Hey, come on, pet. Let's get you home.
Come on.
Lila, it's out of order.
- I'll go up top. I'll only be a minute. - OK.
'Hi, this is Owen's phone.
Sorry I can't take your call at the moment.'
Dad?
Dad...
Er, excuse me, back in your car, madam. The road's closed.
Land Rover.
Empty one.
Find a space, then find me.
Er, no... Excuse me.
- Ma'am. - Please.
- Can I get through? - I'm sorry.
- I'll be two minutes. - Sorry, you can't. It's a crime scene area.
Well, how long do I have to wait?
Hello, George.
Evening, ma'am.
- Nice and calm. Well done. - Mm.
Tell that to the folk who are backed up on the ring road.
He could have waited till Sunday morning.
Anyone see him come down?
Er, no-one that's come forward.
That couple there, they were two storeys up, driving round.
- Oh. - Other than that, nothing.
Right.
- Is that the daughter? - Yeah. Was her prom night.
Thankfully, she didn't see it. He went up top.
Ma'am, this is Lila.
Lila, this is DCI Stanhope.
Hello, love. I'm sorry.
Is it your dad... who fell?
Right, now, listen to me, love.
We're going to get someone to come and pick you up
but it'll be really helpful if you could tell my officer here everything that happened.
Can you do that?
How did he fall?
Well, that's what I'm going to find out.
Was he up there on his own?
I don't know.
I was in the car.
- They won't leave him there, will they? - No, love.
There's some special officers on their way here
and they're going to be taking your dad away.
- It's my daughter! - My mum.
- Go on, then. - All right.
- What's happened? - I didn't see it.
- Where's your dad? - We went for chips.
- Where's your dad, luv? - Mrs. Thorne, love.
Ssh! You can't go through.
Ssh.
Right, here we go.
He's face up at least.
Check his pockets, Kenny.
Parking ticket.
Smashed.
- See if you can get that fixed. - Will do.
Awkward place to pick.
Mm.
If he did pick it.
So what's with the limp?
Oh, I was playing five-a-side.
Dirty players, those firemen.
Well, that's where he paid.
Now this suggests he didn't jump, doesn't it?
How does it suggest that?
Well, why would you pay for parking?
And why has he come all the way over here?
Oh, please don't do that!
Right, make this the primary scene.
But get them to sweep the whole area.
And get them to check the outside.
In case he clung on.
Could it have been an accident?
Don't know.
Why, what are you thinking?
Maybe he was trying to escape from something coming towards him,
might chance it on the flyover.
Mm, maybe...
He's landed head first.
That suggests he didn't just climb over and step off.
- So, pushed? - Don't know.
But from the way he landed, I'd say he went off backwards.
Look at that.
What's he seen? Kenny, go back.
Here, watch. Now, he's seen something.
And it's not someone asking for change, is it?
Are we sure it's not the daughter?
No. She said she was in the car on the floor below.
Are there any other cameras covering this area?
No. They only coverage is on the entry barrier and payment machines.
You've ruled out everyone else in the vicinity?
Yes, we have.
So if someone came on foot, like up the stairs,
they wouldn't necessarily be seen on here?
Not necessarily, no.
So how long was this before he falls?
About five minutes. According to one of the drivers, said he landed on the car.
So, he sees something, he hurries towards it,
something happens and over he goes.
Got to be linked.
Mm.
Get uniform asking questions, and I want a trace on every car coming in and going out.
We've missed someone.
What's that?
Windscreen wiper. Severed an artery.
Might have killed him if he hadn't landed head first.
Does head first suggest pushed?
Not necessarily.
It suggests he didn't step off.
But... He could've dived.
I've seen that before. Like they're going into water.
No, he'd have hit the flyover.
Were there any signs of an altercation?
No, no defensive injuries.
So if he was pushed,
it wasn't off the back of a fight.
No.
And there were no other injuries sustained tonight.
However, there are these.
How long have they been there?
Within the last month.
What does that suggest? That shape.
That he fell backwards onto something solid.
Or was pushed backwards onto something solid?
"Made contact with".
That's as certain as I can be for now.
He'd been drinking. Couple of glasses of red tonight
but I'd say more than that on a regular basis.
What, problem drinker or just your average?
Depends on your definition of average.
- He was definitely over the limit to drive. - But went out anyway.
But that tells us something.
Don't know what...
- Hi. - DCI Vera Stanhope.
You're... Cameron, is that right?
- Yeah. Do you need me? - Is your mam in?
She's just gone to bed. Could you come back in a bit?
Yeah, well, we would, love.
It's just...
It's best if it's still fresh in the mind.
Why did your dad pick you up early from the prom?
Mm?
I didn't get the message till after my class.
Her form teacher rang.
Owen picked it up first.
Oh, why did your teacher ring?
Just some girls in my class.
You know, saying stuff.
It's just comments.
We've been dealing with it.
Hey, you've done so well.
Did you see anyone else around?
I didn't see anything.
What did you get up to last night?
I was round my mate Greg's.
Yeah, I came back just ahead of my mum and the police.
I'll give you his number.
Would your dad normally stay in on a Saturday?
Yeah.
Sometimes he went down the Ship, but not that much recently.
He was trying not to drink.
Had he made plans for the weekend?
There was talk of bowling today.
And on Mondays he goes down to the beach and cleans up.
Some eco project thing.
No signs of depression or... previous attempts?
No, nothing.
Nothing like that.
He just wouldn't of.
He weren't the type.
Did you get a sense he was under stress at all, at work maybe?
Management were on his back for a while, I know that.
But he said it'd blown over.
What did he do?
- Worked at the docks, didn't he? - Yeah.
What about longer-term plans?
Well, there's Lila, obviously, and they were adopting her.
Oh, right, how long has she been with your mum and dad?
Three years.
Will that still happen, the adoption?
- This won't delay it, will it? - I don't know.
