldn't prove it.

Beside, the police
had other ideas.

Would you like some refreshment?

Thank you.

Derek was good with his hands.

He just wasn't very
good with money.

Apart from spending
it, of course.

I have to do a couple
of days a week in here

just to keep
things ticking over.

At our age, we should
have our feet up. [Chuckles]

Mrs. Ross, what kind
of work did your husband

actually do at the union club?

He was a painter and decorator.

Nothing fancy.

Do you remember the fire?

I remember what
happened afterwards.

Derek had to talk to the police,
he had to sign a statement.

[Jack] He must've
been badly affected by it.

Why?

It wasn't his fault,
it was an accident.

Of course.

It's just four people died.

He didn't talk about it.

But I suppose he was.

That's probably why he wanted
to splash out on a holiday.

A holiday?

We had three weeks in Florida.

A lovely hotel, a different
restaurant every night.

Was this soon after the fire?

About a month later.

After all the fuss
had died down.

Derek was owed some
money from some job or other.

He finally got paid,
so off we went.

Course, we would've been
better off saving something,

but oh, no, it was
a lovely holiday.

It was the last proper
one we had before he died.

I can see that you're
pretty adamant, Mr. Mackie,

but I'm not sure I
understand why.

Do you know much
about fire investigation?

Afraid not.

People will tell you it's
a science nowadays,

fluid dynamics is
what they call it.

That's true to an extent.

But it's also an art.

A good investigator will
have a feel for the fire itself.

So, you felt it was arson?

That was my first impression
when I examined the scene.

The burn patterns on
the floor and the walls

suggested multiple
points of origin.

Meaning there was
an accelerant present?

Exactly.

What about the
turpentine and paint thinner

that were meant to have
been left in the room?

Well, they would certainly
qualify as accelerants,

they both burn at
very high temperatures.

Then I'm not sure I understand.

Where did this
feeling come from?

Smoke.

Smoke?

And the flames.

The materials you
mention produce

a white flame and brown smoke.

But an onlooker reported
seeing something different.

Yellow flame and black smoke.

And that's the
classic combination

which is produced
when petrol burns.

They could've been mistaken.

Oh, absolutely.

Arriving at that type of
Blaze with all the people,

there's confusion,
there's panic.

But then I also
found a small amount

of melted rubber on
the floor of the room.

What kind of rubber?

Well, possibly a balloon,
but more likely a condom.

Well, a room in the
back of a drinking club.

And there was a
little wax on the floor,

from a candle, I think.

How very romantic.

Not really.

You light a candle.

And then you suspend
the condom over it,

filled with your
accelerant of choice.

The candle burns
through the rubber.

And releases the liquid.

It's a timer.

A crew bone.

But it can be
extremely effective.

So, Derek Ross
came into some money

after the accident verdict.

Enough for the holiday
of a lifetime, at least.

Maybe his premium bonds came up.

The odds on that are
about 24,000 to one.

What are the odds
that he was paid to say

he left the turpentine and
paint thinner in the room?

Considerably
shorter, I should think.

What about this person

that Mark Johnson
was worried about?

Well, we've asked for the
files on operation Horatio.

Transcripts on
surveillance of Johnson.

May give us some idea of

what was going on
around him at the time.

Was that out?

Yeah, yeah.

You put that cigarette out?

'Cause that bin's full of

highly flammable
material, you know.

That's an inferno
waiting to happen, is that.

Here.

Happy now?

I hope you're more
careful at home.

One in three house fires is
caused by cigarettes, you know.

What about other witnesses?

Well, there were 30
people in that place

at the time it went up,

but according to
petfield, he couldn't get

more than four or five to
admit that they were even there.

And none of them would be likely

to have changed
their minds, even now.

I found someone who might.

David swallow.

He was part of Johnson's mob

and he was in the
union that night.

Why would he help us?

He had first-degree
burns to half his body

and spent over
a year in hospital.

As good a reason as any.

There was only one way out.

Back down the stairs,
through the main door.

Could you tell where
the fire started?

Not at the time.

It was so sudden.

One minute, everything was
normal, and then total panic.

[Ominous music]

I remember people
screaming, fighting to get out.

And the smell.

I can still, even now,
I can taste that smell.

I wake up with it.

That'll never go away.

[Beeping]

Excuse me, please, for a moment.

[Phone rings]

Yeah?

Oh, great, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, bring him down.

[Jack sighs]

Are you getting anywhere?

