Episode 2 The Secret Agent

This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

England is in need of a jolly good scare.

An outrage that will summon this country from its slumber.

Blow up the observatory?

I give you a month. Dynamite, chemicals - you have carte blanche!

They'll kill me.

Michaelis, now released, may be looking for revenge.

Work to do, comrades.

If I am such a fantasist, Chief Inspector, explain this...

It's the Professor, sir. He has a bomb.

I think he might use it.

Can you supply a bomb?

I can supply a bomb. Will you explode it?

Why were you talking about explosives?

I was just being provocative.

It's my job.

If your associates were to find out

that you were being paid by the Russian Embassy to spy on them...

it could end in your death.

As for us, I'm sure we'll be all right.

You always find a way to make things work.

I need to see the First Secretary! It's impossible.

Imagine how good a few days in the country will be for him.

-That way, you two will become much closer.

-Exactly.

Oi!

Let's make a plan.

Do you know what a secret is, Stevie?

The necessity of silence... Not even Winnie must know.

Could be father and son.

Hide your deed behind a harmless boy.

You're not the bravest, are you?

You screw the top on tight...

it makes the connection. Set at 20 minutes.

But a short, sharp shock... be careful...

Can we go now?

Yes, time to act, Verloc.

Look. Look. Country!

Yeah. All right.

Here we are. Stevie.

Come on.

Look, Mr Verloc, above the tree.

There's a bird just above the tree.

BRAKES SQUEAL

Excuse me.

I want more! I want to see more world!

Stevie misses you.

As long as he comes every Sunday.

You don't think he'll get lost, do you?

He won't have any trouble. I've sewn his address into his coat.

I didn't expect you. Not today.

Look at me - I'm here now, aren't I?

Is everything as it should be? At home.

Oh, everything is as it should be. Perhaps even more so.

There's been quite a development, actually.

Really?

Mr Verloc has quite taken Stevie up.

You'd never guess where they are now. They're in Kent together.

Kent!

-Is this it? Is this Michaelis' cottage?

-That's it.

I waved them off, Mother. You should see them together!

Well...

I know.

And Mr Verloc's not too busy?

He's found time for Stevie.

And if things haven't worked out so badly for Stevie -

what about yourself? Are you as included?

Despite what you said, my marriage is real, Mother.

Despite what you thought, we are a true family.

Nothing will ever get in the way of that.

Good boy. Good boy.

Bye.

This is very kind of you.

It was very kind of Lady Blackwood to offer me such sanctuary.

I wish to be generous too. To Winnie and Stevie.

But I must warn you, the boy can be noisy.

I hope we won't disturb you.

I'll be locked away with my thoughts.

-Thank you.

-Adventure!

It won't be for ever!

Stevie! Stevie, come on. Come on, this way.

That's it.

Final Stop, Waterloo Station. Everyone off at Waterloo Station.

You are not very vigilant, are you?

-What?

-Have you not been told to look out for me?

Instructed by the Special Crimes Division?

Get off with you... don't be such a pest.

What if I was waving a gun around? What then?

But you have no weapon...

I've a weapon deadlier than any gun...

How many people, do you think?

What are you talking about?

To blow to kingdom come? 30? 40?

And afterwards, you can tell your superiors you watched me go.

The man you called a pest.

Tell Heat it's the Strand next.

Michaelis, I'm going to climb trees

but I'm not going to get my trousers dirty!

Would that I were so young and agile!

Right, I'll take your bags for you...

Please, er... I can manage the satchel, at least.

The Professor's on an omnibus.

Get a message sent. He is NOT to be approached.

Let me remind you,

you told the Home Secretary that he was the least of them.

That was one blunder. Then your manhunt finds him nowhere until

-he decides to show himself to us.

-I'm aware of that, sir.

Then don't let him make himself known to the rest of London by way of an explosion.

Stevie. Stevie.

What are you doing, eh? What are you doing?

Look at me. Look at me.

Don't run off like that, OK?

Look at the ground. Look at the ground.

Now look at my feet. My feet. We're going to walk together.