I can't think that it would.
Oh, I feel like I should be doing something, but I don't know what.
We found some bruising on your husband's body.
Do you know what that might be from?
Yeah.
He fell over, coming out of the Ship, the pub, about three week ago.
Not like drunk, just like accidental.
I think that's what he said.
We might also have to look at the possibility...
...that someone else was involved in your husband's death.
What, like some random person just knocked him?
- Like who? - Had he fallen out with anyone?
No.
Not that I know of.
Did Helen speak to anyone from the docks?
Yeah. They're having a do in his honor.
Right, so was well liked.
Also, Lila.
She's fostered.
Is she?
They're going to adopt her.
Right, so can we dig with the family services?
Right, get Helen onto that an' all.
So not apparently suicidal, no known disputes.
Where are we on the CCTV trawl?
Still trawling the CCTV.
- Is that his phone records? - Not yet,
but we had a print match come up from the body.
Community picked up a bloke after a fight on Bloomfield Street about three weeks back.
- So, could that be the bruising on his back? - Could be.
Except this bloke was calling himself Owen Pearson.
This is Owen Thorne, right?
Yeah, it is.
- Anything on the other fella in the ruck? - No.
So he's lied to the police about his ID.
Why would he do that?
He told the police the fight was his fault.
"Was just a bar room debate. Got out of hand."
So he drinks, he fights, he lies to his wife about it.
Now, that's not exactly the picture we're getting from home, is it?
Ma'am.
- Where was the fight? - Just on the corner there.
I think you should come in. It's a good turnout.
Popular, then.
Company's put some money behind the bar.
- Hi. What can I get you? - Oh, don't tempt me, love.
No, we're investigating the death of Owen Thorne.
- Oh, right. - Did you know him?
Yeah. He's been coming in here for years.
When was he last in?
He hasn't been in for a while.
What, not since the fight out front?
Don't know about a fight.
Ask them.
I know no-one wants to speak ill but, come on, lads, a man's died.
That's why we've turned out.
Not for the free bar?
All right, let's start with the scrap outside.
Anyone see it?
You might save us getting the wrong end of the stick, that's all.
Did he do something we should know about?
No, the opposite.
His mind wasn't on the job...
and there was an accident.
March back.
He didn't check the safety equipment and a lad died.
And you think...?
Blood on his hands, to call a spade a spade.
Anyone else feel like this?
Not anyone.
Everyone.
Owen Thorne fell to his death
from the top of Eastgate car park.
Now, there's some indication he encountered an as yet unidentified person or persons
shortly before his death.
Now, the trajectory of his fall suggests he fell backwards.
But his injuries are not conclusive with him having been pushed.
Until we know otherwise, we're treating his death as suspicious.
Now, have we got a less grisly photo?
Something that gives a sense of the man...
Selfie from the daughter.
Taken and posted on social media about 20 minutes before death.
Well, he looks happy enough, doesn't he?
They both do.
Now, the family seem to think everything was fine.
But preliminary inquiries suggest his colleagues
blamed him for a fatal accident at work.
Young lad called Tom McKittrick, killed in March.
Helen, did you get on to the docks management?
Yeah, they're saying we need to speak to HSE.
- I get the impression they're... - Stonewalling.
- Yep. - Right, let's get down there.
Get a bit awkward, see if we can talk to the lad's family.
So is that our line of enquiry?
- Linked to this lad's death? - Till we've got something better.
Argument over a parking space.
That'll be it.
Very emotive, parking.
Now, where are we on his phone?
They got the sim out. We're waiting for the provider.
Right. Hey, where are you going?
You stay here. Get that leg up, Hopalong.
Kenny, you're with me.
Family services want to know if we judge the
home to be "a suitable environment" for Lila?
Suitable, how?
I think what they're driving at is, are the family under suspicion?
Are they?
What about the son, Cameron?
Have we verified he was with his mate?
Er, uniform are there as we speak.
- Is he adopted? - Yeah.
And they've also fostered quite a few.
That's why they're asking us before piling in.
Right, and what about Mam? Where was she on the night?
Hattington Leisure Center. Dance instructor's coming in to give a statement.
Right. So are they under suspicion or...?
Well...
Tell the truth: at the present time, the family are not under suspicion.
OK.
Right.
Head office haven't rung me.
Oh, we didn't tell them we were coming, love.
You should really speak to someone from London.
We just want to see his office,
see if we can get an idea of his day to day, you know.
Are his family OK?
Very shocked.
I would send a card, only...
Well, what do you say?
Right.
He was only in Friday.
Was he... himself?
I'd say he's definitely been quieter recently.
But maybe there was a lot going on at home.
And what about at work?
There was a fatality on his watch, wasn't there?
You'd have to ask head office. I'm not across the case.
If you can just give us the basics.
A lad, Tom McKittrick,
got trapped under a crate.
His side tried to make out the rig was faulty.
And "his side" being?
There's been a compo case. Finished last month.
They tried to say it was dodgy, but all the safety checks were sound and...
And was it Owen's job to do the safety checks?
Yes.
Sign them off and log them on the system, which he did.
That's why they found in our favor.
That and...
And what?
They found cannabis in Tom's blood.
After he died.
I'm not saying he was at fault but...
So, why are the people here blaming Owen?
Tom's dad,
Mick,
he's been here years. People might have listened.
And is this Mick here today?
No. He left in June.
I think the polite word is breakdown.
So how does Mick's compo being refused
tally time-wise with that fight outside the dockers' pub?
I think it was the day after.
So likely to be linked.
Aye, maybe.
Didn't get the money, lost his rag.
A dry run for Saturday night.
Mick McKittrick?
- Yeah. - Need to talk to you, love.
- DCI... - Is this about Tom?
Have you found summat?
Is she all right?
His Ellie.
Shocked, I think.
That'll be tough for her.