No, most of it's gobbledygook.

That Johnson's talking
in some kind of patois.

But there is one name
that keeps cropping up

in his conversations
around the right time.

Stuart Russell.

Well, whoever it is, Johnson's
not very happy with him.

I've got that name here.

Here.

Here again.

All in the weeks
before the fire.

Thanks.

[Brian] George!

Sorry to barge in uninvited.

Jack, this is George mackie.

Ah!

The fire investigator.

- Nice to meet you.
- Hi.

I put down a few thoughts
on the union fire at the time.

Notes, just for myself,
for reference, really.

I did so on all the
fires I investigated.

Dug it out the loft,
thought it might be useful.

Look at that.

Thanks very much. [Laughs]

So, this is the
control room, is it?

The place where it all happens.

Yes, well, something like that.

You're very kind,
thank you very much.

Thanks, George.

The red ones are for the pain

and the yellow ones
are for rejection.

The blue ones...

I don't even remember.

Every day, twice a day.

I can barely move if I forget.

We'd like to talk to you
about Mark Johnson.

I haven't got anything
to say about him.

You don't know what
we're going to ask yet.

Who didn't like
him, who set the fire,

whose fault was it I
ended up like this?

Why do you think it was
anyone's fault, Mr. Swallow?

The official report
said it was an accident.

So, what are you doing
here asking me about it, then?

I didn't have anything
to say when it happened.

What makes you think
that would've changed?

Time's passed, things do change.

Mark Johnson's been
dead for nearly 15 years.

He might be, but his
brothers are still around.

They'd be the first who'd
want to know what happened.

You're assuming
they don't already.

You're saying that Johnson's
brothers wanted to kill him?

Well, with Mark Johnson dead,

Danny and Carl take over
the business, it makes sense.

I don't know.

What's bothering you?

Look, they were brothers.

And not just any old
brothers, they were really close.

I mean, you look
funny at one of them,

the other two are in your
face before you know it.

Families fall out, Gerry.

See you tomorrow.

My name is Jack halford.

My name is Jack halford.

What you doing?

Four!

Hello, Danny.

It's all right, dom.

It's an old friend.

Oh, I wouldn't go that far.

All right, old acquaintance
then, how's that?

That's more like it.

You here to work
on your swing, Gerry?

No, not exactly, no.

Come on.

Come and hit a few.

Jojo just got a few more balls.

[Ominous music]

[Camera clicking]

So, why now?

What's changed?

You lot weren't exactly all
over it when it happened.

You weren't interested.

No, but we're interested now.

We got some new information.

What kind of information?

You know I can't tell you that.

I do, but you can't
blame me for asking.

So, do you know
who did it, Gerry?

You know who killed Mark?

Not yet, no.

Whoa.

Good looking, son.

Listen, how's Carl these days?

I don't see much of him anymore.

He likes the sun more than I do.

Or rather his missus does.

[Laughing]

Turns bright red
if he sits in the sun

for more than 10
minutes at a time.

[Gerry] So,
business is good, eh?

Ah, the way the world is
now, everybody needs security.

You know what the kids are like,

always looking for an
excuse to start something.

Yeah.

Only now, of course, you
only have to share the profits

two ways, don't you?

I mean, it's just
you and Carl, innit?

Now that Mark's dead.

What, you saying we're involved?

Is that what you're saying?

That we'd kill our own brother,
our own flesh and blood?

Did you?

I think you'd better go.

Yeah, maybe you're right.

I'm not on top of
me game, anyway.

Thank you.

You know it wasn't us, Gerry.

You know that.

But if you do find
out who it was,

you should give me a heads up.

I'll make it worth your while.

Plus on top of that, you'd
save the taxpayer a few pounds.

Think about it, Gerry.

Give me a name.

Be a win/win for everybody.

What's that?

It's a new smoke alarm.

What's wrong with
the ones we've got?

They're ionisation alarms.

This is an optical unit.

What?

Well, it's more sensitive.

And it's got a carbon
monoxide detector, which-

[alarm blares]

[Esther yells]

Switch it off!

I can't!

It won't!

Brian, please!

It doesn't say how!

- Oh.
- It's not in here.

Give it to me.

[Alarm stops]

It definitely works.

These were taken yesterday.

The man on the left
is Danny Johnson.

The man next to
him is obviously-

Gerry.

Exactly.

What's standing
doing with Johnson?

Carrying out inquiries.

