Coming Out Ball New Tricks

Fintan MacEntee? Detective Superintendent Pullman.

Jack Halford. Interesting choice of venue.

Well, I wanted to meet somewhere there was no chance

-of bumping into any of my fellow countrymen.

-Here?

Believe you me, no self-respecting Irishman would be seen dead in this place.

So, I think I know what you two want to talk to me about.

Barbara Linden-Warner.

Kidnapped August '83 from the Mayfair Hotel, London. She was 18.

-Yes, I know all this.

-I know you do, because three days later,

your organisation phoned the press and claimed responsibility.

Former organisation.

The Republican Front disbanded and decommissioned a long time ago.

Whatever, then last week you told a completely different story.

You read the interview?

When asked about Barbara's abduction you said you only got involved because of the publicity,

because of the outrage it would cause and now you deeply regret it.

-And I do.

-So how come it took 27 years and a newspaper article for you to come forward?

Anything to do with you running for the European Parliament?

You don't often find abduction and murder in an MEP's manifesto.

Most MEPs didn't grow up in Belfast in the '70s.

Maybe you've heard about it.

It was a dark time. Terrible things happened.

Oh, yes, your troubled youth.

You know you ought to write a book about it. Oh!

You did!

Listen, I'm sorry I didn't come forward earlier,

but I'm sure you'll understand that someone with my history

might find it difficult to walk into a London police station.

Anyway it's all out in the open now.

I saw the light when I was sent to the Maze.

I'm not interested in your life story.

-I just want to know whether what you said in that interview was true.

-Of course it was.

The Republican Front did not kidnap or kill that girl.

We simply saw an opportunity to raise our profile by claiming responsibility.

And maybe give Barbara's father a few sleepless nights.

Sir Kenneth, Managing Director of Linden-Warner Industries,

one of the companies that supplied the RUC with plastic bullets.

We'll be in touch Mr MacEntee.

-Have you read it?

-Not really. I don't like fiction.

# It's all right It's OK

# Doesn't really matter if you're old and grey

# It's all right I say it's OK

# Listen to what I say

# It's all right, doing fine

# Doesn't really matter if the sun don't shine

# It's all right I say it's OK

# We're gettin' to the end of the day. #

Oh, he didn't do it! That's what the former Irish terrorist told you?!

-Yes, Gerry.

-What else did he say, he knows where Shergar is?!

You're not the only one with reservations.

I should bloody well hope not!

Think of the girl's family.

Nearly 30 years of not knowing what happened.

-That's why we're taking the case.

-All right.

Just don't expect me to be happy

about helping MacEntee's political campaign.

He's a man of peace now.

He just wants to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

Cheers, Jack!

Well, he was never much of a terrorist in the first place.

-What?

-What? The Republican Front.

They were always minor league.

Basically a bunch of wannabe thugs. Exhibit A.

I've seen that picture before, haven't I?

Yeah, because it was everywhere in the summer of '83.

You know, that pub riot in Kilburn, The Duke of Wellington.

Yeah, some shop windows got smashed and the pub was looted.

Oh, that's right, yeah.

Two young uniformed lads steamed in there cos the Paddies were all drinking after hours.

Well, Fintan MacEntee was one of those arrested, and hence captured for posterity.

Right, take a look at the case files.

Come on, get on with it!

This case is full of bad decisions.

Yes, starting with the family not getting in touch

with the kidnap squad, until after they paid the ransom.

By the time the investigation had started, the trail had gone cold.

Which might be why the investigation centred mostly around the Irish angle.

They didn't have a lot to go on.

They should have explored every angle. That was their job.

So, it's the Met's fault, is it?

I'm not saying that. But I remember what it was like in '83.

Everyone was on high alert.

Terrorism makes people terrified.

-And terrified people do not make good decisions.

-What do you think?

Well, the girl was at a big posh do at the Mayfair Hotel.

Her boyfriend said that between 8.30 and 9 they had a bit of a row,

she stormed out and was never seen again.

The alarm was raised in the morning when the boyfriend went to the house and she wasn't there.

And then this arrived.

"We have your daughter. We will return her when Ireland is free once more.

"Do not speak to police."

When Ireland is free once more?

I know. In '83 there was definitely no sign of that happening.

If I'd have got this I'd have thought she was dead.

Maybe, but then this arrived 48 hours later.

"Ten thousand quid to the place on the map by midnight.

"Then to Fleet Services. M3.

"Call police, we kill her."

Someone obviously decided they needed the money.

-Is it just me...

-Yeah, they're different. The first one's much more formal.

And properly punctuated. Look. They've even cut out full stops from the newspaper.

And they've used two different typefaces on the ransom demand.

And a different type again on the first note.

All right, we're going to go back to the beginning and investigate this

as a kidnap, not an act of terrorism.

Hold on!

Linden-Warner Industries had been threatened by Republican groups for years.

Not just them, Gerry. They have a fairly contentious client list.

Nicaragua, Israel, South Africa...

-You and Gerry look at the hate mail and see if there are any specific threats.

-OK.

But what about the specific threat in that?

I haven't forgotten, I'm just trying to review the evidence with an open mind,

if it's OK with you?!

Open minds? Yeah, it's fine with me!

Not everyone's feeling the credit crunch, I see.

