Gently Going Under Inspector George Gently

SIREN BLARES

CHATTER

-What is it?

-I don't know, pet,

but if that thing's going off, it's not good.

SIREN CONTINUES BLARING

It's your da.

I'm sorry, Sam.

SHE SOBS

What happened?

PHONE RINGS

Hello.

About turn, we've got a body underground at Burnsend Colliery.

-Ah, great.

-You can give us the benefit of your mining experience.

Don't start, sir. Don't start with all of that.

-Morning, George.

-Morning.

-Can I have a word?

One minute.

Did you get the paperwork about the superintendent's position?

Yes, I did. I don't think it's for me, sir.

What isn't, George? Promotion.

-Increased responsibility? Advancement?

-Traffic.

I spent 15 years in traffic.

There comes a time when it is unseemly for senior officers

to still be rocking the boat, ignoring orders,

getting themselves shot, you know the sort of thing.

Are you saying I'm an embarrassment, sir?

I'm saying I'd hate to see you embarrass yourself.

Who would? You or ACC Hale?

Why the sudden interest in my career?

No idea what you're referring to, George.

You're not the organ grinder, is my point, sir.

I'm going to ignore that inference.

I'd appreciate you giving it further and proper consideration.

What was all that about?

None of your business.

-You grew up somewhere like this, didn't you?

-Yep, just like it.

They're all the same, these pit villages - miserable.

Well, you should be right at home this morning, then.

Pack it in, sir, will you?

Back amongst your own. "In the blood", as they say.

Look, just cos me dad was a miner doesn't mean that I'm one.

I got out. There's no way I was going to work down pit.

I rejected all of that. I've made my own way in the world.

I've forged my own path, all right?

You haven't exactly gone very far, have you, son?

Far enough.

You'll want to get back to work, Billy?

You're just loving this, aren't you? Any excuse to shut the place.

Are you the police?

Detective Chief Inspector Gently. This is Detective Sergeant Bacchus.

-Dennis Morden, general manager.

-For the time being, anyways.

Howay Billy, man, come on. Now's not the time.

There's a fella lying dead.

Aye, I know that. Our union rep. Protector of our interests.

Some'd say that's suspicious, like, in the current circumstances.

Burnsend Pit is under consideration for possible closure, Mr Gently.

The dead man, Arthur Hawkes, was the shop steward.

What makes you think this wasn't an accident?

He wasn't meant to be down there, not since Friday.

-We'll need to see the body.

-Peter?

This is Peter Turner. He and his son Joe found the body.

-He'll take you down.

-Mr Turner.

All right. Right, come on, I'll get you kitted up.

-You the first one to the body?

-Well, no.

Someone shouted, and me and Joe went over and seen it was Arthur, like.

-Where is Joe?

-The lad's took it pretty bad.

What was Arthur's job down the pit?

He was a roof man. It was his job to help advance the roadways,

put up girders, secure the roof, that sort of thing.

He's been lying there a couple of days. How come nobody missed him?

I have no idea. Maybe you should ask his family.

He has a son, Sam, who works under me here as a section manager,

and a daughter, Hannah.

Right, your titfa goes on here like that, OK?

That comes up over your shoulder, clip's round.

That goes on the front like that.

I'll leave you in Peter's capable hands.

I need to inform head office of events.

Now this...threads through there onto your belt, OK?

-What is it?

-This is your life-saver.

-This is your self-rescuer, right? It's for gas.

-Gas?

Yeah. Just like the war, John.

Yeah, well, some of us barely remember the war, sir.

Aye, that's what's wrong with you lot these days.

You dunno when you're well off.

You're a veteran?

Aye. I was in First Army till '43.

-Yourself?

-I was in the Eighth.

Ah, you had some canny hard fighting, you lads, eh?

Didn't we all, mate?

Right now, I brought this for a demonstration.

Now bite down on the mouthpiece.

You're joking, aren't you? I dunno where that's been.

Aye, right, cos hygiene's important

when you're choking to death(!) Howay.

HE LAUGHS

And that's your nose clip, goes on here.

Right, now breathe normal.

-MUMBLES:

-I am breathing normal.

BOTH LAUGH

HE MUMBLES

RUMBLING

It's a bit noisy, like.

This is where you get your tokens, OK?

There's two tokens.

One for the way down and one for the way up.

That's how you account for who's underground.

I can see why they made you chief inspector.

Right. Round token.

-Thanks, John.

-Thank you.

-Lights on.

-Light your lamps.

How far down do we go?

-This is what they call a deep mine, about 800 foot.

-800 foot!

Aye, it's not so bad.

Some of the ones down Yorkshire, they're 1,000 feet.

HE MUTTERS

You OK doing this?

Yeah, course. Yeah, no. Yeah, I'm fine.

Why wouldn't I be?

Was Arthur a good mate of yours?

We worked together most of our lives.

That's not what I asked.

We got on well enough. He was good with the lads, you know.

He was a good shop steward.

Can you think of anybody who might have had it in for him?

That's your job, is it not?

Is it much farther?

So Joe found the body and called you over, yeah?

Well, no. Some others spotted it first

and when Joe seen who it was, well, Arthur was training him

up to be a union rep, so they were quite close, like.

JOE BREATHES HEAVILY

-You all right, John?

-Yeah.

-You sure?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

Hey. Hey, it says collapsed seam here.

See that? Collapsed seam. Does that happen a lot?

Nobody goes in there now.

But, well, Joe nearly got killed in there a while back.

-What happened?

-Well, him and Arthur got caught in a roof fall.

And Joe got buried and Arthur went in and pulled him out.

So, Arthur saved your son's life.

So they say.

I wasn't there myself.

Right now, this here's the face line in here.

He's lying up in there a bit.

Please tell me we're not going in there.

Do you want to stay here?

HE SIGHS

No, it's fine. Let's go.

You all right?

I'll not leave you.

Right, here we go. Mind your heads.

You might want to cover your noses cos it stinks a bit.

Has anybody touched anything?