The Johnsons are involved
with the union club fire.

How so?

Johnson brothers own the club,

and the oldest, Mark,
was killed in the fire.

Who took the pictures?

An officer from the projects
team on organised crime.

They've had Danny
Johnson under surveillance.

They getting anywhere?

Nothing yet.

So, obviously, if you
dig something up.

We all get to look good.

According to strickland,

the operation's been going
on for more than a year.

Well, either Danny
hasn't got anything to hide,

or he doesn't know about it.

Who were the other people?

Couple of heavies, and
that is some kid called jojo.

Seems to be a general dogsbody.

Now, until I mentioned the
fire, Danny was totally relaxed.

Every shot, straight
down the pipe.

Yeah, you must've
sliced a few, though.

I did, as it happens.

How'd you know that?

Look at your right
elbow, it's all wrong.

- Why?
- Well, here and there.

Look, it should be pointing
towards your right hip.

Yeah, you're right,
it's the old flying elbow.

Exactly.

[Sandra clears throat]

What do we think about
Danny and Carl Johnson

being involved in the fire?

I don't think so.

I saw Danny's eyes.

There was real hatred there.

He even offered me money
to come up with a name.

That could be a smoke screen,

doesn't mean that
he wasn't involved.

I know that, I
just don't see it.

But if they weren't involved,
where does that leave us?

Well, we might have something.

We've been going over

the transcripts of
operation Horatio,

the original team
that was trying to

bring down Mark Johnson.

He was very clever,

he always did business
through somebody else,

he never got his
own hands dirty.

And when he had to
talk to someone directly,

he did it in the
back of a black cab.

He'd just hail one down.

That's where he
held his meetings.

The surveillance boys
wired up a couple of cabs

and had them circling the block,

and they got lucky a few times

and picked up some
of his conversations.

I thought they couldn't
find enough to use.

Well, they didn't.

But the thing is that, a
few months before the fire,

the same name kept cropping up.

Stuart Russell.

- Russell?
- Yeah.

Why, do you know him?

No, don't think so, but I've
seen that name recently.

Who is he?

Small-time operator on
the edge of Johnson's crew.

Oh, Russell, Russell.

[Jack] According
to the transcripts,

Johnson wasn't very
happy with Russell.

Why?

Well, Johnson was always
very careful on those tapes.

Everything was hinted at.

Nothing too overt.

I've seen that name, I
know I have, Russell!

Isn't that the wrong way round?

I mean, Johnson being
angry with Russell.

Well, yes, it is,

except that six weeks before
the fire, Russell was shot.

And there were
no witnesses to it

apart from Russell himself,
and he wasn't talking.

And you think that it was
Johnson that shot him?

Or one of his crew.

And he was
discharged from hospital

a week before the fire.

That's it, hospital!

When we went to see dawn abbott,

I was signing us in, right?

Stuart Russell was
one of her visitors.

Are you sure?

Positive, it's in the book!

Hey, hey!

[Machine whirring]

[Sandra] Mr. Russell?

Yeah?

Detective superintendent
Pullman, this is Gerry standing,

we'd like a word
if that's all right.

What about?

We're investigating the fire

at the union club back in '96.

What's that got to do with me?

We've been talking
to dawn abbott,

and we know you have too.

I went round to see her,
if that's what you mean,

it's nothing to
do with the fire.

What was it to do with?

We're old mates, that's
all, we go back a long way.

So, nothing to do with
Mark Johnson, then?

No.

And nothing to do
with you getting shot.

Mackie's got a
real eye for detail.

Everything's written down, look.

Ambient temperature outside.

Wind direction.

The chemical makeup of

everything combustible
in the building.

It's really meticulous.

Yeah, well, Derek
Ross certainly wasn't.

I got hold of some
of his paperwork

from the people who did
his company accounts.

I'm trying to find out
whether that cash he received

after the fire was legit.

But it's such a mess.

Well, his wife did say he
weren't very good with money.

Yeah, well, she was being kind.

What?

Nothing.

What?

No, I was just wondering
why you won't tell me

what you're lecturing about.

Standard investigative
procedures?

Well, not exactly.

Interviewing techniques?

The role of forensic science?

Serial killers.

Serial killers?

Well, they wanted
blood and Gore.

They said that's what
people are really interested in.

Serial killers.

So, what do you want to know?

We could start with who
shot you, Mr. Russell?

You're the police,

I thought that was
supposed to be your job.