You never see arms manufacturers on the breadline.

We can always afford a war.

-Detective Superintendent Pullman, ma'am.

-Thank you.

Lady Elizabeth, thank you for agreeing to see us, this is Jack Halford.

How do you do?

I've been expecting you. Ever since...

We read the article.

He was lying, wasn't he?

We're not sure, which is why we want to reopen the investigation.

Good.

That's good.

I mean, I know there's very little chance you'll find my daughter alive, but...

Of course.

Oh, please, sit down.

Thank you.

I just want to know where she is.

Where she's been all this time.

I'm sorry.

Please excuse me.

Michael, I need you to talk to these people. I can't...

What the hell's going on?

I'm Detective Superintendent Pullman.

Jack Halford.

Is this about Barbara and what that idiot said in his interview?

You do know that he's running for election?

-We're aware of that.

-Do you not find it all rather convenient?

It had crossed our minds.

We can see how upset my mother is. There's nothing to be gained from dragging all this up.

If we can give your mother some answers...

But we all know what the final answer to all this will be. My sister is dead.

We'd like want to find out exactly what happened. Don't you think that might help her?

That depends on what you find out, doesn't it?

I'm sorry, I wonder if I could use your, um...

Course, it's across the hallway.

Thank you.

KNOCKS ON DOOR

This is the one job I insist on doing myself.

My wife always used to say if you want a job doing properly, do it yourself.

This was taken the night Barbara went missing.

Pretty girl.

It was a very special night for her.

That ball is the culmination of the season.

Barbara was a deb that year.

A debutante? Was she presented to the Queen?

Oh, no. All that had gone by then, more's the pity.

Still, it was an honour to be part of things.

A young lady's debut season is a wonderful opportunity to meet people, make friends.

-Meet a young man?

-If a girl couldn't find a good prospect for herself

during the season, there really was no hope for her.

Although, Barbara had no problems in that department.

She was always going to be popular.

So, she met Gregory Hampton that summer?

-Yes. We were very happy. He was from an excellent family.

That's what it was all about.

Finding a suitable husband. I mean, all the white dresses.

Suppose you're halfway towards a wedding already.

It's more like a virgin sacrifice.

When did you realise that something was wrong?

Well, Greg arrived here in the morning.

He thought she'd be at home.

-Where did the family think she was?

-At the ball. It was marathon not a sprint.

You stayed until breakfast. Barbara had a car for the morning.

-She was supposed to come back with her friend Kate.

-Kate Smythe?

-Yes.

Kate didn't even see her leave. She assumed she was with Greg and had gone home alone.

Do you know what the argument was about between Barbara and Greg?

Greg didn't really remember. Too drunk. That was probably what kicked things off.

-Had they argued before?

-I don't think so. I assume he had more sense.

What do you mean?

If you upset Barbara you upset my father, no-one wanted to upset my father.

Oh, I see. So, Sir Kenneth and Barbara were quite close.

That's an understatement.

He thought the sun rose and set with her.

Which, in many ways it did.

She was intelligent, kind...

funny.

She certainly didn't deserve what happened to her.

Why didn't your father call in the police?

He thought if he did what he was told, paid the ransom, then that would be that.

£10,000. Didn't somebody question the amount?

-Should we have?

-Yeah, your father was a very wealthy man.

I guess we always assumed it wasn't about the money. It was a political gesture.

-But it was

-you

-who took the ransom money to the drop-off point?

It was in the middle of Epping Forest. It could have been a trap.

They may have wanted to abduct my father, so I had to go.

That was very brave of you.

Dad had it worse.

He went to Fleet and waited for Barbara to be released.

And waited.

And waited.

In fact he never stopped waiting.

Every day it would start again.

Today, maybe, she would come back to him.

It went on like that for two years,

until it killed him.

She would have made a beautiful bride, don't you think?

I think the low ransom suggests that it was an attack on the family, not their wallets.

-Yeah, well, it's...

-Oi!

Don't even think about it.

Don't start with me. It's permit parking round here. Plenty of signs.

Yes, but I'm on a police investigation, all right?

Sandra?

Oh, my God!

It is you.

Excuse me?

What I know it's been a while, but..

Tracy. Tracy Smith.

From school?

Tracy. Yeah. How are you doing?

I'm not Detective Superintendent or anything. Haven't you done well for yourself?

-Yeah, I've done OK.

-I expect you'll be coming then to show off.

Coming where?

School reunion, this week. Now you are going to be there, aren't you, Sandra?

I don't know, I'm very busy.

Don't say that! Loads of people are looking forward to seeing you.

Miss Harrington's coming.

-Miss Harrington?

-Yeah, you got on well with her, didn't you?

It must be ages since you saw her?

Er, I don't know, like I said, busy week. I'll see what I can do.

Great.

See you there.

Yours, I think.

Right, we need to establish a timeline of what happened before the Linden-Warners called in the police.

Now we know that Barbara and Greg argued around 8:30, 9:00pm and then Greg raised the alarm

at 9:00 the next morning.

-Then the first letter arrived...

-In the second post, about midday.

Second post, bloody hell, those were the days.

And get this, The Royal Mail estimate it was posted the night of the kidnap.

It was collected from the post box about midnight.

-Where was it posted?

-Central London, Soho postmark.