I know how that one feels.
Why do you need me?
Well, it's our understanding that you blamed Owen for the death of your son.
I do, yeah.
Yeah, I did.
Can I ask why?
Look, Tom knew what he was doing.
So it stands to reason the equipment wasn't right.
He'd watched me do it since he was a kid.
Then why did the company say that the check had been done?
They would, wouldn't they?
He'd been slacking off for months, was common knowledge.
Why do you think the lads are all on my side?
- In what way slacking off? - Oh, I don't know.
He'd checked out.
His mind was elsewhere.
15 years I've known him and he wouldn't admit it.
Pulled rank on me, lied to my face.
I deserved better than that.
- Did you have a ruck about it? - No.
What about outside the Ship about three weeks back?
No.
What about Saturday night? Where were you?
I was at home.
Up Jacob's Creek without a paddle.
I'll get Mick's phone checked out, and his car.
Get the CSOs that cautioned the fight brought in.
We'll do an ID.
Now, Owen told community the fight was his fault, right?
Yeah.
Now, if Mick had gone for him outside that pub and Owen didn't say...
could that be because he felt guilty about the cover-up?
Maybe.
Explains why he took the blame.
- Possibility, isn't it? - Yeah.
Maybe that's why he didn't mention the accident to his family.
Couldn't look 'em in the eye.
Bring the family back in.
Let's get a formal statement.
And get on to HSE, see if you can clock anything they've missed.
Oh, no, not the crack team from the safety squad?
Voila. Owen's phone.
Good as new.
- Get anything off it? - Seven calls from a withheld number
within the 10 minutes prior to his death.
So someone was badgering him.
Right, see if you can trace that withheld number. Top priority.
Oh, no, hang on. Kenny, give me McKittrick's phone.
Right.
Let's see if Owen's on here.
Yep.
Mick McKittrick.
So it wasn't Mick ringing him on the night.
What about texts?
Deleted from the handset. Getting them from the server.
He cleared his handset?
Well, what was he up to?
Eye off the ball at work, drinking,
family all saying "Nothing to see here."
Did we place Cameron at his mate's house?
Yeah. Greg confirmed and the neighbors saw him returning,
shortly before we arrived with the mum and his sister.
Do you want something?
S-Sorry, erm, Bethany said to come as soon as I found anything.
Well, I've been trawling through the street CCTV.
Right.
VERA: Yeah, that's Owen.
- Who's the other fella? - Oh, erm, I don't know.
Well, get this blown up, see if uniform can get an ID.
I know him!
Logan Tilley. Drug dealer.
Minor league.
More a delivery boy than a player.
Well, Owen didn't have anything in his bloodstream, did he?
No.
So what's his business with our victim?
Anyone? Police!
- Right, put a call out for him. - Ma'am.
Oi, I've got my eye on that!
Hi, it's me. Can you get me an all-points on Logan Tilley?
Right, uniform are out looking for him, but
there's been a development on Mick McKittrick.
He's used his travel pass on a bus from Hattington to Newcastle about 6pm.
So, he lied about where he was.
And we can place him in Newcastle at the same time as Owen.
And I felt sorry for him an' all.
Ah, here we go.
There he is.
Just take him through.
What's his excuse for lying to us?
Riding the buses to save on heating.
Said he forgot.
You weren't at home. We know that. So where were you?
Come on, it's for your own sake.
Look, you're well known to have a grudge, so we've got our motive.
So, come on, Mick, stop me chasing my tail.
Where were you?
I valet cars, near the station.
I've started claiming disability, so I didn't want to say.
Ooh, taking advantage of the great British taxpayer?
They've cut the legal aid. I'm desperate.
Erm...
I thought I'd pay the money back when I got the compo.
So, check out the car wash.
And while you're at it, take in my motor. There's a love.
Get 'em to pull a hoover through.
Keys are in my coat.
- What have we got? - Logan's file.
No violence. Mainly drug offences.
Intent to supply, possession.
Court appearance for child neglect?
Yeah.
Lost custody in March 2012 after child was left home alone.
Currently in... foster care.
That's Lila's dad, isn't it?
Just bumped into him while I was getting chips.
OK.
So why didn't you mention it, hm?
I thought I did.
No.
Did you speak to him yourself, love?
Dad... Owen wouldn't let me.
- Why not? - Just knew I'd get upset again.
You didn't know she'd seen him.
She hadn't mentioned it...
but she's traumatised.
Maybe that's why.
Had she been in touch with him?
No. We'd have come down on that.
Does she ever conceal things?
No.
Not any more.
Since we've had her, she's a changed girl.
Responsible, kind, confident.
That's why we're so proud of her.
- Had you been in regular contact? - No.
Not at all.
So when did you last see him? You know, prior to the chippy.
When I got to the prom...
Logan was waiting for me.
Said he wanted to see me in my dress.
Take me in.
Dads weren't even supposed to be there.
Owen would have come if they were.
Anyway, he started slagging off Owen, saying he didn't care about me and stuff.
I got upset, he left.
My form teacher rang and Owen picked me up.
Do you think he followed you to the car park?
I don't know. But...
He wants me to live with him. He's not going
to do something that gets himself in trouble.
- Do you want to live with him? - No.
I want them to adopt me.
They're the ones that love me.
He doesn't.
Lila, if you've not been in contact, how did he know about the prom?
He looks at my feed.
All the time.
Makes comments.
He just won't leave me alone.
"Best night ever!"
"Best family ever."
Told uniform it was to send a message to the girls in her form.
Send a message to her dad more like.
Not exactly to rub his nose in it but to make her point.
Poor lass.
Hold it. That one's taken at the car park.
So if Logan saw that, he could have tracked them to the car park.
Well, I'm banned from the city center, aren't I?
- I've got an ASBO on me. - Well, you broke that.
You tracked your daughter to her school dance, city center,
and you were caught on CCTV in the alley, back of Castle Street chippy.