Well, you didn't give us
much to go on at the time,

no description of the
gunman, no possible motive.

I always thought it was

a case of mistaken
identity, myself.

That seems fairly
unlikely, given your record.

I mean, you were hardly
a boy scout, were you?

I was, as it happens,
three badges.

Look, I was young and
stupid, it was a long time ago.

I had a lot of time to
think in that hospital.

Lot of time to look at my life.

What did you see?

Not much that I liked.

Not much at all.

So, I made up my
mind to change it.

Do something different.

Something simpler, maybe,

but something
that I'd be proud of.

So, completely different to
what you did for Mark Johnson.

Could say that, yeah.

How did you feel when
Johnson died, Mr. Russell?

I didn't feel anything.

Not one way or the other.

It was nothing to do with me.

Can I get on?

Turned his life around.

If I've heard that once.

Maybe it's true this time.

He's not been
arrested for anything

since he came out of hospital,

he's held down a steady job.

Just like Derek Ross.

For two years after the fire,
Derek Ross worked solidly.

For a mini cab firm, a couple
of local bars, a takeaway.

Now, that in itself
is not unusual,

but there was a connection.

Anyone got any ideas
what that might be?

Aren't you supposed
to be telling us?

Gerry?

I don't know.

- How about you, Brian?
- Oh, give over.

I'm not a bloody Guinea pig.

What's that mean?

He's practising on us.

He's lecturing at this
university of the third age.

Oh, thanks, Brian.

You!

[Laughing]

No, well, I just popped in

to see if they had
anything on offer,

and when they found out I
was a retired copper, they...

I just got talked into it.

Good for you, Jack.

Gold star!

[Jack groans]

Well, go on, then, what's
the connection between them?

Well, all these
businesses were controlled

by the Johnson brothers.

They probably used
them to clean their money.

But the point is they
gave Derek Ross work.

Why would they do
that if they thought

he was at least partly
responsible for Mark's death?

I expected better
from you, Gerry.

A couple of uniforms
on my doorstep.

You're not under
arrest, Mr. Johnson,

I hope they made that clear.

No, they didn't.

You're free to go at any time.

Oh, well, in that case.

Although as we're investigating

the murder of your brother,

I'd have thought you'd
be only too willing to help.

Unless you already
know what happened.

We've had this conversation.

Only the first part.

What, you think I'm gonna
sit here and talk to you

about my business?

No, no, no, not your
business, your brother.

We're not looking
into any activities

that you may or may
not have been involved in

at the time, Mr. Johnson,
it's not our concern.

Anything you say in this
room is strictly off the record.

I want your word on that.

You have it.

Not yours.

Don't know you from
Adam, I want his.

You've got it.

We're only
interested in the fire.

We always knew it
wasn't an accident.

We'd had all the right inspections,
place was done up nice.

But there was a team of
you lot looking straight at us.

Special operation.

- Horatio?
- That's it.

We were in the cross hairs.

What, and you knew about it?

Course we did.

You had an informant
within the force?

All right, all right,
nothing except the fire.

You called off the dogs, you
didn't have anything on us.

Then Mark died in the fire.

And the last thing you needed
was another investigation.

Yeah, we didn't want
to risk it, we couldn't.

So, you paid Derek
Ross to say that he'd left

turps and paint in
that room at the union?

Yeah.

Make it look like
it was an accident.

I mean, it was easy enough.

He'd worked in a place
a couple of days before,

he was happy to
earn a bit extra.

Soon as he told you lot that,
the whole thing disappeared.

Which meant you could go
back to business as usual.

There was nothing usual
about it, Mark was dead.

Turned over every
rock we could think of.

We just couldn't find anything.

And because you
wouldn't talk to the police,

you let his killer
get away with it.

Well, Mark knew how it was.

He would've understood.

Thank you.

Can I help you?

Yeah, can I...

Have the packet of those?

This one?

Down a bit.

Right.

Condoms?

Yeah.

Normal, ribbed, extra sensitive?

[Brian sighs]

Brian?

Brian?

Bloody hell.

What now?

Ah.

And?

And I'm getting through
them, I can tell you.

But it's not what
you're thinking.

The fire was started using
some kind of timing device.

It seems simple enough.

Oh, aye, seems simple.

But the thing is...

[Mysterious music]

It's not as easy as it looks.

How many times
have you tried it?

Four.

Each time, the same result.

The flame just goes out.

Can't be that hard.

Have you got another condom?

Shh!

