The Hunter Doctors

There you go.

But he just came at me! Like a mad dog!

I'm not the crazy one here.

Look, see these bruises?

Oh, I didn't do that.

Nah, it was the invisible man. Who?

Might look doddery, but he's handy with his fists.

Daryl.

No way.

Right, let's get you both booked in, then can you check this one over.

Yeah, fine.

Name? Address?

Er... I don't know.

You want to guess how many times I've heard that?

No, I'm sorry.

I'm serious. I can't remember.

Just look straight ahead for me.

What are you doing?

I'm just checking for signs of concussion.

I wasn't hit on my head.

Right.

OK.

I'm sorry.

The brain. It's just not as good as it used to be.

Are you struggling with anything in particular?

Oh, keys, glasses.

Losing them?

And the Times crossword, too.

I'm afraid that one's always been beyond me.

Yes, I used to love it,

but now?

Completely stumped.

Have you spoken to your GP about your memory problems?

Who are you registered with?

Can I go home?

I'm sorry that's not entirely my decision.

"Meet at our seats. Ticket at box office. OK?"

I think you have a ticket for me.

I think he might be a vulnerable adult.

Might be?

Maybe it's just the shock of what's happened, but...

I don't know. His level of confusion

and some of the things he's saying

make me think he might be suffering with dementia.

You're the doc.

I'd have to do further tests.

Have you got an address for him?

His driving licence said Belvoir Street.

Right, so he'd be registered at the Fern Hill Medical Centre.

I know one of the partners there.

Good luck chasing them up at this time of night.

Well, it's worth a try, isn't it?

Whatever. Can you give Daryl the quick once over, so I can make a start, yeah?

ORCHESTRA TUNING UP

Sorry. Excuse me. Can I just squeeze by?

Thank you very much.

Ruhma?

What are you doing here?

I could ask you the same question.

Is this some kind of set-up?

If it is, it's nothing to do with me.

Karen.

Oh, I'm going to strangle her.

Yeah, me too.

Although, I am rather looking forward to the recital.

APPLAUSE

It's a bit awkward to leave now.

PIANO PLAYS

You can put your jacket back on.

Are you all right?

What do you think?

It's a mess.

It wasn't supposed to go down like this.

What do you mean?

Look, you can talk to me if you want to.

It won't go straight back to Basri?

Is there a history with you and Sergeant Basri?

We finished here?

MODERN SOUL MUSIC PLAYS

Hiya. Hiya.

Mai tai or Singapore sling?

Both.

Come on, let's get wasted.

No, no. Let's not go too mad. Do you know how much these cost?

You're such a cheapskate.

I have got to get some training in for that sponsored bike race, remember.

Just forget about sucking up to management for one night and have some fun.

OK, Daryl, what happened?

Why were you hanging round the train station?

No comment.

Were you planning on meeting somebody?

Were you after some cash?

No comment.

A frail, old man like Ken Matthews.

Seemed like easy pickings?

No comment.

I know you Daryl. I know how you think.

Yeah? Yeah.

You've got something missing.

That bit that gives you feelings,

makes you care for a fellow human being.

That's why you beat up a confused, old man.

Confused?

It's a new low, even for you.

CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS

Excuse me.

Now, could you spell the word "world" backwards?

D...

O...

W.

Do you know I used to be an English teacher?

Really? Where did you teach?

St Michael's.

Right, could you now count backwards from a hundred in sevens, please?

97...

No, that's not right.

Erm, ninety...

...three. Eighty...

Er, 84?

PHONE VIBRATES

Excuse me.

Hi, Olivia, thanks for getting back to me.

What's wrong?

I shouldn't be here. I've made a mistake.

You were enjoying the music a moment ago.

I know about Curtis Brown.

Right.

Is that why you ended the relationship?

At least explain yourself.

Please.

That was your GP on the phone.

Who?

Doctor Fischer.

She's known you for many years.

You saw her a couple of weeks ago,

helped her out with a clue in the Times crossword.

Did I? Mm.

"Look up the bill and make good use of it."

Three words.

Four, two, seven.

I don't remember.

"Turn to account."

It means to turn something to your advantage, I think.

Does it?

I came home and the house was devastated.

It was like someone enjoyed destroying everything

that was personal and irreplaceable.

Then he did it again.

I just assumed it was the once. No, no, no.

The one thing about Curtis Brown is he's very persistent.

Go on.

I heard a noise, so I came downstairs and...

..there he was.

And what? He panicked?

No. He just sneered at me.

Put a screwdriver to my throat.

Then he left.

And you know the rest.

Yeah, I do.

He left,

you chased him

and you attacked him with a cricket bat.

I was completely exonerated at the trial.

What you did was wrong.

Have you listened to anything I've said?

You don't even feel guilty, do you?

What?

Now you're saying he is fit to be interviewed?

I can't rule out dementia 100%.

So what's changed?

He saw his GP a couple weeks ago

and they didn't pick up on any signs.