Come on. Walk together.

Do you wish to lay a hand on me?

Because it would not be enough by itself.

You'd have to shoot me like a dog.

Yeah, why don't you do that?

I'd rather talk you out of it.

Talk me out of blowing this bus up?

Yeah.

And no-one will be any the wiser...

..and we'll all be safe.

You can't pin my arms to my sides,

so use your bullets, Chief Inspector.

Be ruthless. Slaughter me.

What, and let the public think

that you lot deserve to be treated like that?

Do you honestly think this state will meet murder with murder?

And morality will disintegrate in its very temple.

You understand the game.

Congratulations.

And these innocent people will be killed. Is that the first step?

Is that what you want?

What I want is the perfect detonator.

A full 20 seconds must elapse from the moment I press this ball

till the explosion takes place.

Imagine those 20 seconds, Inspector. I do.

For you, it'll feel like an eternity.

Get back!

Move! Out of the way!

PASSENGERS SCREAM

Let go. Let go!

THE PROFESSOR LAUGHS

Buried together!

Your 20 seconds are up!

You've failed, Professor.

Get off me! No! No!

Good day's writing?

No.

Words wouldn't come? Thoughts a jumble?

One burning thought.

Betrayal.

Hidden in a satchel.

Go to your room, Stevie.

Go and play.

You can take your food.

I'm here today and gone tomorrow.

No-one will ever know we were here.

I was still part of your...plan, though, wasn't I?

School the boy here, hide here!

You can plead ignorance.

If it was found I was involved in any way,

I would go back to prison for life, for harbouring you!

Stop shouting. You'll get the boy going!

How could you be low enough to use him as your dupe?

No-one's going to get hurt.

How many lies have you told him, huh?

Well, I'm not going to be another of your...victims.

It's not even as if this device is going to cause any harm.

You've kept this from us all... that's harm enough.

You were there. You heard my thoughts.

And the Professor was happy enough to provide...

What's the target?

Actually, no, I don't want to hear about it.

-I don't want to know anything about it.

-The observatory at Greenwich.

-Don't! I will not be landed in it!

-It's a building, that's all!

Not people.

You're no terrorist, Verloc.

So just tell me why you're doing it.

You're an agent, aren't you?

You're a spy.

Prison has made you scared of your own shadow!

Seeking to betray us all!

It's the Russians who want the law brought down on you all, not me!

I never expected to be used in this way...

And now you have involved me!

Will you inform on me? To our comrades?

To the police?

Just go.

What will you do?

Both will think me alongside you, so I can say nothing.

And do nothing!

Go in the morning.

Good for you, sir.

Well done, sir.

Heat.

The Professor's in custody, sir.

You threw yourself on him, I hear. Smothered him.

He could well have accounted for you.

Your modesty's well judged, Chief Inspector.

Given that you've previously smothered the truth about him.

Seems I am hard to remove...sir.

Could well be the case, Inspector.

Keep up, Stevie.

Stevie!

Sorry. Sorry.

Keep up.

SHOP BELL TINKLES

Not more pamphlets!

Oh, yes. Be careful, though...

my words are still burning on the page.

I hear Verloc's visiting

the great artist Michaelis as he writes his opus...

Yes. And Stevie is also his guest.

Stevie has more ideas in his head than Michaelis.

I didn't realise you were such a jealous person.

It's just some people don't deserve what comes their way.

Michaelis, Verloc...

-Enough of that.

-Look at you. Trapped among all this.

It's called having a business to run.

SHOP BELL TINKLES

Take some time off.

-Now.

-I can't just go.

-Who's stopping you?

Good morning.

Eggs, please.

No breakfast for you.

You're just a madman, not a prisoner of distinction.

Well, then, I have spread my madness, Inspector.

I've been giving my stuff away.

You think to alarm me?

Despite the failing of my detonator,

in giving dynamite to the world, science has done its best work.

I have given dynamite to someone else,

so they may do their work.

-I don't believe you.

-You have the keys to my lock-up. Go there.