12 hours from post box to front door, fantastic.

Yeah, yeah, all hail The Royal Mail.

Thank you. Next question.

-How did the abductors know where Barbara would be?

-She was a debutante, it was a debutante's ball.

But she left early, so they had to be watching her.

Are you thinking inside job? Someone who knew the family, knew their movements.

It's a thought. We should take a look at who was working for the Linden-Warners at the time.

Domestic staff, people in the office. Who had access to their personal schedules?

Was there anyone new in the house? Anyone with an axe to grind?

Did anybody hand in their resignation after everything died down?

-Oh, won't take long(!)

-Should narrow it down to about 10,000.

OK, the next day the ransom demand arrives.

-With a postmark, Mount Pleasant.

-So, they were still in London.

They had to hang around for the money.

Michael Linden-Warner

delivered that to Epping Forest at midnight as requested.

But they still didn't return Barbara, so the Linden-Warners called in the police.

Have I missed anything?

Yeah, yeah this mob the Republican Front,

they phoned the Evening Standard that night and said they had Barbara.

OK, what about the ransom amount?

Don't you think that ten grand is a little low for a professional job?

You think that's what it was?

Well, it had to be, with an insider, all the forward planning with the letters.

The fact that they snatched Barbara in central London no witnesses, no-one finding the body...

If it wasn't an inside job, that would involve watching the family, working out their movements.

-That's a lot of work for a small pay-out.

-Exactly what I'm thinking.

-What do you do, Mr Hampton?

-I'm a journalist. I work from home.

Let me move these and you can take a seat. They're all waiting to go to the recycling centre later.

Thank you.

I do wish all the broadsheets would give in and go tabloid. It would save my back. Sorry, I'm going on.

It's just, I'm not sure what I can tell you about Barbara.

-Let's start with what you quarrelled about that night.

-Well, I was quite drunk.

Not so drunk that you didn't remember to go round and apologise.

Unless you're saying you couldn't remember what you were apologising for?

So you'd had a couple of drinks, but what else happened before the argument?

Was there any dancing or anything?

-No, not with my two left feet.

-OK, whereabouts in the hotel were you when the row kicked off?

We were in one of the hotel rooms.

It was supposed to be romantic.

It was the last ball of the summer.

I'd ordered a bottle of champagne and maybe drunk a little too much of it.

It was Dutch courage.

-To do what?

-To propose.

I had the ring, I went down on one knee and popped the question.

-And what was the answer?

-A resounding no.

That's what the argument was about. She was supposed to say yes, drink the champagne and...

Make use of the room?

That's how I imagined it going.

So you must have been frustrated when it went wrong.

I know what you're thinking and I know how it sounds.

That's why I didn't come clean at the time.

But I never... I mean we just had an argument, that's all. It didn't get physical.

-Did she give you any reason for saying no?

-That's what made me so angry. She wouldn't say.

-I honestly thought it was what she wanted.

-What happened next?

-She left.

I stayed in the room and drank the rest of the champagne and passed out on the bed.

The next morning I woke up with a hangover and a desperate need to speak to her.

I went straight round to the house. You know the rest.

There are no witnesses, I assume.

Well, no.

I appreciate I should have said something at the time,

but Sir Kenneth was upset enough without me giving him the details of my plans to deflower his daughter.

Hey, you're back.

Yes. Hi, I'm Amy. Greg's wife.

They're from the police. They're looking into the Linden-Warner kidnap again.

Oh, God. Barbara?

-Wow, that's a blast from the past.

-You knew her?

-Oh, we were debs together that year.

-Were you close?

You know how you are at that age. Friends with everyone you meet.

-Did Barbara know about you two?

-Oh, no...

-Not then.

-It was at least a year after Barbara went missing

before we even saw each other again.

We bumped into each other at one of the post-Season weddings. You were not that interested, even then.

She took some wooing, this one. But I wore down her resistance.

-You mean you cheated.

-How do you mean, cheated?

Oh, well there were so many weddings that summer.

But, I seemed to be placed next to Greg at every single one.

It was only later that I found out he'd been phoning the brides

and asking them to alter the seating plans.

-Nobody on the staff would have been involved.

-You can't be sure of that. You'd had threats.

We had security in place. Everybody did back then.

What sort of security?

Just the usual things, being vigilant.

Packages coming into the building were checked. Any cars parked near the building.

Anyone who worked here or at the house was subject to a security check.

But your sister was still abducted.

We didn't have personal security, bodyguards or anything like that.

Dad wanted us to have as normal a life as possible.

He thought that if we let those people have an impact, change things, then they'd have won.

Apart from your parents, who else would have known Barbara's comings and goings?

Our driver, Keith. But didn't have a schedule as such.

He was just told where to go as and when he was needed. Usually Miss Jones would coordinate that.

-Miss Jones?

-Dad's secretary. She kept the diaries, opened the mail.

-It would be good to speak to her.

-She retired 25 years ago.

I shouldn't think she still has all her chairs under the table. That is if she is still with us.

I don't think we even have an up to date address for her.

And you came to work with your father after the kidnap?

He'd lost all interest in the business. The company wasn't in serious trouble,

but it was on the edge. The bad publicity had knocked the share price

so I stepped in to protect him and the company from any sharks that might have been circling.