Joe might have shifted some of it when he first seen him.

Not wearing his helmet.

We need to get the scene-of-crime boys down here.

It looks like his skull's been fractured.

There's a massive indentation.

What would he be back here for anyway?

Nobody normally goes into the waste.

We just let that collapse behind us

when the coalface moves forward, like.

-What? This isn't supported?

-Aye.

-This is ridiculous.

There's some bruising on his neck, just here.

It looks like somebody's dragged him in here,

expecting the roof to collapse and bury him and...

just taken his token, pop it in the tin upstairs.

As far as anybody's concerned, Arthur Hawkes has vanished.

-What do you think?

-Maybe.

-CREAKING

-Quick, quick, howay!

Move! Move!

Are you all right? Are you going to be all right? What happened?

-I'm fine. I'm fine. Just give me a minute.

-You're bleeding, sir.

-I think we should go, don't you?

-Can you walk?

-Yes. Yes.

Here. Come on. Come on.

Mind your heads.

How is he? Will he live?

Eurgh!

I haven't asked you your name.

Janet.

Hello, Janet. I'm John.

It's a nasty cut.

I've had worse.

So I see. How did you get your old wound?

I got shot.

That was nice of them.

-Do you get much pain from it?

-No.

You've probably been favouring the other leg,

-that's why you haven't noticed it.

-There's nothing wrong with my leg.

Nearly there.

I'm in your hands.

Do you want me to hold yours?

-No, thank you, John.

-All right.

-You've got wonderful hands, Janet, very dextrous.

-How's the patient?

Why is the pit up for closure, Mr Morden?

No-one has said it is to close. It hasn't been decided.

It'll be announced tomorrow at a meeting.

Calm down. We're not the NUM.

We're all under pressure here.

Productivity at Burnsend is way down.

The coal is running out.

Was Arthur Hawkes fighting these plans?

Tooth and nail.

So you would have had the odd dispute with him?

I work here the same as them, Mr Gently.

Relations were pretty cordial.

-There we go, pet, all done.

-Thank you.

-Let me get you a bandage.

I'd like a list of all the men

who were on the same shift as Arthur on that night.

-I'll get it to you as soon as I can.

-Thank you.

There we are.

HE INHALES DEEPLY Good as new.

Anybody else touched this?

Arthur will still have his key. I had to get the master.

A couple of quid.

A phone number.

The Mermaid, Newcastle. Do you know it?

Can't say I do.

Guv.

-Aye-aye.

-More than a couple of quid that, isn't it? What do you reckon?

-Three or four hundred.

-What does he earn here?

£30 a week or so.

That's three months' wages thereabout.

I'd kill a man for that amount.

CHILDREN LAUGHING

Hannah, it's the police.

-DCI Gently. This is DS Bacchus.

-Nice to see you.

We're very sorry about your father.

-Please...take a seat.

-Thank you.

So, is it murder, like everybody's been saying?

I'm afraid so, yes.

I don't understand why anybody would do this.

When did either of you see your father last?

Couple of days ago, Friday.

We went to work together.

Did you wonder where he was at the weekend,

-why he didn't come back?

-Nah, not really.

He was never here much at weekends...not lately.

-Why's that?

-He'd rather be in Newcastle, getting pissed.

Don't start, Sam Hawkes.

Dad's dead. Have some respect.

Since our ma died, he's not been...

He took it hard.

-How did she die?

-TB finally finished her off about six months back.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Was a relief by the end.

Nothing worse than watching someone die a little bit more every day

and being able to do nothing about it.

SHE SOBS

Come on. It'll do you no good getting upset.

Aye, that certainly seems to be working for you, doesn't it?

We found a book of matches amongst your father's possessions

from the Mermaid pub in Newcastle. Did he go there regularly?

I wouldn't know. We never got invited with him.

We found £300 in his locker.

Any idea how he came across that?

No. If he had that sort of money, we never saw any sign of it.

KNOCK ON DOOR

-All right?

-Oh, Joe.

-Hiya.

Are you the police?

DCI Gently.

- Joe Turner. - Are you Peter Turner's son?

- You found Arthur, yes? - That's right.

SHE SOBS Come on. Come on.

Calm down, pet

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

That was him on the Jarrow March, in 1936.

He was only 19.

He was in his element, stirring it up.

Aye. Bit of a troublemaker, was he?

My dad was a good man.

He fought for what he believed in and people believed in him.

Burnsend Pit has been at the heart of this community for as long as any

of us can remember.

Most of yous are the latest of generations to work it.

Now I came here as a Bevan Boy in '43

and I stayed here because I love it.

It's home and you are all family.

You're brothers, comrades, so we must all stick together.

Aye, and strike together, afore it's too late.

A strike just plays into the bastards' hands, Billy.

Not if the union brings out every other pit with us.

Let's see what that does for productivity!

ALL: Strike! Strike!

All right! Calm down, Panda.

When I want your opinion, I'll give you it, eh?

LAUGHTER

Aye, Burnsend is on a list of possible closures,

but I'll tell you what, it's right at the bottom of it.

I've had undertakings and reassurances.

Burnsend's going to be all right,

as long as we don't mess that up for ourselves,

so no more talk of strikes, Billy.

Our fate is in our own hands, I believe that,

and you can believe me in that.

So, let's just keep doing what we do best,

bringing the dirty black stuff up, eh?

Like Burnsend men have always done

cos there's no-one better at doing it, right?

APPLAUSE

He cared about everybody in this community, Mr Gently.

Always put them first.

-Before his own family even.

-Sam, haway, man.

This is my house now, Joe, not yours, not yet.

I'll not have you telling me what I can and can't say in it.

I'm going for a walk.

Don't be daft.

-Come with me?

-Hannah. Hannah.

So you didn't approve of your father's weekends or his drinking?

Everyone likes a drink. Who doesn't, right?

But when my ma got ill he should've been here...

and he wasn't.

It broke her heart.

How did that make you feel?

I'm sorry. What's this got to do with owt?

So I didn't get on with him about stuff.