Could be shock?

Or he thinks he's got something to gain by behaving like this?

Like what? That's your department.

You haven't said what happened between you and Daryl.

There was a spate of joyriding on my old beat in Westgrove Park.

Went on for months. Cars screeching through the night.

Drove the locals mad. I can imagine.

Daryl and his mate picked up a couple of girls, showing off.

They reckon the car was going about 80mph when it crashed.

One of the lasses was just 15. Killed instantly.

That's terrible.

People like Daryl, they don't change. Maybe...

..but I think it's possible there's more to this.

He said something like, "It wasn't meant to go down like this."

Just like that poor girl wasn't supposed to end up dead.

Confused, they reckon.

You got them eating out of your hand.

Do you know what you did?! Do you?!

Daryl! That's enough!

I went through hours of restorative justice sessions for that man

and he just mocked me.

And his pregnant girlfriend goes off the rails and he comes to me,

me, begging me for help.

Yeah, well, as a doctor you probably felt obligated.

I turned his life around. I'm not the villain here!

It doesn't change what happened.

Why aren't you listening to me?

I know what it's like to be a victim of violence.

You are not a victim.

The woman I lived with physically abused me.

Are you happy now?

Happy?

Oh, Heston. I'm going back inside.

The guy in the grey shirt?

Shirts a bit dry, but wouldn't mind seeing what's underneath though.

He's dench.

What about her?

Yeah, she looks nice.

Hope that's not your best chat-up line?

I've got better.

So, hot or not?

I don't know.

Come on.

It's hard to say. Her eyes are a little big.

Are you for real?

Big eyes freak me out.

Ever since that film. What was it called again?

Big Eyes?

Frozen.

I think we both need another drink.

OK I'm sorry. HE WINCES

There you go.

Has Ken done something to you?

Forget it.

You think he's this nice, old guy.

Do I? You all do.

You don't know the half of it.

Then tell me.

I'm not police.

I've got his messages.

Messages?

From tracking him online.

Why? Why would you be tracking him? What's he done?

He's the worst kind of monster.

Type that preys on kids.

MUSIC: Tequila

CROWD CHEERS

Ooh. You OK?

OK?

What you staring at?

Get a good look at my pants did you?

Hey.

I just wanted to set things right.

For who?

Sean.

Who's Sean?

A guy I met in prison.

We shared a cell.

And what has he got to do with all of this?

I'd be doing my usual,

winding people up...

..but he looked out for me.

Like a protector.

Kept people off my back.

Sounds like a good person to have around.

We got pretty close.

He told me a lot of stuff

about his past...

..what happened when he was a kid.

Sean had this teacher he thought was great,

really looked up to.

So when this guy offers him catch-up lessons at his house,

he thinks he's just being nice.

Ken Matthews?

Being nice.

He was just a kid.

He, er,

kept us going,

plans about how we was going to get him.

Mad stuff,

but it helped.

At least I thought...

..it...

Daryl?

I kicked off

about something and nothing...

..but it was one time too many,

and they put me in solitary for the night.

When I came back...

..the cell was empty.

Sean had hung himself.

I'm sorry.

He told no-one else what had happened to him.

I'd heard about these hunters online,

that pretend to be kids, draw out people like him.

It was easier than I thought.

I'd been talking to him for days,

had him totally believing I was this young lad.

How young? 14.

So, finally, I agreed to meet him.

I suggested the train station.

Thought it was as good a place as any.

Pretty public, isn't it?

Not going to pick some dark alley.

What were you going to do when you met up with him?

I don't know.

Have it out with him, I suppose.

Record it on my phone.

But instead it turned into a brawl?

I saw him...

..before he saw me.

And there was this mum and her kids.

He clocked one of them.

And I just flipped.

I was never going to hit him.

Next thing I know, the cops are called and

I'm the bad guy.

You need to tell the police everything you've told me.

You owe it to Sean.

It's just the alcohol talking.

You have been hitting it pretty hard.

What are you saying? I'm like my mum?

Where did that come from?

It's what you meant.

No.

Look at the state of me!

No wonder I can't help. I'm just as much of a screw up.

Don't be soft.

I should have been there for her.

To do what? Hold the bucket? Clean up her mess?

She's my mum! I let her down.

Took Sierra away.

Whoa.

thanks to you, that kid is happy and safe.

And I bet, in time, even your mum will come to see that.

I mean, your sister has.

You and her are talking again. That's good.

Until I screw that up and all.

You won't.

I bet your lot are really nice.

No deep, dark secrets in the Vere household.

My mum always has a pack of 20 that she keeps on the sly.

Ooh, edgy.

My dad did used to beat me all the time.

Yeah?

At chess.

Ooh, no.

What?

Why do you always have to do this?

What?! I just wanted a hug!

Oh.

Usually when you're drunk, you try to, erm... No, I don't.

Oh, get over yourself. I don't even fancy you.

OK.

Go on, then, walk away.

Can't say I blame you.