So, if anything's not exactly
right, then it doesn't work.

And where does
this gcse experiment

actually get us, Brian?

I don't know, but
it seems to me that

whoever set the fire
either got very lucky,

or they might've done it before.

Just a thought.

Oh, my god.

[Ominous music]

Mr. Swallow!

Mr. Swallow!

Get out the way,
get out the way.

[Gerry grunts]

- Fh.
- Over.

Detective superintendent
Pullman on scene

at number six, Gordon house, w3.

Mr. Swallow!

There's smoke
billowing out the door

and we think someone's
trapped inside.

[Gerry] Is there anybody here?

Gerry?

[Coughing]

You all right?

Yeah, just bit of
smoke in me lungs.

Is he in there?

I couldn't see, the
smoke's too thick.

Have a look.

What happened?

What does it look like?

I was in the pub.

[Explosion bangs]

[Car alarm blares]

I could've been...

Very easily.

It looks like someone
doesn't like you very much.

You ready to tell us
who, Mr. Swallow?

I didn't set fire to
the union, look at me.

You'll have to do
better than that.

You must've heard
of poetic justice.

Stuart Russell wanted
Mark Johnson dead.

Russell set the fire.

I don't know that.

But how do you know
he wanted Johnson dead?

Because he asked
me to shoot him.

Stuart was branching out.

He was dealing drugs, but
using the Johnson name.

They weren't gonna have that.

Which is why they
tried to kill him.

Yeah.

But he survived.

He wanted revenge.

He hid a gun in the
union, in the gents,

I was meant to use it.

Why would you do that for him?

Stuart wasn't working alone.

You were involved as well?

Up to my neck.

But Stuart never told anybody,
even when he nearly died.

So, you thought that you
owed him for being loyal to you.

Oh, I did owe him.

He told anybody, anybody,

I'd have been in hospital
next to him, or worse, probably.

I really appreciate you
taking a look at this, George.

I'm glad to help.

So, I thought if we-

excuse me.

This is still a restricted area.

I'm Brian Lane, I'm from ucos.

And who's this?

I'm George mackie.

I used to do your job.

Well, it was a while ago.

Special adviser.

Well, I shouldn't, but come on.

So, what happened?

Why didn't you
shoot Mark Johnson?

I couldn't do it.

I thought I could, but when
it came down to it, I just...

Truth is, I bottled it.

I didn't even pick up the gun.

I just left it there.

Did you tell Russell that
you weren't gonna do it?

Did you tell him that you
were pulling out, Mr. Swallow?

Yeah.

Yeah, I did.

Well, there are obvious
signs of flashover.

It was clearly an intense heat.

What about accelerants?

Nothing yet.

There's a rapid spread.

Signs of flashes.

We'd expect there would
probably be something

Like this.

What is it?

It's wax, from a candle.

Looks like it.

That's the same
method as the union fire.

It was there on the floor,
just like in the union fire.

What, candle wax?

Yeah, a little piece,
a tiny little piece.

Well, it's hardly
conclusive proof

that it was the same
person who set both fires.

No, but it would make sense

if that person was
Stuart Russell.

[Sandra] Because swallow
agreed to shoot Johnson,

then decided that he
couldn't go through with it.

What, and Russell takes
it into his own hands?

Yeah.

A candle, a condom,
a little bit of lighter fuel.

And whoosh.

Mark Johnson dies,
Russell gets what he wanted,

except when we started digging,

he became worried
that swallow might talk.

Well, it's possible.

You do know swallow takes

a load of different
drugs, don't you?

They're prescription.

Yeah, but you don't
know what they might do,

everything has side effects.

We're not here to
discuss his medication.

Maybe you should be.

It's obviously done
something to his memory.

You saying he's lying?

Lying's a strong word.

More likely he's just confused.

Bit hazy about the details.

He seemed to remember
you getting shot very clearly.

And you wanting
revenge on Johnson.

It was a long time ago, I
wouldn't take it very seriously.

It's our job to take it
seriously, Mr. Russell,

and you should too.

In that case, I'll be
as clear as I can.

I didn't try and kill Johnson,
I didn't set any fires.

Is that enough for you?

No, not quite,

let's go back to where
you were at lunchtime.

I told you, I bought a sandwich,

I went and sat in the park.

I like a bit of peace
and quiet during the day.

Did you see anyone there?

Not to talk to.

That's convenient.

Well, it's the truth, innit?

Unless there's anything else.

