Original subtitles

This programme contains some strong language

and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.

YELLS

CLANG

CHILD SCREAMS INDISTINCT SPEECH

No!

BREATHES RAGGEDLY

-You drifted off there. -Yeah.

Bad dreams?

-Any idea what time it is? -Oh, time's different in here.

5pm.

Almost dinner.

You know what they say about

the people who fall asleep easily in prison?

They're the guilty ones.

I slept pretty easy my first night.

Meaning?

I'm a good sleeper.

Have been since I was a nipper.

Why are you here?

Handling stolen goods.

Handling them several times.

-Huh. -Allegedly.

You don't belong in here, do you?

Does anybody think they do?

Oh, some do.

I belong in here.

I know these people.

I know the way they move, the way they think.

And you don't move like us.

So what's your rap, fella? What have you done

to offend His Majesty's justice system?

Didn't you say it was dinner time?

CHUCKLES

All right, fine.

Take your time.

We'll find out eventually.

I killed a man.

I'd been drinking. So had he.

I tried to walk away...

but he just kept coming at me.

And I was angry.

About a lot of things.

I let the anger take over.

And I killed him.

OK.

Maybe you do belong here.

BELL RINGS

Dinner time.

Meet their eye, but only for a second,

nothing confrontational. You're a big guy -

that'll work in your favour, make 'em think twice.

But for some of these bastards, that's a come-on in itself.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Hey.

Eat.

CHATTER QUIETENS

The big man.

Don't look, Jack.

Definitely don't touch.

What's his story?

Owns half of Birmingham.

Guns. Narcotics.

His name's Marcus Retford to the judge.

Retford to the rest of us.

I can't be here.

I gave evidence in a case against Marcus Retford.

-Against his people. -Are you a cop?

Forensics.

Shit.

I need to get out of here.

That is the exact opposite of what you need to do.

Head down, eat now.

Jack, don't...

I need to be moved for my own safety.

OK. What's so special about you, Princess?

Look. I work in forensics for the Home Office.

-I need to speak to someone. -You're speaking to someone.

Nah. I mean someone in the Governor's office.

-I can't be here. -You want to speak to the Governor? - Yes, please.

You're saying you can't spend the night in Fenmarsh,

-you really need to be moved right away? -Yes. Thank you.

Go and sit down, Prisoner.

What?

Sorry, maybe you didn't understand...

I understand, Prisoner.

This isn't reality, Jack.

You're down the rabbit hole now. Anything can happen in here.

They're in his pay?

Some of them are, some of them aren't.

And neither of us two will know the difference.

There's a change of shift in the morning.

You might get lucky with one of the new screws.

The morning is a new day, friend.

All you have to do is stay safe until then.

DISTANT SHOUTING

Yeah, I know he's in Fenmarsh Prison.

I don't care if it's two on Saturday morning!

My husband has been in police custody

for more than 24 hours, and I haven't heard a word from him

or a word about him.

Fine. Call me first thing.

I'll be right here waiting.

-Jesus. -Finally got something back on the hair sample.

They're still working on the nail clippings you took.

-It's 2am. -It's Jack.

Thank you, Kit.

Anything helpful?

Familial DNA hasn't shown up any matches.

Hair shows elevated levels

of aluminium, zinc and chromium.

Sounds like exposure to some sort of industrial process.

The chromium-to-zinc ratio is interesting.

Could be connected to precision engineering,

heavy-metal plating and the like.

Sparkhill.

It has lots of small engineering firms,

metal-processing works.

Yeah. So?

Marcus Retford runs Sparkhill.

So you think our John Doe connects to them?

This OCG in Sparkhill?

It's a possibility, isn't it?

DISTANT SHOUTING AND CLANGING

You get used to it.

The first time I was inside,

I stuck my fingers in my ears all night.

And then I realised...

the only way to not hear it is to hear it.

What do you want?

Hmm? Drop the act.

Money? Stuff?

What?

Cos I've got nothing for you, mate.

It's a sex thing.

Your face, pal!

No.

I know what's it like.

I was in care.

-Mum died when I was six. -That's rough.

My old man was there for me.

Like, really there for me.

For a while, it was just me and him against the world.