You'll find X2 powder on the floor and the remnants of clay,

still wet from recent use.

Evidence that I have been very busy, Inspector.

Who for?

Who for?!

TRAIN APPROACHES AND SLOWS DOWN

TRAIN WHISTLE

Stevie! Hurry up.

London train arriving. London train.

I bet all the waiters know you here.

"Oh, here comes Ossipon again with another one."

You sit them down at the same table...

I can't pretend I haven't... sought the company of women.

This is different, is it?

For me, it's completely different.

Seven years ago, I loved a man. Son of a butcher.

25 shillings a week he brought home -

but how was he to take on a girl with an ailing mother

and a poor simple brother?

I had to find the courage to slam the door in his face.

And then came along Anton Verloc... and he took us all on.

And as we speak, Tom, he is Stevie's companion. Stevie's companion!

Stevie will be the only happy person in this whole affair...

No! I will too. Because this new thing between them...

I am so hopeful about it.

Tell yourself that lie.

But imagine more than just the day with me.

If people are killed, it won't be in the cause of any great struggle.

It'll just be murder.

It will be the triumph of a certain kind of will.

Not end hunger, not deliver the poor? Not justice for all?

What kind of economic structure are you after?

One that counts your corpses on the floor.

So you can walk a little taller?

You imagine my future, Inspector? I don't.

You shouldn't imagine anybody's.

Least of all those you wish to save.

LOUD THUD

Is that your worst?

Ah! Ahhh!

Stop! Stop!

-Well?

-Come on! More!

You might persuade me like this.

I might wish to save my sight and confess it all!

Gladly...

Ahh!

If we torture him, he wins. We become him.

You're wrong, Inspector. Torture me and you may get your answer.

The loss of one eye I may suffer, but two?

I would surely tell you what you need to know.

I'm in thrall to you, Professor. I'm begging you.

Help me.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, eh, Stevie?

I don't know...

Just means being brave. We're brave, aren't we?

Yes, I am. Are you?

You are in thrall to the law, Inspector.

I am only in thrall to what I desire.

And therein lies my power.

Who have you supplied?

Who have you supplied?!

Nearly there...

Time to set men free?!

Quiet, Stevie.

-Why do we have to leave Kent?

-Outstayed our welcome.

Didn't Michaelis like us?

Did I do something naughty?

Stevie, we've got a job to do.

No more holiday.

Now, put the bags down there.

That's it.

-Hide and seek?

-Stevie!

Come back here. Now!

This is a serious business we're doing here.

It's a serious business.

Yes. So... We've got plenty of time.

We go up the hill. Put it against the wall.

And then we go home.

It is to be a demonstration against a building.

I had hoped for rather more in the way of destruction.

-Which building?

-I depend on death, not just mere bricks falling down...

Which building?!

Right. Stevie, stop here.

Make the connection.

Not too tight...

-I'll go for you!

-Stevie...! No!

-I'm a good boy!

-Stevie...!

-I'll be a good boy! Good boy.

Stevie, no!

PEOPLE SCREAM

You got your wish. It was more than mere bricks falling down.

HE LAUGHS

HE ROARS

Stay back.

Stay back, please.

Stay back.

I was the first on the scene.

I saw from over there

what looked like a flash of lightning.

He would have died instantly.

Any witnesses? Anyone see him before this?

There were sightings of two men together...

Two?

A shorter older man and a taller younger one, sir.

-Which one's this?

-Impossible to say, sir.

We need to transfer this body to the morgue.

I threw the tarpaulin over the...

..but I'm not sure I'm up to...

No need. I'll do this.

-Not your function at all, sir...

-I said, I'll do this.

HE VOMITS

Stupid, stupid murderous trick to expose me like that.

To perform such an act. And for what?

-To what end?

-Who's dead? Not you, obviously.

No. Not yet...

I have run the risk for 11 years of being stabbed in the back

for my double-dealing and now...

now they will all come for me. You have to protect me!

Me?! Why?

-Why?

-My dear fellow, you must get yourself out of the country!