How did your dad feel about you training to become management?

I know what it's like, I really do. You know, in places like this.

Any ambition or wanting to change, you know, do something different,

it's like joining the enemy, isn't it?

He was fine about it.

Are we done?

Blimey, no love lost between father and son.

Sam couldn't blame his mother for dying, he chose somebody else.

-All right?

-Yes.

-Is it giving you gyp?

-No. I'm fine.

I tell you what, Sam deciding to aim for a shirt and tie,

that wouldn't have sat well, I don't care what he says.

It's not a crime, being a manager, you know.

You're joking, aren't you? Around here.

Working class lad with ideas above his station -

-it's worse than being a poof.

-Or a copper?

-Aye. Or a copper, yeah.

Why not aim for a bit of ambition? Take responsibility?

-Or am I asking the wrong sergeant?

-What do you mean by that?

Well, how long has it been now?

-I don't know, a couple of years maybe.

-Seven.

All right, seven. What difference does it make?

Are you still happy being a sergeant? No thoughts of promotion?

Or are you scared of the inspector's exam?

No, I'm not scared. I'm not scared, all right? I'm just...

-Let's not talk about it.

-John...

..will you drive?

-You all right?

-Yes.

Maybe you should get that looked at again?

-You just want an excuse to see nurse Janet again.

-Maybe.

Doesn't anybody knock any more?

Sorry, sir. The door was open.

That looks really nasty.

Give over, his legs aren't that bad. Your legs aren't that bad, sir.

I'm serious. I've seen you.

-You can hardly walk.

-Well?

-This is the list that you asked for, sir.

All of the men that were working underground on the day

of Arthur Hawkes's last shift - there's 40 names.

That narrows it down, don't it?

I thought if we could find out where the men were working,

-in relation to Arthur's body.

-Good idea.

And I've made up a map as well

with all of the relative positions and distances.

I've got some crayons here if you need them.

All right. Where do you keep them, next to your Action Man?

-You could try just telling me.

-Oh, right...

So there were six men near where he was last seen working -

Peter Turner and his son Joe, Sam Hawkes, Billy Shearer, Panda Whelan,

and the manager Dennis Morden was also down the pit on one

of his monthly inspections, so his whereabouts are unconfirmed.

-Well done, Rachel. Good work.

-Thank you, sir.

Give her that phone number we found in Arthur Hawkes' locker.

And check these names on your list,

see if any of them have got a record. Arthur Hawkes as well.

-I could just ring this, if you like?

-Oh, you were doing so well.

Let me explain, right?

If you call that number,

then they'll know who you are, won't they?

But you don't know who the person is on the other end,

whether they're lying. They could be the killer, couldn't they?

And you just warned them that we're coming.

So, name and address, please, pet. All right?

All right? We don't need a diagram.

WOMAN SOBBING

It's all right, pet.

What's going on? Why have you brought me in?

You, Arthur Hawkes and Panda Whelan were arrested in the Mermaid Bar

in Newcastle a couple of weeks ago for fighting,

and you spent the whole night in the cells. Sit down.

Aye, look man. That was something of nothing. We were all pissed.

You know what it's like. We got into gear with some lads.

Who were these lads?

Locals. That's why we got nicked and they didn't.

Our faces didn't fit. Nowt to it, like I said.

I cannot remember nowt about it, man.

Take a seat there, will you?

You can't remember nowt?

No. I was 15 pints to the good, man.

Here you are. So, what were you doing in Newcastle?

Just having a drink.

That's a long way for a pint, innit, that? Did you go often?

-Now and then.

-You, Billy and Arthur?

-Aye.

Were you good friends?

We was.

I mean, as in...

-..Arthur's dead now - poor bugger.

-Yeah...

Tell us about this fight.

Aye... I had to dive between them, like a pair of dogs.

-Dive between who?

-Billy and Arthur. They're a right pair when roused.

Right.

Yeah... Yeah, Billy said.

Give us a second, will you?

I've got a witness who says you were fighting with Arthur Hawkes,

had to be separated.

-That's shite. They're lying.

-It's Panda Whelan.

Why were you in Newcastle?

The dogs. Greyhounds, we own a couple.

-You and Arthur?

-Aye, and Panda.

Arthur's been at it for years.

He's got an eye for a winner.

We went in with him, just for the craic, like.

Bit of fun, make a few quid here and there.

Arthur had £300 on him when he died.

We'd had a good win that weekend. We all made a packet.

It's the sort of money that'd get a man killed, that.

I wasn't fighting with Arthur about dogs or money.

Right, I'll tell you, but I know what you're going to think.

I've got this pal, works in a pit in Leeds

and he'd heard Arthur had got a job landed there,

said Dennis Morden had put a word in for him,

so I asked Arthur if it was true.

-And what did he say?

-Not a lot. Just bloody went for us,

which told me all I needed to know.

Why would Arthur move to a another job

if he knew that Burnsend was going to stay open?

So he told all of us.

But we lost the battle last year,

Mr Gently, when Harold Wilson betrayed the miners

and chose nuclear power for that new power station at Hartlepool.

You think Arthur already knew about the pit closing,

despite saying different?

Why would the captain be jumping ship if it wasn't sinking?

And if it was true, Morden must have told him

and offered to sort him out.

You scratch my back...

Want to take a bet on the outcome of that meeting tomorrow?

Do you think that Arthur betrayed his comrades?

-Did you mention that to anybody else?

-Only Panda.

You're a right double act, you two, aren't you?

I look after him, he looks after me.

So you were fighting with Arthur

and two weeks later he's dead.

-See! I knew where you're going with it.

-Well...

I didn't kill him.

I's a gobshite, Mr Gently,

I'll admit that, but look at the size of us.

-I wouldn't know where to start killing a man.

-What about Panda?

I know nowt about it.

Am I under arrest?

If so, I'll have a lawyer. If not, I'm going home.

The thing about these union types is they're brothers this

and comrades that, big speeches and the rallying cries.

The bottom line, sir, is they're all in it for themselves.