"My little shadow" he used to call me.

What happened?

Well, one day he took me out to this big house,

out Dudley way.

Big brick thing it was.

With two windows at the top looking down at you like eyes.

The eyes of God.

He could see I was afraid.

He put my suitcase down in front of me and he...

he said, "Jase..."

"I promise I'll be back for you tomorrow."

"Just a couple of things I've got to sort out."

And so I waited by the window...

looking down that long country road...

till the light bled out the sky

and the lights came on and...

the sun went down again.

By the third day they had to drag me away

from the window by my armpits.

I stuck my fingers in my ears that night, too.

He didn't come back?

Not yet.

Nikki.

Nikki.

-Anything? -Not yet.

-What time is it? -8:30.

Now go. Go home.

I think our John Doe could be from Sparkhill.

The crime group who Jack thinks shot the undercover officer

is based out of Sparkhill.

There's a connection, Harriet.

Nikki...

There's a connection, Harriet! There has to be.

Jack didn't kill that man.

No.

But you don't believe it, do you?

Jack was defending himself, he lashed out. It happens.

It happens to good men too.

It probably happens every night of the year

to someone somewhere on the planet.

-There but for the grace of God. -The grace of God?

I'm sorry, that was very flippant.

There is no grace of God, Harriet.

There's just data.

Zeroes and ones.

I'd like to speak to someone in the Governor's office

about my placement here.

Why's that? Pillows not soft enough for you?

I don't think it'll wait.

Governor have hours today, Morris?

Do I look like His Majesty's prison chatbot?

Look...

I'm a forensic investigator working for the Home Office.

Is that true? You a cop, like?

Not a cop.

But a case I gave evidence in,

one of the suspects is an inmate at this prison.

-Have you got a name? -I'd rather not say.

Listen, lad...

-Please. -This isn't even our gaff.

We were bussed in this morning from Leeds cos they're short here.

We know less about this nick than you do.

Anyhow, I never met a governor who kept weekend hours.

-My advice... -Keep my head down till Monday? Yeah. Cheers.

METAL CLANGS

HUBBUB

-Drugs? -Nah. It's a mash.

-A mash? -A phone.

To order drugs.

-And that's the distraction? -Yeah.

I need that phone.

All right? I need your phone. Mash, whatever.

I'll pay.

Piss off, yeah? I'm working, ain't I?

100.

500.

-Zazip Cash. -What?

The app. Then we'll talk.

No. First I make my call, then you get your money.

Ah, yeah. Yeah.

Look at me, hey, look at me.

Now look at them.

Who in here looks good for 500?

Them or me?

-I know you've got it. Where is it? -Fuck off!

ARGUING

Get the fuck off me!

ARGUING CONTINUES

PHONE VIBRATES

Nikki Alexander.

I'm sorry, I don't have much time.

-Jack? Are you OK? -I'm going to text you an account

to pay someone in a minute, OK?

It's payment for this phone I'm using.

I thought everyone gets

at least one phone call when they arrive at prison.

At the prison officers' discretion.

They're not looking after you?

You have connections to law enforcement, Jack,

they're supposed to know that.

-Maybe they do know it. -What do you mean?

The crew we've been investigating, Nikki, the drugs, the guns -

-their leader, Marcus Retford, is in this prison. -What?

No, that can't be. I just saw him, Nikki.

Retford. And he saw me.

-What do you mean, he saw you? -He clocked me across the room.

I don't know if he knew who I was.

-My cellmate Macklow says that he runs this prison. -What?

You shouldn't be sharing a cell, Jack.

For your safety - they said that.

-Who's Macklow? -He's some guy.

Oh, Jack, please.

They've made a huge mistake.

I don't think it's a mistake. I think it's the plan.

The plan? How?

I don't know yet.

I sound crazy, don't I?

NIKKI SIGHS

This is messed up.

For God's sake.

What is it?

-The man they found in Langley Green. -The man I killed? -Jack, please.

I think he might be connected to Retford somehow.

Why do you think that?

Hair analysis shows high levels

of aluminium, zinc and chromium.

Pollen found on the clothing is consistent

with flora found in inner-city

Birmingham, including Sparkhill.