Get out now while everyone thinks you are the casualty.

-Is that all you have for me?

-You have done your job.

Now we must wait and see how Parliament will legislate for it.

I killed her brother!

That simple...wretched boy.

Well, obviously better if it hadn't been sanguinary at all

but there we have it.

Now, when you leave the Embassy, please make sure nobody sees you.

It has to be as if you were never here.

I'm sure you can manage that. After all, you are a spy.

They may not even trace this to you.

Your associate, is he identifiable?

I don't think so.

Well, then, you may be in luck.

And nobody will ever know you were involved at all.

That may be some consolation for you.

Goodbye.

Two gentlemen seen coming out of Maze Hill Station

some 15 minutes before the explosion...

Their tickets given in?

Also got a woman come forward...

attends the chapel in Park Place sometimes. Saw the two men...

The older one carrying a canvas bag on his shoulder.

Must have stumbled.

Sir?

Stumbled and fell.

Quite a mess he's made of himself there, sir...

Cover up.

Read all about it!

Sir...

That...piece of cloth you put in your pocket...

What of it?

Precisely that, sir.

Is it significant?

When intelligence is shared too much it stops being any such thing.

BELL JANGLES

Where's Stevie?

I couldn't drag him away.

It's worked like a dream, Winnie.

I told you it would.

Will Michaelis look after him?

I told him he'd have to reckon with you if he didn't.

Should I be worried? Is he...happy?

-Is he missing me?

-He's having the time of his life, Winnie.

He's climbing trees.

Sorry...

I'm sorry... I...

I feel I'm catching a chill.

I'll make your tea presently.

Don't want you laid up, do I?

That won't be so.

I'll cause you no trouble.

Is...that why you left Kent, cos you were getting a chill?

Things to attend to in London.

Winnie,

I'm going to retrieve all my money.

What for?

I was thinking, down there...

maybe we should move away.

Abroad.

France, maybe, or California.

Wonderful business opportunities there.

The idea!

The business isn't so bad.

You've a comfortable home here.

Be... Besides, I think it would unsettle Stevie.

Let's talk about it when he's home.

Even if none of our known anarchists had anything to do with this,

-for the public it still looks like a profession of ignorance.

-Yes, sir.

The Professor obviously unable to enlighten you -

unless you've brought something back from Greenwich,

our ignorance is still apparent.

We're following the leads on the two men, sir.

Something and nothing, Inspector.

-Or do you just mean to keep me at bay?

-Why would I do that?

To regain the initiative.

To repair a reputation that has undoubtedly been damaged.

In here.

This is what might be said of you.

That you concentrated on the possibility of a bomb

that might go off at the expense of one that did.

That your assurances to Sir Ethelred,

though technically correct, are quite beside the point,

because there is a dead man in Greenwich Park

and everyone is asking the question, "When will be the next explosion?"

I say all this mindful of your - so far - unimpeachable reputation.

Especially when you have no answers. No new information.

Well?

I took that from the remains of the body in the morgue.

What's this?

It's an address in Soho.

A shop.

Belonging to?

Verloc.

Well, this is worse than a confession of ignorance.

-This is one of the anarchists that's known to us.

-Verloc's dead, sir -

but the other man's still at large,

and we know who it is.

Given in at Maze Hill.

Only three people got off that particular train,

and one of them was a woman.

Where'd they come from?

A little country station in Kent.

Seems...unaccountable they'd come from that place.

Yes - but not when you know

that Michaelis is staying in a cottage there.

I know about this.

-He's writing a book down there.

-Yeah, that may be his alibi.

The cottage is owned by Lady Blackwood. It's her...gift to him.

Where he can find inspiration.

Well, in that case, I should go down there

and see how many pages he's been inspired to write, sir.

It's genuine!

He's a suspect, sir.

And Verloc was there with him.

Very well...

but conduct yourself with some delicacy down there, for God's sake.

Delicacy?

Refrain from making accusations that you can't...

Be careful, do you hear me?

Lady Blackwood is his patron, do you understand?