Believe Billy Shearer?

I believe if you mix miners and unions, no-one stays white.

They're like politicians, put on a face,

but they're bent as a nine bob note.

I tell you what, if he did sell out the miners,

that's an awful lot of men with a motive to kill.

I've been making some enquiries.

There's an inspector's refresher exam starting in Newcastle

in a couple of days.

I don't... Why the sudden rush to get rid of us?

I'm not trying to get rid of you.

Is that what you were talking to Langham about behind my back?

I told you that was none of your business.

How is it none of my business, sir?

You're talking to him behind my back, scheming to get rid of me.

-I'm not scheming to get rid of you!

-Then how is it none of my business?!

It's me they're trying to get rid of!

What do you mean?

The ACC seem to think I've ignored one order too many.

And you think they're trying to chuck you out?

Worse, they're trying to promote me.

They've offered me a superintendent's position...in traffic.

(You? Traffic?)

-It's not funny! They're serious.

-Traffic.

-Yes, traffic!

They can't force you to take that, sir, surely?

Go home, John. I'll see you in the morning.

-Guv?

-Hop it.

-WPC Coles.

-Morning, sir.

How are you settling in?

Fine thanks, sir. I'm really enjoying it.

The men are treating you well enough?

They can be a rough and tumble lot.

No. Mr Gently's been really good to us.

I'm sure. And how is he doing, do you think?

Getting into more mischief, no doubt?

I wouldn't know about that, sir.

We're working on a murder down the mine at Burnsend.

Mr Gently made a right mess of his leg.

Oh?

What happened?

I'm not sure. I think he fell or something.

Apparently he caught himself right where he got shot.

I didn't even know he'd been shot till PC Taylor told us.

Yes, always keeps his cards close to his chest does George.

-Well, don't let me keep you.

-Sir.

-Yes.

-The telephone number on that is for a Lillian Francis.

She runs a greyhound kennels in Newcastle.

Yes. We knew that Arthur was racing dogs,

hence the amount of money that we found.

And I have the PM report.

-Right. Taylor?

-Sir?

Get your money out, will you? Postmortem report.

No. I don't like this.

Get on with it, man, will you? Just read the thing.

There was heavy bruising on the neck from an attempted strangulation...

"Attempted", did you hear that that? A-ttemp-ted. Carry on.

-..and the skull was severely fractured...

-Thank you very much.

..but the blow to the head didn't kill him.

He had dust and particles in his throat and lungs.

So he must have been unconscious,

and then suffocated when the rock fell on him.

I'll have that back, thanks.

So he was left... to die down there in the dark?

He must have tried to crawl out, or we'd never have found him.

Ah, Sergeant, I was hoping to catch you. Quick word.

Er... Yeah. Yeah.

I...heard about the accident.

What accident?

Down in the mine. I heard Gently's bad leg let him down.

It was hardly his leg, sir.

He's fine. He's absolutely fine.

Look, I admire your loyalty, detective sergeant,

but even you must admit that arrest rates recently haven't been

what they once were.

Are we talking about one case in particular, sir?

I'd like you to make a full report on this latest investigation,

leave nothing out, including any accidents or incidents.

-Why are you not asking Inspector Gently to do that?

-I'm asking you.

You want me to report on my boss?

All I want is the truth, and it won't do your own career any good

if you start making up stuff to protect him.

-Thank you for your co-operation, detective sergeant.

-Right.

We need to have a chat later on, George.

-My office, four o'clock sharp.

-Certainly.

-We're going to be late for the colliery meeting.

-Right.

-What was all that about?

-He wants me to write a report about the case,

leave nothing out.

They're coming after me, John.

So, there's bruises on his neck and the side of his head's smashed in.

"Huge force", the pathologist has written here,

-so it's got to be somebody big and strong.

-Or in a rage.

Maybe there's two of them. Fits, doesn't it?

One has his hands around his neck - that's the attempted strangulation.

And the other one, round the back, caves the side of his head in.

-Panda and Shearer?

-Yes.

Because they thought Arthur was going to sell them out.

They drag him into the waste down there and leave him to be covered.

Right? The only trouble is...

he's still alive and he crawls out far enough to be found,

-but it's the rock fall that kills him.

-Fair enough.

But why would they want to kill him?

Why not just reveal his betrayal?

Guv, you're assuming they think like rational human beings.

They're miners, man. They're nutters. They have an argument,

-they get into a row and...wallop.

-That's a bit harsh, isn't it?

-Is it?

If it's not politics, it'll be a woman, or money.

Isn't it always one of those three?

Anyway...it's D-day for them.

You can't expect the Coal Board to subsidise them

if the pit's losing money.

It's about more than money, though, isn't it?

If the pit closes, it's a whole community torn apart.

-And then how many more up and down the country?

-Guv...

No. You can't measure that in profit.

Guv, what sort of community is it?

One where people lie and cheat,

and leave each other to die alone in the ground.

People go on about how the pits are the souls of these places.

Well, I'll tell you what, it's a very dark and it's a dirty soul.

And if the mine goes, what have these people got instead?

A chance of a fresh start.

To be something other than a slave to a hole in the ground.

Mr Gently, I've got the meeting just now.

Yeah. We'll be in there with you. One question beforehand.

Did Arthur say anything to you about getting a job down in Leeds?

I think he might have mentioned something about it in passing.

Did he happen to mention why?

Given that you were both so confident about the pit staying open?

I can't say I remember.

You didn't happen to put a word in for him?

No. Why would I do that?

Because you'd had the inside word that the pit was about to close,

and doing Arthur a favour maybe meant he'd do you one.

Paranoia must be catching round here.

I resent that insinuation. Now, if there's nothing else...thank you.

These people don't want a fresh start, John.

They just want to hold on to their way of life.

What's going to happen to them if the mine closes?

Maybe they'll all go and live in Russia.

You're all heart, do you know that?

Well, they keep banging on about how better it is over there.

Bunch of commies, the lot of them.

If they're so keen, why don't they go and live there?