Right, so I'm not allowed to eat chips now?
Where you had an altercation with Owen Thorne.
So?
So, he was found dead 20 minutes later.
I didn't know that.
Is Lila all right?
Not really.
Well, does that mean they won't get to adopt her?
Is that what you want it to mean?
Why did you go and see her?
I just wanted to say goodbye before the adoption, that's all.
To see her in her prom dress.
Why? Last time you had a contact appointment, you failed to turn up.
But that's because I had to sign this thing in.
See, they screwed me over.
I asked for an appointment I could make.
What did you say to Owen in the alley?
I just wanted to apologize to my daughter, that's all.
I know I upset her.
But he sent me packing,
made me look daft.
And he loved that, didn't he? A power trip.
- And you just left it at that, did you? - Yeah.
I called him a filthy pervert and then I went on my way.
I mean, what kind of a man wants to live with other people's children, hm?
Look, he's got her sucked in.
Just take a look at her Facebook page.
It's all "Best ever dad!"
But they don't love her like I do.
They're not her blood.
And did you love her when you left her without food for days on end,
whilst you went on a bender?
I had an illness.
When she's older, she'll understand.
Right, arrest him on suspicion of murder and get him a solicitor.
Get DNA swabs couriered over to Marcus.
And get a blood test done. Let's see if he's clean.
- Got all that? - Got it.
Right, now, we are moving our focus to this fella, Logan Tilley.
That's Lila's father.
Now, possible motive: an argument over Lila.
Maybe trying to scupper the adoption altogether.
That was the tagging company.
Good. Can they place Tilley at the car park?
No. Their GPS puts Tilley in Morrisons
at the same time Owen's putting money in the machine.
Right.
OK. Change of plan, don't arrest him on suspicion of murder.
Caution him for breaking the ASBO.
Well, we're back to square one, then, aren't we?
Ma'am. Ma'am. Mobile data's come through.
The victim's last text was to someone called Hannah.
Hannah who?
He says, "Sorry, can't make it tonight.
Bit under the weather."
"Under the weather"?
Well, no-one else has mentioned Owen being under the weather, have they?
So is that before or after the message to pick up Lila from the prom?
It's before. Hannah replies "No worries."
And a photo comes up with her contact.
Right, well, ring her.
- Let's get her in. - Er, phone's out of service.
Sim's been taken out.
Hannah...
Is this about Logan?
No.
No, we're no longer treating him as a suspect.
See?
It were never going to be your fault. Never.
You got that?
We were wondering if you could ID someone.
I don't know her. Who is she?
Just someone we're trying to trace.
Why?
How about you, pet?
No, I don't recognize her.
Well, we think your husband was in communication with her just before he died.
Now, did he tell you he was meeting anyone?
No. He said he was staying in.
Is it possible he could have lied about that?
Or changed his plans?
Maybe.
If he had a good reason, I suppose.
Cam, is this girl a friend of yours?
Er, no. No.
She, erm... I think she volunteers with Dad down at Jump Start.
Oh, right. Well, that makes sense.
He did some mentoring. With a homeless charity.
- Yeah. He met loads of people down there. - Yeah.
Right. Well, thanks very much. We'll look into that.
I did wonder if it was the same Owen when I heard it on the radio.
It's sad. It's really sad.
How long did he volunteer?
Perhaps a year, maybe longer.
He was very good.
He was quite experienced with young people who were troubled.
Did this girl volunteer with him?
No, that's Hannah Ferris.
She was a service user.
Right.
So did you pair them up?
Erm... He brought her in to us.
Is that what normally happens?
No.
Normally social services refer care leavers.
But she was begging, I think.
She was in a terrible state, weighed about six stone.
He asked us to get her into accommodation.
Did that strike you as odd?
Not really. I mean, we knew him.
She was desperate.
It seemed legitimate.
It was, wasn't it?
It's not exactly the five-star treatment, is it?
If he was trying to pull a fast one...
She pays on time.
Any trouble, incidents?
No, not like some.
- How long has she been living here? - Been here nearly six months.
Works funny hours.
Doing what?
Is she local?
I'd say she's Mancunian from her accent.
Have you seen this fella?
Aye, yeah, I have.
Parks his Chrysler out front.
Well, once, more than once?
Once a week maybes.
He said he was a mate but I presumed he was, you know...
A client.
- Hannah Ferris? - Yeah.
DCI Stanhope.
We're investigating the death of Owen Thorne.
Oh, right, yeah. I heard.
What do you want me for?
Could we have a little chat?
OK.
Could you check with my supervisor? Only, I've had my break.
Do you remember receiving this text from Mr. Thorne?
"Sorry, can't make it tonight, bit under the weather."
Now, that was sent 7:30 Saturday evening.
Yeah, course.
Why were you meeting up?
It was my birthday.
A bunch of us were meeting in the pub.
He said he might drop in if he was in the area.
Can we see your phone?
I lost it Saturday night.
I think it got nicked.
How did you and Owen first meet?
This charity, Jump Start.
Now, that's not what they told us.
Well, it was.
I was begging.
He found me and they sorted me out a room.
And when was that?
About six months back.
And you've been friends since?
Not friends.
We just met up every so often.
Talk about "life skills".
Where did you meet?
He'd pick me up, we'd go to coffee shops and stuff.
- So you met at home? - Yeah. It wasn't a big thing.
If I'm honest, I think he was trying to tick a box that he'd helped vulnerable adults.
They were adopting. Looks good on the form.
Your landlady thought he might have been "a client".
No, he bloody wasn't.
For God's sake! I'm not some sort of crackhead.
I barely knew him, if I'm honest.
That didn't stop you inviting him to your birthday party.
- I invited loads of people. - Bit weird, isn't it? Man twice your age.
It's not weird at all.
I wasn't sleeping with him if that's what you're getting at.