Perfectly, sir.

HE GRUNTS

Whoa! Steady.

Whoa.

Chief Inspector Heat.

Special Crimes Division.

Two tickets from here to Greenwich.

You shouldn't come here and interfere with me, you know.

I've been taken up by certain...

..people.

-Very influential.

-I know.

I know.

Did you buy a ticket back from Greenwich to here?

You know, you and Verloc, you ventured out together,

then, after, you came back alone.

In shock, no doubt.

I am in shock because you tell me he is dead.

And you don't feel you had a part to play in that?

I didn't, I wasn't there.

All your influential people,

they can't save you from the truth coming out.

Not a man like you. A ticket-of-leave man.

You can't afford to make one mistake,

let alone get mixed up in something like this.

I didn't get mixed up in it.

Then what?

What?!

It...

It wasn't voluntary.

I didn't choose to.

So, Verloc was here, and you went off together?

No. I didn't go.

Two men! Two men were identified there!

Stevie!

The other man was Stevie!

-Who's Stevie?

-His brother-in-law...

He didn't even know the dirty work he was doing for him.

Where is he now?

Uh...

Hiding in a ditch scared out of his wits, most probably.

Why would Verloc embark on such a thing?

He didn't take me into his confidence.

-He knew I wouldn't approve.

-If you had prior knowledge...

I knew nothing.

I was in my room the whole time.

It's an autobiography, you know?

The suffering I've gone through.

-Lady Blackwood is my patron.

-Yeah, I know.

I know.

And you're quite immune.

I never hoped to see you here tonight.

Annie said you may be occupied with the bombing.

We have one fatality, another still at large.

We hope to know his identity soon enough.

Hope you are rounding them all up, Assistant Commissioner.

Better to eliminate suspects from our enquiries, one by one.

Mm, softly-softly? Where has that got you?

It's how we do things here.

It's procedure.

Procedure?

What sort of suspects?

Who are they?

The anarchists. The political activists.

Including even those you have embraced, Lady Blackwood.

Michaelis?

I hope you're not bringing him in.

Do you have any idea what that might do to him?

But if he is party to any such conspiracy...

He is in Kent now, and there's only one passion urging him on.

Mr Stone...

Only one passion occupies him. His writing -

which I shall soon see into publication.

-How exciting.

-Quite.

In the meantime, it must be the only thing to detain him.

Tolerance can be folly, though, can it not?

In the bigger matter of the security of your country,

if these people are not suppressed, squashed,

then the conflagration may spread

from an attempt on the Observatory to...

every city in the country.

You think it that grave an affair?

Or do you simply intend to frighten us all?

It's what he's in England for.

You only have a dead body -

the perpetrator you cannot even identify.

Yes, we can.

Oh, oh, really? Really?

Well, let me guess...

it's confidential.

His name's Verloc.

It was.

-The fatality? The dead man?

-Mmm.

I see.

You're party to different information, Mr Vladimir?

-Why would you think that?

-You're smiling.

-I am?

-Why?

I have a very good hand, that's all.

Excuse me, my lady.

Verloc's still alive.

No.

No, I'm sorry, that can't be.

I'm afraid you're mistaken.

It's his brother-in-law Stevie who survived.

You know that for a fact?

No, but Michaelis is sure of it.

Did Michaelis identify the body? Did you?

The Russians know differently.

Then if he's hiding out in his shop, I'll go there at once...

-Arresting him will have to wait.

-So he can escape?

I've had to suffer

the First Secretary's smug expression all evening -

as if he's been in the know all along.

Why would he know about Verloc and his fate?

Perhaps there's a connection.

Heat, I'm warning you -

I will no longer allow your idea of secrecy

to be keeping your Chief of Department in the dark!

He's their agent.

How do you know that?

Because he's also mine.

An asset I've been exploiting on and off for the past few years.

So you've been making use of this man privately?

But now we know what we know,

we can't let him get away with dropping a bomb

-That's not up to you.

-But, sir,

-it would be a perversion of my duty.

-Did you hear me?!