We'll be in touch.

Your theory is that
Johnson shot me.

That's right, because
you were using his name.

In which case, he probably
didn't like me very much.

[Sandra] Shouldn't think he did.

Well, how exactly
am I meant to have

hidden a gun in his club, then?

[Mysterious music]

Two pints of bitter and
a fizzy water, please.

Two?

Oh, sorry, one pint of
bitter and a fizzy water.

Was forgetting.

Think Russell's right, you know.

Wouldn't have been easy
to plant that gun in there.

We know Johnson was
very keen on security.

Yeah, but where there's
a will, there's a way.

But why would he want
to set fire to the place?

He wanted Johnson dead,
and swallow pulled out.

Yeah, but just
by setting a fire,

he couldn't be sure that it
would kill Johnson, could he?

There was no way of knowing.

Maybe he just got lucky.

Very lucky, as Jack said.

Do you think he'd be all right?

Who?

Jack.

Oh, yeah.

What if no bugger
turns up? [Laughs]

Nah, that's not
gonna happen, is it?

Cheers.

Been looking
forward to this all day.

How can we know, though?

What if he's all
on his lonesome?

There's nothing
we can do about it,

he didn't tell us where it is.

We're detectives, Gerry.

Yes, Brian, and
I'm having a pint.

Blimey, are all these
people here to see Jack?

No, they can't be.

There must be
something else going on.

Ladies and gentlemen,

if you'd like to take your
seats, then we can begin.

Thank you very much.

They bloody are, you know.

Oh, come on,
then, let's sit down.

[Gerry] What for?

Well, we're here now, aren't we?

[Crowd chattering]

- [Jack clears throat]
- Moral support.

Evening.

Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.

My name is Jack halford,
and I'm a retired detective.

I spent over 30 years
as a police officer,

investigating a wide
range of criminals.

He's good, isn't he?

Including, on occasion,

individuals who might be
described as serial killers,

which is the subject
of today's talk.

If we ignore the
special circumstances

surrounding the
Harold shipman case,

we will find that britain's
most prolific serial killer

was Dennis nilsen.

It's not true.

What?

Nilsen was arrested
in February, 1983,

but his killing spree had
started some five years earlier.

The most prolific
killer isn't nilsen.

Shh.

Peter dinsdale.

Nilsen worked
as a civil servant.

He was quiet and unassuming.

Not the sort of person you
would give a second glance to,

and yet he murdered 15 people.

Dinsdale murdered
nearly twice that many.

After cutting up their bodies,

he then disposed of
them under the floorboards

and in the drains
of his property.

26 people, dinsdale did.

And when the police
came to arrest him...

It's nearly twice as many.

I'm sorry, Mr...

Yes, you in the coat.

Mr...

Well, you know who I am.

You have something to say?

Perhaps you'd like to
share it with the rest of us?

No.

Oh, what a shame.

I'm sure we'd all love to have
heard what you had to say.

It was nothing.

It must've been something!

And what's that?

What?

That piece of paper, that
note he handed to you.

I'm sure we're all
dying to find out

what was written in that.

Well?

No, no, no, it's
nothing to do with me.

Well, it must be to do with
you, because you wrote it!

I said...

I was just saying that

britain's most prolific
serial killer isn't nilsen.

Really?

No, it's Peter dinsdale.

Dinsdale was convicted of
manslaughter, not murder.

He killed 26 people.

Are you telling me
that doesn't count?

Not at all, but dinsdale
was an arsonist.

The deaths were a
byproduct of the fire.

He did not set
out to kill people.

Which is why it took
so long to catch him.

The investigations
concentrated on the victims

and who wanted them dead,

rather than the fire itself.

Yeah, and some of them
were deemed accidental,

and they were not
linked for years.

But the point is...

The point is this
is not the time

nor the place for
this discussion.

Sit down.

I apologise, ladies
and gentlemen.

Now, where were we?

You see, the investigations
focused on the victims

and who wanted them dead,
rather than on the fire itself.

The problem was that dinsdale

wasn't targeting
anyone in particular.

It wasn't about the victims.

It was about the fire and
what happened afterwards.

Afterwards?

Yeah.

He'd turn up when
the fire engines arrived

and he'd stand in the crowd
and watch them fight the Blaze.

He wanted to be a
part of it, you see.

He wanted to be involved.

And that's partly what drove him

to set the fires
in the first place.

Thank you.

Very much.

A serial arsonist?