Ask 'em. Go on, ask them.
Ask Caz, ask Mario.
He's my manager. He's twice my age.
They all came.
Owen said he was sick.
I was like, "No worries".
Why are you even asking me?
Well, he didn't mention to his family that he was meeting you.
Now, why do you think that is?
I don't know.
Maybe... he had other plans
or just forgot.
Can I get back to it?
Honestly, I don't know any more about how he passed.
Where are you from originally?
Mm?
What's that accent, Manchester?
Rochdale, but yeah.
I had some mates come to college up here.
Sort of fell out with them.
Well, we will be checking your movements on Saturday evening.
Look, it's not ideal, is it, pet?
A B&B on the Longley Road.
Can you not go home?
You got any family?
My mum... passed away.
- I'm sorry. - It's all right.
I got back on my feet.
Could you pass on my condolences to Ellie and stuff?
- He talked about his family, then? - Oh, yeah.
Banged on about how love can turn people's lives around.
Soppy git like that.
- Where's Bethany? - She's double-checking alibis.
Right. You can do it.
Get on to the care system in Rochdale.
See if they can trace Hannah Ferris.
She says there's nothing untoward and, do you know what, I'm inclined to believe her.
But then...
You know, a man that age, a young lass.
Not open about her, deletes her from his phone.
It all just smacks of inappropriate, doesn't it?
And if he was, you know, with younger women,
do we need to alert the social
to safeguard the others?
Yeah, I think you do.
Err on the side of caution.
Ma'am, this just came in from Forensics. A footprint.
They only found it last night with the UV right by the edge of where he fell from.
And not just passing by, they reckon.
That shape and size...
Got to be a woman's, hasn't it?
Ma'am, the pay-as-you-go that called the victim on the night
was bought last year from a phone shop in Heaton Chapel in -
- - Manchester. - Yes.
Brilliant, Kenny.
Brilliant.
We think it might have been Hannah's phone that called him just before he died.
Please tell me her alibi isn't stacking up.
Sorry. Work have got photos of her downing shots on the night.
In Labyrinth in Hattington around time of death.
Right, get back to the office when you can.
Ma'am!
What are you doing here? I thought you were checking alibis.
I was checking Ellie's.
But I just drove over from Hattington Leisure Center.
It took me seven minutes less than Ellie said it took her.
- Were you speeding? - No.
Right.
So at a whisker, she could have got here early, pushed him over, or whatever,
and then doubled back to make eyes at uniform on the cordon.
- At a whisker. - Well, a whisker is all it takes, pet.
OK, what about this?
Hannah's calling him over and over.
Why, let's not speculate.
We know she's drunk, so maybe that's enough.
Mam turns up, susses he's on the phone to Hannah.
Jumps to conclusions, rightly or wrongly.
Decides to confront him with it.
Follows him up to the top of the car park.
So that's what he sees on the CCTV?
Yeah, well, it makes sense.
She confronts him, there's a row and...
I don't buy it. Timing's too tight.
- Sure she left at the end of the class? - Yeah.
Where's that statement from the fitness instructor?
There you go.
Oi!
I've not messed up the timing. I spoke to her.
No, but you've missed something else, pet.
- What? - Get your coat.
That's her, isn't it?
Right, I might limp out there on my own for this one.
OWEN: 'Hi, luv, it's only me.
Listen, I don't know if you got the message about Lila?
If you don't call us back in 10 minutes, I'll get myself over there. OK?
Have fun.'
Don't delete it, will you?
It's just... I nearly did... Just automatic.
I won't delete it.
Why do you need to hear it?
Well, you told me you picked up the message about Lila at the end of the class?
And you drove straight up?
- Yeah, and we checked with... Jenny, was it? - Jenny, yeah.
Yeah, she confirmed you left at the end.
Exactly.
But can I read you her statement?
She says, "Ellie told me she was going to pick up Lila early,
so I canceled the Turkish in the break."
Yeah, we were going to go for a meal after.
"And then after class Ellie left straight away."
That's what I said, wasn't it?
Well, no.
No, you said you picked up the message at the end of class.
But if she canceled the Turkish in the break,
you must have got the message halfway through.
So why didn't you leave immediately?
Mm?
Why was that?
I just wanted to do the class.
Ah, now, you see, it strikes me you're pretty devoted to Lila.
So it would have to be a bigger reason than that
to leave the lass in town in tears...
Were you angry with her, hm?
Or him?
No.
You see, love, it's plausible we can place you in the car park at the time of death.
So it'd be much easier for both of us if you'd just come clean.
Owen's not always where he says he is.
There were a parking fine.
I found it hidden in his drawer.
For a time he was supposed to be on shift.
And that night,
I-I got the feeling he were planning something he weren't telling me.
Mm. So you thought, if he picked Lila up,
then he wouldn't be able to do whatever it was you thought he might be doing?
Mm?
Now, why didn't you tell us that at the start?
I hoped it were paranoia.
Was he cheating on me?
I don't know, love.
Do you think he was?
I'm sensing it was awkward.
She had her suspicions.
Left it so he'd do the pick-up.
So admitted to motive?
At a stretch.
But I'm not getting the feeling she'd be wound up enough to give hubby a shove.
A woman scorned and all that. Strength of 10 men.
Nah. I think she was more in denial.
Or what was it Logan Tilley said about Lila?
"He had her sucked in."
Maybe Owen was just one of those blokes that gets away with everything.
I don't know. Maybe he was a good bloke and this was just a random encounter.
And that footprint, nothing to do with him,
just to do with some other poor soul trying to top themselves.
Or maybe he topped himself over the sight of this.
90 quid for a tire over the line!
Ha! I've had worse.
Let me have another look at that.
5th of March.
8am till midday parked in Lovel Avenue.
- Doesn't ring a bell. Where's that? - Not the place. The date.