CHATTER

What's the score, then, what's Morden been saying?

I haven't spoken to him.

You're the union, he must have said something to you.

Pack it in, will you, Panda?

You'll hear what he has to say soon enough.

No. I want to hear it from you...

..unless you've been running away as well?

What're you talking about, man?

Do not pretend not to know.

Keeping it in the family, were you?

You're as bad as he was.

OK, I won't keep you all in suspense.

The board made it clear last month that they would need to see

a big improvement in productivity to guarantee the future of Burnsend.

Unfortunately, those targets have not been met,

so it is with great sadness that I have to announce the official

closure of Burnsend Colliery.

Notices of one month will be handed out with immediate effect,

but we would like to reassure everyone

that all efforts will be made to try to relocate at least some

of the workforce to other collieries,

and some of you will be offered salvage work in the short term.

I know just how hard each and every one of you has worked

and fought to save this pit, myself included.

What have you done, you lying bastard?!

It's a sad day for us all.

So, I would like to personally wish

all of you the very best for the future, wherever you may end up.

What's the union got to say? Joe? Howay, man!

What's it going to do?

Are you lot blind? Don't you see what's happened here?

Arthur Hawkes has sold us down the river.

Sorted out his own future while he's ruined ours!

-This is going to get nasty.

-There you are. If in doubt, turn on your own.

What are you saying, Billy? My dad did everything he could.

Sort you a job an' all, did he, lad?

Me Dad's not even buried and you're blackening his name.

Calm down, all of you, please.

It's nowt to do with you, Joe.

I want to know what he's saying.

I'll tell you, you and everyone else.

Your dad knew all about this.

In fact, it was him allowed it to happen

so he could fix his self a new job.

That's a dirty lie, Billy Shearer! Joe, tell him.

He can't say nowt cos your dad was nowt but a traitor.

Hannah!

SHOUTING

Sam, stop it!

Aw, man, I'm sorry.

I never... I never saw who it was. Here.

Go home, everybody. Go on.

Everybody, go home.

Go on, now!

And get him out of here.

We should be arresting him for assaulting a police officer.

John, just do as I ask!

-Are you all right?

-Yeah, yeah. I'm all right.

-Just get them out of here.

-Go on.

-Go on.

And you. Come on, off you go.

Do you think your father was capable of what Billy Shearer was saying?

I used to think I knew him.

Who knows what he was capable of?

Did you know your dad was planning to move to Leeds?

He never said nothing to me.

-But, aye, it makes sense.

-Why?

Cos he was always running away.

Everyone thought he was the big man, making all these speeches

and that, aye. All the time my mother was dying.

He said he loved her, so why wasn't he there when she needed him?

He was either hiding in the bottom of a pint pot or in bloody Newcastle.

Me and Hannah, we did our best,

but it was him that she was shouting for.

Telling us how in love they'd always been.

So where was he?

Do you hate your father for what he did to your mother?

Yes...

because she could have felt better at the end,

and instead he made himself feel better.

So, you ask me, would he betray that lot and run away to suit himself?

In a bloody heartbeat.

And would you have stopped him if you'd had known?

But I didn't.

You want to ask somebody about that, you want to ask Joe.

He had a right ding-dong with him about it last week.

I thought it was about our Hannah, but...

maybe it was about this.

Why would they be fighting about Hannah?

My dad never liked them going together.

Nearly ten years between them.

HE SIGHS

I need a drink.

Like father, like son.

-I'm nothing like him.

-Right.

I can't believe you're not standing up for me dad.

He lied, Hannah, he must have.

He swore to me it'd be all right.

Maybe the bloody Coal Board lied, eh?

You ever think that? It was them and not my dad.

-You're as bad as the rest of them.

-Hannah.

So Arthur had it all planned, eh?

The best thing to do was to strike afore the decision

and bring the others out with us.

Arthur did everything he could to talk us out of it.

And now betrayed by our own union.

I don't believe this, man.

There's years of coal left in the place, I know it, you know it,

the whole town knows it.

Productivity, they say.

All I've seen is men working harder than ever,

and all the time our union was selling us out.

-I never knew nothing about it.

-We've only your word for that.

You calling my son a liar?

I'll let folk make up their own mind about that.

-SHOUTING

-Ma, c'mon, he's not worth it.

Peter, are you just going to stand there, man?

Let him talk. What else has he got left?

They want to chip away our power, bit by bit,

so they can control us like... like puppets,

get rid of the troublemakers, get rid of the older workers,

steal our pensions, then they can do what they like with the rest.

-Dad?

-See Mum home, son.

We needed to make a stand.

We needed to make a stand right here, right now,

for our way of life,

and Arthur bloody Hawkes took that from us.

You take it for granted, that up there...

..but take a good look...

cos it'll soon be gone.

And what kind of future will there be then, huh? For your bairns?

Let me tell you, a life on the dole, that's what,

and where's the pride in that?

How are we supposed to look at ourselves in the mirror?

It's a shock. I'm sorry.

Maybe Billy's right. A way of life is coming to an end.

Horrible to contemplate, eh?

You know, Mr Gently, you can spend your whole life on a thing,

only to realise you've wasted your time.

Nothing's what you think it is...

except death maybe.

Peter, I need to speak to Joe.

You'd better come with me then.

Margaret, this is Detective Chief Inspector Gently

-and Sergeant Bacchus, is it?

-Yeah, that's right.

They're investigating Arthur's murder.

Pleased to meet you.

-I hope you get who did this. It's a terrible thing.

-Thank you.

Even though he did betray the whole bloody town.

Mind you, fair dos to him, nobody saw it coming.

I'm afraid I have to ask some awkward questions.

Was Arthur unhappy about you seeing Hannah?

Like that is it. You're here five minutes

and the wagging tongues are already in your ear. What have you heard?

- Who's been telling you that? - Sam Hawkes.

Look, Arthur lost his wife only six months ago,

so who's going to look after the men in that house?

Arthur didn't want to lose Hannah an' all.

- How old is Hannah? - 17.