-And when he died you took over as managing director?

-It's what he would have wanted.

So, is that how you become head of an international arms manufacturer? I mean, it's that easy?

It's not quite that simple.

Well, do you need any qualifications?

No.

It's a hell of a career trajectory then, isn't it? Two years to become Managing Director.

-I worked very hard for it, it's not an easy life.

-I'm not suggesting otherwise.

-Vicky will show you out.

-Thank you.

-I'm going to make that conference call now. No interruptions, please.

-No problem, Michael.

-If you gentleman are ready I'll take you downstairs.

-Oh, um, if you could just give us that address?

I'm sorry?

-Oh, he forgot to mention it, didn't he?

-Mr Linden-Warner was going to give us an address for Miss Jones?

Used to be his father's secretary?

-First name?

-He didn't say.

I can't disturb him. Why don't I ask him later and email it to you?

-Christmas card list! He said it would be on that.

-That's right.

You wouldn't have a quick search for us, would you?

KNOCKING

Yes?

-Miss Jones?

-Can I help you?

How long did you work for Linden-Warner Industries?

22 years and 4 months. My last duties were organising Sir Kenneth's funeral.

And then you retired?

I decided it was time to leave.

Michael says you knew everything that was going on. In the company and with the family.

And he's right, I was secretary to the MD. It was my job

to keep a close eye on every aspect of his work.

To anticipate his needs.

Quite a job description. So there was a lot of responsibility?

Which I took very seriously.

Sir Kenneth knew he could trust me implicitly. In all the time I worked there I only took three days off.

And that was when my mother died. I gave my all.

And what did you get back in return?

-I don't understand the question.

-Well, don't they say secretaries are neither well-paid or well-treated?

Sir Kenneth treated me with nothing but respect.

And as for the money, I would have been happy to work for him for half my salary.

Did you know anything about the threats that had been made against the company?

I opened most of them.

Badly spelt, full of foul language.

When the threats became more specific it was me who called in the police.

Were there any threats made against the children?

No, no, no, no it was always Sir Kenneth. It hardly effected Barbara and Michael,

-they lead perfectly normal lives.

-Normal for children of a multi-millionaire.

-They weren't spoiled. Barbara was a lovely girl.

-And Michael?

-Michael was...Michael.

-What does that mean?

Nothing.

I hear he's doing very well these days.

What do you think she was implying?

Michael Linden-Warner wouldn't be the first little rich boy to get himself into trouble.

-Which explains why he was so reluctant for us to speak with Miss Jones.

-Thank you.

-She's no dodderer.

-Mind like a steel trap.

Well, see if he's got a record.

But other than that, security threats were just part of the Linden-Warner way of life.

They're still not that popular as a company. They had the windows put in during the G20 protests.

They were taken to court by a family.

One of their drivers was killed delivering a shipment to Liverpool Docks back in 1984.

By terrorists?

It was a robbery, but who nicks a lorry load of guns and grenades?

-Are we looking for a multitude of suspects?

-I wouldn't think so.

Peace campaigners don't usually result to kidnap and murder.

It doesn't quite fit the image.

No. But we know whose image it does fit!

Yes, Gerry. But like I said, open mind.

Brian's found some information I think we should chase up.

-It seems Michael Linden-Warner was a bit of a wild child. He's got some previous.

-What for?

Nothing very original. possession, drunk and disorderly.

But there's one highlight. An affray. he was in the Wellington Pub riot.

Well, well, well.

-Oh, by the way, are you going?

-Going where?

-That reunion.

Oh, I don't know, I hadn't thought about it.

'I wasn't part of the riot.'

I just happened to be in the pub when it happened.

One minute I'm having a drink, the next I'm in a police van.

-You'd just gone there for a drink?

-Yes.

Kilburn doesn't strike me as being your natural stamping ground.

-Do you think I should have been on Sloane Square or in Kensington?

-It's not all that big an assumption.

You'd just turned 20. People that age usually hang about with schoolmates.

Maybe I preferred a different crowd at that time.

The Kilburn riot wasn't the first time you'd been in a cell for a public order offence.

-What was going on?

-What do you think? Youthful rebellion.

I wasn't the first 20-year-old to have a lost summer.

-And who were you rebelling against? Your father?

-I suppose.

How did he react to your criminal career?

He was unhappy about it.

Unhappy enough to throw you out of the house?

When you were arrested you gave your address as a squat in Camden, not Holland Park.

Things came to a head. I moved out and Dad cut me off financially until I came to my senses.

So, how did you hear about the kidnap?

-Miss Jones, she came to find me. And I came straight back home. I knew my parents would need me.

-Of course.

It put everything in perspective.

Yes, I was a screw-up, but I was there when it mattered.

It's not enough to bring him in.

But you can't really blame him for wanting to rebel against his parents. Wasn't exactly the family favourite.

Not while Barbara still drew breath.

Oh, OK. No, no, no we're just leaving, yeah fine,

see you in the morning, goodnight.

-Well?

-She'll brief us tomorrow.

-Right, better be off home then.

-Doing anything special tonight?

-Yeah. Hiding.

It's Esther's turn to have her stitch and bitch group at our house.

-Stitch and what?

-They all sit round and knit and gossip.

So, you wouldn't be averse to a night out then?