It's when the crate fell on that lad and killed him.
When Owen was supposedly doing the safety checks.
We can place Owen offsite at the time he was supposedly checking the safety of the rig.
Do we know why Owen was parked where he was?
Lovel Avenue, right beside the car park at A&E at Mountford General.
- He was at the hospital? - We're checking inpatients.
Right.
- Kenny, how did the safety squad miss this? - Well, he clocked in at the docks.
And the check was registered on the software that monitors the procedures.
Could that be tampered with?
Head office said it's inputted from a computer on site,
so I'm guessing, aye.
Right.
Gloria.
Oh, no.
OK.
Now, the day that lad was killed.
Did you sign Owen in as being at work when he wasn't?
Cos somebody did.
He rang first thing.
Said he was running late.
Some family crisis or other.
I said I'd clock him in anyhow, so he wouldn't have to use his leave.
- I know it's wrong. - Mm.
I just thought I was turning a blind eye. He was usually reliable.
Oh? We heard he was slacking off.
If he was, I had not picked up on it.
Mm. So you went into the system and falsified the checks?
He said he'd done it, just hadn't had time to log it.
- Do you still believe that? - I did.
But... maybe he convinced me.
To what? Cover it up?
Never mind the truth, never mind Mick McKittrick?
At the time I was trying to do him a favor.
I knew he was stressed at home.
He thought he could lose his daughter if he was under a cloud.
It seemed like too big a price just cos he'd not ticked a box on the system.
I believed it at the time.
So what was the family crisis?
I don't know.
What, all that hoo-ha and you never asked?
We didn't go over it and over it.
It was a white lie... that snowballed.
Gloria Edwards covered up for Owen, clocked him in when he was at the hospital.
Now, would you check her alibi?
Says she was eating alone at a restaurant on Quayside.
- So she was in the area? - She was in town, yes.
Mystery woman on the roof?
Yeah, could be. I mean, she could have got there on foot.
What is it, a 10-minute walk?
What about the cover-up's turned sour?
She's threatening to blow the lid on it, or he is or both are,
have a massive row and over he goes.
Yeah, maybe.
But then you'd think they'd want to stick together, wouldn't you?
Get on to the hospital, find out why Owen was there.
And Helen, get on to health and safety, tell them
we've got new information on Tom McKittrick.
That's one thing we can resolve at least.
It doesn't mean the rig was faulty.
But, well...
Doctored paper trail, you'd definitely have a case.
I'm not sure I could face it.
You might get your compo.
I didn't want the money. I wanted to know it wasn't Tom's fault.
Doesn't take away the cannabis, does it?
No, well...
I should have known.
Somehow stopped him.
What was Owen doing?
Was he down the Ship?
Well, we think he might have been at the hospital.
So, it... it might be a good reason, like?
I mean, not just he didn't give a damn?
Mm.
I can barely remember last week, let alone March.
Was there some kind of family problem that morning?
No. I'd remember.
Mrs. Thorne, think.
Please. It's important.
Do you think I'm lying?
Well, I think if there was a family problem,
particularly one involving an A&E admission, you might want to conceal it. Yes.
Why? Why would I do any of this?
Well, for starters social services were
watching you, assessing you week in, week out.
And you had a lot riding on that going well.
Now, did something happen to Lila?
No!
If something happened, we'd have been honest.
We didn't go round telling lies, covering stuff up.
You told me this morning your husband wasn't particularly open with you.
It's this girl. What were he doing with her?
- We don't know for sure. - Tell me.
Mum, he wouldn't have. He loved you.
Give me her number, I'll ask her. Just get it out in the open.
- You can't do that. - What do I do?
Just sit here in limbo, waiting for the next slap in t'face?
Is it down to you they're putting the adoption on hold?
It might be, yes.
We're obliged to tell them we're still making inquiries into your family.
- I'm sorry. - Well, thanks for that.
Thanks.
That was the only thing keeping her going.
Her name's Gloria Edwards.
Yes, I saw her.
She was on her own.
Did she make a reservation?
Table five is set aside for walk-ins.
So probably not.
But she was here, for sure.
Here you are.
Right.
- So the day Owen goes AWOL from work... - Mm?
...and he's parked outside Mountford General,
there's a female admitted under the name of Ferris for alcohol poisoning.
- Hannah? - Well, the patient's taken home
before she can be properly admitted. So the nurse writes her off as a time-waster.
But we know that Hannah gets off her face.
- So... - So?
I'm thinking Hannah gets messed up.
She wants attention, she wants him to come running after her.
- What, she's pretending? - Well, maybe it's a false alarm.
He gets back to work by midday.
But he can't tell 'em the real reason why he's late for the safety checks because...
- ...well, he's in a relationship. - Right.
You know who she put down? Her fancy man, as next of kin.
Oh, come on, boss, even you've got to be impressed with that.
Oh, I am, pet.
I am.
Except you're missing the obvious.
He's not her fancy man, he IS her next of kin.
Come on!
My mum found his details on the internet.
You said your mum was dead.
Before she died.
I found them stored on the laptop. I came looking.
So all that stuff about you begging was a lie?
He wanted to give me money for rent. I said no.
But I was hard up,
so I let him refer me to the charity.
Was he glad you made contact?
Yeah, we had a big family party.
Look, I was a mess.
He wasn't exactly thrilled but he wasn't made of stone either.
Why did you come looking?
I just did. Wouldn't you?
I'm not saying everyone has to be 2.4 kids.
But you need to know where you come from, don't you?
And where do you come from?
A one-nighter.
He was quite open about that.
Before they adopted Cameron, him and Ellie, I think, were having a bit of a bad time.
I think with the fertility treatment and all that.
Anyway, this one night he goes out, gets it on with my mum.
Bang. That's me, one-hit wonder.
You can see why he didn't want his wife to know.
It's not nice, is it?
So he didn't actually have a relationship with your mam?