The point is not him, is what's behind him.

Vladimir.

You forget Mr Verloc. You leave that responsibility to me.

Do you understand?

I'll be off home, then, sir.

Make sure it isn't through Soho, Inspector.

Thank you.

You're thinking about the boy?

I just miss him so much.

We've never been away from each other before.

It seems wrong that he's not at home, and I am.

He's in some village somewhere,

hearing sounds he's never heard before.

I hope he's not scared out his wits.

I hope he's...not missing me.

You could at least reassure me.

Just think of the good it's doing him.

Why can't you sleep, Anton?

I shall count sheep.

I imagine Stevie is doing so now.

Quite literally!

-Sit.

-Sir.

Is this the beginning of a dynamite campaign?

I rather think not, Sir Ethelred.

Well, what does Heat think? He gave me his word in this room

that we would be safe from any anarchist attack.

-I think it's still safe to say that, sir.

-So, what was Greenwich?

-More anomaly than plot.

-Not a conspiracy?

-Not in that way.

-But the Professor supplied the bomb?

More transaction than conspiracy.

Sir, this is a situation that requires some delicacy.

Some secrecy.

Why?

There's a figure in the pay of a certain embassy...

A Mr Verloc.

Known to us as an anarchist?

In fact, a spy and agent provocateur for the Russians.

This was a Russian plot?

Orchestrated by Mr Vladimir, I believe.

My God, these people are impossible.

A Turk would have more decency!

Quite.

So, what do we do about this Verloc?

In my opinion, offer him immunity from prosecution

in exchange for everything he can tell us.

In your opinion?

Yes, sir.

Where are you going?

Are you going to collect Stevie?

Yes, I...

I'll attend to the boy.

DISTANT SOBBING

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

Yes?

Is there a body here?

We have lots of bodies here.

I mean the one recovered from Greenwich Park.

Some sort of ghoul, are you?

I thought I should see it. That's all.

"Should"?

COINS CLINK

Even if you were from the newspapers,

I couldn't allow you to take a photograph.

-Police attend the body?

-No, I attend it.

And it's not a body.

It's just a mess.

BELL JANGLES

Is your husband home?

No. He's gone out.

Do you know when he'll be back?

Can't say.

So, you're here all alone, then?

Yes.

What, no family member to help you out?

My brother's in Kent.

With Mr Michaelis?

Who are you?

You've been in before.

Chief Inspector Heat. Special Crimes Division.

Isn't a crime to hold a meeting.

You can't be arrested for your thoughts.

It's more than just their thoughts.

What are you talking about?

Well, you've no idea what's happened, have you?

Well, tell him I know exactly what's happened.

You're not going to scare me. I know that much.

My Anton's a good man.

He doesn't need tormenting.

Why don't you just leave him alone?

Do you recognise this?

It's this address. I wrote it.

So that Stevie wouldn't get lost,

so he could always show someone where he lived.

So, it's from Stevie's coat.

Yeah. Whatever's it torn out like this for?

It was recovered from Greenwich Park.

The bomb outrage.

Have you heard of it?

Yeah. I've heard of it. I haven't read about it.

Some things don't bear too much looking into.

Anyway, what's that got to do with Stevie's coat?

Stevie's in Kent with Mr Michaelis.

No, he's not.

He is.

-Stevie was your brother, wasn't he?

-What do you mean "wasn't he"?

He still is.

He still is my brother!

I'm sorry.

He said he was climbing trees, getting his trousers dirty.

He said he was having fun.

Tell Mr Verloc I won't be coming back again.

SHE GASPS

You must have been mad.

I have been mad for a month or so.

But not now. Not any more.

I was humiliated by you. You lied to me.

Just take me in. I'm ready.

I've been told to stay away.

Others have plans for you.

It'll all come out.

That's not what they want.

Then why are you here?

I want to see your guilt.

Look at me!

How can you live with yourself?

Look at that.

Look! Look!

Not all of him was blown to bits.

She knows.

She knows.

Agh!

She's waiting for you!

BELL JANGLES