Sparkhill is Retford's patch.

I need you out of there, Jack.

-I need you out now. -I know.

I know you don't want to believe I did this.

-Jack. -But I hit him, Nikki.

I think I hit him as hard as I could.

Why are you so convinced I didn't kill him?

Why are you so convinced that you did?

You can't know that!

Jack?

I wanted to kill him.

In that moment...

he was all of them.

Them?

All the bastards who do all the shit

we have to clean up every day.

I tried to make him stop, see reason.

I was standing in front of him but...

I was not human to him.

Jack.

I wanted to kill him, Nikki.

So I did.

No, you didn't.

You didn't.

CLATTERING

I've got to go. I've got to get this phone back.

-The kangas are doing the rounds. -Kangas?

Kangaroos screws?

Thought you'd like that one.

None of this makes sense.

You don't belong there.

I love you, baby.

But I don't agree.

Maybe this is exactly where I belong.

J...

All right, Jason?

All right, Marcus?

What's up, Marcus?

My gran ran a dry-cleaning business back in the day.

She had all the big houses in Edgbaston and Harborne.

She used to say you never really knew who someone was

until your saw their linens.

All those big front doors,

cut-glass accents, fine bone china.

But when you saw the state of their sheets...

Shit-stain gentry, she used to call them.

STEAM HISSES

I was expecting you to check in, Jason.

I know, Marcus.

I get a bit paranoid when lads don't do what they're told.

I've been hearing all sorts about what's going on out there

while I've been in here.

I'm in place. It's all good.

He doesn't suspect.

Thinks I'm his only friend in the world.

So what's he got on me, then?

Anything he hasn't told them yet?

I'm not having that undercover cop come back on me.

Look, it wasn't just you he conned, all right?

You did us both a favour.

I need to nuke what they've got on that cop killing.

No, I know. It's just...

It's in play.

So what, then?

Hodgson's a proper martyr, you know.

Mr Incorruptible. He prides himself on it.

I don't think he's going to turn for favours.

So hurt him.

We can absolutely do that, we can.

But he's in here to punish himself.

I don't think a beating's going to move him.

SIGHS

I need inside them, Jason.

He's meant to be my way in.

I know. I'm just saying.

It might be that Hodgson's not that guy.

It might be that we're better off losing him, Marcus.

His evidence must already be looking shaky.

The shocking state of His Majesty's prisons

can lead a man to self-harm.

I read about that in the Guardian.

I need to know that I can trust you.

I run a clean house.

No shit-stains on my sheets.

EXHALES

Anything, Kit?

Nothing yet. Nobody's recognised him from the picture.

Excuse me. Do you know this guy?

The police are concentrating on the area around Langley Green

where the body was found.

Let them. I'm staying clear of the local plod.

If we're lucky we have until Monday morning

before the mortuary realises it has the wrong body.

-Have you found anything? -There's something.

Maybe.

Faint scarring on both shins.

I'm reviewing the CT scan now.

Hold on.

Yes.

A healed metatarsal fracture.

Industrial accident?

Er, I'm thinking an old football injury.

-Oh! Like a former pro? -Could be.

Or maybe five-a-side kick about stuff.

If Roy of the Rovers is from Sparkhill,

I'll find him, Nikki. I know the clock's ticking.

-Ask these guys over here. -Those?

-Yeah, those. -Great. OK, thank you.

Excuse me?

Lads? I'm looking for someone.

The guys back there thought

he might play with you lot sometimes.

Why are you after him?

He's me mum's cousin.

He's been on radio silence since last week.

Thought he might have been on a bender,

but he still hasn't surfaced.

You're Scott's cousin?

Mm-hm. Yeah, second cousin. Removed.

So Scott... Scott does play with you?

Yeah. Ash turns up now and again. Mainly for the social,

-you know, the bevvies. -Ash? -Ashton. His name?

Scott Ashton.

Yes, yes, of course.

Do you have any idea where Scott's living nowadays?

Somewhere near the Dudley roundabout, I think.

Mm-hm. Yeah. He moves about a bit, our Scott.

Give us your number, we'll give you a call next time he shows.

Oh, thank you.

-Kit. -Kit? Great. -Thank you.