No.
He knocked her up...
She asked but he wasn't interested.
So she moved to Manchester to start again.
Got married... for about two minutes.
It's like she told me.
Getting pregnant with me ruined her life.
But, you know, I'm over it.
Why did she look for him on the internet?
Torture herself I think.
She was a bit crackers if I'm honest.
How'd your mam die?
Topped herself.
Do you blame your dad at all?
For the rejection.
Not so as I'd kill him.
How'd you feel about him missing your birthday, hm?
Something came up probably.
We weren't his priority.
Honestly, I didn't mind.
Right.
Why were you hospitalized?
- When? - Few months back.
March.
No. Don't know anything about that.
I'll chase the hospital, see if she's lying.
Well, that doesn't alter the fact that at the
time of death she was in a club with her mates.
Think, what does this mean?
Him having another kid.
Biological one at that.
It certainly gives Mam something to be hacked off about, doesn't it?
Possible.
Let's bring her in, do a formal interview.
Or should I be looking at Lila?
A girl that age capable of...?
Ma'am, this fella's been waiting an hour.
It's that docker.
- Are you waiting for me? - Yeah.
We've heard.
You've heard what?
That you've got Mick his evidence.
Right, yes. Yes, we have.
That's good news.
Well, where I'm from, one good turn deserves another.
I saw the fight.
- The fight outside the pub? - Yeah.
And he wasn't being vicious. He just pushed him and Owen fell on his back.
Bang, straight on the kerb. Didn't know his own strength, I'd say.
Who pushed him? Was this Mick McKittrick?
No.
It was Cameron, his son.
He's not picking up his mobile.
- This Greg definitely vouched for Cameron? - Yeah.
Get Kenny to double-check.
Did you trace his mobile on the night?
No, cos his friend vouched for him.
Lila... Lila, love...
I'm looking for Cameron.
Do you know where he is, love?
Yeah. He's working.
Oh, great.
Thanks.
At Hattington Golf Course.
Right.
Are you all right?
No.
What's up?
They're saying they have to move me.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm going to have to ask you something, pet.
Now, did Cameron and Owen have a falling out?
Within the last month.
- Right, are you going to ruin HIS life now? - No.
I'm only asking because a witness said he thought they might have had a fight.
- Did they? - They did, yeah.
What was it about?
Dad was cheating on Mum.
With that homeless girl.
Saw his car outside where she lives.
Cam went ballistic about it.
Owen told him he'd got it wrong.
We believed him.
Right.
But you know different, don't you?
That's why you're looking for her, isn't it?
He's on compassionate leave.
His sister was under the impression he was working today.
Yeah, I mean, he did come on earlier but I sent him home.
Why's that?
He were caddying for some fellas on a corporate. But he started to get upset.
Lost it with them, I think.
Right, thanks, mate.
Unaccounted for since 11am this morning.
We need to speak to him in connection with an assault on his dad
three weeks prior to the murder.
DCI Stanhope. - 'Oh, hello, it's Jayne-Anne from Jump Start.'
We've had a lad in looking for info on Hannah Ferris.
- Right, what did you tell him? - Nothing. We have procedures.
But he was quite angry.
I think he may have been Owen's son.
Thanks, love.
Let's see if we can find Hannah before Cameron does.
Bring her in as a precaution.
Hello?
Hannah?
He'll have seen this.
SEAT Leon, registration Alpha Charlie Foxtrot.
Male, early twenties.
Possibly with Hannah Ferris.
- Scrap that. - It's all right.
- Alone. - It's all right.
We think Owen's son Cameron has been looking for you.
They've found the car but not the driver.
That's good. If he's on foot it'll be easier.
He's back in coverage.
- We've got him down by the docks. - Right, get uniform down there.
But don't scare him off.
Might have a bee in his bonnet and we don't want anyone getting stung.
KENNY: Keep your distance. We're on our way.
Why were you looking for Hannah?
I just want a straight answer.
Mum's tearing herself to bits.
Is that why you knocked your dad about last month, to get a straight answer?
You see, we find these things out eventually.
Was he lying to me?
I groveled to him because I thought I'd got it wrong.
Well, as far as we can tell, he was not having an affair.
Not with Hannah, anyway.
Why are you so sure he was carrying on?
I'm not.
Look, if I tell you, you can't tell Mum, OK?
She's hurt enough as it is.
All right, come on.
The day he died,
a reminder popped up on his phone,
a booking for a restaurant in Quayside.
Now, if he wasn't up to something, why didn't he tell us about it?
Aiden...
Get uniform down to the docks, tell them to bring Gloria Edwards in.
I think Owen might have been meeting HER at the restaurant.
And, Helen, get on to Ellie, tell her her son's here.
OK, thank you.
Ma'am. The manager's saying there's no booking in the name of Edwards.
However, there was a booking in the name of Ferris.
Well, why would Hannah have been there?
Unless... Hold on.
Helen, did you find a record of Hannah's mother's suicide?
I didn't get a call back from Manchester. I've been chasing...
So we don't know for certain she's dead.
Right.
Is your mother Gloria Edwards who works with Owen at the docks?
You can tell me now or I can look up the records
and then arrest you for perverting the course of justice.
Yes!
She went back to work there in the last year, yes.
Is Ferris your real name?
It's the name of the bloke she married.
She does use it sometimes.
Now, why did she come back up here from Manchester?
I was here. She wanted to be close to me.
Now, you see, I think she came back up here to reconnect with Owen.
Maybe.
Hiding to nothing there.
I told you, she likes to torture herself.
Why did you tell us she was dead?
I told you. Dad didn't want Ellie knowing anything about me.
Oh, so you were protecting his family?
See, I think you're protecting your mam.
But from what?
We've checked with the restaurant. There was a birthday meal booked for three,
name of Ferris, cake on order.
And neither you nor Owen turned up.