Where are we going?

Oh, Gerry. You do know how to spoil a girl.

I can't imagine why you're still single.

APPLAUSE

Our slogan, "Bringing Communities Together", is our watch word for the future.

APPLAUSE

-Now some people will tell you that we should forget the past.

-Yeah, people like him.

Pretend it never happened. But those who don't learn from their history are doomed to repeat it.

-That's original.

-It won't be us that have to repeat it. It'll be our kids.

-If I've got to be here, let me listen to what he's saying.

-It's not too late for the next generation.

If I have anything to do with it, they'll have better role models than I had.

Better teachers, better fathers.

Not men who are corrupted by injustice and violence.

And I know it's too late for me.

I am one of those men because of what I've seen and what I've done.

But that does not mean I can't work towards that better future.

And I promise you, all of you, that I will.

APPLAUSE

-Come on. Let's go.

-No, doesn't it piss you off? Blokes like that going on like they're heroes.

That's not what he was saying. In fact I think he was saying quite the opposite.

That's not what I heard.

-That's because you couldn't quite hear him over your preconceptions.

-Yeah, but that's the problem, innit?

He could be preaching the gospel, but it wouldn't mean anything because I know what he's done in the past.

I mean how can you give money to a man like that?

You'd be surprised. I've got friends with deep pockets all over this city.

You're not even up for election in London.

There are Irishmen scattered across the globe, but they never forget home.

-Don't worry, I never expect any support from the boys in blue.

-How did you know?

I've spent enough time in the company of the police to know one when I see one.

Checking up on me, were you boys?

Whatever you want to know, just ask.

OK, how well do you know Michael Linden-Warner?

-I don't. Well, I know of him.

-So you're saying you're never met him? Not even in Kilburn for instance?

As I said, I don't know the man.

Anyway, thanks for coming. Perhaps you'd like to take a leaflet with you.

-You know what you can do...

-Come on, Gerry.

Esther's lot should be packing away their needles by now. Home, James!

Here, how do you find out who's been making donations to a politician?

Well, anything over five grand has to be registered with the Electoral Commission.

Really? In that case I think I'm going back to the office for a bit.

Well, how long are you going to be there?

-I don't know.

-You'll drop me home first, won't you?

Oh, leave off, you live in the opposite direction! Look, there's a tube station down the road.

I don't do tubes!

Well, get a bus, number 29.

Excuse me.

-Good evening.

-Good evening.

Morning.

I told you! I knew that slimy sod hadn't reformed.

Why do I feel like I've just walked in halfway through a conversation?

Last night, Brian and I went to see Fintan make one of his little speeches.

-Why?

-For the record, I was duped into going.

And coming home by public flamin' transport.

-I wanted to see if I could find anything that linked him with Michael.

-And did you?

Last month, Fintan's campaign received a cheque for £20,000 from one Michael Linden-Warner.

And that's not all. I checked Michael's address in Camden with Fintan's known addresses

at the time of the kidnap.

-You are kidding me?

-No, they were squat mates in Camden.

-Good, we're getting there.

-Well, maybe I can put us over the top.

That second note, I thought I recognised the typeface.

There you go, the Camden Gazette.

Well, well, well.

-We met in a pub in Kilburn.

-That would be The Duke of Wellington?

Yes. I was there to buy dope. Fintan came round making a collection.

For the boys?

I thought it was hilarious. Kenneth Linden-Warner's son being asked to contribute

to the people who wanted him dead.

I gave him fifty quid. That's my first mistake.

-Why was that?

-It marked me out as a rich kid.

-Soon I was Fintan's new best friend.

-Must have come as a blow to him when your dad stopped bank-rolling you.

-It didn't go down very well.

-Is that when you planned to kidnap Barbara?

No, no! I didn't know she was missing until Miss Jones turned up.

-And how did you feel when she did?

-Upset. Frightened for my sister.

But it gave you the chance to get back in with your family. The big returning hero.

-What was the plan? Get Fintan to release her once got your feet under the table?

-No.

Something went wrong, didn't it? Did Fintan kill her?

No! I'm telling you I didn't take her.

-It was nothing to do with me.

-What about MacEntee?

When you heard what the note said about a free Ireland,

didn't you think your new best mate might just be involved?

He promised me he had nothing to do with the kidnap,

but he said he might be able to find out who did. If he asked around his contacts.

-And?

-He told me that he spoke to someone high up in the Republican Front.

Another terrorist cell had Barbara, but they didn't want to hurt her.

-They just wanted to give my dad a scare.

-And you believed him?

I was young, I was naive.

The one thing Fintan can do is tell a good story. He's made a career out of it.

But that's all it was in the end. Nothing but talk. And I'm...

I didn't realise until it was too late, until...

-Fintan had talked me into his big idea.

-Which was?

He told me the other cell had no intention for asking for a ransom.

He thought it was a missed opportunity, a chance to make money out of my father.

Teach him a lesson for cutting me off. Well, I was all for that.

So you and he wrote the second note?

I told him how much money dad had at home in the safe.

How much he could get at short notice without going to the bank and alerting anyone.

And then I went home and played the prodigal son.

And then you selflessly volunteered to make the money drop. Where did you really take the cash?

Straight to the Duke of Wellington.