Me other cousin's Harry Kane.

You were meant to save that, mate!

CHUCKLES

Nikki?

This is weird. Scott Ashton.

He was caught driving without insurance in 2020

in Acocks Green.

It was put down as a non-recordable offence.

He gave his date of birth and his address,

but I checked his address. No-one knew him.

-The birth date? -Didn't correspond to any Scott Ashton I could find.

Plenty of Scott Ashtons have been born, plenty have died.

-Just not ours. -It's all we've got.

Maybe we need the police.

Maybe it's time?

Then we're shut down. Back out in the cold.

You wanted to see me?

Yes. Have a look at this slide I took

of Scott Ashton's brain tissue.

There's demyelination

and weakened white matter structure.

Some sort of neurological disorder?

-See the metachromatic granules in the brain tissue? -Mm-hm.

Same in the kidneys, gall bladder and liver.

Corpus callosum thinning? So what are you thinking?

Metachromatic leukodystrophy?

But that only appears in childhood.

Could be a late-onset form? Or a mild variant?

MLD would make the person

highly susceptible to head trauma.

-If that's what killed him... -It won't help Jack, Nikki.

Eggshell skull and all that.

If Jack hitting him triggered a fatal attack,

then they will call it murder.

I know that, Harriet.

But it could still help us find his real ID.

MLD is rare.

Only, what, a few hundred cases at any one time?

Worth looking up the NHS records?

Yeah.

We're looking for bone marrow transplants

or gene therapy in infancy or teenage years.

What is MLD anyway?

MLD affects the white matter in the brain,

disrupting the neural pathways that regulate emotion,

impulse control, and cognition.

You can feel disassociated from your actions.

I'm narrowing in on MLD cases from Birmingham

with birth dates 35 to 45 years ago.

-Hmm. -Anything?

Here's one. I'll send it over now.

It's the only one in that window.

TABLET BEEPS

Arben Hysaj.

Born in Manchester, 1984.

Registered in a West Midlands school aged 11.

Diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy in 1992.

Mother, Bora Hysaj, died in 1996.

After his mum died it looks like Arben Hysaj's care

was taken over by West Midlands social services.

Hang on.

Arben Hysaj. Also known as Scott Ashton.

That's why I couldn't find him, Nikki.

All his foster records were under his Albanian name.

Anything else under Arben Hysaj?

Arben Hysaj, Scott Ashton,

went through several foster families in his early teens.

None of them lasted.

He ended up in a children's home in Wolverhampton.

It's still in operation.

I think we've got him, Nikki.

You were Scott's key social worker till he was 16?

Him and about 300 other boys.

Underfunding's nothing new.

So he changed his name?

-Any idea why? -I can guess.

Back then a lad called Scott had a chance.

A lad named Arben not so much.

And you were the one who booked him into the group home?

He was already there when I took over his file.

HLR, we used to call that place.

House of Last Resort.

Not the most pleasant of abodes, but...

Scott got through it.

Did he have any friends? People he cared about?

He got on with most.

A sweet kid.

Except when he wasn't.

He had issues. Medical issues, they said.

Oh, he could turn nasty on a sixpence.

I used to see him sometimes, round Sparkhill.

-You did? -He loved a bet.

-Oh! -Always the same bookie's.

Charlie Jarvis.

Works out of a cafe on Shelton Road.

Hello. I'm Professor Maven,

I was told that the Governor, Joanne Miller, would see me

in connection with one of the prisoners on remand.

-On a Saturday? -The Secretary of State for Justice arranged it.

She's coming in today?

-Yes. -Right. Er...

Take a seat, please, while I figure out what's going on.

What?

You do have friends in high places.

Governor's on her way.

-Thank you. -Kit.

I'm looking at Arben's NHS record.

The name of the children's home he was in

when he had his last treatments.

Yeah. The Home of Last Resort.

-Macklow House. -That's just it.

Macklow is the name that Jack mentioned.

His cellmate is a man named Macklow.

Another coincidence?

I've never believed in coincidences.

We're getting closer, Nikki, I can feel it.

I think I've got something going here. I'll call you back.

OK.

No.

Oh, my God.