[Gerry] It's a possibility.

We found seven similar
fires in pubs and clubs

before and after the union fire.

But you don't have evidence

connecting them
to any individual?

Not yet.

We'd have to start
again from scratch,

look at things in a
completely different way.

Yeah, but you don't
have any evidence.

We've just told you.

I don't mean a theory, Brian.

I mean something
that we can prove.

We've already
got a solid suspect.

Well, how did Russell
get that gun into the union?

I don't know, Jack,
we'll just have to find out.

[Tracey] Hello?

Mrs. Wilde?

[Tracey] Yeah?

Detective
superintendent Pullman,

I'd like a word with
you, if that's all right.

[Door buzzer blares]

You took your time.

Excuse me?

I don't know what's
going on upstairs,

but there are people coming
and going all night, playing-

it's not about
upstairs, Mrs. Wilde,

it's about your
daughter, Hailey.

We're re-investigating
the fire at the union club,

and I was wondering
if I could have

a few minutes of your time.

Thank you.

Hailey had been in some trouble,

but no more than
any others round here.

The difference was she
wanted to do something about it.

She was going to
go back to college.

The job was just
to tide her over,

just weekends to
earn some money.

She wanted to
make a clean start,

but she never got the chance.

Did she ever talk
to you about the job?

People she met,
anything like that?

Sometimes.

She said it could get pretty
rowdy in there some nights.

Did she ever mention a man
called Russell, Stuart Russell?

Don't think so.

Who is he?

He was an associate
of Mark Johnson's.

He used to drink in the
union from time to time.

She probably would've seen him.

Don't remember the name.

Well, I appreciate
your time, Mrs. Wilde.

Your child doesn't
die before you.

They don't do it.

It's unnatural.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Did you say
weekends, Mrs. Wilde?

Hailey only worked weekends?

Yeah, that's right.

But the fire was on a Thursday.

She wasn't even
meant to be there.

She wasn't working that
night, but she got a call,

they needed her to come in.

Who called, do you know?

Dawn.

Dawn abbott.

She was a friend of Hailey's.

She got her the job.

Jojo was sick.

Who's jojo?

Dawn's son.

His name's John, but
everybody's always called him jojo.

Dawn needed Hailey
to work her shift.

We seem to have a
little problem, dawn.

What's that?

You haven't told us
everything you know.

In fact, you've left out
some rather salient details.

- Well, like what?
- Like you were supposed to be

working the night of the fire,

like it was supposed to
be you behind that bar,

not Hailey wilde.

I didn't know anything
about the fire, I swear I didn't.

No, but you knew something
was gonna happen, didn't you?

Because Stuart Russell asked you

to take a gun into the club.

Didn't he?

Come on, it's the only way

he could've got a
weapon in there.

He needed someone on the
inside, and that someone was you.

Look.

Mark was always wary.

He knew there
were plenty of people

who'd take a swing at him,

or worse if they had a chance.

I brought the gun in,
I was on the inside.

How far inside?

Did you know about Ross,

did you know that Danny
and Carl had paid him off?

It was obvious when he said

all his stuff was
still in the room.

They set the fire

and tried to make it
look like an accident.

No.

What?

Danny and Carl
Johnson didn't set that fire.

You've been pushing
us in that direction,

but that's not what happened.

What have you got against them?

But it's not that,
though, is it?

It's what they've got of yours.

It's about your son, jojo.

They'll just use him
up and spit him out.

He doesn't understand that.

He thinks it's exciting.

He thinks he's a big man.

But he's just a
boy, that's all he is.

So, that's why you
decided to come forward.

You believe that Danny
and Carl are guilty,

and you thought if
we found that out,

then jojo would have to
find a new line of work.

He doesn't listen to me,

I try, but he doesn't
hear what I'm saying.

And you thought
we'd should louder.

That's not what we're here for.

They weren't yours, were they?

The drugs, the
reason you're in here.

They were jojo's.

You did all this for him.

He's my son.

I'm his mother, I'm
meant to protect him.

Hi, Jack, can you and Brian

get over to Stuart
Russell's place

and make sure he doesn't
go anywhere until I arrive?

Yeah, and get Gerry
to meet us there, too.

Cheers, bye.

Am I actually under arrest?

As we explained,

we're waiting for detective
superintendent Pullman.

Yeah, well, you
really didn't need

to come upstairs with me.

We're under strict instructions

not to let you out of our sight.

What, both of you?