Don't be an idiot.

I'm just going to get us some Coke and something to eat. OK?

Chips?

Yeah, chips. Cool.

There should be a trail from the website he used.

And Daryl made it clear that he was only 14?

Yeah.

I'll re-arrest Ken on suspicion of grooming,

open a second investigation.

I've got to say, this stuff really turns my stomach. Yeah, me too.

Vigilantes, people taking the law into their own hands.

Surely if there's a child's at risk,

it's better these people are off the streets?

You want to live in a society where people can name and shame,

with no recourse to the law?

Let's just see what we get from the interview.

Fine.

APPLAUSE

I thought you'd, er...

I nipped out for some air.

Don't worry, I'll just finish this and I'll be off.

It happened to me, too.

"I want to run away with you."

His response was...

He said he'd look after me.

"I hate this place. No goodnight hugs and kisses."

And then you put a sad face.

He was going to give me one.

What? A hug?

He thought I was a kid.

What does that tell you?

It's open to interpretation.

It's all there, right in front of you!

Why are you even talking to me anyway? He's the guilty one!

I need proof.

My mate in prison, he told me Ken Matthews abused him.

He'll make a statement, will he?

He's dead.

But he reckoned there were others.

There's no record, nothing, nothing on file.

I bet if you look into it. There must be something!

"Have you met other boys this way?"

Do you remember how you answered?

Erm?

I don't know.

But it was all perfectly innocent.

Your reply was, "You are my first."

Yes, the first person I'd met through the website.

Right.

The fact that you were attempting to solicit a minor doesn't bother you?

A minor?

I quote,

"You don't mind that I'm only 14?"

Oh, I knew he was an adult.

How's that?

I taught for over 40 years.

You get to spot the difference between how an adult

and a 14-year-old boy speaks.

You get that from a few online messages?

Of course. Phrases used,

complexity of language.

Not that Mr Cooper couldn't do with some improvement.

Right.

The fact that he talked a lot about being in care in the past tense

made me suspect that it was some time ago.

So why did you arrange to meet him?

Well, call it a throwback from my teaching career,

me being sentimental,

but I never walk away from someone in need.

KNOCK ON DOOR

For the tape, PC Banham entered the room.

Before St Michael's, you taught at Hilford School?

Yes, I started there in 1971.

In 1989, the Gazette ran a story about an English teacher,

a Mr Matthews.

An accusation was made by a 13-year-old boy.

Came to nothing as I recall.

What happened to the boy?

Well, he was a C student at best.

I think he ended up at a more

appropriate school.

"You seem a bit sad, like you need some company?"

That's not all he was after.

He wanted to... You know what he wanted to do.

He thought I was a kid!

Yeah, but you weren't, Daryl.

What difference does it make? It's in them texts.

Ken claims he was just reaching out, just trying to help you.

That's a lie.

You're not listening to me.

There's nothing I can do, Daryl.

He killed my friend!

I promised him!

The first time he hit me...

..I was six months pregnant with Shak.

I remember feeling this pain.

He was so still inside me.

Amir...

..wouldn't let me go to the doctors.

He was very controlling.

When you are young, newly married

you don't know what to expect.

I tried to talk to my mum about it

but she just changed the subject.

She was very indifferent.

Suffer in silence?

I did.

I promised myself that as long as he didn't touch the kids,

that they never saw anything...

And then

one time...

..he kicked me so hard in the stomach...

..I wet myself.

I'm sorry.

It wasn't just my life that was at risk, Heston.

Did Amir ever try to find you? No.

That was the only consolation. He left us alone.

And what about your parents?

Ken Matthews is dropping the charges.

He isn't pursuing the assault.

What about Daryl, his accusations?

Not enough evidence at this stage.

That's it? It was all for nothing?

Daryl doesn't know the first thing about what it takes to get a conviction.

It's people like him resending these perverts underground,

making our jobs twice as hard.

Yeah, well, I'm glad you can sleep at night.

OK?

Yeah.

I'm sorry. You did all you could.

You make sure you see s GP about that cut, won't you?

I'm not giving up.

I will get him.

Daryl.

Some time he's going to slip up

and if not him,

there'll be plenty of others.

You feeling better?

Yeah.

This place is as dead as disco.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Ooh, someone who thinks disco is dead,

needs to find their inner groove.

SHE LAUGHS

THEY LAUGH

I'm sorry. It doesn't change anything.

I'm not Amir. I know that.

But you're wasting your time.

Me and relationships, we do not work.

How do you know?

I haven't been with another man since Amir.

We have already managed to achieve an eye-watering ?4,000.

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

I'm sure everything will be fine. Have you rung them?

They're not picking up. Something's wrong.

I'm picking songs for my funeral.

What?! Put that away, now.

We've had a row. What was it about?

What we always row about.

Max.

I've had a message from China, from my birth mother.

'Your brother is in trouble.'

What brother?

How far would you go to save the family who gave you up?

She won't even look at me.