17.

You two weren't unhappy about the age difference, then?

SHE SIGHS

I'll tell you what, and mind this - Joe bloody loved Arthur.

How long have you been seeing Hannah?

All this is because I was seeing Hannah?

Arthur had taken another job, Joe, in Leeds.

He was planning to leave.

You and Arthur have an argument about that?

Was he taking her with him?

How could they? This is the first we're hearing of it.

You think I killed him?

I'm the one as found him. Why would I do that if I killed him?

Cos it's the oldest trick in the book, happens all the time.

Is that right? You honestly think our Joe

could do something like that?

It's my job to think the worst until I find an answer.

What sort of job is that, always seeing

and thinking the worst in people all the time?

I don't know how you could stand it.

I've been doing it a long time.

And does that not make you sad, Mr Gently?

A life spent digging into other folk's misery?

You said four o'clock sharp, sir.

Thanks for popping in, George.

Have you had a chance to take another look at the job offer?

I don't think it's for me.

-You're sure about that?

-Certain.

Nothing else you'd like to tell me?

No, I don't think so, sir.

You feel you're fit enough to carry on where you are.

I heard about the accident down the mine.

Who's been telling you this?

Come on, man, you know better than anybody the risks

involved in carrying an injury in this job.

It may be time for you to slow down, George.

You don't owe anybody anything.

I'm perfectly fit.

I don't mind you lying to me,

but you really should be honest with yourself.

What if it lets you down at a critical moment? Gets you hurt?

Or worse, someone else?

We have the safety of the public to consider, George.

Wouldn't do to put them at risk.

You want me out of the way, is that it?

Maybe it's time for you to get out of your own way.

Every gunslinger has to retire at some point.

Think about it, that's all.

Always better to jump than be pushed.

How'd it go?

What exactly did you say to Langham?

-I told you, he wants me to write a report.

-About my leg.

He mentioned that. He already knew about it.

-Yeah, all right.

-All right?

-Yeah.

We've had it confirmed from the pit in Leeds -

Dennis Morden did arrange that job for Arthur.

Better bring him in, then.

All right. Will do.

So he lied to us.

Yeah.

You given any more thought to that inspector's exam?

Guv, I appreciate what you're trying to do, I really, really do,

but I need to make decisions for myself, all right?

How is doing nothing making a decision?

If and when I decide that's what I want to do,

then it's my decision to make.

I don't need you telling me what I should

and shouldn't be doing with my life.

I've had enough of all of that with me dad.

Pardon me for trying to help.

-I know why this is.

-What?

-I know why this is.

-Go on.

You're looking for a reason to take that job?

You're pushing me for promotion because you actually want it,

and you don't want to feel bad.

-Well, maybe Langham's got a point. You saw what happened today.

-Aw, Guv,

just because you got knocked on your arse by some bloke twice your size.

I smashed a chair over him, it barely tickled him.

Look, do you want me to go and get Dennis Morden or not?

-No. I'll go.

-I'll come with you.

-I'm fine.

-Ah, Guv...

-Is everything all right?

-It's fine. It's fine.

You've got a face like a smacked bum.

Is that any way to speak to a senior officer, is it?

Do you know what? Maybe I should go for the inspector's exam.

Maybe that's what I should do.

Take the exam, become inspector

and then I'll finally get a bit of respect around here. Right?

I'll be a boss then, wouldn't I?

Instead of having a paranoid one that thinks that the world is

out to get him, including me.

Can you believe that?

After everything that we've been through...

Well...

I'm glad everything's fine.

TV PLAYS IN BACKGROUND

Sure yous two won't join us?

You've had enough.

No. No.

I was celebrating.

Same for yous two an' all.

Suppose you'll be wanting to move in here, eh, Joe? Huh?

-Shite, you can even have his slippers.

-Don't start, Sam.

Who's starting?

Who's starting? No, you're all right, bonnie lad.

Mummy's in the ground and Daddy's in the ground,

so let's have a wee celebration.

Don't drink any more, Sam.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

And empty.

HE LAUGHS

Sorry and empty, that's me.

-Let's go upstairs.

-Right.

WOMAN GROANS

BOTH GROANING

When you've finished, Mr Morden.

I knew it. I knew I should have gone with you.

-Did you actually see them at it?

-I did.

Ah... What was lovely nurse Janet like with her kit off?

-Can't say I noticed, John.

-You liar.

It's late, Dennis, and I'm doing you a favour.

I could have done this at your house.

-We could have met your wife.

-So none of your bollocks, man, all right?

I was offered a promotion and a bonus...

-if I could make the Burnsend closure happen quietly.

-There you go.

The Coal Board didn't want any hoo-ha

and, truth be told, the union didn't.

My biggest problem was Arthur.

He wasn't daft and I knew the colliers would follow his lead...

..and then one day he collared me.

So, I assume if this closure goes quietly, you're already sorted.

What makes you think that, Arthur?

Because I'm not stupid, Dennis. I know how this works.

So I guess, right now, I'm the biggest pain in your arse.

How would you like that pain to go away?

I'm not stupid either.

I won't be tricked into saying something I regret.

Where did all the trust go, eh, Dennis?

Listen, I'll speak plainly.

I need to move elsewhere.

You help me with that and I'll get you whatever you need.

-Why would you want to do that?

-Is that any of your business?

It is if you want me to believe this isn't a trick.

I can protect the men or I can protect my family.

I don't understand.

And nor will you.

I've got my reasons. Do we have a deal?

I can have a word.

Find you something in another pit.

You do that and you've got my word I'll get you what you need...

sick as it makes me feel.

And he kept it, his word.

So you got Arthur the job?

Yes.

Why did you lie about that before?

I didn't want any of this getting out

before the decision was made public.

It'd put the union in a difficult position.

They'd have changed their stance to save face.

Threatening your promotion?

In the end, it's every man for himself.

Way of the world these days, right?

Or maybe that's why the world is the way it is these days.

There's no loyalty, no honour.

Did Arthur realise that and he couldn't live with it?