[Doorbell rings]

I'll go.

You all right?

We're upstairs with Russell.

Where's the kitchen?

Through there.

I'll put the kettle on, shall I?

Oh, good lad.

- I'll have tea.
- All right.

[Brian] I'll have
a sugar this time.

Put it in before the milk.

All right.

[Ominous music]

Boys!

Jack!

Brian!

What's going on?

We've got to get out of here.

Jack, Jack, the
bloody house is on fire!

No, back, get
back, get in there!

Close that door, close it!

Yes.

79 hambrook road.

Thank you.

[Crowd chattering]

[Coughing]

[Gerry] Open that window.

I don't understand it.

We didn't hear a thing.

Don't worry about that now.

We've got to stop this
smoke getting in here.

[Sirens blaring]

[Firefighter] All right,
quick as you can.

Bring the hose up
to the front door.

This window's locked.

Get up, get up.

Brian, out the way.

Detective
superintendent Pullman.

I'm looking for-

[glass smashes]

I really appreciate
you coming in.

I'm happy to help.

We've been looking
through your notes.

Were they of any use to you?

Very interesting.

Good, good.

So, how's the
investigation going?

It's taken an unexpected turn,

so we were rather hoping
we could pick your brains.

Anything I can do.

We think we've been
looking at this the wrong way.

At the victims instead
of at the fire itself.

We found seven similar fires.

We think we might be
dealing with a serial arsonist.

Someone who's been active
for two decades or more,

but that's not really
our area of expertise.

Which is why we called you.

Arson is a very
specialised crime.

Exactly.

So, we thought you
might be able to give us

some kind of a handle on it.

Use your years of experience

and tell us about
the type of person

we should be looking for.

Well, first of all,
he'd be meticulous.

A careful planner.

Obsessive?

Others might say
that, but I wouldn't.

He'd be intelligent.

Well, he'd have to be to
get away with it for so long,

and of course, he'd
have to know about fires.

How to set them.

How they burn.

I mean, using that
candle and condom trick

wasn't very easy, I tried it.

He'd be an expert, all right.

He'd have to feel at home
with fire, comfortable with it.

That's right.

What about his motivation?

What would drive him?

That's hard to say.

Excitement, the thrill?

Well, I suppose it's possible.

Perhaps he was
desperate to feel important.

Important?

I don't...

We light them, we fight them.

We what?

That was the slogan of
four American firefighters

who were found guilty of arson.

They'd light the fires,
then wait for the call,

and come put them out.

They wanted to be
the centre of the action,

centre of attention.

Heroes, men who save the day.

Is that what you wanted, George?

[Ominous music]

Me?

You think that I...

We know you did.

The fires stopped
after you retired.

But then we came
to you for help,

so we were the
spark, weren't we?

A serial arsonist.

It could be anyone.

No, it couldn't.

It could only be somebody who
saw the names on that board.

Somebody who knew that
David swallow and Stuart Russell

were part of our investigation.

You were a fire investigator.

But it wasn't enough.

No, you wanted to turn
up and be in charge.

You wanted everyone
to look at you.

No.

You had to be in
control, the top man,

that's what made you excited.

No, you're wrong.

You had to feel important.

Feel important!

I was!

I was important.

I was!

He's put his hand
up to setting 63 fires.

63?

Yeah, including the
union club, of course.

How did he know about
swallow and Russell?

They weren't hard to find.

What about the Johnson brothers?

Victims in this case,
i'm afraid, sir, not perps.

Never mind, we'll
get them next time.

Oh, Jack, can I have a word?

Yes, sir.

I heard about your lectures.

News travels fast.

I think it's fantastic.

Really?

And it made me think,

all that experience
you've got up here,

all that knowledge.

What better to do with
it than to pass it on to

junior officers, new recruits?

Oh, no, sir, I don't-

let me tell you
what I'm thinking.

A weekly talk, perhaps,
with a q and a at the end.

Sir, it was just a one-off, sir.

Chance for them
to pick your brain.

It would really be
an opportunity to-

[alarm bell rings]

♪ It's all right, it's okay ♪

♪ it doesn't really matter
if you're old and grey ♪

♪ it's all right, I
say, it's okay ♪

♪ listen to what I say ♪

♪ it's all right,
we're doing fine ♪

♪ it doesn't really matter
if the sun don't shine ♪

♪ it's all right, I
say, it's okay ♪

♪ we're getting to
the end of the day ♪