I never had any other expectation.
So why book it? I didn't, Mum did.
He wasn't interested, I wasn't.
I think she felt I was too forgiving on him.
She wanted him to prove he cared.
To lie to his wife. "Put us first."
I told you, she's crackers.
And you weren't bothered?
Not at all?
I didn't want to turn his life upside down.
He loved his family. I understood that.
And he didn't love YOU?
We barely knew each other.
I'm not saying he didn't care but...
Anyway, he politely declined last minute.
So why did your mam still go to the Quayside?
She just didn't get the message till she got to the restaurant.
Far as I know, she turned around and went home.
Er, ma'am, uniform can't locate the er...
the suspect at the docks.
I just wanted to offer my condolences.
In person.
I'm Gloria.
From the docks...
Oh, right.
Thank you.
I were about to head out.
I have to pick up my son.
Would you like me to drive you down?
It wouldn't be any trouble.
- Come on, love. Where might she have gone? - I don't know.
- I'd advise you to stop protecting her. - Course I'll protect her.
- She's my mum! - Ma'am.
They can't find Ellie at the house.
But they found her phone smashed with an aborted call to 999.
- Where is she? Ask her where she'd go. - Come back!
- Ask her! - Not in here, son. Get him out.
- Get him out. - Come on.
- She knows! - Hannah, help us out here, will you, love?
Where shall we look?
Is there somewhere she had a connection with?
There's a causeway. She talked about it before.
What?
Driving off it.
Where are we going?
Don't know.
You can get out if you want.
My daughter will be waiting for me.
Oh, well, if it's your daughter needs attention,
I'll drop everything, shall I?
"We're not his priority." That's what Hannah said.
She told me! She bloody told me her mother was still alive and I didn't spot it!
That was her at the hospital, not her daughter.
Patient called Ferris.
Crying alcohol poisoning.
Only, that was a con, wasn't it?
She calls, he comes running.
RADIO: 'All units. DC Blake thinks they've spotted her on the B23. Eastbound.'
- That's back the other way. - '.. assistance. Over.'
I know these roads. Hang on to your eyebrows.
It was going on for years.
Right under your nose.
I don't believe you.
- It's all rubbish. - It's not.
He was waiting till Lila was sorted.
That was all you cared about, wasn't it? Staying together for the sake of the kids.
- It was tough for him. - That's not what he said!
You weren't seeing him for years.
Believe what you want.
Never know for sure, will you?
- Go on, floor it! - No, I don't want to encourage her.
What's she doing? What's she doing?
Ellie?
It's all right. Deep breaths.
Help's here. You're all right.
It's all right.
Ignore her, love.
You did the right thing.
So you're at the restaurant.
No-one turns up.
What happens next?
I get the message, I go home.
I don't believe that's true.
Give us another one.
Thanks.
OK, then.
Now, your daughter told us you like to track Owen on the internet.
Torture yourself with what he's up to.
So erm... let's have a little look at this.
Right, I think this came up on your phone.
Mm?
Owen Thorne tagged having a laugh in the city center
when he should've been with you in the restaurant.
Mm? Told lies, didn't he? Said he was under the weather.
This is rubbing it in, isn't it?
I didn't care.
I just went home.
No, you didn't, love.
You rang him, didn't you?
And my money's on you told him you were coming for a showdown.
No, like I say, I went home.
Well, that's funny, cos GPS
has mapped this phone, your phone, to Eastgate.
You phoned him seven times in 10 minutes.
- You were at the scene. - No.
- You were upset. - I didn't give a damn.
- And you'd gone to confront him. - How would I do that?
Have you seen the size of him?
And the size of me.
Hannah's also told us you have a history of attempted suicide. Is that right?
So did you threaten to throw yourself off the top of that car park, love?
Is that why Owen was at the barrier?
I just couldn't take it any more.
Seeing what he was doing to Hannah.
What?
What was he doing to her?
It ruined her.
The rejection.
It ruined her.
And the blatant lying.
"Under the weather".
Thinks it won't affect her. Thinks she'll laugh it off.
She won't.
Didn't eat for two years.
I had to cope single-handed.
That must have been tough.
But is it possible that it's you who felt rejected?
That it was your hurt, not Hannah's?
- Me? - Mm.
Oh, I couldn't give a toss.
I just went there to have it out once and for all.
He always put them first.
Didn't matter who he had to shove out the way.
They weren't even his blood.
So you went just to scare the daylights out of him?
At that moment, I meant to do it.
Don't!
But he sat next to me.
Said he wanted me around.
I...
...don't know... how he slipped.
But... as we stood up...
...his balance went and...
The last thing he did was try to save my life.
You know, love,
I really would like to think that were true.
But that would be you having the last word, wouldn't it?
Against them.
You see, if he'd slipped,
chances are he'd have landed feet first.
But head first?
Now that suggests something else.
Either he dived...
...or you gave him a big old push.
But thanks for clarifying all the other details, pet.
I'll get back to you on them.
Thanks, Gloria.
We, erm...
just wanted to say thank you.
For co-operating with them.
I know that can't have been easy.
If you want to stand up front with us, that's fine.
I know he wouldn't just want you to be a face in the crowd. Not forever.
That's something, anyway.
Do you think he'd have made it right with them all after?
When Lila was sorted and all the dust was settled.
VERA: Maybe.
But in my experience, dust never settles really, does it?
In life.
Ah, come on. We don't have to stay.
Best private, I think.
Let's go and have a drink to the dust never settling on us.
Boss.
Ah, thanks.
We could go for a proper drink if you like.
Or have you got to be somewhere?
I never turn down a pint.
- On me, though. - Absolutely, mate.
I've not exactly been indispensable, have I, with my leg?
No.
That'll teach me to try and equalize.
Oh, I think you've equalized, pet.
You've saved a life now, haven't you?
So you're quits.
Come on.