So he changed his mind about betraying the men.

So you decide not to take a chance and you do away with him.

-That's ridiculous.

-Is it?

You were down in the pit on the day he died, the only time that month,

now that's a bit of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?

Monthly inspections only happen once a month.

The clue is in the name, sergeant.

Also means that nobody can vouch for your exact whereabouts.

You've already proven yourself to be a liar.

Am I free to go?

Yes.

We may need to speak to you later.

I don't know why I bother.

We haven't got a single scrap of evidence.

What? He's got a motive and he's lying.

We've got a motive and it's the same one that everybody else has got.

I don't like him.

Oh, that's useful.

I'm not sure the judicial system could cope with the sudden

weight of cases if that was the only criteria.

Why do you have to twist everything that I say? I hate that.

Well, you should be quite glad to get rid of me, then, shouldn't you?

What's that supposed to mean?

Somebody's been keeping Langham well informed about the state

of my health, haven't they?

And you think that's me? You think I've been lying to you?

I've had enough of this.

Right, which one of you two's been blabbing to Langham?

Hmm, about his injuries? Hmm?

Let me ask you a question.

What's the one thing that every policeman should have?

I'll tell you what it is - it's loyalty.

Right? Loyalty.

The kind of loyalty that means that, no matter what,

you'll do anything for your partner.

You'll even lay down your life for them,

take a bloody bullet for them.

We have to trust the people that we're working with or we're nothing.

It was me.

-I'm so sorry. I wasn't...

-Don't.

Go on.

I...

I told CS Langham about your injuries, sir.

It was stupid, I know.

I was only concerned and I thought he was, too.

I'm so sorry, sir.

After everything you've done for us, you don't deserve this.

It'll never happen again, sir.

I know.

I'm no Arthur Hawkes, sir.

Yes, I know.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT I'm sorry.

You fancy a pint?

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

I'm sorry, John.

I know I haven't been myself.

It's this bloody bullet wound. If they think I'm unfit...

Nobody thinks you're unfit.

They want to get rid of you.

So don't give them an excuse. Get fit.

-Don't give them a leg to stand on.

-That's quite funny.

Shall we get back to work?

So, Arthur wasn't getting away because he'd betrayed the men.

He was betraying the men to get away.

What? Because of Joe and Hannah? No.

Why didn't he just have a word with him?

"Get your hands off my daughter." It's a bit extreme, isn't it?

Just upping sticks and taking her with him.

You know what the young are like, they just don't listen, do they?

You remember Billy Shearer?

He was standing in the street and he was in tears.

-He was totally gutted.

-Yeah, so?

Why didn't he announce Arthur's betrayal?

He had a chance to make that strike happen and he didn't take it,

but he told us, even though it gave him a motive for the murder.

-Yeah. Why would he do that?

-I don't know.

Unless Arthur had got something on him

-and that's what they were fighting about.

-Like what?

How to make 300 quid betting on a dog.

Lillian Francis?

Who are you?

Police.

-I have all me licences.

-Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure.

-We want to talk to you about Arthur Hawkes.

-Arthur who?

Arthur Hawkes.

He was found murdered at Burnsend Colliery.

Your phone number was found in his pocket.

I'm sorry to hear that.

What? Sorry to hear he had your number or sorry that he's dead?

I have warrant to search these premises.

NGRC records show that Arthur kept three greyhounds here -

Fool's Gold, Hannah's Dream and Billy-Cool.

We've checked records for the dogs that Arthur kept here with

Billy Shearer and Panda Whelan.

It's mixed form, wouldn't you say?

I don't know what you mean. These are them.

Well...

Fool's Gold hadn't placed in six races before he won at long

odds last time out.

Billy-Cool had four placings and then nothing in three.

You changed their food?

Nobody killed him cos of the dogs.

Oh. We'll need to take blood samples.

I've got a quick question for you.

Who's going to look after the mutts

when you're in prison for perverting the course of justice?

All right. Just so you know, all I do is look after the dogs.

I'd like you to do something for us.

What do you mean, he's taken bad?

Billy-O's meant to run on Saturday.

Have you given him too much dope?

What are they doing here?

Come on, Panda. Did you fall out over who got the cash?

Look, I get it. I get it. Billy's your mate,

he looks after you and you do as he says, don't you?

-I'm not saying nowt to you.

-That's not very clever, is it?

You tricked us last time, you little shite.

You hit us with a chair.

Panda, tell me about the dogs.

Look, man, everybody does it. It's part of the game.

Does what, exactly?

Dopes the dogs up, slow 'em down.

Lose a few races, get the starting price up, then bang,

take him off them, whack your money on.

Is that why we found 300 quid in Arthur's locker?

Right.

You see, what concerns me, Billy, is this.

Why didn't you tell your mates that Arthur was betraying the pit?

What's that got to with owt?

Well, I think everything...

because it makes me think that Arthur had got something on you, Billy.

He didn't know about the doping, did he?

Not till Fool's Gold developed wings and came in a 33-1.

How bloody ironic is that, eh?

Arthur Hawkes, too bloody honest to cheat the bookies

but sold his mates down the river.

-Hypocritical bastard.

-So what happened?

He was a union man,

so we made a deal, of course. We kept his secret.

-He kept ours.

-You and Panda.

-Aye.

So, you got this little secret scheme going on with the dogs,

and you thought that was more important

than telling your mates that Arthur was betraying them?

How does that make you any different from him?

Have you any idea who we won that money off,

what the bookies would have had done to us if they had found out?

It's hard to mine coal with two broken legs, Mr Gently.

Yes, that's true.

But you couldn't let it go, could you? Knowing what had happened.

So, you fought down the pit and you killed him.

Was it you and Panda?

Did Panda hold him down and you smashed his head in with a rock?

Left him down there to die, yes?

I'm telling you, man, you've got it all wrong.

Billy, is that you? What's going on?

Give them till tonight. One of them will talk.

-Sir.

-Yes?

I've just had Sam Hawkes on the phone - it's about Hannah.