What was supposed to happen next?

They were...they were supposed to let Barbara go.

Fintan said it was all arranged.

But when...

When Dad came home empty-handed...

Suddenly I couldn't get hold of Fintan.

He wasn't at the squat or at the pub.

My parents were falling apart and by that time the police were involved.

And the press.

Eventually, the penny dropped, I realised I'd been used.

But then the Republican Front claimed responsibility.

I've told you, the RF didn't really exist.

Fintan had no more idea about where Barbara was than I did.

He was just using Barbara to make his name.

-But I couldn't tell anyone.

-No, not without implicating yourself.

But I didn't know anything.

Not about a kidnap. I had no idea who'd really taken Barbara.

By that time you were back in the fold. Daddy's brave boy.

-What about Fintan?

-I was all his birthdays come at once.

-I could never say no to him. He knew too much about me.

-He blackmailed you?

No, he was never as blunt, but yeah.

Over the years, he'd turn up every now and again

with his sweaty hand out.

You could have said no.

I did. Six weeks ago.

The next thing I know he's talking about Barbara in an interview.

You know the rest.

Any contribution that Michael Linden-Warner, or any other donor for that matter,

makes to my campaign is entirely voluntary and without obligation on my part.

It's all registered in the Electoral Commission, and you're welcome to look at my accounts at your leisure.

Nothing. Not a flicker. He knows we've got nothing to take to the CPS except Michael's word against his.

And a load of circumstantial evidence. Nothing concrete.

And if we're to believe Michael's version, then we still don't know who actually took Barbara.

So where does that leave us? Back to square one?

Well, it would explain why the two notes were so different.

They were from two different people and I've identified the typefaces.

Fintan and Michael's were cobbled together in a squat from the Camden Gazette and the NME.

-And the other?

-Daily Telegraph.

Well, I can't see that being regular reading in a squat.

If we are looking at two different crimes, thinking about the kidnap,

there was no, no ransom demand, no claim of responsibility from whoever wrote the first note.

And I'm assuming that they are the ones that actually took her.

Unless she was already dead.

Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way round.

Not a kidnap leading to a murder, but a murder leading to a kidnap.

And the Irish connection was just to distract people.

Yeah, what was that you said about terrified people?

Terrified people usually make bad decisions.

So while everyone rushes about doing their best headless chicken act,

someone else is actually getting away with murder.

And when Michael and Fintan interfered, they were home free. Yeah, what do we think?

It answers all my questions.

Raises a few more.

Why would anyone want to kill an 18-year-old who everyone thought was sweetness and light?

What about the bloke who she'd just knocked back?

-I mean Greg admitted that he was alone with her.

-Opportunity.

Well, he was a bit pissed.

Which would dull the senses and quicken the temper.

-And she totally rejected him.

-Motive.

OK, let's forget for a moment that this happened in a flashy hotel room and they were drinking champagne.

It is potentially a case of domestic violence.

Because if this had happened in a council flat and they'd been

knocking back cider, we'd be looking for a history of domestic abuse.

-Well, has he lashed out on any woman before?

-No, nothing on record.

No, but he doesn't take no for an answer, does he, where women are concerned. Look at the wife.

He stalked her from wedding to wedding.

-It did seem a bit obsessive.

-We should have a word with that friend, what's her name?

-The one she was supposed to go home with that night.

-Kate Smythe.

Yeah, and you go back and talk to Lady Elizabeth and see if she noticed anything.

Right.

Can I help you?

I think you should know we don't do lessons or rides for tourists. We're not that kind of stables.

We're not here for the horses. Kate Smythe?

Barbara and I were friends from school.

She really was a lovely thing.

She took to all the balls and what have you far better than I did, but she never left me in a corner.

She always made sure I was OK.

Introduced me to people.

I must have been a total pain in the arse.

So, what did you think when she didn't come home with you that night as planned?

Well, it was certainly odd. But I had seen her earlier

with Greg, so I just assumed that he'd finally got his way.

His wicked way, you mean?

Well, yes. These functions the girls were looking for future husbands.

The boys were looking to get their legs over the girls.

Of course, some of the girls were more than happy to oblige.

What about Barbara?

-She wasn't one of them.

-Did that cause arguments with Greg?

Oh, endless arguments.

The hours that Amy and I spent in the loos talking it to death.

-Amy Coulthard?

-Mmm, Amy Hampton these days.

That was a turn out for the books, Amy and Greg.

-Was it?

-Amy was always dead set against Greg.

Never a good word for him while he was with Barbara.

-Two years later they're married.

-But they weren't interested in each other that summer?

No, like I say, never a good word.

What was Amy's problem with Greg?

Your guess is as good as mine.

But in the end she made it pretty clear that it was either her or Greg.

Barbara couldn't be friends with both of them. Barbara chose Greg.

-How did Amy react?

-She caused a scene.

It was at a party that the Linden-Warners had thrown.

Everything was going fine, but then there were raised voices

and Amy storming down the stairs and out into the night.

Next down was Barbara. It was quite obvious that they'd had it out.

And how were they with each other after that?

Well, Amy kept her distance.

Even in that awful time after Barbara went missing.

The rest of us waited, hoped, prayed.

Amy Coulthard went to Switzerland.

To a finishing school, for God's sake.