-All right? -Hmm.

You know, I was just thinking.

You sure you're a killer?

Sorry?

See, I look at you, Jack, and the brawn's there, but...

I don't see the bite.

What are you talking about?

Did you really beat a man to death?

Hmm?

Where did that come from?

Some bad dark place that was always going to

turn your eyes black one of these days?

Sorry, I don't follow.

Just passing the time, friend.

Just jail jabber.

Did you do it?

What is this?

Did you? Hmm?

Kill that man?

I mean, in your heart, do you know?

Why do you care?

Oh, I don't.

Not about you.

Did you do it, Jack?

-I asked you a question. Did you do it? -Back off.

Tell me.

Tell me. Did you do it?

Did you kill him, Jack?

SHOUTING AND GROANING

Because I don't think you've got what it takes.

Tell me. Tell me!

Hit me.

Go on. One-punch wonder.

Did you kill him?

Tell me.

Tell me!

I don't know.

I don't know.

DOOR CREAKS

Governor wants to see you, Hodgson.

What?

Now.

Governor's office. Move.

What's this about?

No idea. Maybe you're getting out of here.

Mr Jarvis? I was told I could find you here.

-What are you? -Sorry?

Tax? Gambling Commission?

Neither, Mr Jarvis.

I would ask for a tip for the 4:15 at Haydock Park,

but I've got more pressing matters.

So not a punter. A cop.

Yeah. No.

I'm not a cop. I'm an analyst.

I'm trying to put together some background information on this man.

So what's Big S done now, then?

Nothing. Not ever again. Scott Ashton's dead.

That's fucking awful.

I am sorry. You were close?

Close? No.

He owed me a grand.

Put a bet on a pony on Tuesday.

-It tanked. -Last Tuesday? -No, Tuesday.

Four days ago Tuesday.

That's not possible.

Punters lie.

Odds lie.

Betting slips don't lie.

See? There.

Calls me up, half 11 Tuesday night, all excited.

2Gs on Beautiful Betsy.

11.30pm?

A man of habit.

Always phoning up pissed after the pub,

trying his luck on the American gee-gees.

You're sure Scott Ashton called you at 11.30 on Tuesday?

Scott Ashton was alive and well after he left Jack.

What? How do you know?

Scott called his bookie at 11.30.

I've heard the voicemail. He sounded OK.

That's after he left the pub.

Ashton wouldn't have been able to speak

with the injury I can see.

That's what I'm saying, Nikki! Jack didn't kill him.

We need to call the lawyers, get Jack out of there.

This is good news, Nikki.

It's more than good, Kit.

I can't believe it.

You called me, Nikki. What was it? Did you find something?

Yes, I did.

I checked the name Macklow in the NHS records.

It turns out a teenager, Jason Macklow, was treated

for metachromatic leukodystrophy in London in the mid-2000s.

-So? -Jason Macklow wasn't the name he was born with.

It was Sabien Hysaj.

Hysaj?

Arben had a brother?

It looks like it.

Jack's cellmate. Macklow.

Could be Scott Ashton's brother.

What if he thinks Jack killed his brother?

CLANG

GRUNTING AND STRAINING

All right, Jacky?

You and me are going to have a little conversation.

You know me.

I know your work.

Hmm.

All right, Jack?

You've been his eyes and ears all along.

Yeah, that's me.

All eyes and ears.

I trusted you.

So this is about the inquest.

Do you think?

So, what, now you persuade me

to change my evidence?

That was my first instinct.

But now I'm having doubts.

I think you're not that guy.

Jason here concurs.

You know me so well.

It's a shame, because it makes no difference.

If you don't agree to change your evidence,

your evidence will never be heard.

You set me up.

Made sure I was sent here, to Fenmarsh.

Made sure your man was in my cell.

What else did you make sure?

You give me too much credit, Jack.

The man I killed, he was from Sparkhill.

Is that so?

You sent him to confront me at the pub.

You put him in my way.

You engineered it all.

You are an angry man, Professor.

There's no set-up needed.

There's no such thing as evidence, Jacky.

There's no real facts.

There's just appearances.

Appearances are all that matter.

Now, I can't have it appear that someone goes up against me and wins.