-Has she been in touch?

-She went upstairs with Joe last night,

that's the last time I saw her.

What time was this?

I dunno, I was a bit drunk. I fell asleep on the chair downstairs.

Hannah's bed hasn't been touched.

When I woke up this morning, I found this.

Is Joe here?

-What for?

-Haway man.

-Hang on, son. This is my house.

-Peter, please.

What's going on?

-Where's Joe?

-He's still asleep.

Is Hannah with him?

-You can't just go...

-Mrs Turner, is Hannah with Joe?

No. I haven't seen Hannah since last night.

Was she here last night?

No, I meant at the meeting and that.

-Look, what's this about?

-Hannah Hawkes is missing.

Well, she's not here.

Well, we think she's come to some harm.

Get up.

Wha...? What's this?

I'll not tell you again.

Where's Hannah, Joe?

What do you mean? Is she not at home?

You tell us. You were the last person seen with her.

Aye, hold on. You cannot think that...

-When did she go missing?

-Some time last night.

-Joe was with me, down the club.

-All right. Till when?

Till I carried him home and hauled him in his pit.

He was paralytic. Midnight maybe.

Now, well, you would say that, wouldn't you? You're his father.

Are you calling me a liar, son? Cos I wouldn't if I were you.

Peter, you need to let this happen.

But it was lies that's brought all this about, was it not?

And I've never told a lie in my life.

Look, Joe was right beside me for the entire shift

when Arthur was killed, so you can forget about that an' all.

You need to come with us, Joe. Come on.

Where? Where are you taking him?

Just taking him to the station for questioning, all right?

If you know where that lass is, you need to tell them, for Joe's sake.

I don't know what you're talking about.

What if I'd telt them you weren't in your bed

when I got Joe home last night?

-Get a report out, I want her found.

-Certainly, sir.

-Rachel, check the hospitals and the doctor's.

-Yes, sir.

You were with Hannah last night, in her house, upstairs.

Why do you think I did something to her? What aren't you telling us?

You were upstairs, in her room?

Sam was drunk, upsetting Hannah, so we went up there to talk.

What about?

It was stupid.

All the stuff that day, Hannah was beside herself,

everything they were saying about her dad. I should have waited.

To do what?

To start making plans.

We could have everything we wanted now. Nothing to get in the way.

Like her father?

You told her that?

It was stupid. She went mad.

How can you say that? Today?

-He's barely cold and you're saying this?

-I was thinking about us.

After everything my dad did for you.

He tried to part us, Hannah, didn't forget that.

Hannah!

So, I let her go.

-Just like that?

-Aye.

-See, the blood in her house, Joe, tells us different.

-Hannah's blood?

Yes. What are we supposed to think about that?

-What's happened? Where is she?

-Do you want to know what I think?

I think you told her exactly what you'd done - you killed her father.

What's happened to her?

Was Hannah going to tell us that you killed her father?

I didn't kill anybody! Arthur was me mate! We were mates!

Then why was he trying to stop you from seeing his daughter?

Why would he go to such great lengths? That must have hurt.

Aye. It must have made you mad an' all. I'd have been mad.

Somebody says that I'm not good enough for their daughter,

I want that man to tell me to my face.

You got into a row, didn't you?

Then you snapped and in the heat of the moment, you smacked him one.

You smacked him.

And there he is, on the floor, dead.

This is no time for anything but the truth, Joe.

Hannah's pregnant!

That's what we were talking about. Nobody else knows.

I was planning to ask Arthur for her hand.

I wanted to get married before anybody else knows.

Is that's why she walked out?

I promise you, I don't know where she is.

-You've got to find her, please.

-Where were you last night?

In the club.

Seen who's here? What a disgrace.

I don't know how you would dare show your face around here, bonnie lad.

Howay, lads. Piss off, if you know what's good for you.

What time did you leave?

I can't remember. Late.

KNOCK ON DOOR

Sir.

John.

We found Hannah Hawkes - she's in hospital.

-Good. Is she all right?

-I think so,

but I haven't got all the information yet.

All right. Release him?

Let him go.

Rachel, do me a favour, will you?

Dig out that map showing the position of the men in the mine.

It was a do-it-yourself job, I'm afraid, with a coat hanger probably,

She must have been pretty desperate.

-How is she?

-Weak. Lost a lot of blood.

And the baby?

What happened, Hannah?

Hannah?

Did she come in on her own?

A woman brought her in.

What did she look like?

Mid-40s, a bit on the glamorous side.

Where's Joe?

He's been released.

Oh, thank you.

We've just come from Durham General.

-How is she?

-She's fine.

Are you on your own?

Peter's down the club, just in time for opening.

That's what happens when you take a man's job away.

What happened with Hannah?

She didn't want that baby obviously.

Why?

-Why ask me?

-Margaret, did you force her to abort the baby?

-No.

-Because you were afraid of what people might think?

Do you think I care about that?

Yes. Your pride. The shame of what happened.

-No. I was trying to help her.

-Did you bully her into killing her baby?

How dare you think you know me?!

Do you think I don't know what it feels like

to have to make that choice...?

Did you once lose a baby, too?

No, I was lucky.

I never had to face that hell.

So, are we talking about the time you were carrying Joe?

You and Peter weren't married then?

Oh, I was married.

Why were you considering...?

Joe wasn't Peter's.

-How old is Joe again?

-26.

-26.

1943.

Peter was away at the war in 1943.

Bevan Boys. Arthur Hawkes!

Arthur Hawkes was a Bevan Boy, wasn't he? Did he arrive here in 1943?

SHE SIGHS

SHE SOBS

Hannah! Hannah!

Do you want me to get rid of him?

No. I've got to speak to him.

I've been worried sick.

She came here last night looking for Joe. They'd had a fight.

And then she told me she was pregnant...

..and I knew. I couldn't just stand by.

So I told her the truth.

I was 21, barely married a year and I hadn't heard from Peter in months.

I thought he was dead.

I was alone, lonely, and your dad...

We fell in love.

I don't understand.