-Finishing school, I thought they went out with the ark?

-Rather.

Even in the '80s they were considered archaic. Still, she only lasted a fortnight.

Well, how long should she have been there then?

Oh, it takes a year to properly finish off a young lady.

There's a whole term on pearl necklaces from what I hear.

Gregory? He was always an utter gentleman.

I'm not quite sure what you're saying.

Well, it's just a line of enquiry at this point.

But if there was any change in Barbara that summer...

-What sort of change?

-Well, did she become withdrawn?

-Nervous? Evasive?

-Mr Halford, she was a teenage girl.

She could be all those things and then an hour later she could be walking on air.

So there was nothing to cause you any concern?

No, the opposite.

That summer my daughter absolutely blossomed.

She'd always been sweet-natured, but over the last couple of months before...

She was so happy, she glowed.

And was Gregory the reason for that?

What else could it have been? She was in love.

Then why did she turn down his proposal?

-Greg had proposed to her?

-And she said no.

-That's what they argued about, Lady Elizabeth.

-That can't possibly be right.

I told you. Greg is a gentleman.

He wouldn't have dreamt of proposing before speaking to me or Sir Kenneth. He asked our permission.

So, you knew that he'd proposed?

No!

I assumed he hadn't had the opportunity.

They'd argued before he could pop the question.

I thought she'd sabotaged him.

I think you're going to have to explain that.

That night, I told her to expect his proposal.

She panicked. It was too soon, she wasn't sure.

I had to speak to her in quite strong terms.

You argued with her?

She just wouldn't listen to me.

I told her how lucky she was Greg had chosen her. She said she didn't care. She didn't choose him.

Did she say why?

No! She was being ridiculous. She didn't even have a reason.

At least

not one she could tell me.

Did you feel she was holding something back from you?

I asked her what was wrong with him

and she refused to say.

You don't think Greg was involved?

Is that what this is all about?

There are several lines of enquiry.

I sent her to him.

I shouted at her!

My last words to her before...

I told her

not come home without his ring on her finger.

Back again? How can we help this time?

We're here to speak to your husband.

Yeah, we want talk to you about the night Barbara went missing.

-Now would you rather do that on your own?

-Whatever you have to say you can say in front of my wife.

OK, so how did you feel when she turned your proposal down?

Well, how do you think?

Rejected, hurt, angry.

Of course, you'd done all that hard work.

Well, I'd booked a room and ordered a bottle of champagne.

No, I mean with her parents.

You'd got the go ahead, their blessing.

-I suppose.

-Well, it was a done deal, wasn't it?

-Apparently not.

-All she had to do was say yes.

One little word and it was all systems go.

-What are you saying?

-I'm saying you didn't want to hear her say no, so you decided not to listen.

-What?

-You decided you wanted to get what you'd been promised.

-What you thought was rightfully yours.

-No!

Look, you wouldn't be the first bloke who'd had a rush of blood to somewhere that wasn't his brain.

I can't believe you are actually saying this. I never.

Why would you think that I had anything to do...?

Greg, you were the last person who saw her alive.

Didn't you say that you hardly knew Barbara?

-I...I didn't. Not really.

-Then you had a lot of nerve asking her to choose between you and Greg.

What?

That's what the row at Barbara's house was all about, and it got pretty heated from what I hear.

And then a couple of weeks later,

Barbara goes missing and you're off to finishing school.

That had been planned for a long time.

I'm sure it had.

But you never got there, did you? I phoned them and asked.

-You never even enrolled.

-Amy?

So where did you go and what happened to Barbara?

Nothing!

She's probably still alive!

Greg didn't kill her!

I ran away with her.

But you weren't on speaking terms at that point. You'd had the big argument.

It wasn't an argument.

There were raised voices.

Not from us.

From Miss Jones.

She walked in on us.

That's why you wanted her to break up with Greg,

because she wasn't in love with him.

No, she was in love with me.

I was in love with her.

Oh, my God!

You need to understand, Greg.

I'd never felt like that about anyone before.

I loved her.

We just wanted to be together.

So why weren't you?

Because our families would have been so disappointed.

So let down.

Barbara's parents and mine,

they expected so much from us.

They gave us so much. We couldn't hurt them.

But you did.

-Where did you and Barbara go?

-Paris.

The first week was fine.

More than fine.

We had a beautiful flat,

we spent all our time together.

So what went wrong?

I didn't want the adventure to end,

but then Barbara started talking about

us getting jobs and settling down.

-I knew that wasn't what I wanted.

-So what did you want?

This!

A home, a husband, children.

-Years.

-It's true, Greg.

You gave me everything.

-I do love you.

-So what did you do?

I wrote Barbara a note

-and got the plane home.

-And pretended nothing had happened?

But when I came back there was the whole ransom thing and the police.

-What was I supposed to have done?

-Told the truth!

Told the Linden-Warners that their daughter was still alive.

Where is she now?

I don't know.

-Nice work.

-Cheers.

We've put a call into the French police, they're going to check their records for a Barbara Linden-Warner.

-Thank you.

-Can you imagine how Lady Elizabeth is going react when she finds she's alive?

I'm wondering if there's a paper trail we could get on to,

cos they had a flat ready for them in Paris, didn't they?

How does an 18-year-old organise that?