Ask Mr Macklow here. He'll tell you.

You're good, thank you.

All right, next, please.

You killed our man, Jack.

You killed Scott.

I didn't want to hit him.

-He wouldn't let me walk away! -Bullshit!

KNOCK AT DOOR

Thank you, Mason.

Now fuck off.

Mason?

Mason? Mason! Mason!

Mason?

What's going on here? What is this?

Macklow.

Macklow, no.

No.

Don't do this.

Macklow!

Macklow! Macklow!

THUMP

JACK GROANS

You do it.

What?

I know all about you on the outside.

You think you can buy a Glock from just anyone?

You're lucky to be alive.

Time to show me who you are.

A come-to-Jesus moment.

BREATHES RAGGEDLY

BREATHES RAGGEDLY

He killed Scott, right?

CHUCKLES

Ash was a liability.

He was a loser from the moment he entered the world.

But we found a use for him.

He got us here.

Come on. Do it.

Make me happy.

OK.

OK.

GUNSHOT

ALARM CLANGS

Drop it! Drop the fucking weapon. Do it now. Put it down.

Put the weapon down.

Get him untied. On your knees!

-On your knees. -Weapon down.

A Wing situation under control.

Weapon retrieved.

Prisoner down. Repeat, prisoner down.

What have you done?

He killed my brother.

GUNSHOT

Hands behind your back.

Stand up. On your feet.

All right.

This way.

Go.

Harriet!

Thank you, Governor.

I'll be back shortly.

How are you doing?

What's going on here, Harriet?

What?

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Hey. What are you doing?

-What are you doing? What's she doing? -Jack...

Jack, look at me.

Look at me.

It is over, and we need to walk away.

-Mr Hodgson. -What the hell are you doing?

-Are you letting him go? He's one of them. -Easy.

You've done your bit.

What does that mean? What's happening here, Harriet?

-Where are you taking him? -He's gone.

Macklow never really existed anyway.

You used me.

Do you have any idea...?

We look for ways

into places that we cannot go.

He's one of the best.

Retford's organisation has links with weapons traffickers

and drug lines from Albania to Morocco.

This was a national priority operation.

-But he killed him. -In self-defence.

Retford came at him with a blade. Do not push this, Mr Hodgson.

Don't worry, Nikki, I've got him. We won't be long.

We're coming home.

Jack?

Jack?

So this is where it happened.

You didn't kill him.

You didn't kill him, Jack.

Scott Ashton was alive when he left here.

He made a call to his bookie at 11.30pm.

The injuries that killed him happened after that call.

EXHALES

You didn't kill him.

SNIFFS

There but for the grace of God, Nikki.

Macklow.

He knew you were a good man.

-A good man? -That's why he befriended you.

He was National Crime Agency.

He knew you were both on the same side.

No, he was just trying to decide if I killed his brother.

That's all that mattered to him.

He had the gun on both of us, Nikki, me and Retford.

-He could have killed either of us. -Jack.

Macklow talked about his old man.

-He was really talking about Scott. -His big brother.

He said it was the two of them against the world

until Scott left him at that children's home

and never came back.

Did Retford know that Scott was Macklow's brother?

I don't think so. I don't think anyone did.

So he used Scott to frame me and then killed him.

I bet Macklow's gone right back undercover.

And now the NCA have a man right at the head

of Retford's organised crime group.

He's lost the only family he had.

I spent 24 hours with him, believed every word he said.

I don't think he knows who he is

unless he's pretending to be someone else.

Come on, Jack.

Time to go home.

The reason...

I didn't tell you about the fight...

is because you trust me.

You trust me.

And I let you down.

And you might do it again.

And I might do it to you.

That's what this is.

We make mistakes...

but we come back to each other.

We always come back.

I'm sorry.

It's OK.

-Sorry. -It's OK.

We deal with violence almost every day.

I experienced the results of violent acts first-hand.

And I fool myself that I can separate them from my own life.

I grew up being told that strong was the thing.

Strength would get you through, no matter how bad.

And now?

It's OK to ask for help from time to time, right?

Someone once said life is understood backwards

but lived forwards.

I want to be there...

for all of it.

I'm ready.