She doesn't. Not on her own.

I walked in on them kissing.

And it wasn't a friendly kiss.

-I was so angry with them.

-Why angry?

Barbara had been given everything and she was just going to throw it away.

She was in love, wasn't she?

She was a silly girl who had no idea what she was doing to herself.

-To her family.

-I don't quite understand.

No, and that's the problem.

Nobody would have understood. They would have judged her.

They would have made assumptions about her.

She needed to understand what she was choosing for herself.

I wouldn't have thought that falling for Amy was a choice.

No, but she could have chosen to stay away from her.

You make it sound very simple.

I'm not saying it wouldn't have been hard.

Probably the hardest thing she ever had to do.

But she could have tried.

Those sorts of desires...

-Well, sometimes you just have to ignore them and get on with things.

-Is that what you told Barbara?

Yes, and apparently she didn't listen.

Because I found her in my office going through my files. Looking for her passport.

I had control of all the family documents.

Birth certificates, marriage, everything.

She told me she was going to go away.

And she wanted me to pretend I didn't know what she was going to do. I couldn't do that.

-Did you tell anyone?

-No.

No. I helped her.

Whatever I thought of her choices, my duty was to her father. He would have wanted her safe.

I booked her onto a ferry, I organised her accommodation.

And I arranged for Amy to follow.

And the kidnap letter? The first one?

That was Barbara's idea.

She knew the Irish thing would put everyone off the scent.

She was a clever girl.

And what about when Amy came back? It was all over between them.

I wrote to Barbara and told her to come home,

but she was too ashamed to face her father,

and then when he was seriously ill, I knew she wouldn't be able to stay away.

-So, I wrote to her again.

-But she still didn't...

She was on her way to the airport.

The taxi she was in was involved in a collision.

She died on her way to the hospital.

The thing is,

she wouldn't have made it anyway,

that was the night Sir Kenneth died too.

So what happened to her?

I was registered as her next of kin.

I had her birth certificate.

I had her cremated and I brought her home.

Even then. When she was dead!

Didn't you think you ought to tell someone?! Tell her family?!

After all they'd been through, you think that would have helped?!

I think you're making excuses, Miss Jones.

You're not protecting them, you're protecting yourself.

Absolutely not!

I gave everything to that family, that firm.

The things I denied myself...

The same things you couldn't deny Amy and Barbara?

You didn't tell the truth because there would have been a lot of questions.

Maybe some questions you've avoided all your life?

-Well, we found her.

-That's about all we did.

Actually, I think we might have a couple of collars for the Merseyside police.

The scousers? What have they got to do with it?

You remember that robbery at the Liverpool Docks.

Assorted small weapons being shipped by Linden-Warner Industries? October '85?

Where the driver ended up dead?

Yeah, well in his book, Fintan talks about how he proved himself

to the Republican bad boys by getting hold of weapons.

He gave them guns and then he was in. That was in '85.

Yeah, I reckon it was an inside job.

According to the Liverpool boys, the gang knew exactly

which container they wanted out of hundreds on the dock.

-Michael must have set it up for him.

-Sounds plausible.

-Yeah, but even if Michael coughs, it's just his word against Fintan's again.

-Not quite.

Fintan also talks in the book about how he went to prison.

He robbed a taxi driver in Belfast at gun point, so I got on to the police over there.

-You have been busy.

-Well, they recovered the weapon from a bin near the scene.

It had MacEntee's fingerprints all over it and that's what sent him to the Maze.

Turns out that the serial number on the gun

matched the guns missing from the shipment.

-My mother?

-Someone's with her.

Hasn't got much to say for himself at the moment, has he?

Here, it's not bad actually.

I might enjoy it now I know it's got a happy ending.

Mr Halford, ma'am.

Lady Elizabeth.

Is that...?

Yes. I'm so sorry.

Why couldn't she just have talked to me?

Why couldn't neither of my children have come to me?

Am I really such a terrible mother, Mr Halford?

Did I deserve to lose both of them?

Nobody deserves that, Lady Elizabeth.

Right, who's up for a curry then?

-Oh, yeah, go on then.

-Sorry. Paperwork.

-I might see you later.

-OK, ta-ra.

Bye.

-Bye.

-Paperwork?

-That's what I said.

-You're not going then?

-Leave it, Jack.

-Aren't you curious

to see how all your old school mates have turned out?

Not particularly, no.

What about that teacher, Miss, erm...

Harrington.

I'll tell you what, I'll give you a lift and you can have a drink,

you might even enjoy yourself!

Go on then.

Sandra?

Sod it, let's go for a curry!

You're really scared, aren't you?

I am not scared!

You were saying?

All right, I admit it,

school was not the best time for me, OK? Can we go now please?

You know the best way to deal with a bully is to face him, stand up to him,

you should do that now.

That's really good advice, Jack, perhaps you should give it to the girls that were bullied by me.

What?

I was the school bitch.

I was utterly horrendous.

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they were waiting for me in there with tar and feathers.

Oh, come on Sandra, you're all grown-ups now.

Why don't you go and show them how you've changed, show them who you really are.

Show Miss Harrington.

OK.

-Just...

-What?

Just wait for ten minutes just in case.

Ten minutes.

Drive!

-What?

-Just drive!

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